Right on Time

by TheLoveless

When the Clock Strikes Twelve

Author's Note:

I sometimes confuse Silver Strings and the name Silver Note. so please excuse that.

on another note. this is Part 1. it will be merged with part 2 shortly after its release

these were once a 2 part chapter. but i combined them

Waiting over the filly, he stared deeply at her. Hoping she was only blind, and not deaf. He called out to her, "hey Silver Strings. Are you up?" Evenly enough, there was no reply from the blanket covered filly. "You're not deaf. I know you can hear me," once more the filly laid on the sofa, ignoring Xivi.

Giving up the more "formal" way of waking her up, he pushed he slightly. Once more, he pushed the filly closer to the edge. Once again, the filly got closer to the edge than before; Dangling over the edge, and ready to drop half a foot. Before anyone could push her over the edge, or she could even accommodate herself, she woke up.

"Hum?" Dazed and tired, she began looking around the room. Nothing was clear, or even partially visible. "My eyes! What happened to my e-," panicking over her loss of vision, she fell onto the floor, where she remembered a perfectly normal fact. She was in a house with madman. "Why did you push me off the couch?" Rubbing her shoulder, she waited for an answer.

Just woken up by force, and in no mood to answer questions, he gave one in return. "Why didn't you wake up when i called to you? I did it a few times." Staring downward at the filly, he waited for her response.

Like any child in all the known universe's that have 'fun' existence, she asked another question. "Why didn't you answer my question, Clock?"

Once again he repaid her question with a question, but not an easy process to make it. Silver Strings didn't have much to go off with, so he improvised. "Why did you not answer my question? lass."

A little bit angered, and unhappy from being tricked into falling, she gave one final question, and a big one at that. "Why can't you just answer my question?!" slightly angered, she didn't feel like being as kind as usual.

Running out of questions, and slightly bored of the spectacle, he decided to give the filly an answer. "Becuase i'm going to make breakfast, and i'd like you to answer first." Walking away from the living room, he found himself in the kitchen. Ripping open a old box of pancake mix. "Are you going to answer and get breakfast, or want answers and to starve?"

Not given much choice, she walked around the couch and made her way to the kitchen. Or what she thought was the kitchen. Inside the room she had entered, there were pictures skewered along the floor, and photographs hung from the roof, mostly of a changeling with a bow on his/her head. 'Where have i scene her before? There’s got to be a reason.'

"The kitchen's over here Lass."

Leaving the room of visible changeling pictures, she followed the voice back into the hallway , and asked once more, "where's the kitchen?" Feeling kinda bad about asking another question, she waited for Xivi to call her once again.

Angry with the filly to a slight extent, he left the kitchen, and dragged the filly across the carpet, and onto slick tiles with black and white shadings of a symbol she couldn't make out. "This, the room with black and white tiles, is the kitchen." Returning to the countertop filled with pots and pans, he poured a bag of oatmeal into it, and turned the stove on. Discarding the sturdy paper exterior into a box titled "recycle." he sighed, “the pancake mix expired, so we’re gonna have oatmeal.”

Dragging her hoofs across the black and white floor, she began to wonder, 'Why did he kill Ophran?' Dragging her face across the floor, she got the attention of Xivi, who stopped his work, looked at her, and then returned to his job. 'He's a nice person. As far as he's let on.'

As if meant for her, Clockwork spoke aloud. "I have 3 rules for this house we must always follow, and a fourth, that may be broken." Authority filled the room, and he began serving oatmeal into a shiny glass bowl. "Rule Zero, have a common decency. Or as most call it, manners. Rule one, don't ask stupid questions. And before you even try asking, life is forty-two." Moving the bowl to the table, he helped his small quest get into her chair. "Rule two, don't die. If you die, i will die, find your soul, or essence, then kill you. Again." Realizing he hadn't gotten her a spoon, he did just that. "And rule three, don't kill without a reason. Every life has a toll."

Taking the spoon from Clockwork, she smiled, "Witch rule can be broken sometimes?" Looking up to Xivi with dead eyes. Catching a glimpse of his scar once more. 'Poor man...'

As if by pure luck, he covered half his face with a mask, shielding it from questioning. "What did rule number 1 say? No stupid questions." Peering through hollowed out eyes, he caught a glimpse of something larger. Something out of the ordinary. Removing his mask, he sighed, "that question was very stupid to ask."

Taking into fact that she wouldn't get any information out of him, she decided to get back to the topic of matter. "So why did you push me off the couch?" Placing a spoonful of oats in her mouth, she began messing around with the spoon. raising it and lowering it in her jaw.

Not scared to tell the truth, he gave her the truth full answer. "Well, i sorta dislike how peaceful you were, so i decided to ruin that. Also, i just felt like it." Smiling deeply, he held back a laugh out of pure enjoyment. "Answers are sometimes the worst thing to have."

