Spike sat at his desk preparing a Ponyville Census report for Princess Celestia. He was home alone because Rarity had left for a visit to the doctor’s office. She had been getting sick very frequently lately, especially in the mornings. They took it as a minor bug that had been running through Equestria in the past weeks. He finished the report and sent it off, massaging his cramped claws afterwards. He then started on other, less consequential reports.
He was still busy at his desk when Rarity came in looking terrified. He immediately took notice of this and stopped what he was doing; though neglecting to put down the quill he had been using. Terror filled him as he gazed into her eyes. His imagination began running wild with horrible scenarios, each one leaving him all alone without her. He didn’t think he could do that, not after only being with her for three years. It was too much. It was too soon.
Spike barely found words. “What is it my sweet? What’s wrong?” He tried to sound cheerful and confident, but to little avail.
Rarity could barely speak. “Spike I’m…I’m…pregnant.”
Spike jolted back, shocked. “What?!”
“I’m pregnant”, said Rarity as tears of horror fell from her beautiful face.
Spike could feel hot fury growing inside him. She had betrayed him, that was the only possible explanation. A dragon and a pony could never conceive, it was impossible. She had broken the vows she had made by marrying him. The vows she was supposed to remember every time she looked up at the ring on her horn.
Rarity noticed his anger, which was the reason for her fear. “Spike, you must believe me, I haven’t-“, she was cut off by her own gasp as the quill in Spike’s hand burst into flame.
Before she could spout anymore lies, Spike abruptly stood, knocking back his chair in the process. He stomped out in anger, leaving Rarity lying on the floor crying uncontrollably.
___
Spike made his way to the top of the cliff outside their home and sat there, sobbing with his head in his claws. He felt betrayed, furious, and hurt. She was supposed to love him and him alone. Had her love lost its strength? Was he no longer the dragon she loved? Had he driven her away somehow? Their love was supposed to be strong enough to overcome any challenge.
Spike’s head jerked up with sudden realization. Their love WAS strong enough to overcome any challenge. He had seen the same love do the impossible before. He had seen the love between Shining Armor and Princess Cadence repel an entire army of changelings from Equestria. He didn’t know how or why, but the love he shared with Rarity had somehow made it possible for them to conceive. The seed growing inside his wife was his.
Spike stood and made his way down and into the house. He went upstairs to find Rarity in the bedroom with her face buried in the pillows, crying just as hard as when he had left. He walked over, scooped her up, and wrapped her in his arms. He explained that he believed her and begged her for forgiveness for having doubted her, but she had already forgiven him. Spike held onto his wife, whose face was buried in his chest, afraid of the ridicule that lie in wait for her. Other ponies would not be so understanding and he wondered how or if he could protect her from it. His heart ached at the realization that there was little, if anything, he could do.
“Its lunch-time Father Spike”, said one of the handmaids. Several handmaids entered, pulling him back to reality. This time they carried only three crates of fruit. Spike guessed that Thunderhead had told them not to try and force him to eat more than he was willing to. Spike was grateful for this, he had lost his will to live when his age had made him unable to lead the clan. His time was fast approaching and the situation was simply made more complicated and more painful than necessary by those who refused to let go of him. It broke his heart that this generation would have to see him die when all the others that came before had lived and died under his leadership. Thunderhead had accepted what was happening and was doing his best to prepare the clan for it. This was one of the reasons Spike had selected him to lead.
Spike only ate one crate of fruit this time. The handmaids were clearly disappointed by this, but they didn’t argue. They left with tear-filled eyes, trying not to break down and sob in front of him. They were trying to accept the reality of the situation as well and it broke their hearts.
Spike returned to his paradise and found himself behind bars. Rarity was only one month away from the arrival of their baby and her supposed unfaithfulness was the center focus of gossip in Ponyville. Only their closest friends seemed to think she was innocent of betrayal. One stallion had stepped up to them when they had gone into town for groceries and called her a whore. Spike rewarded his boldness with a black eye and a bloody mouth. Spike was punished for protecting his wife by being thrown in jail. Rarity was in the process of bailing him out.
When they got home they began discussing what they would do with Rarity’s shop. Ever since the rumors had started after she had begun to show, her business at the boutique had plummeted. Most of her patrons in Ponyville had stopped coming, which led to decreased business form afar. The business was consuming more bits than it was drawing in. They decided to wait until after the foal was born to do anything. Perhaps they would be able to prove that Spike was the father, restore Rarity’s reputation, and return the shop to its former glory.
___
Rarity’s faithfulness was proved when she gave birth to a new breed of pony, an alicorn with the wings of a dragon. Spike and Rarity were perplexed by this because Spike was of a wingless breed of dragons, but they decided not to question this miracle. Rarity would receive many apologies, including from the stallion Spike had assaulted. Her shop also began to pick back up, but would never again be what it had been before the terrible rumors had been spread.
The foal was a filly. Seven others would follow her over the years, each one would be of the same new breed. In the beginning they would grow up and leave to make their own life, however it was discovered that these dragon-winged alicorns could match with any other pony, regardless of race, and produce the same dragon-winged alicorns. Upon this discovery it was decided that it would be best to keep them all on the plot of land given to them by Princess Celestia. Over the generations foals would grow up and leave in search of a soul mate. They would return upon finding them to begin their new life together.
Eventually, Spike and Rarity would become the patriarchs of what came to be known as the Dragon-Pony Clan, which over time would play a great role in Equestrian society.