• Year 807 of Celestial Rule.
It was Subpony Pride Day, with ponies of all kinds, celebrating in the streets.
Dignitaries from most of the Subponies, at least the ones that counted themselves citizens of Equestria, were wandering Canterlot.
This was hardly a new holiday. With the festival being an annual event for the past 300 years, but it was Clockwork's first time attending the formal dinner.
The Festival was started, as Celestia's attempt to raise awareness of the various other pony tribes, and their cultures. While it is true, she, herself, once looked down on the subpony races, she had been attempting to make up for her willful ignorance, from her youth.
Giving them each a voice on the Board of Governesses, as well as the Senate itself.
"Subponies" were magical mutants of one of the 3 pony tribes. Such as Changelings, Hippogriffs, Sea-ponies, Crystal ponies. And many other pony based races.
Subponies had a third chromosome chain, containing all their magical mutations.
Although Hybrids, of two pony subspecies, were often born as regular ponies. With their third chromosome chain being dormant, until a magical surge awoke one of the chains. Or, the pony gets their cutie mark. Which destroys all traces of the dormant third chain.
Dormant third Chromosome chains, require very specific circumstances, to awaken their genes, different per species. Which could trigger a magical surge, similar to cutie mark magic.
Which is why actually getting a cutie mark can overwhelm the magic. And why most subponies either don't have cutie marks, or all have similar cutie marks. Such as Zebra.
However, the trigger is different per Subpony species. And may never happen at all... so many Subponies will force the transformation.
The celebration mostly included the Subponies running games, and telling stories, from their tribes. So more mundane ponies were learning, as they had fun with Subponies.
At the end of the day, Celestia had a feast with the Various Subpony leaders. Where dozens of creatures all descended from ponies, ate and chatted around a table.
Celestia had recognized, as a result of how well Clockwork was doing in his etiquette lessons, the colt could now start attending the formal dinners, and be presented to the world as a young Prince... but she was now regretting that decision.
Clockwork was shamelessly flirting with the Hippogriff Dignitary's daughter. Who seemed to appreciate the advances, much to her mother's chagrin.
"You're highness," spoke a grey Pegasus. Subsequently, getting not only Celestia's attention, but Clockwork's... if only for the sheer force of his disrespectful tone.
The older Stallion had a black mane, and blue eyes. His dark colors would make him easily mistakable for a Thestral. However, he had clear feathers on his long wings...
Yet his face, and even his hourglass cutie mark, were near identical to Clockwork's. Celestia hadn't really considered what the classic Time Pony features, could mean for her ward... nor if the Doctor anticipated it.
The grey Stallion, held up his muzzle, in a clear attempt to look down at the far taller Princess. "Why was the Republic of Gallopfrey, not immediately informed, the moment this child lost his parents? It is our responsibility to care for him. The treaties, you yourself signed, specifically state as much."
Celestia frowned, it was subtle, others may have mistaken it for a neutral expression, but Clockwork knew his adoptive mother well enough. He could tell when she was frowning.
"Clockwork is a descendant of one of my past consorts. As a result, I am under no obligation to turn him over to any Subpony tribe. There is a clause for that, in regards to all descendants of Alicorns."
The treaties only included such, for Luna's sake. Given her younger sister had a habit of taking Thestrals as Consorts. But they were written in such a manner, that any Alicorn could lay claim to their Subpony Descendants.
The Lord President, of Gallopfrey, scoffed. It was strange, seeing a Stallion in so high a position as "Lord President", but he seemed to hold himself with more aggression then most males.
The Gray stallion, with an identical, if somewhat older, face to Clockwork, sneered. "I see now where your technological boom is coming from. You managed to find a loophole, forbidding the trading of Time Pony technologies. Using one of our colt's superior intellects, to manufacture such marvels for you."
"Hey!" Clockwork glared, "Mom didn't even WANT me to get involved with that!"
"Tsk!" The grey stallion held up his nose, "At the very least you could have taught him some manners. Regardless, I must insist, he be sent back to Gallopfrey. It is the best place for him to learn of his ancestry, and abilities."
"No," Celestia smiled, a false smile. "I believe that would go against the trading treaties as well. As Clockwork would no doubt desire to bring back the technologies you forbid us access to."
The Lord President... now looked very, VERY, angry.
Clockwork decided to play the part of a helpless colt. With Crocodile tears, which threatened to turn real when he gave his manipulation some thought, Clockwork asked, "I already lost one mother, would you really force me from another?"
