{"Hey guys, what's happening?"}
I grunted lowly taking a deep breath as I rubbed my stomach, "Easy little one." Theta frowned looking over as Donna messed with the console. "Are you alright?" He asked gently coming closer causing Donna to look up watching us silently. I gave a stiff smile, "Yeah, I'm just getting closer towards the end and she's really wanting to come out and play." I chuckled lowly as he leaned down to kiss my belly. "Don't give your mother so much trouble little one." He murmurs causing me to chuckle with a shake of my head as she immediately settles. Donna watching us with a gentle smile before he turns back towards the console. "Alrighty! Let's go!"
The Tardis has parked herself in a small curtained-off alcove. Theta, Donna and I step out into the sunshine. The streets are lined with vendors of various goods. "Ancient Rome. Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome." Theta explained as I breathed in the air with a small smile. "Oh, my God. it's, it's so Roman. This is fantastic." She smiled spinning around in circles. "Ha, ha." She laughed loudly, "I'm here, in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome. This is just weird. I mean, everyone here's dead." She started to frown looking at everyone with a sad look. "Well, don't tell them that." I muttered sarcastically with an eye roll, "Hold on a minute. That sign over there's in English." Painted on the side of a barrow is two amphorae for the price of one. "Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?" I chuckled looking away as he gapped in shock at her accusation. "No, no, no, no. That's the Tardis translation circuits. Just makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're talking Latin right now."
"Seriously?"
"Mmm."
"I just said seriously in Latin."
"Oh, yeah."
"What if I said something in actual Latin, like veni, vidi, vici? My dad said that when he came back from football. If I said veni, vidi, vici to that lot, what would it sound like?" Donna asked spinning around to ask me causing me to chuckle while I rub my belly. "I'm not sure." I mused lightly with a smile, "You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?" Theta grumbled wrapping his arm around my waist. "I'm going to try it." Donna goes to a fruit seller, "Afternoon, sweetheart. What can I get you, my love?" We watched silently with smiles as she paused looking back at us for just a second before speaking up. "Er, veni, vidi, vici." The man paused staring at her confused, "Huh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."
"Yeah." She walks away, "How's he mean, Celtic?" She asked us as she walked up causing me to laugh, "Welsh. You sound Welsh. There we are. Learnt something." I explained with a shrug. "Don't our clothes look a bit odd?" Donna asked as we continued onwards, "Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger." Theta shrugged causing me to chuckle and shake my head, he did have some what of a point but most of the time it was just easier to dress for the times. "You've been here before then?" Donna asked us, "Mmm. Ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit. But I haven't got the chance to look around properly. Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus. You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way."
"Not an expert, but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they've only got one?" One big, bare-headed mountain. Then the ground shakes and my eyes widen in horror, "No!" I breathed out as my stomach whirled in nervousness. "Here we go again." The vendors hang onto their stalls as pottery falls and breaks. "Wait a minute. One mountain, with smoke. Which makes this..." She turned us with scared eyes as I looked back towards her. "Pompeii. We're in Pompeii. And it's volcano day."
We quickly rush back to the Tardis, but it's gone! "You're kidding. You're not telling me the Tardis has gone." Donna gapped as we stared at the empty spot. "Okay." I breathed out, "Where is it then?" Donna asked looking up at Theta who looked back at her with a frown. "You told me not to tell you." I snorted lowly, "Oi. Don't get clever in Latin." She snipped back, "Hold on." He goes to the fruit seller. "Excuse me. Excuse me. There was a box. Big blue box. Big blue wooden box, just over there. Where's it gone?" Theta questioned the man as he turned to us. "Sold it, didn't I?" I glared in annoyance, "But it wasn't yours to sell." I snapped back in anger causing the man to scoff looking me up and down before smirking. "It was on my patch, weren't it? I got fifteen sesterces for it. Lovely jubbly."
