> Taken in. > by PrincessLunas Assistant > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > 1- "You will NOT HAVE ME!" > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- *Fixed all spelling errors, sorry about that!* The Great and Powerful Trixie was at her lowest. She had sold off everything for food. Everything except her dirty, torn up, and almost and wearable hat and cape. She was in Ponyvile during late December, it's weather wasn't as bad as it could be. It was still horrid, Canterlot was worse, with almost two feet of snow. Ponyvile fell slightly behind Canterlot with a temperature of -20 degrees Fahrenheit and one foot of snow. Trixie was freezing. She shivered as she walked, occasionally her oversized ego would allow her to seek as low as to ask for food or shelter from the citizens of Ponyvile. Most shunned her away with a disgusted look. Others insulted her and then walked away. Depression also played a part in her suffering. Or was more of an effect of his suffering. This effect however multiplied her horrible experiences and feelings. she had come to terms with what she had done to Ponyvile in the past and constantly prayed somepony who didn't know her would show some compassion and give just about anything. Her prayers never answered. Instead she was condemned and cursed. She had sunken to her lowest. That much was certain. ____ She walked through the snow covered streets. Shivering with every step, shaking from lack of food, tears streaming down her face with the realization that this winter would more than likely be her last. As she walked through the snow filled night, her pale dying body seemed to blend in with it's surroundings unless confronted with light. Her body had done it's best to fight and try and keep her alive from it's stand point. Although after all edible food sources were exhausted and she could no longer find sustenance her body was forced to begin shutting down. Her body deprived of food, she began to shrink down to skin and bones. She walked, not with strength or self-confidence, but with weakness and sadness. She passed by many homes and would from time to time gaze in to see happy, warm, well-fed families. She cried as she walked the walk of death past them. Finally she had reached her end. She could no further. She collapsed on the snow. Her body unable to continue. Her ego wouldn't let her give up. "N-no....I am the Great and Powerful Trixie! Death....w-will n-not have me!" She proclaimed to nothing. She tried to stand shaking as she did. On all fours her muscles gave out and she fell flat on her side. Her body shutting down, her brain and mind trying to save itself. She crawled forward. Using her fore hooves to move along the ground, slowly, inch by inch, foot by foot. As she crawled death called her name. "Trixie..." The voice of death was her mother. Trixie rolled over and saw her mother. Standing tall. "M-mommy...?" Trixie whispered weakly on her back. Looking at the ghostly white figure of the tall unicorn. "Yes dear. It is I. Your mommy. Come to me,hun. The afterlife isn't as bad you may think. It's certainly better than this." The transparent ghost said gesturing to Trixie. Trixie's eye's widened. Death. It was looking at her and beckoning her. She would not have it. She rolled back onto her belly and shouted "You will NOT HAVE ME! The Great and Powerful Trixie shall not die by the likes of some demonic spirit!" she crawled away using spent strength to propel her self along. She was a car running on no gas and a broken motor. "Dear-" The spirit began sympathetically. "Trixie will not die this night! She w-will live on! You will n-not have me!" She screamed to the spirit as she continued her crawl. She was maybe 20 meters from the closest home. She began to repeat her chant. "You will not have m-" "WE ALREADY DO! GIVE IN NOW, DELUSIONAL CREATURE!" The spirit shouted, making the very ground tremble with it's voice. It began to walk to Trixie. She heard it's mighty world shaking steps and moved faster. She went back to her chant,growing weaker now. "Y-y-you willllll n-not ha-have m-me!" she shouted trembling with every word. Her body shuddered and she pushed it past it's very breaking point. She was at the steps of the home. She saw golden light coming through windows on the front of the house. She gingerly crawled up the steps. Her body ready to die. As she clocked out on the door step she forced her head to bang into the door, and collapsed there on the stone doorstep. Alive.....but dying. _________ Inside the home, Golden Heart, was looking over the photos of himself and his now deceased wife. Cloud Hopper. He smiled at his old happy memories. A tear ran down from his eye to his cheek and fell down onto the photo album book. He set the book aside, and called for his daughter Spring Dancer. "Spring Dancer, come here, darling." He called trying to hide the sadness in his voice with a