The Toll of Clockwork Tower

by Faindragon

Chapter 10 - The Envelope

“Any time now,” I whispered to myself.

For how long I had been sitting in the dark room, staring at the iron-bound wooden door, I didn’t know. It had all floated together. I remembered sleeping. I remembered waking up from nightmares, the sweat running down my back even in the chill room.

Nightmares that hadn’t been nightmares.

I looked down at my leg, with a smile removing the hoof I had absently and without thinking of if scratched against the coin-sized mark. The small circle was completely free from fur of any kind, and the fur closest to it was singed black. I cackled quietly to myself as I gently stroke the branded insignia of the royal guards.

“Any time now, they’ll come to get me for my trial. Once there”—My monologue was interrupted by another cackling—“I can prove what they’ve done to me.”

Like they would trust you.

“I’ve got proof,” I whispered. “I know what they’ve done to me.”

Yes, proof. The voice laughed. And if they did it to you in the first place, do you really think that the court will care?

“They will,” I whimpered. “They... they must. It’s... It’s against the law.” I shivered as I looked down at the mark, tears running down my cheeks. “They... they must listen.”

As the sound of the door opening reached my ears, I snapped my head to it with a cackle, the tears instantly stopping. “You’ll see, they will—”

The words died at my lips and my eyes widened at the sight of the pony from my nightmares. I could feel my body trembling as I looked up at her, a silent whimper escaping my mouth. “No, no, no, no, no, no.” My whispers turned to loud cries as Nightmare Moon hurriedly closed the door behind her.

With wide eyes she took the steps up to me. “Be quiet, Clockwork,” she urged, pressing a hoof against my lips. “We don’t have much time.”

I met her eyes, my mind going blank under her predatory stare. I couldn’t look away, couldn’t move. A silent whimper escaped past the hoof that was pressed against my mouth.

She blinked, before she looked down at her hoof, her eyes widening more. Like she had burnt herself, she withdrew her hoof with a surprised, “For the love of Lu... I was sure that I had...” She quickly kicked something off her leg and...

I blinked and looked at the earth pony who had suddenly replaced the alicorn. “You?!” I nearly screamed out, scuffling further away from him. “How... how could you?! Why...”

“I.. I didn’t have any choice,” Spot stuttered, taking a step closer to me before he stopped. “Please... listen to me.” In the weak light I could see multiple red, thin lines running down his muzzle.

“Why would I listen to you?!” My sneer ended in a short laugh. “Last time I did I ended up imprisoned and was tortured for a crime I wasn’t guilty for!”

“I...I’m sorry.” He took a half step back. “I... I tried to save you. To help you.”

“Great work with that,” I growled and rose from the ground. “Look where your help got me!”

“I know, I know, and now I’m going to get you out of he—”

I interrupted him with a laugh. “Oh, that won’t be needed,” I took a step forward, showing him the mark on my leg. “I’ve got proof for what they’ve done to me. Once the trial starts, the court will see what’s have been done to me and—”

“There won’t be any trial,” he suddenly sneered and took a step forward so that we stood directly eye to eye. “You’re not in prison anymore, you’ve been moved.”

I looked at him, taking a half step back. “W-what do you mean with moved?”

“They’re afraid that you will talk.” He followed me, pushing a hoof into my chest. “They wanted to kill you! If... if I hadn’t told them that it might raise questions if your body had been found... who knows what they would’ve done to you?!” He blinked away the tears and took a step back, sitting down on his haunches and looking up at me. “I... I know that you’ve no reason to trust me, but please. I beg of you. We’ve got to get you out of here.”

“They... they don’t want me to talk, then? They want to silence me?” I blinked and sat down, my body trembling. “Why would the guards listen to you?”

“The guards aren’t behind this, Clockwork,” he said with thick voice, wiping his nose with the backside of his hoof. “Just... listen to me.” He rose and placed a hoof on my shoulder before I could back away. “Please. We need to get you out of here before anyone notice. Honey and—”

“What’s taking you so long?” Spot whirled around at the sudden sound. “I thought you said we had to hurry!”

“Honey, I told you to keep an eye on the stairs!” Spot wheezed.

“Don’t worry, Doff is...” she trailed off as she saw me, her eyes going wide. “Clockwork! Wh... What happened to you?” In a few steps she was at my side, hugging me tightly and at the same time looking me over. “It’s okay. We’re here. We’ll get you out.” I yelped in surprise at the sudden embrace, weakingly trying to push her away. At my protests, she looked down at me and blinked, before she released me. “Oh. Too tigh...” she cut off as her eyes caught the branding. In the blink of an eye, she spun around and faced Spot, her voice dangerously cold as she took a step closer to him. “You said that they hadn’t touched him!”

