We Are The Crystal Ponies

Narrator's POV.
"Noooo! This can't be happening! This has to be a dream!" I cried in dismay and distraught. I ran over to my friend and threw my arms around his waist, "Swift Wind! Swift Wind! Please tell me I'm dreaming!"

"Get off me, man. I'm stocking here." Swift Wind told me, walking off and leaving me to face-plant the ground.

Oh, I'm sorry. I should introduce myself. My name is Quartzite Universe Pie. I'm cousin to the infamous Pinkie Pie from Ponyville. I'm 13 years old and... Well... I guess I'm just a normal Unicorn colt.

Dark brown, curly mane and tail. Check.

Dark eyes. Check.

Light pink fur coat. Check.

Cutie Mark of a shooting star. Check.

Yup, I'm a normal Unicorn colt.

Swift Wind is one of my friends in my hometown of Beach City. He's a tall and skinny Pegasus stallion. With ginger hair styled in some kind of poofy mohawk, light blue fur coat and dark brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, Quartzite. I guess they stopped making them." Swift Wind's colleague, Sweet Tune, apologized and explained.

Sweet Tune is actually nicer than Swift Wind. Unlike him, she's a Unicorn mare who's build is more short and stout. Nearly the same height as me. Sweet Tune has shoulder-length curly blonde hair, tangerine fur coat and deep blue eyes.

I sat straight up again, "Stopped making them? Why in the world would they stop making cookie cats? They are only the most scrumptious and delicious ice-cream sandwich ever made! Don't they have laws for this?"

Swift Wind sighed, continuing to stock the shelves, "Tough bits, man. Nobody buys them anymore. I guess they couldn't compete with Lion Lickers."

Wait. Did he say 'Lion Lickers'? I groaned in slight annoyance. You can't be serious, "Not Lion Lickers! Nobody likes them! They don't even look like lions! Kids these days. I'll tell you what!"

Then I sighed and walked over to the Cookie Cat freezer, "Oh, sweet cookie cats, with your crunchy cookie outside..." I drew the symbol on the glass of the door, "Your icy creamy insides, you were too good for this world."

I kissed the symbol and hugged the freezer. Sweet Tune spoke up, "Uh, Quartzite? Do you want to take the freezer with you?"

I looked at her and nodded.

*A Little Bit Later...*
With Sweet Tune's help, I was able to get the Cookie Cat freezer strapped to my back and made my way to Ebony's home, which was a bungalow built over the Gem Temple.

Gems are a magical alien race that are personifications of our own gemstones; rubies, emeralds, diamonds, pearls and even quartzes. They take anthropomorphic Pony forms, just like normal Ponies, but there are differences. Fluffier ears. leonine tails. Matching color schemes and gems somewhere on their bodies. Like forehead, chest, back and naval.

Ebony Mai Pie is my older half-sister, and has been my best friend since I was born. We're half-siblings because we have the same father; Graphite Stone Pie, also known as Gaia Universe.

She is a teenage Earth Pony Mare around three years older than me, making her 16 years old. But she's not as normal as I am. She's Half-Gem.

Ebbie never got to know her mother, Rose Quartz, because her mother gave up her physical form to give Ellie life. And she was entrusted to my family and our guardians, the Crystal Gems. Kind as she is intelligent. Intelligent as she is shy.

Ebony met up with me by the stairs, "Hey, Quartzite. What's up?"

Ebony is quite tall for her age. And she shares traits that show her Gem heritage. Her fur coat is a violet-indigo color. Long, ravenette mane and tail with pink streaks. Her eyes are hazel, nearly green. And a large, round, pink gem embedded in her naval. Her Cutie Mark is of her Gem with a star and wisps circling around them.

She wore a pair of black-framed glasses over her eyes. A white collared t-shirt under a pair of black hooded overalls. A purple sash around her waist. Dark blue and black striped finger-less gloves.

Kinda like a gothic geek look.

I waved, "Hey, Ebbie. What's going on?"

"I just got back from getting groceries." She answered.

Ebbie and I entered through the front door and I spoke up, "Hey, guys! You won't believe this!"

Before I could continue, some centipede monster attacked me. I tried to pry it off me, until it was tied and pulled back by a black and purple whip.

I looked behind it and saw the whip belonged to Amethyst. "'Sup, Quartzite? Hey, Nora." She greeted, then threw the monster across the living room.

Amethyst is a purple Gem. A Quartz, but she's about the same height as me. Maybe about an inch or two taller than me. She takes the form of a Pegasus mare. And her Gem placement is in the center of her chest.

Her fur coat is a shade of light purple. Her long, wavy pale purple mane and tail reach past her ankles and bangs cover her left eye. Her Cutie Mark is her whip and Gem with a star behind it.

She wears a darker purple tank top with the right strap hanging over her shoulder. Under her tank top, Amethyst wears a pair of black overalls with purple stars at the knees and white boots.

