The New Crusaders (Open, please ask)

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk manned the counter in his small shop. Resting a chin on his right hoof, he sighed. Business was slow, as always. Had been for the past four years, as there was absolutely no market for toys in this Celestia-damned city. He had made sure his father, Gear Ticker, was asleep and comfortable, and most of all in a state of quiet. He hadn't been doing so well recently; his lungs combined with his age had almost rendered the old stallion bed-ridden.


It hurt Klockwerk to see his massive father in pain, and it showed on his face. Small bags were under his eyes, and he had stubble growing on his muzzle again. His normally neat hair was incredibly messy, and his trademark white shirt was wrinkled and messy. He looked much older than he was; he was only 27, but had the appearance of one in their middle thirties.

Coughing from the ever present dust in the city, Klock trotted to his window. Manipulating a tag with his hoof, he began wiping the grime and dust from the glass surface, do that all could see inside. It was a pointless effort though; no one came to buy anything, only steal. There had been times where he had used hoof-boxing outside the fighting ring, and he was more than capable of beating a wanna-be tough to a pulp.

"Heh, it's seems like one'a those days where those foals would be 'preciated rou-" Klockwerk put a hoof out of his mouth. He did not just say that.

[Chesnut]

Luckily for Klock, the trio was just around the corner from his store. They loved going to Klockwerks shop and seeing the different toys and inventions. They especially loved seeing there friend Gear Ticker. They hoped this would be another such fun filled outing, complete with one of Gear's stories. "I can't wait to see what Mr.Ticker has ta say for today's story!" said Chesnut, slightly ahead of the group. He especially loved the stories of the Elements of Harmony, and the Princesses, though he'd never admit it. He didn't want to be called a sissy.

[Golden Dream]

"Yeah. His stories are the best." Golden trotted slightly behind Chesnut. She really did like Mr.Gear's stories, but she also enjoyed Mr.Klockwerk's company, even if he did seem to resent them a little. But hey, nobodies perfect. "I wonder if Mr.Klockwerk has any new toy inventions, I really liked that toy plane from last time...before SOMEPONY decided to try and make it do tricks." Golden glared at Ruby.

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby trotts besides Golden Dream and blushes a bit as she glares at him. "B-but it was a pretty cool trick. I'm wondering if he has any new toys I can play with." Ruby bounces a little bit. He really likes the toys Mr. Klockwerk makes. He especially likes them, if they can do tricks.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk ficked his ear in panic. He heard voices down the street. young voices. His irises and pupils shrinking to pinpricks, he began to put away all the loose gears and junk of his counter. Everything else was expendable; the springs and junk were all dangerous to young foals, and Klockwerk himself.

One does not know pain until the have sat on a jagged tooth gear.

Managing to get all loose items safely put away, he smirked. Better insure they had something to see. No matter how much he acted like he resented him, he enjoyed their company, and how happy they made his father. Frowning at his last thought, he realized he couldn't let them upstairs. Gear Ticket was just too ill today. Making a loud sigh, he put three animitronic ponies on the counter; a Pegasus, Unicorn, and Earth pony. They were old models for a long dead client; he was sure they wouldn't mind the old toys being used.

[Chesnut]

Ches quieted down a bit as he approached the store front. He entered, and said "Heya Mr.Klockwerk! We were just stoppin' by, you know, like usua-" but stopped mid-sentence as he saw the toys on the counter. He stared at the three in wonder. "Wowza, Mr.Klockwerk! These look awesome!" he said, staring at the unicorn toy in particular. He almost snatched it up, but stopped himself. "Uh, May I?" he asked, politely.

[Golden Dream]

Golden Stopped right as Ches did, taken aback by the incredible display. They weren't even moving, but she knew that they were animatronic. So cool. She resisted the urge to rush in and grab the pegasus one, instead being polite like her parents were always telling her to be. "He-hello Mr.Klockwerk. I hope we are not interrupting you. We just came by to say hi." Even with her pleasantries, she could not take her eyes off of the pegasus. Slowly she approached the toys, stuck in their trance.

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby nearly bumps into his friends as they enter the shop.
He notices the three toys on the counter and immediately rushes to the counter with big shiny eyes. "Uuuuh, they are looking so awesome. I bet they can do pretty cool tricks. Can I play with the earth pony Mr. Klockwerk? I promise I'll be carefully.Gypsy promise." he asks Klockwerk with a big grin on his face.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk chuckled. "Kid, I wouldn'ta put these three things on th' counter if I thought ya weren't comin'. Ya have my permission ta play with em."

Klockwerk frowned, however. "I dunno if ya should botha Gear though. He's a bit tired taday."