He took a step back, looking from side to side. “I... I didn’t think they had!” he said quickly with a grimace. “I...” He looked down in the floor and went silent for a moment, before he met her gaze again. “Can we get him out first? I... Please?”

“This isn’t over,” she growled, glaring down at him for a moment later, before she turned back to me. “Come, Clockwork. Let’s go.”

I looked between them. “You... he...”

“He will explain everything once we’ve found somewhere safe, won’t he?” She didn’t even look back.

“I will, I will,” he said quickly. “Just hurry up!” He walked up to the door and looked back at us. “Let’s go!” Without waiting, he disappeared out into the corridor.

She looked after him for a second, before she looked back at me with a gentle smile and soft eyes. “Come, Clocky. Let’s get you out of here.” She reached out with a hoof to me.

“T-thanks,” I said as I accepted the help and quickly got up on my hooves.

With a smile she gave me another quick hug, before she held me at arm’s length and glanced me over once more, tears in her eyes. “I thought I had lost you again,” she whispered. “It... I’m glad you’re alive.” She dropped her hoof down, before she awkwardly unequipped the belt she wore around her chest. “Spot said this was yours. Just... be careful.” Fastened at the belt with a rag tied around it was a scabbard. “Spot said he nearly burned himself when he found it.”

I blinked as she held forth the scabbard, looking between her and it. It took me a moment to recognize it. “Is that...?” I whispered as I took a step forward. “I thought—” My words ended in a scream as pain shot through my body from the small ring at the base of my horn. Falling to a knee, I felt another jolt as the magic that had built up dispatched out of control.

“Clockwork!” she yelled and hurried to my side, the sound of the scabbard hitting the floor following her. “What’s the matter? How do you feel?”

“I’m fine,” I whimpered through bared teeth. I touched the ring gently with one hoof, before I thought better of it and rubbed the base of my horn instead.

“Are you sure, you just... What is that?”

“Something that blocks me from using magic.”

She took a step back as I shakily got up on my hooves, her eyes fixed on the ring. “I... I could try and remove it if you want.”

“I doubt you would be able to,” I snorted. “If I was just able to remove them, wouldn’t they be a bit pointless?”

“I... I only wanted to help,” she mumbled and looked down at the floor.

“Maybe you could help me get the belt on, then?” I asked as I picked it up with my mouth. “It’s kinda hard getting it on myself.”

She looked up at me, before she walked up at me without a word and took the other end of the belt. It took some climbing for her to get it around completely without touching the scabbard. As soon as it was fastened, she took a step back and looked me over, lifting up a hoof and straightened it some. “There,” she said, nodding satisfied. “It fits you.”

I looked down at the belt, absently moving up a hoof to remove the rag around the scabbard.

“A-are you sure about that?” Honey said softly as she stopped my hoof with a gentle touch. “Spot said that—”

The words died on her lips as I pushed her hoof of me and removed the rag from the scabbard. I followed the decorations with my hoof and eyes for a moment, before I looked up at her and asked, “You said something about getting out of here?”

She blinked and dropped down her hoof on the floor again. For a moment she stood in silent, only looking at me, before she shook her head. “Yes... Spot should be waiting at the stairs and we didn’t see any guards on our way in, so the path should be...” She went silent as I walked past her towards the door. Behind me, I could hear how she added “clear” in a whisper.

The door didn’t lead to a hallway like I had expected, but instead to another room, bigger than the one I had just walked out of. Two of the many torches, placed out evenly over the room, were lit and illuminate the room. The walls were covered from top to bottom in shelves, each and every one bending under the bottles resting upon them. In the middle of the room stood a table with a vast amount of glasses, sorted after size, placed upside down on a shelf that hung down from the ceiling.

Next to the door had what looked like cleaning equipment been thrown out in the floor; now lying in a complete mess that stood out in the otherwise tidy room.

“Where are we?” I asked as I wide eyed looked around the room. “This... this doesn’t look like the prison.”

“Didn’t I tell you?” Spot suddenly stood next to me, pushing me towards the stairs. “You were moved on Filthy’s orders. Now let’s get out of here before they find us!”

“Filthy?” I blinked and looked up at him. “Filthy Rich, the noble?”

