Sometimes They Call Me Super

by KorenCZ11

Persona XVIII: Sweet Filly Dreams

Applejack

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White all around, and… maybe a family somewhere down the line. All day, that thought plagued me now that it was finally complete. Me? Married? Ta Goose? A mother? It’s almost like Ah can never get a moment’s rest from the emotional storm that swirls around in my head. Last week, the thought terrified me ta tears. How could Ah be a mother? Ah don’t know a damn thin’ about raisin’ foals. Hell, Ah was hardly raised by anypony, Pinkie has had more parental figures in her life than Ah do. But… does that mean Ah think Uncle Blood never taught me anythin’? ‘Cause that ain’t true. He wasn’t my dad, but he damn sure tried ta be.

No, that ain’t the problem. Ah don’t have a mom in memory. Aunt dew died three years after my own mother died, and Ah grew up without one. That’s part of why Ah’m so… broken. Ah only know how ta be a stallion because that’s what Ah know. How is a mare without a mother supposed ta act like a mother ta her own? Does it just come ta ponies? Should Ah already know? Damn it Goose, why in the hell did ya have ta run off today? Ah need ya…

Trainin’ had ended fer the day, and the whole time Ah wasn’t focused. Marriage and foals were the only thin’ on my mind, and it seemed not even the threat of imminent death was enough ta bring me inta reality. It was never me Ah was concerned about, it was everypony else. Ah kept lookin’ at all the younger girls and thinkin’ what if she were mine? Ah’d make a mistake or not tell anypony what Ah was doin’ ta swoop in and save whoever had my daughter’s theoretical face at the time and botch somethin’ in the middle of a fight. Ah couldn’t keep focus and we only managed ta kill a few of Celestia’s monsters so we ended early for the day. Doesn’t matter how much practice we get in if the leader can’t keep her damn focus.

Ah wanted ta talk ta Goose about it, but he said he was busy today. Busy? With what? What’s so important that ya can’t talk ta me about it? Ah wasn’t sure if Ah was more angry than upset, but in the end Ah let him go without so much as an argument. He never asks me ta do anythin’ fer him, so the one time he does need ta do somethin’, Ah can’t just keep him ta myself, can Ah? It wouldn’t be fair. With every day that passes, Ah feel more like he belongs ta me and Ah belong ta him, and it scares me. This is more than loyalty and respect, it’s somethin’ stronger and makes me lose my senses and… restraint when Ah’m alone with him. Ah can’t tell if it’s some base instinct ta repopulate or if it really is that… elusive thin’ they call love.

“Is this really it?”

“Is this really what Applejack?” Rarity asked. Lost in my own head, Rarity’s voice brought me back ta reality. Instead of goin’ back ta the shark house like we normally would, today Ah found myself playin’ a game with the other girls at the castle.

“I challenge my fate!” Her swordsman called out, then in a bright flash of blue fire, she darted across the screen and took out the three of us who were in her line of sight. Rainbow flipped her controller onta the table in annoyance ta pout, and Scootaloo sighed.

“I thought we said no items,” Rainbow complained.

“Is the bash ball really an item though? I mean, if we decided that this was really a fighting game, then that would be like pulling a super right?” Scootaloo explained. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“It’s not a fighting game, it’s a party game,” Rainbow said, exhausted by the task of explainin’. Rarity rolled her eyes.

“If you want to call it a party game, then play with items. If you want it to be a fighting game, then play without them. You cannot have it both ways, miss elitist. If you cannot enjoy a game unless you win, then I suggest you stick to single player.” Ah almost winced at Rarity’s rebuke. That cuts Rainbow deep. Rainbow scowled and Ah could swear Ah saw her stump flex.

“Fuck you, fight me. 1V1, Final Destination, no items.” Rarity rolled her eyes and sighed.

“So I suppose it is a fighting game today. Very well, have at thee, you bulky racer stallion!” Ah could tell she was enjoyin’ herself, even though she appeared ta be annoyed. If ya could characterize Rainbow in a sentence, competitive would be the first word that comes ta mind. Doesn’t matter what you're playin’, even a fight ta the death, she has ta win. Problem here is that she’s fightin’ everypony at their own games, Fluttershy is better at games than everypony, and most of us have a favorite that she isn’t better at. When we aren’t trainin’ fer a real fight, she’s tryin’ ta get better at some game or other ta beat Fluttershy and whoever else might be remotely decent at whatever has her attention that day. Duel Monsters, Bash Bros, however many fightin’ games with unpronounceable names Fluttershy has, Pony kart, the list is endless.

They got ta it, and Ah’d figured that they forgot Ah was there since, nopony bothered ta ask me if Ah still wanted ta play. Whatever. Ah got up from my seat, still broodin’ on havin’ a brood of my own when Ah found Ah’d wandered inta the kitchen. Pinkie was there makin’ somethin’ fer dinner, and she’d stopped ta play some game on her phone. Whatever she was cookin’ needed ta bake, and it looked like she still had a good bit of time on her hooves before it was done.

“Hey Pinkie,” Ah said after Ah thought she might be a good distraction. Startled, she nearly dropped her phone when she saw me.

“Oh, geez. Hi. What’s up? You were pretty off your game today, huh?” she said. Ah rolled my eyes. These are my friends. Ah know… a hell of a lot more about them than Ah want ta, Ah can ask them about it, can’t Ah?

“Well, Ah’ve been thinkin’ a lot lately.” Pinkie got a wry smile on her face and raised her eyebrow.

“Oh no, I hope that doesn’t mean somepony thinks we need more members. I would think that a gang leader and a serial murderer would fill out our ranks pretty well. I can’t imagine where you’d look for our next pony.” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Ya had a serial murderer and miss fratricide before Ah came around, what harm could another bring?” She pawed at the floor.

