//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Dues Ex Machina; First Gear // Story: A Soul in Steel and Iron // by Cyber V //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Dues Ex Machina; First Gear Jace numbly stared at his hands while he watched the inner mechanisms clench and unclench them as they responded to his thoughts. He looked away from his hands and towards the unconscious silver colored unicorn lying on the floor, "you got to be kidding me Karma, you told me that you're sending me to a world that's in a middle of a war for my second chance at life, but yet failed to mention that the one that made me a new body is a unicorn, what else have you forgotten to tell me about this world Karma?" He rhetorically asked as he reaches out to the table and with the sounds of gears and cogs grinding each other, he uses it to brace himself up. When he fully stood up, he glances around to see where he has woken up and saw that he's in a large single room that's being shared by a small kitchen in one corner and a single couch living room in the other, and with him and the sleeping unicorn in the third. Jace looked at the table and took note of the tools, scattered pieces of scrap metal, grease stains, and a tiny pile of unidentifiable material that looks it might have been a stack of paper. He turns his attention back at the unicorn and saw its chest slowly rising and dropping in the steady rhythm of sleep, and then notices that the unicorn is wearing a pair of bulging saddlebags that looks like is causing discomfort to the unicorn. Jace took away his hold on the table and then shakily made his way towards the unicorn, while saying left foot and right foot as his balanced is slightly off due to him being in a new body that was bigger than his former one. "There, that wasn't too bad," Jace commented himself as he walked up to the unicorn and then carefully kneeled down in front of it, not wanting to accidently fall forward and crush the mythical creature, he then reached out for the saddlebags with his right hand and grasped them in his automaton hand. As soon as his fingers wrapped around the strap connecting both of the bags, Jace was surprised when he could feel the soft material that the strap of the bags are made of and the soft fur of the unicorn's backside even though his hand is no longer flesh. "Okay this is weird; I somehow still have my sense of touch even though I don't skin anymore. How is that possible?" Jace asked and then suddenly remembered what happened to him, "you know what? Forget it, there's probably more things in this world that's going to possibly going to give me a headache, could I even get headaches now?" he shook his head to clear his head of those thoughts and proceeded to slip the saddle bags from underneath the unicorn, "I don't really like to look through others' things, but there might be a clue that can tell me something about this world." When Jace slid the bags from underneath the underneath the unicorn, it let out a grunt as it landed on the floor with the thud, "sorry miss," Jace apologized and then realized what he said, "miss?" he lend over and peered at the unicorn's face and saw some feminine features written in its face and then he remember how Karma said that it was a she who made his new body, huh, it is girl or do you call a female horse a mare? He questioned as he scratch his head with his free hand, the sound of metal rubbing against metal now heard. Jace then noticed something new about the unicorn, there on her haunches that were covered by the saddlebags before, is pair of linked gears. He set the saddlebags down and reached out with the freed hand rubbed the picture on her flank with a single finger, and sure enough, his sense of touch is still working and could feel the that the marking on her flank is the same fur as the silver coat around it, with no oil residue of a hair dye being used, maybe it's some kind of tattoo technique here, but why a pair of gears? It's some form of identification? Jace saw the hind leg started to twitch like a dog in response to his prodding, which Jace suppressed the urge to chuckle at the sight and then he realized something, wait a minute, I'm basically touching a girl, "oh jeez, I'm sorry!" he yelled as he quickly jerked back his hand and away from the mare on the floor. The unicorn didn't even acknowledge Jace's apologize as she continues to doze on the floor, "wow, you're really out cold, aren't you?" Jace observed as he looked away from the silver unicorn and up at the couch in the corner of the room, "I think I should move you from the floor, don't want to hurt you by accident when I'm in this new body and still getting use to it." He extended both his arms and then slid his hands under the unicorn's form and carefully stood up. "Whoa," Jace said surprised as he found that he was able to easily lift the unicorn even though he estimated that she probably weighs from a hundred eighty to two hundred pounds, "there was no way I could've lift this much in my former life. I guess there are some benefits to having an automaton body." He carefully carried the silver unicorn towards the couch and then set her down on the worn out looking couch. The unicorn rolled over on the couch, causing it to start making squeaking sounds as the springs strained under her weight, and there he saw that the same symbol of linked gears is on the unicorn's other flank as well. Why does she have two of them and what is their significance? He questioned as he left the sleeping unicorn on the couch and made his way towards the bags on the floor, his steps growing steadier and steadier, and picked them up. He turns them over in his hands and there he saw that the buckles on the bags is the same symbol on the unicorn's flanks, maybe it is some kind of identification they use in this world, though it is strange that her ID is a pair of gears, Jace looks down and took notice of his new appearance, although I'm not one to talk. Jace took the twin gear clasp in his hand and undid it and flipped the flap open, and there inside he saw more tools ranging from screwdrivers to wrenches. She must be a mechanic and they must have modern machines here in this world if these tools are to indicate, he flipped the flap back over and turns towards the other bag and undid the same gear work clasp and peered inside, and there Jace saw two small drawstring bags resting inside the lining of the saddlebag. He walks to the table while pulling out one of the tiny bags, which the sounds of something clinking was heard, while setting the rest on the table. Jace then spreads open the drawstring of the bag and looks inside, "holy moly," he said in surprise at what he saw inside, for inside the bag is a small amount of gold coins. He took a single gold coin from the bag and started to finger it, this must be what they use for money here, he thought as he watched the coin gleam as the sun shining through one of the windows hit the coin, gold must be abundant in this world if it is being used for currency. He placed the coin back into the bag and then that bag back into the saddlebag where he found it. Jace stood there contemplating what he learned so far as he tapped his chin is with a finger, okay this world might have magical creatures from myths inhabiting it that could talk; there might be also modern tech in this world, although it might be clockpunk based tech if I'm the example of that; and gold has no value here if it's being used for coinage, he thought as he turned around and leaned against the table. "Agh, I need more information than from snooping through a unicorn's personal belongings," at the mention of the unicorn, Jace looks up from his thinking and at the silver pony on the couch, "I guess I need wait for her to wake up then, I can only imagine this is going to go well," Jace said as he shook his head. … Clockwork let out a yawn as she lazily opens her eyes and peered around, and saw that's back home, "wow, I haven't slept that well in months," she stated as she stretched out on a couch. "Judging on how long you slept, I say that you really needed it," a male voice suddenly spoke up above her head, causing Clockwork to pause in an outstretched position. Clockwork heard the sound of wrinkling paper, causing her to tilted her head back over the armrest and saw a large being sitting a few feet away her with a newspaper in its' grasp. "Evening," it greeted her as it waved a hand at her. Clockwork and Jace stared at each other for a few moments in complete silence, until Clockwork started screaming, and startling Jace to drop the paper. Jace quickly stood up, accompanied by the sounds of gears straining, and made his way to the screaming unicorn, but Clockwork quickly scrambled off of the couch in a panic and scooted across the floor and back up against the wall when he stood up and made his way towards her, however, Jace was only able to take a few steps before he lost his footing and fell