Shellshock

Name: Echo

Rank: PFC

Date: 10/01/2013

Time: 2200 Hours (10:00 pm)

Location: Club PON-3, Ponyville

Clubs, I hate clubs

Yet another thing to add to the thing I hate: Number one would have to be trying to interact with other ponies because I can't go more the 2 seconds without them running away screaming and yelling racial slurs at me just because I'm a bat pony. Number two would be foals. Now before you jump me and label me a cold hearted bastard, let me explain. Because of them, I can't show my face in town. The stares, insults, screaming and crying whether I'm just walking to the market to buy food or going for a run with my squad through town, it doesn't matter. It's always the same: I’m just minding my business when some brat starts screaming, crying and carrying on. The parents normally either try to 'politely' ask me to leave or just flat out tell me I'm not welcome in their 'fair and beautiful' town. Even the Elements of Harmony hate me. I will never comprehend how the six representatives of 'friendship' won't even give me a chance. The only ponies that tried to at least attempt to befriend me were Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash's younger sisters: Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, and Scootaloo. Their attempts of friendship were shot down as soon as the older sisters caught wind of who their new 'friend' was. After a astounding number of death threats (mainly from Applejack and Rainbow Dash of course), not only were they arrested for threatening a soldier of the crown (didn't see that coming did they?) but also fined and were ordered to issue me a formal apology in public.

But enough of the past, lets focus on the present.

As I walk through the crowd at CLUB PON-3, I was spotted by my squad (except for Captain Shadow Fang).

They waved to me as I reluctantly made my way over to their table.

"Glad ya made it E! How y'all been?” called Master Sergeant Fuse in his usual southern accent. Fuse is a dark green earth pony with a long black mane with hints of grey and light brown eyes. His mark was a golden Master EOD Crab. He's also the team EOD tech and explosives expert. The squad calls him the 'father figure' because of his laid back attitude and friendly nature. For some odd reason, find him quite intimidating. I could never place my hoof on it, but it's either his larger build or the steel prosthetic rear left leg that replaced the original one.

I give him a unconvincing smile, "I've been good... I guess."

I didn't have the heart to tell them that all I wanted was to be left alone. That they practically dragged... sorry, 'invited' me, to be here. Let alone the fact I don't let anypony call me 'E' unless their my parents. Either they A) never noticed, or B) they just don't care and enjoy watching me suffer. My bits on option B.

"You need to relax bro; maybe gettin' some cider would help ya chill. Want anything?" asked Tech Sergeant Stunner in his surfer accent.

He's a unicorn with a very strange coat color, a black mane with light blue edges and red eyes with a white star as a cutie mark. On his front right leg was a tattoo of a parachute behind a Pegasus wrapping it’s forelegs around a planet and the words ‘That Others May Live’ on the planet.  On his other leg was another tattoo in red ink saying 'Brothers Till The End' in cursive. Stunner is also the team medic that originally came from Royal Air Force's Pararescue team. How a unicorn managed to become a PJ when the entire division is made up of pegasi is beyond me.

"Just water. I don't drink remember?” I reply back. I don't need to be labeled the new town drunk. It's bad enough having to deal with the racism.

"Ah, your no fun!" whines Senior Airman Stratus Breaker, a pegasus with a pale blue coat and a short black mane. His mark is a shield with a golden sword in the center over a globe. He's also from the Royal Air Force's Combat Air Control team. He's now the team's communications operator.

"Tell me something I don't know,” I retort while rolling my eyes.

"Alright guys, break it up. We're here to relax,” says Fuse.

"Hey, don't we still have to initiate him?” asked Stunner with a innocent look in his eyes but with a mischievous smirk.

"Huh?” I ask dumbly.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me!" Fuse says with a equally mischievous smirk, "you do know what's going on tonight, right?"

"Uh, no" I answer lamely.

The table laughs.

"It's karaoke night!" Breaker squealed excitedly.

Shit, these guys are trying to kill me!

"Seriously? You guys know I can't sing!" I whine. Desperate to avoid making a fool out of myself.

"Like we care" says Agent Specter in his monotone voice. I almost shit myself hearing him. His black coat and mane blending perfectly with the seat with the only thing standing out is the white tips of his mane and his silver eyes. His mark is a skull with a dagger through it. What worries me is the fact that he almost never speaks. While not really a soldier, he is an intelligence spook that's been attached to us.

"You do know what the alternative is right?"

I shudder. Getting knocked out, draw on by everypony in the unit, put in a slutty-ass dress and dumped in the middle of town square is the last thing I want to do.

"Ok, fine," I mutter.

