Applejack
Tick, tock, tick, tock. The clock keeps movin' forward, makin' noise with each movement of it's hands, and soon enough it'll be two AM. Ah stared back up at the door from my new phone. Come on, ya said ya'd be home late, but really? Where are ya? Ah went back ta readin' the article Twilight linked me about the monsters that have shown up in the deeper part of Manehattan Forest.
...Sightings include multiple figures over the past month resembling large creatures of an almost fantastical origin with great destructive power. The Lunar Guard report noted that many of the creatures had a singular spot near the chest area that resembled some kind of shiny, chrome-like substance made of fur, feathers, or scales depending on the creature. The reason for these creatures and their appearances, which some have taken to calling Kaiju, is still unknown. The guard hopes to keep up their fight, but some of these beasts possess terrible power.
We've attempted to get a quote from the Night Princess herself, but any and all mention of this topic has been quickly brushed aside with a “Trifling matter for the public to be unconcerned about,” more than once, which raises the question; what does the princess not want us to know? More on this story as information becomes available.
This article has been brought to you by...
Ah could feel my face twitch. It still bothers me. What does she know that she won't tell us? Or anypony fer that matter? Ah can understand givin' the news the cold shoulder, they're not ta be trusted most of the time anyways, but why Harmony, of all units? The clock continued to tick and still no sign of Uncle Orange. With nothin' better to do, Ah started ta text Twilight.
“They mention the shiny part on the kaiju. Ya think that means these were all products of the mirrors?” Send. A few seconds pass and a response.
“That's what my guess is. I've asked Mother to speak with Luna about this for us, so we'll see what she has to say. I'm more concerned with whether or not we'll be prepared for whatever happens on Thursday though.” Not completely unwarranted worry, that's fer sure. Ah mused fer a minute ta think of what ta say back.
“What makes ya say that? Ah figure if nothin' else we can use Goose as a meat shield. Kek.” Maybe not the best way ta relieve worry. A buzz and a soft chime go off.
“ :I Come on, at least take this seriously. We practiced your drills, at least Pinkie, Fluttershy, and I did, but I don't think we're getting any better at it. I could only barely hold off Goose and we still couldn't get a shot off on him. You two are unreasonably strong, by the way. How you can smash my best magic without so much as a thought is a little terrifying. He said we did better, but I'm still not sure. Are you absolutely certain you're busy tomorrow? You would really be helpful in running these drills.” Ah figured as much. Ah shook my head like there was somepony else in the room and went ta typin'.
“Yeah. My little sister has a half day and she said she wanted ta hang out. Ah'm almost never home or awake at the same time as she is these days, what with all the work, school, hero, or otherwise. Ah feel like Ah've hardly seen her in the past month and we don't ever talk as much as we used ta. Family first, ya know?” Ooh, damn it, that's not gonna go over well.
“ :\ Not really, but I understand. Just be sure to come by at about noon Wednesday so we have a chance to talk about this with Mother, okay?” Ah nodded in real life and proceeded ta reply.
“Gotcha. Thanks with the help on the history stuff, btw. Ah made a B on that test, which is more than Ah expected.”
“NP. Equestrian History is fun for me to talk about because I'm blood related to most of it. I would never give them this credit out loud, but Mother and Luna have done some really cool stuff over the past few thousand years. Luna I can see, but reading about Mother as a war hero is a little surreal at times. It's a little hard to imagine that my own Mother and the mare that once lead a campaign to conquer the south western half of the country are the same pony.” The words put inta perspective just how many times that that warm mom like creature everypony called Princess Celestia had ta make hard decisions and order ponies ta their deaths over a land struggle. Ah shivered.
“Eh, don't remind me. Ah knew the Caballo-Equestrian war was a bloody one, but ta think that she actually caused a fourth of the casualties in it is crazy.” My ears flicked up as Ah heard noises by the door. A jingle of keys and a twist of the lock, the door handle dipped down and in wearily strolled Uncle Orange. He softly shut the door behind him and started ta undo his tie. His eyes looked real tired and almost reddened like he'd been cryin'.
“Hey, are ya alright?” He must not have noticed the lamp light or me on the couch when he walked in because he jumped.
“Gah! Oh, it's just you. Yes, I... I'm fine.” Ah set the phone down and got up from the couch.
“Ya sure? Ya don't look fine. Did yer meetin' go sour?” He had began to dig in the fridge he made quick work of one of the bananas from the fruit drawer. He finished that and shook his head.
“No, but it was more... taxing than I expected it to be. Mister Argent can be... irritating at times.” Now he grabbed an orange and started ta peel it. Mister Argent!? Ah managed ta contain my surprise fer the moment, but ultimately that proved fruitless.
“Ya went ta see the Mister Argent? That's yer friend?” Ah probably said that louder than Ah wanted ta. His ear flicked and sank a little, then he went back ta his orange.
