Chapter Four: The Beginning
In that instant, Spike couldn’t possibly think fast enough to come up with a well thought out action. Instead, he did the first thing that came to mind. The young dragon, whose face was now covered in crimson, shot back a whole three feet.
“What the hay was that!?” he shrieked.
Scootaloo jumped back as well, and instinctively avoided eye contact. “I’m sorry! It’s just, Sweetie Belle told us how she saw Rarity kiss you on the cheek when you did something nice for her! Please don’t be angry!”
Spike’s blush deepened, for until this point, he had assumed no one except for Twilight, and Rarity herself, bared witness. Despite his embarrassment, Spike wanted to assure Scootaloo that of all the emotions he was experiencing, anger was not among them.
“Scoots, I’m not mad. I mean, I’m a little surprised right now, but certainly not mad.”
The dragon’s semi comforting words caused Scootaloo to slowly cast her gaze in his direction.
“I’m sorry; I just thought that it would just be another way of thanking you. I hope I didn’t mess anything up.”
Spike shook his head. “No, it’s okay... I was just a little surprised is all. Sorry.”
Scootaloo smiled faintly. “It’s okay, and I’m sorry about… that.”
He briefly returned the smile before beginning to turn away. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Twi is going to start getting worried.”
Scootaloo nodded. “Oh, okay. See ya later.”
Spike quickly waved his claw “See ya.”
As Spike walked off into the ever dimming twilight, Scootaloo watched him until she was sure she couldn’t be seen, or heard.
“Ugh!” she exclaimed as she threw herself into a sitting position beneath the tree. “Go ahead and kiss him!? Great idea! What in Equestria were you thinking!? He likes Rarity!”
Once again, a pang of sadness hit her heart at the mention of Spike’s crush. However, this time there was no debating why, for it was clear that Scootaloo indeed had a crush on Spike.
In a fit of self-loathing, the little filly began smacking the side of her head with her hoof. “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”
Just as she was going in for her fifth strike, she felt her hoof brush against something. She looked down to see Spike’s scarf wrapped around her neck. Slowly, she lowered her offending hoof, and lifted the fabric with a sigh. It was in that moment, that Scootaloo realized that perhaps not all hope had yet been lost.
----------
Spike let out a frustrated sigh as he closed the library door behind him. “Could that have gone any worse?” he asked himself.
“Could what have gone any worse?” asked a warm voice.
Spike looked up to see Twilight sitting next to a nearby bookshelf. He averted his gaze quickly, but soon returned it.
“Twi, can you promise to keep a secret?”
She nodded.
Spike paused briefly, considering his words. “When I was leaving… Scootaloo kissed me on the cheek.”
“What!?” Twilight yelped with joy. She was about to start bouncing around like a little filly, until she realized Spike’s distraught expression was still unwavering. This caused her emotions to shift back to the initial state of concern.
“Well, what happened? I thought you’d be happy.”
Spike sighed. “I jumped away, and freaked out. I think I even hurt her feelings.”
“Oh… Spike, don’t worry. I’m sure she isn’t mad at you. You two will be back to normal in no time.”
“But I didn’t tell you the worst part.”
Twilight raised her brow, but remained silent.
“You remember all those things you were saying at Sugar Cube Corner?”
She nodded.
“Well, you were right; I do think Scootaloo is cute and really nice, and... I even liked the kiss… I think I do like her.”
Twilight smiled. “Then you should tell her.”
Spike sighed and took a seat upon the floor. “What about Rarity? I mean, I still like her, but if I like Scootaloo too…” Spike buried his face into his hands.
Twilight wasn’t exactly trying to be manipulative, but she saw this as an opportunity to push Spike in a direction that would benefit all; not just herself.
“Spike, Rarity doesn’t need you.”
Shocked by Twilight’s bluntness, Spike shot up. “What?!” he yelled, almost ready to pounce on her.
Twilight raised a hoof. “She doesn’t need you because she is the Element of Generosity, she has her friends, and she has her sister. Now, look at Scootaloo; she only has Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Rainbow Dash. You tell me: which one looks like they need you more?”
