The Timepony’s Journal

by Penny_Shavins109

Chapter 36 - Lavender

Twilight let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from her forehead. How anypony was able to move some of these boxes was beyond her. Ever since her short return to Canterlot her old friend Moondancer had been mailing some of her stuff back to her. She wished she’d spent more time with her in the past rather than throwing herself into her studies, waiting for the Doctor to return. Though that was the past and this was now, life moved on. It had been awhile since Moondancer moved into her old place and she was still sending stuff over weeks later.

Twilight had just carried in the heaviest of the boxes, it was half her size and twice as heavy. Rather than lugging the box around she decided to open it to lighten the load. Blowing of the dust revealed “With love, The Doctor” written in bold black marker on the top. It arrived on her doorstep two years ago and she’d been too emotional at the time to open it. When breaking open the tape seal she felt a twinge of guilt. The base was a trapezoidal prism, the silver finish dulled and rusting. A large antennae poked out the back and the front was an L-shaped box with various red and black features. She held the tag on the striped collar in her hoof. She’d heard of K9 but never actually saw what the tin dog looked like. All this time K9 the robot dog had been stuffed in a backroom, waiting for her for two long years.

The Doctor sometimes rambled about assembling one with a kit, though she had no idea how to power on the 52nd century technology. That was a few steps above her pay grade in knowledge most of the time. She looked up at the diary sitting on her coffee table, wondering if it held the answers to fixing him. Spike passed by, his face stuck in one of his comic books. She didn’t really need another assistant like K9, Spike was her number one assistant and longest friend now. There simply wasn’t a place in her life for K9 anymore.

Picking up the diary with her magic she began flipping through the pages. Twilight was a different mare from the one who originally opened this book, even more so than when she first walked through the TARDIS doors. She felt much less alone, so much more confident in her abilities to be the Princess of Friendship. She was starting to find her purpose in life. She turned the page, deciding to move forwards in both the story and her life.

---

The planet Kembel, a world far far away from Equus on the other side of the galaxy. The world was covered in a dense and lush forest, though it wasn’t as beautiful as it may have seemed. The plant life was vicious, evolving to survive against nature in the absence of more advanced life. A streak of light pierced the night sky as a rocket fell and collided with the dense foliage. Most of the crew were alive though a good amount of them were injured. Dash Mark was among the survivors, just trying to live until the ship was repaired.

To his surprise, Varga plants littered the area around them. They were tall, white, and fluffy plants with pointed black barbs and were only native to Skaro. Dash began to record a message on the rocket’s emergency log, documenting his findings. Going further into the forest he found a large wall made of surrounding vegetation. Climbing over it he saw a large white building in the distance. He wanted to approach but immediately stopped himself when spotting a small group of Daleks. They were leading, no, following the most unlikely bunch of individuals he’d never expected.

Leaders from every major empire in the galaxy, side by side with the Daleks as if they were equals. He was much too far away to hear what they were saying and it was too risky to get any closer. He quickly rushed back to his ship to find that no one was there, only more Varga plants. The Varga plants had gotten closer to him, surrounding him. He’d already witnessed one of his comrades fall to these massive bodies of plant matter. One prick from their sharp needles would send you into a murderous rage before becoming one of them. He desperately tried to transmit his message to the Galactic Space Security HQ using the rocket’s equipment but it was too late. The Daleks found him, destroying both him and his ship. Only the tape remained, the last evidence that they were ever even there. This was only the beginning, a prelude to the darker days to come.

---

Some time had passed since the Doctor’s last entry. He still felt somewhat uneasy with Lavender in the TARDIS. She’d settled in nicely, though he wasn’t sure if she still worshipped him or not. The old ship seemed to be acting up a bit, though it probably wasn’t anything to be concerned about. They were flying further forwards in time than they’d ever had before. Given his attempts to control the ship’s path across the time vortex it was potentially fighting back. It felt like something else, though, just a sneaking suspicion. They were beyond the normal boundaries that he could land within without arising some TimePony suspicion.

“Have we landed yet?” Lavender asked somewhat hesitantly.

She was a lot shyer than she was when leaving home. He worried about her, she was from a time before advanced technology was within comprehension after all.

“Very nearly. We’re quite a while after both of your times, around the 40th century I presume.”

“Well, is it safe for any of us to go out there?” Cosmic chimed in.

“Potentially. Dense amounts of vegetation, no native equinoid life, a true paradise.”

“Still could be dangerous.”

“Fair enough. I’ll step out for a moment, shouldn’t be long.”

