Ponies Have No Concept of Endings
Celestia trotted through the streets of Ponyville easily, like she was a native of the town, as natural for her to be here as anywhere else. There were golden-armored guard ponies in her attendance, but they kept a respectful distance, letting the Princess of Equestria move at her own pace without feeling crowded.
Walking next to the alicorn that was more than twice her height, however, left Soldier feeling somewhat crowded herself. She felt the weight of her new sonic probe, carried in her mouth, acutely.
“There is no need to worry, Soldier,” Celestia said as the two walked. “Or hurry. I have sent word ahead to Pinkie Pie that I wished to speak with you before the party, and that we may be late. The party may start without its guest of honor, but it won’t leave her behind.”
“Acknowledged, Princess,” Soldier responded, after removing the sonic from her mouth and letting it float in her telekinesis. Soldier did take a moment to glance at it, the pony part of her still in awe of her own magical ability.
Celestia chuckled a little. “My former student has told me much of what happened over this past week. Already you are not the Dalek that I met on the road to Ponyville any longer.” She stopped her trot, looking at Soldier directly. “How do you feel about that?”
Soldier stared back at Celestia as she stopped her own trot, considering. She felt the itch in her flank flare up again, but ignored it beyond a slight twitch. “I…think I am…changing. And…and that is not as…as frightening as it once was to me. To any Dalek.”
Celestia’s smile didn’t waver for a moment. “Change is always frightening, Soldier. Daleks are not unique in fearing it or fighting against it…though from what I have learned of your people, from Twilight, from the Doctor, you certainly fight harder than most.”
Soldier looked down. “Yes.”
“You have also learned that the Doctor can travel between realities…” Celestia’s smile finally wavered at that, and she glanced back at the way they had come. “I promise you, Soldier, I did not know that when we first met. I had not asked the Doctor enough about his past…that is my error. I am sorry.”
“I do not wish to return…you offered me life as a pony, or as quick a death as you could manage. Had I returned to my own reality a week ago, it would only have been to die.” Soldier stood up straighter. “It was irrelevant. And now you do know. If you make the Doctor promise to aid you if another from our reality comes through, he will. The Doctor is known to keep his word.”
Celestia looked back to Soldier. “I have already done so. I also discussed at length his original promise to me, that he would bring no harm to any of my little ponies.” She reached out, placing a hoof gently on Soldier’s withers. “That included you from the moment you agreed to change. I must apologize for the part my negligence played in that as well.” Her smile returned. “Though…I understand that you have taken the first steps to patching things up between yourselves.” The smile widened. “And that you have struck up a rapport with Spike. Something about both of you being the only ones of your kind in town.”
“Correct,” Soldier admitted after a moment.
“You took my advice after all, then. You made friends, or have started to.”
Soldier opened her mouth to begin a familiar litany, but paused. She felt the pony part of her acutely. “I…did. Yes.”
Celestia chuckled again, an altogether pleasant sound as she began walking again, Soldier following. They continued in silence until they were at the very doors of the library, but then Celestia paused once more. “There is one more thing, Soldier,” she said, though the smile did not leave her face. “But first…a question. I asked you, when we first met, if there was anything you loved to do, anything that made you happy. You told me that Daleks have no need for happiness…but do you still feel that is the case? Or rather, do you feel that there is no need for happiness in your life?”
The itch returned once more. This time, Soldier couldn’t keep herself from scratching at it. “I…do not know that it is necessary,” she said.
“But…? Have you found something that makes you happy?”
Soldier considered what had transpired since she had arrived in Equestria, and even before. The feel of sunlight for the first time. Teaching herself to walk. Her discovery of her sense of taste and exploring its limits. Reading books with the aid of Spike, and learning and adapting what she had already known to building her first sonic probe. Discovering games at her first Pinkie Party. This morning, discovering how to access her magic…and what the Doctor had shown her. Skaro’s past, a moment in time when what was perhaps the most feared planet in her reality was beautiful, and peaceful. And then she thought of the future, of how much more she still had to discover and learn…
“Yes,” Soldier said. The pony part of her was right by her, helping the Dalek along, even as she again scratched at her flank. “I…I have discovered that…that discovery is pleasing. Learning new things. Uncovering new information.”
