Chapter One

Emerald, like many girls her age, dreamed about one day starting a family. She had dreams about marrying the love of her life, dreams about telling her family and friends that she was expecting her first child, dreams about watching that child grow up and leading a happy fulfilling life. That dream was distant and fuzzy, but dreams were so much more different than reality. Especially for Emerald Goldenbraid. This was no longer a sweet futuristic fantasy. This was a harsh and rather brutal reality; one that would change her life forever. This reality involved Emerald slumped against the bathroom wall, peering down at a gross plastic stick in her hands as tears streamed down her face.

That stupid little plus sign confirmed to her that the sudden swelling and soreness of her breasts and puking her guts out every morning had a purpose after all. She couldn't tell if she would rather scream or cry first. This wasn't something for Emerald to merrily inform her friends and family about. This was nothing to celebrate or be happy about. This is shameful. She should be ashamed of herself; and she is. She isn't married nor is she even at least an adult. She's just another pregnant sixteen year old girl. The kinds of girls she used to stare at when she was a pre-teen and would think I'll never throw away my life like that. The kinds of girls that were made fun of by strangers and even their own friends for being "sluts". The kinds of girls many parents would swear they'd disown. The kinds of girls that she just became.

Emerald's mind, aside from the rising anxiety buzzing around in her head like an angry beehive, could only flashback to approximately three weeks ago. She and Kasey had been sexually active together for about a few months since they started officially dating, but they'd always been very careful about using protection. However, as anyone who's ever taken health class knows that there's still always room for error, no matter how many preventive measures you take. Emerald knew that far too well now. Kasey would too in due time.

Oh god, Kasey…

Emerald buried her face in her hands. She loves Kasey, and she knows that he loves her. They had discussed once or twice about getting married one day, but babies never came up into the conversation. Why would they yet? Emerald and Kasey both turned sixteen within the past three months.. What boy at that age, regardless of how much they may love their significant other, would want to spend their time caring for a screaming and crying infant? If there was such a boy, Emerald certainly wasn't aware of his existence. And she couldn't exactly blame them. Especially if they enjoy living their life with their sister as a sky pirate. Heck, she didn't exactly feel like raising a child right now either. She's a Mysticon knight! That job practically asks you to be willing to give your life if necessary. How can she fill that role while carrying a child? It would also be incredibly difficult for Kasey to keep being a sky pirate under this condition. The most logical thing for many teenage boys who weren't ready to become fathers, Emerald realized, would be to reject her. Just like that, their relationship would be over. No more date nights, no more surprise gifts, no more anything involving Kasey. All because they couldn't keep their legs shut.

Fear and sorrow could only began to describe the emotions swimming around in her brain. She was going to lose everything.

No one can know. Not yet.

For now, she has to keep it to herself. The weight of the situation felt too great for her to open up about now. She felt suffocated as a lump formed in her throat, making it all the more difficult to breathe.

A loud knock on the door made her jump, rattling her out of her thoughts. "Emerald sweetheart," her mother's voice rang out gently, "Are you alright in there? You've been in there for quite awhile and I'm sure your friends are wondering where you are…" That was her cue to leave. She and the girls had training today.

Finally, Emerald raised herself up before responding to her mother, wiping the remaining tears that coated her cheeks, "I'm fine, mom! I was just… restocking the toilet paper!" She cringed at her own bad excuse. If she was going to keep this a secret, she'd have to start improving her lying skills. Emerald almost threw the pregnancy test into the trash can, but then thought better of it. Surely, if not her mother, her weird trash-rummaging little brothers would find it. And that is not an option right now. Instead, she wedged the stick in her pocket before washing her hands and exiting the bathroom.

"Emerald! There you are!" Arkayna greeted. Her voice caught the attention of their other friends, including Kasey. He had been chatting away with Malvaron and Doug before he saw her. He flashed her his signature smile and started to make his way over, clearly happy to see his girlfriend. Seeing Kasey right now made Emerald's insides squirm. She was already feeling stressed over her little discovery and wasn't sure if she could handle being around half the reason she was in this position right now.

Arkayna kept talking, her eyes clouding over with concern. "Are you okay? It's not like you to be late. I was starting to think that something horrible had happened."

Well, Arkayna, you're not wrong…

Emerald tried imitating what was supposed to be a smile, "Yeah, sorry for being late, Arkayna. I was feeling kinda sick this morning." Arkayna knew her too well. She couldn't help but wonder if her eyes gave away her secret that a tiny human being was growing inside her at this very precise moment. After all, the eyes were the windows to the soul, and no one knew her soul quite like her best friend.

Thankfully, Arkayna didn't seem to suspect anything of that matter. She prayed the same for Kasey as he was now right there, getting ready to greet her like the good boyfriend that he was. He stepped forward, giving her a quick affectionate peck on the forehead, "Hey Em! I'm glad you're here! For awhile you had me worried!" Every word he spoke was loving and genuine. All the more to make Emerald feel guilty with. She forced another smile to her lips, "Hi, Kasey. Sorry about that. I wasn't feeling too hot earlier."

