I totally forgot to do my usual note when I post a chapter, thanking all of my readers and reviewers/commenters for taking the time to read my story. So now here I am, reposting/editing this chapter just so I had this here.

How could the Library be so lax? I apologize profusely. I blame Youtube.

Chapter 20: Delayed Flight

Ace adjusted his goggles and raised his P90 to shoulder height. After numerous firing tests with the submachine gun, he realized he liked the compact and ergonomic weapon. After the Merge, and finding that normal Equestrian weapons were highly outdated, he had jumped into weapons training almost immediately, becoming proficient in firearms in a short amount of time. He slid slowly into the arch of a doorway, making sure he couldn't be seen. As he did so, a familiar shock of rainbow colored hair passed into view. "She's gonna hate me for this," He chuckled, taking aim. With a soft depress of the trigger, the gun in his hand fired three times.

"Ow!" Came the response. "Damn it Ace!"

Ace laughed as Rainbow popped up, rubbing her shoulder with an angry look on her face. "Sorry babe, it was way too easy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hit!"

As Dash made her way to the sidelines of the airsoft grounds, he smiled to himself. He'd get a lot of talking to after the game was over, but he had noticed the smile on Dash's face while they were playing. She was enjoying herself. Unfortunately, with the sun setting, it was going to be the last match of the day. He pushed out from his spot and went hunting for the other players.

"You're really good at airsoft," Dash told him after the game, tossing him a bottle of water. He caught it neatly and sat down on the bench beside her.

"I mean, I am trained in weapon usage," He said with a chuckle. "You did well for your first time."

"Yeah, but I couldn't keep up with you." She twisted the cap off her own bottle of water and took a long, healthy swig. "But seriously, I didn't know airsoft was so active!"

"It really does get your adrenaline pumping, huh?"

"Haha! Yeah, it really does. Almost like flying, you know?"

"Yeah."

"Speaking of flying…" She grinned. "You fly really well, huh?"

"I was a Pegasus Guard," Ace said. "Excellent flight was in the job description."

"I can imagine. Guarding princess Celestia must have been a big time job."

"I mean, protecting the most powerful person in the world seemed kinda redundant to me at times…"

"Yeah, I mean, what did she need guards for anyway?"

"Well, we mainly just made sure she wasn't caught unawares. She was really powerful, but she wasn't omnipotent."

"Omni what now?"

"Omnipotent. All powerful."

"Jeez. You remind me of Egghead."

They left the airsoft facility and went outside. Ace spoke a bit with a couple of the guys outside while Dash waited on him. He came back over a minute later. "Sorry, I had to plan a few things for Flash. Who were you comparting me to again?"

"I was comparing you to Twilight. I call her Egghead."

"That's what you call Twilight? I can't believe she takes to well to that."

"I've been calling her that for so long I don't think it bothers her anymore."

Ace laughed. "That reminds me of when I used to call Flash 'Flashlight' back in basic training."

Dash almost choked on her water. "Flashlight? That's what you called him?"

"He used to hate it so much."

"I don't blame him!" Dash laughed. Then suddenly, her face took on a more mischievous grin. "So… You have any nicknames? Like, embarrassing ones."

Ace raised an eyebrow. "We actually close enough to share stuff like that?"

"We're apparently close enough to share bodily fluids."

"That's… That's something you don't come out and say out loud," Ace said, honestly embarrassed. Dash blushed a bit, showing that giving the statement was embarrassing for her too.

"Yeah, I kinda regret saying that now." She laughed slightly. She looked away from him, scratching the back of her neck.

Ace chuckled. "Hey, wanna grab something to eat?" He offered, attempting to change the subject.

Dash took another swig of her water. "Know someplace good around here?"

"There's a pizza place down the road a bit. We should be able to grab a couple slices before it gets too dark."

"Sounds cool. Let's go."

Dash went and got her bike, since it would be a bit of a walk. Ace left his car behind, since he wasn't too worried about anyone trying to steal it. They left the parking lot, quickly moving onto the sidewalk and heading down the road. The pizza place wasn't far, just like Ace had promised. "See? There it is. Rigoletto's."

"Italian?"

"According to the humans I've met, Italians make the best pizza."

"I'll be the judge of that."

They entered the pizza place. A tall, skinny brown haired man looked up from wiping down a table as they came in. "Ace!" He called out with a wide grin. "I was not expecting to see you come in with a lady."

"Yeah, whatever Ed." Ace grinned. "I'll have the usual."

"Coming right up!"

Ace led Dash over to a table near the back, pulling her chair out for her so she could sit. She whistled softly. "Aren't you just a gentleman?"

"I am a knight, after all," He said, taking his own seat.

"I see. So! You gonna answer my question?"

"What question?"

"The nickname, duh!"

"Ah… right. Well…" Ace thought for a moment. "I used to get a lot of broken bones back during basic training, so a lot of my mates started calling me…"

"What?"

"Brace Guard."

Dash stared at him. Her magenta eyes narrowed, then her lips curled into a small smile. "I-I'm guess that's cause you had to have a log of casts and stuff?"

"Yeah."

Dash couldn't hold it back any longer, and broke out into loud laughter. "That's rich!" She laughed, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, Rainbow Crash."

Dash's laughter stopped abruptly. She glared at him. "Don't call me that."

"Then don't call me Brace."

They sat there in silence for a bit before Dash spoke again. "Brace."

"Crash."

They both laughed then, and then their pizza came out. It was an extra-large cheese pizza with peppers and parmesan, and Ace licked his lips as Ed set it on the table. "Enjoy!" He said with a small flourish.

"Looks good as always, Ed. My compliments to Val."