I looked around and saw Pearl fighting off more of the monsters at the Warp Pad with her spear and ballet moves.

Pearl is a tall and skinny Unicorn Gem. Her stature gives her a crane or swan feel. Her Gem placement is her forehead.

Pearl's fur coat is white, or a very pale cream. Her short pointed mane and tail are a pastel orange and she wears a lace-y short dress over a pastel blue tube top and pastel pink shorts. Pastel blue hooves and nails.

Her Cutie Mark is her Gem overlapping a Fluer de lis.

Pearl knocked a monster over toward Garnet. Garnet broke its back and threw toward another. She continued fighting more of the monsters near the kitchen, using brute force and her gauntlets.

Garnet is the tallest Gem out of Ebony's guardians. She's a tall Zebra-Earth Pony hybrid. Calm and mysterious as she is beautiful. She's unique because she has two Gems. One in each palm of her hands.

Her skin is a brick red fur coat with darker stripes. Black square-shaped afro mane and tail. You can't see her eyes because she wears a pair of shades that hide her eyes. Her Cutie Mark is two Gems tracing a heart.

She wears a black and red body suit with a star on her chest, dark red sleeves and black gloves under her gauntlets.

One of the monsters leaped on top of Garnet's head. She calmly grabbed it, ripped it in half and it poofed like a cloud, so the monsters must be involved with Gems.

It turns out the entire house was infested with the monsters. I put the freezer on the couch next to me.

Ebony gasped, "Whoa! What are these things?"

Another monster crawled past me. Pearl picked one of the monsters, "Ugh! Sorry, Ebony. We'll get these centipeetles out of your room." Then she turned to me, "We think they were trying to get into the temple."

"You don't have to get rid of them. They are really cool!" I encouraged.

However, the monster, centipeetle, spat acid at me. I stepped back and the acid hit the floor, melting a hole through the floorboards.

Amethyst threw another centipeetle into a wall and the monster poofed. "Um, you guys? These things don't have Gems." She alerted.

"That means there must be a mother somewhere nearby." Garnet summarized.

Another monster tried to surprise-attack her, but Garnet punch-poofed it without flinching.

"We should probably find it before anyone gets hurt." Pearl suggested.

I got excited and asked, "Ooh! Ooh! Can I come? Can I? Can I?"

Pearl gave me a smile, "Sorry, Quartzite. But I don't think Graphite and Spirit Glow will allow it."

"Can I come? I would like to help." Ebbie asked.

Pearl looked at her and grabbed the centipeetle's head, "Ebony, until you learn to control the powers in your Gem, we'll take care of protecting Ponykind..." She snapped its neck and dropped it, "Okay?"

Ebony nodded in understanding.

I sulked and sighed, "Aw, man." Then I heard the refrigerator door open and noticed a centipeetle was going through it, "Hey! Get out of there!"

I chased it off, "Go on! Shoo! Shoo!" Once it was gone, I looked at the mess it made, "Aw! They got into everything!" I looked at the bug and shouted, "Not cool!"

Ebony giggled and smiled, "Good thing I went grocery shopping."

Garnet punched it toward the temple's door.

I looked into the freezer and saw familiar pink wrappers with a smiling cat on them. Wait a minute!

Stars appeared in my eyes, "No way! I-It can't be! What--" I grabbed a pink one and shouted, "Ebbie, come look!"

Ebony finished fixing her bed and looked. She smiled, "No way. Cookie Cats?" She made her way to the kitchen and grabbed one from the freezer, "Where did you get these?! I thought they stopped making them!"

Pearl closed the door and smiled with a shrug, "Well, we heard that, too, and since they are your and Quartzite's favorites-"

"We went out and stole a bunch." Amethyst finished.

Pearl glared and corrected, "I went back and paid for them."

"The whole thing was my idea." Garnet spoke up, making her gauntlets disappear into her Gems.

"It was everyone's idea." Amethyst interjected.

"Not really." Garnet answered.

Pearl folded her arms and sighed, "All that matters is that Steven and Eleanor are happy."

I was so happy, I broke into song of the Cookie Cat theme,

"Now available at Gergins off Route 109." I finished.

Garnet and Ebony clapped while Amethyst and Pearl giggled.

Ebony looked at the wrapper and smiled, "I can't believe you did this! Thank you. I'm gonna save these forever!"

Then I opened the wrapper, "Right after I eat this one. Hello, old friend."

I took a bite off the left ear of the ice cream sandwich. Yum. Raspberry and vanilla ice cream in a chocolate cookie wafer. So good!

Happiness and delight filled me to the brim, "So good! I like to eat the ears first."

Ebony opened hers and took a bite off the right ear. She smiled in delight, "Rasberry ice cream is so hard to come by. It's good."