Celestia nodded. “I thought as much…I am afraid I must apologize once more, Soldier. The false cutie mark I gave you, the illusion to help you blend in…” she waved a hoof at Soldier’s flanks. “It served its purpose, but I also now realize that it hid from you what many ponies would describe as among the happiest single moments of their lives. I can only hope that this moment will serve well as a substitute.”
Soldier’s head tilted to the side in confusion. In response, Celestia’s horn glowed a moment, and a similar flash occurred behind Soldier, at her flanks. She looked to where the false cutie mark had been…and found something else: A scroll, closed up tight, its contents just waiting to be read, wrapped in blue flames – flames that, aside from the color, looked very similar to the flames that Spike used to send and receive messages to and from ponies. To pass information along, to learn more.
Soldier’s eyes widened. The Dalek in her contemplated all the possibilities that the cutie mark represented, its meaning, its purpose. The pony in her, while the Dalek was busy, took over, had her spinning in place as she tried to get a closer look at her flanks, had her breath quicken and sent her heart racing.
Celestia slowly trotted up to the library’s door, placing a hoof on it. “It seems we have more to celebrate today than merely the week anniversary of your arrival,” she said as she opened the door. The light from inside the library spilled out, and the ponies – and dragon – within all stopped what they were doing and looked out. They noticed her new cutie mark, and though some of them were confused – having not been fully informed of the deception – Twilight Sparkle and Spike both looked to each other, Twilight bumping Spike’s outstretched fist.
“C’mon in,” Spike called, as Celestia held the door open for Soldier. “We were waiting for you!”
Daleks did not have a concept of friendship.
But now, Soldier did.
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woo
*standing ovation*
What a BEAUTIFUL story! It ended up with such a meaningful moral, the writing was superb, Soldier was somehow totally relatable despite her alien mind and also downright hilarious with some of her reactions (I about cracked up at every “I AM IN DANGER” or “I AM BEING ATTACKED” in response to normal things like hugs. XD) Thank you very much for finishing your story and sharing it with us!
The second he was getting itchy-flank, I was thinking "Well, someone's Mark is reaalllllly unhappy with that illusion some alicorn stuck over it!"
Soldier's in Ponyville, and all is rightfully weird with the world.
a bit short, but otherwise pleasant
maybe the next one will be longer, yes?
I'm sad that this story is over, but I am VERY happy that you wrote it and I got to read it. Many thanks, dear author.
Huh. I'm a bit surprised you didn't make Soldier brown, with polka-doted legs.
9604694
The lack of dots is due to the limits of the flash game used to create her: the Pony Creator Full Version by GeneralZoi. There's actually a third version of the game out there as well, but despite having somewhat more options and giving you the ability to turn the pony's head, I don't like it as much, mostly because it removed a lot of mane and hairstyles found in the show itself.
I could have worked some MSPaint magic, I guess, but I preferred Soldier looking fairly plain.
I forget why I chose the specific colors I did. I think I actually, funnily enough, wanted to make her look "rusty", this despite starting this fic before the Dalek Rusty was invented.
So much SoL, and then it trns out for the best.
If Soldier in pony form managed to break the Doctors firewalls, how many Tardis were lost to DDOS?
9604715
I don't know what SoL stands for in this context; I'm personally used to it standing for speed of light, but I imagine that's wrong.
That bit with Soldier just needing a few minutes to disable some of the safeties that the Doctor put into her new sonic screwdriver was mostly added to remind the reader that a Time War era Dalek is a genius; my personal take on the Daleks at their height in the Time War is that they are to space what the Time Lords were to time, its utter masters. Best example of this would be in the Voidship from "Army of Ghosts/"Doomsday", which the Doctor seems baffled by the existence of ("Well, it's impossible for starters.") - that is, he knows what it is in theory, but can hardly believe that one actually exists. In some areas the Daleks seem to have exceeded Time Lord technology.
If/when Soldier joins the Doctor on some adventure, she will actually be able to keep up with him, or at least his technobabble, rather than being lost the way companions often are. Which of course he'd just make up for by emphasizing ridiculous plans instead. No companion is allowed to keep up with the Doctor, especially not a Dalek!
