They opened the TARDIS to find themselves in a small corner hidden but a dusty, ragged brown blanket; Rose pulled the blanket to aside and beamed with the sight she saw.
"Donna Noble welcome to Ancient Rome" Rose said. "Well strictly speaking this is Brand New Rome" they walked side by side down the market.
"Oh my god!" Donna exclaimed. "This is...this is fantastic!" she flung her arms round Rose who chuckled and hugged her back before she pulled away. "I'm in Rome, Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird, we never had a date"
"Well don't tell them that" Rose said smiling. She had the feeling Donna had no idea what she was saying.
"Hang on a minute, that sign is in English, are you having me on?" Donna demanded Rose turned to see the sign that Donna was pointing at. "Are we in Epcot?"
"Oh don't worry Donna we're definitely not in Epcot, the TARDIS translates every language so everything you read, write, speak and hear will be English to you"
"Seriously?"
"Yep!"
"I just said seriously in Latin" the pair glanced at each other and sniggered before walking onwards. "What if I actually say something in Latin?" Donna asked. "Like Veni, vidi, vici. My Dad said that after every football game. What would happen if I said Veni, vidi, vici? What would it sound like?"
"No idea, you're taking this rather well when I first learnt that the TARDIS could do that I went nuts...but then again I was entertaining thoughts about the Doctor and didn't want anyone to know at the time"
"I'm going to try it!" Donna said suddenly, squealing slightly as she walked up to a fruit store seller confidentially.
"All right sweetheart?" the fruit store seller said. "What can I get you love?"
"Um...Veni, vidi, vici" Donna said.
"Huh sorry?" the fruit store seller then began to speak slowly with hand gestures. "Me no speak Celtic, no can do missy"
"Yeah" Donna whispered before sliding back to Rose who was biting her lip to stop laughing. "What did he mean by Celtic?"
"Welsh" Rose said "he thought you were Welsh. Wow you learn something new everyday" she muttered the last part to herself before starting to walk down, Donna by her side.
"Don't they think my clothes are a bit weird?" Donna asked.
"Nah Ancient Rome, anything goes. You know the last time I went to Rome I ended up being turned into a statue and let me tell you it was not fun"
"I better not be turning to stone or I'll knock you out with my new stone foot" Donna threatened.
"Don't worry the bad guy is long gone, in fact if my dates are correct he's not even born yet." Rose assured Donna "but I never got a proper look, the coliseum and the pantheon. The Doctor got to go to the coliseum but to be fair he was supposed to be fed to the lions" Rose frowned. "Funny you would expect them to be around by now" Rose looked at the two different directions "lets go this way" she said pulling Donna to the right.
Rose kept looking round trying to work out where abouts she was, she had the nasty feeling that she might not be at Rome at all.
"I'm not an expert" Donna said "but there's seven hills in Rome aren't they?" Rose turned round to see a large mountain in the distance. "How come they only got one?"
Before Rose could make a reply the ground began to shake beneath them. "Here we go again" someone shouted. The sounds of pottery breaking on the ground could be heard.
"Hold on a minute!" Donna said looking rather scared. "One mountain with smoke...which makes this..."
"Pompeii" Rose finished. "Crap I should have known I wouldn't land in Rome. Trust me to land on volcano day"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
They ran down the streets, round the corners barely dodging the people on time. Rose was miles ahead while Donna was panting behind, Donna was beginning to envy Rose for being so fit and fast though she suspects that was due to having a lot experience. Rose got to the little stall where they parked the TARDIS and pushed the curtain aside...only to see the TARDIS gone.
"You're kidding me" Donna whispered as she tried to catch her breath. "Don't tell me that the TARDIS is gone"
"Ok, Donna the TARDIS is not gone" Rose said her eyes not leaving the blank spot.
"Well where is it?" Donna asked.
"You told me not to tell you" Rose said.
"Oh don't get clever with me in Latin Blondie" Donna snapped.
Rose ran off towards the store seller. "Excuse me, there was a box, a big blue box, my big blue box where is it?" she asked pointing at the corner.
"Sold it didn't I?" the store seller said grinning.
"What! But it's mine!" Rose shrieked.
"Well it was on my patch, I got 15 sesterity, and I could always give you twenty per cent"
"But who did you sell it to?" Rose asked.
"Old man Caecilius on Foss Street, you can take it up with him if you want"
"Thanks" Rose said starting to run before she turned back. "What the hell would he want with a big blue wooden box for?"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"Found it, Foss Street is over there" Rose said to Donna.
