Doctor Rain Step and the Doctor trotted into the meal place. Unlike the rest of the caverns the Doctor had seen this room was more of a grand hall. The walls made of granite rather than dirt. Great stone pillars held the ceiling in place. Packed earth still served as long tables for the slaves to eat. In the far corner from the entrance there was a half dozen heavily armored diamond dogs curtly handing out child sized wooden bowls of hay, which had somehow acquired a greyish quality, to the mass of ponies that occupied the hall who had yet to grab their serving as they filed past the hulking canine, and even though their stomachs rumbled, they were as enthusiastic as slaughterhouse pigs.
The Doctor began to look around for a familiar fair haired mare that had become his companion. Rain Step turned to the Doctor and asked "Spartacus, what does your friend look like? I might be able to lend assistance if I knew who I was looking for."
"Right, well. She is a light grey pegasus mare with blonde hair," the Doctor answered, not turning away from surveying the large room. Doctor Rain Step began to look around too. After a few minutes of not being able to find Derpy Rain Step cleared his throat to get the Doctor's attention.
"Perhaps we should eat before they stop serving and continue our search afterwards. They'll leave soon and the next meal isn't for another 9 hours."
The Doctor nodded at first then threw a quizzical expression at Doctor Rain Step. "twelve hours? That's a weird time for a meal, isn't it?"
"I suppose so. I believe it's due to the rotation our captures have. The diamond dogs rotate standing guard every twelve hours. Frankly I can't tell them apart but I see them switching out, at noon and midnight, like clockwork."
"Hmm, very observant," the Doctor complemented as he rubbed his chin, pondering that fact for a moment.
"Come on then Spartacus, let's eat quickly so we might find your friend."
"Agreed."
The two had grabbed the small portion of food and now sat across from each other. Doctor Rain Step had begun to hurriedly eat his food, not wanting to have time to properly taste it. The Doctor, however, had taken one bite and had spent the last minute or so just staring down at the bowl.
"It even has a greying taste to it," the Doctor muttered more to himself than to Rain Step. "Are you sure there is no other food around, I'm pretty sure some of this is mold."
"I'm sure, everypony just suffers through it really and most end up alright," Rain Step told him. "As for the mold goes you're probably right, they keep weeks worth of hay stockpiled in a few different rooms and they take out the older food first and with the portions they give out the hay is always too old by they time they get to it."
"Stockpiles of hay?" The Doctor asked.
"Yes ... why? What are you thinking?" asked Rain Step.
The Doctor answered with a mischievous smile and another question "How quickly do you think you could gather together a dozen or two strong ponies willing to give us a han--hoof?"
"Uh, I dunno. Most likely within the hour. Most everypony is in this room eating right now. Why?"
"I have an idea."
"Okay, so you know your part Doctor Rain Step, are you sure you're up for this?"
"Spartacus, I'm not a colt anymore but there is life in this old horse yet. I'm sure I could fly faster than a diamond dog can run, besides it is only one guard," Doctor Rain Step answered confidently.
"Right, you lot, you ready for this?"
"Of course Spartacus. And rest assured everypony we distribute to will know it came from you" answered a pastel blue unicorn buck with a rich green mane.
"Thank you all. Now, let's get this party started."
Rain Step walked around the corner with the two now empty child sized wooden bowls that he and the Doctor had been eating from earlier. A moment later and the sound dull thud of wood on steel as Rain Step threw the two bowls at the diamond dog. The next instant was filled with the sound of heavy paws on dirt and the clanking of the diamond dogs metal armor hitting itself in various places began to echo down the hall as the sound slowly faded into the distance.
"Right. That's our cue," said the Doctor as he rounded the corner. Rain Step had managed to help the Doctor recruit seventeen ponies in all. And each of them had a small cart in tow behind them.
"Now you all know your routes, be sure that as many ponies get fresh food as possible but if you see diamond dogs don't be afraid to drop the cart and run if it's going to be the difference in getting away or getting caught. If you are taken I cannot guarantee your safety. You all understand this?"
The group standing before the Doctor nodded and they began to load up every cart with as much fresh hay as possible, each pony leaving as soon as their individual cart was filled until only the Doctor remained.
The Doctor sat by himself in Doctor Rain Step's admittedly cozy office behind the mound of packed earth that served as his desk. The Doctor had waited for all of forty minutes before Rain Step finally returned to their designated rendezvous.
"You're late doc, I was begging to worry," the Doctor told Rain Step.
"Yes well I got a tad sidetracked. But I do believe it was worth it Spartacus," said Rain Step as he trotted his way over to the desk the Doctor sat behind.