The Lord President flinched back, as if just now realizing that's what he was insisting on. The other Subponies, at the table, looked at the Grey Stallion in disgust.
"Lord President Discored Whooves," The Kirin Matriarch got his attention. "I think we can agree, although it is a less then pleasing thought, that a child be kept from their heritage. You're own refusal to share your inventions is the cause. As a Prince of Equestria, young Clockwork will have obligations to the crown. It is best not to hold additional obligations to the Time Pony's isolationist ways. As they conflict with each other.
The Zebra ambassador reasoned, "The boy could not be in better care, pampered here in the Royal Palace. Do you really intend to force the issue, just for him to wind up in an Orphanage within your Empire."
The Lord President, Discorded Whooves, gave a sigh. "I would still insist on sending over a tutor, to teach him his racial magicks, at the very least? I can feel the well of time surging through him. He is extremely powerful. The colt could hurt himself, if not properly trained."
Celestia nodded her head, "I humbly accept your offer."
"I'm a Time Pony?" Clockwork asked his adoptive mother, once they were in private.
"Lord President Whooves seems to think so," Celestia informed. "I never gave it much thought. Time Ponies may be a more subtle branch of Subpony, but it is fairly obvious, if you know what you are looking for."
"That guy looked almost exactly like me," Clockwork acknowledged, "But old."
Celestia smiled, "Middle aged is not, old, Clockie."
This could prove useful. If, Clockwork was, in fact, a Time Pony, the other races may write off many of his inventions.
After all, Time Ponies were one of the oldest known races. Supposedly living across the seas, although Celestia knew, Gallopfrey actually existed on the other side of the Star Cluster. Like the Centaurs, and many other advanced races.
The fact, some Time Ponies, preferred to live on Equus, under Celestia's rule. Well, it was the reason their Lord President was so involved, ensuring his ponies didn't give "Primitives" access to technologies they "weren't ready for." Celestia agreed to the terms.
"Is that why my mom got kicked out of her noble house?" Clockwork hung his head, "Cuz she gave birth to a subpony..."
Celestia sighed. Why did the Doctor choose to give himself such a tragic backstory.
Clockwork remembered nothing, of his life as a god, but what he did remember, was some imagined birth mother. Whom was only a teenager when she got pregnant. Although her high class family was willing to forgive that.
She was an important noble of a high-class unicorn family. They expected so much of her, wanting her to continue their upper-class legacy and their sophisticated bloodline.
She failed to meet their expectations, the second she met a certain lower class Earth pony.
What started from a small fling led to her pregnancy. Her parents disowned her, when they saw, with their own eyes, that their grandchild was an Earth pony and not a unicorn.
His mother was alone; no parents, no family, not even the lover she had met. The only bloodline left was now her son. She raised him the best she could, until Clockwork was 19, when an accident took her away.
He was alone, no one to look after him. Seeing as ponies aren't legally adults until they turn 30, he couldn't exactly live on his own.
Sadly he was too old for an orphanage, and didn't have money for an apprenticeship. He did something truly desperate. He knew Celestia had a habit of taking care of orphans, and according to his mother, he was actually related to her...
So he got a private audience with the sun god. She was a benevolent matriarch and never considered herself to high and mighty to talk with the peasants. Anypony could get an audience with the princess.
He went to her, told her who he was, and asked her for help... he didn't expect her to adopt him. She took him in and began spoiling the hell out of him.
That was what Clockwork remembered, and it appeared the god turned himself into a Subpony, and not a true Earth Pony.
Celestia let her horn glow, and was almost relieved to find her ward was, in reality, a Time Pony. It must have been the easiest thing for the God to turn himself into.
Like Thestrals, and Vulponies, Time Ponies had longevity... but unlike them, they had near immortality, able to heal from near any wound. They could still get injured, and even die, but like the Phoenix they would rise again.
Unlike the Phoenix, it was possible for them to die permanently, if they are killed during "Regeneration", they die forever... that must be how the god planned to die.
Even with most of his power locked away, he must not have been able to get rid of it all. So he was now a Time Pony.
He would die one day... but it could very well be thousands of years from now... Celestia would be with him... for perhaps even millions of years... she wouldn't lose this child for a very long time...
"Never you mind, Clockie," She bent down and nuzzled her ward. "You are a Prince of Equestria, Subpony or not, as you should be. You should take pride in your heritage. As I take pride in your mere existence." She spoke nothing but the truth.
Celestia... could afford to truly love this child. The Doctor had given her such a gift.