A New BeginningView OnlineA Happy FamilyA New BeginningAuthor's Note If you haven’t read Fatherly Instincts, I recommend you read that first https://www.fimfiction.net/story/422147/fatherly-instincts A New Beginning “Mommy, Daddy, wake up!” A small voice exclaimed happily. Spike stirred awake to see a small yellow and orange changeling jumping on the bed. She had small purple wings on her back and small purple horns starting to sprout from her head. She had a large grin on her face. “Okay okay, I’m up.” Spike said, sitting up sleepily. He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn. He looked at his daughter before chuckling at her excitement. “Are you excited for today Scramble?” Spike asked. Scramble nodded her head happily. Spike stood up from his shared bed and stretched, cracking his back. “Don’t do that.” Gabby muttered sleepily from her side of the bed. Spike smiled sheepishly. “Sorry honey, I’ll break all of my bones in a different room.” Spike said as he kissed his girlfriend on the cheek. He reached over to the night table and picked up his medal, placing it on his neck. It was golden and shaped like a shield. He picked Scramble up and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Spike placed Scramble on the floor and put his hands on his hips. “What do you want for breakfast?” Spike asked. Scramble thought for a moment, letting out a hum. “Pancakes!” Scramble answered with a grin. Spike smiled at his seven year old daughter and walked down the hallway, making his way to the kitchen. Spike had moved out of the castle about two years after Twilight moved back to Canterlot. He lived in a small five bedroom house on the outskirts of Ponyville. He had become the Friendship Ambassador of all Creatures after Twilight had given him a medal and appointed him Friendship Ambassador. He and Gabby were both twenty years old and were raising there kid, Scramble. Spike was noticeably taller and gaining some muscle. Gabby looked the same, just a few inches taller and her feathers were fluffier. Spike entered the kitchen and Scramble quickly sat down in her seat. “Child, play my music,” Spike said in a silly voice. Scramble giggled and turned on a record player that sat on the far end on the kitchen counter. Cheery music started to play and Spike tapped his foot to the beat. Scramble bounced in her seat as she watched her father's cooking process. Spike reached into the cabinet above the stove and pulled out a bag of flour and sugar. They did this almost every morning; it was a fun little routine. Spike turned on the coffee maker, making it beep. “I can’t wait to go to work with you! I get to see Kirin and Diamond Dogs fight!” Scramble said excitedly, still bouncing to the beat of the music. Spike shook his head. “The whole point of doing this is so they don’t fight. We want peace everywhere.” Spike explained as he poured the pancake batter into the pan. “When I’m queen, everyone is gonna fight everything!” Scramble said, throwing her hooves into the air. “You’d get overthrown very quickly if you did that,” Spike said as he flipped the pancakes. Scrambled ears flattened and she crossed her arms. “Well, then I’ll be a fake nice queen.” Scramble stated. Spike chuckled and put two pancakes on a plate. “You do that.” Spike said as he handed her the plate of pancakes. Scramble picked up the strawberry syrup and drowned her pancakes in it. Gabby walked into the kitchen, looking very tired. Her feathers were ruffled and she let out a yawn. “Good morning Gabby.” Spike greeted as he handed her a cup of coffee. Gabby took a long sip and sat down next to Scramble. Spike placed two plates of pancakes onto the table and sat down next to Gabby. “I can’t wait to spend time with you Daddy, I get to see all of the hard work you do to make Equestria a better place!” Scramble said happily. Spike chuckled and took a bite of his pancake. Gabby smiled and looked at her boyfriend. He didn’t realize this, but she adored him. They both looked at Scramble when the heard her chewing very quickly, stuffing pancakes into her mouth. “Slow down Scramble, you’ll choke.” Spike stated. Scramble looked up at him with a mouth full of food. “I wanna hurry up so we can gooo.” She whined out, swallowing her food. Spike chuckled and slid his pancakes down his throat with ease. “Okay let’s go.” Spike said, standing up from his seat. Scramble excitedly hopped out of her seat and flew upstairs, going to get her backpack. “Be careful.” Gabby said, hugging Spike tightly. He hugged his girlfriend back. “We will, we’ll be back by tonight.” Spike reassured. Gabby smiled and looked up at him. Spike leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Eeeeww.” A small voice said. They both turned around to see Scramble, who had a disgusted look on her face. Spike chuckled and picked her up. “Are you ready to go?” He asked. Scramble happily nodded her head. Spike gave Gabby another kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you later honey.” Spike said as he walked towards the front door. “Bye Mommy!” Scramble shouted, waving her hoof. Gabby smiled and waved back. “Bye you two, have fun.” She said. Spike smiled and walked out of the front door, ready to start his day. Spike and Scramble walked through a town filled with Kirin, Dragons, and Diamond Dogs. It was very large and crowded. “What are we going to do?” Scramble asked excitedly. “Well I got called to a certain address so I guess we’ll go there first.” Spike explained. Scramble nodded her head and hopped after her father. Spike looked down at a piece of paper to see the address written down. He looked around to see a street sign. He wasn’t too far from there. He wandered around the streets, occasionally looking behind him to see if Scramble was still following him. She looked up at her father, marching after him. After several minutes of walking, Spike approached a house. It was very small and Spike could hear talking from the backyard. He rang on the doorbell and the door quickly swung open revealing Autumn Blaze. “Oh thank Twilight you’re here, we have an issue.” She said with a very nervous look. Spike and Scramble glanced at each other. “What’s the problem?” Spike asked. Autumn Blaze gestured for Spike and Scramble to come in. “So lately someone’s been going through some Kirins trash and leaving it around everywhere. Then break-ins started to happen and stuff like food and blankets were being stolen. They started to blame the Diamond Dogs and now they’re fighting.” She explained. Spike frowned. That wasn’t good at all. They wanted the backyard to see Kirin on one side and Diamond Dogs on the other. They were all arguing very loudly. “We didn’t steal anything from you, we haven’t even been near you!” One diamond dog shouted. “It had to be you, all of the dragons in the town are too big to go unnoticed!” A kirin retorted. The diamond dog let out an angry growl and the kirin turned into a Nirik, letting out a hiss. Spike stood between the groups. “I need you all to calm down, I know we can talk this out.” Spike said. The groups ignored him and continued to shout over each other. Scrambled ears perked up when she heard the sound of a trash can hitting the ground. She turned around to see a figure digging through the trash. She let out a gasp. “That’s the bad guy.” She whispered to herself. She looked around to see that no one was looking at her. She closed her eyes and teleported herself towards the trash can. When she appeared next to the trash can, she could see a yellow tail poking out. “Stop thief!” Scramble exclaimed, trying to sound intimidating. A diamond dog stumbled out, looking very frightened. She looked to be a little younger than Scramble and she was skinny to the point where you could see her ribs. Her yellow fur was matted down and she looked tired. “I’m sorry, please don’t hit me!” She shouted, shielding herself. Scramble let her horn go brightly as if she were going to attack. “Why are you stealing?!” Scramble shouted. The diamond dog looked at her with large brown eyes before sobbing loudly. Scramble let out a gasp and hugged her out of instinct. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Scramble apologized. The diamond dog cried into her chest, starting to sniffle. Scramble wiped the tears from her cheeks, just like her parents would do to her. “What's your name?” Scramble asked. The diamond dog sniffled. “Cecilia.” She answered. “I’m Scramble.” Scramble introduced. Cecilia pulled away from the hug, looking very guilty. “I’m sorry for stealing things, I just wanna be warm and I wanna have food,” Cecilia admitted. Scramble tilted her head. “Don’t your mommy and daddy give you food?” Scramble asked. Cecilia shook her head. “I don’t have a mommy or a daddy, they left me when I was three.” Cecilia stated. Scramble let out a gasp. She couldn’t even imagine a life without her parents. She thought for a moment before grabbing Cecilia’s paw. “Well, we can share a mommy and daddy from now on.” Scramble said, leading her into the backyard. Cecilia gulped. She wasn’t too sure about this. Scramble let Cecilia to the backyard where many adults were arguing. Spike stood in between both groups, trying to calm them down and make sure no one got physical. Scramble walked up to her father and pulled onto his tail. “Daddy I found the one who is stealing everything.” Scramble said with a smile. Everyone stopped arguing and looked at the small diamond dog angrily. “You should be ashamed of yourself young lady!” One diamond dog scolded. Cecilia's wars flattened and her eyes filled up with tears. A kirin went to approach her but Spike put his hand up. “It’s okay, I’ll deal with her.” He stated, staring down at Cecilia. She struggled not to cry. She was in so much trouble.
