Track selections, should you so choose. Scene 1, "A Lot of Life Behind Us" from the Specials. From the original 2005 album: Scene 2, track 13 "Harriet Jones"; Scene 3, track 12 "Clockwork TARDIS"; and Scene 4, track 28 "The Impossible Planet".

-^^-W-^^-

There was no ground, but he couldn't feel his wings.

"You have done well."

There was a woman in the darkness. She was unfamiliar, and yet she was.

"Who are you?"

"It isn't easy, is it? This world affects Time Lords more potently than humans."

The Doctor saw her now for what she was. "You are Lady Siel."

Her beautiful eyes narrowed. "Of course I am."

The hope of existence of another like him welled powerfully from within. "How can you be? I thought you were dead!"

The look was now of sadness. "I am that, too."

"Then...am I..."

"You were, but no. You will return."

The darkness began to brighten. A few pressing questions no longer burned as much to be answered, and the Doctor could now think of more. "You told Clio in a vision about me. What is it you wanted me to do?"

She frowned at him again. "I told you that you had done well, didn't I?"

The Doctor became angry. "You wanted me put a Time machine in the hands of Atreians so they could send their army on their enemies? You wanted me to promote their war?"

"How dare you!" Siel snapped. "If by promoting a war you mean defending Elysea's border, than yes, I promote that. But let me be clear, an attempt at peace with the Balaur is foolishness. I already made that mistake, and it cost me my life, permanently."

"So, what's written of you is true. You saved Atreia from destruction."

"I did, but there is so much more to do. Seek the Reians."

The Doctor balked. "I can't. I have to leave Atreia. Is it possible?"

"It is, but it must wait! I cannot do what must be done, so you must take my place!"

He began to speak, but within the brightness he could see a shining city forming behind Siel. He recognised it as Sanctum, from above.

It was suddenly coming fast, faster than falling into it, and everything flashed white.

-^^-W-^^-

The brightness became too great, and his eyes seared with pain. His body was so heavy, and he barely caught himself from crashing to the ground with hands to his knees. He felt sick and confused, and all he could concentrate on was trying not to throw up.

A steadying hand rested on his shoulder. "You're all right. You're safe here. First time?"

"Um..." the Doctor croaked, his throat dry. First time for what?

"Doctor!"

Rose's voice was music to his ears, but he dare not look up as it was all he could do to keep from wobbling over. He could see her armoured feet as she skid to a stop. She gasped when she put her hands on him.

"You look like death, and you're ice cold! Here, sit."

If Rose and the stranger hadn't helped him down, the Doctor feared he would have hit his head. The pain eased, and he realised Rose was healing him. After a moment, he blinked, and he could see. It was Sanctum, right outside the Lyceum. The memory of speeding downward towards it was fresh in his mind, but there was little else.

"How...what happened?" The Doctor looked into Rose's concerned face.

"You died, Doctor."

He bugged his eyes at her. "I what?" Sudden fear of no longer looking like himself and Rose's rejection assaulted him, and he looked down at his pinstripes. That was no good. He stared at his hand. It was familiar.

"In the Abyss, don't you remember?"

The Doctor was feeling his face and sought Rose's eyes, his own lost in confusion. "I..."

Rose swallowed heavily and glanced up at the man with them a moment before regarding the Doctor seriously. "What's the last thing you do remember?"

He glanced away, desperate to think back. "We were in our studio, in Oriel. We had just..." The Doctor blushed at the words he was about to say in public. Then a frightening thought occurred to him. "Oh, no. Bad Wolf didn't kill me, did it?"

Rose bit her lip in disappointment. "No, not exactly."

"I can help," the man above the Doctor said, and he turned to look up at him. "It happens, a side effect of using the Obelisk. It'll sort itself out eventually, but for a few kinah, I'll heal your soul for you."

"You must be joking!" Rose said. "You're gonna make him pay?"

The man in the robe frowned. "I've gotta get on, too."

Rose felt about her waist in confusion. "Kinah..." She then attacked the Doctor's jacket, reached into his pocket and pulled out his pouch of kinah. After Rose paid the man, he placed a hand on the Doctor's shoulder.

The Doctor's mind was thrown awhirl with frightening new images and painful emotions: flight through the Abyss and the excruciating experience of Rose's death; dropping through the Eye, filled with so much anger; merging Aether with the Time device to create an Artifact.

War. Wings of the Balaur and Elyos. It all slotted into his mind, and he realised it had all happened.

"Ohhhh..." the Doctor breathed. He had almost done something terrible, something he couldn't have taken back. He knew what that regret felt like.