Spike thought a moment, thinking of something to counter Twilight, but her argument was solid. He like both Rarity and Scootaloo equally, but Scootaloo was the one in need; more so than anyone ever knew. Though not only that, but Spike had also promised that he’d take care of her, and by his dragon code he was not going to break a promise.
“You’re right, Twilight. You’re absolutely right.”
----------
As the sun reached its peak in the sky, Spike found himself sitting on a park bench, unable to stop thinking about Scootaloo since the night before. Though now, the young dragon thought it best to go someplace peaceful to consider his next course of action; he was set on telling Scootaloo of his newfound feelings, but at the same time he was fearful of her reaction. She could laugh in his face and never talk to him again, or she could kick him right in his stomach. Though these outcomes were unlikely, they terrified him nonetheless.
The dragon was so deep in thought that he was completely oblivious to a young white unicorn trotting over to him, her mind full of malicious and manipulative intent.
“Hi, Spike,” said Sweetie Belle as she took a seat next to him.
Spike instantly snapped back to reality. “Huh? Oh hey, Sweetie Belle. What are you doing out here?”
The filly threw out a dismissive hoof. “Oh, it’s a long story.”
“Well, I have time. What is it?”
Sweetie Belle tried her best to withhold a grin, anticipating this reaction. “Well, if you really must know, Rarity actually kicked me out.”
Spike raised his brow. “What? Why?”
“It’s not because I got in trouble or anything. It’s something else.”
“Like what?”
Once again, Sweetie Belle suppressed a grin as she milked the situation for all it was worth.
“Well, you see Rarity is actually having a colt over for lunch. Like on a date. His name is Fancy something.”
Spike’s eyes widened in shock, but after a moment, and only a slight feeling of sadness, he was rather content with the news. For instead of crushing him, this revelation only seemed to force his hand in the direction he had already wished.
“Oh, okay.”
Sweetie Belle’s mouth threatened to drop. Everything in her plan had gone accordingly up until this point, for she had forgotten to factor in the possibility of Spike not liking Rarity the way he used to.
“Those lying jerks!” she yelled.
Spike jumped, startled by Sweetie Belle’s outburst. “What?!”
The filly blushed, a little surprised as well. “Uhhhh, nothing! Bye Spike! Talk to you later!”
---------
Scootaloo walked through the streets of Ponyville, making her way to the library. Despite the fact that she had apologized for her action the day before, she still felt as though it wasn’t enough. She just hoped she could somehow get things back to the way they were before this mess.
As the young filly passed Sofas and Quills, she saw Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. She was almost going to say hi, before she noticed that Sweetie Belle was yelling at Applebloom. Then suddenly the unicorn lunged on top of the earth pony.
‘Yeah, I better not get into that one,’ she thought as she looked back to the path. Suddenly she and an unknown passerby bumped into each other, causing both to fall onto their rumps.
“Hey, watch where you’re going!” snapped Scootaloo.
“Sorry.”
Scootaloo could feel her blood run ice cold and her face turn fire red upon recognizing the voice. Slowly, she unwillingly looked up to see that it was none other than Spike. Of course it had to be Spike! Not Rumble or Pipsqueak, but Spike. Why did it have to be Spike!?
“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, Spike!” she exclaimed as she jumped to all fours.
Spike, who was busy brushing the snow off, simply threw out a claw. “Oh, um... It’s okay, but what are you doing out here?”
“Um, I was actually going to see you. We need to talk about yesterday.”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, I kind of thought I needed to talk to you about that too.”
Spike’s words caused Scootaloo to feel a twinge of fear, but she tried to ignore it. Whatever this was, it wasn’t going to end badly. Not at all...
“Listen Spike, I just want to say that I’m sorry again. I wasn’t really thinking and it was stupid. I just want to take it back.”
Spike rested a claw atop her shoulder. “Scootaloo, please stop. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did. Honestly… I was a little happy it happened.” As those words left Spike’s lips, he could feel something in the pit of his stomach wishing to retract them.
Scootaloo quickly shot up. “What?!” she yelped a little louder, and happier, than intended.
