Right on Time

Chapters

Time On My Side
When the Clock Strikes Twelve
The Way I Remember I

Time On My Side

Author's Note

Ophran is a pony's name.

Drac is also a pony.

Time On My Side

Another cold and sleepless night crept up like a slow rising ash from an amber fire. The case of four murders still were unsolved, and the stakes kept getting higher. One pony every time; Never letting others die form his methods. One by one, ponies fell victim to his immature ways of massacre.

The first pony to die was two years ago, bloody, and the first of the tragic deaths. The second to die was one year ago, just as evil, but more controlled. The third, six months; Fourth three months. And the fifth murder, time, place, and victim, all undetermined.

Only a few days left till the infamous killings of the mad man struck again. And our trusty dagger was ready to quit. "This case is some real bull shit. No sleep, and no overtime, and only ten people are working it." Grumbled a stallion, resting his head on the mahogany wood desk. “I came here because I didn’t want to deal with the wife, and I needed the money. Do you think the killer will just quit and disappear like the last case? I’m tired of missing my Luan."

Angered, and enraged by the futile hope of his colleague, he stood out of his chair, knocking it backwards, letting it chip once more after so many days of remaining upright. "The next time I hear you say that, I'll lock you in a cell with Crazy Sam." Getting the full undivided attention of the pony, he returned to his overturned chair; setting it upright once again. 'Crazy invalid. Doesn't he know Sam died. Poor ol' fool.'

Returning to his paper scattered desk, he didn't care whether or not he had to put up with yet another joke, he couldn't even tell whether it was a threat or not. Re-reading his papers, he got nothing new to invite to the party, "We'll I'm gonna head home for the night. You need anything before I leave? Any request?" Satisfied with himself and his hard 26 hour shift, he might as well have done something for the stallion he'd leave alone for the night; or till some poor sap showed up. "You're gonna be alone for another four hours. Anything come to mind?"

Pressing his hoof against his chin, only one thing came to mind. The most foul, immature way of pleasure that was allowed in the investigation room. "Ya. Can you get me a Cola?" Remembering the last time he asked for one, he added on, making his demand more certain, "None of that diet crap you drink." Watching his good friend drift out of sight and down the hall, he waited patiently. Waiting for his friend to return with the most pleasurable thing around.

A few good minutes of solitude passed, and his friend returned. "Sorry, but they were all out of regular; it was either diet or that fake “zero” calorie stuff." Sending a diet soda to the angry stallion, who had warned him about bringing the diet soda up again. Getting a grim stare from across the room, he replaced the diet soda with a regular, old-fashion cola. "That stuff'll' kill ya. Not to mention, rot your teeth and eat your heart out." Lifting a hoof in the air, and walking out the door, he didn't mind leaving the soda can behind. Letting it's existence in the room harass the hard headed stallion.

"See ya', Xivi." Staring down the can he left behind, anger took over once again, and the soda before him went to waste, getting thrown into his drawn with three others. 'You damn pony. Now I know you did this on purpose. Lucky you're not on my list for tonight. Thats reserved for the killer.' Collecting himself, and waiting for the right moment, he prepared for the long journey that lay ahead of him, 'Time to get something done.'

Waiting in silence and analyzing the charts, he came to a conclusion. "Here!" Pinning a larger, oversized tac on a orphanage, he smiled to himself, "That’s where he'll strike next!" Overjoyed with his analysis, he waited patiently for the next worker to enter the room, and fulfill his duty as a worker, and keep the office in check till morning.

"So, you found something out?" Examining the work he hadn't helped at all with, he was amazed. "You did all this by yourself? Incredible!" As shocked as he was, he knew that something was wrong, deep down, he knew that nopony could have found out the location without reason. 'This guy must be insane. Nothing can back this up.' "So, Xivi, was it. How did you figure this out? It all seems randomly guessed."

Grabbing a portable dry-erase board from his desk, he began to demonstrate. "Okay, we're going to say that point ‘A' is the first location from two years ago. So where did the second scene happen?"

"To the right, a few blocks away." Not interested, he waited through the presentation of drawing on a board.

"Okay, we'll say that the twenty blocks is the length of five centimeters," drawing a line from point A', to a new point titled B'. "Then from point B', we have the third killing. It was a little bit more to the right, but under A'. About twenty blocks away as well, give or take." Catching the attention of the bored stallion, he continued. "From there we have the fourth killing. In the center of A' and B', but a little bit higher than the middle of them." Drawing the last point he finished his diagram. A star.

"So you're basing this murderer’s next killing, on a star?" Shocked and amazed at how futile his idea was, he laughed. "Anything else you have to back it up?"

Sighing deeply, he answered him, "this time, he's going to kill the victim with fire." Getting the attention of the stallion once more, he explained once more, "In a book I read, it had this shape, and on the shape it had 5 important items, all crucial to the world, and life." Losing the stallion, he went on. "Okay, the five elements, as the book called them, were Water, Fire, Wood, Metal, and Earth. One can not exist without another. Fire burns wood, to make ash, in this case, Earth. Earth makes metals. The Metal brings forth Water, and then Water brings forth Wood."

"How does your little trip through nature help us solve this case? It doesn’t even relate in any way!" Tired of the idiotic ponies ramblings, he was almost ready to walk out on his shift.

"He's killed the first with brute force, most likely, meaning earth. the second he killed with a torture device made from cast iron, for metal. Next he drowned a girl, then poisoned the next with some natural poison mixture." Not needing to go on, and not wanting to, he was relieved. "Next he's going to burn a pony to death."

