//------------------------------// // One Sip, Two Sips, Red Sips, Blue Sips. // Story: My Little Heartbreak: Creativi-Tea // by Jet_Black1980 //------------------------------// Chapter 17 One Sip, Two Sips, Red Sips, Blue Sips. I take a taste of the tea again. It isn’t as strong as it was before, nor as sweet. However, I can easily fix that. Sweetness that is. The honey jar was left right next to the couch behind me. Looking at it, I am sure I can lift this with my mouth without too much trouble. I walk with my head hanging low and the top of the jar in my lips. I am fighting the urge just to lick the surface of the honey itself. That would be rather unsanitary really but there is the fact that I could start drooling into the honey. Good thing my tea cup isn’t terribly far away. Once I get there, I pick up the stirrer. A thin line of honey drips on the floor and I sigh. “I can’t be leaving a mess like that.” After putting the stirrer into the teacup, I bend my head down and lick the honey off of the floor. There is a sort of shame running through me about this. Like I have become someone’s dog or something. But it isn’t like I can use a paper towel, besides it’s a waste of good honey. A prickling feeling runs through my being and I go to stir up my tea again. Taking a sip, I find that the tea is very sweet. Not as sweet as I like. but pretty sweet. “Could be sweeter,” I say out loud. “But then it would overpower the tea..," The drawing calls back to me. I tap my hoof on the ground. The drawing sort of looks like Twilight, but really, it still has its problems. I sip my tea and sigh looking at the cup. “Hey, what gives? You’re not as nice as when I started out. I mean I can taste everything, but I can’t really taste everything!” My hoof rap-a-tap-taps on the ground. “I wish I had another tea bag. I mean this tea is awesome and everything, but it’s getting kinda weak..," I eye the upstairs. ===================================================================== “The worst?” Twilight asked finishing off her salad. “I could imagine many things to be the worst that could happen, Spike. For one, she could attempt to try to cook something on her own.” “Yeah, that could end badly,” Spike replied downing the last of his nachos. “I mean that is the worst that could happen.” “What would be even worse than that would be if she died in the fire,” Twilight said, looking thoughtful. “Geeze, Twi’, Grim much? Death is the worst possible outcome of any situation. I was just going for a situation where she didn’t die," Spike said, frowning. “Well, yes, but her death, according to the Princess, would result in chaotic energy being unleashed upon all of Equestria." Twilight rubbed her head. “I think that’s the real reason I have been walking on eggshells here, Spike. With how Heartbreak is right now, she’s like a ticking time bomb. And she’s barely even started her way to harmony!” “Wow, so you want to make sure if she gets started, she gets started on the right path?” Spike asks. “Yes, and it’s brought up so many conflicting emotions,” Twilight replied. “Mostly worry. I’m worried about the Princess, I’m worried about Equestria, and I’m worried about Heartbreak. She didn’t ask for any of this and yet it was just thrust upon her. I’m just glad I remembered that Zecora makes tea. Like you said. Get as many things that she can latch onto so that she can cope.” “Yup! I’m just glad those nine decided to make her an earth pony and not a unicorn!” Spike said. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” Twilight asked, nearly glaring at Spike. “Don’t take offense to this, Twilight,” He finished his cider. “But if you’re any example, an unstable unicorn with normal magic can be dangerous. An unstable unicorn with unstable magic? Heartbreak doesn’t need any more unstable things running through her system at this point.” “Ah, I see where you are coming from then Spike.” Twilight suddenly looked worried. “Oh Sweet Celestia! The Tea!” “What about it?” Spike asked. “Zecora gave me a warning that if anypony drinking it had too many tea bags or too much honey in it, it could cause the pony drinking it to become unstable!” Twilight said in a hushed shout. Spike looked worried. “More unstable than she already is? That’s really bad. But she isn’t going to get hurt off one cup right?” “Well, no, but still we left her alone back at the library, Spike,” Twilight explained. “Alright, did you put it in a place where she is not likely to find it?” Spike asked. “Well yes,” Twilight began. “I-” “-Put it, where did you put it, Twilight Sparkle?” I look around the upstairs bedroom. “If I were a purple unicorn with an assistant dragon and a pet owl, where would I keep the tea?” I