A/N: There are mentions of Ceruleans. Prepare for the feels.

"I'm sorry, Diana," the Doctor said again over the phone, "but there's nothing else I can do. You know I'd already be there if I could."

I nodded and forced a smile onto my face, even though there was no need. "Yeah. I know, Theta," I breathed as I hung my head in disappointment. I stayed silent for a few moments to calm myself. "I'm stuck here until I end up time jumping again."

"I'll be with you," the Doctor replied hastily. "I promise, Diana. I'll stay with you, I'll help you as much as I'm able."

I looked up at the two moons in the sky and sighed again. "So I follow the path around the mountain and I'll reach a river?" I asked, deciding to change the subject so neither of us would get upset.

"Yes. It's perfectly safe and there's shelter along the banks of the river where you can rest."

I stepped away from the silver-leafed tree and headed down the path that young Theta and Koschei had taken earlier. A light, yet dry breeze blew across the open fields of red grass and I grimaced as the hot air whipped against my face. My head still ached a bit and I was slightly confused as to some of what had happened before my black out, but the Doctor's plan made me feel a little less worried. Besides, a nap by a river sounded heavenly right then.

"Diana? Are you still there?"

I shook my head. "S-Sorry," I muttered. "I think my brain's still catching up to all this."

"So's mine," the Time Lord mumbled under his breath.

I stared down the path as it curved around the base of Mount Cadon and thought about Theta and Koschei. "Doctor, what should I do if I see someone?" I suddenly asked. "I mean, won't they know I'm not a Time Lord?"

"Not at first, I don't think. If you give them a Time Lord name and act like you're where you're supposed to be, I don't think they would question you anymore. But you're outside of the citadel. There aren't many Time Lords that venture out of there except for some children, outcasts and Ceruleans, mostly."

"Ceruleans?" I echoed in confusion. "Aren't they… obsessed with plants or something?"

The Doctor seemed to stifle a chuckle. "They're another Chapter, like the Prydonians. But they are more fond of the world outside the citadel than most other Time Lords," he explained.

I nodded as I continued along the path, watching red-brown dirt cloud around my shoes as I walked through the flattened grass. "So do I need to say what Chapter I'm from?"

"Just say you're Prydonian. That would make the most sense since you seem to be closest to that Academy."

"And a name?"

There was a pause on the other end of the phone before the Doctor answered, "Themba. Say that's your name."

I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds a lot like Theta. Did you make it up?"

"No, I didn't make it up," the Doctor scoffed. "It's an African name that means 'trust, hope, and faith'. I used to call you that… A long time ago."

"Really? I don't remember you ever calling me that," I responded. "But anyway, isn't Themba a little short? Theta's your nickname, not your real name. What if they ask for a real name, a Gallifreyan name?"

"Just elaborate on it."

Closing my eyes for just a moment, I exhaled heavily. "Fine. I'll think of something, I guess. Uh, what should I do after I get to the river? I mean, can I stay there?"

"It's too risky. Someone might see you, a student from the Academy most likely. But I think I do know somewhere you can stay, or rather, someone you can stay with. An old teacher of mine."

"A teacher?" I repeated incredulously. "Is that a good idea?"

The Doctor laughed. "Not a teacher from the Academy, my guru."

That made me stop in my tracks. "A guru? You had a guru? On Gallifrey?"

"Don't sound so surprised. I was rebellious even as a child, so I didn't often listen to my teachers. There was one man that I did listen to and he rarely spoke, but I always learned something form him. He lives near the top of Mount Cadon in a cave and I visited him once. He didn't live by the rules that the Time Lords set in the citadel. He lived by the Buddhist teachings from Earth and I know he would be the most willing of my people to help you."

Turning my head towards the mountain, I looked up at the peak that loomed far overhead and whistled under my breath. "It's a long way up to the top, Theta," I mumbled into the phone.

"I know, but he won't turn you in to the Time Lords. He can help you, Diana, especially if something happens and I can't be with you. Please, at least try to find him. I need to know that you're safe."

I smiled, touched by the Doctor's genuine worry for me. I knew the Time Lords were not a very forgiving or accepting race and that I would need to be careful during my forced stay on the planet. "I will," was my whispered reply. "I promise."

The Doctor and I continued talking as I headed down the path again, keeping my eyes open and ears alert for signs of any other Gallifreyans. Half an hour later I was able to faintly make out the sound of running water over the Doctor's voice. Hope rose in my chest and a burst of energy shot through my body. Concussion forgotten, I raced forward with my phone pressed against my ear and a smile on my face. Far ahead of me and partially hidden by a line of silver-leafed trees was a small dip in the ground that followed the base of the mountain and then cut across part of the path.

