//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9: Questions and Despair 
// Story: A Soul in Steel and Iron 
// by Cyber V 
//------------------------------//

	As it grew later into the night alongside with the number of yawns coming from Clockwork, Quinn suggested that they all should now head to bed now and that they could stay for the night. So after Quinn cleaned up the bowls and Clockwork and Jace retrieving their supplies, he led them from the dining area and towards another part of the his home, passing by torches made out of crystal that's giving off a soft glow every few feet. "This is a quite a place you have here Quinn," Clockwork commented as she noticed that his home felt like it hasn't seen a single soul in a long time and wanted to break the silence that had settled on them. "But if you don't mind me asking, doesn't place seem, um... a little too big just for you and Ki."
"It didn't always feel this big Clockwork." Jace saw Quinn's ears fall for a moment when he said that before picking themselves back up, causing the two earrings in his left ear to swing like pendulums. The atmosphere between them three suddenly felt heavy and nothing else was said as Jace and Clockwork followed after Quinn. A moment later, he stopped at a single door. "You can sleep here tonight," Quinn said as he put a hoof on the door and slid it open for the both of them. "Have a good night and see you in the morning."
"Thank you Quinn-" Clockwork started, but Quinn just walked past her without another word. "Um, good night?" she called out to him as he wordlessly walked down the hallway and towards wherever his personal quarters are, his hoofsteps fading away the farther he got away from the both of them.
"I think we should let him be," Jace suggested when Clockwork looked worried and as if about to go after Quinn. "I get the feeling that he's carrying some serious baggage and doesn't want to tell anyone what that is. Now come on, it's getting late Clockwork." Jace walked through the doorway and into darkness. "Hey Clockwork, can you give me a light here?"
Jace heard her walk inside and Clockwork lit up the room in a silvery light from her horn, revealing a bedroom that's only has the bare essentials from the low bed in the corner to the small dresser against the wall with a strange looking lantern device on it. Even though the room is clean, the feeling that the room hasn't been used in a long time is apparent as it is completely devoid of any personal touch or influence. "This is nice... in a depressing kind of way," she said as she walked towards the strange looking lantern with a quizzical look. She picked up the lantern in her magic and looked it over. After a moment of studying the lantern, she gave it a shake and twisted at the part where the base and the crystal joined together, causing it to light up the room in a warm golden light and thus allowing Clockwork to dispel her light. "Ah, just as I thought; it's a solar crystal lantern. I've read about them back in Ironwood Falls, they were used back in the olden days, so it's rare to find one still intact nowadays, let alone one that still functions. They are also like those torches we saw in the hallway."
"That's interesting Clockwork, but you'll have to explain what solar crystals are later, because I'm wondering if you also noticed anything else?" Jace asked as he set their bags in a corner of the room.
"Like what?" Clockwork questioned as she carefully set the lantern down and looked back at Jace.
"Well, it's just that I didn't see any pictures or photos of any kind whatsoever anywhere and I was wondering if you happened to see any that I might've missed," Jace revealed what he observed. "Did you see any Clockwork?" At his question, Clockwork tried to remember seeing any photos but can't seem to recall seeing any at all.
"No, I didn't see any Jace."
"Another mystery for another day then, but right now it's time for sleep," Jace stated as he stepped outside of the room. "And since there's only a single bed in here; which the lady here gets by the way, and that I've grown accustomed to moon-gazing; so I'm going to sleep outside, but don't worry, if there's trouble, I'll be at your side in an instant. So good night and see you in the morning."
"Thank you Jace and good night as well, but please be sure to get some sleep, for me?" Jace nodded in response and slid the door shut, leaving Clockwork alone in the room as she heard Jace's footsteps fade away. Clockwork sighed as she walked towards the bed and climbed onto it. "I seriously hope that he's alright," she said as she focused on the glowing lantern and gave it a twist with her magic, allowing darkness to reclaim its territory once more.


...


Jace made his way back down the hall they came through before, trying not to make to much noise and is grateful for the solid floors despite the age of the building, as he made his way outside. Along the way, he noticed that the crystal torches started to dim as soon as he walked past them, which made him curious at the sight. Jace neared one and reached out to pick it up, but as soon as he touched it, it immediately went dark, surprising him by its reaction as he removed his hand from the crystal, but it never regained its light. That's interesting. Maybe these things detect living things, but since I'm not technically a living thing, I must have given it a shock when I touched it, Jace thoughtfully guessed as he glanced at his hand then at the torch on the wall.
