They stepped out of the TARDIS into the desolate landscape of the American Southwest. The ranch sprawled out before them, surrounded by a dense network of fences and surveillance cameras. The Doctor scanned the area with his sonic screwdriver, his eyes widening at the readings. "The energy signatures here are off the charts," he murmured, "This place is a veritable smorgasbord of alien technology and interdimensional residue." As they approached the main house, they could see the tension in the air, the very fabric of reality seeming to hum with an unseen force.

Kira started shaking with fear "Doctor I don't want to be here," she whimpered. The Doctor put a comforting hand on her shoulder "I know it's scary, but we can manage it we've seen worse," he said with a gentle smile. "But not together," she replied looking at Porsha and Suki who nodded in agreement. The Doctor nodded understandingly "But together we can face anything," he assured them.

Title Sequence

TOM HIDDLESTON

HALSEY

BREANNA YDE

JADE PETTYJOHN

AND

CHELSEA PERETTI

DOCTOR WHO

THE CURSE OF SKINWALKER RANCH

As they walked off, they suddenly heard the TARDIS dematerializing behind them "Wait no no NO NO" The Doctor shouted as he sprinted back to the spot where the TARDIS had been only to find it gone. "It's gone," he murmured in shock.

Kira, Porsha, Suki, and Aroura stared at him, their eyes wide with fear. "What do you mean it's gone where did it go?" Suki asked, her voice shaking. "The HADS," the Doctor murmured, "The Hostile Action Displacement System, it's a security protocol that moves the TARDIS if it detects danger." KSo,a went wide eye with fear "So you're saying that there's something here that scared the TARDIS away," she whispered. "Well basically yes," the Doctor replied with a sigh "but don't worry we'll find it and solve whatever is going on here."

They began to explore the ranch which was easy given it was daytime, but it would get dark soon and with all the reports of skin walkers, UFOs, and other creepy crawlies roaming around at night they didn't want to be stuck outside. They found the ranch and tried the door it was unlocked "Maybe they heard we were coming and left it open for us," Porsha said with a small laugh trying to lighten the mood. The inside was eerily quiet with dust motes dancing in the beams of light that shone through the windows. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to scan the area, his eyes widening at the readings "This place is alive with energy, it's like this area of earth has areas where the boundaries of reality are much weaker than the rest of the world." The Doctor explained.

As they moved through the ranch they heard strange sounds, something was definitely amiss. They found themselves in a room with a large board with notes, newspaper clippings and photos all about UFOs and the paranormal "It's like someone's been expecting us," Suki said with a shiver. The Doctor studied the board, his mind racing with theories and connections. "The reports of Skinwalkers, the UFO sightings, they're all connected to the same interdimensional rift," he mused aloud. "But why here?" Aroura wondered. The Doctor shrugged "Could be anything, from a natural anomaly to a deliberate experiment." Kira suddenly saw an orb of light outside the window "Look!" she pointed with a tremble in her voice.

They rushed out to find the source of the light, only to come face to face with a floating orb shaped craft. The Doctor's eyes lit up with excitement "It's a UFO!" he exclaimed. The craft hovered for a moment before shooting off into the horizon, leaving them in the dust. "Well, that's definitely not in the tourist brochure," Porsha quipped, trying to keep their spirits up. The group decided to split up to cover more ground, with the Doctor and Porsha heading towards the anomalous readings and Suki and Kira investigating the ranch's outbuildings. Kira suddenly just collapsed "KIRA what's wrong sweetheart" Suki asked with a panic. "I don't want to be here I'm scared" she whispered. The Doctor took a moment to comfort her "You can wait inside if you like" he said gently. With a nod Kira took his advice and retreated back to the safety of the ranch house. "I will stay with her." Aroura said her voice calm but firm.

The Doctor and Porsha ventured further into the desert, the heat beating down on them like a hammer. They stumbled across a series of strange crop circles, not unlike those found in England but with an eerie alien twist to them. "This is definitely not the work of humans or pranksters with too much time on their hands," Porsha observed, her fur standing on end. The Doctor nodded "This is a message, or a map," he murmured, his mind racing with possibilities. As they approached the centre of the circles, they heard a low growling sound. A pack of Skinwalkers, the legendary shape-shifting creatures of Navajo lore, emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with an unearthly light. They were tall and pale, with elongated limbs that ended in claws that clicked on the hard-packed earth. "Doctor! What are they" Porsha whispered, her claws unsheathing instinctively. The Doctor looked at Porsha's hand and at her now extended claws "Porsha since when did you have those," he said with a surprised look. "Since always," she replied with a smirk. The Doctor nodded "Good to know it's just I've never seen you extend your claws before" he said with a grin.

