Chapter Twenty-two: While the Draconequus is Away, the Ponies Will Play
Ace and Twilight has just finished pushing the cart through the hillside entrance, the doors closing behind them as they stopped to rest. “Are we really going to push this cart all the way back to Ponyville, by hoof, in silence?” Twilight asked as they came to a stop to take a short break.
Ace sat down with a sheepish smile to the mare as he replied. “Well… Not in silence, at least?” Ace shrugged as Twilight’s eyes went wide as her jaw slackened. She stared in disbelief before collapsing to the ground in a heap. “Oh, wait, did you say Ponyville? I meant Hoofsdale,” he said, covering his mouth with a hoof as he laughed.
Twilight glared at the trickster pony from her vantage point upon the ground before she sighed. Twilight felt Ace’s magic flowing around and through her body as she was revitalized. She opened her eyes to the black glow that surrounded her, Ace casting an invigoration spell over her to recoup her strength.
Twilight sighed at the gentle push to continue working, pressing her hooves against the cart. While the cart was large and made of a sturdy metal, the stones within were relatively light, but what really made the task easier was the rubber wheels, rather than the wooden or metal ones that were more common. “So, why are we taking them to Hoofsdale instead of Ponyville?” Twilight asked as they pushed their load around the hill.
“I have a friend who owes me a few favors, and he happens to be the owner of the local Hot Air Balloon station,” Ace stifled a laugh as best as he could without the use of his hooves. “I think you’d like him, given the chance.” Twilight was unsure of what Ace found so funny about the statement, but decided to ignore it for the time being.
The two pushed in silence for a time, until they made it into the town. They stopped next to a fountain, sitting on a bench as they relaxed and watched the other ponies. A few of them seemed to know Ace, waving and smiling at him as he returned the gesture. A couple of the ponies offered to help, but Ace politely declined, saying that he didn’t want to owe anypony any favors when the two of them could do it just as easily as three ponies. “Besides, my friend like to be a bit… Secretive. I’m sure you’ll understand why.”
Despite her efforts, Twilight was unable to get more than a laugh and a “You’ll see,” from him. Twilight only sighed as she resigned herself to the fact Ace would not be forthcoming with information this day, and went back to work pushing the cart with him.
After another half hour of pushing, they made it to the base of another hill. Twilight heaved a heavy sigh at the thought of pushing the cart up the hill, until she saw Ace getting a big goofy smile again as he ran up the hill. A questioning look on her face, she followed after him, realizing he was headed towards the building at the top of the hill. “Cloud Striker? Are you home, my friend?”
Twilight neared the crest of the hill, and she noticed a number of hot air balloon pads beyond, a number of them holding down a balloon. A short, dark-blue maned Pegasus with a softer baby blue coat poked his head from the top section of the two-part doorway. At first he appeared somewhat grouchy, until he saw Ace coming up the hill and he threw open the gate with a smile. “Ace, friend! Have come much sooner than Cloud Striker expect!”
Ace laughed as the pair raised their hooves into the air before smacking them together. “Cloud Striker thought was going to race next month, but Cloud Striker always ready for challenge!” Cloud Striker put on a triumphant pose as though he had already won. He then looked at Twilight for a moment before pointing at the mare. “There, Unicorn mare, balloon shop close for race. Come back tomorrow if pleases you.” Ace batted the stallion playfully on the chin. “What? Is true, yes?”
Ace shook his head, his goofy grin still marring his features. Twilight came alongside him just in time for Ace to drape a hoof over her and point at her with the other. “Twilight Sparkle is with me, yes? But I didn’t came for a race Striker. I need to call in a favor; I need some product moved to Ponyville. Are the brothers up for some work?”
Striker’s eyes went wide before he took Twilight’s hoof in both of his, shaking it violently enough to remind her she spent the last few hours pushing a cart. “Is very nice meet Twilight Sparkle. Cloud Striker always friend of Ace friend!” Striker relinquished the hoof as he looked at Ace, then back down at the cart. “What is weight of shipment? Cloud Striker have two balloons offer for favor, but spare no more.”
