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The blazing sun radiated down onto her. Uncounted hours lost as she slowly dragged one shaking foot in front the other. The vast desert of the Sahara had swallowed Y/N hole. Transporting her to a place of vast nothingness.
It had all started when a sandstorm had separated the young traveller from her group. Y/N had originally come to the Sahara with excitement and a sense of adventure coursing through her veins, but now, dread replaced all those feelings. Including an unquenching thirst.
It was the only thing that kept Y/N going. The only thing that gave her a reason to be standing. To be searching for anything, or anyone.
All hope became lost however, as the swift breeze covered her footprints; erasing any trace that she may have created, furthering the reality of her impending demise. Y/N collapsed to the ground as her weak legs couldn't carry her dehydrated body any longer.
She Hissed slightly as the hot grains of sand came into contact with her sunburnt skin, but did nothing about it. There was no point.
This was how she was going to die.
Y/N laid down against the sandy surface. She figured that she might as well get comfortable before she died. Maybe she would go crazy. Maybe her mind would begin to play tricks on her. That’s what happened to people like her, right? All those stories of people who’d been stranded would always talk about hallucinations or hearing strange sounds. Well, that’s what the tourist guide said. ‘Don’t stray from the group, it’s easy to get lost...’ But Y/N didn’t listen. No. She was too busy getting her head lost in the clouds. And when the sandstorm struck unexpectedly, she was separated from her group.
Y/N laughed. Her breath causing the grains of sand to blow away from her face. Maybe... Just maybe, her mind would hallucinate a tea party for her. Oh that's very British.
Except, it wasn't a tea party that appeared suddenly in front of her eyes. It was a lake! A big, beautiful, blue lake that shimmered in the blazing sun. Oh, but the colour of the water was something Y/N had never seen before. Such a deep blue. The bluest blue.
Without so much as a second thought, Y/N staggered to her feet. Adrenaline now coursing through her veins. Giving her just enough strength to reach the shimmering body of water.
Once reached, Y/N collapsed to her knees before the lake. There wasn't so much as a whisper of doubt as she cupped her hands to hold the sparkling water in her sunburned palms. She had no doubt that the image before her wasn't a mirage, and so, Y/N drank.
She groaned hoarsely as the oddly cool, clean liquid danced off her tongue and splashed down her parched throat, refreshing her instantly.
Curing her of dehydration!
"Oi! Do you mind not drinking the TARDIS, please?" The irritated tone of an English man called from across the lake. Hold on. No. He was in the lake!
Y/N's head snapped to the direction of the voice. Only to be met with the sight of a man, with one half of his body submerged in the lake, and the other half that Y/N could see, was perfectly dry. The man was dressed in pinstripes and a long tan coat.
Now, there were two things very wrong with this picture. One: There was a man, in the middle of the lake, completely dry. Two: He was wearing a complete suit and trench coat in the Sahara!
Speaking of which, why was there a lake here? Y/N could've sworn it wasn't before... It just appeared there.
The tall mans shoulders sagged a little as he looked at Y/N with concern in his deep brown eyes. "Are you alright?" He questioned. Only now seeming to put the pieces together as to why a young woman would be by herself in such a place as this.
Y/N coughed to clear her throat and winced as some dust escaped past her dry lips. "J-Just peachy." She looked him up and down for a moment. "How're you do-doing that?"
The mans brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean-....ohhhh the water, eh? Weeeelll, I finally fixed the chameleon arch! So the TARDIS can actually blend in with her surroundings now. Impressive isn't it? Mind you, maybe a lake wasn't the best of choices for camouflage..."
Y/N's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her. "I should’ve known this was too good to be true. This isn’t real, isn’t it? You’re just a mirage! Playing tricks on me!” Y/N chocked out a sob. “Oh my god. I’m going to die here!”
"You think I'm lying?"
The mans lips quirked into a smug smile. "Follow me then. You'll see." And with that, he disappeared beneath the body of water.
Y/N's mouth dropped open in shock as she watched the idiot willingly drown himself. She scrambled to her feet and ran into the lake. "Hey!" She yelled hoarsely, Trying to find him. He may not be real, but he was the closest thing she had to a person. Dying alone wasn’t exactly how Y/N wanted to go.
But before she could do anything, the water seemed to get deeper and deeper. Swallowing her as well.