He turned his head and saw Rose's expectant face. Her eyes had glowed. She was the Bad Wolf. Rose had saved him from that terrible price. The Doctor reached out and drew her to him, clinging to her and never wanting to let go.

"How...how did you get here?" the Doctor asked.

"Found a Sorcerer, Rose mumbled into his shoulder. "You lot all learn the same spells, right?"

The Doctor sighed with a little smile and closed his eyes. "My clever girl."

Rose hugged him tighter. "I was so scared I'd lost you."

"I had to let you go," he replied. "Or I was going to take you with me. Did it at least work? The field, did it repel the Balaur?"

"Yeah. I mean, I saw it go up. The Elyos said it was keeping them out."

The Doctor nodded and sighed with relief. "It won't last forever, not like Siel's Aetheric field, but long enough, I'm sure. They can work out what to do on their own afterwards. We're leaving."

Rose pulled out of his grasp to look him in the eyes. "Leaving? What, Atreia?"

"Yes," he confirmed, and found the energy to stand to do just that. "I shouldn't be here."

"But...you can fight it," Rose assured him in a laughing voice, as if she found his intentions ridiculous. "I'll help you."

Now standing, the Doctor was shaking his head. "You said it yourself, Rose. You could see how it's changed me." He raised a fist, clenching it. "The power of this place. The raw destructive power surging through my veins..." he growled and met her eyes. "I can't handle it."

"But you can," Rose insisted. "It's just new, and you have to adapt. We've already gotten this far."

He drew close to her face and animatedly tapped his temples. "I can't handle it. All that power. I...I'm afraid I won't be able to stop." His eyes dropped to the front of Rose's armour. "I can't control my thoughts when I look at other women, and that bothers me." He glanced towards the Obelisk and saw the Soul Healer had returned to his post and left them to it. "I think it's all connected. If we leave, the Aether can stop influencing me."

Rose lifted a hand to rest on his chest. "I can appreciate that, but what if we can't go?"

"Siel said we can."

Her eyes grew wide. "She...what? When? Did you read something?"

"No, I saw her, before I arrived here." The Doctor offered her a little smile to show his own amazement. "I asked if it was possible to leave, and she said it was."

Rose's look of surprise changed, one brow lowering. "You, what, saw a dead woman? Are you sure your brains weren't scrambled?"

The Doctor's gaze faltered and his brow lowered in thought. "Not...entirely sure, no." He put a hand to Rose's back. "Come on, back to the TARDIS. Ahh..." A glance told him the TARDIS wasn't in its usual spot in the alley beyond the Lyceum. "Right. We took it to Heiron." He met Rose's eyes. "I suppose we use Polyidus' services one more time."

-^^-W-^^-

Rose sat on the jump seat. She wanted to cross her legs, but her armour wouldn't let her. Wearing it in the TARDIS without the intention of going back to Atreia felt strange. Surely she should have passed it on to someone like Shasa had her, but she didn't know anyone. Upon further thought, Rose liked the idea of adding it to the TARDIS wardrobe, and at that moment she felt a bit more like the Doctor. He had mentioned receiving his coat from Janis Joplin, and when he had regenerated he had picked it out of the wardrobe. She wasn't sure if he had been telling the truth of where he had gotten it, but she had seen in his mind the many years of his life and he had collected quite a lot of what she had found the TARDIS had available. Now, she was contributing, too.

Keeping the armour as a memento would be a tangible piece of their fantastical adventure through Atreia, a blink of time when she was able to use magic and fly on white wings.

It wasn't just the unforgettable place she would remember, but she would always associate it with her personal journey with the Doctor fresh into intimacy, just as she would never forget Chosthu because that's where he had confessed his feelings for her, and Bosthinatia where they had bonded for the first time.

It had been less than a week since Rose had first met Clio. Her first impressions of the planet had been of paradise, but not only had it turned out to be at war, Rose had found herself tangled up in it as one of its soldiers, in a way. And it wasn't necessarily a bad thing as the Doctor seemed to think. Isn't that what they were about, finding the oppressed in the universe and fighting for them? The stuff of legends, that's what the Doctor had called them not too long ago. She shouldn't be surprised that they were leaving as they never did stay long, but she had found herself not ready to go.

They had uncovered a Balaur plot to invade Elysea and stopped them, so they helped to secure the land of light for people for yet another day. That was something, but the war would still rage on, and Rose wasn't sure how she felt about that. Then again, it had been going on for a very long time, and from what it seemed, not a lot of people actually died. To be fair, though, she hadn't spent much time around mortals since becoming immortal.

Immortal, alongside the Doctor. That there was reason enough to not want to leave Atreia. She rather liked the idea, if it meant the Doctor would never have to be alone again.

