Perchance to Dream

by David Silver


73 - West to East

Fortunately, once we were past security, it was smooth sailing to reach the gate of our plane. Others were waiting about patiently. Some were getting things to eat, or shopping for various little trinkets. Trixie surprised me by asking first, "May she take a look?" She was pointing at one of the shops. "Since she is here, she wants to see what they are selling."

I pulled out my phone to glance at the clock. "We have time. Starlight, want to stay here or come with us?"

Starlight moved to join. "Shop or sit, easy choice. They sure have a lot of things on this side they said you couldn't bring on the other side."

Sharp. "This is considered a 'sterile' area. Everything here has been double checked for safety."

Starlight's shoulders lifted. "Do people cause trouble that often?"

I kept an eye on Trixie as she sifted through the collection of little toys and things that proudly proclaimed that one had visited California. "No, it's actually very rare, but when it does happen, it's a big deal, and so here we are."

"Trixie likes this one." She held up a bear that was sitting on its haunches. It was wearing a shirt with a golden C on it. "She did not know you had talking bears. Did you not say only humans?"

"I think that's a mascot." I reached and turned it around to see the tag. Yep, college mascot is what it read. "We don't have talking bears, but we do like pretending."

"If you had more things than one, you might have to learn to accept more." She moved towards the cash register with her desired purchase.

I let her go, turning instead to Starlight. She seemed to be browsing a magazine. "Your friend," I said to her as I came closer to see what she was reading. "She can be insightful once in a while."

"Mm? Trixie? Only when she's not trying, more often than not." Starlight gave a bit of a smirk. "Still love her. Is she buying something." She was looking over as Trixie was doing just that, exchanging dollars for the bear. "A gift from Kevin, do you think?"

That was the only answer I could think of... "It's not mine. I've become plastic in my spending habits." I knew I had no dollars on me, just cards. "Do you think... she's going to try things out with Kevin?"

Starlight flipped her hair with a toss of her head. "I think Trixie honestly had no idea Kevin was trying to woo her. So far as I know, she never had a romantic partner, which is in Kevin's favor. Trixie gets curious at times, so... Yeah, I won't be too shocked if things are tried."

Trixie returned to us with a bouncing step. "Trixie has defeated the ursa." She gave the plush a squeeze. "Take that, home wrecker." She stuck out her tongue at it in defiance of some act I did not know of. "She feels better already."

Even as humans, ponies were adorable. It was part of their nature, it seemed, minus when they were busy getting themselves into legal trouble. "Starlight?" I looked to her. "Did you want to grab that?" I pointed at her magazine.

She lifted it into view, it was a computer magazine. "If you don't mind buying it. I'm curious to read more, even if this is denser than some of Twilight's favorites. They assume the reader already knows quite a bit, but a challenge while we're waiting sounds better than being bored."

I wasn't going to deny Starlight a magazine. "Of course I don't mind. Let's handle that and get back to the gate."

We purchased the magazine and got back to the boarding area. We were well on time. It wasn't long before they called those with priority, like us, to board. We were led up into the first class area of the plane. Before we got there, the girls stopped just outside the plane, getting a chance to see it up close.

"Is this your first time flying?" asked a steward with a smile.

"On a plane, yes," replied Starlight, confusing the poor steward.

Trixie stepped forward. "She is ready to be flown."

"Right this way." We were led to our seats, side by side.

That brought up a question. "Which of you wants the window seat?" I could go without, and I imagined they would want to look.

Trixie looked to Starlight, who shrugged softly. "Well, if nopony else is hurrying, Trixie will be magnanimous and take it." She slid across and settled in her seat. She wriggled a little as if getting comfortable. Starlight took the center and I had the aisle. The seats were comfortable.

Long before any safety speeches began, I went over getting their seat belts on. "It's just like in the car."

Starlight gave a little snort. "If the plane crashes, I doubt these little things will be much help." She clicked it into position despite her words.

Trixie was taking advantage of her window seat to peer about the airport from the vantage offered. "The planes come and go like bees..."

I pulled out a tablet of my own and logged into the plane wifi. One VPN connection later and I was securely connected to work. I got to checking mail. There was a piece from Swanson.

Good Morning,
I have been informed you are taking the two persons of interest out of state today. Thank you for informing me of that beforehand. Please keep a short leash on both of them. I hope you all have a pleasant, but unremarkable, trip. Included is a list of names and identifying marks of the unicorns. The deceased has been marked as such.

Identifying marks?

Starlight had been quietly reading over my shoulder and apparently saw the question on my face. "Probably their cutie mark. Let's see them."

I scrolled to the bottom of the mail and saw there was a pdf awaiting a peek. I opened it and up came six pictures. They looked like cutie marks. They were not photos. No fur was visible, just black and white outlines of what the marks should be. Under each was a name. I glanced around and saw, in the first class area we were in, there was some amount of space between our group of seats and the others. "I want Twilight to see this."