Smiling at the smile she had gotten just moments ago, she decided it was time to strike once more, "the truth hurts, but a lie is worse. I sometimes mess with people just for fun. And you know what," she pulled Xivi's mane, dragging him in, "i'm going to make sure i get my revenge... Tomorrow night.... Horribly."

Sending a shock down his spine, he walked away, and began packing for the day. A defensive weapon, a note book, a book on the brain, and even a change of clothes just in case his tie got dirty, or stained in blood. "Hey, brat. We have to get to the police office before 2 pm." Looking at the clock, it read 11: 11. "Times running out, and we need to get there early."

Jumping out of her chair, and running to the door, and Xivi, she awaited her next order from the stallion. "So do you walk there? Or is it really, really, far?" Walking out of the small apartment complex dorm, she tripped down the stairs and looked up at the sun. Closing her eyes from the sher light.

Smiling at what had happened, he answered her, "It's a few blocks away, but i have something to do later so we have to go early." Lifting the filly into his bag once more, he trailed off once more. "Lass, what’s your name again? It seems to be slipping from me quite often." Looking up and around, he saw a dreaded sight. His neighbor from two houses down.

"Hey! Mr. Kazen! Who's the young, fine, little girl you got in your bag?" Peering at the girl's light silver eyes, he smiled. Letting the wrinkles on his face show up like white on black paper. "Mine if we introduce our selves? It's been a while since a child has lived near here." Licking his lower lip, she smiled even wider, letting his lips reach side to side.

Reaching her hoove out of the bag as if to say hello, she decided not to. The elderly had about as hard a time of seeing as she did. Taking her chances with Clockwork, she called out to the stallion, "Hi stranger!!! My name is-"

A hoof had covered her mouth, and pushed her into the bag once more. This time tightened and sealed shut from the outside. "This girl has nothing to do with you. She's a suspect. A criminal." Turning head and walking off, more angered than usual. "I'm going to be late. Make sure those cats of yours get fed." Raising a hoof and beginning to walk with a filly trapped in his bag, dieing to see the sunshine once more.

Smiling even more, he gave his most dignified response, "i'll make sure my pets get fed. But i'll also get my fill." Laughing and pouring some food from a large box into a small bowl, he watched as his cats ate their way through the pile of kibble. "My day will come, along with a surprise."

---

Throwing his bag into a cushioned chair, he began yelling at it. "Don't you ever talk to anyone you don't know, and i don't know. Got it? And don't share you name with random people you found on the street. It's indignified!" Ranting on to his bag, his co-workers watched as he lectured the bag on information sharing. "Now i'm going to let you out."

Emerging for the bag, Silver Strings hair was thrown about, filled with chaos, and a butterfly pin holding a strand of hair back. "Fine, i won't talk to anyone but people who are trustworthy. Okay?" Smiling as wide as always, she looked in the direction of the co-works and waved them a hello.

Placing a hoof to his face, he sighed. "No." Breathing hard once more, he added on, "You suck at judging characters. if you can tell me the difference between a banana and a orange, i'll let you judge people and make friends as you'd please. But till then..."

"Fine." she replyed, letting her darker side take hold. "Can we just get this over with? I need to ask you some things." Shoving the girl along, he forced her onto another employee, who dragged her into an investigation room, sat her down, and gave her a juice box with a bendy straw. "Is this nessacery?" knocking the juice off the counter, she crossed her arms and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited while drinking the juice they had gave her 2 hours ago. Grape and cherry did not mix well. It even made strawberry and apple sound good. Even banana kiwi! But not all was lost. They had a armed guard bring her a cookie for being patient. Not the best cookie she'd have but worth the wait. "What am i waiting for? I'm getting bored in here." biting the cookie in half, and waiting them out once more, she waited in silence till someone would answer her.

Over the intercom, a voice with extreme authority answer her minutes later, "i am sorry dear, but a good investigator is running late." Turning the mic off then back on seconds later, he continued. "Would you like to play a game with someone? Just for the time being."

"Can you send me cold hearted Xivi wivi?" She broke out in laughter and so did the glass palin in front of her. Along with the sound of smashing glass, and opening and closing doors.

To her right , Xivi entered with a box on his back that read “duys & addws”. Interested in the game, she waited patiently. "Call me that again, and i'll see to it that you die after you die. I will kill myself, find you in the afterlife, then kill you again." Throwing the board game on the table, he sighed, "got it memorized?"

"Yes." Looking downward, she spoke once more, "sorta." Trailing off to the bored game, she wondered once more, "what are we going to play."

Smiling, he replied, "the game that can make anyone angry. Even the creators know how annoying this game is." Opening the container, and opening the bored, he sighed at the memories he had for the game. "Chutes and Ladders, the most simple yet rage inducing game ever made by pony kind. Wanna try your luck, lass?"