Rose wrestled with her sense of loss at leaving, and she had to tell herself that she would move on and explore new places, with the Doctor. It would be brilliant, and she would always have her memory of Atreia. In a way it had been just another adventure, but it also felt like waking up from a fantastical dream. Business as usual.

She looked at the Doctor at the console where he was working. "Progress?"

He was frowning down at his monitor. "I've run simulation after simulation, and from what I can tell, there aren't any ill effects to leaving. It would just harmlessly dissipate." The Doctor raised his palm upright and bloomed his fingers open. "Poof. Detaches from my DNA, leaving it whole. Amazing. It's a very complex process, yet according to this," he gestured to his screen vaguely, "it will happen naturally. I almost don't want to believe it could be that simple." He stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets and frowned to himself. "I know I was avoiding it before because I thought it would weaken us, but perhaps we should try a night in the TARDIS to see if the dissipation is safe."

Rose pursed her lips, willing to try whatever the Doctor suggested and thought best. It all meant leaving to her, however they went about it. She sighed.

Only the Doctor's eyes moved. "What is it?"

She knew it was fruitless to ask. The Doctor never stayed, and Atreia didn't seem to agree with him anyway. He could feel her misgivings now, though, and she would have to get used to that new level of closeness to him. There was nothing wrong with him knowing how she felt about it anyway, was there? "I don't wanna go."

His expression turned sympathetic. "There are parts of Atreia that are beautiful, yes. And, well..." The Doctor threw his head sideways. "There is the matter of the wings." A slow smile spread over his face, and Rose recalled their adventures through the sky. His smile then faded as his eyes unfocused. "I can't call on them, here, in the TARDIS."

Rose bit her lip. "Can we come back? You know, just to visit."

The Doctor stared into her eyes, but then his mental presence recoiled from her and he was all exuberant dismissal. "Yeah, sure, don't see why not." He turned busily to the monitor. "Always another time. Lots of other beautiful places to see in the meantime, though!"

She didn't know why the Doctor seemed resistant to coming back despite his words, whether for some reason they couldn't, or because he didn't dare to. Either way, she decided to keep him at his word, and if it came to missing Atreia enough, Rose would hold him to it. Perhaps she could encourage him with the lure of other adventures yet to come?

"I would've liked to see the place we saved. Poeta," she went on. "You know, someday. And remember that forest we saw in the distance in Verteron, on the way to Tolbas Village?" Rose began to daydream, picturing the places in her mind. "And we didn't even touch that jungle Heiron Citadel sat in. Can you imagine...soaring into it like we saw those Daevas do, before we knew we could?" She stole a glance at the faraway look in the Doctor's eyes, and with an inward smile, she could tell it was working. "Or beyond that, can you imagine what the entire other half of Atreia holds? All of Asmodae? Developing as it did in the dark...must be amazing."

She was expecting him to balk somewhat at her desire to go into the heart of Asmodian territory, but she wasn't expecting his look of surprise.

"Morbiel!" the Doctor shouted, his eyes round. "I said I'd come back! Two days time, that's..." he calculated with narrowed eyes and ticking fingers before he began flipping switches and twisting knobs.

Rose hopped excitedly off the jump seat. "That friend of yours, yeah?"

"Sort of, I suppose, yes. Well...I did say I'd return, didn't I? That counts as friendly."

"I'd like to meet him, then," Rose said with finality.

The Doctor looked up at her. "Now, Rose..."

"What? If he's a friend, then just tell him that I am, too," she told him, as if it were that simple.

He pondered the situation for a moment, then straightened. "I suppose it could work, but Rose, I don't know..."

"So if we have to fight, we'll fight."

The Doctor's eyebrows climbed his forehead. "And if we die? What then?"

"I...well, if you die, I'll resurrect you. If I do, then...take the TARDIS back to Sanctum."

He stared at her, blinked, then shook his head. "I can't believe we're having this conversation."

Rose huffed and planted her hands on her hips.

"Fine! It should just be Morbiel, unless he's betrayed me, and in that case, we'll be walking into a trap. Have it your way."

-^^-W-^^-

It wasn't going to be for long, the Doctor had told her, but why be uncomfortable? While he piloted forward a day in Time, he sent Rose to the wardrobe room to fetch a cloak. She couldn't just wear any coat over her armour, and as it was, the one she decided on couldn't drape past her pauldrons and instead fell like a cinched-up dark blue curtain down her back. She found a way to attach the fastenings to the top of her hauberk in front so that the poofy silver fur covered her collarbones and wrapped warmly around the back of her neck.