"Who'd you sell it to?" I instead causing him to roll his eyes, "Old Caecilius. Look, if you want to argue, why don't you take it out with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa. Can't miss it." The man growled out in annoyance towards us. "Thanks." He pauses before coming back to the man, "What'd he buy a big blue wooden box for?" He then runs back to Donna and I, "Ha. I've got it. Foss Street's this way." He pointed causing me to nod back, "No. Well, I found this big sort of amphitheatre thing. We can start there. We can gather everyone together. Maybe they've got a great big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?" Donna rambled on as we watched her with confused frowns on our faces. "What do you want a bell for?" Theta asked her, "To warn everyone. Start the evacuation. What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?" I sighed looking around at everyone, "It's 79AD, twenty third of August, which makes volcano day tomorrow." I responded.
"Plenty of time. We could get everyone out easy." Donna stated with a shrug causing me to frown sadly, "Yeah, except we're not going to." I explained to her causing her to turn to us in shock. "But that's what you do. You're the Doctor. You save people." She breathed out slowly looking between us in slight horror. "Not this time. Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There is no stopping it." Theta explained to her but she didn't want to be convinced. "Says who?" She asked with a glare, "Says me."
"What, and you're in charge?"
"Tardis, Time Lords, yeah."
"Donna, human, no. I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."
"You stand in the market place announcing the end of the world, they'll just think you're a mad old soothsayer. Now, come on. Tardis. We are getting out of here." He started towards the direction he was told the Tardis was, "Well, I might just have something to say about that, Spaceman." Donna shouted at us as we moved away from her. "Oh, I bet you will." He grabs my hand pulling me along with Donna gapping at us in annoyance.
"Positions!" Theta catches the marble bust first that had been falling as they moved around. "Whoa! There you go." He breathed out handing it to the man who rushed over. "Thank you, kind sir. I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor." I cocked my head at his face with a small hum, looking towards Theta for a second. "But that's me, I'm a visitor. Hello." Theta waved, "Who are you?" I spoke up first, "I'm Kate." I didn't bother trying to change my name for the times. "I am Spartacus." I turned to look towards Theta with an eye twitch, "Really" He just shrugged back. "And so am I." Donna panicked causing both of our heads to snap towards her. "Mister and Mrs Spartacus." He gestured between the two of them causing me to snort.
"Oh no, no, no. We're not, we're not married. We are." He pointed between him and I, "We're not together. She's his baby momma." We snapped our heads towards her causing her to flinch her eyes widening. I couldn't help but laugh into my hand, "Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course. You look very much alike." He smiled ignoring her last comment, "Really?" We all asked together causing him to nod. "I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade." He changed the subject, "And that trade would be?" I asked him causing him to clear his throat. "Marble. Lopus Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man." He held his hands out with a wide smile. "That's good. That's good, because I'm the marble inspector." Theta flashes his psychic paper, "By the gods of commerce, an inspection. I'm sorry, sir. I do apologise for my son." Metella pours away Quintus' goblet of wine.
"Oi."
"And this is my good wife, Metella. I must confess, we're not prepared for a..."
"Nothing to worry about. I'm, I'm sure you've nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that object looks rather like wood to me."
"I told you to get rid of it."
"I only bought it today."
"Ah, well. Caveat emptor."
"Oh, you're Celtic. There's lovely."
"I'm sure it's fine, but I might have to take it off your hands for a proper inspection." Theta tried with a small smile, "Although while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" Donna smiled towards Theta like it was nothing. "Don't know what you mean, Spartacus." He responded back with a smirk of his own, "Oh, this lovely family. Mother and father and son. Don't you think they should get out of town?" Donna tried causing me to raise an eyebrow. "Why should we do that?" He asked her with a frown, "Well, the volcano, for starters."
"What?"
