"Merry Christmas, sweetie"
>you gently rouse Trixie from her sleep, cup of coffee in hand
>"mmfph... Daddy, what time is it...?" your groggy teenage daughter asks as she wakes herself up
>"it's about 8:45 or so. Wanted to do this earlier, but decided I should let you sleep in a bit. Winter break and all that."
>You are Anonymous Lulamoon, and this is a very important day for you.
>This is the last Christmas you'll get to spend with your daughter Trixie before she's off to college
>Soon, she'll be out of the house for good
>So you want to enjoy every last little moment with her while she's still here
"Merry Christmas, Sweetie"
>"Merry Christmas, Daddy" Trixie replies, giving you a quick peck on the cheek
"What would you like for breakfast? I'll make you anything you want."
>Trixie's eyes light up
>"Anything?"
"Anything, dear."
>"Pancakes!"
"Peanut Butter pancakes"
>"You know Trixie so well" She beams
"Okay sweetie, I'll let you know when they're ready/"
>"Thank you Daddy!"
---
>you swear you've never seen someone eat so many pancakes in one sitting you think to yourself as you watch your daughter begin gathering your Christmas presents
>Enjoying the smile on her face as you alternate between opening them Trixie lets out an excited squeal as she unwraps a book
>"A signed copy of Florid Illusionist's biography?! This is amazing! How'd you find one?"
"Well Trix, it wasn't easy..."
>or cheap.
"...but nothing that could stop a determined father from getting his little girl the perfect Christmas gift."
>You aren't going to be eating much for a few months
>Trixie wraps her arms around and buries her face in your chest
>You can feel wet spots on your shirt
>"Daddy, you're the best..." She sighs
>your father senses tingle
"...something up, Trixie?"
>She climbs up into your lap
>oh boy, this is going to hurt your wallet
>"...You do know that you're the best Daddy in the world, right?"
>Step one, buttering you up
"I try, but I'm sure I'm not THE best in the world."
(con't)
---
>"Please, don't be so modest." Trixie frowns, "It doesn't suit you."
"Okay, okay sweetheart. So, what's on your mind?"
>You can feel her body begin to shake a bit
"Th-there is s-something I've b-been wanting for a-awhile... Promise you won't judge me?"
>Step two, bargaining
"I promise sweetie."
>"T-this isn't some s-spur of the moment thing you can just b-buy!"
>She's really nervous
>Must have been dwelling on this for some time
"...I'm not going to kill someone, Trixie"
>She pulls away from you, flabbergasted
>"D-Daddy! I don't want you to kill people!"
"Sorry sweetie, just trying to lighten the mood."
>Trixie pouts for a moment then rests her head on your shoulder before letting out another sigh
>This is... unprecedented.
>She's dropped her Third person schtick completely
"Trixie, sweetie, you know you're the most important thing in my life... and that you can ask me for anything and I'll do anything in my power to make it happen, right?"
>Trixie looks up at you
>Her face is slightly flushed
>"...A-Anything?"
"Anything."
>neither of you speak for what feels like forever, before Trixie finally breaks the silence
"...the only thing that would make this Christmas perfect for me..."
>She shifts her body, putting her hands on your shoulders and her legs over yours
>This is unprecedented. She must want a sports-
>Your thought process is interrupted as Trixie kisses you deeply, her tongue swirling around in your mouth
>This...
>This is not a kiss a daughter gives her father.
>Time seems to slow down until she finally breaks the kiss
"...T-Trixie?"
>"...is to wake up in your arms tomorrow."
>You are Anonymous Lulamoon, and on the last christmas you'll spend with your daughter, she's just asked you to fuck her.
---
"A..are you feeling okay?"
>Suddenly, Trixie's expression changes
>The reality of what she's just done has hit harder than a freight train
>Tears start welling in her eyes
>"N-no, I... I didn't m-mean to"
>She jumps off you and runs away, crying
>"I-I'M SORRY!"
"T-Trixie, wait!"
>You can hear her run to room and slam her door
>Then the sounds of hysterical sobbing
>The father in you says you should go comfort her
>but that just might make things worse
>You don't know what'll happen if you try to go in there
>You... You should probably leave the house for a little while.
