Previous Chapters
Close
Prologue:2,046 words
Chapter 1: Where We're Going, We Don't Need Roads!3,727 words
Chapter 2: Mysterious As The Dark Side Of The Moon!3,657 words
Chapter 3: We Don't Talk About Clockwork...3,768 words
Chapter 4: Lord Tirek, I've Come To Bargain.3,253 words
Chapter 5: The Battle of Brothers2,414 words
Chapter 5.5: A Discordant Redemption Arc1,465 words

Chapter 5.5: A Discordant Redemption Arc

Clockwork Relativity is in immense pain. His body is charred and maimed beyond recognition. He can’t feel anything in his body, and he is fading in and out of consciousness. He has been immobilized for over a week, starving and parched beyond repair. It looks like the time pony is going to die.

“Ugh…I did what Lord Tirek asked me. I…I told ponies their fates to make them at ease, and I got shunned.” Clockwork reflects, expecting to succumb to mortality within the next few moments. “I just…I just want ponies to know that their fates are predetermined. I don’t…I don’t believe that my Lord would hurt ponies like this.” Clockwork reflects, somewhat remorseful that he became the centaur’s pupil for the past three years.

“I had a good run, didn’t I? Seventeen years and change, and one friend. He…he killed me out of love.” Clockwork cries softly, hoping that Sunburst would come back to redeem him. Each painful second that elapses makes Clockwork realize that he’s not going to be rescued by his brother in hooves. His already cynical mind drifts further into hate and destruction, livid that the Mane Six used the Magic of Friendship to aid themselves, rather than everypony around them.

“They are a bunch of selfish pricks…” Clockwork coughs, praying that his mother will find him and nurse the stallion back to health.

“I wouldn’t go that far. They’re annoying, but they are in the right place, for the most part,” A voice says, apparating into view. The avatar of chaos seems empathetic and looks at the unicorn stallion with both contempt and pity.

“I don’t think we’ve been acquainted yet.” Discord says, literally removing his front lion’s claw to shake hands with Clockwork. He quickly realizes that Clockwork is incapacitated and unable to move his limbs or cast magic with his horn. He reattaches his claw and snaps his fingers. Clockwork’s body slowly reconstructs itself, and he slowly tries to stand up. His body is very shaky, and he still feels pain from the magma, which had subsided before.

“Don’t think I healed you because I like you, Bastard of the Moon. I did it because chaos needs to be challenged by order.” Discord says, somewhat unsure if healing the stallion was one of his better choices. Clockwork is a bit confused by Discord’s statement. Why would Discord refer to him as an avatar of order?

“Hold up. Discord, right?” Clockwork asks, remembering his mother’s history lessons. The draconequus nods.
“Yes, the one and only.”

“What do you mean that chaos needs to be challenged by order?” The cyan unicorn inquires, wondering where Discord is going with this novel idea.

Discord brushes off the solid rock on Clockwork’s body armor, and taps the stallion’s horn, recalibrating it. “What I mean is, my goal is to ensure instability in the universe. Yours is to monitor time and protect the natural order. We cancel each other out. You cannot provide perfect order, and I cannot make the universe my chaotic plaything.”

Clockwork is stunned. Why is Discord messing around? This is something one shouldn’t take lightly. Clockwork almost died!

“I heard a voice, young pony. It reached out from far ahead in the future. You aren’t the only creature who can turn the wheels of time, Clockwork.” Discord explains. Clockwork takes a minute to process this information and still doesn’t totally get where Discord is coming from.

“A voice? From the future?” Clockwork asks.

“Yes. She wanted to save you. Knowing a bit about your fate, young one, I decided to protect the natural order and intervene, even if I personally find your ideals of order and predeterminism to be abhorrent. Besides, your mother would crash the moon into Equestria if you died prematurely. I really wouldn’t want to be held liable for that!” Discord chuckles, finally noticing that Clockwork’s horn is done calibrating. Time to spill the beans!

“I’ll do you one more favor, time pony. You absorbed magic from Grogar’s Bell. I can taste it!” Discord says, licking the air and seemingly tasting the primordial magic around the stallion.

