2.2 - Trixie's Place

“Wildfire, over here with that cloud!” Hot Spot called out his orders without waiting for her confirmation, turning his attention to the two pegasi from the neighbouring Market District Fire Team; “You, Swift, Nightingale, Nimbostratus’ above and to the right, go!”

Wildfire hurried to carry out her order, scooting her own Nimbostratus over to the nightclub’s left side, positioning it thirty feet above the flames. A quick glance over at her fellow flyers told her they were ready, and with practised ease the three pegasi began to bounce and kick their respective clouds, hooves digging into the fluffy structures agitating them in such a manner as to cause a precise rainfall to occur.

“Inferno, Trailbreaker, your teams catch that rain and direct it at the base of the flames!”

Like a well-oiled machine Hot Spot’s ground teams, also bolstered by unicorns from the Market District Team caught the newly created rainfall in their magic and aimed the flow at the bases of the dozen individual blazes that had broken out over the doomed nightclub.

‘We’re doing it!’ Wildfire thought to herself as her own Nimbostratus neared half its original volume. A cursory look at the three storey building told her the flames were finally being beaten. ‘Took us long enough!’  At 1.27am the combined force of three fire teams had been battling this fire for just over seven hours now, the early morning lit up like Hearth’s Warming Eve by this monstrous fire.

‘Then again,’ Wildfire thought with a grim determined look on her face as she brutally bucked her cloud, ‘This wasn’t a normal fire, it was a magic fire’

Wildfire shook her head to clear her exhaustion. No point being tired when Swift and Nightingale were just as fatigued as she was, and with a smile she kicked harder at her Nimbostratus, sending gallons of rainwater at what was left of Trixie’s Place. Looking over at the nearest Market District pegasus to her Wildfire caught Swift’s nod and wink, which was basically saying ‘challenge accepted’ as the cream coloured stallion flicked his straw blonde mane and bucked his own cloud like it owed him a thousand bits.

“Wily!” Snapping her attention past Swift she barely heard Nightingale’s voice over the roaring flames as she called out to her. “Don’t let him beat you,” the chocolate brown mare yelled with a sly smile, “you’ll never hear the end of it!”

“Ha! First pony to put out these flames gets dinner from the other two!” Swift issued his challenge as he pounced on his cloud.

“You’re so on!”

“SWIFT! Watch out!” Nightingale’s panicked voice was drowned out by the explosion from within the second floor of the nightclub sent a pillar of superheated flame fifty feet into the night sky, directly under the stallion.

“Help!” The force of the blast obliterated the cloud he was working on and ignited his right wing, sending him out of control towards the ground.

In a split second Wildfire felt the explosion, heard Nightingale’s shrieked warning and saw Swift plummeting, his burning wing unable to provide the lift to save himself. The yellow pegasus reacted without thinking, launching herself from her cloud she accelerated to sixty miles per hour in the space of a couple of seconds as she dived after the falling pegasus.

Ten feet from the ground Wildfire caught Swift on her back as a secondary explosion sent a wall of heat and debris into her left side, knocking the two pegasi into a right barrel roll. Recovering quickly Wildfire landed with her charge near the medical tents and shouted for the earth pony in charge “Lifeline!”

Looking up from his current patient the cobalt blue earth pony doctor saw her land as Wildfire called his name. Passing over to his assistant he hurried over to the blackened yellow mare. “Wily,” He asked in his Trottingham accent, “that you under there?”

“Whatever Doc,” Wildfire ignored Lifeline’s sarcasm and filled him in on Swift’s injuries as he was conveyed from her back to a waiting stretcher provided by two ponies from Lifeline’s seemingly endless army of paramedics and nurses. “Severe burns to the right wing, lacerations, torn flight muscles.” Wildfire spared Swift an amused glance as the paramedics got to work, “and an empty wallet after I put out this fire.”

Swift’s retort was lost to her as Wildfire took to her wings, seeking out her Captain amidst the sea of ponies around the nightclub. A moment or two later she caught sight of his crimson coat trying to coordinate a group of earth ponies with hoses while at the same time reassuring Nightingale her partner was safe. “Captain!” Wildfire got his attention as she landed in front of the earth ponies, ignoring their mutters about ‘procedures’ and ‘protocols’. “This isn’t working Chief, every time we get close to putting the damned fire out another explosion causes even more to start, it’s like bucking Dragon’s Teeth!”

“I agree Wildfire.” Hot Spot’s deep calm voice washed over the young pegasus, calming her adrenaline fuelled nerves. “I’ve sent for back up from the Industrial District, they’re sending Sandstorm and Seaspray, and Princess Luna is sending Vacuum from the Castle Team.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Take Nightingale and go to the Weather Factory. They’re almost finished preparing a class nine Cumulonimbus. Get it, bring it here, fast as you can.”

Wildfire went pale under her blackened and singed fur; “A Cumulonimbus? S – sir…I, I can’t…you know I can’t…”

Hot Spot spared her a moment to put a hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder, managing to find a place not fire damaged. “Rookie,” he started softly, “I know how you feel about those clouds, and I sympathise, but this,” Hot Spot pointed his other hoof at the unrelenting inferno that was Trixie’s Place, “has to be put out. Now I need you, Wildfire, the best damn rookie Heatwave ever trained, to go get me a cloud. Can you do it?”

“Sir, yes Sir!” Wildfire didn’t see Hot Spot’s wry smile as she took off into the black sky, Nightingale by her side, nor did she hear the words he spoke as they flew off.

“That’s my rookie.”

~ ~ ~

The flight to Canterlot’s Weather Factory, while not very time consuming, thanks to its close proximity to the almost out of control conflagration was, Wildfire noticed, mercifully quiet. On the way there Nightingale seemed disinclined to the notion of any conversation, maybe it was that they were both flying at their fastest speed or simply that the other pegasus had nothing to say. Either way Wildfire didn’t mind.

