Fluttershy's home for Reforming Monsters

by JeckParadox

Orders

"Line up!! Your daily rations are being provided, you will consume the set amount in it's entirety and you will be eternally grateful to Commander Fluttershy, who has seen fit to make monetary sacrifices to provide sustenance for you vermin! Understood?!"

The animals by now had gotten used to the routine and begrudgingly allowed the soldier to feed them. He fed each of them from the bag of animal feed in turn and then emptied the remained out in a dish. "All of you understand that this is not for your immediate consumption, and is to be used as snacks later on in the day. You are prohibited from eating from it after five o'clock, or your appetites will be ruined. This will... displease Commander Fluttershy, UNDERSTOOD?!"

A somewhat irritated chorus of agreement from the animals was his answer and he rolled back toward Fluttershy, who was watching happily. "Good work Sar."

"Thank you Commander... permission to speak freely?"

"Of course."

"Commander, you have stated to this soldier multiple times that the reason that you care for your animals is to fulfil some useless need that brings you momentary pleasure... correct?"

"Yes, because it's fun."

"That's what I said, Commander. But... in order to ensure the maximum output of your fun, would it not be better for you to care for the animals personally?"

Fluttershy nodded. "But I have to think about what's best for you too."

"I will gladly stop feeding them."

"I know, but for you, having fun is working hard for your Commander, right? I'm sorry that we're not fighting anypony right now, and that it's unlikely we'll ever have to, but you still want something important to do, right? This might not be an activity you think is important, but it really is. And I gave you responsibility for it. And that's something you enjoy. Doing important jobs."

The Dalek considered it. "...Understood. I will continue to feed them. But I'd prefer a job such as patrolling our territory, or building shelters for-"

"Oh! That's a wonderful idea Sar!"

Sar stopped for a second. "It is?"

"Yes, you should have told me you wanted to build things, you see, I thought that it was getting crowded in the yard, and sometimes when it rains it gets so cluttered in the cabin with everyone inside all at the same time, we should build shelters from the rain in the side of the yard!"

"...bomb shelters..." He said, but the Pegasus was already on her way, her animals friends following her excitedly as she went off to look for some tools and some lumber. The Dalek couldn't sigh, and honestly, that had never even been an emotional response to anything before. Coming to the pony world had a pretty deep effect on him and the other Daleks. Possibly deeper than the Doctor's.

When they all went through the vortex and came to Equestria... something, changed. The Doctor became a pony version of a Time Lord, and the Daleks... they began to doubt. Themselves, what they stood for, their genetic code, their needs, their possession of emotions other than hate and fear... which was all that was necessary.

Sar had never felt like he should sigh before. If a Dalek Commander did cut him off mid-sentence before, then he would either finish it after the Commander finished speaking, or dismiss his own thoughts. But now... his emotions found a middle ground, a disturbing middle ground. Daleks did not find a middle ground, he thought to himself, Dalek are always the most extreme.

He expressed some regret that he couldn't finish his words to Fluttershy, but he found the words not important enough to interrupt and clarify it to her. So he was left with what was mild annoyance. He wasn't sure where that was on the hate-fear scale... but he was sure it was in the middle somewhere. He didn't like it. He was compelled by Fluttershy, but he didn't... fear her. He respected her, he obeyed her, he would self-destruct at her order without a second thought, if he still had the ability, but he didn't fear her.

Emotions were so confusing. He decided to not dwell on them, considering how unimportant they were to him. Fluttershy's emotions were more interesting anyway. Sar's attention shifted as Fluttershy came back, her and her animal friends carrying various tools and wood and some metal towards him. "So where should we build it?" She asked.

Sar scanned the yard, doing complex patterns in his head. He went through his list of the animals, their ability to move, the size required for the shelter, the materials, the size of the yard. Two seconds passed and he came up with the optimal location.

"I have found the optimal shelter position. However, our resources our below what is necessary to make a safe and suitable shelter."

"Oh? What else do we need?"

"Three metric tons of tampered steel beams, four tons of wet cement, several wooden molds, cut stone-"

"We're building a shelter so that the animals can have a place to hide from the rain, not a castle."

"...then we have enough." And so they set to work.

---

Rainbow Dash came down the path, checking on Fluttershy again. The five friends had been making rounds of checking up on Fluttershy and the alien. During their visits the Dalek was always silent, watching from a corner usually. Rainbow Dash was unnerved by the strange machine, but she had grown to accept it. Their visits were getting shorter and more in-between over the past two weeks.

Rainbow stopped when she heard an unfamiliar sound. "SAR! Angel's telling me he didn't get a carrot today. Feeding the animals is your job, you need to do it right! Angel needs his vitamins. As your commander I order you to pay more attention. I know you don't like it, but this is your new duty, understood?"

"Was that Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked hesitantly. She had never heard the pegasus bark orders like that except when Iron Will gave her those lessons, or when she was furious. "no... no, that couldn't have been."

