Fun fact: I feel like this and The Big Bang were the easiest episodes to write for other than the Eleventh Hour because I knew exactly what direction I wanted to go in.

Just thought I'd share that one with you all.

─── ｡ﾟ☆･*.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ───

━━━━━∙⋆⋅⋆∙━━━━━
STONEHENGE AND
THE PANDORICA
━━━━━∙⋆⋅⋆∙━━━━━

River sat alone in her cell. It hadn't been very long since Cassiopeia had left after helping to sneak her out for a small adventure with the trio and now she was paying the price with a guard watching her cell no matter what time of day it was.

It was growing late and River knew that she'd soon have to go to sleep even if she did hate it with the guards watching her. It made her feel like she was back in the American orphanage. If she was going to bed uncomfortable she'd at least write about her adventure with her niece first...

The phone attached to the wall opposite her cell suddenly started to ring and the guard walked up and pulled it off the receiver, putting it to his ear and frowning. "The Doctor?" River's head instantly shot up and her pen fell to her bed. "Do you mean Doctor Song?"

"Give me that." She demanded while jumping up and grabbing hold of the bars of her cell. "Seriously, just give it to me." She ordered trying to stay calm. "I'm entitled to phone calls."

The guard looked behind him for a moment, almost unsure if to believe her, especially after hearing she managed to escape earlier that day... He however complied and handed River the phone through the bars. The blonde turned away from him, holding the phone to her ear. "Doctor?"

"No, and neither are you." A British male voice replied. "Where is he?"

"You're phoning the Time Vortex," River explained suddenly recognising the voice of Winston Churchill. "It doesn't always work. But the TARDIS is smart. She's re-routed the call. Talk quickly. This connection will last less than a minute."

River listened carefully and slowly nodded along in silence. "Doctor Song." The guard huffed after a moment. "Are you finished with that?"

River slowly removed the phone from her ear and smiled, reaching into her front and pulling out her hallucinogenic lipstick. She quickly applied it and spun around, smiling at the guard. "You're new here, aren't you?"

He nodded, almost nervously. "First day."

River's smile saddened slightly as she stepped towards the cell bars. "Then I'm very sorry." She suddenly pulled on his shirt, slamming him towards the bars and kissed him.

A flash of sudden light caused River to jump away from him a moment before he began to stumble around the outside of River's cell.

"Perfect timing." River smiled at the Trio who blinked at the situation they had just walked into "Where are you three?"

"You killed the Doctor but then didn't kill the Doctor." Cassiopeia shrugged.

"So it is very early for you three then." She raised a brow.

Orion nodded. "We knew we had to come here next and get you but not why."

River nodded slightly grimly. "The Doctor and Hollie's in trouble, we need to find them." She looked at the guard who did a small twirl outside the cell, giggling like a school child. "Come on before it starts to wear off on him.

Orion nodded, pulling out his screwdriver and sonicing the cell door, it opened easily and Nova headed inside, pulling out a marker pen before she drew on the wall of the cell. "Sorry Riv, I hope they can get it off."

The other blonde chuckled as she crossed her arms, she tilted her head. "Is that supposed to be me?"

"Yeah..." Nova looked between River and the stick drawing, she added another arm waving. "I'm definitely not an artist."

Orion snorted, tilting his head to look at the stick figure with curly hair from another angle. "You can say that again."

"I got something to add." Cassiopeia quickly stole the pen and added a speech bubble and the word 'bye!' inside it. "There."

River shook her head at them smiling, the three of them made their way out of the cell while the guard frowned at the stick River and quickly pulled out his gun.

Cassiopeia shut the cell door and locked it with her sonic. "Any idea where we need to go?"

"Winston said there's a message for the Doctor and he's in trouble which means so is Hollie."

Orion frowned. "Did he say where we'd find the message?"

"Liz Ten." Was River's only response.

×××

The triplets carefully walked through the hallways of the royal collection in the middle of the night in the year 5145 with River.

Nova followed the map she had downloaded to her phone as Cassiopeia and River took the lead with torches while Orion kept an eye behind them ensuring no one was following.

