The Clockwork Consequence

by Michy

Chapter XXIV: The Curious Trail

Chapter XXIV: The Curious Trail

Chapter 23 Recap: The long night of Canterlot has supposedly ended, and limited coverage has made it difficult to understand. However ultimately, little has changed for ponies on the outside, as all they have residing are personal suspicions. Now as life presses on as it needs to, others focus on the daily tasks they must accomplish. But what exactly happened in Canterlot? And who locally may know the entire truth?

---

Apple Bloom was snoozing soundly within her room, laying cheek flat against her wooden floorboards. However, as an uncomfortable warmth graced her face, along with some gentle shakes, she slowly opened her eyes. "H-Huh?" She turned her head over and up, catching sight of her big brother, Big Macintosh. "B-Big Mac? Wha? Why're you-"

The large red stallion gave her a cocked brow, as if confused by her own confusion.

Apple Bloom rubbed at the back of her neck, "Wait a second ... d-don't tell me." She paused with wide eyes, "School!?"

The large red stallion raised his brow even further as he slowly uttered. "Uuuuh ... Yep?"

Apple Bloom grimaced as she pushed up on her forehooves and got up, glaring immediately at Diamond Tiara whom was sleeping in front of a board game nearby. Apple Bloom smacked the fellow filly upside the head, "Diamond Tiara!"

Diamond Tiara panicked as she immediately shook her head, rising with tired eyes. "Huh? What? Who!?"

Apple Bloom pointed towards her window. "School is still in session! We stayed up for no reason!"

Diamond Tiara gave Apple Bloom a tired glare. "Well blame Sweetie Belle, not me!"

Big Mac just looked at both fillies suspicion. For one ... wondering why Diamond Tiara was even here.

Apple Bloom caught on as she noticed Big Mac's gaze. She immediately rubbed at the back of her neck again, "Ah Big Mac! I can explain! W-We uh ... we uh had a secret sleepover cause we thought school was off and um ... well, yeah!"

Diamond Tiara cringed as she suddenly looked panicked, raising two hooves to her head. "Wait! If school is still happening and my mom is waking me up, then I'm in seriously deep dung!" She gasped, "Deep bucking dung!"

Big Mac looked to Diamond Tiara with a slightly shocked and raised brow. "Yep."

Apple Bloom glared at Diamond Tiara. "Diamond Tiara, language!"

The filly screamed in a hurried panic as she burst to all four hooves, rushing downstairs.

Apple Bloom watched as she heard Diamond Tiara's continuous screams, even going to her window and seeing the fellow filly screamed all the way out her house, and past the front yard, and even through the streets. "Yeesh."

Big Mac crossed his hooves at Apple Bloom however, still giving her a stern glare.

Apple Bloom blushed sheepishly, as she gave him a light cringe in a pleading manner.

---

Apple Bloom sighed ... as it'd been minutes later and she was already in route to school. As she trotted down the cobble stoned streets of Ponyville, she wore an extravagant dress which was laced with orange and golden threads, with its primary color being black. She felt the heat of the sun cooking her alive, while she muttered tangent rants to herself all the while as she tried to hurry herself to school. "Darn muckin booger biscuit three hoofed eatin-" she paused, before blushing. "R-Right, language. Language."

She hadn't finished before she managed to arrive at the two story school houses which consisted of three buildings.

As she'd reached the front gates with the sun beating down on her, she was soon enough approached by another filly.

"Apple Bloom!" The filly was adorned in a similar black dress, instead with white and purple threading. Her coat was a bright white while her curly mane was a pale purple and light pink. Her eyes a light shade of green. "S-Sorry! I-"

As they stood in line at the front gates of the schoolhouse, Apple Bloom glared at the filly with a hushed whisper. "So much for school being cancelled, huh Sweetie Belle?" She groaned, pulling out a badge around her neck, continuing. "Diamond Tiara and I were up for the rest of our sleeping hours because we thought we were in the clear. Thanks to you!"

Sweetie Belle also absently pulled out her badge too. "S-Sorry, I was totally betting on it! My sister was talking up a storm last night with some of her guards about a super secret situation and uh ... I just thought school would be cancelled."

Apple Bloom gave Sweetie Belle a tired stare. "Well ... it wasn't Sweetie Belle! Now here we are."

Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at the filly. "Are you really going to hold it against me that much?"

Apple Bloom gave her a crooked frown. "It's a Sun Day! I feel like a shriveled apple with this uniform on!" She cast a guilty gaze downward. "But I can understand why ya thought that. T-There was a lot of strange stuff going on that night."

Sweetie Belle pleaded with her innocently. "Well sorry okay? I'll get you a Nightmare Cone later, deal?"

Apple Bloom was still silent as she looked to Sweetie Belle skeptically, one brow raised.

"And what would I have done if your negligence caused you to miss out on a session of school!? Hm!? Are you going to generate the bits necessary to pay the fee Tiara!? Look at me when I'm talking to you this instant! Tell me, are you?"

Both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle frowned at the sight of Diamond Tiara getting scolded not far off.

Diamond Tiara kept her gaze downward, trembling, as she hesitantly looked up towards the mare whom scolded her. "No Mother ... it would've been Papa who'd have had to pay the fee." She lowered her head solemnly again.

The mare identified as Diamond Tiara's mother pointed a scolding hoof towards the gates. "Yes, he would've! Precious bits which could be used to buy you new accessories for your dresses! Now get in line and think about what you've done!"

Majority of the others in line tried not to eye Diamond Tiara as they all tossed her slight glances, nothing obvious.

Diamond Tiara got in line behind both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom, still sad and solemn with her head lowered.

Apple Bloom looked back to Sweetie Belle now with a look of further irritation.

Sweetie Belle flushed red guiltily as she tossed Apple Bloom a nervous grin. "Uh ... make that two Nightmare Cones?"

---

As all the fillies and colts were gathered outside the school houses with their extravagant uniforms, a lone figure watched.

Inspecting all the fillies and colts from the second story window of one of the schoolhouses was a mare whom was also adorned in a thick black dress with unique lacing. The mare's coat was a moderate cerise. Her mane, two shades of pale pink. She sighed, adjusting her glasses some. "Good, it looks like everypony is present and brought their uniforms. Wait-" she squinted, before biting the tip of her tongue. "One, two, three, .... nine, .... fourteen, fifteen ...-" her eyes widened in light panic as she shook her head. "Oh no, no no no. Who's-" She suddenly closed her eyes halfway. "Of course..."

---

Meanwhile, sitting by her lonesome in the middle of a barren room with a single bed was an orange blank flank filly with a raspberry colored mane. She wore a bored look as her black dress was laying upon her bed, as was she. Her wings were curled in while her rear hooves were crossed over one another and she read a comic that rested atop her belly. She chewed some bubble gum, without a care in the world as she turned those pages. Soon enough, a giggle escaped her. Eventually she cast a glance over at another whom was nearby, raising a brow at her. "Hey, you almost done?"

There laying on her floor was another filly, her coat a pale orange and her mane a pale rose. She was currently flipping through numerous papers as she glanced over and up at the pegasus. "Yeah, I think I am ... Scootaloo."

The pegasus filly upon the bed, named as Scootaloo turned to her side some. She rested a hoof against her cheek as she continued to chew her gum. "You know we're going to get in some serious trouble right?" She smirked, "I've been in the punishment camps before. You're usually such a perfect little teacher's pet so, not sure if you'd be able to make it."

The fellow filly smirked at Scootaloo from afar, playfully. "I like to think the mystery of last night is more important."

Scootaloo closed her eyes, chewing her gum and smiling. "Well lead on then, Madam Detective."

The smaller pieces moved closer towards a pinnacle destination. What is their desired result?

Comments

[Rising Shine]

a nice rather calm chapter^^

[F14m3rz]

Apple Bloom sighed ... as it'd been minutes later and she was already in route to school. As she trotted down the cobble stoned streets of Ponyville, she wore an extravagant dress which was laced with orange and golden threads, with its primary color being black. She felt the heat of the sun cooking her alive, while she muttered tangent rants to herself all the while as she tried to hurry herself to school. "Darn muckin booger biscuit three hoofed eatin-"

Firstly, this was her last line of dialogue.
{"Diamond Tiara, language!"}
Secondly, what kind of messed up world forces Apple Bloom to wear a dress to school? And I thought Rainbow Dash had problems...