When Rose returned to the console room, she found the Doctor had dressed in his own warm coat. She had halfway expected he would leave without her and find a way to lock her inside the TARDIS, but she was happy to see he was simply waiting for her.

"Come on," the Doctor nudged. "I'm a man of my word—well, except when I'm not—so let's get going before I change my mind and leave Morbiel wondering."

They exited the TARDIS, and Rose was instantly glad for her cloak, though she had to admit her armour afforded her a bit of protection from the cold. There was snow everywhere and it was dark, but not any darker than an Atreian night.

Rose heard the Doctor close the TARDIS door quietly behind him, every sound seeming to echo across the stillness. "This doesn't seem so dark," Rose whispered to him.

"That's because it's not night," he whispered back and took her hand.

Rose's brogans crunched through the snow, and she felt sorry for the Doctor in just his trainers. He led her away from the TARDIS past the lowered half of a splintered tree to their left and a rocky wall to their right, and she had to guess they were somewhere in the mountains. Despite its beauty, she knew they were in hostile territory, and she kept a sharp eye on the horizon and listened intently for any signs of approach.

Ahead, Rose could see floating rocks in the sky, and they reminded her of what bits of earth tended to do at the high concentrations of Aether around fortresses. She tugged on the Doctor's hand to bring his ear closer.

"Is that Beluslan Fortress? Where you went before?"

"Yes," he replied quietly, "but we're not going there now."

The wind began to pick up, catching her blonde hair that nestled in the silvery fur collar. Rose caught the edge of her cloak with her free hand and brought it up around the front of herself. The Doctor began to look around as if searching for something, or perhaps someone. She looked, too, but she found no one.

They moved on again, towards a path to their left. It was easier walking on the path than the snow, but Rose couldn't help but feel more visible to enemy eyes and more likely to run into someone unfriendly. As they crested a hill they left the path towards the fortress, and Rose could see the yawning chasm that separated the clifftop they were on and the lower ground surrounding the fortress beyond.

"We crossing?" Rose asked.

"No," the Doctor replied, releasing Rose's hand to turn in a circle. "This is where I told Morbiel I'd meet him."

Rose glanced around. "I don't see him anywhere, do you?"

"Nope."

They waited for a while. Rose asked if they were too early, and the Doctor assured her grumpily that they were not and his driving skills were perfect thank you very much, and people here didn't exactly operate on a clock. Rose in good humour asked him if he could have made a mistake and jumped ahead a year instead of a day, but he wasn't particularly amused, and she assumed it had to do with him being nervous about her being along, let alone being in Asmodae again at all.

They waited longer, and the Doctor was growing frustrated. He had threatened to leave twice, and she wasn't sure just what had kept him from abandoning the man and his cold world for this long.

"You put my trust to the test, Doctor," a voice growled angrily, and Rose whirled but couldn't find the source. "You dare bring that Elyos woman here?"

"She's not Elyos, I assure you," the Doctor said in an authoritative tone. The close proximity of his voice made Rose look up at him, and she could see he was staring into the distance towards the path beyond. She followed his eyes to find the figure of a robed man stepping out from behind a snow-laden tree.

At his side was what looked like one of the wind spirits Rose had seen in Eracus, except this one looked possibly more dangerous with its wildly whipping mane and aggressive feline stance. And if that wasn't enough, a chill ran down Rose's back when she saw the man's eyes were glowing red.

"My spirit is five seconds from ripping her apart, so you had better say something I want to hear!"

"You will not!" the Doctor thundered. "Don't test me, Morbiel! I only came back to keep my word to you, or would you have rather waited in vain?"

The Asmodian paused for a moment before staying his spirit with a backward hand. Its mane slowed as it calmed. "Possibly," he said somewhat mollified, but the ice hadn't left his deep voice, "if it meant avoiding the likes of her kind."

"I told you, she's not Elyos. She's with me."

"That so? Let's see her wings, then."

The Doctor paused, and Rose knew he was caught. It took everything she had to keep the healing magic from flowing in preparation for a fight, because for all she knew, the action could potentially provoke one.

"Oi!" Rose yelled at Morbiel, and both heads in the distance turned towards her. "I'm not gonna hurt you, all right? We come in peace!"

The angry rasp to the Asmodian's voice was replaced by smooth silk. "Oh, I'm not afraid of you, arrogant child."

Rankled, Rose took a step forward, but the Doctor's arm across her body effectively stopped her.

"That's enough," the Doctor said. "Morbiel, my only purpose here is to deliver a message. You helped me with the Artifact, and in so doing, you've provided an invaluable service to your people. I was able to use what I learned here to create my own Artifact within the Eye of Reshanta."

