Chapter 1

Looking up at the door, Holly Heartwood let out a disappointed groan of disappointment. The dirty brass numbers on the door said 211 ½, which meant that this was the place she was looking for. She looked up at the tall, thin brick building and let out another groan. There were broken windows and the place looked rather old. The front window was boarded over. She pulled the key from her coat, put it into the door, and then had to fight with the key to get it to turn. After a bit of a struggle, she got the stuck key to turn and then kicked open the door.

Her great aunt, now departed, had been kind enough to leave Holly a ‘prime piece of Manehatten real estate.’ Holly stared into the entryway of the narrow building was greeted by cobwebs. The entire row house could not be more than nine feet wide and it was five stories tall. Off to the right, she saw some rickety looking narrow stairs. She entered the house, her nostrils crinkling from the scent of mildew, and then looked around. The wainscotting was faded grey wood and the wallpaper had turned grey as well. The stairs appeared to be under a yard in width, which meant that the entry room was about six to seven feet in width. Holly’s cousin had described it as ‘cosy’ while Holly, now that she had seen it, could only describe it as ‘cramped.’ Holly closed the door behind her.

She looked around for a light switch and found a brass knob. She had no idea what it did, but it sat on a wall panel that looked sort of like a light switch. Reaching up with her hoof, she turned the knob. There was a hissing sound, followed by a few clicks, and then there was light. Flickering flames ignited inside of filthy, sooty glass globes and Holly realised that this place did not have electricity, it had gas lights. She turned the knob a bit more and illuminated the entry room. There was an old dusty couch that appeared to be two hundred years out of date. The fabric was faded, but in rather good condition for its age. It was a dull purple colour paisley print. There was a bookshelf made of greying wood filled with old, dusty books. There was a sitting chair that matched the couch.

The room was freezing cold. Unable to help herself, Holly grinned. At least the building should be easy to heat. That was the purpose of such a narrow home. Heat rose, and the narrowness meant that the heat had nowhere to go but up. She figured that she would need to find the furnace, which she guessed was down in the basement. She saw a narrow door at the back of the front room. The kitchen had a bit of natural light coming in through one narrow window that was above the sink.

Still grinning, she made her way to the door and pushed it open. It was on omnidirectional hinges, meaning that it could swing either way. Holly found herself in the kitchen next. She saw a fridge with a large dome shaped contraption on the top and she had a vague memory of her foalhood and seeing a gas powered fridge. Beside it was a narrow two burner gas powered range that had no oven. She looked around the kitchen, saw a tiny table and two wooden chairs. It was dusty but in good condition. There were counters, some cupboards, a door, and a recessed pantry that had been sealed off with cobwebs.

Turning around, Holly saw an oven built into a brick shaft. She suspected that down below the oven, at the base of the shaft, she would find the furnace. She also saw what she knew was a dumbwaiter, a device that no longer existed in modern homes. She walked through the small kitchen to the door and pushed it open. She saw stairs leading down into total darkness. Creepy, horrible, spooky darkness. Holly shivered and thought about walking down into the darkness, the feeling of cobwebs trailing over her skin, and who knew what sort of horrors lurked down in the basement. She shut the door and backed away. The furnace would have to be started later. She decided she could live with the cold.

Holly realised that the house couldn’t be more than thirty feet in depth. She looked around the kitchen once more. No more than three yards wide, thirty feet in depth, and five stories tall. That was a fair amount of living space… it was just… stacked, she reasoned to herself. Plus the creepy basement. Her aunt, Cara Cara Orange, and her uncle, Sumac Heartwood, had raised a family here, a family of seven foals. Holly could not imagine such a large family in such cramped quarters, but they had done it. This house had history.

Holly returned to the living room and noticed two paper envelopes upon the bookshelf that she hadn’t noticed before. She walked over, grabbed them both, held them in her lips, grimacing at the dust, and then sat down in the dusty chair.

She set the envelopes down upon the arms of the chair and then picked one of them up. She tore open the envelope with her teeth and then tilted her body towards one of the dirty gas lamps on the wall so she could see.

Dearest Holly,

Sorry the place is still a mess. Things were hectic after the funeral and there was a lot to do. I hired some maids, a group of them will be by within a few days to give the place a good cleaning, and then a maid will show up once a week to keep the place looking nice. You don’t need to worry about paying him or her, it is included as part of your inheritance.

An exterminator will be by soonish to deal with the infestation of spiders in the basement and the sub basement. The kitchen appliances are all in good repair and are quite functional, if a little quaint. The oven cooks twenty degrees hotter than the knob says, so keep that in mind. If you are wondering where the bathroom is, don’t worry, one exists. It is on the third floor, the middle of the house. It is the only bathroom. Cara had the opportunity to have another bathroom built, but at that point, Sumac was gone and her foals had moved out, so she didn’t see the need to do so. The water heater is heated by gas and I must warn you, the water is hot, so look out. I know from experience and staying with great grammy Cara that turning on the hot water knob a smidgen and turning on the cold water knob full blast will produce one very hot shower or bath.

The house might not seem like much when you first enter, but there is a nice dining room and a full sized sitting room on the second floor. It really is quite lovely, or it was, before it became somewhat neglected.

I sincerely hope that you will decide to keep the house. Great grammy Cara wanted you to have it. I had to go home to Las Pegasus to deal with a few things, but I will be returning to Manehatten soon to visit you.

Love, Roble.

Misty eyed, Holly folded up the letter and thought about her cousin. They had been as close as siblings when they were foals, but then, life had happened. Roble was the ambitious sort, always chasing a deal, always working, always trying to make money. After getting her cutie mark, a roller skate of all things, Holly had joined the roller derby circuit, working under the pseudonym ‘Holly Homewrecker.’ The roller derby was fun, but always moving from city to city was tiring, the pay was lousy, and as Holly was now maturing into a full grown mare, she could see that such an endeavour was fruitless. Many of the older skaters on the circuit were horrible, jaded, cynical, bitter sorts, most of them alcoholics, and none of them had chased down the elusive big payout, the cushy life promised by promoters if they could just get noticed, get sponsored, and start getting commercial endorsements.

Holly was glad that she was out.

She lifted up the second envelope and tore it open. She pulled out the paper inside, which had been spritzed with perfume.

Dear Hot headed Cuss,

I know that you didn’t know me very well, but Sumac and I were very fond of you, proud of you for being such a feisty little scrapper. I only met you a few times, but you left an impression on me. I kept tabs on you and I watched you as you progressed in your career. I knew at some point that you’d grow up and you’d reach the point where you are now, ready to settle down and make a real life for yourself.

Out of all my relatives, I felt that you were the one most deserving of the house. The others, they have all they need, they have money, nice homes, and good careers. Your mother was a proud mare and she refused to take any help and she raised you on her own, something I respect a great deal. You turned out fine, but you don’t have much.

I was once like you. I was dirt poor and didn’t have anything. I met a nice colt named Sumac. He was the shy, quiet sort and we fell in love. He took a job in the furniture factory and after a few paychecks, he made a down payment on the house that you are sitting in right now, and he did it without telling me about it. It was quite a surprise. I adored the house almost as much as I adored him. I took on every odd job I could find and he worked two shifts a day to keep up with the house payments. We raised seven foals in this house. For a time, our oldest, Lilac, she lived here with her husband, Chestnut. Lilac gave birth to her twins in this house. Those were such joyous times and I remember them fondly. Lilac’s colt, Parson Brown, when he was all grown up, he lived here with his wife, a lovely mare named Sandy Shores. She gave birth to twins, Roble and Mosley. It was Roble and Mosley’s little sister that caused that big fuss by going off and marrying into the Apple family. She was a hot headed cuss as well, and your cousin, a mare named Applejack, she’s also a hot headed cuss, and stubborn too, as well.

We have a fair number of hot headed cusses in the family and quite a few of them have lived in this house.

Since you’re reading this, it means I’m dead now. The doctors told me I was dying, I didn’t care much for their opinions and I didn’t believe them. Of course, they told me I was dying ten years ago, so I guess time and old age has saved them from being liars. But I knew my end was coming soon, so I had this wrote down for me.

You have always been a plucky little hot headed cuss. Don’t you go changing that. Manehatten is a tough city. It takes a tough mare to live here. Of course, the wealthy sorts living up at the top of their towers don’t know nothing about the problems us common ponies face down here, but you don’t pay them no nevermind. There is adventure to be had in this city. I’m certain that you will find something that suits you. I don’t think you’re ready to settle down just yet, so go out and take whatever you can from the city and live each day to the fullest.

Sorry darling, I need to cut this short. I feel powerful tired and I need to rest my head.

Love and smushy hugs, aunt Cara Cara.

Reaching up, Holly wiped her eyes with her fetlock. She looked around the house. She had felt disappointed upon first seeing it, but now she felt a newfound sense of pride. She looked down at the letter once more and as she was looking down, a few water spots appeared, darkening the paper. With a great deal of care, she folded up the paper and placed it back inside of the envelope.

The house was not a house, but a neglected family member. Holly decided then and there that it was time to grow up and maybe become a little more responsible. She had her inheritance money and she knew that if she looked, she could find work, even if it was just pulling a cab.

Sniffling, Holly decided to have a look upstairs…

The wooden planks creaked beneath her hooves as Holly climbed the stairs. It was dark at the top of the stairs, but not too dark. It seemed some light was coming in through the filth encrusted windows. At the top of the stairs there was a dusty painted portrait of Princess Celestia wearing jewel encrusted golden armor, standing in a heroic pose with the sun behind her. The words “The Sun Shines Eternal” were etched into the frame of the painting.

Turning around, Holly took it all in. In the back of the large room there was a spiral staircase leading up. There was furniture covered in dusty slipcovers. She saw the dumbwaiter against the wall and there was a dining table with a chair on each end and three chairs on each side, eight chairs in total.

