//------------------------------//
// Extremely Powerful Magic 
// Story: SHIFT 
// by A_guy_from_Earth 
//------------------------------//

   Spike plodded along Ponyville, returning from town’s market. It was afternoon, so ponies began to finish their rest and rouse up. Though for some ones it was just mid-siesta, it didn’t affect on the general background. Ponies again busily scurried along the streets, shops and stores changed sings to “Open”. School doors soon would let out the tide of happy scholars.

Simply put, the day was in full swing. “Well, it’s the last errand for today…” – little dragon thought, - “Twilight is still busy, so she won’t ask me for any other things.And if so, I have four free hours before dinner!” When Spike left, alicorn had attack of working inspiration. Attacks, what happen to Twilight, are even more serious than ones what happen to Rarity – during these minutes and hours she completely immerses in the process and becomes laid-back. These attacks are usually quiet continuous, so he can just leave the bags near her and go to get busy with some own triffles.

Little dragon already began to make plans, when series of claps spread around the town and then flashes of fireworks rose above it. After this a loud fanfare sounded.

Only one pony arrived in Ponyville with such pomp. And that mean she’s back. Again.

Trixie.

Citizens unhappy grumbled. After previous visits there was nothing surprising in it. But, nonetheless, they started to move to the source of lights and noise.They were just curious what Equestria’s record-holder on splurge level got now.

Spike took a thought for a while. Then, having looked in the bags and having got assured that he had no perishable stuff and things what required immediaate delivering, decided to go there and look. Just out of curiosity. Mostly…

Although it happened more than a year ago, Spike clearly remembered how Trixie played basketbal, using him as ball. Dragons aren’t vindictive and vengeful creatures, but they always remember their own mistakes and mistakes of all other to avoid them in future, and they like to pay in the same coin, which was offered to them.

“Well, let’s see what great and powerful prepared…” – Spike thought, - “And there – I’ll figure out what to do. If I have to…”

Few minutes and turns, and he was on town square. There were approximately fifty ponies at the moment. Near the closed workshop Trixie’s performance wagon was standing, already prepared. Trixie herself stood on wooden stage. But now she didn’t wear her wizard hat and cloak, what already became familiar. Spike, as other citizens, got interested and approached the stage.

Meanwhile unicorn began her show:

“Good day, Ponyville!” – she exclaimed.
“Hello to you too.” – said somepony from the crowd.
“Ehm… Hello and to you too.” – unicorn awkwardly nodded at supposed source of the voice and continued, - “Today you will see absolutlely fantastic tricks that no one had never seen before! I, Trixie, take upon myself the honor to show them to you…”
“Wait, where is “Great and Powerful”?” – wondered Lyra from the first row, where she was standing.
“Yes, and where are your hat and cloak?” – added Bon Bon.
“New policy of potential spectators attracting.” – Trixie answered shortly and quickly.
“Something really big has died in the forest if she’s acting like this.” – somepony whispered, - “Maybe it was even the Guardian of the Forest. We need to check it.”
“But she continued to talk about herself in third person.” – noticed other pony.
“True.”
“And so…” – unicorn regained the initiative, - “Yes, I admit that my previous performances were… not very sucessful. But since then things have changed! And today, dear ponyvillers, you become the first ones who will see Trixie’s new trick!”

Four ponies came or flew out from the crowd – Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash.

“Listen, Trixie, ya may have changed, though it’s hard to believe in it,” – orange pony said, - “but…”
“To believe that your magic abilities have changed is even harder!” – Rainbow Dash inserted.
“Yeah!” – Pinkie echoed.
“It would be rude, but… I’ll agree.” – Rarity added.
“And I don’t think that you’ll be able to surprise us!” – pegasus snorted.

Trixie only shrugged.

“Well… Judge for yourselves!” – she spelled, got down from the stage and approached ponies.
“What are ya up to?” – Applejack wondered.
“I’ll jusr show. And you think what you want.” – unicorn answered undisturbedly.

She slowly walked along the row of Bearers of the Elements and stopped near Rarity. She looked at boutique owner and said:
“You’re a fashionis, right?”
“Yes, and what does it matter now?” – Rarity answered, holding the tone which aristocrats usually use when they have to talk with occasionally met tramps.
“I’ve been thinking…” – She whispered and looked at cutie mark of Bearer of the Element of generosity, - “Elegant mark, but a pony like you ought to have something more grandiose.”

