//------------------------------// // Unmarked // Story: Unmarked Once More // by gamernerd717 //------------------------------// Scootaloo was hard at work on her scooter, practicing stunts to try and show off, while also trying to just better her natural scooter skills in general. Rainbow Dash was watching her number one fan, and clapped when Scootaloo finished. They weren’t sisters by blood, but the relationship they had was close enough that it could probably fool the average passerby. “That was awesome, Scootaloo!”, Rainbow complimented the young filly. “Keep practicing, and you might be able to be even more amazing in the future!” “Yeah, I know.”, Scootaloo bragged. “I’ve always had a thing for thrills.” Rainbow was obviously proud of what Scootaloo had accomplished, and so was Scootaloo herself, but Scootaloo knew she couldn’t let her ego get too big. At least not so big as to mask some of the confidence and insecurities she couldn’t hide as well as her idol. “I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, though. I still have a ways to go before I can truly be as great as you. I don’t even know if that’s entirely possible, but I could try”. Rainbow was slightly off-put by Scoot’s sudden decrease in bravado. “Don’t say stuff like that, Scootaloo. You shouldn’t worry about being as great as me, because you’re great in your own way. You haven’t forgotten what I told you, have you?” “Oh yeah, right. Not sure what I was thinking there. You said I was my own foal and I could make my own decisions.”, Scootaloo recalled. Rainbow nodded, “Yup. Don’t you ever forget that.” Unknowingly, Dash and Scoot had given an eavesdropping sorcerer the ammunition he needed to make his grand plan a reality. Now all he needed was one more, and the rest would work itself out. ———— Sweetie Belle was helping Rarity with the latest in fashion. Her big sister may’ve been a little demanding at times, but Sweetie learned to handle it. If she couldn’t, she very well knew from personal experience what would happen. Shuddering from the memory of her sabotage of Rarity’s costume for Sapphire Shores, she pushed the thought out of her mind. “Rarity, I know we may not agree on everything, but I just want you to know that I’ll always be your little sister. No matter what.” Slightly confused by Belle’s sudden declaration, Rarity agreed nonetheless. “Well, that’s…awfully nice of you, Sweetie Belle. I’ll always be your big sister as well, no matter what happens.” Rarity knew she couldn’t treat her sister as a little filly anymore, but she would still protect her no matter what. After all, that’s what sisters do for each other. Ever the keen listener, the sorcerer had finally obtained the third piece of the puzzle with a picture that displayed his victory. With all three Crusaders studied, the diabolical schemer knew what he had to do. ———— The sorcerer waited until he was out of sight from anypony and watched as the Crusaders passed by. With a gesture of his cane, he conjured up fake versions of the trio’s sisters. The Crusaders recognized the voices of their sisters calling out. “Apple Bloom, do you need any help with what you’re doing?” A fake Applejack asked. “Hey Scootaloo, have you figured out how to be better than you already are?”, A fake Rainbow Dash asked Scootaloo. “Sweetie Belle, you said you’d always be my little sister, right?” A fake Rarity asked a very real Sweetie Belle. The Crusaders all answered accordingly; Apple Bloom answered “No”, Scootaloo responded with a somewhat-confident “Yes”, and Sweetie Belle responded with an “Of course”. As the fake ponies dissipated, the magic took effect. Before the Crusaders could react, they were forcefully pulled into the sorcerer’s dark lair, lifted into the air, and felt the forced separation of their cutie marks from their bodies. Utterly helpless and unable to do anything, the three fillies watched as their matching cutie marks floated into the sorcerer’s glass casings. Apple Bloom was the first to speak up, and had only one question: “What did you do to us?!”