//------------------------------// // Persona I: Name of the Mask // Story: Sometimes They Call Me Super // by KorenCZ11 //------------------------------// Applejack Ya know, when today started, Ah almost thought it was gonna be a regular day. Ah later cursed myself fer thinkin’ that anythin’ would ever be normal again, but fer a moment there, Ah really believed it. It was Tuesday, September 10th, and just like any other Tuesday in September, it was sunny and relatively warm with that slight chill in the air that makes ya want ta wear a jacket. You’d be hard pressed ta find me not wearin’ mine, but all the same, Ah wasn’t the only pony wearin’ one today. Last Thursday, Ah saved my sister from one of those monsters in the middle of a fight with it, and we had ta lay down some ground rules about her trackin’ me down, because apparently, she can do that without even lookin’ at me. “Ah cain’t believe it! Y’all really killed that thin'! Holy hell, how many does that make!? Have you been doin’ this kinda stuff the whole time!? Ah’ve never seen a real super hero fight up close, but goddess, was that some kinda sight!” Applebloom exclaimed from my back as Ah hopped from rooftop ta rooftop ta get ta the apartment. Ya aren’t supposed ta be here, damn it! “Sure, maybe it looks cool, and it’s certainly all fine when everypony gets out alive, but just remember a few thin’s while you’re runnin' wild over there. One; ya almost died. Skewered alive like some kinda piece of fruit. Who knows? That thin’s tentacles were so fast it mighta just tore ya apart instead of just stoppin’ at the base. If ya managed ta survive the initial stab, ya certainly wouldn't have lasted long after. It woulda ruined yer lungs, stomach, digestive tract, and who knows what else along the way? But that’s just the first thin'. Two; one of my partners got knocked the fuck out and is currently havin’ broken bones, muscles, and skin replaced on account of her now missin’ a good bunch of it from gettin' hit by that thin’. All it took was it hittin’ her. Ya know Ah’m not average, and she isn’t either, but thank goddess she happens ta be an earth pony. Were her body any more fragile than it already is, who knows if she’d be alive or not right now? Even after all the shit Ah’ve seen, Ah don’t know that Ah’ve ever seen a leg bend that way. Let’s just hope my boss can reset the bones so Ah don’t lose what little assets Ah already have. Oh, but let’s not forget the other one. Three; Ah almost died… and, had ya not shown up when ya did, then Ah mighta been the one skewered. So… thanks, Ah guess.” As awful as it had been earlier, it was really a pretty night out. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and ya could see just about every star in the northern hemisphere. The city was beginnin' its night life, and those mere miles away from the monster fight had no idea it ever happened. Of course, Ah doubt that’ll last long. It’s only a matter of time before somepony reports whatever they recorded of it. Unless we run inta a monster that can put out an electromagnetic pulse, Ah doubt we’ll ever get outta a fight unnoticed. “Well… you’re welcome Ah guess?” Applebloom said after we crossed more of the city. Finally passed the end of the park, the apartment was just a few more miles down the road. “So, tell me. Why did ya do it? And fer that matter, how? It’s not like we took a conventional path ta get where we were goin’ or anythin’.” More silence and the rush of the night air followed until we were just about at the apartment. “Well, Ah just… Ah got a bad feelin’ about it, ya know? Like, somethin’ told me that Ah’d never see ya again if Ah didn’t go and find ya. When that guy in the black suit crashed in front of the store Taps took me to, I knew Ah needed ta see it. You, and Rarity, and Rainbow. Ah know Ah can’t do anythin’ like y’all do, but if Ah could just be there ta watch, then maybe Ah could do somethin’.” Well, shit, she knows they were there too… “Ah see. But, ya didn’t answer how. Ah imagine it has somethin’ ta do with powers right? Ah doubt there was any way ya woulda recognized Rarity from that far away, and there ain’t no way ya shoulda known Rainbow was there at all.” We finally arrived at the rooftop of our apartment and Ah let her down. She shrugged. “It does. Ah can sorta… track ponies Ah know. Like, if you’re in my range, Ah know where ya are ta