A simple rescue mission becomes more complicated than it needs to be...
Rarity is not a pony to get her hooves dirty, but when it comes to her sister, she can make an exception. So when the Diamond Dogs kidnap Sweetie Belle and try to blackmail her, she is determined not to take it lying down. Wallowing in melodrama, maybe. But certainly not lying down.
Little does she know that while putting their plan into action, the Diamond Dogs manage to get mixed up with a creature nastier than they are. A creature that may spell doom for Equestria if it has its way...
"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..."
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 2: Diamonds in the Rough
"Ah, so good to be home! Don't you agree, Sweetie Belle?"
"More than you know," sighed Sweetie Belle as she collapsed in a heap on the floor. Even with Rarity's help, pulling the wagon full of gems was not easy.
"Believe me, Sweetie Belle. I know the feeling," said Rarity, stretching out her back. "Oh, it's going to take at least a full day at the spa to get all of this tension out of my back. Well, this is an ambitious project, and sacrifices have to be made."
"What is this project, anyway?" asked Sweetie Belle. "You never even told me what this Crystal Empire Ensemble is."
"Oh, didn't I? Must've slipped my mind," said Rarity. As she spoke, she used her magic to organize the jewels based on color, size, and type. "It is sure to be my masterpiece. Picture if you will: A dazzling gown with gemstones sewn into the very fabric itself. In the right light, the gems shine and sparkle with the radiance of the Crystal Ponies themselves. It's sure to be fabulous!" She punctuated her description with a squeal of glee.
"Wow. That sounds tricky," said Sweetie Belle.
"It is," said Rarity as she continued sorting. "But, only the best for Fancy Pants. He is a very important pony, after all."
"Wait, so you're making a dress for a stallion?" asked a confused Sweetie Belle.
"He said it was a gift for somepony," explained Rarity.
"A special somepony?"
Rarity blushed slightly. "I-it's not becoming of a lady to pry into such *ahem* private affairs."
"Oh, right," said Sweetie Belle. "Sorry."
"No harm done," said Rarity just as she finished sorting. "Now, I'm going to take these upstairs and grind them fine enough so that I can weave them into the thread. Why don't you get started on that book report of yours?"
"Okay!" said Sweetie Belle. "Hey, maybe I'll get my Cutie Mark in book report writing!"
Rarity chuckled. "I'll be happy if you just get a good grade, Sweetie Belle. Now, I'm off to... Whoa!"
The older unicorn was interrupted when she tripped over Sweetie Belle's saddlebag, which was once again left precariously on the floor. Luckily, her magic kept the gemstones she was carrying from flying every which way as she stumbled. As she recovered, she shot her sister an angry glare.
"Oops," said Sweetie Belle, flattening her ears and casting her gaze downward.
"Honestly, Sweetie Belle. Why must you insist on leaving your saddlebag out in the open where somepony can trip and break their neck?" said a very agitated Rarity.
"I'm sorry, Sis," said Sweetie Belle. "It's just easier to find this way. Besides, I couldn't put it away because we went gem hunting right after I got home from school, remember?"
"Oh, right," said Rarity, sheepishly brushing her mane back with her hoof. "Well, I guess we should both try to be more careful in the future."
"I guess," said Sweetie Belle. "Well, I'd better get started on that book report!"
"Right," said Rarity, fully recovering her poise and posture. "Now then, I'm off to create!"
As Rarity made her way upstairs, Sweetie Belle rummaged through her saddlebag and took out her book. Eager to see what adventures Bellerophon would have next, she opened the book to where she left off.
***
Both tasks had the unicorn sisters working deep into the night. This was nothing new for Rarity, but for Sweetie Belle, she was so engrossed with her book that she couldn't put it down. She barely even remembered to make notes for her book report. By the light of a firefly lantern provided by Rarity, she sat in the middle of the Carousel Boutique, reading her wonderful story and listening to the sound of her sister's sewing machine.
As she finally started to drift off, her ear twitched. She thought she heard a noise outside. But who would come by the Carousel Boutique at this hour? She certainly wasn't expecting anyone.
"Probably just the wind," she told herself, turning back to her book.
There was suddenly another noise. It sounded like some sort of scratching, coming from beneath the floorboards.
"That's weird," said Sweetie Belle, looking beneath her hooves. "Do we have termites or something? I'd better tell Rarity."
She made a move to go to Rarity's room, but suddenly began to drift off again. "No, it wouldn't be right to disturb her now," she said with a yawn. "Maybe I'll tell her tomorrow. Right now, I need to get some sleep."
She went back downstairs, packed up her things, and went to her room to prepare for bed. As she did, she continued to hear scratching noises from below, which she ignored due to fatigue.
***
Sweetie Belle could not ignore the noises forever, though. Just as she was ready to drift off into a peaceful slumber, the noises downstairs became louder and louder.
"Wow. I never knew termites could be so inconsiderate," said Sweetie Belle, covering her ears with her pillow. "I wonder if Rarity is hearing any of this."
Suddenly, there was a crash downstairs, followed by some angry-sounding noises.
"Who left that in the middle of the floor?!" snarled a voice that Sweetie Belle did not recognize.
"Shh, quiet! Do you want the whiny pony to hear us?" snapped another voice.
Sweetie Belle was overtaken by fear. Why wasn't Rarity hearing any of this? She was known to get engrossed with her work before, but she was never this oblivious. She was about to go get her when she heard footsteps climbing the stairs. Whoever it was, it wasn't a pony. And it definitely wasn't termites. As the footsteps got closer and closer, she hid herself under the covers. Peaking over the edge, she could make out three shadows in the doorway.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Sweetie Belle shrieked.
***
The shriek snapped Rarity out of her zone, messing up the latest stitch in her dress. The noise also startled her cat, Opalessence, who let out a high-pitched meow before embedding her claws into the ceiling. Rarity dropped what she was doing and rushed into her sister's room.
"Sweetie Belle? Are you alright, darling?"
But when she turned on the light, Sweetie Belle was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she saw her bed a complete and utter mess, as well as a trail of dirt leading downstairs. There was also a note on the bed.
"Hmm? What's this?" she wondered. Using her magic, she delicately lifted the note off of the bed so as not to dirty her hooves. She read the note in stone silence. When she finished, she let loose a scream that could be heard from the depths of the Everfree Forest.
Dear Prissy Pony:
It has been a long time since you have humiliated us. Now, we have come for our revenge. If you wish to see your sister again, follow us through the hole we have provided for you and become our slave. And this time, there will be no whining, no complaining, and no crying. Or else!
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 3: Straight from the Storybook
When Sweetie Belle opened her eyes, she had no idea where she was. Wherever she was, it was very claustrophobic, as if she were being carried in some sort of sack. She started to squirm and struggle, tearing holes in the sack with her horn and hooves. In the middle of her struggle, her horn grazed whoever was carrying her.
"OW! Watch it, you little runt!" barked the carrier. "Boss, I think she's awake."
"Ah, perfect timing," said another voice. "Let her out."
The sack flew open, and Sweetie Belle fell to the floor with an unceremonious thud. She looked up, and found herself in a large, dank cave lit by torches. Above her, three grimy-looking creatures peered down at her with glowing eyes, two sets of yellow and one set of green. There was a large blue one, a pug-faced short one, and a particularly nasty-looking medium-sized one. They were the same creatures that abducted her from her bedroom.
