//-------------------------------------------------------// Armored Encasement -by Alfoals Trottenbauer- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// II - Empty //-------------------------------------------------------// II - Empty "This isn't a joke, is it?" She asserted. "No, Twilight. You have to believe me, please sis." He answered, the word 'Sis' came out of his mouth when he hadn't said it. "...Sis?" She repeated. "I think I still have some of Shining's thoughts, this isn't my body Twilight!" He raised his voice a bit. She shushed him like a librarian would. He stared at her, dismayed. "Twilight, Follow me to Ace's- I mean my house." He stuttered. "This better not be some trick." She seemed to warn. They both trotted down the path to his house. He opened the door. They cantered into his bedroom, a still sleeping Ace in bed. Ace shook himself, no reaction. "See? I'm supposed to be in this body!" He indicated to the pony on the bed. "I think I need to do some research on this..." She responded. She galloped out of his house, into her library, Ace followed behind. she opened the door and sat down on an armchair, opening a book titled 'Spirit Magic'. She flipped a few pages and read aloud: "In order for a spirit to return to it's original home, one must be escorted with the spirit to a different plane of existence; one must utter these words; Intrabit in animum, mentem exitus, una duos in planum erit ultra in oculo." She started closing her eyes, suddenly falling lifeless. "...Twi?" He nudged her with his hoof. In seconds after he said it, he fell on his hocks. He then fell on his side. He opened his eyes in a place he couldn't define. He couldn't see anything, yet he felt like he was there before. He trotted aimlessly, until he heard Twilight's voice. "Ace! It was you in there!" She called. He followed her voice, still completely blind. "Twi, I can't see anything." He stated. "I have to see for you." She said, now very close to him. He reached a hoof out weightlessly to see just how close she was. He didn't feel anything, but he was aware he was touching something. "Come on, we need to go." She tried to get him moving. //-------------------------------------------------------// III - Division //-------------------------------------------------------// III - Division They trotted for what seemed like ages. They finally stopped. "Ace Sparks, please trot forward." A deep voice commanded. He did as told. He was suddenly able to see again. He was in some sort of circle. Outside the circle was purely nothing. Five ponies stood before him, all in dark robes, one stood in front of him, the rest were side by side behind him. "What have you done to deserve this punishment?" The pony in front asked. "I-I don't know." Ace answered. "You don't know?" He repeated. "N-no." "You have upset the physical plane with your existence." He almost shouted. The hooded stallion pointed a hoof at Ace, lightning shot from it, hitting Ace. Ace was divided in two, the halves were bound by opposite halves of Shining Armor. The halves lacking Ace's conscience were translucent, dots of light flowed into them. Ace felt as if he were in two places at once. Ace opened his eyes without closing them first, in some empty field. A river seemed to appear before him. He looked into the water. He saw Shining staring back. He looked into his eyes. Inside them he saw his own red eyes staring through Shining's. "Ace, I can't feel anything. What did you do to me?" Shining spoke with Ace's conscience. He was pulled into the river. When he fell in, he didn't feel water. He had also lost his sight again. "It is done." He heard the voice yet again. //-------------------------------------------------------// IV - Conjoin //-------------------------------------------------------// IV - Conjoin Ace revived in Twilight's Library, a gasp for air escaped him. Twilight did the same. Ace looked at his hooves. They were his own. Shining Armor awoke in his room, not knowing anything about what had gone on with him, nor anything about Ace. //-------------------------------------------------------// I - Locked //-------------------------------------------------------// I - Locked Ace awoke in the castle, to his confusion. He was in a very plush bed. He took the covers off, as he did, he caught a glimpse of his hooves. He slowed the movement to examine them. They were white with a blue hoof, the coat stopped a bit above. "...The hay?" He asked, hearing a voice not of his own. He got out of the bed, trotting over to a mirror. He looked himself over. This was definitely not his body. "What happened to me...?" He spoke again, looking at his face when he did. Again, he heard the strange voice, the mouth moved with the speech. it was definitely him speaking, but not his body, or his voice. A thought that was not his popped into his mind: Cadence. It came with an emotion he hadn't had toward the princess: Love. He blushed, confused as his love was for Twilight. He trotted out of the room, opening the door. As he cantered out, Princess Cadence was passing by. Ace tried to pull himself away when he kissed her as she passed. "Love you, honey." She said. "Love you too." He responded unwillingly. "What just happened?" He whispered to himself. He didn't do those things on his own. He cantered over to the entrance of the castle. Another though came into his head. It was of Twilight, it was of love, but not the right kind. This kind was the kind a sibling has. He galloped as fast as he could, through the path and into Ponyville. He finally stopped at Twilight's library, knocking on the door. Spike answered, as usual. "Shining? Did you come all the way from canterlot?" He asked. "No time to explain." Ace stated. "...Alright, come in then." He invited. Ace dashed in, nearly knocking Spike over. "Twi!" He called. "BBBFF!" She called excitedly. "Listen Twi, this is Ace, I don't know why, but I'm in Shining's body. You need to help me!" She looked at him with a face of utter confusion and disbelief. "...W-What?" She asked.