In the Cabin
"He is sooo stinkin cute, oh my mother!" Gemcity squealed as she held up her phone and was taking a million photos of Iggy.
He was on the ground on his back in the living room, wearing a tiny sailor costume. Just confused about what he was doing in the hands of his aunties.
"Who knew our costume designer also makes baby clothes." Ruby giggled as she held a puppy looking toy of Igneous's, his favorite, squeaking it to get his attention as they took photos of him for his mother.
Just off the view of the phone was a pile of baby costumes they had him on, one of them a banana and bumblebee.
"We do wear tiny clothes for a living, Ooh maybe we can put him in one of our clothes?" Gemcity gasped as the idea came to them. "He has no choice but to wear what we put on him, he's a baby."
Ruby fake laughs. "Hahahaha- NO." She said no sternly. "No stripper clothes, Rachel will kill us, us being you. Baby clothes are enough."
Gemcity rolled her eyes as she snapped more pics. "Seriously, everything we put on him, he's killing it! Maybe we have a future model here."
"Doubt it."
The crests on Gemcity's chest glowed, causing Ruby to groan. "Again you're hungry? You fed yesterday."
"I can't help it! Your once a week dick punishment isn't working on me. I mean look at me, I'm wasting away here!" Gemcity whines, motioning her hourglass figure and wide grabbable hips. "Brimstone is on his way back to the research facility so we can't call and ask him to come back."
"For his grandson he will."
Gemcity groans.
Igneous, not understanding what they were talking about was reaching out for his toy, making babbling noises. The girls weren't paying attention as he continued to reach and reach, the momentum caused him to roll over on his stomach.
They looked down finally and gasped.
"He rolled over?" They spoke in unison.
Igneous still babbled as he reached for his puppy toy.
The twins snapped more photos before Ruby gave him the toy.
Iggy makes excited noises as he grabs his toy, he hugs it as he rolls back on his back and continues to roll.
The two watched in pure joy watching the rolling baby before he stopped and began to nom on it with his gums. Continually making it squeak.
"I can't take this, he's too precious!" Gemcity squealed before making an attempt to hold him.
Ruby held her back. "No, you are not allowed to hold him unless it's time for his diaper change."
"Look at him, why deny me snuggles?!"
As the two bickered, Iggy let out a sneeze, accidentally setting the toy on fire and turned it into ash.
The baby looks at the ashes, whimpers and begins bawling loudly.
The twins were alerted by the baby and looked to see him. "Oooh boy."
In Ironstone Wharf
Spike and Rachel stood on the opposite sides of the ring. There was a moment of this silence between the two that rang loud.
Spike was taken aback by the presence of her standing there across the threshold. Taking in her appearance before dropping the mop.
They met up in the center and wrapped their arms around each other in an embrace. Finally being able to physically touch each other after what felt like eternity.
"You came… you're actually here." Spike whispered, feeling emotional now holding her once more.
"Of course I'm here." Rachel said. The feeling of being in his arms again was exhilarating. After all this time, she was with him once more. "I've been looking for you all this time." They pressed their foreheads against each other, feeling the love they have for another coming out of each other.
Spike cups her face, feeling her soft fur. He wanted to kiss her then and there, but he stopped himself. Spike glanced over his shoulders to look at Snowball's viewing box and grunted.
"It's not safe here," he said as he lowered his hands from her face, but grabbed her hand. "Follow me."
Rachel glanced up where he was looking before following Spike out of the arena.
As they left, Snowball was watching. He hummed curiosity. "Who is that dame?" He oinked, wondering who the new creature was and how he could get ahold of her.
Spike leads Rachel to a bar across the village. Lakeside Iron was the name and moderately clean since it was one of the buildings Spike was in charge of keeping up the place.
