Twilight sipped a cup of coffee, contemplating what to do. Radiance was still in the guest room, now sound asleep. The book laid by her side on the coffee table, still in the same place as before. It had barely been touched over the past few days. It had caused Radiance so much torment in the span of only a moment. She picked it up in her magic, carefully observing it.
It was just an ordinary book, nothing more and nothing less. It was the contents that continued to trouble her. The page she left off on was marked by a small red bookmark sticking out of the top. Last time the Daleks were holding him and his companions prisoner, and they’d just barely escaped. Spark was stuck in a Dalek casing as the elevator lowered towards the enemy.
She probably should continue now. After all, now seemed to be a better time than ever to continue—finally not much to worry about and hopefully nopony to disturb her reading.
Spark clasped the edge of the elevator exit, the real elevator slowly continuing its descent below him. The rest of them let out a sigh of relief before helping him up.
“Oh my God, that was a close one, Hmm?” chuckled the Doctor.
“It’s not over yet, the elevator’s rising!” said Spark as he rushed to the door.
He rapidly looked around for any ideas, everypony in as much of an alarm as he was. There was a computer terminal next to the elevator, large and heavy.
“Quick, help me shove this down the elevator shaft!”
With a hefty amount of effort, they all began to push the terminal, making a rough grinding noise as friction tried to resist. With one last shove, the bulk toppled down the shaft like a targeted missile. The elevator crumbled under the force and crashed to the lowest level. Everypony cheered at their victory, but they weren’t out of trouble yet.
“Look, there’s a window. You think you can see how to get out?” asked Berry.
“It seems we’re at the top of one of those buildings. A spire in the sky overlooking everything.” the Doctor mused.
“What’s that down there? I can’t see clearly.”
Suddenly everypony was crowding around the window to get a good look. The skyline was a magnificent array of silvery metallic spires connected by hundreds upon thousands of bridges. A city that may have once been constructed for beauty was now decrepit and occupied by the seemingly malicious Daleks.
“Another Dalek most likely.” Spark replied.
“No, it looks like another pony.”
“The Thals! They must be the other race the Daleks warned us about.” Susan gasped.
“If they’re the least mutated, then what must the Daleks be like inside their metal casings?” pondered the Doctor.
“What if the Thals are peaceful? It could be an ambush.”
“They are peaceful, one of them gave me the cloak that helped us as well as the extra anti-radiation drugs.”
“Well, there’s no time to waste, c’mon help me prop this door open.”
Spark then proceeded to clasp the sliding door attempting to wedge it open. With a little more joint effort, the door roughly slid open, and they all rushed inside, down one silver corridor to the next. It was a risk to help the Thals, sacrificing themselves to possibly prevent a massacre. Finally, they were at the last junction, where the exit to the outside lay, and the Thals began to enter.
“Now that we’re here, I believe that it’s time to split the party. You three get to the ship while I go and warn the Thals,” said Spark.
“No we can’t, we all have to stay together.” Susan cried.
“It’s better to split than to risk the whole party.”
“B-but Spark!”
“No, buts, please. You still trust me, don’t you?”
“I do... just try not to get hurt.”
“I’ll try.”
Spark smiled as the rest of the group left without him. It was only a few minutes before they heard Spark yell and bolt for it. The sounds of Dalek gunfire echoed across the halls combined with the thumps of about a dozen hoof steps. Susan paused for a second outside of the city to take a glance back. She couldn’t process what she saw before the Doctor ushered her away, galloping into the petrified forest.
Luckily Spark wasn’t too far behind them after a few minutes of galloping. It seemed that they had escaped. Outside the tall blue barn, the four of them prepared to say their goodbyes.
“I’m sorry we couldn’t stick around longer and uh, help. But we’ve caused much more trouble than we should’ve.” said the Doctor.
“Now then, Spurt, I do apologize for getting us into this mess in the first place. It wasn’t fair to drag you all into this.”
“It’s Spark, and it was no proble-“
Spark paused as he searched for the fluid link in his newly scuffled tie’s pocket. Nothing, he left it back in the lab while they were arguing. All of his efforts had felt like they were for nothing.
