Disclaimer: This chapter's plotline is from Doctor Who's comic stories. Most of the dialogue is directly written from the comic. The plot is NOT mine.

"Someone's gone to a lot of bother to scare off any locals that might stray in here," the Doctor first remarked about the grand room. They were on their way to the gigantic four-armed statue. Maybe it was their way back to the future just like the first statue Clara touched that brought them to the past.

"This is the work of Chandra Scindia, governor of Madhya Province, Master of Thuggee," Rani declared with absolutely no doubt.

"How do you know that?" asked Clara.

"I danged one of his dacoits over a tiger pit in Calcutta," Rani said with a hint of a smirk on her lips. "He confessed everything. Very quickly I should add."

"Wonder why," Clara's eyes were wide as she just imagined that whole situation.

The Doctor, however, was pre-occupied with the bottom of the statue. Unlike the rest of its body, there was a metal outline going in the shape of an archway with a black energy streaming in the middle. "A necro-cloud," he realized soon enough. "Many cultures in the universe believe that all life is just energy, death merely the transmutation of one form of energy into another. Some unscrupulous races harvest sentient life forces for sustenance, or to use as a power source, containing them within a necro cloud."

Rani walked up to the archway and stared at the energy swirling on the other side. Very carefully, she reached a hand out and let her skin barely graze it, but it was all she needed to know. "Khair-Un-Nissa's in there, Doctor. I can feel her." She pulled her away hand and stared at her palm. All the feelings just vanished. "But she's lost to me, isn't she? Lost forever."

"You wish to be together?" asked a new voice, a more cynical one. Rani immediately pulled her gun out in the direction of the voice. "We will send you to her. With pleasure." The same creatures that attacked Minerva, Liv and Priyanka were now swarming down from the statue's mouth. "All you need to do is give your life to the goddess. The goddess."

Clara almost covered her ears when the entire group of creatures kept chanting 'the goddess' afterwards.

"I wondered why what's obviously an important location appeared to be unguarded," the Doctor said, not looking very surprised they had come across intruders. He took out his sonic as well, lighting its tip. "These Spider-Man must have stealth capabilities coded into their DNA."

"The more you say, the less I understand," Rani told him.

"Seriously, get used to it," Clara positioned herself right behind the two. She had no sonic and no weapon to get her out of this one.

"For Kali!" the creatures lunged on them all.

Rani fired her weapons as fast as she could throw one after the other.

"Normally, I detest firearms but right now it'd be nice if yours held more than one bullet each," the Doctor had to confess as more and more creatures swooped down on them.

"I don't see you doing much!" Rani pointed out since all he held out was his sonic.

"The demon lights have a simple operating system - a couple of tweaks and I can control them!"

"It'd be nice if you can do that now!" Clara squeaked as she had to duck to avoid getting grabbed. But their answer came in the sound of a familiar engine dropping in on them.

"Yes! Perfect timing, Clever Girl!" the Doctor cheered as the TARDIS appeared a couple feet from them. "Run!"

Clara quickly followed after the Doctor, prompting Rani to do the same before the creatures could get them.

"And before you say anything…" the Doctor came skidding to a stop inside the TARDIS, now with a smug face, "Yes, it is bigger inside than it is outside."

But some very colorful words came out of Rani's mouth instead of the usual line.

"Hey! I have a son, watch your language!"

"Doctor!" Liv's urgent call pulled the Doctor to the trio inside, immediately alerting him of one missing.

Elias ran up to his father, raising his arms to be picked up. The Doctor did so but his eyes were ransacking the console room for Minerva. "Where's my wife?" Liv's and Priyanka's faces were definitely something to go off by. "Where is she?" the Doctor asked again, his voice lower and darker. If someone didn't answer, there'd be hell to pay twice.

"There were these-" Liv's explanation was cut off by Elias' own description that only a four year old could give.

"Monsters took Mommy! She tried to get away but they grabbed her like a toy!" Elias rubbed his cheeks of tears. "I wanted to help but Mommy threw me."

The Doctor gave him a small nod. "El, I'm going to check your mind okay? Just to see what exactly these monsters looked like, okay?" Elias nodded. He pressed two fingers to Elias' forehead and went into the boy's mind. Since he was four years old, it wasn't that hard finding out his most recent memories.

Minerva ducked when one of the creatures tried getting her by the neck. She turned and continued to run, though she kept shooting behind her as much as ice as she could. "AH!"

One of the creatures had grasped her ankle and slammed her face-first to the floor.

"No!" Liv quickly whirled around. Priyanka did the same but she was at the TARDIS threshold, holding Elias tightly.

"My Mommy! My Mommy!" Elias started shrieking frantically as he watched more creatures curl their arms around Minerva's body, despite Minerva kicking and swatting them away.

