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Clockwork

by That 1 Guy

Chapter 27: Departure

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The emperor of all griffonkind let out a short sigh as he interlocked his gilded claws and rested his beak atop them. “So, Greystone, I am correct in summarizing that your report amounts to the failure of your troops’ efforts in Zebrica, as well as destruction of all assets there?”

The high chairman of the Consortium nodded, but then remembered that he was speaking over a radio. “Yes, my lord, the zebra lands are currently untouchable. I once more sincerely apologize for being unable to convey this news to you in person as well as the failure of my soldiers. Rest assured that my people put forth their best efforts then, and will continue to-”

“Unnecessary,” the emperor interrupted his wartime colleague. “While your failure is unfortunate, it was not unexpected and will not harm the campaign in the long run. You are hereby prohibited from deploying further soldiers to any theater of war unless my personal blessing is given. Should my warriors find Diamond Dogs on their battlefield without prior knowledge, they will not hesitate to cut them down where they stand. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal, your highness.”

“Good. Place all remaining Consortium forces on standby until further notice.”

The Emperor ended the communication without waiting for an answer. He clicked another few buttons and spoke once more. “Warfather, do you require a transcript of that?”

“I greatly appreciate your generosity, my lord, but that will not be necessary. Orders?”

“How goes the repurposing of Appleloosa?”

“Approximately thirty to forty percent complete, your highness. The Corrupted are maintaining good behavior and are working at the predetermined rate. The queen has not attempted to rebel yet. The Railgun is performing as expected and will be installed aboard the Fury as scheduled.”

“Excellent. Maintain a defensive position around the city and keep alert for counterattacks. The bison are powerful, but not invincible. Continue testing the device’s systems.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. Imperii Gloria.”

“Gloria Carniferous.”

After hanging up, Warfather set down his receiver and turned around in his chair. His office was barren of all but the necessities, as it should be. The only two immediate things of note were his twin warriors, personally trained by his claws to near-immaculate prowess.

“So we’re just to sit around and wait, boss?” Gilda asked, shifting in her stance.

Warfather nodded. “You have been working hard, Gilda, and as such I believe you deserve a slight reprieve. You are free to go about the city until tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks. I’m gonna check to see if the saloon has anymore Applejack Daniels left over.”

With that, the griffoness quickly left the room. Warfather turned to his other subordinate. “Echo.”

The figure removed his green hood, revealing the face of a light-brown diamond dog with grey eyes. His ears perked up as he straightened his posture, revealing a faint scar across his throat, a sign of his status as a mute. Such a condition rendered him worthless to the Consortium and, were it not for his griffon superior; he would’ve likely starved to death a long time ago.

“Accompany the Railgun until further notice.”

The dog nodded, leaving the office soon after.


Clockwork gradually made his way down the dropship’s ramp and into the zebra village of Mji Mkuu. Given the situation, one would expect frivolous celebrations to be underway, but it seemed to be quite the opposite. As the pegasus limped off the Vikare, he found himself and his team flanked on either side by a single column of zebras. They were all stamping their hooves into the dirt, creating a steady rhythm. His Zebrican wasn’t the best by far, but he could discern two distinct phrases, repeated over and over and over again in time.

Chuma Mrengo, the legend is real. . .

Chuma Mrengo, he shall lead us to change. . .

Clockwork couldn’t help but feel a bit creeped out by that. Sure, he had a fancy wing and had to admit that he was above average in intellect, but that didn’t make him fit to fulfil a prophecy. . . did it?

“You okay, kid?” Long Shot came up alongside his ally. “That was a hell of a thing you did back there. Honestly, I’m surprised that you came out all in one peace..” the Nocturni glanced over the young soldier, noting his various scrapes, cuts, bruises, and the mud covering his mane, tail, and pelt. “Well, more or less.”

Clockwork chuckled. “Guess I got lucky.”

“In my experience, there’s no such thing as luck, only skill. You have it.”

