//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Reasons 
// Story: A Soul in Steel and Iron 
// by Cyber V 
//------------------------------//


Reasons

Eleven Months Later…


"Alright let's see what's next," Clockwork said to herself as she glanced over from her project and to a sheet of instructions that had originated from the scroll that she got from Karma, "okay, it looks like that I should now tighten the three bolts on each side, which then I would hear a… click?" she confusingly read but continue reading the scroll, "come from the body, indicating that everything inside is now locked into place," she assumed as she examined what the instructions pictured, she then turns her attention away from the sheet of scroll and towards the table, where the mechanical wonder laid on it.

Clockwork gazed at up and down the machine, noting the some of the odd features on it from the two lower limbs that were hanging over the edge, each being held up with a log of wood underneath its feet, to the upper part of the chest where a assortment of gems, cogs, wires, and other mechanical engineering laid exposed, to the little appendages attached to the end of the upper limbs and then to the rounded head on its shoulders.

"You know what, even if this whole deal does turn out to be a prank, I think I might keep this thing as a statue because it looks kind of awesome or I can sell it for scrap metal later on," she stated and then gave a sigh, "and I'm talking out loud when there's nopony around again, sigh, well let's tighten those bolts now," she instructed to herself as she looked away from the table and its current occupant.

She grasped a wrench from among the other tools laying on the table in a silvery glow and started working on her next task. "You know Jace," Clockwork started as she started to tighten the first bolt, "I hope that you'll appreciate me for what I am doing for you here," she said as she made a complete turn on the first bolt and then made her way to the second, "because it wasn't easy to try to keep this project under wraps," the second bolt now completed tightened, "and you're also very expensive, I mean I nearly used all of my bits just for ordering and buying the parts and materials for you," she informed as she worked on the third bolt.

After she finished tightening the third bolt, she made her way around the table and started with the forth bolt, "I also gotten strange looks from my neighbors and friends when they saw me carrying your body, well your body was in pieces at the time though… but still," she thought as she focused the wrench onto the fifth bolt.

"But I can't complain that this experience hasn't been very interesting, because I learned a lot of new things about engineering just from by studying your body schematics," she declared as she finished with the current bolt and floated the wrench over the sixth and final bolt, but just as she locked the wrench with the final bolt she had the sudden urge to hit herself over the head with it, "look at me, I am talking out loud to a piece of rock that's hanging from my neck," she said as she looked down at the pouch that is hanging around her neck, which contained the crystal of a supposing soul inside of it.

"If somepony were to see me talking to you right now, my next vacation will be an all paid expense to a padded room, with a straight jacket on and sipping down pill-filled tequilas all day," she exaggerated her possible future as she stared at the pouch and then return her focus to the last bolt, "and it wouldn't help me if even I think I'm a bit nuts already," she confessed as she made a move another turn, but then the wrench came to an abrupt stop, causing Clockwork to stop in her banter and pay attention to the uncompleted automaton on her worktable.

She saw the gear works and levers start to move and then all of a sudden a set of three pieces of metal plates slid out of ports from the sides and moved over the insides with a crack, surprising Clockwork from the sudden noise. She saw that they now adding a somewhat layer of protection for the insides from the outside, "that wasn't a click," Clockwork annoyed from the improper information, "but at least I now know the use for these parts," she said as she tapped the 'ribs' of the automaton, "now I just need to figure out the uses for the other odd parts I put into this thing… eh, I will figure that out later down the road."

She made her way back around the table and picked up the instructions and examines what needs to be done next. "Well Jace, I have some good news and some bad news too," she said to the pouch, but when she didn't get a reply she continues what she is saying, "the good news is that after months of buying and ordering, fabricating parts, assembling you and lying to everypony I know about you, as well as a bit procrastination on my part, you're almost done."

"But the bad news is that to fully complete you, I need to get your head and chest covers and there's only one pony I know who can make those, and that's going to be a problem," when she didn't get a respond again, she added with a sigh, "again, I'm talking to a rock." She placed the scroll on the table and took a clean piece of parchment and quill that was lying around on it and started tracing the schematics of the head and chest covers.