He decided not touch anymore of the magical torches as he continue to make his way outside. Jace made his way through the old home as quietly as possible, confirming that there is indeed a lack of personal photos, until he finally stepped out onto the back porch, however, he wasn't alone. Standing there on hind hooves in the middle of the courtyard in the center of a large ring of candles on tall candlesticks was Quinn, practicing with something that looks like a bo-staff. The Earth pony monk was swinging the staff around in his hooves with such intensity that Jace could hear it cutting through the air as he swung the staff close to the candles, causing them to waiver, but not enough for them to go out. After a moment of watching Quinn, he suddenly stopped and looked at the candles with a frustrated gaze. "Damn it. How did Master Gale do this?"
"Who's Master Gale?" Jace spoke up, finally revealing his presence to Quinn as he walked down the steps of the porch and towards the pony in the ring of candles, whom looked up without as much as a surprised look.
"Master Gale was one of the teachers my family had and one of the few Earth ponies able to master the wind," Quinn said as he dropped back down onto all four, with his staff now balancing on his back. "Even though I learned everything she knew, I could never master the wind like the way she did."
"What exactly is this place? or was this place?" Jace asked as Quinn started to blow out the candles.
"This place was my clan's home and training grounds, but now it's just a husk of a memory," Quinn stated with great remorse as he came to the last candle and sat down in front of it and just stared at it as if remembering something.
"Your clan?" Jace questioned as he sat down on the other side of the candle and opposite of Quinn. "There were more of you pony monks?"
Quinn's tufted ears twitched at Jace's remark and he looked up from the candle and to Jace. "We were not monks."
"Then what's up with the getup?" Jace pointed to his clothing. "And why are you and Ki even wearing clothes when I haven't seen ponies wear anything other than saddlebags?"
"This is the traditional garb of my clan." Quinn stated as he patted his robes with a sense of pride. "And it's optional for ponies to wear clothes, so the question is; aren't you suppose to be wearing something?"
Jace looked down at his metal form and it suddenly hit him, "huh... I never occurred to me that I've been bear of any clothes ever since the day I came back alive a week ago. I should probably address that later."
"And that's the reason why ponies don't wear clothes a lot." It then took Quinn a moment to register what the automaton just said and gave him questioning look. "Wait, came back alive? What did you meant by 'came back alive?'"
"Remember that I mentioned I had an accident during dinner? Well, the accident claimed my life and it was thanks to a... unique being and Clockwork that I got a second chance to live."
"So your body then, does that mean that it's just a mechanized contraption then?"
"I think I am now technically called an automaton, a mechanized being, or something like it, but yes, I'm a soul infused into a machine," Jace answered as he looked at his hand and clinched it, maybe still feeling slight disbelief that his new body is now a machine. Jace looked up from his hand and upwards at Quinn. "You know what, you seem pretty calm about all of this mention of death when other ponies get extremely nervous when the subject comes up, let alone about my current situation."
Quinn just shrugged his shoulders, which still amazes Jace when he sees ponies perform such a simple human motion like that. "I'm familiar with death. I've seen it many times already in my life that it rarely surprises me, along with other things, but I have to admit though, I never seen anything like you before until today."
"I'm going to hear that more often the longer I'm here in this world." Jace remarked as he leaned back and gazed up at the stars. A second later, Jace let out a sigh before resuming talking. "This world isn't like anything from my old world. It's like this world came from a story book or something."
Quinn tilted his head quizzically at Jace. "Why do you that?"
"Do what?" Jace asked as he looked down at the Earth Pony.
"Making noises as if you can breath even though you're a machine."
Jace gave that question some thought before answering. "I don't know exactly, maybe I do it just to feel that I'm alive in some way or another and not some mindless scrap heap of gears and metal... and don't tell Clockwork I just said that or she'll have my head, and she's the one that installed it in the first place." There was a moment of silence between the two before it erupted into a brief laughter.
"Yeah, I can see her doing that, especially with that giant wrench she has." Quinn laughed. "So what's her story? I don't usually see many mares walking this far into the forest."
Jace let out a sad sigh before answering, "her town was attacked by timberwolves and a pissed off Minotaur that was looking for something, which put her and her hometown in danger. Even though I was able stop the Minotaur and his Timberwolves from taking her and leaving the town in flames, it still ended up her having to leave her hometown least she put herself and the whole town in danger again, and the worst part is that some of the townsfolk were happy to see her leave. I think she's still a little upset about that."
"Wow, that's rough," Quinn said as he glanced towards his old home, feeling sorry for the unicorn that's currently sleeping with its weary old walls. "That explains why the two of you are traveling through the forest, then that must means that her town is Ironwood Falls, right?"
"Yeah it is, how do you know that?"
