//------------------------------//
// Mr. Tock and his Greatest Enemy 
// Story: Sepia Tock: Adventures of the Ponyville Clockmaker 
// by CanvasWolfDoll 
//------------------------------//

The sun arose in the proper time, giving the assembled town a feeling of relief, as such regular events tend to do, giving those grasping at straws purchase, even if a small one. Sepia had spent was left of the previous night moving between the subcommittees of the confused ponies. He was with the ponies mapping the circles when the scouts and general experimenters returned, walking up to the flat stone being pressed into work as a table. “So, what did you learn?” Sepia asked the small group
“The bubbles are looping,” an orange pony said.
Sepia nodded, “I suppose that explains a few things... anything else?”
“They're dome shaped,” a pegasus continued, “They also appear to be exclusive to our town.”
Sepia noted the facts in a corner of the map, “Very good then. Any word on the source of all this?” The ponies around him shuffled their hooves awkwardly. “It's okay.” he said, attempting to put them at ease, “We're still making progress. Any word from the Princesses yet?” The motions of the ponies indicated “no.” Sepia dismissed himself and went to the ponies handling breakfast, “Colgate, may I see you for a second?” he asked.
Colgate passed her spatula off to another unicorn, and followed Sepia to a reclusive area outside of camp, “What is it, Sepia?”
“Where would I find a Doctor Whoof villain?” asked Sepia.
“What?” Colgate gave her boss a look of worry, “Are you feeling okay?”
“That voice keeps ringing in my head,” Sepia said, “I can't help but feel its owner is behind all this, and is looking for Doctor Whoof.”
“You do realize Doctor Whoof is still fictional, right?”
“Of course I do,” Sepia snapped, “That doesn’t change my question. If you were a villain from those stories, where would you be found?” 
“I don't know,” Colgate answered, “It depends on the bad guy.”
“Well, okay,” Sepia sat down, “Where do I start?”
Colgate mentally debated what to say.  “The old castle,” she finally said, “It's ominous, it's secluded, and it's dramatic.”
Sepia looked towards the general direction of the building, deeper into the Everfree Forest. He and the town had remained, until this point, at the fringes of the place, technically in the forest but still under the sunlight. Sepia really didn't want to go further. Even when he travelled through the forest, he never went so far in he could no longer see the edges of the forest. Still, something had to be done.
“Fair enough, I'll start my search there,” Sepia said, “Colgate, take charge while I'm gone.”
“Sepia, have you gone crazy?” Colgate asked, voice even, “You can't go there alone, Celestia knows what'll happen to you.”
“Look, I honestly don't want to,” Sepia said, “All I want to do is go home, eat some hay, and make clocks. I want to be Sepia Tock.” Sepia stood up, “Unfortunately, I don't get to be Sepia Tock today. Weird things are happening, our usual problem solvers are gone, so I have to be the Doctor.” Sepia paused, and then added, “I really hate that.”
Colgate sighed, “At the very least let me come with you.”
“No,” Sepia answered, “Someone needs to keep...”
“The other ponies can handle themselves,” Colgate interrupted, “Besides, if you're going to be the Doctor, you're going need a companion.”
“I don't need a companion.”
“Sorry, but you do,” Colgate shrugged, “I don't make the rules.”
Sepia looked at his assistant. “Fine,” He conceded, “But you behave yourself.”
Colgate gave a humorous salute, “Aye-aye, Doctor.”  Sepia eyed Colgate.  “Sepia,” she corrected herself.
Sepia nodded acceptance of the change, and went back to the main camp to announce his and Colgate's departure.

“So, I was thinking, what if we could design a clock that kept track of, not only the time, but also the day and month?” Sepia said to Colgate, trying his best to keep his mind away from the worry and panic that was threatening to erupt, “Sure, it'll be bigger than the usual clocks, but  I think we'd be able to turn a nice profit.”
“Oh yes, I would certainly buy one.” Colgate replied, for much the same reason Sepia had brought it up, “However, wouldn't that require that require a twenty-four hour clock for the hour and minute face as opposed to…”
A nearby bush rustled, causing the two to freeze in their tracks with bated breath. When no threat presented itself, the clockmakers continued.
“Where was I again?” Colgate asked.
“Twenty-four hour clock” Sepia said, “I can see what you mean, we're still approximately five years away from perfecting the twenty-four hour clock, and then teaching everypony how to read the new face.” Sepia heard shuffling in a nearby tree, but decided it best not to mention it, shoving concern to the back of his head, “However, we merely have to design the date to shift when the hour hand reaches twelve twice. Give the day wheel half-turns to compensate.”
