//------------------------------//
// Persona XXI: Ever After 
// Story: Sometimes They Call Me Super 
// by KorenCZ11 
//------------------------------//


Applejack




Ah woke up in a hurry this mornin’ when Ah felt the immediate need ta go vomit. Ah think Ah was in the middle of a pleasant dream when all of the sudden everythin’ was on fire and a giant wave was headed toward whatever was happenin’. Either way, it got me up quick enough ta not throw up on Goose, so Ah’m thankful fer that at least.

Somehow the couch survived yesterday, so we ended up fallin’ asleep together on that. Ah left the bathroom ta get back on it, but he’d sprawled himself out over it, half his legs off the side and no room fer me. It was almost three in the mornin’, so Ah just decided ta get in our real bed and sleep there fer a while. Ah’m not entirely sure what was wrong with me ta make me puke outta nowhere like that, but Ah felt fine immediately after. Maybe trump card has been messin’ with my internals too, or somethin’ about the magic is makin’ my body weird. We never did find out about all of that spell’s side effects, so it wouldn’t surprise me much.

Ah hated ta think about it. Not only would that mean that he was right all the way back in September, but now that Ah was seriously considerin’ the future, Ah don’t want ta have ta raise my foals down a leg or debilitated somehow. Of course, that’s further down the line anyways. Ah don’t even want ta consider havin’ foals until after all this Persona shit is done. Two more weeks, and Ah can have a normal life with him. Two more weeks and this will all be over. 





Ah remember starin’ at the ceilin’ before everythin’ went dark, but Ah wasn’t alone when Ah woke up the second time. Ah wasn’t feelin’ bad or groggy or anythin’ so Ah figured that this mornin’ must’ve just been a weird one time thin’. Ah thought about gettin’ up, but we didn’t end up just sittin’ together yesterday, so… this was nice. When Ah felt him lightly pushin’ on me, Ah realized Ah’d fallen asleep again.

“Good morning,” he said softly. Ah felt a yawn comin’ and Ah stretched myself out. The smell of pancakes in the air told me he’d been up fer a while and he must’ve let me sleep.

“Did the couch get cold?” He tilted his head and shrugged.

“Only after you left. Come on, I made breakfast.” He went back inta the kitchen, and after a little more stretchin’, Ah got up and brushed my teeth, then met him at the table. A damn tower of pancakes, fresh cut strawberries covered in powdered sugar, and a warm cup of coffee all waitin’ at my seat. Ah whistled.

“Wow. Somepony went out of their way.” He shrugged and went back ta flippin’ pancakes.

“Well, I just happen to think you’re real neat. I’ve still got a little bit of batter left, so I’ll be there in a minute. Go ahead and eat before it gets cold.” Ah sat down and sipped at the coffee but waited on the food.

“Back home, they taught me that the whole family sits down before anypony eats. Besides. Everypony was tellin’ me what a fat ass Ah have yesterday, so maybe all this sugar ain’t such a good thin’.” Which is terrible because it smells fantastic. There’s apple chunks and cinnamon in these just like when Celestia made made ‘em a week ago. That recipe sure has gotten around. Celestia, Twi, Goose. Everypony seems ta know it these days. Goose chuckled.

“Family, huh? I would really hope you don’t think of me like a brother. That would make these last couple weeks exceptionally strange.” Ah scowled at him as he brought the last of the pancakes over.

“Ah won’t even dignify that with a response. So? What’s up? You’re not normally this elaborate with breakfast.” Goose huffed.

“What, I can’t make something special every once in a while?” Ah shook my head.

“No, ya can’t. Ah know better. You’re plannin’ somethin’.” Goose threw his hooves up.

“Caught. Can’t hide from the detective.” Ah leaned back and crossed my hooves.

“Uh-huh. So? What’s up?” Goose shrugged.

“Well… You’ll find out.” Ah frowned.

“Can Ah find out now?” He shook his head.

“Nope. So, you can focus on that, or join me in breakfast. Either way, the movie is at ten, and it’s already eight thirty.” Ah rolled my eyes and swiped the syrup just before he could get it. Ah doused the white powered stack in the golden-brown liquid and then started ta cut it up.

