“And a little patented ‘great and powerful powder blue’ for the spiral and… Aha! Perfect!” Trixie finished off her scrawling with a magical flick of her pencil before adding her signature cutie mark to the corner of the parchment. She swept the papers off of her workbench, rolling them up in her magical aura and made her way out of her wagon. She trotted down the wooden steps onto the grass outside of Twilight’s castle hoping to make a quick getaway into town.
“Trixie! I was just about to come looking for you!” Cried Starlight from behind. Trixie spun around with haste and attempted to hide her designs behind her. “I was wondering if you’d like to go get some lunch together?” Asked Starlight, approaching Trixie who displayed a nervous smile and eyes that kept darting to the side.
“Uhm, I’d love to Starlight but I…” Trixie tried to clutter together a response but Starlight was too perceptive and noticed the shimmering parchment poking out from behind Trixie’s conical hat. “Ooh what’s this I see? A new great and powerful act by my favourite magician?” Starlight asked as she plucked the designs from Trixie’s aura into her own.
“No!" Trixie bit her tongue before almost blurting out the surprise. "I mean, it’s my shopping list!” Trixie yelled while snatching back her papers from Starlight.
“Your shopping list?” Starlight asked through a stern expression.
“I mean it is technically true,” She thought. Trixie mustered up some of her stage confidence. “Yes Starlight, it’s my shopping list.” She said with an odd amount of pride.
“That’s an awfully big piece of paper for a shopping list Trixie.” Said Starlight.
“I have an awfully big amount of shopping to do.” Responded Trixie.
Starlight stifled a giggle. “Trixie! Just tell me what’s going on! You're not fooling anyone.” She said with an amused smile.
Trixie resigned herself to the situation and her stage persona melted away. “Starlight I want this to be a surprise!” She said with the energy of a bratty foal, stomping her forehooves in the dirt.
Starlight covered her smirk with her hoof and forced down more laughter. “But you always let me have a little sneak peek at your new acts.”
Trixie looked at Starlight. “I just really want it to be extra special this time.” She said with a sheepish grin.
Starlight looked puzzled. “Trixie come on, I’ve helped you plan dozens of shows and I’m never any less amazed than if you’ve done them on your own.”
Trixie blushed. “Well, you’re very kind to say that but I-” She stopped once she opened her eyes to see Starlight’s smiling face. “...I just want to do this on my own this time okay?”
Starlight released a satisfied sigh and placed her hoof on Trixie’s shoulder. “Okay, I can see this means a lot to you.” She took her hoof back. “Now go on, it looks like you have a lot of shopping to do.” She said with a wink.
“Thank you Starlight.” She said while hugging her friend close. “The Great and Powerful Trixie appreciates your cooperation in this matter!” Trixie reared upward and landed with a puff of deep purple smoke and the sound of clopping hooves fading off into the distance.
“Wait!” Starlight coughed. “We’re still on for that picnic later right?!” She yelled.
“Of course!” Trixie yelled back as she trailed off to her destination.
Starlight shook the dust from out of her mane and blinked to see that her friend was gone. “Well she’s certainly improved on her disappearing act.” She shrugged.
Trixie rushed her way through the streets of Ponyville to her destination: Precious Stone’s Store of Alchemical Goods. A quaint little shop on the far edge of Ponyville market. She pushed through the dark oak door into the cramped space of the store. It was very dark inside despite it being just after noon, the shop’s small windows barely getting any light through the coverage of bottles and vials and pouches and boxes. There were a few candles dotted around the interior which allowed for some semblance of visibility.
An earth pony came out from behind a curtained door frame. She had an off-white coat and a scarlet red mane that came over her head in messy bangs. She also wore a small pair of reading glasses over her silver eyes. “Oh hi Trixie! What does my favourite illusionist need today?” She chirped approaching the counter, kicking up a generous amount of dust as she rested her forelegs on top.
Trixie let out two little coughs. “Jeez Precious, you really ought to dust this place sometime.”
