open The pendulum swings.

Clockwork swung his head back around to the door, seeing a couple of blurry figures through the frosted glass. "One moment, it seems we have some guests." He wandered over to the entrance way, peering through the looking glass in the door to see two familiar faces. He slowly swung open the door, and smiled. "Welcome back. What brings you back here so soon? Have you found anything out?"

Edited November 8, 2013 by Midnight Scribbler

ovr9000percentcooler · November 9, 2013

Sidesplitter was relieved to see Clockwork answer the door. "Hey! Um, we actually did have a particularly strange encounter in the hotel..." She did a double take to make sure nopony other than Muddle was following her. "...I think we should discuss any discoveries inside, not to be paranoid, just a precaution." With what's going on, she couldn't take any chances.

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

@,

@@Lucid Dream,

Clockwork raised an eyebrow hearing the news. "An.. encounter?.. yes.. yes, of course, come in. What sort of encounter do you mean?"

He holds the door, allowing Muddle and SideSplitter to enter. He eyed Muddle suspiciously as she entered, still watching her strange shadow.

ovr9000percentcooler · November 9, 2013

@

She waited till they had entered & Clockwork had closed the door. "Well, we were heading up to my room at the hotel, right? Once there, I opened the door....and there was this mare. A unicorn specifically. She looked kinda....distraught, and emotionless in a way. After spotting us, she teleported out of the room, leaving her literally bloody hoof prints on the floor, and my stuff sprawled everywhere. Nothing was missing, but the scene was so odd...I don't know why she was in my room, or why her hooves were bloody, but I definitely know she might be related to the kidnappings. And the blood hoof prints don't make me feel good about the victims at all..." Sidesplitter wasn't kidding, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach coming to that conclusion.

Edited November 9, 2013 by ovr9000percentcooler

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

@,

@@Lucid Dream,

Clockwork nearly choked at the description, he glanced about, looking to see the other's reactions to this news.

"This is rather.. macabre news.. Did you catch any detail? What colour she was? Her mark? This is.. very unnerving to think.. but.. Could it have been one of our missing ponies?" He trotted over to his desk, flipping the book he'd pulled out earlier to the pages where the photos had been placed. Names were scribbled into the bottom of each photograph, matching the descriptions for reference. "Perhaps, one of these unicorns is the one you saw?"

Contrast · November 9, 2013

@@Midnight Scribbler, @@ovr9000percentcooler,

Muddle stared at the photo's for a moment before saying anything about what she saw. The photos' were very detailed and descriptive of the ponies that were taken. Unfortunately her memory was not.

Although, when Clockwork turned the page, and a picture of a purple mare appeared. The same feeling of fear that she felt before started to wash over her, and she was temped to run away again. Muddle managed to hold her ground and point, "I-I think that's the one..."

If nothing else it was a photo very close, and the image had been burn deeper into her mind than she thought; and she was starting to see things.

~

Her shadow noticed the way it eyed Muddle, and refrained from making any sudden movements; but it still missed a step or two that Muddle took. "Maybe I should practice this a little bit more often." It thought.

Edited November 9, 2013 by danzxc123

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

@,

@@Lucid Dream,

The image Muddle pointed to was the picture of Jinx Winder, the counterspell specialist. Her features were fair in the image, her purple coat nearly glistened, and her mane was a light blue, with darker streaks running through it. Her cutie mark was that of a shield with a magic spark at it's center. Clockwork gazed down at the image and sighed.

"Ah.. yes. I wondered if it wasn't her.. You see.. she seems to be appearing around the city, even during the daylight hours. It's quite strange. I've seen her myself once. I don't know how or why she comes and goes like this. It's as if she chose to go missing. I apologize about this, I should have mentioned it before. I have a hunch, she might be the one who's behind all this.. She's the only one of the bunch who's been spotted since the rest of them disappeared." Clockwork looked away, out the window across the room. Seeing the sun was nearly below the horizon.

ovr9000percentcooler · November 9, 2013

@

Sidesplitter sighed. Ok, so it wasn't Sunset Glow, but one of the missing ponies themselves. She didn't even know her, why would she be in her own room? And the blood, what was that all about? She really wanted to get things straight.