"I'm impressed," clopping his hooves together, and smiling, "you have gone more insane than Sam. I think you need to get some rest more than I need to get to work." Smiling happily as he shoved the red eyed stallion out, he waited for him to leave. "Don't come back till tomorrow, ya' here?"

Stumbling down the stairwell, he barely managed to keep awake, “sure thing, just don’t do anything we’ll regret. okay Drac?”

'Ya, this is the place.' Not having anyone to co-operate with, he readied his oil, and gasoline. "I think everyone's gone." As careless as always, he bumped into a child. The child. "What are you doing up? Its nearly midnight? Go to bed you tireless child!" Not getting any answer from the girl, or having the privilege of watching her walk away into the dark. He was curious what made the filly follow with him.

"Can I have something to drink, please?" In a soft voice the filly asked him blindly, unsure of who he even was. "I can't see very well, and everyone else is asleep. Can you help me get something to drink?"

More interested in the girl, than angered by her, he did what she was asking for. He helped her get something to drink. "Now go to bed!" Walking away from the girl, and pouring flammable liquids on the floor, he did what he had planned to do since 2 years ago. Burring down the Marry Skies orphanage. Practically abandoned, only a few residents remained. "Good bye, Ophran." Lighting a match in his teeth, and setting the house into a blaze, he backed away and watched his childhood home burn down.

"Why don't you like Ophran?" as if by pure luck, the girl had left the house and watched the blazing pile of wood and stucco crumble, but not before startling the cold hearted stallion. "Why did you burn the orphanage down?"

Startled that the girl snuck up on him, more disturbingly, she didn't seem to care. "Your home is on fire! People are dying!!! Don't you have anything to say for yourself?!" Looking at the filly’s cold gray eyes, and icy silver fur, he had one last question. "Who the hell are you?"

Turning to his general direction, she smiled, "my name is silver note." Taking a deep breath, breathing in the tainted air of smoke and ash, she sighed. "I'm the one the news was talking about last year." Ignoring the smoky haze before her, she returned to the stallion next to her. "We'll I can't live there. Do you know where I can go?"

Thinking it over, nothing came to mind. "I could take you to the police department, but if I do, you need to speak with the stallion named Xivi. He's the only one who can help you. You ready to go, Love?" forgetting, once again, the girl was blind for the most part. “Do you think you can walk there, or would you like to ride there?”

Turning her attention to the sinister pony before her, she didn’t have much choice. “What will I be riding? I think there was a wagon inside the orphanage.” Getting taken by surprise, she was uplifted and placed in the left side of a saddle bag. Letting the cool relief of the partly solid bag comfort her, she was once happy again. ”Hey mister. What your name? Or, eh-, Something I can call you by?”

Intrigued by the girl’s inadequate want to learn more about the pony who, in a way, robbed her of her “home”, and is kidnaping her. All while dropping her off at a place where he would most likely be confronted with some kind of questioning as to why he had a underaged orphin with him lated at night. “Well, I killed my name a long time ago. So if they ask, just tell them I called myself Clockwork, like the mechanism. And your name? I’d be impolite not to share.”

Looking at the high rissen street lights, she gazed into their splendid array of bright light before realizing what was going on. “Oh, my name is Silver Note. But everyone just calls me Silver. And I already told you once we met.” Letting her voice slip, she lowered herself into the bag’s darkest den.

“Sorry for the bother. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk. We’ll have more time to talk later, lass. Till then, this is your stop.” Falling down slowly, and tipping the bag’s contents and girl out, he ruffled the hair on her head, “remember, Clockwork, wants you to talk with the stallion named Xivi. Okay love?”

Looking up with hollowed eyes, she smiled. “Okay Mr. clockwork. But what does Mr. Xivi look like?” Peering upward at the kindhearted killers face, she saw only blissful joy in the dead image revealed from her dieing eyes. “You have a line on your face?” Raising a hoof to the left foreskin on his face, she tried to feel the severity of it, only to be snuffed out by a hoof lowering her’s.

“He’s the one with icy eyes, a dead voice, and dark blue mane and tail.” Pushing the adorably colorful gray filly forward, he began his walk away. “Oh, and there’s steps in front, be careful love.” Watching her find her footing on the steps, she began her ascension. ‘And to think I almost burned that cute girl alive just for my own reasons.’ Shrugging and leaving, he smiled, ‘I wonder how this will play out.’ Laughing to himself, Clockwork left the scene of his kindest activity in days. Pondering how the day would have gone if he had killed the girl in her sleep like he wanted.

Climbing up a set of unidentifiable steps to the light coming from an elevated location, she pressed on with a smile on her face. "Almost there." Climbing up the third to last step, she saw the doorway to a bright paradise. The central lights above the doors shone brighter than the burning ashes of her past home. "Pritty!" Walking to the door she pressed her snout against the glass, and tried to see inside, not getting much to see.

Trying to grab the handle to open the door, she couldn't find one. Blinded by the overly powerful lights above her and to blind to even see a pencil 4 inches away, not much could be done by her. Knocking on the glass, she waited for someone to check. But like always, no one came to the door. Continuing her banging on the pain of glass, she waited desperately for someone to let her in. "Hello? Anyone in there?!" Calling out just made her feel worse. Reminded her of the fact no one was around to help her once again.