The quiet gave her chance to reflect on the fire they were currently fighting, and, if Wildfire was honest with herself, losing. It was only under control in the sense the combined Fire Teams of three districts had managed to keep it from spreading to nearby neighbouring properties. After several hours they were no closer to extinguishing the actual fire now than they were when they started.

Wildfire gave a loud snort. ‘What kind of dumb, witless, moronic plothole lets off pyrotechnics inside? INSIDE! And not just pyrotechnics, but self-replicating fireworks! Untested, unsafe self-replicating fireworks!’

Wildfire made a mental note that once the fire was finally under control she’d find this unicorn, this ‘Trixie’ and show her a good use of her fireworks that she’d just thought of that very moment. For what felt like the millionth time Wildfire shook her head at the sheer stupidity of it all as the events of the past several hours ran through her tired brain, also for what felt like the millionth time.

Earlier that week the nightclub’s owner Trixie Lulamoon, had spread it around Canterlot that her band, The Illusions, were starting their retirement tour in her own club. Of course tickets had sold out almost immediately. That’s why the club was packed beyond its safe capacity. Exactly how four hundred and seventy ponies could fit into a space designed to hold four hundred and four was beyond the yellow pegasus.

The fire started just seconds into the band's opening song, "Crescent Moon," when pyrotechnics set off by their earth pony tour manager Melody ignited flammable acoustic foam on both sides of the drummer's alcove at the back of the stage. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a supposedly controlled spray of sparks. Melody used three gerbs set to spray sparks fifteen feet for fifteen seconds. Two gerbs were at forty five degree angles, with the middle one pointing straight up. The flanking gerbs had become the principal cause of the fire. The foam was in two layers, with highly flammable urethane foam over polyethylene foam, the latter being difficult to ignite but releasing much more heat once ignited by the less dense urethane.

Nopony had panicked straight away, the flames were initially thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to billow did people realize it was uncontrolled. Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing and lead singer Trixie calmly remarked into the microphone an immortal line which the press had quickly gotten hold of, "Wow... that's not good."

In less than a minute, the entire stage was engulfed in flames, with most of the band members and entourage fleeing for the west exit by the stage.

By this time, the nightclub's fire alarm had been activated, and although there were four possible exits, most ponies headed for the front door through which they had entered. The ensuing stampede had led to a crush in the narrow hallway leading to that exit, quickly blocking the exit completely and resulting in numerous deaths and injuries among the patrons and staff. One hundred ponies had lost their lives, and about half of the survivors that had escaped were injured, either from burns, smoke inhalation, or trampling.

Wildfire shook her head sadly as she flew alongside Nightingale. There was nothing they could do for those ponies. Lifeline and his team of medics were treating those that had managed to get out. More than one surviving pony had told them a bouncer stopped people trying to escape via the stage exit, stating that that door was "for the band only." Again Wildfire shook her head. She sincerely hoped she never met this Trixie, but if she ever did, all she wanted was ten minutes in a locked room with no cameras.

~ ~ ~

The front door slammed shut signalling Wildfire’s departure as Cyclone gave the still bound Air Raid a devious smile; “What’s this I do see before me?” The black pegasus cooed playfully, “Why, ‘tis a pretty pegasus, all tied up with noplace to go…now, how should I entertain you?”

“MmmMMph!” Air Raid vocalised her desires as best she could around the ball gag, shivering as Cyclone gently ran her hoof down her back from her neck to her tail, stopping to caress her cutie mark.

“Such an eager toy I have under my hoof! Wily has you well trained doesn’t she?” Cyclone spanked Air Raid’s steering wheel cutie mark, watching carefully as the lime green mare squealed through her gag. “You like that Raid?”

Cyclone snickered as Air Raid practically bounced on the bed, nodding her head furiously.

“So, we’ll play a little game then…” Cyclone began as she unbuckled the gag from Air Raid’s mouth and tossed it away. “The rules. While we’re playing you’ll call me ‘Ma’am’ at all times, understand?”

“Yes.” Air Raid wasn’t really listening as she flexed her sore jaw, working life back into her aching muscles.

Cyclone narrowed her eyes dangerously, “Yes…what?” She asked in a low tone.

“Ma’am! Yes Ma’am!”

Cyclone gave her a warm smile. “That’s better. I won’t warn you again pet, next time you break this rule I’ll punish you. Understand?”

“Yes Ma’am, I understand Ma’am.” Air Raid also understood she was getting wet. Very wet. When she and Wily had played like this she was always the top, the pony in charge. Air Raid had to admit, the switch was quite refreshing, and a huge turn on.

“Good my little pet.” Cyclone trotted around the bed and proceeded to untie the ribbon that held Air Raid bound. “Now, it’s my understanding you like to race, and to win, correct?”

Air Raid fidgeted as she was let free, a few joints gave a satisfying ‘pop’ as she stretched them. ‘You’ve known me long enough by now Cy to know I hate losing.’ She thought to herself as she answered with a nod; “I hate losing…Ma’am” The ‘Ma’am was almost an afterthought but Cyclone let it slide.

“Then I give you ‘bronze’ as a safeword.” Cyclone couldn’t help but smirk in victory as Air Raid processed the word, the sheer distaste obvious on her face.

“Thank you Ma’am”

Cyclone leant in very close to Air Raid’s ear, her voice barely a silken whisper; “Say it.”

“W – what?”

Cyclone never moved her head from Air Raid’s ear as her hoof strike was intercepted the cutie mark on Air Raid’s flank. She ignored the squeal of pain as she kept her voice low and even. “That’s ‘what Ma’am’, and I said, ‘say it’. I want my little pet to show me she understands what she’s been taught.” Cyclone’s hoof hovered dangerously over her other cutie mark. “Now. Say. It.”

Air Raid had never felt so small in all her life. Or so turned on, if the slickness leaking between hindlegs was any indicator. She could smell her own arousal in the air, she was sure Cyclone could too. Chancing a glance between her legs she blushed as she saw the growing damp patch she was leaving on the sheets. “B – bronze…” Just saying her word made more of her arousal leak from her already wet marehood.

