Fog

"This is wonderful!" Rose exclaims, standing just inside the TARDIS and gazing out at their new adventure. There's a thick fog right outside, so thick you can't even see the ground, but in the distance there's a magnificent castle. It reminds Rose of a fairy tale of some sort. She considers asking the Doctor to move the TARDIS a bit closer, but she is quite fickle, and he'd just call her a lazy ape before sprinting out the door and leaving her to catch up.

"That it is," the Doctor agrees from behind her. "Never been here before. Doesn't happen often, that." Rose nods, before stepping outside. Her feet never touch the ground, and she gives a squeal of surprise before falling. With his quick as lightning reflexes, the Doctor grabs her hand just before she falls all the way through the fog, which was obviously not masking any ground. The Doctor swings her slightly, before grabbing her other hand in his.

"On three," he grunts, and she nods nervously. He begins swinging her back and forth. "One." She swings a bit higher. "Two." Higher still. "Three." He grunts again as he swings a last time and tugs her back into the TARDIS. She falls forward with the force of it, landing on top of him as he hits the metal grating.

"Thanks," Rose mutters.

"Yeah," the Doctor replies. After a few moments of staring at his leather clad shoulder, Rose notices she's still lying on him and rolls off with a blush staining her cheeks. The Doctor's immediately on his feet, extending a hand to help her up. Rose grabs it as he pulls her off before running over to the consol and – from what Rose can tell – trying to figure out where they are and why there's no ground.

"Oh!" he shouts, slapping his hand against his head. "I should have known before! 'Course, the last I was here, the fog was grey and that castle was much shorter…"

"Doctor!" Rose interrupts his rambling. His head snaps up immediately, like it always does when she calls his name.

"Right!" he exclaims. "This is Yeunillia Three, home to the Jaxikals and their lovely floating castle!"

"Ah," Rose replies, as if she knew so all along. "So, is there ground below the fog? Are we just floating above right now?"

"Nope!" the Doctor says, popping the 'p'. "The fog's so thick – way more than last time – that it fooled the TARDIS into thinking it was solid ground. She kind of just… sticks where she lands when it's a place like this. Either she forgot to tell me, or…"

"Or what?" Rose questions, curious. The Doctor looks around cautiously, as if he's about to tell her a secret.

"She might be getting' a bit old," he whispers, and the TARDIS gives a dangerous lurch. "Sorry! I didn't mean it, I'm older than you, anyway!" The rocking stops, but there's an underlying menace in the air that's just waiting for a chance to break free.

"And, on that note," the Doctor says to Rose, who's looking at the consol warily, "I think it's time we're going! Not safe here anyway, I expect. Probably made the clouds that thick to ward off visitors. Don't worry, though, they're tough. Whatever's wrong, it'll be right soon. Now!" He spins to Rose on his heal. "How about Barcelona?"