Amy's Choice

(Jared's POV)

Amity Colosseum…

"Sayaka, Mami, set up!" I said, tossing two Pokeballs into the air.

The two Pokeballs revealed a Popplio and a Chikorita respectively.

"Sayaka, use bubble." I said, looking at the Popplio.

The Popplio launches multiple bubbles out of her mouth towards the sky. There is now an amazing display of bubbles up in the sky.

"Mami, use Energy ball!" I said, happily.

The Chikorita uses the move to launch balls into the sky to mix with the bubbles to create a light display.

"Sayaka, now use an ice beam." I said, smiling.

The Popplio sends out ice beams towards all the balls to make them float in the air, linking them in the process. She then linked them all together and made a ladder for her and Mami to climb up on.

"Wow." Nanoha said, in awe.

"Jared knows how to put up a show!" Hibiki said, excitedly.

"Doesn't beat an idol concert." Rena said, crossing her arms.

"Rena, no time for a fight." Kaede said, sadly.

The two Pokémon are now on top of the icy platform after a couple of seconds and now I'm laughing away, enjoying myself.

"Now, Sayaka, water gun." I said, smiling. "Mami, razor leaf."

The two Pokémon did as they're told and the two moves intersected each other just for my performance to end.

"Now I wonder if I should have used Sayaka and Kyoko for this." I said, frowning. "There's always a next time."

Beacon Academy…

"Jared! That was so cool!" Ruby said, walking up to me. "You and your Pokémon were amazing!"

"Well, thank you, Little Red." I said, handing Ruby a gift. "So, how was your contest?"

"Me? Well, I, uh…"

"She totally lost!" Weiss said, crossing her arms. "Ruby wasn't in sync with her Pokémon."

"I totally was!"

"Not!"

"Was!"

"Oh, I know." Yang said, tossing out a Pokeball into the sky. "Let's go and get some cake later."

"What kind of cake?" Blake asked.

"Chocolate cake. With strawberries on top?"

Bakery….

We entered the bakery and I saw Kirito, Asuna, Sinon, and Yui there. No wait, it was most of the SAO survivors.

"You guys like this place too?" I asked.

"Of course!" Asuna said, eating some macaroons. "Want a seat?"

"Yeah." I said, smiling. "Asuna, how was your honeymoon with Kirito?"

"It went well." Kirito said.

"I said Asuna." I said, rolling my eyes.

"It could have gone better. Kirito said he was gonna show me around Hoenn." Asuna said. "But instead he was eating a lot of food at Slateport."

"It had a food court." Kirito said. "I was hungry."

"So I was." Hibiki said, entering the bakery too. "Hi!"

"Hey, Hibiki." I said, grabbing a seat.

"What's up?" Ruby asked.

"Can I get some food?" Hibiki asked.

"Maybe later." Miku said.

Beach…

I'm walking alongside one of my favorite beaches with my girls, and I have to admit, I wasn't expecting an early birthday party.

I sat down on the ground, as I'm admiring the view with all of Team RWBY.

"Me winning a ribbon." I said, sipping on a milkshake. "And an early birthday party. Something's not right here?"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"It's just…"

"Something feels off to you?" Blake asked.

"Yeah." I said.

"It can't be that big of a deal." Yang said.

"Another thing. Since when did Beacon Academy have a beach?" I asked.

"It always had one." Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Not from what I remembered."

"Oh, uh, you're slowly catching on, aren't you?" Ruby asked.

"I am." I said, hearing birds ringing through my ears.

I then began falling asleep. I looked over to see Lisbeth, Silica, and Sinon fall asleep too.

(Open POV)

Tardis…

The Doctor wakes up on the console floor. Short haired Rory and non-pregnant Amy enter. Jared entered with Lisbeth, Silica, and Sinon, Asuna too.

"...Days. What? No, yes, sorry, what? Oh, you're okay. Oh, thank God. I had a terrible nightmare about you two. That was scary. Don't ask. You don't want to know. You're safe now." The Doctor said, hugging Amy.

"Oh, okay." Amy said.

"That's what counts. Blimey. Never dropped off like that before. Well, never, really. I'm getting on a bit, you see. Don't let the cool gear fool you. Now, what's wrong with the console? Red flashing lights. I bet they mean something."

"Er, Doctor, I also had a kind of dream thing." Rory said.

"Yeah, so did I." Amy said.

"Not a nightmare, though, just, er, we were married."

"Yeah. In a little village."

"A sweet little village, and you were pregnant."

"Yes, I was huge. I was a boat."

"So you had the same dream, then? Exactly the same dream?" Rory asked.

"Are you calling me a boat?" Amy asked.

"And Doctor, you were visiting."

"Yeah, yeah, you came to our cottage."

"How can we have the same dream? It doesn't make any sense."

"And you had a nightmare about us. What happened to us in the nightmare?"

"It was a bit similar, in some aspects." The Doctor said.

"Which aspects?" Rory asked.

"Well, all of them." The Doctor said.

"You had the same dream." Amy said.

"Basically."

"So, what dream did you guys have?" Jared asked.

"It involved you performing in a Pokémon contest." Silica said, smiling. "It was so cool!"

"We also ate some sweets." Sinon said.

"And we also hung out at the beach." Lisbeth said, her hand on her hip. "At least it was normal. Except the beach and a bakery being at Beacon."

"So we all had the same dream." Jared said, happily. "That's good. And Doctor, you said your dream with the Ponds was a nightmare."

