Metal and Magic

Chapters

Chapter 1: Strangers In The Night
Chapter 2: I've Got You Under My Skin
Chapter 3: Come Fly With Me
Chapter 4: Revelations
Chapter 5: The Librarian Dances
Chapter 6: Arrival

Chapter 1: Strangers In The Night

A small “clink” could be heard as the door to a balcony opened. A red-coated, orange-maned stallion stepped out, with brass wings extended out at his sides. He jumped off the balcony and flew straight up, flapping his wings into the night sky, a hiss of steam and more metallic “clinks” with each movement. He reached the layer of clouds just above Ponyville, looked down at the house he flew from, and cleared the clouds above and surrounding it. Just as he was finishing kicking away the last cloud, a blood curdling scream rang through the night, scaring the red pony and almost causing him to deactivate the wings.

“What in the name of-” the stallion began, before being cut off by another shriek. He pinpointed the area they were coming from. He flew as fast as he could, louder hisses and louder clinks ringing through the air as the wind blew in his face, forcing him to squint his eyes. He flew slower and looked down, seeing nothing but more houses and a couple stores.

Oh Celestia, what if something bad happened? What if somepony died because I couldn’t fly fast enough? Oh no, oh no oh no oh no oh no-

His train of thought was cut off again by yet another shriek. He saw movement down below, and flew straight towards it. What he saw was more or less what he expected to see. A pretty mare backing away from another pony. He couldn’t quite make out who the other pony was, but it was definitely a stallion. He wore a dark, black robe, and had a knife in his mouth.

“Hey, you there!” the red pony shouted in the deepest, most threatening voice he could manage. “Back away from her!” He shouted again, this time extending the brass wings from his back, their sharpened edges reflecting the moonlight. The hooded stallion turned around and looked at the red pony, before advancing on him with the knife. The mare was scared still, sitting against a closed storefront, trembling and crying.

I’m so going to die right now. I’m so going to die, there’s no way I can beat this guy.

Before he knew it, the other stallion was close enough to him that he could cut or stab him. His instincts threw him up into the air with his wings, dodging the swipe of the knife. He lunged forward slightly off from the pony, trying to hit him with the edge of his wings. However, they hit something hard on the pony’s forehead.

What? Is he a...? No, he can’t be, silly, unicorns aren’t real. Everypony knows their just myths in books-

A knife flew mere inches from his face, startling him and sending him stumbling backwards. He was met by a hard kick on his flank, barely missing his stallion parts. The kick sent him stumbling forward onto his face, but he quickly righted himself and flew up, dodging the mysterious attacker’s next attempt at his life. He flew down, this time hitting the back of the stallion. He grunted and stepped backwards. He swiped at the red pony again, still missing.

“Hey buddy, if you wanna hit me, you’re going to have aim at me, unless you have a thing against air or something!” he shouted to his attacker. He glanced over at the mare he was attacking earlier. She was still trembling, although this time looking at the two fighting instead of nowhere in particular. Another attempted hit was made by the stallion.

Dammit, concentrate! Your life is at stake here! Of course, it’s not like he can hit me anyways.

“Seriously, are you just trying to scare me off or are you going to hit me already?” he shouted again, mocking him. A low growl could be heard from the stallion, and he dropped the knife from his mouth and picked it up with his hoof. He raised it and charged at the red stallion, throwing his front leg at him and only being met with the sound of metal against metal as the iron knife smacked against the brass wings. The red pony dove forward and hit the stallion of the arm with his wings, making a deep cut. The hooded one stepped back again with a grunt, and switched arms. He was hit again in that arm, and he dropped the knife completely. He looked up at the red pony, who was in a fighting stance, leaning down and snarling at the hooded pony, like a bull. He glanced at his hooves, both with cuts on them, rendering them useless to hold anything without pain. He grabbed the knife in his mouth and ran off around the corner behind the red stallion. A popping noise was heard just before the red pony rounded the corner as well, but was met with nothing.

“Quick son of a bitch, isn’t he,” he wondered out loud to nopony in particular. He turned around started back to the mare.

“Hey, hey, it’s alright now, he’s gone now. It’s okay, you can get up,” the red stallion said. She had stopped crying since the fighting started, but she was still scared. Any sane pony would be. She got up on all fours. She looked at him and he instantly recognized that face.

“Wait a minute, you’re Twilight Sparkle, aren’t you! The one that invented the steam engine!” the red pony said to her. “That’s what the wings on my back use! That’s so cool, I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you!”

“Uh-huh, uh, ya, that’s me,” she said, nodding. “Those wings on your back, are you a Pegesus who lost his wings or an Earth pony?”

“I’m an Earth pony. I saw some pictures in the paper taken by a Pegesus when the first camera was invented, and since then I’ve wanted to fly. When I moved out, I opened up a little workshop on the other side of Ponyville. I just make some small gadgets and stuff, repair some things that need repairing. It’s nothing compared to what you’ve accomplished, Miss Sparkle. It’s such a pleasure to meet you, although I would have preferred...better circumstances,” the red pony commented with a big grin. He was meeting one of the most influential ponies in Equestria, not to mention the mare who made his entire dream come true. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't be rambling right now."

“No no, it's alright. You’ve saved my life, there’s no way I can thank you enough for that. And those wings are amazing, by the way, I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“Well, I don’t mean to brag, but that was pretty awesome what I did back there. And thank you very much, Miss Sparkle. I worked very, very hard for months to make these.”

“I know the feeling, I was studying, researching, and making blueprints for years before I finally managed to make the steam engine work.”

“Yeah, and thank Celestia for that. Your work changed the world.”

“Thank you, uh...”

“Oh, how rude of me, I never introduced myself. It’s Brass Cloud, Miss Twilight,” he said.

This is definitely going on the front page of Equestria Daily, he thought.

“Well, thank you very much, Brass Cloud. And please, just call me Twilight. You saved my life, after all.”

“It was nothing, I was just clearing the clouds above my house so I could stargaze when I heard you scream, that’s all. It could have been anypony else, really.”

Twilight’s ears perked up when he mentioned stargazing. As far as she knew, nopony else in Ponyville enjoyed looking at the stars.

“Oooh, you like stargazing? What kind of telescope do you have? Do you have a favorite star?” she asked quickly, suddenly interested.

“Oh, nothing like that, I don’t even own a telescope. I just look at the stars occasionally, it’s really peaceful, you know? And if I bring a candle out with me, it really helps me concentrate if I’m reading a book, too.”

Her ears perked up again, this time at the mention of books.

“You like reading too? What’s your favorite book? Mine’s the Mareian Webster’s Dictionary,” she said, again a little too enthusiastically.

He eyed her curiously, and then chuckled. “Your favorite book is the dictionary? Really?

“Of course it is!”

He laughed again. “Uh, okay...anyways, I read fiction mostly. My favorite book is...uh...”

“Is what?”

“Oh, um...nothing. It’s not important,” Brass Cloud answered nervously.

“Come on, tell me!”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Alright, it’s uh...um...My Little Human: Chaos is Magic,” he said, with a sigh of defeat added at the end.

“Isn’t that series for little fillys?” she asked. This time it was her eying him curiously.

