The Lost Firefly

"Are you ready to go?" Pinkie Pie said worrisomely as Firefly answered the door.

Firefly looked pale and sick. Her mane was tied in knots that couldn't be fixed with one swoop of a brush. Pinkie saw a bit of puke dripping off of her chin. Looking her up and down, the pink earth pony tried to keep a smile on her face.

"Cheer up!" She chuckled, wiping the green off of Firefly. "I'll be with you every step of the way!"

She felt like saying that reassured Firefly, but the poor mare couldn't shake the feeling that her mother might hypnotise her into doing something bad... Or worse... She nodded her head, slowly and painfully, then reached to the side to grab some headache pills. Downing two of the tablets, she followed Pinkie out of her house and through the streets of Ponyville.

Everyone that crossed her path knew that something was up. It was obvious that Firefly was tired, and every-so-often ponies could see her throw up in her mouth. Firefly kept repeating possible scenarios where her mother could make her do something she doesn't want to in her mind. Wiping crust out of her eyes, she soon realised she was at the Ponyville train station.

"Why're we here..?" Firefly sleepily groaned.

"StitchedHeart is on the top of the list of Equestria's most wanted." Pinkie explained. "So when they found out her identity and caught her, she was put in the most guarded prison; the Canterlot prison."

"Oh..." Firefly shook her head to wake her up a little. "Hey, do you have any... Caffeine?"

"No, but there's a coffee shop in Canterlot we can go to!" Pinkie laughed. "I'm not allowed any, though, or I'll get kicked out."

"What happened..?" Firefly asked.

The train to Canterlot came. On the way, Pinkie told her about her incident at the coffee shop, and why she was banned from it. Firefly seemed to have been cheered up a lot by the story, and even laughed more then she usually does. It has been the happiest Pinkie had ever seen her. Her smile died down when they arrived at Canterlot, though.

After going to the coffee shop, Firefly was ready to meet her mother. The espresso she had perked her up and she regained most of her energy that was thrown into the toilet when she was puking. The pair of earth ponies arrived at the Canterlot jail, looking up at the massive stone block building in awe.

Upon entering, Firefly saw tons of guards swarming the place from top to bottom. Going to the receptionist, all Firefly had to do was say her name and she was allowed through. However, Pinkie Pie wasn't. Firefly felt a lump in her neck when her friend was pulled behind, but continued when Pinkie told her that she would be waiting outside. Firefly was led by guards into a room with a visiting booth.

After waiting for a few moments, StitchedHeart was pulled into a chair on the other side of the booth. Her mane was in knots, her eyes were dilated, her fur coat was messy and dusty, and the grin on her face made it hard to believe she was even alive. She looked dead. Firefly looked at her up and down, analysing her every move.

"Hello daughter." Stitched cackled. Her voice wasn't as posh as it used to be, but more deep and weak.

"Yeah, some mother you are." Firefly snapped. "There are guards here, so don't try anything."

"Wasn't planning on it." StitchedHeart giggled evilly. "Am I not aloud to see my own daughter?"

"Don't call me your daughter." Firefly yelled. She almost startled the guards behind her. "Riddle me this; why are you alive? The death penalty should have expired by now. You should be dead."

"Maybe." StitchedHeart chuckled. "But it keeps getting postponed due to... 'Unknown' reasons."

Firefly looked at the guards behind Stitched. "I see." She looked back at her mom. "Well, I can't wait until you burn in Tartarus where you belong."

"Oh, what's the matter with you?" The unicorn joked. "Hate your mother that much? My turn to ask questions now; how did you escape the orphanage?"

Firefly paused. "How did you know about that?"

"They told me everything that happened to you when you where in the orphanage." She explained. "Whenever you were punished, or being disobedient... And then you escaped somehow."

"I'm smarter then you know, StitchedHeart." Firefly smirked. "And I'm stronger now."

StitchedHeart grinned. "Got your cutiemark, then?"

The earth pony froze. "Um..."

"No?" StitchedHeart's eyes widened. "Good. Now that I know where you are, I can help you get it."

"Help me?" Firefly shot her eyes back towards the guards and leaned backwards a little. "How are you going to help me? And how did you even know I was in Ponyville?"

"I cast a spell on you the night we arrived in Ponyville." StitchedHeart told her. "So whenever you entered the town I would get a tickle on the horn. I guess I forgot to deactivate the spell. My bad."

"You bitch..." Firefly mumbled.

"Anyway, I'm going to help you get your cutiemark." Stitched leaned in towards the glass that separated the two. "I knew it had something to do with what me and your father was doing-"

"No!" Firefly bashed her hoof on the glass. "I am not like you nor Nightlight! I am not like you at all!"

"It's the family business-"

"Family business, my ass!" Firefly yelled in annoyance. "A talent is what you like to do, not what your stupid parents want you to do! Read a book, dumb-ass!"

StitchedHeart shot backwards. "You're in denial?" Stitched tilted her head. "Then what is your talent?"

"I like to bake." Firefly told her. "I have a job at a bakery. And I'm sure that I'll soon get a cutiemark because of it." She turned to the guards standing behind her. "I want to go now."

"Wait." StitchedHeart demanded. "Don't you want to know why your father killed himself?"

Firefly jerked her head to her mother, then leaned in as close as she could. "I already know why. He felt sorry for what he did. He wanted to take the easy way out." Firefly leaned back. "And you should too."

The guards pulled StitchedHeart out of the room and back into her cell, and the others led Firefly back into the reception. She thanked them, and went outside to see a pink earth pony firing a party cannon at her. She seemed excited, and when Firefly asked her what's wrong, she only replied by holding out some cupcakes she made within seconds.

On the way home, Firefly's brain was pounding to the beat of her heart. If she didn't get out of that room when she did, she would've had a heart attack. Going home was a relief, and all she wanted was a nice hot bath to soothe the aches in her muscles. Celestia was lowering the sun and Luna was rising the moon by the time she got home, and she was extremely tired. But for once she had stood up for herself against her sorry excuse for a mother, and that made her feel stronger.