“Mmhmm. Well, I wouldn't call him a friend anymore. Somepony I know is a better term. We spent nearly an hour talking over a game of chess, thank the goddess Applebloom has been so obsessed with it lately that I was in practice enough to not get destroyed. But our conversation was interrupted when he had made plans to do something with his son.” How he did it, Ah will never know, but the stallion could pick off all the pith while he was takin' the peel off of almost any citrus fruit he touched. Dad was the same way, but none of us were ever any good at that. Wait a minute. Mister Argent has a son?
“He has a kid? Ah thought he was never married.” Uncle Blood nodded.
“Biology doesn't care if you're married. It was definitely his though, looked just like a younger version of him, had he a green coat. He was about your age, but his hind legs were severely malformed and he didn't look... healthy. I got the distinct impression that he wasn't going to last for very long and Stannum hurrying me out only furthered the idea. I talked to his secretary about that and she had a similar thought. Supposedly he's been in and out of hospitals his whole life.” Thin's were startin' ta fall inta place in my head. That... that is really good ta know. Ah need ta tell Twilight about this before we go in with the infiltration. Uncle Blood finished two thirds of his orange, then reached in the freezer for his vodka and poured himself a small glass. He squeezed the rest of the orange in it and downed it all in one round.
“Geez, I needed that about eight hours ago. How was your day?” He put the cup in the sink and his bottle back in the freezer. He trotted over ta the couch and took a seat next ta me.
“Okay Ah guess. Ah made a B on my history exam today.” He nodded.
“Good, good. The better your grades are, the less we have to pay to keep you in school. You know, I met a young mare today who reminded me of you. I've never seen anypony colored quite like she was, an entire rainbow of colors in her mane and tail, a cyan coat with magenta eyes. She just came up and started talking to me on the train ride to Tin out of nowhere on one of the stops.
We talked almost the whole way there afterward, but the whole time I couldn't help but stare at her back. She was missing a wing and... oh, she was a pegasus by the way. So, she was missing a wing, it was like, broken off at the middle of the bone. I asked her how that happened, and she told me that she fell off of Cloudsdale over seven years ago. How crazy is that? Even she said she was lucky to be alive.” But... that sounds... really familiar. Haven't Ah heard somethin' similar ta this before? He yawned and got back up ta go ta the kitchen, then shook his head mid way.
“I should go to bed. If I stay up any later I'll drain my booze. You should probably sleep too. Your sister told me she invited her friend and her sister to go do whatever it was.”
“Ah guess. Ah was only still up because Ah wanted ta make sure ya got home. Ah-” A yawn found it's way out of my mouth. “Ah didn't think ya were gonna be out this late, really. Ah thought late fer ya was somethin' like eleven at best. Ah guess now that yer home Ah can go ta sleep after all. Night then.” Ah got up and headed ta the opposite side toward my room, but Uncle Blood stopped me.
“Oh, one more thing.” Ah turned ta look at him and the slightly buzzed look he had was gone and replaced by a much more serious face. One that Ah hadn't seen in a long time.
“While you're working, try to be safe okay? The harbor was attacked over the weekend and I don't want you getting caught up in the aftermath if something like that happens again... If... if you do happen to find yourself in a dangerous situation just... Just make sure you come back home, okay?” Ah swallowed. That's not the booze talkin' is it? He did down like eight ounces all at once, but that ain't a face he makes often... Ah nodded.
“Y-yes sir.” He smiled at that and returned the nod.
“Good. Oh, and if you see Rainbow, tell her Blood Orange said hi.” Then, he disappeared behind the door ta his room. Ah guess that must be her name. Ah wonder if it's a family thin', or if she was named that because of her mane? Eh, probably doesn't matter. He met some random mare on a train ride, Ah doubt Ah'll ever see her. Ah turned off the lamp as Ah went ta my room. Ah checked my phone one last time ta make sure my alarm fer tomorrow was set and noticed that Ah had a reply from Twilight.
“... I mean, I guess you could bring that up. I suppose it's true, but sometimes, I find it hard to think that my own Mother is that much of a force of nature. I can only wonder if my magic has that capability already, or if that's something that came with time for them? I mean, technically, I'm an Alicorn-unicorn half breed, and the only one of my kind. Would my magic even be as powerful as hers over time? Or maybe I'll only be as good as I am now because that's the limit to my potential. Sigh. All this is making me tired. I'm going to bed Applejack, I'll see you when I see you. Night.” It read.
Not a fun topic fer her either Ah guess. A unicorn's got nothin' on the legends and testimonies about the Princesses' power, but nopony still alive has seen the princesses really do any insane feats of magic in the last two centuries. Ah shuddered at the thought that Ah might see a feat like that sometime and tossed my phone on the night stand after sendin' her a simple 'Night Twi' in reply. My hazy thoughts drifted back ta tomorrow.