"And what would I have done if your negligence caused you to miss out on a session of school!? Hm!? Are you going to generate the bits necessary to pay the fee Tiara!? Look at me when I'm talking to you this instant! Tell me, are you?"

Huh, so clearly Nightmare Moon's influence has made it so that Ponyville is a place of higher status, meaning ponies wear formal clothing rather than a random assortment of accessories. This in turn would make it so that more of the upper class would populate the town, thus putting even more stress on the Rich family to be relevant, seeing as they're part of the upper-middle class, and Spoiled Rich puts more pressure on Diamond Tiara as a result.

Meanwhile, sitting by her lonesome in the middle of a barren room with a single bed was an orange blank flank filly with a raspberry colored mane.

If Rainbow can't give Scootaloo that extra 20%... who will?

She wore a bored look as her black dress was laying upon her bed, as was she. Her wings were curled in while her rear hooves were crossed over one another and she read a comic that rested atop her belly. She chewed some bubble gum, without a care in the world as she turned those pages.

Oh, she's fine... okay.

There laying on her floor was another filly, her coat a pale orange and her mane a pale rose.

In other words, a brilliant gamboge and a light/brilliant amaranth?
vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/c/c0/Babs_Seed_ID_MLP_Facebook.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/210?cb=20160220200508

[Fistfire]

So, the Apple family has money huh? I wonder how that came about.

[pahnazd]

This is a good lesson about assumptions without proper evidence or confirmation. Learn it, kids. It can save your life one day.

[Mahtan]

8447712
Apple jack works for nightmare moon in the guard.

[Jirodyne]

8447780
And not just as a normal guard, but as one of the Top 3 Guard Captains, leading the Earth Ponies, if it's based on race since Rarity is a unicorn and Rainbow is a Pegasi and both are the other Top 3.

[Mahtan]

8448032
Pinkamina is the special division. Like not the leader, the division itself.

[Jirodyne]

8448093
Pinkamina, unless you know information we don't, is just a normal guard under Rarity's command. We don't know of any Special Divisions or anything. We just know she takes orders from Rarity.

Also, that has nothing to do with what I said lol. Pinkie was not mentioned at all.

[Mahtan]

8448180
My, my... you are no fun, huh?
Anyway, given all the "potential" pinkamina has shown so far and that the other guards doesn't seen to even know about her it makes sense for her to be of a special division.
Yes, you didn't talked about het but the "big 3" are from the mane six and present "special" habilities that are exemplary of their race, why would it be diferent for pinkie that has been shown to be more powerfull than RD and AJ, likely than Rarity too.

[Jirodyne]

8448191
Because the Big 3 are 'The Big 3' for different reasons. RARITY is there because of how powerful she is. With what little hints are in the story, if what I believe is indeed true than she is only slightly less powerful, if not equal in strength, to Nightmare Moon.

Rainbow is there because of her Loyalty only.

And AJ is there because she is the most popular. AJ even mentions it, that she is one of the Big 3 simply because the guards liked her a lot.

Pinkie Pie might not even be a guard, and is just an aid/servant to Rarity. Another 'hole' in your idea is Fluttershy. She hasn't changed from the Canon other than hating Rainbow and hiding away from everypony because of an event that Rainbow did that hurt her badly.

[Mahtan]

8448478
Fluttershy is not really a hole since she was never that impressive, in cannon her biggest strenght is how meek she is.

[Eclipse_filer]

8449963
I'm just going throw this out there, Fluttershy's most impressive ability is to communicate and control animals in canon.But that was after the rainboom, without it...well she said it best in Our town. "Even tweets don't make sense anymore".

[Autum Breeze]

it would've been Papa who'd have had to pay the fee." She lowered her head solemnly again.

The mare identified as Diamond Tiara's mother pointed a scolding hoof towards the gates. "Yes, he would've! Precious bits which could be used to buy you new accessories for your dresses!

😒 really, spoiled? THAT'S your biggest concern? It's clear you're still wealthy, so a school fee isn't that big a deal. And it's not like new accessories are essential to Diamond's survival. Yeesh

[Autum Breeze]

8454731
Actually she said that during part 2 of the season 5 premiere, not during Tge Legend of Everfree

[Zubric]

I am pretty sure a world with nights for days on end would calls cops to die. Not to mention the massive temperature drops. Plus the other side of the world would be experiencing eternal sunlight.