Chapter 3: The Mystery Begins
Rarity awoke late the next morning. At first, she could not remember where she was. She was also wondering why Opalescence had not awoken her for her morning breakfast. In addition, her back was aching something fierce and the blanket she was wrapped up in had an unusual smell to it. There was also a gentle pinch along her neck.
When she looked down and saw Spike pressing against her side, all her memories about the previous night returned.
To her surprise, the pinch on her neck was actually Spike biting her. However, she felt no pain. In truth, it felt more like an affectionate nibble from Opal when she was once a kitten. However, instead of a little kitten, it was now a little dragon nibbling her neck. Rarity smiled at the affection of the sleeping dragon.
However, the floor was another matter.
Rarity tried to get up, but felt Spike’s grip tighten on her. The little dragon moaned gently in his sleep. A part of Rarity felt some guilt at having to wake him, but her back ached and she needed to stretch out. “Spike. Time to get up,” Rarity gently said.
Spike only moaned and slightly stirred. His grip remained tight and he continued to nibble her neck.
“Spike,” Rarity called out again.
Spike continued to sleep.
“SPIKE!”
Spike’s eyes shot open and he released his grip on Rarity. “I’m up!” he cried as he sat quickly upright. He began looking around the room, dazed by his new surroundings. “Where…?”
“Good morning, Spike,” Rarity smiled.
“Rarity?” Spike looked down at the unicorn lying next to him. “Then…It wasn’t a dream.”
“No Spike,” Rarity responded, “Now please be so kind and help a lady up.”
“Oh!” Spike said in surprise. Quickly he got to his feet and removed the quilt the two had been wrapped up in. He then took one of Rarity’s hooves and helped her to her feet.
Rarity felt relief as she stretched her body out. “Thank you, Spike,” Rarity responded. She then shook her mane and tail to get some of the dust out of it. “Oh! I must look dreadful,” she bemoaned.
Spike could not help but stare at Rarity. Even though her body was covered in dust and her mane had flecks of mud in it, she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. In truth, he was still surprised at how close he had been with her last night. He could not help but wonder if it really was a dream. Did he actually kiss her?
“Spike. Pay attention.”
Spike awoke from his thoughts. “Huh...Oh sorry,” Spike apologized, “What were you saying.”
“I said we should probably take the journal with us and leave this place,” Rarity repeated.
“Oh…right,” Spike saluted. He suspected Rarity wanted to take the journal because she was curious about the previous owner. Even he couldn’t deny his own curiosity.as to why any pony would want to stay in the Everfree Forest. He suspected that even Twilight would too once they got back.
Spike found the book off to the side where Rarity had left it on the floor. Quickly he tucked it under one arm, turned, and saluted to Rarity to show he was ready to go.
“Right then. Let us be off,” Rarity said as she led the way out of the cabin.
As the two pushed open the door, they saw that the weather had greatly improved. There were only a few clouds in the sky and the sun lit the entire area. It almost seemed like a country setting rather than the Everfree Forest every pony feared. However, what really caught them by surprise was how close the cabin was to the mountain range that had the gem cave.
“Wait just a minute!” Rarity shouted in surprise and outrage, “Were we walking in circles the entire time?”
Spike looked around as well. Now that he could see various landmarks, it was obvious they had traveled a long way for such a short distance. “I think so. It was very dark out last night.”
“But…I was following the path. How could I have traveled in circles?” Rarity cried.
Spike looked further down the path the cabin was located on. “That’s how,” he said pointing in the distance.
Rarity followed his gaze down the main path and saw that a tree had fallen over where the path had branched off into two different directions. The route they were meant to take had been blocked off and looked like it was part of the scenery.
Rarity fell to her haunches and placed a hoof over her face in a dramatic pose. “How can fate be so cruel?!”
Spike wasn’t sure he could agree. “I don’t know Rarity. This place isn’t that bad. In fact, I think I can understand why someone might want to live here.”
Rarity was about to scoff at Spike but took a moment to look at her surroundings. She had to admit that now that the weather had improved, the area did look nice.
She then looked back at the cabin. It was a simple design and was pretty much just one large room with the bare essentials. But there was something appealing about its simplicity. Even she had to admit there was something romantic about spending time in a cabin lit by a fireplace with someone she loved.
Like she had done with Spike.
“What do you think Rarity?” Spike asked out of curiosity.
“Well…” she said with a smile, “It does have a certain appeal,” she then tossed her head up and began to prance down the trail, “But I wouldn’t want to live here.”
Spike silently laughed at Rarity’s reaction. He suspected that Rarity was probably thinking on how to improve the cabin to fit her needs. If anything, the cabin could serve as a welcoming place to rest if they ever decided to go back and harvest the gems from the cave.
Weather permitting of course.
