The Fires Of Pompeii

The Doctor led Donna and I out of the TARDIS. He pushed back a curtain and said with a big smile on his face. "Ancient Rome." We stepped into the street, "Well, not to them, obviously. To all intents and purposes right now... this is brand new Rome."

"Oh my God, it's... it's so Roman. This is fantastic!" said Donna. Then she gave us each a hug, "I'm here... in Rome. Donna Noble in Rome." We started walking down the street, "This is just weird. I mean, everyone here is dead."

"Don't go telling them that," I said.

"Hold on a minute. That sign over there is in English." She pointed to a sign on a cart that said 'Two Amphoras for the price of one' "Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?

"No… That's the TARDIS translation circuits. It makes it look like English... speech as well. You're talking Latin right now."

"Seriously?"

"Mmm." said The Doctor.

"I just said 'seriously' in Latin."

"Oh yeah."

Donna laughed, "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?"

"I'm not sure - you have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"

"I'm gonna try it."

Donna walked up to one of the vendors. He smiled at her, "Hello, sweetheart. What can I get for you, my love?"

"Veni, vidi, vici."

"Hunh? Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."

"Yeah," then she walked back to us, "What does he mean 'Celtic'?"

"Welsh," I said, "You sound Welsh."

"There we are. That's something," said my uncle.

We continued to walk through the streets, "Won't our clothes look a bit odd?" asked Donna.

"Nah. Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho... but bigger."

"You've been here before then?"

He nodded, "Hm, ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me. Well, a little bit, but I hadn't gotten the chance to look around properly."

I looked up, "You know… You'd think we'd be able to see The Coliseum, The Panthon, and Circus Maxiums by now…"

"Your right," said my uncle, "You'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything?" he stopped and looked around, "Try this way."

We reached a wider street, Donna looked around, "I'm not an expert, but there are Seven Hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they only got one?"

We looked and saw a mountain in the distance. Then, all of the sudden the ground started to shake. "Here we go again." said a vendor. Him and the other vendors did what they could to save their stall and merchandise.

"Wait a minute!" said Donna, "One mountain... with smoke... which makes this…"

"Pompeii," I said,

"We're in Pompeii," said The Doctor, "and it's Volcano Day!"

The three of us ran through the streets of Pompeii to get back to the TARDIS. By the time we got back to where we left it the TARDIS was gone. "You're kidding. Don't tell me the TARDIS is gone." said Donna.

"Okay," said my uncle.

"Where is it then?"

"You told me not to tell you," he said. I smacked him on the shoulder. "What was that for?!" he asked me.

"Why do you think?" I said.

"Don't get clever in Latin," said Donna.

He looked around and saw the vendor that Donna talked to before. He ran up to him, "Um...excuse me! Excuse me! There was a box-big, blue box. Big, blue, wooden box...just over there. Where's it gone?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" said the vendor smugly.

"But, it wasn't yours to sell," I said as I walked up to him.

"It was on my patch, wasn't it? I got 15 sesterce for it. Lovely jubbly." said the vendor, as he rubbed his hand together.

"Who did you sell it to?" asked The Doctor.

"Old Caecilius. Look... if you want to argue, why don't you take it up with him? He's on Foss Street. Big villa can't miss it."

"Thanks," I said, and the three of us started running down the street.

But the Doctor went back and asked him, "What did he buy a big, blue wooden box for?"

I ran back and said to my uncle, "We'll find out when we get there… Now… Come On!"

Then, we started running through the streets of Pompeii again. We reached an intersection and each took street a different street to find our way. We caught back up with each other a few moments later, "Ha! I've got it! Foss Street, this way!" said The Doctor.

"No," said Donna, "I've found this big sort of amphitheatre I think... We can start there. We can get everyone together. Then maybe they've got a great, big bell or something we could ring. Have they invented bells yet?"

"What do you want a bell for?" I asked.

"To warn everyone! To start the evacuation! What time does Vesuvius erupt? When's it due?"

"It's 79 AD, 23 of August which makes Volcano Day tomorrow," said my uncle.

"Plenty of time. We can get everyone out easy."

