DOCTOR

by Deidorimu

Corruption in Dodge Junction: Part Three (S1C2)

Two deputies sat at a desk, keeping watch at the front entrance of the sheriff's office.

One was fading in and out of consciousness, trying hard to keep himself awake.

The other was reading a magazine on gryffon cuisines. Or, that's what it seemed to his partner. Secretly, he had a very inappropriate magazine tucked beneath the cover of a gryffon cuisines magazine. He smiled slyly as he flipped through the pages with great enthusiasm.

Suddenly, the two heard a knock to the door.

The two looked to each other, then to their desk clock, then back to each other. Both with confused expressions.

"Who could that be?" asked the one reading the magazine.

"Don't know, ah think you should check and see".

"Why me? I've done more work tonight!"

"Read'in about gryffon cuisines ain't work".

"And neither is sleeping!"

"Just check the door!"

His partner sighed and placed the magazine to the table (cover facing up), "fine!"

He walked to the door and opened it, revealing the Doctor.

The Doctor held a cane in his left hoof and wore a monocle on his left eye. He had his back arched, his eyes squinted, and his mouth puckered slightly. Making him appear older then he actually was.

Speaking in a raspy, wheezy tone, the Doctor said, "excuse me sonny. I'm looking for a young, gray stallion named Dean. Have you seen him?"

An expression of confusion evident, the deputy asked, "uh, and who might you be?"

"I'm the Doctor".

"You? You're the Doctor?"

"That's correct".

He looked to his partner for a moment, both with sly smiles. He then looked back to the Doctor and said, "well, come on in! We'll show you where your friend is!"

"Thank you young stallion" said the Doctor, walking in with a limp, using his cane as support.

He followed the deputy to the desk and sat in a seat given to him. He groaned as he did so, "oh my. These old bones sure are giving me trouble tonight".

"Would you like a painkiller?" asked the deputy, giving a false kind tone.

"No that's alright, I don't need that, thanks anyway".

The deputy nodded and sat back with his partner. "So Doctor, you said you came look'in fer Dean. He a friend a yers?"

"Oh yes, we've been traveling together for awhile now".

"Really, so what are you going to do when you find him?"

"Well, first we're going to Britain, see some of the sites. We'll vacation there for a bit before deciding where to go next".

"So you two are just travelers? Nothing more then that?"

"Nope, nothing more then that".

"Nothing at all? You're not planning something specific or doing anything . . . important?" said the sleepy deputy, seeking answers.

"No, not really . . . well, there is one thing".

"And what would that be?"

"Well, you see, I had this really great idea where-", suddenly, the Doctor jerked and froze.

The two deputies smiles faltered slightly as he did so. "Uh, Doctor . . . you were say'in".

The Doctor didn't continue. Placing a hoof to his chest, he rolled his eyes to the back of his head as he fell out of his chair and onto the floor.

The two deputies rose from their seats and rushed to the Doctor's side.

"What in tarnations!?!" one shouted.

"What's wrong with him?" the other asked.

The Doctor held tightly to his chest, clutching his vest in a clump as he foamed from the mouth. His body jerking as he appeared to be suffocating.

"Ah think he's have'in a heart attack!"

"What do we do!?! We can't send him to the boss dead! He wants him alive!"

"Go get the first aid kit from under the desk!"

The magazine reading deputy did so. Rushing from the desk and back to the Doctor with the first aid kit.

He quickly opened the kit, nearly breaking the box in two with his haste. He rummaged messily through its contents, uncertain of what to use.

"What am ah supposed to grab! Bandages? Er, this bottle a anti-venom?-"

"You idiot! That's fer snake bites! It won't work!"

"Well what do ah grab!?!"

"Ah don't know! I've never helped a stallion with a heart attack before!"

"Uh! Uh! Oh! What about this shot a adrenaline!"

"That'll make it worse! Dagnabit, this ain't gonna work! We need a doctor right now!"

"But he's a doctor-".

"And he's the one who needs help stupid!"

"Oh sweet Celestia! What are we supposed to do when a doctor needs a doctor!?!"

Suddenly, the Doctor froze. The tension on his grip slipped away, and his eyes close. He appeared to have fallen out of consciousness. His body jerked no more, remaining still.

The two looked to each other with scared looks.

"Oh no".

"The boss'll kill us when he finds out the Doctor's dead!"

"Hey! Who said the boss'll find out? We can hide the body before anyone finds out!"

"But what'll the boss say when no one finds the Doctor? The other deputies in town are look'in fer him".

"Well there never gonna find him! Cause we're gonna hide his body and nopony will ever know, got that?"

The Doctor sighed, "you two are just adorable, you know that?"

The two jerked their heads to the Doctor, their eyes bulging in shock. "What!?! Yer alive!?!"

The Doctor laughed as he wiped the false foam from his mouth and placed his monocle into his vest pocket.. "Wow, was my acting really that convincing? I should be in theater again".

"Wha- acting!?!" the sleepy deputy shouted.

The Doctor placed his forelegs behind his head as he lay comfortably. Taking satisfaction as he looked up to the two shocked faces. "Are you really that afraid of your boss? Or are the both of you cowards?"

A moment of silence passed as the deputies stared at the Doctor.

Then, the two deputies reached for their belts, taking their bag of pepper powder.

"You better start talk'in old stallion!? What in tarnations did you just do!?!"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all. Except distract the both of you while my accomplice broke into the sheriff's office, found the documents we needed, and is standing right behind you".

"Behind!?!"

The two turned quickly, seeing Mr. Do standing to the door. Smiling mischievously as he held a tied scroll in his forelegs.

"Evening fellas" he said calmly.

The two turned back to the Doctor when he heard him laugh.

He had taken off the handle end of his cane and was taking of the bottom end, twisting it off like a cap. "Oh and I should probably mention that although I may seem old, I don't need a cane at all. Have either of you ever seen a homemade blow pipe?"

The two deputies, both realizing what the Doctor meant by this, gasped and turned to run.

They were too slow.

The Doctor blew into one end of the wooden pipe, causing large amounts of burning pepper powder to blow out the other end.

Mr. Do had exited the front, getting out of harm's way.

The other two weren't so fortunate. The deputies screamed as they felt the powder cover them from head to hoof. Each had their eyes closed tightly as to prevent powder from penetrating a place as sensitive as there. The magazine reading deputy had actually fallen to the floor, unable to stand in his agony.

Mr. Do took this opportunity to re enter the building. Wearing gloves, he walked up to the sleepy deputy and threw his head into the wall, knocking him unconscious. He then grabbed the deputy on the floor, lifted him, then slammed him onto the desk. Causing the deputy to break through the desk and crash hard onto the floor. He lost consciousness upon impact with the desk.

Ripping off the peppery gloves (as to not get any powder on himself by accident), Mr. Do said, "so, that went well".

"Yup, everything went according to plan. Brilliant! Now onto phase two! Documents, hand them over please".,said the Doctor, throwing the blow pipe aside.

Mr. Do complied and tossed him the scroll. He looked to the pipe lying on the ground as he did so. "You got any more pepper fer that pipe? We might need it."

The Doctor caught and untied the scroll, rolling it open and reading its contents. Mr. Do could see the Doctor's eyes move left to ride as he read fast, finishing within seconds.

The Doctor spoke as he finished, "nope, that was all the pepper from the deputy we left tied in the cave. That and the pipe itself is only good for one use. We'd have to clean it in order to use it again or it'll burn the one using it."

"How long would that take?"

"Too long- Ooh! Ooh hoo hoo hoo! Clever!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"What is?"

The Doctor looked up from the scroll to Mr. Do, grinning. "This document is just another set of instructions, the last set. There's still one more".

"Another document!?"

