Author's Note: Gah, I'm so sorry I disappeared off the face of the Earth, lol. Life happened and somehow this series got pushed to the back burner. Anyway, this is a bit of a longer story and I have one more finished and one in progress, so I should be posting for a while now!


Prologue

"So." The Doctor leaned up against the edge of the console, his hands shoved in his pockets, grinning a little half-grin. "Where to?"

"You're asking me?" Rey looked up from where she leaned up against a pillar, carefully putting the finishing touches on her new staff. The second new staff she had made since she had started traveling with him. "I know nothing about this universe! I only just found out that Atlantis existed before the Revolution, a fact which I'm quite certain everyone else in the universe knows. I don't think this is a decision you want me to make."

He laughed. "You know, I like this whole traveling with someone from another universe thing. You see time like I do—a whole mishmash of stuff instead of a linear progression. Ooh, I know just the place." He whirled back to the console and smacking a lever. "I think a little trip to another planet is in order this time. Something fun. Something—"

She looked up, adding one last screw and weighing the staff in her hands. "Past or future?"

"It's all the same when you think about it, really. What's past for the future could be future for the past, or something like that. Think I got that wrong. Where did you get that, anyway?"

"Oh, this?" She held up the staff. "I made it. Again."

He raised an eyebrow. "And where—"

"This place is a goldmine of old parts. Almost better than Jakku!" She stood, testing the staff. The weight distribution was slightly different but she would get used to it if she practiced a bit. She twirled it as the familiar warp sound filled the console, and the light began to pulse up and down the center. Keeping her feet steady beneath her as the ship shifted a bit, she jabbed it forward—

The floor fell out from under her and she tumbled forward, the staff clattering across the floor. She was on her feet in an instant, her hand closing around the nearest banister.

"What was that?"

"Turbulence! Or some kind of—" The Doctor dashed to the console, grabbed the viewscreen and jerked it backward. "Nothing! There's nothing—"

Carefully, she let go of the bannister and started towards him. She had peered over his shoulder enough times to know that viewscreen like she knew the feel of her staff in her hands. And once, she had seen something he didn't—

The floor careened backwards and she skidded forward and slammed into the console with an impact that forced the breath out of her with an oof. She clutched the edges of the console and looked up at the Doctor.

"Well? Do something!"

"I'm trying!" Shoving her out of the way, he leaned over the console and reached for a lever. She let out a little cry of annoyance and skidded out of his way, her fingers sliding over levers, buttons, and all manner of strange devices as the ship tilted to the side—and then whipped back, sending them both sprawling on top of each other and rolling towards the door.

"She's resisting something!" He untangled himself from her and leapt to his feet, rushing back to the console. "Something's attacking! Rey—other side! See that lever?"

She was on her feet in an instant. Finally he was letting her actually do something. "This one?"

"No, that one."

"This?"

"Yes! That! Push it forward—don't slam it, just a little gentle—yes, like that. Now—"

The doors burst open.

Rey rushed for her staff as the floor swayed and tilted beneath her, snatching it from the floor and whirling to face the door. A wind rushed past her and howled about the console, curling up the center column and—and laughing?

She turned this way and that, her staff at the ready.

Was it alive?

She edged backwards, keeping a careful eye on the open doors. If they were in open space, they had better hope the airlock hadn't broken. "Doctor—"

"No—no no no!" The Doctor rushed forward, desperately grabbing at levers and slamming buttons along the console. "No—it's taken control! It's—"

And then he was gone, and the TARDIS was gone, and she was floating in blackness.