"I drop by into town every once and a while to pick up some things that we need. The last time I was there, they needed help finishing that huge library of theirs. I always wanted to take a look inside, but unfortunately, I don't have the time for such visits nowadays as I'm busy taking care if Ki." Quinn revealed. "So who's the pony that you both are looking for?"
"Well, we're right now looking for Clockwork's mom, perhaps she too came across this place. Do you know of an Aurora Gearwork, looks a bit like Clockwork?" Jace asked, hoping for at least a clue that they're following Clockwork's mother and maybe a hint where she went.
Quinn shook his head at the name. "Sorry, I don't remember a pony by that name coming through here, but as I said this afternoon though; we haven't had visitors for decades."
Jace let out a sigh as they still don't have any clue where to go in search for Clockwork's mysterious mother. "Well thanks for the help anyway Quinn."
"Sorry that I couldn't be much help for you two."
"It's no problem."
They sat there for another minute or two in silence, watching the candle slowly burn itself away until it reached a point for Quinn to know that it's getting late. He stood up, making sure that the staff is still on his back before addressing Jace, "Well it's time for me to head off to bed, are you going to get some sleep as well?"
"In a bit, I'm just going to stay out here and do some stargazing for a bit." Jace replied as he lied down on his back and looked up the heavens of the night sky.
"Suit yourself," Quinn said, before heading towards the building, leaving Jace alone with a dying candle and a star-filled night sky.


...

Couple Days Later


"Oh... this feels good," Clockwork sighed in relief as she lowered herself into one of the tiny tubs that's filled with near boiling water in the washing room, feeling days of aches in her muscles and hooves from walking and sleeping on the ground, literally just melt away like butter under a warm sun.
"Oh, I haven't felt anything this soothing in such a long time," Ki stated as well from her own personal tub. "Thank you Clockwork for fixing that old hunk of junk that was the boiler. We had to boil our water over the fire for years, but it was just not the same."
"It was no problem Ki," Clockwork said as she rested her head against the tub's edge. "Judging by the state that the boiler was in, I say that somepony got frustrated in trying to repair it if the huge dent is any good indicator, but it was just the water-heater regulator valve that had just burst opened. I was just lucky that I had the parts to rig up a replacement valve. Oh and by the way Ki, thanks for allowing Jace and I to stay here the last couple days."
Ki chuckled in response as she waved a hoof at the younger mare. "I don't mind, it's a bonus if you repair some of the things of our home, because even though 'Precious' might be good at doing the heavy labor and simple repair jobs, an expert on mechanics and in patience he is not, but he's a good pony through and through, and that's why I love him for that."
"I've been wondering Ki, why do you call Quinn 'Precious' anyway?" Clockwork asked the elderly pony.
"Well Clockwork," Ki started as she glanced away from the unicorn and gazed at the ceiling with a distant look. "Years ago, I realized something; there's going to be a time when Quinn and I will no longer be around together. So everyday together with Quinn is precious to me, so that's why I call him Precious Clockwork."
"The way you said that Ki, it sounds like as if you have feelings..." Clockwork trailed off when Ki looked back at her with a smile that said a lot more, causing Clockwork to be thankful for the hot water as she lowered herself more into the water to hide the blush that's forming in her cheeks.
Clockwork and Ki soaked a little longer in their tubs some more, without saying another word, till it was time for them get out. After drying themselves out with a couple of nearby towels, the two mares soon found themselves out on the porch with a cup of tea for the both of them, watching Jace's still form just lying there in the middle of the courtyard. Clockwork took another sip of her tea, savoring the herbal flavor even though she's more of a coffee pony. "So was Jace your lover or something?" Ki suddenly asked out of nowhere, causing Clockwork to choke on her tea from the suddenness of the question.
"Say what?" Clockwork finally replied after finally clearing her airways of tea. "No, he's not my lover, why would you think that?"
"Well, it's just that you two were traveling together and you have that look in your eyes as if you're worried for him or something," Ki explained before she took another sip of her tea. "Although, I could've been just seeing things with these old eyes of mine."
"I'm just worried for him Ki as he's been through a lot. I think his accident is hard for him even though he told me he's fine every time I ask, but other than that, we're just friends Ki, and nothing more." Clockwork said as she turned away from the elderly mare and resumed drinking her tea.
"Then I hope that everything is really alright," the elderly mare said as she finished off her tea. "Well, these old pony bones are starting ache, it means that it's time for my afternoon nap Clockwork. It was nice to spend the afternoon with you Clockwork. Also, if you need anything, just ask 'Precious', because even though he may appear rough around the edges, he's a gentlecolt for mares," Ki stated before retiring into her and Quinn's home, leaving Clockwork alone with her thoughts and Ki's words, we're just friends, that's all we are... even though he saved my home and friends at the risk of his own life with nothing to gain, and stayed at my side, trying to make me comfortable wherever we are. Does he really care about...
