Trotting up the wide flight of stairs with Airmail to her left and Tempest to her right, Wildfire stepped out onto the expansive balcony on the first storey of Caffeinated and Thespian’s ranch that overlooked the paved patio, the wooden decking and the large swimming pool out back, and for a brief moment the yellow pegasus basked in the warm mid-morning sunlight. With a full belly from breakfast, the two marefriends smiled at each other and pulled back and let Wildfire soak up the heat of the glorious Friday morning sun.

With the drama and excitement that had been yesterday's bondage party now well behind her, and a belly full of the best breakfast she’d ever had – hot roasted chocolate oatmeal and pineapple juice courtesy of Thespian and Belle – Wildfire was standing happily letting the heat of the rising sun wash over her scarred face as she heard some of the other herd ponies leaving for their various jobs.

“Wily,” Tempest said as she placed a violet hoof on the diminutive pegasus’s shoulder, "How good is your sense of direction?” She asked, genuinely curious as to the blind mare’s ability to fly unaided.

“Well…” Wildfire cocked her head to one side as she thought long and hard about the answer. “It’s okay, Honey.” She answered truthfully. “I can get around Canterlot just fine on my own, but that’s took like, ages for me to learn. I use my ears, my wingtips, my hooves and I listen to gauge where I am.” She smiled then, as she turned her head to her right, following the sound of Tempest’s voice. “Why’d you ask?”

“Because, after you’ve done your little task, we’ll be flying home, and I want to see if you can follow me without me wetting my tail.” Tempest explained, “Airmail will follow you, but she’ll only say something if there is danger.”

Wildfire nodded her understanding. She liked that they weren’t treating her like a useless foal. “I can still smell your scent, it’s just not as strong, that’s all.”

“We are facing south,” Airmail started as she stepped up to Wildfire’s left, running her wing casually along her flank, “Our house is north of here…”

“So we're turning around one hundred and eighty degrees?” Wildfire interrupted.

“Yes,” Tempest interjected with a grin at her partner, “But you have an important job to do before we go. Remember what Mapper wanted you to do today?”

“Yuppers! I have to sort those cloud pillows out in the Mare's Room.” Wildfire replied.

Airmail made the sound of a gameshow buzzer going off with her mouth. “Uh aaah! Close, Wily. You need to refill the pillows that Serenity has washed.” Turning her head to her back, Airmail retrieved a double saddle bag and stepped closer so she could fit it securely around the smaller mare’s barrel. “These saddle bags I’ve put on your back hold twenty empty pillows that need filling, ten to a side, okay?”

“They will hook together so once they’re full you just need to pull one to get them all back.” Tempest supplied helpfully as Wildfire spread her wings experimentally around the straps of the saddle bags, “Now,” she said, having found what she was looking for from scanning the patch of sky immediately above them, “There is a Stratocumulus cloud at about three thousand feet up and about half a mile south of where we are for you to use.” Taking a step closer, the violet pegasus nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek and gave her a tight hug. “I know you can do this, Wily.”

Concerned, and not as convinced as Tempest, Airmail asked, “Do you want us to wait here or follow you?”

“No!” Wildfire exclaimed, before she continued with a tiny blush, “No, Pretty, no. Mistress gave me this task. I'll give it a shot.” Determinedly squaring her little shoulders, which looked utterly adorable to the two older mares, Wildfire stepped up to the safety railing. “So…it’s straight ahead, three thousand feet up?”

Airmail and Tempest both nodded at each other before saying together, “Yes.”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire spread her abused wings and ruffled her feathers to judge wind direction, “I just fly through the cloud?” She asked, having never actually filled cloud pillows before.

Tempest couldn’t resist a giggle. “You land on it and then use the pillow case to scoop up the cloud stuff.”

“It's okay Wily,” Airmail gave Tempest a ‘look’, “We all have to learn new things.”

Wildfire snickered at Tempest, “I want a kiss for that giggle when I get back.” Angling her wings and flaring her feathers for take-off, the little yellow mare crouched and pushed herself off of the ground with her legs and the use of her strong breast muscles to flap of her wings. ‘Nothing to it, but to do it…’ she thought confidently as she gained altitude with each downstroke, instinctively altering her angle of attack on the upstroke in order to pass through the air more efficiently.

Happy, Airmail went back inside the white walled ranch to get drinks for herself and Tempest, while the violet pegasus’s crystal blue eyes remained firmly glued to Wildfire’s ascent to the heavens.

‘Flight school…remember flight school…’ Wildfire thought to herself as she rose up steadily higher and higher through the morning sky, ‘The air gets thinner the higher you get…it feels different, you got this…’ having given herself a good talking to, and using her ears and the leading edges of her wings – the most sensitive parts of her body for flight - like the most basic altimeters, Wildfire was able to feel the slight change in the air pressure around her. “Alrighty…this feels high enough.”

Coming back out onto the balcony carrying two Celestia special coffees on a tray in her mouth, Airmail flicked her brown eyes upwards before setting the tray down on a nearby low table. “She is flying straight, she just needs a bit more altitude and she'll run into the cloud.”

Tempest nodded as she took her milky coffee in her forehoof. “She is doing rather well to say she’s flying blind.”

Airmail sipped her own coffee, “You know about the firefighting, right?” The azure blue mare asked rhetorically, “She’d maybe be useful in a forest fire with visibility reduced by the smoke.”

High above the ranch, flying at approximately two thousand eight hundred feet above the ground, Wildfire altered the angle of her wings and flew straight forward what she judged to be the half a mile distance...but after a few moments she hit nothing but thin air. “Damn,” Wildfire cursed, realisation hitting her as she hovered in place. “I should've hit it by now. I'm not high enough.”

Down on the balcony, Tempest crouched, getting ready to launch herself speedily into the air. Noticing her marefriend’s change in posture, Airmail put a halting hoof on her shoulder. “Ah, ah. Stormy you said you believed. Give her a chance.” She said quietly, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt at that moment.

Fighting a rising sense of panic in her hover, Wildfire turned through one hundred and eighty degrees and flapped her wings, creating a firm downstroke to rise up the remaining two hundred feet. Rising up as she flew back the way she came, the blind pegasus smiled to herself as the tips of her ears grazed the underneath of the Stratocumulus cloud. Although she couldn’t tell, the cloud she was flying under was a mile across at its widest point, with a length of roughly five hundred feet. Coming around the leading edge of the cloud Wildfire paused. “Okies…that was the underneath...” she affirmed to herself, building up a mental image of where she was. Turning once more, the diminutive mare raised herself vertically upwards before hovering back towards the cloud with her hooves outstretched.

Touching the side of the cloud with the toes and the soles her outstretched forelegs, making contact hooves first with the fluffy vapour filled cloud, the pegasi magic in her hooves creating a solid surface. “Aha!” She exclaimed in victory. “I gotcha, cloud! You are mine!”

‘Now...I just need to get up to the top…I wonder how big it is?’ She wondered curiously as she flapped vertically, trailing her front hooves in the cloud's edge so she didn’t lose it or where she was. Presently after what felt like forever but was in reality only a few moments she rose up the four hundred feet to the very top of the Stratocumulus. She definitely knew she was there as she felt her hooves leave the cloud’s edge. “Aha! Here we are.” Flapping herself forward, Wildfire stood on the cloud proper and folded away her now tired wings, her pinions aching and throbbing along the lines of the many breaks and fractures she had endured over the years.

Still, pain was just pain. How could she care about something like that she had a job to do for her Mistress? “Alrighty then,” she said to herself with a wry grin, “Let’s get these pillows filled, and show Mistress how useful I can be.” Fishing in her saddle bags with her forehooves, Wildfire pulled out the empty pillow cases and, humming and singing her favourite song her mother had taught her, began scooping cloud-stuff into the open pillows.

Working hard and fast, Wildfire had quickly worked out a system of filling the pillow cases – scooping them under the surface of the cloud and zipping them closed before the cloud-stuff could escape – and secured them with a wingtip with the hook on one end and the eye in the other. “And...and that's the last one done, yay!” Doing a little happy dance she zipped the last one closed.

“Now then, getting them back to the ranch…” Turning her head about, standing in the middle of two rows of ten freshly stuffed pillow cases all joined to each other. Thinking back she remembered what Tempest had said about them being hooked together and tentatively, after double checking each one with her wings, gave one a sharp pull.

‘Heehee! They're gonna be so thrilled I did this on my own!’ Wildfire giggled, feeling the two groups of ten pillow cases bunch up under her, hanging down from the saddle bags, the little yellow mare walked back to the edge of the cloud. “Right. Now to get back down.” She thought out loud, the vocalising helping to organise her thoughts, “I came south, north then south, so this is definitely the right way.” Spreading her wings she leapt from the Stratocumulus cloud, deciding to descend in a step pattern back to the house and back to her mares.

“She’s inbound.” Tempest announced having, of course, not once taking her brown eyes off of the cloud.”

Airmail nodded as she too looked up and saw Wildfire’s descent. She’s using a step descent,” she commented critiquing Wildfire’s chosen method. “My opinion, she should have come back here before descending.”

“That’s it,” Tempest decided, “I'm launching.”

“No.” Again, Airmail stopped the impulsive violet pegasus, this time hooking her hoof around her black tail. “Let her try on her own.”

Tempest shot her lover an impatient look, “Yeah, I am, I just don’t want to lose her on the first day, Airy.” Ignoring the eye-roll she received, Tempest took off without a backwards glance, making sure to stay low.

Continuing her step descent, Wildfire dropped down what she guessed was a few hundred feet before levelling off and flying forwards, only to repeat the process. ‘Definitely getting lower. Nice one, Wily!’ The small pegasus was feeling rather pleased with herself as she busied herself losing another five hundred feet. ‘Hmm…the air feels thicker alright.’ Instinctively she started sniffing around and listening for guidance, straining her senses but getting nothing.

From her vantage point, flying about a thousand feet away from Wildfire, Tempest watched her efforts from a distance so that her scent would not get to Wildfire’s attuned nose, letting her fly on her own, but watching for when she got within a hundred feet of the ground

Wildfire paused as she got no return to her senses. “C'mon, idiot, think...you dropped a few hundred, took you to the cloud level. Then you lost five hundred, so you should have two thousand five hundred to drop. Right.” Folding her yellow wings slightly, Wildfire angled her muzzle down towards the ground and dropped quicker, thrilling in feeling the rush of the air over her fur and feathers, as well as using the quickly changing air pressure to judge her distance.

