Disclaimer: Doctor Who belongs to BBC. No infringement is intended.
A/N: this is inspired from a tumblr prompt
To the Fair
Swinging the TARDIS door open with a flourish, the Doctor's face was alit with pure joy.
He jumped outside into the sunshine, filling his lungs with the planet's crisp fresh air.
"Here we are!" he exclaimed. "The beautiful metropolis of Bofor…" His voice trailed as he realized that the scenery around him was not what he'd expected. Instead of crowded streets in front of him and skyscrapers towering overhead, nothing but a thick forest could be seen, and the only sounds were not the rush of traffic but the call of some sort of avian life form and a distant melody he couldn't quite place.
Behind him, Donna sighed with affectionate resignation. Only traveling the stars for a few months, she seemed to have a better understanding than her guide that they often didn't end up where (or when) he thought they would.
"That's not right," he muttered.
Donna looked around, taking in her surroundings. "The trees look normal," she observed. "Did you land us in Epping Forest?"
Still murmuring, the Doctor ran over to a tree and scanned it.
Donna walked up next to him and bent over. "Anything of interest?"
"Nah, just a tree," the Doctor answered. He looked up, scrunching his face into the wind. "Do you hear that?"
Donna looked around. "Hear what?" she asked. "Is it some form of telepathy again? Like the Ood?"
"No, it's music," the Doctor answered. He placed a hand on Donna's shoulder and turned her a little into the slight breeze's downdraft. "Listen."
Stilling, Donna strained to listen. Very faintly, what sounded like wind chimes drifted to her. "Sounds like a merry-go-round," she commented.
The Doctor's face lit up. "Want to find out?"
Matching his enthusiasm, Donna smiled. "Of course!"
Jumping around, the Doctor practically skipped in the musical source's direction.
"I'm not quite sure what century we're in," he mused. "Or even if we're on the right planet for that matter. Maybe we're on the wrong side of the planet. Ah, who knows? All I know is that…"
He turned to see Donna quickly meeting up with him, smiling happily. Resuming his trek, the Doctor inhaled deeply. "I must admit that this probably smells a lot better than a city would. As much as I enjoy cities, there's nothing like the quiet calmness of a forest to recharge your batters, isn't that right?"
He looked over. Donna wasn't next to him. Turning again, he saw her brisk gait to catch up. "Did you see something?" he asked, looking behind her.
"No," she said, her voice a little breathless. "You just walk fast."
He frowned. "Oh, sorry about that." He cocked his head. "Shall we?"
"After you."
Making an effort to walk a little slower, the Doctor again became lost in his fervor for exploration. "I wonder if the entire civilization collapsed and we're walking on its remains that have been reborn. Fascinating, isn't it? How life goes on even as societies fall."
He fell quiet for a moment, noticing how the music was getting louder. Not breaking his stride, squinted and noticed the trees were starting to thin in the distance. "Looks like we're getting close!" he noted.
He heard Donna's hastened footsteps as she fell in step with him. "How can you tell?" she asked, her voice a tad thinner.
He gestured ahead of him. "It's less dense up ahead," he said before taking a deep breath in. "And I can smell something cooking."
"Oh good," Donna said. "I could use a proper meal."
The music was definitely getting louder. The Doctor could hear other instruments accompanying the chimes. His smile widened. "I think it's a celebration or something," he said, charging forward. "Oh! Maybe it's a festival! Like something to mark the changing of seasons or a local religious holiday. I do love a good carnival. Did I ever tell you of the time I was in Venice during Carnival and someone with a mask gave me some sort of wine. The next thing I knew, I was…" He turned to once again find no one at his side. "Donna?"
She jogged up to him. She was still smiling, but he could see her breathing a little heavier. "Are you all right?" He inhaled again. "The air seems normal here. Nothing unsafe for human lungs." Pulling out his screwdriver, he started to scan her, but she batted him away.
"I'm fine, you dunce," she said. "You just have longer legs than I do."
He frowned. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I keep forgetting."
"Eh, I'm used to it," she said. "It keeps me in shape, literally running after you."
"Still," he muttered. He held out his hand. "Shall we?"
Eagerly accepting it, Donna grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Your treat, though. Buy me something to eat, and we'll call it even."
"Oh yes," he said affectionately. "My treat."
They continued at a more leisurely pace. The Doctor looked up at the sun catching through the foliage. "It's quite lovely, isn't it?"
Following his gaze, Donna sighed. "You have your moments," she admitted.
Finally approaching the clearing, he heard Donna gasp. He had been correct; it was a large festival. What looked like an endless field stretched before them, crammed with what could pass as "normal" carnival things, but they also looked slightly different. Slightly alien. The tents rose to skyscraper height. What they assumed to be rides were nothing but blurs of color and light. The revelers themselves were humanoid but not exactly human.
The chimes that had led them there were revealed to be caused by a small five-member band, playing an upbeat and unearthly melody while a dozen beings danced before them.
The Doctor threw his arms in the air in triumph. "Oh now this is a party!"
Laughing, Donna started to sprint ahead. "Come on, Spaceboy."
A/N: So it's a little campy, but I felt like I should at least describe the destination this time.