“Hey, your favorite book is the dictionary, and there’s like, five million other stallions and colts who read it too. It’s one of the best children’s book ever written, and the author specifically said that she intended it to be enjoyed by every age group, so parents could read it to their kids and not cringe at how bad it was and stuff, not to mention-” he was cut off by Twilight giggling and waving a hoof.

“Okay okay, enough with the rant. I guess both our favorite books are a bit embarrassing.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hey, look, we’re here.” Brass said as they arrived at the front door of the library.

“Yeah, I guess we are. Listen, I can’t thank you enough for what you did tonight. I could have easily been killed by that pony, and-”

“I know, I know, I heard it the first time,” he said with a wave of his hoof. “And be safe, lock the doors and windows, something seems like he didn’t choose you at random, Twilight.”

“I know, I will. And if he does get in, I have a Steamdragon in my house, he’ll protect me if anything happens,” she said, although anyone could easily tell she was still nervous.

“Twilight, I can see you shaking. Nopony can just nearly get murdered and shake it off fifteen minutes later and fall asleep. Is there anything I can do?” he asked. He wanted to protect the inventor of the machine that made his wing mechanism possible in the first place, of course, but there was something else, like he just had to protect her, no matter what. And he couldn’t deny that Twilight was a very good looking mare. He would hate for that to go to waste.

Celestia, what am I thinking? That’s terrible to even think that!

“Well, I guess you could...um...stay here. It would probably help me feel safer if you were somewhere in the house with me,” Twilight answered with a slight blush on her the cheeks.

Well, this certainly isn't helping at all.

“Brass? Hello?” He realized she was waving one of her hooves in front of his face. “Are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, ya, just fine.”

“So, um...are you going to, uh, come in?” He noticed she had also opened the door and was standing just inside.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I’ll be right in.”

Oh Goddesses, this is going to be so awkward. I bet in less than ten minutes flat I’ll want to just sink into the ground and die, that always happens when I’m near a mare.

“You’ll be sleeping on the couch over there, I guess-” she was interupted by the sound of metal hitting the wood floor. A small metal dragon thumped into the room and looked Brass Cloud right in the eye.

“Intruder detected. Leave the premises now or you will be exterminated,” it said in a robotic voice that sounded like some sort of mix between a pony and robot that was constantly yelling.

“Calm down Spike, he’s a friend. He’s not going to hurt anypony,” Twilight said calmy, while gesturing with her hoof at it, like it was a child.

“Request accepted. Intruder will not be exterminated.”

“Does it always have to use 'exterminated' like that?”

“I’m not sure, it just does that. I think it’s funny, like if it’s helping me in the bathroom it says ‘It is time to exfoliate’ and such. I think it’s just programmed into the gem or something. I never bothered checking.”

“Uh-huh. So, I’ll be sleeping on the couch, then?”

“Yes, unless there’s...nevermind,” Twilight said, a blush yet again on her cheeks.

“You know, you’re kinda cute when you blush,” Brass Cloud said with a slight smile,

before it quickly faded into an expression of horror when his brain processed what he just said.

Did I really just say that? Oh Celestia, please, tell me I did not just say that...

“Oh, haha, um...” Twilight blushed much, much harder at those words. “Um...thanks, I uh...boy, am I tired, I’m going to go bed now bye!” she said quickly, zooming past Brass and up the staircase to her bedroom at speeds that would rival Rainbow Dash.

“Well...tomorrow is certainly going to be very, very awkward,” he said as he started to the couch. As he lay down, he looked back at the Twilight’s steam dragon. It was staring at him with unwavering glass eyes.

“Dude, that’s creepy,” he muttered quietly as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 2: I've Got You Under My Skin

The smell of something burning drifted over the nose of a certain pony sleeping happily on the couch in a certain tree house library in a certain town called Ponyville.

“Baby, I think you’re burning the pancakes,” he mumbled, before shifting slightly in his sleep, sending him tumbling over the side of the couch. “WaaaAAA!” Brass shouted, flailing his arms wildly. His brain seemed to think he was falling out of an airship, despite it being a couch a foot or two off the ground. His eyes opened with a start when his head hit the floor, and he recalled the events of last night.

Right...saved Twilight, slept on her couch. Wait, what's that smell? he thought to himself as he slowly turned his head to the source of the smell.

What met his gaze was certainly not burning pancakes, although there may have been a recipe book or two there. Instead, he was met with a burning library, walls of books set aflame by green fire.

“Oh shit. Twilight? TWILIGHT?” he shouted, running upstairs into her bedroom and stopping right beside her bad. Thankfully, she was sleeping soundly; Before she was violently shaken awake, snapping her out of her peaceful dreamland, that is.

“Twilight, you have to wake up! The library is burning!” he said to her. Her eyes instantly went wide.

“Wha-wha? The library is...what?” Twilight asked, still sleepy. Brass Cloud pointed a hoof towards the smoke curling up into her bedroom. Her eyes widened, before they rolled up and she fell down, unconscious.

“No! No! Don’t faint! Not now! Come on, we have to get out of here!” he yelled, frantically looking back at the one exit of her bedroom. Sure enough, the green flames were advancing up the staircase at an alarming rate. The steamdragon, Spike, whirred to life in a frenzy of mechanical noises, before being consumed by the fire.

“Exterminate fire...” were the last words heard before the metal began to bubble and melt onto the library floor.

Think, Brass, think! Come on! Exit...window! Yes! The window!

“Come on Twilight, we have to break the window-” he said, looking back at where she should be, before realizing she was still on the floor, eyes still open in shock. Brass groaned. “Oooh, come on, you have to make this hard for me, don’t you?” he said, grabbing her by her front legs, and extended his wings, smashing the bedside window in the process.

“Alright, what was that song? Oh, right, hop, skip, and jump!” he exclaimed before he jumped out of the window, the very end of his tail turning black as the fire consumed the entirety of her beloved library. He glided gently down to the grass, taking in the fresh air before he set her down on the grass as well. Ponies in yellow and red fire-resistant suits were lined up in front of fire carriages, blasting the library with a huge stream of cold water from hoses. Brass Cloud sat there, next to the still-sleeping Twilight, watching as the fire slowly died down from the constant torrent of water mercilessly beating down on it. As the fire subsided, Twilight began to rise from fear-induced sleep, before turning her gaze to the charred carcass of a library they had left behind.

“Huh? Is that...is that my library?” she frantically shouted, pacing everywhere. She looked like she was about to faint again, before she was stopped by a red hoof.

“Twilight, please, calm down. Last time you did that, you fainted, okay? I had to fly you out of your bedroom,” he said, placing a hoof on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“But-but...my library, all my books, everything I ever worked on...” she said before beginning to sob uncontrollably. She buried her face in her hooves as tears flowed down her face and wet the grass beneath her.

Brass Cloud didn’t feel the same she did. Of course, it was terrible that her library was gone. He loved reading as much as the next colt, but he didn’t have the attachment Twilight did to her books. Although, it was her house. Scanning the horizon, he noticed another plume of smoke rising from across town.

“Hey, Twilight, there’s another fire over there. I’m gonna go check it out,” he said to her. He stood up and extended his wings.

“O-okay, I’m going to stay here,” she answered quietly, still crying.