"Uh, Nora." Amethyst called Ebony with wide eyes.

I looked and noticed a bright pink glow coming from Ellie's stomach, "Wha-?"

I gasped, "Ebbie, your Gem!"

"Quick! Try and summon your weapon!" Amethyst encouraged.

"I-I don't know how!" Ebony replied with a squeak in her voice.

The glow must be responding, because it was starting to fade.

"Aah! It's fading! How do we make it come back?!" I panicked.

"Calm down, Quartzite." Pearl told me calmly, then told Ebbie, "Breathe, Ebony. Don't force it."

"Yeah. And try not to poop yourself, either." Amethyst added.

"Please, don't." Garnet agreed.

Unfortunately, the glow vanished. Ebony sighed.

I sat down and sulked, "Aw! And you were really close that time, Ebbie!"

Ebony shrugged, "There's always next time."

She put both hers and my sandwiches back into their wrappers and put them back into the freezer.

Ebony looked at our guardians, "Is it okay, if I can ask how you are able to summon a weapon?"

Pearl quickly raised her hand, "Oh! I'll go first!"

*A Little Later...*
Ebony Mai Pie's POV.
Pearl lead me out of the temple and to a cliff with a cherry blossom tree.

"Pay attention to these petals, Ebony. The petal's dance seems improvised, but it is being calculated in real time, based on the physical properties of this planet. With hard work and dedication, you can master the magical properties of your Gem and perform your own dance!" Pearl told me.

She closed her eyes and summoned her spear from her Gem. Then she caught a petal with ease, "Like so."

I looked at the ground and picked up a group of the fallen petals.

*Later, At the Big Donut...*
I started practicing with the petals. However, I'm not having much luck. Amethyst came by from picking out donuts from the garbage.

"Did Pearl tell you the petal thing?" She asked me.

"Yeah. I need to practice really hard, so I could discover my dance and summon my weapon..." I answered, "I think."

"Listen, Nora. All that practice stuff is no fun." Amethyst told me. She took a bit from the donut and continued, "Whenever I need to summon my weapon, it just happens!"

She closed her eyes and reached for her Gem. Her Gem glowed and she summoned her whip. She used her whip and sliced the dumpster in half.

"See? Didn't try at all." Amethyst smiled.

I scratched my head in confusion. Try hard and try nothing at the same time? I don't get it.

My train of thought was broken by a loud gasp. Swift Wind just arrived, with a bag of leftover donuts, "Again?!"

Amethyst and I quickly left the scene, before he found out how it happened.

*The Next Morning...*
I joined Garnet at the lighthouse, at the top of the temple.

"So, I'm supposed to work really hard and not try at all at the same time?" I asked her.

"Yes." She answered, then her Gems glowed, "Or you can link you mind with the energy of all existing matter, channeling the collective power of the universe through your gem, which results in..." She summoned her gauntlets, "At least that's my way of doing it."

I just stared in dumbfound. Work really hard, don't try at all, link my mind with the energy of the universe?! Okay... My head hurts.

*Later That Day...*
"I think the best bet is to re-create what happened the last time your Gem glowed." Quartzite told me, as he gathered me and our guardians to the fridge.

"So Garnet and Amethyst were here." He stratigized, as Amethyst sat on the counter, "Pearl was next to the fridge." Then thought for a moment, "Hmm, hmm."

I looked at Amethyst, "Amethyst, I think your arms were crossed."

Amethyst nodded and folded her arms, "Yes, Your Majesty."

"And, Pearl, your hoof was like this." Steven spoke up, moving Pearl's right hoof a small angle.

"I don't think it works this way, Quartzite." Pearl shrugged.

But Quartzite didn't listen and turned to Garnet, "And, Garnet." He grabbed her face and positioned it, "Uh... Uh... Yeah."

He opened the freezer and grabbed the Cookie Cat I took a bite of yesterday. He gave it to me, "Then, Ebbie, you took a bite of this Cookie Cat."

I unwrapped the ice cream treat and was about to take a bite, but Quartzite stopped me, "Oh! Wait! I sang the song first!"

Then he started singing again, "Uh, he's a frozen treat... All new taste... Interstellar war... And now available at Gergins." He sighed, "Aw! It was funnier last time!"

I checked the Gem on my chest and there was no glow. I sat down with my knees hugged close to my chest and sighed with a sulk, "Maybe I'm not a real Crystal Gem."

Pearl knealt to my level and assured with her hand over my shoulder, "Don't be silly, Ebony. Of course you are."

Amethyst nodded, "And you're fun to have around, even if your Gem is useless." Pearl growled and Amethyst corrected herself, "I mean you're one of us, Nora. We're not the Crystal Gems without you."

Garnet quietly nodded in agreement.

Steven sat to my level, "Come on, Ebbie. Don't be blue. Even if you don't have powers, you've still got Cookie Cat!"