Spike mentally breathed a massive sigh of relief, but at the same time he found himself blushing at how happy she seemed.
Scootaloo did her best to hide a blush, but once she noticed Spike’s expression, there was no stopping it. “So,” she began timidly, “You don’t think I’m weird or anything?”
He shook his head. “Of course not. Hey, do you think we could go back to the clubhouse? There’s something I want to tell you.”
Scootaloo felt her heart flutter, hoping he was referring to a possible crush on her. Despite how unlikely this possibility seemed to her, the notion was there nonetheless.
“Sure,” she replied with a smile.
----------
“Here’s good,” said Spike as he stopped, just before the location of the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ clubhouse.
Scootaloo turned to face him, biting down on her tongue to suppress a smile. “So, what is it you wanted to tell me?”
Spike sighed as he brought a claw to the back of his neck. He could feel all of his confidence that he had built up on the walk over, be drained in seconds by Scootaloo’s awaiting eyes.
“Well, Uhhh... Scootaloo,” he began nervously, trying his best not to trip over his oown words.
‘Oh my gosh is he about to do what I think he is?’ she thought, keying in on his tone of voice.
“You remember yesterday when those bullies came up to us?”
Scootaloo nodded, quite clearly recalling the events during and especially after that particular part happened.
“Well, after all the stuff they said, I didn’t think you would want to hang out with me anymore. I mean... a lot of it was true; dragons and ponies aren’t supposed to hang out, but I like it.”
Scootaloo rested a hoof upon Spike’s shoulder, causing him to look up and see a warm smile.
“Spike,” she began, “Nothing would ever want to make me stop being your friend; especially not those two snobs. And to be honest, I like it too.”
Spike smiled, feeling his confidence return. “Well in that case, there’s something I need to tell you.” He paused briefly. “I sort of,” he sighed. “Have a crush on you.”
Scootaloo stood there frozen, her hoof still resting upon Spike’s shoulder. She had been dying to hear those words, but had not the slightest idea what to do once she did.
Spike braced his face for impact with Scootaloo’s hoof, however nothing came. Seconds passed and still nothing, then she finally began to move. Quickly, Spike slammed his eyes shut, but instead of pain, he felt Scootaloo’s warm embrace envelop him.
“I... sort of have a crush on you too.”
Spike couldn’t move, he was too surprised and happy by the outcome to have his body function properly; instead, almost as if on autopilot, he wrapped both of his claws around the filly.
Scootaloo felt this and smiled before nuzzling into Spike’s chest. However, it occurred to her that what she was doing right now was totally un-Rainbow Dash, so as a way of livening up things she said, “If you ever tell anyone I was nuzzling you, I will end you.”
Spike’s chuckle seemed to bring him back into reality, so he raised one of his claws to the back of her mane and began to gently stroke. “Sure thing, Scoots.”
Though the filly was very much enjoying the feeling of the dragons careful fingers running through her mane, she knew that they had to break the embrace, so she made the first move in backing away.
Spike was a little disappointed, but when he noticed Scootaloo’s beaming smile he couldn’t help but feel better. “Sooooo, are you my fillyfriend now?”
Scootaloo blushed heavily, never really considering that until this point, but with a smile she nodded. “Yeah, I guess so. So, what do you want to do… drakefriend?”
Spike playfully rolled his eyes. “Well, now that we're together, maybe we should go out somewhere.”
“Like where?”
He looked away for a moment, considering all possible nearby and affordable options, before one popped into his head. “What about Sugar Cube Corner?”
Scootaloo nodded. “Sounds great!” Just then a disheartening realization hit her. “But I don’t have any bits.”
Spike smiled. “Don’t worry, I never leave the library without a few tucked away in my scarf, besides, it’s not right for a lady to pay.”
Scootaloo blushed. “Thank you, Spike. That’s really sweet.”
“Well, after you milady,” joked Spike as he bowed and gestured down the path.
Scootaloo poorly hid a smile behind an exaggerated face hoof. “Really Spike?” she asked while giggling.
