@CronoM  
Gee, that sounds fantastic.
 
Why did no one post that?

At first I thought this was going to be one of the more boring comics,
 
(SPOILERS)
 
but I was absolutely amazed that they delved THAT far into Celestia’s morality and judgement through the series. Both the good and the extremely misguided. It didn’t paint her badly in the context of her reasons, but it revealed how little she considered other’s importance and safety compared to Twilight getting her lesson.
 
When I saw Celestia’s last confession to Spike, I internally cheered my ass off. She FINALLY acknowledge that her preconceptions of heroic roles may wrong and reversed. She saw the importance of an individual beyond her early pre-conceptions. For a second there, I thought I saw a side of Celestia not seen since long, LONG before Nightmare Moon…someone who used to be a caring but brave adventurer in the land of ponies.
 
Also, when she asked Spike not to call her princess cause he was a dragon, I got a humongous sense of nostalgia from her. Like she wanted things to be a little bit like the way things were far in the past…seriously, letting herself get captured, wanting to see Spike’s actions, its like she was trying to relive a part of her life long forgotten.

@Dragonmage  
Why not Appletwispike? :3

@Evowizard25  
Lol, Twijack would be the closest thing to my OTP, but I’ll root for Applespike too.

@Dragonmage  
So…Applespike OTP?

@Evowizard25  
“Slapstick” was never his thing though. It actually fitted Twilight more as we see her frustration played off as humor more than once in season 1 and 2. Pinkie Keen is a good example which included lots of physical slapstick. Ticket Master had a miserable Twilight dealing with an unwanted situation. A Bird in a Hoof and SOTC mentally tested Twilight before Lesson Zero.
 
As for Applejack/Spike moments, there are some scattered before season 3. Here’s a list someone else made:
 
ep. 3:  

@Background Pony Number 17  
Yeah, the comic was really cool.
 
I had been looking forward to it for a while and it didn’t disappoint. Luckily my store had a different comic cover.

@Background Pony Number 17  
People need drama. It help keeps out wits…Okay, not keep them, but We’ll get them back later. :D

@Dragonmage  
Well yeah, that’s true. I think the reason why Spike is pushed to the side this season because this seasons all about the main six.
 
I’ve noticed almost all of the episodes have all the main six in them. Most of them seemingly forcing it be so, like Twilight in season 1…except worse. So, because of that, the writers are just using one of Spike’s traits ‘his slapstick’ to give him something to do…Of course it works just as well as the ‘slapstick’ Squidward received later on in Spongebob…..Okay, it’s better then that, but still not that good.
 
And yeah, while Applejack does seem to care a lot about Spike, she only really interacted with him during season 1…I don’t think the two had any moments in season 2, since they never really shared any scenes together. {Except for her admonishing him about playing with the cake ornaments….Looking back, It’s almost like Applejack is a motherly figure to Spike.}
 
Season 3 had the first Spike/Applejack episode and while it had some flaws, it was nice to see some extended interaction….I just hope the next episode to do so doesn’t have to change a character in such a way again.

The irony is that this scene from the cover art appears nowhere in the actual comic. In fact, Spike comes out pretty good in it, rendering all the drama in the thread here moot.

@Evowizard25  
Heh, I knew someone would say that about the Castle Maneia moment. I meant more on asking him and not just looking. Though to be fair, she did a nice job in Princess Twilight Sparkle.
 
On Applejack, I agree. You won’t think that would be the case. It looked like Pinkie or Fluttershy would fill that more caring role once, but as long as Spike can have interactions outside of Twilight or Rarity it’s cool.
 
Season 1 Spike was never abused–writers or otherwise. Many of his comeuppance was his own doing. He had moments of oweage to balance his pitfalls and, at least for me, there wasn’t a sense that he was forgotten, only that he and the mane 6 did their own thing.

@Dragonmage  
Actually, Applejack checked.  

 
You know, of all the main six and all other character, Applejack is the only one who has shown a real care for him. {I’m not including Twilight since in some episodes she doesn’t do a good job as caretaker.} Honestly, I think we need more Applejack/Spike episodes.
 
And it is true that the writers haven’t been kind to Spike this season. It seems they’ve gone back to season 1 levels of treatment of the guy.

@Background Pony #4B81  
Try reading the comment first. It does a decent job explaining my view.
 
I’ll just add this to highlight the Spike abuse anyway:
 
S4 ep.1:  

@Dragonmage  
I meant provide specific examples from the episodes.
 
I.e. “In Simple Ways, this happened to Spike, I think this bad because [reason].”
 
Otherwise I’m going to assume you’re pulling this out of your ass because I see very little difference between his treatment then and his treatment now.

@Background Pony #4B81  
The past Spike stood with Twilight on a level of an old childhood friend. He did stuff for and helped her out the best way he could, often acting as her close confidant, but at the same time he did his own thing and acted independently. He was like Rainbow with work. If he didn’t have to do it, he didn’t want to and pursed other interests. There was no doormat mentality.
 
And while he let Rarity take advantage of him to win her over, he’d never let the world roll all over on him. If he could he would turn a bad situation into his favor, like with being kidnapped by the buffoon, or the kidnapping of Rarity. With the latter, he even came up with the plans that got the mane 5 to her.
 
The past Spike was never a “sidekick” or in need of pity.

@Dragonmage  
>The direction they’ve taken Spike’s character this season has been down right disturbing. He’s now a different character then what he was intended for, and with no development to show for it.
 
Elaborate. Give specific examples from the episodes.

Poor Spike. Forever doomed to be mule.
 
_{Bout time that reptile learned his place}

@HunterSClopson  
If you don’t think fan work/fan canon has no influence then maybe you need to check your glasses.
 
The direction they’ve taken Spike’s character this season has been down right disturbing. He’s now a different character then what he was intended for, and with no development to show for it.
 
The abuse far outweighs any heartwarming moments this season. And if something decent does happen to him than things immediately goes south shortly after. Unlike with past seasons, he didn’t deserve any of them. These moments of abuse or “tropes” just happen for the sake of happening and Spike’s screen presences has been non-existance.
 
Looks like the Spike haters of season 3 got their wish. Heaven forbids he gets more than one episode in a season.

@Dragonmage  
“it’s like fan work is influencing the writing for the show and now the comic.”
 

 
No piece of fanwork will ever be popular enough to even appear in the show, let alone alter it. Spike just plays a trope that’s all. If it rustles your jimmies that much, you might as well stop watching the show. But I recommend against that, as Spike has much more heartwarming moments than he does abuse moments.

@HunterSClopson  
I DON’T, but it’s like fan work is influencing the writing for the show and now the comic.

@Dragonmage  
I’d recommend stop watching that Witchcraft junk, but whatever floats your boat.

Even the comic is getting on board with the Friendship is Witchcraft level of abuse.
 
Well, time to drop the comic. :/

poor bugger just can’t get a break

Celestia is lazy as shit; having a baby carry your crap.