Sometimes They Call Me Super

by KorenCZ11

Persona XXIII: Until Death

“Alright everypony, that’s a wrap.”

“Holy shit!” Ah just about jumped off Goose as fast as Ah could. What in tarnation!? Is that Rarity? Why is she here? Ah thought this place was private!

“Let’s pack it up, we’ve got a lot of work to do before the wedding tomorrow,” she said as she stepped out behind the big hedge wall. Goose had just proposed, Ah’d just said yes, and Ah was… about ta… uh, ya know. ‘Show the love’ in the best way Ah know how. Because Ah thought we were alone. And nopony was comin’.

“I mean, you could’ve waited a bit, right?” he asked. Rarity shook her head. Only now did Ah notice the camcorder. There have been several moments in my life where Ah’d wished death upon myself, but this? This is probably the only time it’s happened out of embarrassment.

“Sweet Goddess, she was recordin’ it...” She made it to the center of the stone circle with us and nodded assuredly.

“I really did think about it. It was very tempting. After all, it certainly would’ve sold well with the whole ‘power couple’ thing you two have going on. Though, I’m afraid the sale of an X-rated video without the consent of the lovers would get me into some kind of legal trouble, and I simply can’t have that kind of media attention on me with the job we do. Anyways, the moment was captured, so Celestia should be pleased.” Horror stricken, Ah turned ta her.

“C-Celestia put ya up ta it?” She shook her head.

“No, no, he did. I believe that was part of the deal for the ballroom in the castle if I’m not mistaken.” Goose nodded.

“It was. Though, all things considered, I should’ve seen this coming.”

“Anyways, we need to make sure the finished dress fits, so come along,” Rarity said. Goose got up and fixed his pants, and Rarity started ta leave, but Ah wasn’t even sure what was goin’ on. Wait. Did she say ‘weddin’ tomorrow?’

“Woah, woah, woah, hold on just a damn minute! Weddin’?” Rarity tilted her head like Ah said somethin’ strange.

“Yes, wedding. You have a habit of doing things backwards, and since the ‘bedding’ has already been done, multiple times at this point based on that little scene, the proper course of action is to make it official. What about it?”

Well, nopony ever called me subtle, that’s fer sure.

“But y’all said tomorrow, didn’t ya?” Ah took a step toward her, then Goose warped ta my side.

“Yeah about that… You were wondering what I’ve been doing lately, and that’s kinda… it.” Ah had ta sit down now, this was all just… too much.

“Okay, hold on. So, fer the last couple days, you’ve been plannin’ a weddin’, right?”

“Few days? I ordered that dress weeks ago. Though, I had planned to wait till after all this crap was over, but uh… you know, that little scare the other day made me nervous, so I decided to move my plans forward by like… a month.” Goose’s cheeks turned a little flush and he scratched at the back of his head. Rarity took a step forward.

“It was quite amazing really, he got everything done in a mere five days,” she explained. Ah blinked and shook my head.

“Ah’m sorry?”

“It’s all done. Cake, location, attire, music, after party, everything. All it was really waiting on was the stallion to grow a pair and ask. Since I caught that on tape, it seems as if everything is accounted for. Though, I suppose you’ll still have to write your vows…” Ah turned from her ta him, back ta her, and back ta him.

“So, my family knows?”

“I was given your uncle’s blessing on Monday. Well, I say that, they all talked about it like it was a done deal. Did you know that your sister made a bet with Scootaloo?” Ah raised a hoof in protest, but the words wouldn’t materialize because Ah knew they weren’t true.

“Goddess damn it, Ah told her ta stop gamblin’. Where are we doin’ this?” Ah would ask ‘why tomorrow,’ but Ah also would rather this happen sooner than later, now that Ah think about it. ‘Don’t… live with a regret you don’t have to, if the day ever comes that you don’t get the chance.’ Words like a truck, that mare.

“Why, a ballroom in Canterlot Castle. I said that, weren’t you paying attention?” Ah glared at Rarity.

“Fuck you.” She brought a hoof ta her chin and licked her lips.

“Well now, that is quite the offer, and while I’d love to, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. I’m liberal, not a home wrecker. Besides, you’re engaged now, that would simply be in poor taste.” Ah sighed.

“You walked into that one,” Goose said.

“Ah know. Ya said somethin’ about a dress? Is that done too?” Pure defeat. And after we had that conversation the other day, too. She nodded, that smug smile still on her face and gettin’ under my skin.

“You were wearing it the other day.” Ah narrowed my eyes, then it hit me.

“Oh. So, uh… Ah’m the shy mare… with the fat ass.”

“I wouldn’t call you shy by any means, but insecure about your body? Certainly. And most definitely, with the fat ass. That said, we do need to run a final test to make sure it fits you properly now that it’s been completed.” Ah had ta rub at my eyes. Between the tears and the emotional rollercoaster that has been today, Ah feel like Ah just got thrown back inta life at full speed. What in the world is happenin’? Ah know Ah said yes and all, but Ah didn’t think… thin’s would move so fast… Itchiness gone, Ah slapped my cheeks a few times.

“Alright, let’s get on with this. Ah… never thought Ah’d get swept away like this, but… since it’s you… Ah guess Ah don’t mind.” Ah leaned next ta him and wrapped my hoof around his, then went fer a kiss. Soft, warm, and sugary sweet, this is the stallion Ah’ve always wanted.

“I’m glad you feel that way.” He returned it, and then thin’s started goin’ further until Rarity coughed.

“Can you keep your clothes on for five minutes please? We have things to do!” we broke apart, but Ah never let go of his hoof.

“Fine, have it yer way.”

---

It was somethin’ like 2 PM when we left the restaurant and went ta the graveyard, and now it was closer ta 11. The time between then and now almost feels like it didn’t even happen. We went ta Star’s ta makes sure the dress still fit, we went by Sugar Cube Corner so Ah could get another taste of my cake, we had a trial run of Goose and Ah dancin’ that went on fer far longer than Rarity wanted, and we even picked out the song we’re gonna trot out ta.