hard onto the hardwood floor, causing the room- possibly the whole house- to shake in its foundations. Clockwork's panic died down when saw that the large being is the machine that she had spent almost a month working on, she then remembered the letter from Karma, "Jace?" she cautiously whispered the name of the soul that is within the automaton laying on the floor. "Damn it," Clockwork frowned when she heard Jace curse into the ground, "I thought I gotten the walking part down by now," Clockwork heard Jace frustratingly uttered on the floor as he started to push himself off of the ground, gears straining as they worked to help him lift himself, "stupid body," he added when he got himself off the floor and into a sitting position. "Hey!" Clockwork angrily called out as she stood up and walked towards Jace when she heard the insult, "I don't know who you think you are Jace, but I have spent over eleven months painstakingly working on that "stupid body" for you. So don't go insulting my work, because I worked hard on it," she angrily said into Jace's face. Jace leaned away from the angry unicorn as he raised his hands between himself and the unicorn, in a defensive position, "whoa easy there that isn't what I mean, it's just that I'm still not use to this body," he quickly explained as he stood up and towered over the unicorn, "I mean it is like I'm wearing a size to big shoe here miss… umm," Jace trailed off when he realized that he doesn't know the unicorn's name, "well this is awkward; I don't know your name, but yet you know mine." "It's Clockwork," Clockwork supplied her name and then she realized something, "wait, how come you're not freaking out that you're in an entirely new body?" she inquired. "Well I did my freaking out when I learned I had died and been dead for eleven months, and was told that I was getting a new body," he said as he brought up a knee and used it to push himself up. "But aside that this body is made out of metal and gears, maybe a little bigger then my old flesh and blood one, there's nothing much in difference," Jace explained as he rolled his shoulders and the sounds of gears rubbing each other, "but I never thought I'll say this in my life, but I think you should've used some kind of oil on my joints, because they been grinding each other ever since you fainted." "Hold on sec, you were a pony when you died, right?" Clockwork asked, ignoring the complaint from Jace as she looks up at him. Jace looked down at the silver unicorn and said with puzzlement written in his voice, "um, no I was a human when I died," Jace noticed that Clockwork gave him a puzzled look when he said that. "You do know what a human is, right?" Clockwork shook her head in response, "you know tall bipedal creatures, with feet and hands, also lacking a fur coat?" "Nope sorry," Clockwork answered. "The only thing that comes close to mind what you're describing what a human looks like is a minotaur, although their lower halves are hooved and that they have a fur coat," she said. "You got to be kidding me Karma?" Jace asked disbelieved as he turned around and made his way towards the table. "My second chance at life and you send me to world that has no clue what a human is and that it is inhabited by unicorns and minotaurs, what else lives in this world, pegasi and griffins?" Maybe I shouldn't mention that there are pegasi and griffins, Clockwork thought as she watched Jace walk up to the discarded newspaper and picked it off of the floor and then made his way table and then proceeds to leans against it, she then realized what Jace just said, "wait, you know Karma and what do you mean sending you to a new world?" Jace glances back and Clockwork, "sort of, he's the one who gave me a second chance and only have met him once in person and that was when he was telling me that I'm dead and reminding me of a deal I made with him and that he was gotten someone to build my new body," Jace answered. "How do you know Karma anyway?" he asked her as he opens the paper and started reading from it. "We literally bumped into each other on the street and causing me to drop my bag, which he then took the opportunity to peek inside, steal a scroll that was inside of it and replacing it with blueprints for your body, which he, by the way, still owes me fifteen bits for that scroll he stolen." "Bits, is that the name of the currency you use in this world?" Jace asked as he turned a page and quickly skimmed through it before folding it up and placed it on the table, "there's nothing here." "Yeah it is and right now, I'm running low on it here because of him taking advantage of my bad habits and my wish to help those around me. He's been a pain in my flank for the past eleven months and no offense here, but you as well." Jace waved it off, "that's alright, for I too would be in a sour mood if I had to build a body out of scratch for someone that stupidly got himself killed." "Wait you got yourself killed, how?" Clockwork inquired. "I was crossing a busy street without looking both ways and it didn't help that I was distracted by an annoying song at the time too as well," he explained and was about to continue, but then Clockwork interrupted him. "Wait, hold on a sec here, is this song about Friday?" she inquired and this immediately got Jace's attention as he looked away from the paper and towards her, "and were you then run over by some large metal creature?" "That would be the car," he whispered and then he looks back at Clockwork, "yes I was," Jace answered as he walked away from the table and towards the unicorn, "but how do you know that? For they were my last moments on Earth before I died." "I don't know how, but since I now those memories belong to you, I remember why I came back home in the first place," Clockwork narrowed her eyes and lifted a hoof and motioned for Jace to come closer, which he complied as he kneeled down to her level and was rewarded with a club to the temple of the head by her hoof, causing his head to snap to the side and then to fall to the floor. "Ow, that hurts, what was that for?" Jace asked as he rubbed the side of his head. "That's for the humiliation you'd put me through," she angrily declared as she waved her hoof at Jace as he recovered from the floor, "and what do you mean ow? You're made out of metal for pony's sake." "I don't know how, but it's not my fault that you're somehow reliving the last moments of my life before Karma appeared and offered me a deal." "That's the second time you mentioned this deal that this Karma character made to you, what is it already?" "He offered me my second chance of life in exchange I become his herald and fight in his name." "Why would some pony need a herald and what do you mean fight?" Clockwork questioned. "How much do you know about Karma?" Jace asked. "Aside that he's a nosy pony that likes to listen on other pony's businesses, nothing much, why are you asking?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Well you see Clockwork, the reason that Karma has me as his herald is because Karma is a god," Jace saw Clockwork's mouth drop open when he said that, "more specifically the god of balance and he wants me to fight to help correct the balance on this world." "A god, Karma's a freaking god? and he sent you here to fight, but Equestria is the most peaceful land there is," Clockwork explained, "the only thing that considers a fight in this country is little squabbles between neighbors." "I know that, I looked through newspapers that you had in the trash, but I couldn't find anything that could possibly upset the balance of this world," Jace frustratingly said. Before Clockwork can say anything else, a series of knocking was heard on the front door, causing both Jace and Clockwork to freeze where they stood. They both look towards the front and once again a series of knocks knocked on the door, "Clockwork, are you home?" Clockwork heard her childhood friend call out from the other side of the door, "I just heard what happened today, so I came here as soon as I can to see if you're alright," Frosting called out again, concern now written in her voice. Clockwork shook out of her stupor and quickly looked back at the automaton and panicky motioned for him to back away. Jace nodded and backed up into a corner of the room, careful not to make a lot of sound with his heavy footsteps as Clockwork made her way towards the front door and opened it and there standing on the other side is her concerned white Pegasus friend, "oh thank Celestia's sun, you're alright. You are alright are you?" Clockwork nodded, "yeah, I am. Just had a nervous breakdown and just needed some sleep that is all, and as you can see now, I'm alright." "Are you positively sure?" Frosting asked as she stepped through the doorway, causing Clockwork to step away from the entrance and into the unicorn's home and took note of the room, "because from what I heard from everypony else in town, it sounded like it was something more