//------------------------------// // Settling in // Story: Brown Note: An Off-Color Love Story // by Starlitomega //------------------------------// A new day had come, much like the one before, and Clockwork chose to spend it much like she did when she lived in Canterlot: tinkering with mechanical things. Of course, that was after she spun around in her office chair to the point of nausea. This was one of many new luxuries afforded to her by her spacious new workroom. She had just finished repairing the chimes on an old mantle clock when a faint knocking reached her ears. Who could that be? Stretching her legs as she walked, she made her way to the front door and opened it. Rarity stood on the other side wearing some enormous hat with feathers and sequins. As ridiculous as it looked, Rarity was the kind of pony who could pull it off. Clockwork knew if she tried to wear something so extravagant, ponies would accuse her of stealing a bird nest and putting it on her head. “Hello, darling. I finished your dress and thought about that generous offer of tea from our last -ahem- visit. Does that offer still stand?” Rarity asked, her eyes shining with hope. Oh. I wasn’t expecting this so soon. Come on Clockwork, think! The panic on her face must’ve been pretty obvious. Rarity took a step back. “Is something the matter, darling? Should I come back later?” Shaking her head furiously, Clockwork motioned for her to come in. I need to get my mask, and... and some tea! I need to make tea! Giving a wide grin, Clockwork pulled out a chair at the table. With all the grace of a princess—or at least what Clockwork used to assume princesses had—Rarity slid into the offered seat. “Why, thank you very much. You sure know how to treat a guest.” Clockwork didn’t have time to drink in Rarity’s praise. Dashing over to her cabinet, she pulled out her kettle and a bag of lemon tea. She quickly filled it with water and placed it on the stove. Turning back to her guest, she gave a quick motion that she hoped would convey to Rarity she would be back in just a moment. Rarity gave an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, dear. I don’t know any signs.” Clockwork pointed to her face and made a circular motion. “Oh! Your mask! I’ll wait here then.” A brisk trot down the hall carried Clockwork to her room where her mask sat on the nightstand. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the tube down her throat, slightly choking on it as it slid in. Time after time, it got easier and easier to insert the mask. No longer did it feel like she was suffocating. Speaking, breathing, sneezing, it all came a little easier now. In fact, the only thing that really bothered her about it were the straps that went around the back of her head as they were difficult to manipulate with her hooves. Snapping it all together, she gave a quick hum which echoed with a metallic finish. Perfect! “Clockwork, darling, Your kettle is boiling!” Rarity called out from the kitchen. Turning on her hooves, Clockwork sped out of the room. “Oops! Sorry, I’m coming!” Sprinting back into the kitchen, she snatched up the kettle and filled the lone teacup sitting on a saucer. Next, she dropped in the tea bag. Instantly, the water started turning light red. Leaving the teabag in, she reached for the sugarcubes and plucked out two. “Oh, none for me, darling, thanks.” Clockwork shook her head. “This tea needs sugar, trust me.” Rarity eyed her warily, but nodded in concession. “Very well.” A quick stir with a teaspoon was all the tea needed. Clockwork lifted the saucer and cup like she would pick a delicate flower and carried it to the table, placing it before Rarity. A draft of steam wafted up, teasing the unicorn’s nose. “That does smell fabulous. Aren’t you going to make a cup for yourself?” Taking a seat on the other side of the table, Clockwork shook her head. “I uhhh, can’t exactly eat or drink with this thing on,” the earth pony said, pointing to her mask. Rarity shook her head. “I see. That is rather unfortunate. Time to give this a taste, I suppose.” At one time, Clockwork took lessons in etiquette and dining manners. Everything from how a proper mare sat at a table, to which of the umpteen trillion pieces of silverware were used for whatever purpose. Every time she tried to put that training to use, it felt like she was cramming herself into a tiny