Chapters My Little Clockwork: An Ancient Secret
Sprocket's horn illuminates with a soft cyan glow as the broken watch rises into the air and is carefully placed on the workbench in front of her. Sprocket is an orange mare with a blue mane and tail. She sports a cutie mark of a gear with partial teeth and with clock hands over it. She is wearing a brown cowboy hat.
Sprocket focuses on the watch and it is pulled open by Sprocket's unicorn magic. The two halves are carefully placed on the workbench in front of her and as it touches the table several gears fall out with broken teeth.
There's your problem Sprocket thinks to herself as her calipers raise into the air. It floats over and measures the gears.
Standard size, no problem Sprocket thinks as the drawers on the small cabinet sitting on the workbench open and three matching gears fly out. She squints as she carefully places them on their respective shafts clicking softly into place. Then from the other side of the workbench a bottle of oil lifts into the air and drips a drop of oil on each gear.
That should do it Sprocket thinks and then sniffs the air.
I'll never tire from that smell she thinks to herself and once again the watch lifts into the air with her magic and the two halves join back together with a soft metallic click.
And that takes care of that Sprocket thinks to herself with satisfaction and smiles.
Sprocket carries the watch over to the front counter with her magic and lays it down. The purple mare sitting in the waiting area rises.
"Finally! That took foooorever!" the purple mare says.
"Just bring careful to make sure I do it right. That will be fifty bits please." Sprocket replies.
"FIFTY BITS ARE YOU KIDDING‽" the purple mare shrieks.
"Yes, that's the standard price for this kind of job," Sprocket replies cheerfully.
"Ugh what a ripoff" the purple mare retorts.
Sprocket clinches her jaw with frustration.
The purple mare plops fifty gold coins on the counter and snorts "There you go. Bye."
The purple mare then grabs the watch in her mouth and stomps out of the store slamming the door on the way out.
"Well that was rude," Sprocket says under her breath as she places the coins into the register. "Oh well, job done and price paid," she adds with a sigh.
Sprocket goes over to the water cooler and pours herself a drink. She sighs and proceeds to drink the entire cup in one go. Once finished, she lets out another exasperated sigh and looks at the clock.
Closing time thank goodness she thinks to herself.
She locks up the cash register with the keys on the lanyard around her neck and trots towards the door. She gently pushes the door open with her hoof and leaves. The little bell above the door rings as she closes the door. She proceeds to lock the door and smiles. Overall it's been a good day despite the rudeness of the last customer.
Sprocket trots home and goes inside. Her roommate, Lenon Hearts is seated on the couch reading a book.
"Oh hey you're home. How was your day," Lemon Hearts asks.
"Overall good but the last mare was pretty rude. I don't get why people act like that. It gets on my nerves. It's not that hard to be courteous.
"I don't think they care. They're probably just caught up in their own little world not paying a bit of attention to anyone outside it. Don't take it personally," Lemon replies soothingly. "Come here and enjoy some mint tea with me."
"That's my favorite kind" Sprocket replies with a hint of excitement in her voice.
She walks over and sits down on the couch next to Lemon Hearts. She lifts up the tea kettle from the tea tray sitting in front of the couch. She pours herself a cup and adds five sugar cubes into it.
"Like a little tea with your sugar?" Lemon teases.
"You know it," Sprocket replies with a giggle.
She then lifts up the cup and drinks a sip.
"Mmmmm my favorite. Thanks for making it," she says.
"No prob friend," Lemon replies with a smile them drinks some more of her own tea cup.
Sprocket finishes her cup and stands up.
"I think I'm gonna head to bed early tonight, I'm exhausted."
"Ok, I'll be heading to bed soon myself. It's been a sleepy day," Lemon says in reply.
Sprocket walks down the hallway to her bedroom and flops on the bed. She rolls over and covers herself with her blanket.
Nothing like the comfort of my own bed she thinks as she falls asleep.
My Little Clockwork: An Ancient Secret
Sprocket awoke with a start as a crimson light shines in her face. She rubs her eyes and puts on her glasses, peering into the room to see what could be causing such a blinding shine. To her shock and awe there at the foot of her bed stands a shining alicorn mare. Her wings are outstretched and her horn is shining with a glimmer unlike anything Sprocket has ever seen. Around her hoof is a leash. Sprocket’s eyes follow the line down to be startled to see that on the other end lies a manticore.
