~A Lost Diamond in the Rough ~
Chapter 3- The Hunt for Gems Continue
Spike eventually awoke from his nap, and Jaden repeated her story to him as well. She was more comfortable to tell it now thanks to venting about it before. She didn't cry this time, but her tone was still very sad. Spike gently patted her back, and tried to support her, too.
"It must have taken a lot to tell him..." He said, as his eyes couldn't help but go towards Rarity.
"It was... and I didn't think he'd just never speak to me again after. Not even look at me..." Jaden replied as she sulked.
Rarity finished cleaning up the picnic as she put everything away. She saw the gems in her bag, and slowly recalled that they were here to gather gems. I should take her with me to Ponyville, and introduce her. She thought, looking back to Jaden.
"Not to be rude in anyway, Jaden, but we didn't come here expecting to find you. In fact, we came here to gather gems. Why don't you join us? And, then, maybe after I could take you to my home in Ponyville?" Rarity asked her, giving her a smile.
Jaden blinked at the proposal, surprised she would offer that. "I.. uhm... suppose so.." She said, moving her hoof against the cave ground.
"Great! That's perfect. Ya know, I'm sure when we get back - Twilight could help you find you colony!" Spike offered next, standing up by his tail in excitement.
"No. I don't need help finding them.. I don't ever wanna see them again." Jaden quickly said in reply.
Spike lowered himself to where he stood by his feet instead, and gave a slight frown. He knew that she must miss them, no matter how upset she was. They must be worried about her..." Spike also thought, giving a worried look toward Rarity.
Rarity gave a small look back to Spike signaling that she thought the same. Colony or family, they both seemed to be the same in this case. They had to help reunite her with them. But, how?
Rarity got out the three gems that Spike dug up before,"We're looking for these kinds... and sapphires. Oh, and rubies. I only have my bag, so we can only carry so much. " She instructed, looking back to Jaden.
"They're beautiful..." Jaden thought, looking at them in wonder. She heard her mention bag though, and looked back up. "If you want, we could carry some in my bag.. would that be okay?"
"Why, yes, that would be fabulous." Rarity said back, quite happy to have more gems.
"And I'll carry some, too!" Spike pitched in, happy to help.
It took time to show Jaden Rarity's magic, and a little longer to explain how it worked. But, soon, Spike and Jaden worked their claws to dig out more gems. Rarity could almost not tell the difference between them as they both enjoyed seeing the gems. Spike looking at them with drool on his lip, even though he just ate, and Jaden looking at them with such wonder you'd think she would keep them. I'll have to save them both some gems after my clothing line is complete. Rarity though, giggling at the two.
Her horn gave off another low glow, and she could sense five more around the corner. "Hmm.." She moved her head until her the glow intensified then marked the spot.
"I got this one!" Spike claimed as soon as she was done.
He jumped over the spot, and soon started jumping against it with his tail as he jack hammered his way through. He stopped once he hit the gems, then dusted them off to not hurt them.
Just as Rarity thought, five gems laid within the whole. One a giant emerald, a large sapphire, two small rubies, and a diamond as big as one's hoof.
"Very well done~" Rarity said as she praised the two for their hard work. She helped gather the last five into Jaden's bag, and gave the bag back to Jaden.
"That should be enough, and I'll have a few leftover after I complete my work. I can finally start on it today and, perhaps, finish tomorrow evening~" Rarity adds, excited for the work.
Spike smiled at Rarity as he carried some gems in his arms. "Aw, that's great, Rarity" He said, smiling bigger.
Jaden put her bag over her back, and looked back to the two. Her mind a bit worried if she should travel with them back to Ponyville. She had been there once before when she was much younger, and wasn't sure how much it had changed now. Her eyes look down as she recalls that back then she was with her colony. She wouldn't admit it, but she missed them.
Rarity and Spike wasn't oblivious to this as they looked over towards her. Spike knowing that look from anywhere, as he recalled being homesick when he tried to leave Ponyville.
"Well, then! How would you like to come with us to Sugar Cube Corner before we go to my shop? It'll be my treat." Rarity says, offering Jaden.
"Haha, it'll be both your treats! Theirs, and Rarity's!" Spike tagged in as he joked.
Jaden smiled as she laughed at Spike. "Yes.. that would be nice.." She replied, nodding.
Rarity just smiled back, happy to distract her for now. "It's decided then!" She said... but, looked outside just now noticing the time. "Oh, dear.. we may not make it back in time."
It had gotten rather late ever since their started their gathering of gems, but now it was much later. The candy shop would be closing in the next hour, but it would take two hours to travel there.
Jaden stepped outside the cave, looking around the sky as she saw the sun in the distance. It had gotten late... but, she still wanted to stop by the shop, and the candy shop. It'd be nice to see them again.
The three wondered what to do, and all of them were coming up with different ideas to get there faster. Even with all the ideas, it wasn't enough to get there in time. It almost seemed hopeless.. until Spike looked to Jaden's wings.
"That's it!" He exclaimed as the other two just looked towards him. "Jaden, you're a bat pony! You could fly us there." He suggests next, gesturing towards her.
"Me?" Jaden said in surprise. "I-I.. don't know.. if I could carry both of you.." She said next, shyly looking down.
"Nonsense! I read that a bat pony's wings are as strong as an earth pony. Pegasus ponies have strong wings, but bat ponies need stronger wings for when you hunt at night!" He said next.
Jaden shook her head soon after, "That's another kind of bat pony... my kind isn't like that, and neither am I. I'm the smallest one in my colony.. or was.. and I could barely keep up with them."
Rarity looked to her wings, and her attitude towards flying couldn't help but remind her of Fluttershy. She just needed motivation. "Jaden!" She said, an idea coming to her.
" I think you can fly us over to Ponyville. With just me, and Spike, we should be easy enough to hold until we're over the Everfree forest. There, you can set us down, and we can walk to Ponyville and arrive just in time before the shop begins to close." She said, gesturing towards Spike next as she petted him. "Spikey-wikey is just a baby after all, and I am as light as a feather." She adds, afterword gesturing toward herself.
Spike didn't necessarily enjoy that Rarity was calling him a baby, but just pouted instead of speaking up against it. It helped that when she spoke about it though, she gave him a slight pet.
Jaden just stared at the two, still a bit worried. She was small, but she could carry them over the forest without much struggle. She'd have to be careful, but it was doable.
She gave a smile, and nodded. "Alright, we'll try."