“Very good pet.” Cyclone stroked her hoof up her pet’s spine as she dragged her wet tongue up her ear to end in a sharp nip at the tip. “That was your reward.” Cyclone turned and hovered over to the seating pad in the corner of the bedroom near the vanity that Wildfire and Air Raid shared. Lowering herself down she dangled her hind hooves on the carpeted floor. “Now my pet, I want you over here and I want your tongue on these hooves.” Cyclone waggled her hind hooves for added emphasis.

“Yes Ma’am, at once Ma’am.” Air Raid slid off the bed to her hooves, and almost made it around the foot of the large bed when Cyclone stopped her with a raised hoof.

“Ah ah ah!” Cyclone stopped her in her tracks, a devilish smirk playing over her muzzle.

“Is something wrong Ma’am?”

“On your belly pet. Crawl to me, and be quick about it.”

Air Raid’s blush threatened to become a permanent fixture on her face as she slowly lowered herself to the carpeted floor. This was easily the most humiliating thing she’d ever done, and more than once on the way down she was tempted to say ‘bronze’. To her surprise her nose touched the carpet and she still hadn’t said it.

Gingerly she started to crawl towards Cyclone’s waiting hooves, her hard nipples getting even harder as they rubbed along the floor, the extra stimulus adding to her already dripping pussy. Still she refused to say her word.

Halfway across the bedroom floor towards her prize she could see the inner walls and sensitive frogs of Cyclone’s waiting hooves. Right now at this very moment she wanted nothing more than to wrap her lips around those beautiful black hooves and worship them like the pet she was. The cheeky little waggle from the black pegasus was all the encouragement she needed, and less than a second later Air Raid had assumed her rightful place beneath her friend’s hooves, her tongue darting all over the soles.

~ ~ ~

“Why don’t you like Cumulonimbus clouds?”

Wildfire buried her face in her right hoof as she flew – she would’ve used both forehooves but her left was occupied with steering the huge Cumulonimbus in front of her – and tried desperately to suppress a low growl in the back of her throat. If the flight to the Weather Factory had been blissful quiet the flight back had been audiable torture as Nightingale had found her tongue at last. And joy of joys once she was started off she had proved to be chatty…very chatty.

Wildfire failed utterly with her growl suppression. Without looking across at the chocolate coloured mare flying next to her she released her exasperated growl into the morning sky. “Leave it will you? It’s not important…” ‘Why do I get the chatty ones?’  Wildfire thought to herself as she doubted very much the subject would be dropped.

“C’mon, you can tell me, why don’t you like these clouds?”

This was the fifth time Nightingale had asked. Wildfire honestly couldn’t tell if her fellow firefighter was genuinely interested, stupidly oblivious or just plain trying to wind her up. At this point the yellow pegasus didn’t care. By her reckoning it was just after two in the morning, she had been working eight straight hours. Her yellow coat was a mess, covered in soot, grime and singed in more than one place. She was filthy, she stank something awful, she was tired, cranky, irritable and tired. The very last thing she needed was twenty questions from an overly friendly pony.

Unfortunately…

“I mean, if you’re scared of them fair enough I suppose, but I’ve never heard of a pegasus scared of clouds I mean it’d be like an earth pony scared of soil or a unicorn scared of magic…”

‘Celestia’s tits will she please shut the buck up!?’ Wildfire tried her best to tune out the noise.

“…If you are scared of them then you should really see somepony about it, like a shrink or something ‘cause its just not normal is it, a pegasus scared of clouds? Now if it was me what I’d do…”

‘Sun Goddesses salty ass crack she’s still talking! Please, please just shut up!’ The last of Wildfire’s fragile self-control was quickly being eroded, worn down by Nightingale’s incessant chatter. She could feel the fur on the back of her neck stand on end as her patience was quickly nearing the end of its rope.

“…Me and Swift had to see a shrink once when he was scared of…”

“Shut up!” Wildfire’s patience finally snapped. If it were possible her mane and tail would’ve erupted in fire. “Shut up! Shut up! For the love of every white hair on Celestia’s body shut the buck up!”

The effect of Wildfire’s outburst was immediate. The verbal tirade ceased so suddenly she was sure somepony had glued Nightingale’s tongue to the roof of her mouth. Casting her a quick glance Wildfire felt an instant pang of regret.

“I – I’m sorry…” Nightingale squeaked quietly, her bright green eyes on the verge of tears as she looked away from Wildfire’s furious look. “I didn’t mean to upset you, I just, babble around ponies I don’t know…I, I’ll just be quiet now.”

“Nightingale…look, I’m sorry,” Wildfire paused, taking a deep breath to organise her thoughts before she continued. “Thing is, my mum used to be a weather pony for the Canterlot Weather Team.”

“Used to be?” Nightingale started to interrupt but the look from Wildfire cut her off. “S – sorry, carry on, please.”

“Yuppers, she used to be.” Wildfire made sure she put as much emphasis on the ‘used’ as she could. “A few years ago when I was twelve the Weather Factory scheduled a class ten thunderstorm to last for five hours one afternoon. Mum’s speciality was crafting thunderheads, it was her job to create the lightning charge within a series of Cumulonimbus provided by the Factory once they were in place. This particular storm was to start over the school I was attending at the time.”

“What, what happened?”

Wildfire steeled herself as best she could, she didn’t like talking about this at the best of times with ponies she knew well, let alone one she’d only just met but she had yelled at her, and she figured she owed Nightingale an explanation. “The Cumulonimbus was faulty. Celestia knows how it passed inspection at the Factory, but as mum worked to build up a class ten lightning charge the cloud couldn’t contain it and it discharged all its energy in one huge lightning bolt that caught mum in her chest.”

“Wildfire, I’m…sorry, I had no idea. Your mum, was she, y’know…” Nightingale was beginning to wish she’d not asked.

