Chapters Today, my mom gave me this book, pen, and inkwell. She says that I'm about to go through some major changes in my life, and she wants me to keep track of all of them so she can help me though it. I didn't know what else to put for this entry so she suggested I put a little bit about myself.
My name is Ebony Crystal. My mom and I live in the north part of Phillydelphia. I like it how all the kids play games, and we all have fun all the time. Some of them make fun of me, though, because I'm full of holes, and my hair is flat, and my wings are different. But a lot of them like me because I look just like the Princess! I'm actually an alicorn just like her!
They say I should be the leader one day, so we can all get out of Phillydelphia and into the castle in Canterlot. Then we'd have big parties, lots of music, plenty of food, good water, and we wouldn't have to worry about our parents. Well, I don't mean my mom, but some of my friends have been beaten by their parents.
Sometimes, for no reason.
Adults can be so cruel. I just don't get it. I mean, most of us do well in school, and we do everything we can to stay out of trouble, but some of my friends, like Sunshine Down, gets beat by her dad whenever he came home drunk. Sunshine says she doesn't care. It happens a lot to her and she's used to hiding upstairs until he passes out.
Today Sunshine Down came to my house. Her mane was flat because it got all sweaty, and her yellow coat was more of a mess than usual. When I asked here why she was here so late at night, she flipped her mane.
Blood.
Since my mom was still at work, I immediately got the medical stuff and patched it up. Then Sunshine started to cry. She said her father was even more aggressive than usual. He wouldn't stop screaming, "If it wasn't for you, Downy would still be here. She would! She would! She would!"
Sunshine had to buck him in the face to get him to stop swinging the bottle. She didn't tell me that. The blood on her back hooves were proof enough. I wish I could just kill the bastard and have her live with me and my mom, but we barely have enough money to feed ourselves, and neither Sunshine or I can get a job because we are too young.
I asked her what she would do. She said she'd just go back tomorrow and tell him that he got in a bar fight. It usually works on him.
But on the brighter side, Clear Crystals and Straight Lines say they're going to get jobs! When I asked about them being too young, they said there's this mare that highers only young colts and fillies down on their luck. I asked them if I could join, but they said it was too dangerous and my mom wouldn't like it.
And besides, I'm not feeling too good. There's this blue, shell-like stuff appearing on my belly. Plus, I had a headache, then a stomach ache just yesterday. My mom says not to worry about it, that it's natural. My friends say it's strange, but they think it's cool that I'm getting a hard underbelly. They say it's like natural armor, and would be good to have in a tight situation.
Today I woke up with a stomach ache. I told my mom about out it and tried to get out of school today. She said that I would get over it, and I still had to go to school. She was right, as always.
Sometimes, I wish my mother wasn't so smart. I don't know how she knows what I'm going through, we look nothing alike! I asked her why that is. All I get is the "I'm special," or "I'm different" response. I'm old enough to know where foals come from. Why won't she tell me where I come from?
Anyway, Sunshine Down had a better day today. Her father woke up with a tooth missing, but the usual bar fight lie worked. In fact, she invited me over! Here house smelled like moldy bread and urine, but other than that, she actually has a lot of toys. Plus, her room is better kept than the rest of the house. It comes with being the only daughter of a drunk.
But what was strange was when her father came home.
So she lives on a two-story town-home like the rest of us. Her room faces the street and is on the second floor. We were both playing with the "Equestrian Wars" toys, when we heard the front door open. Immediately, she shoved me out the window! Now most would find this rude, but knowing her father, she was probably just protecting me.
Clear Crystals was talking about her cool new job today as well. She says she gets a lot of cool stuff, like needles, and funny liquids, and white bags. She also gets a gun. I thought that was awesome.
Straight Line wasn't too happy today. He said his manager didn't send any customers his way. He says that it's only because his manager doesn't think he's "top quality," and that no pony wanted a newbie. He still won't tell me what he does, though. 'Says it will "hurt his reputation outside of the workplace," whatever that means, but we all know he only hangs around us to see if he can get lucky. Trust me, I wouldn't want him if he were the last colt in the world.
I swear something is happening to me that ISN'T normal. Today, my mom asked me if I wanted to stay home from school. ASKED! When I asked why she said that my belly was getting noticeably big, then asked if I "got jiggy with it."
I hate it when my mom tries to be cool.
I said, "No. I'm not that dumb." But after she showed me how my belly was getting bigger and how the plating under it was becoming more pronounced. She gave me a map to a cave not to far outside of town that I could go to if anything started happening.