"Except we're not going to," he said, as he grab Donna by the hand.

Donna didn't move, "But that's what you two do. You're The Doctor and Teddy. You save people."

"But not this time," I said, "Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens happens. There is no stopping it."

"Says who?" asked Donna.

"Says us… Says history"

"What, and you two are in charge?"

"TARDIS, Time Lords... Yeah," said The Doctor.

"Donna, human... No!" she said, "I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."

"You stand in the marketplace and announce 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." The Doctor and I started to run off in the direction of Foss Street.

"Well, I just might have something to say about that, spaceman!" shouted Donna.

"Oh, I bet you will!" said The Doctor, then Donna started to follow.

We ran into Caecilus's villa just as there was another quake. The Doctor saved a bust from falling before one of the people inside could get to it, "Whoa!" he said, as he slapped it cheeks, "There you go."

"Thank you, kind sir," said a man who ran toward the door, "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

"Oh, that's me," said The Doctor as he leaned forward to shake the man's hand, "I'm a visitor. Hello."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Theodora…" I said.

"I am... Spartacus." Said The Doctor.

"And so am I," said Donna.

"Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?" asked the man. I laughed a little.

"Oh no, we're not married," said The Doctor.

"Not together." said Donna.

"Oh, then brother and sister? Yes, of course. You look very much alike." said the man.

"Really?" said The Doctor and Donna together.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade."

"And that trade would be?"

"Marble. Lucius Caecilius. Mining, polishing and design thereof. If you want marble, I'm your man."

"That's good. That's good, 'cause I'm the marble inspector," said The Doctor, as he showed Caecilius, his psychic paper.

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection," said a woman. She took a cup of wine from a young man, "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son." Then she poured it into the pool.

"Oi!" said the young man.

"This is my good wife, Metella," said Caecilius, "I- I must confess, we're not prepared for a-"

"Nothing to worry about," said my uncle, "I- I'm sure you've got nothing to hide. Although, frankly, that…" he pointed at the TARDIS, "object... rather looks like wood to me." We walked over to it.

We walked over to it and Metella hissed, "I told you to get rid of it!"

"I only bought it today," said Caecilius.

"Ah, well. Caveat emptor," said The Doctor.

"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."

"Although, while we're here, wouldn't you recommend a holiday, Spartacus?" asked Donna.

"I don't know what you mean, Spartacus," said The Doctor.

"Oh, this lovely family, mother and father and son... Don't you think they should get out of town?"

"Why should we do that?" asked Caecilius.

"Well, the volcano for starters," said Donna.

"What?" said Caecilius, puzzled.

"Volcano."

"What-ano?"

"That great big volcano right on your doorstep."

"Oh, Spartacus, for shame. We haven't even greeted the household gods yet," I said, as I pulled her over a toward a small shrine in the back of the room. The Doctor followed us, "They don't know what it is. Vesuvius is just a mountain to them. The top hasn't blown off yet."

The Doctor and I both sprinkled the frieze with water and he said, "The Romans haven't even got a word for volcano. Not until tomorrow."

"Oh great. They can learn a new word... when they die," said Donna, sarcastically.

"Donna, stop it," I said.

"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you've been flyin' around with in outer space, but you're not telling me to shut up. That boy…" she pointed to the young man, "how old is he, sixteen? And tomorrow he burns to death."

"And that's my fault?" said The Doctor.

"Right now, yes!"

Then we heard someone from the other room call out, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the city government."

We turned and saw an older man stride in, wearing a cloak draped over his right shoulder.

"Lucius, my pleasure as always," said Caecilius.

We walked out of the shrine and Metella said to the young man sitting by the pool, "Quintus, stand up."

He stood up with a sigh, then Caecilius said, "A rare and great honor, sir, for you to come to my house." He held a hand out to Lucius but he ignored it.

"The birds are flying north... and the wind is in the west," said Lucius.

"Right. Absolutely. That's good, is it?"

"Only the grain of wheat knows where it will grow."

"There now, Metella, have you ever heard such wisdom?"

"Never. It's an honor," said Metella.

"Pardon me, sir, I have guests. This is Theodora, Spartacus, and, uh, Spartacus."