“Yuppers, mum was dead before she hit the ground. I…I watched her fall from my class window.” Wildfire scooted over to the chocolate brown pegasus and gave her a gentle nuzzle to her cheek, wiping away her burgeoning tears. “Hey, you weren’t to know, and I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

“Apology accepted Wily.” Nightingale sniffed back a few tears and held out her hoof, which Wildfire promptly bumped with her own. “Now lets get this cloud where your Chief wants it so we can finally sort that bucking fire out.”

Wildfire flashed her a quick smile as the burning nightclub came into view. “Sounds like a plan to me ‘Gale.”

~ ~ ~

“M – Mistress…” Air Raid’s voice was barely audible as she whimpered into her cum-soaked duvet. The readout on the alarm clock on the bedside table said it was 9pm. ‘three hours!’ she thought to herself through a heady haze of pleasure and pain. ‘We’ve been at this three buckin’ hours!’

Not that the past three hours hadn’t been fun, Cyclone certainly had taken her marefriend’s instruction of keeping her entertained to her heart. No, rather the problem at hoof was one of soreness. Literally everywhere was sore to a greater or lesser degree. Her tongue from the half an hour of oral Cyclone had made her perform, her legs from being bound in all manner of configurations, her flanks from the spankings and most worrying, her pussy and clit were aching from the orgasms her Mistress had allowed her to enjoy. Fun as it had been, Air Raid was almost ready to use her safeword and call it a night.

Almost.

Her current predicament found her bent over her the foot of her double bed, her forehooves tied together and pulled up to her chest which were in turn tied securely to the intricate rope harness she was now wearing. ‘Darkie taught her to do this, definitely.’ Air Raid thought to herself as she made a mental note to get directions for later games with Wily. A four foot spreader bar held her rear legs apart, forcing her ungainly on to the toes of her hind hooves. A second longer spreader bar spanned her wings, secured around each wing bone and holding them wide open and quite immobile. The knotted rope around the braid in her tail held it tied to the black collar Air Raid currently wore around her neck.

Everything was bound just so, just enough to keep the lime green pegasus immobilised but not painfully so. ‘Comfortably uncomfortable’ just about described it. Again the thought of her safeword flashed across her mind. She was almost tempted.

Almost…

That would disappoint Cyclone after all her effort, and Air Raid didn’t want to disappoint her friend.

“Yes pet?” Cyclone’s voice, silky smooth, appeared at her ear, her warm breath making it twitch like she had ear mites.

Air Raid turned her head to look her friend in the eyes. “Are we about done, Mistress?”

Cyclone gave her friend a gentle kiss on her nose and lips. “One last game, then we can cuddle. You up for that pet?”

“Promise?”

Cyclone nodded the affirmative. “Promise.”

‘I could just say bronze and end it now…’ Air Raid pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Instead she flashed her friend a nervous smile; “O – okay…”

“Excellent.” Cyclone gave her friend another kiss as she got off the bed and rummaged around in her saddle bags behind her bound friend, who struggled in vain to see what she was doing. “Don’t go anywhere now, I’ll not be a moment.”

On the bed Air Raid could hear her giggling at her own joke. Tied up as she was Air Raid knew she definitely wasn’t going anywhere unless her friend and Mistress allowed her to do so. The feeling of exposed helplessness, of being powerless at the will of another pony sent a fresh wave of arousal through her body, momentarily making her forget her sore muscles. ‘I’m not powerless though am I?’ Air Raid thought to herself as she heard Cyclone struggling with something behind her back. ‘All I have to do is say bronze and it’s all over…’

‘Go on then.’ Her brain challenged her resolve.

‘What?’

‘You want to end it that badly…say it.’ Air Raid shook her head disbelievingly. Now she was arguing with herself. ‘I won’t think any less of you, nopony will…just, say the word.’

‘No’

‘Go on, we know you can’t take it. Say bronze. Go on, just do it.’ Air Raid had to fight back a chuckle. Now she was taunting herself.

‘No…’

‘Just say bronze’

‘NO!’ Cyclone had promised this would be the last game, and Air Raid believed her friend. Above all else she trusted her friend. Cyclone would look after her, would take care of her and most of all Cyclone would make sure she was alright.

“Ready pet?” Cyclone shook her from her reverie, effectively ending her inner debate, although to be fair there was never much debate. Air Raid was bent over her bed because she wanted to be, because she allowed Cyclone to bend her over her bed.

Breathing in Air Raid smelled a familiar waft of cherry lube and felt something hard poke at her labia, searching for the sopping entrance to her abused marehood. She had a good idea what Cyclone had in mind, and in that instant wanted nothing more than her friend’s weight on her back, to mount her and make her hers. “Rut me Mistress.”

“Oh I’ll rut you my pretty little pet, don’t you worry about that.” Air Raid could practically hear the smirk in Cyclone’s voice. In one fluid motion Cyclone reared up to stand on her hind hooves and entered Air Raid with the fake stallion cock strapped to her crotch.

“NaaaAAAaaHH!” Air Raid gasped with pleasure as Cyclone hilted the dildo inside her with one smooth thrust of her hips. Shifting her weight forward Cyclone hooked her forehooves around the spreader bar holding her wings open. Using the metal bar for leverage the black pegasus pulled out almost all the way before thrusting forwards again, burying the toy in her friends vagina.

“Y – yes M – mistress…” Air Raid panted with each hard thrust of the toy inside her. “Use me…aaAAH OwwwWW!” The bound mare could feel her tunnel being painfully stretched by a combination of the artificial cock and Cyclone’s savage thrusts.

“Beg for this cock you little bitch!” Cyclone snorted into Air Raid’s ear as she pulled back on the spreader bar to leverage herself as she mercilessly ploughed her friends aching pussy. The smaller end that was in her own marehood was doing its job as well, rutting her as she did her friend. The black mare began to lose herself as the pleasure washed over her.