Sprocket tries to speak only to find that nothing comes out but a soft breath.
The mare speaks with a voice with such brilliance and authority unlike anything she has ever heard before. “Make your mark,” she says.
Before Sprocket has a chance to respond, she vanishes and Sprocket falls back onto the bed and falls right back asleep instantly.
My Little Clockwork: An Ancient Secret
A very exhausted looking Sprocket lifts a ring of keys up to the door to her shop. Above her shines the sign for ‘Sprocket's Time Emporium’ in bright orange lettering. She unlocks the door and opens it. She walked slowly inside and let out a big yawn.
I went to bed early. Why am I so tired? she thought to herself.
Her horn lit up in its characteristic cyan glow as she lit up the lights in the small store. She yawned again and walked into the back room.
The room was rather cluttered and dingy with shelves and shelves of clock and watch parts in little labeled bins. In the back wall set a safe. She trotted over and with her unicorn magic, turned the dial inputted the code for the safe. It made a obnoxious squeak noise as she opened it and she snorted with disgust. Without missing a beat she levitated a bottle of lubricant and sprayed the hinges of the door with a quick spritz. She pulled out a bag of bits from within the safe and picked them up with her mouth. She then closed and locked the safe with her magic and to her relief it closed silently.
She then carried the bag over and dumped its contents into the cash register and closed the door.
Time for another day of gears and springs. she thought and it elevated her mood slightly. This was, after all, her special talent and what gave her her cutie mark. Her cutie mark featured a gear with only a faction of its teeth with clock hands over it. She glanced over her shoulder to look at it and smiled.
Suddenly the front door burst open, the bell ringing loudly. In rushed a small blue colt. Before Sprocket had a chance to move he rushed up to the counter startling Sprocket for a moment.
"Wha...what can I do for you?" she asked, stammering a little out of shock.
"Miss time pony miss time pony I need your help. It's an emergency!" he replied frantically.
"Oh? Did you not wake up in time for school 'cause your alarm clock's broken?" she replied with a smile.
"No no no, I need you to send me back in time. I accidentally broke my mother's prize vase she won a contest with at the fair. She's gonna be furious with me and I'll be grounded for a month. Please please please send me back to yesterday and I can stop myself from doing it! I NEED this! Please please please? I have bits!" he said, still frantic and about out of breath.
"Ok first of all, take a deep breath. In through your nose." She took a loud breath of air in through her nose to demonstrate. "And out through your mouth." She then released it through her mouth.
The colt proceeded to do so and relaxed a little.
"Better?"
"Yeah but I still need your help." The colt retorted, anxiety building in his voice.
Sprocket took another deep breath. "Unfortunately I'm going to have to say no. You see, I'm not a pony of time. I don't have control of time. I just help measure it. I fix and sell clocks and watches and other such mechanical things. I can't send you into the past even if I wanted to.
The frantic look in the colt's face fell. "So I'm just screwed? Dang it! Mom's gonna kill me!"
"I'm sorry. I could sell you a clock or a watch? Or what about this mechanical owl? It hoots every hour."
"No thanks I..." He stammered and was suddenly cut off.
With a gust of wind the front door burst open again, this time revealing an adult mare. Sprocket could tell just by her appearance that she was the colt's mother.
"Lucky Clover Hooves what are you doing in this cock store? I've been looking everywhere for you! I was starting to think you'd been abducted or worse! Never go running off from the house like that ever again! And what are you doing bothering this poor pony? I'm sure she has important things to do and you'll just get in her way! What do you have to say for yourself?"
The colt whimpered and viably recoiled. He opened his mouth to speak but only managed to let out a little squeak.
His mother glared and repeated "I said, what do you have to say for yourself little foal?"
"I... I'm sorry ok?" the colt stammered.
"That's right you're sorry but you don't need to just be sorry to me, you oughta be sorry to this poor mare too, bothering her like this."
The colt turned to Sprocket and with a relenting tone he said "I'm sorry Miss."
Sprocket smiled and replied "It's ok. I wasn't doing much of anything anyway. I just opened the store today and you're my first customer. I didn't really have any work to do yet so no biggie."
The colt's mother shot Sprocket a judging glace that implied she thought Sprocket was undermining her parenting. She turned back to the colt and asked "What in the hay were you doing in here anyways?"
