Skyfall: The Crusaders

by sister_mike

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Sweetie Belle

Thirteen years. Thirteen years had gone by since the terrible attack. Thirteen years of wondering why the CMC had survived and nobody else. Zecora had survived because she lived in the forest. The Everfree Forest was mysterious, with its own magic to protect it.

Their main theory that the CMC had survived was because at the time they didn't have their Creative-Marks yet, the tattoos that appeared on the inside of everyone's wrists and the nape of their necks. They were symbols of who you were and what your special talents were. Everyone naturally receives a Creative-Mark between the ages of 7-10, when they discover something special about themselves.

Sweetie Belle touched her Creative-Mark on the inside of her left wrist, as she walked through Peoplesville towards the town centre. She closed her eyes, and thought back to the day it had happened.

It happened a good few months after the curse had been cast. She had been the second of the CMC to get hers, Apple Bloom being the first. Sweetie Belle had gone down to the town centre to visit her frozen sister, something she did every day for the first five years of the curse. And since the curse had happened, for those first few months, every time Sweetie Belle went there and stood in front of Rarity, she cried. To make herself stop crying and feel better, she would sing. She would sing for herself and sing for Rarity. And eventually, three small musical notes appeared on her wrists and the back of her neck. She came to realize that she had a gift for singing, and that it was especially good at calming people down.

She had gotten use to all of the frozen people standing around the town. Eventually she and the CMC had decided to explore everyone's houses and see if there were any other survivors.

The mayor was standing just outside of Town Hall, her face frozen in terror; Cheerilee had been helping some kids after school and was frozen pointing at something on the board, the three students frozen at their desks; various other ponies were frozen doing their everyday errands, while others had noticed the terribleness that was happening and had horror written on their faces.

In the centre of town stood the bearers of the Elements. Twilight Sparkle was in the centre, the crown on her head, a defeated look on her face. Sweetie Belle figured she had just realized what was about to happen but didn't have time to do anything about it.

The rest if the bearers flanked Twilight in a semi-circle. Rarity was between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. She stood there, an angry look on her face. Sweetie Belle stood in front of her and placed her hand up against the crystal that imprisoned her. It wasn't a thick layer and it was relatively in the shape of her sister. She stared hard into Rarity's eyes.

"Thirteen years ago today."

Sweetie Belle turned her head. Apple Bloom was sitting cross-legged in front of Applejack. She sighed and looked up at her. Applejack froze with her eyes squeezed shut, her arm out-stretched. Sweetie Belle knew Apple Bloom would be here. The two of them were always here on the anniversary date of the attack. Sometimes Scootaloo joined them, and sometimes she didn't. Today she didn't.

"I'm the same age as her now," Sweetie Belle said quietly looking back at Rarity. Apple Bloom laughed.

"Yeah, I remember that feeling; I'm older than Applejack now by two years," Apple Bloom said. She sighed and leaned back on her arms. "Next it'll be Big Mac, and eventually Granny Smith."

"You think you're going to live as long as Granny Smith?" Sweetie Belle said. Apple Bloom shrugged.

"Might."

Sweetie Belle sat down in front of Rarity.

"What's Scoots up to?" she asked. Apple Bloom shrugged again.

"Dunno; probably at the cliff," she said.

Sweetie Belle looked up at Rarity again. They were the same age now. No more thirteen year gap. She could see so many similarities in their features now. It was almost like looking into a crystal mirror.

The two of them sat in silence, staring up at their older sisters, their idols. Sweetie Belle didn't want to think about how Apple Bloom must feel; she was now older than her older sister.

"What do you... what do you think it was? That attacked us all those years ago?" Apple Bloom asked quietly.

"I don't know. Probably would have helped if we had been in the town centre when it happened. All I remember is Rarity rushing out saying she needed to go," Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah, same with AJ," Apple Bloom said. "Next thing I knew, Big Mac was frozen picking apples, and Granny Smith's rocking chair just stopped rocking."

"We could go to the library later, try and see if we can find anything," Sweetie Belle said.

Apple Bloom groaned.

"We've combed that library thoroughly. We haven't found anything on time freezing spells, or curses, or creatures that have any sort of magic like that. Even Zecora couldn't find anything," Apple Bloom said, lying flat on the ground now.

"I know... but it wouldn't hurt," Sweetie Belle said quietly. Apple Bloom sighed.

Sweetie Belle knew she would go to the library anyways. It was an unofficial tradition they always did on the anniversary. First, they went and visited their sisters, sometimes Apple Bloom also went to the farm, just as sometimes Sweetie Belle also went to check up on her parents; and then they always met at the library and would read through all of the books for the rest of the day.

Apple Bloom sighed again and stood up. She brushed some dirt off of her jeans.

"I'm going to go see Big Mac and Granny," she said. She looked at Applejack one more time and then turned away.

"Ok; see you at the library later, right?" Sweetie Belle said.

"Yeah, see you at the library..." Apple Bloom said.

Sweetie Belle watched Apple Bloom walk away. She then looked back at her sister and sighed. She missed her so much.

Stretching out at Rarity's feet, Sweetie Belle put her hands behind her head and stared up at the clouds and into the beautiful day.

Comments

[Zero Moment]

Huh, strange that you would have this as a 'Equestria is Human' type fic. Don't see those too often. Although, with it being like that, you should really have the AU tag.

Anyways, this is pretty well written. I think I'll see where this goes.

[RayearthNinja]

this is on my "read later" I'll let you know what I think tomorrow

[RayearthNinja]

1485139

never mind, it shall be read tonight!

[mbpony 512]

Nice start, but I wonder where's Scootaloo in this at first ?

Please do keep up the good work.

[easymac]

i am intrigued. I would like to see how the story goes, before making any further judgements about it.

[Gherkin]

I saw the title, and couldn't help but think of this.

jamesbondbrasil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/imax_b_gif01.gif

Anyway, not a bad story. Good luck with your writing in the future.

[PegasusKlondike]

Eh, why not, tracked.

[Bronyhood of steel]

so far so good i will track this