//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Sweetie Belle's Big Sister // by The Infinity Doctor //------------------------------// "Well...what do you think, darling?" Rarity asked, closing the door to her room as the other Elements and herself stood in the hall. "This is...ah...a bit unusual...don't you think?" Twilight stated, shooting glances back to the door. "Are you kidding?! That's the understatement of the century!" Dash cried "Do we even know why that thing is following Sweetie Belle everywhere?" "Well I for one have no clue" Rarity replied "Perhaps something in the library would be able to help?" "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to look..." Twilight said "then again, I've never seen anything like her before...it could take months before I actually find anything useful..." "Are you sure it will take that long, darling?" "I want to be thorough" Twilight replied "A creature we know next to nothing about has practically dropped into our hooves" "Of course...but..." she trailed off, biting her lip "I'm just concerned for Sweetie...I mean...how often does a creature from the Everfree come tromping out of there, only to protect Sweetie Belle?" The hall then grew quiet, all of the ponies in it not sure what to say next. The silence was deafening, before it was broken by the door they stood by. Sweetie Belle stood in the doorway, the pale creature standing not far behind her, its helmet still removed. The six stared at her in awkward silence, before Sweetie gave them a look of confusion as she walked down the hall towards the bathroom, the armored creature following. "And just where do you think you're going?" Rarity asked the creature. It pointed after Sweetie Belle, who was just entering the bathroom. "Oh no you don't! She's perfectly capable of doing that all on her own!" The creature blinked, then stood a moment, before patting her on the head, and walking after Sweetie Belle. Rarity stared at the creature as it lumbered down the hall, confounded at her behavior. The creature stood at the door, waiting patiently for Sweetie Belle, much like she'd seen Winona do for Applejack on more than one occasion. "Well...she's loyal...I'll give her that..." Rainbow joked. Rarity slugged her in the shoulder. Sweetie watched as Mrs. N. sat cross-legged on the floor, just next to her table, watching her color. Her glowing eyes seemed to inspect the drawing, rapidly flicking in their sockets as the ran up and down the page. "Um..." Sweetie began "You wanna color, too?" Mrs. N's attention turned to her, and she continued staring- as if the concept was totally lost on her. 'Oh duh' Sweetie thought, face-hoofing 'She lives in the forest...of course she wouldn't know what crayons are...' "Here, give me your hand" Sweetie said. Mrs. N. complied, and held it up to the filly. Sweetie took her hand in one hoof, and a blue crayon in the other. She then placed the crayon into her hand, and closed it. "There" Sweetie stated, pushing a fresh piece of paper toward the edge of the table. Mrs. N. stared blankly at the object in her hand, then at the piece of paper. "Oh, right..." she blushed "here, like this" She then took a green crayon in her hoof, and began scribbling on a new piece of paper. "Like that, see?" Mrs. N. finally seemed to get the idea, and then pressed the crayon to the paper. Sweetie flinched as it snapped in two, leaving a harsh mark on the paper as Mrs. N. stared in confusion at the broken crayon, hanging only by the paper wrapped around it. "Uh...you don't need to press so hard..." Sweetie said, eyeing the crayon in her grasp. Mrs. N. eyed the crayon for a second, before tossing it over her shoulder, causing it to plink lightly as it struck the floorboards. "Um...here" Sweetie said, passing her another crayon, this one a light purple "Try again" She did, and the crayon snapped once more. "This might take a little while..." Sweetie sighed. Rarity set herself onto her bed, sighing into the soft sheets. She heard the telltale sound of 'Mrs. N's boots against the floor out in the hall, before the door opened. On of her eyes opened a bit, and she saw Mrs. N. carrying Sweetie Belle under her arm as she walked towards her position. She felt the bed compress beside her, the object most likely being Sweetie Belle. She felt herself being picked up. "Put me down! Right this minute!" Rarity shrieked. Mrs. N. didn't even flinch as she pulled the covers back, and set the older unicorn down. She then picked up Sweetie Belle, and placed her next to Rarity. Her hands then pulled the sheets over the both of them, effectively tucking them in before placing a kiss on their foreheads. Both of them stared at her as she left, flicking off the light as she left the room. Sweetie then stared at Rarity, and Rarity at Sweetie, their expressions confused. "How often is she going to do that?" Sweetie asked. "..."