Precious shrugged. “It adds to the atmosphere. When was the last time you saw an alchemical supply store that wasn’t at least a little creepy.” She said with a humorous smile.
Trixie rolled her eyes. “You got me there. Now, would you like to see my latest creation or?” She asked with obvious eagerness.
“Well obviously!” Precious responded.
Trixie floated her designs onto the counter and unrolled them, kicking more dust into the air causing her to sneeze.
“Achoo!”
“Bless you.”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, what do we have here?” Asked an intrigued Precious, pulling the blueprints closer for her perusal.
“My magnum opus is what we have here.” Replied Trixie.
“I’m not sure this will work Trixie, I mean the amount of material you’ll need just to get the thing into the air and it has to carry you an-”
“Ah bup bup bup, it’ll work Precious just trust me on this.” Trixie interrupted.
“But how are you-”
“Bup.”
“And how are you-”
“Bup.”
“What about when-”
“Precious please I have this all thought out and besides between us two experts this should be a trot in the park.” Trixie boasted as she pulled Precious in for a close huddle.
Precious sighed. “Okay.” But then a determined look grew across her face. “Let’s get to work."
The two ponies now occupied the supply shed in the backyard of the store
Precious read from the list of Trixie’s desired colours: “Gold, white, violet, red, red-violet, green, a whole lotta blue, and indigo? Why not just do the whole rainbow while we’re at it?” She muttered to herself.
“Most of those are just for finishing touches, the most important are the gold white and blue.” Trixie butted in.
Precious shook her head. “Well we’re gonna need iron, aluminium, lithium carbonate, rubidium nitrate, you should be fetching these by the way.”
Trixie clambered out of her chair from her reclined position. “I’m on it!”
Precious continued. “Okay good, next up is barium chloride, copper chloride and last is caesium nitrate.” She wiped her forehead, “Phew, with this amount of colouring salts and the amount of fuel we’ll need just to get this thing airborne it’ll end up being the size of four grown ponies!”
Trixie turned to face Precious with a coy look. “Well that works out rather well Precious, it only needs to seat two.”
It was now nearing dinnertime and the pair of ponies were well underway with their task. They were in the stores’ backyard each going about completing their respective duties. Trixie was just finished with building the frame and pasteboard shell and was in the midst of mixing the perfect shade of powder blue paint for the finish.
Precious was trying to find the ideal compounds for their project. She sat wearing a pair of safety goggles which were covered in a fine layer of soot from some earlier minor mishaps. Trixie’s flank was still hurting from the first explosion. Precious was working on the picnic bench she would usually eat her lunch on. It wasn’t entirely suited for the job but it was better than chancing a fire indoors.
She lifted up her goggles revealing the fine outline of suit surrounding the otherwise perfectly clean coat beneath. “Hey, how long did you want the lift time on this thing to be?” She yelled across the yard.
“Long enough to enjoy the view! But it’ll need a short fuse okay?!” Trixie yelled back.
“You know you’re almost clearing out my entire supply of fuels right?”
“Who else in Ponyville buys this stuff anyway?!”
“I’ll have you know that I personally orchestrate all of Ponyville’s pyrotechnic displays!”
“Well the Festival of the Two Sisters isn’t for months yet!”
“You got me there!”
The two shared a hearty exchange of laughter before returning to the tasks at hoof..
Precious poured a shining black powder from a flask into a large barrel and proceeded to mix the contents. “Okay, I think I’ve found the perfect blend of fuel sources. It should give you just enough time to take everything in before the- well you know, the boom.” Precious illustrated her point with an explosive gesture of her hooves.
Trixie looked up from her paint pots and sorted her mane out from her eyes, accidentally smearing paint on her face. Fortunately it matched her coat. “Great! Fill the girl up and I’ll slap the finishing touches on.” She grinned.
The day had passed and it was now night-time with a deep blue sky sprinkled with gleaming stars and a bright full moon to shine down on Equestria. Trixie and Precious were chatting in the yard they’d spent almost all day toiling in.
