//------------------------------// // 6. Show // Story: Don't Blink // by FoalsHalf //------------------------------// 6. Show One pony down, lots more work to go. Star thought as she left Starlight Glimmer’s village. This had been the simple part. Her next task would be harder and even if everything went exactly as planned, Shooting Star would have a major complication on her hooves. Upon entering Greenbriar, it had been foal’s play to find The Great and Momentous Maximus and more to the point, the future Great and Powerful Trixie. The enthusiastic Trixie was passing out fliers in the town square for her father’s act. To play the game, Shooting Star would have to see the show. Five bits a head wasn’t too much to pay. It would have been twice that if Maximus had been part of a traveling circus or carnival but the individual take would probably have been less, especially in small towns and villages. Trixie had explained to her just how tight a margin such traveling performers lived on. Star figured that footing the bill for a decent meal or two ought to get her a chance to ask Maximus a few questions as she played the role of a new and inexperienced performer interested in learning the ropes from a veteran. This was where the advice the Great and Powerful Trixie had given her would serve Star the best. Trixie had warned her that as a performer and businesspony, Maximus would be able to see through most deceptions and the more elaborate the lie, the quicker Maximus would catch it and more wary he would become. Not that the truth would be any more believable. Star told herself with a touch of true, if bitter humor. Excuse me sir, but I’ve come from forty years in the future to teach your daughter a spell so dangerous that it’s banned in my time and THEN teach her to do it the safe way because reasons…. Sure! That will go over great! So Star would have to craft a story that at least met Maximus’ expectations. For starters, Star would be hard pressed to conceal her status as pony from a privileged background. Her hooves were well kempt and had clearly seen a good hooficure recently. She had bits but no discernible enterprise. Her speech, while lacking many of the affectations of upper class Canterlot ponies, would still be clearly recognizable. No lies, she told herself. Let him draw his own conclusions. And so it was that while performing in the village of Greenbriar, Maximus the Momentous and his daughter, Trixie met ‘Stardust’, a feisty young Canterlot pony who had finally had enough of her family’s attempts to have her wedded off to some brainless scion of a society family in the name of ‘status’. It was a likely enough story, Star figured. It still happened even in her time. Fortunately she didn’t come from a family like that, but it was a scenario she could envision easily enough to impart the proper distaste and disgust to make the story believable. Her willful personality and independent spirit connecting quite agreeably with young Trixie. “So what about teleportation spells?” Star asked Maximus. “What about them?” The performer chuckled. “I know the basic theory but surprisingly, teleportation isn’t that useful in this business. It uses a lot of energy and while the appearing out of nowhere would seem to be an attention getter, I can get the same result with flash bombs. It’s showier and takes less energy and concentration. I can get on with the act. For the most part, teleportation is a trick that young ponies do because they’re impatient.” “But it would certainly be a mark of a pony with pretty strong magic. Certainly not something an average unicorn can do.” “Yes,” Maximus agreed. “But it is important to realize that the average pony is often more impressed by a simpler, spell that catches the eye than a more advanced spell with less ‘sparkle’." Shooting Star could not help but chuckle at his ironic phrasing. “I see.” Maximus smiled. “Tired performers do fewer shows. Fewer shows means less of a take and when you have family…" He gazed down at his daughter with fatherly love and pride. “This is how I measure success.” He stared at ‘Stardust’ thoughtfully. “I can’t afford to pay bits for any helpers, but as long as you can pay your own way, then I could certainly use somepony with a sharp mind and willing to work. Is that agreeable?” “Completely sir.” “Good! Besides, Trixie likes you.” “I’m glad. I think she’s pretty special too.” Later, as Maximus readied for another show, Star was watching Trixie as the filly played with ‘Cuddles’ and ‘Lulu’, her two favorite dolls. “Teleporting might not be good for shows but I bet it would impress a pony who knows anything about magic.” Star commented. Trixie considered. “Do you know how to do it?” “As a matter of fact, I do.” Star smiled. “Teach Trixie!” The young filly insisted. Star smiled, hiding the mixed emotions she felt. This was what she wanted, needed to do and yet it filled her with dread. If everything went well, then Trixie would be safe and Shooting Star would know for certain that she could carry out her plan in full. If not, then Trixie and Twilight and every other pony, sans Starlight Glimmer, would be doomed to repeat the horrors of the pre-existing timeline and moreover, Shooting Star would die, trapped in a dimensional bubble, never to be found. This was the reason that Star could not simply teach Trixie