This room was open, it ran the full width of the house and the depth. An old hoof cranked hi-fi was in the corner opposite the spiral staircase. Dusty old photos in brass and wood frames adorned the walls. Soot encrusted gas lamps stood out from the walls and a large gas lamp chandelier hung over the dining table. The chandelier had glass globes and brass horseshoes.

Holly took note that many of the fixtures in the house were brass.

She made her way to the spiral staircase and prodded the stairs with her hoof. The stairs were black iron, and not dark wood as she had first thought. As she climbed, the wrought iron staircase made a cacophony of sound as her hooves thumped upon each stair.

The third floor had a landing and three doors. The only light was a tiny bit of winter sun shining through the narrow window by the stairs. The first door led to a small bedroom. It was empty and some of the wallpaper was peeling off of the walls. The second door opened into a bathroom.

Reaching out with her hoof, Holly turned the brass knob. It took a moment, there was a hiss, and then the gas lamp flickered on. The bathroom was small and the bathtub was enormous. It was a big claw footed tub, deep, wide, and covered in pale, mint green enamel. Holly looked around and saw a pony staring at her, which startled her. She looked at herself in the mirror. She was, for the most part, an unremarkable earth pony. She was not a bright, garish colour, like some earth ponies. She was more of an unnoticeable, muted shade of burnt orange that might be mistaken for brown under certain types of light. Her pale lime coloured mane was spiky, stuck out in all directions, and needed a good combing.

Her looks had not helped her on the roller derby circuit. She did not have exciting colours, nor was she considered ‘sexy’ by the promoters. It always led to bottom billing, right down at the lowest point on the list with the drunks and the washed up hasbeens. Her only defining characteristic was the rollerskate on her backside, and as far as talents went, this one hadn’t done her a lot of good, but it had been fun. She could skate like it was nopony’s business.

She puckered up her lips and blew some of the dust off the mirror. It too, was trimmed in brass and wood. It was cold enough to see her breath. Turning her head, she looked at the toilet. It was old. The toilet was an actual bowl upon the floor. Above it was a brass water tank and brass pipes led down to the toilet basin. There was no toilet seat over the bowl, oh no, this toilet was too old for that. This model of pony toilet was ancient, the old drop and squat, where a pony held their backside over the bowl while they did their business, whatever their business was. The basin was low to the floor, just a little above fetlock height, and was a pale green that matched the tub.

Backing out the bathroom, Holly checked the last door. She tapped the brass handle and pushed it open. This bedroom faced the front of the house and had three narrow windows that allowed the sun to stream in. There was a large brass and wood trimmed bed. The mattress was covered in a plastic slip to keep the dust off. The room, though small, was beautiful. The wood wainscotting was grey, but old style craftponyship shone through. There was no wallpaper, but old, faded blue velvet lined the walls above the wainscotting.

From what little Holly knew, Cara Cara had died in her room, and Holly suspected this was the place she had met her end. The golden light from the windows left a sunny patch upon the bed.

If she was going to sleep here tonight, there were things that needed to be done.

Trotting along the streets of Manehatten, wearing her heavy winter coat, Holly Heartwood was enjoying herself, as was evident by her smile. The winter day was cold, it made the lungs sting, but the cold was invigourating. Overhead, a few pegasi flew and the streets were crowded with earth ponies.

Manehatten was considered by many to be an earth pony city. It was a city of practical technology. Electric lights. Gas lights. Electric elevators. Steam elevators. There were factories here dedicated to practical earth pony endeavours. For the longest time, Manehatten had been a poor city, but that had changed over time. Now, it was full of new money, glittering high rise banks and financial districts were replacing the old factories. There was a booming fashion industry along with a theatre culture that rivaled Canterlot. The old row houses, brownstones, and townhouses were being torn down and replaced with high rise apartments. Neon signs blazed, even during the day time. Advertising was everywhere, even on the backs of pony drawn cabs.

There was even a new underground steam powered train called a subway that promised to whisk riders across the town in mere minutes; Holly had seen the signs and the stairs leading down to the subway tunnels down below.

Steam rose from vents on the sidewalks and the air was filled with a million smells. The scent of laundry. The smell of popcorn. The smell of tofu hotdogs, which Holly thought were disgusting. Some ponies liked hotdogs, but she wasn’t one of them. She found them revolting. There were ponies, a few griffons, and even a few dragons selling food from carts.

The population of Manehatten claimed to be over one million strong and growing.

Emerging from Plunkett’s Housewares for Housewives and Hardware for Househusbands, Holly decided then and there that she could not and would not work in a department store. Not long after entering, she had been assailed from all sides with suggestions for cosmetics, hair dyes, mane dyes, tail wraps, exfoliating mud rubs for the whole body, all of it horrible, smelly, and disgusting. There was no way she could peddle that kind of crap to other ponies. Wearing makeup and being a pretty pony was not her thing. She liked violence, full contact body checks, and going fast. The last thing she wanted was to feel softer and smell pleasant. She sneered up at the sign as she hurried away, her shopping bags slung over her back, connected with a carry strap that turned the shopping bags into saddlebags.

After a bit of a walk, Holly stopped to rubberneck at an accident. Two wagons had collided and now a police pony was directing traffic, waving with his hooves while blowing a whistle so the accident could be cleaned up in safety. Police work might be interesting, but Holly wasn’t certain she was cut out for it. She was the rebellious sort who resisted authority.

Still, body checking bag snatchers and muggers had a certain appeal to it. The Holly Homewrecker Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma’am was a real crowd pleaser for a reason. Holly, who was a voluptuous earth pony, had a body full of dangerous curves. Those that called her a chubby earth pony got body checked. Once, during a match, she had been called ‘fat.’ The mare responsible for that little quip had been carted off in a wagon. Holly had a preference for the term created by the ponies of Germaney; and that word was ‘zaftig.’ She felt as though it was a fair and accurate description.

She had sheets, fresh bedding, a few things for the bathroom, and now, Holly was stumped. She knew she needed food, but she wasn’t certain there were any plates, or even anything to cook with. Owning a home was more complicated than she thought it was going to be.

As Holly headed home, she heard the howling of a steam whistle and saw a fire wagon being pulled by a few stout earth ponies. Pegasi flew along beside the wagon. Holly watched as the fire ponies went racing off to battle the flames.

Long after the wagon was gone, Holly remained, staring, her expression almost vacant. Lifting her head high, Holly had the most wonderful of ideas…

Author's Notes:

If this takes off, there will be more chapters... we'll see. Future chapters are dependent upon expressed interest.

Thanks for reading!

Chapter 2

A new mattress was needed. The bed had sagged down in the middle and the mattress was filled with creaky, certain to be broken springs. Holly flexed her back, trying to be rid of the crick lodged in her spine, and looked out the window.

The house was freezing and the windows were covered in a layer of frost. It was so cold that Holly could see her own breath. She regretted getting out from beneath the blankets. The bed might have been uncomfortable, but it was warm. It was too cold to shower or to do much of anything.

She realised that she was going to have to brave the spider infested basement to light the furnace. The very idea of such a thing made her shiver harder than the cold did. She put on her heavy winter coat, glad for its reassuring weight and thickness.

The first order of business was breakfast.

“Mallory Moo’s Automat.” Holly looked up at the minotaur mascot and then peered through the window. There were ponies inside eating, but there appeared to be no kitchen. Just a row after row of windows with food behind them. She watched as a pegasus slipped a few coins into a slot, opened a window, pulled out a plate, which he held in his teeth, and then trotted off to sit at a plastic table that sat low to the floor. There were no chairs, no benches, no seating of any kind.

“Oh, so it’s an automated vending machine sort of place,” Holly said to herself. She opened the door and went inside.

Vending machine served food or no, it smelled fantastic in here. Holly trotted over to the wall of windows and began to peer inside. Half of the wall was hot meals, the other half cold. There were full meals on plates, side items like fresh fruit or muffins, and peering through the window, she could see a kitchen behind the display wall. Somepony was back there making fresh food to be placed in the displays.

More ponies, many of them bleary eyed, were coming in out of the cold. Not wanting to be in the way, Holly made a quick choice on food. The super deluxe hot plate. Using her hoof, she fished around in her jacket pocket and began pulling out a few bits. It took three silver bits to purchase the plate, which seemed a little expensive, but the food looked and smelled good.

She deposited three silver bits into the coin slot and the window opened. The plate had a little handle on the edge of it, a perfect bite grip. She lifted the plate, stepped backwards, and then headed for a table. She set her plate down and realised she wanted coffee. And maybe some juice. She looked around. Other ponies had left their plates sitting on tables and nopony else was disturbing them.

She returned to the display and had a look around. She saw the morning combo, a two for one special that had different types of juice along with a carton of chocolate milk. One copper bit. She fished out a coin, dropped it in the slot, and pulled out the two items, which had been held together with twine. Grape juice and chocolate milk. She dropped them into her large coat pocket and then went looking for coffee.

The cups for coffee were all too small. Frowning, she kept looking, hoping there would be a better option. A little higher up, above the common pony’s eye level, she saw a sign that said, “The Rump Shaker: 96 ounces of fun.” It was a giant cardboard and paper cup filled with coffee. Three copper bits later, Holly was standing on her hind hooves and pulling the massive cup of coffee out with her teeth on the side handle. She dropped down and walked over to the little coffee preperation counter. There was non dairy creamer, real cream, sugar, and a number of other things that ponies liked in their coffee or tea. Holly popped off the lid and added heavy cream, the only thing she liked in her coffee. She put the lid back on, grabbed the cup by the handle once more with her teeth, and then returned to her breakfast.

Making a note for next time, Holly would buy drinks first and then breakfast, so it wouldn’t get cold. She placed her coffee beside her breakfast, sat down, and then pulled the drinks in her pocket out. She placed them beside her plate and with a tug, she undid the bow that tied them together.