"Well, go ahead little pony," said the middle one. "Scream. Make the annoying noises. These tunnels carry sound a long distance, and I'm sure your sister would love to hear them."
"M-my sister?" stammered Sweetie Belle, finding her voice. "Wh-what does she have to do with this?"
"She doesn't seem to know, Boss," said the pug.
"I can see that!" the middle creature snarled. He then cleared his throat. "Permit us to introduce ourselves. We are Diamond Dogs. We hunt pretty gems."
Sweetie Belle shivered. She remembered her sister telling her about the Diamond Dogs, and how nasty they were. But she never thought she'd actually see one, let alone three.
"Well, that's nice," she said, slowly getting to her feet. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have, um, stuff to do at home. And besides, my parents would be awfully worried about me if they knew I was gone, so..."
"Oh, you're not going anywhere," said the Boss. He then took out a whistle and blew into it. Although it didn't seem to produce a sound, two more dogs wearing armor appeared from the shadows, pointing spears at the frightened young filly.
"We've waited too long for this," said the pug. "No matter how hard we try, that whiny pony is still the better hunter. She would be the perfect slave for us. But all of the whining and complaining and the outrageous demands, raough! It almost wasn't worth it!"
Sweetie Belle had to stifle a giggle. That sounded like Rarity, alright.
"You think that's funny?!" snarled the large dog, scaring Sweetie Belle out of her wits. "That pony humiliated us! We're Diamond Dogs! That shouldn't happen to us!"
"So we spied on her every time she came to our mountains hunting for gems," said the pug. "We needed to get back at her. We needed her talents. But all we could do is watch as she took all of those precious gems for herself. There was nothing we could think of to make her shut up and bow to our will. And then, we saw her with you."
"M-me?" squeaked Sweetie Belle.
"She called you 'sister,'" said the Boss. "That was enough for me to hatch this brilliant plan. Now if your sister wants to see you again, she'll come to us. And if she wants you to remain unharmed, she'll work for us without a fuss."
"Heh heh, yeah," said the pug. "She'll be like putty in our paws."
Sweetie Belle swallowed, and tried her best to gather her courage and stand tall. "Th-there's no way she'd agree to that," she said. "She'll find a way to rescue me, and she'll bring her friends, too!"
"Oh, we already prepared for that," said the Boss with a sneer. "Those ponies are no match for us. If they try to get to us through our usual passageways, we'll make them our workhorses, too. And this time, we'll make sure they don't fight back."
"Um, Boss? How are you gonna do that?" asked one of the guards
"Use your brain, you idiot!" barked the pug. "We have a hostage! They won't try anything as long as we got her!"
"Oh, right," said the guard sheepishly.
"Now make yourself useful and throw her into the dungeon!" the Boss ordered. "Remember this day, my fellow Diamond Dogs. For today, we outshine those silly ponies!"
Tears welled up in Sweetie Belle's eyes as the guards carried her off. She wanted nothing more than for all this to be a bad dream, and for Rarity to wake her up and tell her everything was alright. But alas, the harsh grip of her captors reminded her that this was all too real. She began to picture Rarity panicking, fretting over her sister's disappearance. The image in her mind made her cry harder. What was going to happen?
Suddenly, another guard came in from a distant cave. "Um, Boss? We have a problem," he grunted.
"Not now. Can't you see we're busy?" snapped the Boss.
"But Boss, this is important," said the guard.
"What could be more important than this?" asked the large dog.
"Well, someone just broke into the northern caves," said the guard.
"Those ponies are here already?" said the pug, wringing his paws. "My, that was fast."
"It's not the ponies, sir," said the guard. "We don't know what it is. All we know is that it has already taken out two of our battalions, and it's heading this..."
But the guard got no further. A large explosion came from the far wall, and a large beast emerged. The appearance of the beast caused Sweetie Belle's heart to freeze and her tail to stand up on end. The creature looked just like the one from her book: The front of a blue lion, the back of a bluish-purple goat, a goat's head sticking out of the creature's spine, and a quartz-colored serpent for a tail.
"Well, well, well," said the lion head. "What do we have here?"
"Looks like a buuuuuuuuunch of mangy mongrels if you ask meeeeeeeeeee," brayed the goat head.
"Hey, who are you calling mongrels?!" barked the Boss Diamond Dog.
The creature whipped its serpent tail to the Boss, and it gave him an intimidating glare.
"You are the mongrelsssssssssssss," the serpent hissed. "Isssssssssss there a problem with that?"
The Boss laughed nervously. "Um, no. No, not at all."
"But Boss..."
The pug's correction was interrupted by an elbow to the gut. Quickly, he fell in line.
"Good," said the lion head. "We were hoping you'd be reasonable. After all, it's not wise to disagree with the Chimera."
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 4: Rarity the Mood Pendulum
Rarity screaming was nothing new to Ponyville. The fancy fashion designer could have a nervous breakdown over just about anything. Even so, there was at least somepony who took her seriously, even when she didn't deserve it. Or at least, there was a certain dragon.
Spike did not typically get up during the night. At least, not since his master, the studious librarian Twilight Sparkle, stopped her late-night pacing. But for Rarity, he would make an exception. He would go through fire and water for her, and would even forgive her for waking him from an ice cream dream. He rushed over to Carousel Boutique with a very groggy Twilight in tow.
"I guess this is payback for all the times I dragged you out of bed," mumbled Twilight. "Look, Spike. I know you're worried and all, but this is Rarity we're talking about. She's probably fretting over nothing."
"We could at least check," said Spike. "She never screamed like this in the middle of the night before."
Twilight was too tired to argue. "Alright, fine. You win," she said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Let's just make this quick, okay? We have a busy day tomorrow."
Spike shrugged, and knocked on the door. After a pause, there was another ear-splitting scream. Now Twilight was getting worried.
"Rarity, are you alright?" she asked.
The door suddenly flew open, and Twilight gasped in horror. Right behind a very frazzled-looking Rarity was a large hole, right in the middle of her floor.
"Oh, it's horrible, Twilight! Just horrible!" Rarity bawled. "Of all the worst things that can happen, this is..."
"Let me guess," said Twilight, not in the mood for her friend's melodrama. "The worst possible thing, right?"
Rarity gave Twilight a deadpan glare. "I have a distinct feeling that you're mocking me, Twilight Sparkle, and I do not appreciate it."
Twilight sighed. "I'm sorry, Rarity," she said with a yawn. "I'm just out of it right now. Besides, you say that about everything."
"But I mean it this time!" Rarity insisted, thrusting the note into Twilight's face. "Just read this and tell me this isn't a disaster!"
Twilight read over the note, and immediately saw Rarity's point. "Good heavens! No wonder you're so upset!"
"What? What does it say?" asked Spike.
"Sweetie Belle has been ponynapped by Diamond Dogs!"
Spike clenched his claws into fists. "Those mangy mutts. I thought they learned their lesson from last time."
"Apparently, they did," said Twilight. "They're holding her hostage so that they can force Rarity to work for them without complaint."
"Whoa. Now that's just low," fumed Spike. "Well, never fear, fair Rarity! I shall venture into the caves and rescue Sweetie Belle for you!"
Rarity gave Spike a sad smile and patted him on the head. "Oh, thank you, Spiky-Wikey. However, I want to do this myself."
"You do?" asked Spike.
Rarity nodded. "Of course I do, darling. Sweetie Belle is my sister, and I want to personally make those brutes pay if they harm a hair on her pretty little head!"