Colgate saw the logic in this, “Yes that should work.” They travelled quietly for a few hoof-nibbling seconds, so Colgate desperately searched for follow-up. “What about the months?”
“What about them?” Sepia asked, happy for the conversation.
“Well, they lack a regular number of days,” Colgate said, “They switch between thirty and thirty-one days.”
“Oh, you're right,” Sepia said, “Plus February changes year to year.”
“Might be easier to build a twenty-four clock,” Colgate said as they finally reached the rope bridge before the castle ruins.
“Well, that's a concern for the trip back,” Sepia said, and held his hoof up regally, “Ladies first.”
Colgate looked at the bridge, then at the fearsome castle. “I'll waive chivalry this once,” she said.
Sepia searched for a reply. “Come on, Colgate, no reason to be afraid,” he said with a forced smile.
“Then why don't you lead the way, Sepia?”
Sepia couldn't dispute the question, so he took the lead. “Promise me, if this all ends up unwound, they get my name right in the obituaries,” he said as they walked over the bridge and into the ruins.
“I will,” Colgate said, “Though I may have to throw a word or two in so ponies know what the community’s lost.”
“Sure, just be respectful,” Sepia said.
“So no clock puns?”
“No clock puns,” Sepia forced a smile to hide his concern.
The inside of the castle was no more pleasant than the previous scenery. Holes had eroded sporadically in the structure, moss and ivy carpeted and wallpapered the ancient stones, and general dampness abounded. Sepia and Colgate walked through the main hall and into the throne room where, frozen in place, stood Twilight and friends, faces full of panic, fear, and anger. A surprisingly ornate throne stood before them, where a gray pegasus sat, mouth curled maliciously, his orange eyes beaming at his two new guests. “Ah, Doctor, you’ve arrived!” He said with both excitement and joy, “And this lovely young mare must be your companion. How lovely!”
There was something eerily familiar about this pony, Sepia thought, but he couldn’t quite put his hoof on it. “Master Ragnarok, I presume?”
“Oh, please, just ‘Master’ will do, Doctor.” The Pegasus fluttered off the throne, “Ragnarok is merely a call to… earlier days. I’m better than that now.”
Sepia stared at his opponent. “So, you’re behind all the time bubbles, right?”
“Time bubbles? How quaint,” Master Ragnarok said, “However, yes, I am the one who left those around town. I’d get rid of them but, well, they’re so much fun, you know?”
“They’ve disrupted lives,” Sepia said, “Ponies are cowering in the Everfree Forest, frightened of them.”
Ragnarok chuckled to himself, “Really now? Well, that’s quite dandy. Nice to see my time spent practicing has already livened up the place.”
Colgate was examining Rarity. “How did you do this?” she asked as she prodded the white unicorn.
“Oh, it was just a matter of making a limited time field,” Ragnarok said, suddenly at Colgates side, as if he were suddenly drawn into frame, “For all intents and purposes, time is just not moving for them.”
“They… aren’t aware, are they?” Sepia asked, carefully picking his words.
“I wouldn’t know.” Ragnarok began walking back to his throne, then suddenly teleported to it, “I haven’t been in the position myself to observe.”
“You don’t have a horn,” Colgate said with the caution those talking to crazy ponies often have, “How are doing all this… timey-wimey stuff?”
“What, didn’t the Doctor tell you?” Ragnarok said, and then turned to grin at Sepia, “Surely you must know, right, Doctor?”
“Right,” Sepia said, “Just to be clear, I’m not actually Doctor Whoof. He’s rather… fictitious…”
“Don’t you dare lie to me!” Ragnarok snapped, rage suddenly filling his eyes, “You can’t fool me with such weak fibs!” He suddenly cut into a serene, if still crazy, attitude.  “Excuse me,” he chuckled awkwardly, “I didn’t mean to get so upset. Got a bit caught up in the game.”
“This is all just a game to you?” Sepia was nervous. Not only was this pegasus a few grains sort of an hourglass, but he had powers to make the grains not matter at all.
“Oh yes, is that what life is to you after all, Doctor?” Ragnarok beamed, “Round after round of fun adventures, gleefully skipping around with that box of yours?”
“I am not Doctor Whoof,” Sepia repeated with an even, reasonable voice, “My name is Sepia Tock, I am only a clockmaker.”
“Liar!” screamed Ragnarok, “Naughty Doctor!” The pegasus blurred very briefly
Sepia suddenly hunched over in pain. It felt as if he had just been kicked in the stomach.  “How are you even doing that?” he gasped out.
Ragnarok laughed triumphantly, “What, you still haven’t figured it out?” He brandished a silver pocket watch from his right wing. “Recognize this?”
