The mane six stared at Clockwork trying to progress what they saw in front of them, there stood a pony, that seem to as old as Granny smith if not older. Clockwork looked at the six ponies sitting in front of her as her pet dog sat at her legs, watching them carefully. In the 50 years since she been living here for the 30 years she has not seen another pony step into her home, well not one that was that was ‘dared’ to enter her house they would be in and out before she got to the tenth step.
Clockwork’s thoughts were cut off when she hears a sharp whistle of a kettle. “Oh tea is ready, who would like a cup?” she walked up to a large machine that looked like a stove and pushed a button that was next to the stove, a shelf popped opened as it held seven porcelain cups and saucers that were decorated with a floral pattern that was outline with gold.
Clockwork then picked up a tin and dropped a few of the dry leaves into the boiling kettle before pouring the golden coloured liquid into the cups. She placed each one into a tray before carrying them to a brass table and placing them down. She then pushed another button that was on the table and a loud hissing noise was heard, gears and steam were seen moving from the outside of the table. Several compartments seem to have opened from table and as the steam cleared up they saw items to go with the tea, including fresh milk.
Pinkie was the first one to bounce over to her and pick up a tea cup gulping it down at once. “Why this is delicious! What blend is this tea oh can I have some cookies, and the sugar.” Clockwork smiled at the pink pony in front of her and pushed the basket of cog-shaped cookies to Pinkie, she watched as the cookies disappeared before looking at the other ponies.
“Do you want to join my dears? I have plenty more if you want some. The tea is an aged elderwood mixed with some spices” Clockwork looked behind her at some jars, the others carefully walked to the table and took a sip of their tea. Clockwork walked back with a jar in her mouth and sat in between Applejack and Pinkie, placing the jar down and opening the lid. She dipped her teaspoon in and tasted it.
“Ah yes! This is the oil that I needed for my tea.” Clockwork smiled as she scooped some up and placed it into her tea, causing it to turn black she took a small sip smiling at the taste. She looked up and saw that Pinkie was about to do the same thing, she pulled her jar closer to her and closed the lid shaking her head. “Oh no dear you can’t drink this you will get sick. I only drink it since I need it for these old parts.” Clockwork petted Pinkie’s head as she pushed another button to bring out more cookies and shook one of her metal hooves.
“So... Who exactly are you?” Twilight looked at Clockwork as she placed her cup down, curious in what kind of pony was sitting in front of them since all in all she looked like a slightly larger earth pony if she didn’t have all that metalwork on her. She continued to eye the dog and bird creature that sat near the said pony, the bird stood on the table pecking on some of the cookies that was on a plate as the dog was drinking from a bowl that seem to be full of oil.
Clockwork placed her cup down and tapped her chin thinking, before looking at Twilight. “Well my dear it is rude not to introduce yourself first.” She looked at the purple unicorn before taking another sip and a bite of the cog cookie that she took. Twilight on the other hoof blushed as she was about to speak up, Pinkie bounced in to talk.
“Well, I’m Pinkie pie, the one next to you with the hat is Applejack, Rainbow dash is the Pegasus over there next to her is Fluttershy the one who you were talking to is Twilight sparkle and lastly that is Rarity!” Pinkie pie pointed to each pony as Clockwork nodded refilling her tea, taking a sip she pulled her monocle off and wiped it with oil stained handkerchief before placing it back on.
“Well, my full name is Industriae Arcanorum Horologium, but I please call me Clockwork, sating my name is a bit of a mouthful.” Clockwork spoke her name in the olden language of pony’s the others but Twilight looked at her like she grew another head.
“Wait, how in the hay do you say your name and what does it even mean?” Rainbow looked at her as she turned away from the strange machine that was puffing out steams, every once in a while it glowed and hummed. Clockwork looked at the machine before pushing a button, a loud ping was heard and cookies came out and were pushed into a chute before filling itself up with dough again then go back into the machine.
“My name is from the olden language of ponies, if translated it means Industry, Arcane, Clock. All those words suit me I guess, but I like Clockwork the best and works for this pony’s generation.” Clockwork spoke up repressing the button and picking up a fresh cookie Rainbow looked at her still in confusion making Clockwork sigh. “My dear, do you not know what these words mean?” Rainbow scowled at her and yelled back at her.
“Of course I know what they mean! I’m not stupid.” Rainbow scowled at her as the others glared at their friend since she was being rude.
Clockwork, frowned and sipped her tea again shaking her head she was about to speak till the white unicorn interrupted her. “Rainbow please don’t be so rude! She just is asking since those words have been barely used anymore but the word clock.” Rainbow calmed down and hung her head in shame, muttering a sorry before turning away.
Clockwork waved her off showing that she wasn’t offend, “No worries my dear I had ruder guest than your friend, though I do miss one of my guests, maybe you have heard of her Granny Smith? I called her Little Smith she was a delightful dear to be around with but she stopped coming in, though she does drop of some food and letters once in a while.” Clockwork had a smile on her face as she started to remember the time she spent with that filly.
“Wait ya knew ma Gran?” Applejack looked at the pony as she stopped drinking the tea that oddly tasted nice to her, unlike Rarity’s fancy tea that she got from Canterlot. Clockwork nodded her head, tapping her chin as she remembered that she arrived the village was still small and it was cheap to get a land.
“Ah so you’re the granddaughter that she keeps telling me about in her letters, she is really proud of you my dear please tell her to come and visit soon.” Clockwork smiled as Applejack pulled her hat over her face to cover up to hide the blush that was growing on her face, ‘She has her father’s eyes and her mother’s coat’ she thought as she studied the mare next to her.