"Bits for your thoughts?" A voice interrupted her thinking, causing her to look up to see Quinn standing there. Clockwork realized that she must have really zoned out if she didn't hear the slightly big Earth pony walk about and across the worn, creaking porch. "It looked like you were contemplating something serious."
"Oh, it wasn't something serious, just thinking about home is all," Clockwork answered, not wanting to divulge Quinn with her recent thoughts. "So what are you doing now?"
"Just heading to the training grounds to do some routines, want to come?" Images of the destroyed field came to mind as she remembered the first time she seen them. She politely shook her head at his offer, which he just shrugged in response before walking off the porch and made his way across the courtyard, stepping aside Jace, and disappeared into the forest beyond.
After a few moments of nothing happening after that, Clockwork saw Jace suddenly lift his head towards Quinn's general direction, as if he's waiting him to suddenly come back. When Jace was convinced that Quinn wasn't coming back anytime soon, he finally got up and glanced around, finally noticing Clockwork sitting there. He made his way towards her, giving Clockwork the feeling that there's something he needs to know.
"What is it Jace?" Clockwork asked as she took another sip of her tea.
Jace sat down next to Clockwork and continued to stare at the path in the trees. "Clockwork, how old can you get?" His question was rewarded with a hoof to the head. He finally looked away from spot in the trees that captured his focus and at Clockwork who's giving him a look that's saying to be cautious. "What?"
"It's rude to ask a girl how old she is Jace."
"No, that's not what I'm asking Clockwork. I'm asking what's the lifespan for an average pony is? Because while humans can live up to close to a hundred years, I was wondering how long you ponies can live."
"Oh, sorry about that Jace, I thought you were just being rude. Well, I'm twenty-one years old and we ponies can live just a little longer than your species. Though the princesses have a much longer lifespans as they're over thousands of years already. Only a few dragons can match their ages, even surpass them, but even then there are only a few hoof-full of them."
No surprises there that there are also dragons in this world- wait a sec…"Your rulers are over thousands of years?"
"Yeah, Princess Celestia and her sister Princess Luna rule the day and night in Equestria," Clockwork said.
"Is that some kind of status they hold as rulers or something?"
"No, I mean they literally rule the night and day. Celestia has dominion over the sun as she raises and lowers it and her sister, Princess Luna, personally rules the moon and the stars of the night sky," Clockwork explained, which Jace finds that fact a little startling.
"You're serious?" Jace asked the unicorn sitting next him in a disbelieved tone of voice. Clockwork nodded in confirmation as she took another sip of her tea. "Of course, in a world of magical ponies and creatures, there are practically gods controlling the sun and moon. Are you sure that you're not pulling my leg?"
"I'm not Jace. Doesn't your old world have control over the sun and moon?" Clockwork asked she resumed drinking her tea.
"We don't, they move by themselves." Clockwork sputtered her tea at what Jace said, which annoyed the automaton by the unicorn's reaction. "Oh for crying out Clockwork. I came from a world of science, where magic is just fantasy, so we evolved and adapt whatever the world throws at the human race. So we're not just some barbaric species Clockwork."
"I'm terribly sorry Jace," Clockwork apologized. "But I just couldn't image a day where it isn't perfect thanks to Princess Celestia or that the night sky is dull because without Princess Luna's love behind it when making it beautiful each and every night. I'm mean, it's just plain weird and the whole thing with the random weather is still too much for my head to wrap around."
"You think wrapping head around that is too much for you, you try wrapping your head around the idea of dying. Then meeting a god you didn't even know existed and saved your soul by sticking it into a piece of crystal, and then having a mythical creature construct a mechanical body. Finally, for the kicker, waking up in a completely different world filled with creatures that are myths from your old world."
Clockwork contemplated this, trying to see her world from Jace's point of view and once again couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "Sorry Jace, I sometimes forget about your circumstances in all of this."
"It's alright Clockwork," Jace said as he put his head in his hands. "Your life got pretty messed up too ever since I came to this world and I couldn't help but feel like it's like my fault that I've ruined everything that you can call a normal life and now couldn't have it anymore."
"Hey, if it wasn't for you Jace, my life still would've been without meaning and living in a repetitive and empty cycle, albeit it completely derailed my life that isn't to my liking, it gave me a purpose now instead of just living through it. So don't beat yourself up as there was no way that you could've known what was going to happen."
