It's been a few days since Max had arrived in the city, and these few days seemed like the most interesting and possibly the most enjoyable days of his life to him. It was all because he had met with a bunch of friendly monster ponies, who were kind enough to let him be a friend of them as well, making his kinda like a part of their family.

Plus, since the business had settled and now he was making once again a stable income out of it (which was actually plenty), there was no reason he could deny that this change had worth it, and Max couldn't be happier for this.

Soon, at his another day off, he seemed pretty happy as he came out for a walk around in the town, knowing that his friends would take a little time before they show up at their usual spot.

But as he walked down the streets, he suddenly saw Lazuli slithering towards him at an incredible speed, a panicked look in her eyes as she skidded to a stop in front of him.

"Max!" she panted. "Max... trouble... fire... Need... help..."

"What?" Max said, almost shocked. "What happened, Lazuli? Is everyone okay?"

"No... the apartment is on fire! Come with me, quickly!" the Serpine yelled, and without waiting for an answer she suddenly wrapped a length of her coils around him and sped off down the street again, not as fast since he was now in tow but still faster than he could have ran on his own.

"What? Let's hurry-" that was all Max, could manage before she wrapped him up and pull along towards a certain direction.

The Serpine pushed through what crowds were blocking the sidewalks - apologizing all the while - until up ahead they noticed a column of smoke. Soon, Max noticed an apartment complex that was in flames. The fire department had been called, but they were having a hard enough time as it was. Lazuli placed Max down to catch her breath as Icy Winds flew over to them.

"Max! Oh, thank the Cold!" she exclaimed. "Fluffy, Aroma and Venus are still stuck in there! Angeline and Blaze just went in after them not too long ago, but they haven't returned yet!"

Max gave a look of shock as he heard this and looked towards the apartment on fire for the moment, and then rushed towards this without a second thought.

Some firemen tried to stop him, but it was pointless to try. The bottom levels inside the apartment were still only mildly affected, suggesting that the fire had started upstairs rather than downstairs. However, he did notice that most of the heat and flames were coming from a stairwell that he saw nearby; clearly, someone had purposely started the fire with the intention of keeping others from fleeing it. As he watched, suddenly two figures barreled down the stairs, both with flames on their body but only one of them actually seeming to be on fire. It was Blaze and Venus, the former helping the latter snuff out some flames that had shown up on her flammable body.

"Max!" the Infernal called. "I've managed to clear the stairs of the majority of the flames. Find Angeline; she can help you out!"

"Alright," Max gave a nod too her, then went towards the stairs to look for Angeline and her other friends, as he said rather loudly. "Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" Blaze called, then he barely heard her say to Venus, "Lean on me. We're almost out..."

Upstairs, Max found himself surrounded by smoke and plenty of flames, though it did seem like a path had been made through them to some degree. And he soon saw why as he continued through the halls; up ahead, Angeline was purposely throwing herself into the fire from time to time, then rolling about and snuffing the flames out. When she saw Max, she turned to him enough for him to notice that, for the first time since meeting her, her expression wasn't a dull one; it was a determined one. She was covered with burns all over - in fact, her mane alone was blackened in a few places, and her coat having a few sizzles still left over.

"Max, over here," she called, her voice still a bit dull but less so this time, and it held a barely-heard desperate note.

Max went towards her with a concern look on her face, and his concern became even more clear as he asked her.

"Angeline... are you okay. Your skin..."

"I'll be fine. Zomby's can't feel pain," she told him. "Though I probably should leave while I have time. I think they're in the next room up ahead. I managed to clear the fires there, but if I stay any longer I'll be more of a hindrance than a help."

"Mhm," Max gave her a nod. "Take care, Angeline," he told her as he headed towards the next room to find Fluffy and Aroma to get them out of the apartment while there was still time.

The door to the room was only partially closed, as if someone had tried to open it earlier and only managed to get it partly done. Opening it some more, he found a shocking surprise: Aroma was collapsed on the floor, coughing and half conscious of what was going on around her.

"Max?" she asked in a sleepy voice; clearly she had been exposed to the smoke for too long.

"Oh dear," Max managed, sounding utterly concerned and shocked as he leapt towards her, and as quickly as possible he grabbed her out of the room towards an area where smoke wasn't that dense, so she could have some breath before it'd be too late. But still she had one more friend to rescue…

"Wh- who's there?" Fluffy's voice called out in the room. "Please... help me! I'm stuck under this shelf!"

