//------------------------------// // Clock and Candelight // Story: My Clockwork Stallion // by Aegis Shield //------------------------------// My Clockwork Stallion Part 12: Clock and Candlelight Time Turner emerged out his store room, bringing a dolly with a grandfather clock on it. The massive thing was heavy, oaken, and delicate. Boasting about eighty years of ticking and tocking, it was the delight of the Lemon-Lime family of Ponyville. The five ponies waiting for Time Turner in his shop’s front area stompity-stomped their hooves happily. Why, it looked brand new! All the dust and grime was gone! The cobwebs lifted! They leaned as a group as the brown stallion gave it a little wind and let the pendulum move. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Hooray! They paid him handsomely (a rather smile-inducing eight hundred bits!) for such a massive project, and he smiled as they group-lifted it from the dolly to their family cart outside. The family stallion and two foals leaned into the shop to thank him again, and they were off. It was Rainbow Dash who came in next, of all ponies. There was a silence. They stared at each other as Time Turner came up from his strong box behind the counter. “Er,” the mare said awkwardly. Her muzzle was a little scrunched and her eyes darted back and forth like she wasn’t supposed to be there. “Welcome to Keys and Clocks, with all your time needs and keys for locks,” Time Turner recited a little slower than normal. He went to the glass counter where his cotton blanket and tiny tool set lay. “Can I help you?” “I… I came to say sorry,” Dash finally pushed it out like it physically hurt. “I kept poking fun at Twilight for dating you and… sorry,” she said, not really coming in much further than the doorway. “Erm, sure…” the stallion said carefully. He remembered Twilight’s complaining about Rainbow’s colorful jokes and innuendos, and how much it upset her. But something had happened, apparently, if she was here now. The blue Pegasus finally broke eye contact and darted around the shop room floor like a hummingbird. Her wings flippity-flapped to let her hover over the display cases, back and forth, peering in on the ankle watches… then the pocket-watches… then the clip-clocks that went onto saddlebags. She paused at a fancy coocoo clock as a little wooden stallion came out, chopped mechanically at a stump with an axe, then retreated back the way he came. Then Rainbow flitted back to the pocket watches and started pawing at the chains. Then she looked over at him, catching him staring “What?! I’m browsing!” He flinched liked she’d slapped him, coughing twice and going back to his usual duties. Rainbow harrumphed a little, leaning to unclip a battered-looking clip-on clock from her saddlebags. It was tiny, plastic, had a cracked face and had a cloud-with-lightning sticker on the back. She compared it to all the models in the display cases, on the foals cartoon-character rack, even at the ‘find your name’ kiosk that had cute little ankle watches with pony names on the bands. None seemed to suit her. Huffing in frustration, she darted to and fro. “Y’know,” Time Turner said slowly, gently. “You don’t have to buy something to go with your apology, you can leave if you want.” He offered an olive-branch smile. He saw her very slight flinch at his words. Rainbow frowned over a glass display case. “Er, it’s not that,” she said, sounding unsure. “This is just… fancier than I’m used to.” She showed him the plastic clock she’d kept. “I’ve had this for almost eight years, it finally gave out. It was just a cheap toy from a convenience store.” She brought it to the counter to show him. Time Turner turned it over a few times. A school-age filly might’ve had something like this hanging off of her backpack, this was no proper time piece for a grown mare. But, he didn’t say such things aloud. “I’m a weather mare y’see, so I hafta know what time it is all the time. If a storm is four hours late, every farmer in a hundred mile radius will know my name within the week. The Ponyville clock tower is usually enough, but when I’m handlin’ storm clouds…” she trailed off a little, shrugging. “I need something that won’t rust or get slow if it’s wet or foggy or something. Got anything that won’t rust on me in the worst weather?” “Hmm,” Time Turner said, touching a clinical hoof to his chin. “Well, that rules out iron and copper, then. Gold would be too pricy for an on-the-job clock. You need something tough, like you!” he slipped a compliment in to help her relax. Her wings finally let her settle to the ground and folded at her sides. She frowned into the display case between them but looked lost. He could see her frustration building. “Maybe bronze?” he said, ideas lighting his face at last. He pulled a few pieces and set them on his soft workspace blanket for her to see. “Bronze doesn’t rust, it only tarnishes over a great period of time. This one here has a thicker, scratch-resistant glass face. And this one here has an enchanted chain so if you drop it, it’ll leap back to your saddlebags.” He showed her a number of options. “Too shiny. Too big. Too girly. Too… not cool enough. I hate it.” She shot down piece after piece that he showed her. Soon there was an array of watches in front of her on