“I-I don’t have it. I left it behind in the lab. This’s all my fault. I...I didn’t mean to-“
The Doctor smiled kindly and cut him off.
“It’s okay, we all make mistakes now and then, hmm.”
The four of them chuckled, having a short warm moment. But it was still far from being all over.
“Why would they do this? Why would they kill Taurus?” murmured one of the Thals anxiously.
“It was a Dalek, wasn’t it? I’m sorry I wasn’t there on time. We all tried our best.” said Spark as he comforted the Thal.
“Y-yes, they killed my brother. Why wouldn’t they help us?”
“I believe it’s a simple yet stupid reason, a dislike for the unlike. They treated us kindly, but only to extract information from us.”
“There’s nothing we can do, with no food or water, we’re all going to die.”
Spark returned to the group.
“It’s no use; they’re completely defeated.”
“Yes, yes, deprived of all motivation to fight. It’d take an army to hold off the Daleks, and they’re our best option at retrieving the fluid link.”
“We have to get them riled up somehow. I have an idea, so try to act along.”
“Spark, what’re you... oh never mind.” sighed Berry in defeat.
“Now listen up! The Daleks have hurt you, hurt your own. Aren’t you going to do anything about that?”
“The Daleks have weapons, we have nothing left.” came a voice from the crowd.
“You have nothing to lose... what if I just ran off with the little food you had?”
Still silence and nothing but utter defeat. It didn’t matter to them anymore.
“Well... what if I traded one of you for our fluid link?”
Spark grabbed the foreleg of the nearest Thal, prompting the one who had lost his brother to promptly punch him in the face. Spark smiled, seeing the flame return to his eyes. He got up and rubbed his sore cheek.
“That’s what the Daleks will do, steal you from each other. You say you have nothing, but you have each other!”
The crowd remained silent until one Thal clapped her hooves. One after another, the group turned into an uproar of protest and rebellion against the Daleks.
“Now, Doctor, there’s our army.” Spark smiled with a slightly swollen cheek.
The Doctor looked down at the map of the city, charted from long ago. The backside of the city was occupied by a long marsh and a thick and muggy swamp. It was said that hundreds of mutations resided there, destroying whoever came too close. It was a considerable risk, but it was one that they were willing to take.
“So once we’re in the city, we’ll give you a signal with our mirror. In turn, you shine yours in response, got it?” asked the Doctor.
“All clear,” said Zeal, the Thal from before.
“Are you ready, Doctor?” asked Berry.
“Yes, yes, just going over the plan one more time.”
The trek towards the swamp seemed to take ages, Zeal slashing at the vines and tall grass with a sharp blade. Strange noises came out from every direction, putting them on edge. It wasn’t until they camped out by the waters for the night they indeed saw one of the beasts. Berry was on the side of dry land, where it submerged into the swamp water. A frothy vortex of eyes and teeth swirled around, beginning to suck everything in.
Luckily, since Berry was a pegasus she was able to put up a bit of a fight, but it wasn’t enough. Closer and closer, she was drawn until one of the stallions pulled her out of the windy vortex. She screamed as she saw him being sucked in, Susan rushing her away before he was eaten.
It was a tragedy, but they had to continue moving forward to continue their mission. A system of pipelines and electric wires tunneled down a long cave.
“These pipes should lead us into the city. Once we’re in view of the others, we’ll signal the troops from the nearest spire. Now, remember, it’s dark in here, so keep your torches lit and stay close together. Got it?” directed Zeal.
“Got it.” the group responded in unison.
Dripping water splashed onto the cold stone flooring beneath them, creating an eerie vibe to the whole tunnel. It wasn’t as bad as the swamp where anything could attack them, but something still could creep up behind them from in the dark. Up ahead was a deep ravine that ended in a rushing rapid below.
“How strong is your magic, Spark? Think you can lift us across?” the Doctor asked jokingly.
“I’m not that good at levitation, but maybe I could teleport myself or a couple of you across if you’re lucky.”
“Step aside, stallions, I believe it’s my turn to impress.” smiled Berry.
That is how she proudly carried most of the group to the other side.
“You coming, Spark?”
