Remnants of the past
For much of her life, Clockwork cared little for appearance. If she had to guess, she would place this apathy on having so much of her formative years being forced to care about appearances. This meant that, unless it was for work, Clockwork never cared much about decorating or “gussying things up,” as Applejack would put it. Of course, one can only live in a white, featureless house for only so long. Now that she had the time, room, and energy, she decided to call in her new friends to help out.
Lyra hemmed and hawed to herself, her eyes darting rapidly between a painting of a cottage sitting in front of a forest, or a piece of wood with the words “Enjoy the little moments” engraved on it. “I’m split, Bon-Bon. What do you think?”
The cream colored mare was busy, looping the tendrils of an ivy along the drapes over Clockwork’s kitchen sink, but she still managed to spare a moment to look Lyra’s way. “Uhhhh, pithy phrase goes across the room so guests see it when they walk in. Painting can go on the wall leading into the living room.”
Clockwork couldn’t refute this logic, and since she wasn’t much of a decorator herself, she did what all good leaders do and nodded in response. “Yes, that would be perfect. We still have a gap over here, though,” she said, gesturing to the wall by the dining table.
With a flash of yellow, Lyra’s horn ignited and hung both pieces to their new home. “That space? Don’t you worry, I already know what’s going there.”
“And that is?”
“A picture of me, you and Bonnie, of course!” Lyra exclaimed, pulling Clockwork into an extremely tight hug.
When Clockwork first made her rounds through Ponyville after getting her mask, she was rather disappointed none of her visits really stuck and developed into a full blown friendship. Clearly making friends was harder than she thought. It also seemed a bit random, as her first true friendship outside of Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity started because she bumped somepony with her butt. In some ways, this displeased Clockwork, as she enjoyed the idea that the universe had rules which made sense. Spending time with ponies like Lyra and Bon-bon was slowly starting to change her mind about this, and she wondered if perhaps dealing with the chaos was such a bad thing after all.
Lyra turned out to be an energetic ball of spontaneity, constantly chipper as if she mainlined coffee straight into her bloodstream. Bon-bon was the natural pendulum to help keep her marefriend from doing the first things that jumped into her head. Watching the two see-saw back and forth made Clockwork giggle on multiple occasions.
Thump, thump, thump.
All three ponies turned their head to the door. “Expecting someone?” Lyra asked, loosening her hug just a bit.
Clockwork shook her head. “Come in!”
The door opened slowly as Clockwork’s mom entered. “Hi Clocky, I had the day off so I thought I’d visit and see how…” her words fell off as she came to a complete halt.
The air seemed to grow heavy with tension as everypony froze. Lyra moved her lips close to Clockwork’s ear. “Page Turner is your mother?!”
“Lyra Heartstrings!” Page bellowed. “You left Canterlot with a thirty-five bit late fee on your account!”
Clockwork stood dumbfounded, stuck between a predator and her prey. She quickly cleared her throat. “Hey mom? Over here, look at me, not her. She moved, like, years ago. Is that really important now?”
Lyra, clinging to Clockwork even tighter now, looked on the verge of tears. “I forgot the book under my bed until I went to move! It was an honest mistake!”
Bon-bon hopped down off the counter, giggling to herself. “Candies, Confectionaries and Conundrums. It was a cookbook that also dabbled into philosophy.”
“I wanted to impress Bonnie when I came to visit again,” Lyra said through a fierce pout.
Page turner sighed and finally let a smile come back to her face. “I suppose I can expunge your record, seeing as how you appear to be helping my daughter—but next time you check out a book at a library, remember this conversation.”
“How could I forget?” Lyra groaned as she let Clockwork go. “I didn’t know grave turner was your mother. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I wasn’t keeping it a secret! It just didn’t come up! Also, grave turner?”
Page’s face twisted into a smirk. “A little nickname, courtesy of those who have a hard time remembering to bring their books in on time.” Her gaze turned to Bon-bon. “I know these two, but I’m afraid I’ve never met you, miss...?”
Bon-bon stepped forward, offering her hoof which was immediately shook as tradition dictated, making everything right in the world. “The name’s Bon-bon. I’m Ponyville grown and raised. Nice to meet you.”
“And you two are obviously a couple,” Page surmised. “Word of advice, be careful with Miss Heartstrings; she’s a bit of a hoofful.”
Bon-bon tittered into her hoof. “Believe me, I already know!”
Clockwork rolled her eyes at the two lovebirds. “What brings you out here, mom?”
