Spike's Long Game · 12:23pm May 11th, 2015
Since I use a long chronology, Spike was 10 when the series began and turns 14 in Season Four, which happens to be the Age of Consent in Central Equestria (I determined this by basing it on American ages of consent in the 1910's). It is not entirely coincidental that this is when Rarity becomes less restrained in her conduct toward him in canon (let alone my fanon). However, Rarity is 8 years older than him, and at 22 she does not feel comfortable taking a 14 year old lover. Even though she is very aware that she does love him very much, to the point of seeing him as her "soulmate" -- when she admits it to herself.
She to some extent fears Twilight's anger if she robs the cradle. She to some extent fears courting a more general social opprobrium. She even more fears that she would be taking advantage of his innocence to fulfill her own selfish desires, and that she might be standing in the way of him loving somepony (or somedragon) closer to his own age. She figures that with the passage of time, one of two things will happen. The attraction will die out, or Spike will become old enough that she feels it would be all right to openly act on her emotions.
For his part, Spike -- who is both quite idealistic and rather realistic about Rarity, at one and the same time -- is mostly content to wait. He's noticed that Rarity's crushes tend to either be long-range and unrealistically based, and dissipate with closer contact; or intense but shallow, and dissipate after the first flare of mutual passion. This is in contrast to Rarity's interest in himself, which has grown slowly but steadily over the course of the years she's known him. Spike's figures that this means that she's much more serious about him than she is about any of her crushes or flings (and he doesn't know about all of the latter).
Spike's instincts are quite sound in this regard. He's playing a long game with her, something which the more intelligent among Dragonkind are extremely good at doing.
And he's winning.
YAY!
why exactly do we need to know this?
did you actually calculate his age as well?
All a matter of time. If you are patient and can outlive the competition, your victory is inevitable. No doubt the Princesses know this as well.
3061469
I wrote this originally as a commentary on the Sparity group, and I liked what I'd written so decided to put it into my blog.
Yes. On my chronology Rainbow Dash's first Sonic Rainboom happened in 1490, and Luna's Return 1500, which with the rest of the long chronology makes Spike 14 going on 15 now. He was 14 at the time of "Inspiration Manifestation," which was when the dynamic of his relationship with Rarity significantly changed.
3061505
Yep. And Spike is of a species which naturally lives to be centuries to millennia old, if they can survive the follies of their youth.
Heh, I 'm reminded of a comic where Rarity keeps making Spike do her chores. At the end, she looks pleased with herself as Spike looks more like Beefspike.
I only thought "So you're taking the long term return on investment. Well-played."
Do the laws of Central Equestria apply equally to all sapient species, then?
Spike is probably the most under-rated character in the show. He's like a mixture of Rainbow Dash and Twilight, what's not to love?
I doubt he is going to "win" anything because he will never age into a teenager, let alone into an adult to date Rarity. Spike was a baby dragon in G1, G2 and G3 and i doubt that is going to change in G4.
3061748
There might be variances for creatures with different age-maturity patterns. They were written for Ponies primarily to make it difficult to get away with coercing colts and fillies into prostitution, back in the bad old days when Equestria wasn't as nice a Realm as it is today. One might consider that it would be fairly difficult to coerce Spike into anything involving close physical content with Ponies he didn't like, barring mind control magic -- and very dangerous for both pimps and clients.
3061930
Unless we assume that Spike dies within the next few years in-universe time, he will indeed get to grow older. You are conflating what is shown on TV with the entire past and future history of Equestria.
IMHO on Sparity, I'm expecting Rarity to become an Alicorn. If not during the show's run, then sometime after. This means this is a Ship I can get behind without any squick. As you have explained in many a blog post, Spike certainly meets the important (except one: age) criteria for Rarity, and they provide each other with a means to snap the other out of destructive paths. My headcanon involves Spike developing a hoard of the mentality based on three little words. My Little Ponies. In Celestia's meaning. Consider how Rarity would focus that kind of hoard.
3495086
I think that all the Mane Six will Ascend, and thus "Twilight will not outlive her friends" in the best possible outcome of that prophecy -- they'll all be immortal.
Yes, I agree with you that Spike is probably capable of developing his hoarding instinct into a sense of love and loyalty toward all Equestria and Ponykind; and will probably focus his love the most on his sister Twilight Sparkle, his beloved Rarity Belle, and whatever children they have. One strong theme of the series seems to be good and evil as choices; the Dragons of that world are essentially very similar to Tolkienian Dragons; and Spike is choosing to be good.
This sort of happens in the Iron Crown Enterprises version of Middle-Earth as well. While the Western Dragons continue to behave as Morgoth meant them to be, with destructive greed; the Eastern Dragons instead start hoarding populations of Men, and in the process learning to nurture, protect and love them. They are still nasty by the standards of many races, but they are clearly on a path toward enlightenment and moral improvement.
3495108
My reasoning for the Mane 6 to Ascend is related to Twilight being 'Princess of Friendship' and 'Bearer of Magic (as Friendship)'. If she's 'constantly' replacing her friends to keep Equestria safe, I can see her going her version of Nightmare Moon (Midnight Sparkle). Although having 'Word of God' for that is nice.
And considering what Gilda is doing with the Griffons in canon, I can also Spike doing the same for his kind in regards to other species. His Hoard Mentality would likely facilitate that.
3495182
In my fanon, constantly losing friends is one of the big selfish reasons why the Alicorns want all Ponykind to attain immortality.