Let's just say . . . it will be necessary to read the interlude following this chapter. };) Keep the comments coming to find out who Alice's next sibling is!

Here's "The Fires of Pompeii!"

***

The Doctor looked out of the TARDIS to see where they were, then grinned triumphantly. "Ancient Rome!" he announced, pulling the Alchemist out, Donna bringing up the rear. "Well, not for them, obviously. To all intents and purposes, right now, this is brand new Rome."

"Oh, my God," Donna looked around, obviously stunned. "It's . . . it's so . . . Roman! This is fantastic!"

"I hope it's Roman," the Alchemist quipped as the Doctor laughed at Donna's fascination. "That'd be an interesting thing to add to the list of failed places the Doctor has tried to travel to."

"Hang on, you're keeping a list?!" the Doctor looked at her incredulously.

"Yes," the Alchemist smirked, then listed off on her fingers. "Cardiff, one year late, seeing Rose's father die, 1879, parallel world, Elizabeth's coronation - "

"Hang on, the parallel world was not my fault!"

"I'm here, in Rome," Donna continued freaking out as the Time Lords bickered. "Donna Noble, in Rome. This is just weird! I mean, everyone here's dead!"

That broke their small feud up. "Well, don't tell them that!" the Doctor snickered.

"Hold on a minute," Donna frowned, seeing a sign. "That sign over there's in English. Are you having me on? Are we in Epcot?"

"No, no, no, no, that's the TARDIS translation circuits," the Doctor shook his head. "Just makes it look like English. Speech as well. You're talking Latin right now."

Donna stared at him. "Seriously?"

"Mmm."

"I just said seriously in Latin?"

"Yes, you did," the Alchemist grinned at her enthusiasm.

"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," the Doctor frowned. "You have to think of difficult questions, don't you?"

"I'm going to try it," Donna said, going over to a fruit seller.

"What do you think?" the Alchemist asked the Doctor.

He tilted his head back and forth. "Can't sound too different. Italian."

She shook her head. "It's got to sound slightly off. I bet Welsh."

"Five quid?"

"You're on."

"Afternoon, sweetheart," the seller smiled at Donna. "What can I get you, my love?"

"Er . . . " Donna cleared her throat. "Veni vidi vici."

The Doctor cringed as the Alchemist laughed hysterically. "Huh?" the seller blinked. "Sorry? Me no speak Celtic. No can do, missy."

"You owe me," the Alchemist sang loftily.

"Oh, shut it," the Doctor sighed, shaking his head. He should know by now not to make bets with his Bonded. She'd win every time.

"Yeah," Donna drawled as she headed back. "How's he mean, Celtic?"

"You sound Welsh," the Alchemist giggled as they walked on through the market.

"Don't our clothes look a bit odd?"

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head. "Ancient Rome, anything goes. It's like Soho, but bigger."

"You've been here before, then?" Donna looked at him.

"Mmm," he nodded. "Ages ago. Before you ask, that fire had nothing to do with me."

"So are you blaming it on me, then?" the Alchemist raised an eyebrow.

"We'll compromise," he conceded.

"Fair enough," she kissed his cheek.

"Anyway, we haven't got the chance to look around properly," the Doctor told Donna. "Coliseum, Pantheon, Circus Maximus . . . you'd expect them to be looming by now. Where is everything? Try this way," he went down a street.

Donna frowned as they emerged. "Not an expert . . . but there's seven hills of Rome, aren't there? How come they've only got one?"

The Alchemist blanched when she saw the mountain, then grabbed onto the Doctor when the ground started shaking. "Here we go again!" a man shouted.

The Doctor quickly wrapped his arms around the Alchemist before she could fall anymore, then grabbed Donna with his spare hand, though he didn't know if she needed it. If she didn't, she didn't say; she was too busy staring at the mountain in horror. "Wait a minute! One mountain, with smoke. Which makes this - "

"Pompeii," the Doctor said hoarsely. "We're in Pompeii . . . and it's volcano day!"

***

They knew where they left the TARDIS. The only problem when they pulled the curtain back was - "You're kidding," Donna stared. "You're not telling me the TARDIS has gone!"

"OK," the Doctor blinked.

"Where is it, then?"

He looked at her. "You told me not to tell you."

"Oi! Don't get clever in Latin!"

The Alchemist ran back to the vender Donna had talked to before. "Excuse me, there was a big blue wooden box, just over there," she pointed. "Where's it gone?"

"Sold it, didn't I?" the vender grinned.

The Alchemist stared at him. "You sold it."

"Yes."

"But it wasn't yours to sell!"

"It was on my patch, weren't it? I got fifteen sesterces for it. Lovely jubbly."

"Listen, mate," the Alchemist grabbed him by the collar and yanked him towards her, narrowing her eyes. "Who the hell did you sell it to?"

He swallowed. "Old Caecilius, big villa on Foss Street. Can't miss it."

"Thank you," she said sweetly. "Now, why the hell did he want to buy a big blue wooden box?"