"Why couldn't we just go to Vincent?" Cassiopeia huffed as she squinted in the darkness. "We have vortex manipulators."

"Remember the story." Orion reminded scoldingly as they reached their destination.

Cassiopeia shone her light on the painting they had been looking for and tilted her head. "Interesting..."

"Come on." Nova hissed as River tore the painting out of its frame.

"Don't tell your mother." She shot them warning looks.

Cassiopeia and Nova mimicked zipping their lips shut while Orion rolled his eyes at the pair. "You're both enjoying this far too much."

Cassiopeia huffed. "Some of us have to be like dad."

"Sorry, I'm worried about our future." He crossed his arms at them.

"I wish I came alone." River sighed. "Let's get out of here."

The triplets nodded in agreement and followed River's lead, the curly-haired blonde heading back out and up a set of stairs.

The four froze as the lights all came on, Orion sighed closing his eyes while the sisters and River looked up the stairs at Queen Liz Ten who was pointing a gun at them.

"This is the Royal Collection, and I'm the bloody Queen." She announced. "What are you doing here?"

"It's about the Doctor, Ma'am," River explained. "You met him once, didn't you? I know he came here."

She smiled. "The Doctor?"

River nodded. "He's in trouble. We need to find him."

"Then why are you stealing a painting?" She questioned.

River held it out to her. "Look at it. I need to find the Doctor, and I need to show him this."

Cassiopeia raised a brow. "Fancy acquiring some time travel of your own Riv?"

Orion, Cassiopeia and Nova watched nearby as River sat down at a nightclub opposite a large blue man. "Well now," he hummed, glancing up at the blonde, "word on the Belt is you're looking for time travel."

River casually looked up at him. "Are you selling?"

The blue man clicked his fingers and an alien in a cloak held out a box. "A vortex manipulator, fresh off the wrist of a handsome Time Agent." He opened the box and looked at the alien unimpressed: "I said off the wrist."

The alien took the box away as the blue man hummed. "Not cheap, Doctor Song. Have you brought me a pretty toy?"

River nodded and took removed one of her earrings, holding it up. "This is a Calisto Pulse. It can disarm micro-explosives from up to twenty feet."

"What kind of micro-explosives?"

"The kind I just put in your wine."

Cassiopeia smirked as she leaned against the wall while the blue man gulped.

×××

The Doctor danced around the console, it had been a couple of weeks since they had left Craig and Sophie and had just returned from meeting Leonardo da Vinci in 1497. "So!" He announced spinning around her before pulling a lever. "Any suggestion on where to go next?"

Hollie frowned. "How far back can we go?"

The Doctor laughed. "How far do you want to go Holls?" He then blinked. "Hold that thought." He suddenly spun around and poked his head under the console. "Vavoom!" He exclaimed.

Hollie frowned mouthing the word as Amy looked up at him. "Va-what?"

"I can't believe I've never thought of this before." He explained as Amy went up to join them. "It's genius." He grinned at the blonde. "And you gave me the idea so thank you Holls."

"Your welcome?" She frowned, not completely sure what she helped him with as the Doctor pulled a lever and the TARDIS shook for a moment. "Right. Landed. Come on." He grabbed Hollies hand.

"Where are we?" Amy asked.

"Planet One." He announced, jumping down the stairs. "The oldest planet in the universe. And there's a cliff of pure diamond, and according to legend, on the cliff there's writing. Letters fifty feet high. A message from the dawn of time And no one knows what it says, because no one's ever translated it." He grinned. "Till today."

"What happens today?" Amy questioned.

"Us. The TARDIS can translate anything. All we have to do is open the doors and read the very first words in recorded history." He smirked pulling the blonde to the doors while Amy followed.

Hollie giggled as they went outside and looked up at the large cliff face and the Doctors face fell as he saw the writing carved into it.

"Hello Holliekins, sweetie." She read a bunch of coordinates were carved into the cliff underneath.

×××

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS first, Hollie and Amy following closely behind. "Right place?" Amy questioned, looking around the grassy hill they had landed on.

