The Daughter of Time: The story of Clockwork

by FallingSpark

Prologue

‘What are you doing here?’ the voice in my head pesters, ‘you really think she wants to see You? After 80 years? She probably doesn’t even remember you.’

“Shut up!” I snarl, silencing the voice, “Besides even if she has forgotten me, I still have to do this.”

I continue to walk up the old stairs, the half rotten wood creaking and threatening to shatter under my hooves weight. The old hospital is quiet, only the occasional cough or sounds of trotting can be heard as my gears whirl slowly, another sound of wood cracking makes me shift my weight once more. I make my way to the third floor and look over the railing at the main lobby below. Several ponies stand around, most wearing hospital worker robes, others stand by the doors trying to avoid the cold December rain storms.

‘347, 345, 344, Ah! 342.’ I think silently and put my hoof on the old door.

I gently push it open, scared that it will crumble before my eyes like the rest of the building. It holds strong as it swings open, the hinges squeal as it does. I shift on my hooves and walk in. A blue unicorn is levitating a bowl and feeding an elder mare who is lying on the bed.

“He-hello?” I say quietly as if any noise would scare the nurse.

The unicorn looks at me for a moment before moving the bowl to the counter and walks past without a word, the door closes silently behind her. I bite my coat and slide in onto a chair, my wings extending and retracting a couple times before I approach the mare. Each step that I take causes me to tremble, both out of fear and regret. I stop a few strides from her, taking a deep breath I force myself to stand next to the mare. I look down, my eyes don’t see the elder mare with a short white mane, no, I see what I did so many moons ago, that gray earth pony filly with an ocean mane, those red tipped ends always settling in her face, I see those deep rose eyes and bright smile that could turn a hurricane into a day in paradise. I see the pony I swore to protect and time I failed and ran scared, even when she needed me the most.

“Clock?” the old mare says, her voice raspy, “Clockwork the Automaton? Is that you?”

Her lips struggle to make a smile as her old hoof reaches up to touch my faceplate.

“I-I’m so sorry.” I say, tears starting to form, I turn away in shame as the tears fall down my copper face. “I’m so sorry, I never should have left you.”

I hug her gently as she coughs, blood drips from her mouth.

“No Clock, do not be sorry for events of the *coughs* past,” she says as I wipe the blood away. “I was a different filly, who *coughs, more blood sputtering out of her mouth* who thought she could control anypony, I hurt those closest to me. I hurt you, Clockwork, and if anypony is to be sorry, it is me.”

Another coughing fit begins more blood pouring out of her mouth and staining her coat with the crimson red. I know that this is her last night, age is a part of everypony’s life and I cry once more knowing that I could’ve spent her life with her, protected her when she was sick. I wipe the tears on my metal wings the gears whirling again as the reach up and slide the curtains open, the storm has lessened and the soft tapping of rain on the glass clams me, as I know it did her.

“I’ll talk to the doctors, they’ll do something, they- they’ll make you better again, I promise.” I say through tears.

I turn back to her, her chest rising and falling slowly as she shakes her head.

“Not even the queen could heal old age Clockwork, I’ve lived a full life, I’m glad I knew a mare like you, my life might be over but think to the brighter days, you’ve got another thousand years if not more.” She says, most of her muzzle encased in blood.
I tremble again.

“I should’ve come sooner, I was a coward! I was scared of you hating me as much as you did that day.” I say not able to make eye contact. “I, I didn’t think I could handle it.”

“I never hated you, to me you were my closest friend, and nothing could have changed that, but events unfolded that nopony could control, but through those events good things did come.” She says, her voice softer. “I came into the queen’s study, taken under her wings, she gave me a gift. She told me to keep it safe for you.”

She lifts her shaky hoof towards a small cardboard box, two names scribbled across the sides, my name and one I did not know.

“How is it for me? What about this, ‘Silver Belle’? Who is she?” I say looking back at my friend.

“I never did know but it was passed on to her from a stallion in the past, one you might know.” She pauses searching for the name, “Brass, I think, Briss Brass.”

I place the package down and hug the mare, her breath shallow as I feel the life leave her. Her final breath leaves as I place her down onto the bed placing her hooves on her chest. I pluck one of my metal feathers and place it between her hooves. More tears fall as I throw my coat on again, I grab the box and examine it, and the thoughts of my creator leaving me a gift surprised even me, a creature of time and reason. He was a monster, had always been, and like him I became. I shake my head and put the box into my saddle bags and trot towards the door. I take one last look at the mare, at my oldest friend. I had never thought saying goodbye would be this hard, but now I knew she was happy, the way her smile shown. I sniffle and dry my face.

“Goodnight my dearest friend, sleep well and may the moon watch over you.” I say as the rain picks up. “Goodbye Spark.”

Author's Note:

So this is my first pony related work, I normally do semi present fiction stories but I thought I'd give one of my closest friends a story for her unique OC