Four waffles, golden brown and crispy. Four fried eggs, soft. A large blueberry muffin in somewhat greasy looking paper. Four large compressed potato hash brown patties. After staring at her plate for a few moments, Holly realised she wasn’t done. She looked up and looked around. She saw another counter with little bins of complimentary items. Syrup and butter. She stepped away from her breakfast, chalked up her blunder to a learning experience, and went to fetch what she needed.

The food was much better than Holly had expected. The waffles were devoured, the eggs were gobbled, the muffin was scarfed, and now Holly was working on the last of her potato patty hash browns. Sipping chocolate milk from a waxy paper carton, she had felt as though she was back in school again, eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Mallory Moo’s was packed and Holly understood why. The food was great, the price was fair, and convenience was top notch. No need to wait on a waiter or waitress. What you wanted when you wanted it. The last bite of the crispy crunchy potato patty disappeared.

Holly slugged down the last of her chocolate milk, belched, looked at her empty grape juice carton, felt a little thirsty, and considered buying more juice. She shrugged and began to slug down her ginormous cup of coffee. Holly considered the possibility that she might never cook at home again. This place could serve her needs quite well. Holly looked over at some of the other customers and found ponies from all walks of life here. There was a nice looking business pony in an expensive looking suit jacket. At the table next to him was a punk pony with a big rainbow mohawk. Not far away was a pony that just had to be some kind of model, her beauty was devastating. A unicorn, she had a brilliant white coat and a mane that Holly could not decide if it was purple or blue. There were three diamonds on her rump. She was having breakfast with a somewhat plain looking cream coloured earth pony that had a hat for a cutie mark.

Holly realised that she was staring. A pretty mare was just as distracting as a handsome stallion. Blushing, she looked down at her empty plate and continued to drink her coffee.

As Holly walked around, she realised that she now lived in what had to be one of the oldest neighborhoods in Manehatten. The street lights were an odd mix of electric and gas. The buildings were old, but many of them were well maintained. She hadn’t noticed it before when she had been walking around looking for the old row house. There was something about the neighborhood though. Something… something like a sense of pride. There was a mix of wealthy and poor, there were apartment buildings here, but not slums or poor quality tenements. Almost all of the buildings were brick, the same rusty red brick, and Holly guessed that almost all of these buildings were made with bricks that had come from the same brick factory.

She walked past an old narrow factory that had been turned into a community theatre on the bottom floors and an art gallery on the top floors. A great deal of care had gone into the restoration of the building, that much was obvious just by looking at it.

Holly realised that she needed to get her own place fixed up and looking better. The broken front window was unacceptable. She felt a little guilty, even a little ashamed, and she could not say why.

The earth pony mare stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at the airship docked at the top of a tall, narrow brick building. The building was immaculate, six stories tall, and had a large garage door on the ground floor. Looking around, Holly saw a sign.

“District #1 Firehouse. The first city sponsored firehouse built in the city of Manehatten. Always watching,” Holly read aloud. She looked at the building again. Holly liked danger. She liked adventure and excitement. She liked cheap thrills. She looked at the sign and then back at the building. She thought about her rubbernecking yesterday.

Smiling, Holly made her way to the door.

Inside, Holly was met by a middle aged pegasus and a somewhat older looking unicorn. The unicorn was tall, thin, and had a bushy mustache. His mane was short, black, and stuck out in all directions. The pegasus was a bit shorter, solid looking, and his face had a bit of a crinkle to it from old scar tissue. He had been burned.

“Hello… can we help you?” the unicorn asked.

“I’d like a job,” Holly replied.

“What? You think you just walk in off of the street and you get hired?” The unicorn began to chuckle. “Nope.”

“Well, how else do you hire ponies?” Holly’s face contorted into a spectacular frown. She drew herself up to her full height and her ears perked forwards.

“We could use an earth pony to pull the wagon, but she don’t look very strong to me, boss,” the pegasus said.

“I didn’t come here to be a wagon puller, I’d like to try my hoof at fire fighting.” Holly took a step forward and her tail began to twitch.

“We could use a cook,” the pegasus said to the unicorn. He looked at Holly and laughed. “Tell you what… you go home and you bake us a batch of cookies, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll think about hiring you as cook and a wagon puller if we like the cookies. How’s that sound to ya, eh beautiful?”

Holly’s voice dropped into a low growl. “How about I break your legs?”

“Oh eh! We gots ourselves a feisty filly… she thinks she’s tough,” the pegasus said. “Go home and bake some brownies or something, we ain’t got time for this nonsense.”

“You know, I have half a mind to kick your ass.” Holly pawed the floor with her hoof and snorted.

“Dame, you got half a mind period. Go home and get back in the kitchen.”

“Why I oughta—”

“Kick his ass?” The unicorn looked down at Holly. “I’ll tell you what. You knock this sexist jerk over and maybe, just maybe, we’ll talk about a job. But you got to knock him off of his hooves. Do you think you can knock the big, mean, chauvinist pegasus off of his mare-hating hooves?”

Holly did not reply. She dropped lower to the floor, all four legs flexing, and then launched herself forwards, her hind legs fully extending out behind her. She lept, landed, and sprung away from the floor. With bone jarring force, she slammed into the pegasus, delivering a perfect Holly Homewrecker Wham-Bam-Thank-You-Ma’am, and she did it without roller skates. The pegasus flew backwards with a grunt, was tossed several feet through the air, and slammed into the brick wall with tooth chipping force. He slid down to the floor with a groan.

“Damnit, I think you done killed Toot Toot,” the unicorn said. “Toot, get your lazy half dead ass up off of the floor.”

Holly snorted as she whirled around to face the taller unicorn. “Now, about that job. No more dicking me around. I’m a mare, but I’m not weak. I’m not helpless. I’m a hard worker. Now are you gonna hire me or do you want to end up like your friend over there?”

Toot Toot groaned but did not get up.

“Woah, calm down there,” the unicorn said as he backed away from Holly. “Just a little entrance test, nothing personal. Ponies will give you all kinds of flack on the job. We get all kinds of ponies coming in here and asking for a job. We have to have a means to filter out the unfit ones.” He looked over at the pegasus. “Toot Toot, joke’s over, get up.”

“Knock Knock, I can’t feel my legs. She hits like a runaway wagon coming down the ninth street hill. Next time, you take the crazy broad coming in off of the street asking for a job. I’m getting too old for this crap.”

The unicorn’s mustache quivered. “Damn, I think you wrecked Toot Toot.” He reached up a hoof and scratched his head. “We’re not sexist jerks, really… but on the job, you’re going to run into ponies who are and they’re not going to want to be saved by a mare.”

Still angry, Holly began to calm herself down.

“My name is Knock Knock and that’s Toot Toot. I’m the fire captain. You are?”

“My name is Holly Heartwood.”

“And what did you do up to this point?”

“Roller derby. I skated under the name ‘Holly Homewrecker’ and now I’d like a real career. Skating is fun but it doesn’t pay the bills.”

“Look, lady, this job, it don’t pay no kinds of bills,” Toot Toot said from where he lay on the floor. “We get paid in pocket lint from the city.”

“But don’t let that discourage ya!” Knock Knock grinned.

Author's Notes:

Next chapter. Thirty two floors of fun.

Chapter 3

“You know, I don’t mind pulling the wagon,” Holly said as Knock Knock hitched himself in. She looked at her potential boss, hoping to get in his good graces.

“Save your strength.” Knock Knock looked over at Toot Toot and then back at Holly. “How ya feel about climbing stairs?”

“I like stairs. Good cardio. I don’t like elevators.” Holly’s quick mind made a connection and she looked at the mustachioed unicorn. “Why do you ask?”

“The next test involves stairs," Toot Toot replied.

Looking into the wagon, Holly saw several pony shaped dummies made of heavy canvas. They looked limp. And heavy. Her eyes lingered upon them for a moment, and then she looked over at Knock Knock. He was hitched into the harness now.

Toot Toot trotted over to the garage door, hit a switch, and then the door began to slide open on well greased runners. It didn’t make so much as a single creak or a squeak. Holly suspected that something awful was about to happen, something involving a lot of exercise. She was glad she had eaten a big breakfast. She made ready to follow after the pair, wondering what was about to happen.

“Age before beauty,” Toot Toot said to Knock Knock as he gestured his friend through the door.

“Why I oughta…” The unicorn paused in the doorway and shook his hoof at the pegasus. “I should tell Holly to knock you down again.”

“Boss, there ain’t no need for that, just wait till she hits you.” The pegasus shook his head and then looked at Holly. “Ain’t nopony ever hit me that hard. Ever. I’m gonna be feeling that for weeks.”

“What if there is an emergency?” Holly asked.

“We have personal alarms,” the unicorn said. Knock Knock pulled out into the street and picked up his pace as Toot Toot hit the switch to lower the door. “We won’t be going far… just to the Grunderson Tower… and then maybe to the district two training substation depending on how our visit to Grunderson Tower goes.”

“No maybe about it, we’ll be going. I don’t know how to quit,” Holly said, grinning with confidence.

As the wagon pulled up in front of Grunderson Tower, Holly craned her head back to look up. She felt dizzy and a powerful sensation of vertigo made her legs wobble. She suffered the peculiar sensation that she could fall upwards at any moment, into the sky, where she would just drift away. She jerked her head down and gave it a shake.

“Thirty two floors,” Knock Knock said, watching as Holly gave her head a shake. He turned and looked at the earth pony standing at the doors. “Howdy Fescue, how is life treating you?”

“Fine, thanks for asking. New recruit?” Fescue replied.

“Yeah. We’re gonna send her up the stairs.” Toot Toot looked at the earth pony, grinning. “You don’t mind watching the wagon, do you?”

“Not at all,” Fescue replied.

The pegasus walked up to the earth pony and dropped a few bits into the pocket of the earth pony’s jacket. He patted the earth pony with his wing and then nodded. “We don’t know what we’d do without this place.”

“She don’t look like much,” Fescue said.

“Fescue, ever been body checked by a professional roller derby skater?” Toot Toot asked. He took a step back from the earth pony. “You should try it sometime. I highly recommend it.”

