As the bundle she was carrying tumbled to the floor, the blue unicorn looked up with anger alight in her eyes.

"Why don't you watch where you're-" she began in fury, only to notice who exactly she'd bumped into.

The familiar, grungy-purple stallion, dressed in jeans, a sweater, and a long coat stood before her, expression just hard as her's became upon eye contact.

"Oh," she said in utter disgust. "It's you."

"Yeah, don't sound too happy to see me, Trix," Dusk sighed, crossing his arms and rolling his eyes as Trixie used her magic to pick her books back up. "What're you still doing in Canterlot? I thought last year's clean-up initiative chased all the rats out of the city?"

"No, I'm here to feed on rotting carcasses," Trixie snapped back. "Just like that dead and gone school initiative you set up that fell apart in two semesters. How much of a waste of tax money was that again?"

"About as much of a waste of money as anyone paying to see your shows," Dusk shrugged. "Oh wait, that's nobody anymore, because you got run out of show-biz by a younger mare who actually knows how to do more tricks than fireworks."

The hatred between the two of them boiled as always, fury and disgust in their eyes...

Only for it to fizzle and die, like an oil lamp cut off from it's fuel source. The light dropped out, the anger melting away like morning frost in the sun. Trixie's shoulders dropped, a heavy sigh pouring from her lungs as she looked away from him. She looked tired, large bags under her eyes, her skin looking nowhere near as healthy as it once had. Her mane was ragged and knotted, clothing unpressed and slightly dirty.

She looked like she'd been living rough, or something close to it, for a good while now. Gone was the successful touring magical act that drew in crowds and fortunes, and in her place... a tired, old mare still getting into fights with him. Oh, as if he was any better, though? He was grown, mentally-mature enough to know better... and here he was, bullying and spitting venom at someone he'd been feuding with for over twenty years because of a petty need to be better.

"What are you staring at?" she snarled, getting his attention again.

"Where are you staying?" he asked in a warmer tone.

"Nowhere you're allowed to come anywhere near," she spat.

"I'm being serious, here," Dusk reaffirmed.

Trixie's muzzled furrowed for a brief moment, eyes darting sideways in a disgruntled fashion, clearly weighing up whether or not to tell him. She sighed loudly, in a depressed and desperate manner, before begrudgingly admitting her situation.

"At a hostel," she divulged.

Dusk's eyes widened briefly, the shock as clear on his face as the blue sky above them, something Trixie noticed.

"Don't look at me like that," she growled. "It's not... it's not my fault."

"What happened?" Dusk asked in complete confusion. "You never used to be a millionaire, but... but you had enough to get by."

"Yeah, well we can't always fall into princehood, dickhead!" Trixie barked. "Some of us have to make risky decisions to get by in life... and sometimes they don't always work out. But I had a plan."

"Do... are you still doing okay otherwise?" Dusk asked. "You can eat enough? Nobody's... forcing anything out of you?"

"I... what are you..." she began, face one of confusion before snapping back to anger. "What the fuck's it got to do with you? You thin I'm just gonna tell you everything that's gone wrong in my life so you can waltz back to your castle and laugh at me?"

"I feel... like a petty, stupid, twenty-year old beef over who can use magic better doesn't really matter all that much when somebody might be in danger," Dusk said in a calm, clear voice.

"I'm not... I'm not in danger," she glowered, her voice betraying her face as it shook and trembled. "I'm just not having the best run of... y'know what? Fuck you. I don't need to tell you anything."

"I'd like you to, if I'm honest," Dusk said slowly. "You look like someone who really needs to just... vent."

"And I can find a thousand better people with a thousand better brands of alcohol than you, Dusk," she snarled.

"So how about a drink, then?" Dusk offered. "Food and drink, somewhere nice?"

Trixie's face dropped for a long moment, unsure of what to say or how to look, eyeing every inch of Dusk's body and head to detect any hint of malice or sarcasm in his voice, anything she could see that would prove him a liar.

"My treat?" he continued.

"Who... who the fuck do you think you are?" she asked in a furious tone, eyes lighting up with anger. "After twenty years of... of you humiliating me, berating me, and insulting me, do you really think I'm gonna let you swoop in like some fucking saviour and whisk me away on some date to prove that you're the bigger, better pony and to show off how much better you've got it?"

"That's not what I'm going for at all," he shrugged. "Way I see it, petty rivalry ain't worth letting somebody suffer and the five minutes of satisfaction I may get from seeing you ruined and penniless sure as shit isn't gonna be worth the lifetime of regret I'm gonna feel if you turn up dead in two weeks after I could've done something to help you."

"Oh, yeah, because you're such a fucking messiah, aren't you?" she hissed. "Perfect Prince Dusk, always being the one to solve everyone else's problems and never letting them think for themselves."

"Trixie, c'mon. Even if you don't wanna talk to me, the idea of proper food has to be something you like, right?" Dusk asked. "I'll sit in complete fucking silence for the entire time you're there and let you eat and drink whatever your heart desires. I just can't bear the thought of you suffering any longer than you have to when... when I could do something about it."

"I..." she began, eyes screwing shut in conflict before rocketing open again, turning her nose up at the offer. "I can't. Don't have a dress to wear, don't have my mane done, and can't afford to do either. I'm not going to a high-class restaurant unless I'm presentable."

"Alright then, fine," Dusk said, digging around in his pocket for his wallet.

"What the fuck do you think you're-" she began, only to fall silent as Dusk slid a black card out of the wallet and held it out for her.

"Zero-Four-Five-One."

"Is... is that..." Trixie began.

"My debit card," Dusk nodded with a smile. "Personal debit card."

Trixie stared down at it in disbelief, questions and worries whirling through her mind as the seconds went past, before looking back up at Dusk.

"Why are you giving this to me?" she asked.

"So you can go get your mane done and get something nice to wear," he answered.

"You're fucking joking, right?" she asked.

"No, I'm quite serious," he responded. "I'd go and buy what you needed for you, but I don't know what dress you want and I can't really get your mane done without, y'know, you being there."

