A/N: "Fear is a path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering." – Master Yoda (Star Wars: The Phantom Menace)

Part 8 of 10 of the episode "Living Nightmare."

I have wanted to write this chapter for a VERY long time, pretty much since the beginning of this entire trilogy! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! This might well be the best chapter I've ever written.

Also, the black clothing that Jenny and Nova wear is similar to the black catsuit that Jenny wore during the "attack of the supermodels" scene in the "Crimson Horror" episode.

Also, to avoid any confusion, the city is still London. Only the atmosphere has changed to Gallifrey's sky.

Chapter 31: Fear is a Path to the Dark Side

I don't know much about the Time War, but from what little Dad has told me, it was the absolute worst war in the history of Space-Time. The War was fought between two sides: Dad's people, the Time Lords/Gallifreyans, and squid-like aliens known as Daleks, that go around in large battle tanks with a thirst to kill. The War lasted centuries until one fateful day, when Dad decided to end it entirely by using a powerful 'galaxy-eater,' known as The Moment, to wipe out the Daleks, as well as the Time Lords, forever. It allegedly happened, and somehow Dad was left as the sole survivor, even when The Moment's explosion was meant to kill him too.

And now, centuries later, it is happening again, this time on Earth. Rather, Dad is making it happen again—of course, not by choice. The 'Shadow Demons' (or whatever they're technically called) are the ones responsible, and they're using Dad's fear of the Time War to take revenge on him for allegedly wiping out their world long ago (even though, technically, they were responsible for that, too). They believed Dad had purposefully destroyed their planet, and now they're forcing Dad to destroy Earth in the exact same way.

And it's only a matter of time until that happens, which could literally happen at any time.

"What do we do?" Jenny asks fearfully, clinging tightly to her wife's waist as she watches the Dalek drones flying through the blood-orange sky and destroying everything and everyone in sight. A few Daleks even fly toward us, shooting everything as they go.

"Everyone, get inside!" Vastra orders as she begins running inside the house, gripping Jenny's hand tightly and pulling her along as well.

However, Strax thinks differently. "It is inadvisable to retreat, madam! We should stand our ground and fight for the glory of Sontar!"

Oh! My! God! Can he be any stupider?

"With what, Strax?" Jenny frowns. "All of our weapons are inside!"

"Hey, if he wants to die, let him!" I shrug. "Meanwhile, those of us who actually have a brain should get out of the open before we all die! We're sitting ducks out here; we're better off inside anyway! Come on!" Even if we can't shut out the Daleks, what with the door having been blown completely to bits, at least we can have a roof over our head to shield us from the laser-blasts above.

Strax frowns, evidently offended. "Of course I have a brain, boy, and it's far more superior than yours!"

I roll my eyes. Okay, Strax; whatever you say…even though you're wrong about that. You forget, I'm a Time Lord, so by definition I am more superior than you. At least, I like to think I am. Not that I tell him this, as he'd blow my brains out without a second thought.

"Jenny, take Nova to find some appropriate battle attire, quick as you can!" Vastra says once we enter the ravaged foyer. "Strax and I will fetch the weapons from the cellar."

"Yes, ma'am!" Jenny nods before turning to me and gesturing upstairs. "Come, Nova. We must hurry!"

"As much as I want to get out of this hospital gown," I say as I rush to follow her to one of the other spare bedrooms, "shouldn't we be trying to help Dad? Earth could be destroyed at any moment, and us along with it! We clearly don't have much time; in fact, we don't have time at all, especially for this!" We don't exactly need to dress nice to save the world; literally anything would do, even if it's a tattered old hospital gown.

"As much as I want to help your father as well, we're not properly dressed!" Jenny says. "Trust me, we'll do much better with these!" She pulls out two sets of black battle clothing for each of us, both sets looking almost exactly the same.

"Whoa!" I chuckle as I lift one of the shirts. "This looks like something a ninja would wear! I am so in!" I immediately take the rest of the clothes and rush to the other end of the room and begin changing into them as Jenny does the same with her set.

