Hello! I've been obsessing over Doctor Who for the past month, so I finally decided to do something about it. Hopefully, you will enjoy this. I am new at fanfiction writing and all, so any advices and reviews are greatly appreciated :D.
Amy leaned against the railings of the TARDIS and watched the doctor as he fiddled with his switches. He seemed more fidgety than usual as he muttered to himself with a frown stretched across his face. "Think, Doctor, think!" He said to himself as he slapped his face. His expression suddenly brightened and he turned on his heels to face Amy's raised eyebrows with an excited childish grin.
"Doctor, is everything alright?" Amy asked slowly. She was fond of the wide variety of expressions that the Doctor had but sometimes, she admitted, it could be unnerving.
"Yes! Of course everything is al right. I just had a brilliant idea. What if, Amy…what if I installed a TV on the control board that plays all possible human and alien channels from the future and past?"
"I didn't know you liked Tele..," Amy frowned at the doctor and then a teasing smile spread across her face, "Doctor, you're bored aren't you?"
"Not bored."
Amy crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.
"Fine, fine. Yes, bored," he admitted, breaking eye contact, "I haven't gone anywhere exciting for the past 8 hours. I am dying of boredom Pond."
"So...why aren't we flying to somewhere exotic on the TARDIS like we usually do?" She asked.
"I'm waiting," he replied, pointing at the screen as if it obvious.
Amy squinted at the squiggles and symbols that flashed back at her.
"I can't understand that," she reminded him.
The Doctor frowned, "Of course not, that's Galliferian."
"So explain then, Doctor," She said, exasperated.
The Doctor twirled around to face the screen again.
"There's been some sort of disturbance in the time vortex. I've been tracking it but it moves..." His voice lowered as he thought to himself.
"There's only us here."
"I know," the Doctor ran his hand unconsciously through his hair,"...but this time there's something else...something familiar." His voice lowered and his gaze darkened momentarily.
"Who else can be here?" Amy asked, puzzled, making her way down to get a better look at the screen.
The Doctor turned toward her, the seriousness wiped away by a small mysterious smile as he propelled himself to the opposite side of the consoles.
Amy frowned, "Doctor! Who else-."
The TARDIS lurched, cutting her off mid-sentence and sending her stumbling backwards. She fell against the railings and grabbed on to it for dear life as the TARDIS jerked under her foot and sparks explodes from the consoles.
"Uhhhhh...hold on Amy!" The Doctor shouted as he clung to a lever, trying to balance himself.
"DOCTOR! Tell me this is supposed to happen!"
"This is supposed to happen!" The Doctor yelled back as his hands flew desperately across the consoles.
"Really?!"
"No, not really," the Doctor admitted, "But she did locate the disturbance and we are heading there...so I guess...kind of really."
"That is not reassuring me Doctor!"
"Just hold on Pond!"
The TARDIS whirred through space, its passengers flung back and forth.
"AMY! DOCTOR!" A muffled shout drifted from the inner rooms of the TARDIS. It was followed by a small "umph" and thud.
"That must be Rory," the Doctor remarked, "falling off the bunk."
"Rory! Grab onto something," Amy shouted back.
"I sort of got that," came the distant reply.
The TARDIS shuddered one last time and landed with a loud thud. The lights flickered off before slowly turning on again. The TARDIS became silent except for the muffled whirring of its machinery.
The Doctor turned the screens towards him and studied it closely.
Running footsteps echoed down the corridors and a disheveled Rory stopped in front of Amy, his hands still fumbling with the strings on his bathrobes.
"Amy, what's going on?" He asked, looking between her and the Doctor.
The Doctor spared him a look before pointing at the screen.
"The TARDIS is stable and we landed at our destination," he declared, "Ha. I'm so clever, aren't I clever?" He jumped down the stairs with a wide grin.
" And where is that?" Amy wondered, rolling his eyes, as she stared at the doors. Through the window panels she could only detect a pulsing orange glow. The Doctor's eyes followed hers'.
"No idea," he finally said, throwing up his arms, "New planet! Come along Ponds. Let's go exploring. Always so exciting."
He straightened himself, nonchalantly pulled on his bow tie and waved for them to follow, his face animated.
Rory and Amy looked at each other. Rory motioned toward his sleeping-wear, uncomfortable, "I'm not dressed yet."
Amy rolled her eyes. Men, she thought as she dragged Rory with her.
The Doctor swung open the door and a blast of hot air made them stagger backwards.
Amy shielded her eyes and gasped as she finally saw the world outside the TARDIS. She could see the land churning. From the crevices that spread and crept through the ground spewed lava that glowed deep crimson. The world rumbled loudly and angrily around them.
"Beautiful," the Doctor breathed, as he took in the scene in front of them.