"I just had an idea" Donna said "if we get everyone together and make a big bell...do they even have bells here?"
"What do you want a bell for?" Rose asked feeling rather confused.
"To warn everyone, to prepare an evacuation. When did the Vesuvius erupt?"
"Seventy nine eighteen on the twenty third of August" Rose said "which makes volcano day tomorrow"
"Yeah easy, we can evacuate everyone" Donna said happily.
"Yeah but not this time" Rose said turning round, Donna snatched her wrist and pulled her back.
"But you're Rose Tyler this is what you do! Save people!" Donna said pleadingly.
"Not this time" Rose said again. "Pompeii is a fixed point in time there is nothing I can do to change it"
"Well I will"
"No you won't!"
"And you're the boss huh?" Donna said sarcasm lacing her voice.
"Rose, Time Lady, TARDIS, yeah" Rose said gritting her teeth.
"Donna, human and NO!" Donna snapped.
Rose growled and grabbed hold of Donna's shoulders in a tight grip. "Don't try anything Donna; I tried to do something like that once. I tried saving my Dad and do you want to know what happened? Reapers, people died including the TARDIS and the Doctor. And in the end my Dad died because it was a fixed point in time like today. There is nothing we can do!"
"But surely we can-"
"I'm sorry Donna, we can't" Rose said quietly. "Now come on"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Rose ran into to the house into time to catch the falling marble head. She propped it back up on the stand and smiled at the middle aged man that was about to go after the falling head.
"Thank you kind lady" he said "I'm afraid the business is shut today, I am expecting a visitor"
"Oh that's me!" Rose said shaking the man's hand.
"And who are you exactly?" the man asked raising an eyebrow.
"I am...Marcia" Rose said remembering the kind woman that Rose stayed with the last time she was in this time period.
"And so am I" Donna added.
"Two girls with the same name, how unusual" the man said.
"We're an unusual pair" Rose said.
"I'm sorry but we're not open for trade" the man said.
"And that trade would be...?" Donna asked.
"Marble Lobus Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof, if you want marble, I'm your man."
"That's good, very good because" Rose pulled out the psychic paper. "I'm the marble inspector"
"By gods commence" a redheaded woman said. "An inspection. I am sorry my ladies for my son" she pulled the goblet out of a teenager boy's hands and poured the wine on the floor.
"And this is my good wife, Metella," Caecilius introduced. "I... I must confess, we're not prepared for..." he stuttered.
"Nothing to worry about," Rose said calmly walking towards the TARDIS "I'm sure you've nothing to hide. Although, frankly," she pointed at the TARDIS turning back to Caecilius. "This object looks rather like wood to me."
"I told you to get rid of it!" Metella hissed.
"I only bought it today!" Caecilius tried to explain, sounding apologetic.
"Yeah well I'm afraid I'm going to have to take it off of you for a proper inspection" Rose said.
"Though why we're here don't you think we should advice them to go on a nice holiday Marcia" Donna said.
"Don't know what you mean Marcia" Rose said quietly as Metella and Caecilius exchanged confused looks.
"This lovely family, mother, father and son don't you think they should get out of town" Donna asked. Rose sighed; she should have known Donna wasn't going to give up just like that.
"What do you mean?" Caecilius asked.
"Before the volcano starts" Donna said.
"What?"
"Volcano!"
"What's that?"
"Great big volcano outside on your doorstep" Donna said.
"Oh shame Marcia, we haven't greeted the household gods yet" Rose said pushing Donna away towards a giant marble plaque with two figures carved in. "They don't know what it is," she whispered, dipping her fingers into a silver dish and flicking them at the carving. "Vesuvius is just a mountain to them; the top hasn't blown off yet. The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow."
"Oh great so they learn a new word as they die" Donna spat.
"Donna please stop it" Rose whispered.
"You maybe a high and mighty time travelling alien but you're not telling me to shut up!" Donna hissed "that boy" she points to the boy "is how old? Sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death!"
"And that's my fault?" Rose asked.
"Right now yes!"
"Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government."
They turned round to see an old man in probably his early sixties walking in looking regal and strong.
"Lucius, such an honour" Caecilius said walking towards the man.
"Quintus stand up!" Metella snapped.
"Welcome to my house" Caecilius said offering his hand to shake but withdrew it back when Lucius stared at it in distaste.
