Fixing The Problems

Stones Of Venice - Continue From Part Four

"Our Lady!" Vincenzo said as he got on his knees.

"Oh, do get up off your knees, you ridiculous man. I can't bear your drooling." Lavish rolled her eyes.

"You are returned to us. You are resurrected."

"I was never dead, you dolt. Any halfwit could see that." Lavish retorted. "I've been highly amused by you all. Running around stabbing each other on my account. It should be rather flattering, but I'm afraid I end up thinking what ridiculous and savage creatures you all are."

"They are reunited. The Duke and the Duchess are reunited as the prophecy foretold." Vincenzo said.

"And that's enough of that, by the way." Lavish said, sharply. "I have to say I'm appalled at all this mythology that sprung up in my absence. What's the matter with you all? You find a mystery, and you plug it with all kinds of obfuscating nonsense. Chanting and sacrifices indeed." She told them.

"I tried to have the cult stamped out. I knew you would never approve." Orsino explained.

"And you, what have you done in the last hundred years?" Lavish questioned him this time. "Sitting around and moping. What a waste of time. I grant you extra life and you waste it, Orsino. You've squandered everything I ever gave you, including myself." She said, sounding a bit disappointed and hurt.

"But, because you're together now, the city will be saved? Is that part of the prophecy true? Will you doom my people?" Pietro asked.

"Your people. What a bunch of mutant upstarts." Lavish said, obviously not a fan of them. "Charley, while we've got a moment, I must congratulate you. You did a rather good job of impersonating me in my youth." She praised Charley.

"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you warn us sooner who you were? All of this could have been averted." Charley questioned.

"It was the way things were always meant to be. The prophecy had to be played out." Vincenzo said.

"Nothing had to be played out." Celestia groaned in annoyance. "Can't you people see? Won't you ever learn? There's no such thing as prophecy or fate. There are true events. Things that happen, and things that have to happen, and none of us can escape those. None of us can, and that's bad enough. I know that." She explained.

"We don't have to invent myths to make it all worse. We don't have to create terrible destinies. We come to them sure enough. I thought my own people were bad enough with their legends, and their myths of great and terrible happenings, but you lot take the biscuit. The fates you encounter are all down to yourselves. You make it all up yourselves." The Doctor continued for her.

"Everything that has happened here is down to the capricious wills of two people amongst us, Estella and Orsino." Celestia looked at the pair, accusingly.

"You two are responsible for all of this." The Doctor said as well.

"I know all of this, thank you, Doctor, Celestia." Lavish said, rolling her eyes.

"Then do something about it, Miss Lavish. Try to put it right. That's what the Doctor and Celestia are telling you. It's all in your hands now." Charley tried to reason.

"My dear, as the High Priest here would no doubt tell you, if he wasn't scrabbling on the ground at my feet, the curse itself is quite irrevocable. I did quite a thorough job of damning this city to destruction, and my ex-beloved with it. I couldn't put things right if I tried." Lavish said.

"That's it, then." Churchwell sighed in defeat.

"I'm rather afraid it is. The lagoon will be left to the amphibious upstarts, and good luck to them." Lavish said.