“Thank you, sir.” Clockwork was only able to pull off half a salute, thanks to his fresh wounds. He soon turned his attention to Charger. Neither pony spoke, but they both understood the other’s need to know that they were okay. Charger nodded, and Clockwork tried to relax as he and his team continued onwards to Nyumbani.


“Well, there ain’t no rest for the wicked now, is there?” Long Shot chimed in his familiar sarcastic tone.

Clockwork tried to scratch his head, only to have Mganga and Fluttershy tell him to hold still as they inspected and treated his various injuries. “So. . . we really did lose Appleloosa.”

Captain Twilight Sparkle, flanked on her left by Apple Bloom and on her right by Askari, straightened her little commander’s hat and launched into her explanation. “But not without making it extremely difficult for the Supremacy. On their own, the bison held out for five days against several hundred changelings and forced the Supremacy’s occupation to classify as a textbook pyrrhic victory. It was only when the bison ran out of ammunition for their turrets that Chief Thunderhooves ordered a retreat.”

“May I inquire as to why you are sending Meteor Squad to Dodge Junction then, ma’am?” Switcher asked. “If the buffalo require only ammunition to fight as effectively as they have, then why not make limited supply drops rather than deploying an Illicit Operations team?”

“Both questions have a single answer with many smaller components,” Twilight replied grimly. “We’ve had reports steadily coming in that the Supremacy has taken over a large majority of the local railway lines and are using them to ferry a prototype weapon to points of conflict. It’s already claimed two relief cruisers and then some when we tried to get supplies to the bison.”

“I am still unable to reason why sending us will-”

“Long story short, the bison can’t find the train because it has some sort of cloaking device on it and three certain individuals are guarding it that cannot be killed by the standard soldier, even a bison,” the captain responded in frustration.

For some time, there was silence, and then, a sigh from Long Shot. “So, lemme get this straight.” he ran a dark hoof through his even darker mane. “You’re sending us into the middle of a desert, very little cover, with our only mission parameters to bring down an invisible train with a gun capable of annihilating entire airships with a single blast. Furthermore, guarding this train are a griffon, a slightly smaller griffon, and a cloak-wearing thing that never leaves the former’s side. Am I right?”

Twilight seemed almost taken aback at the elder warrior’s foresight. “As ridiculous as it sounds, yes. Commander, how did you know that the soldiers guarding the train were-”

“Call it a hunch, ma’am. I’ve dealt with them before, and we’ll need every advantage we can get against them.”

“Sir.” Clockwork shifted from where he sat, now wrapped in bandages making him appear similar to a B-movie mummy. “Who are we dealing with?”

“I’ll explain on the way.” the commander gazed longingly at Mganga, who shared the look. “Madam Uchawi, Tribe Queen Zecora, on behalf of my team, I sincerely thank you for all the support that you have provided for us. Before we leave, I have one question to ask of you.”

“Long Shot, belay any of your fears, for my mother and I are listening. We are all ears,” Zecora responded.

“I humbly request that Mganga be made an active member of Meteor Squad.”

Almost immediately, Uchawi had a response. “That is a significant request, commander. Why do you believe she is fit to serve amongst the Alliance’s finest?”

“I’d hardly call ourselves the finest,” the nocturni remarked humbly. “Ahem. I have had the pleasure of seeing her in action firsthoof. She is remarkably resilient, agile, and excellent in the fields of medicine and close combat as well as medium-range limited engagements. Furthermore, I can tell that she is highly adaptable to a number of situations, and is well familiarized with military grade discipline.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Captain, do you have any objections?”

Twilight shook her head. “I do not believe I do. What does the rest of Meteor Squad make of Long Shot’s request?”

“The commander’s logic is sound.” Switcher answered. “I believe she would make an impressive addition to the squad. While her brother would be a preferable choice, combat-wise, his presence in Zebrica is understandable. I will second this idea.”

“Third,” Clockwork replied, still trying to adjust to the new bandages wrapped around his body. “She’s certainly got the medical experience to help us. If we brought her along, we wouldn't have to risk Captain Fluttershy.”

“Which is everywhere we go,” Long Shot added.