Feigning hurt, Page put a hoof to her chest. “I can’t visit my daughter without a reason? Truly, these are dark times we live in.”
“That’s not what I mea—” She quickly closed her mouth and glared at her mom. “You just love teasing me, don’t you?”
Page walked over and wrapped her hooves around her daughter, giving her a nuzzle as well. “Of course. What kind of mom would I be if I didn’t?”
“A boring one,” Clockwork said, breaking the hug. “You came at the perfect time. We were just decorating the house.”
Looking around the room, Page tsk-ed. “You’ve been here for months, and you’re just now getting around to decorating? You really are my daughter. We’re procrastinators to the end.”
“I’ve been working on a clocktower and I fought a twenty-five foot tall crab, thank you very much. I think I have the right to procrastinate,” Clockwork protested.
Page smiled. “I see Twilight’s lifestyle has been rubbing off on you.”
“Tell me about it.”
As is also the nature of the universe and serendipity, the door flew open as Twilight entered, holding two books aloft in a purple aura. “Okay, Clockwork, I’ve got “Interior Decorating Made Easy” and “What Your Decor Says About Yo-” She came to a screeching halt upon noticing Clockwork’s mom. “Miss Page Turner!” Twilight wasted no time dashing over to the older mare to give her a big hug.
Page returned the hug with a hearty laugh. “It must be my lucky day. Two of my favorite fillies in one room. What’s the Princess of Friendship doing in a humble home like this, instead of walled up in her castle?”
“I don’t just sit in my castle all day!” Twilight protested, her cheeks puffing out in indignation. “Just yesterday, I helped clean the river by Fluttershy’s cottage.”
Page turned to Lyra and Bon-bon. “They’re just so easy to tease.”
The couple shared a laugh at Clockwork and Twilight’s expense, who in turn rolled their eyes. Following that, Twilight broke the hug, her eyes beaming with excitement. “Hey! You should come by the castle tonight! We can throw dinner together. Come on, it’s the least I could do to repay you for letting me stay when we went to Canterlot.”
With a chuckle, Page patted Twilight on her head. “You were doing my daughter a favor, it was the least I could do. I will still graciously accept your offer, though. I have to make sure my star student is running her library right, and not letting Miss Heartstrings over here run roughshod over you.”
Twilight gasped, her eyes meeting Lyra’s. “You never paid your late fee?!”
The mint-colored unicorn threw up her hooves. “It was four years ago! Gimme a break!”
“No need for that,” Page Turner explained. “I’m expunging her record since she’s also helping my daughter in the grand adventure of interior decorating.”
Twilight, who was on the verge of growling, relented. “Okay. I guess we better get this wrapped up then, so I have time to show you around the castle.”
Turning to Lyra and Bon-bon, Clockwork flashed an apologetic smile. “Sorry girls. Next time you’re free, lemme know and we can finish.”
“Sure thing!” Lyra exclaimed. “We can get our photo taken together tomorrow, and have the prints by done by Friday. It’ll look great on your wall.”
Grabbing the excitable unicorn, Bon-bon marched to the door. “See you tomorrow, Clockwork!”
Everypony watched as the door closed on the happy couple. Page couldn’t help but let a chuckle rise from her lips. “That Heartstrings. She always was so scatterbrained. Good head on her shoulders though, and very kind hearted.”
Clockwork shook her head in faux disbelief. “Jeez. Just a minute ago you were ready to snap her head off, now you’re reminiscing fondly.”
“Even good ponies need a scolding now and then. Twilight got hers when she absent-mindedly made notes in a reference book,” Page explained.
“You said you would expunge that!” Twilight shouted, her eyes wide in panic.
“I did, dear. Expunge doesn’t mean forget. It just means I don’t have it written down anymore. I’ll always have it here,” Page said, tapping the side of her head. Ignoring Twilight’s near panic attack, she started for the door. “Come along, Princess of Friendship. You have a tour to give.”
The trio of ponies made their way to the intimidating castle which towered over the town. Despite having met Princess Celestia and spending time in their castle, Page was still in shock. “My goodness. All of this is yours?”
With a blush, Twilight nodded. “Yeah. Well, mine and my friends,” she clarified, pushing open the doors. Together they walked inside, making sure to go slow so Page could drink in all the little details.
“There’s so much room here. What do you do with it all?”
“Not a lot,” Twilight admitted. “I don’t exactly know what to do with it. As it stands, it’s more or less a headquarters for us to discuss friendship problems.”