"Get away! Get the h-" Minerva's shouts were drowned by the nasty claw-hand covering her mouth. Still, her muffles were heard.

"No! Minerva! Let her go!" Liv hurried back towards her sister but Minerva, seeing her, used her powers one more time to create an ice wall barring Liv from getting any closer...as well as keeping the creatures from getting to them. "Minerva! Don't!" Liv slammed a hand against the ice wall.

Minerva was then swept into the darkness, her muffled screaming eventually fading away.

The Doctor took in a deep breath after coming back to the present. So, the same creatures had come for Minerva as well and had the audacity to take her away right in front of his son. Oh, there would be hell to pay.

"Are we getting Mommy back?" Elias' voice was quiet and frail, like a true child.

"We are getting her back, El," the Doctor kissed the top of Elias' head before putting him down. He strode to the console and started working the controls without saying a word, but his expression said it all.

~ 0 ~

Fortress Scindia, 2315.

"I should be outraged by your trespass, demand retribution. The most sophisticated security system money can buy...outwitted by a slip of a woman and spindly, stick-insect of a man. But then again, you're not exactly just a woman are you?" the man who'd been speaking turned to face his bed, his dark eyes watching how a Thuggee dropped Minerva onto the bed.

The blonde landed with an 'oof'. Soon as she got her bearings, she sat up and glared at the man she presumed to be responsible for the attack that brought her here. "What can I tell you, I've always felt a bit special."

The man just smiled, but it was a menacing smile warning her not to try the same trick on him. "You're outnumbered," he pointed up to the ceiling where more Thuggee were crawling, waiting for new orders. "You hurt me, they hurt you."

"And then you get hurt twice," Minerva did not hesitate to say. "Because I presume you know I did not come here alone. Whatever you do to me, you will feel tenfold the pain."

"You mean from that Doctor man I keep hearing about?" the man mused while Minerva's eyes narrowed. "Well, if you're so sure he'd come to fight, let's raise the stakes. Add something he simply cannot refuse."

"You want him to come," Minerva could almost roll her eyes right now. This whole bait trope had gotten old centuries ago. "If you wanted the Doctor to come, all you had to do was ask."

~ 0 ~

The Doctor had brought them back to the only place where they could get some answers. He stepped out first into Tiger Maratha's bedroom and looked over to the threshold where Minerva's ice job had gone. Of course not it was gone, chipped away by the looks of it.

The Thuggees, no doubt.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Clara asked once the rest of the woman were out in the room. She was holding onto Elias' hand, not letting him go for anything after hearing about the Thuggees chasing him, Liv, Priyanka and Minerva.

The Doctor had come to the portrait of his 4th incarnation and Tiger. "Something I missed…" he tilted his head at it, for a moment taking in the other tragedy of the situation. "The curse of the Time Lords. Friends from other worlds grow old and wither away, while you stay the same."

"What is he talking about?" Rani quietly asked Clara, figuring that if anyone knew about this strange man it was her.

But Clara would know almost everything about him, and this part of his life was one of the things she would never understand. She couldn't. Despite being linked to Liv, she would live and age like any other human. She would, one day, die and leave the Doctor as well. She knew that and the Doctor did too.

"Daddy? When are we finding Mommy?" Elias' wriggled his hand free from Clara's and the only reason she let go was because he was pointing to the Doctor. He hurried up to his father's side and looked up with his big, green eyes.

The Doctor sadly smiled down at him. Well, he couldn't say he would be alone again. He had Elias and Minerva, for all of time. He reached for the portrait, then, unintentionally finding a small open square in the wall. Soon as it was free of the portrait, it flickered and projected a hologram of Tiger Maratha.

Priyanka gasped and immediately pushed herself forwards, wanting to be as close to the image of her father as possible.

"Doctor," the hologram began, "If you are watching this instead of speaking to me in the flesh, then I guess they got me before I got you. The family Scindia are India's Darlings...or so they say. The reality is they are not. They are devils. They made me an offer I couldn't refuse, unlimited funding to pursue and recover one of History's Greatest Antiquities. The swords of Kali, the ancient Hindu goddess of death and destruction. Chandra Scindia provided me with convincing data that a being of immense power, the inspiration for the religion of Thuggee, did indeed once walk the earth. According to data, the goddess was destroyed. Her body incinerated and her swords, possessed of a power too dangerous for mankind to wield, secret it away and hidden temples."

"The creatures that were chasing us kept saying we were chosen for the Goddess," Liv quietly told the Doctor. She didn't want Elias overhearing the bit and remembering the awful chase that led to the kidnapping of his mother. "Are those things supposed to be the followers of this goddess Kali?"

"I have no idea," the Doctor kept listening to the hologram, hoping that Tiger would give them one last bit to help them put a stop to all this and get Minerva back.