>get some fresh air
>clear your mind
>You think this will all blow over
>...you hope...
---
>After god knows how long, you pull into the parking lot of the local mall
>and just... sit there.
>in silence
>You sigh as you reach for your wallet and pull out a picture
>of your deceased wife
>Trixie's mother
"...I'm glad you're not here to see this, dear."
>You slide the picture back into your wallet
"...I just wish I knew where I went wrong..."
>What should've been an important Christmas for you is now one of the worst days in your life.
>You look around and spot lights in the distance
>There's a restaurant actually open in there.
>You hope they serve beer, because you need it right now.
>A lot of it.
----
>"...could I speak to you privately, Mr. Lulamoon?"
>The Doctor's got a look on his face that screams "bad news"
"Sure thing Doc. Trixie, Daddy's going to go talk to the doctor, but He'll be right back."
>You look down at your confused young daughter
>"O-Okay Daddy..."
"Can you be good and wait here?"
>She nods
"That's my my girl."
>You give her a kiss on her forehead and leave the waiting room, walking out of earshot
"...it's bad, isn't it Doctor?"
>"I'm afraid so. Your wife's condition has only gotten worse since you checked her in 2 weeks ago"
"How bad is it?"
>The doctor sighs
>"I'm afraid she won't make it through the weekend. You and your daughter should start saying your goodbyes."
---
>You slowly chew on your christmas dinner
>A pint of light beer and a plate of sushi
>Normally, This would be an excellent meal
>But You're literally the only customer in the restaurant, staffed by two high school girls and the biggest, burliest dude you've ever seen not wearing a wrestling mask
>And you still feel awful, and the beer's just making you wish there was someone to talk to.
>The big guy is behind the counter, showing a short haired girl what you assume is the delicate art of sushi preparation
>You're not entirely sure how well it's going
>Both of them are completely silent, with statuesque looks on their faces as they work save for the occasional grunt
>Your waitress, a red-haired girl, is relieved there's another person here
>"Another Beer, Sir?" She asks as she takes away your pint glass
"Please... Also, do you mind if I ask you a question?"
>"um, sure."
"What's a girl like you doing working on Christmas?"
>Your waitress sighs
>"Well, I don't have any family here, I'm getting overtime, and if anyone were to try something, our sushi chef, Fist Rockjaw, is here to protect us."
>The Chef looks up as he hears his name, making eye contact
>...and without breaking said contact, brings his cleaver down with extra force, as if to say "Don't try anything"
>You're going to switch to water soon
"You... don't have any family here?"
>"...it's a long story I'd rather not share the details of."
>She lets out a sad sigh
"I'm sorry to hear that. Me, well..."
>...are you really going to explain that you're here because your daughter solicited you for sex?
"...I got in a big fight with my daughter, and it uh... got heated."
>Close enough.
>"Oh... I'm sorry to hear that."
"The last Christmas I have with her before she goes to college, I-I just wanted it to be special."
>"Well, what about her mother?"
"She's... not with us. We've only got each other, which only makes this worse."
>"Has it always been this bad?"
---
"I... I don't know, She was always a good kid, kinda eccentric but this... just came out of nowhere, and who knows how long this has been stewing inside her a-and I just.."
>You drop your face into your hands
"...just ask myself where I went wrong."
>You feel the waitress place a comforting hand on your shoulder for a moment
>Then you hear her gasp and pull her hand away
>Everyone snaps to attention as the waitress tries to collect herself
>"S-Sorry guys, I... I'm fine, just remembered a dumb fight I had with my parents a long time ago, no biggie."
>Even in your slightly inebriated state, your father senses are tingling slightly
"Y-You okay?"
>She takes a deep breath
>"*Ahem*... Yes, I think I'm good now. Uh, do you mind if I... ask about your daughter? Like, what you're willing to share?"
"...No, I guess I don't mind. I.. met her mom when we both in college. She was this... beautiful, intelligent, kind-hearted woman and I... was this awkward DnD playing dork. Which she didn't seem to mind. I think she saw something in me I didn't know about."