"Volcano." Donna stated with a determined look in her eyes. "What ano?" Caecilius asked with a cock of his head, "That great big volcano right on your doorstep." Donna snapped causing everyone to look confused at her. We both sighed together, "Oh, Spartacus, for shame. We haven't even greeted the household gods yet." He takes her aside to explain, "They don't know what it is. 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." Theta explained with a dark frown, "Oh, great, they can learn a new word as they die." Donna snapped causing me to rub my stomach in guilt. I wish we could save everyone but Pompeii was a fixed point in time. Nothing can be done about fixed, I would if I could; hell I actually had the power to change a fixed point if I knew it wouldn't turn me evil. I would be taken over by a darkness that I'm afraid know one would be able to save me from.
"Donna, stop it." I breathed out, my shoulders slouching in sadness causing Theta to growl in annoyance. "Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flying round with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy, how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death, how would you feel if it was your child?!" She snapped at me causing me to flinch back, her eyes widened in her own horror. Theta snarled stepping forward in front of me, "Don't." He snarled darkly causing her to nod looking towards me with a guilty look. "I'm sorry." She breathed out, coming closer to give me a hug. "I shouldn't have said that." I nodded hugging her back in forgiveness. I know it was in the heat of the moment and I liked Donna enough not to be mad about a comment in the heat of the moment. We all have those, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government."
A middle aged man wearing a cloak over the right half of his body enters. "Lucius. My pleasure, as always." We pulled away from each other watching the scene. "Quintus, stand up." The man scoffed out with an eye roll. "A rare and great honour, sir, for you to come to my house." Caecilius holds out his hand, but Lucius does not take it. "The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west." Lucius started out, "Quite. Absolutely. That's good, is it?" Caecilius asked with a unsure frown, "Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."
"There now, Metella. Have you ever heard such wisdom?" He asked his wife who smiled up at him, "Never. It's an honour." She smirked back towards him. "Pardon me, sir. I have guests. This is Spartacus, his wife Kate and, er, Spartacus." He frowned for a second wondering if he got that correct when he wasn't sure. "A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind." Lucius scoffed out causing me to raise an eyebrow, "But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark." I started causing him to smirk. "Ah. But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?" Lucius continues, "I concede that every sun must set." Theta finished off for us stepping slightly in front of me most likely not appreciating the way he was smirking at me. He laughed, "And yet the son of the father must also rise." Theta finally finished, "Damn. Very clever, sir. Evidently, a man of learning." Lucius chuckled with his eyebrow raised the whole time. "Oh, yes. But don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo."
"He's Celtic."
"We'll be off in a minute."
"I'm not going."
"It's ready, sir."
"You've got to."
"Well, I'm not."
"The moment of revelation. And here it is."
As the Theta takes us to the Tardis, he looks back to see a stone tile carved as a circuit board has just been unveiled. "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?" Caecilius asked the man who smirked at it. "As the rain pleases the soil." Lucius repeats, "Oh, now that's different. Who designed that, then?" Theta asked with a scratch of his chin and a raised eyebrow. "My Lord Lucius was very specific." Caecilius spoke with a smile causing me to glare in annoyance. "Where'd you get the pattern?" I asked him causing him to turn his head slowly towards me. "On the rain and mist and wind." I frowned at his repeated words once again. "But that looks like a circuit." Donna pointed out in confusion, "Made of stone." Theta spoke his specs already out as he observed it. "Do you mean you just dreamt that thing up?" I asked him, "That is my job, as City Augur." I frowned at the man, there was no way he would dream something like this up without help from a outside source that wasn't in the time. "What's that, then, like the mayor?" Donna asked interrupting my train of thought. "Oh, ha. You must excuse my friend, she's from Barcelona. (sotto) No, but this is an age of superstition. Of official superstition. The Augur is paid by the city to tell the future. The wind will blow from the west? That's the equivalent of ten o'clock news." Evelina enters the room, swaying and pale.