The Doctor pulled his coat off the hat stand after opening the doors. The planet was indeed very lush, the forest so dense it was hard to walk through. He could hear the chirps and whistles of alien birds and insects but nothing else. The organic silence was comforting yet somewhat eerie. He straightened his jacket while taking in the fresh air.

“You can come out now, perfectly safe.”

The Doctor quickly turned when hearing a faint rustling in the bushes. He took a few steps back towards the TARDIS while remaining cautious. Cosmic was halfway out the door when the Doctor found a gun being pointed at his head. The stallion was a white unicorn with a purple and turquoise mane and tail. The Doctor slowly moved up one of his hooves in defence.

“Assuming that this is your vessel, I’m commandeering it in the name of the Space Security Service. I wish you no harm if you cooperate.” said the stallion.

The Doctor looked at Cosmic for a moment, glad that he too was being cautious. He didn’t resist, simply allowing the intruder into his ship. As expected they were taken off guard by the TARDIS’s interior dimensions. Guns were no use in here, or at least he thought they were. Best not to test if the Temporal Grace circuit was functional or not.

“You seem to be a sensible young lad, so why don’t you simply explain? We have no malicious agenda, no intention to harm you at all.” the Doctor asked, trying to reason with him.

Both Lavender and Cosmic stood close by, just watching. Whoever this pony was has certainly been running for their life. They were covered in dirt and looked scared half to death.

“Yes, well…that is very classified information, only for military personnel.”

At the very least he lowered his gun. The Doctor stepped aside as Cosmic immediately stepped forwards.

“Cosmic Storm, sir. Pilot in the Space Force before being transferred to the exploration initiative.”

The Doctor was a bit surprised though somewhat expected him to have past military experience.He was a pilot after all, though he rarely ever talked about his past before they met.

“Well, I see. I don’t have anypony else to rely on at the moment. Agent Shining Star. No doubt you know what’s going on down there in the Grove.”

“Well not exactly. The Doctor, Lavender and I have only just arrived. Our navigation system is uh, a bit on the blink.”

The Doctor ignored Cosmic’s side eye.

“I see…this is the planet Kembel. Down there is the Grove, where delegates from all eleven superpowers in the galaxy are residing. They’re agreeing to total unification of all empires, peace for all nations once and for all. At least, on paper it is.”

“All kingdoms conjoined as one? But who would hold the power in such a regime?” Lavender asked.

“That’s what they’re trying to decide. However I don’t trust it, not entirely.”

“Why not, hmm? No more division between nations, less wars, and a proper division of resources.”

The Doctor had a nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach. All the power in the galaxy could be sitting in one room as they spoke. As hopeful as he was he’d seen planets wage war over their own differences, fighting for much less power and control. Realistically an entire galaxy being at peace would be near impossible.

“There’s one empire bent on destruction, completely consumed by power. The Daleks would never join such an alliance. It’s against their nature, their blood. I have no doubts that they’ll kill everyone on sight the first chance they get.”

There it was, the Daleks again. Why did he seem to run into them so often? Before they were nothing more than a penal colony or an invasion force. This was more than that, even a few Daleks close by were nearly enough to bring many to their knees. They were an empire now, how could he possibly fight against that?

“Who are these…Dah-leks?”

“Only the most ruthless and cunning machines in existence. They wiped out my entire force in minutes with the delegates none the wiser.”

“If the Daleks are such a ruthless force, then why should they ally with you at all?”

“An excellent question, my foal. Why indeed. I wouldn’t put some cloak and dagger business behind them, though to this degree does raise concern. There must be something they desire that they’ve yet to obtain. Some ulterior motive. Where is this grove you speak of?”

“The Grove building is just down the hill, a few meters beyond the brush.“

Opening the TARDIS doors again the Doctor left before anypony could respond. He pushed past the brush like Shining said and peered down at the facility below. The building was abhorrently white, adorned with hundreds of tinted glass panels to view the tamed flora and fauna in the courtyard below. It was the very definition of a wealthy one’s display piece. In the shuttle park were various ships from all different species, the Dalek saucer neatly tucked in the back. Cosmic and Shining joined by his side as another ship began its descent. It was as if a piece of Canterlot had drifted from the stars with its many golden arches and pearly white and lavender towers.

“That’s the Equestrian queen’s ship. She shouldn’t be here!” gasped Shining.

“What’s so surprising about that? Surely if this’s as big of a conference as you say then surely they’ll get an invitation.”

