After high school ended, Spike retreated into isolation. Over the years, he'd seen the others less and less as time went by: including Twilight. Most of the people he knew left town after graduation, leaving the dragon with only his thoughts and his strength to guide his way. Of course, he still had his mother and father, and he was grateful for their presence, but somehow, it felt as though an important piece of his life had disappeared. One question remained now that haunted him daily.
...Why was he alive...?
Spike awoke early one mid-August morning to find his throat exceptionally dry. He assumed the humidity combined with his breath were the culprits. He slowly arose from his place of slumber, stretching his limbs to ease the stiffness of the night before.
"I can't wait until summer's over. This is ridiculous."
He opened the door to the room he once shared with his sister, exiting its confines and heading toward the kitchen.
"Mom and dad must still be asleep."
The dragon retrieved a cup, filling it to the rim with fresh orange juice.
"Hopefully they'll wake up soon..."
He stared blankly at the beverage until he noticed a wet sensation creep down his cheeks. Tears had begun streaming down his face with no conscious effort on his part. He quickly wiped them away.
"Crap. I really gotta pull myself together..."
He returned to his room until it was time for breakfast.
The years of training with Shining made Spike powerful beyond measure. His physical and magical prowess far exceeded that of even the most adept unicorns. The only ones who could stand against him now were Celestia, Luna, Cadence, and...Her...Even still, without combining their abilities, taking him head-on would prove an insurmountable obstacle. Fortunately, he had no interest in causing any of them problems. Still, it felt odd possessing such resolve with no reason to use it. Better to have it and not need it, he supposed. It was during this process of continuous development that a familiar force made herself known...
"Just as much a force of nature as I remember."
Spike felt a jolt surge through his body, as though the voice had shocked him into wakefulness for the first time in centuries. He turned back to find his sister gazing into his soul.
"Twilight...!?"
"You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Is it really you...!?"
The Alicorn's eyes softened. She wondered how much suffering her brother had endured to elicit such a powerful response.
"You look tired. You should take a break."
"Y...Yeah..."
Spike and Twilight rested on an old trunk not far from their house. They shared a sobering moment of silence, using their time to collect their thoughts.
"How long has it been?" Twilight wondered.
"Five years..."
The Alicorn looked away, directing her attention forward.
"Too long..."
In truth, it felt even longer. Since their last reunion, Twilight had given birth to a son. Unsure what to say, Spike asked about her home life.
"How are Flash and Nova doing?"
"You know boys. They're an energetic bunch."
Spike chuckled. He couldn't explain why, but he felt nervous speaking so freely after such prolonged silence.
"How are mom and dad?" his sibling asked in kind.
"Still kicking. Dad finally got his pension from the city, so...I guess I don't have to worry about looking for a job for a while...Not that I really needed one to get by..."
"I haven't heard much from Rarity lately. Do you know how she's doing?"
"Everyone's fine. She's just been busy with work and family stuff, so..."
"I guess I should ask the real question now...What happened to you...?"
Spike sighed. There was no point trying to hide it. He broke down, telling his sister everything that had been on his mind.
"Exactly what I expected. We grew older and drifted apart. Big surprise I was the one left behind..."
Twilight looked up at the sky, lamenting her brother's pain.
"I should've never left you here alone."
"It wasn't your fault. You had your own life to live. It's not like Rarity could wait on some punk kid forever, anyway..."
"I could've at least taken you with me - given you something beyond this. The level of isolation here would drive anyone crazy eventually."
"I was stronger for it in the end..."
"You don't need to suffer to build character. Acting as nothing more than a zombified observer isn't a life. It is Hell on Earth. Very few people have lived to tell of the feelings you're describing. It's a miracle you survived this long."
"I know you gave me the best life you could. I just miss hanging out with you guys and being a kid, ya know? There's nothing left of that life anymore..."
Twilight slid off the log, turning to her brother with a reassuring glare.
"Then let me help you build a new life: one where everybody knows your name...One where they care..."
Spike's eyes shot open. The drowsiness of morning vanished in an instant.
"What do you mean?"
"You and I will travel the world, hand-in-hoof. We'll meet new people and try new things. We'll find new purpose in the decayed husk of our foregone existence."
The dragon scoffed, convinced this was a stunt to try to make him feel better.
"Yeah, right. You make it sound so easy. You can't just leave Nova and Flash behind."
"Things have changed a lot since you were little. Communication is easier now than it was before."
"You mean to tell me you had this all planned?"
"I had an idea something like this might happen. I always come prepared for a fight - especially when it comes to family."
"You're scary sometimes, ya know that?"
"Come on. Let's go see mom and dad so you can pack before we head out. It's time for a major change in operation."
Velvet and Night Light were overjoyed to see their daughter again. Upon explaining the situation, they were completely baffled. Neither of them had any idea what their youngest son was going through all this time.
"Why didn't you tell us," Velvet questioned, "If we'd known, we would've done everything we could to help."
"I didn't want to burden you," Spike revealed, "You guys didn't deserve that. My problems are mine. It's up to me to fix 'em."
"Initiative is great, but you can only handle so much alone."
"That's why I'm here," Twilight intervened, "There's a hole in our lives we're having trouble filling, so we'll push ourselves to the absolute limit if that's what it takes to make things right."
"If that's what you feel is best, we'll support you how we can."
"Don't worry about us. I'm sure you guys wouldn't mind some peace and quiet for a while, though I guess things were pretty mellow already."
A clear expression of worry overcame the elder mare.
"Please be careful. It's a dangerous world out there. I don't want you getting overconfident and ending up in a gutter."
"If there's one thing Shining taught us, it's how to stay on guard."
"We love you...Very much."
"We love you guys, too..."
The family joined together for one final hug. They made it last as long as they possibly could, separating only to say goodbye...