With a yelp of panic, Wildfire realised – too late – that she was descending too quickly to keep a track of her altitude using her crude method. “Oh…oh buck!” She flared her wings to slow her down, while still going lower. Desperately she sniffed the air, trying to smell grass or dirt or anything for that matter.

Descending again, much slower this time, Wildfire opted for a gentler glideslope, as she assumed she was nearer to the ground now.

Watching the haphazard descent, Airmail was sorely tempted to shout out, to guide Wildfire in to her, and the azure blue mare resolved to do so if Wildfire made it to within a hundred yards. Flying the thousand feet alongside her, Tempest was ready to call out if Wildfire dropped below one hundred feet of height, or if she was moving away from the general direction of the ranch.

Starting to fly forward northward, in the right direction, Wildfire gradually felt herself getting lower as, trailing behind her, Tempest started to peel away.

Wildfire kept up the steady pace of the descent, dipping her left wing slightly but quickly correcting her level flight, desperate to get within sensing range of her two mares, fighting the urge to panic, with her tortured wings flaring up in considerable pain, she tried with all her might to ignore it to the back of her mind as she wobbled a little to the right before once more getting back on course, so determined was she not to be seen to mess up.

Airmail was watching Wildfire so intently that she didn’t notice Requiem had wandered out onto the balcony following her ‘meddling psychologist talk’ with Dusk – the Prince in question recovering from said ‘talk’ with an earl grey tea inside. “Airy, what's going on?” The red and blue painted pony asked as she shielded her eyes against the sun with a hoof so she could scan the sky. “I though you guys were going home...is that Wily and Tempest flying around?”

“We sent Wily on a solo mission, for something Mapper asked her to do for her.” Airmail replied. “She is doing okay so far.” She watched as Wildfire dipped her head, going lower but keeping up the rate of descent.

“And, what is Tempest doing?”

“Crash prevention,” Airmail explained simply. “She was very confident in herself when she left to go to the cloud. She did the job perfectly,” the lead editor of the Manehatten Times paused then as she watched the little yellow mare struggle to come back down. “But…but now she is unsure of herself.”

Requiem nodded with a sigh. “Her first mission, she’s afraid to mess up, that is still large in her mind.” The psychologist in her reasoned, getting Airmail’s attention as they both watched Wildfire slow to a hover, obviously collecting herself. “What if you put her in a box for doing this wrong?”

“But...what…” Airmail dropped her jaw almost comically to the floor. Indeed it would’ve been funny where it not for the aghast stunned and shocked look on the blue mare’s face. “But, but we would never, could never, ever do that!” Seeing Wildfire in the low hover, Airmail was in her own launch position, only to be stopped by a painted hoof on her back between her flared wings.

Requiem shook her head when Airmail shot her a questioning look. “She needs to know she can fail and you will still love her.”

Two hundred yards out from the ranch, roughly a hundred yards up, Wildfire ultimately made the decision for her. The intense pain running along the old breaks in her wings, coupled with generally not knowing where she was, and finally it all proved too much for the blind pony. 'Nope. I tried. I failed. That's it. If they punish me, they punish me. I can take it.' She hovered towards the ground. ‘I'll just have to walk back from here.’

Seeing her new lover giving up and descending towards the ground oh so very close to the ranch, Airmail shrugged off Requiem’s hoof and called out, “Wily!” As Tempest climbed and flew over to join Airmail on the balcony.

“Pretty!?” Wildfire called back in reply, her head immediately snapping in the direction the familiar voice had come from.

Airmail had to fight to hold back her tears of joy as Tempest landed by her side. “Get back in the air, Wily!” She shouted out as loud as she could. “You are almost here, you can fly in towards my voice. Just two hundred yards to go now!”

“Yuppers!” With a renewed vigour, Wildfire took off again, heading like a laser guided yellow missile towards the welcome sound of her voice.

“Good,” Airmail called, “Just a couple degrees to the left, now fly straight…”

“You're doing great, Wily!” Tempest called out her own encouragement as she watched Wildfire prepare to land.

“Honey?” Adjusting her course, Wildfire perfectly followed the sounds of both Airmail and Tempest’s voices, more confidently coming in closer and closer to the ranch until she was able to smell the jasmine and the sandalwood scents of the two waiting pegasi. When the scent and the sound was at their most intense she flared her wings and touched down for a slightly wobbly landing. “I…I messed up the descent.” She muttered quietly, slicking her ears back and scuffing the balcony with a hoof.

“Wily…” Tempest placed a tender hoof on the diminutive yellow mare’s shoulder as Airmail gave her cheek a loving nuzzle. “You flew almost a mile to a cloud. You filled and brought back all twenty of the pillows. You didn't lose your direction when you were done. Finally you flew back to within two hundred yards of the house and you landed safely when you were unsure.” Taking a deep breath, Tempest kissed Wildfire’s lips. “So you tell me Wily, when did you mess up?”

“I um…I dunno,” Wildfire pointed her head to the floor of the balcony, “I wanted a steady line, I felt all over the place coming back down.”

Having none of it, Tempest smiled and tenderly kissed her again. “Your descent from the cloud was steeper than your climb. That made the overall trip longer. You actually flew straight both to and from the cloud.”

Airmail’s voice was full of pride, “It was your quicker descent that made it seem to take longer than you may have thought it should be.”

Hesitantly, Wildfire lifted her head up, a tremulous smile playing over her muzzle. “Oh...so, so I didn’t mess up?” Nervously, as if expecting a beating at any moment, she once again scuffed her hoof. “I just wanted to show you I could do it.”

Seeing her distress, both Airmail and Tempest took up their now regular positions either side of the yellow mare, both giving her tight hugs with their wings. “You did show us.” Airmail whispered in her ear, “You were very brave, Wily.”

“You really did do it.” Tempest cooed in her other ear. “It wasn't easy to watch you and not fly out and save you. You didn't need saving at all.”

Smiling a wide ear to ear smile, Wildfire nuzzled both mares in turn. “Thanks...it, it was harder than I thought it would be, but once I found the cloud filling the pillows was easys!”

“You did a nice job circling back for the cloud.” Said Tempest kindly. “What was amazing was how you knew which way to fly back when you were done.” The violet mare’s voice was very suitably impressed at that.

Wildfire was flabbergasted. “Honey…you really thought that was amazing?” They were proud! Of her! Airmail and Tempest were proud of her! “I um, I just went back the way I came.”

“I think you are one step closer to independence, Wily.” Airmail asserted with a definite tone in her north western accented voice. “Your confidence will only build too, although the ground transportation is very good and you should learn to use that also.”

“Yes, we will do all that,” Tempest giggled, tapping Wildfire’s shoulder with her hoof. “But for now you need to put those pillows back in the Mare's Room.”

“Alrighty Honey!” Wildfire practically bounced as she turned towards the exit of the balcony, “I can get to the Mare's Room.” Without waiting for directions or prompts the blind pony trotted off towards the wide flight of stairs.

All this time, throughout the cuddle-fest, Requiem had stood quietly to the side, not wanting to interrupt the precious bonding moment. “Have you thought of getting her some travel aids, y’know, something like a GPS?”

Requiem snickered at the total blank looks that Airmail and Tempest gave her. “I thought not. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I'm off to bother a Princess. You two have a lovely day.” Flicking her tail under the vacant mare’s chins, the painted earth pony sauntered back inside the ranch, her meddle detector firmly set on Luna.

~ ~ ~

Roughly an hour later the clock in the music room struck eleven in the a.m. and the ranch, which had been crammed to the rafters with twenty three ponies the day before, now felt really empty seeing as most of them had left for their homes or in Caffeinated’s and a few other’s cases, for their respective work. Thespian was in the middle of regaling Airmail and Tempest with a story about the Winter Solstice and, while both had heard it before, it did at least serve to pass the time while they waited for Wildfire to return. The blue / grey earth pony being a natural born actress didn’t hurt either.

A moment later and Dusk Melody wandered in, following his much needed chat with Requiem on the poolside decking out back. “Hey,” he started after waiting politely for a lull in Thespian’s story, “Has Mom gone?”

Thespian nodded to the young Prince with a generous smile on her muzzle, “Yes dear, she did that vanishing trick of hers just a few minutes ago. She did say she would be at the open mic at Caffy’s shop tonight though.”

Dusk grinned, “Good, I do hope she remembers my good violin.” In the meantime though, Dusk had resolved to explore Manehatten a little more. His previous visit, to open the ward of the hospital, had revealed to him the rather beautiful North Park, as well as Stripes’s coffee shop, of course.

As Dusk and Thespian began what was potentially a very long – and drawn out – conversation about the theatre and performing in it, and comparing the Manehatten scene to that of Canterlot’s own, Airmail decided it best to make a quick exit before her boredom-o-meter maxed itself out. Luckily for all concerned, Wildfire was trotting up the wide flights of stairs and made it to the main floor of the ranch at about the same time as Airmail did the same. “Hi Wily!” The azure blue mare exclaimed, “Are you ready to head out?” She asked, really hoping the answer would be a ‘yes’.

“Yuppers!” Wildfire answered, “I sorted all the futons down there!” The yellow pegasus was rather pleased with her little self. Granted, she had to thank Serenity the next time she felt her, as the teal unicorn had very kindly left the empty futons arranged in a horseshoe shape so they were easy for the blind mare to fill one and then move on to the next until her task was finished.

“From here to our place it is a mile walk.” Tempest said as she appeared at Airmail’s side at the top of the stairs. “I'd like to do that first, then we can fly back and forth later.”

“Alrighty Honey.” Wildfire smiled at the sound of Tempest’s voice. That sounded like a definite plan, or as good a plan as any, anyway.

The good byes didn’t take all that long, for Thespian and Dusk were deep in their conversation and were now comparing acting to musical performances and especially which of them had played to the worse audience. Leaving – or escaping, depending on the point of view – the ranch, Wildfire found the path was not wholly unfamiliar, as it turned out Airmail and Tempest lived near the large lake that Wildfire had been paraded past the day before. Tempest pointed this out to her, as well as the fact that Mapper and Serenity actually lived a bit further north on the other side of the lake.