Taking in the three foals, they reminded him of his youth, so full of wonder and innocence. Pity they were born into this dung heap. Putting a tired smile on his face, Klock motioned to the toys.

"Take em. Jus' don't break em, please?"

[Chesnut]

Ches took the unicorn, and began winding it up. "Why's Mr.Ticker always tired nowadays? He can't play with us as much.." he said a bit glumly. The horse began moving. It was clunky, but it moved quietly, in a galloping sort of way. At the end, a bunch of sparkles errupted from the end, attached to a few pieces of thread. It fascinated the foal to no end. However, it filled the young colt with almost child-like happiness. A smile was clear on his face.

[Golden Dream]

Golden slowly approached the Pegasus, looking shyly at it then Mr.Klockwerk, then back to it. The expression on the toys face was that of a winner, something Golden liked. She winded up the toy and let it go. It certainly would not be winning any speed races. The legs awkwardly walked along the ground while the wings flapped up and down. Still, it certainly won a place in her heart. She looked to Mr.Klockwerk and smiled brightly. This was a great toy. After it stopped she began to inspect its parts. She was curious about how to make the thing fly, the one thing that would make this toy the best.

[Fire Ruby]

"I miss Mr.Ticker. It's always fun with him. I hope he's fine." Ruby makes a slightly worried face before he takes the last remaining toy. He winds it up and puts it on the ground. It starts to bounce around the room. Fascinated by that toy Ruby chuckles softly. "That's pretty cool Mr. Klockwerk, but can it make a backflip or something like that? That would be awesome." he asks the stallion with a face full of expectation.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk smiled at the three foals leader, Chesnut.

"Yeah kid, so do I. Don't worry, he'll be right back ta tell ya foals stories again. Now, Golden"- Klockwerk walked to the little earth pony. "There's a special mechanism in that pegasus. Ya have to turn that little key right unda the wing, and watch the little thing sprint."

Klockwerk turned the key, and placed the Pegasus animatronic on the floor. Clicking noises began to emanate from it, and before everyone's eyes, the toy talked.

"My name's Spitfire. Let's fly!"

The little toy flared it's wings with an oiled swish, and began racing around in circles on the floor. Not clumsy at all, it showcased what Klock did best; Create toys that seemed real, and not fake. Turning his head to the gypsy-orphan, Fire Ruby, Klockwerk smiled sadly.

"Yeah kid, dat toy can backflip. Not too well though. It's got the balance of a newborn colt. Jus' watch the hindlegs, dey smart."

[Chesnut]

Chesnut, continued to play with the unicorn for a few moments. When Mr.Klockwerk spoke up, talking about his father, he smiled turned into a frown slightly. "Does this mean we don't get a story this time?" he said, extremely saddened by the news giving puppy dog eyes.

[Golden Dream]

Golden was sad about Mr.Ticker, but watching the Pegasus glide across the floor stole her mind. She quickly wanted to dismantle the thing and figure out how it could move so fluidly. This really was a great toy, if only it could fly.

Realizing that she was being rude about Mr.Ticker, she spoke up, "Is he alright? Is there anything we could do to help him?" She managed to pull her attention away and focus it on being sincere. She really did want to help. Looking to Mr.Klockwerk, she could tell something was wrong. This made her feel selfish, since all she wanted to do was play with the toy.

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby nods in agreement. "There must be something we can do to help Mr.Ticker."
He winds the toy up again and watches it doing a little backflip. He giggles.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk looked at the three foals with a small smile.

"Sorry kids, but Gear is just needin' his sleep. He'll be up an' runnin in no time. Now, I need to get some junk outta the workshop. Stay outta trouble please."

Klockwerk trotted slowly to the back, leaving the door open. He would be able to hear any loud noises, but not conversation from the workshop.

[Chesnut]

Chesnut looked at the other two. "I sure hope Gear Ticker is alright..." he said, frowning, returning to the toy. "Hey guys, watch this." and proceeded to show them what his toy could do. "What can your guys' do?" he asked cheerfully.

[Golden Dream]

"No, but mine can run in circles really fast." Golden eagerly winded up the toy again and let it loose on the floor. "What can yours do Ruby?"

[Fire Ruby]

"I'll show you" Ruby says as he winds it up again. He winds it up a bit too much and a spring springs out of the toy. "Oh, noo! Not again." Ruby makes a sad face. "I hope I won't get trouble for it and Mr. Klockwerk can fix it."
He slowly trots to the workshop, his head hanging low.
"Mr. Klockwerk it happend again. I'm really really sorry." he says before he slips through the door into the workshop.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk jumped at the young colt's words.