>At this point, Chef Rockjaw and his apprentice decided to join their co-worker to listen to your story
"...So, to make a long story short, we had a whirlwind romance, finished college, got married and had a little girl. Things weren't the best, but hey, we had each other and that was good enough."
>You swallow hard
"...then one day, before our daughter went into kindergarten, my wife got sick and ended up in the hospital. Everyday, her condition got worse and my daughter would ask me "When's mommy going to come home?" and I... just.. didn't know how to answer her. Then one day... we visited my wife, and when we were done, my wife... went to sleep."
>a few sniffles can be heard as you pause to take a drink
"It's not easy looking someone you love, it's even harder when you have to explain death to a preschooler who barely knows anything about the world."
---
>"Well, what about her grandparents? Surely they helped you out once your wife got sick."
"They did what they could, but both sets of grandparents live out of state. After the funeral, they cut contact, blaming me for my wife's illness."
>"They blamed you for your wife getting sick? Why?"
"Well, Miss..."
>"Shimmer, Sunset Shimmer."
>Sunset Shimmer? sounds kinda familiar. You decide to make a note of it.
"That's a nice name. I think they felt helpless watching their daughter slip away, and that anxiety turned to anger towards me. Which was fine, I had this small child terrified of me going away like her mom did, and that was more important."
>Everyone nods in agreement
>"So, I'd try reading her Fairy tales and I quickly learned that was a bad idea. Then, one day I find some of my old DnD stuff, and I get an idea. I get in contact with some of my college buddies, and scrap together a new story... I can still remember the way her eyes lit up when I told her the hero was a wizard."
>Sunset's eyes perk up
>"Did this... spark an interest in magic?"
"Sure did. She'd sit there in awe as I'd tell tale after tale of the great wizard "Cytaz DrakeWeaver" and his companions. Then one day, I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up."
>"What did she say?"
>You can feel a big, cheesy grin creep across your face as you remember Trixie's words
"...I wanna be a wizard, Daddy!"
---
>Everyone lets out an aww as you finish
>"ohmygosh, that's adorable!"
"Yeah, when She learned that Wizards weren't real, a Magician was the next best thing. Still, I think she hung on to that dream. It was about this time I learned she had a bully at school, so I said to her that if she was scared or nervous, just pretend she was a wizard. And it worked!"
>You pause for another drink
"...A little too well. When I'd drop her off at school She'd suddenly start referring to herself as "The Great and Powerful Trixie"
>You noticed Sunset's eyes practically grew to the size of dinner plates
>"...The Great and Powerful Trixie?!"
"Oh, do you know her?"
>"Oh, I know OF her, but please, continue!"
>...Father senses are tingling, but regardless you oblige
"One day, I get a phone call from her teacher, saying she had gotten into a fight and I needed to pick her up. So, I get to her school and asked 'Hey, what happened?' and apparently Her Bully dared her to try something and She shouted something and punched her. I was like 'Alright, Trixie, what did you say? And you know what she says?"
>Everyone hmms in anticipation
"I said, 'I cast Fist!' and then I hit her. Can you believe a one-liner like that from a 5 year old? I was mad, but amazed at the same time! Next Day as I'm dropping her off at school and I see this rainbow haired girl with a shiner and realize "oh fuck, I hope her parents aren't around", but they were."
>You shrug
"We were all apologetic about the situation, and we ended up getting along pretty well. Can't say the same about our kids though..."
>You let out a relieved sigh
"...Sorry to dump all of this on you guys."
>Sunset shrugs
>"You remind me a lot of my dad, back during better days. Before I ended up being... alone."
>...Alone?
>Alone.
>FUCK
>You start patting your pockets in a panic
"I-I forgot my cell phone! I need to get home! Wait, I need to pay! I-"
>oh yeah, You've been drinking for awhile
"-shouldn't be driving."
>You pull out your wallet
>but you don't have enough cash for a cab
"Do you have an ATM? a-and a phone I can borrow?"
>"ATM's in the lobby, and You can borrow the store phone to call a taxi."
"...And the men's room?"
>"In the hall near the ATM, first door on the right."