"Did I say nightmare? No, more of a really good mare. Look, it doesn't matter. We all had some kind of psychic episode. We probably jumped a time track or something. Forget it. We're back to reality now." The Doctor said.

A bird is singing.

"Doctor? If we're back to reality, how come I can still hear birds?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, the same birds. The same ones we heard in the…" Rory said.

Leadworth…

"...dream. Oh! Sorry. Nodded off. Stupid. God, I must be overdoing it. I was dreaming we were back on the Tardis." Rory said.

"Hi." Jared said, waking up on the ground. "Silica, Sinon, Lisbeth, wake up!"

"Agh! Where are we?" Lisbeth asked.

"I think we're in Leadworth." Silica said.

"I think this is Upper Leadworth." Sinon said.

The Doctor checks his braces and walks away.

��You had the same dream, didn't you?" Rory asked.

"Weren't we just saying the same thing?" Amy asked.

"But we thought this was the dream, didn't we?"

"I think so. Why do dreams have to fade so quickly?"

"That's what I want to know. I'm dreaming that I'm having a normal life. Leadworth seems to be that pick. One where I see all of time and space." Jared said, shrugging his shoulders. "And then the bloody one where I'm at Beacon Academy."

"You were doing a Pokémon contest." Lisbeth said. "So where were the Grimm?"

"Grimm?" Silica asked. "Right, there were supposed to be some there."

"Doctor, what's going on?" Sinon asied.

"Is this because of you? Is this some Time Lordy thing because you've shown up again?" Amy asked.

"Listen to me. Trust nothing. From now on, trust nothing you see, hear or feel." The Doctor said.

"But we're awake now." Rory said.

"Yeah. You thought you were awake on the Tardis, too."

"I'm awake." Jared said, kicking his foot back and forth.

"You thought you were awake at Beacon Academy too. With the SAO survivors."

"But we're home." Silica said, sadly. "We're on Earth. A decade early."

"Yeah, you're home. You're also dreaming. Trouble is, Rory, Amy, Jared, Silica, Lisbeth, Sinon, which is which? Are we flashing forwards or backwards? Hold on tight. This is going be a tricky one." The Doctor said.

Beach…

Jared looked around and he noticed that Team RWBY were gone, along with Symphogear and the Magical Girls that were here, "Girls, wake up."

"Um, I don't like this." Silica said, waking up. "Where is everyone?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Lisbeth asked.

"Where's the Doctor, Amy, and Rory?" Sinon asked.

"I don't know." Jared said.

"So, we dreamt that we were in 2015. In Leadworth."

"I think it was Upper Leadworth." Silica said.

"That means Sword Art Online hasn't happened yet." Lisbeth said. "The hell is going on?"

"We were also in 2010." Jared said, crossing his arms. "On the night before Amy and Rory's wedding. But why Beacon Academy? And merge everything I like together?"

"You're the fanboy. Figure it out."

"I like this life. Living among the stories I grew up with."

"Basically us." Lisbeth said, smirking. "Talk about a helpless romantic."

"I'm not that helpless!"

"No fighting." Sinon said. "What do you think caused this to happen?"

"I can't remember." Jared said, sadly. "It could be anything."

"Um, that's not good." Silica said.

"It isn't. And I need to remember soon."

A bird sings. Jared hugs Silica. Sinon hugs Lisbeth.

"Jared, remember. This place is real to you." Sinon said. "If we wake up somewhere else. Remember what the Doctor said, remember how real it is."

"This is real. I know it's real." Jared said, letting out a sigh.

Leadworth…

A teacher leads a crocodile of schoolchildren past. The church clock is chiming as Rory and Amy wake up on a bench outside the Library. Jared wakes up holding Silica's hand. And Lisbeth wakes up holding Sinon's hand.

"Okay, this is the real one. Definitely this one. It's all solid." Amy said.

"It felt solid in the Tardis too. And Jared, I assume it felt solid at Beacon. You can't spot a dream while you're having it." The Doctor said, waving his hand in front of his face.

"What are you doing?" Sinon asked.

"Looking for motion blur, pixilation. It could be a computer simulation. Or a virtual reality game like Sword Art Online, ALFheim Online, or Gun Gale Online. I don't think so, though." The Doctor said.

A little old woman walks past.

"Hello, Doctor." Hamit said.

"Hi." Rory said.

"Hello. You're a doctor." The Doctor said.

"Yeah. And unlike you, I've actually passed some exams."

"A doctor, not a nurse. Just like you've always dreamed. How interesting."

"What is?"

"Your dream wife, your dream job, probably your dream baby. Maybe this is your dream."

"It's Amy's dream too. Isn't it, Amy?" Rory asked, looking at Amy.

"Yes. Course it is, yeah." Amy said.

"It's possibly mine too." Jared said, crossing his arms.

"Oh, what's that?" Silica asked.

"I think it's a retirement home." Lisbeth said.

The sign outside says SARN Residential Care Home.

"They're eavesdropping." Sinon said, when a man is looking out of a window, then a woman and another man. "Why?"

"You said everyone here lives to their nineties. There's something here that doesn't make sense. Let's go and poke it with a stick." The Doctor said, running off, followed by Rory, Jared, Sinon, Lisbeth, and Silica.

"Oh. Can we not do the running thing?" Amy asked.

Care home lounge…

"Oh hello, Doctor Williams." A woman said, nearby.

"Hello, Rory love." Poggit said.

"Hello, Mrs Poggit. How's your hip?" Rory asked.