I'm as sad to see the story end as I am happy that it got and ending.
9604720
I usually see people use "SOL" to mean "Shit Out of Luck", if that helps.
9604720
I think in this case SoL means slice of life.
And the idea of the Daleks being the masters of space... I really like that idea.
This has turned out to be a fantastic story all around. While I would love to see more, it also feels like the best end for it as well. So thank you for sharing it.
9604849
I mean...it is worth remembering that the Daleks were winning the Time War. They were winning a fight against a species that actually invented causality, a species who once decided that magic was rubbish and re-wrote the rules of reality at the moment of creation to remove it from the timestream. A species that invented black holes specifically so that they could have a way to dispose of dangerous weapons but thanks to the time dilation of the event horizon have a way to retrieve the weapon just in case they actually ended up needing it later, and then once their science advanced to a point where they didn't need black holes for that purpose any more kept them around anyway just because they liked being able to tell people that they invented black holes.
The Time Lords were power incarnate, and the Daleks were winning.
They have to have a few utterly horrifying tricks up their metaphorical sleeves.
9604877
I was wondering where I could find the time lords rewriting reality to get rid of magic in doctor who, because it sounds very interesting. Would you mind telling me?
I also want to thank you for sharing your story with us i really enjoyed it.
9605088
Several Doctor Who novels touch on it, like Cat’s Cradle: Time’s Crucible and Christmas on a Rational Planet.
When's the sequel?
Well, this has been a very enjoyable read; if someday this should receive a sequel, i shall definitely read that as well.
9604807
9604720
In this context, i'm pretty sure they mean 'Slice of Life.'
If you decide to continue this in a future story, I want to see soldier meet a dalek, to see the internal conflict as she's torn between her own former species and protecting her freinds
I'm sure Pinkie can convert this party into a combo one-week and cutecenaria fairly easily.
Nice to see this picked up and finished after so long. Good story, good ending.
Woth the wait.
FINALLY it's done! Wonderful story but.... my lord dude. Seriously.
9605796
Sorry...I have no excuse.
9605804
You will now await a assassin Rainbow Dash to give you your sentence. You disappoint me.
Okay, now that I've read this in it's entirety—and congratulations for keeping me entertained, as I thoroughly despise reading in general—I admire everything about this story, from it's factual accuracy to the Doctor Who cannon, it's circumstantial accuracy to character interactions, and how it plays out both the grim implications of the genocidal race, as well as the comical and action-packed sequences of a Doctor Who story, while still giving the feel of the MLP series. Nothing in this to me looks wrong, all of it is written so perfectly I nearly envy it.
Great work! Like and favorite.
9606193
Now you’re going to say, “even SPEEDWAGON liked this story!”
9606222
even SPEEDWAGON liked this—
NANIIIIII?!
9606441
<===To Be Continued... [\\]\
It's been super fun!
This......this was good. mind if I used Soldier in some works?
9607243
Go right ahead! Make sure to send me a link if you do, I’d love to read it.
9607244
OK. I shall, if I ever do. I got a bunch of stuff in the backburner, I will be sure to add "Dalek turned Pony" to the list!
9606441
I think JoJo liked it as well!
9605369
Conflict resolved by teaching the Dalek about friendship!
What a fantastic tale. Not just the Dalek herself, but how the Doctor was affected by her, and even some great moments for Spike.
That was a bit shorter than I expected, but I really liked this story! I don't read very many fanfictions, and I'm not the most up-to-date on Ninth Doctor episodes (bit behind on earlier Tenth episodes as well) but I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Would read again.
9622064
Given how long it took to write - my own fault - I didn’t feel like it should really be extended out too much. Actually it’s slightly longer than originally planned - in the original version, Twilight and her friends show up in time at the library to stop the Doctor from taking Soldier, and Twilight gives the speech up there. The Doctor isn’t exactly moved but he does retreat into the TARDIS, and the plan was for Soldier to then willingly enter it with Twilight and Twilight would help resolve things with some help from Minuette.
