"Hey... Spike."
A voice rings out in Spike's massive cave overseeing Ponyville, causing him to rouse from his slumber, his now large eyes slowly flickering open, pupils growing from slits to round. He slowly lifts his head, straining to due to his age, blinking fast to get used to being awake again, as he spends most of his time asleep the past few years.
"Oh... hey, Rarity."
Spike coughs, straining to sit up properly to greet one of his only friends these days. He gazes at the light gray mare, his vision so poor she's just a blob of colour.
"Oh, Spike, darling, don't bother yourself by sitting up!"
"No, no, I'm fine... Rarity..." He tries insisting, before feeling a small hoof on one of his scales, and he lays himself back down.
"Spike, don't hasten your body! You know Twilight says you have to rest your body... it's getting to old for you."
A tense, sombre silence falls between the two after Rarity's comment, as Spike starts to really think about his age. 6245...? No... 654-
"Anyway, Spike, Twilight and Sunset told me to bring you your dinner and accompany you tonight, as they've got an overload of royal duties to do. They should be back with you tomorrow morning." Rarity says, breaking the tense silence in their conversation, the first conversation they've had in awhile.
Since Spike lives in a cave now, it's hard for anycreature to come see him, especially with their own personal lives. Rarity removes her forehoof from one of Spike's scales, and uses her sparkling light cornflower blue magic from her horn to lift a large vegetable stew - with some gemstones mixed in - and lifting a large ladle into it, scooping some up.
"Open wide, Spike."
Spike's snout opens up wide, his sharp - and still white - teeth in full view as Rarity lifts the ladle into his snout, the vegetable and gemstone stew falling inside, then Spike's jaw snaps shut, appreciating one of his strongest senses - taste - as the flavour hits him. Was that turquoise?
Spike's stomach is now satisfied after eating, not even close to starving, as he now feels more energy to move around, maybe even sit up a little.
"Thanks, Rarity... y'know, for getting me some food. It's been ages since lunchtime!" Spike laughs as his voice booms throughout his cave overseeing Ponyville, finding his little joke very amusing.
Rarity softly laughs along with him, her laugh going unnoticed in the cave, as a forehoof pretty much instinctively at this point raises up in front of her muzzle as she laughs. "You're welcome, Spike. You know we all care for you."
"Yeah, I know... y'know, it is nice to see you again, Rarity... it's been awhile... even if my memory hasn't been... at its best lately." Spike sighs, his blurry gaze leaving hers as his tone turns a little solemn at the end of his sentence, really ashamed of his impaired memory.
Rarity places a forehoof on one of his claws, sensing the solemn tone in his voice as he mentions his amnesia. "Spike. It's okay... forgetfulness is part of... growing older! Everycreature experiences some sort of memory loss when they mature."
The comfort from Rarity kind of works, as Spike's downcast look brightens into a beholden smile as he looks back at Rarity, just seeing a colourful blob. "... Thanks, Rarity... Sorry for getting so... sad. It's just, kind of stressful, y'know...? Not being able to remember much on most days."
"Yeah... but, it's okay. You're okay. You'll be okay. You're still everycreature's Spikey-Wikey, even if you can't remember much these days. We all still love you."
Spike's smile grows even more content as Rarity comforts him. "... You girls always make me feel better when I'm upset... thank you."
Spike's snout opens wide as he yawns, clearly growing tired. He usually yawns way earlier into anycreature's visits, so this is a big shock to Rarity.
'Maybe he's getting better?' Rarity's thoughts echo in her mind, before she shakes them off. 'No. He can't, Rarity. He's only getting older.'
Spike curls up on his side, facing Rarity and the sunset outside of the cave entrance, now having Rarity face to face for the first time in forever, her figure clearer to him then it has been in a very long time. He can even see her wonderous moderate azure eyes, albeit a little blurred. "I'm feeling... a little tired. Can you... just, stay with me for awhile?"
"Of course, Spike. We can watch the sunset for awhile, if you'd like." Rarity moves her forehoof from one of his ginormous claws and then just lays against him, appreciating spending time with her not so little anymore dragon friend.
