Chapter 8: New Faces
Alpha once again stood before his master's room of nightmares, dreading as he once again became a messenger of ill news. He took a breath of stall metallic air to steady his near breaking nerves before pushing the doors open, hoping that nothing terrible will happen to him like to those that disappointed him as the diamond dog stepped into the darkness. He quickly made his way across the room and bowed to his master standing a few feet away from him, his back always facing him. "Alpha, I hope that you have good news to report, judging on the way how quick you came in," the cloaked being said, causing the diamond dog to flinch at the misunderstanding. A cloaked head appeared above his shoulders as he looked away from whatever he's working on this time and faced the nervous canine. "Tell me that you were able to recover it?"
"Master, I deeply apologize if it appears like that," Alpha started to shake as his master walked up to him. "But I'm afraid that I instead come bearing with unfavorable news about the recovery of the key. We were able to track it by the signature it left behind until-"
"Until what?"
"Until it just vanished a day or so into the trail," Alpha finished with a nervous swallow, waiting for any punishment that might be coming his way.
"What did you find at the end of the trail?" Alpha's master asked, catching the diamond dog off guard by the unexpected question. "Which way is it heading?"
"Uh, there appears to be another tracks with the target and that they're heading north."
"Interesting, it must have somehow figured to mask its thaumatic signature," the cloaked figure commented as he walked around the still bowing diamond dog and towards his table. "Now, about that other task I set out for you, I hope that that you have better success than this last one." Alpha cringed inside at the expected results of his latest assignment.
"Master… my pack failed to apprehend the target, but it was because they didn't understand their orders and thus failed," Alpha blamed those in his pack for his failed assignment as he finally looked away from the floor and up towards his cloaked master.
"Oh I believe you Alpha," the cloaked figure agreed as he started to assemble something together. "I would've been deeply disappointed if the target was to be easily capture by a pack of dimwitted diamond dogs. So I don't blame you for this failed assignment, as your pack were just a test in the beginning." Alpha didn't know either to by glad he isn't getting punished or insulted for his species to be so lowly thought of. However, he didn't linger on this thought as his master resumed talking, "when I first came across you, you were just the idiot runt of the litter, so to speak, with no future in him whatsoever. But with my help and care, you became so much smarter, stronger, and cunning that you became the alpha of your pack very quickly."
He turned around to face the alpha, holding something in his grasp what seems to be a metal egg. The alpha's master approached him and ordered for his paw, which the diamond dog complied and soon found the metal egg in his paw. Alpha gave the egg a confused look as his master walked away from him. "Master, please forgive my ignorance, but what is this device that you gave me?"
"If my theory is correct, that device should give you an edge to apprehend the target. Although, I would suggest that you tell your pack to wear some protection. Just in case."
…
The sound of metallic footsteps, accompanied by the clip clop rhythm of hooves, was present as automaton and unicorn walked down a near invisible path through the forest, with light filtering through the treetops. Jace found the setting peaceful, reminding him of the hiking trips he did through the forest and mountains back home on in his old world. The sounds of birds singing, winds rushing through the trees…
"Gah! What in Equestria is this thing?" And apparently a cry of frustration from a pony was the only thing to be heard in the forest as Clockwork shakes the metal cylinder in front of her in her magic.
"So I take it that you still haven't figured out what that thing is or what it does then Clockwork," Jace said as he reached for the cylinder and pulled it out of Clockwork's silver magical grasp to get a closer look at it.
"It's frustrating, there's no signs of any seams, knobs, buttons or markings of any kind that could indicate that it could open."
"It looks like just a plain piece of metal to me," Jace observed as he turned it over and just as the unicorn said, there's no sign of anything to indicate that it isn't anything more than just a piece of metal.
"It may look like it, but there's actually a very complex spell weaved into that thing, which I have no clue what it does or how to activate it by the way. It's just very frustrating," Clockwork explained as she took back the cylinder from Jace and slipped it into her bags.
Jace noticed the slight discomfort in Clockwork when she shifted her bags. "You know Clockwork, I can carry those if you want me to if you're getting uncomfortable."
"Nah, it's alright Jace. I'm fine. It's just that you're already carrying a lot of things there," she said as he motioned with her head towards the few packs on Jace's back. "I'm mean, you were basically designed by a god, given a key that holds unknown power that can unlock unknown abilities built into you, and yet, I'm using you as some sort of pack animal. That just doesn't sit right with me as an engineer, do you get me?"
"Yeah, I think so," Jace agreed just as they came to a small clearing. "It's getting dark and this looks like a good place to stop for the day," Jace said as he took off the packs. "I'm going to gather wood for a fire, so take a load off Clockwork, because you must be really tired since we walked almost all day."
