Recreational

Author's Note: Well, I finally revised this. It took long enough, but the ending wasn't satisfactory for anyone, including me, so I went ahead and changed it. I hope you guys enjoy this more, and if you don't, please let me know. Thanks!

Trixie woke up and winced immediately, her neck snapping and creaking from the strange angle she’d positioned herself in during her hallucinations and tears. Her dry throat begged for water, but Trixie ignored her need in favour of a very unfamiliar sight on her dirty, mud-caked doormat – a freshly printed newspaper. She trotted over, curious despite herself, and let her eyes scan across the front page.

Trixie winced at the headline, printed in a bold and large font, screaming at her in distaste.

'THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE’S SECRETS REVEALED!’

Trembling, Trixie continued down, unsure of what she would find.

Before we get to the astonishing news, I, Gabby Gums, can confirm to everypony that this is all accurate information, received from a source close to me who had been involved in these affairs. For this reason, they have chosen to remain anonymous. This story has also been confirmed by somepony who was previously in contact with the subject of the article.

Trixie’s grip on the paper tightened as she continued hurriedly reading. “Twilight. It HAD to be… And that piggish stallion…”

The previously loved travelling magician Trixie, known for her tall-tales about her vanquishing of the Ursa Major, has turned to a low down life the hard way, it has recently emerged.

Trixie has been spotted on numerous occasions selling herself to stallions at high prices, usually under the cover of nightfall. This illegal act carries a very high penalty and can even result in Princess Celestia herself holding a court case against anypony involved. Trixie has been charging around 200 bits per hour for often drunken stallions to partake in her illegal services, judgements that have been unfairly pushed onto a stallion who in his right mind would never allow such a scandalous and wrong act to occur.

Ponies who have had the misfortune to ever stumble across a dark alleyway in the more unapproachable side of Ponyville will know that it is home to many a dark trade – narcotics, prostitution, gambling. Our so-called ‘Great and Powerful Trixie’ has succumbed to two of these evils, her prostitution funding the purchase of numerous illegal substances. It’s been confirmed that Trixie uses heroin, but other substances are yet to be confirmed. Many ponies have suggested clinical rehabilitation for Trixie, but is it worth it when she is really just a washed up lost cause?

I’d love to hear what you think!

Gabby Gums, your Gossip Guru

Trixie’s lip quivered, her hooves mashing the printed paper wildly, her screams of anger ringing through her home at an alarming volume as she cursed Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, herself, everypony. Everypony was to blame, and countless jeering, laughing faces blurred together in Trixie’s mind, stripping her confidence away, the tiny shreds left greedily snatched up, a whirlwind of colours, manes and eyes with tears of mirth shed at her expense surrounding her comparatively small frame. Was it fair for her to suffer? Because of one mistake?

Trixie sat down on the floor, her heart still beating wildly at the image, scared that her mind could produce a hallucination so psychologically scarring and worryingly intense without the assistance of drugs. She quietly reflected on that one defining quality in her life, and how something so simple could tear her down.

One mistake, one slip in confidence. It was all it took. Other ponies had battled through worse, but it wasn’t the mistake that sealed the deal for Trixie’s future – it was the aftermath. With no friends to support her, no family, no love, she’d been forced to find a home without support or even a friendly smile, with each tenant seeing her face and looking down at the newspaper beside them, reading about her cockiness and lack of ability and turning her down straight away, laughing as she closed the door. She’d  finally found one place so dingy and of such ill-repute that no-one would be turned down, and even then she struggled to fund the tiny room, with all of her belongings and riches destroyed, along with her once lavish travellers caravan. The once spoilt mare, who had lived in the lap of luxury with hundreds of adoring ponies sending her gifts and bits, had now been forced by that one turn of events to a life of poverty and hatred, feeding on self-pity and misery.

“I’ve wallowed in my pity enough!” Trixie shouted, her expression pained and angry. “I have to solve this for myself!”

Trixie stumbled out of her dingy home, slamming the door and cantering against the chilly winds, blindly turning corners and ignoring the sniggering and dazed ponies that she bowled over as she ran, a blur of blue whizzing through Ponyville. She skidded on the sleekly polished cobblestones, her violet eyes focused on one thing only – the large, peaceful tree house before her. Trixie slammed her hooves on the door, banging at them desperately, trying not to let tears spill out. As she sniffed and waited for the door to open, Trixie finally realised what a state she was in – her once glossy, shiny blue mane now matted and almost hanging in dreadlocks, her delicate face smeared with streaks of black, dark bags under her eyes. The need to be presentable overwhelmed her, and with a shaking hoof she tried to comb through her knotty mane, and wiped away most of the black streaks from her face.

“Spiiiiike!” came a muffled voice from within. “Can you get that?”

Trixie felt her heartbeat increase. She coughed gently and looked at the door with fear in her eyes, suddenly worried that everything that could go wrong in her plan would.

Instead of a pony, as she had expected, Trixie was greeted by a plump purple dragon, who was muttering grumpily before he looked up, his pupils shrinking as his mumbles grew to shocked silence.

“…Trixie?” he whispered, confused. “What are you doing here?”

“Trixie did not come here to speak to a lowly assistant!” she said haughtily, her previous personality reawakened by the sight of the familiar creature, associated with the lavender pony that had brought about her downfall. “I mean… Can I speak to Twilight Sparkle? Please?”