***

After splitting up to search, the Doctor was the one who got them back together. "I've got it," he grinned. "Foss Street's this way."

"Brilliant," the Alchemist nodded.

"Well, I found this big sort of amphitheater thing," Donna pointed back where she'd come from. "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?"

"What do you want a bell for?" the Doctor frowned.

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

The Alchemist checked her watch. "It's 79 AD, twenty third of August. That makes volcano day tomorrow."

"Plenty of time," Donna smiled. "We could get everyone out easy!"

"Yeah, except we're not going to," the Doctor shook his head.

"But that's what you do," Donna frowned. "You're the Doctor and the Alchemist. You save people."

"Not this time," the Doctor shook his head again. "Pompeii is a fixed point in history. What happens, happens. There is no stopping it."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

"What, and you're in charge?"

The Doctor looked out of the corner of his eye to see the Alchemist pinching the bridge of her nose. "TARDIS, Time Lord, yeah."

"Donna, human, no," Donna shook her head. "I don't need your permission. I'll tell them myself."

"Alchemist, Time Lady, hell no," the Alchemist retorted, grabbing her arm and dragging her off, making the ginger squeak and the Doctor smirk. "If you stand in the middle of the market, announcing the end of the world, hey presto, you're a mad old soothsayer. We are getting the TARDIS, and we are getting out of here."

"Well, I might just have something to say about that, Supergirl!"

"Yeah, I bet you will!"

The Doctor laughed, following after them with his hands in his pockets. Oh, that was brilliant.

***

The ground started shaking as they approached Caecilius's villa. "Positions!" a man's voice called.

The Alchemist ran forward, just in time to catch a marble bust before it hit the floor. "There you go," she grinned, putting it back.

"Thank you, kind ma'am," the man who called out approached, obviously Caecillius. "I'm afraid business is closed for the day. I'm expecting a visitor."

"But that's us, we're visitors," the Doctor smiled. "Hello!"

"Who are you?"

"I am . . . " He paused. "Spartacus."

Donna nodded. "And so am I."

The Alchemist rolled her eyes. "I'm the Alchemist."

Caecilius looked between the Doctor and Donna. "Mr. and Mrs. Spartacus?"

Both of them blanched, making the Alchemist laugh. "Oh, no, no, no," the Doctor shook his head wildly. "We're not . . . we're not married."

"We're not together," Donna threw in for good measure."

"Oh, then brother and sister?" Caecilius looked between them, the Alchemist still giggling. "Yes, of course, you look very much alike."

Both of them blinked, looked at each other, then turned back to Caecilius and asked at the same time, "Really?"

That just made the Alchemist laugh harder. "About time you had a sibling, Doctor!" she grinned at him.

The Doctor considered, looking at Donna. She was a lot like him in some ways . . . His thoughts were interrupted when Caecilius started speaking again. "I'm sorry, but I'm not open for trade."

"And what trade would that be?" the Doctor asked.

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

"That's good," the Doctor smirked, holding up his psychic paper. "That's good, because I'm the marble inspector."

"By the gods of commerce, an inspection!" the woman in the room gasped. "I'm sorry, sir. I do apologize for my son."

Said son glared at her when she took his goblet of wine and poured it elsewhere. "Oi!"

"And this is my good wife, Metella," Caeciliius added. "I must confess, we're not prepared for a - "

"Nothing to worry about," the Alchemist smiled charmingly. "I'm sure you've nothing to hide."

"Although," the Doctor headed off to a corner of the room, where the TARDIS was, "frankly, that object looks rather like wood to me."

"I told you to get rid of it!" Metella hissed to Caecilius as he ran over.

"I only bought it today," Caecilius retorted.

"Ah, well," the Doctor shrugged. "Caveat emptor."

"Oh, you're Celtic," Caecilius wrinkled his nose. "There's lovely."

"Told ya," the Alchemist sang.

The Doctor merely stuck his tongue out at her. "I'm sure it's fine," he told Caecilius, "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?" Donna tilted her head innocently.

"Well, whatever do you mean, Spartacus?" the Alchemist narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, this lovely family," Donna waved at them. "Mother and father and son. Don't you think they should get out of town?"

"Why should we do that?" Caecilius frowned.

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

"What?"

"Volcano," she enunciated.

"What ano?"

"That great big volcano right on your doorstep!"

"Spartacus, for shame," the Alchemist marched over and grabbed her arm, yanking her towards an altar to the side. "We haven't even greeted the household gods yet."

"They don't know what it is," the Doctor explained quietly as he joined them. "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," Donna rolled her eyes. "They can learn a new word as they die."

"Donna, stop it!"

"Listen, I don't know what sort of kids you two'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."

"What, and it's our fault Vesuvius kills him?" the Alchemist raised an eyebrow.

"Right now, when you're not doing anything about it? Yes," Donna retorted.

The Alchemist growled low in her throat, ready to give Donna a piece of her mind, when someone announced, "Announcing Lucius Petrus Dextrus, Chief Augur of the City Government."

