Sapphire groaned in pain as her eyes fluttered open, and shook the darkness from her vision.
'Wh-where am I?' she thought, pushing herself off the ground.
She tested her wings, and found them bound to her sides by a length of rope. Confused, she checked her surroundings, finding herself in a windowless room with a single door. The door creaked open, revealing a pony wearing an obviously fake mask, a literal plastic smile spread across it.
"Wh-who are you? Where am-am I? You tell me right now!" she screamed, fully prepared to bash the pony in front of her.
The pony only continued to stare at her, it then cocked its head, as if it didn't understand her.
*Click*
*Whir*
*Tick*
*Click*
*Whir*
*Tick*
"What...what's that noise? What are you doing?!" she shouted, terrified.
The pony motioned with its head out the door.
"You're setting me free?" she asked, confused at her situation.
The pony shook its head, then began to trot out of the room, this time beckoning with its forehoof.
"You want me to follow you?" she asked incredulously "No way pal, I'm not going anywhere else with-"
She was interrupted, much to her displeasure, as the pony took her by the hoof, rather roughly, and practically dragged her out of the room. Her attempts were in vain, however, as the pony virtually had an iron grip on her. She switched tactics, this time taking her free hoof and striking the pony repeatedly. This too, had little effect on the pony as she was led Celestia-knows-where by Celestia-knew-who.
"Who are you?" she huffed, hoping to glean at least that much information out of the pony.
He/she/it didn't respond, it just kept leading her through a long passageway.
*Click*
*Whir*
*Tick*
*Click*
*Whir*
*Tick*
'Seriously! Where's that noise coming from? It's starting to drive me nuts!' she thought, glancing around the hall, searching for anything that might be the source of her distress.
The pony stopped, and motioned for her to go through a door at the end of the hall.
"No" she said, sticking her tongue out at the pony.
Her answer didn't matter, apparently, as she was pushed through anyway.
'Jerk...' she thought, glaring at the pony as it closed the door.
Her attention then turned to the room she was currently in. It wasn't anything she was expecting, that was for sure- boxes and large crates were stacked as high as the ceiling, which had industrial lamps hanging from it. The dull, grey, stone floor was cold against her hooves.
"H-hello? Is anypony here?" she asked, wondering why her foalnapper had brought her here in the first place.
"Yes. I am"
She did a 180, her heart pumping as she came face-to-face with a stallion, wearing a masquerade-type mask.
"Who are you?! Why did you bring me here?!" she screamed, prepared to knock his block off if need be.
"Forgive- I am The Ticker" the stallion said, walking closer.
She stepped away from him, taking as many steps as he did.
"O-okay...but...what are you...why did..."
"Looking for The Dreamer. You know her. Need to see her"
'The Dreamer? Is he talking about Dreamcast?' she wondered.
"I might've seen her..." she said, unsure of what to make of the stallion "But first, answer my questions- who was that, out in the hall?"
"Ticktock thing. Made by myself"
"Uhm...ok-ay...why did you foalnap me in broad daylight?!"
"Forgive. Ticktocks do not know subtlety"
She couldn't really make heads or tails of his answers.
"Why are you looking for...The Dreamer?" she asked, not knowing the consequences if she used Dreamcast's name.
"Ticker is lonely. Looking for the Cursed Ones"
'Looks like that old legend about the Reversed is starting to come together...'
"How are you cursed?" she asked.
The stallion lifted his mask, and revealed a straight sided spline serving as his right eye. What was worse, was that the gear was actually spinning, turning at a slow pace as light reflected dully off the golden-brass. The color actually went nicely with his dirtied brown coat...
She could only stare.
"Ticker is cursed. Heart of tin. Always alone"
She snapped out of it, and backed away from him. She actually felt a pang of sadness for the mix of pony and machine, but in reality, there was nothing she could really do, he was stuck like this...a long time by the sound of it.
He then did something that surprised her somewhat- he didn't get angry, he only sighed.
"Understand. Occurs often" he said, walking to another door behind him.
He opened it, showing the green grass and beautiful sky above.
"Go. Leave. Have life" he said, not meeting her gaze.
"I- I- there's a-"
"No. Leave."
"I- ok-okay..."
She trotted to the door, and kept an eye on 'Ticker', just in case the whole thing was fake. Though, somewhere deep inside her, she doubted it. Her hoof barely got through the door, before Midnight burst in, smoke literally pouring out the kirin's muzzle. The Ticker was knocked backwards, flung into the wall.
"Where are they?!" she demanded, cracking the concrete floor beneath her "WHERE ARE THEY?!? I'LL- I'LL- I'LL-"
Words escaped her in her fit of rage.
"Midnight?" Sapphire asked.
"Sapphire!" Midnight said, relief evident in her voice.
"How did you find me?" she asked.
"Dreamcast" they said in unison.
"Where is she though?" the pegasus asked as Midnight cut the rope bounding her wings.
"Huzzah!" a familar voice shouted, appearing in a puff of smoke before the two
It cleared, and there stood Dreamcast, dressed in clunky armor, a vorpal sword in hoof.
"Prepared for battle!" she cried, saluting.
Midnight and Sapphire held back a smirk as the armor grated against itself, filling the air with the offending noise.
Midnight turned, and looked to The Ticker, lying unconscious on the floor, his mask askew.
"He knows it's not Nightmare Night yet...right?"