"Oh, how so?"
"I managed to find out where your friend is. Shall we go see her?"
The Doctor was already walking towards the exit and Rain Step followed the Doctor out the door.
"Right then, come on Spartacus. This way." Rain Step said as he began to walk down one of the many corridors. The Doctor followed behind.
"So is the word spreading well enough?" asked the Doctor.
"Oh yes sir. That was just the kind of stupid and reckless thing needed to get you noticed. It seems there isn't a single pony that can stop talking about you, even if it is just in hushed whispers," Rain Step informed him. "Now, let me ask you something Spartacus."
"Certainly."
"No pony, save for the hoof full that helped us out, knows what you look like. How exactly are you going to get the lot of them to know exactly who you are?"
"Oh I have a plan, which is rare for me. Well alright it's not so much a plan as it is a gamble but if the diamond dogs react the way I think they will then it shouldn't be too hard to do," the Doctor told Rain Step. "Now about my companion, why didn't she come back with you?"
"Well it's mostly hearsay but from what I managed to gather it seems she had tried to fly out and was captured again. And if you get captured while trying to escape they lock you up. There is a room up this hall, just a ways further, where I believe they are keeping your friend."
The Doctor slowed his pace slightly and asked "wont there be a guard dog there? Should we be going in with something?"
"No no, I assure you Spartacus that the diamond dogs believe that nopony will be able to get out of the prison they have their. And they'd be right for the most part but I get the feeling you wont be deterred by a locked door."
"Not usually, though I'm missing the tool I need to get through it easily."
"Is that what you were rooting your jacket for earlier?"
"Yes, it is. No matter, how much further?" asked the Doctor.
"Right around this corner."
As the two stallions rounded the corner they found themselves in a circular room with an iron door on the wall, each spaced about two to three feet apart. The Doctor looked around briefly then called out "Derpy, you in here?"
"Doctor?" came the familiar voice the Doctor had been hoping to hear. Before the Doctor could reply the face of the soft grey coated mare was at the window on one of the doors calling out again. "Doctor I'm right here."
"Derpy! Let's see if we can get you out of there."
"I'm sorry, did she just say you were a doctor Spartacus?" asked Rain Step.
"Spartacus?" asked Derpy.
The Doctor smiled at Derpy slightly and just shrugged.
"Why didn't you tell me you had medical experience?"
"I'm not that kind of doctor," responded the Doctor
"Ah, a man of science. That makes more sense," Rain Step said with a nod of understanding.
Derpy looked at the Doctor. Confusion emanating from her.
"I'll explain later, but for now you wouldn't happen to have my sonic screwdriver on you?" The Doctor asked Derpy.
Derpy answered the Doctor with a deadpanned stare.
"Now there is no need for that Derpy, it was simply a question."
"If I did have your sonic screwdriver do you think I would still be in here?"
"Fair enough. But I don't have the sonic with me so we'll have to bust you out the old fashioned way."
Derpy raised an eyebrow and asked "I didn't think you could pick locks Doctor."
Rain Step cleared his throat, distracting the Doctor and Derpy from their conversation. "Or you could simply pull the bolts holding the door to it's hinges."
"Right, we could do that." The Doctor then reached out to the side of the door and swiftly pull the two lengthy bolts from their positions. Derpy pushed the hinge side forward slighty as the Doctor pulled it sideways to move the lock out of it's place in the door frame. Once it was out enough that it wouldn't catch the door as it fell the Doctor backed away from it and said "Alright Derpy, go ahead and push the door over."
Derpy put a forehoof on the door and gave it an easy push. The door gave way easily and hit the ground with a heavy thud, throwing a cloud of dust into the air.
"Does it bother anypony else that it was that easy to open one of these things?" asked Derpy.
"why would it bother me, if it wasn't that easy you'd still be trapped in there and I'd have to go off and find the guard with the key, probably do something incredibly clever to do so, and then make it all the way back over here. No thank you, I think prefer this," stated the Doctor. Derpy half smiled at the Doctor.
Rain Step cleared his throat again.
"You've been doing that a lot, you know that Rain Step. You're a doctor maybe it's worth checking that out yourself. Now Derpy, come one we should get out of here before we are noticed. And perhaps let's keep our heads down this time, just in case. That door did make a pretty loud sound."
The Doctor, Rain Step and Derpy Hooves left the enclosed room and made their way to doctor Rain Step's office in silence. Once they were back they picked their conversation back up.