Cleaning UpView OnlineA Happy FamilyCleaning UpSpike, Scramble, and Cecilia stood in the now empty backyard of Autumn Blaze's house. Everyone had left when the found out the one stealing their stuff wasn’t a threat at all. Spike stood in front of Cecilia, his arms cross and he tapped his foot. He looked stern, his brows furrowing. Cecilia stared up at the tall dragon, her ears flattened. She was terrified, not knowing what was going to happen next. ” Is he going to hit me? Is he going to yell? Is he going to kick me?” Thoughts raced across her mind, making Cecilia shake in fear. Tears welled up in her eyes and she looked down at the ground. Spikes' expression softened and he crouched down to her height. “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you,” Spike said in a soft tone. Cecilia looked up at him with teary eyes. “Do you want to tell me why you were stealing?” Spike asked. She sniffled and nodded her head. “My mommy and daddy left me when I was three because they said I was too slow. I’ve been living by myself for so long. I stole food and blankets because I was hungry and cold.” Cecilia explained. “I told her we can share a mommy and daddy!” Scramble butted in. Spike stood there in shocked silence. He had heard of parents abandoning their children but never like this. When parents left their children, it was usually with a family friend or someone who could take care of them. “How old are you?” He asked. Cecilia hummed to herself and counted on her fingers. “I’m five!” Cecilia informed, showing him five fingers. Spike let out a sigh and stood up, making Cecilia’s ears flatten. “D-did I do something wrong?” She asked fearfully. Spike shook his head. “No, you didn’t do anything bad. Let’s get you some food.” Spike stated, grabbing Cecilia’s paw. Scramble hopped next to Cecilia, excited to have a new friend. Spike led Cecilia and Scramble into town, looking for a fast food restaurant. Different types of creatures walked around, shoving past Spike. A kirin shoved past Scramble, knocking her over to her side. “Hey!” Scramble shouted, now laying on her back. The kirin ignored her shout and continued walking. Spike picked Scramble up and tucked her under his arm. “Where is a fast food restaurant?” Spike asked, looking around. Cecilia’s ears perked up at the sound of that. “I know a Hay Burger nearby.” Cecilia said, pulling Spike forward. Spike followed close behind, letting the small child lead him. Soon, they approached a Hay Burger which was very large. “I come here to eat out of the trash, it’s really good.” Cecilia said with a smile. Spike grimaced, he hated the idea of a child as young as her eating out of the trash. Spike walked up to the front doors, only to pause when he saw a sign. “No fleas.” A sign read with a picture of a crossed out flea. Spike looked at Cecilia. There was no denying that she had fleas. Spike thought for a moment before getting an idea. “Stay out here, I’ll go get us some food.” Spike stated, letting go of Cecilia’s hand. Her eyes widened and she quickly clung onto Spike's leg. “No don’t leave me like everyone else!” Cecilia exclaimed in fear. Scramble looked at her father, not understanding what was going on. Spike placed Scramble on the ground and took Cecilia off of his leg. “I promise I’ll come back for you. I’ll just go get us all food and then I’ll get you cleaned up.” Spike reassured. Cecilia sniffled and wiped her eyes. “Do you want me to stay with you while we wait?” Scramble asked with a smile. Cecilia nodded her head and sat on the ground. Scramble sat next to her, humming to herself happily. Spike let out a sigh of relief. “Okay girls, I’ll be back in about fifteen minutes, don’t go anywhere.” Spike instructed before walking inside. Scramble continued to hum to herself, bouncing in her spot. “Your dad's really nice.” Cecilia stated. Scramble nodded her head happily. “My mommy is nice too. Sometimes she makes me brownies and we watch movies!” Scramble said happily. Cecilia let out a sad laugh. “Your parents sound great. I wish I had that.” She said, tearing up a bit. Scramble pulled her into a tight hug. “You can be my sister from now on and you can live with me forever.” Scramble said happily. Cecilia hugged her back happily, excited to have a new home. Spike walked out of the restaurant, holding two large bags of food. “That was fast.” Scramble commented. Spike nodded his head. “The whole place was empty.” Spike stated as he took out two hayburgers. He handed one to Scramble and one to Cecilia. Cecilia quickly unwrapped the burger and shoved it into her mouth, making Spike giving her a look of surprise. Cecilia scarfed down her burger within seconds and licked her lips with satisfaction. “I’ve never had a full hayburger before!” Cecilia said happily. Spike gave a sympathetic smile before picking up Scramble and holding Cecilia’s hand. “You can have more food after you get cleaned up.” Cecilia marveled at the large hotel room she was standing in, looking at the two large beds. She hadn’t laid in a bed in years. There was a microwave in the corner of the room and two lamps pressed up against the wall. Scramble hopped on the bed, letting herself bounce into the air. That looked like fun. “Mr. Spike, can I jump on the bed too?” Cecilia asked excitedly. Spike shook his head. “You need to get cleaned up first and then you can jump on the bed.” Spike stated. Cecilia nodded her head as Spike led her to the bathroom. He turned on the water in the bathtub, waiting for it to fill up. He reached into the plastic bag he was holding and pulled out toenail clippers, scissors, flea shampoo, a toothbrush, a brush, a hairdryer, a towel, and a blue ribbon. “Give me your hand.” Spike instructed. Cecilia anxiously placed her paw in his hand. Spike started to clip her long nails, letting the nails fall to the floor. He went to the next hand, completely clipping the nails away. Cecilia stared at her paw. It looked so neat. Spike turned off the faucet and picked Cecilia up, placing her into the water. “It’s so warm!” Cecilia exclaimed happily, splashing around in the water. Spike chuckled and put some flea shampoo on his hands. He rubbed it over Cecilia’s fur, scrubbing it clean. Dirt washed out, turning her yellowish brown fur into a beautiful golden color. Cecilia giggled. “That tickles!” Cecilia laughed out. She splashed her hands in the water, letting it splash around. Spike let out a laugh and lifted her out of the water. He smiled and looked at Cecilia. Her fur covered her eyes but she looked happy and clean. Spike looked in the tub to see that the water was brown and filthy. He drained out the tub and picked up a towel, wrapping her in it. He picked up the hairdryer and plugged it into the wall. “What’s going on? I can’t see.” Cecilia said, looking around. “This might be a little loud,” Spike said, pressing a button on the blow dryer. It let out a loud whirring noise, making Cecilia tense up. “TOO LOUD!” Cecilia shouted in a panic. Spike frowned. “It won’t take long, I promise.” Spike reassured. He held the dryer close to her fur, quickly drying it. He quickly turned off the dryer and looked at Cecilia, who’s fur was all dry and fluffy. Her fur was still covering her eyes. Spike picked up the scissors and started to snip away the excess fur. “I can see again!” Cecilia shouted when Spike cut the fur from her eyes. Spike grabbed a brush from the sink and started to brush her fur out. Clumps of fur stuck to the brush. After several minutes of brushing, he was finished. “And for the finishing touch.” Spike said, picking up the blue ribbon. He tied it around Cecilia’s neck. Spike turned Cecilia to face a mirror and she let out a gasp. “Is this me?” She asked in disbelief. She had never been this clean before. Her fur wasn’t matted down and it was shorter than before. She still looked very skinny but that was a work in progress. Spike chuckled and nodded his head. Cecilia turned around and hugged Spike tightly. “Thank you so much Mr. Spike!” She exclaimed, her tail wagging happily. Spike hugged her back, happy that he could help her. “Go play with Scramble, I got some board games we can play together.” Spike stated. Cecilia nodded her head and happily skipped out of the bathroom. Spike let out a sigh. “I need to write a letter to Gabby to let her know I’m not coming home tonight,” Spike said to himself. He looked around the bathroom to see dirty water and fur scattered all over the place. “But first I need to clean up.”
New HomeView OnlineA Happy FamilyNew HomeSpike, Scramble, and Cecilia walked through Ponyville, making their way home. Cecilia’s tail wagged happily as she looked around the tiny town. Everything was so exciting and new. “That’s Sugarcube Corner, my friend's Pumpkin and Pound live there!” Scramble said excitedly, pointing to a building with a giant cupcake on top of it. Cecilia marveled at the building. She looked up at Spike and tugged his hand. “Where are we going Mr. Spike?” Cecilia asked. “We’re going to my house so we can start setting up your room.” Spike stated. Cecilia let out a gasp and grabbed Spike's hand. “I get to have my own room!?” She asked in disbelief. Spike chuckled and nodded his head. Cecilia grinned wildly, hugging Spikes leg happily. Her tail wagged quickly “Thank you so much!” She exclaimed happily. Spike smiled and grabbed her hand. “Let’s get home so you can meet Gabby first.” Spike, Scramble, and Cecilia entered the house and Cecilia let out a gasp. “This place is so pretty!” She complimented, looking at the red curtains hung up on the green couch and the black table in front of it. Scramble tugged on Cecilia’s hand. “Do you wanna see my room?” She asked happily. Cecilia nodded her head excitedly. “Let’s go!” Scramble exclaimed, flying up into the air and upstairs. Cecilia ran after her, her tail wagging. Spike chuckled and followed them upstairs, going to see Gabby. He walked down the long hallway, looking at the pictures lined up on the wall. There was a picture of Scramble as a baby. Spike missed those days when Scramble was small and could fit in his arms. He looked at another picture of Scramble leaning on a table, staring in awe at a chocolate cake. On the cake, there was a red number three candle that was lit up. Spike chuckled. “She was so excited.” Spike gushed. He continued to walk down the hallway with a smile on his face. Soon, he approached his bedroom door. He opened the door to see Gabby laying on the floor with a pile of blankets, leaves, and twigs. “Hi Gabby.” Spike said with a smile. Gabby looked up a smiled, waving back. “Hi Spike, how did yesterday go?” Gabby asked. Spike sat down next to the blanket pile Gabby made. “Pretty good, the Diamond Dogs and Kirin were fighting because the Kirin thought the Diamond Dogs were stealing their stuff and going through their trash. Scramble solved the problem.” Spike explained. He looked at Gabby and the pile of blankets, twigs, and leaves. “What are you making?” He asked. Gabby looked down at the pile of blankets, leaves, and twigs. “I made a nest.” Gabby stated. Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Why?” Spike asked. Gabby shrugged. “I feel like I need to.” Gabby stated. Spike reached his hand out to help his girlfriend up. “Do you wanna go meet Cecilia?” Spike asked. Gabby nodded his head and grabbed his hand, pulling herself up. Spike led Gabby out of the room, holding her hand. They walked down the hallway, passing a bedroom with a small bed inside. That was Cecilia’s new room. “And this is my raccoon Meeko, I got him when I was a baby.” Scramble said from her bedroom. Spike and Gabby peeked in the room to see Scramble showing Cecilia a bunch of her toys. “Hi Cecilia, my name is Gabby.” Gabby greeted softly, crouching down to Cecilia’s height. “Hi Ms. Gabby, Mr. Spike told me a lot about you.” Cecilia stated. Gabby tilted her head. “What did he say about me?” Gabby asked. Cecilia tapped her chin, thinking for a moment. “He said that your eyes are pretty like sapphires and your smile is really pretty,” Cecilia stated. Gabby looked at Spike with a wide grin, making his face go red. “You think my smile is pretty?” Gabby asked. Spikes cheeks burned and he cleared his throat. “I think everything about you is pretty.” Spike muttered to himself. Gabby let out a gasp and her cheeks turned pink. “KISS!” Scramble commanded loudly, making Cecilia jump. Gabby stood up and gave Spike a quick kiss on the lips, making his face got darker. “Okay girls, let's go shopping.” Spike said completely flustered, walking out of the room. Scramble hopped after her father and Cecilia trailed behind. Today was going to be a good day. Spike pushed a cart, walking around a large store. Inside the cart, there were various items like a lamp with butterflies all over it, pillows, a pink bed set, a self-built bookshelf, and a stuffed fox. Cecilia ran up holding a small book with a red cover. It had a picture of a small bunny on it. “Can I get this so you can read this to me?” Cecilia asked. Spike cocked an eyebrow. “You can’t read?” Spike asked. Cecilia shook her head. Spike let out a sigh and took the book from her hands, placing it in the cart. “Get more books that you think look cool, I’ll teach you how to read.” Spike stated. Cecilia let out a gasp and her tail started to wag. She ran over to the book section, looking for books she thought looked cool. Spike looked over at Scramble who was staring at some lava lamps in awe. She had been staring at them for twenty minutes, not moving an inch. Spike walked over to her and poked her shoulder. “Are you okay?” Spike asked. Scramble looked at him and nodded her head. She pointed to the lava lamps. “They’re so pretty and shiny.” Scramble stated, her eyes dilated. Spike glanced at the lamp and looked back at his daughter. Changelings had a tendency to get attracted to glowing objects. Spike had to take the fly zapper off of the porch because Scramble kept flying into it. “Let’s go pay for this stuff, I think we have enough.” Spike said as he led Scramble away from the lava lamps. He looked at Cecilia, who was dumping at least twenty books into the shopping cart. “Are you two ready to go?” Spike asked. Scramble and Cecilia nodded their heads. Spike looked around to see that Gabby was nowhere in sight. “Have you seen your mother?” Spike asked. Scramble shook her head, not seeing her mother since they walked into the store. Gabby came out from an aisle, holding various shiny objects. “What do you need that for?” Spike asked. Gabby dumped the objects into the shopping cart. “I just need them.” Gabby stated. Spike gave her an odd look. He had heard of birds collecting shiny objects so this wasn’t too odd. “Are you ready to go? Do you need anything else?” Spike asked. Gabby nodded her head, discreetly putting a shiny blue piece of fabric into the cart. Spike pushed the cart towards the checkout line happily humming to himself. Decorating Cecilia’s room is going to be a piece of cake. Spike sat on the floor of Cecilia’s room, building a bookshelf. Gabby had helped out for a lot of the room but she had felt sick and dizzy so she went to her shared room. “Almost done.” Spike muttered to himself, screwing a screw into the shelf. He held up the shelf to move it against the wall, pressing it firmly. He picked the pile of children’s books off the floor and neatly placed them on the shelf. He looked around the room to see that everything was perfect. There was a small pink bed pressed up in the corner of the room, on the bed there was a plush orange fox, and next to that there was a black nightstand with a butterfly lamp on it. There was a pink rug on the floor and a toy chest next to the front door. Spike smiled contently to himself. “Cecilia, come check out your room!” Spike shouted. He listened to the sound of paws quickly make their way to the room. Cecilia walked into the room and let out a lush gasp. “Do you like it?” Spike asked. Cecilia looks at him with bright eyes and nodded her head. “Thank you so much!” Cecilia exclaimed, hugging Spikes leg. Spike crouched down to her height and hugged her tightly. “You and Scramble should play a game, I’ll make dinner soon.” Spike said as he pulled away from the hug. Cecilia grabbed her fox happily skipped out of the room. Spike smiled happily and left the room, making his way to his bedroom. “I hope Gabby’s feeling better.” Spike thought out loud. He approached his bedroom and opened the door. He looked next to the bed to see that Gabby had added to her nest. There were tiny shiny trinkets and fabric. She was curled up into a ball, sleeping soundly. Spike approached her and placed his hand on her forehead. She didn’t seem warm at all. She never collected items like this. She would pick up shiny rocks she thought was cool but she would never go this far. “I wonder what’s up with Gabby.”
Surprises All AroundView OnlineA Happy FamilySurprises All AroundSpike sat on his bed, writing down a list of things he had to do that day. He looked down at Gabby would be curled up into a ball, still laying her nest. “Are you sure you’ll be able to watch Scramble and Cecilia? You’ve been feeling sick all week.” Spike said with a frown. Gabby waved her claw dismissively. “I’m fine Spikey, I promise. The girls are gonna be fine with me.” Gabby reassured. Spike gave an uneasy look and kissed her on the cheek. “Come into town if you need me. Scramble and Cecilia won’t be awake for a few more hours. I’ll come back in a few hours to pick up Cecilia for her doctor's appointment.” Spike stated. Gabby nodded her head and laid back down in her nest. Spike stood up and started to walk towards the bedroom door. Gabby watched her boyfriend leave the room and heard the door shut. “My stomach hurts,” Gabby muttered to herself. She curled up into a ball, closing her eyes. It felt like a heavy pressure was in her lower stomach. “At least I can sleep for a while.” Gabby mumbles as she closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep. Spike walked around town, holding his list in his hand. “First stop Sugarcube corner.” Spike said to himself. The town was pretty much empty at this moment. The sun was still rising and a few stores were opening for the morning rush. Spike entered Sugarcube Corner to see Pinkie Pie standing behind the counter. Her hair was in a ponytail and she had a smile on her face. “Good morning Spike, what can I get for you?” Pinkie Pie asked in her normal cheerful tone. “Can you make a lemon cake that says “You’re adopted!”?” Spike asked. Pinkie nodded her head and wrote that down on a piece of paper. “I thought Scramble knew that she was adopted.” Pinkie Pie said. Spike shook his head. “It’s not for Scramble, it’s for Cecilia.” Spike stated. Pinkie Pie let out a loud gasp and hopped on the counter, getting inches from his face. “You’re adopting another kid?!” Pinkie Pie asked with a wide grin. Spike nodded his head and she let out a loud squeal. “You didn’t tell me you were adopting another kid! What is she like? Does she like cupcakes?!” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. “I thought I told you guys about Cecilia. She’s really nice and doesn’t have a family.” Spike explained. He had been so busy lately that he had forgotten to tell her friends that he was adopting a kid. He had told close family like Twilight, Shining Armor, Cadence, Night Light, and Twilight Velvet. He had mentioned it to Big Mac and Discord too. Discord had told Fluttershy, who had told Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash told her wife, Applejack and Applejack told Applebloom. It was like a big game of telephone and the message never got to Pinkie. “I can’t wait to meet her! I’ll throw her the biggest party ever!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, zipping into the kitchen. She quickly zipped back into the room. “Can I throw a party at your house tonight?” Pinkie Pie asked. Spike thought for a moment. He would be taking Cecilia out for a few hours so she wouldn't know. “Sure thing, just don’t invite too many ponies.” Spike stated. Pinkie Pie nodded her head and quickly left the room. Spike looked at the list. “Next stop, town hall.” Gabby sat in her nest in disbelief, staring at a grey egg with purple spots. It was big enough to fit in her claw. “I-I laid an egg,” Gabby said to herself in disbelief. That’s why she had been feeling sick lately and making a nest. She picked up the still moist egg and stared at it. This was her egg. This gravity of this situation sunk in. She was about to adopt another kid and there was one on the way. She still felt oddly happy about all of this. She looked at the egg and laid on it, warming it up. Gabby turned around when she heard the bedroom door open. “Gabby I’m back, I got the adoption papers. Cecilia is gonna be so happy to hear the big news.” Spike said, waving a small stack of papers around. Gabby gave him a forced smile. “I have even bigger news,” Gabby said nervously. Spike tilted his head and closed the door behind him. Gabby pulled the egg out from under her and held it up to Spike. “I laid an egg!” Gabby stated excitedly. Spikes' jaw dropped open in shock. He took the egg out of her claw and stared at it. He held it close to his chest and hugged it. “I love it.” Spike stated. Gabby chuckled and kissed him on the cheek. “How are we supposed to take care of three children? Last week we only had one.” Gabby stated. Spike put his hand on his chin, thinking. “Well, we can take care of the baby by bringing the baby to work with us. Cecilia will be starting school soon and Scramble can help her with socializing.” Spike explained. Gabby smiled and hugged Spike. “This is all going to be perfect.” Gabby said with a smile. Spike looked at the egg in awe before giving it back to Gabby. “Later we can go to the castle and get Scrambles old crib. I kept a lot of stuff from when she was a baby.” Spike stated. He looked out the window to see the sun has fully risen and it was early in the morning. “I’ll go wake up Cecilia so we can go to the doctor,” Spike said. Gabby nodded her head and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Spike gave his girlfriend one last smile before walking out of the room. As Spike stood outside his room, he broke out into a large grin. “I’m gonna have two new kids!” Spike exclaimed happily. He quickly covered his mouth, making sure not to wake up Scramble and spoil the surprise. Spike walked over to Cecilia’s room, which was right next to there room. He opened the door and looked around, only to see that the Cecilia wasn’t in it. He looked around the room in confusion. “Cecilia?” Spike called out. When he got no answer, he walked out of the room. Did she leave? Spike thought she loved it here. Spike walked down the stairs, looking around for Cecilia. He peeked into the kitchen to see that the basement door was open a crack. That was odd because no one ever went in there. It was usually empty and dusty. Spike opened the door, only to notice that the light was on. He walked down the stairs, listening to them creak. The wood in the stairs stuck out a little bit. Spike made it to the bottom of the stairs to see Cecilia laying in the middle of the basement floor, wrapped up in her blanket. She was sound asleep. Spike walked over to her and nudged her a bit. “Cecilia, wake up.” He whispered. Cecilia let out a yawn and opened her eyes. “Good morning dad.” Cecilia muttered sleepily. Spike's heart jumped at the sound of that. He decided not to question it so Cecilia didn’t feel bad. “Why are you sleeping in the basement?” Spike asked. Cecilia rubbed her eyes and sat up. “I like it down here it reminds me of my old house.” Cecilia stated. Spike looked around. He had forgotten that Diamond Dogs lived underground. “You can sleep down here soon, I just need to clean this place up. This can be your new bedroom.” Spike said. Cecilia smiled and hugged him, drifting off to sleep. “Don’t go to sleep yet, we’re going to the doctor.” Spike said while picking her up. Cecilia let out a mumbled answer, just wanting to go back to sleep. Gabby cradled the egg in her arms, staring at it lovingly. “Mommy?” A small voice asked, making Gabby jump. She turned around to see Scramble standing at the doorway, just waking up. “Hi Scramble.” Gabby greeted. Scramble approached her mother and looked into her arms. “Is that an egg?” Scramble asked. Gabby nodded her head and smiled. “Yup, you’re going to be a big sister!” She exclaimed. Scramble let out a gasp and broke out into a grin. “I’m going to be a big sister!” She exclaimed happily. Gabby chuckled. “Cecilia’s going to be your little sister too,” Gabby stated. Scramble let out a louder gasp. “I’m going to be a double big sister!” Scramble shouted loudly. The doorbell rang, catching both of their attention. Gabby placed the egg in her nest. “Scramble, watch the egg for me.” She commanded. Scramble nodded her head and laid in front of the egg, staring at it intently. Gabby opened her wings and flew down the stairs, wondering who could be coming over uninvited. She opened the front door to see Pinkie Pie with a large grin on her face. “Hi Gabby, Spike told me that you two were adopting a kid so he said I can throw a party!” Pinkie Pie said excitedly. Gabby smiled and let Pinkie inside. She pushed in her party cannon and closed the door behind her. “It’s crazy how last week you had one kid and now you have two!