Air Raid winced as the metal bar was roughly pulled back, the burning pain lancing through her wings momentarily distracting her from the pain in her nethers. “OooW Mistress…Cy – Cyclone please…”

Cyclone heard her name and lost in the moment she snorted, pulling harder on the spreader bar with her right forehoof while with her left she spanked Air Raid’s flank hard. Air Raid shook under the impact, her flank was still sore from an earlier game, and this time Cyclone’s hoof really hurt.

“Cy – Cyclone stop, please…”

Cyclone delivered another spank with her hoof, this time, whether intentionally or not, Cyclone’s hoof found a couple of earlier welts and a bruise just on her steering wheel cutie mark while a particularly hard thrust from her hips spread Air Raid’s flanks apart as the toy was forced in her beyond the hilt. The sudden intense pain made Air Raid’s rear legs buckle under the assault, which caused Cyclone to stumble too, pulling further back on the spreader bar, such that the lime green pegasus’s back was bent to a ninety degree angle.

“AAaaaArrrggHH!” Air Raid screamed in agony, tears streaming down her face, dripping and mixing with the sweat soaked bed sheets. “B – bronze…Cyclone, stop please, bronze!” She’d said it. She couldn’t believe she’d said it.

Immediately Cyclone stopped what she was doing and gently pulled the dildo out of her friend’s vagina, a mixture of worry and concern on her face. “Raid, Raid, you okay hun?” Gone in an instant was the domineering Mistress. The safeword had been used, the game was over.

“Ugh…Cy, it hurts…”

“Where?” Try as she might, Cyclone couldn’t keep the worry from her voice. Mentally she kicked herself for not paying closer attention to what her friend was doing and saying. Firmly Cyclone pushed that thought out of her head. Plenty of time for blame later, right now Air Raid needed freeing.

“E – every, w – where…” Air Raid gasped, pain still shooting through her aching limbs. “Wings, flanks, legs, back, snatch…it all bucking hurts

“Alrighty Raid let’s get you sorted shall we?” Cyclone decided to start with the wings, carefully unclipping the fasteners that kept spreader bar holding her wings open. Air Raid ‘aaaah’d’ as the bar was removed, instinctively flexing her tired wings and folding them back against her barrel. Next the black mare used her ever present pair of paramedic shears to make a few well place cuts in the rope harness, the ropes around her forelegs and the rope holding her dark blue tail to the black collar. With care so as not to cause any more harm Cyclone gathered up the cut pieces of rope and threw them in the waste bin beside the bed. Once this was done she quickly unbuckled the hoofcuffs around Air Raid’s hind hooves, moving the spreader bar aside for cleaning later. Lastly Cyclone unbuckled the collar from around her friend’s neck, tossing it next to the hoofcuffs on the floor.

“Air Raid, can you walk alright?” Now that all the binding’s had been removed Cyclone could see just how many bruises and angry looking red welts there were dotted over her body. “I, I’m sorry Raid…”

Air Raid tried to stand, but there was no way she was supporting her weight on her shaky forelegs, and just as little chance her sore wings were going to support her either. After a few failed attempts she slumped into the ruined bedsheets. “Nope…I ain’t going nowhere soon Cy.” Looking at the devastated look on her friends crest fallen face she cast her grey eyes downwards and erupted in genuine giggles. “Y – you look ridiculous Cy.”

Cyclone looked down and immediately started her own giggles. She’d left the fake cock strapped to herself. Quickly, and with a blush so intense it even showed up on her black fur, she discarded the dildo next to the bar and collar, for future cleaning. “Lie there Raid, I’ll run you a bath, ‘kay?”

“Uh huh…” Air Raid closed her eyes as she nodded her affirmative. Breathing deeply through the various aches and pains presently coursing through her body she was sure that bath or no, she’d feel the past three and one half hours for the next few days.

Air Raid could hear and smell the activity from the adjacent bathroom. There was definitely a mix of rose and jasmine in the air. Air Raid giggled to herself. ‘If she’s used all my rose oil I’ll kill her, as soon as I’m able. Then again if the jasmine is gone then Wily will kill her for me.’ Ten minutes later Cyclone came bustling back into the bedroom to find her friend where she’d left her.

“Still can’t move?” Air Raid tried to stand up but quickly gave up with a shake of her head. The black mare had tried to hide it before but the concern was etched across her features now. While loss of muscle and limb control wasn’t unheard of in bondage games, a good fifteen minutes had passed since they’d stopped. Cyclone was just glad her friend could move her legs at all.

“Alrighty, you leave me no choice my fair maiden.” Cyclone, as gently and carefully as she could, slid her head and neck under Air Raid’s prone form, balancing her carefully on her back as she walked them both to the bathroom.

“Sorry Cy, I’m neither…” Air Raid chuckled as she rested her head against the back of Cyclone’s neck and shoulder, burying her head into her turquoise mane.

“Hush you.” Cyclone giggled as they made their way over to the steaming bath. “Now, before I put you in, there are a few antiseptic, anaesthetic and other muscle relaxing oils in here.” Cyclone gently kissed Air Raid’s forehead. “I’m sorry if they sting a bit, but they’ll do you good, honest.”

“Fine,” Air Raid flashed Cyclone what she hoped was a winning smile as she was slowly lowered into the steaming bath. As soon as the welts on her flanks touched the water the stinging began, like thousands of acid tipped needles all over her body. It was painful, but not unbearable. “Aahhn!” She hissed as her breath hitched.

“You okay Raid?”

“I’m fine Cy, stop worrying, I’m a big mare.” Air Raid gave her a grin as she started sloshing the water about, making sure it covered everywhere it needed to. “Fair warning, next time we switch and you wear the hoofcuffs, deal?” She held her hoof out for Cyclone, who bumped it with her own.

“Deal. Now I’ll leave you to your bath while I go change the bed sheets.” Cyclone wrinkled her nose, “There’s too much ‘you’ on them, and I fancy a snuggle when you’re dried off.”

