Spike’s first instinct was to shake his head at Rarity, hoping she remembered not to mention Mineral’s name to Saradiamond. But he did it in a fashion that involved flailing arms and a rapid shake of the head.
“Is something wrong?” Saradiamond asked.
Thankfully, Rarity responded in kind with an appropriate response, “I apologize, but I do not know exactly who we are meeting this evening.”
“But do you know his name?” A pair of glimmering eyes pierced Spike. “Surely you must know something about my friend’s inspiration.”
A mare’s charm was a devious weapon, and Spike was slowly succumbing to Saradiamond’s stare. But even though his young heart was weak, he couldn’t give her exactly what she wished for. “We… sort of do…”
As Saradiamond leaned forward to get a better listen of Spike’s nervous muttering, Steadfast’s eyes were wide with worry. Broadside simply took a step away to leave his son to himself. “It would be wrong to say that I didn’t read your article from Morganite’s Mission,” Spike continued with caution. “And I did see his name.”
“And can you tell me, please?” Saradiamond smiled. “I would be the happiest mare if you did.”
“REMEMBERNOTTOSAYTHENAMEMMMMMMMMMMMM!” Pinkie Pie grunted as she stood on her hind legs and stretched out her arms. When Saradiamond caught her, Pinkie fell back onto all fours and shrugged, “What? I had to stretch. I’ve been walking all day.”
“And you had to make it obvious that we are trying to keep a secret,” Rarity said through her teeth.
Saradiamond’s hoof stamped the grass, killing a few blades in the process. “Okay, can somepony tell me why this name is being kept from me?” A frown bore itself onto her blue face. “I just want to know who inspired my friend.”
“We would tell you,” Pinkie Pie said, “but Sugar told us not to tell you his name.”
“I know his name is in Morganite’s Mission!” Saradiamond’s arm flashed as she pointed a hoof toward Steadfast. “But he won’t let me read Sugar’s article! The magazine is available to the public. And yet, nopony would tell me this pony’s name! Not even my fellow jousters will tell me anything!” A set of angry eyes attacked her teammate, “And I know you have something to do with this!”
A curious pink pony scrunched her snout. “How interesting…”
“What is?” Saradiamond asked, her ears swiveling toward Pinkie Pie.
Spike bit his lip and stepped out of Saradiamond’s view. “What are you doing?” he mouthed. Rarity stood helplessly without voicing her opinion on the matter.
Pinkie Pie looked at Spike and shook her head a little before saying to Saradiamond, “It’s interesting that you are interested in knowing undisclosed pony’s name, yet you aren’t allowed to know him. Not even Sugar wants you to know.”
Saradiamond’s ears fell back, a sign something was definitely wrong. “I feel like I’m being… conspired against.”
“Goodness…” Rarity muttered. “That’s quite the assumption…” She quickly tossed her worried frown aside and placed a hoof on her breast. “But I recall Sugar saying that she doesn’t want others to know about M- him… because she is embarrassed to tell his name and admit how she feels about him.”
“I’m… aware of that,” Saradiamond admitted, rubbing a forehoof on her arm. “She did tell me that fact yesterday.”
Rarity squinted a curious eye at Saradiamond, “Then why do you want to know about Sugar’s inspiration if even she won’t tell you?”
Saradiamond didn’t advance the conversation any further and instead, chose to keep quiet. She eyed the ground, her pupils inching ever so slightly. Spike was interested in Saradiamond’s thoughts and wanted to aid in her curious endeavor. What held him back was Steadfast and Sugar’s advice.
Somepony tapped at Spike’s tail, bringing him to see both Rarity and Pinkie Pie huddled close to one another. Pinkie gestured for him to come close and Spike quickly obliged.
“I don’t want to say I told you so…” Pinkie Pie began, “buuuuuuuuuuut-”
“Okay, you were onto something,” Rarity admitted. “But regardless of your hunch, I think we can assume Mineral has something to do with our friendship problem.”
Even though he wanted to, Spike didn’t add that Steadfast was friends with Mineral before. All Spike did was nod.
“Now how do we approach the situation?” Rarity asked. “I’m not sure exactly how Mineral relates to all this, but from what I can see, Sugar, Steadfast, nor any of the jousters will tell Saradiamond his name.”
“Maybe Sugar told Steadfast in secret not to let anypony know about Mineral,” Spike suggested. “Sugar never mentioned anything about not telling Steadfast.”
“You’re right!” Pinkie Pie gasped. She peered over Steadfast and saw that he and Saradiamond were conversing as well. Broadside was nowhere to be seen, perhaps because it was not his business to intervene. Several loud whispers hissed from Saradiamond while Steadfast continued to hold himself still and quiet.
“Why don’t we ask one of the other jousters if they know anything about Mineral?” Pinkie asked.
“I don’t know about that…” Rarity argued. “We don’t want to ask a question that might be too personal.”
“Right…” Pinkie bit her lip, “But it feels like our only opportunity to move forward is to ask those personal questions.”
The three stood in their circle, silenced by the weight of the friendship problem before them. None of them were close to any of the ponies involved in the scenario. Or at least, that’s what Rarity and Pinkie Pie believed.
“I have an idea,” Spike said, breaking the silence. “I’ll be right back.” Before either mare could interject, Spike left his group and jogged over to Saradiamond and Steadfast. Whatever the jousters were discussing, it was quickly stopped and both straightened upwards.