"The birds are flying north and the wind is blowing west" Lucius said.
"Why absolutely" Caecilius said. "That is good isn't it?"
"Only the grain of wheat knows where it grows" Lucius replied.
"There now Metella have you ever heard such great wisdom?" Caecilius asked his wife bringing her forwards to his side.
"Never" Metella breathed. "It's an honour" she ducked her head at him.
"Pardon me sir" Caecilius said "I have guests. This is Marcia and Marcia"
"A name is a cloud upon a summer wind" Lucius said.
"But the wind is much keenly in the dark" Rose said remembering how she and the Doctor used to read these sort of things out to each other and have a battle later...it was a boring week where the TARDIS refused to move.
"Ah! But what is the dark? Other than an omen of the sun?" Lucius said stepping forwards.
"I can see that every sun must set" Rose said carefully.
"HA!" Lucius barked.
"And the son of a father must also rise" she said pointing at Quintus.
"Damn, very clever lady, evidentially a woman of learning"
"Oh yeah but don't mind me I'm about to leave" Rose said pointing to the TARDIS. She then began to drag Donna away who was complaining.
"Well then sir the moment of revelation" Caecilius said holding on to the red material veiling the artwork. "and here it is, exactly how you specified" Rose turned in time to see what looked like a computer circuit board carved in marble and she froze to stare at it. "Does it please you sir?"
"As the rain pleases the soil" Lucius replied.
"Now that's different" Rose said stepping forwards. "Who designed that then?"
"My lord was very specific" Caecilius said.
"Where did you get the pattern?" Rose asked.
"On the rain, the mist and the wind" Lucius said causing Rose to roll her eyes.
"That looks like a circuit" Donna said. "Do you mean you just dreamt that thing up?"
"That is my job as city Augur" Lucius said impatiently.
Before Donna made a witty comment which Rose knew very well she would, Rose pressed her hand over Donna's mouth. "It's a superstition; an Augur is paid to have visions. Please don't be snarky or joke about it" she hissed in Donna's ear, Donna nodded and Rose removed her hand. "Don't mind us" she said the other three.
"They're laughing at us" someone said. They turned to see a brunette woman in a yellow dress walking in the room. "Those two use words like tricksters, they're mocking us"
"No, no we're not!" Rose protested.
"I'm sorry" Metella said strolling towards the brunette and putting an arm round her. "My daughter was just consuming the vapours"
"My gods Mother what you done to her" Quintus asked looking terrified.
"Not now Quintus!" Caecilius growled.
"But just look at her, she's sick!" Quintus protested.
"I gather that I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift" Lucius said stepping forwards.
"Oh but she has been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood they say that she has remarkable visions" Metella said.
"The prophecies of women are limited and dull" Lucius snapped. "Only the men have the capacity of true perception"
"I'll tell you where the wind is blowing right now mate" Donna muttered looking annoyed.
The ground shook and Lucius glared at her. "The mountain gods mark your words. I'll be careful if I were you"
"Consuming the vapours?" Rose asked staring at the girl.
"They give me strength" the girl said.
"Doesn't look like it to me" Rose said softly.
"Is that your opinion...as a Doctor's successor" the girl said.
Rose's eyes widened. "I beg your pardon" she said.
"Rose that is your name you have succeeded the Doctor" the girl said.
"How did you know that?" Rose asked.
"And you...you call yourself Noble" the girl said to Donna.
"Now then Evelina, don't be rude" Metella said softly to her daughter.
"No, no it's all right" Rose said waving a hand dismissively.
"You both come from so far away" Evelina said.
"The female soothsayer is inclined to spurn out all sorts of fables" Lucius said.
"Oh not this time" Rose said. "I think you just been out-soothsaid"
"Is that so? Woman from Galifrey"
"What?" Rose whispered.
"Strangest of images your home that is not your home was lost in fire was it not?"
"Rose what's going on?" Donna asked.
"And you, daughter of...London" Lucius said to Donna.
"How does he know that?" Donna asked looking scared.
"It is the gift of Pompeii, every oracle will tell the truth" Lucius said.
"But that's impossible" Donna breathed.
"Rose, he is returning"
"He? Who's he?" Rose asked.
"And you Daughter of London...there is something on your back!"
Donna patted her shoulder looking rather pale. "What is it? What's happening?"