“Hey, I’ve had fourteen years to think about what I’d do when this finally happens, just following the book.”
-----------
As the new couple took their seats at the bakery, Pinkie seemingly shot out of nowhere, terrifying Spike, but only amusing Scootaloo. Seeing Spike attempting to regain his composure caused Pinkie to feel a little regretful of her entrance.
“Oh, sorry, Spikey. Just assumed you would’ve gotten used to that by now.”
Spike threw out a claw while trying to hide his embarrassed expression. “Huh? What are you talking about Pinkie? You didn’t scare me,” he lied.
Pinkie made an “oh” expression before winking to Spike.
“So, what can I get you two love birds?”
Scootaloo and Spike took a moment to register what Pinkie had said, before a simultaneous screech of “What!?” filled the bakery, several other customers looked around to see what the commotion was about.
Pinkie Pie giggled. “Oh you two don’t know how Pinkie senses work at all. I had a twitchy hoof about four times an hour ago and scrunchy nose four times fifteen minutes ago. Then I added the two, divided that by Pi then multiplied that by seven point four eight and deduced that you two must be dating since the letter S was the result. It’s really simple once you understand it.”
Scootaloo and Spike just stared blankly at each other.
Spike quickly pushed Pinkie’s formula out of his head before his brain had a meltdown. “Um, yeah... I’ll have a hot chocolate with a cherry, what about you Scoots?”
Scootaloo, who was still at a loss, simply stated “Uh... yeah, that.”
“Coming right up!” chirped the pink ball of energy, before she bounced off into the kitchen.
Once she had left, Scootaloo was about to unleash a barrage of question before she was stopped by Spike raising his claw. “It’s better if you don’t try to understand it.”
Scootaloo giggled. “Yeah, I need to remember that it’s Pinkie Pie after all.”
Spike joined in on the laugh. “So, now that we're together, when do you plan on telling the rest of the CMC? No doubt they’ll have a field day when word gets out.”
She smiled just thinking about some of the possible reactions her friends could have. “Yeah, you can say that again, but until then, let’s keep this on the down low.”
Spike nodded. “Yeah, who knows what the town would do if they found out about us?”
Just then Pinkie returned with a platter of two steaming whip cream covered beverages balanced atop her head. As she laid the platter before them, the couple each took one and was just beginning to take their first sips, when they heard the familiar ding of someone entering the bakery. The two looked up to see Sweetie Belle and Applebloom staring at them with a confused expression. Instantly, Spike and Scootaloo began to blush.
Applebloom was the first to speak. “Uh, hey what are you two doing here?”
“Alone, together, without us, together,” added Sweetie Belle.
Applebloom smirked. “I mean, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you two were on a…” Suddenly, both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom’s expressions went blank. Then, it was quickly followed by the loudest “D’awwww!” ever heard.
“You have to tell us more!” squealed Sweetie Belle as she slid into the booth next to Spike.
“Yeah!” chirped Applebloom as she slid in with Scootaloo.
“How long have you been dating!?”
“Have you kissed yet!?”
“Oh my gosh, this is adorable!”
“You guys have got to tell us everything!”
Never in either Scootaloo or Spike’s life had they wished to be somewhere else more, than in that moment. They both shot each other a look of “help me!”
Unknown to any of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike, and even, the seemingly psychic, Pinkie Pie, was the fact that moments before Sweetie Belle and Applebloom arrived, two young fillies stood before the window of Sugar Cube Corner, beaming with hate. The grey one, who was holding a camera, quickly snapped a few pictures. As each came out of the camera, the pink filly snatched them up and grinned as she examined each.
“Oh yes, these will do nicely. That little dragon prick has no idea who he just messed with. ”
Silver Spoon smiled at her friend’s approval. “You know, I hear dragons are most protective of their treasure; among those are usually the ones they care for.”
Diamond tiara nodded, a malicious grin painted across her face. “Let’s see how good he is at protecting them from all of Ponyville!”
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No! Bad Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon! Bad Bad!