Staring at the cube in front of her, she decided to "test" her luck. Already knowing the outcome of the game, she decided to accept Clockwork’s test. "Umm, sure... But aren't you supposed to be working?" Looking back at the reflective glass, she understood what was going to happen.

"Who said my work can't have a little play?" Looking at the window, he had lost all hope, and let it out, "it's their idea of how to con information out of you. Wouldn't work to well on you, but this is more fun." Giving the filly a bleak smile, he continued on while holding a array of colored game token in his hand. "It was either this, or we just sit here, and ask you questions."

Reaching her hoof out, she pointed to a piece, "i want that one! It's so colorful!" Watching the white game token get placed on start, she smiled, while Xivi gave her an uneasy look.

"You are really going to piss me off today. You know that lass?" chuckling slightly, he took a black chess piece out of his pocket and placed in on the board. "May Lady Luck smile on you today. Lass."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
part 2.

Taking her chances with answering, she did as she was asked. Throwing the die down on the icy wood table, it clicked. "So, what did they want you to ask me?" Watching the die, it bounced once more, before spinning to a stop, and landing on five. pushing her token across the board, she smiled.

Lifting the die, he readied to drop it, but hesitated. "Now that i think about it, i don't even know." Letting the die fall on to the table, it landed on a solid 3, and never bounced once. "Well this is going to be an interesting game. And i don't mean the board game." Looking up at his companion in the room, he smiled gently.

"Mister Xivi! It's not nice to make a game out of a friendship!!! It's just not right..." Her voice died slowly with each passing word, and she drifted elsewhere. Anywhere, but at her captivator. Feeling the table for the die, she picked it up, and dropped it. A Six, and a chute that took her down to nine.

Looking at the unusually sad child before him, he got yet another glimpse at her truth. 'Make a game out of friendship? I would NEVER!' Uneasy at the idea of angering the girl even more, he tried his old tricks again, "okay, what's wrong?" Old dogs, don't learn new tricks.

Silence fell over the room, and the soft sounding breathing from the window could be heard clearly. Silver Strings waited for Xivi to roll, or at least give up chase. Waiting hard and long for his act of retreat, she began playing with the spare die. Placing hoof on the end, and rotating it slowly. Creating a gentle beat in the rooms silent atmosphere.

"You're pathetic." Stepping out of his chair, he overturned the game board, sending the pieces flying. "You said you were going to be the one to change me. Right!?" Getting a slight glimpse from Silver's eye, he knew it was working. "Well? Are you the Silver Strings who wants to change me, or some two bit imposter who can't change herself?"

Falling into the flow of things, she answered. More than just answered, corrected. "I am, Silver Strings. The one and only pony, who will change this world, and you along with it! I am the one who will, and must, save everyone from themselves. No matter what it take!" In need of relieving stress, she swiped her hoof across the table, knocking the die onto the floor. "i'm the one who WILL make you change."

"Good." He replied. Picking up the board, and the pieces, he reset the playing feild. Checking the die, it read four. "I do believe you're now on space thirteen." recollecting the die, he moved Silver up the bored, and asked once more. "Again, i ask. Whats wrong?"

Lowering her head once more, she sighed. "I can't tell you while they are here."

Looking behind him, he was confused, "Are you supposed to be on medication? No one else is here."

Pointing the the glass partition where the other workers waited and watched, she replyed. "The window. And no."

Realizing his ignorance, and the fact he had been watched, he lost all confidence in his own thinking processes. "You know what lass? Lets just end this. I'm sure you wanna leave as soon as you can." Getting a nod in response, he rolled the die, realizing, she had moved twice. All is fair, and love is war. And who couldn’t love someone like her?

---

A seemingly boring hour of constant dice rolling went on unrewarded. The day had grew long and the evening had began catching up. "So, how'd you get that?" Pointing a hoof at the left side of his face. "Your scar, thingy."

Placing a hoof against his eye, he sighed. "Where it came from, i do not know, but it's a symbol." 'A symbol of that one.' Staring on, he waited for the rest of the day laborers to finish their exiting forms, and readied himself for a day in the old ice cream parlor. "So... What do you plan on getting at the ice cream shop?"

To busy trying to read an instructional poster on proper hoof washing techniques, she didn't hear him, or see the writing on the poster for that matter. Somethings, just seeing something interesting is more interesting than another creature. "What did i miss?" She asked, blank to the situation,

"Everything of importance." Signing out, he took his bag, and left the front post. "We're going to get ice cream. Like i promised you. Do you still want it?" Enjoying the thought of having a reason to get something sweeter than tea, he couldn't have her objecting.