"A bit stiff."

"Oh, easy, D-96 compound, plus." The Doctor said.

"The hell is that, Spaceman?" Jared asked.

"Is it a drug?" Silica asked.

"I think it's a cure." Sinon said.

"A cure for what?" Lisbeth asked.

"No, you don't have that yet. Forget that." The Doctor said.

"Who's your friend? A junior doctor?" Poggit asied.

"Yes." Rory said.

"Can I borrow you? You're the size of my grandson." Poggit said.

The Doctor has to try on the sweater Mrs Poggit is knitting, "Slightly keen to move on. Freak psychic schism to sort out. You're incredibly old, aren't you?"

The rest of the residents in the lounge stare at him, then the birdsong starts and they fall asleep.

Tardis…

"Okay, I hate this, Doctor." Amy said. "Stop it, because this is definitely real. It's definitely this one. I keep saying that, don't I?"

"Same. Because Leadworth, Beacon, and the TARDIS are real to me too." Jared said, leaning against the TARDIS console.

"It's really cold." Silica said, sadly.

"The heating's off." Lisbeth said.

"The heating's off?"

"Maybe put on a sweater." Sinon said. "Or a scarf. Oh, I wish magic was real."

"Er, yes. Sorry about Mrs Poggit. She's so lovely though." Rory said.

"I wouldn't believe her nice old lady act if I were you." The Doctor said.

"Um, what do you mean?" Silica asked. "Act?"

"Everything's off. Sensors, core power. We're drifting. The scanner's down so we can't even see out. We could be anywhere. Someone, something, is overriding my controls." The Doctor said.

A little man in a red bow tie and tweed jacket and Kyubey suddenly appears on the stairs behind the Doctor and Jared.

"Well, that took a while." Kyubey said. "For this pointless endeavor."

"Honestly, we'd heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm. Him in the bow tie." The Dream Lord said.

"And someone being a personal assistant to the Law of Cycles. I would interfere with it. If we got more data to this. You're human. Yet you're not at the same time. How curious."

"How did you get into my Tardis? What are you?" The Doctor asked.

"What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord." The Dream Lord said.

"And Jared, you know me as Kyubey." Kyubey said. "Or as one of the Incubators. We both have the same goals in life. Entropy for the universe. And to study and learn things."

"Nice look. Dream Lord." The Doctor said.

"This? No, I'm not convinced. Bow ties?" The Dream Lord asked.

"And the red and blue flames for a hoodie." Kyubey said. "I really don't get you humans and your fashion sense."

"Red and blue." Jared said, crossing his arms. "It represents Ruby Rose and Sayaka Miki. They showed me justice and light."

The Doctor throws his sonic screwdriver through the Dream Lord.

"Interesting. I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord. It's in the name, isn't it? Spooky. Not quite there." The Dream Lord said, and he pops up behind them. "And yet, very much here."

"Jared and I will do the talking, thank you. Amy, Silica, want to take a guess at what that is?" The Doctor asked.

"Um, Dream Lord. He creates dreams." Silica said.

"Dreams, delusions, cheap tricks." The Doctor said.

"And what about the Incubators?" Jared asked, leaning against the TARDIS console.

"You said they were like aliens." Lisbeth said. "Demons at that. That they don't understand human emotions."

"You taught them all there is to know about me." Kyubey said. "Clever. Your way is as practical as mine, Jared."

"And what about the gooseberry, here. Does he get a guess?" The Dream Lord asked.

"Er, listen, mate. If anyone's the gooseberry round here, it's the Doctor." Rory said.

"Well now, there's a delusion I'm not responsible for."

"No, he is. Isn't he, Amy."

"Oh, Amy, have to sort your men out. And Jared, you have to sort your girls out. Choose, even." The Dream Lord said.

"You've been delaying this long enough." Kyubey said. "It's like when I choose candidates to become a Magical Girl."

"I have chosen. Of course I've chosen." Amy said, and she is standing close to the Doctor, but she hits Rory. "It's you, stupid."

"Oh, good. Thanks." Rory said.

"And I've chosen Team RWBY." Jared said, happily. "I thought you'd know that by now."

"The people you were trying to avoid for a few years." Kyubey said. "You're putting that entire universe at risk. With your dimension jumping."

"I've been careful!"

"Magical Girls and Witches are the best use of entropy."

The Dream Lord pops behind them again, "You can't fool us. We've seen your dreams. Some of them twice. Amy. Jared. Blimey, I'd blush if I had a blood supply or a real face."

"Where did you pick up this cheap cabaret act?" The Doctor asked.

"Me? Oh, you're on shaky ground." The Dream Lord said.

"Am I?"

"If you had any more tawdry quirks you could open up a Tawdry Quirk Shop. The madcap vehicle, the cockamamie hair, the clothes designed by a first-year fashion student. I'm surprised you haven't got a little purple space dog just to ram home what an intergalactic wag you are. Where was I?"

"You were…" Lisbeth said.

"I know where I was. So, here's your challenge. Two worlds. Three for Jared, since he loves having friends by his side, and it's these SAO survivors. Here, in the time machine, and there, in the village that time forgot and the academy that's in ruins. One is real, the other two are fake. And just to make it more interesting, you're going to face in both worlds a deadly danger, for you Jared, it's three worlds with a deadly danger, but only one of the dangers is real. Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep." The Dream Lord said, and there's a birdsong. "Oh. Or are you waking up?"