"I traveled the globe, piecing together Clues and fighting off Rivals until I pinpointed the location of the Four Temples. Breaking into the temples, I expect at the usual deathtraps of the Ancients, but it was far more hair-raising than that. There were extraterrestrial technology in killer Androids I had to deal with. If I hadn't been familiar with such things from time aboard the TARDIS, I'd never have survived. I got the first three swords at least. But, in my eagerness for one last challenge, One Last Adventure, I hadn't questioned the Scindias' motives. when I handed over the swords, I saw a flash of something evil. I began to have doubts about handing over the final Glade, though in the end the decision was taken from me. The swords were gone, the temple in Ruins, littered with robot wreckage and the corpses of two...creatures. The Scindias didn't believe me when I told them and they started making threats. That's when I decided to contact you but also record this message as extra insurance. Farewell, Doctor, of all the people in all Time and place, I'm glad I bumped into you. Tell Priyanka I'm sorry. My words or those of an old man whose time has passed. Tell her to follow her heart. And if that leads to the stars, then tell her to chase the brightest one."

Priyanka's tears were inevitable. She lowered her head to quietly weep. Even the Doctor was a bit stuck in his spot. It was never easy saying a final goodbye to a friend.

'...Doctor?'

But maybe this could help get things moving again.

The Doctor's head snapped up, as if Minerva's voice was coming from the ceiling and not inside his head.

'Listen, I don't mean to rush, but...I'm a bit...cramped…'

'Where are you?' the Doctor turned away from the hologram, soon after it faded away without his notice.

"What?" Rani stared at the man in confusion. His eyebrows had knitted together all of a sudden, like he was doing something without actually doing it.

Clara recognized his expression, though. "Oh, you're talking to Minerva!" she pointed a finger at him, not that he noticed too.

"What? Who?" Rani frowned at the brunette.

"Mommy!" Elias unknowingly answered her. He latched onto the Doctor's arm in hopes of hearing what his mother was saying.

"They, um, they can sort of talk to each other in their heads," Liv explained to Rani and Priyanka. "He's probably hearing her now that he's back in the same timezone."

"So, what's she saying?" Clara eagerly awaited. If Minerva was talking, then it meant she was better than they'd expected.

"We gotta go," the Doctor yanked Elias with him to the TARDIS. If the other four didn't follow he'd surely leave without them.

The next time the TARDIS landed, they were in a grand room that was the definition of luxurious. Chandra Scindia was waiting patiently in his room, a sinister smile curling his lips once he saw the Doctor emerging from the box. He was coming alone because there was no way in hell he would bring Elias anywhere near the man.

"She did say all I had to do was 'ask'."

The Doctor didn't appreciate the man thinking he could casually refer to Minerva like that. "Where is she?" he demanded first and foremost.

"Off exploring," the man made a gesture to the window beside them.

"I doubt she volunteered."

"Maybe so."

"I have to ask, though, since when did the Kaliratha care about life? Because your so-called 'goddess' only craves death."

"Not at all, Doctor," Chandra said, almost sounding like he would laugh due to the Doctor's cluelessness. "Life is precious to us and we nurture it until such time as we decide to end it. You know who we are?"

"I'm a well-traveled man. There's not much I don't know. The Kaliratha Are four dimensional beings who styled themselves as deities to less Advanced races and then fed upon the life forces of their followers."

Chandra's smile indicated the Doctor was right on track.

"They channeled their four-dimensional powers through totem Kama stores in this case, which allowed them to slice through the very fabric of time and space. Your mistress inserted herself into Hindu mythology, inspiring the warp religion of Thuggee, her acolytes terrorizing India, sacrificing countless victims to her."

"Is that what they did to Kahir-Un-Nissa, then?" Rani's horrified voice drew the two men's attention to the open doorway of the TARDIS. Rani stepped down and shut the door behind her, her eyes quick to glare at Chandra. "You did that!?"

"I told you to stay inside!" hissed the Doctor, but Rani couldn't hear him over what she'd just learned.

"You fed my Khair-Un-Nissa to your demon goddess!?" she started storming towards Chandra, hand reaching for her weapon or her sword (whichever one her fingers found first).

The Doctor had to physically restrain her by holding her arms. "Not now!"

"But it was you who gave the order!" Rani continued to shout. "Who gave you the right to decide who lives and dies!?"

"They're murderers. Not the first time they do it," the Doctor's words seemed to stop Rani for a second as she heard the reason for them. "In the aftermath of the Hyperion war, there was a Purge on other malevolent species, a well-intention but ultimately misguided attempt to make the universe a safer place. The Kaliratha wiped out or incarcerated."

Chandra scoffed in their faces. "They tried to come for the Goddess. They fought her until they believed her to be dead. The Scindia family were her most loyal disciples. As a reward, she laced our genetic structures with her own DNA, granting us immortality. We have worked toward her resurrection ever since."