“I’d leave your jacket in the wagon,” Knock Knock said to Holly. “Or you could leave it on. But I’m trying to give you a fair chance. On the job, you’ll be wearing a jacket and lots of other gear.”

“Heavy gear.” Toot Toot walked over and then lept up into the wagon. He rolled a dummy over and began to pull out some straps.

Holly slipped off her coat and stood ready, not knowing what was going to happen next. The air was freezing cold and right away it bit into her now exposed skin that had been protected by her heavy woollen coat.

“Each one of these dummies is approximately the weight of one adult pony. They work on averages. Some are heavier, some are lighter, this is to give representation of mares and stallions. They are dead weight and filled with sand. We’re going to lash two of them to your back and then you’re going to up the stairs. Got that?” Knock Knock looked down at Holly.

“Got it.” Holly nodded.

Toot Toot grunted and lifted up the canvas dummy. He laid one over Holly’s back, watched her shift around, saw her legs flex, and then she nodded. The pegasus lifted another dummy out of the wagon and tossed it over Holly’s back. He watched as she distributed the load over her back and then she nodded again.

“Look, in case the two of you chowderheads missed it, I’m an earth pony.” Holly’s ears pinned back. “And I thought you’d said that I’d be wearing a bunch of gear? How does this simulate working conditions?”

Knock Knock’s mustache quivered and one bushy eyebrow raised.

“How much gear will I be wearing anyway?” Holly asked.

“All your gear will be about seventy to eighty pounds. You’ll have a coat, protective leggings, air tanks, a respirator mask, a maul, a halligan bar, a water supply, and other assorted gear,” Knock Knock replied. “Toots, give the little lady what she wants. Give her two more bodies.”

“Boss?”

“One body will weigh more than her gear, the second will be a good representation of carrying three waterlogged bodies on her back. Give the lady what she wants. If she can make it up the stairs, she’ll be fine. If she can’t, she fails.”

Toot Toot gave Holly a pleading look. “Hey, you don’t need to impress us, there is no need to show off.”

“I can do the same amount of work that any stallion could do. I’m not a little lady, I’m not weak, and I don’t need to be coddled!” Holly snapped.

The pegasus looked at the unicorn, shrugged, and then went to work pulling another dummy out of the wagon. With a grunt, he hoisted it up into air, and then dropped it down on Holly’s back. He pulled up another, lifted it, and with a great deal of care, placed it on top of the others. He pulled out some rope and handed it to Knock Knock.

Saying nothing, Knock Knock began to tie the rope around Holly, securing the four dummies to her back. He worked to secure the four bodies, gave a few tugs, and then he checked his knots.

“You know Holly, we don’t actually have any earth ponies that work for us, doing this sort of work.” Knock Knock came around and looked Holly in the eye.

“The wagon pullers?” Holly looked at the unicorn, confused.

“Never fight fires. They’re part of a different union. Those same ponies also pull garbage wagons and other heavy city wagons. It’s been a long time since we’ve had an earth pony doing this job, at least in our firehouse. I know there is an earth pony that works across town, but he’s near retirement and he manages the station out near the beach.”

“Us pegasi and the unicorns, we ain’t got the sort of strength you do. Most earth ponies don’t choose this sort of life… too dangerous. You ain’t got no wings to fly away from no skyscraper if things go wrong and you ain’t got no magic. All you got is guts, and you got plenty of guts from what I’ve seen.” Toot Toot patted Holly on the shoulder.

“And no unicorn with common sense takes this job. Too much hard work, too much danger.” Knock Knock pointed at the front door of the building. “We’re a brotherhood of idiots and madponies. We do this job because somepony has to do it.”

Encouraged, Holly nodded, bounced her knees to test her load, and then took off for the front door, ready to climb some stairs. She paced herself, took deep breaths, and was glad for her years of strength training as well as the hundreds of hours of cardio.

With each step, Holly left behind a puddle. Her whole pelt was soaked with sweat and her muscles spasmed. Her legs burned with all of the horrible agony of the damned down in Tartarus. She took a few more stairs, hit the landing, stood there for a moment, her mane plastered to her broad neck, sweat dripping down to the floor. Her sides were covered in a fine, sweaty lather. Her mouth was dry and it felt as though her tongue was going to split open. She turned her head and looked over at the floor marker.

Floor #9

Resigned to her fate, she stepped forwards and mounted the next flight of stairs. Hard concrete stairs with no give in them, no flexibility like there was with wood, nothing to absorb the shock. Each step sent spears of excruciating pain up her legs. Her spine cried out in protest from the weight and the angle that it was forced to bear the load under.

Almost in a stupour, she kept going, placing one hoof in front of the other, working her way up the stairs, hitting a landing, turning around, and then climbing more stairs. It was easier just to shut her brain off and rely upon her stubborn nature to carry her through.

Her mind drifted back to the very first roller derby training camp she had attended…

Stretching out her neck, Holly looked down at the heavy weights that had been strapped around her legs and anchored just above her roller skates. The weights made her legs heavy, it was difficult to lift them, it was hard to even move them. Her instructor had explained that living with the heavy weights on her legs would make her stronger. Once she learned how to skate with the heavy weights around her legs, she would be a better skater when she took them off.

Wobbling, Holly made her way forwards, trying to keep her balance and not fall over like everypony else was doing. She started rolling, kicked out her hind leg for a little more speed, and then went straight down to the floor, slamming her chin into the wooden floorboards. She saw stars in her vision. She flopped around, struggling to get up, which was much harder than she expected in both roller skates and what felt like several tons of extra weight. When she was almost on her hooves once more, she took another tumble, this time smashing her snoot into the floor. Hot blood dribbled from her nostrils and she heard hoofsteps approaching. An instructor was coming over.

Holly kicked a weighted leg in their direction to shoo them away. Gritting her teeth, ignoring her split lip and bloody nose, Holly struggled to get her hooves beneath her. She fought to rise up, trying to keep her balance on her skates. She stood, had a moment of elated triumph, and then went straight down, muzzle first, her snoot plowing into the wooden floor once more.

Floor #29

Gasping for air, Holly kept going. Rivers of sweat poured from her body now. She thought back to that fateful day that she had kept trying. It had taken over a dozen stitches in her face and an experienced trauma surgeon to make the bleeding stop.

Holly had learned though. She had learned how to use the weight to her advantage. With the weights on her legs, she had learned to rocket along at impossible speeds, breaking multiple speed records at a young age, in roller derby training camp, all while still wearing her weights.

She had figured out momentum and had used it to her advantage. She had been using it ever since. Holly gagged; it felt as though she had shards of broken glass and sand lodged in her throat. She kept going though.

“Holly? Oh cheese and crackers, Holly, you’re a mess!” Knock Knock looked down at the mare making her way up the last few stairs, but knew better than to offer help. “Toots, look after her. I’m gonna go get some water.” The unicorn darted off out the door and into the hallway, vanishing from sight.

“Come on Holly, I’ll help ya get that gear off, just a few more steps,” Toot Toot said to Holly as he waited at the top of the stairs. “I can’t believe you just climbed up thirty two floors, you’re some kind of crazy, you know that? Most ponies quit at floor twenty and we hire them because they’re good enough, nopony has ever made it to the top before, but Knocks said you’d make it up here. I called him a crazy fool who’s been huffing fumes for too long...”

Holly reached the final landing and then just stood there. “There are no more stairs,” she croaked, her voice dry and raspy. “That all you got?”

Author's Notes:

A pony in full firefighter gear would be awesome looking art.

Chapter 4

Shivering inside of her dark green woollen overcoat, Holly took little sips of water. Her legs ached, her back muscles spasmed, and her haunches were sore from using her hind legs to push both her body and the heavy load she had carried up the stairs. It was not the worst pain Holly had endured, however.

Toot Toot, Knock Knock, and Holly all sat in a cramped cafe. There were five seats at the counter and two booths. The trio sat in one of the booths, the second booth was empty, and all five seats at the counter were full. Toot Toot, never one to miss a chance to unwind a little, was reading the funny pages in the newspaper while Holly drank water.

Knock Knock was enjoying coffee and a danish. He leaned over his plate and looked at Holly. “I don’t know how you did it.”

Looking up from her glass of water, one corner of Holly’s mouth turned up in a sneering, lopsided smile. “I was a professional athlete. We did all kinds of crazy strength training regimens, like pulling wagons loaded with rocks up steep hills.”

“I think if I did that at my age, I’d give myself a hernia,” Toot Toot said from behind his paper.

“Toots, at your age, getting your lazy ass out of bed could give you a hernia.” Knock Knock’s grin was hidden behind his mustache.

“Screw you, you pole sliding schlub.” Toot Toot looked over his paper at Holly. “I think you’re done for today. But you should come to the firehouse bright and early tomorrow. There are a few more tests to do, but those are a formality at this point, I think. Eh, Knock Knock?”

“Yeah… I’m gonna have to say that you probably have a job. A few more tests to see what you can do, what you’re good at, and then we’re going to train you.” Holding up his coffee cup, the unicorn smiled at Holly.

“I gotta know… what’s up with the names?” Holly asked.

“Simple repetitive names help in a stressful situation.” Knock Knock glanced over at his pegasus companion. “When Toots was a rookie, he was put in charge of the steam whistle. He was happier than a colt discovering his pecker for the first time.”

Laughing, Holly brushed her mane out of her eyes. She was starting to feel warmer. “And why do they call you Knock Knock?”

“Cause I’m a public face, being a captain and all. When I do investigations, I go ask questions and pay ponies a visit. I show up at the door and go ‘knock knock.’ Let me tell you, a lot of ponies aren’t happy to see me when I show up on their stoop. There is a lot of arson in this city.”

“I guess the big city is a rough place.” Holly lifted up her glass of water and took a sip.

“Holly, you have no idea,” Toot Toot said to the earth pony sitting across the table from him. He set down his paper. “Real estate is a big deal in this city. And when ponies don’t sell, sometimes, accidents happen. Or somepony gets a little desperate for cash and an accident happens. They get a little insurance money.”

