Chapter 13: A Party, Plans and a Mistake
Steel's house, Ponyville
Local time: 2000
Twenty-four days since arrival
"Happy birthday, Steel!" I looked at them while I tried to figure out how they got here and put this together in about three minutes. Pinkie noticed my reaction and her hair went straight. "You don't like it?"
"I… uh… How?" She looked at me and as I continued to talk her hair started to turn back to its original shape. "How? In three minutes you were able to get here before me and set up this party. That's impossible, even for you, Pinkie. You can break the laws of physics all you want but unless you can slowdown time or go back in time you couldn't have set up… this… party." That's when it clicked. I looked at Celestia with a smirk, "So this is what you were doing before… well, let's get this party started."
We did various party activities, like pin the tail on the pony, which is identical to pin the tail on the donkey. There was a record player set up in a corner, but it seamed a little too boring for me so I went over to talk to Vinyl. "Hey Vinyl, could you do me a favor? Go next door to your place grab my iPod and some speakers, I think its time to shift this party into the next gear." She looked at me confused, "It's an expression, I'll explain later just go." While Vinyl was getting the stuff and everypony else seemed occupied doing various party activities, I decided to talk to Cadance about the look she gave me before.
"Hey, can we talk?" She nodded and I lead her over to a part of the room where nopony would overhear our conversation. "So… what was with that look you gave me before?" She stared to look around making sure nopony was watching us. "I think this is a conversation that we should have when we're alone."
"You're not in hitting on me, are you? Because you're married and I… kind of have a… crush on somepony else." She chuckled and shook her head, "No, it's not like that. I'll explain more when we can talk alone." I opened my mouth to say something else, but closed it, shook my head, and went back to enjoying the party. After some more partying, Vinyl returned and after everything was set up I played my party mix. I started dancing and soon the others joined me… well I should say I attempted to dance. It was more like sporadic arm waving and some shuffling. My attempt at dancing continued for a while until Gangnam Style came on. Since I had a basic idea of how the 'dance' went I actually looked like I was dancing. Needless to say, my dancing had everypony's attention. After the song was over they all stared at me and since Gangnam Style was the last song in the playlist, we had an awkward silence. Luckily, Twilight broke the silence and asked me a question completely unrelated to my dancing.
"What was that, Steel? I didn't recognize most of those words." When we were back at the library, Twilight was asking me questions about my world. I told her how there were many different languages. I didn't teach her how to speak any of the ones I knew because that would have taken hours. "That's because they were in a different language and the song is in a language called Korean, from the country of Korea. It's actually one of the three other languages I know." My response caused Rainbow to start laughing.
"You've got to be kidding! There's no way. You're an egghead." Rainbow said dismissively. I smiled and played Gangnam Style again using my magic to effectively mute the words.
Oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Na je nun ta sa ro un in gan jo gin yo ja
Ko pi han ja ne yo yu rul a neun pum gyo gi nun yo ja
Ba mi o myon shim ja ngi tu go wo ji nun yo ja
Gu ron ban jon i nun yo ja
Na nun sa na ye
Na je nun no man kum ta sa ro un gu ron sa na ye
Ko pi shik gi do jo ne one shot te ri nun sa na ye
Ba mi o myon shim ja ngi to jyo bo ri nun sa na ye
Gu ron sa na ye
A rum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
A reum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
Ji gum bu to gal de ka ji ga bol ka
Oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op
Eh eh eh eh eh eh
Jong su ke bo wi ji man nol ten no nun yo ja
I te da shi pu myon mu ko ton mo ri pu nun yo ja
Ga ryot ji man wen man han no chul boda ya han yo ja
Gu ron gam gak jo gin yo ja
Na nun sa na ye
Jom ja na bo wi ji man nol ten no nun sa na ye
Te ga dwe myon wan jon mi cho bo ri nun sa na ye
Gun yuk bo da sa sa ngi ul tung bul tu ngan sa na ye
Gu ron sa na ye
A rum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
A reum de wo sa rang su ro wo
Gu re no hey gu re ba ro no hey
Ji gum bu to gal de ka ji ga bol ka
Oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Gangnam Style
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op
Eh eh eh eh eh eh
Twi nun nom gu wi ye na nun nom
Baby baby na nun mol jom a nun nom
Twi nun nom gu wi ye na nun nom
Baby baby na nun mol jom a nun nom
You know what I'm saying
Oppan Gangnam Style
Eh eh eh eh eh eh
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op oppan Gangnam Style
Eh~ Sexy lady
Op op op op
Eh eh eh eh eh eh
Oppan Gangnam Style
After the song ended, Rainbow, who had been hovering next to me, was on the ground trying to comprehend how I could be athletic and an egghead at the same time which caused me to chuckle. Everypony was stunned by my performance. Twilight and Luna finally recovered from the shock they were both about to say something when I intervened. "Twilight, why don't you let Luna speak first, I see that look on your face. You want to ask me more questions and we both know that you tend to go overboard with your questions." She chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck while I motioned for Luna to continue. "Well Steel, I just wanted to ask you how you knew how to sing in another language."