Ed bowed slightly and went back to the kitchen. "Who's Val?" Dash asked, pulling a slice of pizza over to a separate plate. Long, gooey strands of cheese stretched from it, and steam wafted up from the heat. "Oh, goodness this looks good…"

"Val's the cook," Ace said, biting into his own piece. He let out a shaking, contented sigh. "Her pizza is heavenly."

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Dash teased.

"If I got a crush, it's on this pizza."

"I guess I gotta agree with you on that one."

They continued to eat, more conversation giving way to simple enjoyment of their food. Once they were about halfway through the huge pizza, Dash's phone began to ring, a soft orchestral piece beginning to play. Ace frowned at the sound. "Huh, never figured you for a classical sort of girl. Figured you'd be into rock or something."

"I am into rock," Dash said, flipping open her phone. She frowned down at her phone as she set down her slice of pizza. "It's Shy's ringtone. I gotta see what she wants."

"Nah, it's cool. Go ahead."

Dash hopped up from the table and went to the bathroom for privacy, answering her phone as she went. Ace went to grab another slice of pizza, but paused partway there. He sighed and sat back in his seat, eyes wandering over to the direction Dash had gone. He wouldn't say he missed her, but… He was really hoping things were changing between them. Seeing all the happy couples in his friends made him a bit jealous. Flash liked to joke that he was single because he was a skirt chaser, but he and his fellow guard knew that Ace hardly ever went after a girl he wasn't serious about.

And unfortunately, Ace was serious about Dash. She came back out, a small frown on her slightly tanned face. "Something up?" He asked.

"Shy needs me to come home and help her out with something," Dash said, brushing an errant lock of rainbow colored hair out of her face. "Sorry."

"Nah, you guys have been best friends forever, right?" Ace smiled. "It's cool."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. If you're worried about the pizza, I normally eat one this big by myself anyway."

Dash retrieved her half eaten slice. "Yeah, but this one is mine."

Ace laughed. "Yeah, yeah. You need a ride home?"

"Nah, I'll just take my bike." She smiled widely. "It's been cool, Ace. We should do this again."

Ace blinked. "O-of course!" Ace had to mask his happiness. Dash had essentially allowed him the opportunity to ask her out again. Score!

"I'll see you around, kay?"

"Yeah, see ya."

Dash grabbed her things and left, heading back to where she had hooked up her bike and took off, giving Ace one last wave as she left. Ace waved back before settling in to finish off the pizza. As lame as it was to be alone, the pizza was good enough to distract him. To be perfectly honest, Val's pizza could make a dying man forget all about his plight in life, it was honestly that good. He'd never tell the woman that to her face, though. He'd never hear the end of it. As he continued to eat, he noticed something going on outside. There were three people across the street, arguing about something. Two he didn't recognize—one man with blue and white hair and another with light silver—but the third he did. She was sitting on the ground, partially obscured by the other He'd know that violet hair anywhere. Motioning to Ed that he'd be right back, he headed outside. He'd been on the receiving end of a lot of so called 'tough guys' in training, and he could recognize a two on one anywhere.

He exited the pizza shop, running a hand through his hair as he walked over. "Hey, Scootaloo!" He called out, making his presence known.

Scootaloo looked over, a wave of relief crossing her face at seeing Ace. The two men she was facing down looked over as well, scowling at him. "Who is this?" The blue haired man snapped, scowling. Ace could have sworn he seemed familiar, but couldn't immediately place it. "Some random, scruffy peasant?"

"First off, I'm not scruffy," Ace said, defensively. "Second, what happened here?"

"They busted up my scooter!" Scootaloo said angrily. She was fighting back tears, Ace could see. That scooter was probably extremely important to her.

"That was more your fault instead of ours," The man said, scowl deepening.. "You were the one going too fast on that stupid scooter of yours."

"It's not stupid!" Scootaloo growled. "And you caused it!"

"Yeah, like anyone will believe you, stupid little girl!"

Scootaloo turned to Ace, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. "You believe me, right Ace?"

"You shouldn't mess with other people's stuff like that," Ace admonished, glancing over at the man. "So you should probably apologize."

"Apologize? Like I'd listen to what you tell me to do," The man puffed out his chest. "I am Prince Blueblood! I take no orders because I give them!"

Ace frowned. He hated dealing with people like this. Plus, this was Celestia's infamous nephew. Blueblood was as stuck up as his name implied, and never seemed to get tired of it. His eyes drifted up to the small crown Blueblood wore atop his head, and he smirked. "Well, if you don't care about someone else's things…"

"What are you—" He didn't have much time to speak before Ace nimbly picked the crown off his head and flicked it off across the street and into a faraway bush. "Ah! My crown!"

He scampered off to find it, the other man chasing after him. "That's what you get!" Scootaloo called after them.

"You're gonna regret doing that!" Blueblood said, almost screeching with rage. He and his bodyguard ran off, but Ace heard the words "No one crosses Prince Blueblood!" as he ran off.

Ace and Scootaloo stood there for a moment, watching the two bullies run off. They glanced at each other, and then broke out into laughs. "That guy must be extremely spoiled," Ace said, finally bringing his laughter down to just chuckles.

"He thinks just because he has a title and money he can do whatever he wants."

"Yeah, I figured as much. I've dealt with girls like that."

"Sounds like you have had to deal with a lot of girls huh?"

Ace grabbed her and rubbed his knuckles into her head in a playful noogie. "Dash seems to have rubbed off on you, huh?"

"Agh! Stop, stop!" Scootaloo giggled and pushed him off. "Ow, that kinda hurts."

"Sorry, I guess I'm stronger than Dash."

"You knew she did that too?"

"I guessed. She seems like the type." Ace grinned. "So what are you doing out here so late?"

