3rd Sapphire Cupcake: [Video / Action for Cianwood]

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[The feed clicks on to Spike looking cheerful but a little dubious. He's sitting on an already made-bed, surrounded by four large eggs. Luckily his Trapinch is off destroying something else in another room, and his Pineco seemed content to stay sleeping on the window sill.]

Hi, it's Spike here, your friendly neighbourhood dragon.

So, everypony is out working or training right now, and I'm stuck here looking after these eggs.

[Yep, Spike may have gone a little overboard with his egg collecting. So being back at the inn 'egg-sitting' is his own fault really.]

Does anypony know exactly how to look after these guys? [He rubs an imaginary dirt mark off one with the edge of the blanket]

I mean, I'm not supposed to sit on them or anything, right? Coz that would be way too weird.... And Fluttershy went home before I came, so I can't ask her.

[He looks a little concerned now]

If anypony can give me any advice on what I'm supposed to do to hatch eggs, that would be great.

Comments

[artofthestress]

[ Rarity watches all the answers to Spike's post and quietly takes notes. Some time later she wanders into Spike's room. ]

Well, Spike, you've certainly made a good deal of progress. You're becoming quite the little father!

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Having taken down a lot of notes about how to care for his eggs, Spike has now wrapped them all up in blankets from the bed, and is lounging around peeking at them every so often to make sure they're okay. He jumps, embarrassed when Rarity comes in, and tries to make it look like he totally wasn't watching his eggs.]

Father? Wait, no no no! I'm way too young to be a father! I'm just looking after them until they hatch! You know, like Fluttershy does with all her animals! I wouldn't even know how to be be a father! [Spike is frantically waving his hands in front of him, and talking really fast.]

I mean, that's not to say I wouldn't be a good father, it's just...um...

[artofthestress]

Well, you are the one hatching them. If "father" makes you uncomfortable, perhaps you're their... sitter!

Or, you know, Twilight hatched you from an egg, so they could be your assistants. I'm starting to think along similar lines myself.

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Spike blinks]

Assistant?

[A beat]

I could have my own assistants? Assistants to the Number One Assistant. Yeah...yeah! That would be pretty cool! Spike and his six assistants!

[A crash from next door and Spike winces]

Er...make that five assistants and a house destroyer.

How are your eggs Rarity? Do you know what's in them?

[artofthestress]

[ She winces at the crash. ] Maybe you should get him out of the house for a while. Sweetie Belle can be a little terror in Carousel Boutique, and that's when I'll send her to play in the treehouse with her Crusader friends.

But of course I know! I am an educated buyer, after all! Must make the perfect litter of eggs. Clutch of eggs? Flock of eggs? Hmm.

Well, anyway! There's a... [ she pulls out a notebook of her own ] "glah-meow" and a "hoppip".

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Spike looks over at Pinchy, who just marched through the door and is now sitting and staring at him. It was really unnerving.]

Um...I'm not so sure that's a good idea. Last time I took him outside he took out half the pokemon population in Cianwood. And boy, didn't I hear about that from Nurse Joy...

I think it's a clutch of eggs? I think I remember reading that in one of Twilight's books that Fluttershy asked to borrow.

[Spike is really not surprised when he hears the first one]

Seriously, a Glameow? Trust you to pick a pokemon with that kind of name, Rarity!

Don't tell me you're going to call it Opal?

[artofthestress]

Well, I... yes. I do so miss the Boutique! ... And Fluttershy, as well. I was told that she was here just before I arrived.

We could try a Pokemon playdate! Maybe they just need to let out their extra energy somehow.

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Spike is a little at a loss as to what to say...so far he's not missing home too much because all his friends are here...well, except Fluttershy. He does miss Fluttershy. He tries to sound positive.]

Uh...well...it's like an adventure though, right?

[Spike looks back towards his unruly pokemon]

Er...maybe it could work...

[He's not sounding convinced]

[artofthestress]

[ She snorts. ] An adventure with wild beasts and hardly a square of fabric in sight! [ Then her voice softens. ] And... with good friends, too.

Bell might enjoy the company. As long as you keep her away from Pinchy's claws!

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Spike brightens]

Yeah, see? It'll be fun! I mean, I know raising animals is more Fluttershy's thing, but it'll be interesting! I bet Twilight's been having a ball and already has a billion notebooks...which I'll probably have to carry [sigh]

[Spike shakes his head emphatically]

I'll make sure Pinchy doesn't hurt her! But she might be okay with Acorn? She's not as...touchy.

[artofthestress]

There's a certain art to breeding, isn't there? I've started a notebook myself. It's not quite like fashion designing, but it gives me something to do, at least! And if we pool all of our resources, we could create some truly fabulous clutches, I expect.

Is Acorn a little more fluffy, perhaps? Or, at least, possessing of fewer claws?

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Spike hadn't really association breeding with fashion, but this was Rarity. Spike knew she could associate fashion with anything.]

Fluffy...yeah that's not how I'd describe her.

[He points at his Pineco sitting on the windowsill]

That's her. Hey, Acorn, you wanna come say hi to Rarity? She's a really nice pony.

[Acorn just gives him a cool look. He sighs.]

Pretty please?

[Still looking unimpressed, Acorn rolls her eyes. Whatever. She bounces off the windowsill and over on to the bed, giving Spike a 'you owe me' look.]

[artofthestress]

[ Rarity pulls out a Pokeball and lets Bell out, who yawns and bounces up to Acorn. The two eye each other warily. ]

Well, they're not fighting just yet. That's a good sign.

Sorry this was so late!

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Spike watches the pair warily, more concerned for Bell's welfare than anything else. At least Acorn was only touchy when it came to Pinchy, but that was totally understandable.]

Co.

Pine co co.

[Spike blinks. Well at least Acorn actually said hello, even if it was in a nonchalant voice. He breathes a sigh of relief]

Looking good so far...

You are forgiven for reasons of Spike tags being great. <3

[artofthestress]

Lililililililililil!

[ The Petilil trills and bounces away, looking back to see if Acorn will follow. Rarity winces. ]

She does that. Her name lends itself to singing, sometimes.

[ The two seem to be getting along all right. Rarity looks in her notebook. ] I wonder if they can breed... Bell is a grass type, is Acorn? He doesn't look like one...

[rather_eat_turquoise]

[Acorn rolls her eyes at the trilling. She's not exactly thrilled that she has to play nice with a singing pokemon.

...at least the Petilil was better than that stupid Trapinch though! Acorn, shooting Spike another 'look', bounces after the too-happy Petilil.]

That's pretty neat! All mine do are bite and fight. [Spike sighs]

I don't know? Acorn is a bug type. I think I read something in the Breeders Manual about which pokemon can breed. Because Twilight made me stay up and read the entire book in one night, can you believe it?

Hang on.

[Spike reaches over and rummages under the bed, before bringing up the handbook.]

Let's see....breeding types...breeding...types...

[A moment while Spike skims the chapter list.]

Found it! [He flips to the page, and runs his finger through one of the paragraphs.

No...doesn't look like it. Apparently pokemon can only breed with other pokemon who are the same 'egg type'.

[artofthestress]

[ Rarity peers over Spike's shoulder. ] This is complicated. It has all sorts of possible applications in the business world, though, I expect. [ Rarity: always thinking practically if she can help it. And isn't going full tilt drama queen. ]

Cadance is a breeder too. We should figure out what sorts of Pokemon the three of us could breed! All we'll need is some of Twilight's skills with flowcharts!