We all waved at Lucius, then he said, "A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind."

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark." said The Doctor.

"Ah! What is the dark other than an omen of the sun?"

"I concede that every sun must set…"

"Ha!"

"...and yet the son of the father must also rise."

"Damn. Very clever, sir. Evidently a man of learning."

"Oh yes, but don't mind me. Don't want to disturb the status quo."

"He's Celtic," whispered Caecilus.

"We'll be off in a minute."

He took Donna's hand and we started to head for the TARDIS. "I'm not going," she said.

"It's ready, sir." said Caecilius to Lucius.

"You've got to," I said to Donna.

"Well I'm not."

"The moment of revelation." said Caecilus, as he unveiled a square piece of marble, "And here it is…" I turned back and looked at the marble it had a very familiar design on it, "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?"

We stopped and Lucius said, "As the rain pleases the soil."

We walked back over and I said, "Oh now that's... different. Who designed that?"

"My lord Lucius was very specific." said Caecilus.

"Where'd you get the pattern?" asked The Doctor.

"On the rain and mist and wind," said Lucius.

"Well that looks like a circuit." said Donna.

"Made of stone," I said.

"Do you mean you just dreamt that up?"

"That is my job... as City Augur," said Lucuis.

"What's that then, like the mayor?"

"You must excuse my friend," I said, "She's from... Barcelona." I took Donna asked, "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 the 10:00 news."

"They're laughing at us." called a weak voice. We turned and saw a very pale looking girl with dark hair. She looked like she could barley stand, "Those three, they use words like tricksters. They're mocking us."

"No, no. I meant no offence," said The Doctor

"I'm sorry," said Metella, "My daughter's been consuming the vapors." she walked over to the young woman.

"By the gods, Mother! What have you been doing to her?" asked Quintus.

"Not now, Quintus." said Caecilus.

"But she's sick. Just look at her."

"I gather I have a rival in this household. Another with the gift," said Lucuis.

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sybiline Sisterhood," said Metella proudly, "They say she has remarkable visions."

"The prophecies of women are limited and dull. Only the men folk have the capacity for true perception."

"I'll tell you where the wind's blowing right now, mate," said Donna.

Then the ground started to shake, and Lucius said, "The mountain god marks your words. I'd be careful if I were you."

"Consuming the vapours, you say?" asked The Doctor.

"They give me strength," said the young woman.

"It doesn't look like it to me," said The Doctor.

"Is that your opinion... as a doctor?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Doctor. That's your name."

"How did you know that?" said the Doctor bewildered.

The young woman looked at Donna, "And you, you call yourself noble."

"Now then Evelina, don't be rude," said Metella.

"No, no, no. Let her talk," I said.

"All three of you come from so far away," said Evelina.

"A female soothsayer in inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," said Lucuis.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius. I reckon you've been out-soothsaid," said The Doctor.

"Is that so... man from Gallifrey?"

"What?"

"Strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?" Then he looked at me, "But it was your home as well… Teddy…" My jaw dropped, "The Last Children of Gallifrey."

"Doctor, what are they doing?" asked Donna.

He looked at Donna, "And you, daughter of... London."

"How does he know that?"

"This is the gift of Pompeii. Every single oracle tells the truth."

"But that's impossible."

Lucius turned to my uncle, "Doctor, she is returning.

"Who is?" asked The Doctor, "Who's she?"

Then Lucius turned to me, "and you Teddy, a child is coming for you… but not in the way you'd expect…"

"What?" I said.

Then he turned to Donna, "And you, Daughter of London... you have something on your back."

"What's that mean?" asked Donna.

Then, Evelina spoke up, "Even the words 'Doctor' and 'Teddy' are false. Your real names are hidden. They burns in the stars of the cascade of Medusa herself. You are a lord, sir. And you are a lady, miss.. A lord... and lady… of time…" Then Evelina fainted.

"Evelina!" yelled Metella, as she and The Doctor rushed to Evelina side.

A short time later, Donna went to go check on Evelina while The Doctor, Caecilus and I remained in the main room. We stood by the hypocaust and The Doctor removed the grille. "Ah! Different sort of hypocaust," said The Doctor.