2993929 They deserve punishment.
25.media.tumblr.com/4d1910f38d4260268e8b7ca2f3e73543/tumblr_ml0mrxSnqV1rg4qhjo1_500.gif
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This is what happens to anypony messing with Twilight's son
such evil little gremlins those two are, now lets make sure not to get them wet or we might have a problem on our hooves
There taking a picture of Spike and Scootaloo doing something adorable?!?
Are they trying to humiliate them or make them the cutest couple ever?
for the life of me i wasn't paying attention is Twilight an alicorn on this and if she is.. doesn't that make spike semi royalty and isn't doing something like this to roylty very very badd.
2994527 royalty or not messing with someone twilight cares about is a reeeeeeeaaaaly bad idea.
2994617 yess it is but what worse could diamond have happen to her than to be Denounced as a bully by Royalty? that and maybe thrown in a dungeon for a day or 2
Don't get what DT and Silver are hoping to accomplish.
2994643 that alone could tarnish their reputation with the upper crust of society. and reputation is much harder to build than destroy. so immediate effects not so much but long term could be devastating.
I always find it amusing that some ponies want to piss off the dragon who has been known for his extremely dangerous rampage, razor shark claws, diamond shattering teeth, nearly impenetrable armor, and fire-breath...
yeah, really smart idea to piss that off
Oh, I almost forgot his connection with the RULER OF THE LAND AND CONTROLLER OF THE SUN!!!
2994659 I have to agree, I kinda always pictured that anyone pissing off Spike when he young is asking for trouble when he grows up. Spike at a young age can munch on gems like there just soft candy, his hide can withstand bladed objects and he can literally bathe in lava. What can any pony do seriously to stop him? Besides his friends asking him not to harm anyone.
2994659>>2994711
That's like picking a fight with a mutant from the Marvel comics.
Said mutant can literally make people' heads explode.
Pick on a fire-breathing dragon whose mother is Princess Celestia. Good thinking!
2994643
2994653 A educated guess would be that Ponies would take offense to a inter species relationship.
Will this be another 'Foal Free Press' incident?
I just finished a story where spike went full on rage mode because creatures messed with his ponies. DT and SS your about to understand what it is to mess with a dragon.
At the end, Aw naw, not the rich bitches! Ponyville better be okay with this!
OH DT why you so evil?
2994965 More like school yard rumors. It's hard to explain.
I'll tell you what Spike should do. Get the pictures, put them in frames and keep one for there first date and send another to Celestia as a gift.
Diamond is just mad nopony want her.
2995256
Because the author decided she should be.
Whoa Twilight, that's harsh.
Blunt/harsh Twilight aside, this is making a sharp turn for the adorable.
Is the conflict going to be about inter-species relationships? It probably is.
Will Spike and Scootalo's relationship hold? It most likely will.
The same routine never gets old. No, really! I'm genuine here. No sarcasm.
I'll be sure to be ready for the next chapter when it comes!
Those pieces of sh*yay*...
-Kiryu
Awww!
Loving this so far! 
Alright, I like this story. Remember I think that as you read this review. First off, Spike is at least SIXTEEN years old. And Scootaloo is seven. SEVEN. Most kids don't even think about crushes at that age, let alone go on dates. And let's just pretend for a second here that they are both about twelve. Knowing Spike and Scootaloo, neither of them would use the term 'fillyfriend' outright like that. And if they did go on a date, I'm quite sure neither of them would use the word 'date' or the term 'go out (with)' either. Here's an example of how I think the scene would play out a bit more realistically (feel free to use it or any part of it):
Though the filly was very much enjoying the feeling of the dragons careful fingers running through her mane, she knew that they had to break the embrace, so she made the first move in backing away.
Spike was a little disappointed, but when he noticed Scootaloo's beaming smile he couldn't help but feel better. "Hey Scoots, are you hungry?" he asked.
"Maybe a little. Why?"
"You wanna grab some milkshakes from Sugarcube Corner?"
Scootaloo's expression brightened even more. "Sure! But I don't have any money."
"Oh, don't worry about that. I always keep a few bits in my scarf. Let's go!"
"Okay!" The two hurriedly descended the ladder to the clubhouse. They walked side by side on the path to the Ponyville markets.