"Yes, just one, the last document. The one that has all the answers. And I know where it is".

"Where?"

"Before I answer that I need to know, was there an earthquake by any chance? One powerful enough to shake the whole town? Possibly one within the last year or so?"

"Uh, I don't see what that has to do with this. But yeah, we had a bad earthquake, possibly the worst one this town's ever had about a few months ago".

"How bad?"

"It broke a hole in our cemetery and destroyed the grave watchers house! On the other side a town. Took months to clean everything up!"

"And what has happened to the grave watchers house since then?"

"It was rebuilt but the poor watcher didn't want to live there anymore. Got paranoid that another earthquake might hit his house so he moved to a house inside the town. After that, the house was abandoned, nopony lives there anymore".

"Really? Nopony lives there? Tell me, where does Tumbleweed live?"

"The mayor's house".

"How do you know?"

"Cause he's the one in charge a this town now! It only makes sense".

"So that's your answer? An assumption? Nopony really knows where he lives?"

"Why is this important Doctor?"

"Its important because your assumptions have caused you all to blind yourselfs from the truth! Nopony knows where he lives! After all his time being here!? How is that possible!? If at least one pony had opened their eyes just a bit more then it would have been obvious!"

"So Tumbleweed doesn't live in the mayor's house?"

"No, he lives in the cemetery".

"What, really? It says that on the document?"

"See for yourself", said the Doctor, walking to Mr. Do and handing him the document.

Mr. Do took the scroll and began reading. As he did, the Doctor said, "that wasn't an earthquake Mr. Do, it was an explosion. You'll see on the document that Tumbleweed was instructed to set explosives in the cemetery, set it off, and clean the evidence. So when your original town deputies searched the cemetery, they didn't find any explosive remains, burn marks, or evidence of the cemetery having been tampered with. And because your town little to never get earthquakes, as said on the doc, you and the rest of the townsfolk just passed this event off as an earthquake. Even the town's ponies thought that that was what an earthquake sounds like when the explosives went off-".

"Earthquakes don't sound like that?" Asked, Mr. Do.

"Er, n-no, not at all. Really, what is with ponies secluding themselves in their towns to the point where they can't tell the difference between an earthquake and a bomb? Anyway, as I was saying. After that Tumbleweed had his stallions work on the reconstruction of the cemetery. He tricked the mayor into thinking they were legitimate construction workers. This gave them full freedom to do as they please with the cemetery and the grave watchers house. And with the grave watcher no longer living there and nopony ever going to the house, this allowed them to build anything without their plans being discovered!"

As the Doctor finished, Mr. Do read the last words to the document. He looked to the Doctor with wide eyes. "He's keeping the prisoners in his home!"

"In a secret prison, built underneath the house! That's also where he's keeping the finale documents!"

"How long was this planned for!? This seems to well planned fer it to be done by any ol criminals!"

"No, they are just ordinary criminals, the lot of them. Even Tumbleweed. Its the boss who's more then meets the eye. He's the one that planned this, he's the one who gave the instructions, he is the mastermind to this".

"If he so smart, why's it say here that in the instructions that Tumbleweed need's to get signatures to get the ponies property? Wouldn't it be faster just to take their property by force? Cause this plan seems awfully slow."

"Ah, but you see, Do. Not every good plan is fast. Some of the most strategic ones are the slowest. It doesn't say why in the instructions, but I know exactly why Tumbleweed needs to obtain these signatures."

"And why' that?"

"He wants to make his scheme appear as legal as possible. With signatures, it'll appear that the townsfolk gave full, legal, ownership of their property to Tumbleweed. It would be very obvious if he had just taken the property by force."

"But won't anypony check and see if this is legitimate. Cause even by a legal standpoint, it doesn't seem likely that everypony in the whole gosh darn town would just give away their property fer free."

"Normally yes, however, Tumbleweed's boss, who ever he is, couldn't have chosen a better time to put his plan into action. All property related transactions, such as this one, would go to the main leader of the town or city. And because the mayor is, well, not around anymore, then it would go to someone with higher authority. Thus, it would go to someone who works at the Mane City castle, because they have the highest authority over any mayor or leader. The ones with the highest authority would be, of course, the princesses. However, as of currently, Mane City is covered in chaos magic which prevents anyone with authority to look into our situation. Which means that no one from Mane City nor the princess will look into the property transactions between Tumbleweed and the townsfolk. Tumbleweed is free to do as he wishes and if it even seems a little legal, just barely, then no one with authority will investigate. And I'll bet whoever Tumbleweed's working for knew this from the start! He's using Discord as his advantage for power!

"Well then we gotta get those documents and find out who he is!"

"Saving the prisoners first of course", said the Doctor.

"In that case, after you", said Mr. Do, holding the door open for the Doctor.

"Thank you kindly", said the Doctor, exiting the sheriff's office, followed by Mr. Do.

Once outside, Mrs. Sugar quickly popped from around the corner of the building, rushing to the two stallions. "Did you get it? Do you know where they are?"

"Yes and no, we didn't find the specific documents needed. However, we did find the last set of instructions. And these instructions tell us exactly where both the prisoners and the final documents are", the Doctor explained.

"Where at?" asked Mrs. Sugar.

"Tumbleweeds home, in the cemetery".

"Cemetery!?! Tumbleweed lives there? Ah thought he lived in the mayor's house".

"Yup, seems like everypony thought that", said the Doctor, rather annoyed.

"Why does he live there? I thought it was abandoned".

"We'll explain on the way. Nice job being look out by the way. Now, Sugar, Do, you two ready?"

"Ready to get ma family back and kick Tumbleweeds flank? Absolutely!" said Mr. Do, with great enthusiasm.

"As ready as I'll ever be", said Mrs. Sugar, with a hint of fear present.

"Brilliant, then let's get moving", said the Doctor, taking lead as he and the other two made their way to the cemetery.

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

The only pony awake in Tumbleweed's home was a single deputy, sitting on the living room couch taking guard of the household. His blank stare pinned onto the ceiling.

Nothing interesting had happened that night. He had slept during the day within this home so that he could stay awake during his night shift. So he hadn't partaked in any of the events that had occurred during the day. Such as when Dean and his friend returned to town, or being part of the search teams that went to find the Doctor.

He was left out entirely, waking up midday and preparing himself for his usual mundane shift. Only then did he find out from his partners what had happened outside the home of Tumbleweed.

He was a little urked, having missed out on the excitement. He is always left out when something new happens. He never leaves the house and nopony ever comes here so the need for a guard is inexistent. He had no problems staying awake during his shift, and nothing dangerous ever occurs. Its the boredom that becomes his biggest dilemma.

He sighed, wishing for a change in his dull night.

A knock at the door caught his attention, forcing him from his thoughts.

He looked uneasily to the door, fear building slowly within as he placed a hoof to the sword on his belt. Standing from his seat, he took haste to the door, choosing a rabbit's pace instead of a snail's.

Approaching the door within seconds, he decided to prepare himself for whatever stranger stood within inches of him. The wooden door being the only barrier between them.

He knew it was a stranger, it certainly wasn't a townsfolk and deputies aren't supposed to come here. Any deputies to return to town should rest at their scheduled homes until the time of execution. That was in the letter Tumbleweed sent, the deputies wouldn't dare disobey his orders. They knew full well what would happen if they did.

This was an enemy, it had to be, there's no other explanation!

The paranoid deputy, regretting his wish, grabbed the door handle. Without thinking, he swung the door open with full force while simultaneously extracting the sword from his scabbard.

He swung fiercely at the empty air in front of him. Stabbing, slashing, and swinging what was supposed to be his enemy. Only did the need for a breather caused the deputy to realize the silliness of his actions; as he looked about to the lonely cemetery around him.