Blue unicorn fromed a towel with her magic and seemed to whisk few motes off Rarity. But when she took away the fabric from Bearer’s cutie mark… Instead of three diamonds there was beautiful picture of several canvases what united in one magnificent dress. Gorgeous image.

“Absolutely another thing!” –Trixie exclaimed and did the same with the second mark of white unicorn.

Spectators gasped. Rarity was shocked.

“How did you do it?” – Pinkie Pie surprised.
“Did what?” – said Trixie with such imperturbable face that even Big Mac wouldn’t be able to make, took a cupcake from iterlocuter’s mane and immediately began to chew the pastry.

News that Pinke Pie also could be driven into deep stupor was as a bolt from the blue to all ponyvillers.

But blue unicorn, understanding that Pinkie will quickly came to her senses, continued:

“As I said, decide for yourselves.” – she returned to Rarity her original cutie mark and got up on the stage, - “So, do you want to see some more?”

Several ponies answered: “You convinced us. Show!” Trixie smiled and addressed to spectators:

“And now I need a volunteer.”

She looked at the gathered and stopped on Applejack, or, more precisely, on basket with apples what she brought. She approached the orange pony and said:

“Can I buy a couple of apples?”
“Okay.” – Applejack answered, keepinng the incredulous expression, but giving the fruits, - “One bit.”
“One bit for two apples? Why so expensive?” – magician resented, - “I bought four ones for one coin in Dodge City!”
“It’s high-quality good.”
“Okay.” – Trixie growled out, with her magic took a coin from behind of curtain and gave it to Applejack.

Applejack nodded and took the coin. Unicorn meanwhile with magic grabbed the apples and took one more thing from the depth of her wagon  – penknife. She expanded it and said to orange pony:

“Now, please, stand near the edge of curtain, to my left.”

Bearer of the Element of honesty squinted with even greater distrust, but did what she said.

“And now put this apple on your hat and stand still.” – commanded magician and gave the apple to pony. And Trixie herself started to cut off small pieces from other apple, which immediately ate.
“Why should Ah do this?” – Applejack wondered.
“It’s necessary.” – Trixie answered, - “For the trick.”

Pony quietly growled, but stood where she was told. And unicorn meanwhile continued to eat her apple. Ten seconds passed, thirty, then minute… Trixie ate almost all the fruit. And Applejack, who stood in ridiculous pose, have been losing her patience. When she lost it completely, she strongly coughed.

“Oh, the trick… Of course!” – Trixie exclaimed like she really forgot about it, - “One second!”

She cut off the last piece and… without looking – standing with her back to Applejack – threw the kife at her with her magic.

Applejack had no time to react. She only heard a loud whistle and blinked, when the blade got to her…

In few seconds she opened her eyes. She’s in Ponyville. She sees the same ponies what she saw minute ago. If so, then she’s alive. She palpated herself. There were no terrible bleeding cuts and no knife handles that protrudes from her body. If so, then she’s safe. She touched her hat. The hat was also safe, but there was no apple on it. Surprised, she turned. Pierced through fruit was nailed to the wooden wall near the edge of curtain. Applejack, shivering and quietly getting stunned, turned to the crowd. The crowd was already stunned. And Trixie grinned.

It changed everything. Ponyvillers expected tons of boasting and mediocre magic, but got performance where every new trick was greater and more unexpected than previous. Over the next hour, the number of spectators has increased sixfold. And during this time ponies could see how Trixie almost like changeling made her coat red and gave her mane and tain shape of flames – this made a lot of stallions to think that she can be really hot girl – and then regained normal appearance, how she got taken aback Derpy from hat of one gentlecolt, how she made a duplicate of Lilly, what acted just like the “parent” pony, how she divided Bon Bon into three parts with special “magic box” (because dividing into two parts is too mainstream) and did a lot of other things.

But the most unexpected thing was next. Absolutely suddenly Trixie stopped and asked the spectators: “Do you sing, when you’re in the shower?” It caused dead silence for few moments. Unicorn frowned and continued:

“Don’t tell me thay you do not! Everypony, at least sometimes, do something weird and droll in shower! If you are not singing, using shampoo bottle as microphone, then you are dancing or do other oddities!”

Faint approvals came from the crowd.