The colt looked at the ground and kicked his front hooves a little. "I wanted to go back in time to yesterday."
"Go back in time? Why in the wide world of Equestria would you want to do that?"
"I...broke your vase. It was an accident. I didn't mean to. I was just playing with my toy Wonderbolt and I forgot where I was going and fell into it. I'm so sorry. I'm really really sorry Mom."
The colt's mother looked shocked, then angry, then she stopped and took a deep breath. "It's ok. I'm not mad. I'm glad you told the truth and I can see you came here to try to fix it with your own bits so I can't be too angry at you. You've learned your lesson. Be more careful next time, ok?"
"Ok" the colt said with a huge sigh of relief. He looked back at Sprocket "I'm sorry for bothering you. Good day miss."
Sprocket smiled again "It's no problem and if you ever need a watch or a clock come see me!"
The colt's mother then rushed him out the door and back down the street.
Sprocket sighed. How many times am I going to have to say that I don't control time? Nopony can. It's impossible! So why do they always ask? Maybe Lemon was right and I shouldn't have picked this name for my shop. I should have gone with something else she thought, then paused for a moment and reassured herself well it's still a nice name and I do sell clocks so it is what it is I suppose.
My Little Clockwork: An Ancient Secret
Sprocket entered the front door of her house. As typical, Lemon Hearts was sitting on the couch sipping some tea.
"Oh hey, how was your day?" Lemon asked.
"Exhausting. It was like every time piece in the town all decided to break at once. I had basically no time for breaks and had to eat my lunch while working to get it all done before the end of the day."
"Sounds exhausting but hey, I got something that might cheer you up." Lemon said and then picked up a pamphlet from the coffee table and presented it to Sprocket. "Ta da!"
"What is it?" Sprocket asked walking over. She took the pamphlet from Lemon using her horn magic and raised it to eye level.
EXCITING NEW CONVENTION FOR TINKERERS EVERYWHERE! THE ANNUAL TINKERER'S CONVENTION! THIS WEEKEND IN CANTERLOT! DON'T MISS IT!
"Oh wow that sounds cool!" Sprocket said, the exhaustion in her voice quickly replaced by excitement. "We should totally go to that!"
"I thought you might like that. I'm totally for going. It sounds fun," Lemon replied with a smile. "I can get us train tickets tomorrow while you're at the shop."
"Sounds great! I'm gonna go start packing!"
"Isn't it a little early for that? It's still several days away." Lemon inquired.
"I'm too excited to wait!" Sprocket said with an enthusiasm Lemon hadn't seen in months.
"Well have fun I guess. I'm gonna wait until it's a little closer to time before I pack my stuff. I'm always the procrastinator you know."
"Oh I know. You're always putting things off until the last minute and threatening to make us late for things."
"Don't worry, I'll still have it packed before it's time to go. I just don't see any point until it's closer. Besides, I need to do laundry between now and then anyway." Lemon said matter of factly.
"Fair enough," Sprocket said and then did a little excited dance before hoofing it upstairs. "This is gonna be so much fun!”
My Little Clockwork: An Ancient Secret
"Two tickets please," Lemon Hearts said to the stallion behind the counter.
"That'll be twelve bits please," he replied.
Lemon placed twelve bits on the counter and smiled. The stallion takes the bits and puts them into the cash register drawer and places two tickets on the counter which Lemon picks up. Lemon trots over to Sprocket and hands her one of time.
"Here you go!" Lemon says excitedly.
"Thanks," Sprocket replies. "I'm so excited for this convention!"
"Me too" Lemon says. I..." She is cut off by the sound of a train whistle as it pulls into the station. "I guess this is us."
Both mares pickup their saddlebags and climb onto the train. They stumble past the various rows of seats until they find theirs. As they're getting settled a blue unicorn mare sits in the seat across from them. She has a blue and white mane and her cutie mark is of an hourglass.
"Hey! You're a time pony too?" the mare asks looking toward Sprocket's cutie mark.
"Yeah, I make and fix clocks and watches." Sprocket relies. "I don't control time. That's impossible. What does yours mean?"
"My cutie mark? It means that I make friends in no time flat, obviously! Oh, and that whole time magic thing I guess. Mostly it's the friend making." the mare replies. "I'm Minuette. Who are you two my train riding friends?"