“Well… maybe you should… I don’t know, give me a different title? ‘failure of a hero’ is at least a little nicer than ‘kin slayer.’” Uh-huh. Y’all make a joke and then Ah’m the one who crosses the line. Ah sighed.

“Do ya wanna know what Ah was thinkin’ about or make me feel bad? Either way, Ah’m not about ta pull my punches, especially not fer my friends,” Ah said exasperated. She scratched at her face.

“Okay, I’m sorry. What’s up? For real, this time.” Ah let out a breath and came ta sit beside her.

“Well, last night Goose and Ah went and had dinner with my family right?” Ah said. Pinkie nodded.

“Yeah, and then Scootaloo got hit in the face out of nowhere, I remember this.” She did, and Ah should talk ta Rarity about that soon.

“Well, my uncle is a real smart guy, right? We think my little sister is a genius, and the stallion can match her step fer step more often than not, it’s a little scary sometimes. Dinner goes, we have a little… talk, Ah suppose, and then he asks what our plans fer the future are.” Who needs ta know about my argument with Mac, really? “Ah haven’t stopped thinkin’ about it since then. Sure, we’re an item now, but we never talked about what we’re gonna do next, and with all the monsters and after the thin’ with Ramiel last week, we could die tomorrow, so the future should wait till we get there, right?

Course, that don’t stop me from thinkin’ about gettin’ married and havin’ kids. Ah don’t know what ta think. Ah can hardly see myself as a mare, and Ah stopped thinkin’ about gettin’ married and havin’ kids when Ah was a filly. What do you think about it? Uh, were ya in my position, Ah guess.” Well, that was disjointed. Not only can Ah not think about anythin’ else, Ah can’t hardly put what Ah’m thinkin’ inta coherent sentences. All the same though, Pinkie’s eyebrows came down and her hooves went ta her thinkin’ pose, and she got ta thinkin’.

“Married… married? Married. Foals. Marriage and foals. Geez, I guess that isn’t something that comes to my mind often either. My mom was my age when she got married. But really, I don’t even know how they met, let alone anything about when they got married. The other day was kinda eye opening for me, ya know? Like, I know more about the Cakes, that family that picked me up last year, than I do my own family. But even then, they’re still not anywhere close to a normal family. Birth complications for years on end, trying so hard and praying so long for nothing to happen until sixteen years after they’d been together.

If I had my own Goose… I don’t know. I mean, maybe I do want a family like the one I had with the Cakes. But the last thing I would want is to have the… well, kinda dysfunctional family I had with my own, ya know? My parents are smart, and they loved us to be sure, but they couldn’t afford four kids. I was an accident. Marble and I weren’t supposed to happen. What they thought was gonna be their last child ended up twins, and more than they were prepared to handle. Even the Cakes had twins, but they’d been working for so long and were more than well situated in life. They had the money to support twins, as far as I could tell. My mom is the last pony to be accused of being irresponsible, but I don’t think we were a smart decision and… well, I was the price of that.

I don’t know… I think I’m an outlier. I think our whole group is made up of outliers though, so I guess… Well, let me put it this way; Abuelo always said a family when whole is one of the most wonderful things on this earth. But a family in ruins is one of the most destructive things on this earth. A ruined family creates the Crotalos of this world. If you’re willing to possibly add another Cortalo to the world, then go for it. But I think I would rather be… in a better place than this to get married and have foals.” Pinkie finished, and just as she did, her timer went off.

“Oh, that needs to come out of the oven. I’m not quite done here, but I hope that helps I guess? I’m a downer when it comes to family though, so my opinion might not be super valid on the subject. I’ve gone through like, three of them anyways, I’m no expert.” With that, she turned away, grabbed some oven hooves and pulled out the… deliciously savory smellin’ thin’ she was bakin’, then went ta work on somethin’ else. Ah figured that was my queue ta leave, so Ah did. In a world where Pinkie and Mac are warnin’ me about havin’ a broken family, what is there left ta surprise me? Not anythin’ in the livin’ room, that’s fer sure.

“Bullshit! How are you doing that? Can I do that? That isn’t fair!” Rainbow’s cries of protest came from the big table. Now Rarity was playin’ the angel kid, and she was just floatin’ around and Rainbow couldn’t catch her. Then she did some weird motion where her character half started ta run and the animation reset itself until she’d crossed the screen in half the time it usually takes.

“Oh my, I simply can’t wait to have you play Sweetie in this game. You’ll never stop. Not only is she better than me, she takes joy in beating a helpless animal.” What? That little girl? There’s no way she’s a sadist like her sister. Right? Ah couldn’t help but notice that Rarity was actively screwin’ with Rainbow now, so Ah decided ta leave. Ah wonder if Fluttershy is in her room? The thought came outta the blue ta be sure, but now that it had me, Ah had ta see. She’s usually the one who gives Rainbow the smack down in these video games, Ah wonder why she’s not playin’ now? Ah wandered over ta Shy’s room, but before Ah could even knock, she said,

“I-It’s unlocked,” from behind the door. Takin’ that as an invitation, Ah tiptoed my way over cords and cables until Ah found myself sittin’ next ta her on her bed while she did somethin’ on the computer at her desk. Instead of a keyboard like Ah expected ta find in front of her, she had a fight stick. The joy stick flicked violently in very precise and quick motions against one hoof, and the other just about beat at the buttons at the other end of the box like she was fightin’ fer her life.

“Kore de, owari-da!” came from whoever’s character was usin’ a super on her screen, and when Ah noticed her hooves had stopped, Ah figured it was hers.