...


Clockwork nervously stood in front of a low built building as other ponies walked past her, going on their own business. She looked up and saw the sign hanging above the door; Forge's Forge, I wonder if he stills remembers me from the last time I was here, she thought as she shrugged the saddlebag on her back and stepped forward and opened the door and was meet with the smell of burnt metal, along with the sound of ringing metal coming from the back. She stepped into the building and closed the door and the sound of a cannon going off was heard over head, causing Clockwork to flinch in pain. Ow, she thought as she rubbed her ears to clear the pain from them, he really needs to change that doorbell of his.

The sound of metal on metal stopped and was replaced by the sounds of hoof steps coming towards Clockwork, "Welcome to Forge's Forge," a male voice called out from a doorway that leads to the back, "if you have a request, then I will do my best to make sure that you get the best," and then a middle aged grey colored earth pony limped into the room, but then he stopped in his tracks when he saw Clockwork standing at the entrance, "oh it's you," he said as he squinted his eyes at her.

Ah scrap, he remembers me, "hi Forge, how are you?" Clockwork casually greeted as she waved at him and with a small smile on her face as well, "I have a few small requests for you."

"Oh no, oh no no no," Forge said as he started to shake his head worriedly, "the last time, I did something for you, I was flung through a wall, in fact you still owe me for the damage that your last request did," he said as he pointed to part of a wall, where the coloring is lighter than its surroundings.

"Hey, if you had just followed the structure design of that coil spring like I told you, you wouldn't have been thrown through the wall," Clockwork enlightened Forge.

"But why did you have to coil it here in the store though?"

"I wanted to make sure that it was up to the task for a project that I was once working on," Clockwork explained the reason, and then her gaze settled on the lightly colored wall, "and clearly it wasn't," she added with a wince as she remembered seeing Forge being thrown through the wall when the spring snapped and he was on one side of it when it happened.

Forge sighed and placed a hoof on his forehead, "just tell me what your request is and I'll be the judge of it to see if it is safe for everypony's else safety, especially mine."

"It is nothing much," Clockwork said as her horn glowed slivery and her saddlebag unlatched and the finished copy of the scroll containing the schematics of the finishing pieces of her secret project, floated out of it and towards Forge.

He grasped the parchment in a hoof and took a look at it, "alright it appears to be just a plain helmet and chest piece, but what's up with these dimensions, because these won't fit a pony?" Forge asked as he noticed the odd measurements, "just what are you making now Clockwork and what are the reasons behind these pieces?" he asked as he squinted at her, suspicious.

"It's nothing dangerous, I'm just making a sculpture," Clockwork casually lied.

"A sculpture really?" Forge questioned.

"Yeah, I wanted to try my hooves at art making with metal and to also clear up some clutter of scrap metal laying around on my property, and as for what their reasons are, they're to keep the sculpture together so it wouldn't fall apart," she explained with only the last part true in her lie.

"Huh uh," Forge said unconvinced, "okay then, I will make them, since they don't look like to be dangerous at all."

"Oh thank you so much Forge," Clockwork happily thanked him, "when do you think they will be ready?"

"Well, since your requests are simple enough, I say that I can have them done around… in two to three hours," Forge estimated as he looked at a clock hanging from the fall and saw that it read two thirty-six, "so stop by when I'm closing up, I will have them done by then, is that okay for you?"

"Yeah, that's perfect Forge," Clockwork approved, "alrighty then, see yea later Forge," she said as she turned around and made her way out of the shop, "oh and I promise that I will pay you back for the damage someday," she added as the shop's door closed behind her and causing the doorbell to fire off.

Forge stood there for a few moments after Clockwork left and looked at the piece of parchment that he got from her and shook his head, "oh Clockwork, I hope that you're not going to get into trouble with this new project of yours," he hoped as he took Clockwork's instructions from his hoof and into his mouth and limped back to the back of the store to get started on Clockwork's, hopefully harmless, requested items.