On top of that, everypony was in on it. They all knew, and they were all workin’ on their own projects ta get ready fer tomorrow. Again, Ah’m the last one ta notice. Ah was never great with ponies’ emotions, but these are thin’s Ah coulda noticed over the last couple days if Ah wasn’t so preoccupied with whatever Goose was doin’. However, now Ah find myself in the Shark house starin’ at a blank piece of paper, sittin’ at Carcharias’s desk, wonderin’ what the hell Ah’m supposed ta write here. The creak of the door caught my ears, and he walked in with a mug filled with somethin’ sweet.

“You keep bringin’ me all this sugar and Ah’m gonna get fat.” He rolled his eyes and set the mug down in front of me.

“I know you have a differing opinion on the subject, but as long as you’re you, I’m not sure I care what you look like.”

“Good goddess, you’re a piece of shit.” He leaned down and pecked me on the lips.

“Only for you. Still struggling?” Ah rolled my eyes and took a sip of the sweet drink. Hot chocolate, now that Ah taste it.

“What does it look like?”

“Blank paper?”

“Exactly! Ah don’t know what Ah’m doin’ here! What did y’all write? Can’t Ah just copy that and call it a day?” Ah already knew his answer at this point, but Ah though Ah might ask again. Eighth time’s the charm, right?

“For the eighth time, no, this is something you need to do. I get that your head doesn’t work like this, but it’s really not all that complicated. It’s a vow. What do you want from me, what do you like about me, what do you expect of yourself, et cetera.” ‘And so on,’ my brain told me. Ah know what he really said, but the whole ‘accidental impartation of a language’ still catches me off guard any time somepony says somethin’ and Ah know exactly what it means… even though Ah probably didn’t a moment before.

“Come on now, that’s like askin’ what Ah think faith means! How do Ah explain somethin’ like that? It’s… personal, Ah… Ah show it, puttin’ it inta words is… Ah don’t know, it never sounds right. Besides, Ah’ve thrown away a whole book’s worth of pages at this point…” He eyed my little overflowin’ trashcan and sighed.

“Alright look. I’m not going to say what I wrote until tomorrow because that’s what it’s for. But I will say that all I really put down are the promises I want to keep, what you mean to me, and what I think is so special about you that I would pledge my life to you for. That’s what this is. The final step before we both say, ‘to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.’” Ah shivered at that last part.

“Do we have ta say that last thin’?” He frowned.

“What do you mean?” Ah scratched at the back of my head.

“The uh… the death thin’.” He blinked.

“Well, yeah. I mean, one, it’s tradition. Aside from ‘that’s just the way things are,’ it’s significant in that, if one of us dies, there’s a promise there that the other will keep on living and still try to be happy. We’re only bound to each other while we’re both still alive. If… something were to happen to me, I wouldn’t want you to go on with life thinking that I was the first and last, ya know?”

Well, that’s really not somethin’ Ah wanted ta hear.

“… Ya make thin’s difficult, ya know that?” He smiled and nodded.

“And you make things hard. I’m gonna go ahead and get to bed since I’ve got a pretty early morning ahead of me, but don’t stay up too late on this, alright?” A kiss ta the forehead good night, Goose exited the room, and now Ah was alone with my paper again.

So special that Ah want ta pledge my life ta ya, huh? Yeah, easy fer y’all ta say. Ya have experience with all this lovey-dovey shit. Ah’m gettin’ married ta the only stallion Ah’ve ever really been close ta. In a literal sense, even. Well, come on Applejack, use yer damn head. What does he mean ta ya? He’s… the only one that’s ever made my heart race like that. He’s the only one that can get me ta calm down when Ah get too overheated. He… always checks on me, he hardly ever leaves me alone… fer better or fer worse, anyways.

He’s… there when Ah need him. Heh, the dumb bastard even makes me smile every now and again… Maybe even more than that. He makes me laugh, he laughs with me. He’s polite… when he wants ta be, and… he’ll tell me the truth. Even when Ah threaten him. He meets me eye ta eye, he… always tries ta look at thin’s from two angles. He… he… he loves me. But… these aren’t the only reasons why Ah feel the same. How am Ah supposed ta put all that down on paper? Goddess damn it. This is exactly the kinda shit Ah need him around ta help me with, and he won’t!

Ah looked around this old office until Ah spotted a clock on one of the wooden file cabinets. Let’s see… 11:45, huh? Who could Ah talk ta right now? Rarity said she had other stuff ta do after we got finished practicing, so she’s either dead ta the world right now, or still workin’. Even if Ah did bother her, she has ta get up as early as Goose does.

All the other girls are effectively useless on the subject ‘cept… maybe Pinkie, but she was stressin’ out about meetin’ that family again all day. Ah’d probably be just as stressed if Ah were her, so maybe that’s not a good idea. It’d be nice if Mom or Aunt Dew were still around, they’d know what ta do… Mom… Ah wonder… An idea in mind, Ah grabbed my phone out of my bandanna pocket and sent off a text. The clock ticked exactly ten times before Ah got a reply, and with that, Ah grabbed my sheet, my jacket, and my hat and headed ta the castle.

---

“So? What all have you written?” Celestia asked. Ah scratched at my face and looked away.

“Oh, ya know… nothin’. At all.” She rolled her eyes and reclined in the castle’s library chair.

“I see. Very well then, tell me exactly what it is that’s giving you trouble with this?” Ah sighed and shook my head as Ah leaned over the table.

“Ah don’t know. And that’s probably the biggest issue. Ah don’t have anythin’ ta compare him ta, and Ah just… Ah feel like that’s almost a disadvantage here. How am Ah supposed ta call him the best stallion Ah’ve ever had if he’s the only stallion Ah’ve ever had? If he means the world ta me, how do Ah put that inta words if Ah don’t know what the world means ta me? It’s all new, and Ah barely understand it.

