Spike looks off because I had to create him myself, and I'm not an expert at mimicing the show style… he was a pain to make and his front legs are way too long and skinny.

But heres Spikes family in my nextgen world Shadowverse.

—

Spike and Sweetie Belle are both characters that have some major hangups in relation to Rarity, neither of which has led to healthy thoughts and behaviours, with Sweetie always comparing herself to her older and naturally more succesful sister to her own detriment, and Spikes childish crush that drove him to hurting himself multiple times in attempts to please or support Rarity in some way. This is all in no way Raritys fault though. But due to their feelings in relation to Rarity they were both shaken up when her and Applejack became official and had foals, Sweetie feeling there had been another achievement made by her "perfect" older sister, and Spike finally having to accept that Rarity could never return his desires, so the two wallowed in their emotions together, building a relationship based on self pity and temporary gratification.

It was never toxic, but it wasn't something built on any real love for each other, beyond having been friends for years beforehand.

Their "relationship" eventually led to Sweetie becoming pregnant. Finding out Sweetie had become pregnant was the event that sort of snapped the two out of their wallowing and back into reality, realizing that they had done something with lasting impact and that they really didn't have feelings for each other that way. They ended up having a frank talk, both wanting to have a child, though being worried about raising a child while they were still young, being the first of the crusader lot to have children, but determined to make it work somehow.

They also agreed that they needed to grow up and split up, they could work together without being glued together by all those feelings that now didn't matter so much in the face of their oncoming child, they would go back to being good friends; good friends who were raising a child together.

During her pregnancy Sweetie did do a lot of growing up, she did a lot a looking inward at herself and realised that she was the only one putting Rarity so high above herself, and hanging out with her caring and excited but worried big sister further strengthened in her the ability to see worth in herself and her own actions, and that she could love and appreciate Rarity for being the amazing pony she was without feeling overshadowed.

By the time the baby came along Sweetie was prepared, surrounded by friends and family willing to lend a hoof, and only a little apprehensive of being a young mother. Her and Spike agreed on the name Smokey Quartz before they even left the ponyville hospital, having seen the little baby puff a few wisps of smoke from her angled nostrils. She has never breathed fire though.

Rarity played a big part in Sweeties life during and after the pregnancy, and loved taking Smokey Quartz for playdates and getting to dress her up and go gem hunting with her, Smokey has a great relationship with her aunt and Sweetie is actually very thankful for it, she had been surprised initially by Raritys knowledge on dragons needs and habits, but it was easily explained by Rarity having been much more attentive to Spike than it seemed from the outside.

Spike spent a lot of time helping support Sweetie and Smokey after her birth, doing odd jobs for her and other ponies around town and doing his best to ensure they had enough. Sometimes Sweetie would complain that he gave them too much even, and that a baby doesn't need a barns worth of toys and clothing and such. Spike discovered he had quite the parental streak in him, and was rather glad to have someone to both goof around with and protect and teach all in one package, he's always been the supportive type.

Spike was always ecstatic when Smokey reached a new age level where it became appropriate to introduce her to new things, like his comics, Ogres and Oubliettes, new book topics, and the like, and despite Smokeys leanings towards being more girly she always indulged her dear dad, finding comic heroines she could admire and dress up as for conventions, and playing the badass princess who didn't need rescuing in their OnO games.

She always knew her parents loved her, and wasn't bothered when both of them starting dating other ponies when she was in school, after all she never knew them as being together, just as her loving parents, in her eyes it was just more ponies to join their games and help her dress up.

—

There's not much to Spike and Thorax, they always had a chemistry of sorts, and as Spike grew into himself the two naturally gravitated closer to each other, the line between friend and partners being rather blurred between, they simply were.

Thorax, having seen Chrysalis and Celestia produce a child themselves, wasn't too shocked when he layed a special egg of his own, and Spike was happy to know he would get to have another child to shower with love and knowledge.

They named their son Phosphor, after the green smoke he produced upon being hatched.

—

I will likely do a picture of how Phosphor, and the other babies in my NG, look grown up, as while he is a baby he is rather lacking in features.

I know his black colouring doesn't fit well with Thorax's reformed form, I flipflopped a bit on if the changelings should be reformed for this reason, but I like the lovebugs. I also liked an excuse to have a black dragon OC (among so many brightly coloured ponies its nice to break it up), so well… I do what I want.