//------------------------------//
// Lead Me To You 
// Story: A Spark of Magic 
// by Rammstein45 
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(CHAPTER 6) LEAD ME TO YOU
The sound of rock music blared inside one of the brick shacks where the fireworks were made.  He loved listening to his records when he worked.  They helped to pass the time and dull out the silence.  This record was special to him though.  It was a record from a band that his dad played in.  Yes, not many ponies knew it, but Sparks dad was a drummer in a rock band.  It was sort of a closely kept secret that only family, and very close friends knew about.  It kept the fuss down that way.
On a table in front of him was a box of cardboard tubes and a tray of small black spheres that were about the size of peas.  They were called stars, and they were the burning balls of color in the sky that gave the firework their distinct look.  Sparks was completely in his zone.  His music kept him calm and focused while he made shells.  Everyone he, and Firecracker made was its own little piece of art.  Each one took time, and each one was special.
He looked at a list he had taped on the wall of everything that he needed to have done that day.  He was working on 6 inch willow shells.  When they broke open in the sky, they would flutter down like a giant silver willow.  Surprisingly, he was ahead of schedule.  So much so that he debated on leaving early.  He listened to the song playing on the record called, "No Reflection."  It was one of the last few songs on the album, he figured once the album ended he would close up for the day.
On the other side of the PFC in another one of the shacks where the fireworks were made, Firecracker was hunched over his own work bench.  His stomach was churning.  "Hnnnnggg!!!!" He groaned.  The pepper Habanero made him eat earlier was still rubbing him the wrong way.  He looked at the half made shell in front of him and tapped it with his hoof.  "Now I know how you feel little firework...  somepony gives you something hot then BOOM! you explode..."  The pegasus forced himself to finish the shell and then he wanted to leave.
Trying his best to ignore the stomach cramps, Firecracker quickly scooped the stars inside the shell around the break charge that would send the stars bursting into the sky.  He quickly capped off the shell and attached a fuse before finally covering it in a special glue that would give it extra strength.
"There... Done..." he uttered as he set the shell down to dry overnight.  He then turned off the lights and went outside and made sure the door was locked.  
Around him were over a dozen different brick shacks for making different types of fireworks.  The buildings looked like they were run down and ready to fall apart, but there was a reason they were all built like that.  Everyone of these shacks were built to break apart if an explosion were to happen.  It was a way of keeping concussive damage to a minimum.  
The sky was beginning to glow a soothing red as the sun was setting over Ponyville.  "Red..." Firecracker thought.  Red reminded him of Habanero's hot peppers.  It was the last color he wanted to see at that moment.  He then looked down at himself and saw his red coat.  He groaned once more.  He couldn't win today.
"Hey, you finished early too?" 
Firecracker looked up and saw Sparks walking up to him and pulling a small cart.  "No, I couldn't get my list done.  Hally's peppers are still killing my stomach." He grumbled.  He would definitely be having some words with her when she got home that night.
"That bad huh?" Sparks asked.  "My misery from those wore off after about an hour and a half."
"Yeah." Firecracker shot back, "Mine did too, but it's coming back now!"
"Can you at least help me set up a mortar rack real quick so I can test these new shells?"
With a sigh, Firecracker said, "I suppose."  The pegasus looked at the cart Sparks was pulling.  The racks in the cart were larger than what he was expecting.  "You brought the 8 inch pipes?"  
Sparks nodded, "Yep, they're big shells."
The two walked to an area near the back of the firework plant.  It was a flat surface covered with gravel where the two would test new shells.  The gravel did well for holding the mortar racks in place and preventing fires from starting from the many embers that erupted out of the pipes once the fireworks launched.
Sparks unhitched himself from his cart and walked behind it with Firecracker.  His horn began to glow as he levitated the large mortar rack onto the ground.  
"So what kind of shell is this one?" Firecracker asked as he pulled out a hammer and two boards from the cart.
"These are 8 inch chrysanthemum shells.  When it breaks in the air it gives off a bright, flashing blue that leaves crackling silver trails behind them." Sparks reached into a box with an explosives sticker placed on the side, and pulled out one of the large sphere shaped shells.  "I call it the Silver Sorceress."
"The Silver Sorceress, huh?" Firecracker remarked as he nailed two boards to the base of the mortar rack for extra stability.
"Yeah, what's wrong with it?"
Firecracker shook his head.  "She's still on your mind, isn't she?"  Sparks didn't want to reply, so Firecracker did it for him.  "Look, I know you hit it off with Trixie at the Gala, but we have no idea where she is now or even where she's from.  As your best friend I don't want to be the one to tell you to move on, but I think I'm going to have too.  Sparks, you gotta let it go, this is doing nothing but making you a wreck.  
Sparks jaw stiffened.  His head slowly nodded and he said back quietly, "Let's just test these and go home..."