"Pardon me for asking," she says after a minute, "but exactly how much of the Time War do you know?"

I shrug. "Not much, to be honest. Dad said it was the worst war in the history of all of Space-Time. He said he fought in it and regrets every minute of it. I mean, obviously, since…you know…" I gesture toward the window at the chaos outside to prove my point. "Though he said he ended it in the most terrible way…though I don't know if I should tell you. It's not something he wants many people to know about. When he told me…"

It still hurts, just thinking about it. I understand why he did it, but still… All those people… All those children… They didn't deserve it.

Jenny nods and smiles grimly. "Trust me, Nova, I know everything about it…what he did… He told us."

The scary part is, that could be about to happen again as we speak. Dad's 'dream self' could be somewhere in the city right now, and if we find him and see him about to do it…

Or, once we do, we end up being too late to stop him…

Or worse, we end up having to do it ourselves in his place…

"Do you think we can stop this?" I ask nervously, turning to Jenny. "I mean, I don't want to stop it in the same way he did… But…what if we have to?" I turn back to the window, at the impossible war beyond. "What if that's the only way to stop it? If we can't simply wake him up…"

I can't even begin to imagine it. To destroy an entire planet… To destroy my own home for the good of the universe… I just can't do it!

I can't believe Dad would do it, even though he did!

Sighing, Jenny approaches me. "Nova, look at me," she says as she turns my face toward her and lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. "If there's one thing I learned from my experiences with your father, it's that there's always a way, even if it's one we haven't thought of yet. We'll save him and everybody else. Together."

Her words make me smile, thinking of Hazel. "You sound just like my friend, Hazel. She used to always say, 'If you go down, I go down with you.' She never let me take risks alone; she always insisted that we take the risks together, and we usually did." When I felt responsible for the unfortunate deaths of Sam's friends, Brian and Cyrus, Hazel refused to let me take the blame alone, since she claimed she also felt responsible for their deaths because she didn't have the courage to save them. She always insisted that we do everything together, even if it all ended in disaster.

Our words from the moment she met me at the hotel in Modern Day London ring in my mind:

'Friends always stick together, for better or worse.'

'Even 'til death do us part.'

"She sounds like a very smart girl," Jenny says with a small smile.

"Yeah," I nod, but that's all I say. That familiar wave of guilt washes over me again, making me think about how I broke that promise between us when I split from her in the street, hoping to outrun the Vokanari, not knowing they were after her as well.

"And she's right," Jenny adds. "Even if you are planning to take this risk alone, you shouldn't. Madame Vastra, Strax, and I will help you. We'll save everyone together."

As much as I want their help, I can't help but feel like I'll be putting them in danger by allowing them to come along, exactly like how I allowed Hazel to stay with me in Modern Day London. If I'd sent her home like I should have, the Vokanari wouldn't have targeted her. I can't let the same thing happen to Madame Vastra, Strax, and Jenny too.

I've gotten plenty of people in danger without knowing it. Never again.

Though, at the same time, Jenny is right. I shouldn't do this alone. We're much more likely to succeed as a team. We're unstoppable as a team.

Even despite not knowing her all that well, I automatically wrap my arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Jenny."

"You are very welcome, Nova," she says, hugging me tightly back.

A second later, we hear a loud explosion from outside, which makes the entire house shudder.

"We should get going," Jenny suggests, taking that as a sign. "As you said, we don't have much time." I nod as we rush back into the hall.

Before going downstairs, I rush into my old room and collect my phone and Gallifreyan locket, having absolutely no intention of leaving them behind.