Along the mile long walk, Airmail made sure to point out the names of the four streets they passed along, in particular how the several cross walks they encountered on the sidewalks had an audio signal when red or green for pedestrians allowing those who had sight impairments to cross safely.

They did of course point out the very important location that was the ice cream shop (because let’s face it, we all need ice cream), and after a leisurely walk of roughly twenty five minutes or so, the three pegasi arrived outside of Airmail and Tempest’s terraced townhouse.

Walking up the concrete sidewalk of the street, Tempest put her wing over Wildfire’s shoulder to halt her outside their front door. Quickly, the violet mare described the plain two storey red bricked house. To the left of the white door there was a modestly sized flower bed consisting of lavender, pink and white Asters, alongside Foxgloves and Star Gazer Lilies. To the right, in front of a large white framed bay window was a small grassed area.

Once they had gone inside the house they first covered the great room, which lead in to the dining room and then connected to the kitchen. Going room by room, what was in each and exactly where it was. During the quick tour, Airmail made sure to constantly reassure Wildfire that the things in the rooms, especially the entertainment centre and the kitchen equipment wouldn’t be moved without her input first.

Extra amount of time was taken to make sure Wildfire knew the location of the appliances in the kitchen, things that wouldn’t be moved such as the oven, fridge and so on. Next on the mini tour were the upstairs, the master bedroom that the three of them would share and then the smaller bedroom that was the office.

“I’m really sorry, I have to go to work, Wily.” Airmail said regrettably as she headed over to the back door that lead onto the back yard decking, a respectably sized vegetable garden along the left side and a large oak tree in the right corner. “Tempest will be here though to help you explore some more.”

“Okay Pretty.” Wildfire made sure to give her new herd-mate a lingering kiss before she left, after all she did have her rent to pay, “Thanks for the tour round, you both have a really nice place.”

“It is nice and cosy,” Tempest smiled, making sure to get her kiss in on Airmail’s cheek before the back door shut. “And, it’s even more so now with you to snuggle. As our herd grows….” Tempest paused as she rubbed a wing lovingly over Wildfire's belly, enjoying imagining how sexy the yellow mare would look when she was heavily pregnant. “We will expand to a larger place.”

Standing in the great room with Tempest, Wildfire giggled at the feathery touch of the violet wing. “I can do snuggling, and I really can’t wait to expand the herd…” she trailed off as she scuffed the toe of her hoof on the carpeted floor. “Actually Honey, I'm a bit nervous about that.”

Laying across the large four seater couch in the great room, Tempest gave the blind pony an extremely sympathetic look. “You can tell me, Wily.”

“Well...” Wildfire started, feeling for the couch and laying down on the remaining half – taking up but a quarter of it – as she faced the larger, older mare nervously. “You see, the only stallions I've been with were the ones at the home, when I was being punished...it, the thought of it scares me.”

“Wily,” Tempest’s heart wanted to erupt for what this mare had experienced, but she forced her voice calm, “You do know that the ponies at Caffy's place are one big herd?”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire nodded hesitantly, “And I know they aren’t like 'that', but it’s still scary!”

Tempest placed what she hoped was a comforting hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder. “You will have time to get to know them. We have to have a vote of the herd to let in a new member into the herd. Does that scare you?”

“Um, a little, what if they don’t want me?” Wildfire gave voice to the niggling fear eating away at her as she nuzzled the violet foreleg on her shoulder.

“I want you. Airmail wants you. Serenity wants you. Mapper wants you.” Tempest smiled, “Are you still afraid?”

Wildfire shook her head so hard her black mane whipped around her neck, “Nopes! Not with you four with me, no I'm not, Honey.”

“Good, and I have a secret to tell you.” Tempest booped the blind mare’s nose playfully, “The most important vote likes you. Do you know who that vote is?”

“Mistress?”

At that Tempest couldn’t resist a giggle, “She may be full of herself, but no.” The violet pegasus sniggered, “You met her with Airmail yesterday in the coffee shop.”

Cocking her head to the side, Wildfire thought hard, casting her mind back to the previous day, while it was only twenty four hours it felt like several months. “Um…Lavender?”

“Yes,” Tempest answered, stroking the smaller pegasus’s yellow cheek with her hoof, “Serenity can tell if you're lying, but Lavender can tell if you have a good heart.” This time when she paused she leant her head forward and gently kissed her lips. “You have a good heart, Wily.”

“Aw…thanks, Honey.” Blushing intensely, Wildfire tried to cover it up with a kiss of her own to Tempest’s lips. “This…this is going to take some getting used to, being here with you and Pretty, I mean.” She smiled as she pulled away from the kiss, “It all feels like a foal’s tale, y'know?”

Tempest smiled, recalling the tender sweet scene in the Mare’s Room of Caffeinated’s ranch before they had all gone to sleep in the early hours of the morning. How Wildfire had told her about her dream for a foal on the beach, how Serenity had expressed her wish for a foal of her own. “Wily, did you like Tinkerer?” She asked gently, determined to make all this troubled mare’s dreams happen.

Wildfire nodded, “Yuppers,” she smiled, “He felt gentle, and he liked being tied up as well, like me.”

“Would you like your foal to be a pegasus?” When Wildfire nodded ‘yes’, Tempest followed up with, “You know there are other ways to get pregnant besides being mounted, right?”

On the wide soft couch Wildfire lowered her head, in thought, “I know Honey, but...they just don't seem very personal I suppose.”

Shuffling forward, Tempest wrapped her forelegs around Wildfire’s neck for a tight hug, nuzzling along her cheek as she did so. “Airmail and I will be with you from start to finish. You do have time.” Then, the violet mare switched tack a little, “You like Belle too, right?”

“Hmm…yuppers! She sounds fun,” Wildfire replied, likewise draping her yellow legs around Tempest – just – and kissed along her jawline. “And, I feel better about it knowing you'll both be there with me.”

“Belle has had three foals by Tinkerer, one was a pegasus, and the other two are unicorns.” Tempest said gently, sneakily kissing Wildfire’s ear. “The youngest is still at home with them. If you like I'm sure you could spend a night or two there to get to know them better.” Then she said, as an afterthought, “When you're ready of course.”

“That would be nice, but not yet though,” the yellow mare flinched, wanting to pull away from the hug she was entwined in, but Tempest’s grip was too tight. “I um…I want to get used to being free before I think seriously about my foal.”

“Will you talk to me about it?” Tempest asked softly, carefully loosening her hug when she felt the blind mare try and pull away. “You don't have to but I'm willing to listen. You know I love you and won't judge you for your past.” Tucking her forelegs under her body Tempest contented herself with a tender kiss on Wildfire’s lips. “No matter how terrible that past was, it brought you to me today.”

“I'll talk about it, Honey.” Wildfire said confidently, “No secrets between us, right?” Then a thought occurred to her as she thought back to the brief tour around the kitchen. “Do you want a drink of something first?” She asked hopefully.

“With alcohol?”

Wildfire smiled, “Sure, why not?”

Tempest giggled behind her hoof, “We aren't as fancy or as equipped as Caffy.” The violet mare snickered as she sat up. “I have beer, and sweet red wine...and beer.”

“Honey!” Wildfire laughed, “A thousand kisses for a beer!” She exclaimed dramatically on the couch.

“I'm going to count too!” Tempest giggled as she booped Wildfire’s nose. “You know where the kitchen is and the fridge is where we left it. Beer is in the right door shelf middle. The shelf below has ginger ale. The shelf above has butter and condiments.”

“Ugh…” Wildfire shuddered as she slid from the couch to her hooves. “Honey, you're welcome to the ginger ale.” Feeling with her wingtip to know where she was, the diminutive pegasus made her way through the small hallway that connected the great room to the dining room, and with just a second of orienting herself, turned right towards the kitchen. “Want anything else?” She asked while she was turning and finding the other wall.

“Just a ginger ale please, Wily.” Tempest called, making a conscious effort to not get up and follow her. “So, I don't have to worry about you or Airmail drinking them?” She asked with a giggle as the yellow mare disappeared from view.

“Nopes!” Wildfire called as she successfully navigated the kitchen to the holy beer receptacle that was the fridge. “They're all yours, Honey.” Getting a bottle of beer and a bottle of ginger ale from the fridge, she placed them on a tray she had felt on the cold marble work surface next to the fridge, and with no difficulty at all she made her way back to the great room and the waiting weather captain.

Tempest watched, thoroughly impressed with how fast Wildfire was able to pick up her surroundings, and a thought occurred to her. “I have to stop in at work later, did you want to fly the storm with me today?”

Trotting into the great room, Wildfire felt for and deposited the tray onto the low coffee table. “Hmm…sure, Honey. Sure I'll give it a try.”

“Then I'm cutting you off at one beer.” Tempest smiled as she scooped up her ginger ale in her wing. “You can have another afterwards at the open mic.”

“Oh, that's alright,” Wildfire shrugged, “I don't drink a lot, I was never allowed more than a few back at the care home.” Getting her bottle of beer, she hopped up and seated herself next to Tempest on the couch. “So, what d'you want to know about before?”

Tempest considered this as she sipped her ale. What did she want, or need, to know? “Um…start before you were blinded. I want to know about your life as a reserve firefighter. What was your day job when not doing that?”

“That’s easy, Honey.” Wildfire replied. “I was at university with Dusk when I was a reserve firefighter. It was going to be my job when I graduated. The plan was to do on the job training when I wasn’t studying, leave school, then start work the next day.”

“I won’t lie, Wily. Fire scares me a bit.” Tempest shuddered as she swallowed her ale. “We were always told feathers and flame don’t mix.”

Wildfire laughed out loud at that, almost spilling her beer. “I wasn’t supposed to get near to any flames during the training, but when you have a lack of pegasi in your Fire Team, and an emergency goes down, you just do it y’know?”

Tempest nodded. As a captain of the first battalion of the Manehatten Weather Team, she understood responding to pressure and working within a team. “It is an honourable job, Wily.”