"Sending out genetically enhanced Thuggees to procure lives for your necro-cloud," the Doctor thought back to the portal they had found under the statue, back in 1823.

"That's where she ended up…" Rani released a shaky breath, her eyes once again laying on Chandra. "You thought her life was so measly...and unimportant…" Her body leaned forwards, head hanging low. The truth of Khair-Un-Nissa's death was finally being solved and yet she did not feel any better.

The Doctor let her go thinking she was too overwhelmed to actually want to attack Chandra. He could understand that.

"We ran checks in various intelligence agencies from the footage of our police agents took a few. A 21st century school teacher, an unidentified humanoid blonde woman, a child, a man in a box from another world. You're quite the legend, Doctor. As well as the Ice Queen we retrieved. Queen of the Silver Monsoon. Weren't they supposed to be dead?"

"You will release Minerva from wherever it is you have her or so help me I will reign Hell on you," the Doctor had come face to face with Chandra, his eyes dark with fury.

Chandra pretended to think about it for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Sorry, but the Queen wanted to be a little closer to the action...or at least we assumed she did. And things are certainly heating up. Karisma?" he then called.

The Doctor and Rani looked to the doorway of the room, where a tall olive-skinned woman had come in. She met their stares with the same sinister smile Chandra had and went straight for the computers set against the wall. "Is it time?" she asked.

"Yes," Chandra gave the nod.

She was eager to bring the screens to life and once she did, the two travelers knew why. Now the Doctor knew why Minerva had yet to contact him again.

The Scindia family had trapped her under the engines of a rocketship about to take off. Needless to say the blazing heat was doing her no good.

"The Exodus is On a strict timetable. The Queen is having a lie down under the engines of the next scheduled to take off. The countdown has already begun. Show me listening?" Chandra was loving the reactions from the Doctor and Rani, and perhaps even from Minerva's trouble. "There's only one deal open to you, Doctor. The fourth sword of Kali in exchange for the life of your little Queen."

'Minerva? Minerva, can you hear me?' the Doctor endlessly called out to his wife, but Minerva seemed to be getting weaker by the second. Her shoulders were slumped over, her legs spread to her side. The Doctor knew the heat was getting to her and fast. 'Kaeya?' he called again, in despair. 'Kaeya, hang on, please. I'm going to get you out.'

Almost as if she knew she was being watched, Minerva raised her head the best she could. Her blue eyes, which had gone dim, seemed to want to glare. She didn't want to give the Scindias the satisfaction of watching her die pitifully.

"I can almost smell her roasting from here," Chandra mused devilishly.

"STOP!" the Doctor barked the order and aimed his sonic at the computers, frazzling their power off. If only those had been the controls of the Exodus…

"Do we have a deal, then?" Chandra turned back to the man, already knowing the answer.

"Not like I have a choice," the Doctor muttered. "But you listen to me, now," he once again came face to face with Chandra, glowering into the man's eyes, "If I so much find a scratch on my wife when I get back...you will die on the spot. And if you do not lower the temperature immediately, I will personally drive the sword right into your-"

"-enough, Doctor," Chandra raised a hand to cut the Time Lord off. "I understand. She is precious. I figured she was. Best you leave immediately. Aamir and Karisma will act as chaperones to deter any troublesome ideas or notions that you may have."

"Don't touch anything in my ship," the Doctor then warned to the appointed newcomers.

"You realize they'll kill us no matter what, right?" Rani whispered to him on their way back to the TARDIS.

"Of course," the Doctor stopped by the closed doors. "So we'll just have to show them how hard we are to kill."

Rani wasn't sure if that made things sound better.

~ 0 ~

Two thuggees had Minerva by the arms as they walked her into the same room the Doctor had encountered with the gigantic statue. Minerva's breath was hard and heavy from the intense heat she absorbed, so any attacks were out of the question right now.

"Might I say, you handle threats to your life with considerable aplomb, your highness," Chandra Scindia stood at the end of the bridge Minerva was being walked across, right in front of the statue. She shot him a glare, though questionably considering she had shared nothing about herself. "I have done my research. You are a highly regarded Queen."

"Oh God, just incinerate me but please don't do the whole fake charming thing," Minerva wanted to roll her eyes but even her eyes felt completely dry.

"Oh come now, that was only a little game! I knew that the Doctor would never allow that to happen."

The Thuggees had stopped Minerva a few feet from the man.

"Goodie, now what? More torturing? More using me as bait?"

Chandra raised a finger to stop her list of incorrect usages for her. "I had a better idea. See, after doing my research and discovering your well-led life...I have made a decision."

"I'm bursting with excitement," Minerva's sarcasm came as a joke to the man, making him laugh every now and then.