the counter, and she didn’t like a single one of them. Time Turner frowned, frustrated. He could usually tell what sort of time piece a pony would gravitate too, but she was so fussy about it! “Hey what about that one?” she pointed to a pocket-watch that hung suspended on a little chain. He followed her gaze to an upright glass display case that sat in the corner. It wasn’t even lit properly. “That is galvanized bronze. Very water-proof, very sturdy!” Time Turner said, surprised at her pick. “Not many ponies buy pieces like this, since they’re not very pretty to look at.” He got the proper key to unlock the case and fetch it for her. “Well it doesn’t hafta be pretty, just reliable,” Rainbow saw the reflection of her face in the display case, then quickly shook her head. There was a momentary uneasiness to her expression. “It’s got a… texture to it? It’s not smooth like the others.” She pointed as he got it out for her. The surface of the closed pocket-watch looked, well, hatched. Almost like cheap linen. “Oh yes, it’s so it doesn’t slide around in your bag or pockets. It stays where you put it,” Time Turner set it before her and let her play with it a bit. Rainbow Dash flipped the face-protector open to stare at the simple, bold-black numbers. She turned it over and over again, closed it, re-opened it, and played with the chain a little. “How much?” she asked, eyes flicking up at him. “Well, that piece was originally priced at about two hundred bits,” Time Turner said with an embarrassed laugh. Rainbow gaped at him, and he lifted a hoof before she turned him down. “But like I said, this model was never very popular, and I’ve had the poor little guy for about five years now. I’d rather he had a nice home than sit here collecting dust forever. What would you say to just forty bits?” “You got a deal!” Rainbow said, enthused again. She fished out her coin-purse to give him the money, then watched him get a box and wrapping. “Oh no, I’ll wear it out, it’s fine!” She stuck it under her wing, in her saddlebag. There was a little pouch where the top of it stuck out. “Just remember to wind it a few times before bed each day, and it should last you a long time.” Time Turner nodded, smiling. He gave her a receipt, and the cyan mare thanked him. After she was away, the brown stallion gave a loud woosh of air, relieved. He wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to her, really. Then he spotted the plastic clip-on clock she’d come in with. He picked it up and turned it over a few times. Rattling it, he frowned and held it to his ear. It was still working just fine! Huh. “I really hope she wasn’t trying to apologize with her money…” Time Turner worried, not having the heart to throw it away. “I’ll give you to Twilight, she’ll make sure you get back to Rainbow Dash, yeah?” he told it. Reaching, he rubbed the battered thing with a soft cloth and left it by his strongbox so he would remember. Some Hours Later… Rainbow Dash waited by her mailbox, checking her new watch. After a time of watching the sun sink towards Mount Canterlot, she was just about to give up when she heard laboring wings. A certain wall-eyed mare was zipping back and forth across the sky towards Rainbow’s cloud house. Her clumsy barrel rolls and tittering laughter said she’d had a good day delivering mail. “Oh, Hey Rainbow Dash!” she said, landing rather nicely in front of the mailbox. “Got stuff for you today!” She fished in for the rather impressive stack of letters. Rainbow had a large scattered family, so she received letters en masse sometimes for all of her aunts and cousins and such. “Thanks, Ditsy Doo,” Rainbow said, coughing and looking to one side. “I uh, notice sometimes your delivery times are a little different than normal. I thought you might like something to help you.” The cyan mare lifted a wing and presented the clumsily wrapped gift. “For me?” Ditsy said, cocking her head a little to see it properly. “I don’t see a shipping address!” she teased. Rainbow scrunched her muzzle angrily, ears turning back. Ditsy quickly apologized. “Well thank you!” Leaning, she made to put Rainbow’s mail in her waiting hooves, then juked to one side and put it in her mailbox instead. When the blue mare reached for it, she closed the mailbox too. Rainbow growled like a small dog at her teasing, still blushing. Ditsy Doo then sat on her haunches to pull the package apart. The shiny bronze pocket watch tumbled out into her hoof, glinting in the setting sun. “Wh… oohhh…” she whispered, entranced. Rainbow relaxed. She seemed to like it. “That’s grandma-tized bronze, y'know,” Rainbow said fancily. “And all you have to do is wind it before bed, and it’ll be good for a long time!” “It’s butt ugly!” Ditsy declared, giggling. She held it out to dangle on its shiny chain, where it rotated back and forth. “It’s like painted linen!” Rainbow went hot in the face, shouldering roughly up to the mail mare to flip it open to show her the clock face. The numbers were big so even her wall-eyes could read them properly. “I-it’s textured so you don’t drop it! It doesn’t have to be super pretty! It just has to be-!” Ditsy and Rainbow turned to look at each other, noses very nearly touching. There was a short silence. “R-reliable, y’know?” Rainbow Dash whispered, ears