"I'll be frank, I'm a little jealous because my hooves are killing me and I'm still sore from yesterday's walk," Clockwork questioned as she levitated off her packs, removed her rolled up blanket from her pack and splayed it out over a pile of comfortable looking leaves before gingerly settling onto it, letting out a sigh of relief. "I guess being a machine has some perks."
"That may be true, but there are a couple of downsides as well." Jace replied back with a solemn tone of voice before heading towards deeper forest. "I'll go and find some wood before it gets to dark."
As Jace walked away, Clockwork couldn't help but feel worried for him as his thunderous form gradually disappeared into the forest. "I hope he's going to be alright."
…
When Jace returned to their campsite half an hour later with an armful of wood, he found Clockwork once again working again on the mysterious object giving by her mother with a tensed look on her face as he passed her and started to work on the fire. "If you stare at that thing any longer, you're going to drill through it with your eyes or horn. So why don't you give it a rest?"
"I just don't know Jace, but I just can't as it feels like there's something about it that just wants my attention. Ugh, I just don't know how to explain it fully Jace," Clockwork explained as she looked up to see Jace creating a tiny pile of leaves and needles that's going to be the beginning of their fire. "I'll get the tinderbox," Clockwork offered as she reached for her bags.
"Nah, don't sweat it Clockwork. I got this one." Jace said as he picked up a stone. Before Clockwork can questioned what he meant, Jace quickly strike the back of his hand with a rock, causing sparks to fly onto a pile of old, dried up leaves and pine needles which were after a moment of smoke started to be engulfed in flames. Jace quickly piled the wood on top of the small flame which after a moment finally started to burn.
"Not bad for my first time making fire." Jace looked away from his impromptu fire, feeling proud until he saw the look of horror on the unicorn's face, which made him worried as he turned around to see if there's anything behind him. "What, what is it?"
"You didn't just did what I think you just did," Clockwork said, causing Jace to look back towards the angry unicorn. She got up, ignoring the soreness in her hooves, and walked up to Jace as the want to just hit him with a large wrench came to mind.
"What, I just wanted to give making fire by myself a try," Jace explained before a large clang rang through the small clearing. Jace found himself splayed on the ground with his head bent back. "What the heck was that for Clockwork?" Jace questioned as he looked back up at the unicorn and was surprised to see a large wrench pointing at his head.
"It may be your body, but I've been tasked to make sure that you you're not going to trash yourself," Clockwork stated as she waved the wrench around threatening in Jace's face. "And since I made your body, I don't take it likely when my work is getting trashed. I can technically say that I own you Jace as I'm the one that had fabricated the parts and built you, but I won't because I'm nice like that."
"Says the crazy unicorn with a big…" Jace started as he pushed himself up but then trailed off when he realized something. "Uh Clockwork, where did you get that wrench?"
"Huh?" Clockwork then noticed the tool in her magic, surprising her with its sudden appearance that it caused her magic hold to suddenly loose grip on it as her focus faltered momentarily. It slid through her magic and fell to the ground with a solid thud. "Where did that come from?" Before anything else can be said, the wrench suddenly started to lose its form as if it was made of water and compressed itself until it was the familiar metal cylinder once more.
"Whoa, how did you do that?" Jace asked Clockwork as she picked up the cylinder once and studied it in the dying light of the evening sun.
"I don't have a clue Jace," Clockwork said with a puzzled look on her face before it became an annoyed look as she let out a moan of frustration. "This thing is driving me nuts. I'm supposed to have a talent for these kind of things and yet, I can't figure out what this thing is that my mom made."
"If you ask me, it looks like nanotechnology to me, or something like it at least." Clockwork turned towards Jace at what he said as he prop himself and sat down next to the fire. Jace took note that the unicorn is looking at him. 'What?"
"Nanotechnology?" Clockwork voiced the word, hearing how the strange word sounded rolling off her tongue and couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of learning something new of an unknown kind of technology. "What is it Jace and what does it do?"
"Nanotechnology is just machines built at minuscule levels that could do basically any task you instructed them to do."
"Just how minuscule can they get?" Clockwork inquired.
"Um, I think just as small as a grain of sand, maybe even smaller."
"Okay that's not possible," Clockwork responded back as she stared at Jace like he's now a living thing of flesh and blood. "No machine can't be that tiny, trust me on that. The smallest machine I've ever made was about the size of a rodent and that was very difficult with the fabrication and assembling of the parts. So there is no way that nano-machines could exist."
"Well I admit that nanotech might sound like a fictional impossibility, but that doesn't mean it couldn't exist. I mean, take your mom for example Clockwork, she knows a lot about you than you know yourself and that she was able to make something that's apparent to nanotech, which you're having trouble to know what it does at the moment."
