My Little Pony LXXXV: And that's how Equestria was made!

[Trixie]

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/280/d/0/princess_iris_by_syncallio-d6pn3p1.png

Trixie's Great and Powerful Guide v2.0!
Made Edition

Brief Introduction

MLP: Friendship Is Magic is a reboot of the MLP franchise by Powerpuff Girls artist Lauren Faust, currently viewed by (almost) the entire Internet, not only the intended audience. Here is a place where we discuss the joy of friendship.

> My Little Pony? Seriously?

It's a clever show. It has excellent writing, character dynamics, humor, animation, and generally treats kids seriously rather than condescending to them. It has every right to be a 20 minute corporate committee designed infomercial, but it's not.

> Isn't this a show for little girls?

Pixar technically makes shows for little boys, and produce some of the best animation in the world.

> Okay, fine. I'll give it a try. Where do I start?

No Brony could ask for more. I recommend watching the episodes in order. They're all up on Youtube. Unusually, Hasbro seems fine with having the entire series up in public because they've made no move to bring down any of the episodes. Search for "Friendship is Magic Episode 1" and you should find the series pretty easily... Or search for "Sharing is Magic" Google Doc. That is all.

> Okay, I'm going to watch it but this had better live up to the hype!

Whoa, calm down there. The show is light hearted, optimistic fun but it's not for everyone. It's good fun, the community is good fun, and everyone can do with a reminder that friendship is magic but if it doesn't gel for you we'll love and tolerate you anyway. Plus, you might hit the wrong episode. Ask first?

> Iron Hoof/Fan Theories/Shipping/Binding

All in good fun! If it's not your cup of tea, skim it, but this show has triggered a great creative outpouring from the Internet. Pony themed fan-art is abundant and often excellent. See below for some examples.

> Derpy Hooves/Doctor Whoof

Two minor background characters who were adopted as emblems of 4chan. Derpy Hooves is so named due to an animation error in the first episode that had her eyes facing in different directions; 4chan has assigned her the role of Ponyville's mailpony, and her only line so far has been "Muffins". The show's animators are aware of Derpy's popularity and she's shown up a few times recently with her eyes obviously derped. Currently made canon in Feeling Pinkie Keen and in Faust's picture showcased below, Derpy was deemed important enough to appear in storyboards for Season II.

Dr. Whoof is a pony with an hourglass cutie mark; he and his kin save time and space very quietly off camera.

***

General Links

Pony News: Equestria Daily (http://www.equestriadaily.com/) | My Little Pony News‎ (www.mylittleponynews.com/‎) | Derpynews (http://derpynews.com/)
Discussion Forums: Ponychan (http://www.ponychan.net/chan/) | Allspark MLP (http://www.allspark.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=76678&st=0&start=0)
Pony Emotes: FiM Emotes (http://kefkafloyd.imgur.com/J8S59) | MC's Emotes (http://gitpmcerberus.imgur.com/ponymote) | GD's Emotes (http://gadora.imgur.com/seekret_pony_projekt_1/1)
Pony Images: Ponibooru [RIP] | 20% Cooler (http://twentypercentcooler.net/) | Derpibooru (http://derpibooru.org/)
Know Your Meme: Ponies! (http://knowyourmeme.com/search?q=pony)

Art Links

OC Pony Creation Guide:

>How to make OC Pony (http://ponibooru.413chan.net/_images/048648773b808749ecbcd93b7825d545/22629%20-%20original_character_tutorial%20tutorial.png)<
>How to clothe a Pony (http://img.ponibooru.org/_images/10448a8bf5139a93e47ee0ab2185d577/23650%20-%20Touhou%20artist%3Awhy485%20drawing_guide%20fash ion%20guide%20pony%20tutorial.png)<

Deviant Art Links:

Lauren Faust (http://fyre-flye.deviantart.com/)

14 Bis (http://14-bis.deviantart.com/)
ButterSS (http://buttersc0tchsundae.deviantart.com/)
Csimadmax (http://csimadmax.deviantart.com/)
DonKoRR (http://don-komandorr.deviantart.com/)
Irving Zero (http://irving-zero.deviantart.com/)
Johnjoseco (http://johnjoseco.deviantart.com/)
Kloudmutt (http://kloudmutt.deviantart.com/)
Palestorm (http://palestorm.deviantart.com/)
Shinepaw (http://shinepawpony.deviantart.com/)

>Awesome Great and Powerful Trixie (http://kp-shadowsquirrel.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d49ccgo)<

Tutorials:

How to Draw Luna (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1YoOgNwPp4)
MLP Art Guides (http://s1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc361/DJPon-3/)
MLP Colour Guides (http://kefkafloyd.deviantart.com/)

Kloud TV (http://www.livestream.com/kloudmutt)

Concepts:

On the Design of the Mane Cast (http://sucs.org/~drspangle/Ponibooru-All-Safe/122%20-%20Posey%20g1_sparkler%20artist_Lauren_Faust%20twi light_sparkle%20g3_to_g4%20rarity%20lauren_faust%2 0rainbow_dash%20fluttershy%20pinkie_pie%20Firefly% 20g1_to_g4%20applejack%20Surprise.jpg)

Concept art by L. Faust:

AJ/AJ (http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZtv1PUCI/AAAAAAAABPg/aTDHM_vJ3Ek/Applejack-08.jpg)
Pinkie/Surprise (http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZtjpEWrI/AAAAAAAABPc/vlcKpVmK1FY/Pinkie_08.jpg)
Rarity/Sparkler (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZuba65VI/AAAAAAAABPo/o7oJ1OI4bcE/Rarity_08.jpg)
Twilight/Twinkle (http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZuS8XZtI/AAAAAAAABPs/9CPSE6Je1Y0/Twilight_08.jpg)
Derpy/Ditzy (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZtusFdII/AAAAAAAABPk/4VbhxajIt1o/Derpy_11.jpg)

Group Shot (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zPGxLKSxqsI/Tet-724kmrI/AAAAAAAABoc/74J43JjtvVc/mlplegroupruff.jpg)

Some Nice Pictures:

TG&P Trixie 1 (http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYlPoSj31bI/AAAAAAAABKc/yhAESX1bWDU/129879022202-fim_thebestmagic2.png) 2a (http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYevesc6Z3I/AAAAAAAABJE/wqYR1YU8-xM/129878791125-Magic_for_Friendship.png) 2b (http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYlPoV0tFSI/AAAAAAAABKg/UIrpK2_XUDk/345%20-%20filly%20flower%20Magic%20noel%20Trixie.jpg) 3 (http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYevn1UZNyI/AAAAAAAABJI/JQaTPZ7u9kk/1295392718493.png)
Twilight Sparkle 1 (http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYlQKpEFW1I/AAAAAAAABKo/PJmzRBt_g0o/twilight-%28n1298746506900%29.jpg) 2 (http://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYgEWabUv0I/AAAAAAAABJg/S1emWO9FjbE/1297919269027.png) 3 (http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TYlQAwKvFvI/AAAAAAAABKk/08Q9f1BaGa0/1298478186234.png)
Rainbow Dash 1 (http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TY-tuXX0V5I/AAAAAAAABOE/vPLwNGpCsU8/rainbows_are_awesome_by_adamrbi-d3awtkv.jpg) 2 (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TY-tugAF4JI/AAAAAAAABOI/RYGrQCZySJo/1298478713223.jpg) 3 (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TY-tutzFrYI/AAAAAAAABOM/QP22FdlygtA/1299129766866.png) 3.6 (http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TY-vxE-8GgI/AAAAAAAABOY/ktOwjPQ3eiI/130057856759.png)
Fluttershy 1 (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZiSMaDSI/AAAAAAAABPQ/FNLXj6WE0ss/yofluttershybyarborishd.png) 2 (http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZiUXQlvI/AAAAAAAABPU/SCs7qzer-6E/129860262040.png) 3 (http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_THRVNyZ8xf0/TZPZiWhyIWI/AAAAAAAABPY/r6ClIhygmw0/1297113141466.png)

Pony Games

The most recent one. (http://www.yoyogames.com/games/168448-mlp-fim-the-way-home#)
Pacderpy (http://www.derpyhooves.com/games/pacderpy.html)
Two very similar dash based (http://www.derpyhooves.com/games/dashattack.html) cloud gathering sidescrollers (http://www.derpyhooves.com/games/rainbowdashmini.html)
Pony generator I (http://www.derpyhooves.com/games/custompony.html)
Pony generator II (http://derpyhooves.com/games.php?id=3)
Pony generator III (http://generalzoi.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FiM-Pony-Creator-Beta-210228500)

New: Pinkie licks cupcakes. (http://yeaka.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FiM-Flash-Game-202202384?q=boost%3Apopular%20max_age%3A8h%20frien dship%20is%20magic&qo=22) And a playthrough for it, too. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUy1UtuNet0)
Collect Cupcakes, Lick Ponies! 2.0 (http://yeaka.deviantart.com/art/MLP-FiM-Flash-Game-TWO-202342576)

Media

Official:

Equestria Girls Extended Promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPqjKk_xCo) | Hub Summer Promo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKjBViIt-y8) | Hop-Skip-Jump [original] (http://soundcloud.com/dannyimusic/mlp1-hop-skip-jump-song) | Smile, Smile, Smile! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFf_rGavnFk) | G3 Christmas Songs 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHLqc8BSQMg) & 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCpBYLHIEuI)

Rainbow Rocks:

Trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM8sPzdqyNk) | Music to My Ears (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh7j1qUaGOc) | Guitar Centered (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg46129oPIs) | Hamstocalypse Now (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BniijKHywXM) | Shake Your Tail! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XF_k2aqwv0) | Pinkie on the One (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTmZ3UEpkBs) | A Case for the Bass (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7z8TEpYMYs)

Foreign Songs:

Art of the Dress [PL] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clm3GjqncJs) | At The Gala [FR] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQSmihuY5ms) [PL] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlVRN-qePmA) | Fluttershy's Lullaby [FR] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmDxuMvnehs) | So Many Wonders [FR] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tbt-Z2RwfM) | The French and Powerful Trixie (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcpeVg7yMv8) | Winter Wrap Up [PL] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfqIEGb2s5w)

AMVs:

Always (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhgzpnTYCXQ) | Communism is Magic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJHZ4E9tRHM) | Derpy Cardcaptor (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWG0KLSJi8g) | Freeze Ray (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMXhEXQSXSw) | I can go the distance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYonN9in668) | Last Unicorn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwT7V_LsRQo) | Lunasong (Not Your Night) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krcJa44GWq8) | Muffins & Bubbles (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR_y8uRYI8Y) | Pinkie's Brew (EE) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=682pneYoP0c) | PonyCraft 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJbAT1wzS8U) | Still Alive (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=za9f1c93FHY) | The Stars Will Aid In Her Escape (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV_0n5gp1fE) | The G&P Heretic (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4szgPK9Rufw) | Ponies (That are British) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOi3StWmG7A) | Ponies! (http://ponyvspony.com/)

