Illusions and Trix

It was an illusion I had performed hundreds of times successfully. I had been using it as the final bit in my act for years. And never once did I even imagine what would happen.

It was the final night of my spring run in Las Vegas. And, as I had done each of the previous performances, I went to close to show.

"And now," I announced in my stage voice, trying my best to hide my accent, "for the grand finale. I will now perform what I like to call 'The Spinning Box of Death.'"

One of my two assistants pushed onto stage a large box, which was slightly taller than me. She opened the front door so that I could show the audience that there was nothing inside. No mirrors, no ropes, no nothing.

"Ladies and gentleman, I will now step into this box, which will be locked tight. The box will then be hoisted 15 feet above the stage. And, well, you'll see."

I went to step inside, but then I paused, as if I had forgotten something, stroked my dark black beard and mustache, and turned back around to face the crowd.

"Oh, right, there was something I forgot to mention. I won't be standing up in the box. No, I'll be upside down."

Performing a handstand, I walked on my hands into the box. My ankles were then secured to the wall. You see the box would be lifted into the air, spun around as fast as possible, and then dropped, breaking into tiny fragments on impact. However, tiny fragments of me would not be among them, as I will have appeared to disappear. That's the illusion. Of course, I'm not in any real danger.

My assistant shut and locked the front door. As I stood there on my bald head, my arms, covered in the black sleeves of my dress shirt, crossed over my favorite red vest, I could feel the box being lifted into the air. However, I had to wait until it started spinning to make my escape.

Once it did start spinning, I noticed something unusual. It was spinning a little faster than it normally did during this trick, not enough to cause a catastrophic failure, but still a little strange. Then, as I was about to make my escape, little purple sparks starting coming from the box. As there was no electricity or machinery in the box itself, there shouldn't have been any sparks.

Then, I felt my ankle restraints come undone on their own, causing my legs to collapse on top of me and put me in an awkward position. Now things were bad. I struggled to get to my feet to make a last ditch effort to escape, but before I could, I saw a purple light in front of my eyes.

The next thing I felt was falling onto my back. But it wasn't onto a hardwood stage. It felt more like grass and flowers. Opening my eyes from the light, I could see a blue sky with a couple of puffy white clouds. Slowly, I rolled over and up to my feet, finding that my surroundings indeed was a field of grass and flowers.

"AAAHHH," a feminine voice shrieked from behind me, "Get back! Stay away, whatever you are!

Turning around to find the source of the voice, the only other thing I saw was a little blue pony, standing not taller than my stomach. She was wearing a star-studded purple cape and matching pointy hat, like a wizard. She had a look of terror in its eyes. Naturally, I reached a hand out to calm it.

"No! Stay back! Keep away!" she yelled, confirming that it was indeed the pony who was talking to me.

I kneeled down to get closer to her height.

"I am not going to hurt you," I said calmly, my Russian accent coming out this time, "I promise."

"The creature speaks? What in the name of the Sun are you? The Great and Powerful Trixie was simply trying a new spell, and then you appeared."

"My name is Alexi Federov," I explained, "I'm a human. You don't know what that is?"

"The Great and Powerful Trixie has seen many strange creatures in her life, but none like you."

"Trixie, if that is your name, can you tell me where I am?"

"You are in Equestria, outside of Manehattan."

"Equestria? Where the fuck is that?"

"You're not from this world?"

"Can't say that I am. Ponies in my world don't talk."

"Trixie is not a mere pony, she is a unicorn," her hat began to glow purple, the same shade I had seen in my box, and lifted off of her head, revealing a horn which was glowing the same color.

"Unicorn. And I am assuming that aura of yours is some kind of magic?"

"Indeed. Trixie is a great and powerful magician."

"What a coincidence. I'm a magician myself."

"Hmhm," Trixie snorted, "You are nothing compared to the..."

"Great and Powerful Trixie," I completed sarcastically, "I get it. How about I prove it to you?"

"A show of magical feats? Trixie is intrigued by your offer. Trixie accepts."

"Ladies first."

Trixie smirked, "A simple trick should suffice to allow Trixie to win this contest. Watch my hat carefully."

I did so as she turned her hat upside down and levitated it toward herself. She then ran her hoof along the underside of the brim a few times before reaching inside, producing a dove which stood on her hoof, tilting its head curiously.

"Not bad," I clapped a few times, "But I can do better.

I stood back up and swiftly clasped my hands together.

"Tell me Trixie, what is your favorite type of flower?"

"Umm, chrysanthemum?"

"Interesting choice. OK then, don't blink," I swiftly released my left hand and flung it upward, leaving in my right hand a chrysanthemum, the flower being the same color as Trixie's fur.

"That is nothing, Trixie could do that when she was a little foal."

"Oh really," I glared, bringing my left hand down again, crushing the flower between my hands. I ground my hands together a few times. Then, I made a little space with the webbing of my left thumb, like one does after catching fireflies. Into this little hole I blew a little bit of air, returning to my grinding afterwards.

"Does this have a point? Trixie is bored."

"Just a second," I paused, then threw my left hand off again, revealing this time an entire bouquet of the flowers, all of them blue, wrapped decoratively in white paper which matched the color in Trixie's mane and tail, then continued in my best stage voice, "For you, great and beautiful Trixie."

"Um, thank you," she levitated the flowers out of my hand and placed them in her still upside-down hat, "Trixie admits you are a powerful magic user. How did you make those flowers appear? You're not even a unicorn."

"I am a human and an illusionist. I think our rules work differently. Besides, you should know better than to ask me for my tricks," the last part of my sentence lingered in my ear, "Hey, tricks, Trixie, ha, your name is a pun. The Great and Powerful Trixie is a stage name. What is your real name?"

"Trixie is my real name. Trixie Lulamoon to be precise. What did you say your name was again?"

"Alexi Federov. But my stage name is Aleksander Rusev."

"Well," Trixie said, turning away from me, "Trixie will let you be on your way then."

"What do you mean 'on my way'? You are the reason I arrived here. As far as I am concerned, you are stuck with me until we find a way to send me home."

"What," Trixie exclaimed, jumping back around, "No. Trixie has shows and traveling to do. Trixie does not have time to babysit some human."

"Well you better make time. Also, for the love of Christ, stop talking in the third person."

"What? Trixie always talks like this."

"I do not care. It is very annoying and just makes you sound like an narcissistic wannabe."

"You take that back!"

"No. Now, the sooner you get me back home, the sooner we are out of each other's hair."

"But Trixie doesn't know how to send you home."

"You brought me here, didn't you?"

"Yes, by accident," Trixie lamented, bowing her head, "My spell went wrong, and I am not sure if the same thing would happen twice."

"Your funeral, then."

"Trixie might know somepony who would have an answer, though Trixie is not sure whether they would want to see her."

"We should go find them, then. Are they nearby?"

"No, they are in Ponyville. Trixie has many stops and shows to do before she goes near there."

"When is your next show?"

"Tomorrow night in Manehattan. Three-night run," Trixie suddenly looked up, her eyes very big and bright, "Trixie could make you part of the show!"

"You don't want to do that. I might upstage you, again."

"No, it's perfect. I, The Great and Powerful Trixie, summoned an alien creature from another universe. It's a perfect story for my finale!"

I sighed, "OK, Trixie. But remember how scared you were when you first saw me? Something tells me others will react the same way."

"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, off to Manehattan!"