The Dream Lord suddenly appeared a little ahead of the Doctor and Terry, making their faces grow even darker.
"Hello, peasants." The Dream Lord called at the old people before he looked back at the Time Lords. "What's this, attack of the old people? Oh, that's ridiculous. This has got to be the dream, hasn't it?"
Terry just gave the short man dressed in a light suit with a brown bowler hat a disgusted looked but he just shifted his attention to the couple at the back.
"What do you think, Amy? Let's all jump under a bus and wake up in the Tardis." He pointed at the redhead. "You first."
"Leave her alone." The Doctor ordered in a dangerous tone. But the Dream Lord just scoffed.
"Do that again." The Dream Lord mocked scornfully before he looked at Amy. "I love it when he does that, don't you?"
He gestured at the Doctor, taunting, "Tall dark hero. 'Leave her alone'."
"Just leave her." Rory interrupted, annoyed. The Dream Lord glanced at him blandly.
"Yes, you're not quite so impressive." He drawled, looking Rory up and down. Terry's eyes narrowed dangerously while Rory looked offended but the Dream Lord turned away from him dismissively to instead look back at Amy.
"But I know where your heart lies, don't I, Amy Pond?"
He leered at the redhead, who tensed.
"Shut up." She hissed. "Just shut up and leave me alone."
The Doctor had clenched his fists by now as the Dream Lord walked over to Amy and softly coaxed in her ear, "But listen. You're in there. Loves a redhead, the Doctor - has a bit of a fetish for them."
"If that were true, he'd have gotten together with Donna." Terry replied a little sharply, her headache making it hard for her to focus. "Or at least, he would have tried to. And we know what would have happened if he had. Now, leave Amy and Rory alone, you little devil. She's far too good for you to turn and Rory's too noble for you to break using jealousy."
"Oh, look at you, so clever and a little Miss Know-it-all." The Dream Lord scoffed before he narrowed gold eyes at her. "Interesting choice of words though. Who's calling who a devil, hm?"
Terry's blue eyes darkened and flashed a hint of gold, when the Doctor interrupted.
"Drop it. Drop all of it. " The Doctor levelled a look at the Dream Lord, who was giving him a bored look. "I know who you are."
Terry glanced at the Doctor questioningly while the Dream Lord scoffed. "Course you don't."
"Course I do." The Doctor countered. His lip curled into a mirthless smile as he added, "No idea how you can be here, but there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do."
Understanding dawned on Terry but Amy and Rory continued to look confused as they glanced nervously between the two males standing off against each other like mirror images. To complete this impression, the Dream Lord also curved his lips like the Doctor's had before he nodded at the old people.
"Never mind me. You should worry about them."
They turned to look at the old people now starting to walk toward them while the Dream Lord disappeared. The Doctor and Terry intertwined their hands as they faced the incoming squadron while Rory called rather more nervously than before, "Hi."
"Hello." Amy added, trying to be friendly to the faces she knew. Or had thought she knew.
The Doctor adopted a similar tone as he called with mocking cheer, "Hello, we were wondering where you went. To get reinforcements, by the look of it. Are you all right? You look a bit tense."
He gestured at the odd way the old people were walking, now looking much less human than they had before. Still, Rory tried to ignore all the signs that told his subconscious he should run as he greeted one of the old gentleman.
"Hello, Mr. Nainby."
"Rory." The Doctor said warningly as the old man came even closer.
"Mr. Nainby ran the sweet shop." Rory protested, glancing at the Time Lords. "He used to slip me the odd free toffee."
"Rory, get back!" Terry called sharply but she was too late.
With sudden speed and impossible strength, the old man grabbed Rory by the collar and lifted him single handedly off his feet.
"Did I not say thank you?" Rory gasped, before the man threw him into the mud by the swings.
Amy gasped while Terry called, "Rory, you okay?"
The companion sat up quickly, washing away any of their worries, but he was still stunned.
"How did he do that?" Rory asked frantically and the Doctor shrugged.
"I suspect he's not himself. Don't get comfortable here." He added warningly. "You may have to run, fast."
"Can't we just talk to them?" Amy asked as she grabbed her swollen belly in annoyance.
"I wouldn't count on it." Terry answered just as the old people all opened their mouths... and a single green eye peered out of each person's mouth.
Amy looked faintly green as the Doctor used the opportunity to quickly scan Mrs. Poggit.
"There is an eye in her mouth." Amy said numbly.
"There's a whole creature inside her." The Doctor corrected as he looked at the readout on his sonic. Terry took the sonic and looked at it. "Inside all of them. They've been there for years, living and waiting."
"That is disgusting." Rory said, horrified. He stared at the eyes sitting in all the old people's mouths. "They're not going to be peeping out of anywhere else, are they?"
