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// Prologue: 
// Story: All The Time In The World 
// by Clockwork2003 
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While most of Equestria is sleeping, one unicorn stallion is awake. He knows that his death is fast approaching, and he has to act fast. His cyan/aquamarine fur, wrinkled with old age, is sweating profusely. Sitting upright in his bed, the old stallion is magically scribbling away in a large journal. Whatever he has to write, it must be extremely important! He senses something amiss, and with a loud pop, a pony quite familiar to him teleports inside his cottage. He smiles, clearly pleased at her arrival.

“Clockwork, I came to say goodbye.” The alicorn says, trying to muster a smile. She always knew that one day, her mortal son would eventually succumb to death, and she tried to put off the thought as long as possible. Sadly, this was no longer possible. Her son smiles and tries to deflect the topic of death for as long as he could.

“Cheer up, mother. I’m still here. I’ve always told you to live every moment in the present.” He says, still writing furiously inside his journal. His mother wouldn’t take it, and quickly enveloped his journal in her own magic, and gently placed it on his bed.

“Clockwork Relativity. I’m the princess of the moon, and I demand you give me your undivided attention!” Luna says, pleading with her son. He’s only got so much time left. Clockwork gives his mother a look, and she sighs. “You’ve been writing away in that darn journal for seventy-five years. Look at you! You are one hundred and twenty, and in your last hours, you’re STILL working on that drivel. What is so important that you can’t talk to me?!”

Clockwork sighs, clearly distraught with what he is writing. “Mom. I’ve told you for years. If I tell you what I am writing about the future, it will not happen.” Clockwork says, clearly annoyed that he has to repeat himself for the umpteenth time. Clockwork is gifted (or cursed, if you’d ask him) with the ability to prognosticate the future. This comes along with all sorts of temporally related magic, but his main talent is knowing the timeline.

Luna mopes and sits down on her hind legs. “Look at me, child. The one hundred and twenty years we’ve spent together were the best of my life. Come on, what is so important that you’d rather spend your final moments working on it than consoling your mother?! Have some empathy, darling! I’m going to have to bury you!” Luna cries, tears pouring down her gentle muzzle. Clockwork has never been the most empathetic pony, but hearing his mother be this distraught gives him a moment of pause.

He coughs and then looks his mother in the eye. “If I tell you, it won’t happen! Besides, all of my notes are encrypted with highly advanced magic, and-.”

“Seriously, Clockwork? Who do you think taught you most of your magic?” Luna chuckles quickly grabbing her son’s journal, and begins to flip through the pages. Clockwork didn’t budge, since he probably knew his mother would do this. As she is reading, the blood in her face quickly vanishes in fear.
“Equestria…will fall?” Luna asks her son. He solemnly nods. “Yes, mom. I can’t tell you everything, but Princess Twilight will fail, sooner than later. I know when this will end, but I can’t tell you. Messing with the fabric of time is always a bad idea. My late wife taught me that.” Clockwork says, retrieving the book from his mother, continuing to write.

“You picked a good mare, kid. Starlight was a very kind pony to you, and you gave me a grandfilly!” Luna smiles at the thought, thinking about her grandfilly Luster Dawn. Clockwork continues to write for the next half an hour; with his mother next to him. She is stroking her son’s mane, trying to enjoy the last few moments with her son. Finally, Clockwork is done writing, and he closes his tome.

“Mom, it’s actually good that you came. I need some help with something.” Clockwork says, coughing up a lung. Luna magicks a glass of water, and gives it to her son. He grabs it and slowly drinks the beverage.

“Anything for my son, Clockwork,” Luna says, hugging him as tightly as she could. Clockwork hands his journal to his mother, and presses it into her hooves.

“Cast the authenticity spell on this book. I’d do it myself, but I need alicorn-level magic to ensure that it will act as the time capsule I need it to be. Only the right pony in the future will be able to access my knowledge. This, along with burying me next to Starlight in Sire’s Hollow, are my final requests.” Clockwork says, quite serious. 

With tears in her eyes, the deity of nighttime, along with her son, both light up their horns. The book begins to levitate in the air and begins to be encrypted with highly advanced magic. While Clockwork is casting the spell, he is thinking of the pony who will one day find this book. An orange Earth Pony 5,000 years in the future.

Once the spell is finally cast, the book teleports away to become a time capsule for the epoch of Ancient Equestria. Clockwork’s horn deactivates, and he rests his head on his bed. He coughs, and Luna gives her son some space. “I don’t have much time, ma. I want to say goodbye to Luster and my grandponies. Can you go get them for me?” Clockwork pleads. Luna nods and teleports away.

“I can’t tell her about Sunny. It will wreck her. Celestia doesn’t deserve to know, and I hope my prognosticus about her comes true.” Clockwork thinks to himself. He’s gone through quite some adventures during his one hundred and twenty years of life. While he’s waiting for his mother, daughter, and grandponies, Clockwork retreats into his mind, and casts his prediction spell, levitating in the air while he checks alternate futures and timelines…

One hour has passed, and Luna returns with her grandfilly and great grandponies. Clockwork exits his trance, and opens his eyes. Luster Dawn is the first to greet him, and she gives her father a sad smile. “Hey daddy.” Luster cries, hugging her father deeply.