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Gabby chuckled a bit. “Actually I have three kids.” Gabby stated. Pinkie tilted her head before letting out a gasp. “You’re pregnant!?” Pinkie Pie exclaimed in disbelief. Gabby chuckled and shook her head. “I laid an egg earlier today.” Gabby stated. Pinkie Pie let out a louder gasp and hugged Gabby tightly. “I’m so proud of you!” Pinkie Pie shouted. Scramble quickly ran down the stairs with a smile on her face. “Pinkie!” Scramble exclaimed excitedly. “Hi Scramble!” Pinkie Pie shouted as Scramble jumped into her arms. “Are you excited to be a big sister?” Pinkie Pie asked. Scramble nodded her head. “I’m gonna be the best big sister ever!” Scramble said happily. Pinkie Pie put Scramble down and pointed her party canon to the ceiling. “Let’s start decorating!” Spike made his way to his house, holding Cecilia’s hand. Cecilia licked a lollipop, her tail wagging a bit. “I didn’t like getting needles, it hurt.” Cecilia stated. Spike gave a sympathetic smile. They had been at the doctor's office all day. Spike had to make sure she didn’t have any bad medical conditions. She was only color blind and had a slight digestive problem but other than that she was fine. “We’re almost home. I have a big surprise for you.” Spike stated. Cecilia tilted her head. “What is it?” She asked. Spike smiled. “You’ll see,” Spike said, approaching his house. He opened the door to see that the lights were out. Spike flicked on the light to see all of his close friends standing there. “Surprise!” They all shouted, making Cecilia jump and hide behind Spike's leg. “It’s okay, they won’t hurt you.” Spike comforted. Cecilia cowered out from behind Spike's leg and looked at all the new people. “Hi.” She said shyly with a small wave. Scramble zoomed up to her and hugged her happily. “I missed you!” Scramble exclaimed. Cecilia hugged her back, happy to see someone she recognized. “I missed you too.” Cecilia stated happily. Gabby flew up to the front of the small crowd with a smile on her face. “Cecilia, we have a big surprise for you.” Gabby said with a smile. Cecilia tilted her head. “What is it?” She asked, now intrigued. “We’re adopting you.” Gabby said with a smile. Cecilia let out a gasp and her tail started to wag. “Really!?” Cecilia asked in disbelief. Spike and Gabby nodded their heads, making Cecilia tear up. “Thank you so much!” Cecilia exclaimed, jumping into Gabby’s arms. Spike and Scramble joined in on the hug. “Let’s get this party started!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed. Music started and everyone started to talk and dance. Spike stood up, breaking away from the hug. Scramble grabbed Cecilia’s hand. “Let me show you my friends!” Scramble shouted, pulling Cecilia into the crowd. A hoof touched Spike's shoulder, making him turn around. He looked up to see Twilight towering over him. “I’m proud of you Spike.” Twilight said with a smile. Spike cocked an eyebrow. “Why?” Spike asked. Twilight smiled. “You started a whole family and you’re going to raise three wonderful children,” Twilight said happily. Spike smiled and looked at Scramble and Cecilia, who were talking to the Cake twins and Flurry Heart. “You’re right Twilight, they’ll be wonderful.”
Your QueenView OnlineA Happy FamilyYour QueenScramble stood in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. She looked into the mirror, giving herself a wide grin to see her clean teeth. She wore light blue hoovsie pajamas with yellow moons and stars on them. She looked over to Cecilia who wore a large baggy grey t-shirt. She sat on the toilet seat, humming to herself and kicking her legs. “Are you two ready for bed?” Gabby asked, leaning on the doorframe of the bathroom. Scramble and Cecilia both nodded their heads. “I brushed my teeth, see,” Cecilia said, giving a big smile. She showed off her sharp teeth that were sparkling brightly. Gabby chuckled. “Okay well you two go to bed, you both have school in tomorrow.” Gabby stated, leading the two children out of the bathroom. Scramble flew up to her mother's head and kissed her on the cheek. “Goodnight Mommy.” Scramble said happily. She looked over at her little sister. “Goodnight Cecilia.” Scramble said with a smile and a wave. Cecilia waved goodbye for the night and started to make her way downstairs, going to her room in the basement. Scramble flew into her room, shutting the door behind her. She looked at her stuffed animals that were lined up on her bed. She flew onto her bed and stared at her stuffed animals. “Goodnight commander Butterfly.” Scramble said, kissing a small plush butterfly on the head. “Goodnight Mr. Bat, goodnight Mrs. Moth, goodnight general Bear, and goodnight Meeko.” She said, kissing each stuffed animal on the head. She moved the stuffed animals to the side and went under her blanket, cuddling into Meeko. Her horn started to glow and she clicked her lamp off. “Sleepy sleep sleep.” Scramble muttered to herself in a sing-song voice. Within seconds, Scramble felt herself drifting off to sleep. Scramble hopped around a valley, looking at everything excitedly. The sky was clear and there were rainbows all around. The grass was green licorice and the large lake was soda. Cheery music played as lollipops danced around her, singing along. Scramble hopped onto a giant mushroom, bouncing off of it like it was a trampoline. “This is so much fun!” Scramble exclaimed through giggles. This was one of the best dreams she has ever had. “Follow us Scramble, we have something cool to show you.” One of the lollipops said. It had small skinny black legs and arms. Scramble hopped off of the mushroom, landing onto the soft licorice grass. She followed a small pink lollipop that led her away from the valley. The cheery music slowly started to fade, only to be met with silence. “Where are we going Mr. Lollipop? Are we going on another adventure? Are we gonna murder more ponies?” Scramble asked. Mr. Lollipop shook his head. “Someone’s here to visit you, she said she’s a Queen.” Mr. Lollipop explained. Scramble flapped her wings excitedly. She’s met Princes and Princesses before but never a Queen. They approached a large cave with a green crystal on top of it. Something about this cave felt very off. It didn’t feel happy and cheery like the rest of the valley, it felt cold and chilling. “The Queen is in there?” Scramble asked, now cowering down. Mr. Lollipop nodded his head. “Yep, she said she wanted to meet you in here. She said that she didn’t like all of the bright colors and even used a few bad words to say how much she hated this place.” Mr. Lollipop explained. Scramble let out a gasp, covering her mouth with her hooves. “Is she an evil queen?” Scramble asked in a whisper. Mr. Lollipop nodded his head. “I think so. I should go now, she wanted to talk to you by herself.” Mr. Lollipop said, quickly running back to the peaceful valley. Scramble looked back into the cave, letting out a soft whimper. She shook her head and puffed out her chest. “I’m a brave changeling, I can do this!” Scramble said confidently, marching into the cave. As soon as she got in, her blood ran cold. Something felt very wrong. “H-hello?” Scramble called out. A tall black creature came out from the darkness with a wide grin on her face. She had holes in her body and glowing green eyes. Her horn was long and jagged. “Hello Scramble.” The creature said in a chilling voice. Scramble cowered in fear, trying not to shake. “Who are you?” Scramble asked. The creature laughed, showing off her fangs. “I’m Queen Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings.” She stated. Scramble tilted her head. “You don't look like a Changeling. Besides, Thorax is the King of Changelings.” Scramble stated. Chrysalis scowled and stomped her hooves on the ground, cracking it a bit. “I’m what all changelings used to look like. Thorax stole the throne from me!” Chrysalis said angrily. Scramble flinched back at the sudden outburst. “Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?” Scramble asked. Chrysalis broke out into a wide grin. “I need you to bring me back so I can take over Equestria.” Chrysalis said with a wicked grin. Scrambles' eyes widened and she quickly shook her head. “I can’t do that, that’ll be mean.” Scramble stated. Chrysalis’s smile turned into a pout. “I thought a little grub like you would do anything to make someone happy. Especially their own mother.” Chrysalis said, breaking out into another grin. Scramble let out a gasp of shock. “You’re my real mom?!” Scramble asked in disbelief. Chrysalis nodded her head. “I’m upset that you don’t look like me and look like...that.” Chrysalis said with a scowl, gesturing to Scramble’s brightly colored body. “What's wrong with the way I look?” Scramble asked. Chrysalis gave her offspring a disgusted look. “You’re too colorful to be my kid. Whoever found your egg must have given you too much love.” Chrysalis stated. A blush appeared on Scramble's face. “Since you’re my mom, that means I have to help you.” Scramble stated. Chrysalis smirked. “You’re more obedient than I thought you’d be. As soon as you release me from stone, I need you to kill Twilight Sparkle.” Chrysalis ordered. Scramble let out a loud gasp. “I-I can’t do that, she’s my aunt and I love her.” Scramble stated. Chrysalis scowled and stomped her hoof on the ground. “I am your mother and you do as I command!” Chrysalis shouted. Scramble cowered in fear, covering her face. “Please, I don’t want to hurt anyone for real.” Scramble begged. She could feel her body run cold as she shook in fear. She just wanted to go home. Scramble jolted up in a cold sweat, panting heavily. Tears dripped down her cheeks and she was shaking like a leaf. She quickly got out of bed and ran out of her room. She ran down the hallway, tears blurring her vision. She slowed down as she approached her parent's bedroom door. Scramble slowly pushed open the door, making sure not to wake anyone. She crawled into the bed, poking her father's cheek. “Daddy.” Scramble whispered. Spike slowly opened his eyes to look at his daughter. “Did you have a nightmare?” Spike asked. Scramble sniffled and nodded her head. “Do you wanna talk about it?” He asked. She shook her head, crawling into her father's arms. Spike wrapped his arms around her tightly, making Scramble calm down instantly. She closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Everything was going to be alright. It was just a dream.
