@GeneralKenobi75
It’s not unusual, I have neices and nephews that constantly try to help me, or other family members with everything. It’s nice when kids are taught to help others they care about. I offer to help others too sense I was young, it’s not “slavery.”

People just exaggerate, because we usually see Spike when he’s trying to be her assistant, or when trying to be a helper.

@Daneasaur
While some of that does sound better than Twilight being forced to raise Spike herself on top of her studies, saying Celestia “groomed” Spike to be Twilight’s assistant to do all the cooking, cleaning and organizing for Twilight while she did her studies makes it sound like Spike was raised to be Twilight’s SLAVE.

Personally their relationship being more like adoptive brother and sister is much more fitting and shows how close they are. While the comic wasn’t executed that well, Twilight being there with Spike from the beginning does make their bond stronger. Rather than him being raised solely to be her assistant and servant. I like to think Spike chose to become her assistant as he grew older and wanted to help her.

His artwork is already better than mine.

@Cirrus Light  
I strongly believe Faust said that when Twilight got her job at the Canterlot library, Spike was given a job there as well so that he could help keep her grounded (cook, clean, do things other than study) as well as serve as her 1-1 connection to the Princess so they wouldn’t need to meet face to face every time Twilight had something to say/ask.

@Daneasaur  
Well it could’ve been that he learned about this in later years when he was a bit older. Who knows when he and Twi moved out? But they didn’t move to Ponyville until Spike was a lot older.

@Daneasaur
 
This could happened after he was hatched.

I also just realized… He’s barely a toddler, probably not able to talk yet, however he:  
-shows he comprehends the situation (competition between siblings)  
-sees himself as a sibling to them  
-is trying to include himself in the competition  
-is surprisingly adept at writing/drawing already
 
Spike’s awareness of the situation is already razor sharp, even at this age.

@Daneasaur  
Makes a surprising amount of sense.

@Background Pony Number 17  
Scootaloo escapes her caretakers and we know AB’s trouble, but Sweetie Belle actually didn’t spend much time with her sister until Sisterhooves social, where their parents were going on a vacation and left SB with Rarity (much to Rarity’s dismay). After they connected, they did spend some more time together, but after the CMC got their marks, they then showed how LITTLE Rarity and SB are connected by having Rarity miss her, but when she tries to reconnect with her, finds out SB has grown up quite a bit and doesn’t enjoy the same things she used to. This would have to be a large period of time of them apart.
 
But as for the dynamic specifically between Twilight and Spike, it’s evident that Spike saw Twilight and Armor as his older brother and sister, but they didn’t see him the same way, and since Twilight obviously did very well in her studies and Spike wasn’t strapped to her back in the flashbacks with moondancer, this would imply Spike was with Twilight’s parents during classes overlooked by Celestia herself.
 
I feel this points to:
 
Spike was carefully shuffled between Twilight’s parents and Celestia during his upbringing. This would make Twilight in her youth “disconnect” with him being a brother due to his absences (whereas Armor is always there), but Spike would see it differently as all four ponies were present at the time he hatched and he saw them all as one big family.
 
This would be why she often overlooks the idea that Spike views her like an older sister, requiring her to put in effort to remember that that is how he sees it.

@SPB2016  
I second that headcannon, Twilight is like Nani.

@SPB2016
 
Applejack and Big Macintosh are like this towards Apple Bloom also.

@Background Pony Number 17  
Headcanon accepted. It’s like Nani from “Lilo and Stitch”, she’s an older sibling who has to fill the role of a parent.

@Background Pony Number 17  
THIS, deserves a prize for best comment!
 
And I’m not joking!

Re “Mama Twilight” vs. “Big Sister Twilight”: One of the things that the show is consistent about is that in Equestria, older siblings take a LOT more responsibility for the raising of younger siblings than older siblings IRL do. Sweetie Belle apparently spends more time with Rarity than with their parents. Applejack is (sadly out of necessity) raising Apple Bloom as if she were her own foal. A big reason Scootaloo is so desperate for Rainbow Dash’s approval is that her own parents neglect her and she has no older sibling to turn to.
 
So, it would not be unusual that Twilight Sparkle had a major part in Spike’s rearing. That’s apparently expected of older sisters in Equestria.

Awwww!!!! Baby Spike kills me!

@Daneasaur  
I would take Muffinshire’s comic over that pitiful excuse of a backstory.

Loss when?

this must be the saddest thing in this show so far

@Daneasaur
 
I was glad the writers ignore the events in “Father Knows Beast”. I was never a fan of the idea that Twilight and Spike have a mother and son relationship.

@neo4812  
 
It’s a comic where Celestia and Twilight’s parents thrust the caretaking of Spike onto Twilight AND have twilight work her flank off to pass her studies and it culminates in her abusing the heck out of him.
 
 
@Red-Supernova  
Yeah, I’m glad it was retconned too. I don’t know who in their mind thought it was a good idea, it’s downright horrifying.
 
 
@Cirrus Light
 
@Background Human  
It’s more that Spike was groomed by Celestia to be a grounding force for Twilight. “Word of Faust” goes that Spike was raised by Celestia while Twilight studied, which allowed Celestia to lean how to send scrolls through Spike’s flame as a 1-1 connection between teacher and student. Spike also cooked, cleaned, and ensured Twilight got rest and did, you know, living OUTSIDE of her studies, basically preventing a Moondancer issue.
 
Granted, this could simply be where he is indeed joint raised by Twilight’s parents AND Celestia, but two keystone breadcrumbs that were laid out in season 1 that was never followed up on?
 
Spike’s ability to get into contact with some of the most famous ponies and bring them to ponyville.
 
And this scene:  

 
“I’ve planned out my insider’s tour of Canterlot; I gotta show Rarity the crown jewels, and Applejack the princess’ golden apple tree, and Pinkie, we gotta go to my favorite doughnut shop.”
 
There are implications that Spike has really high pull in society with Canterlot locals knowing he is connected to Celestia. Adding to it are the two other things; the access to the crown jewels, and the golden apple tree (which, since much of this was based off of greek mythos, was going to explain how Celestia lived for over 1,000 years since her sister’s banishment).
 
But, other than Donut Joe’s shop, none of these are followed up on and, depending on the writer, Spike is either very close and knowledgeable with the princesses to the point he looks up to them like a kid to their mother, or he’s clueless.
 
Thankfully, this episode:
 
1: Helped rendered that abhorrent comic null and void.
 
2: Gives the idea that Spike grew up believing he was a sibling to Twilight, helping establish the brother sister relationship and why he often feels left out on things she does without him.
 
3: Reconnected with his true talent of being able to read others.

@Background Human  
That makes sense. But I dunno how much he’d get to see Twi in that case. By growing up with Twi, her familiar could get attached to her, even if she wasn’t old enough to raise him, herself.

@Cirrus Light  
Maybe they were hoping Celestia raised him?
 

@Daneasaur  

Ftfy.
 
Seriously. Why would you leave a baby to the care of a filly barely out of diapers, herself? Who probably doesn’t even pour her own bowls of cereal?
 
Also you said you liked the “little brother” PoV, but “little brother” implies they have the same caretakers, not that one raised the other (though siblings can often help raise each other, it’s not usually near to the extent with which the parents are the primary caregivers).

@Daneasaur  
I like to think raising Spike was a collaborative effort between Twilight, her family and Celestia.
 
Glad that comic was retconned. Why did the writers even think that would have been a good idea?

@neo4812  
Issue 40 of the main series