Once I meet everyone downstairs, Vastra attempts to offer one of her large swords to me, and as much as I want to use it, I decline, telling her that the only weapon I feel comfortable using is what I was taught in my jujitsu classes. With that, we spend a few minutes coming up with a plan to sneak back to the ship, save the kidnapped people, including Dad (especially Dad), and stop the Shadow Demons for good. I tell them that I don't care what everybody else does, as long as I be the one to save Dad, not just because I want to but because I'm pretty sure I am the only one who can. Jenny takes a minute to describe the layout of the ship, having been stuck there in over a week and having explored as an astral projection. Vastra volunteers to find and capture any and all Shadow Demons with Strax, while Jenny wakes all the kidnapped victims and gets them to safety through the portal in the wall. Then, once everyone is safely off the ship and Dad is saved, he can decide what to do with the Shadow Demons from there.

"Okay, so everyone knows what their roles are?" I ask after we finish our discussion.

"I believe so," Vastra nods, and Jenny and Strax nod with her.

"Everyone do what you can, but Dad is my number-one priority," I remind them. I won't fail in saving him this time. I'll make sure he lives, this time without a scratch.

"We do not expect anything less of you, my dear," Vastra says sincerely, "as long as you be mindful of your surroundings. I do not intend to resign from my task to keep you safe in your father's absence."

"It is our task now," Jenny corrects her, now looking much better after having eaten for the first time in a week during our planning session. "We'll keep each other safe. No one should have to be alone in this; certainly not you, Nova. We're with you until the end." I smile appreciatively at her.

"It will be my honor to fight by your side!" Strax, now dressed in familiar purple armor, says, stepping forward and raising his gun. "Should you perish, you shall be remembered as a mighty warrior!"

I roll my eyes at this, but I also can't help but smile at his kind words (Ha! A kind Sontaran. Who would've thought?). "Thank you, Strax. And thank you for saving my life yesterday. That was very heroic of you. I take back every bad thing I ever said about you. Perhaps we could have a shot at being friends." For once, I actually mean it this time. Strax has proven to be a true ally, just as Dad said. That doesn't mean I trust Strax, but I do believe we can be allies to one another, at the very least.

Here's hoping he doesn't get us killed before we even get there, even by accident.

"I shall not forget your exploits," he says, and he sounds surprisingly honest. "You have been my greatest enemy, and you will not be easily replaced."

I frown with uncertainty, believing he may have gotten the words swopped. "Uh, I hope that by 'enemy,' you actually mean 'friend.' If so, I really appreciate it." I then say before the awkwardness could escalate, "Anyway, we should go. The longer we stay here, the more time we're wasting." We've wasted too much time already; who knows how much time we have left, but it must be very little.

"Agreed," Vastra nods. "We should keep to the shadows so the Daleks don't spot us."

"We'd be much safer underground," Jenny points out. "There'll be fewer Daleks in the sewers than on the surface."

"Jenny's right," I nod in agreement. "We can navigate much more quickly in the sewers; besides which, the entrance to the ship is down there anyway. I can use my sonic screwdriver to find it." I imagine the sonic works like a signal or compass when it comes to searching for alien tech, which would be very impressive in that case.

"The closest sewer entrance is not too far from here," Vastra says, pointing toward the direction of the entryway. "It is only two blocks that way."

"Okay, team," I say, taking a deep breath. "Let's do this." With that, we exit the house and into the war-ridden streets of London Town.

"The sewer entrance is just there," Vastra says a few minutes later as we approach a large manhole in the ground next to a building that has partially collapsed. She kneels down, slides the manhole aside, and begins climbing down, followed closely by Jenny.

"You descend next, boy!" Strax tells me as he aims his gun at the sky in case any Daleks fly by. "I will follow imminently!" Briefly looking up at the blood-orange sky, it truly looks like Hell is descending on us.

No, I shake my head, Hell isn't descending on us. It already has descended on us.

I am about to follow Vastra and Jenny when I suddenly pause, getting a familiar sense—the sense of another Time Lord in the area.

But that's impossible! I know it's not Dad, and we're the only two Time Lords in existence…as far as I know.

So if it isn't Dad, I think to myself, then who can it possibly be?

I glance over to where I am getting the sense the strongest, and I see a familiar-looking teenage girl standing on the other side of the street. When our eyes—my eyes—meet, my hearts-rate elevates, and so does the sense of danger.