Clockwork thought this over before letting out frustrated sigh. "You're right Jace. Ugh, this is all just so confusing and it's infuriating me. It feels like I'm just getting farther and farther away from the truth about my mom whenever I discovered something new about my mom," Clockwork said as she walked back to her blanket and dropped down on it, as she buried her face in her front hooves as her ears droop down the sides of her head, revealing her defeated mood to Jace.
"Don't worry about it Clockwork." Clockwork peered from her hooves as she looked up at Jace, her ears perking at his voice. "We will eventually find the truth, but unfortunately we can't do a thing about so try not to worry about it. The only thing you should worry about right now is…" Jace trailed as he reached into a bag, pulling out a pan and waved it at her. "What do you want for dinner?"
Clockwork gave Jace a small smile.
…
After a night of watching the fire to the point that Clockwork finally dozed off to sleep, Jace watched over their small camp for any sigh of danger like he has done for the past few days since leaving Ironwood Falls when he got a feeling that they're being followed. Clockwork was shocked when she learned that Jace has been keeping watch all night after the first couple days and explained to him that isn't healthy at all, especially with his sudden death and its' unknown changes to his psyche, and demanded that either there be night shifts or go to sleep when she does. Of course Jace agreed to sleep when she does, but nevertheless stays up through the night when Clockwork finally goes to sleep after attempting to stay up with him. When asked if he got some rest from the unicorn in the following morning, he'll reply that he did and change the subject to how far they have traveled. It was a repeating routine that they both had put themselves into.
"How far have we gone so far today Clockwork?"
"A few miles at best," Clockwork replied back as she looked away from the map. "Ugh, this is going to forever to get somewhere by hoof. I wish we had a train station for Ironwood Falls, but it's because that it doesn't exist is the reason why don't have one in the first place."
"Wait, I think I remember you saying something like that your town don't exist?" Jace asked surprised as he looked down at Clockwork. "But it looks like it's been there for generations, how can it not exist? That just doesn't make sense."
"The town does physically actually exist Jace, we just don't show on any current maps."
"Oh, so that's what you mean that they town isn't on any maps, but why is that though?"
"I say that it was probably a few decades ago, give or take a few years with the scarce amount of town history for that time. There was supposedly a cartographer from Canterlot-"
"Wait wait wait, Canterlot? There's a city called Canterlot?" Jace couldn't help but chuckle at hearing the name of the city.
"Yeah, what about it?" Clockwork asked, confused why Jace is chuckling at hearing about Canterlot.
"So what, you also got cities named Fillydelphia and Manehatten?" Jace joked, which confused the unicorn some more before getting the feeling that there was a joke somewhere here, which annoyed Clockwork.
"In fact yes, there are cities called Fillydelphia and Manehatten. Now shut up, do you want to hear the story or not?"
"Sorry, and yes please continue."
"Thank you," Clockwork said before resuming where Jace interrupted her, "now, there was supposedly a cartographer from Canterlot that got lost trying to confirm a settlement that was rumored to have made a town out here, but he never did find the settlement as he getting constantly turned around in the forest and concluded that it was just a rumor and nothing more. So nopony doesn't know that there's a town out here unless you have the settlement records or happened to be from the town itself."
"Is that what really happened," Jace asked, incredulous about the story. "And why didn't any of you fix this mistake?"
Clockwork rolled her eyes before responding. "I don't know if the story is true or just some silly story to cover up somepony's laziness. As for why we haven't corrected this mistake, we actually grew to like the peace and quiet we get from being looked over, but that doesn't mean we don't want to go out and see the world. So some of us will go and visit towns and cities for weeks on end and bring back what they've seen and learn."
"Ah, so your town is almost like an Amish one, but accepts anything though."
"Amish?" Clockwork sounding out the word as she looked up at Jace for clarity.
"Oh, um, Amish folks are simple folks that have beliefs about not accepting technology, or of some sort, and live in communities away from the progressing world, but they still let their young go out and see the world to let them make the choice to stay in the world or to leave it and come back. At least that's what I think Amish are."
Clockwork gave Jace a quizzical look before facing the trail once more. "I said this before, but I'll say it again; your world is just so weird."
"Says the talking unicorn that's a myth from where I'm from," Jace countered, which caused Clockwork to ponder about that.
"Touché," Clockwork concluded, earning a small chuckle from the both of them. "Hey Jace, do you think we can take a break? I'm a living thing here and a gal still have needs you know."
"Yeah, sorry about that. We'll take a break at the next clearing we come across to." Jace promised the unicorn.