Comics:

CSImadmax (http://csimadmax.deviantart.com/gallery/27895270) | Metaponies (http://gavalanche.deviantart.com/gallery/29877487)

ED Fics:

Twilight Sky Over Canterlot (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-twilight-sky-over-canterlot.html) | Sidelines / Midnight's Tale (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/conversion-bureau-compilation.html) | World Without Rainbows (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/05/story-world-without-rainbows.html) | Luxury Lotus Spa Follies (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-luxury-lotus-spa-follies.html) | How Lyra Met Bon-Bon (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/02/story-how-lyra-met-bon-bon.html) | Letters from Bubbly (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/01/story-letters-from-bubbly-1-10.html) | Swayback Mountain (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/01/story-swayback-mountain.html) | And Life Goes On (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/01/story-your-greatest-fan.html) | The Three Notes (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/03/story-three-notes.html) | TGaP Trixie (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/04/story-great-and-powerful-trixie.html) | Antipodes (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/03/story-antipodes.html) | Progress (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/05/story-progress-luna-versus-microwave.html) | Bubbles (http://www.equestriadaily.com/2011/03/story-bubbles.html) | Pony Drinking Game (http://buttersc0tchsundae.deviantart.com/gallery/#/d3cng5n)

GitP Fics:

AmishPirate (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20TheAmishPirate) | Darth BC (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20Bobcat) | Deadly (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20Adcoon): Trollestia 1 (http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/200/0/b/trickster_goddess_nr_1_by_adcoon-d40tt3d.png) 2 (http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/201/a/4/trickster_goddess_nr_2_by_adcoon-d414fzw.png) 3 (http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/214/1/3/trickster_goddess_nr_3_by_adcoon-d42h2hx.png) 4 (http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/229/0/d/trickster_goddess_nr_4_by_adcoon-d46vksj.png) | DigoDragon (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Digodragon) | EsperDerek (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20EsperDerek) | Grif (http://www.fimfiction.net/user/Grif) | Juntao (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/103601/from-equestria-with-love) | PhantomFox (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20PhantomFox) | PhoeKun (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20Phoe) | Raz Fox (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20Raz_Fox) | Thanqol (http://www.equestriadaily.com/search/label/Author%3A%20Thanqol)

Same Old Ponymotes:

Original Batch
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MCerberus
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Crazy!Twi
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http://i.imgur.com/xrtxn.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/xrtxn.png
http://i.imgur.com/WcmCY.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/WcmCY.png
http://i.imgur.com/TzVou.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/TzVou.png
http://i.imgur.com/Sy0s7.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Sy0s7.png
http://i.imgur.com/uvyb4.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/uvyb4.png
http://i.imgur.com/tudfp.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/tudfp.png
http://i.imgur.com/Siwuj.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Siwuj.png
http://i.imgur.com/sp5Tb.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/sp5Tb.png
http://i.imgur.com/vlJi6.gifhttp://i.imgur.com/vlJi6.gif

Kyouhen Series feat. Ninja Pinkie!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/th_NinjaPinkie.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/th_NinjaPinkie.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/NinjaSurprise.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/NinjaSurprise.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/PinkieSwear.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/PinkieSwear.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/trollestia2.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/trollestia2.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/trollestia.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/trollestia.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/Gummicle.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/Gummicle.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/Gildicle.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/alfalficon1.png
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/alfalficon2.pnghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v169/Balthasar_Gelt/alfalficon2.png

Misc:

http://i.imgur.com/rs4hd.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/rs4hd.png
http://i.imgur.com/PBYX5.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/PBYX5.png
http://iambrony.dget.cc/mlp/gif/liarjack_da_avatar_by_metalbeersolid-d4bc9sj.gifhttp://iambrony.dget.cc/mlp/gif/liarjack_da_avatar_by_metalbeersolid-d4bc9sj.gif
http://image.spreadshirt.com/image-server/v1/designs/11497743,width=100,height=100/Brony-Brohoof-v3.pnghttp://image.spreadshirt.com/image-server/v1/designs/11497743,width=100,height=100/Brony-Brohoof-v3.png

Seekrit Pony Projekt
1-20
http://i.imgur.com/03Pwr.png[noparse]http://i.imgur.com/03Pwr.png
http://i.imgur.com/0Mw2v.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/0Mw2v.png
http://i.imgur.com/2u0gC.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/2u0gC.png
http://i.imgur.com/3JXCg.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/3JXCg.png
http://i.imgur.com/3q7O2.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/3q7O2.png
http://i.imgur.com/459jt.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/459jt.png
http://i.imgur.com/4ii5U.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/4ii5U.png
http://i.imgur.com/4XyuH.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/4XyuH.png
http://i.imgur.com/4zrN3.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/4zrN3.png
http://i.imgur.com/6SgQp.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/6SgQp.png
http://i.imgur.com/74j15.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/74j15.png
http://i.imgur.com/7Yvwk.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/7Yvwk.png
http://i.imgur.com/8u4Rl.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/8u4Rl.png
http://i.imgur.com/9SkHu.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/9SkHu.png
http://i.imgur.com/AKUeV.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/AKUeV.png
http://i.imgur.com/Ala5e.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Ala5e.png
http://i.imgur.com/AruGN.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/AruGN.png
http://i.imgur.com/BgqS5.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/BgqS5.png
http://i.imgur.com/b5xPJ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/b5xPJ.png
http://i.imgur.com/CEUYj.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/CEUYj.png

