As the ideas shot through the audience to reach the ears of the Ringmaster, he smiled. The usual. People came up with the same ideas all the time, at every representation. However, they had the merit of simplicity and were the foundation of more original transformations afterwards. And a few very interesting suggestions were heard, which he kept for later on. After all, the public expected a simple act of hypnosis, whereas he could do so much more than that. Hastily, he grabbed on a commonplace suggestion as it flew towards him, said by several people. As good a start as any other.
"I heard you all and although every idea is indeed tempting, I have decided upon making them into children!"
People clapped, even those whose ideas had not been chosen.
"Ladies first," smiled the Ringmaster as he advanced towards Tayla, sleepily staring at the ball still and utterly malleable to his words now.
The audience stared, impatient to see what was next.
"Tayla, listen to me," gently said he Ringmaster in a coaxing tone. "You are enthralled by my voice. My words are real, my words are law to you. My voice makes you feel secure. I am your friend and want your well-being, after all. You do understand that, don't you? That I am your friend and caretaker. I would never let any harm befall you. Consider yourself under my care and protection. Do you agree?"
Tayla nodded and the Ringmaster caressed her cheek. Positive reinforcement never failed on the victims of hypnosis.
"Of course you do," he chuckled. "You know that listening to me is for your own good. You are such a good girl! Always so, so eager to please! No wonder everyone loves you!"
Tayla smiled and positively preened under the praise of her new master. He had complimented her! Her heart fill with happiness! She had made the Ringmaster, her beloved caretaker, proud! What more could she ask for?
"And naturally you do not mind obeying me and seeing me as your caretaker. I am like a devoted parent to you, who loves you unconditionally. And you are so obedient that you are my dearest little one. My dearest. My absolute dearest!"
Tayla thought her heart would burst with happiness and gratitude. Her master had called her 'dearest'! The best compliment he could bestow on her! He really did love her! Oh, to thank him and get more of the precious name, she would be even more obedient and sweet!"
"Of course you see me as a loving parent. And why is that? Well, the answer is obvious, isn't it? It is because you are a child. A little girl of six. And so pretty at that!The sort of beautiful child you don't see anymore but that everyone adores!"
Tayla disappeared in a great puff of pink smoke. When it cleared, Tayla was gone, replaced by a little girl with honey-colored curly hair, a white dress with frills and a pink sash around he waist, white socks and black leather shoes. Of course, a little straw hat was atop her head. Some toys were dispersed around her and her blue eyes sparkled with mirth as she set about playing with them, arranging a tea party with teddy bears, dolls dressed as she was and a plush mother goose. She went about her game playing hostess and explaining that she was training for when she'd be a lady when she grew up, like her mommy who was the prettiest of all mommies. She looked the textbook example of a sweet little girl from the early 1900's. Everyone laughed and applauded, thinking of an actress or a puppet and never once suspecting real magic. All were impressed by he quality of the illusion. All, except Jared, still mesmerized by the glowing ball. As Tayla was now in her new reality, time for him to enter his own. The Ringmaster bowed and stepped towards Jared, utterly in the power of his new master. He was not even a slave. More like clay waiting to be molded. The public stared bit bated breath, transfixed by what might happen exactly.
"You are a child again," whispered the Ringmaster, putting all the solicitude he could into his eyes and voice.
The subject had to trust him. Trust him enough in order to bring in new aspects of his personality forward, push down others and accept to like new things and behave a certain way. A lot of those came naturally, with just the right little pushes. Well, magic helped a lot too, truth be told.
"You can hear my voice and only my voice. It is the voice of a friend. No. Not a friend. Someone more. Someone who cares for you. Who loves you unconditionally. I am like a parent to you. I know exactly what you are and what you like. And if I am like a parent to you, a dutiful, loving caretaker, it is because you are a child, a little boy. It is only logical, don't you think? You are a little boy of seven. A kind little boy, who is eager to please and is very well-behaved. As an obedient little boy that everyone loves, especially me, I am sure you will listen carefully and obey my words, won't you?"