"Even the person Rose is false" Evelina said stepping forwards "your real self is hidden; it burns in the Medusa Cascade itself. You are not a lady nor queen my lady but you...you are a goddess of time. The Big Bad Wolf"
The ground shook once more and Evelina's eyes fluttered shut as she fell to the floor.
"Evelina!" Metella shouted running to her daughter.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
After having a chat with Caecilius about when the soothsayers started to make sense and about the 'vapours' Rose discovered that the soothsayers were breathing in the Vesuvius and that it has been like this for seventeen years after an earthquake. She decided silently that she would go and pay Lucius a little visit.
"Quintus, this Lucius guy do you know where he lives?" she asked the lounging teen who was eating grapes lazily.
"Nothing to do with me" Quintus said sulkily.
"Let's try again...this Lucius idiot" she pulled out a gold coin and waved it at Quintus. "Where does he live?"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Quintus and Rose snuck into Lucius's house and found not only one little chunk of circuit but whole complete board made from nine blocks. It was obvious that Lucius had tricked other marble merchants into making these other blocks. Lucius found them and declared it was the future of Pompeii; Rose rearranged the blocks and called it an energy converter. Lucius got annoyed and accused her of insulting the gods and sent the guards on her. However Rose managed to pull of his arm off...a stone arm.
"What?" Quintus said looking terrified.
"Every time! Every single bloody time I come to this era someone gets turned into stone!" Rose said waving the arm round.
"The work of the gods" Lucius said.
"pur-lease" Rose snorted. "It's alien, it was the last time and it is this time and I know because no 'god' can come up with that" she jabbed Lucius's arm at the energy converter. "That's modern science"
"He's made of stone!" Quintus said.
"Pretty armless now though or should I say harmless?" Rose threw the arm in the air and Lucius Jumped after it. Quintus threw the torch at the guards and Rose used the sonic screwdriver to knock the blocks down before the pair jumped out of the window to escape Lucius's guards.
The pair ran as fast as they could before they ran out of breath, they leaned against a closed stall panting.
"His arm...Rose...his arm, is that what's going to happen to Evelina"
"Probably already started" Rose said quietly.
"My gods!"
Suddenly a loud banging noise came and the ground shook. Then another and another, almost like footsteps.
"Is it the mountain?" Quintus asked.
"No...No it sounds closer" Rose said.
The footstep like sound continued as things began to fall to the floor.
"Footsteps" Rose whispered, her eyes widening in realisation.
"What? No it can't be! What is it?"
"RUN!" Rose shouted herding Quintus the other way.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWD
"What is it?" Metella called out "What's that noise?"
"Doesn't sound like Vesuvius!" Caecilius said looking confused.
Rose and Quintus raced into the courtyard from outside, Rose stared at the family and Donna who were staring at her for an explanation. "That's it! Everyone out. Caecilius, all of you. C'mon!"
"Rose what's going on?" Donna asked.
"We're being followed, there's no time. Just get out!"
Before anyone could move a grille in the courtyard burst open, and a huge, glowing red and grey creature emerged from beneath. A creature made from rock and lava.
Evelina was shaking "The gods are with us," she whispered.
"Water!" Rose shouted "We need water!"
Donna stumbled out to get some water.
"Blessed are we to see the gods!" a servant shouted.
The monster roared, fire spewing from it's mouth, burning the servant instantly to dust.
"Talk to me, that's all I want!" Rose called urgently, holding up her hands. "Talk to me, you just tell me who you are. Don't hurt these people!"
"Rose!" Quintus shouted throwing a bucket of water at the creature.
The creature instantly screamed and darkened, crumbling to bits of rock landing loudly onto the floor, Evelina seemed to be starting a panic attack as her breathing accelerated.
"What was it?" Caecilius asked.
"Stone held by placed by magma" Rose said "not too difficult to stop but I have a feeling that was just a foot soldier"
"Rose you bring bad luck to this house" Metella snapped.
"I thought your son was fantastic aren't you going to thank him?" Rose said ignoring Metella's outburst. That caused both Metella and Caecilius to hug their son. "Donna?" Rose called out "Donna? DONNA?"
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
"Oh, she will not!" Rose shouted as she stepped into the temple.
"You took your time!" Donna shouted.
"No one is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl without permission!" a red robed woman said wielding a knife.
"Nice toga. You all right?" Rose said to Donna ignoring the woman. Donna glared but nodded, trying to move. Without another word, there was a sonic buzz, and the ropes fell from Donna and Rose helped her up.
"I'm so going to sue them" Donna muttered causing Rose to chuckle.
