Spike couldn't get anymore green around the gills while covered in blood and brain matter.

"Twilight, why are they here??" He asked with a whimper, feeling sick to his stomach.

"Hello?? Twilight, Spike, we're heeeeerrree!" The sound of Mrs. Sparkle echoed from outside.

"T-they saw the news article." Twilight told him in a panic tone. "By the time they told me they were coming they were already here at the train station."

"Twilly Wily?" Mr. Sparkle called out as well.

"Ooh now it's a party!" Ruby and Gemcity squealed.

"It's hardly a party, girls." Brimstone grunted.

Starlight came up to the door and opened it. "Oh hi."

Spike and Brimstone tensed up.

"Is there another bathroom here?" Rachel asked, going over to Spike who was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Third floor." Twilight said, going over to Brimstone.

"Okay, Brimstone go with Twilight, I got Spike." Rachel said. "Hopefully Starlight can distract them long enough."

"What about us?" Ruby asked.

"Sit down on the couch and don't touch the parents." Rachel ordered.

"Wait, what??" Twilight looked at the twins before seeing Rachel take Spike by the hand and raced him upstairs to the bathroom that was closest to their room.

Once there, Rachel turned to Spike. "Get in." She said in a hurry before racing to their room and grabbed clean clothes for her mate.

Once inside, Spike refused to look at himself in the mirror as he undressed the bloody clothes. He then quickly threw the window up open before setting the items in question in flames. Incinerated the bloody clothes to smoldering ash and blew the ashes, hopefully ridding the smell as well before jumping into the shower to wash himself off.

A couple of moments later, Rachel came back, knocking twice on the door. "Coming in." Rachel warned him before entering with his clothes.

"Thank you!" Spike said as he scrubbed and scrubbed his face. He didn't have the special soap from Zecora at hand that would make it easy to scrub the bloodstains off his scales so it was taking a long time for it to come off. The shower was large so he was able to get his wings and tail in, the showerhead sprayed scalding hot water, trickling down his body and horns. At his feet as the water pooled and collected before going down the drain was a rather light pink.

Rachel set his clothes on the counter top. "Okay, what exactly happened?" Rachel asked him as she closed the lid of the toilet and took a seat on it.

"Rach, that's the thing, I have no clue." Spike responded as he washed off. "We haven't even talked to the guy before his head suddenly exploded."

"Excuse me, what??" She looked at his direction with wide eyes.

Spike poked his head out from the curtains. She could see that there were traces on his face from the splatter. The stains made the purple and green scales darker in saturation. "His head exploded on Brimstone and I. He was screaming before we had a chance. The mare also had the same thing from the hospital."

"...so there's a dead body in the castle and we have your adopted parents here."

Spike's stomach couldn't hold back any more and vomited all in the shower.

Rachel grabbed a handful of her hair with a long frustrated groan. “This is not how I wanted to meet your folks.”

“You and me both…” Spike heaved, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as the water washed the vomit away.

Rachel scratches her head before taking deep breaths. “Okay...okay, we can get through this. Just gonna...pretend that we don’t have a headless pony in the basement and spend time with them.”

“Honey, did you forget about the twins? I care for the two but they, especially Gemcity, have the tendency to open her fat mouth.”

“Oh don’t remind me, besides, they won’t.” Rachel said. “You have to worry more about the twins trying to feed off of them.”

Spike was getting queasy just even thinking of his folks in the twins’ clutches.

“If the two know what’s good for them, they don’t attempt it.” Rachel said.

Dear sweet Celestia, the realization hits them both, both of their families are together.

“Babe, where did you say Ruby and Gemcity are?” Spike asked.

“Alone with your folks and Starlight.” Rachel said with a gulp, knowing good and well that the two won’t be sitting on the couch.

Spike scrubbed and scrubbed till he felt like he peeled some of his scales off in a desperate attempt to remove the last of the stains.

He then poked his head out again. “Is it gone?” he asked Rachel quickly.

Rachel looked. “Squeeky clean.” she said before giving his wet cheek a kiss.

He chuckled before shutting off the water and grabbing a towel, drying himself off quickly before stepping out of the shower.

Rachel gets a big peak of his massive package and gives a low whistle and grinned.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Rachel.” Spike warned with a smirk as he got his clean clothes and changed.