A few minutes and a good distance later, they came to a small clearing and to Jace's word, they stop at it to rest and to do their businesses. However, due to the peaceful setting of the clearing with the warm sun and the soothing sounds from the gentle flowing creek nearby, Jace and Clockwork fully agreed to stay and rest a little longer. Clockwork set up her blanket and laid on it, she started to pull out tools and random pieces of metal, bolts, nuts and gears from her bags and started to fiddle with them in her magic. After a moment, Clockwork stopped assembling her creation when she noticed Jace standing a little away, reaching over his shoulder as if trying to grasp something that isn't there. "What's the matter Jace?"
"Nothing much, I've just been wondering about something." Jace replied back as he lowered his arm and faced Clockwork.
"Wondering about what?"
"Well lately, I was wondering how I create things like the sword I did back then at Ironwood Falls, but I don't have a clue how to duplicate it and it's frustrating me that I don't even know how my own body and all its abilities work. So I've been trying to remember what I did, but all I can remember is a vague memory of someone talking and feeling somewhat filled with righteous anger, then after that… it just appeared and I used it like I knew how already. So I just want to know how to control it so that I can protect others around me."
"Don't worry Jace, I'm sure that you'll figure it out soon. Besides, since I made your body, maybe I can figure out how to unlock the rest of your power for you." Clockwork offered as she resumed to fiddle with her contraption.
"Thanks Clockwork. But sometimes I wish that my God, Fate, left me instructions on what to do and how this mechanical body works." Jace said as he sat down next to the unicorn. When Jace mentioned about instructions, Clockwork once again stopped what she was doing and looked at Jace with a sheepish smile.
"Uh, there were instructions Jace, but I accidentally set them on fire though when I was activating you. Please don't be upset."
"Nah, I don't blame you. "Jace said as he gave her an apologetic wave of a hand. "If I got this right, it was before when you hit me and fainted, and you weren't exactly okay at the time judging by how long you slept afterwards. Besides Clockwork, I don't think I haven't seen the last of my God, so I'll ask him if we can have another copy of my blueprints."
"Oh that won't be necessary Jace," Clockwork said with a proud smile.
"But I thought that you said you brunt them though."
"I did, but as I said, we won't need the blueprints anymore."
"Why is that?"
"Because I can remember any design, blueprints or schematics of any mechanical device I've seen, especially if I had built it before. How do you think I'm able to fix you up so quickly?" The unicorn asked the automaton the rhetorical question, which he nodded in understanding.
"That's quite a helpful skill there Clockwork. I guess I don't have anything to worry about when you're there to repair me," Jace joked and was rewarded with small rock to the side of his head from Clockwork's general direction. Jace quickly looked at Clockwork to see her still fiddle with her stuff just as if nothing had happen, but Jace detected a hint of a faint smile on her face. He just shook his head and leaned back against a tree and watched the sky.
…
Alone… all alone…
Jace opened his eyes and glanced around, looking for the owner of the whisper, but all he saw was a sleeping unicorn sleeping away with her tools lying around her when she dozed off a while ago judging by how long the shadows are reaching across their clearing now. However, all Jace was concerned with was the sad filled whisper he just heard moments ago as he sat there quietly, waiting to hear it again to be sure that he isn't going insane. Jeez, I think I am going insane Jace wearily thought when he didn't hear anything for a while and went back to relaxing…
A sudden rage-filled yell pierced the silence of the clearing that was followed by a large cracking sound that caused Clockwork to jerk awake. "Okay, I definitely heard that one." Jace stood up, alert for any sign of danger. "Glad to know that I'm not going to crazy."
"What was that?" Clockwork asked in a dazed as some of her thoughts were left behind in the dream world. "What's going on Jace?"
"I don't know Clockwork," Jace replied back as he started to sling their bag over his shoulder. "But we're going to find out."
"Wait, we're heading towards the source of the sounds?!" Clockwork said disbelieving as she hurriedly put away her things back into her bags. "Are you nuts or something?"
"Well I am technically nuts… along with gears and bolts," Jace jokingly said as he looked back at Clockwork to see her with an unamused expression in response to Jace's joke. "Right… not the time for making wisecrack jokes," Jace noted Clockwork wordlessly pointing out the seriousness of the situation they're in. "Yes, we're going to see whoever, or whatever, yelled and then made that sound."
"Why?"
"Because you see…" Jace trailed off as he was puzzled by this, as he all felt was the need to see whoever shouted. "Actually Clockwork, I don't know exactly. All I have is this feeling that we need to see who shouted."
"You want to investigate the noises… based on a feeling?"
"Basically yeah," Jace confirmed and Clockwork gave him an incredulous look. "Look I don't know how to explain, let alone why, Clockwork, but it's like something is talking to me. I know that I'm not crazy as I normally didn't hear voices before I got to this world, and I also know that the voices I hear aren't my own either as they sounded different from each other."
"Wait, this happened before?"
"Yeah, in fact it was right before some Timberwolves attacked me."