The Doctor shrugged, checking his wristwatch. "Just followed the coordinates on the cliff face. Earth. Britain. one oh two am." He frowned looking at the cloudy sky and tapped his watch. "No, pm."

"Maybe try AD?" Hollie suggested looking out at the Roman camp past the hill.

"That's a Roman Legion," Amy stated watching Romans move about the tents.

"Well, yeah." The Doctor said before continuing: "The Romans invaded Britain several times during this period."

"Oh, I know." Amy grinned. "My favourite topic at school. Invasion of the hot Italians."

"You kicked up a fuss when you were marked down on the title." Hollie snickered.

The Doctor shook his head at the two before blinking as a soldier ran up and saluted the Doctor.

"Hail, Caesar!" He knelt by the Time Lord's feet. "Berenice." He nodded at the blonde beside the Doctor.

Hollie blinked while the Doctor eyed the Roman. "Hi." The Doctor replied. He shared a glance with the two girls next to him.

"Welcome to Britain." The roman announced. "We are honoured by your presence."

"Well, you're only human." He remarked. "Arise, Roman person."

"Why does he think you're Caesar?" Amy whispered to the Doctor.

Hollie raised a brow at the obvious pink lipstick smear on the Roman lips.

"Cleopatra will see you now." The Roman soldier nodded at them.

"Cleopatra?" Hollie raised a brow.

The Doctor sighed. "It's got River written all over it."

×××

The Doctor, Hollie and Amy walked into what was 'Cleopatra's' tent but of course, it wasn't really Cleopatra.

"Hello, Holliekins," River greeted. "Sweetie." She smirked under her black wig as she looked at the Doctor who was scowling at her.

Hollie chuckled at the woman. "Nice wig."

"Thank you." She nodded.

"You graffitied the oldest cliff face in the universe." The Doctor scolded.

"Ah, but that wasn't just me." She shrugged. "I had some helpers of course."

In almost perfect timing Orion walked into the tent, dressed in a full Roman uniform, he even had a helmet. "Can I stop pretending to be a Roman now?" He pleaded.

The Doctor shook his head as Cassiopeia and Nova followed, dressed as if they were servants of Cleopatra. "These clothes are itchy," Nova grumbled.

"I quite like them." Cassiopeia did a small twirl for effect, making Hollie giggle.

Cassiopeia then frowned. "Why did we graffiti that cliff Riv?"

"Holliekins wouldn't answer her phone." She hummed.

Hollie blinked and pulled out her phone. "You have my number?"

The Doctor sighed and pulled out his sonic, flashing it at the mobile for a second before the phone beeped and vibrated as notification after notification from River appeared.

"Ah." She nodded. "That explains it. You didn't have the minutes to handle a call across time or space."

River nodded at Orion who nodded back before closing the tent door while River handed out a rolled-up piece of paper. "What's this?" The Doctor asked.

"It's a painting. Your friend Vincent." The Doctor took the painting out of River's hands and walked over to the table nearby, Hollie frowned and followed, looking over his shoulder as he unrolled it. "One of his final works. He had visions, didn't he? I thought you ought to know about this one."

"Doctor?" Amy looked from the Time Lord to the painting as she too walked over. "Doctor, what is this?"

The Doctor stared at the painting, his mouth open in shock as he took in the information in front of him.

"It's a version of the Starry Night painting," Nova explained, looking at Amy before looking back at the painting. "But in this version, it is the TARDIS but it's exploding."

"Why is it exploding?"

"I assume it's some kind of warning," River answered.

"What, something's going to happen to the TARDIS?"

"It might not be literal." Cassiopeia shrugged.

"Anyway," River cut in, "this is where he wanted you. Date and map reference on the door sign, see?" She pointed to it.

The Doctor sighed, sitting down. "Does it have a title?"

Orion nodded. "The Pandorica Opens."

Amy frowned. "The Pandorica? What is it?"

"A box, a cage, a prison," River explained. "It was built to contain the most feared thing in all the universe."

The Doctor shook his head and began to wander around the room. "And it's a fairy tale, a legend. It can't be real."