The Big QuestionView OnlineA Happy FamilyThe Big QuestionSpike sat at the kitchen table, staring at a small box in his hand. On the table, there were crumpled up pieces of paper. He opened the box, revealing a ring. The ring was silver with a turquoise in the middle. He let out a sigh and placed the box down on the table. “Why can’t I find the right words?” Spike asked himself, looking at the piece of paper in front of him. It was past midnight and he couldn’t seem to concentrate. He loud out a groan and rubbed his eyes. He had been dating Gabby for seven years and they already have two kids with one on the way. It was time he took things to the next level. “What are you doing?” A voice asked, coming from next to Spike. He jumped in surprise and turned around to see Scramble standing there. “Why are you awake?” Spike asked. Scramble rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn. “I’m thirsty.” She explained, walking over to the fridge. She pulled out a water bottle and opened it, taking a sip from it. “Why are you awake?” Scramble asked, closing the bottle. “I’m trying to write a letter to your mother.” Spike explained. Scramble walked over to her father and leaned her head on his leg. “Why are you writing a letter?” Scramble asked. Spike blushed a bit. “I want to tell her how much I love her. I want to marry her.” Spike admitted. Scramble let out a loud gasp and Spike quickly covered her mouth. “Shush, everyone is asleep.” He said. Scramble let out a soft squeal of excitement. “You’re going to ask Mommy to marry you?” Scramble asked in disbelief. Spike nodded his head, his face turning darker. “When are you going to do it?” She asked. “I’ve been trying for a week but I’ve been getting too nervous.” Spike explained. He looked at Scramble, who looked back at him excitedly. “You can’t tell anyone what I’m going to do, it’s a surprise.” Spike stated booping Scramble on the nose. She saluted and mimicked zipping her lips closed. “I won’t say a word.” Scramble said. “Now you need to go to sleep, it’s late.” Spike stated, picking Scramble up. “Well you need to sleep too, it’s past your bedtime.” Scramble stated with a huff. Spike chuckled, putting his daughter down. “You’re right, it is past my bedtime.” Spike stated, picking up some crumbled pieces of paper. He tossed them into the trash. He picked up the ring box and stared at it. He needed to propose in the perfect way. Gabby stood in front of the stove, making eggs and grits. Scramble and Cecilia sat at the kitchen table, waiting for breakfast. “Where’s Dad?” Cecilia asked, looking around. “He’s still asleep, he said something about being up all night.” Gabby commented. “I know why he was up all night, he was-“ Scramble started, but quickly covered it, not wanting to spoil the surprise. “What was he doing?” Gabby asked. Scramble eyes darted around and she started to sweat a bit. She quickly stood up, slamming her hooves on the table. “I’M GONNA GO PEE!” Scramble shouted. She pushed her chair back and ran out of the kitchen. She made a sharp right turn and ran upstairs, fluttering her wings a bit. She made her way to the top step and ran down the hallway. She finally made her way to her parent's bedroom door and quickly opened it. She shut the door behind her and jumped onto the queen-sized bed. “Daddy wake up.” Scramble whispered, shaking her father a bit. Spike jolted awake and looked at Scramble. He held his egg in his arms, cuddling it. “I almost told Mommy the secret.” Scramble said. Spike quickly sat up, rubbing his eyes. “It’s okay raspberry, you tried your best.” Spike stated. Scramble frowned feeling disappointed in herself. “I’m sorry that I’m not good at keeping secrets.” Scramble said sadly. Spike gave a sympathetic smile and hugged Scramble. “It’s okay. Besides, I found out a perfect way to propose.” Spike stated. Scramble started to beam happily. “Can I help?!” Scramble asked. Spike nodded his head. “When your mother leaves for work, me, you, and Cecilia are going to go out and buy some stuff so we can set up.” Spike explained. Scramble let out an excited gasp. “I get to see you propose?” Scramble asked. Spike shook his head. “No, but you and Cecilia are going to spend the night with aunt Twilight. A carriage is going to come to pick you two up at three.” He said. Scramble excitedly clapped her hooves. “I’m so excited!” Scramble exclaimed. Spike chuckled. He was excited too. Spike, Cecilia, and Scramble walked around the market place. Spike held a bag filled with scented candles and streamers. He handed a few bits to Scramble. “Can you go to the flower stand and get a bouquet of lilies? We’ll be at the vegetable stand.” Spike stated. Scramble nodded her head and ran off. Spike held Cecilia's hand, walking over to the vegetable stand. “Hello sir, how may I help you?” A stallion asked in a chipper tone. Spike grabbed some two tomatoes, three onions, two zucchini’s, spinach, and green beans, placing them on the counter. “I‘ll take these,” Spike said. The stallion put the vegetables in bags. “That’ll be fifteen bits.” The stallion said. Spike handed the stallion the bits and picked up the bags. Scramble ran over to her father, holding a bouquet of pink and white lilies. “I got the lilies!” Scramble exclaimed, holding the lilies up to her father. They were wrapped up nicely in a red bow. Spike took them from her and placed them in the bag with the vegetables. “Let’s go home and start setting up.” Spike said, handing Scramble and Cecilia a bag. This was going to be the best night ever. “Spike, kids, I’m home!” Gabby exclaimed, walking into the house. She gave a look of surprise when she heard romantic music and saw rose petals scattered on the floor, making a trail. “What’s going on?” Gabby asked with a chuckle. She hung up her saddlebag on the coat rack and followed the trail which led to the kitchen. She sniffed the air, making her stomach growl. It smelled like lasagna. She walked into the kitchen to see Spike holding a bouquet of lilies. On the kitchen walls, there were red heart-shaped streamers. The table had a red table cloth and a large lit candle on the middle of the table. “Hi my love, these are for you.” Spike said with a grin, handing her the flowers. Gabby chuckled. “What’s all of this?” Gabby asked. Spike walked over to her and kissed her on the hand. “I’m giving a perfect night to my favorite lady.” Spike stated. A large blush appeared on Gabby’s face. “Where are the kids?” She asked. “They’re spending the night with Twilight, they’ll be back in the morning.” Spike explained, giving Gabby on the cheek. “Is that lasagna I smell?” Gabby asked. Spike nodded his head. “It just got out of the oven so it’s still cooling down.” Spike said. “Now I have a big surprise for you.” He did excitedly. Gabby tilted her head. “What is it?” Gabby asked, now very intrigued. Spike cleared his throat. “Gabby, we’ve been together for seven wonderful years and you helped me raise Scramble into the wonderful kid she is.” Spike started, reaching behind him on the counter and grabbing the ring box. “I want to start a full life with you. So Gabby, will you marry me?” Spike asked, getting on one knee and revealing the ring. Gabby let out a gasp, dropping the flowers on the ground. Happy tears dripped down her cheeks. “Yes yes yes!” Gabby exclaimed, jumping into his arms. Spike hugged her tightly, grinning widely. This is the perfect night.
