The windows in the Library of Twilight’s Castle had one of the best views of Ponyville. Spike had learned every little detail of the landscape outside the window he was sitting at. Closest to the side was the now quiet Friendship School, for which most of its students have returned to their families for Hearth’s Warming. Dotted in the center was the biggest small town in Equestria: Ponyville. Multicolored lights and decorations lined the streets where fillies and colts were surely playing. Their parents were doing their best to secretly wrap gifts and prep large mugs of cocoa. Even a gentle snowfall added the perfect touch to the landscape of peace, in a world where even the bad guys take a few nights to rest for the holiday.
This Hearth’s Warming Eve was quiet, serene, and gentle in it’s beauty.
But a lump sat in Spike’s throat. He didn’t want to be a drag on the night’s festivities. Cheese and Pinkie likely had all sorts of party games for Flurry and all of the other younger ponies downstairs. Something was different this year. And he couldn’t figure out what. It nagged at the back of his brain as if he knew he forgot something; Except he didn’t know what he had forgotten.
He was shocked when the door to the library glinted off the window, revealing his reflection in the glass. The tall, muscular, handsome figure in front of him was still foreign to him.
“There you are, dude,” Shining Armor said, stepping into the Library. “I was looking everywhere for you.”
Shining’s hair had several streaks of grey invading his dark blue mane. He couldn’t help but stare at them, like a small speck of green paint on a brand new canvas. Spike paused for a moment, put on the backfoot by the turn of events.
“Really?” he asked.
“Well, duh,” Shining said. “I mean. I love my sister and her friends. But sometimes it’s nice to get away from the girls and just have some bro-time. You know?”
Spike gave a gentle chuckle and felt silly that it could have been for anything else.
“Yeah, the guards aren’t exactly great company. Did you try the thing where you put the whoopee cushions in their hoof armor?”
“I did, but of course they found it first and put them in mine,” Shining answered with a sigh. “The fun police are in full force in the Crystal Empire.”
“Such is life,” Spike said, crossing the floor to him. “Well, should we head down?”
“Do you?” Shining asked. “After all, you’re…”
Shining took a hoof to wave across the library. Spike hummed in understanding, looking back at the room around him; A room full of knowledge with no answers.
“Are you okay?” Shining asked. “I’ll have you know that I am a world class listener.”
Spike looked from Shining to the floor. His brow furrowed and his mouth opened and closed, as if trying to summon words.
“I’m not sad or anything like that. It’s hard to explain, really. Even I’m not really sure what it is.”
Shining moved to a comfortable looking chair by one of the windows.
“Is this one of those, ‘I need to get some cider first’ conversations?” Shining asked, his voice steeped with genuine concern.
“Oh no!” Spike exclaimed. “Nothing like that. I guess the only way I can describe it is.. I feel old.”
Shining let loose a deep, involuntary laugh.
“Buddy. Try having a sister and wife that have a multi-century lifespan,” he said to the tall dragon. “You’re lucky you still have a few centuries to go.”
“No, not like that,” Spike interjected, feeling like he tripped on his words. He started again, but his tongue tied itself, further flustering him. He shook his head, made a bleh sound to untie his tongue, and started again.
“It’s just that, things feel different this year. This holiday feels different. I can’t put my claw on it. And I can’t figure out when it exactly began to change either. It feels like one day, I was this baby dragon that helped Twilight with her books. Then I had wings. And somehow I became an adult.”
Spike waved his arms and stepped closer to Shining.
“And it’s not like I wasn’t responsible or an adult before. I mean I saved the Crystal Empire.”
“Multiple times,” Shining interjected.
“With a gem gut!” Spike added.
“Ehh. Not that much of a gut.”
Spike scoffed.
“Enough of one. But that’s not the point. The point is…”
Spike crossed the floor and sat in a chair beside Shining. He put his head in his hands, trying to express himself.
“Do you remember when we got the bean bag for Hearth’s Warming?” Spike asked Shining.
“Do I?” Shining asked rhetorically. “We asked Mom and Dad for bean bags for months! Twilight was always busy studying. And I was never really the student type. So we’d hang out and play games. Heck. We’d stay up so late watching movies that we slept in that thing once a week.”
“Yeah, and do you remember what it was like when we got it? Because I do. It felt like magic. It felt like the sky had opened and Celestia had delivered the Bean Bag herself. There was only one, but it didn’t matter. We’d share.”
“It was pretty darn awesome,” Shining smiled wistfully.
“It was,” Spike said. “And it sort of just feels like… That sort of magic isn’t going to happen again. Like, now that we're adults.”
“Ap Ap Ap!” Shining interjected, waving a hoof.
Spike shook his head.
“Adults” Spike said, emphasizing the word sarcastically.
“Thank you,” Shining said. “Somepony has to keep us young around here.”
“Well, while you’re over there being young,” Spike said jokingly. “Any thoughts on my existential crisis?”
Shining leaned back in his chair and hummed to himself.
“You know what I think is awesome about those moments?” he asked, waiting for Spike to respond. When he didn't, he continued. “The magic of those moments are always special. And while they may not seem special for somepony else, they always represent something truly special for you. And if every single moment in life were just as special, just as magical… wouldn’t that kind of take away from the parts that make those memories so special?”
Spike tilted his head in a nod, but didn’t seem fully in agreement.
“So, for me, it’s about thinking about all of the magic that’s been in my life so far. And being excited for all the magic still to come. I mean, when I was in my teens, I would have never thought of the magic that was still to come when I married Cadance. Or when I saw Flurry for the first time.”
Spike’s nod became more firm and Shining leaned forward towards the dragon.
“I may just be an old stallion. But there’s a lot of magic still to come, bro. Maybe this year isn’t quite as special or feels weird. However, sometimes that magic hits ya when you expect it the least.”
Spike smiled and nodded, relaxing in his seat.
“I needed that pep talk, Shining. Thank you.”
Shining raised his hoof.
“Brother from a dragon mother,” he said. “Is that still appropriate?”
The two of them laughed and Shining stood up.
“Well, they’re probably getting ready to start the gift exchange.”
“I guess you’re right,” Spike sat up. “I got Applejack this year. Man. Shopping for her is tough. For some reason I kept thinking I’d just get her… well. Apples. But it didn’t seem right so I got her some really nice rope to practice lasso with. Who’d you get?”
Shining smiled and playfully bumped Spike on his way to the door.
“Well, let’s just save a little of the nostalgia magic for when we get down there, huh?”
Spike stood in place for a moment, trying to decipher Shining’s little hint. Then it hit him. And he felt both a little dumb, but also just like a baby dragon.
“No way!” Spike said, jogging to catch up with him as he left the library with Shining Armor, both of them having a peppy, youthful spring in their step.
