Illusions and Trix

The trip to Fillydelphia was long, but nice enough. Trixie had explained to me that she abhorred train travel, and as such walked nearly everywhere she went, pulling her caravan along. When I protested to this travel plan, she was quick to point out that the fewer ponies who saw me, the better. Word was going to spread about my appearance and "capture" and would no doubt lead to big crowds in the next city.

We finally made it to town after two days of walking. Fortunately, Equestria didn't seem very large and the towns were pretty close together for the most part. I hadn't been able to look at a map yet. Trixie must have walked these roads many times to be able to get around without one.

"You know, Alexi," Trixie mentioned once we were comfortably inside our hotel room, "We should come up with some alterations to the story. We want to keep it fresh."

"I don't know, Trixie," I replied, "Do you really think we'll be able to keep up this charade? Ponies are eventually going to figure out that I'm not some dangerous monster."

"True," she agreed, sitting on her haunches, "but we need it to go on as long as possible. This is really helping my act."

"You know what would help even more," I suggested, "Showing off some of my illusions. Then, instead of being a dangerous, uncontrollable, creature, I could be the magical human man that I am. Or, if you don't like that, maybe I could teach you how to do some of my tricks."

"The Great and Powerful Trixie does not need to rip off other magicians."

I rolled my eyes, "How many times do I need to warn you about the 'Great and Powerful' stuff?"

"At least once more it seems," she snickered.

"Maybe tonight I won't let you tie me up."

"Ha! You'd let me tie you up whenever I want."

Trixie's face immediately dropped at the implication of what she had just said. I threw my hand over my mouth in an attempt to hold back laughter, which ended up being in vain, as I busted my gut anyway.

"OK," I chuckled once the majority of my fit had passed, "that was well worth it. What did you have in mind?"

*--*--*--*--*

"Tonight, ladies and gentleman," Trixie announced to the audience, "I will end my performance not with a feat of magic, but a story.

The first show in Fillydelphia was coming to a close. Everything had gone smoothly so far, and the only thing left to do was the tale at the finale.

"As some of you may have heard, I, the Great and Powerful Trixie, have discovered and have succeeding in capturing a brand-new species of animal. This creature is like nothing else in Equestria. For one, it stands on it hind legs, stretching to a height at least twice that of myself. This leaves its forelegs free to do what it will. It is nearly hairless. When I found it, it was using animal pelts as rudimentary clothing. And, as if it wasn't dangerous enough with these features alone, it soon became apparent to me that it was immune to magic.

"Now, I have been able to keep it subdeud, for the most part. You all may have heard about it making a showing in some of my recent performances. However, in the last day or two, it has become much more agressive, lashing out at me at the slightest provocation. Because of this, I have had to keep it locked in my caravan, lest it ruin the show.

That was my clue. With various props and equipment, both from the caravan and what I could find backstage, I began to make as much noise as I could. Various things slammed to the ground, some breaking. As a signal back to Trixie, I let out a deep, bellowing, yell.

"What was that," Trixie asked nervously, even going so far as to turn away from the audience and look in my direction. At this, I stopped everything and became as quiet as possible, creating a silence that, to the audience, probably seemed to last an eternity, "Well, that was strange."

On that cue, I lept out of the wings and onto the stage, landing so close to the middle that I was able to reach out and push Trixie, causing the unicorn to fall. The audience let out various gasps and screams. I turned to face the audience momentarily, allowing them to take in my whole figure. I was still wearing my regular attire, but this time my vest and shirt were open except for the very last button of the shirt, as if they had been buttoned but had been torn open.

I heard Trixie make her way back to her hooves, preparing to fire a shot of magic.

"Take this," she cried.

As I had done in Manehattan, I batted the ball of purple aura away, sending it over the audience where it promptly exploded in a shower of sparks.

At this, Trixie began slowly backing away in fear, as if the only thing she could think of had failed. I, in turn, made my way toward her in as menacingly a fashion as I could. From the crowd, I heard a mare actually call for the police, fully believing the act.

That's when I heard a sound like a unicorn revving up their magic. As Trixie wasn't currently casting a spell, I looked back over the audience. From over the crowd, I could see the white head of another pony, well above the throng. This pony's horn was glowing a gold color which was steadily intensifying. After a few seconds, it fired a laser-like blast right at me. In defense, I turned, set my feet, and held both my hads up. The golden beam blasted my hands with great force, causing me to slide back slightly. However, I was able to block it fully, all the way until it finally ceased.

Given a minute to recuperate, I found that the pony who fired at me had no such ideas. Once I had found its head again, I saw two large wings spread out on either side of its body, which was still concealed by the crowd. It soon took flight, landing on the stage to my right, on the opposite side of Trixie.

Now that I was able to take a good look at it, I realized it was different than any pony I had yet seen. For one, it stood twice the height of the average pony, its eyes leveling even higher than mine. On top of that, it had a horn and wings, an anatomy I was unfamiliar with.