He took a deep breath and chuckled, seeing that he was alone.

Returning the sword to his scabbard, the deputy nearly turned to walk inside as he saw something from the corner of his eye.

A single, golden coin, laying seven feet away from him.

Smiling at his luck, the deputy walked to the coin and happily picked it up. Observing the gold for a moment, the deputy flipped the coin into the air with glee. "Just ma luck, I found me a bit! Guess ma night wasn't so bad afterall!"

"I hate to say this, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to change that", said a voice.

The deputy froze as he felt the tip of something sharp being placed against his neck. Immediately recognizing it as a dagger, the deputy slowly turned.

Mr. Do had a dagger placed to his throat. The Doctor stood beside him, frowning angrily at the deputy, and Mrs. Sugar stood close to the Doctor, looking fearfully to the deputy.

"You're going to take us to the prison hidden beneath this building. And you're going to do it silently, obediently, and with haste. Do I make myself clear?" asked the Doctor.

Looking between the three ponies with panic, the deputy said, "you think ahm gonna just go and show you the prison? How do you even know about that? No ponies supposed to know!"

"It doesn't matter how we know, fact is we do. And you're going to take us there now!"

"Why should I?"

The deputy gulped as he felt the dagger blade press hard to his neck. Having enough force to nearly start cutting.

"Does the dagger answer your question? If not, then perhaps a bit more "explaining" would be needed-".

"No! Don't! I-I'll show you the prison! Just don't hurt me!" The deputy said loudly.

The Doctor smirked, "lead the way".

The Deputy complied, walking back the building with the Doctor, Mr. Do, and Mrs. Sugar following close behind.

The four ponies entered into the small, cozy house. Its interior was very comfortable to the Doctor.

A red couch, cream colored walls, red bricked fireplace, mahogany coffee table with a stack of magazines placed atop, glass chandelier, a red and white square rug beneath the table, and various plants placed around the room. The Doctor liked Tumbleweeds tastes in home decor. If he didn't know better he'd think that he and Tumbleweed could have had a decent conversation on the subject. He would have been quite comfy if the lot hadn't been in danger, and this was just from the living room.

"Well? Where is it?" asked the Doctor.

"Here", said the deputy, pointing to the rug beneath the table.

The Doctor immediately went to one side of the table and pushed it aside. He then took the rug and pushed that aside as well. Underneath was a square, metal door with an inward handle and keyhole attached to the floor.

"He kept the entrance to the prison smack dab in the living room?" asked Mr. Do.

"Kept it hidden in plain sight, in case anypony unwelcomed did happen to come in the house, clever", the Doctor explained. He looked to the deputy, "key, now".

"I-I don't have it" the deputy stammered.

"Don't lie!"

"I swear! The boss never gave us a key!"

"Well how are you supposed to get in when it's time to feed or water them?" asked the Doctor.

"W-We don't . . . actually . . . give them food or water", the deputy said weakly, knowing this would infuriate the three.

He was correct.

Upon hearing this, the three ponies glared with pure hate towards the now shaking deputy. The deputy felt the knife press hard enough to his neck the it had cut the top layer of skin. Any further and he'll start bleeding.

"You don't do what now partner!?" Mr. Do said, angrily.

"I'm sorry! T-The boss doesn't want the prisoners fed! He said there's no point if they're just going to die anyway-".

"What!?!" the three said in unison.

"Oh, y-you do know don't you? That's why you're trying to rescue them?" asked the Deputy.

The Doctor came close to the deputy, glaring solemnly to his eyes, "know about what?"

"O-Oh, guess you . . . didn't know-".

"Know about what!?!" said the Doctor, raising his volume higher yet not to where anyone sleeping would hear.

The deputy sunk his head in fear to the Doctor's anger. "T-The prisoners are going to be executed tomorrow! As soon as the other deputies get back to the town, that's when it'll begin".

"Other deputies? What other deputies?" Asked Mr. Do.

"The deputies that went to search fer Dean. But he's back now so they're all returning", the deputy explained.

"They sent search parties out for Dean!?! Why wasn't I told of this!" The Doctor asked, looking to Mrs. Sugar and Mr. Do.

The two returned looks of confusion to the Doctor.

"Ah didn't know! Ah swear!" Said Mrs. Sugar.

"Ah knew they were look'in fer ma colt around town, but ah didn't know they sent search parties", said Mr. Do.

"How did nopony!-" The Doctor groaned with annoyance, "good god! I'm learning something entirely brand new all along this adventure! Why can't I know this from the start!?! Make things simple!?! Alright, we need to get these prisoners out of town before the deputies return. Deputy, how long do we have before they return?"

"I'm not sure, Tumbleweed told them to return yesterday. They should be come'in back today-".

"Then we haven't much time. Brilliant, just brilliant! Okay! First we get the key, which Tumbleweed has I assume?" the Doctor asked, looking to the deputy.

The deputy nodded.

"Alright, I'll go and get it. As soon as we get the key and break in, we'll only have about ten minutes max to get every prisoner out of this house. We only have-". The Doctor looked to his pocket watch, "thirty minutes before the sun rises. If we're not out before then, we're in trouble. Therefore, no mucking around with hugs and kisses and any other lovey dovey stuff you'll want to do when you see your family. I know you're happy to see them but you can love them as much as you like when we get out of here-".

"What happens after we get everyone out of Dodge Junction Doc?" asked Mr. Do.

"These criminals will have to pay for their crimes. I'll take care of them while the rest of you are safely out of here. Oh don't give me those looks! I'll be fine! I know how to deal with ponies like this, I can take care of it!"

"What about the last document?" Asked Mrs. Sugar.

"Priorities, Sugar. Prisoners first, documents later. Alright, be back in a bit", said the Doctor, walking with haste towards the stairs.

He gently walked up the steps and down the hall. Cracking the doors and peering into each room to see which belonged to Tumbleweed. The last one at the end turned out to be the correct one.

Inside was Tumbleweed, sleeping soundly in his bed.

The room itself was clean. It had a bluish white design, unlike the livings rooms red and cream design. It had a desk, and oval rug, a large dresser, and a blue queen sized bed.

The Doctor slowly crept his way towards the desk, silencing his breathing as he did so. Years of experience clashed with his age. Making this both simple, yet extremely difficult to do.

He had stealth, skills far better then even the most slyest of ponies. Yet he could feel, even hear the cracks of his old limbs with each step he took.

A loud crack made him stop and look to Tumbleweeds direction, blinking sweat from his eyes as he did so.

A small snore gave the Doctor enough reassurance to continue.

Once at the desk, he gently opened each drawer, quietly rummaging through its contents to find what he needed.

He stopped when he accidently found more then he intended.

A scroll, with the word "Classified" written in great, big, bold, red letters across the front.

'The last documents?' Thought the Doctor, looking to Tumbleweed for a moment before slipping the scroll into his inner vest pocket. 'Tumbleweed hasn't fed the prisoners but the instructions didn't say he had to do that. Do these last documents tell him to do that? Or did he choose not to feed them on his own. Either way, Tumbleweed is sick for starving innocent prisoners. Gotta find that key fast.'

He rummaged for a few minutes before concluding that the key was not there. However, years of experience told him of a second place the key could be hiding.

With haste, he quietly walked to Tumbleweeds bedside and smiled to the handiness of his experience.

The Doctor knew the bad guys well. If they plan to hide a key they usually hide it in two places. One, in their desk, safe, or any other personal storage container. Or two, they would keep it on themselves at all times. And for some reason, when it is a key, the bad guys like to keep it on a chain or string. Wrapped around their necks.

And there it was, hanging around Tumbleweeds neck, a large silver key.