"Hmm...why do you think she was in my room specifically? I mean, what could she possibly want, or need?"

Edited November 9, 2013 by ovr9000percentcooler

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

Clockwork had a serious expression on his face, he leaned towards Sidesplitter in attempt to portray the gravity of the situation.

"You mean, you really don't know? Think about it. You were alone in that room, just until today.. If she was the reason ponies are going missing.." He purposefully didn't finish his sentence, allowing Sidesplitter to draw the conclusion herself.

ovr9000percentcooler · November 9, 2013

@

Sidesplitter suddenly realized. It hit her like a steel brick, for crying out loud.

"No....oh my gosh, I could have been..next." She suddenly felt insecure just like that. If this maniac could teleport anywhere, where could she hide? She obviously can't go back to the hotel NOW. She was a target on a hitmares list...

"Oh....oh gosh. That was a close call then, I can't even...my life, my career....all close to gone now...." Sidesplitter started to tear up. "...Fluttershy...she'll be worried sick...."

Contrast · November 9, 2013

@@ovr9000percentcooler,@@Midnight Scribbler,

Muddle gulped as she fully grasped what she had gotten invoked in, and her shadow didn't move. "J-just like that! s-she could have... She moved fast enough to where I could barely see more than colors. What if?" She began questioning her part in this, but she also knew that if she backed down now. "I could be next."

In these situations Muddle wished that she could just go home and pretend like it didn't happen, but she was already involved to much. "She looked directly at me..."

She couldn't figure out what to do or say. She was too scared and she could feel herself about to cry, until she noticed Sidsplitter tearing; and remembered what she had said before they left the hotel. She remembered the silent resolve she made at the hotel and trotted over to Sidesplitter. She tried to cheer her up and tell her everything will be alright, even though she knew that she was a terrible liar, but it's hard to say that many would believe that even from clockworks mouth right now.

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

@, @@ovr9000percentcooler,

Clockwork gave them both a grave expression. "Given the nature of the situation, having changed as it has. I know that the targets so far have always been alone when they went missing. You two should stay together at all cost, for both your sakes.. You mentioned blood.. This truly does not bode well for the others." Clockwork looked down at his book, thinking. His expression changed, beginning to look much more melancholy than before. "There isn't a moment to spare, we must find out more. We have to catch Jinx if possible."

PinkieShyFlutterPie · November 9, 2013

Neon waited as Clockwork checked who was at the door. When they came in she saw that it was the ponies that had been here before, she wondered why they were here...and considering they came back so fast she was worried it was for a bad reason. As they told Clockwork what had happened Neon got frightened...All this was so creepy. She was glad she stayed with Clockwork cause now she really didn't want to be alone

ovr9000percentcooler · November 9, 2013

@

Sidesplitter wiped her eyes with her hoof, and she started to calm down after Muddle comforted her. She felt a little better, but that still didn't make her feel safe.

*sniff* "I appreciate your concern Muddle, but I'm sure everypony else has a reason to cry as well, I can't be selfish." With that she tried to straighten herself out. "Ok, so obviously I can't go back to the hotel, so I think me and Muddle are going to hopefully find Midnight and see if he still has room. I hope at least..."

Edited November 9, 2013 by ovr9000percentcooler

IridscentNionios · November 9, 2013

@@Midnight Scribbler, Selune nodded "Fair enough... i guess it isn't bad to have Sunset's picture right? Even if her appearance has changed maybe we can have it as a reference. Not to mention how much more usefull it will be if we are asking stranger if they have seen her right?" She grabbed the picture and placed it on her backpack. "I hope you don't mind that i'm placing it on my backpack... i promise that i'll return it back to you in time." She was checking her backpack and everything was in place. "I am ready."