'Guess I'll just wait here till some one come out. Or till frost bite catches me.' Closing her eyes and lying down in front of the door, she began to sleep. Not her usual unruly nightmare of horrors, or ghastly depictions of mysterious ponies she never met. But she sleep soundly, no fears in site, except the reality. It was all in her head. 'Maybe I'll get to met them this time. Maybe they will smile.' They didn't show up, nor did they smile. tortured souls never smiled at her.

"Is she dead?"

"How should I know? I'm just the janitor!"

"God this sucks, if she died on the steps what are we gonna do about it?"

Listening in on their conversation on someone being dead, she wondered. 'Are they talking about me?' Trying to move, she couldn't will herself to do anything but lie and listen. 'Just great. I'm blind, and I can't even move. Just my luck.' Still only able to listen, she listened on.

"Maybe we should bring her inside. Ya know, instead of letting her freeze away outside." the voice called out, not even bothering negotiating on the treatment of her body. Disturbingly, without warning, she was risen, and placed on ruffled fur and jagged bones, "Whether you’re in or out, I'm taking her inside." Entering a place where the air was lighter than the cold bitter frost outside, and the floor smelled of detergent instead of dirt and concrete. "Wake up soon, okay?" Walking away and retunding to his duties, he ignored the girl as little as possible.

'Okay mister janitor! I'll do my best.' Trying to move once again, she fell short. Not letting the feeling of not moving get the best of her, she tried once again. This time, something small. Her eye. 'Come eye, open!' Willing the small muscles into opening worked. Overjoyed she smiled. "Okay, now lets get the rest working." Limb by limb, she willed them to move from their nearly dormant state. Not wanting to become the one pony who never got to meet the stallion who destroyed her home. She had bigger plans than becoming a fruit in a hospital bed.

"Oh, so you're finally up! Welcome back, sleepy head," A familiar voice called. Looking around the room, she couldn't see anyone worthwhile;she couldn’t see much at all. "Don't you know it's impolite not to introduce yourself, lass?" Turning around, she saw a familiar stallion; But one she hadn't remembered meeting. "My name is Xivi, and your's, lass?"

"Oh, um, sorry Mr. Xivi. My name is SIlver Note. But everyone calls me Silver." Looking up at the stallion, she finally made the connection, Xivi wasn't as happy as he let on with his voice, Clockwork made sure of that. "Um, Mr. Xivi, you can stop being happy. I know you're not that happy." Looking back up at the stallion, she smiled, seeing the wondrous glow in his hollow eyes.

Looking down at the filly who he had thought was dead, he smiled, "have we met before Mrs. Note?" Peering deeply into the girl’s overly sized pupils and foggy eyes, he smiled. "Its up to you whether we met or not, I'll give you time before I star-."

The filly cut him off, "i have something important I need to tell you! It needs to be in private. Only you can here." Pushing herself through the corridor of empty desk, the girl went to the seemingly back of the office. "Come on!"

"Okay Silver Note, I'm going." Rushing after the filly, he found himself in the strangest location he had ever seen. inside a mares and fillies restroom entryway. "Um, I don't think this is the best place for us to be." Getting ignored again by the filly, he had to keep pressing onward. "Okay,you've dragged me to the mare's restroom. What did you need to tell me?"

Checking the best she could, he made sure nopony was in the room, "okay. The thing I needed to tell you is, I'm blind." Letting him sockin the though, she gave him a few seconds before beginning again, "aside from that, I missed you Clockwork!" Jumping at the barely visible pony before her, she landed a hug on him, dangling slightly. "I knew it was you the second I laid eyes on you! You're the one who-," a hoof was pressed against her lips, ending her sentence short.

"yes. But you must only call me Xivi, I'll explain everything when I get home. And seeing as how your, "former home", burned down in a fire, I'll take responsibility for you. Deal?"

Rubbing her chin with her hoof. She thought over the circumstances. Not bad a deal, aside from the fact she didn't get much from it. "Buy me an ice cream latter today, you got a deal."

Smiling, he decided to get something for himself, "Check to see if anyone is outside, I'll buy you two cones." Not hearing a word of hesitation, the girl left the room, and swiftly returned, signalling Xivi to leave, "thank you, and expect a surprize latter, okay lass?"

"Okie! So now what do I need to do?" As happy as always, she smiled and awaited a reply.

Angered with the girl, he decided to get things straight. In the cruelest way possible, with the truth. "I don't like it when you talk like that. Just be your self lass. Nothing wrong with being your own." Pating the soft mane atop her head, he accommodated her back to the area they first began, the office room. "Okay, now that thats done, our chief interrogator is going to ask you some questions. Alright lass?"

Nodding happily, and smiling once again, she waited for the stallion in a bright green jacket to begin his questions.

"Okay. What is your name?"

"Silver Note." Upon her uttering her name the man jotted down the information.

"Okay, Silver Note, do you have any history of Dementia, or any illnesses?"

"No." Once again, the investigator jotted down the info.

"So far you’re doing good. Okay, did you experience any strange occurrences while, or after you encountered the pyrotechnic who burned the orphanage? Any strange events, things you saw that were out of the ordinary?"

Thinking back, and looking at Xivi, who nodded in a way to say "tell the truth". Being true to her words, and the smile on her face, she began, "well, for starters, he was kind, and helped me get something to drink. After that, and he burned the house down, and he offered to walk me here." Recollecting her thoughts she continued, "then he sent me here and then I couldn't get in so I went to sleep. For once in a long time, I didn’t have a nightmare."

Jotting down what happened once again, he asked her yet another pointless question, "did you see the stallion? His fur color, his hight, anything?"