X X X X X
Finding their way back through the Everfree Forest proved to be easy now that the two of them could see where they were going. For Rarity, she was itching to get home and spend the rest of the day in her bath. Or better yet, rent some time at a spa with a special someone. “Spike. Once we get back, would you like to accompany me to the local spa?”
“Sure. But…um…” Spike answered.
“Is something wrong, Spike?” Rarity asked.
“Do you think we can skip the mud bath?” Spike asked.
Rarity laughed at his request. Even she had to admit she had seen enough mud for one day, “Of course, Spike.”
“Count me in then!” Spike cheered.
Rarity smiled happily as she looked down at the little dragon. However a voice from above quickly diverted her attention.
“Twilight! I found them! I found them!” an excited voice called out from the sky.
Both Spike and Rarity were caught pleasantly by surprise by the familiar voice. As they looked up to the source, they saw Rainbow Dash circling happily above. She was shortly joined by Twilight Sparkle in the air.
“Thank goodness,” Twilight sighed as she glided down and landed. Rainbow followed her, but remained hovering near the ground. “We were so worried about you when you didn’t make it back last night.”
“Yeah! And when we tried to enter the Everfree forest, we got hit by this giant storm!” Rainbow Dash shouted happily.
“The only one who enjoyed that was you,” Twilight groaned.
“Hey! It was fun racing against the wind!” Rainbow Dash shouted happily.
Twilight let out a sigh. She then turned back to Spike and Rarity and examined their condition. As far as she could tell, both seemed fine, but she could easily see that Rarity was just itching for a long drawn out bath. “Well, we better get you both home. You’re probably exhausted.”
“That sounds lovely,” Rarity sighed happily.
“What about the gems? Did you find any?” Rainbow Dash asked.
The Gems?
THE GEMS!
A look of realization and horror washed over Rarity’s face. “SPIKE! WE FORGOT THE GEMS!” she cried as she looked down at her companion.
X X X X X
With Twilight and Rainbow Dash in tow, Rarity and Spike quickly retraced their steps back to the ravine the gem cave was located in. However, as they looked down, they saw that water was still running into the cave. The entrance was still half submerged and the water did not appear like it would vanish anytime soon.
“NOOOOOO!” Rarity cried as she collapsed to the ground in a dramatic pose.
Spike remained silent as he looked down into the ravine. He admitted that he did not like the idea of venturing back into the cave after what happened. Yet as he turned to face Rarity, he could not help but feel sorry for her. She had poured her heart and soul into designing new outfits that revolved around the brightest and rarest of gems. Now all her efforts were for naught.
“Wow! So you actually survived that?” Rainbow Dash asked as she watched the water rushing into the cave.
Spike nodded. “We barely got out in time.”
“But how did you survive the storm?” Twilight asked as she rubbed Rarity’s shoulder in hopes of calming her down.
“There’s a cabin just over there,” Spike said, pointing in the general direction.
“A cabin?” Twilight said in surprise.
Spike nodded. “Yeah,” Spike then pulled the journal from under his arm and held it up for Twilight and Rainbow to see, “We found this journal inside.”
Twilight examined the cover after taking the book from Spike with her magic. She then opened it up to examine the contents inside. There was no doubt that the writing was pony script, even though the writer’s skills and penmanship were something to be desired. The lower half of the journal was also badly faded and impossible for Twilight to read.
Rainbow Dash was also curious as she peered over Twilight’s shoulder. “Can’t say I’ve ever heard of a Grey Shire before. How about you?” Rainbow asked.
“The name doesn’t ring a bell,” Twilight then looked back into the Everfree forest. “But, why would a pony want to live here?”
X X X X X
A few nights later, Ponyville became a town of celebration. Ponies had gathered from all around to see the talent show Princess Twilight had organized. It had been part of her plan to let ponies showcase their talents and hopefully become the new stars of Equestria. The idea had been welcomed by all and everyone had contributed to setting it up. Even a few non-pony creatures had contributed to making the show a success.
The crowd roared and cheered as new talents were brought to a giant stage outside. Granted, not everyone was cut out to be a star, but everyone enjoyed the raw talents being displayed on the stage. A few even scored massive applause from a combination of jokes, magic tricks, or dancing.
The bleachers in front of the stage were overcrowded and a few Pegasus ponies had to sit on clouds to watch the show. However, at the center of bleachers was a special box reserved for Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Twilight.
“I think the talent scouts are going to find a new set of dancers soon,” Princess Luna complimented after watching the act that unfolded on the stage.
“I agree. It was well coordinated and fit the music perfectly,” Princess Celestia replied. She then turned to Twilight who was seated to her right. “You’ve done a wonderful job in setting this up.”
“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight smiled happily. It had not been easy for her to organize the event. The few days after having to rescue Rarity and Spike seemed like turmoil. She had been jumping around town instructing ponies on how to build the stage, set up the seating, gather food, and schedule the night’s activities. It was only through the help of her friends was she able to keep things running smoothly and with no problems. The result had turned out better than expected as cheers filled the night sky from every pony in town.
