Sipping his hot cocoa, brewed in the spacious kitchens of the Night Palace, Pyro Feuer surveyed the crowd before him. Tonight was the first annual Hot Cocoa Social held in Canterlot, celebrating the soon-to-come new year via molten chocolate. Surrounding him were friends and strangers from all across the land. He went to sip his cocoa, but to his dismay there was none left, just the remains of some unmixed cocoa.
"Time for a refill?" Lemony Citrus asked.
"Hrm? Oh, yeah. That's a good idea," Pyro answered, surprised to see Lemony besides him. Sure, they had come to this party together, but seeing old friends had left them separated most of the night.
Together they walked over to the hot cocoa bar, nodding at the servants who were making sure none of the varieties of cocoas were depleted. Pyro chose a spiced cinnamon hot cocoa steaming a warm and gentle scent while Lemony drew out a mug of lemon scented lemony hot cocoa with a lemon on the lip of the mug. That's just like her. Both of them walked over to the window overlooking the Canterlot Gardens, making small talk about the fancy-schmancy ponies down there.
"Welp, this place stinks. Let's go home, Pyro."
"Yeah, it's time to get a move on," agreed Pyro. "I've got some orders to fill tomorrow, and I'll need my sleep if I'm going to get them all done."
"Should we say goodbye to the Princesses before we take off? I mean, they're the ones who are hosting it and all."
Pyro looked over at the entrance where Princesses Luna and Celestia were still greeting newcomers to the party. It didn't seem like they'd be able to say goodbye for quite some time.
"No, let's just be off. I'm sure the Princesses would rather be in here drinking cocoa than talking to some simple ponies from Ponyville."
"Simple!? Pyro, we are not simple in the least!"
Pyro chuckled. "Yes, simple is definitely something we are not. Still, the Princesses will always have better things to do than customary meet-and-greets with us. Now, shall we finally be off? I'd really like to get home before the rooster crows."
"...we don't have a rooster, Pyro."
"It's an expression! Sheesh, some ponies can't take a joke."
Pyro shook his head in disbelief, and when he looked up Lemony was already heading towards the door.
"H-hey, wait up Lems!"
Out in the chilly atmosphere of Canterlot, the duo made their way to the taxi chariots. Luckily, with so many ponies still coming in, there were plenty of taxis open for those already leaving. Throwing a few bits at the driver, they climbed into the cab that would take them to Ponyville.
...............
"...are we even moving yet? If we are, this is the smoothest flight I've ever felt!" exclaimed Lemony.
They had been sitting in the coach for a mere five minutes, and normally at this time they would be a couple miles away from Canterlot. Pyro stuck his head out the window only to sigh as he saw their driver sleeping up front.
"Hey driver, let's get a move on here! Ponies got things to do back home, you hear?" Pyro's horn glowed a crimson red as his magic responded to his will, a small flame escaping it and striking the driver on his flank! With a very schoolfilly yip, the driver glared at Pyro.
"What you think you doing boy?! I gots a business to run, and you doing your little magic trick ain't gonna look good for my customers!"
Pyro returned the driver's glare, using his eyes almost as well as Fluttershy when she uses her stare.
"Move. Now."
With a disgruntled sigh, the driver pulled out of the lane into the takeoff zone and with a powerful flap of his wings, they were off into the night.
After a few moments to make sure things were going to go smoothly from thereon out, Pyro pulled his head back into the cab.
"Everything alright?" Lemony asked. Her left eyebrow raised up in annoyance, already knowing the answer.
"Just a lazy driver is all, Lems. No worries though, we're safely on our way now."
...............
Lemony looked at her watch. Something wasn't right, because from her experience the flight should only have lasted half an hour, but they were already at the foutry-five minute mark. She banged on wall, yelling at the driver to go faster. Not a moment later, they felt the cab tilt down for descent.
"He's definitely not getting a tip," said Pyro. Being this late for such an easy flight? It's nonsense!
After a clunky landing, the driver throws open the door, face bright red with anger.
"That's it, get out of my cart! If yous going to be messing with my job, then yous won't be gettin' any more of my service, understand?!"
"Hey," Pyro pointed out. "We already paid you to take us home, so take us there now or else we'll call the guardponies!"
"Yeah!" Lemony popped her head over Pyro's, lending her voice into the argument. "We want to go home, and we want it now!"
"Well you know what I think? I think it's time for yous to hit the road!" As soon as the furious driver yelled 'the road,' he grabbed Lemony and Pyro and threw them into the ground. Catching their breaths from the shock and surprise, they looked back to see the taxi already in the air heading back to Canterlot.
"Oh, he just made me really angry... And now he's going to pay!"
With a flash of lightning, Pyro's magic once again started to swirl around his horn, cascading into an evergrowing wheel of flame. This was no normal fire, though. This magical flame was laced with the colors of an understanding of the elements deeper than most ponies know. Daunting purples, dark and gloomy grays, blues that threatened to swallow you up, and even greens that made you feel as if this was the end, they all spun in that wheel of fire. With a mighty yell, Pyro flung that pyrotechnic masterpiece at the receding taxi, catching its mark in a spectacular shower of colors that were easily visible for miles around. Somewhere out there, a lucky young couple's date would have the happy ending of fireworks, even if they didn't know where they came from.
Seeing his cab on fire, the driver screamed and hurriedly kicked the "Emergency Release" latch, dropping the flaming carcass of his taxi down into the fields below.
"Don't think this is the end, you fire nut! I'll see yous in court for this, and when I'm done, you ain't gonna have a bit to your name! You hear me?!" With that said, the driver quickly flew off into the night, his cab now just a heaping bonfire on the ground.
Lemony stared at the scene, mouth hanging in awe. She slowly turned her head to Pyro, and with awe in her eyes she uttered what she could.
"That... was awesome. You have no idea how much that makes me love you even more."
"Well, we'll be lucky if he doesn't sue us. As far as I know though, we didn't even give him our names! ...right?"
Lemony looked around her and realizing where they had been dropped off, got a sickly look in her eyes.
"I don't think it matters either way."
"And why's that, Lems?"
"Because," she said while waving a hoof at the field around them. "This is our field. His cab is burning in our back yard!"
"...oh horsefeathers."