"They're laughing at us. Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us." I frowned at her, "No, no, I'm not. I meant no offence." Theta breathed out as my head began to pound. "I'm sorry. My daughter's been consuming the vapours." Her mother breathed out with a fake smile, "Oh for gods, Mother. What have you been doing to her?" The son started with an eye roll. "Not now, Quintus." The father snapped, "Yeah, but she's sick. Just look at her." His son argues back in annoyance as she makes eye contact with me. "I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift." Lucius shrugged, "Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood. They say she has remarkable visions." The mother breathed out with a smile, "The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the menfolk have the capacity for true perception."
"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate."
"Dickhead."
A small tremor, "The Mountain God marks your words. I'd be careful, if I were you." He spoke darkly towards us, "Consuming the vapours, you say?" Theta frowned, "They give me strength." Evelina breathed out as my eyes begin to glow, her powers starting to interact with mine. "It doesn't look like it to me." Theta spoke up causing her to glare at him, "Is that your opinion as a doctor?" She snarled as I flinched my eyes glowing a sharp orange as I started to mutter under my breath. My head spins with visions of beasts made of rock and fire. The sounds of people screaming rang through before I spoke up, "The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?" I breathed out before Lucius could causing Theta to turn towards me in shock. Lucius glared at me as I used my powers to stop their transmissions, Evelina screamed as she held her head in pain while Lucius grit his teeth trying to fight me.
"Doctor, what are they doing?"
"She's fighting them off, their not meant to see what she sees."
"That's impossible."
"Doctor, she is returning."
"Who is? Who's she?"
"And you, daughter of London. There is something on your back."
"What's that mean?" Donna asked as that was all they were able to get out before Evelina faints along with me. "Kate!" Voices became an echo as I saved them from knowledge they no longer needed to know.
I groaned slightly waking up inside the Tardis Medbay, it was quiet and as I moved up to look around I made sure to check my vitals before heading out. My head no longer pounding but my eyes hurt just a little. I remembered fighting them off mentally but not much after that. Night has fallen. Quintus holds a burning torch as he leads Theta through Pompeii. "Don't tell my Dad." He jumps up to a window and opens the shutters. "Only if you don't tell mine." I raise an eyebrow with a smirk, "Hey guys, what's happening?!" He let out a startled yelp falling from the window causing me to laugh. He pouted at me rushing over to check me over once more before heading back to the window. He goes inside then leans out, "Pass me that torch."
The hypocaust is glowing red with heat. Quintus enters as Theta opens the door for me before he looks around, then takes down a curtain to reveal a wall of different design marble tiles. "The liar. He told my father it was the only one." Quintus breathed out causing me to roll my eyes, I could've told you that one. "Well, plenty of marble merchants in this town. Tell them all the same thing, get all the components from different places, so no one can see what you're building." Theta explained to him, "Which is what?" He asked back, "The future, Doctor. We are building the future, as dictated by the gods." Lucius explained as he moved into the room.
Theta is rearranging the circuit boards. "Put this one there. This one there. Er, keep that one upside down, and what you got?"
"Enlighten me."
"What, the soothsayer doesn't know?"
"The seed may float on the breeze in any direction."
"Yeah, I knew you were going to say that. But it's an energy converter."
"An energy converter of what?" Lucius asked, "I don't know. Isn't that brilliant? I love not knowing. Keeps me on my toes. It must be awful being a prophet, waking up every morning, is it raining? Yes, it is, I said so. Takes all the fun out of life. But who designed this, Lucius, hmm? Who gave you these instructions?" Theta rambled on causing me to watch him with a smile, "I think you've babbled enough." Lucius demanded in annoyance, "Lucius, really, tell me. Honestly, I'm on your side. I can help." I rolled my eyes as Theta tried to reason with the man who didn't care. "You insult the gods. There can be only one sentence. At arms." The guards draw their short swords, I knew it. "Oh, morituri te salutant." Theta grumbled out with an eye roll. "Celtic prayers won't help you now." He hissed at us, "But it was him, sir. He made me do it. Mister Dextrus, please don't."
