Sixteen

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FATHER OCTAVIAN, the Doctor, River, Amy and Pip had began climbing around fifteen minutes ago, the redhead growing increasingly impatient.

"Are we there yet? It's a hell of a climb" Amy asked the Doctor and River, who were walking ahead of them.

"The Maze is on six levels, representing the ascent of the soul. Only two levels to go, chins up you lot" River told them all, Pip rolling her eyes fondly.

"Lovely species, the Aplans. We should visit them some time" the Doctor smiled.

"I thought they were all dead?" Amy sent Pip a confused glance.

"So is Virginia Woolf. I'm on her bowling team. Very relaxed, sort of cheerful. Well, that's having two heads, of course. You're never short of a snog with an extra head" the Doctor rambled, Pip cringing in disgust.

"Yeah, thanks for that" she replied, still cringing.

"Two heads?" Amy repeated, earning a smack on the arm from Pip.

"Shut up" she glared at the redhead.

"Doctor, there's something. I don't know what it is" River informed him.

"Yeah, there's something wrong. Don't know what it is yet, either. Working on it. Of course, then they started having laws against self-marrying. I mean, what was that about? But that's the Church for you. Er, no offence, Bishop" he looked at Octavian sheepishly, Pip glaring at him.

"Quite a lot taken, if that's alright, Doctor. Lowest point in the wreckage is only about fifty feet up from here. That way" Octavian pointed in the direction of their destination, Amy inwardly wincing. She can't walk any longer.

"The church had a point, if you think about it. The divorces must have been messy"

"Not as messy as they are these days" Pip muttered, Amy hearing this. She took the slightly shorter brunette's hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Pip sent her a quick, short smile.

"Oh" the Doctor mumbled.

"What's wrong? Amy asked him.

"Oh" River mumbled after him.

"What's going on? River, what's wrong?" Pip asked, both turning to look at her and Amy.

"How could we not have noticed that?" River asked herself.

"Low level perception filter, or maybe we're thick"

"You're more than thick, mate, but I'll hold my tongue for now" Pip muttered, the Doctor hearing.

"Not funny, Pip"

"I wasn't trying to be funny"

"What's wrong, sir?"  Octavian asked the Doctor.

"Nobody move. Nobody move. Everyone stay exactly where they are. Bishop, I am truly sorry. I've made a mistake and we are all in terrible danger" he told the soldier, gravely.

"What danger?"

"The Aplans" River spoke up, Octavian turning his head to look at her.

"The Aplans?"

At this, Amy and Pip shared confused glances. The Aplans are dead, aren't they?

"They've got two heads" she replied, as if that would make the penny drop.

"Yeah, we all get that, so what?" Pip chimed in, obviously still confused.

"So why don't the statues? Everyone, over there. Just move. Don't ask questions, don't speak" he instructed sternly.

The group walk over to an alcove, which was a little further away from the statues in question.

"Okay, I want you all to switch off your torches" he told them all.

"Sir?" Another of the soldiers, Marco, was incredibly unsure if the Doctor knew what he was doing.

"Just do it. Okay. I'm going to turn off this one too, just for a moment"

"You're joking, right" Amy looked terrified.

"It'll be fine, Amy" Pip gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, to which she earned a small smile from the redhead.

"Are you sure about this?" River asked, she was obviously now starting to doubt the madman.

"No"

Upon hearing this, Pip threw her right hand up into the air. Way to reassure us all.

The Doctor turns the torch off for a split second, before switching it back on again.

They'd moved. The 'statues' had moved.

"Oh my God. They've moved" Amy points out, Pip rolling her eyes.

"Thanks for that, couldn't see it before, but now I can" she replied sarcastically, earning a playful shove from Amy.

The Doctor had ran off down the passage, and saw that it was filled with the statues slowly, but surely making their way toward them all.

"They're angels. All of them" the Doctor informed them all.

"But they can't be" River said in disbelief.

"Clerics, keep watching them" the Doctor instructed, the clerics saluting out of respect and understanding.

He runs back to a vantage point at the main cavern, and saw more of them, climbing, struggling to reach them. Of course, with great difficulty, for they were stone as of now thanks to the Doctor.

"Every statue in this maze, every single one, is a Weeping Angel. They're coming after us"
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Back at the Enrance Chamber, Bob was still searching for Angelo and Christian. No luck so far, but couldn't give up. He'd never hear the end of it from Father Octavian if he returned without the two soldiers.

"Bob, come and see this" his head jerked upwards, eyes darting around in a desperate attempt to spot the source of the voice. It sounded like Angelo.

"Angelo?"

"Come and see what we've found" Angelo responded, but Bob couldn't see him. Where even was he?

"Are you with Christian? The Bishop said you'd be five minutes" Bob asked him.

"I'm here, Bob. Come and see this"

The only replies he received were simply repeats. Is he okay?

"Where are you?" Bob asks, eyes still searching for the soldier. Soldiers if he were to count Christian, but since he hadn't heard his voice, he assumed he had walked ahead of Angelo.

"Through the arch, Bob. Honestly, you've got to come and see this"

"What have you found?" Bob asked, as he started walking forward once more.

"Come and see" was all he received from Angelo.

"No. What is it?" Bob more so demanded, much less asked.

"Come and see"

Bob was growing impatient, and just decided to find him, see for himself what had interested Angelo.

He walked cautiously into the side chamber. Seconds later, an Angel seized it's chance, pouncing.

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