“G-get styled on, skrub,” she said in triumph as she pushed the stick forward. Last time Ah was in here, Ah almost got stabbed. Ah didn’t get a chance ta look at the place then, but now that Ah see it… it’s really not as ‘lived in’ as ya would think. There are cords all over the floor from various controllers and systems of days gone by, but beyond that, the console, the TV, the desk, and the bed, there ain’t much else in here. Even her bed was pretty sparse. She has one pillow about as long as she is at the top, a black comforter and gray-green sheets underneath. It’s all so… undecorated. She swiveled in her chair after she’d finished exitin’ out of menus, and faced me like she was some kinda shrink. She put her back legs over one another, and then put her front hooves over the uppermost knee and asked,

“A-and what can I d-do for you, miss Carcharodon?” The name she called me by made my whole body lock in place. Ah felt the need ta turn tail and run right there. Anythin’ ta keep her from seein’ my face heat up or my cheeks turn red, anythin’ ta get away. When Ah didn’t respond, she rolled her eyes and let her body drop inta a more relaxed position.

“I-I was only teasing,” she complained. Her relaxin’ a little made me relax a little, but it didn’t make me any less red. M-miss Carcharodon? That would be my name wouldn’t it? Ah could… Ah could finally escape the apples! Miss Carcharodon… Fluttershy clapped her hooves in font of my face.

“E-Earth to Applejack,” she said. Ah shook myself away from the dream.

“Uh, sorry. Ya… surprised me,” Ah said, half still thinkin’ about the name. Fluttershy sighed.

“I-I don’t know how, you c-came into my room after all. W-what’s up?” she asked. That finally brought me back ta the real world fer good and Ah remembered what Ah was doin’ here.

“Well uh… Ah was talkin’ ta Pinkie and uh… er, see Ah’ve been kinda distracted all day,” Ah started tryin’ ta find the words.

“I-I can see that. I-I appreciated the rescuing earlier, b-but maybe three times was a little e-excessive? A-and that was just me. Y-you usually have better sense than t-that, so something must b-be up.” Now it was my turn ta sigh. Yeah. And that was just her. Ah don’t think she even got the most of it either.

“Okay so, ya know how Ah had dinner with Goose and my family yesterday?” She nodded so Ah went on. “Well, my Uncle brought up that we look like we’re more than close friends and asked if we had any plans goin’ forward, and my brother was talkin’ about broken families and we got in a fight, and Ah tried ta hit him with my full strength, but it turns out we have identical powers, so that didn’t work out, and now he knows everythin’, and maybe that’s why Ah’ve been so protective all day, but Ah’ve also been thinkin’ about gettin’ married and havin’ kids and… ugh. My head’s a real mess right now.” Okay, so Ah guess Pinkie doesn’t get ta know about the fight, but ta the mare Ah know even less about, Ah spill everythin’. Nice. She’d brought her clasped hooves ta her mouth and then asked,

“Your brother has powers?” Of course she focuses on the thin’ Ah didn’t mean ta say.

“Well… he has my powers, Ah guess. Or Dad’s powers ta be specific. We both do as far as Ah can tell. But Ah really-”

“Y-your father’s powers? A-aren’t you the second child?” she cut me off. But not without reason, Ah hadn’t thought about that. Huh. How did that happen? Based on Pinkie’s family, even her twin has different powers than she does. Applebloom does have different powers than we do, so how… Ah wonder if there’s some kinda discrepancy in gender too…

“Ah am, but Ah’m not super concerned about that right now. The uh… last part of that is really what Ah wanted ta talk about. Ya know… m-marriage and-”

“F-foals…” she finished fer me, lost in her own thoughts it seemed. “W-what about it?” she asked after a long silence. Ah scratched at the back of my head.

“W-well, Ah… A few months ago, those thin’s weren’t somethin’ a mare like me could ever have. As far as Ah was concerned anyways. My life was too hard and Ah never thought Ah could find anypony who Ah was willin’ ta trust with… well, me. Ah’m… difficult ta get along with, Ah hadn’t had friends in over twelve years, and even then a lot of those memories were repressed until recently. Ah didn’t hardly know how ta interact in a social settin’, Ah barely even talked ta my professors. If ya didn’t share my blood, then ya weren’t likely ta ever hear my voice. Unless Ah was out ta get ya anyways.

Yesterday though… my Uncle put it out in the open that Ah look a lot like a mare in love with a stallion who loves her back. This ain’t the first time somepony’s done that ta me, but is is the first time it’s happened in mixed company and Ah’ve been… clear headed enough ta dwell on it. Look, Ah ain’t gonna lie ta ya, it wasn’t y’all Ah was so desperate ta save earlier it was…”

“Y-your own, right? S-some daughter you don’t know, t-though… I suppose a few of us c-could pass for young boys too.” Ah wanted ta frown since she seemed ta know where Ah was goin’ every time Ah spoke. Ah know her hearin’ is shit, but maybe she can smell my thoughts too since it seems she can track me down from a hundred blocks away like some kinda blood hound. Ah suppose that’s appropriate though, considerin’ what she is underneath that pony skin she wears.

“Yeah… Marriage and foals… that dream might not be so far away anymore, ya know? It kinda came and hit me outta nowhere even though Ah wasn’t lookin’ fer it. Ah guess… Ah wanted ta know what y’all think about it. Since Ah’ve never really thought about it until today.” Fluttershy turned her head away and brought her tail inta her hooves, strokin’ it like it was a pet or somethin’.

“I… w-will likely never get married, I-I don’t think. A-a monster like me probably s-shouldn’t breed, or be allowed to anyways. M-maybe not because of all the c-complications it would bring to me, but, if I had a foal… W-what kind of creature would I b-bring into the world if the sorry b-bastard that falls for me ends up n-not being infected? W-would another beast plague the city? W-what if they are infected and the virus c-cooks up something worse using Fluffy as its base? O-of course, that’s just provided we all s-survive the eleven months that l-lead up to having the baby.