"You're trusting me with... you do realise I could take this thing out of your hand, take all of the money out of your account, and then fuck of to Saddle Arabia for the rest of my life?" Trixie demanded. "I wouldn't trust a close friend with this kind of shit, never mind me. I fucking hate you and have literally no qualms with ruining your life."

"I know. You could do all of those things and leave me in a restaurant by myself as a flat-broke moron," Dusk shrugged. "But... I'd like to think that you're better than that."

Trixie looked down at the card once more, focusing on the exclusive card linked to a bank account that no-doubt had millions attached to it. Her grin widened, snatching the card out of Dusk's hand and turning tail, waving sarcastically at him as she headed off.

"Yeah, see you at dinner, loverboy," she cackled, blowing him a kiss.

Once done, she darted around the corner and took off sprinting, giddily screaming to herself as she finally had her meal ticket back to exactly where she wanted to be. Luxury houses, expensive alcohol, diamond jewellery, and whatever else was on that fucking idiot's card. She still couldn't believe it, giving his card and his pin number to someone who had done nothing but try to actively ruin his career since the day they'd met.

She skidded around a curve, making fast tracks to the nearest cash machine to withdraw whatever she needed for her first shopping spree, desperate and eager to get her life of luxury back. Finding one of the machines right outside the district, she slammed the card into the slot and thumbed in the number. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull at the sheer number of zeroes on the display, enough to buy her own private island and still enough to build a castle on it.

Played like an absolute sucker, Dusk. Should've known better than to trust someone who only ever looks out for themselves. She thumbed in the amount she wanted to withdraw, just enough to get a new home and a few hundred dresses, and readied to his the enter button.

But as she brought her hand down, her eyes landed her left hand, noticing the small scar on her ring finger from where... where he'd taken the ring off her.

After he told her he didn't need her anymore.

And that he'd successfully taken everything she'd worked so hard to build...

Because she'd trusted him.

A knot formed in her throat, bad memories flooding her from head to toe as she screwed her eyes shut. She'd trusted somebody once, she'd had her happiness and she'd had her plan... only for that bastard to use her like a cheap tissue and throw her aside once he was done. She'd trusted him with her livelihood, every bit she'd ever earned, just like Dusk had to her. He'd stolen everything she had, legally and all, and threw her out in the cold. It was why she was here, why she even needed to steal from someone else who had more than she did.

She hovered her hand over the enter button, all that money a single button push away from being hers. He'd never find her. Yeah, he'd probably be able to trace the machine she withdrew from, but if she was smart enough to use small amounts of cash to get far away without leaving a large paper trail, he'd stand no chance at finding her.

She could leave him in the dirt with all of her riches after he was stupid enough to trust her...

Just like what had happened to her...

He was a prince, though. Even if she took all of his money, Celestia or whatever other royal skank he was still bouncing on the knee of would give it all back to him. He'd lose nothing and she'd gain everything. No harm, no foul. Easy as that.

...

Except that didn't make it any better, or her any different from him.

She balled her hand into a fist, twitching with anxiety and anger at herself, Dusk, and the world around her. She deserved all of this money more than Dusk did. She'd bust her ass for over twenty five years in show business and had fucking nothing to show for it. She was entitled to at least three million of this money because that was how it should've gone before she got fucked over herself.

"I'd like to think you're better than that."

The words echoed in her head, bringing so much more weight and pain to her than anything she thought could've at this point. Was she better than that? Didn't seem like it, as she was about to rob a trusting stallion blind of everything he'd ever earned solely because he had the money and the trust in her to do so.

Goodwill and being nice didn't pay her bills, by her food, or wash her, though, did it? He was stupid enough to trust her, and he needs to learn to now better.

Or maybe... maybe he already knew better. Maybe this was exactly what he'd expected to happen? What if this was all a final scheme he came up with the second he laid eyes on her to fuck her over one last time? He trusts her, she exploits it, and he cracks down with lawmen from all over the country, has her thrown in prison for the rest of her life, and he gets to lord about like he's superior to her in every way. That's exactly what this was about. Making himself look better yet a-fucking-gain.

...

Except you're the one about to rob him blind and he's the one that trusted you to be fair with the gift he gave you. Does he really need to prove he's better by tricking you into getting yourself arrested? Even if it's a honeypot designed to trap you, you're still about to commit the crime. Dusk didn't commit a crime by giving you his card. He performed a good deed and you... you'd still do it even if it wasn't a trap, wouldn't you?

The only reason you're considering not doing it anymore is because you're afraid you'll get caught and sent to prison for it. Not committing a crime out of fear of punishment doesn't make you a good person, it just makes you a criminal who also happens to be a coward. You've spent two decades claiming how much better you are than Dusk, how grand, and kind, and amazing you and your talents are.

And yet, once again, here you are about to rob a stallion blind for the sole crime of being able to afford it. 'The circumstances don't make the man, they reveal him'. You weren't turned into a criminal or a thief by the place you found yourself in. You always were one, but just never needed to be one because you always had everything you needed.

Now that the chips are down, life is hard, and you're not on top anymore... what are you gonna be? What are you anyway? This, right here and right now, proves if you're the great, omnipotent, symbol of perfection you've always claimed to be... or if you're just another lying scumbag who'll lie and steal just to benefit themselves.

"I'd like to think you're better than that."

His words and her own tormented thoughts continued to eat away at her, her long-dead conscience finally coming back from the grave to slap her across the face and tell her to get her shit straight. She slammed her hands down onto the cash machine, growling loudly in frustration, sadness, and regret, before violently slamming the cancel button enough times to have the machine spit out Dusk's card.

"Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you," she snarled under her breath as she ripped the card from the machine and stuffed it in her pocket. "Fuck you and your stupid fucking guilt trip and your cunty fucking people skills, you purple-maned, sweater-wearing, faggot prick!"

With that, she stormed off to the nearest salon to get her mane done, all the while wondering what dress would look best with what shoes.