The Skinwalkers surrounded them, their forms shifting and flickering as they moved closer. The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver, ready for anything "We come in peace," he announced, his voice steady despite the fear that washed over him. One of the Skinwalkers stepped forward, its body morphing into that of a very deformed version of the Doctor, "You're trying to copy my appearance?" The Doctor said with a mix of humour and irritation. The creature snarled, a sound that seemed to echo across the desert. "These creatures are not your typical foes," the Doctor warned Porsha, his eyes never leaving the shifting forms of the Skinwalkers. On of them shifted into a wolf except it like a wolf from The Doctors home universe which meant it was standing on four legs. Porsha was slightly unnerved, "Is that what I would look like?" She asked. "No, your much less terrifying," The Doctor said with a smile trying to keep the mood light. "So, you can shift your forms into anything you see but you struggle to copy my appearance," he deduced, "which means you must have encountered someone like me before." The Skinwalker's form flickered, and for a moment, then it shifted its body into something that resembled the Doctors 13th Incarnation. "Impressive," The Doctor said, "But I've seen better."

Back at the ranch Aroura was doing her best to comfort Kira, who was still visibly shaking. "You know, I've heard stories about Skinwalker Ranch," Aroura said softly, trying to distract her, "It's like the universe's way of reminding us that there are mysteries beyond our understanding." Kira nodded; her eyes still glued to the horizon where the UFO had disappeared. Suddenly they heard scratching on the walls of the house "What's that?" Kira asked with fear in her voice. Aroura looked around the room, her eyes darting around, searching for the source of the sound. "It's just the wind," she said with a forced calmness. But as the scratching grew louder and closer, Aroura's eyes looked again and she saw it, a shadow moving along the wall. It was definitely not the wind. Kira just shut her eyes and started crying.

Meanwhile the Doctor and Porsha faced the pack of Skinwalkers, their forms continuing to shift and change, creating a disorienting dance of shadows around them. "Your fear is what gives them power," The Doctor murmured to Porsha, his eyes never leaving the creatures. "We must stand firm." The Skinwalker that had taken the form of the Doctor's 13th incarnation spoke in the same voice the 13th Doctor had "Why are you here?" The Doctor was slightly unnerved by the sound of his own past voice coming from the creature "We are here to find the source of the disturbances and make sure they don't pose a threat to Earth or its inhabitants," it replied firmly. Suddenly a portal appeared in the sky through the portal The Doctor and Porsha could see a world of green grass and bright blue skies "Is that another world Doctor?" Porsha asked. "Indeed, it is, that portal is a gateway to another dimension." Suddenly a large black shadowy figure crawled out of the portal. It landed next to the Skinwalkers with a thud, it was a creature they had never seen before. It was like it was make of liquid shadow it had a misty shadow appearance, but the shadow seemed to also drip off it like liquid "What is that?" Porsha whispered. "I don't know," the Doctor replied with a tone Porsha had rarely heard him use fear.

Back at the ranch house, the scratching grew more intense, the walls seemingly alive with the unseen predators. Aroura's eyes narrowed, and she whispered comforting words to Kira, "We're not alone here." Kira looked at her with terror-stricken eye, suddenly there heard banging at the door, it wasn't like someone was knocking it was like someone was trying to break it down to gain entrance Kira screamed and Aroura immediately knew it wasn't good. The door managed to hold surprisingly well but the noise was terrifying. "Aroura what is that thing?" Kira yelped. Aroura didn't answer, she was too busy looking around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. She spotted a baseball bat in the corner and rushed over to grab it, holding it tightly in her hand, ready to face whatever was outside. Kira also unfolded her arm cannon, but she knew that given how scared she was she might not hit her target. Kira looked up at her sister and Aroura looked down at her, their eyes locking in a silent promise to protect each other no matter what.

The Doctor stared at the portal as it closed with the shadow creature standing slightly taller than the Skinwalkers around it. It suddenly walked extremely fast toward The Doctor and stopped a few inches from him, The Doctor was startled but stood firm "So I'm guessing personal space isn't your thing," he quipped nervously. The creature didn't move or react, just stared, however it had no face no eyes, nose, mouth, or ears, just a black liquid mass that shifted and flowed like it was looking at them. "What do you want?" The Doctor demanded, his voice firm. The creature raised one of its misty arms and pointed directly at the ranch house, the very place where Kira and Aroura were hiding. The Doctor's heart raced, "So you want the ranch house?" He asked, the creature shook its head slowly and continued to point at the ranch house. "You want something in there," he deduced, "But what?" The Doctor looked again and suddenly realized there was a thin creature attempting to break into the house, it was a mix of shadow and liquid, much like the creature that stood before them. "Oh no THE GIRLS!" He shouted as he sprinted back to the ranch.

