Twilight Sparkle walked down the long hallway in her castle. Surrounded by the usual boring giant crystals, glittering and sparkling clean as usual. The castle's magic kept it like that. It would be a true pain to have to clean the enormous place.
Twilight's hooves on the crystal floor were the only sounds, echoing down the otherwise quiet hall. She stopped in front of a very familiar large door. It illuminated with her bright pink magic, and opened, revealing the throne room. She walked slowly over to the table, and looked at all the seats. They were cracked and the marks on them had faded, lost their glow of light.
She faced down at the map, over time it had changed. Cities and villages had grown, changing to the newer look of things. There were very few buildings in the old fashion now. But Canterlot Castle had not changed in the slightest. She imagined that Celestia was slumbering while Luna aided ponies in their nightmares.
But it seemed that Luna was too busy and could not help Twilight with her own nightmares.
Over the years, the population of Equestria had grown, especially since they had been more welcoming to other creatures. The last time Twilight had seen Luna, she looked exhausted from the amount of work she's been doing.
But over the many years, the alicorns did not change, they did not grow or age at all.
Twilight looked up above her. At the roots of the Golden Oak library decorated on her ceiling, she still remembered walking through that door and seeing it for the first time.
That was so many decades ago, but it felt like it was just yesterday.
On the roots hung memories, more had been added, and now they all clinked together like wind chimes because of how many there were. She flew up to see them closer, and saw Pinkie's welcome to Ponyville party.
She saw them befriending Discord, she saw their first calling from the map. She saw their last calling from the map. She saw Rarity and Spike's wedding day. She saw Spike holding a little baby dragon pony wrapped in blankets. She saw Rainbow kissing Fluttershy on the cheek. She saw Pinkie throwing a party with Cheese, both had gray streaks in their manes, but they still stayed as energetic as possible. She saw another one of Pinkie, throwing confetti over Applejack as she blew out her birthday cake candles shaped like the numbers 73. She saw Rainbow Dash retiring from the wonderbolts.
Twilight saw a picture of them, standing together for the last time. They all had grown old, their manes had grayened, their skin drooping, their knees weakened, but smiles were all planted on their faces. Twilight did not look a day old.
The photo had been taken three days before Rainbow Dash was sent to the hospital. She had an illness. They visited her often, but Rarity could no longer leave her home. After a while, Rarity did not see them as much. She couldn't walk well. Her daughter and husband offered the best help, but even they could not stop her death. Death of old age.
That is when it really, truly hit Twilight. Her friends were going to die. One had already died. She would live on without them. Twilight remembered them attending her funeral. All except rainbow, who was still in the hospital at the time. She remembered looking at her friends empty pale face. Her eyes closed, and a bouquet of flowers in her hooves. She remembered them all standing on stage, saying speeches about how great of a friend, a pony, Rarity was. Spike seemed especially devastated. He began to live in the castle again with Twilight, his daughter now an adult and living on her own.
She remembered visiting Rainbow for the last time, her raggedy breathing as she desperately clutched onto Fluttershy's hoof. She leaned up to her lover's ear, and whispered something into it. Fluttershy looked down, and nodded sadly.
The next day they both went missing. They were never seen again.
Twilight assumed they might have run away together, maybe found a cure for Rainbow. But even if they did, they were for sure dead by now, almost 15 years later.
But even after 15 years, Twilight still missed them. She swore she saw them wandering her halls, she saw them in her dreams, memories and memories playing on repeat. Seeing them again made her happy, but sad too.
Each night she had trouble falling asleep, and each night she went to visit a dear old friend, and faithful assistant.
She turned away from the room, closing the door behind her and sighing. She again, walked down the hall, but this time, instead of returning to her room, she turned a corner, and soon before her was a large wooden door. Stones surrounding it, in a way reminding her of old medieval times. She opened the door, and whispered softly.
"Spike?"
The large purple dragon, with spiky scales standing proudly along his body. He was lying down, one claw over another and his tail curled over to his right, on the end a green spike that looked like arrow. He opened his bright green eyes, and looked at Twilight. A gentle smile played across his face. Even with those razor sharp fangs, he was nowhere near intimidating.
The room was dark, but the slight illumination from the fireplace behind him gave his scales a fiery orange glow. Twilight walked over, and lay beside him. His tail wrapped around her comfortingly. He had grown and matured so much, it was hard to believe that he was younger than Twilight. She still remembered him being that silly baby dragon with a cute crush on Rarity.
What they had not realized, is that that simple little crush would become his wife many years later. When he was young, Rarity thought it was cute and played along with him at times. But when he got older, she still saw he was still in love with her, and it was much more than that. She found herself falling in love with him as well.
It seemed Spike could tell what she was thinking about. "Aaah, yes, I miss her too, Twilight."
He looked up at the ceiling, where a mural had been painted of Spike, Rarity, and their daughter, joyful expressions on their faces. An artist had been payed to paint that up there when Spike moved back in. They were all so young and happy together.
"I'm just glad I got to spend the time with her that I did. That she loved and cared for me as I did for her, you should be grateful Twilight. Celebrate her life, and for the others as well."
He leaned down, his large face nuzzling hers, and lifting her head up to look at him. "I miss them as much as you do. But we must move on eventually."
"You're right Spike. I shouldn't let this get to me so much... I-I'm doing this all wrong."
"But that is where you are wrong! We all grieve for them, I prefer to do it here silently, with the beautiful art of my family and the fireplace to warm my broken heart. I'm just glad my daughter has moved on and is just as successful as her mother. Maybe Luna cannot help you to deal with loss, she has never had any pony as close as Celestia. It is not a problem for her. You must do it yourself, but if you need support from someone who has felt the same pain, I am always here."
"Thank you Spike."
Twilight shut her eyes, and leaned against him. Feeling the warmth of the fire and his body, the only sound, the crackling of the fire. She herself getting drowsy, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Spike chuckled, and lay down his head to sleep beside his adoptive sister.
Outside in the darkness, Luna's stars scattered across the night sky. A slight Autumn breeze rustling the brightly colored leaves on the trees. On one larger tree outside the castle, were two mares lying on a tree branch together.
"We can't keep this a secret forever." Said the former pegasus. "She'll love to see we're alive and well."
"Well... I wouldn't say alive." Said the other mare.