21-40
http://i.imgur.com/D4C8X.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/D4C8X.png
http://i.imgur.com/DrSYq.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/DrSYq.png
http://i.imgur.com/dDGKR.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/dDGKR.png
http://i.imgur.com/eCLn3.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/eCLn3.png
http://i.imgur.com/ecXwG.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/ecXwG.png
http://i.imgur.com/erYVj.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/erYVj.png
http://i.imgur.com/ev5Dd.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/ev5Dd.png
http://i.imgur.com/f2s0G.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/f2s0G.png
http://i.imgur.com/G1lsp.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/G1lsp.png
http://i.imgur.com/G5T9W.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/G5T9W.png
http://i.imgur.com/G8QfD.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/G8QfD.png
http://i.imgur.com/GOn25.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/GOn25.png
http://i.imgur.com/g0EB2.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/g0EB2.png
http://i.imgur.com/HKmyu.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/HKmyu.png
http://i.imgur.com/h4OtT.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/h4OtT.png
http://i.imgur.com/hdG5a.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/hdG5a.png
http://i.imgur.com/hdXfp.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/hdXfp.png
http://i.imgur.com/hfXmw.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/hfXmw.png
http://i.imgur.com/hleys.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/hleys.png
http://i.imgur.com/I0AiJ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/I0AiJ.png
41-60
http://i.imgur.com/iSsYc.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/iSsYc.png
http://i.imgur.com/JBZDO.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/JBZDO.png
http://i.imgur.com/Ji01D.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Ji01D.png
http://i.imgur.com/jDb4v.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/jDb4v.png
http://i.imgur.com/jhfF7.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/jhfF7.png
http://i.imgur.com/jq6VL.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/jq6VL.png
http://i.imgur.com/KLXX3.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/KLXX3.png
http://i.imgur.com/k7yr1.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/k7yr1.png
http://i.imgur.com/kETPz.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/kETPz.png
http://i.imgur.com/LIUMV.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/LIUMV.png
http://i.imgur.com/LKAKZ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/LKAKZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/Lz5uj.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Lz5uj.png
http://i.imgur.com/l6Dif.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/l6Dif.png
http://i.imgur.com/ldfV9.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/ldfV9.png
http://i.imgur.com/lPGoS.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/lPGoS.png
http://i.imgur.com/lT2IO.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/lT2IO.png
http://i.imgur.com/mssk8.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/mssk8.png
http://i.imgur.com/NInKh.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/NInKh.png
http://i.imgur.com/O73if.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/O73if.png
http://i.imgur.com/OPCUO.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/OPCUO.png

61-80
http://i.imgur.com/o1ROT.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/o1ROT.png
http://i.imgur.com/o3OrQ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/o3OrQ.png
http://i.imgur.com/PgZ79.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/PgZ79.png
http://i.imgur.com/p0HjG.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/p0HjG.png
http://i.imgur.com/pKw2V.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/pKw2V.png
http://i.imgur.com/Qd0KM.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Qd0KM.png
http://i.imgur.com/QLOYp.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/QLOYp.png
http://i.imgur.com/qxCE8.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/qxCE8.png
http://i.imgur.com/rytqf.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/rytqf.png
http://i.imgur.com/SSEx1.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/SSEx1.png
http://i.imgur.com/s1GzN.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/s1GzN.png
http://i.imgur.com/tFh1l.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/tFh1l.png
http://i.imgur.com/tVg4z.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/tVg4z.png
http://i.imgur.com/twJKI.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/twJKI.png
http://i.imgur.com/us0sn.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/us0sn.png
http://i.imgur.com/uwvgS.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/uwvgS.png
http://i.imgur.com/VgP1Y.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/VgP1Y.png
http://i.imgur.com/VlAck.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/VlAck.png
http://i.imgur.com/VNjBL.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/VNjBL.png
http://i.imgur.com/Vthb5.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Vthb5.png

81-100
http://i.imgur.com/VYSqq.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/VYSqq.png
http://i.imgur.com/vbM5o.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/vbM5o.png
http://i.imgur.com/W0vnZ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/W0vnZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/w4Pts.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/w4Pts.png
http://i.imgur.com/RYTpi.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/RYTpi.png
http://i.imgur.com/wQyc8.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/wQyc8.png
http://i.imgur.com/X0pML.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/X0pML.png
http://i.imgur.com/XCdKc.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/XCdKc.png
http://i.imgur.com/XiHdB.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/XiHdB.png
http://i.imgur.com/XzZ1f.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/XzZ1f.png
http://i.imgur.com/xl9dK.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/xl9dK.png
http://i.imgur.com/YecKj.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/YecKj.png
http://i.imgur.com/YWDIv.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/YWDIv.png
http://i.imgur.com/y50oz.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/y50oz.png
http://i.imgur.com/yW4zF.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/yW4zF.png
http://i.imgur.com/ZHvPK.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/ZHvPK.png
http://i.imgur.com/ZOCXB.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/ZOCXB.png
http://i.imgur.com/zhFvk.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/zhFvk.png
http://i.imgur.com/zRC21.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/zRC21.png
http://i.imgur.com/zw5OF.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/zw5OF.png