I-if I change forms while I’m p-pregnant, what would that do? W-would my baby still be a pony then, o-or would my curse be inflicted r-right then and there since it w-would still be a part of me? I-if my blood is giving it life in my w-womb, wouldn’t that same blood cause it to mutate? O-or worse, kill it inside me? I-I… don’t think I could do that… n-not to my foal, or me and my prospective husband. A-a simple accident could k-kill my own, control on my power or not.

I-I… couldn’t toss dice with those k-kind of odds against me, I just… y-you are so much stronger than I am. D-dreaming sweet filly dreams even after e-everything you’ve suffered. I-if whatever comes out of your b-belly ends up taking either of your powers, t-then you have nothing to worry about, a-and if it doesn’t, then you likely have e-everything you need to deal with it w-when it happens. Y-your curse… is manageable, and so is his.

I-I think you two would be great parents. Y-you’re heroes after all, p-ponies that call themselves the modern knights if I-Iron Tail is any metric to go by. U-unless you were Pinkie or Twilight, I don’t think anypony could q-question the undying love Goose has for you, a-and you… you make me want to slap you a-and call you an idiot, but when you’re with him, y-you make me think of my parents. Y-you’ve earned that happiness, don’t you think?

M-maybe it isn’t for me, but it wasn’t the f-fault of my family that I was crazy and c-cursed with a power that not even they had. I-if things were different… well, I-I doubt I would even be b-brazen enough to talk to any stallion. I-I’m uh… well, I don’t know if it w-was because of her powers, but Pinkie’s twin and I p-probably have a lot in common. P-ponies terrify me. I-I know, shocking to hear from the p-pony with Shy as her last name, b-but it’s true. I-I’m afraid somepony will trigger my powers on a-accident or on purpose, I used to have t-these violent moods when I was less in control, a-and if I can’t get Rainbow’s blood every y-year or so, I start to lose m-myself in my other half. T-that’s only half way the truth though. I-I can smell out ponies who w-will be good to me, and for a long time, I-I’d forgotten what a good pony smelled like.

I-I’m afraid of what m-might happen if I meet another Scarlet. I-If I find somepony I like, o-only to have them do that to me again. H-how I would react, how I might l-lose myself for good the next time I do… Y-you on the other hoof… always seem so f-fearless to me, I just… I could never be you. I-if I were courageous, then m-maybe one day, I would try. B-but for now, I think I’m too a-afraid to end up like Miss Flare to try and be a m-mother and a wife.”

Well, of course she would be afraid ta breed. Why didn’t Ah think of that? Good goddess, what if the virus does that ta my own baby? Could Ah deal with raisin’ a beast if she came outta me? What if it turns out ta be like Goose and have shark parts? Can Ah raise a carnivore? How would Ah feed it? Would Ah have ta find a griffon market somewhere ta make sure Ah can get raw meat? Ah mean, clearly Ah have the stomach ta kill, but does that mean Ah can just… deal with dead flesh like that? What if my kid won’t eat unless Ah do? Does that mean Ah’ll have ta… start eatin’ meat? Ah guess she caught on ta my new distress, because she tried real hard ta walk back some of that.

“W-well, m-maybe I will and m-maybe I won’t, r-right? Uh… s-sometimes you win w-when you gamble, r-right? W-we take risks all the time, a-and we’re not d-dead yet, r-right? Hehe…” she tried real hard ta play it off, but none of that was anywhere near convincin’ enough ta get the thought off my mind. “W-why don’t you go ask T-Twilight about it? S-she’s read everything and a-anything to do with the virus, m-maybe she has some insight on this. Uh… C-Celestia was still here l-last I checked too, so…” Fluttershy tilted her head and sighed. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to add to your w-worries. Um… w-well, I still think you and Goose w-will make great parents, no matter what. Oh! W-well…” Fluttershy brought her hoof ta her mouth and chewed on it fer a bit then let out a deep, heavy sigh.

“… I-if… if one day, you find yourself w-with a foal, then… I’ll find myself w-with one too, okay? I-it would be… a sad thing, if your foal had n-nopony to play with, r-right? Y-yes… whether or not a m-monster comes out, it’s our job to m-make sure they don’t become us, isn’t it?” Ah kinda had ta take a moment ta look at her. What in the hell is she talkin’ about?

“What? Fluttershy, ya can’t just go get knocked up because Ah do. That’s ridiculous. Ah mean, ponies are gonna have foals, that’s just part of life, even if it’s more dangerous now than it was before. That didn’t stop our parents, right? But… nah, ya can’t. Don’t do somethin’ dumb fer me.” Ah took a breath and nodded my head. It’s just part of life. “Shit happens. Whatever happens, happens, and that’s how it is.” There was a long silence between us, but eventually Ah thought better of it.

“Uh… thanks, Ah guess. Ah’m too stubborn ta think about myself sometimes, Ah guess. If Ah do have a foal, and even if it does turn out ta have some kinda crazy power, Ah’ve at least got a few friends and maybe a princess or two ta help me out right? Yeah… And Goose and Ah should be able ta handle anythin’ that happens thereafter. We’ll be fine.” Ah scratched at my neck while nopony had anything else ta say and then figured Ah might actually go ask Twilight about statistics. Knowin’ won’t hurt, after all, and she’d be the one ta know. Maybe. “Okay, well… Ah think Ah’ll go see Twilight.” Ah got off the bed and Fluttershy nodded.

“Y-yeah… do that. Oh! B-before you go, do you think that m-maybe you could… introduce me to your f-family sometime? T-this uncle of yours… sounds like somepony to know, I think.” She wants ta meet Uncle Blood? Well, Ah guess that don’t surprise me too much. He knows Rainbow after all, and it’s not like Ah ever do anythin’ but talk the stallion up.

“Sure, Ah don’t see why not. Ah’ll see if Ah can’t arrange somethin’ next week, provided we survive tomorrow anyways,” Ah joked. It is a joke, ain’t it? Fluttershy nodded.

