Authors Note: Well here's a nice long chapter for you guys. It just flowed too nice for me to make it two chapters.

Chapter 6: A nightmare and discoveries

Twilight's house, Ponyville
Local time: 1100
Ten days since arrival

"Really Twilight how many times *chough* do I have to say I'm fine?" God, she is so annoying. She's been taking care of me for the past three days refusing to let me leave the bed. She would sleep in that chair every night and be awake when I woke up. Three hours ago we started arguing about my health and she went on to rant about how sick I was when she found me and… well you get the picture. I really wanted to get out of here, it's not that I don't like her, she keeps trying to be my friend when friends are the last thing I need. At least she was finally letting me out of the bed, so I decided to see if I could go back to my house.

"No Steel, you are staying here and make sure of that I put a shield around the house. Everypony else can pass right through it but you will hit a wall. Now, would you like me to get anything from your house?"

"Fine since I can't leave could you get my saddlebag." She just stood there. "Two seconds ago she asked if I needed any thing from my house now she's just standing there what is she waiting for? Damn I'm such an idiot." I thought. "Please?" She smiled and left. When she was gone I finally got out of bed and cracked my back. Now I had to find something to do.

After twenty minutes of looking trough books I couldn't find one that looked interesting. So I exercised for a while and tried to learn how to levitate things with my magic. After about twenty failed attempts I decided to call it quits and went back to bed. Big fucking mistake.

Flamingsteel's dream

Location: Classified, Afghanistan
Date: ?/?/2003
Time: 1330
Daniel "Wolf" (info lost)

Enemy shells were falling everywhere the convoy was torn to pieces and half the men were down. My squad and the other two squads of Wolf pack 3 were pined down in an ally half a click from the objective. Our target was an enemy Command Post that held high priority personnel. It was supposed to be an easy snatch and grab, but the enemy was waiting for us. Our CO, First Sergeant Copper, and his squad managed to get across the street and join us. "All right here's the plan Wolf pack 3-3 will go three streets to the left and move towards the objective. Wolf pack 3-2 will go four streets right and move up. Wolf pack 3-1, my squad and Hunter 4-2 will move up this street. Any one got a problem with the plan?" No one had the courage to tell him the plan would most likely get us killed. "All right lets go boys." The squads split up, unfortunately for me I was in Wolf pack 3-1, so I was going up the middle where the enemy resistance was strongest.

"All right men Red Hot (it's a tank) will be giving us fire support, if you see anything that could pose a serious threat do not be afraid to call out its location. Red Hot will make it cease to exist." We all started to move up, with Red Hot giving us support we had no problem getting to the enemy CP. However just as we got with in visual range of the target we got a call from Wolf pack 3-2. "Copper this is Wolf pack 3-2 we are under heavy enemy fire. We're pined down, we need support over"

"Understood supports on its way. Me and my squad will go help them you boys stay here." With that Copper and his squad went to help Wolf pack 3-2. This finally gave me a chance to talk to Big man, I wasn't sure if this was a dream or not but I wasn't going to sit back and let what happened last time happen again.

"Big man we need to pull the tank back. If they have RPG's we have no way to protect it." If we lost that tank we were domed. "Wolf our orders are to protect this point at all costs that tank is staying there." I was just about to contact the tank's operators when it was hit by multiple RPG's. Red Hot went up in a blaze of glory. Not only did we lose the tank but most of Hunter 4-2 was killed in the explosion. "Shit, fuck this we need to pull back, we're dead if we stay here."

"Negative we are holding this position I can see Wolf pack 3-2 from here once Copper contacts us we're moving up." "This isn't working everything's happening the same way as before, I have to contact Copper." I thought. I was just about to contact Copper when I heard the transmission that made my heart skip a beat "This is Wolf pack 3-3 we're entering target building now."

"Negative Wolf pack 3-3 hold position, do not enter, the building is rigged to explode. I say again the building is… what the…" A bright light appeared out of nowhere and blinded me for a few seconds when my vision cleared I saw Twilight standing there and is that Princess Luna?