"I found it," I breathed into my phone. "The river."

The Time Lord's sigh of relief sounded in my ear. "Thank goodness."

"Theta, I-." The sounds of voices coming from inside the line of trees made me stop myself mid sentence. Worried that it might be Theta and Koschei or, even worse, adult Time Lords, I skidded to a halt. "There's people. I can hear voices in the trees," I whispered.

"How close are you to the river?"

"Not very close, but there's nowhere to hide but the trees. Everything else is just-"

"Grass, I know. Just…" Exhaling heavily, the Doctor grumbled something incomprehensible under his breath. "Just make your way to the trees, but quietly."

My heart was pounding in my chest as I crept forward inch by inch, my footfalls almost entirely silent on the grass. I couldn't make out anything that the voices were saying because of their hushed tones and the river rushing nearby, but I could tell that it was the same two boys that I'd seen only a half hour ago: Theta Sigma and Koschei. My breath caught in my throat for a minute as I hid behind one of the trees and peered through the leaves at the two boys. They were sitting near on the river bank with their backs towards me and talking to one another, pointing to the stars or the moons and laughing softly.

Oh my boys, I thought sadly.

The Doctor's voice then drew me out of my thoughts, startling me enough to almost drop the phone. "Diana? Diana! What's going on?"

The blonde haired boy froze and suddenly stopped talking. He turned his head just a fraction in my direction and I hurriedly ended the call before shoving my phone in my back pocket. Young Theta Sigma nudged his friend with a jab of his elbow as he turned around to look at the trees.

"Koschei," he whispered, "did you hear that?"

The dark haired boy whirled around and a chill ran down my spine as his dark, chocolate brown eyes skipped right over me. There was something off about that boy, something dark and terrible in his gaze that made my blood run cold. And yet, there was also a hint of innocence and curiosity in his eyes, something I had failed to see in any of the incarnations of the Master I had met.

"It's Ushas!" Koschei shout-whispered. "Come on!" the boy exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.

The boys thundered through the trees, thinking I was their friend. I peered through the silver leaves and watched the them scramble down the path in the reddish glow of the sky. It was strange to see them so young when I knew exactly what they would both grow up to become, a ruler and a healer.

Once the boys were out of sight, I turned around with a sigh and looked to the river. The water looked normal and blue like I was used to on Earth and the current didn't appear to be too strong that it would pull me under or drag me away. Very carefully, I stepped towards the riverbank and knelt on the ground. I extended one arm and dipped my hand into the water, pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't extremely cold or too hot. I reached my other hand into the water and cupped them to collect water, then quickly moved my hands to the back of my neck. I repeated that process a few times to try and wash some of the blood out of my hair, which ended with my torso being completely drenched.

The comfortable temperature of the water had cooled me down a little and once I knew I was alone, I felt much less anxious about being found. I wiped my hands on the sides of my thighs to avoid the blood I had wiped there before, then ran my fingers through my hair to push it out of my face. Another slightly warm breeze drifted through the trees and tousled my hair as I fell back on my rear.

I tilted my head back and looked through the leaves at the stars and moons in the night sky, still completely in awe of my location. It was difficult to believe that I was really on Gallifrey, although the physical evidence certainly proved that I wasn't dreaming. The many years I had spent following the Doctor back home combined with the months I had known him in real life meant that I sometimes wondered what it would be like to visit Gallifrey and see its famous red grass and burnt orange sky. But I had never thought it would be possible after what I knew of the Time War and what the Doctor's future selves would do to the planet.

My back pocket started vibrating then, bringing me out of my thoughts. I reached back and pulled my phone out to check the screen, thinking it would be the Doctor calling back after I hung up on him. To my surprise, it was someone else entirely.

"Missy?"

"Diana, love, it's so good to hear your voice."

I smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment. "Uh, i-it's good to hear you too," I stammered a little awkwardly.

"Tell me, dear, what are you up to? Could I tempt you in a little trip perhaps?"

I looked down at the river flowing at my feet and smirked. "I don't think that's going to be possible," I said with a laugh.

"Oh? Why's that?"

"You know how I time jump? Well, I've jumped somewhere I'm not supposed to be and there's now way out until the next time I jump."

Missy made some kind of sound at the back of her throat. "And where, exactly, are you?" she wondered.

I leaned back slightly and looked up at the leaves again. With a shrug, I answered, "Oh, you know. Gallifrey."

There was silence on Missy's end of the line for a moment. "Gallifrey?" she repeated, her voice suddenly turning a little Scottish. "Well, that's a bit farther than I was thinking."

"What did you have planned?" I questioned.

"Oh, just a day out at St Paul's Cathedral. Nothing much."