The Doctor tries to stay awake, but finally fails.

(Jared's POV)

Beacon Academy…

I stood up from the ground and I ran over to Silica, Sinon, and Lisbeth, "Girls, come on, wake up. Please!"

I checked all of their pulses to see that they're dead, which means something or someone must have killed them.

"You shouldn't have left them, Jared." Kyubey said, walking towards me. "What do you plan to do now?"

"Find out who's doing this and try and stop them." I said, looking down at the Incubator.

"How do you intend to do that?"

"Oh, I don't know. Try and be smart."

"Smart can be defined in many terms."

"True." I said, walking next to the Incubator. "Where are we heading?"

"There was this thing that needed investigating. You seem the perfect candidate to check it out."

"Check out what?"

"The bedroom of your old friends." Kyubey said.

Team RWBY's bedroom…

I entered the dorm bedroom of Team RWBY to see Cynthia there and I walked back a couple steps towards the door, "Cynthia? Why are you here?"

"You've been rusty in Pokémon." Cynthia said, sending out a Pokémon. "I know because you're soft. You use weapons like guns or swords. Instead of Pokémon."

I looked down to see Spiritomb right in front of me. My face showed a bit of fear as I don't know which team she's using.

"Oh, Jared." Kyubey said. "What Pokémon do you think Cynthia has?"

"I don't know, Kyubey." I said, reaching down to my belt to grab a Pokéball. "Whatever it is. Spiritomb is only the beginning."

I tossed the Pokeball to see what looked like my Chesnaught, right in front of me. I let out a groan as that is not what I expected for a challenge.

"Your deadly danger is Cynthia." Kyubey said. "The Sinnoh League champion. From what you told me. Do you think you can handle her?"

"If she's my deadly danger in this reality." I said, smirking. "I'm sure I can handle her."

"You're so determined you can handle me." Cynthia said, looking straight at me. "You lost to me as a kid."

"I won't lose to you now. Chesnaught, Seed Bomb."

The Chesnaught did as it's told and it only did some damage to the Spiritomb.

"My Spiritomb resists that." Cynthia said. "Psychic."

The Spiritomb lifted the Chesnaught up in the air and made it slam towards Ruby Rose's bed.

"Crap!" I said, angrily. "Not Ruby's bunk."

"Want to move this to Amity Colosseum?" Cynthia asked.

Amity Colosseum…

"Why are you so determined to win?" Cynthia asked.

"I can't give up that easily!" I said, with Chesnaught standing next to me. "That would be wrong."

"What do you mean by wrong?" Kyubey asked. "Isn't it right too?"

"Well, yes. I suppose so."

"Shadow Ball!" Cynthia said, sending a Shadow Ball to my Chesnaught with her Spiritomb. "Aren't you going to switch out your Pokémon? It's low on health points."

"No." I said, crossing my arms. "I can beat Spiritomb with it."

"A little over half health. Nice try."

Cynthia walked over to the Spiritomb and healed it back to full health with a Full Restore.

"How much do you have?" I asked.

"Enough for you to make your decision." Cynthia said.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Kyubey asked. "A challenge?"

"Not like this." I said, looking at my Chesnaught.

"Jared." Yui said, coming into my view. "Switch out to your Sylveon."

"Yui?" I asked, looking at the pixie AI. "How did you?"

"It's complicated. Do it."

"Right." I said, holding out my Pokeball and returning my Chesnaught to it. "Thanks." Tweet, tweet. "Son of a…"

I began closing my eyes, the Chesnaught Pokeball clutched in my hand.

Tardis…

"It's cold." Lisbeth said. "Really cold. Got anything warmer?"

"What does it matter if we're cold? We have to know what she is up to. Sorry, sorry. There should be some stuff down there. Have a look." The Doctor said.

Amy and Rory go down the steps. Jared is sitting on the upper steps with Sinon, Silica, and Lisbeth. The Doctor goes underneath the console with a tin mug and opens a tool box.

"Whatcha got there?" Silica asked.

It contains a piece of rope, a bottle opener and a whisk.

"Don't know what you will build." Sinon said.

"I want the other life. You know, where we're happy and settled and about to have a baby." Rory said.

"But don't you wonder, if that life is real, then why would we give up all this? Why would anyone? Jared gave it all up, and he regretted it. So he came back to this life." Amy said.

"Because we're going to freeze to death?"

"The Doctor'll fix it with Jared's help."

"Okay. Because we're going to get married?"

"We can still get married some day."

"You don't want to any more. I thought you'd chosen me, not him."

"You are always so insecure." Amy said.

"You ran off with another man. And his mate and some fairy tales." Rory said.

���Not in that way."

"It was the night before our wedding."

"We're in a time machine. It can be the night before our wedding for as long as we want."

"We have to grow up eventually."

"Says who?"

Amy gives Rory a blanket and they go back up the stairs.

I opened up the staircase above me and I took out some outfits for Silica, Sinon, and Lisbeth, "Thought you three would be more comfortable this way."

"Our outfits from SAO." Silica said, grabbing her red outfit.

"Where did you?" Lisbeth asked.

"Kanoko made them." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"Kanoko? The fashion designer Magical Girl." Sinon said, looking down at her Gun Gale Online outfit. "She got our clothes pin point accurate."

"Well, duh. I care about you guys."

The Doctor has assembled the whisk, rope and bottle opener into a gizmo, "Ah, Rory, wind. Amy, could you attach this to the monitor, please."