Ah’m half afraid that Ah’m doin’ everythin’ wrong in the first place, and he’s already been through a relationship like this before, and Ah… Ah don’t know anythin’. Is this really it? It feels right, but is that just because Ah’ve been so repressed my whole life and now Ah have somepony to act out my desires on, or is it because Ah really do love him and Ah… want more?”

Now it was Celestia’s turn ta let her head fall inta her hooves.

“Goddess, damn you, Fluttershy. I so very, very wish you hadn’t said that. I knew in the back of my head, I’m certain Fluttershy could smell it, but I was trying so, so hard to look the other way, and now you’ve made it so I can’t. Before we even get into the emotional side of this that I know you’re struggling with, I’d like you to take one of these.” Out of golden aura, a little cream-colored stick appeared and floated over ta me. Upon closer inspection, Ah realized what it was and suddenly found my face a little warm.

“W-what the!? W-why would ya-” She rolled her eyes and scowled at me.

“Mrs. Soon-to-be Carcharodon, you know exactly why. That is of course, unless you’re willing to lie to my face and say that you haven’t already been intimate with your ‘boyfriend,’ hmm?”

“Ah uh…”

“I can’t hear you my dear, you’ll have to speak up.”

“…”

“What? Nothing to say? Come now Applejack, you’re usually more talkative than this. Tell me, do you know how to use a condom?”

“Well…”

“Speak the truth. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” Ah sighed and took the test outta her magic.

“Alright fine, Ah don’t. Happy?” She shook her head.

“No. Not in the slightest. As a matter of fact, I’ll be rather upset if that comes up positive. You… you ignorant…” She reached her hooves out after my neck, but then gritted her teeth and pulled back. A deep breath later, she continued. “I pray that you haven’t been ovulating and this is simply some… puppy love infatuation taken too far. I won’t ask for details, but please, for the love of the goddess, take a break for a few weeks, alright? Two more kaiju and you can do whatever you want. But if that does come back positive, you and I are going to have a talk, and you will not like it. I want it the results before Saturday, you understand me?” Shame creepin’ up my back, Ah let my head fall and nodded.

“Y-yes ma’am…” Celestia sighed and fell back inta the recliner.

“This is what it feels like, isn’t it? I never thought I would have to rebuke any child of mine for a sexual misdemeanor, yet here I am. Though, I suppose if I ever have to do it again, I’ll at least have something to draw from. New experiences like this are often hard to find when you’re as old as I am.” She sat up straight, stretched her wings, and then, in the most business professional way she could, she put her forehooves over one another and stared me down.

“With that out of the way… at least for the moment, let us start with the most concerning thing you’ve said; no, this isn’t repression or anything like that, you’re just as filled with hormones as everypony else is, and we all experience days when that little animal instinct is hardly controllable. Having easy access to act out on it is only a bad thing if: you aren’t ready to raise a foal, you don’t stick with your partner, or you do it with somepony you don’t know.

If you can check all of those boxes off, then sure, why not. Bringing new lives into the world is an inherent good, and I typically encourage procreation from married couples. However, you cannot check off the first box right now because you most certainly do not need your body moving to prepare a new life while fighting for yours.

Passion is a part of love, the Eros if we go to the Algol words for love, and yes, if you love him, especially in the first six months, you will have a burning desire to have him put a baby in you. That is not the only part of love, but it is most certainly the easiest to understand, and more often than not, the easiest to act on. You may want more with him later, but this is still a young relationship so only time will tell you if it is real.”

“But… Ah don’t have that kinda time, y’all know that! Ah… He means it, doesn’t he? He… he wouldn’t put up with me if he didn’t, right?” She shrugged.

“Maybe. He could idolize you in such a way that your vices might not even look like that to him. He is particularly devoted to you, though that may just be part of his personality.” Ah think Ah felt my face contort.

“Wha…? Ya… ya don’t really-”

“Absolutely not. I’m simply playing the devil’s advocate here. Applejack… when you agreed to this earlier today… did you really know what it entails? Marriage, I mean.”

“Well… it just means… together forever, don’t it? Makin’ foals and raisin’ ‘em and such… right?” She pulled her lips to the side.

“That… is not quite correct. By definition, ‘marriage is the union between two creatures of the opposite sex as husband and wife in a consensual contractual relationship recognized by law.’ That is what the word means and has meant for thousands of years. But what does it look like in reality? An easy example would be the three stages of a couple.

Currently, you find yourself in the passionate stage. You want to breed like a rabbit, being away from him causes you emotional distress, and your partner can do no wrong. This is the point where deep seeded issues start to develop. Mares will easily dismiss abusive traits and tendencies because it’s all ‘love’ to them as long as they’re together. I’m not saying Goose is even capable of something like that, but do keep an eye out for the little things you might otherwise not notice. You’re wearing rose tinted lenses right now, and it would be good to take them off and look at things objectively from time to time.” Ah tilted my head.

“So… maybe Ah’m not really seein’ him as he is, but Ah’m seein’ him as Ah want ta?” She shook hers.

“In a way, yes. To be frank, Goose has shown to be an excellent stallion, but there are things he hasn’t told you and things he hides from you, for better or for worse. You may dismiss little things like that now, but that may come back to bite you later. Do I actually believe Goose would do something like that to you though? Not in the slightest. It’s just… a precaution, I suppose.” Ah scratched at my cheek.

“Oh, sure…”

“Anyways, on with the analogy. Beyond the passionate stage, usually about six months to a year later, you find yourself in… let’s call it, ‘acceptance.’ This is the point where breakups and divorces tend to happen. Over time, the lenses will fall off whether or not you like it. You will see this pony before you as he is, and you will find and pick out every single one of his flaws.” Ah blinked.

“Ah mean… didn’t Ah kinda already-”

“No, no, you won’t understand what I mean until it actually hits you. For example, your brother. What does he do that you hate with every fiber of your being?” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Oh, well, first off, he never cleans any of the cookin’ utensils, he just leaves ‘em on the stove half dirty and he only washes ‘em off when he wants ta use ‘em again! He’ll take up all the space on the couch, he brings his sluts home every now and again and they’re always loud, and-”

“Well, there you go. Though, I doubt you’ll have to worry about that last one with Goose. The little things. If there’s a deeper issue, something on the value side, those little things will be more apparent and more irritating. Luckily, there’s almost always a deeper issue to be resolved when this does occur, however, they are the thing that tends to cause divorce. If you cannot ‘accept’ your partner in this stage, the it usually ends in a bad way.