"I was hanging out at Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie asked me to drop something off."

"You must be fast on that thing," Ace said, gesturing to Scootaloo's scooter.

"Yeah I…" She frowned, the smile vanishing instantly as her eyes fell on her scooter. The front wheel was bent at an awkward angle, and there was a strange bend in the handles. It wasn't going anywhere fast. She let out a deep sigh of defeat. "I was."

"What did they do to the thing…?" Ace muttered, kneeling down next to it.

"He suddenly came out into my way and I swerved and hit a bench." Ace now noticed the scratches on Scootaloo's arms and legs. She must have landed on grass or was just extremely lucky.

"Does it hurt a lot?"

"Not a whole lot. My legs are sore though." She smiled up at him. "I'm tough, no worries!"

Yeah, a lot of Dash had rubbed off on this girl, Ace thought with a chuckle. It didn't look too bad though, so he figured he'd let it go. He helped her up, and picked up her scooter. "Well, we can probably give this to Tyr. He's awesome when it comes to fixing stuff."

"You think he can fix it?"

"He'll at least try." Ace gave her a comforting smile. "He'll help. Don't worry."

"Okay…" She smiled back weakly, but again her smile vanished as she looked past him. Ace turned to find Prince Blueblood again, this time with another guard. Ace mentally kicked himself. Of course someone like Blueblood would grab his guards whenever he felt wronged. And these were men he didn't know.

"What do you want?" He asked as evenly as he could.

"Well, I believe someone of your stature would not know who I am, so let me educate you. I am Prince Blueblood, one of the few remaining Equestrian Nobility and Princess Celestia's nephew. In my frustration I neglected to inform you of who I am."

A lot of nobility seemed to act like this, and it was really frustrating. Ace wondered why more nobles couldn't act like the Princesses. Just perfect, he thought with an inward roll of his eyes. Scootaloo had hidden behind him, gripping his shirt tightly. He glanced over at Blueblood's two bodyguards. One was a muscular looking guy, more likely picked for looks than anything else. The other was a bit more average. But Ace wasn't going to start a fight here. He had Scootaloo to watch out for. "So what did you want, Prince Blueblood?" He put some emphasis on the 'Prince'.

"I want you to apologize to me."

"For?"

"For attacking me without provocation!"

Ace spared the man a disparaging glance. Of course the smug bastard thought he was doing Ace a favor. A peasant like him was supposed to hear the word Prince and immediately pay their respect in Blueblood's perfect world. But he wasn't one to simply be obedient. He had sworn loyalty to one person and one person alone. "And if I refuse?"

Blueblood seemed to be unable to grasp the concept. "Refuse? Why on earth would you refuse a generous offer like that?"

"Because that kind of generosity is worthless to me."

"W-what?" Blueblood's shock was visible. Must not have anyone tell him no often, Ace thought. "Now look here, you! If you value yours and your daughter's lives…"

The response was quick and faster than anyone could see. Ace's pistol was out and at his side, ready but not aimed. The speed of the movement proved how fast he would have been able to shoot any of them. "If you threaten my daughter again I will make sure you don't live to regret it," He said quietly. The coldness in his voice sent a shiver down Blueblood's back, and the bodyguards stood there in surprise, unable to draw their own weapons. It was standoff Ace had wanted to avoid, but couldn't help himself. He had never reacted well to threats, and now was no different.

"You'd… You'd threaten me?" Ace didn't respond, but simply snapped his aim up at his head. Blueblood flinched.

"Get out of here."

"You'll regret this!" Blueblood squeaked, taking off. His bodyguard kept their eyes facing Ace until they were all well away. Once they were finally out of sight, Ace finally dropped his aim. He let out a deep breath.

"I hate people like that," He muttered, holstering his gun. He hadn't bothered to take off the safety, as most times just a show of force was worth it. That bodyguard hadn't even noticed, which meant inexperience with weapons. "They think titles lets them do whatever they want." He glanced back at the girl beside him. "You okay?"

"Mm…" Scootaloo was quiet, most likely still shaken by what had happened.

Ace frowned. Then, an idea hit him. "Hey, you hungry?"

She seemed a bit surprised at that, but a small smile crossed her face. "Um… yeah, I am. I didn't eat much at Sugarcube Corner. Sherry was busy making new recipes."

"I got about half a pizza waiting on me in there. Want to share?"

"Pizza sounds awesome!"

-x-

"What are you reading?" Twilight asked, coming over to her boyfriend. Flash sat in the kitchen of her home, poring over a large stack of papers.

"Applications, of a sort," Flash said, smoothing his hair back out of his face. Twilight set a cup of tea in front of him. "Thanks Twi."

She smiled softly. Her boyfriend loved his work, and tried his hardest to do his best. "Of course. So am I right if I guess those are for the new guards for the princesses?"

"Yeah. Ace would be the one doing them, but I said I'd do it."

"He is on a date with Dash, isn't he…?"

Flash glanced up at her. She was looking out the window, nursing her own cup of tea. "Something up?"

"I don't think Ace should keep after Dash."

"Why not?"

"I mean, she broke his heart once, right? She might get bored quickly…" Twilight frowned. "I'd hate it if it happened again."

"Ace is a tough guy," Flash said, leaning back in his seat. "But you sound like you don't want Dash to hurt him… or herself."

"Dash acts tough and all, but she's just as fragile as any of us. After Discord broke us apart, she's always tried to make up for it, even when we told her we understood."

"Loyalty," Flash murmured, referencing Dash's element. "When you think someone has betrayed you, it's quite hard to forgive them."

Twilight nodded. "You understand what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, I do." Flash smirked. "But Ace is hardheaded, and he's not going to give up."