“This is a serious problem?” Holly set down her glass.

“I spend more time investigating arson than I do fighting fires.” Knock Knock frowned and it made his mustache bristle. “Plus, right now it is looking like we have some crackpot pyromaniac that is burning stuff down for kicks and giggles.”

Holly said three words that would change her life. “Tell me more…”

When Holly came home, she found that her house was full of maids. Three mares and one stallion were busy cleaning in the front room. The front room itself was almost unrecognisable; the grey wood had some colour now, and life was being rubbed back into it with copious amounts of wood polish. One of the maids was using magic to revive the wallpaper. Stacked in the front room were two large wooden trunks, it seemed that Holly’s few possessions had been delivered a day early and the maids had brought them in.

Best of all, the house was warm. One of the maids had braved the spider infested basement and had turned on the furnace. With the front room looking better and a little heat, the house was starting to feel a lot more like home.

“Miss Heartwood?”

Holly, standing in the doorway, nodded. “I am she.”

“My name is Alfredo Noodle. We will have your home in order in a short time. Is there anything you need? Is there anything I can assist with?” The unicorn stallion, a dignified looking fellow, lifted his head high as he addressed Holly.

“I don’t know… I guess just the cleaning. I’ve never had a maid before.” Holly looked at Alfredo and smiled.

“We can do so much more. Madam, might I suggest a new bed? One of us could procure you a new set of mattresses, arrange for a time of delivery, and be here for you to accept the delivery.”

“Oh… oh hey, that’s a great idea,” Holly said as her eyes opened wide. “I guess I just give you money?”

“Madam, your coin is not required. You have an account with a substantial amount of funding in place to help you renovate the house. All you have to do is ask, and we do your bidding. You merely set the budget.”

“Oh.” Holly, surprised, went over to the overstuffed chair and sat down. “I’ve never actually bought a mattress before. I don’t even know what to look for.”

“Never bought a mattress?” Alfredo’s left eyebrow drifted northwards on his face.

“I was always on the road, going from town to town. Roller derby.” Holly squirmed, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Alfredo smiled a kind smile. “Be at ease. Your circumstance makes it seem very reasonable. I meant no disrespect.”

A smile brightened Holly’s face, like the sun shining through the grey winter clouds. Alfredo was quite a charming fellow, quite the perfect pony for this job, he even had a tuxedoed pelt; dark charcoal grey with a white stripe running along his belly and up his throat. Each of his legs had white socks. His mane was a light silvery blue. And then, Holly saw his cutie mark. It took every ounce of will that she had to keep from laughing. There was a feather duster on his backside, crossed with a plunger to form an ‘X’.

“So, when sleeping, does madam prefer it to be soft, firm, or hard?”

Holly used this as an excuse to chuckle. She covered her mouth with her hoof. One of the other maids giggled as she vanished into the kitchen. Unable to answer, every time Holly opened her mouth, more laughter spilled out and she snorted a few times.

Standing rigid, Alfredo Noodle the maid, waited for a reply.

“I had a back injury a while back… I had to go to a therapy camp to get better. At the camp, there were these buckwheat hull mattresses.” Holly tried to stifle her giggles so she could speak better. “Best sleep I ever had. The buckwheat was kept in little sections in the mattress so it wouldn’t get pushed off to the sides or one end.”

“I know of what you speak. Would you like for me to procure one?” Alfredo stood there, stony faced, awaiting an answer.

“Yes, if you don’t mind, that would be great.” Holly nodded her head to show some enthusiasm.

“Fantastic, madam. If you do not mind, I shall now take this opportunity to feed myself to the spiders in the basement so I do not have to deal with the embarrassment of my social faux pas.”

“Did you get the furnace going?” Holly asked.

“Yes, I was the one who got the furnace fired up once more,” Alfredo replied.

“Thank you, it feels wonderful in here. I was kinda worried that the house might be drafty.” Holly looked over at the front window, and just as she started to say something, she heard Alfredo begin to speak.

“Madam, the window will be replaced later today. I was under the instructions to do so from Mister Roble Orange. Roble left behind a list of things that must get done.”

“Okay.” Holly felt and heard her stomach gurgle. Embarrassed, she grinned. All those stairs had burned away her breakfast. She was tired, sore, and now she was hungry. She didn’t feel like walking anywhere, and started to wonder what she would do.

“Pretty Posey!” Alfredo called out. He waited, his ears pitched forwards and his posture rigid.

A yellow pegasus appeared upon the stairs. She came halfway down and looked down into the front room. Her wings were dusty and she was covered in cobwebs. “Yes, Mister Noodle?”

“Miss Heartwood is hungry and the kitchen is empty. Would you please be so kind as to go to the market and return with some simple provisions?” Alfredo looked up at the pegasus with an expectant expression.

The cobwebby yellow pegasus smiled. “I would love to take a break from dusting. Is there anything specific that I should get?”

“I like grilled cheese sandwiches and red wine.” Holly’s stomach growled at the mention of food and she reached inside of her coat to rub it. “Is there anything to cook with?”

“Yes madam, there are things to cook with. Once Miss Pretty Posey returns, I shall prepare for you a plate full of sandwiches,” Alfredo replied.

“Um, for future reference, I really like grilled cheese sandwiches with good creamy pepper gravy for dunking. I even learned how to cook everything myself, I like it so much.” As she spoke, she saw Alfredo shiver and was forced to repress a laugh once more.

“Miss Pretty Posey, please, make certain you bring home extra butter, I have a feeling that we shall have need of it,” Alfredo instructed. He turned and bowed his head. “I have a great many things to still get done. I do not want the mares I work with calling me a lazybones… I must keep their respect. If you will excuse me.”

“Wait, don’t I need to pay for groceries?” Holly asked.

Alfredo Noodle lifted his head. “There is a small account with the nearby market to get you started. At some point in the very near future, you might wish to add some funding to this account.” Alfredo eyed Holly’s full figure, his eyes never once breaking eye contact with Holly’s eyes. The funding would not last very long. “Madam looks very fatigued. Would you like for me to draw you a bath so you can soak while you wait? The tub is immaculate, I cleaned it myself.”

“Oh that would be wonderful,” Holly replied. “I climbed up thirty two floors worth of stairs today to get a job with the fire department. I was carrying several hundred pounds of stuff. I’m pooped.”

Nope, Alfredo thought to himself. The grocery budget is not long for this world. “Very good madam. I shall draw you a bath at once while Miss Pretty Posey goes to the market.”

“One last question.”

“And that is?”

“The maid service that comes with this house… how does that work?”

Alfredo straightened his neck. “Madam, a one time payment was made. A substantial sum of money. A contract was signed and we agreed to serve you, until the time of your death or when you choose to end our service.”

Holly’s muzzle crinkled as she became contemplative. “But things cost more over time. Wages go up. Things change. How is this fair to you, this one time agreed price?”

Clearing his throat, Alfredo responded in a cultured voice. “Madam, the prices are agreed upon in the current market. In the future, when new contracts are secured, prices are raised ever so slightly to take in the funds needed for adjustment. We are the oldest service house in the city. Our customers come to us because of the extraordinary value we offer. An entire lifetime of service locked into the current prices, with only a minor increase to help fund new contracts. We actually have a very long waiting list. Our agency served Cara Cara.” Alfredo blinked a few times. “Cara Cara’s maid grew quite old. Cara Cara took her in and she stayed here for a time, doing light duty work.”

“What happened? This place is a mess.”

“Miss Duck Pond took ill. Pneumonia. She died in the bedroom just above the master bedroom on the third floor. Many ponies feel it is what contributed to Cara Cara’s decline. She was so grief stricken that she didn’t want to see another maid doing Miss Pond’s duties. Both of them were very close.”

“Oh… that’s terrible.”

“Indeed, madam.”

“That’s so sad… I feel like crying.”

“Miss Pretty Posey, please make sure that boxes of tissues are purchased at some point very soon, thank you.”

“I think I’d like that bath now… and I am positive that Pretty Posey is raring to go.”

Author's Notes:

I think you folks are going to like Alfredo Noodle. Wait for it...

Chapter 5

Soaking in the tub was wonderful. The bathroom, now immaculate, was clean, warm, and filled with fragrant steam. Alfredo had added something to the water, something that smelled a bit like camphor, or mint, Holly wasn’t certain what it was. The tub was long enough to lay down in and there was just enough room for a second pony, if both ponies didn’t mind being pressed together, side by side.

As she lay in the water, Holly realised that never once did she ask how much she might get paid for her work. She sighed, filling her lungs with the strange, almost minty steam, and thought to herself that it didn’t matter. She liked adventure and excitement, and she was certain that the pay couldn’t be as bad as Knock Knock and Toot Toot complained about.

At least she didn’t have to worry about house payments or rent. She just needed to make enough to feed herself and keep the house in order. She contemplated her need for a maid. She was bound to be busy and having a maid would make things easier, she supposed. It did feel weird having a maid though, as Holly believed that maids were for the wealthy. Holly understood herself a bit too well though, and knew that she hated cleaning. This house was old and dignified. It deserved to be looked after, and Holly knew that if left to her own devices, the house would soon see neglect.

She lifted her right hind leg out of the water, reached down, and began to rub her thigh with both of her front hooves, trying to knead away the soreness. She hoped that lunch would be sooner rather than later, and Holly’s stomach let out a loud rumble of protest. She had skipped her midday meal, the meal between breakfast and lunch. It was now well past noon.

One of Holly’s front hooves fell away from her hind leg and she clutched her stomach. It felt like she had been suckerpunched right in the gut. She was empty. If she waited any longer, it would no longer be lunch time, but time for the mid-afternoon meal, the meal Holly had to have to hold her over until supper.

Holly rubbed the heavy, dense muscles of her stomach. She might have been soft and she might have a little bit of jiggle-wiggle on the surface; Holly liked to think that she was squeezable and cushioned in a pleasant way, but beneath the soft cushioned layer were slabs of rock hard muscles.