Finally, if one does manage to accept the pony they’re with, then you reach ‘Contentment.’ You know their flaws, you understand who they are on a fundamental level, and the same is true from them to you. This is your elderly couple’s life, and the lives of parents that have finished raising their children and stuck together through it all. The problem with getting here though, is that someponies tend to spend years to decades in the acceptance stage and never make it out of that.

However, when you commit, when you agree to be married to a pony, that is your goal. To reach ‘Contentment’ together. To love, to create, to see through, to understand, to become one, with your partner. That is a marriage.”

“That’s uh… kinda heavy, ain’t it?” She nodded.

“Of course it is. A marriage is one of the strongest legal bindings in law. Dying is easier that filing for divorce in Equestria if you have foals. I have made it my solemn duty to see to it that children grow with both of their parents for as long as possible. Of course, that is dependent on the couple having children in the first place, and sometimes that never happens, so those chains are much easier to break.” Ah frowned.

“So… does that mean infidelity is a crime, or…” She rolled her eyes.

“As much as I would like it to be, Ponies are… creatures with tattered souls. Full of holes and flaws, things that will easily give in to temptation and the like. I was supposed to be celibate after all, nopony can escape their own soul. If we did something like that, we’d have to jail half the country, and that just won’t do. Of course, making things as hard as they are to get out of leads to a lower rate in marriages so… as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

“Ah see… Is that what Ah should write down then?” She scratched at her cheek.

“Well… not exactly, let me… What do you want out of this? Not just contentment, or… perhaps, even foals. You, specifically, have desires for the future, don’t you?”

“Ah… started ta think about it recently, Ah guess, but… Ah don’t know, that was really it. Ah wanted a family, Ah wanted a life that wasn’t so hard, Ah… Ah just wanted thin’s ta… settle down, Ah guess. A routine, some normalcy, and… friends, maybe.” Celestia sighed and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t we all? Oh, Applejack…” Suddenly, Ah wasn’t sittin’ across from her, but she’d warped me inta her lap.

“Uh… Ya know Ah’m like, twenty years old, right?” She shook her head and wrapped her forelegs around me.

“Compared to me, you will always be a child. I think you really do know what to write on that sheet, but because you’re you, you have a hard time looking at what it is you want and not what others want. Most ponies will see it as a good trait, but you tend to have a hard time being selfish. So, allow me to tell you about the time in my life when I was very selfish.”

---

Celestia Iscandor of Equuis

---

“The year is 1998, somewhere closer to the middle of summer. While searching through other worlds for a cure behind Luna’s back… much like an inversion of the current situation we find ourselves in, I finally arrived at something that looked like our own Equestria. My portal had opened up, and after taking a step through it, I ran somepony over.

His name was Sombra, King of Lystacr. If you’ve ever heard the saying, ‘like love at first sight,’ this was actually that. I remember thinking, ‘Oh goddess, I’ve made a terrible mistake,’ because I knew right then and there that this was going to end poorly for somepony. But, as I have said before, ponies have tattered souls, and I am no goddess.

I made an effort to avoid the topic, but just as I had fallen head over hooves for a stranger, so had he, though in a more literal sense. He got up, dusted himself off, took my hoof, kneeled, and asked me to marry him on the spot. A shock to be sure, but even more surprising was the fact that the word yes wriggled its way into my mind. I almost agreed on the spot.

Could you believe it? Me, some multi-millennia old ancient mare thinking like some school filly and her first crush. My real first crush died for me in a horrible bloody spectacle thousands of years ago. I was so upset about that for so long that I’d shut my heart to any romantic feelings from then on. How had it come to this now of all times, when I was looking for any hope of correcting the mistake I was still struggling to keep up with? Of course, you already know how the story ends, so let’s get on with the getting there.

My initial decline effectively meant nothing to him, but for the time being, he put his feelings aside and we got down to business: why I was here, what I wanted, and how I found this world. Over a few weeks, I would learn of the founding of Lystacr, how his great ancestor also dealt with a warring states period and rose to power to conquer the land and eventually claim it from the eastern to the western shore, how he’d used the mirror portal his grandfather created to advance his own technology, how he’d done almost exactly the same thing I did and unleashed the virus on his people by accident.

Alike but different. Like a mirror in every way, even missing some of the details as it only reflects about eighty percent of what it can see. As strange and fascinating as this ‘mirror world’ was though, he was what I was most interested in. He was kind and hopeful, honest and loyal, generous and friendly. Somepony one could only dream of in the flesh, yet burdened by his own birthright. He even wanted to go so far as to abdicate the throne and leave it to his ponies. That was something… even we weren’t willing to do.

I found it all… very attractive. The only pony whom should be king is the one who wants the throne least, and this stallion was born in that position. I found myself fantasizing about all kinds of things I’d long stopped thinking about, and old feelings started to bloom as I spent more and more time with him. I’d dumped my work on Luna and my staffers so often to go visit him that they were beginning to question what I was up to.

That was about the time I realized how serious this had become. I was in deep. Too deep. I’d even almost admitted that I might have fallen for somepony again. Here’s a fun fact; I went to war with the equestrian nobles because of the death of Palomino Apple. That was the first time I’d ever truly given in to my… darker emotions, and why my sister, and anypony else who still remembers the name, fears the Radian Sun. The desert in the dust bowl region of Equestria wasn’t always like that you know, I did that. Razed everything to the ground and burned it all in such a way that it became barren.

It hasn’t happened many times, but the few times I have lost my temper, it has ended in near nuclear-fallout levels of destruction as the Caballo Crater can attest. It was a miracle Twilight managed to stop me the other day. Luna Iscandor of Equuis would no longer exist if that stallion never got a grip on my heart. Ironic to think about really, considering that she hated Twilight for the first decade of her life.” She paused, then waved her hoof.