"Sweet, Here's my card, I'll be back to sign in a flash."
---
Sunset's eyes boggle as she reads the credit card reciept
>"A-are... you sure you want to give a tip this big, Mr. Lulamoon?"
"Least I could do after you guys listened to me for so long and letting me borrow your phone. Besides, it's Christmas."
>You dial your house phone and wait nervously
>...and get the machine.
>fuck.
>You dial Trixie's cellphone
>...and get a response
>"Hello?"
"Trixie, it's-"
>"You have reached THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE! Please your name and number so she can get back to you, mortal!"
>*beep*
"Trixie, it's Your Father, I'm sorry I left home without saying anything, I just... just wanted you to have some space to calm down, a-and I lost track of the time, but I'll be home as soon as the cab gets here! I just hope you haven't done anything rash!"
>You hung up the phone and drop your head into your hands again
>You're even more panicked than you were before
>"...Chef Rockjaw, do you mind if I make a phone call? I-I think I need to talk to my dad."
>You can hear the chef's assistant walk away, and the Chef approach you
>Then you feel a massive hand grasp your shoulder
>You look to see Rockjaw pull something out of his shirt pocket and hand it to you
>It's a photo of the Chef at an amusement park
>Standing next to a girl, probably half your daughter's age
>And they are both wearing the biggest, cheesiest smiles you've ever seen
"...That's a cute photo."
>He smiles as you hand the picture back to him
>"You cab's here, get home safe Mr. Wizard."
---
>You take a deep breathe as you approach your front door
>You slowly turn the doorknob and step inside
>...It's dark.
>And quiet.
>You search your home quietly, hoping for the best
>And find Trixie on the couch
>Asleep, thankfully
>As you get closer, you can tell her face is covered in tear stains, like she had been crying for a long time
>And that she's clutching your cell phone and an empty bottle of vodka
>Where'd she get that?
>How full was it when she started drinking?
>For all you know, a Genie could've appeared out of thin air and given it to her
>Or one of her friends.
>...Not important
>You take your daughter into your arms and carry her towards your room
>You've got a hangover to take care of
>And a master bathroom helps a lot.
---
>You are Sunset Shimmer
>You are tired, physically and mentally
>What started as a Christmas shift, with overtime pay, ended with you listening to the ramblings of a stressed out Father.
>And worse, your mind-reading power went off
>You wish you had someone you could talk to right now.
>...wonder if Twilight's awake
>You grab your journal and a pen
Hey Twilight, are you awake?
>Surprisingly, you get a response moments later
>(Sunset, Happy Hearth's Warming!)
Happy Hearth's Warming to you. Do you have time to chat?
>(Sure Thing! What's on your mind?)
Well, do you remember this world's Trixie?
>(Yes, I remember her.)
>You could could practically see the scowl on Twilight's face
I met her dad tonight while I was working, I guess they got into a big fight earlier, and He was giving her some space to calm down. I went to reassure him and I ended up seeing something I wasn't prepared for,
>(What did you see?)
I saw Trixie's Mother pass away.
>(That's horrible. Was Trixie there?)
No, it was just Her dad, holding her hand until the very end. Wishing that She could be for her first day of school. to see her grow up. But She assured him that she knew he would do the best job he could.
>(A Mother's intuition?)
Then she said she felt tired, and closed her eyes. And that's when she was gone, and I was snapped back.
>(I'm sorry you had to see that, but I know it's not going to be the last time this happens.)
I'm aware, it's just the whole night made me miss my parents. I remember how proud they were when I was accepted by Princess Celestia to be her pupil. And how I let my desire for power get me banished.
>(I could contact them)
Thank You, but I'm going to decline for the time being. I'm very tired.
>(I understand. You should get some rest.)
Thanks for listening, Twilight. Tell Starlight I said hello.
>(Will do. Good Night, Sunset.)
Goodnight, Twilight.
>You close the journal and set it back on your nightstand
>Sleep sounds so nice right now.
>So does having someone there for you.
>Someone to tell you how proud they are of you
>How far you've come
>A father, like Trixie has.
>That would be nice.
>...Are your nipples hard?