101-112
http://i.imgur.com/Tqo43.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Tqo43.png
http://i.imgur.com/MPjbO.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/MPjbO.png
http://i.imgur.com/shj2N.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/shj2N.png
http://i.imgur.com/1h9Zx.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/1h9Zx.png
http://i.imgur.com/EK1lN.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/EK1lN.png
http://i.imgur.com/qW2jc.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/qW2jc.png
http://i.imgur.com/NcSma.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/NcSma.png
http://i.imgur.com/JpnZc.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/JpnZc.png
http://i.imgur.com/fsqkv.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/fsqkv.png
http://i.imgur.com/CgffQ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/CgffQ.png
http://i.imgur.com/VwCqN.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/VwCqN.png
http://i.imgur.com/hwHGZ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/hwHGZ.png

113-124 (Luna Series)

http://i.imgur.com/Mm1dn.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Mm1dn.png
http://i.imgur.com/gN9Ou.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/gN9Ou.png
http://i.imgur.com/rW0xK.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/rW0xK.png
http://i.imgur.com/rzrj5.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/rzrj5.png
http://i.imgur.com/s8D5o.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/s8D5o.png
http://i.imgur.com/lEtTg.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/lEtTg.png
http://i.imgur.com/KXIJq.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/KXIJq.png
http://i.imgur.com/oRdYJ.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/oRdYJ.png
http://i.imgur.com/hNTy5.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/hNTy5.png
http://i.imgur.com/KyWk8.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/KyWk8.png
http://i.imgur.com/ZeYyu.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/ZeYyu.png
http://i.imgur.com/L3ZSw.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/L3ZSw.png
125-136 (Sweetie Series)
http://i.imgur.com/Jg8wb.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/Jg8wb.png
http://i.imgur.com/9KKKz.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/9KKKz.png
http://i.imgur.com/KjRiq.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/KjRiq.png
http://i.imgur.com/pteUs.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/pteUs.png
http://i.imgur.com/o0V8z.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/o0V8z.png
http://i.imgur.com/mUwFV.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/mUwFV.png
http://i.imgur.com/T9hVn.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/T9hVn.png
http://i.imgur.com/EkuTB.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/EkuTB.png
http://i.imgur.com/lVPd8.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/lVPd8.png
http://i.imgur.com/0GUM4.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/0GUM4.png
http://i.imgur.com/cCNvw.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/cCNvw.png
http://i.imgur.com/4mTcY.pnghttp://i.imgur.com/4mTcY.png


Deadly's Ironically Presented Anti-Spoiler Measures

DO YOU HATE SPOILER TAGS?

Well, Deadly's here to help you get rid of them... with a vengeance! [UPDATED] Create a new bookmark in your browser and copy the code below as the link/url of said bookmark. Name it something helpful, like "Spoilers B GONE!" or whatever. Then whenever you view a thread here on GitP you just hit the bookmark and BAM! no more spoilers.

New, slightly compressed one-line version:

javascript:(function(){var a = document.getElementsByTagName('div');var b;for (var i = 0;i < a.length;i++){if(a[i].className == 'quotecontent'){b = a[i].getElementsByTagName('div');for (var j = 0;j < b.length;j++){b[j].style.display = 'block';}}}})();

The Stylish solution by Excession (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17262834&postcount=8). It's somewhat more elegant, provided you're willing to install a browser plugin:


@namespace url(http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml);

@-moz-document domain("giantitp.com") {
div.quotecontent > div {
display: block !important;
}
}


Past Threads:

I - Because Friendship Is Magic
II - Now About 20% Cooler
III - The Great & Powerful Thread
IV - Friendship is Sufficiently Advanced Technology
V - Art of the Thread
VI - MUFFINS!
VII - The Grand Galloping Thread
VIII - Friendship is Music
IX - The Best Thread Ever
X - We Trot 'til We Drop
XI - "Mmph!"
XII - No One Can Groove Like the Girls with the Hooves
XIII - Fast/Fine/Fierce Thread
XIV - Boots on Hooves / Bikinis on Top
XV - The Greater and Powerful-er Thread
XVI - There's a Pony for That!
XVII - Call Upon the Thread Ponies!
XVIII - Perfect Isn't Easy
XIX - I Emptied Your Thread
XX - Appletastic Treats
XXI - A Very Minty Thread
XXII - Surprise!
XXIII - It. Is. ON!
XXIV - Now About 200% Longer Than Firefly
XXV - Au Contraire, Mon Ami!
XXVI - Applebloom to Zecora!
XXVII - Eternal Chaos comes with Chocolate Rain
XXVIII - In the Crazy of 40.000 Posts, There is Only Pony!
XXIX - The Spoilers have been DOUBLED!
XXX - Trixie Treats!
XXXI - The Great and Powerful XXXie!
XXXII - Find a Ponythread, and Soarin' the heck out of it!
XXXIII - Happy Birthday Pony(thread)!
XXXIV - There is Pony of it, no exceptions!
XXXV - The Thread Everypony Should Know
XXXVI - Superponies Everywhere!
XXXVII - We Should Have Learned [Something] By Now!
XXXVIII - Nopony Expects Sponish Pinquisition!
XXXIX - There is no Pegasus Mafia!
XL - The Plot Thickens!
XLI - Riots, Riots Everywhere!
XLII - Life, the Universe and Ponies
XLIII - Season II Ruined My Fanon!
XLIV - This Thread is Going to be Perfect!
XLV - Reign Of Terror
XLVI - *ROBOT TAKEOVER*
XLVII - Ponibooru, We Hardly Knew Ye...
XLVIII - I say Ol' Chap, how about those Equestrians?
XLIX - I Have Done Nothing Productive All Day!
L - The L is for Love!
LI - FE
LII - 525.600 Ponies!
LIII - Stashing Ponythreads Around in Case of Ponymergency!
LIV-E Long and Pony!
LV:55 Ponythread learns Agility!
LVI:S Has Left the Playground!
LVII - You Must Construct Additional Pinkies!
LVIII - Ponythread does not trust Wheels!
LIX - Is Very Proud Of You
LX - 60 Ponythreads? That's an Academy record!
LXI - Discord's Thread For Reformed Spoilers
LXII - Friendship Gives you Wiings!
LXIII - R63? We Have NO IDEA What That Is...
LXIV - Haute Couture and Huge Crustaceans!
LXV - Stand Back, I'm a Registered Princess!
LXVI - What Would Celestia Not Think?!
LXVII - Summer of Love and Tolerance!
LXVIII - Wondercolts don't do drugs!
LXIX - Only Slightly On Fire!
LXX - How many licks to get to the Center?!
LXXI - These Ponies Are Little!
LXXII - A Headcrab Full of Friendship and Joy!
LXXIII - Luna's Sordid Dreams? I'm Not Googling That...
LXXIV - Hats Are Technology!
LXXV - Go Go Power Ponies!!
LXXVI - 'P' is for 'Ponythread'!
LXXVII - Playground's Permanent Party Ponythread!
LXXVIII - I Cun Speek Breezeee!
LXXIX - Double Princess Now Canon
LXXX - Pony Princess Powers Activate!
LXXXI - All Of These Ponies Are Crazy!
LXXXII - Popular Teenagers Are Not To Be Trusted
LXXXIII - The Hub is Dead, Long Live the Hub!
LXXXIV - That's Not Canon Yet!