Holy shit! That girl is me!

But how?! How is that even possible?!

"Uh…actually, you're going down next, Strax," I say as I stand up, not taking my eyes off the girl. "I'll catch up."

"Boy, I do not think that is wise," the Sontaran protests. "Unlike myself, you are unarmed. I must stay and defend against all foes who may target you. Who is that hideous boy?" At this point, he also sees the girl—me—approach us from the shadows. "He looks familiar." He then glances between the girl and me and frowns in confusion.

Trust me, Strax, I'm no more confused than you are.

"Strax, go!" I urge, pushing him toward the manhole. "I can handle this! Go find the ship! I'll catch up!"

"But, Nova—" he says, but I'm not listening. He can't be a part of this! Nobody can!

Nobody except me!

"Now, Strax!" I yell, which, surprisingly, makes him flinch.

"Nova!" Vastra's voice echoes up to us from below, having heard my scream. "Strax! What is going on up there?"

"The foolish boy is staying behind to dispatch another boy!" Strax says as he reluctantly climbs down the hole. "He is refusing my assist—!"

Oh, for the love of God! I can't deal with this anymore!

At this point, I'm done. I immediately kick Strax in the back, causing him to lose his balance and fall noisily into the sewer with a loud splash.

"Strax!" Jenny cries in alarm. "Are you alright?"

"Nova! What is the meaning of this?" Vastra says angrily. "I demand an explanation!"

"I should destroy you for this treachery!" Strax complains, but I don't give a shit. That was for his own good. I'm not letting them be a part of this! They wouldn't understand!

"You'll get over it," I say, rolling my eyes. "Sorry, guys, but the plan has changed! I have to take care of this first! Find the ship! Find Dad! I'll catch up to you later! You'll forgive me for this, I promise!" The Paternoster Gang's protests fall on deaf ears as I slide the manhole cover back in place. I even sonic it for good measure so that they can't do anything to help.

Luckily, I closed the manhole just in time as the girl who looks exactly like me, clothing and all, approaches me with malicious intent; though her face looks different from mine, with a twisted smirk and large, heavy bags under her eyes—or rather, eye, as one of her eyes is covered with that traitorous eye-patch.

"You won't be catching up to anyone," she growls in a deep voice. "Not before I get there first!"

Geez Louise! This is literally the most bizarre thing that's ever happened to me! I am literally standing face-to-face with myself!

Well…sort of, as she's technically a 'fear' projection come to life. But still… How in the Holy Heck?!

"Leave them alone!" I growl back at her, positioning myself between her and the manhole. "They don't need to be involved! This is between you and me!"

The imposter pretending to be me sniggers. "Oh, I don't care about them. I care only about him."

I frown. Okay…so she's not after the Paternoster Gang?

"Who?" I ask, puzzled. If she's not after them, then who is she after?

She sniggers even more loudly. "Seriously, you don't know? Clearly you were raised by the wrong people! See, if you were raised by the proper people, like I have—like you should've been—you'd be much less dimwitted! You'd be much less of a coward! More than that, he would've been gone long ago, had our foolish mother not decided to give up her remaining regenerations to save him in Berlin; had she not refused to kill him at the lake! And now I have to finish what she failed to do! Any of this ringing any bells now?"

Of course! She's been trained by the Vokanari; therefore, she's after Dad! Ugh, I'm so stupid!

Evil Me nods, sensing my thoughts (Of course she can; we're telepathically linked! Literally, since she's me!). "That's right. I am what you would've become—what you should've become—had the Vokanari succeeded in taking you away. 'Nova Susan Song: the New Woman to Kill the Doctor.' Unlike our mother, who will forever be remembered as 'The Woman Who Failed to Kill the Doctor.'" She then pauses, thinking better. "Then again, maybe I should be thankful that she failed. After all, she gave me the opportunity to kill him in her place. Isn't that sweet? Just goes to show you how much a mother truly loves her daughter. Thanks, Mom; you're the best! I'll be sure to send you a postcard with the body!"

