Grimlock, Dinobot... and father?

by The Bricklayer

Part 15: Family Appreciation Day

Ponyville Schoolhouse

It was that time of year again, that time when everypony brought a member of their family and showed how much they appreciated them for all the love and care they'd shown them since they'd either been born, adopted or otherwise. And for two particular little filles in the group known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle to be exact, they knew exactly who they were going to bring if they could manage it. Currently, right now, their teacher Ms. Cheerilee was in the middle of explaining what Family Appreciation Day was all about, just as she did the same every year.

"Now, as you know Family Appreciation Day is coming up tomorrow, and so I want to bring whoever loved and cared for you since you were born, adopted, or whatever." She explained, as her students listened intently. Like Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, they each had their own ideas on who to bring. For example, Twist was going to bring her mothers, Bon-Bon and Lyra Heartstrings, while Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon were going to bring their parents, Filthy Rich, head of Rich's Barnyard Bargains, (As she did every year.) and Silver Speed, an professional archer respectively. And just as soon as everypony present had finished listening to Cheerilee explain what Family Appreciation Day was all about, the bell rang, signaling that class was over for the day. Everypony ran out like a hoard of cats, just like they always did, excited class was over for the day and each ready to find their respective parents or adoptive family member and try and convince them to come to Family Appreciation Day tomorrow afternoon. As they got out into the Schoolyard, both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo discussed who they were going to bring for tomorrow. Their fellow Crusader, Apple Bloom had too decided on who she was going to bring, just like last year she was going to bring her dear Granny Smith, but this time she was not ashamed of bringing her in fear of being laughed at.

"So, who you going to bring Scoots?" Sweetie asked her best friend and fellow adoptee.

"Well, I know who I'm going to bring." Scootaloo began to explain. "My adoptive sister, of course!"

"Who, Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie asked in return, knowing of the young filly's affection for the prismatic maned pegasus.

"No, silly!" Scootaloo laughed. "I'm going to bring my other sister and idol, Spitfire!"

Now Sweetie Belle was really confused. Spitfire, as in the Spitfire who was the co-captain of the aerial stunt team known as the Wonderbolts? Surely such a famous pony didn't have time to come to Family Appreciation Day! Sweetie Belle voiced her concerns, but was almost at once brushed off by her friend.

"Nah, don't you worry. Spitfire will have time for me, I can swing it." She said. "Just you wait and see!"

"If you say so..." Sweetie Belle replied, still unsure. But then she remembered something that Scootaloo had told her.

"Hey, wait." Sweetie began in a concerned tone of voice for her friend. "Didn't Spitfire force some incredibly harsh flight training on you?"

Scootaloo flashed back at Sweetie's words. Oh yes, she remembered alright....

"Alright, stretch those little wings of yours!" Spitfire barked in full drill sergeant mode at Scootaloo as they stood in a empty field somewhere outside Ponyville with Spitfire ready to begin the young filly's first day of flight training. Spitfire growled to herself, Scootaloo should have received this training much sooner in her life, every pegasus should be up there flying in the sky feeling the wind rushing through their manes. Whoever thought it a good idea to put off her training this long was a idiot and deserved to be put on the Dizzitron at it's highest setting and used as it's personal guinea pig-er, safety tester. If somepony had actually cared enough to train her earlier, (She couldn't blame Rainbow Dash, as the pegasus had only learned of the problem after Spitfire has told her.) then maybe Scootaloo would have been flying sooner, wing problems or not.

"Yes ma'am!" Scootaloo shouted back before she spread her tiny wings just like her trainer asked.

"Now, all you need to do is take a running start." Spitfire continued, and Scootaloo looked at her before Spitfire barked loud and clearly "NOW!" in a authoritative tone that left no room for argument. Scootaloo swallowed hard, she could now see clearly why Spitfire was known as the Flank-Buster among the Wonderbolts.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Discord to free himself from stone and offer you a care package, sympathy cards and do the hokey pokey for you?" Spitfire asked sarcastically and finally Scootaloo took her running start and at the end of it, jumped as high as she could and flapped her little wings as hard as she could muster. But it was all for naught as she never made it but a few inches from the ground and landed there emitting a soft "Oof!" as she created a small dust cloud of dirt from her landing.

