//------------------------------// // Chapter Two - Oh Deer, Miss Stone. // Story: The Gilded One // by Officer_Sam //------------------------------// The walking clock and the pony walked along a faded trail in the Everfree forest, heading to Ponyville. Subtle ticking noises whispered in the forest wind, along with the occasional sound of leaves rustling and twigs snapping. The pony's head was filled with thought, not noticing the whispers of the wind. *** Oh my Celestia, I awoke a metal deer. And it's made of metal clockwork and ancient magics seemingly unknown to Equestria. And it has those strangely calming blue eyes, despite looking like a sorta spooky skeletal deer. But it did save my life from those timberwolves. And I forgot to ask for his actual name or where he came from when he fixed his voice issue. I look up occasionally at him, he seems so calm for a machine recently awoken from slumber and thrusted into a small skirmish. Hopefully it isn't disrespectful or something, I mean I was only curious of course I should really not be touching everything in an ancient ruin alone. At this point it might be awkward to ask for info on this silent trail, I'll just question him later with my friend. After all she is the ruins and magic expert. I look up at him again. Such an interesting design though, a thin and agile looking brass plated deer, though with some missing plates and exposed skeletal frame and clockwork. Wait, is his innards actually entirely clockwork? Yet he can seemingly think, maybe feel, he can certainly interact but yet he's still all metal. Actually considering he looks agile and has claws, he doesn't seem all that fast. Just strong and powerful seeing as he dispatched those timberwolves with ease. He might just be old and aged. Maybe I can help fix him up and keep him around. *** Miss Stone keeps staring up at me as we walk. Seemingly she wants to ask a question or is pondering some thought, yet she looks away and remains silent. Though it may be awkward to attempt conversation after what's happened so far. Maybe I'll confront her about what's on her mind after the walk out of here. For now I should remain vigilant in these blasted woods. After some while of walking silently through the woods, I could see a town up ahead. That's when I halted Miss Stone. She looked at me confused then had a look of realization. I was a tall metal clockwork deer, and up ahead was a town of ponies, we walked off the trail to hide in some bushes. That's when I remembered, my passive magics must have returned a bit as we were walking. "Miss Stone, are deer rare in this realm?" I asked quietly. "They aren't rare but their nation is sorta isolationists." She whispered back to me,"Why?" "I think I can disguise myself using one of my illusion spells. It should calibrate itself to what this world's deer are like." Miss Stone looked at me and said,"Well I don't want to cause a panic in town but I mean, living deer is better than metal deer." She nodded for me to continue. I closed my eyes and felt out into the world. I could feel the warmth of this world's magic and yet a slight tinge of coldness and… familiar magic. While odd, my main focus right now is to separate all these magical presences and find a sample of the deer presence in order to copy their presence and cover my own, like a cloak. This might take awhile, hopefully Miss Stone is patient. *** As I nodded for him to continue he promptly sat down on the ground and his eyes stopped glowing. He didn't just die on me right? But I can hear him ticking slightly so he's not dead, I guess. However, I can see a slight dark goldish glow through some of the holes in his outer plating. It's a sorta warm glow, calming in a way, with an occasional spike of white flashes. I may not be well versed in magic but this looks kinda cool, wait how long will he be like this? - A short couple of hours later - It's been a while of sitting around, I almost fell asleep, wait I was asleep. His warm glow is quite peaceful though… Wait, did he always glow like that? His plating and skeleton is starting to glow orange, and a sorta spike of white every so often... Poof! I closed my eyes and reflexively put my hooves up from a sudden flash of light. I slowly opened my eyes to see a genuine deer on four hooves standing before me. He looked like a pony but more slender and slightly taller than me, his coat was a dark faded brown with a light grey underbelly. Also a light grey muzzle and… wait why is his muzzle a bit more rounded like a mares, wait… wait. His antlers are also not there. Is he a…? Is she a she..? I mean does the thing even have a gender to bring with? *** I think I went too far, farther than a simple illusion and cloak of my own presence. I feel somewhat alive, Yet internally I can still hear the silent ticking… wait did I just pull off a transformation spell instead of an illusion one. I must admit that I was never really good at distinguishing the two but I could have sworn I was in the middle of the illusion spell. At least my disguise is solid, well soft and fleshy, and I shouldn't be able to be easily made out as clockwork. It does feel weird though, being in this body it feels like I have cold internal clockwork, but yet I have a warm outer feeling growing inwards. I think at any rate this is starting to grow on me for some reason, I can change out of this later if needed but we'll see how it goes for now first. I might have used quite a bit of stored mana to even do this anyway, speaking of which I can't really feel my mana for some reason. I look down at Miss Stone who is looking at me with a confused look. "What are you staring at-" I cut myself off, realizing my voice was now more feminie sounding. Ok, so I not only didn't do a basic illusion spell but I turned myself into a doe, I would of prefered a buck to be honest. I mean it's not that bad logically speaking, it would be easier for people or ponies to trust a female, I think. However, I feel oddly comfortable as a doe, maybe this is what... No, I am clockwork. I did my work meeting royalty and would always take a soft approach that might explain the choice of transformation. Anyway, at this point I might as well think of a cover identity and get Miss Stone on board, if I didn't break her just yet. She still looked at me in a confused awe. This might take awhile, wait. It's getting dark, this shall not take awhile. - A 'few' minutes later - "And so Miss Stone, I am O'deer Stonia, not very creative but it's what came to mind and stuck." I said slowly looking back at Miss Stone. "Right, so Miss Stonia then. Almost sounds like my last name." She looks up at me with a slight grin. "I'll have you know Stonia was a well respected family and country where