Back to Stormcage...

The pain was unbearable; it felt like her entire chest was going to burst. River cried out, she searched for Charlotte but couldn't find her, golden light was everywhere. It was silent, and peaceful, but painful, so River screamed out again. And then she heard a voice.

"Melody Pond, you are the child of the TARDIS, the saviour of our brother, the time lord known as the Doctor, you are his wife, we will save you, but in doing so you must sacrifice something your husband holds dear." River gasped, there was a familiar drum beat in the back of her mind. "What do you want from me?" she spun to find the source of the voice but the light around her just swirled faster. "It's not want we want, it's what you must give to survive."

"If I survive, he will suffer, you know that, the silence will use me to make him suffer." the voice didn't reply.

"You heard me clearly, I would rather die than watch him suffer a single moment, let me go, my time is over, we all have an end, just let Charlotte go, let her live, please!" River cried into the golden vortex. Suddenly the vortex went red and the voice boomed into River's ears.

"Your life has only just begun, you really think the library was it! You have time lord DNA, that is what will save you now, live again Melody Pond, live as a time lord."

The pain engulfed her, and the vortex fully entered her mind pulling it apart, her chest felt like there was a giant weight growing inside her, then nothing.

River opened her eyes, the drums were slightly louder than before. She was back in the room in storm cage. Charlotte, tears streaming down her face, clung tightly to River's waist. River turned her daughter from the vortex and held her close. "Hush now, hush now dear, I'm here, you're safe, see no harm done, let's have a look at you." River gently checked Charlotte over, she remembered something her husband did to check beings he met were healthy. River placed her forehead against Charlotte's and concentrated, "All gone," River was amazed, "You're cured Charlotte, completely..." Charlotte rubbed away her tears, "What about you Mother, are you alright?" The drums grew louder still, it started to hurt now.

"I'm fine sweetheart, just fine." River lied, smiling softly. It was then River saw the monks advancing in, the Master was sat in the darkness, behind a desk, in one corner.

"Take the girl away," The Master called out to the monks .

"Mummy? NO mummy! Don't leave me!" The monks walked slowly toward the pair of them, humming menacingly. "Where are you taking her?" River growled.

"To a cell, we don't want to harm her, there wouldn't be any leverage we could use against you then." The Master chuckled darkly. River embraced her daughter and then said, "I'll be back soon sweetheart, I promise, go with them, don't give them reason to hurt you. I love you Charlotte!" Charlotte was led away by the monks crying silently, "I love you two mummy." River turned back to the Master but before she could speak the drums in her head grew so loud that she clutched her head in pain, her hands covering her ears. The drums grew louder still, holding her head did nothing so River took her hands off her ears, "Oh my god..." she gasped, blood was covering her palms. River touched her ears, sticky, warm liquid greeted her, she felt sick. The Master said something but River couldn't hear him, the drums consumed all noise. He grabbed her, and she tried to fight him but the pain from the drums had disorientated her movements, and she could do nothing but let him push her toward the vortex again.

Golden light reentered her eyes but this time she saw her past, taken to New York, the spaceman coming to eat her, escaping to the streets, her first death in the back alley, recaptured and indoctrinated to kill the Doctor, being raised with her parents, being shot by Hitler, killing then saving the Doctor, university... Lake Silencio, storm cage in the day, Doctor in the night, married to her true love...the library. The drums ceased and then the voice from before returned,

"Hear your new name, you know what to do, our sister of time. Let your silence fall until the time you see our lost brother again, make your choice, be mad, be inspired, or run...but remember, let your silence fall until you find our lost brother, the Doctor needs his true wife..." River listened closely and stored her new name carefully in her mind,

"It wasn't nearly as wonderful as his name." River reminisced sadly. She tried to turn from the vortex and run but the Master still stood firm, holding her right into the full path of the vortex , the golden energy started to cause her to convulse, it was flooding her system. The Master must have noticed as he let go of her arms, and River could finally escape. She ran to the door but it was locked. River looked around but could find no other way out.

"I have to give it to you Professor Song, you really are quite amazing," The master straightened his jacket "It's really quite a shame." The doors opened and the monks grabbed her arms, as the Master shut the opening to the vortex, "It's really quite a shame that your clock is already ticking..." he laughed, it sent chills running down River's spine. The monks dragged her backwards through the storm cage, the Master's laugh lingering in the corridor.

They pulled her along in silence and left her in the cell that she had known for many years, this time however, she had permanent company. Charlotte ran into River's arms and they both fell to the cold floor.

"Mummy! Mummy I missed you!" River picked up Charlotte and sat her on the cot against the wall, then curled up on the bed next to her.

"Talk to me Mummy, please, what's wrong? You haven't said a word." Charlotte lent her head against River's shoulder and shut her eyes. "It doesn't matter, you can tell me when you've slept mum." And charlotte fell to sleep, comforted by her mother's presence. River, however, couldn't sleep at all, she brought two fingers to her neck, and a tear fell down her face,

" He's going to hate me now..." she thought. River looked out through the bars, and straight at her old adventuring gear, hung up on the wall, vortex manipulator, guns and all.

"Careless," River thought, "I think it's time I test how good this new storm cage is" she smiled.