Ah have ta make a run by Star's place and get my suit dropped off. Ah need ta visit the dealership and get somepony's number so Ah can set up a payment plan after Ah get my license on Wednesday. Eh, Ah should probably get a helmet so Ah don't look suspicious. Maybe even a ridin' suit too. Even if terminal velocity has nothin' on me, based on past experience, It'd look weird if Ah hit a wall and just walked away with a few scratches. Ah need ta get a quote on the insurance cost. Then we'll go ta the fair... Her friend and her friend's sister huh? A wonder if that means Ah'll see Rarity tomorrow... A last passin' thought and then the darkness took me.
Applebloom
Saturday, August 24th, 2030.
Today, Applejack took me ta Sweetie Belle's fer her birthday. Ah ended up wakin' her up damn near twenty minutes after we were supposed ta go and we were just about thirty minutes late ta the party. It's not like we have a whole bunch of friends between the three of us, but the least she could do is actually make good on her promises. Ah know she works nights, but that really isn't much of an excuse if all Ah needed her ta do was get up at five.
Sigh. It makes me mad, but really, Ah can't blame her. She looked sweaty and not well rested when Ah woke her up. If Ah wasn't so mad Ah probably woulda asked her what was wrong, but so much fer that Ah guess. Ah only lived with dad fer so long, but it probably still eats away at her and Macintosh.
The interestin' part of today was when Sweetie Belle's sister, Rarity Belle, decided ta have a chat with her at the door. Sweetie told me that Rarity is out real late at night these days, and is worried that she might be a prostitute or somethin' since her boutique hasn't been doin' all that well, but Ah don't get the same feelin'. Granted, Applejack and Rarity are both pretty enough ta do it, but Applejack's probably never owned any makeup and Rarity doesn't seem like that kinda mare. Ah've always had this idea that Applejack isn't ever honest about what she really does fer a livin', but it wasn't until tonight that Ah really thought about it. She's always out late too, sometimes she doesn't come home until noon, like today, and every now and again Ah see bruises and cuts on her that she just says she got at work.
How would she even do that? If she's really a city janitor, there's no way she gets so many cuts and bruises just workin' street sweepers and cleanin' up debris after hero battles. Ah feel like dad used ta say he did the same thin', but Ah don't know that my memory of him is all that reliable. He was just about always home fer as long as Ah can remember. Well, until he didn't come home that one day. He probably died durin' that big fight that happened when the trade center collapsed, but nopony in the apartment ever wants ta talk about it, so Ah still don't know what happened ta him fer sure. These ponies frustrate me ta no end sometimes.
Scootaloo says her big sister is just as bad about tellin' her how she makes her money, but apparently it's good enough that she can afford ta pay fer all their stuff. Lucky little shit got a new cellphone fer her birthday in the summer and now Ah'm the only one without. Ah know Uncle Blood has ta make more than her sister does ta feed all of us and help pay fer Applejack and Macintosh's college, but damn it, Ah wish he made more, if only enough ta pay fer a phone fer me. Sigh. Bein' selfish doesn't get me anywhere. Maybe Ah should look fer a fast food job. Ah'm old enough ta work, but Ah don't really have anythin' ta put on a résumé.
Oh well, Ah'll have ta ask Macintosh about it later. If anypony knows about gettin' a job it's him. He's landed... and lost fer that matter, enough jobs in the past few years ta offer career advice. If Ah can say anythin' about my family it's that we're all damn pretty, or charismatic, or somethin' that makes us ponies that others want ta have around. That bitch from the Tiara family keeps approachin' me and Ah can't tell if she hates me or wants ta fuck me half the time. Probably both. She and her lesbian friend always make it a point ta talk about my body in front of me. Fuckin' faggots.
Tuesday, August 27th, 2030
Today was a little weird. Ah woke up ta Applejack draggin' her hooves around the kitchen this mornin', makin' her usual three egg breakfast while readin' somethin' in one of her text books. The weird thin' was that she had her jacket on, and just about winced every time she touched or moved her left side. She must've gotten another bruise because when Ah asked her about it she just said that she had a cramp on her side. Ah got smart and gave her a little hug on that side when Ah had the chance and she popped me on the forehead so hard that Ah thought my skull was gonna crack.
Obviously she had a bruise, but damn it, she didn't even try ta hold back. Ah swear every time she hits me... eh, even if it's really always my fault, she just about punches me. My head was all red fer the rest of the day and Ah had ta do my bangs different ta cover it up. The lesbians complimented me on it and Ah still don't know how ta feel about that. Ah don't think Ah'll do my bangs like that again any time soon though.
When Ah got home from school, she was leavin' ta go hang out with Rarity, of all ponies. Ah knew the two of them spent a good hour or so talkin' at the party... Ah say 'party,' but really there were only five ponies in Carousel Boutique that night, and Applejack was one of em. Anyways, Ah thought they were, ya know, kinda hostile toward each other at first. Ah guess that isn't the case though, since they're all buddy-buddy now. She'd probably get along with Rainbow Dash too if they ever hung out. Ah should see if Scoots and Ah can plan a day fer them ta meet or somethin' later.