Inside the ranch house Kira and Aroura were trembling, the creature was now trying to break through the windows having given up on the door it managed to smash one of the windows and was now half in the house however it didn't seem to be moving any further "What do we do now?" Kira yelled. "We fight," Aroura said with a steely resolve, raising her baseball bat. The creature paused for a moment, as if sensing their determination. Aroura swung the bat, but it went right through the creature, which only made it chuckle, a sound that sent chills down their spines. It reached out a misty tendril and wrapped it around Kira's arm "KIRA!" Aroura screamed and swung the bat with all her might, this time it hit something solid, and the creature roared in pain. The Doctor suddenly burst through the door which just fell to pieces given the fact this shadowy creature had been beating the living daylights out of it "Girls!" He yelled, his sonic screwdriver at the ready. The three of them looked at the shadowy figure that was lying on the floor, out cold. Kira launched herself at The Doctor wrapping her arms around him tightly while sobbing hysterically. "Doctor i-i-i I was so scared," she managed to get out between sobs. "I know, I know," he murmured stroking her hair, "but your safe now."

Porsha ran inside to see The Doctor holding Kira and Aroura looking at the shadowy figure lying there "Is everyone ok?" She asked. The Doctor nodded "For now," he said as he held Kira the group looked at the shadowy figure then suddenly the shadow seemed to evaporate leaving behind a pale thin creature that looked similar to the Skinwalkers, but this one was more pale and slightly larger. "Looks like you didn't half swing that bat Aroura," The Doctor said with a hint of admiration. Aroura shrugged "It's all in the wrist," she said with a grin. "But there's something else Doctor when I swung at the creature the first time the bat went right through it when it was halfway through the window, but then I did it again when it was fully in the room and it hit something solid," Aroura said. The Doctor nodded clearly amazed and confused by this new development. "Hmm that's interesting, hold on I think what happened Is when these things shift into their shadowy forms there are a few seconds where their bodies are still adjusting to the transition from shadow to solid," he said thoughtfully. "So, when you hit it with the bat it was still in the process of becoming solid?" Porsha asked. "Exactly, which means we need to be ready for anything," The Doctor replied as he studied the creature. Porsha and Suki looked out the ranch houses broken window and saw all the Skinwalkers and the shadow figure had not moved from their spots outside "What's going on?" Suki whispered. "I don't know," Porsha said with a frown, "but we can't stay here." The Doctor looked concerned "I'm afraid we have no choice until the TARDIS Hostile Action Displacement System detects that any hostile action has ceased, we are stuck here."

The group now sensed the palpable tension outside, as the Skinwalkers remained eerily still, their forms frozen in a tableau of malicious intent. "Their behaviour is unusual," the Doctor murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "They're not attacking, but they're not retreating either." Suki looked at The Doctor "Then what are they doing?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. The Doctor's eyes narrowed as he studied the unmoving figures "They're waiting," he said with a hint of dread in his voice. "Waiting for what?" Porsha whispered. "I'm not sure," he replied, "but I suspect it has something to do with the strange anomalies this place has been known for." The group huddled together, the adrenaline from their encounter with the shadow creature now mixing with the creeping dread that enveloped the ranch. "Right, I'm going to find out what all this is about," the Doctor announced, as he strode out the door. "Be careful," Porsha called after him, her hand on her sonic screwdriver, ready to follow if needed.

The Doctor approached the Skinwalkers cautiously, his sonic screwdriver buzzing away as he scanned their forms. The creatures remained unmoving; their eyes fixed on the Doctor. "What do you want?" He demanded, his voice echoing through the stillness. There was no reply, just the dry whisper of the desert wind. The Doctor's gaze flicked to the sky, where the portal had been moments before. "The shadow creature," he murmured to himself, "it must be connected to these anomalies." As if in answer, the sky above them flickered, and another UFO streaked across the horizon, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. The Doctor's heart raced; the stakes were higher than he had initially thought. "Ok so your capable of interdimensional travel," he called out to the Skinwalkers, "but why here? What's so special about this ranch?"

One of the creatures stepped forward taking the form of a deer "This place is located around a weak point in the fabric of reality," its voice was like the rustling of leaves "This is where wall between worlds is the thinnest and in between our two universes is." The Doctor finished the Skinwalkers sentence "The Void of course you're a species that can travel to different worlds via the Void. That's something I haven't said in a while 'Via the Void' but anyway why are you so interested in this area?"