Max heard the voice and tried to recognize the direction from which this was coming from before he took a deep breath and rushed towards the living room.

...a shelf? She's trapped under a shelf...

Soon, he noticed the said shelf toppled over and rushed towards this. Underneath the bookshelf, he heard Fluffy whimper in pain and then a hoof came out and pawed at his foot as if to try and beg for help.

Max, as quickly as he could and with a strength and agility he didn't know he had lifted the shelf from her.

"Fluffy," he called her.

"Max?" Fluffy looked up at him, and managed a weak but thankful smile. Her wings seemed to be broken and when she lifted herself it was with a grunt of pain. But she still managed to hug his leg and cry like a filly, "Oh thank you! Thank you!"

Max gave shout as he toppled the shelf on the other side and grabbed her in a hug as he lifted her in his arms.

"Don't worry, I'll get us out of here..."

"What about Aroma? Did you get her?" the cat pony asked, feeling incredibly light in his arms, which was probably due to her pegasus anatomy.

"Yeah," Max gave her a nod as he headed outside the room where he had left Aroma.

Aroma had managed to recover enough to stand upright weakly, and she looked back at him with a smile.

"You got her..." she managed, then she walked over to him and used him as support, not caring at the moment if her touch would leave him befuddled afterwards. "Now... let's get out of here before it collapses on us."

"Yeah," Max managed as he blinked his eyes for a couple times, as an utter feeling of comfort came over his mind which was obviously due to Aroma's touch at the moment. Then carefully, he headed towards downstairs along with Aroma walking beside her, and Fluffy in his arms.

They walked down the stairs and out into the light of day, where the others were waiting for them. The whole time, Aroma was giving off a very positive feedback to Max. It was almost as if she was speaking aloud.

He saved us... He actually saved us! Wow... this is the nicest thing ever done for me... I think I'm gonna cry after I hug and kiss him to pieces... Ow! After we're out of the smoke and in fresh air..

Fluffy, meanwhile, was automatically giving off an occasional purr against Max to indicate how thankful she was for what he had done for them. She even nuzzled her head against his chest to further feel safe and secure in that moment, looking rather cute to him.

Max was thankful he was able to he was able to rescue them from that life-threatening situation, and he couldn't be any happier as he breath in fresh air and the tears began to rapidly escape his eyes, as the reality of what could occur washed over him. But still, this was easy to tell that these were tears of joy, the utter joy because of his friends were safe and sound now.

Upon exiting and getting a safe distance from the building, they were greeted by the sight of Lazuli and her snake hug.

"Oh my Celestia! Are you guys okay?" she asked worryingly, like a mother to her children as she inspected them all over.

"Too tight! Too tight!" Fluffy yelped, causing Lazuli to ease up on her squeezes. "We're fine... but I'm definitely going to need an ambulance. I think that bookshelf broke my back..."

"I just need some time to clear the smoke from my lungs," Aroma said, already taking deep breaths as it was.

Max then looked determined as he wiped his tears and looked at the burning apartment and frowning a little. "Someone's gonna answer for that," he said.

"For sure..." Fluffy agreed, then looked to Max fully as if only now realizing what he had done. "You... you saved me. And Aroma. You saved us both..."

"Yeah," he said smiling at her. "What else did you expect from me?" Then with a little more concern, he said. "I better take you to hospital now..."

"That won't be necessary," Aroma pointed out as an ambulance rolled up and then some paramedics approached them.

"Who's the injured ones?" the lead nurse inquired.

"Over here..." Fluffy waved her hoof.

"I could use treatment for these burns myself," Angeline's voice suddenly spoke up, the Zomby right beside them. Somehow she had managed to creep up on them without knowing, although the smell of burnt flesh from her made it somewhat regrettable.

Max smiled slightly at her at the moment, the smell coming off her though was so unbearable for the moment but that was seemingly nothing as compared to what they had went through.

"Okay," Max said to Fluffy, as he went there and lied her on the stretcher. "Take care," he said to her. "I'll visit you soon."

"Thanks again, Max," Fluffy said, as she was wheeled into the back of the vehicle. Angeline followed, but due to the smell the paramedics were at first reluctant to let her in. That is, until the Zomby pulled out a perfume bottle and sprayed herself down from head to toe.