the point where Ah could give somepony yer exact coordinates all the way down ta elevation level. Ah don’t know the exact range, maybe fifty meters, but definitely further than Ah can see, and there ain’t really anythin’ that keeps me from seein’ ya as far as Ah can tell. If Ah don’t know a pony, the only information Ah get from them bein’ near is that they’re there, but if Ah’m focused on somepony, it’s almost like Ah can see a few seconds inta the future. Like, Ah know what they’re about ta do. It’s… kinda weird, but if Ah didn’t panic back there, Ah coulda dodged the needle even as fast as it was. Of course, ya teleported or somethin’ so Ah’m not really sure how Ah did get outta that in the first place. Can ya teleport? But wait, all of ya moved back then, so it’s not just y’all… and it wasn’t the same way that knight guy did it, he kinda ‘blinks’ and there was a heat distortion when he disappeared the first time, so it couldn’t of been him…” Perfect. She’s just too damn smart fer her own good. What do Ah do now? Tell her the truth or…? Ah sighed. It’s probably better that she knows. Ah’ll just have ta sit down with her somewhere and fill her in, otherwise, she might get too curious. Hmm… that power of hers could be pretty useful though. Maybe if she can recognize ponies that’ve been in the city before, we could use her as a kinda… early warnin’ system or somethin’… Ah shook the thought out of my head. No, that would mean she’d need a brand, and Ah will not do that just because she’d be convenient. As a matter of fact, it’s probably fer the best that Ah keep this ta myself… Ah clapped my hooves together as the idea came inta mind. “Uh… ya okay there?” Ah waved the question away. “Don’t worry about it. Are ya doin’ anythin’ this weekend?” She tilted her head at me. “Ah mean. Ah guess Ah’m not doin’ anythin’ in particular.” She sounded a little more confused than Ah’d like, but she'll figure it out. “Good. We’re gonna take a day ta hang out. If you’ll do a little experiment fer me, then Ah’ll tell ya anythin’ Ah can tell ya. Deal?” She nodded. “Perfect. You go inside and tell whoever’s home that Ah’m gonna be out late. Ah don’t think Ah need ta say it, but keep quiet about what happened today, alright?” “Gotcha. Ah’ll see ya tomorrow Ah guess.” The next hour after that was spent arguin’ with Twilight over almost the same thin’ that Ah got in my head. However, she doesn’t know about Applebloom’s radar or whatever, so it was just her irrational fear of her secret gettin’ out. Ah’m not too sure where my boundaries are at the moment, but Ah suppose Ah have enough power over the group ta just make decisions since she dropped the idea when Ah finally said the conversation was over. A thought crossed my mind and Ah wasn’t sure Ah liked it. Am Ah becomin’ like her? My own actions, even the way Ah used intimidation at times, Ah was beginnin’ ta think that maybe… Ah wasn’t so different from the night princess after all. While Ah didn’t like the idea, the more Ah thought about it, the more Ah could see similarities. Either Ah'm gettin' worse, or she's not as bad as Ah think. Probably the former though. When Ah woke up the next mornin’, Ah had the remnants of a dream. In it, Ah met Princess Celestia again and Ah asked her about this whole thin’ with Luna, but rather than answer my question she showed me a story. The images and details had grown fuzzy, but of the thin’s Ah remembered very clearly is that together, through six magic stones, they defeated some evil creature bent on throwin’ the world inta chaos. Later, Celestia used those stones by herself to save Luna’s life after she got sick from some ancient disease. The stones were destroyed by this abuse of their power, and the fragments scattered all across the country. They had a strange look to 'em, those crystals. They shimmered and shined in the light like an emerald, but they didn’t cast a shadow. It was more like they created light, like they were pieces of the sun, split inta segments and colors. They looked so familiar, but Ah couldn’t place where Ah woulda seen em before. There wasn’t hardly any history recorded about when Celestia and Luna first took power, and that… thin’ they fought… A mishmash of parts with the body of a snake, able ta do damn near whatever it wanted with the snap of it’s fingers. Just thinkin’ about it made me shiver. Ah spent the rest of the day