Chapter 3

Clara found Danny already making his way through the future-festival area. Wooden slats were being built as he walked, and strings of lights were being hung up on beams. It looked pretty nice, actually. But what was even better were the caves, all stacked on top of each other and crowded together but each definitely its own. It was a truly magnificent sight to behold, with wavy lines tracing their edges like an enormous three dimensional painting on the wall of the festival.

Clara caught up with him and took his hand instantly in her own. "The caves are pretty, at least."

Danny turned up to look at them, a sad smile on his face. "They're beautiful."

Clara leaned in closer to him as they made their way down the outer edge of the town. "What's wrong? Is the Doctor getting you down?"

Danny smiled and looked at his feet. "No, it's not him. It's just...so weird. I don't know, you think that other planets, or even just other countries will be so different…but they're not really. They've still got trees and people and the same problems."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Danny slowed his pace, thinking hard. "It's why I don't feel like I have to travel very far. Once you've seen one sky, one cloud, you've seen them all."

Clara took in this information with a wistful glisten in her eyes. Then she squeezed his arm. "It's amazing, though, isn't it? You can have a cup of coffee on Mars and it tastes the same as on Earth. It makes you feel...a part of something, I guess." Clara chuckled, "Look at us getting all deep and sophisticated today

They made eye contact and Danny grinned. "We make a pretty good pair, don't we?"

They stopped altogether and leaned together for a kiss, which they savored for a long minute. Then they took each other's hands again and continued walking, Danny asking anyone they passed about armies and martial arts. By the time the sun was half set, they'd found one possible guard.

"Yeah, I got a steer."

Danny eyed the woman closely. "No, no. A spear."

"Love, I can't hear you. Oh look; the festival is starting! Maybe you can find one there!"

Danny groaned and set his forehead against the closest cave wall. "Why doesn't anyone know how to protect themselves here?"

Clara shrugged. "They're hermits. They only talk to other people once a month, like the Doctor said. Maybe they don't usually need to protect themselves."

Danny picked his head up and looked around the festival. The lights were all on now, creating criss-crossing patterns above everyone's heads and lighting up rows and rows of stalls and vendors. It was an amazing thing to see. For a bunch of hermits, the people did seem to enjoy each other's company a lot. Clara smiled as one young boy gave another a flower.

"It's a shame they only get to see everyone once a month."

"Imagine the love stories."

The Doctor's voice came out of nowhere from behind Clara's head, making her jump ten feet in the air and then bring her fist down on his arm. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I was forming a plan. You two haven't been out recruiting soldiers, have you? If you have, tell them to go home. I only need you two. Now, Clara-"

"Hold on," Danny said, holding up hand. "Who put you in charge?"

Clara put her hands on Danny's shoulders. "Danny, I love you, but can you two please learn to get along, or at least only argue behind my back. It's a little unbearable."

"Clara."

The Doctor was standing upright, eyes widely gazing behind her. Clara was about to ask what was going on, but sudden screams told her all she needed to know. Danny pulled her gently but firmly toward himself by the arm and then looked to the Doctor. "What was that plan?"

"Ughh, forget the plan," the Doctor scratched his chin anxiously.

"What?!"

He turned to his two companions. "We don't have time. Just get as many people out of here as you can. Go!"

Clara and Danny rushed into the crowd, but the people were a step ahead of them. Nearly everyone was in a full sprint toward the caves, grabbing all they could as they went. All they had to do was steer a child or two in the right direction and then the festival was practically desolate.

Clara heaved in a deep breath and turned to Danny, smiling and giving a thumb's up. Behind her came the sound of leaves rustling, and for a moment she thought the Doctor had somehow ended up ahead of them. Then she saw him standing behind Danny, and her blood went cold.

She turned ever so slowly to face a man whose mouth was covered in a bandana, like an old timey robber. Above the cloth, she could tell his skin was green and shiny. As her eyes flit down, she noticed the gun holster in his belt loop and the knife in a strap on his leg. Suddenly words were very difficult.

"H-hello."

"Where are you from?"

The voice was menacing, but not in a dark or evil way. In fact, it sounded like a teenager doing an impression of Batman. Clara let her lips twitch into the beginnings of a smile. "Blackpool."

The gun suddenly whipped out from its holster, aimed directly at Clara. Danny instantly darted in front of her, holding his arms out protectively. A fire in his eyes made the alien boy falter for a moment, the gun drifting down.

"Don't you dare," Danny said. Clara breathed out shakily, holding onto Danny's sleeve like a child. There were so many ways that this situation could play out, but most of them were not desirable.

To the side, where Danny had been just a moment before, the Doctor stood eyeing the situation with intense focus. Danny had been so brave; so thoughtful. He hadn't even hesitated before stepping in front of a gun for Clara. Suddenly the Doctor felt all of his animosity toward Danny fade away. He was good enough for Clara; of course he was. (Good enough as anyone can be, anyway).

The Doctor took a few steps forward, drawing the boy's attention. The gun was at his side, but still held in a tight, unrelenting grip. The Doctor bent down slightly so he was looking the young man in the eye.

"Listen, you don't want to hurt either of them. I know you're afraid. That's what drives everyone into these kinds of groups, like your Ragers. I don't know your whole story. And you don't know ours. But I think, if you did, you wouldn't be threatening us right now."

The boy was entranced by the Doctor's words, as was Danny. For a second, it crossed the Maths' teacher's mind that maybe the Doctor really could talk down a hate group. But then the gun was raised again, this time pointed at the Doctor. The Timelord steeled, straightening up, as the boy shook his head.

"You have no right talking to me. This town fears us. We keep them in line. Just as you fear me."

The boy's gun flew toward Danny and Clara, who froze, Danny covering Clara as much as he could and Clara trying to push him out of the way so he wouldn't get hurt. The Doctor took another step toward the boy with his hand out.

"If you have to hurt anyone, to prove something, or to show off, or whatever it is you do...hurt me. Not them. But think about it, really hard. Do you really want to hurt anyone? Or are you better-"

The gun fired, and the Doctor's words were cut off abruptly as the bullet went through him. Time seemed to stop. All of the noises of the forest and the festival and the leaves were silenced. The only thing Danny and Clara saw or heard was the Doctor staggering, tripping over his feet, and then landing on his back against the ground without even trying to break his fall.