“T-thanks. I don’t r-really know anypony besides those who live or w-work here. I-it’s about time that I b-branch out,” she said.

“Yeah. Talk ta ya later, then,” Ah replied. She nodded and turned back ta her game, and Ah finally left the room. Now, that was a weird conversation. She always surprises me. Who knew she’d put so much thought inta this already? The quiet ones are always thinkin’ up there, Ah suppose. Mac’s the same way. Ah never even suspected it, and he never made a show of what he knew, yet… well, everypony has somethin’ ta hide, right?

Ah made my way inta the library after leavin’ Fluttershy’s room and figured she’d likely be in here more than anywhere else. Vast and expansive as ever, the big book bearin’ hall of light blue crystal seemed occupied since ya could hear anythin’ and everythin’ that made a noise here. Even the sound of a page turnin’ was enough ta echo off the walls, and Ah heard that comin’ from somewhere above.

“Hey, where are ya?” Ah called out.

“Third floor,” the emptiness echoed back. Ah crossed the main floor, the single long table of solid blue lined with crystalline chairs of violet the only thin’ in my path ta the staircase on my way. Once Ah reached the third floor, Ah found the violet alicorn in a cloth recliner of violet suede that was only just dark enough not ta hide her in it. That was Celestia’s once. It was big enough ta swallow any of us, but one of the older alicorns would fit in it like a regular pony would. Or maybe Mac wouldn’t get swallowed in that either, but he’s bigger than most anyways. She didn’t pause her readin’ even after Ah’d sat on the recliner’s arm.

“What’s up?” she asked, her eyes still on the page.

“What do ya know about ponies born with the virus?” Ah asked, direct and ta the point. That made her stop and close her book. She furrowed her brow as she turned ta me.

“Ponies born with the virus? That’s kinda vague. Do you have specifics?” she asked. Ah rolled my eyes and gave a much more solid version of what Ah asked Pinkie and Fluttershy.

“Okay. Well, that explains why Rainbow was pissed off earlier. I suppose she is the smallest of our group.” Ah sighed. And she was the only one Ah looked at like she might’ve been a colt too.

“Ah know. Ah still feel bad about it. But, my question,” Ah urged. Twilight nodded, and then in a flash of violet, her laptop appeared.

“Well, let’s start with the basics. Since we don’t really have a national program, all the records of ponies with powers comes from the Equestrian Health Bureau. The virus is not the easiest thing in the world to detect, but sometimes you can catch traces of it in the blood. You don’t want to accidentally give an uninfected infected blood during a transfusion ina medical procedure after all.

It’s happened before, and it creates a ton of problems as you’re trying to help a pony. Imagine having a part of you mutate during a medical intervention, only to wake up looking completely different than when you were knocked out because somepony grabbed the wrong blood. Not fun, I think.

Foals, on average, won’t show signs of the virus before the age of five, and even then, it’s undetectable unless it has already been activated. There are some foals that are born with it active, but the parents of those foals usually have some kind of mutation that they can’t turn off. Think the hybrid types, like Goose. Of course, his own powers didn’t manifest until he was well older than a foal, so you might be safe there. Er… do you remember when you first got your powers?” When was it, exactly?Oh, the hoofball, that’s right.

“Ah think Ah was five… hell, Goose might know, Ah met him that same year.” Twilight frowned.

“Oh,” she said, somethin’ dark in her tone.

“What?” Ah asked, concern risin’. She scratched at her face.

“Well… you don’t have like… a specific time when it really first started do you? Like, one day you were suddenly and noticeably stronger than before?” Ah shook my head. Twilight frowned.

“So… that seems to suggest that your powers never really manifested and they were… always there. Take me for an example, right? Mine happened when I was ten. I remember the day, the time, probably the minute if I really thought about it, but it was very sudden and I knew something was different. Of course, there were more than a few magical seals on me at the time, but because my power turned on and broke through them like wet paper it was… almost like having water splashed on you after an energy drink kicks in. Not only did I suddenly feel more powerful, I also felt like I was in a completely different body than before. A shot of energy and a shot of adrenalin all at once.

Pinkie’s story is similar in that her powers made themselves known at a certain time. The same goes for Rarity. Goose’s powers opened gills on his neck, but based on the story he tells, his teeth have always been a shark’s like that. And we all saw that Scootaloo didn’t know she even had powers until the other day. Fluttershy has never made mention of when her powers really first showed up, and if we’re being honest here, I’m not sure how much of the story she tells I believe. You and Rainbow on the other hoof… you’re both naturals, as far as we can tell. The only reason Rainbow never used her powers is because she needed an outlet for them in the form of an open wound, but her blood has always had that toxicity based on her story. And on top of that, her mother was one of the earliest infected, the very same year the virus was released.

The information isn’t one hundred percent there yet, but for the moment, it seems to suggest that the early infected tend to have foals born with an active virus. A few statistics show that generation alpha, or those born from 2000 to 2014, has a relatively low rate of naturals born to single infection couples. The rate is much higher in those with parents of physical mutations, and double infection couples have an even higher rate of natural births than that. Gen beta on the other hoof, the statistics are wildly higher. From one infected in every fifty foals went to one infected in every three. This year marks the start of gen gamma, and some statisticians are expecting that ration to jump to one in every two or higher.

Of course, now that we’ve got the idea that the virus is a sexually transmitted disease, that explains the rapid growth from one in many to one in a few. If I were in your shoes, I would be betting on having a natural and dealing with a baby with powers. You make a double infected couple, and Goose is a physical mutation type, so you have the second highest odds possible for a natural. If you yourself aren’t a physical mutation anyway. Hmm… are you a mutation? Normally that consists of a pony having parts of another species since the word ‘mutation’ usually refers to something along the lines of ‘grotesque,’ but actually…” Twilight closed her laptop and got out out of the big cushy chair.

