Warning: A slight warning, that there is some content towards the end of this chapter that is kinda disturbing, depends on your definition though. Brace yourselves.

Chapter Five. Something Does Not Add Up

"So," Aefriol asked Prumiva, "Were you able to get the artifacts?"

"I...I have been stranded on this planet for a long time since the exile master," Prumiva answered with a slight stutter, "I...I have not been able to."

"That does not matter." Aefriol replied, "I shall do it myself. I am sure that I will find a transport somewhere that will take me to where the Mystic Blade is..."

"Adric!"

The two evil beings looked at each other before looking on in dismay.

Aefriol snarled at the voice, "That voice. I recognize that essence. It is the Doctor!"

"That time lord is the reason that we are in this exile along with the rest of our cult that was killed." Prumiva stated, "Including my love Daerian. What will we do about him?"

"Adric!"

"We will take care of the Doctor," Aefriol instructed, "in the meantime you wait for me. I will send you a telepathic message to let you know where. I will also obtain a beautiful female to be my queen as I rule this universe while I find a transport back to Mylithos where the Mystic blade is located."

"What about your conquest starting on Earth?"

"Adric!"

"A new change of plan. My conquest will start on Mylithos just as it was supposed to a long time ago. Now go! Before the Doctor finds you!"

"Yes of course, master."

With that, Prumiva vanished from sight.

"Adric!"

Aefriol changed his voice to Adric's voice and formed his sinister red eyes to Adric's innocent brown eyes, "I am over here, Doctor!"

The Doctor spotted "Adric" close by as Nyssa, Tegan and Natasha were with him and Laura, Nathaniel, Lila and Cooper were not too far behind them.

"Where were you?" the Doctor asked the being he believed was still his young companion as he was unaware what happened to him, "You said that you would meet Lila at the cafeteria after you got done visiting that room next to the curtains."

"I lost track of the time." Aefriol lied, "I do apologize."

"It is not a big deal." Lila insisted, "Besides, I can name numerous times that Cooper and I lost track of time ourselves."

"Yeah." Natasha added, "All that matters is that Adric is safe and nothing has happened to him, right Doc?"

"You are right you know," the Doctor replied, "and kindly refrain from calling me Doc!"

"You do not like to be called that?" Cooper asked.

"I am the Doctor," the Doctor bluntly answered, "and none of you here in this area are Bugs Bunny!"

"That sounds fair." Aefriol replied before noticing Tegan tending to her arms, "What happened to you?"

"My arm got scratched by that hay," Tegan answered, "I swear, this is the last time that I am ever gonna go on a hay ride and I mean it!"

"Hay can do that to you." Natasha chided.

"Not to mention," Nyssa stated, "some of the children were spitting during that hay ride."

"Which was very disgusting!" Tegan exclaimed in anger and disgust.

"It was Pre K and younger grade schoolers that did all that gross spitting." Natasha replied.

"You weren't the one getting all the hits from those children!" Tegan exclaimed.

"It is raining a bit now." Nyssa announced, "so I assume that they are going to call off the hay ride and the rest of the outdoor activities at the festival."

"I think that we should be heading back home." Laura suggested, "Doctor, you and your friends are more than welcome to stay with us for tonight. We have plenty of room at our house. You too, Natasha."

"I am up for it." Natasha replied, "Thanks Laura."

The Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Aefriol grouped together.

"Well," the Doctor asked, "What do you guys think?"

"Well..." Nyssa began.

"I think it is a great idea, Doctor." Aefriol answered, "it will give us some time to rest. It is a great idea."

"That is what I was about to say." Tegan scoffed in annoyance.

"Well," Nyssa stated, "Adric is not wrong. We do need to take some time off considering our encounter with the Mara recently."

Aefriol eyed Nyssa, admiring not only her beauty but her intelligence that he could sense as well. She would make the perfect queen for his universal domination. Next, he would have to isolate her from the Doctor as well as the others to snare her into his trap.

"We will be glad to spend the night with you, Mrs. Barton." the Doctor told Laura.

"That is great." Laura replied, "We should be heading home then. My van has enough room for all of you."

"That is great to hear." Tegan replied, "In fact, the best news I heard all evening."

Adric gasped as his eyes snapped open as he found himself in a dark room. He had no idea where he was as the evil being Aefriol has taken over his body. He slowly rose up and looked around his surroundings, trying to come to terms of what was going on.

"Is anybody there?" Adric asked as his voice echoed in the background, "Hello? Doctor? Doctor, are you there? Nyssa? Tegan? Anyone?"

He heard growling in the background. The black ground slowly turned to a purplish ember color, where faceless beings with long fingers that looked like claws slowly emerged. Adric looked at another section to see the Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Natasha along with the Barton Family and it looked as if they were leaving the school.

"Doctor!" Adric called for his friends, "Doctor! I can see you! Doctor? Tegan! Nyssa! Can you guys hear me! Doctor!"

The beings began to come closer to the Alzarian as they were chanting, "Feel our power. Be in us. Feel us. Be in us. Conform to us."

"No! Help me!" Adric cried out in fear as the faceless beings came closer to him, "Please! Somebody help me! Doctor!"

The young boy was unaware that the Doctor had heard him, albeit in his mind. At first, the Doctor thought it was only his imagination because he saw "Adric" before him but as Adric's voice was shouting in the Time Lord's mind, the Doctor began to suspect that something was not right with Adric and he would be in for a surprise to find out what that would be.