"Derpy, you haven't happened to see the TARDIS since you've been back have you?"
"No Doc- er ... I mean Spartacus," Derpy responded, risking a glance at Rain Step to see if he noticed her near slip. If he had he didn't show it.
"If I may interrupt Spartacus, but, what is a TARDIS?" asked Rain Step.
"Doctor Rain Step I haven't been entirely honest with you," the Doctor began. "Firstly my name isn't Spartacus, Spartacus is merely a," the Doctor trailed off, moving a hoof in a circular motion as if to stir up his thoughts as he searched for the word he was searching for. "Spartacus is merely a symbol. It's an idea for everypony to rally behind. It's better that they can't put a face to the name. My real name is the Doctor, yes just the Doctor. As for what the TARDIS is well simply put it's how me and Derpy here are going to leave this place. It's a big box, and it's a brilliant blue colour, you can't miss it."
Rain Step seemed to ponder this for a moment before saying "So, you're name is just the Doctor?"
"Well yes but you don't have to add the 'the' if you don't want to."
"Well I- Hello there fella. Is there something the matter?"
The Doctor turned around to see who Rain Step had began talking to and saw a hulking diamond dog in the door way. This one was much larger than the others and he couldn't properly fit through the small opening in the wall that served as the doorway into Doctor Rain Step's office.
When the diamond dog spoke his deep voice seeped into the bones of the trio of ponies before him, "Master talk all po-nays now. You come."
"Yes, we go. Po-nays follow diamond dog now," the Doctor said back.
Derpy shoved the Docter slightly and whispered "don't antagonize the big muscle-y thing that hardly speaks. I think that's a good rule to have from now on. Because he doesn't use words to well so I have to assume he prefers a more physical solution to his problems."
If the diamond dog understood the Doctor's insult or had heard Derpy's hushed chide he didn't show it.
The diamond dog said "come now, follow" before walking away from the door and the trio followed and was greeted with another eight ponies. It didn't take long for the Doctor to realize they were being lead back into the familiar food hall. When they arrived however he noticed the packed dirt tables were gone and at the end that had once been the old hay serving station was not a large dirt stage. On top it were eleven diamond dogs and a pony that had been tied up with rope. Ten of the diamond dogs were the familiar bulky mass covered in iron armour but the eleventh was small and almost scrawny but the way he held himself made it evident that he was in charge. The pony was the familiar pastel blue unicorn that had helped him earlier that day
Off stage was overcrowded to say the least. The mass of ponies made it unbearably hot and uncomfortable but no pony complained. No Pony even spoke a word. All sat in eerie silence as they waited for whatever was about to happen to begin. The Doctor gave Derpy a meaningful look, his brow furrowing deeply.
After what seemed like hours the small diamond dog began to adress the crowd. When he spoke there were no breaks in his words or failure of enunciation. This diamond dog was clearly the brains to the rest of his army's brawn.
"Ponies! It has come to my attention that one of my food stockpiles have been raided. And after I was so nice as to share it with all of you." There was a moment of silence as the leader of the diamond dogs assessed the crowd. "But no matter, for I have managed to apprehend the one that is to blame for this. The unicorn you see before you has admitted to conspiracy and treason to my kingdom. And I can't have that. So to prove a point you all will watch as he directs me to the traitor known as Spartacus. That is, unless you've decided to finally tell me."
The unicorn buck remained silent.
"Very well then, Spartacus I know you are in this very room and you can come forward and take the place of this poor soul, rest assured I will allow him pardon should he swear his loyalty to me. Or you can prove to every living being in this room what a coward you are and remain silent as this man suffers for following you. Your choice."
The Doctor's jaw was clenched and after a brief second of silence he raised a hoof and proclaimed "I am Spartacus!"
Derpy looked to the Doctor in shock and before the diamond dog leader could say anything Derpy shouted out "No he's not, I am Spartacus!"
This was met with a confused whispers but a few seconds later Rain Step announced "No, I am Spartacus!"
The trend continued until the entire room was claiming responsibility for what had happened. Everypony began to move towards the stage and the handful of diamond dog guards began to look worriedly between each other. The Doctor smiled slightly to himself as he noticed what no one else in the room had.
The leader of the diamond dogs screamed "Enough! If that's how this is going to be then the unicorn buck will suffer regardless!" As the diamond dog turned around to face his captive he was met with only a pile of ropes. "Where did he go‽ All of you, where did he go‽"
None of the diamond dog guards answered and the smaller diamond dog began to scream, rant and swear as the Doctor just smiled and said to himself "now this is going to be interesting."