“I may be running on fumes, but I can still look at the view.” Rachel joked with a laugh. Trying to bring a little light to the situation.

Spike looked at her tenderly. After he finishes dressing in a white shirt and dark jeans, he goes to Rachel, placing a hand on her cheek before bending down and kissing her softly. His mate’s eyes fluttered closed as she reciprocated the kiss. “I don’t know what I would do without you.” he whispered softly, pressing his forehead up against hers.

Rachel smiled softly, opening her eyes and looking up at him. “I love you, Spike.”

“Forever and a day?” he smirked.

She giggled. “Always.” She then sighed and patted his chest. “Let’s go join the herd, shall we?”

Spike nodded. Then he looked at her and asked, “Are you okay, by the way? With everything?”

Rachel then groaned and face planted his chest. “I wanna sleeeeeeeep.” she whines. “Also I’m hot.”

He snorted. “And that’s new how?” He then pats her head before rubbing her shoulders. “Let’s go, I swear you will have some well deserved rest.”

Of course he couldn’t register her rising body temperature at the moment, he was heat resistant so he didn’t feel it.

Eventually, the two finally left the bathroom and made their way downstairs to where everypony was.

As they got closer, they could hear noise coming from the point of origin.

“Oh my, girls!” The sound of Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle’s laugh echoed loudly in the castle.

The couple came to the library where the parents, and the twins were alone together.

The parents were in chairs that were pushed closed to each other while the twins were on the couch. Gemcity was lying lengthwise on it, her head using Ruby’s lap as a pillow with her legs kicking in the air laughing.

“You two are so hilarious!” Night Light said cheerfully. His dark blaiser was draped over the side of his chair, he wore a short sleeve yellow shirt with a dark blue vest that complimented the lighter shade of his skin and mane and in dark pants. He wore a long thin necklace with a crescent moon pendant around his neck that draped over his heart.

Twilight Velvet was in a state of giggles, having a hand of her husband’s placed on his shoulder. “We’ve been looking to spice things up a bit but I never heard anything like that.” She wore a white turtleneck sweater and a knee length pleated skirt. She wore a set of pearls around her neck and wrists. Her light purple and white mane had various streaks of gray, all twirled up into a neat bun.

“It’s totally normal for couples to want to experiment.” Ruby said. “And we happen to know a~”

“Hey guys.” Spike quickly cuts in. Rachel lets out an embarrassed groan, burying her face against his side.

Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle quickly straightened up, both still giggling however.

“Sorry, hi honey.” Mrs. Sparkle greeted, standing up and walking over to Spike and gave the dragon a big hug. “Ooh my big boy, I missed you.”

Spike hugged her back. “Hey mom, miss you too.”

Standing in similar height as her daughter, the light gray unicorn patted him before letting go of him.

“And you must be Rachel.” Mrs. Sparkle said, taking notice of Rachel standing next to him. Her husband soon gets up to meet the human as well.

Rachel gave her a wave and smiled at her. “Yeah that’s me.” she said before having a hand out to shake her hand. “It’s very nice to finally meet you two. I...do apologize for the twins.”

“We were just giving out advice.” Gemcity called out from the couch.

“Oh they weren’t giving any trouble,” Mr. Sparkle said as Mrs. Sparkle shook Rachel’s hand before she grabbed his. “We heard a lot about you.”

“Hope it’s all good.” Rachel said. Shaking the stallion’s hand before taking it back.

The parents examined the human. Though Rachel had some faint bruising and scrapes from last night’s endeavors. Her corset top was covering the gold scales, but other than that she seemed to be in good health in their eyes.

Though they were expecting to see the massive black eye they read about nearly a week ago. The only black about her eyes were the dark circles and bags from lack of sleep.

“So Spike, we assume Twilight told you about our reasoning for this visit?” Night Light asked the dragon.

Spike’s ear fins tilted downward. “Yeah, she did.”

Damn Blueballs. Spike internally groaned. If Blueblood hadn’t started trouble, that whole article wouldn’t exist.

“What happened at the Empire, Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle, it wasn’t Spike’s fault.” Rachel said, grabbing the dragon’s hand. “The news exaggerated the whole situation. The jerk was just upset that I would rather be with the sweetest teddy bear than some tabloid Prince.”

Spike gave her a soft smile in response, squeezing her hand affectionately.

