When Two Worlds Collide

Epic Ace's POV

_________________________________________________________________________________________

I woke up early today without bothering to look outside. I smiled groggily at the sight of both Vinyl and Twilight, who were both still sound asleep. My mind idly wandered to where Silver and Octy wandered off to but I quickly brushed it off. I lay in the warm bed for a moment longer before I got up, stretching my good wing as I dragged myself out of bed and down the stairs, opening the door slowly and trotting out, closing it quietly behind me to make sure I didn't wake anypony. There was morning dew on a plant nearby as the sun began to rise ever so slowly, casting its hues of orange, yellow, and red through the sky. The moon was beginning to fall behind the horizon a far ways in front of me, its light being replaced from the suns. I trot along a path behind the library of which Twilight called her home and brushed against a few small bushes, the dew sticking to my coat in little water droplets. I inhaled the crisp morning air deeply as I reach my destination, looking around until I found a rather large tree, descent in size in turn which was perfect for my training. I began to wrap my hooves in some cloth I found in Twilight's home with my teeth, making sure to sit on the ground to prevent myself from falling over. Sometimes, I wish I was a unicorn, I thought, spitting out small pieces of cloth fabric. I finished wrapping my hooves with the cloth, making sure each one was tight against my hooves before I started hitting the tree in a fury of attacks, standing on my back hooves in a fighting stance and using my wing to stay upright.

“Stay calm, strike fast and stand up for the ones you care for," I said aloud, remembering my father's words while I was in training. “Now, you can’t give up. If you give into the pain, you give up all the lives of your loved ones,” I continued as I strike the tree harder, grunting from the amount of force I'm putting into each of my attacks before dropping down onto all fours, crouching for a moment as I look at my slightly bloody hooves. "Get up! You must fight through the pain, you fool!” I growled aloud his words, getting up quickly and jumping into the air, kicking the tree with one of my back hooves and landing on the ground once more. I calmed my breathing, making sure not to let anger fuel my energy. I sighed, breathing in and out steadily as I continued striking the tree's trunk with accurate hooves. Phantom's words echoed within my head and I yelled loudly, punching straight through the tree and getting my hoof stuck.

I growled in anger, yelping slightly as I yanked my hoof free of the tree. I stared at it for a moment, the crimson staining the cotton concealing my hoof. I unwrapped it slowly, dropping the blood splotched cotton on the ground and looked over the wound for a moment. Why are you upset Ace? There is nothing to get upset about, I thought, gritting my teeth. Sure, you have been alone all your life and you wish you had a lover, but you can’t lose a friend, I continued further, my head spinning now as I sat down in the grass for a moment, letting my mind argue with itself.

I looked around and hung my head for a moment, extending my good wing outwards to pick up a nearby stick and I threw it into the river not too far away, the splash echoing through the trees, an eerie silence taking over. No matter what their decisions may be because it’s okay. Even after you trusted her and poured your soul out to her about your entire life story almost, but you know, it's cool, right? Plus, you have the upmost respect for her, so you can't change that, now can you? I let out a sigh. There are more mares out there, Ace. I grunted, agreeing but disagreeing with my conscious as I walk over to a river and look down at it, seeing the stallion I brutally murdered that night when Tavi was abducted. I flicked my hoof into the water quickly and looked away. "I never wanted to kill him, I just had the weirdest impulse to." I told myself, even though I did but didn't knkw the truth. With another sigh, my mind wandered again. I’m a monster, I thought as I walked over back to the tree and rest my head against the bark for a moment, clearing my head. I just need to let things go, mistakes happen, I told myself as I begin my training once more, using the pain to make sure not I don't think about it again

*  *  *

A few hours pass after I had finished with my physical training as the sun starts to come up further, almost overhead now as the rays of sunlight start to shine through the branches of the tress and onto the ground below. I began to finish up with some balancing exercises. With concentration, I stood on a tree limb with one hoof, making sure not to lose balance. Unfortunately though, somepony's voice floated up from the bottom of the tree, causing me to lose concentration and pummel a few feet downwards. "Gaah!" I screamed before being enveloped in a field of magic.

"Hey," Vinyl voice chimed in before letting me drop onto the grass below with an oof sound. "Why're you out here all alone?"

"Just thinking," I told her, rubbing my plot.

"I see that," she said, sitting by me. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Oh, just things that I rather not talk about now. You wouldn't understand," I murmured, sitting up on my haunches.

She seemed to have taken offense to this as she made a face of disgust, staring at me with a tad bit of anger residing in those crimson eyes of hers. She turned her head and muttered, "It's 'cause I'm not Silver, isn't it?"

"No, of course not!" I instantly replied, sliding my hoof under her chin in an attempt to turn her head my way.

She turned away, getting up and slapping me with her tail. "Don't waste your breath on somepony who means nothing to you," she told me without as much as a glance over her shoulder in my general direction.

