*Fifteen minutes later* (Thirty minutes into attack)

‘’Medic!’’ Twilight shouted, as she galloped back inside the throne room. Standing at one of the stained glass windows, looking out, he turned his head towards her. She had clearly been running a lot, if judged on her panting alone.

‘’Yes?’’ He asked her. Her horn glowed, and she teleported herself inside the room. Re-appearing closer to him. But still, she was panting heavily.

Being unable to control her breathing she groaned, grabbing him with her magical telekinesis. She herself, slowly trotted towards the window, but he was pushed towards it.

‘’Devel-op-ment!’’ She wheezed, pointing her hoof towards the window.

Shaking his head, he held a hoof up to the side of his head. He turned, looking out through it. His eyes scanned the city, but all his eyes could see were the burning houses that had been damaged in the Daleks’s advancement towards them – In several streets, he spotted huge groups of advancing Daleks. Long lines of them moving towards their position.

In the corner of his mind, images started to appear – Flashing before his very eyes, displaying horrific visuals.

‘’Help us! Please someone help us!’’

‘’They’re coming…! Watch out-…! AHHH’’

*Explosions*

*Screams of pain!*

‘’Medic?’’ He thought he heard a voice speak to him.

‘’Medic!?’’ The voice called again. He flinched upon hearing it enter his personal space.

He quickly turned to look behind him…Being meet with the image of the Princess. She cast a worried glance back towards him. ‘’Medic? Are you all right?’’ She asked, softly. His eyes looked down, then, when they heard her voice they looked up towards her. He closed his mouth, nodding gently back.

‘’Yes.’’ He said. Nodding his head as he turned back towards the window, looking out through it, again. ‘’Yes…I’m fine.’’ She gently turned her head a little to the side, looking back down at him, still wearing a worried expression upon her face.

‘’Are you sure?’’ She asked. He didn’t respond. He just stared out the window, searching for something.

‘’Was there anything else I needed to know, as to see what I’m looking for!?’’ He turned, shouting back towards Twilight. From behind him, he heard a grumbled ‘’Oh for Celestia’s sake.’’ He quickly turned, looking to his side. Twilight trotted up beside him. Her eyes scanned the city, looking for something.

‘’There!’’ She exclaimed, reaching her hoof up, pointing towards the outskirts of the city, the area of Canterlot which looked like it hadn’t seen much conflict. Through the streets, the three of them watched as several forms of lights moved through the streets.

‘’Ah!’’ He exclaimed. Luna and Twilight turned their eyes towards him at his response to what Twilight had to show him. He turned and trotted away from them. Twilight crossed her brows in confusion – Turning her head towards him.

‘’Well? What is going on?’’ She asked. He stopped in place. ‘’Are they reinforcements for the Daleks?’’

He turned, looking his head back towards them, meeting their awaiting eyes. ‘’No. They are not.’’

‘’They are Hoverbouts, small patrol vessels designed to carry one Dalek occupant. They are not armed. If the Daleks are sending them out to the areas where there is hardly any conflict, then they must be investigating something…But what exactly that is, I don’t know.’’

Twilight turned her head back to look out the window – Turning it back, and looking towards him.

‘’But these…Hoverbouts. Can they not simply modify it so that it becomes a means of escorting their forces undetected?’’

He scoffed. Shaking his head in rejection of her claims. Smiling a little. ‘’No. That is impossible. The Daleks are not like us.’’ His eyes looked up towards her. His smile vanishing away, and instead being replaced with a frown. ‘’They are nothing like us. They just kill and kill and kill. There are no individuals. No thinkers…Just obedient, mindless, killers.’’

‘’Creativity is not something highly valued by the ones in their ranks. They’re Supreme Commander/s as I do not know how many are now in direct control of them now, don’t really consider emotions, any real sense of individuality a vital part of the Daleks genetic inheritance, and so they have removed them all together.’’

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted as she felt the Princess’s hoof cover her mouth. She turned, but was meet with Luna shaking her head disapprovingly to her. Mouthing ‘’No’’ to her. Her eyes looked up, staring towards him.

