//------------------------------//
// Ch 7: A Slice of Ace 
// Story: Magnificent Malice‏ 
// by ChaoticAce 
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	Black lace hung from the ceilings. The floor was tinted with a deep scarlet. The castle looked like something out of a horror movie. The lights were bright due to the fact that they needed to see everypony at the ball. Both Dashing and Brad scanned the crowd for any signs of Chaotic Ace. Both were unable to find her picture in the record books but they knew they were looking for a miniature Brad doll. "Sorry but it's really awkward that we're both wearing a tux," said Brad, looking at Dashing with a sigh. "You would've looked so pretty." 
"Maybe but now I look more kick-flank then you," Dashing grinned as she peered over her glasses. Somehow the black tux with blue accents suited her. Brad wore a brown tux. He stood out a lot more in the sea of black. "Are you trying to put a target on your back by the way?" she asked him. 
"No. I just look weird in anything other than brown," Brad sighed and turned away. He scanned the crowd just as intensely and finally stopped dead as he saw the beautiful white unicorn in her black and violet dress. Her black raccoon eyes were a bold look but it worked for her. She spotted Brad and waved a gloved hoof. Spike also sheepishly smirked and shrugged. The two disappeared into the crowd. Brad sighed again. 
"You know sometimes it's better if those ponies get away. There's always better ponies in the herd, you know?" said Dashing. 
"Easy for you to say. You've never loved and lost," Brad murmured in response. 
"Maybe not. Love is stupid anyway. Being a guard I'm not allowed to get vulnerable," Dashing replied and smiled. "You're the closest pony I've had to a friend in a long time."
"I thought you didn't like me." 
"I don't. But keeping you around made me realize how much I miss those quiet afternoons with Celestia and Luna. Maybe after this is all said and done I can chill with them for a while. It'd sure beat having tea with Discord and a rabbit." The alicorn cringed. 
"Maybe," Brad sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do after all of this is ov…" He didn't have time to finish that thought because his eyes suddenly alighted on the plushie he was looking for. He weaseled into the crowd and disappeared before Dashing could say a word. She was about to go after him but a familiar silhouette loomed in the corner of the room. She decided that it was time to part ways again.
Brad trotted to keep up with the mare. He sighed and braced himself for the ugly mare to be revealed. He followed her onto the balcony. Suddenly she turned around and revealed her face. The stunningly cute pink unicorn blushed even pinker. Her black and purple-highlighted mane accented violet eyes. She looked so timid and mousy. Her innocent gaze met Brad's nervously. "Hi," was all she said and waved her hoof weakly. 
The gray pegasus relaxed and looked at her with a trademark smirk. "Hi. Nice doll." 
"Thanks. I'm holding it for a friend." She turned to look at the night sky, admiring Princess Luna's work. "I've always admired the stars," she mused, closing her eyes and smiling warmly. "So you're the famous Brad the Browncoat Pony everypony talks about?" Her eyes trailed back towards him. 
Brad trotted beside her. "Eeyup!" He smiled at the pretty mare by his side. Her long black dress fit her perfectly. There were dark purple accents. Surely he had the wrong pony. He might as well enjoy the night like her. He paused to stare at the three piercings in each of her ears and admired every inch of the pink unicorn before him. Brad hated to admit after admiring Rarity for so long that there was a pony that surpassed her. Maybe there were other ponies out in the heard after all. 
Her sheepish smile didn't fade. "Your eyes are something." She stared nervously at the ground and pawed at the balcony with her hoof. 
"Yeah. So are yours." 
The wind blew through her hair. The pony closed her eyes taking it in. Brad's eyes widened. The slit in her dress revealed a black spade cutie mark with a red A in the middle. "Chaotic Ace," whispered Brad. 
Her eyes opened, this time not as wide, but a small smile spread across her face. "When you say it like that it doesn't sound half as bad. I hope you always look at me with that dopey look." She bent inwards to kiss his cheek. 
Brad moved out of the way and quickly drew his browncoat pistol from his pocket. He looked at her with an intense gaze. "Your days of causing trouble are at an end." 
"Must you use those cheesy lines?" Ace's horn began to glow. Cards that matched the one in Brad's pocket flew out of her dress "I see you like collecting evidence," she went on slyly as the cards began to slant in midair. Brad fired his gun. The blast ricocheted off one of the cards. "Doctor Cobra's potions are amazing. They enhance powers so well," Ace went on. 
"Is that who you're working for?" asked Brad. 
"You didn't know? Perhaps I underestimated you." Brad aimed his gun at her again. He fired and she quickly used the plushie to take the bullet. Brad cried out as blood began to pour from his side. Clutching it, he glared at her. "Perhaps Doc's right," Ace mused. "This really is a cheap trick. But this isn't!" she cried, sending several cards Brad's way. The powerful force of them knocked him backwards and pinned him up against the wall by his tux. 
"Now isn't the time to show off," Doctor Cobra said, emerging behind Ace. "Just do what we came here to do!" 
"So you saw her?" Ace asked with a small smile.
"Yes." 
"Talk to her?" 
"I couldn't…" admitted the Doctor.
Ace shrugged and drew back her skirt, revealing a small device tucked in her garter. Her purple magic wrapped around it and activated it. The small unicorn looked over at Brad and trotted towards him. She kissed his cheek and grinned. "I can't resist. You're cuter in person." A large purple beam shot out of the device. The perky unicorn then trotted over to Doc's side and rested a hoof on his. The vanished in a burst of purple.
Brad stayed pinned to the wall as rain began to fall. He squirmed and sighed. Finally the magic glow around the cards faded. The wound in his flank was making him limp. At last, Dashing emerged from the door and hurried over, having heard the commotion. She examined his wound and said, "You stay here and get tended to by Nurse Redheart. I'll go after those two." 
"No," Brad insisted. He managed to stand upright. "I'm coming with you, wherever it is we're going." The thunder roared overhead. 
"You didn't think that far ahead did you, blockhead?" Dashing rolled her eyes. "I knew you wouldn't. I was hoping that you'd provide a good distraction. Whatever they were using to control the weather was too big to carry with them and nopony reported a big device. They did report a weird purple beam which means it came from something small. While you were providing the distraction I slipped a tracking beacon onto Ace." 
Brad fought through the pain and flew up into the air. "Then let's go," he smiled. "We have no time to lose." 
Dashing looked at him and shook her head. She hovered his coat hovered over to him and a smirk spread across the alicorn's face. "Still a rookie." She grabbed Brad's hoof and the two disappeared from the ball in a blue flash. The pair didn't know what to expect when they got to Doctor Cobra's lab or if they'd make it out alive. But they had to try for the sake of Equestria.