Half an hour later Cyclone had just finished making the bed as Air Raid appeared at the bedroom door. The mattress had been flipped, the soiled sheets had been safely deposited in the washing machine, though in Cyclone’s opinion a bio-hazard waste bag would’ve been a better place for them. Her equipment had been given a cursory clean and packed away for a more thorough clean when she was home. Looking up from the corner of the bed she was smoothing she saw her friend watching her. “Hey, how you feeling?”

Air Raid shook out her dark blue mane with a smile; “Hmm, better for that bath Cy. I still think I’ll feel today for a few days but nothing’s sore anymore, thanks to those oils.” She fluttered herself over to the bed and gave Cyclone a little kiss. “Now, somepony said something about a snuggle?”

Cyclone returned the kiss with her own, then frowned a little. “Hey…it’s ten thirty, Wily’s been gone almost five hours. Is she usually this long on a call?”

“Hmm, not normally no, but Wily always says every fire is different.” Air Raid gave Cyclone an uncertain smile; “I’m sure she’s fine…right?”

Cyclone hopped on the bed and motioned Air Raid to lie in front of her so they were spooning. “Raid, if there’s one thing that mare knows it’s her fires, ‘kay?” The black pegasus placed a flowery kiss on the back of her friend’s neck as she draped a black wing over her. “It’s her talent hun. Trust me, Wildfire will be just fine.”

Air Raid relaxed into the cuddle, nesting herself into the fur and feathers all around her. Her brain conjured up a one word reply as sleep overcame the weary mare.

“Yeah…”

~ ~ ~

“Raid?...Air Raid?”

Cyclone’s voice gradually brought the dozing mare to consciousness. “Hmm, what hun?” Despite now being awake Air Raid still snuggled back into her friend’s legs and wings.

“Your clock, it is the right time isn’t it?”

The note of panic in her friend’s voice finally made Air Raid open her eyes. Mindful of her earlier soreness she cautiously rolled over in the cuddle to look at the mare beside her. “Um…yeah, ‘course it is, why?”

“Well, I don’t want to alarm you Raid but its two fifteen a.m. and Wily still isn’t back from her call.”

“What!?” Fully awake and alert Air Raid sat upright in the bed. “What d’you mean she’s not back? It’s been over eight hours! Have you tried ringing her?”

Cyclone nodded, “Yes Raid, many many times while you were snoring and drooling into my right wing, Wily’s phone goes straight to voicemail everytime.”

“I do not snore!”

“Only like a buggering chainsaw.” Cyclone giggled at the outraged look on her friend’s face, “Okay, sorry!” She held up her forehooves in apology.

“Whatever, it’s been over eight hours, Wily should’ve been back by now Cy,” Air Raid wrapped her forelegs around herself as multiple scenarios flashed through her head, each one progressively worse than the one before. “Something’s happened to her Cy, I know it has!” Panic threatened to overwhelm her, “We were here bucking and rutting away like mares in heat and Wily’s in the hospital injured or in a ditch or she’s lying dead somewhere or…OW!”

Cyclone gave her friend a slap across her muzzle, not very hard, just hard enough to shut her up and stop the dangerous path her train of thought was running on. “Sorry Raid, but look, Wildfire knows what she’s doing. She’s a firefighter…”

“She’s only a reserve Cy!” Air Raid interrupted the black mare as she hopped off the bed and started pacing the bedroom.

“Yes Raid, Wildfire’s a reserve firefighter. She’s trained for this. It’s not just her job it’s her talent. You know she’s good at what she does Raid, look at that family she rescued a few months ago!”

Air Raid turned her panicked face to her friend, “Yeah, her partner died!”

Cyclone facehooved. “Alright, poor example.” She hopped off the bed to stand in front of Air Raid, putting an end to her pacing. “You got cable TV right?”

Air Raid blinked twice, not comprehending the relevance of the question at first. “Yeah, freesat on the flatscreen in the living room, why?”

The black pegasus fought the urge to facehoof a second time, opting instead to bop her friend on the nose; “Hello? Twenty four hour news? You can bet your last bit whatever Wildfire’s involved in it’ll be on there somewhere.”

No sooner had the words ‘twenty four news’ left Cyclone’s black lips her lime green friend had shot out of the bedroom so fast she could’ve sworn she’d teleported. Chuckling to herself Cyclone followed at a more sedate pace, taking a left at the bottom of the stairs into Air Raid’s spacious kitchen while the other mare hunted for the remote controls to the TV. She giggled to herself as exasperated shouts reached her ears. Cyclone found the whiskey and cider just as she heard the fourth ‘C’mon! They were right here!’ from the living room. “Raid?”

“Yeah…for the love of Celestia’s blessed nipples where are those remotes…oh!...Yeah, what?”

“You driving today hun?” Cyclone smiled as she heard the TV turn on. At last the obligatory remote hunt was over.

“I wasn’t planning on it why?”

Cyclone mixed up a tray of four cinnamon whiskey and apple cider as she heard Air Raid flicking the news channels. “Because you have two Fireballs in your very near future, Doctor Cyclone’s orders.”

“Yeah, thanks Doc,” came Air Raid’s reply from the living room. Cyclone grinned. Her Fireballs never failed. She picked up the tray in her mouth, and very nearly dropped it again when she heard Air Raid’s scream from the other room. “Cy! Cy get in here! Sweet Mother of the Goddesses look at that!” Cyclone hurried as best she could while balancing four full glasses on the tray. “Cy, get your black ass in here now! You need to see this!”

“What, what is it?” Cyclone mumbled around the tray in her mouth as she entered the living room. “Oh, oh my…” Her eyes went wide as saucers as she saw what Air Raid was looking at on the screen.

Air Raid took the drinks tray from her stunned friend, setting them on the coffee table. “Sweet Luna’s mane!” Cyclone exclaimed disbelievingly, “Wildfire’s working that?”