Kasey's face morphed into an expression of concern, "Really? Do you think you're sick?" He stepped forward to touch her comfortingly, but Emerald moved away. She still felt too shaken up to be touched by anyone right now. Especially Kasey. Even that kiss he gave her made her feel dizzy and unsettled. Of course, he took notice, his worried expression both deepening but also now had traces of hurt in it. It was almost enough to rip Emerald's heart in two.

If you think that hurts, how do you think it'll feel when he leaves you?

Arkayna began to feel awkward. Emerald's strange behavior made her certain that something personal must be going on. As much as she wanted to ask Emerald, she felt it was better to let it go for the moment. It was getting later by the minute and there is a lot of new training techniques to be covered. She clapped her hands together, "So! Emerald, are you prepared for some training? Some of the new stuff is pretty hardcore and I think Zarya and Piper are getting a little antsy…" she gestured to their friends, who, as happy as they were to see her, were clearly getting bored with just standing around.

"Oh, yeah! Totally! I'm ready when you are!" Emerald snapped her attention back to Arkayna, ready to move on from this uncomfortable situation.

Arkayna smiled, "Great! I bet Kasey can't wait to see you kick butt…" she teased as they made their way over to the balcony. Emerald forced out an awkward giggle.

Stepping out onto the balcony, Emerald remembered she and Arkayna were partners in today's training exercises. She wasn't entirely sure how training was going to go today. If she avoided too much physical contact, then everyone would start to think something was wrong. However, if she got too physically involved, then her pregnancy would come to a… rather unfortunate end. A miscarriage, whether she wants this baby or not, is not a favorable way to deal with the issue.

As they each took their positions, Emerald could already hear Kitty cheering Zarya on. Emerald could barely even stand to look at Kitty. She only reminded her of Kasey. And being reminded of Kasey only reminded her of the current predicament she's in. For god's sake, is there anyway I can just focus? She thought quietly, beginning to feel frustration creep in. Suddenly, she felt an intense burst queasiness overcome her."Oh no…" she mumbled to herself, realizing that she if she doesn't get to a bathroom soon, she could, quite literally, spill her guts in front her friends this very instant.

She clutched her stomach, already feeling a small bump. By the next week, it would grow bigger. And after the following week it would grow bigger. Eventually, whether she says it or not, everyone will know. Her parents will know, her friends will know, Kasey would know. What would happen next is what scared Emerald more than anything. She just couldn't stop thinking about how she could lose Kasey…

Another fear penetrated her thoughts. Kasey may not be the only one who would reject her. What if her friends rejected her? Sure, they were kind-hearted, but even the most kind-hearted people can be disgusted by others. Piper was young and naive, but Zarya had a large impact on her. If Zarya felt strongly about something, Piper would likely feel that way too. Arkayna and Zarya were also royalty. Queen Goodfey may not be an overly conservative snob, but she still wanted positive influences for her daughters. Especially, Arkayna. That was the main reason why she even permitted them to hang out to began with. When people think of pregnant teenagers; the words "positive influence" usually don't come to mind. She could lose her best friend. She could lose all of her friends.

Oh my god. I really could lose everything.

Emerald now felt worse. Her stomach twisted and turned and she knew immediately that losing her breakfast in front of everyone was a huge possibility if she didn't get out of there. She raised her hand and asked Arkayna to be excused.

Arkayna nodded, giving her another worried glance, "Yeah, of course! Are you alright? Should I come with you?"

Emerald gave Arkayna another fake smile, internally panicking as the bile began to slither its way up her throat. "I'm fine. My mom's cooking must not be agreeing with me today." Before the princess could get another word in, Emerald made a beeline for the restroom, mentally preparing herself for the most unpleasant.

Every morning, the first thing Emerald did was throw up. However, she didn't have the luxury of rushing to the bathroom whenever she pleased. She always had to be careful to sneak by her parents and brothers to prevent them from becoming suspicious. Sometimes, she never even made it to a bathroom. Occasionally, the poor flower pot in her room became a victim of her regurgitation as did the kitchen sink and even one of her brothers' shoe at one point! (Thankfully, her brothers dirty themselves up so much that they didn't seem to care or even notice.) Unfortunately, when it came to her friends and Kasey, sneaking off proved to be even more difficult. She would, more often than not, have to come up with some last minute lie as to where she was actually going so keep them from catching on. That isn't to say no one thought it was odd; Zarya, Arkayna and Piper in particular were starting to become more nosy, but no one's mind seemed to even consider or entertain the idea that she might be pregnant, so that itself was going as planned.