She still hasn't come back and it's already almost ten. Ah wonder what they're up to really? Ugh, this crap with Tiara has my brain all messed up. There's no way Applejack is gay... right? Ya know what, fuck that. Ah'm crossin' it out and Ah'm not thinkin' about it again. Just because Rarity always comes off a little fruity doesn't mean that my sister does. Damn gutter mind. If it's not a sex joke or some kinda awful dark joke, it didn't come from me or my friends, that's fer sure.
Ah got another chess book today and Ah've been tryin' out the new strategies with Uncle Blood. He learns too fast fer my comfort. Ah won one of those games with the new techniques, and then he started pullin' stalemates on me, and almost beat me toward the end. Ah knew he was smart, he's an accountant after all, but damn he's good at chess. Ah thought Ah was a fast learner, but the guy can see like, four moves ahead of me, it's unbelievable. Ah'll have ta start diggin' through my books ta see if there's any way Ah can do better. If anypony at the tournament in October is as good as him, Ah'll have a run fer my money. And there really is money at stake here. If Ah can buy it myself, he said he'll help me play fer the plan on a new phone! Ah'm so excited, Ah might even have a phone by my birthday, and Ah'll be damned if Ah lose a game that costs me my phone!
Wednesday, August 28th, 2030
Applejack is startin' ta worry me. Ah haven't asked Uncle Blood or Macintosh about it yet, but she came home with puffy eyes and a real sad look on her face yesterday day. Ah asked her if anythin' was wrong, but as usual, she wouldn't talk about it. She never talks about her personal life, and somehow Ah don't think she ever will, the stubborn bitch. She's not cried in years, really since she got back from the Apple family orchard so long ago, but it looked like she'd been cryin' a lot, or holdin' back tears, or somethin'. She said that nothin' was wrong and that she made some new friends, but somehow that doesn't line up with the way she looked. Unless they were havin' some kinda hug box together, goddess knows she needs it. She's got less friends than Ah do, and Ah've only really got two.
Speakin' of friends, that theater kid started talkin' ta me again today. His name is like, Taps or somethin', and he's got that kinda high pitched voice that immediately makes ya think he's a fag, but he kept complimentin' me again and tryin' ta get my number. Of course, Ah more or less blew him off because Ah don't have a number ta give, and Ah'm more embarrassed about that than anythin' else. Ah hope Ah didn't hurt his feelin's or anythin', cause he's a nice guy and Ah wouldn't mind gettin' ta know him. Maybe Ah'll approach him after Ah do get myself a phone. Goddess knows Ah'm the only one in school that doesn't have one. Ah told him that if he could beat me in chess, Ah'd let him have it, but we all know how that went. Poor guy didn't even know how knights moved. He tried though, so that's at least somethin'.
Ah tried ta ask Uncle Blood about dad today, but as per usual, he just got that pained look on his face and wouldn't say anythin'. Ah hate not knowin'. It's not like it's hard ta tell me that he died, or somethin', or anythin' at all, right? It's that stupid hopeful thought that Ah might see him again if he's not dead that keeps makin' me wonder about it. If he isn't dead, then what happened? Where did he go? Was he really so much of a bastard that he dropped us on his brother and skipped town or what? Goddess, it's just so frustratin' how my own family likes ta keep thin's from me like this. Whatever, Ah'll just go back ta drownin' myself in chess books. Maybe Ah'll get good enough that Ah can join the Equestrian circuit and make a livin' off it. Creatures all around the world play this game, and if Ah get good at it, then who knows what Ah'll do?
Still though. My cutiemark has me worried that Ah'll be in the military or back at the apple farm against the rest of my family's wishes. It's a shield with three stripes of color, an apple and a heart inside, and we're still not sure what that means. The cutiemarkologists say that it's the most complex cutiemark that they've ever seen, and on top of that, Scootaloo and Sweetie both have almost identical marks just with different shapes in the middle of the shield. We got em all at the same time durin' an argument way back in middle school and we still don't know what ta do with 'em. It's been somethin' Ah've been thinkin' about a lot lately. Ah don't want ta go ta the Apple farm, so Ah've been lookin' inta combat sports and military branches. Ah'm pretty good in a fight, and... well, Ah haven't told anypony about this, but sometimes, Ah can tell who and how many ponies are around me within' some kind of radius. Ah'm not sure how big it is, but Ah'm pretty sure it's gettin' bigger the more Ah try and use it.
Ah'm also really good at predictin' what ponies are about ta do. Like, the other day, Scoots made me play this game she's really inta, where ya run around in some kinda Victorian fantasy world covered in monsters that ya hunt down. It was a lot of fun and Ah was really good at it after she told me how ta use the gun. She said she was amazed that Ah never missed a parry since it was apparently hard ta do. She had me play another game that was similar, but set in a medieval fantasy world, and even though it was a slower game, the results were about the same. Though, Ah couldn't parry the bigger weapons so that made fer some funny deaths.