“Teddy Bear?” Mrs. Sparkle giggled at the term.

“More like a grizzly bear.” Ruby chuckled, looking down at her twin sister.

Spike grunted at that response.

Starlight then came in with a couple of drinks in her hands and a few more levitating in her magic. “Sorry that took so long,” she announced as she came in, Handing the twins their drink and the parents theirs.

‘It’s no problem really, we were just getting acquainted with Ruby and Gemcity over there.” Mrs. Sparkle said with a smile, taking her glass with her hand and taking a sip before motioning over to the twins.

Rachel slid her eyes towards the two.

The twins both blew kisses and waved flirtatiously at their human sister.

“I’m sorry if they seem to be a little flamboyant.” Rachel said, trying not to flinch when they looked at her that way.

“There’s no need to be sorry.” Nightlight chuckled.

Just then, Twilight and Brimstone soon joined them as well.

“Hi mom, hi dad!” Twilight greeted her parents, coming into the library and wrapping her arms around the two unicorns.

Rachel nodded towards Brimson when he entered in greeting.

Both Brimstone and Spike shared the same “Do not tell.” look at each other and nodded in silent agreement.

Because there was a headless pony beneath their feet.

Mr. and Mrs. Sparkle laughed and smiled when they two hugged their daughter. “Hi honey. Sorry for the sudden visit.” Twilight’s mom said. She held her for a moment before pulling back, having a look in her eyes. “Twilight, you are a little thin, why aren’t you eating??”

“Mom, Mom I’ve been eating, I've just been distracted.” Twilight said with a nervous chuckle. “Being the Princess of Friendship and running a school, I have little time to do many little things.”

“Well, we’ll just have to fix that.” the mom said. “What do you say to that, Nightlight?”

Nightlight nodded and then turned to see the red stallion, now dressed in a button up brown shirt, and tan slacks. “And who might you be?”

“My name is Professor Brimstone.” the stallion said.

“Him and the twins are my company.” Rachel said.

“Ooh, this is going to be exciting.” Mrs. Sparkle said.

“Though we just ate, I’m still hungry.” Gemcity said, waving her hand.

“How are you still hungry??” Rachel then asked, looking over at them.

The twins looked down at each other, their lips spread to a wide grin before looking up at Rachel. “We do feed in other ways, you know that.”

The parents looked at each other before one of them asked, “what does that mean?” they asked the fluffy bugs.

“It’s complicated.” Rachel said, trying to not have this conversation.

“Maybe if they explain it to us, we might have an understanding.” Twilight then said.

“I am curious what kind of changelings you guys are.” Starlight said, looking at the twins.

“Well, we’re not exactly changelings, I mean we both have similar shape-shifting abilities but honestly that’s the only thing we have in common.” Ruby explained. “We never served Queen Chrysalis nor do we serve King Thorax.”

“We are related to them but we’re not changelings at all.” Gemcity also said. “We’re called sexlings.”

“Sexlings??” the parents repeated.

The twins grinned. “How else would we know of~”

“Please stop, just stop.” Rachel then jumps, her face turning pure red when they reached this topic.

The twins giggled at Rachel’s expense. Both of them looked at each other, sharing the exact look as their lips spread to a wide grin before looking back at their human sister.

Both looking like she was a snack; Rachel gulped.

“Uh…” Spike sees the way they were looking at her and had a moment of confusion wash over his face.

“Oh Ra~” The girls start.

“NO.” Both Rachel and Brimstone shut that down. Same tone, same gruff coming from their lips.

Rarity came in from the backdoor into the kitchen to find her sister Sweetie Belle had her suitcase in her hand waiting for her.

“Sweetie Belle?” Rarity called her name when she saw the sixteen year old leaning against the counter top. She looked at the suitcase and then looked back at her sister. “W...where are you going?” She asked her.

“I’m not staying here.” Sweetie Belle said with a grunt. Her arms crossed her chest, she had a look of pure disgust when she viewed her older sister.

“Um, I’m sorry, excuse me?” Rarity said. “You’re sixteen, you’re not old enough to even move out.” She took a few steps towards her. “After a day we had yesterday~”

“Oh, was it the fact I ate one of your brownies?” Sweetie growled. “That made me go crazy?? Oh and not to mention there was a sexy photo on that plate of yours? What the actual fuck was all that about?!”

