Wake up, Seven said.

Wait- Four said urgently. Don't open your eyes.

Listen. Feel. Assess, One instructed.

Don't tell him what to do, One, Eight said.

I led us better than any of me, he shot back.

Six interrupted. Just kill them with fabulousness.

CAN I SHUT UP! The Doctor yelled inside his consciousness to his past selves. I'm listening.

"-should have been me! There is no family llama in here."

Glospin, Five said unhelpfully.

"Give him back and we'll do you no harm," said another- Clara!

"...Theta or the family llama?"

They're so uptight about that llama, Two said.

Yes, thank me, we know, Nine sassed.

"The Doctor," she said.

"Come to challenge us, have you?" Footsteps. "Come and get him, then."

"Oh, no worries," a new voice said. "I'll take her off your hands." A struggle. Muffled screams. Silence.

The Master! Three gasped as the Doctor drowned them all out, thinking only of one thing.

Clara.

The Doctor opened his eyes, and desperately tried to call out to her- but the gag in his mouth disabled any kind of contact. His hands and feet were bound as well, and as the fastest Time Lord of his years, he didn't like being kept down all that much. Angrily he turned his attention to his arch nemesis.

The Master, in his Gallifreyan military suit, was grinning with a hint of evilness in his eyes and holding an unconsious Clara in his arms. Her head lolled as he moved to adjust her, making the Doctor furious. He strained against his bonds, to no avail.

"So human," he said. "Why did I sell her again?"

"Gfvf hwr fax," the Doctor tried to say through his gag

"Give her back," said Owin, translating. Owin? When did he get here?

"Oh, I would," the Master said, setting Clara down and striding over to the Doctor. "But... Understand, I don't want to get too tied up in knots about this."

The Doctor glared and strained to get out of his bonds once more, grunting with the effort.

"Ah, ah," the Master said, placing a finger lightly on a knot just below the Doctor's shoulder blade. He froze instantly, unable to move so long that finger was there.

Oh, but it feels so good, all the Doctors argued.

"Oh, now that's just not fair," Owin said, rubbing his own shoulder self-consiously.

"Shut up," the Master shot back. He knelt and caressed the Doctor's face. "You know, Doctor, I do enjoy those nerve clusters, don't you? They're so fun to play with."

The Doctor obviously didn't respond.

"Freezing in heated times does nothing. If you just hand her over willingly..." the Master trailed off.

"The thought makes me want to gag," Owin said, unable to resist. The Doctor glared.

"Anyway," the Master said after high-fiving Owin, "We have about an hour before the feast, and I could use a head start." He removed the finger and the Doctor was able to breathe again, and he rested against his ropes, knowing full well that if he restrained, he'd lose all mobility again.

Shame how we still go to putty in his hands when he's the one in control, more than one Doctor said in his head.

It's because we obey, he thought involuntarily.

ωΗιcΗ ï§ gøøð, a new presence said in his mind, and left just as quickly as it had come. The Doctor shook his head confused before he was bombard with images of his past. Things he didn't want to remember. He began to shake with the images coming so frequently and so heavily; his mind could barely hold two consciousnesses, let alone images from one bombarding him.

As the images flashed before his eyes, he realized they were about him. That unlocked his own memories, ones he did not want to see get them out get them out!

Just as suddenly as they'd come, they left. The Doctor moaned through the gag, feeling a headache approaching.

The Master knelt beside him again, smiling.

"Good night," he said, placing pressure onto the nerve cluster, and he faded into blackness.


"Ohhhhh, my head," the Doctor groaned, rolling his neck. "Oh, gods, what was that?" His hands automatically went up to his head, and he was surprised to find he'd been freed.

"That would have been me," the Master said. But it wasn't the Master, it was a hologram previously recorded. "Just thought you should remember all the great times we had."

His view was then blocked by Glospin. "I'll let dear Cousin Owin choose who to save."

Owin frantically looked between him and Clara. Finally, he wrestled Glospin out of the way and untied the still unconscious Doctor.

"Is that what I look like from the back?" He mused.

The Master looked towards the camera filming the hologram.

"I told you I'd get her back," he said, grinning, "And now I have. What are you going to do?" He stuck his lip out in mock worry.

Suddenly, music began playing very loudly from the Hall-they were missing the feast. Each House representative had to be there, and the House of Lungbarrow was late.


"And now, will each of the Heads of Houses please stand up?"

The Master and the other Heads stood and presented themselves to Rassilon. "Give your blessing," he instructed.

Some sort of color appeared and waved itself around the couple.