“Just give me a second to warm up. I’m a little rusty, but I’ve still-“
In a flash of light, Spark vanished before majestically reappearing, wedged into a tight crevice in the wall. His flank stuck out from the cave wall as everyone laughed.
“Very funny, now get me out of here!”
It only became more hilarious as he kicked his hind legs with a useless struggle. Zeal grabbed one leg and Berry the other, heaving him out of there in a few hard tugs.
“Please, let’s never speak about this again.”
“Oh, we’re going to talk about this for ages, Mr. Reaction,” said Susan as she and the others laughed and continued forward into the unknown.
The cavern opened up to a rusty old maintenance shaft. Beyond it lay the metallic city on the face of Skaro that had struck fear into so many. It burned red hot from the harsh sunlight beating down upon its surface. As of now, the battle truly begins.
Everypony gathered around a flat boulder, rolling out the map of the city. Zeal looked over it and observed the key points marked in light ink. These were the few known weak points the city had. Since static electricity was their source of power, cables wrapped around the outer rim of the silver spires and the walls that marked the outer points. This created a circuit where the electricity flowed through every ramp and floor where smaller cables were directed to.
The city was originally built for the Thals but was taken over with force by the Daleks. Thus they had all of the blueprints stockpiled in their historic containment units so they never forgot the people they used to be.
Zeal said "Alright, everyone, this is where the party splits. Spark, Berry, and I will continue onward to the tallest spire to give the signal. The Doctor and Susan will go out to the side exterior of one building to find a way to remove the power from the Dalek's city. They get their power through electricity, correct?"
"Yes, yes, young stallion. No need to be so triumphant about it. Now, concentrate your forces on the smaller five units around the city. They’ll without a doubt be much easier to destroy. Susan and I will attempt to disable the largest and sixth position that this cave follows. There are likely several circuits interweaving through the city just in case one becomes damaged or withered. We must destroy all of them.
Now Zeal, you must give the signal at the city’s highest point or else nopony will see it, understand?”
“Yes Doctor, I understand perfectly.”
Zeal held back the urge to roll his eyes as the Doctor continued to be the center of attention.
“Yes, yes, we better get to it then, time is of the essence!"
The group went their separate ways, traveling across the silver corridors on their mission. The air began to become thicker and more sterile than outside, the air conditioning unit removing any diseases that could be contracted. The Doctor and Susan began to follow thick black cable and piping that led out from the cavern. The pipeline diverged off towards the cooling systems along the way as they finally reached the control box concealed in the glass.
Susan looked at it curiously, fumbling to work out how it moved.
"Now, how do I get this, oh it slides," she muttered to herself as she lifted the glass protector from the box's front.
Flashing electronics weaving left and right filled the small frame. The Doctor picked up an old branch and gently tapped the power box.
"Now, how do we -"
Susan was interrupted as the Doctor triumphantly swung the branch into the box, shattering everything. Although violent, this method was effective. The air almost immediately felt a bit warmer as more of the system’s functionality broke down and stuttered to a halt. There was no telling what exactly controlled the electricity, but it was better safe than sorry.
"Well, that was a little... intense."
"Yet efficient." the Doctor chuckled.
"But what about this one?"
A small round gauge directing a stored portion of the electricity flow was attached higher up on the wall. It would eventually run dry as the Daleks continued to use power but they didn’t have enough time to wait for that. The Doctor looked at it quizzically, trying to come up with a plan of action. A spark of realization came to his face as he had an idea.
"Susan, May I have your key to the ship, please?"
"Sure, what are you gonna do with it?"
"If I use the metal chain as a conductor, I can loop the electricity onto itself. The more the electricity leaves the box, the more dissipates into the air."
Using the stick, the Doctor attached the ends of the metal chain into the copper coil lining the inside of the container. It lightly sparked before the key became electrified. This halved the lifespan of the electricity, releasing as much as was used.
"Yes, yes, quite the ingenious idea, hmm? I'm quite the innovative stallion, aren't I?"
"Uhm, grandfather, we should get going."
The Doctor continued to laugh and congratulate himself on the first small victory in a while for so long he didn't notice the Dalek ambush. They crept out from the hedges and out from behind the silver walls. The machines spouted orders in their robotic monotone voices, forcing them back into the building. They might have been able to take one or two, but a squad of seven was impossible.