than just a simple nervous breakdown." "Okay, you're right," Clockwork admitted, "the stress from the last eleven months just all came rushing in all at once and I just… fell apart. But after a good rest I'm now right as rain," Clockwork said, trying to get her friend to leave, but she saw her friend make her way towards Jace whom is standing in the corner like a statue. "What is this Clockwork?" Frosting asked as she stared up at Jace's face as he tried to ignore the need to make eye contact with the Pegasus' eyes, great they have Pegasi here as well, what world have I landed into? He asked himself as Clockwork stepped up next her friend. "Oh, well you see Frosting, this is the project I have been working for Jace for the past eleven months," Clockwork answered as she stared at Jace, the feeling of annoyance rising at the sight of Jace's sad attempt to hide, although, I can't blame him of his size. Frosting let out a whistle at the sight of her friend's achievement, "holy pony feathers Clockwork, this has to be the most impressive thing you have ever made, but what does it do?" the white Pegasus asked the silver unicorn. "You know what, I really don't know," Clockwork taken aback from the question, "I just got a set of instructions and just built it. Some parts I can make sense, while there are some that I have no clue about," this got Jace's attention and he slowly lowered his head, but a tiny sound of metal groaning gave away his intentions. "What was that?" Frosting asked as she quickly looked back at Jace just as he quickly froze on the spot, damn, these joints really need to be oiled. "Oh nothing," Clockwork quickly answered, "I probably just need to oil the gears inside of it." "You said that there are instructions to this thing, maybe if you look them over, you could find the purpose for this thing is," Frosting suggested. "There were instructions," Clockwork corrected as she points back to the table, "I'd accidently set them on fire a couple of nights ago with a candle when I was finishing up on this thing and my magic kind of failed at the moment." "Okay that's it," Frosting suddenly declared, causing Clockwork to jump from the sudden outburst, "I have seen you slowly lose it for the past year as you work on this thing," she said as she pointed at Jace's unmoving form, "so as a concern and helpful friend, I'm going to take you away from that thing and its depressing hold on you," Jace felt hurt when the Pegasus in front of him said that about him, ow, who knew that these colorful ponies can be hurtful? "But, but…" Clockwork started, but was stopped when her friend raised a hoof and interrupted her. "No buts," she ordered as she lowered her hoof and draped a wing over Clockwork's shoulders, "I'm going to take you out of here and we're going to hang out tonight, because A; we haven't done that in a long time and B; it looks like you really need a break before your mind breaks," with her decision made, Frosting pulls Clockwork towards the still-open front door and then outside. Clockwork looked back at Jace one more time before her friend closed the door behind them. Jace stood there for a few more minutes after the two ponies left, making sure that they both had left and weren't coming back, he then let out a sigh as he dropped his shoulders, feeling exhausted for keeping them up, "jeez, how does Alphonse Elric do this?" … "So… what do you want to do Clockwork?" Frosting asked Clockwork as they both walk up the main street, "the movies, eating at a nice restaurant, a pleasant stroll through the park, or maybe listen to some of Havoc's music at the Rocks?" Frosting suggested some of the activities. "I'm a bit hungry right now, so I guess we can go and get something to eat, but nothing expensive though." "Alrighty then, lunch in the park it is," Frosting announces, "let's stop by my restaurant so I can get some food first though." Clockwork nodded and they both made their way towards Frosting's place of employment. As they came up to the Sweet Shoppe, Frosting turns towards her friend, "okay, you wait here while I put a meal together for the both of us," and with that Clockwork watched her friend enter the store. Clockwork took a seat on a nearby bench and started to contemplate about Jace, okay let's see here, Jace is a soul that came from whole another world thanks to the powers from a god of balance called Karma that who, for some strange reason, had put me through a series of humiliating events for the past year. He also sent Jace here to fight a battle that isn't even real, so what's the real reason why Jace is here, and why me though? "Okay all set now," Clockwork jumped when she heard Frosting's voice cut through the storm of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Frosting standing next to her with a basket resting at her hooves, "wow, you must have been really into your thoughts," Frosting commented. "What were you thinking about?" "I was trying to come up reasons why I was picked for this project and not anypony else," Clockwork explained, which she was then rewarded a smile from her friend. "If I have to guess, I say it is because you're the best engineer what this town has to offer." "That's because I am the only engineer this town has to offer," Clockwork pointed out, "I haven't seen another pony with talents in machining in this town." "What about Forge?" her friend asked. "Metal working, not the same," the unicorn quickly answered, which her friend responded back with a sigh. "Look Clockwork, I don't know okay, but please, try not to think thoughts like those for the rest of the day, because I want to see you back to your old talking-out-loud self, not the dark cloud hanging over her head self that you are right now." Clockwork heard the concern in Frosting's voice when she said that, "okay I'll do it for you," she agreed. "Alrighty, let's get going then," Frosting bent down and grabbed the basket's handle in her mouth and then made her way towards the park as Clockwork got off of the bench and followed her white and pink Pegasus friend towards the center of town. … Meanwhile, outside of Ironwood Falls' town boundaries, and hidden in the darkness of the forest, a tall shadowy form stood there watching the town, "surround the town," the tall shadowy form called out to the darkness behind it in a gruff voice and he was answered back by a series of growls, "when I give the signal, start herding them all into the center of town. Now go," the cloaked being ordered into the darkness and the sounds of large forms starting running was heard until it suddenly became silent, "meanwhile, I'll be getting... acquainted with these ponies," the figure added as he left the darkness of the forest and made his way towards the town. … "Are you feeling better now Clockwork?" Frosting asked just right before she took a bite out of a sandwich. "A little," Clockwork replied, "but everypony seems to be staring at me right now though." "Just ignore them and enjoy your lunch," the Pegasus said as she sets her half eaten sandwich on a paper plate right before she turns towards the crowd of ponies that had formed in the distance, "go on, beat it you parasprites," she yelled at them as she stood up on the picnic blanket and took a few steps towards them, "you all already gotten your show today so leave her alone," immediately the crowd of ponies disbanded, leaving Frosting and Clockwork alone in their part of the park with only the tall building of the library watching over them. "Thanks Frosting," Clockwork thanked as she took a bite from an apple, feeling some of the nervousness fading away. "No problem," Frosting said as she settled back on her spot of the blanket. "You seriously needed some peace and quiet and they weren't helping with their gawking," she added as she picked up her sandwich and took a bite from it, "some ponies need to learn that it isn't nice to nose in on other ponies' business." "Excuse me ladies, but do you think you can help me?" a gruff voice asked behind the two ponies, startling Clockwork and Frosting and then causing them to look behind them to see a hooded figure towering right behind them. "Holy pony feathers," Frosting cried out from the sudden appearance of the mysterious cloaked figure as she started to scramble away, while Clockwork sat there like a stunned deer. "Oh terribly sorry," the tall figure apologized as he moves a brown hand to his head and grasps the hood and pulls it back revealing a brown furred bull-like face with a pair of horns on either side of his head, and with a gold nose ring running through the middle part of his nose, "I didn't mean to scare you," the now revealed minotaur quickly explained as he raised his hands in a non-threatening way. "Jeez," Frosting said as she panted while holding her heart, "I think you just gave me a heart attack, why would you do that?" she asked as she looked up to the minotaur as Clockwork shook off of her shock. "Again I'm sorry," the minotaur apologized