//------------------------------//
// Fire and Spice 
// Story: A Spark of Magic 
// by Rammstein45 
//------------------------------//

(CHAPTER 5) FIRE AND SPICE
The singing of the songbirds chirped happily through the air as Celestia's sun was rising into the sky and clearing away the morning fog.  A golden beam of light shined through a window and warmed the face of a blue unicorn stallion.

Sparks blue eyes fluttered open and he let out a groan.  He slowly sat up in his bed and stretched.  The clock on his wall said 7am.  The stallion slid out of his bed and onto his hoofs.  He stretched his back once more and made his way to the bathroom.  
He looked at himself in the mirror.  His mane and tail were a mess as they were every morning.  He levitated a brush and made himself look presentable.  
Sparks went through his morning routines as his mind began to wander.  It had been 3 days since his incident with Trixie at the Gala.  The scuffs on his knees were finally healing nicely after his fall, and he no longer needed to wear those annoying large bandages.  The past few days were now almost a blur, Sparks had gone through his work days in an almost robotic state.  He hadn't been talking to anypony much, or even interacting at all for that matter.  Now that 3 days had passed and the thought finally set in that she wasn't going to be around anymore, Sparks slowly felt himself accepting this fate.  He didn't like it one bit, but he had no control over it.
After he finished his morning routines, Sparks made his way downstairs and readied to head off to work.  He levitated his saddle bags onto his back, put his hat on, and opened the door.
Even for being so early in the morning, Ponyville was already abuzz with life.  Store owners were opening up to start their work days, and down the road, the market stalls were already crowded with ponies buying things they needed.
From above, Sparks saw a grey pegasus with a blonde mane land at his mailbox.  Her eyes were different than other ponies, but that wasn't a problem at all.  Her sweet personality made up for any faults she had, which was a good thing because she could be clumsy at times.  She straightened her mail carriers cap and reached into her bag.   
"Good morning." Sparks called out to her.  
The pegasus looked up.  "Oh!  Good morning Sparks! 
"What did you bring me good today?" He asked.
The mail mare held out the letters for Sparks to take.  "Just a few things this time."
Sparks levitated the letters from her hoof and put them into his saddle bag.  He always read the mail when he got to work.  "Thank you." He told her.
"Yep, see you tomorrow!" With a nod, the pegasus spread her wings and flew off towards her next stop.
A sweet smell fluttered past Sparks nose.  It was almost an everyday feature for the town that all of the bakers had their windows open.  It was one of the many signs that it was morning in Ponyville.  Sparks felt his stomach growl in response.  That was all he needed to get him moving in the morning.  
One thing that was off with his typical morning routine was that his neighbors had moved out.  Every morning he would cross paths with an earth pony stallion named Topaz.  He was a gem miner that was tough as nails, yet always happy to lend a hoof with anything.  He; along with his wife Garnett who worked in a jewelry store, had moved out near Manehatten where the money was better.  Their house was now vacant, and Sparks no longer had anypony to greet as he left for work.  He hoped he would get some new neighbors soon.
His stomach again growled.  Sparks made sure his front door was locked and then made his way off for the day.  
It was a quick trot to the center of town where most of the heavenly smells of freshly baked pastries awaited him.  Of course the wonderful smells were coming from the famous Sugar Cube Corner.  The place even looked like a gingerbread house.  As it was with every morning, there was a line.  Sparks found his place and waited for his turn.  
"Good morning everypony!" 
Sparks heard the cheerful voice and saw a wave of bright pink.  Everypony knew Pinkie Pie, and she always greeted everypony she saw in the morning as she made her way out for the day.  She was one of the first ponies that he had met when he moved to Ponyville.  ...Well, more like she made sure that he knew her and everypony else in town.  Sparks had never had a full celebration in his honor for moving somewhere new.  He greeted her along with everypony else in line as she bounced out the door.
"Good morning Sparks." The voice of Mrs. Cake called out.  "Would you like your usual this morning?"
With a nod he replied, "Yes please."
Mrs. Cake pulled out a raspberry muffin from behind the counter and poured him a cup of iced tea.  Sparks was never a coffee drinker.  He always preferred cool drinks to wake himself up.  
"And congratulations by the way!" Mrs. Cake complimented.
Sparks tilted his head, "On what?"
"There was a big article about your fireworks at the Gala the other night.  It said Canterlot has never had a better fireworks display."
"Wow," Sparks said in surprise, "I didn't even know they were doing an article on us."
"Well you must have really impressed the Princesses then."
Sparks paid for his food and told Mrs. Cake goodbye for the day.  Now he was eager to get to work to see what the paper had to say about himself and Firecracker.  He trotted out of Sugar Cube Corner and made his way back into town.  