"Well, it was awhile ago and one of my friends told me that it would be impossible to learn how to sing two different songs in two different languages in a week. So we made a bet and a week later I was two hundred dollars richer which, if my calculations are correct, and they probably aren't, is about seventy-five bits."
"So Steel, since this is a party I'm only going to ask you a few questions." Said Twilight, "What languages do you know?"
"Other than English, or whatever you call this language, I know Korean, Spanish, and German." She was about to ask another question when I cut her off. "Let me guess you want me to say a few things in each language?" She nodded, "And by the way Steel, we call this language Equestrian." This caused me to laugh a little and got me weird looks form everypony. "I'm sorry it's just something from my planet was called the same thing... and it's ironic since your ponies." I mumbled the last part, "Anyway… Buenos dias, me llamo es Acero. I just said, 'Good day my name is Steel' in Spanish. I really don't think I need to say anything else in Korean to prove I can speak it." They all nodded in agreement. "Wenn dies eine Partei warum gibt es kein Kuchen? I just said 'If this is a party, why is there no cake?' in German." I noticed that they we all shocked that I yelled and Fluttershy had hid behind my couch. *sigh* I walked over to her to try and alleviate her fears. "I'm sorry Fluttershy, I didn't mean to scare you, German just happens to be a really…loud language." After seeing the smile on my face, she relaxed slightly and came out. "Was it really necessary for you to yell, Steel?" asked Luna. "Well… yes. You practically need to yell in order for anypony who speaks German to understand what you're saying."
"Where did you learn how to speak three languages?" I looked over at Twilight, "I learned German and Spanish in high school and I learned Korean because of that bet. You know your reactions before remind me of something somepony once told me, 'Life is short so tell someone you love them today, but yell it to them in German because life is also loud and confusing.'" After I said this, everypony was deep in thought thinking about what I said… well almost everypony. "Um, does anypony know what happened to Pinkie?"
Before any of them could say anything, I saw a pink hoof grab my shoulder and turn me around. Pinkie was standing behind me and behind her were some presents, a cake, and other desserts. "I'm here. We were going to wait until later to bring out the cake and your presents, but you said, 'Wenn dies eine Partei warum gibt es kein Kuchen,' so I immediately went and got them from the kitchen."
"Thanks Pinkie I… wait, now that I think about it, you weren't there when I told everypony else what I said. How did you know I was talking about cake?" She put a hoof on my shoulder and shook her head. "Steel, it wasn't that hard, especially since the author used Google translate since he doesn't actually know how to speak German. Now, who wants cake?" As Pinkie started cutting the cake, I started at her trying to figure out what she was talking about, until Luna put a hoof on my shoulder. "Steel, I may not know Pinkie that well but I know sometimes there are things she does that can't be explained or understood and its better to ignore it or laugh at it and move on." I shrugged and followed her to get some cake. After eating some cake and other pastries everypony decided it was time for me to open my presents. Twilight hoofed me a gift, "When did you girls have time to get my gifts?"
"Princess Luna sent us a letter saying your birthday was soon but didn't tell us the exact date, most likely because you wanted to tell us about your birthday and everything else yourself." I nodded in agreement, "Anyway, open your presents." Twilight got me a book on magic spells, useful. Rarity made me a suit with a tie to match my mane and a gray lapel with my cutie mark on it. Applejack gave me a dozen or so bottles of cider and some other apple based foods. Pinkie gave me another cake, big surprise there. Fluttershy gave me a book on gardening, another good thing since the garden in my backyard needs to be fixed. Rainbow gave me some training gear including a treadmill, apparently they all came to a unanimous decision that my daily run through the Everfree Forest is too dangerous for me to continue. Vinyl got me a customized acoustic guitar and told me she could have my other guitars sent to a friend of hers to get them personalized, if I wanted to. Derpy and her daughter gave me some muffins and a hoofmade drawing of me, most likely made by Dinky. "Steel," said Celestia, "Your gift can't be wrapped. Since you seem too constantly get hurt, next time you're in Canterlot, come to the castle. I'll have the blacksmith make you a set of amour."