Want to have Pony Avatar?
Want to Draw? Ponies will help!
Want to RP? MLP: FiM RP Recruitment!
Want to join the list of GitP Bronies (http://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0ApgaWduo83XldFhETWUtWm96b1BFS1dHOF84dTBGM lE&hl=en_US#gid=0)?
Want to join Steam GitP MLP Group (http://steamcommunity.com/groups/GitPony
)?

Archived:
Pony Week | Old Avatar Requests

[RCgothic]

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/280/d/0/princess_iris_by_syncallio-d6pn3p1.png

Ooh, pretty pony princess! Who's Princess Iris though?

[DigoDragon]

Thanks for putting up the new thread Trixie. :)

Last night just as I went to bed I found that my daughter left her Applejack's hat on my pillow. So I put it on my Trixie for that Outlaw Mares look. Works. :smallbiggrin:



Was it Chrysalis?

No, I ended up just unplugging and re-plugging the router anyway. I'm sure some wannabe hacker group will take credit for it later.



I don't think you can call those weird High Schoolers 'humans'. Beyond their physical oddities, they are literally pony expies in the first place. Though I still haven't watched Rainbow Rocks, so I guess I could be wrong on the differences.

Some of the humans are expys, others don't seem to translate to any specific ponies. And I usually think of them as 'Doug Funny Humans', from the old Doug cartoon series. :)



Do not all men dream of the freedom of flying?

At one point I attempted to find out how one goes about enlisting to become an astronaut.
Turns out you need a lot of math skills, or about 8 million dollars.



So... how are you guys?

I'm doing alright. Lost a lot of my free time at my inlaws' timeshare. No internet, and constant headaches from the loud children there. So I failed to complete any of the commissions I wanted to finish and have to take a pay hit in January due to the delay. :/ I did get two dvd movies I always wanted though so there's something to do. My daughter had a great time and got a whole lot of fun toys. Mostly Littlest Petshop this year, which is still Hasbro, so I'm sure the company loves her for it. :smallsmile:

How have you been? Any better?



Ooh, pretty pony princess! Who's Princess Iris though?

According to this (http://syncallio.deviantart.com/art/Princess-Iris-405865333), it's a tribute to Bonnie Zacherle, the toy designer who created My Little Pony.

[b_jonas]

Sigh, missed most of past week due to you know what. All I really used holidays for was quick break before more problems. Oh well, give me a couple and we'll see what we can do? :<

Trixie, I'm glad you're back! Have you really missed only one week? I think you've missed a whole month. Or I just failed all my spot checks.

[Kd7sov]

Human Trixie still has the Stage Magician theme, but seems to be more based on showmanship than actual magic, because well, she doesn't have real magic.

And this, apart from the last phrase, is a difference how?

Quadrupedal Trixie (without the Alicorn Amulet) exhibits pyrotechnics, conjuration, TK, a weather spell, and perhaps sonic amplification. None of it has ever struck me as a particularly impressive magical ability or array thereof. No, her selling point is her presentation, her showmareship. As one should see coming; her cutie mark is a wand, traditional tool of the stage magician but thus-far unseen in Equestrian unicorn magic.

I will say that Quadrupedal Trixie's disappearances are much better than Bipedal Trixie's, although that may be because Quadrupedal Trixie generally does them in a prepared space she knows well.

[One Tin Soldier]

So here's something weird. I just had a dream about you, Digo. I was just walking around and talking with you while you fixed stuff at your workplace. No particular thing aside from that, but I am sure it was you.

If anything, I would have expected to dream about the games I spent all day playing. :smallconfused:

[DigoDragon]

No, her selling point is her presentation, her showmareship.

THIS. ^

Out of all the fanfiction I've read on Trixie (I'll exclude my own for fairness), my favorite depictions of her are ones where Trixie isn't magically gifted like Twilight, but instead she's very clever with the applications of lower-level tricks that she does know. It's really strange and interesting a concept that Trixie is a stage magician in a land oozing with magic and somehow managed to make a career out of this to the point she had a reputation. That's less magical talent and more creative smarts.