Up ahead was the town market.  Rows of colorful tents lined the open square of town along with the ponies that ran them.  This was the best place to get fresh produce; which the restaurants took advantage of, and anything else you could ever need around the house.  A few ponies that he knew greeted him as he walked passed.  
Something caught the unicorns eye.  At one of the stalls he saw a figure of a character from a comic book that Firecracker enjoyed.  A white pegasus mare wearing a blue and gold cloak and holding a bow and arrow.  He couldn't remember her name, Ashes or something similar.  Sparks went up to the stall and pulled out his bag of bits.  As he paid the seller he felt a hoof tapping him on his back.
He turned and saw a pair of fiery orange eyes looking at him from behind a protective visor.  Sparks eyes nervously widened.  "Uh oh..." He uttered.  The pony was wearing a full body protective suit, almost like a hazmat suit.  From behind the visor, her eyes narrowed and her muffled voice beamed from behind her respirator.  "Sparks! Why are you always so mean to me?!  Can't you ever greet me with a "Hello!" or "Good morning!"?" 
With a nervous grin, Sparks said back, "I'd love to but every time I see you in that suit it usually means bad things are coming my way."
She pulled the hood of her protective suit off.  Her vivid yellow coat came into view along with her blazing red and orange mane.  Hally Banero Pepperflakes the 3rd., or as she called herself Habanero.    Daughter of the famous Pepperflakes family hot pepper empire.  
Habanero's life revolved around her family's business.  The peppers she grew and created were always winning awards and sought after by quite a few well known chefs throughout Equestria.  Anything about peppers, or how to make food spicy, she was your go to girl.  She was also the mare that Firecracker had recently started dating.  Still, Habanero had one unusual trait.
The fiery earth pony stood next to a sample tray she had set out on her shop stall.  It was filled with tortilla chips, and several different homemade, and award winning hot pepper dips.  Habanero's eyes immediately began to water and her muzzle turned.  One whiff of her spicy foods and she began to sneeze.  
Sparks couldn't help but laugh on the inside.  The pony who prided herself in everything spicy and fiery hot, had a terrible pepper allergy.  She quickly reached into a pocket on her hazmat suit and pulled out a tissue to blow her nose.  She then quickly took a drink of water to clear her throat and put her protective hood back on.  
Sparks was finding it harder and harder to control his laughter.  
"Not one word!" Her muffled voice called out angrily behind her respirator.  
Sparks couldn't hold it in.  "Pffhahaha!!  How can I not laugh?!  The queen of all things red hot, and spicy can't even handle her own creations!"
"You know I have a capsaicin allergy!" She called back with frustration as she hopped up and down similar to a foal throwing a tantrum.
"Oh the irony." Sparks quipped with a grin.
Habanero grumbled in frustration.  She was about to make a comeback when she heard Firecrackers familiar voice call out, "Morning Hally!"
The two watched Firecracker approach while looking into a bag he was carrying.  As he looked up from his bag he continued, "I figured you might be hungry so I brought you a... - Oh Sweet Celestia she has her pepper suit on!"  Firecracker pulled his front hoof up in an almost protective stance for himself.  There was a reason he was afraid of her when she wore her protective pepper suit.
From behind her visor, her blazing eyes narrowed angrily.  She didn't say anything, she only stood there brooding.  Nervously, Firecracker held up a bag and said, "I brought you a cinnamon bun with lots of frosting, just how you like it." He held his nervous grin.
Suddenly, Habanero's expression changed.  Her eyes went back to their normal kind gaze.  "Well thank you." She said sweetly, I was getting a little hungry."
Sparks noticed Firecracker's uneasiness grow.  Firecracker knew what was coming.  Habanero then spoke calmly, "I'm actually glad you two are here.  I was hoping you could help me with something."
"What is it?" Sparks asked.
The look of worry just kept growing in Firecracker's eyes.  
Habanero walked behind her stall that was lined with the brightest, and most fresh looking peppers you would ever see.  She pulled out a little basket with some small pepper pods in them.  "These are some new pods that I've been working on.  They're a crossbreed of some different types of peppers, I was hoping you could try them and let me know how they taste so I can sell them properly."
Sparks raised an eyebrow and Firecracker's fear grew with every passing second.  Before the two could protest, Hally said sweetly in her reassuring voice, don't worry, these are a cross breed of very mild peppers.  If anything they'll taste more sweet than hot.  She held the basket out with her hoof towards the two stallions.
With hesitation, Sparks horn began to glow a pale blue and he levitated one of the pepper pods towards himself.  Firecracker's hoof shakily took the other.  Habanero simply smiled sweetly under her suit as she waited for the two to test her creation.  