“I’ll explain everything I know once we’re somewhere safe, I promise!” he whispered at me as he shoved me hardly towards the stairs. “We can’t stand here the entire day!”

I took a quick step back and spun around, opening my mouth to lash out at him. He quickly shrunk back and took a step back, muttering a “sorry”. Before I could say something, Honey stepped out from the room and looked between us, her teary eyes finally coming to a stop on me. “Please, Clockwork. Let’s go.”

Spot took the opportunity to slink past us towards the stairs. “Come on!”

Closing my mouth again, I tore my eyes away from Honey and started trotting after him. I want answers! I growled to myself, glaring up the stairs at the two earth ponies. Now! Behind me I could hear Honey’s heavy sigh as she walked after me.

When I had reached halfway up the stairs, Spot turned away from me and hurried out of the room. With a single look back at me, Doff did the same. Once I had gotten up the stairs myself, I could see Spot standing halfway down the richly decorated hallway on the other side of the door, frankly waving for me to follow him.

Without a word I made my way down the hallway, every now and then stopping to look at one of the many paintings that adorned the walls. Most of them depicted three earth ponies, either alone or together in a group. A younger mare, younger than me, a filly and the stallion I recognized as Filthy Rich.

Filthy’s daughter? I thought as I looked at the older mare in one of the paintings that depicted the entire family, who seemingly stared back at me with stern gaze, before my eyes moved to the younger filly sitting and trying to imitate the older one. Daughters?

Near the end of the hallway, I stopped dead and stared at one painting unlike any other. It was placed just where two hallways connected in a T-junction and framed by two red, velvet curtains. The golden frame around the painting were richly decorated. But none of that could compete the unicorn mare looking down at me with gentle eyes and a warm smile from the painting.

She was clad in a deep-blue dress that seemingly melted together with her deep indigo coat. A simple silver link was placed like a diadem in her midnight blue mane, a drop with a sapphire infused in it hanging down her forehead.

Tearing my eyes from the painting, I read the small description written on a small plate placed in the bottom of the frame. “The late Lady Sapphire Drop.”

“She’s beautiful,” Honey breathed next to me. I couldn’t do anything but nod as I looked up at the painting again.

“Come on!” Spot wheezed from next to me. “Or do you want to get killed?!”

My eyes stayed on the painting for a moment longer, before I looked at the earth pony. Once again he shrunk down under my gaze, but soon he started to move down the hallway again. Silently I followed him into the night.

⌚

“So, it’s true then?” Lyra asked with a smile. She held my head firmly with one of the cold, metallic limbs locked firmly around my jaw. As her eyes wandered over my horn, she forced my head to the side. “You were caught by the guards.” From the corner of my eye I could see how she looked behind me with a hard glare, before she looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. “And then they broke you out?” She laughed at my expression. “Didn’t think so. Word is that you were bailed out by alicorns.”

“Alicorns?” I wanted to ask, but her iron grip around my jaw made me unable to.

“They didn't want him to speak,” Spot whispered from behind me. “They... they were afraid that he would bring attention to the torturing and... I told them they risked the wrong questions to be asked if someone was to find him with slit throat.” He went silent for a moment, before he continued. “Falk was furious about it... he wanted it to look like Clockwork had taken his life in the cell, but...” He sighed. “I don’t know if Filthy actually believed in me or if they planned something, but we got orders to move him.”

“I would’ve just burned him,” Lyra said with a frown. She looked down at me, forcefully moving my head to the other side. As I tried to move away from her, her frown turned into a smile and the grip tightened. “Oh, don’t worry, Clockwork. I will never do anything like that again.” I could see small traces of tears in her eyes. “I’m simply saying that it wouldn’t have left anything to find. Now—” she released the grip and took a step back. “—let’s see if I can get that thing off.”

I took a step back as well, opening and closing my mouth to get the perception of touch back in my jaw. “What does Falk and Filthy have with all this to do?” I asked when Lyra had turned around and started searching through her cases. As Spot didn’t answer, I turned around to face him, raising an eyebrow.

“They...” he hesitated and took a step back, looking away from me. “Filthy is the leader of the sect, and... Falk is his right hand.” He paused. “I... I think it’s Falk.”

“What do you mean, think?” I growled and took a step forward.