"Well, that's very noble of you, Rarity," said Twilight. "But, how are you going to do it?"
Rarity's eyes went wide. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're the one the Diamond Dogs want," explained Twilight. "They're going to expect you to follow them and attempt a rescue. You'd be playing right into their paws."
"B-b-but Sweetie Belle..." Rarity whimpered, her lip quivering.
"I know. I'm worried about her, too," said Twilight, placing a hoof around Rarity's shoulder. "But we need a plan."
"A plan? A PLAN?!" Rarity was slowly becoming hysterical as she gripped Twilight's shoulders and began to shake her. "Twilight, we don't have time for a plan! I might be able to handle those Diamond Dogs, but Sweetie Belle is probably sitting in one of their dusty cells, all scared and alone! We have to do something, and we have to do it now!"
"Rarity, get a hold of yourself!" Twilight snapped, using her magic to pry Rarity off of her. "Panicking is not going to solve anything."
"Those Diamond Dogs are going to be the ones panicking once I get my hooves on them!" Rarity proclaimed angrily. "I understand that they have a problem with me, but they will not get away with dragging poor little Sweetie Belle into this! It! Is! ON!" She was about to gallop out the door when she felt a tug on her tail. She turned to see it bathed in magenta light as her fellow unicorn was holding her back with her magic.
"Rarity, if you just rush off blindly, the Diamond Dogs win!" Twilight grunted as Rarity struggled against her magic. "We need to think!"
After a few more seconds of struggling, Rarity relented. "You're right, Twilight. We should probably come up with something. I'm sorry for being so, silly."
"Believe me, Rarity. I understand the gravity of this situation," said Twilight. "Which is why it's important to come up with a plan."
"Oh, but Twilight. I have no idea what to do," said Rarity, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Every minute we waste is another minute Sweetie Belle remains in the paws of those ruffians. I-I just can't bear to think of how frightened she is. I don't even know what to tell Mother and Father. They've always trusted me with her, and I *sniff* feel like I betrayed that trust."
"Oh, Rarity. We know it's not your fault," Twilight assured her. "I'm sure your parents will agree, too."
"Yeah," said Spike, placing his arms around the weeping unicorn. "Besides, I know we'll think of something. We always do, don't we?"
Rarity smiled through her tears and hugged Spike back. "Ooh~. You two are the best friends a pony could ask for," As she released him, she stood tall and proud. "With Celestia as my witness, I will save Sweetie Belle from those uncouth scoundrels!"
Twilight raised an eyebrow at Rarity.
"Um, after we come up with a plan, of course," said Rarity, laughing nervously.
"Better," said Twilight. "And luckily for us, I think I may have an idea."
"Already?" said Rarity. "My, that was quick. And here I thought it was going to take hours. All this time, I was getting worked up over nothing."
Twilight gave an exasperated sigh. "Just follow me, Rarity. I think I might know someone who can help. You too, Spike."
Rarity was a bit confused, but she knew that there was no time to argue. As soon as Twilight put Spike on her back, the two of them galloped off towards the Everfree Forest.
Hold out for just a little while longer, Sweetie Belle, Rarity thought as she kept pace with her studious friend. Your big sister is coming for you...
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 5: Fiction Reflects Reality
"This isn't real. This isn't real," Sweetie Belle chanted to herself, shaking with fright. "This is just a bad dream I'm having because of that book. I'm gonna wake up any moment now."
"Book?" asked the Chimera's snake head. It swung down towards the frightened Sweetie Belle, eyeing her with interest. "What book?"
"N-nothing! No book! I'm just, talking to myself!" squeaked Sweetie Belle.
"It wouldn't happen to be that sssssssstory about that accursssssssed pegassssssssussssss Bellerophon, would it?"
Sweetie Belle blanched. With all of the creatures that lived in Equestria, she didn't doubt the existence of a chimera. But the fact that this was the same one from her book was simply mind-boggling. "Wha—? But, eh, how did...? That is..."
"Oh, come now, you silly little filly," said the lion head in a condescending tone. "Do you think a regal creature like us would forget a defeat like that? Not even five hundred years in Tartarus is enough to wipe that memory from our collective minds."
"Wait, you're from Tartarus?!" yelped the Boss Diamond Dog.
"Um, Boss? What's Tartarus?" asked the large dog.
"It's where all of the scary, nasty creatures of this world are kept imprisoned, you numbskull!" barked the pug, almost forgetting who was in the same room. He quickly remembered when the lion head snarled in his face. "Er, not that you're nasty or anything. Scary, yes. Nasty, not in the..."
"Saaaaaaave your simpering, muuuuuuuuuutt," said the goat head. "We didn't break out of Tartarus juuuuuuust to listen to you grovel."
"Well, what did you come here for?" asked the Boss.
"Oh, it'sssssss nothing that exssssssssstreme," hissed the serpent head. "You ssssssssee, after Bellerophon defeated usssssss and ssssssssssent ussssssssss to Tartarusssssss, we met a very, sssssssssspecial prissssssssoner."
"A special prisoner?" asked the pug.
"You know of Cerberus, the hound who guards the Gates of Tartarus, yes?" said the lion head. "Well, it turns out he has a brother. A brother named Orthrus."
The serpent head then exhaled a cloud of purple smoke, which swirled and shifted until it formed pictures. "A thousand years ago, just as there were two alicorn sisters who ruled Equestria, there were two dogs of myriad heads that stood by their sides. One was Cerberus, the three-headed dog of the sun, and the other was Orthrus, the twin-headed dog of the moon. When Princess Luna transformed into the infamous Nightmare Moon, she used her dark magic to enchant Orthrus, making him a valued servant of all that is black and vile. Quite admirable to be blessed by the princess like that, if I do say so myself."
"Oh yesssssss. Mosssssssst admirable," said the serpent head, nodding in agreement.
"Anyway, just as the two sisters were fighting, Cerberus and Orthrus had their share of battles," the lion head continued. "But for them, it was far beyond a sibling's jealousy. See, Orthrus was quite mad."
"Mad?" asked the large Diamond Dog.
"Well, haaaaaalf of him seemed to be, aaaaaaanywaaaaaaaay," said the goat head. "At least, thaaaaaat's what we gaaaaaaathered from talking to him."
"But the fact remains that Nightmare Moon's magic might've worked too well on her faithful pet," said the lion head. "It's unclear how, but he had plans to overthrow her once she defeated her sister. Or so the legend goes."
"However, hisssssss plansssssss would not come to fruition," said the serpent head. "Assssss you are aware, the Elementssssss of Harmony were usssssssed to banish Nightmare Moon for a millennia. And jusssssst assssssssssssss Nightmare Moon wassssss banished, sssssssso too was Orthrusssssss."
"And thus, he became the first prisoner of Tartarus. But certainly not the last," said the lion head.
"Um, yeah. Good story," said the Boss. "But what does that have to do with us?"
"Oh, right. Nearly forgot about that," said the lion head. "See, from what we heard, you Diamond Dogs are the best diggers in all of Equestria. So, we need you for a slight favor."
"A favor? What favor?"
"We would like you to break Orthrus out of Tartarus."
The Diamond Dogs all recoiled in shock. "Break a monster out of Tartarus?! After everything you just told us about him?! You're crazy!"
"No, you're thinking of our cousssssssin Dissssssscord," said the serpent head.
"Think of it, Diamond Dogs," said the lion head, placing a paw around the Boss. "With Orthrus's help, the world of ponies would bow to us. That's why you kidnapped this little unicorn, isn't it?"
