“Spike”
Pinkamena and I walked out of the front door of their wooden house. Her mother's still seated on the stairs, so I walked beside her and jumped down on the snowy ground. After that, I spun and faced the old mare.
“Ahem... Hm. By any chance that you saw something sparkling earlier before our arrival?”
Pinkamena sat beside her mom, as the elderly mare arched an eyebrow.
The old pony shook her head. “I was mostly inside, 'ung one.”
“Oh,” I guess that kinda makes sense, “uh, thanks then!”
I then looked around, and spotted the pink mare's sister. She was talking to Scootaloo by the time I reached the two of them. Scootaloo broke her gaze on her and shifted at me, and she smiled.
“Heya Spike,” she greeted me, and the pink mare's sister turned to me, “so, you found anything?”
“Not yet,” I shook my head slightly before turning to the older mare. “Anyway, by any chance that you saw something sparkling earlier before we arrived?”
“Sparkling?” the mare frowned in confusion.
I nodded. “Yeah, y'know, like how gemstones shine and twinkle in the light.” Saying gems kinda made me feel hungry all of a sudden. Which was kinda weird, since I ate a lot back in the apple farm.
She frowned further. “I know what ‘sparkling’ meant,” she glared at me for a short while before she shook her head slightly. “Anyway, no. No, I haven't seen anything that sparkled, aside from a few of our dug-up gems.”
Maybe it's just a dragon thing? Gems are delicious though. I wonder when was the last time I had a gem? I shook my head. Focus Spike, focus! I looked up at the mare and nodded. “Well, thanks anyway.”
“Spike,” Scootaloo called, catching my attention. “Are you...” she trailed off, and then she nodded with a smile. “Wow, you're a genius!” Yeah, well, I do try. She then started looking around. “Somepony is bound to have seen that twinkling dust fly by.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, maybe. But there's only one pony left who actually lives around here that I haven't asked yet.”
Scootaloo stared at me with confusion. “Huh?”
I shook my head. “Anyway, you wanna come along?”
She shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”
I nodded, and then I looked around.
“If you're looking for my sister Inkie,” the older mare spoke, and Scootaloo and I looked at her. “She is probably behind the house.” She pointed with a hoof. “That's where I last saw her with some of your friends.”
“Thanks,” I nodded, and turned to Scootaloo. She nodded and we both started walking towards the wooden house. “So uh, Scootaloo...”
“Haven't I told you to just call me ‘Scoots’?” Scootaloo interrupted.
“Uh, I'm not really sure, but anyway,” I paused for a bit. “What were you and her talking about earlier?”
“Hm? Oh, nah, it wasn't anything important.”
“Really?”
Scoots blew a raspberry. She then looked at me with a smile. “What are you so worried about? We just talked about how the ponies were doing in other places and something...”
Scoots and I turned and saw Inkie, who sat on a wooden board and cradled a little foal. Twilight, Shining, Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle were standing around her. Scoots and I looked at each other, wondering what was going on, before we started walking towards the group. Bloom and Sweets noticed us, and smiled, before looking back at Inkie, or maybe they're all looking at her foal?
“Heya Twilight,” I said quietly. I don't really know what's going on, but at least there's no heavy tension here. “What's going on?”
Twilight and Shining looked at me, and both of them were having this weird smile of some sort. I don't know, but I guess it's a kind of warm...smile, I guess? “Oh, nothing really, Spike.”
Shining nodded and the two of them looked back at the sleeping foal.
“We were just talking about the joys of having a foal and all...”
Scoots rolled her eyes, while I groaned lightly. “Really Twilight?” I asked, catching everypony's attention unintentionally. I grinned. “While we were busy looking for a portal, you were just chillin' out here doing nothing?”
She gasped quietly and frowned. “Wait, no, I didn't mea—”
I chuckled. “I was just kidding, Twilight! No need to work yourself up.”
She frowned, and sighed as she shook her head.
I coughed and looked at her with a serious frown. “But seriously Twilight, you wanna have a foal of your own so soon?”
Her jaw fell open as the others laughed.
“Wh-what!? NO!” Twilight denied. “I mean, sure, every mare maybe wants to have one in time, but I don't want one now! I mean,” she trailed off, while the rest of us continued laughing. Twilight groaned and glared at me.
“Sheesh Twilight,” I said after my laughter died down. “I was just teasing!”
“Sure you were,” she deadpanned, and then a white hoof rubbed her mane.
“Aw, Twiley wanna be a mommy?” Shining chuckled as Twilight batted his hoof away.
“A heavy sleeper, huh?” Apple Bloom spoke, and we turned at the still sleeping baby. “Must be quite nice to do things without ever riskin' of waking the li'l one up.”
Inkie chuckled lightly. “You could say that.”
Things were quiet for a short while. We were just looking at the sleeping foal. Suddenly, as much as I hated to break the happy atmosphere, it's needed to be done. I coughed lightly to clear my throat.
“Uh, anyway, Inkie,” all eyes turned to me again. “I wanna ask if you saw a cloud of sparkles flew by earlier?”
Everypony blinked, and Twilight tilted her head to the side, and then she smiled. “Ah, that's good thinking, Spike.”
“Hm...” Inkie brought a hoof on her chin. “I don't think I did, but,” she looked at her foal, “earlier today, while I was making myself some coffee, my little one here said ‘sparkly’ or something.” Inkie then looked at me. “She was by the window that time, and I remember her looking...there.”
We followed the direction of where her hoof was pointing. Was she pointing at the mountains further south from here? I looked back, and saw Twilight nodded her head.
“So I guess the portal's further south from this rock farm.” She turned and smiled at Inkie. “Thanks for the information. Inkie, was it?”
Inkie nodded. And Twilight smiled.
“You know, no offense but, you're nicer than the rest of your family.”
Inkie just smiled and looked at her foal. Twilight must have gotten her answer, even though I didn't know what it was. But at least we now know where to look. After saying our goodbyes, we hopped on the chariot and the pegasi ponies lifted it up and we flew straight towards the mountains.