Going shopping was becoming increasingly torturous. Whenever Emerald saw a cute purse or a nice pair of shoes, she always had to tell herself that when she has this baby, there won't be money for personal treats. The baby would have to come first and boy were they expensive. She can still remember all the diapers and other supplies her parents stocked up on when her mother found out she was pregnant. Even if she gave the baby up for adoption, something told her she wouldn't be able to enjoy or even keep recent purchases once her parents find out the truth anyway.

When it came to food, however, all self control went out the window. Whenever she and the girls went out to eat, Emerald would skip right to dessert. More evidence that whatever was growing inside of her definitely is related to Kasey. He loved ridiculously sugary foods and that's all Emerald craved. Each time she was forced to pass up ice cream, or chocolate, or any other sweet sugary substances available she almost felt like crying. Especially given the foods she used to love now made her sick to her stomach whenever the smell of them would hit her nostrils.

Training or having to do any intense physical activity was hell, too. Her body felt like cement, making it nearly impossible to even run half the time. Fortunately, the girls understood that Emerald was sick to some extent. They let her take it as easy as much as she needed during training (which included many nap breaks snacks) and offered to help her in anyway they could. Emerald would always feel guilty when she would take long abrupt breaks, but it's not as if she had much of a choice. But still, she hated receiving all this special attention while she was keeping this huge mindblowing secret from them. Especially from Arkayna and Kasey. Kasey was going to be a father, and doesn't even know. Whereas Arkayna is her best friend; her number one companion in life. The person who had her back through it all.

Her guilt only deepened when her mood swings started kicking in later that week. Sometimes, Emerald would feel this intense need to cry and she'd have to hole herself up somewhere until she got ahold of herself again. At other times, she would find herself snapping at random anyone who dared speak to her. At one point, she made both Piper and Doug cry. The young elf had run crying into a confused Zarya's arms while the large cyclops distraughtly clung to a rather spooked Malvaron.

Arkayna and Kasey were both becoming increasingly worried for Emerald. Why did she never want to hug anyone like she used to? Why was she so moody? Why is she sore all the time when she barely exercised at all anymore? Why is she still tired even after resting for a whole day? Why would she seem so repulsed whenever her favorite treats were offered to her? Why was she in the bathroom all the time?

Why wouldn't she tell them anything?

Emerald was only now about five weeks pregnant and she was treating everyone like strangers.

Kasey felt lost. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure how. Everything he did seemed to set her off in some form or another. He was so used to her willingly letting him in on anything. He never had to try to push her buttons to try to get her to open up. And on that rare occasion he did, all it took was his signature charming smile and a gentle voice. Now, it seemed as if those two things made her push him away even further.

Arkayna, on the other hand, had enough. This was stupid. Emerald is her best friend. Nothing that happened before changed that. Why would she let anything ruin that now? Clearly, something horrible is going on and Arkayna was going to get to the bottom of it. Even if it was the last thing she ever did, she was not going to let her best friend continue to keep secrets from her. Whether she liked it or not.

One restless night, Emerald found herself lying on her back, staring at the ceiling from her soft bed. Her eyes were irritated and red from crying and she could still taste the potent tang of vomit in the back of her mouth. Oh, how she would love for all of this to finally end. Of course, she knew this would only continue to get worse. Each day was going to have a new challenge. Especially once she tells her family. Especially once she tells her friends. Especially once she tells Kasey. Especially once she gives birth. Keeping the secret to herself only made things even more exhausting. She needed to talk to someone about this, but who could she turn to?

If you think you're so exhausted and alone now, just wait until the baby arrives. You'll be even more worn out and lonesome than before...

Emerald's hand trailed down to her stomach over the small bump. There's a baby in there, she would think to herself. She rubbed her abdomen comfortingly, trying to calm herself down as much as she can. However, she was so emotionally strained to the brim at this point that she found it difficult to do so. Thoughts and feelings of fear and anxiety still penetrated her heart and hovered over her brain like a dark cloud. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the sixth week in her pregnancy. In about another seven to eight months, there would baby would be in her arms. Crying, screaming, and flailing their stocky little arms. Would she even know what to do with an infant? The thought alone terrified her.

You're going to be a horrible mother.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered to her unborn child. "You didn't deserve this… you deserve to belong to parents w-who know wh-what to do a-and pre-prepared for you and…" Emerald's voice trailed off as she starting sobbing quietly into her pillow. Just like that, another seed of guilt and shame had taken it's position into her mind. Her baby was going to have a bad life. They were going to be raised with no father and by a sixteen year old dwarf who won't even be there have the time due to her role as a mysticon, not by a loving prepared single or multiple adults who took the time to plan and prepare for one. That's what every child deserves. Yet, adoption seemed so imaginable to her. To "give up" her baby to an orphanage where there was no guarantee that her child would even find a loving long term home felt so irresponsible to her; mainly because she's half of the reason this baby is coming into existence to begin with.

Things at the moment were horrible. Emerald certainly knew that by now. Never had she felt so low in her young life. However one thing she didn't know is that this week, starting tomorrow, was going to be one of the most terrible weeks of her life.