"How did you know that?!" snapped the pug. "And, actually, it was just this one whiny pony who's better at hunting jewels than we are."
"Well, as they say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend," said the lion head. "Besides which, you hear a lot of stories when you've been locked up for five hundred years. So, do we have a deal?"
The three chief Diamond Dogs huddled together to discuss their options. Sweetie Belle, meanwhile, just stood there, paralyzed with fear. This wasn't simply a revenge plot anymore, though revenge seemed to be a major theme. But now instead of just her own safety and her sister's freedom, the entire fate of Equestria was hanging in the balance. She didn't care what the Chimera said, it was indeed out of its mind.
After a few moments, the Diamond Dogs reached an agreement.
"We have decided to take you up on your generous offer," said the Boss. "But, we require payment up front. And we ask that this unicorn's sister is guaranteed to be our slave when all is said and done."
"Thissssss is accccccceptable," said the serpent head. The head then coughed a few times before hacking up three beautiful fire rubies.
"Courtesy of Orthrus himself," said the lion head. "We can always get more if that's not enough."
"Oh, it's plenty," said the pug, his eyes sparkling. "But, how...?"
"We didn't break out of Taaaaartaaaaaaarus by being nitwiiiits," said the goat head. "We knew you'd waaaaaant something for your trouble."
"Well, look like you don't need me after all," said Sweetie Belle. "Guess I'll be going then!"
"On the contrary, little filly," said the serpent head, whipping itself in front of Sweetie Belle and blocking her escape. "We have ssssssssome exsssssstra ssssssssspecial plansssssssss for you."
Sweetie Belle gulped as she was scooped up by the Diamond Dogs again.
"Now, take all of the men you can spare and follow us," ordered the lion head. As they all started marching into the caves, Sweetie Belle began chanting to herself again.
"Twilight, are we there yet? It feels like we've been galloping through this forest forever."
Twilight groaned. Even while worrying about her sister, Rarity had to take the time to complain.
"It's only been five minutes, Rarity," the purple unicorn sighed. "Trust me, I know where I'm going."
"I sure hope so," said Rarity, taking great pains not to get her mane tangled in any branches. "I don't want to hold off rescuing Sweetie Belle any longer than I have to."
Just then, the two unicorns reached a clearing, and in the middle of the clearing was a large stream. "Well, here we are," said Twilight.
"Here?" inquired Rarity. "I don't understand, Twilight. You said you knew somepony who could help us, and I don't see anypony here."
"I never said somepony," said Twilight. "Spike, if you would do the honors?"
But Twilight Sparkle's number one assistant was fast asleep on her back. Twilight sighed. "Alright, I'll call him then," She then sent a beacon of magenta light into the rushing water. The water churned and bubbled, and suddenly a large sea serpent with a handsome orange mustache and mane rose from the depths.
"Who what?" the sea serpent said in a dazed tone. "Honestly, hasn't anyone ever heard of beauty sleep?"
Rarity recognized the creature immediately. It was the same one she generously donated her tail to during Nightmare Moon's return. The sea serpent recognized Rarity as well.
"Oh, it's you!" he cheered. "My my, it's been so long! How have you been, my fellow fashionista?"
"Um, could be better," said Rarity.
"Oh?" said the sea serpent, looking Rarity over. "You look alright to me. Look, your tail grew back and everything. Well, I figured it would, since it's been such a long time."
Twilight cleared her throat. "Um, listen Mr. Sea Serpent..."
"Oh, you don't have to call me that," said the creature. "We're practically friends."
"But, we never introduced ourselves," said Rarity.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I will never forget what you did for me," said the sea serpent joyfully. "So, I consider you my friend."
Rarity smiled a little. "Well, thank you, Mister..."
"Oh, right," said the sea serpent, clearing this throat. "Magnet. Steven Magnet. You can just call me Steve if you want."
The two unicorns exchanged curious glances, and merely shrugged. "Well then, um, Steve. My name is Rarity, and this is my friend Twilight Sparkle. Of course, you've met us before. Listen, we were wondering if you could help us with something."
Steven stroked his chin in thought. "Is that so? Well, how may I be of assistance?"
"Rarity's sister was ponynapped by Diamond Dogs," said Twilight. "They want Rarity to work in their mines."
"Oh, how dreadful!" proclaimed Steven. "A delicate gem such as her should not even be associated with such riffraff! It's a crime against fashion!"
Rarity began to blush. "Oh, you flatterer you."
"Focus, Rarity," Twilight said sternly before turning back to the sea serpent. "Anyway, we're planning to rescue Rarity's sister, but we can't charge in head-on. The Diamond Dogs are probably expecting that."
"Hmm, I see," said Steven. "And, what help can I provide?"
"Well, I know that this stream flows in from the mountains, where the Diamond Dogs live," explained Twilight. "We were hoping you knew of some underground waterways over there that we can sneak through."
Steven thought for a minute. "Well, I do. But I never traverse them myself," said he. "Too small for me, you see. Besides which, I only go in that direction when I'm visiting the Gates of Tartarus."
"Wait, you visit the Gates of Tartarus?" asked Twilight.
"Well, of course," said Steven. "I feel that Cerberus could always use the company."
"Huh. You learn something new every day," was all Twilight could say to that.
"Yes, yes. Very interesting," said Rarity. "Now, can we get a move on? I'm worried about Sweetie Belle."
Before anyone could say anything else, Spike suddenly woke up. With a fiery belch, a letter materialized.
"Huh. That's odd," said Twilight, picking up the letter with her magic. "Why would Princess Celestia write to me at this time of night?"
As she undid the scroll, her eyes widened with shock. "Mr. Magnet, show us the way to those underground waterways, now!"
"Huh? What's wrong, Twilight?" asked a very groggy Spike.
"This isn't a letter. It's a wanted poster," said Twilight. "The Chimera has broken out of Tartarus!"
Rarity was equally horrified. "Wait, the Chimera? As in the same Chimera in that book you lent to Sweetie Belle for her book report?"
"I'm not sure," said Twilight. "The city of Argoats where the story takes place disappeared centuries ago. There's no historical record to prove the story true or false."
"Who cares?" yelled Spike, who was now very much awake. "If there's a monster on the loose, and Tartarus is in the same direction as the mountains, then this is a real crisis!"
"Oh, of all the worst things that can happen, this is THE, WORST, POSSIBLE, THING!" cried Rarity.
"Yeah, no kidding," said Twilight, taking her friend's melodrama seriously. "Mr. Magnet, we should get moving."
"Of course, of course," said Steven. "Quick, on my back. We can get there faster. Oh, I just hope Cerberus is okay."
"You and me both," said Twilight as the sea serpent helped her and Rarity onto his back.
"Now, hold on tight, dearies!" said Steven Magnet. And with that, they were gone in a flash.
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...
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 8: Getting Down and Dirty
Even while swimming upstream, Steven Magnet managed to get Rarity and Twilight to the mountainside in record time. He swam right up to a narrow channel flowing into a cave.
"This is as far as I can take you, girls," he said as he let the two unicorns off of his back. "Just follow that channel over there, and you'll get where you want to go."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Magnet," said Twilight.
"Please, call me Steve," said Steven. "Anyway, I'd better go check on Cerberus. Good luck, you two!"
With that, he disappeared under the water and swam off.
"Well then, shall we get going?" said Rarity.