‘’Medic?’’ She asked, nervously.

Slowly, he lifted his head, looking out in front of him. But he didn’t turn to face them. ‘’Please…N-no more questions. We are running out of time as it is.’’ He said. Turning away from them, and trotting back towards the throne – The stares of the Princess and Twilight falling upon him as he did so.

Luna turned away, looking back towards Twilight. ‘’Twilight Sparkle, report? What is the status of the Daleks’ assault?’’ She demanded in a more restrained tone. Twilight’s head shook a little, looking back towards Luna.

Down in one of the lower levels underneath the Throne Room, guards were readying themselves. Barricades had been created, furniture like tables, chairs, and a few large carved rocks had been brought inside the halls of Canterlot Castle. At the very best, they would stop the Daleks…at least until another line of defense could be created. Having de-activated all of the Duplicates, the Medic has re-assured all those that they were holding the first line, that as long as they fired for the eyestalk, they could render the Daleks blind, and by clogging up the gunstick the Dalek would end up destroying itself using it’s own weapon, but they would have to get really up-close for that one – The walls were also very tall, and as long as not one single Dalek managed to end up behind the wall, they would be safe.

Thick, two meters thick blocks had been moved inside the halls, stacked up on top of each other as they measured three meters in height.

The volunteers were gently trotting back and forth atop the walls. Looking down towards the other hallways at the end of their. For a while now it had been relatively quiet. Not much fighting had been done.

Suddenly, the violent sounds of an explosion sounded – It was followed by a violent shake that ravaged the entire hallway. The ground shook, causing several of the paintings on the wall to fall down, light-weighing objects fell down onto the floor, racks that supported weapons and armor shook in place, several spears came lose, and fell down.

All of a sudden, the shaking came to a halt. And while it was quiet, the guards remained absolutely still. Slowly, looking towards each other. Blank, frightened expressions staring towards each other.

‘’That…’’ One began to speak. The others turned, looking towards him. ‘’-does not sound good.’’ The guard finished.

One of the guards turned his head, looking towards the others as they exchanged worried glances. ‘’Wall, now.’’

Turning around, he swiftly reached his hoof for his helmet. He swiped it off the rack-stand, quickly inserting it atop his head – Extending his other left, free hoof, he grabbed a spear, pulling it with him, as he started galloping towards the stairs towards the top of the wall.

Galloping up the steps he reached the top in mere seconds. There was a small wall on the top, not making it too easy for the Daleks. Upon reaching the wall, he lowered his spear, preparing to throw it down towards the Daleks. If what the Medic had told them were right, then this should do the trick.

Turning his head, he looked towards the nearest soldier beside him. The soldier didn’t look at him back. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled it out again. The soldier heard it. Turning it’s head, it looked back towards him. On his face, he managed to form a compassioned smile, but to this, the soldier only turned back, directing it’s attention back towards the hallway.

From down the hallway, they could hear movement. Things bumping into each other, but it was not in the traditional manner. These sounded foreign.

Upon the wall, the shadow of an unrecognizable shape fell – In response to seeing it, the soldiers readied themselves, preparing themselves for battle, grasping tightly around their blades and spears.

‘’Steady men, steady.’’ The Lieutenant instructed, holding up his hoof, signaling them to not fire…Not yet.

The shadow continued to creep up along the wall, heading closer and closer towards the wall’s end.

‘’Steady...Steady.’’ He ordered. Down the side of his head, soft beads of sweat were beginning to form. His eye watching the shadow with every movement.

Gently, a figure finally appeared. It’s sudden final reveal received many stares from the guards, but they were not about to lower their defenses, even when in the presence of such a strange creature.

The identified Dalek, glided along the floor, approaching the barricade wall – In response to this, the guards drew their weapons. Aiming them at the approaching Dalek, it paid them no attention – Instead lowering it’s eyestalk down, then moving it up along the wall. Eventually reaching the top of the wall. The soldiers had backed away from the edge of the wall, not wanting to become an accidental victim of their enemy’s weapon.