“Sweetie Belle, those weren’t even yours to take.” Rarity said. “I~”

“I asked you to help me bake brownies for my date which you made me miss!” she threw her hands up with a shout. “Who were you intending to drug with those things anyhow?”

“Sweetie, it’s not a drug, it’s a potion...a desire potion.” Rarity said, so tired of talking and what the night she had, she wanted to nap long and hard. “Now put your stuff up, I’ll make lunch soon.”

“I don’t want anything from you, anything at all if you are just going to serve that!” Sweetie shouted, grabbing her suitcase. “I told mom and dad so expect to hear all about it when they get here.”

“You did what?!” Rarity then grabbed her arms in a vice. “You didn’t!?”

“I did!” She pushed Rarity away with her magic. “Seriously, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?”

“Sweetie, I-I can’t explain what my intendtions were but it wasn’t to hurt any pony.”

“Well it hurt me and it hurt that Kol guy, whom you fucked up royally.” Sweetie Belle snarled at her. She then turned her head towards a wall where there were pictures hanging all around. One photo stood out the rest, Sweetie put that puzzle piece together before turning back to her sister. “Were those brownies intended for Spike??”

If Rarity wasn’t already alabaster white, she would’ve had color drained from her face.

Sweetie scoffed at her sister. “Unbelievable! Are you that mentally deranged that you would try and break up Spike and Rachel? By poisoning him??”

“I would never poison him!” Rarity shouted.

“Wait, was it you that caused Rachel to be in the hospital??” Sweetie Belle asked, having to know about the barnyard incident with the two. “You bitch!”

She grabs her suitcase and makes her way outside.

“Where are you going??” Rarity asked with a gasp.

“First off, I’m going to tell those two what really happened.”

Rarity reached out and grabbed her again. “You can’t, I-I won’t take any of it again, just don’t go, please! Sweetie Belle, my sweet baby sister, this will ruin me forever!”

“You’re already ruined, you did that to yourself, now let me go or else.”

Rarity gulped, she yanks Sweetie back in the boutique; with her body trembling, her magic engulfed her whole horn. All at once, all the windows that were opened and the doors shut and locked shut.

Locking Rarity and Sweetie Belle inside.

“What are you doing??” Sweetie asked, trying to use her magic to get the doors to unlock but there was no budging.

“I can’t let you go.” Rarity said. Her horn was still glowing, still using magic. Having a couple of things floating behind her sister. A small brown bottle and a rag.

Before Sweetie said something, the rag slaps against her mouth. Sweetie fought with the rag with a cry, trying to rip it off, colliding with the table and knocking items off before she gets a sense of weightlessness and began swaying and fell to the ground.

Rarity whimpered and cried as she kneeled down to her unconscious sister, grabbing the rag and the bottle she used to knock her out with.

Rarity held the bottle in her hand and looked at Sweetie with guilt. “Normally, I use chloroform to help with the pests and a solvent for resin jewels...never thought I would end up using it like this…” She the puts the bottle up on the counter top, using her magic, having to assist on helping pick her sister’s limp body up and carried her upstairs.

She just couldn’t let Sweetie go.

After putting her in her room and making sure Sweetie couldn’t escape, she goes back downstairs. She continually wipes her eyes as tears constantly flow from her tear ducts.

“Ooh what did I do, what did I do??” The unicorn paced around the main showroom of the boutique. “S-she’ll understand, no pony was meant to get hurt. N-no pony.”

If Sweetie Belle tells anyone what the fashionista has been doing, it’ll cost her everything.

“Ooh, I need a plan, I need a plan!” she grabbed a fistful of her mane, shaking her head with a cry. “What to do, what to do??”

She then looked up, seeing from the archway, she could see the fridge. Rarity started sweating, just thinking of the botched potion she had left in the fridge.

Rarity races up to the fridge and throws it open. She grabs the large bottle with the label saying “DO NOT TOUCH” on it. The yucky brown color staring back at her.

Biting her lip, Rarity carried the bottle over to the fireplace, taking a match and lighting it up. “Okay...as much as you brought me ideas and more clientele, you’ve been nothing but trouble.” she said to the bottle.

She uncorked the bottle before holding it over the fire and turned it. Watching the liquid poured into the flames, the color shifted to a grey color and it let out a howl that caused Rarity to step back from the fire with the bottle in hand.