"Wait a minute, Rarity!" said Spike. "That channel must be all muddy and stuff. I thought you hated that."
Rarity chuckled dryly. "Thank you for your concern, Spiky-Wikey. However, if there's one thing I know about my sister, it's that she's worth getting a little dirty."
"I agree," said Twilight. "Just, try not to complain too much, okay?"
Rarity paused to think about it for a moment. "No promises," she said.
Spike shrugged. "Better than nothing, I guess. Right, Twilight?"
Twilight sighed. "I guess."
***
"Oh, I do hope Sweetie Belle is alright. She's probably crying her little eyes out right now. I'll never forgive those brutes if they hurt her!"
Twilight was starting to get agitated. All throughout their trek through the tunnel, Rarity would not stop talking.
"Well, look on the bright side," said Spike, noticing his friend's mood through the glow of her magic. "At least she's not complaining about being dirty."
"Yeah, but I'm worried that the Diamond Dogs will hear us if this keeps up," said Twilight, keeping her voice at a low whisper. "Rarity, do you think you can turn it down a notch? We're trying to take the Diamond Dogs by surprise."
"Hmm? Oh, sorry," said Rarity with a sigh. "I'm just, really worried about Sweetie Belle."
"I know, Rarity. Believe me, I know," said Twilight. "It'll be alright. We'll save her."
Rarity merely nodded, but her expression was still clouded with worry. After a few more minutes of trekking (and Rarity's musings), they reached a clearing where a bunch of Diamond Dog soldiers lay in a heap. Before Twilight could investigate, Rarity charged in and pounced on one of the soldiers. Her weight against the soldier's chest caused him to awaken from his bout of unconsciousness.
"Wha?" he grumbled in a dazed tone. "What happened?" As he recovered, he saw a very angry (and dirty) Rarity staring over him. "Huh?! Hey, it's the whiny pony! Guys, it's the whiny pony!"
"Shut your trap, you ruffian!" Rarity snapped, glaring at the soldier with the intensity of a thousand suns. "Where is Sweetie Belle?!"
"Um, who?"
"Don't play dumb with me! You're trying to blackmail me by kidnapping my sister!"
The soldier then realized the predicament he was in. "Oh, that. Uh, for the record, it wasn't my idea..."
"Oh, there's no worming your way out of this one," Rarity said with a snort. "If you harmed one hair in her pretty little mane, I will make you pay dearly! Now, where is she?!"
"I-I don't know!" the soldier whimpered. "I was sent to guard the northern caves, waiting for you ponies to show up! I don't know where the Boss is keeping your sister!"
"You liar!" Rarity barked, pressing her front hooves against the Diamond Dog's shoulder blades. "Now, you will tell me where she is, or I will..."
"Rarity, stop!"
Twilight had seen enough. Using her magic, she teleported Rarity off of the Diamond Dog. When she tried to jump back on, she found herself unable to fight against the magenta glow of Twilight's magic.
"Let me at him!" Rarity howled, pawing the air in vain. "He's lying! I know he's lying! Sweetie Belle is somewhere in these dusty tunnels, and he knows it!"
"Rarity, look at him!" said Twilight, pointing to the now very frightened Diamond Dog. "Does he look like he knows anything?"
As Rarity saw the soldier cowering in fear, she began to see Twilight's point. Slowly, she stopped moving, becoming as limp as a rag doll under the influence of Twilight's levitation spell. Becoming concerned, Twilight lowered her gently to the ground.
"Are you alright, Rarity?" she asked. "Wait, that's probably a stupid question."
"No, no. It's fine, Twilight," said Rarity with a sniffle. "No, I'm not alright. I can't even bear to think about what's happening to poor Sweetie Belle right now."
"Well, maybe it's not as bad as you think," said Spike. "We all thought you couldn't handle the Diamond Dogs when you were ponynapped. Maybe you're underestimating Sweetie Belle, just like we underestimated you."
Rarity gave Spike a wan smile. "It's a nice thought, Spike. But still, I'm her older sister. It's my duty to worry about her. Not only that, but I can't let my parent down. After they heard about our little adventure with the Sisterhooves Social, they've been allowing her to spend more and more time with me. They trust me."
"Well, of course they do," said Twilight, placing a foreleg around Rarity's shoulder. "And believe me, you're not betraying their trust at all."
"Yeah," said Spike. "In fact, seeing you going to such great lengths for her just shows how trustworthy you are."
Rarity's smile grew. "Ooh~! You guys always seem to know what to say." she said, giving the two an affectionate hug. Even the Diamond Dog soldier was moved to tears.
"Okay, okay!" he said, taking out a handkerchief and blowing his nose. "I-I think I know where the Boss is keeping the little pony! And on behalf of the Diamond Dogs, I am so sorry for doing this!"
Spike had to raise an eyebrow. "Wow. Who knew these Diamond Dogs were such softies?"
Before anyone could respond, there was a crash from the other end of the cave. Twilight and Rarity turned to see another Diamond Dog, sliding down the cave wall he just crashed into.
"Let me do the talking this time," said Twilight as the two rushed over. "Hey, can you talk? What's going on?"
"Th-that monster," muttered the soldier. "It's, insane. Trying to break into, Tartarus..."
"Tartarus? Oh horse apples!" exclaimed Twilight. "The Chimera! That's probably what happened to these Diamond Dogs!"
"Sweet Celestia!" exclaimed Rarity. "Do you mean to say that Sweetie Belle might be in the clutches of that, that THING?!"
"I'm not gonna lie, it's most likely," said Twilight. "And if that's the case, we need to hurry. Spike, hold on tight! We got no time to lose!"
Many questions rushed through Twilight's mind as the two ran off into the tunnels. As for Rarity, there was only one thing on her mind:
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 9: History Repeats Itself
In the middle of a barren wasteland, a small hole materialized from below, and a Diamond Dog soldier poked his head out to survey the surroundings. All was dark and still, and not a creature was in sight. The only forms of illumination were Luna's great moon and a set of torches in the distance that marked the Gates of Tartarus.
"All clear," he whispered to his comrades.
As soon as he said that, the Chimera burst forth from the ground, causing dirt and rubble to fly every which way. Poor Sweetie Belle, still being carried in the creature's tail, was battered and bruised by the flying debris. From the large hole the Chimera made, the Diamond Dogs crawled out.
"Alright then. Now what?" asked the Boss Diamond Dog.
"Now, you prepare your men for battle," said the Chimera's lion head.
The Boss blinked. "Battle?"
"Did we stuuuuuuuuuuutter?" asked the goat head. "You saaaaaaaaid so yourseeeeeeelf that you could handle the ponies."
"Oh, right," said the Boss with a nervous laugh. "We did say that, didn't we? Well, just give us a few minutes to set up. Yes."
"You have two," said the lion head.
"Boss, that isn't going to be enough time!" the pug whispered to his superior. "How are we supposed to...?"
"Do you want to argue with them?" the Boss barked back. The pug immediately saw his point, and got to work coordinating the other Diamond Dogs.
"Exssssssssssscellent," said the serpent head. "Now, join in whenever you're ready. We'll handle the firsssssst wave."
Before the Boss could ask the Chimera to clarify, it suddenly reared back and lifted all three of its heads into the air. A mighty roar, bleat, and hiss then echoed across the wasteland. It wasn't long before the sound was accompanied by the flurry of wings and the thundering of hooves.