"Lucius!" Caecilius grinned as a middle-aged man wearing a cloak over the right half of his body entered, looking very stern. "My pleasure, as always."

"Quintus, stand up," Metella jabbed her son in the hip.

"A rare and great honor, sir, for you to come to my house," Caecilius bowed, holding out his hand for a shake.

Lucius didn't shake it. "The birds are flying north, and the wind is in the west."

"Quite," Caecilius's smile froze. "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," Metella gushed. "It's an honor!"

"Pardon me, sir, I have guests," Caecilius waved to the time traveling trio. "This is Spartacus, the Alchemist, and, er . . . Spartacus."

"A name is but a cloud upon a summer wind," Lucius sniffed.

"But the wind is felt most keenly in the dark," the Doctor tilted his head, staring Lucius down.

"Ah," Lucius lifted his chin. "But what is the dark, other than an omen of the sun?"

The Doctor rocked on his heels. "I concede that every sun must set," he began.

"Ha!" Lucius grinned smugly.

"And yet the sun of the father must also rise," the Doctor finished, smiling innocently.

"Damn," Lucius appraised him as the Alchemist beamed proudly, kissing the Doctor's cheek. "Very clever, sir. Evidently, a man of learning."

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

"He's Celtic," Caecilius explained.

"We'll be off in a minute," the Alchemist smiled, heading for the TARDIS.

"I'm not going," Donna refused to budge.

"You've got to," the Doctor scowled.

"Well, I'm not!"

"Then I'll do it," the Alchemist grabbed her wrist, ready to tug her over.

"The moment of revelation, and here it is," Caecilius said. The Doctor looked back and blinked, seeing what Caecilius had unveiled. "Exactly as you specified. It pleases you, sir?"

"As the rain pleases the soil," Lucius smiled.

"Oh, now, that's different," the Doctor said loudly, drawing the girls' attention back over as he examined the stone tablet carved almost like a circuit board. "Who designed that, then?"

"My Lord Lucius was very specific," Caecilius answered.

"Where'd you get the pattern?" the Alchemist stared at it.

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

"But that looks like a circuit," Donna frowned.

"Made of stone," the Alchemist confirmed.

"Do you mean you just dreamt that up?"

"That is my job, as City Augur," Lucius nodded.

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

"Excuse my friend, she's from Barcelona," the Alchemist smiled tightly, tugging her back to explain. "This is the age of superstition," she whispered. "Official superstition. TheAugur is paid by the city to tell the future. The wind will blow from the west?" She snorted. "That's the equivalent of the ten o'clock news."

"They're laughing at us," a young girl's weak voice said, and startled, they turned to see a pale young girl had entered, wearing a yellow dress and pointing at the Alchemist. "Her, she uses words like a trickster. She's mocking us."

"No, no, I'm not," the Alchemist shook her head. "I meant no offense."

"I'm sorry," Metella straightened. "My daughter's been consuming the vapors."

"Oh, for gods, Mother!" Quintus gasped, running to look at his sister. "What have you been doing to her?"

"Not now, Quintus," Caecilius glared.

"Yeah, but she's sick! Just look at her!"

"I gather I have a rival in this household," Lucius narrowed his eyes. "Another with the gift."

"Oh, she's been promised to the Sibylline Sisterhood," Metella said, proudly showing off the eyes inscribed on the backs of her daughter's hands. "They say she has remarkable visions."

"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," Donna glared at him.

The Alchemist snickered, but paused when the ground rumbled slightly. "The Mountain God marks your words," Lucius frowned. "I'd be careful, if I were you."

"Consuming the vapors, you say?" the Doctor asked the young girl, tilting his head.

"They give me strength," she nodded.

"It doesn't look like it to me."

"Is that your opinion . . . " She tilted her head. "As a doctor?"

He did a double take. "I beg your pardon?"

"Doctor. That's your name."

"How did you know that?"

"And your beloved, with so much knowledge of the impossible," she looked at the Alchemist. "We call them . . . alchemists. That is your name."

"Wow," she blinked.

"And you," she turned to Donna. "You call yourself Noble."

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

"No, no, no, let her talk," the Doctor folded his arms,

"You all come from so far away," Evelina narrowed her eyes, as if she was trying to see clearer.

"The female soothsayer is inclined to invent all sorts of vagaries," Lucius sniffed.

"Oh, not this time, Lucius," the Doctor shook his head. "No, I reckon you've been out-soothsayed."

Lucius tilted his head. "Is that so, man of Gallifrey?"

He blinked. "What?"

"The strangest of images. Your home is lost in fire, is it not?"

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

"And you, daughter of London," he looked at her.

"How does he know that?"

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

"That's impossible."

"Doctor," Lucius turned to him. "She is returning."

"Who is? Who's she?"

"But as the younger returns," Lucius turned to the Alchemist, "so the tenth must fall."

She blanched. "Excuse me?!"