“But, that’s not what we’re talking about is it? Sombra awakened old emotions in me, and now that I had them, I hardly knew what to do with them. I said there would be none after I lost Palomino, and I’d meant that. Now I had another before I realized it, and suddenly the fears of what I might do if things went wrong started to crop up as well. To cap it all off, the one pony who could assuage my fears the best, just so happened to be the source of said fears.

Caught in a loop of positive feedback, things got worse, or better depending on your perspective, and it wasn’t just a fleeting urge to put my body to work again, but truly somepony I wanted to spend my life with. In a parallel world, no less. After a year of the maddening infatuation and desires, finally, I’d been worn down to the point where I told Sombra ‘yes’ to one of his many advances, and we went out on a date.

I can’t say that the date itself was anything special, it was just like every other dinner with him I’d had in my time in Lystacr, which had been many by this point, save for a change of venue and less attendants. Yet, despite that, I woke up in his bed the next morning feeling something that I had not felt in a very, very long time. His chambers were practically destroyed, Sombra was mostly useless for the next few days after what I did to him, and in the aftermath of it all, I still couldn’t believe I’d done it. Worse, I wanted to do it again.

My mind was roiling with doubts and fears and everything in between, but almost as if he were a force of magic himself, he could calm me down without fail and make me think straight. Nopony had ever been able to cut through the maelstrom of my head, yet he could with little more than a touch. To have somepony that just… understood me was nothing short of a miracle. Truly, that had to be the sign of love.

Two months went by, and after several more dates, daily adventures into his world and completely ignoring my own duties to be with him, I had given into fate and was ready to accept his initial offer. Mind you, much like your own situation, I was also doing things backwards and had already done the deed. Little did I know that somewhere in those two months a seed had been planted that we never thought could exist in the first place.

However, I noticed a strangeness about him. He proposed to me no less than two hundred times before I agreed to date him, yet he hadn’t done it once since we started. I almost worried that I was too much for him and he didn’t want me anymore. But as he always seemed to, he put me at ease when he finally asked again. This time, I said yes.

I felt horrible about what I was doing behind Luna’s back, but that year was… magical, I think. When Luna found out that I was pregnant and she banished me there until Twilight was born, I was… almost relieved. In a metaphorical sense, it was a glimpse into what could’ve been if things were different. A simple life as a wife and a mother. Something somepony like me could only dream of. My husband was there taking care of me and attending me, I got to play the housewife and live as if there was nothing in the world but us. A dream that few mares actually get to live out, and if I’m being perfectly honest with you, one that I’d been longing for since I was a filly.

If I were given the chance to do it over again, I think I might do things differently, but… only to the degree that Luna should’ve been told. I should’ve let her know. Even knowing it would incur her wrath, and she would protest, possibly even in a violent way, I… never should have left her in the dark like that. If… if she’d been there, if she knew him, if… if she even had the chance to meet Sombra then… maybe he’d be alive today.

I was… devastated when he died. I’d never felt more pain in the multiple millennia I’ve lived and I don’t think that heartbroken is anywhere near enough to describe it. But I still had a piece of him. My baby, his baby, our baby. Until she was old enough to give to the foster family,” she leaned close, “(Which was really just my excuse to keep her longer) I made plans to make sure she would end up with me again. She was my last relic of him, and I was going to make damn sure my baby had everything she ever wanted and grew up to be just as noble as he was.

Of course, it wasn’t until later while I was watching her grow did I realize that she wasn’t just a clone of him, she is her own pony and definitely ours more than anything. But that just made her and my time with him all the more special. Whether or not I made mistakes, whether or not the world I brought her into was a kind one, she was a life we made out of love and I couldn’t be more grateful that she simply exists.

In the end, I think my biggest regret was following Luna’s logic and misunderstanding my father’s words. I should’ve let Palomino love me. I should’ve allowed myself to love him. It has been said before, but it wasn’t until nearly a decade after I lost Sombra did I understand the words, ‘to love and to lose is better than to never love at all.’ Two thousand years of deep thought and contemplation and I finally understand something ponies figured out long before I was ever in the picture. To live is to love, and to live life without love is not to live at all.” She took my hooves in her own, and looked down ta meet my eyes.

“Applejack, this pony you’re about to commit yourself to is somepony that will remain in your heart for the rest of your life. He will not fill the holes in your tattered soul just by being there, but together, you’ll both be able to show each other where the holes are, and then learn how to repair them through one another. This is a large step to take, but it is a step worth taking. If you have faith, if you truly believe this is love, then by all means, take it and run. You never know when you might lose it.”

---

Jaquline Carcharodon

---

Woozy, dehydrated, sticky, sore, and a number of other thin’s, Ah sat up and clutched my head. Ugh. Last night must’ve been wild. Ah’m… pretty sure there was alcohol involved in that after party. Ah ain’t never been this gross the mornin’ after… A noxious wave punched me in the stomach, and off our bed and ta the bathroom Ah ran. The deed done, Ah wiped at my mouth, closed the seat and leaned, in pain, against the tank.

What in the goddess’s name has got me pukin’ like this? Ah know Ah feel like shit now, but this has been the routine fer almost a week now, hasn’t it? Maybe Ah need ta see a doctor. Ah do use trump card a lot, and if it is fuckin’ with my organs, it might be better ta find that out sooner rather than later. Puttin’ that thought aside, Ah pulled the shower curtain open and stepped in ta wash the grime away. Ah was just about ta start applyin’ soap, when Ah was joined.

“Good morning, Mrs. Carcharodon♥” he said as he wrapped himself around me.

That’s right. Ah’m finally free. Today is the first day that Ah don’t have ta be an Apple anymore.