“Alright, I understand. I’ll be right back,” he said as he jumped into air with a strong push of his brass wings. The direction he was going worried him. The smoke was coming from awfully close to his workshop-house. As he reached the other side of Ponyville, he was struck with horror. It was his workshop. It was burning, just like the library.

Well, at least the stuff in there is mostly metal, it shouldn’t burn too fast-

No. It hit like a brick. No, not even a brick, a brick building. No, not that. Every brick in Equestria doubled, and smashed into him. The realization caused his wings to shut and fold into his sides, sending him into a freefall. He quickly caught his balance and brought his wings out, and he touched his hooves to the ground. A single tear formed and rolled down his cheek. He remembered Twilight’s steamdragon. It melted like an ice cube in a fire after only a couple of seconds. This strange green fire was stronger than anything he’d ever seen.

No! I have to save my things! Twilight’s books may be gone, but I can still save my work!

Without thinking, he dashed into the burning workshop. Almost instantly, he was having second and third thoughts. The heat was so intense he felt like he was taking a bath in a pool of lava. The sweat was appearing on his skin and nearly instantly evaporating. Suddenly, an orange aura surrounded his body as the flames tried to consume him. Normally it would have confused him, but he was too distracted to care. Whatever it was, it was keeping him alive, even if just barely. He took a couple steps forward, before collapsing onto the ground. His back was burning, and he could feel his wings slowly melting and the scalding hot, molten brass and running down his coat. He screamed out in agony. Outside, the sound of sirens wailed through the daylight. Four or five fire carriages pulled into the front of the house, and fire ponies poured out. In ten seconds flat they had their fire hoses hooked up and were spraying down the house. Brass was dragging his burning body back towards the front door. His vision was blurring, and he was beginning to lose consciousness. A sudden jolt of pain went through his back again, this time a cold, icy pain coming from his wing mechanism. Brass Cloud’s eyes glowed white for a brief second before he blacked out from pain on the workshop floor. The last thing he saw was a red and yellow clad fire pony sprinting up to him and grabbing him by his shoulders.

****

Back at the library, Twilight had stopped crying. She was still sad, of course, but the library was gone. Her books, her friendship reports, all her work...

Oh Celestia! My basement! The chemicals, they-

Her thoughts never finished. A huge explosion shook the entire town as the library erupted into another column of smoke. Wood, metal, glass, and other things rained down from the sky. A large branch nearly struck Twilight in the back, missing her by a foot or two. She yelped and dove away as more debris rained down from the sky. She was met with the most unpleasant thing she had ever seen. The upper half of a fire pony laid in front of her, his lower half, hind legs and all, somewhere else. That didn’t matter. She took one look at the mangled, charred body and let the contents of her stomach fly free from her body. Twilight fainted a second time, as sirens once again wailed through the air.

****

“Nurse Redheart, how are they doing?” a calm, regal voice asked.

“Twilight is fine, Princess. She wasn’t damaged very badly, just a concussion from being hit by some very small debris,” the white pony answered back. “The other one, however...it’s strange, Princess.”

“How so, Nurse?”

“Well...see for yourself,” Nurse Redheart answered, took a scalpel into her hoof. She cut Brass’ right side in a long, 5-inch cut.

“Nurse Redheart, what are you doing?”

“Shhh, just watch.”

“I do not think you should cutting up the-” she was cut off as the wound began to glow, and mended itself back together. “-patients...Nurse...is that what I think it is?”

“Yes Princess, we think so.”

The Princess gasped, a shocked expression on her face.

“Magic...”

Chapter 3: Come Fly With Me

Brass Cloud’s red hoof tapped on the door to the factory. The sign above read “Sweet Apple Factories”. He had bought their cider before, and he had some barrels of it in the basement of his workshop.

Huh, I wonder if the basement burned too. It doesn’t really matter, the only thing down there was barrels of cider and some extra scrap metal I never used.

He glanced over at Twilight when no answer came from behind the door. She only shrugged. She hadn’t talked much since her library burned down. He knocked again. The sound of hoofsteps came from behind the door, and it opened slightly. An orange Earth pony poked her head outside, took a look at Brass, and pushed up her goggles.

“Sorry sugarcube, but the factory isn’t offering tours and it ain’t hiring. If you want-” she stopped and she looked over at Twilight, who still seemed to be looking at nothing in particular.

“Twilight! It’s so good to see you! I heard about the library, I’m so sorry that happened. How are you holding up?” she said enthusiastically. Twilight finally looked at her, a smile creeping up on her face.

“Applejack! It’s great to see you too! It’s really been too long since we’ve done anything together! How are you?” she said, avoiding the question about her library and herself.

“Oh, I’m just fine sugarcube. Who’s your friend?” Applejack asked, looking over at Brass Cloud.

“That’s Brass Cloud, he’s a...friend of mine. He helped me one night when I ran into some, uh, trouble.”

Applejack looked at her, slightly curious. “What kind of ‘trouble’?”

“Oh, you know, just some young kids out at night.”

“...Well, if you say so, sugarcube. Anyhoof, it’s a right pleasure to meet you, Mister Cloud.”

“And its a pleasure to meet you, Miss Applejack. I love your cider, by the way.”

“Well thank you Sugarcube. So, can I help you two?” At these words, Twilight’s mood dropped slightly as she remembered why they were here.

“Well, Miss Applejack, we needed a place to stay. Both our houses were burned down in those fires,” Brass said, taking over for Twilight, seeing as she probably didn’t want to talk about it.

“Well that’s a darn shame. Did he get your house too, Brass?”

“Ya, I guess he did,” Brass said sadly, his mood deflating as well. He enjoyed talking about his life and his passion literally being burned to the ground by a madpony as much as Twilight did.

Applejack shook her head. “I’m rightly sorry about what happened to your house, both of ya. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to. We have a guest bedroom in the house, but...well, it only has one bed.”

Brass and Twilight both looked at eachother, a blush barely visible on both their cheeks. “Is there, uh...somewhere else we could stay?”

“Well, nopony’s using the old barn, but-” Both of them took a quick glance at each other, nodded, and turned back to Applejack.

“We’ll take the barn,” they said, this time in perfect unison.

****

It was the first time Brass had gotten real sleep since he saved Twilight. He’d been woken up from the smoke at the library, and the next time he fell asleep after that, it was inside a raging inferno taking down everything he’s worked for. Even though it was a crude bed made of hay, it was real sleep, and he wasn’t complaining. However, Celestia had different plans for him, for the sun shone through some cracks in the old barn’s roof, with an accurate shot right on his eyes. He groaned and turned over, but the sun was relentless. After a long struggle with the morning, Brass finally accepted the sun’s cruel plans for him and opened his eyes. On a separate pile of hay, Twilight still slept. The sun apparently liked her better, since no light shone onto her eyes, the only rays striking her tail and hooves.

“For billions of miles away, you sure have a good shot, Mr. Sun,” he groaned as he left the barn and proceeded to walk towards the Apple family’s house. Applejack had told them to come there for breakfast when they woke up. A Celestial Air Force zeppelin buzzed over Ponyville. Brass took the time to admire it. Since he was young colt, he’d always wanted to own one of the smaller, private airships, and though his brass wings made the point of owning one redundant, nothing could beat the seemingly magical feeling of flying, sitting in the cockpit, hull behind you and huge balloon above you, soaring through the air. As he finished his admiration of the huge ship, he reached the door of the house. He knocked, and it opened, Applejack sticking her head out again.