It really just makes me wonder if Ah shouldn't try out fer some kinda combat club or even Junior Guard... Ah might ask Uncle Blood what he thinks about it later. Ah know Macintosh and Applejack would shoot me down immediately if Ah asked them, but if Ah had his permission, Ah might at least get ta try it. As much as they like ta think they are, they're my siblin's, not my parents, and Uncle Blood is the one who gets final say on who can do what. A thought ta keep in mind when Ah come back and read this.
Thursday, August 29th, 2030
Ah talked about the thin' with Uncle Blood, and even though he didn't like the idea of me bein' in the military, he did say that it paid well and would have a future fer me if my Chess goals didn't pan out. He said Ah should at least tell the others about it if Ah did go through with it. He knows how 'hover parent' they like ta be with me and figure it's probably right ta come ta him before them with somethin' like this. But with that outta the way, the three of us signed up fer Junior Guard and the first meetin' is tomorrow. Sweetie said her dad was real excited that she might go inta the military like he did when he was in is early twenties, and Scoots said that she practically had ta fight Rainbow fer her signature. Both were almost equally surprisin' considerin' how rich Sweetie's family is and how not Rainbow and Scootaloo are. Ah suppose parents are more supportive of somethin' like that than protective older siblin's are. Still haven't told mine yet. No idea how they'll react, and Ah think Ah'll just let it happen when it becomes necessary ta say somethin'.
The first school chess tournament was today, but Ah was really disappointed by the turnout. There were about half the number of ponies we were expectin' and even fewer that were anywhere as close as good as Ah was. Ah won on time not once, not twice, but three times. That Taps guy showed up, which was cute, but even so he still got his ass kicked. He seems really interested in me, at least enough ta learn chess, so Ah think Ah might look him up in the near future. At least he's clean and doesn't openly stare at my ass. The more jockey dick heads that try and talk ta me always smell like shit and never take their eyes off my cutiemarks... Goddess, am Ah the asshole here or what? High school has tainted my vocabulary. My older diary entries were never this vulgar.
Anyways, the tournament was over almost twice as fast as Ah wanted it ta be, and even though Applejack came and watched like she promised, she said she had other thin's ta do that day and ended up goin' ta work shortly after Ah got my prize. Oh well. At least she played a game with me before she left. She wasn't much of a challenge either, but it's somethin'.
Ah made five silver off the school's generosity, so that's more than a few used chess books, or even a quarter the way ta a new phone. A cheap phone, but If Uncle Blood helps with the plan, maybe Ah can actually pull this win off and find a deal on somethin' nice. They don't tell ya this in the adverts, but a brand new smart phone like the one Sweetie got fer her birthday costs like, seven black bits without a plan! Ah'd have to work fer like, ten hours fer seven days straight just ta make that much at a minimum wage fast food job.
It really puts inta context how much Uncle Blood actually makes ta support all of us. Even havin' a couple black ta spare every week must be a challenge. It's a good thin' Applejack works herself, otherwise we'd probably be pretty worse off than we are now, what with how unreliable Macintosh havin' a job is. Speakin' of Applejack, Ah have ta wonder how much she really makes. She said she's a part time street janitor, and if that's true, how did she even get the job in the first place? Like, it's not like Ah've seen adverts in the paper fer that kinda job, and she's been doin' it fer three years now. It's not like she had any other work experience when she was seventeen, so what makes her so special? She paid fer herself ta get inta Manehattan community initially, and even then, she still offers ta buy the groceries every other week. Maybe Ah should ask some time.
Ah doubt she'll tell me, but whatever, it's worth a shot ain't it? Ya miss every shot ya don't take right? My Junior Guard instructor taught me that one today. He said that the military uses guns and precision long range arms ta fight these days, but fer more internal stuff, they still train with swords and lances along side the guns and such. He said Ah looked pretty strong fer my age and somepony who doesn't do a lot of physical stuff, so Ah might even be cut out fer a heavy armor position. Not gonna lie, Ah'm pretty excited about this. Ah know it can be dangerous, but Ah feel like this is somethin' along the lines of what my cutiemark wants me ta do, ya know? Applejack and Macintosh didn't really get the chance ta act on theirs, so Ah'm hopin' this is a way fer me ta use mine. Scootaloo and Sweetie felt the same way, so maybe it is?
Of course, Sweetie and Ah are worried about what Scootaloo can actually do fer the military. She's not the brightest hue in the pallet, and even though her motor skills are somethin' ta behold, she's a pegasus that can't fly on straight up disability. Unless she turns out ta be some kinda genius marksman, Ah don't think she's got a good shot at this. But maybe. She's pretty good at those shooter games, and she's real fast, even if she's not very strong. Her wings might even be of some use since she can manipulate her feathers about as well as Rainbow can, which is somethin' ta be spoken for. Who knows? We'll find out, that's fer sure.
Friday, August 30th, 2030
Applejack didn't come home until after her classes today from whatever she did for work yesterday. Where did she sleep? She didn't say anythin' but that she was out with a friend. Bullshit, ya don't have friends. Or was she out with Rarity? Ugh, that thought from the other day is rearin' it's ugly head back in my mind and Ah don't wanna think about it. Just because we're Apples doesn't mean she's a fruit. Please, oh please, goddess don't let my suspicions be true. Ah respect my sister, and Ah don't want ta be disgusted with her.