Ace looked over his shoulder as he still hung over top of Twilight. “I’d say about forty pounds a box, four boxes in total. With two balloons that’d be about eighty pounds per balloon.” Ace looked back to the Pegasus, though his thoughts spread into Twilight’s mind as he spoke only to her. ”Gaze upon him with your magic, my dear student. I have a lesson for you today.”
Twilight nodded her head subtly, her expression attempting to change to confusion and wonder, but she kept a straight face as Ace climbed down off of her. Twilight lit her magical senses, being careful to use only the right amount of power so that her horn didn’t give her away. When her magic flowed over the pony, she realized that he wasn’t actually a Pegasus… he was a changeling! Her face turned to shock as she turned to her mentor. ”Ace! He’s a changeling! We need to get away from him!”
Ace nodded with a smile as he spoke to his friend. “That’s right, tomorrow morning. Have the shipment delivered to Rarity of the Carousel Boutique.” Ace looked back to Twilight as he spoke to her through their telecommunication magic as Striker wrote something on a notepad. ”I know my friend’s race, Twilight. Why, precisely, should I be concerned that he is different from other ponies? Al Bhed is a different race of pony, yet I am with you.”
Twilight shook her head as she matched his gaze. ”You don’t understand; the changelings follow Queen Chrysalis, and they cannot think for themselves. He is a danger to everypony here!” Ace only sighed, wrapping a hoof around his friend as he led them back into the house. When they passed the doorway, Ace shut both of them and closed the curtains. Striker raised an eyebrow at the gesture, but didn’t openly question it.
Ace nodded with a goofy smile again, though it was more sheepish now. “Let’s extend the favor a bit, my friend. My student would like to meet you. It’d help me explain a lesson to her, and I’m sure you wouldn’t mind showing off your magic for a moment,” Ace said as his horn lit up, spreading an aura around the walls and windows that Twilight could only imagine were some sort of ward or barrier for added safety.
Striker shook his head with a smile as he laid the notepad on a table within the small home. “Ace always play fun games, Cloud Striker like,” he said before he shook his coat like a dog drying off after splashing in a puddle. As he did so, the room lit up brighter in a green glow, his coat turning into a dull carapace, black on the body but blue in the shell over his back. His hooves developed holes, as did his wings as the feathers turned into an insect’s webby membrane. Upon his head formed a small, curved horn, while his mane and tail receded and gave way to frills that resembled the fins of a fish.
Striker’s eyes turned a solid, soft shade of blue that matched his previous coat as he spread his wings and arced his back. Twilight could only stare as she watched the transformation happen before her eyes, her mouth agape as she felt her hooves tremble lightly after the last time she had seen a changeling. She looked to Ace, but he only smiled and sat down as he motioned towards the being before them, telling her to pay attention.
Cloud Striker nodded enthusiastically as he gazed at the mare. “Yes, is true. Cloud Striker is changeling and Ace friend. Cloud Striker removed from Changeling hive as thinker. Cloud Striker have thoughts, have wants and feelings. Cloud Striker learn own magic!” he turned on the lights with his magic, brightening the room that was darkened from closing the curtains. “Because Cloud Striker different, Cloud Striker taken out of Queen Nightshade hive mind. Because this, Cloud Striker no longer have home or friend. Then Cloud Striker meet Ace pony friend! Ace friend help Striker make business!”
Ace nodded to Twilight, filling in the holes the changeling left in his story. “Because he developed self-consciously, he was excommunicated from the hive. After the initial wave of loneliness and self-doubt, he started to wander until I found him in the plains near my spell shop.” Ace looked over the changeling with a smile. “Thanks to him, Hoofsdale finally started to grow. Until he came, it was just my spell shop and a few ponies who lived nearby because they needed my magic regularly. Once Cloud Striker started his balloon business, we became a transit hub for earth ponies and Unicorns.”
