//------------------------------// // 54 - Spring is here // Story: Ponyville Fire Department // by Rescue Sunstreak //------------------------------// Winter wrap up was well over with at this point, and as usual, the first day of spring kicked off with all hooves on deck. Both wagons had been placed outside in the driveway. The younger ten Explorers climbed all over, polishing and cleaning, while the older ten swept and cleaned the station out. Rescue gave a bit of a huff and glanced around. It was not like Applejack to be late. However, she received the benefit of the doubt. What ever the reason, it was likely a good one. He peeked over his shoulder at the activity once more, before picking up the push broom and beginning to sweep the dust up from the small curb along the driveway. --- “Res? Hey, Res! Wake up!” Kind of lost in his thoughts, he blinked his eyes slowly and looked up as somepony yelled again. He glanced down at the broom in his hoof and back up at the orange mare. She had a smirk, but something was off. She had that look in her eyes which told him she was worrying about something. “Applejack! What’s up?” She exhaled, Rescue noticed her ears lower to her head. She never could lie or hide things. Then again, Element of Honesty kind of did that to ponies. “Ah... ah need to talk to ya, out of earshot of others.” Pondering a moment, then giving her a nod and a gesture, “We can to talk out by the pond,” as he turned. He looked over his shoulder and called out. “Shining Star, Pumpkin Cake,” he observed the pegasus and unicorn fillies perk their heads from working on polishing the brass hub of the rescue wagon. He gestured to the broom as he set it down. “Soon as you are finished there, grab the dustpan and finish up the curb here.” Turning again, he motioned to Applejack and with her headed back along the crushed gravel path to the rear of the firehouse. --- Rescue glanced over at the smaller, golden-colored mare as she stood on the small dock built into the pond. He could see something was off, this wasn’t the Applejack he knew. Lifting a hoof he touched her shoulder. “What’s going on, AJ?” She glanced over then lowered her eyes to the dock, her head hung low for a moment. “Ah... ah am havin' a foal.” Blinking, the big dark-coated stallion pinned back his ears. His head tilted a bit, a little dumbfounded with this sudden news. “I didn’t know you were seeing anypony. You sure?” Applejack nodded slowly. “Just got back from the doc’s,” she took a pause and shut her eyes. “It’s… It's Max’s.” Again, he blinked, keeping quiet with his eyes locked on the mare at his side. He shifted his gaze to look out at the pond once more, observing ripples along the water's surface as a fish caught a small insect and disappeared back into the shallow blue. Rescue breathed out softly, keeping himself contained. “Does he know?” She removed her brown stetson, resting on her haunches. Not looking over at him, but out at the water, perhaps even the same exact ripples he was watching. “Yer... yer the first I have told, Res. Ah,” she went quiet for a moment. “Ah don’t know what ta do. It ain't like we planned this, ah mean I ain't sad about it, just...” Rescue placed his hoof under her jaw and lifted to close it gently. The big stallion thought it over, remaining quiet as minutes ticked past, before sitting down himself, shifting so his flank was pressed to his smaller friend's body. “Do you love him?” There wasn’t a pause, he saw her nod her head out of the corner of his eye. “Then, tell him. I have known Bull for over fifteen years. If he feels the same, he will not be anything but happy.” She again paused and then said. “Ah ain’t worried about him, just... Mac, Bloom…” Turning he cut her off with a soft chuff. “Bloom will be overjoyed, and you know it. Mac... well, he will be a bit mad at first, only because you and Bull ain’t married, but he will get over it. You are his sister, and Bull is one of his friends.” He turned to look out at the water again. “I would be more worried about Pinkie and her reaction, you know how she is.” With that Applejack gave a warmer chuckle of her own, sliding her hat back on top of her head. “She ain’t as bad as ya make her out. Ah know you and her are friends but she really isn’t as out of control as ya think.” For one moment, he thought back, to that moment in a hospital when she looked him in the eyes and said she wouldn’t be his friend anymore if he did not set things straight. He shivered slightly, answering back. “So, your call now.” Applejack gave a soft nod of her head. “Ah think ah need to tell Max first. Ah can do that alone, but telling Mac…” Rescue shook his head "Do you want me to go with you?" She thought for a bit then shook her head "Thank you, but no. Yer right, he is my brother an ah got to do it maself" --- The large-for-his-tribe dark yellow unicorn stallion ran a hoof through his short-cut blue mane, giving an exhale as he stared back at the apple mare. “I know we talked about it, Applejack, but... I guess this is time we be serious about it,” his ears laid back. “I will make a honest mare of you, no not because of this but, because…” She reached up a hoof and closed his mouth gently pressing up on his jaw from under it. “Sugarcube, ah know how you feel, and ya know how ah feel. So, yes.” Bull nodded slowly, nervously. “Your brother is going to kill me, right after the Chief