A New MemberView OnlineA Happy FamilyA New MemberSpike walked around his room, getting ready for the day. He had to drop Scramble and Cecilia off at school. Gabby laid in her nest, cuddling the egg to give it warmth. “I’ll be back soon, do you want anything from outside?” Spike asked. Gabby thought to herself for a moment. “A strawberry cupcake from Sugarcube Corner.” Gabby stated. Spike smiled and kissed her on the head. “I’ll see you later sweetheart.” Spike said as he walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Gabby smiled to herself. “I love him so much.” Gabby said to herself. She listened to the sounds of her family members walking around the house. Soon enough, she heard the front door close. “Hello my baby.” Gabby said, pressing her head against the egg. She did this every time she was home alone. That was very often because her shift started at twelve. That gave her plenty of time to relax. She also had the day off so she could relax the whole day. She hummed to the egg, cuddling into it. “I love you so much.” Gabby stated, closing her eyes. Without any warning, the egg started to shake, making her jump back in surprise. “Are you hatching?” Gabby asked in disbelief. She stared at the egg as a small yellow beak broke through the shell. Gabby let out a gasp of excitement, watching closely. A purple arm broke out from the side. One the top of the arm, there was a faint grey fuzz. “Come on baby, you can do it.” Gabby encouraged. The egg toppled over and a head came from the top. It was covered in purple feathers with little green markings. Soon, the small dragon griffon hybrid broke out of the egg. He laid in the nest and let out a soft mewl. Gabby quickly scooped the tiny baby into her arms. “Oh my Celestia you’re so cute!” Gabby exclaimed. The baby had the body of a griffon. He had a feathery purple head with tiny green markings on his cheeks. On the sides of his head, there were grey scales that looked like his fathers. His body was grey and his tail was long and fuzzy with green spines on them. His eyes were closed tightly and he cuddled into his mother for warmth. “Why don’t you have any wings?” Gabby asked. She felt his body to realize that instead of fur, it was scales. He was still wet from the amniotic fluid and shivered a bit. Gabby wrapped her wings around her baby and rocked him back and forth. He opened his eyes to look at his mother and opened his mouth to let out a yawn. His eyes were a greyish green and his mouth was filled with dozens of sharp teeth. “You have a lot of teeth.” Gabby muttered to herself. The baby closed his mouth and stared up at his mother. Gabby heard the front door open, making her heart jump. “Gabby I’m back!” Spike shouted from downstairs. Gabby let out a small excited squeal, ready for her fiancé to see his child. The door opened, revealing Spike who was holding a brown paper bag. “Spike look!” Gabby shouted, holding up the baby. Spike let out a gasp and dropped the bag on the floor. Spike quickly rushed over to Gabby’s side. “Oh my Celestia...” Spike said in disbelief. His eyes welled up with tears and he broke out into a wide grin. Gabby handed him the baby and Spike cradled his son in his arms. “I love him so much.” Spike stated, holding his son a little closer to his chest. Gabby smiled and leaned her head on Spike’s shoulder. “What should we name him?” Spike asked. Gabby thought for moments before a name popped into her head. “Gasher, that was my father's name.” Gabby stated. Spike smiled and held Gasher close. “I should write a letter to Twilight and Shining Armor, they would love to meet there nephew.” Spike said, handing his son to Gabby. He stood up and walked over to the dresser, which always had paper on it. Gabby looked at her son and smiled. He was perfect. Twilight and Shining Armor sat on the couch in the living room. Twilight held Gasher in her hooves. “He’s amazing! The first child between a dragon and a griffon.” Twilight stated in disbelief. Gasher let out a small sneeze, causing a tiny green and grey flame to shoot out of his mouth. Gasher looked at Twilight and stuck his tongue out a bit. He glared at his aunt, making her very uncomfortable. “He looks really angry.” Twilight commented, handing him over to Shining Armor. Gabby shrugged her shoulders. “He’s been glaring at everyone for the past hour.” Gabby stated. Shining Armor looked at his nephew, who stared back at him with angry eyes. “This is making me uncomfortable.” Shining Armor said, handing Gasher to Gabby. Gasher looked up at his mother and raised his hand to touch her cheek. “I love you too.” Gabby said, lifting her son up and kissing him on the cheek. Gasher quickly closed his eyes and fell asleep. He leaned into his mother’s chest and cuddled into her feathers. “He fell asleep really quickly.” Shining Armor commented. Twilight nodded her head in agreement. “Spike used to do that a lot when he was younger. He’d fall asleep as soon as he laid down.” Twilight stated. Gabby chuckled. “He still does that.” She said. Twilight, Shining Armor, and Gabby shared a laugh at the thought of that. The front door opened, revealing Spike, Cecilia, and Scramble. “Hi Aunt Twily, Hi Uncle Shiny!” Scramble greeted happily. Cecilia waved, still a bit shy around her family members. “Girls, meet your little brother, Gasher.” Gabby said, showing the girls there little brother. Both girls let out a loud gasp of shock and excitement. “I love him!” Scramble shouted. Spike quickly shushed her. “He’s asleep, you have to be quiet,” Spike whispered. Cecilia walked over to her mother and looked at Gasher. “Can we keep him?” Cecilia asked. Gabby gave her a confused look. “Of course we’re going to keep him, he’s your brother.” Gabby stated. Cecilia smiled. “Good, cause I like him.” Cecilia stated, her tail starting to wag. Spike and Gabby smiled to each other. Now they had a full family.
A Blast From the PastView OnlineA Happy FamilyA Blast From the PastAuthor's Note The idea from this chapter was requested from Darth Wrex A Blast From the Past Gasher climbed up the side of the fridge, licking his lips. He stared up at the bottle that was on top of the fridge, his stomach growling loudly. His eyes lit up when he saw he was getting closer. He was almost there. “Gasher no!” Gabby exclaimed, grabbing her son off of the fridge. Gasher clenched his fist and let out a loud cry. He kicked his rear legs and flailed his arms. Gabby looked up at the top of the fridge and gave a look of confusion. “When did I put the bottle up there?” She asked herself. She took the bottle off of the fridge to feel it was still warm. She handed it to her son and Gasher immediately stopped crying. He quickly guzzled down his drink and Gabby let out a sigh of relief. It has been a month since Gasher was hatched and he’s been a handful. He could climb very easily and would climb out of his playpen and crib. He would wake up every few hours and cry loud enough to wake everyone up. He was very fussy and kept biting his sisters legs. It was really tiring Spike and Gabby out. “Are you done?” Gabby asked. Gasher took the bottle out of his mouth and dropped the bottle on the ground. Gabby sighed and picked it up. “Mom are you okay, you look tired,” Cecilia stated. Gabby let out a yawn. “No no, I’m wide awake.” She reassured, placing the bottle in the sink. Gasher let out a yawn and quickly started to fall asleep. “It looks like your brother is tired.” She stated, walking out of the kitchen. Cecilia followed close behind, worried about her mother’s health. She barely got an hour of sleep each night and it seemed like it was getting to her. They entered the bedroom to see Spike laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Scramble covered him in a blanket, trying to get him to sleep. Gabby placed Gasher in his crib and placed a blanket over him. She leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the head. Gabby sat up and walked over to her fiancé and lightly nudged his arm. Spike snapped out of his daze and looked over at Gabby. “Gashers finally asleep.” She stated. Spike didn’t respond and wrapped his arms Gabby, pulling her down onto the bed. She let out a pout and tried to wiggle out of his arms. “Don’t try to cuddle me, we have work to do.” Gabby stated. Spike pulled her closer and nuzzled into the feathers on her neck. “You’re warm...” Spike muttered sleepily. Gabby kicked her rear legs but was no match for her fiancé who was much bigger and stronger than her. Her eyes slowly started close and she started to melt away. Soon enough, they both fell asleep. “Our plan worked.” Scramble whispered, flying off of the bed. Cecilia grinned and her tail started to wag happily. Scramble quickly left the room and shut the door behind her. “Now that mom and dad are asleep, we need to be quiet.” Cecilia stated. Scrambles eyes lit up in excitement. “I know something quiet we can do. Dad has a lot of old comics in the attic, they’re really cool.” She said excitedly, flying up into the air. She pulled on a string and the attic door opened, the ladder unfolding. “Come on, let’s go.” Scramble said, leading her sister up into the attic. The attic was filled with old dusty boxes. Scramble walked over to a box and tipped it over, making hundreds of comics spill out. Cecilia sat on the floor and picked one up. Scramble quickly took it from her paws. “You can’t start with a random comic, you have to read them in order.” Scramble stated, handing her the first addition comic. Cecilia opened the comic and started to read the first page. “It was an ordinary night in Maretopia...” A yellow unicorn with a dark purple mane sat at her desk, looking out a window. She clicked her pen in her magic grasp, pondering to herself. “Come on Mystic Eclipse think!” She exclaimed to herself. “I need to come up with a perfect plot for my book.” Mystic Eclipse said to herself. She looked down at the piece of paper to see no words written on it. She looked back out the window and let out a sigh. Her eyes landed on something peculiar. “What is that?” Mystic Eclipse asked herself. Something was falling from the sky at a rapid speed. “Is that a pegasus?” She asked herself. She quickly stood up from her desks and rushed to her front door. If it was a Pegasus, she needed to help them. A fall like that could badly injure someone. Mystic Eclipse rushed down the empty streets of Maretopia, making her way to the fallen item. She turned the corner, only to see a large meteor laying on the ground. It looked like it had just fallen because there was a large hole under it and there was smoke coming up from under it. “Should I call the authorities?” She asked herself, looking around. There was no one around who seemed to gotten hurt. “I guess I’ll just go. Maybe the police can handle this.” Mystic Eclipse stated, turning around. “Wait!” A male voice exclaimed, making her freeze in place. The voice was deep and charming. Mystic Eclipse quickly turned around and looked around in surprise. “Is anyone there?” She asked. The meteor lit up with a pink aura. “Hello fellow pony, I am Cosmo.” The meteor stated. Mystic Eclipse blinked in surprise. “Am I hallucinating?” She asked herself. The meteor rumbled a bit as if it were laughing. “No no, you’re not hallucinating at all. I need you to help me.” Cosmo stated. Mystic Eclipse took a step forward, tilting her head. “What do you need?” She asked, now very intrigued. The meteor spat out a red stone in front of her. “I’m the last of my kind. I need to use this stone to protect the universe. I’m no longer able to do it myself.” Cosmo explained. Mystic Stone levitated the Stone and inspected it. It was glowing pink. “Now go and find out your new powers, I’m counting on you.” He stated. Mystic Eclipse turned around and quickly walked away. This was an odd night. Mystic Eclipse sat at her desk, staring at the stone. She poked it with her hoof, watching it tip over. “He told me to find my new powers, how do I do that?” Mystic Eclipse asked herself. She stood up and held the stone in her hoof. The stone started to glow brightly and her body got covered by an orange slimy liquid. “What’s going on?!” She exclaimed in worry. Her body was soon covered in orange slime and looked into the mirror. Slime dripped off of her body, making her look like a monster. Her eyes were cat-like and glowing yellow. She let out a scream. “I’m a monster!” She exclaimed in shock. She twitched violently. “Must....kill...” She hissed out, a slimy tongue flicking out of her mouth. To be continued... “Woah, that was so cool!” Cecilia exclaimed, her tail wagging. Scramble gave an uncomfortable laugh. She had read that comic a million times but now it made her feel...bad. “How about we ready Power Ponies next? It’s a million times better than this one.” Scramble stated, tossing the comic aside. Cecilia quickly nodded her head. Scramble rummaged through the pile and pulled into the first addition Power Ponies comic. She glanced back at the comic. She would never read that one again.