Well…Almost every pony.
“Princess Celestia, can I ask a small favor from you?” Twilight requested.
“Of course,” Celestia responded as she turned to face Twilight.
“First, I wanted to know what you thought about the costumes,” Twilight replied.
Celestia was a little perplexed by the question. “I think they are wonderful. Why do you ask?”
“It’s just that…Well…Not every pony seems to be thinking that,” Twilight said as she looked off to the right of the stage. Celestia followed her gaze and saw another drama unfold off the stage.
“This can’t be happening! No! The color is all wrong! I should have used a lighter shade of Lavender! What was I thinking?!” Rarity cried as she fainted backwards. She used her magic to pull in a nearby sofa to catch her.
Spike was also present and quickly pulled out a fan and tried to calm her down. “Relax, Rarity. Everyone loves their costume.”
“They deserved better! I had such glamorous plans with those gems we found! Instead, all my work turned out to be substandard!” she cried.
Spike sighed in defeat. Rarity had been devastated when she had lost the gems. She had spent days before the accident designing what she considered the perfect clothes for any pony going on stage. However, without the gems she needed, her designs never had a chance of being as glamorous as she had hoped. Still, Spike was glad that many ponies had complimented her for the costumes she made. However, it did little to help a perfectionist such as Rarity.
Celestia could not help but laugh at Rarity’s drama. “I see what you mean,” Celestia said after calming herself, “I will offer my compliments to her.”
“Thank you,” Twilight responded. She only hoped that a compliment from Celestia would ease her friend’s anxiety. Rarity had done her best to find replacement gems after failing to retrieve the gems she wanted. Even Spike and a few other ponies had assisted her in locating replacements. But none seemed to match the quality of the ones she had lost. “That reminds me. There is one other thing I wanted to ask.”
“Go on,” Celestia nodded.
“We discovered an old cabin in Everfree Forest recently. We believe it belonged to a pony named Grey Shire. Does that name sound familiar to you?”
“Hmm…” Celestia sat in thought for a moment, “I think I do remember a pony by that name, but I can’t remember from where.”
“Do you think it’s something we need to worry about?” Twilight asked. The last thing she wanted was having to worry about another threat against Equestria.
Celestia gave a reassuring smile. “Nothing like that. I’m sure,” she replied, “But I will search my records for that name and let you know.”
“Thank you, Princess Celestia,” Twilight responded happily.
X X X X X
The morning after the talent show, Twilight Sparkle found herself busy in her study. She was organizing notes on clean up duties, making arrangements to take down the stage, and making sure that activities returned to normal in Ponyville. It was times like this that she wasn’t too fond of being a princess.
Still, the talent show had been a major success.
This alone brought a large amount of comfort to Twilight as she made sure everything would be completed.
As she moved the last set of her notes to the side of her desk, she heard a knock at the door. Looking up, she saw Spike peering through the door. “Hi, Spike. What can I help you with?”
“Princess Celestia is here to see you.”
“Huh?” Twilight said in surprise. She had not expected Princess Celestia to return so soon to Ponyville. Quickly she composed herself and followed Spike down to the main lobby of the castle where Celestia was waiting.
As she entered the main entranceway, she saw the princess standing patiently. “I didn’t expect you to be back so soon, Princess Celestia,”
“My apologies for this unannounced visit,” Celestia bowed her head, “But I thought I should deliver this in person since it was related to both you and Spike.”
A small scroll then appeared in front Twilight and unrolled itself, allowing her to read it. It took Twilight only a moment to recognize what it was. “These are the records concerning Spike’s egg.”
“Yes,” Celestia nodded in agreement. “But look at the bottom entries.”
Twilight read through the document as quickly as possible. As she did, she saw the entry related to where the Spike’s egg came from. To her surprise and astonishment, the egg was donated by a pony named Grey Shire. “Wait! Are you saying Grey Shire was the one who brought Spike’s egg to the Academy?”
“What?!” Spike’s eyes lit up as he heard this. Quickly he ran to Twilight’s side and snatched the document down so he could see for himself.
“Fifteen years ago, Grey Shire came to me bearing Spike’s egg. She did not tell me where she found it, but expressed a desire to hatch it,” Celestia explained.
“Did she say why?” Twilight asked.
“She claimed she wanted to study it,” Celestia replied, “But I suspect that she was not telling the truth. There were even some who suspected she stole it from the Dragon Lands.”
Spike finished reading the document and looked up at Celestia. “If you suspected my egg was stolen, why didn’t you give it back?”
“We didn’t know where it came from and no pony wanted to risk trying to communicate with a dragon,” Celestia responded.
