When the Friendship Express dropped them off at a station near the Smokey Mountains, the Mane Six and Spike took their gear and headed towards the mountain range.
Twilight said, “Now remember, girls. We best look for clues that will lead us to the dragon’s whereabouts. It could be anything. A scale, a piece of stone, or-“
Spike pointed to the ground while impassively saying, “Or giant footprints on the ground?”
The Mane Six all looked down to see large footprints that seemed to belong to a dragon.
Twilight nervously chuckled, “Yes. That, too. Come on, girls. Let’s find that dragon.”
The Mane Six and Spike marched onward. Rainbow Dash flew quietly while acting as lookout.
Suddenly, she saw something and whispered, “I see it! Over those rocks!”
The group quietly scurried to a rock and slowly looked over it. They gasped at the sight of the stone dragon. The chick munched on small rocks and chunks of rock.
Fluttershy cooed, “Aww, it’s harmless.”
Pinkie was about to creep forward until Twilight warned, “Pinkie, don’t you dare.”
The pink pony whispered, “But I really want to-”
“No! You’ll scare it off!”
Rainbow Dash added, “Or worse, make it mad!”
Just then, the dragon chick swept its tail along the ground and created a cloud of dust. It hovered to Spike and he was beginning to sneeze.
Twilight cried in a soft voice, “Spike, no!”
Applejack and Rarity held Spike’s nose and it stopped him from sneezing. The ponies pulled back as Spike said, “Thanks, girls. I think I’m okay now. Ah-choo!”
This alarmed the dragon and its head turned in the group’s direction.
Rainbow Dash muttered, “We’re in for it now.”
But to their surprise, the chick ran off in fright.
Twilight said as the ponies gave chase, “Quick! After it!”
Fluttershy said, “Be careful with it!”
They all ran until they came to a cave. Rainbow Dash punched her hooves together and said, “We’ve got it cornered now!” But before she could go in, her tail was pulled back by Applejack. She angrily said, “Hey, what’s the big idea?”
Applejack let go of her tail and explained, “We don’t know what this varmint might do! Hay, we don’t even know how harmless it is!”
Fluttershy admonished her, “Applejack, it’s just a baby! I’m sure it won’t hurt anybody!”
Twilight said, “Both of you may be right, but we don’t know for sure. Somepony has to go in there.”
Spike raised his claw, “I’ll go. I’m the closest it has to its kind.”
The ponies all looked at each other before nodding. Twilight then said to Spike, “All right, Spike, but be careful.”
“I will, Twi.”
Even though a hint of fear began to grow within him, Spike walked into the cave. In the darkness, he could barely see the chick’s large, stony form. His heart broke a bit when he heard it whimpering.
He walked up to it and softly said, “H-hi.” He jumped for a bit when the dragon looked at him. “Easy, easy. I’m not going to hurt you.”
When he looked at its blue gemstone eyes, he felt awed by them. They were so beautiful that he forgot to fear the chick.
When the dragon licked Spike, he asked, “You’re not gonna eat me, are you?” The chick then nuzzled its head against Spike’s body. Spike rubbed its head and chuckled, “Aww…You’re not so bad after all. Wanna go back to the rock farm with us? There’s lots of rocks and the ponies there are nice. Whaddya say?”
The chick nodded and made a sound that was much like a “yes”.
When Spike emerged from the cave, the ponies asked, “What happened? Is it okay? Are you all right?”
Spike said, “Girls, girls, the dragon chick is fine. And I think that it’s a girl.”
The ponies were amazed to hear that. Twilight asked, “Really? How did you know?”
Spike shrugged, “I just did.”
A voice said behind them, “Well, in that case, thank you for leading us right to her.”
The ponies and Spike turned to see Flim and Flam, a most-despised duo of salesponies.
Applejack said, “What the hay are you two doing here?”
Flam answered, “Why, we’re here to fetch our dragon, of course.”
Flim said, “She’s gonna make a lot of profits for us.”
Spike spread his arms to block the brothers and said, “Nuh-uh! There’s no way she’s going with you!”
Flim said, “Now, now. Let’s not be too hasty. Be a good gentledragon and step aside.”
“No!”
Flam said, “Well, brother. Looks like we have to do this the hard way.”
He used his magic to lift Spike off the ground, but as soon as he did so, a spurt of lava hit the ground before the twin ponies.
Flam lowered Spike to the ground as Flim nervously tittered, “On second thought, let’s just forget this whole business.”
Flam added as he and his brother slowly backed away, “We’ll just be on our way.”
The brothers both said as they dashed off, “See ya!”
After the ponies saw the brothers pushing their cart away in frenzy, the dragon chick emerged from the cave. The ponies’ fears were alleviated when Spike stroked his claw on her head and said, “That was awesome, Gem!”
The girls asked, “Gem?”
“I came up with that name just now. I like how pretty her eyes are.”
Rarity agreed, “Ooh…They are shiny and gorgeous, especially on Gem.”
The ponies then surrounded Gem and bonded with her.