I came from." I said with a pout. She giggled a bit and said,"Riiight. But anyway it's getting dark so we should get back to my house. I'm sure my housemate won't mind, actually she might and I have no clue how to explain this to her." "Don't worry Miss Stone, I'll help you with the explanation." "Really?" "Yes, really now let's go forth." We both walked out of the bushes back onto the path and into ponyville under the setting sun and eventual dim moonlight. No one was out at this hour fortunately, making for a peaceful and uninterrupted walk into town and to Miss Stone's house. As we approached the house, I could sorta make out the timber-framing of this two story house. It reminds me of old human village architecture, specifically small villages. Although the streets are stone with some grass plots in front of the houses and some occasional lampposts, like you'd see in a small town. Whatever floats their boat I guess. Miss Stone reached into one of the belt pouches and retrieved a key ring, jingling as she somehow held it. I looked down at my front hooves and did a sorta graby motion like you would with a hand, unsure of how you would grip things. That's when Miss Stone finally unlocked the door and we both walked in, shutting and locking it behind us. She flipped a switch causing the room to suddenly be filled with light. I blinked a little as my eyes readjusted and then curiously looked at the switch and then at the light source on the ceiling. This must be that electricity stuff that was being developed before I slept, seeing as I don't feel much magical energy from this. I look around the now lit room; seeing a couch, coffee table, end tables, a couple bookshelves, and an unlit fireplace. A fairly basic living room, poking my head into the next door room I can make out what seems to be a combined kitchen and dining room area. As I turned around I saw Miss Stone laying on the couch half-asleep without her jacket on, that's when I saw an image on her flank of a lantern and pickaxe. I'll ask about that later, but it seems she needs her sleep after a long day, I gently nudged her and pointed up with my hoof. "Oh right, I have a bed… you can sleep here I guess. Do you want a blanket or something?" She asked, looking at a chest in the corner of the room. I nodded, seeing as it did feel a bit cool. Wait, feel… But I'm still half clockwork, right. I mean I hear the ticking still- Thump. I look over to see Miss Stone passed out on the ground after trying to get off the couch. I quickly picked her up and gently put her back on the couch. I looked around the room and saw the unlocked chest, opening it. It was full of blankets, just blankets in fact, so I grabbed one and covered her as she slept on the couch. You know I feel somewhat tired as well, but I shouldn't be, I'm part clockwork and I don't sleep, right? I mean I accidentally transformed myself into a deer while trying to perform an illusion spell. I don't understand... I flip the switch and the room is slightly illuminated by moonlight instead. I sit on the couch next to the mare, leaning against the arm... hoof rest? This isn't that bad though, I spent many years as a clockwork creation haven't I? But I must still try and serve the clock. Still this is a nice change of pace being alive, and not being a cold clock ticking away. I don't even remember much about the past or who I really am... I slowly close my eyes as the ticking gets louder. … Images flood my head, a human, a deer beastkin, and clockwork? The clockwork gears tick angrily together as the two hug, not letting go. Whispers filled my head repeating phrases of some language, telling me to continue serving the clock and to remember your place. That's when clockwork imagery melted away, revealing a shadowed figure in front of a bright doorway. The light illuminating me in my deer form, chained down to a massive clock. The voice spoke in a deep tone,"You are not the owner of this body, your soul is invasive." The ticking intensified with anger. "You're insane, this is my body. I rightfully own it." I yelled. Wait, my voice was coming from the clock and not the deer. "Wrong." Cried a feminie voice, similar to how the deer transformation sounded. "You are no longer allowed to try and remain in control of this body." The deep voice stated. I remember, I remember that day now... "You were that dastardly deer trying to escape from the clockwork god! You're a traitor! That and you're no good boyfriend!" I shouted. "He saved me but sacrificed himself and gave me a piece of his soul. You are nothing but an invasion on our attempt to escape the clockwork tyrant." The feminie voice said. "That is correct, my deer." Another voice said from the dark,"I am still with you, though a tiny piece, I will guide you and also assist in fending off this vile soul that continues to try and take your soul." I looked around for the voice's origin yelling aloud, "Show yourself you stupid pieces of-" Painful flashes of light and grinding of gears. I'm, we, internal screaming, battling. The clock needs to keep ticking I will not yiel- The internal voice of one is silenced, so that the rightful may continue. The clock under the deer stopped ticking, the chains turned to dust. "Miss Stonia. I put you back in control." The deep voice said,"Your lover's sacrifice was not in vain and he will be with you always." I'm finally free from the clock and it's chains. I looked up from where I was chained and looked at the shadowy figure, the figure waved. "Miss Stonia, I need you to wake up now. You can live life free, look inwards for guidance. Now wake up and smell the-" The deep voice was cut off. A split second of darkness. ... I was jolted awake all of a sudden, the only ticking I could hear was a clock on the wall. I quickly inspected myself to see that this is indeed real. I am a living deer again, though not like the anthro beastkin I once was, but I am at least free from the clockwork god and the servant who tried to take control. And I know that my lover's soul will guide me now and I no longer have to serve the clockwork. I smiled a bit as I looked around, the peaceful morning daylight illuminated through the window behind the couch, I was laying on the couch against the hoof rest my head assumingly hanging off the couch considering the slight neck pain I could now feel. And Caramel was using my belly as a pillow, that's kinda a cute sight and explains why I'm extra warm, and wait, I smell food coming from the kitchen… wait, if I remember correctly from when I was semi-observing, Caramel had a roommate… right? And, oh dear heavens, this is a great position to be caught in… And on que I could hear the hoof steps in the kitchen approaching the doorway to the living room.