Like asking the deaf how the thought the song was, her answer was just the same, "I'm very blind, and it was dark. Sorry mister." Lowering her head in sadness, Xivi lifted it up once again.

"You did a good job thus far Silver," patting her head once more, he smiled. "Guess its time to get you home." Looking towards the investigator next to him, he shrugged. "Thats the all clear. Lets go half blind filly." Bending forward and letting the filly climb onto his back, he left the station with a new, non-permanent member of his family. "Way to go silver, your first interview with a police officer. Impressive."

Slightly discouraged, she lowered her head and watched the lifeless rocks merge into the concrete, "it wasn't my first. It was my fourth." Saddened by the memories, she dropped onto Xivi's back, fore and hind legs on each side. "But lets forget about the past, tomorrow the sun will rise again!" Raising a barely visible hoof, she smiled. "So where are we going? Your brilliantly hidden house hidden in the woods, or your underground bunker where rats live!?"

"What is it with ponies nowadays?" Not a fan of stereotypes, and the like, he didn't enjoy criminals being portrayed as a different kind of pony, or even as monsters. Mostly how they asumes every evil person lived in some strange location, or had some weird obsession with something out of the ordinary, "both, no. Who exactly do you think I am? I live in a normal house like most every pony." Turning into a walkway he pointed upward at the canopy over the doorway. "See?"

Blind as ever, she didn't see much, "you forgot already? Remember silly, I'm blind." Watching the pony slam his hoof into his face she laughed, "you one crazy pony." Falling over the side of his back, she waited patiently for something new to happen, resting on her head. "So, you still owe me an ice cream, or can I change it?"

Resting his face against the door, he looked down at the filly behind him, "what might you want more than ice cream? Isn't that what all kids want?" Watching the girl stick her tongue out, he resisted the urge to smile, and returned to the door.

"I want you to not kill anyone anymore." Pressing her hoove onto her tongue she added on a small 'preventive', "unless the person you killed attacked you first or provoked you. okay, Mr. Xivi?" Smiling as happy as ever she rolled herself over and walked next to her captivator. "What do ya say?"

Chuckling quietly, he opened the door for the filly, "I'll let you try and convince me. You'd have about 7 days least." Letting the adorably annoying filly in his home, he smiled. "Would you like to try? I'll still buy you ice cream either way lass."

As spunky as ever, she accepted, "you have yourself a deal. Prepare to give up unjust killing!" Unleashing an conspicuous aggressive hoof swing before him she smiled, "I'll only need 3 days for you."

"Good to hear silver. Now go to bed, it's nearly 4 a.m." Shoving the girl into the living room and placing her on the couch, he left for blankets, and vanished.

'Three days, hum. More like three hours.' Waiting patiently for her next victim to return she rested her head on a pillow. “Just you wait.”’ Yawning, she closed her eyes and went back to sleep, once again, sleeping soundly.

When the Clock Strikes Twelve

Author's Note

I sometimes confuse Silver Strings and the name Silver Note. so please excuse that.

on another note. this is Part 1. it will be merged with part 2 shortly after its release

these were once a 2 part chapter. but i combined them

When the Clock Strikes Twelve

Waiting over the filly, he stared deeply at her. Hoping she was only blind, and not deaf. He called out to her, "hey Silver Strings. Are you up?" Evenly enough, there was no reply from the blanket covered filly. "You're not deaf. I know you can hear me," once more the filly laid on the sofa, ignoring Xivi.

Giving up the more "formal" way of waking her up, he pushed he slightly. Once more, he pushed the filly closer to the edge. Once again, the filly got closer to the edge than before; Dangling over the edge, and ready to drop half a foot. Before anyone could push her over the edge, or she could even accommodate herself, she woke up.

"Hum?" Dazed and tired, she began looking around the room. Nothing was clear, or even partially visible. "My eyes! What happened to my e-," panicking over her loss of vision, she fell onto the floor, where she remembered a perfectly normal fact. She was in a house with madman. "Why did you push me off the couch?" Rubbing her shoulder, she waited for an answer.

Just woken up by force, and in no mood to answer questions, he gave one in return. "Why didn't you wake up when i called to you? I did it a few times." Staring downward at the filly, he waited for her response.

Like any child in all the known universe's that have 'fun' existence, she asked another question. "Why didn't you answer my question, Clock?"

Once again he repaid her question with a question, but not an easy process to make it. Silver Strings didn't have much to go off with, so he improvised. "Why did you not answer my question? lass."

A little bit angered, and unhappy from being tricked into falling, she gave one final question, and a big one at that. "Why can't you just answer my question?!" slightly angered, she didn't feel like being as kind as usual.

Running out of questions, and slightly bored of the spectacle, he decided to give the filly an answer. "Becuase i'm going to make breakfast, and i'd like you to answer first." Walking away from the living room, he found himself in the kitchen. Ripping open a old box of pancake mix. "Are you going to answer and get breakfast, or want answers and to starve?"

Not given much choice, she walked around the couch and made her way to the kitchen. Or what she thought was the kitchen. Inside the room she had entered, there were pictures skewered along the floor, and photographs hung from the roof, mostly of a changeling with a bow on his/her head. 'Where have i scene her before? There’s got to be a reason.'

"The kitchen's over here Lass."

Leaving the room of visible changeling pictures, she followed the voice back into the hallway , and asked once more, "where's the kitchen?" Feeling kinda bad about asking another question, she waited for Xivi to call her once again.

