Later when they got back, the ponies each spent the rest of the day cleaning up their houses.
That night, Sparky had a very vivid nightmare of the event that drove him out of the city...
He never knew his father and had no idea what had happened to him. A few years ago, his mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness so she remained at home with Sparky taking care of her (of his own choosing). Because of this he never got out much, which is why he still doesn't have his mark. The incident in question happened on the day he met Melody...
It was a day like any other. Sparky had just gotten back from grocery shopping and had went in to check on his mother, a grey pegasus who had turned very pale, and whose golden mane had been slowly turning grey. She coughed a bit as Sparky walked into he room. "Hi mom." he said sweetly, walking up to her. "I'm back."
"Hi pumpkin." she said in reply.
"I got you that special garlic soup stuff you like."
"Thank you. You're so sweet."
He went up to her and nuzzled her. "I love you, mom."
"I love you too, sweetie."
"Now you just rest and i'll get the soup made." he said, going out to the kitchen. After Sparky made the soup using the stove he figured he'd keep the flame on and that he'd have a bowl too. After doing so, he took a nap, forgetting to turn off the flame.
When he woke up, he found that the house was on fire. Smoke was filling the rooms and the flames were burning out of control. He quickly galloped into his mother's room shouting, "Mom! Wake up! The house is on fire! We have to leave!"
After taking a second to grasp the situation she said, "Okay. Get outside. I'll be there in a minute."
"But..."
"Go."
"I love you, mom." he said turning towards the door.
"I love you too. Now go." she ordered.
Sparky quickly galloped outside and started yelling for help. Within minutes he heard the sirens of the fire department. However, in those minutes, a flaming piece of rubble had blocked the doorway which made Sparky's heart sink to his hooves.
Tears began to well up at the realization that she wasn't going to make it. He stood on the sidewalk for what felt like hours as the rain began to fall on the charred remains of the house where he grew up. The firefighters pulled what looked like a body out of the wreckage and Sparky stared at it in horror as darkness began to surround him and voices began calling his name. "Sparky. Sparky. Sparky..."
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was back in Melody's house, on her couch, with her standing next to him. "Sparky? Sparky, what's going on?" the memory of that night came rushing back to him and he lept into Melody's embrace, weeping.
"Sparky, what's wrong?" she asked.
After a couple minutes, he managed to calm down enough to say to her, "I think it's about time I told you what happened..."