"Vinyl, I-" I stopped myself, watching her go. "I didn't mean it like that," I whispered, hanging my head as she disappeared from the area I was in. "Damnit Ace, what is your problem?" I said aloud, getting up and walking over to the river once more, dipping my hooves in it while idly swirling them around as my blood flowed down stream. I look over at the swaying bushes of where Vinyl had passed through, deciding not to do anything to stop her and instead let her cool down. She is a nice mare and all and I can't say i am not attracted to her, but I don't know if I could trust her like the mare who took me in and has given me new friendships, a new life, a new world. Perhaps she is right. It is possibly because she isn't Silver, I thought with a deep sigh as I stayed in the river bed, allowing my underbelly to get wet. As of right now, I didn't want to talk to anypony. I just wanted to be alone.

*   *   *

I trot away from the forest area and into yet another open field not too far away from it. Okay, honestly, what is with me and all these open fields lately? Perhaps the clear area makes my mind want to clear itself? Maybe, I'm just not so sure anymore, I began to talk to myself as I sat down on the semi-tall blades of grass. You're a fool, you know that, Ace? So odd and distrusting your friends, you won't even tell that wonderful gray mare of yours everything. Yet, she has opened up to you, spilling her guts about how her family no longer exists besides herself. Do you think that's fair? Better yet, is it for the best that you keep these secrets from her? All of them, even? Those secrets are more powerful than you can ever imagine, Ace. You stupid, incompetent buffoon. My mind screamed to me, telling me everything is wrong, everything I've never done is wrong. I'm wrong, my mind is wrong, my life is wrong.

I close my eyes and try to get the voices out of my head, to stop the arguing within my own being. They tear me apart more and more with each nagging word. I collapsed eventually, burying my hooves in my now flattened ears, now pleading for them to silence themselves and just stop all the anger and sadness and everything that I have done wrong. You're a failure, the voices tell me, making me shake my head in response to signify my disagreement with their every word, only for them to continue, there is no hope for you or this world so just give up. Let them go down the drain. Who cares? You surely don't, now do you? You've always been a loner, huh? So, why start caring now? After all these years of nothing in return from all the ponies that saw you in pain or trying to steal food? Let them suffer alone. You can end it all now. There's plenty of sharp objects bound to be around here somewhere...My thoughts trailed off, causing me to think about them for a long while.

Those words never sounded sweeter to me than in this very moment. My lids were acting as a dam, holding back every tear that threatened to just break through and start to flow down my white coat. I thought about it. About giving up on life and just letting the horrible consequences of this decision happen freely as I stand by and watch hopelessly, knowing it was my doing in the first place. I then thought about all the ponies I would bring harm to. Octavia, Vinyl, and Silver. That mare who saved me, gave me food and shelter, returned my most prized possession, took me to the hospital, fixed my wing, and done every possible thing to just nourish me back to health. I shook my head vigorously, rising up confidently on my haunches from my vulnerable, slumped position. I know what I must do in this world and I simply can't watch it burn. I yell out in rage, pricking my ears up again, opening my eyes that were now a tad dull from the previous depressing thoughts. "No! I can't give up. There are so many things I must do in order to make things right!" The voices countered back, just as I expected. You idiot! Don't you want an easy, carefree life? A life in which you have no worries, no more killing, no more fights, no more troubles, and no more ponies to harm? Don't you want that special mare of yours safe? I'm rubbing my temples now, tears starting to stream down my face at the thought of Silver getting hurt. I pressed my hooves hard against my skull, trying not to listen, trying to force the voices to go away, to leave me alone to sulk in peace. just before I began to let the voices take over my thoughts again and force me to lie down in submission, the grass rustles gently by me from a small gust of wind caused by wings.

I turned my head only to have two cold hooves wrap around my neck, accompanied by a mass of quick words in a worried tone.. "I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell me to help you? I heard you from on the path and I flew overhead to find you and Vinyl came back with a pained expression. I asked what was wrong but to no avail and now, I'm out here holding you close. What's wr-"

"Slow down," I told the mare.

She pulled back some, her eyes just slightly puffy. "Are you okay?" she said slowly, almost caustiously as she stared at me with searching ocean blue eyes.

"Of course I am, Silver." I said with slight ignorance in my voice

Silver sat in front of me and raised her hoof as if to hit me but quickly dropped it, shaking her head after she had hung it, staring at the ground. "Don't lie to me you big idiot," she murmured, looking at me with a serious yet worried expression masking her features.

I smiled softly, my mane cascading over my eyes momentarily before she moved it with her hoof. "Why are you here?" I asked her.

"Because I'm worried about you. I want to help you..." her voice trailed off as her gaze shifted down in the direction of the grass.

I sighed, sliding my hoof under her chin and lifting it up gently. "Thank you" I told her, pulling her close and hugging her. I smiled, resting my head on her shoulder as she hugged me back.