"Brilliant", the Doctor whispered, as he took hold of the key string, expertly taking it off of Tumbleweed without waking him.

It only took seconds to get the key. Once he had it, he as quickly and quietly rushed back downstairs to the others.

Once in the living room, the Doctor smiled to the others, all of which were sitting on the couch, patiently waiting.

"Got it, let's move", said the Doctor, walking and crouching down to the metal door. He inserted the key and twisted the lock. Smiling with success at the sound of a click, the Doctor pulled the door open. Revealing a staircase.

"Alright everyone, ten minutes, chop, chop!" said the Doctor, running down stairs.

"Right behind you!" said Mr. Do, following close to the Doctor while pulling the deputy with him.

Mrs. Sugar, silently following from the back, kept as close as she could to Mr. Do.

IN THE PRISON

After hours of crying, sadness, and mourning, Dean and his mother had finally exhausted themselves to sleep.

The two laid close, cuddling one another for comfort.

Dead had his head placed against his mother's foreleg, using it as his pillow. He had one foreleg resting on his mother's chest while the other place against his mouth. He suckled the tip of his hoof as he slept his dreamless, uncomfortable, slumber. His mother had her other foreleg over her sons head, holding him ever so gently.

With only an hour worth of sleep, Dean felt rather grumpy upon being woken so abruptly.

He groaned as he heard his name being repeated again and again.

"Dean! Dean! Wake up!"

"No! Don't wanna!" Dean replied with a whine in his tone.

"Dean for god's sake! Wake up!"

"OW!" Dean shouted, having felt someone smack his head. He sat up, rubbing the spot that had been smacked. He looked to the one who had smacked him and immediately felt wide awake as he did so.

There, standing above him, was that familiar, well dress, old white pegasus, smiling to him.

"Doctor!" Dean shouted in surprised.

"Hello there, did you miss me?" said the Doctor, sarcastically.

Dean rushed forward and hugged the Doctor hard, "you're alive!"

The Doctor, slightly taken aback said, "of course I'm alive! Why wouldn't I be?"

"B-But I thought that Mrs- HER!" Dean shouted, spotting Mrs. Sugar standing behind the Doctor.

She blushed in shame as she looked to Dean, avoiding eye contact as she did so.

"The tartarus is she doing here!?!" Dean shouted, releasing the Doctor and taking a step back.

"Mrs. Sugar has been helping me rescue you".

"Rescue me? After she bloody well tried to murder me with that bat of hers!?!"

"She didn't try to murder you. She was just desperate! She thought that if she could subdue you and take you to the sheriff she could get her husband back", the Doctor explained.

"Oh, really? Sell me out to Tumbleweed? Is that all? Well that's a relief, I thought she was going to do something worse. Oh thank Celestia that's all she was going to do!" said Dean, evidently sarcastic.

"I'm sorry Dean! Ah just wanted ma husband back", said Mrs. Sugar, tears forming in her eyes.

"Well you can get him and get out of my sight!" Dean shouted angrily.

"Dean, take it easy-".

"And what about you!?! What happened to you!? And where have you been this whole time!?!" Dean asked, cutting the Doctor off.

"She knocked me out and locked me in a box but it's fine now! I forgave her and everything is working brilliantly between us-".

"Is it?"

"Yes-".

"Why!?! She knocks you out and locks you in a box and you, what, forgive her!?! I've seen what kind of things you can do, why didn't you show her a little bit of what you've got-".

"Because that's not how I do things Dean! I don't go seeking revenge for something as little as this! Sure she hit me with a bat! I'm not going to murder the mare for it! And besides, she was doing it for her husband! She was doing the wrong thing for the right thing! Does that sound familiar?"

"I-", Dean stopped for a moment and thought. Images of a pink earth pony with blue hair filled his mind as he did so.

"I think she deserves forgiveness Dean, for what she did", said the Doctor.

Dean looked to the Doctor with a look. An odd look, one with a mixture of confusion, hate, sadness, and sympathy.

Only the Doctor was able to read every evident emotion.

Slowly, Dean walked to Mrs. Sugar,extended a hoof, and said simply, "I forgive you".

Mrs. Sugar held back tears and she pushed his hoof away, giving a hug instead of a shake.

Dean hesitated, then accepted.

Once released, the Doctor said, "alright Mrs. Sugar, go find your husband".

"Yes Doctor", said Mrs. Sugar, running out of Dean's open cell and down the hall.

The Doctor walked close to Dean and whispered, "and between you and me. The second reason I chose to forgive her was because I needed information on what was happening in this town".

"Didn't want to force the info out of her, did you?"

"Nope, that's not how I like to do it. I like giving ponies kindness in exchange for their info instead of scaring it or torturing it out of them".

"Really? After what she did I would have expected you to want to get revenge, that's what most ponies would have done".

"Do I look like most ponies?"

Dean chuckled, "no, guess not. You know, if I didn't know better I would have mistaken you for a pacifist".

"Well its a good thing you know better then, isn't it. Now, we need to get moving before- hold on-".

The Doctor came to sudden realization that he and Dean were not the only two in the cell. He turned around and saw a bewildered mare, having watched the conversation from the back the whole time.

"Oh! Sorry about that! Got a bit distracted and forgot about you for a moment", said the Doctor. He approached Mrs. Do and extended a hoof. "Hello, I'm the Doctor".

Mrs. Do raised a brow in confusion. "Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor", he replied.

Ignoring the Doctor's hoof, Mrs. Do looked to her son. "Dean, do you know this stallion?"

"Oh, uh, yes, actually. He's the Doctor-".

"His real name sugar cube".

"But that's it, the Doctor".

"His real name is "Doctor".

Dean nearly answered before replying with a shrug.

This caused concern for Mrs. Do, "okay "Doctor". How in Equestria do you know ma son! And why won't you tell us yer real name! Ah know no ma or pa would ever name their son "Doctor" so you must be lie'in!"

"Your son? Oh! You must be Mrs. Do! Its so nice to finally meet you-".

"Don't change the subject! How do you know ma son!?"

"Mom is now really the ti-".

"Yes now is perfectly well the time!"

"No Mrs. Do, I would have to disagree with you on that. Now is most certainly not the time".

"Oh yeah? And why's that?"

" . . . Are you-". The Doctor turned to Dean, "is she serious?" He looked back to Dean's mother, "Mrs. Do you are in a prison! I am trying to free you! And I, Mrs. Sugar, and your husband have worked really hard to get here! So if you could just-".

"Wait, what did you say?"

"Hmm? Say what?"

"What did you say about ma husband?"

"Um, oh! Right! Probably should have given you the news slowly so it wouldn't come too much as a shock. Well no point in keeping you from knowing now. Congratulations Mrs. Do! Your husband isn't dead!"

Both Dean and his mother fell silent in shock. Eyes wide and gaping at the Doctor.

As if on cue, Mr. Do came from behind the three, at the entrance of the cell.

"Everyone's free from their cell Doctor! We're ready to head out!" Just as Mr. Do finish speaking, he realized then who the Doctor had been speaking to.

Silence reigned awkwardly as Mrs. Do and Dean stared at their supposed "deceased" family member.

After a time that felt too long to the Doctor, Mr. Do spoke.

"Hello", he said simply.

Mrs. Do gulped and responded slowly, "Dean . . . h-how?"

Mr. Do grinned, "I didn't die that day honey. Tumbleweed thought ah was dead and dropped me in the desert, but ah was alive".

"But mom said he shot you", said Dean.

"He did, right in ma chest. The Doctor checked me out though, said he was aim'in fer ma heart and missed. He called it a, er, "nonfatal wound" ah think".

"But you look just fine, where's yer marks?" asked Mrs. Do.

"Er, that's a little hard to explain-".

"Which is why you can do it later!" The Doctor interjected.

