CypherHoof

I do feel that they are quite complex marks - and possibly not even what the CMC think they are for. Even the element they have in common - the tricolour shield - may turn out to be a larger, more general symbol (like the symbol for magic Twilight carries).. .although now I think about it, we have multiple star symbols; starlight has a four pointed star, twilight a six, and now sweetie belle has a five pointed star (although for this, compare to the cutie mark coloratura has, with the same five pointed star and FIVE notes, not just one). I think it is a good bet that the shields represent the three of them doing something as a team - the stripes appear to be the same colour as their individual manes/tails, although I do note the three coloured stripes on the "new" mlp logo seem to be the same colours too - which is interesting. I think the three outer symbols just represent the three types of pony they are - apple for earth pony, star for unicorn, and wing for pegasus, leaving just the innermost symbol to represent their talent - so, heart/song note/lightning bolt, each of which could mean a number of things I guess. Although if the five pointed star means unicorn - why does RaRa have one, when she is an earth pony?

Going to go with "can of worms". Talking about Scoots would mean at some point soon afterwards introducing Scoots, her parents finding out about the RD fan club, all the mare-do-well stuff, and.... yeah. overreaction city.

We only see a fairly small part of the world though - we know there are yaks, and minotaurs, and sea pon... ok, so we haven't officially seen those yet, but still... assuming dragons are near-immortal, they may NEED a very convoluted method to introduce more to the population, or you end up hip-deep in dragons... (although I am now wondering how long alicorns live, given luna got put in a thousand-year "time out" which seems a bit harsh on a non-immortal, even a bratty sister)

Hmmm. While Fluttershy is almost always unassertive and non-confrontational, I would say that isn't shyness, but introversion - she has no problems being assertive and/or confrontational when she feels she needs to, and that's the rub - episodes like Flutter Brutter aren't instances where she changed in some respect, but are completely in character for her. And that is a problem - you are right in that she isn't seeing any development as a character, at best she is learning that a little "tough love" is required from time to time, with the occasional episode (such as Scare Master) where she DOES push her limits, but only to try and please her friends who she feels she let down, and with the understanding that it would be a one-off event. Except - for Filli Vanilli. In a rare exception, Fluttershy is pushing her limits not because of some external force, but because of a conflict between something she really DOES want to do - sing - and her desire not to have to interact with large numbers of people. I suspect her idea of a dream event would be recording a duet with RaRa for her album... provided she could do it in a studio anonymously and never have to perform it in public

So, you can be the princess of... flying?

Sure, why not? we have no idea how long dragons live, or what sort of time scale they work on. Its possible they consider a fresh egg returning as a young dragon within a century or so "soon" (Took a look at the wiki and it says the G3 Spike is a thousand years old). Or possible a queen dragon lays hundreds of eggs, so isn't really that emotionally invested in when any one egg gets hatched. Or (again, because I looked at the wiki ) it's possible spike is an orphan.

Or what if eggs can only be hatched by magic, so they are routinely given to other, magic using races to be hatched?

Maybe another Ponytones episode?

Cutie marks don't always make sense at first, I guess. Twilight's doesn't make a great deal of sense until you see the tree of harmony; Cadence's makes sense once you know about the crystal empire/heart, and so forth. CMCs have three near identical shields, with modifiers; clearly they are destined to be a team - although a shield would more imply defenders rather than the helper role they seem to believe they have - and each has TWO modifiers. Apple Bloom has an apple encasing a heart shape. Scootaloo has a wing featuring lightning Sweetie Belle has a star (and not the six pointed star for magic) around a musical note. I don't think those are little hints - I think they have a deeper meaning, but their context is being saved for a future story line.

Well, there IS the upcoming movie - maybe this season is setting up for an epic event there?

I think she is fine the way she is, unless she WANTS to change. Fluttershy has a history of being able to step up and be assertive when it matters to her, and has usually found a way to achieve her goals. even putting the recent S7 episode aside (to avoid spoilers :D) there are lots of examples of this - way back in season one, we see this when she encounters Spike in the very first episode; then we have DragonShy - stepping up because her friends needed her - and again in Staremaster, when there was a threat to the CMC, On the other hand, when she tries the Iron Will assertiveness training, she turns into a thin skinned monster - not really in keeping with her Element there. Besides, she is cute like this, and that's not a bad thing

Nothing in that implies she has to want an intimate relationship with him, BlinkZ - just it would be a classic trope for him to fall for another (presumably a dragon, if you want to keep things simpler, relationship-wise) and for Rarity to miss his constant chasing of her affections...

Before anything could possibly happen, Spike has to fall for a different character (Ember, maybe?) leaving Rarity struggling with the conflict between her Element and her jealous need to claim back her Spikey Wikey