The eyestalk looked out in front of it, staring right towards the large block in front of it.

‘’What’s it doing?’’ One of the guards asked. Boldly poking his head out from behind the edge, and looking down towards it.

It was, just…standing there, motionless. Just staring out in front of it at the large chuck of rock in front of it.

The eyestalk suddenly raised itself, looking up towards them. Startled by it’s sudden movement, the guards leaped back. The Dalek did not utter a word – Soundlessly, lowering it’s eyestalk back down to look in front of it.

It turned itself around, moving back to where it had emerged. Several frightened soldiers peeked their heads out from behind the battlements. Confused, they exchanged confused glances, not knowing what it had been doing. From what they had been told, just a couple of these things would have been enough to kill them, and that was just one! Then why had it left?

As the rest of the other soldiers pondered the Dalek’s intention, the soldier on the end of the left corner of the barricade wall, noticed something beginning moving out from behind the wall. Acting quickly, he tapped his comrade on the shoulder.

‘’Hey!’’ He called to him. The soldier turned, looking towards him. ‘’It’s back.’’ He said, turning his head, looking back down the hallway.

‘’Whoa!’’ His comrade exclaimed, as he laid eyes on what he had seen, almost jumping back away from the battlements in surprise. Slowly, turning his head as he looked out upon the sight in front of him.

Down on the ‘’first floor’’ the thing that had got the soldiers so worked up, came to a halt. They turned themselves around to face the large stone wall. Their eyestalks looked up towards the battlements, seeing the soldiers atop it. They adjusted, aiming their gun sticks up towards the soldiers atop it. This could mean one thing, and one thing only.

‘’Advance forward!’’ They heard a loud, screeching voice shout from the line of Daleks. The Dalek formation, all of a sudden started moving forward towards the wall. ‘’Open fire!’’ That voice shouted again.

‘’Return it! ATTACK!’’ The soldier on the left end shouted. With a quick swing of his arm, he threw a spear down.

‘’Exterminate! Exterminate!’’ They all started almost chanting in unison. Strange things atop their heads started glowing. Out from their aimed firearms, blue energy beams shot up towards them.

*Shatter!* *Clunk*

His spear fell down onto the floor, along with a few strains of shattered glass. The Dalek, all of a sudden, entered into a frenzy. Moving in place, bumping into other Daleks, causing them to miss their targets.

‘’AHHHHHH!’’ A voice cried out pained, before dropping down onto the ground, dead.

‘’My vision is impaired! I cannot see! I require assistance!’’ The Dalek shouted, firing off it’s own weapon insanely – It’s fired shots impacted against the wall, leaving black scorch marks on it’s surface.

Several Daleks moved out of the way to allow the injured Dalek to pass by them, however, in it’s frantic state, it was unable to understand it, and just continued to panic.

‘’Assist me! Assist me!’’ It shouted. It was beginning to turn towards the other Daleks. It’s frantic firing, getting closer and closer to the others along with it. ‘’I require assistance! Assist ME!’’

‘’Alert! Alert! Look out!’’ One of the Daleks shouted from behind the first line of Daleks.

The Daleks directly in front of it, managed to hear it’s warning. Ignoring the fire-fight that was commencing. It’s dome rotated to look towards the speaker.

‘’Yes!? What-AHHHHHH!’’ It was in the process of asking, before a powerful laser bolt shot into it’s middle-section, making it flinch a little bit backwards, before stopping completely in place. Smoke was emitted from the lifeless Dalek: It’s eyestalk, Manipulator arm, and gunstick all stopped moving, and instead hung down.

At the back, the rest of the Daleks were beginning to notice the hold-up at the front. The Taskforce Leader glided up towards the back of the advancing force. It’s eyestalk looked up towards the barricade wall. There were many blackened scorch marks on it’s surface, very many had come close to hitting the defenders that were atop the wall, but from had been heard, only one had fallen to them-

…Such results were not acceptable.

It was time to stop playing for time. They had to advance…And they had to advance now!