Lakeside Iron resembled a small sports bar, normally packed with out-of-towners who would come in after every match to drink and get drunk on their winnings and drown in their sorrows. But with tonight the last night of the fights until next week and the normal patrons were gone, it was relatively quiet aside from a few of the captive residents who drank in peace. There was a bar in the arena most of the residents would go but they come here if they don't participate in the matches and away from the owner's prying eyes.
A bat-like creature puts two mugs on the table in front of Spike and Rachel. "There ya go." They said with a slight screech in their voice.
"Thanks," Spike and Rachel said to them before watching it waddle off, accidentally scooting a table around with their wings.
Rachel grabbed the mug in her hands, remembering her time when she used to be a bartender herself before taking a drink. It was cider, at least it was decently good.
"So… " Rachel started. "This village seems… quaint." She said, trying to make small talk even though this was a bit awkward.
Spike gave her a deadpan look. "Rach, this is a literal diseased cesspool of infection."
"It's the definition of a shithole, how the hell did you come here?" She asked.
Spike gave a light chuckle at that true remark before sighing deeply. "After I left, I wasn't in my right mind. And for a moment I did lose it, " he rubs his head before taking a drink of his own. "I traveled, made shitty choices after shitty choices, everywhere I went there was trouble… one night I had camped out in the desert, what seemed to be an elderly pony came up to me. Offer me a way to take this pain I was feeling away… help me forget."
Rachel watched him as he explained. Frowning when he mentioned the pony.
"I should've seen that it was fucking Sombra himself but I didn't." Spike said. "I wanted so much not to feel anything that I fell for his trap. I drank something, I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a hole… the pits, " he shivered before showing her large scar on his neck with the circular device embedded in his flesh."Woke up with this. I was sold to Snowball."
The mug in Rachel's hands creaked as she squeezed it but didn't break it.
"When I sent you that message it was the last time I was able to use my magic, this thing zaps all things magic and blocks anything trying to find me."
"That would explain why it took so long to find you. I tried everything to look for you," Rachel said, reaching over and grabbed his hand. He held hers gently.
Spike smiled softly, his thumb grazing across the back of her hand.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you, in fact I'm at the happiest I have been in a long time, but how did you manage to find me?" He asked, drinking in her beauty that he wasn't able to in her new form before he left.
Rachel blushed. "Believe it or not, you're part of the Cutie Map quest I was assigned to." She giggled.
Spike let out a laugh. "Oh that sounds about right." He giggled.
"Me, Tempest and Capper were assigned here."
"I thought I saw those two last night." He said. Hoping that she doesn't bring up that kiss from Harpy.
Spike then sighed. "Well, all these people in this village one way or another are held captive by Snowball. Don't take a rocket scientist to see that your mission is to free all of us."
"My priority is you. First and foremost. You and I have many things to talk about once I take you home."
His face fell and let go of Rachel. "Home…?"
Rachel nodded. "Yes, home. Spike, if you think what happened has ponies mad at you, no they aren't. They know it wasn't your fault. What happened in Equestria was not your fault, it was never your fault, love." she assured him. "In fact, Equestria needs you. The dragons, ponies, they need their Dragonlord."
Spike sat up when he was being called that.
"Yes, I know, Ember told me." She said. The Blue Celestial stuck its head out of its pocket dimension. It's black pupil staring at him. It caused Spike to jump at the sight of it.
"Your staff is with Ember, this is mine." Rachel said as she pushed the curious staff back in its pocket. "Stay back, I haven't called you out." She grunted at it before looking at Spike. Seeing his eyes widened.
"So wait, you…"
"Became Queen after you left? Yeah." Rachel said, scratching her jaw. "Ember all but dragged me into that position after you left. She's losing control of the Dragons and since you anointed me as Queen - thank you for not telling me that by the way - I have to take control. You and I both had changed since what happened."
"I can see that. I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I was before everything went down." Spike quickly apologized.
She waved her hand. "It's fine, I get it. But still, Spike, we all need you back home. We're in the middle of a war with Sombra, the dragons need their leader back, I need you back. Twilight, everyone else needs you back."