“And to host wild Pinkie Pie parties,” Clockwork added.
Page scrunched her nose. “What’s a Pinkie Pie?”
“One of my friends,” Twilight explained. “If she’s free later, I’ll introduce you”
“She’s also a natural disaster, depending on which pony you ask,” Clockwork helpfully chimed in.
Rolling her eyes, Twilight scoffed, pushing open the door to the throne room. “She’s our natural disaster, thank you very much. This is sort of the heart of the castle. The map tells us where a problem is, and who fixes it. Simple as that.”
Page Turner walked over to the map, inspecting it carefully. Her hoof waved right through the landscape of Equestria. A large, thoughtful frown crossed her lips. “Let me guess, magic.”
“Ummm, yeah,” Twilight admitted sheepishly.
The older mare seemed to visibly change. Twilight and Clockwork both saw the signs and knew that if they weren’t careful, they could end up with a Page Turner stuck in maximum overlecture.
“Magic is fine and all, but it’s just magic! How does it work? It’s magic! There’s no logic or reason. It’s not like electricity or gravity. Magic just happens. What does it cost? Who pays the price? Where does it come from? It’s magic! We just don’t know much about it, and I always wonder when unicorns and alicorns start flinging magic everywhere, when the bill will come due. That’s why I don’t trust it,” Page stated bluntly.
“Yes, mother, we all know how you feel about magic. You are a unicorn, though,” Clockwork reminded her.
“Which makes me completely qualified to criticize magic.”
Knowing how Twilight felt about her own power and her past, Clockwork wanted to object. Her mouth opened, but before the words bubbled up, Twilight chimed in.
“She’s right. Magic cannot be completely trusted. That’s why I spend as much time as I do studying it.”
Page smiled warmly. “And Equestria is all the safer for it. If only all unicorns did their due diligence like you. We wouldn’t have insanely powerful artifacts, or ‘Want it, Need it’ spells.”
“R-right! Exactly!” Twilight agreed, nodding furiously. “That’s why my research is so important!”
The sound of claws against crystal grew louder as everypony turned to the back of the room. “Is someone else here, Twilight?”
Spike barely turned the corner when his eyes lit up. “Miss Turner!” Bounding across the room, the little drake ran right up to the elder pony and hugged her leg.
“Hello, Spike. It’s good to see you again. Last time I saw you was the night before you and Twilight left for Ponyville,” Page said, nuzzling the dragon. He looked down at his feet, a frown on his lips.
“Sorry I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. Neither of us expected to be sent to Ponyville.”
“I know, Spike. I remember when you were just a hatchling, sleeping in Twilight’s saddlebags. Now you’re getting so big. Time’s moving a little fast for this old gal.”
Spike beamed back up at her. “I remember you sneaking me lapis in between dinners when Twilight wasn’t looking.”
Pulling a small pouch out of her saddlebags, Page smile and hoofed it over to Spike, whose eyes lit up. “Some things never change.”
Naturally, Spike couldn’t help but pluck a gem from the bag right away. “Mmmmm, delicious.”
“Spike, don’t spoil your dinner,” Twilight warned him.
The little drake waved her off with a claw. “I won’t. What are we having anyway?”
“How does spaghetti and french bread sound?” Clockwork suggested.
Puffing out his chest proudly, Spike stepped forward. “You have made a fine choice. Spaghetti happens to be my specialty.”
“It’s true,” Twilight added. “He makes really good spaghetti.”
“Mind if I help, Spike?” Clockwork asked. “I’ve been meaning to learn how to cook, and Twilight’s just gonna be showing my mom around the castle.”
“Really? You want me to teach you how to cook?” Spike asked incredulously.
“Sure!”
Clearing his throat, Spike marched toward the kitchen with a gallant stride. “Very well, but in the kitchen, I am the boss, and I expect you to listen to what I say.”
Clockwork giggled into her hoof. “Yes, sir!”
Partway through showing Page Turner around, Twilight produced a notebook and pencil. As it turned out, she had quite a few suggestions as to how Twilight could use some of the extra space. She scribbled furiously while Page lectured about idiosyncrasies in experiments.
“Thaumic contamination can easily ruin a control if you don’t have proper shielding. Have you considered turning this into a decontamination room?” Page asked, running her hoof over a dust covered table.
“I usually do a thorough decontamination spell when I’m finished with an experiment.”
Turning to the alicorn, Page had a smirk painted on her lips. “Ah, but does it not occur to you that a decontamination spell in itself is thaumic in nature, and can cause incorrect results?”
