The Hungry Earth

(Jared's POV)

Mami's home…

I was sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea and eating some cake and a future version of me appeared in a flash of light, "Oh. Hi. Who are you?"

"I'm you from the real world." Future me said. "About two years after you wrote your fan fiction."

"Oh. Neat. We're breaking the fourth wall. So, are you gonna tell me what is gonna happen to me. In the fan fiction?" I asked, looking at my future self.

"Y'know the butterfly effect? Well, I can only give you some loose details as to what will happen. To you."

"Neat. I'm fine with that."

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" Future me asked.

"Oh, I'll take um, the good news?"

"Excellent choice. Climate change has never been better in 2020."

"Really? What else happens?"

"Penny Polendina comes back."

"Well, how does she come back?"

"Spoilers. Can't really say how. But she does come back."

"Great. And don't forget. Doctor Who does come back. Or it did come back. I want to see how the 13th Doctor goes. She has to be the defining feature of my future."

"Right...the 13th Doctor. Jodie Whittaker."

"What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing! She's not even the defining feature of it. Female Doctor, yay..."

"It's a pretty big deal. Especially after us wanting a Black Widow movie."

"Yeah, um. You're not getting that. What you call a pretty big deal is gonna change."

"You should use up your UNIT payroll. Along with your Torchwood investments. Just use it all on the stock market. And invest it all on Zoom."

"Zoom? Isn't that a conferencing app?" I asked, looking at the future version of me. "Oh, wait! We're hitting a recession. Like the one that happened in 2008."

I then began hearing the TARDIS wheezing noise and ran into the blue box with the Puella Magi Holy Quintet.

Graveyard��

"Rio de Janeiro?" Mami asked.

The Tardis has landed.

"Behold, Rio." The Doctor said.

"Nah." Kyoko said, looking around.

"Not really getting the sunshine carnival vibe." Sayaka said. "You said a party. Like Rio. This doesn't feel like it."

"No? Ooo, feel that, though. What's that?" The Doctor asked, jumping up and down. "Ground feels strange. Just me. Wait. That's weird."

"Um, what's weird?" Homura asked.

"This place, this time period is weird." I said, sipping on some bubble tea. "I don't like it."

"Doctor, Jared, stop trying to distract us." Amy said.

"I think we're in the wrong place." Madoka said, sadly.

"Doctor, Jared, it's freezing and me and the Holy Quintet dressed for Rio. We are not stopping here. Doctor. You listening to me?" Amy asked.

"Wait, um, this is a graveyard. Didn't you promise us a beach?" Homura asked.

"This is blue grass. Not Apple grass. And there's patches of it all over this cemetery." I said, leaning against the grave.

"So, Earth, 2020-ish, ten years in your future, wrong continent for Rio, I'll admit, but it's not a massive overshoot." The Doctor said.

"Why are those people waving at us?" Amy asked.

Seven figures on the other side of the valley. Someone grabbed my hand and I got pushed out of my body to be in the astral plane.

I turned by back to see that I'm looking at my future self from this decade, "Oh, right, hello. Future me. What were we talking about? Right, a recession."

"You might need to stock up on food and drinks when you reach 2020. And the 13th Doctor. Go and stop by Walmart. Oh, maybe stop by Costco?" Future me asked.

"Costco? What is gonna happen?"

"Do you have any hobbies? Besides defeating Grimm with Team RNJR. Or is it Team RWBY?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Oh! You should bring Zwei with you on your adventures. After Lake Silencio."

"Zwei? What about my dog?"

"Oh, she's dying of cancer. She had bladder stones."

Future me snapped his fingers and I got sent back into my body, after having that out of body experience.

"Er, no, best not. Really best not. These things get complicated very quickly, and oh look. Big mining thing. Oh, I love a big mining thing. See, way better than Rio. Rio doesn't have a big mining thing." The Doctor said.

"We're not going to have a look at the mining site, are we?" Kyoko asked.

"Come on, you guys!" I said, excitedly. "Let's go and have a look at the digging site!"

"If they can't get us to Rio, how're they ever going to get us back home?" Rory asked.

"Did you not see over there? It all works out fine." Amy said.

"After everything we've seen, we just drop back into our old lives? The nurse and the kissogram?"

"I guess. They're getting away." Amy said, turning her back to see Madoka and Homura not there.

The two Magical Girls are running after the Doctor and I.

"The hell did they go?" Kyoko asked.

"I guess they went off to investigate." Sayaka said, sadly.

"Hang on. What are you doing with that?" Rory asked.

"Engagement ring. I thought you liked me wearing it." Amy said.

"Wait, aren't engagement rings expensive?" Sayaka asked. "So isn't bringing that a bad idea?"

"She's right. Amy, you could lose it. Cost a lot of money, that." Rory said.

"Hmm. Spoilsports." Amy said, giving the ring to Rory.

"Go on. We'll catch you all up. Come on, Sayaka, Kyoko, and Mami." Rory said, running back to the Tardis with Sayaka, Kyoko, and Mami.

"Doctor." Amy said. "Jared."

(Open POV)

Mine gates..

Future Jared appeared behind present Jared.

"Oh yeah, forgot to mention, the walks with Zwei are gonna be easy in the future." Future Jared said.

"Really. But there's so much traveling and adventures I have to do with the Doctor and Team RWBY…" Jared said.

Future Jared then faded away, leaving Jared with the Doctor, Amy, Madoka, and Homura.

TARDIS…

"So, you're leaving it here then." Mami said.

"I have to." Rory said. "Mami, if you had to leave Nagisa, would you?"

Rory puts the ring back in its box and safely on the console.

"To keep her safe, yes."

"How about you? Sayaka? Kyoko?"

"As long as Sayaka stays out of trouble." Kyoko said. "She can hold her hide just fine."