box. Rarity looked every bit the socialite Clockwork was supposed to be. Watching how she lifted the teacup from the table to her mouth and took a dainty sip brought back shivers from the past. “Mmmph!” Uh oh… Rarity’s cheeks bulged obscenely in a very un-ladylike fashion. Her pupils shrank and her eyes flew open. Clockwork cringed and prepared herself for the worst. “This is amazing!” Clockwork blinked back her astonishment. “Wait, what?” Rarity lifted the teacup to her lips once more and took a long, pleasurable sip. “This is heavenly! I haven’t had a cup of sweet lemon tea like this since I was a little filly,” Rarity said, a dreamy smile adorning her features. “The harsh, sour lemon is held barely in check by the sweet caress of sugar. It’s a perfect harmony of sweet and sour, locked in a bitter war of flavor.” Tapping her hooves together nervously, Clockwork chanced a smile. “That’s a good thing, right?” An affectionate giggle left the unicorn’s throat. “Why of course it is, darling. A wonderful thing indeed.” Unused to such praise, a blush broke out on Clockwork’s face. “Awww, thanks Rarity.” “You’re not used to entertaining guests, are you?” Clockwork shook her head. “Not really. I mean, I occasionally made tea for customers back in Canterlot, but they were usually too busy to drink it. The ones that did try it would have said it was good, even if I made it awful on purpose.” Rarity leaned forward, putting her elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hoof. “That’s right, you had a shop in Canterlot. Know of any good stories? What did you do?” Clockwork leaned back in her chair, balancing on its rear legs. “I ran a little workshop on Rockwell Street. I repaired and made all sorts of mechanical stuff. Ponies brought me anything and everything you could imagine. Watches, lamps, jewelry, even sewing machines,” she said, earning a blush from Rarity. “I can fix pretty much any type of machine you can imagine.” “I see. So you didn’t really go out to events or functions, did you?” Clockwork shook her head. “Nah. I’d just get up, start working, take my lunch, do some reading until I got a customer or it was closing time, and then went to bed. It was… kind of boring, actually.” Rarity shrank back in her seat, as if she’d lost a bit of the wind in her sails. “Oh. I see.” The silence built between them a moment before Rarity cleared her throat. “Not to pry into your personal life, but what’s with the mask? I thought you couldn’t talk.” Clockwork sighed and turned her head. “I can talk just fine... but it has kind of a nasty effect on other ponies.” Rarity leaned back, her smile falling away. “So what Rainbow Dash said was true. You poor thing. I can only imagine what it felt like, being surrounded by so many ponies and not being able to say a word. Well, that time is over. Anytime you wish to visit my boutique, you are welcome to drop in, and I hope you’ll be receptive to me stopping by now and again.” Clockwork smiled to the best of her ability. “I’d really like that.” Rarity broke down the various going-ons in a town like Ponyville: the latest gossip, the best places to eat, et cetera. In return, Clockwork gave her some info about some of the most influential ponies in Canterlot society—mostly their taste in aesthetics and a few insider tidbits, such as what brand of bottled water the pop star Dainty Diva preferred. Eventually they both said their farewells and promised to meet up again sometime. Not long after escorting Rarity out, Clockwork realized that it was almost time for her book club meeting. Clutching her loaned copy of Daring Do and the Sapphire Stone, Clockwork stepped up to the now familiar doors of the crystal castle. With a gentle shove, the left door gave, swinging inwards. “Omigosh, and that scene where Daring Do jumped out of the crumbling temple? Genius!” Looks like they started without me. Walking down the hall, she noticed the door to the library was ajar and she could hear the voices coming from within. The moment she poked her head through, Clockwork groaned. Inside the room were only two ponies: Twilight, dressed in a pith hat and athletic attire, and Rainbow Dash, who was also in full cosplay. I was afraid this would happen... Twilight beamed when she noticed Clockwork standing in the doorway and motioned for her to join them. “Oh! Hey, Clockwork! C’mon in. Rainbow and I were