I decided that felt too rushed, and I didn’t like Twilight ex machina. So we got this version, which then expanded to include the Skaro bit, my favorite scene in the whole fic. I did rather like Twilight’s speech, though, so I kept it to the side and found a way to work it in, even if it ended up being ineffectual. It was just so fundamentally Pony, and sounded exactly like something Twilight would say. I did say from the start that I wanted this to feel very in-tune with the show.
An excellent read and well played crossover :)
First I read Five score (Ponies in Humans), Then I read Ballad of Echo the Diamond Dog (Human in equestria*) and now adding firly to that shelf is Daleks Have No Concept of Friendship!
Its like somepony has taken my two favorite things (they have taken my two favorite things!) and put them together in a way that should not have worked, because I mean really, Daleks Have No Concept of Friendship! In was that was funny and exciting and just really enjoyable.
As someone who has been a doctor who fan since the age of 2, I feel like Soldier I too fit better in equestria
9622935
Thanks.
9622903
Oh it just souded like Peridot (Stephen universe) would phrase it for her log.
She s very alien.
SEQUEL! NOW!!!!!
Thank you so much for writing one of the very few Doctor Who crossovers I've encountered on this site that respects both series equally. Most of the time when I'm reading one of these stories, the author feels the need to kill off a half dozen ponies in the first chapter. You managed to write a story with plenty of dramatic tension, where the worst thing that happened in Equestria was that Spike got his feelings hurt.
9638110
Some days, everybody lives.
Brilliant work. While I'm sorry I let this story drop off my radar, I'm glad I picked it back up. Thank you for it.
9720688
True, but the way the story looks to be going is for her to cease being a dalek mentally. Identity Death is a horrifying thing, and celebrating it woukd be like celebrating the destruction of your cutie mark/horn/wings. This is opposed to a redmenption arc (which is more what I was hoping for), which would build on their character without altering it so much as to replace them entirely. But I haven't read all the way to the end yet, zo here's hoping.
Edit: unfortunately it seems I was right.
I know i know! Should have left more comments.
This fic did not fall down in quality overtime. Your skill, talent, and passion stayed consistent thruout and is much appreciated. I do hope someone takes up the call to continue this story. You also managed to introduce a dalek that dosent just kill evrthing on sight or even anyone, and keep it true to both whovian and mlp styles. This is unique, few manage to include both as they were presented, usually making one of those worlds more like the other rather than a true combo of both, a true crossover. This makes yours unique and shows your talent in writing, comprehension and expression of the worlds as they are while adding your own unique touch. I also could tell from your grasp of classic who you are a full fledged fully comitted whovian, as am i and another aspect I appreciated. On that note iam sure you have read many good whovian books, more, audio books, etc, but if you have not read harvest of time it is a great classic who book, about the master nd the doctor, and it really goes in depth in my opinion, a depth that explains to me things like the masters insanity, and more fully the doctor, the timelords, and UNIT. Highly recommend it. Thats all I can think of for now. Have a great day!
Sincerely
The doctor dalek
Ps ( I enjoy making new usernames for every account i create but that is the one I go by more commonly. At least 5 others are doctor who themed like this one or mixed themes like star wars or history and who. Then I got a few others not who. Probably 20 or more usernames in total. Somehow I can remember the majority of them. Yes I know this tidbit of info is random but so iam i, plus you like comments, and I like talking. Expect when I'm reading. Or generally being my introverted self. The times when iam not or someone brings up one of my fav things like you did with making a whovian fic, I can talk allllll day:))
9819409
Kind words are always appreciated! I did try to put a lot of work into getting as much of The Who lore right as I could. I actually had to invent a lot of my own stuff for the Skaro scene, though. There’s not a lot of descriptions or art of what Skaro looked like before the Neutronic War. I decided to make it an explosion of color to really contrast with what we’ve seen of post-War Skaro being a blasted, gray wasteland.
The Skaro scene was definitely my favorite. My one regret with it was that I couldn’t find a really good piece of music to go with it.
9826330
Praise be to Foustacorn
All the images in this story have malfunctioned and are no longer view-able.
Other than that, reading it again was almost as enjoyable as reading it the first time.
9922395
Yeah, the site I used to host them ceased to exist. I'll have to replace them.