“Detain the prisoners, they will not escape again.”
The Daleks pointed their gun sticks at the two of them threateningly. After the ambush, they had all ramped up their weapons from “paralyze” to “kill”.
They were forced against the wall. Locked up, and chained against the wall, helpless. There was nothing they could do at the current moment but hope that the rest of their plan was in action. They’d accomplished what they came to do and that was enough for them.
"I-I'm sorry, my dear… my excitement has gotten the best of me again."
"No worries Grandfather, I'm sure Spark and the others aren't far behind."
Alarms from the nearby circular control panel beeped on and off, alerting the Daleks of the Thal's presence. It wasn’t long before they pulled up the monitors’ images of the specific location of the Thals. But they were everywhere, so many attacking the city at once. Thals swarmed the halls by the dozens, taking out every Dalek in sight.
"The Thals have entered the city. We must release our nuclear bomb immediately!"
"What!?" both the Doctor and Susan shouted in alarm.
"Why would you need to do such a thing?" said Susan as she began to cry again.
"The Daleks survive off of radiation. For us to exist outside of the city, we must create an environment suitable for ourselves."
"But that's just plain murder; you can't!" Susan yelled
"Can't we? We are the Daleks, the supreme race of all. Be silent or be exterminated!"
The pepper pot belted a determinate chant for their ultimate victory; its compatriots soon joining in afterward. They overlooked a round metal container that contained the bomb. It fits into a medium-sized pipe that would launch the bomb into the air. Their countdown had already been initiated, starting from sixty and gradually decreasing as the minute ticked by. Lucky for them, Spark and the others weren't far behind.
Only twenty seconds to go once Spark, Berry, and the Thals attacked from behind. Shots were fired left and right as Thals fell to the ground in agony. Two others raced to release The Doctor and Susan as they joined the fight, but it wasn't needed. Just as the countdown was in the final digits, more signals of power loss and drainage flashed left and right. The Doctor's plan to sabotage the electrical workings had worked. The Daleks’ voices lowered in decibels and their metal appendages dropped lower and lower.
"Look, Doctor, we've won!" cheered Spark as he bucked a Dalek backward.
The Dalek could do nothing, not even resist the force as it slid back into the control panel. The panel sparked when the Dalek hit it, doing more damage to the Dalek as its defenses were down. The Doctor approached one of them as its metallic voice slowly became deeper and deeper as it lost all control.
"The Daleks will not die; you will save us!"
"Why should we do that, hmm? We gave you a chance to form peace, to be friendly, and yet you turned us down."
"The Daleks do not need other life foooooorms..."
The light in its eyestalk finally went out. A raging fire that had once struck fear into others had now been drained and diminished.
"How ironic of you to say that. You don't need the assistance of other lifeforms, and yet here you are, needing us now."
The Doctor smiled sadly and trotted with his companions back to the forest, to the Tardis. Upon the hill above the city, deep in the petrified forest, a final celebration took place. Both Skaro and the Thals were finally released from the evil once contained all around. All the Thals gathered around to see their mighty heroes and saviors go. As the group was about to enter the TARDIS, Zeal held out the final piece that they'd needed. The fluid link that had been misplaced only a short time ago. It felt like forever since they’d had their last argument.
"Here you are Doctor, I believe you'll be needing this if you want to go anywhere. And as a token of our friendship, have this as well."
Zeal held in his thin teal hoof a strip of metal cut painted blue and shaped to resemble the Tardis as closely as possible. The Doctor picked it up carefully and hooked it to his pocket by a hook on the back.
"To think I would've just left you all behind to your own devices if I were not held back through necessity. It is not only you that's learned something valuable today, but perhaps I as well. Thank you for teaching me the value of kindness and the strength to fight for what should be right. Goodbye then, Zeal."
Everypony stepped into the Tardis, back into the stark white console room with its gleaming roundels, and closed the door behind them. That oh so familiar sound of dematerialization rang out through the forest, signaling their departure. Where were they to go next, no one knew quite yet. Not even they had a solid idea as the directional controls were still unstable. But wherever or whenever they went, it was sure to be spectacular.