"But…"

"To be honest, it's one of the few things I respect about the guy." It's why they became friends in the first place, but Flash wasn't going to bring that up. "And his mind is set on Rainbow Dash. To be honest, I think the two will go well together."

"Well, I can't argue that," Twilight said with a chuckle, sipping at her tea. Flash took a sip of his own, giving an appreciative nod to its taste. He had always enjoyed these moments with Twilight, as it gave him the opportunity to watch her in her comfort zone. She would always avoid looking at him very often, still embarrassed that she tended to stare. Flash never minded, however. Twilight was a beautiful woman, and winning her affection had been one of the happiest days of his life. Sipping at his tea again, he redirected his attention to the files in front of him. Damn Ace and his date. He was happy for his friend, but being forced to do his work for him… "Hey, Flash?"

"Hm?" Flash looked up as his girlfriend said his name. "What is it?"

"I was curious about something."

"Ask away, Twi."

"Does Ace have family?"

Flash faked like he was hurt. "Really Twi? We have this time together and you're asking about another guy? One of my best friends, no less!"

Twilight gave him a cold glare that told him to quit playing. "Flash, seriously."

"Okay, okay." Flash thought for a moment. There was only so much he could say without breaching his friend's privacy. He figured just the basics would suffice. "Well, after the Merge, Ace was left with his little sister, Heart Song. As far as I know, they are on their own."

"He has a little sister? I don't believe I've ever met her."

"Song isn't exactly healthy," Flash offered, frowning. It wasn't the full truth, but given Twilight's penchant for investigation she would continue looking into it no matter what he said. "She can't move around a whole lot without a wheelchair, so she stays home."

"You've met her?"

"Of course. I've known Ace for years. Song's a cute little thing, and just about as gentle and kind as Fluttershy."

"Wow."

"She doesn't think too much of her illness, although most of that is because of her brother. If it wasn't for Ace, who knows what that girl would have gone through…"

"What?"

Flash caught himself. He had begun to remember the dark story Ace had told him, and had almost began retelling it. "…I can't go any deeper than that, babe. Sorry."

Twilight stared at him for a long moment. Flash was momentarily afraid that she'd press for him to spill the beans, but after letting out a deep sigh, she nodded. "Sorry about pressing you, Flash. It's obviously a tender subject even for you, so I won't force you to tell me anything. Although I do have one request."

"What is it?"

"I'd like to meet Heart Song. Do you think Ace would let me?"

Flash thought back to the scene he had witnessed in Ace's home after Song had heard about the Christmas party. The sick girl had cried for ages until Ace had agreed to bring her to the next party. After that, she had gone to being her normally happy and cheery self. It had been both terrifying and adorable all at the same time. "I think that'll be fine. Ace had been thinking about getting her to meet everyone."

"Good! So…" Twilight blushed slightly. "…Were you planning to stay the night?"

Flash sipped at his tea. He silently straightened up the files in front of him and set them in a neat pile. He smirked. "You were planning to kick me out?"

-x-

Ace had sat through yet another one of Scootaloo's many tales about her adventures with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, laughing out loud when the story ended up with the three girls again being covered in tree sap. "You guys can never seem to keep clean," He said between laughs. He was finding it a joy to spend time with the young girl, and her energy and excitement was beginning to rub off on him. The pizza they were sharing had vanished along with the last rays of sun, but he didn't really want it to end.

"Yeah, it always looked like that," Scootaloo agreed, giggling. "Sweetie Bell always got yelled at by Rarity when she came home dirty."

Ace chuckled. For what he knew of Rarity, the sight of her sister covered in mud would probably have given her a heart attack. "It doesn't hurt to get dirty every now and then."

"I know, right!"

"But that's Rarity for ya. I don't think she can help it."

"No kidding." Scootaloo gave a derisive snort that Ace found oddly endearing. "All that work and we still don't have our Cutie Marks…"

"Worried you won't get yours?"

"Yeah! So far, the only thing I've really enjoyed was delivering newspapers cause I can ride my scooter, but still nothing!"

"Hey, that's something you can't rush."

"Everyone says that! But Rainbow Dash says she got hers on her own!"

"I mean, that's not unusual. But you have to realize your own talent by yourself. As much as you may want to be, you're not Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo. You are your own person."

"But…" Scootaloo looked at a loss for words. Ace was unusually serious for once, and she was taken aback by it. Ace let out a sigh, realizing how serious he was himself.

"Hey. I know it seems hard now, but just remember one thing; never give up, no matter what anyone tells you. Got it?"

She smiled softly. "I got it. If there's anything I'm good at, it's not giving up."

"Now then…" He didn't want the time he was spending with her to end, but a quick glance outside betrayed how late it was getting. "Well, I think it's getting late…"

"Aw, can't we stay longer?"

"Nah, they have to close up soon. I gotta get you home anyway."

At the mention of home, Scootaloo's face fell. "Oh… right."

"Hey, don't give me that. I'll give you a ride home."

"Okay."

They left the pizzeria, Ace stopping by the counter to pay for his food. He joined Scootaloo outside and they began the walk back to his car. Scootaloo kept close to him, and he put a comforting arm around her shoulder that she seemed to appreciate. It was odd not seeing her excited and animated, but Ace attributed that to her being tired. After a long time, Scootaloo spoke.

"You sure you have to take me home?" Ace chuckled. He had been expected that.

"Come on squirt. Your parents are probably worried about you."

Scootaloo's face darkened. "…No, they aren't."

