//------------------------------// // Sweetie Belle-Rophon // Story: Beasts and Burdens // by Metool Bard //------------------------------// Beast and Burdens Chapter 1: Sweetie Belle-Rophon "Come along, Sweetie Belle. We still need to find at least fifty more jewels if this is going to work." Sweetie Belle groaned. The wagon she was pulling was already weighed down with a mountain of jewels of all shapes and sizes. Any more, and she feared that she would break her back. When she asked her older sister if she needed help, this was not what the young unicorn had in mind. "Now, Sweetie. Don't give me that," Rarity scolded. "You said you wanted to help me make my special Crystal Empire Ensemble for Fancy Pants, and I needed somepony to help me carry all of the jewels I need for the ensemble. It's as simple as that." "I thought we were going to do something fun," Sweetie Belle griped. "Like maybe we'd draw designs together, or maybe you'd teach me how to sew." Rarity sighed. "Sweetie, darling. This ensemble is very ambitious, and Fancy Pants is a very important client. I have no time for anything else right now, I'm sorry." Sweetie Belle hung her head as she tried in vain to keep up with her sister. Although the two sister learned how to compromise with one another, there were still times when Rarity could be very pushy and overbearing. This was just one of those times, and all poor Sweetie Belle could do was grit her teeth and bear it. "Oh, Sweetie. I've been meaning to ask you," said Rarity as her jewel-finding spell drew her horn to a small gem deposit. "How was school today?" Sweetie Belle looked up. Suddenly, the job didn't feel quite as difficult and boring as it did before. "Well, I finally decided what book to write my book report on." "Oh, really?" said Rarity, marking the deposit's location with a stick. "What book?" "You probably haven't heard of it," said Sweetie Belle. "Twilight Sparkle said it's actually pretty rare, and that I should count myself lucky that she had a copy. It's called Bellerophon and the Chimera." Rarity turned the title over in her mind a few times, only to come up with a complete blank. "I can't say I've heard of that story. What's it about?" "Oh, it's awesome!" said Sweetie Belle excitedly as she started digging. "It's about this pegasus named Bellerophon, see, and he lives in this ancient city called Argoats. He's wild and adventurous, and he's a Blank Flank. Just like me!" Rarity suppressed a smile. "I can see why Twilight thought this book would be perfect for you," she said. "Oh, it gets better!" squeaked Sweetie Belle. "See, Argoats is attacked by this fearsome chimera." "A chimera?" "Yeah. It's like this super scary monster which is the front of a lion, the back of a goat, and it has a snake for a tail. It also has a goat's head poking out of its back." Rarity gagged. "Ugh! What a horrific combination. If any creature was in desperate need of a makeover, that thing would probably be it." "Right," said Sweetie Belle, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, this chimera attacks the city, right? And nopony is able to stop it. But just when all hope seems lost, Bellerophon flies in and takes the chimera head-on. And you'll never guess what happens next." "What?" "He defeats the monster, saves the city, and gets his Cutie Mark!" Rarity smiled along with Sweetie Belle, but soon her smile turned into a raised eyebrow. "Sweetie Belle, don't tell me you plan on getting your Cutie Mark by finding a chimera and fighting it yourself." Sweetie Belle giggled. "That sounds like something Scootaloo would want to try." "This is no laughing matter, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said sternly as she began loading the newly-uncovered gemstones onto the wagon. "You're liable to get hurt if you try something like that." "I know, I know," said Sweetie Belle. "Rarity, you know the Cutie Mark Crusaders don't go looking for trouble." Rarity gave her little sister a look. "Well, not intentionally, anyway," Sweetie Belle added sheepishly. "Look, we're not going to try anything like that again." Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Again?" "Um, nothing!" Sweetie Belle squeaked hastily. She had almost forgotten that she didn't tell Rarity about the incident with the cockatrice in the Everfree Forest. It might've been a long time ago, but it was something that she felt her sister didn't need to know. "Anyway, you don't have to worry about us chasing after chimeras or whatever." "Promise me that you won't," said Rarity. "I Pinkie Promise," said Sweetie Belle, gesturing with her hoof. Rarity smiled. Nopony broke a Pinkie Promise. At least, nopony that knew what was good for them. "Alright then. Now, let's get these back to the boutique. I need that order ready by sunrise tomorrow." "Oof! Right behind you, Rarity," said Sweetie Belle as she struggled to pull the very heavy wagon. After a while of getting nowhere fast, Rarity sighed and decided to lend the little filly a hoof. "You're lucky I'm your sister," said she. Sweetie Belle merely smiled back as they made their way back to Ponyvillie. *** Meanwhile, three figures were watching the two white unicorns from a hiding place underground. "Look at all those gems!" hissed one of the figures. "Yeah," said another. "Too bad that stupid whiney pony has them. Otherwise, they'd be all ours." "Will you two keep quiet?!" barked the third. "Look, the prissy pony has a compatriot." "She called her 'sister,'" said the first figure thoughtfully. "Are you two thinking what I am thinking?" "Her gift is still valuable to us," said the second. "If we can stop her from whining and complaining..." "Then we can have all the gems we want!" the first exclaimed. "Shh!" hissed the third. "Yes, we can have all the gems we want. But we need to stop her from whining first. So, here's the plan..."