"If it is real, it's here and it's opening, and it's got something to do with your TARDIS exploding. Hidden, obviously. Buried for centuries. You won't find it on a map."

"What if it was marked?" Orion suggested.

The Doctor pointed at him clicking his fingers. "He's right. If you buried the most dangerous thing in the universe, you'd want to remember where you put it."

Cassiopeia glanced at her siblings. "Trip to Stonehenge anyone?"

×××

It didn't take long to round up four horses with the advantage of 'Cleopatra' being at the Roman legion. The Doctor and Hollie rode the first horse with Orion and Nova on the second, Cassiopeia and Amy on the third and River on the fourth.

The trip to Stonehenge wasn't particularly long either and the Doctor jumped off first and without even a second thought he spun around helping the blonde accompanying him off. Nova snickered to her brother, the pair eyeing the Time Lord and human as they left their horse.

"How come it's not new?" Amy asked as she and Cassiopeia joined the four with River closely behind her.

"Because it's already old." The curly-haired blonde explained. "It's been here thousands of years. No one knows exactly how long."

"Okay, this Pandorica thing." Amy looked at River, the blonde listening as she scanned the stones with a device while the Doctor did the same with his screwdriver. "Last time we saw you, you warned us about it, after we climbed out of the Byzantium and met them." She nodded at the triplets.

The trio glanced at each other with raised eyebrows as River put a finger to her lips: "Spoilers."

"We met them for the first time and missed out on the adventure?" Orion huffed.

"No, but you told the Doctor you'd see him again when the Pandorica opens." Amy continued.

River shrugged. "Maybe I did, but I haven't yet. But I will have." She nodded. "Doctor, I'm picking up fry particles everywhere. Energy weapons discharged on this site."

The Doctor stood on top of one of the stones lying flat on the ground. "If the Pandorica is here, it contains the mightiest warrior in history. Now, half the galaxy would want a piece of that. Maybe even fight over it." He suddenly jumped off the stone and crouched down beside it. "We need to get down there."

"How are we going to do that?" Hollie questioned.

Nova smirked. "I think I have an idea for that one..."

The Doctor raised a brow at her.

×××

It quickly became night time and Nova with River's help placed the final device on the final corner before linking it with River's device.

"Right then," River muttered pressing her device.

They watched as the stone slowly lifted, hovering slightly off the ground before it moved to the side, revealing a staircase.

"The Underhenge." The Doctor remarked, stepping down the staircase first, his screwdriver out and scanning ahead.

Hollie followed after him with Amy, Orion, Cassiopeia and Nova behind with River taking up the rear.

They reached the bottom of the staircase and entered a large chamber. The Doctor used his screwdriver to light a torch. River picked up another and the Doctor lit it with his already lit one.

The group reached a large door. Orion and Cassiopeia lifted the large wooden plank across it, dropping the wood on the floor before they opened the doors revealing a large room, the Pandorica inside with large circular designs, almost like cogs on each face.

"It's a Pandorica." The Doctor whispered.

"More than just a fairy tale," River remarked.

The Doctor stepped forward and looked down as his foot touched something, he shone his torch down and his eyes met a severed Cyberman arm lying on the dusty floor.

Hollie frowned, standing next to the Doctor and she lightly touched his arm making him look at her. "Is that-"

He met her eyes, nodding in confirmation. "Stay close."

She nodded and followed him as he walked over to the Pandorica and lightly touched it, running his fingers along the groves of the circular pattern on one of its faces. "There was a goblin, or a trickster, or a warrior. A nameless, terrible thing, soaked in the blood of a billion galaxies." He told them. "The most feared being in all the cosmos. And nothing could stop it, or hold it, or reason with it. One day it would just drop out of the sky and tear down your world."

"How did it end up in there?" Amy questioned.

The Doctor smirked slightly, winking at the blonde beside him. "You know fairy tales. A good wizard tricked it."

"I hate good witches and wizards in fairy tales," River remarked. "They always turn out to be the Doctor and Hollie." She hummed slightly after briefing pausing. "Although I personally think the three ugly step sisters are worse."

"Oi!" The triplets huffed when River smirked in their direction.