"But still Clockwork-"
"Just forget it Jace," Clockwork interrupted the automaton and shutting down any further arguments he could make. "So why were you asking how long we can live Jace?"
"Well I'm not sure, but there's something here that seems... weird to me and I can't put my finger on it."
"Weird in what way Jace?"
"It just doesn't add up right for some reason for me. It's like they're saying two plus three equals five but for some reason they have a random remainder that came out nowhere or when something in the room has been moved by just a few centimeters, but you don't know what," Jace expressed his confusion. "It's really bugging me like I should've figured it out already. So just keep an eye out for anything that seems off Clockwork."
"Have you just been thinking this over for the last few days we've been here Jace?" Clockwork questioned the automaton, now clearly worried for him.
"No I haven't Clockwork, I just got the feeling today as if something is going to happen."
"Aren't you just being a bit paranoid Jace?"
"I'm serious here Clockwork," Jace seriously stated.
Clockwork let out a sigh, uncertain of what to do in this situation. In the end, she decided to go along with Jace's suspicions for his sake. "I'm sure that it is just nothing Jace, but I'll keep my eyes peeled for anything anyway," Clockwork confirmed for Jace's sake.
"Thank you Clockwork. Now, if you'll excuse me." Jace got up from the porch, causing the boards underneath Clockwork to groan out of relief to be free of the automaton's weight as he made his way across the courtyard.
"Where are you going?" Clockwork called out to him, worried what the soul-bound machine might be up to.
Jace glanced back at her. "I'm just going to check on something." He then disappeared past the tree line. leaving Clockwork alone with hopes that he isn't going to get in trouble and an empty teacup. She just shook her head at Jace's suspicions and prayed that it isn't a side effect of some kind of mental distress.
Clockwork finally got up and made her way back into the chateau with her now empty teacup floating in a silver glow alongside her as she made her way to kitchen area. When she entered the kitchen, she was surprised by the size of it as it appears that it can make enough food for a large group of ponies with ease and couldn't help but get the feeling of sadness from the kitchen as it would probably never be used to its full purpose. Wanting to get away from the depressing feeling, she set the teacup in the sink that doesn't have a layer of dust on it and quickly left the sad kitchen. With a telekinesis thought, she slid the door shut behind her and then found herself standing there in the hallway with no idea where to go now. She looked to her right where she came from and to the left where she felt a curiosity to explore thanks to Jace's suspicions. "Ah crank it."
She went left.
As Clockwork made her way down the hallway, she'll take a glance into any open rooms whenever she passes any, but all she found were mostly empty living spaces and unused rooms whose purpose is a mysterious to her. Clockwork started to feel a bit foolish and intrusive in Quinn and Ki's home after she had just peeked into yet another dust covered room and found nothing out of order that screams out weird. she let out a sigh as she slid the door with a thought and resumed on her way. "I should probably stop snooping in their home," Clockwork thought as she came to another door and projected her magic on the door. "I'll stop after this room and see how Jace's body is holding up... and I'm talking to myself again. Great, I thought I was done with this annoying habit and... why isn't this door opening?"
She could feel her magic on the door, but it isn't sliding when she wanted it to and was surprised to find that it is locked. Curiosity now peaked by the only locked door, a locked sliding door at that with no visible indications that it could in the first place. Clockwork gave the door another tug to see if it was just jammed and felt through her magic that it wasn't, but truly locked. Intrigued by the door, Clockwork closed her eyes and took a calming breath before focusing her magic, causing the silvery glow to seep into the door and when it did, she gasped in amazement by what she 'saw' within the door. For within the thin door are layers filled with complex series of gears and levers that surprised the gearhead unicorn. It took a moment for Clockwork to analyze the mechanics of the door and smiled when she quickly figured out the door. "Very clever. It locks up by turning gears and levers through exerting pressure and thus applies the pressure throughout the door and thus extend into the frame that has grooves so that it can catch the door when it does."
"This is just plain amazing, whoever made this must be a genius to come up such a complex door, but not complex for me because it opens like this..." Clockwork opened her eyes and reached a hoof to the middle of the door and with a grin, knocked three times down in a row. Immediately, she heard the thin gears and levers shift around with the door until there was a click and everything fell silent. With a magical thought she reached for the door in her magic and this time it opened without any trouble for the unicorn. Clockwork stepped into the once locked room and gazed around the room that's filled with paintings and photos of various ponies and groups with crystal lanterns spread throughout the room. At least we now know where all the pictures are, Clockwork thought as she walked around the room, looking at the various old paintings and photographs.