"Come on kid, they—"

"MY PARENTS ARE GONE!" Scootaloo screamed, tears streaming from her eyes as she whirled towards him. "My mom and dad left me even before the Merge! They didn't care about me at all…"

Ace was silent for a long moment. Scootaloo stared down at the ground hard, fighting to keep tears from falling. As careful as he was trying to be around this girl, he had managed to step on the biggest mine in the field. Without warning, Ace pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, Scoots."

"Huh?"

"That was insensitive of me, wasn't it?" He smiled. "Sorry."

"Why… why are you being nice to me?"

"Because I know what it's like to not have parents around," Ace said quietly. "I've had to be the parent for my little sister."

"Oh…"

"So, where have you been staying all this time?"

"I've been hiding in an abandoned house," Scootaloo said truthfully. "The Cakes give me extra food and stuff cause I tell them my parents always come home late."

He tapped her on the head. "You shouldn't lie like that. But I understand."

"…Sorry."

"I'll call Rainbow Dash. She'll let you spend the night if you explain, right?"

"Yeah…."

He pulled out his phone and noticed a couple of texts. Before he could open them, he heard a low voice speak and a hard object was shoved into his back. "What?"

"Put that away," It said quietly.

Ace recognized the shape of the gun instantly. Slowly, he put his phone away. "What the hell is this?" He hissed. Scootaloo looked up at him in warning, but he gave her a look to keep her silent.

"Walk," The voice said. Ace managed to glance around behind him slightly to see the same man from earlier, one of Blueblood's bodyguards. He frowned. There were limits to how far someone should go for an imagined slight. "Face forward!"

"Alright, alright, calm down. Where are we going?"

"Just walk."

Keeping Scootaloo close, Ace did as he was told. He walked down the sidewalk, the man behind them following and making sure his presence was felt. "A-Ace," Scootaloo squeaked. "What's going on…?"

"Just be quiet, Scoots," Ace said, smiling weakly down at her. It was fake, and he knew she could tell. "Everything is okay."

"Be quiet." They kept walking, eventually coming up to an abandoned parking lot. To Ace's silent fury, he found Blueblood and about a half dozen black suited guards. They stood in a small semicircle in front of—

"My car," Ace whispered. His baby, the first major purchase he had made for himself, sat behind Blueblood and his goons. It was tarnished and broken, windows shattered and doors smashed in. Even from such a cursory glance, he could tell it was in no condition to drive. The fury he was beginning to feel gave was to full blown rage. But he kept silent. Scootaloo was depending on him to get her safely out of here. He couldn't lose his cool.

"I warned you that you would regret being on my bad side," Blueblood said with a conceited chuckle. "And now it comes back to bite you."

"NO!" Scootaloo suddenly screamed as another goon showed up and yanked her away from Ace's side. "No, LET ME GO!"

"Scootaloo!" Ace cried, turning. But the goon that had been behind him sucker punched him and dropped him to the ground. "Buck!"

"Leave him alone you bullies!" Scootaloo was valiantly trying to break free of her captors, but a vicious blow to the stomach took the fight out of her. She whimpered pitifully as she choked back tears. Ace felt pride at the girl fighting back as he was stripped of his gun.

"Big man," Ace said, recovering from his daze. He fixed Blueblood with a hateful gaze. "Can't come after me without superior numbers?"

"I don't have time to dirty my hands with the likes of you," Blueblood sneered. "This is the sort of punishment you deserve."

"So you come after me with eight guards, abuse a child, and trash my car."

"I warned you your life and your daughter's would be ruined if you refused my generosity."

Ace staggered to his feet, feeling a chill run down his spine. He had felt it once before, when he was about to fight for his life. "Generosity?" He mused. "Rarity is generous. You're just a worm that thinks he's above everyone else because he's on top of a sand castle." He spit out the last words, seeing blood go with the saliva. He must cut his tongue or something.

Blueblood's eyes narrowed at the mention of the fashionista. "So you know Rarity. One day I will do what I please with that woman. But tonight, I grace you with my presence."

"Bastard."

"I am Prince Blueblood, nephew to Princess Celestia herself!" He flung his arm forward, and his goons moved in. "And I demand your respect!"

"You get my spit!" Ace spit at the man, managing to nail him right in the forehead. Blueblood recoiled in disgust while Scootaloo cheered weakly. The small act of defiance earned her kick that curled her back up into a ball. Ace snarled wordlessly. He was going to make Blueblood pay.

"You…! You ignorant peasant!" Blueblood's voice had gone shrilly. "I don't care what you do to him, kill him, maim him, I just want him kneeling at my feet!"

The goons closed in. Ace was done acting obedient. As the first goon from before moved up, he spun swiftly in place, wings stretching out and smacking the gun free. He lowered himself in the spin, wingtips lancing out and slashing across the man's throat. Blood spurted free as Ace retrieved both his own and the dying man's gun. The suddenness of the movement caught everyone off guard. Ace lifted both guns up and let his wings stretch out to full length. Any human being would have described the pose as a vengeful angel standing amongst the damned. "You've seen fit to give me your name on numerous occasions, Prince Blueblood," Ace said, looking up at him. He rubbed at his eyes with one arm and when he pulled his arm away his eyes were red as blood. "And here I am, still not giving you my name. I apologize."

"Colored contacts…?" One man murmured. The cold voice coming from the man before them sent shivers down the spine of every man in the lot.

Ace cocked the hammers of both guns. "I am Sir Ace Guard, Captain of Her Royal Highness Princess Celestia's Sun Guard. You're accused of threatening and assaulting an innocent child, trashing the vehicle belonging to one of Celestia's personal knights, and pissed me off."

The goons shared a group 'oh crap' moment. "C-Celestia's Royal Guard…?"