The Rani stood, the representative of Brightshore. "I call upon Juno, that she may bless you in all you do." A new color weaved itself around them.

Next stood the representative from the House of Jade Dreamers, and gave their blessing. A greenish color surrounded them.

Next came Juisprudence, where blue circles weaved around the wedded couple.

"Lungbarrow!"

Silence.

Rassilon cleared his throat. "Lungbarrow!"

They waited for a millisecond before the Doctor came running in, holding a basket of rose petals. "Sorry, sorry!" He ran up to the couple. "Sorry, my humblest of apologies to the Bride and to the Groom." He knelt and kissed their feet.

"Give your blessing," Rassilon said, clearly grumpy.

"Yes, My Lord," the Doctor said, standing. He faced the couple, throwing petals over them as he explained.

"These are petals of the rose," he said. "My favorite flower. Legend has it that when in the presence of a rose, love will last forever."

He pulled out one last petal and covered it with both hands, making gold and pink light appear and lazily wrap itself around the petal.

"Hold on to this," he said, kneeling. He bowed his head, placing both palms above himself, holding the single glowing petal. The Bride took it and he kissed their feet once more, then said, "So is the blessing of Lungbarrow." The light from the petal joined the other colors.

The Houses of Oakdown and Redlooms came next, each giving a blessing and a color.

All together the colors swirled, and the Doctor watched as it became a bright, shining bubble that twisted and wrapped around the two, finally bonding them together.

After everything settled, Rassilon shouted, "It is done!"

And now, the Doctor was going to get some food before returning to find Clara.


Clara woke in a small, cramped space, with ropes tied around her and binding her to a chair.

Instinctively, she was still; she'd woken in this situation more than once. Once she figured nobody was there, judging from the cheering in the Hall, she worked to untie her ropes.

A few minutes later, she was rubbing her raw wrists and pushing along a cart of cleaning supplies to make it look like she was doing something. She got to the kitchen and frantically looked for Amy.

"Amy!" She hissed to the Prydon-colored girl. She motioned her over frantically.

"What?" Amy asked. "We're supposed to be working, where have you been?"

"I got caught up," Clara said. "I saw the Doctor get dragged away, and then someone knocked me out and I woke up in a closet."

Amy's eyes widened, flicking to the door and back to Clara. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you would've gotten in?" She asked. "One of the officials could walk in here any minute."

At just that moment, because they were so lucky that the Gallifreyan Fates loved them, the door opened with a bang and Clara was fast enough to look busy carrying some dishes next to her over to the sink. She didn't know if they were actually dirty, but it would have to do.

Amy, however, wasn't so lucky. The official caught her off guard, standing blankly in the middle of the kitchen. He stepped over to her in that menacing villain way and she stared at him for a heartsbeat before looking down.

"Well well," he snarled, and his accent reminded Clara of an Earth Scottish accent. "What do we have here?"

He placed his hand under Amy's neck and tilted her head so he could look at her. "Thought you were too good for work, did ya?"

"No, sir," Amy said.

He levels his glare. "Then why're you standin 'round doing nothing, eh?"

Amy opened her mouth to respond, but he closed it with his hand and Clara could hear the click.

"I don' care," he said. "All I know is tha a bad slave needs to be punished."

He forced Amy to her knees, and by this point all the noises in the kitchen had stopped to watch them. Amy trembled, her brain clearly remembering what life was like before the Doctor. She braced herself as a swift kick landed in her side and knocked her over onto the dirty floor, gasping for breath. Clara barely managed to keep silent as well.

"Work," he said, kicking her again, this time in the ribs. "That is all you are created for. Do you hear me? Work!"

His kicks got more violent, and Clara tried to look away, but Amy's gaze caught hers.

"You are useless without us!" He yelled, and Clara could already see the bruises forming on her friend. "You would be nothing if we have you nowhere to work! Nothing!"

He lifted his foot to deliver a blow to her face, but Clara stupidly stepped out and shouted, "Wait!"

The official set his foot down and slowly turned to face the line of workers.

"Who said that?" He snarled, and Clara swallowed before she stepped out of the line.

"Me," she said.

He stepped over Amy, who curled in on herself prospectively. "Why would ye say anything, when ye have no right ta?"

Clara shuddered at his tone. "B-because," she said. "It's n-not her f-fault."

He rolled his neck and she resisted the ingrained instinct to bow her head. "What innt?"

"Not- not working, sir," she said.

"Why?" He pushed his face into hers. "Why would ye say anythin'?"