Dusk opened the door to his castle to see Trixie standing there... more-than prettied-up. Her aquamarine was back to the perfect state it had been all those years ago, trimmed and styled, thick and soft, and beautiful from root to tip. Her eyes had that sparkle back in them, brilliant and beautiful, and the sleek, form-hugging blue evening dress she wore was eye-catching in all the right ways, especially as it curved over her wide hips and back over her enormous-

"Blink, motherfucker, or else you'll go blind," she said, crossing her evening-glove-clad arms over one another.

"You look beautiful," he responded in a soft, genuinely-impressed tone.

"I know," she said, her voice dripping with confidence.

Good old Trixie, back on form.

She dug into the purse hang over her elbow, handing Dusk his card back with a small smirk on her lips.

"It's a bit less valuable than it was four hours ago, but I think it's better off that way," she said.

"Why's that?" Dusk asked as he took the card back, placing it back inside his wallet before tucking that away.

"Because it went towards making me look this good," she winked, placing a hand on her cocked hips and sticking the tip of her tongue out. "And that's worth all the money in the world."

"I would be inclined to agree," Dusk nodded, visually devouring every perfect curve and feminine endowment the beautiful unicorn had to offer.

"Alright then, what are you going to be wearing?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow. "I'll have you know that if it's anything less than pristine and classy, I'm going to beat you with my shoe."

"You have me shaking in my boots," Dusk chuckled, stepping back from the doorway and inviting her inside.

Trixie shook her head, thumbing over her shoulder back towards the city and glowering at him.

"Uh-uh, sugar," she stated. "You've got me for a dinner date. I'm not stepping a fucking foot inside your little den, not matter how much you pay me."

"Alright, fair enough," Dusk sighed, rolling his eyes as he snapped his fingers.

A brief flash of light replaced his well-worn clothing with a much snazzier, much more expensive-looking tuxedo that barely looked broken in.

"First time you've got to use that in a while?" she snarked. "What's wrong, nobody willing to drag you around on their hip?"

"Only one nasty little skank who does nothing but run her mouth off ever said yes," he bemoaned in a sarcastic tone. "But on the plus side, she does look lovely in the dress I paid for."

"Eh-ha," Trixie spat, curling her muzzle up in disgust. "Let's get going before you bore me anymore."

The blue mare waited naught but a moment before asking for the wine menu, quickly ordering the most expensive thing on it and pouring herself a glass. She was the epitome of sophistication once again, garbed in an expensive dressed, her mane styled by Canterlot's finest, and currently dining in the city's most illustrious restaurant. It would be sacrilege to not ingest the most extravagant thing on the menu... even if it wasn't with her own money.

"So, how'd you end up in a hostel?" Dusk asked, leaning back in his chair as the sound of elegant string music filled the air.

Trixie shot him a vicious glare, not wanting her poor living to be brought up in such a scenario as the one they found themselves in. Dusk rolled his eyes, still waiting for the response.

"It... it was unintentional, I'll admit," she sighed after giving in and answering.

"And here I thought a mare like you would've moved into the poorhouse voluntarily," he said, taking a sip from his own glass of purse-emptying wine.

"As smart as usual for you, then," she said with a haughty sigh, downing the rest of her glass and pouring another one. "No... it was a failed business venture with my... with somebody else."

She fell silent for a long moment, eyes staring down into nothing, memories of a painful and bitter time resurging, opening old wounds once again.

"Husband?" Dusk asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Trixie's eyes darted up again, looking the purple stallion over with confusion.

"How did you..." she began before trailing off.

"When you grabbed my card earlier, I noticed scar tissue on your ring finger," he said, glancing down to her fingerless-gloved hand, even though the scar still wasn't visible. "Shows something was removed from their pretty violently. Also the way you worded it, 'my' instead of 'a', gave me the feeling it was somebody close to you. The emotional response afterwards, sadness and vitriol, showed it was something that went sour in more ways than just business."

Trixie blinked blankly at the stallion, unable to comprehend how well he'd put all that together.

"So, putting all that together, I'm guessing it was a failed attempt to start a business with a husband... followed by a marriage that fell apart," Dusk concluded. "Violently, judging from the scar on your finger."

"It wasn't..." she began, pursing her lips and inhaling briefly. "It wasn't a failed business. It was a very successful one... for him."

"Ah," Dusk nodded slowly. "Set it up and ran off without you?"

"Am I really that predictable?" she pouted.

"Moreso unfortunate," Dusk shrugged. "What happened?"

"I poured every fucking bit I'd earned in my life into setting up the infrastructure for this company; a supply depot of sorts for magic shows and all that nonsense. Even signed the trademark of 'The Great and Powerful Trixie' over to it to give it a little more corporate protection, y'know?" she explained, leaning forwards on the table, eyes distant and lost. "Only thing was, I had a criminal record, from a spat between you and I. Couldn't put my name down on anything, both for legal reasons and because I would be poison for investors to associate with..."

She trailed off, fingers clenching tightly into a trembling fist as she remembered the experience, memories and sting feeling fresh as ever.

"And when the thing took off... the bastard divorced me, took the company, and left me with nothing," Trixie snarled. "Couldn't get any venue to book me under my real name because of my record, couldn't legally use my Great and Powerful title without getting sued into my grave... not only that, but my darling husband ran quite the nifty smear campaign against me in the showbiz world, claiming I was adulterous, disloyal, and only got with him in an attempt to get more famous."

Dusk was silent, eyes warm and comforting as Trixie looked deep into them, fighting to hold back tears as she spoke.

"And... here we are. A real story of rags to riches and back to even worse rags than before," she huffed, leaning back and crossing her arms. "What's your sob story, then? Guy like you's gotta have one or two by now."

Dusk nodded slowly, fingers fidgeting with themselves as he rested his hand on the table, leaning back in his chair and staring off into nothing.

"I buried my parents last year," he said slowly, nodding as he spoke. "Older brother, too. Dad died protecting a little kid from some drunken nutcase. Stabbed him in he heart... dead before he even got to the hospital. Mom couldn't seem to take the stress of the loss at her age... heart attack did her in not sixth months later..."