“Uh huh. I’ve just seen her bringing in a huge cloud with this brown pegasus.” Air Raid didn’t bother trying to hide the panic and concern in her voice; “Cy, she looks like she’s been through Tartarus twice, and stopped for a picnic both times.”

Cyclone scooted over to the sofa to give her friend a cuddle. “Hey, she’s flying, she’s fine. She’ll come home, don’t worry Raid.”

Air Raid bit her hoof in reply, her grey eyes glued to the TV screen.

"Yeah..."

~ ~ ~

Wildfire and her partner hovered above what remained of the blazing nightclub. “Nightingale, hold the cloud here, I’ll see where Hot Spot wants it.”

“You got it Wily.” Nightingale gave her a little salute as she descended to the ground.

“Captain…Sir,” Wildfire stumbled on her hooves as she landed in front of Hot Spot with a yawn and a shake of her head. “Class nine Cumulonimbus, ready for positioning, Sir. Orders?” Another little yawn escaped the exhausted pegasus, which did not go unnoticed by her commanding officer.

Hot Spot gave Wildfire a warm smile. “What you’re gonna do is help Nightingale place that cloud thirty feet above the nightclub. Then you’re going to go off duty and let Lifeline or First Aid look you over.”

“W – what?” Wildfire felt like the earth had been pulled from under her hooves, sheer disbelief overwhelmed her. “Hot Spot…S –sir, you can’t be serious, right?”

Hot Spot put a hoof on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down. “Wildfire, you’ve been here just shy of nine hours. You’re clearly exhausted and you look like Tartarus. You need rest. The rest of us can finish this.”

“No!” Wildfire stomped her left forehoof into the ground. So upset was she that she quite forgot she was back talking her superior. Wildfire didn’t really care at this point. “You can’t shunt me like this Captain, please, it’s not fair!”

“Rookie, that’s enough!” Hot Spot’s reassuring smile gave way to a stern gaze that sufficed to quieten Wildfire down in an instant. “Nopony is ‘shunting’ you anywhere! Now you listen to me Rookie,” Hot Spot held her head up with his hoof, his smile returning.

‘Wish my dad would smile at me like that’ Wildfire thought to herself as she looked into her Captain’s steel blue eyes. ‘Like Heatwave used to…’

“Rookie…Wily, you’ve done an amazing job tonight, more than I expected of you. Right now you can barely stand on your own hooves, let alone fight this.” He pointed a hoof to the fire. “Position that cloud and then get checked over. I need unicorns for what I have planned anyway.”

Wildfire nodded her acquiescence, then stopped with a wry grin as she turned away. “By the way Sir,” she looked over her shoulder with a smirk, “You don’t exactly look a million bits yourself.” Hot Spot looked down at his own soot-blackened red fur, singed shoulders and burnt white mane and had to admit Wildfire had a point. Before he could think of a witty retort however she had spread her wings and taken off to re-join the chocolate brown mare waiting for her.

“Hey Wily,” Nightingale said in greeting as the yellow mare returned, “What’s the word?”

“Position the cloud thirty feet above the building’s centre, then go get checked out by the medics.” Even given Hot Spot’s sound reasons saying it out loud still felt nasty.

“For real? We’re done?” Nightingale didn’t even try to keep the joy and relief out of her voice.

“Yuppers, for real.” Wildfire seized the Cumulonimbus Cloud with both forehooves and helped her partner steer it into position before wheeling about in mid-air and heading for the medical tents.

“Aaah, a ball of soot!” Lifeline exclaimed with a low chuckle at Wildfire’s approach. “I’ve never treated one of these before!” The old earth pony doctor gave a shout over his shoulder to one of his assistants; “Nurse, I suspect there might be a pony under this soot. Better bring the jet wash.”

“Buck you Lifeline.” Wildfire shot back with the wittiest retort she could muster under the circumstances, she thought it was pretty good.

“In my wildest dreams perhaps Wildfire, on the bed please.”

Wildfire snickered as she pulled herself onto the bed. “Asking me into bed doc? I want at least dinner and a movie first.” She sighed as she laid back on the medical bed, smearing the green paper with a mix of soot and sweat. “I have standards.”

“Explain Air Raid to me then.” Lifeline sniggered as he began his examination, checking Wildfire’s wings and flight muscles first of all with a satisfied ‘hmm’.

“You leave Raid alone,” Wildfire winced as Lifeline slid a cobalt blue hoof under her back and checked her flanks with a few more ‘hmms’. “She’s very talented and I love her lots.”

“I’m sure she is Wildfire,” Lifeline laughed as he finished his examination. “Make sure she stays talented, I’ve got a hundred bits on her to win her next race.” The doctor turned and started scribbling some notes, “You’re done Wily. Apart from a desperate need for a bath and a few hours sleep you’re fine. Now, go home to your mare.”

“Yes Sir, doctor Lifeline Sir!” Wildfire gave him a little salute as she hopped off the bed and made her way on shaky hooves to the entrance to the medical tent, casting a backwards glance at Hot Spot orchestrating the end of the blaze.

“Monsoon, Tidal Wave, Vortex, on my order empty that cloud!” The three unicorns from the Industrial District Team got themselves into position as Hot Spot addressed the unicorns from the Market District. “Seaspray and Seafoam, when the water hits I want it turned to foam!” Seaspray gave a wink to his sister as they readied their spells. “Firefly, Trailbreaker, once the foam’s done I want a level ten force bubble around this building.” Hot Spot raised his voice, “Any other unicorn not assigned a task assist with the bubble!” Hot Spot then turned to the silent dark purple unicorn stood beside him; “Vacuum, once the force bubble is established, evacuate the air inside.”

Watching from the sidelines Wildfire had to admit it was a brilliant plan. Fires needed three things to propagate, fuel, heat and oxygen. Remove one of these things and the fire couldn’t sustain itself. Hot Spot planned to take out all three at once. Wildfire also saw how she and Nightingale were surplus to requirements.

