//------------------------------// // Harmony Days VI: Uncle Orange's Day out (part 1) // Story: Sometimes They Call Me Super // by KorenCZ11 //------------------------------// Applejack         When Ah woke up the next mornin', or afternoon really, Ah was surprised. No nightmare ta get me outta bed in a cold sweat. No memorable dream at all really. Fer once, Ah slept soundly. Ah sat up in my bed at the apartment, the light filterin' in through the blackout curtains dancin' with the dust in the air. Ah looked around and didn't see my alarm clock anywhere. Ah felt a buzzin' on the floor next ta my mattress, and then remembered what all Ah'd done yesterday after Ah left the castle.         As of next week Ah should have a motorcycle license, the apartment shouldn't need groceries fer the next month and Ah am currently the owner of a new phone. Ah scooped up the little red coated device and tapped the screen ta get it ta stop buzzin'. Ah'm gonna have ta start wearin' a way ta carry this thin' around with me other than dad's jacket. Maybe Ah should look inta gettin' some casual clothes... Ah got up and tossed the device on the bed, then made my way inta the livin' room.         “Afternoon, Applejack,” Uncle said from couch. The TV was on, but barely audible and my siblin's were nowhere ta be seen. That's about right... Applebloom should still be in school and Macintosh is probably at work. Ah'm the only one who does thin's at night anyways... but why is Uncle Orange still home? And more importantly, why does he look so clean?         “Mornin'. Uh, Afternoon. Ya got somethin' goin' on today?” Ah made my way inta the kitchen and pulled some eggs and a few of the bell peppers Ah bought yesterday outta the fridge.         “An old friend wanted to meet with me today, so I've taken the day to visit. How are you? I saw that you filled the fridge.” He slowly turned his head my way ta glance back at me. Sometimes it unnerved me when he would look like he didn't have an expression on his face. Ah've lived with him fer years and Ah'm still not used ta it.         “Yeah. My boss called me in because Ah got a promotion the other day, and a big one.” Ah started cuttin' peppers up, and Ah threw some butter in a skillet and turned the heat up enough ta get it ta melt. The key was ta undercook the eggs ta leave them not rubbery and have a similar texture ta melty cheese with the crunch of the peppers ta back it up. It was quick, easy, and most importantly, delicious.         “Oh wow. Good for you. Does that come with any new responsibilities?” A soft smile had formed on his face like he was genuinely happy ta hear it. His mood is always infectious, in a way. He can change the tone of the room just by walkin' in it. Made me smile back.         “Oh, ya know. Now Ah have ta keep my coworkers from killin' themselves, and Ah tell em what ta do fer the most part, but other than that it's the same. She thought Ah was worth a leadership position. The raise was pretty steep, so Ah figured it was a good deal.” Ah cracked the eggs in a glass and whisked 'em together with a fork. A dash of salt, a dash of pepper, throw it in the pan and mix together. A little rhyme Ah remember dad sayin' when he'd make breakfast in the mornin'. He always said that mom would sing somethin' whenever she cooked and it just carried over. Macintosh won't admit it, but he does it too. Applebloom is the only one who never knew about it...         “I see... well, I'm sure you can handle it. Is that wristband new? I don't remember seeing anything like it.” He turned his attention back ta the TV, buit that only made me ferel more like Ah was caught with somethin' Ah shouldn't have. Ah hadn't taken it off since the yesterday. Wow. Does that mean Ah showered with this thin' on?         “Oh uh... it was a gift. One of my bosses was really... intent on givin' it ta somepony and Ah happened ta be the only one around.” Ah shuffled the eggs in the pan lettin' them go from a gooey liquid ta a foamy bed of pale yellow with red and green stripes. The smell was startin' ta waft in the air and Ah was about ready ta eat. Ah grabbed a plate and let the sizzlin' bed slide off the pan on ta it. Ah turned everythin' off, washed off my fork, and took a seat next ta Uncle Orange.         “Really? Interesting. I've never seen a gem quite like that before. You're not getting married on me are you?” Ah rolled my eyes and punched him in the shoulder. This ain't no weddin' band, or at least Ah hope it ain't. Especially since Ah broke one.         “All my bosses are mares, and Ah'm not inta that. The one guy Ah did meet is a creep, so Ah don't think there's anythin' ta worry about there. What are ya watchin' here anyways?” Ah finally focused on the TV, and there was a documentary of some kind on it. It looked like he was watchin' somethin' about a war before the screen flashed ta some sports event that was dramatically different than whatever he started with.         “Oh, nothing.” He looked at his watch and sighed. “Here, TV's all yours.” He he tossed the remote next ta me and got up off the couch. Ah looked at the remote then Ah looked at him.         “Ah just sit down and ya leave?” He shrugged.         “Appointments are appointments, and this one is rather important to me. It's already almost two and I'm supposed to be across the province in an hour.” Ah watched him unfold some of the laundry until he found the shirt he was lookin' fer and started ta button it up. He found his red tie that matched his name sake with its bright orange stripes over deep crimson, then grabbed his bag from the kitchen table. It was almost weird ta see him so clean and well dressed like this. He's usually more of a slob when he wants ta be.         “Well. Enjoy your... whatever it is Ah guess.” He looked back and flashed that smiled of his again.         “I would hope so. I'll be home later tonight, so let your siblings know, alright?”         “Gotcha. Bye Uncle.” Ah waved and he shut the door behind him. Pfft. If anypony looks like they're about ta go on a date it's you, ya old coot. Oh well. Even if that's the case, it would be nice ta see him happy. Blood Orange         I closed the door behind me and sighed. A promotion huh? I can only wonder what she's really been up to. Her father came up with the same fake job years ago, so that leads me to believe... I shook the thought out of my headand started to make my way down the winding staircase in the apartment complex. No, no, it's better I just ignore it. The moment I look at the truth, it will just bite me in the ass again. Speaking of... something looked unnatural about her tail. What would she say if I asked about it? Did something happen? She's not typically one to wear jewelry either. Of the three of them, she's the least transparent about what she does. But if she's really playing hero, there's no way she would tell me about it, would she? That night five years ago was enough to tell me she's her father's daughter. It's more than likely...         I shook my head one more time and made my way out of the lobby. Even if she's doing what I think she is, asking her about it would only make it more stressful for her. The last thing she would want is to worry her siblings. Besides. If I start poking around her life, who knows what she might find out about me. That... I can never let happen. The darker thoughts beginning to seep into my mind, I quickly brought my trotting up to a gallop as I headed for the subway. The September air rushed past me like a warm slush as I felt the minds of every other pony on the Manehattan streets shoot through my head.         A sub-pony, part lizard. A pyrokinetic. A hydrokinetic. Somepony who can freeze... time? Another sub-pony. An empath. Born an earth pony, half avian. The numbers have grown in these past few years. An earth pony with unnatural strength... What is Macintosh doing out here? Poor kid. All that power and no where to use it. At least he's got a good head on his shoulders. A psychic. A... what is that? I halted my gallop as I felt something so odd, I couldn't begin to comprehend what it was with just a passing glance. It was clearly one mind, but at the same time, it felt like there was another consciousness within it. Like a monster, sleeping inside. I followed the feeling, deviating a little from my trip to the train station. I finally spotted the source and it was a pale yellow pegasus mare with bright pink hair. I frowned.         Oh my. Could something so dangerous have any less an intimidating exterior? It looked like she was out buying some electronic or other and was... afraid of everything. Until she stopped. Her ears picked up and she started sniffing around. Then she focused on me, her expression changed from something of fear to something of concern. She began to head this way and I bolted toward the station.         I wonder if she knows about the second consciousness? Whatever it is, that second consciousness was sensitive enough to see me. She didn't have any power to tell who I was, so everything should be fine... With that, I finally finished my trip to the station. The tunnel was filled with pale gray tiling and bright fluorescent lights that illuminated it to the point of reflecting off the tiles. It was always too bright down here in the waiting area, and too dark everywhere else. I scanned my pass and boarded the subway, letting the smell of oil and machinery sink into my nose as I counted power ponies on this particular train.         