“Yeah, what about it?” Clockwork pesters, wondering what the point of this tangent is.

“You only received the magic pertaining to your unique talents; time and space.” Discord explains, pointing to Clockwork’s flank.

“This means you have magical properties far exceeding a normal unicorn pony. Take a moment to scan all possible futures. You will find your purpose."

“Wait, you know the future?!” Clockwork asks, stunned. Discord doesn’t reply.

“I cannot confirm or deny what I know. All I know is this: Find your foster brother Sunburst. Make amends with him. Friendship might not be Magic for you, but you need somepony to rely on. My views on the matter have evolved, ever since I met one pony named Fluttershy. Also, if Tirek finds you again, you are to refrain from communication. Talk to him, and I will give you a fate worse than death.”

Discord maniacally laughs and flies away. Clockwork is left in complete bafflement, wondering why and how the avatar of chaos decided to save him. Clockwork sits down on the jagged rocks and takes a deep breath.

“Look at alternate futures, he says? Might as well.” Clockwork’s horn lights up, and the unicorn pony sends a massive burst of pure white magic toward the heavens. The unicorn levitates in the air, and his mind is thrust into the domain of the infinite.

He sees everything but is unable to fully process what he sees. He starts with the first future he sees, where Twilight Sparkle dies at the hooves of a corrupt version of Princess Celestia, named “Daybreaker”. He names this “future #1.” The second future he sees is one where his mother makes a temporary truce with the griffon nation, and maintains a century of harmony; only for the griffons to attack in the one hundred and first year. This is “future #2”.

For a literal eternity, Clockwork curates each and every future he sees, up to and including the infinite. The only aspect of the future the time pony cannot see is anything pertaining to his own. Even with this caveat, a near-infinite sea of time and potential lay in front of him. Thanks to the laws of relativity, the eternity Clockwork spent curating futures, without food, water, or sleep, appeared to be a mere moment of real time.

The massive pillar of white magic dissipates, and Clockwork slowly floats down back towards the volcanic surface. His eyes return to their hazel color, and he takes a deep breath. There is a lot of stuff on his mind, most of it macabre. Out of the literally infinite outcomes he saw, every single one resulted in the complete collapse of Equestria!

“Oh…fuck…” Clockwork whispers in abject horror. Each and every outcome had Friendship failing. While at face value, this seemed to be harmless for Clockwork, the ripple effects of no Friendship led to abject poverty, baseless hatred, and needless destruction, death, and suffering.

“That…that dolt was right. We do need Friendship! But still, it doesn’t matter, it will fail! How do I ensure that my mother and aunt won’t rule over a kingdom of bones!” Clockwork panics. Thanks to his eidetic memory, Clockwork combs through his thoughts and tries to remember one possible future where Friendship survives.

There is one. Exactly ONE future where Friendship survives, but only after five millennia of absence.

“Show me that future, darn time magic!” Clockwork shouts, casting a spell to review that one future. He is thrust back into his inner thoughts, and witnesses five ponies: Sunny Starscout, Hitch Trailblazer, Zipp Storm, Pipp Petals, and Izzy Moonbow reunite ponykind and restore Friendship.

It is at this moment that Clockwork develops resolve. He finally knows why he was given the solemn gift of monitoring time. He has to make sure that the lessons of the present are remembered for the future. No greater honor can be bestowed.

“I…I can fix this. I can give ponies in the future something I will never be able to get for myself. I have to make sure I don’t blow this possible outcome. No more telling people about their future. I have to make sure they HAVE a future! I can…I can even get vengeance for Mom, and still, do something good. I’ve got one shot to make this work. I need to find Sunburst…., I need to find Twilight Fucking Sparkle!”

Clockwork removes all of his battle armor from his days of serving Lord Tirek, and gallops off toward Sire’s Hollow like his life depends on it. Clockwork Relativity is determined to make sure that his goal in life is to make this one future THE future of Equestria. Can he do it?

628 views

Previous Chapters