The Stars That Guide Us: A New Adventure - A TSTGU Novella

【Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ８】

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Please put your hands together and welcome onto the stage, the great magician Jairo and his glamorous assistant, Y/N!" One of the carnival workers shouted from Jairo's stage.

   Jairo took my hand and led me onto the stage. When we were both in the middle of the stage, Jairo released my hand and turned to a small box on a table with some footsteps leading up to it. As Jairo prepared his first trick of the show, Elo made his way over to me and hovered over my shoulder.

   Jairo turned back to face the audience and announced, "For my first trick of the night, I'm going to make my dear assistant disappear and then reappear in this little box behind me."

   The audience "oooed" with interest as Jairo walked past me and grabbed a large cloth, and shook it out. He held the cloth out for the audience to see. "With this cloth, I will cover Y/N up and on the count of three, she will disappear." He turned to face me and mouthed "remember what we practiced."

   I gave the magician a curt nod and he threw the cloth over me. With me out of sight of the audience, Elo engulfed me and turned himself invisible, turning me invisible in the process.

   Jairo had instructed me to give the illusion that I had suddenly disappeared from under the cloth by dropping to my knees and slipping out from under the cloth. I heard Jairo's voice counting to three, and on the count of three, I dropped to my knees and slipped out from under the cloth, exactly how I had practiced. Gasps came from the audience and Jairo lifted to cloth to reveal I was no longer there.

   Next I needed to slip into the box on the table from a discreet passageway in the back of the box where Jairo – meaning Elo – would make me reappear.

   "As you can see, Y/N has disappeared, and right now, with my teleportation powers, I will make her reappear in the box behind me," Jairo explained as I got into position in the box and he made his way over. "With a flick of this cloth, Y/N will appear!"

   I heard the rustling of the cloth being flicked  and Elo unwrapped himself from me. Once I was free from Elo's embrace,  I stood up, breaking the box to reveal myself to the audience. The crowd erupted with cheers and applause as Jairo took my hand and led me off the table and down the steps.

   We proceeded to do some more tricks like making cards float – with the help of Elo – and getting members of the audience on stage to help out with some of the tricks.

   Before we knew it, the magic show had come a a close and the audience surrounding the stage dispersed and went to carry on enjoying the rest of the carnival.

   I climbed into the back of Jairo's carriage and changed back into my normal clothes. A knock came at the carriage door when I had finished getting changed.

   "I'm decent!" I called out to the person outside the carriage. I heard the carriage door open and I turned round to see Polnareff standing in the doorway.

   "Great show out there, Y/N," the Frenchman said with a grin.

   I smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Pol. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous."

   "I wouldn't have believed you were nervous for a second. You were a natural."

   "Could you please stop flirtin' with the lass? We need to start making tracks!" I heard Rita shout at Polnareff and my cheeks heated up slightly.

   I quickly recomposed myself by taking a deep breath whilst Polnareff retaliated by saying "I wasn't flirting with her!"

   "Rita's right, Pol. We need to start making a move," I said as I gave the Frenchman a gentle nudge to get him to step out from the door of the carriage.