"Wait, did the Doctor cry on you?" asked Dean, Mrs. Do looking to the Doctor with a mixture of confusion and disgust as he did so. This cause the Doctor to facehoof and groan.

"Uh, yeah, he did actually-".

"For god's sake! Explanations later! You will know everything after we get out of Dodge Junction!"

"Doctor I thought my father was dead! Can't I have a few sec-".

"No you can't Dean! I'm sorry but we really, really need to get you and the other prisoners out of this town before tomorrow!"

"Why? What's happen'in tomorrow?" asked Mrs. Do.

"It's a bit complicated so here's the summed up version. Tumbleweed plans to kill you and the rest of prisoners tomorrow!"

"What! Why!?" asked Dean.

"Don't know, that's sorta the complicated part. But we can figure that all out later! For now, you and the prisoners, out now!"

"Come on you two, let's go!" said Mr. Do, leading Dean and Mrs. Do out the cell.

The Doctor exited the cell and ran towards the front of the prison, shoving aside prisoners having just been released as he did so as to move faster. He took notice of Mrs. Sugar embracing her husband as he ran and he noticed a few original deputies holding their sheriff; Cletus. He also took notice of Tumbleweeds deputy, struggling in his shackles as he was chained to one of the prison cells.

'Cletus definantly has it the worse, he'll need medical attention if he has a chance at surviving', thought the Doctor, stopping directly in front of the fifty one prisoners.

The prisoners were too loud, shouting about in confusion as to what was happening. He needed to get their attention. He turned and stood on his hind legs, facing the prisoners.

The Doctor inhaled deeply before bellowing, "QUIET!!!"

The prisoners ceased their chatter and looked to the Doctor.

Staring solemnly at each and every prisoner, the Doctor said, "I am the Doctor, and you will all listen very closely to me! Because I'm only saying this once! And no questions! We haven't the time for that! Tumbleweed is going to kill each and every one of you later today!"

The prisoners gasped in unison, their chatter rising and suddenly ceasing at the sight of the Doctors impatient glare.

"However, if we can get you all out of the city before he does, then I guarantee you! All of you will be saved!"

"But what about our families!? Or the other ponies still living in the town!?" asked one of the prisoners.

"Don't worry about them! Their in safer positions then you are right now! They will be taken care of as soon as you are taken care of first!"

"Now here's how this is gonna work! These stairs behind me leads up to the surface! You may not know this but this prison was built underneath Tumbleweeds home! So you're all going, one at a time, up the stairs and out through the front door! And you're going to do it as quietly as possible! So you do not get caught! Tumbleweed is sleeping in his room on the second floor! If he wakes up, you're dead! So absolutely no sound! Everyone got that!"

There were no questions, everyone understood.

"Brilliant! You!-", the Doctor said, pointing to a random prisoner, one closest to the front. "You're first after me! The stairs are too thin to fit more then a single pony at a time! So I'll be at the top supervising, making sure nothing goes wrong! Anyone behind him follows!"

The prisoner nodded and followed the Doctor up the stairs. The pony behind him followed, then the one behind him, then the one behind her, and so on and so forth.

Mr. Do and Mrs. Sugar was assigned earlier by the Doctor to follow from the back and make sure every prisoner got out safely. Therefore, Mr. Do and his family and Mrs. Sugar and her husband were going to be the last ones out.

On the surface, the Doctor held the front door open, watching each prisoner exit Tumbleweeds house one at a time.

"Start making your way to the edge of town, and hurry!" the Doctor would say to every other prisoner.

At one point, the Doctor saw two original deputies helping Cletus out from the prison. One holding his head and the other holding his hind legs. Once out of the prison, the deputy holding his legs help Cletus onto the other deputies back. They exited the building together, running to the other prisoners.

One after the other, after the next, after the next.

Until eventually, the last prisoners out were Mr. Do, Mrs. Do, Dean, Mrs. Sugar, and Mr. Sugar.

"That's the last of them Doc", said Mr. Do.

"Brilliant! Let's get moving".

Just as the six ponies were about to leave the building, they all froze to the sound of an alarm. Two bells, banging against a metal device at rapid speed.

"Doctor, that's an alarm clock", said Dean, scared stiff.

Grabbing his pocket watch, the Doctor checked the time quickly, seeing that it was six o'clock. He ran outside and looked east, seeing a very thin but expanding light, rising far over the horizon.

"Night times over, the sun rising", said the Doctor. He turned to the others, fear and worry present on his face. "Its day time, Tumbleweeds waking up!"

"What in tarnation!" The six ponies heard Tumbleweed shout from the top of the stairs.

The Doctor's eyes widened and his pupils shrank as he looked to the others. "Run, RUN!"

They didn't need telling twice, the six ponies galloped away, out the cemetery and onto the streets, catching up to the other prisoners. As the Doctor ran through the cemetery, he looked over his shoulder, seeing Tumbleweed in his doorway, shouting something he couldn't make out.

What he was saying wasn't good though, the Doctor knew that.

Most likely, he was shouting for his deputies.

The group of prisoners looked to the six ponies in confusion, unknowing to their sudden increase in pace.

"Tumbleweeds spotted us! Everyone out of the town now!" the Doctor shouted.

Sudden panic rising, the group all galloped as fast as they could. Running through the streets towards the edge of town.

Aside from the deputy carrying Cletus, the Doctor lingered the furthest. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't run fast enough to keep pace with the rest of the group.

A pain shot through the Doctor's chest as could hear the sounds of his hearts beating hard. His vision blurred slightly as he looked to Dean, whom he and his family ran nearly the fastest, giving them lead to the front.

'As long as they get away, it doesn't matter if I get caught. I won't be able to run much longer anyway', thought the Doctor.

The group made a turn, ran to the end of the street, made another turn, and continued this process until they arrived at a familiar street. The one that Dean and the Doctor had been on the day before and had Dodge Desserts located close by. The street that connected to the edge of town, leading out of Dodge Junction.

This was the street that Dean and the Doctor stepped upon when they had first entered this corrupted town.

The Doctor's pace had waned, slowing until he was several feet behind the group. After several minutes of galloping through the town, the Doctor was forcing his body to move. Over exerting his weak body far beyond its limits. He needed to stop, he felt like he was going to die if he didn't.

No, he was smarter then that. He didn't feel it, he was going to die if he didn't stop. Calculations at the speed of light told him he had about twenty more seconds before the first stages of cardiac arrest begin to take effect.

Unable to run any longer, the Doctor was just about to slow to a jogging pace.

However, before he had a chance to, the rest of the group had suddenly stopped. All the prisoners skidding to a dusty halt along the dirt road. Stopping at the borderline of the town, a couple dozen yards away from the Dodge Junction welcome sign and the M.E.I.D.P.H.A.T.

The Doctor, finally able to catch up, ran straight to Dean. He spoke between breaths, "the tartarus (pant) are you (pant) lot doing!?!"

"Doctor, ahead of us!" Dean shouted, pointing towards the direction that lead out of town.

The Doctor looked to where Dean pointed and said slowly, "you gotta be kidding me".

Out in the horizon was a large mass of ponies, a large dirt cloud brewing strongly behind them as they all galloped full speed towards Dodge Junction. Straight in the direction of the prisoners.

"Its the returning deputies!" the Doctor shouted.

"We can't go outta town this way Doc! They'll catch us!" shouted Mr. Do.

The Doctor turned, facing inwards towards the town. Seeing another mass of ponies coming their way as he did so.

From their opposite direction came a second group of deputies. All being lead by Tumbleweed who ran front and center of his stallion.

"They're coming from both sides!" shouted a prisoner.

"What do we do!?!" shouted another.

