Ponyville Fire Department

by Rescue Sunstreak

17 - Family visit

The end of summer. It always came, and with it, the foals would be in school again. The next break didn’t come for another four months, Fall Wrap-up, and the beginning of winter.

Rescue looked around the station carefully. In the squad bay, working on the rescue wagon, Bull had the three Cutie Mark Crusaders helping him out. Scootaloo was under the wagon with a dirtied rag, cleaning everywhere she could reach, Applebloom was standing with Bull, helping the unicorn roll a fresh hose onto the reel. Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle polished the big brass siren so it remained gleaming.

He turned his head and looked out at the driveway where the rest of the Junior Firefighters were. He could see them at work, clambering all over the big pumper wagon. Each had a rag and a tin of brass polish and were doing their best to make it spotless, taking note that both Ice and Crash were working with the little ones. This brought a gentle smile to Rescue’s muzzle, seeing Ice in a rare moment. She was holding Pipsqueak up as he worked with all his might to lift the final ladder up over the hook to lock it in place.

Giving a nod to himself, Rescue trotted to the door leading into his office beneath the staircase. It wasn’t all much, though it was his kind of sanctuary and where he could go to get paperwork done. The door was wide open, and he could see Backfire with Diamond seated next to her in the cramped space. Diamond had a serious look crossing her muzzle, and had the budget book open in front of her. Poor Backfire had looked swamped by it all, but was paying close attention as the little pink filly was showing her how to enter numbers into the ledger. Rescue never ceased to be amazed at that little gal, Diamond was going to be one heck of a leader one day.

Giving off a sigh, he turned once more and headed past the small shrine, pausing briefly to glance at it, and his ears dipped down. Every fire station in Equestria and many outside it had them. On a placard were small brass tags, each one with a name, a date, and a rank on it. Each of the seventy-two tags represented a firefighter that had given his or her life in the line of duty somewhere in the Equestria Fire Department.

On the table below it rested four pictures, one of each princess of Equestria. A very careful eye might note the one of Luna was just slightly larger than the others, although one would really have to look carefully for a while to see it. Sitting on the tables left sat a polished brass bell and small brass hammer, one used to ring out code long ago, and was now used in ceremony. Last on the table was a plaque bolted down, and that was the fire pony’s prayer, one every fire pony knew in their heart. It was drilled into them in academy and training.

Looking back at the memorial placard, Rescue could not help but reach up and touch two names, side by side. He did not hear the pony behind him come up, but the voice that came, he knew. That deep, soft, Irish voice. “I think about them a lot too, son.”

Rescue went stiff for a moment, closing his eyes slowly. Giving a long, deep exhale, but not turning to look at the proud stallion standing at his side now. He was significantly larger than this male. Younger, but still his presence made him feel like a foal all over again.

“Chief Firehook. I... did not know you were coming in. Is this official, or personal?”

The pegasus gave a little chuckle but then frowned just a bit. “Would it kill yah to call me dad once in a while?”

Turning to look at the older pony, Rescue sighed slowly once more. “Sorry, dad. Just...” he grew silent again and looked back at the small shrine.

“Son, you avoided me at the ceremony. Even Princess Luna took note of it. The only time I hear from you is official reports. I have to get news of what is going on from friends and other ponies, you know.”

His father turned to look at the tall draft stallion. “Why?”

Rescue gave a slight wince and then spoke in a tiny, soft voice. “Can... we talk about this tonight, dad? I will make time for you. Just, not here, okay?”

Turning, he saw a stern look on the elder ponies face. Setting his jaw, he gave a nod of his head, looking Rescue right in the eyes.

“Alright, but I am coming to your house, and this Sempar pegasus is to be there too. That, is an order.”

Rescue laid his ears back. “O-okay,” growing quiet, then speaking once more in that tiny voice. “There is... another I—”

Cutting his son off, he rested his hoof on his son’s leg and set his gaze right into his deep green eyes once more.

“I want to meet my grandson, too.”

---

Pipsqueak looked up at the older pegasus stallion, a look of awe all over his face.

“Are... you really my grandfather, and really the Fire Chief?”

Firehook could not keep the smile from breaking out. He gave a single nod of his head and lowered himself so he was eye to eye with the paint colt. He took note of the scars, and the fire in the boys eyes, remembering another little foal just like this, one who stood back with his fiance watching.

“That I am, and are you my grandson?”

Pip lit up, and suddenly was embracing the older male tightly with his eyes shut, a look of pure foalhood joy on his face. Firehook slid his hoof around the colt and sat back up on his haunches, holding him close and staying silent for now.

Rescue broke the silence after a couple of moments. “Dad, why don’t you come in? Pip, you go finish your chores in the kitchen, then you can visit with Fir—grandpa.”
Firehook lowered the colt to the ground and ran a hoof over his mane, messing it up some.

“Your dad—dads, and I, need to talk. You do as you are told, and then we can have dinner, and if you are a good colt, I will tell you about the time your dad got himself stuck in a tree.”

Rescue groaned softly, lifting a hoof to his muzzle and pressing it to his forehead, shaking his head slowly, as Ailan's ears perked and said in a quiet voice, “Oh, this I have to hear.”

Pip ran off with a giggle, leaving the three stallions together. Firehook glanced up at the other pegasus, then extended his hoof out. “It's good to finally meet you, Mister Sempar.”

Shaking the offered hoof, Ailan shook his head. “Ailan, please, sir.”

“Then, you call me Firehook, none this formal stuff.”