"Get to work, you lazy mutts! Double time!" the Boss ordered. He then followed his fellow Diamond Dogs underground, leaving only the Chimera and Sweetie Belle.
The wasteland was soon illuminated by the glow of unicorn magic as several battalions of the Canterlot Royal Guard moved into the area, surrounding the Chimera. All three of the beast's heads smiled as it lifted Sweetie Belle into the air for everypony to see.
"It seems we haaaaaaave you aaaaaaall at a disadvaaaaaaantage," chortled the goat head.
"In the name of Her Royal Majesty Princess Celestia, you are under arrest," said one of the unicorn soldiers. "Let the child go and come quietly."
"Ah, how quaint," said the lion head. "They think they can make demands of us. I say we show them how wrong they are."
The serpent head then reared back and took in a great breath. As it snapped forward, it let loose a plume of muddy green flame at the pegasus soldiers circling overhead. The soldiers quickly scattered, though a few of them were taken completely off-guard. Some of the stragglers were burned by the flame, while others suddenly became sick from the toxic fumes the flame emitted. Left with no other options, the soldiers charged.
"Look, little filly! Look at your foolish pony friendsssssssss!" the serpent head laughed. "Watch assssssss they fall one by one!"
The Chimera then pounced at one of the swooping pegasi, tackling him to the ground and digging its claws into the soldier's wings. As it did so, it bucked another soldier coming in from behind, and the serpent head spewed poisonous flame in an arc, causing several ponies to break formation.
"Five hundred years!" the Chimera's goat head proclaimed as it delivered another powerful kick, causing several soldiers to collapse into a heap. "Five hundred years, and none of you haaaaaaave learned a thing! You aaaaaaare aaaaaaall just as weak then as you aaaaaaaaare now! And just as stupiiiiid to boot!"
Just then, one of the unicorn soldiers was pulled to the ground in mid-gallop, followed by another and another. As some of the other soldiers turned around to investigate, the Diamond Dogs burst from the earth, landing on the stallions' backs and tying reigns around their muzzles. Seeing their fellow ponies in trouble, some of the pegasi broke off their attack on the Chimera and rushed to their aid.
"Bellerophon cannot save you now!" the Chimera's lion head roared with laughter as it smashed an incoming earth pony into the ground with its paw. "This time, nopony can hope to overpower us!"
Sweetie Belle's stomach lurched as the Chimera continued to fend off its attackers, scratching with its claws, bucking with its hooves, and breathing toxic fire at anypony who got too close. This went on for several minutes before she heard one of the pegasi order a fighting retreat. Right then and there, she decided that enough was enough. As scared as she was, she had to do something. So when the serpent head drew back another deep breath, she jammed her horn into its throat. With a rasp of pain, the serpent head dropped Sweetie Belle to the ground.
As if coming to a sudden realization, the Chimera slowly turned to face Sweetie Belle, staring at her with sinister eyes. It advanced towards her slowly, like a wild cat stalking its prey.
"Now thaaaaat we're getting a beeeeetter look at you, you look faaaaaaamiliar," said the goat head. "Your youth, the baaaaaaare flaaaaaank. It caaaaaaan't be a coincidence."
Sweetie Belle swallowed and began to back away, only to have the Chimera follow her. "Y-you're not so tough," she stammered. "When Rarity gets here, she'll..."
"Oh, no. Don't try to play the damsel in distress," chided the lion head. "You clearly want to take us on yourself."
Sweetie Belle's eyes became as wide as dinner plates. "Wh-what?!" she squeaked. "Th-that's not it at all!"
"If it hasssssssn't been made clear to you, allow ussssss to elaborate," said the serpent head, fully recovering from its wound. "Nopony hurtssssssss the Chimera and livesssssssss to tell the tale."
"Well, nopony exceeeeeeept Bellerophon," the goat head corrected. "In faaaaaact, he was the one who sent us to Tartarus in the fiiiiirst plaaaaaaaace."
"So, the question remains, little filly," said the lion head. "Are you going to be the next Bellerophon?"
Sweetie Belle's mind was racing. With the Royal Guards either fighting the Diamond Dogs or licking their wounds and Rarity nowhere in sight, all seemed lost. Then, she had an idea.
"That's right!" she shouted, thrusting her flank into the Chimera's lion head and tickling its nose with her tail. "I'm Sweetie Belle, the Creature Catcher! And I'm gonna catch you and send you right back to Tartarus where you belong!"
"Oh, issssss that sssssssso?" said the serpent head. "Then why were you sssssssso frightened before?"
"Well, how am I supposed to catch a creature if they know I'm trying to catch them?" Sweetie Belle shot back, still tickling the nose of the lion head.
"Hmm. Goooooooood point," said the goat head. "Very weeeeeeeell, we acceeeeeeept your challenge."
Sweetie Belle stopped tickling the Chimera's nose and blinked. "What? What challenge?"
"If you truly are Bellerophon, then we say we should settle this with a proper duel," said the lion head, brushing its nose with its paw. "Instead of surprising us like last time, we will all fight at full strength."
The Chimera then arched its back and began pawing the ground. "At your ready, Creature Catcher," the lion head mocked.
Sweetie Belle blanched. The Chimera was calling her bluff. There was now only one thing left for her to do. She took a deep breath. A second later, a sound louder than the Chimera's battle cry from before resonated across the wasteland:
A familiar cry echoed through the tunnels, and Rarity's ears perked up.
"That sounded like Sweetie Belle!" she gasped. "Twilight, we have to hurry!"
Twilight gave her friend a quick nod, and the two of them picked up the pace. They didn't have to travel much farther before they heard other noises coming from above their heads.
"Sweet Celestia, what is that racket?" Twilight puzzled. "It sounds like there's some sort of battle going on up there."
"Battle?!" Rarity yelped. "You mean poor Sweetie Belle could be...?"
"I'm afraid so," said Twilight. "The Canterlot Royal Guards are probably looking for the Chimera, just like we are. If they caught up to it..."
"Wait, wait. I don't get it," said Spike. "Why would the Chimera go above ground? Wouldn't it be able to avoid the guards if it just stayed down here?"
Twilight bit her lip. "I don't think it wanted to hide."
"What do you mean?"
"The Diamond Dog said something about breaking into Tartarus," explained Twilight. "The Chimera is bad enough, but if all of the other creatures broke out, well, I don't need to tell you what would happen."
"That's very interesting and all, darling, but we don't have time for this!" Rarity shouted, her eyes wide with panic.
"Right, sorry!" Twilight apologized hastily. She then took a better look around the cave. "There. I found a hole to the surface," she said, pointing with her horn.
"Perfect," said Rarity. With that, she leapt up towards the hole. However, there was no solid footing for her to climb on, so she slipped and fell back to the ground. "Um, Twilight? Do you think you can lend me a hoof?"
Twilight rolled her eyes and smirked. "Of course," she said. She then used a levitation spell to give Rarity a boost.
"Thank you, dearie," said Rarity. "Listen, I'll go after Sweetie Belle. You handle that Tartarus business."
"Wait, what?!" exclaimed Spike. "You want to take that thing on alone?!"
"I kinda see her point," Twilight mused. "The Chimera is probably using itself as a distraction. We can't play its game. But still, I don't like this, Rarity."
"Twilight, I want you to trust me," Rarity said, giving the her friend a serious look. "Remember, I handled the Diamond Dogs on my own. I can handle this, too."