“Well hey there, sugarcube, come right on in. Everypony else just finished breakfast, so you can sit anywhere you like,” she said kindly, opening the door more to let him in.

“Thank you, Applejack. It means alot that you’re letting us stay here, until we get back on our hooves,” Brass said with a smile, trotting over to the huge table. He placed some apple pancakes on his plate, and began eating breakfast. He soon finished with a big grin on his face. “Oh Celestia, those pancakes were amazing,” Brass said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

“Eeyup, they sure are! Secret family recipe! Passed down through the generations since Granny Smith was a little filly! They pass through you right quick, though,” she said with a small chuckle. Brass soon realized that wasn’t a lie. She was the Element of Honesty, after all.

“Uh...where’s the bathroom?”

“Upstairs and straight down the hallway,” She said, giggling to herself. As he disappeared upstairs, the door creaked open and a very sleepy looking Twilight walked in.

“Good mornin’, sugarcube, did you sleep well?”

“Ya, I guess,” Twilight said, yawning right after. “Do you have any coffee?”

“Sure do, in the kitchen, help yourself,” Applejack responded, giggling again. Twilight was never one for waking up early, choosing instead to cram as much study time into her day as she could. Twilight emerged from the kitchen and sat down at the table, setting her coffee mug down on the table and taking a bite out of her apple. A couple of knocks came from the front door, Applejack rising in response. More knocks sounded.

“I’m coming, I’m coming, hold your-” her eyes widened when she saw who was at the door. Two royal guards stood in front of the door, a small, white and gold airship sitting behind them, just in front of the apple orchard. “H-hello officers, how may I be of service?” she said, obviously surprised at the sudden presence of the highest level of the law standing at her doorstep.

“We require Miss Twilight Sparkle and a Mr. Brass Cloud. We received news that they are staying in this establishment, and we wish to speak with both of them immediately,” one of the guards said.

“Uh, I, uh...Twilight, y’all should come here, I reckon.”

“Who is it, Apple-oh!” Twilight said as she trotted up to the door, looking at the two royal guards.

“Miss Sparkle, please retrieve your friend Brass Cloud and bring him outside immediately. We wish to speak with you two,” the same guard said.

“I heard my name?” Brass said, coming down from the stairs. “Oh...”

“Brass Cloud and Twilight Sparkle, please come outside with us immediately, we require an audience with you both.”

They walked outside, and Applejack closed the door behind them.

“Princess Celestia wishes to speak with both of in Canterlot immediately. She has arranged for air transport directly to the castle. We will be departing in fifteen minutes.”

“What?” Brass’ jaw was making an amazing effort to reach the ground without snapping, but it was fruitless. Twilight, however, had a much different reaction.

“Oh my gosh, I haven’t seen the Princess since I moved to Ponyville! Oh, I can’t wait!” She was jumping like Pinkie Pie during a party.

“We could actually leave right now, officers,” Brass said, remembering they both basically had nothing to bring.

“Very well, then. The airship will be ready to depart in five minutes,” the other guard said, turning around and entering the royal airship parked on the factory lawn. Twilight turned and trotted back into the house.

“Applejack? We have to go to Canterlot. I’m not sure when we’ll be back, but thank you so much for letting us stay here, even if it was just the barn.”

“Well have fun, sugarcube. And don’t mention it, really. I may not be Rarity, but I can still be generous.” They hugged, as Brass walked up behind them.

“Sorry to ruin the moment, but they’re ready to leave, Twilight,” he said. He didn’t have a real reason to be in a hurry, but he’d never ridden in an airship before, and with his love of the skies, he was dying with anticipation.

“Alright then, well, bye Applejack!” Twilight waved, before she finally left the house and started trotting over to the airship. A door on the side slid open, and Brass Cloud and Twilight stepped inside.

“The trip will take a while, so you can sleep on those cots if you want to,” the captain said from his seat in the front of the ship.

“Do you have any books?” they both asked at the same time, sharing a quizzical glance at each other, then back to the captain.

“Well, I’ve got Daring Do and the Sky Pirate’s Treasure, or The Guide to Equestrian Flying Machines. Take your pick,” he said, gesturing to two books laying on a small table near the beds. Brass Cloud grabbed Daring Do, while Twilight took the The Guide to Equestrian Flying Machines. They laid down on the two beds and began reading.

****

Time was passing slowly for the airship, but for the two ponies on the beds, it seemed to pass by in an instant. Twilight had quickly finished her book, and Brass lost interest in a book he felt like he read a thousand times over.

“I’m gonna head up onto the deck,” Brass said, rising from the bed and walking up the staircase. He sat there for a while, taking in the sights. He’d flown high before, but an airship could easily fly higher than a pony with fake wings could. The sight was incredible. He could see everything, from the badlands south of the Everfree to the cold mountains of North Equestria. He particularly liked snowy peaks, something about the white snow flowing down the mountain peak made him feel at peace, like staring at the night sky. He wondered what combining the two would be like. His thoughts were interrupted when he heard somepony coming up the staircase. He turned his head to see Twilight’s head rising from below, a scarf wrapped around her neck.

“Oh, hey, I figured you fell asleep, I was coming to check on you,” she said with a smile.

“Oh, hi Twilight. I was just, uh, enjoying the view,” Brass said. He could never talk to girls, and it was hard to talk to anypony about his love for beautiful views. His mind kept telling him it was embarrassing.

“Ya, its really pretty up here, isn’t it,” she responded, sitting down near Brass Cloud. She could see everything up here, from Canterlot to Appleloosa. The view was...calming. She let her shoulders drop and took in a deep breath of the high altitude air. The sun began to set, making the airborne, moving vista that much more beautiful. She found herself smiling at the view in front of her, forgetting the library and her near-death encounter two days earlier.

Brass Cloud couldn’t believe the picture painted in front of him. He forgot everything from earlier, the library, his workshop, every one of his problems was wiped away as the airship moved through the dusk sky, a quiet whirring coming from the engine in the back of the ship. He heard shuffling next to him, and his eyes wandered from the incredible view in front of him to the mare next to him.

Twilight was subconsciously moving herself closer to Brass Cloud. Beautiful views can do that to a pony. Or was it...something else? She didn’t care, really. She put her head on his shoulders, and closed her eyes, still smiling. Before long, she had fallen asleep, still smiling, the cold breeze making her scarf flap in the wind.

Brass Cloud couldn’t help himself. A grin appeared on his face, and he put his head over Twilight’s. He closed his eyes and he, too was off to sleep.

I am so buying an airship when I get back.

****

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed the latest addition to the story! Tell me what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to tell your friends (or else)!

And I’d like to take this page space to thank the one, the only *drum roll* Vynce for helping me out so much with the whole story. Hats off to you, sir, and may you lead a good life.

Chapter 4: Revelations

“Hey, wake up, lovebirds,” the captain of the airship shouted as he tossed a bucket of cold water over the sleeping ponies.

“Gah! Huh-wha?” Brass gasped, unable to find the correct words as he woke with a start, opening his eyes and hitting his head on the deck of ship. He looked over at Twilight, also surprised at the sudden cold suddenly drenching her purple coat.