I shrugged as I stretched out my legs in the grass, supporting myself with my free arm. "Never been. You and the Doctor will have to take me sometime," I said with a faint smile.

Missy hummed in agreement. "Yes, we will," she answered softly. "So. Gallifrey, then?"

"Yeah. I'm as surprised as anyone else," I admitted. "You'd think since it's time locked I wouldn't be able to get here, but here I am. And there's no way to get out either. I called the Doctor and no matter what he tried, he couldn't get to me. I'm stuck here until the vortex decides it's time for me to leave again."

"I wish I could help, love."

"It's alright. It's not your fault."

"With me, you never really know," the woman joked.

I chuckled. "No, it's not. If anything, it's probably mine. Or the vortex. But, anyway I'm here now and the Doctor told me where I could go to find help and shelter. I just hope I'm not here for more than a few days."

"Do you know where you are?" Missy wondered.

Nodding my head, I replied, "Yeah, the Doctor told me I was at the foot of Mount Cadon. Which is apparently also where the Prydonian Academy is. He helped me find the river-"

"The Cadonflood River?" Missy interjected.

"Yes. How did you know?"

The woman cleared her throat and sighed. "Oh, you know the Doctor. He never shuts up and I have my ways of making people talk."

I raised my eyebrow in surprise, not having expected her to know very much about the Doctor's home planet. But I pushed the thought away because it wasn't important just then. "Right. Well, that's where I am. It's strange to be here. I never thought in a million years that I'd ever see this place, especially after the War. Although I think I'm here a few hundred years before the War."

"Did the Doctor find out time zone you appeared in?"

I shook my head, momentarily forgetting that she couldn't see it. "No, I… I saw somebody," I told her.

"Saw somebody? Who?"

A disbelieving laugh fell past my lips. "A young Theta Sigma and a young Koschei." Missy sucked in a breath at the mention of the Master's childhood name, which worried me. Perhaps she had met him and had a bad experience, like many of the Doctor's other companions. "Missy? Are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, yes," she said dismissively. "Do continue, my dear. You said the Doctor told you where to find help? I was… under the impression that Time Lords weren't fond of humans."

"That's what I thought too, but he said that he had a guru that lived near the top of the mountain and that he was more understanding than most other Time Lords."

Missy started to say something, but almost immediately cut herself off. I asked her again if she was okay and she only said that it was nothing important. I noticed that she was acting a little odd, even if she did normally sound and act a bit strange, but I was willing to look past it because that wasn't the most important thing in my mind. I was, after all, stuck on Gallifrey for an unknown amount of time until the vortex whirled me away to another time and another place.

I looked back up at the burnt orange sky and sighed. "I thought the night sky would be black, you know," I said. "But it's orange."

"The night sky is burnt orange, but is blue during the day," Missy explained.

"Wait, seriously?"

"You didn't know that?"

"No. How would I? I've never even been to Gallifrey before."

"Yes, you have."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise and confusion. "No, I haven't," I replied.

Missy laughed. "Yes, my dear, you have. The Death Zone is on Gallifrey and I know you've been there," she said.

"The Death Zone's on Gallifrey? I thought it was on some other planet."

"It's on Gallifrey, love. Just south of the equator. Another tidbit I learned from the Doctor," she said with another laugh.

I smiled. "Well then I guess it's a good thing I have you to be my personal map of Gallifrey," I teased. "At least until I can contact the Doctor again."

"Yes, until then," Missy answered, her voice trailing off at the end.

We both fell silent then as I continued to stare up at the night sky, while Missy seemed to be either listening to me or waiting for me to speak again. I didn't know what else to say to the woman because although I did enjoy her company, I didn't know her as well as I knew the Doctor's other companions.

"Missy?" I asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, love?"

"I'm going to call the Doctor again so this is probably stupid, but… would you tell him something for me the next time you see him?"

The woman exhaled softly. "Yes, of course, dear. What is it?"

"Tell him I love him."

Missy coughed lightly and then cleared her throat. "Yes, I'll tell him- Oh, hold on a moment, would you?"

"Sure."

I could just make out something talking on the other end of the line and it sounded like a man, although I didn't recognize the voice. Missy responded to him, but her voice was muffled and I couldn't catch more than few words. The man replied and then fell silent.

"Sorry about that, love."

"Who was that?"

"Oh, just one of my workers," she answered.

"You have a job?" I asked incredulously.

Missy made an amused sound and I could almost see her smiling knowingly at me. "Of course I do. A girl's got to do something when the Doctor isn't around. What better than a job?"

"What do you do?"

"Oh, that would be telling, wouldn't it? Let's just say I'm the director of a certain company that looks after people."