turning back. “I like reliable,” Ditsy said slowly, looking into her eyes. “I like reliable too. You are reliable,” Rainbow whispered without thinking, looking to one side. Ditsy blushed at the very slight, timid sort of muzzle-nuzzle she received. “Ohh. Ohhhhh…” Ditsy said, muzzle scrunching in a very flattered sort of way as color found her grey cheeks. ***** Twilight emerged into the forest clearing, crumpled note in hand. It was from Time Turner, asking her to meet him right after sunset at the Clock of Five Mysteries. What she found there made her pause in shock. Candles. Candles everywhere. Time Turner sat on his haunches next to a picnic blanket, smiling rather bashfully. Candles perched on every rock, stump and solid surface to light the whole place. A wine bottle lay in an ice bucket, and twin crystalline glasses sat in on a picnic basket. “Hey,” he said softly. Twilight slowly walked forward, minding the scentless torches that kept the bugs away. “Hi. What’s all this?” She whispered, looking around. “Er... romantic candlelight dinner?” He offered, flipping open the picnic basket with his nose. “Hehehe! Cute. That’s cute,” Twilight cantered forward, settling next to him. The soft glow of the candles made his clockwork leg shimmer and sparkle a little. Had he spilled glitter onto it, just for the occasion? That was adorable. Smiling as he set out the little plates, saucers, cups and the like, she hid a feminine giggle behind her hoof. Even the clockwork mare sticking out of the Clock of Five Mysteries had been dotted with candles, for he’d taken down the tarp and coverings. They shared a quiet, romantic evening of celery, carrots, a light pasta, cornbread and butter. The wine was dark and certainly romantic. They watched the stars begin to peek out one by one as the candles burned low and the wine disappeared. Liquid courage coloring her cheeks, Twilight laid with her head in his lap, looking up at him. “Hello there,” Time Turner said, smiling coltishly down at her. “Hi,” She offered coyly. “This was a good idea, I loved it.” “You’re beautiful,” he offered softly, hiccupping once and stifling himself. “You’re drunk,” she snicker-snorted as he leaned over her for an upside-down kiss. “I’m okay, just a little wine-touched,” he snorted, closing his eyes and going in for the kiss. “Hullo? I can hear somepony! Anypony out there?! Can you hear me?!” It was a soft, faraway voice that rang like a pony shouting through a metallic tunnel. “Luna?!” “WHAT WAS THAT?!” Twilight jolted up, bashing Time Turner in the face with the crown of her head. He cried out, falling back onto his back as blood shot out of his nose. He rolled slowly, holding his face. “Oh Celestia, I’m sorry!” Twilight staggered a little, pressing her hoof to his nose to help it stop. “My d’ose!” he honked in distress, red going down his front. “Twi-dight, whud d’eh heck?!” “I thought I heard a voice coming from inside the clock!” she said, fretting that she’d ruined the date. “Oh Celestia your poor nose!” she grabbed a spare napkin, rushing it to his face. She helped him hold it there. “B-but listen! Listen listen!” She said. He moaned a little, squeezing his eyes shut to focus the pain away. There was no voice. They listened for a long time until some blood started to escape the napkin. She got him another one, huffing in distress and apologizing over and over. Lighting her horn she levitated everything back into the picnic basket and blew out the candles. “C’mon, I better get you home, ohh your poor nose I’m so sorry!” Thankfully it was less than a hundred yards to Time Turner’s house, and they got him inside to some cool water and a cloth. “Are you okay?” she mewled. “My d’ose is b’eeding,” he said flatly, still a little red from the wine. “I-I’ll make it up to you, I promise, I’m sorry!” Twilight said, soaking the cloth again and dabbing at it. Finally Time Turner got some paper towels, twisted them up and stuck them in his nose. He looked silly, but it seemed to help. Twilight made him a make-shift icepack and let him take it to hold onto his face. “Some date,” he honked quietly. As they sat next to each other on the couch. “Sorry,” she said again, drooping. “You pick d’eh nex’ date,” he charged her. “Less dan’gerous, p’ease.” he said angrily, ears turned back. Twilight left his home embarrassed, hot behind the ears and in the face. She went out to the Clock of Five Mysteries again, staring at it in the moonlight. “I heard something. Did you speak?” She whispered. Even the cool night air wouldn’t cure the heat of her mood. She walked a few slow circles around the jewelbox dancer mare. But, she didn’t hear anything. She didn’t dare turn the music on, in case Time Turner should hear and come outside still angry with her. “I know I heard something,” she half-whined. But the dancer did not speak. She came close, leaning and listening to the open space near her back hooves. Who knew how impossibly big the space was in there? She called down into it, loud as she dared, but no response. Finally giving up, she turned and headed towards home. Maybe it was time to write to Luna again? She might be cross with her, but this clock was her invention. There had to be something more to all this than she and Time Turner had revealed so far. End of Part 12