"That, that is true." Sayaka said, walking towards the doors with Rory, Mami, and Kyoko.

Graveyard…

They come out of the Tardis to meet Elliot's mum.

"Well, that was quick." Ambrose said.

"Was it quick?" Sayaka asked.

"It's great that you lot came."

"Bit retro. What is it, portable crime lab?" Elliot asked.

"Oh, it's kind of like that." Mami said.

"Ambrose Northover. I was the one who called. I run the meals on wheels for the whole valley. This is my son, Elliot." Ambrose said.

"Where's your uniform?" Elliot asked.

"Don't be cheeky, Elliot. They're plain clothes. CID, is it? Anyway, it's over here."

"Er, okay."

Mine gates…

"Restricted access. No unauthorised personnel. Hmm." The Doctor said, as he sonicks the lock.

"Um, that's breaking and entering." Homura said, sadly.

"What did he break, Homura?" Jared asked, taking out some chocolate chip cookies to eat. "He didn't break anything."

"Sonicking and entering. Totally different." The Doctor said.

"Come on, then." Madoka said, happily. "Let's see what this place has to offer."

"You're sure they'll catch us up?"

Graveyard...

"What happened here?" Mami asked.

By an open grave.

"It's not like the graves robbed themselves." Sayaka said.

"It's a family plot, see. My aunt Gladys died six years ago. Her husband, Alun, died a few weeks back. He lived in the house two doors down. There's not many of us left up here now." Ambrose said.

"Mum, they don't care about that. They want to know about the dead bodies." Elliot said.

"Yes. Sorry. Well, they always wanted to be buried in the same plot, together. But when we went to bury Uncle Alun, Gladys wasn't there. Gone. Body, coffin, everything."

"What? The hell? How did that happen?" Kyoko asked.

"The mad thing is, on the surface, the grave was untouched. No signs of it having been messed with." Ambrose said.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand." Rory said.

"Nobody has touched the grave since my aunt was buried. But when they dug it open, the body was gone. How is that possible?"

(Jared's POV)

Tunnel…

"What about now? Can you feel it now?" The Doctor asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea what you're talking about." Madoka said, smiling. "It could be anything, right?"

"The ground doesn't feel like it should." The Doctor said.

"Wait, um, it's ten years in the future. Maybe this is how the ground normally feels." Homura said, playing with her hands.

"Good thought, but no, it doesn't. Hear that, drill in start-up mode. Afterwaves of a recent seismological shift and blue grass."

"Apple grass over blue grass any day." I said, as the Doctor has a few leaves. "At least that's smelled like apples."

The Doctor tries eating one.

"Oh, please. Have you always been this disgusting?" Amy asked.

"No, that's recent. What's in…" The Doctor said.

Store room…

"...here? Hello." The Doctor said.

"Who are you? What're you doing here? And what're you girls wearing?" Nasreen asked.

"We dressed for Rio." Amy said, angrily.

"Sorry. We were aiming for South America." Madoka said, grabbing my hand.

"Rio de Janeiro." I said, as Madoka squeezed my hand. "I wanted to party. After reuniting with the ice queen. And the 'armless blonde."

"Is now the time for jokes?" Homura asked.

"Yes. Raggedy Man, ID."

"Ministry of Drills, Earth and Science. New Ministry, quite big, just merged. It's lot of responsibility on our shoulders. Don't like to talk about it." The Doctor said, taking out the psychic paper.

"So, what are you doing?" Madoka asked.

"None of your business." Nasreen said.

"Um, where, where are you getting these readings from?" Homura asked.

"Under the soil."

"The drill's up and running again. What's going on? Who are these people?" Mack asked, entering the room.

"Amy, the Doctor, Jared, Madoka, Homura. We're not staying, are we, Doctor, Jared?" Amy asked.

"We're totally staying, Pond." I said, letting go of Madoka's hand. "So, why is there a big patch of dirt in the middle of your concrete floor?"

"We don't know. It just appeared overnight." Nasreen said.

"Good. Right. You all need to get out of here very fast." The Doctor said.

"Why?"

"What's your name?" Madoka asked.

"Nasreen Chaudhry." Nasreen said.

"Look at the screens, Nasreen. Look at your readings. It's moving." The Doctor said.

"Hey, that's specialised equipment. Get away from it." Mack said.

Amy squats down by the hole.

"What is?" Nasreen asked.

"Doctor, Jared, this steam, is that a good thing?" Amy asked.

"Shouldn't think so. It's shifting when it shouldn't be shifting." The Doctor said.

"What shouldn't?" Nasreen asked.

"That's not good." Madoka said, feeling the ground rumble. "The ground, the soil, the earth, is moving. But how is that possible? Why?"

"Is it an earthquake?" Homura asked.

"What's going on?" Mack asked.

"I highly doubt it, girls." I said, looking around. "Because it's only happening under this room."

Two more holes appear in the floor, then three more.

"It knows we're here. It's attacking. The ground's attacking us." The Doctor said.

"No, no that's not possible." Nasreen said.

"Under the circumstances, I'd suggest, run!" The Doctor said.

They do. More holes appear and Mack's foot and Madoka's foot go down one of them.

"Tony!" Nasreen said.

"Stay back, Amy, Homura. Stay away from the earth." The Doctor said.

"Madoka!" I said, grabbing Madoka's hand. "Homura! I need help."

Amy jumps over a hole to help Mack, "It's okay."

"Madoka, hang on!" Homura said, grabbing Madoka's other hand.

A hole opens under Amy's feet.

"It's pulling me down." Amy said.

"Amy!" The Doctor said.

"Homura!" Madoka said, looking up at Homura and I. "Jared!"

"Doctor, help me and Madoka. Something's got us." Amy said.