"So, it's kind of like Pandora's Box, then?" Amy guessed. "Almost the same name."

The Doctor stopped running his hand along the box and looked at the ginger. "Sorry, what?"

"The story. Pandora's Box, with all the worst things in the world in it." She shrugged. "That was my favourite book when I was a kid." The Doctor walked over to her, watching the ginger. "What's wrong?"

"Your favourite school topic. Your favourite story. Never ignore a coincidence, unless you're busy. In which case, always ignore a coincidence." He pointed at Hollie.

"So can you open it?" River asked.

"Easily." He looked at her. "Anyone can break into a prison. But I'd rather know what I'm going to find first."

"You won't have long to wait." River looked up from her deivce. "It's already opening. There are layers and layers of security protocols in there, and they're being disabled one by one. Like it's being unlocked from the inside."

"How long do we have?"

"Hours at the most."

"What kind of security?"

River shrugged, reading her device again. "Everything. Deadlocks, time stops, matter lines."

Orion frowned. "What could need all security?" He remarked. "Whatever it is inside, it's powerful."

"What could get past all that?" River asked.

"Think of the fear that went into making this box." The Doctor said aloud. "What could inspire that level of fear?" He lightly touched the box, whispering to it. "Hello, you. Have we met?"

"So why would it start to open now?"

"No idea."

"And how could Vincent have known about it?" Amy asked. "He won't even be born for centuries."

The Doctors eyes widened as he scanned the stone pillars inside the room. "The stones. These stones are great big transmitters, broadcasting a warning to everyone, everywhere, to every time zone. The Pandorica is opening."

Hollie stared at the Doctor as River slowly looked up from the device in her hands. "Doctor, everyone everywhere?"

"Even poor Vincent heard it, in his dreams." He continued. "But what's in there? What could justify all this?"

"He said everyone didn't he?" Cassiopeia asked, swallowing hard.

"Anything that powerful, I'd know about it." He looked at his screwdriver in frustration. "Why don't I know?"

"Doctor, you said everyone could hear it," River said worryingly. "So who else is coming?"

It suddenly hit him, the Doctor tightened his hold on Hollies hand as he whispered. "Oh."

"Oh?" Amy repeated not understanding. "Oh, what?"

"Okay. If it is basically a transmitter, we should be able to fold back the signal." River explained as she began to type into her device.

"Doing it." The Doctor replied, letting go of Hollies hand as he ran around the stones, flashing his screwdriver at them. "You three are welcome to help at any time."

The triplets blinked and Cassiopeia fished out her sonic. "When did you know?"

"Venice." He replied, looking over at Nova for a brief moment.

Orion and Cassiopeia glanced accusingly at their sister. "Hey, thats in my future!" She shot her sibling's returning looks.

"Can you three do this later?" River asked, scanning another stone.

"Rivers right," Orion told his sisters, bringing out his screwdriver and moving to one of the stones.

What are you doing?" Amy asked the Doctor.

"Stonehenge is transmitting," River explained for the Time Lord as he and Cassiopeia used their screwdrivers on a stone. "It's been transmitting for a while, so who heard?"

"Okay, should be feeding back to you now." The Doctor informed. "River, what's out there?"

"Give me a moment." She huffed.

"River, quickly." He demanded. "Anything?"

River swallowed as she read the screen. "Around this planet, there are at least ten thousand starships."

"At least?" Amy questioned through a nervous laugh.

"Ten thousand, a hundred thousand, a million, I don't know. There's too many readings."

"I'm scared to ask but what kind of ships?" Nova questioned.

The Doctor stared blankly and Hollies mouth fell open in horror as they heard the echo of a Dalek announce: "Maintaining orbit."

"Does that answer your question, sis?" Cassiopeia asked weakly.

"I obey." Another Dalek stated. "Shield cover compromised on ion sectors."

"Daleks," Amy whispered. "Those are Daleks."

"Daleks, Doctor," River informed noticing the Time Lord was frozen.

