The Doctor grinned as he watched his new friends' expressions. He always loved this part—in his opinion, it was the best thing about having a TARDIS.
"You have got to be kidding me," Ahsoka said as she looked around the spacious consol room. Anakin was gaping, looking a bit like a fish as he did so.
"It's bigger on the inside!" Ahsoka said, awe in her voice. Anakin looked over at her, an amused smirk stretching over his face.
"No, really?" He asked her.
"You're surprised to!" Ahsoka pointed out. "I mean, who wouldn't be? It's a box, that's bigger on the inside. A box, that's bigger on the inside…" she looked at the Doctor helplessly. "Can I sit down?"
"Of course!" the Doctor said courteously, gesturing to a little couch by the controls.
"Thanks," Ahsoka answered gratefully, as she hurried to take a seat. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's just, it's not every day you find a box that's bigger on the inside. Bigger on the inside." The Doctor's grin was even larger now, if that was possible.Yes, he loved this part.
"So, um, this thing can travel in time?" Anakin asked, obviously trying very hard not to sound over-excited.
"Yeah—but no demonstrations!" The Doctor said loudly.
"Why not?" Ahsoka asked innocently.
"If you really want to know," the Doctor started quietly, speaking to Ahsoka alone, "because I like you. And if I let you come along on one adventure, you're going to want to come on another. And I will say yes. And then you'll come on another, and another, and soon I'll be so used to you, it will kill me when you're gone. Because they always leave, so I know you would, too. Besides—would you really want to give up being a Jedi to travel with me?" Ahsoka cringed. She wouldn't give up the Jedi for anything. "I suppose not…" Ahsoka said.
The Doctor looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry," he said.
Ahsoka stood up. "We should get back to training," she said to her master.
"Can I at least try flying this thing first?" he asked the Doctor eagerly.
"I'm sorry, but no way," the Doctor responded immediately. "Only two people are allowed to fly the TARDIS—me, and Ri—" The Doctor cut himself off, catching Amy's expression as she heard the beginning of her daughter's name. In a matter of seconds, she'd be sobbing.
"No," the Doctor said firmly to Anakin, as he walked over to Amy and hugged her.
Ahsoka watched the Doctor and Amy hug, and decided there was no reason to say goodbye. She looked determined as she walked past Anakin briskly to get to the doors.
"Hey, Snips," Anakin said softly, putting his hand on her shoulder. She was appreciative of the comfort and support, but inside, she was still feeling horrible. She liked the Doctor. He was nice, and funny, and he said he liked her, too. He reminded her of Anakin, only far less critical and far less aggressive. Anakin was like her brother. Ahsoka felt like, had she been allowed to stay, the Doctor and her could be just as close as that, maybe closer.
The second before the TARDIS started shaking seemed like a lifetime. Everyone—both Jedi and Time Travellers—could feel the thick presence of stillness, could sense the impending doom. It seemed liquid and solid at the same time—stretching out forever and yet cut into a short, thick block of time. The stillness and peace weighed down on them and crushed them, and it was a thousand times better and a thousand times worse than the second later, when chaos crashed down on them like an avalanche.
The shaking started first it was rapid and non-ceasing. Then there was the noise—an alarm going off, the banging of metal, the pounding of their pulses in their head. Ahsoka shouting, "What's going on?" Amy screaming, "Doctor!" Anakin, Rory, and the Doctor yelling as they tried to get to Ahsoka and Amy. Then there was the deep, rasping sound of the TARDIS that soon Anakin and Ahsoka would soon learn to love as much as the other three passengers.
And finally, silence.
Fortunately, this was regular non-noise silence, not the creepy Silence who controlled people's minds.
"Is everyone alright?" The Doctor asked loudly as he picked himself up off of the floor. His friends got up and brushed themselves off.
"Doctor…" Amy asked. "Where are we?" "
What, we've moved?" Ahsoka exclaimed. Anakin snorted
"There's no way you can call that flying," he argued.
"Not the point, Skyguy," Ahsoka said. "We've moved. This blue box can actually move. They weren't kidding."
"Well…" the Doctor said. "I think that we should go out and see what exactly is going on." He hurried to the door of the TARDIS. Amy came up behind him and whispered into his ear.
"Doctor…do you think Idris brought us here? I mean, she always brings you where you need to go, right?"
"This wasn't the TARDIS," the Doctor said, shaking his head. "She was forcibly moved. She wasn't moving of her own free will. And I most certainly wasn't controlling her." Amy grinned just a little. "All this time and I still find it weird when you talk about this machine like it's a person." "She is a person," the Doctor reminded Amy sternly. He felt his eyes watering and had a sudden image of Idris, and the time they talked. He put his hand on the TARDIS wall and muttered "Come on, old girl. Why are we here?" But it was silly talking to her now—she could not talk back. The Doctor sighed. "Come on, let's get this over with."
Where will the Doctor, Amy, Rory, Ahsoka, and Anakin end up? Find Out next time!
Sneak Peak: Ahsoka froze as she felt the power flowing through the room. It was incredible—and frightening. No one should have this much power.
A girl, about Ahoska's age, burst through the doors. "Father!" Tears streaked her pale face. Her pain was reflected in her bold, stormy grey eyes. Her wild red hair flew behind her as she ran up to the man and desperately clung to him. "Father, you can't do this! Please, Father, no!" "You were a mistake," the man said coldly as he glared at his daughter. "I've tried to keep you hidden, but you're too strong. You must change. You can no longer resemble me." "Father, it hurts!" the girl cried out. "Goodbye, Alani. Soon, you will be somebody else. If I cannot erase what I have done, If I cannot harness that much temperal energy, than at least I can master this much. Enough to make you different. Enough to make you…not like me," he snarled. Alani whimpered and crumpled into a ball on the floor. "Father, please," she whispered with the last of her strength. "You do not have to do this." "I am a Jedi. I cannot have children. I must do this." Alani screamed in agony as her body began to glow with regeneration energy…