"Stay away from it." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, the ground's got my legs and Madoka's legs." Amy said.

"I've got you, Madoka." I said, looking at the pink haired Magical Girl.

"Okay." Madoka said.

Nasreen pulls Mack free.

"Don't let go." Amy said.

"Never." The Doctor said.

"Doctor, Jared, what is it, and why is it doing this?" Amy asked.

"Stay calm. Amy, keep hold of my hand. And Madoka keep hold of Jared and Homura's hands." The Doctor said.

"Amy, Madoka, don't let go!" I said, looking at Madoka and Amy. "Please. I can't lose either of you."

"Same." Homura said, looking at Madoka. "Um, your drill. Shut it down. Please!"

"Go. Now!"

Nasreen and Mack run out.

"Can you get us out?" Madoka asked.

"Amy, Madoka, try and stay calm. If you struggle, it'll make things worse. Keep hold of my hand. Madoka, keep hold of Jared and Homura's hands." The Doctor said.

(Open POV)

Control room…

"Shut down all drilling activity as quick as you can." Nasreen said.

"Reducing main unit power." Mack said.

Store room…

"Amy, I'm not going to let you go." The Doctor said.

"Madoka, I'm not letting you go either!" Jared said, squeezing Madoka's hand. "I won't let that happen! I already lost Rose this way before."

The Doctor's grip on Amy as Jared's and Homura's grip on Madoka fails.

"Madoka!" Homura said, looking down at Madoka.

"Homura…" Madoka said, sadly.

"Doctor, Jared, it's pulling us down. Something's pulling us." Amy said.

"Stay calm. Now, both of you, hold on till they can just shut down the drill." The Doctor said.

"We can't hold on!" Madoka said, angrily.

Control room…

"Tony, we've got to be faster." Nasreen said.

"I'm doing my best. Come on, shut down." Mack said.

Store room…

"What's pulling me and Madoka? What is under the earth? I don't want to suffocate under there." Amy said.

"Neither do I." Madoka said. "Getting pulled into the earth. I think I can handle it."

"Amy, Madoka, concentrate. Don't give up." Jared said, happily.

"Tell Rory…" Amy said.

"Homura, you…" Madoka said.

"No. Amy! Madoka! Amy, Madoka, no!" The Doctor said, angrily.

"Son of a…" Jared said, looking over at Homura.

"Why, why did that happen?" Homura asked, when Amy and Madoka disappeared below the soil.

"No! No! No! No! No. No! No. No. No. No." The Doctor said, in distress.

"What do we do?" Homura asked, when the sonic screwdriver cannot help either.

Nasreen and Mack run in.

"Where are the two other girls?" Nasreen asked.

"They're gone. The ground took them." Jared said, grabbing Homura's hand.

Graveyard…

Rory and Sayaka are in the grave cut, investigating.

"We have been out here for a while." Sayaka said, looking up at Kyoko. "Where's Mami?"

"Oh, she's making us tea and cake." Kyoko said, a Pocky in her mouth. "Now is not the time for a tea party."

"I know. But we've been digging for a while."

"You mean looking."

"There's only one explanation, as far as I can see." Elliot said.

"What's that?" Kyoko asked. "Kid. Tell us."

"The graves eat people. Devour them whole, leaving no trace."

"Not sure about that." Rory said, sadly.

"They didn't steal the body from above. They couldn't have got in from the sides. Only other thing is, they get in from underneath."

"I don't think that's possible." Sayaka said. "Who would dig from underneath?"

"When you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

"Wait, what?" Kyoko asked. "The hell does that mean?"

"Sherlock Holmes. Got the audiobook. The graves round here eat people." Elliot said.

(Jared's POV)

Store room…

"Is that what happened to Mo? Are they dead?" Mack asked.

"Um, it's not quicksand." Homura said, sadly.

"And they didn't sink." I said, leaning against the wall. "Something pulled them in. It wanted them. I know what. But if I tell the Doctor now, it'll ruin the fun for him."

"The ground wanted them?" Nasreen asked.

"You said the ground was dormant. Just a patch of earth, when you first saw it this morning. And the drill had been stopped." The Doctor said.

"That's right." Mack said.

"But when you re-started the drill, the ground fought back."

"So what, the ground wants to stop us drilling? Doctor, that is ridiculous." Nasreen said.

"I'm not saying that, and it's not ridiculous, I just don't think it's right."

"Spaceman, it's bio-programming." I said, crossing my arms.

"What?" Nasreen asked.

"Bio-programming. Oh, it's clever. You use bio-signals to resonate the internal molecular structure of natural objects. It's mainly used in engineering and construction, mostly jungle planets, but that's way in the future and not here. What's it doing here?" The Doctor asked.

"Sorry, did you just say jungle planets?" Nasreen asked.

"You're not making any sense, man." Mack said.

"The Doctor's making perfect sense." I said, taking out some chocolate chip cookies. "We've been to other planets. Some with Earth-like qualities. You're just not keeping up."

"Um, that's a bit rude." Homura said, sadly.

"Sorry."

"The earth, the ground beneath our feet, was bio-programmed to attack." The Doctor said.

"Yeah, even if that were possible, which, by the way, it's not, why?" Nasreen asked.

"Stop you drilling. Okay, so we find whatever's doing the bio-programming, we can find Amy and Madoka. We can get them back. Shush, shush, shush. Have I gone mad? I've gone mad."

"Doctor." Homura said, looking around.

"Shush, shush. Silence. Absolute silence. You've stopped the drill, right?" The Doctor asked, looking at Nasreen.

"Yes." Nasreen said.

"And you've only got the one drill?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking at Mack.

"Yes."

"So, if you stopped the drill, why can we still hear drilling? It's under the ground. Crap. I forgot they're under us."

"That's not possible." Mack said.