the safe spell the way she had taught young Starlight Glimmer. Shooting Star needed to test herself. She was reasonably certain that the new teleportation spell synched to Trixie’s magic frequency would allow her to access Trixie’s bubble and leave at will. A barrier spell should keep her magic from disappearing immediately. But if she failed, she would die. If that happened, she could not be in Twilight’s bubble. She could not be found by her once and future mentor. The possible damage to the timeline was unacceptable. If this fails, if I screw this up then let Trixie’s soul be granted Elysia and may the heavens forgive me. Even if I succeed, I pray the heavens will forgive me for doing this. She thought back to the days before she was Princess Twilight’s personal student and to a lecture Princess Celestia had given her class on ethics. ‘The ends never justify the means.’ Celestia had told them. ‘Because the means shape the ends.’ But if I do nothing, then I will condemn how many ponies to die alone, terrified, trapped, and helpless. So the question is whether I risk one life that would surely be lost anyway plus my own in exchange for the chance to save her and how many more from that nightmare? Do I accept the responsibility or not? Shooting Star closed her eyes and nodded. She accepted her responsibility and took a deep breath. “Alright Trixie, I will teach you, but you need to do everything exactly as I teach you. When you are ready, we’ll both teleport from here to the other side of the room. We wouldn’t want you to get lost between here and there.” Star told the filly knowing the sort of reaction she would get. “The Great and Powerful Trixie won’t get lost! Certainly not over that small a distance! But what if you get lost?”The filly teased. “Then run straight to your father and tell him everything. Understand?” Trixie nodded, for the first time realizing that this was more than simple magic. “I promise you I’ll be right there with you.” Star reassured Trixie as she decided Trixie was ready. She had to pay close attention to synch Trixie’s frequency. The part after that would be harder because it would require herself to be in two places at the same time but with time travel, that was manageable. “Are you ready?” Star asked. “Trixie is ready!” The little filly announced as she clutched onto her dolls ‘Lulu’ and ‘Cuddles’ “On the count of three then! One… Two.. Three!” Star teleported and nodded as ‘Trixie’ appeared right beside her. “That was well done, but I noticed something interfering with your magic field.” Star said, using technobabble to ‘explain’ things without explaining them. “Let’s go over those equations and make sure we did everything right.” After a few minutes of technobabble, Star went over the spell again, this time with the corrected formula and deliberately destroying her original notes to make certain Trixie only remembered the right way. Then she had Trixie try again. “That’s better!” Star praised as Trixie teleported the distance across the room once more. “And see? You look less tired than you did the first time!” Trixie nodded in agreement, although in truth she didn’t feel much different. But it didn’t matter. Stardust was proud of her and her father would be also! Star smiled. “Your dad’s act should be finishing any minute now so why don’t you go greet him? I have a couple of chores to take care of so I’ll see you in just a little while, okay?” “Alright Stardust!” Star watched as the filly ran off. Then she stepped outside and did a quick time jump. Inside she could hear herself talking to Trixie. “Are you ready?” “Trixie is ready!” “On the count of three then!” On three, Shooting Star focused on Trixie’s signature and teleported into her bubble only a fraction of an instant after Trixie arrived. Star’s shield spell was up and she felt her magic holding for the moment but weakening in this strange space. “Miss Stardust?” Trixie asked. “Trixie does not like this place and Lulu is scared.” The filly clutched the white and pink doll and the changeling doll both close to her for comfort. “I don’t like it either Trixie. Hold on tight to me. I’m going to try and get us out of here! Here.. put Lulu and Cuddles in my saddlebag and hold on tight to me.” Star smiled reassuringly as Trixie nodded and secured her two friends and then Star felt Trixie wrap her forehooves around her. Star concentrated as she felt her shield spell weaken. She activated the time spell and teleported. Shooting Star opened her eyes. The warmth of the sun on her coat and a cloudless blue sky greeted her as she noted with satisfaction that little Trixie was still holding on. “Trixie? I think we’re safe now.” Trixie opened her eyes and let go of Star and looked about at the gleaming towers. “Where are we?” “Safe. Where I live.” Star smiled gently “I have somepony you should meet” “Who?” The filly inquired. A strangely familiar voice answered her… “Why, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie!” Little Trixie’s eyes went wide at the sight as the older but still magnificent blue mare in front of her scooped her up in a loving embrace. Shooting Star allowed herself a moment’s satisfaction. She had succeeded in the second phase of her plan. More importantly, she had saved one filly. Save one foal and the whole world will follow, but I still have a lot to do.