POV change: Twilight

Flamingsteel's house, Everfree forest, 20 minutes ago…

I was in Steel's house getting his saddle bag but while I was there I couldn't stop myself from looking around. His house was not bad if you didn't mind the draft, the leaky roof, or the lack of a bathroom. Upon further inspection of the roof I wasn't surprised to see a multitude of holes in it. "Well that explains why he had hypothermia, nothing to cover the window and a leaky roof, he's lucky I decided to check on him." I said, I'll never understand why I was talking to myself. "There's no mattress or blanket only a pillow, I guess his poncho (not sure if that is what that stereotypical Mexican clothing is called too lazy to look it up) doubles as a blanket." I found his saddlebag, it wasn't hard to find since there were only two things in his house. As I put it on my back a picture fell out of one of the pouches. When I picked it up I couldn't help but look at it, what I saw was surprising to say the least. "Oh my, are those humans? Is that marker over some of there faces? I will have to talk to him about this when I get back. This could be the discovery of the century living humans." I put the picture back in his saddlebag and headed back to town. But I had this nagging feeling that I'm forgetting something.

POV change: ?

I was standing inside of the Ponyville spa waiting. Twilight and I were supposed to spend the day at the spa just relaxing and talking, but she was late. "Something must have happened she's never late for anything." I thought. "Maybe I should go to the library, she might need my help." I started walking toward the library my guard right behind me, as I passed all the ponies bowed. "No matter how many times I say I don't want them to bow to me when I'm not on official business they always bow." I thought, its not that I didn't like the respect they gave me it's just that none of them tried to talk to me. I'm not sure if it's because of what happened when I was Nightmare Moon, but I just want some more friends. (If you haven't figured it out, this is Princess Luna's POV)

When I arrived at the library Twilight wasn't there and neither was Spike. "Strange I wonder where…" But my thoughts were interrupted when I heard something from up stairs just as I was about to see if that was Twilight she came in the door. "Oh, Princess Luna what are you doing here?" I was stunned had Twilight forgotten a bout our spa day.

"You were supposed to meat me at the spa today, remember?" Twilight immediately facehoofed "I'm sorry, princess." She said, "A new friend of mine got sick during the storm we had a few days ago and I'm taking care of him." I was about to tell her it was ok when we heard something up stairs break. Twilight and I looked at each other and started heading upstairs to find out what happened.

When we got to her guest room I noticed a stallion tossing and turning in his sleep he had apparently knocked over a lamp and it broke. "You didn't tell me your friend was this cute, what's his name?" Twilight looked at me just as I realized what I said. "His name is Flamingsteel or Steel for short… wait did you just say that he was cute?" "No, I said sick. Look at him either he is extremely sick or he is having the worst dream in recorded history." My attempt at changing the topic worked because Twilight asked me if I could help him. "Well first I need to know what was wrong with him when you brought him here."

"He had an extreme case of hypothermia when I dragged him here, and by dragged I mean forcibly teleported." I was shocked he had hypothermia and Twilight had to force him back to her house. I quickly scanned his body with my magic and found that he had almost completely recovered. "Well Twilight he's not sick so he must be having an extremely bad nightmare. But what did you mean when you said you had to drag him here? And why didn't you take him to the hospital?"

"Before I dragged him here I asked him if he needed help, he said that he was fine but I could tell he was sick, I told him I was taking him to my house he didn't get up. I'm not sure if he didn't want to go or couldn't get up because he was too sick, but I brought him here. As for why I didn't bring him to the hospital he said he didn't want to see a doctor no mater how many times I asked him to see one."

"Well by the way he is reacting to his nightmare I thing we should go into his mind before he hurts himself with all this tossing and turning. I know a spell that should work. I'm going to warn you, it might be a little disorienting after the spell takes effect." I charged the spell and sent us into Steel's mind.