"Doctor, um, figure it out." Homura said, and the Doctor sonicks the computers nearby. "And quick."

"Oh no, what, what are you doing?" Nasreen asked.

"Hacking into your records. Probe reports, samples, sensors. Good. Just unite the data, make it all one big conversation. Let's have a look. So, we are here and this is your drill hole. Twenty one point zero zero nine kilometres. Well done." The Doctor said.

"Thank you. It's taken us a long time."

"Why here, though? Why'd you drill on this site?"

"We found patches of grass in this area, containing trace minerals unseen in this country for twenty million years."

"The blue grass? Oh, Nasreen. Those trace minerals weren't X marking the spot, saying dig here."

"Um, I, I think they were a warning." Homura said. "To, to stay away."

"Well, they were drilling down, Homura." I said, smiling. "Someone else has been drilling up."

The deep sensor readings resolve themselves on the screen.

"Oh, beautiful. Network of tunnels all the way down." The Doctor said.

"No, no, we've surveyed that area." Mack said.

"You only saw what you went looking for."

"What are they?" Homura asked.

"I think they're heat signals." I said, eating the cookies.

"Wait, they're dual readings, hot and cold, doesn't make sense. And now they're moving. Fast. How many people live nearby?" The Doctor asked.

"Just my daughter and her family. The rest of the staff travel in." Mack said.

"Grab this equipment and follow me."

"Why? What're we doing?" Nasreen asked.

"That noise isn't a drill, it's transport. Three of them, thirty kilometres down. Rate of speed looks about a hundred and fifty kilometres an hour. Should be here in ooo, quite soon. Twelve minutes. Whatever bio-programmed the Earth is on its way up, now." The Doctor said.

Cwmtaff…

"How can something be coming up when there's only the Earth's crust down there?" Mack asked.

"You saw the readings." I said, holding Homura's hand. "They were heading up towards the surface."

"Who are you lot, anyway? How can you know all this?" Nasreen asked.

"We just do."

Slow red lightning in the sky.

���Um, what was that?" Homura asked.

"No, no, no." The Doctor said, using his catapult to fire a stone into the air. It hits an energy shield and vapourises. "Energy signal originating from under the Earth. We're trapped."

"Jared, there's something strange going on." Sayaka said, running up to me with Kyoko, Mami, Elliot, Rory, and Ambrose. "The graves are eating people."

"Apparently." Kyoko said.

"I do find it a bit odd." Mami said, sadly.

"Not now, girls. Energy barricade, invisible to the naked eye." The Doctor said.

"Well, we can't get out of here." I said, kicking my foot back and forth. "And no one from the outside can get in here."

"What? Okay, what about the Tardis?" Rory asked.

"The what?" Nasreen asked.

"Er, no. Those energy patterns would play havoc with the circuits. With a bit of time, maybe, but we've only got nine and a half minutes." The Doctor said.

"Nine and a half minutes to what?" Sayaka asked.

"We're trapped, and something's burrowing towards the surface." Nasreen said.

"Where's Amy and Madoka?" Rory asked.

"You guys, get them inside the church." I said, crossing my arms. "Rory, we'll get your fiancé back. And Sayaka, I'll get your best friend back. I promise."

"What do you mean, get them back? Where have they gone?"

"Um, they were taken. Into the Earth." Homura said, sadly.

"How? Why didn't the both of you stop it?" Kyoko asked.

"We tried. We promise, we tried." I said, grabbing Homura's hand.

"Well, you should've tried harder! The hell were you doing with Madoka and Homura?" Kyoko asked.

"We'll find Amy and Madoka. Jared and I will keep you all safe, and you Magical Girls can protect yourselves, I promise." The Doctor said.

"Come on, trust us, please." I said, squeezing Homura's hand. "We need you all with us."

Somewhere, Amy and Madoka are being scanned by green light.

(Open POV)

Graveyard...

Jared is sitting down, eating snacks with Sayaka and Kyoko, and his future self approaches him. Future Jared then touched his past self's shoulder for time to be temporarily frozen.

"Traveling with Team RWBY." Jared said, smiling. "Having adventures. I've got loads of that to do in 2020."

"No, no, no you don't." Future Jared said, laughing a lot. "Why don't you do a lot of training sessions with your friends? Make use of Symphogear's training simulator."

"What the hell is gonna happen in the future?"

"Y'know, the future really isn't that bad. For you. But for some people, it's bad. Here's the question, would you rather be at a crowded beach? Or at home playing ALFheim Online? Or you can play some Animal Crossing. With the people you love and care about the most."

Church…

A nice stained glass window behind the altar, but the small building is just used for storage now.

"So we can't get out, we can't contact anyone, and something, the something that took my husband, is coming up through the Earth." Ambrose said.

"Yes. If we move quickly enough, we can be ready." The Doctor said.

"So, how are we gonna get them back?" Kyoko asked, telepathically.

"It's simple, really." Jared said, telepathically.

Jared is eating some apple sauce to keep himself occupied.

"Easy, how?" Sayaka asked, telepathically.

"Do you have a plan?" Mami asked, telepathically.

"This isn't like a Witch." Kyoko said, telepathically.

"Um, anything could be down there." Homura said, telepathically.

"Can the both of you get my dad back?" Elliot asked.

"Yup, we can." Jared said, walking towards Elliot. "I can promise you that."

"But we need you to trust me and Jared and do exactly as we say from this second onwards, because we're running out of time." The Doctor said.

"So tell us what to do." Ambrose said.

"Thanks a lot." Jared said, finishing the apple sauce. "Eight minutes to set up some form of sense. Or at least a wall of it."

"Bring us every phone, every camera, every piece of recording or transmitting equipment you can find." The Doctor said.

Graveyard…

"Every burglar alarm, every movement sensor, every security light. Jared and I want the whole area covered with sensors." The Doctor said.