Back in the ranch house, the tension was palpable. The shadowy figures remained outside, unmoving, as if they were part of the very fabric of the night itself. Aroura and Porsha sat by the window; their eyes fixed on The Doctor as he interacted with the Skinwalkers. "What could they possibly want?" Porsha whispered to Aroura. "How should I know?" Aroura replied, her voice shaking slightly "I've never seen anything like this before." Kira, still visibly shaken, was now trying to calm down with Suki's help, her eyes darting nervously to the shattered window every few moments. "It will be fine The Doctor has never let us down," Suki reassured her.

The Doctor continued his interrogation, his sonic screwdriver flashing in the darkness "You say you travel through the void, but why here?" The Skinwalker took a moment before responding, its form flickered into a raven "This area is sacred to us, a place of power, where the barriers between worlds are at their weakest." The Doctor nodded thoughtfully "And the shadow creature? What is its connection to all of this?" The Skinwalker transformed again into the creature they had seen earlier, "It is what we call a Void Harbinger they are or we're members of our species that have attempted to cross the void but failed, their forms forever trapped in between dimensions, unable to fully exist in one plane." The creature's voice was now a mix of whispers and shadows "They seek to spread as much fear and hate as they can before they fade away," it said with a sense of finality. "So that thing in the ranch house is a Void Harbinger," The Doctor said slightly worried. The Skinwalker nodded "It's I'm afraid." The Doctor suddenly looked up at The Skinwalker "Well one of my companions in there hit it with a baseball bat when it was transforming into a shadowy state, do you think that weakened it?" The Skinwalker looked surprised "That is something we don't know no creature has ever managed to subdue a Void Harbinger before. However, from what we have observed your companions are as good as dead, if one Void Harbinger is attacked then others come to its aid and kill the ones who harmed it." The Skinwalker said sadly.

Back inside the ranch house the group could feel the tension rising, "What was that?" Porsha asked as she looked behind her to see four more of the shadowy figures appearing through the broken window, each one hissed and snarled as it took shape "It seems we have company," Aroura said as she tightened her grip on the baseball bat. The Doctor rushed back in "We have to move fast, these are Void Harbingers, if one is hurt the others come looking for revenge," he said urgently. The group quickly gathered their things, their eyes never leaving the new intruders.

The Void Harbingers slithered closer, their shadowy forms seeming to meld with the darkness of the night. The Doctor's eyes darted around the room, searching for any clue or advantage they might have. "We need to leave," he said firmly, his voice a stark contrast to the silent rage emanating from the creatures. The group moved quickly, but the harbingers were relentless, their whispers and hisses a constant reminder of their pursuit. The Skinwalkers watched as the group ran out of the ranch house, The Doctor knew that he needed to think of something fast.

He then had an idea on how to defeat the Void Harbingers using the Portals and the Voids impossible abilities to manipulate reality. He turned to Porsha and whispered something in her ear, she nodded understandingly. The Doctor sprinted ahead of the group "ok NOW SPLIT!" he shouted as the group split up into two, Porsha and Suki went one way, the Doctor and the twins went the other. The harbingers followed them into the desert, their whispers growing louder and more malevolent as they approached a large crop circle.

"Porsha, remember what I told you?" The Doctor called back over his shoulder as they ran. The two groups converged on the crop circle, which was now glowing with a sickly green light. The Doctor pulled out a small device, which he had modified from the sonic screwdriver. "This is going to be a bit tricky," he said as he began to work on it, his hands moving at a blur. "Just as I thought this area is the weakest point between worlds!" He scanned the area with the sonic "Ok here's the plan, Porsha you and Aurora get the Harbingers attention and lead them here. Kira and Suki stand well back I don't want any of you to be pulled into the void," He said as he looked down at the green glow "What about you?" Aroura asked. "I'm the one who will have to open the weak point to create a small tear in reality," He said with a grim expression "But don't worry I'll be fine," He said trying to put on a brave face. "The area where the tear will be is unstable you see when The Void Harbingers travel from the void to different worlds they only create and travel through portals that are stronger than here and given they are made of void stuff they will get pulled in!"

Porsha and Aroura looked at each other nervously before running out of the ranch house "Come and get us you shadowy freaks!" Porsha shouted, her sonic screwdriver at the ready. The shadow creatures took the bait and followed them into the desert, their whispers growing more intense. The Doctor watched them go before turning to Kira and Suki "You two stand back, this could get hairy," he said as he began to work on the device. The crop circle grew brighter, the Doctor's eyes narrowed as he studied it "Just a little more," he murmured to himself. Suddenly the crack opened further, a vortex of swirling sickly green light that seemed to beckon the harbingers closer.