She looked better this time than she has in the past, but Ah think Ah saw a few new bruises on her coat. Rememberin' the punch ta the forehead made me not try and touch 'em again, but Ah figure they were what Ah thought. It was a weird pattern too, like she was hit by somethin' with massive claws, and she had this fresh lookin' scar on her front foreleg. Ah got the usual 'it was a work accident' when Ah asked, but she wouldn't have any more about it. Ah suppose if nothin' else, that means she really was workin' yesterday which eases my thoughts a little. Somehow though, Ah get the feelin' she had a good experience in the last little while because she was... Ah don't know, happy? One: that's weird. She hardly ever smiles. Two: she hardly ever smiles. Fer any reason at all. Three: why was she smilin'? What about gettin' beat up is reason enough fer Applejack ta smile? That brings me back ta that other thin' and... Ugh, let's just drop it fer now. Heh. Cowgirl likes it rough. Oh, goddess, can we not? What is wrong with me?
Ah talked ta Taps again today, told him the truth, and he was pretty okay with that. Fer some reason. Totally into me, but at least he's clean and not too bad lookin'. His full name is Tender Taps, but Ah forgot his first name fer so long that Ah just refer ta him as Taps and that's that. We're gonna hang out at the cafe near the school on Saturday. Ah guess Ah'm excited about that, but Ah don't know how much of my extra money Ah should bring. Ah don't wanna look cheap, but it's just coffee, so Ah shouldn't need more than one silver right? Ah don't know. Ah told Uncle Blood about it, and he seemed happy fer me. Somethin' along the lines of 'If you find love, don't let it go and enjoy every minute of it. Never forget that, and have fun. But don't do anything too crazy. Biology doesn't care.'
Ah'm smarter than teen pregnancy, but Ah suppose his worries aren't unfounded. Sixteen in Manehattan has a lot of negative thin's associated with it, especially since this province has a real high abortion rate and an even higher birth rate fer ponies under twenty. Eh, Taps isn't my ideal anyways since in that relationship, Ah'd be the big spoon. Ah don't know. Ya never know what those stallions are hidin' under there, and shorter ones are always called breeders because... ya know. Low and long. Ah should stop before Ah do somethin' Ah'll probably regret in the mornin'. It's not like that isn't already a bad habit Ah have as it is. Active imaginations are a blessin' and a curse.
So, our first day of Junior Guard was today, and holy shit was it hard. Ah don't think Ah've ever been so tired after a workout in my life. First lieutenant Gray Scale had a workout planned for each individual pony! There were like, fifteen of us, and Scootaloo, Sweetie, and Ah only signed up yesterday fer fuck's sake! Ah didn't know it was possible fer my back ta feel that sore and in so many places all at once. If this pays off, Ah better look like Applejack does when she flexes. Ya can see every damn muscle on her body when she wants ya too, and it's somethin' ta see after she gets outta the shower. How her skin and coat stays so neat while apparently gettin' beat ta shit all the time is beyond me.
Guard works out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so Ah think Ah'm gonna have ta ask Uncle Blood ta buy some extra Ibuprofen so Ah can have a bottle of my own just fer this. Ah'll be damned if Ah give up though, that's fer sure. It hurt a lot, but Ah felt fantastic after and Ah could even start ta see my own muscles startin' ta bulge all over the place. Man, if Ah could look like Applejack does, that... Ah think even mom and dad would be proud, somewhere.
Saturday, August 31st, 2030
The whole apartment feels like everypony has been down lately, so Ah decided ta test a theory and see if Ah couldn't make everypony feel a little better. Applejack got a call from her boss Ah guess, and that gave me an idea. Taps and Ah talked about our families on our date or whatever, and he said that his mom always made a cake when the house felt a little depressed. Ah made sure ta tease him about me not havin' one, but he's a boy, he'll get over it. Probably. Ah'll have ta check back up on that, he's a little more of a girl than Ah am, after all. Ah figured since we're never in position ta buy ingredients on Uncle Blood's salary, now would be a chance ta test out Applejack's income and see if she couldn't get what Ah needed.
She was reluctant when she saw strawberries and cream on the list in the middle of fall, but she said she'd do it, so Ah expect ta have all my ingredients by the time she gets back, probably tomorrow based on what she said. I can't say how long she'll be gone though. Obviously, she has someplace she can stay that isn't here, but Ah wouldn't know where. Ah felt fer her with my powers as she was leavin', and not once did she head toward the west side, which is where Sweetie lives, before my radius ran out. The thin' that surprised me though, is how fast she did it. There ain't no way in hell that she can run that fast, and Ah know she won't take the bus because, and Ah quote, 'If two bits can fuel the bus, then two bits can get me a snack on the way ta wherever Ah'm goin'.' So she wouldn't be ridin' or drivin' anythin'. Macintosh is the only one who can drive Uncle Blood's car anyways.