"And you, daughter of London," Lucius turned to Donna, "there is something on your back."

"What's that mean?" Donna twisted to check.

"Even the word Doctor is false," Evelina mumbled, growing paler. "Your real name is hidden. It burns in the stars, in the Cascade of Medusa herself. You are a Lord, sir. You and your Bonded . . . a Lord and Lady of Time."

She collapsed, and everyone save Lucius surged forward to help her. "Evelina!" Metella cried.

***

"She didn't mean to be rude," Metella said later as she wiped her daughter's brow with a wet rag, Donna sitting with her. "She's ever such a good girl, but when the gods speak through her . . . "

"What's wrong with her?" Donna asked, hearing the hesitation.

"An irritation of the skin. She never complains, bless her. We bathe it in olive oil every night."

"What is it?"

"Evelina said you'd come from far away. Please . . . have you ever seen anything like it?"

She unwrapped one of the cloths around Evelina's forearm. Donna leaned forward to touch the dark rash on it, and she blanched. "It's stone!"

***

"Different sort of hypocaust?" the Alchemist asked as the Doctor removed the grill.

"Oh, yes, we're very advanced in Pompeii," Caecilius nodded. "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?"

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

"Didn't you think of moving away?" the Doctor asked.

"San Francisco," the Alchemist pointed out.

"That's a new restaurant in Naples, isn't it?" Caecilius asked, tilting his head.

The Doctor frowned, leaning down closer to the hypocaust. "What's that noise?"

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

"But after the earthquake, let me guess . . . is that when the soothsayers started making sense?"

"Oh, yes, very much so," Caecilius nodded. "I mean, they'd always been - "

"Wrong?" the Alchemist said dryly.

"Let us say 'imprecise,'" Caecilius scowled. "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."

"You'd think they'd say something about tomorrow," the Alchemist frowned.

"Why should they?"

The Alchemist winced. "Just wondering. So they haven't said anything?"

"No. Why?"

"No reason. Just thought I'd ask."

"So the soothsayers, they all consume the vapors?" the Doctor looked down into the hypocaust.

"That's how they see," Caecilus confirmed.

"Ipso facto," the Doctor mused before reaching down inside.

"Look, you - !" Caecilius made to stop him.

The Doctor pulled his hand out, revealing the handful of crumbled rock he held. "They're all consuming this."

"Dust?" Caecilius breathed, stunned.

"Tiny particles of rock," the Alchemist corrected, looking at the hypocaust in horror. "They're breathing in Vesuvius!"

The Doctor quickly tossed the bits of rock to the side and walked over to where Quintus lounged, drinking from his wine. "Quintus, me old son, this Lucius Petrus Dextrus, where does he live?"

"It's nothing to do with me," Quintus shook his head, taking another drink.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes, but the Alchemist walked behind Quintus. "Quintus," she smiled, taking his wine goblet with one hand and producing a gold coin from behind his ear with the other. "Can you show us where he lives?"

The Doctor growled warningly as Quintus eyed not just the coin, but her, appreciatively. "Down, boy," the Alchemist smirked.

"Yes, Namara."

***

"Don't tell my dad," Quintus begged as the trio walked through Pompeii in the darkness of the night, Quintus holding a torch.

"Only if you don't tell mine," the Doctor answered, jumping onto a pile of crates and opening the shutters on Lucius's window. He climbed inside and held out a hand to the Alchemist. With the other, he beckoned to Quintus. "Pass me that torch."

Quintus did, and the Doctor helped the Alchemist inside. As she helped Quintus in, the Doctor aimed the torchlight into various spots around the room. He took in the glowing red hypocaust, then pulled a curtain by the wall aside. He blinked as he took in several marble tiles, all carved like circuit boards. "The liar!" Quintus glared. "He told my father it was the only one!"

"People lie," the Alchemist shrugged.

"Plenty of marble merchants in this town," the Doctor agreed. "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?" Quintus asked.

"The future, Doctor," Lucius's voice answered, and the three of them turned to see Lucius entering with guards. "We are building the future, as dictated by the gods."

***

"You're not supposed to laugh!" Donna accused Evelina playfully as the girl laughed at her. "Thanks for that. What do you think?" She struck a pose and tossed her purple shawl over her shoulder, having changed into a robe. "The Goddess Venus."

"Oh, that's sacrilege," Evelina giggled.

"Nice to see you laugh, though," she smiled, sitting down. "What do you do in old Pompeii, then, girls your age? You got mates? Do you go hanging about round the shops? TK Maximus?"

"I am promised to the Sisterhood for the rest of my life," Evelina answered.

"Do you get any choice in that?"

"It's not my decision. The Sisters chose for me. I have the gift of sight."

"Then what can you see happening tomorrow?" Donna tilted her head, curious to see if Evelina knew.

"Is tomorrow special?"

"You tell me. What do you see?"

Evelina closed her eyes. "The sun will rise. The sun will set." She opened her eyes again. "Nothing special at all."

