On Dinky with another pony instead of Ditzy: No, it's Dinky's aunt!

Aunt topper :V

The danger of being the New Rainbow Dash

edited 8th Nov '11 7:58:55 AM by AceOfScarabs

Nope, Ruby is a darker pink and a unicorn (usually). That was the pony that dressed as a lady bug in "Luna Eclipsed". She also went derp-eyes in that episode.

What is her nickname? I've seen Paradise mentioned a couple of times on Ponychan... Berrydise, maybe?

No, mother of Dinky will be Ditzy Doo and I will be OK with that :D

edited 8th Nov '11 8:46:50 AM by DeathCloud

I think that the "hat" that unicorns wear is magic - they seem to be the only ones to do it on a daily basis, even if in extraordinary circumstances the other ponies can do a little bit of "artifact" style magic like they do in the first episode. Also, since advanced magic seems to require a horn, only unicorns can really do it a lot (their horns are like wands, from what I can tell), while the rest of the ponies have what could be described more as supernatural talents instead of Hermetic Magic, like Fluttershy's skills with beasts and Rainbow Dash's weather manipulation. This also puts the unicorns and pegasus-unicorns in a position of power over the other ponies, if only because they can use telekinesis to manipulate small objects, like sewing needles - the other ponies don't seem to use tools all that much, though it is implied that somehow Fluttershy can sew with just her hooves and mouth (maybe she hypnotizes her pets into doing it for her??).

Also, griffons are jerks, which actually makes a lot of sense if you look at classic mythology. In the original myths, griffons were the natural enemies of horses. In fact, the hippogryph, a combination of horse and griffon, came about when a greek poet wanted a metaphor for mocking an alliance between Athens and Sparta, so he decided to go with "Athens and Sparta working together is like a griffon sleeping with a horse".

All ponies are equal. Idea of Unicorns or Pegasuses being above Earth Ponies is fanon like Tyrand Celestria what now is mostly forgoten.

^^Earth ponies have been described as having a sort of innate natural magic that's difficult to pin down; people have alternately explained it as everything from super growing skills to a really strong connection with the earth.

Pegasi have what appears to be a sort of tactile telekinesis; they can fly and they can carry really heavy things in the air, which means that they probably make things lighter when they touch them. Their natural magic is also why they can touch clouds and stuff like that.

The alicorn sisters are special cases; they embody all three races, so they presumably hold the magic of all three as well.

And yes, all the races are socially equal. Notice how there aren't any unicorns on the planting team in "Winter Wrap-Up" (at least I don't think there are)? Each of the races does what they're most suited to do, and unicorns, while capable of fine telekinesis, aren't as sturdy as earth ponies and aren't as strong.

edited 8th Nov '11 9:00:50 AM by RedSavant

All ponies are equal. Some are just more equal than others

edited 8th Nov '11 9:01:28 AM by gingerninja666

Winter Wrap Up showed that Unicorns aren't neccessalry better than either E Ps or Pegasi. Without her magic (and remember that Twilight is much more powerful than the average Unicorn), she couldn't even move a plough. If you ask me, E Ps are the backbone of Equestria.

Well said.

I also beleive that E Ps are much hardier than Unicorns in other ways...resistant to sickness and dieases, better at withstanding the elements etc.

Outdoor ponies, as it were.

edited 8th Nov '11 9:03:58 AM by ApplelightLimited

After somethinking I realisated that Earth Ponies are needed for perhaprs most of plants to grow ut all.

Which means they control the food supply.

That's pretty important if you ask me.

Lauren also said they outnumber Unicorns and Pegasi. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I"m sure she said it somewhere...

Or am I mistaken?

I think the other thing that makes Pegasi and Unicorns stand out a bit more is the fact that two of the mane cast who are of those races are near the top in terms of skill and power. Rainbow Dash is obviously a top-tier Pegasus, and Twilight is basically a magical prodigy who won the Superpower Lottery as far as Cutie Marks go. They're a lot faster and versatile compared to the other races, but they're the exceptions rather than the rule. Most Pegasi aren't as ridiculously skilled fliers as Rainbow Dash, and most unicorns are no where near as powerful or versatile as Twilight.

The thing is, we see so much of Rainbow and Twilight that we kinda forget that in terms of power and skill, they're rather atypical.

@Ace: That's adorable.

edited 8th Nov '11 9:16:42 AM by JapaneseTeeth

^Just from watching the show, it does seem to be the case. I can name a lot more supporting and background earth ponies (Davenport, Hoity Toity, Photo Finish, Berry Punch, Carrot Top...) than I can background/supporting unicorns (Trixie, Lyra, Blueblood) or pegasi (Ditzy, Cloudkicker). Granted, that's one man's memory serving as a reference pool, but I think that would play out in a careful review, as well.

Exactly!

Dash and Twi are like the pinnicle of each of their races specialities...AJ and Pinkie probably aren't for E Ps.

I don't think Heartstrings or Dizty Doo would outshine AJ in combat for example.

Prehaps a future episode will show the pinnicle of EP power...Big Mac, I'm looking at you!

edited 8th Nov '11 9:19:41 AM by ApplelightLimited

^Already taken care of.

Scootaloo is a chicken. Its canon

That scene made me happy.

'Super' Rainbow Dash can't overcome AJ or Pinkie that easily...Mac will brush the whole town aside without a second thought.

If Mac does something else like that in future, I'm adding Super Strength to his character page.

edited 8th Nov '11 9:24:54 AM by ApplelightLimited

The chicken meme is quickly pushing Scootaloo into Woobie territory for me. Keep it up!

All ponies have Super Strength. Mac has Super Duper Strength.

EDIT: Ninja'd.

edited 8th Nov '11 9:27:39 AM by Sereg

No. Mac has "Chuck Norris" strength.

I HATE the Scootaloo Chicken Meme. It just seems pointlessly nasty. Especially with how it's so omnipresent

^I don't think anyone's really trying to be nasty with it (I of course can't speak for Scootabusers, nor do I want to); it's an affectionate thing. I personally love Scoots, and I'm utterly neutral on the chicken meme.

And the original joke was just so dang funny! How can we not run with it?

my mind goes funny places. I was trying to come up with a consolidated story for Ditzy Do explaining how she wound up with her family. And when I got to screwball I somehow ended up picturing her trying to use the stair on some pony. It worked on two completely different targets.

I predict that Scootaloo's catchphrase will shift from "Cool beans" to "Nobody calls me chicken!"