“We had these amulets on us!” he blurted out. His eyes went to look at Honey, pleading her for help, but she just stood there and looked at us. When he couldn’t find any help, he took another step back from me. “L-like the one I had into the cellar. We all looked the same, I don’t know exactly who’s involved! I... just...” he sighed and looked down at the floor. “He was there the night we were ordered to get you out of jail. At the mansion, when we returned, I... I overheard their conversation. It wasn’t much, but, I mean... It wasn’t hard to realize that there was someone within the guard was involved in it all. The day Pendulum died... someone ordered the guards of the streets, and...” He looked up at me, tears in his eyes. “I’m sorry. I... I never meant for anything of this to happen, I just...”

“What did you have to do with his de—” My scream were silenced by the metal paw suddenly pushing my jaw together again. I couldn’t move at all, Lyra’s other paw held a firm grip over my back, making it nearly impossible for me to move.

“Continue, Spot,” Lyra said gently. “He needs to hear it.” I tried to glare up at her, but every time my eyes shifted she moved her paws accordingly so that I could see nothing but Spot. In the end, it felt as if my neck and spine was about to snap. With a snarl I looked at Spot, and slowly Lyra moved her paws so that I stood naturally.

He didn’t meet my eyes. Instead, he looked down at the floor, fidgeting with his hooves. “I... I just wanted you back,” he whispered. “She... she said she could bring you back. I never wanted to do anything like that, but...”

“Who did?!” I wanted to scream, but no sound got through my locked jaws. It was like Lyra could read my mind; instantly answering my question. “Princess Luna, goddess of the night. Or, as ponies nowadays better know her as: Nightmare Moon.” She sighed and shook her head. “With sweet promises of the touch of a loved one or a voice you never thought you would hear again, she poisons your mind. Some only wave it off as a strange dreams. Others... others try to find a way to make that dream a reality.” When she gently released my jaw and back, a jolt shot through my body. “There, I’ve removed the ring from your horn. Don’t make me put it back again.”

I took a step away from her and sat down on my haunches, my eyes not leaving Spot for a moment. Before I could say anything, however, he started to talk again. “Th-they have found a way to make it reality,” he stuttered, not looking up from the floor. “Nearly a year ago, an artifact was taken from the royal archives. It was made to look like a robbery, but... They... they say that it can bring her back, using the harvested power from the moon light. I-I don’t know how it works, but things have already been put in motion. Now that they’ve the shard again...” He took a breath, for a moment pausing the quick flood of words, and looked up at me. “I over heard them. In the mansion when we released you. They plan to use it tomorrow night.”

“The Gala,” Lyra whispered. “With every pony of authority under the same roof, they can easily wipe out the entire government. Especially since Falk’s the one to overlook it. For sure he has placed every guard that he trusts or who’s a part of it all in the center room. Before the rest of the guards even know what happens... it will be over.”

Spot nodded violently. “That’s why we have to stop them! We can’t let them—”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” I snarled. My eyes were at my trembling hooves, the branding glaring back up at me, seemingly glowing in the soft light. The pain flashed through my body, but was quickly replaced by coldness. “Wasn’t that why you sold me out?!” I snapped my eyes to him. He took a step back under my glare, his body visibly trembling. “Why don’t you just go back to them and make it happen? See how much your dream becomes reality!”

“It wasn’t what Pendulum wanted!” he growled back, before he slumbered down on his haunches, tears in his eyes.

“And why would you care about what he wanted?!” I screamed out, raising to my hooves and taking a step closer. “He was—”

“Murdered by the sect!” Spot whispered. The words hit me like a hammer. I went silent and just stared at him. “He-he betrayed them. Just days before he was murdered. He stole the artifact and...” He went silent for a moment, silent tears running down his cheeks. “He was right. What we’re doing... I was there when he died. I-I didn’t wanted them to kill him. I knew how much he had done to you and...” He met my gaze. “I tried to stop them. I really did. But Foible... he just laughed as he continued torturing Pendulum. Pendulum wouldn’t break, refused to tell us where the artifact where.” He took a deep, rasping breath and looked down at the floor again. “He tried to protect you.”

I slumbered down on my haunches again, tear burning in my eyes. “Protecting me?” I whispered. “I-I don’t understand.”

Without a word he picked up an envelope from his pocket and hold out for me. “The envelope you said you were going to leave at the post office... it was for you.”

“How...” I blinked as I picked it up with my magic and levitated it to myself. It was the same envelope, filled with a dozen flowers and a snake-like creature winding along the edge.

“H-he entrusted the shard to you. To... to do what he couldn’t do.” He looked down at the floor again. “I found it in Filthy’s study. He... he threw it away as soon as the shard fell out.”