Angry with the filly to a slight extent, he left the kitchen, and dragged the filly across the carpet, and onto slick tiles with black and white shadings of a symbol she couldn't make out. "This, the room with black and white tiles, is the kitchen." Returning to the countertop filled with pots and pans, he poured a bag of oatmeal into it, and turned the stove on. Discarding the sturdy paper exterior into a box titled "recycle." he sighed, “the pancake mix expired, so we’re gonna have oatmeal.”

Dragging her hoofs across the black and white floor, she began to wonder, 'Why did he kill Ophran?' Dragging her face across the floor, she got the attention of Xivi, who stopped his work, looked at her, and then returned to his job. 'He's a nice person. As far as he's let on.'

As if meant for her, Clockwork spoke aloud. "I have 3 rules for this house we must always follow, and a fourth, that may be broken." Authority filled the room, and he began serving oatmeal into a shiny glass bowl. "Rule Zero, have a common decency. Or as most call it, manners. Rule one, don't ask stupid questions. And before you even try asking, life is forty-two." Moving the bowl to the table, he helped his small quest get into her chair. "Rule two, don't die. If you die, i will die, find your soul, or essence, then kill you. Again." Realizing he hadn't gotten her a spoon, he did just that. "And rule three, don't kill without a reason. Every life has a toll."

Taking the spoon from Clockwork, she smiled, "Witch rule can be broken sometimes?" Looking up to Xivi with dead eyes. Catching a glimpse of his scar once more. 'Poor man...'

As if by pure luck, he covered half his face with a mask, shielding it from questioning. "What did rule number 1 say? No stupid questions." Peering through hollowed out eyes, he caught a glimpse of something larger. Something out of the ordinary. Removing his mask, he sighed, "that question was very stupid to ask."

Taking into fact that she wouldn't get any information out of him, she decided to get back to the topic of matter. "So why did you push me off the couch?" Placing a spoonful of oats in her mouth, she began messing around with the spoon. raising it and lowering it in her jaw.

Not scared to tell the truth, he gave her the truth full answer. "Well, i sorta dislike how peaceful you were, so i decided to ruin that. Also, i just felt like it." Smiling deeply, he held back a laugh out of pure enjoyment. "Answers are sometimes the worst thing to have."

Smiling at the smile she had gotten just moments ago, she decided it was time to strike once more, "the truth hurts, but a lie is worse. I sometimes mess with people just for fun. And you know what," she pulled Xivi's mane, dragging him in, "i'm going to make sure i get my revenge... Tomorrow night.... Horribly."

Sending a shock down his spine, he walked away, and began packing for the day. A defensive weapon, a note book, a book on the brain, and even a change of clothes just in case his tie got dirty, or stained in blood. "Hey, brat. We have to get to the police office before 2 pm." Looking at the clock, it read 11: 11. "Times running out, and we need to get there early."

Jumping out of her chair, and running to the door, and Xivi, she awaited her next order from the stallion. "So do you walk there? Or is it really, really, far?" Walking out of the small apartment complex dorm, she tripped down the stairs and looked up at the sun. Closing her eyes from the sher light.

Smiling at what had happened, he answered her, "It's a few blocks away, but i have something to do later so we have to go early." Lifting the filly into his bag once more, he trailed off once more. "Lass, what’s your name again? It seems to be slipping from me quite often." Looking up and around, he saw a dreaded sight. His neighbor from two houses down.

"Hey! Mr. Kazen! Who's the young, fine, little girl you got in your bag?" Peering at the girl's light silver eyes, he smiled. Letting the wrinkles on his face show up like white on black paper. "Mine if we introduce our selves? It's been a while since a child has lived near here." Licking his lower lip, she smiled even wider, letting his lips reach side to side.

Reaching her hoove out of the bag as if to say hello, she decided not to. The elderly had about as hard a time of seeing as she did. Taking her chances with Clockwork, she called out to the stallion, "Hi stranger!!! My name is-"

A hoof had covered her mouth, and pushed her into the bag once more. This time tightened and sealed shut from the outside. "This girl has nothing to do with you. She's a suspect. A criminal." Turning head and walking off, more angered than usual. "I'm going to be late. Make sure those cats of yours get fed." Raising a hoof and beginning to walk with a filly trapped in his bag, dieing to see the sunshine once more.

Smiling even more, he gave his most dignified response, "i'll make sure my pets get fed. But i'll also get my fill." Laughing and pouring some food from a large box into a small bowl, he watched as his cats ate their way through the pile of kibble. "My day will come, along with a surprise."

Throwing his bag into a cushioned chair, he began yelling at it. "Don't you ever talk to anyone you don't know, and i don't know. Got it? And don't share you name with random people you found on the street. It's indignified!" Ranting on to his bag, his co-workers watched as he lectured the bag on information sharing. "Now i'm going to let you out."

Emerging for the bag, Silver Strings hair was thrown about, filled with chaos, and a butterfly pin holding a strand of hair back. "Fine, i won't talk to anyone but people who are trustworthy. Okay?" Smiling as wide as always, she looked in the direction of the co-works and waved them a hello.

Placing a hoof to his face, he sighed. "No." Breathing hard once more, he added on, "You suck at judging characters. if you can tell me the difference between a banana and a orange, i'll let you judge people and make friends as you'd please. But till then..."

"Fine." she replyed, letting her darker side take hold. "Can we just get this over with? I need to ask you some things." Shoving the girl along, he forced her onto another employee, who dragged her into an investigation room, sat her down, and gave her a juice box with a bendy straw. "Is this nessacery?" knocking the juice off the counter, she crossed her arms and waited.