…


Clockwork made her way from Forge's shop and up main street, passing other greeting ponies along the way, "okay let's see here, what's should I do for the next two hours or so?" she asked herself and was answered back be her own stomach, "oh that's right, it's lunchtime and I didn't eat much of breakfast, because of the excitement of almost completing Jace's body that and I'm running out of food, so I guess I can get some groceries while I'm at it. Wait a minute; will Jace be able to eat anything when he gets his body?" she asked herself, unaware that she is walking towards a group of ponies, "I don't think so, because I didn't see anything that resembles a stomach at all as I was building him."

"Hey Clockwork, are you're talking to yourself again?" a pony called out to her as she walked passed a group of children, causing Clockwork to pause and then let out a groan of frustration as her annoying habit was pointed out by the now laughing group of ponies.

Clockwork looked at the unicorn that pointed out her habit and said to him in an annoyed tone of voice, "just leave me alone Taunt Line, I just want to have a nice and pleasant day and you're not helping with you pointing my habits out."

"Then you should get lessons on how to not talk out loud for the whole town to hear," Taunt taunted, "and while you're at it, get some for your engineering skills while you're at it," he teasingly added, causing his small group to laugh some more as Clockwork embarrassingly looked away from them as they walked away laughing at the bad lucked engineer, all the while Clockwork getting the feeling of rising anger, but she calmly continue her way up the street in the opposite direction the others went, revealing no signs of anger to those around her.

She made a quick turn down an alleyway as soon as she came upon it and sat down and took a few deep breathes to impede the raising anger, "why does… no remember Clockwork, no talking out loud," she scolded herself as she took a few more calming breathes, why does everypony keep questioning my engineering abilities? Because it feels like they don't want me to use my talent at all, she crossly questioned.

A few minutes later, Clockwork silenced her anger and made sure that it wouldn't rise again, she stood up from the ground and made her way out of the alleyway that she entered from. Before she took a step out of the alleyway, she stuck out her head and looked both up and down the street for any signs of Taunt and his group of friends, which caused the pouch to swing around on her neck. The silver machinist fully stepped out of the alleyway and was soon on her way to find something to silence the raising hunger of her stomach.

Clockwork didn't have to walk far, for her nose was met by the scent of something sweet baking. She followed the smell and soon came upon a small store called the Sweet Shoppe that's set between two buildings, with one of them named The Rock, while the other one is a bar called The Hard Place with sounds of ponies horsing around coming from it. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place, Clockwork thoughtfully commented as she walked through the wide open door and was immediately spotted by a cheerful, pink mane, white Pegasus from behind the counter.

"Well if it isn't Clockwork, long time no see," she said as she saw Clockwork, with a flap of her wings she bounded over the counter and over the table that Clockwork has sit herself at, "so tell me, how are you, where you have been all of this time and what would you like to eat?"

"And hi to you too Frosting," Clockwork said amused by her longtime friend, "I'm fine, I have been working on a project and I would like a large frosted cookie please," she answered in order to her friend's questions, "now answer me this, have you been snacking on the cookie frostings again?" she asked a question of her own, with an eyebrow raised for an added effect.

"Nope, well… maybe just a little, now one large frosted cookie coming right up," Frosting confirmed and then with another flap of her wings, she bounded over the counter, quickly reached into the display case underneath and pulled out a plated cookie, with sprinkles stuffed into every available space of icing on top. Frosting calmly and carefully walked around the counted and carried over to Clockwork instead of bounding over the counter in her usual manner.

As soon as the plate was out of mouth and on the table, Frosting took the opposite seat of Clockwork just as she lifted the frosted cookie in a silvery grasp and took a bite out of it. "So, what new project are you working on this time that is causing me to rarely see my best friend and number one customer for almost a whole year?" Frosting asked as Clockwork as she lowered the half eaten cookie back down on the plate.

"Well Frosting as I said before; I am still making that sculpture," she repeated her lie to her friend and was rewarded with a guilt feeling.