Suddenly, Mrs. Poggit leaned forward and a green mist puffed out of the eye in her mouth. They all flinched away before backing away quickly as the Doctor yelled at his companions, "Run!"
Amy and Rory didn't need to be told twice while Terry and the Doctor backed away more slowly, drawing the attention of the old people as the Doctor called, "Okay, leave them, leave them. Talk to us."
He gestured to himself and Terry.
"You are Eknodines. A proud, ancient race. You're better than this." The Doctor continued, faintly puzzled as he eyed the aliens possessing the old people of Leadworth. "Why are you hiding away here? Why aren't you at home?"
"We were driven," Mrs. Poggit's alien began, "from our planet by-"
"-Planet by upstart neighbours." The Doctor finished for her with a frown.
Mr. Nainby continued, "So we've-"
"-Been living here inside the bodies of old humans for... years." The Doctor interrupted again as understanding dawned. He eyed the old bodies. "No wonder they live so long. You're keeping them alive."
"Doctor..." Terry said in a low voice as Mrs. Poggit took a step forward.
"We were humbled and destroyed." She said darkly. "Now we will do the same to others."
"Okay." The Doctor muttered, thinking fast. "Makes sense, I suppose. Credible enough. Could be real."
"Doctor." Terry said in a slightly louder voice when suddenly a paperboy wheeled by on his bicycle behind them.
"Morning." He called and Terry turned in alarm.
"Look out!" She cried but it was too late.
Mrs. Poggit breathed her mist on the young man. Instantly, he crumpled, his body turning into dust. He was a pile of sand before he even fully hit the ground. The Doctor clutched Terry's hand even as he said in an authoritative voice to the Eknodines, "You need to leave this planet."
The alien just peered at the Doctor and began to shriek wordlessly.
"Doctor!" Terry yelled, pocketing the sonic and dragging him back with her.
"That's it, this has to be the dream, they didn't listen." The Doctor declared as they broke into a run.
"That line doesn't work for you in reality either." Terry retorted.
"One day, it will!" The Doctor answered and Terry glanced back to where the Eknodines had started to come after them.
"Maybe, but looks like that day isn't today!"
They ran into the main village, but Terry groaned as she heard birds singing in her ear again. The Doctor stumbled beside her while Terry forced her eyes to stay open as they tried to slide shut while they staggered down the street.
"We can't stop here." The Doctor panted and Terry gestured to the nearest shop.
"In there!"
The pair staggered into the butcher shop and the Doctor slammed the door shut behind them quickly as Terry's legs buckled. She leaned against the display case in an effort to remain on her feet while the Doctor swung the front sign, changing it from 'Open' to 'Closed.'
"Oh yeah, that'll stop them." Terry groaned when she saw what the Doctor was doing.
"I don't appreciate the cheek right now, angel." The Doctor answered, when a familiar voice spoke from behind the counter.
"Oh, I love a good butcher's, don't you?""
Terry actually swore as the Dream Lord appeared wearing a butcher's apron but also a strange flat, straw hat.
"Oh, now, no need to swear at me for appreciating a good cut of ham." The Dream Lord chided. "We've got to use these places or they'll shut down. Oh," he pretended to think as the Doctor stumbled by to see if the back door would open, "but you're probably a vegetarian, aren't you, you and your big flop-haired wuss."
"Oh, pipe down. I'm busy." The Doctor snapped. He jiggled the doorknob on the backdoor desperately but let go when it didn't budge while Terry pushed herself off the counter to head to the Doctor.
"Maybe you need a little sleep." The Dream Lord suggested and the birdsong grew even louder in their ears.
Terry fell over her own feet and she moaned as she tried not to fall asleep. The Doctor had slumped down to the ground by the back door, almost succumbing to the singing but he jerked awake again as the Dream Lord continued.
"Oh, wait a moment."
The Doctor struggled to his feet while Terry hauled herself up against the wall and reached for the Doctor. He grasped her hand and hauled her against him as they both struggled to stay on their feet while the Dream Lord continued to taunt behind them.
"If you fall asleep here, several dozen angry pensioners will destroy you," the Doctor pushed past the tiny man, "with their horrible eye things."
Terry tried not to trip on her own feet and succeeded by almost tripping on the Doctor's feet. The Doctor meanwhile had stuffed his finger into his ear and the Dream Lord snorted.
"Fingers in the ear. Brilliant. What's next, shouting 'boo'?"
"Go away!" Terry snapped at him as the Doctor sank to his knees as the birds singing continued in their ears. She almost fell over him and the Doctor barely caught her while Terry stopped her fall by grasping his shoulders.