“Yes, Spike?” Steadfast spoke without a smile as Saradiamond looked at Spike with a neutral stare.
Keeping Steadfast’s wishes in mind, Spike said, “I know it’s obvious that both of you are at a bit of an impasse.”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself…” Saradiamond growled, her eyes poking at Steadfast. While Saradiamond continued to glare, Steadfast frowned at Spike with wide, desperate pupils.
Spike focused on Steadfast. “I think it is best for me to be honest with you both about the main reason why Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and I are here.”
“It isn’t because of the Crystal Fayre?” Saradiamond asked.
“If I am going to be honest, that’s the second reason.”
“Oh?” Saradiamond sagged her shoulders and loosened the tension in her aggressive stare against Steadfast. She looked at Spike with a raised brow, “Then what’s the first reason?”
Spike gandered at Rarity and Pinkie Pie who curiously watched him. Neither of them looked worried in the slightest, which helped boost Spike’s confidence in what he was about to do. “A friendship problem.”
“And… how do you know there is a friendship problem?” Steadfast asked.
“Long story short, the Cutie Map back at Princess Twilight’s castle. It tells us where two or more ponies are conflicted with something, and it is our duty to help.” Spike made sure his eyes were on Steadfast. “And we have never failed in solving any friendship problem.”
Saradiamond squinted back at Steadfast. “I can assume one pony is involved with this issue.”
“I don’t want to offend you, Saradiamond, but you might be included in this issue.”
The mare snorted, pointing her nose up into the air. “With my friend conspiring to keep Sugar’s inspiration’s name away from me, I don’t doubt I am a victim in this case.”
“Well-” Steadfast quickly sucked in his lips, sealing the rest of his words within himself.
“‘Well’ what!?” Saradiamond barked.
There is obviously something wrong between these two, Spike pondered. “Saradiamond,” he said as calm as he could without his voice shaking. “I want to ask you something.”
The request instantly snapped Saradiamond from her fury. “Anything,” she said, her lips gleaming as she smiled.
Despite the weight of the obvious issue before him, Spike was easily distracted by Saradiamond’s grin. Before he could be charmed any further, Spike returned to his unspoken question. “Do you want us to help with this friendship problem?”
The small dragon reached out a claw. “I want to help you both.” He noticed the heat rise in Saradiamond’s face, though her smile remained the same. Spike looked back at Steadfast with a firm stare. “My friends want to help with whatever may be the problem. And I can guarantee success.”
Spike tossed his other claw behind him. “If they were able to save Equestria several times over, I can promise whatever is wrong will be fixed.”
Saradiamond nodded and took the offered claw. “Of course I want your help.” For once, she didn’t give Steadfast a harsh stare. “He has been on my team for years and has been a friend even longer. I don’t want anything to happen to our friendship. However, I am still unconvinced that I am the problem.”
Steadfast sucked in a large breath but held it all in. His eyes darted between hero and friend. At last, he finally mustered up a statement. “Do you and your friends promise to fulfill what might be impossible?”
“What’s that supposed to-”
Spike placed his free claw on Saradiamond’s wrist, soothing the sapphire unicorn. “Hold on, Saradiamond.” Spike had to cran his neck to see the true friendship problem solvers. “I think you two should answer the question.”
“Which question?” Pinkie Pie asked. “I know exactly what Steadfast asked, but you didn’t let Saradiamond finish hers.”
“You can’t be serious, Pinkie,” Rarity rolled her eyes. Saradiamond repeated the same gesture in agreement.
“I am 150% serious!” Pinkie Pie protested. “This is a friendship problem we’re talking about here! All questions count in my book.” She rubbed her chin, “Though if I were to guess which question you want us to ask, I’m sure it would be Steadfast’s.”
“It is!” everypony said in unison.
“Great! Glad to see everypony is on the same page!”
Saradiamond leaned over Spike and whispered, “Is she being sarcastic?”
“She is being 150% serious,” Spike answered. “Trust me, Pinkie is a bit difficult to read sometimes, but I’m sure she will grow on you.”
“Hmm…” Saradiamond gave no other input about Pinkie Pie and quietly waited for Steadfast’s question to be answered.
“Mr. Steadfast,” Rarity began with a firm address, “my friends and I have done the impossible many times before. To be quite frank, I never saw myself as a hero before I met my friend Twilight. But as time went on, it became apparent that the world had plans other than applying me to several glass murals in Canterlot Castle.
“I stand before you now, confirming Spike’s statement about my previous endeavors. Whatever may be the core issue, we will apply the best of our abilities to fix whatever has been cracked, broken, or bent.”
A smile found its way onto Steadfast, a sign he was convinced. All who was left was Pinkie Pie. Everypony stared at her, awaiting a drawn out response.
“I’ll just save you all the trouble of a speech and just say, ‘Exactly what Rarity said.”
Steadfast’s grin quickly evolved into laughter. “You are very amusing, Pinkie Pie. You sure know how to make a pony laugh in the most interesting situations.”
“Thank you,” she nodded. “It’s in my element after all.”
The air was very light between Pinkie and Steadfast. However, the good mood had to be tainted. “Steadfast,” Saradiamond said aloud, “I believe they are willing to help us to the fullest. Now please, tell me the truth. Tell me this mysterious pony’s name.”