"Jace, I think that was me," Clockwork revealed, looking surprised at learning that fact. "I don't know how, but I think you somehow heard me."
"Maybe it came with the job," Jace said with a shrug of his shoulders. "All I know is that I'm supposed to help those in need, and so that's exactly what I'm going to do. Besides, if something happens to me, you can just patch me up."
"But what if this individual is really dangerous though Jace?" Clockwork nervously asked, concerned about the automaton and his sense of immortality. "And I can't just 'patch up' a ripped off arm, or worse your head, when I don't have resources at hoof to fix something that seriously major. So, I'm coming to make sure that you don't wreck yourself," Clockwork complied as she got up and packed up the last of her things and faced Jace with a look similar to that of an angry schoolteacher. "And if you do, I'll make an angry dragon seem like a kitten in comparison when I get through with you."
"Okay, okay, I promise that I'll be careful Clockwork," Jace promised as he picked up their supplies and swung them over his shoulder, and started to make his way to where he thinks the noises came from when he recalled what the unicorn said, causing him to look towards the silver pony. "Did you just say dragon?"
…
It didn't take long for the automaton and engineer to make their way through the trees and greenery till they came to the broader of an immense clearing that made them stop in their tracks that can be best described as a war zone.
"Oh, my God. What happened here?"
"Sweet Celestia, what is this place?"
In the center of the clearing is what looks like a fighting ring that has craters here and there. On one side there are a series of large boulders, some riddled with craters while there are some looking as if something has whittled down the middle to the point that the top halves just broke off. The other side are thick pillars with a series of random rods placed throughout the pillars, which some are splintered and missing rods. However, what drew Clockwork's attention was the single reddish pillar that was cracked in half down the middle as she stepped into the clearing and towards the damaged pillar.
"This place looks like some kind of training ground," Jace observed as he followed the unicorn into the clearing, keeping alert for any sign of the dangerous being that caused this damage. "But this place looks like crap."
"Jace, you need to come and see this," Clockwork called out for his attention, still at the broken pillar.
He made his way towards the unicorn and kneeled down to her height. "What is it Clockwork?
"Jace, do you know what this is?" Clockwork asked which he replied back with a shrug. "This is Ironwood Jace, you can tell by the red veins within the grain of the wood." Even though the light is slowly dying, Jace saw the red veins running along the wood grain just like she pointed out, giving the wood its reddish color.
"Okay, let's pretend that I don't know what it means and you explain it to me," Jace suggested.
"Right, I'm dealing with a former human from another world," Clockwork said as she rolled her eyes. "Ironwood is a type of tree that has traces of iron in it when grown in iron rich soil, which makes it better, stronger, and tougher just like iron."
"Is that how your town got its' name?"
"Yes, the first settlers came across a grove of Ironwood trees and decided to build the town there and that's how Ironwood Falls got its' name; the sound of Ironwood trees falling. Well anyway, Ironwood is a very tough material, difficult to process though, but when one does it right though, it is an amazing material to use. In fact, there are still some buildings back in town that still has it for their foundations as some Ironwood samples can also stand against the test of time But look at how many red veins are in this one pillar Jace, especially how close they are."
"Yeah so?"
"Jace, this particular strain of Ironwood is as strong as steel, maybe even stronger."
"So wait, you're saying that something figuratively broke steel," Jace put together what Clockwork was getting at as he glanced back at the broken pillar of wood. Nothing else was said as Jace and Clockwork wordless moved away from the destroyed pillar without needing to say another word as the gravity of the situation settled upon them like snow.
Clockwork and Jace explored the clearing a little more until they came across a well-worn path that looks like that has been used for decades. Jace took the lead down the path with Clockwork wearily following behind him. When Jace turned around a bend in the path, he suddenly stopped when he saw was around the corner, there was sudden rang of metal as Clockwork walked into Jace a second later. "Ow, why did you just suddenly stop Jace," Clockwork groaned as she stepped around Jace as she rubbed her muzzle with a hoof, but she paused in what she was doing as she saw what made Jace stop in the first place. "Whoa."
Spread out before them in numerous rows and aisles are rocks stacked up into small towers with a bouquet of flowers in front of them. Clockwork was the first to move as she walked towards the stacks of rocks and carefully made her way through them carefully. "This is one strange rock garden, although it's a bit creepy if you ask me."
"Uh… Clockwork," Jace hesitantly started, unsure how to break it to the unicorn of the true nature of the place they're in. Clockwork looked back at him still not realizing where she's standing. "This isn't a rock garden Clockwork… this is a burial ground."
