^^ just because he told nature off doesn’t mean he isn’t still a teenager. Ina world where people owning their own businesses play I spy for fun I can see face painting as being something young adults do.

Just to add to the conversation, we’ve seen Spike go to Canterlot on a bussiness trip all by himself, would a little child be allowed to do that? he’s treated like an adult much more than the CMC are. Also keep in mind his species can go from little child to full grown adult in the course of a few hours, and also considering his species grows through greed, there’s no evidence that he’ll ever physically grow anymore than he already has. Just saiyan :P

Haha, ninja’d.

@BP  
Another big one was her referencing Spike when she said they had “face painting, for the little ones” and patted him on the head in Crystal Empire. Whether or not Spike is actually as young as the CMC or not, I think it’s pretty clear that he’s still supposed to be a child or at least much younger than the ponies. Any maturity difference that exists between them is probably a result of the fact that he grew up in court raised by Celestia, so naturally he’s mature and responsible for his age.

“I… just found out they’re offering face painting for the little ones” (while grabbing Spike)
 
Courtesy of Season 3

Yeah, and after that he left to prove his dragonhood to show he wasn’t willing to accept stuff like that. One of the best parts of the show is how characters develop, and I have seen that in no greater area than Spike and his reaction to Rarity.

@candrew  
Sorry, I try to address you by name so maybe you can tell me apart that way. Anyway I don’t think SoME was meant to show spike as reaching maturity, he went back to exactly the way he had been before that and has been referred to as being a little kid (by Rarity, in Crystal Empire) since, so it was more like a random freak occurance than anything else. Otherwise I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree, because it seems extremely clear to me that Rarity thinks of Spike as being a kid, even if she doesn’t treat him the way she treats the CMC.

“The cutest widdle chubby cheeks”  
“Isn’t he adorable when he waddles off in anger?”
 
I think that’s “treating him like child” enough.

Those shows normally go for a “guy with a crush gets the girl because he tried hard enough”. That’s something I hope never happens in this show, to show that the crush is able to simply reject the guy.

Christ, I’m going to have to start numbering you Bps for my own sake.

My point is that she doesn’t perceive him as a kid. Younger than her, yes, but not a kid like she sees her sister. Especially after Secret of My Excess where Spike reaching maturity was kind of a plot point.

@candrew  
If Spike was older, or portrayed by the writers as intended to be older, than Rarity’s kiss probably could have been seen as being more. But the fact that she treats him like a little brother is exactly why I think it was meant to be entirely innocent.

Must be because he’s responsible. So there’s that. He’s young, but responsible enough to be trusted more than the CMC.

All I’m trying to say here is that its not off the table. Yes, it is unlikely, but its not impossible. I’ve seen too many kids shows with small crushes that become actually romances to reject the possibility out of hand.

@candrew  
I guess it’s possible that she could return them, but considering she treats him more like a kid, and has never shown any romantic interest in him (unless you count that kiss on the cheek, which I think was just supposed to gratitude and platonic affection) I personally don’t think that’s the case. But then again I just don’t think Rarity would romantically be into kids, or people she perceives as kids, so maybe it’s just me.

I’m not saying she can’t, I’m saying she hasn’t. I’m saying that no one else in show has done something like this to anyone else, except Rarity towards the guys who just admitted he had feelings for her.

it’s a kids show, puppy love is a big thing.  
I doubt anything will come of it.
 
But I’ve been wrong before

They don’t treat Spike like a kid though. This is a universe where full grown adults play pin the tail on the pony and I Spy. They certainly treat the CMC like children, but they give Spike a level of responsibility that they wouldn’t give to a child.

Because of the intention. And it’s unfair the Rarity has to stick to some rules of affection. Either she shows no affection for him, or she’s leading him on. She can’t just give a kiss on the cheek to her friend to cheer him up.

^^ I’m not saying she returns his feelings, I’m saying I see no reason why its impossible that she does. This isn’t a romantic show, and her kisses to his cheek are the only such signs of affection we’ve ever seen in any non-married couple in it.

@candrew  
Because she thinks of Spike as a kid, and sort of like a family member, and because she knows about his crush and I’m pretty sure she would never try to lead him on intentionally.

@candrew  
Well, whether or not that’s true it’s been made clear many times that Rarity herself thinks of Spike as a child, as she treats him like one and refers to him as one. So do most of the other characters. In the in-show universe, that’s just the way it’s supposed to be.

^ She also flirts with random stallions to get asparagus. Why is this one so impossible then?

I think it’s more like she wanted to cheer him up and repay him for his good heart in a way that she knew he would really appreciate. Rarity probably figures Spike’s crush is ultimately inconsequential and that he’ll outgrow it someday, and probably (I don’t mean this in a shallow way or like she’s a bitch for thinking it) she probably doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal (his crush I mean). I doubt she was trying to lead him on, it’s likely he realizes she doesn’t return his feelings.

@candrew  
I’m not saying it isn’t canon but Rarity is an pony of emotion it fits that she’d do that :I