thinkin’ back on that, all the thin’s the dream showed me, most of it half remembered. It was a lot like when Celestia trained me Wednesday, the way it was half real and half like she was showin’ me memories. Some of the thin’s Ah learned that day, Ah didn’t know Ah was capable of, and even more of it Ah still haven’t figured out. There’s some hidden potential she kept talkin’ about, somethin’ that only true emotion of the purest form or whatever could bring. The thoughts never went away, and Ah just about missed half of my lecture that night thinkin’ about it all. The next day went about as Ah expected it ta, and my theories proved correct. Ah tested what Ah could, and eventually, Ah had Applebloom tellin’ me just how many ponies in town were new today. The unfortunate part about that was how many had actually never been here. Manehattan was the trade center of Equestria, and as such, ponies and creatures from all over the world made their first trips here on a daily basis. On top of that, her ‘radius’ as we’ve decided ta call it, only goes fer about a mile out. If she stood at the center of Central Park, we’d get about half the width of it and maybe a quarter of its length. It was a good try, but unless somepony strange shows up within a mile of her, there ain’t no way she’d be able ta tell me. But, she did get that phone she wanted out of it, just in case. It cut my pocket deep, but if it helps keep us safe… then Ah’ll spend everythin’ Ah’ve earned. The bike has certainly been a big help ta gettin' around places quick. As fast as Ah am, this thin’ could easily out pace me, even with traffic… provided Ah wasn’t drivin’ all too legally, that is. Ah got pulled over once, but thankfully, the officer took pity on my since it was my first day drivin’. Damn Rarity and her powers. Ah don't know why Ah ever thought ta follow that example of all thin's. Ah have ta wonder though... will Ah get in trouble with it if Ah’m wearin’ my suit? Ah would test it, but not until Ah can afford a ticket. Ah don’t get paid again till the fifteenth, so there ain’t much Ah can do but wait fer now. Ah told Applebloom what Ah could about my team, and she was more enthusiastic about what Ah had ta say, specifically the part where Ah was a Major. Ah don’t care fer the fact that she asked more questions about the military than about what Ah’ve been doin' these past couple weeks. Ah hate ta say it, but Ah think tellin’ her what Ah did just about shipped her off ta some war in the future. If she had doubts about enlistin’ before, she certainly didn’t have any after today. With any luck, my own rank might come inta play if they really do send her off ta fight some day. Ah can only hope that won’t happen, but as relations are right now, Ah just can’t believe thin’s will stay the same. Sunday was almost completely uneventful, and Ah spent almost the entire day ridin’ my new bike. Ah had never run from the police before, but now Ah can say that Ah have, and Ah’m not proud of it. Thank Goddess Ah was smart enough ta buy a ridin’ suit. Ah can only imagine that my face woulda made it up on the bounty list back at the station, and the thought made me shiver. Ah decided very quickly that it would be smart ta get outta the city if Ah wanted ta test the limits of the bike, and with that, Ah practiced swervin’ thought trees on the road ta Tin. Ah guess Ah’d lost track of time, and Ah actually went all the way there. It’s not like it’s a long drive or anythin’, but it’s still an hour and a half from Manehattan and Ah shouldn’t have ended up that far from home in less than an hour. Ah nearly crashed the bike more than once, and There were a few times where Ah broke a tree on my back tryin’ ta protect the bike, but at this point, Ah can say that Ah could dodge ponies in a crowd if Ah needed ta. And that may end up happenin’ one of these days… Ah took some time ta explore the small town, significantly slower than my trip here and couldn’t help but feel like Ah was bein’ watched the whole time. Ah could never find the source, but it was like somepony was lookin’ at me without ever seein’ me. But that wasn’t the weirdest thin’ that happened Sunday. While Ah was in Tin, Ah got hungry and decided ta try the closest restaurant around, which happened ta be this hole in the wall diner. Ah couldn’t have even imagined Ah would have run inta her, but lo and behold, there was