"What are we going to do Doctor!?!" shouted Dean from the Doctor's left (right if he faced inwards to town).

Frantically, the Doctor looked about, searching for a plan of escape that would guarantee the safety of every prisoner.

Setting his eyes on a close building, the Doctor shouted, "everyone inside Dodge Desserts! NOW!!!"

He and the rest galloped towards Mr. and Mrs. Sugar's shop, all shoving and pushing one another as they forced their way through the front door.

The door was wide enough to allow two ponies, three if they were skinny, to enter side by side. As for fifty one prisoners, it seemed obvious that there would be difficulties.

Some noticed immediately and chose to enter the building through an alternative entrance.

They ran and jumped, crashing directly through the windows. Glass practically exploding through the front of the shop as they did so.

Those who had jumped first received minimal injuries whereas the ones behind them, the ones not careful with their leap of directory, would have glass stabbed into them as they jumped into the jagged glass ends of the broken window.

Mr. and Mrs. Sugar would normally have taken a care to the damage being done to their precious shop, if not for the circumstances they were currently in. So they chose to ignore their property damage as they entered through the crowded doorway.

Within half a minute the prisoners had manage to make their way inside of Dodge Desserts.

As successful as some felt for entering the building in time before they were caught, the Doctor knew they were not finished.

"Barricade the door! Seal the windows! Get the back door in the kitchen secured! Use the tables! The chairs! Anything you can find! Use the furniture up stairs if you have too! We cannot let Tumbleweed and his deputies in! Move everypony! Chop! Chop!" The Doctor shouted.

Doing as commanded, everyone within the building went to work.

Ponies left and right lifted tables and chairs, placing it all along the door and broken windows. Stacking it all as best as they could.

A few, including Mrs. Sugar, ran to the kitchen. Working together, the ponies managed to lift the heavy fridge and place it to the back door. After that was finished, they proceeded to move the stoves, pots, pans, and anything they could find around the kitchen to stack against the door.

As they moved the stove, one pony asked, "hey, shouldn't we lock the door before moving these?"

"What's the point! There going to get the door open anyway! We need to get the door blocked before they do!" shouted Mrs. Sugar, remembering from past experience when the deputy had picked the lock to her front door.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sugar, Dean and his family, and the other ponies rushed up and down the stairs, bringing as much furniture as they could to reinforce their barricade.

Dressers, bedside tables, the broken bed from the master bedroom.

While all this happened, the Doctor heard someone call his name from behind the cashier counter near the front.

"Excuse me! You said you were a doctor right!?" he shouted, increasing his volume to be heard above the chaotic sounds of rushing, panicking ponies.

"Yes, I'm a doctor!" the Doctor shouted back, recognizing him as the deputy carrying Cletus.

"Could you please take a look at Cletus!? He ain't looking so good!"

The Doctor ran around the counter, finding the deputy shouting to him, a second deputy, and Cletus all lying behind the counter.

The two deputies had hid Cletus behind the counter, watching over him and protecting him from the chaos.

The Doctor kneeled down to Cletus and felt around his torso, being gentle as possible as his wounds were quite visible. It didn't take a doctor to know the state Cletus was in. It was a good thing the Doctor was thorough, he discovered that his wounds consisted of five broken ribs, bruising to the left lung, temporary impairment to both eyes (soon to be permanent if the Doctor couldn't heal him soon), and, if it wasn't already obvious, dehydration and starvation.

The Doctor gave the two deputies this info and informed them that Cletus would survive if he received medical attention as soon as possible.

Before the deputies could say anything else, a loud bang against the front of the building caught their attention.

The Doctor looked over the counter, he and everyone else knowing what the sound was.

Tumbleweed and all of his deputies had arrived, all of them pushing against the piles everypony had stacked in the front.

"They're here! Don't let them break through!" the Doctor shouted, running around the counter to the piles of furniture.

Together, he and everyone else within the building pushed as hard as they could, fighting against the force of Tumbleweeds stallions.

The pile was shifting, it moved inwards to the building. So the ponies inside fought harder, shifting it back outwards.

This went on for a minute before Tumbleweed called off his deputies. They obeyed and stood back, allowing Tumbleweed to speak with the ponies within.

Tumbleweed cleared his throat, "could ah speak with the one in charge a all this!?!"

In unison, everypony set their sights directly to the Doctor.

The Doctor sighed in annoyance. "Of course it's me. This is the Doctor speaking! You have my attention!" He shouted through the wall.

"Doctor!? You say yer name is the Doctor!?" Tumbleweed shouted back.

"That is correct!"

Tumbleweed chuckled, "so yer that friend Dean had mentioned yesterday! Yer the one who caused all this!?! Break'in ma prisoners outta their cells and cause'in a ruckes through ma town!?"

"This isn't your town Tumbleweed! You've taken these innocent ponies properties by force! Forcing this town from the ponies that rightfully own it! Your a theif! You're a criminal! But worst of all, your a murderer!"

"Oh don't make me look like the bad guy fer kill'in off a few ponies! It's what was needed! I had to do it to get ma town work'in properly! If ah let those ponies yer protect'in in their live! Then their just gonna get in ma way when ah take full control of this town!"

"Just let them go Tumbleweed! They won't fight back if you let them leave!-"

"And have them come run'in back with the royal guards!?! Ah don't think so! These ponies have to go Doctor! And one way er another, they're gonna go! And I'll be sure to have you be the first!"

"But you can't take over the town without one of the Do family signatures! You need it to have control over their farm! If you kill them, they can't give it to you!"

"Ah only need one alive and it's seems there's two extras in ma way! Mr. Do!"

Mr. Do growled as he heard his name called.

"Ah know yer in there! Now ah don't know how yer still alive! But you can bet yer flank it won't stay that way much longer!"

"Oh I'd like to see you come and try!" Mr. Do shouted.

"Not a single pony is dying today Tumbleweed! If you want them! You're going to have to come through me!" shouted the Doctor.

Tumbleweed and his stallions laughed. "Get through you!?! An old stallion!?! Shoot! This'll be easy!"

"Don't underestimate me Tumbleweed! If you choose to fight me, I'll make you regret your decision!" the Doctor shouted.

"You're going to make me regret ma decision!? Well, we'll just have to see about that!" Tumbleweed turned to his stallion, "alright colts! They're not coming out! You all know what that means!"

The deputies cheered in response.

"Time to kill us some roaches! Unicorns! Earth ponies! Gatling formation!"

The Doctor's eye's widened as he heard this. He peered through a crack in the pile, seeing what the deputies were doing.

"Doctor! What's gatling formation?" asked Dean.

"Something really bad!" the Doctor shouted.

"How bad!?"

"Very bad! If they're doing what I think they're doing! Which if they are, it doesn't make sense! How does a pack of criminals know how to do it!?"

"Doctor, do what!?!"

From outside, the Doctor saw ten unicorns stand apart two feet of each other, all in a straight line side by side. Behind them, an earth pony, taking hold of the unicorn's tail and head, positioned them to face their horns towards the building.

The unicorns began charging up their magic while the earth ponies took their aim. The earth ponies lifted the unicorn's tail, ready to begin as soon as the unicorns finished.

The Doctor spoke fast, explaining the situation as quickly as possible. "Its an advance military technique! One used for rapid fire attacks! It requires two ponies, one positioned in the back and the other in the front! The back has to be an expert marksman while the front has to be a unicorn! If a unicorn concentrates hard enough they can form their spells into solid beams and fire them repeatedly with great speed. If they remain perfectly still and focus on nothing but their magic, they can fire their attacks faster, longer, and deadlier!"