Ever since I buried that mirror with him, the powers I once knew and the ones I thought I'd taken from him all but vanished one day out of the blue. For years I believed that my powers had just disappeared completely, but just as they had gone, this ability just showed up without warning or notice a little before Applejack brought me home from the bar. I can tell who can do what and even filter through some of their genetics. Anything to do with natural ability, but only ponies with the virus. The information suddenly flowing into my brain became so overwhelming all at once that my only escape from it was numbing my head with alcohol. Of course, my parents just so happen to pass Citrus the tolerance gene instead of me, and I accidentally discovered I could... taste a pony's intent too, adding to the already massive overload I was experiencing. Naturally, the drinking became a problem. I'm only glad I remembered Applejack had her father's powers at the time. Had I not the sense to call her that night, who knows what would have happened?         And then... then that stallion showed up in my life again. Somehow he must've known, known that something had changed within me. True, I wouldn't have the job I do now were it not for him, but resentment is all I can feel for him. He was the one who gave me that damnable mirror in the first place. I can only assume he's finally calling me back because he needs it again. Too bad for him, I'll never let him manipulate another pony into becoming me again. Not only will I take all this information to my grave, but it doesn't matter anyways because I can't find Citrus' grave.         “We have arrived at western station. We have arrived at western station. Ten minutes before the next departure.” The overhead com said. I watched as several Ponies and other creatures got up from their seats and left, while from the doors, a different group of ponies entered. My trip to Tin would take over an hour and stop at several towns within the province. I didn't outright lie to Applejack, but there was only half the truth there. He isn't expecting me until four anyways. My attention was caught when a young mare had frantically entered the train right before the doors closed. The conductor outside gave her an irritated look before making his way back up the train. Most of the seats were full, save for one next to me, which she happily took.         “Geez, I barely made it. If I'm late again, my boss is gonna kill me, but you know about that right?” She asked, in a scratchy, but young voice. She was a pegasus, cyan coated with a rainbow of colors in her mane and tail with one wing on her right side. The other looked more like a reddened nub where the bone should have been that only half extended from her left shoulder blade. She was wearing a small box on her neck that I could only imagine was a phone of some kind, with a small chord wrapped around it. She was looking at me, so I expected she was also talking to me. Her right eye had a scar running down it. Strange. Ponies usually don't just start up conversation with strangers on the subway, especially not scarred cripples.         “Oh, is that so?” I asked. She nodded, confirming my suspicions, and continued talking.         “Yeah. Didn't do so hot on my last assignment so now he wants to talk to me in person. What are you on the train for?” What an odd young mare. She's likely not much younger than Applejack, yet here she is talking to some random old stallion on the subway. Taking a closer look at her, I felt her mind telling me that she wasn't just an ordinary cripple. Hemokenetic? Blood? She can manipulate blood?         “I'm going to visit an old friend in Tin.” Hmm... I can only wonder what she does...         “Oh cool, I'm going to Tin as well. I work for Argent Industries at the HQ. Have you ever actually seen the old man? Like, the guy himself, Mister Argent?” She had a hint of excitement in her voice from what I could tell. Hmm... I doubt anypony knowing who I know would be a good thing.         “No, but I do work for a branch of that company myself. I'm off to visit the main office today.” She put a hoof to her chin and tilted her head at me.         “Really... Do I know you? You look... sorta familiar...” I shrugged.         “I don't think so. I think it would be pretty difficult to forget somepony as unique as yourself.” She put her hoof over he mouth.         “Oh crap, you are just some guy on the subway. Sorry man. The name's Rainbow Dash.” She put a hoof out and I met it, but kept my distance. Not only hemokenetic, but her blood is toxic. If it gets in my cells, the nerves will be paralyzed. What a dangerous mare. Two unsuspecting pegasi today, and they both have the power to do something terrible. Oh well, at least she doesn't seem to be trying to con me. this flavor is... strange.         “Blood Orange. Nice to meet you. What do you do for Argent?” The mare laid back in her seat and started to unwrap her phone and placed one of the little buds deep in her ear.         “I'm a Pony Resources consultant. I work for a lot of Ponies, Argent is just my current client. The guy is loaded, so he pays well but... I'm not so sure about it after my last job...” Her ears drooped and she looked down. I frowned. A PR consultant? At what, twenty? There's no way. No, I bet you can use that hemokenesis a lot better than you can manage ponies.         “Really... At such a young age, you must be good at your job.” She shrugged as she flipped through a screen on her little device.         “Eh, it's all I'm really good at. A Pegasus who can't fly isn't any good for weather control, so all I've really got going for me are my pony skills. I started a conversation with you didn't I?” I looked around the train and then the conclusion that I was the oldest pony on it came to mind. Not only that, but there's nopony else on this train wearing a tie. Huh. She singled me out because of my appearance. Not bad.         “You're smarter than you look. So what kind of job does a Pony Resources consultant like yourself do?” Her ear seemed to twitch at that first statement, but she didn't let it bother her.         “Lately, I've had to deal with a lot of special interest clients, specifically the ones Argent has me following. You know who Marevelous Red is, right?” She looked up at me with those magenta irises, and now she was definitely trying to get something out of me. With all of my will, I kept my face from twitching. Do I know who Marevelous Red is. Honestly, I hope I don't know who Marevelous Red is. The real question here is what are you after?         “I've heard of her. What about her?” She had me lean in before speaking into my ear.         “Well, apparently, she was spotted at the harbor on the night that it was destroyed. Huge damage to the Argent pier and Mister Argent's personal port. They said that there were grooves in the concrete like it was melted by some kind of giant laser beam or something. I didn't get there until after the fight was over and the police had taken control of the scene, but from what I heard, there were charred pony limbs scattered all over the place and a whole mutilated body. Some ponies are saying that Marevelous herself did it, but I get the feeling that she stopped whatever did that.” She was whispering now, but her intentions had become foggy again. Limbs? Like, back legs and forelegs? Wings? What in the world? The story only said that part of the port was destroyed in an accident Saturday night...         “How could that happen? Who would even believe Marevelous could do something like that? She's never displayed any feat of energy manipulation.” I responded at a normal volume, but I suppose this was all supposed to be a secret.         “Shush!” she checked around to make sure nopony was looking at us and then continued, “I don't know, but this is where the real story starts. Apparently there's a rumor going around about ponies getting second powers.” Second powers!? No... he can't be... how would he even be making them? The one I had was the only one if it's kind, it had fragments of the original element crystals in it... unless... he found the rest of them...         “Second powers? I thought power ponies could only have one because of the way the virus messes with a pony's genetic makeup.” I made sure to keep my voice down this time and she nodded her head.         “While that's true, there's this guy, a stallion who goes by Goose Fang, who can teleport. But he couldn't always do that. Originally, it was believed that he was the long lost son of Shark Tooth, the mob boss who disappeared like, fifteen years ago, and he had the powers and the looks to back that up. But a few weeks ago, all kinds of ponies were talking about how he could just pop from one place to another and deliver the smackdown like nopony's business. He was in control of that harbor until a few days ago when he just up and disappeared. Nopony has seen him since.”         I don't like this. Too many things in her story are correlating for me specifically. There is no way she doesn't know who I am. But... how could she know who Marevelous is? In that suit you would never be able to tell. The only reason I suspect anything is because of her father's lies that match up with her own... well, that and I know what her powers are. I have to ask.         “So, why tell me?” She shrugged.         “You seem like a guy who's seen a lot. Somepony who has a few secrets. I don't have high hopes of being able to just 'walk away' from Mister Argent's office today because I fucked up bad on my last job. I figure I'd tell somepony what I thought in the event I don't get a chance later.” That energy she had when she started the conversation had faded away, and now she just sounded tired.         “You really think you would just get offed in broad daylight? Even the mobs haven't been that bold for more than a decade now since that singer was gunned down in her own home.” She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.         “Maybe. The stallion has more power and influence than you know. If we're being honest here, he probably has as much control over the country as the princesses do. If he wants some cripple with no ties to anypony dead, then he can make it that way with a few calls. What am I supposed to do, fly away? Even if I could, he would still find me. At least this way my foster sister doesn't get hurt in the process.” I know that voice. That's the voice of somepony who's given up hope.         “You can't think like that. If you don't try to improve your standing, how is it supposed to get any better? Sure, you might've botched a job, but I doubt you're worth more dead than alive to him. The news story about the harbor had less information in it than yours did. If nothing else, surely your information gathering skill could be put to use. The dumbest thing anypony can do is kill a spy, after all.” Her ears perked up, if only a little and her face relaxed.         “I guess. You're not some ordinary old dude, are you Mister Orange?” I shook my head.         “No, I'm about as normal as they come.” Blatant lies, all of it. “Just your average accountant trying to make a living for his family.” There we go.         “Oh yeah? You married?” I winced. I swallowed a dull pain.         “A long time ago. She died in an accident that spiraled out of hoof in a hurry.” Her ears flattened again.         “Oh, geez... I, uh... I'm sorry about that.” I shook my head.         “Don't worry about it, you couldn't have known. That happened almost fourteen years ago.” She brought her hooves to her mouth.         “No way... you don't mean she was part of the Copper Tassel thing do you? Was she... was she a power pony?”         “Not a power pony, but that was when it happened. She was in the building that collapsed.” I said. It was hard, to keep the memories at bay. I lost my mind so quickly that I didn't even learn who Copper Tassel was until three years later. All that anger and hate that had built up so much was only directed at the suit and nowhere else. And then that stallion stepped in right before I was released... he gave me that cursed thing and I went wild with that power... So many... so many...         I lost count at one point. I could only see red in those days, and finally, when everything was clear again, it was my own brother who brought me back to sanity. I'll never forgive myself, and I'll never forgive that bastard for giving me that... that thing!         “Hey, are you okay?” I felt the girl's hoof on my foreleg before I realized I was clutching my own head in my hooves. I shook the thoughts away. Just more memories to bury.         “Sorry. Just some... unpleasant memories. What about you? You're no more than twenty I would guess. Are you supporting yourself and this er,”         “Foster sister.” She corrected.         “Right, foster sister, or do you live with somepony?” I asked. She shook her head.         “No. I've been alone since I was... probably twelve or so. I was actually born in Cloudsdale, but I fell off the city and broke my wing off on the way down to the forest below it. I couldn't get back up and I was never found by anypony, so I've never been back. It's a miracle I survived after all this time, really. My sister was in a similar position when I met her, but she could never fly to begin with. We help each other get by these days.” I can only imagine trying to live in that city alone as a child. I'm sure there's more to that story.         “Now arriving at Tin station. End of the line, Tin station,” The overhead com said. Already? Must've missed the other announcements...         “I suppose this is our stop. We'll have to part ways here.” She yawned and stood up.         “Yeah, I guess it is. Well, it was nice to meet ya old man.” I rolled my eyes. Old man. I'm forty five. I might not be in my prime anymore, but I'm certainly not that old...         “The same goes to you. If I see you again, you'll have to introduce me to your sister.” She headed for the opposite end of the station, but turned and gave me a smile.         “You got a deal old man!” And off through the crowd she trotted. Alone within the mass of ponies getting on and off trains at the platform, I looked for the clock. Three forty five PM. I'd better hurry over there. That stallion is unpredictable...