The dragon nodded slowly, his expression changing from confused to suspicious, his green eyes not leaving her until Twilight Sparkle reached the door. The purple pony looked up from the book she had levitated with her to the door, and promptly dropped it in her shock.

“… TRIXIE?!” she yelled, staggering backwards a few steps. “You haven’t told the Princess about the other day, have you? I know! You’re going to blackmail me, aren’t you? Please don’t… I couldn’t bear it if she found out!” she whimpered, shrinking down to the floor and covering her deep amethyst eyes with her hooves.

Trixie shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, stopped by the young dragon in her presence. She tapped Twilight gently, motioning at Spike. Twilight gulped and nodded.

“Spike… Would you mind re-organizing the Ancient History section of the library again? It’s gotten a bit messy. Thanks!” she said, pointing a single hoof towards the direction of what Trixie assumed was the Ancient History section. The dragon eagerly nodded and ran off the section, clumsily stacking and re-stacking dusty books, occupied for the moment.

“… If you didn’t come here to blackmail me, what are you here for?” Twilight Sparkle said, her head cocked. Navy strands of straight hair fell about her neck and over her eyes, accented with streaks of bright magenta and indigo. Trixie sighed and looked away, readying herself for the large request she had for the pony before her.

“As a scholar, Twilight, I expect you know all about the debates Princess Celestia and her royal court have had about a certain act. But they have come to an agreement on the subject, a large breakthrough for all the citizens of Equestria.” Trixie began cautiously.

“… What act?” Twilight said, further confused. Trixie shook her head again, still trying to fight back the tears that choked her voice.

“Twilight,” she said, tenderly, “I want you to help me end my life.”

Twilight Sparkle shook her head. “No. Trixie, you have your life ahead of you… You have still to meet the mare or stallion of your dreams… And settle down…”

“Except I don’t.” Trixie finished. “You know I don’t, Twilight, and that’s why I’m here. Nothing will help me now, I’m past it. Nothing will make me happy anymore – not the laugh of a newborn foal, not a flourishing romance, not a happy ending. Because I won’t get those things. I took away my privilege to live a simple life when I got into everything you’ve read about. I can’t go anywhere without being recognised, jeered at, hated. I deserve everything they give to me, but nopony can handle that much hatred with no love to counter it. I’m begging you Twilight… End it. End the misery. I want to be free.” She said, tears streaming down her face openly now.

“I can’t agree to that, Trixie. It’s unlawful, Princess Celestia herself said so. I don’t want to take your life from you. I don’t want to steal your one chance of happiness.” Twilight said, exasperated.

“And you’ll just go by the Princess’ word? Not the word of countless wise senates, as well as her sister?” Trixie replied, moving closer to Twilight, challenging her.

“Of course. I’m loyal to my mentor.” She said, her expression softening at the thoughts of the powerful alicorn who taught her in friendship and magic.

“Anyway, why is it me you’ve come to? I’m sure you could go to somepony else… Perhaps even a doctor?” Twilight said, puzzled.

“Twilight, you have to remember the term that Princess Celestia set on euthanasia. Think… Try to remember…”

The lavender focused on her memory, her eyes fluttering closed as she tried to bring forth the distant thought from the back of her mind. Suddenly, her eyes jerked open, her pupils shrinking.

“The spell has to be administered by a-“ she began, cut off by Trixie’s warm embrace.

“…Loved one.” She murmured softly, transfixed by the crying blue pony in front of her. Involuntarily, tears started to snake down her cheeks too, as she held the pony which she had once scorned and laughed at, easily defeating her and saving Ponyville. Pity flooded the lavender pony’s heart, and she held Trixie away from her.

“Spike, can you take a letter?” she called, wiping the tears away and lifting her chin high.

“Twilight, we just sent your last friendship report!” he said, rolling his eyes. “For somepony who makes so many lists, sometimes you really are forgetful.”

“No, Spike, this letter isn’t a friendship report. But I do need to help out a friend.” She corrected, smiling over at Trixie, who mouthed the words ‘thank you’ back.

A few hours passed, filled with quiet and idle conversation between the two mares, Trixie happy to listen to the intelligent pony’s adventures in return for no questions asked about her past. She watched the mannerisms of Twilight, her bright amethyst eyes glistening as she talked about her beloved friends, her hooves making motions as she magically pulled out books to illustrate her points. Trixie smiled and nodded, listening intently in an attempt to let all of her cares wash away in what she hoped would be the last few hours of her life.

A faint green glow came from the kitchen, accompanied by the smell of smoke. Spike crept out of the kitchen, holding a curled piece of parchment, sealed with red wax and stamped with the celestial design. Twilight broke the seal, holding her breath. She nodded at Trixie and levitated over two quills, signing and scrawling initials in all the marked places. She hugged her tightly and looked over at the paper, readying herself.

Trixie smiled peacefully and sat down, waiting patiently.

“Trixie… It won’t hurt, at all. It will be quick… I promise. Goodbye.” Twilight Sparkle whispered, nodding and trying to  blot away the tears pouring out of her eyes, so she could focus better.

“Three… Two… One…” she said, her eyes squinting shut in concentration as a pure bolt of magenta energy burst from her horn, funnelling towards Trixie’s heart.

The powder blue pony lay limply on the floor, the remnants of a smile still etched on her face. Finally free.