"By the jurisdiction given to me by the Princess of the Sun herself, I am sentencing you to never seeing the sun again." He leveled both guns. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he was inwardly cheering. Wielding pistols akimbo? Totally badass. He glanced over at Scootaloo. "…Scootaloo."

She looked up, a grim determination on her face despite the pain she was in. "Y-yeah?"

Ace smiled gently, an expression that looked off with his blazing red eyes. "Go hide, close your eyes, and cover your ears."

"Kick their asses," She said, smiling back as she staggered to her feet.

"Language, young lady," Ace admonished softly.

"Kick their buckin' asses to Tartarus!" She yelled back. Ace couldn't help but grin. By Celestia, he was beginning to love this kid.

"Gladly." He turned back to the men in front of him as Scootaloo ran off to a more protected spot beside an abandoned truck. She climbed into the truck bed and hid in it, keeping herself where she could still see everything that was happening. "Now then, gentlemen… Wat do we do from here?"

"Kill him!" Blueblood screamed.

Ace scowled. "Wrong answer." The goons moved, and Ace moved as well, firing two shots as he pushed forward. Both shots hit the man who had struck Scootaloo, ripping through his chest and lower torso. The other goons drew their weapons, and suddenly the entire parking lot had turned into a battlefield, with lead flying every which way as Ace used his Pegasus heritage to full effect. He was never in the same place more than a few seconds, using his inherent speed to outmaneuver his opponents. His wings propelled him swiftly from place to place, but in the frenzy of a pitched gunfight added on top of the movement he was forced to do, his shots missed or only managed to wound. Blueblood's goons fared no better, missing every shot they fired in his direction. Then, as if orchestrated by some sadistic divine figure, all of their guns suddenly clicked empty at the same time. Silence fell. Ace frowned. "Well. That's an issue."

The goons reacted pretty swiftly for hired help, swarming Ace with their greater numbers. Punches and kicks flew everywhere, and for a moment it seemed like Ace was holding his own. With his wings about as useful as a blade, he was two more weapons up with which to fight. But the numbers were telling, and even as he knocked several of his opponents senseless they were wearing him down. A lucky shot to his side staggered him, and they dragged him to the ground. Scootaloo jumped out of her hiding place and shot over to him, screaming at the top of her lungs. "LET HIM GO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Stupid kid!" One of the goons snapped, backhanding Scootaloo as she vainly beat his back with her small hands. The blow knocked her to the ground, and she could taste copper on her tongue. Despite the pain, she got back up and charged again. And again, she was knocked down, this time more violently than before. As she got up the third time, a hand grabbed her hair and yanked her hair back.

"Ow! Let go!"

"Shut up!" The goon picked her up and shook her. "Shut. Up!"

She buried her teeth into his arm, drawing blood and pulling a scream of pain from the man, who dropped her. She turned to try and help Ace again, but his eyes found hers. "…Ace…?"

Ace had heard his uncle whispering in his ear again. That he would never be as good of his father, and that him being a guard was a joke. Sure, the old bastard was right. He wasn't his father. He was himself. "Scootaloo," Ace said as evenly as he could, slamming his elbow into the neck of one goon. "Go get help."

"But!"

"Don't!" Ace said sharply, taking Scootaloo back. The tone he spoke with was something she had never heard from anyone. The authority in his voice brokered no argument. "Just go, Scootaloo!"

"…Yes sir!" She turned and bolted, dodging past the one goon that tried to grab her. Before long, she was out of sight.

Ace let out a soft sigh. "Good girl," He said. Now, he didn't have to worry.

Now, he would fight.

-x-

"Are you sure you want to spend the night here?" Celestia asked, folding her arms. She stood beside her car while Shining Armor took his and Cadance's things into the hotel. IT was a pretty nice hotel, Celestia had to admit, although a bit pricey.

"It's fine, Auntie," Cadance said with a giggle. "It's just for tonight. We were planning to go home tomorrow anyway."

"I see… Well, I wish you both well."

"Thanks Auntie… wait, is that someone running towards us?"

Celestia pushed her hair out of her face as she turned around. Indeed, it was a small figure dashing towards them. As they got closer, She choked back a surprised gasp. "…Scootaloo?"

The young girl staggered the last few steps towards them before falling face first into the dirt. "H-help…"

"Scootaloo!" Cadance rushed over to the girl and pulled her into her arms, smoothing the errant violet hairs out of her face. "What in my aunt's name happened to you?"

"Ran… all the way here… not sure… how far I went…" She sniffed, fighting back tears. "I tripped a lot… But I had to keep running!"

"Was someone chasing you?" Celestia asked gently.

"No! I need… help…"

"Help for what?" Shining Armor asked, frowning.

"Ace… needs help."

"Ace Guard requires help?" Celestia's smile vanished instantly and was replaced by a hard line. "Where is he?"

"Auntie!" Cadance said. "She can't show us! Her legs are bleeding!"

Celestia looked down at the small girl. She was in a pitiful state, with cuts from her falls and dried up blood all over her legs. There was no way she could take them to where Ace was. A thought came to her then, as she realized Scootaloo did not have to tell them anything.

She had to show them. Celestia's magic came to her as easy as breathing, and she touched her hand against Scootaloo's forehead. "Calm yourself, my little one. And remember."

Scootaloo nodded weakly and closed her eyes. She ran her mind back through everything, from the event outside the pizzeria, to the time she had spent with Ace inside, to the ambush outside. And then Ace standing up to a bad fight for her. Making sure she was safe before anything else. Celestia finished viewing the memory with a small chuckle. "What is it, Princess Celestia?" Shining asked.

"It seems my knight has bitten off more than he could chew," She said. "Come. We're going to go help him."