"Again!" Spitfire ordered. She intended to get Scootaloo flying no matter what it took.

"Hey... Uh, maybe we could ease up on the training a bit?" Scootaloo asked but Spitfire shook her head.

"No, we'll work all day if we have to just to get you to finally fly. That's what you want right?" Spitfire asked.

"B-But I had crusading scheduled with the girls later today!" Scootaloo exclaimed in shock.

"Well, too bad! You'll just have to re-schedule for a later date." Spitfire responded in a annoyed tone as she thought "This is why I never work with kids."

"Rainbow Dash would never treat me like this!" Scootaloo shouted back in anger, nearly close to tears.

"Well, I'm not Rainbow Dash am I?" Spitfire finally snapped, and at this Scootaloo burst into tears her image of one of her heroes shattered to bits in her mind as she ran off into the distance sobbing. Mentally, Spitfire herself looked unshakened but really wasn't as she cursed herself.

"Well, now you've gone and done it Spits. You've probably broken a little filly's faith in you. Hope you're real damn proud of yourself." She mused and looked towards the sky and asked "What would you do mother?"

When she of course received no answers, Spitfire growled to herself and muttered "Gah, maybe I'll feel better after a couple of drinks..."

But Scootaloo also remembered how Spitfire had manned up and apologized in the end, restoring Scootaloo's faith in her, by confessing that she wasn't like any of the cadets she trained at the Wonderbolts Academy, and should have been treating her like the little filly she in fact was.

"May... May I come in?" Spitfire asked nervously. She had to do this right after all.

"Yeah... Sure, I guess." Scootaloo muttered to herself and Spitfire opened the door to the bedroom.

"What do you want?" Scootaloo asked, a slight growl in her voice and her eyes still red from crying.

"To apologize. I should have realized, you're not like any of the cadets I normally train. You're just a kid, and I should be treating you like one and lighten up the training... But just a little, understood?" Spitfire replied, genuine apologeticness and shame in her voice. She waited for any insults that che was sure to come. Instead, all she got was a look of confusion from Scootaloo.

"What changed your mind?" She asked.

"Well, your dad may have come down to see me at Flight Camp and gave me a kick up the flank that I needed. ...And he may have slightly threatened to fry me with his fire-breath." Spitfire admitted, rubbing her head sheepishly while Scootaloo laughed. That was Grimlock alright.

"Thank you. Just thank you... Sister Spitfire." Scootaloo whispered as she hugged her, and the Wonderbolt could only smile as Rainbow Dash looked on, and wiped a tear from her eye.

After explaining this to Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo then changed the subject, not wanting to think anymore of her idol and adoptive flight teacher's little mishap. She severely wanted to know who Sweetie was going to bring, although she had a suspicion that she already knew who exactly it was going to be.

"So, who are you going to bring?" Scootaloo asked her best friend. Sweetie Belle could only laugh, confirming Scootaloo's suspicions.

"Who do you think?" Sweetie chuckled. "My adoptive father, of course."

"Grimlock?" Scootaloo asked in a confused tone of voice. "Are you sure he'll come. He's not exactly the type for this sort of thing, ya know." She reminded. Sweetie laughed again, confusing Scootaloo even more.

"Oh, I'll figure out a way to make him come, trust me." Sweetie said, and with that she rushed off towards the direction of the Ark...

---

The Ark

"You want me Grimlock to do what?" The Dinobot exclaimed angrily as his first reaction to this thing known as "Family Appreciation Day". He was quite offended. He didn't show himself off just for little fillies appreciation. Dinobots simply didn't do that!

"Aww, come on Grimlock!" Pyro exclaimed from nearby. He'd heard everything that Sweetie Belle had said and actually wanted Grimlock to go to this thing. It might actually do him some good, and teach him to lighten up a bit. "This thing actually sounds kinda fun! I'd go!"

"Well, me Grimlock says if you want to go, you go!" The Dinobot leader argued back in return.