Jared nodded enthusiastically. Of course he would! That is what he did all the time! He is already always well-behaved and the Ringmaster is like his daddy. And he loves his daddy more than anyone in the whole wide world! As long as his daddy loves him, Jared does not mind anything else. If his daddy asks anything of him, he'll do it! And as he revelled in the attention his father figure bestowed upon him, basking him in a delightful fuzzy feeling, he did not see or notice his body change. He regressed, shrinking and allowing more body fat to reach his skin. Blond curls emerged from his skull and he acquired big rosy cheeks. His clothes changed drastically, shifting to an old-fashioned sailor suit, complete with the hat with his red pompom on top. The Ringmaster thought this outfit likewise coming out of the early 1900's was quite ridiculous but becoming for a young man that had been reluctant at watching his own show. And he already had an idea for the rest of the show. A quite delicious one indeed. The Ringmaster added an extra humiliation by making a bright pink and white lollipop and offering it to Jared who took with the utmost joy and clapped his hand, thank profusely his benefactor. Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered and laughed. The Ringmaster bowed to his public. But the spectacle was not over. Far from it. He clapped his hands in the direction of the two regressed teenagers.
"Children! You have been so well-behaved, I am going to reward you. What would you love to play at?"
Jared and Tayla erupted in gleeful suggestions of their own. Jared was the one to ask for the game the Ringmaster needed to resume the show and impress the audience. His carnie companions beyond the tent would know where he was going at.
"A game of pretend! Perfect!" he exclaimed. "How about a game of knights and princesses?"
Naturally the two children jumped in excitement and with a few puffs of blue and pink smoke, the scenery and decor changed. A cardboard crude painted depiction of a mountain with pines appeared, with Tayla dressed in a pretty golden princess ball gown perched on a false boulder. Jared was now dressed in a knight costume, complete with a wooden sword. The costume for Jared was still verging on the utterly ridiculous, with its gross fabric getup but as child engrossed in his play, he waved the sword around excitedly. As for Tayla, she was laughing and giggling, Jared pretty much ignoring her, as for him girls were just annoying at his age and exclaimed he would defeat a dragon for sure and easily.
"Well, let's give him a dragon," jovially said the Ringmaster.
Another puff of grey smoke and a monstrous beast, scaly and dark green with dark purple stripes made its apparition. It breathed a plume of smoke and flame and showed sharp talons and pointy teeth. Of course Jared dropped his sword and ran around crying, dropping the act in an instant. The crowd, however, oohed and aahed and laughed at how ridiculous the little boy looked.
"Oh my!" exclaimed the Ringmaster with a false tone of sadness and with the palm of his hand to his cheek. "It seems our brave little knight is not brave at all! He's not match for a dragon! Then, let him be a princess!"
A waved his hand towards Jared and a puff of pink smoke later, he was dressed in a bright pink dress, a hennin or pointed medieval hat with an attached veil and a plastic wand with a star on top of it with lots of glitter to boot. Everyone laughed at his misfortune but incredibly, the dragon stopped, staring adoringly at the two children dressed like adorable princesses.
"Looks like our dragon just loves princesses! Shall we give him his own little princesses to take care of and love and pamper?"
"YES!!!" screamed out the crowd, elated and applauding.
Enjoying himself immensely, the Ringmaster bowed.
"As you wish."
Two puffs of purple smoke left two giant pink eggs where the former teens had been. Eggs hastily picked up by he dragon who positively purred in delight and held his precious cargo in own paw each against his chest with the most incredible care, a if not treasure in the world was worth more than these two eggs.
"Let us wish them all a happy life together!" chortled the Ringmaster under the deafening applause of the crowd.
The next spell made the decor vanish and the dragon carried with the most extreme precaution the eggs in its maw back to its wide cage, happy to deposit the precious little darlings in a nest made of soft pillows. His very little ones to pamper and mollycoddle! As for the Ringmaster, he created two illusions, replicas of Jared and Tayla as if they had simply hidden since the beginning and that all the rest had been actors and elaborate puppetry. The magic was kept hidden and the public happy. And a dragon would be a lot more content and less aggressive now that he finally had two future babies to mother. Ironic, considering the beast was a male but it would make him less moody because of unrequited parental instincts.