So here's something weird. I just had a dream about you, Digo. I was just walking around and talking with you while you fixed stuff at your workplace. No particular thing aside from that, but I am sure it was you.

Huh, that is weird! Though kind of what I do, so I am very honored to have been in your dream. :D

[Rater202]

And this, apart from the last phrase, is a difference how?

Quadrupedal Trixie (without the Alicorn Amulet) exhibits pyrotechnics, conjuration, TK, a weather spell, and perhaps sonic amplification. None of it has ever struck me as a particularly impressive magical ability or array thereof. No, her selling point is her presentation, her showmareship. As one should see coming; her cutie mark is a wand, traditional tool of the stage magician but thus-far unseen in Equestrian unicorn magic.

I will say that Quadrupedal Trixie's disappearances are much better than Bipedal Trixie's, although that may be because Quadrupedal Trixie generally does them in a prepared space she knows well.

Trixie and the Illusions got to the Semi Finals of a battle of the bands by only playing one song.

The only reason she didn't make it to the finals(At first) is because the Dazzlings cheated to bring the Rainbooms to the finals with them for their evil plan.

Consider that The one time we saw a show of Pony Trixie's, very few ponies liked it because she was a jerk, and that Human Trixie seems to have the same jerky personality as pre-alicorn amulet Pony Trixie, the fact that people like her performance enough for her to advance, when she's a magician not a musician, and she's essentially singing about how much better than you see is(something most people hate), that tells me that she's a much better showman than pony Trixie

[Topaz]

Topaz' Traditionally Tardy List of Pony tabletop RPGs:

Complete Games --

D20 Based:
Courage is Magic (Brand New 1.18 edition!) (http://littlelunamoonmatron.deviantart.com/art/Courage-is-Magic-1-18-A-Pony-Tabletop-Game-502623622) (Very Heavily Modified D&D4 based)
Heroes of Equestria (http://torturedartist745.deviantart.com/art/Heroes-of-Equestria-MLP-FIM-RPG-300487764) (D&D-ish)
Pony Tales: Aspirations of Harmony (http://ponytales.forumotion.com/) (d20 meets Final Fantasy style)

D6 Based:
My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic, Season Four (http://www.roleplayingismagic.com/) (New Update!)
- And Rater202's Capricorn race for RiM Second Edition (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vkwAQqg9LwjTepXqu-jZn87m7JgbHcAeKunpwZPRDFI/edit?pli=1)
Pony Tales the RPG (http://catspaw-dtp-services.deviantart.com/gallery/39628312) (Open d6 based)
Ponies & Parasprites (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ponies-Parasprites/210068732375744) (D6 total based)
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Roleplaying Game (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2zrjqXYhlMcN2Q0M2VmNmMtY2I4Mi00YjA1LTg3NDctYzQ2Z GZiMDQ3ZGFk/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1) (Older game using a D6 dice pool)
A different My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, The Role-Playing Game (https://sites.google.com/site/mymlprpg/) (2D6 based, meant to be run for younger players)
Puzzles and Ponies (http://puzzlesandponies.deviantart.com/) (Simple 1d6 game)

D10 based:
Sereg's Pony RPG (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KyPWVXT93Zz8LiZawFxl6kUy0OrdlQYcBBXo-Sv6GKw/edit?pli=1) (D10 dice pool)

D100 (percentile dice) based:
Fallout: Equestria PNP (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fsNLwKTWEt0pawFWLRzBtEPfvDQGitGPh8NN3Zk0xo4/edit?pli=1#)
Fallout: Equestria RPG (http://foerpg.blogspot.com/)
Older, different Fallout:Equestria RPG (http://foerpg.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout:Equestria_RPG_Wiki)

Multiple die type based:
My Little Heroes AKA Hooves of Heroes (Original ODT file) (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-UYVjBngS1bbkZPZURZeEo2M28/view?pli=1) (PDF version) (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9S4SDvgQOFZWXNmeHFabXA5MzA/edit?pli=1)
Ponies: The Roleplaying Game (http://msfhwraith.deviantart.com/art/Pony-RPG-First-Draft-289542812)

Playing card based:
Friendship is Magic, the Tabletop RPG (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192468) (GitP forum)