Church…

The equipment is set up.

"This looks impressive." Mami said, looking at the equipment. "No telepathy."

The dots are still heading up towards the surface on the computer screens.

"Nope. This is what I call really down to earth." Jared said, sipping his cup of tea. "Thanks for the Earl Grey."

"Right, guys, we need to be ready for whatever's coming up. I need a map of the village marking where the cameras are going." The Doctor said.

"I can't do the words. I'm dyslexic." Elliot said, sadly.

"Oh, that's all right, I can't make a decent meringue." The Doctor said.

"And I can't even defeat a boss without a healer or support. Draw like your life depends on it, Elliot." Jared said, smiling.

"Six minutes forty." Mack said.

"Okay, that's not a lot of time." Sayaka said, looking at Jared. "You work well under pressure sometimes. To save the day."

"And don't mess this up." Kyoko said, her hand on her hip.

Five minutes to go.

"Um, it looks like it's done." Homura said, looking at the security system.

The new CCTV array is ready.

"How does this work?" Mami asked.

"Works in quadrants. Every movement sensor and trip light we've got. If anything moves, we'll know." Mack said.

"Good lad." The Doctor said.

Cwmtaff…

Four minutes, and the Doctor is examining the inside of Ambrose's meals on wheels van with Jared, Sayaka, and Kyoko.

"Oi! What're you doing?" Ambrose asked.

"We do need a bit of resources." Sayaka said.

"Every little bit of stuff you have helps." Kyoko said. "And our magic alone isn't enough to stop the threat."

"Yup." Jared said, tossing some apple chips to Kyoko. "I know what's down there. And they're dangerous."

Kyoko then began eating the apple chips.

"Meals on wheels. What've you got here, then. Warmer in the front, refrigerated in the back." The Doctor said.

Ambrose puts an armful of rifles and a cricket bat on the seat, "Bit chilly for a hideout, mind."

"What are those?" Sayaka asked, looking at the shotgun seat of the van. "Guns and a cricket bat? Honestly, swords are cooler."

"True. I also love me a spear and some hand to hand combat." Jared said, crossing his arms.

"Don't forget scythes." Kyoko said. "You do have a weapon fetish like Ruby Rose."

"Like you say, Kyoko, every little helps." Ambrose said.

"No, no weapons. Especially guns. They only work if you can only fight things that can't be reasoned with. It's not the way I do things." The Doctor said.

"They aren't Grimm, Witches, Familiars, or Noise." Sayaka said. "So, what's the point in having them? I think they might be reasoned with."

"You lot said we're supposed to be defending ourselves." Ambrose said, angrily.

"Oh, Ambrose, you're better than this. I'm asking nicely. Put them away." The Doctor said.

Church…

Less than three and a half minutes. Elliot runs in with his map.

"Look at that, a perfect map." Jared said, happily.

"Jared's right. Dyslexia never stopped Da Vinci or Einstein. It's not stopping you." The Doctor said.

"I don't understand what you're going to do." Elliot said.

"Two phase plan. First, the sensors and cameras will tell us when something arrives. Second, if something does arrive, I use this to send a sonic pulse through that network of devices. A pulse which would temporarily incapacitate most things in the universe." The Doctor said.

"Knock 'em out. Cool."

"This looks like a nice play to grow up." Jared said, kicking his foot back and forth.

"It's nice and peaceful." Sayaka said.

"Quiet too." Mami said, sipping her cup of tea.

"Suppose. I want to live in a city one day. Soon as I'm old enough, I'll be off." Elliot said. "Jared, your five girl friends look like they grew up in a city."

"Um, we did." Homura said, sadly. "We're, we're from Japan."

"That explains the accents. Where?"

"Mitakihara and Kazamino." Sayaka said. "Mami, Homura, and I are from Mitakihara. Our friend Madoka, the one who was taken. She's from the same city too."

"And I was born in Kazamino." Kyoko said.

"The Doctor and I were the same when we grew up." Jared said, looking at Elliot. "We wanted to get away. He got away first. He was already away when I watched him on TV."

"Jared, did you get away?" Elliot asked.

"From my home universe. Yeah. I did."

"Do you ever miss it?"

"A lot. Way too much."

"Is it monsters coming? Have either of you met monsters before?" Elliot asked.

"Yeah." The Doctor said. "We have."

"You two scared of them?"

"Nope, they're scared of them." Sayaka said. "We're scared of Witches. They're these monsters we face."

"Will you lot really get my dad back?" Elliot asked.

"Yup. I promise." Jared said, happily.

"I left my headphones at home." Elliot said.

"Mami, go with Elliot. Keep him safe."

One minute. Mami ran off following Elliot.

Graveyard…

"How are you doing?" Jared asked, walking up to Rory. "Rory the Roman."

Rory is completing the sensor array, "I'm not a Roman. And it's getting darker. How can it be getting dark so quickly?"

"They're doing what the Atraxi did without burning the planet." Jared said, looking around the place. "They're trying to make it harder for us to see without light. By making it dark."

"Which means…" The Doctor said, feeling the ground rumble. "It's here."

Church…

"They're close to the surface now." Nasreen said, putting her hand on Mack's then they embrace and kiss. "Tony."

"Like you didn't know." Mack said.

"They're here." Homura said, when the countdown reached zero.

"Got it." Jared said, telepathically.

The dots stop moving.

Church porch…

"I can't open it. It keeps sticking. The wood's warped." Ambrose said.

"Any time you lot want to help." The Doctor said.

"Can't you open it with your sonic screwdriver?" Sayaka asked.

"It doesn't do wood." Jared said, kicking his foot back and forth.

"That is rubbish." Rory said, angrily.

"Oi, don't diss the sonic." The Doctor said, annoyed.