Sparks examined the pepper.  The pod itself was smaller, only about an inch and a half long.  It's skin was flawlessly smooth and colored a brilliant red and orange.  It almost looked like someone had swirled the two colors together.  The last thing he did was smell it.  Surprisingly enough, it smelled very sweet, almost like a strong citrus fruit.  He felt his nerves slowly subside and he was almost a little eager to try it.  
Firecracker too examined his pepper and said, "And you say this one will taste sweet?"  
Habanero nodded, "With everything I cross bred it with, it should be, yes."
The two friends looked at each other.  Sparks took a deep breath and said, "Well... it does smell pretty sweet."
Firecracker took one last whiff and smelled the sweetness of the pepper.  "I guess so..."
Sparks levitated the pepper to his mouth and Firecracker raised his up with his hoof.  
"3..., 2..., 1..., go..." Sparks said as he opened his mouth and put the pepper inside.  Both began to chew.  Truth be told, there was a splash of a citrus sweetness..., immediately followed by the most horrifyingly violent burn the two stallions had ever tasted.
Sparks could feel the pupils of his eyes shrink to almost nothing from pure shock, he wanted to spit the pepper out but without thinking he swallowed what was left.  He could feel the burn as it made its way to his stomach, and then felt the heat spread through his entire body.  Both Sparks and Firecracker yelled out in pain.
Sparks in a panic fumbled around for his cup of iced tea, he quickly levitated it to his lips and took a large gulp.  By this point, Firecracker was already on the ground rolling around in agony.  Sparks swallowed his gulp of tea and yelled out, "Sweet Celestia!  The tea makes it worse!"
Habanero put her hoof up to her mouth and tapped her chin.  "That's odd." She said in confusion, "Those peppers were bred from sweet mild's, I wonder how they ended up so hot.  She reached over and lifted up one of the pepper pods while the two stallions continued to roll around in pain.  She calmly broke open one of the pods and looked at it.  Inside, the pepper was filled with thick, almost yellow colored oil.  "Oh! I see now!" She called out as a matter of factly.
"See what?!" Firecracker yelled in pain as he took heavy breaths trying unsuccessfully to push the heat from his burning mouth. 
Habanero held the pepper out.  "You see all this oil in here?"  How could they miss it!  Both stallions, through their heavily watering eyes could see thick drips of translucent yellow oil spilling onto the ground.  "That's highly concentrated capsaicin.  Somehow all of the cross breeding with the different pepper plants I did on the sweet mild's turned the pepper into one highly concentrated super hot.  ...I wonder how I managed to get it's heat so high?  I really am a pepper genius!"
Still huffing and puffing on the ground, Sparks yelled out, "Yeah that's great!  Now would you make this burn go away?!"
Habanero raised an eyebrow, "Make it go away?  You can't just make a heat that's that concentrated just vanish, it's gotta wear off."
"And how long will that take?!" Firecracker called out in pain.
Hally shrugged, "I dunno, half hour? 45 minutes?  Could be longer.  I've never grown anything with that much heat before." Habanero again jumped up and down excitedly, "Hehehe, I'm going to win so many awards for this pepper!  Daddy will be so proud!"
_____________________________________________________________________________________
A while later, the two stallions walked up to their Firework company.  It was on a large area of land that was completely surrounded by high fences to keep ponies out.  Their business was a dangerous one and the last thing they wanted was for anypony to get hurt.  Sparks was still trying to cool his entire body off from the pepper he ate.  "Remind me never to go near her stall again..." Sparks said over his swollen tongue. 
Firecracker wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.  "Try dating her.  I always have to be on my guard when she cooks."
Up ahead there was a small building near the entrance with a large sign that said "Ponyville Firework Co." in glittery letters.  The two pyro ponies walked up to the door and went inside.  The main office building was set up pretty simple.  Their business was just passed 6 months old so inside wasn't anything over the top fancy.  Inside there was a small sitting area and a countertop for speaking with customers.  Behind that were two work desks, only one was occupied.  A pegasus mare named Feather Quill who's coat was an almost golden color, and her mane was a deep forest green.  Her cutie mark was a writing quill.  She handled the business aspect of the Ponyville Firework Co. or the PFC, as she called it.  She was slightly older than both Sparks and Firecracker.  She had a family to support, and this job handling the books and numbers was right up her alley.   
When she saw the two walk in, she spoke up, "Good morning you two... WOW! You both look terrible!"  The side effects of Habanero's super hot peppers were still very much present. 