does.” Applejack gave a soft laugh. “Res already knows. Ah needed somepony to talk things out to first,” she then paused. “You ain’t mad ah talked to him first, are ya?” Bull smiled lightly, something very rare coming from him, and something she knew he did far more around her than others. She watched him as they came to know each other, and knew he only allowed the barriers down around her. “Nah, the Chief is a good pony. I should have known you would tell him first. So…” he turned to look into the apple pony’s green eyes. “A father and an Apple,” is all he said, before she leaned in and presses her face to his in a nuzzle, his leg hooking around her withers and pulling her into a hug that turned into a slow romantic kiss. --- Rescue glanced over at Big Macintosh while the two of them worked to roll up hoses. He cleared his throat some to grab the big red apple stallion's attention. “You are being unusually quiet, even for you.” Mac’s jaw set some and he gave a nod. “Eeyup.” The dark colored draft stallion shook his head. “Your sister talked to you, didn’t she? Before you snap at me, you think real hard about your words. Of course she talked to me, she is one of my best friends and my sponsor.” Once more the red draft was quiet, before glancing over and giving a nod. “Ah don’t rightly know what to think, Res. Ah get it, she is an adult, but she is still mah little sister, and Bull is a good stallion, but…” Rescue again shook his head. “Ain’t your call, Mac, it belongs to her and him. Now, am I going to have to keep you and Bull apart?” Mac’s eyes narrowed, then he shook his head. “Eenope, we had our talk last night. Ah may not be happy, but, he gave his word he was gonna make her a honest mare,” letting out a long, deep breath. Once more a nod from the large dark stallion. “She goes on light duty, and I am going to try and talk her into dropping down to the Auxiliary.” Big Mac gave a nod. “Thank you, Res,” as he hefted a roll of hose up and setting it into the rolling storage rack. --- “I don’t care, AJ, you are pregnant with a foal. Department rules are clear on this. I can’t have you in a front line team!” The hoof of the orange mare slammed into the desk, as she and Rescue sat cramped in the tiny space under stairs room that passed for his office. “Darn yer stubborn plot, Res! Ah ain’t even but a month at most. Ya can’t pull me out of rotation!” A pause came, then she attempted a new tactic. “Mah family counts on that extra money!” Rescue rolled his eyes. “Sure, pull the other leg. You know damn well that ain’t true, you thick-skulled mare. Besides that, Apple Bloom is going to be sliding into the spot on the roster once she graduates from school. She has already passed all of her written tests!” Applejack set her jaw and gave a little unpony-like growl. “So now ah am just a used up ol' nag?” Rescue gave a snort back. “Rarity is the drama queen, not you,” watching her face shift from angry to almost a laugh being held in just. “Look, I said I can’t put you in rotation. That doesn’t mean you ain’t on the volunteer squad anymore, it just means I can’t have you in active duty slots or on the teams. However…” He held up his hoof to cut off the anger returning to her expression. “It does mean, I can move you over to the auxiliary squad…” he opened up a folder and slid it over to her. “As the adult squad leader for the Explorers program.” The goldenrod-maned mare flipped through the pages in the folder and peered up. “But, Res, that is yer job. Ya love working with the foals,” her tone was far more surprised and a bit softer now. Rescue gave a nod. “I won’t be giving it all up, however,” he exhaled and pondered the mare in front of him. “AJ, I have to tell you something, and you have to hold it as private and secret as anything you have before, at least for another four months.” She lifted an eyebrow, then went through the hoof motions. “Ah Pinkie Promise.” Rescue smiled just a bit. “Let’s just go take a walk out back, there are too many ears around here.” --- Watching the sun lower in the sky, Applejack looked over at the stoic pony next to her. “This what ya want?” Focusing on a small ripple on the pond, a fish snatching another insect from above most likely. “I... ponyfeathers…” he taking a breath “I just don’t know, AJ. You are the first one I have talked to about this. I can’t even talk to Ailan about it, not for another few months.” She leaned on her friend's leg and was quiet for some time. It was always like this, over the years she and Rescue had blossomed into friends. She had stood by to advise him, she helped him and he helped her. They always seemed to think out all the words before they spoke. Perhaps that is why she liked the big idiot so much. “Well fer what it’s worth, ah think it is the right step, for you, and your family. You sure you can’t tell m—” He grunted. “I can’t, not even a hint. Too much at riding on things right now.” She rose to her hooves and grabbed her hat out of the grass. Once it was up on her head, she looked at the big stallion. “Ya know what is right in yer heart. Don’t you go overthinkin' things.” He just gave a nod and smiled a bit at that. “As if that is going to stop me.” Shaking her head she turned and started walking off, but Rescue heard her mutter. “Idiot, just like that husband of yers, and that damn colt you two raised,” of course, there was a calm, friendly tone in her voice.