“How rude.” Ah took a chunk of cake and swallowed it.

“Gotta be faster than that, mister chef. So, what’s the plan fer today? Even if ya wanna surprise me, Ah should at least know how Ah should be dressed. If at all, anyways.” Goose swallowed a chunk of his own cakes and then washed it down with some coffee.

“Well, we’re not going anywhere super fancy, so you don’t need to break out the dress. Unless you want to of course, then we can. But uh… I wanted to visit my parents graves today. Maybe it’s a bit of a weird sentiment, but I figured I’d show them that I finally brought home a respectable mare for once.” He scratched at the back of his head and Ah laughed.

“Ah think Ah remember that happenin’ the other way around. Ah don’t know how my parents would feel about me pickin’ up a gang boss and a mobster’s son though.” Goose brought a hoof ta his chin.

“Somepony has to make me a respectable stallion, right? ‘You don’t get a real stallion until you give him a mare or a foal to take care of,’ as my dad would say.” Ah contemplated that fer a moment.

“Ya know. Ah think Ah could see my own dad sayin’ somethin’ like that. Not ta me of course, but ta my brother. It would be nice if somepony would make a stallion outta him. Though, that’ll probably happen when all his sleepin’ around finally catches up with him.” Goose finished half a strawberry and nodded.

“If you ask me, I almost wanna say he’s after that anyways. I wasn’t his only friend back when we were kids, and he’s always been kinda popular for his outward appearance, but… I feel like he was… I don’t know, more noble back then. Like, while your dad was still around, he really believed in truth, justice, and the Equestrian way. Seeing him again was like… looking at the shell of the kid I used to know. Somepony who lost their way and never found it again.

I’m not about to say that I can psychoanalyze the guy, but he really doesn’t have a whole lot of responsibility on his plate, ya know? He was smart enough to avoid loans, and he works to feed himself, but other than that, he doesn’t really have anything to work toward. No goals to fulfill, and with you picking up the slack at home and your little sister going off to work for me, he is all he’s got to worry about now.” Ouch.

“Well… really? Ah mean. Ah guess, Ah can see where you’re comin’ from, but…” Goose shook his head.

“Nah, see, this is where the difference comes in. Stallions need goals. We live to work, and we work to live. You were the goal that brought me out of depression after my mother died, and the gang was my goal after my father died. I worked to make sure they could live, and because I was always working, I had a reason to keep going. Colts need stallions to look up to, and stallions need colts to make sure they live up to their own ideals of what a stallion should be when they were colts. It’s a repeating cycle that makes colts into stallions.

Mares on the other hoof are the thing that makes us whole. Do you know how hard it is for one stallion to teach another compassion? Impossible. It’s just not a thing. We are so easily ruled by anger and violence that we need somepony that thinks completely different from us to show us a better way to use that energy. I was surrounded by mares in the years I didn’t have my mother and even then, I still had the capacity to completely lose it and go on a witch hunt.

Only together can mares and stallions raise foals into good ponies, and I think it was when we had to bring down Quiet that I finally realized this. That kid just wanted to be like me, and he watched me use my power to take revenge murders. Why should I have been surprised when he volunteers for some dangerous new thing that could give him power? I bet my dad realized the same thing around the time got into high school and that’s why he was so hard on me to go to college. Trying to get me out long after it was too late.” He stopped lookin’ at me and let his head drift ta the ceilin’. “I wonder what he would think… if he could see me now?” Oh, Goose. Ah got up and wrapped myself around him from behind his chair.

“Ah think he’d be proud of ya. Ah think they both would. And Ah know that… because Ah am.” Ah leaned over and kissed him. He sniffed and wiped at his eyes.

“Oh goddess, what am I doing? I haven’t even… You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. I love you.”