I barely listened to him as I stared at the envelope. Even if my body trembled slightly, my magic field was stable as I slowly opened it and levitated out the letter within. I instantly recognized the hoofwriting; the quill had been handled with the same care as Pendulum always had handled his tools.

Dear Clockwork. If you’re reading this, it means that Filthy is here for more than just buying a clock, and that I’ll be dead before the sun sets. It also means that Equestria’s future rest in your hooves.

There’s no excuse for what I’ve done for the illusion I thought of as real. I don’t cherish any thoughts of being forgiven, only to correct things.

In your hooves lay the last shard of Nightmare Moon’s armor. Ponies, driven to the verge of insanity over the obsession of the delusion I so recently broke free of, wish to use it to make the delusion reality. But hidden in that delusion—behind the mask of Luna, goddess of the night—Nightmare Moon is waiting. Given even a slight chance, she’ll come back and once again plunge our country into the eternal night her nightmares bring with them.

You can’t let them get the shard back. I was too much of a coward to do what had to be done, but I trust in you to do the right thing. The shard has to be taken to Celestia without hesitation! Only she knows what to do.

Don’t trust anyone, Clockwork! The ponies wishing to make the illusion into reality hide everywhere.

I blinked and read through the paper twice more. I... I lost it. The shard... I. Why would he? I shook my head, trying to clear it from thoughts. He trusted me with it. Why?

Does it matter? You failed him.

“I didn’t know,” I whimpered quietly to myself, releasing the grip of the envelope. “I forgot about the envelope and—”

The sight of a second paper, slightly bigger and placed around the walls of the envelope so closely that I had firstly thought of it as the walls, silenced me. I levitated the envelope up to myself and carefully unfolded the paper. As I did, a third, smaller note became visible.

Pawn to B5, Promote into Apprentice. Checkmate. As always, you underestimate the value of the smaller pieces.

I blinked at text, shaking my head and read it again. Chess? I thought as I turned the small note around, revealing a second message. I wish I could’ve given you this under other circumstances.

My eyes wandered to the bigger paper. I blinked in surprise, my body trembling as I held back the tears. It... It can’t be.

At the top of the paper was the simple sigil of a clock, surrounded by the text Equestria’s Guild of Craftsmanship. Under the sigil, a small text begun.

It is with pride in my heart that I, Pendulum, hereby end the apprenticeship of my apprentice, Clockwork. Until the day he presents a masterpiece crafted by his own knowledge and skill to the masters of the guild, he will be entitled Journeystallion of the Clock Making Craft. With the title comes the right to independently work with the craft, as well as a payment of two hundred bits each month. Moreover...

The letter continued on, going into more detail what was expected by a journeystallion and what rights one would have. I just sat there, tears running down my cheeks as I breathlessly stared at the paper.

“Clockwork? Are you okay?” Honey whispered, putting a hoof around my shoulders. “Is something amiss?”

“No... I’m fine,” I whispered and shrugged her hoof of me. Taking a deep breath, I looked up from the paper, the ghost of a sad smile on my lips. “I’m... not an apprentice anymore. Pendulum raised me to Journeystallion. I... I.” The words died out on my lips as my shoulders slumbered down, and I dropped the field that kept the papers afloat. “I’ll never see him again. I... I won’t be able to say thank you... to make him proud.” I snapped my eyes to Spot, my voice low. “And it’s your fault!”

Blaming friends, Clockwork? The musing voice ended with a laugh that echoed through my skull. The one who just wanted a loved one back?

I pushed the voice away as I slowly rose, glaring at the earth pony. He crawled backward under my gaze until he hit the wall, all the time looking up at me with teary eyes. “I... I never meant... I didn’t want... I just wanted...” he stuttered.

“It’s your fault!” I shrieked and jumped towards him. In the same motion I drew the Rainflower blade out of the sheath and twisted it around, edge towards him.

“Enough!” Lyra boomed as she moved between me and Spot, easily catching me by my front hooves with her paws and deflecting the blade with a piece of metal, sending it flying. Glaring at me, she slowly leveled me down until my hind legs touched the ground. “That blade is not for him, Clockwork! He wasn’t the one who tortured your master to death. He wasn’t the one who ordered Pendulum’s death. The fact that he was there changes nothing. He’s as guilty as you are!” She released my front legs, and I barely had time to catch myself before I hit the stone floor.

