//------------------------------// // Empty Cup // Story: Broken Belle // by LucidTech //------------------------------//         Sweetie Belle sipped her coffee, she knew her sister would’ve sighed, but she prefered it to tea. She would’ve told her sister so, her sister would’ve smiled, admitted she was being a bit old fashioned and they would’ve shared a hug. Then she would’ve gone out with her friends or to a show or go record a song and then she would’ve come home and told her sister good night. She would’ve. But she didn’t.         She couldn’t.         She’d never be able to tell her again.         Sweetie blinked and forgot and changed the topic of her thoughts. She’d sealed the portal at least. She blinked, she remembered. She remembered that demon on the precipice of the fiery pit, a foul thing that wasn’t the least bit happy to find itself being sealed. She remembered the words. ‘It’s YOU! They tell stories about you! A soulless conniving monster that will do anything to get what you want! Whispers about deals struck with the higher echelons! I should’ve known! What mortal takes pity on a demon?! You planned to use me as a bargaining chip, Didn’t you?!’ She remembered being left alone, she remembered the portal being sealed.         She remembered the bloody mare. “I suppose I was stupid for thinking I had a friend.” She whispered between parted lips again, and then took another sip of coffee. She remembered not sleeping too. That part was hard to forget. Harder still were the flickering Purple eyes that were always just there, just at the edge of her vision, always watching her, looking out from the place where the owner of them stood, gazing into her. Sweetie Belle sighed, she'd had enough of it. She filled her mug to the brim and took another sip of coffee. It was this that kickstarted the spell she began to build, it built and built until Sweetie Belle gave up on politeness and drank the remainder of her coffee cup in one quick gulp. She opened her eyes, feeling wide and awake for the first time in several hours, and felt guilty that she was about to abandon it. Still, the magic was there and she let loose the spell she’d summoned.         The world went gray, Sweetie’s head fell to the table. Sweetie turned. Two of her, but one unmoving as it lay on the counter, breath shallow and fading. Her eyes took in the dim and faded world around her, far darker than the one she’d left, but the Sweetie who stood in it didn’t mind. She gave herself a moment to acclimate to her new surroundings before she turned to face the haunting eyes that had stalked her for the past few days. She saw the filly who stood there, her purple eyes the only color in the drained world around them. Sweetie waited as the filly backed away nervously, patiently waiting as the filly tried to escape. “S-s-sorry I… I didn’t mean to.” She stuttered, limbs flailing, finding no purchase on the ground that had been her foundation before. Now, icy slates were beginning to form, rising up out of the ground itself, lifting the filly ever so slightly as she was trapped by slick ice. Every moment that Sweetie Belle stared the ice grew worse and worse until movement was impossible. And only then, only when the filly was unable to flee, did Sweetie approach. Her steps were easy and sure on the ice, unperturbed by the friction-less floor. But, even as she approached the filly, Sweetie stayed silent. She mouth was shut and her gaze was blank, and the filly’s panic only grew.  “I- I just thought that…” Sweetie blinked slowly, the filly felt at ease as Sweetie stopped her approach. “I’m not in the business of helping lost souls. I’m not in the business of anything anymore. Find another medium and leave me be. I am not the one that you should seek help from.” Sweetie turned back towards her body, the ice receded, she wanted to get back before the spell snapped her back. “I- I didn’t come to get help from you. You just- you looked so lonely. I wanted to…” Sweetie’s steps were stopped by the words, paused mid stride. She slowly lowered her hooves to the floor and turned around again. “I appreciate the sentiment, but you should try and find what’s keeping you here, nasty things happen to those who end up stuck.” The world seemed to shake, as if on queue, and a malevolent echo rang out from some unknown place. The filly tensed up in fear, but Sweetie remained unmoved. As the noise faded away the filly brought herself to her senses and looked to Sweetie again. “I- I know I shouldn’t give up. Mom said never to give up. But it’s so dark and scary sometimes and I- I just want to- to-.... I just want it to end!” The filly shouted, her words filling the space. “There’s monsters here! Demons with long teeth and sometimes they’ll chase me for days! Mom said the afterlife was nice, but this isn’t nice! This isn’t nice at all! But they don’t show up when I’m near you!” Sweetie could feel the pull from her body growing, the coffee was helping to delay it, and she could fight it off if she had to but that would have nasty circumstances if she did it too long. She had some time left still however. Time enough to comfort the child. “Why don’t they show up near you?” “They’re scared of me.” Sweetie Belle said simply. “Scared of you? Why?” “I’ve done some bad things, things that noone else has done. Things no one should ever do. They’re scared because they know that I can stop them where they are. And not because I’m powerful or because my magic is unbelievably powerful, any number of magic users would beat me handily in a magic duel. The monsters are scared because they know I’ll never stop coming.” "So... they don't like you because you’ll never give up?” The filly asked, looking the ice and then at the mare who stood before her. “Because I’ll never give up.” Sweetie said with a nod. “So… all I have to do is never give up?” The filly incredulous at the simplicity of the statement. “Never give up, know your limits, keep an open mind. That will get you farther than me. I only did two of those.” The filly seemed lost in thought. “Do you understand?” Sweetie was beginning to feel the approaching deadline, she needed to get back to her body soon or she would be forced back. It took a moment as the filly reviewed what she'd been told. It seemed for a moment that she doubted Sweetie Belle, but then, realizing what she'd seen the mare do, found she had no reason to. So, with the blooming confidence that you can only find in a child, she perked up and replied. “Understood!” The filly said happily, looking up at Sweetie Belle with a smile. A smile that Sweetie Belle didn’t return. But not for lack of trying. “Good. So keep on it. I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’re a bright kid.” Sweetie Belle moved towards her body again and as she was almost there she gave one more glance backwards. The filly was waving to her, knowing that when the spell ended Sweetie wouldn’t be able to see her. Sweetie Belle gave her a simple wave back before she ended the spell and reunited with the motionless body that waited for her. When Sweetie regained consciousness her legs were asleep, but she pushed past it. She gasped inwardly to fill her near empty lungs. She rose from her limp state and looked across the counter at the coffee machine. She felt a strange regret for it, all the drops of coffee felt wasted now, exhausted as she was after her foray. Fatigue lingered in her bones and aches complained until Sweetie gave in to the tempting idea of a nap. She decided that she’d put off her chores for a day and made a mental note of each one she’d have to do on the morrow, from finally shampooing her hair to giving Twilight her condolences. She maneuvered her way up the stairs, her limbs still not fully awake, and she found her way into the comforting folds of her bed. Magic that hadn’t been ignited in years woke up in the wood. Magic that Sweetie hadn’t thought necessary until her unwelcome visitors had started arriving. Lines lit up along the doorway, a physical barrier to protect her body. A strange pattern etched in the ceiling began to glow a soft blue, a barrier against the magic of any who sought her harm. Swirls traced their way across the floor, shining dimly through the rug and casting an eerie upward glow, protections against the realms beyond hers. And it took all of these before Sweetie Belle felt secure in her home.   And it took all of these before she fell asleep, the only place that was hers. The only place where not even the princesses could visit. Not while she was in this bed. Not while she was home.