“I loved it! I really, really loved it!” Wildfire enthused, her wings fluttering in sheer excitement. “So much I got my cutie mark doing it, though at eighteen it was a little late coming.”

“Oh my!” Now Tempest was surprised. Usually a cutie mark presented itself before the age of ten. Eighteen was abnormally late for a talent to be revealed. “I was seven when I got mine.”

“Yuppers,” Wildfire said quietly, finishing off her beer. “I was a blank flank for ages and ages.”

“Did you get teased about that?” Tempest asked, knowing full well what she herself was like as a young filly.

“Oh, just a lot, yeah.” The little yellow mare laughed, “But you soon learn to ignore them after a while. I like to think my cutie mark waited until I proved I was ready for it.”

Tempest lowered her head and leaned forward to get a proper close look at Wildfire’s cutie mark. “It is a pretty mark with the all the flames.” She said as she appraised the stylised burning fireball that adorned the yellow mare’s right flank. In particular she realised close up there were little flecks of orange and yellow in the red flames, creating an unnervingly real image. “And then the accident happened. I take it that put you in the hospital?”

“Teehee…” Wildfire giggled behind her hoof, “The flames didn’t feel very pretty at the time when I flew through that burning building, primary feathers all smoking, fur singed, mane and tail smouldering almost on fire.” She snickered and nuzzled the violet mare’s cheek as she recalled that afternoon so long ago now. “Then yeah, a few months later not long after I turned nineteen there was the accident in the science lab at school.”

Concerned, Tempest moved closer so she was alongside the yellow pony and nuzzled her cutie mark before pulling away as Wildfire took a deep breath, clearly recalling the traumatic incident. “Honey…that hurt so bad. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe how bad that hurt. So much more than being on fire.”

“First thoughts when you knew you wouldn't see again?” Tempest questioned.

“Well…I remember when the nurse was telling me about it after I woke up, that basically my eyes had boiled and exploded in my head and my lids had melted, leaving me like this…” Wildfire felt Tempest move back slightly as she nonchalantly described what had happened to her, “It’s shameful I guess, but at first, I was so angry. I wished I hadn’t gotten in the way. I wished it was Dusk blinded instead of me.”

“That isn't shameful.” Tempest replied quickly, “Wishes don't change what happened, do they?”

“No,” Wildfire agreed with a smile, “And when your best friend is about to get two beakers of acid thrown at him, what d'you do? I just reacted. I didn’t stop to consider the consequences.” She giggled a little, “Then again, when I was younger I never gave consequences a second or third thought.”

“You are a pony of action!” Tempest exclaimed dramatically, complete with heroically posed hoof. “You still are.” She snickered and leant in to give Wildfire a quick kiss before an idea marched into her head. “Hold still a moment, I want to do something.”

Taking a deep breath, Tempest closed her crystal blue eyes and lifted a tentative hoof that very gently touched Wildfire’s face and, starting with her left cheek, carefully felt its way all over her face. When she got to her muzzle and slid her hoof up to the bridge of her nose to her face the violet mare felt Wildfire instinctively stiffen up and wince at her touch. To the smaller mare’s credit though, she didn’t try and stop her as Tempest ran her hoof as delicately as she could over her scars. With just the slightest of pressure she could feel the give of the scar tissue that covered the sunken empty eye sockets. It was only when she felt her like this that Tempest truly appreciated just how small the other pegasus actually was. “I've closed my eyes. I want to see you the same way you see me.”

“And?” Wildfire asked with a genuine smile, somewhat impressed that she’d done this for her. “Do I look good?” Wildfire asked, raising her own hoof up to Tempest’s face, mirroring her actions as she gently felt around her features.

“Yes love you look good.” Tempest’s smile could be heard in her voice. “Although, I don't think I'm doing your beauty justice with my hoof.”

The diminutive pegasus laughed softly as she folded her forelegs under her body. “That’s why I call you Honey, because you're sweet.”

“Do you like the nickname, Wily?”

“Yuppers! It’s okay,” To be perfectly honest, she hadn’t heard her nickname in the five years she was in the care home. It was only when she, Dusk and Vocal Chord had encountered each other in Canterlot’s Residential District Cemetery. She was only out on her own at all because she’d been a good little pony for Amethyst. “Dusk's always called me that, just like I call him D. When I hear ‘Wildfire’ I know I'm in trouble.”

“I know Dusk called you that, I just want to be sure you like me to call you that.” Tempest explained, “You can call me Stormy if you like. That’s Airmails pet name for me.” The violet mare giggled slightly as she rubbed noses. “I do like Honey though, it is cute and it makes me feel sweet.”

“Stormy...hmm…Stormy…” Wildfire played with the nickname like she was testing it. “I kinda like that too. I think it suits you, Tempest.”

“Wily, was the home bad from the start or did that happen over time?”

Wildfire went silent for a long few minutes. So long in fact that Tempest wasn’t sure if she was going to answer her at all. Just as the weather captain was about to ask something else, Wildfire spoke. When she did though it wasn’t her with her usual tone. “For the first month or so it was alright. Then…then it began to get bad. When I resisted them, resisted Amethyst Glory, that’s when it started to get real bad. Wildfire shuddered involuntarily, “They went from moving stuff about so I hit it to breaking my wings…they’d break my leg then wait for it to heal then break another and so on…then…then they used the box.”

“What happens at Caffy's ranch is ponies showing their love through discipline.” Tempest said gently, though silently she was utterly revolted just like she had been yesterday in the Mare’s Room. “It does cause pain though. Does the thought of that hurt you?”

“Pain?” Wildfire almost barked out a laugh. “No Stormy, pain doesn’t bother me anymore.” That much was certainly true. Her everyday was managing and coping with an X amount of background aches and pains from various parts of her body from injuries she had accrued over the years. Her badges of honour. Pain was just pain, and that was that.

“Love,” Tempest said, “I'm talking about hurting you. I don't want anypony to hurt you.”

“I know it’s different,” Wildfire sighed, “But the thought of being hurt doesn’t hurt me.”

Tempest looked away then, despite having no eyes, she imagined the hard lived in stare she would otherwise be getting right now. “I've already hurt you enough. I hurt you when I let Mapper leave you alone.”

“Yeah...after a year or two of dreaming up new ways to hurt me and break me, they found that I wasn’t giving in so they thought that up.”

“Airmail and I don't find pleasure in pain like the others.” Tempest said, trying really very hard to push what Wildfire had just said out of her head. Her skin had crawled enough when she had seen Wildfire tied up in the tortoise shell that had held her wings closed, or on the parade when her wings had been bound to the bridle. She couldn’t bear the thought of a box. “We don't do the ropes either,” the violet mare continued. “We do help Mapper though. Ponies like Thespian really love it when they are spanked, and spanked hard. Others like different things. I want you to know you don't have to play those games.”

“That’s the difference though Honey.” Wildfire stated. “Here, with you all, it’s a game. There...well, there it just wasn’t.”

“Okay, you can play the game at Caffy's too.” Tempest nodded. That she could understand well enough. “Airmail and I know enough about ropes if you want to play that also, but neither of us really want to spank anypony. I think the biggest difference is you are loved here.” She paused, letting what she’d said sink in. “You know Mapper is the alpha mare of our little herd?”

“I know,” Wildfire nodded. If anypony was going to be the alpha, she would’ve put bits on it being Mapper. If she had any bits to bet with. “I don't want you to spank me if you don’t want, but being tied up and lead around was nice, it felt familiar and secure.”

“I want to do things that make you feel happy, safe, and loved.” Tempest said firmly. “Do you know what it meant when Mapper said you were worthy?”

“It meant that she accepted me…I think.”

“It meant you were worthy of her love.” The violet mare answered for her. Determined to make sure Wildfire got this, and got it good. “That means she loves you more than her own life. Mapper is a very possessive pony that jealously guards the ones she loves. I love you too in that way, as does Airmail and Serenity.” Tempest gave her a nuzzle. “You are stuck with us now.”

Willingly, Wildfire returned the tender nuzzle. “So…I'm not ever going to be on my own again?” She asked hesitantly.

“I can only think of one way.” Tempest replied, utterly hating herself for what she said next as it was plainly obvious she was afraid. “You'd have to leave us and wish we were not part of your life ever again.”

“No!” Wildfire fretted, predictably, “No! I…I don't want that, at all…”

Tempest leant forward and placed a tender lingering kiss squarely on Wildfire’s lips, effectively silencing her panic. “We don't want that either. If you did want your own place we would help you get that. If you just want your own room, we can find a bigger place for us together. I like having a pony with me when I sleep.”

Wildfire shook her head after she returned the kiss. “Honey, it’s not that I can’t be on my own at all, it’s just…when Mapper lifted me up it felt just like being in the box, on my own, and that scared me.”

“Love,” Tempest couldn’t help but smile as she expressed the sympathy for what Wildfire had endured. How could she not? “There is a big difference between being on your own and being alone. You will never. Be. Alone, again.”

The diminutive yellow mare nodded her understanding. She did get it, it was just so…different, to what she had grown accustomed to. “Um…for now, if it’s alright, I'd like to sleep with you two, if you really don't mind. It’s not like I have anything to bring over is it?”

Tempest bopped her nose gently with her hoof. “You silly little pony. You have already brought all you need. You brought yourself.”

Wildfire smiled a wide smile. “Um…it'd be great if you tied me up here, I really liked that, and you'll be careful with my wings won’t you?”

“As if they were my very own, Wily.” Tempest affirmed with a tone that left absolutely no room for doubt. “Though I will need to untie you for the weather patrol.”

“Mapper was very careful.” Wildfire replied. One of the things she did take from yesterday was how careful and gentle Mapper had been when she was tying her. She liked that. It made such a refreshing change.

Thinking about it for a brief moment, Tempest finally nodded her agreement. “I can do that, the toy bag is up in the bedroom, shall we go in there then?”

“Yes please, Honey.”

Sliding from the wide couch, Tempest flicked her black tail under Wildfire’s nose as she moved ahead of the yellow pegasus and led her though the small connecting hallway from the great room to the dining room and took a sharp left to start climbing the stairs. Not as wide as the ones back at the ranch, they were still able to bear two fully grown ponies side by side, though Wildfire elected to follow after the violet mare this time. Once on the upstairs landing, Tempest led the way in the L shaped hallway past the small guest bedroom and the office on the way to the master bedroom. “Climb up and to the centre of the bed please, Wily.”