Twilight nearly dropped her notebook in shock. “It can?!”
“All things have some magic, Twilight. By casting a decontamination spell with the items still in the room, you then remove the magical energy that they had from the start. In essence, this would cause little issue as most latent magic is benign, but working with a plant such as poison joke would invalidate any results.”
“I see,” Twilight said, her pencil moving so quickly in her magical aura that it seemed like it might set the paper on fire.
“How long have you and my daughter been dating?”
The scribbling came to an abrupt end. Twilight’s mind came to a screeching halt as she tried to pretend she didn't hear what she just heard. “Wha-what?”
“I was asking you how long you have been dating my daughter,” Page reminded her.
By now, Twilight knew she couldn’t get away with lying to Page. She had tried it once when she was a small filly, and it turned out poorly. “Not long…”
Page nodded grimly. Her eyes sought out a chair, which she quickly took a seat in. “Sit down, Twilight. I have something difficult I must tell you.”
“I-I don’t need to sit.”
Page shook her head. “You’ll need to when you hear thi-”
“I know all about her brother... and your husband,” Twilight blurted out, averting her eyes.
It was Page’s turn to be surprised. “She… told you?”
Twilight nodded. “I never knew you had a daughter. It never really struck me how little I knew about you, until I found out Clockwork was yours. The whole time, you’ve put on a brave face. I can only imagine how much you were hurting inside.”
For all the years Twilight had known her, Page was confident, strong, hard as steel, yet soft as cotton. The Page Turner sitting before her looked like a completely different pony. Her head hung with shame, and even her shoulders sagged. Like a swordpony seeing their prized weapon break in their hooves, Twilight couldn’t turn away. The tears started rolling down Page’s cheeks, staining the floor.
“I failed her, Twilight. I didn’t stand up to that monster, that monster I invited into my house, and I let him hurt her, and take away my son.”
Twilight wasted no time in trotting over and nuzzling into her side. “That monster hurt you too. You were every bit the victim they were.”
Page’s lips curled into an anemic smile, . “Twilight, If I had just done something, maybe thi-”
Not another word escaped her mouth, thanks to the hoof Twilight placed over it. “If you think Clockwork doesn’t wake up every day asking herself what she could have done differently, you’re crazy. You can’t do that. I don’t know how long you’ve suffered like this, but there’s no reason to now. I was just a filly back then, but now, I am an adult, and your friend. The Princess of Friendship, no less. That means if you need to talk, or if you need to rant, or rave, or whatever, you only need visit.”
Slowly, Page’s hooves rested around Twilight. “Thank you. You always were a sweetheart, even when you had your nose deep in a book.”
Together, they shared a hug, before slowly untangling from each other. “So, what was she like?”
Page tilted her head. “Who? Clockwork? She’s special, that’s for sure. After the… you know… she spent a lot of time bottled up. She mostly spent her time working on and inventing machinery. Therapy didn’t do much, since she couldn’t exactly hold a long conversation. She came home one day practically exploding in joy. She had overheard two guard ponies at Canterlot Castle talking about some pony who had a large clock as part of their building’s storefront. Apparently, it broke, and the owner was having trouble finding a repair pony capable of fixing it, since all they did was sell the things.”
“Had she ever worked on a clock that big before?” Twilight asked.
“Nope. First time,” Page said, pride beaming on her face. “She knew exactly what store the guards were talking about, and she galloped straight there to fix the clock. Next thing I know, she comes home with a pouch full of bits. She spent more time away from home over the next few months until one day she came home and dragged me out of the house. I followed, of course, until we came across a small shop two blocks away. She pulled out a key and unlocked it, and Twilight, I had never seen a smile so wide on that filly’s face. She bought a store and opened her very own repair shop.”
Page shook her head. “I did my best to smile the whole time, but I knew I was losing my little filly. I wanted to keep her near me, safe from the evils of the world. Then I realized I already failed at doing that, so the best thing I could do was let her go.”
Folding her ears, Twilight sighed. “I already told you it wasn’t your fault.”
“I know dear. It still feels like it is. In the end, letting my daughter spread her wings was the best thing I could do for her, just as Celestia let you spread yours.”
“Speaking of spreading wings, I still have lots to show you!“ Twilight announced. “Up next, the Library.”
Page leaned in and nudged Twilight in the side. “You know how to keep my attention.”
The tour of the castle concluded at the dining room, where Clockwork and Spike were busy setting the table. The mare’s eyes lit up as the two ponies trotted in, sharing lighthearted conversation.
