If You Hear Me, Let Me Know

Spitfire sighed as she stood in the hallway of the hotel. Behind the door in front of her, she would find the two ponies that brought her into this world. The two ponies that raised her, molded her into who she was at that moment. The two ponies that abandoned her because she accepted herself for who she was. Abandoned her because she refused to hide it from the world any longer.

Two ponies who she now, all of a sudden, lacked the courage to face. She wasn't just nervous, she was terrified. Terrified of what they would think, terrified of what they would say. Terrified that this particular relationship was beyond restoration.

So terrified that she couldn't lift her hoof to knock on the door. She considered just leaving. Walking away and never looking back. It would be easier. Perhaps she was better off without them in her life. Perhaps...

"No." Spitfire told herself. She had lost too much time with them. Her parents. Despite what they did, despite how they abandoned her, she still loved them. And she missed them more than she could describe with words. She was going to restore her relationship with her parents, and she would do it right then, and right there. She steeled herself as she forced her hoof to the door. She gave the door two slow raps before putting her hoof back down. The sound of hoofsteps could be heard from inside. After a few seconds, the door slowly pulled open, revealing Spitfire's mother, an expression of pure disbelief adorning her face. Spitfire sighed.

"Hey, Mom. May...May I come in?"

Firefly just stared at her. The older mare rubbed her eyes in disbelief, and just to be sure she wasn't imagining anything, she reached out and touched Spitfire's cheek. Spitfire clasped her mother's hoof in her own. Spitfire sighed and gently pushed her mother's hoof away. She needed to remain distant, at least for a moment, if she was going to be able to say what she needed to say to her parents.

"Spitfire...I...I thought you...had made up your mind. I thought....I thought you wanted us gone." Firefly threw her hooves around Spitfire's neck and rested her head on her daughter's shoulder. To her dismay, Spitfire didn't return the favor. Firefly pulled away and locked her eyes with her daughter's. Spitfire's face seemed chiseled in stone.

"I missed you too, Mom, but we have a bit of talking to do before we start hugging each other," Spitfire responded curtly. Her voice was more aggressive than she intended it to be, and she winced after she finished speaking. Firefly sighed, but she understood. She stepped aside and ushered Spitfire inside. Spitfire nodded and stepped through the door. Ebony had already set down four cushions for the conversation he was about to have with his daughter. When he looked up, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Spitfire, I thought we..."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to start this conversation, Dad." Spitfire interjected. Ebony was taken aback, but he nodded. Proud though he was, he knew he was going to have to step down from the position of authority he liked to have if he was ever going to reconcile with his daughter.

Spitfire sat down on one of the cushions, and her parents followed suit. Spitfire noticed the empty cushion next to her.

"For Rainbow, I assume?" She noted. Firefly nodded.

"Yes...We were...hoping to talk to both of you." Firefly had to force her words out. She was overwhelmed with guilt at the mere sight of her daughter. The daughter she had willingly cast aside for no reason other than her sexual preference. She forced back her tears. Now was not the time for them. She looked to her husband and noticed he harbored a similar reaction to her own.

"Where is...your wife?" Ebony asked, shifting uncomfortably as he did so.

"She's at home, watching our son," Spitfire replied. Her words were curt, face still expressionless. Her parent's eyes opened wide, and their jaws fell to the floor.

"You...have a...son?" Ebony asked in disbelief. Spitfire nodded.

"A daughter as well, but she moved out a while ago. They're actually brother and sister, although we adopted them years apart from each other."

Ebony and Firefly's eyes began to water as blatantly unconcealed emotions conflicted within them. Joy, sorrow, pride, every emotion their daughter could have brought them over the last fifteen years. They had missed so much time with their daughter, all because of...bigotry wasn't even the right word. No, it wasn't bigotry. They could have looked past that for their own daughter.

They let their pride in themselves take hold of them. They weren't afraid to accept homosexuality, they were afraid of how the world would see them if they changed their views for one pony, even if that pony was their own daughter.

"How is...your relationship with your children?" Firefly asked hesitantly. She didn't understand why the prospect of her daughter having children was so hard for her to take, but she felt a lump forming in her throat that almost stopped her from speaking when she brought them up.