With a silent nod, Firecracker made sure the mortar rack was secure and Sparks lowered the shell into the pipe by its fuse.  
"Hey, you want some ear plugs?" Firecracker asked.
"Nah, it's just 2 shells."
"Yeah but they're big ones."
"I'll be alright."
Sparks horn began to glow a brilliant red as he activated his heat spell.
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The street lamps began to come on under the evening sky in Ponyville's market square.  All of the store owners were hard at work trying to make some last minute sales before the day's end.  One spicy pony in particular was pushing a new product very hard.
"Step right up!  Try the all new Wailing Stallion Pepper!  So hot, Tartarus can't even handle them!"  Several intrigued ponies stood around while Habanero gave her pitch about her newest product.  Some with interest and others with uncertainty.  She cheerfully continued, "Now don't let the crazy spiciness scare you off, one of these little fireballs cut into smaller pieces will make a great spice for your next pot of chili or even give an added kick to your salsa for Taco Tuesday!  Just don't eat them whole, they're called Wailing Stallion's for a reason!"
She made a few quick sales to a few of the more daring ponies as the crowd began to die down for the evening.  This was usually her indication to close up shop for the day.  Habanero headed for her countertop to start putting things away when she heard a voice calling to her.
"Excuse me."
Habanero turned and saw a unicorn standing in front of her.  "What can I do for you?  Interested in some of my spicy dipping sauces?"  
"Not exactly," she continued. "I'm actually looking for something."
Hally smiled and said back, "I'll try my best.  I do Know this town pretty well."

"Okay," She continued, "I'm looking for the Ponyville Firewo~..."
She was cut off by a muffled boom.  They both turned in time to see a shimmering silver tail rise high into the sky.  There was a bright flash followed by a thunderous BOOM! that rocked through the town.  Both ponies saw a large firework bloom open in the sky with brilliant blue and shimmering silver that crackled down to the ground.
"...Never mind, I just found what I'm looking for." The unicorn said as she took off running leaving a confused Habanero behind.
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Sparks loaded the second shell and lit the fuse.  He quickly ducked down and waited for the lift charge to ignite.  There was a deep concussion as the shell rocketed into the sky.  Sparks quickly stood up among the burning embers to watch his newest creation.  Up above, high in the sky the shell broke open into its brilliant crackling colors.
"Not bad." Firecracker complimented.  "I like the color transition and how long the stars burn before they go out."
Sparks nodded.  "Good, I need to get more of these made before we leave for Shimmerwood.  Since that shoot is for my parents anniversary I need to get things made in their colors.  So a lot of blue and white for my mom, and orange and gold for my dad.  I figured this shell would be perfect for it."
Firecracker nodded while he smothered a few glowing embers with his hoof, "Well you made it for somepony else but it definitely fits for what you want."  
Sparks rubbed his hoof in his ears to dull out the ringing from the loud boom.  It was the things like this that made him realize that he would be deaf in a few years.  He looked at the mortar racks.  they still had smoke pluming from them.  "Let's leave these to cool over night.  We were supposed to be out of here a while ago anyway, I'll clean them up in the morning."
With a nod he and Firecracker walked down the path that led to the entrance of the firework plant.  In the distance, the town clock chimed 7 and the Celestia's sun was being replaced by Luna's moon.  
"Hopefully she'll get to see them someday..." Sparks said to no pony in particular.
Firecracker bumped his hoof off of his friends shoulder.  "Hey, keep your chin up."
"Believe me, I'm trying."
The two walked through the main office, wrote down their work they had completed for the day, and did a few last minute tasks before leaving.  The glow of Sparks horn faded and he set his quill down.  "Alright..." The unicorn said, "I'm tired, my stomach is starting to hurt again from Habanero's peppers, and I'm ready for bed."
"Sounds good." Firecracker told him, "Go ahead and head out, I'll lock up."
"Alright, see you tomorrow."
Firecracker watched as Sparks left.  He finished up his own end of the day duties and turned out the lights.  He felt his stomach churn once more and he put a hoof over it as he groaned.  "Darn it Hally..."  While he and Habanero weren't technically "living" together, more often than not, the fiery earth pony would often spend the night at Firecracker's.  He didn't mind, he knew it was only her way of trying to get them both to be more comfortable around one another, and to advance their relationship.  Still, when she made him try her spicy foods, Firecracker found himself questioning his sanity around her.  He wasn't mad at her about today, but he would definitely be letting her know not to test her peppers on him again.
With another groan of his stomach and with a cringe on his face. Firecracker quickly left the front office and locked the door.  He then shut the front security gate and made sure it was locked before spreading his wings.  As they began to flap, he groaned, "Ughh~~  You're killing me Hally!"  He then lift himself off the ground and flew off.
From behind, the sound of tired hoofsteps echoed off the path.  Firecracker didn't even notice that somepony was standing at the gate as he flew off for home.