Muscles that ached after Holly had done her punishing walk up the stairs carrying several hundred pounds upon her back. Holly’s spine was starting to loosen up as she soaked, and whatever Alfredo had poured into the bath made her skin feel tingly and cool even as she soaked in the steaming hot water. It was almost like the cool sensation from eating a cucumber.

“Ugh, I have myself a bad case of swamp plot,” Holly said as she wiggled and squirmed in the bath, trying to make certain that the hot bath water got into hard to reach places. She could feel the sting of hot water as it soaked into delicate places that needed a good soaking.

“I hope there’s food when I get out…”

“Oh dear… madam…” Alfredo cleared his throat as Holly’s damp mane and tail dripped on the floor. “Hmm… madam is no doubt hungry. A lunch has been laid out on the table. I hope it is to your liking.” Alfredo raised an eyebrow as Holly walked through the living room and dining area that was the entirety of the second floor. She was sniffing and moving right for the food in a way that was alarming to witness.

The well mannered unicorn hurried to the table, pulled out a well polished chair, allowed Holly to sit down, and then struggled to push her chair in. The mare weighed a ton, heavy and solid even by earth pony standards. It took every bit of magic that Alfredo had to force her chair over the floor.

“Grilled cheese!” Holly cried as she pulled the cover off of the stack of sandwiches, of which there were six in total. Using her hoof, she picked one up and crammed the whole thing into her mouth. She began chewing with gusto, slurping and smacking her lips.

“Madam is happy. I am pleased,” Alfredo said in a sincere tone. “There is also red wine and a creamy tomato soup, garnished with basil.” As Alfredo watched, another whole sandwich was crammed into Holly’s maw. It was almost fascinating to watch her eat.

“How’d you keep it so hot?” Holly asked after she swallowed. “This is great!”

“Magic. I used a little magic to keep the food at ideal temperature, and to keep the bread from going soggy as it sat under the cover.” Alfredo felt a private sense of satisfaction. He was good at what he did, domestic magics were his speciality, and it was nice to have somepony appreciate them. Even if she was taking down whole sandwiches in one bite.

As Alfredo stood beside the table, he also polished the brass vents where heat came out, as well as polishing the banister rail along the stairs that went down to the bottom floor.

“So, Alfredo, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get this job anyway? Did you sign up for it?” Holly asked after she had swallowed one sandwich and was now picking up another.

“I was interviewed by Cara Cara herself and chosen by her. There was a long list of candidates. This was just before she died. I was very glad to get the job. I had grown weary of being a temp cleaner and wanted something with permanence,” Alfredo replied.

“You’re more like a butler,” Holly said after she swallowed. She lifted up the goblet of wine, stared at it, sniffed, and then gulped down half of the glass.

“Madam, if you please, never use that word again. Mind you, this is my own opinion, but I cannot stand butlers, having worked for several. Standing around all day, lollygagging, telling others what to do, how to do it, and doing none of the actual work. I cannot stand them.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know.” Holly set her glass down. “That’s not bad wine. I like mine a little sweeter though, but this isn’t bad at all.”

“Noted, madam. Sweet red it will be from now on.” Alfredo’s eyebrow arched. He grimaced as he tried to remove the crusted on layer of filth from the brass vents. “Also, I have moved your trunks upstairs to your room. I shall unpack them at some point tomorrow, if you would like.”

“Thanks, that’d be great. I hate unpacking.” Holly sniffed her bowl of tomato soup. There were little green leaves sprinkled over the top, which was weird. It smelled good though. She grabbed the bowl between her front hooves, lifted it, and then began to pour it down her throat.

Watching as Holly gulped down the soup, Alfredo lamented the effort he had spent in making certain that the spoon had been polished to an immaculate, mirror finish. Holly was unburdened by sophistication or complication. At least she would be easy to please. The stallion heaved an internal sigh that did not show on the outside.

After letting lunch sit for a while, Holly became rather antsy. There wasn’t much to do in the house and she didn’t want to be in the way. Even though she was sore, she felt as though she needed her some exercise; or at least she needed some fun exercise after the death march up the stairs this morning.

In her room, she rummaged around in her trunk, found her skates, slung them over her back, went down stairs, and then began strapping her skates on to her hooves. In no time at all, she was out the front door, down the steps, and zipping off down the sidewalk to have a bit of fun.

Weaving in and out of traffic, Holly decided that skating was the best way to get around Manehatten. She was faster than the cabs and the wagons. She could weave in and out from in between them with ease. The paved roads were smooth and ideal for skating.

She moved with what appeared to be effortless ease. She did have a roller skate as a cutie mark, even if it could not be seen at the moment because of her heavy woollen coat. Speed was Holly’s friend; even only average roller derby skaters were faster than the fastest race runners. And Holly was considered fast. Holly was one of the few that could move along at a mile a minute on her skates. She was no pegasus, but flying was cheating.

Holly’s muscles ached in a good way. She was feeling the burn now, that deep ache that went down into the bone. She lived for this feeling, knowing that she was pushing her body to its very limits. It spoke to something deep inside of her, some great earth pony ideal that Holly could not express in words.

Zipping through the shopping district, Holly saw an athletic store, a modern building made of glass, steel, and concrete. It was large, eye catching, and one corner of the building was a smoothie bar.

Already, Holly was feeling peckish. She slowed to a slow roll and checked the place out. She hopped the curb, maneuvered over the sidewalk at sane speeds, mindful of other ponies, and went inside the temple dedicated to athletic excess.

Coasting along the smooth tile floor, Holly found herself amongst familiar gear. There were pads for roller polo, hockey, and the roller derby. There were helmets, new helmets, helmets of a design she had never seen before. Intriguing designs. New ultra-light pads and body armor.

As she rolled along, she admired the new designs, how sleek they were, how light they appeared, and some of the new designs looked like they could absorb quite an impact. Canvas filled with fluff was giving away to shaped foam and sleek plastics.

And then, Holly saw something that made her stop. There was a strange pair of skates on display. The wheels were all in a straight line, making them almost like ice skates. Holly eyed the skates, almost mesmerised. The wheels were larger than her roller skate wheels and appeared to be made out of a different material.

“Inline skates,” a salespony said as he approached Holly. “You look familiar…”

Holly peeled her eyes away from the newfangled skates to look at the salespony, a young pegasus stallion. “Roller derby fan?”

“Yes.” The pegasus nodded his head.

“I’m Holly Homewrecker—”

“OH MY GOSH I KNEW IT!” The stallion’s voice rose an octave, turning into an excited coltish squeal. He bounced up and down, his eyes wide with excitement. “Do you like the skates? My father, he owns this store, and a lot of the gear we sell is his own design!”

“Are they fast?” Holly asked.

The pegasus looked at Holly, his glee almost uncontained. “Are they fast?” The young stallion blinked. “Nopony has ever been brave enough to push these skates to their limits. Dad is still trying to convince ponies that these are a better design.” The pegasus’ face went from gleeful to shrewd in the span of a single second. “You’re a mile per minute skater and you are considered one of the most graceful skaters on the circuit.”

“Was. I was. I’ve quit. Time to settle down and get a real job.” Holly looked at the skates again, her green eyes wide with lust.

“Was eh?” The stallion’s eyes narrowed. “Holly Homewrecker, how would you like to make some money?”

“Hey, if you are asking what I think you’re asking, you’re about to lose a whole lotta teeth, Bucko.” Holly glanced at the stallion. She had been propositioned many times before. She wondered how many things she would have to break before this one understood that ‘no’ meant ‘no,’ as in ‘never.’

“Oh no no… you misunderstand…” The young pegasus blinked. “My name is Polo, yes, my dad named me after his favourite sport. How would you feel about endorsing these skates? You will be paid… and we’ll even give you a set of skates.” The pegasus pointed at the wall and gestured at the large posters of ponies wearing various types of sports gear.

“I’m retired though,” Holly said as she looked at the different posters.

“Doesn’t matter. You’re a household name. You’ve been on a cereal box!” Polo replied.

“I have?” Holly shook her head. She didn’t remember being on a cereal box. It must have happened without Holly’s knowledge or consent.

“Yes… I still have that cereal box.” Polo looked away, embarrassed. He reached up and smoothed back his mane. “If you endorse these skates and let us take pictures of you wearing them, we can pay you and we’ll give you a set of skates. My dad is very fair in his contracts and doesn’t believe in small print. He might ask you to pose in some pads or body armor too.”

“Hmm.” Holly needed money. She hadn’t counted on this happening. She looked over on the wall and saw some familiar faces. Spitfire and Soarin from the Wonderbolts stared down at her. Both were wearing sleek, streamlined goggles. “Is your dad here?”

“He’s in the back. I can go get him,” Polo offered.

“You go and you get him. I can’t promise nothing, but we can talk,” Holly said.

“Neat!” Polo, grinning, took off at a run.

Author's Notes:

Feedback is always appreciated.

Chapter 6

Rolling along at a good clip, Holly thought about her meeting with Bronco Wisewithers, and his son, Palomino Polo. The meeting, which was pleasant, had a few unpleasant undertones. Holly supposed that on some level she was aware of the fact that she had been taken advantage of, but being shown that she had been taken advantage of was a whole nother issue.

It seemed that Holly had been wise to leave. At least she had been allowed to leave. Bronco Wisewithers had spoken to her about skaters being forced to skate long past their prime through shady dealings. Bronco, at least, seemed on the level. His contracts were simple, plain word affairs, no legalese, no fine print, what you see is what you get, sign and get a hearty hoof bump.

Holly of course, had signed. She had nothing to lose, and the situation seemed win win for her. A sizeable payment up front, some new skates, smaller payments every month for as long as her poster graced the sporting goods store. A potential for extra payments and contract expansion if Bronco wanted billboards.

The new skates would be delivered to her home once the contract cleared.

