//------------------------------// // Chapter Fifty Three: Trust // Story: Trixie and Maud: Heart of Stone // by TheCrimsonDM //------------------------------// HEART OF STONE Chapter Fifty Three: Trust Written by TheCrimsonDM They all stood still as dolls and stared blankly at Twilight for the longest time. Twilight began squirming underneath everyponies gaze, she looked very uncomfortable. Finally at great length she said, “We need to leave now, Pinkie, Rarity, get dressed it’s cold outside.” With that everypony was broken out of there trance and began moving again. Rarity used her magic to summon forth a wardrobe of coats, socks, and shoes for herself and Pinkie Pie. Trixie couldn’t believe that there was actually a windigo in town, at least it was dead, unlike in her dream. Thinking on her dream now, she realized she couldn’t simply let these ponies go alone. She had to join with them as well. “Alright, I’ll just get my stuff and we’ll head out,” Trixie said as she began walking briskly to her bedroom. “No,” said Twilight, “I don’t want you to come with us. I only need the elements of harmony for this, Trixie. So stay here and just be safe.” Trixie stopped mid step and a silence filled the room as she replayed the words in her head. She wondered to herself, about whether Twilight really just said that. Angry and heartbroken Trixie glared at Twilight and asked, “Did you really just say that?” Twilight glared back at her in silence for a moment before saying, “We don’t need you, there is a dead windigo outside, and it’s very dangerous. So just stay here with Maud.” Trixie stopped listening at the words ‘we don’t need you’. She had already had a nightmare, and a lot of confused feelings from the day before, this was just that final push that Trixie didn’t need. She closed her eyes tightly for a few seconds trying to fight back the tears. When she opened them again she lowered her head and walked towards the bedroom trying her hardest to not cry in front of the princess. Twilight hadn’t been paying attention though, and was already leaving out the door along with the other two. Trixie heard Twilight say, “I’m so glad you were here at Trixie’s, I was dredging the idea of walking all the way over to your house next. Why were you over here anyway?” the door shut after that and Trixie didn’t hear them anymore. Now that everything was quiet, with just her and Maud, she broke down and cried. *** Trixie sat at the table being held by Maud tightly for a few minutes while she cried into Maud’s chest. Maud was always such a good listener, and Trixie fully realized just how lucky she was to have such a good pony at her side. “Why did she say she doesn’t need me?” Trixie cried into Maud’s chest. “I’m sure that she didn’t mean any harm by it, Lulu. She has a tendency to speak without thinking,” Maud said gently. “I don’t care, she still said it. I just thought that after all this time, that maybe we were finally friends again…guess I was wrong,” Trixie said very quietly. “She didn’t even notice that I was crying, did she?” “Twilight was in a hurry she was halfway out the door before you actually started crying. And she is your friend. You can talk to her later and make up, when she isn’t so stressed,” Maud explained. Trixie stomped her hoof lightly into the floor as anger fought with her sadness. “No, I won’t forgive her. Not unless she begs for it. She knows just how sensitive I am and she still chose to hurt me. And all I wanted to do was help.” A plan began forming in Trixie’s mind and her sadness was forced out of the way. “Well you know what? My sister is out there with her right now. And if it is really that dangerous then we need to go protect her. So how about we go and sneak after them, that sounds like something fun.” Maud was silent for a moment before saying, “I agree. Pinkie Pie spies on ponies all the time, and she thinks it’s fun. So let’s try it.” Maud stood up carefully and walked to the bedroom saying, “I’ll get our things. It’s cold outside and I don’t want you catching a cold.” Trixie smiled at her lovable earth pony before looking away and trying to find something to do while Maud was busy. There was a newspaper on the table, the headline read, “Mine reopens in the town of New Slate for the first time in eighteen years!” Trixie also found an open letter with Maud’s name written on it. It was from some company with a long and rather boring name, “Equestria’s Fine Rock Society.” Sounded lame, but Maud probably liked it, so Trixie picked it up with her hooves and began reading the letter to herself. “We at Equestria’s Fine Rock Society would be overjoyed if you, Maud Pie, were to join us on our next expedition into the northern caves of Hollow Shades. We have a full team of ponies on hoof to help you with the excavation and research. As usual we will pay you for your services at the end of this week long expedition. We hope you agree to venture forth with us, it would be our pleasure,” Trixie finished reading aloud. The weird thing about this letter was the fact that Maud had not spoken of it to Trixie at all. Trixie looked at the date, Maud’s had this letter for a few days now… and the trip was scheduled for a week from now. This left Trixie with an uneasy feeling that Maud had been keeping secrets from her, but why? Trixie waited impatiently for a few minutes at the table. When Maud returned she was wearing a blue jacket, with blue socks and brown boots on. Maud was carrying Trixie’s purple coat and socks on her back. Maud sat them down on the table. Maud looked straight at Trixie and said flatly, “I couldn’t find your snow boots.” Trixie looked back at the letter in between her hooves and despite how much she adored her special somepony, she knew that it she needed to talk about this now. Trixie cleared her throat before saying, “Maud, honey. We need to talk. I just found this letter offering you work up at Hollow Shades… why haven’t you told me about this?” Maud lowered her head and said quietly, “I don’t want to leave you.” Trixie thought that it was something like this that had been bothering Maud. Trixie set the letter down and reached out with a foreleg and gently brushed Maud’s hair. “You don’t need worry about me so much. You need to go to work, for the both of us. Without you’re income, how do you expect us to live here in Ponyville?” “But what if you need me and I’m not here for you?” Maud offered. “I have Pinkie Pie to help take care of me,” Trixie said. “What if somepony else helps you, and what if their better than me? You’ll abandon me,” Maud said again. Trixie opened her mouth but no words came out as the gravity of Maud’s comment slowly sunk in. After a long moment of silence Trixie closed her eyes and slowly explained, “Maud, I am in love with you. I’ve never loved another pony like this, and I never will again. So you need to have faith in me, that’s what being married is about… it’s about trust.” Maud lowered her head and refused to make eye contact as she said, “I’m sorry…” “Don’t be sorry. You’ve been hurt before, and I’m here to help you as best as I can. Maud you mean the world to me, and there is nothing in the entire world that I would trade you for,” Trixie said gently. Maud looked up and smiled at Trixie, as always it was such a tiny smile but it still meant everything to Trixie. Trixie couldn’t help it as she flung herself out of the chair and wrapped her legs around Maud embracing her tightly. Maud hugged her back. They stayed like this for a while before Trixie remembered what she was going to do today. “Okay, we need to follow those ponies. I won’t let them ditch me just because I’m not part of their little group.” “let’s go after them then,” Maud agreed. “And, Lulu, thank you for letting me go to Hollow Shades. I love it there.” “Don’t mention it, I love you and if this makes you happy then I want you to go… also it pays our bills and that’s important too,” Trixie said with a smile.