Starlight nodded in agreement. "Let's just be careful she doesn't get too excited."

Actually... "I have an idea about that." I pulled up a chat window, then fished out the interdimensional doorbell and gave it a push.

"Hello," came Twilight's voice before her head popped up from the bottom of the monitor. "Nice to see you, Linda, Starlight."

"Trixie is here too."

"Oh, I didn't see you. Hello too, Trixie."

I moved the chat window over Twilight, so she could be taken as a chat partner. "We have a list of names and cutie marks of the unicorns here, six, one deceased."

Twilight winced at that. "Oh... Well... let me see them."

I directed her towards the still open file and she turned to the side to look them over. A quill and parchment appeared beside her, scribbling the information down rapidly. "I'll get this to Celestia." It was only then that she noticed the seats behind us and things beyond that. "Where are you three?"

Starlight leaned in a little, a cocky smile on her face. "We're about to experience a wonder of human technology. Did you know they can fly faster than a pegasus?"

Twilight blinked with wide eyes. "I... did not know that..." She brought up two hooves to clop. "Take notes."

"We should go," I cut in. "They're about to do the safety drill."

Twilight waved as she faded from view.

The safety speech was nothing new. Trixie began to peer up at where the masks would come down, in theory, but they didn't come no matter how hard she stared.

The plane lurched into movement, taxing along the ground towards the takeoff strip. Trixie stopped looking up and practically plastered her face on the window. The bear in her hands got fresh squeezings as she giggled with a noise that sounded both excited and a little nervous. Starlight, on the other hand, seemed much calmer about it. She was reading that magazine I had got for her.

With the two of them handled for the moment, I turned my attention back to my screen. I hammered out a quick thank you to Swanson, then a new tablet slipped into my view. It was Starlight's. "Please."

Oh. I took it and got it online through the airplane, then passed it back to her. "Does Trixie want hers set up too?"

"Mmm?" Trixie turned on her name being mentioned. "Does she want what?"

Starlight was more direct about it, snatching Trixie's purse and pulling the tablet free. "Linda's going to fix your tablet."

"She didn't know it was broken." Trixie looked confused, but didn't fight Starlight handing the tablet over to me. I had it online quickly and passed it back. "Thank you, she guesses." She looked back out the window. "This plane is... safe, yes?"

The plane choose that moment to start accelerating. We were pressed back into our seats as the engines roared with the power of modern technology. Starlight gave a little giggle. "I see," she said under her breath. I wondered what she saw, but was distracted by Trixie's less seasoned response.

The plush was getting squeezed tighter and tighter by the moment. "It's safe, yes?" she repeated, eyes wide. She wasn't looking out of the window anymore. She was looking directly ahead and breathing quickly.

It didn't take too much to realize she was scared. "It's alright." I reached across Starlight to take Trixie's hand, just to have mine taken instead. Trixie grabbed and squeezed firmly. She was trembling. "Everything will be alright," I spoke as gently as I could. "People fly countless times a day without a problem."

"People," hissed Trixie. "They are not Trixie. Trixie... is..." She squeezed harder. "She is fine! Really..." She was clearly not fine. "She has faced worse than this..."

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Like shooting yourself into the mouth of a hungry manticore?"

Trixie let out a choked laugh. "He was a friend, and... Trixie had you."

Starlight's hand joined ours, fingers wrapping about the both firmly. "You still have me."

Trixie's tension ebbed a little, only to come back as the plane left the ground behind and began ascending rapidly through the air. "She... still has you..." Her eyes closed. "She can do this... She can do this..."

Starlight gave both our hands a squeeze. "Of course she can. What would the Great and Powerful Trixie be, being intimidated by a metal bird. Hmmph. You've dealt with so much worse than this. This is just another chance to show how amazing you are."

"Y-yes, amazing." Trixie smiled a little. "She is that... amazing ponies don't... get scared." It was obvious she was still scared, but she was fighting it. They say bravery is not the absence of fear, but acting despite it. If that was true, Trixie was being very brave. "Thank you, both of you."

The plane started to even out, and with it, Trixie's breathing. She calmed bit by bit. Though she still held our hands, she dared to pry open an eye. She peeked out of the window and let out a loud gasp. "Wow..." The hand came free as she turned to look. "Everything looks so small..."

Starlight leaned back towards me. "Don't tell her, but I've already tried flying really high before. This isn't new to me."

I gave her a thumbs up with my reclaimed hand and settled back in my seat. It wasn't long before attendants came by with offers of drinks and snacks.

One of them smiled at Trixie. "Miss, is this your first flight?"

Trixie glanced around. "Why, did she do it wrong?"