Striker nodded enthusiastically as he leaned towards the pair. “Ace friend teach Cloud Striker how be pony! Ace friend teach magic to make balloon! Business go very good, Cloud Striker taking ponies many place for pony money!” The excited insect-pony bounced, his wings fluttering as he thought about flying. “Cloud Striker fly and push balloon, make go very fast. After time, more pony come, want work with Cloud Striker! Cloud Striker make more balloon; make more business!”
Ace nodded as he motioned for Striker to calm down a little. “Striker’s business became well known as one of the fastest travel stations in Equestria. Eventually, more business came to the town, which brought more ponies to set up shop here.” Ace pulled out an old map of the area from a nearby cabinet and set it in the floor, pointing to an area to the Southwest of Ponyville, where Hoofsdale was on newer maps. “Essentially, the more ideal location for such a large transit hub would be Ponyville or Canterlot, but the price for construction in Canterlot was too high, and Ponyville was still developing as well.”
Twilight was beginning to understand how the two had met, and was learning that stereotyping after meeting only a single group was wrong of her. However, there was still one thing she felt was overlooked. “I understand that Ace taught you how to make the balloons in the beginning when you were working alone, but how did you use magic to make the other balloons for the other Pegasi? Wouldn’t ponies ask questions if they saw a Pegasi using spells to make the balloons?”
Cloud Striker nodded as Ace smiled. Cloud Striker’s form started to shift once more, this time turning back into a pony, with a silver mane and tail that complimented a light red coat. The insect wings disappeared to become the lustrous coat, though the horn grew and straightened into a normal Unicorn horn. “Silver Striker says greetings! Silver Striker is Cloud Striker out-town brother. Striker brothers don’t stay much, but work together needed!”
Twilight’s mouth hung open loosely before she shook her head, unsure of why she found a changeling changing to be startling. Ace laughed slightly at the sight. “For a while, there were a number of ponies who were suspicious of why the two were never seen together, so I had a friend in Appleloosa send a couple of letters each week. The next time Striker needed a balloon, I had one flown in from there as well. After that, ponies just accepted that the odd pair really were just unusual siblings.” Twilight nodded at the odd plan, which reeked of Ace’s usual antics.
Striker cycled from Silver, to changeling, then back to Cloud Striker as he spoke. “Ace friend, is good see again, but much work need done. Lesson over, yes?” Ace nodded with a smile as he opened the curtains and retrieved his magic from around the building. “Cloud Striker send best ponies with product Ponyville, no charge for Ace friend! Ace still race next month, yes?” Ace nodded, a slightly competitive look crossing his features before the two laughed as Twilight and Ace left the building. As they left, they could hear Striker ordering some of the ponies to load up the balloons.
Ace and Twilight walked for a time through the town, Ace smiling and waving at the ponies who seemed to know him. “So what’s next? How are we going to know where Discord will appear?” Ace mimicked the gesture of tipping his hat to somepony who did so before he found a place and sat in the middle of the road just long enough to place a hoof to his chin before shrugging.
“To be quite honest Twilight, I have not even a clue.” Twilight eyed him as though he had just said ponies didn’t need oxygen to live. “All I can do is guess, and if guessing is how you want to go about this, I’d say the odds are fifty-fifty between Canterlot and Ponyville.”
Twilight shook her head, but didn’t have any better options to offer. Discord did seem to have an affinity for Ponyville, his last two recurrences featuring the small town as the center of his reign. On the other hoof, the princesses would have the best hope to stop him, and a surprise attack would be his best bet to eliminate or disorient the sisters. On top of that, Canterlot was the capital of Equestria, and should it fall, the rest of the nation would soon follow.
“I guess that waiting for Discord to make the first move really is our only option…” Twilight sat beside Ace, the other ponies granting them a small berth as they walked around them in the road. “What are we going to do in the meantime, exactly? Walk around town?” Ace thought for a moment again, before nodding repeatedly with a silly smile.