-
And Spike just giving up on Rarity? When you love someone, you need them. The fact that Scootaloo needs Spike more than Rarity does doesn't mean that he would simply give up his love for her. He would definitely be annoyed if Rarity had a DATE. I mean, he's had feelings for her much longer than he's had feeings for Scootaloo.
This is my honest opinion. Remember, I do really love the story. But I'd be lying if I didn't say that this was my least favorite chapter yet.
Chapter four needs to come soon this is a great story!!!! I just love it!
Too
Dang
Cute
3008315
16? 7? Where did you get that?
3095832 Assuming that all the CMC are the same age (they're in the same class), Applebloom's age is given as seven in a script according to this.
We also know that Twilight hatched Spike and got her Cutie Mark at a younger age than the crusaders' current age in the show (see episode The Cutie Mark Chronicles). She was probably four years old at the time, given the fact that four is the age when most people start school, and in the episode, she is trying to get acceptance into the Magic Academy for her first year. Now, in the show, all of the Mane 6 are portrayed as young adults (aged 18-25 years). Assuming that Twilight is about 20 years old, that puts Spike's age at around 16.
3096311
Hmmm, interesting, I'd never seen that particular information before.
However, let's assume that the Mane 6 are all the same age ± 1 year. This would mean that Applejack was 3-5 years old when she was allowed to walk cross country to stay with her aunt and uncle in Manehattan. No matter how safe Equestria is, I have a hard time believing that her grandmother/brother would allow her to walk there by herself.
At that point in time, Rarity was also in school already. Now it is possible that she is a year or so older than Twilight and had been in school for nearly a year already, however I don't think so. I feel that magic school is probably something that you apply to after a couple of years of primary schooling. Case in point: where do you usually learn to read? School. And Twilight could already read by that point in time. Now is it possible that she just learned by herself without anyone needing to teach her? Yes, but I got the idea that reading would be required of anyone who took the exam, and the fact that it is required makes me think that it is aimed at a later age.
Another thing, note how Applejack's parents weren't there to see her off when she left for the big city. That tends to indicate to me that at that point they were already dead, which means that necessarily Apple Bloom had already been born. (Where was Apple Bloom in that shot? Probably put down for a nap or something.) This would put the crusaders and Spike at the same approximate age, whatever their ages are.
One final point: Spike is constantly called a baby dragon. We have run into some teenage dragons, and they were obviously much larger than him, and all had wings. We can assume that if he were a teenage dragon, his wings would have grown in by now (if he was only 13, yeah, I'd be willing to say he was a late bloomer, but at 16, there are going to be some signs of growth).
Of course, these points don't actually prove anything. The reason being that the series is so goddamn schizophrenic and it can't manage to maintain its canon properly. Spike, who was shown multiple times to be good at cooking, not only fails to bake a good apple pie, but he fails to make one that is even edible. Not only that, he practically destroys Applejack's kitchen in the process. Fluttershy, who learns to be assertive one episode is back to being a doormat in the immediately following episode (okay, that can somewhat be explained by saying that it takes time to change, and that it's harder to stand up to your friends than it is to others, but still). That's the problem when you have 10 writers and the scripts are written 3 years before they're actually used. So, frankly, I really can't trust most (exact) information from the source, because it's just as likely as not that they will at some later point put something in that will contradict that information. (If it's general information like "batponies are a separate race" I'm perfectly happy to trust that.)
Of course, what is important for the ages of these characters is not their "actual" age, but their fanon age. And among the fanfiction that I have read, I'm pretty sure that most "current time" fanfics have Spike and the CMC at approximately the same age, and generally that age is 10 ± 2 years. And we can assume that the age of the characters in this fic follow the fanon ages. I have never read any fanfic that has placed Spike's age at 16 without it being set in the future.