>No, you're just tired.
>Time to get some sleep.
---
>You are Anonymous Lulamoon and you wish you'd gotten more sleep
>But it's hard to sleep when you're worrying about your daughter
>Bottles of water on the nightstand, next to some aspirin
>A bucket next to the bed
>In case she can't make it to the toilet
>You took the time to put her hair in a bun
>And you've got the room as dark as possible
>You're not going anywhere until she wakes up
>"...mmm....ngh..."
>Speak of the devil
>"Trixie's everything hurts..."
"That's what happens when you down a bottle of cheap vodka."
>"D-Daddy!?"
"I'm right here, pumpkin."
>"Daddy, I'm sorry I-"
"Shhh.... we'll worry about that later. Right now you should be taking the aspirin on the table next to you. There's also an eyemask in the drawer if it gets too bright."
>You can tell she's trying not to cry as she takes her medicine
>In more than one way, even
"If you need to throw up and you can't make it to the toilet, there's a bucket next to the bed."
>You give Trixie a peck on the forehead as she pulls the mask down over her eyes
"I'm going to go to Canterlot Mall to pick up the car, if you wake up before I get back, let me know, I'm not leaving without my phone this time."
>Trixie utters what you can only assume is an affirmative response
"We'll need to have a talk later, but just focus on feeling better for now."
>You grab a few things and take one last look at Trixie before you close your bedroom behind you
>...well, you guess this is what she asked for... sort of?
----
>Warm clothes? Check.
>Cellphone? Check.
>Keys? Check.
>Wallet? Check.
>Comfy shoes? Check.
>Cellphone? Double check.
>You think you've got everything you need, but there's only one way to find out.
>You should probably go over the events of the last day or so.
>So, yesterday was Christmas, which was a big deal for you because next year Trixie's off to college.
>Everything was going great
>Then Trixie said she wanted to sleep with you
>She panicked, and ran off crying
>You, not wanting to make things worse, decided to leave,
>Without your cellphone.
>You ended up at a sushi resturant, telling stories about Trixie to two high school girls and a guy who could stare down an angry bear.
>...who was also a father himself.
>Trixie, left panicked, barely coherent messages on your cellphone until she presumably found it and consumed enough vodka to make her pass out.
>You wonder where she got that.
>And what else she might hiding.
>You start to wonder if wanting to jump your bones is the least destructive thing She's into.
>Or if she'd end up like Sunset...
>Alone.
>...You can't let that happen.
>Speaking of Sunset
>You hope she's doing okay.
>Oh.
>Good.
>You forgot that it was the day after Christmas
>The Mall parking lot is full of cars and people trying to get a good spot.
>At least your car hasn't been towed.
>Fucking Boxing Day.
---
When you left home, you were worried.
>Now you're irritated.
>Finally, you've made it home.
>You hope Trixie is okay.
>She'll need to eat when she wakes up
>...come to think of it, you haven't had anything since you got up.
>A sandwich should fix that.
>...A bacon sandwich.
>With eggs.
>And cheese.
----
>Several hours later, Night has fallen
>Still no sign of Trixie.
>You should check on her.
>"...mmm..."
>Nevermind.
"How are you feeling, pumpkin?"
>"...Not great."
"Better than this morning?"
>"...I guess?"
"Let's get you some eggs."
>You start cracking some eggs into a pan as Trixie takes a seat at the table
>In your peripheral vision, you catch Trixie rubbing her face
"You should get used to that feeling, you're going to college soon."
>"Trixie will do no such thing."
"Smart, I had to learn that lesson the hard way."
>You place a large pile of scrambled eggs on a plate and place them in front of your daughter
>"...Just eggs, dad?"
"One of the best foods for a hangover, trust me."
>You decide to pop a few pieces of bread in the toaster and fetch a glass of cranberry juice
"So, Trixie.. do you remember me saying we needed to have a talk?"
>She nods reluctantly as you place the glass of cranberry juice in front of her
>You feel like you just walked into an interrogation room to grill a perp as you take a seat at the other end of the kitchen table.
"...Good. Let's start with your hangover. Where'd you get that vodka?"