“Wait...” he said, his memory starting to come back. “Were we...?”

Twilight thought for a second, blushing, before she answered, “Um...no, no we weren’t.”

“But I just woke up and-”

“And if we did happen to end up sleeping on each other, we wouldn’t talk about it, right?”

“Huh? Oh! Oh, ya, we wouldn’t. At all. Ever. Gotcha.”

The two guards from before trotted up behind the now soaked ponies. “We were ordered to escort both of you to the castle grounds immediately,” the grey one ordered in the monotonous voice that almost every guard seemed to use. “Please, follow us,” they said, trotting off the airship.

****

“Princess, I have received word that the two ponies you requested an audience with have arrived at the Canterlot Airfield,” a guard poking his head into the Princess’ chambers said.

“Very well. Please have a room be prepared for them, they will be staying overnight,” Celestia told the guard.

“Which room, your highness?”

“Any guest room that has only one bed and no couch,” she said, a small grin rising on her face.

****

The grey guard placed a hoof against one of the guest bedroom doors, opening it and allowing the two ponies behind him to look inside.

“The Princess has requested you stay overnight. This will be your room,” the guard said in that same monotonous voice.

“But...it only has one bed?” Brass asked, feeling even more nervous about staying in Canterlot.

“Special orders from the Princess herself,” responded the guard.

Did the Princess actually order them to make us sleep in one bed? Seriously? Brass thought as a certain white alicorn trotted up behind them.

“Hello, my little ponies,” she said in her calm, regal tone. Twilight turned around, a happy smile on her face.

“Princess Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed, hugging her teacher.

“My faithful student, it’s so good to see you,” Celestia said, returning the gesture.

Brass Cloud, however, lowered his head to floor, eyes wide, as he bowed as hard as possible to the Princess. “H-hello, your highness, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Ah, Brass Cloud. Please rise. I am happy that you could make it here today, we have very important matters to discuss.”

“We do?” he asked, confused as to why the Princess would want to talk to him, of all ponies.

“Yes, both of you. We can catch up later, Twilight, but for now, I think we should take this conversation inside your bedroom,” the alicorn said, turning and walking into the guest chambers.

“Is something wrong, Princess?” Twilight asked. She had figured that the princess just wanted to talk to Twilight, although it would explain why she had her bring Brass along.

“Well...yes, Twilight, something is wrong. I have no doubt you remember the night you were attacked, and the following morning both you and Brass’ houses were burned down. As soon as I heard, I had some of our best detectives put on the case. It was simply too much to be a coincidence, obviously. And what we came up with is very bad news, I’m afraid,” the princess said, dropping her previous demeanor and using a more official one. “Twilight, to put it simply, you are in very, very grave danger.”

“What?” Twilight gasped, her pupils growing to the size of saucers. Brass’ eyes widened as well.

“Yes, Twilight. Before I explain, you need to know that I’m sending you and Brass away from Equestria for the time being until we catch the pony responsible.”

“But why, Princess? Why would he do all this?” she said, mouth agape.

“I’ll explain that very soon. But tomorrow, I’m sending both of you two Ancholtage, in the north. Hopefully you two will be safe there, and as soon as we catch him, you will be returned to Equestria. I hope you two understand. You can refuse, of course, but I assure you Twilight, and you Brass Cloud, that it would be in your best interest to leave as soon as possible.”

Twilight and Brass looked at each other, silently debating their options, before they both turned their gaze back to the Princess.

“Alright, we’ll go,” Brass said before looking back at Twilight for confirmation. She nodded.

“Very good. Now, as to why you’re leaving. You both remember the pony that attacked Twilight, correct?”

“Yes, he had a cloak on though, so we couldn’t see who he was,” Brass said, recalling his brief fight with the mysterious stallion.

“The Royal Guard did some digging, and found some information about him, based on an eyewitness report from the morning your houses burned down. The owner of a local bakery claimed that he saw a brown pony running from your library, Twilight, before he noticed that there was smoke rising through some of the windows. He was also the one to call the Ponyville Fire Department. Anyways, the stallion said he also thought he saw what looked like some sort of what he described as a ‘jagged horn’ coming out of his head. We quickly found the pony that best fits that description. His name is Coal, and he worked in a coal mine until a couple years ago, when a cave in caused some mining equipment to explode, which embedded a gem in his skull. He hasn’t been seen since. He apparently went insane, locking himself inside his house months at a time. We think, in his fragile mental state, that he blames you, Twilight, for getting the gem embedded in his skull, which is why he’s after you,” Celestia explained, pausing so they could take in the information.

“I...guess that makes sense,” Twilight said as she brought her hoof to her chin in thought.

“So we’re being stalked by an insane pony who wants to murder us?” Brass asked.

“It seems so, yes,” the princess said, concluding her discussion on Coal. “However, there is one more thing. Twilight, could you step out for a moment? I need to talk to Brass Cloud in private, please.”

“Uh...alright, Princess,” Twilight answered. She turned around and trotted outside the door, turning around one last time. “I’ll be right out here,” she said before finally closing the door.

“So, uh, what is it you wanted to talk to me about, P-princess?” Brass asked, still nervous in the presence of the princess, moreso now that Twilight was gone.

“It’s about your wings, Mr. Cloud. I’m sure you’re aware that they were burned to your skin during the fire, correct?” Celestia asked.

“Of course, Princess. The doctors told me before I left the hospital.”

“However, there is one thing that you don’t know about the gem, Brass Cloud. That gem inside your wing mechanism was fused into your skin as well. It takes a lot for that to happen, Brass. Extremely strong fire, or massive force, can cause a gem to...incorporate itself into the body of a pony. Depending on where the gem was fused, it can have different effects.”

“It...it does? What effect did mine have?”

“Well, Brass Cloud, there’s good news about that, and bad news. You may choose which one to hear first.”

“Good news, please.”

“The good news is that since the gem was burned into your midsection, most wounds inflicted on your body will be healed instantly. Any lost limbs, however, will stay lost.”

“I’m sorry if this seems rude, but how could there be bad news from that? I’m practically immortal, aren’t I?”

“Yes, Brass, almost any unnatural wounds will be gone in under a minute.”

“So...what’s the bad news?” he asked, anticipating her answer.

“The bad news is...” She paused, taking in a breath before continuing. “You see, Brass, normal ponies’ bodies such as yours or Twilight’s are not made for magical use. Eventually, your body will become weak. Your organs will begin to fail, until, eventually, you will die. I take no joy in telling you this, Brass Cloud, but your body will shut down at a far younger age than any normal pony.”

“Wha-what? H-how long do I have?” Brass Cloud asked, now extremely worried.

“About two years,” Celestia responded solemnly.

At these words, Brass dropped to the floor. He stood there, mouth open, staring at the wall, mind racing.

Two years...only two. But...no, there has to be a way.

“Princess, isn’t there a way to remove the gem? Can’t you use your magic ability to take it out or something?” he asked desperately.

“I’m sorry, Brass. We’ve done tests, and any force strong enough to break the gem or remove would certainly cause fatal damage to your body. And as I said before, your body is not made for magic. If I removed it, the magic will still disrupt your body and would instantly shut your vital organs down.”