"I was promised amazing worlds. Instead I get duff central heating and a weird, kitcheny wind-up device." Rory said, annoyed.

"I think it's a generator." Silica said. "We need one right now."

"We do." Lisbeth said. "Start winding, Rory."

"Not enough." Amy said.

"Rory, wind." I said, looking at the Centurion. "We don't have all day."

"Why is the Dream Lord picking on you? And why is Kyubey picking on Jared? Why us?" Rory asked.

The scanner comes to life.

"Where are we?" Silica asked.

"Um, I think we're in trouble." Silica said, sadly.

"What's that?" Sinon asked.

"It's a star. A cold star." I said, leaning against the TARDIS console. "That's impossible, since they're not like, um, how do I put it, possible. Unless you're in a virtual reality world. And it doesn't involve Dust."

The Doctor opens the door, "That's why we're freezing. It's not a heating malfunction. We're drifting towards a cold sun. There's our deadly danger for this version of reality."

"So this must be the dream. There's no such thing as a cold star. Stars burn." Amy said.

"So's this one. It's just burning cold." The Doctor said.

"Is that possible?" Rory asked.

"I can't know everything. Why does everybody expect me to, always?"

"Okay, this is something you haven't seen before. So does that mean this is the dream?"

"I don't know, but there it is, and I'd say we've got about fourteen minutes until we crash into it. But that's not a problem." The Doctor said.

"Because you know how to get us out of this?" Rory asked.

"Nope, he doesn't." I said, kicking my feet back and forth. "We would have frozen to death by then, Centurion."

"Oh, then what are we going to do?" Amy asked.

"Stay calm. Don't get sucked in to it, because this just might be the battle that we have to lose." The Doctor said.

"Oh, this is so you, isn't it?" Rory asked.

"What?"

"Huh, what? A weird new star, fourteen minutes left to live and only one man and his mate to save the day, huh? I just wanted a nice village and a family." Rory said.

"Oh dear, Doctor, Jared. Dissent in the ranks. There was an old doctor from Gallifrey, and a fanboy who never finished college, who ended up throwing their lives away. They let down their friends and…" The Dream Lord said, and he looks startled as the bird song starts up. "Oh, no. We've run out of time. Don't spend too long there, or you'll catch your death here. And Jared, you'll lose your Pokémon battle with Cynthia if you spend too much time there."

Ruined castle…

"Where have the children gone?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't know. Play time's probably over." Rory said.

The Doctor scans the molehills and objects left next to us.

I looked over to see three piles next to me, "Silica, Sinon, Lisbeth…"

"You see, this is the real one. I just feel it. Don't you feel it?" Rory asked.

"I feel it both places." Amy said.

"Well, I feel it in all three places." I said, happily. "Remnant, the TARDIS, and here on Earth!"

"I feel it here. It's just so tranquil and relaxed. Nothing bad could ever happen here." Rory said.

"Not really me, though, is it? I mean, would I be happy settling down in a place with a pub, two shops and a really bad Amateur Dramatics Society? That's why I got pregnant, so I don't have to see them doing Oklahoma. Doctor, what are you doing? And what are those piles of dust?" Amy asked.

"Play time's definitely over." I said, looking down guilty.

"Oh, my God." Amy said.

"What happened to them? Did that happen to Silica, Lisbeth, and Sinon?" Rory asked.

"Yup." I said, when the old people are walking along the street. "And they did it. The elderly."

Playground…

"They're just old people." Amy said.

"No, they're very old people. Sorry, Rory, I don't think you're what's been keeping them alive." The Doctor said.

"Hello, peasants. What's this, attack of the old people? Oh, that's ridiculous. This has got to be the dream, hasn't it? What do you think, Amy, Jared? Let's all jump under a bus and wake up in the Tardis. You two first." The Dream Lord said.

"You could die here and face Cynthia." Kyubey said. "That is the only logical outcome here."

"Leave them alone." The Doctor said.

"Do that again. I love it when he does that. Tall dark hero. Leave them alone." The Dream Lord said.

"Just leave them." Rory said.

"Yes, you're not quite so impressive, but I know where your heart lies, don't I, Amy Pond, Jared Shay?" The Dream Lord asked.

"Shut up. Just shut up and leave us alone." I said, crossing my arms. "Please!"

"But listen. You're in there. Loves a redhead, the Doctor and Jared. Amy, have they told you about Elizabeth the First and Kyoko Sakura? Well, the Queen thought she was the first." The Dream Lord said.

"And Kyoko Sakura wasn't the first redhead Jared loved." Kyubey said. "There was also Penny Polendina and Pyrrha Nikos. You humans and your crushes. I don't understand it."

"Drop it. Drop all of it. I know who you are." The Doctor said.

"Course you don't." The Dream Lord said.

"Of course we do." I said, rolling my eyes.

"No, you don't." Kyubey said.

"No idea how you can be here, but there's only two people in the universe who hate us as much as the both of you do." The Doctor said.

"Never mind us. Maybe you should worry about them." The Dream Lord said.

The old people are walking across the grass. The Dream Lord and Kyubey vanishes.

"Um, hi." I said, happily. "What's up?"

"Hello, we were wondering where you went. To get reinforcements, by the look of it." The Doctor said.

"Are you okay? You look a bit tense."

"Hello, Mister Nainby." Rory said.

"Rory. Get back, Centurion!"

"Mister Nainby ran the sweet shop. He used to slip me the odd free toffee." Rory said, and Nainby grabs the Roman by the collar and lifts him off his feet. "Did I not say thank you?" He gets thrown into the mud by the swings. "How did he do that?"