---

Today is Thursday, October 10^th, 2030. Legally, Ah’m not an apple in name anymore, and Ah couldn’t be happier about it. Course, everypony still calls me Applejack since Ah still have issues givin’ out my full name, but that doesn’t matter. Ah’m not an Apple anymore, even if everythin’ about my appearance, manner of speech, and cutiemark would have ya believe otherwise. In all honesty, Ah never thought this day would come. Had ya asked me three months ago if Ah thought Ah’d get married in October, Ah woulda told ya you’re full of shit. Life doesn’t always go that way though, does it?

Yesterday was one hell of a day, but all the same, it flew by like it never happened. We’d found ourselves relaxin’ on the couch in the mornin’, and three seasons inta a TV show and two microwave meals later, suddenly it was dark out.

“Ah- what? It’s over!?” Ah shouted at the TV. My protest didn’t stop the credits from rollin’ though, and the ‘you should watch X next’ menu came up with two more options that Ah really didn’t feel like explorin’.

“Well, yeah. Shows like that don’t usually get to finish. One thing that I’ve grown to like about Fluttershy’s ‘adult cartoons’ as she hates to call them, is that at least they reach a good stopping point or find a definite ending. Equestrian shows on the other hoof, tend to end like this. Unsatisfying, without a real conclusion, and worst of all, with no hope of resuming.” Ah settled back inta the couch and his foreleg and pouted.

“Ah can’t believe ya made me watch this. Ah need ta know what happens next. Will the detective and the writer ever get together? And what happened ta her mother? What about the chief and his rival that got away? What about the department lead that’s tryin’ ta shut them down? Ah need ta know, Goose!” He stopped me from shakin’ him and smothered me in a hug with a smile on his face.

“Well, that’s just kinda like life isn’t it? Even though you want to see the story end the way it’s supposed to with all your answers tied up in neat little bows, those threads are often cut before they can be finished. The stage of the world moves on relentlessly, and whether or not you like it, you’ll either get dragged along or left behind.” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Gee, thanks Celestia.” He rolled his right back.

“Don’t you call me that. I was drawing from experience. I would’ve loved to see Quiet Step finish his story. But that just… didn’t happen. Not for him, not for Mom, not for Dad. Having the bow made is… far more rare than seeing it get cut short.” Ah scowled at the stallion.

“Talk about bringin’ the mood down.” Ah sighed and let myself deflate in the couch a bit more. “This is real, ain’t it?” He sat up.

“Uh… yes? Why would it not be?” Ah shrugged.

“Oh, ya know, it’s just… too peaceful. Celestia said it would take years ta get there the other day, but right about now… Ah think Ah’d like ta just stay like this forever. Ah’m wearin’ a weddin’ pendant, my name’s changed, Ah live in a house fer the first time in… Ah don’t know, twelve years? Ah’m not worried about money, Ah have a stable, even if dangerous, job. Though Ah might be loathed ta admit it, Ah even have you. When did Ah get so lucky? Ah’ve never had anythin’ like this, it just can’t be real.” He put a hoof over his heart.

“’Loathed to admit it?’ My dear Mrs. Carcharodon, must you wound me so?” Ah rolled my eyes.

“My dear Mr. Carcharodon, if ya didn’t like the way Ah treat ya, then ya never shoulda offered me this little trinket.” A big smile spread across his face, and in a second, he’d pushed me down on the couch and kissed me.

“I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t a glutton for punishment.” An idea wormin’ it’s way inta my head, Ah kicked his legs out from under him and spun us around.

“Well, maybe ya need more? Course, it’s not like anypony said y’all were allowed ta be on top anyways.” Unable ta contain the smile anymore he started laughin’ and brought me down in a bear hug. We laid there together like that fer some time, the laughter eventually subsidin’ and the only noise left was the sound of the old clock tickin’ away in the office. Without warnin’, sharp teeth dug inta my ear. More surprised than anythin’, Ah yelped and pulled my head up.

“What in the- Why in the hell-”

“Is that real enough for you?” he asked. Ah blinked.

“What?”

“Is that real enough? You asked me if this was real. Normally, ponies would pinch one another, but because you’re you, I used my teeth on one of your most sensitive areas,” he said with a wiggle of his brows. Ah gagged.

“Fer somepony so good at gettin’ me in the sack, that was awful.” Ah sat up and crossed my legs. “Ah guess ya have a point though. Even in the ‘realistic’ dreams, it’s never that uh… real? Ah feel like Ah should use a different word, but Ah can’t think of one.” He crossed his legs and put his forelegs under his head.

“Solid? Substantial? Firm? Existent? Evident? Physical?” Ah raised a brow and eyed him.

“Thanks Mr. Thesaurus.” He nodded and smirked.

“I try.”

Though things still feel a little off fer me, Ah had ta sit and reflect on the past couple days. From proposal ta marriage, thin’s certainly all moved fast, but… Ah don’t know, this don’t feel much different than the other day. It feels like weeks ago, but Monday was just a few days ago. Ah was stuck in the past fer years on end, but now that Ah’m really livin’, it’s like the world is turnin’ at ten times the speed.

Yesterday mornin’ Ah got home around the time that Goose was gettin’ up. Celestia and Ah spent half the night figurin’ out how ta word all that Ah wanted ta say on my vows exactly, and as it turns out my grade in equestrian is not reflective of my grasp on the written language, as my horrendous hoof writin’ would show. Usin’ the same word over and over again, sayin’ the same thin’ with different words (which Ah learned is called a tautology), straight up spellin’ shit wrong.

It was painful, and by the time we’d finished, Ah think she was more frustrated with my writin’ skills than the uh… other thin’ she was mad about before we started talkin’. Needless ta say, it got done, and 6 am had rolled around. The weddin’ was at 10, and Ah needed ta be ready in Canterlot castle by 8. It was a long day.

Somehow, Pulse had convinced most of the old gang ta show up even after their little fallin’ out a few days prior, and we had a very… interestin’ dynamic of ponies in the castle. Ta say most of us felt a little… Ah don’t know, outta place, would be an understatement. High vaulted marble ceilin’s, grand glass crystal and gold chandeliers, and… teens in t-shirts and jeans, prostitutes, thieves, criminals of all variety, all of harmony’s livin’ family, the princesses and their staff. Rarity was so upset that she made some desperate calls and had a whole damn commercial outfitter arrive and put everypony in their proper clothes. By the time the ceremony proper had started, everypony was up ta her standards, which was a feat in and of itself.