"Come on now, Quintus, dignity in death. I respect your victory, Lucius. Shake on it? Come on. Dying man's wish?" Theta grabs at Lucius' right arm beneath the clock and pulls. There is a breaking sound, "Argh." He is holding a stone hand and forearm. Petrus Dextrus, Stone Right. "But he's..." He breathes out with a small frown, "Show me." Lucius throws back the cloak. His entire right side has calcified. "The work of the gods." Lucius smiles, "He's stone." Quintus speaks out in shock and horror. "Armless enough, though. Whoops." Theta throws the arm back to Lucius. "Quintus!" Quintus throws the torch at a guard as he sonics the circuit boards, then they make their escape through the window. "The carvings."
"Run!"
"My carvings! The work is unbroken. Oh, Lord of the Mountain, I beseech you. This man would prevent the rise of Pompeii. Lord, I beg of you, show yourself. Show yourself." He sees the same stone and flame creature as Evelina did earlier. "No sign of them. Nice little bit of allons-y. I think we're all right." I snorted at his wording, "But his arm, Doctor. Is that what's happening to Evelina?" Rumble. A dog starts barking, "What was that?" Rumble once again as the ground shook. "The mountain?" The rumbles are rhythmical almost like footsteps causing me to breath out in slight panic. "No, it's closer." Things start falling over as the ground shakes. "Footsteps." I speak up causing them to look towards me, Theta nodding but Quintus looked at me in shock. "It can't be." He sputtered out with a shake of his head. "Footsteps underground." Theta confirmed, "What is it? What is it?" We run again. The grills blow of hypocaust vents as we pass by them.
"What is it? What's that noise?"
"Doesn't sound like Vesuvius."
"Caecilius? All of you, get out."
"Doctor, what is it?"
"I think we're being followed." I speak lowly as the hypocaust grill flies off. "Just get out!" Instead, they stand and stare as the floor around the hypocaust cracks, and the stone and fire creature appears. As it stands, it nearly touches the ceiling. "The gods are with us." Evelina chants causing me to roll my eyes, "Water. We need water. Quintus. All of you, get water. Donna!" Theta shouts towards everyone. "Blessed are we to see the gods." His god breathes on him, burning him to ash instantly. "Talk to me. That's all I want. Talk to me. Just tell me you are. Don't hurt these people." Donna is returning with a bucket of water when the Sisterhood grab her. Evelina sees them.
"Talk to me. I'm the Doctor. Just tell me who you are." Quintus and a slave return with buckets, scoop water from the fish pond and throw it on the creature. Its fire goes out, it solidifies then cracks and crumbles to the floor. "What was it?" The man with bushy eyebrows asked, "Carapace of stone, held together by internal magma. Not too difficult to stop, but I reckon that's just the foot soldier." Theta explained to everyone. "Doctor, or whatever your name is, you bring bad luck on this house." The women glared causing me to sigh, "I thought your son was brilliant. Aren't you going to thank him? (sotto) Still, if there are aliens at work in Pompeii, it's a good thing we stayed. Donna? Donna? Donna!" Theta shouts after realizing that Donna wasn't back or anywhere around us. Evelina made her way inside explaining who had taken her before we quickly follow after tracking them into a temple.
"This prattling voice will cease forever!"
Promises, promises. A women raises the blade to kill Donna. "Oh, that'll be the day." I speak aloud with a scoff causing them to turn to us in shock. "No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl." She hissed with a glare, "Well, that's all right. Just us girls. Do you know, I met the Sibyl once. Yeah, hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance the Tarantella. Nice teeth. Truth be told, I think she had a bit of a thing for me. I said it would never last. She said, I know. Well, she would. You all right there?" Theta rambled out.
"Oh, never better."
"I like the toga."
"Thank you. And the ropes?"
"Yeah, not so much."