“Yeees! That’s it.” – unicorn smiled, - “But Trixie doesn’t do that!”

Slight bewilderment appeared on the faces of spectators: then why you asked?

“Trixie imagines that she’s playing!” – magician exclaimed.

And she started to play imaginary guitar. But it sounded like real one, and sounded perfectly. At first ponies thought that it was a cheap trick, but quickly realized that sound came exactly from unicorn’s imaginary instrument. Rainbow Dash with few other pegasuses, who just couldn’t believe it, checked the wagon and found no players in it.

And Trixie meanwhile continued to play. She even managed to jump on her right hind leg and at the same time stamp her left hind hoof. Later she made a couple of other ponies to play like that. This guitar trio was just perfect.

Spectators were delighted. It was really good. Trixie really became excellent magician!

Spike also was very surprised. But he continued to think about his aim. During the performance he decided what he would do. He thought about it from the first day, but he didn’t find time and courage to implement it – to look how really powerful magic will affect his finding. And now he concentrated enough and got ready. But meanwhile he waited.

Finally, he got a chance.

“For the next trick I need a volunteer again!” – Trixie exclaimed.

Little dragon raised his paw and, using own tail, jumped over the heads of other ponies. It wasn’t so good, but unicorn saw his jump.

“S-Spike?” – she surprised a bit.
“Exactly!” – dragon answered and went out from the crowd.
“And what about… Twilight? And… are you sure?” – Trixie faltered.
“She’s busy now. And what about me – I’m just curious.”
“Oh… Okay then.”

Magician with gesture invited him to the stage. Spike nodded and got up. Trixie looked at him, scratched her chin and said:

“You know, I’ll show another trick… Stand up on this, please.” – she with magic took a wooden pallet and, having turned it over, put on the stage.

Spike went up on this improvised pedestal.

“Listen…” – unicorn began, - “You are dragon that lives among ponies. Have you ever had thoughts about becoming one of them?”
“Ehm, well…” – dragon, who didn’t expect such turn, faltered, - “Of course, such thoughts appear from time to time, but…”
“Then I’ll help you!” – Trixie exclaimed and brought down the ray of pure magic on him.

This time he was able to react. When he finished his answer, he gave command to the shift-suit to accelerate the brain processes. Nanites strained and got prepared, and in a moment magic ray hit him.

Trixie felt some resistance, but thought that it happened because of roughness of dragons’ epithelial tissues. She focused and soon that resistance disappeared. A muffled clap came, and Spike got shrouded in smoke.

Soon the smoke cleared. And when it happened, spectators saw colt with violet coat and green mane, tail and eyes. Ponies gasped. Although Spike at that moment, truly, didn’t look very good – it seemed that he took a five-hour rollercoaster ride. He tottered. But then, he suddenly stood up and… exhaled big cloud of dense black smoke – byproduct of nanites – and after this in husky voice giggled and apilogized.

The cloud covered seven ponies, including all Bearers, and stopped. In a minute it disappered, and then all gathered screamed: those ponies got transformed into dragons!

Trixie choked. The only thought what she had at that moment sounded like “Jeez…” Transformed ponies looked at themselves and shouted. And Spike noted for himself that Pinkie Pie, though she was dragon now, got few features that made her look closer to Discord, Rarity became absolutely gorgeous, and Applejack with Rainbow Dash also were quiet pretty.

Blue unicorn meanwhile came to her senses.

“I’m sorry! Excuse me, please! My bad.” – she jabbered, - “I’ll fix it!..”

Powerful magic charge returned ponies to nornal appearance. They, in turn, having changed back, got calm. A little.

“Phew!..” – Trixie muttered, scratching her head, - “ Perhaps, it happened because of differences in susceptibility. Okay, now everuthing will be fine!..”
“Um, Trixie, in that case can you change me back?” – Spike asked.
“Don’t hurry!” – magician loudly answered, - “We’ll try one more time… Dear ponyvillers, I apologize for this incident. But now everything will be fine! Now our dear Spike will become a hedgehog!..”

Trixie turned to the volunteer and again released her magic. The ray hit Spike, and experimantal immediately shrinked and grew needles.

But nanites didn’t liked this second charge. They couldn’t protect the host from it for sure, but they could redirect the energy flow, at least partially. As result Spike’s body acted like a prism: light sphere what hided him shot out another ray. It swept over the heads of shocked audience and hit a flock of pigeons, what sat on the porch roof of the house, that stood at the opposide end of the square. Another light sphere flashed, and few feathers fell down.