“Thank goodness! This dragon of yours is an absolute taskmaster! I don’t think someone could make spaghetti harder to cook if they tried!” Clockwork complained. This outburst was immediately followed by a swift swat from a wooden spoon. “Ow! See what I mean?”
Spike, tapping the spoon on his other claw, simply grunted. “Whining doesn’t get the food cooked. I caught you sampling, too!”
“I was making sure it was spiced right!” Clockwork protested.
The wooden spoon left Spike’s claws in a purple aura, as Twilight magicked it away. “I told you about assaulting our guests, Spike!”
“She dipped in three times!” The dragon protested. Clockwork at least had the shame to look down at her hooves.
“It was really good…”
The wooden spoon returned, still in it’s purple glow whereupon it lightly bonked her on the head. “Ouch!”
“No unnecessary sampling,” Twilight declared. “Has she always been this crazy?” she asked, turning to Page.
“I am not crazy!” Clockwork exclaimed. From inside her saddlebags, she produced a piece of paper and hoofed it over to Twilight. “See? Not crazy! Pretty impressive, huh? Not everypony has actual documentation that they’re sane.”
To the mare’s credit, Twilight looked it over and could not find fault in the official document from the royal psychologist. It clearly and unquestioningly declared Clockwork as a sane and functional member of society. Twilight started to open her mouth to explain that sane ponies usually didn’t need paperwork to say such things, but swiftly shut it after seeing the satisfied smile on Clockwork’s lips.
“Uhh, yes, very impressive. How about dinner?”
After dinner, Page and Clockwork said their goodbyes and walked back to her home. The sun hadn’t yet gone down, but orange tinted the horizon, a harbinger of the night to come.
“You know, you don’t have to go home tonight,” Clockwork said. “I can sleep on the couch, or Twilight has some rooms available.”
“A lot of rooms available,” Page corrected. “It feels like that castle is meant for something greater.”
Pushing open the door, Clockwork let her mother inside and followed closely behind. “What do you mean?”
The older mare walked in and took a seat in one of the chairs surrounding the table, her brow knit in concentration. “I don’t quite know. Well, if it’s meant to be, Twilight will make it happen; she’s a real capable pony. Wouldn’t know it herself, but such is the way of born leaders.”
“Coulda fooled me,” Clockwork grumbled. “Most leaders don’t shut up about how great they are.”
“I said leaders, not tyrants. Tyrants know exactly what they want, and they aren’t afraid to let others know.”
Clockwork nodded. “Right. I’m gonna make some tea, want any?”
Page sighed and shook her head. “Listen Clockwork, I need you to sit down, please.”
The hair on Clockwork’s back rose. Her mother rarely used her full name. Upon hearing it from her mother, she always felt uneasy. She could feel the air growing thick with tension as her mother’s lips curled into a frown and her head drooped slightly.
“O-okay…”
Doing as she was asked, she pulled out a chair and scooted it closer to her mother.
“Clockwork I didn’t come here just to visit. Ever since you got that machine from Twilight, something has been weighing on my mind.”
A feeling of dread built in Clockwork’s stomach. “What’s wrong, mother?”
“Nothing’s wrong, dear. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. You’ve finally spread your wings. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. You’ve done so much, and you’ve done it on your own, and I’m sorry.”
“What?” Clockwork’s eyes widened. “Sorry? Why? What do you have to be sorry about?”
Page pulled her daughter closer, wrapping her in a hug. Tears fell freely from her eyes, soaking her cheek. “I should have protected you. Should have protected both of you. I failed the one job a parent is supposed to do, protect her children.”
“Mother, you were in trouble too. Who was supposed to protect you?” Clockwork asked, tightening her hug. “I couldn’t ask for a better mother. Do you think I would be anything but a failure if it weren’t for a super mom like you?”
Page didn’t respond. She couldn’t. She clung to her daughter and sobbed.
“Mom. I don’t know how long you’ve felt like this. We never really talked much about that day, but you don’t owe me an apology. Not for anything. I didn’t have a perfect childhood, but I wouldn’t trade you for anypony’s mom. I’ll never forget that day you came home and saw I had broken your mantle clock. I thought for sure you were gonna be mad, but you weren’t. You just shook your head and said ‘Let’s see if we can fix it.’ You knew the whole time what my special talent was, didn’t you?”
Page managed a laugh in between the tears. “I had an inkling. Truth be told, I didn’t know until your brother told me how good you were at fixing his stuff.”