Trixie's jaw nearly hit the floor as Dusk spoke, the tension in his jaw and his fingers showing a kind of anger she'd never once seen on the stallion, not in twenty years of taunts, assaults, and verbal attacks had she ever seen him this furious.

"Shining... Equestria's been sticking it's nose in foreign affairs, sending a few platoons overseas to help with training other military. Not to fight... just to help them with weapon and combat drills... didn't hurt anyone," Dusk continued, looking to be on the verge of tears himself. "But, uh, insurgents don't really care about why you're working with the enemy. They just want you dead anyway. Base he was stationed at got raided by quite a lot of them. Did everything he could to get as many people out... stayed behind and bolted a door to prevent them from getting through..."

His voice cracked as he spoke, betraying the storm of emotions raging inside him.

"Didn't work out too well," he finished, downing the rest of his wine glass and growling quietly. "It never goes right for any of us, does it? This life shit? Can you imagine the first time we'd butted heads that we'd be here twenty-two years later?"

"No... not even in the slightest," Trixie sighed, drinking from her glass once more, downing a large amount as an attempt to numb the pain. "I always imagined I'd be a billionaire by now. Appearances on talk shows, opening hospitals, kissing babies. Be someone the public new and adored until the day I dropped off the planet."

"And I was always sure that when I became an Alicorn, I'd become strong enough to never let anyone I cared about get hurt," Dusk nodded along, staring at the palm of his hand as he spoke. "Can move mountains, part oceans, and walk right through lava... and all of that was completely worthless when it came to saving people I cared about."

"Life got away from both of us..." Trixie glowered, staring in utter despair at the table between the two of them. "And I always thought you'd be the worst thing I'd have to look at."

"Same here... but, not entirely," Dusk shrugged.

"And what does that mean?" she inquired.

"You were always pleasant to look at," he chuckled. "Even if I wanted to strangle you every time you opened your mouth."

"I wish I could say the same about you," she shrugged, filling her half-full wine glass up once more and taking another large drink, feeling the tingle of alcohol as it poured down her throat. "If we're getting all sentimental, we're gonna need more than one of these."

"Agreed," Dusk nodded, raising his hand to signal a passing waitress. "You decided what you want yet?"

"Do they sell the sweet embrace of death here?" Trixie bemoaned.

"No, that's Digourno's on the other side of the district," Dusk said in just as flat a tone. "The men special here is a crippling alcohol addiction that comes with a crippling price-tag."

"Oh boy, my favourite," Trixie muttered, straightening up as the waitress arrived.

"And what can I get the happy couple?" she said in a clear, happy tone.

"Can we get another bottle of the good stuff-" Dusk requested, tapping the bottle of wine on the table before turning to Trixie. "And what do you want, my darling?"

"I'll take the signature fettuccine, please," she answered with a nod and smile, turning to Dusk. "And what about you, my love?"

"I'll take the house spaghetti with grated mozzarella, thank you," Dusk said with a polite nod.

"Got it," the waitress smiled, scribbling the order down on her notepad. "I'll be right back with your drinks."

The waitress turned and hurried away back to the kitchen, leaving Dusk and Trixie alone once more, and for the blue mare to turn to the purple stallion with utter disgust in her eyes.

"'My darling'?" she queried in a furious tone.

"I'm as surprised as I am proud you went along with that for the sake of appearances," Dusk smirked behind a mouthful of wine. "The you from twenty years ago would've stood up on the table and given an entire speech to the restaurant about how above me you were and how dare I insinuate that you'd associate yourself with me."

"Indeed I would," she nodded.

"And you'd constantly refer to yourself in the third person," Dusk said with a sigh. "Which was really fucking annoying."

"It was a branding thing," she pouted. "I had an image to uphold."

"You sold tickets by coming across an an egotistical asshole who was lucky she was born a mare or else her hopes and dreams would've shrivelled up and died because she'd have been too preoccupied fellating herself to do anything else?" Dusk asked in a flat tone.

"I..." Trixie began, blinking for several seconds before shrugging in agreement. "Honestly, you're probably right. The concept of auto-fellatio is one that would make it so I didn't have to socialise."

"Believe me, it's not all it's cracked up to be," Dusk admitted. "It's more work than it is pleasure."

"And how do you know that?" Trixie asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"Because I'm a flexible, well-endowed, and previously-lonely stallion," Dusk said in an obvious tone. "Did it all the time when I was around fifteen or so. Haven't done it since I moved proper to Ponyville."

"Speaking of which; how's your love-life going?" Trixie asked, eager to move on. "Any cheating harlots or slutty groupies eager to be disappointed by your tiny dick?"

"Moreso the latter than anything else," Dusk shrugged. "I pretty much became a lecturer full-time by the age of thirty, and you'd be surprised at how hot under the collar groups of college girls get during physics lectures."

"Are you fucking with me?" Trixie asked in disbelief.

"I'm completely serious," Dusk said with a firm nod of his head. "I ended up spending most of my Friday nights from the ages of twenty four to thirty two nuts-deep in some eighteen year-old college girl eager to get it on with her hot professor."

"And what was that like as an experience?" Trixie queried.

"Hollow and unfulfilling," Dusk sighed. "There's only so many flavours of 'pussy with no emotional attachment' you can sample before you get sick of all of them."

"Speaking of getting sick of bitches; what about that little friendship group you used to have?" Trixie asked. "Where'd they end up?"

"We all walked different paths. Mine brought me back to Canterlot, their's took em other places," Dusk answered, scratching the back of his head. "Rarity ended up franchising and moving out to Las Pegasus, Pinkie works at a mental health clinic for people with depression and suicidal tendencies, Rainbow's a coach and a presenter on some sport's show after she retired," Dusk listed off.

He paused for a brief moment, clearly unable to recall a certain piece of information as he spoke.

"Fluttershy's a veterinarian that works out in... fuck, I can't remember where off the top of my head. Applejack ended up settling down and growing a few more branches on the family tree in Ponyville, but that's to be expected. You'd have an easier time uprooting a mountain than you would those guys," he shrugged.