Twilight paused for a moment and then nodded. "Alright, Rarity. I trust you. But, please be careful."
"I will, dearie," said Rarity with a somber nod of her own. "You be careful, too." And with that, she climbed to the surface with the help of Twilight's magic.
***
When Rarity arrived at the surface, it was complete and utter chaos. The Royal Guards managed to recover from the ambush, but the Diamond Dogs were still going strong as the two sides continued to duke it out. In the midst of the chaos, Rarity spotted a rather nasty-looking creature leering down at a familiar white filly. She wasted no time galloping over.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, YOU BRUTE!" she yelled.
Sweetie Belle's eyes went wide and she jumped for joy. "Rarity! You found me! Oh, thank goodness!"
Curious, the Chimera turned to face the older unicorn. The goat head smirked.
"So you're this Raaaaaaaarity the filly haaaaaaaas been taaaaaaalking about," it said. "We imaaaagined you to be a biiiit more intimidaaaaaating."
"You want intimidating? I'll give you intimidating!" said Rarity with a snort. "You let my sister go right now, or I'll make you regret it!"
The lion head snickered. "Look around you, foolish mare. None of those soldiers even came close to hurting us. What makes you think you have a chance?"
"You're holding my sister hostage," said Rarity flatly. "That's more than enough for me."
"What a sssssssweet sssssssentiment," said the serpent head with a mocking chuckle. "But are you sure we are the onesssssss you should be fighting?"
Rarity raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"
"As we speak, a pack of Diamond Dogs are digging a tunnel straight to Tartarus," said the lion head. "Once they break in, they'll be able to free the great Orthrus, who will conquer Equestria. Now that you know this, maybe you should go and stop them. Of course if you do that, we can't guarantee your sister's safety."
Sweetie Belle felt a chill go up her spine. Was that monster really forcing Rarity to choose between her and Equestria? Was that why it brought her along? Did it know this would happen? She closed her eyes and began to cry, worrying about what would happen.
Rarity, however, was unfazed. "Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm going to save you. And this uncouth rapscallion is not going to stop me!"
Sweetie Belle stared at Rarity, not sure how to feel about her sister's choice. Meanwhile, all three of the Chimera's heads roared with laughter.
"You muuuuuuuust be joking! You would really choose your siiiiiister over aaaaaaall of Equestriaaaaaaaa?!" the goat head guffawed.
"Equestria has been saved from worse than what you have planned," said Rarity, stomping the ground with her hoof. "And besides, I've had it up to here with you and the Diamond Dogs using my sister as a means to hurt me! I am not going to stand for it any longer!"
Seeing the seriousness and fury in Rarity's eyes, the Chimera stopped laughing and adopted a battle position of its own. "Fine. You wish to danccccccce? Let usssssss danccccccce," said the serpent head.
Rarity's eyes narrowed. "You will rue the day you crossed me, you ruffian."
"You will rue the day you crossed us," the Chimera's lion head corrected, arching its back and pawing the ground. "That is, you would if you were going to survive this bout. But, it seems that your sister will just have to watch you fall."
That verbal jab stung Rarity, who was now even madder than before. "Oh, it. Is. ON!" she proclaimed as she charged straight for the Chimera, and it for her.
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 11: A Risk Worth Taking
Just as Rarity was within reach, the Chimera spun around on its paws and kicked at Rarity with its hooves. Seeing the maneuver, Rarity stopped short of the powerful kick, but was knocked to the side by the serpent head. Sweetie Belle gasped in horror as her sister was knocked to the ground.
"Ha! Jussssssst like old timesssssssssss," the serpent head said with a sneer. "You poniesssssssss never learn."
Slowly, Rarity got to her feet, a fierce fire still burning in her sapphire eyes.
"Case in point," said the lion head, sounding quite bored. "Well, no rest for the weary."
The serpent head drew a deep breath, ready to bathe Rarity in toxic flames. But before it could, several beams of light shot out from Rarity's horn, shining with the brilliance of a disco ball. Although the serpent head was unaffected, the other two heads recoiled from the flash, throwing the third head's aim off. It recovered just in time to see Rarity clock the lion head with her hoof. The Chimera staggered, brushing its cheek and snarling.
"You want some more?" Rarity snarled, standing on her hind legs and putting up her dukes. "Because I've got more."
The lion head looked up at Rarity with a gleam in its eyes. "As a matter of fact, so do we!" it roared, tackling Rarity to the ground with a mighty pounce. Sweetie Belle hid her eyes with her hooves, peeking over to see the creature snarl in Rarity's face.
"Ugh, pee-yew!" Rarity exclaimed, wrinkling her nose. "Haven't you ever heard of a breath mint? Honestly. And when's the last time you took a bath? Oh, let me guess. Never? Tch, simply unacceptable."
The Chimera stared at Rarity blankly. "You do realiiiiize that you're aaaaaat our mercy, riiiiiiight?" said the goat head.
"Now, whatever gave you that idea?" said Rarity, delivering another powerful punch to the lion head's jaw. As the Chimera recoiled from the hit, Rarity slipped free. "Know this, you crime against all that is gorgeous! I will never, I repeat, never be at the mercy of the likes of you!"
"Alright, Rarity!" cheered Sweetie Belle.
"You ssssssstay out of thissssssssss!" the Chimera's serpent head snarled as it shook itself. "You'll get your turn ssssssoon enough!"
"Not if I can help it!" shouted Rarity, charging at the beast once again. This time, the Chimera was ready. As Rarity got in close, the Chimera reared back on its hooves and raised its paw. Rarity's eyes went wide as her attack was parried, and she took the full brunt of the monster's counterattack. The blow of the Chimera's paw sent her tumbling across the wasteland.
"We muuuuuust give you creeeeeedit," said the goat head. "Not since Bellerophon haaaaaaas anypony laaaaaaasted this long agaaaaaaaaainst us. But now, it haaaaaaaas come to an eeeeeeend. And you loooooost."
Sweetie Belle shivered with fright. "C'mon, Rarity. Don't give up now," she said. "I-I know you can do it."
Slowly but surely, Rarity got to her feet, rubbing her cheek where the Chimera scratched her. The blow left her very battered and bruised, but the fire in her eyes would not die.
"You're not so tough!" she proclaimed. "My little Opal's scratches hurt worse than anything you can hope to dish out!"
"Falssssssse bravado will get you nowhere!" the serpent head shot back. It then shot a plume of poisonous fire in Rarity's direction. Rarity leapt out of the way and hit the ground running, her horn glowing with magic as she charged.
"Try as you might, the result will be the same!" roared the Chimera's lion head, ready to strike Rarity once again. But this time, its paw would not connect. Instead, it floated in the air, cloaked in a mystical blue light. Confused, the Chimera looked at Rarity, who simply stood there. Enraged, the Chimera tried to fight against her magic, which in turn caused Rarity to fight back twice as hard. Rarity's eyes narrowed with intensity as she poured every ounce of strength into her magic. Time itself seemed to stand still, and nothing else existed for her. That is, until a familiar voice called out to her.
"Rarity, look out!"
Rarity's concentration was broken by her sister's warning. She looked up just in time to see the Chimera's serpent head rear back. She leapt out of the way just in time, forcing the Chimera to singe its paw with its own flame. All three heads let loose a deafening howl of pain. When it recovered, it glared at Rarity with three pairs of hungry eyes.
"You insufferable unicorn!" the lion head bellowed. "You have crossed the line! Now you will suffer!"
