//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Stopwatch // by N o - F a c e //------------------------------// Whirl flew faster than he ever had before in this life. He flew like Unicron himself was after him, or like that time Cyclonus found him with the Sweeps. He wanted that watch. He wanted that clockwork kit. Pure desire transformed into an explosion - a sonic rainboom blasted as he streaked ahead of the startled competition. A wave of magic rainbow light swept across the sky as Whirl broke the finish line, colors trailing behind him. For a moment, even Whirl was caught up in the joy of it. Eventually, his flight slowed enough that he could loop back around and to the waiting ponies at the finish line. The flight back seemed to pass in a blink. Whirl panted with exertion. His mane was frizzy, and his classic ponytails had popped their rubber bands, leaving his hair a sweaty, chaotic mess. Whirl didn’t care. His parents were screaming with joy, and quickly rushed up to hug him. “You did it!” They cried. Their pride was nearly intoxicating, but his real joy came from the knowledge of what he’d won with this victory. Whirl vibrated with tension throughout the whole wait for the rest of the fliers to reappear (with Fluttershy emerging suddenly from below in very last place, carried by a hoard of butterflies?!?). As he was congratulated for his stunning victory, he ignored the praise of his teachers and fellow students, and quickly pushed them aside. The instant the event was over he begged his parents to take them to the store. Their walk there felt like it also passed in a blink. Before he knew it, Whirl stood before the clockwork shop he had adoringly gazed at many times in the past. His parents exchanged a hefty sack of bits for the watch and kit, and handed it to Whirl. He took them with happy hooves. ——— When they went home, the first thing Whirl did was set down the clockwork kit at his desk (scattered with half-finished homework, which he brushed to the floor) and open it. It was beautiful. Cogs and shafts and tools of all shapes and sizes neatly lined the box, the light wood of the box itself lined with soft, red velvet. He gingerly picked up a tweezer in hoof and began the still-familiar motions. He barely needed to read the instructions, and only then because of the differences between Equestrian and Cybertronion technology. The watch - which had been gently deposited on his desk as well - ticked peacefully as time passed. Evening turned to night, and his parents gently closed his door, not wanting to disturb him. Eventually, after what seemed like just a blink to him, Whirl fell asleep, a fully assembled wind-up mouse cradled in his dozing hooves. He fell asleep without noticing the tingle of magic, and dreamed sweet dreams of clocks and his husbands. ——— Whirl awoke with a great big yawn, and a stretch of sore wings. He remembered the previous day and looked quickly between his hooves, where the mouse sat. Satisfied with his work for the time being, and ungodly hungry from having skipped dinner the night before, he decided to get some breakfast. Walking past his mirror, if it weren’t for centuries of a cautious eye, he wouldn’t have noticed it. There was something on him, reflected in the mirror. Right on his flank. When Whirl turned to look in shock at his flank, a mark of a clock with rainbow lightning coming out of it was emblazoned on it. It took a moment for him to realize the gravity of this moment. He just barely refrained from crying out, “Slag you, functionists! Proved you wrong, AGAIN!”, but instead just shrieked in wordless joy. This, of course, startled his parents. Bow was first to peak his head in. “Honey, are you ok?” When their Rainbow Dash turned to them with the widest grin they’d ever seen, wings fluttering, and pronking gleefully, Bow and Windy looked in shock. He looked even happier than when they’d gotten him that watch and clockwork kit. But then they saw the cause of joy, and began pronking as well. “Your cutie mark!” His mother shrieked. “Oh my gosh, you got it?!” His father yelled. Whirl laughed as he was scooped up in their celebratory arms, wings fluttering happily still. He buried his face in their fur. The only thing that would make this better was if Cyclonus and Tailgate were here. ——— Going to school the next day was easier than it had felt in ages. Whirl had proof, emblazoned on his very body that his wings didn’t define him. Still, it was anxiety-inducing when countless ponies came up to congratulate him again. Thunder was amongst them. “That was- I’m just completely amazed, Rainbow! I’ve never seen you fly like that! I’ve never seen ANYONE fly like that!” He sounded in awe. “You have some serious potential,” he said earnestly, “I’m not joking - I think you could even join the Wonderbolts with that kinda talent!” “It ain’t my talent though,” Whirl said. Thunder blinked. “My talent is making clocks.” He said defiantly. “H-huh? Wait...” Thunder’s eyes darted to the newly noticed clock on his flank. “When did you get that? It must’ve been after you left, right? I didn’t see it before that... But, oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you! Congratulations!” Thunder patted him on the back with a large, still-growing hoof. Whirl was taken aback. Even after all these years, he wasn’t used to how earnest most ponies were. “You... don’t think it’s weird or whatever that I don’t have a flying cutie mark or something like that?“ he said despite himself. “Huh? No, of course not! Hey, Quirky and Quincy don’t have cutie marks like that, and they’re not that weird, right?” Whirl didn’t expect to be quite this comforted by his classmate. “Thanks...” he said reluctantly, before abruptly walking away. Just a few feet from their conversation, he encountered Fluttershy. They both noticed the others cutie mark and grinned happily. “Fluttershy! When the hell did you get that?” Whirl said, admiring the butterflies. “Wait- was it when those butterflies carried you up to the finish line?” “Actually, it was a little bit before that! I... well, fell at the starting line, but some butterflies saved me! Oh, Dashie, it’s magical down there on the ground! There’s so many animals! And the trees and flowers! Oh, it was wonderful! I communicated with the animals, and I got my cutie mark!” Whirl laughed, “If anyone had a talent for animals, I guess it’d be you, Fluttershy! You’re so sweet, it just seems like a “you” thing!” “Thank you! Oh... but Dashie, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but when you were talking to Thunder it felt rude to butt in, and I couldn’t help overhearing...” Fluttershy looked up at him with worried eyes. “Were you... worried that others would judge you if you got something besides a flying cutie mark? Is that the reason why you never tried on the flight tests until now?” Whirl was silent, and shrugged. Fluttershy gently nuzzled her friend. “It’s ok - I’d never judge you!” “Heh, I know that, Fluttershy.” He wrapped a wing around her. “I’ll never judge you either, y’know?”