“Well my dears, I don’t think this is a normal visit no one has visited me for 20 years I mean I do go out once a month for a couple of days but I do have Fefe here to guard the house when I’m out. Also Little Smith posted letter to me once a week.” Clockwork looked at them over her cup that was between her hooves.
Rarity shifted in her oddly comfortable seat, as she felt Clockwork stare at her she gulped down the mouthful of tea before talking. “We are here because well, you are making a lot of noise darling and I live close to you, so the noise is causing me lost sleep. I was wondering if you can do whatever you were doing in the morning.” Rarity pleaded the taller pony in front of her.
Clockwork tapped her chin, she remembering why she was making so much noise. Fixing a few of her machines and one of her legs was the cause of the noise, after a group of rowdy fillies came into her home and caused a pile of cogs to crash down. Luckily she got there in time to push them out the way but it cause a bit of damage. She just finished fixing her machines and was working on her hind leg, the spring was broken inside and one of her joint pipes was dented in not to mention one of her chimney on her flank was broken.
“There won’t be much noise soon, all I have left is to repair my leg but please tell the local fillies to not enter my home without an adult a group of them came in a couple of weeks ago, talking about getting their symbols in ghost hunting. They knocked down a large pile of cogs that I was going to use and almost got crashed by it.” Clockwork sighed as she sat down and pulled her hind leg off to remove the bend and broken spring.
The other ponies looked a bit sick when they saw her leg being removed even if it was just metal; Rainbow stared in wonder as she watched Clockwork work on repairing her leg. “That is so cool” she muttered in awe, Twilight started to write some notes on what she was seeing that was till Clockwork looked up.
“What are you writing dear?” Clockwork had an idea what she was writing and narrowed her eyes at the notepad.
“Why notes of course this is a huge discovery! The way the metals work together actually work like a real leg, I need to tell princess Celestia about it!” Twilight grinned widely not noticing the growing frown on Clockworks face, after placing on her newly repaired leg she stood up and took Twilight’s notepad in her mouth.
“Hey what are you doing that is my research! You can’t take it from me” Twilight shouted at her trying to take her notepad back with her magic, but once the magical glow was around the notepad Clockwork jerked her head to the side and the magic was cut off. Clockwork placed it down and gave a quick flick through the notes that was written, there was detail notes on her machines and on her as soon as she finished Twilight tried to get her notepad back.
Clockwork looked at Twilight and her eye that as covered by her monocle flashed gold, causing the magic on the notepad to stop even after Twilight’s many tries. “You aren’t allowed to keep this to yourself! The world needs to know about the machines here and what did you do to me!” Twilight panted out as she tried again to lift up the notepad.
“I believe I can Twilight Sparkle, I am the creator of these machines and everything in this house including the parts on me. I have patented and copyrighted every machine and stuff that I built; I have the paper work here along with my deeds, I will have lawsuits to ponies who have tried to copy my work and research that don’t have permission.” Clockwork spoke as she pulled out a new joint pipe and started to replace the bent one, Twilight frowned at the mare in front of her all she wanted was to recorded data and send it to the princess.
“Bu-but all I want to do was to get information and tell the princess and why can’t I pick up my notepad.” Twilight muttered as she watched Clockwork finished repairing her leg.
“I did a spell to stop you from picking it up it will wear out in a couple of hours, but I’m still not giving you, your notepad back Princess Celestia knows about my work, she was the one that allowed the patent. I can’t let my life time work be in the wrong hooves again, even if you know the Princess personally, too many risks.” Clockwork shook her head and sighed as she gently oiled her leg and gave it a test.
“Wait you said some fillies came in did you get a good look at them?” Rarity looked at Clockwork as she broke the tension in the air, Clockwork thought for a moment before remembering that she found some sort of cape that was under the pile with her, so she walked over to and picked it off from her coat rack.
“If I remember there was a white filly unicorn with pink and purple hair, an orange coloured Pegasus with dark purple hair and a yellow earth pony with red hair that had a pink bow in it. They left this behind” Low and behold it was the CMC’s cape, it was a bit ripped at the ends but nothing much. The groups eyes had widen three of them were going to have a long talk the CMC with not entering places where they are not meant to be.
“I’m so sorry that my sister caused you trouble please let me make it up to you” Rarity said with Applejack nodding with her, Clockwork thought and smiled before speaking to the group.
“How about giving me tour of your farm Applejack, I love to see it again and Rarity I love to see your designs and maybe create one of the designs I done I was planning of making this to wear when I go to Canterlot.” Clockwork smiled at the girls in front of her.
“Oh and Twilight please don’t be disappointed, I just can’t risk letting my machines out again without somepony being trained in using them, I be happy to have a talk.” Twilight smiled back at her and nodded replying that she would try and get some time with the princess to talk to them; she was excited since she wanted to know how Clockwork machines worked.
“Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy I would love to spend a day with you girls too, but it is getting late let’s discuss this another time.” Clockwork walked the girls back up the stairs and held the door open for them to exit. “Farewell, my dear friends till we meet again” Clockwork took her top hat off and bowed to them as they walked out the door, waving Clockwork goodbye.
“bene vale et novum amicis meis nocte” Clockwork whispered into the air as she walked back into her home, thinking of what going to happen after wondering out her home that she has been in for so many years... she wondered how has the world changed since she last stepped out.