Darkness. A complete pitch black surrounded her. Little by little, white specks flooded Y/N's vision until she was met with an unearthly sight.
The moment was ruined however when a pair of deep brown eyes popped in front of her face unexpectedly. "Ah! She's awake!" The eyes crinkled as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"W-What the fuck?!"
Y/N cursed. Confused and overwhelmed by everything around her.
"Oi! Language!" The man scolded, but not unkindly.
"Y-You weren't kidding when you-you said that stuff were you? Oh my god...H-How is this even possible?... You’re an alien, aren't you?"
"Yup!"
The man said cheerily. Popping the 'p' at the end. "My name is The Doctor by the way. Incase you were wondering."
"Uh, okay then.” Y/N spoke slowly, trying to make sense of everything before her. “I’m Y/N.”
"Nice to meet you Y/N! So, what brings you to the Sahara?"
Y/N grimaced as she thought back to her friends. "I, uh...I was with a group. We were just exploring, but then a storm sorta caught us off guard. I got separated."
The Doctors charming smile faltered.
"And you're sure you're alright?" He questioned with his left brow raised.
He didn't give Y/N time to answer as he had already adjusted the sonic screwdrivers settings and begun to scan her.
Y/N’s eyes widened in shock as the blue light casted a faint hue across her burnt skin. She simultaneously pushed The Doctors arm away from her as she scrambled backwards. “W-What are you doing? What is that thing?!”
"Woah, easy there!” The Doctor moved quickly. It only took him one stride to catch Y/N before she fell. “It's my sonic screwdriver!" He announced proudly whislt checking the readings. "Hmm... A little bit of dehydration, but you drank the water from the lake.... Actually, it was the TARDIS. Ohhh... she’s going to need some repairs now. Anyways, The water is working its way through your system right now, and while it's doing that, It's sending nanogens to cure your dehydration."
He concluded. "You'll be fine."
Y/N blinked. She tried to believe that his rambling made sense. "Alright...so, uh, what happens now?"
The Doctor sprung to his feet at the question. "Now! I take you home. Or wherever it is that you need to be. Your choice!” He beamed down at Y/N, a radiant smile that nearly split his face in two.
"My friends."
Y/N decided.
The Doctor grinned manically at her and flipped a switch on what Y/N assumed to be a console.
"What’s the address?”
“They must’ve made it back from the sandstorm already... ok. Shali Lodge, Egypt- but I don’t see how we can get back. Do you have a car?”
The Doctor ceased his movements around the console to look at Y/N. if she thought his smile from earlier had been a bit insane, it was nothing compared to what he was doing right now. “Oh, I’ve got something even better. Now hold on! We’re in for a bumpy ride!”
Y/N braced herself against one of the coral struts. Watching in amazement as the room around her began to shake and wheeze violently. She nearly lost her grip! But it seemed to end just as soon as it had started.
“Ha!”
The Doctor cheered, shoving a pair of glasses onto his nose as he inspected the monitor more closely. “The solar system, Earth, Eqypt, The Shali Lodge... in the year 2019... You, Y/N, are back where you need to be!”
“T-Thank you, Doctor.”
Y/N heaved, quite clearly out of breath from the ordeal. She turned to look at the set of doors and back to the man standing by the console. Alien or not, he saved her life. Y/N ran up towards The Doctor, nearly knocking him off of his feet as she hugged him. “Thank you.”
The Doctor momentarily froze at the unexpected contact. “Oh, it was nothing.” He tried brushing it off with simple nonchalance, but Y/N wouldn’t let him go. It was rather nice too, to be held like this. He nearly forgot what it was like to be needed, to be appreciated.
“Y’know, Y/N.... what would you think of ditching your little vacation here to go on a trip?” The Doctor asked hopefully.
Y/N froze. She stepped back from The Doctor and looked at him in shock. “A trip?”
The Doctor nodded.
“As in space? As in actual real life aliens?!” Y/N almost couldn’t contain herself. “Oh my god... I don’t know..” She looked back at the doors, weighing in the decision.
“It might help to know that my ship, the TARDIS, also travels in time as well. We can go anywhere in the multiverse and you could still be back in time before anyone even realizes you’ve gone missing. How’s that sound?”
Y/N grinned, and ran to The Doctor again, wrapping her arms around his lanky frame. “Yes! Oh my god. A hundred times over- yes!”
The Doctor laughed.
The Doctor and his companion, as it should be.