Steel woke to the sound of his alarm once again. He groaned louder than usual and tapped the Alarm Off button with his eyes closed. He had a massive headache, he really shouldn't have drank as much alcohol as he did the night before, the headache was overwhelming. Steel pressed a hoof to his forehead. Steel's E.U.D vibrated, he groaned in pain and opened his eyes, the light of the sun only added to the headache he already had. Steel lifted his E.U.D and saw he had a new message, with a tap the animated envelope opened and a new screen appeared, covered in green text.
"Subject: Last Night
Dude! You have to see these!
-Iron Rose"
A small icon of a paperclip was bouncing up and down in the bottom left corner of the screen, Steel tapped the paperclip with his nose. The screen of text disappeared and was replaced by a photo, Steel saw himself. He quickly covered the photo and blushed. I really hope I didn't do anything embarrassing he thought to himself. He paused, his hoof over the screen before taking a deep breath and taking a peek at the photo. He exhaled happily, good It was a picture of him, Steel, holding a mug of cider to the sky in celebration. He smirked slightly, with the way the photo was taken, he looked kind of cool. Steel looked down and saw "1 out of 5" in the corner. He sighed and swiped the screen with his muzzle.
The next photo was of Dale, slumped over and drunk, his hoof around Silver's shoulder. Silver was in mid-nervous laugh, trying to push Dale away, a few drops of beer from Dale's mug were spilling onto Silver's fancy coat. Steel swiped the photo, Dale was unconscious on the ground, Silver and Steel were holding a bucket of ice water over Dale's head. Steel laughed and swiped the image. Dale's face was blurred but the parts Steel could see were drenched in water, Dale appeared to by trying to cover up the camera before Iron Rose could snap a picture. Steel swiped with his muzzle, and blushed. Iron Rose had her arm around Steel... And she was kissing his right cheek.
Steel felt like he might faint, he lifted his hoof and rubbed his right cheek where, apparently, Iron Rose had kissed him. His cheek felt warm. Suddenly his E.U.D beeped and vibrated, a robotic voice said
"You must leave or you will be late, you must leave or you will be late, you must leave or you will be late." Steel jumped out of bed and realized he slept in his clothing, he shrugged off the urge to change as he turned off the alarm and sprinted out the door. He gained speed from the downwards ramp leading away from his house and skidded around a corner, sprinting down a side street. With great difficulty, he managed to run on three hooves while looking at his E.U.D. Okay, it's only 7:56, I still have four minutes to get th-
"AAH!" Steel shouted as he ran straight into somepony. Steel fell to the ground, eyes shut in pain.
"Watch where you're going." Said a deep and stern voice with a strange, metallic reverberation. Steel rubbed his head and prepared in insult in return but when he opened his eyes he noticed regal, red robes. Steel, got to his hooves and bowed his head in respect.
"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't paying attention." Steel apologized.
"Quite right." Said the voice, Steel looked up to see a member of The Masked Lords of Equestria. This pony was tall, well built and almost completely unidentifiable due to the ornate armor-like mask covering his face and chest. He wore a red, fur robe covering the rest of his body. The Masked Lords were a group of warriors, most of them fought in the war that destroyed Equestria. They were elected to rule over the major cities in the wasteland, these were the ponies who manufactured spheres and cubes, and with a tap of their hoof they could have anypony executed without question.
The masked pony huffed and marched away. Steel exhaled and stood up straight, he watched the masked lord turn around a corner and disappear into a metal side street. Steel shook his head, noticed the time on his E.U.D and resumed his sprinting, now paying careful attention to where he was going. He arrived at the door to Hammer and Nail's Metalworking and furiously swung his hoof in front of the door.
"Hello Steel, right on time." Said the robotic voice. Steel froze and slapped a hoof to his forehead.I'm still 20 minutes early! He bent his head down and caught his breath. Idiot! He slapped his forehead again before walking inside and entering the workshop. Steel moved to his desk and opened a drawer containing the small tag and the thin piece of iron wire he made the day before. He smiled when he saw the two pieces. Today, he would give this to Iron Rose. He blushed at the thought. Steel shook his head and moved to an anvil, very carefully, he used his E.U.D to string the wire through the small hole in the tag he made yesterday. When the wire fit through perfectly, making Steel smile again, he placed the two unconnected ends of wire on the anvil and clamped them in place.