just catching up before you got here.” Squeezing in through the door, Clockwork flashed an awkward smile around her mask. “I, uhhh, wasn’t aware this was a costume party.” Twilight shook her head, sending her purple and pink mane waving. “It’s not. We just felt like dressing up a little.” “Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, “you know, have a little fun.” If wearing that nonsense is your idea of fun, then by all means. “Oh, by the way,” Rainbow started as she reached behind her chair, “this is yours.” Clockwork watched in awe as Rainbow produced the promised gift set of chocolates. Caramel, truffles, cocoa… come to mama. She took the basket with all the reverence one would give to a holy relic. Clutching the chocolates like a life support unit, Clockwork thought a bit of drool might have slipped out around her mask. “Did something happen I should know about?” Twilight asked, her eyes darting between the two ponies. “Nope!” “Nuh-uh!” Clockwork said, tucking the gift basket away. “How about that book, huh?” Those words were all it took for Twilight’s eyes to light up. “I know! Not many writers know about proper semicolon usage, but Daring Do really pulled it off. I’m surprised at how well it was proofread before publishing in this day and age!” Rainbow jumped from her seat and hovered in front of Twilight. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever about all that boring junk. What did you think about her escape from the pit of snakes?” “Or that crocodile!” Clockwork chimed in. “I wonder how feasible it is to cross a river by jumping on their heads?” Rainbow chortled. “Hah! Daring Do can do anything!” For what felt like—and in all probability was—hours, the three ponies shared their views of the book. After awhile, something started bugging Clockwork. “Why do you two call her Daring Do?” Rainbow Dash and Twilight blinked as if Clockwork had just announced her candidacy for Supreme Emperor. “Because it’s about Daring Do?” Twilight said with a shrug. “Yeah, it’s on the cover,” Rainbow agreed, thrusting the book toward her. Clockwork shook her hooves. “No, no, I get that part. It’s when you start talking about the author. Her name is A.K. Yearling, not Daring Do.” Twilight and Rainbow Dash shared knowing looks. A giggle built in their throats, one that stank of an inside joke. “Of course you wouldn’t know. We didn’t know until a couple years ago ourselves,” Twilight explained. A knowing smirk graced Rainbow’s lips. “I’m gonna tell you a secret, but you can’t tell anypony about it, okay?” A suspicious nod was all Clockwork could give. Rainbow Dash leaned forward until she was but inches from Clockwork’s face. “Daring Do is real.” “Horseapples!” Clockwork exclaimed, jumping up from her chair as if she had been stung by a bee. “You two need to grow up, okay? It isn’t healthy for ponies your age to believe this nonsense!” Twilight sat back in her seat, a smug grin on her face. “Get the book, Rainbow.” The pegasus nodded and grabbed a book from a pile on the nearby table. Lazily, and with a grin Clockwork didn’t like, Rainbow held the book up for her to see. “Shut. Up.” There, on the cover next to Daring Do was a rainbow-maned pegasus. Snatching the book, Clockwork flipped open the cover and read the dedication. “To my first friend, Rainbow Dash.” Clockwork’s knees felt weak. “So… she... you… but—” “It’s true. All of it.“ Rainbow smirked. “We were there, too,” Twilight added. “You’ll have to read on to find out how the rest of us fit in.” Feeling faint, Clockwork’s mind reeled, repainting the book’s events as fact. “But, but… if it’s true, how many times has Equestria been this close to disaster?” Rainbow rubbed her chin a moment, her eyes drifting to the ceiling in concentration. “Hmmm. Well, there’s seven Daring Do books, then there’s the stuff we did. You know, Nightmare Moon, Chrysalis, Sombra, Tir—” A purple hoof on Rainbow’s lips silenced her counting. “Heh, heh, I’ve learned it’s best if you just sort of don’t think about these things,” Twilight explained. “Yeah,” Rainbow agreed, pushing away Twilight’s hoof. “Last time Twilight thought about it, she made this golem thing that gained sentience and tried to take over th—” Rainbow’s mouth disappeared in a magical burst. “I thought we agreed not to talk about that, didn’t we, Rainbow?” Twilight growled through gritted teeth. The pegasus