Trixie threw on her cape and hat in preparation to leave. “I can’t thank you enough Precious, there’s no way I could’ve done this without you.” She said with utmost sincerity.
“Don’t worry about it. Anything for a friend am I right?” Precious smiled.
Trixie’s eyes started to well up and she felt a rush of sentimentality come over her. “Oh come here!” She pulled Precious into a tight hug which Precious gladly reciprocated.
Precious tried to speak through the vice like grip of Trixie’s affection. “Seriously Trixie don’t worry about it. I don’t think I can handle any more of your gratitude.”
Trixie immediately released her friend from her display of affection and looked away in embarrassment. “Sorry, it just means so much to me. You’ve helped make this more perfect than I ever imagined.”
“Eh, it’s what I do.” Precious replied with feigned smugness.
Trixie looked up with an amused smile. “Ha ha funny filly.” She said, nudging her friend in the shoulder. She looked up to the sky and noted how late it was getting “I hate to leave like this but I’m gonna miss my date if I stick around any longer.”
Precious shook her head. “No no of course you need to get going. Good luck I hope it goes- wait!” She exclaimed.
“Ah! What?!” Screamed Trixie.
Precious had already ran off into the she. “Just a minute!” She yelled from inside. She came trotting out holding a rolled up tarp in her mouth. She approached a cart containing their finished project and threw the tarp over to cover it. “One last finishing touch.” She seemed pleased. The tarp was a deep indigo patterned with shimmering white stars. “It’s not quite great and powerful powder blue but it should at least keep the surprise a surprise.”
Trixie was beside herself with gratitude. “It’s perfect.”
“I thought you’d say that. Now come on you need to leave now!” Yelled Precious.
Trixie rushed to hitch herself to the cart. “Okay, I’m going, I’m going, jeez!”
“Wait one last question. How exactly are you gonna get back down?” Precious asked.
Trixie gave Precious a confident smirk. “Oh, just leave that to my assistant.”
Trixie pulled the cart up the hill where she had planned to meet Starlight at earlier. She’d somehow managed to arrive just a smidgen early which provided enough time for her to start feeling butterflies in her stomach. The wind whistled in her ears causing them to flutter only agitating her more. Her expression cringed at the most inopportune moment as a lilac unicorn came up the hillside.
“So disappointed to see me?” Starlight jived.
Trixie opened her eyes in surprise. “Gah! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
Starlight giggled. “I’m like five feet in front of you, get over it. Now are we gonna have this picnic or not? I’m starving.” She said with excitement. “Looks like you brought a lot of food.” She said pointing to the cart which was buckling beneath the weight of its contents with one end inclined upward into the air. “Or is this part of your special new act?”
“I’m afraid the picnic was but a ruse my dear assistant. And you’ve fallen for it just as I required.” Said Trixie, with the tone and confidence of her stage persona.
“Yeah sure I did.” Starlight quipped. “Now when do I get to see it?” She said with great enthusiasm.
Trixie spun around, whooshing her cape that just barely brushed Starlight’s nose. “Without further adieu, The Great and Powerful Trixie’s most exhilarating, most death-defying act to date, a spectacle to amaze and captivate the minds of any pony in its presence!” And then her tone completely softened. “And all for you Starlight.” She smiled looking into her friend’s eyes and gripped the edge of the star spangled tarp in her magic and lightly pulled it off revealing what could only be described as the largest rocket firework any pony had ever seen. It was decorated in a white and blue spiral reaching up to a bright yellow conical tip. It was easily at least four ponies long and two ponies high.
Starlight looked at Trixie’s greatest creation with utter amazement. Trixie had taught her enough about pyrotechnics for her to know that this was a marvel of engineering, if it worked that was. “Will it actually fly?”
Trixie scoffed. “Puh-lease! Have a little faith in me Starlight. Besides I had a lot of help.”
Starlight smiled. “I apologise. Far be it from me to question the great and powerful Trixie.” She said while approaching her friend and embracing her.