A quizzical look appeared on the unicorn's face as she looked down at her hooves and noticed the slight raised mounds of earth underneath the piles of rocks and flowers. Clockwork's pupils suddenly became pinpricks when she confirmed what Jace said. Jace heard her quietly mutter apologies to the burial mounds as she quickly, but carefully, shuffled around the grave sites until she's once again standing next to Jace on the path, looking as if she unwittingly awaken the dead and is waiting for them to get her.
"What's wrong Clockwork, don't tell me that you ponies don't have graveyards here in this world?"
"We do Jace, but there's something about this one that feels odd, like it's… sad, from being alone and forgotten."
"I don't think that's the case here Clockwork." The unicorn gave Jace a questioning look when he said that. "Well, I'm not expert on psychology or anything, but look at this place; no overgrown weeds or shrubbery around the sites or on the markers, the upkeep clearing with no patches of dead grass, no signs of animal activities at all, and the final thing are the flowers. Whoever did this has love and respect for those that rest here and takes a great deal of care in keeping this place beautiful for them, making sure that they aren't lost and forgotten," Jace said as he pointed at the path that's running at the edge of the clearing and into the trees. "And they will be living nearby."
"I don't get it Jace, is this a dangerous monster or a very caring, and apparently lonely, ponyfolk, that we are looking for or not," Clockwork voiced her thoughts as both her and Jace resumed walking down the path, but this time keeping Jace between her and the burial ground as she couldn't help but give a light shudder whenever she glances at it.
"I don't know Clockwork, maybe they're both one the same," Jace replied back with a shrug of his shoulders just as they passed through the tree line. "Clockwork, stay behind me," Jace said as they stepped into a courtyard overgrown with weeds that's coming through the cracks in the paving stones. What caused Jace's concern for Clockwork's safety however, was an old chateau-looking building in front of them that looks like it just went through a raid long ago, but some of the damages looked fresh though. "Stay close and watch out for any signs that's suspicious," Jace instructed before he cautiously and quietly, as much as he could with his metal form anyway, make his way towards what he guess is the entrance with Clockwork wordlessly following behind him, reaching into her bags and encased the closest thing with her magic and pulled out her mother's invention, keeping it up in the air in preparation to swing at anything that comes at her.
Jace quietly set their bags at the foot of a couple of short steps leading up onto the porch before climbing them and approached the entrance, carefully taking note of the damaged and numerous rotten boards to avoid them, not wanting to break through them. He reached the entrance and peered through the broken doors and into a room that Jace concludes that it could be an entrance hall, but he couldn't tell with all the apparent damage that looks like many living something's were used as wrecking balls, he looked back at Clockwork and motioned for her to stay put, which she responded back with a quick nod. Jace entered the building with his fists raised, ready to fight anything that might still be around, I wish I know how to use my powers, Jace thought as he reached the end of the hall and entered an open inner courtyard, revealing how truly big the building is. Whoa, Jace thought as he looked around, taking note how ancient the building looks.
The sound of something moving quickly across wood to Jace's left right as something yelled out, "I told you to stay away from my home after the beating I gave ya'll last time." This startling Jace, causing him to look where the yelling came from just to see something white and yellow coming right at him, catching him by surprise. The blur suddenly flipped and nailed him in the head with such a large force that it stunned Jace as he suddenly took off into the air and flew back through the entrance hall and out to the outer courtyard, which he landed and skid across it, causing sparks to fly as metal meet stone once again meet.
"Oh, Clockwork's gonna kill me," Jace groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, holding his head as all he could hear is literally ringing of metal. He could barely hear Clockwork saying something over the ringing as he pushed himself up. "But first; what the heck just hit me?" Jace questioned just as he heard a scream come from Clockwork, causing him to look just to see arguing with Clockwork… another pony? Jace could make out that the other pony is a white stallion, although slightly bigger than other stallions that Jace remembered, arguing with Clockwork as she's waving her makeshift weapon threatening at him, not allowing him to get near him. However, the oddest thing about this pony is that he's apparently wearing a yellow robe, something like that of what a monk would wear.
"What are you doing? I'm trying to save you from that thing," the pony argued as he stepped close to Clockwork which she swung her tool down at the pony's in response. Jace watched the tool shift into a giant wrench right before it made contact with his head, causing the pony monk's head crash through the floorboards of the porch, and causing Jace to wince at the violent scene.
"And I'll tell you again, he's not a monster you creep," Clockwork responded as the pony groaned as he tried to pull his head free out of the floorboards of the porch.
"What's with you ponies aiming for the head?" Jace questioned as he walked up the steps to the porch just as the mysterious pony finally unstuck his head.
"Why did you hit me? What the heck is wrong with you, you crazy pony?"
"You know, I wouldn't call the unicorn with a giant wrench crazy," Jace stated, causing the pony to look up and see him standing there, and allowing Jace a closer look at him in return. A snow white coat, blonde colored mane and tail, blue colored eyes. However, there are a couple odd things that stood out to Jace, the main thing is his monk clothing of course, he then noticed his tufted ears and with what looks like two earrings in the left one. "Now, why did you just attacked us?"