Rainbow Dash sittin’ alone at a table. “Well, Ah’ll be. Didn’t think Ah was gonna run inta anypony Ah knew here.” Ah got close behind her, and she froze in place, her singular wing poppin’ out and her other beginnin’ ta form a thin red haze, almost invisible were Ah not lookin’ fer it. She slowly turned her head and looked at me with startled magenta eyes. “Oh, my goddess, why are you here?” she complained like me showin' up was the worst thin' ta ever happen ta her. The red haze faded away, and her wing settled back on her side. “By accident, really, but Ah could say the same fer y’all. What’s got you in Tin?” Rainbow shook her head. “No, no, no, this is all wrong! You weren’t supposed to show up! I wasn’t supposed to run into you again yet, you aren’t supposed to be here!” She put down a few bits at her seat and started ta drag me outta the restaurant. “Thanks, Pan Fried, keep the change!” A little after we exited the diner, Ah finally got tired of her pullin’ me along and released myself from her grip. “Okay, Ah walked in there ta eat, and now you’re tryin’ ta take me somewhere else. Ya coulda just said ya wanted ta talk instead of draggin’ me.” Rainbow shook her head and let out an exasperated sigh. “Sure whatever, will you just follow me?” She came in and leaned close ta whisper, “we can’t talk just anywhere here.” Ah got that feelin of bein’ watched again and checked the sky. Ah didn’t see anythin, but Ah figured there was somethin’ there. “Alright, Ah guess.” Ah shrugged and she turned and headed toward the forest that surrounded this place, not another word between us. We kept walkin’ in the dense wood until the noon day sky turned ta sunset’s dusk, and Ah was finally tired of it. “Holy hell, are we not far enough out yet or what?” Ah asked, frustrated. Rainbow checked all around us, then spread her blood out in a thin cloud that shot in every direction. She turned her head toward one direction and started that way, motionin’ me ta be silent. A little ways further, a small cloud of blood was circlin’ around a little metal box that just about blended with a tree it was on. The rest of her blood came back and hardened around the box, and finally, she relaxed. “Now, we should be safe.” “Good goddess, even all the way out here? We musta walked fer half an hour just ta get here, why would there be surveillance this far out?” Rainbow looked up at the little bubble of her blood and then back ta me. “In the event one of their experiments got out this far. And it’s happened, more than once,” she said, solemnly. Experiments? “Is that why ya brought me out here? Tell me what’s goin’ on Rainbow,” Ah demanded. “I can’t. There’s a plan in place, and if I say too much, it will all be for nothing. However, there’s something you need to know, and something I can only trust you with. Will you listen?” Whatever it is, she’s some kinda serious right now. Ah suppose Ah could make her talk if Ah’m not satisfied, but Ah doubt that would end well. “Okay. What’s up?” “If something goes wrong, If you never see me again, please, look after my sister okay? I don’t have anyone to turn to, and if… if something like what happened on Thursday… No, because something like what happened on Thursday will happen again, I need to know that there’s somepony out there who will look after her, alright? We’re all we have…” Well, that was unexpected. “What do ya mean somethin’ will happen?” She bit inta her lip and looked back at the blood bubble again. “I… I can’t. Just… on Tuesday, there’s going to be an announcement. Unless you’re hiding under a rock, you should see it. Somepony very powerful and very dangerous is currently being experimented with, and even if I wanted to, I couldn’t touch him with the power I have now. I doubt you could either, honestly. If the worst comes, and it will, I will join your little group and tell you everything I know. But until that happens, just promise you’ll make sure Scootaloo stays safe, okay?” “Okay, whoa, that’s a little much ta take in all at once. Who is ‘he?’ Why are you afraid of ‘him’ and why can’t you tell me what’s goin’ on?” She stood back up and angrily rolled her eyes at me. “Don’t you get it yet!? They’ve got my ovaries in a hydraulic press if they find out what I’ve been doing behind their backs, and what’s worse, I doubt there will be a pony left alive in Manehattan if their plan succeeds. I need you to keep your mouth shut, and make me a promise that you’ll help when I ask for it, okay? On Tuesday you’ll learn everything you need to know and how bad the situation really is right now. We’re completely fucked if something goes the wrong way too fast. Let me give you a little glimpse into the future if that thing gets out. Picture Manehattan, and imagine that we had an orbital rail gun hit it. As if that weren’t bad enough, add that to the same force that put a crater in New Caballo, and you have what will be left of Manehattan when all is said and done. Nothing more than a hole in the ground so deep that you wouldn’t be able to even see the bottom. You get me?” She was practically yellin' now, and she sounded... panicked. The force that… She doesn’t mean… “You’re sayin’ the princesses would have ta come and stop whatever gets loose?” “Provided they could.” Her little bubble over the camera released and floated lazily back inta her wing bone. “I’m sorry that you got lost on your way to Tin. Let me show you how to get back,” she said, not lookin’ at me, but already headin’ back the way we came. “What the? Rainbow, ya can’t just drop all that on me!” Ah caught back up with her as quick as Ah could. She turned and puffed at me, a little more than frustrated. “I wasn’t supposed to! That was somepony else’s job, and you screwed all that up just by showing up! Leave me alone, and don’t approach me again if you see me! Stay away from Tin, and do not come back.” She sighed, and another red bubble appeared over a tree that Ah didn’t even notice. “This is more serious than you could possibly know and we can’t make any mistakes or we’re all dead. If you want the city your dad fought so hard to protect to still be there in the next few months, then I suggest you do as I say.” Ah didn’t say another word after that. Ah couldn’t even imagine what could be so bad that the Princesses would have ta get involved ta stop it unless they were hidin’ some monster of equal power, but what would that even look like? Ah’ve seen some of the crazy shit Celestia can do in person… well, in whatever that ‘sharin’ environment’ thin’ is. Ah’ve never felt my eyes burn just from tryin’ ta look at somethin’ like that before, and if Argent has somethin’ that powerful hidden away, then what have all these other monsters been up ta this point? Are we dealin’ with ants by comparison? If… if those thin’s could kill us if we aren’t careful, then… then what the hell are we gonna do if we keep runnin’ inta stronger monsters? If they keep gettin’ bigger and we don’t get much more than a little experience, then how are we gonna keep up? She’s been so confident every other time Ah ran inta her, if this is how she acts when she talks about the future… Ah never forgot anythin’ she said, and Ah spent the rest of the day tryin ta imagine what it was that she was so afraid of, and that… creature the princess showed me kept comin’ back ta mind. The next mornin’, Ah woke up in a haze. Ah didn’t sleep well fer all Ah could remember, but Ah distinctly remember seein’ Princess Luna kill whatever thin’ was hauntin’ my dreams. It wasn’t just… a memory that turned ta a nightmare, this was… somethin’ more. It was almost like the monster Ah was dreamin’ of had a will of it’s own, and when the princess finally showed up she asked me where Ah saw it. Ah can’t remember if Ah told her the truth or not, but whatever Ah said, she wasn’t happy about it and disappeared in a way that caused me ta sit up straight in my bed. Ah decided Ah’d try ta talk about all this with Twilight, but she told me that there was somethin’ else that needed her full attention today and said it was best ta just wait and bring it up durin’ tomorrow’s meetin’. Ah didn’t know what ta do with myself so Ah spent most of the day seein’ what kinda bounties Ah could catch. As usual, this city was filled with corner store thieves that were wanted fer some crime or other, and as strange as it was, Ah got bored real quick. It was almost like, Ah was doin’ a job Ah didn’t like. Ah remember when Ah first started, Ah always felt like Ah was doin’ somethin’ ta make the city better, somethin’ that was worth the time and effort Ah was puttin’ in. In the end, Ah didn’t even take anypony in. Most of 'em were just kids that couldn’t afford basic needs, and the others were just as bad off. With as much influence as Ah have these days, Ah ended up gettin’ a few of those wanted posters removed. The officers in this city are good ponies and we all know that sometimes it’s just hard fer the abandoned and unwanted ta live. It made me think, more than anythin’ else. Who am Ah really doin’ all this for? The more Ah thought about it, the more Ah realized that Ah never had any interest in ‘protectin’ the city.’ Everythin’ Ah did when Ah first started was a desperate attempt ta try and lighten the burden that my family carried and escape from the depression that was slowly eatin’ away at me. It wasn’t for anypony’s sake but my own. Atonement fer the sins that weighed on my back, a way ta get away from everythin’. Ah put on a mask because it was the easiest way ta be somepony else and live their life. So what was Ah doin’ now? That world, the problems of a younger me that no longer existed. The pony who called herself a hero for the sake of fightin’ the crushin’ reality of the real world that she didn’t want ta live in, the world she hated fer takin’ her parents, the world that could care less fer her hardships and the sadness she faced. She wanted ta be a hero because it was a life that didn’t have that anymore. So… when did it change? It was long before Ah joined harmony that Ah started doin’ thin’s fer other ponies, and before, Ah know Ah wasn’t the pony Ah am today, so what happened that changed my view? And fer that matter, what is my view now? The Celestia thinks Ah’m some kinda saint, Twilight and the others thought Ah was some kinda idol, but Luna… She was the one who saw me fer what Ah used ta be. Ah was a just a soldier with a death wish. Constantly in fights just as a way ta distract myself, Ah never got over those suicidal attempts, Ah just found a different way ta vent ‘em! Ah never had a noble cause in mind, Ah never wanted ta be a hero for a hero’s sake, Ah wanted a way ta end it all that looked like Ah was tryin’ ta move on! So… when did it become this? Ah wouldn’t have batted an eye three years ago at those kids Ah protected today. They were just change ta put in my pocket before… How many were like that? How many were just tryin’ ta survive because they didn’t know any better way? Ah wanted somethin’ ta hit, but there was nothin’ near but the roof Ah was on, thinkin’ about all this. It would be easy wouldn’t it? Just ta punch it all away, ta let all these thoughts Ah don’t want fly ta the wind so Ah wouldn’t have ta deal with ‘em. Can Ah really say Ah’m all that different now? These last couple weeks have been so crazy with one monster ta fight after the next with no time ta think. What do Ah want now? It would be easy, just ta use the money Ah have ta run away from here. Manehattan would become a crater soon if anythin’ Rainbow said was true, and Ah’d never have ta think about it again. My family would be fine, and we could just resume life in another town and act like nothin’ ever happened. But… Ah don’t want that. How could Ah ever run away? If dad were here, what would he have done? Oh, come on, as if you don’t know. If it would keep the city and it’s ponies around, he’d lay down in front of a goddess damned train. Fer all Ah know, that’s what he did! Some menace showed up and killed so many in just a week, and he fought back ta try and stop it, only ta end up dead. That stallion died as a hero because he believed there was somethin’ here worth it ta protect. Could that be it? If it was just my family Ah cared about, then why would Ah put myself through all this? There’s somethin’ here that Ah care about, and maybe it really is just here, after all. This place… this is my home. Were it ta turn inta a crater and Ah just stood by and watched, Ah don’t know that Ah could ever live with myself. The light of dusk had began ta fade over the horizon, and the stars started ta shine in the sky. An idea creeped it’s way inta my head, and Ah think Ah finally figured it out. The next mornin’ came, and before Ah even made it ta Harmony, Rainbow’s warnin’ had already come. Like any other mornin’ where Ah was up before noon, Ah made myself breakfast and sat on the couch in front of the TV. My brother was doin’ somethin on his computer at the table with him bein’ off today from his ‘newest’ job, my uncle was still home fer some reason, and Applebloom was at school. It felt, like any other mornin’, us watchin’ the news together, and then all screens