“Okay!” Taking a few steps forward, Wildfire felt the edge of the mattress and the thick duvet hanging over the sides of the large bed that dominated the master bedroom. Fluttering her wings she hovered up and with careful sinking wobbling steps she got to where she thought the middle of the bed was.

“Do you have a certain way you like to be tied?” Tempest asked as she dragged the well-stocked toy box out from under the bed. “I'm not as good as Caffy or Mapper, but I can make you feel secure. Oh, we have bits and bridles too.”

On the bed - and trying very, very hard not to jump up and bounce like a little filly - Wildfire shrugged her shoulders, which merely served to make her bounce anyway. “I don't mind really, I would like a bit and bridle though.” Yeah, being led around on the reins had been fun.

“I will start with that then.” Tempest replied as she pulled a ruby red bridle from the toy box. “Open up.” Obediently, a few seconds later, when she opened her mouth wide, Tempest slid in the bit to the crease of her mouth as she pulls the bridle over Wildfire’s head the yellow mare could feel the weight of the reins. “Comfy?”

“Yuppers! That’s great, Honey.” Wildfire smiled in reply just as she felt Tempest start looping a length of rope around her little body. Now, the blind pony had her share of being tied up over the years, by ponies of varying skill and intent, and if she was being very critical she’d have said Tempest was amateurish at best, but she wasn’t and it was making her feel secure and safe.

“You know that Mapper doesn't call Airmail and I Pets?” Tempest said casually as she wove the rope around Wildfire’s barrel, creating the first of the diamonds in her fur.

“Um…I noticed that, yeah.”

“Hmhmm…” Tempest mumbled a little, using her mouth in the absence of magic to weave the tortoise shell around her lover. “She still loves us. You don't have to be her Pet, and she will still love you. Do you understand?”

“I do,” Wildfire nodded, “I liked being her Pet though.”

“Okay,” Tempest shrugged, “It is your choice and I support your choice. When we are here at home you can be my Pet if you like.”

“Can I, really, can I?”

“You can indeed, my lovely Pet.” Tempest offered her a delicate little kiss and she started to tighten up the ropes, although they are not anywhere as tight as they were yesterday with Mapper, they were sufficient for purpose. “How does that feel?” she asked as she inspected the bondage, testing its tightness for blood flow.

Wildfire shivered as she flexed herself against the encompassing ropes. “Honey, that feels great!”

“Would, ah, would you like to go for a walk?” The violet mare asked, taking up the reins in her wingtip with a gentle tug, “With me, around the lake? It is only about two miles of trails.”

Now Wildfire did bounce a little, “I'd love to go out for a walk!” She walked off the bed with the gentle tug of the reins, grinning excitedly.

“Okay.” Tempest smiled. She could do this, easy, right? Nothing to it. “So, do you want me to lead you or do you want to walk beside you?”

“Hmm…walk beside me if you like, I don't mind, Honey.”

‘Oh thank Luna for that!’, “I wasn't sure with the reins.” Tempest eyed them apprehensively, unsure if she was ready to really take the role. “I've seen Serenity and Mapper lead you. I can hold the reins if you like, but I'd rather walk side by side.”

“That's okay, I can do side by side.”

“Cool.” Tempest breathed an audible sigh of relief, “I'll show you where Mapper and Serenity live on the other side of the lake.”

“Honey, you don't want to lead me like Mistress did, do you?” Wildfire asked as she followed Tempest’s sandalwood scent back down the stairs to the great room.

“I will, Wily.” Tempest sighed, loud enough to be heard as she hoofed open the back door that lead to the oak tree and the vegetable patch, and beyond that, the dirt path that wove around the lake. “It just seems odd to me though, see I like to walk with my friends and my lovers.” When Wildfire followed her outside, she gave her a loving kiss, “I also understand pet play too. That is why I asked. We can do pet play, I'm okay with that.”

“That's alright,” Wildfire smiled, feeling the grass of the garden beneath her hooves brush against her soles. “I don't want you doing something you're not okay with.”

That earned her another sigh, one of mild frustration this time. “Love, I am okay with it.” Tempest put her violet hoof on Wildfire’s shoulder. “I just don't do pet play often as Mapper enjoys that a lot. I want you to feel as beautiful as you are. Do you like others to see you walking with me holding your reins or walking behind me holding your reins, or not holding them at all?”

Wildfire cocked her head, deep in thought for a moment. “I um…I'd like to walk beside you with the reins please. I know I'm new to this whole pet play thing, but it's familiar too, y'know? At the home, they, the wardens I mean, didn't treat me the same as Mistress but it was quite similar.”

“I love you and I want to treat you with respect.” Tempest buried her frustration under a smile as she hoofed open the gate that lead on to the dirt path out the back. “I also want to please you, and if being my Pet does that, then my Pet you will be.” Taking the reins in her mouth, the weather captain led Wildfire out on to the path and then looped them around her neck.

“Thanks Honey.” Wildfire grinned as she walked, feeling the ground change beneath her hooves from grass to dirt. “It’s just what I'm used to. Everything's changed so much so fast that it feels like I haven’t touched the ground yet.”

Tempest kissed her again. “Walk with me then.” She started along the dirt path, opting for a counter-clockwise direction around what was a huge circuit with the mile wide lake in the centre. “Wily, I know you've had a lot happen to you at the care home, but now you are free. If you liked some of the things at the home, you can still do them. If you don't like them you don't have to do them.”

As she walked, Wildfire turned her head this way and that, taking in the many varied sounds and scents around the lake. She could hear bugs chirping, birds singing. She resolved to learn what species they were by their songs. She could smell the fruit on the trees that bore them and the blossom on trees that did not. And, though it was late morning, she could still smell and feel the dew on the wet fresh grass. “Y'know,” she said presently after a few moments of silence, “Earlier in the Mare's Room…I didn’t want to go to sleep, I fought it off for ages and ages.”

“Are you okay sleeping with others, or do you want to sleep in your own room?” Tempest asked, glad her irritation was quickly flooding out of her hooves with each therapeutic step along their route.

“I'm okay sleeping on my own, that's how it was in my cell back at the home.” Wildfire paused on the path as she was sure she smelt daffodils, maybe even bluebells. “It’s silly Honey, I know it is, but I put off sleeping cos I didn’t want to wake up in my cell and yesterday be a dream.” She laughed a hollow laugh as she scuffed the path with her hoof just so she could smell the fresh dirt smell. “Now look at me, I'm scared to go to sleep.”

“Then the three of us will sleep together and you can sleep in the middle and it will be a snuggle fest.” Tempest leant in and gave the blind pony a tender kiss all along her cheek. She was just beginning to appreciate what all this meant to her, how momentous it was just to walk along a path she took for granted, to do anything without the fear of being hurt. “Welcome to your new life and this isn't…” she reached over and tweaked Wildfire’s skin just at the base of the back of her neck with a hoof-like pinch. “This isn't a dream.”

Walking along, the yellow mare returned the kiss, “I'd like to be in the middle, then I'll know you're both there…” she was about to say something else when she felt the pinch and, because it was more unexpected than in any way painful, she squealed playfully, “Ow! Oowie…dreams don’t pinch!”

“You must not be dreaming then.” The violet mare shrugged in an innocent tone, then as they rounded a corner of the water she saw something that gave her an idea. “There are lots of ducks on the lake, would you like to go feed them?”

“Ooh! Yuppers! Please, let’s feed them, Honey!”

“Okay, okay we can do that,” Tempest said in the manner of a parent calming an over-excited filly being taken on an outing. Walking together along the path, the two mares made their way towards the community entrance and then they turned down a side walk to the lake proper. “We will cross a smooth path, which is for the bikes.” She called out just as the surface changed. The next path is pebblier for walking. It is closer to the lake.”

Wildfire walked alongside the larger, older pegasus, trying her best to take in every sensation she was subjected to, when the best one yet presented itself. “Hmm…” she sighed as she breathed in through her nose, “The water smells nice doesn’t it, all clean and fresh.”

“It is a very nice lake.” Tempest had to agree there. “One end has a swimming area if you like to swim. In the winter we ice skate on the lake.”

Again, the blind pony turned her head about, sniffing and flicking her ears as she did so. “Honey…everything smells so nice here.” She sighed happily, absorbing it all. “It just 'feels' comfy. I think I might have a swim another day.” Unable to contain herself, she performed a little happy prance as she walked, grinning a wide smile the whole time.

“Feel this,” Tempest said after a moment, directing Wildfire’s hoof to one of the many bird feeding stations dotted around the lake. “It's a bit coin and gives you a double hoof-full of food for the birds.” The violet mare put in a bit and helped Wildfire get the paper bag full of food. “They will come to you.” She commented quickly, pre-empting the next question. “The feeding machine is like a can opener to a cat.”

Feeling the feeding station, Wildfire quickly found the slot for the coin and slipped it in, noting how it made a distinctive whir and a click as it deposited the feed in her hoof. She understood straight away what Tempest had meant about them coming to her. The moment she had heard the whir, she had noted the quaking of what sounded like an army of ducks as they began to gather around her. “They sound hungry, Honey.” She smiled as she tossed a bit of the feed and heard the webbed feet scrabble for it. “Dinner time, duckies!”

“They are always hungry, I think.”

“Then I'll always feed them.” Said Wildfire, tossing more feed to the assembled hoard.

Tempest threw her own hoof-full of feed, grinning at Wildfire’s enthusiasm. “Now you can come here anytime you want.”

“I think you'll know where to find me if I'm not at home.”

“Okay,” Tempest grinned as she threw the rest of her feed, “I'll check here first, but a note on my laptop would be nice.”

“Of course I'll leave a note, Honey.” Wildfire replied, almost overwhelmed by the thought she could come and go from this wonderful spot as she saw fit, whenever the idea took her. She threw the rest of her feed and turned to face the violet pegasus. “It’s a nice place too for thinking of new poems I think.”

“It is a nice place,” Tempest agreed, “You'll meet some of the neighbours sometimes too. A few are watching now I think because of the lovely dress you are wearing.”

