Lauren Faust recently dropped some backstory on Spike over on her Deviant Art page. Apparently he was actually raised by Celestia, which makes a whole lot more sense than Twilight doing it.
This isn't 100% canon, but it's more information on the Spike/Twilight relationship than we have to go off of right now. Hopefully all of this will be explored in the actual show as we get more episodes!
Thanks to YazzoB for the heads up!
87 comments:
FIRST
ReplyDeleteI wanna learn the "Magic Letter Sending Thing" spell.
ReplyDeleteWell, that explains why Spike treats Twilight more like a sister than a parent then.
ReplyDeleteLaurent Faust is so amazing I can't even begin to comprehend it.
ReplyDeleteNot how it looked in my headcannon, but still a very good backstory
ReplyDeleteAwww. Anyways, I think today is just a massive explosion of backstory and whatnot. I mean, hearth's warming was practically a massive history lesson. And now we get insight into spike's past?
ReplyDeleteI'm calling it right now: 20 fics by next Friday.
Our leader has spoken!
ReplyDelete> My ideas shouldn't be considered canon.
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Faust,
you're kidding, right?
Yours,
The Bronies.
That still raises the question even more; if no one passed the entrance test, then the hell was the entrance test?
ReplyDeleteHer ideas aren't canon (except the ones that made up the episodes, duh). They're just Word of God, a step below canon but a step above fanon.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I like her explanation. it makes sense and explains why Spike's the only baby dragon around. And why Twilight herself didn't know about greed-growth.
His mom's a god and his sister is a walking nuke. Spike's family kicks ass.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I miss Mrs. Faust on the show...
ReplyDelete@Zamoonda
ReplyDeleteThe test was to see what the ponies would try, not to actually hatch the egg. That's why the proctors were taking notes while Twilight tried different spells. If the only point was to hatch or not, you wouldn't need four test admins - just one. Did it hatch, or not? The test was all about creativity and ability, not to hatch the egg. Nopony expected Rainboom'd Twilight to hatch it.
@Zamoonda
ReplyDeleteI'm expecting you were only invited to the entrance test if it was pre-ordained that you would join the school with the expectations you would fail it. And Celestia merely put the entrance test in place as a way to divine her potential personal student.
@ponydoraprancypants
ReplyDeleteI never thought about it that way, but that really makes sense. Hatching the egg was probably completely unexpected and why Celestia said she's never seen a unicorn with Twilight's ability.
If they haven't seen one before, then how did other ponies pass the exam?
ReplyDeleteWasn't the goal to hatch the dragon?
Well, there ya go
ReplyDeleteI like the complicated maternal brother-sister friendship that Spike and Twilight have. And this only makes it better, because now the somewhat weird mother-son bit of the relationship is easier to swallow if Celestia played the part of mommy.
ReplyDeleteAlso... now we know why Celestia thought to send Spike a ticket to the Gala, and how Spike knows how Celestia thinks.
Okay, I know, not canon, not canon. But still. It works for now, at least as headcanon. I'd still like to see the show explore this kind of thing on its own.
Lauren, who are you kidding? Your ideas are 100% canon. There's nothing you can do about it.
ReplyDelete@MyBoyJ
ReplyDeleteSo unicorns randomly becoming living nexuses of mana is NORMAL?
I find it incredibly ironic that Lauren Faust's ideas have basically been reduced to the same level of canonity as fanfics at this point.
ReplyDeleteY'know, that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteWhat will Studio B do with it though?
This explains the quote from Winter Wrap-Up, "Mommy? You're not my mommy."
ReplyDelete@Mattwo
ReplyDeleteThe goal was probably to just get a reaction out of the egg, as the fanfiction "A Day for Spike and Twilight" suggested a few months ago.
For all we know, Spike's egg might have been hundreds of years old, with countless students prodding it with their magic. Dragon eggs are probably pretty magical themselves, so it would make sense.