That scared me. Plus... I've been having some strange dreams. I dream of something that looks just like me, except it's a he. He comes and hisses "What is your will, my Queen?" I never say anything back to him, and he steps closer. "We need to replenish the hive, your majesty. Will you allow me to assist?" It doesn't take a biologist to know what that means.
Strangely, however, I kind of wish there were more ponies like me. I know that no one really cares about my looks, but I can't shake this feeling of being so... original. Not even my mom looks like me. I keep asking her why, but all she does is blush and say, "It's not all that important."
Let's see. I'm pregnant and I don't know how, I seem to be the only one of my kind, and it's not important how I came to being?! She always does this to me without fail. She's always hiding how I happened. I don't care how she found me. I don't care if I was abandoned by my true parents. I would just like to know.
Now onto my friend's lives.
Straight Line finally admitted he was a plug. We all knew that he couldn't keep it between his flanks! Now Clear Crystals owes me five bits. Clear's funny like that. She has a wicked sense for business, but when it comes to ponies, she is completely clueless!
Straight says he gets good money for it, and his boss lets him choose who he... "services." Straight says he really could care less about preference, except for mares with black manes. He says that they're all part of a secret cult that kills kittens or something weird like that. Straight has never been one to think straight.
Clear's business has been booming. Ever since she hollowed out her textbooks, she's become the most popular girl on campus. You should see that place at lunch time. No pony can even walk straight anymore! I hope the teachers don't catch her. I know drugs are illegal and all, but she tells me that even the teachers buy from her! They're safe, though. I don't know how, but her drug ring has a way of telling between the cool teachers and the tightwads.
Sunshine Down has been doing better. She figures as long as she makes dinner early and stays in her room, her father will leave her alone. I help her with dinner sometimes, and we make the best stuff! You wouldn't believe me, but her father is actually loaded! He has a job as a big-wig district manager and rakes in the doe like there's no tomorrow!
We get to cook with everything under Celestia's sun and then some! I even get to bring a full meal home to my mom. She always thanks Sunshine Down for the meals. They are a real help to our family. But for some reason, Sunshine never stays to eat them with us. I never bother asking why.
It's funny how much changes when you're away for a whole week leaking out green ooze and having alien babies.
To start off, Straight Line told me today on his way to school that he's getting tired of his job. He says his "manager" (the rest of us call her his "pimp") never throws any of the hot mares his way. Straight only gets the ugly mares and colts. I then accidentally asked him why he preferred mares over colts. He said, and I quote, "Mares have more texture on their underside for the fore-hooves." (Note to self: Never talk to Straight Line about his job again.)
After school, Sunshine Down invited me to play with her. As always, we had a good time, but I think she did it to ask me where I was the past week, and she wouldn't take "sick" or "bloated" for an answer. She even went so far to accuse me of shacking up with Line! (I'd eat barf and poison ivy first! Besides, with that olive green coat and sickly, unkept red mane of his, it's no wonder his pimp only gives him the ugly ones.)
So I finally spilled the beans and told her I had this strange egg thing. Then she kept asking me what it looked like, what did it feel like having it, and what I thought might come of it. I really didn't mind answering those question, but Sunshine is a bit of a blabber mouth, and I don't want rumors of me having alien babies going around school. It's already bad enough that I look like I'm from some other planet.
But spending some time with Sunshine was profitable for me. She told me what Clear Crystal did while I was gone.
Ever since Clear got her "job," she and her family have finally gotten out of the debt hole her dad dug for them in his gambling days and started to have a better life. They were even able to afford a full day's worth of meals for once, instead of paying those damn creditors. Then Mr. Foalsat, the jerk of a teacher that lives in Canterlot on special assignment here to "reform the tendencies of inner-city Phillydelphia children," gave the anti-drug speech.
Clear couldn't sit through seeing all of her coworkers and (to my surprise, nice) superiors be talked down like they were the plague. So she stood up and said, "F*** you, you damn, rich-ass Canterlot snob! You have no idea what it's like to have to miss a meal because some bitch like you won't cut a pony a break! I'm tired of riding this f****** hamster wheel to no where. See you all in hell, losers!" and she stormed out.
I knew that Clear Crystal wasn't one to take crap, but not even I would have guessed that.
The sad thing is, they'll probably find her and throw her behind bars for saying what everyone knows is true.
Author's Note
Adding "sex" to rating.
Lately, I've been having some strange dreams. Instead of random things I normally dream about, I dreamed once about my egg, and a flood of things that looked like me coming out. They all flew around me and I could hear "all hail our beautiful queen" in my head. The next dream, I taught three of those things how to fly.
