^^Huh, I thought they had mentioned it. Guess I misremembered.

^Exactly. None of the non-magical carnivorous animals show any sign of violence toward smaller animals or ponies... maybe there's a nonviolence spell cast within the borders of Equestria?

Thanks to you guys I've decided to change the punishment that Trixie is going to be sentanced to in my fic (I don't want the tone to be too different to the show) It still needs to be something that Trixie would become desperate to avoid though

Hydra? That ain't magical

edited 17th Jul '11 2:47:46 PM by gingerninja666

Just have then take her ability to use magic away; that's pretty much what she's proudest of, so...

^^It can't use magic, but it's not a natural creature (like a ferret or a bear) either, so I'm defining it as magical.

but this isn't a normal world, you can't differentiate what's Natrual from what isn't, so I'd say it's still a dog eat dog world in Equestria

On the subject of crimes and murders; there are plenty of shows that take place on Earth, in the "real" world, where we know such things happen, but crimes are never really mentioned. It's not exactly because it contrasts with the tone, it's more because that's simply not what the show is about. Ponies have been shown to be able to use weapons and tools, and be able to feel things like fear and jealousy (and prejudice, that's a big check) so they're definitely capable of being motivated to commit crimes. And royal guards wear heavy armor; why would armor even have been invented in a society that would never have any use for it?

Also, Twilight sure was scared of the snakes. If nonmagical animals never prey on ponies, how would that fear have developed?

edited 17th Jul '11 3:11:27 PM by TurnwaysFlip

^^I'm using the word to describe creatures that have historically been mythical on Earth, like hydras, phoenixes and dragons. I just want to differentiate them from creatures that we know what's considered natural behavior for, like chickens and stuff.

^You raise a lot of good points (about the snakes, too). Like I've said, I've been grasping a bit on the issue, so I concede to your evidence. I still doubt the practice of mutilation, though; Equestria must have borders, and I imagine Celestia isn't averse to banishing cases that won't respond to imprisonment or corrective education.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:15:11 PM by RedSavant

Even if violent crimes like murder are less common in Equestria, surely there are cases where one pony has killed another by accident. Hell, Derpy nearly killed Twilight with all that crap she dropped on her.

As for other creatures, the hydra certainly seemed willing to kill, and that dragon had no problem trying to roast Spike.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:19:21 PM by Crowfall

Or banishing them, and then having them thrown in jail in the place she banished them to.

Do you reckon Celestia ACTUALLY does that? I can imagine Twilight overreacting but there must be a reason for it. If Celestia was never mean to her even once, why would Twilight worry at all

edited 17th Jul '11 3:21:39 PM by gingerninja666

^^^I'm not sure we can use that episode as evidence for what is and what isn't possible (or normal) in Equestria. =) Without the exaggerating powers of Comedic Sociopathy, Twilight would've been killed several times in that episode.

EDIT: Moved down below.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:26:31 PM by RedSavant

Well, that's kind of what she did to Luna. She put her in the moon. Not on it. In the freaking moon.

cough, Luna, cough.

Edit: ninjad.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:25:40 PM by Crowfall

Was that what Twilight was referring to when she said that?

and I meant other than that, Twilight was REALLY stressed

edited 17th Jul '11 3:27:25 PM by gingerninja666

Celestia probably does banish people when she absolutely has to (yeah, see Luna Nightmare Moon), but Twilight's not a very good judge of her mentor's character. She acts like the Parasprite swarm, an event that (if it was anypony's fault at all) was an innocent mistake at worst, will get the entirety of Ponyville banished or imprisoned, when that's obviously not the case from the around two minutes of screentime Celestia had had in the series up to the point.

^I don't think so, no.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:27:47 PM by RedSavant

Doesn't the Hydra have magical head-growing powers?

That's more a natural ability (as far as that thing goes) as opposed to real magic like casting a spell.

^That's one of the defining features of a hydra in most treatments of it, but since the Hydra from "Feeling Pinkie Keen" never gets any of its heads cut off, we don't know if it applies in this setting. I would say it does.

Actually, yeah - we may not know what counts as 'normal' for Equestria and its world, but even so, creatures that can reform themselves from fire and creatures that can petrify others have to be classed as Magical creatures. There's no getting around that. Even in an explicitly magical setting, certain creatures are viewed as magical.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:32:42 PM by RedSavant

Let's face it, the series is too G-rated to even mentioned somebody being destroyed from natural causes.

Even if there is, it's probably no greater than any sub-class of creatures we have in our world. Magic is both a common and neccessary force in Equestria, so I'd still consider it "Normal"

edited 17th Jul '11 3:38:12 PM by gingerninja666

^^I laughed. Well done, sir or madam.

EDIT: Moved below.

edited 17th Jul '11 3:38:04 PM by RedSavant

Yeah, but this is a show about sapient talking horses. By that definition every member of Equestria's population is magical.

that dragon had no problem trying to roast Spike.

Hey, would that even work? Does Spike have fire resistance?

It might depend on how powerful the fire is.

It was a green dragon, so it'd actually breathe acid gas. It just looked like flames because the dragon's breath was blowing it into that shape.