The Littlest Timelord: Cracks in Time

Chapter 21

"So, you chose this world. Well done. You got it right. And with only seconds left. Fair's fair. Let's warm you up".

The power in the TARDIS came back on and the control room started to thaw.

"I hope you've enjoyed your little fictions. It all came out of your imagination, so I'll leave you to ponder on that. I have been defeated. I shall withdraw. Farewell". The Dream Lord disappeared.

The Doctor stood up and stumbled to the console.

"Something happened. I...What happened to me? I..." Rory stuttered.

Amy said nothing and hugged him.

"Oh. Oh, right. This is good. I am liking this. Was it something I said? Could you tell what it was so I can use it in emergencies, and maybe birthdays".

The rotor started to move as the TARDIS made her signature wheezing noise.

"What are we doing now?" Amy asked the Doctor.

"Me? I'm going to blow up the TARDIS".

"What?" Rory asked.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord was? Okay, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and I could have done without the limerick. But he was always very keen to make us choose between dream and reality".

"What are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Doctor, the Dream Lord conceded. This isn't a dream", Rory told him.

"Yes, it is".

"Stop him!" Amy yelled.

"Star burning cold? Do me a favor. The Dream Lord has no power over the real world", the Doctor said, "He was offering us a choice between two dreams".

"How do you know that?" Amy asked.

"Because I know who he is and he said he'd give Elise back. So where is she?"

The TARDIS exploded and suddenly they were back in the normal control room.

Rory and Amy entered the control room to find the Doctor looking at something in the palm of his hand.

"Any questions?" the Doctor asked.

"Er, what's that?" Amy asked him.

"A speck of psychic pollen from the candle meadows of Karass don Slava. Must have been hanging around for ages. Fell in the time rotor, heated up and induced a dream state for all of us". The Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS and blew it out into space.

"So that was the Dream Lord then?" Rory asked, "Those little specks".

"No, no. No. Sorry, wasn't it obvious? The Dream Lord was me. Psychic pollen. It's a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you. I'm nine hundred and seven. It had a lot to go on".

"But why didn't it feed on us, too?" Amy asked.

"The darkness in you pair, it would've starved to death in an instant. I choose my friends with great care. Otherwise, I'm stuck with my own company, and you know how that works out".

"But those things he said about you. You don't think any of that's true?"

"Amy, right now a question is about to occur to Rory. And seeing as the answer is about to change his life, I think you should give him your full attention". The Doctor shoved Amy towards Rory and stepped back, giving them some space.

Elise's eyes snapped open and she was in her bedroom in TARDIS. She jumped out of bed and ran into the control room as Amy was pulling away from Rory. She immediately went running up to Amy and wrapped her arms around the redhead's legs.

"Hey what's this all about?" Amy asked her, "So what about you, little miss? What did you dream about?"

Elise's blue eyes filled with tears as she thought about it. Her father picked her and carried her over to the jump seat, where he set her down.

He placed his forehead against hers and his hearts broke as Elise played the dream back for him. "I'm sorry", he said.

Elise shook her head and showed him all her happy memories with him.

The Doctor smiled. "You and me, eh? No matter what", he said and Elise nodded.

She wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her back up.

"So, well then, where now?" the Doctor asked.

"I don't know. Any where's good for me. I'm happy anywhere. It's up to Amy this time", Rory told him, "Amy's choice".