"Oh hey Rarity!" Spike chirped brightly as he opened the door. "How are you doing? You seem..."
He paused, examining the blank expression on his favorite unicorn.
"...actually pretty out of it, for some reason. Did something happen?"
"Maybe..." Rarity replied vaguely. "Is Twilight available?"
"Um... yeah, she's in the second library chamber."
"Thank you, Spike." Rarity smiled at him... then tilted her head. "Ah... Spike?"
"Yes?"
"...how old did you say you were?"
"Huh." Spike tapped his fingers. "Well, Twilight was six when she hatched me, and she's twenty-twoish now, so... sixteen, I guess?" He shrugged. "Dunno how long I was in that egg, though."
"Egg. Right." Rarity's smile widened just a bit, though it didn't seem to grow any happier. "I'll... I'll just go talk to Twilight, then, shall I?"
"I guess? What did you come here to talk about?"
"Oh, just--just a bit of legal confusion, is all!" Rarity chuckled nervously. "I figured she might be able to explain some particularly, ahem, obscure bits of the law to me."
"Actually, I'm well educated on the legal system myself." Spike stepped aside, walking toward one of the doors and gesturing for her to follow. "I'm pretty sure I can clear up whatever it is that has you confused."
Rarity walked after him, chuckling nervously. "You've studied equestrian law?"
"Well, not officially," Spike admitted. "But when Princess Celestia is your unofficial grandmother, you tend to pick these things up. And since Twilight's ascension, she's made it her personal duty to fill up a room with references." He opened the door with a shrug. "She's actually rather frustrated that most legal schools only have ten books on their official syllabus. 'Barely even fills a shelf!' Still, she managed to get a solid bookcase full."
"Really?"
"Yep. Took her three months, four out-of country orders, a top-secret raid, seven pinkie-promises, and a quarter of her life's savings. But here it is!" Spike gestured grandly to the shelf in front of him. "All fifty books on all sorts of laws from all sorts of places, organized and labeled by type and region."
Rarity grinned. "This is perfect! I can just read up on... some things, and I don't have to bother anyone!" She reached a hoof out to the shelf... then she paused, giving Spike an awkward smile. "Ah... how do these labels work?"
"Oh. The blue ones are military law, the pink ones are domestic. Town-ship laws are... violet, I think. National laws are white--"
"I'm, ah... actually looking for laws relating to... well, what qualifies as marriage."
Spike blinked. "Wait... really?"
"Yes, it's a funny story actually. Fluttershy and I were in the spa, and Lotus mentioned that Applejack had asked Rainbow Dash out on a date, and, well, we became rather curious as to whether their relationship could go anywhere, seeing as..." Rarity rolled her hoof with a vague smile.
Spike's spines drooped. "...oh."
"Not that I'm saying it's wrong or anything," the unicorn continued obliviously. "I just... the idea is just so new to me! I always thought it was princes and princesses all the way down, and I've always acted accordingly, and now there's...." She tittered, her eyes darting about. "I just want to know what the legal position is, you understand. What society expects, as it were."
It's well known that fate can be easily tempted. Ask what could go wrong, she'll eagerly show you. Wonder how things could get any worse, and she'll giggle as she sets up an avalanche. Proclaim a plan to be foolproof, and she'll ramp up the ingenuity of fools just for giggles. Bring up the time she dated Discord, and she'll sigh and start rambling on about how shallow he was and how he never put any real thought into his chaos beyond what was needed and anyway it was just a week-long fling and how could she have known how he'd react to being dumped, Celestia, it's not fate's fault he decided to torment ponies!
What's less well known, though, is how fate isn't always tempted by the obvious. She's a crafty one, that fate. Sometimes, a pony will trip in front of another for no seeming reason, and two years later they'll be expecting a foal. Sometimes, a little accident here will lead to a budget cut there and before you know it, you've been reassigned to a foreign town. Sometimes she'll sneak into destiny's apartment while he's high on whatever drug of the week, rewrite a few prophecies, then run away cackling when he starts yelling about violating artistic visions.
And here, fate snuck into a frozen second, leaned down to Spike's ear, and whispered 'hey, maybe she could love you. if it weren't for those preconceptions of hers, she'd be a lot more open, ya'know?'
As an afterthought, she flicked the part of his brain that controlled his dragon greed. Morals were nice and all, but a little temptation here and there could only provide motivation.
Spike blinked for a moment, shaking his head, and reached out a claw to a very specific book. "Actually, it's all spelled out right here. Hold on, chapter three, regarding family structures--ah! 'So long as all partners share property and responsibility equally and willingly, thou shalt consider any officially wed group to be part of a herd, be it two of opposite gender, four of the same, or even three of different race.' So yeah, anyone can marry anyone if they agree to it."
Rarity blinked. "Really?"
Spike nodded, turning the book around. "It's all right here, in black and... well, not white, more of a yellowish color, but yeah."
"...two of opposite, four of the same, three of different race..."
"That's what it says, yep." Spike shrugged. "I mean, I think they're just making examples, but the meaning is pretty clear."
"...W-Well then. Thank you for, well, clearing this up, Spike." Rarity coughed. "If, you don't mind, I, I have... dresses. Have to make them. Living, money, you know?"
"Nah, I get it. I'll tell Twilight you dropped by."
"Good! That's---that's very kind of you Spikiieeeee, uh, S-Spike. I'm going to, yes." Rarity's smile was stretched wide and thin as she galloped out of the castle.
The dragon smiled to himself. "And the seed is planted..."
Then he frowned, holding up his claws. "Easy there, Spike. She's still a pony with feelings. Don't go too fast."
'oh weave dammit!' Fate cried. 'i cooked up this popcorn for nothing?! you are the lamest dragon ever spike.' She sighed, jumping into the wind. 'maybe i should go watch blueblood again, he's always good for a laugh...'