Note: From the Magic School Bus perspective, this story takes place prior to / out of continuity with "The Busasuarus", mainly because I needed to keep Keesha skeptical about time travel to facilitate exposition.
From the Doctor Who perspective, to is somewhere between Vampires of Venice and The Hungry Earth, for no other reason than I love the Doctor-Amy-Rory dynamic, and series 5 is my favorite.
Props to Zerowing21 for beta reading, and Machiavelli, whose awesome story "Shinji and the Doctor", which inspired me to actually get involved with this whole fanfiction thing.
Anyway, Read & Review. On with the show!
Chapter 1: The intentionally Confusing Introduction
CRASH!
Arnold needed more days like this. He needed more days like this like he needed a bad case of The Plague. He also needed a barf bag.
Why he had ever agreed to going on a field trip to space with his psychotic Elementary School teacher, AGAIN?
"Is it just going to be a trend that I almost die whenever we go into space?" he asked incredulous.
"Ms. Frizzle," Dorothy Ann piped up, "was getting into a meteor shower part of the lesson plan?"
The teacher in question was gripping steadfast to the steering wheel, so as not to fall over as her bus was hit with meteorite after pesky meteorite. She cooed in concern over the thing, seemingly oblivious to the question posed to her.
"I knew there was a reason I didn't like showers." said Carlos, trying to lighten the mood. His classmates had just enough time to groan before another crash tightened their protective hold on their seats.
The class bus filled with shrill cries as Frizzle placed a hand to her forehead and remained uncomfortably silent. So maybe her bus was dying and her students were close to sharing the same fate and it was all her fault, but there was certainly a positive side to this. There was always a positive side. Always.
Suddenly she stopped everything and stared out of the windshield. Something had caught her eye. Something magical and impossible and blue. She stood and stared at it, a smile growing on her face as her students looked on in concern. She turned.
"You really shouldn't be so distrusting of space, Arnold." she said, "You've had incredible luck with it all things considered."
"How do you figure?" Asked the younger redhead in a panic.
"Well, normally taking your helmet off should've killed you instantly but it didn't. Besides, how many children can say they've seen a real live meteor shower up close?
Twice!"
CRASH!
"Of course the bad news is that those same meteorites will probably puncture the bus and send us flying out to our death, but I don't find that outcome too likely."
The students perked up and Ralphie managed to crack a smile.
"Because you have a plan?" he asked.
Frizzle returned the smile.
"Sort of."
And then, suddenly, there was a wonderful sound. The most wonderful sound the students had ever heard filled the room, enough to distract them all from yet another crash. The sound was accompanied by a bright light, drawing the kids' attention. They could just make out what looked like a blue box with the words 'Police Public Call Box' imprinted on it.
"Um, is this good or bad?" asked Keesha, as transfixed with the box as anyone else.
"Oh, it's good children." said Frizzle as her smile grew. "Very, very good."
The box solidified. The light died out, along with the sound. There was a moment of apprehensive silence, before the doors of the box opened. Out of it stepped what looked like a young man in a tweed jacket and bow tie, followed by a mousy looking fellow in a simple jacket and a red-headed women in a checkered shirt.
"Hello, Valerie!" said the man in the bow tie before another crash knocked him flat on his face in the middle of the bus. His companions just managed to steady themselves as the redhead looked around at the class of confused faces around her.
"Doctor," she asked with an accent Dorothy-Ann identified as Scottish, "why are we on a Schoolbus?"
The mousy man looked out if the window with an expression matching that of the children.
"And why are we on a Schoolbus in space, in a meteor shower?" he asked.
The man in the bow tie sprung up from the floor with the simple statement of "Helping!" before rushing to the front of the bus with Frizzle. He pulled out what looked like a pen with a green light on the end, waving it around the bus as he and Frizzle began a conversation that the students just barely kept up with.
"Valerie."
"Doctor."
"Meteorites."
"I noticed. Aren't they lovely?"
"Quite, but also very deadly."
"The bus won't move." Frizzle's smile died a bit, "They hurt her too badly."
The man gave her a grin.
"Yep, but that's why I'm here."
"So does that mean he has a plan?" asked Ralphie suddenly, finally finding the ability to speak again.
The man turned his grin toward the student before pointing his glowing-pen-thing at the steering wheel and causing an opening to appear under it.
"Indeed I do!" Said the man as he began fiddling about with the newly unmasked control panel, Frizzle clapping enthusiastically as he worked.
Keesha turned to the other two strangers.
"Who are you guys?" she asked. The redhead opened her mouth to respond before she was quickly interrupted by the emerging 'Doctor'.
"Not important!" he said, "Listen, Amy, Rory-" he turned to the man then woman respectively. "This bus, it's a TARDIS!"
"What?" exclaimed the redhead.
"It is! I'll explain later- maybe- but, it is meant to be a time and space machine. The Timey-Wimey bits have just been a bit fried. but, I fixed them."
"You did?" marveled Frizzle, "That's wonderful!"
"Only good for one trip, but so long as it gets us anywhen but here I say we take our chances. SO-!" The Doctor turned to the children, "How does four hours into the past sound? All in favor of four hours into the past say 'Aye'!"
A collective "Aye!" rang throughout the bus as The Doctor clapped and sat in the drivers seat. Hitting a random button, the crashing and whisking of meteorites suddenly stopped.
For a moment, everything stopped.