Those last words make my stomach churn in the most uncomfortable way. "I won't let you touch him!" I growl at her. "The only way you'll get at him is over my dead body!"

"Careful what you wish for," Evil Me says, her smirk widening. "Perhaps that'll happen…sooner than you think."

In that moment, her eyes instantly glow gold, and she shoots a ball of energy in my direction. Luckily, I'm quick to dodge it as it hits a nearby wall and explodes, sending debris flying.

I stare in shock, and Evil Me sniggers again, smirking at her glowing hand. "Betcha didn't know I could do that, did ya? Oh, what am I saying; of course you did! You've done it several times already, out of extreme anger or fear! I'll tell you a secret; that right there—that wasn't from fear or anger. Wanna know what emotion I used? It was hatred. Hatred is the strongest emotion, even stronger than fear or anger; the Vokanari taught me that. My—excuse me, our—hatred for our own father made me more powerful than I could ever imagine! It shaped me into who I am now—who you were meant to be since the beginning! And you know what? It isn't too late! You can still join them. Mom already has; why not join her?"

This is utter insanity! I won't give in to this!

"Because that's not who I am!" I exclaim. "Who we are! I understand, now, what we were always meant to become, and it was never this! This isn't you—us! We are so much more than that! We are so much better than that! We're not killers, we're saviors! We're novas—or novae, or whatever the plural of 'Nova' is! We are what shapes the universe into something new, something better! This is exactly what Dad is teaching me—teaching us! Once he passes on, we are meant to continue his legacy for the better! The Vokanari want to take that away from us, but we shouldn't let them! They want to destroy us and every good thing there is! Don't you understand? They are the true enemy, not Dad! Why do you think he chose the title, 'Doctor,' all those years ago? He's trying to make the universe better, to heal it of its wounds, just like any doctor would, and he wants us to do the same! Because it's right! Because it's good! Because it's kind!" I sigh. "Please, don't give in to this hatred. Your hatred for Dad is just an illusion; it's not real, just like everything around us isn't real! You don't want to let your hatred go because you're afraid! Afraid of what would happen if you fail, and I completely understand that. The Vokanari don't accept failure, and I should know, since I was secretly trained by one of their members as a kid. But that's what makes them weak. They're afraid of us, and they want to control us. Of course, anyone would want to control the very thing they fear. In truth, fear is what started all of this—their entire organization! They fear Dad, which later changed to them hating him, and they've suffered greatly for it. It's like Yoda said in Star Wars: 'Fear is a path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.' You've suffered greatly under their control. I can see it in your eyes. You've never been truly loved by them, just like Mom. You don't know what it's like to be loved by a true parent. I do. Trust me when I say that Dad loves us unconditionally, and he'd do whatever it takes to protect us. To save us. Think how much better it would be to save him rather than kill him. To love him. Love is the strongest emotion, even more powerful than hate. Let me show you." At this, I hold out a hand for her—for me—to take as a way to seal a promise between us.

She shakes her head. "No! You're wrong! Love is weak! That's what makes the Doctor weak! He would always put himself in the line of fire before those he loves. Love will be his eventual downfall! I'll make sure of it! Get out of my way!" She then blasts another ball of regeneration energy at me, but I dodge it again.

"No!" I scream back at her. "I will not let you hurt Dad!"

"Then I'll watch his own fear kill him instead!" she sneers. "But not before I kill you first!"

She then rushes at me and tackles me to the ground. She makes several attempts to punch, kick, and strangle me, but I manage to dodge her attacks…barely, as she appears to be much stronger than me, having been supposedly trained by the Vokanari her whole life. At least, that's what I can imagine, if she was from an alternate universe. This is what I would've become, had Dad failed to save me after my birth—a true psychopath, just like Mom.

No…more than Mom. Mom was a psychopath; this girl is next level. She's a monster.

"Please, you don't have to do this!" I say once I manage to free myself from my evil twin's grasp. "The Vokanari are speaking through you! Don't let them control you!"