"The hell do you need a screwdriver for?" Kyoko asked. "Are you gonna build some cabinets with them?"

Three shoulders force the door open.

Church…

The ground starts shaking. Stacked objects begin to tumble.

"See if we can get a fix." The Doctor said.

"Um, I, I think this is worse than an earthquake." Homura said, when the lights explode.

"Power's out." Kyoko said, flicking a light switch.

"They're doing it on purpose." Jared said, leaning against the wall.

"What do we do now?" Sayaka asked.

"Nothing. We've got nothing. They sent an energy surge to wreck our systems." The Doctor said.

"Is everyone okay? Is anyone hurt?" Rory asked.

"I'm fine." Nasreen said.

"Me too." Ambrose said.

"Sayaka?" Jared asked.

"No need to worry." Sayaka said, happily.

"Kyoko?"

"I'm good." Kyoko said, smirking.

"Homura?" Jared asked.

"I, I think I'm okay." Homura said.

Big rumble.

"Doctor, Jared, what was that?" Rory asked.

"It's like the holes at the drill station." Mack said.

"Is this how they happened?" Nasreen asked.

"It's coming through the final layer of Earth." The Doctor said.

"What is?" Nasreen asked.

Silence falls.

"The banging's stopped." Mack said.

"Where's Elliot? Has anyone seen Elliot? Did he come in? Was he in when the door was shut? Who counted him back in? Who saw him last?" Ambrose asked.

"Mami Tomoe." Jared said, sadly. "The leader of these three girls."

Jared looked over at Sayaka, Kyoko, and Homura.

"Where are they?" Ambrose asked.

"Elliot said he was gonna get his headphones." Jared said, frowning.

"And you let him go? With someone he just met?"

Church porch…

"Jared! Homura! Sayaka! Kyoko!" Mami said, banging on the door. "Let us in!"

Something is moving in the graveyard.

"Mum! Grandpa Tony! Let us in!" Elliot said.

Church…

"Elliot!" Ambrose said.

"Let us in." Elliot said, outside the door.

"He's out there with your friend. Help me!" Ambrose said, angrily.

Church porch…

"Open the door. Mum! There's something out here." Elliot said.

Church…

"Push, Elliot." Ambrose said.

Church porch…

Something flashes past.

"Push, Elliot. Give it a shove." Ambrose said, at the other side of the door.

"Mum. Hurry up." Elliot said.

"Elliot, this is bad." Mami said, looking around. "Stay behind me."

Something looks down on Elliot and Mami.

"Mum." Elliot said.

Church…

"Come on." Mack said.

"Yes!" Sayaka said, and the door finally opens.

Church porch..

"Elliot! Where is he? He was here. He was here. With your friend. Elliot!" Ambrose said, running away.

"Ambrose, don't go running off!" The Doctor said.

"Ambrose!" Mack said.

Graveyard…

"Elliot, it's Mum." Ambrose said, and she finds his headphones on the ground.

Jared looked down to see Mami's Soul Gem on the ground, "Did they seriously encounter Magical Girls back then? When they ruled the Earth."

"Nooo!" Ambrose said, and something knocks her and Jared over. "Get off me!"

"It's a lizard." Jared said, when Mack grabs it from behind.

"What's happening?" Sayaka asked, when it wriggles free.

Kyoko shines her torch on a human sized reptilian biped, "You're right. It is a lizard. The hell is it doing here?"

It flicks its extensible tongue and hurts Mack's neck, then gets away.

"Dad!" Ambrose said.

"Um, what happened?" Homura asked.

"My dad's hurt." Ambrose said.

"Get him into the church now." Jared said, looking around. "It's not safe out here."

"Elliot's gone. They've killed him, haven't they?"

"I don't think so. They have five people hostage. And they could have killed them, right? But they didn't. Have a bit of faith and hope, okay? We have that."

Jared grabbed Sayaka's hand, and the blue haired Magical girl grabbed Kyoko's hand. Homura then walked over to Jared to grab his free hand.

"Jared's right. There is always hope." Sayaka said, happily.

"Then why have they taken him?" Ambrose asked.

"I don't know. It's been a while since I last watched this adventure. We'll find Elliot, I promise." Jared said, looking down.

"But first Jared, his friends, and I have got to stop this attack. Please, get inside the church." The Doctor said.

"Come on, Dad." Ambrose said.

"So what now?" Rory asked.

Cwmtaff…

The Doctor dons a pair of infra red sunglasses. He spots a dark shape moving through the bushes.

"Cold blood. I know who they are." The Doctor said. "Sayaka, you know know what to do."

"Yup. Jared, toss it." Sayaka said, and Jared picked up the CO2 fire extinguisher.

The fanboy tossed it into the air. And Sayaka used her sword to cut through it. Something hisses nearby and the smoke came out of the fire extinguisher. Rory bursts out of the back of the van. Rory, Jared, Sayaka and the Doctor bundle it inside. Kyoko is sitting at the back of the van.

"We got it." Jared said, happily. "So, that's how you keep doing your hero entrance."

"Yeah." Sayaka said, smiling. "We're defending the planet with meals on wheels."

"Hey! I hate to hear the bearer of bad news…" Kyoko said, as Jared's high five with Sayaka is interrupted by another rumble. "But what the hell is that?"

"Sounds like they're leaving." The Doctor said.

"Without this one?" Rory asked, as the energy dome becomes transparent, letting the sunshine in. "Looks like we scared them off."

"Nope, we didn't, Rory the Roman." Jared said, sitting next to Sayaka and Kyoko. "Now both sides have hostages."

Underground…

Amy wakes up in a glass coffin, "Let me out. Can anybody hear me? I'm alive in here! Let me out! I know you're out there. My name is Amy Pond and you'd better get me the hell out of here or so help me I am going to kick your backside. Please?"