"I only attacked you, not her. I don't hit girls," the pony stated, which Clockwork frowned at that.
"I'm not some helpless filly, so don't give me another reason to hit you again," she threatened as she threateningly waved the wrench at him. Clockwork then suddenly looked up at Jace with an excited look. "Oh Jace, I think I have a theory on how this thing works. It works by reading whatever I need if I hold it in my magic."
"That's great Clockwork, but I don't think now's the time for theory testing," Jace said as he turned away from her and towards the earthpony who's finally getting back on his hooves. "You still haven't answered my question; why did you attacked me?"
"I was attacked a few days by a group of diamond dogs, so when I saw you, I thought that you were a diamond dog wearing armor, although I can see now that you're not a diamond dog. So who are two and what the heck are you?" He pointed his question at Jace's metallic form.
"I'm a, or was actually, a human." At the confused look from the pony, Jace waved it off. "I'll explain what it is later, anyway, I'm Jace and the crazy unicorn with the wrench here is Clockwork. Now, since you know who we are, you tell us who you are, well that, and you hit me-"
"Kicked," the pony interrupted.
"What?" Clockwork said confused.
"I kicked you, not hit you. There's a difference you know," the pony clarified. There was a sudden clang of metal meeting head and the pony's head was once again buried into the porch with Clockwork standing above him with the wrench at her side. After a moment to get unstuck, the stallion pulled out his head with a pop and looked at Clockwork as if she's insane, appearing to be unhurt despite getting a head-full of metal and a face-full of wood twice. "Why do you keep hitting me?"
"Well let's see here, you attacked my friend here, you were acting like a total creep and the finally; you could've damaged my machine." at least I'm among her priorities, Jace dejectedly thought as the pony gave Clockwork an incredulous look before looking towards at Jace.
"Is she serious?"
"Oh, she is serious when it comes to things like this, unfortunately," Jace affirmed about Clockwork. "But I gotta admit though, her work is pretty amazing, considering where I came from before."
The pony looked troubled as he looked back and forth at Clockwork and Jace, considering if one or the other, or both, are just plain crazy. Before he could make up his mind though, an annoyed, and somewhat cranky, voice called out, "Precious, what's with all the racket, I'm trying to have a nap here you know." Every head turned towards the entrance just to see an elderly light gray earthpony mare walk through the doorway, wearing the same monk robes as the stallion, even down to the same earring, although she's only wearing one. When she saw Jace and Clockwork standing there next to the other robed pony, she immediately beamed and said with a cheerful smile," oh Precious, why didn't you tell me we have visitors and that you're making friends with them?"
"Ah…" the pony known as Precious started but the old mare interrupted him.
"Well, what are you waiting for, to make personal written invitations? Invite our guests inside already, they're probably exhausted and hungry after traveling through the forest for who knows how long. Come, come." With that, the old mare made her way back inside the building, humming a tune, before anything further can be said.
"Ki!" 'Precious' called out to his elder, but the other pony didn't hear or just either ignored him. The white pony let out an exasperated groan, before glancing back at the odd duo and addressing them, "well, you heard her, come on inside and rest up." The pony's expression suddenly became dark as he became serious. "But if you're going to cause trouble…" He left the rest unsaid as he motioned for them to follow as he made his way after the elderly pony. Clockwork looked up at Jace with a raised brow and he just shrugged his shoulders in response. Clockwork looked unsure for a moment before deciding to put away her wrench and follow after 'Precious' and the elderly mare into their home.
…
"It's so nice to have visitors again," the elderly mare said, who had introduced herself earlier as Ki, as she set a steaming bowl of what looks like thin stew each for Jace and Clockwork in front of them as they sat next together at a low table, which is a perfect height for ponies, but forcing Jace to sit cross-legged. Although he still towered over it though. "We haven't had guests since… actually you know what? I can't remember. Hey Precious, when was the last time we had guests?" Ki asked the visibly annoyed pony as she sat down next to younger and bigger pony, across from Jace and Clockwork, with their own bowls in front of them.
"I don't know, a decade or two?" the younger pony guessed.
"Eh, I'm not sure as my memories has been somewhat getting fuzzy lately, but that sounds about right, I think." A concerned looked flashed across the younger earthpony's face when the older earthpony was momentarily confused. "Well anyway, eat or the stew will get cold, and trust me, it tastes better when it's hot."
"Oh sorry, I didn't know that we were supposed to start first," Clockwork said as she glanced at the bowl in front of her and noticed that there are no utensils to be found. "Um, how do I…"
"Clockwork, like this," Clockwork glanced over at Jace to see him holding the bowl in his metal hands near his head and tipping it towards where his mouth would be if he had one.