Ah don't know how she did it, but Ah'm damn sure gonna find out. Uncle Blood started givin' me weird looks today too, but only when Ah caught him doin' it. Weird part is, He only gave me that look when Ah was usin' my powers. Makes me wonder if he has 'em too. Wouldn't that just be funny if the whole family had super powers, yet all of us were too afraid ta tell each other about 'em? It would make sense based on how the virus works after all, provided mom or dad had 'em. If Uncle Blood has 'em then that probably means Dad probably had 'em, which means we should all have 'em...
Huh. Well, that would make a lot of sense. If Applejack has super powers and is puttin' em ta use, then that means her 'job' is really just a cover story... Macintosh might not actually be as clumsy as we think, and Uncle Blood... what does he know? Ah'm not sure what ta do now. Would askin' make thin's worse? Or... hell, this ain't somethin' Ah can just ask about, now is it? Powers are a touchy subject across the board. Ponies who have 'em are ostracized by those that don't because we're the minority and looked down upon like we're diseased, which isn't entirely untrue all thin's considered. But at the same time, Ponies with powers don't typically like the normal ponies and neither side gets along well, especially in hospitals.
A lot of the time, Power Ponies have high mortality rates due ta whatever part of their virus is messin' with their internal structure, and that can cause a lot of health problems and who knows how much time in the hospital until the virus eventually kills them. It's not like the thin' is curable, and only time can say if they'll survive at all. The virus has only been around fer thirty years, so nopony really knows what all it can do, especially since testin' on it was outlawed even before Ah was born.
If it weren't fer the Super Heroes that started showin' up around the time Ah was born, Ah think there might have even been a war between the two sides. The Princesses can only do so much ta prevent ponies from killin' each other within our borders, but Ah don't think they could really do anythin' that wouldn't result in mass casualties if the problem ever became somethin' they needed ta step inta. Goddess knows that's how the New Caballo crater was formed. Eeh. We just went over that in my world history class, and the thought that that huge crater was made by somepony who sits on the throne is a little terrifyin'. She looks so nice in the pictures, Ah can't think that almost two centuries ago she stepped in and ended a war in a single day. Probably explains why Equestria hasn't been the target of somepony's attack in almost two hundred years now.
Sunday, September 1st, 2030
Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it. Ugh, she came home with a brand new phone. A brand new smart phone! The same one that Sweetie got, the same one Ah want, and she barely even knows how ta use it! Goddess, it's just so fuckin' frustratin', Ah just... Gah! Goddess damn it. Ah'm so jealous and Ah can't even hide it a little. Ah love her, but she pisses me off ta no end when she does shit like this. Where did she even get the money fer that? Has she been savin' up? She said somethin' about gettin' a raise or whatever, but did she get paid yesterday too? Who the fuck even knows how often she gets paid, she probably beat the shit out of some sorry fuck and stole his damn sack of bits. Fuck!
Sigh. Ah can vent all Ah want, but that's probably not gonna do me any good. Ah don't know what all she did, but she said she's gettin' a license, she's filled the fridge full with just about whatever she wanted on top of gettin' all the stuff Ah asked fer, and she got her new phone, all in the same day. How much fuckin' money does she make!? It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't fer the fact that she asked me how ta set the damn thin' up. Ya bought a 700 bit device and ya don't know how ta fuckin' activate it? Really!? Goddess shit, Ah need ta write about somethin' else before Ah go on a rant again.
Today Ah got in contact with Scootaloo... on Applejack's new phone... after makin' sure she was free on Tuesday, since it's Caballo day and schools get a half day. There's gonna be a fair in Central park and all kinds of festivities this year since it didn't rain unexpectedly durin' set up this time. It should be good fun, and we'll finally get Rainbow and Applejack in the same room together, so Ah'm excited about that.
Taps wants ta do somethin' with me again soon, but Ah'm not sure what we should do since Ah'm poor as shit, and Ah can't stand the thought of him buyin' shit fer me on his allowance. He said somethin' about wantin' ta visit a place over by the harbor on Thursday. Ah think he called it Charka? No wait, Carcha. Some store called Carcha that's over there. Ah don't know what it is, but he said it was a pretty cool shop, so Ah figured what the hell. It's not like Ah do anythin' but homework and games with my spare time while Ah'm not with Scootaloo and Sweetie... which is depressin'ly more often than not. Ah know Ah'm not an extrovert, but sometimes Ah wish Ah had more friends.
Ah was pretty surprised at Macintosh and Applejack's reaction when Ah told them Ah had a boyfriend. A lot like Uncle Blood, they said they were happy fer me, but not ta go fuckin' around and get knocked up and so on. Ah honestly thought they'd want ta know everythin' about him that they could find out, medical records and criminal history included, but they didn't even ask. Heh, maybe they just want me ta get hitched so Ah have another somepony ta rely on fer income and stability. It would be nice, but Ah've only known the guy fer a week, so Ah probably shouldn't be thinkin' about gettin' married just yet, right?