I looked up at her with hatred, but she simply met my eyes without moving a muscle. “He was there! He could’ve stopped it, or—”

She silenced me by pressing my jaws together with a metal paw as she took a step forward, glaring down at me. “I thought you were smart, Clockwork,” she growled. “Think it over. Do you think they would hesitate to kill him as well? They were after the shard that will bring forth the return of their goddess. If he suddenly started to interfere, do you really think they would care about leaving another body behind?!”

The... they wouldn’t kill him. I looked away from her, unable to meet her eyes any more. My body relaxed as my heart rate returned to normal. Would they?

“I understand if the things you’ve gone through have taken the better of you, Clockwork. And I understand your pain. But that doesn’t mean that I’ll allow you to take rash actions like this.” She released my head. “If you want to avenge your master, I recommend listening to him. He’s the only one in this room knowing what the sect’s planning.”

Yeah, last time I listened to him I ended up being tortured, I thought with a scorn, my eyes going to the burnt part of my leg. The mark of what I’d gone through. Didn’t I promise that I wouldn’t let Pendulum’s death go unpunished? If it means that I’ll have to trust Spot again... can I do that? I looked up at Lyra, met her glare with a glare of my own. “If that’s what it takes to avenge his death, then I’ll listen.”

She met my eyes for a moment longer, before her gaze softened and she stepped aside. Spot looked wide-eyed at me from where he sat pressed against the wall, breathing heavily. “I... it wasn’t meant...” He slumbered down some. “I... never meant to kill that guard. He saw us when we were stealing the shard and... the others ran while I distracted him, but I didn’t know the building. I misjudged a turn and found myself in a dead end, cornered.” He brought a hoof up and wiped the tears from his eyes before he looked up at me. “It was different with Pendulum. Had I known what they had planned, I would never have taken the key from you. The guard was at the wrong place and I panicked. But with him... they knew that he was there, every guard on duty had been ordered to clear the streets and keep away. There wouldn’t be any witnesses for what they did. They...” He looked down again. “I couldn’t do anything to stop them.”

My throat tightened up as a lump formed in my chest. “You said that Foible had...”

The words died on my lips as he slowly nodded. “Foible was the one torturing Pendulum. I begged him to stop, but... he just laughed.”

“Clockwork, I know that Pendulum was import—”

“And he will be at the Gala?” I growled and rose to my hooves, cutting Lyra off mid-sentence.

“I-I don’t know,” Spot stuttered as he looked up from the floor. “He’s of the guard, and... he should be there.”

I looked down at him, and for a moment everything in the room was still. The only sound I could hear was the thumping of my heart and my heavy breathing as my boiling blood flowed through my veins. He trembled slightly as he met my gaze, and slowly I walked up to him, my voice cold as ice. “How do I get in there?”

“I-I don’t know! There will be guards there, and you’ll need an invitation, and—”

“Then get me one,” I snarled as I took the last step, putting a hoof against his chest. “Pendulum tried to stop them, and trusted me with doing it when he failed.” I poked him hard in the chest. “So get to it!”

“The gala is tomorrow, I don’t know where to find an invitation with...” His words died out as he looked up at me, shaking his head. “Nonono, you... you can’t be serious.”

“You’ve already gotten me out of there,” I said softly, removing my hoof and turning him my back. “A simple invitation should be easy to get out.” I could hear how he stuttering tried to get words out, before he went silent.

“You’re doing it, then?” Lyra asked.

“I promised to avenge him, Lyra. I’m not going to back down on that. Besides”—I stopped in the middle of a step, picking up the papers where I had dropped them, fresh tears forming in my eyes—“he entrusted me with it.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear,” she half-growled. I could hear how the mechanics in her paws creaked behind me. “I’m going with you.”

I blinked and looked back at her. She smiled at me with a confident smile, her two paws clenched tightly into each other. “Why?”

Her smile turned grim. “Nightmare Moon tried to tempt me with something I knew I would never have the right for again. That’s a mistake you only do once.”

“What about me, then?” I blinked and looked to the other side, where Honey had taken a step closer. “Y-you can’t just leave me behind!” As I didn’t say anything, she looked down at the floor, unable to meet my eyes. “Please... don’t leave me.”

“There is one thing.” She looked up at me as I spoke. “Find Gust. He’s working at the Prancing Pony. He might know what...” I trailed off as she looked down again, biting her lip. “What?”

“They were imprisoned for protecting you, Clockwork. Rose, Gust, Octavia... they were thrown in prison and the Prancing Pony was torn down,” she whispered.