"Huh... you ever fuck any of them?" Trixie asked, not really all that interested.

"All of them. A lot over the years," Dusk nodded. "Nothing ever came of it, though. They either settled down with other people or stayed free and wild."

"The latter's more preferable, really," Trixie shrugged. "Less bitchy in-laws."

"Amongst other things," Dusk nodded. "So what about you? How's your sex life chugging along?"

The conversation was interrupted briefly by the arrival of food and drink, the exchange of pleasantries being given before returning to the lewd subject.

"Dusk, I'm a forty-three year old mare," Trixie sighed. "I've been off the market from lack of interest from both parties. Nobody wants me, and I don't want anybody either."

"Shit, I can tell you for a fact that you're wrong there," Dusk smirked. "If you think there's no horny little stallion out there who dreams of ploughing an older woman who's held themselves together even half as well as you have, you're not on the same planet I am. Fuck, I was one of them back in the day."

"You're weird," Trixie said in disgust. "What the hell is meant to be sexy about getting old and saggy?"

"Experience, mostly," Dusk answered. "I've fucked a lot of college girls and I've also fucked a lot of single mothers in their mid-forties that have come to see about those college girls, and let me tell you, those older mares will turn tricks on you in ways you'd never thought possible."

"So basically you're just telling me I should go lesbian and get a mommy fetish?" Trixie questioned, tucking into her food and regularly sipping at her drink.

"Basically, yes," Dusk chuckled, also joining Trixie in engaging in food.

"So..." Trixie began. "It's safe to say neither of us have won any awards for our miserable existences?"

"Looks that way," Dusk shrugged. "Seems like that's yet another thing we have in common."

"What was the other thing?" she questioned.

"Our legs both look really good in a skirt."

"And we know mine would look better."

"So long as I'm not in the room."

"You wouldn't have the nicest legs in the room even if you were by yourself in a table store."

"Ouch, my pride," Dusk sighed, downing another mouthful of his drink and turning his eyes back to Trixie. "So, what else have you been up to? What do you do for work?"

"Odd-jobs, mostly," she shrugged in a bemused fashion. "Turns out being a former wizarding wonder doesn't really do all that much for you without some kind of degree behind it."

"Surely being a world-famous wizarding-wonder would draw crowds?" Dusk asked in a confused tone. "Nobody asking you to give speeches or teach?"

"Criminal record, remember?" Trixie sighed. "No decent school's gonna hire me because I've got a rap-sheet. I'm out of all kinds of luck in that regard, I'm afraid."

"Well, maybe I could hire you for something?" Dusk offered, raising an eyebrow. "You still know a good few things about magic, and I've always got room for a research partner."

"I... that doesn't really sound like..." Trixie began, fiery pride winding up and getting ready to go off before she sat and thought about it for a moment.

She'd already taken handouts from him. Already sat on a pity-date of some kind. He was offering her what would likely be a permanent job should she do it properly... it would definitely pay better than the warehouse or factory work she'd been doing so far. Her eyes dropped low to the table, feeling the squirming irritation of being carried starting to make her fingers twitch... but at the same time it was being patted down by a need to afford proper lodgings, good food, and stuff to keep herself clean with.

"I hate you," she growled as she looked back up at him again.

"Whatever for?" he smiled, as polite as always.

"Because you're dumb," she answered, glaring daggers once again before nodding slowly. "And what exactly would you have me doing as a research partner?"

"Oh, just the usual things. Helping me set up and clean up experiments, recording data, keeping track and stock of the materials used and-or gained from the experiments," Dusk listed off, counting each one on his finger as he spoke. "We will have to go over a few basic safety courses and proper qualifications, but it's barely more than a three hour lecture and a few sheets of paper you need to circle the right answer for afterwards. Sound like something you're interested in?"

"I... I guess," she shrugged, downing the rest of her glass and refilling it again, now beginning to feel the haze of alcohol washing over her.

"Careful you don't end up killing yourself with that," Dusk pointed out.

"You're hardly one to talk," Trixie said with a pointed finger. "You're starting to sound a bit like a lush yourself, boy."

"So, you're interested in the job?" Dusk smiled, a drunken flush starting to appear on his own cheeks.

"More details," she said with a rolling wave of her hand. "I wanna know how much it pays."

Dusk rolled his eyes with a chuckle, going into detail on the specifics of how he'd worked with his other partners and exactly what salary they'd been on. The two continued to eat and drink as the night went on, downing more and more wine and even needing a third bottle between the two of them. By the end of it, the two of them were heartily buzzed and ready to head home for the evening, agreeing to meet up the next morning so Trixie could start her induction.

Dusk paid the bill and walked towards the door with Trixie, the blue mare wobbling a bit as she walked. Dusk put an arm around her to steady her stumbling, at which point Trixie leaned against his shoulder and put the entirety of her weight on him.

"You alright there?" Dusk asked, looking down at the bemused-looking unicorn.

Her muzzled was furrowed, eyes angry, and face radiating an entire ocean of displeasure on it.

"What's the matter with you?" he questioned in confusion.

"Alcohol... makes me frisky," she mumbled.

"Oh," came the response.

"Y-You're not allowed to tell anyone if you say yes, and I'll hang you up by your balls if I hear even so much as a rumour about it, but..." Trixie said, eyes turning up to Dusk's. "Can I come back to your place?"

"Are you sure?" he smirked.

"I... look, we're both adults here, both tired of the arguing and fighting..." she said, pushing herself up on her feet proper again and crossing her arms. "You said you wanted to get along proper... what's a more adult way to get along than this?"

"Is that... is that your reason or your excuse to use me as a sex toy?" Dusk asked.

"Does it really matter?" Trixie growled. "You still get to fuck me either way."

"You're still acting very mean for a mare that's trying to be seductive," Dusk blinked.

"I'm very mean," she said with a cold stare. "Look, do you wanna do this or not?"

"I suppose it means I won't have to come get you tomorrow morning," Dusk shrugged. "Alright, fair enough. Casual sex it is, then."