I looked at him, then the others. They were all smiling at me. I regained my smile, "I guess you're right, Quartzite."

I took a bite of the ice cream treat in my hand and smiled. Cookie Cats always tastes better the second bite. I started to feel better about myself. I felt something well up inside me and became solid outside of me.

Pearl gasped, "Ebony! It's a shield!"

I opened my eyes and looked. Pearl was right. A small pink shield has appeared in front of me. It had a vine pattern spiraling toward the center. The rim was white. And the center had an emblem of a spinning triangle.

"Whoa..." Was all I could say.

I reached to touch the shield. My gem stopped glowing and the shield faded away. That was incredible!

Quartzite looked at the Cookie Cat in my hand and exclaimed, "Cookie Cats! You can summon your weapon by eating ice cream!"

"I don't think that's my secret, Quartzite." I spoke up.

Pearl picked up the wrapper on the floor, "What's in these things?"

Then the ground started shaking. It's not an earthquake. Shadows of the centipede monsters crawled up the window. And there was a huge one following them.

"What was that?" Quartzite asked.

We ran outside and there was a giant centipede monster on top of the Temple. This one had a Gem in its mouth. Longer green-ish white hair. And it was angry.

"It's the mother." Garnet alerted, as she jumped into action.

Pearl looked at me and Quartzite, "Ebony, stay in the house. You too, Quartzite."

Quartzite shook his head, "No way! I'm coming too!"

"Please. We can help." I insisted.

Quartzite ran inside and grabbed a bunch of Cookie Cat treats and the themed fridge.

We exit the house and saw the monster shooting acid at a stone hand that Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst were hiding behind.

Quartzite threw a rock at the creature's head, "Hey!" The creature turned to us, "Leave them alone!"

"Quartzite! Ebony! No!" The Gems shouted.

"Cookie Cat-Crystal Combo Powers, activate!" Quartzite shouted, as he grabbed a treat from the fridge, unwrapped it and stuffed it into my mouth.

I ate the treat, but my Gem wasn't glowing and no shield. The creature aimed to attack us. I grabbed Quartzite's hand and ran from it. Quartzite grabbed two more of the treats and unwrapped them.

"Goodbye, my friends." He whispered.

"Quartzite..." I tried to speak, but he stuffed to two treats into my mouth.

I swallowed the ice cream and cookie. My stomach growled and I was starting to feel nauseous. Still no Gem glow or shield.

"Why isn't it working?!" Quartzite exclaimed.

The creature spat acid at me and Quartzite. I grabbed my baby brother and jumped out of the way.

"Quartzite! Ebony!" I heard Garnet call, but she got caught by the monster's tail-pincers.

The monster turned its attention back to the Gems. Quartzite picked himself up and looked at the Cookie Cat fridge. It was melted half-way through. No more Cookie Cats.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Quartzite cried, running toward what was left of his gift from Big Donut.

He reached to touch the machine. It sparked and shut down. Quartzite sulked and started sobbing.

"Cookie Cat, he's a pet for your tummy...." I started singing, as anger started burning in my heart, "Cookie Cat, he's super duper yummy..." I picked up a the wire connecting to the fridge, "Cookie Cat! He left his family behind!" I charged toward the centipede, "Cookie C-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-t!"

I threw the fridge toward the centipede. Direct hit and shocked the beast.

"Now available nowhere..." I finished, falling to my knees, as my anger vanished and sadness replaced.

"Yes!" Amethyst shouted in cheer.

"Gems. Weapons." Garnet instructed. She, Amethyst and Pearl burst out of their hiding place, weapons summoned, "Let's do it."

Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst charged toward the centipede and defeated it. The creature poofed with only a green sphere remaining. Garnet bubbled the Gem and teleported it elsewhere.

Quartzite buried the last wrapper of the Cookie Cats, "Farewell, sweet Cookie Cats." He put a leaf over the small grave, "I'll always remember the time we spent together."

I joined him, but my stomach growled and I started to feel nauseous again.

Quartzite put his hand over my shoulder, "Shh. Hush now."

"Are you crying?" Amethyst asked me, joining us.

I nodded, "Only a little..."

She sat beside Quartzite, "Well, I guess your powers don't come from ice cream."

"Of course they don't come from ice cream!" Pearl nodded in a 'I-Told-You-So' tone, then sat beside me, "Don't worry, Ebony." She put her hand over my shoulder, "I'm sure someday you'll figure out how to activate your Gem."

"Yes." Garnet nodded towering over us, "In your own Ebony-y way."

I regained my smile, "Thanks, guys. That means a-" My stomach growled again and the nausea got stronger, "I think I might have eaten too many Cookie Cats."

Everyone giggled around me. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I threw up over Quartzite's Cookie Cat grave.

"Ooops. Sorry, Ebbie." Quartzite apologized with a sheepish chuckle.