"She doesn't des-deserve my p-punishment, sir," Clara said, eyes closed fearfully. A gasp rippled through the room, but the official silenced them with an irritable wave of his hand.

"Your punishment?" He said incredulously. "Why 's it yer punishment? Ye were working when I came in, so why is anythin' yer fault?"

"I stole her job, sir," she said in barely more than a whisper, finally hanging her head.

"But if she ge's the punishment and not ye, why would ye care?" He asked, hand on his belt.

"Be-because," Clara stuttered out, "She's my sister."

"Ah," the official said softly. "And ye would do anythin' for yer sister, would ye not?"

She saw Amy mentioning at her to stop, but she didn't. "Yes, sir, I would."

He pulled out an electric taser. "An' if I were to offer her mercy if ye took the punishment, would ye agree?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then come 'ere," he snarled, and placed the shocker on the base of her neck. Clara cried out as she fell to the floor from the voltage.

"Up," he said, powering it again. Clara managed to stand and he repeated the process, making her fall again.

"Ye wanted to pay it!" He shouted at her groan. "Ye've got it. Up!"

Clara gritted her teeth and grasped the counter and pulled herself up. This time, he swung the taser like a baseball bat towards her, and knocked her forward, hitting her head on the counter she'd just used to pull back up.

The door opened but nobody paid attention. Slowly Clara got up once more, bleeding from the head wound.

"Still want it?" The official teased. Clara stared him in the eye.

"If it stops her from getting it."

He grinned and shocked her in the back of the knee, leaving one leg useless. She got up with some effort and stood on one leg, ready to receive the next blow.

He poised to swing, but a voice stopped him.

"What are you doing?" The voice asked, and Clara nearly sighed with relief at recognizing who it was.

"Bad slave," the official said, turning to face the man. "Just givin' 'er the punishment she-"

"That is my slave," the Doctor said frighteningly. "I shall deal with her as I see fit."

"Yes sir, but-"

"No," the Doctor cut him off. "My slave, my punishment. What did she do?"

"Well," the official started, "Tha' one over there weren't working when I came in, so's ah had to punish her as fit, see."

The Doctor looked over at Amy, still lying on the floor with multiple bruises on her face and arms and other places he couldn't see.

"So why are you punishing that one?" He pointed to Clara.

"Well, she says to me to give 'er the punishment, 'cause tha's her sister, ri' there." He pointed to Amy. "So's this one got ou' of it, and this one got it instead." He pointed to Clara.

Clara searched the Doctor's face for something to tell her that he truly wasn't angry for saving Amy and taking her place, but she found no such thing in the cold blue eyes.

"You get out," he said to the official, who quickly scrammed. The rest of the slaves in the kitchen continued their work as if nothing happened, and the Doctor knelt down to tend to Amy.

"Are you okay?" He asked, offering her a hand.

"Yeah, just a bit bruised," she said, taking it. "I'll be fine."

The Doctor pulled her up. "Come on," he said to both of them, "The ceremony's over; we're leaving."

"What about Lord President Rassilon?" Amy asked.

"To hell with Rassilon," the Doctor said. "You're hurt and it's his fault. He can deal with me later."

Clara stayed silent the whole ride home, bowing her head. She couldn't really help it, it was a defence mechanism when she was afraid. She was very, very afraid. And not just because the Doctor didn't stop her.

The scariest part of all was that he didn't say one word to Clara the entire trip home.


Guess who's back for a limited time only!

ME!

Okay, yes, I've left you hanging. Again. You're probably thinking, "Why didn't the Doctor say anything to Clara? Why didn't he treat her wounds?"

Well, that shall be explained. Soon.

ALSO, ONE OF THE SOURCES I USE FOR THIS SHIT HAS DECIDED TO TAKE DOWN THEIR BLOG AND I AM V ANGRY

Yes, well, anyway, it took a long time to actually write this because I haven't written 2,500 words in a chapter in a very long time, but I hope you like the finished product!

Yes, nerve clusters are a thing in Time Lords, and they're like the little thing on the back of a Sontaran's neck that kill them, except these don't kill the Time Lords, they just freeze them (as shown) and when pressure is executed, it forces them to literally take a nap when they don't want to.

It would be quite useful for humans. Then I could use it on small children.

Nothing harmful, I assure you, but useful for making someone sleep when they don't wanna.

Also: Next Time Preview

"Chei, wait up!"

"Hurry up, Thete!"

They run.

"Are you sure we should do this, Chei?"

Chei smiles seductively. "Of course."

*Wiggles eyebrows* what does the Master have to to with the Doctor's past?