"Things are great with our daughter." Spitfire stated quickly. "She's actually getting married soon. Good colt, took him forever to finally propose though." Spitfire chuckled to herself. "Gave up his career for her. She couldn't have found a better catch if she tried."

Those last words struck home with Ebony and Firefly, and it was all they could do to hold back from sobbing. They were hearing about a colt who gave up his career, his livelihood to be with a mare, and they couldn't even change their ways to keep their daughter. Tears flowed freely from Firefly's eyes, while Ebony simply stared off into space, unable to think straight anymore.

"We're having a little bit of trouble with our son, though. He's got some serious father-figure issues that needed sorting out years ago. We tried sending him to therapists, but he never gave any of them a chance," Spitfire continued as if oblivious to her parent's emotional states. However, as much as she wanted to be cold at the moment, seeing her mother crying ripped her heart out in a most violent fashion. It was all Spitfire could do to prevent herself from getting up and hugging the elder mare.

"Spitfire..." Firefly forced through sobs. "We're so...so sor...sorry..."

Spitfire's stone mask immediately fell from her face. A blend of sorrow, rage, loneliness and burning hatred passed her features as she got back to her hooves. She turned around, unable to face her mother's sobbing form any longer.

"You two abandoned me." Spitfire began, her voice shaking. "You tossed me aside without a second thought." Spitfire paused to let that sink in. She felt incredibly cruel, but she needed to say those words. "You kicked me out of your lives because I'm not the same as YOU are!" Spitfire shouted as she spun around, tears now flowing freely from her own eyes as well. "Do you have any idea how many times I've needed you!? How hard it's been to raise two mistreated foals without your help!?" She fell back to her haunches as all of the anger she had just poured out faded into sorrow, her voice falling to a whisper. "Do you know how much I've missed you?"

"Spitfire..." Ebony stood and and slowly made his way to his daughter. For the first time in more than fifteen years, he sat next to her and wrapped a wing around her back. As soon as he attempted the comforting gesture, Spitfire shot to her hooves. Every muscle in her body was tensed, as if she was preparing for a fight. Spitfire closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let her body relax.

"I'm sorry, Dad...I just..." Spitfire didn't have time to finish her sentence. Both her mother and father descended on her, wrapping her in a group hug that she couldn't escape from if she wanted to. Spitfire struggled against it for a moment, but it wasn't long before she gave in and relaxed in the warmth of her parents' embrace. A warmth she hadn't felt in fifteen years. Tears of pure joy flowed freely from her eyes as she wrapped her forelegs around her father's neck.

"We're so sorry, Spitfire." Firefly choked out. "We promise never to leave you again."

Spitfire stepped back and wiped her eyes with a hoof. She smiled at her parents.

"Mom...Dad...I love you. I spent so much time over the last fifteen years trying to hate you...Trying to wish you had never existed...But I never could. I always just wanted you back." Spitfire looked away, still unsure whether or not she should be trusting her parents yet. "Why did you abandon me? Was I not important enough to you? Did...did you love me at all? Did you ever love me?"

Those last words struck a chord with Firefly and Ebony that Spitfire never expected. The two elder ponies stepped back, unable to think clearly after that blow.

"I...We...Of course we loved you, Spitfire!" Firefly choked out. "We-We always did! We never stopped!"

"THEN WHERE IN THE HAY DID YOU GO?!" Spitfire screamed while taking an aggressive step forward. She caught herself, and again had to force herself not to break down in tears. "All this time, I...I needed you. I needed your advice on so many things. My life hasn't...been easy...without you guys. I..." Spitfire couldn't finish her sentence before breaking down in tears yet again. Firefly and Ebony just stood and watched, unable to move. Every instinct in both of them screamed at them to go comfort their daughter, but what could they do? They were too terrified to move, terrified that they could only make things worse.

"I..." Ebony began, but stopped himself. What could he say? He knew he loved his daughter...he thought he did, anyway. But he hadn't been a father to her the last fifteen years. Had he ever been a father to her? So many age old conversations where he rejected her lifestyle, rejected who she was, all for what?

...

I'm joining the REA with Soarin', Dad. You can't stop me.

You belong here, with us young lady. You won't last a week with the military.

I don't care what you say, Dad. I've made my decision, and I'm not changing my mind.