He uses the sonic screwdriver to cut them and free Donna. "What magic is this?" She glared at the sonic in his hands as he shrugged, "Let me tell you about the Sibyl, the founder of this religion. She would be ashamed of you. All her wisdom and insight turned sour. Is that how you spread the word, hey? On the blade of a knife?" He asked her with a frown, "Yes, a knife that now welcomes you." I raised an eyebrow, she was willing to kill a pregnant women and an innocent man because we didn't agree with her beliefs? "Show me this man." A women's voice cuts through the air. "High Priestess, the stranger would defile us." I scoffed with an eye roll at her wording, he wouldn't touch her with a ten foot pole.
"Let me see. This one is different. He carries starlight in his wake and She carries the birth of a new race." My eyes widened at her words before I rubbed my stomach with a small smile. "Oh, very perceptive. Where do these words of wisdom come from?" I asked her finally speaking up, "The gods whisper to me." She responds from behind the curtain. "They've done far more than that. Might I beg audience? Look upon the High Priestess?" Two Sisters draw the veil aside to reveal that the High Priestess is living stone. "Oh, my God. What's happened to you?" Donna breathed out in shock and horror at the sight of her. "The heavens have blessed me." I frowned at her uncanny beliefs in something that has done nothing but try an kill her. "If I might?" She holds out her hand for him to touch.
"Does it hurt?"
"It is necessary."
"Who told you that?"
"The voices."
"Is that what's going to happen to Evelina? Is this what's going to happen to all of you?"
Spurrina shows Donna her stone forearm. "The blessings are manifold." She smiles as if it was a good thing that her body was turning to stone. Instead she was being slowly murdered as she didn't even care, "They're stone." Donna pointed in shock, "Exactly. The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?" I asked aloud with a frown in thought. "This word, this image in your mind. This volcano. What is that?"
"More to the point, why don't you know about it? Who are you?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow. "High Priestess of the Sibylline." She introduced herself trying but failing to bow, "No, no, no, no. I'm talking to the creature inside you. The thing that's seeding itself into a human body, in the dust, in the lungs, taking over the flesh and turning it into, what?" Theta asked in confusion, "Your knowledge is impossible." The high priestess breathes out, "Oh, but you can read my mind. You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are." The High Priestess speaks with two voices, her own and one deeper, which takes over. "We are awakening." It speaks causing me to frown at the slight familiarity of it. "The voice of the gods." The women speaks her eyes widening as they all get down on their knees. "Words of wisdom, words of power. Words of wisdom, words of power. Words of wisdom.." They chant together over and over again, "Name yourself. Planet of origin. Galactic coordinates. Species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation." I demand in anger and annoyance.
"We are rising."
"Tell me your name!"
"Pyrovile."
"Pyrovile. Pyrovile. Pyrovile."
"What's a Pyrovile?"
"Well, that's a Pyrovile, growing inside her. She's a halfway stage."
"What, and that turns into?"
"That thing in the villa. That was an adult Pyrovile."
"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you, Doctor." Theta produces a yellow plastic water pistol. "I warn you, I'm armed. Donna, get that grill open." He holds it up as he pushed me behind him, "What for?" Donna asked in confusion, "Just. What are the Pyrovile doing here?" He demanded causing Donna to nod and start in the grilling. "We fell from the heavens. We fell so far and so fast, we were rendered into dust." The creatures explained, "Right, creatures of stone shattered on impact. When was that, seventeen years ago?" I asked with a frown, "We have slept beneath for thousands of years." It explained to us, "Okay, so seventeen years ago woke you up, and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourselves. But why the psychic powers?" I asked with a frown in confusion. "We opened their minds and found such gifts." I scoffed with an eye roll, these creatures always doing things that only help themselves. "Okay, that's fine. So you force yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond. I get that, I get that, yeah. But seeing the future? That is way beyond psychic. You can see through time. Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"
"Got it."
"Now get down."
"What, down there?"
"Yes, down there. Why can't this lot predict a volcano? Why is it being hidden?"