"Oh yes, we're very advanced in Pompeii," said Caecilus, "In Rome, they're still using the old wood-burning furnaces, but we've got hot springs... leading from Vesuvius itself."

"Who thought of that?" I asked.

"The soothsayers after the great earthquake seventeen years ago. An awful lot of damage but we rebuilt."

"Didn't you think of moving away?" asked The Doctor, "Oh, no, then again, San Francisco."

"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?" asked Caecilus.

The Doctor and I looked down into Earth and heard a loud grating and rumbling, "What's that noise?" I asked.

"Don't know. Happens all the time. They say the gods of the Underworld are stirring."

"But after the earthquake is that when the soothsayers started making sense?"

"Oh yes, very much so. I mean, they'd always been... shall we say 'imprecise'? But then... the soothsayers, the augurs, the haruspex-all of them, they saw the truth again and again. It's quite amazing. They can predict crops and rainfall with absolute precision."

"Have they said anything about tomorrow?" asked The Doctor.

"No. Why should they? Why do you ask?" asked Caecilius.

"No, no, no reason. Just asking. But the soothsayers... they all consume the vapours?"

"That's how they see."

"Ipso facto…" said my uncle as he put his glasses on and leaned into the hypocaust.

"Look, you…" Caecilius said before the Doctor interrupted him.

The Doctor straightened up and said, "They're all consuming this." he came up with a some particles of rock.

"Dust?"

"Tiny particles of rock," said my uncle as he tasted them.

"Ugg… why do you always have to taste things?" I asked.

"They're breathing in Vesuvius," said my uncle.

The Doctor went to talk to Quintus and got him to agree to take us to where Lucius lived. When we reached Lucius' home. "Don't tell my dad," Said Quintus.

The Doctor leapt onto a barrel before climbing onto a windowsill, "Only if you don't tell mine." said the Doctor as he entered the vilia. I went in next. It was dark except for the light coming from they hypocaust. The Doctor looked out of the window, and said to Quintus, "Pass me that torch." The boy pasted him the torch and we started to look around.

I looked behind a curtan then I turned to my uncle, "Doctor…" I whispered. I pulled back the curtain to reveal a rack of more circuit panels, similar to the one we saw at Caecilius' home.

"The liar," said Quintus, "He told my father it was the only one."

"There are plenty of marble merchants in this town," I said as I put my glasses on.

The Doctor put his glasses on, "Tell them all the same thing; get all the components from different places so no one can see what you're building."

"Which is what?

"The future...," said a voice behind us. We turned around and saw Lucius standing there, "We are building the future as dictated by the gods."

The Doctor and I started to arranged the slabs, "Put this one... There." said The Doctor as he put a back on the rack

I took one that Quintus was holding, "This one... There." I put it on the rack, "Uh... I'll keep that one upside down. What have you got?" I said as I looked at Lucius.

"Enlighten me." he said.

"What? The soothsayer doesn't know?" asked The Doctor.

"The seed may float on the breeze in any direction."

"Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that. But... it's an energy converter," I said.

"An energy converter of what?" asked Luicus.

"I don't know. Isn't that brilliant?" said The Doctor, "I love not knowing, keeps me and Teddy on our toes." he moved to stand beside Luicus, "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?"

"I think you've babbled long enough."

"Lucius, really, tell me honestly. We're on your side. We can help."

"You insult the gods! There can be only one sentence. At arms!"

Lucius' guards entered and The Doctor and I started to back away. We took off our glasses and I said, "Oh, morituri te salutant."

"Celtic prayers won't help you now," said Lucius.

"But it was them, sir. They made me do it. Sir Dextrus, please don't." pleated Quintus

"Come on now, Quintus," I said, "Have some dignity in death."

"I respect your victory, Lucius. Shake on it?" said The Doctor as he held his hand out to Lucius, "Come on," he wiggled his fingers of his extended hand, "Dying man's wish?" He lunged at Lucius grabbed his hand and yanked.

My eyes got big when I saw my uncle holding a stone arm in his hands. Quintus spoke up, "But he's…"

"Show me," said The Doctor.

