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// Method to the Madness 
// Story: Beasts and Burdens 
// by Metool Bard 
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Beasts and Burdens Chapter 7:
Method to the Madness


The trek through the caves was mostly silent.  Sweetie Belle was still chanting to herself, holding onto the vain hope that this was just a bad dream.  That hope was quickly shattered when a putrid smell hit her nostrils.

"Pee-yew!" she exclaimed. "When's the last time you Diamond Dogs took a bath?"

"Oh, no.  We're not going through that again!" barked the pug. "One annoying pony is enough!  You will keep quiet and behave yourself, or else!"

"Quiet, aaaaaaaaaaall of you!" bleated the Chimera's goat head. "Do you waaaaaaaaant all of Equestriaaaaaaaa to hear us?!"

"Heh, don't worry," said the Boss Diamond Dog. "We can handle any silly pony that comes our way.  After all, we have a hostage with us.  Even if they do find us, they'd be foolish to try anything funny."

"Sssssssssuch overconfidencccccccce might be your downfall," warned the serpent head. "Trussssssssst ussssssss, we sssssssssspeak from exsssssssperiencccccccccce."

"Besides Boss, didn't you say that sound travels far in these tunnels?" asked the large dog. "The whiny pony might be listening to us."

"Sound doesn't travel this far," said the Boss, taking a moment to survey his surroundings. "Come to think of it, we're getting pretty close to uncharted territory."

"That is the general idea," said the lion head. "Why do you think we wanted your help specifically?"

"So, the plan is to dig under Tartarus and break in that way?"

The lion head turned and smirked. "You're brighter than you look.  However, that is only one part of the plan."

"One part?  What else is there?" asked the pug.

The goat head chortled. "We fear it would be too complicaaaaaaaaaated for you simpletons to wraaaaaaaap your minds arouuuuuuuuund."

"Wait, I thought you said we were smarter than we looked," said the large dog, getting quite confused.

The Chimera's heads let out a collective sigh. "Jussssssst do asssssss we sssssssay and keep the inane quesssssssstionssssssssss to yoursssssssself," said the serpent head. "Ah, here we are."

The Chimera stopped at what appeared to be a dead end.  The only thing ahead of them was a large wall of solid rock.

"Order half of your men to start digging here," the lion head ordered. "The rest of them will make a tunnel to the surface."

"Wait a minute," said one of the Diamond Dog soldiers. "That doesn't sound too smart."

"Oh?" asked the goat head as the Chimera whipped its body around to address the soldier. "How soooooooooo?"

"If we go to the surface, we're going to attract attention," said the soldier.

"Yes, aaaaaaaand?"

The soldier was not sure what to make of the monster's demeanor. "And, I think attracting attention is something we should avoid?"

"It's paaaaaart of the plaaaaaaan," said the goat head plainly. "That's aaaaaaall you need to know."

"Well, it sounds like a stupid plan then," said the soldier.

"Shut up, you half-wit," the Boss snarled at his subordinate through gritted teeth. "Think of the fire rubies."

"They won't be worth much if those ponies clobber us like they did before, Boss," the soldier said, turning to his master. "You were right before, this monster is insane.  We should go back to our original..."

Before he could utter another word, the Chimera spun around once again and bucked the hapless soldier right in his exposed rear with its powerful hooves.  The soldier went flying back several miles, disappearing into the darkness of the cave.

"Now then.  Half of you dig into the wall, half of you dig to the surface," said the lion head. "Any objections?"

The Boss gulped. "I just want to say for the record that I had no objections to begin with, so..."

"Any objectionsssssssss, yessssssss or no?" hissed the serpent head, staring right into the Boss Diamond Dog's eyes.

"No, none," the Boss said quickly.

"Good," said the serpent head. "Now, give the filly to usssssssssssss."

The Diamond Dogs handed Sweetie Belle over without a word.  The serpent head then coiled around her and hefted her into the air.  It stared at her face-to-face, its breath hitting Sweetie Belle like a foul-smelling heat wave, far worse than the unhygienic Diamond Dogs.

"Denying reality won't change it, child," the serpent head whispered, its tongue flicking her ear. "'Tisssssss better to acccccccept your fate, and the fate of all your pony friendssssssss.  For they will not be prepared for the return of Orthrussssssss."

Sweetie Belle wanted to talk back, but the combination of the serpent's oppressive breath and its crushing grip made it almost impossible to breath, let alone speak.  She felt helpless as she watched the Diamond Dogs get to work on the tunnels.  The only thing keeping her from giving up altogether was the hope that her sister had finished panicking and started tracking her down.  But not even that was enough to keep the tears back.

Rarity, please hurry, she thought as she began to cry. I wanna go home...