"These must be Quinn's family history," Clockwork said to herself as she walked around the room, looking at various old paintings and photographs. She smiled when she came across a particular one filled with foals that couldn't sit still for the photographer. "That's pretty adorable, but why are these locked away?"
The further along she went, the more and more she recognized her hometown of Ironwood Falls appearing in the background in some of them. "Oh, I think this is the time when the library's spire was put in about thirty years ago. "I didn't know that Quinn's family had anything to do with that, I wonder why they weren't mentioned in the town history lessons." She levitated the photo off the table to take a closer look at it. All the ponies, from the stallions to the mares from various pony tribes are wearing the same robe clothing that Quinn and Ki are currently wearing and holding tools from hammers to manual drills. "I guess their fashion statement is the same then as it is now. Heh, even this pony looks the same as Quinn.. wait a minute." She brought a nearby lantern nearby and floated near the picture to see better and sure enough; there's Quinn standing there among the group of ponies, with a mare leaning against him with a smile on her face while a scowl on his, the same scowl that Clockwork have seen once and awhile the last few days she and Jace has been here.
She glanced at corner of the picture to see if there's a date and sure enough, there was one written and that it said that it is was taken thirty years ago. Clockwork quickly set the photo and lantern as they started to shake and waver in her magic due to the shock to her mind. "He looks just like he does now as he did then, but that would mean he's over fifty years old, possibly more. No, this isn't possible." Clockwork rational mind started to kick in. "It's probably just his dad or uncle that he greatly resembles. Yeah, that has to be it."
But what if it isn't though? Her rational mind whispered in the back of her head, causing her look at the pictures she had already passed by. Clockwork hesitantly traced her path from the beginning of the pictures, afraid what she might find, but hoping that it was nothing but family generics at play. However, in almost every picture she looked at, just standing off to the side or in the group, there Quinn was, unmistakably due to the familiar coloring of his mane and coat. Clockwork noticed that he looks basically the same (albeit just a bit younger than he does now), while the ponies around him grow older as some of them doesn't appear in the next one while new, younger ponies took their place.
Who are you Quinn? Clockwork thought as she backed away from photos of the mysterious pony... "What are you doing and how did you get in here," an angry voice suddenly called out behind Clockwork, causing her to shriek in fright and to quickly turned around to see Quinn standing there, blocking the doorway and her only exit, with a familiar angry scowl written on his face.
"I said, 'what are you doing and how did you get in here'", Quinn repeated as he took a step towards Clockwork, causing her to back up in response due to fear, but soon backed into a table stand, allowing Quinn to quickly close the gap between them and preventing any of the unicorn's possible escape routes. "Answer me."
"Well I was just exploring and came across the locked sliding door and I was intrigued by it and figured out how it opened, which I have to say, that's a very complex locking system you have there. Who made it? And do you happened to have a copy of the blueprints for that system, because I never seen anything like before and I think I can see potential for it, I mean a system of gears and levers that works by pressure. That's really clever, but not clever enough as I figured it out quite easily."
"Just stop, what do you know Clockwork? And please, tell the truth."
"Well Quinn, I was looking through the pictures and I noticed that in a lot of them, there's a pony that looks remarkably like you, but that couldn't be you as some of them are over fifty years old and you don't look that old. So do you look like your dad, uncle, or some close relative by some chance?" Clockwork asked, hoping for an answer to this peculiar mystery.
Quinn let out a sigh of breath before walking past Clockwork to a photograph of a large group of ponies. "No Clockwork, I don't have any family members that I resemble and the last remaining family members I had passed away about a century ago."
"But judging by the time periods of the photos if they are correct, you got to be over two hundred years old," Clockwork stated. "How's that even possible?"
"Clockwork," Quinn started. "There are some things in this world that are mystery and should remain a mystery, this is one of them as it's very personal too me. Now get out and don't you ever come back to this room. "
"Quinn, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"I said get out!" Quinn shouted as he stomped a hoof, which shattered the smooth worn floorboards underneath it with such ease that it scared Clockwork because of Quinn's sudden show of strength and barely restrained anger. Clockwork quickly made her way out of the room without a word, quickly sliding the door behind her with a quick thought of magic and made her way back to the main part of the building.
As Clockwork ran around the corner to the inner courtyard, she nearly ran into a pair of metal legs belonging to Jace, nearly causing him to trip over the unicorn. "Whoa, what's the hurry Clockwork? Did something happened, are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm okay Jace, Quinn just found me apparently where I wasn't suppose to be and got upset," Clockwork explained. "But I found something that might explain that weird feeling you've been having."
