Perchance to Dream

by David Silver

58 - The Call

The lunch was messy, which was largely the point. I wouldn't have selected it myself, but my recent friends had developed a habit of dragging me to places I wouldn't think of, and it usually didn't turn out too badly.

I broke the news to some disappointment. I left out the why of it. It was a secret, of course. There was no good reason to tell him about the whole Equestria thing, and relatively few happy possible outcomes from bringing him into the fold on that.

"Does this mean the deal's off?" he asked, looking haunted.

"Not necessarily." I held up my hands placatingly. "I'll get out an email to them and see what we can do. I wouldn't call it quits just yet."

And that's exactly what I went to do, leaving my fretting boss behind. I hadn't thought of it from that angle, and I should have. If the deal did fall through, it would be a significant loss to the company. They had sunk significant time and resources into opening a new office, and the project I was spearheading was supposed to be the first real profits from the venture. If I failed to close that deal...

I let out a little breath as I closed the door behind myself. Starlight had her face in her tablet, playing some kind of game. She did look up at me as I crossed the office. She must have noticed something was up. She set the tablet down and pointed at me. "So, what happened?"

"That obvious?" I sank onto my comfy chair. "If this all goes bust, it could leave the company in dire straights. I have enough savings to surf along to the next opportunity, I wager, but there are a lot of people who don't have that luxury."

Starlight pursed her lips as her fingers drummed on my desk. "Well, there's... not a lot we can do right now. Tell that Director lady and see what she wants to do about it. If she wants us that bad, she'll think of something. It's not like we did anything wrong."

Oh, would that not doing things wrong were enough to get ahead... "I'll try." I had my email up in a snap and got right to typing.

I regret to inform that I was denied the security clearance. My dual-citizen nature disqualified me before we got much further in,
but I received the impression every additional detail was another reason to not proceed, so far as the interviewer was concerned.

I paused, looking at the words. I felt a growing sense of irritation. Filling out all those forms hadn't been a brief task, or an enjoyable one. So far it had borne no fruits. Depending on how she replied, it may never. Still, that was my job. I filled forms. I made things happen...

Despite our denial, we are willing to proceed. You simply cannot reveal any classified intelligence. There is work waiting to be done,
and we are eager to get to it.

That felt more proactive. But what if ponies in general were classified? Well... too bad? I already knew about them. I lived with one of them, for god's sake. I glanced across at Starlight, who had resumed swiping at the pad eagerly. No, not much could be told to me about ponies that I wouldn't already know or would find out on my own.

Ding. An email had arrived. It was from Kevin.

Did you get grilled yet? They asked me a million questions! No word on if I'm in or not. Let me know!

I had to laugh, so I did. After all that, he was the closest to getting the security clearance. Why not? He wasn't an alien, or a dual citizen, or much of anything remarkable. He was just a marketing guy. My presence was likely the biggest minus on his application.

I quickly added a note to the email I had been drafting, informing them that Kevin was still in the running, then sent it on its digital way through the complex web known as the Internet.

"What's so funny?"

"Kevin wasn't disqualified. He's still in the running."

Starlight rolled her eyes. "Figures. Good for him. At least we'll know what's going on with the other ponies, right?"

"Not... exactly." I pointed towards the door. "If it's all classified, then he would be sworn to not share that information. I'm not going to ask my friend to break the law, especially that one. We could both get in huge amounts of trouble."

Starlight frumped at the news. She sat up in her chair and fidgeted a moment. "Well... guess we have to wait and see."

A thought came to me. "Hey, have you taught magic before?"

Starlight blinked at that. "That's a sudden topic shift, but yes, I have. Why?"

"I was curious if I was your first or not."

Starlight waggled fingers at me. "Oh no. My dear friend Trixie was the first. Mind you, she knew basic magic, just not anything advanced enough to be called a true spell outside her cutie mark's talent." She sighed gently. "I wonder how she's doing... It's been a while since we spoke."

"Is she good now?" I asked curiously even as I, driven by curiosity, began to do a web search on her. She came up quickly. She looked like a magician. "She didn't know magic?"

Starlight leaned in to see what I saw. "Oh, yes, that's her, done as one of your cartoons at least. She's good at illusions and fanfare, but only of the sort that's good in a show. Parlor tricks. She wanted to advance from that and since we were good friends, she asked me to mentor her. I did, and she drove me crazy, but we did it." She let out a slow sigh as she sank back in her chair. "I miss her."

"So I was easier?"

Starlight cocked a brow. "You waited for me to finish explaining something before rushing in and doing it, so, yes, you get points there. Don't get me wrong. I love Trixie, and she has talent, she's just impatient to shine." Her expression became one of fond remembrance. "You should have seen her the first major spell she accomplished. She just couldn't stop showing it off, and that smile. It really made her week."

Love? "Were you two... in a relationship?"

Starlight missed the implication entirely, sailing over her head. "Of course. Several. We're best friends, and she was, and technically still is, my student." She tapped at the tablet lightly. "I bet she'd get as much of a kick out of one of these as I do." I was going to ask her a question, but she kept right on talking, "We've been adventuring partners before, and I've been her assistant for her magic show, so, yes, we've had a lot of relationships."

"Right," I said as a space came to fruition. "It sounds like you two have been through a bit together."

"I miss her," sighed out Starlight bluntly. "Next tim... Actually, you can contact her!" She brightened considerably. "Press the button, call Twilight!"