"By Luna's lef- KID. Whaddya doin!" Covering up what he was working on with a nearby blanket, Klockwerk turned around. He failed to cover it completely, however; the tip of a hoof could be seen poking out.

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby notices Klockwerk's work on the table."Uuh, what's that?" he says as he slips below Klockwerk. "Is it a new toy you are working on?"
He puts the toy besides the blanket and looks under it. "What the hay is that?"

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk quickly puts a hoof on the blanket, preventing it from being moved.

"Sorry kid, I'm not gonna allow ya to touch this."

Klockwerk puts his hooves on the colts shoulders, and attempts to push him out of the workshop. If the colt co-operated, Klockwerk would close the door behind him, and remain with the three foals in the main shop area.

[Fire Ruby]

"Oh okay" he says with a slightly disappointed voice. Ruby allows Klockwerk to push him out of the workshop. "I hope you aren't mad at me, because of the toy. I'm really sorry about that."

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk sighed at Fire Ruby's comment. It seemed that pony had the hooves of a demon from Tartarus; everything nearby was at risk.

"Kid, ya have to be careful with these things, those springs are tough to spot."

Trotting in, Klockwerk looked at the three foals.

"Can somepony help me find that spring?"

[Golden Dream]

"Yes Mr.Klockwerk." Golden put down the toy and began looking over where Ruby was playing. She scanned the ground diligently and methodically. That spring couldn't have gone far. After a few moments she looked to Ruby, "Good job there Ruby. Seems like you can't go five minutes without breaking one of Mr.Klockwerk's toy." She smiled a little as she said this jab. She loved her friends, but teasing them was more fun.

[Fire Ruby]

"Sorry" Ruby says with a bashful voice, hanging his head low. Suddendly he notices something under a shelf that looks like a spring. "Hah" he yells now with a cheerfull voice. "I think I found it." he says as he tries to reach the spring under the shelf. The spring rolled to the farthest end of the shelf and Ruby tries to stretch for it. "Almost...there..."

[Chesnut]

Chesnut looked around quickly hoping to find the spring before the others. However, he heard his buddy find it first. He quickly facehoofed and trotted over. Upon seeing his friend trying to grab it, he said "Almost got it rubes, little farther..."

[Golden Dream]

Golden looked to Ruby and saw the shelf teetering back and forth as he reached further and further back. "Uh...Ruby, I don't think that is such a god idea." A few steps back would ensure that nothing would hit her WHEN the shelf falls over. Her ears fell back, preparing herself for the inevitable loud crash that would follow.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk turned from the section of his shop when he heard Golden talk. Quickly looking at the teetering shelf, he began to trot forwards.

"Kid, be careful with that!"

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby stretches a little bit more and reaches the spring."Gotcha" he says and crawls out from under the shelf. His smile disappears from his face as he notices the shelf teetering forth and back. "Oh no." He rushes back to the shelf and tries to push it back to the wall. "Guys? A little help would be great."

[Chesnut]

Ches was sighed in relief, but once his friend spoke up, he moved to the shelf. He quickly began helping his friend keep the shelf upright. However, he knocked over, several toys in the process, springs flying this way and that. "Oops..." was all he could say.

[Golden Dream]

Golden laughed while Ruby and Ches tried to hold up the shelf, watching springs fly from the fallen toys. Still laughing, she casually trotted up and helped them steady it. "Celestia should'a just used you two to beat the griffons. With you in their midst, you'd a broken all their machines." This made her laugh even more.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk ran forwards, and braced himself against the heavy shelf. Steadying it quickly, he turned to the mess of gears and broken toys. Sighing, he didn't say a word, and trotted upstairs quickly.

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby scratches his head and sighs a bit as he sees the mess they caused.
"I think this time we carried it too far, guys. We should clean this mess up, that's the least we can do. Maybe he'll forgive us then." Ruby starts to gather the springs and gears.

[Chesnut]

"You're right Rubes. And Goldie, I think the griffons would have got to us before then." he said with a mean stare. He began collecting the small bits up, placing them into a pile. "We need a box or something...to keep all these in." he said, looking around for such a box.

[Golden Dream]

"What do you mean WE Ruby? That was all you two." She slowly began trotting around picking up various pieces. "Not before you destroy at least one of their airships, right Mr.Klockwerk?" She looked up to see what he was up to. While breaking his stuff was generally a bad thing, she always found his reactions quite entertaining.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk had gone upstairs to check on his father; thankfully the old stallion had remained asleep, his side slowly rising and falling in a rhythm. Sighing softly, he closed the door to his fathers room. Those foals hadn't woken him up; he was thankful for that, but had to insure another incident like that wouldn't happen again.