"Oh trust me! We feel that way right now!" Firecracker said back.  He walked over to the small break area and opened the fridge.  "Oh thank Celestia! Milk!"  He quickly opened the carton and began to chug.  
"Use a glass at least!" Sparks yelled.  He then sighed and looked back at Feather Quill, "His special somepony made us try one of her new peppers."
"That bad?" She asked.
"Mhmm!!" Firecracker mumbled through his chugging.
"Do you have a copy of Canterlot's newspaper?" Sparks asked.  "I heard they mentioned us in it."
Feather Quill pulled a news paper off of her desk and handed it to Sparks.  "They did more than just mention you."
Sparks levitated the paper and read the front page article.  "Light Up the Night!"  There was a full front page article about the fireworks that he and Firecracker had done for the Gala.  It talked about how all of Canterlot was buzzing about it, and how impressed Princess Celestia and Luna were.  "Hey Firecracker! We're famous now!"  Still chugging his milk, the pegasus raised an eyebrow.  Sparks laid the paper out on the counter top at the front of the office and said, "This will definitely draw in some more business."  He looked around at the bare walls of the room.  "I'm framing this!"
_____________________________________________________________________________________

At lunch time, Sparks was sitting in the front office eating his sandwich and rooting through his saddle bags.  He pulled out the small figure he had gotten for Firecracker and set it aside.  He then pulled out the mail and went through it.  It was the typical mail he received every day.  A few bills, some junk mail, and a request for a fireworks display at a "to be determined" date.  The last letter caught his eye.  The handwriting on it was very familiar, and the return address was very well known to him.  On top of that was the unmistakable smell of perfume that was sprayed on the envelope.  He opened it and read it.

Dear Sparky!
I heard that your fireworks in Canterlot were amazing! I wish I could have seen them.  So far I've only been able to see pictures of them in newspapers.  That's not the reason I'm writing to you though.  You know that next month is Mom and Dad's anniversary.  I want to do more for them than the standard greeting card and giving them the house to their selves for the night.  

Since your firework business is doing well now, I wanted to throw this idea your way.  Why don't you do a firework display for them?  Won't it be more exciting than a simple congratulations letter?  I don't have the bits to pay for it, but I was really hoping that you could make it happen anyway.  Plus I haven't seen you since you moved to Ponyville, and Shimmerwood is really far away, so this will give you an excuse to come visit your favorite little sister!
Please let me know ASAP!
Love you Sparky!
Flame~
Sparks sat at his chair for a minute while he looked at his sisters letter.  A few thoughts ran through his head.  He hadn't seen his parent's in quite a while.  He did miss his mom, and his dad... well... he did love his dad but he was a little on the odd side.  Truth be told, his entire family was a little on the odd side.  Aside from that, they did just get paid quite a large amount of bits for the Grand Galloping Gala fireworks shoot.  There was no reason why he couldn't give his parent's a decent size display out of his own pocket.  Plus Firecracker was from the same town, it would give him an opportunity to visit his own family.  Maybe even take Habanero along to meet them if she didn't kill him with anymore super hot peppers between now and then.  He then looked at the calendar on the wall.  he had 2 firework displays in the month ahead, but he was clear for 2 weeks around his parents anniversary.  It could be a nice little mini vacation for him.  It would be his first actual break since he opened.
He heard the door open and saw Firecracker walk in.  "Yo!" Sparks called out.
"What's up?" The pegasus asked.
Sparks folded up his sisters letter and said, "You up for doing a shoot in Shimmerwood next month?"  
Firecracker grinned, "A shoot for our hometown? Sure!  it's been a while since I've been there for a visit anyway."
"Cool." Sparks said.  He took another bite of his sandwich and then said, "Oh yeah, before I forget..."  Sparks levitated the Ashes figure to Firecracker.  I was going to give this to you earlier but Habanero was busy trying to kill us."
"Aw sweet!  I love Ashes!  Where'd you find her?"
"A stall in the market square was selling it."
Firecracker examined the figure of the comic book pegasus like a colt with a new toy.  "She's going right on the shelf when I get home tonight."  
"I thought you'd like that."  Sparks then finished his sandwich and continued, "I have a few more boxes of shells to finish today before we go.  Then after that I want to test some new ones I made this morning.  Wanna help so we can get done quicker?"
With a nod, Firecracker chirped, "Sure!"
Feather Quill reached in her desk and pulled out a pair of ear plugs from one of her drawers.  "Let me know when you're shooting them this time!  You two scared me to death the last time you were testing shells."
"Sure thing, Feather." Sparks told her.
"Let's get back to it." Firecracker said as he walked outside with Sparks.  
"It'll be good to see Shimmerwood again."