The Big DayView OnlineA Happy FamilyThe Big DaySpike stood in front of a mirror, nervously fiddling with his dark blue bowtie. He nervously tapped his foot on the ground and let out a low groan. He wore a white button-up shirt with a black jacket. Today was the day he got married to the love of his life and he was nervous. "What if she says no? What if she doesn't show up? What if everything goes wrong?" Spike asked himself, becoming more and more nervous by the second. The bedroom door slammed open, making him turn around. Scramble stood in the doorway with a pink dress halfway over her head. "Dad help I'm stuck!" Scramble exclaimed. Spike walked over to his daughter and carefully pulled the dress over her head. Scramble let out a soft sheepish giggle. "My horns got stuck." She explained. Spike gave a small smile and crouched down to his daughter's height. "Are you ready to be a flower girl?" Spike asked. Scramble grinned and nodded her head. "I'm so excited! I love how the flowers look. The colors are so pretty!" Scramble said excitedly. Spike chuckled and booped her nose. He picked her up and stood up straight. "I'm glad you're excited, now let's go find Cecilia and Aunt Twily. I need to give them the rings." Spike stated. He left the room and walked into the hallway of the Canterlot Castle. He and his family had stayed at the Canterlot Castle for the night because the wedding was going to be there. Spike swallowed as he was walking down the hallway. It was going to be a big day. Gabby stood in a room full of mirrors, adjusting her dress. She wore a long white dress with tiny blue gems on it. She had small blue flowers in her feathers. Rarity and Gilda stood at the sidelines, looking at Gabby in awe. "Darling you look beautiful! Spike is going to fall head over heels for you the moment he lays eyes on you." Rarity said happily. Gabby gave a nervous look and turned around to face Gilda. "What if Spike doesn't show up?" Gabby asked in a worried tone. Gilda rolled her eyes and leaned into her claw. "Gabby, you two have been dating for seven years and have three kids. If he doesn't want to marry you now, he's just being stupid." Gilda stated. Gabby gave a nervous smile. "You're right, he likes me a lot and proposed to me himself. If he didn't love me he wouldn't have done that." Gabby said, starting to get excited. Rarity let out a chuckle. Gabby looked over to a clock to see that the wedding started in twenty minutes. Gabby anxiously tapped her paw on the ground. This was the biggest day of her life. Spike stood at the altar with his hands folded in front of him. Twilight and Shining Armor stood behind him, both of them wearing fancy attire. They were his best mare and his best stallion. Celestia stood at the top of the altar with a long white dress on. She had come out of retirement just to the priest for the wedding. Cecilia sat on the opposite side of the altar, wearing a light pink dress just like her sister. Next to her feet, there was a red pillow with two rings on it. One ring was silver with a small turquoise in it and the other was bronze with silver grooves in it. In the audience, there were Spike and Gabby's friends and family. Spike nervously tapped his foot on the floor. There had to be at least three hundred creatures there. They might have gone a little overboard with inviting people. Spike and Gabby had invited anyone who was slightly nice to them. They even invited the yak who stocked the groceries at the supermarket, despite not knowing him that well. Organ music started up, playing traditional wedding music. Spike stood up straight and stopped tapping his foot. The doors at the end of the hallway opened and everyone turned around to look at the doors. Scramble and Flurry Heart walked down the aisle with a basket in their mouths. They used their magic to toss the light pink and dark blue flower petals. Once both fillies made it to the end of the carpeted path, they both sat down in the front row next to Princess Cadance and Luna. Gabby walked into the room with a small smile on her face. Spike's face turned pink as he watched his fiance walk down the aisle. She looked absolutely stunning. Spikes heart pounded in his chest and a grin spread across his face. Gabby approached the altar and walked up the stairs. She stood across from Spike with a large grin on her beak. Celestia cleared her throat and looked at the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are all gathered here today to celebrate the union of Spike Sparkle and Gabby the Griffon. The strength of their commitment is clear. Their love for each other is strong." Celestia said with a smile. She turned to look at Cecilia. "Cecilia, the rings please." She said. Cecilia picked up the red pillow, holding it up to her great aunt. Celestia levitated both of the rings. "Spike, do you take Gabby to be you lawfully wedded wife?" She asked. "I do!" Spike exclaimed excitedly. The audience chuckled at his excitement. Celestia turned to Gabby. "Gabby, do you take Spike to be your lawfully wedded husband?" She asked. Gabby smiled and nodded her head. "I do." Gabby stated. Celestia smiled and handed the couple their rings. Spike held Gabby's claw and slipped her ring on her finger. Gabby held Spike's hand and did the same thing. "You may now kiss the bride." Celestia said. Spike and Gabby's lips touched as they shared a passionate kiss. The audience happily cheered. Spike and Gabby pulled away from the kiss, staring into each other's eyes. "I love you." Gabby said with a large smile. Spike hugged his wife tightly. "I love you too." Spike and Gabby sat at a table in the Canterlot gardens, happily chatting to each other while holding hands. Their reception was very lively. Different creatures danced, ate, and spoke to each other. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Scramble and Cecilia sat at the table with their parents, eating wedding cake. Gasher sat in a highchair, slapping his tiny claws on a plate of mashed potatoes. "Gasher, don't do that." Spike said, moving Gashers claws away from the food. Gasher let out an angry shout and stuck out his forked tongue. Spike let out a chuckle and wiped his hands off. Spike took Gasher out of his highchair and handed him to Gabby. "I can't wait to spend the whole week with Grampa Gruff!" Scramble exclaimed. While Spike and Gabby were going to be on their honeymoon, Grampa Gruff was going to be watching them. He was the only person who had nothing to do with his life and had constant free time. "I know you are. You've been talking about it for two weeks." Gabby said with a chuckle. Spike looked up at the sky to see that the sun was setting. "Gabby we have to go soon, we can't miss our cruise." Spike stated. Scramble's and Cecilia's faces dropped. "Aw, you're leaving already?" Cecilia said sadly. Spike and Gabby stood up from their seats and hugged their children. "We'll be back next Friday." Gabby reassured, kissing her children on the head. They pulled away from the hug and stood up. "We love you." Spike said with a smile. Grampa Gruff walked over to his grandchildren, looking older than ever. It was a miracle that he was still alive. Gabby handed Gasher to Grampa Gruff. "Now Grandpa Gruff, the kids go to bed at nine every night. Don't give them too much sugar when it's close to bedtime. They wake up at seven so they can get ready for school. They have to be at school by eight. If Scramble has a nightmare, give her a cup of water and hug her until she feels better. If Cecilia and Gasher can't sleep, read them a bedtime story." Gabby instructed. Grampa Gruff dismissively waved his claw. "I know how to take care of kids, I raised you and Gilda." Grampa Gruff croaked out. Gabby gave a nervous look and looked up at her husband. A dark purple carriage pulled up, being pulled by two royal guardsmen. "Okay, one more hug before we go." Spike said, opening his arms. Scramble flew into her father's arms and Cecilia hugged his leg. Spike placed Scramble down on the ground and lightly pat her head. "I love you all very very very much. Now I'll see you next Friday." Spike said. He and Gabby walked over to the carriage. Spike opened the carriage door for his wife, letting her get in before him. Once Gabby was sitting comfortably, Spike sat down next to her. They both looked out the back of the carriage to see their friends and family waving goodbye. Once they were out of sight, Spike and Gabby held each other's hands and looked at each other. They were ready for some alone time.
Day One With Grampa GruffView OnlineA Happy FamilyDay One With Grampa GruffGrampa Gruff, Scramble, and Cecilia entered their house, which was completely dark. Gasher was in one of Grampa Gruff's arms, dozing off. Grampa Gruff squinted and patted the wall down. "Where's the light switch?" He asked himself. His claw landed on a switch and he flipped it upward, lighting up the entire room. This was the first time Grampa Gruff had been in there house. For some reason, Spike and Gabby made up reasons for Grampa Gruff to not come to their house. It was like they thought he was a bad influence or something. "You two get ready for bed, it's late." Grampa Gruff instructed. Both girls nodded their heads and went upstairs. Grampa Gruff closed the door behind him. He walked through the living room, looking around. The room was very neat. There was a green couch against the wall and in front of it, there was a black wooden table. On the opposite side of the room, there was a tall bookshelf pressed up against the wall. "At least these two have a good sense of decoration." He half complimented. He entered the kitchen and looked around. There was a white fridge pressed up against the wall. Next to the fridge, there was a door that Grampa Gruff assumed was the basement door. On the other side of the fridge, there was a very clean stove. It was sparkling. It looked like they had cleaned it right before they left. "What weirdo cleans their oven right before they get married?" Grampa Gruff muttered to himself. Next to the stove, there were two white counters and a sink. On the same wall as the sink, there were two large glass doors covered by red curtains. Across from the glass doors, there was a brown wooden table. On the table, there was a large scroll. Grampa Gruff walked over to the scroll and unrolled it. The scroll unrolled all across the kitchen floor and into the living room. On the top of the scroll it read VERY IMPORTANT RULES in bold red letters. Grampa Gruff rolled his eyes and scanned the list. On the very top is said 'Don't swear in front of the children!' Grampa Gruff rolled his eyes and continued to read. "Give Cecilia her medicine at 7:30 every morning and 4:30 every afternoon. She'll get bad stomach aches if she doesn't take it. Sometimes Gasher will climb out of his crib and try to snuggle you while you sleep. Let him do it, he'll throw very bad temper tantrums if you don't let him. Make sure Scramble gets enough sleep if she has a nightmare she'll stay up all night. She will get grumpy and paranoid if she doesn't get enough sleep." Grampa Gruff read out loud. His face screwed up. "How are these kids so high maintenance? They're children, they don't need 'fancy medicine' and 'snuggles'." Grampa Gruff said with a hint of bitterness in his voice. Those were only three rules and he was already exhausted from reading them! Grampa Gruff dropped the list on the table and walked over to the staircase. In front of the stairs, there was a baby gate. "Why is this here?" Grampa Gruff asked bitterly. Scramble poked her head out from the bathroom. "It's the only thing Gasher can't climb!" Scramble explained before going back into the bathroom. Grampa Gruff let out a grumble and flew over the baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. He landed at the top of the stairs and looked down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was an open bedroom door. He could tell it was Spike and Gabby's room. He walked down the hallway, adjusting Gasher in his arm. Grampa Gruff entered the bedroom and flipped on the light. In the middle of the