Crying in a Bottle

by Starlight_Flight

Hearts' Hurts Heard

Chapter Nine: Hearts' Hurts Heard

Trixie was caught. She couldn't go back. She couldn't go on. And she wanted to be alone in her anger. But Mystic Heart called out.

"Hey, Trixie! Come on over here! I got somethin' to tell you!"

Trixie had nowhere to go. She hid her anger and walked further up the path. The yellow pony with light-brown mane walked down to meet her.

"Hey, did you meet the Inspector? What's she like?" The earth pony's enthusiasm was galling, and Trixie responded with irritated weariness.

"What did you have to tell me?"

"Oh. Just that you left your heart somewhere." There was something about that which brought out a nasty twitch in Trixie's face.

"Oh, I have not! I have my heart right here where it belongs!"

"Then why's your Momma with you?"

Trixie felt a cold spike slide down her backbone, prickling down through her chest and belly. Her legs went numb, and she sat like a foal who hadn't quite managed to stand yet.

"If you're plannin' on leaving, you'd best do it before lunch. We won't notice anypony in all the bustle of gatherin' folks for a big ol' pot-luck chow-down. But once you're there, Trixie, you have got to realize, you are the talk of the town. Singin' like a music star, tellin' stories worthy of Princesses, all that kinda stuff. You will be seen. And somepony has to go to Ponyville to get help. Old Rocket Shot can barely walk anymore, let alone fly, he's so arthritic. It's got to be a younger pony, and Bindlestick is unreliable. If nopony else, then it's me who's got to go." Mystic let that sink in for a few seconds while Trixie remained mercifully silent and uncertain. "And I'd much rather go with you."

The poor blue unicorn blinked and started, and asked, "But why?"

"Because my Special Talent lets me see inside folk. I know who you can be, Trixie, and I have to believe there's a way to bring you around to it. Your heart says you've been hurt so bad you can't never give nothin' away again. And your Momma's been tryin' to get you to see it so's she can move on."

Trixie couldn't- she just- "You see inside me?" The horror of it caused her to try to back away, as if the other pony were made of horrible worms and crawly things trying to fill her bed with smelly, slimy goo. But Trixie was already sitting, and couldn't go much further backward without heading back to the house, or into the tall hayfield where she was sure to get lost.

"Yes, I do." Mystic made no bones of it. "Just like you're all show business, but you don't know real love when she's wrapped you up in her blanket and tucked you in. I don't tell just any pony this stuff, neither, 'cause they act like you are now. You think that don't hurt? You think your act last month didn't hurt nopony? All that bluster and insult, and you go away with a pocket fulla bits, sneakin' away just like you came in, like a thief?" There was steel in her words, and Trixie shied, trying to find something she could give this new monster to make it go away.

Mystic backed off, then giggled and smiled like sunlight. "My heart's clean now. Yours is where all the monsters are livin'. You need a good airin' out and washin', like last week's bedclothes." She turned to go back home, then looked over her shoulder. "Ponies'll need my help no matter which way I go, Trixie. You decide which way you're goin', and if you want me along, you let me know. I'll be ready."

Trixie watched her trot back across the road. Mystic's final words echoed in her head.

"I believe in you."

Comments

[Frankie]

All I can say is "OUCH!"