Twilight sighed at the antics of her mentor. Ace cocked his head to a side at the gesture. “Well, there are other options…” Twilight fixed him with a glare that begged ‘Like what?’ which only made Ace smile a goofy grin again as his horn began to glow. “Such as this!” the magic of his horn spread around the pair, and when it faded, Twilight was someplace else, once again pulled along by Ace’s teleportation spell.
“You know, we really need to talk about your love for teleporting… me… for no…” Twilight’s words faded to silence as she gazed around the room she had been brought to against her will. The floor appeared to be made of a cold stone, and the ceiling was painted with a mural that featured Princess Luna and Celestia. However, it was the books all around the room that begged Twilight’s attention.
Twilight headed straight for the books as Ace stifled a laugh, his young student glancing over the spines of the numerous volumes. Many of the tomes had no name upon their spine, while others were in different languages. “Ah, welcome home, young master. Will you be staying for long?” asked a rather polite voice from a nearby doorway.
Twilight turned to look at the source of the voice and saw a light gray Pegasus who had silver hair and red eyes. “Greetings, Proper. Yes, I had planned on staying the night, though my student Twilight Sparkle may wish to leave before long,” Ace said before covering yet another laugh as he spoke. “If she doesn’t find the library first, that is.”
The young Pegasus stallion stepped forward to take Twilight’s hoof with a bow. “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Sparkle. My name is Proper Attitude,” he said as he came out of the bow. “Though you may call me Proper. I attend to the young master’s home when he is away.” Twilight nodded to the Pegasus, who nodded in turn before he turned towards the doorway with a hoof to his mouth; “Hey Rose, the young master is staying the night! Make us some grub!” he called through the house with a rather loud yell.
Ace stifled another laugh before proceeding through the large doors as Twilight cringed at the sudden, unexpected noise. Not long after he had disappeared into the next room, a voice called back, sounding as though she must have been on the other side of the house. “As if, Attitude! You just want me to make your dinner again and you know it!”
Proper Attitude just shook his head with a smile that resembled Ace’s, then leaned over with a short ‘Watch this,’ as he motioned with a hoof to the door. Not long after he had said that, the same voice let loose a wild scream before another Pegasus came running, the scream coming with her, and hid behind the stallion. Proper laughed as the mare hid behind him, glaring at him as he laughed.
Ace came back through the door laughing hysterically, his glasses floating beside him as his Al Bhed eye watched the three of them. “Young Master Ace, you know your father would not appreciate such behavior in his home!” Twilight arched an eyebrow at the unusual statement before she realized that must be the story he told them to cover his age.
Ace and Proper Attitude smacked their hooves over the poor, terrified mare. “Twilight, this is Proper’s sister, Primrose. Prim and Proper take care of the trivial chores around the house for me, such as restocking the food, and dusting,” the pair nodded at the explanation.
Now straightening up to greet the guest, Twilight could see Primrose’s light yellow coat, as well as her red mane and silver eyes that were the inverse of her brother’s. Twilight started to look between the two as they stood next to each other. Primrose bowed, taking Twilight’s hoof as she introduced herself. “Primrose, Proper Attitude’s twin sister. I handle the cooking and cleaning around the house.”
Twilight wanted to know how deep the twins’ relationship with Ace was, not wanting to say too much without meaning to. “So, Prim and Proper, was it?” the pair nodded with a smile. “You two must know a lot about Ace, having spent so much time by his side.” Twilight made sure to watch both the twins and Ace as she spoke, as Ace would likely motion if they were mistaken or not, as their backs were turned to him.
Prim was the first to speak, Proper laughing a bit too much to speak coherently. “Oh, yes, of course. We know all of the young master’s secrets,” she said with a smile as Ace held his hooves in an ‘X’ formation. “You must know a lot about him as well, if he’s not embarrassed to show you his heterochromatic eye.” Prim looked back at Ace, who only smiled and nodded.