"So did I, but let's wait till we get back to our room," Jace suggested which Clockwork gave a quick nod in agreement. They quickly made their way to their room and when they arrived at their room, Clockwork slid the door close and flipped the latched, locking it so that they have their privacy for what they are about to tell each other what they have learned.
"Okay first off, how do you ponies have your calendars set up, because I don't want sound like an idiot for trying to understand your calendars work?" Jace first asked as he sat on the floor to match Clockwork's eye level.
"Well, we have an hundred days for each of the four seasons in the year," Clockwork answered as she levitated her bags towards and quickly rummaged though before pulling out a notepad and a pencil from one of the pockets. "So take today's date for example; today's date is the eighty-ninth of summer of the year one-thousand and three," she said as she wrote a series of numbers and dashes that's the date on the pad that appears similar to how Jace used to date his papers back in high school with the only exception was that the dashes appeared in different places. "Or… day two-hundred and eighty-nine of the year one-thousand and three works as well, but the first way is the most preferred way, especially for legal purposes and such."
"So the first number tells what season it is, then the next two represents what day it is in said season, while the last four is the year. Am I right?" Jace said as he stated the meaning behind the numbers which Clockwork nodded in confirmation. "This is almost similar to how the calendars are back home, expect of seasons with days, we have thirty somewhat days called months and twelve of them makes a year and every three months makes up a season."
"That sounds like how the griffins had their calendars set up long ago, but they changed to match Equestria's as did others, as their visitors were constantly getting confused by their dates," Clockwork stated and then she had a thought. "Hey Jace, how many days were in one of your years and how old were you before you… had your accident?"
"Three-hundred and sixty-five days and I was twenty-one when I kicked the can, and there's no need to dance around the subject Clockwork," Jace said. "Although now I'm now a tin can, how ironic. But never mind that, why are you asking how old I am?"
"Hold on," Clockwork said as she brought the notepad close and started to do math in her head, ok let's see here, Jace is Twenty-one years old and times that by three-hundred and sixty-five days of Jace's calendar equals seven thousand, six hundred and sixty-five days in total, and then divide that by four-hundred days of the Equestrian calendar and that equals to… Clockwork grinned at the answer she came up with. "Well, I guess it's official now, I'm older than you."
"But aren't you twenty-one years old too?" Jace asked, and Clockwork just nodded in response with a grin still present on her face. "And I'm twenty-one, so that doesn't make sense if we're the same age."
"Well yes and no. You were twenty-one in the eyes of your old world's calendar, but since you're here in Equestria now and can't go back, you're technically nineteen years old in the eyes of the Equestrian calendar, and actually, now that I think about it, I'm also older than you back on your old world."
"Okay, I get the point; you're older than me. I thought we both found something," Jace said to the smug looking unicorn, trying to change the subject as he reached out and snagged the notepad and pencil from her magic, causing Clockwork to shudder as a sudden chill ran down from the tip of her horn and into her head causing her magic to be disrupted. As she rubbed her forehead to rid herself of now present ache, Jace started to write. "Okay, this is what I found on a grave marker belonging to one named Master Gale."
Clockwork wearily grasped the pad in Jace's hand, careful to avoid touching his fingers with her magic, and levitated towards her and took a look at it. One of her brows raised at the date. "Jace, are you sure that you had the date right?"
"Yeah, I memorized it Clockwork," Jace stated. "So how many pony years has it been since that date?"
"Nearly three hundred years Jace," Clockwork estimated as she looked at the date."
"But I thought that only your princesses and dragons have longer lifespans, so why did Quinn sounded like he actually knew her from hundreds of years ago?"
"I don't know how Jace, but this actually confirms what I discovered. So this is going to sound a little crazy, but I don't think Quinn is a normal earth pony"
"Huh?"
"Jace, from what I discovered today, he could- wait… do you hear that?" Clockwork suddenly asked her ears swiveled around trying to pinpoint a sound that automaton couldn't hear.
"I don't hear anything Clockwork," Jace said as he cautiously stood up, and then he could hear it, a shrill whistling sound in the air and quickly getting louder. Their window suddenly exploded in a show of glass and wood, causing them both to take cover from the flying glass, as something flew through it and embedded itself into the wooden floor between Jace and Clockwork. Jace was shocked when he quickly recognized what's embedded in the floor, something from his old world that would've made his old heart stopped if he still had it; a small missile.
"What in the world is that?" Clockwork wearily asked as she cautiously approached the rocket, clearly unaware what it is as she tapped it, which a second later started to give out small beeps, finally jolting Jace out of stunned state and to make a quick dash towards Clockwork.