"However! This kind of concentration diminishes their energy and their accuracy! That's where the pony in the back comes in! With one hoof the hind pony can position the unicorn's head to have better aim towards their target! While the other hoof is used for their tail! A unicorns anatomical bone structure starts at the horn, through the spin, and down the tail! Because of this, a pony could actually take a unicorn's tail and spin it around fast! Like a lever action motor! It sends electrical signals thrice the normal speed through the spine to the horn and gives them extra magical energy! This reduces the amount of strain a unicorn would have in such an attack!"

"What do the attacks look like?" asked Dean.

"Well I said beams, but if you want something more specific then it kind of looks like-".

Before the Doctor could finish speaking, the unicorns had finished charging their attacks and fired.

A barrage of multi colored beams blasted through the building, fired holes through the walls, and crumbling the furniture to pieces.

"Like that! DUCK!!!" the Doctor shouted, leaping behind the counter with Cletus and the two deputies to take cover.

Madness reigned throughout the building. Ponies ran everywhere, avoiding the spells piercing through the wooden walls. With each attack, a new hole would be made into the wall, combusting sharp splinters that spread as it did so. Injuring the ponies either by spell or by exploding wood.

The first three spells came as a surprise, yet, by luck, nopony had come to contact with the beams. However, as the beams progressed, firing faster and faster without any signs of slowing or stopping, the ponies became aware of their danger and ran about dodging and screaming.

It was no use, they had used all the furniture for their stacks, all means of cover was gone. Some had ran for cover upstairs, yet some returned galloping faster as some of the deputies had began raining their destruction to the second floor.

Casualties had risen fast. WIthin seconds after the first attacks, many ponies had either been knocked unconscious by being too close to a bit of exploding wood, or shot down by a beam.

The Doctor peered around the corner, checking to see the damage.

Their stacks had fallen one third their original sizes, splinters covered every inch of the first floor, and the walls looked nearly identical to swiss cheese. From top to bottom there were holes.

The Doctor looked in devastation to the amount of ponies lying injured on the floor. His anger rising more and more with each falling pony.

A gray pegasus stallion tried taking to the air, hovering close to the roof. He didn't last long, a spell came through the wall, hitting him square in the face. He grunted and fell, crashing hard to the ground. Landing on his right wing, a loud crack confirmed it had broken on impact.

An orange earth pony mare, running about helplessly, scared to tears as she received her blow. A purple beam burst through, she was fortunate enough to jump out of its path. However, her leap had accidently fallen her to the path of a green beam. She was hit in the torso, at her belly, flying her several feet back as she hit against the back wall, inches from the kitchen door.

A brown earth pony stallion, a brave fellow doing his best to make sure as little ponies as possible were harmed. He had risked the chance to come close to the exploding wooden furniture and was successful in proclaiming a large chunk of table. Using it as a shield, he ran back and forth blocking attacks that would have surely taken down a pony. He had managed to save several ponies before he himself had fallen. His shield grew weaker and more frail with each block, to the point that his shield had become nothing more then a one inch thick plank. One last save was all he could managed, and he knew that. He couldn't risk another chance at grabbing more furniture, the stacks were too badly damaged anyhow. Therefore, before he had fallen he threw his shield aside. He leaped ahead of everyone else and stood on his hind legs. He opened his legs wide apart, stretching his body as far as he could. When the next attacks came he was shot several times. One in the shoulder, three in the torso, two on his legs, and two to his head. He was thrown hard, flown into the air and crashing into the back wall with great force, causing him to crash through and fall into the kitchen.

His sacrifice had prevented three ponies from falling.

Mrs. Sugar and her husband ran about just as everypony else did. They had lasted for a while too.

While running amongst the chaos, Mr. Sugar was unfortunate enough to have his hoof stuck between a broken chunk of wood. One that had blasted off the front of the building, landing on his leg.

He screamed as he attempted to remove his leg, to no prevail. His wife did the best she could to help him. However, during this process a neon orange beam blasted through the wall.

Mrs. Sugar could only gasp as she was hit in the face.

Mr. Sugar screamed in agony as he watched his wife fall. However, a second attack hit the wood that trapped him. The combusting wood pushed his body into the air. He landed with a thud on his back, tumbled a few moments, then remained as limp as his wife.

"MRS. SUGAR!!!" the Doctor screamed, covering his head as a close attack blasted splinters over him.

"Alright, STOP!" Tumbleweed shouted, ceasing his deputies fire.

There a a brief pause, smoke and dust spread throughout the building, showing no signs of settling. Eardrums rang as the thunderous sounds fell suddenly silent. The ponies breaths were heavy, exhausted from the running, jumping, and dodging. Yet it was difficult to breath within the smoke and dust.

The Doctor stood from his hiding place, walking around the half destroyed counter and surveyed the destruction.

More then half of the prisoners lied upon the ground, some appearing more injured then others. Some of the prisoners were still conscious and standing on their hooves. Dean and his parents being the lucky ones, having made through the ordeal unscathed. Wood splinters, broken furniture, and part of the ceiling was spread all over the floor.

And amongst this destruction, the Doctor looked with a combination of despair, sadness, and anger to Mr. and Mr. Sugar, lying several feet from each other.

Both had their eyes shut, neither moved at all.

"Alright Doctor! Ahm gonna give you a second chance! Surrender yerself and everypony inside with you! And ah promise, yer death will be quick and painless!" shouted Tumbleweed.

The Doctor ran to the window, the size of the stacks having become small enough for the Doctor to look over. "Why do you want us to surrender so badly!?! You've done a fine job slaughtering these innocent ponies, why not just finish us now!?!"

"You think ah had them ponies killed!? Naw Doctor, those were stun spells ma unicorns were shoot'in! Ah need those ponies alive!"

"What for!?"

"To execute them in front a the town of course!"

"But why would you go through such trouble!?-"

"Because of what yer do'in right now Doctor! I was afraid someth'in like this was gonna happen'in and now you've gone and done it! You made the townsfolk think they have the power to fight back against me! Well, once ah take everypony in that building and have them killed in front a their family and friends! Then no pony will ever try to fight back ever again!"

"That's why you'll kill them!? To make everypony fear you!? What are you, stupid!? You're not going to make everypony fear you Tumbleweed! You'll make everypony in this town loath you! They will despise you and they will demand justice! And if they don't get it then they'll take it upon themselves to do it! Because if you kill these innocent ponies! Then they won't see you as a criminal anymore Tumbleweed! You'll be worse then that! A monster! And before you know it your plan will have backfired! You're not repressing them Tumbleweed! You're giving them a better reason to fight back! You'll only make it worse if you do this!-"

"You shut up! Ah don't need no old stallion tell'in me what's gonna happen if ah do this er this! Ahm do'in exactly what ah want to do! And what ah want to do is kill those vermin yer with before the days over! So what'll it be Doctor!?! You gonna surrender nice and easy!? Or am ah gonna have to have ma unicorns change from stun to kill!?"

The Doctor didn't respond. Falling silent, he thought at lighting speed, forming a plan.

Simultaneously, Dean approached the Doctor. "Doctor, you can fight these ponies! You can beat Tumbleweed if you fight back!"

"I know, let me think of a plan first-".

"Think of a plan!?! Doctor he's already stunned over half of these ponies! I've seen what kind of power you have when you fought Oswald and his stallions! Why aren't you using your fire against them!?! Why are we trapped in this building instead of you fighting!?!"

"Because I don't fight that way Dean! Do you expect me to go and slaughter every bad guy I see? That makes me just as bad as them!"

"You don't kill?"

"Would you?"

"Well no, but this is different! He's already killed the mayor and he's going to do the same to us! I don't want to Doctor, but if we don't kill him first then he'll kill us!"

" . . . That's not the way I do things-".

"Well how do you fight then Doctor!?!"