In a moment spheres disappeared, and when it happened, green hedgehog sprawled on the pedestal. And pigeongs grew spines too, but because of extremely bulged eyes it wasn’t so noticeable. Ponies were taken aback. Trixie coughed muffledly and fell into continuous stupor. When she came to life, she spelled:

“And I was told to not mess with hedgehogs…”

But then she roused and while spiny pigeons were on the porch roof, changed them back. After it she turned to Spike. She didn’t know why and how, but when she tried to influence him with magic, her powers failed. And because of this her amazing performance was ruined! Completely ruined!

Trixie started to get angry. She frowned, approached the hedgehog who only second ago got enough strength to stood up, and quietly roared:

“That’s it…” – and released the most powerful magic charge what she was able to made.

Pedestal got covered with smoke what was as viscosus as oatmeal. It was strongly opposed to dissipate, so it was impossible to see anything. But from the cloud sounds of claws that scrubbed wood came. According to this, they belonged to creature that was bugger than hedgehog, much bigger. Trixie breathed easily and grinned with satisfaction – now all problems were solved.

She was alreary ready to address to spectators, when something shuffled in the cloud, and then violet-gren reptile jumped from it.

But that reptile wasn’t a dragon. The last uncorn's magic charge gave him his normal appearance, but he could not help to do the last prank. So Spike transformed himself into lizard using shift-suit, when cloud covered him. And when he got ready, just jumped out and showed everypony his new groove.

Magician, having seen that she failed again, just petrified. But Spike didn’t expect this, so landed right on the nose of stunned pony. But he kept his head: before fall, he hooked claws at her muzzle. And, having remebered about the trick, in wheezing squeak shouted:

“Change me back!”

But because of suddenness and, mostly, pain – sixteen little claws that dug into your nose is rather unpleasant sensation – Trixie shouted. Loudly. And this, in turn, alarmed all the spectators. They ran away with screams. Spike managed to hold on for some time, but then fell down.

In thirty seconds or even less other citizens, including heads of the town and Princess Twilight, ran and flew to the sound. Having seen red-nosed Trixie, who was ready to burst into tears, and lizard Spike, they, with incredible efforts keeping straight faces, asked what happened here. Unicorn and almost-dragon told them. Heads of the town and Twilighed sighed and calmed Trixie and Spike.

Twilight, not easily, gave her assistant normal appearance – tired nanites now didn’t mind. Sike apologized to Trixie and said that he didn’t know that powerful transormation spells could have such consequences and effects. Trixie sulked, but forgave him. Later, when the stage was dismantled and all stuff packed, Spike and Twilight took Trixie to the hospital – to heal her nose.




In one empty hold of straship music thundered:

“…New satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
New satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
Yeah, yeah!
New satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
New satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
Can't get nothing on the dial!
The frickin' thing's gone wild!
All I get is the god damned news!
New satellite blues!
Yeah!
New satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
New satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
I got the satellite blues! (New satellite blues!)
New satellite blues! New satellite blues!
This thing's nothing but a load of crap!
I'm gonna send it right back!
You can stick it where it hurts… Mac!
Oh yeah!
I got the new satellite blues!”

But here’s the song ended, and someone’s hand, that appeared from slightly opened door, turned EMSoG (ElecroMagnetic Simulator of Gravity) on. Raving in weightlessness pilot and mechanic collapsed on the floor.

“What the heck?” – they exclaimed, when they tore off thier faces from metal.
“Enough of this!” – having come in, said the navigator, who was the one that swithced the device on, - “Follow me to the bridge!”
“What happened?” – pilot wondered.
“We got the signal.”
“What???” – exclaimed both lads.
“Yep, we got the signal, but it’s weak – we recording onle individual bursts, all other time it’s suppressed. At the moment we can’t track it exactly.”
“Incredible!”
“Yeah. And for detailed tracking you, dolts, have to be on the bridge.”
“You’re not better!” – pilot growled out.
“Who’s talking…” – mechainc snorted, - “We weren’t the ones that squandered all the medicines what Kniyrhe gave us.”
“Forget it. We need to work.”

Guys grinned and followed their friend. The real work had just begun.