"Oh, why would I leave now? It's a party." The Dream Lord countered before he called to the old people. "Come in, come in. Yes, we've got lots at steak here this week."
Terry almost swore again as she heard the front door open and the little bell jingle. The Doctor had heard the same thing and he struggled up to his feet as Terry pulled him upright and they both staggered against the storeroom door.
"Lots at 'steak', get it? Are these jokes wasted on you?" The Dream Lord asked in exasperation as Terry unlocked the storeroom door with the sonic. The Doctor meanwhile moaned.
"Wait, wait, stop."
He collapsed against the door, and the Dream Lord feigned a whimper, "Oh. Oh, I can't watch."
Terry hauled the Doctor up and he staggered through the storeroom door just as the old people turned around the counter. Terry slumped down on the ground while the Doctor slammed the door shut behind them just in time. Grabbing Terry's hand which still clutched the sonic, the Doctor locked the door just as the old people began banging on it. The second they were sure they were safe, the Doctor fell atop Terry as they finally succumbed to the birds' song.
**************
Tardis
The four of them sat up by the console and Amy moaned.
"Ah, it's colder."
She pulled her blanket tighter around her body while Terry huddled into her own blanket. The Doctor meanwhile shivered endlessly even as he said quickly, "The three of us have to agree, now, which is the dream."
Terry reached for a spare blanket while Rory huddled into his blanket even as he said firmly through his own shivers, "It's this, here."
"He could be right." Amy agreed. "The science is all wrong here. Burning ice?"
"No, no, no." The Doctor shook his head while Terry tossed the spare blanket over his shoulders. "Ice can burn. Sofas can read. It's a big universe."
"He's right." Terry informed the other couple when Amy looked to her for confirmation.
"So then, now what?" Amy asked.
"We have to agree which battle to lose." The Doctor said fervently. "All of us, now."
"Okay, which world do you think is real?" Amy asked. The Doctor replied without missing a beat.
"This one."
"No, the other one." Rory argued. Terry sighed.
"Are we disagreeing or competing?" The Doctor demanded.
"Competing? Over what?" Amy questioned, confused. The Doctor and Rory looked at Terry and her pointedly, and Amy scoffed.
"You have got to be joking. I thought we figured this out in Venice?" She repeated Terry's earlier statement while Rory shot back at the Doctor.
"You just don't like the other world because you don't like whatever is causing Terry's eyes to go gold."
"Trust me, you wouldn't like it either, but that's not why I think this world is the real one." The Doctor answered without missing a beat. "You just want that one to be real because you have a boring little house with a boring job in the boring town-"
"Okay, boys!" Terry interrupted. "We have-"
She checked the Doctor's watch.
"Nine minutes until impact. Let's try find a solution like grownups."
She rubbed her arms, trying to get warmer. Rory copied her while Amy started to cut her blanket.
"What temperature is it?" She asked as she worked and the Doctor shrugged. Or maybe it was a strong shiver.
"Outside? Brrr. How many naughts have you got? Inside?" The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know but I can't feel my feet and... other parts."
"I think all my parts are basically fine." Rory chimed in pointedly.
Terry groaned while the Doctor retorted, "Stop competing!"
"I guess it was my own fault for thinking we could be mature grownups." Terry muttered as she handed her blanket to Amy after seeing what she was doing.
Rory meanwhile had picked up the Tardis phone.
"Can't we call for help?"
"Yeah," the Doctor replied sarcastically as he grabbed the receiver from Rory. "Because the universe is really small and there's bound to be someone nearby."
He slammed the phone down in irritation.
"Yeah, our fault for thinking they could be mature." Amy meanwhile agreed with Terry. The two males pouted at them but Amy just threw one of the cut blankets at the Doctor.
"Put these on, both of you."
She walked over to pull another one of the blankets she'd cut on Rory, who complained, "Oh, a poncho. The biggest crime against fashion since lederhosen."
"And you'll wear it without complaint or freeze to death." Terry answered as she wore her own poncho. Rory grumbled more quietly while the Doctor tugged his own on and Amy pulled hers on last.
"Here we go. Our boys." She grinned at Terry, who finally smiled a little bit. "Our poncho boys. If we're going to die, let's die looking like a Peruvian folk band."
"We're not going to die." Rory protested.
"No, we're not," the Doctor agreed. "But our time's running out. If we fall asleep here we're in trouble."
He ran a hand down his face before he started pacing. Terry thought his idea to pace was an excellent one to keep warmer so she joined him while the Doctor continued to think aloud.
"If we could divide up, then we'd have an active presence in each world, but the Dream Lord is switching us between the worlds. Why? Why? What's the logic?"
"Good idea, veggie."