“I hope they like my outfit,” Wildfire giggled behind her hoof.

“Ponies are different everywhere.” Tempest shrugged as she waved a hoof in greeting to the mare and stallion who lived a few doors away from them. “We live here because it is a friendly neighbourhood.”

“Well…I think you made a good choice.”

“Not all of Manehatten is like this.” Tempest commented quickly, “Still we can have fun, can't we, Pet?” She giggled as they continued around to the far side of the lake. “It will be hard to describe getting to Mappers place. Here at this end is the boat dock. You should feel the road crossing the path.”

“Yeah, the surface feels different under my hooves, is this the road?”

“Yes,” Tempest commented with a nod of her head, “They have to wait for bikers and walkers and seldom does anyone bring a boat to the lake anyways.” The two mares continued their walk until Tempest paused at another intersection. “This is the point where we would turn away from the lake to get to Mapper’s place. She isn't right on the lake like we are.” She smiled as she turned off the main dirt path to go to Mapper and Serenity’s house. “Both are at work right now, but we can go to the house if you like?” Getting no reply she glanced at the yellow mare, “Wily? Wily!?”

Next to Tempest, Wildfire had let her mind wander to her foal as she walked along, entirely not listening to a word Tempest had said for the last five minutes. “Hmm? What…oh…oh sorry, Honey I um…I was miles away,” she said with a definite blush that almost matched the ruby red bridle. “I um, I do tend to drift from time to time. It ah…it would be nice to go to their place.”

“What were you thinking?”

Still blushing fit to combust, Wildfire said, “I was playing with my foal in the grass, feeding the ducks with her. Everyday things like feeding her, changing her, her first day of school, just stuff like that.” The diminutive pegasus lowered her head towards the ground. “I’m sorry, it was rude of me.”

Giggling, Tempest lightly bopped Wildfire’s nose with her hoof. “It was rude to not share that lovely thought. Selfish little mare keeping it all to yourself like that.”

“I’m sorry, Honey.” Wildfire scuffed the floor, afraid she was really in trouble.

“Wily, I still love you and you're forgiven.” Tempest said with a giggle. “We all want your dream to come true too.” She smiled, naming the streets they passed as they walked the two blocks from the lake and approached Mapper’s place.

Wildfire giggled as she walked along, paying attention to the street names that Tempest called out, in case she ever needed directions. “You might not forgive me after a few two a.m. night feeds.”

“I'll help you if you let me have a sample of milk.” Tempest snickered, “Mare's Milk products are great, but it is better warm from the source.”

“It’s all yours whenever you want, you'll have to share with the foal though.”

The violet mare laughed, “I bet the foal will be greedy and not share with me at all.” She snickered as they finally got to where they were going. “This is Mapper’s place. It is a detached standalone home, but a bit smaller than our townhouse. Has a master bedroom and a smaller one, like ours, but it has a decent sized basement similar to Caffy’s place.” Tempest finished off as she gave Wildfire the address of the house.

“Oh, I'm sure she'll share with her Aunt Tempest.” Wildfire snickered as she took note of the address that Tempest gave her.

“You think I'll make a good Auntie?”

“I think you'll all make good Aunts to my filly.”

“Wily…when you have the foal…” Tempest started hesitantly as she nudged her lover back towards the lake, not really sure how to phrase the next question, and not wanting to put any pressure on it. “Will you still want to work, or will you stay home and raise the foal?”

“I'll stay home and raise her.” Wildfire answered straight away without needing to think about it.

“If our herd were to have a second foal, would you help raise that one too?” Asked Tempest as they once again took the dirt path to the lake.

“Honey, I'll tell you a not-very-secret secret.” Wildfire giggled as they walked along. “I love foals. I'll happily raise any number of them if I have the chance.”

Pausing on the path, Tempest wrapped her forelegs around the smaller mare’s neck and gave her a hug. “Serenity would like a foal, but she cannot quit her job and didn't want to send the foal to day care.”

Smiling, Wildfire returned the hug and slipped in a gentle nuzzle for good measure. “Serenity would be an awesome mum, and I'd be happy to help raise her foal.” She paused then as her tone dropped from happy to something a lot darker. “Honey I wouldn’t ever send mine to any kind of care place. They're bad!” She accentuated her point with a stamp of her hoof. “All of them are bad! They'll all hurt you in the end!”

“Wily…” Tempest tightened her hug, “I don't want the foals raised outside the herd either, but not all places are bad. Still, our home is better than any place else.”

“They tell you they'll take care of you!” Wildfire carried on along her little tangent, not listening to what Tempest had said, “Like they told my dad they'd take care of me! I swear I'm not letting my filly out of my...” she shuddered, all her anger evaporating as she realised what she was about to say. “Out of my…my sight.” Wildfire slumped her shoulders and sighed deeply. “You know what I mean.”

Tempest continued to hold the little yellow mare as tight as she could. “None of us will, Wily. Your foal will only know love with us.”

“Yuppers…yes she will.” Wildfire’s tone became melancholy. “Not that my dad gave a flying buck either way, just as long as the embarrassing cripple was out of his mane and he could drink.”

Tempest released the hug, her stormy temper flaring instantly from nothing. “Stop it! You stop it right now!” She jabbed her hoof into the yellow mare’s chest. “You are Wildfire. You are a wonderful and beautiful pegasus!”

“Y-Yeah...” Wildfire sniffed, rubbing her chest with her wing, “You've helped me remember that. I-I’m sorry, that was bad of me.”

“I don't care a flying feather what your dad thinks,” Tempest started, “But I do care what you think. Please, Wily, please don't belittle yourself.”

Wildfire nodded, her head still pointing downwards. “It's hard y'know? I had it drilled into me for years that I was useless, pointless, just there to serve and do as I was told. That…that just doesn’t go away overnight. I really wish it did.”

“Well then, Wildfire,” Tempest smiled as she recovered her composure, “I'll just have to drill into you that you are useful, beautiful, and that your herd is proud of you.” She bent her head down to kiss the sniffling mare’s lips.

“Yes Honey, you will.” Wildfire giggled in the kiss, her mood lifted. “I'll try and be a quick study.”

“All we can ask of you.” Tempest said firmly as she continued on around the lake and back towards their home. “During the day there is a life guard at the swimming end of the lake. If you bring the foals let them know and they will help you watch over them. If you bring them out at night, make sure to bring one of us with you.”

“Sure, Honey.” Wildfire smiled, picturing the happy scene in her head as they trotted around the lake. “I'll bring them out at night when they wake up, at least then they won’t wake up the whole house with the crying.” As they made their way around the lake, Wildfire could hear the happy joyous sounds of adults and foals playing in the water. Stopping for a moment and listening, she took in the sounds of the families playing. “I want my filly to make noises like that, Stormy.”

Carrying on around the bottom end of the lake, Tempest giggled. “We can always tickle her.”

Sniggering, Wildfire nodded, “Sounds like a plan.”

Presently, after another twenty minutes or so of enjoying the pleasant walk in the late morning sun, the two mares ended up back at the townhouse where they had started. Opening the gate Tempest steered Wildfire past the oak tree now on their left and up to the back door. “We have about two hours before we have to go.” The weather captain said as she let them in to the kitchen. “Would you like to take a nap?”

Trotting inside, Wildfire smiled. “Yeah actually, a nap would be nice.” A thought struck her on the way to the stairs leading up to the bedroom. “Honey, do you think Mistress will still want me as her Pet when I'm carrying?”

At the top of the stairs Tempest turned and nuzzled Wildfire tenderly. “Mistress Mapper loves you Wily. You will be her Pet as long as you wish to be her Pet.” The violet mare giggled as she led the way to the master bedroom. “You might be able to get away with a bit more naughtiness when you're pregnant, but she will remember.”

“I'll not push my luck.” Wildfire smiled, a smile that widened when her hoof tapped the edge of the bed. “So, nap?”

Tempest nodded, “Together.”

~ ~ ~

It was early afternoon, not long past mid-day when the alarm clock buzzed its loud discordant alarm throughout the master bedroom of Tempest’s, Airmail’s and now Wildfire’s home. It was a split second later that Wildfire decided she had a new enemy in her life as the infernal contraption continued to buzz away. ‘Go away! Buck off!’ she thought sluggishly, rolling over in the large comfortable bed.

Next to the yellow mare, Tempest untangled herself from her lover’s limbs and with a swipe of her violet wing silenced the alarm that’d had the impertinence to wake them both up. “Time for me to go to work Wily.” She said loudly to the pegasus shaped lump under the duvet. “Will you come with me?”

“Uh…ugh...a few more minutes, Ameth…” jerking herself up just before she finished that awful name Wildfire woke with a start, fighting her way out of the duvet like a large yellow butterfly emerging from an impossibly warm and comfortable cocoon. “Uh, oh…I'm up! I am, honest.” Amidst a torrent of giggles from her lover she slid off of the bed and stretched her legs. “Yuppers, I'll go with you, Honey.”

Scooting around the foot of the bed, Tempest stole a kiss, “Great stuff! Have you moved clouds before?”

Grumbling at her muscles that popped when she stretched, Wildfire returned the kiss with one of her own. “Yeah, I used them to put out fires sometimes. Captain Hot Spot would send me off to the weather factory in the Industrial District to get clouds as and when we needed them. “It’s been a while though.”

“Are you willing to work with another pegasus or do you want to just work with me?” Tempest asked as she gave her feathers a cursory inspection after her slumber.

“I'll work with somepony else, you can’t hold my wing all the time, right?”

“Okay then,” Tempest smiled, impressed at Wildfire’s determination. “I'll put you with Lieutenant Frost. He does excellent training and he will have you moving clouds. I need to cover the whole area so I'll be out of reach a lot of the time.”

Accustomed to being moved around different handler ponies, Wildfire merely shrugged. “I'll be fine Honey, don't worry about me.”

Again, Tempest placed a tender kiss on the little yellow mare’s lips. “Wily, my job is worry. That way the other ponies don't have to.” Then she gave a little giggle. “Need to use the bathroom before we go?”

Almost on cue at the mention of the word ‘bathroom’, Wildfire’s bladder requested it be emptied, rather expediently too. Squeezing her hind legs together with a giggle, she said, “Now you mention it, yeah I do.”