Feeling Rarity against him makes him feel even more comforted and at peace, lulling him further into sleep as the two are sat there in the cave, staring out its exit at Ponyville and the sunset, as Sunset Shimmer must be in Canterlot right now, lowering the sun so Twilight can raise the moon.
Spike's eyes slowly close, feeling warm, full, and comforted as he slowly falls into another deep slumber. This dinner will probably last him about a day or two, as it was just a small meal, so, just some company from Twilight and Sunset tomorrow would be nice, especially if they bring him a pancake or maybe even a fire ruby.
Rarity looks at his face, seeing him fall deeper and deeper into sleep as they bask in the warmth of the sunset, like a cosy blanket enveloping them like a massive hug.
The sun goes under the horizon, the warmth of the sunset vanishing into a humid summer's night as Rarity listens to Spike's loud snores, still never changing, even since he was a baby dragon. She stands up, and walks backwards, gazing at Spike's sleeping face in the now dim light of the cave the whole time, before grabbing the ladle and the bowl that had the gemstone and vegetable stew into her sparkling magic, and softly stepping out of the cave, and down the pathway that leads up to the cave overseeing Ponyville, and intending to get to her carousel boutique to bring back the large bowl and ladle.
'I need to get to Canterlot and tell Twilight.'
The train chugs as usual as it runs across the tracks, bumping up slightly in some places at the imperfections of the tracks. Rarity rests her cheek on her forehoof as the train runs up the tracks on the mountain of Canterlot, intending to speak to Twilight as soon as possible.
The train soon reaches the station, and many ponies get off, along with Rarity, walking through Canterlot, some going the same way as others, others going opposite from each other, but Rarity heads towards Canterlot Castle. As she reaches the gates to the castle, a guard smiles at her and lets her inside.
She dashes to the throne room, where she assumes either Twilight or Sunset or both would be, and runs past many guards who are quite surprised to see Rarity this late at night in Canterlot as she lives in Ponyville, let alone seeing her running.
She uses her light cornflower blue magic to open the throne room door, spotting Twilight and Sunset on their thrones, conversing with some nobles, before looking towards her, looking very surprised to see her in Canterlot.
"Rarity? I thought you were with Spike?" Twilight asks, standing from her throne and walking towards Rarity with a concerned look, Sunset tagging along behind her.
"Is everything okay?" Sunset quickly adds, now standing next to Twilight as they ask Rarity their questions.
"I... I'm worried about Spike. You see-"
"I think we should go somewhere more...private... for this." Sunset teleports herself, Twilight, and Rarity into her and Twilight's bedroom, looking at Rarity as she continues.
"He, well... he was much more... memorable when I was there. He was speaking really clearly... and we all know how he is with what's going on these days. And he was cold. His scales are colder than I've ever felt them. I'm worried."
A perturbed expression grows on both Sunset and Twilight's faces, more on Twilight's, though. "O-oh. Gosh... I've read about what happens to dragons at the near-end of life... I could make up a spell to give us more time and p-prevent it!"
Both Rarity and Sunset are pretty scared and worried about what Twilight just said, but not as much as Twilight.
"Twilight, c-chill. We can deal with this tomorrow, when we go see him." Sunset says as she wraps a foreleg around Twilight's neck, trying her best to comfort her. Spike is her son, after all. Who wouldn't be worried about their foal?
"... Yeah... o-okay." Twilight exhales, slowly nodding, silently worrying and being anxious about Spike's state. "Rarity... you can go home... thanks for telling us." Twilight says as Sunset leads her over to their shared bed.
Rarity stares out at the night sky as the train runs down the tracks towards Ponyville, resting her face against her forehoof as her foreleg rests against the window. The chugging of the train is a nice background noise as the train approaches the station.
The train halts at the station as anycreature gets out of the train, walking in their own directions, as some walk the same way, some walk another way. Rarity steps out of the train, just wanting to get into bed at this point.
As she walks down the path to the Carousel Boutique, her gaze flickers up to the cave that oversees Ponyville, knowing a certain dragon is sleeping soundly inside of it.