"Well, he's not himself." I said, smirking. "This is something of the supernatural. They're possessed. Guys, you may have to run. And fast."

"Can't we just talk to them?" Amy asked.

"Nope." I said, when the old people open their mouths. "We can't."

An eye looks out.

"There is an eye in her mouth." Amy said.

"There's a whole creature inside her. Inside all of them. They've been there for years, living and waiting." The Doctor said.

"That is disgusting. They're not going to be peeping out of anywhere else, are they?" Rory asked.

Mrs Poggit breaths a stream of green gas at us.

"Pop in a breath mint, will ya?" I asked, angrily. "Guys, just run, okay. Leave them, Girl Who Waited, Last Centurion! Run!"

"Talk to us. Talk to us. You are Eknodines. A proud, ancient race. you're better than this." The Doctor said, while Rory and Amy run off. "Why are you hiding away here? Why aren't you at home?"

"We were driven from our planet by…" Poggit said.

"Planet by upstart neighbours." The Doctor said.

"So we've…" Nainby said.

"Been living here inside the bodies of old humans for years. No wonder they live so long. You're keeping them alive."

"We were humbled and destroyed. Now we will do the same to others." Poggit said.

"Okay. Makes sense, I suppose. Credible enough. Could be real."

A paper boy wheels his bicycle past, "Morning."

Mrs Poggit breaths on him and he turns to dust.

I then began hearing the birds sing in my head, "For fuck's sake! You, you need to….leave...this...pla…"

(Open POV)

Amity Colosseum…

Jared stood up from the ground to see that he lost two of his Pokémon already, that being the Chesnaught and the Sylveon, "Yui, how did Sylveon and Chesnaught…"

"They were hit by…" Yui said, floating in front of Jared.

"My Roserade's Sludge Bomb." Cynthia said, tossing out another Pokeball. "You're losing."

"I know." Jared said, sadly.

"You can't win this." Kyubey said. "It is inevitable."

"I know."

"So, what are you going to do?" Cynthia asked. "Do you want to call your defeat?"

"No." Jared said, holding out another Pokeball. "Emboar. Come on out."

Jared tossed out the Pokeball and the Emboar was released from within.

"Emboar?" Yui asked.

"Yeah." Jared said, frowning. "Can't believe I can't win this Pokémon battle."

"Want me to…"

"No. I don't want my Shaymin or the others. Yui. This is a battle I must lose." Jared said, and the birds are chirping in his head.

Tardis….

"Oh, it's colder." Lisbeth said.

"The seven of us have to agree, now, which is the dream." Jared said, leaning against the TARDIS. "I can't take it anymore to be honest, you guys."

"It's this, here." Rory said.

"He could be right. The science is all wrong here. Burning ice?" Amy asked.

"No, no, no. Ice can burn. Sofas can read." The Doctor said.

"Um, it's a big universe." Silica said.

"And we have to agree which battle to lose. All of us, right now." Sinon said.

"Okay, which world do you think is real?" Lisbeth asked.

"This one." The Doctor said.

"No, the other one." Rory said.

"And Remnant is real." Jared said, annoyed. "Hell! I think all three are real."

"Yeah, but are we disagreeing or competing?�� The Doctor asked.

"Competing? Over what? Oh." Amy said.

"Nine minutes till impact."

"What temperature is it?"

"Outside? Brrr. How many noughts have you got? Inside? I don't know but I can't feel my feet and other parts."

"I think all my parts are basically fine." Rory said.

"Stop competing."

Rory picks up the Tardis telephone, "Can't we call for help?"

"Yeah, because we can totally call S.O.N.G or the Time Space Administrative Bureau." Jared said, letting out a sigh. "The universe is totally small enough for either one of them to come and pick us up."

"Put these on, all of you." Amy said, and she has cut a slit in the middle of the blankets.

"Oh, a poncho. The biggest crime against fashion since lederhosen." Rory said, annoyed.

"Here we go. My boys and girls. My poncho boys and girls. If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band."

"We're not going to die." Silica said, smiling.

"No, we're not." Sinon said. "But our time is running out."

"Wait, if we fall asleep here, we're in trouble." Lisbeth said.

"If we could divide up, then we'd have an active presence in each world, but the Dream Lord and Kyubey are switching us between the worlds. Why? Why? what's the logic?" The Doctor asked.

"Good idea, veggie. Let's divide you seven up, so Kyubey and I can have a little chat with our lovely companions. Maybe I'll keep them, and you can have Pointy Nose and these virtual reality players to yourself for all eternity, should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality." The Dream Lord said.

"Can you hear that?" Rory asked.

"I can." Lisbeth said.

"It's the chirping of the birds." Sinon said.

"What? No." Amy said.

"Neither can I." Jared said, grabbing Silica's hand.

"I can't hear it either." Silica said.

"Amy, Silica, don't be scared. We'll be back." The Doctor said.

The Doctor, Rory, Lisbeth, and Sinon fall asleep.

"Rory, Doctor, Sinon, Lisbeth, don't leave us." Amy said.

"Please…" Jared said, squeezing Silica's hand.

"Amy, Jared, we're going to have fun, aren't we?" The Dream Lord asked.

"Jared, I'm scared." Silica said.

"Me too." Jared said.

"Human emotions are unpredictable." Kyubey said.

"No, please, not the three of us, alone together." Amy said.

