//------------------------------//
// Redefining Family: Part 2 
// Story: Big Brother Garble 
// by ColtKit Productions 
//------------------------------//

"Mom!" Spike jumped at Celestia as she bent down to embrace him. She held him tight with her front leg well she nuzzled him.

"Only you could worry me so much," Celestia sighed with relief once he was back in her hooves.

"Gee thanks Mom," snarked Blue Blood. Oddly only calling her "Mom" when he was annoyed with her. He usually just called her "Auntie", given that was what he called her back when his parents were alive.

Celestia rolled her eyes, "Thankfully, you were never such a trouble maker,"

Spike stuck his tongue out at the stallion well Blue Blood raised an eyebrow.

Blue Blood responded with, "You realize she wasn't complementing you, right?"

The dragon captain of the guard, shrunken down to Celestia size like their alpha, tapped Lava Frost and whispered, "We couldn't find Garble. He seemes to have skipped school," when the old Alpha groaned in response the captain of the guard insisted, "It's not so bad. My patrol has traced him to a few stores. He bought an older whelp bed and some toys from the stone cutters and other shops have reported seeing him purchase whelp merchandise. I'm guessing he's preparing his cave for the little guy,"

Lava Frost nodded, "Still, he should have told somedragon, I'm sure his sensei would have excused him if he asked... track him down, tell him once he's finished to report to me, but not until he's finished. Preparing his cave for the whelp takes priority to repairing diplomatic relations. Insure Garble we are keeping Spike with the ponies blessing but they will be visiting frequently so we need to repair the damage he did by reclaiming Spike directly without going through proper channels," then Lava Frost muttered to himself, "If he just told me before claw I would have gone to Celestia directly and we could have gotten Spike back without having to talk the sun out of eradicating our entire nest,"

The guard sighed, "That really was far too close... do you think the little whelp is really worth getting on the bad side of the sun spirit?"

Lava Frost insisted, "All Whelps are worth it. Besides I'm sure Spike will pull his weight when he grows up. He'll be a fine addition to our nest,"

The guard looked at the Earth dragon with clear doubt in his eyes, "If you say so,"

"Just wait for Garble in his cave, Skull Crusher, if he is truly whelp proofing it he will be going back and forth between there and shops. Best to just wait for him on his next run,"

Skull Crusher bowed, "At your command, All-Father," then the captain of the draconic guard took off. Transforming back into a giant as he flew up through the center of the Volcano.

Lava Frost groaned, rubbing his temple. He quickly flinched as Spike asked the most dangerous question he had ever hear.

"Are you-we going home?" the little whelp practically danced.

The Princess of the sun looked torn as she asked, "Do you want to go home?" 

'oh hell' Lava Frost couldn't help but think. Was it going to start up all over again? He just talked the goddess out of slaughtering his nest. The Whelp's answer could very well determine if they were going to war or not.

Spike, for his part, looked equally as torn as the princess.

Celestia raised his head with her hoof, "come now Spike, I raised you to be honest with me at all times. You know how much I value such a trait... do you want to come home?"

Spike bit his lip and said something that put Lava Frost at ease, "I don't know,"

Celestia sighed with seeming relief, "That's good, that means this place actually stands a chance of becoming your new home,"

"My new home?" Spike gulped, "You mean you... don't want me anymore?"

"I will always be your mother," Celestia assured, "You know how I trusted you to look after Twilight well she settled into Ponyville?"

Spike blushed and fiddled with his tail the way whelps do when they are nervous, "You only asked me that because I followed her around all the time,"

The purple unicorn Spoke up, "That's not true Spike. You were always a big help to me. You're the best little brother ever,"

Spike's eyes turned wide at what she said. Twilight never actually acknowledged what their relationship was before. Spike gulped, "I'm... I'm not coming back with you... am I?"

Shining squeezed passed Celestia and nuzzled his baby brother, "You better continue my work and turn all the little dragons into nerds,"

Spike snickered as he nuzzled him back, "I need my O&O books for that,"

Twilight spoke up, "I'll bring all your stuff with me on my next visit," she promised.

"oh... right..." Spike got depressed again.

Celestia joined Shining in nuzzling the boy, "Spike we all love you and will visit often, and I expect even more frequent letters from you... but I believe this place will be good for you. Lava Frost can teach you many things I just can't. You will make friends here. I remember how many of the pony foals reacted when I tried to send you to a proper school,"

"You did?" Spike blinked.

Celestia blinked back, "Of course I did. I found the best preschool in Canterlot... and you were miserable. All the foals were scared of you... which didn't help that I had the teacher imprisoned for a month after unjustly punishing you. All you did was sneeze! It wasn't your fault the desk caught fire. She was just such a horse,"

Spike gaped as he heard his mom, HIS MOM, curse.

Celestia, for her part, blushed, "You better not repeat that,"

Spike nodded adamantly.

"Anyway," Celestia went on, "After that I pulled you out of school and decided to home school you myself. It was just easier to give your lessons alongside Twilight. I never imagined you two would grow so close. You would follow her around everywhere, picking up after her so She wouldn't get in trouble. Helped me make sure she was eating cuz she often found some dusty old tome that she just had to read and would forget everything else. You helped me take care of her and she helped me take care of you and both of you helped me to laugh and enjoy life. Things were getting so very boring here but you rejuvenated me. You helped me rediscover the beauty of the world... And Blue Blood complained about it,"

"Honestly!" Blue Blood exclaimed.

Celestia pulled her other, more reluctant, son into a hug. The blonde stallion promptly shoved Shining out of the way to get to Spike. Shining glared at being forced from the hug pile but wouldn't settle for that as he forced himself back in with Twilight.

Cadence stood awkwardly to the side, looking on the scene... and licking her lips.