Chapter 2

The TARDIS landed in the middle of Clara's lounge five minutes later with that groaning sound that always made the young teacher's eyes brighten. Today, it's effect was slightly different. Clara and Danny fumbled for their shoes, he straightening his tie and she grabbing her crossbody purse. Both of them were nervous, as if Danny were visiting Clara's father instead of...whatever the Doctor was to her.

One of the blue doors creaked open and the Doctor's pale face and big hair appeared in the threshold, looking over the two humans with big wondering eyes. Then he stepped slowly out, his boots tramping heavily on Clara's floor as he hesitated to enter. He looked to Clara for help.

"Doctor, you've met Danny," Clara started, taking Danny's arm around her own. Danny waved with his opposite hand.

"Sir."

The Doctor nodded, looking Danny over critically. "So. You're coming with us today. At least you should be able to keep up, with all those P.E. classes."

Danny was about to respond, but he simply rolled his eyes and smiled. Then Clara led them both into the ship, where she leaned against the Console. The Doctor pulled down a lever beside her arm as Danny looked around the space.

"I'll never get used to this place."

Clara went over to him with a grin, and then playfully spun toward the Doctor. "So where are we going? You were really excited on the phone."

The Doctor pointed and rushed around the controls, flipping switched as he pranced across the room. "There's a network of caves, all creating one giant city of hermits. They only come out to get supplies once a month, at the big festival, and then they all go into their homes again and hide away. No one knows how the tradition got started."

"Until now," Clara said in a mock radio announcer voice. The Doctor replied with a lopsided smile just before pressing a button that made the ship pitch dramatically. Danny latched onto the closest railing and then grabbed Clara's hand.

"Is this what it's always like?"

Clara flipped the hair out of her face and replied simply, "More or less."

The Doctor pulled down the brake and the TARDIS finally stilled. "We're here. Outside those doors is the largest cave system in the universe."

"It's trees."

Danny stared out the doorway and saw nothing but green forest. The Doctor peered in between he and Clara with furrowed brows. "Oh."

Danny groaned, stepping back into the TARDIS. "Is this like what happened on Earth? With the trees and the solar flare?"

The Doctor checked the scanner and laughed to himself. "Sorry about that; we're two miles off. TARDIS doesn't like caves very much. Too damp for her wood."

Danny's voice raised a few notes in pitch. "Her? Your ship can...think? It's a woman, and it has opinions about dampness?"

Clara rubbed his back and treaded out the door, leaving Danny gaping with his mouth fallen open. As the Doctor passed him, he patted Danny on the shoulder. "Oh, P.E., how much you don't know."

Danny shook his head and followed after them a moment later, shutting the door behind him as he did. Then they trekked through the shrubbery and dense plant life that seemed to go on for far more than two miles.

"Doctor, are we actually getting closer?" Clara heaved in another deep breath and finished the last drop of the only water bottle she'd brought.

"Shh!"

Hey eyebrows creased. "What?"

"Shh. Get down."

The trio shrank into the closest bush, bumping elbows as they each peeked their heads up as far as they dared. Two voices matched with two pairs of footsteps were heading down the path they'd just hopped off. From the sound of them, it was a young girl and her mother.

"Mother, why can't I go to the festival with you tonight?"

"Now, Teeva, we talked about this. It isn't safe at night. I don't want you getting hurt by the Ragers. It's the whole reason we came to live in seclusion! To keep you safe."

"But Moha's parents are letting her go."

"Well, I'm not. Now let's get home before dark."

"Yes, mother."

As soon as the two women were out of earshot, the Danny sprang up.

"Did you hear that? Ragers? Who are they, then?"

The Doctor bit his lip. "It seems they're a group that makes people so afraid that they hide away in caves."

Danny glanced toward where the women walked, where they could hear the beginnings of the festival starting, a few people setting up a sound system and others putting up lights. "Maybe we can put a few guards out. I can go talk to the festival manager or whatever-"

"No. No, definitely not."

Danny turned sharply back to the Doctor. "We know there's a danger, so we have to do what we can to protect them! I'm sure I can find ten, maybe twenty people. Some of them must have basic defense skills. We can make spears easy enough with all this wood around."

The Doctor licked chapped lips and levelled his head with Danny's. "These people are scared. We do not need scared people brandishing weapons. It'll be a bloodbath. We don't even know who these Ragers are. Maybe we can talk to them."

Danny laughed dryly. "They're so scary that people are hiding themselves away in caves, but you think they're going to listen to some bloke from a different planet and suddenly turn peaceful?"

"That's what generally happens."

Danny shook his head with a smirk and started toward the edge of the cave town, making his way to the festival grounds. "I don't know what kind of rubbish bad guys you've been dealing with, Doctor, but in my experience, violence doesn't end with a few pretty words."

Clara jogged after him, finally having had enough of their bickering. "Danny! Where are you going?"

He turned halfway to her, softening slightly. "I need to help them protect themselves."

"P.E., you're making a mistake!"

Danny turned around full, watching the Doctor running toward him with a frustrated eye. "I'm not a P.E. teacher. And my name's Danny."

Danny paced forward, leaving the Doctor watching him with exasperation. "Clara, please stop your boyfriend from starting a war."

Clara closed her eyes for a moment, feeling herself being pulled in two different directions. Ultimately, she raised her head and said, "He's got a point, though, doesn't he?"

The Doctor's face fell as Clara started off. "Where are you going?"

"I can't let him go off on his own; he's never been on a different planet before. We'll meet up later." She met his eye. "I'm sorry, Doctor. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."