Amity Colosseum…

Lisbeth looked around to see that she is wearing her Sword Art Online clothes, and there is a belt around her waist with Pokeballs on it, "What the?!"

"Lisbeth!" Yui said, floating in front of her friend. "Jared has to make a decision soon. He has to choose between here, The TARDIS, and Earth."

Cynthia tossed out a Pokeball, revealing her Lucario from within, and Lisbeth tossed out Jared's Charizard.

Leadworth Butcher's shop…

The Doctor activates his sonic screwdriver, "Okay, where is it?"

The Doctor gets the frequency, then opens the door and zaps the lights. He then opened the door to see Sinon on the other side.

"Hi." Sinon said, looking at the Doctor. "Don't know how I came back. I was dead. It looks like Jared knew you needed help."

The old people close their eyes and mouths, and they escape.

Leadworth…

Mister Nainby is attacking a camper van parked nearby.

"Oh help, somebody." A man said.

"Oh, you couldn't live near the shops, could you." The Doctor said.

"Help me!" A man said.

The Doctor knocks Mister Nainby down while holding Jared. He placed Jared in the shotgun and the Time Lord gets into the driver's seat.

"It's okay, it's only me." The Doctor said.

"What's the plan?" Sinon asked, sitting next to Jared, making him comfortable.

"We're gonna save people from the old people." The Doctor said.

"And how are we gonna do that?"

They drive by the playground where a group of mothers is being attacked.

"Get in, get in, get in. Quickly, quickly, over here. Quickly. Get in." The man said.

"Come on, jump in. Quickly, get in now. Quickly. Hurry up. Are we in?" The Doctor asked.

Then they rescue a family by a gate.

"Come on, let's go." Sinon said.

"Quickly, in here." The man said.

"All four, quick." The Doctor said.

"That's it. Clear."

"Everyone in. We need to get out of here." Sinon said.

Amity Colosseum…

Jared woke up to see Lisbeth battling against Cynthia and he walked over to her, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Battling." Lisbeth said.

"She's making you lose." Kyubey said. "That's human logic."

"What if this is reality?" Jared asked. "What if I want to stay here."

"You know you have to wake up soon!" Yui said, floating in front of Jared.

"I don't want to."

"Then you'll be trapped here forever." Cynthia said. "In an endless battle against me. But you have to make a decision now."

"You do. The TARDIS. Defeating monsters with fairy tales. Or settling down on Earth." Kyubey said. "All three had outcomes you didn't want."

"I lost Penny and Pyrrha while in Remnant." Jared said, looking down ashamed. "I lost Ianto and Jack's grandson. And I lost Donna while traveling."

"You have to choose."

"Jared, you have to decide." Lisbeth said. "Don't you know Life is Strange? Isn't that their game etiquette?"

Outside the church...

The Doctor gets rid of his passengers.

"Everybody, out, out, out. Into the church, that's right. Don't answer the door." The Doctor said.

"I hope that keeps them safe." Sinon said.

The Doctor drives off with Sinon, "I know it will. Churches are old structures."

Camper van…

The Dream Lord appears wearing a peach racing suit and holding a full face helmet, "It's make your mind up time in both worlds."

"Fine. We need to find our friends." The Doctor said.

"Friends? Is that the right word for the people you acquire? Friends are people you stay in touch with. Jared at least stays in contact with his friends. He does it all the time because he gets lonely. Doctor, your friends never see you again once they've grown up. The old man prefers the company of the young, does he not?" The Dream Lord asked, and he vanishes again.

The Doctor and Sinon arrives outside the cottage to see the slow motion onslaught of the elderly.

"That's bad." Sinon said.

"Okay." The Doctor said. "Sinon, do exactly as I say."

(Jared's POV)

Amity Colosseum…

"I've decided, this is the world I want to go with." I said, looking at Kyubey.

"Humanity." Kyubey said. "I see. I don't get you sometimes. Always choosing an outcome you want."

"I want to have adventures. But I want to be grounded with Team RWBY. Cynthia, you win this Pokémon battle."

"Okay." Cynthia said, sending her Pokémon back inside her Pokeball.

"What now?" Lisbeth asked.

A bright light consumed me and Lisbeth.

Nursery...

The window opens, making them jump.

"Sorry. I had to stop off at the butcher's. To protect Jared. And Sinon came back." The Doctor said.

"Hello." Sinon said, as I pulled her in.

"Hi. What's up?" I asked.

"What are we going to do?" Sinon asked.

"I don't know. I thought the freezing Tardis and Jared thought Remnant were real but now I'm not so sure." The Doctor said.

"Oh! I think the baby's starting." Amy said.

"Honestly?" Rory asked.

"Would I make it up at a time like this?"

"Well, you do have a history of…" Rory said, getting a glare from Amy. "...being very lovely. Why are they so desperate to kill us?"

"They're scared. Fear generates savagery." The Doctor said.

Something is thrown through a window.

"Was that a gnome?" Sinon asked.

"Yeah." I said, looking back at Sinon. "There were some outside."

Mrs Poggit breaths at Rory, and some of the green gas touches him.

"Rory!" Amy said.

I knocked Mrs Poggit off the porch roof.

"No, I'm not ready." Rory said.

"Stay."

Rory begins to turn to dust, "Look after our baby."

"No. No. Come back. Save him. Doctor, Jared, you save everyone. The both of you always do. It's what you do." Amy said, sadly.

"Not always. I'm sorry." The Doctor said.