You'll be sorry you didn't listen.

...

I was asked to join the Wonderbolts! I can't believe it! Soarin' and I start our training tomorrow! I can't wait for you to watch us perform!

You're kidding, right? You want to waste away your life flying around in fancy circles? I've said it a thousand times, you belong here, with your family!

The only place I belong is the sky!

Don't worry, you'll fall from it soon enough.

...

Mom. Dad. Rainbow is my marefriend. We've been together for a few months now. I wanted you guys to meet her.

Get out.

Dad, please. We're-

I didn't ask for your input, I told you to leave. Now go.

...

Tears welled in Ebony's eyes as he finally realized just how horrible of a father he had really been. Those words were about more than just kicking her out. He had never supported any decision she had ever made. He had never been there to help her when she needed a father. He had never even thought her able to think for herself, and had spent his entire time "raising" her to get her to follow his lead blindly. If only feeling love for his daughter meant something.

"Spitfire, it's too late for me to take back my mistakes." Ebony began. "I was never a good father to you. I'm...I'm sorry." Ebony inhaled deeply as Spitfire looked up at him. Ebony took a step closer to his daughter. "I can't take back my mistakes, but I can promise that I'll never make them again. Please, forgive an old stallion who was too stuck in his ways to realize his daughter lived more in her first twenty years of life than he did in all sixty of his."

Spitfire smiled as she stood and wrapped her forelegs around her father's neck. She had never told anypony how much she missed the feeling of his soft coat against her own.

"I...think I can do that...Dad."

"Don't put everything on your father, now." Firefly interjected. Spitfire turned to look her mother in the eyes. Unable to meet her daughter's gaze, Firefly looked away. "I...wasn't exactly a great mother either. I...I just wasn't ready for you. I was too young and old fashioned to raise a mare like you. I tried to raise a housewife, and what you became...You're so much more than I ever dreamed you could be. I'm...I'm so sorry, Spitfire."

Spitfire smiled as she pulled away from her father's embrace. She made her way to her mother and wrapped her in a gentle hug.

"It's all in the past now, Mom. I...I love you." Spitfire wiped tears from her eyes and looked around the room she was in. She frowned in distaste.

"You know, I think I've had enough of this hotel room. Come on, let's get you checked out and back to my house. You have a grandson to meet!"

Rainbow woke from her nap as a scroll magically materialized next to her. The sound of the magic didn't surprise her; After all, it was noon on Wednesday, exactly when Twilight sent her "Weekly Update." Rainbow rolled off the couch groggily picked up the scroll in her mouth and walked to the kitchen. With practiced ease, she bit the ribbon that was wrapped around the scroll, tearing it from the seal. She grinned as the scroll fell open on the counter in front of her. Twilight always ensured to enchant scrolls sent to Rainbow and Spitfire so they would rest on clouds. Caring just enough to actually read the scroll and remember what it said, Rainbow's eyes began scanning the page.

Dear Rainbow and Spitfire,

I don't have much to say this week, other than that I've finally decided to retire from teaching at the university. I'm finally going to be settling down in Ponyville with you all! Although, I may not have as much time to spend with you all as I used to. I'm pregnant now! From what I've read, motherhood takes a lot of time away from friends and hobbies. In fact according to A Pregnant Mother's Guide To Life, I will....

Rainbow chuckled and skimmed the next portion of the letter.

"Not much to say, huh? You're quitting your job, having a foal, and talking about books, and not much to say?" Rainbow smirked. Granted, it was a short letter for Twilight. Rainbow usually had to prepare herself for a whole twenty minutes of reading when she got one of Twilight's letters. Unless she was reading the latest Daring Do novel, twenty minutes was enough reading to melt her brain for the next several hours. Fortunately, this letter looked like it would only take a couple of minutes to finish, and she was reaching the end as it was.

Well, that's all I have this time! I can't wait to see you again!

Your Friend,

Twilight Sparkle.

P.S. I know you never pay attention to the news, but your daughter and her friends got themselves in jail again last night. And it's on the front page of every newspaper in Canterlot. They gave me money to bail them out, but it's going to be sitting in my apartment here until one of you comes and picks it up.

Rainbow's eyes went wide as she read the tag at the end. Slowly, her startled expression grew into an ear to ear grin.

