It has come to Princess Twilight Sparkle’s attention that something had to be done about a certain magician’s habit with explosives. This was evident during a prop mishap with Princess Celestia’s play when her dear friend Pinkie Pie bought a particularly large bundle of fireworks from her in one of Ponyville’s back allies. Pinkie confessed that she bought the package bundle from her and the not too subtle Trixie-shaped firework at the end of the calamity didn’t help in hiding who was responsible for that brief and chaotic disaster.
Then there was the time when Trixie applied to be the school’s new guidance counsellor. She was glad that some pony else was taking the reins when Starlight becomes the new Headmare of the School of Friendship. However, after hearing reports of what happened, the use of explosive smoke bombs on the school grounds was something that caused her to raise her eyebrow on several occasions.
Luckily, thanks to Princess Celestia’s and Luna’s princess lessons on recent laws, including ones regarding recreational explosives, she decided it was time to confront the magician once and for all about her dangerous habit. So, with documents levitated in her magic along with several eye-witnessed accounts and quills to sign signatures, she arrived at the door of Trixie’s travelling wagon. She sighed, knowing what she was going to get herself into.
Clearing her throat and performing her dear sister-in-law’s breathing exercise, she stepped towards the door and gave it a sharp knock.
The moment the knock echoed inside the wagon, Twilight had to immediately take a couple of paces back as the wagon lifted several inches from the ground as a cacophony of fireworks flew out of the window. Just as quickly as it began, however, the wagon landed with a thud back down to Equestria.
Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. This was the very same reason she was outside her wagon today.
A window pulled itself open, allowing smoke to escape into the open air and the singed form of Trixie’s
Head to poke out of it. Her hat was covered in black soot and was positioned at a funny angle. Her eyes watered and she was coughing profusely, fanning her face with her hoof and a fan of playing cards in her magic. Rubbing her eyes from the tears and the last traces of sleep, her vision cleared to see who woke her up this early in the morning. A sly and coy smile crept upon her face.
“Ah, isn’t it Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Trixie welcomed, “Just what are you doing here, waking me up in such a fashion this early in the morning? The Great and Powerful Trixie needs her beauty sleep, you know?”
She talked in her usual fashion, rolling the Rs with her name. Twilight had grown accustomed to Trixie’s rather over-the-top and flamboyant ways of greeting her.
“Morning Trixie,” Twilight forced a smile. She cleared her throat, shuffling her documents with her magic as she tried to stay focused on the task at hoof.
“It has come to my attention that you may have been breaking several laws,” Twilight explained smoothly, only to be cut in by Trixie.
“Oh, Twilight,” Trixie opened the front door and pressed a hoof to her chest, “And I thought we were past such animosities. You gave me a chance, I made an equally great and powerful friend and helped save all of Equestria when you were pony-napped by Chrysalis.”
“I am fully aware of that,” Twilight’s voice strained a little, “And me and my friends owe you for that. No, this is something that has come to my attention much recently.”
“Oh, and what would that be?”
“Your fireworks and smoke bombs,” Twilight said simply.
Trixie’s spirit sank a little when Twilight said those two things.
“And, er, what about them? Those are my prized collection of fireworks, you know? The great and powerful Trixie has accumulated this collection over hard work and bits. Remember when I told you I had to work on Pinkie’s family rock farm just to get by? I saved some bits for some special fireworks long ago.”
“Well, according to the laws I have learned with Princess Celestia and Luna that you have overused them on way too many occasions. Equestrian law states that the only times that they are allowed are during the Summer Sun Celebration, Nightmare Night and Hearth’s Warming. You have been using them outside the holiday periods,” Twilight read the dusty document thoroughly, “Furthermore, you have been using them outside the hours. It states that fireworks and recreational explosives should be used before 6 in the evening.”
“But how can one perform such great and powerful tricks without special effects?” Trixie half-stuttered. Even though Twilight and herself were on reasonable ground, she was hopeful that Twilight can point her towards some way to ease the Equestrian laws. Twilight did find a loophole regarding Equestria’s E.E.A.