again, "all I wanted to know where I can go to find something in this town." "But first, why are you wearing a cloak and what's your name," Frosting asked the minotaur as he took a seat on the grass and relieving the cramp that was starting to form in Clockwork's neck. "The reason why I'm wearing this cloak is because I don't want to frighten you ponies with my appearances, and my name is Iron Resolve," Iron introduced himself. "I'm Clockwork and this is Frosting," she introduced herself and her friend, "but no offense or anything, but you're still going to frighten ponies anyway if you going to keep on walking behind them with a cloak on," Clockwork pointed out. "You have a good point," he admitted. "So what are you looking for anyway?" Clockwork inquired the minotaur. "I'm not exactly sure, but I'll know when I find it." "How do you know it is even in this town?" Frosting asked. "I have my sources," Iron mysterious said that for some reason didn't settle right with Clockwork, "now, if you'll excuse me ladies, I have an object of great importance to find," and with that he stood up and made his way towards the library. "That was weird," Frosting commented as they both watched the brown minotaur enter the library, "and if you ask me, there's something about him that gives me the creeps," she added as she narrowed her eyes at the library doors. "Hey be nice," Clockwork said as she reached out gently smack her friend in the shoulder with a hoof, "it's just some minotaur looking for something that he doesn't know what it looks like." "I repeat, he gives me the creeps," Frosting repeated as she finished off her sandwich in one bite while still staring at the direction that Iron went in, "there's something about his story that didn't seems right to me." Clockwork let out a sigh as she turns around and resumed eating her lunch. Ten minutes went by quietly with a songbird or two breaking the sound of silence with their duets and an occasion snore from her sleeping friend. Clockwork started to feel at peace due to the serenity around her, but that all shattered when the sounds of crashing and screaming that was heard coming from the library, "what just happened?" Frosting questioned as she shot up into a sitting position, rubbing sleep away from her eyes. "I don't know, but whatever it was it came from the library," Clockwork said as she quickly stood up and started making her way towards the library. She quickly ran up the steps of the library and through the doors and into the library and there she saw the reception counter has been smashed to pieces thanks to a bookcase that has been somehow tipped onto it, "Archive is going to throw a fit about this," she said as she ran past the demolished desk and deeper into the hall of bookcases. She only had to run a few yards until she came upon a sight that made her skid to a stop in shock, for there standing in the middle of the hallway of bookshelf is Iron, holding a bloody looking Archive high in the air by his throat with one hand. "Where is it?" Clockwork watched as Iron demanded into the Earth pony's face. "I don't know what you're talking about," Archive gasped. "Don't lie to me, I know it is in here somewhere, because this whole place is tainted with its magic signature," Archive just responded back by hitting Iron's hand with his hooves to break the minotaur's hold around his neck, "answer me!" the once thought friendly minotaur yelled, unfazed by Archive's attempt to free himself. Clockwork, completely frightened than she has ever been in her whole life, quickly looked around for something to throw and spotted a library cart, an idea hastily forming in her head. She rushed towards the cart and then aimed at Iron's legs and pushed it with all of her strength at the minotaur's legs, "leave him alone," Clockwork yelled at Iron, causing him to look away from Archive and towards her. The cart crashed into Iron Resolve's legs and then hitting the floor, causing the sound of metal hitting stone to ring throughout the library, but the minotaur didn't even flinched when the cart hit into him. "Well if it isn't the little pony from earlier, Clockwork was it? Well anyway maybe you can help me here, because this old geezer here seems to be having a slight memory problem," he said as he took a step towards Clockwork, kicking the heavy cart aside as if it just nothing. Clockwork instinctively took a few steps back from the advancing minotaur as she watched Archive struggle in his grasp as he look towards her and spoke in raspy voice, "Clockwork run," he then proceeded to faint right there, at least Clockwork hoped that he'd fainted. Iron Resolve looked at the unconscious pony in his hand and frowned, "I was hoping to get more information out of him," he then looks back at Clockwork with a smile on his face, "but since it seems that he knows you and told you to run, I guess you know what I am possibly looking for," he said as he lowered his arm and released his grip on Archive, causing him to fall to the floor with a thud, which Iron then stepped over him and continues to approach the frightened unicorn. Clockwork snapped out of the hold her fear had held over her and quickly ran back to the entrance of the library, but just as she ran out of the hall of books, she heard a shrilling whistle coming from behind her, "there's nowhere you can run now little pony," she heard Iron call out to her as she ran out of the library in a panic. "Frosting, we have a situation here," Clockwork called out to her friend as she ran down the steps and towards the Pegasus where she then saw that she had fallen asleep on the picnic blanket. "This is no time to be napping Frosting," Clockwork said as she ran up next to her friend where she then saw signs of a struggle around the picnic area; tipped over basket, spilling its contents all over the blanket, upturned grass sods as if something huge had came running by, however the last thing that Clockwork saw made her heart starting to beat faster in fear, for there in the crushed grass next to her friend's head is an impression of that of large claw mark. "Frosting, Frosting!" Clockwork said in a panic as she shook her friend to wake her, but the Pegasus never once responded back to her. Fearing that she might be dead, Clockwork leaned down and rested an ear on her friend's chest, listening for a heartbeat, there wasn't; making Clockwork believe that her friend is dead, but then she heard a beat then another and then a third beat, causing Clockwork to let out a sigh of relief, "you're okay," she said to Frosting as she stood up, "don't worry, I'm going to get help." "Don't bother," Iron's voice rang out, causing Clockwork to look towards the library to see Iron Resolve calmly walking down the steps with his arm spread open, "because you're not going anywhere, as well as the whole town," he said as he stepped onto the street, "so getting help is going to be impossible." Wrong, there might be someone who can help, I just need to get to him, Clockwork looked down at her friend and said a quiet apology to her before turning tail and started running away from the advancing minotaur, which he then started to laugh, "as I said before, there's nowhere you can run to," she heard Iron yell, "now after her and round up the rest of the town," he ordered which was then followed by the sounds of howling. Clockwork glances back and there she saw a large wolf made out of wood and timbers bounding towards her and Clockwork recognizes the creature from a book she once read; a timberwolf. She looked away from the creature that had plagued early settlers and ran as fast as she can, feeling the adrenaline pumping into her heart, but she heard the timberwolf slowly gaining on her. In a last act of desperation, her horn started to glow in a silvery light as she focuses a spell into thought, which she then turned around and shot a simple stun spell at the timberwolf behind her in an attempt to stun it so she can have more time. Clockwork watched the spell exploded in the timberwolf's face, causing it to quickly stop in its tracks and to start shaking its head, where to Clockwork's horror, saw her stun spell fading away, leaving an unharmed timberwolf there looking more angry than it was before. Before Clockwork can make another move, the timberwolf leaped into the air and tackled Clockwork, pinning her to the ground beneath it, "get off of me," Clockwork demanded as she charged her magic once more and let off a couple bursts of stun spells into the timberwolf's chest, but just like before, her magic faded away leaving and leaving it unharmed and just as angry. The timberwolf opened its mouth with a snarl, revealing a set of wooden teeth that looks like they are sharp as a rose thorn, but just as soon as the timberwolf opened its mouth, a foul stench wafted from deep within its body and over Clockwork, causing her to start coughing with her eyesight starting to fade away. Clockwork took a deep breath, inhaling