Ponies dressed up and in their seats in the castle gardens, it finally looked like somethin’ closer ta a high profile weddin’. The tattoos on some of the older, male members of the Shark Tooth gang were far from Rarity’s likin’, but she did her best. At least they knew how ta dress themselves, so she says.

A long time ago, this was all just a dream. A dream so far away from reality ta me that Ah thought it wasn’t anythin’ but some filly’s aspirations. Standin’ in the castle wearin’ a dress Ah never believed Ah could afford with ponies Ah never imagined Ah’d meet and finally tyin’ a knot in my frayed string of life, surreal wasn’t enough ta describe it. Weirdest thin’ of all though? Ah was… happy. Ah don’t think Ah frowned all day. That was the real miracle.

The after party had a few tense moments, but none of those were a result of Goose and the gang, or Pinkie and her mother, or even goose’s ‘gaggle’ between each other and Ah. A few of ‘em even conceded ta me and made amends with Goose. No, the real tension was the occasional glance the sisters would share. That was scary as hell. Eight ponies that know what they’re doin’ in a fight could at least react ta Celestia were she ta blow up. A few of the gang maybe too, but the rest of them, includin’ most of our families, were just civilians ta be destroyed in the crossfire, and it would definitely be fire.

Luckily, Uncle Blood sense the impending doom and managed ta play Celestia’s ‘escort’ fer the rest of the day. Twilight made an active effort ta avoid bein’ near her mother, what with all these untrustworthy ponies around ta see them together and immediately recognize just how similar they are, but oddly enough, there was a ‘fauxicorn’ within the gang that happened ta befriend a real one. A Power Pony unicorn with a pegasus’s wings. Not quite rare in Manehattan, but strange enough ta find her way inta the weddin’ party with the real thin’.

With all that could’ve and didn’t go wrong, somepony up on high was smilin’ on me, so maybe it wasn’t that much of a coincidence after all. My faith in a higher power has been shaky ta nonexistent since Ah was a child, but if there is a goddess out there, yesterday she was watchin’ over me. Woulda been nice ta have that all my life, but fuck it, Ah’ll take what Ah can get.

The only thin’ that scares me now is the fact that Ah’ve done a lot of gettin’ lately. Ah got a job, a house, friends, family, a husband that loves me. It’s all been a real sharp uptick and Ah can’t help but fear the day the rollercoaster comes roarin’ down. All Ah can do is pray that it doesn’t and hope Ah get ta enjoy this peace fer a little while. But, Ah know better, and that is what scares me. Lookin’ back on it all, another thought came ta mind.

“So… where do we go from here?” Ah broke the serenity of the house, which seemed ta break Goose out of his own thoughts. He blinked a few times before finally askin’,

“Well, to bed, preferably. Celestia did say we had to make up for skipping out on two days of work. I’m a little concerned about the way she smiled when she said that. Makes me nervous.” He shivered underneath me, and Ah shook my head.

“Not what Ah meant. Ah’m talkin’ about… after all this Persona shit is over. All we have ta do is win one more fight and last through ten more days. He dies, and the game is over. we’ve won, so… once this is all done, what do we do?” he sniffed and crossed his forelegs over his chest.

“That… is a good question. I believe I told alto I wanted to take you across the country when I picked up your pendant the other day. Course, once the honeymoon ends? No idea. Most of my plans in life were completed yesterday. I haven’t thought of what to do ‘next,’ really.” Ah rolled my eyes.

“Well, that sure ain’t like ya. Ya’ve always got a scheme goin’ on in that head of yers, surely ya can think of somethin’.” He was taken aback.

“A scheme? Me? Ah! I cannot believe you would make such an accusation of me. Why I never!” Ah rolled my eyes and laid on him.

“Gee, Rarity, feelin’ dramatic today?” Goose pulled his hooves from under me, then put them over me.

“Maybe. I got married yesterday, I think I’m still cooling off from that. I also got out drank by my wife, and I don’t know if I should be proud or ashamed of that. You really never had any hard liquor before last night, right?” Ah felt heat creep up my cheeks.

“Uh… well… that’s uh…” Ah sighed. “At this point there really shouldn’t be anythin’ ta hide from ya, so… no, it wasn’t. Sometimes, Uncle blood likes ta drink. Sometimes, he gets generous when he’s trashed, and sometimes, everypony is shared with. Hearth’s warmin’ last year was a party, Ah tell ya what.” Goose scrunched up his face.

“Even Applebloom?” Ah nodded.

“That little filly has a constitution, Ah tell ya what. She’s her mother’s daughter, that’s fer sure. She might look like Dad did, but there ain’t nopony who could out drink Rosie Apple. Er… so Ah’m told.” He pulled his lips ta the side and blew a raspberry.

“That… sounds irresponsible? I uh… I don’t know how I feel about that. Let’s… try to avoid giving minors alcohol when we have our own, alright?” Ah let out a whistle.

“Now that’s a thought. ‘When we have our own.’ Ah don’t know that Ah’m ready ta be a mom.” Goose scratched at his neck.

“After what we’ve been doing for the last couple weeks? I don’t know that you’ll get much of a choice in being ‘ready or not.’ Aurora certainly didn’t.” Ah frowned.

“She’s the uh… the ice one, right?” he nodded.

“Stole my V-card too. But, that was at least a year ago, it’s not mine, promise.” Ah gave him a stink eye.

“Infidelity is a crime in Equestria, ya know.” His brows lowered.

“Uh, I call bullshit. There is no way in hell. Celestia is not that stupid.” Ah shrugged.

“Ah don’t know, she made it pretty clear… Tuesday? Well, whenever, that she’d like it ta be. Course, if it is yers, she’s the least of yer worries. Ah’ll kill ya. No questions asked.” He shrugged.