"Sisters, I see into his mind. The weapon is harmless." She breathed out with a smirk. "Yeah, but it's got to sting." He squirts the water at the High Priestess. Yes, it does hurt her. "Get down there!"
Donna, Theta and I go down into the Hypocaust while the Sisters help their Priestess. "You fought her off with a water pistol. I bloody love you." Donna laughs out a breath as we hide behind a rock. I snorted, he had that affect on people, "This way." I pulled them towards an entrance. "Where are we going now?" Donna asked with a frown, "Into the volcano." Theta explained to her causing her to look shocked. "No way." She grumbled, "Yes, way." He twirled the water gun stuffing it back into his pocket. "Appian way."
"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right for you to stop it?"
"Still part of history."
"But I'm history to you. You saved me in 2008. You saved us all. Why is that different?"
"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux. Pompeii is fixed."
"How do you know which is which?" Donna asked looking between us in confusion, "Because that's how we see the universe. Every waking second, We can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of a Time Lord, Donna. And We're the only ones left." I explained to her causing her to pull me into a tight hug in sadness. "How many people died?" She asked gently causing Theta to glare at her over her shoulder, "Stop it." He warned with an angry frown, "Kate, how many people died?" She asked again causing me to tear up in sadness and lose of our own. "Twenty thousand." I told her causing her to frown at me. "Is that what you can see, Kate? All twenty thousand? And you think that's all right, do you?" Something roars causing us to pause for a second. "They know we're here. Come on."
We soon arrive at a large space populated by Pyroviles, "It's the heart of Vesuvius. We're right inside the mountain." Theta breathed as we watched them move around within the rockiness of the mountain. "There's tons of them." Donna breathed out, "What's that thing?" He uses a monocular to look at some distant construct. "Oh, you better hurry up and think of something. Rocky fall's on its way." Donna pointed out with a frown, "That's how they arrived. Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?" I asked with a million thoughts running through my head. "But why do they need a volcano? Maybe it erupts, and they launch themselves back into space or something?" Donna asked as well, "Oh, it's worse than that." Theta breathed out, "How could it be worse? Doctor, it's getting closer." Lucius is on a ridge at the other side of the cavern. "Heathens defile us. They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods."
"Come on."
"We can't go in."
"Well, we can't go back."
"Crush them. Burn them."
A Pyrovile rears up in front of them, so Theta extinguishes it with his water pistol. We run to the escape pod, "There is nowhere to run, Doctor, Kate and daughter of London." He shouts out, "Now then, Lucius. My lords Pyrovillian, don't get yourselves in a lather. In a lava? No? No. But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish. Once this new race of creatures is complete, then what?" Theta asked, "My masters will follow the example of Rome itself. An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilisation." He explained towards us loudly, "But if you've crashed, and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" Donna yelled back in confusion.
"The Heaven of Pyrovillia is gone." He stated causing me to frown and spin back a little, "What do you mean, gone? Where's it gone?" I asked with a frown, "It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for a new species to rise." He explained to us, "Yeah, I should warn you, it's seventy percent water out there." Theta snorted with a little laugh. "Water can boil. And everything will burn, Doctor." Lucius yells out, "Then the whole planet is at stake. Thank you. That's all I needed to know. Donna." Theta pushes us into the escape pod, which contains the circuit boards, then closes the doors with his screwdriver after he joins us. "You have them, my lords.
"Could we be any more trapped?" The Pyroviles breathe fire at the escape pod, "Little bit hot." Donna breathed out with a short laugh. "See? The energy converter takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix, which welds Pyrovile to human. Now it's complete, they can convert millions." I explained to her causing her to frown, "But can't you change it with these controls?" She asked us in horror, "Of course I can, but don't you see? That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyrovile are stealing all its power. They're going to use it to take over the world." Theta explained to her causing her to shake her head. "But you can change it back?" She asked looking between us with sadness, "I can invert the system, set off the volcano, and blow them up, yes. But, that's the choice, Donna. It's Pompeii or the world."
