Legacy of Death Belle: The Cursed Crusader

A lone filly was stumbling with small, shell-shocked steps, her mind shattered beyond belief like Rarity's sword Memories.

"Rarity.....s.....she's......she's dead.....she's really....gone.....but, she defeated so many other ponies who wanted that stupid, damned jewel...what makes that mare any different?....What made Rarity be....killed" Sweetie Belle thought to herself, tears streaking down her white furred face as she sniffed and shook her head to get the liquid off her face.

She had buried her older sister in the hot, desert sand where she had been killed, holding her head in her front hooves for an hour longer before gently putting it into her grave, covering it with her already dirty hooves and stabbing the hilt of Rarity's former sword onto the center of the sand as she touched the red jewel on her chest before taking a deep breath and with one last glance at her sister's final resting place, she turned around and walked away....swearing revenge against Magic Blades.

She had been walking through the unforgiving sands for over three hours, not knowing why Magic Blades wished to fight here...not understanding why she did not grab any food or water when she needed it so badly but then knowing that Rarity promised the battle would not take long and that she would tela port them home after it was over.

Sweetie Belle's thoughts flashed to those of two days ago....the day of her twelfth birthday.

*Flashback, two days earlier*

"Happy birthday Sweetie Belle!" a small crowd of ponies shouted together being made of Rarity, Applejack, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Big Macintosh for the young filly turning the age of twelve.

"Wow...thanks everypony, this really means a lot to me" the small unicorn laughed as she looked at the strawberry frosted cake with small dots of chocolate lining the edges and a happy birthday in neat, almost perfect cursive of her sister's magic writing seeing the twelve orange candles before her as she blew them out with one wish in mind.

"I wish that no more tragedies would ever happen in my life anymore" she thought with a small smile at her innocent wish.

"Yeah, sure thing you walking dictionary, it's not everyday you turn twelve now is it?" a small orange furred Pegasus laughed with her magna colored hair and tail and joyful purple colored eyes.

"By the way...here's your gift, don't tell any pony how you got them though, alright?" she pleaded as she turned her head to the left then the right and with her teeth grabbed a small carton of cigarettes known as Diseased Stallion from her tail.

Sweetie Belle nodded as she took the pack from her friend and put them deep into her thick furred tail with a large grin before she was given a white with a single red strip across the packet of matches to go along with them.

"Thanks, Scoot...your the only one that supports me being a full grown mare now and does not care if I smoke" she chuckled as the Pegasus winked before shaking her head.

"Of course you crazy filly, we have been smoking together since we were ten and stole one from  Apple Bloom's brother so I don't think I'm going to stop you now that your older" Scootaloo spoke before turning her head and seeing another of her best friends and Sweetie Belle's fillyfriend, Apple Bloom trot towards them with a large grin on her face.

"Well Ah'll be....it seems ya'll have really been growing a lot....Ah reckon you'll be a fully grown mare in no time if you keep this up, Sweets" the pale yellow furred earth pony with her long, rose colored mane and tail spoke as she shook her head, causing a large pink bow on the right side of her head to shake rapidly with her golden color eyes shining with happiness and love for the birthday filly.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes before trotting away to get a drink of punch making Apple Bloom have some alone time with Sweetie Belle.

"Ya know.....Ah saw Scoot give you those pack of stallion.....you know Ah hate when you two smoke, Sweets...but , Ah'm your girlfriend...not your mother or sister, which works for mah. So even though Ah don't agree, Ah still support your choices.....also, Ah got your present at mah home, Ah was going to bring it but Applejack said that Rarity would not want it to be seen at your home....come by the farm tomorrow, Ah'll be sure to give you it then....Ah made it with help from Big Macintosh of course, him being the only blacksmith and bar owner in Ponyville, ya know"

Apple Bloom said as she kissed Sweetie Belle's left cheek before looking over to her sister who was talking to Rarity in whispered tones and then back to Sweetie Belle with a blush on her face.

"Come on, let's see what they talking about" Apple Bloom whispered softly making Sweetie Belle grin with a nod before following silently after her partner, coming closer to a empty table behind the two mares and being quiet to hear them talk.

"Ah telling ya Rare ya can't keep this a secret from her forever...she's going to want to known more about her parents, more about why she only knows the four of us rather then more of your friends, even more...she's going to want to know why your always fighting ponies with a large, red jewel around their chest....ya can't keep this from her...she's old enough to know already" Applejack, with her orange coat and long blond mane with a pony tied tail and alluring green eyes whispered angrily at the older unicorn who scoffed.