“Yes, but everyone knows of the Dalek’s reputation from the war nearly two thousand years ago. We fought against them for our freedom, nearly exterminated into extinction. She’d never ally herself with those blasted pepper pots.”

“I believe this requires a closer inspection, hmm? Perhaps Equestria knows of their true intentions.”

“And what do you plan to do, Doc? Just waltz down there and demand an explanation?”

“Perhaps, but with a bit more tact and sensibility. Can you access the Equestrian ship? They’ll have direct communication with the authorities, potential information on their intentions even.”

“Well certainly. I have high security clearance for this event so it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle.”

“Very good, very good. Now, I’ll sneak in the back and quietly observe this meeting. We rendezvous outside the ship.”

“And what about me?”

Everypony turned to look at Lavender, they’d hardly even noticed that she was there. The Doctor wasn’t entirely sure what to say, struggling to not stumble over his own words.

“I refuse to just sit by idly and watch as you risk your lives for ponies you barely even know without my assistance. You’ve been treating me as though I were made of glass ever since we left my realm. We both know that I can take care of myself, it comes with the job, remember? So I’m coming with you whether you like it or not.”

One the one hoof she was right, he knew that he was being overprotective. However on the other hoof he felt a sense of responsibility for her. To keep her safe, to keep her alive. He always felt that she was on borrowed time, he was never meant to save her. It was his own fault that she was even in any danger to begin with beyond her home.

“I uh, I apologise, my dear. This is much more dangerous than anything we’ve ever done before.”

“If that’s what destiny decides then so be it. As I said, it’s a part of the job.”

The Doctor smiled reassuringly, concerned yet confident in Lavender.

“Very well. You can keep Cosmic and Shining company, make sure neither of them get into any more trouble than necessary.”

“Hey, I may have a score to settle with the Daleks but I’m not stupid.”

The Doctor chuckled as Cosmic rolled his eyes, starting to make his way down to the main building. He watched behind one of the power generators as someone approached. It was one of the aforementioned delegates, a cloaked mass of vines and plant matter in equinoid form. Somewhat out of nowhere Shining jabbed the delegate in the back of the neck before handcuffing them.

“Goodness gracious me, you gave me a fright. Now what was all that for, hmm? I thought I told you to go to the ship.”

“I did, all video and audio links are password protected. I figured you needed assistance. Now we can interrogate them, find out the real story going on here.”

“You know I absolutely abhor violence, hmm? Especially when it’s unnecessary. Use your mind before resulting to brute force, eh. Curiouser and curiouser, though. Not an act of sabotage but a deliberate choice to sever all contact. There’s more than meets the eye. ”

“I still think that this’s a terrible idea. At the very least use his cloak as a disguise.”

“You make a rather grim point. Though trust me, we must remain unsuspected. If a delegate does not return then the whole lot will be thrown into a panic. The Daleks are up to something, I know it, and this may be our only chance to put a stop to it.”

“All right, but many sacrificed their lives so that the knowledge we obtained can leave this wretched planet. If it comes to it I’ll pilot that ship myself. I’ll give you as much time as I can but I hope you understand, I will leave without you if I have to.”

“I understand. Now go, before anyone else sees you. We have work to do.”

---

The lobby room felt oddly cold, unless that was just the chill of fear running down his spine. Even with the crystal chandeliers, the carved stainless steel statues and red velvet carpet, it all felt so empty. This was meant to be a place full of peace and life, but all he could see was death as the Daleks turned to him. He slightly adjusted the authoritative pendant around his neck, making sure the cloak covered his entire face.

“Representative Zepharon. The meeting is about to begin. Follow me.”

Success. The Daleks turned and guided him into the conference room. All the delegates sat in their clearly designated seats, the Doctor sitting in Zepharon’s. The only remaining seat belonged to Equus. Hoofsteps echoed down the halls as the royal purple alicorn approached in her regalia. She brushed her long mane to the side before sitting down next to him, staring forwards coldly at the Daleks.

“This meeting is now in session.” announced one of the Daleks.

“Representatives. I have important news. The time destructor is now completed. It only requires the core to be fitted.”

All the delegates clapped and stomped their hooves in unison except for the Doctor and the Queen.

“Opaline. Ruler of the Solar System. You will address the meeting.”

The fire alicorn smirked, rising forwards from her seat to address the room.

“As your most recent ally and the newest member of your astute council, I am delighted to have made such a significant contribution. I present to you, the core of the time destructor and the key to our conquest!”

With a winding trail of blue fire Opaline manifested a silvery cylinder made of a pure metal. She revelled in the attention as the delegates clapped once more.