"Huh. You should show me around where you work someday."

"I promise I will," Missy answered softly. "And Diana?"

"Yes?"

"Make sure to rest before you go looking for that guru of the Doctor's. The walk up that mountain can take a lot out of you."

I smiled, genuinely touched by Missy's apparent concern. "Alright," I said. "I will."

"Oh and one more thing," she added quickly. "Be careful. Please."

"Don't worry, Missy, I will. I promise."

Missy and I shared a goodbye before I ended the call. I looked down at my phone and considered calling the Doctor again, but what Missy had suggested echoed in my mind as I stared at my boyfriend's name on the screen. A rest would be good for me and the Doctor did tell me to wait and recover before starting up the mountain. Shoving the phone back into my pocket, I leaned back on both arms and gazed at the river.

There were a few birds in the trees that sang very quietly over the sound of the river. Watching the water flow by almost made me forget where I was because it looked like any other river you might find on Earth. But a glimpse of red grass drew me from that line of thought and I tilted my head down to get a better look at the grass. It looked like Earth grass, thin blades that were a little itchy to the touch but still soft and comfortable to sit on. It was odd knowing that only a few minutes ago Theta Sigma was sitting there with his best friend by his side, the two of them playing with the grass and listening to the river as they gazed up at the sky.

"Theta Sigma and Koschei," I whispered. "My Theta."

Letting out a sigh, I lay down on my back with my arms folded under my head. The sky was brighter than I was used to back home or even on the TARDIS, but with the birds singing and the river in the background it was easy for me to drift off to sleep.

"It's going to be alright. Just… Just close your eyes and I'll be there when you open them."

I stood on the fire escape, looking down at the ground far below me.

"Just close your eyes."

I looked over my shoulder and saw an angel frozen behind me, its face open mid snarl and its arm stretched towards me.

"I'll be with you the entire time. I'm staying with you, Diana. It's alright. Just close your eyes."

I stepped closer to the edge of the fire escape and prepared to jump, feeling the wind tear at my hair. I kept my eyes on the angel as I threw myself into the air. Time seemed to slow suddenly as I fell, the angel suddenly gone. Spirals of gold materialized in the air as the angel suddenly appeared again and grabbed me by the neck. I clutched desperately at the angel's arm as I stared into its eyes and snarling mouth.

"No!" I shouted in terror.

The angel's other arm grabbed me by the shoulder and shook me.

"Just close your eyes," the Doctor's voice whispered in my ear.

I tried to push the angel away, but for some reason my body was frozen. The angel suddenly smiled and shook me violently.

"Just cl-"

"Wake up!"

"-your eyes."

I shook my head and fought against the angel. "No! Let me go!"

"I'll be with you the entire time. Just close your eyes."

The angel kept shaking me and since I couldn't fight it, I shut my eyes. Another push at my shoulder made me open my eyes again and-

A young boy with short, jet black hair knelt beside me with his hands on my shoulders. He was wearing a red robe with a small collar of the same color around the neck of his robe. I looked up into the boy's dark eyes and had to look away almost immediately as a wave of dizziness washed over me. The boy sighed when he realized I was awake and stood up, his brows furrowing together.

"Who are you?" he asked seriously, his eyes narrowed. "I've never seen you at the Academy before. And what happened to you?"

"What?" I croaked after a moment.

"Your neck," he said as he pointed at me. "You have bruises. What happened?"

My hand flew up to grasp my throat and although I couldn't feel anything different on my skin, the movement caused me to wince painfully. As I tried to think of a response, images from my dream flooded my mind's eye and then my real memories began to rush through my brain. I suddenly remembered what had happened after the angels took me, I remembered what I did, and I remembered the angel trying to choke me as I slowly slipped away through the vortex.

"I died," I breathed.

The boy's mouth fell open in shock. "You regenerated?" he asked in surprise.

I looked up at the boy and felt my heart stop in my chest when I recognized him. It was the same boy who had run down the mountain with Theta Sigma. I looked into his eyes and saw a flash of cruelty amongst curiosity and wariness as he stared back at me. It was Koschei, the Master himself stood over me in a child's body.

Koschei looked over me in silent consideration, his eyes narrowing again. "If you regenerated, then how come you look like you've been attacked? Who are you really?"

"I-I didn't say I regenerated," I stammered nervously.

"But you said you died."

I shook my head and pushed myself up into a sitting position. "It's nothing, Koschei," I sighed.

"How do you know my name?"

Dammit, I thought as I grimaced.

Koschei suddenly lunged forward and grabbed my shoulder, his eyes burning cruelly as he stared down at me. "Who are you?" he asked in a deadly calm voice.

A/N: Don't forget to review!