Ponyville Fire Department

by Rescue Sunstreak

47 - Back on the hooves

Rescue lay there, looking sideways at the love of his life, and the princess sitting behind his bed. This was all so much to take in, and he had remained silent after the last question was answered for what must have been ten minutes.

“Friend, Rescue, are… are you okay?”

His deep green eyes lifted from looking at his husband's eyes and to the princess of the night. She had yet again helped him in ways he could never repay.

“It... is a lot to take in my pr—” He paused at her look. “Sorry, Luna. I just,” licking his lips and giving a exhale. He found a cup with a straw lift up in front of him, held in dark purple magic. He took a few sips before it was lowered again.

“And I can never tell anyone, not my own brother? My friends, like Bon Bon and Lyra?”

Luna shook her head, as Ailan’s hoof reached out and pressed to his own. “No, Rescue, you can not, not ever. The magic cast that night, must never be known of outside the royal court.”

He gave a soft nod. “I understand, I will honor the word given. I will have many questions, I am sure, but, I am so tired right now. I need to sleep, I mean no disrespect.”
The princess of the night gave a soft smile. “No, my friend, sleep now. You have earned it,” looking down at Ailan. “Keep watch on thy husband, this is what I charge you with pegasus.”

He smiled very softly. “I would do nothing else, my princess.”

She gave a nod and got up, seeing herself out. As soon as the door closed, Rescue spoke in a soft tone.

“I... I am scared. I have not felt like this in—”

Once more, a hoof touched his lips.

“Shut up, Rescue, you talk too much,” backed by a pegasus with a warm smile on his face.

---

Two days later, they came for him. A mare with a medicine ball cutie mark, and a smaller pink filly with a Tiara on her flank.

“Okay, Chief,” Helping Hoof said, the cream-colored mare with the deep purple mane and tail. “I have sent your husband away as informed to, and now we get to see how much you can move around.”

Rescue muttered. “And... Diamond, why are you here?”

The pink filly put a serious look on her face. “To make sure you don’t slack off, Chief. There is someone very special to me that has spent weeks crying himself to sleep beside me. I will not stand for this one moment longer than it has to go on,” she had a force in her tone that gave no ground or question.

Rescue looked at her and exhaled softly. “Fantastic. Well, at least you didn’t bring Applejack with you, too.”

Helping gave a warm laugh. “Oh, trust me, she has already made it very clear you are getting plot-kicked if you slack off in therapy.”

The first few days began hard, just now learning to move his hind legs. Breaking out in a massive sweat lifting his legs up even just a few simple inches, being able to roll himself over onto his back or his other side. Yes, he was healing fast, but learning to do things over again, it was both tiring and painful.

Day four met Rescue with a harness around him, holding him up, as he stood with a balance bar on each side of him. Helping was holding the control rope that kept his weight barely on his hooves. Diamond stood at the other end of the bars. It reminded him of how she was with Pipsqueak, how she had been the voice to push his son into walking again.

“Chief, come on now, a large stallion like you? Take another step.”

The big brown stallion gave a low gruff nicker. “It hurts!”

Diamond snorted. “Yes. If it didn’t, you wouldn’t need to be here. Now,” she stomped her hoof on the ground. “Take a step for Ailan!”

Focusing, he lifted his front hoof up a inch, dragged it forward and planted it, hearing the pink filly again. “Good! Now one for Pip!”

Again, he focused hard, and lifted his rear left leg and dragged it forward, moving a step. His body trembled, never had he felt so weak as he did now. Yet there was that force of will known as Diamond Tiara, glaring at him with a mix of determination and care.

“Good, you are doing great. Now, take one for me,” her voice changed softly. “How else will you be able to dance with me one day at my wedding?”

Rescue’s head lifted and he looked at her, then took his left forehoof up and and planted it, pulling himself forward. His body trembled and he nearly fell to the ground, really only the harness and rope kept him up, hearing Helping say in a soft tone.

“Perfect. Diamond, grab the cart get it under him so he can rest, let's get him out of the harness for the day.”