more of the gas the timberwolf is giving off and quickening whatever process that the wolf is giving her, and let out a cry, "Jace help!" she then fainted as the last thing she saw are two rows of teeth descending on top of her, "please help." … "Jace help!" Jace dropped the book he had found when he heard Clockwork's cry for help, "Clockwork is that you?" Jace asked as he stood up from the couch and looked around, but there were no signs of the unicorn in the room, "okay that was weird," Jace said as he knelt down to pick up the book, but just as his fingers touched the cover of the book… "Please help," he heard Clockwork's voice again, but this time it was quieter than the one earlier as if something had happened to her, causing Jace to pause in his actions. The cries for help from Clockwork made Jace concerned that something might have indeed had happened to Clockwork to make her call out his name from fear, then I need to go and help her, Jace thought as he stood up, completely forgetting about the book on the floor. I owe it to her for helping me in giving me a second chance, as well as living up to the deal I made with Karma, he thought as he made his way towards the front door and reached out for the knob, but just as he gripped it in his hand, the door burst open in a shower of splinters and pieces of wood as a large object smashed it way though it and into Jace, causing him and whatever went through the door to fly back into Clockwork's house and into her table, smashing it into pieces. "What the hell?" Jace questioned as he held saw that it was a large wolf that came through the door. However, the wolf appeared to be made up of an assortment of branches and leaves and that it was snapping its jaw in front of Jace's face, trying to get at him, but couldn't due to Jace holding it back by the neck with his hands, "get the hell off of me," Jace demanded as he draws back a hand and clenched it into a fist and gave the strange creature a fistful of iron right into its face. Jace saw his fist punch right through the lower jaw of the wooden wolf and right through the skull in a sprinkle of twigs and leaves. He then saw the sentient light in the wolf's eyes went out, soon followed by it deteriorating into a pile of sticks and logs, "what the hell is up with this world?" Jace questioned as he stood up, brushing off the foliage that the dead creature left on him. When Jace got the last bit of the twigs off of him, he noticed that hidden among the debris of wood are shiny pieces of metal. "What do we have here?" Jace asked as he kneeled on the floor and picked one up. He brought it close to his face and saw that the piece of metal appears to circuitry and Jace wasn't sure, but for some reason it feels alive, "I thought this world is too early for this kind of tech from what I gathered," Jace said as he examined the piece of circuitry some more, but the thing in his fingers suddenly disintegrated into a fine dust, "what was all that about?" he questioned, but then his thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of screaming from outside, causing Jace to look up and outside through the broken door. There he saw that more of those wooden wolves that had just attacked him had broke into other homes down the street and are now chasing different colored ponies from them and onto the street. Worried for their safety, Jace quickly took off like an Olympic runner through the front door, passing a junkyard of scrap metal and onto the street. "Hey leave them alone," Jace called out to a wolf that was chasing a small foal. The wolf stopped chasing the little pony and look towards Jace, which let out a growl when it sighted him that gained the attentions of the other wolves, causing them to cease their chasing of ponies and looked at Jace, allowing them to escape and disappear into the houses. "Go chase something your own size," Jace called out to the wolves and one by one, they started to growl and snarl at him and started to converge on him like a normal pack of wolves do, "I didn't mean me," Jace said as he took a step back, which appeared to be a hidden signal to them, for they all rushed at Jace and started to attack him. One leapt at him with its jaws spread open, forcing Jace to raise his arm in defense to intercept the attack, causing the wolf bit down on it and breaking its teeth on his metal arm. Jace was amazed that he didn't feel anything when the wolf bit him, which was soon followed by a sense of confidence and he looked at the rest of the wolves. The wolves stopped in their tracks as well their attack as if they can sense his confidence. Jace looks back at the wolf that is still gnawing on his arm with its broken teeth, "I should've said that you're going to break your teeth, but I guess it's a little too late for that though," he then raised his other arm and brought it down on the neck of the wolf, breaking it away from the rest of the body, which it then disintegrated into the pile of twigs and other forest debris, along with the same strange circuitry that quickly turned into a fine dust just as the first one had. He looked back at the other timber-made wolves and punched a fist into an open hand, the sound of metal on metal now reverberating in the air, "timberwolves, I think that is what I'm going to start calling you things, but first; it's about time to see what I can fully do with this body," Jace said as he took a step towards the hesitant timberwolves. … Clockwork came to with a splitting headache, "ow my head," Clockwork said as she pushed herself onto her haunches as she held her head with a hoof. "Oh thank goodness, you're finally awake Clockwork," she heard a familiar voice before she felt a pair of arms hugging her, Clockwork opened her eyes and saw her friend Frosting is now awake. "What happened?" Clockwork asked as she looked around and saw that she's surrounded by what appears to be every single pony in Ironwood Falls, "and why is everypony in town here?" "We were all herded here," Frosting answered as she released Clockwork from her hug. "Herded? What do you mean herded?" Clockwork questioned as she stood up and took note of the foals crying, while some of them are huddled up together in small groups. "Attention ponies of Ironwood Falls," a voice announced before Frosting can answer her question and causing everypony to look towards the same direction and there, Clockwork saw Iron standing at the head of the large group with a long line of timberwolves on either side of him, "do not be alarmed, all I want is to find that has been lost to me and to those that I work for. So if you all cooperate with me, my wolves and I will let you go so you can carry on with your lives normally," he then reached into his cloak and pulls out a small metal box and started fiddling with it as he started to walk around the residents of the town, picking out a random pony and wave the metal box around the pony before shaking his head and telling the pony he or she can leave, occasionally telling the pony to stay before moving on. This process went on for an hour, until he stepped up to Frosting and waved the box around the Pegasus, and once more he shook his head after what he read from the box, "you're free to go," he said as he waved her away. As Frosting walked away, she looks back at Clockwork with a concerned look before she turned around and walks away. Clockwork and looked straight into her face, "see, I told you Clockwork, there's no place to run," he said before looking back at the metal box in his hand and started fiddling with it once more. "Why are you doing this?" Clockwork asked Iron as he waved the box around her, "you know that ponies are peaceful, we would've easily complied, yet you assaulted my friends disturb my hometown and its residents all for something that you're looking for, but doesn't even know what it looks like," she pointed that out as a confused look formed on Iron's face. "This can't be right," Iron said confused as he waved the box over Clockwork again and looked at the box again, "the readings are off the charts," the minotaur looked away from the box in his hand and looked down at a confused looking Clockwork at his hooves. Clockwork saw a smile form on his face as he bent down to her level, "I believe I found what I was looking for, who would have thought it was going to be the first pony I met in this town or at least a pony who can lead me to it?" "What?" Clockwork questioned as Iron put the metal box back underneath his cloak. "You're coming with me," he said as he quickly shot out both hands and grabbed Clockwork, and quickly hefted her over his shoulders and stood up tall before Clockwork can register what just happened to her. When Clockwork regained her senses, she realized what was happening and started pounding him in the back in a panic, but her hits didn't have an effect on him. "Hey let me go, do you hear me? Let me go," she screamed, causing the town folks to realize what's