Dreams Come True

Yet Still Alive

There was an unbelievable amount of tension in the TARDIS. It was so thick it was nearly suffocating, and it centred in on The Doctor. We all watched silently as the man paced around the main console in a slow, almost robotic march, his face shrouded in shadow. Though the very dark frown was just faintly visible.

It was difficult to get a word in. Occasionally, someone would open their mouth to say something, but then would close it up right after. Either because of the aforementioned tension, or Who shooting them a deadly glare. It was impossible not to want to melt into the floor. It was suffocating. But we all knew why. A few days ago, after we finished up with the Dalek Asylum, The Doctor told us about it.

The Time War.

Time Lords vs. Daleks.

How Gallifrey was destroyed, taking everyone but Doctor Who with it.

That evening was filled with an air of sombreness, but after a while we all bounced back, sucked back into our chaotic happiness. But now... Now we were at a breaking point. Dry Bowser was at the one place The Doctor feared to ever step foot on again. The red sands that rested under the burnt orange sky.

With another tired sigh, The Doctor continued to circle the console, muttering under his breath. It was really depressing to watch, as I knew we were on a ticking clock.

"Doctor", I suddenly said firmly. Everyone, even the man in question, jumped and faced me. "I get this is not ideal, and where Dry is just makes this all the more difficult, but you need to calm down. It's time to just push aside all of that turmoil and anguish. Time is collapsing in on itself, so it might not be the same Gallifrey. We need to do this."

The Doctor gave me a long hard look, everything falling into silence once again. Then, Galacta spoke.

"Doctor, he's right. We have seen so much, and I have done things I deeply regret. But if I was forced to go back to a place that I viewed as a shattered memory, I wouldn't hesitate. You need to do the right thing. Confronting the past, the ghosts you left behind, is sometimes required to do the right thing."

The Doctor gave the knight a long, hard look. Silence was set on staying in control. But then, Who's eyes watered a bit as he flashed a small, yet meaningful smile. "You're right. You are right. It's just hard. There's a reason I left it behind, but if I have to face it... Then what the hell!"

We all sounded off with gentle cheers and words of encouragement, and The Doctor finally met us all in the eyes fully, clapping his hands together as he finally returned to his normal self. "Now, we're heading into something big. I'm gonna be dealing with the riff-raff we're bringing along, so all the rest of you have some time to do some final preparations."

We all nodded, and with our goal getting closer and closer, we all broke off. I found myself heading to the kitchen with Gladius, Izzy and Merida, our moods mixed. Merida was determined, I was worried, Izzy was obliviously happy, and Gladius was silently stoic.

Izzy sat down on the counter, crossing her legs as she watched Merida reach into the cupboard.

"What are you doing Merida?" I asked innocently, leaning back on the counter and looking at her curiously.

"Making tea", the princess answered. "My mum taught me when I was... seven? It's just been in my head since then."

"Tea is very popular with royal families", Izzy stated matter-of-factly. "I might be wild, but I'm not stupid. Tea means a lot of things to different people."

"That is very insightful, Isabela", Gladius said calmly with a nod.

The Psycho Hose Beast beamed, making Merida huff out a laugh. She finally found the tea bags, and rested them on the counter as she began to search for a kettle. "Before you ask, while you were dealing with the dinosaurs, Izzy taught me how to use this."