“A full emm of Teranium, the rarest mineral in the galaxy. It took fifty Equestrian years just to mine and extract such a generous amount. Only in sufficient quantities does it exist in one of the eight planets of our native system.”

She placed the core down on the round table in front of her. The Doctor eyed it nervously, hoping for just the right opportunity to grab it and run. The group continued to discuss the nature of the time destructor and their plans on its usage. He’d seen atrocities before but this was on a completely new scale. A weapon to end all weapons, to end a war before it's even begun. With it they could influence the flow of time in a widespread area. Entire planetary systems could be reduced to dust, as if thousands of years had passed in a single second. This was just the base model, even in its current state it could potentially harm Gallophrey.

Suddenly an intruder alert rang throughout the halls. The actual Zepharon must have escaped somehow, the delegates rising from their seats to evacuate. The core was knocked off the table and in a split second the Doctor caught it, locking eyes with Opaline as he did so. She grabbed him with her magic but he was able to slip out of the cloak, vanishing into the crowd easily. The ship was already starting to take off without him but he was just in time. A platform lowered just as a swarm of Daleks started firing. He hopped on and the ship vanished into the atmosphere. Letting out a sigh of relief, the Doctor rejoined his friends on the flight deck.

Shining and Cosmic were busy miraculously flying the ship that required four pilots while Lavender watched the external scanners. So far they were in the clear but not for long. Equus was a good twenty minute hop with the warp drive but it was too difficult with their limited crew. Lavender turned to look out the large window as space warped and fragmented around them with each small jump. Every jump they were hopping thousand, maybe millions of miles in a mere second.

“It’s oddly beautiful. I never imagined such wonders beyond the boundaries of my own realm.”

“I had a similar thought once myself. I believe somepony once said that ‘truth is stranger than fiction’. The statement does have some merit, hmm?”

“Yeah…”

“The ship stuttered and exited its current hop, still far from their destination. They were quickly losing power, the systems failing as they were being pulled off course towards a nearby planet.

“Cosmic, what’s happening?” Lavender said as she struggled to maintain her balance.

“Dalek saucer. We’re being pulled off course and the engines aren’t strong enough to break through.”

“Put all thrusters at max power, use any energy that isn’t necessary. Down there is Desparus, a Dalek labour colony. We’ll be dead in minutes if we land!”

“We don’t have a choice, if we use up any more power we’ll be stuck in space anyway if the ship isn’t torn in half. Doctor, Lavender, hold on!”

Their descent was rough but the ship remained mostly intact. They’d hit a few rocky spires on the way down and the engines needed time to cool down. Everypony was alive at least, but they were trapped right where the Daleks wanted them.

“At least we’re still alive.” Cosmic coughed.

“For now you mean, it could be seconds before we’re exterminated.”

“Not quite. It’s not just by chance that we happened to survive such a crash. The Daleks need us to survive. To destroy us would be to destroy this.”

The Doctor held up the Teranium core as the light refracted off in an almost kaleidoscopic fashion.

“This is the key element in a weapon called the Time Destructor. The Daleks constructed it while the other delegates supplied the resources, all for a fraction of the control it could provide. Equus simply held the final piece.”

“But Queen Opaline-”

“Wants the control just as much as the others. As kind and benevolent as you think she may be, we have to face the facts. All of those in the conference room, whatever morals or motivations they may have, they are conspiring together for universal conquest. This core is the only thing standing between them and total domination. Do you have the equipment to destroy it?”

“Even if we did, that’s our only bargaining chip. If the Daleks have a hold on us then that core is the only reason we’re alive until their defeat. They’ll simply kill us and secretly find a new substitute with no one the wiser. Opaline is immortal, what’s another fifty years of mining and extraction to eternity?”

“Very well. What’s the soonest possible moment we can depart?”

“That’d require me to go outside. The engines might be damaged and anything could be out there. I’ll need some backup, just in case any Daleks or others are watching.”

“I’ll go.” Lavender interjected.

Everypony turned to face her.

“I…I can handle myself against anypony, but those tin headed pepper pots… they scare me. I’ll run if I need to, but I’ll stay by your side.”

“If that’s what you wish. I’ll grab you a spare laser rifle. We’ll be in and out in a few minutes, but remain vigilant.”

Cosmic pulled the Doctor aside to speak in private.

“Are you absolutely sure about this?”

“Certainly. Even if I wasn’tI doubt that would stop her.”

“But you know what might happen to her… what was supposed to happen to her.”