happening to their neighborhood engineer. "Hey, let her go you jerk," a stallion yelled out to the minotaur. "Yeah, leave her alone," another yelled out and soon the whole town of Ironwood Falls was yelling at the minotaur to release Clockwork. "Keep them corralled and away from me," Iron ordered to a line of timberwolves as he walked by them, "maim those that breaks away from the group," the timberwolves snapped their jaws at Iron and then ran towards the town's residents, completely circling them in no time. As Clockwork watched the timberwolves snap their jaws at those that got too far away from the safety of the group, she started to cry. "No please, don't hurt them," she cried as she begged the minotaur to take back his last order, "I'll do what you want, just please, leave them alone." "Will you shut up already?" Iron angrily demanded as he removed Clockwork from his shoulder and held her out in front of him, "I'm getting sick and tired of hearing you begging me to let them go, so you want to know what I'm going to do?" before Clockwork can ask, Iron look back to the other line of waiting timberwolves, "gather the others that were set free here… then kill them all!" "What? No!" Clockwork was shocked, as well as the other ponies in the center of the ring of timberwolves, when they heard Iron Resolve's new set of instructions as the second group of timberwolves snapped in response before making their way towards the direction of the residential area where the ones that were set free went, "no stop, don't kill them," Clockwork begged. "Sorry little unicorn, but sometimes, there are things in life you just can't get by asking," Iron said to Clockwork as he hefted her back over his shoulder and continue his way down the path that leads out of town. "Stop it Iron, please stop it," Clockwork screamed as she pounded on the minotaur's head, careful to avoid the horns. "Hey bull face," a voice called out, causing Iron to stop in his tracks as well as Clockwork to pause in her crying. Iron turned around and there he saw a large armored being standing there with its arms crossed, "when a lady tells you to stop, you stop," Jace said as he uncrossed his arms and started to walk towards Iron and Clockwork, "especially if it is to keep her friends and family safe," Clockwork felt relieved when she saw him coming towards them, he came. "Who are you?" Iron asked Jace got closer and noticed more of Jace's body, "what are you?" "I'm Jace, and as for what I am, well I'm not usually a violent person here, but today I'll make an exception for you, because right now I'm going to be the ass-kicking machine kicking your ass for what you did and were going to do to these friendly ponies," Jace said as he stopped a few feet away, and started to repetitively pound his fist into his palm, "especially to Clockwork here that you have on your shoulder there," he said as he pointed at Clockwork. "Jace, help me here," Clockwork said as she struggled in the minotaur's hold. "So are you going to release the pony willingly or am I going to have to beat in that face of yours?" Jace asked as he got closer to Iron. "I don't know who you think you are, but that's as close as you get," Iron said as he reached into his cloak and pulls out… a whistle? "A whistle?" Jace inquired as Iron brought the whistle to his mouth and blow into it, creating the same shrilling sound that Clockwork had heard earlier that day. Jace heard a series of growls behind, causing him to look over his shoulder to see five timberwolves advancing towards him, which Jace then understood what the whistle is, "oh it's a dog whistle or would it be a timberwolf whistle?" he asked as the wolves got closer. "Now isn't the time to be asking that," Clockwork yelled at Jace as she once more tried to pull herself free. "Get… whatever that thing is and destroy it," Iron unsure what to call Jace as he ordered the timberwolves to attack him. A lone timberwolf broke away from the group and leapt at Jace, but he stepped to the side and grabbed the timberwolf by the neck while taking a step forward, changing the momentum of the wolf's flight and then smashing it into the ground, creating a fair size crater, where a series of snapping sounds were then heard and was soon followed by the wolf falling apart into many pieces of wood and shiny dust. Jace stood up and face the rest of the timberwolves, "you things really need to come up with new attack plan besides leaping at your targets, because I had already took out your other friends just a moment ago with your predictability," he said as he walked towards the rest of the wolves, whom they all started to shake and backup away from Jace as he drew closer to them. "Cowards," Clockwork heard Iron called out the timberwolves, "just breathe the gas into the face, it'll be easier to take it out then," the timberwolves heard Iron's orders and three of them leapt at Jace. He took a stance and draws back a fist before giving the middle timberwolf an uppercut right in the middle of its chest and shooting it the air, creating a shower of sticks and branches. However, he didn't have time to recover before the remaining two tackled him and forced Jace into the ground. The timberwolves opened their jaws and spewed a green colored gas into his face, "why do you keep on doing that?" Jace questioned as he reached out and grabbed a wolf's head each in his hand, "because it is getting really annoying," he says as he draws their heads to the side before smashing them together in his hands, completely crushing whatever their skulls are made of. "The gas has no effect?" Iron questioned as he took a step back as Jace shook of the foliage and stood up and faced the minotaur, "stay away from me," he ordered as Jace walked towards him, leaving a lone timberwolf behind shaking where it stood. "I'll ask again, are you going to give me the pony or do I have to break that face of yours?" Jace questioned as he now only stood a foot away from the minotaur. Iron answered back by throwing a punch right into Jace's face, but he quickly reached out caught it with his left hand, surprising Iron by the hidden strength that Jace holds. Jace lowered the caught fist and looked at Iron the minotaur, "breaking your face it is then," he said as he quickly twisted the minotaur's arm to the left, forcing Iron to fall to his knee from the pain as well as letting go of his hold on the unicorn, causing her to fall to the ground. Jace look towards at Clockwork as she stood up and regained her sense of balance, "get somewhere safe." "After her, don't let her esca- ah," Iron started to make an order to the remaining timberwolves before cried out in pain as Jace twisted his arm some more to stop him from finishing the order, "on no you don't," Jace said to him. "Go Clockwork, I'll handle things from here from now on," Jace said to the unicorn without looking back at her as his focus is on the minotaur in front of him. Clockwork nodded to Jace and made her way back to the remaining group of the town's residents, slipping by the timberwolves and was reacquainted with them, "now it's time for you to pay for what you did to these ponies," Jace said as he clenched his free right hand into a fist and pulls it back and then with all the strength he can manage, he throws a punch right into the minotaur's face. There was a sickening snap as the minotaur's head shot back and then flew out of Jace's grip on him and landed a few feet away from where he had started from. Jace looks down at his fist and took note of the specks of blood on it, "you're going to pay for that," Jace heard Iron promised. He looked up at the minotaur and saw him slowly getting up, with a hand up to his face. Iron turned around and faced Jace, holding a hand over the middle of his face, but not being able to hide the flow of blood that's running behind it. Jace saw him reach into his cloak with the other and pulls out a small rod, "they told me to use this only as a last resort, but I think that this would count as a last resort," he said as he held the rod over his head. Thinking that it's some kind of weapon, Jace stood ready for anything to be thrown at him and was surprised when Iron hurled the device at his hooves and into the dirt. All of a sudden there was a flash of lighting from the point of impact as a series of electrical discharges shot out from the device and towards Jace. He raised his arms to defend himself, but the discharges shot around him and towards the lone timberwolf, striking right through it and causing it to howl as the discharges went through it and towards the remaining timberwolves surrounding the villagers, which they all then started to howl like the first one did. Clockwork huddled closer to her neighbors and friends as she watched the timberwolves' eyes around them change from green into a dark red color as they howl some more. All of a sudden every single timberwolf exploded into an assortment of branches and logs, but they didn't fall