Steel, being a metalworker and having a license to perform an E.U.D installment, he managed to add a few extra applications for himself. After tapping a button on his E.U.D, a small pipe with a hole in the end extended with the sound of squealing gears. He would have to oil the E.U.D later. A small valve was located on the side of the pipe, Steel turned it with his mouth and the hole in the end of the pipe began to spit a focused blue flame. He leaned down and pointed the flame towards one end of the wire. After a while the wire tip began to glow red and Steel deactivated the blowtorch. Using caution, he slid the hot end of the wire towards the cold one before connecting them, making sure not to leave any gaps between them.
He tapped two buttons, the blowtorch retracted and a new, thinner pipe extended from the E.U.D. Steel grabbed a welders helmet and flipped down the tinted visor, he began welding the two ends of the wire together. After a few minutes and many sparks flying in different directions, the two ends finally joined to become one piece of wire. He removed the welders helmet, then the clamps and inspected the wire. A little rough... He retracted the welder then picked up the wire and walked towards a grinder. He tapped the interface on the grinder, tapped "Settings", and changed speed to "Thin Iron." Craterville was a lucky city. It had tonnes of technology at it's disposal, Steel had heard of towns with only three consoles in them from his father.
Steel's dad wasn't born in Craterville like Steel was, he was born in a much smaller town called Pure Falls. A town famous for having a big water purifier at the top of a waterfall, spilling clean water to the town below. Steel's dad moved from Pure Falls to Craterville after he met Steel's mother. Steel's mom was a market pony, traveling from city to city but keeping a house in Craterville when business was bad. The two got married and had Steel, but while Steel's mother was working, her caravan was attacked by raiders and she was killed. Steel's father raised him until Steel was around six before he had a heart attack in the living room, Steel watched as his father died and medical ponies took away the body. Steel was raised in an orphanage before he got a house and was released at around sixteen.
There was a screeching noise as Steel snapped back into reality, the wire was smoking and hot flakes of metal were flying off of the wire and landing on Steel's left hoof. He quickly pulled the wire away and deactivated the grinder.
"Damn it..." He said aloud, examining a small blackened portion of wire. He shook his head and moved to the buffer. Another tool they use to polish metal and make it look shiny and new, not too shiny of course, they didn't want to blind ponies as they passed beneath a patch of sun. In the wasteland, the sun never sets. Some of the remaining ponies just block it out with clouds, covering the city in shadow.
Steel was told by his great grandfather when he was little, that the sun and moon were controlled by two powerful Alicorns named Celestia and Luna. Before the war, Alicorns were princesses. There were four in existence before the war, The sister princesses, The Crystal Princess and The Princess of Friendship. There were many legends about The Princess of Friendship, the stories called her Twilight.
Friendship was considered one of the most powerful types of magic before the war. It was so powerful, earth ponies and Pegasi could use it. After the war however, nopony trusted each other enough for the magic to work. Steel pulled the wire away from the buffer, the black mark was gone and the metal wire was shiny and perfect, you could barely see where the wire was welded. Steel quickly slipped it around his neck for a fit test, if it fit him it would fit Iron Rose. It was a little tight which was perfect, Iron Rose's neck was smaller than his. He took it off and examined it once more.
"Hey!" The door opened and Iron Rose walked into the workshop. Steel nearly dropped the necklace, he fumbled for a moment before catching it and holding it behind his back. She didn't seem to notice.
"Hi Iron Rose," He said nervously. Iron Rose giggled.
"I swear, every time I see you, you seem to be shaking or blushing... Except for last night, you got much calmer once you had something to drink."
"Hehe..." Steel laughed nervously and blushed, realized he was blushing, then tried his hardest to make the blood rush out of his cheeks. Iron Rose was already at her desk and was writing with a stylus on the touchscreen top of her desk. Steel moved his hoof from behind his back and looked down at the necklace. Iron Rose noticed he was holding it.
"Is that the present you were making?" Steel looked up. If there was any time to give it to her, it was now. Suddenly his stomach felt like it was doing back flips and his heart was beating in his throat.
"Yes..." He stuttered.