"Don't be ridiculous," Morbiel scoffed. "No one creates Artifacts anymore."

"I did!" the Doctor insisted. "The proof is in the Eye! Go see it for yourself." He raised a hand to tug on his ear. "Although, preferably not at the same time as the Elyos."

The red had gone from Morbiel's eyes, and he began to walk closer. Rose's eyes were drawn to his feet as they advanced beyond the hem of his robe. She couldn't tell if they were shiny silver three-tipped shoes of some sort, or if they were actually three sharp claws instead of toes.

"You have the Elyos using it? To stop the Balaur from this invasion you mentioned?"

"Trust me, I didn't want them using it, either. I had to ward the Balaur off from stopping me, and...well, it sort of killed me." The Doctor extended an offering hand towards Morbiel. "But fair's fair. If they're using it, the Asmodians are free to use it as well. Take a blue Balaur scale and essence from a rift with you, and any others can use it to travel into Poeta's future to help drive the Balaur back."

Morbiel stopped a fair distance away, but he and the Doctor no longer had to shout at each other, and Rose got a better look at the man. He was a sort of blue colour, and now that the red had gone, she could see his almond eyes properly. His hair did things the Doctor's couldn't, and his voice was rich and mesmerising.

"I thank you, Doctor. If what you say is truth, then you are a true warrior for Atreia, whoever you are." Morbiel bowed his head to him, and Rose could feel the Doctor stiffen at being called a 'warrior'. Morbiel looked to Rose, and while she couldn't call the look aggressive, it was certainly undecided. "I don't condone your choice of companions, but I like you, Doctor. You're the only reason she's not currently riding an Obelisk."

The Doctor's arm came around Rose possessively. "I told you, she's not Elyos."

A bright white smile contrasted sharply with Morbiel's smooth dark skin. "You do say the strangest things. How long are you staying?"

"We're not," the Doctor assured him. "We're leaving now, actually. Mission accomplished. Good luck with the Balaur."

Despite being misunderstood, Rose found herself actually blushing at the handsome dark alien. It didn't matter, though, because they were leaving, and she would never see him again. After the Doctor exchanged a curt nod with Morbiel, he turned with Rose back towards the TARDIS.

The change in direction had the wind whipping up the Doctor's coat and Rose's cloak. She could see their trail of footprints ahead of them, and they headed back along it, leaving the windy cliff side to the shelter of the mountain wall. She checked the Doctor's face and found his stony expression set, as if the icy wind had frozen it hard. While the temperature was brisk and their leaving Atreia was bittersweet, Rose found herself lighthearted, and his mood just wouldn't do.

"C'mon, Doctor, a new adventure awaits. Where should we go?" Rose asked in an attempt to get him to move on and bumped sideways into him. They trudged along silently for several strides before the Doctor glanced pensively at her.

"Anywhere, Rose. So long as it's with you."

Rose smiled fondly back at him. "That's the real adventure, yeah?"

His mouth stretched back in agreement. "Indeed."

Shrugging her shoulders against the cold, the furry collar tickled against her face as Rose glanced out at the distant mountain view, beyond the still plain and snow-capped trees, and she was contented to fall back into their normal banter. "You gonna still want me without my wings? Who's gonna heal your cuts and bruises once my magic's gone?"

After a moment, Rose looked back to find the Doctor was now slightly behind, and his predatory eyes pierced into her heart.

"Rose, as soon as we're behind the TARDIS doors, I'll show you just how much I still want you."

Rose bit her lip flirtatiously and was filled with an inner warmth despite the cold of Asmodae. "Well, then, we'd better get to it, hadn't we? Race ya!"

And so, the Doctor and Rose scrambled playfully over the snowy landscape of Beluslan, towards the TARDIS and headlong into their next adventure.

-^^-W-^^-

END

I bring this long writing journey of mine to a close. As a bonus, I've included a third cover art available from my deviantArt link on my profile, but please don't forget to come back and comment on the story if you've enjoyed the journey with me! This image depicts the Doctor in Rose's vision and makes a perfect Halloween wallpaper, if I do say so!

There is Time and Space for a sequel, but knowing how I write, I won't pretend it will be likely within a couple of years. I want to get back into 3D animation, as the Tenth Doctor continues to be my muse in other expressions, but first I want to toy with a Tower of Eternity music video idea that's been haunting me in the writing of the story. If I make something out of it, I'll be sure to make a note in a future post if you have author-subscribed me.

As a final word, I want to thank WhoMe-2 for her invaluable feedback and standing by me the whole way. Your Ten/Rose fiction continues to inspire me, and I consider you a close friend. In death there is sorrow, but life and love shall endure forever!