Hollow Heart

by Dapper Guy

Diving into the Heart

Time “Whoovius” Turner was a pony of high repute, despite living in such a rather rustic town such as Ponyville. Having taken up magical mechanical engineering at Baltimare University, a field dominated more than ninety percent by unicorns, making him a stallion of rare caliber. Even more so as he had surpassed even those who had been given a full scholarship, Turner had received several awards alongside his doctorate, which was given by Celestia herself. In pony, to him, at the graduation ceremony.

Some called it a waste of talent to have not taken up the many prestigious offers hoofed to the brilliant stallion when he graduated top of his class. Having settled down in his hometown of Ponyville, he had found solace with his wife and childhood sweetheart, Ditzy Hooves.

Since then, he occupied his time with fiddling with the Ponyville clock tower, a creation of his own design. Now and then, he’d receive letters from time to time, asking for his expertise whenever professors from his university faced a rather crippling problem. At times, he had to leave his wife and child behind, but he always returned, usually knocked onto his back with hugs before his hoof knocked on the door.

Regarding the doctor’s current situation, he was walking at a hurried pace to his brainchild, Ponyville Clock Tower. Anypony not familiar with Turner’s methods would’ve never come close to unlocking the door. Rather than a simple set of tumblers to safeguard the entrance, he decided on a much more, mind bending method, for a security system to ensure no pony would be able to trespass beyond his doors.

Three small bronze clocks with their hooves pointed at different times in a single column on the front door. “Time for your monthly maintenance inspection, old friend.” Pulling out a thin, metal tool with a crystal embedded in its end, Turner placed it against the hooves of the top clock.

He spun the hooves on the top clock so that it read eight o’ clock. Okay, month, day and time the maintenance begins. As he adjusted the remaining two clocks to their appropriate times, the tumblers shifted into place, setting off a series of metallic clinks.

Readjusting the straps on his tool bag, Turner whistled to himself as he pulled open the door and began his monthly routine. Traversing up the first flight, the only light that allowed Turner to see came from sun crystals that turned on as he passed by.

Hearts…

An unearthly chill nipped at his neck. A hollow voice whispered a word in the wind. Turner nearly lost his hoofing at the sound of this unseen visitor. He whipped out his crystal-powered tool and brandished it like an enchanted sword. He searched for the owner of the voice, but nothing was there.

Nerves are getting the best of me again. I hope. Resuming his duties, Turner continued on, stopping for a time to scan the area before continuing on his way. Machine oil struck his sensitive nose as he opened the latch to the top floor. Hoisting himself through the trapdoor, Turner dropped his bag to the floor. “Well now, let’s get started.”

Turner felt a craftsman’s pleasure as he began to dig into his work. The clicking of a ratchet, the screwing in of new bolts, it was a mechanical symphony that played out at the conductor’s hoofs that only he could hear.

Tink.

A small pile of spare parts clattered to the floor from Turner’s work table. A pale form whisked past him, causing him to drop his oil can to the floor. Ignoring the growing spill for the moment, Turner turned his focus elsewhere. He swore something was moving from beneath one of the balance wheels, next to the bell rope at the tower’s center. His mane stood on end as he watched whatever it was swerve up and down along the poles, inching its way towards the northern face of the clock.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

A greyish figure hung in front of the glass outside, its shape distorted behind the paned glass of the clock’s face. Whipping out his screwdriver again, Turner tiphoofed towards the unknown creature, as the sound of the tapping increased.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Whatever was behind the glass was battering against his clock. Inching himself towards the exit door that led out to the terrace, Turner braced himself to tackle the unknown intruder. As the door creaked open, the shadowy assailant dropped down on him with relentless force.

“Doc!”

The collision sent Time Turner careening backwards; he slammed against an immense gear twice the size of his torso. He found himself staring back into a golden, walleyed grin. The smell of baked goods clung to his attacker as they began to jump up and down on his stomach. “Doc! Doc! Doc!”

“Ditzy, oof, would you kindly, OOF, stop bouncing on top of me like a trampoline. Please?” asked Time Turner. He could feel his breakfast of muffins making its way back up his throat as his ribcage grew a divot. He could feel the life-giving air returning to his lungs as his bubbly wife ceased turning his bones into glue.

As Turner stood back up, Ditzy gave him a quick peck on the muzzle. “Doc, did you forget what today was?” asked Ditzy with an impish smile.

Oh, curse it all. Don’t tell me I forgot our anniversary again, especially after last year. I’m still paying off the damage to the Mayor’s Office for that little conundrum. “Look, Ditzy, I know I forgot last year but--”

“It’s Family Appreciation Day!” chirped the grey pegasus. Pulling her husband into a neck-breaking hug, she lifted him off the floor and nuzzled into his chest. “Our sweet little muffin is just waiting to show off her daddy to all of her little playmates.”

Oh, double drat. Little Dinky’s Family Appreciation Day at school. I’ve got to be the worst father of all time ever to have forgotten that. “Right. Of course, Ditzy. Just giving this old mare a quick look over before heading over to the school. Just hope I’m not going to be late.”

“No worries, doc.” Ditzy grabbed her husband around the waist and began to flap her wings as hard as she could.

“Wait, Ditzy, I haven’t--” started Turner before being whisked out the door and carried through the sky. Clasping his equipment bag to his chest, the clockmaker watched as the ground blurred beneath his hooves. He half-wondered if his wife could feel his heart playing a full ensemble as it tried to fly out of his chest.