I went to my egg on Saturday, and it did get bigger. And the closer I got to it, the weaker I felt. It was as if it were eating something in me. But I felt good about it, as if I wanted the egg to eat me. Plus, I don't mind. I get a lot of food at home.
Now on a more normal note, today I got an note at school from Straight Line. He says it was from Clear Crystal. But this note wasn't your every-day, run of the mill, "rip off a piece and pass it as fast as you can," note, but a nice, store bought note. (I didn't even know stores sold that kind of stuff!) Anyway, it had a front cover of all these streamers, and party hats, and those cazoos that have the paper rolls on it.
When I opened it, it had a picture of a huge cake and a poem: "Come to a Special Feast as wide as the West and as big as the East!" Written in it was and address, a date, a time, and a "Come only with Straight Line" warning. I'll have to hide this from Sunshine Down. She tends to be a blabber mouth sometimes.
After he gave me the note, I casually asked him how "business" was going. (The teacher was talking about math. Neither of us like it so we tend to ignore it altogether.) He said he was tired of it. All he got were desperate "oners" (stalions) and fat-assed "twoers" (mares). According to him, they only want a quick stick and nothing more. He started talking about being out of juice and how it was a pain for him to explain he couldn't do it anymore, but I stopped him after that.
So I went on to his family. He says that his dad got his leg broken on one of those new "weaving" machines, and can't work. So his mom will have to find a job and he is going to have to tell his pimp that he can't do as much work anymore because he is going to have to watch his little brother. Straight's brother is a new born, so he has a year before he gets to join us in Celestia's brainwashing camps.
Then as soon as I got home, I hid the invitation in my room and went to Sunshine's house to play dolls. We have this really cool story where we fight Nightmare Moon without the elements and her evil army of Negasi. But then we heard the door slam down stares.
It was her dad.
She jumped to open the window, but before she could flip the latch, her dad came in. The bastard called me a rump-rubber, grabbed my mane, dragged me down stairs, and threw me out, slamming the door behind me and hitting my head. I pressed my ear up against the door. He said something like he didn't want street scum in his house. Sunshine tried to defend me, but he just slapped her and said, "Make dinner, you dumb mare!"
I swear, if I could get away with it, I would kill that son of a bitch.
I just got back from THE BEST PARTY EVER! You know that invitation that Clear Crystals sent me? Apparently her boss rented the ballroom at the Mareiott Hotel and went all out! There was food everywhere, ponies from all over town, and a DJ that knew what songs to play. It was so awesome!
And I got to see Clear Crystal again! Ever since she left school, me, Straight, and Sunshine barely ever see her. I expected her to look like one of those ponies Mr. Foalsat showed us during the school's "Don't Do Drugs, Dummy!" week, but she looked better than a lot of the other foals in our classroom.
And she's rich now! She had this beautiful ruby ball gown, a tiara, and her hair all done up. This actually surprised me. I never knew Clear Crystals was one for fashion. But if you have the money, you have the money.
So after she talked about the "commodities" business, we all sat down at a table with, get this, her boss. I thought this might end up like one of those gangster stories where someone gets shot because they made the boss mad, but he is actually quite the gentle colt. And all of his guys are so friendly! Definitely more friendly than that ass, Mr. Foalsat.
But then I asked him why he hadn't had gotten caught, and everypony stared at me. Then, he put his hoof on the table, and with his face inches to mine says, "Why? You a cop or something? You here to crackdown on our Hearth Warming Eve's dinner? Huh? You gonna frisk me? Well, we got something for this little filly right here, don't we fellas?" He reached under the table and quickly pulled a big paper bag. He reach in. Sweet Celestia, I thought I was going to piss myself.
Then he pulls out a cake! "Here, for the friends of my best helper."
"But won't that ruin our dinner?" I stupidly said, and they laughed. But it's alright. I can take a joke.
Anyway, after dinner, dancing, and playing with the drunk stallions (we convinced one that there was a new dance where you wiggled on the floor. The idiot looked like he was having a seizure!), we all walked home.
That's when Sunshine Down spotted us. She ran out of her house to join us, but then stopped. From Clear's dress, she new we went to a party without her. I tried to explain to her that it wasn't that bad, but who was I kidding? She just started to cry and ran back into her house.
I knew that she had too big of a mouth to go to the party, but still, I've never felt like a bigger jerk in my entire life.
I HATE SUNSHINE DOWN!!! Here let me explain.
When we got back to school on Monday, Sunshine avoided me and Straight. I knew she was still mad at us and that she would need some time to recover. Then Tuesday, she shoots a smile at me and Straight, like one of those dumb, kindergarten, "I have a secret and I'm not going to tell you it" smile. I went up and asked her what's going on, she giggles, and says, "You'll see." At that moment my gut sank.