Askari stood up next to Twilight. He dwarfed her by at least a head, but Clockwork could tell that she was the one in charge. Word gets around when you defeat gods, after all. “If you take my sister with you on your crazy world saving missions, can you promise she’ll come back?”

“I’ll make sure of it personally.” the unicorn looked at Mganga, who was now sitting next to her mother and sister. “What about you, Zecora, Uchawi. Would you allow Mganga to join Meteor Squad, knowing the horrors of war that she will face?”

“Mganga has seen zebras broken and mauled. When it comes to war’s horrors, she has seen nearly all,” Zecora answered with confidence.

Uchawi looked over her daughter. “I’d be glad to let her fight where her talents will best suit her. She’s always said that she wanted to see the world.”

“And what of you, Mganga? What say you?” Twilight asked.

“To be perfectly honest, I do not believe myself worthy of such and honor. But I will do my best.”

“Very well then. Mganga, please step forward.”

The zebra did so. She tried to stand proud, but her own bandages prevented it. Nevertheless, her eyes shown with the same fiery determination that Charger’s had during her induction. As he had then, Long Shot stood in front of Mganga. The Nocturni removed a small patch from his belt and held it over her outstretched hoof with his magic.

“Mganga,” the Nocturni said, his voice much more deep and commanding than it had been moments ago. “This isn’t a war we can win through conventional methods, that’s why you’re here. The Alliance needs soldiers like you if we’re to have any hope. I ask you, Mganga, will you fight for the Alliance? Will you brave the dangers no one else can face? Will you fight alongside Meteor Squad, knowing full well that terrors lie ahead?”

“To my last breath and beyond,” answered Mganga, with a proud smile.

“Well alrighty then.” Long Shot ceased his magic and the patch fell into Mganga’s hoof. She put it in a pouch on her bandolier. “You’re now a part of the brightest star in Equestria’s sky.”

Mganga nodded before turning to Twilight. “Captain, what is our next course of action?”

“Pack your things, we leave in an hour. After that, you’ll have until the morning’s rising sun to set up. Dismissed!”


Clockwork sat at the edge of his bed, a full duffle bag at his side. He glanced around the room again, taking note of how bare everything seemed now that the hut had been emptied out. Clockwork found the event bittersweet. It had been. . . what, a week? Yet, he felt as though he’d known the zebras of Mji Mkuu for far longer. He had learned quite a bit during his time in the jungle village, but he still felt as though he had only scratched the surface of Zebrica and its culture.

He never got to say goodbye, truly, to most of his new friends. Sure, Penyelamat would probably come around again, considering that she was Zecora’s heir and all, but Ndogo was almost certainly bound to Zebrica and Sallaq had apparently jumped ship long before the Squad had last returned to the village. Still, it felt good to finally be leaving behind the hell that was jungle warfare, what with the mosquitos, ridiculous humidity levels, and the-

Clockwork shuddered as the memory of Battlefright hit him like a train. How the hay could his own kind create something so demonic? How did the Dogs make such a horrid thing even worse? Clockwork felt a stone in his stomach as he remembered Safi. She was recovering, slowly, but it pained him to know that if what Mganga had said was true, then the mare’s psyche would never fully recover. The pegasus took some comfort in knowing that he had helped ensure that the village would never experience such unholy products of science again.

The stallion rose from his cot and slung his pack over his shoulder. Before he could get halfway to the door, a familiar black chitin hoof pulled open the entryway. “Sir, the rest of the squad is packed and currently awaiting your arrival on the Vikare. We must make haste.”

“Got it. Lemme just-”

“C’mon featherbrain, on your hooves!” Askari shoved his way past Switcher and into the hut, barely squeezing through the narrow entryway. “You gotta get back out there and finish the- Oh hey, you’re up.”

Clockwork shook his head furiously to get the ringing out of his ears. He gulped. “Look, before I go, there’s something I gotta tell the both of you.”

“Oh?” both soldiers had the same look of confusion on their face.

Clockwork’s eyes immediately looked to the dirt floor as he pawed at it with his hoof. “About. . . yesterday. . .”