It backed away from the rest of the Daleks, returning to the rear of the advancing forces. In the back, there was an especially heavy defensive line of Daleks, surrounding something.

‘’Give the order for it to open fire! We cannot delay anymore. Attack them! Attack them!’’ He heard that terribly loud barking orders to something, amidst the large sea of Daleks. An equally terrible sounding ‘’I obey!’’ Emerged from the lot of them.

‘’Make way!’’ A voice shouted. ‘’Break away! Break away!’’ It shouted again. ‘’Stop firing, and move out of the way!’’

Both the Daleks and the Equestrians stopped fighting as they heard the sound of the on-going commotion. As the Daleks moved out of the way, up from behind the Daleks that had previously been standing there a second ago, an oddly shaped Dalek was seen moving up towards the wall. Unlike the others, this one did not have any visible stick-eye-thing visible – Nor did it have anything on the middle-section of it’s body. It…was blank.

At the rear of the Dalek force, a black-domed Dalek could be seen looking up towards the oddly shaped new Dalek arrival. Eyeing the specialist, as it approached the wall.

Coming to a complete stop in front of the wall, the new arrival started to rotate it’s mid-section. From behind it’s back, they managed to catch a glimpse of a large, rectangular protrusion that was being pointed towards the large stone wall, right in front of it.

Eyes widening, as the truth of what it was attempting to do exploded into his mind – Acting quickly, he raised his arm, drawing his spear to throw it towards the Dalek.

From behind, keeping a very observant eye on the Equestrians, the black-domed Dalek noticed took notice of the stallion taking action, and without a second’ hesitation, was pulled right back into the heat of the moment.

‘’Drones! Provide cover fire!’’ The Dalek shouted. Shouting so loudly, and acting so very enraged, that it shouted out, angrily towards them, shook it’s entire body in place.

Having kept their gunsticks focused on the Equestrians ever since both of them stopped fighting, the Daleks, immediately opened fire back up, towards the battlements. Forcing the Equestrians to duck down behind the large block-shaped stones.

‘’We’ve got to stop that thing!’’ He shouted towards the others. One of the crouching soldiers looked it’s eyes up. Behind them, the Daleks Drones were unrelenting in their assault. A loud wall of ‘’Exterminate!’’ could be heard echoing behind the battlements, followed by an unbearable barrage of energy bolts that shot past them.

Occasionally the Daleks would stop, but there was no way, that this wasn’t a trap. The Daleks may be superior in number, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to let their superior numbers go to their heads…not now, at least. Not anymore.

Down the hallway, a presence moved up at the rear of the Dalek ranks. Flanked on either side by several guards. Several Daleks rotated their eyestalks towards the approaching figure. Identifying it as it got closer and closer.

‘’Annihilate!’’ A gruffer Dalek voice shouted from behind the battlements. One of the guards perked their ears up, getting a worried look. ‘’That doesn’t sound good.’’ He said.

Turning himself around. He gently lifted his head up, peeking it over the side of the block in front of him. Down in front of the wall barricade, the Daleks had it’s strange protrusion pointed directly at the wall.

‘’Oh no-‘’

*ZAP*

Suddenly, before he got the chance to do anymore, a blast shot up towards him from one of the Daleks closest to the wall. It’s blast hit the rocky surface, breaking off a few pieces. Thinking rapidly in the heat of the moment, he ducked his head back down behind the stone. Breathing a little bit heavier than the others.

‘’What is it? What did you see?’’ One of them asked. He turned his head. Looking back into the eyes of the helmet-less soldier beside him.

‘’Run…’’ He said, softly.

‘’What?’’ He asked confused.

Wasting no time standing back up on his hooves, the soldier grabbed his confused friend by the hoof. Pulling him along with him, as he stood up – Making a run for the way down from the wall. Some of the other soldiers, still up on the wall, hiding behind the giant stones, stared down towards the two of them as they galloped down the walkway as fast they could.

Looking up, out towards them, their fellow warriors followed their movements with their gaze. Watching as they galloped down the walkway.