“I’ll hold you to it. But I think you know me better. Besides, the truth of it all is much, much worse, and I still have to deal with it. She said she was… a month and a half along, so that means I’m looking at mid-July for an on-time delivery? By our timeline, I wouldn’t have even had a chance to do that, I was imprisoned at the time.” Ah shrugged.

“Ah do believe somepony told me that he could sneak out when Twilight slept, but Ah’ll believe ya. Fer now. Comes out lookin’ like a shark, my kids ain’t gonna have a father.” He rolled his eyes and Ah smiled.

“Sure, why not.” A pause. “What would that even look like? Dad was a great white hybrid. Would they come out looking more like that or a different shark? Of course, we’re both power ponies, so they shouldn’t have either of our powers as far as we know.” Ah conceded that one.

“Ya know what? Ah forgot about that. Damn. A blood test should be proof enough though. Ah can still feel the spot on my frogs where Twi managed ta get that needle in me the other day.” Ah absentmindedly rubbed at said spot. Who knew that the weakest part of my body just so happened ta be right next ta the strongest?

“Oh, that’s right, I forgot about that. I guess we’ll know eventually as it is. Supposedly, you can tell based on a blood test faster than a pregnancy test. The uh… whatever the hormone is called, starts up immediately after the egg settles into the wall. I guess as soon as she does give us those results, we’ll know. Let’s say… September, late August if things happened as early as they could.” Ah felt my lips twist downward.

“August? Really? That’s… unsettlin’. Goddess, Ah hope not. Celestia is gonna kill me if it is.” He rolled his eyes and hugged me tighter.

“No she won’t. If anything, she’ll be excited at the prospect of ‘grandfoals’ if the way she treats you is any indication of how she feels.” Ah shook my head.

“You didn’t have ta talk ta her Tuesday. Whether or not she’s excited, she is gonna be some kinda mad at me if Ah’m already… Oh goddess, Ah hope not. Now is just… not the time fer that.”

“Hey, it’ll be alright. True or false, we’ll just… deal with whatever comes our way. Cross that bridge when we come to it, ya know?” Acceptin’ the comfort, Ah wrapped myself around him and slowed my breath. Am Ah… afraid of this? Havin’ ‘em… isn’t even what scares me Ah don’t think. It’s gettin’ there and what comes after. How am Ah… supposed ta be a mom? Somewhere, a song started ta play. As Ah settled inta Goose and let his warmth cool my nerves, Ah realized that Ah recognized that song. My phone was ringin’.

“Is that…?”

“It is.” Goose let his forelegs fall off me and Ah reluctantly climbed off the couch ta find the irritatin’ device back in our room.

“Who in the hell…? Hmm… It’s Rarity, so this is probably important.” Ah called back ta the living room. Ah answered the phone and surveyed the bedroom. Good goddess, we made a mess. And the smell…

“Hello? Applejack?”

“Yes? Ah’m here. What’s so important that ya had ta call me now?”

“Right. I’m sure you’ve been nursing a hangover all day after that party last night, but… we have business to take care of. Collect your beau and head to the castle. Luna is ready to talk.” Ah frowned.

“Oh. That uh… that’s kinda important, ain’t it?”

“Quite.”

“Yeah… Alright, we’ll be there in a few.”

Comments

[Mocha Star]

I came across this story a long time ago, and I seriously thought it was another crummy super hero story. I was so wrong, this story is its own universe that fills in its own existence by using tech we have and understand, magic we dream of, and the underlying story and characters we all love. I spent three days obsessively reading this story and when I caught up I went back over parts I loved to read them again and again. There's the hidden powers so many have, taken from a place that is as real as the one you're creating in each chapter.

The emotions and unique traits each person carries through the adventure accentuates the bond and unity while still letting each of them be individuals with their own lives and problems. Rainbow's power is truly unique and reminds me of an anime I watched that had the characters use their blood as weapons in a tournament, or something. The fact she's anemic adds layers to her character and that's just one example of the depth you've created; not including her own personal, professional, and historical issues that have made her who she is.

The same goes for each and every heroic character, the bad guys' motivations, the monsters they face and the lives they experience. You've got a masterpiece here, and I hope you work to finish it. It'll be a sad day when it's over, but it'll be a day everyone will hold pride for you because you'll have finished the start of a new world full of possibilities that goes on long after you've completed writing it.

*update
Deadman Wonderland is the anime I was referencing.

[KorenCZ11]

9838851
I really appreciate this. I'm glad you like it so much. Rainbow's powers are in fact based on Deadman Wonderland, but her over all character is based on Bloodborne. She's a big mix of things that all come from several places, but if you can't tell by the number of chapters she gets as a main supporting character, I was really happy with the result.

But uh... It'll be sad when it's over and all, but I'm hoping I can emotionally destroy you in the relatively near future if I can actually pull my shit together and get on this thing. This story has a Tragedy tag for a reason, most of the events that put everything in motion are centered around the 9/11 like attack that happens 12 years prior to the main story. However, that is not the reason I initially put that tag there...

This will get finished, or I will die trying.

[Mocha Star]

9839127
I didn't get the 9/11 implication, and I've been all feels through half the story already. Like the premoniton dreams. I didn't know they were dreams and that was tragic. Fluttershy's loss around chapter 20 punched me in the feels out of no where. AJ's Pa, he uncle's realization, the CMC's struggle... you're going to continue to do great. Fret not.
I'll be there the whole way, as will hundreds of others.

[Mocha Star]

It's dangerous to go alone, take this!
--[WARNING]--
The comments contain spoilers

Not needed since comments always contain spoilers.

Also, if you need an editor I'm willing to help.

[KorenCZ11]

9839156
pics.me.me/7-shit-negro-thats-all-you-had-to-say-31246009.png
Oh, gladly. I'll send ya a PM in a bit. I'm literally working on Chapter 53 (In counting parts all as one chapter, there are 52 total chapters in this story as of this post) at the moment, but there are a few things I want to do to this story over all, and there are some over-hauls I want to do regarding how I format this. the help would be very appreciated.