Donna took her hands. "Look . . . don't tell the Doctor and the Alchemist I said anything, because they'll kill me, but I've got a prophecy, too." Evelina snatched her hands away and covered her eyes. "Evelina, I'm sorry, but you've got to hear me out. Evelina, can you hear me? Listen - "

"There is only one prophecy," Evelina shook her head.

"But everything I'm about to say to you is true, I swear. Just listen to me. Tomorrow, that mountain is going to explode. Evelina, please, listen, the air is going to fill with ash and rocks, tons and tons of it, and this whole town is going to get buried."

"That's not true!"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but everyone's going to die. Even if you don't believe me, just tell your family to get out of town, just for one day, just for tomorrow, but you've got to get out. You've got to leave Pompeii."

"This is false prophecy!" Evelina lowered her hands and glared furiously at her.

***

"Put that one there," the Alchemist guided the Doctor through arranging the circuit boards. "That one there . . . keep that one there."

The Doctor backed away, nodding when he saw how it looked. "And what we got?"

"Enlighten me," Lucius answered.

The Alchemist snorted. "What, the soothsayer doesn't know?"

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

She groaned. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that. It's an energy converter."

"An energy converter of what?"

"I don't know."

"Isn't that brilliant?" the Doctor grinned. "I love not knowing."

"I don't," the Alchemist scowled.

"But it keeps us on our toes."

"Fair enough," she admitted with a grin.

"It must be awful being a prophet," the Doctor looked at Lucius, "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?"

Lucius scowled. "I think you've babbled enough."

"Oh, I think we've babbled plenty," the Alchemist narrowed her eyes. "Can't you see we're on your side? We can help."

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

"Oh, morituri te salutant," the Doctor raised an eyebrow as the guards drew their swords.

"Celtic prayers won't help you now," Lucius shook his head.

"But it was her, sir," Quintus pointed at the Alchemist. "She made me do it! Mr. Dextrus, please, don't!"

"Come now, Quintus, a little bit of dignity in the face of death," the Alchemist smiled. "Your victory is respected, Lucius," she bowed to the man, holding out her hand. "Shake on it? Come on, dying woman's wish?" Lucius just scowled, so she sighed. "Fine." With a hand motion, she used the Vortex to whip off his cloak. With the other hand, she made a slashing motion, and a wave of Vortex energy made the hand and forearm of Lucius's stone arm fell to the ground. "Petrus Dextrus. It was all in the name. Stone right-hand."

"The work of the gods," Lucius narrowed his eyes, showing his entire right half was made of stone.

"He's stone!" Quintus stared.

"'Armless enough, though," the Doctor tried to joke, but winced when the Alchemist glared at him. "No?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Whoops. Quintus?"

Quintus threw the torch at the guards, and another slash of Vortex energy from the Alchemist sent the circuit boards crashing to the ground. The Doctor hopped out the window and gestured for the other two to follow. "Come on! Run!"

The Alchemist stumbled, wincing as she wrung her hand out. Quintus grabbed her arm and helped her along until they found a crossroad in one of the streets. "No sign of them," the Doctor checked behind them. "Nice little bit of allons-y. I think we're all right."

"But his arm, Doctor," Quintus looked at him. "Is that what's happening to Evelina?"

The ground rumbled, and the three of them looked down. "What was that?" the Doctor asked.

"The mountain?" Quintus asked as it happened again.

"No, it's closer," the Alchemist tilted her head, listening. "And rhythmic . . . footsteps," she realized, eyes wide.

"It can't be!" Quintus's eyes widened.

"Not if they're underground!"

"What is it? What is it?"

The Doctor took the Alchemist's arm and ran off, Quintus sprinting after them, hypocaust grills blowing off as they passed.

***

"Caecilius!" the Doctor shouted as he ran inside, the others following. "All of you, get out!"

"Doctor, what is it?" Donna asked as she and Evelina came in.

"I think we're being followed," the Alchemist answered, then leapt back as the hypocaust grill flew off. "Get out!"

Before they could, the ground around the hypocaust cracked open, and Evelina blanched as a creature made of stone and fire broke out. "The gods are with us!"

"Water," the Doctor muttered. "We need water. Quintus!" he turned to the young man. "All of you, get water. Donna!"

"Blessed are we to see the gods," the eldest servant stepped forward, staring in awe at the creature as Quintus and Donna rushed to obey, the other servants following.

The creature turned to the servant, opening his mouth, but the Alchemist lifted a hand, and a Vortex cage surrounded the creature. It roared, attempting to tear free, but the Alchemist narrowed her eyes, her pupils glowing gold, her hair seeming to flare like fire as she kept her concentration, though she was visibly shaking with the effort. "Talk to me!" the Doctor ordered, stepping forward as Caecilius pulled his servant back. "That's all I want. Talk to me! Just tell me who you are. Don't hurt these people. Talk to me! I'm the Doctor. Just tell me who you are!"