"She got arrested in a way that got her on the front page of every newspaper in Canterlot? Now that is something I gotta see!"

Spitfire reached for her saddle bags to collect some bits for the hotel manager, but quickly realized that she didn't have any. She gave her father a sheepish grin, which was returned with a knowing smile.

"Spitfire, I wouldn't have let you pay for our stay anyway."

Ebony pulled a small bag of bits out of his saddle bags and dumped them on the counter. He quickly counted out enough bits to cover the stay and hoofed the bits to the hotel manager. Ebony exchanged a casual pleasantry with the stallion behind the counter, and the three reunited ponies made their way to the door. Just before they reached the door to the hotel, Spitfire's eyes caught the newspaper rack. Her eyes shot open and she galloped to the rack, picked up a paper and threw it open on the floor.

"Ma'am, that is going to be three bits." The manager said with an angry glare. Ebony sighed and tossed the bits to the manager.

"Spitfire, what's-"

Ebony's inquiry was cut short by Spitfire's raucous laughter as she fell to her back. Tears began to stream down her face.

"My, my daugher, and her, oh just read it, Dad!" Spitfire clutched her stomach as she began to roll around on the floor in a fit of laughter. Ebony raised an eyebrow, but he set the newspaper down on a nearby table and read the headline.

ROCK BAND "IRON PONY" APPREHENDED FOR SURPRISE PERFORMANCE ON CANTERLOT CASTLE

Ebony arched his eyebrow further.

"I don't get it." He said. He began to read the article. His eyes skimmed over the details, but one sentence caught his eye.

Guitarist Scootaloo Dash simply said "This was the best b***in' prank we've ever pulled. I don't think we'll ever be able to top this one."

Ebony's eyes shot open.

"Scootaloo...DASH!? You raised your daughter to be a rebellious prankster!?"

"Not to mention the mouth on her," Firefly added with distaste. "Spitfire, I know you were young when you became a mother, but I thought you'd raise a foal better than that."

Spitfire shot a soul piercing glare at her parents as she got back to her hooves. Immediately, the elder ponies realized their mistake.

"I don't mean to pick at old wounds, but you two don't have the right to tell me how to raise a foal," Spitfire snarled as she flared her wings. "My daughter turned out to be a wonderful young mare, and her way of having fun doesn't change that." Ebony and Firefly recoiled in shock. As they took a step back, Spitfire took a deep, calming breath as she lowered her wings back to her sides. She lowered her head in shame.

"I...Sorry. I...shouldn't have lost my head."

Firefly placed a hoof on her daughters cheek.

"Spitfire, we spoke out of turn. We haven't even met your daughter, and we were already judging her. But..."

"If she's in Canterlot, does that mean you're going to have to fly over to Canterlot to bail her out?" Ebony finished.

"Nah, usually when they get arrested in Canterlot it's on purpose. I'm guessing they left Twi with some bits to bail them out with."

Firefly and Ebony shared a nervous glance.

"So, this is a somewhat...frequent occurrence then?" Ebony asked.

"Oh, yeah, all the time!" Spitfire responded dismissively as she turned towards the door of the hotel. "Usually it's for fun stuff like this, and when it's not it's because she and her bandmates got wasted and cause a 'Disturbance of the Peace" on some level or another around three in the morning." Spitfire continued trotting toward the door as if nothing she had said was out of the ordinary. She cast a glance over her shoulder at her parents. "You coming? I'd like you to meet my family. Well, most of it, anyway. I guess you'll meet Scoot in a day or so."

Firefly and Ebony shared yet another nervous glance.

"We haven't met her..." Firefly began.

"Let's not judge her." Ebony finished. His words seemed far more sure than his voice did.

Lightning groaned as he heard the doorbell ring. Today was the day he coached his first race, and he did not want any distractions in his preparation. He left his half-packed saddle bags in the living room and made his way to the door. He pulled it open, and was somewhat surprised to see Rainbow standing in the doorway giving him an ear-to-ear grin.

"Uhh, hey Ma. What's going on?"

"Scoot and the band got arrested again! Check this out!"