“Everypony ready?” Hot Spot called out, to a chorus of ‘yes Sir’s’ from the assembled unicorns.

Wildfire turned and took off into the early morning sky as Hot Spot yelled ‘Go!’ behind her. The yellow pegasus didn’t spare the cacophony behind her a second glance as she slowly flew home. She was done, well and truly done. As far as Wildfire was concerned her immediate future involved a kiss from her marefriend, a long bath and a sleep so long her name would change to Rip Van Wildfire.

~ ~ ~

According to the digital clock on her pager the time was three eighteen am when Wildfire finally landed outside Air Raid’s house. It was funny, she’d mused on it earlier in the week, she’d lived here two months now. All their friends referred to it as Wily and Raid’s place, they’d even started getting bills in both their names. Somehow though, as happy as she was here, and she was very happy with Air Raid, it didn’t feel like her home. Wildfire couldn’t put a hoof on it, and she wouldn’t admit it to her marefriend but she felt like a squatter.

‘Maybe it’s because you aren’t wanted at your actual home’. Unbidden the thought left Wildfire’s tired brain, causing her hackles to raise in irritation.

‘That’s not true…’

‘Sure it is. Your dad loves his next drink more than he loves you.’ Wildfire snarled at herself. These thoughts always manifested themselves when she was particularly tired, usually waking her in the small hours. Thankfully Air Raid hadn’t noticed. Yet.

‘Shut up…’

‘Air Raid will leave you too y'know. She'll abandon you like your dad abandoned you’.

‘Shut up!’

‘Everypony leaves you. Ask your mum...oh, you can't. She left you...’

“Shut up! Shut up!” Tears streamed from her eyes as Wildfire screamed at their front door as she stomped her hoof in frustration. She couldn’t believe it, she didn’t want to believe it. Silently the yellow mare cursed herself for giving herself these poisonous thoughts. Wildfire also gave silent thanks to the fact that as it was so early there was nopony about to see her scream at her front door.

Or so she thought until the door opened to reveal a very worried looking Air Raid, and she noticed, an equally worried looking Cyclone behind her.

Air Raid rushed out to seize her marefriend in a crushing tackle hug. “Wily what’s wrong? We heard you shout.” She asked, concern etched across her face.

Wildfire returned the hug as best she could, mentally kicking herself that she had been overheard. “I’m fine…it’s nothing really I was just…arguing…with, myself.” She offered what she hoped was a winning smile before realising how ridiculous that sounded, even to herself. “Sorry…um, I’m really tired.” Wildfire exaggerated a yawn to prove her point.

Air Raid let go of her hug and draped her right wing over her marefriend’s body. “C’mon cutie, lets get you inside, we ran you a bath, figured you’d need one after tonight.”

“A bath…how’d you know…?” As Wildfire allowed herself to be lead inside the house she caught the scent of rose, lavender and jasmine oils from the bathroom upstairs. Suddenly a bath was the one thing she wanted most in all the land.

“The news,” Cyclone offered by way of explanation. “We watched it until Hotspot dismissed you, then we ran you the bath and got that ready.” Cyclone hoisted her saddle bags over her back and made her way to the open door; “Actually it was Raid’s idea. Look I hope you don’t mind me taking off Wily, I promised Skydancer I’d be back once we knew you were alright, and well, she’ll be doing her nut if I’m not back soon.”

“No problem Cy, thanks for keeping Raid company.” Wildfire pulled away from her marefriend’s wing to give Cyclone a kiss and a little hug. “Sorry about the soot hun, say hello to Sky or us when you get back to yours ‘kay?”

“Will do sweet flanks.” Cyclone gave Wildfire and Air Raid a quick kiss each and then she was gone, flying off into the early morning.

“Right you, let’s get you in that bath babes.” In much the same way that Cyclone had carried her to the bath earlier Air Raid slid Wildfire onto her back and carried her up the stairs to the bathroom.

“Raid, put me down, I’m getting you filthy!”

“So what?” Air Raid asked as they climbed the stairs. “Then we’ll both have a bath. Besides it doesn’t matter how filthy you are Wily, you’ll always be my pretty little pegasus.”

“Seriously. I look like Two-Face from your Batmare comics.”

Air Raid lowered them both slowly into the steaming hot scented water before turning to face her marefriend with a half-lidded smile. “Seriously. I’ve told you already I don’t care what you look like, I love you.”

Wildfire let her marefriend gently push her back till she was laid out in the oval bath, the water lapping at her chin. “You, you won’t ever leave me, will you?” Her chestnut brown eyes went wide as saucers as she nervously looked at Air Raid, only to see her smiling back at her.

Slowly the green mare lowered herself on top of Wildfire, until they were nose to nose in the bath water. Gently she gave her a kiss on her nose; “Wily, I. Love. You. I won’t leave you sweetheart.” Air Raid kissed her again, this time on the lips as she slid to the side to lay next to her marefriend.

Wildfire turned to her side and wrapped her forelegs around Air Raid’s shoulders. “For real?”

Air Raid turned in her marefriend’s legs and gave her another kiss, this time longer, more intense and passionate. Air Raid wrapped a foreleg around Wildfire’s neck, bringing her into a tight embrace as she tilted her head to one side, kissing her marefriend full on the lips. Wildfire returned the gesture, placing her own leg on Air Raid, running it through her mane as she ran her tongue across the older pegasus’s lips, asking permission to enter. The lime green mare granted it, parting her lips for her marefriend’s tongue as she ran her own over and around it, eliciting a few pleasurable moans from her. A second or two later Air Raid thrust forward with her tongue into Wildfire’s mouth, running it around the inside before briefly wrestling her tongue into submission. Finally the need to breathe forced them to break the kiss, their lips coming apart with a wet smacking noise.

The electricity of the kiss still between them, Air Raid locked her grey eyes onto Wildfire’s chestnut ones. “For realizes.”