And waited.

And waited while drinking the juice they had gave her 2 hours ago. Grape and cherry did not mix well. It even made strawberry and apple sound good. Even banana kiwi! But not all was lost. They had a armed guard bring her a cookie for being patient. Not the best cookie she'd have but worth the wait. "What am i waiting for? I'm getting bored in here." biting the cookie in half, and waiting them out once more, she waited in silence till someone would answer her.

Over the intercom, a voice with extreme authority answer her minutes later, "i am sorry dear, but a good investigator is running late." Turning the mic off then back on seconds later, he continued. "Would you like to play a game with someone? Just for the time being."

"Can you send me cold hearted Xivi wivi?" She broke out in laughter and so did the glass palin in front of her. Along with the sound of smashing glass, and opening and closing doors.

To her right , Xivi entered with a box on his back that read “duys & addws”. Interested in the game, she waited patiently. "Call me that again, and i'll see to it that you die after you die. I will kill myself, find you in the afterlife, then kill you again." Throwing the board game on the table, he sighed, "got it memorized?"

"Yes." Looking downward, she spoke once more, "sorta." Trailing off to the bored game, she wondered once more, "what are we going to play."

Smiling, he replied, "the game that can make anyone angry. Even the creators know how annoying this game is." Opening the container, and opening the bored, he sighed at the memories he had for the game. "Chutes and Ladders, the most simple yet rage inducing game ever made by pony kind. Wanna try your luck, lass?"

Staring at the cube in front of her, she decided to "test" her luck. Already knowing the outcome of the game, she decided to accept Clockwork’s test. "Umm, sure... But aren't you supposed to be working?" Looking back at the reflective glass, she understood what was going to happen.

"Who said my work can't have a little play?" Looking at the window, he had lost all hope, and let it out, "it's their idea of how to con information out of you. Wouldn't work to well on you, but this is more fun." Giving the filly a bleak smile, he continued on while holding a array of colored game token in his hand. "It was either this, or we just sit here, and ask you questions."

Reaching her hoof out, she pointed to a piece, "i want that one! It's so colorful!" Watching the white game token get placed on start, she smiled, while Xivi gave her an uneasy look.

"You are really going to piss me off today. You know that lass?" chuckling slightly, he took a black chess piece out of his pocket and placed in on the board. "May Lady Luck smile on you today. Lass."

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
part 2.

Taking her chances with answering, she did as she was asked. Throwing the die down on the icy wood table, it clicked. "So, what did they want you to ask me?" Watching the die, it bounced once more, before spinning to a stop, and landing on five. pushing her token across the board, she smiled.

Lifting the die, he readied to drop it, but hesitated. "Now that i think about it, i don't even know." Letting the die fall on to the table, it landed on a solid 3, and never bounced once. "Well this is going to be an interesting game. And i don't mean the board game." Looking up at his companion in the room, he smiled gently.

"Mister Xivi! It's not nice to make a game out of a friendship!!! It's just not right..." Her voice died slowly with each passing word, and she drifted elsewhere. Anywhere, but at her captivator. Feeling the table for the die, she picked it up, and dropped it. A Six, and a chute that took her down to nine.

Looking at the unusually sad child before him, he got yet another glimpse at her truth. 'Make a game out of friendship? I would NEVER!' Uneasy at the idea of angering the girl even more, he tried his old tricks again, "okay, what's wrong?" Old dogs, don't learn new tricks.

Silence fell over the room, and the soft sounding breathing from the window could be heard clearly. Silver Strings waited for Xivi to roll, or at least give up chase. Waiting hard and long for his act of retreat, she began playing with the spare die. Placing hoof on the end, and rotating it slowly. Creating a gentle beat in the rooms silent atmosphere.

"You're pathetic." Stepping out of his chair, he overturned the game board, sending the pieces flying. "You said you were going to be the one to change me. Right!?" Getting a slight glimpse from Silver's eye, he knew it was working. "Well? Are you the Silver Strings who wants to change me, or some two bit imposter who can't change herself?"

Falling into the flow of things, she answered. More than just answered, corrected. "I am, Silver Strings. The one and only pony, who will change this world, and you along with it! I am the one who will, and must, save everyone from themselves. No matter what it take!" In need of relieving stress, she swiped her hoof across the table, knocking the die onto the floor. "i'm the one who WILL make you change."

"Good." He replied. Picking up the board, and the pieces, he reset the playing feild. Checking the die, it read four. "I do believe you're now on space thirteen." recollecting the die, he moved Silver up the bored, and asked once more. "Again, i ask. Whats wrong?"

Lowering her head once more, she sighed. "I can't tell you while they are here."

Looking behind him, he was confused, "Are you supposed to be on medication? No one else is here."

Pointing the the glass partition where the other workers waited and watched, she replyed. "The window. And no."

Realizing his ignorance, and the fact he had been watched, he lost all confidence in his own thinking processes. "You know what lass? Lets just end this. I'm sure you wanna leave as soon as you can." Getting a nod in response, he rolled the die, realizing, she had moved twice. All is fair, and love is war. And who couldn’t love someone like her?

A seemingly boring hour of constant dice rolling went on unrewarded. The day had grew long and the evening had began catching up. "So, how'd you get that?" Pointing a hoof at the left side of his face. "Your scar, thingy."