"Dean, look!!! Tumbleweed is an evil, vile, disgusting pony! But he is still a living breathing pony! He will die someday, but I don't want to be the pony responsible for making that day come too soon! And I most certainly don't want to carry that weight with me for the rest of my life!"

"But you'll be saving other ponies lives by killing him!"

"I'd have also taken a life in the process".

"So you don't kill the bad guys at all then, huh!?!"

" . . . . Only as last resorts. The very, very last resort. When there's no other option left".

"And you think we can still win without killing him?"

"No, I don't think, I know!"

"Then you should use your fire!-"

"I can't, he'll die-".

"But I saw you use your fire on one of Oswald's stall-".

The Doctor groaned in annoyance, cutting Dean off. "There are only certain occasions I can use my phoenix magic for my fights Dean!!! Look! Phoenix magic is entirely different from normal unicorn magic! Unicorns have basic control on just about everything! And best of all, they can have specific control on how weak or powerful they want their magic to be! Like the unicorns outside, they weakened their magic so that their attacks became stun spells. If they give their spells more strength, then their spells will become fatal death spells".

"Phoenix magic on the other hoof isn't variously wide like unicorn magic. Whereas unicorns have basic control over every kind of magic, Phoenix Ponies have full mastery over fire based magic from an early age. Unlike unicorn's smooth and fluent magic, ours is sporadic, sudden, explosive in a sense! We can't control the strengths of our magic like they can! Ours doesn't have a low, medium, and high! Its just high or low, hot or not! If I fought with my magic, I can make my fire either so weak I'll just be blowing hot air at my enemy. Or it'll be so hot, it'll disintegrate my enemies to ash, bone and all!"

"But I saw you throw fire at that one stallion-".

"He was weak from when I suffocated him in that fire vacuum. A small, weak attack such as the one that I used was plenty to knock him off his hooves".

"Well then do the fire vacuum again if you can't fight head on with fire!"

"And get shot!?! The only reason I was able to that before was because they were unarmed! The deputies outside will fire at all of us again if I try to do that!"

"Well what about when Oswald's stallions threw their weapons at you? You were able to stop those, why can't you use your fire to protect us like that?"

"Because it only works with physical objects! If I use my fire as a shield and they use their magic again, their spells with just go through my shield and harm us!"

"I don't see why you can't just blast them to smithereens-".

Before Dean could finish, the Doctor rushed to him and grabbed him hard to the shoulders. "Dean! Do you want me to kill them? Do you want me to end their lives? Because I can do it, I can burn all of them to ash right now and it would be so easy! And it would only take seconds! Is that what you want? Just give me the order Dean! Do you want me to murder Tumbleweed and all of his stallions!"

Dean gaped at the Doctor for a moment, thinking critically on how to respond. Slowly, he said, "b-but we would save our lives".

"We would also end lives in the process", said the Doctor, softening his grip.

" . . . I . . . I can't". Dean looked to the window at the stallions outside, then to the Doctor. "I'm frightened of them Doctor, but I don't want to ask you to kill them. I'll be just as responsible if I do-".

"Ah, see, now you're getting it. Asking someone to murder is just as bad as committing the murder yourself. And if I have to live on knowing I ended the lives of over fifty ponies, then so will you."

"But how will we win if we can't defeat them?"

"Who said we had to kill them to defeat them?"

"Y-You know how to beat them without killing them?"

The Doctor smiled and whispered to Dean. "I have a plan that can not only save the town, but also prevent anypony from being killed. Nopony is going to die today. Do you trust me?"

It only took a second for Dean to smile and nod. "I trust you Doctor".

"Alright", said the Doctor, releasing Dean and taking a step back. "Alrighty then!" he shouted suddenly, gaining everyone's attention. "I know this seems bad but do not fear! For I have a plan!"

"What plan?" asked Mr. Do.

"A plan that'll save everypony in this town from Tumbleweed! But for this plan to work I'm going to need all of you to cooperate and do as you are told! What I'm about to command you to do may seem both confusing and insulting but you're just going to have to trust me!"

"What's the plan Doctor?" asked Dean.

"Well step one none of you are going to like".

"And step two?"

"Step two, I'm not going to like".

"Why's that?" asked Mrs. Do.

"Because step two is going to hurt very, very much."

FIVE MINUTES LATER

After several minutes of silence, Tumbleweed had lost his patience. He turned to his row of earth ponies and unicorns and gave them the command.

"Alright colts! It seems the Doctors not going to be very cooperative with us! Looks like we're gonna have to use the big spells! Charge your horns! Get ready to fire the death spells!"

The unicorns obeyed, all shutting their eyes to focus on their magic. Their horns growing brighter and brighter as more magical energy flow within them.

A few moments later, the unicorns were ready.

"Alright colts! Ready!"

The earth ponies took a tight hold to the unicorns tails.

"Aim!"

The earth ponies then positioned the unicorns heads.

"And! Fi-".

"WAIT!!!" a shout came from within the building.

Tumbleweed and his stallions froze as they spotted a small white thing in the window.

It was a white towel tied to the tip of a chair leg. The pony that shouted waved the towel tied stick back and forth, giving the towel a nice wave.

"We surrender!"

Tumbleweed recognized the voice to being the Doctor. Smiling, he shouted, "if yer serious, then come on out then! Unarmed!"

Slowly, the front door to Dodge Desserts opened. Two ponies opening each side of the double door. The Doctor stepped between them, walking towards Tumbleweed with the table leg held in his right hoof. He walked until he was five feet away from Tumbleweed.

Tumbleweed and the Doctor stood tall and apart. Tumbleweeds stallions, watching from behind their sheriff with excitement, while the prisoners and Dean's family stood behind the Doctor, watching with anxiety.

Tumbleweed said with a grin, "so, you ready to give up now Doctor?"

Licking his lips, the Doctor responded. "Yes, they surrender! The townsfolk and all of the ponies that stand behind me surrender to you Tumbleweed. All of Dodge Junction surrenders to you!"

Tumbleweeds grin grew more sinister. "That's what I like to hear!"

"Yes, indeed so. However-".

Suddenly, the Doctor stood to his hind hoofs. He lifted the chair leg to the air and brought it down sideways. Breaking it in half against the knee of his right hind leg. He then threw the two halves aside, returned to normal standing position, and glared fiercely at Tumbleweed.

"I'm not from around here, am I!"

Taken aback, Tumbleweeds non unicorn deputies all reached for their weapons. Extracting them from their sheaths and pointing them towards the Doctor. His unicorn deputies, all of them having their death spells pre charged, pointed their horns towards the Doctor. Ready to fire if necessary.

Tumbleweed, appearing unaffected yet just as taken aback as his stallions asked, "what is the meaning of this!?"

"The citizens of Dodge Junction have surrendered to you Tumbleweed. However, I am not a residing citizen, am I?"

"Are you saying that only you wish to fight?"

"Correct."

Tumbleweed and his stallions laughed, all finding the Doctor's "act" humerous. "You against all of us?" shouted Tumbleweed, his laugh fading to a chuckle.

"No, not against all of you. Only you, Tumbleweed."

All laughter ceased when the Doctor said this. Jokes were over, no one was grinning, everything had become serious. Tumbleweeds stallions looked to the Doctor in shock, assuming to what they believed the Doctor was proclaiming.

Tumbleweed had assumed the same. "Are you challenging me Doctor?"

His glare growing fiercer, the Doctor responded. "That is correct, Tumbleweed. I am indeed challenging you! And I challenge you- ."

The Doctor pointed to Tumbleweed as he shouted, "to a street duel!"

Comments

[Scyphi]

Nice of Tumbleweed to wait for the Doc and Dean to have their lengthy argument there.

Other than that though, this storyarc's been really solid, can't wait to see what will happen next.