"It's not much, but I hope it helps a bit," she remarked, then was permitted to enter. The ambulance took off right then as another car pulled up. This time, it was a police cruiser, and the police ponies ended up talking to the firefighters over the matter as well as speaking to Blaze, Icy Winds, and Venus.

"That was... scary..." Aroma noted, then realized she was still leaning on Max. "Oh... sorry! I should move so that you're not..."

"No, it's fine," Max told her with a small chuckle, but then he ceased to chuckle and blushed slightly as he clarified. "I mean... if you need some more time I won't mind..."

"Careful what you wish for," Lazuli giggled, then backed off to give them some space. Aroma picked up on this and managed a small chuckle.

"It's not just that. It's what our contact is doing to you. I just... I don't want to take advantage of this moment," she told him, and while her voice would make some think otherwise, he knew it was genuine.

Max then smiled at her slightly. "I don't think you're, actually," he reassured her, but then again, this could be effect of her love-trance inducing touch. "...but, do however you like," he chuckled slightly. "I don't think I have much to say here..."

Aroma chuckled, then asked, "Could you just hold me for a moment then? I'm still a bit shaken."

"You mean... like a hug?" Max asked her just for a reassurance, even though that was silly to ask such a question.

"Yes, please," the Eccubus nodded.

"Okay," Max gave her a nod, as he knelt at her level and grabbed her in a hug, this time the hug was surely a little more affectionate, and even more comfortable than the first they hugged.

Aroma hugged him back, smiling as she did so. All her positive feelings were being felt in that moment and being passed over for him to experience as well, like how grateful she was that he had come to rescue her. But out of them all, one thing seemed to stand out to him. She felt safe and secure around him, safer than ever before. This was also the first time in a long time since she had allowed another male to so much as hug her, the reason being that the last time had been... an unpleasant experience for her. And yet, here she was allowing him to hold her close to him at this point in time.

"Is it comfortable?" Max asked her with a tone which showed that he cared about her.

"Mhm," she nodded, and slowly she relaxed fully in his embrace, letting out a happy sigh.

"Hmm," Max made a comforting hum at this as well. "It's good to know..."

The Eccubus made another happy sigh, then after a while she said, "I... should probably let go now. I've already spent a good deal of time in physical contact with you."

"Hmm... okay," Max said to her, as he slowly released her from the hug.

"Excuse me, sir," a police officer spoke up as a pair of police ponies approached them. "If you don't mind, we'd like to ask a few questions."

Max looked at the officer and gave a nod. "Sure. What would you like to ask?"

"Well first off, what is your association with the residents here?" the officer asked. "You seem to be quite close to them."

"I moved here quite recently, so I don't know much people around here," Max told the officer. "I met Fluffy Puff the first day I got here, and soon after I met her group of friends, and... we just got along like that as close friends one may say..."

"I see. Do you know how the fire was started or of anypony who would wish to harm them?" the officer inquired.

"I am sure that fire was started intentionally," Max explained. "As for who would do such a thing, I can't tell... but whoever they're, they're purposefully trying to harm monster kinds."

"Well, you're right about the fire being arson," the officer nodded. "But we've managed to find a few things lying about that were left behind, such as a lighter and gas can. We should be able to track them down soon."

"Sure," Max said and then gave them a determined look. "When you do find and arrest them, make sure they get what they deserve for such a horrible crime!"

"We'll do what we can," the officer promised, then they gave them a nod. "You take care of your marefriend there."

"Huh?" Aroma's head and ears shot up at this mistaken remark.

"Marefriend?" Max took a moment before he realized what the officers just said to him, "...it's actually, there's a..." he blurted out a little nervously but even though he wanted to correct them, he couldn't get himself to say that.

"It's okay... I'll let it slide," Aroma told him. "Besides, they're a bit busy as of now."

"Okay," Max nodded at this, then added after a moment "I guess, we should soon head to see how Fluffy's doing right now..."

"Yeah," the Eccubus nodded.

"Good," Max smiled a little at this. "I'd be needing sometime... I'll see you girls in a moment..."

"Well... not much," Max told them and chuckled slightly. "I just need a moment to check on few things at home, and I think it'd best if I pack some snacks for us, okay?"

"Okay. Don't be gone too long," Aroma told him. "We'll see you down at the hospital."

"Alright, I'll see you there." Max said as he headed off towards his home.

Author's Note

And so, here it is. Hope you're enjoying so far.