POV change: Flamingsteel

The shock of Twilight and Luna suddenly appearing lasted about half a second because a bullet bounced off my helmet, I was one lucky son of a bitch. Got back into cover and looked at them, they looked like ghosts and no one else seamed to notice their sudden appearance. "What are you two doing here? Never mind when I say go run into that ally of there." I started firing and saw Copper's squad enter the building followed by Wolf pack 3-2. Everything was happening the same way as before. I got back into cover as an enemy MG zeroed in on my position. "Shit, Wolf pack 3-3 can you hear me? Wolf pack 3-2 are you there? Copper, anyone respond." I looked over the edge of my cover and time slowed. I saw the explosion begin on the second floor destroying all the windows and moving through out the rest of the building. Then the members of Wolf pack 3-2 started coming back out the door, three of them were killed when a fire ball came out the door. I looked back at Twilight and Luna just in time to see one of the men from Hunter 4-2 take multiple rounds to the chest and fall in front of them. I knew he was dead before he hit the ground. They looked at the body and then at me fear in their eyes. I just looked back at the building and contacted command.

"Overlord this is Wolf pack 3-1 actual, target building destroyed, it was rigged to blow. We have taken heavy casualties since the convoy was hit. Hunter 4-2 and Wolf pack 3-2 have wounded, Wolf pack 3-3 are all KIA and Copper's squad is also believed to be KIA. We need extraction and medical teams…confirm Overlord." There were a few seconds of silence. "This is Overlord, we read your last, evac is on its way, Overlord out."

I looked back at the girls, and if the surprise of seeing them here wasn't on my face then I'm incapable of showing emotion. "What are you doing here?" But before they could give me an answer an enemy sniper put a round trough my chest. Of course the one thing that was different than last time involved me dying. I saw the girls look at me and then the pain hit me like a freight train.

Instantly I woke up in Twilights guest room, out of breath, out of instinct the first thing I checked was my body, free of bullet holes just how I left it. Then I noticed Twilight was starting to wake up and I didn't have my poncho on. As fast as I could I put it on and laid back down. Once she was awake she looked at me with concern in her eyes. Then I noticed somepony… somebody behind her. Damn their mannerisms are rubbing off on me. My eyes widened when I realized who it was. "Princess Luna." I said as I tried to stand and bow, but she pushed me back onto the bed.

"Don't get up, from what Twilight told me you shouldn't move around too much." She said, all I could think was 'great another pony… person who wants to keep me here', damn these mannerisms. "How is it you even got hypothermia, surly you were warned about the storm?"

"Yes I was warned but it didn't help. There were too many holes in my roof and the blanket I put in the window to keep the rain out didn't help much. Well thanks for the hospitality Twilight but I should head home."

POV change: Luna

I was shocked he just recovered from having hypothermia and he wanted to head back to his house. I just didn't understand it, why would he want to leave? Then I took a better look at him, he looked uncomfortable and nervous. "Why do you want to go home so badly? I'm sure Twilight wouldn't mind letting you stay another night."

*sigh* "No, I've bothered Twilight enough, its time I head home. Thanks for getting my bag Twilight." He took his bag from Twilight and was getting ready to leave when Twilight spoke up.

"Wait, before you go can I ask you some questions?" He looked at her with what appeared to be a look of annoyance on his face. "Questions about what?" Twilight looked like she was unsure how to answer his question, which is defiantly a first for her. "Well when I went to get your saddlebag a picture fell out when I picked it up. So I have to ask… were those humans in that picture and in your nightmare?"

POV change: Flamingsteel

*sigh* I knew I should have seen this coming. "Yes, those were humans." I looked down at the ground remembering all the good times I had with my friends. I missed them. Luna saw this, "Steel you look sad, do you want to talk about it?"

"No, but I'll answer any questions you have about humans." Twilight looked like she would explode with joy. "Steel, do you mind if I get everypony else they'd probably want to hear this to." *Sigh* "Only if everypony else means your five friends than sure, you'll probably just tell them any way." This is gong to be a long day.

Authors Note: Damn that was the longest chapter I've ever written. And to all of you who wanted to see what happened on the night referenced to in the last chapter sorry it's not going to happen, I was just being a troll.