Terry jumped as the Dream Lord appeared again behind them. He smirked at her when she shot him an irate look.
"Let's divide you four up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion." He winked at Amy, who backed away from him. "Maybe I'll keep her, and you can have Pointy Nose to yourself for all eternity."
The Dream Lord gestured at Rory.
"Should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality."
"You either can't do math or you forgot me." Terry pointed out bluntly. "I personally think you're an idiot so my money's on the former, but..."
"Oh, I simply have special plans for you, my dear." The Dream Lord smiled without humour and Terry grimaced as she heard the birds again.
"Can you hear that?" Rory asked Amy, who shook her head uneasily.
"What? No."
She looked around wildly as the other three started crumpling down again. Terry was out like a light the fastest. The Doctor grasped her hand tightly in fear as the Dream Lord's warning rang in his ears but he looked over at Amy as the redhead pleaded, "Doctor?"
"Don't be scared." The Doctor murmured reassuringly, trying to focus on Amy's green eyes. "We'll be back."
And with those words, the Doctor fell asleep on the ground with Rory and Terry. Leaving Amy in her own worst nightmare. All alone.
**************
White lab
Terry opened her eyes, and she blinked as she saw a replica of herself staring back at her. It was like looking in a mirror, except there was nothing between her and her copy. That, and her twin had gold eyes.
"Who are you?" Terry demanded and her gold-eyed twin smiled.
"I'm you." Her reflection replied. Terry scoffed and she sat down at one of the lab chairs. She folded her arms.
"I thought you were going to chat with Amy." She commented. The Dream Lord raised a brow.
"I wanted to see if you knew who I was." The Dream Lord replied languidly as she settled into the chair opposite from Terry.
Terry snorted despite herself.
"Stop wasting my time." The Time Lady said in a bored tone as she looked around at the various lab equipment set up around the curiously empty and surgically clean room. "I've already figured you out. I don't know how, but there's only one person in this entire universe who hates the Doctor as much as you do."
"Hm, that you know of." The Dream Lord sniffed before she twirled a piece of her dark hair around her finger while Terry picked up a pipette from a side counter. "But since you seem so sure, maybe I'll rephrase."
The Dream Lord let go of her hair and smiled as she gestured to her body, the mirror image of Terry's own except for the gold eyes.
"Who am I supposed to be?"
Terry looked away from where'd been looking at the six test tubes sitting in their rack on the side.
"Really?" Terry asked and the Dream Lord smirked.
"Go on. The Doctor's wife, surely you must be good at something on your own."
Terry shot the Dream Lord a very disgusted look while she twirled the pink pipette in her fingers. She knew better than to rise to the Dream Lord's bait, but she also did know she needed to answer the question: the Dream Lord wouldn't let her go until she did.
"Well, the Doctor's afraid of you so you can't be something good." Terry started as she put down the pipette and glanced at a beaker filled with teal liquid.
"You're clearly also the manifestation of the darkness in the mind, that's the only explanation for why you despise the Doctor so much and how you know all the darkest secrets in all our hearts."
Terry picked up a purple magnifying glass and peered through it curiously before setting it aside to pick up an orange and a green dropper.
"The only question would be, are you a manifestation of something in the Doctor's head or my own?" She squeezed the droppers as she spoke before setting those down as well.
"Hm, good but nothing special." The Dream Lord said in a bored tone, picking at her nails while Terry picked up a red magnet next. "Try harder."
"Conclusion: you're from inside both of our heads. But this you is from inside mine. And your voice is from the Doctor's fear and not yet my own."
The Dream Lord looked up at Terry's conclusion and her gold eyes narrowed.
"What makes you say that?" The Dream Lord asked and Terry grinned grimly.
"So, I'm right." Terry deduced, putting down the magnet. The Dream Lord sneered.
"You guessed."
"No, I knew the answer. You've simply confirmed it." Terry replied and the Dream Lord scoffed.
"How did you know?" The Dream Lord insisted. "Without support, you could easily just have been guessing."
"Because you look like me." Terry answered simply.
The Dream Lord paused, digesting that. Terry let her have a moment before she continued.
"You look like me but the gold eyes... I've only seen something like that once before. When Rose was Bad Wolf. I also saw you once. In the fear room in that bloody hotel with the minotaur. So, somehow, I must be afraid of you deep down even though I don't know you nor do you particularly scare me right now. So clearly you can't be something I fear terribly yet."
Terry recalled the Doctor's fixation with the Dream Lord's gold eyes and the way he'd reacted each time her eyes flashed in the Leadworth dream.
"But the Doctor's already afraid of you. Conclusion?"
Terry stared grimly at the Dream Lord.
"You're a manifestation of his fear and my fear to come."