“That’s my brother, all right. He’d break something, I’d fix it,” Clockwork said.
As the crying slowly came to an end, Page managed to loosen her embrace and stared into the eyes of the filly she gave birth to. “I’m so proud of you, Clocky. You might not be destined for great things, you might not be a princess, you might not be perfect—but you’re a kind, sweet, and loving pony, and you know what I say about things that aren’t quite perfect.”
Smiling around her mask, Clockwork blushed. “They’re close enough.”
Leaning forward, Page planted a kiss right on Clockwork’s forehead. “Good night, Clocky. I’ll be by sometime soon.”
Clockwork threw her hooves around her mother. “Night, mom. See you later.”
Together they shared a smile as Page opened the door and stepped out into the night, destined for the train station.
Since her mother had left, she decided tea would no longer be needed, and instead, retreated to her bed. Curling up under the sheets, memories came out to play, some happy, some sad; they danced in her mind until she drifted off to sleep.
A curious ticking roused Clockwork from her sleep. Amber eyes scanned her surroundings, looking for any sort of landmark to tell her where she was. She tried to turn her head, but curiously, found it would not move. Next she tried moving her legs, and found, they too were stuck.
“What in the world?”
As the words left her mouth, she realized she was no longer wearing her mask. On top of that, a seething pain flared in her throat. It was a pain she had felt numerous times, and one that quickly threw her into a panic. She broke that horrid thing years ago. How in Equestria did it get fixed—more importantly, how was it on her neck?
“This is all your fault!”
Clockwork’s blood grew cold. She recognized that voice. She could never forget it. In the small places in the night, in the longest shadows, it haunted her. It was loud, it was disgusting, it was filled with rage and anger. It bellowed through the world and shook Clockwork deep inside.
“If you had just done what you were told, everything would have been fine!”
From somewhere behind Clockwork, she could hear the sound of air being sliced. A steady whoosh, whoosh, whoosh echoed in the dead world. Struggling against her bonds, Clockwork realized she was sitting on a conveyor belt. Craning her neck, she managed to catch a glimpse of a giant pendulum slicing the air. As the conveyor hummed along, she saw a sickening sight. The pendulum had a sharp blade along the bottom of its bob.
“Time’s running ouuut…” the voice taunted.
Tied together
by the string of fate
two souls entwined
one path to take
Danger ahead
no time to wait
the clock is running
will she be too late?
The pendulum grew louder and louder as she inched closer to it. The fear in her heart threatened to swallow her whole. Knowing that her life depended on it, she quickly set her mind to work.
Think, Clockwork, think! These ropes aren’t thick, but you can’t exactly break them!
Her mind scrambled, running through everything she could think of to get free.
The conveyor! I bet I could snag the rope on something!
Looking to the side closest to her, she saw a hook which connected this length of conveyor to the next. She quickly moved her front hooves over it, letting the rope binding them catch it. The conveyor kept moving, putting pressure on the rope. As the tension grew, Clockwork felt her legs being pulled tight. The pain grew stronger and stronger, making her cry out.
Please! Just give up!
With a snap, the rope finally broke, freeing her hooves. Frantically, she reached up and pulled the ropes off of her head, just in time to see the pendulum strike where she was. On reflex, she launched herself off the conveyor onto the floor, where she worked to free her rear hooves.
“You no good piece of crap! Why do you have to defy me?”
Looking up to the face of her tomentor, she stared back into the eyes of her father. He was huge and sullen, a behemoth several feet taller than her, huffing in barely contained rage. He stepped toward her, brandishing a kitchen knife as large as a sword. Clockwork’s mouth hung open in shock and fear, threatening to root her in place. His muscles rippled, foretelling a mighty leap right toward her. Clockwork forced herself to move just in time to avoid the strike, and watch in horror as the knife hit the floor of the dark void. As it did, the world changed. She found herself in a place all too familiar.
It was her house, only much larger, and she felt like a tiny filly compared to the furniture lining its halls. Where her father’s knife hit the void, splinters erupted where the floor turned into hardwood. Wrenching his weapon free, he growled and drew a steely gaze at her. Clockwork did the only thing her body would let her.
She ran.
Thunderous hoofsteps echoed as he followed her in pursuit.
“Clockwork!”
The mare looked to the voice. It was coming from inside of a mirror that she was rapidly approaching. Within the frame she could see Princess Luna pounding desperately at the glass.
“Clockwork! I can’t get inside! You must fight!”
