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Happy New Year, folks!

I have received few notes and comments about the previous page and I feel I should address them in one post I could then direct people to in the future. This is not a reply to any specific person, just summary of stuff I want to explain.  

First I wasn’t aware the timeline is not obvious. The comics is set a few years before Luna’s return. Pages 1-8 show Canterlot Tower - Spike and Twilight’s home before Ponyville. Cadance is still around. Smarty Pants is there. After Episode 1 the only time Twilight and Spike returned there was in Season 5, when she was already an alicorn. I assumed this is obvious, but perhaps the setting was too unfamiliar. I have now added extra panel to Page 1 to avoid further confusion.

Now that this is clear, the rest should be more obvious.

Ponies in my comics don’t know much about Spike yet. He is still very young. Twilight is not talking to other ponies and neither does he. For all they know, he is a small dragon living with the Princess’ protégé. They are not aware he is a child, or that he is de facto Twilight’s family. Why would they? Ponies know absolutely nothing about dragons. They don’t even know dragons can talk. Their ignorance is hinted in exchange between doctor and nurse. I also mentioned that Doctor is either new or works night shifts only. Her chances of seeing Spike and knowing who he is are at this point close to zero.

Why? Because I believe that both Spike and Twilight were living in a bubble - foalsitted by Princess Cadance, tutored by Princess Celestia, surrounded by books, living in the Castle with no close friends. My comics tells about one of the first times Spike is interacting with ponies outside this bubble on his own and it’s not working very well -  as you can see. He doesn’t get it and they don’t get it. He is making things harder for himself. The doctor is “bitchy” but she is not deliberately cruel and is doing her job, altough she shows lack of empathy and perhaps little bit of prejudice as well. This is, ater all, Canterlot - a high-society environment and many Canterlot unicorns we've seen in the show are, well, not at all nice.

I am trying to tell you a story that hopefully will be both satisfactory and cathartic. This will not happen without conflict and struggle. I write for myself and what you get is what I would like to read. And fair enough, this is not for everyone.  But I also ask you to trust me. This is not a story about Spike being miserable just because I find it amusing. There is lack of empathy and ignorance and there is cruelty. The latter is not my kind of story.

That said, never hesitate to criticise stuff you don’t like. I always read your comments and always think about what you say, as long as the criticism is constructive. Sometimes I agree, often I disagree. This is how this works. Now, please enjoy the story! 

Cheers,
Key

Inkscape+Photoshop

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My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic © Hasbro