"A woman who has traveled in time and space, seen and done things that not everyone can. The power - both physically and mentally - that you hold, the royalty...you are the perfect Host for the Goddess."

Now that caught Minerva's attention. Her eyes, though dry, widened while Chandra scooted back. He moved to a golden square positioned right next to the necro-cloud portal. Soon as he opened it, Minerva saw the controllers no doubt meant to control the Necro-cloud. Then, the Thuggees started bringing Minerva towards the necro-cloud.

"Oh no! No!" she started struggling, throwing her legs up in an attempt to slow them down. "Not in there! Stop!"

"Struggle all you want, Queen Kaeya," Chandra laughed. "The more you fear her, the more the Goddess will love you."

The necro-cloud lost its darkness after Chandra did something to the controls. It, instead, became like a chamber. Minerva was shoved inside and trapped seconds later. She pushed herself, using the wall to support her wobbling feet.

"Let me out of here!" she pounded a fist against the clear wall. "I swear to God if you're going to pay for this one! When the Doctor finds out, me and him, we're going to destroy you!"

Chandra laughed louder. "The Doctor is already our servant. His ties to you placed him in our hands. When he returns, he too will bathe in the glory of the goddess."

"If you think you're going to get him, then let me laugh at you!" Minerva only went 'ha!' twice out of fear.

"Release the souls of the dead!" she heard Chandra command.

There was an immediate sound from above that froze Minerva. Her eyes flickered up first, and seeing a dark swirl of purple coming down for her made her entire head raise. "What in the…?"

The swirl became smoke that circled Minerva's body.

"Get away from me! Go!" she flapped her hands in the air, trying to smoke it away but it just seemed to come at her. "STOP! STOP THIS!" she screamed but at the same inhaled the smoke and once she did, it all came in a rush.

Her screams and pounds against the glass ultimately faded away as the chamber became covered in dark smoke.

~ 0 ~

The Doctor stood outside the TARDIS with a straight face while Chandra's minions - or family, who cares - awed at the fourth sword they'd found. The sword was located in a cave, right where Tiger had described the other three swords had been. It was daylight, kind of hot, and yet there was an eery silence no one noticed.

"We knew Tiger Maratha was trying to deceive us when he said it was missing," Karisma laughed, missing Priyanka's death glare for using her father's name. "Fool! No one can deceive the deceivers!"

"Alright," Liv popped in next to the Doctor. She had her arms crossed and a glare to match with her mood. "When do we leave them here? Or when do we take the sword? Or are we going to fight them-" but she was cut off abruptly by the Doctor when he raised a hand to stop her from talking. "What?" she frowned. "You're not actually giving them the stupid sword, are you?"

"Shush," he muttered.

Liv scowled and huffed. She was purposely not showing herself to the two Scindias and since the Doctor had ordered Clara and Elias to stay inside the TARDIS, Liv wanted to serve as their eyes and ears. "I don't get this plan."

The ground rumbled as the two Scindias morphed into their true alien, monstrous forms.

"You shall be the first to die on this Goddess's blade for over 700 years!" one of the creatures roared.

The Doctor so briefly smirked, Liv almost missed it. "Oh, what are you up to, Doctor?" she turned to him with a growing smirk herself.

He ignored her question as he had to stop Rani from interfering. "Now, now, Rani, no need to be rude. People are going to die here today. There's nothing we can do to stop that, but Priyanka's father was lying. When Tiger arrived on this island, the sword was gone...because I'm about to take it."

Priyanka, as well as the others, gave him the same dumbfounded look.

"He doesn't get here for another two weeks," he finished with the widest, smug smile ever. The creatures raised their swords, but the Doctor did not falter. "The beauty of owning a time machine, other people's pasts and futures are my present. All Tiger found was a couple of monstrous corpses."

"What are you going on about, old man?" demanded the second creature.

"No one this side of the Jagaroth could apply that description to my travelling companions," the Doctor went on like the question hadn't been asked. "And while I'm no oil painting, 'monstrous' is a bit strong so I wonder…" he tilted his head at the creatures, letting them come up with their own conclusions.

"Oh look at that," Priyanka pointed behind the creatures. A technological creature, resembling a jelly fish with tentacles hurriedly came through one corridor. Its circular orbs on its top simultaneously glowed orange before shooting jets of the same colored energy towards the Scindias.

"Security breach!" it cried. "Kaliratha DNA detected! Eradicate immediately!"

"Doctor? What the hell is going on?" Rani turned on the man, nothing short of confusion yet suspision.

"The alliance that destroyed the Kaliratha programmed their defense systems to react first and foremost to threats of Kaliratha origin," the man happily explained.

"But if it's set to just attack Kaliratha creatures...wouldn't that mean it's still going to come after US us too?" Liv asked, making herself visible to Priyanka and Rani in the process.

"Uh, yes," the Doctor nodded. "But a head start's better than nothing!"