The earth pony slid the cart under the big stallion's belly and spoke, “Good job, Chief” kissing his cheek softly. He could not help but smile at that.

“Pip is a fool if he doesn’t keep you close, Diamond," enjoying watching her blush herself quite brightly.

---

Three weeks from the day he started therapy, almost to the hour. Rescue stood on his own, looking at the crowd around the exit door of the hospital. At his side stood Ailan, even if the soulbond didn’t exist, he would know Ailan was there, pressed to his flank lightly . To his left bracketing him in was Applejack, she smiled a bit.

“Ya thought you would be walking back to the house alone?”

Rescue muttered at AJ’s comment. “I could have hoped.”

Big Mac gave a snort. “Eenope.”

Smiles and happy greetings was the order of the day. All through the walk home, Pipsqueak and Diamond leading the way, still bracketed in by Ailan and Applejack.

However, there was one little grey filly who did not have a smile. She had tears in her eyes as she stood, trembling next to her parents who had warm smiles themselves. Apple Bloom stood next to Silver and nudged her. In the background behind them Rescue could see the house was already being rebuilt.

Silver walked out to meet the big fire pony looking up at him, tears raced down her cheeks. “Chief I... I am so, so sor—”

Rescue took a page out of Ailan’s book, putting his hoof out to silence the filly. He heard his husband choke a chuckle down at that.

“Silver, it was not your fault. I have seen the report. Faulty wiring to one of the new electric heaters started the fire. You did everything right, you are alive, and that is all that matters to me.”

She sniffled and worked around his hoof looking up at him again, and suddenly was hugging him tight as she dared. The big stallion sniffed a bit himself as he heard her words in his ear.

“Thank you for saving me and Crash.”

He had already heard about the serious case of hero worship the filly had on the fire pony unicorn. She and Bloom stopped in every day to the station after school and dropped off cookies or apple pie, or just hung out and helped clean. Apple Bloom mostly to keep Silver happy.

“You are welcome, Silver. Now, I should go lay down with my family.”

Letting him go, she trotted back to her family and Apple Bloom, giving the bow-wearing filly a little nuzzle that made her blush hard and Applejack give a soft laugh.

The draft pony stallion turned and continued his slow stride for home. As he did, he gave a little huff. “Chief Tiara, tell me, have you found a replacement for the missing member of your squad?”

He heard her sniff once, he knew well it dug up a painful memory, but she gave a nod.

“Yes, Chief Sunstreak, and you have met her already.”

He lifted a eyebrow, considering he was out of the loop tell he was reinstated to active duty. It did not surprise him Bull, the acting Chief, had not told him.

“Do tell, who then?”

Now it was Pip and Diamond who started to giggle lightly. Pip spoke up with that light Trottingham accent of his.

“Dad, you saved her life, her fillyfriend is an Explorer, her best friend is a Explorer. Did you not put it together?”

He came to a stop and looked back over his shoulder at the family walking down the street, Silver and Apple Bloom pressed side to side, talking. Giving a little grunt, he nodded.

“I see. Captain, I expect her to be up to snuff and caught up on classwork by the time I come back to station.”

Together, the Pink filly and the paint colt barked. “Yes, Chief!”

Applejack and Ailan both chuckled, but Rescue simply gave a nod. A new member was joining the family. One who had already seen the monster they stood against, and not been found lacking in courage.

It was Ailan who whispered in a low tone. “She already visited Archer, and asked for her blessing. It was... a bit strange. She asked me to walk her there, not Apple Bloom, and while we were there, a pure blue meadowlark landed on her head stone. I tell you, Rescue, it sat there, and just sung to Silver and I.”

Rescue nodded his head. “Sounds like Archer was approving in her own way.”

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long pause in there folks. Things in life just had me stressed out and I couldn't focus on the story at hand. However this is it, the end of Arc 4 and so we head into Arc 5 and the end of story 1.

Not to worry, I already have story 2 outlined and story boarded.

Comments

[kitten_girl86]

Beautiful chapter