Wow, more followers than I expected for my first story! Thank you! Congratulations to my first reviewer, GoldenEnderHawk!

Also, to bgeiner, I wasn't able to find the story you were talking about... Lyrics? Who's it by?

On with the second chapter!

(Disclaimer: I own no lyrics of the song 'Renegades', that belongs to XAmbassadors, nor do I own any characters of Doctor Who. I'm just playing with them, and they belong to the BBC. Gallifrey and its characters also belong to the BBC, they are not mine. The game Sepulchasm also belongs to them and I am just borrowing it.)


All hail the underdogs

All hail the new kings

All hail the outlaws

Speilburgs and kubricks


The Doctor bent down to tend to Clara once the Master was gone. She was refraining from crying, and doing a very good job of it, too. Her face was calm, not like you'd expect one to be in this situation. With a shove and a click, her shoulder popped back into place. There was a cut on her lip from where the Master had slapped her, as well as a defining red mark on her cheek.

"Are you okay?" The Doctor asked worriedly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know he knew you."

"I'm f-f-ff-fine, sir," Clara managed to get out. "You didn't k-know."

"Take a break," the Doctor said. "Return when you're ready." He helped Clara up and she left.

Great Lords of Gallifrey she's beautiful. Clara, with her tanned skin and dark hair, her bright eyes... Her scars, and what they said about her. He even loved the way she stuttered. He thought it was cute. And the way Gandosafroliwinataradru had taken to her, she was probably a natural with animals. And not to mention she was good looking around certain other areas.

He sighed and broke out of his reverie. She's a slave, Theta. You can't have her. After River...

Before he could stop it his mind took him to a distant memory.

He was a little boy of about sixty seven years of age. Ah, so young. He, too, had once been a slave in the Time Forges, though not because of the Time War. His mother once had been a sepulchasm player, and she sold everything she could in order to play some more, to win. Every night, she'd assure Theta, It's okay. Tomorrow, we'll win, and we can get out of this barn.

They never did, mainly because his mother wasn't very good at it. Sepulchasm was a complex board game played by adult Time Lords. It could be played by up to six players, and required heavily developed physic abilities. The board itself resembled a relief map of a mountainous Gallifreyan region, upon which were set pieces modelled on the Great Houses. Each piece was colour-coded to match a path on the board.

An eight-sided die was used to move the pieces, and when the die showed the number 45, the player(s) would cry "Sepulchasm!" and the centre of the board would split open to reveal a chasm. The aim of the game was then to prevent the player's piece from falling into the chasm by telekinetically suspending it above the board. The player lost when they lost concentration.

His mother eventually sold everything she had to pay off her debts- even her son. He was sold to a cruel man called Borusa, who was head of Gallifreyan education. There, he met a Time Lady named River Song, who he fell in love with. River was a rebel, and she did the tiniest things that would mess up an operation as a whole. He learned many of his tricks from River.

One day, River went too far with Borusa, and she got a beating that killed her. Theta swore to himself he'd never marry, but now with Clara... He was rethinking that dedication.

But for now, he had other things to attend to.


Clara looked back at the door before going upstairs to her room. She sat on the floor and Gandosafroliwinataradru crawled into her lap, sensing her sadness.

"I don't know," Clara admitted to her only friend. "I think I love him, but..."

Gandosafroliwinataradru purred sadly.

"And he called me property," she said. "What does that mean? Was it just for Master, or... am I really just property to him?"

Gandosafroliwinataradru growled something at her, and Clara seemed to understand. "Yeah, I don't have to call him Master any more. I belong to the Doctor." It would be weird saying it if she hadn't said something along those lines a million times before.

"I'm a slave," she said, more to herself than Gandosafroliwinataradru. "I'm not allowed to love."

"But you do it anyway," a voice said from in front of her. It was Madame Vashtra. Clara made to stand up, as was expected of slaves in front of superiors, but she was waved down. Gandosafroliwinataradru mewled angrily about being dumped off her spot. Vashtra sat down with Clara on the floor.

"I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and you are to answer with one word. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Clara said in a soft voice, almost saying 'mistress' after it, but they were one word answers, so... She hoped she wouldn't get in trouble. Actually, she wasn't sure if Vashtra was her mistress. She mentally filed it away under 'Questions to Ask Later'.

"What do you want, more than anything?"

Clara thought for a moment.

"Freedom."

"What are you afraid of, more than anything?"

She gave the same answer. "Freedom."

"Then why do you want it?"

Clara thought longer this time, trying to summon up all the words into one.

"Control?" It came out more of a question.

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

"...Telling."

"Control of what?"

Clara cocked her head to one side.

"If you could have freedom, have control over your life, what would you control?" Vashtra spelled it out for her.

"Desicions," Clara decided.

"Because everyone makes them for you?"

"Yes."

"What if you were never freed?"

Clara tried to make it sound as though it was a fact of life. "Alright."

"It sounds like there's more to that statement," Vashtra smiled.

"Yes."

"Go on."

Clara struggled to find the right word. "Unwanted," she said finally.

"You'd be fine with it, but you still wouldn't like it?"

"Yes."

"Interesting. Are you afraid of love, Clara?"

Startled though she was, she answered yes.

"Why?"

She knew the answer to this one. It was easy. "Slave."

"And slaves aren't allowed to love, yes?"

"Yea."

