//------------------------------// // A Strange New World // Story: Cutie Mark Crusader: Agent Sweetie Belle // by Unknown Ficwriter //------------------------------// It was a bright and beautiful day in Equestria, the birds were singing and the sky was clear. For three adventure-seeking fillies, known as The Cutie Mark Crusaders, the weather was ideal. Their base of operations was the renovated clubhouse that once belonged to Applejack. After gaining their cutie marks, they declared to help other equines in discovering their special talent. The CMC were currently planning their next activity for their Cutie Mark Day Camp. Unbeknown to them, the biggest adventure of their young lives was closer than they could imagine. A knock issued from the clubhouse door, halting their meeting. The white unicorn, known as Sweetie Belle, opened the door with her magic. A grey mailmare stood on the other side, a fairly large package sat on her outstretched hoof. "I have a package for the Cutie Mark Crusaders," the pegasus stated. After signing for it, Sweetie Belle levitated the package over to her. With a thank you and a parting, the mailmare turned and took off into the sky. With the package in tow, Sweetie Belle rejoined her friends. "I wonder what it could be," a light orange pegasus named Scootaloo mused. A pale yellow earth pony, by the name Apple Bloom, read the attached message; thanks for all your help, from a friend. Meanwhile, Sweet Belle was busy opening the box. What was revealed made her gasp in surprise, amplified by the inclusion of her friends. Inside sat a thin glass case, containing a golden necklace upon a white pillow. To their mounting excitement, they immediately noticed the gems that correspond to each of their cutie marks. Both Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom put on their respective necklace, However Scootaloo merely stared at it in her hooves. "Who could have possibly sent these, they look quite expensive," she asked. After being posed the question, the other two pondered on who the gift giver could have been. After several minutes, Apple Bloom nominated Gilded Lily's name as the possible conferrer. "Maybe, I'll ask my sister about sending a letter when I get home," Sweetie Belle replied. Unable to think of any other reservations to ponder about, Scootaloo began to put on the necklace at the encouragement of her friends. As soon as she fastened the clasp, a blinding light flooded the room. Shielding their eyes, trepidation began to course through them. "Welcome my little ponies, I'm so happy to see you here," a deep familiar voice called out. Upon hearing it, whatever uncertainty that clouded their minds was replaced with optimism. "Is that you Princess Celestia," Apple Bloom replied. By now the glaring light had faded enough "You are correct Apple Bloom, Unfortunately, there's no time for pleasantries. I've brought you here to help me combat a rather disturbing epidemic." Celestia hurried. The serenity that Celestia brought with her began to fade as they exchanged worried glances. "I know this is a rather large undertaking to accept with no information. However, time constraints won't allow such luxuries so I'm asking for a leap of faith," Celestia spoke in an almost pleading tone. Without a second thought, Scootaloo clearly announced her willingness to help. Following her example, both Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle agreed as well. Overjoyed at their willingness to help, Celestia told them that merely touching their gems would send them on their way. Both Scootaloo and Apple Bloom gave a quick Filly Guide salute before touching their gems and disappearing. Celestia's beaming smile slightly faded as she noticed Sweetie Belle still remained. Realizing that the princess had focused entirely on her made her nervous. Yet, she was able to articulate her concerns with a minimum amount of studdering. Her smile returned to its former brilliance, Celestia assured her that all will be revealed as soon as they returned. Satisfied with her answer, Sweetie Belle touched her gem. To her astonishment, the color of her surroundings faded away. Soon followed by their shaded integrity, finally fading into pitch darkness. A new and rather strange looking environment began to reveal itself. As her eyes adjusted to the reintroduction of light, the once numerous blurs of shadows came into focus. Although scarce Sweetie Belle realized that she stood in what appeared as a wooded area. Unable to determine her current location, she started walking in no particular direction. Wishing that she had some idea on what she needed to do, her necklace began to project an image onto the ground. As she looked down, a detailed map appeared on the ground in front of her. Accustomed to magic, It merely extracted a slight gasp due to its sudden appearance. Her shock soon turned to admiration as several structures seemed to rise from the ground. Their overly tall and varied shapes were nothing like the ones she'd seen in Equestria. A series of long narrow-like paths snaked throughout the heavily constructed area. As impressive as it all seemed, what held her attention was two blinking spheres. The red sphere was slowly moving along a path while the blue dot remained stationary. Quickly deducing who the dots represented, Sweetie Belle focused on the red dot. Only after her target stopped did she begin to plan her route to it. Another audible gasp escaped her lips as the map instantly disappeared upon taking a step. Briefly impressed that the map responded to her thought, she took off at a full gallop. Unfortunately, her pursuit immediately derailed as she stepped out of the wooded area and onto a gray stoned pathway. A change of terrain was the least of concern as she craned her head upward. The map had displayed the staggering tall buildings, although actually seeing them was breathtaking. Bewildered by all the unique and awe-inspiring sights, Sweetie Belle was oblivious to the approaching footsteps. "Are you... a unicorn," a dulled feminine voice emitted from her left. Brought out of her wonderment, she turned to identify the speaker. Seeing a bipedal wasn't the source of Sweetie Belle's surprise, having seen bipeds before. It was its body or what it lacked that caught her off guard. Instead of spotting the common characteristics shared by Equestrian bipeds, this creature's body was curiously smooth in appearance. Long mane aside, its nose seemed ineffective due to its diminished size, while its limbs were lanky and oddly jointed Slim, talonless phalanges, were attached to its upper limbs via a furless paw. It's lower limbs were hidden by clothing, overlapping what she could only describe as the weirdest looking hoof cuffs she'd ever seen. In fact, once she paused her analytical observations, most of the creature's body seemed to be covered in clothing. The strange creature repeated its question in a more disillusioned tone than before. Not wanting to appear rude, Sweetie Belle replied, adding an inquiry about what kind of creature it was. They stood there for several minutes introducing themselves.