to the ground like they normally do. Instead however, they stayed in the air, floating inside a sphere of white light that Clockwork could feel energizing the air and tingling her horn, telling her that is magic, but not the kind that unicorns use. "Why are you destroying your own group?" Jace asked as he looks back at Iron, but saw that the minotaur had disappeared among the confusion, leaving behind the destroyed remains of his company as well as the strange thing he pierced the ground. Jace made his way towards the object in the ground, but as he neared the thing in the ground, a large shockwave detonated from the object, causing Jace to be flung away from the object and to land in a shower of dirt and grass a few feet away from it. "Ow, okay that one hurt," Jace said as he pulls himself from the crater just as there was a flash of light. He looked at the thing that hit him with the shockwave and there he saw the remains of the timberwolf that was struck first from the strange device, rushing towards the center of the hurricane of light and started to assemble into something that looks like a leg as more timberwolf remains rushed past Jace and towards the assembling pieces of wood before being assimilated themselves like the first one. "Jace," Jace heard Clockwork call out his name behind him, causing him to look away from the strange phenomenon and towards Clockwork, and ducked when he saw the remains of the timberwolves that once kept the town's residents under guard flying towards him as well as some of the trees nearby having their branches ripped off by some unknown force. He watched them soar right past him and merge with the growing pile of forest foliage, staring at the logs and sticks that had gathered together, starting to piece themselves together branch by branch, stick by stick, until it started to resemble a timberwolf, but on a much larger scale. "You got be freaking kidding me?" Jace asked out loud as the last remaining pieces attach themselves to the uber-timberwolf and the light of awareness lit up in its eyes. The king of timberwolves let out a huge roar, causing the ground beneath Jace's feet to tremble from its magnitude. It then looks around and notices the large crowd of ponies gathered in the distance, which it let out a howl and ran towards them, not noticing Jace standing between it and them. "Oh shit," Jace swore right before the oversized timberwolf stepped on him. The gigantic wooden creature removed its paw off of Jace revealing that he had sunk into the ground, "okay, luckily that didn't hurt this time," Jace said as the back leg of the wolf came down and missed his head by a foot. He saw a bunch of branches that was serving as for the tail of the wolf momentarily pass over him, which he then quickly reached out and grabbed it before it disappeared, and was immediately pulled out of the ground and was flung into the air. Jace soared through the air and landed on the back of timberwolf in a disorientated heap. Jace quickly regains his senses and looks ahead and there he saw that uber-wolf is almost upon the group of ponies. He looked down at the back of the timberwolf's head and an idea formed in his head, "I hope this works," Jace prays he got into a kneeling position and jumped from the shoulder blades of the wolf and onto the neck. Jace quickly found some handholds at the base of the skull and neck and hoped that they are strong enough for his plan to work as he leans back. Jace's action caused the wolf to turn sharply into the direction of his leaning as his weight and position altered the wolf's sense of balance, completely missing the mass of ponies and running straight into an oak tree with a loud crash as it smashed into it. However, Jace's momentum didn't stop with the timberwolf, as he flew from wreck of the timberwolf and out of the park where he then saw that the cobblestone pavement was coming up right at him, "oh crap." Jace hit the pavement, making the sound of metal screeching and creating sparks against the stone as he slid across the pavement and into a nearby wall, which he then smashed right through it and into the room on the other side. He pushes himself up into a standing position and looks around and saw that he had crashed into someone's dining room, I hope those that lives here don't mind having a new bay window, Jace thought as he made his way towards the large hole in the wall, but just as he was about step out of it and back outside, he heard gasp of surprise behind him. He turned around and there he saw a normal pony without a horn or wings standing there at the doorway of her wrecked dining room, "terribly sorry ma'am," Jace apologized as he bowed towards the pony before stepping out the hole in the wall. As Jace left the house with the stunned pony inside and stepped onto the street, he looks back at the tree where the timberwolf had crashed into and saw that its head had been completely smashed, "ha, you stupid animal," Jace proclaimed as he made his way across the street and towards the park, the sounds of metal footsteps hitting the stone below, "I don't know why would this be considered a last resort, but you're not so tough." He spoke to soon as he saw the remains of the timberwolves starting to shake and shudder before starting to assemble themselves back together, "oh come on, what does it take to stop this thing?" Jace inquired as he ran past the nearly repaired carcass of the timberwolf and towards the crowd of ponies that for some reason is still there, "run get out of here," Jace called out to them, "that thing is not down," Jace said as he pointed back to the timberwolf that had now fully reassembled its head and starting to get back up. The timberwolf let out a roar in anger as it took a swipe at the tree it crashed into, ripping the tree out of the ground and making it fall with a great strength, its roots now exposed to the air, "run!" Jace yelled once more at the ponies, which they complied this time and started running as the timberwolf turned around and quickly spotted them. It let out a another roar and starting running towards them, causing some of the ponies to start screaming when they saw it coming right at them. Jace saw a filly trip over her own hooves and fall to ground as other ponies run right past, not noticing the filly that has tripped. "Why is there always have to be one to trip in situations like this?" Jace questioned as he ran up to the filly to save her, but the timberwolf had already reached the foal and was bringing down a foot on top of her. She ducked her head into her hooves and let out a scream as the timberwolf's paw is coming down on top of her, but she never felt it coming. The filly looked up from her hooves and there she saw Jace standing above her, holding the paw up and preventing it from crushing her, and with the sound of metal groaning and gears straining with each other. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Jace asked as he looked down at the filly at his feet, sounding strained from the pressure he's holding back, "go already," he ordered the filly. "Thank you," Jace heard the filly said to him before scrambling her hooves and running away to safety before the pressure above Jace increased and forced him onto one of his knees. He heard the timberwolf starting to growl as it is going to get its first victim. Is it really going to end like this for you? A thought whispered in his head as fell to his other knee."No," Jace suddenly declared as he slowly stood up and forcing the paw upwards, "I'm not going to let my second chance to end like this, definitely not like this," he said as he fully stood up. "Even though I'm new to this world, I'm made a deal to protect those who lives here and I'm going to keep it," he said as he pushed his fingers into the paw, causing the timberwolf to howl in pain from it, and then hollered as he strained while lifting the immense wolf over his head and tossed it over his shoulder. Jace turned around and started to walk to the recovering timberwolf, "as long I am standing and moving, I'm going to defend these ponies till the day I become nothing more than rust," Jace vowed as he stops right in front of the beast. All of a sudden, he felts something stir inside of him in response to his words, for deep within Jace's body, the key that Karma had given to him and that had appeared when he was bounded to the automaton body, started to shine and the first gear of the key expanded and lacked into the other gears around it, causing them too start to shining as well and then they started to move. Jace felt an incredible power coursing through him, "what is this?" Jace asked as he looked at his hands, feeling as if he could now lift three of the mega timberwolves over his head with ease. "You have unlocked the first portion of your powers from the key within you," Jace heard Karma's voice answer him from the air around him like the first time they'd met. "The first of my powers?" Jace asked the