"Well... I'm not really sure i have a choice. I can't let a friend break a promise. Even if they are an insomniac murderer." Smiling and walking by his side, Silver awaited Xivi's usual cold response. Hoping for some more enjoyment, and a little more development in her plan.

'Why does she keep calling me a friend? No matter. Life must be lived,' he thought to himself. "And lass. I resent that." Angered with her bland choice of words, he decided to classify himself. "I am an antisocial, murderer, who has befriended a 11 year old girl, witch i failed to kill." Smiling at the extent of his own analysis, he enjoyed himself.

"Don't forget, kind, interesting, forgetful, selfish, sweet at heart, and my only living friend." Looking at her hooves, she smiled dimly, and hid a swarm of tears underneath her mane. Glad to finally get it out, she smiled. 'I have one friend, and he's a killer, who is kind and gentle. Am i lucky, or am i just too happy to be sad?' Unable to decide, she chose both.

"We'll lets get you some ice cream." Opening the doors of the shop, a changeling manned the desk, and awaited the orders of his customers. And as things went with changelings, they always knew each other well enough to make small talk. "Long time no see, Jack." Browsing the stored new decore, he socked it all in. "I enj-"

Cut off by an angry owner, he snapped at them. "Make an order or get out. You have 2 minutes to decide, or i'll kick you out." Crossing hooves, he waited for them to order.

"Fine, just 2 vanilla cones, with chocolate ice cream." Taking out a sac of bits, he waited for his price to be run up. 12 bits. Throwing the change onto the glass counter, the waited with Silver to get their cones. "Hey silver. You like chocolate. Right?"

Shaking her head, and smiling, she waited for her least favorite ice cream to be delivered, and the promise between them kept. "I like chocolate, but i like plain vanila more."

Turning her head, she smiled, and watched as Xivi was forced to carry both ice creams on his own. Ii should have known. But on a different note, what did you want to tell me in the earlier room?"

Sighing deeply, she looked around for anyone that would interfere with the plan. None were found. "Well you see, i'm not all to stable when it comes to certain things. Like dreams, and the dark." Not letting any more information slip, she left her ice cream to melt. But not before she thanked Clockwork for treating her to it. Even if it wasn't what she wanted.

---

'I’m not truly blind Xivi. I can see you clearly, and you're desteny lies in my hands for now. till the fatel day one of us dies, i will always watch over you, and give you what you miss most of all. Love. I just need you to open up a little bit more to me... so please Ms. Kazen. don't die before i have the chance. the chance to change you. the chance to embrace you. the chance to get to know you, love you, and understand you. the chance for us to change one another. like the seasons.

---

Rising from her sleep, and wondering the vast room in the dark, she found herself more aware than the other day. This morning, she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to explore the rooms and their decors. Maybe even get revenge on Clockwork, just for the time being. 'Okie, lets see...' Pressing onward down the hall, she found herself at a branch in the hall. One leading to her right, and one with two doors on her left.

Letting her instincts kick in, she moved along the wall, making sure not to trip or fall onto her face. Inch by inch, she moved down the hall, and closer to the single door where had wanted to 'explore.' Continueing down the slim hall, she found herself at the door. Slightly wider than a closet door, yet not quite large enough to be a room entrance, the mystery baffled her, with only one solution.

She opened the door.

Inside, Xivi held a wired phone close to his ear. Talking to the voice on the other end, he fell silent often. "I understand sir." Letting the voice continue on, he replied once more. "If it must be done, i'll bring the girl in with me. She seems to know a lot more on this than we do." Looking at the doorway, he froze. Dropping the phone to the floor, and watching the girl who waited in the doorway.

"So, it's come to this already? Handing me over?" Looking downward at her hooves, she sighed, and blew a strand of hair from her eye.

Lifting the phone, he placed it on the mount. Ending his call short. "Well..." Not able to make words, he waited for a response of anger or hatred to come. But none did. "I don’t know what to say next. I'm sorry." Looking elsewhere, he raised a hoof and covered half his face, keeping the scar hidden form the girl's already tainted eyes.

Letting a tear roll off her cheek, she tried to smile. "You could have at least told me this would happen. Then i wouldn't try befriending you." Turning tail, and leaving, she found herself left with more questions than answers. 'And here i thought the man who saved me from that hell house, would keep me from it forever.'

Comments

[panzerbrony]

got done reading this chapter
grammar, pacing, and character: everything is fine
errors:
the major grammar error I see Is the any I that begins was lower cased, that is incorrect for any I that starts a word or is by itself should be capitalized.
spelling errors:
[quote"Witch rule can be broken sometimes?" ]Witch should be which

'Where have i scene her before?

should be seen

Before anyone could push her over the edge

why anyone if it's just Xivi/Clock Work and Silver Note in the room?

She broke out in laughter and so did the glass palin

pane is misspelled once again
misspelled words his, mind, guest, necessary, and dying