The Doctor sighed, feeling his throat dry up. He almost couldn’t look Cosmic in the eyes it weighed on him so heavily.

“Have you told her yet?”

“No, no, she’d neither understand nor believe me. She’d…I’m uncertain how she’d take it.”

“Please, you can’t keep so much to yourself again. You said we’d talk but you’ve just walled yourself in again. We’re all in the same boat and none of this is easy for me either. Ever since Free left… you can still talk to me.”

“What are you two talking about?” Lavender asked.

Both Cosmic and the Doctor froze, unsure of what to say. The Doctor nervously stammered as he tried to regain his composure. He stopped as Cosmic approached her, putting a hoof on Lavender’s shoulder.

“Back in Àlogo, during the dragon attacks…we weren’t meant to be there. Travelling through time, it’s difficult to explain. There are rules and-”

“No, no, I understand completely. Everypony has a destiny. When you entered my realm you changed fate, you subverted my destiny. You’re guilty because you changed what shouldn’t be changed. Even if I’m just an average mare you cannot deny destiny. We’ll talk about it later, when the matters of our survival are a lot less pressing.”

Lavender chuckled and took his hoof before giving Cosmic a kiss on the cheek. She rejoined with Shining, going outside and making her way towards the ship’s nearest leg. He looked down at his hoof, concerned to see her sun shaped pendant in it. Both him and the Doctor rushed to the external scanner. They could see the two of them huddled against the ship’s leg while performing maintenance. In the background they could see plumes of smoke polluting the night sky. This world was half dead and the Doctor hated to think what the poor ponies here were going through.

The scanner picked up new life signs and three lights appeared in the distance. Cosmic was already radioing them to get back inside, but the Doctor still had a nasty feeling. The lights were approaching quickly but the Daleks would never out themselves like that. There were so few of them, so why try an intimidation tactic like this? Shining quickly passed through the airlock with Lavender soon following behind. He let out a sigh of relief but they weren’t out of the fire just yet.

“We’re all set for liftoff. There was minimal damage to the external thrusters but otherwise we can get off of this wretched rock.”

“Yes. Whatever creatures may be out there do raise some concern. And a hint of remorse, perhaps they were just prisoners looking for an escape.”

“Well there’s no time to worry about that now. We need to get out and get the word back to Equus before the entire galaxy ends up just like this.”

“Yes, yes. Could you please secure the airlock? The pressure should be completely stable before we leave the atmosphere.”

“I’ll do it.” said Lavender.

Time slowed to a crawl as Lavender went into the airlock chamber to look at the door controls. The exterior doors slid open for a brief moment as a filthy stallion entered the chamber. He was malnourished, out of breath and absolutely furious. He grabbed Lavender and held a sharpened rock to her throat.

“NOPONY MOVE.” the stallion screamed.

Everypony froze on his command. Lavender was strong but not strong enough. None of them knew whether or not he’d eject them both into space at the first chance of resistance. The Doctor turned to him, hoping that he’d see reason.

“Please, we wish no harm to you. You’re safe here, the Daleks won’t harm you.”

“The Daleks. THE DALEKS?! Impossible. I hear them in my head, day in day out. They’ll never leave you or any of us. I know who you are, they scream about you. They want you more than me. You can never escape the Daleks, but with you they'll spare me with their divine mercy.”

The stallion laughed maniacally, clearly damaged both mentally and physically. The Doctor could see the remnants of a computer chip implanted in his head. The Daleks were literally feeding these thoughts into his mind.

“We can help you silence those voices. You don’t need to hear them anymore.”

“NO. I demand you take me to them now. They’re the one true species of this universe. They make the rules. If you beg for their mercy then maybe they’ll spare you like myself. Take me to the Daleks or this mare dies.”

“No…” said Shining.

“What?” Cosmic asked.

“No. Millions will die if we turn back.”

“And she’ll die if we DON’T!”

“I’m moving forwards.”

“NO!”

The Doctor looked through the glass and into the airlock. He looked into Lavender’s eyes and begged her to stop, to not do this. He couldn’t breathe, the air stuck in his throat. Lavender quickly jabbed a foreleg into her captor’s stomach, allowing the other one to get free. The Doctor ran up to the glass and pounded on it, trying to get the door to open.

“You can’t avoid fate, Doctor… thank you for everything.”

Lavender slammed her hoof on as many buttons as she could. The Doctor fell, his legs to weak to stand. Tears ran down his face as he tried to convince himself that there was nothing he could do. All he could hear was Cosmic’s screams.

“Lavender. Lavender! LAVENDER!!”