@Wisdom Thumbs
ReplyDeletefaust's head-canon instantly becomes fanon when the fanbase notices.
and that's how "it takes a village" was ruined -.-
ReplyDelete@Sidney That's because she's WAAAAAY too humble about it. I'm pretty sure that Jayson and the rest of the crew still totally respect her ideas. In fact, it's great that Sethisto posted this here, because maybe the crew wasn't actually aware of this little piece of history, and now they can include it in the story. So, Lauren will still have an influence on the show.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I'm concerned, if she has an idea worked out, it's canon, and this one makes sense too.
@Mattwo
ReplyDeleteNo, a unicorn mana nexus would be most ABNORMAL, and why Celestia was impressed with Twilight.
@Wisdom Thumbs
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm guessing Celestia found it centuries earlier, and eventually it became a "standardized test." She probably could sense it would react to magic, but didn't think anypony could hatch it.
Well that's MY fic blown to hell >_< ah well.
ReplyDeleteIf Faust says it, its canon.
ReplyDeleteI never even considered that. Though it did seem odd that Twilight was asked to hatch a dragon. I mean, did all students have to do that? And where did they even get Spike's egg from?
ReplyDeleteSo that means that Spike is a special dragon.
ReplyDelete@Zamoonda Well, maybe the real test isn't to actually hatch the egg, but rather see how creative the applicants get in trying to hatch the egg. What's the Star Trek reference? The kobayashi maru? I think the same kinda applies here. Twilight, however, surpassed expectations by invoking perils of the warp and actually hatched the egg.
ReplyDeleteJust my two cents on the issue.
@Depo007
ReplyDeleteExactly. I share your theory (see above). Unlike Kirk, Twilight didn't have to cheat to "win," though, she just needed a coincidentally perfectly timed magical sonic rainboom.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFaust, you so humble.
ReplyDelete@ponydoraprancypants
ReplyDeleteAgreed. And Faust is now canon again whether she likes it or not.
Faust and Studio B are hitting all of my fanfiction's plot points before I even write them. I'm not sure what to think of that.
*resists shameless self plug*
@Mattwo
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not.
Think of it this way: Say you're in shop class. Okay, put boards together, swing hammer, hit nail. Some are better than others at it, and put together some decent projects. Miniature houses, birdhouses, maybe a scratching post or something.
Twilight would be the new kid that builds a scale-model replica of the Sao Paulo Cathedral on her first day.
@Depo007
ReplyDeleteKobayashi Maru: A test that is intended to b impossibe to complete, used to examine the creativity and the character of the person taking it. Excellent reference. Twilight pulled a full Kirk without cheating.
@ParaspriteHugger Totally reading that with the nightmare moon voice XD
ReplyDeleteIt may be that there were a number of different tests, all intended to be really tough. And the applicants were judged mostly by their approaches and creativity, but given special consideration if they found a way to succeed.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Twi could've quite easily gotten into other schools, but Celestia's school is extremely prestigious and intensive.
Hatching a dragon egg seemed a very normal thing for the ones watching over Twilight during the exam, so I assume that several dragons were born this way... What happened to them? :$
ReplyDeletePlus, Lauren's background info implies that ponies don't usually deal with dragons, wich makes this a contradiction ^^U
I'm kinda gettin a "Triwizard Tournament" vibe from this scenario. :)
ReplyDeleteEh, Celestia's immortal arse being in the dark about Dragons is stupid. One of the cooler aspects about Tia is how she always knows more than she lets on. She's been around the block too many times to be ignorant about such a powerful and potentially dangerous species. I've always taken Faust's words as canon, but this here is weak sauce backstory imho.
ReplyDeleteEgg Hatching as Kobayashi Maru test? Don't like that either. IIRC, hatching the egg isn't what turned Tia's head, it was Spike suddenly being Godzilla status. Those proctors sure seemed like they were expecting SOMETHING to happen to the egg, just not some crazy One Winged Angel Bauce Status ish.