snicker at how much that doesn’t make sense. But I have always been a bit non-sequitur about things. At least, normally I was non-sequitur about things before I got jettisoned to Equestria. Before that, and before Friendship is Magic aired its final episode, I was much like a mixture of the mane six. Even Rarity and Applejack, though I wouldn’t admit to it. I liked that version of me. I miss that version of me. Where did that version of me go? “I’ll tell you where he went, Heartbreak, he ran off and joined the circus after you realized you hurt...her, that’s where he went. Now, knowing you, Twilight, you’d want to save that tea and not have it be squandered. But, I want a clean cup here. And to have a clean cup, I might have to switch chairs.” That’s when I notice that the closet door is slightly ajar. I pull it open, everything looks normal at first. I mean it looks like your typical bedroom closet. There is a place for coats, boots, saddles and the like. I never could understand why ponies would wear saddles if there wasn’t any other species to ride them. “Then again, that could be something that colts or fillies would ride on and then due to ponies like Rarity, they became a trendy fashion item." I roll my eyes. “Focus, H.B., find the tea," my eyes travel up to the upper shelf. “It might be up there..," I back away because I can’t see what’s up there. When I get to the other side of the room, I can see something black-grey on the top shelf in the closet. “That’s pretty high. Well, high for my current height. What I need is a chair and stool. But really, Twilight?” I ask out loud. “Why did you put it-” “-On the top shelf in the closet," Twilight explained. “I know it’s not that great of a hiding place, but I wasn’t thinking about hiding it at the time. Plus, with Heartbreak’s fear of heights? She would have to use a chair and a stool to get up to that shelf.” “Alright, then everything is going to be ok, we’ve been gone for what, ten or twenty minutes? And she was still nursing that one cup rather well when we left," Spike replied. “Yeah, but she still could get the container where the tea is,” Twilight explained. “Right, and her tea cup would still be downstairs. She would have to go upstairs to get the container, then go back down the stairs with container in mouth,“ Spike replies. “Both prospects are most likely not something that Heartbreak would like to face. I mean come on they’re the-” “-Stairs. My old foe," I say, looking from the top of the stairs. “How do I overcome this obstacle?” I look at the tea container next to me. This is a hurdle, but not one that I can’t overcome if I try. “If I walk backwards down the stairs with you in my mouth, I run the risk of falling like a slinky. And the last thing we need is a pony that goes down stairs like a slinky. I am not a wonderful toy." A thought occurs to me involving slinkies. I tap the container on its side and tip it down the stairs. It rolls and bounces down the stairs. “Now about me getting down there,” I don’t like the prospect of walking backwards, that would take a while, and I am not sure when Twilight will get back. Eyeing the banister, an idea forms in my head. A risky, dangerous and potentially painful idea. But pain tends to be my friend. I begin to back peddle the stairs and then attempt a mounting on the banister. “Alright, I have seen this done a thousand times be-foooooor!” I begin sliding down before I am even ready. I feel the bottom of the banister hit my...hindquarters in a most unpleasant way. “Why...hello, Pain Hurtzalot! It’s like Canterlot all over again,” I squeak out, rolling off the banister and onto the floor. After I recover, I look for the canister. “Alright, is that canister-” “-Still sealed when you left it where you did?” Spike asked. “Yes...It should be, But-” Twilight said starting to panic a little. “How is she going to get into the container? She doesn’t have these babies,” Spike said rolling his fingers. “And she doesn’t have magic. I suppose she could try removing it with her mouth, but you know how she is about that sort of thing. Plus this is a rubber container right? At least it looked rubber. That’s got to be pretty hard to get off. And this is all assuming that she even made it that far.