"You crossed *huff* that line *puff* long ago when you *gasp* threatened my sister!" Rarity panted. She had never had to fight this fiercely before, and though she didn't want to admit it, the battle was beginning to take its toll. And to make matters worse, the Chimera knew it.
"It seems you haaaaaave reached your limit," the goat head gloated. "Faaaaace it, pony. You're finished."
"Don't listen to them!" squeaked Sweetie Belle. "You can do it, Rarity!"
The Chimera looked at Sweetie Belle, a sinister smile spreading over each of its faces. "You know what? We changed our mindssssss." said the serpent head. "Your turn will come firsssssst."
With that, it took in a deep breath. Rarity gasped in horror as it spewed another plume of poisonous flame. With a shriek, Sweetie Belle jumped out of the way and began running. As the Chimera pursued Sweetie Belle, so too did Rarity pursue the Chimera.
"You come back here!" she yelled as she ran at full gallop. "And leave her alone before I get really angry!"
But the Chimera ignored her threat as it continued spitting plume after plume of toxic fire at Sweetie Belle. Suddenly, it had her cornered against the edge of a cliff. The serpent head drew in a long, deep breath.
"NOOOOOOOOOO~!"
Rarity dove right in front of Sweetie Belle, shielding her with her own body as the Chimera's serpent head spat out its putrid inferno. She shut her eyes and braced herself for the impact.
When it didn't come, she became puzzled. Opening one eye, she noticed that the world suddenly had this odd magenta tint that wasn't there before. She knew that could only mean one thing.
"Twilight?"
She looked up, and sure enough, there was Twilight Sparkle, casting a protection spell that saved her from the Chimera's flames. But that wasn't all. Right behind her was a very angry-looking Cerberus. Not that the Chimera noticed, as it was too busy pawing at the protection spell.
"Quit hiding, coward!" the Chimera's lion head roared. "You can't stay like that forever!"
Seeing that the Chimera wasn't paying attention, Twilight cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me? Chimera?"
The Chimera turned angrily towards Twilight, only to find itself face-to-face with Cerberus. Before it could react to this new turn of events, the giant three-headed dog knocked the Chimera out with one blow of his paw. With the threat subdued, Twilight lowered her protection spell and rushed over to the two unicorn sisters.
"Are you two alright?" Spike asked nervously.
Rarity looked over Sweetie Belle, who was still shivering. Gently, she nudged her with her muzzle.
"It's alright now, Sweetie," she said softly. "It's all over."
Sweetie Belle looked up, and saw that her sister was incredibly dirty, bruised, and just looked like a complete mess. But, she was still alive and well. Sweetie Belle burst into tears, sobbing into Rarity's coat as she held her in her forelegs.
"I-I was so scared!" she blubbered. "I-I thought that I'd never see you again!"
"Ooh~! I was worried about you too, Sweetie," Rarity said, shedding tears of her own. "I was afraid I'd lose you forever. Everything is fine now, though. You're safe, and that's all that matters."
Twilight smirked a gentle smirk. "I think they're going to be fine," said she.
Beasts and Burdens Chapter 12: Six o'clock and All's Well
"Thanks again for your help, Twilight Sparkle," said one of the pegasi of the Royal Guard. "We'll make sure that the Chimera is locked away in Tartarus for good this time."
"It was no trouble at all," said Twilight. "Do you have any idea what actually happened?"
"We're not sure yet," said the guard. "We think the Diamond Dogs might know, but they disappeared as soon as Cerberus showed up."
"I personally don't blame them," said Rarity. "They probably didn't want to get locked up in Tartarus, too. Although, I do remember the Chimera saying something about Orthrus being involved. Not quite sure what to make of that."
The guard's eyes went wide for a moment. "Wait, Orthrus? Nightmare Moon's pet?"
"I, guess," said Rarity with a shrug. "I never knew Nightmare Moon had a pet."
"Well, I know what book to recommend to you next time you drop by my library," said Twilight half-jokingly.
The guard cleared his throat. "Anyway, we'll look into it. Thank you again."
With that, he flew off towards Tartarus.
"Well, I guess we should be heading back to Ponyville," said Twilight. "That was quite a rough night."
"Tell me about it," said Rarity. "I'm going to need a month at the spa just to get that Chimera's stink out of my coat."
"Looks like Sweetie Belle could use it, too," said Twilight, motioning to the young filly asleep on Rarity's back.
Rarity chuckled. "Oh, please. Sweetie Belle doesn't understand how wonderful the spa is yet. Although there is a first time for everything." They trotted across the now-barren wasteland in silence for a time. "Say, Twilight. Why did you come back for me?"
"You can thank Spike for that," said Twilight.
"We weren't comfortable leaving you and Sweetie Belle alone against the Chimera," explained Spike. "So, I came up with a plan to distract the Diamond Dogs who were digging for Tartarus. Trust me, they're as dumb as they look."
"Oh, I know, darling," said Rarity. "But however did you trick them?"
"I replicated your jewel-finding spell and pointed them in the right direction," said Twilight. "I just neglected to tell them that it was their own hoard they were going back to."
"I, see," said Rarity, stifling a giggle. "But, what about Cerberus?"
"Yoohoo!"
A familiar voice called out to Rarity as she noticed that they were heading towards a riverbank. There waiting for them was none other than Steven Magnet.
"I managed to get Cerberus up to speed," said he. "Turns out he had no idea that the Chimera escaped. And trust me, he wasn't happy about it."
"Almost makes me wonder how Orthrus managed to pull it off," Twilight mused. "Or if he'll try it again."
"Ah, don't worry about it, Twi," said Spike. "If he does try it again, we'll be ready for him."
Twilight smiled. "I know, Spike," she said with a nod.
"Not only that, but those Diamond Dogs will think twice before pulling a stunt like this again," added Rarity.
"That's true. I think they'll leave us alone for good this time," said Twilight.
"It couldn't be too soon for me," said Rarity. "So, Steve. Would you mind terribly if you gave us a ride back to Ponyville?"
"Not at all, dearie," said Steven, lowering himself to allow the two unicorns to climb onto his back.
"Oh, and do you mind going slowly this time? We're not in a particular hurry." said Rarity.
"We're not?" asked Twilight. "But I thought you had a big order to fill for Fancy Pants. You told me about it yourself this morning."
"Don't ruin the moment, Twilight," said Rarity with a self-mocking grin. "The Crystal Empire Ensemble can wait. For now, I just want to spend time with my little sister."
"Oh. Okay," said Twilight with a smile of her own. "A slower pace it is, then. Right, Steve?"
"Of course, of course," said Steven. As he swam back towards the Everfree Forest, Celestia's sun started to peer over the horizon.
"What a beautiful sunrise," said Twilight. "Don't you agree, Spike?"
But Spike was, once again, fast asleep. Twilight and Rarity chuckled softly as they lay the two youngsters on Steven's back.
"Looks like these two will be sleeping in today," said Rarity. She then nuzzled Sweetie Belle with her muzzle. "You're very lucky I'm your sister."
Sweetie Belle smiled in her sleep, shifting herself closer to Rarity. Rarity responded in kind by embracing her little sister. She sighed whimsically as she watched the sunrise with Twilight, the younger filly in her forelegs. It was the dawn of a brand new day, and all was well. Sweetie Belle was safe and sound, the Diamond Dogs' plans were thwarted, and the Chimera was safely back in Tartarus. Rarity couldn't ask for anything more.