"What magic is this?" the woman with the knife asked.
"No, no, not magic" Rose held up her sonic screwdriver for them to behold. "Not prophecy, vapours, or advanced knowledge of impending doom. Now, let me tell you about Sibyl, the founder of this religion. She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour," she looked over the other women of the cult, who looked a bit ashamed "Is that how you spread the word, hey? On the blade of a knife?"
"Yes," the leader sounded more mad, more devout than before. "A knife that now welcomes you!" she lunged forward.
"Stop!" Donna shouted leaping forwards towards Rose only to be held back by one of the sisters. "Unhand me!"
"Show me this woman!" a deep, rasping voice shouted over the rabble causing everyone to freeze.
The red-clad women turned toward the curtain in unison, and knelt, except for the leader, who stood, eyes wild and urgent, voice desperate.
"High Priestess, the stranger would defile us!" she uttered.
"Let me see, this one is different. She carries starlight in her wake."
Rose bent down and helped Donna up "She's very perceptive, now, isn't she? Where do these words of wisdom come from?"
The voice behind the curtain spoke again. "The gods whisper to me."
"They've done far more than that. Might I beg audience? Look upon the High Priestess?" she addressed the room, as much as the voice beyond the veil.
The red robed sisters silently moved the curtains to reveal a stone woman in red. Donna looked revolted and Rose sighed sadly.
"Oh my god what happened to you?" Donna asked.
"The high heavens have blessed me" the stone High Priestess said in her rasping voice.
"If I might?" Rose asked stepping forwards. The High Priestess held her hand out and Rose went onto her knees gently holding the hand. "Does it not hurt?"
"It is necessary"
"Who told you that?"
"The voices"
"Is that what is going to happen to Evelina? Is that what is going to happen to all of you?" Donna shouted shrilly. The woman that held the knife stepped slowly to Donna and held her arm out for her to examine.
"People are turning to stone!" Donna said.
"Before the volcano erupts" Rose whispered.
"What is this volcano I see in your mind?"
"Doesn't matter, the question is why can't you see it? Or even better who are you?"
"I am the High Pries-"
"No, no, no" Rose interrupted. "I mean the creature that possess you, that is lining your lungs with dust"
"How can you have so much knowledge?" the Priestess gasped.
"You read my mind you tell me"
"But it can't be!"
"TELL ME WHO YOU ARE!"
"We are awakening" the High Priestess's voice grew deeper and raspier
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
They turned out to be from Pryovile; the Pryovillians fell and landed on Earth. They planned to take over Earth to make it their home again. According to them Pryovile was lost. The two of them managed to escape them with the help of a water gun that Rose had in her pocket (Donna suspected Rose got it before she went after Donna) and they jumped down the furnace to underground, where they found to base of the Pryovillians and the machinery they had going on.
"But if it's alien then you can save Pompeii" Donna whispered after they locked themselves in the machine.
"No" Rose whispered. "Donna don't you see? It's Pompeii or the world"
"You mean?"
"All this time it was me that made the Vesuvius explode...I kill all those people Donna" her voice was slightly shaky. "Once I let people die, billions but I brought them back. I brought them back to life and they were none the wiser...but I can't bring these people back after I do this" a tear slid down Rose's cheek.
Donna placed her hands over Rose's. "We do it together" she whispered.
And they pressed the button down hard...together.
DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW
Donna felt sick, she was running through the city back to Caecilius's villa to the TARDIS as children and women and men were dying. As they got in they rushed to the TARDIS and Rose unlocked the door but instead of running in and herding Donna like Donna expected her to, she turned to face the terrified family.
"Come with me, I'll keep you safe" she said holding her hand out to Caecilius, who took it quickly, pulling his wife along.
Donna sprung into action and helped Quintus herd Evelina into the box. The family looked round amazed at how it was bigger on the inside as Rose quickly sprung round to console flying it away from Pompeii.
"Thank you" Donna murmured.
"For what?" Rose asked.
"For saving them, you didn't have to"
"Oh but I did Donna...I'm so guilty and I had to help them...I just wish I could save the others"
Donna grabbed hold of her hand. "So do I, but we saved some people and that's enough"
Rose smiled at Donna "thank you, thank you so much. I don't know where I would be without you"
"Probably not in a ditch hiding from angry drunks" Donna said in a joking voice though at her expression Rose had a feeling Donna had done it more than once.
"I'm not even going to ask" she said.