"Thanks, I do seem to get hurt a lot. I've been here for what three weeks and I've ended up needing medical attention twice." She started laughing while Luna hoofed me her gift. "I hope you like it. I've also informed the guards that you are allowed to enter the castle when ever you want." I smiled and opened her gift. It was a picture of us when she came with me on my morning run and three empty picture frames, one for each of the photos I have and an extra I guess. "Thanks, but how did you get this I don't remember you having a camera that day?"
"I made it using a spell, but I'd rather not bore you with the technicalities." I smiled and laughed, "Sometimes I like the technicalities… this isn't one of those times. Besides I probably wouldn't understand most of it, I do only have a basic understanding of magic." I put the picture in one of the frames, put the one of my squad in another, and levitated all three of them onto the table. As I looked back to everypony, because I need constant eye contact with what I'm levitating or I'll drop it, I saw Luna set up a camera and I realized what the other picture frame was for. "Steel, I'm having a concert in a week so as soon as tickets are made I'm going to send you two," said Octavia. "I also wanted to know if I could use songs from your world for it."
"Sure, if you think you can learn the songs by then and if you want I can recommend some songs." She nodded, "I would recommend Fire and Fury, The Fleets Arrive, Twilight Princess Symphonic Movement, To Galaxy, Deference for Darkness and Ballad of the Goddess." We talked while Luna struggled to set up the camera and, at one point, I could keep myself from laughing at her. She sent me a look of annoyance and frustration, "It might be easier if you set up all three legs of the tripod at once." My suggestion caused her to facehoof since every time she set up the last leg one of the other legs would collapse causing the tripod to tilt. After she had finally set up the tripod we all gathered for a group picture. After we took the picture Celestia used her magic to make a copy for everypony, I put mine in the empty picture frame. Everypony said goodbye and went home except for the princesses, who asked if they could stay at my house, and as I was saying goodbye to them all, Pinkie somehow managed to clean up everything from the party. I followed Luna's advice and just ignored how Pinkie broke pretty much every rule of physics I could think of. After some arguing, I convinced the princesses to take the beds while I slept on the couch. I fell asleep on the couch thinking how this was the best birthday I've had in a long time.
"Contact left!" Before I could even figure out what was happening an RPG hit the front of the humvee. As I crawled out of the burning wreak that was once a humvee, I saw Psycho and the rest of my squad in cover near an ally trying to suppress the guys with RPG's. After I made it to their position, I asked Psycho for a status report. "Ninety percent of the men have been killed or wounded, all the humvees are totaled, and our air support has been chased off. In other words, we're fucked, sir."
"I know this isn't the time but, what have I told you about calling me sir?" He started laughing in the middle of the firefight, "You know I'm just busting your balls, Wolf. Fuck, that son of a bitch nearly took my head off… we need to get out of here, now!"
"Hang on… Ed, Ray, clear the ally. Go, we'll follow you in sixty seconds." Ed and Ray took off down the ally while me, Psycho, and Kingsley held off they enemy. After sixty seconds, we went after Ed and Ray. When we regrouped we proceeded down another street which seemed abandoned. "Something's not right, it's too quiet."
"I agree we were just neck deep in hostile, where are th-" CRACK
"Sniper!" "Shit, Psycho's down." "I didn't see the shot, where is he?"
I dragged Psycho to cover while everyone else searched for the sniper. "Psycho, Psycho can you hear me? Stay with me… command this is Easy company third squad, we need support and med-evac, multiple wounded and KIA. Command do you read?"
"Es-… can't re-… ference." I tried boosting the signal to reach command. "Guys, I can't reach command there's too much interference. Our best bet to get through to them is to get to that church's bell tower, unfortunately that's there the sniper most likely is." They all nodded in agreement, "Ray, Ed, grab Psycho, Kingsley get the rear, I'll take point." We started moving toward the church, it seamed too easy but with a wounded man I didn't care. I prepared to breach the door with Kingsley while Ed and Ray took Psycho behind some rubble near the door. As soon as Kingsley's foot made contact with the door, it exploded. I was thrown to the floor and lost my grip on my weapon, Kingsley's foot was shredded but attached and the wounds were healable. Ray, Ed, and Psycho were fine… for the moment. Ed and Ray ran toward us just as the men hiding in the adjacent buildings opened fire. They were dead before they hit the ground. I watched helplessly as some of them came over to us, on moved over to Psycho and removed his sidearm, I closed my eyes before the shot was fired. Two grabbed Kingsley and dragged him over to a truck that pulled up. The final two towered over me as I lost consciousness.