"Watch out!" Jace cried out as he grabbed the surprised unicorn and tried to make his way out of their room with the rocket that's about to blow. However, he only made it past the door as he smashed through it like a football player when the rocket exploded in a shower of metal and fire, shrapnel pelting and ricocheting off of Jace's metal backside as he and Clockwork landed in the hallway, all the while making sure that he doesn't accidently crush the unicorn in his arms with his metal form. Unfortunately, as soon as Jace had cleared their room, a series of more explosions ripped throughout the old home as pieces of it started to rain down upon them, forcing Jace to curl over the pony as a shield.
It was only when the last of the explosions had finally stopped, did Jace uncurled from around the unicorn and glanced back to their room to only see black smoke seeping out of the hole of his impromptu door and other bedrooms around them and into the hallway. Jace let out a sigh of relief as there weren't fires that had started due to the missile. He sat up and turned his attention to the pony he's holding. "Are you okay Clockwork? You didn't get hit did you?"
"Other than that I can barely hear you and maybe a few bruised ribs thanks to whatever that thing was? But yeah, I'm okay," Clockwork answered as she looked up at him from his arms, although her voice was slightly raised, telling Jace that she might have become a little deaf due to being in close proximity of the explosion. "It's getting kind of hard to breathe here with the smoke and you holding me, can you let me go please?"
"Right sorry." He said as he loosened his hold, allowing Clockwork to free herself as she jumped out of his arms. She gave herself a quick shake, shaking off debris from her coat, causing her to give a small pout. "Aww, I just took a bath today."
"You can always take another one at a later time Clockwork," Jace stated. "Someone just tried to blow us up."
"Yeah, I got that when that thing exploded Jace," Clockwork said as she tried to get her golden mane under control. "But that thing wasn't made to kill Jace."
"What?"
"It's true, it was made to stun or disorientate others, but not to kill," she explained as she finally got her mane under some control and moved onto her tail. "Those are low-casualty missiles, they're usually filled with smoke or a flash spell to blind its' targets and as it does that, multiple tiny darts filled with a knockout agent are released soon after to put them unconscious. It just didn't work as it was suppose to on you Jace, because… well, you know, machine and all that."
"And you know all of this… how?" Jace worriedly asked, concern for the unicorn now growing.
"I saw them before," Clockwork nonchalantly answered as she finally got her tail to were she likes it, but still wish for a proper hot bath and brush to clean it and her coat. It then hit her what she just said and it scared her. "Wait, How did I know that? I never saw anything like that thing before till now, let alone know what it's called. Why do I know something so horrible like that Jace?"
"Hey hey hey, it's going to be alright Clockwork." Jace said as he went to kneel in front of Clockwork who's now visibly scared and shocked and did the one thing he could think of; he embraced her in a hug. "We'll figure this out Clockwork, but just not right now. Because we need to leave here right now and find the other two as they might've also been attacked just like we were."
"As much as I'm scared right now, you're right Jace; Ki and Quinn could be in trouble right now just like we are right now," Clockwork agreed as she returned the kind-filled warm gesture given by the cold-metal automaton with a hug of her own. She couldn't help but smile at the irony here as she finally composed herself. "Thank you Jace for caring about-"
Jace wouldn't be able to hear the rest of what she was going to say as she was cut off by the sound of gunshot and soon felt her limbs fall from his sides as she went limp in his arms. "Clockwork?" Jace said, stupefied of what just occurred.
"Clockwork?" When he didn't a response back from calling her name for the second time, he started to feel dread starting to creep into the soul on his being. He gently freed the still silent form of Clockwork from his hug and laid her down on the floor and what he saw complete the feeling of despair, for there, just halfway down her barrel, was a single a gunshot wound. Probably no bigger than a bullet hole made by a .22, Jace could see her silvery coat soaking in the blood around the wound, adding it to the growing collection of grime ruining her silvery coat as it bled.
"Clockwork?" Jace once again called her name, hearing his voice starting to crack now from the slowly raising truth as Clockwork's ears doesn't even twitch in response. He place his hand over where he thought her heart would be and tries to feel a heartbeat, but couldn't feel one.
"Silenced horned pony," a grunted voice called out through the ruins of the room, causing Jace to look up to see a dark form emerging from the smoke-filled room what could be described as a top heavy being with small legs wearing a fusion of SWAT and knight armor, holding a gun that's to long to be a pistol, but to short for a rifle. The armored being stood there in the remains of the doorway, looking at the stunned and silent form of Jace and Clockwork respectively, as a series of noises came from within the knight-like helmet before nodding and quickly swung the gun with surprising speed, aiming the open end of the barrel at Jace. "Rover Alpha, fetching key now."
It then pulled the trigger.