Lucius threw back his cloak to reveal the stump of a stone arm, "The work of the gods."

"He's stone!" said Quintus.

"'Armless enough, though. Whoop!" he threw the arms back to Lucius and we started to run.

"Quintus!" I shouted. Quintus threw his torch at one of the guards as we headed for the window.

The Doctor took out his sonic and pointed it at the panels. They fell off the stand and The Doctor shouted, "Out! Out! Out! Hurry!"

"The carvings!" shouted Lucius, as we ran out the window.

"Run!" I shouted as we ran down the streets of Pompeii. We ran for a bit then stopped, "No sign of 'em. Nice little bit of allons-y. I think we're all right."

"But his arm, Doctor," asked Quintus, "Is that what's happening to Evelina?"

Then there was a loud booming, "What's that?" I asked.

We turned around and saw nothing but the booming continued, "The mountain?" asked Quintus.

"No, it's closer."

The booming continued and we watched as stalls and baskets started to fall over even though there was nothing there.

"They're footsteps," said my uncle.

"It can't be," said Quintus.

"Footsteps underground!"

"What is it? What is it?"

I turned Quintus around and we continued running. As we ran we could hear steam blasting through the vents behind us. We got back to Caecilius' villa, and The Doctor shouted, "Caecilius! All of you, get out!"

"Doctor, what is it?" asked Donna who was now wearing a purple toga.

"I think we're being followed."

Then the grille over the hypocaust was blown into the air, "Just get out!" I shouted as The Doctor and I tried to herd everyone out the door as the ground beneath the hypocaust cracked. We heard a loud growling then a creature made of stone and magma forced its way through the hypocaust.

"The gods are with us," said Evelina.

"Water! We need water!" I shouted.

"Quintus, all of you, get water! Donna!" said The Doctor. Quintus and I went to go get some containers for water. When we came back the Doctor was trying to reason with the creature, "Talk to me. I'm the Doctor. Tell me who you are."

Quintus and I dipped our urns into the water, "Doctor!" I shouted. Then we threw water onto the creature. It screamed and froze up, before falling to the ground and breaking to pieces.

"What was it?" asked Caecilius.

"Carapace of stone…" said The Doctor, "held together by internal magma.

"Not too difficult to stop. But that's was just a foot soldier. I said.

"Doctor... Teddy… or whatever your names are…" said Metella, "You two bring bad luck in this house."

"I thought your son was brilliant." I said, "Aren't you going to thank him?"

Metella went up to her son and hugged him. "Still... guess there are aliens at work in Pompeii," said The Doctor.

"It's a good thing we stayed, then" I said. I looked around and didn't see our companion, "Donna!" I called out.

The Doctor looked around, "Donna?"

"Donna?!" We said together.

Then, Evelina spoke up, "I know where Donna is…"

"Where is she?" I asked.

"The Sybiline Sisterhood took her."

"Why would they take Donna?"

"She was telling me that tomorrow the mountain was going to explode."

I rolled me eyes, "Of course she did…"

"Come on…" said The Doctor, "We've got to get to their temple."

By the time we got there Donna was tied down to a sacrificial altar, surrounded by the Sybiline Sisterhood. One of the priestesses was holding a dagger over Donna.

"You have got to be kidding me," said Donna.

"The false prophet will surrender both her blood and her breath," said the priestess.

"I'll surrender you in a minute. Don't you dare!"

"You will be silent."

"You might have eyes on the back of your hands but you'll have eyes in the back of your head by the time I finish with you! Let me... Go!"

"This prattling will cease... Forever." The priestesses raised the dagger over her head to plunge it into Donna's chest.

But then my uncle spoke up, "Oh, that'll be the day."

I saw a smile of relief on Donna's face.

"No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sybil," said the priestess.

"Oh, that's all right, just us girls," said the Doctor, as we started to walk forward, he looked at me and said "Teddy, Did you know, I met the Sibyl once. Hell of a woman. Blimey, she could dance a tarantella. 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." We stopped in front of the altar at Donna's head, "You all right there?"