"You're still working on that thing?" Frosting surprised at what Clockwork said, "That's not like you at all, because it usually takes you a week, two tops, to work on a project and then move onto something else," Frosting stated, "what's so special about this sculpture that got you to make it?"

"Well, I wanted to try my hooves in art making and get rid of the scraped projects on my property," she answered her inquiring feathered friend.

"Clockwork, we have been friends since kindergarten, I know you better than anypony else here in Ironwood Falls, in fact maybe more than you do yourself. So I know what I'm saying when I say this to you; you're horrible at art," Frosting blunting called out, "because you were never able to express yourself without freaking out over something that doesn't involve precision and inner gear workings, so is there another reason why you've been on this art project for almost a whole year?" Frosting asked with a questioningly hurt look.

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what that reason is Frosting," Clockwork apologized, "but there's a possibility that I might be able to help somepony, that had probably lost everything in his life, with what I am making."

The hurt look on her friend's face dropped from her face and then the look of understanding appeared, "now that's the Clockwork I know," she said as she got up from the table and walked back to the back of the counter.

"Uh, what do you mean by that?" Clockwork confused by her friend's sudden change in behavior.

"As I said Clockwork; I know you better than everypony else here in Ironwood Falls, so when you said that what you're doing is to help somepony. I know that is true, for you would never lie about helping others, because you're always serious about that kind of stuff," Frosting clarified as she leaned on top of counter, "and plus you said that the pony is a 'him'," she added with a grin and a wink.

"Huh?" Clockwork baffled at what her confectioner friend said.

"Don't say anymore," Frosting said as she held her hoof, "just go and help this stallion," with that she got up from the counter and walked through a door into the kitchen in the back, leaving Clockwork alone in the sweet shop.

But Jace isn't a pony, Clockwork shook her head and reached into the saddlebag for some money, but just as she pulled out some bits, Frosting stuck her head out of the kitchen door, "also don't worry about the cookie, it's on the house," she then went back inside and was soon followed by the sounds of banging pots and pans.

Clockwork smiled at her friend's deeds and finished off her snack and then left the Sweet Shoppe after placing the plate on the counter. What should I do now? That question caused Clockwork to pause in front of the store, "what should I do next?" Clockwork asked herself and then she remembered what Karma said in the letter about Jace being not from this world. "I'm not sure if that's true or not about you Jace, but with how odd your name is and how your body is coming along, I have to say that that fact is becoming a reality," she said to the pouch around her neck, "and so you might going to be a little lost in this world, so I guess I can stop at the library to pick up some books for you," and with her next task and destination set in her mind, she started making her way up the street towards the library.


…


"History and geographic books, maps, old newspaper articles," Archive listed as he wrote them down in the binder, he then look up at the engineering unicorn, "this isn't the usual reading material that you usual check out, so care to explain to me what's with the sudden change in interest of genres?" the old librarian asked Clockwork just as she placed the books and scrolls into her saddlebag with her magic.

"Oh well you see Archive, I felt that I am lacking in some subjects," Clockwork calmly lied, "so I am just taking a refresher course on them."

"Ah huh," he said with a questioning look and then soon accepted the lie, "well can't disagree with ponies who wants to learn, so return the checked out items within a week without losing it, as well as no rips, tear, stains or any other form of damage on either of the goods, or you'll be paying a fine of fifteen bits."

"Gotcha, well I have an appointment to keep, so see ya later and have a nice day," Clockwork said as she made her way to the entrance.

"You too and remember you better not lose those manuscripts like you did with the scroll, or you'll be the one to the replace them," Archive called back to Clockwork just as she left the library. Jeez, he still remembers about that, Clockwork thought as she walked down the steps of the library. Just as Clockwork stepped onto the cobblestone streets, the town's clock tower bells started tolling, compelling Clockwork and possibly other ponies in the area to count the number of rings from the tower. "Fourteen… fifteen… sixteen, so it's four o clock, wow almost two hours went by very quickly than I thought," she recollected, "now let's see if Forge is done with my requests," she then started making her way to her weary friend's forge.