For... protecting me? I looked up at the ceiling, the thought echoing in my mind. There must be a way for me to... I blinked. There is. “Then there’s two ponies I want you to find. Shining Armor and Quillon, both Canterlot guards. They might know something about what Falk has planned for the Gala.”

I started walking again, but after only a few steps I staggered and fell forward, barely catching myself before hitting the floor.

“Clockwork!” I could hear hoofsteps before Honey was by my side. “Are you okay?”

“He needs sleep,” Lyra said and took a grip around one of my shoulders with her metal paw, steadying me. “Are you sure we can trust these guards?”

I could feel her eyes in my neck, and slowly I shook my head. “I don’t know if I can trust anyone,” I whispered without looking up, before I raised my voice. “Tell them to meet me at The Rat before curfew has been lifted. Hopefully they will come.”

“I’ll make sure he gets some rest,” Lyra whispered behind me. “Talk with them as soon as possible and then get some rest yourself, tomorrow will be a tiresome day.” She paused for a moment. “And look after your friend. It looks like he took it hard.”

“Are you sure that...” Honey whispered back, slowly trailing off. “Thank you.”

“I don’t need any—” I started, but was quickly silenced when Lyra clenched harder around my shoulder.

“Now now, you’ll need sleep if you’re going to get your revenge.” She started walking, pushing me in front of her. I could hear how Honey protested weakly behind us before she went silent. “I only got one bed, so the couch is yours. And don’t worry. I’ll make sure that you’re awake well before the lifting of the curfew.”

⌚

“What is she doing here?!”

I looked up from the table, and the untouched breakfast, at the sudden sound. Standing in the door to the small, separate room stood Quillon, her wide eyes locked on Lyra. Behind her stood Shining Armor, looking uncertainly between the small room and the bigger main room of The Rat on the other side. Neither of them wore the guard’s armor.

The unicorn in question looked away from the knives she had been whetting with a thing, wry smile. “Quillon. Always a pleasure.”

“I saw you die!”

I looked between them. “Do you know each other?” Both Honey and Spot, who sat at the table with me, looked as confused as I felt.

“It was a long time ago,” Lyra answered. “I made a mistake that someone”—her voice were suddenly filled with venom—“better not bring up if the pony in question doesn’t want their guts spilled over the floor.” Her voice returned to normal as her smile widened. “If I remember correctly, you, Gust and Falk were all hunting me down at the docks.”

“And you jumped down the Canterlot Falls,” Quillon snarled and stepped inside the room, followed by a confused Shining Armor. “A fall of over a thousand hooves. Choosing death to escape the punishment of what you had done.”

“I’m alive, that’s my punishment,” Lyra said coldly without leaving Quillon with her gaze. “It’s a punishment worse than anything the guards would’ve come up with.”

“You should be hanged for what you did!”

“Death would be a relief,” she answered dismissively as she rose, the knives disappearing from sight. “But we’re not here to talk about old times, however much of a... pleasure I’m sure that would be for the guards.” She motioned towards me with a metal paw. “Time is of essence, and I think that Clockwork here got some answers to you and some questions on his own.”

Quillon glared at Lyra for a moment longer, before she blinked and looked at me, seemingly seeing me for the first time since she entered the room. “Clockwork... you’re alive. What happened? I mean, I know what happened, I was there when the sect attacked, but... why would
they come after you? The official version is that you’re part of the sect, but... I doubt that, personally.” She sat down on a cushion, meeting my gaze. “Falk didn’t take any real actions after it, even though six guards were wounded, two of them gravely. That, and it’s a bit all too... well-timed with the sect attacking just hours after they... cracked you. Getting you out of there and stealing the shard at the same time. Makes one ask herself why they didn’t get you out of there before you told the guards, and pick up the shards themselves. After all, if you’re a part of the sect... wouldn’t you be seen as a threat to tell the guards about the whereabouts of the shard?” She leaned back in the cushion. “Or maybe I’m just overthinking it all.”

For a moment, I just stared at her, before I slowly nodded. “I’m not a part of the sect.” My eyes shifted to Spot for a moment, before I looked back at her. “None of us are. But you might want to look into your Captain more.”

“That’s a dangerous accusation, Clockwork, especially against someone as the Captain,” Lyra said with a smile as she walked up to stand by my side. “Why don’t you show them your proof?”

“They already know, Lyra,” I deadpanned. Shaking my head, I followed her advice anyway and brought up my branded leg, placing it on the table so the branding was well seen. “But I think that this would be a good reminder.” My voice turned cold. “Illegal to a degree that not even Celestia herself could give order of it to be carried out, yet he took that risk to get me talking.”