certain calmness. Spring Dancer came out of her bedroom and into the study. She saw her father a few tears running down his face. He whipped away the tears quickly with a tissue. He looked at her with compassionate eyes and asked. "How are you handling it, dear?" "I'm.....I'm g-....." she paused and thought over her next words. "I'm not too good, dad. I-I think I'm depressed." Her father put a fore hoof on her shoulder. "We all have to mourn at one point or another. I-I just look at the photos. I know eventually I'll get over it or at least be able to handle it. We both have to move on. Just let me know if you need anything. Remember, we're in this together." Golden Heart said sympathetically. Before Spring could respond, there was a loud voice outside and then a louder "THUD" on the front door. Golden Heart got up and dropped the photo album. He and Spring Dancer ran out of the study and went to the door. Golden Heart peeked out the front door's three diamond shaped windows and saw a pale light blue mare. She was on her side blacked out on his doorstep. She wore a funny purple hat and matching cape. Both were torn up and dirty. He could see her body moving slightly as she inhaled and exhaled. She looked starved and seemed to lack any body fat and any remaining muscles were almost gone. "Spring Dancer." He said about to open to the door. "Go to your room. Now." "Dad wh-" She began but was cut off by her father. "Go to your room!" He ordered raising his voice. She walked off hurt. When he heard her room door slam shut. He sighed "She'll understand, tomorrow." he quickly opened the door and dragged the half-dead mare inside. He closed the door and picked her up. Carrying her with his fore hooves and walking with his rear legs, he made his way to the master bedroom and laid the dieing mare on the bed. He checked her pulse and breathing. She was alive, but definitely dying. He went down into his basement and got the IV cords, feeding tube, and two old medical machines. One of them was for heart beat and blood pressure. The other was for feeding liquidized meals to unconscious patients. He got a few pouches of liquidized meals from a fridge kept in the basement. He took everything back upstairs and hooked up the light blue mare and then sat on a loveseat in the master bedroom and soon fell asleep as he monitored the mare's condition. > 2-"Sometimes, it just takes a kiss." > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trixie awoke with a sudden jump. Her dreams had been filled with visions of hell and heaven. One minute would be filled with fire and pain the other drinks and handsome stallions all wanting a piece of her. When she woke, she found three different tubes on her body. Two of them were stabbed in veins on her left fore leg, the other was half way down her throat. Her gag reflex initiated immediately and she coughed out the one in her mouth. She looked about. She tried to remember what had happened to her. It soon came back in a sort of flash. She remembered collapsing on the street and being chased as she crawled. After she got up the steps she blacked out. She felt the top of her head with her hoof and felt a bump followed by a horrendous pain. She yet out a small yelp. She realized the covers of the bed she was in were pulled up to her neck , every part of her was covered except her left fore hoof and head. She looked around the bedroom. It was moderately furnished. A full slide open closet, the bed was against the far wall from the door. A book shelf was next to the door on one side and the other was a large dresser with many photos in standing frames. She could make out a happy couple. One was a tall Golden yellow Unicorn stallion, the mare in the photos was a dark blue Pegasus mare with a long wavy black mane. She realized her beloved cape and hat were no where to be found. She called out for her savior or anypony willing to answer. "Hello? Is anypony there?" She heard hoof steps, just beyond the room's closed door. The door slowly opened, the tall golden yellow stallion from the pictures entered. "You're up." He said with a smile. "You nearly died on my door step. Not a very polite entrance to make, but I suppose somepony would eventually make that sort of entrance." Trixie saw he was holding her hat. It looked brand new, all the stains, rips, and bends were gone. It looked like it had just been bought. The golden stallion noticed her eying it. "Oh yeah, you had a cape and this funny hat on you when you were at my doorstep. I just finished fixing the hat up. Took me an hour or two but it's done, if you want it back you can have it again. I'll be done with the cape in less time." He said, walking over to Trixie's bedside and holding out the hat. Trixie took the hat quickly and checked it over to make sure he didn't make a mistake and ruin it. He didn't. She was breathless, having already prepared and angry scolding in her