"Same. I couldn't save them." I said, letting out some tears. "Penny, Pyrrha, Donna. And now Rory…"

"Then what is the point of either of you?" Amy asked.

"Amy. It's okay." Sinon said. "Rory could still be alive."

Amy touches the pile of dust then gets up, "This is the dream. Definitely this one. Now, if we die here, we wake up, yeah?"

"Unless we just die." I said, leaning against the wall.

"Either way, this is my only chance of seeing him again. This is the dream." Amy said.

"How do you know?" The Doctor asked.

"Because if this is real life, I don't want it. I don't want it."

Outside the cottage…

"Why aren't they attacking?" Sinon asked.

"Either because this is just a dream or because they know what we're about to do." The Doctor said.

"And what we're about to do is incredibly stupid, Amelia." I said, when Amy holds out her hand for the camper van key.

"Be very sure. This could be the real world." The Doctor said.

"It can't be. Rory isn't here. I didn't know. I didn't, I didn't, I honestly didn't, till right now. I just want him." Amy said.

"Okay. Okay." The Doctor said.

Amy starts the engine and Sinon enters the van.

"Come on." Sinon said.

The Doctor looks at the Dream Lord, and I look at Kyubey.

"Right, right." I said, entering the van.

The Doctor then gets in the passenger side.

Camper van...

"I love Rory, and I never told him. But now he's gone." Amy said, reversing the engine and driving the camper van through the pensioners and at the cottage.

Tardis…

There's a thick layer of ice over us and everything now. First the Doctor, then me, then Amy, then Rory, then Sinon, then Silica, then Lisbeth woke up. Amy reaches for Rory's hand. I grabbed Silica's hand. Lisbeth reaches over for Sinon's hand.

"So, you chose this world. Well done. You got it right. And with only seconds left." The Dream Lord said.

"Well, they were fair choices." Kyubey said. "They should be warmed up."

The Tardis power is restored.

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

"Yeah. I have Magical Girls to recruit." Kyubey said. "To save the universe. And to let entropy last."

The Dream Lord and Kyubey vanish.

"Something happened. I. What happened to me? I…" Rory said, and Amy hugs 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."

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Sinon asked. "Like, right now."

"Well, the Doctor and I, we're gonna blow up the TARDIS." I said, excitedly running to the TARDIS console.

"What?" Silica asked.

"Notice how helpful the Dream Lord and Kyubey were? Okay, there was misinformation, red herrings, malice, and we could have done without the limericks." The Doctor said.

"But they were persistent to make us choose between dream and reality." I said, happily. "That was me last year. And I hated it so much."

"What are the both of you doing?" Lisbeth asked.

"Doctor, Jared, the Dream Lord and the Incubator conceded. This isn't a dream." Rory said, angrily.

"Yes, it is." I said, smiling.

"Um, stop them." Silica said, frowning.

"Star burning cold? Do us a favour. The Dream Lord and Kyubey have no power over the real world. They were offering us a choice between two dreams, three dreams for Jared." The Doctor said.

"How do you know that?" Amy asked.

"Because we know who they are."

KaBOOM. The Tardis is back to normal. Rory, Amy, Silica, Lisbeth, and Sinon entered to see the Doctor looking at something small and yellow on his palm.

I looked down to see something small and yellow on my palm too, "Are there any questions, you guys? Because the Doctor and I have all the answers."

"Er, what's that?" Silica asked.

"Specks 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 said.

The Doctor and I take them to the door and blow them into space.

"Sweet dreams." I said, smiling. "I have to admit, it was nice seeing my mind palace with all my desires."

"So that was the Dream Lord and Kyubey then? Those little specks." Rory said.

"I think it was really obvious." Sinon said. "The Dream Lord was the Doctor."

"And Kyubey." Lisbeth said, her hand on her hip. "It was Jared."

"Right on the mark girls. Psychic pollen." The Doctor said.

"Um, what was it?" Silica asked.

"They're mind parasites. They feed on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you. I'm nine hundred and seven. And Jared had adventures with me, with you lot on Earth, and with his mates at Remnant. It had a lot to go on."

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

"The darkness in you five, it would've starved to death in an instant. Jared and I, we choose our friends with great care. Otherwise, we're stuck with our own company, and you know how that works out." The Doctor said.

"But those things they said about the both of you. You don't think any of that's true?" Amy asked.

"Nope." I said, kicking my foot back and forth. "I say bad things about me and my life all the time. So I saw it coming."

"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 said.

"Yeah. Actually, yeah." Rory said.

"There it is."

"So, what did you think of this adventure?" I asked.

"It was interesting." Lisbeth said. "I didn't expect to cover for you in a Pokémon battle."

"Um, I was left all alone here in the TARDIS." Silica said, sadly.

"Sorry!" I said, raising my hands. "I knew I needed help. And the Incubator did some work."

"That explains why we were split up." Sinon said.

"You know one of us had to be in each of those locations. Huh." Lisbeth said.

"Yup." I said, happily. "I did."

"You miss Weiss, Blake, and Yang still." Silica said, sadly.

"I do."

"Why not see them?" Lisbeth asked.

"Nothing is stopping you." Sinon said, looking at me.

"Yeah. I will." I said. "Maybe soon."

Rory kisses Amy, then she kisses him back.

"So, well then, where now? Or should I just pop down to the swimming pool for a few lengths?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know. Anywhere's good for me. I'm happy anywhere. It's up to Amy and Jared this time. It's their choice." Rory said.