For a while, we sat there in silence, embracing each other and enjoying each other's company. The thoughts started coming back to me now, telling me to leave her. I sighed heavily, accidentally breathing down the mares back. She shivered slightly and whispered, "Are you okay?"

Again, I sighed, pulling back and looking her dead in the eye. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure."

"What do you mean?"

"I-I don't know. I hear these voices and they're always telling me to leave. Leave it all behind, leave my life as it is now, and forget any of this ever happened. I can't though. I just can't," I told her, sitting in front of her with my head in my hooves.

"Why can't you?" she simply asked.

She really does care, I thought, still keeping my face hidden from her. "Because Silver, you've given me everything nopony else has ever tried to do. I have friends and you also gave me somepony I can trust." I peeked out through my hooves. The mare had turned her head a light tinge of red was now present on her cheeks.

"I was just being who I am," she told me, looking at me again as sincerity laced between every one of her words individually. "Ace, I am trying to help and do everything I can to. I will always be here for you, whether you want me to be or not," she paused, allowing her words to sink in some before she contined, her tone sounding confident and brave now. "Please, don't run away from your problems. You face those damn demons head-on and put up a good fight, no matter how hard the situation is."

I uncovered my face to look at the mare who had said those words to me. I have never heard such honesty in somepony this entire time I have lived in Equestria. I thought, tackling the mare and embracing her tightly. "I just feel so alone sometimes and I don't understand half of the things presented to me in my life..." my voice trailed off as I buried my face in the crook of her neck, allowing the tears to be caught in her coat.

Once more, we sat in silence. This time, she cooed in my ear, telling me everything will be okay as she stroked my mane and patted my back. The tears I shed were now a visible wet spot on her neck and shoulder as I pulled away and wiped my eyes with my foreleg, looking up at the mare. "Do you feel better now?" she asked as she sat up, not bothering to even touch her neck and shoulder.

I nodded in response, sitting up as well. "Promise me something?"

"What am I promising?" she countered.

"To be there for me, even if I don't need or want you to be. Just...always be there. That's all I need you to promise me."

"I promise, no matter what happens, I will always be here for you and help you through anything you need to be helped with or need to get through something you can't do on your own. Even if you want to push me away," she promised aloud, her left hoof and wing raised and her right hoof and wing over her heart.

I hugged her again, trying not to thank her aloud as I held her close. This mare right here has done so much for me in such little time. How can I ever repay her? "Silver?" I asked after what seemed like hours.

"Yes, Ace?" she responded.

I briefly paused, licking my lips since my mouth was surprisingly dry now. "Th-thank you, Silver, for everything you have done for me. Absolutely everything." I shed another tear. She wiped it away strategically and smiled.

That smile. That beautiful, wonderful smile of hers always made me smile somehow. Why? I honestly don't know and I truly don't care. I know I love it though. "C'mon," she said, getting up and stretching, "let's go back to Twilight's. She has some questions to ask you and I."

I nodded my okay and got up, following behind her. To my surprise, I was in Ponyville Park in the small forest within it, a few minutes away from Twilight's home.

"Did I really trot all the way out here?" I blurted out.

Silver looked at me and giggled. "Obviously."

I facehoofed, trotting behind her towards the purple alicorn's massive library home with a smile of happiness now plastered on my muzzle for a reason I still do not know of. As we made our way towards the mare's home, Silver had begun to stare off into space, occasionally looking back at me with a warm smile on her face. I don't know what made me want to smile every time she did, but I had to. It's confusing really, how a mare like her literally rescued me from the hooves of my poverty and being a criminal, and took me in and has been there ever since. Perhaps you could call her my mare in shining armor? I chuckled softly, causing the mare to glance back at me again. "What?" I finally said, noticing her watching me.

"What are you laughing about?" she asked, curiosity seeping into her tone.

I shook my head, waving my good wing dismissively. "It's nothing, just something I thought of."

"And that would be?"

I chuckled again as we neared the rather curious mare's home. "I was thinking about you being a mare in shining armor to me." I laughed gently before continuing, gaining the mares attention as she stared at me with her eyebrows raised. "Seems rather different I know, but that's what makes it sort of funny."

She blushed softly then paused, looking away from me for a moment. "How is that so?" she asked after a few more steps.

"I'll explain that to you, just like you have to explain to me tonight on how you made it through most of your life on your own," I told her with a genuine smile, a teasing tone was recognized within my voice.

She huffed and rolled her eyes, a small smirk appearing on her muzzle as we were only a few more feet away from the door. "Fine, you got a deal."

I smiled as the door swung open to a worried Octavia and two curious mares. "Crap, I forgot to tell them where I was going." I heard Silver say under her breath.

"What does that usually result in for most ponies who don't tell somepony in advance to what they're doing and where they're going?" I asked with a small bit of fear.

"You get bitched at," she simply stated as we walked into the library and were instantly surrounded by the mares.

Great. That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Silver. I'm going to look forward to all the future bitching coming up. I thought flatly as I sat back-to-back with Silver in the middle of the room.