Liv groaned and made a gesture for all of them to go. "RUN!"

When the group bolted into the TARDIS, Clara and Elias looked up from the monitor with the same wide eyes.

"Time to go!?" Elias could practically cheer because if they were leaving then it meant they were finally going to get his Mommy.

"Oh yes!" the Doctor ran straight for the console to take them off.

"Why are these swords so important?" Liv had to ask since they had just escaped death because of them. Well, they had to run, not her, but it was the same thing.

"The Kaliratha are 4-dimensional entities, the sword's a conduit for their powers. Use in conjunction, they can slice open the fabric of space and time, creating portals to other galaxies and eras."

"K, getting the jist so far," Liv nodded him to keep going.

"When the Kaliratha wields her blades, no time or place in the universe is safe. How could I possibly hand it over?"

"But they still have Minerva," Priyanka pointed out, not that she needed to. "I don't think you want to spend time debating the morality of this…"

"Playing with Time's my specialty," the Doctor smirked. "My Clever Girl knows that too well, just like she knows I'm coming. Here!" he pulled out a pill from his pocket and dropped it into Priyanka's hand. Swallow this. It's a telepathic transmitter, it allows the TARDIS to keep you in constant communication with me."

"Huh? Where am I going?" she blinked.

"Call me a dour Gallifreyan but I've got a sneaking suspicion that Haven - the big ole spaceship the Scindias just sent into space - is about to come down to Earth with a very big bang."

"Actually," Clara cleared her throat. She was still standing by the monitor and so she pushed it so that the Doctor could see. "It's already in the process. They deliberately set it up to fail, didn't they?"

"Do you want the answer to that?" the Doctor set the controls for Priyanka's stop.

"Kinda already got it," Clara nodded back to the screen. "So then, what is the plan?"

~ 0 ~

The TARDIS once again landed in front of the gigantic statue, releasing the Doctor, Rani and Clara. This time Liv was to stay back with Elias...neither party was happy about the arrangement.

"The four sword!" Chandra declared with glee once he saw the Doctor holding onto it. "Well done, Doctor. With a few less morals, you'd make a fine agent of destruction."

"You're slaughtering millions!" Clara couldn't help but directly accuse the man. "How could you do that!?"

"Very easily, actually," Chandra replied casually. "Haven is set to collide with Mumbai. And it isn't slaughter, it's salvation." Clara scoffed incredulously. "Every one of their lives will be channeled into the necro-cloud to feed the goddess' resurrection. Elaborate, but effective. By the time humanity realizes the crash isn't a simple disaster, it will be in the goddess's thrall."

"That's nice and all, but it's not happening," the Doctor sounded so certain that Chandra had to laugh.

"But it's already in the makes, Doctor. I even found the perfect Host for our Goddess."

The ground rumbled underneath them. It seemed like the statue had come to life, or rather there was an actual living version of it…

She was outright blue and yet a silky, elegant blue. Her eyes were a menacing eerie green that glowed constantly. There was a golden, bejeweled crop shirt going up to her neck with matching golden cuff-wrists. She had a poofy, purple pants with the chain belt that held a skeleton head at the center. Her dark hair with silver streaks was finely adorned into crown braid with one golden headgear that seemed to hold a creature's face with one dangling pendant.

"...Minerva?" the Doctor was utterly stunned, jaw almost to the ground. Because despite the menacing eyes, and swords wielded her hands, he recognized the silver outline of a crescent moon on her hand. The mark of a Moontsay.

"Good call on keeping Elias away," Clara sucked in a deep breath as she tried to accept - really tried - that this was their Minerva.

"I am death," Minerva roared with a deeper voice. "I am Kali. Bow before me."

"I will do no such thing," the Doctor called up to the large creature. "Not until I see my wife. She is the only one I worship."

But not even his overly sweet talk could bring out a blip of Minerva. Instead, she mockingly laughed at him. "Give me my sword, Time Lord."

"Fine," the Doctor huffed. "If you think you're deity enough to take it."

"Are you sure it's wise to taunt her?" Rani whispered-hissed behind him.

Minerva roared, revealing a set of vampiric teeth in the process. With her four arms, she slashed her three swords down, almost getting the Doctor if he hadn't jumped back.

Rani brandished her gun against her. "If we die this day, Doctor, it's been an honor!"

"Oh, you are not going to use that on Minerva!" the Doctor practically shooed her away, but Minerva crashed one sword over Rani. The latter just narrowly missed it and landed with a hard thud against her back.

Chandra stepped a foot next to her body, flashing her a malicious smile. "Khair-Un-Nissa," the mere mention of her name was enough to freeze Rani for a second, "They brought her to me, you know. I thought she might prove a worthy host for the Goddess. I was wrong."

Rani growled and brandished her sword against him next.

