The Sorou-Mobile touched down on a landing pad Ace had installed next to Pinkie's room in sugarcube corner. Ace had the landing pad set up so that he could dismount from the Sorou-Mobile, and enter the door leading out to the roof. Ace had once asked Pinkie why she even had a door leading out to the roof. She explained that it was so that her pegasus friends could visit her. With that in mind, Ace constructed the landing pad so that the Sorou-Mobile would be out of the way, should a pegasus want to come in.
They touched down, and Pinkie jumped out onto the landing pad, followed by Ace. Ace looked down at all the ponies and humans that were down below, going about their daily lives. Some had noticed the couple's return, and waved up at them. They smiled, waving back down at them. Both were about to enter Sugarcube corner, when Pinkie gasped, and Ace did a double take. "Whoa, wait a minute..." He muttered, noticing the humans.
"OHMYGOSH! HOW MANY NEW FACES SHOWED UP WHILE WE WERE GONE?!" Pinkie exclaimed. "I'm gonna have to throw a load of parties! Let's see, how many is that? One, two, three, four, five..." She began counting off the humans, pointing a hoof at each one as she counted.
"These guys are coming out of the woodwork." Ace said, examining Ponyville from atop Sugarcube corner. These humans seemed to have come out of nowhere, and a look of intense concern crossed his face. The most alarming thing about the humans was what was attached to their belts; a holster for a gun. And what's more...
They were all armed.
*****
"Near as we can tell, they come from South America." John spoke, sitting with Ace at the table down below. All of Pinkie's closest friends showed up with their lovers to welcome the couple back, but Ace had been shooed out of Pinkie's room. Pinkie had decided to move in with Ace, and insisted on packing on her own. So Ace waited for Pinkie down below, and the other couples showed up soon after. "They're some mercenary unit that wants to bring the world to peace, or something like that."
"Fighting for peace?" Ace harrumphed, bringing his drink up to his lips. "As pointless as screwing for virginity, if you ask me."
Rainbow snickered, as Geo chimed in. "They're led by some guy named Manglanosa. I don't trust them, personally."
Twilight batted Geo's shoulder lightly. "Geo, come on. They worked out a deal with the Princess to be here, so they must not be all that bad."
Geo shrugged at Twilight. "I didn't say they were bad, I just said I didn't trust them."
Ace thought, considering all the new information. "How long have they been here?" He asked.
Rainbow put a hoof behind her head. "Uh, five days." She told him. "A lot has happened in the two weeks you were gone, Doc."
"Um, I'm sorry, but, uh, can we change the subject?" Fluttershy's voice came. Everyone turned to look at her. "That is, if you don't mind, I don't want to talk about these new humans. They're kind of...scary."
John cocked an eyebrow. "Scary?"
Fluttershy put up a hoof as she began speaking quickly. "Oh! I don't mean humans in general, just these humans. They wear black uniforms, and cover their faces in spooky masks. They look kind of like shadows that are, umm, disconnected, from the bodies they're supposed to go to."
"I must agree with Fluttershy." Rarity admitted. "These ruffians have no sense of class, and I would personally appreciate it if we had a happier subject to discuss. Like your honeymoon, darling!" Rarity looked over to Ace, batting her eyelashes. "Do tell, what all did you and Pinkie do together? I mean..." A coy smile enveloped her face. "Besides the obvious."
As thoughts of his discussion with the hotel manager entered his mind, Ace began blushing, tapping his fingers against the table, he was about to speak, when a high pitched, happy squeal was unleashed from Pinkie's room."Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee~!"
He let out a small sigh of relief, before saying, "Sorry, I gotta take this." Ace stood up, and moved to the front of the stairs. He got into a stance, looking as if he were preparing to play defense in a football game. Suddenly, a pink blur rushed down the stairs, and slammed into Ace. Ace landed on the floor, Pinkie hugging him tightly, as she gleefully rubbed her face against his.
"Acey! Guess what?! Guesswhatguesswhatguesswhatguesswhatguesswha~t?!" Pinkie bounced on Ace, a grin on her face.
Ace shrugged up at Pinkie from his position on the floor. "Uh, chicken butt?" He guessed.
Pinkie giggled, and gave a small snort. "Nope, but good guess!"
Ace sat up, thinking. Coming up with nothing, he merely said, "Alright, then what?"
"I have the most stupendously-awesome and wonderiffic news!" Pinkie said excitedly, catching everyone's attention. "You're never going to believe it! I'm so excited I can hardly wait! We're gonna have soooo much fun!"
Ace held a goofy smile, and laughed. "Well don't keep me in suspense, Pinks, tell me what it is!" All eyes were on Pinkie, waiting to hear this news.
Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, then stopped. She blinked, bringing a hoof up to her chin, before shrugging. "I dunno. I forgot." As several groans sounded from the table, no one noticed the coy smile forming on one side of Pinkie's mouth.
Ace adopted a stoic expression, and moved Pinkie off of him so that he could stand up, and sit back down on his chair. "Oh, well." He shrugged. "I'm just gonna have to..." He suddenly scooped up Pinkie in his arms, a yelp of surprise stemming from the pink pony's muzzle. "...cuddle you until you remember!" Ace finished.
Pinkie went through a fit of laughter, before snuggling up to Ace. "Any excuse, huh?" She asked.
Ace shrugged. "You can't really blame me. You're the most adorable and beautiful mare in Equestria." He complimented.
Pinkie's cheeks tinged red. "Oh, stop it. You're making me blush." She told him, as she resigned herself to being cuddled. "Acey, we're gonna need to visit the market at some point this week." She brought up, out of the blue.
Ace leaned back in the chair. "I'll do it a bit later. What do you need to pick up?"
Pinkie let out a chuckle. "We're gonna need diapers in about eleven months. I figured we should stock up, now." One by one, everyone at the table looked up at Pinkie and Ace in surprise.
Ace shrugged, not realizing what she was implying. "Ah, okay." He said, nonchalantly.
Pinkie rolled her eyes, and sighed, before she began counting. "Five...four...three...two...one..."
Ace suddenly shook his head in realization, and looked down at Pinkie. "Wait a minute, run that by me again?"
"Oh! That's right!" Pinkie exclaimed, twisting her body around in Ace's arms so that she was looking up at him. "THAT'S the wonderiffic news I was gonna tell you! You're gonna be a daddy!"
Ace stood, holding Pinkie in his arms. He looked at Pinkie with an emotionless expression. "Pinkie..." He gasped, as she looked at him, dreading that his reaction wasn't what she expected. Suddenly, he squeezed her in a big hug, shouting "THIS IS WONDERFUL!" Realizing what he was doing, Ace immediately let off. "Oh, I'm sorry, I mean, but, swiss cheese on a stick! This is...there are no words!" Pinkie smiled at Ace, as he looked around frantically. "That means you're gonna be a mommy, too! Oh, we've gotta prepare right away! We should-"
A hoof shot up to Ace's lips, and silenced him. "Don't worry about preparing, snookums. I just want to relax with you right now."
Ace nodded, and sat back down. "Alright, hun. But you know we're gonna have to throw a celebration later today."
"I like the way you think, sugar!" Pinkie exclaimed, before pecking him on the lips. "We're gonna have a big, fun get together for our new bundle of joy! I'm gonna invite everypony in Ponyville, and we're gonna have games, and music, and-"
"I would hate to interrupt such a blatant display of joy, but I need to speak to you." All at the table looked over to the doorway to Sugarcube corner. Four mercenaries were escorting a man in a black suit. He was cleanly kept, of Hispanic and Caucasian descent, and had slick, black hair with a well trimmed beard. He looked at Ace with unflinching brown eyes.
Ace looked up at the man, an annoyed expression on his face. "Can it wait? I'm kinda having a moment with my wife." He said indignantly.
The man shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. This is a matter that I've been trying to deal with ever since you created your portal, Dr. Sorou." He nodded towards one of the mercenaries, who took out a newspaper, and gave it to Ace.
"Why would my creation be of any concern to you?" Ace said, unfurling the newspaper. It was an article about...him. It seemed that back on Earth, Ace's invention, a portal to another planet, had made him famous for the greatest scientific discovery of mankind. There was all kinds of coverage for it, and it seemed like the press wanted to interview him, but the article stated that the portal, now being under military control, was off-limits. Ace folded up the paper, and put it on the table. "Alright. I'm famous on Earth. Big whoop. Do I know you?"
The man approached the table with a creepy smile. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Doutor Henrique Manglanosa." His eyes began to glare at Ace. “And you stole my grandfather's work."
Ace cocked an eyebrow. "What? The Trans-Universal-Portal-Device?" He put Pinkie down in the chair next to him. "I developed all the theories and built the technology with my own two hands. I didn't have anything to base on, and I would never, EVER steal from another scientist." Ace folded his arms, and stuck his nose in the air, closing his eyes. "It's beneath me."
Wordlessly, Manglanosa reached over to one of his henchmen, who handed over a blue paper. With a flick of the wrist, Manglanosa unfurled the piece of paper, and handed it to Ace. "My grandfather developed these blueprints to a machine very similar to your own in the early nineteen-fourties. You can see for yourself that this machine is very much the predecessor to your own design. And thus, the idea belonged to my grandfather well before it belonged to you."
Ace rolled up the paper, and tossed it aside. His right hand shot to his wrist PDA, and after tapping a few buttons on it, a holographic projection of a copy of a patent license displayed over the table. "Yeah, well, the Swiss Patent Office says otherwise, bub. Your grandfather should've gotten the patent. But since he didn't, you're sorta ess-oh-ell." Ace shrugged, and the projection disappeared.
Manglanosa scowled at Ace. "Do you even know who my grandfather is?"
Ace waved off dismissively, looking over at something on the wall. "I don't know. And with the way you're acting towards me, I don't care."
Manglanosa collected himself, before smirking. "You should care. My grandfather was a very esteemed man, worthy of respect. His name was Dr. Josef Mengele."
"Josef Mengele?" Ace snapped his attention back at Dr. Manglanosa. "As in, THE Dr. Josef Mengele? As in, the Angel of Death of Auschwitz?" He asked, causing a stir from Geo and John.
Manglanosa nodded. "So, you've heard of him?"
"Yes, I have." Ace's expression darkened. "Why are you bringing him up? Do you believe as your grandfather did?"
Manglanosa adopted an arrogant expression. "My mercenary unit is entirely based around the teachings of the Fuhrer. Before he suffered from syphilis, he knew how to cure the world of it's ails. I intend to pick up where he left off. I let you know who my grandfather was, so you know to respect him, and by extension, me."
It was Ace's turn to scowl. "Sorry. But I don't respect mass murdering psychopaths." He stated.
Manglanosa bared his teeth at Ace. "Slanderer! He was a hero and a well regarded man!"
"He was a war criminal and a bloodthirsty sociopath!" Ace shouted, getting up to his feet. "The fact that he escaped justice at Nuremburg is an outrage! That monster deserved a punishment no mortal man can conceive!"
Manglanosa stepped foward, pointing an accusing finger at him. "You have no right to judge my family, Doutor! Your roots are far worse than mine!" Ace was taken aback. "Oh yes. I looked into your background. Your ties to organized crime. You wear a uniform of a peacekeeper for this land, yet you come from the American gangland. Your father helped form the Circle Eights, am I correct? One of the most notorious gangs in the southwestern United States. I would never stoop so low as to deal drugs, extort businesses, or smuggle illegal goods. That is what makes me a greater man than your father."
Applejack quickly knocked her hooves on the table, trying to get their attention. "Now hold on a sec. Ah think ya'll should cool 'yer cabooses, 'afore one o' ya'll says something he'll regret."
Ace held a hand up at Applejack. "AJ, I appreciate the gesture, but I'll handle this." He was breathing heavily, as a beat started forming in his head.
"I like how you think that you're better than my dad,
but trust me, amigo, you don't wanna see me mad.
You wanna step off, now. And maybe back away.
I warn you, if you don't, I'm gonna make you pay."
Dr. Manglanosa cocked his head curiously at Ace. "What was that? A rhyme? I beg your pardon, Doutor, but it was YOU who wanted to drag family history into this confrontation. Despite what history claims, my family had reputation! Prestige! Power!" Manglanosa snarled at Ace. "Your father was just scum off the streets, who died like a coward!"
Everyone thought Ace was gonna rip Manglanosa's throat out. Instead, he smiled, as the beat in his head started forming in real life. "Alright, you asked for it...
I'm about to turn left, so everybody duck!
If I smack you with my cock, well I don't give a fuck!
My name's Ace Sorou, I've got a P.H.D in pain!
And this fucker here wants to play this game?
Let me make this clear; This is MY town!
And upon this little bitch, I'm about to put the smack down!
Your little war whores ain't got shit on my bots!
And anything you make, will crumble 'gainst my onslaught!
You look like King Leonidas, the Greek!
I betcha, just like him, you drink a lotta skeet!
You're descended from Mengele? Big fuckin' deal!
The pain that monster caused is what I'll make you feel!
I ain't took shit off of any Nazi bitch!
If I had my way, he would be face down in a ditch!
News flash, moron! The Fuhrer is dead!
So you and all your skins can go give each other head!"
Everyone at the table stared at Ace in shock, their mouths hanging open. Dr. Manglanosa struggled to keep his composure. "Wha...You...What was that?! Did you just...rap at me?! These accusations are...How dare you, Doutor! I expected more professionalism out of you! You should show some respect for the Reich! Were you to say such things back during it's power, you would have disappeared! The return of a Nazi nation is coming, and you will not be nearly as offensive towards it when it arrives! But I digress, I came here to reclaim what belonged to my grandfather, not listen to your vexatious rhyming! You've stolen from my family, and I demand satisfaction!" Ace rolled his eyes.
"The inanity of your words, is grating on my ears!
The Reich's not coming back, does that drive you to tears?
My patience is decreasing, by hundreds of degrees!
Until I am forced to say, 'Bitch, please!'
My theories are my own, I don't care how you see 'em!
You and your beliefs belong in a museum!
So back the fuck up right now, Motherfucker!
Before I take my fist, and ram it straight up your pucker!"
As the music faded, a very angry Dr. Manglanosa began shouting at Ace. "How dare you be so crude, Doutor! Know this; I will not soon forgive this affront! You have made a powerful enemy today, an extremely unwise move! I WILL have my satisfaction, Doutor Sorou!" Manglanosa turned to leave with his entourage, the laughter of Geo, John, and Rainbow Dash following him. Ace sat back down, the rest of the ponies still gawking at him.
"Seems to me like we've learned something today." John said. "Don't piss off the Doctor."
"I heard that." Geo replied. "But you gotta admit, that was fucking brilliant."
"Hold on a minute." Twilight announced. "What was he talking about? You have a past in this 'Gangland?' Where is that? And why does it seem so looked down upon?"
Ace's expression went from angry, to sad. He didn't really want to talk about it, but if he refused right now, he'd probably come off as a jerk. That, and he felt he owed his friends an explanation. "...It's not a happy topic for me, Twilight. If you want me to talk about it, I would have to tell tell you my life's story."
"Well we've got some time." Twilight insisted. "We're your friends. I promise you, any unhappy memories that surface, we'll be here for you. Right, guys?" There was a pretty much unanimous clamor of agreement, and Pinkie moved back up to be with Ace.
"I wanna know more about you especially, Acey!" She said, hugging him. "I wanna know what to expect from our foal."
The mention of a foal brought a smile to Ace's lips, causing him to be happy again. "You guys..." He sighed. "Thanks." He shrugged, wrapping an arm around Pinkie. "Well, where should I begin? I was born to a military family. My dad was an ex-army paratrooper. Had the right stuff to make it in the Rangers, but he liked the guys in his unit. After his service was up, he settled down with my mom, who was in the Navy as a gunner's mate on a ship. I was born in a small town called 'Texarkana.' Nice place to come from, but you wouldn't wanna live there. I lived there for two years, just me, my dad, and my mom. Then suddenly, it was just me and my dad." The ponies listened, as did Geo, John, and Spike. "My mom's ship was attacked by terrorists. The ship went down, and half the crew died. I was two." Ace said glumly, causing Pinkie to hug him.
Geo looked down at his drink, and sat up in his chair. "What happened after that?"
Ace shrugged. "I started growing. We moved around a lot, sticking around Texas and Oklahoma. We were in New Mexico at one point, and eventually, we settled. My dad, God bless his soul, he loved me and took good care of me, but he fell in with the wrong people. Helped form a nasty gang called the 'Circle Eights.' They put on a legitimate face, but as with most gangs, beneath a lighthearted facade of brotherhood, they were committing some pretty heinous crimes. Burglary, extortion, drug trafficking, you name it. But my dad didn't want me to get involved with that life, however. He gave up on himself, but not on me.
"I started exhibiting a high intelligence at an early age." He continued. "I was an inquisitive tot. I asked questions about anything you could think of. I wanted to know how the universe worked, I wanted to know everything about everything, and most of all, I wanted to learn. So I started learning, teaching myself this and that, whatever caught my interest. Dad was proud of me for being so learned. By the time I was in kindergarten, I was already multiplying numbers, and reading Mark Twain."
"That advanced at such an early age?"John guffawed. "That's unbelievable."
Ace smiled at him. "What can I say? I'm a fast learner."
John shook his head. "No, that really is unbelievable. Mark Twain books at six?" Joh threw a hand up. "You have to be pulling our legs."
Ace gave John a deadpan stare. "...We currently live in a world filled with magical talking ponies, and you can't believe that I'm a well read toddler?"
John opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Finally, he shrugged. "...Alright, fine. So, what was school life like?"
Ace looked up in rememberance. "Nothing I couldn't handle. I kept to myself, but whoever interacted with me, well, I treated them the same way they treated me. I made a lot of good friends, a few enemies, but I lost contact with all of them after..." Ace's voice trailed off. "Let's just say fate wasn't finished with me."
Ace sighed. "I was ten years old. My dad was out driving around, and I was at home, reading up on theories about spaceships to Mars, when a knock came at the door. I opened it up, and two policemen were standing there, holding their hats. They told me that my father had been killed, as a declaration of war between the Circle Eights and a rival gang. I didn't believe them. They were cops, I was the son of a gangster. They weren't to be trusted. I remember being angry at them, accusing them of making up stories just so I would have to go with them. I didn't have any other family, so if my dad was dead, that means I'd be going to a foster home. I started throwing punches, and...the rest is a blur. I think I was arrested.
"They dropped me off at foster care the next morning. I was in no mood to do anything except grumble angrily. I kept on thinking that this was all just a misunderstanding, that at any moment, my dad would walk through that door, and take me home, telling me that everything was okay. 'Dad will be here.' I told myself. 'Dad always comes back.' But that evening, I saw a news report of a gang leader murdered in a drive-by. They didn't name him, but the news showed my dad's car, riddled with bullet holes. It was then I knew that my dad, who had always been there to look after me, who always defended me, who was the most important thing in the world to me..."Ace had began tearing up as he recounted his early years, and now on the verge of tears, he looked like he couldn't continue his story. Just then, Pinkie's sympathetic muzzle brushed across his cheek. She snuggled into Ace's neck, and smiled up at him. Now calmed, Ace prompted himself to finish. "...I knew he wasn't coming. I knew my life had changed forever."
The whole table was silent. There was a pregnant pause in the conversation. Pinkie hugged Ace tightly, and comfortingly, before breaking off, and looking at him. "...Acey, If you're anything like your papa, then you're gonna be a good daddy for our foal. Your papa may have made some bad choices, but he sounds like he was a good guy. I think if he were here, he'd be smiling at you, knowing you turned out to have a good life. You have good friends, a job that doesn't involve anything illegal, AND a wife who loves you. You don't have to feel lonely anymore. We're all here, to do whatever we can."
Geo let out a "Hear, hear!" in agreement, holding his drink. John and the others nodded in agreement, mimicking Geo's action.
Ace smiled tearfully. "Thanks." He said, brushing his eyes with a hand. "If you guys don't mind, I'd like to end the story there, for now."
Rarity nodded, speaking for everyone else. "Of course, Darling. It certainly is a lot to take in. I would be most interested in hearing more at some point, but until then, you may keep your peace." The others handed out their agreements.
Afterwards, there was some cheery banter to help liven up the mood. Ace started feeling better, and by the time the promised Me-and-Acey-are-gonna-have-a-foal party came around, he felt good enough to make an appearance. Surprisingly, aside from Ace, Geo, and John, no other humans showed up to the party. Ace rationalized that Dr. Manglanosa was pretty ticked at him. When the party died down, and everyone started leaving, Ace helped Pinkie finish packing. Taking Gummy with them, Ace and Pinkie flew in the Sorou-Mobile to Ace's lab, where they spent the rest of the day getting Pinkie settled into her new home.