@Jimmytrius
ReplyDeleteNot at all. The ponies examining Twilight looked shocked by her display of power, and by the dragon suddenly appearing out of the egg.
As has been discussed before on this page, Twilight wasn't meant to *hatch* the egg, just get a reaction out of it. And she... well, got more than a simple reaction.
@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDeleteShe obviously knew enough about dragons to have a dragon egg in her palace. And she knew enough to properly raise and train said dragon when it was hatched.
But an all-knowing Celestia would be boring.
I mean seriously we don't have to think too hard on those topics...
ReplyDeleteBut anyways I like Faust's idea...cannon or not
When will Ms. Faust ever learn that no matter how much she says "my words are not canon" that everyone will consider them canon until the current writers say otherwise (and sometimes beyond that)?
ReplyDeleteIt's also possible that Twilight was a unique exception in the entrance exam. Maybe other ponies hatch other creatures? Maybe Celestia had a dragon egg lying around (WHY WOULD SHE?) and said "I wonder..." and gave it to Twilight to hatch, already knowing her magical potential.
@Wisdom Thumbs
ReplyDeleteNot all knowing. Just with the wealth of experience you would typically expect from a Mentor character, especially one as old as Tia. And again, its kind of a national security issue...
@Rohit Eligeti
ReplyDeleteSHADDUP, THE BALROG TOTALLY HAS WINGS BRAH!
Well that settles that then!
ReplyDeleteI already had the idea the egg hatching test wasn't really about actually hatching the egg.
ReplyDeleteTBH, I'd consider Lauren's stuff more "canon" than what shows up on TV.
ReplyDeleteWhy people think holding the copyright and distribution rights = control over canon, I have no idea. Those are entirely separate concepts.
Cool that clears that up a bit. Though raises the question of where the egg was originally found. Was Spike abandoned by his mother and Celestia came across it and kept the egg?
ReplyDelete@mycutiemarkisagun It says that dragons are mysterious to ponies (not necessarily alicorns) and that nopony has ever seen a BABY dragon before.
ReplyDeleteThat leads me to believe that Faust is implying that Celestia has far more experience with dragons than ponies.
@Ten
That's actually something I'm trying to explore with my fanfic (which, I'll admit, is an amateurish attempt at writing at best). Though I'm thinking more along the lines of 'Celestia the Dragonslayer.'
If you haven't read it, Jetfire's "A Day for Spike and Twilight" provides a great backstory for Celestia and Spike. Though you should probably read "Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door" first.
Er, sorry. Meant to say:
ReplyDelete"That leads me to believe that Faust is implying that Celestia has far more experience with dragons than *OTHER* ponies. "
@Wisdom Thumbs Cool I will give that a looksee and add it to my fanfic pile. Thanks for the heads up :)
ReplyDeletewoo-oow!
ReplyDeleteshouldn't be cannon
ReplyDeleteimmediately considers cannon
It wasn't even really an egg. Just a painted rock.
ReplyDelete@Wisdom Thumbs
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. Twilight was supossed to hatch the egg from the very beginning (there's even a sign with a picture of the dragon coming out from the egg that shows us that this is the purpose of the exam), and the examinators were surprised because she didn't just hatch the egg, she even turned the little baby dragon into an enormous one ;)
Wait... So if they never raised a baby dragon before, why was trying the hatch one part of an entrance exam?!
ReplyDeleteStill, this DOES lead into some intereting insight about how ponies view dragons in Equestria.
Despite what Lauren Faust said, I'm considering this canon.
This doesn't really fit with the show; we never see Spike nor Celestia act like this is the case.
ReplyDeleteI suspect this is something Lauren came up with on the spot without thinking about whether it works in the show or not.
Okey i know this is a pretty stupid questions for some of you but what dose "canon" mean, i have heard the expression a few times before but never relay understood what it means. anyone here care to enlighten me
ReplyDeleteFaust canon is canon enough to me.
ReplyDeleteGentlemen, I bid farewell!