"The Vokanari have no control over me!" she growls. "Not anymore! They've controlled me long enough, and this is what they made me become! This is the new me! Not even Regeneration would change me now!"

"This isn't you!" I say, shaking my head. "You were never meant to become this!"

"There's still time for you!" she snaps. "You can still become this! They'll never stop hunting you!"

"Then I'll run!" I snap back. "I'll run, and run, and run, and I'll never ever stop! They can continue to hunt me to the end of Time, but I'll never stop running!"

She snorts, shaking her head incredulously. "You're a fool! You'll have to stop running eventually! Everybody does! You can't run forever!"

"Try me!" I spit at her as we continue fighting each other. She attempts to get to the manhole, knowing that's where the Paternoster Gang have gone to find Dad, but I refuse to let her get to her intended destination and fulfill her given task. Only one of us is going down that manhole, and it's going to be me.

"You might as well give up now!" she says as she wipes at her bleeding lip and nose, smirking as she does, like this fighting between us is nothing but a game to her. "They have your human family, even our mother! The only way you can save them is to turn yourself in! They'll never let them go unless you reveal yourself first!"

"I'll find a way!" I grunt as I rub my sore arm. "And then…I'll take down every single Vokanari member that's ever been! I've killed two already!"

Evil Me snorts. "Two is nothing! Those were merely pawns! There are millions of us all over Time and Space, and millions more join our ranks every day! The Vokanari have been around long before we were born! How can you possibly take down an entire order all by yourself? In all honesty, I'd love to see you try!"

Is she challenging me?! Oh, it's on, bitch!

"How much do you want to bet?" I snap. "One regeneration? Two regenerations? How about all of them? I'm not afraid to take down an entire organization, even if I have to use up all of my regenerations to do it! And I'm not afraid of you either!" This time, I am the one who makes the first move with a swift punch to her stomach, and we continue fighting thereafter.

Eventually, I can tell we're reaching the end of the fight, because her punches and kicks aren't so swift anymore; in fact, she seems to be losing strength altogether.

But me…I feel way stronger than I have ever been! Dad was right; fear does make me stronger and faster. All my life, I've been afraid that I might become this, but I realize, now, that this particular fear has made me stronger and more determined to take them all down. The Vokanari think they can control me… Not by a longshot! Even a slight attempt to control me will be their ultimate downfall!

The fight finally ends with me pinning my evil twin to the ground, sitting on her hips and hands wrapped loosely around her throat. Despite this, she continues to snigger at me, blood staining her jaw.

"So you finally understand," she says. "You've finally figured out the number-one fear ol' Voldy was referring to. You're absolutely right! It was always me! Rather, it was always yourself! And why shouldn't you be afraid of yourself? There is so much raw power within us that's just itching to be used! If you join the Vokanari, you'll never have to hide your powers ever again. You can use them however you wish, and you'll never have to be told otherwise. There is so much you can learn from them! There is so much you can learn about yourself! You wanna know what I recently learned about myself—about us? I learned that I'm not just a Time Lord; I am much more than that! We are much more than that! We're not just Time Lords… We are gods! That was what we were always meant to be!"

"No!" I snap at her, tightening my hold on her throat. "That's wrong! That's not who we are—what we are! Being a Time Lord doesn't make you a god; it's just what we're called! We don't own the universe; we explore what has yet to be discovered! We save what has once been lost! We heal what has once been damaged! We correct what has once been wronged! Those are the true meanings and responsibilities of being a Time Lord! Everything you were taught by the Vokanari was wrong! They know nothing about the Time Lords—about us, nor about Dad! We seek to protect what the Vokanari seek to destroy! Trust me, this isn't you—this isn't us! We're so much better than this! Please, wake up from this delusion and come back to the Light! There is good in you, I know it! I know myself—I know you!"