The movie we went and saw wasn’t quite what Ah expected goin’ in. It was advertised like a superhero movie since those have been popular lately, and while it delivered on that, it was definitely more a romantic comedy than anythin’ else. The main character was a sleazy stallion who was once a mercenary that met a sleazy girl, and even with the bad characteristics they both had, together, they made themselves somethin’ more. They live a good life until one day, the guy starts coughin’ up blood and they take him ta see a physician. He has terminal cancer and maybe a few months left ta live.

Desperate and poor, they can’t afford the treatment he needs that just might prolong his life, so he goes out ta try and find a way ta live. He meets this other shady stallion who offers ta give him his treatment if he’ll be a lab rat fer ‘em. The so called ‘treatment’ he gets awakens the virus within’ him and gives him the ability ta infinitely regenerate, but his appearance is horribly disfigured fer it. When the treatment is shown a success, the shady group then tries ta kill him and steal his powers, but that fails and he survives.

He can’t face the mare he loves like this, so he goes after the group himself usin’ his old mercenary skills in attempt ta have them fix his body. Everythin’ is a joke, even while he’s killin’ ponies left and right, he’s crackin’ about it and breakin’ the 4th wall all the while. Eventually the enemy group figures it out and kidnap his girl. He goes ta get help from other heroes, beats the bad guy, saves the girl, and of course she loves him fer him and not his face, so thin’s turn out alright. It was good, but Ah feel like Ah was tricked. And even then, that was probably part of the joke.

Ah think the strangest thin’ about it is that that kinda thin’ could like, happen in Manehattan. Of course, it was also shot and filmed here, so it was almost like that was part of the joke too. It was almost surreal enough that Ah think Ah might’ve known the hero it was based on, which is even more unsettlin’. Fer lunch, Goose took me ta the Cheesecake Warehouse in north Manehattan. Not a real ritzy place, but definitely not yer average restaurant when the average price of a meal is a little under two silvers. It was right next ta the theater, so it was quick and easy ta get in and get served.

“So, did you like the movie?” he asked. Ah looked away from my plate ta stare out the window.

“Yeah, it was funny. Ah just still can’t get over how close ta reality that was. The weirdest part is that Ah think Ah know the guy that was based on. Doesn’t that sound a lot like Endless?” Ah asked. Goose shrugged.

“I’m sorry, I really don’t know many of the other heroes. Other than you guys, Volt, and the guy I beat up last month, I don’t know any names. Speaking of, that dude hits hard. I had bruises for a very long time after that fight.” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Ah mean, he is made of metal or however his powers work. Iron Tail is strong but doesn’t have the stamina that he used ta. Dude’s gettin’ up there in age. Probably, ten, fifteen years older than we are. My point is though, that is almost exactly Endless’ story. Ex-military, came home ta somepony, diagnosed with cancer, and then catches the virus. Ah’ve seen the guy missin’ a leg or an ear one day, and then come back with it the next. Ah don’t know if he’s patchwork or what under that suit of his, but he’s survived everythin’.” Goose frowned.

“That’s kinda gross. How’d you meet him?” Ah tilted my head.

“Oh, on a job like usual. A couple of us had signed up ta go grab some guys that were tryin’ ta start up a new drug ring and were reported ta the police by a rival drug ring. Of course, the police didn’t have any proof on the rivals, but this one was as good as ours, and there were a lot of power ponies ta deal with, so they wanted ta have a team do it. Our job was ta stake out the area and jump in once we found the substances. Endless was on the team, and the dude couldn’t keep his mouth shut while we waited.” Goose made an emotionless face.

“Huh. That’s uh… strange? I wonder if somepony he knew wrote the story.” Ah shrugged.

“Fer all Ah know, he wrote the story and just came up with an alias fer his alias and had somepony design a new suit. Definitely got a prettier stallion ta play himself though. That dude is some kinda ugly. They make jokes in the movie about it, but the real stallion looks like a walkin’ corpse under that thin’. His wife must be one hell of a mare.” Goose got a smirk on his face.

“Oh? So… if it were me, would you stick around?” Ah dry heaved.

“Ugh, can we not? Ah think you’re a good guy and all, but Ah really like yer face. You’ve got other thin’s goin’ fer ya too, and yesterday… ya know what? Lemme put it this way; at the moment, ya make it real easy ta throw away any of my restraint. If… if ya looked like that, Ah think our relationship would be very different.” Goose burst out laughin’ and shook his head.