“What about it?” Askari knelt down so he could see the pegasus better.

“I was. . . way out of line,” Clockwork groaned. “I just about tried to kill you two, and if I don’t apologize now I’ll never forgive myself.”

“You won’t need to,” Askari replied with a smile.

“What?”

“Earlier, Askari and I discussed the events you are referring to,” Switcher explained, stepping inside the hut. “and we came to the conclusion that, in the end, you were correct.”

Clockwork almost fell over in shock. “But. . . I went nuts! I lashed out at you! For all we know, if I hadn’t seen Shle’wikal, you would both be dead!”

“What? Just because of your wing?” Askari tapped it with his staff. “Doesn’t matter how sharp that metal is, this staff and I have got more than a few tricks in our arsenal. It wouldn’t have broken had you hit it full force, and I could have broken any bone in your body with just a swing. You were never a threat to me.”

“The same goes for me, somewhat,” Switcher added. “This helm was specially forged to protect against most forms of damage, and my exoskeleton is substantial in comparison to my more common brethren. While it is likely that either of us could have been injured, said injuries would never have been life-threatening.”

“Well, that’s. . . comforting?” Clockwork shrugged as he failed to find an appropriate word.

“Besides,” Askari shifted from where he knelt. “I’ve had my own kin spit worse at me, and that was just from a botched herb gathering trip. We’ve all seen some messed up shit recently, so neither I nor the bug guy here blames ya for going a little cuckoo. Everyone, zebra, pony, griffon, dog, or bug, goes a little crazy sometimes.”

Clockwork was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. Finally, he mumbled “Okay, thanks” and began to walk off. He nearly made it out of the hut, but Askari stopped him with a comforting, and massive, hoof on the pegasus’ shoulder. His eyes now shown with the fire of a warrior.

“Let me tell you something though, kid.” his words were like a command. “You, Switcher, and the rest of your little suicide squad are probably gonna see a lot more screwed up stuff out there, but don’t lose your head. Instead, use all that horror and anger and prove that the only thing the Supremacy is better at then us is dying! You got that!?”

Clockwork saluted both soldiers. “Every word.”

“Alright.” Askari stood up, instantly towering over his allies. “If you ever need me to beat down a dog, griffon, fey, or all three at once, I’ll always be on call. I might bring friends, too!”

“We will make note of that promise, Askari. Clockwork?

The pegasus nodded, and the two squadmates turned around and trotted off towards the squad dropship. Askari watched them go, leaning on his staff as he did, grinning.

Oh, the things he could tease Penyelamat about now.


Clockwork and Switcher stepped aboard the massive brass and iron dropship. They took their seats, expecting the vehicle to immediately roar to life. They looked at each other, then around, confused when it did not. Outside they could see the zebras of Mji Mkuu expressing their thanks and waving goodbye, but the pilot wouldn’t have waited just to give them a treat.

The members of Meteor Squad began to mutter, confused and impatient, when they heard a familiar clinking on the gangway. It was the sound of hooves on the metal ramp. They all turned to see who was coming aboard, and Clockwork’s eyes widened at the sight of Uchawi, escorted by Zecora, in the dropship. Mganga got up out of her seat and went to say one last goodbye, but stopped when she saw the grim look on her mother’s face. Clockwork thought he saw the enchantress’ eyes glow a golden yellow for just a moment, then she spoke. Her voice couldn’t have been above a whisper, but Clockwork could hear her as though she were whispering in his ear.

“Should Meteor Squad lack compassion or glee, doom shall rise from the heart of
Everfree. . .”

As quickly as she had come, she was gone, and the dropship left the ground as soon as Uchawi and Zecora were back on the ground. As the squad rocketed through the sky back to the silver zeppelin overhead, they were left to silently wonder what the elder zebra had meant. . .


Clockwork wandered down one of the corridors that made up Szary’s interior, not bothering to acknowledge the few crew members that passed him by. The squad had returned safely, debriefed the royal sisters on what was now being referred to as the “Zebrican Campaign”, and had gone their separate ways for now.