mind. "Th-thank you." she said unable to think of anything else. "Anytime." He said, his smile went to a serious facial expression. "Now, I'm going to run a basic sort of examination." He levitated a note book and pencil from a room down the hall. The pencil and paper ready he asked her his first question. "Can you remember your name?" "Yes. I am The Great and Powerful Trixie." She said trying,and failing, to put the same amount of strength she usually would. "Okay. That's quite a mouthful. Care if I just call you Trixie?" He asked. "If you tell Trixie your name, then maybe." Trixie said as if she were negotiating some deal breaking condition. "It's Golden Heart. A lot of my friends like to call me Gold." He said making note of something. "Do you always do what you just did there, the referring to yourself in the third person?" "Not always." Trixie said shyly. "Okay now, do you know why you were dying last night? What led you to my doorstep?" Golden Heart asked. He noticed a tear in her eye, which she attempted to wipe away. "I-I have sold off everything....just for food. My traveling cart. Before, I loved to travel around Equestria, entertaining many and making a fairly nice living off it." "Mmhmm. Now I have a question, do you ever get suicidal thoughts? Be honest with me, dear." Golden Heart asked. Trixie drew back about to declare she had not,in any situation. It was just, something about the way he said "Be honest." it was almost hypnotic. A way to make somepony be honest. Trixie slumped forward and lowered her head, looking to the floor. "...yes..." Golden Heart sighed and his pencil wrote out a few sentences. He looked at her with a solemn, yet compassionate expression. "When was the last time you had these thoughts?" He asked his voice displaying a tone of concern. "Last night and most of yesterday." Trixie admitted, still slumped over. Golden Heart reached out at first. His natural instinct as a gentlecolt was to comfort the clearly upset mare before him. He at first hesitated to comfort her with his reaching out, but countered this and gently put his hoof on her shoulder. Trixie looked up to meet his eyes and weakly smiled. "Th-thank you, Mr. Gold." Trixie said with her weak smile showing her appreciation of his actions. "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Golden Heart said. "I believe you making your way to my doorstep was miracle for you an I. You kept your life....I made a friend." He said with a hopeful and happy facial expression. "As soon as your capable, I'll help you with what every single personal, or financial problems you may have." "Trixie....can not think of any way to thank you, other than...." Trixie said this quickly and quietly. After 'than' she leaned forward in an instant and kissed Golden Heart on the lips. He, at first, accepted the kiss happily, then his normal mindset came back and he broke away from her. He looked at the smiling blue mare in his bed. His face showed his embarrassment and confusion and even a little astonishment. "That was.....unprofessional of me." he admitted bashfully rubbing the back of his head. "Oh please, I felt a little tongue there. You enjoyed it. If you let her, Trixie would rock your world." Trixie said putting as much possible lure as she could put in her body language, tone of voice, and expression. "Sometimes, it just takes a kiss." She looked at the photos on the dresser again and felt the embarrassment Gold felt. "You're married aren't you?" "No, Trixie, not anymore. Now I'm just.....me." Golden Heart said looking at the same photos Trixie was looking at. "Divorce?" Trixie asked. "No. Death. She...........everypony was puzzled by this......but she caught smallpox. We quarentined her, I did everything in my power to fight with her. I studied Smallpox more than one could imagine. Had dreams or nightmares, made a few major breakthroughs that could,on a less severe case, save a life, if it were to ever happen again." "I'm-I'm so sorry. You poor dear, you do need Trixie." Trixie said placing her hoof on his. Golden Heart smiled. "My daughter would probably agree with you on that." He said. "She thinks I spend a bit too much time looking at old photos and delving deep into my work. She's been pushing me to get back onto the dating scene." "As soon as Trixie feels capable again, she will treat you to a date!" Trixie declared to him, her words gave him some hope. ___________ Later that day. "Trixie! I finished your cape." Golden Heart said coming into the bedroom where Trixie was reading one of his many mystery novels from his bookshelf. She looked up from it and displayed her happiness for this. "Excellent!" She had donned her hat once again and would now, with the help of Golden Heart, don her cape again. "Looks good." Gold said with a smile. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is back!" "Not until she has a normal body fat level again." > 3-"Mom." > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Dad! Where's the cereal!?" Trixie and Golden Heart heard the Spring Dancer call her father from the kitchen. Trixie eyed him curiously. " 'Dad'? You're a father?" Trixie asked. "Oh...yeah, about that." Golden Heart walked towards the door. He opened it and called to his daughter. "Spring, honey come here, now!" Within a few moments of time passed before she came to the room, bowl of cereal following her. "Yeah, D-." She paused instantly, took a second of silence to process what she was seeing. "Who's this? Wait don't tell me...she's the pony that was on our door step, right?" Golden Heart saw Trixie's facial expression change to a depressed semi-slouch. Gold gave Spring Dancer a glare, she got the message. "This..." Gold began. "...is Trixie." He looked to Trixie "Trixie, this is my..daughter: Spring Dancer. " "Pleasure." Trixie said weakly sitting up and holding out a hoof. "Umm...pleasure to me you too?" Spring Dancer said shaking Trixie's hoof. "No I meant, it's a pleasure for you to meet me." Trixie stated. Gold took a second to comprehend the egotism in what Trixie had just said and then covered for her. Mostly to make sure his daughter didn't think Trixie was a jerk. (Which she kinda was.) "Very funny, Trixie." He stated with a laugh. Covering for her. He shot her a slight look of agitation. She got the message. Be polite! Your making a first impression on my daughter! Spring Dancer gave a lowly sounding chuckle. She looked at her father. "Is she umm....staying for a while?" "Probably quite some time, dear. She's still roughly forty pounds off of a normal body fat level." Gold looked at Trixie and smiled. He began to get up to leave. "Alright you two, I have work today. Spring, you do whatever Trixie says. She's in charge until I get back." Spring Dancer and Trixie exchanged glances. One a bit nervous the other a smile. ____________ "So you want your Dad to move on?" Trixie said sipping the tea. "Yes. It's like he's still trying to bring her back sometimes. I was there watching as she....passed. It was awful, they had her in a big plastic room. Everypony but her was wearing bio-hazard gear. Dad and her were talking. Even through the suit's face screen thing I could see him crying. He didn't want to let her go, but I saw it her eyes she knew her time was up. She had Dad turn on the intercom between the plastic room and everypony outside and said 'I love you both so much'. Just those last words have haunted me. Dad as soon as her breathing stopped, he didn't hesitate. Her eyes stared into his. Dead. He jumped up and began doing everything he could. He tried CPR. At one point he had ripped off his helmet and was about to give her mouth to mouth when the other doctors had come and pulled him off her. I remember hearing him scream over the intercom. Just the tears.....and all the fear and denial in his voice. He wanted to think he could save her." Spring Dancer said through a few tears of her own. "The last words I heard from him before they sent to decontamination was 'I can save her! Let me go or I'll kill each one of you to save her!'. It took five doctors and 4 nurses to pry him out of that plastic room. Even then he had broken a few legs of some of the doctors and stabbed one of the nurses with a scalpel. Luckily they restrained him and got him to decontamination quick enough. After all that.....he was vegetable for a few weeks. Always either crying or muttering about what he should have done. I remember going down into the basement to find him just staring at the many reports and papers. Either crossing out things and writing in what he should have done or administered. Finally he snapped out of it a week or so ago when he picked up scotch. Although drinking is just......a temporary solution. It's the solution he uses when he just can't take it." Trixie was tearing up but trying to hold in her sorrow for Golden Heart, he seemed almost over it all. Maybe he wasn't. Maybe Trixie reminded him or her in some way? She pondered this for some time, Gold didn't seem like a depressed alcoholic or workaholic. Maybe it was her. Maybe he was actually trying to fill a void. She understood his scotch usage, it's definitely the last friend when you're suffering inside. Trixie had dabbled with it whenever she either stole it or bought it. Hmm...this is......I must think about this.... Trixie thought as she and Spring Dancer continued talking about other topics. Since the previously talked about subject made Spring Dancer cry. > 4- "Pee" > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "How's this?" Gold asked as he Trixie lightly sipped the soup. It was a corn based soup, with little bits of tomato and carrot mixed in. "Yes, that is of perfect taste." Trixie said after tasting the spoonful then licking her lips. "Good." Gold said leaving the bowl on the side table of his bed for whenever she liked. "Work was long tonight. We were low on nurses because many of them came down a flu. I had to sub as a nurse with another surgeon. " "Really? That must've been hard. Taking a temporary step down to be an assistant, that is." Trixie said trying to sound polite but coming off slightly rude. Gold laughed. "Not really. I was a male nurse for nearly six years while I was in med school. I'm quite used to the duties." He said witha light laugh. He was either blind to rudeness or simply ignored it and continued caring for his 'patient.'