“Wow! You’re fucking brutal.” Ah threw my hooves up.

“Ah don’t know what ta tell ya. It’s the truth. Even Ah have standards.” Goose shook his head.

“No, no, I totally get it. Attraction is part of it, and you forgot me. I just happened to get lucky and catch your eye…” he took a big swallow of water and then leaned on the table and put his head over his hooves. “So… you think I’m pretty?” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Maybe. Y’all make me feel goddess damned superficial though. That’s twice. Ah’m keepin’ a record of it.” He laughed again and Ah rolled my eyes again and we kissed again. “You’re just the worst.” He nodded and put a hoof on his chest.

“I take all praise in stride. Anyways, I’m about done. You ready to head out?” Ah glanced over the few fries left on my plate and shrugged.

“Yeah, sure. It’ll be nice if we get there and it’s not too cold just yet.”





Next we visited a flower shop nearby and bought some fer his parents. We could never afford a grave fer dad, and nopony knows what happened ta Red Hoof’s body after that fight. Ah have the money now though, so Ah may get one made and have it placed somewhere around here. But… really, if Ah ever find his remains, Ah think Ah’ll try ta get him buried next ta mom and granny back at the family graveyard. Ah don’t like them. Ah still hate them fer what they did ta us. But they belong together, and Ah would do whatever it takes ta get him buried next ta her.

It was still sunny out on this early October day, and it was just the right temperature in Manehattan. A bit of a chill in the air, but not too cold ta just go out with a jacket on. The wind wasn’t much, and the sun was just warm enough ta make ya feel the sweet sizzle of heat on yer skin before the air cools ya off. Since neither of us had a car, we’d walked most everywhere today. He’d put on some slightly more formal clothes, a black turtleneck and some white jeans, and Ah’d grabbed my jacket and my hat as Ah always do. We’d left the flower shop with at least four bouquets of some kinda flower in multiple colors and then headed toward North Manehattan Community College.

“Huh. It really is right here,” Ah said as we turned the corner. Sure enough, there really is a graveyard just a few blocks down from the college. Not only that, but this one is gated, small, and private.

“Yeah, no, that was at least partially the truth. My parents are buried here. The only thing you don’t know is that I own this graveyard. Or at least, my dad did before I inherited it. He had it built for her after she died…” We stood in front of the gate and Goose took a key ring from his jacket pocket. The fencin’ was all ornate wrought iron, and in the arch above the gate were the words ‘Swan’s End Cemetery.’ He pressed a small dark key inta the lock, twisted, and then pushed the gate inward.

Inside, it was like a garden. There weren’t many graves here, but above every grave was a statue of the pony that was buried here. All carved out in some fancy polished stone or another and surrounded by beds of flowers of every color under the sun. Goose pointed ta one and said,

“That one is Black Eye. He was dad’s right hoof stallion all the way up until the Red Hoof fight. He lead the gang in his absence and then died when he was captured before they could get dad’s location out of him. One of the most loyal ponies I’ve ever seen, and probably one of my best friends from my childhood. The flowers planted here match his mane and coat, black pansies and red and orange poppies.” Then he pointed ta another grave.

“Those were my grandparents, the stallion is Hastalis Carcharodon, and the Mare is Lamna. They died before I was born, but after dad had gained power in Manehattan. As the story goes, she was a native here and he immigrated to the country with his parents after the war. They were both in their mid-thirties when they met, and like father like son, he’d gotten himself up in the world by doing business underground. He wanted to get out, but dad wanted to get in, so they fought and he left on his own to come here and make his fortune.

When he was getting up in age and the cancer was starting to eat away at him, dad told me that one of his biggest regrets was never making peace with his father before he died. My parents named me after my grandmother in hopes that I didn’t turn out like either of the stallions in my line, but I guess things just didn’t happen like that. I ended up sharing coat color with her, so we have green zinnias, blue and violet irises for her, and ornamental white lupines and bluebonnets for him.” Goose took the flowers he’d bought at the store and placed one at each of their graves. White fer his grandfather, and blue fer his grandmother.