"Look on the bright side: You may actually have fun!", coos Stratus in a mock comforting voice.

"Fuck you," I reply, earning a laugh from the guys.

"Easy buddy," says Fuse.

"Rules are simple: you choose what song you want to sing, but no matter how bad it is, you MUST

finish it. Or you can expect getting the 'alternative'."

"Whatever" I say as I get up to the DJ stage.

The DJ is pretty cute. Her white coat, 2-toned, spiky blue mane, and purple shade give her a laid back image. Vinyl, I think her name was.

"You're getting initiated aren't ya?" she asks nonchalantly.

"How did-" I start before she interrupts me with a giggle

"Fuse is my coltfriend. He and every other member of his unit has to do this" she replies with a smile.

At least she isn't making cracks at my race I think to myself.

Remember when I said I couldn't sing earlier to my team? Yeah, that's a lie. I actually write raps and play guitar.  I can lay down a mean rhyme when I want to. As their about to see.

As Vinyl gets the tune I requested set up, I give my team a smirk. But what catches my eye is a mare behind the bar, giving me a seductive look.

Not one of those mares again I groan to myself.

Although almost the entire town hates me, a few mares have tried to either flirt with something ‘exotic’ or just try to get me riled up and leave me high and dry.

I recognize the mare as Ember. I would be lying if I said I didn't find her attractive. Her burnt red coat, her golden mane and tail with streaks of bronze and red tied back with a simple white ribbon along with those alluring yellow eyes are what I would normally consider a living masterpiece if I do say so myself. However, I have caught wind of her being extremely clingy and loose. Another two things I hate.

Vinyl snaps me out of my thoughts on the barmare, telling me the song is ready.

Regaining focus, I look over to her, then to my table with the guys laughing at me and I swore I saw Stunner and Stratus placing bets to see if I choke.

Little did they know: I wrote a little rap on my life back in Rook Isles.

As Vinyl announced to the entire club who I was and what I was doing, I could see the crowd watching me, practical waiting for me to fuck up and become the laughingstock of Ponyville. Beyond the crowd, I can see Ember leaning on the bar while resting her head on her hooves.

As the beat started up, I began to sing.

Youtube Video

XxX

As I finish, I can see the shocked expressions of the crowd and my unit. They clearly didn't expect me to pull something off like that. Even Vinyl and Ember looked at me with a mixture of awe and respect.

I start to get uncomfortable being up on stage so I get down and make my way over to the bar.

As I sit up on the stool, she only gawks at me. I wave my hoofs in front of her face to try and get her attention.

Snapping her out of daze, she jumps in surprise before blushing slightly giving me a coy smile. I match her look with my usual look of indifference.

"That song you sang was pretty cool," she cooed in a seductive manner. Just hearing her made me almost want to get up and leave.

"Thank you ma'am" I said with as much patience as I could. Part of that comes being a soldier but most of that patience comes with being a markspony. One of the few things I pride myself in.

"I've never been called a ma’am before, such a gentlecolt~", she said with a wink.

Keep that up and I'm going on a fucking shooting spree, I mentally say with disgust

"Comes with the job ma'am," as I keep an indifferent look.

"And what job would that be?' she asks.

Dear Celestia, help me. I groan.

"Private First Class Echo assigned to the 2nd Infantry Unit at your service ma'am. I'm the team sniper and secondary medic,” I inform her with some pride leaking into my voice

"Well, ya know I have a thing for a big, strong, stallion in uniform," she says.

"With all do respect ma'am; no thanks," I say as my right eye twitches.

Her smile drops into a scowl, "What do ya mean, 'no'? You a fag or some shit?!"

I break my look of indifference for a grin.

"Me? Nah, I just don't deal with skanks!" I say with a chuckle.

She looks at me with a shocked expression before tears start brimming in her eyes.

"You’re an asshole!" she screams before storming off.

Finally, I cheer to myself.

As I make my way back to the table, I notice the look I'm getting from my team.

Fan-fucking-tastic. Now what?I groan to myself.

"Nice, one Echo. Real nice," Stunner says sarcastically

"Echo... What's gotten into ya?" Fuse asks. I know I'm in some deep shit since he almost never calls me by my full name.

"She brought this on herself. If nopony treats me with respect when I've tried countless time, why should I care?" I respond in a cold tone.

"Echo, WE set her up to flirt with you. We figured that it would've been a nice change of pace since we thought we found somepony who was willing to give ya a chance. We say how lonely you were and just thought-," Stratus Breaker tried to say but I cut him off.