"I'm Lemon Hearts, and this is Sprocket Watchclock."
"Nice to meet you," Minuette says. "Where's your destination, if you don't mind?"
"We're going to Canterlot," Sprocket answers.
"Oh really? Me too. I'm heading back home. I live there. I was just in Ponyville to celebrate my friend Twilight's birthday. It was a fun party but now I'm tired and happy to be heading home. It was nice to see her though. Since she became an alicorn she's been pretty busy." Lemon says.
"An alicorn? Is she a princess?" Sprocket asks.
"Not as such but at the rate she's going, it's only a matter of time." Minuette replies.
"Wait a minute, are you telling me you're friends with the Twilight Sparkle?" Lemon asks excitedly.
"Mhm, we go way back. We were in school together before she was taken to be Celestia's star pupil." Minuette answers.
"Wow that's so cool!" Lemon Hearts replies.
"I don't get it. Who's this Twilight Sparkle that has you all excited? Is she a fashion model or something?" Sprocket asks.
"You've been spending too much time in your gear nest. How could you not know who the great Twilight Sparkle is? She's only been the savior of Equestria more times than I can count. She's defeated so many foes, she's awesome. Do you seriously not know who she is?" Lemon says to Sprocket. Sprocket simply shrugs.
A pony pushing a small cart comes next to their seat row. "Snacks or refreshments anypony?" she asks.
"None for me thanks," Minuette answers. "I've had enough birthday cake to last a week, I swear."
"I'll have some cheese please," Sprocket says.
"Can I just have some water?" Lemon adds.
"Sure, here you go." the violet unicorn replies as she lifts and distributes the requests. She proceeds to push the cart to the next row.
"Hold on a minute." Sprocket says suddenly. "Did you say you can do time magic? I didn't think that was possible."
"Yes, it's possible and I can do it. I'm actually pretty good at it. I can slow time down or speed it up just by using my horn. It's actually pretty fun, though exhausting. I can only do it for like five seconds at a time before I need to stop and take a break. It takes a lot of effort but you'd be surprised what you have do with five seconds of slowed down time or sped up time." Minuette replies.
"That's so cool!" Lemon says.
"Yeah, I didn't know a thing like that was even possible." Sprocket says. "Can you just do it to anything?”
"Sure can unless it's bigger than a pony. Here let me show you." and with that Minuette's horn starts to glow and so does Sprocket's watch. Sprocket gasps as the second hand slows down then speeds up. Minuette let's out a sigh as the glow vanished and the watch goes back to ticking normally.
"Wow that's so cool!" Sprocket says excitedly.
"Impressive," Lemon adds.
"Why thank you," Minuette replies. "Listen, I don't know you very well yet but I'd like to ask you something."
"What is it?" Sprocket answers.
"Can I consider you two new friends?" Minuette says in a uncharacteristically serious voice.
"Yeah sure," Lemon answers.
"Absolutely!" Sprocket adds.
"Wahoo!" Minuette exclaims. "Best train friends are a go!"
"So what has you going all the way to Canterlot? I'm not aware of any festivals or anything going on." Minuette asks.
"We're going to a tinkerers convention. I'm so excited. I love this kind of stuff. Clockwork is my passion and there's gonna be so much cool stuff, I just know it. Tinkerers from all over Equestria are gonna be there to show off their inventions. I even brought one of mine." Sprocket answers and reaches into her saddlebag pulling out a mechanical owl. "Meet Owlbert the mechanical owl."
The owl whirls to life flapping its wings, turning it's head and opening its break. "Hoot!" it says.
"Woah! You built that yourself?" Minuette asks with awe in her voice.
"Sure did. Been working on her on and off for years. I actually sell simpler version at my shop in Ponyville. And look, he can tell the time." Sprocket says and then points to the owl's belly with her hoof. On it is clock hands pointing out the time.
"That's really neat, thanks for sharing. So is he your pet?" Minuette asks.
"I suppose so. Yeah you could call him that." Sprocket answers.
"Best part is, you never have to clean up his poop." Lemon adds with a giggle. Minuette and Sprocket both laugh in response.
"Well I'm glad I met you, train friends, I hope you have a fun time at the convention." Minuette says.
"Oh I know we will. I'm so excited!" Sprocket replies.