With a snap of his fingers, the two returned to his bedroom, the darkness of the room alleviated by the moonlight streaming in through the open curtains. Trixie pressed herself against Dusk, planting her lips on him and having her arms find their way around his neck.

Dusk gently gripped her wide waist, the heat of her body radiating through her thin dress as she slid her tongue into his mouth, a crackling taste coursing over his mouth as the buxom blue beauty pushed him towards the bed. She was taking charge, as obvious as that was, and used her magic to strip him down to the bare flesh. She stepped back slightly, roughly shoving the taller pony down onto the bed and using her own blast of magic to remove her clothing.

Dusk's eyes locked onto her exposed form, marvelling at the beautiful condition a mare of her age had kept herself in. Large full breasts resting just above her flat, toned stomach, attached to wide, birthing hips with thick, juicy thighs looking almost good enough to eat.

"Feel free to start drooling," she grinned cockily, flicking her mane over her shoulder with her hand. "It'll help with what you're about to do next."

"And what exactly am I-" Dusk began, only for a magical binding to appear around his arms and legs that pinned him to the bed. "Hey!"

"Oh, hush, boy," Trixie chuckled as she crawled over him, planting her face right on the tip of his muzzle and gentle grinding her rapidly-wetting cunt against his maw. "You should be honoured I'm letting you breathe air next to a cunt as good as mine."

Dusk's tongue lolled out, almost on instinct as the scent of pussy rolled over his nostrils. The flat of his tongue lapped at her lower lips, stealing a shuddering groan from the unicorn as she clapped her hands to Dusk's head.

"That bastard ex-husband of mine wasn't much of a licker," Trixie moaned, cheeks flushing red with arousal. "You're gonna make up for that real quick."

"My pleasure," Dusk smirked, slapping his hands to Trixie's thick ass and sinking his fingers into the thick flesh.

"No," she smirked. "Mine."

With that, she began to smother Dusk with her cunt, grinding her now-soaked lips against his experienced tongue, allowing it to push past her folds and deep inside her. Shivers ran from head to toe, eyes rolling back slightly as her breath became heavy and hard. Dusk was good, showing years of experience combined with a natural talent he honed over the possibly hundreds of times he'd been in this situation.

Her hips grinded circles against his maw, his tongue as deep inside her tight folds as it could go, flexing and curling against every sensitive nerve she had. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled over her, each change in his rhythm or movement sending a shot of pleasure she wasn't prepared for, her breath jumping and a moan pouring from her mouth each time it caught her off-guard.

"Somebody's a good little colt, aren't they?" Trixie teased. "Knows exactly where they're supposed to be and how they're supposed to work there."

Dusk didn't answer, instead dragging his finger under her thick, blooming tail and gently rubbing the tight entrance to her tighter ass. Trixie's breath caught in her throat, the surprise touch hitting a pleasure button for her as she ran her fingers through Dusk's thick mane.

"Naughty, aren't we?" she giggled. "You mind giving that a sweet little kiss once we're done here?"

Dusk nodded as best he could with a grown mare sat on his face, still hungrily devouring her delicious little cunt with trained restraint and oh-so-obvious interest. Trixie had a taste he'd be wanting for the rest of his life after this, and easily ranked up there in the top ten nicest pussies he'd ever eaten so far.

Trixie was a quick shot, it more than seemed like, as in less than ten minutes of tongue-strokes, the squeeing little mare was at her limit, cumming hard and fast on Dusk's tongue and flooding his maw with her delicious taste. With that done and dusted, Dusk used his own magic to effortlessly shattered Trixie's restraints, bouncing off him and onto her hands and knees. With a snap of his fingers, he conjured up a pole between her ankles that forced her legs to spread and hand restraints that kept her locked in place, before finally using magic to pin her tail over her back.

"Fuck..." Dusk grinned, slapping Trixie on her cutie mark and getting an almost-orgasm inducing jiggle from her blue cheek. "Don't you just look delicious."

"I thought I was supposed to be in charge here?" Trixie barked, turning around as best she could with front locked in place.

"Then you thought wrong, dearie," Dusk smirked, burying his face between her ass cheeks and lapping at her tight back end.

Trixie's entire body shot forward, head launching up with a loud, satisfied moan as Dusk's tongue slathered her asshole with spit, the warm, relaxing rhythm and the soothing sensation over such a sensitive part of her body made her shiver for three solid seconds.

Her head was soon resting on her arms, low down and relaxed, as she swayed her ass back and forth, grinding it against Dusk's hungry maw.

"Does our gorgeous little magician take it up the ass like a good mare?" Dusk asked after a moment.

"Are you kidding me?" she giggled. "It's my signature disappearing act."

"You think you can make something this big disappear?" Dusk asked, pressing the head of his fifteen inch, forearm-thick cock against Trixie's slicked asshole.

Her eyes widened in as much shock as they did amazement, the feeling of a battering ram pressed against her asshole being almost intimidating, even for a mare like her.

"Well... maybe we might wanna save this for the final act, right?" she chuckled nervously.

"I'm thinking... no," Dusk shrugged.

"Alright, fair enough," Trixie sighed, rolling her eyes. "Let's just split me in half as the show-opener."

"Good girl," Dusk smirked, lining himself up and ramming deep inside her.

Trixie felt as if the tip of his cock had just hit the back of her skull, a loud, almost-echoing roar of pleasure tearing from her throat as Dusk hilted his destroyer of a cock inside her asshole. Words failed her and she almost forgot how to breathe for a moment, dick as long and as thick as this not being something she'd experienced in over a decade.

Dusk's hands were on her hips, gripping those wide, baby-bearing bones as tightly as he could before getting a rut going inside the tight, gorgeous magician. Trixie was flat on her face, eyes rolled deep into her skull and tongue hanging out of her mouth. She was drooling, unwillingly the entire time, a puddle onto the bed as she felt herself losing her mind.