god as the timberwolf fully recovered and was making its way towards him. "Yes, now use the power of the first gear and create your blade!" the god of balance instructed as the timberwolf reached Jace and raised its paw to smash it down on him in an attempt to crush him once more. Instead of running or defending himself however, he shut his eyes and darkness quickly filled his vision, but he could now feel the presence of the timberwolf as it is slowly starting to bring its paw down, as if time is decreasing in Jace's favor. Create my blade, what do you mean by that Karma? Jace questioned the god. However, instead of the god, a series of faint glowing particles appeared in response to his question. Jace observed them as they gathered together to form a single object bathed in light, he couldn't fully make what the object is due to the light bathing it, but he thinks it looks like a sword, "now claim it Jace," Karma instructed him one more, "accept your power." "If it's going to give me the ability to defend those of this world then I will accept it," Jace proclaimed as he reached into the light and grasped it, causing the light from the mysterious object to rush towards him and filling him of its power and strengths. Jace opens his eyes and saw that the timberwolf's paw is halfway on top of him, but he wasn't worried of the beast crushing him, in fact he's feeling positive that he can beat it, no that he will beat it. "Time to end this," Jace declared at the beast as there were sounds of gears whirling before the area beneath his right shoulder suddenly extended outward and a handle raised out from the top of it, he then raises his right arm over his shoulder and grasped the handle in his hand. As soon as hand fully grasped it, the part below the handle suddenly bursts open in a series of metal plates before rearranging themselves and transforming into a sword that is twice as long as his arm and is resting in a cradle. When the timberwolf's paw is nearly on top of Jace, he quickly slipped the blade out of its cradle, swung it over his head and into the timberwolf's paw, watching the blade of the sword cut through the living wood with ease, decapitating the wolf's paw which landed next to Jace. The timberwolf let out a howl of pain as it drew back its stumped leg and away from the sword welding automaton, "So you don't like sharp things, do you?" Jace observed as he lowered his sword and looked at the decapitated foot and saw that it is starting to turn to ash, "wow, I guess that you really don't like being cut," he then looks back at the timberwolf that for the first time is hesitant since it was created, but it got over that and let out a roar in Jace's face. "So you're still going to fight?" Jace asked as it reared up on its back legs and swung its other intact paw at him, "I'll take that as a yes," Jace confirmed as he raised his sword and blocked the timberwolf's strike with the flat side of the sword, completely stopping it without any signs of strain on him, "it's time to finish this once and for all," he said as he looked up into the timberwolf's face. He forcefully pushed the blocked paw away, causing the giant beast above him to lose its balance and to start falling down on top of him. Jace brought his other hand to the sword's handle and gripped it just as the timberwolf's head cane within his reach. He got into a stance and let out a roar sa he swung his sword upwards and sliced through the neck of the timberwolf, which it let out a yelp of pain before falling to the ground, it's now lifeless head on one side of Jace while the rest of its body is resting on the other side, "that wasn't to hard," Jace said as he automatically swung his sword over his head and into its cradle behind his shoulder, where it then unformed itself back into a series of metal plates before turning back into its previous form and sliding back into Jace's shoulder. "But I don't think that whoever these guys are, they're not going to be beaten easily like this one was," Jace said as he looks down at the timberwolf's body at his feet that is now starting to turn into ash, "whoever they are," he added as he looks away from the dead creature's body and started to make his way towards the direction that the townsfolk went, "well I guess now the whole town knows about me," but he only it a few feet when the sound of gears seizing up was heard right before he felt his right leg freeze up just as he was about to take a step, causing Jace to fall foreward and faceplant into the grass, "damn it, I knew that my joints needed oil." … Alpha the diamond dog stood in front of the double doors, hesitant to open and cross them into the room of his master, I best not keep him waiting anymore. The giant dog took in a breath of stale air before placing his paws on the doors and pushed them opened, allowing him to enter his master's domain. "What is it Alpha?" the diamond dog quickly got into a kneeling position as soon as he heard his master ask him when he had stepped into the spacious machine-filled room. "Master…" the dog started as he took in some more air, this time it has a metallic taste lining it, "… I have received word from the timberwolf retrieval team that you had me sent," Alpha answered as he hear his master moving about, being accompanied by the sounds of steams and pistons. "Ah, excellent, so I trust that the team was successful in retrieving it then?" Alpha winced when heard his master's expectations of the task that was set out. "I'm afraid Master, that the word I received isn't good news as you hoped for," the diamond dog corrected and then cower when the mechanical sounds stopped and felt his master's gaze settle on him. "Explain," he master said in a cold and dangerous tone that made Alpha to swallow and to choose his next words with care. "Well you see Master, while the team was in the middle of retrieving it; they ran into a… complication." "Tell me," Alpha's master ordered. Alpha quickly explained to him what he learned from the reports from the minotaur that was in charge of the team at the time without any pause, until he neared the end, "and Master, it even took out the timberwolves when they were in their berserker stage," the follower finished as he looked up to his master's backside, now sounding concern. "What?" his master exclaimed as he turned around from his work station and faced the dog, causing him to advert his eyes from the cloaked master, "impossible, timberwolves in their berserker stage couldn't be stopped and repairs itself whenever it gets destroyed and will only stop when its energy cells burns out." "I know Master, I was there foreshadowing the program when it was underway," Alpha cowered under his master's rage. When the cloaked being saw his follower cowering before him, he walked up to him and kneeled in front of him, "I apologize Alpha, it is just that I have spent years experimenting on and taming those wild beasts just to hear that they had been easily defeated while in their berserker form," he explained as stood up and made his way back to his work table. "But Master, aren't you worried that it might be getting stronger?" Alpha spoke up her concerns as he once more faced his master's back. "It does concern me that it appears to be stronger, but let me worry about while you go and pay this Iron fellow a little visit to collect what he owes for damaging and losing my property, one way or another." "As you wish Master," Alpha confirmed as he nodded, even though his master couldn't see him. Alpha stood up and turns towards the door, "oh and one more thing Alpha," the diamond dog heard his master spoke up before he could take a step, "after you're done getting Iron's payment, there's a task that I want you and your squadron to do." "What do you want me to do Master?" Alpha asked he turns around and saw his master coming towards him, holding a piece of paper in his hand. "I want you to retrieve those that are in this photograph," he instructed as he held out the old looking photograph to Alpha. He took it and looked at it, taking note of the yellowing of age on the edges of the photo. Curious, he flipped it over to see if it has a date; it does, but Alpha was surprised at what the date read, "but Master, this photo is over a hundred and fifty years old, everypony in it would surely be dead and rotting in their graves by now," the diamond dog said in surprise as he looked back at the picture and to the happy group of ponies and foal that it has in it. "You're right Alpha," Alpha's master commented, "all except for one however," he added as he Alpha saw a metal finger enter his field of vision and pointed right above the group of happy looking foals that are sitting together in front of the group of adults. However, he singled one out with a tap of a finger right above a colt that you can tell in the black and white picture that his coat is as white as a freshly fallen snowfall, " he's your target and I believe his name is Quinn."