“ Spike said, trying to calm Twilight’s fears. “I guess you’re right, Spike,” Twilight replied. “I guess I am just feeling a little-” “-Pressure," I am sitting with the black rubber container between my knees and a hoof on either side of the container. “All I need to do is apply a bit of pressure and the top should pop off just enough for me to pull it off!” I say, excitedly. “Alright, on the count of three, a-one, a-two, a-three!” I push down hard on either side and see that the lid bulges up and nearly all the way off the container. I gingerly reached forward and grasp it with my lips, then I tug hard. It takes at least one or two grunts, but there is a satisfying pop! Followed by a hiss. I look into the black grey container and see my reward. Four glittering bags of tea. I swear I can almost feel my eyes grow big and a wide smile bursts over my face. Then from my mouth a sound nearly erupts. “SQUEEEEEEE.” I blink, and the smile drops from my face. I smack myself with a hoof. “Get a hold of yourself, H.B., It’s tea." The aroma of the tea reaches my nostrils, and I inhale deeply. “The best flllllllluuuanking tea in all of Equestria!” I carefully pull the teacup towards me and turn the container upside down on the lid. The four remaining tea bags fall neatly on the lid. “Right, I shouldn’t use them all. Twilight will most likely be upset if I used all of them. But first,“ I reach down and take a long, long, long sip of the diluted tea in my cup. A chill of wonderment courses through my being. “This tea must be ‘bloody’?” I almost find myself squeeing. Again. Apparently I have found a glitch in the matrix. I can say bloody. “Bloody strong. One more tea bag and some hot water," I carefully pick up one of the bags by the string. I can almost feel a buzz of excitement channeling through me. The bag goes into the cup, and carefully, ever so carefully I tilt the teapot to pour the hot water over the tea. I walk away to let the tea brew. But it isn’t long before I find myself back at the cup. I take a quick sip. I almost instantly feel a bit more lively. “You know. I really wonder if there is a way I could take this tea with me anywhere I go! I am kinda getting sick of just leaving it where it is sitting because I’m worried about spilling it or tripping while walking with it!” My attention drifts over to the kitchen. I think I saw something in there that might help me. “Maybe-” “-You’re right Spike,” Twilight says, sighing. “I could be worrying all over nothing. But just in case, I think we should check back with her at the library. Just in case.” Spike sighs. “Yeah, just in case. Though maybe we stop by Pen & Quill and talk to Ghost Writer? Kinda give him a forewarning that he should be careful with what he says around Heartbreak?” “You’re still going on about that? Fffffine. If anything, it’ll give me a chance to pick up a few more erasers. If Heartbreak is going to go through them like this, then I might as well see if we can get a few more, right?” Twilight responds. “How many should we get? Two-” “-or three? Hmmm two bags for now, well, technically that’s three bags in there. There is the first bag from when Twilight made it, the second bag I just added," I say, dropping another bag into the sipping cup I found in the kitchen. It has a stein handle and a screw on top. “And this bag I am dropping in the sipping cup! This was a lucky find, lucky find indeed! I wonder if it was Spike’s or Twilight’s?” That was a bitch to get off but if I hold the top in my mouth and turn the bottom around, I can screw and unscrew it. Carefully, with the precision of a lab tech, I pour my already made tea into the sipping cup. When I am finished, I take a taste. I feel a rushing twitch come over me. I am not sure if that was the full flavors or what, but a rush of ideas floods my head about what to do next.”Oooooh yeaaah. That’s almost perfect. One more bag. One more bag." I drop another bag in there. Then I take a sip. “Oooooh, Yeaaaah! I think I can feel my teeth vibrating! I wonder if that is a bad sign. I mean that’s how shows like this start right? Something happens, and then something else happens and then well yeah, some pony gets in trouble! But then Twilight and her friends save the day!” I look at the tea in the sipping cup, I swear it sparkles and crackles slightly. Then again that just might be the fluid, I take another sip. “Mmmm, Nah. Good tea is goooood tea," I then screw the top sipping lid on. The paper before me now looks like it has to be filled. It has be filled. “Right, getting started," I pick up the pencil with my mouth and attempt to draw some. I roll my eyes and see that it isn’t going anywhere. I quickly sketch on a different piece of paper. And then another one. And then another. And then another. I have never sketched this fast or this well. Well, as well as I can with my mouth. I wonder how well I can write... “Alright, let’s try letters!” I put the pencil to the paper and attempt to write the sentence ‘Lucy in the sky with diamonds.” I sort of get it right, I glare at my hoof. It is still bothering me how much I can’t write with it. “If there was just some way...” I say absent mindedly.