Talk:Spike/@comment-23.16.154.136-20120416224557/@comment-222.127.87.75-20120417001812

I think all ponies are equally abusive to Spike more than they show their appreciation for him but because of his feelings for Rarity, Spike puts himself in a position to be abused by Rarity even more.

Look at it this way... How often do you see Spike help AJ pick apples or help Pinkie Pie bake cakes? You don't. Because of this, there's really no opportunity for either pony to show appreciation for Spike or to abuse him.

In season 1, Rarity wasn't really mean to Spike. She was cold and appathetic to what I would describe as Spike's attempt to be nice to her because he likes her more than any pony. In season 2, they interacted a lot less but with more quality. I don't think Rarity is a lot nicer to Spike now than in season 1. I think she just pays more attention to him now compared to season 1.

No one questions Spike's generosity when he gave that ruby to Rarity. He is the most generous character on the show, giving up everything about himself just to help those ponies and more. But just because he's generous doesn't mean Rarity didn't charm him out of that ruby. She knows Spike's feelings for her and took advantage of that. I don't think she'll ever reciprocate them outside of friendship. This is sad because I can see Rarity taking advantage of Spike's feelings for her again in the future for more free favors and gems.

In Dragon Quest, Rarity shows more concern and affection for Spike but not in the same way that you would for a friend and more like you would for a cute little puppy that you'd be sad to see get run over by a car. Compare how Rarity treats a fellow pony like Fluttershy as opposed to Spike. The only way I'd believe Rarity really treats Spike like a valued and respected friend is if she herself performs a great act of generosity on his behalf. She would choose to do it on her own, not coerced by another pony. It would hurt so much for her to do and understands it could never be undone (like when she gave her tail to the sea serpent's mustache.) It would not only prove that she truely is the element of generosity but also prove how much Spike means to her as a friend and not a pin cushion upgraded to the neighbor's pet dog.