in the station changed ta somepony’s face until finally, the whole TV screen changed. The mask, on whatever it was that wore it, was two colors. Black on the left side with the face of comedy, and white on the right side with the face of tragedy. There was nothin' behind him but black empty space, and the strangest feelin’ like he was lookin’ right at me washed over my body. “Greetings, Populace of Manehattan. You might be wondering why You are seeing me instead of whatever programming was on the channel you were watching, and with good reason. I have something very special to show you all, so sit tight and watch.” He said, his tones dark and filled with enthusiasm. The voice was a sort of high pitch and a low pitch overlaid with a chaotic feel ta it, almost like two or more ponies were speakin' at once. On the screen, it switched ta a video that looked like it was taken with a home camera. A pony was bangin' on a door of some steel laden cell that shook with each swing. There was no audio with this, but ya could almost feel the aftershock with each beat against the door, his hooves startin' ta crack and bleed with each desperate swing. He suddenly stopped and looked up at a vent. He tried ta hide from whatever it was he saw, curlin’ himself inta a corner and then… he started ta change. The bones in his back started ta jut out, and he grew nearly twice his size. The now monstrous pony began ta smash everythin’ near, puttin’ dents in walls and destroyin’ everythin’ he could. It turned ta look at the camera, the half melted look of its face lost all of the shine of sentience, leavin’ nothin' but the husk of a wild animal. It jumped toward the camera until a beam of bright red light shot through it. The creature staggered, but went after the camera again, only ta be met with the same punishment. This continued until the creature finally collapsed in on itself in a smokin’ heap of burned flesh. The screen flashed back ta the masked pony. “That, was a live feed. You might be asking yourself now, why show us this? A few of the smarter of you should already know why, but as for everypony else, I’ll let you in on the secret. This could be your future. But why go so far as to show this horror instead of just act on it? Simple, you have a chance to continue living as you are now, I just have a very easy-to-comply request for one pony in particular who lives in your city. That pony knows what I want, but unfortunately, they don’t seem to care about their own life, so I’ve decided to add more weight to the camel’s back, so to speak. For the rest of you, I’ll still give you a chance, even if they don’t return to me what is mine. The stallion you saw just now was simply a prelude. A grand beginning to my magnum opus! For those of you that haven’t seen one yet, the Kaiju are my doing and I will send more of them to your city, each one more powerful than the last, more destructive than before! If your heroes can protect you, then your lives will be spared and you can go on living, knowing that I will be dead and gone! However, as with all things, there must be a caveat. Six of my kaiju will appear! Over the span of six weeks, starting with this one, there will be six that appear in your city. If my lost object is returned to me, my precious mirror, then the attacks will stop, and you will never hear from me again. But! Know this! If you find me, or try to end my game early, then what you just witnessed will be your future! The moment I die before the appointed time arrives, the plague will be released in your city and spread across all Equestria! The lives you once lived will be over forever, and just like me, you will live in suffering until your pitiful end comes! Despair not, for your heroes should surely be capable of taking down one, lonely monster in the weeks to come when my item is never returned… or will they? It would be truly sad, if another Caballo Crater marred Equestria’s beautiful face, but as it stands, that may be the only way. For the one I speak to, return to me my lost item and this can all be avoided. If you are to wait, then the destruction will be unparalleled, and your city will become a war zone unlike any you have seen before. When the day the goddess rested arrives, your city will be plunged into chaos. For when you wish to curse the one who brought this upon you, curse the name of the mask! I am Persona!”