Placing a hoof against his eye, he sighed. "Where it came from, i do not know, but it's a symbol." 'A symbol of that one.' Staring on, he waited for the rest of the day laborers to finish their exiting forms, and readied himself for a day in the old ice cream parlor. "So... What do you plan on getting at the ice cream shop?"

To busy trying to read an instructional poster on proper hoof washing techniques, she didn't hear him, or see the writing on the poster for that matter. Somethings, just seeing something interesting is more interesting than another creature. "What did i miss?" She asked, blank to the situation,

"Everything of importance." Signing out, he took his bag, and left the front post. "We're going to get ice cream. Like i promised you. Do you still want it?" Enjoying the thought of having a reason to get something sweeter than tea, he couldn't have her objecting.

"Well... I'm not really sure i have a choice. I can't let a friend break a promise. Even if they are an insomniac murderer." Smiling and walking by his side, Silver awaited Xivi's usual cold response. Hoping for some more enjoyment, and a little more development in her plan.

'Why does she keep calling me a friend? No matter. Life must be lived,' he thought to himself. "And lass. I resent that." Angered with her bland choice of words, he decided to classify himself. "I am an antisocial, murderer, who has befriended a 11 year old girl, witch i failed to kill." Smiling at the extent of his own analysis, he enjoyed himself.

"Don't forget, kind, interesting, forgetful, selfish, sweet at heart, and my only living friend." Looking at her hooves, she smiled dimly, and hid a swarm of tears underneath her mane. Glad to finally get it out, she smiled. 'I have one friend, and he's a killer, who is kind and gentle. Am i lucky, or am i just too happy to be sad?' Unable to decide, she chose both.

"We'll lets get you some ice cream." Opening the doors of the shop, a changeling manned the desk, and awaited the orders of his customers. And as things went with changelings, they always knew each other well enough to make small talk. "Long time no see, Jack." Browsing the stored new decore, he socked it all in. "I enj-"

Cut off by an angry owner, he snapped at them. "Make an order or get out. You have 2 minutes to decide, or i'll kick you out." Crossing hooves, he waited for them to order.

"Fine, just 2 vanilla cones, with chocolate ice cream." Taking out a sac of bits, he waited for his price to be run up. 12 bits. Throwing the change onto the glass counter, the waited with Silver to get their cones. "Hey silver. You like chocolate. Right?"

Shaking her head, and smiling, she waited for her least favorite ice cream to be delivered, and the promise between them kept. "I like chocolate, but i like plain vanila more."

Turning her head, she smiled, and watched as Xivi was forced to carry both ice creams on his own. Ii should have known. But on a different note, what did you want to tell me in the earlier room?"

Sighing deeply, she looked around for anyone that would interfere with the plan. None were found. "Well you see, i'm not all to stable when it comes to certain things. Like dreams, and the dark." Not letting any more information slip, she left her ice cream to melt. But not before she thanked Clockwork for treating her to it. Even if it wasn't what she wanted.

'I’m not truly blind Xivi. I can see you clearly, and you're desteny lies in my hands for now. till the fatel day one of us dies, i will always watch over you, and give you what you miss most of all. Love. I just need you to open up a little bit more to me... so please Ms. Kazen. don't die before i have the chance. the chance to change you. the chance to embrace you. the chance to get to know you, love you, and understand you. the chance for us to change one another. like the seasons.

Rising from her sleep, and wondering the vast room in the dark, she found herself more aware than the other day. This morning, she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to explore the rooms and their decors. Maybe even get revenge on Clockwork, just for the time being. 'Okie, lets see...' Pressing onward down the hall, she found herself at a branch in the hall. One leading to her right, and one with two doors on her left.

Letting her instincts kick in, she moved along the wall, making sure not to trip or fall onto her face. Inch by inch, she moved down the hall, and closer to the single door where had wanted to 'explore.' Continueing down the slim hall, she found herself at the door. Slightly wider than a closet door, yet not quite large enough to be a room entrance, the mystery baffled her, with only one solution.

She opened the door.

Inside, Xivi held a wired phone close to his ear. Talking to the voice on the other end, he fell silent often. "I understand sir." Letting the voice continue on, he replied once more. "If it must be done, i'll bring the girl in with me. She seems to know a lot more on this than we do." Looking at the doorway, he froze. Dropping the phone to the floor, and watching the girl who waited in the doorway.

"So, it's come to this already? Handing me over?" Looking downward at her hooves, she sighed, and blew a strand of hair from her eye.

Lifting the phone, he placed it on the mount. Ending his call short. "Well..." Not able to make words, he waited for a response of anger or hatred to come. But none did. "I don’t know what to say next. I'm sorry." Looking elsewhere, he raised a hoof and covered half his face, keeping the scar hidden form the girl's already tainted eyes.

Letting a tear roll off her cheek, she tried to smile. "You could have at least told me this would happen. Then i wouldn't try befriending you." Turning tail, and leaving, she found herself left with more questions than answers. 'And here i thought the man who saved me from that hell house, would keep me from it forever.'

The Way I Remember I

Author's Note

Consider this the most mature part in the story

Consist of a flash back from the memories of Silver Strings. They differ from the view of Xivi, but remember Silver is blind in one eye.

If you have any questions, go ahead and ask. I plan on making this a work to be marvaled on when i get done.

GRAMMAR ERRORS ARE MOST LIKELY IN THEIR. IF FOUND, PLEASE TELL ME.