Shining Armor winced as he looked at the branding, looking as if I had physically hit him. Quillon, on the other hoof, smiled sadly and shook her head. “The captain’s actions have been to ensure the safety of Canterlot’s residents. Risking the punishment that would come had words about his action reached the princess ears only show his dedication.” The stallion looked up at her at her words, his mouth hanging open, as she continued on.

I blinked and looked at her. “...Wha... I thought that you...”

She smiled wryly. “That I would just trust you?” She shook her head and sighed, dropping the smile. “Right now, I trust you damn more than I trust him. Everything has gone too quickly. Directly after you had cracked, he sent me and a small force to arrest Gust, Madame Rose and Octavia. Then, yesterday after he had sent away nearly half the force to prepare for the gala and the cult had attacked the other half, the orders were given to prepare for the execution of the prisoners involved with you.” She pointed a hoof at me. “Tomorrow, before sunset, they will hang on the orders of Falk, Captain of the Royal Guard, for helping a criminal that’s innocent of the crime he’s accused of.” She dropped her hoof, her eyes not leaving me. “Unless, of course, somepony does something about it.”

For a moment we just sat there, staring at each other. They protected me, I thought, my hoof drumming on the table. Gave me food and shelter. But right now... My eyes wandered down to the letter from Pendulum. His last words.

“They protected you, Clockwork.” Her words caused me to look up again. “Gust told me when we had brought them in. He told me, and the court, that you were innocent, that you hadn’t done anything. But the court, they’re in Falk’s hoof. They wouldn’t dare to go against him. You must help them. That’s what Pendulum would’ve wa—”

“What Pendulum wanted”—I levitated over the letter, nearly pressing it into her face—“was for me to take that shard to Celestia. He entrusted me with it, and I failed him!” My voice grew higher and higher for every word, the last word coming out as a scream. Every eye in the room was on me as I sat down again with a snort. “Read it.”

She picked it up in her own magic field, looking surprised at me for a moment longer before she started reading. Behind her, Shining Armor moved closer to read over her shoulder, every now and then looking up at me, quickly wincing and returning to reading. As her eyes darted across the words, her frown deepened, and once she was done with it she levitated it down before me, folding it neatly. “So, Pendulum was a part of the sect, and... stole the shard?”

I nodded, my eyes not leaving the envelope. “I understood it as such. They killed him, but couldn’t find the shard. He... had placed it in the envelope he gave to me as I left for dinner.” I looked up at her. “When I found him dead... it dropped out of my mind. I left my pouch at the tavern as payment for letting me stay. It wasn’t much, but... I hoped that it would count for something. I didn’t know that the shard was in there or...”

“And now the sect has it again...” She sighed and leaned forward. “Tell me, what do you know about Falk’s part in it all?”

“He was the one who made sure that Foible could torture Pendulum without having to worry that anyone would see it,” I growled.

“Foib...” She trailed off and shook her head, staring at me. “He come in as a guard a week before the murder... The day of the murder, he was early back from his lunch, and the day after he was loudly complaining about that we had to make those check-ups. Then the captain gave him the job to crack you for information... something he was overly loud about to whoever asked him anything.” She shook her head again. “But you’re sure that—”

“H-he did,” Spot said, his voice weak. Every eye in the room turned at him, and he shuddered under the weight of our eyes. “I-I was there... Filthy sent us to get the shard back and... get rid of the betrayer.” His words weren’t more than a whisper as he looked down into the table.

“Filthy?” Shining and Quillon said in union, the later looking at me with a raised eyebrow. “What does he have to do with it?”

“He’s the leader of the sect,” I said, waving a hoof towards Spot. “I think it’s better if he explains it.”

She looked at him and then back at me. “Why would it be better if he—”

“Just listen to him. As he said, he was there.”

She nodded uncertainly before she looked back at Spot. “Tell me, then. What is this all about?”

As Spot started telling her what he knew, slowly at first but soon all more secure, Lyra leaned in and whispered softly to me, “Don’t worry, Clockwork. Gust and the others are safe in the prison until tomorrow. I doubt Falk will do anything against them if the judge have sentenced them to hanging so close. As soon as we’ve crashed their little party and gotten that shard to the princess, I’m sure she’ll be more than happy to nullify that sentence.”

“I hope you’re right.” I sighed and met Honey’s worried gaze from the other side of the table, before I shrugged and returned to listening to Spot as he talked.

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[viperxix]

One of my personal favorite stories on this site~