In half an hour, she made her way through the town and at the front door of Forge's forge, "I hope he was able to make those parts I requested," she said as she opened the door and stepped inside and was met with the sounds of cannon fire over her head. "Jeez," Clockwork cried out as she rubbed her ears from the explosion, "why am I keeping on forgetting about that doorbell of his and why does he even have it?"

"The reason you keep on forgetting about my doorbell is because you have a lot on your mind," Forge answered out loud as he limped into the main room from the back, "and as for your second question, the reason I have it is because I need something louder than me when I am in the middle of metalworking to alert me when I have customers."

"True, but still, cannon fire, can't you find something else that isn't so hurtful on the ears?" Clockwork complained.

"Alright enough, are you here for your orders or are you here to form a complaint about my doorbell?" Forge asked her, slightly annoyed from the subject of matter, "because I'll be happily obliged to keep them and maybe sell them to somepony else."

"Okay okay, I'll stop talking about your doorbell," Clockwork said as she realized what Forge just said, "so you were able to make them?"

"Yeah I was, they're right over here," the earth pony said as he limped over to behind the counter and pulled out a large box from it. He carried the box over to Clockwork and dropped it in front of her, making a loud thud to be made when it hit the floor, "now remind me, what are these parts are for again?"

"They're the finishing touches for a statue I'm making," she answered him with the same lie, "why do you ask?"

"Well it is just that these parts seems to be a little complicated for a simple art project," he observed the package, "so answer me this Clockwork, what are you making?" he asked as he faced Clockwork with suspicion written on his face.

Clockwork felt a hint of perspiration forming on her brow under his gaze, she quickly calmed her fast-paced heart and said to him in a calm tone of voice, "well as I said earlier Forge, I am making a sculpture and since this is my first time doing an art project, and I want it to be absolutely perfect and amazing."

Forge gave a sigh and backed down from the staring contest he started, "sorry about that Clockwork, but one can never be overly cautious for the safety of others as well as one's self," he explained his behavior to her as he made his way behind the counter.

"That's perfectly understandable Forge," she agreed as she picked up the package in her magic, "I do tend to put others in… hazardous situations with my crazy contraptions, but I promise this one is going to be different," she promised as she reached into her saddlebag, "now, how much do I owe you for the parts?"

"Sixty bits for both of them," he answered.

When Clockwork heard the price, she winced and took out a bag of bits from the saddlebag and did a quick count inside of it, well its official, I'm completely broke, she sadly thought as she floated the bag of bits over to Forge and saw him take it, it's a good thing that Frosting gave me that snack for free or I wouldn't have enough for those parts, "you're going to starve me out of food and home, because of you Jace," she angrily whispered.

"What was that Clockwork?" Forge questioned.

"Nothing," she quickly answered.

"Then what are you still doing here?" he asked and as Clockwork opened her mouth to answer, he quickly added, "you know what don't answer that, just go home so I can close up here and I am pretty sure that you want go home so you can finish that art project of yours."

"Sorry, I'll go now," Clockwork apologized as she left the forge with the sounds of cannon fire. Forge gave a sigh as soon as the door closed behind Clockwork and started preparing to close his store.

"I seriously hope that you're not going to get into trouble with this project of yours," he then made sure that the forge's fire are doused and all tools are in their proper places before he close up the shop and goes home.


…


"Oh scrap, I don't know if it is just me or something else, but it feels like that these parts had gotten heavier," she complained as she walked up the pathway to her house after making her way from Forge's, "you know what Jace, you can add my health to the list of things you changed since you entered my life," she added as she took her house key from its' hiding place and unlocked the door.

She placed the key back into the hiding place and walked inside, shutting the door behind her as she entered her darkened home. She concentrated and with a slivery glow, the candles that are hiding in the dark lit up, causing the room to light up and revealing the almost complete form of Jace's body on her worktable.