And i hate capatalizing my I's. :3

The Way I Remember I

Closing her eyes, the beautiful darkness of the hollowed out room began to show. She placed her head on top the sack of clothes, and covered herself with a dampened towel, trying to get another night of sleep. Underneath her, a cardboard box, flattened on the attic's wooden floor. And the attic floor, made from wood, infested with demonic spiders, and covered with savage rats.

The occasional rat would take a few of the spiders out of the race for good, but never got to see the end of the race himself. If she was lucky, the spiders would eat the carcass instead of adding it to their pile of rats; rotting and spoiling in the dry, musty air of the attic. Polluting the room with rotting flesh, dead bugs and maggots eating their way to the core of the pile. Day by day she waited for a chance to escape the confinement, and wonder outside into the light.

Ophran didn't care for her wellbeing, nor his own for that manner. Letting himself starve, rather than going out to get groceries, or even going as far as eating the rats. He had always said they tasted good, who could blame a creature? After you get over the taste of death, scent of feces and the fur, they are delectable. Although he was an intelligent person, he never did seem to have his head on his shoulder; often more concerned with Silver than the state of his orphanage. And silver was not even worth holding precious. Nothing beaten, and bruised could ever be loveable, but Ophran found a way to hold such a creature close. Some how.

Resting alone in her comfortable attic bed, she awoke. Not sure why, but their was a feel in the air. One she had never known of. 'The rats aren’t fighting the spiders… the spiders aren’t dying off… This must be my chance!' Getting on her hooves, and heading to a trap door in the floor, she pursued the exit. Not caring for the old man who had abused her, and not even concerned about the consequences if caught. Pursuing the mysterious presence, she found herself confused; a feeling of both justice and order, but murderous intent, and rage.

Arriving down stairs, she found herself standing in a puddle of water. "Did a pipe break?" she questioned herself, not concerned of the answer. Pressing onward, the puddle led into a full trail through the house, making it's way into the kitchen and around the doorway. An unpleasant smell hung over the room, one more grotesque than rotting flesh, and corpses she had known and hated. A sewer pipe?' She asked once more.

Entering the kitchen, a pony was dumping liquid from a container onto the counter tops, not minding her, but not needing to. Turning around, he saw the filly; wide eyed and curious of who he was. Baffled by the child, he did away with her, and resumed pouring liquid on the floor, and up the stairway. Watching him do so, she followed. Making sure not to get caught, much less heard.

Following the aimless wanderer, she found herself outside Ophran's bedroom. The stallion began talking to Ophran, but she couldn't hear most of it. she could barely make out the goodbye. All she knew was that whatever the murderous intent was, it had stopped with a single match strike. The flame of that match lit the whole bedroom, and Ophran into a blaze.

Horrified, she tried her best to escape out of the front door. Unable to, she tried the back door, which had already caught fire. A raging inferno began to sweep the house, and consume it with blazing rage. Taking her chances with being burned, she ran to the back entryway, and jumped at the window’s glass plain; getting severely cut along her left ear; but alive none the less.

"Where is he!?" She asked herself, looking around the area she once played in. Rounding the house, she found herself in the sight of the stallion who had gave her a chance of freedom. The light in her fallen life. Clockwork, the renegade angel of her hell. Standing on the pathway of the house, a tear ran off his cheek and into the worn ground.

"Goodbye you sick bastard." Dragging a hoof across his eye, he smiled. His task had been complete. No one to link him to anything, and a life ahead of himself. Except for the little filly that had been in the house and was supposed to burn to death with the unsightly child molester, many called the leader of the orphanage. Death would have been better than letting a child grow up into a monster. He'd learned that in the past. "you." pointing a hoof in the direction of silver, he stared into the fire.

Silver, not shocked at all, but more relieved than anything, replied to the killer as if they were old friends, "Hi! How are you?" Walking closer to her savior, she tried smiling through the pain she had just felt. Blood running down her lips as she smiled, and hair in her eyes as usual.

Without a concern for her, he gave it his all to keep her away from the monster he allowed to be created. "You should have died. The few who survive hell on earth need to go to their true resting place," staring at the filly once more, he gave it another attempt. "If you don't try your hardest to kill yourself, then i'll have to kill you someday soon." She still didn't care, and moved closer.

"I don't plan on dying that quick,” Silver Strings replied, "I plan on making this world better for everyone else." Laughing at her own false hope, she smiled, "You killed one of the few sick bastards, i know of one that need to be killed." Looking back up at the stallion she had called for, she boasted once more, "If you change your mind about killing, that'll be one less pony to kill. and one more friend to help."

"You think you can save me from myself? I'd like to see you try."

Getting dragged through the cold streets of their town she was on her way to the police office. Where she would have to meet someone named Xivi. Trusting as always, She waited for her chance to prove herself.

“No!” silver screamed at Clockwork, “I’m not going back there! I don’t want to talk to them!!!” Running through the door she had entered from, she made her way to the front door and out the house. Tears dripping down her face, and rain pouring from the sky.

While Silver ran from the house, the phone call went on. “She overheard us, and is running away. Said she didn’t want to answer anything. Damn brat,” he explained. ‘can’t ponies ever think about others feelings. i’m gonna have to deal with her and myself.’

Through the phone, the head of investigations replied, no concern for their wellbeing.. “Do you need help finding her?” He asked, “we could send some help for you loc-”

“That won't be needed.” Placing the phone back onto its stand, he was up, and out the door. A pair of jackets, and a umbrella. “Why do i always get stuck working when i want to relax?” Taking off into the night, he began his search for his little filly friend. Silver Stings, the light in the dark world.