"Right now?" Shining asked as they got into Celestia's car. Cadance kept Scootaloo in her lap, using what little healing magic she knew to at least alleviate some of the young girl's pain.

"Should we wait? A young girl just ran six blocks straight in order to bring us this message. We should not hesitate."

"…Right."

Celestia drove off, flooring it through the quiet night streets. Before long, the parking lot she had seen in Scootaloo's mind came into view. All of them gasped at the sight before them. Ace was covered in blood, both his and his enemies, and stood in a small circle of four men. Four lay dead at his feet, and a couple of the ones still standing looked on their last legs. Cadance gasped quietly, while Shining simply gritted his teeth. Celestia felt something in her that she normally did not feel.

It was anger.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Her voice boomed, shaking the very buildings around them. She climbed out of the car, Shining Armor at her side, gun drawn. The men surrounding Ace flinched back as the Princess of the Sun addressed them in the Royal Canterlot Voice. All the color drained from Blueblood's face.

"A-Aunt Celestia…?" He whispered in shock.

Ace turned to look over his shoulder at his reinforcements. He grinned lopsidedly, dropping to his knees when Celestia had spoken. "…Hey, Princess."

Before Celestia could speak, Cadance cried out. "Scootaloo, wait!"

"ACE!" Scootaloo shot out of the car and right over to Ace, slamming into him with as much force as her ragged legs could produce. Ace caught her as she threw her arms around his neck. She began sobbing loudly into his chest while he simply held her.

"Sorry about that kid," Ace chuckled, gently rubbing her hair. "I just wanted to—"

"Don't send me away like my dad did!" She sobbed. "Don't leave me like he did!"

Ace's blood ran cold. She swallowed heavily. "I…I won't. I'm sorry, Scootaloo."

Celestia strode past the happy scene without looking, her hard eyes focused on her nephew. She stopped a few steps in front of him, drawing up to her full height and looking down on him. He blanched, trying to make himself as small as possible. "…I have had a lot of patience with you, dear nephew. But that ends now."

"Aunt Celestia, I—

"THERE ARE NO EXCUSES!" Celestia roared. It was one of the few times she had ever been truly angry, and it was boiling up to rage at this point. Blueblood fell backwards, sitting down hard. Seeing the fear in his eyes checked her rage, and she let herself calm down to her more normal tranquil fury. "…What you have done tonight is unforgiveable, on so many accounts. You have not only assaulted two of my subjects, but at the same time you have attempted to kill one of my most trusted knights. If I were able to throw you and your… associates into the darkest dungeon I could imagine, I would. But fortunately for you… I cannot."

"So… Mercy?"

"Far from it." Celestia's eyes narrowed. "From this day forward, you are no longer a Prince, and you are hereby removed from my family. In regards to you being family for this moment, I will not harm you or anything like that. But you should leave this place. For if I catch you here again, I will banish you to the moon."

"But…! Aunt Celestia!"

"I am no longer your Aunt." She turned her back on him. "Get out of my sight."

Blueblood stared at the back of his former Aunt for a long time. When she did not turn back, he picked himself up and walked away, his tail literally between his legs. "Hey!" Ace called out, stopping the former prince in his place. He glanced back at the battered, yet victorious guard.

"…What?"

"I will shoot you on sight next time," Ace promised him. "And trust me, I will make sure I do not miss."

Blueblood scampered away, as did the rest of his goons. All was silent. After a long moment, Cadance spoke up. "I never liked the fact that I was related to him."

"Same here, Cady," Shining agreed. "Hopefully he doesn't show up again."

Celestia sighed. "I had always tried to teach him to be a better person… but it seems all those teachings fell on deaf ears." She looked over at Ace. "Ace Guard… are you alright?"

Ace laughed, and immediately regretted the decision. "Ow… I'll live."

"Dear Celestia, you're bleeding all over!" Scootaloo squeaked.

"Same to you, squirt," Ace said, poking her forehead.

"You've shown exceptional determination and resilience tonight, Ace Guard." Celestia knelt beside him, face breaking out into a smile. "I am reminded again how lucky I am to have you."

"I might need to start carrying a sword again or that might be short lived," Ace said with a smile.

"Keep yourself safe, Ace. Please."

"Of course, Princess." Ace gently rubbed Scootaloo's back as the little girl's sobbing began to recede. "Hey… Princess Celestia?"

"Yes Ace?"

"Remember that favor you promised me?"

Celestia stared at him in surprise. "That… why on earth would you bring that up now, of all times?"

Ace smiled slightly. "…Can you take me to the hospital?" He asked weakly.

"I…" Celestia blinked a few times before a soft chuckle escaped her throat. Then she gave Ace the biggest smile he had seen on her face in a while. "I would be honored to, Ace Guard."

-x-

"So their injuries are not too severe?" Celestia asked the doctor. She, Cadance, and Shining stood in the hallway outside of the room Ace and Scootaloo had been placed in. Doctor Quick had somehow managed to be assigned to them, a fact Celestia was quite happy about. After witnessing Scootaloo's… violent reaction to being separated from Ace, Dr. Quick had arranged for them to stay in the same room.

"No, most were superficial." The doctor said. "Although young Scootaloo's injuries will require her legs to be wrapped up until new skin can form. Someone will have to help her bathe for about a week."

"That sounds extremely painful," Cadance said with a wince.

"There should be no complications. She will be tender, but with calm care, she will be fine."

"And Ace?" Shining asked. "How long will he take to recover?"

"He only required bandages. He can leave whenever he's ready."

"That's good to hear," Celestia said with a sigh.

"There is one more piece of news," Dr. Quick said.

"Yes?"

"When we were examining Ms. Scootaloo's injuries, we came across something you might find interesting."