Spike took another drink. "I…I'm still not better. I don't know if I can."
Rachel sighed, studying him carefully. Seeing that underneath, he wasn't all right. She knew it wasn't going to be a straight up enthusiasm of him wanting to go home.
"There's something else, a very big reason why you need to come home with me." Rachel said, about to tell him about Igneous.
"What is it?"
She takes a deep breath, finding herself a little awkward revealing their son. "Um, okay, this is going to be a major shock to you, it's still a shock to me when I found out but here it goes." She takes another drink, getting the courage to speak up. "Spike you have~"
"Hellooo-hooo!" Harpy slips in as Rachel was about to reveal and slid across Spike's lap. "Where have you been hiding?"
"Have got to be fucking kidding me?" Rachel growled.
"Harpy?! What the fuck, get off!" Spike snapped, pushing the griffon off of him.
"Oh wow so handsy, you think you can touch me and think I wouldn't come back for more?" Harpy cooed.
Rachel's body began to steam up as she watched this griffon hover around him, everything was turning red as she stared at the squawking bitch.
"When are you going to take the fucking hint to get the fuck away from me?" Spike snarled at her.
Harpy giggled before looking at the female dragoness. "Who's this skank?"
Both mugs bursted in blue flames on the table before Rachel scoots from the table and stands up. "You know what, I'm going to go before I set everything on fire." She snarled before she began walking away.
"What? Rachel, no no wait!" Spike shoves Harpy out of the way as he runs after his mate. "Rachel, no this isn't what you think!" he chases after her.
But Rachel was not having none of it. She had to get away before that bar turns into ashes. Once outside, she jumps in the air and takes off flying. Flying where Spike couldn't follow her.
"FUCK!" Spike yelled angrily now his mate had taken off.
He heard sipping from behind, he turned and glared evilly at Harpy, seeing her drinking what looked to be Rachel's mug.
Before Harpy could say anything, Spike breathed fire at her. She yelped and ducked out of the fiery blaze and took off running and Spike chased after her out of anger. Quickly taking off in the air with her wings and flew to where Spike couldn't catch her.
"THAT FUCKING CUNT!" Rachel screamed as she was smashing more junk behind the Inn.
Armani was sipping out of a styrofoam cup and straw, casually tossing more items for Rachel to demolish, enjoying the rage out as she ate her dinner.
"Ooooh next time I see that fucking feather brain bitch, I'm going to make her wish she was dead!" She plotted as she turned glass into sand. Seeing Harpy kissing him and the way she slid onto him like she was his girlfriend ignited this blood thirsty rage within her.
Tempest Shadow and Capper emerges and for a moment watches Rachel once again raging out.
"I'm guessing that meeting with Spike didn't go so well." Capper said as Armani threw in an old painting, an already broken coffee machine and wall trimmings.
"Ya think!?" Rachel snarled as she smashed the machine into pieces, stomping it, imagining it's Harpy's head.
"Did you tell Spike that he's a father?" Tempest asked, watching her closely.
"What? The new guy's a dad?" Armani's eyes widened when that realization came to her.
"NOPE!" Rachel set the painting on fire before stopping momentarily. "Right as I was about to tell him, Harpy fucking slid in, getting handsy. 'Wow, you think you can touch me and think I won't come back for more?' Ooh can't fucking stand that whore!" She imitated Harpy's squawking voice. Being around shapeshifting sexlings, she picked up some mimicking skills.
"You think he actually cheated with her?" Capper asked.
"By the way he reacted, no." Rachel grunted. "That's his fucking saving grace right now." She said before using her wings to blow the burning flames away.
Enough bullshitting around. "Capper, tomorrow, I want you to talk to the other captives, get their intake about the devices on their necks, including you." She motioned to Armani. "Tempest, tomorrow, we're going to have a meeting with The Collector. Since you've dealt with him before, maybe we can learn more on the device he uses. And to hold me back if we see Harpy because I'm about to fry that fucking chicken."