@axz Canon = Part of the actual show. Fanon = Things the fans assumed or made up.
ReplyDeleteThe problematic thing with evaluating Lauren's statement against the show is that in the episode where we see it, no pony was acting as if asking an applicant to hatch a dragon egg was a big deal. It seemed very routine.
ReplyDeleteThis either means that:
1. What Lauren Faust states was her original idea, but the show changed it.
2. The Dragon Egg hatching test was supposed to be similar to the Kobayashi Maru from Star Trek, in which the applicant is expected to fail. The real test is to see how the student tries to solve the problem / reacts to the failure. Rather than "cheating," however, Twilight's raw magical ability is truly exceptional, so the unexpected occurred.
3. There is some credence to the "conspiracy theories" that Celestia had been monitoring Twilight even before she applied to the school, and that Twilight was given a "special" test as a result.
Personally, I kind of like the idea of #2. Who knows what really is the case, though?
Inafter usual Canon vs. non-canon stuff nonsense.
ReplyDeleteMakes sense though I suppose. Hence why the vet was so perplexed when Twilight brought Spike to her. And Fluttershy's reaction when she first met Spike in season one. Dragons exist obviously, but ponies don't usually keep them as pets or in Twilight's case, an assistant. Twilight is a rare exception in this regard. It's similar to a situation where someone has an exotic pet.
Hmm...dragons have to be trained to send letters? Makes sense I suppose...never really thought about it before....
ReplyDeleteHmm...dragons have to be trained to send letters? Makes sense I suppose...never really thought about it before....
ReplyDeleteWould be cooler if all of Celestia's Students keep their Dragons.
ReplyDeleteIt would also Explain how Celestia gets most of her knowledge because her Students are sending her letters/Reports almost everyday/every other day.
Faust is the second-highest authority on MLP for me. It's like info in the expanded Star Wars Universe. Until the main show says otherwise, it's canon.
ReplyDelete@Zamoonda
ReplyDeleteMaybe everypony gets different entrance exams. or only the students who apply like her
@Shiranai
ReplyDeletei really like your 3rd theory. this would explain the statement that nopony has seen a baby dragon.
also, to those who are saying that celestia must have had some knowlege, the quote says that "celestia took on the challenge herself" implying that this was also new to her, but she felt that if anypony could handle it, it would be her.
@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDelete>Those proctors sure seemed like they were expecting SOMETHING to happen to the egg, just not some crazy One Winged Angel Bauce Status ish.
Key phrase, "seemed like". You don't know what they were expecting; you're assuming it. They had their poker faces on while they assessed Twilight's abilities.
It's also worth pointing out that this was a flashback from Twilight's point of view; she was extremely nervous and convinced that she had failed the test, so of course it looked to her as if they were thinking exactly that.
>IIRC, hatching the egg isn't what turned Tia's head, it was Spike suddenly being Godzilla status.
Yes, because she was standing outside and happened to see a dragon burst through the roof. We don't know what she was doing up until that moment, so we can't really judge whether she would have been impressed by the hatching or not. She didn't see it, or we didn't see her see it, so there is nothing for us to go on here.
>Eh, Celestia's immortal arse being in the dark about Dragons is stupid.
>And again, its kind of a national security issue...
Things not working the way you assume they work is stupid, hm?
Yes, as a "national security issue", Celestia has good reason to want to know about dragons, just as any leader wants to know the strengths and weaknesses of their potential threats, but wanting to know something and knowing it are two different things. You assume that because she's had at least a thousand years to study dragons, she must know all about them by now. She's had the time to study them, yes, but that does not mean she has had the opportunity.
From what little we've seen, dragons appear to be private and territorial creatures, and not overly concerned with or fond of ponies. How could she study them? She could just ask, but maybe they don't want ponies to know their secrets. She would almost certainly be against the idea of killing one to dissect it, and just finding a dead or dying one might not be so easy. She could simply try to observe them, but that could prove difficult if they don't want to be studied. Not to mention, she has a kingdom to run and an orbit to maintain, which probably doesn't leave her with much time to go around playing Crocodile Hunter.