The Doctor did not hesitate as he stepped out from the TARDIS and into the fiery scenery. A stream of lava erupted right beside him.
He turned back toward the Ponds who hovered near the TARDIS door, their faces pale and unsure.
"Don't worry Ponds," he shouted over the noise, "It's safe. Just avoid the bubbling cracks."
"Cheery place. Lava and fire," Rory remarked, his voice shaky.
"Oh come on. If the Doctor says its ok, then we'll be fine," Amy told him impatiently, hoping that her anxiety didn't show.
"Avoid the cracks…Avoid the cracks, he says" Rory muttered to himself, "what is he talking about-" He broke off and cried out in shock as his foot sank into a pocket of oozing liquid and begun to steam. He jerked his foot away and nearly fell into another pool of lava behind him. Amy grabbed his arm to steady him.
"Rory! Amy!" the Doctor rushed to their side, stepping nimbly over the broken ground, his face concerned.
"I'm fine, it almost got me," Rory grimaced as he looked at the smoldering hole in his left shoe, "Great, I loved those boots."
"We proceed carefully, Ponds" the Doctor reminded them, looking them each in the eyes.
"Don't go running off by yourself then Doctor," Amy grumbled back, warily testing the ground in front of her.
They moved slower over the uneven ground, the Doctor in front, Amy and Rory closely behind him as they tried to mimic his steps. The landscape around them all looked the same; the dark sky dyed orange by the smoke and the channels of magma flowing sluggishly, criss-crossing the ground like spider webs. It would have been impossible to estimate how far they had walked if not for the bright blue TARDIS growing smaller and smaller behind them.
Amy pulled at the Doctor's jacket, she could see a shape in the distance; too well-formed to be natural in the ragged terrain.
"Amy?" the Doctor looked at her and then turned toward the direction that her eyes were drawn to and froze. His eyes flickered across the structure, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion, "I've seen it before…" his voice became softer, "a long, long time ago….it's not possible."
"Doctor? What's wrong? Wha-what is it?" Amy asked him tensely.
He blinked and shook his head as if dispelling his worries, "We have to get closer, come along Ponds."
Amy opened her mouth to ask again and then bit down on her lips. The Doctor had heard the question but as he sometimes...no...many times did, avoided them. She observed the Doctor as they walked. He was silent, his previous enthusiasm had faded, leaving no trace; the smile that played around his lips had disappeared and his eyes seemed to look inward to his thoughts, far away and sad, replacing the sparkle that had danced in his eyes. His shoulders were slightly hunched as he walked and Amy wondered how many secrets and regrets weighed upon them. He was the last of the time lords, always alone...She couldn't help herself as she reached for the Doctor's hand and gave it firm squeeze. He glanced at her quizzically and she gave him a reassuring smile.
The Doctor bounded toward the structure as they approached, taking the sonic screwdriver from his pocket, pointed, and waved it at the structure. The sonic screwdriver whirred as he walked around the structure, scanning it.
Amy peered at the architecture in front of her. The color matched the ground perfectly and veins of lava flowed along the outside of it. It was the shape that had caught her attention, shaped like a bean-it's perimeter was curved but its base was flat. There was something else, though, that didn't seem quite right. She frowned as she walked closer to the structure. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was.
"Doctor! The magma...it's flowing-"
"Upwards," the Doctor finished her sentence, studying the readings of the sonic screwdriver and looked at her with a smile, "I know."
"How is that possible?" Rory asked him.
Amy gasped as the Doctor walked up to the structure and reached out to touch one of the veins filled with lava. To her surprise, he was not burnt. The lava did not consume his hands; it flowed undisturbed under his fingertips, as if his hands were merely resting on the surface of a television screen.
"It's not possible and also, it helps that the lava isn't lava," the Doctor answered Rory's question, "all of this is just camouflage."
"Well...it clearly isn't working. This thing sticks out like a sore thumb." Rory remarked drily.
"Well, the color is right…but I guess you have a point, the shape is a bit...off. Ok, more like really off...Must be a fault with the Chameleon Circuits" the Doctor muttered, running his hands over its surface. He suddenly stopped and pressed his ears to the structure.
Rory looked at him in confusion but before anyone could ask any more questions, the Doctor made a noise of triumph. "There it is!" he shouted and backed away from the structure, his screwdriver pointed to a spot which, to Amy, looked no different than any other part of the structure's body.
The colors and details of the spot shimmered and rippled before stabilizing and then the edges of a door slowly materialized in front of them.
"What is it?" Rory asked.
The Doctor gave Rory an astounded look, "It's a door! Pay attention Rory."
"No, no. Not that," Rory waved his hands helplessly at the whole structure, "what is that."
"Oh, that," the Doctor turned and stared intently at the structure, his voice softened, his face becoming unreadable, "is a TARDIS."