room, there was a queen-sized bed with a brown headboard and a dark blue blanket on it. There were two large fluffy pillows were laying on the bed. Next to the bed, there was a brown nightstand with a black digital clock on it. Not too far from the bed, there was an old white crib. Grampa Gruff walked over to the crib and placed his grandson in it. Gasher cuddled into his blanket and let out a soft snore. Grampa Gruff backed out of the room, making sure not to wake him up. Once he was out of the room, he turned around and walked down the hallway. "Are you two ready for bed?" Grampa Gruff asked, standing outside the bathroom door. Cecilia stood on a stool in front of the sink, brushing her teeth. She wore a baggy purple t-shirt with holes in it and yellow words on the front. It was a t-shirt for an old rock band. Scramble sat in the empty bathtub, watching her sister. She wore pink hoovsie pajamas with yellow and blue hearts. "I'm ready for bed." Scramble said, hopping out of the tub. Cecilia spit into the sink and placed her toothbrush in a cup. "Done!" Cecilia said, hopping off of the stool. "Good, now go to bed." He instructed. Both girls nodded and walked out of the bathroom. "Goodnight Cecilia." Scramble said with a wave. Cecilia waved back. "Goodnight Scramble." Cecilia said, walking over to the stairs. Grampa Gruff gave Cecilia a look of confusion. "Where are you going? All of the rooms are up here." Grampa Gruff said rather loudly, making Cecilia jump. She turned around to face her grandfather. "My room is in the basement," Cecilia said in a soft whisper. Since this was the first time she was alone with Grampa Gruff and she was terrified of strangers. Her tail was between her legs and she was shaking. "I'm going to bed now." She said in a whisper. She opened the baby gate and walked down the stairs. Grampa Gruff gave a confused look. "What a weird kid." He muttered to himself. He turned around and walked down the hallway to Spike and Gabby's room. He looked into Scrambles' room. She was sitting up in bed, kissing each stuffed animal on the head. "Goodnight Commander Butterfly, goodnight Mr. Bat, goodnight Mrs. Moth, goodnight..." Scrambles voice got quieter as Grampa Gruff walked away from the door. He entered the main bedroom and crawled into bed. He wrapped himself in the blanket and instantly drifted to sleep. "Grampa Gruff." A small voice whispered, nudging his shoulder. Grampa Gruff let out a soft groan and waved his claw at the noise. He got nudged again, making him sit up in annoyance. He opened his eyes to see Scramble sitting next to him on the bed. She had tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. Her ears were flat and she held Meeko tightly in her arms. Her breaths were fast and she looked frightened. "I had a nightmare." Scramble said quietly. Grampa Gruff gave a sympathetic look. He patted next to him in bed, gesturing for Scramble to come closer. She walked across the bed and sat next to her grandfather, looking up at him. "Nightmares can be scary but there are scarier things in real life so why worry about nightmares? Your parents could leave you and never come back, you could get hit by a train, your siblings can get poisoned. Don't worry about the nightmares kiddo. Goodnight." Grampa Gruff said comfortingly before laying back down and instantly falling asleep. Scramble stared at her grandfather would even wider eyes. Those were not comforting words. She definitely wasn't getting any sleep that night. Grampa Gruff walked down the stairs, yawning into his claw. He had slept until ten in the morning. He walked in the living room to see Scramble building a pillow fort around her siblings. She was muttering stuff under her breath. "What are you doing?" Grampa Gruff asked. Scramble whipped her head around to reveal she had heavy bags under her eyes. She looked terrified. "I'm protecting Gasher and Cecilia, I don't want them to get hurt." Scramble stated, placing another pillow on the top of the fort. The fort fell over, making couch cushions and pillows fall all over the floor. Scramble quickly rushed over to pick them up. Grampa Gruff looked over at Gasher who was aggressively chewing on a teething ring. Cecilia sat on the floor with her back pressed up against the couch. She clutched her stomach and let out whimpers. Her eyes were shut tightly and she looked as if she was in pain. Grampa Gruff's eyes widened. He had forgotten to give her her medicine. He walked over to Cecilia, reaching his claw out. "Come on kid, let's go find your medicine." Grampa Gruff said. Right before he could touch Cecilia, a purple and blue bubble surrounded Cecilia and Gasher. Scramble crawled up the side of the bubble and glared and Grampa Gruff, her horn glowing brightly. "Do not touch them." Scramble said in a cold voice. "Scramble, I know you want to protect your siblings but Cecilia is hurt and I need to give her medicine." He explained. Scramble opened her wings her horn glowed brighter. She stood on top of the bubble in a defensive stance "If you want to touch them then you're going to have to kill me." Scramble said with a snarl. His eyes widened. Grampa Gruff had made a terrible terrible mistake.
Day One With Grampa Gruff Part 2View OnlineA Happy FamilyDay One With Grampa Gruff Part 2Grampa Gruff took a step closer to Scramble with his claw out comfortingly. She still stood on top of the magic bubble, snarling at her grandfather. "Just calm down, I won't hurt Gasher and Cecilia. I just need to give Cecilia her medicine and then you can keep protecting her." Grampa Gruff reassured. Luckily Scramble was a child so if she kept acting stubborn he could just pick her up and flick her horn to deactivate the bubble. "You're not going to touch them." Scramble stated, making her horn glow even brighter. Grampa Gruff rolled his eyes. She was probably just using a harmless light spell. He walked over to Scramble and was ready to pick her up. With that, Scramble hopped off of the bubble and kicked Grampa Gruff in the forehead. He stumbled back and clutched to his forehead. Despite her being a small child, that really hurt. "Don't touch them!" Scramble shouted. Grampa Gruff ran over to Scramble in an attempt to catch her. Scramble slid under his stomach and in the process, kicked him straight in the ribs. Grampa Gruff doubled over a clenched his ribs. "Who taught this kid how to fight?" He wheezed out to himself. Once the pain from his ribs went away, he stood up straight. To his surprise Scramble was nowhere in sight. Grampa Gruff hastily walked around the living room, looking around for the dangerous child. A soft tapping sound came from above him, making him look up. Scramble stood on the ceiling, glaring down at Grampa Gruff. He quickly moved back as Scramble dropped from the ceiling. Before she could touch the ground, she opened her wings and flew slightly above Grampa Gruff. She hopped on his back, making his spine crack. Grampa Gruff let out a yelp of pain and dropped to the ground. Luckily, the pressure from Scramble jumping on his back relieved a lot of tension instead of hurting him. Grampa Gruff looked over at Scramble who was standing in front of the bubble, her horn sparkling with magic. "Alright, I surrender. I'm going to stay in the kitchen." Grampa Gruff said before quickly backing into the kitchen. Scramble's horn got dimmer but still glowed slightly due to her keeping up the bubble. Once she looked away from her grandfather he backed farther into the kitchen to make sure Scramble couldn't see him. "Okay okay think. I can't fight her, she's seven and stronger than me. She's tired so I just need to wait for her to fall asleep." Grampa Gruff said to himself. He knew he couldn't physically fight her and he didn't want to risk messing with her magic. He peeked out of the kitchen to see Scramble standing in front of the bubble, guarding it with her life. Her head snapped over to Grampa Gruff. He panicked and quickly backed to the corner of the room. "Waiting for her to fall asleep isn't an option, it'll take her hours to sleep." He said to himself. He looked around the kitchen, looking for something to get Scramble to sleep. He looked over at the tea kettle that was on the stovetop. On the other side of the room, there was a record player on the counter. He had an idea. Grampa Gruff slowly entered the living room holding a pink cat-shaped mug. Scramble glared at him and started to spark up her horn again. "It's okay, I'm not coming out here for your siblings, I'm just making a peace offering." Grampa Gruff explained. Scramble took a step closer and tried to see what was in the mug. He placed the mug on the hardwood floor. "It's just hot chocolate." He reassured. Scramble looked at the hot chocolate and back up at Grampa Gruff. "Is it poisoned?" Scramble asked. Grampa Gruff looked at her with wide eyes. "No! Why would I poison you?" He asked in disbelief. Scramble shrugged her shoulders and looked back down at the hot chocolate that was on the floor. There was whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkled on the top. Grampa Gruff took a step back. "Now I'm going to go and let you enjoy your hot chocolate." Grampa Gruff said as he backed out of the room. Once he was in the kitchen, he reached over to the record player and played the record he placed on it. Peaceful violins and pianos started to play, echoing around the house. Scramble picked up the mug and took a long sip of the hot chocolate. Once she finished half of the cup, she placed the mug on the floor. She let out a long yawn and rubbed her eyes. Scrambles eyes started to get heavier by each second. She sleepily walked over to a couch cushion that was on the floor and curled up on top of it. Within seconds, she had drifted off to sleep. Her horn stopped glowing and the bubble around her siblings disappeared. "It worked." Grampa Gruff said happily. He walked out into the living room and crouched down to Cecilia's side. "Where's your medicine?" Grampa Gruff asked. Cecilia peaked her eye open to look at Grampa Gruff. "In the fridge." She whimpered out. Grampa Gruff quickly got up and rushed over to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and looked around for medicine. His eyes landed on a white bottle that was on the fridge shelf. It had a little plastic cup on the top. He grabbed the medicine and rushed back to the living room. He crouched back down to Cecilia's side and looked at the back of the medicine bottle for instructions. "Fill up to the top of the cup." Grampa Gruff read out loud. He opened the medicine and poured it into the plastic cup. A thick purple liquid poured into the cup. It smelt like grape. Once the cup was full, Grampa Gruff handed the cup to Cecilia. Cecilia gently took the cup and quickly drank it all, despite hating the bitter taste. Once she finished, she handed to cup back to Grampa Gruff and leaned into his side. She still clutched her stomach, waiting for the medicine to help her feel better. Grampa Gruff let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness all of that stress was over. Grampa Gruff and Cecilia were still on the living room floor, enjoying each others presence. She still laid on her grandfather's side, enjoying the feeling of his brittle feathers. Scramble was still asleep and Gasher had decided to cuddle with her, going to sleep himself. "Why is Scramble so strong?" Grampa Gruff asked. Cecilia glanced up at him. "She has fighting lessons with Aunt Ember and magic lessons with Aunt Twily. They're both really strong." Cecilia explained. Grampa Gruff gave a look surprise. He never saw Scramble as the type to fight, he always saw her as a gentle kid. "I know that Scramble's afraid of herself. She tells me about the nightmares she has and she's scared of hurting people but I know she's a good person." Cecilia stated. Grampa Gruff blinked in surprise. He didn't know how to answer that. Cecilia said up from Grampa Gruff's side. "Can we bake cookies for Scramble? She'll feel bad about hurting you when she wakes up." Cecilia asked. Grampa Gruff gave a small smile. "That sounds like a good idea."