I actually agree with you to some extent, or used to -- while I don't think it's a stupid answer, it's not the one I had expected or the one I would have given if it were my story. I made the same assumptions myself that much more was known about dragons, at least in Canterlot academic circles. But Lauren Faust's theory on Spike's upbringing is consistent with everything we've seen in the show so far. You don't have to like it, but I think you're wrong to call it stupid and weak. It's perfectly solid.
@Wisdom Thumbs
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of the egg being hundreds of years old.
I thought that perhaps dragon eggs are viable over geological time scales and that they are sometimes dug up in mine workings.
I presume dragons bury their eggs like reptiles and sometimes eggs won't hatch, but rather than dying they act as an insurance policy.
Eventually some will be exposed to a magical field of sufficient strength to awaken the egg and repopulate any areas where dragons have died out. I assume that a magical environment is necessary for dragon's to grow considering the speed at which greedy spike grew and shrank.
This explains why the egg was used as a test. It's long lasting, durable, and of course it gauges (and presumably reacts to) the strength of any magic it's exposed to.
Wow... so the idea that Twilight's entrance exam was one that she was EXPECTED to fail, as more a test of character than one of magic, gains a bit of ground with this post.
ReplyDelete@Epesi
ReplyDelete>Things not working the way you assume they work is stupid, hm?
Geez, I guess I should put "IMHO" after everything, huh?
>You assume that because she's had at least a thousand years to study dragons, she must know all about them by now.
I assume that because she's had at least a thousand years to study dragons, she must know a helluva lot more than anypony else alive.
...
I used to argue on the internet about politics! History! Race! Religion! Now look at me! What's next? A lengthy dissertation on why PinkieDash is the Best Ship? WHAT HAVE I BECOME
I kinda prefer to think Twilight raised Spike. They have a brother sister relationship that you seem to get from spending a lot of time together.
ReplyDeleteI just have to point out he used "taught" instead of "thought".
ReplyDeleteOfficially of course word of god is never canon until the show/book/movie series shows it in the actual material- it's potential canon, and worth more than the word of a fan but still, not canon obviously. There's sometimes arguments over this idea (like people screaming on the net at people who contradict something Rowling said in one of her 5 million interviews yet wasn't in the books in a HP fanfic) so Ms. Faust is probably trying to head that kind of rubbish off since MLP is such a huge fandom too. Plus you know, not to step on some of the other fanon ideas or stories out there until the actual show may decide too. No sense in ruining the fun after all.
ReplyDelete-shrugs-
Here's an idea-
ReplyDeleteWhat if Celstia mainly took care of him, but it really was a combined effort of her and Twilight.
Or maybe Spike (at least while he was a baby) was treated like a class pet of sorts in Celestia's school, with prime control belonging to Celestia.
These are just my ideas considering his relationship with Twilight and Celestia, not too mother/son like on either end.
At first, I thought this was kind'a dumb, because why would they give a task nopony had ever done before to a little filly as an entrance exam? But then I read the comments, and someone mentioned the possibility of it being a Kobayashi Maru test. I really really really like that idea.
ReplyDelete@mycutiemarkisagun
ReplyDelete>Geez, I guess I should put "IMHO" after everything, huh?
That would only be stating the obvious. The point was that I disagreed with your opinion.
>I assume that because she's had at least a thousand years to study dragons, she must know a helluva lot more than anypony else alive.
And maybe she does. But if what everypony else knows about dragons is next to nothing, then even a little bit of practical knowledge about the species would qualify as a helluva lot more.
I came across this on Lauren's DA page. Basically, Twilight Sparkle is the only pony who got the "egg test". Lauren also talks briefly about Celestia's abilities.
ReplyDeleteI asked this question OMG I'm on equestria daily XD
ReplyDelete