It became difficult to think clearly, feeling as if her brain had melted and poured out of her ears as the pleasure rushed over her. Her fingers dug into the bedsheets, pulling and tugging at them through instinct and nothing else. The sound and the sensation of Dusk's strong, trained hips hitting against her ass with a loud clap, his balls slapping against her dripping cunt as more of her excitement continued to spill down her thick, straining thighs was driving her wild with pleasure.

Her voice seemed to break, cracking and squeaking as she begged for him to go faster, to fuck her harder and harder than she'd ever been fucked before. She knew he could do it. It was the only time in her entire life she believed Dusk was better at something than anyone else. He may have been an idiot when it came to matters of magic, but the boy knew how to fuck, that much was obvious.

He draped his body over hers, pounding his cock deep inside her tight cove. His arms wrapped around her head, tugging it back and stealing another moan from her as he hammered her insides over and over again. She could feel herself drooling down her chin, eyes glazed over and unable to focus on anything except the feeling of pleasure in her body and the warm, soothing sensation of Dusk's larger form pressed up against hers.

It brought as much comfort as it did ecstasy to the desperate mare, feeling her ass clench up while, at the same time, the rest of her body relaxed from his touch. She hated herself for even feeling like she enjoyed his presence... but there was time for reputations later. Now, all the wanted was some hot sex and a good cuddle.

And the dipshit seemed to be doing well enough at that so far.

"Trix!" Dusk barked, jaw tightening and eyes screwing shut as he slammed home deep inside her one final time, blowing his thick load as far into her as it would go.

She felt the hot fluid fill her insides, a rush of warmth and content spilling over her entire body as she threw her head back and moaned. Her lust was driving her crazy as Dusk pulled out, spilling his load down her thighs and staining the bed sheets once again. She wasn't done though...

She needed a taste.

She broke her own restraints with a brief splash of magic, rolling out from underneath Dusk and righting her position. She lay with her head aimed at his crotch, mouth wide open, and a desperate finger pointing to her wet, steaming gullet.

"Fuck it!" she ordered. "Fuck my tight, slut throat right now!"

Dusk wasted no time with the order, propping himself up, placing his hands on her shoulders, and ramming his enormous cock as deep down Trixie's angelic throat as it would go. She choked on it at first, spluttering loudly onto his cock before Dusk got going. His hips went into overdrive once again, Trixie's blue lips going keeping taut and tight around his monster length, slurping and sucking loudly as Dusk fucked her mouth.

"Just what I'd expect from a mare who does nothing but run her mouth off," Dusk smirked. "It's well-trained and receptive, isn't it?"

She responded with nothing else other than a middle finger, soon losing herself once again to the powerful sensation of such a large, musky object slamming down her throat. Dusk's enormous balls slapped against her muzzle again and again, drowning her nose in his sweaty, masculine scent. The strong stallion leaned into his thrusts, putting every inch he could to hard work as he fucked her gullet. Over and over again, he slammed in and out, sending tremors through Trixie's body with each continuous shot.

The blue mare was lost in wonderland yet again, enjoying herself in the bedroom for the first time in who-knows how long. Her breathing was strained, eyes glazing over once again as the powerful, pounding rhythm of the purple stallion's mighty hips pounded her nearly through the bed itself.

Dusk's teeth gritted once again, eyes screwing shut and a powerful whinny escaped his lungs as he locked his hips in place and came down Trixie's throat, filling her stomach good and proper before pulling out and cumming the last of his load on her face.

"Did that get in my fucking mane?" she asked in a furious manner before even wiping her mouth.

"Maybe," Dusk shrugged. "No worries, though. I heard it works really well for strengthening your roots."

"I just spent over five hundred bits getting my mane done!" she barked, getting back onto her knees as she cleaned up her face, eyes alight with annoyance.

"I mean... technically I spent over five hundred bits getting your mane done," Dusk pointed out. "So I think I'm allowed to cum in it as much as I want."

"I'll break you in half," Trixie snarled, getting a chuckle from Dusk.

"Now, now, you're ruining the mood," he smiled.

"You're ruining my mood," Trixie sighed, lying down on her back and spreading her legs. "And don't pull out. I like the way it feels."

"You got something up your sleeve to prevent something being up your womb?" Dusk asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Trixie snapped her fingers quickly and a small, silvery marking appeared just above her crotch.

"Ah, the contraceptive seal," he nodded. "A classic."

"Will you hurry up?" she asked.

"Am I not allowed to enjoy the view?" he questioned.

"Give you a view of the back of my hand..." she muttered in annoyance.

Dusk leaned down, kissing her gently on the neck and getting a soft moan from the mare. He placed his hands against her chest, gently squeezing her large, supple breasts between his fingers as he continued to slick her neck with his tongue.

"Any reason you're turning on the romance at the last hurdle?" she asked.

"Because you deserve it," he said in a soft tone. "Now, relax. I'm gonna make you feel good."

"First time for everything," she sniggered, leaning back against the bed as Dusk lined himself up against her entrance.

He pushed in slowly, stretching her to her very limit as inch after inch tunnelled inside her. She was tight, warm, and welcoming as they got, wrapping around his cock in an almost-airtight level of squeezing that stole a groan from the purple stallion before he'd even hilted himself inside her. She took more and more of his length, easily allowing the stallion to fit it all in her deepest reaches before coming to a halt.

"You feel incredible," he growled under his breath, kissing the underside of her neck.

"Always have," Trixie groaned. "You don't feel too bad yourself, kid."

Her breath was stolen from her yet again as he got his hips moving, slow, hard thrusts hitting deep inside her, making her body shake with each shot. The two locked eyes, the first time they'd done so since they'd begun, and felt a strange sense of calmness wash over the two of them. A blush spilled onto Trixie's cheeks as she attempted to look away, but a strong hand from Dusk guided her gaze back to his.

Neither spoke, neither seemingly wanted to either, as the silence seemed to speak words for them. Dusk's hands slid down her body, gripping her slender, toned stomach and rubbing his thumbs against the muscle. This gained a very unattractive purr from Trixie, something she cut off as soon as she realised she was doing it and tried to hide the fact it had happen. Unsuccessfully, however, as Dusk chuckled quietly as soon as she did it.