"Doctor, is it really wise to sword with the evil, ancient goddess who has four swords and hands?" Clara could only watch from the sides as the Doctor tried his hand at swording against Minerva.

"Well, if I don't she'll -" he had to abruptly duck as Minerva swung a sword over his head, "-definitely kill me and then Minerva's going to kill me again when she gets back!"

"Nice logic," Clara made a face, though she had to admit that it did make sense.

It was no picnic swording against your possessed wife, and it became less when Priyanka started calling to him through their TARDIS communication.

"Doctor! I'm aboard Haven, trying to regain control but the inputs aren't responding! I don't know what else to do!"

"Shout -" the Doctor clanged his sword against one of Minerva's, "-at them!"

"What!?"

"The controls! Shout at them! Usually works for me!"

"Oh you are not seriously telling Priyanka to shout at the controls!?" Clara called from her spot. But her attention was soon driven away when another creature started coming towards her. "Aw, damn."

"Clara!" Rani called and tossed the brunette her fire weapon.

Clara scrambled to catch it in the air, going as far as hopping for it, but as soon as she caught she realized she didn't know how to work it. Though, one of her thumbs grazed over the only protruding button and accidentally fired a jet of fire stream. She smirked and started firing at any creature that came at her.

"Tell me, Doctor, when Haven crashes, do you think we'll hear the screams from here?" Minerva taunted the Doctor as she put all her strength into colliding one sword over his. Once the Doctor reached above his head, she lurched her leg forwards and kicked him straight in the chest, sending him across the ground. She was left to pick up his sword. "This body I have taken...I can feel the woman deep inside it...she's scared...but she still has faith that you will come save her."

The Doctor rubbed one hand over his chest, sure that he'd be feeling the soreness later. Still, he flashed the evil Goddess a smirk. "Oh please, my Clever Girl doesn't need me. A Goddess of Death and destruction against Queen Kaeya of the Silver Monsoon? Good luck to you."

The Goddess laughed at him, clearly discarding his words to the side. "Your time ends now, Doctor. You may beg if you wish."

The Doctor shook his head and pushed himself to his feet. "Yeah, I'm not the begging type. Do you really think I'd hand over one of the deadliest weapons in the universe without tinkering with it first? Honestly, that is Evil 101 you rookie!"

"What did you do!?" the Goddess checked the fourth sword again, feeling it a bit odd after wielding it. The power...it was strange.

"Maybe by hiding a sonic screwdriver within it so that instead of murdering and enslaving people, it might actually free them from you," the Doctor shrugged ever-so-casually. "You know, or something like that."

The Goddess saw the eerie white glow starting at the base of the sword. "What...no!"

The necro-cloud shattered as the stolen souls burst from it and jetted directly for the Goddess. It took the creatures nearing Clara, as well as Chandra himself just as he was about to strike Rani down. Though before he was taken, Rani pushed her sword through his back, killing him before he was truly gone.

"No!" Kali cried in agonizing pain. The souls were breaking through her body. "I am Kali! I am your Goddess! I am-"

"-in the wrong body!" the Doctor snapped. "Now get out!"

Kali began to shrink in size, her body hunched over, until the blue started fading from her skin...her hair shifting back to blonde…

The Doctor very cautiously inched closer as the process happened, bending down when he could swear it was just Minerva again. He gingerly put a hand over her shoulder, feeling her skin a bit too warm for her usual temperature. "Minerva, is it you again? Or...do I have to start calling you Klaeya?"

Minerva raised her head, her short blonde curls framing most of her face. "Don't you dare," she warned.

A big grin overtook his face once he saw her perfectly normal face. He held her tight in his arms, not about to let go anytime soon.

Clara, for her part, released a breath in relief. At least Minerva was back now and things would be back to normal. She turned to Rani to give her back the weapon she'd tossed over, but saw Rani was in a deep silence. Her face was bloody from her fight against Chandra, but it wasn't the blood that was drawing tears from her face.

"My brave warrior," a voice called out, sounding like it was so far away. Rani, however, seemed to recognize the voice instantly. Khair-Un-Nissa's echo was holding together for one last conversation. "From the moment I first saw you, I knew I'd love you forever."

"Is she real?" Clara couldn't help but quietly, more like whisper, say to the Doctor and Minerva.

"They're all real, Clara," Minerva said with a heavy breath. "I felt them all as they pierced through Kali's exterior. They were all real people...unfairly taken."

Khair-Un-Nissa reached one glowing hand to touch Rani's cheek. "See death no more, Rani Jhulka. Embrace life. Find others to love." She neared Rani as if to kiss her, but just a few inches away she disappeared.

And yet Rani didn't seem so upset. She watched as Khair-Un-Nissa disappeared in a golden light, not the ugly purple smoke that took the rest of the souls. It felt more pure...more...peaceful.