Spike could not fault her reasoning. Until recently, dragons had been a territorial and terrifying race. He still remembered how many of them had wanted to find a reason to invade Equestria for their own gain. Only the recent efforts of Ember had kept the dragons at bay and opened a dialogue between dragon and pony.
“But if you had the egg for so long, why was it given to me?” Twilight asked.
“Because you were the one who hatched it,” Celestia responded.
“But…Surely other unicorns tried,” Twilight responded.
Celestia nodded in agreement. “Yes. But all they could do was sustain it. When I saw you for the first time, I suspected you had the power to do what others could not. So I arranged to have Spike’s egg brought to you as a test.”
Twilight still remembered that day. She had studied so hard the previous night, hoping to make an impression to get in the school for gifted unicorns. She almost didn’t make it because she was exhausted. But a Sonic RainBoom from Rainbow Dash had caught her by surprise and had allowed her to release the full extent of her powers on the egg.
Maybe a little too much since Spike became gigantic for a few moments and had totally destroyed the class room.
“What happened to Grey Shire then?” Spike asked.
“No one knows,” Celestia answered. She then used her magic to make another scroll appear in front of Twilight and Spike.
Twilight took a moment to look over the document. “Wait. This is a missing pony report.” Twilight then felt a sinking feeling inside as the realization hit her. “She disappeared?”
Celestia nodded. “She had visited several times to check on the egg, but after about a month, she mysteriously gave up,” Celestia explained, “I sent patrols to look for her, but we found nothing. Eventually, she was simply forgotten.”
“But…Surely she must have said something!” Spike said. For the first time, he felt he was close to finding his origins. No one had known where his egg had come from and he always wanted to know why it was in Equestria and not in the Dragon Lands.
Was his egg actually stolen?
Why didn’t his parents try to find him?
“I’m afraid not. She refused to speak much and avoided other ponies. We know very little about her,” Celestia apologized.
Spike felt his hopes dashed. He felt so close to finding out more about his origins. Unfortunately, the only pony who knew was now missing. Who was Grey Shire? What did she plan to do with his egg?
Twilight could see the despair in Spike’s eyes. She knew only too well Spike’s desire to find his real family. “Don’t worry, Spike. We’ll find the answers,” Twilight assured him as she placed a hoof over his shoulders.
“You…You really think so?” Spike sniffed.
“I promise.”
X X X X X
Of course promising one thing and doing it were two different things. But Twilight was determined to find out the truth about Spike’s egg. Spike had always been a faithful companion for her, now she was going to return the favor.
After parting with Celestia, she and Spike met up with the other ponies at a cake shop to discuss what Celestia had told her.
“And there was no sign left of her?” Applejack asked as she looked at the report that was centered on a round table. Everyone had gathered around to look at the documents.
“None,” Twilight explained, “According to this, they did find her cottage, but saw no evidence of her being there.”
“Ooh! Maybe she moved away! Found a nice sunny beach and settled down!” Pinkie chirped in.
“Not likely,” Twilight corrected he friend, “They still found some of her stuff in the cabin.”
Rarity took a moment to pull another page out of the report. The page had the last known photograph of what Grey Shire looked like. “She definitely looks like she needs a makeover,” Rarity commented as she looked over the photo.
Rainbow Dash hovered over Rarity for a moment to get a look at the photo as well. “She looks a little pudgy.”
Fluttershy looked over Rarity’s left shoulder at the picture. “She looks like she’s shy.”
Applejack peered over Rarity’s right shoulder. “Nah. She just looks like one of them country fillies.”
Rarity placed the photo on the table for all to see. It was a simple black and white photo of a grey pony that did appear, as Rainbow Dash had said, pudgy. The picture had been taken in front of Grey Shire, but Grey Shire had ducked her head and turned it off to the side as if she was trying to avoid the camera. Her mane was not properly combed and she appeared to have a mole on the side of her neck. There was definitely a rugged look about her.
“So if the patrol couldn’t find her, what makes you think we can?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Twilight smiled. “When the patrol was looking for her, they didn’t ask the dragons for help. We can.”
“You think Ember can help us?” Rarity asked.
“At the very least, she might know where Spike’s egg came from,” Twilight explained.
“I’ll be going as well,” Spike added.
Twilight nodded in approval. Spike was after all the best liaison to the dragon community.
“I would very much like to go too,” Rarity added, “To help Spike of course.”
Twilight saw no problem with this since Rarity had been to the Dragon Lands before. It was also no surprise since everyone knew about the friendship Spike and Rarity shared with each other. “Okay then. We’ll set out tomorrow.”
“What do you want the rest of us to do while you are away?” Applejack asked.
“Can the rest of you go and inspect the cabin. Maybe there was something that was missed by the patrol,” Twilight suggested.
“You can count on us!” Pinkie Pie cheered as she put on a detective’s cap.
To Be Continued…