Guess I’ll finish everything up tonight, I suppose. Relinquishing his thoughts of where he had left off, Turner looked off into the distance to see the roof of Ponyville Elementary coming into sight. Right, time to put on a smile for our little filly’s schoolmates, Turner.

- - - - -

The perpetual grinding of metal rung out as Ponyville Clock Tower continued to chronicle the time. Gears spun, springs coiled and the bronze bell engraved with a sun and a moon hung high above, a gift from the princesses themselves upon its completion.

A cloaked figure slithered out from the wooden floor, the white hood looking from side to side. Phantom opened his senses, feeling out any more hearts within the area. He had followed the pony up every flight of stairs as soon as it had entered. Oddly to him, he could’ve sworn that there were two hearts inside of it.

Casting away the abnormality from his thoughts, Phantom rose up to the bell hanging high above supported by a hemp rope. His tiny black claws traced over the symbols, raking against the cold metal. All over this tiny village, these same pictures decorated everything, from the biggest structures to even the most mundane object.

After his recent feeding, a few of his old powers and features had returned to him. Flexing his required digits once again, Phantom clasped his black, smoky hands together. The sensation of touch was so foreign to him since he had lost these appendages. His cloak was less worn but still looked mangled and weather-worn. Pulling his cloak’s flaps apart, Phantom looked down to see a white orb with a pink heart beating inside.

Grasping the heart container with one claw, Phantom plunged his other claw inside. Memories deep within his collection of hearts poured into his mind. So much information was carried within a heart. The beasts were of no great source, but the pony, she was a fount of knowledge. Names of others, places, every significant detail imaginable was recorded deep inside of every living creature’s heart. Phantom sorted each memory as he tried to glean the information he was desperate to find.

Give me…your secrets. Images ran through his mind: tastes, textures and smells. It was all here. Everything that made Diamond Tiara was chronicled here, what shaped her into what she was. Memories long forgotten, others that frequently resurfaced and played out. The search was a nearly endless labyrinth of countless pictures with their own story to tell him. The longer he went on, the greater it was for him to divine what he sought.

A quick flash of a sun materialized. There!

Phantom clamped down hard on the heart container, trying to stabilize the memory. A large pony, towering over the one he saw in the heart’s memory. It wore a collar of gold with a large gem embedded in its center. Its mane was oddly alive, fluttering on its own accord. On its backside was an exact replica of the sun symbol that was on the bell.

Both of the ponies were sitting down on a wooden bench. Diamond Tiara was hugging herself as the white horse draped a wing over her in a sympathetic gesture. The pony had both a horn and a set of wings sprouting from its back. Perhaps it was a hybrid of some sort, a rarity amongst its kind. Magenta eyes, filled with love, eased the pink earth pony’s mind as the two talked.

Who… are you..? White buildings dominated the scenery as hundreds of ponies, wearing varying articles of clothing, walked the streets. Phantom watched as the memory played out through the eyes of Diamond Tiara as she followed behind the white pony. This ‘Celestia,’ as she was named, talked of some huge event that she was about to participate in.

Celestia’s mouth moved, but no sound came out of it. Phantom pressed his claws deeper into the heart, forcing it to yield its secrets to him as sound began to play. It was distorted at first, but now the voice began to sync and match with Celestia’s mouth.

-nd I’m sure that once other little fillies and colts get to know you better, I’m sure that they’ll warm up to you. Remember, Miss Tiara, changing one’s self is the hardest challenge anypony can overcome. I know you can do it, you just have to give the other fillies and colts at your school some time to see the real you. Celestia’s angelic voice distorted somewhat every odd word, as if the memory had been repressed, but it was clear to Phantom that the events played out perfectly.

Memory Diamond Tiara wiped a tear from her eye. Thank you, your majesty. Fear, sadness, regret. Inside of the pink filly was a twisting band of dark emotions tied around her heart at this moment. Phantom waited patiently, taking in everything as he tried to glean a key source of information. An event such as this…means many hearts…

Oh, no need to thank me. I love all of my little ponies equally. Now then, we need to head to the town square. It wouldn’t be good to show up late; the nobles would be sent into a tizzy. I find it so tiring to keep with popular demand, here in-

Ding! Dong! Ding!

NO! The vision shattered like a broken mirror and distorted until there was nothing. Trying to draw on the heart again, Phantom failed to discern the exact memory. Releasing a shrill wail that rang louder than even the bell, Phantom felt an immense rage take over him. Purple fire shot out of his claws.

Regaining his cool, Phantom flew over to the northern clock face. The sun had fallen beyond the mountains, and the white moon was now locked into the sky.

I hunger… Phantom phased through the glass and disappeared into the night sky as he began his hunt for more hearts. If this Celestia was well-loved through the eyes of a foal (a term he picked up from the hearts), then surely more ponies would give him the knowledge to find her.

Comments

[Vinyl Nexus Scratch]

"Grasping the heart container with one claw, Phantom plunged his other claw inside. Memories deep within his collection of hearts poured into his mind. So much information was carried within a heart. The beasts were of no great source, but the pony, she was a FOUNT of knowledge. Names of others, places, every significant detail imaginable was recorded deep inside of every living creature’s heart. Phantom sorted each memory as he tried to glean the information he was desperate to find."

I think you either mean Fountain or Font here.