Evil Me frowns. "Maybe in another life, I would've agreed, but this is who I am now, and nothing is going to change my mind! Nothing! Sorry to disappoint you, 'Nova,' but I must finish what the Vokanari started, and I will no longer have you getting in the way! Trust me, once the Doctor is dead, the universe will be better off without him! You'll understand why soon enough!"

"Not if I can help it!" I growl before the unthinkable happens. This whole time, I never knew I was holding the syringe with the deadly poison, and I suddenly find myself sticking the needle in the side of my evil twin's neck, pushing on the trigger and forcing the poison into her veins.

"What…" she gasps in pain, clutching the side of her throat where I stuck her with the needle. "What was that? W-What did you d-do to me?" The moment she begins convulsing uncontrollably, I immediately move off of her body and stand, dropping the empty syringe to the ground at my feet.

"What was very nearly done to me just an hour ago," I clarify without feeling any kind of remorse or regret. "Though, I guess now I get to see what it would've looked like, had that stuff actually been used on me. I must say, rather it be on you than me." I sigh sadly. "I was wrong. There is no good in you at all. Not anymore."

As she continues convulsing, I see a small trace of golden energy appear from her face and hands, but it disappears as quickly as it had come. "I…I can't regenerate!" she gasps again, attempting to will the energy to cleanse her body of the poison, but it is no use. Instead of healing her, the energy begins leaving her body like pixy dust and dissipating in the air. "What…was…that…"

"I genuinely don't know," I shrug, not having any interest at all in helping her. "Perhaps it was that 'Judas Tree' stuff. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. Honestly, who cares anymore. You'll never find out, and frankly, I don't want to find out either. All I know is that you gave me no choice. I gave you the choice to change, but you chose not to, and this is what you get. Does this make me into one of them? Perhaps, but that's for me to decide. In fact, I made my decision long ago…" I then lean in close to whisper in her ear. "I will never be one of them. Not now. Not ever."

Those are the last words she'll ever hear as she falls silent and limp on the ground after the last of her regeneration energy leaves her body and disappears into the air, leaving her body an empty shell of the girl she used to be.

Of the girl that was once me.

As disturbing as it was to see myself like that, I can't help but feel sad for the monster she became—that I became. This was never meant to happen, but the Vokanari didn't give her a choice, just like they didn't give Mom a choice when they stole her away from her parents. They were both raised the wrong way, but they couldn't have known because they were so young, and it's not their fault. Not really. Not at all. I imagine this is what happened to several Vokanari members; many of them were forcefully taken away from their previous lives and plonked into this twisted new life, having had their memories wiped, with false memories and beliefs being put in their place. Any hint of the people they used to be was mercilessly wiped away from existence.

It disturbs me even more to think that, had Dad failed to save me, I could very well have become the very girl that lies dead at my feet, and the fact that that came so close to actually happening in real life. Even if this were to happen in my near future, I'll make sure it never happens, just like I promised her—like I promised myself. I will not let the Vokanari control me or anybody I care about. Never again!

I especially don't want to lose my memory of that crazy, mad, wonderful man that is my father. If the Vokanari attempt to take those memories away—or worse, replace them with false ones—I'll fight to protect them at any cost.

I prepare to leave the area when I hear a loud screech say "HALT!" The voice startles me so much that I end up falling to the ground. I turn to see one of those cursed Daleks approaching me with its weapons—one looking unusually like a toilet plunger—trained at me.

"Fudgeknuckle!" I scream as I back away, crabwalk-style, from it.

"YOU ARE AN ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!" It says as its top lights flash with the words and its long eyestalk pointing down at me. "YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED! EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!"

"NO!" I scream as I shield myself from the blast that's about to end my life.

That is, until the Dalek suddenly explodes in a shower of sparks from a gun blast having hit it square in the eyestalk. The Dalek screams in pain and shuts down; rather, it falls silent and still once the blue light of its eye goes dark.

Damn! That was a close call!

I sigh in relief. "Phew! Thanks, Strax! I owe you one—"

I suddenly pause once I turn to see the face of my rescuer, and it isn't the face of a Sontaran. It is the face of a woman—a curly-haired woman I know all too well.

