When the Belle tolls...

A/N: This story will go on for a long time. I hope you all like it!

Chapter 1

It was morning in Ponyville, a beautiful morning at that. The birds were singing their morning chorus, the trees were slowly rustling in the wind and Celestia's magnificent sun beamed down on it all as a blessing.

Sweetie Belle lazily woke to the smell of slowly cooking batter that would most surely come to be breakfast, following was the sweet scent of apples and raspberries. The welcoming scent easily brought Sweetie' out of her stupor.

As Sweetie Belle walked over to her mirror and make-up table she happily hummed a tune, something she had been working on for a long time now.

Everyday I wake to see my flank is bare...

I look in hope as I wonder if my cutie mark is there...

As usual its not, so I dare and dare and dare...

Myself to do acts that will bring my cutie mark from hiding and to there...

As Sweetie Belle looked up into her mirror so she could proceed to brushing herself she giggled slightly at the sight that met her that was envisioned in the mirror. Her mane was almost completely straight aside from a couple of stray curls receding from the long wave of natural fibres that went down her neck and she seemed to have a long black wave of glossy eyeshadow. She also seemed to be wearing lipstick that shined as a lavender-ish purpley colour, something close to the purple curls that were usually harboured in her curly mane. As she proceeded to brush her mane and wipe away the make-up with a cloth and manebrush rapped in a dim white aura she recalled all of yesterdays' activities.

The night before the Cutie Mark Crusaders had been practicing their comedy act which they were hoping to put on later that month. They had mostly been experimenting with costume designs and new jokes, nothing different from any other practice they did. Afterwards they had gone to Sugarcube corner as a small token of there success to themselves. Also earlier that day they had been talking with the new town mechanic, Ember Cogwork to see if he could help them with their act. Sadly all he had been able to supply them with was a couple of safety fireworks and a couple of books on old (but still rather) funny jokes. And after that Sweetie and the others just went home so they could finish preparing their presentations for the recent assignment Cheerilee had given them on the old myth's of Equestria which Rarity had typically helped her with by telling Sweetie about vamponies. A horrible topic which Sweetie didn't even care about so instead she had gone with the myth of 'the timepony' which always seemed to fascinate her.

When Sweetie Belle finished cleaning up her appearance she cheerily trotted down the stairs and into the kitchen where a large stack of pancakes and apple and raspberry syrup were sat and accompanied by her sister, Rarity who was slowly eating a portion of pancakes that rested on her plate with her usual amount of ettiquette and politeness that she managed to uphold every single day. How Rarity did it was daunting to Sweetie but she still loved her big sister just as much.

"Morning Sis'!" Sweetie Belle greeted in her usual cheerful fashion before sitting down on the other side of the table and helping herself to a portion of what was now her breakfast.

"Good morning Sweetie!" Rarity replied happily before slowly dabbing her lips with a telekinetically held napkin.

As Sweetie sat down she noticed something was wrong with her sister, more importantly her eyes. Under the large shining pools of white, black and purple her coat had become matted in some places and the normal pearly white was now the colour of aged paper.

"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle asked to get her sisters attention which succeeded.

"Yes Sweetie?" Rarity asked with an inquisitive and worried look.

"H-have you been, crying?" Sweetie asked before recieving exactly what she expected.

"Whatever do you mean Sweetie Belle? Why would I have a reason to cry? I mean surely you wouldn't think your big sister would be keeping something from you? I mean why w--" Rarity was cut off before she could finish her long stream of pointless questions.

"Rarity." Sweetie said with a more serious look now.

Instead of replying, a thick, sandy coloured parchment floated over to Sweetie, the envelope was stamped with the seal of the royal court.