He stared off again, although this time his mind had stopped thinking. Inside his head, Celestia’s words echoed.

About two years...shut your vital organs down...fatal damage...you will die...

He began to cry, tears rolling down his red coat and dripping onto the carpeted floor of the bedroom.

“I understand if you wish to have some time to yourself, Brass Cloud. I will leave you alone for a few hours. Please, get some rest, I know it must be hard for you,” Celestia said as she turned and trotted away, leaving Brass to his own devices in the guest bedroom. She shut the door behind her, giving one last glance to Brass Cloud.

“Where’s Brass?” Twilight asked the Princess as she left the room.

“He needs some rest. Come, Twilight, we have much to catch up on.”

Chapter 5: The Librarian Dances

The red stallion shifted, slowly awakening from his peaceful slumber on the most comfortable bed he had ever slept on. He felt something caught in his forelegs, but thought nothing of it, enjoying how nice it felt. He smiled and inhaled, smelling lavender where the object was.

Wait, this isn’t right...

Brass’ eyes slowly opened, revealing a still-sleeping purple form resting in his arms. His eyes opened completely in shock, almost throwing her off the bed, before remembering that she was still sleeping.

Slow and steady, slow and steady...

He gently untangled himself from her, before getting off the bed and looking at the night stand that stood off to the side. On it laid a small pamphlet, discussing how to order food through the pneumatic tube on the wall. He placed a simple order for scrambled eggs and toast, since he couldn’t pronounce much else on the menu, and shot the paper down the tube into the kitchen. Twilight groaned, rising off the bed and sleepily looking over at Brass.

“Good morning, Brass. That bed is amazing to sleep on, but I feel like something’s been...hugging me all night,” she said, wiping her hooves against her eyes.

“Huh, I don’t feel that,” he said, trying to act innocent.

“You stayed on your side of the bed like we agreed, right?” Twilight asked suspiciously

Brass blushed slightly, before answering, “Of course I did. And I don’t move around in my sleep much.”

“...Hm. Alright, then. What did you get for breakfast?”

“Well, half the menu was written in Fancy, so I just got scrambled eggs and toast.”

“You don’t mind if I order something else for myself, do you?”

“Not at all. I’m going to go take a shower, actually.”

“Okay then,” Twilight said as Brass trotted away into the bathroom. It was almost time to leave for Ancholtage.

****

“So...this is it,” Brass said, looking up at the massive zeppelin docked before them, metal ramp leading up to the door. “When do you think we’ll be back?”

“Princess Celestia said when they contain Coal,” Twilight answered, although they both already knew that.

“Ya, but how long do you think that’ll be?”

“I...I don’t know, really. It could take any amount of time.”

“Last call for boarding! Last call for boarding!” shouted a white pony with a top hat and curly mustache. Twilight and Brass hurried up the ramp along with some other late ponies, before the door slid shut and was sealed tight.

“Wow...” Brass said, looking around the massive lounge, “This place is...huge.”

“You’re acting like a foal in a candy store, Brass,” Twilight giggled.

“Well you can’t blame me, I mean look at this place!” he said, gesturing with his hoof. The interior was lively, ponies of both races milling about, smoking cigars in the lounge, eating in the restaurant, or listening to the band playing in the ballroom. Some of the higher class ponies shot looks at Brass and Twilight’s lack of formal attire, although most paid no attention to them. The white mustached pony approached them.

“Mr. Cloud and Ms. Sparkle?” he asked.

“Yes, that’s us,” Twilight responded.

“I’ve been asked to show you too to your room. If you would follow me this way, please,” he said, holding his hoof away from the more lively areas of the ship, instead pointing towards the hallway leading to the many rooms that adorned the hallway.

****

“We made sure to have your room as clean and comfortable as possible,” the steward said, opening the door to their room. Inside lay a lavishly decorated room. A couch, desk, and lamp lay at the right side of the room, with the bed and bathroom on the opposite wall. Directly across from the door was a large window, looking over the airfield. The speakers in the hallway crackled, before a voice filled the airship.

“This is your captain speaking. We will be departing in five minutes. We will arrive in Ancholtage in about a week and a half, so please, enjoy the trip,” he announced, the speakers relaying static for a moment before falling silent again.

“Excuse me, I must return to the lounge,” the steward said. He turned and walked away, leaving the two ponies together.

“This room is...amazing! Look at it! It’s so nice! And the view, too! This is going to be the best!” Brass exclaimed happily, again throwing up a hoof in excitement.

“Ya, but-” Twilight started to say, but was cut off by Brass’ excited rambling.

“The pattern on that couch is amazing.”

“Brass, listen-” she said, irritated after being cut off again.

“Look at how clean the window-”

“BRASS!” she shouted, finally losing her temper. He yelped at her sudden outburst, turning his head wide-eyed towards her.

“Geez, Twilight, what’s wrong?”

“There’s only one bed,” she said pointing her hoof towards the large bed near the window.

****

It was the third day of their trip, and Twilight and Brass were sitting in the restaurant, dining on the fine food that came with having the trip arranged by the Princess.

“I cannot get enough of this amazing food! I haven’t dined like this in years!” Brass said, his mouth full of salad.

“I noticed, Brass. And so has everyone else. No offense, but you’ve been eating like a pig since we got here,” Twilight commented with an annoyed expression.

“Is it really that bad?” he asked, putting down his fork in embarrassment.

“Well...yes.”

“Oh, okay. I was full anyways,” he muttered, embarrassed that everyone had apparently seen his less-than-civilised eating. He looked behind him, glancing into the ballroom. There was a band playing a slow song on the stage, with a pair of ponies in the middle of the room dancing together.

“Hey, Twilight, I’m going to go check out the ballroom,” Brass said. He got up from the chair and trotted through the double doors, standing in the crowd of ponies watching the two ponies dance together. He watched them for a while, taking in how they moved, how their hooves gently glided over the floor. As the song ended, the two ponies stood there, locked in embrace, a warm smile painted across both their faces. Brass smiled as well. The way they danced was, to Brass, beautiful. He stood there, watching the ponies dance, his smile growing every time a couple would finish dancing.

****

Brass had been going to the ballroom every day for the past three days now. He would sit there, smiling as the ponies danced, one by one finishing with the music and trotting back off to join the crowd. Today was different, however.

“I’m heading back out, I’ll see ‘ya later Twilight,” Brass said, about to walk out the door.

“Oh, I’m going with you,” Twilight stated, trotting up next to him and opening the door.

“What? Why?” he quickly asked.

“I want to see what you find so interesting about the ballroom.”

“Do you really have to come?”

“Do you not want me to come?”

“Well...no, but-”

“Okay, then let’s get going,” Twilight said, closing the door behind Brass and trotting out to the ballroom.

Dammit, this is going to be embarrassing.

****

They had been in the ballroom for nearly half an hour now, watching ponies dance. Twilight hadn’t said anything yet, and Brass was having trouble not smiling like he usually did. Eventually, he began smiling, despite his best efforts. Twilight still hadn’t said anything, and was still looking at the ponies dancing. She still didn’t know why he was so captivated by it. She felt something slowly grab her hoof, and looked down to see a red hoof wrapped around hers. And then she saw it. Watching the ponies dance made her suddenly smile, feeling something in her heart she couldn’t exactly explain. The ponies finished, and she looked over at Brass, smiling. He looked over at her, returning the smile, before he pulled over into the middle of the ballroom. She yelped, not knowing what was happening for a second, before Brass placed his hooves over her shoulders.