Lightning groaned as Rainbow shoved a newspaper in his face. Lightning loved Scootaloo to death, but every time she found her way into a jail cell he was due for quite the lecture from his parents of the "Are you sure she's the right mare for you" variety. Lightning snatched the newspaper from Rainbow's hoof and looked it over. He didn't have to search very long-His fiance's troublemaking had found it's way to the front page. Immediately, Lightning's mental state went from "I'm going to have to have a loooooooong talk with that filly" to "Oh my gosh that's the best thing in the world!"

"Pff..Pff...BAHAHAHAHAAAAA!" Lightning fell to the floor in hysterical laughter. "That...Oh, way to go Scoot!"

Rainbow quickly joined Lightning in rolling on the floor, both of them laughing uncontrollably. After both ponies had run out of breath, Lightning slowly got to his hooves.

"Now if only they invited us." He panted as he wiped a tear from his eye. "I haven't laughed that hard in ages, and I just learned about it from the newspaper!"

"Yeah, she should've!" Rainbow agreed. "Especially because she could wind up in prison for this!" Rainbow was about to break into laughter again before she realized what she said. Lightning's eyes went wide, and his mouth fell to the floor.

"You're...kidding...right?" Lightning asked hopefully. Rainbow just sat there, her own eyes wide with shock.

"I wish I was..."

"Buck..."

Scootaloo groaned as she was woken by the loud sound of hooves against concrete. She had passed out, what, two hours ago? It was waaaaay too early for her to be woken up. She looked up, expecting to see Twilight, but instead...

"Sweet Manticore penis, it's Princess Celestia!" Kitty shouted, promptly waking the rest of the band. Each of the now conscious members of Iron Pony and it's staff now fumbled around, trying to figure out what was going on. As soon as they saw Princess Celestia, they each dropped into a low bow. Scootaloo shot Kitty a glare that could pierce the heart of a dragon before dropping into a deep bow before the Princess-before falling onto her face.

"Would it be so much to ask for a cloud? We're regulars here anyway." Scootaloo groaned.

"Maybe if you learned how to balance in the morning it wouldn't be such a problem." Sweetie teased.

"You're one to talk, Sweets! At least I manage to sleep properly at night! Scootaloo responded.

"Like hay you do! You hit me in the face three times this morning!" Kitty joined in.

"Oh my gosh! You learned how to form logical sentences!" Scoot replied in mock surprise. "At this rate, you'll stop being completely obnoxious within thirty years!"

"Buck off, Scoot! I'm never obnoxious!"

"You woke us up by yelling 'Sweet Manticore penis' as loud as you could." Scootaloo responded with a grin.

Princess Celestia facehoofed as the mares in the group continued arguing. After she was finally too irritated to take it anymore, she cleared her throat as powerfully as she could.

"My little ponies, if you'll-"

"Who you callin' little?!" Kitty snapped. Before Princess Celestia could issue a reprimand in the Royal Canterlot Voice, Scootaloo punched Kitty in the face-hard."

"Scoot, what in the hay-"

"Sorry, Princess. She's just mad because she's short." Scootaloo assured.

"Am not!" Kitty retorted.

"Can't really deny it, Kat." Jimmy added.

"Shut up!"

"She's also not that bright...sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." Scootaloo gave a nervous chuckle under the Princess' angry gaze. Celestia turned to face Kitty.

"Interrupt me again, and you'll be finding a room on the moon tonight. Understand?"

Kitty swallowed and nodded. It was not often that Princess Celestia lost her temper, but every one of her subjects knew that her wrath was not something to instigate. Celestia smiled warmly.

"Good. Now, your antics last night technically could be considered an attack on my castle. Do you know what the charge for that is?"

The eyes of each of the seven ponies in the jail cell went wide as they shook their heads. Celestia continued to smile warmly.

"Believe me, the death penalty would be a mercy by comparison to the punishment for an attack on the castle." Celestia said, her tone disturbingly calm and motherly. "However, I don't feel like cleaning up that much blood right now, so how about I just let you off with a warning this time?"

Somehow, the seven young ponies eyes managed to get even wider. They nodded gravely as a guard unlocked the door and opened it. The seven jailed ponies filed out one-by-one, gave the Princess a short bow, and scurried out of the prison. The guard that accompanied Celestia turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I do believe you just made all of that up."

Celestia flashed him a wry grin.

"You're right, I did. But they don't know that."