The cover of the silver pocket watch bore the symbol of a winged hourglass, cogs filling the bulbs. Sepia had a suspicion that, if opened, the clock face would be clear, revealing the inner workings of the watch, each expertly placed cog doing its job, keeping track of the ever escaping resource.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Sepia moaned.
Ragnarok smiled triumphantly as he placed the watch back in his wing. “I must say, I’m surprised how cheap you let it go,” Ragnarok began to pace, “However, I suppose it makes sense. Deep down, you live for a good challenge.”
“I sold it to you because I thought it was an old pocket watch!” Sepia said, “I own a clock shop. I sell clocks.”
“Yes.” Ragnarok donned an expression of false pity, “I must say, Doctor, that is a terrible cover, don’t you think?”
“Hold on, hold on,” Colgate intervened, “Sepia, you sold that to him?”
“It was at the bottom of the sale box,” Sepia said, “It was covered with dust. I figured it was just an old watch, he seemed excited to have it, so I did the merchantly thing to do.”
“Of course he was excited to have it, it has time powers,” Colgate lectured.
“Had I known that, I would’ve charged more,” Sepia answered dryly. He looked at the gray pegasus.  “Look, Ragged.” He felt that pain again.  “Master,” he gasped, “Why? What’s the point?”
“Why does anyone ever do anything?” Ragnarok answered, “I want to go down in history. I will be the pony who defeated the mighty Doctor Whoof.”
“Oh, sweet Celestia,” Sepia muttered, “Fine, you win, I give up. Will you please stop URG!” He suddenly found himself flying backwards. He crashed into the wall behind, a brick falling out with him. “Fine then, how do you want me to surrender?”
“Surrender is for cowards.” Ragnarok hissed.
Sepia groaned, aches coursing his body, he walked up to Colgate, “Colgate, run.”
Colgate opened her mouth to argue.
“Just do it.” Sepia hissed.
Colgate looked at Master Ragnarok, who was laughing to himself. She turned to leave, and began a fast trot. Wihtout arning, Ragnarok was before her.  “Now now, we can’t just leave, can we?” he chastised, “That would spoil all the fun!”
“Oh, let her go,” Sepia said, “It’s me you want anyways.”
“Certainly, Doctor!” Ragnarok said, “But what fun is a game if there are no stakes to back it up?”
Colgate backed away slowly, “It’s not exactly fair standings at the moment,” she said, “You’ve got… whatever that watch is, and we’ve got nothing.”
“You’ve got your wits,” Ragnarok said, mad smile on his face, “From what I understand, that’s all he needs.”
Sepia and Colgate exchanged worried glances.
“So then, Doctor, here I am. I can control the very nature of time, and I am challenging you.” Ragnarok teleported into Sepia’s face, “What’re you going to do about it?”
Sepia backed away, “I’m guessing asking nicely is out of the question?”
“Oh, what fun would just giving up be?” Ragnarok answered from his throne.
Sepia turned to Colgate, “So, you have any bright ideas?” he asked.
“Any ideas on how to battle a crazy, time commanding pegasus who teleports.” Colgate clarified, “Nothing occurs to me, no.”
“Doesn’t hurt to check.” Sepia said.
“What are we talking about?” Ragnarok whispered to the two.
Colgate and Sepia jumped back, “Fine, I’ll admit, there is no way I can defeat you.”
“Excellent.” Ragnarok said, “I suppose I should destroy you now?”
“Now, now, hold on.” Sepia said, trying to maintain a reasonable tone, “Are you sure you want to do that? Any old pony can win with such a clear advantage. However, what pony could succeed against an opponent who’s ready for you.” Sepia smile nervously, “Now, do you want to known as the pony that cheated their way to victory, or the pony who earned their victory?”
Ragnarok considered this, then grinned, “You know, you’re right Doctor. How rude of me. I failed to give you proper preparation.” He looked at Sepia, “Tell you what, I’ll give you until nightfall. I’ll be waiting at that insignificant clock shop I found you in.”
“That sounds fair!” Sepia said, “Now, we’ll just go, and I’ll be sure to.”
“Now hold on.” Ragnarok said, “I’m afraid it’s just you leaving.” He gave Colgate a sinister look, “I need some way to make sure you don’t run.”
In a blink, Ragnarok, Colgate, and his other time-frozen victims were gone.
Sepia Tock stood, alone in the throne room. “Hey, Sepia, everyone looks up to you, you can handle this, how hard can it be to fix it?” He said to himself in mocking tone, then sighed, “Good job, idiot.”
He turned and exited the throne room, starting the long trek back to the base camp, his mind desperately working to find a solution, but none was arising. For the first time in his life, Sepia was wishing he actually was Doctor Whoof. Maybe then he’d be able to fix this.