Mganga was in the process of situating herself in one of the empty quarters. Switcher was somewhere stocking up on his various chemicals, and Long Shot and Charger had hit the showers. Much to everypony else’s surprise, Clockwork did none of those things. Instead, he walked. Everything had gone well, but to his surprise, it seemed like he was the only one concerned over Uchawi’s prophecy.

Clockwork shuddered as the words echoed through his mind. It was as if Uchawi was standing right next to him. What could she have meant? he thought. Why the Everfree Forest? That place is a deathtrap with almost no tactical value. Not even the Griffons would risk it! Besides, why the hay would somepony need glee if you were fighting through- Oof!

Preoccupied, Clockwork had bumped muzzle first into Long Shot’s chest plate. Out of all the ponies to bump into. . .

“Sorry kid.” Long Shot apologized as he rubbed his mane vigorously with a damp towel with the tell-tale pale green glow of his magic. “Guess I wasn’t looking where I was going,” the unicorn smiled ruefully.

Clockwork sighed. “Nah Commander. It’s my fault. I always forget to look where I’m going when I’m thinking.”

“At least you weren’t flying,” he teased. Looking at Clockwork’s expression, he frowned slightly. “What’re ya thinking about?”

“Eh,” Clockwork rubbed the back of his neck with his real wing. “What Uchawi said back on the ground, something about it is kinda creeping me out. You have any idea what it could mean, sir?”

Long Shot shrugged as he tossed his towel into a nearby laundry chute. His jet black mane still glistened with some residual water. “I’ve never been one for figuring out creepy omens like that. If it’s as important as you fear it is, she’ll probably send us a memo or something. And if it comes true, we’ll be ready for it. Anything else?”

“Two things, actually.” Clockwork glanced around to make sure nopony was nearby. “First, back at the debriefing, you mentioned that the Kelpies helped us out, but Celestia never mentioned anything about calling on them for help. Did I miss something?”

A serious look shone in Long Shot’s eyes. “Walk with me, kid.” Clockwork kept pace with Long Shot until he answered. “Kelpies, like other sentient monsters, are considered immediate enemies by all nations of the world except for Equestria, and that’s only because we keep clear from where they live. Every major government but ours tells its soldiers to kill them on sight. Only the dragons are spared, and that’s because any country that would want to wage war against them wouldn’t be around long if they tried to. Most have long since fallen into myth, like the Gorgons or the Windigoes, but others like the Changelings and the Kelpies still pose a global threat.”

Clockwork only nodded, hoping the Commander would continue. 276 years of service certainly seemed to help one’s knowledge of foreign customs. “So, long story short, we’re not getting any more help from them?”

“Not unless the griffons somehow manage to push the entire Alliance all the way back to those same swamps.”

“That’s a shame, they were good fighters.”

“That’s a bit of an understatement, but I agree with ya. But hey, we have the Changelings. Well, one. ”

Clockwork’s ears flickered. “As for my second question-” he looked to his left and recognized the door to his barracks. ‘Mind if we talk in my room? I’m bound to run into something if we keep this up.”

“No problem.”

After the duo had taken their seats and gotten comfortable, Clockwork continued. “You told me you’d explain your previous experience with the three mystery soldiers guarding the Supremacy’s new weapon, sir?”

“Oh yeah, those guys.” the nocturni lightly gritted his teeth. “The head honcho is a griffon known only by his military rank: Warfather. The best way to describe it in Equestrian terms is that he’s a one-eyed priest mixed with an elite warrior. Normally, he’d be just a target like anyone else on the enemy team, but. . . he’s got an advantage no one else in the world has that I know of.”

“What kind of advantage would that be, sir?”

“Well, priests worship gods, and in the Griffon Empire there is only one god, a sort of dragon-griffon hybrid they’ve taken to calling Carniferous. Legend has it that, if she’s watching, she’ll bestow a fraction of her power unto the warrior on the field who excels in both skill and purpose.”

“Wait, so you’re saying that this guy can’t be injured?”