3098752 Now, you may not know this, and that's probably not your fault, but in many countries, even first year students have to take a short test to get admission in their schools. And I think it's safe assume that Twilight is quite gifted in terms of magic and knowledge. I know many people who have exceptional talent in reading (namely, my sister who learned to read very quickly and showed skill in reading during her kindergarten years that I didn't develop until Grade One or Two). Remember, all of the mane Six were younger than seven (the cmc's current age) when they got their cutie marks. Applying this at an extreme, this means that we can assume Twilight was six when she got her cutie mark, and that she is eighteen in the show, making Spike's minimum age to be 12. But I find this unlikely, as the cutie mark crusaders look older than the mane six as they are portrayed in the flashbacks (their body forms are different), and I highly doubt that an eighteen year old would be crowned princess. Anyway, even if that were the case, there is still a big gap between 12 and 7. And about Spike being called a baby dragon, in the show, dragons are implied to live for CENTURIES. The title of baby dragon could simply be due to the fact that Spike (even if he's 18) is very young on dragon terms.
Oh, and you've never read any read any stories portraying Spike in such a manner? I've read and seen many, for example, one of my own fics by the title of 'Aged Scales'.
3099455
Interesting. What country would that be? The only countries that I have some amount of knowledge of the educational system are the United States and Japan. In the U.S., there might be some places that require entrance exams, but most likely only private schools (although I did have to write applications to get into my junior high and high schools, as they were magnet schools). In Japan, the only primary schools and kindergartens that have entrance exams are private/名門校 (prestigious schools...in other words the ones that are going to make you more likely to get into the university you want) ones as well (starting from middle and high school most places will have entrance exams).
And yes, I know that some people don't really have to study to be able to read. According to my mother, I would read out traffic signs in the car when I was three. (And my talent in reading isn't even very exceptional.)
The only apparent requirement for the crown is your race
I'm pretty sure age doesn't matter at all.
Again, you are operating on the assumption that the CMC are seven. An assumption that I most heartily reject. Even ignoring the problems the show has with consistency, you have to remember that this was an audition script, which is even more suspect in the aspects of canonicity and consistency.
Yes, baby dragon could be because of the relative timespan which dragons live, however teenage ... not so much. If they aren't literally in their teens, the word for it should be "adolescent" or something like that. (Which implies that the teenage dragons they ran into were in their teens, which means that if he were actually that late in his teens (16) he should be showing some maturation of his body.)
I actually have read your fic. Well, the first two chapters of it, anyway. However I did not at all realize that he was supposed to be a teenager, and you weren't particularly clear on the timeline. Most of the fics that I've read or seen that have teenage Spike actually call him out as being a teenager, rather than saying something ambiguous like "he's more mature". Also, in most they either explicitly state, or imply that it is in the future by a couple of years.
3101606 Many countries in the Middle East where education is not free (but you also don't have to pay taxes), an admission exam is generally taken before the child enters the school. It's the same with many regions in India and the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan, Bangladesh etc.)
Twilight becomes an Alicorn. She is not born that way. There is no indication that to become an Alicorn princess, one must be of a specific pony race. A pony becomes an Alicorn through acquiring knowledge and demonstrating leadership, among many other good qualities and characteristics (The elements of harmony, for example). Most people don't even live on their own at the age of eighteen, let alone complete their studies and co-rule a country.
Audition scripts help people to get into character, get a feel of who they're going to be voicing. I think that the age of seven is fitting for the levels of maturity and the behaviour that the CMC display. They are meant to be relatable characters for the target audience, and the target audience is girls aged 6-9. 12 year olds are mature and smart enough to realise (usually) what is safe and what is unsafe, a quality the CMC have demonstrated that they don't have in many episodes.
The term 'teenager' can have many different implications, and, for all we know, a dragon teenager could be 115. It's also important to remember that there are different species of dragon, and they probably have many different lifespans. Perhaps Spike's. Species matures very slowly.
And you only read the first two chapters? Spike doesn't even appear until the third! Check it out again, it has six chapters now.
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Interesting. That seems like an unfortunate system. If you're poor, that means that you don't get education. But that's neither here nor there.
Yes, the race that is required to be a princess is alacorn. Assuming that Twilight Sparkle and the Crystal Heart Spell is canonical, Cadance was a pegasus filly transformed into an alacorn, and she was then crowned.