They finished their hug and Trixie spoke to Starlight with a scheming look on her face. “I’m glad you said that cause I’m gonna need you to trust me on this one my great and powerful assistant.”
Starlight looked befuddled. “What, is the fuse too big to light by yourself?”
Trixie’s eyes rolled away from looking at Starlight. “Not exactly.” She shot a spark from her horn, igniting the surprisingly short fuse to the immense pyrotechnic and just as quickly grabbed Starlight and jumped up onto the body of the rocket.
“Trixie what are you doing?!” Starlight screamed.
“Surprise!” Trixie exclaimed, and just as she finished the flame had reached the fuse’s end and a shrieking whistle filled the ponies’ ears as the rocket shot up into the night sky. Trixie kept her cool, a sharp and determined look filled her face while a flurry of emotions overtook Starlight. The initial fear was quickly overcome with adrenaline. The wind blasted the fur of her coat, her heart raced and she couldn’t help but let out a laugh of pure joy.
“Enjoying yourself back there?” Trixie yelled over the shrill hissing of the ignition.
“I am so mad at you right now!” Starlight screamed.
“What was that?! I can’t hear you!” Trixie jokingly lied as her hat flew off her head and was luckily caught by Starlight behind her.
“You almost lost your hat!” Starlight yelled.
“Put it on, you look cute in it!” Replied Trixie.
“So you can hear me!” Screamed an annoyed Starlight who held the hat to her head with her one spare hoof, the other firmly wrapped around Trixie.
The rocket’s speed began to slow, but they still steadily rose through the air as the whistle slowly faded to a gentle rumbling and the white hot flame became a modest yellow. Both ponies felt a sense of wonder wash over them. Few creatures got to see the glinting stars this close and both of them knew how special this moment was.
Trixie knew the rocket was reaching its pinnacle and it was time to bail. She turned to face Starlight and said “Don’t hate me for this” and leapt toward a screaming Starlight and pulled her off the doomed vessel.
They fell through the air, Starlight still screaming and clutching Trixie’s hat close to her.
“Open your eyes or you’ll miss it!” Trixie yelled.
“What?!” Starlight screamed as she opened her eyes.
Right on schedule the rocket exploded into a magical array of colours. A beautiful cloud of glowing flame that dissipated to reveal the main event. Starlight and Trixie’s cutie marks stood side by side and filled the sky surrounded by sparkling gold stars. Starlight could feel tears welling up in her eyes which flew from her face as she continued to fall.
"So do you like it?!" Trixie cupped her hooves over her mouth to yell over at Starlight who was too captivated by the sight before her. "Starlight!" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
Starlight snapped out of her trance and turned to Trixie. "This is incredible Trixie but I am still so mad at you!"
"That's great Starlight but do you think you could help out with the landing or you won't be mad at me for much longer?" Trixie yelled back while pointing down to the ever nearing ground.
Starlight looked down at felt a quick shock shoot through her heart but quickly regained her focus and looked back up into Trixie's eyes. "What are great and powerful assistants for?" She boasted before encompassing them both in her magical aura of protection. The two ponies gently floated down to the ground with Starlight popping their bubble just a foot above causing Trixie to barely stick her landing.
"Gahh!" Trixie yelled as she regained her footing. "So what did ya think?" She asked with a smug expression occupying her face.
Starlight approached her and looked her right in the eye before taking her into a tight embrace. "I loved it so much Trixie." She leaned back slightly and a mad grin grew across her mouth. "But please never surprise me like that again." She half joked.
Trixie rolled her eyes. "The show's not over yet Starlight." She said as she put her one foreleg around Starlight's shoulder and pointing the other up to the sky. Their cutie marks still shined among the deep blue night sky, but as Trixie's horn began to glow something started to change. The sparkling stars began to move as if on their own until all had collected just below Starlight's shimmering star and Trixie's magic wand. They began to swirl and spin and then suddenly flew out into a new arrangement that spelled out the words 'Marry Me?'