Hollie slowly reached out and took his hand and the Doctor blinked coming out of his trance as he began to pace back and forth dragging the blonde with him. "Yes. Okay, okay, okay, okay." He stopped moving and looked at Hollie. "Dalek fleet, minimum twelve thousand battleships, armed to the teeth. Ah!" He exclaimed suddenly. "But we've got surprise on our side. They'll never expect seven people to attack twelve thousand Dalek battleships."

Orion raised his eyebrows at the Doctor. "We'd be killed instantly."

"You think of something then." He huffed.

Orion shook his head as River cut in. "Doctor, Cyberships."

"No, Dalek ships." He corrected her. "Listen to them. Those are Dalek ships."

"Yes. Dalek ships and Cyberships."

"Well, we need to start a fight, turn them on each other." He shrugged. "I mean, that's easy. It's the Daleks. They're so cross."

"Sontaran. Four battlefleets." River moved to another stone pillar, the sound of the Sontaran's chants coming through the device.

"Sontarans! Talk about cross, who stole all their handbags?" The Doctor remarked.

"Terileptil. Slitheen, Chelonian, Nestene, Drahvin. Sycorax, Haemogoth, Zygon, Atraxi, Draconian." River rolled off. "They're all here for the Pandorica."

The Doctor slowly walked back before spinning around and looking at the Pandorica. "What are you? What could you possibly be?"

The ground shook and the Doctor looked up before he suddenly sprinted back to the stairs and ran up them, Hollie, the trio Amy and River all following him.

They looked up as different spaceships flew around, lighting the night sky. "What do we do?" Amy asked.

The Doctor stood silent, his eyes watching the sky as River looked at him. "Doctor, listen to me. Everything that ever hated you is coming here tonight. You can't win this. You can't even fight it." She huffed as he didn't reply. "Doctor, this once, just this one time, please, you have to run."

"Run where?" He suddenly asked.

"Fight how?" She countered.

The Doctor smiled slightly as an idea suddenly popped into his head and he pulled out a pair of binoculars. "The greatest military machine in the history of the universe."

"What's that?" Hollie asked.

"The Daleks?" Amy guessed.

"No. No, no, no, no, no." He shook his head and turned to them. "The Romans."

×××

The Doctor, Hollie, Nova and Amy stayed at the Pandorica while River went back to Cleopatra's tent with Orion and Cassiopeia, the siblings on one horse while River was on another.

The three stopped outside and got off their horses, a group of Romans walked up to them and grabbed the three before roughly leading them to 'Cleopatra's' tent.

"So." The commander announced as two guards held their swords in a cross in front of the trio. "I return to my command after one week and discover we've been playing host to Cleopatra." He remarked as he strolled around the room. "Who's in Egypt, and dead."

Orion raised his eyebrows as Cassiopeia rocked on her feet and whistled innocently.

"Yes." River nodded. "Funny how things work out."

The Romans all looked up as the ground shook while a spaceship buzzed above them. "The sky is falling and you make jokes." He narrowed his eyes at River. "Who are you?"

River looked back at him narrowing her own eyes. "When you fight Barbarians, what must they think of you?"

"Oh, riddles now."

"Where do they think you come from?"

"A place more deadly and more powerful and more impatient than their tiny minds can imagine." The commander replied.

Without a second thought, River pulled out her gun pointing it at a wooden chair and watched it turn to dust with one shot.

"Where do I come from?" She questioned. "Your world has visitors. You're all Barbarians now."

The commander pointed his sword at River. The twins on either side of her pulled out their screwdrivers, pointing them at the sword and smirked as the Roman dropped the weapon with a cry as they activated the sonics. "What is that?" He narrowed his eyes at the three as Orion and Cassiopeia pocketed the screwdrivers. "Tell me what?"

"A fool would say the work of the Gods, but you've been a soldier too long to believe there are Gods watching over us," River replied harshly. "There is, however, a man. And tonight he's going to need your help."

"Sir?" A voice from outside the tent called. The twins looked at each other briefly.

"One moment." The Commander called as he headed to the other side of the tent. He came back a moment later after quietly speaking with the Roman. "Well, it seems you have a volunteer."

─── ｡ﾟ☆･*.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ───