Author's Notes:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand I've already stopped with the colours. To be honest, it was annoying me just having to put the damn things in all the time.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Rarity was a busy mare. Orders had stacked up out of nowhere: three dresses with ruby-encrusted hems, all a different design, for Fleur Di Lis; three matching suits with ruby-encrusted lapels, also different designs, for Fancy Pants; and five gem-encrusted stage dresses, each with a different gem for every day of the week, for Sapphire Shores.

Fortunately, Sapphire's dresses were already completed and on their way to the pop-star's most recent show. Unfortunately, those dresses had ran her gem supplies completely dry, so she'd had to send Spike out to collect the rubies for the remaining orders, which had all since been prepped for the long process in which the gems would be sewed into the fabric. The fashionista was just pouring a cup of tea when the small bell hanging above Carousel Boutique's door let out a small *ring*, announcing either the arrival of a customer or Spike's return.
"Rares! I'm back!"

Rarity smiled to herself, placing the teapot back on the stove before making her way into the foyer. "Spikey-Wikey!" The mare called, holding out her arms in a hugging manner. Spike, of course, complied instantly before placing his basket on a nearby table. "And Zecora, too! Oh, it's been much too long!"
"Indeed it has, my fashionable friend!" Zecora replied, smiling broadly. "Though I'm afraid this visit holds a small business end."
"Oh? And what would that be?"

"That would be me."

Rarity jumped slightly at the new voice, as she hadn't noticed the third member of the visiting party. Rarity took a moment to take in this new stallion's appearance - which of course means she took one look at his torn and ragged clothes and immediately teleported him onto the small stage in her show room, immediately taking measurements.
"Whatever happened to your clothes, dearie?" the fashionista asked, tape measure wrapping around Ace's waist.
"I'm still trying to figure that part out myself." Ace admitted, sighing. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Hey, where exactly am I? I never did ask."

The three others in the room shared a look, clearly surprised by his question.

Rarity spoke first, moving over to a desk covered in paper and drawing utensils. "Darling, surely you've heard of Ponyville, if not the Everfree Forest?"
"They sound familiar, yeah, but..." Ace began before trailing off. Slate-grey eyes widened in a mixture of realisation, amazement and despair. "No. Freakin'. Way. Am I in Equestria?"
Spike stepped forward, slight concern in his eyes. "Uh, dude? You okay there?"

Out of nowhere, Ace began to giggle. His giggling soon grew into a chuckle, before exploding into outright maniacal laughter, causing the others to step back in concern. Tears built in the man's eyes before cascading down his face, the laughter only growing in volume in this time. Ace slowly sank to his knees as he finally began to just sob pathetically, Zecora moving to his side, pulling the distraught man into a hug. Rarity, attempting not to focus on the awkward situation, busied herself with designing multiple outfits for Ace. She also made a quick note to replicate his current clothes.

Spike, having seen the signs in many of his comic books, finally concocted reasonable (in his eyes, at least) theory as to Ace's bizarre looks.

"You're... you're not from this planet, are you?" he asked.
"Spike!" Rarity scolded. "That's ridiculous! Of course he's-"
"You're right, Spike." Ace began, cutting Rarity off as he dried his eyes. Thanking Zecora, he continued. "Where I'm from, this world is just a cartoon, though you're not as... humanoid. Tell me, what was the last big thing to happen to you guys?"
"Well, that would be Tirek, surely." Rarity replied, already stitching the material together for a simple tee shirt. "But I still find this whole 'other world' thing utterly ridiculous. I mean, how would your sun and moon move without Celestia and Luna!" She gave a little laugh at that, thinking that she had won.

"The planet moves around the sun on it's own, as does the moon around the planet."

Rarity face palmed.

"Now, since Tirek was the last big thing to happen, that means you no longer have the Elements of Harmony, but you do have the power of the Rainbow Light thing. And Twilight has a castle."
"Ignoring how unsettling it is that a supposed alien knows all of that," Rarity stated, handing Ace a loose-fitting, plain white tee shirt with a motif of three diamonds on the right shoulder. "Here is a new shirt for you. I shall get right to work on some proper trousers to replace whatever those used to be." She finished with a brief gesture to Ace's jeans, which were surprisingly no more torn than when he had put them on the morning before.

It was when he changed his shirt hat he realised he was still wearing the necklace. It seemed to have a greater shine to it now, as though it held some untold power, but right now all Ace could see was the Merchant's smug face.
"He did this to me." he spat, voice dripping with venom. "He sold me this thing. He tore me from my sister!"
The necklace seemed to flash, and suddenly Ace's face paled. The others in the room merely looked on in confusion, none daring to say a word.
"Something's wrong."

As if on cue, a series of loud screams echoed through the air. Wasting little time, Ace rushed for the door, stopping only when Rarity screeched "You can't go out there! You'll get yourself killed!"
Ace looked back at her, eyes cold but determined. "I have a new shirt and my jeans aren't damaged any more than normal." He said, pulling open the boutique's door. "All I know is, as far as the timeline I know of is concerned, there isn't supposed to be anything attacking Ponyville today."

And with that, he shot off, Spike hot on his heels. The two of them quickly made their way to the market square, where they saw an orange Earth-Pony with a blonde mane and tail kicking at a timberwolf, a smaller, yellow Earth-Pony with a scarlet mane and tail, both of whom wore simple work jeans and tank tops.

"Applejack!" Spike shouted, charging the timberwolf and tackling it to the ground. Ace ran over to the mare, speaking quickly.
"Ma'am, take your sister and run. We'll handle this."
Applejack nodded before grabbing her sister and sprinting away. "C'mon, Apple Bloom." she said. "Let's get ya safe."

Ace turned to see Spike throwing the timberwolf off of himself, noticing the purple smoke billowing from the wolf's eye's.
"Spike!" he called, the drake rolling out of the way of the wolf lunging at his throat. "D'you see that in it's eyes?"
"Yeah, that's not good."

Ace rushed forward, hoping to get a decent kick at the timberwolf's jaw while it was distracted. However, it dodged at the last second before using incredibly surprising strength to buck him clear into the air, his body sailing towards the Everfree.