"Is it done?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. Steel paused, he felt sweat run down the back of his neck. Why was this so hard?
"No!" He blurted before he could stop himself. He felt his heart sag back down into his chest as he quickly tucked it into his shirt pocket. She gave him a confused look before shrugging and continuing her writing. Steel hung his head and moved back to his desk.
"Do you remember anything from last night?" Asked Iron Rose. Steel looked at her, she was blushing slightly.
"Well I saw the pictures you sent me so I can put together the pieces." She paused, the blush over her nose growing larger and a deeper shade of red.
"You do realize nothing happened between us right?" It was Steel's turn to blush. I this her telling me to back off?
"Of course... It was just a kiss on the cheek." She nodded.
"What's the last thing you remember?" She asked, the blush disappearing from her nose. Steel searched his memory.
"You asked about the undertunnels." Steel Answered, Iron Rose squinted as she tried to remember.
"Oh yeah!" She chuckled.
"I still can't believe you didn't know what they were." Steel laughed. Iron Rose nodded.
"I actually don't know much about the war, I never really wanted to learn about it. But it seems like it was pretty important." Steel nodded then got an idea.
"I could tell you about it if you want." Steel offered. Iron Rose looked at him.
"I could just go read about it in the library."
"But it wouldn't be nearly as much fun though." Iron Rose laughed, Steel joined her. Iron Rose snorted before quickly covering her nose with her hooves. Steel smiled. "I didn't know you were part pig!" Iron Rose grabbed a pen and threw it at Steel.
"Shut up!" She said between snorts, Steel laughed. Suddenly the door flew open, a pony in red robes and a mask. Iron Rose and Steel stopped laughing, they stood up from their seats and bowed their heads in respect. The Masked Lord grunted as a signal of tolerance and held the door open.
"We're evacuating the building." Said the Masked Lord. Iron Rose and Steel looked at each other before walking out of the door, heads still held down in respect. They exited the front door and saw their boss Strict Hoof, with two other Masked Lords standing behind him. Strict Hoof nodded to them curtly before looking away. Iron Rose and Steel stood off to the side, heads still facing downwards. Steel leaned over to Iron Rose and began to whisper.
"What are the other two doing here? Masked Lords never leave their cities except for emergencies." Iron Rose shot the Masked Lords a glance before looking down again.
"I've never seen a masked lord in real life before," Said Iron Rose. "I've only seen them in books."
"I bumped into one of them in the street earlier today." Said Steel, remembering the accident from earlier that day.
"Which one?" Asked Iron Rose, looking up at the two who were looking straight ahead into the shop.
"I don't know, they're all wearing masks."
"Silence!" A Masked Lord shouted. Steel stopped talking immediately and bowed his head, the Masked Lord gave him a long look before slowly looking back towards the shop. The five of them waited for a few minutes before the third Lord walked out of the shop and nodded. The other two nodded in return and turned to Strict Hoof who looked one of the Lords back in the eyes.
"Strict Hoof, Hammer and Nail's Metalworking is now under the complete control of The Masked Lords. You have two hours to pack up your things and come to the Town Hall." One of the masked ponies looked to Steel. "You!" He shouted, Steel straightened and looked him in the eyes. "You have two hours as well." Steel nodded. The three Masked Lords bent their knees, wings appeared out of two holes on either side of their robes. They took to the skies and soared off to the center of town with incredible speed. Steel stared in awe for a few seconds before realizing he was shaking.
"You okay?" Asked Iron Rose, noticing him shake. Steel nodded and calmed down.
"What do they want me for?" He asked, looking back to the skies.
"Maybe they need something to do with E.U.Ds." Iron Rose shrugged. Steel headed inside and entered the workshop, Iron Rose followed. "What about me?" She asked. "Should I pack up as well?"
"They never asked you to so I assume not." Said Steel, grabbing a box and tossing in some paperwork he never finished. Iron Rose looked around feeling useless. Steel finished packing within minutes, he didn't have much to pack seeing as he didn't bring anything important to work. He paused, not knowing what to do before getting an idea. Maybe I should give it to her now... Damn it! I told her it wasn't finished! Steel tried to come up with something to do to finish the tag. He smiled and tapped the contacts button on his E.U.D, he began to scroll and stopped at "Cable." He tapped the audio button and quickly stepped out of the workshop.