I knew shit was going to start hitting the fan.
Now, I'll tell you right now that Clear Crystals and Straight Line doesn't like Sunshine Down (they think she's a spoiled brat, but they're probably just jealous that she can actually get an "A" in class). But what she did was pure evil.
On Wednesday, Straight Line complains to that his pimp got caught and now he's out of a job. I glanced over at Sunshine and had a sinking feeling that she took some part in it. Then on Thursday, while I was walking home, I heard Crystals screaming. Usually, I just walk by Crystal's alley as to not disturb her "business," but on that day, two Pegasus guards pressed her to the ground, confiscated her merchandise, and cut out her tongue! (Celestia figures if drug dealers are going to use their voices for evil, then they don't deserve to have one.)
It happened so fast. I... I couldn't react or anything, I just froze and she begged, "Please, not my tongue. Please, I'll do-" The damn guard wouldn't even let her finish her sentence. After that, they flew off and left her on the ground, bawling her eyes out.
I helped her to my house. I shattered her some ice from the ice-box, and let her chew on it. When my mom came home, she took over the medical stuff. She's good at that.
The worst part of it all is I can't do anything at all about. I would love to strangle her, but Sunshine knows about my egg, and I don't want the entire school to know I'm some freaky alien mom. That would ruin my chances at getting Big Jock (the toughest colt around) as my coltfriend. (I can tell he likes me. He tries to chat me up every other day after school.)
That and I don't want Celestia anywhere near my babies. I've been checking up on them, and they're almost as big as me. Plus, I've gotten used to the dreams where I talk to and teach them. It's actually a lot of fun.
I don't know why, but I think Sunshine still thinks we are "friends." She invited me over today because her dad bought her a new makeup set. I just can't believe how foalish she can be sometimes. But I went over there anyway, and as soon as I saw the kit, my jaw hit the floor.
The kit looked like one of those you find at the spa! (I've never been in a spa, but I've seen some of the mares working there carry them around.) It had these legit metal clips and outside, was larger than a working-stalion's lunch box, and when she opened it up, there were piles and piles of hoof-polish, lipsticks, eye-liner, and a whole bunch of different make-up stuff I never even knew existed!We spent all Monday afternoon painting our hoofs, trying out new looks, and figuring out that the face stuff works better on my shell-like skin after we rub it on the carpet. She took lots of pictures and says she'll make doubles of every picture.
We also got to talking about school. She says she's thinking of hitting on Hot Coals. I have to say, his flaming read mane and jet black fur makes him look cool, but I'd rather keep to my strong, down-to-earth Big Jock, even if he has a plain blond main and white coat (which looks extremely sexy when it's covered in dirt).
Speaking of which, he actually asked me out on a date this Friday! When he did, I wanted to squeal and yell, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" but I kept my cool and said, "Friday sounds good." We're going to this new pizza place with a live band that his friend's in. He says they're pretty good, even thought they've only been together for a few years.
But this afternoon was special. When I went to visit my eggs, I arrived just in time to see them hatch. At first, the three were all covered in ooze and slime, but I helped them wipe it off. We talked with our minds about small things, like what life is like and how to do a proper jab and upper cut. Then we flew to the top of the mountain to see the sun go down. I loved laying up there with them, there shell-skin pressing on mine. And even though they were all looking at the Celetia's sun, I could not help but to look at them.
After I got home, thought, I felt as if I hadn't eaten a thing for ages. I raided the pantry, but it wasn't until my mom walked into the room that I started feeling full. Then she got all mean and shouted, "Why are you eating everything?!" She slammed the door and yelled at me to go to my room. Yelled. My mom is the last mare I'd imagine losing her cool, but it was one in the morning, so I guess it was justified.
Today Clear Crystals came back to class, the principle escorting her. He told Mr. Foalsat what had happened, and do you know what that bastard did? After the principle left, he gave a speech that went:
"Now I want everyone to take a good look at Ms. Crystals here. She used to be a capable mare until she turned to a life of selling life-decimating drugs. Like many of her cohorts, she thought she was immune to the law and would get away with it. But Celesta's justice is both swift and unforgiving. As the law dictates, 'Those who would use their serpentine tongue to seduce society into an unnatural stupor by use of mind-clouding toxins must have it cut from them.' " I wish I could cut his serpentine tongue.