“I think I should take a sample of everypony’s blood. Rarity is obviously a magical mutation, and Goose has an obvious physical mutation, but what classification do the rest of you fall under? Is Pinkie’s speed something that falls under magical or physical? Is Fluttershy’s transformation a magical-physical hybrid because she can revert to her original form? Since we have the extra time today, I think I might set out to see if that’s true or not. Come see me in the medical room before you leave today if you will. I suppose I’ll try to tag everypony who’s here for now and catch Goose and whoever else before you all sortie tomorrow.” And with that, she spread her wings and hopped over the guardrails ta glide down ta the library floor.

Thanks for tellin’ me what ya think about marriage Twi, big help. Ah rolled my eyes and made my way down myself. Since Ah happen ta lack the ability ta fly, Ah had ta walk. When Ah exited the biggest room in the castle inta the dark hallway outside, Ah caught a glimpse of the tip of a rainbow colored tail and figured Ah’d ask her next. Ah don’t expect much out of her since she’s not the brightest bulb in the warehouse, but who knows.

Bet on a natural, huh? Geez, what if them damn teeth are hereditary? Ah’ve heard mares complain about weanin’ foals with normal teeth comin’ in. If Ah’m still breast feedin’ and his teeth come in that little mouth… good goddess. Ah shook my head, scratched at my under belly ta make sure they were still there, and then followed after Rainbow. Did Mrs. Swan have ta deal with that? No… no, his teeth didn’t come in like that, they replaced his baby teeth. Ah was hit by a sudden wave of relief and then knocked on Rainbow’s door.

“Uh, hello?” she asked from the other side.

“It’s Applejack. Can Ah come in?” Ah asked. Ah heard her groan, but then she opened the door.

“Why not.” she sighed. Ah made my way in and gave her a look.

“Happy ta see me, aint’cha?” Ah poked. Her room was even less inhabited than Fluttershy’s. Every bedroom in this castle has a bed, a desk, and a chair in it. If ya sleep in one of the empties, ya might not know which one ya slept in when ya leave the next day. The only thin’s that told this was lived in at all were the duel monster cards spread out all over her desk and the coat rack covered in crow feathers. Ah took a seat on the bed and Rainbow went back ta work in her chair, movin’ cards around on the table. Sure is friendly today.

“What’cha up to?” Ah asked after Ah started ta get antsy. Rainbow shrugged.

“Ya know, card games and stuff. Pinkie let me know that my deck wasn’t legal anymore, so I have to find a way to fill gaps in this or start building a new one. Apparently, most of these cards are banned or limited, so this deck died a long time ago. Oh well, I guess I can just buy cards after the shops reopen tomorrow or something.” Rainbow let out another sigh and went back to shuffling cards around.Ah really don’t know too much about that card game they play. Card games are money burners, so we never really got the chance back when we were kids. Ah still need ta get my expenses under control as it is, so Ah never thought ta try and join em.

“Oh uh… yeah. Ya sound confident about tomorrow at least,” Ah noted. Rainbow let out an irritated breath and finally turned around ta face me.

“Okay, what is it mom? What’s the deal? What was all that earlier?” she asked. Ah looked away and scratched at my head.

“Well uh… you’re uh… not too far off there, really.” Ah admitted. Rainbow raised a scarred eyebrow.

“Uh-huh. Explain. Why is ‘honey safe now,’ hmm?” she asked. Ah cringed at the words. Did Ah really go that far? Good goddess, Ah’m a mess. Ah repeated the story, but it didn’t have much of an effect on Rainbow.

“Dude, what the fuck? Did you two getting together turn on some kinda maternal instinct or something? Is that what this is? Why am I the target for that? You leave me out of this, I’m eighteen damn it!” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, and you’re also about as big as a twelve year old. Look, Ah’m sorry. It won’t happen again. Just… gimme a take on this, okay? Pinkie was warnin’ me about a broken family, Fluttershy was puttin’ fears in my head about possibly givin’ birth ta another beast, and Twilight just about said that whatever comes outta me and Goose is likely ta be born with powers. What if it comes out with teeth? What if it comes out with his teeth? Ah know Ah’m not normal, but teeth like that will shred me ta pieces! How am Ah supposed ta feed it if it has his teeth?” Before Ah could go any further, Rainbow had put a hoof on my shoulder.

“Dude. Chill out,” she ordered. Ah let myself breathe and shook my head. “Okay, I can see this is a little more than your usual kind of crazy. So… let me get this straight. You want to know what I think about getting married and having kids right? that’s the jist of it? And not the uh… possible down sides of a foal with powers right?” Ah nodded and Rainbow took a moment ta think. She moved her hooves around like she was havin’ a conversation with somepony Ah couldn’t see, and then finally she turned back ta me.

“Okay. So, you know what my parents are like, so… I’m not sure that I want to do that to myself, ya know? Like, I know that I was the cause of all the strain on their marriage, and my mom’s side of the family has the history of blood disease, a blood disease that I have. Even if we ignore the virus entirely, there’s a good chance a foal of mine would suffer from sickle cell like I do, and an even higher chance that I wouldn’t survive the pregnancy. And all of that is without even considering that there has to be a guy involved with this, so who knows what kinda stallion could deal with me.

Like, Fluttershy called me a ‘legal loli,’ the other day. What kinda sick, twisted stallion wants to fuck a pre-teen? Or, at least a mare that looks like one anyways. I’m not easy to live with either, you can ask Scootaloo about that, and I still have to get blood every quarter. I’m expensive too. The only reason I lived as well as I did before this was because the mob pays well, and my previous employer paid even better. I’ve never done anything that wasn’t related to my skill with my sword, and I’m an uneducated fuck that lives in the underworld. I can’t cook for shit, I don’t have any homemaker skills, and I’m like… terrible with kids. Heh, you couldn’t ask for a worse wife than me.

