@Background Pony #CD2B
 
Well, Celly had to gover a very huge nation with several million ponies in it. I doubt she had much time to be a mommy, especially given how the ponies know next to nothing about dragons or how they treat their offspring.  
And if we look at the teen dragons I really don’t wanna know how dragon kindergarten must be like…
 
Shiny had his military career to be busy about which does leave Twi to take care both of her studies as well as Spike with the help of some royal maids.  
I could see Celly giving Twi this responsibility to prevent raising a second Sunset Shimmer.

Spike has best hat.

@Evowizard25  
Well, that’s pretty obvious from the way they treat him most of the time.  
Though I agree on how stupid it is that while they had all the means to have Spike be like a brother with Shining, or like a son with Celestia, they simply said nope and made it so no one besides Twilight had any sort of connection or relationship with him.

@Background Pony #FFF8  
….The more I look at the show’s take on it, the more I realize how the show staff don’t hold a lot of love for the guy.

@Evowizard25  
It was just their job. They did everything they could to simply keep him alive, and that was it.

@Background Pony #FFF8  
But if that was true, then why doesn’t he get some presents from the maid or anything? Did they not ‘truly’ care and he was just a job?

@Evowizard25  
Something to add to his backstory could be: He was taken care of by maids in canterlot (so he at least had some adult taking care of him). In their spare time, twi and Celestia visit him. Twilight would get in a book for his birthday, and spend the most time getting to know him since she hatched him, and Celestia in her spare time taught him how to send letters with his fire (something lauren envisioned).
 
This way, he did technically grow up around twilight, and they form a sibling bond over time, but not enough to really know about her relationship with her brother.

door closes  
Spike: HOUSE PAAAARTY!  
everyone else in Ponyville jumps out from their hiding places

…And Spike gets left behind again. Does Twilight just not like taking along with her to anywhere? I mean, she’s visiting her brother, not fighting some dark evil….Of course, you took him with you to the Crystal Empire that one time. {Not the others because….Reasons.}
 
@Armade  
It’s less ‘headcanon’ and more ‘Spike was her assistant for several years’ thing. Twilight pretty much treats him {for the most part} like a little brother. She is the only one to get him presents on his birthday {I call horseapples}.
 
By doing this, the show is pretty much saying that neither Celestia or Twilight’s family wanted to get to know the dragon, or Twilight was rather selfish of him and kept him away from everyone else. {You’d have also expected Celestia to know him well enough, seeing as she watched him grow up. Heck, Lauren wanted Celestia to be his mother, but nope, he doesn’t have a mother…Or anyone beside Twilight….Of course Applejack is the closest one beside her, seeing as she really care for him.}
 
The point is, Spike should know full well about Twilght’s nickname for Shining, seeing as he GREW UP with her.

Spike is going to wreck the place, isn’t he?

@albert19  
well, headcanons, you know…

And people say Spike and Shining have a ‘brother’ relationship. He didn’t even know Twilight’s nickname for him.

@SRD639  
I know, but I wasn’t reference that.

@Mart  
This isn’t FIW.

>>Cadence and I will have lots of time together  
Have you perhaps forgotten what happened the LAST time you said that?

@Background Pony #D87F  
These are previews and are allowed.

Gotta read these before mods take it down.

There is D&D in Equestria!!!!!!!  
I must go i need this planet

I’m surprised the O&O game from a series by different artists got mentioned by I loved the nod.

We all know what’s gonna happen when twilight spends time with his brother..  
. Hehehe- Get your mind out the gutter!

I’m sure there’s literally no functional difference between the books.