"I don't need anypony," I say in a harsh tone that made everyone at the table flinch. "I've been surviving on my own since the day I arrive from Rook. What makes you think I need anything from anypony when I've handled all my problems myself? Do you honestly think anyone could ever want me to begin with? She was probably gonna stab me in the back like almost all my past 'friends'. "

My team sighed.

"Your right, E." Fuse states with his head down.

We all look at him in surprise.

"We knew what you went through. We're only trying ta help ya. Maybe we went about this the wrong way and she did come across too strongly, but still: you had no right to speak to her like that."

He looks up at me. His eyes boring holes through my soul as I start to regret telling Ember off as I did.

"Now, you have one of two options: Number one is y'all can walk straight out that door and just go home. Or option two-

you can apologize to Ember. You really don't know how badly you hurt her."

"How bad?" I ask with a guilty/ nervous expression on my face

"Her father and mother were both Royal Guards. She had a very close relationship with her father but not her mother. One day the father was on a routine patrol when all of a sudden, he just... vanished. Never seen or heard from again and presumed MIA possible KIA. After that her mother became completely immersed in her work as a guard and totally ignored her and her older sister, who moved out with her fiancé," Specter explains.

Well, shit. She was right. I am an asshole I chastise myself.

"So, what's it gonna be Echo?" Fuse asks as the entire table looked at me.

I slam my head so hard into the table that I swore I left an imprint of my face in the wood. As I pick myself up, I give them my response that will seal my fate.

"I'll do it."

XxX

Making my way back to the bar, I notice that most ponies are going home. I see my target behind the bar facing away from me, cleaning the glasses. That's when I notice her mark: a large white cross surrounded by four smaller ones in each corner.

Looking back at my table, I notice that the guys left already.

Looks like I'm on my own

I grab a seat and tap on the counter. This startles her to the point of making her jump and drops the glass she was cleaning.

Seeing this, I quickly use my wings to propel myself forward to catch her and the glass before it fell.

She doesn’t see who caught her yet.

"Thanks, sorry I-", she cut herself off, "YOU!"

"Look, I understand you’re pissed. Who wouldn't be after I disrespected somepony like that?" Her yellow eyes burning a

hole through my spliced, red ones, "Just hear me out and I promise that I'll let you beat me like a drum to your heart's content. Deal?" I ask as I hold out my hoof.

She gives me a strange look before taking it and shaking.

"Deal. But you have 30 seconds before I beat you silly," She says as she pulls a stool and sits across from me.

"Thank you," I say before clearing my throat.

Then I start.

"Look. I'm sorry I disrespected you like that. It's just that I'm so used to everypony hating me for what I am that I became paranoid, cynical, and hateful of everypony. You didn't deserve that and I don't expect ya to forgive me. It's just-"

She cuts me off by placing her hoof on my cheek before nodding in an understanding way.

"I understand," she starts, "I also heard of a certain bat pony that was hated solely on his appearance. I don't think that's cool at all and I understand."

I breathe a sigh of relief.

That wasn't bad

She then takes her hoof off of me and sets it in the bar.

"Now, about that promise where you'll let me beat you...", she says with a smirk.

Oh yeah... well shit, should've saw that one coming.

I shut my eyes, waiting for that ass-kicking....

I feel her hoof tap my cheek.

As I sneak a peak, I see her giving me a warm smile.

That was the last thing I expected.

"Whelp, that's all I got," as she gave me a wink.

I open my eyes fully and give her a smile. Not a fake or sarcastic smile, but a genuine one.

"Thank you," I say

"It's no problem," she says before getting up. "It was nice talking to ya!"

I smile before getting an idea. A stupid, crazy idea; but an idea none the less.

"Hey wait a sec," I say as he turns back around to face me.

"Yes? ~" she asks in a sing-song voice as I gulp.

"Hey I know we just met and all and but..." I shift around nervously before continuing.

"So, Ember. . .” Her ears perk up, and she gazes over at me; a cute smile on her face. “Feel free to say ‘no’, I mean, it's only been a day but . . . I kind of . . . "I cough to clear my throat and relive some of the nerves. It doesn't work "I kind of had an idea . . . maybe tomorrow we could . . . I, uhm . . . Basically, I'm asking if . . . y'know, if you're comfortable with it. Feel free to say 'no', I don't mind, but-"

"Yes? ~" she gives me that look again.

"I was wondering if your free tomorrow, if, ya know, wanna, I don't know, go to Sugarcube Corner with me for lunch?"

I look away as if a bomb was about to go off in my face. That is until Ember presses her hoof against my lips and she lets out a cute giggle while blushing.

"I'd love to."