Page 1044 — Unheeded Oracle
As a DM, NPC companions are great if you want a direct line to your party members' ears so you can inject things like "hunches" and "common sense" and "no, that will get you all arrested/killed" into the conversation without being too obvious.
Transcript:Twilight Sparkle: Wellllllll… Umm… Spike, what do you think?
Spike: Why the heck are you asking me?
Applejack: She's not-so-subtly asking for the patented ol' "DM nudge in the right direction."
Spike: Oh. Well, I mean, where would you start? Any one of these would be apocalyptic mayhem on its own. Except maybe the popcorn. I dunno. If this is really happening everywhere, I think this might be bigger than Ponyville. Bigger than us.
Twilight Sparkle: That's your advice?! Just give up and leave??
Spike: I'm saying maybe this won't stop until we find the source.
Rarity: I, for one, cannot in good conscience leave these ponies to stink in rotten milk puddles. Let's see what can be done before we head out.
Twilight Sparkle: My thoughts… more or less exactly.
Spike: Glad I could help…?