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

@,

@@Lucid Dream,

Clockwork gazed around at everypony, looking concerned. He knew the nature of the situation, he knew the peril that could await them should they stray off alone. They would only be safe if they all stuck together, at least in pairs. "It is important that you know, Jinx is a devious little mare, you should be very cautious when using magic against her. She was a professional counterspell specialist, and I don't doubt she still has her touch in that department. She'd likely deflect anything hostile back at you, so be warned. Stay together, friends, don't lose track of yourselves."

@,

Midnight finished with the door, having placed all the pieces together and fused them. It wasn't perfect, but it'd at least separate his room from the hallway. He had a melancholy expression under his smile, seeing the picture disappear into Selune's bag, but he trusted her word. He had to, even if he didn't want to. How could he begin to trust his own actions with this thing in his head? "I trust you Selune, let's get going, we need to get this information to the group.. They need to know, and maybe they've found something we haven't." With that, midnight opened the cracked and damaged, but now reassembled door. And trotted out towards the elevator.

IridscentNionios · November 9, 2013

@@Midnight Scribbler, Selune always watched him closely... she had to be aware of how Midnight interacted with the metalic contraption in his forehead. She had to be on guard lest this thing do something unexpected... it was emmitting a slight magical pulse every now and then and she wondered what could have happened if she had recklessly removed the thing from his head. She was meddling with creations she didn't know just yet... she had to be careful.

Contrast · November 9, 2013

@@Midnight Scribbler,@@ovr9000percentcooler,

Muddle felt a little bit happier now that Sidesplitter spirit's were slightly lifted, even if only a little. "And it's not like I'm an offensive spell specialist or anything right." She thought, trying to make the best of this unfortunate news.

Stay together, friends, don't lose track of yourselves.

"I take it that's his way of saying we had better go, and the sun's starting to go down."

Muddle turned towards Clockwork and said, "Well w-I-," She smiled as she realized that for once she could really say, "We had better be on our way. If we want to make it to Midnight's before dark."

She turned around and started trotting off towards the door, alone. "Muddle I know your not use to this 'we' thing but... one: I think you forgot Sidesplitter, 'we' can mean more than two ponies; and two: you don't know where your going again."

She turned around slowly, embarrassed by her mistakes. "Directions?"

~

While Muddle went back towards Clockwork for direction, and to retrieve Sidesplitter. Shadow started to think about some of the thing Clockwork said, or forgot to say. "You would think something as important as that would be extremely hard to forget... Go alone and probably die... I can't shake that thought again. He doesn't look stupid. If Muddle had chose to stay here... I guess I will just have to keep track of three ponies now. The senseless one, her friend, and the one I don't like." Shadow sighed as it realized how much work it had made for itself.

Edited November 9, 2013 by danzxc123

Midnight Scribbler · November 9, 2013

@,

@@Lucid Dream,

Clockwork chuckled, noticing the strange little mare double back, having realized her haste was sending her against what he had only just warned her against. "Don't lose track of yourself" This one was surely to be the first to go if she was this easily distracted, he thought. "Bahah, I don't see why you would think I knew where Mr. Scribbler lives. I've only just met you all today. I did notice him go the opposite direction you did when you left my shop earlier though." He pulls up an address book from his desk, flopping the heavy mass of paper onto the desk with a puff of dust floating out from under it. "This may be of help though. Feel free to use it at your leisure."

Clockwork smiled, and moved around his desk towards where the machine was, still running. It had shut it's self down after some time, the safety switch had worked as he'd designed it. He checked the gauge, noting the battery was down to half on it's revealing cell. He flicked the power off, and pulled the activation lever back into the lock position. Steam jutted out from the top again making a loud and abrupt hiss. Then it was silent again.

ovr9000percentcooler · November 9, 2013