“Hello, Dawn of my day.” Clockwork replies. “You know why you’re here. I want to see my will enacted while I am still alive. I haven’t much time.” Clockwork says, coughing again. His three grandponies: Total Eclipse, Autumn Equinox, and Summer Breeze are all very happy to see their grandfather.

Luna nods, and spawns a papyrus document, titled “Last Will and Testament of Clockwork Relativity.” She hands off the document to her son, and he opens the seal and begins to read: 


“This document entails my last will and testament. All statements here are true and are valid as of this day.



All monies, artifacts, and temporal relics in my estate will be donated to the Equestrian Museum of History.

To my daughter Luster Dawn, I bequeath my vast library. She knows what to do with it.

To my firstborn grandpony Total Eclipse: I bequeath my various timepieces. Use them well and keep time with care. She will also inherit my home in Sire’s Hollow, along with all the titles and deeds pertaining to it.

To Autumn Equinox, I bequeath my late wife Starlight’s jewelry. She’d want you to have it.

To Summer Breeze, I bequeath my vast record collection. I know you like music, and I’ve curated plenty over the years.

To my mother, Princess Luna. I leave a special artifact, which I will reveal after the will is read.


This document is valid and true, signed by Clockwork Relativity on Sunday, October 31st, 100 After Twilight.”

Clockwork gives the will document back to his mother, and she wonders what the artifact will be. Clockwork sighs, and casts a spell. This spell conjures a unique artifact. It is crystalline in nature, and shines bright with pure unadulterated magic.

“Mom. This is about the thing you read in the journal. When I die, break this crystal into three pieces and scatter them across the planet. It will make sense in due time.” Clockwork says, coughing again. All three of Clockwork’s grandponies each clamor for his attention upset that he is approaching his death.

“Grandpa, don’t go!” They cry. Clockwork hugs each and every one of them, and he doesn’t care when they pull at his beard.

“I promise you’ll be alright, my lovely grandponies. You won’t live to see what I have seen for the future. Enjoy the Magic of Friendship. It will save your lives.” He says, wise and erudite. Luna nods, and adds “if only you did that yourself, child.” She chuckles.

“One more thing mom, and then I’m done…I’m sorry that you weren’t able to legitimize me as your rightful foal. I forgive you…but I will never forgive Sombra for hurting you.”

“Oh shut up, Dad! I don’t care that you are a bastard foal. Princess Twilight took me on as her student, and the Student Six all work for me at Mom’s school!” Luster says, clearly annoyed that her father will go to his grave with this on his mind.

Clockwork’s body chills, and he feels the last vestiges of life in him. If he’s got anything else to say, he better say it now.

“I love each and every one of you. I promise you this, mom.” Clockwork looks at his mother caringly, trying not to cry. “I will only die in body and form. If my memory lives on in you and in my family, I will always be there.”

Clockwork coughs one more time and lies deeper in his pillow. He’s too tired to speak, but he’s still there. In his final moments, Clockwork is with his family, and he couldn’t be more happy or proud.

“Sunny Starscout…don’t fuck this up.” Clockwork whispers quietly. Those were his last words.

Before anypony had the wherewithal to question who Sunny Starscout is, or whether that pony or creature is real, the pain of Clockwork’s death was felt by everypony in his home. The pain that was felt the most was by his mother, Princess Luna. Luna grabs her grandfilly Luster Dawn and hugs her tightly, and tears stream down his face. 

“You have his eyes, Luster. You have my little colt’s eyes…” Luna bawls. Luster cries in her grandmare’s arms, and the grandponies are in too much shock to process everything. Clockwork lived a good life, and if his predictions came true, as they always did, Equestria would have a second chance!

Before anything good was to happen, bad tidings were on their way. Per his request, Clockwork was buried next to his wife of seventy years Starlight Glimmer. The mystical gemstone, that Clockwork gave to his mother, was promptly broken into three pieces and spread randomly across Equestria.

One year after his death, Twilight Sparkle was devastated by the death of Rarity, the last of the Mane Six. The Princess of Friendship relied so heavily on her friends for guidance, and with the last of them gone, she had no further desire to lead. She abdicated the throne and dissolved the Equestrian government. Without a monarch to lead them, Friendship slowly fell out of fashion. Ponies and creatures quickly diverted back to primal instincts of fear and prejudice. It only took a few generations before the three ponies self-segregated promptly, like in times of old. Nopony saw or heard from any of the alicorns since, although there were rumors that the deity of the Night would spend every night in Sire’s Hollow, bawling over the grave of her son.

Clockwork Relativity was too clever for his own good. Cursed with divine knowledge of the past and future, he knew that five millennia after his death, five ponies: Sunny Starscout, Hitch Trailblazer, Pipp Petals, Zipp Storm, and Izzy Moonbow would begin the process of reuniting ponykind. They found his crystal pieces, and at the moment the three crystal pieces touched, rudimentary magic returned…

Clockwork’s journal, long hidden away in a library in Bridlewood, the unicorn enclave, began to glow with his cutie mark, an hourglass with falling sand.

The magic returned, and Clockwork will live once more through his words.