Ace reflected on what had happened that seemed but a few minutes ago as he drifted weightlessly. All the ponies who died, the destruction of Black Forest. He wondered how he survived the blast, if Gordon survived, and if anypony else did.
Ace saw a light in the space he was in. He was suddenly given a surface to trot on. He moved towards the lights. A stallion appeared in front of him, wearing the same suit.
"Ace, it looks like your hour... Has come again... Though I must say, you were quite messy on your escape from that... Failure we called a... Facility. I'm certain you could redeem yourself if... You survive this." He smiled.
"So, wake up. Wake up and smell the ashes." He continued.
Ace found himself at a train station, he was a bit dizzy, suddenly having a horizon and being given flesh. He stumbled forward, eventually getting into a reasonable gait. He seemed to be wearing a blue outfit, reaching from his back hooves to his throat latch. He looked at the ground, seeing an empty can. He attempted to levitate it, though it seemed more difficult than usual. He moved a hoof over his horn. Cold metal covered his horn... Was this a cuff? He focused harder on the can, eventually getting his dark red aura around it. Suddenly, something stabbed into his horn. An intense burning sensation coursed through him, starting in his head, then leaving through his hooves, then a jolt of electricity.
He eventually gave up and started toward a large screen on the wall. It turned on by itself. Doctor Bray appeared onscreen, a former employee of Black Forest. Ace smiled, at the time glad to know that somepony else survived the incident.
"Welcome, welcome to City 27. It's safer here. Whether you are just passing by, or here to stay, welcome. I thought so much of City 27 that I reside in the Citadel here so thoughtfully provided by Our Benefactors."
Ace still stared at the screen, a little confused.
"I've gotten a letter recently, allow me to read it to you." He began,
" 'Dear doctor Bray, why is it the 'Combine' have seen fit to suppress our Unicorn magic, signed, a concerned somepony.' Thank you for writing, Concerned. You see, unicorn magic, when we were still coddled by Mother Nature in our primal origins, magic was used to oppress other ponies, out of fear. Now that Our Benefactors have found us, unicorn magic is not needed anymore. We are extremely close to something previously thought unobtainable to our predecessors, and that is immortality. It is for the same reason why some of our wings have been clipped. Our true enemy is Instinct. What Celestia hadn't known was that unicorns and pegasi's ability have oppressed the Earth ponies. In the words of a true wisepony, Starlight Glimmer, 'True equality means that nopony has any different abilities, it is at this turn you must make a choice, either clip the wings and break the horn, or let the differences ruin civilization.' " His lecture seemed to go on forever.
Ace's smile faded a bit with every word. A pony wearing a gas mask with blue glowing eyes approached him.
"Move along, citizen." He commanded in a raspy, robotic voice.
Ace awkwardly shifted in the direction the unnatural equine figure indicated. The peculiar stallion's horn was unrestricted, an aura surrounding it. A baton on the withers of the stallion's suit lifted itself off of it's place, the grey aura surrounding it as well. A few sparks shot from the end.
"I said move along." He commanded once more.
Ace remained where he stood, more out of mild fear than rebellion. The stallion cantered toward him. He lifted his baton and swung. Ace forcefully struck a hoof into the stallion's head out of pure reflex. The mask had broken, a piece caved in. The stallion fell, probably knocked out. The mask blared out a tone, followed by a mare's voice.
"Unit down, reinforcements team code: three, zero, three."