“Well, you know the way.” Tempest smiled as she made her way out of the master bedroom and made her way down the stairs. “I'll wait for you at the front door.”

“Alrighty, I got this.” Wildfire trotted off to the bathroom which was adjacent to the bedroom. Such a good mood was she in as she used the toilet and took care of her business she was humming her little happy tune the whole time. In fact she was half way through the first verse a second time as she carefully walked down the stairs, using her wingtip as a guide and counting off the thirteen steps until she hit the main floor.

As soon as Wildfire joined Tempest outside on the sidewalk in front of their white front door, the violet pegasus flicked her black tail between her hind legs and let a little trickle of her urine wet her tail through. “Wily, we’ve got about twenty miles to fly to get to the meet up location for the battalion.” Waving her tail under Wildfire’s nose, the weather captain flared her wings and crouched. “Let's fly.”

Once the two mares were in the air and flying towards the meeting point, Wildfire gave voice to a concern that was worrying her. “Um…Honey, I’m sorry you have to go to work with a wet tail.”

In response, Tempest merely giggled, “I don't mind, Wily. It is standard training.”

Wildfire blushed slightly behind Tempest, very grateful her new herd-mate was so accommodating. “I know you don’t but, surely there's gotta be a better way of me getting around, not that I mind following you I mean…”

“This is the best way for following, but Requiem said something about a portable GPS so we can work on that later.” Tempest called back over her shoulder, “I thought the three of us could go shopping tomorrow downtown.”

Wildfire’s squee told the weather captain all she needed to know. “Shopping!” The look of pure delight on her face just confirmed it.

“Yes, shopping.” Tempest giggled as she led the little yellow mare in a wide bank to stay on course. “Because you need some sexy socks!”

“Green ones?” Wildfire asked, thinking of the forest green lingerie she had worn yesterday on the parade and later in the day. “Oooh…purple! Purple would look good with yellow fur, Honey.”

Again Tempest giggled, “Maybe green and purple stripes?”

“Are you sexying me up?” Wildfire asked with a wide happy smile on her face as she felt the breeze flow over her wings and her fur. “Good job I like to look pretty for you.”

“You are beautiful all the time, Wily.” Tempest affirmed gently, “But clothing does add to the excitement.”

“I know, Honey.” Wildfire said as she adjusted her course just slightly. “I'll be beating them off this flank you just watch.”

“Good girl.” Tempest grinned as they flew onwards through the city of Manehatten. Every other minute or so she would greet a pony who flew past them on the way as the weather battalion gathered together. Behind her, she heard Wildfire hum a tune, a tune she’d heard a few times since she’d met her yesterday. She’d noticed the yellow mare would hum it when she seemed happy. Tempest had tried to place it but she just couldn’t. So, she asked, “Wily, are there words to that song you hum?”

“Oh, this tune?” Wildfire sounded surprised, “It’s called 'prettiest eyes'. It’s by a Canterlot based band called the Beautiful South. It was a favourite of my mums before she died.”

Tempest nodded, “When we get back home can you sing it to me?”

“I'd be happy to, Honey.” Wildfire smiled a smile that reached her voice. “Though I'll apologise in advance for my lousy singing voice. Y’know, most of the time I don’t realise I'm humming it, I just do it when I'm happy.”

“I'm happy you're happy,” Tempest started as she reached the meet up point for the battalion of weather ponies. “But, now we are here it’s time to start work.” Slowing to a hover atop the substantial Cumulus cloud, Tempest turned to Wildfire. “Will you hover next to me please?”

“Of course.” Recognising the shift in Tempest’s tone from casual every day to formal business, Wildfire shut up humming and slowed to a hover, positioning herself next to the violet pegasus.

“Battalion, attention!” Tempest called out loudly. “First I'd like to introduce Wildfire.” She indicated the hovering blind pony with her right forehoof. “She is with Airmail and I in every sense of the word.” Eyeing the assembled leaders of her teams, she barked, “Commanders report!”

As Wildfire raised her hoof in greeting to what she assumed was a large gathering of pegasi, reports came in from various quarters of how many of the weather teams were absent and why.

Surveying her battalion with no small amount of pride, Tempest ordered, “We have seven hundred and fifty square miles of rain to produce for two inches total over the next three hours.” Turning to a sky blue pegasus pony with white patches on his hooves, Tempest beckoned him closer. “Captain Dew, I need to speak with Lieutenant Frost.” Then, at her louder ‘work voice’, ordered, “Commanders take charge of your companies and let’s see some rain!”

Mere moments later, after Captain Dew had departed for his company, a pure white stallion whose coat was flecked with little diamonds of icy blue flew up and saluted smartly. “Lieutenant Frost reporting, Ma'am.”

“Greetings, Lieutenant.” Tempest returned the salute. “This is my companion Wildfire.”

“Hello, Wildfire.” Frost returned the offered hoof bump with a pleasant smile as the breeze blew his icy blue mane. “May I ask what happened to your eyes?”

“Oh yeah, sure,” Wildfire replied as she turned her head to the sound of Frost’s voice. From the sound of it he was a lifelong Manehatten native. “It was an accident with acids back in university.”

Tempest interjected, “Wildfire here has worked with clouds for fire suppression before.” She explained, “She is getting back into the swing of things.”

“Understood, Major. I take it Wildfire knows your scent?” He asked, and as Tempest nodded ‘yes’, Frost maneuvered himself so that he put his icy blue tail between his superior’s hind legs and allowed her to wet it with a trickle of her urine. Once he was happy his – now distinctly yellow tinted – tail was sufficiently coated in Tempest’s scent Frost turned his back to Wildfire and made sure she caught it. “Okay Wildfire you're with me.” He said loudly and clearly. “We have duty in this area to put a storm together. Fifth company is bringing and handing off clouds to us for placement.”

“Alrighty,” Wildfire smiled as she got the heady scent in the back of her nose. “I'll follow your lead, just point me in the direction of the clouds.”

“Later Major,” Frost nodded to Tempest before spreading his wings and taking off from the Cumulus cloud. “Meet you when the storm has been dispersed.” Steadily he flew back to his platoon. “Sergeant Spring Rain, you have the company. I'll be observing and conducting training.”

Smelling the shifting scent in front of her, Wildfire took off and flew straight and level after Frost.

“Sir, yes Sir!” Spring Rain, an optimistic blue / grey pegasus with a pure white mane, saluted sharply as Frost and Wildfire approached the waiting platoon. “Okay ponies, let’s get it together!”

Wildfire then heard the sounds of lots of wings flapping as the rest of the platoon hastened to carry out their given orders. “Did you do cloud groups or lone clouds for fire suppression?” Frost asked.

“Um, it was lone clouds mostly.” Wildfire replied as she cast her mind back.

“Okay then, here we will be building a storm, so you need to feel when you've connected with another cloud.” Frost’s Manehatten accent explained to her as he took off again. “Follow me and I'll get you started.” With the blind mare following close behind him, Lieutenant Frost flew and looped around in the sky. “Okay Wildfire, your first cloud is thirty feet in front of you. You'll need to push it at this altitude for about a mile. There will be a guide pony above you when you reach the connection zone. Just follow the directions from there. I'll be back to get you to your next cloud.”

Nodding she understood the instructions she had been given, Wildfire flew straight forward with her yellow hooves outstretched until she touched the cloud. Smiling and gripping it with her forehooves she pushed it forward. 'Feels like old times, cloud.' She thought with a giggle, except this time she wasn’t flying towards a burning night club.

The guide pony hovering in place watched with some amusement as the small blind mare approached the connection zone. Once Wildfire had the cloud within a hundred feet of the destination the bright red guide pegasus overhead gave her last minute manoeuvre instructions to place the cloud inch perfect. With that done the guide released her to go get another cloud.

Hovering in place, Wildfire noted that Frost wasn't back yet from wherever he had gone to. Raising her muzzle, the yellow pegasus sniffed all around her for Tempest's scent. ‘What should I do now?’ She thought when she didn’t pick up any familiar scents. At a loss, she decided to hover in place, waiting for Frost to return. Noticing the blind mare hovering, the guide pony called out, “You there, drop fifty feet and go get another cloud!”

“Alrighty!” Happy with something to do, Wildfire descended down through what she estimated to be fifty feet, feeling for the next cloud as she went.

“What in Tartarus are you doing?” The bright red guide pony called, wondering just that very same thing as she watched the yellow mare drop down. “Can't you see that...that…” her voice trailed off as she realised who it was. Major Tempest had radioed her that a blind mare was joining them this afternoon. She just assumed she was joking. “Wait, you're Wildfire, right?”

“Yuppers, that's me!” She called back.

“Now that you've dropped down out of the way, fly back the mile to where fifth company is handing over clouds.” She ordered clearly, “Somepony there will get you squared away.”

“Alrighty, thanks!” Wildfire turned and flew back the way she had come.

Frost was decidedly impressed as he watched Wildfire flying back towards him. Her spatial awareness was to be complimented. “Welcome back. Now, go another one hundred feet straight, and then up fifty feet you'll be behind the next cloud you need to push.” The white stallion hovered over and put a hoof on her shoulder. “Sorry I got distracted by a minor emergency. You're doing great!”

Wildfire smiled and patted the white hoof with her own. “Thanks Frost, it’s nice to be useful doing something again.” Without waiting for a reply she flew off as she was directed, guessing her altitude and feeling for the cloud as she went along. After a few moments she felt the bottom of the cloud graze the tips of her ears as she flew just underneath it. “Hmph!” She exclaimed, feeling the cloud above her, she flew up and turns around before gripping the cloud with her forehooves. ‘Would be easier if I could see…’ despite grumbling, she flew off with the cloud, thoroughly enjoying being busy.

When she got back, a different guide pegasus had her position the cloud just so, and before she could send her off again, the smell Tempest's urine-soaked tail hit her nose and she sniffed to get its location. Picking it up, she flew off in search of the delicious scent.

“You are doing really well, Wildfire.” Frost called out before the yellow pony could embarrass herself by shouting for Tempest. “You've overcome your handicap nicely.” The white blue flecked stallion nudged her gently with his hoof. “We're moving over to sector three now.”