On the other side behind the wall – Building up in the Dalek’s protrusion was a surge of powerful energy. Several of the surrounding Daleks backed away from the newcomer. Fearing what might happen if they were accidentally caught by the specialist’s middle-section-mounted cannon.

With a violent release, a blast of golden energy was released from the mounted cannon of the new arrival. All the Dalek onlookers watched as the beam shot through the air. Some rotated their eyestalks to follow the beam as it speed through the air towards the barricade wall, following it.

‘’What the-‘’

Suddenly, the entire barricade wall cracked from the inside out. The middle of the stone wall exploded, erupting into a violent fiery inferno. With wild and deadly force, the ground underneath the Equestrian soldiers vanished in an instant, as they were all thrown up into the air by the powerful force of the explosion.

As they landed down on the ground, some were either, accidentally, struck down, and killed, by giant stone rubble from the wall, or their exhausted bodies were unable to recover as quickly as they would have liked, and just died right then-and-there, due to the explosion.

The energy levels within the Dalek specialist’s cannon powered down, and it backed away. Turning itself around to face the others, then started to glide along the floor.

Smoke, small burning remnants of debris, and a giant crack in the once stout wall barricade of the ponies’ defense against the Daleks’ nightly assault of their capital.

Outside the walls of the hallway, cracks started to rip through the skin of the walls. Cracking it slightly open.

Up, near the rear of the Dalek force, a small group of Daleks were making their way up towards the attack force at the wall. The Dalek leading the new arrivals adorned a similar paint job as all the others. The only major difference being the golden dome lights, the vertical panels on it’s middle section, and the golden globes on it’s skirt.

One of the Daleks from the rear of the attack force turned around to face the newcomers – Having been the only Dalek that heard them approaching from behind.

‘’Speak! Identify yourselves!’’ The Dalek questioned the newcomers as the group approached them. But the newcomers didn’t respond. ‘’State your identity now…! Or be considered the enemies of the Daleks!’’ It spoke again to the soundless group.

The other closest Daleks turned around, facing the newcomers, as well. Gliding across the floor to join their fellow Daleks’ side.

‘’Identi-‘’

‘’You will be silent!’’ The Dalek at the front of the group of arrivals. It’s voice boomed, causing several of the attack force Daleks to actually flinch backwards a little from the loud and sudden voice.

‘’No! Iden-‘’

‘’Silence!’’ It ordered again. ‘’You will obey without question! Obey! Obey!! Obeyyy!!’’ It ordered, aggravated, back towards the Dalek Drone/s.

‘’I…obey!’’ The soldier replied. It’s eyestalk gently lowering itself down. An eerie silence fell over the hallway, as the two groups waited patiently for both of their designated speakers, to begin speaking again.

‘’I am Elite Sub-Commander! Me, and my squadron have been sent by orders of the Supreme Dalek! The Dalek Supreme feels that your Commander has failed to carry out the orders you were given!’’

At this, the Dalek Drone moved back away from it.

‘’Y-yes Sub-Commander!’’ The Drone replied. Bowing it’s eyestalk in respect before the Sub-Commander. The rest of the other Daleks in it’s group, did the same when they saw that their speaker was doing it.

‘’We did, however, encounter an unexpected figure while en-route to the Capital!’’

The Sub-Commander moved back out, to the side. The Drones in it’s squad did the same. Separating, as a figure moved forward, approaching the attack group Daleks.

The approaching figure’s shadow fell upon the floor, as it moved up towards them. Each movement closer, causing it’s shadow to fall upon the drone at the front of the attack force Daleks.

‘’Take me to them. Let me see the faces of the enemy of the Daleks.’’ A soft feminine voice spoke.

*Back up at the barricade wall*

Gliding along the floor, passing through the cracked hole in the large stone wall, rows upon rows of Daleks were moving through it. The smoke from the explosion was beginning to dissipate away a little, but it was not nearly as quick. The air was also still thick with dust – But these things mattered little to the Daleks, as their advance deeper into the capital’s castle was too important to be stopped by even waiting for simple smoke to vanish away...

And as such, they had already begun their advance further into the castle.