“Quite the contrary. Who do you think took away one of his eyes?”

Clockwork was silent for a while. “How’d you pull that off?”

“It kinda ties in to how I met Switcher, actually. Remember the changeling invasion?”

“Back during the royal wedding, yeah.”

“Well, that love-energy-pulse thing must've changed 'em a bit, because a few years later they sent a diplomatic envoy to the capital. The meeting went surprisingly well, and I was assigned to track said envoy back to where they came from. Unfortunately, the griffons had the same idea."

"They sent Warfather after Switcher too?"

"Bingo, no clue why they did though. Ran into him just outside of the main Changeling hive. One thing led to another, and I took his eye with a little help from methods I'd rather not discuss at this time."

Clockwork nodded. "So what happened after all that? Who're Warfather's two cronies?"

"He did the smart thing and retreated, but I've kept tabs on him ever since. Switcher and I talked some stuff out and I offered him a place in the squad. Anyway," the nocturni waved a hoof in the air. "the smaller griffon is called Gilda, apparently she was a friend of Captain Rainbow Dash back when they were still in Junior Speedster's and their relationship went sour from there. From what I hear, she's a damned good swordsmare and a force to be reckoned with."

Clock gulped, one sword wielding priest warrior using only one sword was bad enough. "So who's the cloaked guy?"

Long Shot tousled his mane. "I don't really know much about that one, actually. He's quiet, always hides under his hood, and never leaves Warfather's side unless ordered to. Still, he must be treated as a threat until properly assessed. They're all members of the Red Order, so that makes them all the more dangerous."

"The Red Order, sir?"

"A super-cult of warriors, priests, basically a place where griffons are bred solely to worship their god and end hostile life. Griffon Special Ops, and no one knows exactly how many of them there are. I believe we've fought a few members, actually, remember Cloudsdale?"

Clockwork nodded as his memory flickered back to the battle for Cloudsdale. The griffon soldiers, clad in armor of scarlet and gold, made themselves prominent.

"Anything else?" the nocturni asked.

"No sir, I just need to be left alone with my thoughts for a while. Square everything away physically and mentally, ya know?"

The commander nodded, stood, and went for the door. "No prob. Thanks for the talk. Try to get some rest and a shower, okay?"

"Will do, commander."

And just like that, Clockwork was alone once more. He stripped off his equipment, tossed it on his cot, and sat on the couch in front of the room’s single large window. The pegasus started sifting through all that had happened over the past few days. He had trouble believing some of it, despite having experienced it himself.

As the recollection continued, Clockwork’s tired smile lowered itself more and more until it became a small frown. Despite what Askari and Switcher had said, Clockwork still felt terrible over what had happened after his exposure to Battlefright. Forgiveness for attempted murder? Yeah right.

Clockwork could feel a headache coming on, and pressed his forehooves to his temples to try and stave it off. He really had to take a shower, eat, and rest. Maybe take a few painkillers; yeah, that would-

The stallion’s ears flicked as he heard the barracks’ door slide open. He didn’t speak, already knowing who it probably was. He just stared out the window, rubbing his temples. The intruder, however, crossed the room and sat down next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Clockwork saw a familiar orange mane.

“Hello, Clockwork,” Charger said, tossing her still-damp mane.

Why, hello indeed. “Hey.” Clockwork replied, not taking his eyes off of the window.

“You’re upset about something. What is it?”

“You already know.”

“We’ve already agreed as a squad that your actions while on the rescue mission were perfectly-”

“Not just that!” Clockwork shouted, surprising himself with the strength of the outburst. “Before the mission, back when I was first exposed to that ghastly stuff. I started -gah, what’s a good word that describes breathlessly contemplating how to mercilessly slaughter Diamond Dogs?”

“Clockwork, we already agreed that it was alright.”

“It wasn’t alright! Dammit, nothing about it was alright! I only had an inkling of common sense smacked back into me when I saw that look in your eyes, and then I devolved into a sniveling wreck!” Clockwork glanced over and felt ice in his veins when he saw the same look he was referring to. He immediately turned away and tried to hide the terror in his own eyes. “You always look at me like that when I become. . . not me.” the pegasus’ voice trembled on those last two words.