“That didn’t happen before.” Rarity said, a little startled before her phone rang. She quickly went to the phone on the wall and answered it. “Rarity’s Boutique, how may I~”

“Rarity, it’s Sapphire.” Sapphire Shores said.

“Oh, why hello Sapphy!” Rarity said, trying to keep her tone light and calm. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks, so uh listen, I have a job request for an up and coming show of mine.” Sapphire Shores requested. “I know it’s out of the blue but I’m having a major setback, my last costume designer quit on me and I have to have my costumes done this friday.”

“In three days? That’s not much time for what you want exactly how you imagined.” Rarity said, biting her lower lip, her hand clutching the bottle.

“I know it's short notice but I can’t halfass this show. I’ll make it worth your wild. Come on, for old time sakes. If any pony can whip up a design in a heartbeat and make it the most beautiful creation in the fashionworld, it’s you, Rares.”

Rarity grinned and chuckled, feeling flattered, her cheeks blushed. “I-I guess I can think of something. What is the theme of your show?” She asked, her fingers twirling the long curly cord connected to the phone and the wall.

“Knew you were in on it. Okay, the theme of it is Ice and Fire. Got a hit new song. However you have got to get me to look like a queen.”

“You? A queen? Always.” Rarity giggled.

“I’ll send you an email of what the costume was supposed to look like before the last designer stopped all of a sudden. You can probably come up with something better. Girl I owe ya one.”

“You owe me nothing but time.” Rarity said before the two hung up. She puts the phone back on the receiver. “Ooh yes!” Rarity squealed. And like what Sapphire said, her cell phone dinged from the kitchen.

She got a new job request…

Rarity then looked at the bottle in her hands.

She bit her lower lip.

“Maybe….maybe after Sapphy…” Rarity said softly before putting the bottle between her lips.

And took a drink.

In the kitchen back in the Castle, Spike was over at the stove, making bowls for everypony, including himself. Adding various ingredients like cilantro-lime brown rice, black beans, tomatoes ect… Something that everypony could eat and still taste delicious though it’s all vegan.

As he gets the food together, Nightlight comes in.

“Hey, food is almost ready.” Spike tells him as he assembled the seven bowls.

“Alright.” He said. The blue unicorn looked back at the dining table. Seeing his wife interacting with their daughter and everypony else in the dining area. “Spike,”

Spike stops with a sigh, knowing what was about to come up.

“What really happened back there?” He asked the dragon then.

“I don’t know what else to say, dad.” Spike said before resuming the food.

“You’re not the type that goes hitting others. You tell me.” Nightlight said before looking at him with a soft look. “Your mother and I are worried. From what we heard and seeing now, Rachel’s a good girl.”

Spike nods in agreement. “That she is. Rachel’s the best.”

“So what happened?”

Spike shook his head before turning around and facing the blue unicorn. “Blueblood kept grabbing at Rachel when she clearly had no intentions to be involved with him. He insulted her right in my face.”

“You were defending her honor then.”

“Thank you, yes I was.” Spike said, relieved that finally someone else was thinking that. “However...when Blueblood shot me, I lost control...I accidently hit her.”

Nightlight nodded, considering what he heard before saying, “Does she know it was an accident?”

“Yup. Though I got my ass chewed out, she understood it was that...still can’t help feeling like shit.”

“She looks fine. The newspaper made it sound like she was black and blue. A few bruises but other than that, she looks no worse for wear.”

“That’s not helping.”

“Sorry.”

Spike scratched the back of his head. “It’s okay.”

Nightlight reached up and rubbed his arm. “I think anyone would’ve done what you did. We have to do what we can to defend the love of our lives. I would’ve done what you did if anyone would’ve looked at my TV that way.”

“TV??”

Nightlight snickered. “A little cute nickname I have for your mother. Can’t really call her Twily or Velvet so TV is it. I can turn her on and off all the time.”

Spike looked at her for a while before saying, “I think the twins are rubbing off on you and I don’t know if that’s a good thing.”

With one more clap on his back, Nightlight assisted Spike with the bowels and brought them to the others.

Author's Note

I had to separate the chapter cause it was taking longer than I thought and running out of time to type this due to IRL XD

the next chapter is gonna be a little longer.

Stay tune.