//------------------------------//
// VIII - Ḃ͉̣͔̗̱͗̎͡i̸̢̲̝̹ͫ̀̊̓̄̔l̶̴̢̧̳̻̠̬͂̒͜l̯̫̝͚͕̞͆̐ͩͤ͘͢͡ 
// Story: Cipher 
// by Alfoals Trottenbauer 
//------------------------------//

Ace awoke weightless, free of the constraints of his body. He was in the same hole in time past the conceivable. The stars that were not what they seemed surrounded his being, the same triangle beyond existence that tended to reside within reality appeared.

"So, Gothic A, you and Starbottom met an old enemy, right?" He inquired.

Ace said nothing, only stared directly into Bill's eye. There was a long pause before anything was said.

"I'll make you a bargain, despite how many times you've turned your back on me, I'll let you break free of your encasement of stone."

"I like to see sacks of flesh like you try to get rid of me, so this should be a good laugh." He continued. 

"Good luck." He said after a long pause.

With a snap of his fingers, the hole dissipated, Bill disappeared. Reality poured in around the stallion once again.

Twilight turned away from the cliff side and faced the sculpture that was once Ace.

"Celestia... May you shine your light on him." The mare whispered under her breath as she sat next to him.

A light shone as the stone crumbled, Ace within it as he opened his eyes.

The light faded and he fell to his knees.

"Ace! You're back!" She exclaimed.

"I saw Bill again... He said he wants to see me fail." Ace breathed out, completely ignoring that he had come back from a probable death.