"Kasterborous," the Alchemist whimpered, her skin starting to glow gold with the effort.

The Doctor's eyes widened as he turned to her, terrified, when Quintus and the other servant returned, scooping water from the fish pond with buckets and throwing them onto the creature just as the cage fizzled out. The Alchemist's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell backwards, just in time for the Doctor to run back to her and catch her before her head hit the floor. "Why do you have to be so selfless?" he accused, voice cracking.

Evelina quickly grabbed a cloth rag and drenched it with the water from the pond, running over to the Alchemist to lay it on her forehead, ignoring the creature solidifying and crumbling to the floor moments later. She gasped, pulling one of her hands back, the other staying on the cloth. "She's burning!"

"I know," the Doctor shook his head. "And I'm terrified one day, she might just turn to ashes."

"One day, everyone must stare into the face of death," Evelina looked at him. "Everyone must then face the raven."

"What was it?" Caecilius stared at the crumbled remains of the creature.

"Carapace of stone, held together by internal magma," the Doctor looked over. "Not too difficult to stop, but I reckon that's just the foot soldier."

"Doctor, or whatever your name is, you bring bad luck on this house," Metella accused.

"I thought your son was brilliant," the Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to thank him?" Evelina went to do just that, Quintus smiling at her. "Still, if there are aliens at work in Pompeii, it's a good thing we stayed," he mumbled to himself before realizing someone wasn't there. "Donna?" he looked around. "Donna? Donna!"

***

She couldn't believe her luck. "You have got to be kidding me!" she glared up at Spurrina, the soothsayer that currently had her tied to an altar, a knife in her hand.

"The false prophet will surrender both her blood and her breath," Spurrina declared.

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

"You will be silent!"

"Listen, sister, 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've finished with you! Let me go!"

"This prattling voice will cease forever!" Spurrina raised her knife.

"Oh, that'll be the day," the Doctor snorted loudly from where he was leaning against the doorway, snickering as he watched. Despite the horrible situation, he couldn't help but be proud of Donna for being . . . Donna.

"No man is allowed to enter the Temple of Sibyl!" Spurrina accused.

"Well, that's all right," the Doctor sauntered in. "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?" he asked Donna.

"Oh, never better," she rolled her eyes, but managing a small smile. "Where's the Alchemist?"

"She stayed back to watch the others," he answered easily. More like they were watching her.

"Ah."

"I like the toga," he eyed it.

"Thank you. And the ropes?"

"Yeah, not so much," he chuckled, using his sonic screwdriver to cut them.

Spurrina stared in awe. "What magic is this?"

"Let me tell you about the Sibyl, the founder of this religion," the Doctor turned to her. "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?"

"Yes," Spurrina glared, lunging. "A knife that now welcomes you!"

"Show me this man!" a stern voice ordered.

Spurrina instantly stopped and turned to a veil behind the altar, the other soothsayers prostrating themselves on the ground. "High Priestess, this stranger would defile us!"

"Let me see. This one is different. He carries starlight in his wake."

"Oh, very perceptive," the Doctor eyed the shadow of a woman behind the veil. "Where do these words of wisdom come from?"

"The gods whisper to me."

"They've done far more than that. Might I beg audience? Look upon the High Priestess?"

Two Sisters stood and drew the veil back, and Donna's breath caught as she looked upon a woman completely made of stone, but still living. "Oh, my God! What's happened to you?"

"The heavens have blessed me," the High Priestess answered.

"If I might?" the Doctor asked, holding out his hand. She held hers out in reply, and the Doctor took it, examining her. "Does it hurt?"

"It is necessary."

That didn't answer my question, he thought. "Who told you that?"

"The voices."

"Is that what's going to happen to Evelina?" Donna asked. "Is this what's going to happen to all of you?" she looked at the other soothsayers.

"The blessings are manifold," Spurrina held out her forearm, made of stone, the other soothsayers revealing similar maladies.

"They're stone," Donna breathed.

"Exactly," the Doctor nodded. "The people of Pompeii are turning to stone before the volcano erupts. But why?"

"This word, this image in your mind, this volcano," the High Priestess tilted her head. "What is that?"

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

"High Priestess of the Sibylline."

"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 my mind. You know it's not. I demand you tell me who you are."

"We are awakening," she answered, but another, much deeper voice spoke with her own.

"The voice of the gods!" Spurrina gasped.

"Words of wisdom, words of power," the soothsayers chanted behind her, eyes wide. "Words of wisdom, words of power."

"Name yourself!" the Doctor ordered, standing. "Planet of origin, galactic coordinates, species designation according to the universal ratification of the Shadow Proclamation!"

"We are rising!"

"Tell me your name!"

And finally, she said it. "Pyrovile!"

"Pyrovile!" the sisters chanted. "Pyrovile! Pyrovile!"

"What's a Pyrovile?" Donna frowned.

"Well, that's a Pyrovile, growing inside her," the Doctor nodded at the High Priestess. "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," the High Priestess said.