>"...One of my bandmates stole it from her parents liquor cabinet and asked me to hide it for her..."
"How full was it when you started drinking it?"
>"...about 60% full, I think."
"Anything else you're hiding for your friends right now?"
>"...Not that I can think of."
>Her face shrivels as she takes a sip of juice
>"Ugh, Dad, this is way too tart. Is there anything else?"
"I'd give you some Miso Soup if I had any, so how often are you hiding things?"
>She doesn't answer
"Now's a good time to be honest, Trixie."
>"...It depends on what I'm asked to hide. I won't take things like pills or things like that."
>Great, there's drugs going around campus
>...though that does explain how that story of a girl turning into a demon and trying to burn the school down took off.
"You realize this means I have to start searching your room, right?"
>"...Yes."
>There's a moment of silence
>You know this is about to get extra awkward.
"So... about your feelings. Can you tell me when you started feeling this?"
>Trixie lets out a small sigh
>"...My 8th birthday. When you told me that you were Cytaz DrakeWeaver, I started to look at you differently. You weren't just my father, you were also my hero."
>You can see a small smile form on her face
>"...I remember sometimes I'd stay and listen to you talk to your girlfriends that would come over and think to myself how nice it would be to start dating, to find someone."
>Her smile fades
>"...Then I started dating. Boys my age were like primates who had just discovered their dicks, and every week there was a new rumor about a couple at school or in the news."
"Well, were there any Celebs you liked? Musicians? like, that guy from that one boy band you liked? Dulcet Tones was it?"
>"Him? Lovely voice, but He always came off as a scuzball in interviews."
"Well, what's that one guy you started listening to? the guy with the big poofy hair and black makeup?"
"...Dad, I haven't listened to Gothic Vibrato in years. Besides, He's an alcoholic who's in and out of rehab."
"Well, what about Florid Illusionist?
>"Dad, Florid Illusionist is not someone I aspire to be with, He's someone I aspire to be GREATER than.
>...oh.
>"Anyway, I think it was sometime after your last relationship ended that I realized that it wasn't just any connection I wanted..."
>You can see your daughter blush a little
>"...It was a specific connection.... with you. You always treated me like your princess... Then one day that wasn't good enough. I wanted to be your queen."
>...Goddamn.
>You have no idea how to respond to that.
>"I told myself to wait until I became an adult before I tried to tell you, but then..."
>Trixie begins to tear up
>"We were having such a nice Christmas, but I got so caught up in what I really wanted that I...! B-Before I-I realized it, I was in your lap, t-then I panicked! I was s-so scared you'd be be taken away s-so when I couldn't f-find I.."
>She begins to sob uncontrollably
>You get up wrap your arms around her, letting Trixie bury her face in your chest
>She was scared of you being taken away
>So when she thought you were gone for good...
"Trixie... I'm not going anywhere."
>It takes a few moments, but Trixie manages collect herself a bit
>"Y...You're not?"
"No. Not now, not ever."
>Trixie gives you a smile
>"...Thank you Daddy."
"And hey, now that I know what kind of guys you like, I don't have to worry about you bringing home Snips or Snails."
>"EWW! Dad, no! Just...No!"
>You chuckle
"Sorry Sweetie, just trying to lighten the mood. It's been a stressful couple of days. We should probably take a vacation soon.
>"...Yeah, that sounds nice."
>There's a bit of relief in her voice as she speaks
>"We haven't been to the beach in a while."
"Could go to Las Pegasus and see Florid Illusionist perform."
>"We could."
>You get the feeling she doesn't mind where you guys go
>As long as she gets to be with you.
>You think about how long she's been hanging on to those feelings.
>You may not return Trixie's feelings, not now
>Or ever.
>You're certain of one thing
>You weren't lying when you told her you weren't going anywhere.
"Hey Trix... Wanna see if there's a good Christmas movie on TV?"
>"Yeah, just let me finish my eggs."
>Wait a sec...
"...Oh yeah, I was making some toast. Well, at least I have an excuse to make myself another bacon sandwich."
>"Ooh, that sounds good. With like, eggs and cheese!"
>Yep, that's your kid alright.