With a snort, Holly awoke and contemplated the complete and utter destruction of her alarm clock. She had dug it out of her trunk for a reason, and that reason was foggy and hard to remember at the moment. Not yet awake, Holly’s brain began to recall various details of the previous day.

She needed to show up at the firehouse for testing. She had to flop around to get out of the sagging bed. After much grunting, kicking, and fighting, she stood on the floor of her bedroom, her eyes closed, almost asleep on her hooves. It was still dark outside.

At least the house wasn’t cold. The bedroom was quite warm. She had kicked off the extra blankets at some point in the night and she had flipped over the pillows several times to keep the cool sides up.

In a daze, Holly shuffled through her house and began to get ready. She still needed breakfast, and planned to head over to Mallory Moo’s Automat. She bumped into walls, smacked into doors, not at all accustomed to the layout of the house yet.

District #1 Firehouse was well lit and gave off a hazy glow in the freezing fog that left everything glazed with ice. The airship that had been docked there was gone, perhaps it was docked someplace else, Holly didn’t know.

Wrapped in her heavy overcoat, Holly shivered and made her way to the door. She pushed it open, felt a blast of heat that almost knocked her from her hooves, and then made her way inside.

The inside of the firehouse smelled like breakfast, old smoke, and sweaty stallions. Holly sniffed, quite taken with the smell.

“You Holly?”

Turning her head, Holly found herself eye to eye with a small drake. He was a short, lithe sort, had a serpentine body, bright orange eyes, and was covered in shimmering electric blue scales with yellow spines.

Holly nodded.

“Heya Holly. My name is Fizz Fizz. Toots and the Knocker will be with you in a bit.” The drake smiled, revealing multiple rows of razor sharp ridges that passed for teeth.

“Fizz Fizz?” The corner’s of Holly’s mouth turned upwards, causing little wrinkles to appear in the corners of her eyes.

“I’m a steamer, not a firebreather. When I huff, and I puff, and I blow the fire out, it makes a fizzy sound, okay? The naming committee are a bunch of brain dead fire jockeys, not speech professors.” The drake’s tail swished from side to side and his bright eyes studied Holly.

“I’ve never seen a dragon up close,” Holly said.

Flattered, Fizz Fizz pulled himself up to his full height. “Not all dragons are large and terrifying. Some of us are small, magnificent specimens, and we have to make a living just like everypony else.” He waggled his brow ridges. “I am uniquely suited for this job. I can’t be burned.”

“Must be nice.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” Fizz Fizz puffed out his scrawny body and his frills protruded.

“Hey, you crazy lizard, get up here!”

Fizz Fizz grinned at Holly. “I gotta go. Just… stay right here and Toots and Knocker will be with you in just a few minutes.”

Spotting a chair, Holly settled in to wait while the drake slithered off up the pole, vanishing from view.

When Knock Knock came into view, Holly felt bad for him. He looked tired, weary, and he smelled of smoke. His pelt was sooty and smudged. His eyes, reddened by irritants, looked heavy and tired. A moment later, Toot Toot came into view, still damp, but clean.

“Long night?” Holly asked.

“Yeah,” Knock Knock replied.

“Don’t you ever go home?” Holly asked.

“Knock Knock and I… we’re lifers. We live here in the firehouse and we’re always on call.” Toot Toot brushed his damp mane out of his face. “We’re a special kind of stupid.”

“Oh, wow, that’s dedication.” Holly looked up at the two ponies.

“Naw, we just can’t afford rent in this city.” Knock Knock flashed Holly an exhausted grin. “Come on, let’s get going. We’re off to district two training substation. I think you’re going to do well in the physical tests. Let’s see what you can do, Holly.”

The mare popped out of her chair, landed on her hooves, and then bounced in place, excited. “This is gonna be great.”

“How do you think she’ll do?” Toot Toot looked at Knock Knock, his face serious.

“She knows what needs to be done… let’s see what she does.” Knock Knock watched through the safety window as Holly studied the door.

The average Manehatten apartment door was a fortress of locks, and this one was no different. Several deadbolts were installed, and a bracing bar went from the middle of the door down into a little hole in the floor. The bracing bar, thick, and made of brass, made it almost impossible to push the door open from the outside. There was also a chain lock with a heavy brass chain.

“Think she’ll get the door open?” Toot Toot asked in a nervous voice.

“Toots, nopony gets the door open on their first try. She’ll probably bust herself up real good slamming into the door. She might break the doorframe a bit and she might loosen it from the hinges. She just might do more damage to it than any other pony I’ve known.” Knock Knock glanced at his companion.

“She’s gonna get the door open,” Toot Toot insisted.

“Toots, you’re brain damaged from all that smoke and fire killer foam.” Knock Knock shook his head.

“Boss, you ain’t been hit by that mare. If she got in a fight with the subway, she’d win.” Toot Toot watched as Holly rapped on the door with her hoof. He could see the look of disappointment upon her face when she discovered that it was solid wood.

“There she goes… she’s getting distance from the door… she’s gonna plow into it. Toots, get the first aid kit ready, this is gonna be a bloody mess—wait, what is she doing?”

The two stallions watched as Holly approached the tool wrack. She rose up on her hind hooves, well balanced, and pulled a Halligan bar down from its hooks. She had it gripped in her front fetlocks. She hefted it, testing it for balance, held it in one fetlock for a moment, tossed it up into the air, flipped it, caught it, and then gripped it with both fetlocks once more.

“She’s a scary broad,” Toot Toot said in a breathless whisper. “That’s a long steel handled Halligan bar… that’s what, fifteen pounds? Did you see her toss it?”

“I saw, Toots, I saw, now shut up.” Knock Knock gave the pegasus beside him a shove to silence him. He said nothing about the fact that Toot Toot was wrong, the long steel handled Halligan bar was a hair over twenty pounds. He watched, almost holding his breath as Holly stomped forwards, balanced on her hind hooves. She was a big mare but she moved like a ballerina.

With a terrifying roar, Holly rammed the Halligan bar into the side of the door where the hinges were located. The stabbing end sank in between the wood of the doorframe and the wooden door, going deep.

“She went for the hinges!”

“Shut up, Toots!”

The two stallions watched as Holly pushed forwards on the bar, getting it to wiggle, and then she jammed it in even deeper. She braced one hind hoof against the wooden doorframe, the other hind hoof was flat on the ground, and she hooked both front fetlocks around the handle. Baring her teeth, Holly jerked her body backwards.

There was a screech of metal and wood. The bar moved a few inches. Every muscle on Holly’s body bulged beneath her plush cushioning. The mare closed her eyes. She heaved backwards, her body began to glisten with sweat, and her nostrils flared as she began sucking in air.

“Boss, that door ain’t gonna make it,” Toot Toot said in a scared voice.

The bar jerked back another inch as Holly tossed all of her weight backwards. There was the sound of wood shattering and fatigued metal groaned. Holly slammed her body forwards into the bar, and then jerked backwards again. Twisting metal screamed and squealed as the top hinge of the door shattered, sending shrapnel flying.

Sweat ran off of Holly’s body like rivers and pooled upon the cement floor. The broad muscles in her back quivered, and corded muscles in her neck rippled like writhing serpents. Ninety two seconds had passed. Tossing her head around, Holly gave another fearsome yank on the Halligan bar. There were more sounds of metal dying. The middle hinge warped and bowed.

Screaming, Holly yanked the Halligan bar free from its wedged in position, whirled it around, lifted it up over her head, and came down on the top of the door with an overhead chop. The door shuddered and the top half of the middle hinge sheared off.

Holly reared back, took a step back, raised the bar high over her head, and then tossed herself forward, bringing the Halligan down in another overhead chop. The middle hinge disintegrated, shattering into tiny fragments. The door was now held together by the bottom hinge, the deadbolts, and the bracing bar. The top half of the door was askew, hanging away from the door frame.

The Halligan bar fell to the floor with a metallic clatter. Holly dropped down to all fours, turned around, looked over her shoulder, and then with a blood chilling scream, she bucked the door with her hind hooves. The first kick did nothing, but the second kick caused the door to topple. It fell away from the doorframe with the sounds of metal being ripped apart.

“I told you so!” Toot Toot shouted.

“Shut up, Toots!”

“Sorry I took so long… I guess I would have burned up or something,” Holly said as she wiped sweat from her face. “I can try and do better next time, I promise.”

“Holly, there won’t be a next time.” Knock Knock shook his head. Holly started to protest, but he cut her off. “That door wasn’t meant to be opened. At least, not on your first try. Or your second. But you went for the hinges just like a seasoned pro. I don’t know how you knew how to do that, but you’re a smart mare, Holly Heartwood.” He saw Holly look confused for a moment, and a smile graced her face.

“There were only three door hinges on the left side, but a whole bunch of deadbolts and locks on the right side. It seemed weaker,” Holly said, explaining her reasoning.

“Most rookies run up and kick the door, or slam their body into it.” Knock Knock, who had a sheepish grin, looked Holly in the eye. “To be honest, I thought you’d do the same.”

“I thought about it, but then I saw the tools. I figured I’d have the tools with me if I was on the job. So I thought I’d have myself a go at the door with that big prybar—”

“The Halligan bar.” Toot Toot flew into the room, his wings flapping as he halted and remained in a hover. “I brought you some water.” He held out a plastic tumbler filled with water and ice to Holly, and smiled when she took it.

“So, what is the next test?” Holly asked after she had a drink.

“Holly, you were supposed to spend all morning trying to get the door open… to be honest, I’m not sure what to do with you right now. You’ll need a physical… and I don’t see you failing that.” Knock Knock watched as Holly drank more water.

“Of course, you know, this means you’re hired. There’ll be more training, but you’ll be paid for that. I kinda wanna see what you can do in a crisis,” Toot Toot said as he watched Holly empty her glass.

Knock Knock glanced at the pegasus and then turned his eyes upon the earth pony mare. “Holly, I do believe that you’ve found your calling in life.”