“Tulips were her favorite, so we save those when we plant new flowers here. It looks like some ponies were here not too long ago since there are flowers at some of the other graves. These are only visited by the old gang and the ponies paid to keep maintenance up.” He pointed ta a few other graves that had flowers by them, all tulips of various colors. Ah looked around the graveyard, and then somethin’ struck me.

“Ya said yer parents were buried here right? Ah don’t see Swan Song anywhere.” Goose nodded.

“Well, this yard was made for her, so she and dad have their own space hidden in plain sight. Follow me.” We moved ta what looked like the back of the yard, lined by a huge hedge that was neatly trimmed like a big green wall, and then followed it ta the corner where there was just enough room between it and the fence ta get by. Further down, hidden between hedge and tall willows, was an openin’ with a floral arch made of black and white roses.

We entered the hidden space, and it was like steppin’ inta a different world. There was a large stone circle in the center, and all around it in the corners were roses planted like a checkerboard, a square of black next ta a square of white. The hedge was lined with vines all along the walls with flowers bloomin’ everywhere in a sorta controlled chaos of yellow, white, and violet. There were marble columns at each corner and in the center of every hedge wall, and a few benches between the columns made of polished black wood and wrought iron. Just after the stone circle in the center were two large statues of a stallion dippin’ a mare in a dance. One Ah knew as Swansong, and the other was like a pony with the likeness of a shark. Fins, teeth, the whole works. Upon closer inspection, the statue was so detailed that ya could see the outline of the scales on Carcharias’ body.

He was made of black polished stone with streaks of white in it, and she was made of white with black streaks. They were so lifelike that Ah thought they might start movin’ at any moment. The large stone circle had two plaques in front of the stone couple, and just behind them, Ah could see two busts on big blocks with more gold plaques just under the heads.

“Wow…” Ah didn’t know what ta say. This place was breath takin’. The time and effort put inta the statues, the flowers planted so specifically, how long it woulda taken ta have this hedge grown so tall, the polish and cleanliness of the place. Nothin’ short of amazin’ was worth it.

“He showed me this place a little after we had our fight. He bought the site just after she died and had all of this built to honor her memory. The stone circle is engraved with lyrics of some of the songs she wrote and both of their obituaries are written on those plaques. The truth of who dad really was died with him though, so this just represents who ponies think he was.” Goose walked across the stone circle and Ah stood in the center ta read some of the lyrics. Some of this was in Rossian, some was Cavallian, most was in Equestrian and Ah recognized all of it. He put the tulips in the stands just in front of the dancin’ statues and then waved me over.

“Come here, I want to show you something.” Ah walked across the circle and met him underneath the giant statues until we reached the end of the garden with the busts of his parents.


“Yes, there were times, I’m sure you knew~



When I bit off, more than I could chew~



But through it all, when there was doubt~



I ate it up, and spit it out!



I faced it all, and I stood tall;



And did it my~ way~


A lyric from his favorite song and a real summary of my dad. My way, by Crystal Blue, 1969. The stallion could sing, the stallion could dance, the stallion could play. But in his life it was the backside of the world he chose to stay. As talented as he was, as charismatic as he lived, it was black deals and bad intentions he decided to give. A stallion that learned the truth too late and tried to turn back in the end, only to realize that the damage was done and he’d lost his best friend. 

-Carcharias Carcharodon, 1975-2027.

It took me way too long to realize that my dad was a better stallion than I believed him to be. The first time I ever told him I loved him was the last time. Of all the things I regret, I think that’s what I regret the most.” Goose kneeled and put both his hooves together and sat silently in front of the grave. Ah kneeled with him and wrapped my hoof around his shoulders. After a bit he stood back up and we moved ta his mother’s grave.


“Here we are~



Apart again~



At death’s crossroads.



Reaching across the river.



Come back my love~



Return to me~



I can’t believe



You could ever go



If in life I, lose you,



if death takes you away



My darling will live on forever, with me,



For no barrier, can keep my love at bay!