Soon, I noticed that all the ponies in the crowd dropped down in a sort of reverant gesture, one-part bowing, one-part praying. The tall pony bowed her head slightly to look me in the eye.

"I will not allow a creature such as yourself to harm my little ponies," it declared in a definitely feminine voice.

Having said her piece, her horn began to glow again. Not wanting to be on the end of another laser beam, I decided to do something drastic.

"Wait," I yelled, throwing my hands up and out, ducking my head slightly, "I am not really trying to hurt Trixie, it's all an act."

"You-you speak our language," the tall pony asked, turning off her magic.

"Yes," I replied, still holding my defensive posture, "I am sorry for scaring you all."

"Who, or what, are you," the tall pony asked with a tilt of her head.

"My name is Alexi Federov. I am what is called a human. Suffice is to say, I am not from your world," I cast a glance over the audience, some of whom were still bowed, "And who, may I ask, are you?"

"I am Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria."

I turned my head to see Trixie rise back to her hooves, a nervous expression still drawn on her face.

"Hey Trixie," I spoke as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening, "you said you wanted to draw ponies to your show. Must be working if royalty decides to show up."

"Well," the princess replied, "I got word that a strange creature had been seen in Manehattan in the company of the magician Trixie. I took it upon myself to come and see it for myself. My apologies for taking your act a little too seriously."

"That's OK," I said, rubbing the back of my head, "I guess I did lay it on a little thick. By the way, you have some strong magic."

"I should. I am an alicorn, after all."

"Ah, so is that what they call ponies with horns and wings?"

"Precisely. There are only four of us, the four princesses of Equestria."

"Speaking of," Trixie interjected, making her way beside me, "It is fortunate that you are here. We are trying to come up with a way to get Alexi back home. But I do not know how to do it. I thought that perhaps Twilight Sparkle could come up with something."

"Is this correct," Celestia asked, directing her question at me.

"Yes, princess. I do not really belong in your world. I should get back to my world as soon as possible."

"Tell me, Alexi," Celestia continued, "what is your job in your world?"

"I am an illusionist, a magician of sorts, just like Trixie, ironically. Do you want to see a trick?"

"That would be lovely."

"OK, umm, a Bit, I need a Bit," I reached my hand out toward the audience, searching for a gold piece of currency. Eventually one was produced, and Trixie used her magic to float it up to me.

"Thank you," I said to both Trixie and the stallion whose Bit it was, "Now you'll see that there is nothing up my sleeves.

I removed my vest and shirt, not difficult considering the state they were already in.

"I have noticed," I continued, turning the coin around in my hand, "that Bits have no distinguishing markings. They all look the same. Princess, if it pleases you, could you mark this Bit in some way, as a way to set it apart?"

"Certainly," Celestia said, lighting her horn and grabbing the Bit out of my hand. After a moment, she returned it. I could now see a letter 'C' etched into the gold.

"Thank you. Now, Trixie, I need a handkerchief.

The unicorn quickly got one for me. Once I had it in hand, I placed the coin in my hand and tightened a fist around it. Taking the handkerchief, I packed it into my fist through the hole created by my index finger.

"Now, watch carefully," I said, shaking my fist as if I was playing a tambourine.

Suddenly, I opened my hand, allowing the handkerchief to fall out. The whole audience, Celestia included, could now see that the Bit had vanished.

"That's a very good trick, Mr. Federov," Celestia complimented.

"Oh no, my dear princess, that's just the first half. You are all probably wondering where the Bit went. Even I am unable to break the law of physics which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed. It must be somewhere. And I have a good hunch where it is. Princess, if I may?"

I took a step toward Celestia and reached up toward the top of her head. She bowed her head slightly to allow me easier access, and I brought my hand behind her ear. Two seconds later, I pulled my hand back, holding between my fingers a silver coin of the same shape as a Bit. Most of the ponies, including Celestia, were puzzled.

"Mr. Federov," she stated, "that's impressive, but that is not the Bit that you made vanish."

"Is it not," I asked, looking it over, "then what is this mark?"

Celestia used her magic to bring it up to her eyes. It took her a moment to see it properly, but soon the look of realization crossed her face.

"An etched-in 'C'," she announced, "The same as I marked on the Bit."

"And that," I said, snatching the coin back and giving it a flip in the air, "Is how you turn a golden Bit in to a silver dollar."

There was a round of solid, not too loud, applause from the audience, not too shabby for a beefed-up version of a parlor trick.

"Thank you," I did a little wave, "I'll be here all week, literally."

This drew a chuckle from Celestia, "Indeed. Good luck, Mr. Federov. I will inform Twilight of this and put her on the case."

"Thank you very much, your highness," I replied, bowing to her for the first time.

"You know, Alexi," Trixie said, "I think this is the beginning of a completely new direction for the show."

"You know, Trixie," I echoed, placing a hand on her head, "I hope you're right."