“Just follow what the ponies were doing before,” he whispered to her. Twilight tried her best, but being antisocial for the majority of her life had taken its toll on her dancing skills.

“Brass, what are you doing?” she asked him as quietly as possible while still maintaining the urgent tone.

“I’m dancing with you,” he said back.

“I know, but why?”

“Why not?” he answered, the same smile he wore when he watched the other ponies dance appearing on his face. “Are you not enjoying it?”

“Well, no, but-”

“Then just follow what I do,” he told her, before continuing the dance.

They stood on their hind legs, hooves draped over one another’s shoulders, looking into each other’s violet and orange eyes. Twilight misplaced a hoof, stumbling to the side slightly.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t, well...danced with anypony before,” she said, blushing madly.

“You’re acting like I’ve done it before,” Brass responded, simply enjoying the moment. He laid his head on her shoulder, moving his hoof lower and guiding her with it. She did the same, although there was no need to guide him. They danced together for one song. And another song. And another. The rest of the ponies watched the two, some smiling, some watching with a blank expression.

“Brass, this is really embarrassing with all these ponies watching,” she whispered to him, her face still red.

“Do you know them?” he asked calmly, still smiling.

“No.”

“So why do you care?”

“...Alright,” she simply said, and put her head back into its normal position. She was enjoying this, even with all the ponies staring at them for so long. She was no pro, and she hadn’t been studying the dancing for three days like Brass had, making her dancing awkward. It reminded her of her birthday party in Canterlot. It was a complete disaster.

As they continued to dance on and on, eventually the ponies dissipated, leaving only one or two more ponies watching, along with the band, who somehow still had new songs to play, all fitting the dance. Finally, after what was seemingly days, they stopped. Despite both being worn from the dancing, they were still energetic enough to be happy. They left the ballroom along with the other ponies, the band’s slow music hauntingly filling the now-empty airship. As they walked to their room, they were practically pressed together, both still smiling the entire time. When they reached the bedroom, Brass began to curl up in his spot on the couch, trying to get comfortable before Twilight stopped him.

"Maybe... you don't have to sleep on the couch tonight," she said, her face red with embarrassment.

"Excuse me?" Brass said, almost teasingly. Twilight took a nervous step back, looking at the floor.

"Well, it's just cold is all. I don't need you getting sick, you can sleep in the bed this time," she said, still red in the cheeks.

“Well, alright then,” he said, climbing into bed, fatigued from the constant dancing. “‘Night, Twilight.”

“Goodnight.”

And at that, Brass got the best sleep he possible could. And he needed it. Because tomorrow, he was going to tell her.

Chapter 6: Arrival

There were three more days until they arrived in Ancholtage, and the dancing made them sleep for so long it was already afternoon by the time Brass started to wake up. He moved his hoof through Twilight’s mane, last night coming back to him. He smiled and slowly opened his eyes. He thought of all the fun they were going to have, airship or otherwise.

And then he remembered. He remembered everything he’d forgotten last night. His smile turned into a mixture of horror and sadness, remembering Celestia’s words.

“I take no joy in telling you this, Brass Cloud, but your body will shut down at a far younger age than a normal pony’s.”

“About two years.”

As her words made their way to his eyes, he got up from bed, still frowning, and ordered breakfast. Scrambled eggs and toast, as always. He started making coffee when he heard shuffling near the window. He looked over to the bed to see Twilight sleepily untangling herself from the covers.

“Good morning,” he said flatly.

“Good morning to you, too,” Twilight greeted.

Neither said anything until Brass’ breakfast arrived. He put it down on the nightstand and stood there, looking at it, pondering what he was going to say to her.

“So...I had fun last night,” she said calmly, hugging him over his back.

“That’s good,” he simply responded, grabbing the cup of coffee he had prepared earlier.

“Does this mean we’re, uh...you know?” Twilight asked awkwardly, twiddling her hooves together.

“Yup, I guess it does.”

“You seem down. Is there something wrong?” Her eyes widened as she tried to figure out what was troubling him. “Oh no! Was it me? Did I say something? Was it because I didn’t dance well enough last night?” she asked hurriedly.

“No, not at all, Twilight. It’s just...” He sighed, dreading the news. “Twilight, I...I...” He couldn’t finish the sentence without a lump forming in his throat, not allowing it to end. He didn’t want to say it. He didn’t even want to believe it. But it was true, and she had to know.

“What is it?” she asked as her mind still wandered over the possibilities of what might have gone wrong, none making any real sense.

He inhaled deeply. The more he thought about it, the more his eyes watered. He didn’t want to leave, not yet.

“...I...I’m going to die.”

She looked at him with a confused expression on her face. “What? What do you mean?”

He sighed again. “Twilight, I mean the gem in my body is killing me slowly.”

Twilight’s eyes flew wide open, her pupils as big as dinner plates. “I don’t understand.”

“You remember when the Princess asked to speak with me privately?”

“Um...yeah. Why?”

“Well, she told me things. Some good things, like the gem will automatically heal minor wounds in less than a minute. Then there came the...less good things.”

“What did she say?”

Brass explained what Princess Celestia told him. He told her how gems can give ponies magic abilities, and he told her how those abilities work. He also told her that ever since his gem fused with his midsection, it’s been slowly killing him. He left the “two years” part out, wanting to see if she wanted to know or not. He was on the verge of crying now, biting his lip and holding back the inevitable. Twilight’s eyes showed a solemn expression, her eyes watering as well.

“How long do you have?” Twilight managed to choke out, before falling silent again, awaiting his answer.

“About...” There it was, that lump in his throat again. “...Two years,” he managed to finish before his eyes finally gave in. Twilight’s brain took a second to process the information, before she fell onto her hooves, tears slowly streaming down her purple muzzle before tapping gently on the wooden floor. They lay there for a while, crying, and making small pools on the floor. Twilight finally stood onto her legs, and began walking to Brass, who was still on the floor, looking down. He glanced at her as she walked over to him, before she pulled him up and into a warm embrace. Twilight and Brass stood, hugging and crying at the same time, before getting back on all fours and wiping her eyes.

She placed a hoof on his shoulder, lifting her head up with a tiny smile forming on her face. “Well...” Twilight began to say, “Two years is a long time, right?”

He moved his head up, a smile on his face as well. “Yeah...yeah, it is,” Brass said. He placed his hoof on Twilight’s shoulder as she dropped hers. “Thanks, Twilight.” He pulled her into a hug, a few lingering tears dripping down onto her coat. He sniffled, before saying, “You know...half the day is gone, and we have a whole airship’s worth of things to do.” His smile grew slightly larger as he backed out of the hug, looking at Twilight.

“Ballroom?” she asked.

“Ballroom.”