"Oh, never better." said Donna, sarcastically.

"I like the toga," I said as I reached into my pocket to get my sonic.

"Thank you. And the ropes?"

"Not really," I said, as I used my sonic on the ropes. Then Donna got up.

"What magic is this?" asked the priestess.

I put my sonic back in my pocket, "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? On the blade of a knife?

"Yes... a knife that now welcomes you!" said the priestess, as she raised the knife over her head.

"Show me this man and woman," said a voice behind a curtain. We all turned and the sisters knelt.

"High Priestess, the stranger would defy us!"

"Let me see. These two are different. They carry starlight in their wake."

The three of us walked to the curtain, "Ah, very perceptive," said The Doctor, "Where do these words of wisdom come from?"

"The gods whisper to me." said The High Priestess.

"Oh, they've done far more than that," I said, "Ah, might I beg audience, look upon the High Priestess?

The curtains parted, my jaw dropped and Donna gasped, "Oh my God! What's happened to you?"

The high priestess was sitting upon a bed and her body was nearly completely converted to stone. "The heavens have blessed me," she said.

"If I might…" said The Doctor as he motioned that he wanted to step closer. She raised her arm and he knelt next to her and touched it, "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary."

"Who told you that?" I asked.

"The voices."

"Is that what's happening to Evelina?" asked Donna, she turned to the sisters, "Is this what's gonna happen to all of you?"

The priestess approached Donna and pulled her sleeve back, "The blessings are manifold."

"Donna touched her arm, "They're stone."

"Exactly," I said as The Doctor and I walked back to Donna, "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?"

"This word... this image in your mind, this "volcano", what is that?" asked the high priestess.

"More to the point, why don't you know about it?" asked The Doctor, "Who are you?"

"High Priestess of the Sibyline."

"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?"

"Your knowledge is impossible."

"Oh, but you can read our minds," I said, "You know it's not. I demand you tell us who you are!"

"We... are... Awakening!" shouted the high priestess, her voice echoing.

"The voice of the gods!" said the priestess.

"Words of wisdom, words of power. Words of wisdom, words of power," chanted the sisters.

"Name yourself!" shouted my uncle, "Planet of origin, galactic coordinates, species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation."

"We... are... Rising!" shouted the high priestess, her voice echoing.

"Tell me your name!"

"Pyrovile!" shouted the high priestess as she threw back her hood.

"Pyrovile. Pyrovile." chanted the sisters.

"What's a Pyrovile?"

"Well, that's a Pyrovile…" I said as I pointed at the high prestess, "growing inside her. She's at the halfway stage."

"Well, and that turns into?"

"That thing in the villa, that was an adult Pyrovile."

"And the breath of a Pyrovile will incinerate you both!"

"I warn you... I'm armed," said The Doctor as he pulled out a water pistol, "Teddy, Donna, get that grille open."

"What are...?" Donna started to asked before I pulled her away.

"Come on," I said as I took her over to the hypocaust.

"What are the Pyrovile doing here?" asked The Doctor.

"We fell from the heavens," said the high priestess, "We fell so far and so fast we were rendered into dust."

"Right. Creatures of stone shatter on impact. When was that, seventeen years ago?"

"We have slept beneath for thousands of years."

"Okay, so seventeen years ago woke you up and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourself, but why the psychic powers?"

"We opened their minds and found such gifts."

"Yeah, okay, fine. 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?"

"We got it!" shouted Donna, once we got the grille off.

"Now get down." said my uncle. He started to move toward us with his water pistol still aimed at the high priestess.

"What, down there?" said Donna.

"Yes, down there!" he said. "Why can't this lot predict the volcano? Why is it being hidden?"

"Sisters, I see into his mind," said the priestess, "The weapon is harmless."

"Yeah, but it's got a sting! " He shot the High Priestess with water. Then I jumped down in the hole. I heard my uncle call out to Donna, "Get down there!" I moved out of the way so Donna and my uncle could jump down as well.

"You fought her off with a water pistol," said Donna, as she got up, "I bloody love you."

"This way," said The Doctor, as he got up.

"Where are we going now?"