Is she crazy?! He’s huge, I can’t fight him! I don’t have anything to protect myself with!
Ignoring Luna, she kept running, only to realize that the hallway kept stretching forward without end.
“Fight, Clockwork!” Luna pleaded from the next mirror Clockwork passed.
I can’t!
Her battle has begun,
but her time is running out,
In order to win,
she must conquer her doubts,
fighting blood with blood,
she can finally turn the page,
to end the nightmare of her bloodline
she must release her rage.
Despite her best efforts, Clockwork could practically feel her father’s breath on her neck. She knew it would be only a matter of time before he struck.
“Think of all that he took away from you, and fight!” Luna pleaded.
Visions flashed in Clockwork’s head. She thought about everything she had suffered through, all that she had lost. The pain, the heartache. It boiled in her tiny chest like a kettle, building deep inside her heart. Clockwork wasn’t a fighter. She had never fought in her life. She had only seen others do it, but it looked simple enough. In her head she envisioned what she wanted and in a flash, her muscles sprung into action like coiled springs. She slammed her rear hooves into the hardwood floor. Gritting her teeth, she called upon all of her strength, all of her reserves, everything she had, and then she called upon generations of earth pony magic, demanding it rise to the surface. Her hooves slammed into the floor, fighting against the inertia sliding her forward, and then she rose into the air, her hoof outstretched into an uppercut.
It felt like a glancing blow, like she had hardly hit him at all, but then she noticed a brown hoof alongside hers, a purple hoof alongside that one, and a midnight blue hoof alongside that one. They each connected solidly with her father’s chin, sending the slavering beast flying down the hallway where he landed on his back. He raised his head to look toward the mare that was just running from him in sheer terror, just in time to see her rip the choker off of her neck in one effortless stroke.
“Your crimes are heinous, unconscionable. They follow this mare beyond the grave.”
Clockwork was in utter shock. She heard her voice, but also, her mother’s voice, Luna’s voice, and… it had been so long since she had heard his voice, yet she could never forget it.
“Your reign of terror over this mare’s spirit ends tonight, vile spector!” the four ponies declared as one.
Clockwork’s father snarled in response. Grabbing the blade, he charged, mouth open in rage and bloodlust in his eyes.
Just as one would walk around a piece of trash on the street, Clockwork walked to the side as the knife shattered the floor where she stood. As one, four hooves lashed out at the leg holding the sword. The creature roared in pain, releasing the sword and falling backwards onto his haunches.
“You no longer hold power here!” the voices chorused. Rushing forward, Clockwork let loose a flurry of blows. Eight hooves of fury pounded on the vile creature as it whimpered and yelped beneath the crushing blows. Her voice rose in a primal scream as she swung wildly, lost in the moment of power. Her vicious assault continued until her shoulders ached and the rage boiled over in her heart. Knowing the mirage was well and truly finished, she leapt backwards, her hooves digging into the wood once more. Using one of her hooves, she pounded the ground and propelled herself forward in a shower of splintering wood and debris. She waited until all she could see was the terror in his eyes, before sending a right hook with four hooves into his face.
The nightmare flew backwards down the hallway for what looked like miles, tumbling across the floor and sending more wood flying into the air. She watched and listened, until the carnage stopped and all she could hear was four ponies breathing out. With an idle thought, she tapped her hooves together which teleported her to where he stopped, slumped against the half broken kitchen table.
“Return to the shadows where you belong,” The chorus demanded. Eight hooves snaked out, encapsulating the dark monster. The creature was well and truly frightened now. He pushed against the hooves, straining with the effort, but they slowly started to close around him until he could no longer be seen. Once Clockwork pulled all the hooves away, she saw nothing remained.
“I knew you could do it, kiddo.”
Clockwork froze again. It was his voice again. She stepped to the left, and saw her brother there, standing by her side.
“Tango?!”
Dashing forward, Clockwork went to wrap her hooves around him, only to stumble right through. She stared in horror for a moment at her empty hooves. She turned to him, tears in her eyes.
“Sorry, Clocky. I can’t be there like that, but your big bro will always be here, right in your heart,” Tango said, poking a hoof at her chest. His lips curled into a smile as his form scattered into dust, floating away on a wind not of this plane.
Turning to the other ponies, she saw her mother smile as she too disappeared. “That’s my girl,” she said, her voice drifting away.
That only left the Lunar Diarch.
“What… what is all this?” Clockwork asked.