****

The airship descended slowly above the city, making its way slowly but surely to the airfield at the foot of the mountains behind it. As it hovered over the flat cement, ponies on the ground began to tether the behemoth to two large poles on either end, securing it in place to prevent it from floating away. The ramp slid out and down, and ponies of all races came pouring out in a wave of color, among it a pair of purple and red, bunched together tightly. The crowd dispersed off the ramp, allowing them more freedom. Brass looked at the buildings of Ancholtage, taking in the sight. It looked nothing like Ponyville. The buildings were much taller and mostly made of brick. The city was also much larger, home to almost two-hundred-thousand ponies, as opposed to Ponyville’s one thousand. The airfield was located some distance from the city, so they had to take a train to get there. As they walked to the platform, a train pulled up, steam billowing out from the smokestack on the very front of the engine. Twilight got in first, Brass following behind. They sat down, and the train lurched forward, before picking up speed and rolling its way towards the city.

The train screeched to a halt at a passenger platform inside the city. Twilight and Brass exited the car, looking around.

“Uh, where are we supposed to go?” Brass asked, never given any instructions on where they were staying.

“The Princess gave me this scroll before she left,” Twilight told him, pulling a piece of paper out from her violet saddlebags. “It has the address of a building we’re staying at. Do you have a map?”

“Ya, right here.” He pulled out a piece of paper tucked between his wings, unraveling it to reveal a map of the city.

“Hmmm...” Twilight said, looking back and forth between the piece of paper she held in one hoof and the map Brass held open. “It should be about right...here,” she said, pointing to a small building not too far from the station. They began walking.

“We really need to stop dancing,” Brass commented as they turned a corner.

“I know, my legs feel like Jell-O,” Twilight responded, looking down at her purple hooves. They rounded a corner, ending up at a small strip mall with five or six different stores lined up. “There,” Twilight said, pointing a hoof at the laundromat that sat next to a coffee shop.

“The...laundromat? We’re staying at a laundromat?” Brass asked, staring disbelievingly at the storefront that stood before him.

“Wait, maybe not. Maybe it’s like...uh, a secret house? Celestia did say she sent us her to protect us...and she did write this one word under the address.”

“What did she write?”

“Well, she wrote ‘quack’.”

“Quack.”

“Yes, quack, like a duck.”

“What are we supposed to do with the word ‘quack’?”

“Maybe...I don’t know, let’s just go inside,” she said. Twilight opened the door, walking inside. Brass followed her, still confused as to the whole ordeal.

“May I help you?” an old pony asked from behind the counter as she placed a couple bits into the register.

“Hi, we’re-” Brass started before being cut off by Twilight putting a hoof over his chest. “What are you doing?” he whispered over to her.

“Let me handle this,” she answered in a hushed tone. She took a nervous breath, her face blank despite the nervousness that she felt, hoping she wasn't about to make a fool of herself.

“Quack.”

“Sorry, everpony, store’s closing! Get your things and get out!” the old mare behind the counter shouted, waving her hooves towards the door. A myriad of groans erupted from the ponies washing their clothes, some still wet. After they had all left, some turning around and shooting a mean look at the owner, she pressed a button under the counter, a stack of washing machines next to the counter sliding away to reveal a passage down into the basement.

“Hi, my name is Agatha,” she said, raising a hoof with the confidence and vigor of much younger pony. Brass stared at it, eyes wide, before he shook his head. “I, uh, sorry. My name is um...Brass Cloud, Miss Agatha,” he said, still confused at what was happening. When she shook his hand, he tried not to scream in pain as she gripped his hoof with what felt like the strength of a manticore.

“Ah, yes, the Princess told me all about you two,” she said calmly, releasing Brass from her death grip. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle,” Agatha said, extending her hoof to Twilight, shaking it much more gently.

“Likewise, Agatha. We’re, uh, staying...here?” she questioned, looking at the staircase.

“Yes, you’ll be staying in the basement. Follow me.” Agatha started towards the passage. Brass and Twilight followed suit, both with their own thoughts running through their heads.

Great, I bet it’s full of rats and cobwebs. It probably leaks, too.

Hmmm, I wonder what’s down there...maybe books!

The three ponies reached the bottom of the staircase, and both Brass and Twilight were surprised at what they saw. The basement was decorated with top-of-the-line furniture one would expect to see at the finest hotels in Canterlot, not the basement of a laundromat in the Frozen North.

“The Princess didn’t know how long you two would be staying, so she made sure to make it fit for for a pony to stay at least a month or two. You don’t even need to use the laundromat upstairs, and there’s a pneumatic tube to the cafe next door for food. All free, of course, and paid for by the Princess,” Agatha told them, smiling sweetly.

“This is...” Brass was at a loss for words. He was expecting, well, what a pony would expect out of a strip mall basement, not what he saw in front of him. Back in Ponyville, he just slept on a normal bed, in a normal bedroom, in a normal house. Now, in the past weeks, he’s gone from borrowing a pile of hay to sleep in, to sleeping in some of the nicest rooms known in Equestria. He couldn’t believe his luck as he stared at the room before him.

“Thank you so much, Miss Agatha,” Twilight said, looking over and smiling at the old mare standing next to her.

“Anything for a friend of Celestia’s, dear.”

“Oh, you know her?”

“I guess you could say that,” Agatha responded with a sly grin on her face.

“Who is this mare?” Brass whispered over to Twilight, giving Agatha a quizzical look. Twilight chuckled, and Agatha turned around and began heading up the stairs.

“I’ll let you two get more...acquainted with the room, then,” she said, winking at Brass before her head disappeared above the ceiling, leaving them alone in the basement.

“What did she mean by ‘acquainted’?” Twilight asked while looking at Brass with a confused expression. Brass simply pressed his lips together tightly and began to blush, barely visible against his red coat. “Oh,” was the only answer Twilight could muster before she started blushing as well. There was an awkward silence until Brass spoke up.

“It’s getting kinda late, should I order food?” he asked, noticing it was about time for the sun to be setting.

“Um, yeah, sure, what do they have?” Twilight asked, walking over next to Brass, who had relocated himself over to a menu that was sitting on a desk.

“Well, they’ve got the usual stuff for a cafe, sandwiches, soup, that kind of stuff.” Brass moved his hoof over the menu, showing her the choices. They contemplated their choices before finally deciding on a simple daisy sandwich. To their surprise, a couple of minutes later it dropped down near the pneumatic tube like a vending machine. They sat down at a small, round table situated in the back of the basement and began to enjoy their first meal in Ancholtage, despite the strange circumstances.

“This sandwich is pretty good for something that just dropped out of a metal tube,” Brass commented as he studied the meal in front of him

“It tastes almost exactly like the ones they sell at this restaurant back in Ponyville,” Twilight said, reminiscing about her time in the small country town. Soon, they had both finished their dinner, and retreated to the bed.

“Oh Celestia this bed is comfortable,” Brass said after he lazily climbed onto the bed and sprawled all four legs outwards. Twilight’s response was to groan as her body sank slowly into the mattress, making her feel as if she was sleeping on a cloud, a pleasure only pegasi had. They both revelled in the comfortable bed, their aching legs soaking up most of the pleasure. It was not too much later that they had both drifted off into a deep sleep, beginning their stay in Ancholtage.

****

Hi there, everyone! I hope you enjoyed Chapter 6 of Metal & Magic! Anyways, I’d like to take this time to thank you guys for reading this story, and thank you even more if you follow the story. It means alot to me! Also, make to sure leave your thoughts in the comments, good or bad. Every bit helps!