Ah-ah-ah my love~



Return to me~


Return to me, by Swan Song, 2009. Shortly after I was born, my dad had run up against a new upstart in Manehattan that was looking to take over his territory. The shoot out was bad, and when it all came down to it, Dad barely escaped with his life. He was in critical condition for a while and nopony thought he was going to make it. Then, mom had this song come to her and she sang it for him while he was still out. He regained consciousness the next day, and after a month, he would be back to normal.

It was after that that Dad tried to start Carcha company. A promise he made to her to find a way out and become free of this life for her, and maybe even for me. In the end, Carcha was never enough for him, and even with the new business, he still kept up his old tricks, eventually resulting in her death. Do you… remember her last words?” Ah scratched at my neck and tried ta think. It was… still hard ta bring the memory back. We were about ta eat lunch. She’d just made… somethin’ or other, and she called us over when we heard some tires squeal ta a halt outside. We both stopped ta look and then… she jumped in front of him. From there it gets fuzzy. Ah shook my head.

“Ah’m sorry, Ah don’t.” Goose sighed.

“Yeah, I figured as much. Well, as she held me there, dying, she managed to say ‘don’t blame’ before it was over. After dad told me the truth on how it all went down, I think I realized that she was trying to say, ‘don’t blame him.’ She made the choice to stay even though she knew the risk, and that was the result. That song she wrote was a summation of her character. Somepony who was the definition of devotion. She loved my dad and I with all her heart, and no matter what bad thing he did, or how many fights they had, she was always there waiting for him to come home.

If in life I lose you, if death takes you away, my darling will live on forever with me, for no barrier can keep my love at bay.

-Swan Song, 1980-2017”

Once again, Goose kneeled, and Ah followed suit. This time the silence lasted longer, but once he was done, he led me by hoof ta the center of the circle in the garden. He turned ta face me still holdin’ my hoof and looked deep inta my eyes. The sunset orange pools of his pierced me down ta my very core.

“My father was… a mixed bag. He had values, and he did bad things. He didn’t care for the law, he used ponies like tools, he gave jobs to the dregs of society and made young colts into good stallions. He treated mares with more respect than any stallion in the world, and he also killed ponies who crossed him. And much like he took after his father, I take after mine.

I suffer from the same flaws, I turned out in a similar way, and to this day, I can’t justify most of my actions for most of my adult life. Of all the things that made my dad the stallion he was, it was the mare in his life that changed him for the better. My mother was an amazing mare, and she turned the twisted mobster that was Shark Tooth into the respected stallion that was Carcharias Carcharodon.

It takes one hell of a mare to turn a guy like him into the stallion he became, and to be completely honest, I never believed anypony else could’ve done what she did. But then… I ran into you again. We met for the first time in thirteen years just seven weeks ago, and already, you have made me a better pony for it.

So, I know a graveyard is a weird place to take your special somepony out for a date and all, but this place means a lot to me. It’s a testament to my parent’s love and how truly special they were to each other. So special that my mother would die for me, and my father would spend every last bit he made to remember her and give me a better life. I think that you… are just that special to me.

I know ponies use the word kinda flippantly, like ‘I love peanut butter,’ or ‘I love my friends,’ but… ya know, Equestrian is really bad at using the word love. It is… so much more than that. It means so, so much more than that, that… sometimes words just can’t express it.” Goose kneeled in front of me and reached down inta his pocket. Ah felt my heart jump inta my throat and my whole face heat up at once. My pulse beatin’ a mile a minute, my eyes startin’ ta water, he let go of my hoof and held a little black box between his.

“Jaqueline Apple, I love you in a way that words cannot express. So with that said… will you marry me?” He opened the box, but Ah never saw what was inside. My eyes were so blurry and my heart felt like it was about ta explode. It didn’t matter what was in the box, it was the words he said that meant the world ta me. After thirteen years, he came back and fulfilled his promise. Ah fell on him and wrapped myself around him as tight as Ah could.

“Oh goddess Goose, of course Ah will.”