"Subject: Wing man
Hey Cable, I have a favor to ask. Could you draw a symbol or something that represents protection and send it to my E.U.D? I really need it.
-Steel" After a few minutes Steel's E.U.D vibrated causing him to smile, he tapped the envelope with his nose and read.
"Subject: Cool
Sure thing man, here ya go.
-Cable" A small paperclip was bouncing up and down in the corner of the screen. Steel tapped it and smiled at a small black and white picture of a shield with a heart in the center. Steel re-entered the workshop and walked towards a plasma cutter, one of the most technologically advanced piece of equipment Hammer and Nail's had. Steel grabbed the metal tag from his shirt pocket and clamped it to a table, once it was secure, circular, glass, blast doors began to close the metal tag in. Steel approached a console and tapped a few buttons. He opened a flap on his E.U.D with his teeth, revealing a few wires. He took the end of one wire and plugged it into the console.
The words "Image Downloaded" appeared onscreen. Steel unplugged his E.U.D and hid the wire, the plasma cutter lowered to the metal tag and began to cut. Steel walked back to his desk and sat down, Iron Rose was looking at him curiously.
"What?" Asked Steel. She tilted her head slightly, examining him.
"Who is that for?" She questioned, Steel shook his head and resisted the blush trying to reach his cheeks.
"I already told you, a friend." Iron Rose shook her head.
"You're going to tell me eventually." She said as she turned back to her desk. Steel chuckled.
"I guess I will." After half an hour, the plasma cutter deactivated. Steel approached the blast doors as they opened and he un-clamped the metal tag. He picked it up and examined it. It was perfect.
"Is it done now?" She asked with a small smile. Alright Steel, He thought to himself, no more excuses, just give it to her.
"Yeah..." He said in a shaking voiced. She got up from her chair and began to walk over to Steel. Steel felt as though time were slowing down as she began to walk, her perfect eyes reflecting the light from the ceiling. His heart began to race. Now she was right in front of him, her blood red eyes fixed on the necklace in the grip of Steel's E.U.D. She looked at it and smiled.
"Who is it for?" She asked, looking Steel in the eyes. She was very close now.
"Actually it's for uhhh... It's for you." She smiled and tilted her head.
'You didn't have to do this for me." She looked down at the necklace and smiled wider.
"I felt like I had to." Said Steel with his own smile. Every part of his brain was screaming at him, telling him to stop talking, but his heart was telling him to keep going. "You mean a lot to me." She looked back at Steel, a small tear in her eye. She noticed and quickly wiped it away. "Here." Said Steel, holding up the necklace. Iron Rose smiled and turned around, pulling the back of her mane up. Steel moved closer and slowly lowered the necklace around her head. She let down her mane and turned back around. She lifted the necklace in her hooves and examined the plasma cut symbol. She smiled and looked into Steel's eyes.
"I love it." She pulled Steel into a hug. He blushed, his hooves out to the sides. He seemed to realize what was happening and he wrapped his hooves around her. She was warm, it was a nice feeling being hugged by her. It always felt good to be hugged but this... This was ten times better. They slowly separated, as they pushed apart Iron Rose planted a kiss on Steel's cheek. He smiled at her.
"Ahem..." Steel and Iron Rose turned their heads while still in a half hug. Strict Hoof was standing in the doorway, a cardboard box on his back. Steel and Iron Rose separated. It was strange, without Iron Rose near him he felt... Cold.
"Our two hours are almost up." Said Strict Hoof with a criticizing look. "We'd better get to the town hall. Steel nodded. Strict Hoof rolled his eyes and walked out the door. Steel began to follow Strict Hoof but something kept him in the workshop. He turned his head slightly and saw Iron Rose out of the corner of his eye. She was holding the necklace against her chest, she had her eyes closed.
"Iron Rose?" She opened her eyes, realizing he was still here.
"Uh... yeah?" Steel paused and turned to look her in the eyes. Him looking into her rose eyes and her looking into his hazel eyes.
"When I get back... We should go get a drink some time... Just you and me." She smiled.
"I'd like that." They smiled at each other. Hours were crammed into seconds as they looked into each others eyes. Steel broke the stare with a wink and sprinted out the door.