Trotting down the stairs, Klockwerk came down just in time to hear the filly, Golden Dream, talk to him.

"-right Mister Klockwerk?"

Heh, he had heard the three teasing eachother about breaking his stuff. He didn't appreciate it; but it wasn't their fault generally. They're just foals. By Luna, they were even cleaning up after themselves. Not many foals in this town wouldn't steal his stock, much less clean up. They were good kids.

Reaching under the counter, Klockwerk grabbed an old box for the springs and gears. It would work, but he had no idea what was in it.

"Heh, kid, you know those two woulda destroyed th' Griffons if they had th' chance. Here's an old box, for all that junk Golden."

[Fire Ruby]

Ruby now grins from ear to ear again. Mr. Klockwerk doesn't seem to be mad at them. Ruby almost starts to bounce as he puts the gears into the box, but he stops himself. The last time he bounced in Mr.Klockwerk's shop, he almost devastated it.

[Chesnut]

Ches looked around for parts. He ignored Mr.Klockwerks and Dreams slight teasing instead focusing on finding gears. He picked up a few at a time and dropped them in the box. After most of the gears were picked up, he looked to Mr.Klockwerk. "Could you tell us a story? Since Mr.Ticker is sleepy today?"

[Golden Dream]

"Ches, I am sure Mr.Klockwerk is very busy to waste time telling us a story." She put the gears she collected in the box. "But..." she glanced over to him, "if he ISN'T..." she let the sentence go without finishing it, giving a cute smiled to Mr.Klockwerk.

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk chuckles, and looks at the foal putting the scattered gears into the box. That box...

It looks really familiar... Klockwerk thought to himself.

It was an embossed image of a laughing filly, of bronze. He could swear that he had seen it a lot when he was younger... He also remembered a name to go with the box.

"Babs Seed..." Klockwerk mumbled thoughtfully.

Shaking his head as he often does, Klockwerk put on a smile, and responded to the three children.

"A story...heh, been a while since I told one'a those..." Remembering the box, and the name, he came up with an idea.

"Ever hear of th' Cutie Mark Crusaders, kids?"

[Fire Ruby]

"The Cutie Mark Crusaders?" Ruby thinks. There is this rumor at his orphanage, which the kids tell eachother, that there is some kind of secret club for blank flanks. Before Klockwerk told them about the CMC, Ruby was very sceptical about this rumor. "Is there really a secret club for blank flanks?!" he asks with a slight tone of excitement in his voice.

[Chesnut]

"Oooh! That sounds fun! Like we're on a mission or something!" said Ches, excited by the prospect of this new club. It sounded awesome, and it's something that'll help them get their cutie marks. "You HAVE to tell us the story Mr.Klockwerk! Just hafta!" he said with much excitement.

[Golden Dream]

"Yes, please tell us." She made it sound enthusiastic. She did want to hear it, but the thought of Ches and Ruby getting more crazy ideas, well, she usually had to clean up after them. She continued looking for more gears, a flat smile on her face. At least I won't be bored for a while.

[Klockwerk]

"Well, Fire, you're right. There was a club for th' blankflanks, and I actually knew a couple'a them. We had our own 'branch' and everything in Manehatten."

Smiling in memory, he looked at the three kids.

"The original three were kinda like you guys, 'cept they were all fillies. I think their names were..."

Scrunching his face in an exaggerated fashion, he began to think. Eyes lighting up, he remembered.


"Ha! How could I've forgot 'em? They were Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Apple..." Klockwerk thought hard for a second. The Apple family was quite large, and had a tendency to name themselves after their namesake, and he knew that two of the Ponyville Apples had the same surname. One was the Element of Harmony, and thus was Applejack. Her younger sister was...

"Applebloom! The last one's name was Applebloom."

[Fire Ruby]

Curious about not seeing any signs of a club for blank flanks in the city he asks Mr. Klockwerk:"What happend to the club in Manehatten?"

[Klockwerk]

Klockwerk sighed. This was gonna be tough.

"Well kid, they grew up. I dunno where they went, but I think they might've just...vanished. A lot of ponies did during th' war..."

[Chesnut]

Ches shuddered at the mention of disappearances..."But...who runs it now Mr.Klockwerk?" asked Chesnut, nervously. He wouldn't mind joining such a group, or even creating one.

[Klockwerk]

"No one does kid. It's sad but true."

Rubbing his eye with a hoof, he paused.

"They did some pretty cool stuff though, I can tell ya that. Like the one time Babs caused the entire Manehatten Hearth's Warming Day parade to crash...said she 'learned how from th' best,' hehe."

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