"But it's not my being there that's being requested. It's you!" Pyro snapped back. He rarely got angry, but he was starting to with Grimlock's damned bloody stubbornness. Just to add to things, Sweetie Belle put on her puppy dog eyes that she had so masterfully perfected over the years with Rarity. With this, Grimlock was finally forced to accept. he, despite all his stubbornness, could never find himself in it to ignore any of Sweetie's requests whenever she did this.

"Alright, me Grimlock go. But me not like it." He said with a deep sigh of resignation and Sweetie let out a "Yay!' of happiness.

---

Ponyville Schoolhouse

The very next day, it was time. Almost everypony had brought in who they were going to bring. Diamond Tiara had just finished bringing in her father, who had gone on a long explanation of the purpose Rich's Barnyard Bargains, just like last year and the year before that. Now, only Sweetie and Scootaloo were left. Scootaloo waited anxiously in her seat, what if Spitfire didn't come like she had asked?

"Alright Scootaloo, who are you going to bring for today?"

"Well, I'd like everyone to meet my adoptive sister and idol, Spitfire, co-captain of the Wonderbolts." She said, still worrying about being laughed at if Spitfire didn't come. And the laughter did come, from of course Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon.

"Yeah, right, like Spitfire's going to come just for y-" Diamond laughed, but was soon cut off when everypony heard the roaring of a F-18 jet from overhead. The whole class, along with their teacher was soon consumed with fear, as this was also the sound Starscream and the rest of his Seeker Trine made when they flew to attack the citizens of Ponyville. But when everypony rushed outside to evacuate, they were treated with a sight. There was a F-18, piloted by Soarin, with Spitfire right behind him sitting in the back seat. With a whoosh, she engaged the ejection seat and landed in the Schoolhouse's playground yard. Scootaloo smiled smugly at Diamond.

"See, I told you she'd come!"

Spitfire ruffled her adoptive sister's hair and asked "How you doing squirt?" to which Scootaloo grinned widely in response. Afer that, Spitfire explained who she was, and what she did for Scootaloo, to learn to help her fly, and how she herself learned that not all flying cadets should be treated the same, that some should be treated like they were, either if they were little fillies or full grown ponies. After Spitfire's speech was over, everypony, even Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon to Scootaloo's great shock and surprise clapped at learning this new side of the famous Wonderbolt. Spitfire took a bow, and smiled. It gave her a good feeling to teach little colts and fillies about the lesson she'd learned, and how it had affected her.

"Now, there's only one left." Cheerilee said happily. "Now Sweetie Belle, who are you going to bring?"

Nut her own question was soon answered when there was a loud crunching sound, and Cheerilee looked to see Grimlock sitting on an smashed Merry-Go-Round.

"Oh well, that piece of playground equipment need replacing anyway..." The teacher mused to herself with a sigh.

"So, what do you need me Grimlock to explain about myself?" The Dinobot asked, and Sweetie Belle could only groan in response.

"Most. Embarrassing. Dad. Ever." She thought.

END

Author's Note:

First off, sorry for the month long wait for the newest chapter, but I had other stories to write, like my newest Doctor Who crossover, which you should really check out if you have the time. It's only two chapter's in, but I promise you that when it really gets going it'll be awesome. Okay, I know I skipped over Hearth's Warming Eve, but I couldn't find anything to write for that, so I went with this instead. Sorry, no bios this time around as there's no new characters to showcase, but here have this instead, a piece of artwork I found which shows what I imagined the jet Spitfire was flying and jumping out of in this chapter:

Comments

[The Bricklayer]

7713943 Nope, he never can. And yeah, the Top Gun references had to go in, considering the Wonderbolts are Equestria's elite flyers, just like the fighter pilots in the movie. Also, did you spot the ref to the Starscream VS Rainbow Dash Death Battle animation?

[The Bricklayer]

7714005 Yeah, Wheeljack's always a fun character to write, thanks to how his personality is. Glad you're enjoying the chapters so far! And as for the next chapter, that one should hopefully hit you right in the feels if I've done my job correctly.

[The Bricklayer]

7714076 Yeah, told ya that one would hit you in the feels if I did my job right, and I think I did don't you think?