"You think I wish to keep my sister from all of this, Apple? This jewel has ruined my life....but it was given to me by the goddesses and I simply can not turn away from a pony that holds my life in her hooves, you understand, don't you? I mean Master Dash drove me-"

"Whose Master Dash?" Sweetie Belle whispered to Apple Bloom louder then she thought as the two mares turned and glared at the younger filles with disapproval before Applejack grabbed her punch in her hooves and finished it before looking at Rarity with a scowl and with a loud sigh stated.

"She needs to know, Rare....no more hiding the truth...she's old enough. Now come on Bloom, it's time to go home, we got a lot of trees to cover by the days end tomorrow and those trees are not going to drop by them self" Applejack said firmly before dropping to her front hooves to the floor and walking towards the door of Rarity's house.

"But we just got here...and we still got a lot of questions that need to be answered" Apple Bloom yelled at her older sister, who ignored her and forcing her to turn around with one last kiss on Sweetie Belle's cheek before running after her sister, their older brother trailing after them without even a goodbye making Scootaloo the only one of the guest still there as she looked up from the large purple punch bowl, her mane dripping with the sugar filled liquid and smiled before chuckling awkwardly.

"I'll um....I'll just let myself out...happy birthday, Sweetie Belle!" Scootaloo laughed as she ran out the door, her small wings flapping uselessly to aid her escape as the door slammed behind her, leaving the two sisters alone, Sweetie Belle glaring in anger at her older sister.

"So what's this about a master, Rarity? Why don't you tell me what your hiding...what I should know by now, I'm old enough to know, damn it!" Sweetie Belle screamed in rage of having being kept lies as Rarity gasped in shock.

"Sweetie Belle...you watch your tone with me, I'm still your elder, and you still must show respect for me" Rarity replied calmly as Sweetie Belle narrowed her eyes with a frown.

"So then, "elder" who is Master Dash? And what's all this about a red jewel?" she asked, her anger turning to curiosity as Rarity sighed loudly, annoyed by such question but knowing that she had a right to know now.

"Sweetie...what do you know about the Number one and two jewels?" she asked softly as the small unicorn thought of the stories that she had been told about them, from her sister to Granny Smith...before she passed away from old age three years ago.

"Uh.......they were two jewels that were made by the princesses...the goddesses I mean....the goddess of light and life, Princess Celestia and the goddess of night and death, Princess Luna.....when the land of Equestria was torn apart by ancient enemies, they had made the two jewels to help normal, non immortal ponies because they could not interfere with mortal ponies lives and granting them amazing amounts of strength...the red jewel known as Pain and suffering and the green jewel known as Godhood and heartache.....it worked for many, many centuries..for different ponies or even other creatures who would take them when they were found or even given...but the bearer of the number two became envious of the number one who would become favored by the goddesses and once in a century when there was peace among the land, he challenged the number one to a duel for the number one and won....ever since then-"

"Ever since then, every time a pony or any other creature finds the number two jewel, they go in search for the number one to try to become immortal....for none but the number two can fight the number one, and almost any creature can battle and slay the number two....it has been a blessing for many...and a curse for all....Sweetie...I....I am the bearer of the number one jewel....Master Dash, she is my teacher...I pray to Celestia that you to never meet her though, or that you are never given the number two jewel from whoever has it for-"

"Why have you kept this from me? You told me that you create and sell dresses as a fashion designer at this shop, The Carousel Boutique...is that why we have that sword in that green case on top of the fire place? So should you need to kill anypony? Is that why every year a single pony comes in very late at night with weapons and asks to see you? Is that why you come in all bloody and tired? Damn it, Rarity-"

"Sweetie Leliana Belle you WATCH YOUR LANUAGUE with me, young filly, it may be your birthday and you may be twelve years old but that gives you no right to swear at me" Rarity screamed at Sweetie Belle who seriously hated being called by her full name as she rolled her eyes before walking out the door and taking a cigarettes out of the packet from her tail then with  her tail wrapped around a single match she got, she struck it on the ground and lit the tobacco before stomping on the match and exhaling a large amount of gray smoke from her mouth, glad that she taught herself how to smoke and talk if need be at the same time.

"Don't you dare walk out on me, Sweet.....what are you doing?" Rarity asked, stunned as she saw such a horrid lung poison in Sweetie Belle's mouth, not knowing how she could have learned such a thing before it clicked in her mind that her friend Scootaloo was always a rotten friend to her dear sister....perhaps it was high time she stopped being around her so much.

"I'm smoking Rare...what's it look like? It helps me get rid of stress, and I'll say that you sure gave me a lot" she answered with a huff as Rarity stared in shock at her little sister behavior.