The letter read out;

Dear Ms. Rarity, Element of Generosity

We are sorry to say that your parents were found dead in 'The 3 Hooves' inn, Galloptown. There cause of death was loss of blood which came from the gashes spread across their bodies. The Galloptown guards were not able to find the murderer. We are sorry for your loss. We have found that your parents wrote a will, all of there money and possesions fall to you and your sister, Sweetie Belle. Your parents funeral will be held at the Canterlot graveyard on tuesday 26th of September.

Signed,
Princess Celestia

Before Sweetie had finished reading the formal parchment streams of tears had started pouring down her cheeks and by the end of it she had been reduced to a bawling foal before Rarity paced over to Sweetie Belle and held in a long, loving embrace in an attempt to help the filly control her tears.

The embrace lasted for what seemed to be hours before Sweetie finally started to lessen the amount of tears. Slowly Rarity moved away slightly before Sweetie Belle the quiet chime of metal tapping together, soon after she saw a small, heart-shaped ruby pass her eyes and then she felt it rest on her neck.

"Thi-this was your m-mother's..." Rarity said as she sniffed away the tears forming in her eyes."She would w-want you t-to have it..." She said before letting a warm smile show.

As Sweetie Belle levitated the ruby up infront of her she examined it. The ruby was rose red and glistened in the light. In the center of the ruby was a small cut out where a picture rested, the picture of her family. As Sweetie pulled out the picture slowly from the ruby she noticed a small streak of black on the back of the photo. As she turned the picture round to identify the streak she noticed that it led to an 'y' which was contained in a small message. It read;

To my beloved daughter,
From your mother.

Sweetie Belle smiled slightly at the comment before a few more tears streamed from her eyes.

"I loved you too mother."

"Sweetie Belle! Where were you? We thought you were sick!" Scootaloo said as she started to bombard Sweetie with questions before simply being muffled by Applebloom's hoof.

"Sweetie'? Is somethin' tha' matter?" Applebloom asked with a consolling voice.

Sweetie Belle just lowered her head further and let a tear run down her cheek before she continued into the door of her school building, catching rather alot of concerned glances from all of her classmates and Cheerilee, even some concerned glances from Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara.

"Sweetie Be--" Cheerilee was cut off by Rarity anxiously prodding at her shoulder.

"Yes Rarity...What happened?...Her parents...T-thats terrible...But...Yes...Of course...Should I try and?...She can't just be...If you think thats best...I'll tell the others...Yes..." Cheerilee said as she was engulfed in coversation with Rarity.

Before Sweetie Belle even heard the two finish there conversation she broke down into tears at the reminder of what she had been told earlier that morning and layed against the desk to proceed in another large fit of crying before Applebloom and Scootaloo galloped over and tried to console and calm her to no avail.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" Scootaloo said, a high pitched tune of fear in her voice before Cheerilee called her and Applebloom over.

As the other 2 crusaders were briefed on what had happened Sweetie Belle managed to turn her head onto its side and stare through the window at the beautiful castle of Canterlot sat on its familiar mountain, always looking over the land. As Sweetie watched it her train of thought drifted off-course and travelled through her tunnel of memories, Sweetie remebering every single good time she had with her parents.

The rest of Sweetie's day went silently and undisturbed with only a few failing attempts of people trying to cheer her up. Scootaloo and Applebloom had offered to cheer her up by taking her to Sugarcube Corner but she had just wanted to be left alone for a while so she could reflect and have silence.

As the sun went down over the horizon behind Canterlot and the moon rose behind her, Sweetie thought over her life, how it had taken a terrifying and unsettling toll. There were still many loved ones left in her life but a life without parents did not seem right, She now realized what it felt like for Scootaloo to have no parents and be adopted. There now was 2 less lights in her life to guide her through the black abyss of her childhood, 2 less helping hoofs, 2 less loved ones.

It was definetly different.

As Sweetie turned around to walk back home she could of sweared she saw something, an abnormal being but she just dismissed it as a forest creature and continued to walk back home.

A/N: I hope you all liked this Fic and it will continue thoroughly! And don't worry, demons come next chapter!