You… don’t have any of my problems. Like, none. At least you look like a mare and… no homo or anything, but you’re fucking hot. Like, if I had a bit for every thirsty look you got while we were at the fair the other day, I would be freakin’ loaded. Like, you’ve gotta know that, right?” Well, that’s… uncomfortable.

“Ah mean… it’s not like Ah don’t notice the looks or anythin’, Ah uh… well, Ah never really put a whole lotta thought inta it, Ah guess…” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“You humble cunt. That explains so much more than you could ever realize, goddess.” Rainbow sighed and wrapped her wing around me.

“You’re cut out for anything you wanna do, alright? So maybe you have a kid and it rips through one of your tits because it’s got his teeth. Whatever, you know Scootaloo, and she can fix a wound like that. You learn better, and you start either buying formula or milking yourself for it. Easy, done. Maybe this kid has some crazy power like Fluttershy, so what? You have the Princess, the Equestrian Empress, the Radiant Sun of legend, on call.” Rainbow stopped in her tracks and her wing twitched. “Uh… don’t repeat that last one. To anypony. Like, seriously, I shouldn’t have said it. Like, if you think fuck is a curse word, think that one is an ultra curse word and never speak it. Ever.

But uh, yeah man, I think… I think you, of all ponies, will be fine. Goose loves you, and if anything matters, it’s that. So, let’s recap. You have friends in high places. You have access to a pony who can literally heal most any wound. I mean, she put Pinkie’s leg back on right after it was ripped off at the elbow without any problems. And finally… ya know, the guy loves you. If… if I had a stallion like him… I don’t know, I might even reconsider my position on all this. But that doesn’t matter here, you do have it. I know ponies who would literally kill for that. I think you’re fine.” She patted my shoulder and we were silent for a while. Eventually, Ah took it all in and nodded.

“Thanks, Rainbow,” Ah said as Ah hugged her. She struggled at first, but then gave in.

“Sure whatever. Now, go bother somepony else so I can get back to my cards,” she said as she slithered out of my grip. What was the word? Tsundere? That’s what Fluttershy said she was. She’s little, but she’s at least got a few adult curves here and there. Maybe someday, some stallion will come along ta change yer mind after all, Firefly Flare.

“Ah guess you’re right. It’s gettin’ late anyways, maybe Ah should go home and see if he’s back. See ya in the mornin’.” Rainbow threw a hoof out behind her ta shoo me away and then reached in a desk drawer ta pull out a binder full of cards. Ah closed the door and left her ta it. As Ah was headed down the hall, Ah ran inta Rarity.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were still here. Will you be joining us for dinner?” she asked. Either that, buy somethin’ on the way home or go cook for myself. Ah might as well.

“Sure, Ah guess. Ah figure he’d call me if he was done already, so it’s not like Ah’m goin’ home ta anythin’.” Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Mmhmm, yes, we are the alternative, aren’t we? Well, whatever, go wash those dirty hooves of yours and find a seat. Pinkie made something she calls ‘hot pot casserole’ and the whole living room smells like it. I would’ve gone home already myself if she hadn’t invited me to partake in some of that. It really does smell delicious.” Ah nodded and headed ta my room, but stopped just before Ah turned the corner.

“Oh, hey!” Ah called back as she headed toward Rainbow and Scootaloo’s rooms.

“Yes?”

“Can Ah… talk ta ya after dinner?” Rarity frowned and looked at her wrist.

“I suppose,” she sighed. “This better not be anything like the last time you wanted to ‘talk’ to me alone.” Rarity then turned tail and went ta get the pegasi. Well. So much fer that.

---

“And you spent your afternoon asking everypony about this?” Rarity asked.

“Uh-huh.”

“And now you want to talk to me about.”

“Yep.”

“Me, the mare with loose morals?”

“Ah guess.”

“The very same mare who’s slept with several ponies.”

“Eeyup.”

“Not gender exclusive either.”

“Ye.” Rarity took in a sharp breath and closed her eyes.

“Do you really want my opinion on this, truly? I know you’ve had trouble focusing all day, what if I say something that keeps you unfocused through tomorrow?” Ah adjusted my hat and sighed.

“Oh my goddess, will ya spit it out already?” Ah asked, finally gettin’ irritated.

“Fine! Have it your way! I will not be held responsible if somepony dies tomorrow!” She huffed and crossed her forelegs. Dinner had finished, and since we’re the only ones who don’t live here, we’d moved ta my guest room ta talk. Ah caught Rarity up, and she has yet ta tell me anythin’ other than that she doesn’t want ta tell me anythin’.

“Oh, you’ll be held responsible if it’s yer fault. Look, Ah don’t think ya can say anythin’ worse than what Ah’ve already heard. Let’s go.” Rarity scowled at me but eased inta her seat on the bed all the same.

“Very well then. Allow me to tell you a story. Once upon a time, there was a stallion in my life. I had met him in high school, and we were deeply infatuated with each other. He was a hoofball star, and I was… well, you know what I was. Some ponies called me… easy. I hated my father even more then than I do now, and I desperately needed a stallion in my life. Sometimes that desperation would cloud my judgment and sometimes that would lead me to… well, you know… sleep with them.

I was… young and stupid, I thought that this one would be the one who takes care of me, and we would be married, and I would give him foals, and he would swoop in and take me away from here, and… then I would never hear from them. They never loved me, and for that I hated them. They used me, and I… I kept falling into the same stupid trap. They would come to me, tell me how beautiful I was, tell me how much they wanted to be with me. They would bring me gifts and take me out to dinners, and then, there would be a party. Somepony would be throwing a party while their parents were away, and somepony else would find a way to get alcohol. I would go, we would drink, I would get drunk, and then… another stallion knows me inside and out.