. He checked Trixie's pillow while she gently ate the soup he had prepared. Gold fluffed the pillow a bit, his bed wasn't the most comfy but it was alright as long as the pillows were checked from time to time. "Nots really not necessary, Gold. You've been more than hospitable. to Tr-... I mean me." Trixie said smiling as the two of them met eyes. "Well if you need anything just call out for me or my daughter. I can get you some peanut butter crackers, if you like?" Gold offered getting ready to leave the bedroom. "Maybe later, Tri- I will want some peanut butter crackers. The soup should hold me over for the time, however." Trixie said with a smile. "Please just go relax, I am fine." Gold smiled at Trixie. "Fine I'll be reading just down the hall. I might turn on some music so call my daughter if I don't respond." He left the door to the bedroom open. Then walked to his study, down the hall, he opened the door and closed it right behind him. Once in the study Gold walked along the wood floors, scanning the bookshelves that lined his study's walls. He was looking at the spine of each book, reading the title in an instant then looking onto the next until one caught his eye. It was an old mystery novel he had bought many years ago but never got around to reading. It was some story about a butler being framed for a murder of his employer. He sat down, put on his small reading glasses (which weren't completely necessary but improved the length by which he could read) with the reading glasses on he opened the book to page one and began reading The first chapter was vaguely boring. Just introducing the main characters and giving the reader an idea of their personalities. The main butler was a quiet collective stallion. He held his emotions inward and tried to restrict outward emotional outbursts. His employer was a- "Gold!?" It was Trixie's voice that took him out of his trance with the novel. She sounded as if she was in distress. Gold rushed out of the study and into the bedroom. He saw Trixie laying sprawled out on the floor beside the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked as he came over quickly and started to help her up. Trixie's hat had fallen a few feet away, Gold grabbed that with a magical aura and as he helped her to the bed put it on himself for the time. He laid Trixie on her back right on the bed then pulled the covers up to her neck and set the hat on the side table. "I-I am fine. I forgot that I was so weak still." Trixie said as she caught her breath. "I-I got up to-to pee and my legs felt completely useless. Like balancing an building on twigs. I still need to pee but I think I may require assistance." Gold had never expected Trixie to want to pee. He wasn't prepared to help a female guest urinate in his home bathrooms. Trixie was a bit larger than Spring Dancer, so Spring Dancer wouldn't be able to help her onto the toilet. Gold would have to help her to the toiler... "You need to help me to the bathroom. Your daughter wouldn't be able to support me." Trixie stated, showing incredible levels of uncomfortably. "Oh this should be fun." Gold said with as much sarcasm as he could muster. "Let's get this over with." Gold said with a frown. _______________________________________________________ "Let us never speak of this again." Trixie said as Gold laid her down in the bed once again. The urination had gone well, Gold helped Trixie into the bathroom and onto the toilet. Where, once she was on the toilet Trixie became overwhelmed with dizziness and required Gold to keep her ON the toilet. This constant physical contact made Gold uncomfortable, Trixie seemed uneasy but other than that alright. Once she had finished her urination Gold let her clean off her girl-parts then helped her off the bathroom and back to the bed as quickly as possible. "Agreed." Gold said then yawning afterwards. "I am pooped. Between you, work, and just now I could use some sleep." He began to move to a small two cousin couch between bookshelves in the room. "Wait." Trixie called. "This is your home, your bedroom, your bed. Come this bed can hold two." Trixie said patting the other side of the bed. "I'll sleep with my back to you to avoid an awkward moments." Gold smiled faintly then approached the other side of the bed. "Fine. I hate that little couch any how." He joked as he climbed on the bed and beneath the covers.