I considered that. There was no reply from the Director yet, and no other email that needed my immediate reply at the moment. I saw no harm in it, so I pulled out the curious cube and pressed the button in the side. Somewhere a reality apart, I imagined the 'clonk' bell going off wherever Twilight had placed her cube. "Now we wait. She either shows up, or rings the bell back, which means she's busy."

Starlight clapped her hands lightly. "I hope she's there. If Trixie's nearby, she can get her and we can talk at least."

Twilight appeared a minute later. "Hello? I think this is the first time you were the one starting one of these."

I smiled at the princess on my computer even as it struck me just how bad of a security risk giving me clearance would be. They had probably done the right thing in rejecting me, as I thought about it. "Twilight, good to see you. Starlight was--"

"--Is Trixie there?" butted in Starlight, suddenly crouched beside me and grinning at Twilight.

Twilight blinked. "Actually, yes. Once I told her what had happened to you, she refused to leave until you were returned."

Starlight's expression fell. "Aw! Poor girl, she must be so worried. Please, get her."

Twilight pointed at me before her hoof went behind her head. "Before I go running off to do that, was there anything else you needed, Linda?"

"I called for Starlight here." I gave a bit of a smile. "You'd best get Trixie before she explodes."

"Right, right." Twilight turned to the left and trotted out of view. "One moment," came her voice, retreating away.

Starlight was almost giggling with anticipation, and she was not disappointed.

A blue pony popped into view on the computer. "Starlight!" She mashed her face up against the back of the screen, her face distorted against the flat surface. "Is that really you? We missed you!"

Starlight rushed up to almost do the same, but a quick grab of her shoulders kept her from knocking my poor LCD screen right over. "Trixie! It's been too long."

"It feels like a hundred moons have gone by," said Trixie in a petulant tone, backing away from the screen enough to see her properly. "When are you coming home?

Starlight let out a groan as she spread her arms wide. "First, how did you recognize me?"

Trixie got a coy and confident look. "As if the Great and Powerful Trixie wouldn't recognize her best friend, even while criminally bald." She glanced off and back before leaning in towards the screen. In a loud stage whisper, she confessed, "Twilight might have told Trixie before she got here, but we can keep that a secret."

Starlight giggled at that. "I'll never tell." She pointed at her chin. "And this is an example of what can go wrong when you cast spells without thinking it completely through."

Trixie tilted her head a little. "Were you trying to teleport? That's still a tricky spell."

Starlight quickly shook her head in reply, waving her hands to emphasize. "Not that, not exactly. I wanted to visit Linda here." She gestured at me. "So I went and hopped through dimensions... and got stuck."

Trixie's eyes shone. "So that's what that spell was. Trixie was very curious but couldn't quite piece it together. Why would anyone want to hop into a statue. That was silly, she thought, but now it makes more sense."

"Wait." Starlight started to look nervous. "You saw the spell?"

"How could she not?" Trixie shrugged. "You left it beside the statue when you vanished, wide open to the spell you used. Trixie thought you might be really inside the statue, but Twilight assured Trixie this was not the case. Now she understands!" She clopped her hooves together. "Trixie will fix the spell and rescue you, leave it to the Great and Powerful Trixie!"

"Wait, no!" It was too late, Trixie had galloped off with a manic smile and a set heart.

Author's Note:

I'm sure this will resolve itself, right?

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Comments

[badninja]

Oh no. Whelp here comes Trixie, the spooks are going to love this.

[Emtu]

Dammit, Trixie.

[Booster Spice]

A wild Trixie appears.

Oh wait, you dont want that one, those tekmage Unselies are a right nightmare.

Has this chaos incident got to the point wher Discord has a nostril hair investigating?

[Daremo]

and it doesn't turn out too badly - and it usually doesn't turn out too badly

So far it had bore no fruits - So far it had borne no fruits

fruitition - fruition

Why would anyone want to hop into a statue. - Why would anyone want to hop into a statue?

---

Overall a good chapter, it sets the stage for more 'fun' to come provided that Twilight doesn't slip an inhibitor onto Trixie for her own good. Trixie on earth would be akin to the mythical bull in a china shop. Her personality just isn't compatible with 'low key'.

---

Starlight waggled fingers at me. "Oh no. My dear friend Trixie was the first.

This may be the most clever and subtle retcon I've ever witnessed. I applaud you, sir.

Did you get grilled yet? They asked me a million questions! No word on if I'm in or not. Let me know!

Anyone with more knowledge, please feel free to correct me here, but this is exactly the kind of conversation you can't have over email or any unsecured method of communication if you have a security clearance and want to keep it. The first rule of security clearances is like the first rule of Fight Club.

[David Silver]

8111947 Typos fixed, and letting people know you have clearance isn't against the rules, or jobs that prefer cleared people would be in huge trouble.

[RC]

... oh-no.

[tsaukpaetra]

Take heart in the fact that Trixie probably... Oh great, Twilight better be on top of that, Trixie is liable to get stuck somewhere completely random!
Careful of that house of cards Linda, there are winds blowing....
Keep going! ;)

[Warrior Kitten]

Considering that Linda is the foci, this will not end well for anyone involved.

[Sylica telca]

Well this is gonna be interesting.

[Greenhorn]

Linda will now learn the avatar of Trouble, publically known as Trixie Lulamoon.