"Into the volcano," I said.

"No way," said Donna.

"Yes way," said my uncle, as he twirled his pistol and put it away, "Appian way."

I rolled my eyes and followed my uncle through the volcanic tunnels. As we walked through the tunnels toward Vesuvius. Donna asked, "But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right? For you to stop it?"

"It's still part of history," I said.

"Well, I'm history too. You two saved me in 2008. You saved us all. Why is that different?"

"Some things are fixed, some things are in flux," said my uncle, "Pompeii is fixed."

"How do you know which is which?" asked Donna.

The Doctor and I stopped and he said, "Because that's how we see the universe."

"Every waking second, we can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not," I said.

"That's the burden of the Time Lords, Donna." said The Doctor, "We're the only ones left." Then we started walking again.

"How many people died?" asked Donna.

"Stop it!" he said.

"Doctor!" We stopped and turned, "How many people died?"

"Twenty thousand," said my uncle.

"Is that what you can see, Doctor?" asked Donna, "All twenty thousand? And you think that's all right, do you Teddy?"

"No it's not all right," I said, "I would love nothing more than to save everyone but we can't!"

Then we heard a terrible screech, "They know we're here! Come on." said The Doctor.

We continued running through the tunnels, carefully avoiding pockets of flame. Until we reached a large cavern with Pyroviles walking arround, "It's the heart of Vesuvius." I said, "We're right inside the mountain."

"There's tons of 'em." said Donna.

"What's that thing?" said my uncle as he took out a small, collapsible telescope.

"Well, you two better hurry up and think of something. Rocky IV's on its way." said Donna.

"That's how they arrived…" said The Doctor as he handed the scope to me. I looked through the scope and saw the interior of a ship, "or what's left of it." he said.

"I wonder what it is?" I asked, "Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?" I handed the scope back to him. He closed it up and put it in his pocket.

"But why do they need a volcano?" asked Donna, "Maybe... it erupts and they launch themselves back in space or something."

"No, it's worse that that." said my uncle.

"How can it be worse?" asked Donna. Then we heard a Pyrovile roar, "Doctor, it's getting closer." she said.

"Heathens!" we heard a voice call out from higher up in the cavern. We turned and saw Lucius, "Defilers! They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods!"

"Come on! " said The Doctor as we started to run across the cavern.

"We can't go in!" said Donna.

"We can't go back!" I said.

"Crush them! Burn them!" called out Lucius.

Then a very large Pyrovile rose up in front of us. We stopped and The Doctor took out his water pistol and shot the creature. It shy away from us, and we continued to run toward pod.

"There is nowhere to run, Doctor... Teddy… and Daughter of London," called Lucius.

We reached the pod and stopped in front, "Now then, Lucius," said The Doctor, "My lord Pyrovillian... don't get yourselves in a lava." he looked at Donna and me, "In a lava... No?"

"No," said Donna and I together.

"No," the he turned back to Lucius, "But if I might beg the wisdom of the gods before we perish... once this new race of creatures is complete... then what?"

"My masters will follow the example of Rome itself, an almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization." said Lucius.

"But if you've crashed... and you've got all this technology, why don't you just go home?" asked Donna.

"The heaven of Pyrovillia is gone."

"What do you mean 'gone'?" I asked, "Where's it gone?"

"It was taken. Pyrovillia is lost. But there is heat enough in this world for our new species to rise."

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's 70% water out there," said The Doctor.

"Water can boil and everything will burn, Doctor!"

"Then the whole planet is at stake," said my uncle as he put his water pistol away, "Thank you, that's all I needed to know. Donna! Teddy!"

He pushed us into the pod, then he followed behind us and used his sonic to seal the door.

"Could we be any more trapped?" asked Donna. Then, it started getting hotter, "Little bit hot."

"See, the energy converted takes the lava, uses the power to create a fusion matrix which welds Pyrovile to human," said The Doctor, "Now it's complete, they can convert millions."

"Well, can you change it... with these controls?" asked Donna.

"Of course we can, but don't you see?" I said, "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 gonna use it to take over the world."

"But you can change it back."