After a good five seconds of silence, Charger sighed. “I admit, it shocks me to see you like that; but you always come back after-”

“Something else terrible happens that distracts me long enough to get a grip,” Clockwork interrupted, his breath catching in his throat. “Something’s wrong with me, Charger. I’m scared. I’m really, really scared.” it was a miracle that Clockwork hadn’t collapsed into a crying pile of feathers yet.

Charger did not say a word. Not like he expected her too, but-

Clockwork took a breath, and felt that Charger had wrapped her forelegs around his body. She laid her head on his shoulder, and after a moment of hesitation, the pegasus wrapped his wings around her.

“We’re all going to stay with you until the end. Okay?”

Clockwork only nodded, knowing that he didn’t have to speak to convey his answer.

They stayed that way for a while, Clockwork managing to regain some semblance of happiness as he felt Charger’s heart beating in tandem with his own. Suddenly, the mare removed herself and made a beeline for the door. Clockwork thought she saw her blush. “Make sure to get some rest. We’ll be heading into an entirely different theater of war, so we need everypony at the top off their game. Okay?”

“I promise.”

After she had gone, Clockwork got up as well and almost managed to exit his room before his body collided with Wetwork's, and their lips not a moment later.

“Oh. . . hey there,” the pegasus replied dumbly, not expecting to see his marefriend again so soon.

The unicorn giggled in response, planting a light kiss on her companion’s nose. “Hi.”

“Umm. . .” Clockwork stammered. “Would you like to sit down? It’s kinda weird to be making out in the middle of a zeppelin hallway.”

Without another word, the duo came to rest on the same couch Clockwork had been sitting in not a minute ago. Almost instinctively, the stallion began running his hoof through Wetwork’s mane, to which she sighed lovingly as she rested her head on his chest. “I’ve heard snippets of what you went through down there. It all sounded awful.”

“Believe me, it was. At least we won in the end, and now we’re going to get thrown into a different hell in about twenty four hours,” Clockwork responded with a tired laugh.

“I’m glad you’re safe. The thought of losing you kept me up at night; it was unbearable.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. You made your choice in joining this team and I made my choice in sticking with you through it. Is there anything you want to talk about? I’ve heard that just talking about past experiences in the field can get rid of a lot of stress.”

“You sure you want to hear it? A lot of it’s not that pleasant.”

“Well I would believe so, nothing ever is in war.”

“True. So where do you want me to start? I really need to take a shower or I’m gonna-”

“We could shower together if you’d like.”

Clockwork raised an eyebrow. “What was that?”

“Nothing! Nothing. . .” Wetwork mused. “Just start with what sticks with you the most and go from there. I’ll be here as long as you need me.”


Clockwork bolted upright, his eyes snapping open and his breath coming in gasps. He was soaked in his own sweat. With a quick glance around the room, Clockwork realized that he was laying back in his own bed, back in Ponyville.

The pegasus groaned. “Not this shit again.” this had happened too many times for him to wonder what was real or not. He shrugged, wondering what messed up sight his psyche had conjured for him tonight. After stretching, the pegasus got out of his bed and made his way downstairs, alert for any weird eldritch abominations or demented versions of those that he loved. He was surprised to notice that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, save for his parents not being present in the dream house. Finally, having inspected the rest of the home, the pegasus slowly opened the brass door separating him from the outside dream world.

Clockwork was shocked, not because there was anything wrong, but it was the exact opposite of everything he had expected. Ponyville looked exactly the way it had before the Griffons had made the mistake of invading. Birds chirped. Animals were having adorable little conversations with each other. Even better, Clockwork still had his artificial wing. Since he could, he stretched his wings and took to the sky.

Clockwork smiled as he made his way through the open air above Dream-Ponyville. He could get used to having regular dreams again. Just as he prepared to make a steep dive, something made him flick his ears.

