Metal and Magic

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.