Spike sat and looked out of the window of the old boutique. The glass was still coated with frost from the chill winter air, which the fireplace behind him did its best to combat. The moonlight filtered down onto the streets of Ponyville through the thin clouds above, but there was little but the empty streets to illuminate.

Ponies were always indoors earlier during the winter months, sometimes even before the sun went down. Spike didn't mind much though. The view was perfect with the glimmering jewels of Canterlot and Cloudsdale far-off in the distance, although they were hard to spot without a trained eye or telescope. He didn't leave often either, even after Rarity had the doors modified to accommodate his increased size. He had all he needed inside, with her.

“Spike.” He could hear Rarity’s voice coming from the bedroom. It still sounded as sweet as the day they had first met. “Are you going to come to bed now? You know you can't stay up looking out there forever.”

Spike turned away from the window, catching a short glimpse of the vacant library far down the street, obscured by a few buildings. It wasn't but a few years ago that he could see it clearly down the road, bright and shimmering, sometimes into the wee hours of the morning. Twilight had not lost that quality with age. No one had really changed that much though, at least while they were around Spike.

Spike tried to hold back a sigh as he walked towards the door of Rarity's workroom. “I know, but I still like to look out and hope everypony else is looking back.” He placed another log into the fireplace before leaving the room, keeping the door ajar behind him.

“I'm sure they are, Spike, but you know we could move to Canterlot and you'd be able to see them up close more often. We still have the other house after all.”

Spike took his time getting to the bedroom, making sure that the other rooms were empty and that the lights were out. “You know I don't want to leave this place abandoned like the library. We have to stay.” He closed each of the doors along the way, and before long he arrived at the bedroom. It was a bit more spacious than when he'd arrived, like most of the rooms, but it wasn't going to be long before that extra work wouldn't be enough to let him stay.

“You can't hold onto it forever, Spike. We all have to move on sooner or later. You just have to keep your chin up and your chest out, no matter what happens.”

Spike walked around the room slowly, blowing the candles out one by one before he stood over the empty bed. Laying on its undisturbed covers was a silver locket with three gems around a dragon etched on its front. Spike picked it up delicately between his claws and opened the locket. Inside was a brilliant sapphire with an old photograph of Rarity underneath, and on the other side of the locket was Spike’s picture, covered by a ruby.

Spike closed the locket and clutched it in his claws as he crawled to the foot of the bed and curled up on the floor. He sighed as he felt the warmth of the fireplace drifting slowly into the room, soothing the bitter pain in his chest as he read the inscription on the back of the locket:

Spike,

For when I, or you, go.

Love always,
Rarity