It wasn’t a whisper so much as it was a weird mechanical buzz. Despite the faintness, Clockwork could still recognize a single word out of the eerie static.

“Clockwooorkkk. . .” a serene voice called to the pegasus from somewhere behind and below him. The pegasus prepared himself for the sight of some demonically twisted entity, but found nothing out of the ordinary as he landed back on the street. The stallion cautiously made his way through the town, trying to find the slightest out-of-place looking thing. Still, that sweet voice called to him, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so he continued on.

As he did, Clockwork started to notice something. The ponies of the town were moving with more difficulty than normal. A limp there, a robotic turn of the head there. Fillies and colts having issues shifting there stubby legs across the ground. One or two pegasi had to try twice to take off, only to snap back into place. Something was up.

And then everything was suddenly bathed in an abyssal blood-red light.

Clockwork bumped nose first into something that he instantly recognized as metal. It certainly wasn’t brass, but he could tell it wasn’t iron either. Before Clockwork could determine exactly what metal it was, or why he had the sudden need to determine what metal it was, he made the mistake of looking up, and immediately felt the need to vomit.

Clockwork backed up to get a better look at the monstrosity, and immediately wished he hadn’t. Before him stood the ever recognizable form of Moppet, but a large portion of his chest had been replaced by a series of mechanical pipes that made up some sort of demented version of a torso. A good portion of the front of his body had been replaced by metal as well, stopping just short of his shoulders and forelegs. However, his head was perfectly normal, with not even a single hair out of place on his greasy gray mane. What was probably most terrifying was that he acted like nothing was wrong, even his voice sounded unaltered.

“Top o’ the mornin’ to ye, Clocky! Lon’ time no see, eh?” After looking himself over, the urchin let out an eerily peaceful laugh. “Oh, these’re me new upgrades. They’re workin’ great! Do ye like ‘em?”

Clockwork could only stare, slack-jawed and horrified.

“What? Ye’ve never seen me upgrades before?” Moppet asked. “Everypony’s got ‘em,” the mule waved his coppery hoof at the other ponies on the street. “An’ it’s all thanks to ye an’ yer brilliance!”

Clockwork turned around and was greeted by the sight of over a dozen ponies, all with varying degrees of mechanical replacements. Some had metal jaws, others’ entire legs or wings replaced by the strange demented metal. Worst of all, everypony acted like it was normal!

Clockwork immediately bolted, running towards the source of that strangely sweet voice. Perhaps that was the way out? Maybe if he found the source he could wake up from this nightmare?

The pegasus continued to run as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn’t bother trying to take to the sky, knowing that if he did, he’d probably just see something more demented. He bobbed and weaved through growing crowds of mares and colts, all of them gradually becoming more mechanical than organic. After a while, Clockwork realized that he was running past full on robots instead of ponies, and their eyes glowed with an unfortunately familiar purple light.

Clockwork skidded to a halt when he laid eyes on the source of the sweet voice. Of course, it all made sense now, without the mechanical background noise, the sweet voice took on the recognizable tone of-

“Oh, there you are, Clockwork.” the faux pony looked over her shoulder from where she sat and greeted Clockwork with a friendly smile of pure white teeth.

Clockwork was so scared he could barely fathom what the hell was going on. The thing was completely mechanical, save for three horrible features. Its eyes, one most beautiful shade of blue, the other teal, were organic and full of thought; its mane and tail were slightly messy and some horrid amalgamated color of orange and dark green that heavily contrasted with its brass frame, and it’s voice was still enchanting.

Clockwork tried to run, tried to fly, tried to escape from the demonic creature that was slowly walking towards him, a machination of his own psyche and the two mares he had feelings for, but realized he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even scream as the robot-mare made its way over to him and wrapped its forelegs around the paralyzed and traumatized pegasus and gave his neck a quick lick with the blade-like edge that was her tongue, and then pushed him down by his shoulders to do unspeakable things to him.

“We’re all going to stay with you for as long as you need, and it’s all thanks to you. . .”

Next Chapter: Where The Buffalo Roam Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 25 Minutes
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