After he got onto the math lecture, Crystals and I got a note chain going. She said that her mom would be picking her up from now on, and she wasn't suppose to talk to me or Straight Line. Fat chance. Then when Sunshine Down and I started to talk, she got all pissy and wrote, "Why are you talking to that evil bitch? She's the reason I don't have a job or a tongue!" along with a drawing of Sunshine's head on a pike. I glanced at Straight Line and he only gave a glare that said the same thing, except for the tongue part.
What was I suppose to do? Sunshine knows about my alien eggs (now babies) and if I piss her off, Celestia might take them from me! I don't want that. And she might also ruin my relationship with Big Jock, who I shared a whole pizza with. Oh, and allied in the pizzeria's first great spit-ball war.
So let me tell you what happened. Since the pizzeria just opened up, there was only me, Big Jock, and his friends on-stage. After sharing our pizza and a few kisses, we sat back and watched them play. Then, Big Jock winked at me, balled up some napkin, put it in his mouth, and ptooey! A white ball appeared on the forehead of the lead guitar.
While we laughed, the band gave each other looks. "Now!" the drummer shouted, and in an instant the two guitars and the bass jumped off stage, toppled tables, and returned fire, all while playing some awesome rock. Before we knew it, we were in an all out war! Jock got hit with four in the face and I got a few in my hair, but that's not to say that they didn't get a few in their manes.
Then the manager walked in. We all stopped dead. He shifted his eyes at both our camps. Then, out of nowhere, his mouth produced two golf-ball sized spit-wads that he used to nail Jock and the lead guitarist. I even got a little spray from it (old stallion spit. Gross). Then, it was us five against him. You'd think that it would be an easy battle, but he was spitting them out like it was no-pony's business. He was like a freaking machine gun!
After our manes turned white and soaked with old-stallion spit, we all surrendered. He let us in the back to wash-off, and we all agreed to help him clean up. Can't leave a cool stallion like that hanging.
Today I find myself in the cave with my mom writing this. It all started in the morning. I woke up in the middle of the night with a huge pain in my belly. I called out for my mom and immediately she threw on some saddle bags and helped me walk out of town to the cave.
When we finally got here, she set up camp. For never taking me hiking, she did a pretty good job. We have a fire, plenty of wood, and food she gathered all around. She also brought some cherry bombs to scare off any animals, and the shotgun just in case.
My mom says that I experienced a "contraction." Whatever is in me wants out soon. It'll be better that way. Once my belly is back to size, then I can get back to my life with my friends.
You know, most mares my age would be scared of this. I'm just kind of frustrated that I have to go through this when I didn't... well, you know. And I don't even mind the fact that my mom is leaving tomorrow morning. I'm actually kind of glad to be on my own for once.
But what I'm really curious about is what is inside me. We will have to wait and see.
This week has been no less than hell! First off, my mom could only come a few hours in the evening to give me food and supplies. Her bitch of an employer wouldn't let her take time off to help me through my unexpected pregnancy (that's what I decided to call it). Then there were a number of painful contractions where I wished the damn thing would just pop out already!
And that's not even the half of it! Every day for this past week I'd wake up in a sticky green puddle of goo. It was only near the end of the week that I discovered where the goo was coming from.
Let's just say growing up isn't kind to the stuff between the flanks.
Heck, by the time I popped the damn thing out, the entire cave was covered in it. Even the ceiling!
And before I even describe what was in me, which will be the subject of many nightmares, I have to tell you about the forest. Sweet Celestia it's brutal. I had to fight off all these stupid animals that were trying to steal my food, attack a dumb bear going for my berries, and there was this raccoon that was toying with me. It would throw rocks to distract me and then dive for my blueberries. The bitch is probably still in the trees somewhere, waiting for me to take my eyes off my blueberries.
No one touches my blueberries.
Now the moment of birth was terrible. It felt worse than dying, because when you die, at least you stop feeling pain. With this I had to endure pain for over eight hours. Eight hours! And it wasn't a constant pain either. It was huge than small, huge then small, huge then... Lets just say I'd of rather been dipped in a pool of piranha then EVER do that again.
Then the thing finally slides through and mounts itself on the goo. And all it is is this oversized green egg thing with three big black balls in it. Which leaves me thinking, "I WENT THROUGH A LITERAL WEEK OF HELL FOR THIS?!"
When my mom came that evening, she saw the final product: A cave covered in crystallized goo with a same-colored egg to top it all off. She said it would be best if we left it here. It's funny, after all the trouble it gave me, I would normally agree, but I can't help but feel attached to it. After all, it did live in my gut for a while. I guess I'll have to visit it in my spare time.
And now that I reflect back on the whole week, I can't help but feeling that I was starving for the better part. I mean, I had enough food and all, but it never seemed to fill me up. I don't know why.