Proper, on the otherhoof, used the opportunity to actually share a bit about Ace. “Don’t forget about his hour long showers, or his little love-crush with Princess Luna!” Proper laughed hysterically as Ace just shrugged with a smile. “His bedroom, the kitchen, the ballroom doors, even the library are all devoted to her.” Ace nodded as he agreed with the enthused pony. “So, are you his marefriend or something?”
Twilight could feel the heat gathering in her face, but she fought back the blush as she shook her head, having to mentally remind herself not to shake her head too swiftly, or she’d seem suspicious. “Oh, no. Ace and I are student and mentor,” she started, but realized that wasn’t really true either. “Well, I guess we’re more than that, we’re-“
Ace rolled his eyes as he interjected, apparently bored with her beating around the bush as he finished for her. “She’s my wife, and that’s the truth.” Twilight’s jaw dropped, her cheeks finally winning the battle and turning pink. Proper started to laugh, but then he saw the necklace draped around her neck. Prim and Proper both looked at the necklace, then to Ace and saw he wasn’t wearing it, then looked back to it around Twilight’s neck.
The twins’ eyes went wide as their mouths turned into large, open smiles as they both shouted their congratulations. Twilight started to protest, but Ace came and draped a hoof over her shoulders before she could. “Could you two go get dinner started? My wife and I want to spend some time upstairs. Alone.” Prim blushed deeply as she nodded while Proper just laughed, the two of them flying through the house.
Twilight looked around the room one last time before Ace dropped his hoof from her back and started motioning for her to follow him through to the next room. When Twilight entered the foyer, she looked around at the mere size of the elegant room. The floor was graced with a red plush carpet with a gold trim along its edges. Overhead was a large crystal chandelier, ahead of them were two wings of staircases that ascended ten meters up to what seemed like the third floor, as the first floor led to large double doors, which had just closed behind Prim and Proper.
They started up the stairs, Ace whispering under his breath into Twilight’s ear as they went. “I want you in my bedroom, my dear wife, but I don’t think we’re going to make it all way there without you losing control of yourself.” Twilight’s face and ears burned as they flushed at the intimation. “I don’t think you’ll make all the way through the next room.” Twilight attempted to glare at Ace, but her increased heart rate and flushed features may have given mixed signals as he smiled softly at her.
With his eyes still locked on hers, he pushed one of the large double doors open with a hoof, and when Twilight finally managed to look away, her mouth dropped as she gasped, her flush fading. She ran into the beautiful room presented before her as she spun all around to take it all in.
On the ceiling was a mural of Equestria, ruled in halves by the princesses. On the floor was a dark indigo colored carpet that was soft on the hooves. All around her were enough books to open a new wing of the Canterlot Royal Archives. Twilight looked at the nearest shelf and saw three books glowing in different variations. Ace laughed as Twilight pulled them off the shelves.
“Take care, my student. Many of these books house powerful spells. Don’t attempt to practice any unusual spells without me now, you understand?” Twilight nodded absentmindedly as she opened the books. One looked as though it described various potions, while the other two were written in different languages, one of them appearing to be Al Bhed. Twilight replaced the other two books back on the shelves before laying the Al Bhed book on a nearby reading table.
Ace started to look worried for a moment, but Twilight was too absorbed in the books to fully notice. “Twilight, you don’t want to read that book. Put it back.” Twilight nodded, but didn’t fully hear or heed his words as her eyes closed and she opened her magical senses, preparing her Sense of Tongues so she could read the tome. Twilight started to read the book, her face paling before Ace managed to run up and close the book with a hoof. Twilight turned away from the table and held a hoof to her mouth as she dry-heaved, the other hoof wrapping around her stomach as she succumbed to a wave of nausea.
Ace sighed and rubbed her back, his hoof glowing slightly in a spell to comfort her. “That… That spell… That whole book… I-it was…” Ace only nodded as he made a shushing noise, rubbing her back softly for a couple of minutes until Twilight’s stomach had settled.