Author's Notes:

I actually had to do research to write this chapter... there is a lot of science in opening a door.

Chapter 7

Like an excited foal, Holly bounced around in place as she got to get a good look at the airship. Standing on the roof, she could see the craft tethered to its mooring. There was a gangplank connecting the ship to the roof. It was large, but not very large. A number of ponies were working on the ship, inspecting hoses, and making certain that everything was shipshape.

“So you use these to fight fires? Why not just clouds and stuff?” Holly turned around and looked at Knock Knock, her eyes wide with wonder.

“You can’t get enough water out of a cloud for a really big fire. For a tiny little house fire, you might get enough water out of a cloud, but tell me Holly, do you see any rainclouds waiting around to put out fires?” Toot Toot waited for the connection to be made in Holly’s mind. She was a smart mare, and he knew that she’d get it.

Holly, standing upon the roof, looked around the city, examining the skyline. There weren’t that many clouds today. What few clouds there were were fluffy looking grey clouds. A pegasus would have to go a long way to find a raincloud. She looked at the airship. “Oh… this makes sense. So you fly these ships over to one of the lakes outside of town, fill up the water reservoir, and keep them ready to fight fire.”

“Yes.” Toot Toot nodded. “All those hoses and stuff… we can pull up alongside a skyscraper, toss hoses in through the windows, and get to the fires directly.”

Studying the ship, Holly could see large brass nozzles beneath it, the nozzles where water was sucked up into the ship. The deck was wide and there were yellow stripes on it telling ponies where to stand. Holly guessed that rescued ponies could be brought aboard the ship and be saved from the flames. Holly could now understand why so many pegasi were fire fighters. They were well suited to the airborne tactics being used. Holly wasn’t certain how she could get from an airship to the top of a skyscraper, but she knew that a way would be found.

“The airships are a huge expense. We don’t have enough of them. We’ve begged for money, pleaded with those who make the budgets, but they’d rather watch the city burn than spend a bit of money. Crying shame, really,” Knock Knock said, his voice bitter. He lifted his head high, his mustache quivering as he chewed on his lip for a moment. “You’ll find out soon enough… there’s no point in ruining the job for you during your first week.”

“I don’t think anything could ruin this for me… this seems like the most wonderful thing in the world.” Holly gazed at the airship, feeling a powerful sense of romance. Holly, a mare that liked fighting, began to understand the appeal of this life. There were airships, hoses with big brass nozzles, giant pry bars, fire axes, and a relentless beast that threatened to devour the whole city, always lurking, always waiting, always ready to strike when least expected. It all seemed so very simple. Fire was the major heel, and the fire fighters were the big face. But there was also little heels to go along with the spectacle, like those who managed the city budgets. The burning buildings were the arenas. The skyscrapers were the A-shows. It was all a show like any other, travelling from place to place, the faces had to put a stop to the big heel, otherwise, everything would be ruined.

“It’s all so kayfabe,” Holly said as the wind whipped her mane around.

“What?” Toot Toot asked, looking confused.

“Never mind… it all makes perfect sense. I don’t know if I could explain it. But everything in life makes perfect sense right now,” Holly replied.

“If you say so.” Toot Toot eyed the mare for a long moment and then looked at the unicorn beside him. “Knock Knock, we should get her suited up. Start getting her used to it.”

“Yeah Holly, let’s get you geared up.” Knock Knock watched as Holly took one last glance at the airship, her expression one of adoration. He had seen that same face a thousand times in his life, but had never gotten over the emotional impact.

There were two racks sitting close to one another. One rack held leggings; a flying pegasus could just drop into those, but Holly, being an earth pony, would have to leap into them. After leaping into the protective leggings, two straps went over the back to secure the leggings into place. There was a pedal on the floor that acted as a quick release, freeing the pony now wearing the leggings from the rack. The second rack held the top half of the protective suit. A pony would stand beneath it and it would drop down. Magical snaps would seek each other out and the top half would secure itself to the leggings. It was a practical system born of necessity and seemed functional enough.

After the protective suit, other gear awaited. Oxygen tanks and a respirator mask. Two tanks, both of which went under the belly. Holly wasn’t sure about the under the belly thing, but then realised that if she had to carry a pony upon her back, the tanks would be in the way. There was a water tank as well, with a feed line that connected to the respirator and a little tube that went into the corner of the mouth. All of this formed one unit. The tanks were all bracketed together and it seemed easy enough to put on. You slipped the body harness over your upper half and then cinched the straps. The mask slipped over your face. The helmet went over your mask and your head. And then stuff was clipped to your body harness, like a married Halligan bar and fire axe set.

“Wait,” Holly said, shaking her head, “How does a pegasus fly wearing this gear?”

“In general, they don’t.” Toot Toot looked Holly in the eye. “If there were big open slits for the wings to slip through, the fire could get through it too. This is the ground fighter suit. Not many sign up for this duty.”

“The sky fighter suit lacks significant protection. It is meant more for a pegasus to come in through the window with a hose and get to work, or to stay outside the building and shoot inwards with a hose. They need their wings. Feathers are flammable, so most pegasi stay far, far away from the fire.” Knock Knock looked at the suit, looked at Holly, and then looked at Toot Toot. “I wear the ground fighter suit. Toots here has worn it on a number of occasions. He was in a real bad scrape a while back and the fire burned his face pretty good. Truth is Holly, we need more ponies to wear suits like this one. It takes a crazy amount of courage to commit yourself to going into the flames.”

“So how do I get into this? Just… jump in?” Holly asked.

“More or less. Sometimes, the top half is tricky, the magical snaps lose some of their magic over time and don’t always meet up right. This can be a real problem sometimes,” Toot Toot replied.

“So I get to wear this suit… and I get to be a big damn hero?” Holly turned and looked at the two stallions.

Knock Knock chuckled and his mustache crinkled as he smiled. “Most ponies call this the suicide suit. It comes with a slightly higher pay scale, yet nopony wants to wear it. But yes, if you wear this suit, it comes with the opportunity to be a big damn hero.”

“I’m sold.” Holly gave the suit hanging in the rack a final studying, trying to see how everything fit together, trying to make certain her body would fit, and getting herself worked up for her attempt.

Leaping, Holly prepared herself to land in the leggings. Something didn’t go quite as planned though. Hung up, Holly wiggled, trying to get free. Her front legs had hit the back of the suit and then she wasn’t quite sure what had happened next, but she had failed.

Wiggling free, she tried again. This time, she wasn’t quite lined up with the leggings. Her front and rear left legs went down into the right legs of the suit, leaving her half in and half out. Groaning, embarrassed, Holly kicked her way free, lost her balance, and fell to the floor, hitting the metal rack on her way down.

“I think I see a problem,” Toot Toot said. “Holly is the epitome of grace.”

“Keep it up Toots, I’ll tell Holly to knock you down again.” Knock Knock took a step back to give Holly plenty of room. “Holly, keep trying. We’ve plenty of time. You’ll get the hang of this, not everything can go perfect on the first try.”

Getting to her hooves, Holly gritted her teeth. She backed up from the rack, trying to figure out the best place to leap from, the angle of her leap, the positioning of her legs, and then she looked over at Knock Knock and Toot Toot. “So pegasi fly into the suits, just dropping in, how do unicorns get into them?”

“Oh, I teleport inside. It uses a bit of magical energy but it keeps me from falling on my mustache over and over.” Knock Knock reached up and smoothed his mustache. “I’m not exactly handsome, but I have a magnificent mustache. Don’t want to see the little fella get hurt.”

Well, that is no help at all, Holly thought to herself. She eyed the rack once more, lept, and shouted, “Earth pony way!”

A moment later, Holly clattered to the floor, almost knocking the rack over. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her rising temper, shook her head, and then began to get back up on her hooves.

“I completely overshot it,” Holly grumbled as she gave herself a shake.

“Keep trying.” Knock Knock went over to a wooden bench and sat down.

Several other pegasi were now watching, standing around the doorway. None of them were laughing and all of them kept glancing at Toot Toot. Looking at them, Holly got the feeling that Toot Toot was just as much in charge as Knock Knock, even if Toots didn’t have the title of captain.

“Cannonball!” Holly cried as she launched herself again. Her attempt ended in spectacular disaster. Her front hooves caught on the edge of the suit, flipped her over, and she landed inside of the leggings on her back, with all four legs sticking up into the air.

“I think she’s stuck, boss,” one of the pegasi said.

Wiggling, Holly tried to get free and discovered she couldn’t, much to her chagrin. She groaned, feeling embarrassed, and then worked up her courage so she could say, “Help me.”

Several pegasi flew over, grabbed Holly by her legs, and then grunting, all four of them hefted Holly free. They flipped her over in the air, and then then set her down upon her hooves.

“Thank you, gentleponies, for getting me back on my pegs,” Holly said with a smile. She lifted a hoof and gave the pegasi a little wave, never once thinking about the fact that it took four burly pegasi to lift her and set her free.

“Howzabouts we lift her up and drop her into the suit for the first time, so she can get a feel for it?” one of the pegasi asked as he reached back and rubbed his spine with one of his front hooves.

“That sounds like a good idea, if Holly is okay with it,” Toot Toot said.

“I’m game.” Holly stood ready. She stood wide legged, head held high, a smile upon her face. “Be careful gents, I’m ticklish and I tend to kick when I get tickled.”

Hearing this, Toot Toot began to back up, getting away from what he suspected was the danger zone. He didn’t want no part of this and wondered how much damage kicked pegasi might do to the brick walls.

“Toots, I’m scared Toots… why you backin’ away like that?” one of the pegasi asked.

“Toots ain’t skeered of nothin’, but he’s worried about something right now.” A dark brown pegasi shook his head. “I don’t get paid enough for this kinda stress. Come on, let’s get to work.”

“Come on fellas, I’m harmless. Give me a lift,” Holly said in a teasing voice.

Author's Notes:

Of course ponies would have different ways of fighting fires. They're equines.