Both gave a nod, then looked at Rescue, who had a rather uncomfortable look on his face. Exhaling once loudly, Firehook shook his head. Rescue had done that since he was a colt. It was his habit of accepting things.

“How about we all sit down, and... talk.”

The older stallion gave a nod and walked over to a chair, sitting down in it. Looking over at his son, and the pegasus who sat on the sofa next to him, he took note of the way a protective wing slipped open some to press to the earth pony’s side. A bit of a smile crossed his muzzle, remembering the way he would do the same thing with his wife when they were young.

“I... I don’t know where to start, dad.”

Ailan shifted a bit closer to offer support, Firehook gave a bit of a nod at that and looked back at his son.

“Rescue, you have always had problems talking about your feelings. However, I hope you know that while I may not have given you life, you are my son, just as much as Steel is.”

“Dad, I—“

Both remained quiet as they watched Rescue battle with himself, knowing it had to come from him.

“I brought shame to your house, to our family. You took me in when I lost everything in the world. You picked up a broken colt and did your best to raise him. I repaid you by drinking, by becoming a drunk, by hiding my feelings. I brought so much pain and anger, I just...”

Firehook gave a little sigh and looked over at the draft stallion. He could see the tears welling up, threatening to spill over and run down his face. “Son, you did nothing of the sort, not in my heart you didn’t. Yes, you had your issues, Luna knows I overlooked some, I could have gotten you help. I knew you were in pain, but I didn’t know what to do. I didn't know where to begin. But you hear me now, Rescue Sunstreak.”

Uh-oh he used his full name. Rescue looked up at his father and saw such sadness, but such love on his face.

“No matter what you do, no matter how you fall or climb in life, you are my son, and I love you. I may not have said it enough when you were growing up, but I love you, and I am proud of you.”

Rescue stood up off the sofa after a few moments, leaving Ailan to watch as he crossed the short space and wrapped his hooves around the smaller and older stallion, hugging him for all he was worth, muzzle buried in his father's mane. After what seemed like hours to him, he spoke softly.

“I love you dad. I am so sorry I even acted like that. I guess I am still trying to get a handle on being sober and all that it means facing—”

Firehook pushed back with his hooves so he could look Rescue directly in the eyes.

“Now enough of that, what is done is done. We move on from here,” he said, looking to Ailan over Rescue’s side. “And you, what are your intentions with my son?”

Rescue gave another groan and muttered, “Dad,” as he backed over to the sofa again and sat. Ailan, however, did not shift his gaze away. It was a pegasus thing, he locked eyes with the older stallion and lifted his ears to show he was not cowering.

“I intend, with your blessing sir, to wed him, and live by his side, until the day fate says our time is done and the sky reclaims me.”

Firehook found himself admiring the big-winged stallion while he spoke. Young still, proud, but knew what he wanted, and was willing to stand up for it. Giving a nod, he noticed of the worried look on his son’s face, the concern, and curiosity.

“Very well, Ailan. You have my blessing. On one condition," he paused. "You will do right by my son and grandson, and protect them as is our tribe's way.”

Ailan did not hesitate and answered back in the ages old way all pegasus learned early in school by snapping his right wing up forward and across his chest, he bowed his head looking down, showing humility before the elder pegasus.

“By the unending sky, I will with my last breath, sir.”

Looking at Rescue who appeared a little confused, Firehook could not help but chuckle. “Oh, I like this one, Rescue. He is a keeper for sure.”

“You... really are not upset that I... am not with a mare, dad?”

Firehook gave another laugh at that.

“Why would you be with a mare? Hell, I knew from the first few months after you came to live with us, you were not a mare type. How the hell it took you so long to figure it out is beyond me. That reminds me, Coalburner owes me twenty bits!”

Rescue looked at his dad with dismay and confusion, his head tilting. Ailan, on the other hoof, was trying to hold in a laugh, his barrel hitching as he covered up by forcing himself to cough.

“What? Why does Coalburner owe you twenty bits?”

Firehook laughed. “Because he was a fool and bet all of us at station three you were not... Well, you know.”

Rescue groaned again and rolled his eyes, this time his cheeks heating. Ailan could not hold back the laughter and it came out. This, of course, made Firehook start up. The poor draft stallion just sat there, shifting back and forth at the two other males. “You are both insane.”

---

Sitting around the table, Rescue had his face in his hooves. Ailan and Pip were laughing, the latter of the two so hard he had fallen out of his chair onto the floor with a thud. His grandfather telling the story laughed along with them.

“So-so he looks down at the cat, and all of us as we get the ladders out and says... But, dad, it's just a cat.”

Groaning, the big draft stallion muttered. “Great, just great. I will never be able to show my face in my own home. I might as well find a bag to put over my head.”
Once everyone had regained themselves under control again, Firehook stood up.

“Well, I need to catch the last train back to Canterlot.” Pip gave a little sad groan, Ailan a nod of the head.

“Dad, you will be back soon, yes?”

Fire looked back over at his son. “Yes, but, I want to arrange a meeting with you and your brother. We need to put rest to whatever poison has grown between you two.”

Firehook gave a disappointed look when he heard his son’s tone of voice and answer. “Dad, sorry, but no. He has his own life, I have mine, and I don’t want him around my mate, or my son.”

Firehook sighed. “Fine, for now.”

Ailan knew better than to push. Once Rescue made up his mind, it was nearly impossible to change his view on... what ever it was.

Comments

[kitten_girl86]

Fall Wrap-up

i thought it was called "The Running of the Leaves"