"Amy?" Madoka asked, in a nearby coffin. "Are you okay?"

A figure leans over Amy, "Shush."

"Did you just shush me? Did you just shush me?" Amy asked.

"Amy, why did you yell?" Madoka asked.

Gas enters the coffins.

"No, no, no. No, don't do that. No gas. No gas!" Amy said, annoyed.

Amy and Madoka cough and the two girls pass out.

Graveyard…

"So, I think I've met these creatures before. Different branch of the species, mind, but all the same. Let's see if our friend's thawed out." The Doctor said.

(Jared's POV)

Crypt…

"Are you both sure? With Sayaka and Kyoko?" Rory asked.

"Yup." I said, leaning against the wall. "I'm sure."

"But the sting?"

"Venom gland takes at least twenty four hours to recharge. Am I right?" The Doctor asked.

"The Doctor and Jared know what they're doing." Sayaka said, sadly. "Most of the time."

"They'll be fine." Kyoko said, smirking. "We'll look after those dummies."

Rory leaves. Our prisoner moves out of the shadows, her chains rattling.

"I'm Jared Shay, this is the Doctor." I said, looking back at Sayaka and Kyoko. "This is Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura. We've come to talk with you."

"Hi! What's up? I'm going to remove your mask." Sayaka said, excitedly.

The mask looks like a reptile face, with very big black eyes. Sayaka removes it gently.

"You are beautiful." The Doctor said.

"Who's that?" Kyoko asked.

"She's a remnant of a bygone age on planet Earth. And by the way, lovely mode of travel. Geothermal currents projecting you up through a network of tunnels. Gorgeous."

"So, you're saying they came before us humans." Sayaka said, looking at the Silurian. "Wow. I never knew that."

"Mind if I sit?"

The Doctor sat down in a chair

"Okay, your people have friends of ours." I said, crossing my arms. "Amy Pond, Madoka Kaname, and Mami Tomoe. We want them back."

"So, why did you come to the surface?" Kyoko asked. "What do you want with us?"

"Man, I hate monologuing. Even when editing lines for the fan fiction. Maybe I should give a bit back to you."

"Did you have to break the fourth wall?" Sayaka asked. "How many are there? For you, lizard people."

"I'm the last of my species." Alaya said.

"Really. No. Last of the species. The Klempari Defence. As an interrogation defence, it's a bit old hat, I'm afraid." The Doctor said.

"I'm the last of my species."

"No. You're really not. Because I'm the last of my species and I know how it sits in a heart. So don't insult me. Let's start again. Tell me your name."

"Alaya."

"How long has your tribe been sleeping underground, Alaya? It's not difficult to work out." Sayaka said. "It's as easy as knowing Beethoven's Fifth."

"You're three hundred million years out of your comfort zone. Talk about a hellish way to wake up." Kyoko said, her hand on her hip. "So what woke you up?"

"We were attacked." Alaya said.

"That bloody drill being so loud. Damn. That must suck."

"Our sensors detected a threat to our life support systems. The warrior class was activated to prevent the assault. We will wipe the vermin from the surface and reclaim our planet."

"Did you just call us vermin?" I asked, looking at Alaya. "We're really nice people, y'know."

"You three are primitive apes." Alaya said.

"My friends here are part of an extraordinary species." The Doctor said.

"Well, this is why technology has advanced so far for us." I said, taking out an apple to eat it. "You attack us, we'll fight back. We've been doing it for centuries."

"But, there's a peace to be brokered here. I can help you with that." The Doctor said.

"This land is ours. We lived here long before you apes." Alaya said, looking at me, Sayaka, and Kyoko.

"It doesn't give you automatic rights to it now." Kyoko said. "Like hell we'll give it up."

"And plus. The Incubators help defend the planet." I said, crossing my arms. "Humanity and Earth are under their protection. As much as it is under the Doctor's."

"So we destroy the Incubators and you apes." Alaya said.

"You underestimate us." Sayaka said. "We're Magical Girls. Me and Kyoko. We defend this world for justice and light."

"You underestimate us." Alaya said.

"One tribe of homo reptilia against six billion humans and thousands of Magical Girls? You've got your work cut out." The Doctor said.

"We did not initiate combat, but we can still win."

"Come on. Tell us where our friends are. Please! Give us back the people who were taken." I said, looking at Alaya.

"No."

"I'm not going let you provoke a war, Alaya. There'll be no battle here today. And plus my friends went up against Walpurgisnacht a while back." The Doctor said, nodding towards Sayaka and Kyoko.

"The fire of war is already lit. A massacre is due." Alaya said.

"Not while Jared and I are here."

"I'll gladly die for my cause. What will the both of you sacrifice for yours?"

Church…

"You lot are going to what?" Rory asked.

"Jared, Sayaka, Kyoko, and I are going to go down below the surface, to find the rest of the tribe, to talk to them." The Doctor said.

"You're going to negotiate with these aliens?" Ambrose asked.

"They're not aliens." Sayaka said, happily. "Jared said they're like us, right?"

"Technically speaking." I said, grabbing Sayaka's hand. "They're known as the Silurians. Or Homo Reptilia. They're also known as Eocenes, whatever they are."

"They're not monsters. And they're not evil." Kyoko said, her hand on her hip. "I suppose they're as evil as us. But what the hell? We love destroying nature and pollution, the environment now and again. With our wars."

"They're just the previous owners of the planet." I said, squeezing Sayaka's hand.

"Look, from their point of view, you're the invaders. Your drill was threatening their settlement. Now, the creature in the crypt. Her name's Alaya. She's one of their warriors, and she's our best bargaining chip." The Doctor said.

"We need her alive, okay? If the Silurian lives. Elliot, Mo, Amy, Madoka, and Mami live. I promise, we'll find them."