Celestia noticed the small smile on the doctor's face. "What was it?"

"It seems, in my medical knowledge, that young Scootaloo has gained her Cutie Mark."

At the same time the doctor was telling them that, Ace was getting an eyeful of the mark in question already. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" She squealed happily. If it wasn't for her leg injuries, she would probably be running and bouncing all over the room.

"Calm down, silly." Ace chuckled.

"But I can't see it!"

"The mirror, Scoots!"

"Oh, oh!"

Ace got up out of the hospital bed and followed Scootaloo into the bathroom, grabbing one of the smaller handheld mirrors. He helped Scootaloo get up to where she could see it, and angled he mirror to show her back. Atop her left shoulder blade was a rolled up scroll tied with a red cord that seemed to trail in the wind. An inverted V emblem was attached to it via a golden medallion. "Seems your talent is delivering messages quickly and efficiently," Ace said appreciatively.

"I was hoping for something more awesome…" She said, a little disappointed.

"Hey, messengers are important, especially fast ones. If something really important needs to be delivered, and we have to count on someone fast? What if the message could mean life or death?"

"I would get it there, no matter what!"

"I don't think it just means being a messenger though," Ace said thoughtfully. "Messengers are relied on to get their messages to their destination no matter what. So maybe your Cutie Mark symbolizes your determination."

Scootaloo sat quietly for a moment before smiling. "Nobody was gonna stop me from getting help for you."

Ace had to pull her into an awkward one armed hug so that she couldn't see the tears of happiness in his eyes. Or liquid pride, as Shining Armor would call it. "Thanks squirt."

"Are messengers that important?" Scootaloo asked after a bit.

"You ran six blocks to get help for me." Ace smiled. "Yeah, I think messengers are amazing."

"You can always count on me!" She said proudly, puffing out her chest.

There was commotion outside, and then suddenly Rainbow Dash burst into the room, eyes wide. "Ace! Scootaloo!"

"Dash!" Scootaloo managed to say, a moment before she was scooped up into a tight hug.

"Oh, thank Celestia and Luna you're okay!"

Ace moved back out to his bed and sat down on it. His bruises and cuts still hurt, but seeing Dash worrying over the little girl brought a smile to his face. After a frantic Scootaloo broke free of her adoptive big sis, Dash turned to Ace. "Hey Dash," He said softly.

She walked briskly over to him and without saying a single word, pressed her lips against his in the most rough and emotion fueled kiss Ace had ever gotten from her. Not willing to let it end prematurely, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her as close to him as possible as he pushed back into the kiss. He was completely absorbed into the kiss when he suddenly felt tears on his face. He pushed Rainbow back gently to find her crying. "Dash…?"

"When I heard what had happened I was scared," She said quietly. Scootaloo moved over beside Ace as her big sister spoke in a quiet, trembling voice. "I thought maybe you had gotten seriously injured, or something had happened to Scoots…"

"I'm fine though, Dash…" Scootaloo began, but Ace held up a hand and motioned her to be silent.

"So, uh… I realized something on the way over here." She scratched at her head, running her hands through her hair.

"What was it?" Ace asked calmly.

"I really don't want to lose you." Dash blushed heavily, hoping to hide it behind her hair. Unfortunately, unlike her best friend Fluttershy, it wasn't long enough. "After today I realized just what an idiot I've been. I've run myself through relationship after relationship, figuring nothing would ever last. I thought everything would go by as fast as my attention span. But then you came along, and threw a wrench right into that. You said you really liked me, even bordering on love, and my stupid self thought that you were just another momentary fling that I'd have to go through. But you kept coming after me, and I finally said yes to going on a date with you."

She paused then, looking up at him. He nodded, encouraging her to continue. She took a deep breath. "And by Celestia, I met up with you today thinking that I wasn't going to have fun. And I did. I had so much fun I was disappointed to say bye. I… want you to give me a chance."

"A chance?"

Dash nodded. "I want to start over. I just want to… try. I've been so afraid of commitment this whole time. So give me a chance."

"…Rainbow Dash." Ace's voice was soft and the smile on his face easy.

"What?"

"Will you marry me?"

Dash answered almost immediately. "Yes."

They sat there in silence for a long moment, the blank looks slowly turning into wide smiles and then they were embracing again, laughing loudly. "I didn't think that would work," Ace said honestly.

"I didn't think saying yes would be so easy," Dash said.

"So…" Scootaloo suddenly spoke up. "You two are… getting married?"

"Yeah, seems that way, squirt," Dash said, rubbing Scootaloo's hair. "You okay?"

Scootaloo went over to them and hugged them both. "I'm better than okay. I'm happy! You two are the most awesome people I know! So you'll be double awesome together!"

Just outside the door, Cadance watched the happy scene. "Now that's what I like to see," She said with a soft laugh.

"What are you doing, my niece?"

Cadance whirled around to find Celestia standing over her. "Oh! Auntie. I'm not doing anything."

"So you have nothing to do with what is going on in there?" The hint of a smile was on her face.

"You know my magic, Auntie. I can only affect existing love." She smiled. "So that would mean those feelings are her own. If I did anything, all I did was hurry things along."

"So you did do something."

"What? No~" She giggled. "I just want to spread happiness wherever I go."

"Well, whatever you say. Just don't neglect your own happiness, alright?"

"Of course not!"

To my dear dragon (who happens to be unusually flammable) when I saw your guess I had the biggest grin on my face. Not exactly what you said it would be, but you were really close! I truly do enjoy the repeated reviews, and thanks to all my ghost-readers who simply read and don't say a word. You think I don't know you're there, but the Library sees you, and quietly nods in appreciation.

Please look forward to the next chapter. The Library will be waiting for your visit.