"You spit that out right now, young filly...NOW!" Rarity screamed causing Sweetie Belle to ignore her before a blue glow was wrapped around the object, taken from her mouth and stomped to the ground under the owner's hooves as she gritted in teeth in such anger, her jaw begin to ache, but luckily for her she trained herself to fight with her teeth so it went away swiftly.

"You don't get to tell me what to do, Rarity...your not mom!"

"Mother is GONE......she and father are both gone, Sweetie.....you know that.....that fire that took their lives when you were four was no ones fault....no ones" Rarity spoke sadly, tears sliding down her face as Sweetie Belle cast her eyes to the ground in shame.

"Except maybe your goddesses" she whispered harshly as Rarity snapped her head up in shock to look at her younger sister in disbelief that she could say such words.

"The goddesses have not made our fates like this Sweetie, you know this, please don't speak so cruel about them, they can and will make our lives better if we only-"

"Pray to them? That's all you ever do Rarity is pray to two goddesses who don't give a flying SHIT about us...our parents were killed in a fire that they did not deserve to die in, you always end up having to fight just for a damn jewel that will NEVER make our lives any easier and you want to pray to them and keep the jewel instead of destroying it because you believe they LOVE YOU? WHY!"  she shouted, tears of hurt and anger coming in small streams down her cheeks as Rarity took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing that her sister never believed like she did in the goddesses, that she could never understand the blessing she knew she had been given.

"Because they are immortal....beautiful.....and all powerful.....they created this amazing land that we are given privilege to walk on...or at least...that's how the stories tell it...I pray three times a day to them because I know that while we suffer...why  we have heartbreak...that our lives could be a lot worse, Berry Punch lost her daughter to her own drunken rage...killing her with her own two hooves"

"I don't wish to live that life...blaming the land for my own problems...I have been trained to protect this jewel with my last breath...and you....besides, the jewels are impervious to magic or physical damage...you really wish to see my battles, then I'll bring you to a fight that a mare has challenged me in two days....she has chosen the desert for a reason I'll never understand and cannot refuse it...it is my duty as bearer of the number one....I'll prove to you that our lives will get better....all you have to do is believe, Sweetie Belle" Rarity replied quietly as Sweetie Belle was silent for a few minutes before she looked up at the clear black night sky with it's stars covering them in a heartwarming, peaceful glow.

"Sweetie...please...will you pray with me for my battle to come, just this once? And then I promise, after this battle is over....I'll allow you to meet a good friend of mine who baked your cake and another who you should have met a very long time ago, I swear to you...no more secrets, no more lies." the older unicorn questioned as Sweetie Belle sighed loudly before looking at her tail which hid her smokes.

"Only if you don't compline about me smoking anymore and allow it. I'm a big filly now, Rarity, I can take care of myself and make my own choices...including dealing with the consequences" she answered back forcing Rarity to sighed loudly before biting her lower lip and speaking.

"Oh....alright, but no more then one a day"

"Three"

"Two"

"Deal.....thanks, Rare...I'm glad your allowing me to grow up on my own four hooves, now...let's get this over with, I got way to much knowledge in my brain for the day." Sweetie Belle laughed.

Rarity shook her head before getting down on her knees, closing her eyes and praying to the goddesses who ruled over the land, Sweetie Belle mimicking her movements but not her words as she opened one eye and looked up at the stars above once more.

"Prayer has never helped any pony....we can only count on each other.....and after this is over....I'll learn all about the life hidden from me" .

After the prayer Sweetie looked over to her sister, her eyes confused about one thing only before she got another smoke for the night.

"Rarity..." she asked softly, not wanting to upset the sword pony should she not wish for the question she was about to ask.

"Yes Sweets?"

".....Why do you fight and kill those that demand to duel you....would it not be easier to just give them the jewel?" Sweetie Belle questioned as Rarity turned her head, seeing a small orange glow a few inches from her mouth and knowing she was smoking again before Sweetie Belle exhaled the gray smoke out of her nose as Rarity answered with a loud sigh...and a heart chained with guilt.

"Because that is how the bearers have been ordered to deal with immotility among us mortal creatures......and..to redeem myself of my sins."

*Flashback ended*

She looked up at the blazing orange orb of heat above her, knowing that if she did not find water soon, she would parish....she could not let Rarity down...she owed her that much.

Sweetie felt that jewel around her neck weighing her head down take her toll...her body dropping from exhaustion and lack of fluid...her eyes seeing blurred images in front of her that her brain could not process.

"Sweetie Belle....Sweetie Belle........SWEETIE BELLE!" a voice shouted at her but she could not see who was speaking to her due to her head dropping and sand getting in her eyes as her body give out, her eyes closed and she blacked out.