Ah didn't think Ah was the kinda gal ta fantasize about that kinda thin', but now that it's even a little relevant, these ideas are startin' ta pop in my head like weddin' dresses and so on. Applejack is less of a girl than Ah am, and Ah'm not much of a girl ta begin with, but... maybe Ah am about this? Ah don't know. Somethin' ta think about Ah guess.
Ugh, speakin' of, mares suck. Ah'm already tired of this month and that fuckin' pain under my belly, and it only just started. Applejack got sick one time while she was in hers, and she had this terrible coughin' fit that just wouldn't stop. Ah guess she was in the end of it because she had ta go clean her tail afterward 'cause she had a big red spotty spray on it. Ah guess she forgot ta put one in or somethin' on account of bein' sick, but ta this day Ah make sure Ah always have some on me because of it. Thank goddess my tail is red, but the thought that it could happen ta me if Ah sneezed too hard over the next few weeks is absolutely terrifyin'.
Geez, even after goin' as far as ta talk about my gross body functions, Ah still can't stop thinkin' about her damn phone. Damn it, Ah want my own and Ah want it right now! Fuck this shit, Ah'm gonna go play that game since Scootaloo let me borrow it. Ah don't give a shit about her fuckin' phone, and Ah don't give a fuck that Ah'm tired and angry because my body hates me, and Ah don't give a shit if it's nine PM and Ah have ta get up at six AM tomorrow. Six hours is enough sleep if Applejack doesn't force me off the TV earlier than midnight. It's not like anypony is asleep yet anyways, so who fuckin' cares?
Monday, September 2nd, 2030
So. Much. Regret. Ah should not have stayed up that late. It was a mistake, Ah was mad and made a bad decision, and not somethin' Ah should ever do again. Ah was so dead from Junior Guard this mornin' that Ah ignored all my friends, Taps included, blew off my teachers, and got in trouble fer sleepin' in class. Mistakes were made. Ah get the feelin' that my mornin' after J.G. is probably what a hangover feels like. Ah'll have ta ask Uncle Blood about that one.
Applejack's not old enough ta drink, and Macintosh is so big that he out drinks all his friends and coworkers ta the point that he's barely tipsy after twelve shots. Never had a hangover in his life. He did tell us a story of how he almost got fired after one of those parties because his boss screwed him afterward. He eventually lost that job anyways, but not because of her. She still calls here every now and again. If my brother is anywhere near proportionate, then... Ugh, Ah'm literally writin' about my brother's dick now. Applebloom, ya can't just keep followin' these random trains of thought. Those thoughts lead to other thoughts which lead ta nasty chess pieces and shame. Eww, I still need to clean the black king from last time.
Back ta the drinkin' thin' before Ah got distracted, Ah think they're still sex buddies, and Uncle Blood is the only one who can get drunk with relative ease. He's not all that big fer a stallion as opposed ta Macintosh, and body mass supposedly makes alcohol easier to handle, which is why mares tend to get drunk easier than stallions do. It's not supposed ta be a fun topic, but because my friends and Ah are horrible ponies, we make a lot of rape jokes when we talk about alcohol at school. And in general actually. We're just terrible over all actually. Where Ah got my twisted sense of humor, Ah'll never know.
Well that could have been less of a ramble. What did I even write here? Ah went from school, ta alcohol, ta touchin' myself, back ta alcohol, then ta rape. Geez. Ah need ta slow my damn roll, this escalated too quickly. Heh. It's funny how that strin' of thin's is just about how thin's involvin' alcohol usually go these days. See? There it is again. Ah have no filter. Well, it's better that Ah let my thoughts run wild on paper than out my mouth. Scoots does that, and she gets popped in the back of the head a lot, be it by teachers, Lieutenant Scale, or her sister. Most often it's Rainbow doin' it though. Ah feel like she gets on Scootaloo's case little more than necessary, but we've all come ta the conclusion that she's just over protective. She really is a lot like Applejack.
Everythin' is still set up fer tomorrow ta go ta the fair, but Applejack said she has a bunch of errands ta run before we go, so as soon as Ah get outta school tomorrow, we're gonna make a bunch of trips ta places. Don't know where though. Guess Ah'll find out at about noon tomorrow.
Oh, Ah almost forgot! Ah was feelin' better today, mentally that is, so Ah started on the cake. Ah got the recipe from Taps before Ah started ta feel like shit this mornin' while he was at marchin' band practice, and Ah modified it a little so that it would work with strawberries. Why anypony would ever put pineapple in and on a cake is just downright weird ta me. Ah got the cream and the batter made, and Ah cut the strawberries up so Ah figured Ah'd throw it in the oven once we get back from the fair and finish it up once we're done. Tomorrow marks Caballo day, but tomorrow is also the day we first moved inta this apartment almost twelve years ago. It might not be much, but at least it's somethin' we did together as a family.