Once Twilight felt better, Ace levitated the book away, replacing it on the shelves. He pulled her close to him as he explained a very important lesson. “Twilight, I’m afraid… Not all magic is meant to be used for a noble purpose. The spell you saw… The whole book you had wanted to read… It’s a tome filled with some of the most potent Blood Magic I know.” Twilight lurched forward, nearly dry heaving again at the reminder of the few brief images that passed in her mind as she read that spell. “I think it’s best we leave the library for now, and pretend you never saw that book, okay?”
Twilight only managed to nod softly as she held her stomach. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up before dinner is ready,” he said as he helped her to her hooves, leading her through the next set of doors. When Twilight managed to look up again, she saw she was in Ace’s bedroom. The color came back to her face, then turned a shade of pink. Ace didn’t seem to notice or mind, however, as he led her to the door beyond and ushered her into the room.
The master bathroom was simple compared to the rest of the house, having all the porcelain amenities any other bathroom would have. The curtain was a see-through plastic veil only meant to keep the water to one side, the knobs for the water being in the form of the sun for hot, and the moon for cool. Ace reached into the cabinet to lay out a towel for her and helped her into the tub.
Twilight stood for a moment as she bent her head forward in a sigh, grateful for all of the extra space as the shower looked as though it could accommodate two or even three ponies. Then she heard Ace climbing in behind her and her face flushed all over again. “Wha- what are you-“ she managed before the refreshingly cool water cascaded over both of their bodies. The cool water eased her nerves a bit, as well as combating the warmth gathering in her face.
“It’s only awkward if you think of it the wrong way, Twilight,” he said from behind her as he applied an amount of soap to his hooves. “I care about you, Twilight, and I worry about your health as well.” Twilight started to protest, but before the words could leave her lips, she felt his hooves press against her back as he massaged the soap into her coat. The firm pressure against her sore back and shoulders after pushing a cart all day felt like magic, though she knew it wasn’t.
Any protest she had begun instantly melted, along with the sore tenseness in her back, her body loosening and relaxing at his touch. 'What does all of this mean?' she thought to herself, fighting to keep her thoughts orderly. 'Ace is socially inept, but surely he must realize how… intimate all of this is.'
Ace’s hooves worked up to and in front her neck, taking on a gentler touch but still firm enough to be thorough and relaxing. Twilight’s attention was momentarily drawn to the necklace he had loaned her, the sapphire glowing more brightly than before as the soap and water ran over it. 'He trusts me with something so sentimental as his dead wife’s betrothal necklace…' Twilight shook her head to herself slightly as Ace was washing her mane. 'How does he really feel about me? I… I really need to know…'
Twilight waited for the soap and water to fall across her features before she dared attempt to open her mouth to speak. Once it had, her voice quavered as she spoke. “Ace,” she said using the ‘Ah-chay’ pronunciation, “what am I to you really?” Ace’s hooves stopped on her back as he leaned his head over her shoulder.
The heat of Twilight’s blush ran all the way up to her ears again, despite the cool water. “I- I mean… The way you act, you would think we… We really were married, and…” Ace just watched her, wanting her to finish her thought without his intervention, looking as though he was as shy about the topic as she was. “And, at other times, it feels like… We’re just teacher and student…”
Twilight turned to face the stallion, making him lean back to a sitting position, though the distance between them was negligible at best, their gazes locking as their muzzles were only centimeters apart. “Ace, I really want to know… How do you feel about me?” Twilight shifted a hoof uncomfortably as another doubt lingered in her mind. “Is it… Is it just because… I have Little Raven’s soul?”
Ace shook his head slowly at the sensitive question. “Twilight, the way I feel about you is in no way related to Little Raven. It is true that Little Raven was very dear to me, but you need to understand that the past is the past, and I do not dwell upon it.” Ace nodded subtly as he spoke. “Little Raven’s time was a long time ago, and I did love her deeply, but she led a long and happy life. That time ended, Twilight. I bear no lingering emotion for it, only happy memories.”
