There comes a time in a dragon's life when he must make a tough decision. And for Spike, this decision was amplified ten-fold. He had spent his whole life living in Ponyville with his friends, although he considered them more as family than anything else. Every one of them had played a role in the shaping of his life, right down to the very first moments after he emerged from his egg.
Applejack was his voice of reason, Pinkie Pie was his sense of happiness, Rainbow Dash was his sense for adventure, Fluttershy was his genuine care for others, Rarity was the deep-seated generosity from within the bottom of his heart. And Twilight Sparkle was his mother and protector. All of them had done so much to make him the dragon he was, and that was what made the decision that loomed before him so tough to manage.
Dragons don't naturally live among ponies. But in his adventures into the rocky heart of the Dragon Lands, he learned much about dragon culture, and even played a part in bringing the once-lost idea of friendship back to their culture. But one thing he hadn't learned when he was much younger was the importance of keeping community with other dragons. Dragons don't age in the same way as other creatures. There were two ways a dragon could survive and thrive: either they could amass wealth and consequently greed, or they could build up the wealth of community and togetherness. Spike had experienced the former before, and vowed never to let his dragon's greed get the better of him. He had Rarity to thank for that.
If he chose to stay in Ponyville with his friends, he would never become a real dragon. He would remain small, insignificant, wingless. Forever. But if he chose to leave Ponyville and join the other dragons in the lands far off from Equestria, he would be leaving behind the friendships that shaped him to be who he was. The friendships that he cherished and grew up with. Neither option seemed like the right choice.
He loved his friends, but the thought of never becoming a real dragon began to sink in as the years swept by. He watched the ponies around him grow older, all while he remained exactly the same as he'd always been. He watched Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle grow up to become young adults, traveling around Equestria to help younger ponies find their true callings in life. He missed the days when he could always play with them.
Twilight Sparkle grew in her role as the Princess of Friendship and moved into Canterlot along with Rarity. They had all remained a close-knit group, of course, but their connections were further spread, and the time they spent together was further and farther between. All the while, Spike remained the dragon he had always been.
"Twilight," Spike said waveringly as his claws clacked against the floors of the castle.
"Yes, Spike?" Twilight answered as she sipped from a cup of her tea and set it down on the table in front of her.
"I have something kind of important to tell you," he continued, twiddling with his claws and looking downwards.
Twilight frowned and a look of worry appeared on her face. "What is it, Spike?"
"Well," he sighed, "I think it's time that I...move out."
Twilight frowned again and took a deep sigh. "I know," she replied.
Spike looked up at her in slight confusion. "What?"
"I know," Twilight repeated. "I've always dreaded this time. I knew that eventually it would come, but..." her voice trailed off. "I just never could figure out how to think about it...so I didn't."
"So...even after all these years...just like that?"
Twilight sighed. "Just like that."
A silence permeated through the room for several seconds as they both looked down in contemplation.
"I have to do this," Spike said un-waveringly, but that's not the way it came across. The truth was that he had no idea what he was doing. He had spent his entire life being shaped by his friends and enjoying their company, and now he was about to leave all of that behind. But he did know what had to be done.
Twilight nodded her head and replied with a soft 'okay', trying her best to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes. The truth was that she knew this day had been coming. She had spent her entire life caring for and protecting her best friend and little brother, and now she was about to lose all of that and be forced to remember it only in her memories. But she knew what had to be done.
Twilight wiped the tears from her eyes. "Visit when you can?"
"Absolutely," Spike said softly. "I'll send you letters every chance I get."
Twilight's mouth curved ever so slightly upwards to form a small smile as her baby dragon walked slowly over towards her on the floor, his claws clacking loudly. He hugged her tightly and she put a hoof around his small, scaly body. The next time she'd see him, he'd probably be several times larger; not the cute, scaly dragon he'd always been. But he would still be Spike, and that's what mattered.
Spike wrapped his arms more tightly around Twilight, wanting to fully immerse himself into this last embrace. It would be a long time until he'd see her again. The next time he saw her, he would be looking down on her instead of the other way around. He would be tougher, spikier, and he might even have wings. He'd grown so used to his small dragon body that the thought of being anything different honestly worried him. But, he would still be himself on the inside, and that's what really mattered.
The embrace ended after what seemed like an eternity, leaving both of them with tears streaming down their cheeks.
He looked up at her. "Goodbye, Twilight."
Twilight looked down into his eyes. She could see the pain within them, but she could see it wasn't his pain that he was feeling. It was hers. The only thing that hurt Spike more than leaving everypony behind and beginning a new life in the Dragon Lands was something else. It was the heartbreak he knew he would cause to them. That's what mattered to him most, and that was why this decision was the toughest one he'd ever had to make.
Twilight saw this, and opened her mouth to say her goodbye. "Spike, I know this is tough for you, but I wan't you to know that I think this is something you should do. I'm so proud of you, Spike."
Spike felt a surge of emotion travel through his spine and he threw himself around her once more for one last embrace. It was exactly what he needed to hear. Twilight had always always known exactly what to say in the most difficult situations. She had always been his protector and source of guidance, and it was only now that he would be putting that to use on his own out in the world.
He hugged her tightly once more, and headed out the door into the next chapter of his life. Every dragon has his day, but for Spike, it had felt like a lifetime.