I woke up panting on the floor of a room. There was barely any light in the room, but I saw two figures in front of me. Panicking, I knocked one of them off their feet and put the other in a choke hold. The one I knocked down was starting to get back up while the one I had in a choke hold continued to struggle, then the lights came on and my mind went blank.
POV change: Luna
Tia turned on the lights and I could feel Steel's grip loosen. He let go of me and I fell to the ground. Coughing I turned around to look at him, his face was a combination of shock, shame, sadness, and fear. But he wasn't afraid of us it was more like he was afraid of something in his nightmare.
"Luna, Celestia I'm sorry, I had a nightmare and then I woke up and I really couldn't see anything, I panicked. I'm sorry and ready for any punishment you have." I looked at Tia and she seamed confused as why he thought he was going to be punished too. I walked up to him and the look of shame on his face deepened. I gave him a hug. "It's ok, Steel. You're not going to be punished. You just woke up from a nightmare and panicked. Besides, we probably should have turned on the lights, it's just as much our fault as it is yours." He stepped away from me with a confused look on his face.
"I'm not going to be punished, but why? I could have killed you. I knocked your sister to the ground. That's two counts of assaulting royalty, there has to be laws against that."
"It doesn't matter. I don't blame you and I doubt Tia does either." I looked over to her and she nodded in agreement. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare, it helps… sometimes."
"It wasn't a nightmare, it was part of my past. I'll spare you the details since they'd just give you nightmares, too. Let's just say that because of me a friend I knew since I was five was killed along with two other soldiers and another soldier went missing. A few weeks later, I asked to be removed from my position as squad leader, I also swore never to lead others into combat again. It was all my fault, if I had just stopped and looked around they might still be alive."
"Steel, did you know what was going to happen?" He shook his head, "Then how is it your fault? Nopony can predict the future." He sighed and moved over to the window and looked at the night sky. "Yeah, but it was my job to keep them safe. My job to make sure they made it home safely to see their families. My job to make the decisions, and my decisions got them killed." I sat next to him and saw that he was trying not to cry so I gave him another hug. We sat next to each other for awhile looking at the stars. "Steel, we should probably get some rest." I kissed him on the cheek and moved over to the door to the guest room, I noticed Tia was not in the room anymore, she must have left to give us some privacy. He went back to the couch with a look that I could only describe as the look somepony gets when they have conflicting emotions/ideas. I went inside and found my sister waiting for me.
"We need to talk," she said. I sat down next to her, "As princess of the night, not only are you responsible for raising the moon, but you're also responsible for watching over everypony's dreams."
"Yes Tia, I know this… why?" She started to rub the back of her neck nervously. "You should have helped Steel with his nightmare. I'm not saying you're doing a bad job but…" My jaw dropped in shock, "Tia how dare you doubt my abilities! For your information I tried to help him before I woke you, but this was more of a memory than a nightmare and we both know my ability with memory spells is… lacking... There was something different about this memory though. The last 'nightmare' he had I was able to enter, it was difficult but I was able to get in. This one I couldn't even get a glimpse of what was happening." She looked embarrassed, from doubting my abilities, and was thinking about what I said. Her combined thinking look and look of embarrassment made her look so funny I couldn't keep myself from laughing. Her embarrassment deepened as she started to leave the room. "I'm worried about him Tia." She moved back next to me as I kept talking. "This is the second time this has happened. Who knows how many others he's had since he came here, not to mention how many he had before he came here. I want to help him but I can't unless I know what is causing them and I doubt he is willing to talk about it. I don't know what to do…"
"Luna, if Steel wants our help he will ask for it, but I agree with you. We need to help him somehow." We sat there next to each other for a few minutes trying to think of ways to help Steel. "Well Luna, its clear we won't think of something tonight. I'm going to bed and I suggest you do the same." After she left, I sat in my bed trying to think of ways to help Steel until I fell asleep.
Authors Note: Well Steel had a great birthday party, the princesses are spending the night at his house, he almost killed Luna, we learned more about his time in the military and Pinkie put a few cracks in the fourth wall. It seems he will never have a dull day again. Luna's 'job' is in the show but her inability to enter memories is my own idea. Here's to hoping you guys review more and Pinkie doesn't break the fourth wall since it's expensive to replace. Also, Steel has had more nightmares than the two I wrote, it's not necessary to write them but if you guys really want me to I will.
Songs:
Twilight Princess Symphonic Movement and Ballad of the Goddess from Skyward Sword are from the Legend of Zelda 25th anniversary album
Fire and Fury is from the Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty soundtrack
The Fleets Arrive is from the Mass Effect 3 soundtrack
To Galaxy is from the Halo 4 soundtrack
Deference for Darkness is from the Halo 3 ODST soundtrack