I never said that I thought they were around 12, I said 10 ± 2 years. Yes, this does mean that the upper limit for their age is 12, however 10 would be my personal guess as to their age. Sweetie Belle seems to have the ability to determine how safe an activity is, but she's always dragged along for the ride by the other two. It may simply be that Scootaloo and Apple Bloom are reckless.
Teenage to me means ages 13-19. The Hindi word appears to agree with me (although it appears to be a direct import from English). The Japanese word for teenage is 十台 which means 10-19. As I said, if they didn't mean 13-19, they need to use a word like adolescent which doesn't apply a certain age to the period of development.
If by "the third" you mean "the second half of the second chapter", then yes.
3104779 The amount of fees paid for school in these countries is usually less than the amount of money from the average American's taxes that goes towards education.
The CMC's recklessness isn't the only immature quality that the average twelve year-old wouldn't exhibit. Their antics and just 'the general way they initially tackle problems' also contributes.
Remember the target audience. The term 'adolescent' is not very convenient to use in a kids show, and I bet most of the target audience wouldn't be able to easily wrap their minds around a full explanation of dragon lifespans, let alone the fact that most of them probably don't even know what adolescent means. The term 'teenager' was probably used just for convenience, and as an easy way to tell the kids that their behaviour is most easily comparable to the stage in a person's growth that we now refer to as the teenage years.
That was just...such an epic fail by me right there...I don't even...Ah, forget it.
(Apparently you know my story better than I do.
But I'd suggest checking out again anyway!)
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The point is not the cost to people who can afford it, the point is the cost to the people that can't afford it. Below a certain level you don't pay any taxes in America. These people probably couldn't afford to pay for schooling their children. Due to taxing everybody, this means that their children go to school for free, and are fed at school for free. (But this debate really doesn't belong here.)
I'm not a parent, nor do I know much about dev. psych. so I really can't comment on what bracket their mental age falls in to. There is probably a certain amount of leeway based on personality and maturation speeds. And, well, it's obvious that neither of us is willing to give on our beliefs, so I recommend that we stop polluting the comments of this story with this debate.
I'll try another chapter of your fic. If I quit again, I'll go ahead and provide feedback on your fic.
3105476 Ah yes, well, this debate is getting tedious. But if I ever write a CMC/Spike shipfic, I'd probably put an Alternate Universe tag on it and clearly state that Spike is younger than he is on the show and that (insert CMC here) is older. But, to each their own I guess.
Personally, I do think that taxing the public is a better system to ensure everyone gets education, but as you said, this is not the place for such a discussion
Hope to see you soon in the comments of my fic!
Kill Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon? Will don't mind if I do good sire, DERPY, WHERE IS MY SNIPER RIFLE?
Derpy: UP YOUR ASS!!!
Well there is your answer
Gods damn, this was so bucking cute and realistic to, I love how much of a Tomfilly Scootaloo is, it is AWESOME!!! For some reason I want to read a fic of Pinkie doing nothing but working, though I have no idea why, shit, I'm so excited for more
3267577 I don't understand.
Ahh... Diamond Tiara. You always know how to make the story more interesting...
hey dude/dudet awesome story so far when can we expect chapter 5? or are you just to busy currently and you can't find the time to start of the next chapter?
*sigh* i know dt and silver are assholes in the show, but come on, at least not make them out to be all prissy assholes.
3293836 you'll understand why in the next chapter.
3357483 Thank you!
Got an e-mail about updates, but no update?
3472575 Yeah, sorry about that. I was telling people that I needed to place this story as well as Learning to Forgive on hiatus in order to get caught up. This is because another story Flu Season is almost done, or at least closer than the other two.
Though I will be doing weekday updates in order to get caught up very fast. 2-3 updates a week if I can.
Then I found out you can't post non chapters like that and deleated it.
hurgh... heart...attack...from...the... D'aww... levels...
I WARNED YOU!
can't wait for update though
3473245 This is a great story so far!! You should continue with it.
FINISH THIS!!! PLEASE! ITS SO GOOD!