Setting Her Heart Afire

Applejack was the type of mare most stallions would kill for. Light orange fur, sandy blonde mane, a taut body and the mother of all flanks. So why in the hay was she not in a relationship? The answer was simple, she wasn’t interested in any of the stallions around. They were just not her type to be honest. She worked to hard to have a stallion crush on her and dump her after a one night stand. Applejack wanted a long term relationship, somepony to cuddle up with and that would be content with things other than sex. She would sometimes sit  in the orchard and pray that somepony would come into her life that would love and care for her all the time, no matter what she looked like. This is where Jacob came in. Another human dropped into Equestria after he nearly perished while fighting a forest fire. After he had recovered and made himself comfortable with Equestrian customs and traditions, he decided to put his already muscular body to work as a Ponyville firefighter and medic. He was really good at his job and made a decent living on his wages, yet he still could feel that something or rather someone was missing from the equation.

Applejack had eyed Jacob a few times but thought he was just another human. Though, what if he was different than the rest? She couldn’t help but imagine his body all over her own. His tight and muscular pecs brushing against her fur as they shared a tender kiss. She shook these thoughts out of her mind as she finished her work for the day and hefted the last barrel of apples to the barn. The sky churned with dark clouds on the horizon.

“Mac! Kate! Finish up your work! A storm is a brewin!” She shouted her brother and his girlfriend.

“Eeyup.” Mac and Kate echoed each other as they giggled and heaved barrels of apples over their shoulders.

That night was the worst storm Applejack had seen since she was a little filly. Lightning flashed across the sky left and right, accompanied by loud cracks and booms of thunder. She was no scaredy cat though, she could take it, though she still couldn’t help but jump at the louder cracks of thunder.

Suddenly, a loud BANG accompanied by a blinding flash made her shriek in fear as she looked out the window. Lightning had hit a tree in the East Orchard and started a blaze that the pouring rain would not be able to extinguish. Applejack’s pupils became the size of pins as she looked in horror at the now expanding inferno. She had to do something, but what?! The fire was spreading too fast, if she didn’t try and stop it, the whole farm would be reduced to ashes. If she did go, she could die in the fire.

‘Do or Die’ she thought as she ran out the front door, bucket in tow.

At the Ponyville Fire Station, Jacob Hartman sat in his custom blue uniform. It was like the uniform he wore back on Earth but had the image of an alicorn with a hose fighting a raging blaze. His blue pants were stained with mustard left over from his lunch and a small mushed piece of cooked carrot from dinner. He wasn’t that formal, what were you gonna do anyway? Sue him? He sat in a chair next to the custom water tank chariot that had been made for him. It was much bigger than the ponies due to the fact that he could tow more than the average fire pony. Jacob was responsible for showing up at the bigger blazes to fight the fires with his larger capacity water tank. He sat reading a Daring Do book while his two other comrades, a bright orange pegasus named Blaze Wind and a black unicorn named Life Guarder. It was another late Saturday night, Blaze was asleep in the bunk beds that were provided for the firefighters who did the overnight shifts while Life Guarder snored lightly in his chair in the lounge across from Jacob. Jacob’s mind was focused on his friend Pinkie Pie’s words from a few days ago.

“Jakey! You really need a marefriend! OH! You know who would make a great match for you? Applejack!” She had said excitedly.

“Uh, Pinkie, I’m not too sure about that. She’s probably got her eyes on somepony else.” Jacob had said, waving a hand.

“No Jakey! She really likes you, plus I caught her staring at you while you took your shirt off for Lyra in the middle of town! I even think I saw her drool!” Pinkie giggled.

“You’re fibbing!” Jacob laughed.

“No really! She did! But are you the type of stallion that likes romantic stuff?” Pinkie asked.

“Yeah, but I really never had a girl to share it with back on Earth.” Jacob had frowned.

Pinkie gasped quite loudly at his words.

“You’re perfect for her!” She said as she bounced in circles around him.

Ever since that day, Jacob hadn’t been able to shake Applejack from his mind. The way her emerald green eyes sparkled in the sunlight, the nice firm mounds that were her flank...

A loud shrill alarm woke all three from their comfortable state of rest and made them sit and wait for the magical dispatch to alert them to the fire or injured pony. The magic detection system was quite amazing in Jacob’s eyes. Nothing on Earth even came close to such a system, all he had to rely on was whoever called 911. As the three firefighters watched the center of the lounge table, where all dispatches appeared, a tension began building in the air.

A quick puff of purple smoke later, a scroll sat in the center of the table.

Jacob was the first to grab it as he read it over.

FIRE!

SWEET APPLE ACRES; EAST ORCHARD

ONE PONY ENGAGED IN FIGHTING FIRE ALREADY

SITUATION CRITICAL

RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!

“Mother fucker! Another lightning strike? I thought the weather pegasi would tone down the next storm?!” Jacob exclaimed in frustration as he ran to the rack where their boots, fireproof coats and pants, and helmets with bubble air spells on them were hung. Quickly putting on his gear, Jacob hooked himself up to the tanker chariot and yelled to Blaze.

“OPEN THE DOOR! I’M OUT FIRST!”

Blaze hit the button near the rack that opened the garage door and the rain and thunder came to a crescendo as the final obstacle blocking it entry from the station was removed. Jacob grabbed the two handles on the straps that secured the chariot to his body and took off, dragging the full tanker with him as he rushed down the road to Sweet Apple Acres.