"He got it down, not many do get it on the first try," Ki pointed out as Jace set the still filled bowl back on the table. "How did you know what to do and why are you still wearing that armor for? Take it off and rest, I'm sure it'll be a load off."
"I read something like it in a book. As for the armor though…" Jace started just as he glanced at Clockwork to see her raise the bowl in her hooves to her lips and took a sip of the stew… to immediately spit it back into the bowl. Judging by the disgusted look that Clockwork is trying to hide behind the bowl, he was glad that he doesn't have a stomach this time. "As for the armor, I can't take it off unfortunately, and I don't want to talk about it as it brings up memories that I'm trying to get past."
"Oh, dear me, that's horrible. How do you cope with it? It must be difficult to eat and do other things," Ki stated as she raised her own bowl and took a deep sip of it. She swallowed it and let out a breath of content. "Ah, delicious, there's nothing like crabgrass stew to clear the old airways. Well anyway, I'll respect by not asking."
"Thank you and don't worry about me; I'll get by," Jace replied back as he pushed the bowl away from him.
Clockwork let out a shudder as the elderly mare took another sip of the foul tasting stew. She set her bowl down and politely scooted it away far from her as possible. "So anyway what brings you two this far into the middle of nowhere?" the younger pony finally speaks up as he too partake of the stew, showing no signs of disgust as well as he drank it. He set his empty dish back on the table and looked at them suspiciously. "And how do you know of this place?"
"We actually didn't know about this place till now," Clockwork answered. "We were actually making our way north to find somepony, when we heard something out in the forest. We followed where we thought it came from and then we came across this place."
"Oh, that explains why you were at the back door: you must have heard Precious here practicing at the training grounds then, because this silly pony thinks he has to be strong in order to keep me safe when in reality, I'm capable of looking after myself," Ki laughed as she hit the shoulder of the younger pony next to her with a hoof. Jace and Clockwork glanced at each other, both thinking the same thought; he's their monster?
"Well, I think I best be off to bed. It's getting late and I skipped my nap so I can talk with Precious' new friends, so I'm tired like no other," Ki yawned. She got up from the table, but then she grabbed his cheeks in her hooves, scrunching his face in. "But it was great to see him making friends though, so it was worth it. Now have fun and be good." She gave him a pat on the cheek before leaving the room. Jace and Clockwork sat there with the white pony for a few more awkward minutes, their bowls of stew gone cold long since then, till the sound of movement finally ceased in the building, allowing them to be alone once again.
"Hey, um, I just want to apologize for attacking you and freaking out Clockwork out back then," the white pony shyly apologized, breaking the icy silence between the three of them. "I just wasn't sure if you were to cause trouble or not for my home and family."
"It's alright, I understand perfectly," Jace said, accepting the stallion's apology. "I would too attack a stranger if I happened to find him sneaking around my home when it's getting dark. So you're not at fault for attacking me, but you did kind of freaked out Clockwork there a bit though, as she just gone through rough times lately."
"I'm sorry for scaring you Miss Clockwork," the pony apologized as he bowed his head towards her apologetically, making Clockwork flustered by the earthpony's behavior.
"Please, just call me Clockwork and I guess I'm sorry too, for hitting you… with a wrench… into your porch… twice." Clockwork felt embarrassed as the pony in front of her is apologizing for something much worse than what she did to him. "So it's all good Precious."
The pony monk lifted his head and faced them. "Um, that isn't my name by the way."
"It's not?" Clockwork questioned.
"Yeah, Precious is name that Ki started calling me long ago," he revealed.
"Then what is it?"
"It's Quinn. My name is Quinn."
Stats
Page generated in 0.032 seconds
Total duration
1,069 users online
1,976,959 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
cartographer
5872667 thanks, stupid computer didn't have a clue to what I was spelling
before i read anything let me show you my feelings in a accurately described way.
I shall return and run through this chapter for spellcheck...sometime
5900701 both movies?
Time to read this mebbe awesome story
Get on with this delicious story or I'll devour your world!
( I absorb magic. Ponies live in a world of magic.)
Also I'm now getting a seeker vibe from this for some reason. If you haven't read the books I suggest you do so.
Also you should start trying to get tenses right cause sometimes you'll try to make something present tense when it should be past tense or vice versa. Just something I've picked up over the story.
(It's in almost every chapter I believe.)
6144692 I'm currently working on the next chapter, and I try to be grammatically correct
6146824
That's all I can ask of you
6146899 thanks, maybe you can help me with my grammar?
6147098
Well I already got one
could question
Morz
6307424 I'm working on it
6307915
Kk
6814087 it would make more sense as ANPoV proceeds further along its story