Post by rescue sunstreak on Dec 19, 2014 11:16:35 GMT -5
Rescue sat down on his haunches looking up at the night sky. It was nice here in Ponyville, he could see the stars above. Glancing over his shoulder at the fire station, just out of habit making sure the griffon was not watching. He knew the probie had made note of his lack of sleep...sleep, what was that, when was the last time he had slept for real?
Looking to his left and down he stared at the bottle of amber liquid. The only thing that kept the nightmares away. Picking it up again, looking at the liquid courage inside slosh, then to his lips. Up it went, and down his throat, burning as it flowed, no pony should drink like this, but gulp after gulp he drained nearly ¼ of the bottles contents down before lowering it with a exhale and placing it back down between his front legs. Again looking up to the moon, the same memories he had lived with all his life came back into his mind...
The roar of the fire like a freight train, the sound of a door crashing in. All he could do was cough and sob out, as the shadow picked him up and slung him over what felt like a tube or tank of some kind. Coughing harder, blackness started to creep in, to take him. In the distance screams, his sister is screaming, he could here his mother too, why didn't they help, what was going on...the darkness took him.
Light, pain in his chest, pain in his throat, his head pounded. Eyes opening as he felt cold ground under him, An angel held him, a dark angel of smoke and soot, tears ran down the angels eyes as he held on tight. A mask came down, in the angels hoof, cool air rushed into my lungs every breath. Up behind the angel of fire and smoke, the moon hung bright, the mare in the moon looking down at him. Memories rushed back, a fire, his family, the smoke too much, then the angel, covered in smoke and embers crashing in, carrying him out, a firefighter! In a moment bittersweet, one that should be a time of joy, his flank flared warm, the light of the moon above seemed to stream down onto the winged pony holding him on the grass, and himself. The blank flak flared and in place of what was once a slate, now sat the mark of his destiny, a dark blue shield carrying the cross of red on it.
Of course they had told him his family never felt the fire, that the smoke had taken them...but he knew the lie, he saw it in each firefighters face every day. They had adopted him, he was their good luck charm, a reminder of their job. Two of their own perished in that blaze, doing their jobs, trying to save his family. Their names forever etched in the brass tag on the shrine in every firehouse in Equestria. He had grown up among the firefighters and paramedics, 30 fathers raised him. Yet he knew the lie, he had heard the screams, he heard them every time he closed his eyes. Again looking up to the moon, he spoke to it “Saint Luna, princess of the moon, I do not know why you picked me to be a smoke eater, to watch over hearth and home when you must attend to other things. I, am sorry I am weak, that I do not live up to the task given to me in life” picking up the bottle, tears that were familiar to him raced down his face, ones of shame and pride all at once, as the bottle lifted and again its contents burned its way down his throat, to remove the memories for a few hours.
*End Pt.1 Next: School and Growing up among firefighters*