"Mom?!" I say in absolute shock.

As excited as I am to see her, she is the literal last person I'd expect to see. How she can be here now, I have absolutely no idea.

"You really shouldn't be out in the open, sweetie," she says in a serious but also joking tone as she twists her gun on her finger and replaces it back in her holster, much like she did when we first met. "There's a war on. Are you alright?" She then approaches me and holds out a hand for me to take.

But I don't trust her. "Stop!" I say, holding my hand out in a defensive manner rather than take her hand. "Don't come any closer!" I then immediately take out my sonic screwdriver and scan her with it, seeing whether she's actually real or just another 'fear' projection.

The woman who may or may not be my real mother frowns at me, appalled. "Sweetie, what are you doing?"

"Making sure you're real before I decide to trust you," I admit as the sonic confirms what I can't decide to be good or bad, considering what has happened to her. She is real, but I'm still not convinced.

"Am I real?" she says in a tone like she knows the answer to be 'yes,' which is true…maybe. Who can really tell, anymore?

"I'm deciding," I say with a raised eyebrow. She may be physically real, but she may not be mentally real, if it's true the Vokanari have truly taken over her mind, even when they are not in control in the present moment. Again, who can really tell?

"I assure you, I am one-hundred-percent real," she says in an insistent tone, but I still don't fully trust her.

"I wouldn't be so sure, considering what's been going on here lately," I say with a shrug as I take her hand anyway. "How did you find me?" I ask as she pulls me to my feet.

"I'm your mother," she says in an obvious tone. "I'll always be able to find you."

"Yeah…" I say, raising a suspicious eyebrow. I seriously doubt she just found me by chance. The Vokanari must've known I'd be here and sent her here. Or maybe she somehow knew Dad and I would be here in general…

Who can really tell?

"Where's your father?" Mom asks, looking around the post-apocalyptic wasteland that Victorian London has become. "And why does the Last Great Time War seem to have returned? To Victorian London, of all places?"

'Where's my father?' Yeah, because the Vokanari sent you to find us and deliver us to them. Not that you know that…or maybe you do.

Unfortunately, I don't have a choice but to tell her. "It's a long story. Long story short, Vastra called Dad and I here because people's fears were literally coming to life all over the world; and now the beings responsible have Dad and have forced him to dream up his worst fear, as you can see from the orange sky and flying trash cans. Vastra, Strax, Jenny and I were just on our way to find him when…" I pause, not wanting to tell Mom about my disturbing encounter with a corrupt version of myself, who I ended up killing in the end. "Well…when you showed up."

"Where are Madame Vastra, Strax, and Jenny now?" Mom asks in a suspicious tone, like she knows about my encounter and is insisting that I tell her, even though I don't want to. "Why aren't you with them?"

"We…got separated," I say to deflect her request. "But I know where they are. They're heading to the ship. I know where the ship is. I can find it, using the sonic."

Though, needless to say, I'd be leading her straight to Dad, and having the two of us together would be the last thing that should happen right now with Mom around, seeing as she wants us together. Rather, that's what the Vokanari want, and they're acting through Mom.

Unfortunately, I don't have a choice. If we don't free Dad from this illusion soon, it'll be the end of the world as we know it, especially as I know it in the future. If Earth is destroyed in this time, everything I experienced in the future—my entire childhood with my guardians and Hazel—would be rewritten. Or worse, my life may cease to exist entirely. I can't let that happen! I'd rather take my chances with the Vokanari than have my entire life be erased from existence.

"Well then, we'd better catch up!" Mom smiles, but I can't tell if it's a twisted smirk or a genuine 'Mom' smile. "Lead on!"

A/N: TO BE CONTINUED!

When I wrote the part where Nova says "That's not who I am," when I reread that entire paragraph, it had the feel of an inspirational speech in my personal opinion. Please let me know in the comments what you thought of this speech. I can honestly say I especially enjoyed writing that particular part of the chapter.