"I warn you, I'm armed," the Doctor warned, pulling out . . . a plastic water pistol. "Donna, get that grill open."

Donna looked over at it. "What for?"

"Just - !" Donna nodded and ran over to it. "What are the Pyrovile doing here?" he asked the High Priestess.

"We fell from the heavens," the High Priestess answered. "We fell so far and so fast, we were rendered into dust."

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

"We have slept beneath for thousands of years."

"OK, so seventeen years ago woke you up, and now you're using human bodies to reconstitute yourselves. But why the psychic powers?"

"We opened their minds and found such gifts."

"OK, that's fine, so you fore yourself inside a human brain, use the latent psychic talent to bond. I get that, I get that, yeah, but seeing the future? This is way beyond psychic. You can see through time. Where does the gift of prophecy come from?"

"Got it," Donna said, pulling the grill off.

He didn't look at her. "Now get down."

"What, down there?" she stared at him.

"Yes, down there!" he huffed. "Why can' this lot predict a volcano? Why is it being hidden?"

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

"Yeah, but it's got sting!" He squirted water at the High Priestess, who moaned in pain. "Get down there!" he ran to Donna.

She quickly obeyed, and the Doctor was right behind her. "You fought her off with a water pistol!" Donna stared at him in awe. "I bloody love you!"

"Taken," the Doctor shook his head, pointing. "This way!"

"Where are we going now?"

"Into the volcano."

"No way!"

"Yes way! Appian way!"

***

"Sunrise, my love," Caecilius smiled as he blew out the candles, the sky lightening. "A new day. Even the longest night must end."

"The mountain's worse than ever," Quintus frowned.

"We killed a messenger of the gods in our own house," Metella looked at Evelina. "Sweetheart, can you see?" Evelina looked up from where she'd been watching over the Alchemist, the Time Lady having woken a few times since the Doctor left. She was sleeping in short bursts now. She'd be waking up soon again. "Tell us. What's going to happen?"

"Just leave her alone," Quintus scowled.

Evelina took a shaky breath and closed her eyes. "I can see . . . "

"What is it?" Metella leaned forward.

Evelina gasped, her eyes opening wide. "A choice," she breathed in horror. "Someone must make a choice . . . the most terrible choice."

***

"But if it's aliens setting off the volcano, doesn't that make it all right for you to stop it?" Donna asked as they continued on.

"Still part of history," he shook his head.

"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?"

"Because that's how Alice and I see the universe," the Doctor looked at her. "Every waking second, I can see what is, what was, what could be, what must not. That's the burden of the Time Lords, Donna, and we're the only ones left."

Donna folded her arms. "How many people died?"

"Stop it," he turned away.

"Doctor, how many people died?"

"Twenty thousand," he ground out.

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

Something roared ahead of them, and the Doctor was extremely grateful for the distraction. "They know we're here," he said. "Come on."

***

After a bit more walking, they emerged in a huge cavern, Pyroviles of multiple sizes lumbering about. "It's the heart of Vesuvius," the Doctor looked around. "We're right inside the mountain."

"There's tons of them," Donna looked around.

"What's that thing?" the Doctor squinted to see, then pulled out a monocular.

"Oh, you better hurry up and think of something," the Doctor scowled. "Rocky fall's on its way."

"That's how they arrived," the Doctor lowered the monocular. "Or what's left of it. Escape pod? Prison ship? Gene bank?"

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

"Oh, it's worse than that," the Doctor shook his head.

Donna eyed a Pyrovile walking towards them. "How can it be worse? Doctor, it's getting closer."

"Heathens defile us!" Lucius called, and they spun to see him overlooking the cavern, pointing at them. "They would desecrate your temple, my lord gods!"

"Come on," the Doctor took Donna's arm.

"We can't go in!" Donna stared across at the construction the Doctor had seen.

"Well, we can't go back!"

"Crush them!" Lucius ordered. "Burn them!" As the two of them hurried to get across, a Pyrovile reared up in front of them. The Doctor just squirted water at it, destroying it. "There is nowhere to run, Doctor and daughter of London," Lucius called when they made it to the construction.

"Now, then, Lucius, my lords Pyrovillian, don't get yourselves in a lather," the Doctor began, then winced. "In a lava? No?" he looked over his shoulder at Donna, who scowled. "No," he decided. "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," Lucius answered. "An almighty empire, bestriding the whole of civilization."

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

"The Heaven of Pyrovillia is gone."

"What do you mean, gone?" the Doctor frowned. "Where's it gone?"

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

"Yeah, I should warn you, it's seventy percent water out there."

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

"Then the whole planet is at stake," the Doctor nodded. "Thank you. That's all I needed to know. Donna?"

She followed him into the construction, huffing as he locked the door. "Could we be any more trapped?" She shuddered when the heat increased suddenly. "Little bit hot."

"See?" the Doctor waved at what the circuit boards connected to. "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."

"But can't you change it with these controls?" Donna looked them over.