“Thanks Frost, I do my best.” Wildfire smiled as they flew one after the other the two mile stretch of sky to sector three where they repeated what they had done before. While all around her she heard various pegasus ponies grumbling about how much the work sucked, Wildfire was loving shunting the clouds around to where they were needed for the storm.

Fifty minutes of cloud pushing later, Frost flew up with a grin. He had decided to stop being impressed by the yellow mare. “Okay, now for the next phase.” Flying upwards, Frost led Wildfire up about one thousand feet and then horizontally in the direction that she had been pushing clouds.

“What's next, Frost?”

“Cloud bouncing, like for your fire suppression, only not all at once.” Frost explained. “We need two thirds of an inch per hour for the next three hours. Bouncing shifts are thirty minutes on and thirty minutes off. I'll help you get started so we have the right amount of rainfall.”

“Okies, Frost. I can do that.”

“Good, rest time for you.” Frost smiled as they flew through the late afternoon sky. “Just relax on the cloud, the bouncing actually make it feel nice, sort of like a vibrating bed.”

“Yuppers, I could do with a rest, actually.” After all the flying she had just done, Wildfire was acutely aware that her tortured abused wings were starting to really hurt her, especially the newer scars. “My wings are getting a little stiff.”

“No problem, Wildfire, you can relieve me.” In silence they flew for roughly another fifteen minutes, until Frost began to descend. “Okay, down a hundred feet to the cloud top.”

Dropping down the hundred feet to the cloud surface, Wildfire folded her aching wings away the very second her hooves made contact. “Aaah that’s soooo nice!”

“When I start, feel my vibrations.” Frost said as he landed next to the sighing mare. “Takes a bit of practice to get the right fall rate. If it works out there should be no cloud left when we are done.” He laughed out loud, “It never works out though.”

From somewhere off to her left Wildfire heard Tempest’s loud commanding voice ring out. “Battalion! Commence rain!”

“I can do it,” Wildfire smiled, “Honey's given me a job to do, I’m not gonna let her down.” As she laid down on the cloud she heard the order repeated many times over by the other Captains and their Lieutenants, and from her laid down position she could feel Frost starting to bounce on the cloud and she had to admit, it did feel good laying on it. “That does feel nice, Frost.”

She felt a pony land next to her on the cloud. “Hello love, enjoying your job at the waterworks?” Tempest asked.

“Yuppers! It’s pretty cool.” Wildfire replied with a smile. “I fluffed a bit when I flew under a cloud but I sorted it. I’m just resting the wings while we bounce.”

Trotting over, the violet mare lowered her head and nuzzled Wildfire’s cheek. “Enjoy your break then. Going well with Frost?”

Returning the nuzzle, the diminutive yellow mare couldn’t help but smile. “They're fine, really. They just get achy, cos, y'know, stuff that makes them ache.” She commented, not wanting to go into details here but hoping Tempest would get it. “Frost's fine, he's great to fly with.”

“Good, enjoy your bouncing.” Tempest gave her lover a little kiss. “I have to check up on the other companies and gauge the fall rate.”

Wildfire lifted her head and kissed her back. “Go, go do work stuff, I'll be okay.”

With that, Tempest flew off and for the next thirty minutes Wildfire laid down into the cloud and spread her wings so that the heavenly vibrations from Frost’s bouncing went straight through the undersides of her tired aching sore wings. Presently Frost stopped. “Your turn, Wildfire.”

“Alrighty!” Getting up from the cloud, Wildfire started bouncing on the surface of the cloud just like she used to when she was with the Canterlot Fire Team. She could feel through her hooves the makeup of the Cumulus change ever so slightly with each bounce she released rain from it. “So, Frost, what’s Hon...I mean, Tempest like as a boss?”

Taking his place sitting on the cloud in front of Wildfire, Frost considered his answer. “She’s well organized, fair, shares the glory and takes the blame.”

Wildfire smiled, “Can’t beat that, sounds like my old Captain.”

Frost continued, “Doesn't socialise much with the battalion, but I can understand that. We have our annual ball and a few other events.”

“Nice,” Wildfire bounced happily as she agitated the cloud, “Have you known her long?”

Deep in thought, Frost nodded. “She was a company commander when I joined the battalion. Not my commander. She earned the promotion to battalion commander about two years ago. Other than being a bit stand-offish I haven't heard a bad word about her.”

Smiling a wide smile, Wildfire put in, “I met her yesterday, on a visit from Canterlot.”

“Oh, I thought from your accent you were from there.” Frost commented as he laid down and snuggled into the cloud. “I visited Canterlot with my folks when I was a colt. Very pretty city.”

“Hmm…yeah...” Wildfire was just about to argue the point and fill this stallion in on just what went on under the surface of that ‘very pretty city’, but decided this wasn’t the time or the place. “Depends where you go I guess. I'm glad I've moved.”

“Me, I love the big city life. So, you thinking of doing weather duty or returning to emergency work?”

“I’m not sure really. I'd like to go back to firefighting, I enjoyed that, but this is fun too.” Wildfire grinned as she carried on her work.

“Hmhmm…something to think about if you take this job.” Frost said through a wide yawn, “They will assign you to a different battalion.”

“Will they?” Wildfire thought out loud, “Well not too fussed there,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “As long as they point out the clouds.”

“The whole weather brigade is a good bunch. I'm sure you'll do fine in any battalion. Just wanted to be sure you knew. They cannot let the appearance of fraternization happen.”

“I get that, and they wouldn’t have to hold my wing all the time,” Wildfire giggled, “I just need a little help here and there.”

“Well, you did very well on that first cloud.” Frost affirmed with a smile and a stretch of his legs. “We always have somepony at the drop off and pick up points. Cloud delivery can be more taxing, but even then if you're willing to overcome your disability then we are willing to deal with it.”

“Thanks, Frost.” Wildfire smiled as she worked, “The alternative is sitting at home going crazy bored. I'd rather be doing something now I'm able to.”

“Yeah, staying active is best.” Frost chuckled, “I'm going to catch a few z's, Wildfire.”

“No problem at all, Frost, I'll keep bouncing.” For the next hour the diminutive yellow mare carried on working the cloud, keeping up the steady rhythm she had started. Very happy in herself, she first started humming her happy tune before throwing caution to the wind and singing ‘Prettiest Eyes’ out loud to the accompaniment of Frost’s snoring.

After the hour, Frost woke up, ready to take over from Wildfire. “Your turn to rest. You’ve done good work, the fall rate is looking good very good.”

“Okies!” Taking her rest, Wildfire laid down on the cloud as Frost started to bounce in her place. Ruffling her wings, she nosed her muzzle along the leading edges of her wings, pleased at least they weren’t hurting her any more.

The following two hours passed in a rather pleasant manner, with mare and stallion both taking forty minute shifts to bounce on the Cumulus cloud. The conversation was light and easy, with Wildfire and Frost comparing jobs, each of course thinking theirs was best and not allowing the other to sway them in the slightest.

Towards the end of the last shift and Wildfire was rapidly running out of cloud to bounce on, indeed she could feel it getting thinner and thinner with each strike of her hooves. Frost was awake watching the little yellow mare as she stopped bouncing when a thought struck her. “Should I keep bouncing?”

“As they say,” Frost tried hard to hide his chuckle, but failed utterly. “Good to the last bounce. So, keep at it till it’s all gone. Then, we will go to the rally point over at the Celestia State Building.”

“No probs, I got this.” It only took a few more hard bounces on the cloud before it dissipated completely, leaving the two pegasi hovering as the last drop of rain fell to the ground.

“Hmm…not bad, Wildfire.” Frost hovered over to her and congratulated the yellow pony. “Ended three minutes early!” Looking around, the white stallion saw that less than half the weather zone still had cloud cover. “Let’s get to the rally point.”

“Lead on, Frost!” As they flew on, the rest of the battalion was slowly forming up at the meeting point, coming in as and when their respective jobs were completed.

“The commander isn't here yet so you can stay with me.” Frost said from his position next to Wildfire. “We have about twenty minutes of hovering. Are you good for that?”

“Yuppers! I should be, anyway.” Wildfire smiled as she flapped her wings in the hover. “My wings don't ache any more, much…”

“This job will definitely get your wings in shape.” Frost commented with a grin.

After ten minutes hovering beside the Celestia State Building, Tempest appeared with a beaming wide smile on her violet muzzle. “Hi Wily!” She called, flying straight into a tight hug. “Was this taskmaster up to speed?”

Turning her head to face Tempest she smiled and stole a quick kiss of her lips. “He was great to fly with, and we had a good chat on the cloud.”

Okay,” Tempest grinned, “Well you can fly with me. We will get this wrapped up and go to Caffy's for some coffee.”

“Coffee sounds awesomes!” Wildfire gushed like a filly as Tempest pulled away from the hug but stayed close.

Taking her place in front of the battalion, the violet mare called the assembled pegasi to attention. “Battalion! Attention! Commanders, report!” Tempest waited patiently while reports from the different sectors came in on the fall amount and any injuries that had been sustained. “Very good.” She said once all the reports had come in. “Company commanders take charge!” As the large group broke up into its subsidiaries, Tempest turned back to the hovering yellow mare. “Okay Wily that is the end of the official business, now for coffee.”

“Coffee…you are a goddess!” Wildfire smiled as she followed Tempest’s lead. “I'm ready, Honey.”

As they flew through the city towards Caffeinated’s coffee shop, Tempest took the time to explain just how flight in the streets was controlled by coloured zones for direction and altitude. She also appreciated just how difficult this system would be for Wildfire to adhere to, being as she was, blind. “Hmm…maybe the GPS thing that Requiem mentioned will help you with that. Otherwise it might be better for you to use the subway or walk.”

“I am interested in this GPS, Honey.” Wildfire replied as they began a gliding descent to the ground. “I've found that's what is giving me the most trouble, trying to guess the height I’m flying at.”

It wasn’t long at all before the two mares landed safely on the sidewalk outside of Stripe’s Cup of Java at twenty five minutes past six in the p.m., following the cessation of the rainfall twenty five minutes earlier. Folding away their wings, Tempest gave Wildfire a gentle nuzzle along her cheek. “Yes, we will go looking for that tomorrow and we’ll do some research on it first thing in the morning, promise.”