"Doctor?" the Time Lord heard Priyanka's voice yet again, reminding him of the other situation they had to have dealt with. "It seems the controls of the most sophisticated space station ever built respond best when you shout angrily at them," Priyanka chuckled. "Didn't work at first so I tried a Scottish accent. Full power's restored. We're in the air above Mumbai, a little unsteady but safe. It's funny, you know, way up here...you don't see all the problems or maybe they just seem smaller. It's a beautiful world. We really should take better care of it."

"Well said, Priyanka," the Doctor smiled, despite not being able to be seen. "Your father would be proud."

"How are you talking to her?" Minerva eyed him, though even the simple action was made in a weary manner.

The Doctor pulled off his dark coat and placed it over her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her temple. "How's about some rest?"

"That'd be nice…" she admitted.

"Well, actually, first you'll have to go greet a small ginger," the Doctor reminded her of their son and it seemed to do just the trick because Minerva practically jumped to her feet...staggering here and there but turned for the TARDIS.

~ 0 ~

After getting a good rest, which involved one pure shower to rid herself of any lingering evil goddess vibes, Minerva felt like her normal self again. And for that reason, she wanted to return to Mumbai one last time to at least say goodbye to Priyanka and Rani. As a celebration for their new Haven, the Mumbians put all of their efforts into their festival of Lights. The entire city was lit up into beautiful glows of orange and gold. Everyone was lively with their music and their food. The overall atmosphere was…

"This is so cool!" Clara gushed. "I've never been to one of these!" she turned excitedly with Liv, both of them spotting a stand of samples for God knew what but it had a crowd and that meant it was good.

"Me first!" Liv disappeared.

"Cheater!" Clara called after her then dashed towards the stall.

"Children," Minerva playfully shook her head, though her own child didn't seem very interested in the same stand. He was glued to Minerva's hip like gum and didn't seem interested in letting go. "Elias, you don't want to try some tasty treats?" Minerva asked him but he quickly shook his head and let his head rest over her shoulder. "I think we did a real number on him this time," Minerva sighed to the Doctor. She couldn't help wonder how many times they did this to their son.

"Our El is strong," the Doctor rubbed the boy's back. "Arlo," he spoke in a hushed tone when using Elias' true name, "Do we want to give Mummy a break?"

"No," Elias answered quietly. "I want to stay with Mommy."

"Oh my baby boy," Minerva kissed his orangey hair. "I'm so sorry Mommy had to go." The Doctor then gave her a look. She couldn't possibly be blaming herself for being possessed...but she probably was. "Why don't we go and have fun together, hmm? I bet Daddy knows some good places around here. Since he apparently came to Mumbai so many times without my knowledge!"

The Doctor knew when the jab was thrown, and it was thrown now. "I thought i mentioned it…"

"You did not," she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Oh c'mon, it's the Festival of Lights," he made a gesture to the lively place at the right time since fireworks had started going off. "Kind of reminds me of the Festival of Colors we went to, remember?"

MInerva raised her eyebrows at the memory. It was a special memory of theirs since it was the place where they first said they loved each other. "Wow, that was centuries ago…" she realized. "I was a lot younger…"

"What are you talking about? You're young now!" the Doctor exclaimed, making her laugh.

"I'm nearing my 1000 now, dear," Minerva reminded but it made no difference for him. It was the same thing for her when she thought about his age and incarnation, after all. "But I suppose the feeling is still the same. I said I love you then and I can say it right here again. I love you."

"And I love you," the Doctor smiled at her. He brought one hand to touch her cheek, relieved to feel her skin once again cool. She was really back to normal.

"Now I'd like to say bye to Priyanka and Rani but it looks like we'd be interrupting," Minerva so discreetly nodded up ahead where the two women in question were watching the fireworks light up the sky. Their hands were interlocked and it didn't look like it would break any time soon.

"How's about we do some of that tourism first, then?" the Doctor suggested and brushed some hair from Elias' face. "I bet if you use your sonic you can get some extra free samples."

Elias' eyes lit up at the idea. "Yes!"

"Oh no, not that thing again," Minerva sighed. "One of these days he's going to actually get in trouble thinking it's a real sonic screwdriver."

"Then we'll just give him my old one so he can get himself out of trouble!" the Doctor shrugged, wondering why she was making such a big deal if the answer was right there.

"Absolutely not!"

"C'mon dear, let's go taste something," he slipped an arm around her waist and directed her to a stand offering icy popsicles.

Author's Note:

Face the Raven...is next...and so it begins :))

As always, I have a tumblr account dedicated to my fanfic works! It's a place where anyone can comment about a story or even just talk to me! I often drop aesthetic work belonging to my stories too! Feel free to check it out, my URL is "noble-crescent" and the tag I created for any posts having to do with my work is # noblecrescentedit.