The Doctor paced around the control panel of the T.A.R.D.I.S, he had just left Amy and Rory off on their next honeymoon destination. He sighed, it was strange, in his last body all of his companions had mostly stayed with him until they left, permanently. Amy and Rory, were his most on and off again companions in a long time. He mentally kicked himself, of course Amy and Rory should be off, having fun on their honeymoon, how many humans actually get to visit other planets for their honeymoon, he thought. None, unless they travelled with him. He nodded, it was perfectly natural, he thanked the Universe that Amy wasn't obsessed with him anymore, and was fully in love with Rory now, the Dream Lord had been good for that at least. No, it was just, at times like this he missed some of his old companions, Sarah Jane, Rose, Martha, Donna, even Jack. He smiled, fondly remembering the adventures he'd had with them.
The T.A.R.D.I.S phone began to ring and as he reached for it, the T.A.R.D.I.S began to shake. He grabbed the phone and held onto it as the shaking knocked him to the ground. "Hello, hello?" he said into the phone.
"The storm is coming Time Lord, the storm is coming,"
"What?" the Doctor shouted, the shaking getting more violent, and the parts of the T.A.R.D.I.S making noises that suggested they were exploding.
"Doctor?" came Amy's voice.
"Amy? What were you saying about a storm?"
"What? I didn't say anything about a storm, what's that noise?"
"The T.A.R.D.I.S, I think it's exploding,"
"Some how, I don't think so, remember what happens when a T.A.R.D.I.S explodes,"
"Not like that, more like, bits and pieces of it a breaking very violently," he replied, as a final extremely violent shudder tore through the T.A.R.D.I.S, knocking the phone from his hand and him across the control room floor. He crawled across the floor and grabbed the phone again, "Amy," he said very calmly.
"Yes, Doctor?"
"It's stopped, I'm going to see where I am, phone you when I get back,"
Holding onto the console, he pulled himself him. Very carefully he made his way across the room to the door, he opened it slowly and looked out. What he saw confused him, he went back to the console and checked the display, the feeble image that came up told him that, yes, he was, on Earth. The rest of the control console was wrecked, completely, he could see it was trying to repair itself, but it would take some time. He left the T.A.R.D.I.S and looked around. He was in a park, trees, bushes, swings, children, a park. None of them had noticed the sudden materialisation of a big blue police box in their midst. He frowned. None of the kids had looked up, none of the parents had either, no animals were staring wide eyed at him.
"They can't see you," came a voice, vaguely familiar to the Doctor. He spun round and was confronted by a tall cloaked figure.
"I gathered that, why can't they though,"
"I have a message to deliver," the figure said, bowing slightly.
"What is it?"
The figure pulled itself up to it's full height again. The Doctor could feel it's gaze, pining him to the spot. "There is a storm coming Time Lord, a storm is coming,"
"You were on the T.A.R.D.I.S phone," the Doctor said, recognising the voice. The figure didn't reply just turned and walked away, vanishing a few steps later.
"Excuse me, sir," came a voice. There was a elderly man standing behind the Doctor.
"Sorry, sorry," the Doctor said, moving out of the way, knowing he could been seen again. Some people were even giving the T.A.R.D.I.S confused looks. He left the park quickly, not wanting any questions about it, it was locked anyway, so no-one could get in.
As he turned a corner, a teenage boy crashed into him, "Run, mister!" the boy yelled, and tore past the Doctor, it took him a minute to see what the boy was running from, a swarm of shadow racing down the street. The Doctor spun on his heel and ran after the boy. He caught up with him quickly, "You… can…. see…. it to?" the boy panted out as they ran.
"The shadow thing?" the Doctor asked. The boy shot the Doctor a look, but nodded.
"Yes, yes, I can," he said.
"I thought I was the only one… who could.. see them,"
"It may be just you and me,"
"Well, at least that's someone else,"
"What's your name?"
"Ash,"
"Okay, Ash, well, duck," the Doctor said, hitting the ground. Ash followed suite, giving the Doctor a confused look. The shadow creature swooped over head, missing them by inches. It halted, and turned around, heading back towards them, the Doctor pushed Ash, and rolled out of the way himself, and the shadow crashed into the T.A.R.D.I.S, a blue light flashed and it vanished. The Doctor grinned, stood up, and helped Ash up, he opened the .D.I.S and pulled Ash in behind him. He walked over to the console, and saw that the display was still working, he pressed a few buttons on it. The display brought up a picture of the shadow creature, and began a scan of it, checking for any information the T.A.R.D.I.S index had on the creature. Nothing came up. The Doctor frowned, and told it to check again. Still nothing.
"What do you know about the thing that attacked us?" the Doctor asked Ash, who was looking around the T.A.R.D.I.S in amazement.
"This is amazing, it's bigger on - "
"Bigger on the inside, yes. Now, what do you know about the thing that attacked us?"
"Not much, I don't even know why I can see it, or why they're attacking me," Ash replied, frowning.
"Nothing at all?"
"No, well there is the box…"
"Where is this box?"
"It's back at my house, I can take you there if you like," Ash said.
"Lets go," the Doctor said, letting Ash lead the way.
Ash opened the door and stood back to let the Doctor inside. "Hey, Mum," Ash shouted. hanging up his jacket.
"Hey, Ash, I'm in the kitchen," she shouted back.
"Kay," Ash said. He left the Doctor in the kitchen and made his way, into the kitchen. His Mum was standing by the sink, washing the dishes. It took Ash a moment to realise that there was a shadow creature wrapped around her.
"Hi, honey," she said, turning around, as she did, the shadow creature began to pull away, and she began to fade.
"Guy, what the hell's your name, get in here!" Ash yelled. The Doctor burst into the kitchen, as Ash's Mum faded away completely.
"It's Doctor, and what happened,"
"There was a shadow creature, and it was wrapped around her, it started to lift off and she started to disappear," Ash yelled. He ran out of the kitchen an up the stairs.
"Ash! Ash, wait!" the Doctor shouted, chasing after him. Ash tore into his bedroom and got down beside his bed, he pulled out things from under it, looking underneath he saw what he was looking for and pulled it out. He emerged from under the bed with a cube in his hands. He showed it to the Doctor. There was symbols inscribed into the surface of it, the Doctor couldn't translate them. Which meant the T.A.R.D.I.S couldn't translate them, which meant they were very ancient, very unused, or, it didn't exist, in this universe. Or reality. The Doctor frowned, "Where did you find this, Ash?" he said.
Ash began to speak, but a shadow creature tore off the wall and enveloped him. "No," the Doctor yelled, and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, he activated it and the shadow creature emitted a screech like sound, it rushed off of Ash and out the window. Ash feinted as it did. "Ash, Ash?" the Doctor said, leaning down beside the boy.
"Ash!" he yelled, holding the boy. He heard footsteps in the house and he looked up, the cloaked figure stood in the doorway.
"The storm is coming, Doctor, and great danger is coming. The key to your and alls salvation is held in the house of Noble."
"The house of Noble?" the Doctor asked. The figure didn't respond, just looked at the Doctor and Ash.
"Terrible danger, the storm and the shadows, a sleep as long as time," the figure said, turning and walking away. As before it disappeared.
"What?" the Doctor said, leaning back. He held Ash in his arms.