@Marvelous TK  
It’s this sort of response that makes me glad that people sometimes take shipping as seriously as they do. You worded that very eloquently and I can only hope that the argument can be put to rest now that you have said what you have.

@Background Pony #DD2D  
Okay, after some thought, my previous reply about your inability to actually read the post you’re replying to probably didn’t actually make things any clearer, huh? So I’m going to do a bit of side-by-side comparison between your reply and my original.
 
@Background Pony #DD2D  

@Marvelous TK  

 
What’s that? Your reply actually said the exact same thing as the post you were oh-so-condescendingly replying to? Fancy that.
 
I say again. What you’re complaining about is not Spikebelle. Spikebelle shippers - people who actually ship the ship, not people who use it as a convenient and lazy way out of drama - do none of the things you are complaining about. Hell, this image that is hosting your complaints does none of them. It features heartbroken Rarity crying that he chose Sweetie Belle over her - in spite of her, not because of her. Spikebelle is about Spike and Sweetie Belle, not Rarity, who is at best a secondary figure in the ship. At best. She’s not actually necessary to feature at all. Because Spikebelle shippers don’t ship it because of Rarity. I don’t know how I could possibly make this any clearer.
 
If I sound angry, it’s probably because I am. Nothing gets under my skin quite like being ignored, and you did a kick-ass job of doing that. But if for a moment you actually cared to pay attention, you’d see I’m not in any way defending the things you’re complaining about. If anything I’m condemning them harder than you are. Because I ship Spikebelle. And that’s not Spikebelle.
 
That is all.

@Background Pony #515B  
No. :|

@Marvelous TK  
Be greatful some of them actually use an existing character like Sweetie Belle and not just some random OC girl dragon or just write out Spike from the group altogether.

@Background Pony #DD2D  
Okay, no, that’s not Spikebelle shipping. That’s Rarity x Whoever shipping that wants to conveniently write Spike out of it without too much hassle. As for the Sweetie Belle not being a replacement for Rarity… did you even read my post gah that was like 90% of what I said, gah. Don’t talk so matter-of-fact when you can’t even be bothered to pay attention to what I’m saying. “That is all” pah.

@Marvelous TK  
I’m not talking down on the ship, I saying that most shippers like use Sweetie Belle as a plot device just to go on their RarityXshipping pair.
 
It gets very annoying really quick.
 
Sweetie Belle is NOT a “Replacement” for Rarity. That is not how love works, that is not how people work. Sweetie Belle is her own unique pony with a character and personally all her own. She not “younger” Rarity, do not ship her that way.
 
That is all.

@Background Pony #DD2D  
What? You have nothing against SpikeBelle, but the shippers shipping it upsets you? What does that even mean?
 
Anyways, mild SpikeBelle shipper myself, think I need to correct you on something. Your argument was - Rarity rejects him, he settles for Sweetie? I… don’t honestly know a single SpikeBelle shipper who sees the ship like that. Spike and Sweetie are the center of the ship - not Rarity. While Spike’s canon crush is a delightfully fun source of added drama and whatnot, it is not the driving force behind the ship, or any sort of deciding factor whatsoever. Sweetie Belle is not Rarity Lite. Frankly, she and Rarity have very little in common. Shipping the ship as ‘settling’ would be absurd. No one actually does that.
 
You’re seeing “Spike has a crush on Rarity” and “Sweetie Belle is Rarity’s little sister” as primary factors. Spikebelle shippers - or again, at least myself and the ones I know - see those as secondary. The actual driving forces behind the ship are simple: a little dragon and a little unicorn. While Rarity’s involvement makes for an interesting story, it’s not why the ship is shipped. The ship would be shipped even if Sweetie Belle was just some random foal, like Scoots. Just with less dramatic potential. I don’t care if you like the ship or not, but don’t decide for yourself why some people do, and then use your assumptions to talk down on the ship. That’s just rude.

@Background Pony #9338  
I guess when I would expect zero people who ship Spike and Rarity to notice much less comment on it, it feels like a lot to me. It doesn’t really matter to me if you see this reply or not, it’s like I’m really debating anything here or making impassioned arguments, just some observations.

@KrishnaKarnak  
MLP isn’t about romance, its about comedy simple as that, no romance involved. I don’t hate SpikeBelle I just don’t like most shippers ship it.

@Background Pony #DD2D  

 
Happens all the time in real life, why wouldn’t it happen in canon? I have literally been in Spike’s shoes, settling for someone else when the woman of my affections constantly shot me down… only to have my sudden lack of interest make the former realize the loss and break down.

@Background Pony Number 17  
Well I don’t approve of this ship. To tell you the truth, I don’t find appeal of this ship at all. Rarity rejects Spike so he settles for the sister? That’s really a bad move on Spike’s part and it’s never gonna happen in canon.

@Background Pony #6B7F  
I’ve seen those comments too, a mere dozens or so and I pay attention. Still far from “a lot” so that’s some skewed observation. I think the ship is dumb, but so are unsubstantiated statements and the stubbornness of the shippers is something I find oddly admirable. And everyone knows that Sparity shippers are often very stubborn. Anyway, have fun blowing smoke and writing that reply I won’t read.

Unsubscribed.

Finally dm29 sees the light and embraces the one true spike ship?

@Background Pony #DD2D  
I didn’t say he didn’t still have a crush on her, once again, I said it has been downplayed as in not focused on as much recently. Compared to how it used to be in earlier seasons.
 
@Background Pony #9338  
You can look at some of the discussion threads and comment sections even on this site to see people have noticed and commented on it, and what I was thinking of when I said that were shipping discussions on fimfiction. So not really, no. I have nothing to gain by making something like that up and no reason to project anything, it’s just an observation.

While I fully approve this ship, I can’t help but think it’d be Sweetie Belle pursuing Spike rather than the other way around.

@Background Pony #6B7F  
They actually seem to be doing that with most of the romances: Flashlight, big part of EQG only slightly touched on in Rainbow Rock. Shining Armor and Cadence weren’t even shown in the same shot as each other in Equestria Games.

@Background Pony #6B7F  
I think the “even a lot of Sparity shippers” is just you heavily projecting your personal opinion as abstract statistics.

@Background Pony #6B7F  
Did you watch the Inspiration Manifestation episode, it heavily implied that Spike still have a crush on Rarity.

@Background Pony #515B  
I didn’t say they never referenced it anymore, just that it was being played down (he doesn’t fawn over her and go gaga every time he sees her like he used to back in earlier seasons). And while I’ve never liked Sparity much, my point was that even many Sparity fans have noticed that the writers seem to be focusing less and less on Spike’s romantic feelings when they interact, or not having them interact as much period (again with EG, them pairing Spike with Fluttershy for a lot of it when you’d think it would be Rarity). Which is the only reason I brought it up… they they are noticing it and talking about it themselves is interesting and maybe telling. I don’t like it either way, but that’s me.

@Background Pony #6B7F  
You referenced Spike’s crush being played down and I am pointing out his interaction with Rarity in that episode.

@Background Pony #515B  
What about it?

@Background Pony #515B  
Don’t forget Inspiration Manifestation.

@Background Pony #6B7F  
Filli Vanilli.