The wind and rain snapped at his face and eyes as it hit the bubble spell that gave him a clear line of sight. The little red light on his chariot flashed brightly, lighting up nearby homes and businesses as his breathing became more labored with each yard of dragging the chariot. Luckily, the run wasn’t too long from the farm and Jacob was on the scene within 3 minutes. As he pulled himself and the chariot to a stop in front of the farmhouse, he looked on in horror as he witnessed the huge fire that had enveloped half of the East Orchard.

“Who was in the fire?” He yelled, seeing the occupants of the home standing and looking on in equal terror.

The human he recognized as Kate spoke first.

“It’s Applejack! She ran into the orchard and hasn’t come out yet!” She cried.

Jacob's heart sank as he thought of the mare of his desires being burnt alive before he had a chance to ask her out.

“Gah! Mac? Can you help me unravel the hoses from my cart while I get the pump going?” Jacob yelled over the roar of the wind, rain, and fire.

Mac nodded and trotted over to the rear of the chariot as Jacob unhooked himself and assisted him. Grabbing a nozzle, Jacob found the closest tree and pulled the handle back, letting a large torrent of water loose on the surrounding trees. The fires died quite fast but the flames had spread quite quickly so a large portion of the orchard was already ablaze.

There was still no sign of Applejack anywhere. Jacob began to think that she might have already been hurt severely in the cloud of dark grey acrid smoke. He heard the clatter of his comrades come up behind him and unwrap their hoses and start their pumps.

“Blaze, Guard! I’ve gotta go in! You keep the fire under control!” Jacob shouted.

“10-4 Jake! Be careful!” Blaze shouted.

Without another word, Jacob ran into the now flame-engulfed orchard.

The smoke was thicker than pea soup, Jake could barely see anything once he was in the thicket. He walked forward, the orange flicker of fire all around him. After walking for some time, he found her. She was crumpled on the ground, coughing and sputtering in desperate need for oxygen. Jake knew what he had to do. He rushed to the mare’s side and removed his helmet and placed it on her head. Applejack took a great sucking breath full of clean fresh air from within the helmet. The carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide had made her quite unaware of her surroundings, but she was breathing and still alive which was what mattered. Using a wet cloth he had in his pocket, Jake made his way back out of the orchard. As he coughed and clambered out of the trees, the house and chariots coming into view. As he clambered out of the last thicket, he ran towards his cart with Applejack still over his shoulder. He pulled out a tank of oxygen and fitted a mask around her muzzle as she coughed and sputtered still. Applejack opened her eyes for a brief moment and saw her savior over her pouring water on her ash covered form. As her world went black once more, she tried to speak but it only came out as a croak before she lost consciousness.

Applejack slowly opened her eyes and her ears as she came to. The steady beep of a heart monitor and oxygen tubes in her snout became ever more apparent to her as she looked around her. She knew she was in a hospital but could not see much as there were curtains covering her bed from the outside world. Suddenly the curtains moved and she let out a yelp which quickly turned into a coughing fit.

“Easy there missy. You’re alright. You were in pretty rough shape but you should be ok after some recovery.” The doctor told her with a pat on the shoulder.

“Wha-What happened? How long was I out?!” Applejack croaked.

“You were in a fire and inhaled a lot of smoke. You’ve been out for at least a day or two. If you want more details, ask the guy that saved your life.” The doctor said, pulling the curtains aside as to get a better view of the man snoring lightly in the chair.

Applejack stared at Jacob, the human firefighter that hung around her and her five friends. She did have to admit, he looked cute when he was sleeping.

“I’ll leave you two to it.” The doctor said as he check a few things off on the chart at the end of Applejack’s bed and left the room, shutting the door behind him.

Applejack continued to stare at the messy human who lay in the chair still fast asleep. Her eyes traveled to his chest and the tight wick shirt he wore that clung to his muscular torso. It outlined each of his muscles in detail and Applejack had to stop herself from drooling.

“Jake? Jake?!” Applejack called.

Jake woke with a start and looked around before his eyes fell on Applejack.

He suddenly leapt up and hugged her to his chest.

“Holy shit Applejack! I knew you would make it!” He said, a singular tear running down his cheek.

As he knelt beside the bed, he took her shoulders into his beefy hands and held them there.

“Jake. I don’t know what to say. I mean you saved my life. How can I ever repay you?” Applejack asked the traumatized human.

“You don’t need to. Your being alive is pay enough.” He said.

Jake suddenly felt a tug in his heart and a ton of butterflies drop into his stomach. His face went red and he continued to stare into Applejack’s brilliantly sparkling green eyes.

Applejack felt a load of metaphorical bricks drop into her stomach as she did the same to Jake’s own green eyes.

Applejack suddenly, instinctively, pulled Jake in and kissed him hungrily. Her heart soared in her chest as he met her lips with similar passion. She felt safe, invincible, untouchable, and protected from all evil and danger at this moment.

As she pulled back from the kiss, she gasped as she returned to her senses.

“I don’t know what came over me! I’m so sorry Jake!” Applejack closed her eyes, thinking her relationship with Jake had become a thing of the past.

She looked at Jake and saw no anger in his face, but rather a warm and inviting smile.

“How long have you wanted to do that?” Jake asked.

“For about two seconds. Yet-” Applejack began.

“It felt so right?” Jake finished.

“You too?” Applejack smiled.

“Yep.” Jake replied.

“Jake? Will you stay with me until I recover?” Applejack asked.

“Are you asking me on a date?” Jake smiled wryly.

Applejack let out a giggle.

“I suppose if you count being stuck in a hospital with little old me here for a few days a date, then I guess I am.” Applejack smiled.

As Applejack finished, the door to the room swung open and Pinkie Pie appeared with the world’s biggest grin on her face.

“My Pinkie Sense knew it was a match made in heaven!” She shouted triumphantly.

The pair could only laugh at her punctuality.