LET ME TAKE YOUR PAIN
Mirta sat on the top of some stairs and stared blankly ahead. She hated them! She hated them so much but still...
"What did I do wrong! I never asked for my time at the Cloud Tower..."the readhaired girl sobbed quietly and looked at the stars.
"There I was too nice and too understanding. Here I am not nice enough and to selfish... That's not fair I am trying so hard and all I want is someone who says:
》You're good. You are worth the love I give《
Flora cares but who am I to steal her time! She needs to think of herself and not of me and still... I want her to care."
Again a sob escaped her throat.
"I don't want to go on like that..."
"But stopping won't change your feelings or the feelings others have."a gentle voice answered her.
Mirta's head spun around and she looked straight at her teacher.
"Professor Palladium! I'm sorry I didn't see you there."
She quickly whipped away her tears.
Palladium's smile softened and he sat down next to her.
"So, you are troubled I heard as much but why do you want to stop trying? It's like showing them that they are right, isn't it?"
"Maybe but I never said they are wrong. I am weak it was demonstrated to me enough."
The girl's voice was bitter and sad. Palladium sighed.
"Mirta is it possible that you are starting to believe what they say?"
"It is true I am not one to lie."
"Mirta... You are not weak. Actually you are stronger than many of the girls in your class."
"But I fail while they get it right immediately!"
Palladium smiled at her.
"That is not strong that is skilled and many of you mistake that. Flora was just like that when I was her teacher."
Mirta looked confused. The strong and independent fairy had been like her?
"The others were naturals I give them that but she was strong like you. You two never gave up, you try until you get it and only then you are content.
The others have skills, good ones at that, but if they don't manage something they say 》Well, I'll just do something else《 but you try and try and even if you start to get frustrated you keep trying.
That, Mirta, is strength."
A small smile appeared on the girl's lips but it quickly disappeared again.
"But I am not brave enough to use that strength. I have never been brave."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I always ran away when danger came I never stood up and fought like Bloom, Layla and Stella. I will never trust myself like Musa and Tecna do. I will never be synch with my powers like Flora is! I am simply not good enough!"
Her voice had got louder and tears streamed down her cheeks again.
Warm arms wrapped around her shaking body and pressed her against a solid chest.
Palladiums scent calmed her and she quietly cried at his chest as if hanging on for dear life.
"You are brave in your own way Mirta. There is no way to compare you to the others because you are you. You stood up for Bloom and endured the consequences silently. Even after you became human again you never complained about it.
Remember last week when this plant from me got two students?"
A nod was the answer he received.
"You yelled at the plant without fear and again didn't complain when it took you instead of the girls. Courage is not the absence of fear it is the way you live with it and you are scared but everyone is at times."
"Even you?"
"Yes, often. Last week I was terrified."
"Why?"
"Because I saw someone I deeply care for hang upside-down in the air 6 meters over the ground."
Mirta looked confused. Was he taking about the two girls? They had not hung upside-down only she... had. Oh!
"Me?"
"Yes, you. And that is the next thing I wanted to talk to you about. There are people that care and I bet if you ask Flora she'd tell you that you are not stealing her time. And if you need someone to tell you that you are good the way you are I will gladly fulfil that role.
Mirta you are worth the love I give you and the love others give you. The only thing you don't deserve is the hate and the reluctance from others."
Palladium's brown eyes stared into Mirta's grey ones.
"Why do you care...?"
"Because I love you with all my heart and I don't want to see you suffering further."
Mirta stared at her teacher. The man she had liked from the first time they had met and the man her heart started to beat faster for.
The man who had captured her thought with just one smile.
"No lie?"
"No, my little queen."
"I love you too!"she laughed and hugged him.
"Glad you do."
Suddenly they heard the others shout it the last ten seconds till the new year started.
"3."
"Can I-"
"2."
"-kiss-"
"1."
"-you?"
"Happy New Year!"
"Yes."
And while the first fireworks exploded Palladium softly pressed his lips onto Mirta's and for them both it was perfect.