"Oh, my God."
"If Pompeii is destroyed then it's not just history, it's me. I make it happen."
"Us. We do, my love."
"Doctor, the Pyrovile are made of rocks. Maybe they can't be blown up."
"Vesuvius explodes with the force of twenty four nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it. Certainly not us." I told her with a small frown, "Never mind us." She scoffed with an eye roll, "Push this lever and it's over. Twenty thousand people." Theta and I have our hands on the stone lever. Donna puts her hands over ours, we all look at each other, then push. Everyone connected to the Pyroviles stiffens. "The future is changing." Vesuvius erupts with its pyroclastic flow. The bright red stone escape pod zooms out of the caldera to the sound of Donna's scream.
"The sky is falling."
"Death. Only death."
The pod has landed, Theta and Donna get out, before he turns to help me out checking me over for injuries. "It was an escape pod." We run as the avalanche of ash rolls down the mountain towards them. The eruption blocks out the sunlight and we rush through the chaotic streets of Pompeii. "You lied to us. And yet this was meant to be." The ash is falling on the town, "Don't. Don't go to the beach. Don't go to the beach, go to the hills. Listen to me. Don't go to the beach, it's not safe. Listen to me." A little boy is crying, "Come here." Donna tries but it doesn't work, "Give him to me." The woman picks up the boy and runs off, I watch in sadness as I rub my stomach in sadness. "Come on."
Caecilius and his family are cowering in a corner. "Gods save us, Doctor." We go back to the Tardis, "No! Doctor, you can't. Doctor! Kate!" The Tardis engines start up and she runs inside behind us. "You can't just leave them!" Donna shouted chasing after us in horror, "Don't you think I've done enough? History's back in place and everyone dies." He glared at her, he wanted to save everyone and if he could he would but no one seemed to understand the meaning of fixed point. "You've got to go back. Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back. It's not fair." She shouted at us in anger, "No, it's not." I grunted out, my heart gripping as my baby moved within me. "But your own planet. It burned." She looked between us in horror, "That's just it. Don't you see, Donna? Can't you understand? If I could go back and save them, then I would. But I can't. I can never go back. I can't. I just can't, I can't." Theta started to tear up causing me to hug him from the side. "Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone." Donna breathed out as I gently place a hand on Theta's causing him to look towards me with sad eyes. I smiled and gave a small nod causing him to nod back gripping my hand back for a second.
The Tardis rematerializes, and he steps out holding out his hand. "Come with me."
The seven of us watch as Pompeii is filled with volcanic ash, "It's never forgotten, Caecilius. Oh, time will pass, men'll move on, and stories will fade. But one day, Pompeii will be found again. In thousands of years. And everyone will remember you." Theta explained to everyone as they watched their home burn. "What about you, Evelina? Can you see anything?" Donna asked the young girl as she slowly turned to look towards us with a shake of her head. "The visions have gone." She breathed out with a small smile, "The explosion was so powerful it cracked open a rift in time, just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not any more. You're free." I told her gently causing her to nod back at me. "But tell me. Who are you, Doctor? With your words, and your temple containing such size within?"
"Oh, I was never here. Don't tell anyone."
"The great god Vulcan must be enraged. It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of volcano. All those people." After saying one last goodbye we slip back into the Tardis. "Thank you." Donna breathed out turning to us just before she headed to bed. "Yeah. You were right. Sometimes I need someone, that's not Kate. She has her own dealings. Welcome aboard." Theta smiled at her as he pulled me into his side while I rubbed my stomach with my own smile. I wasn't offended at all, he did need someone because I had my own priorities to deal with. "Yeah."
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So I'm giving y'all this update today because it might be a little bit. I got into a car accident the day before yesterday so I've been in a lot of pain but I'll try to keep working on my books I just wanted to let y'all know.
I don't really like this chapter or this episode but I do hope you guys appreciate it lol.
Thank you all for the love and support!!
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