The last one happened with that hoofball star. I thought it would be different that time, that it would be special. He was the one. He was never the one. Just like the rest of them, he too ran away from there after. I finally managed to corner him one day after school and I forced him to tell me why he did it if he never really liked me. You put your hoof on a stallion’s balls and he’ll talk. He sang his song as loud and clear as he could for me, and once I’d heard everything I needed to know, I smashed his eggs.

Cruel, I know, but what they did to me was far worse, I think. Before I graduated, I made another name for myself. They called me Rarity the crusher. I found them all one by one, had the truth out of them, and then took my revenge. For the next year or so, I never so much as looked at a stallion. They were all just pigs looking to take advantage of me. Filthy creatures just looking to use me and then throw me away like a toy.

But, I am a weak, stupid mare. I had urges now. Urges that married young mares are supposed to have, and not little harlots like me. I hated stallions, so why not try mares? A mare will love you just like you want her to, but the thing about mares is that they’re missing that little bit that makes your blood boil. Mares could never do what stallions could do for me, mares were always soft and cushy. I tried it a few times, and to be honest with you, I simply wanted a stallion again. And so, the cycle began to repeat, except now I knew I would never find somepony to keep for myself and I would dip back into my own gender every now and again. If they simply want to use me for their pleasures, why can’t I use them for the same end?

Of course, that didn’t work either. Maybe I wanted sex, but more often than not, I just wanted somepony to hold me. Somepony to kiss me and tell me that things are going to be alright. Somepony to come home to me, somepony to be there while I worked and support me. I hated the loneliness more than anything else.” Rarity bit into her lip and shook her head.

“You see… the truth is, I did… hope that maybe I might have you, once… This was before I knew what an unstable mess you were of course, but… you filled all my checkboxes, save for the one where you’re a mare. You’re strong, you hold virtues, you believe in your work, and you were truly good hearted. I had seen you protect and defend when you had no reason to, how you would sometimes give your bounty away to the victims, how you would always pay for any damage you caused out of your own pocket.

Then you went and ruined the illusion by opening your mouth back at Sweetie’s birthday. To think I could have met a mare even less stable than myself, fantasized about you even, and then you came in and just… broke the window. You really are awful at being social, you know? I honestly can’t say who I’m more jealous of, Goose for landing you or… you for landing Goose. Your first try, and you find somepony so… so devoted to you for the sake of being with you and not just for what’s between your legs. Do you know what kind of bits he put out to have your dinner the other night? What he paid me to play for you, what he paid for your dress?

It’s not like that was anything to him, the little Carcha CEO, but… he did all that just so you would go. Not to get you in bed, not to take you home, just so you would be with him. If somepony told me that I could smother a foal to have my own Goose, I don’t know that I wouldn’t do it. It nearly makes me jealous to the point of envy.” She paused for a moment ta recenter herself, then started back up again.

“This is exactly why I found myself so angry with you last week. You… are a tortured soul. You have lost so much, but in losing you have gained something precious that some of us, like myself, would trade everything just to have what you do, and being the tattered thing you are, you couldn’t even see that. Friends, family, somepony who truly loves you, I simply couldn’t let it stand. As much as I wanted that for myself, you two were made for each other. And I hate you for it. But… you’re also my friend. Even though I know just what a basket case you are, I love you too. The Alogo have a better word for it than that. Not the eros, but the philia or the agape. Like a sister, and unconditionally as if you were my family.” Rarity wrapped a hoof around my neck and brought me in.

“To answer your question, yes. I would love to have both, a husband and foals. It is something I have always dreamed of, and something that I have always despised my parents for because they never showed me what love between partners looks like. I had to learn on my own that a true marriage could never come from two mares, that making and raising foals is the point and not simply being together. And I suffered for it because nopony was there to beat into me to guard my treasures, as the hearts of ponies are dark and full of evil.

When you and Goose are married, I expect you to have very long and very happy lives together, and I expect those lives to be filled with wonderful little children of your own. Provided your hips are any indicator, you were made to have foals. And I hate you for that too. So, now you know my little secret. Are you satisfied?” Rarity let me go and Ah took a minute ta process… everythin’.

“Wow… Ah never… really? Me?” Ah asked. She rolled her eyes.

“Come now, I know you’re dense, but is it that much of a surprise? Yes, you. The hero of my childhood come again? And within reach? It’s not that much of a stretch.” Ah felt my face heat up and scratched my neck.

“Ah don’t think Ah like that. But… Ah think Ah feel the same. Fer all of ya. Thanks, Rare.” She nodded and then stood up. Ah followed suit.

“You, are very welcome. Now then, you march that gigantic ass home, sleep, and be clear headed tomorrow! We cannot have our leader freaking out over us instead of doing her job when our lives are really on the line.” She gave me a hard swat ta the cutie mark, and when Ah tried ta return the favor, she was gone.

“Damn it, y’all get back here!”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

8954618

For your other thing, I'm not sure what you mean by references. This chapter is completely devoid of them unless you mean Rainbow's story, at which point that was just Of Rainbows and Ravens parts 2 and 3. Everything talked about in this chapter is all in universe and explained in earlier chapters.

I meant the entire story, in general.

[KorenCZ11]

9289840
Like, if you want me to explain specific ones, that's fine, I can do that. However, the point of putting a reference in a work, especially a reference to popculture or other media, is so that the people who do catch it smile because they caught it. Otherwise, it really isn't important to the story and it just adds to the world having things in it, like books and games.

Rainbow and the rest of the castle residents, save Twilight, like to play games with each other. Super takes place in a very modern setting, and some of the things I name as games or systems are usually single or translated words away from their real life titles. I think the most obscure reference in the whole story is all the way back in Harmony Stories II: All the Other Kids, where I make an allusion to Fullmetal Alchemist by another name. If you get it, good for you, but if you don't, then it doesn't matter.