"Thank you for your time, Clara. I do have a feeling that if you go talk to someone, he could help. He is a doctor, after all." She turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Clara looked at the door, absently petting Gandosafroliwinataradru. "Should I go talk to him?" She asked her faithful friend.

Gandosafroliwinataradru shook her head no.

"Yeah, you're right. I can get through this."

Gandosafroliwinataradru made a sound that sounded like a growl and a sneeze.

"Oh, do you think so?"

Gandosafroliwinataradru twittered.

"Well, I suppose it was just a suggestion... but if I don't want to, then I don't have to until ordered."

Gandosafroliwinataradru growled at her.

"Alright, I won't talk to him."

Gandosafroliwinataradru settled in her lap more comfortably and they both sat there until the intercom rang throughout the house: "Servant lunch is ready! Be in the kitchens in five minutes. Clara and Rose, wherever you are, come now."

Clara sighed. "Come on, Gandosafroliwinataradru, it's lunchtime."


Clara made her way down the stairs with Gandosafroliwinataradru perched on her shoulders. It was quickly becoming her favorite spot. Clark's belly growled; it had been three days since she'd eaten, and being at the auction for two of them really didn't help.

She reached the kitchens the same time as Rose did. Jackie, Rose's mum, had two plates ready, one for the Doctor and one for Madame Vashtra. Gandosafroliwinataradru jumped off her shoulders in search of food for herself.

"I'll take the one to Vashtra," Rose volunteered. "Make a plate for me, will you, Jack?" Rose left, and Clara was stuck taking the plate to the Doctor.

Jack grinned at her. "I'll make a plate for you, too, sweetheart. Are you allergic to anything?"

"No," Clara said, and she took the plate and made her way to the Doctor's office. The door was open, and after checking he wasn't in there, she placed the tray on the table.

The door swung closed.

Clara turned around and standing there was the Doctor. He looked like he had just gotten out of a blender.

"947," he said. He laughed. A high, cold, menacing laugh. This wasn't the Doctor she was used to.

"D-Doctor?"

"Shhhhh..."

He walked over to her, slowly, and placed a finger on her lips.

"Little Clara, small midget sized Clary," he said in a singsong voice.

"Uh... Doc-Doctor?"

"I SAID QUIET!" He slammed his hands on the desk, making Clara flinch. The door suddenly flew open, and there was Jack, Mickey, Rose and Vashtra. The Doctor swung around to them. Drunkenly he took two steps forward, his blue eyes looking around wildly. He mussed his grey hair. Vashtra took charge.

"Doctor, really, you must stop drinking when you're upset." The Doctor laughed and turned back to Clara. Jack then took this opportunity to tackle the Doctor from behind (or at least try to, he missed and knocked himself out).

Rose yelled at the Doctor to stop, and Mickey tried to go in for a punch. Neither worked, and Mickey ended up on the floor next to Jack.

"Clara, climb over the desk, right now and hide under it," Vashtra commanded, then pressed the intercom button and called for Jenny and Strax.

Strax came bearing a grenade, which Madame Vashtra said he could not use inside the house, and Jenny showed up with a samurai sword. Together they fought the Doctor until he, too, lay next to Mickey and Jack.

"Rassilon," Clara said in response to the amazing display.

"All in a day's work, dear," Vashtra replied.


~~~Back in the Kitchen~~~

"Here, eat this, it will make you feel better," a now conscious Jack said to her. He handed her a bar of a dark looking substance that smelled faintly sweet.

"What is it?"

Jack looked at her strangely, as did everyone else in the Kitchen. "You've never had chocolate?"

"Ah... no? I don't think so, at least."

"Well, try some and see what you think. I'll get your food." Clara broke off a square and put it in her mouth. It tasted sweet and a little bitter at the same time. "Mmmmmm," she said. "I like it."

"Makes ya feel better, dunnit?" Jackie asked her as she passed with a pot filled with... something.

"Yeah," Clara laughed.

"Are you sure you're alright, dear?" Vashtra asked her again.

"Yes, m'am, I'm fine. Just a little shaken, is all, m'am," Clara replied. She had been through worse. "How's Mast- err... The Doctor?"

Vashtra sighed. "He is being taken care of in his TARDIS. I daresay she'll take care of him."

Clara nodded and Jack came back with her food. Roast beef, sweet potatoes, and a salad! She'd never had so much food in her life!

"This is all for me?" She asked in astonishment. "Wow. I've never gotten this much food before." Jack smiled a little sadly at her then went to get his own food.

"Excuse me, m'am?" Clara asked. "I was... I was wondering what you meant when you said he drinks when he's upset."

Vashtra rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I am afraid that is not my place to say," she said. "You should ask him about that, not me."

"Okay. Sorry for asking, m'am."

"Well, you seem to have lost your stutter," Vashtra said. "Is that a good thing?"

"Really? I didn't notice!" She laughed. "That's so cool. Well, losing the stutter is a good thing, m'am, but how I lost it is not, I think."

"Ah, well," Vashtra replied, "Sometimes bad things make good things happen. I'm going upstairs. I need a break. Jenny? Will you come with me?"

"Yes, m'am," Jenny said (Clara thought it was a little too eagerly) and they both went upstairs. After Clara finished her delicious lunch and chocolate, she went to help Donna and Jackie with the dishes. After that, it was almost time for everyone to go to bed, so she grabbed Gandosafroliwinataradru and went upstairs. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she and Gandosafroliwinataradru were out.