nodded slowly, shrinking beneath Twilight’s glare. Rainbow’s mouth returned in a purple smoke cloud. “It’s uhhh, classified.” With their first book club meeting done and over with, Rainbow said her goodbyes and took off like a bullet. Twilight had wrapped up the remaining brownies that survived their meeting and turned to Clockwork. “Here you go. I know you didn’t get to enjoy any with the mask and everything, so it’s only fair you get to take these home. See you later!” Clockwork stood by the front doors of the castle, staring at Twilight as she walked away. Reaching deep inside for courage, she cleared her throat. “Hey, Twilight.” The alicorn spun around, her eyes and smile bright and shining. “Yeah?” “I, uhhh… I-I,” Clockwork stammered. Just ask her, you dummy! Twilight stepped forward, her brows knit in concern. “Is something wrong?” Clockwork shook her head. “No. I’m going home this weekend to pick up my books from my mom’s house. I wanted to ask if you’d like to come with. I was going to surprise my mom with this, ya know,” she said, gesturing to her mask. “Didn’t seem right without asking the pony who made it possible. I understand you’re a princess though, and you have all these crazy duties. It’s okay if you can’t come.” Once again, Clockwork had the misfortune of seeing Twilight in a schedule panic. Instantly, Twilight’s face scrunched and her eyes widened. She disappeared in flash, and before Clockwork could ponder why, she reappeared, this time clutching her planner. “Let’s see, this weekend. So… Saturday, right?” Clockwork nodded. “I, ummmm, don’t actually have anything scheduled.” “Really?” Shaking her head, Twilight closed her planner. “Nope. I was going to go to Fluttershy’s, but since the map called her and Pinkie away, I guess we’ll have to reschedule. I’d love to come,” Twilight said, a smile gracing her lips. “Great! I’ll see you Saturday morning then?” Twilight nodded. “Saturday morning it is!” Clockwork pushed the doors open and headed home with an extra spring in her step. It wasn’t everyday she found a book connoisseur like Twilight, and thanks to her new ability to hold a decent conversation, she truly felt grateful. I wonder if I should write a letter warning mother I’ll be bringing a princess with me. The mental image of her mom, prostrate on the ground in hallowed reverence earned a giggle from the earth mare. Nah. That’d ruin the fun! Shimmering with purple magic, the castle doors closed with a familiar click. “Eh, heh, heh, heh… What in Equestria is wrong with me?” Spike poked his head out of his room just in time to see Twilight slumped against the front door. “Eh, heh, heh... you’re creeping me out. Are you okay, Twilight?” It was a simple question to be sure, but it was beyond a simple answer. “I don’t know, Spike. I just lied to Clockwork.” Moving beside Twilight, Spike gave her an encouraging pat on the back. “That’s not the end of the world. I bet if you tell her why you lied, she’d forgive you. You two seem to have gotten close, lately.” Taking to her hooves, Twilight frowned. “That’s just it, Spike. We have gotten close. Maybe a little too close. She asked me to go meet her mom and help pick up books from her home in Canterlot.” Pulling out her day planner, she pushed it in front of Spike. “I was supposed to help Roseluck with her herb garden this Saturday, but I lied. I told Clockwork I would be free. Why? I’ve never done anything like this before.” Reaching up, she felt her forehead. “Maybe I’m getting sick. I should grab a thermometer.” The unmistakable sound of Spike snickering behind her back gave Twilight pause. She turned and furrowed her brow. “And just what is so funny?” Spike finally lost control and chortled out loud. “You are! Don’t you see, Twilight? You’ve got a ca-rush!” A loud, rather unprincess-like gasp escaped Twilight’s lips. “No I don’t! This is nothing like a crush. I just find her fascinating. It’s not often I find somepony as well-versed in literature as I am. It’s also pretty rare to find an earth pony with the dexterity or skill to do mechanical repair.” Twilight took a few steps forward, her eyes focused on a distant point. “When I saw her crying on the floor, terrified of what would happen to her, there was just… just something there that made me want to protect her.” Twilight’s pupils shrank to pin points. “Oh hay… I do have a crush on her.”