Twilight was relieved to know that Ace wasn’t only with her because of the origin of her birth. However, Ace hadn’t answered the most important question, and she intended to hear how he felt, or at least hear him say he didn’t want to tell her. “Ace, I…” she started, using the proper ‘Ah-chay.’ “I really need to know… How do you feel about me? Right now?”
No sooner than Twilight finished her thought, Ace closed the centimeters that separated their muzzles, his lips meeting hers as his eyes closed. Twilight’s eyes widened at the sudden contact, but after a moment they drifted closed as her lips worked against his, the heat in her face intensifying in contrast to the cool water greeting her back.
For several long moments, they worked their lips against one another’s, until Ace broke the sensual contact. When her eyes opened, she could see that Ace’s face had flooded in a color that attempted to match his left eye as well. “Th-that’s how… How I feel about you, Twilight. I know we haven’t spent much time together, but I can’t stand to be anywhere else but by your side,” he said as he brushed her mane back and out of her face. “I… I really hope… That you feel the same way, Twilight.” Twilight could only manage a nod before kissing him deeply once more, not wanting to test her voice at that moment.
The two spent the rest of their time alone slowly washing, massaging and caressing one another. As they stepped out of the shower, toweling each other off, Twilight nearly jumped when she heard Prim’s voice announce that dinner was ready, her voice coming from a small box in an upper corner of the bathroom. Ace laughed as he explained that it was a public address system that spread through the house.
Ace and Twilight made their way back through the large home, but when they reached the ballroom, Twilight was stricken with awe once more. “You’re house is… so huge! Do you throw lots of parties in here? It almost looks like you could host the Grand Galloping Gala in here!” Ace shook his head with a laugh.
“The ballroom is scarcely used, really. Pinkie Pie has seen it before,” he leaned close to her, covering one side of his mouth with a hoof as he continued, “and don’t tell Prim and Proper, but I know they threw a party or two in here as well.” The two shared a short laugh as Twilight admired the polished wood floor, as well as the three-by-three crystalline chandeliers that hung overhead.
As she did so, they lit up in a soft pink glow. Twilight looked to Ace as music started playing throughout the room. After a few moments, Twilight identified the song as Johoof Strauss II's On The Beautiful Blue River. Ace offered a hoof with a gentle smile as he asked, “May I have this dance?”
Twilight smiled shyly, but shook her head slowly. “I’m… not that great of a dancer, honestly.” Ace stifled a small laugh as he took her right hoof in his anyways, despite the excuse. He picked her up so that they both stood on two hooves, Twilight rested her left hoof over his shoulder suddenly for support. Ace wrapped his right hoof around to her back.
The two of them stood now, looking into each other’s eyes, Ace having left his glasses elsewhere. “It’s easy, let me show you,” he said as he stepped a bit to the left, bringing Twilight’s right leg to align between both of his as he held her right hoof out in his own. “Just keep pace with me as we draw a sort of square. Are you ready?” Twilight nodded nervously, having to watch her own legs rather than watching him.
Ace stepped back with his left leg as Twilight followed with her right. As soon as their hooves were firm on the ground, Ace moved his right leg to meet with his left as Twilight mirrored him again. Ace then moved his right leg a step to the right, bringing his left along after as Twilight matched the step. Ace pressed Twilight back a bit, signaling it was her turn to perform the steps, and as she did, Ace followed along seamlessly. Twilight stepped to the right, Ace taking her lead before they started to repeat the steps in time to the music.
Ace chuckled happily as Twilight finally felt confident enough to bring her eyes forward. After a few strides, Ace turned Twilight to her right as the steps repeated, allowing them to repeat the steps without running out of dance floor. It was then that Twilight realized that Prim and Proper had come into the ballroom as well, doing the same dance without Ace’s instructions. “You see, Twilight? You’re a natural on the floor; you just needed somepony to be your partner.”
Twilight blushed a bit as she nodded, the two of them continuing the waltz as the song repeated for a time, neither of them talking, only enjoying the music, as well as each other’s company.