“Then I suggest you apply for a license or some form of a permit for regular use at the town hall. I’m sure Mayor Mare will help you out in some shape or form,” Twilight’s eyes peeped over the sheet of parchment paper.
“Oh?” Trixie perked up slightly at the news.
“Just send your application for a 12-month license and she will carry it through. It will cost a lot of bits, but I’m sure you and Starlight can perform less extravagant shows to raise something,” Twilight smiled.
“Thanks for the tip,” Trixie perked up.
“Regarding selling of fireworks,” Twilight turned to another piece of parchment in her lavender magic, “You also don’t have the license for that. Some pony or creature could have gotten seriously hurt during Princess Celestia’s Ones' Anniversary play.”
“Wait, I wasn’t aware of that…” Trixie trailed off on that sentence.
“Pinkie Pie said she got them off of you.”
“And how did you know it was me?” Trixie asked with nervous chuckles, a bead of sweat made itself known on her brow.
“When I said that the fireworks display was ‘unsafe’, Pinkie said that she got them from you in some back alley. Plus, one of them exploded into the shape of your face,” Twilight explained with a deadpanned look.
“Yeah,” Trixie rubbed her neck with her throat, “In case you haven’t noticed, subtlety isn’t one of my strongest traits.”
“I can tell,” Twilight’s eyes wandered from the tip of Trixie’s pointed hat to the bottom of her cloak.
“Anyway, you do know that it’s illegal to sell fireworks to ponies who are underaged, right?”
This time it was Trixie who gave Twilight a deadpanned expression.
“Princess Twilight,” Trixie said, “Subtlety may not be one of my strong suits, but I’m not that dumb. In fact, you should be glad I decided to move to Ponyville after those Cutie Mark Crusaders got their cutie marks. Think of what would happen if those fillies decided they would try getting their cutie marks in firework crafts. Knowing those fillies and the many stories I have heard of their misadventures, I can almost certainly picture them stealing a few things from my wagon."
The very thought of that scenario was quickly pushed back to the far depths of Twilight’s mind. She shuddered at the very thought of those three troublemakers launching one of their creations.
“Point taken,” Twilight muttered before swiftly moving on.
“Regarding your smoke bombs,” Twilight cleared her throat.
“Oh, not them too,” Trixie whined, “My dramatic entrances will be nothing. Nothing I tell you!”
“There’s always the door or window,” Twilight pointed out, “Rainbow sure loves to use those.”
“I’m blue, yet can’t fly,” Trixie countered.
“Just please refrain from using them indoors,” Twilight half-begged, “Especially in the school. Yes, I am fully aware that they are magically triggered when they hit the ground, but the bigger the forces will cause a bigger explosion. You hit them too hard.”
“I will be gentle with them, I Pinkie Promise,” Trixie followed the sacred pledge with the correct actions.
FOREVER…
Both Ponies looked around for the source of that sound before Trixie turned to Twilight.
“Pinkie Pie?”
“Pinkie Pie,” Twilight nodded.
“She sure is your group’s greatest trick,” Trixie contemplated, “Perhaps I could ask her to join on one of my shows?”
Another image was pushed aside in Twilight’s mind. Pinkie’s unpredictabilities, plus Trixie’s unpredictable tricks? That was a truly terrifying scenario.
Note to self, Twilight thought inwardly, never speak of this with Pinkie.
“And why can’t I use them indoors?” Trixie brought Twilight’s thoughts back to where she was.
“We have students that have trouble breathing,” Twilight explained.
“Ironic that you have dragons in your school,” Trixie hinted harshly, “Fire-breathing dragons?”
“At least they can control their fire,” Twilight countered.
“What if a substitute teacher was a dragon-sneeze tree?” Trixie smiled cleverly.
“A what?” Twilight tilted her head to the side.