"While we're gone, you five people, in this church, in this corner of planet Earth, you have to be the best of humanity."

"And what if they come back? Shouldn't we be examining this creature? Dissecting it, finding its weak points?" Mack asked.

"Um, I think we can't dissect them." Homura said, sadly. "Or examine them. It, it could ruin everything."

"Homura's right, you can't. We return their hostage, they return ours, nobody gets harmed. We can land this together, if you are the best you can be. You are decent, brilliant people. Nobody dies today. Understand?" The Doctor asked.

Nasreen applauds the speech.

Graveyard…

Nasreen follows the Doctor, Sayaka, Kyoko, and I to the Tardis.

"Wait!" I said, looking at Nasreen. "What are you doing?"

"Coming with you lot, of course. What is it, some kind of transport pod?" Nasreen asked.

"It's sort of like one, but you're not coming with us." Sayaka said, leaning against the TARDIS.

"She's right. You're not." Mack said.

"I have spent all my life excavating the layers of this planet, and now you want me to stand back while all of you head down into it? I don't think so." Nasreen said.

"Guys, we don't have time to argue!" Kyoko said, angrily.

"I thought we were in a rush."

"Nasreen, it'll be dangerous." I said, kicking my foot back and forth. "Who knows what's down there."

"Oh, so's crossing the road."

"Oh, for goodness sake you guys!" Kyoko said, annoyed. "Just let her come!"

"Okay." Sayaka said, happily. "Just be careful while you're with us."

"All right, then. Come on." The Doctor said.

"Hey. Come back safe." Mack said,

"Of course." Nasreen said.

Tardis…

"Welcome aboard the Tardis. Now, don't touch anything. Very precious." The Doctor said.

"No way. But, but that's, this is fantastic. What does it do?" Nasreen asked, walking towards a lever.

"Everything. I'm hoping, if we're going down, that barricade won't interfere." The Doctor said.

"So, how are we gonna find Madoka and Mami?" Sayaka asked, as I'm holding Mami's Soul Gem.

"I don't know." I said, leaning against the TARDIS console. "This could be interesting."

"How?" Kyoko asked, looking at me. "Is it like us taking down jackasses?"

We get knocked off our feet.

"Did you touch something?" The Doctor asked, looking at Nasreen.

"No. Isn't this what it does?" Nasreen asked.

"I'm not doing anything. We've been hijacked. I can't stop it. They must've sensed the electro-magnetic field. They're pulling the Tardis down into the Earth."

(Open POV)

Crypt…

"You had to come and see me." Alaya said.

"Um, we, we're gonna keep you safe." Homura said, nervously.

"Your tribe are going to give us back our people in exchange for you." Ambrose said.

"No. Shall I tell you what's really going to happen, apes? One of you will kill me. My death shall ignite a war, and every stinking ape shall be wiped from the surface of my beloved planet." Alaya said.

"We won't allow that to happen." Mack said.

"I know apes better than you know yourselves. I know which one of you will kill me. Do you?" Alaya asked.

Alone, Mack checks his injury in an old mirror. Green veins are spreading from it down to his chest.

Tardis…

The Tardis comes to a sudden stop, throwing the Doctor, Nasreen, Jared, Sayaka, and Kyoko to the floor.

"Where are we?" Sayaka asked.

Tunnel…

"Journey to the center of the Earth." Sayaka said.

"That was an interesting film." Kyoko said, her hand on her hip. "Jared, you made watch it."

"Because the CGI was so cool!" Jared said, happily.

Loose soil is raining down, gently, from the hole above the Tardis.

"What happened?" Sayaka asked. "Why are we down here?"

"Looks like we fell through the bottom of their tunnel system. Don't suppose it was designed for handling something like this." The Doctor said.

"How far down are we?" Kyoko asked. "Because we're far from Mitakihara and Kazamino."

"Oh, a lot more than twenty one kilometres."

"So why aren't we burning alive?" Nasreen asked.

"I don't know. We're nowhere near lava." Jared said, taking out Pocky to eat it. "Isn't this fun and interesting? I love it!"

"It's like this is everyday to you and the Doctor."

"Oh, it's not every day. It's every other day. Every day is me defeating creatures of darkness with friends of mine."

Laboratory…

Amy and Madoka wake up strapped to near vertical examination tables.

"Um, what happened?" Madoka asked, looking around.

"Don't struggle. Both of you. Close your eyes and don't struggle." Mo said.

"What? Where am I? Why can't I move my body?" Amy asked.

"And why can't I move mine?" Madoka asked, looking at Mo.

"Decontamination, they call it. They did it to me while I was conscious." Mo said.

"Okay, you're freaking me out now. Did what? Who did?" Amy asked.

"Dissected me." Mo said, and he has a lovely scar running from sternum to naval.

"No." Amy said.

"That's awful!" Madoka said, terrified. "That's horrible! Who would do something like that?"

"He's coming. I'm sorry. I wish I could help you girls." Mo said.

A Silurian scientist approaches with a scalpel.

Tunnel…

"We're looking for a small tribal settlement probably housing around a dozen Homo Reptilia? Maybe less." The Doctor said.

Nasreen goes down a side passage and stops, "One small tribe."

"Yeah." The Doctor said.

"Maybe a dozen?" Nasreen asked.

"Ah." The Doctor said.

"Oh, shit." Kyoko said, annoyed.

"Why did things suddenly get more dangerous?" Sayaka asked.

"I don't know." Jared said, eating the green tea Pocky. "I forgot the amount."

They look down on a vast chamber.

"Of course you did." Kyoko said, rolling her eyes.

"Of course you would forget Jared, it's a high number. It's maybe more than a dozen. Maybe more like an entire civilisation living beneath the Earth." The Doctor said.