Princess Luna frowned. “This is a nightmare. Was a nightmare. An especially strong one. Years and years of fear, doubts, and remorse bottled up and brought to the surface. Tell me, did something happen to bring these memories back?”
Clockwork took a seat at the partially destroyed table. “Yeah. My mother came to visit. She… apologized to me. Can you believe that? She apologized to me. She said it was her responsibility to protect me and my brother from him. Whose responsibility was it to protect her?!”
Taking a seat in a larger, much more ornate chair, Luna nodded. “This has been happening more and more. Ponies have bottled nightmares up over the years, and then—”
Pop!
Luna, who had previously held nothing, was now holding an open bottle, the cork rolling on the ground. Plumes of dark smoke billowed out of the bottle before she blew it away.
“How are you doing that?” Clockwork asked.
“Doing what?”
“The chair, and the bottle.”
Chuckling into her hoof, Luna shook her head. “It’s a dream, remember? If I couldn’t summon a chair or a bottle in a dream, I would require remedial classes. As I was saying, ponies who are unable to confront their nightmares and bottle them up, sometimes end up in quite powerful nightmares which quickly turn into battles. In very rare occasions, they may even pass away in their sleep.”
Clockwork shivered. “Is… is that why you were trapped in the mirror?”
Luna nodded. “Yes. When nightmares are too strong, I cannot exert my will upon them. In order to change a dream, I have to be more powerful than the ponies dreaming, and nightmares are the most powerful. In essence, your fear was keeping me out.”
Clockwork shrugged. “Sorry about that. What happens now?”
Luna smiled. “Now, you get to dream, and rest. You should be a little bit cautious though.”
“Cautious? Of what?”
“Well, ponies who confront trauma like this sometimes make rash, risky decisions. It’s like a weight is lifted from their hearts, and they might take chances they wouldn’t otherwise… or just end up being a little too happy for a bit until they level out, emotion wise,” Luna explained.
“Got it,” Clockwork nodded. “Anything else?”
Looking up, Clockwork realized that she was now back in her own home, sitting at her own table. Along with her were Twilight, Lyra, and Bon-bon, who were all holding playing cards.
“Need any cards?” Lyra asked from the opposite side of the table.
Reaching down, Clockwork picked up her cards and looked them over. Two queens and three jacks sat in her hooves. In the corner of one of the queens, she saw Luna’s face looking back at her.
“Enjoy your rest, and have fun,” the card spoke before turning back into a regular queen.
A smile crossed Clockwork’s lips. “These cards are fine.”
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woo! a good chapter
All things considered, i like this story. Crazy, weird, and unique in a way that pieces together well. Not bad for a "crack fic"
Interesting views on the theoretical limits of dream interference.
Welp, that settled it. Finally faved. Excellent.
That was awesome. I cant wait to see what happens next. Or what kind of disicions she will end up making as a result of her heart being "more free".....
KISS THE GIRL DAMMIT
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Yeah I was also very intrigued by his/her take on it. I always thought of dream walking as something that should have more limits in stories
I feel ya with the not being ready stuff. I've rewritten so many unpublished things I've got an overflowing docs folder full of it.
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I love playing with concepts like these, especially in a world like mlp where they haven’t explained it all in detail. It allows much more freedom with writing. This was playing a bit with the notion of ponies dying in their sleep. Not saying that’s what would have happened to Clockwork if Luna hadn’t helped her, but the idea that it might have is intriguing all on it’s own.
IF you like dream stuff and like another sort of crack ship, I wrote a lunapie story called Laughter or Darkness that plays with dream concepts too.
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I have two stories that are incomplete due to this, and if I hadn’t just finally took a stand and started posting, this story may never have made it out of my gdocs. Just gotta get it out there sometimes.
Can't wait for the next chapter. We get to see Clocky with her heart unchained, which is hopefully a good thing :3 Wonder if Luna and she would talk more about the dream, specifically when she 'spoke' with her brother.
Very well done chapter with some interesting concepts explored. There were just one or two minor errors.
Previous chapter said the crab attack was a week ago, this one says three days.
And when she talk to her brother he says,"but your big bro always be here". Either missing a word or phrase it differently.
That's it, but still really a good chapter.
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Argh! That’s the problem with rewrites and touchups. Little things like that always seem to slip through.
Regardless, I’m glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for letting me know so i could fix them, and thanks for reading!
Of course she knows her own daughter, duh!
Possibly one of the most accurate, and at the same time sentimental, descriptions of Pinkie ever written. Kudos!
Prench. From Prance.