“Ask Discord,” Trixie smiled victoriously.
“Same with your wagon,” Twilight tilted her head away from Trixie. The scorch mark from earlier was still visible on the window frame.
“I can’t leave them outside,” Trixie argued back, “What if Cloudsdale issues an unpredictable rainshower?”
“I think Starlight to give your fireworks a waterproof spell of some kind,” Twilight smiled, “On top of that, she might now a few security spells in the unlikely event that some of them were stolen. Everypony knows everypony in this town.”
Trixie thought long and hard before caving in.
“I might consider that.”
“Anyway,” Twilight skimmed through the last remaining documents, “All I ask of you is to put your signature at the bottom of the page, promising me that you will be more cautious in the future.”
Trixie sighed and levitated a quill from Twilight, writing her name in equally flamboyant writing as herself.
“Thank you for today,” Twilight smiled, “I know that it was tough, but it was nice for some cooperation on your end.”
With that, Twilight bid her goodbye and made her way to the school of friendship.
A few weeks later, Twilight received an invitation from the great and powerful magician to see a new magic trick. Figuring it was a good time to see if Trixie had lived up to her promises. Plus, the whole of the School of Friendship was there to see it.
Twilight found a nice spot with her friends and together they waited for Trixie to start the show.
A small controlled explosion announced to every creature of her presence and Trixie stepped out from the smoke. Every creature gave her a round of applause. Twilight was secretly keeping a mental checklist.
“Greetings every creature and welcome to my new show,” Trixie introduced herself, “Now, with talks to our dear Twilight Sparkle, I have managed to secure all my fireworks safely and managed to enlist the help of somepony who managed to get a firework safeguarding license. Please put your hooves together for Starlight’s dear foalhood friend, Sunburst.”
Twilight raised an eyebrow as Sunburst and Starlight stepped onto the stage. Sunburst was properly licensed. That came as something of a surprise.
“And now the Great and Powerful Trixie and her associates will perform a feast for the eyes! Look up high!”
As one, the crow looked up, a dazzling display of fireworks filled up the sky. Twilight frowned slightly, squinting her eyes at the positioning of the sun. Was it during the right hours? A piece of paper floated towards Twilight.
Reading it, she found that Trixie stayed true to her Pinkie Promise and managed to get the approval of Mayor Mare for a 12-month permit. Twilight smiled, impressed at Trixie’s effort. Pinkie leaned in towards Twilight.
“I didn’t feel any of my Pinkie Sense that told me a Pinkie Promise was broken.”
That meant that Trixie had managed to control her smoke bombs inside the school.
With no other problems, Twilight lay on the grass as she watched the fireworks explode long into the evening.
Soon, like all good shows, it had to come to an end. Every creature went back home or to their dorms for the night, leaving Trixie and her assistants to pack up for the night.
“The Great and Powerful Trixie always keeps her promises,” Trixie winked.
“As if I knew that already,” Starlight chuckled.
“Trixie,” Twilight smiled as she walked towards the stage, “Glad to see you caught up on all the paperwork.”
“Well, since I will be the new guidance counsellor at the school, I thought this might be good practice for when I go into office.”
“Well,” Starlight nudged her friend on the shoulder, “I’m afraid you will be getting a lot more paperwork when you’re in the school. Think you can handle it?”
“Not to mention all the student queries,” Sunburst added after he securely strapped the last of Trixie’s spare fireworks.
“Me? With a friend like you on my side, we can tackle that mountain of paperwork like the greatest show trick there is.”
The four of them laughed as the night came in and the moon rose high into the sky.
Author's Note
I don't know firework laws in other countries like the USA or Australia, mainly focusing on UK laws.
Anyway, goodness it's been a while since I wrote something about Twilight. I wanted some more moments with her and Trixie. How many times do you think Trixie released fireworks and smoke bombs in the show (MLP & EG)?
Happy reading and hope you enjoy this story.