"Of course I can, but don't you see?" He looked sick. "That's why the soothsayers can't see the volcano. There is no volcano. Vesuvius is never going to erupt. The Pyroviles are stealing all its power. They're going to use it to take over the world."

"But you can change it back?"

"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."

Now Donna looked sick. "Oh, my God."

"If Pompeii is destroyed, then it's not just history. It's me. I make it happen."

"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."

Donna stared at the lever the Doctor had his hands on, then nodded and put her hands of his. "Never mind us." The Doctor looked at her, stunned, and she nodded supportively, squeezing his hands. "Like Caecilius said. Brother and sister."

"Yeah?" he asked, surprised she thought that.

"But I'm the big sister," she compromised.

He laughed. "Well, Alice started out with a big brother. Suppose it's only fair I get a big sister."

"Pull that lever, Kasterborous, and get yourself and your sister back here," the Alchemist sent telepathically, and she could feel her determination. "And for God's sake, suck it up."

The Doctor send a thank you to her, then looked at Donna, his big sister, and she nodded. Together, the two of them pushed the lever down.

The next second, they were catapulted to the sides of the pod as it rocketed up.

***

The Alchemist had enough time to grab Quintus and Evelina and pull them to the ground, just before a loud crack sounded, followed by multiple rumbles and a rapidly darkening sky. "The future is changing," Evelina whimpered.

"The sky is falling!" Caecilius looked up at the cascades of rocks falling to the ground, shielding his eyes as darkness fell.

"Death," Evelina sobbed, the Alchemist tightening her grip on her. "Only death!"

"Out! Out!" Caecilius ran towards the entrance. "Everybody out! Quickly!"

"Wait!" the Alchemist shouted as Metella ran after him. "Don't go out there!"

Caecilius was outside for a split second, but then he came back in, choking.

***

"It was an escape pod," the Doctor looked out at the pod when they landed.

Donna blanched, seeing the ash rolling down the side of the mountain, then grabbed the Doctor's hand, tugging him on.

***

The Alchemist looked at Caecilius and Metella as they backed away, then looked at the two teenagers shaking in her arms. Something inside of her twisted, and gritted her teeth, making a decision to trust the Vortex. "Once in a while, someone lives," she decided, standing up. "Come on, you two." Confused, they warily took her hands, and she pulled them to the TARDIS. "Caecilius! Metella!" she gestured with one hand, opening the TARDIS doors with another; Quintus and Evelina gasped when they saw the inside. "Come on!"

Caecilius hesitantly reached for her hand, and she took it, pulling him to his feet and pushing the family into the TARDIS.

***

The two of them ran through the streets of Pompeii, people screaming around them. "Don't!" Donna told people, seeing they were heading in a different direction. "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 hurried to a little boy, who was crying hard. "Come here."

"Give him to me," a woman who had to be his mother took him back.

"Come on," the Doctor took Donna's hand and ran towards Caecilius's villa.

Donna frowned, seeing the family was gone. "Where've they gone?"

"Easy," the Alchemist poked her head out, looking pale, but she was smiling. "Once in a while, someone lives."

The Doctor laughed loudly, kissing the top of her head and running inside to the controls, the four humans standing with their arms around each other, looking around in shock. "Someone lives!" he whooped as the Alchemist sent the time rotor going, Donna smiling proudly at them.

***

"It's never forgotten, Caecilius," the Doctor told the man later as they stood watching Pompeii be covered, Donna with Metella, the Alchemist with her arms around Quintus and Evelina. "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."

"Are the visions gone, Evelina?" the Alchemist asked the girl, rubbing her back.

"They're gone," she nodded shakily.

"The explosion was so powerful, it cracked open a rift in time, just for a second," the Doctor nodded. "That's what gave you the gift of prophecy. It echoed back into the Pyrovillian alternative, but not any more."

"You're free," the Alchemist smiled at her.

"But tell me," Metella turned to him. "Who are you, Doctor? With your words and your temple containing such size within."

"Oh, we were never here," the Doctor shook his head. "Don't tell anyone."

"The great god Vulcan must be enraged," Caecilius whispered. "It's so . . . volcanic. It's like some kind of . . . volcano." His voice broke. "All those people!"

Metella sobbed, and he hugged her tightly. The Alchemist patted the children on the back and watched them join their parents, then went with the Doctor and Donna into the TARDIS. "Thank you," Donna told the Alchemist.

"I meant what I said," she nodded. "Once in a while, someone lives."

"You were right," the Doctor smiled at his companion, his sister. "Sometimes, we need someone." He held out his arms. "Welcome aboard."

"Yeah," Donna smiled, giving him a huge hug.

The Alchemist smiled sadly, watching the two of them. The Doctor now had a sibling, and she was very grateful for that . . .

But how would she be able to see Jack again if she died sooner than the Doctor had diagnosed?

And what the hell would happen if Rose ever found out?

***

Next interlude, Smith/Noble family bonding time, and the Alchemist makes a horrible discovery.