"Well, I can avert the system, so the volcano will blow them up, yes, but... that's the choice, Donna," said The Doctor, "It's Pompeii or the world."

"Oh my God," said Donna.

"If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history, it's us," I said, "We make it happen."

"But the Pyrovile are made of rock. Maybe they can't be blown up." said Donna.

The Doctor was working on the controls, "Vesuvius explodes with the force of 24 nuclear bombs. Nothing can survive it." Then he looked at Donna, "Certainly not us."

"Never mind us." said Donna.

The Doctor put his hand on the lever, "Push this lever and it's all over. Twenty thousand people." I could tell that my uncle was having trouble with this. It was almost like what happened with the Moment but on a much smaller scale. I put my hand on top of his. He looked at me and I smiled. He smiled back. Then Donna put her hand on the lever as well. We all looked at each other then pulled down on the lever.

Then the pod started to shutter and we could feel that we've were launched into the air, by the way we were thrown around the pod. Then we came down to Earth with a final jolt. Once it seemed like we stopped moving the Doctor opened the pod and we climbed out,

"It was an escape pod." I said. We turned and saw the volcano spewing ash and lava. The Doctor grabbed my hand and I grabbed Donna's and we started to run for the city. Ash started to fall as we made our way into the city.

As we ran back to the TARDIS, Donna tried to help anyone who would listen, "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...!" She saw a little boy crying alone and she went to him, "Come here."

The boy's mother snatched him away from Donna, "Give him to me!" Then she and the boy ran away.

Donna stood there crying, devastated at what she was seeing, "Come on." I said as I went up to her and grabbed her hand. I took her back to my uncle and we headed for Caecilius' villa.

We got to the villa and we saw Caecilius and his family huddled together. The man looked at us, "Gods save us, Doctor!" The Doctor and I just staired at the man. Then we turned and went in the TARDIS.

"You can't" said Donna.

The Doctor and I prepared to start the TARDIS when Donna came in, "You can't just leave them!"

"Don't you think we've done enough?" I said, "History's back in place and everyone dies."

"You've got to go back! Doctor, I am telling you, take this thing back!" Shouted Donna, The Doctor doesn't answer he relased the break and the console room shuttered as we started to dematerialize. "It's not fair." She said.

"No, it's not," said The Doctor quietly.

"But your own planet, it burned."

The Doctor looked at her, "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!" Then softer, "I can't."

"Just someone. Please. Not the whole town. Just save someone."

The Doctor looked at her. Then he looked at me, "What do you think?" he asked.

I thought for a moment, "I think the universe could handle saving 4 people."

Donna smiled as we returned to Caecilius' villa. The Doctor ran to the door and held out his hand. "Come with us."

Caecilius and his family stood with The Doctor, Donna, and I on a hill over looking Pompeii as we watched it being covered in ash, smoke and fire. "It is never forgotten, Caecilius." said The Doctor, "Oh time will pass, men will move on, and stories will fade, but one day... Pompeii will be found again... in thousands of years... and everyone will remember you."

"What about you, Evelina?" asked Donna, "Can you see anything?"

"The visions have gone," she said.

"The explosion was so powerful, it cracked open a rift in time," I said, "Just for a second. That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative. But not anymore. You're free."

"But tell me... who are you, Doctor? Teddy?" asked Metella, "with your words... and your temple containing such size within?"

"Oh, we were never here. Don't tell anyone," he said.

"The great go Vulcan must be enraged. It's so volcanic. It's like some sort of... Volcano," said Caecilius as his voice broke, "All those people…" He turned and hugged his wife as Quintus took a hold of his sister's hand. The Doctor and I turned and headed back to the TARDIS.

A few moments later, Donna entered, as we were preparing for departure, "Thank you." she said.

"Yeah." said my uncle. He paused then continued, "You were right. Sometimes we need someone."

"Welcome aboard," I said.

"Yeah," said Donna.

We all smiled at each other as The Doctor started the TARDIS on her way.

A/N: A Happy New Year to all my readers. I do like to hear what you all think of this story and I would like to hear your thoughts about Teddy regenerating. Also, what do you think of the prediction for Teddy's future?