She walked over to the table and moved the package from her back and set it on the table, and then she removed her saddlebag and leaned it against one of the table's legs, "finally after almost a whole year of lying to just about everypony I know, I am finally going to finish your body Jace," she said out loud as she removed the pouch from her neck and set it on the table, "and you know what Jace, I was never much of a liar, but I had gotten better at it for your sake, sigh, I don't like it one bit and I have a feeling that I might need to lie some more later in the future," she added as she proceeded to open the package containing the final pieces for the engineering wonder that's laying on her table.

She ripped open the package and pulled out an over-sized chest plate in her magic, "wow, once again Forge you impressed me with your amazing talent," she placed the chest piece on the table and turn her attention back to the box, "now let's see about that helmet," Clockwork said as she then pulled out a rounded shaped helmet and saw that what Forge meant about it not being able to fit a pony's head, for there was no room for the ears and muzzle to fit inside of it, "well of course it wouldn't be able to, because it wasn't made to be worn by a pony."

She placed the helmet near the head of the automaton and picked up the scroll of instructions, "alright what should I do now?" she spoke to herself as she looked at the instructions and started reading it, "okay, it says here that the torso covering will just lock into place as soon as I place it on," she translated what the instructions pictured, "seems simple enough."

She turned her attention from the scroll and towards the mechanical being and picked up the chest plate in her magic and examined it and saw six groves set into the lower portion of the underside of the chest plate, "huh that's pretty self-explanatory," she commented as she flipped it upright and moved it over the ribs and set it over them and lower it over them, but as soon as she set the plate over them, a series of clicks and whirls was heard from the inside.

After the sounds of clicks and whirls from inside of the machine finally stopped, Clockwork tired to remove the chest plate and found that it is now locked onto the body, "well I don't know how that's locked in, but it's definitely not going anywhere," Clockwork said as she gave up trying to remove the plate cover, "well let's see what I should do now next," she picked up the scroll and flipped the page and there she saw drawn on it is a diagram of a gem being inserted into the forehead of the machine, "okay, I think I can take over from here now," she said as she set the scroll down.

She placed the scroll down and picked up the pouch and opened the drawstring and tipped it over and quickly caught the soul bound gem in her magic. A smile formed on her face when she saw the pulsating gem, "it's time Jace," she stated as she walked around the table and to the head with the gem floating behind her. She levitated the gem over the forehead and lowered it into a slot set into the forehead.

As soon as she pressed the gem into the slot, the gem was quickly encased by panels sliding over the slot's entrance with a click; Jace's soul is now locked inside the metal body. "Now just for the helmet and I'll finally complete you Jace," Clockwork picked up the helmet and levitated the head a bit and slid the helmet on. As the base of the helmet came to a rest at the bottom of the head, there was another click, compelling Clockwork to give a tug on it and found that is now somehow locked into placed, "okay, even though I built you from scratch this is just plain nuts, I still have no clue of what you can or can't do," she said as she finally gave up on removing his helm.

"Well, even though I don't know how you work… yet, I am finally done making you, and so I believe I earned myself a little snack," she said as she walked away from the table and towards the kitchen portion of the room and opened the fridge, and only saw a few slices of bread, a tomato and some cheese, "ah scrap, I really need to go grocery shopping, but unfortunately I'm broke," she pointed out as she shut the door, "it looks like I'm going to bed hungry."

She turned around and saw the Jace's still form on the table and realized something and started walking towards the table, "wait a minute, how come you're not moving Jace?" she asked him as she leaned over Jace's metal face and stared into the lifeless eyes. Clockwork raised a hoof and gave a few taps on his face and when she didn't get a response in return, "ah scrap, how do I turn you on?"

A/N

Well folks here you go, a completed chapter 2 for 'A Soul in Steel and Iron', and I am terribly sorry for how long it took for this chapter to come out, but you all know how it is, work, family, friends and health, I'm surprised that I have time to be a brony at all. Now if you want me, I'll be working on chapter 65 of 'A New Point of View'.

Also remember, leave a comment, review and questions behind at what you think about this chapter. Oh and also,,congratulations to bronymaster1 for being the one hundredth person to favorite this story.

End A/N