The harbingers reached Porsha and Aroura, their forms coalescing into a horrifying mass of darkness. The Doctor shouted a warning "Now Porsha, remember the phase!" Porsha nodded, and with a flick of her sonic screwdriver, she sent out a pulse of light that caused the harbingers to stumble. Aroura took the moment to hurl her baseball bat into the crop circle. As it connected with the vortex, the bat shimmered and was torn apart, the pieces disappearing into the swirling abyss. The harbingers roared in fury and charged towards them, their eyes burning with a cold hatred. The Doctor's plan was working; they were now fully focused on Porsha and Aroura.

Suki and Kira watched from a safe distance, their hearts pounding in their chests. The Doctor's face was a mask of concentration as he worked the device. Suddenly, the vortex grew wider, the edges frayed and snapped like a whip. "Hold on," The Doctor yelled over the howling winds, "I've got this!" The two companions clung to each other, their eyes wide with fear. The crop circle erupted with a blinding flash, and the harbingers were pulled into the void, their screams echoing through the night. The Doctor staggered back, panting heavily, as the vortex collapsed in on itself with a thunderous boom. The desert was once again still, the harbingers gone. "It's over," he gasped.

The Doctor turned to face his friends, who had returned, their eyes wide with amazement. "What did you do?" Aroura asked. "I opened a temporary rift to the void," The Doctor explained, "And with the sonic as a conductor, I was able to redirect the harbingers' energy back into it." Suki looked down at the device in his hand "So, we're safe now?" she asked hopefully. The Doctor nodded, a weary smile playing on his lips "Yes it's over." The Doctor looked around "Now that the Void harbingers have been sent into the void the hostile action ends, and a time machine would know that and would return." And just as he finished speaking the group heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS materializing. The Doctor sighed with relief "See I told you she'd come back for us." The Doctor said as he ran his hand along the side of the box.

"Now we can get back to the New Moon Theatre." Suddenly the Skinwalkers appeared "Well done Doctor, we knew you could pass our test," one of them said. "Test?" The Doctor asked. The Skinwalkers nodded "Yes, you see we wanted to test to see how much you had grown and how much you cared for these creatures of this world." The Doctor was taken aback "So you had us run around like headless chickens for a test?" he asked incredulously. The Skinwalkers looked at him "Yes, but we also knew that you would not let anyone be hurt." The Doctor was furious but also interested "So are you saying that you guys could have stopped the Void Harbingers yourselves?" The Skinwalkers nodded "We could have but we had to see if you had the strength and courage to do it and you did."

The group stared at the Skinwalkers, a mix of anger and amazement on their faces. "But why?" Aroura demanded. The Skinwalkers looked at each other before one spoke up "Because we are the guardians of the void, it is our duty to test those who are worthy to wield such power," it said. "But why us?" Porsha asked. "Because we have seen what you are capable of, how you stand for justice and protect the innocent. You have earned our respect, and now we offer you, our friendship." The Doctor stepped forward, his anger subsiding into curiosity "What do you mean by that?" The Skinwalker shifted its form to mimic the Doctors current appearance "We mean that you have shown us that you are capable of handling great responsibility, and in return we will share with you some of our knowledge of the void and the creatures that dwell within it." The Doctor stood and thought for a moment then looked back at his companions "Maybe another time," he said, his voice filled with fatigue. The Skinwalkers nodded and opened a portal to their home dimension.

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor leaned heavily against the console, his breathing still ragged from the exertion. Suki rushed over to him, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you alright?" she asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He gave a weak smile, "Yeah I'm fine just a bit tired is all," he replied, waving his hand dismissively. The others looked around the familiar interior "Right let's go home," he said with a hint of weariness in his voice.

The TARDIS took off with its usual groan and shudder, the comforting sound of the time engines whirring to life. As they travelled back to New Moon Theatre, the Doctor couldn't help but ponder the events of the evening. He had faced countless dangers across the universe, but the thought of losing his newfound friends was something that truly terrified him. He glanced over at Porsha and Suki, who were discussing the events with a mix of excitement and horror. They had come so far in such a short time, and he knew that they had much more to learn but that could wait for another time. For now, they needed rest.

End of Episode 46

CAST

The Doctor: TOM HIDDLESTON

Porsha Crystal: HALSEY

Kira: BREANNA YDE

Aroura: JADE PETTYJOHN

Suki Lane: CHELSEA PERETTI

Skinwalker 13th Doctor: JODIE WHITTAKER

Skinwalkers: DOUG BRADLEY