She cuffed him around the back of the head in annoyance, this gesture being returned with a powerful thrust that got yet another loud and rather unflattering growl of pleasure out of the buxom mare.

"I hate you," she snarled.

"You know you love it," Dusk smirked, hugging her close to his body and kicking up the rhythm.

Trixie clutched at his warm body, feeling the pounding of his heart against her chest in both a calming and arousing manner. She hadn't been this close to anyone for a long time... nor had she been held as affectionately as this for even longer. A broken marriage, years alone, and a burning hatred for the world around her had left the magical mare with little time and even less desire to be intimate.

She had to admit... she'd missed contact like this.

Be it rapturous pleasure, the waves of lust and delight rolling over her time and time again with each stroke of Dusk's strong, experienced hips, or the simple, soul-warming pleasure of someone willing to be close to you, Trixie only now realised how starved she was for it.

Her arms locked around his shoulders, chin resting on his collarbone as he continued to plough her harder and harder. The sturdy bed kept from squeaking, but the impacts still caused it to shake. It rocked back and forth with each powerful shot from the stallion, every inch of his thick cock plunging deeper and deeper inside the tight, almost-desperate mare.

She bit down on her bottom lip, almost hard enough to draw blood, as another series of shudders rocked her from head to toe, her extremities curling up and digging in, fingernails nearly scraping the skin of Dusk's back as she rode her pleasure high all the way to orgasm.

The purple stallion didn't seem too far behind in that regard either, the strokes of his hips becoming faster than before, hitting into her with much more force until three final, powerful slams signalled that he was cumming. He locked into place, firing his load deep into Trixie's womb, the azure mare trembling in orgasmic bliss as Dusk remained locked against her until he was done and she was good and full.

He pulled out of her soaking quim, sitting on his haunches as he looked down at her sweaty, well-fucked form. Trixie blushed once again, eyes refusing to meet Dusk's until he poked her on the tip of her muzzle, confusing her with his actions.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Annoying you," he responded.

"I've noticed that," she growled. "Why are you annoying me?"

"Because I've discovered that getting you mad at me is a great way of getting your attention," he grinned widely. "You also have a really nice pussy. I thought I'd mention that before we pack in for the night."

"I... thank you," she said with a hefty sigh, getting up onto her elbows and looking down at her cum-stuffed cunt. "I feel like I'm going to be sore tomorrow."

"I do tend to have that effect on people," Dusk nodded proudly.

"What, that being around you causes physical pain?" she snarked.

Dusk sniggered, wiping the sweat from his brow as he looked out into the moon-lit sky visible through the window. Trixie dropped her head back onto the pillow, staring at the warm, homey ceiling of the bedroom and letting her mind wander. The bed she lay in was much nicer than hers, sheets were cleaner, the pillow didn't feel like crushed bricks whenever she lay down on them.

The place seemed to have heating as well, so it wasn't just a fridge every time she walked inside it. Probably wouldn't have to sleep fully clothed for once that night...

That night.

"Dusk?" Trixie asked quietly.

"Yes?" he responded, turning his eyes back down to the beautiful mare beneath him.

"Do you have any rooms in here to lodge?" she questioned. "It's a big palace... you've gotta have a closet or a broom cupboard you'll let me stay in, right?"

"I've got more than a few guest rooms dotted about here and there," Dusk shrugged, shifting over to the side of the bed and getting to his feet.

He stretched his back out, yawning loudly before scratching his chin, turning back to Trixie with a cocked eyebrow.

"You got any preferences in mind?" he asked.

"Just somewhere that's warm, comfortable, and I can have all to myself," Trixie said, sitting up properly. "I don't really have much money to put down onto a deposit for rent... but if you want, you could maybe take it out of the wage you're gonna pay me for working here... or..."

"Or?" Dusk inquired.

"We could... we could keep fucking?" she said with a wave of her hand. "I'm not against the idea of that for a few weeks... or however long you make me do it to pay off some rent."

"Trix, is there any possibility that you're just eager for more sex and are trying to hide it?" he asked.

"Not at all," she said with a defiant shake of her head. "I'm not trying to turn this into some stupid romance novel where the worst of enemies get married after a passionate night under the covers together... where we'll have fifty kids, live till we've one hundred and twenty, and then die romantically on the beach together or whatever..."

"You're just here to sleep in my bed, eat my food, and ride my dick for a few months until you get back on your feet?" Dusk asked, crossing his arms over his chest and turning to look at Trixie with a knowing smirk.

"I... that doesn't..." she said, thinking it over in her head before conceding with a light sigh. "Fuck, I'm adult enough to admit it: I like the way you fuck. Nothing more, nothing less."

"And I like your pussy," Dusk nodded along, sitting back down on the bed as Trixie tucked her knees to her chest. "Seems we can both reach and understanding we're both okay with."

"And it only took us over twenty years to realise that about each other..." she glowered.

"Am I detecting a sense of regret in your voice there, Trix?" he questioned.

"In a huge way. If I'd have known twenty years ago that you could fuck even half as good as you do... well, we wouldn't have been friends... and I still would've probably tried to screw you over as much as physically possible... but I think I'd have let you fuck me at least once or twice," she shrugged, working through her logic before coming to a final conclusion.

"And wouldn't have I felt like the luckiest stallion on the planet?" Dusk laughed sarcastically. "Getting to plough the sweet little cunt of the third most attractive carnie I'd ever laid eyes on."

"I was not a fucking carnie, you little prick!" Trixie barked in an enraged manner, her eyes widening in shock and fury at the mere insinuation. "I was a travelling magical magical miracle worker!"

"You rode around in a carriage that you lived in all the time!" Dusk pointed out. "That's a fucking carnie if I've ever seen one!"

"It was my entertainment chariot that signalled my arrival to all the unworthy plebs I was due to entertain, and on top of that, it was also created from the ground up to be a luxury home-away-from-home that was equipped with every appliance I'd ever need!" Trixie yelled, proving truly that old habits die hard as they were back at each other's throats. "And what the summertime fuck do you mean by third-most attractive-"