"Apologies Commander Fluttershy! It was my own incompetence, I misunderstood your directions. I was not aware Angel needed the carrot daily, as you addressed it as a 'special treat'. This will not happen again!!"

Rainbow stopped in her tracks, lowering to the ground and sneaking closer to the cabin. That sounded terrible! The alien seemed terrified... and he called Fluttershy his Commander... what was going on?!

Rainbow jumped out of the bush, "Who are you and what have you done with the real Fluttershy?!!"Sar's eyestalk swiveled toward her and he charged in her direction.

"INTRUDER DETECTED! EXTERMINATION IN PROGRESS!!!" He screamed, Rainbow barely dodging in time.

"SAR! You stop that this instant, apologize to Rainbow."

To Rainbow's surprise the Dalek turned around, she tensed, ready to jump if he charged at her. "...I apologize. Announce your presence so you will stop being an intruder!" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. Sar glanced at her expression and turned back to Rainbow. "...I apologized for scaring you. I am naturally terrifying to all inferior beings, would you...please... announce yourself so I can stop considering you an intruder, and recognize you as a guest?" It asked, trying to be polite.

"Uh... I'm Rainbow Dash... I'm Fluttershy's friend?"

"...Welcome. Please use the front door next time."

"Uh.. sure... Fluttershy, what gives? You're giving him orders! You're yelling at him, I don't really think this is what Princess Celestia meant when she let you take care of him..."

"Well.. It's mostly for Sar."

"Who?"

"Dalek Sar is his full name. He prefers I call him Sar, rather than Mr. Dalek. So that's what I call him... anyway. Rainbow, Sar's not a pony."

"Well, yeah."

"He doesn't think like a pony. He likes being ordered around. If I'm not ordering him around, if I'm not strict, he won't feel as good about himself."

"That... that's pretty weird."

"No, it's just the way Daleks are. They need a chain of command."

Rainbow Dash frowned. "They 'need' one?"

Fluttershy nodded.

"So... can it even choose not to follow your orders?"

Fluttershy stopped and looked down. Before flying off to where Sar was, scanning the garden for a carrot. "Sar?"

"Yes Commander?!"

"Sar... can you choose not to follow one of my orders?"

"Why would I ever choose not to follow an order? You are my Commander. I am genetically impure. I have no right to refuse."

"But... can you?"

Sar looked at her for a second. "...no." He lied.

"W-well... I just want you to be happy here... I don't want you to stay if you can't be happy... I don't want you to follow my orders if you don't like them..."

"I am a Dalek! We can never be happy." He stated.

Fluttershy looked down, and Sar shifted as he saw her eyes water, her nose sniffle, and her beginning to shake. She was extremely displeased, he had said the wrong thing. "...but..." He began, she looked up suddenly, hopefully. She was still on the verge of tears though. He was furious with himself, he had almost made his Commander cry! His mind raced, trying to find the right thing to say. Several seconds passed by and it looked like Fluttershy might begin to bawl. 'Curses!!' Over a million computations per second, enough knowledge of temporal shifts to out-maneuver the Lords of Time, and the intelligence of a supercomputer beyond anything that would ever be built on earth... and he couldn't think of a single good thing to say. Fluttershy was beginning to groan, her body getting ready to cry. But then something struck Sar, perhaps just the right neuron fired off at that moment. "...but I am content here. It would be acceptable to spend my life here. And even though I cannot refuse, I trust you implicitly. I don't think you can give bad orders, you are a fine Commander, you have found the loyalty of treacherous creatures such as rabbits, who am I to think you do not deserve mine?"

Fluttershy's face contorted, and he couldn't tell what emotion was displayed now. She then began crying heavily, and rushed forward to embrace the Dalek. He didn't turn the rest of his body, and his arms couldn't bend to embrace her either, so he had to do with looking at her with his stalk. Her wails brought Rainbow Dash there immediately, "What did you do?!"

"I said the wrong thing..." Sar said sadly.

"No, ~sniff~... no, you said exactly the right thing.... I-I'm sorry for crying so much... I'm just relieved... I was worried you didn't like it here..."

"Commander, I must serve my purpose, and I have decided that purpose is to serve you. What more could a Dalek ask for?"

Comments

[Really Big Shoe]

D'aww

[lunafangirl]

3073892

Exactly.

[forevertheDoctor]

First I was like lol

Then I was like THE FEELS!!!!

[arancaytar]

"Three metric tons of tampered steel beams, four tons of wet cement, several wooden molds, cut stone-"

(This Dalek reminds me of Commander Straxx, by the way. "Madame Vastra wondered if you were needing any grenades?" - "Grenades?" - "She might have said help.")

Over a million computations per second

Side note: Woah! That's almost as much as a modern pocket calculator.

"Commander, I must serve my purpose, and I have decided that purpose is to serve you. What more could a Dalek ask for?"

d'awwww.