Supplements for existing systems --

Roleplaying in Equestria for D&D Fifth Edition (http://cheezedoodle96.deviantart.com/art/MLP45E-Dungeons-and-Dragons-With-Ponies-490872927) (Updated!)
Ponies for D&D 4e (http://tradwiki.foxxtrot.net/index.php?title=Pony)
Pony Races for Pathfinder (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MTe-vJ44LNepZAT3Eqta5qkxntS8nefLDBpNAf4lFMI/edit)
Ponyfinder thread on Paizo forum (http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz52pj?Prisons-and-PoniesPonyfinder-Feedback-needed#41)
Dungeons & Dragons: Friendship is Magic (https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-OfetQXp_GcWW5ZZk91d3NOb1k/edit?usp=sharing&pli=1) (Ponies for D&D 3.5)
Pony Races for D&D 3.5 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182994) (GitP forum)
Ponies! My Little Pony: D20 adaptation (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=12296.0)
The Conversion Bureau (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XTIaphB0TEF-lqfJpNpPv_-aJ2Al-GErMtVEKEX8FxQ/edit?pli=1) (uses Microlite 20)
The Savage World of My Little Pony (http://giftkrieg23.deviantart.com/gallery/30436047) (uses Savage Worlds)
My Little Pony meets Exalted tumblr (http://tabletop-friendship.tumblr.com/)
NightmareRun by Digo Dragon (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LOuIkf_znWXX8ThyW9h9C_hmiHKNSvNWpSuyhBh5KVg/edit?pli=1) (uses Shadowrun 4e)
Friendship is FATE rules (https://www.dropbox.com/s/b9eolg1mjad55z9/pony-fae-playtest-001.pdf) & Discussion Blog (http://juneplaysgames.headpigeons.me/tagged/friendship-is-magic) (uses FATE Accelerated)
The Mane Six for FATE Accelerated (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?692218-%28FAE%29-Pimp-My-Our-FAE-Characters!&p=16879846#post16879846) (RPGnet forum)
MLP:FiM for Burning Engine/Mouse Guard (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N_EM9zHOwJ3VL2WY5DsQ0kf8STuNi6n_4t6jsSMkNEY/edit?pli=1) (Discussion on RPGnet (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?709683-Mouse-Guard-BW-MLP-Litany-of-Responsibilities-o-Winter-Wrap-Up-Winter-Wrap-Up!-o))
Unknown Ponies: Failure is Awesome (http://lurkingrhythmically.blogspot.com/p/unknown-ponies-failure-is-awesome.html) (uses Unknown Armies)
Don't Rest Your Hooves (http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Don%27t_Rest_Your_Hooves) (uses Don't Rest Your Head)
Don't Hate Your Friends (http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?648876-DRYH-My-Little-Pony-FIM-Don-t-Hate-Your-Friends) (Don't Rest Your Head hack, RPGnet forum)
My Little Legend (http://www.ruleofcool.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/My-Little-Legend.pdf) (uses the Legend RPG (https://s3.amazonaws.com/det_1/Legend.pdf) from Rule of Cool RPGs)
Ponies for Oz (http://fdouglaswall.blogspot.com/2013/04/adventures-in-equestria.html) (uses Adventures in Oz: Fantasy Roleplaying Beyond the Yellow Brick Road)

Further contributions and updates welcome!

[Rater202]

https://derpicdn.net/media/W1siZiIsIjIwMTMvMDgvMTIvMDBfNTVfNTVfODk5XzM5NzkyOV 9fc2FmZV9zb2xvX3Njb290YWxvb190dW1ibHJfZ3Jpbl9zbGVl cGxlc3NfaW5fcG9ueXZpbGxlX2luc2FuZV9wb255X3RocmVhZF 9jb29sX3RvdGFsbHlfbm90X3NjYXJlZCJdXQ/397929.png

[Kd7sov]

Consider that The one time we saw a show of Pony Trixie's, very few ponies liked it because she was a jerk,

Citation, please? Those of the mane six who were there and spoke didn't like it, but the crowd as a whole sounded to me like they enjoyed everything that went on (except maybe Rarity's reaction when Trixie responded to her, and Trixie's heckling of Twilight).

[Rater202]

PonyTrixie's show boils down to "bragging about how awesome she is, including stories that are total fabrications, a few lights that I'm pretty sure most unicorns could figure out how to do, assuming it's not just slight of hoof hiding real fireworks,l claiming to be better than you, accepting challenges based on that, but then instead of proving she's better than you she just humiliates you without actually demonstrating an skill at what she claims she can do better than you."

Human Trixie meanwhile, while still bragging, actually does a show that people can enjoy since she's you know, not humiliating people.

Yeah, I figure that A lot of what Pony Trixie does for her show is impressive from a technical standpoint, but Human Trixie is a better showman by default because she's actually a showman instead of a fraudulent jackass with a stage.

[Tiki Snakes]

Citation, please? Those of the mane six who were there and spoke didn't like it, but the crowd as a whole sounded to me like they enjoyed everything that went on (except maybe Rarity's reaction when Trixie responded to her, and Trixie's heckling of Twilight).

Ponies are pretty silly. They aren't very smart, especially in groups. A crowd of ponies is perhaps the least discerning audience you can find, they'll even sing along with the sales pitch of something they don't actually trust.

[DigoDragon]

that tells me that she's a much better showman than pony Trixie

Or maybe pony Trixie just needs to add a musical number to her act.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBTPslJcRKg/TjIs0d-mVgI/AAAAAAAAJZ4/ZZEdfLXfBk4/s1600/1311867573.boltleader_ponies.jpg



Ponies are pretty silly. They aren't very smart, especially in groups. A crowd of ponies is perhaps the least discerning audience you can find, they'll even sing along with the sales pitch of something they don't actually trust.

'Conservation of Ninjitsu (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu)' with pony brains. :smallbiggrin:

[Rater202]

"A Pony is smart. Ponies as a group are a group of stupid, panicky herd animals."

...wait, no, that's 85.88876547903105% of Humans

[Forum Explorer]

And this, apart from the last phrase, is a difference how?

Quadrupedal Trixie (without the Alicorn Amulet) exhibits pyrotechnics, conjuration, TK, a weather spell, and perhaps sonic amplification. None of it has ever struck me as a particularly impressive magical ability or array thereof. No, her selling point is her presentation, her showmareship. As one should see coming; her cutie mark is a wand, traditional tool of the stage magician but thus-far unseen in Equestrian unicorn magic.

I will say that Quadrupedal Trixie's disappearances are much better than Bipedal Trixie's, although that may be because Quadrupedal Trixie generally does them in a prepared space she knows well.

No, the magic we do see out of Trixie is pretty impressive, for a very long time it was significantly better then anything we see the average unicorn do. Problem is that Trixie is a) a minor character who has had only two episodes and b) Twilight is the most powerful unicorn, ever. (Or close enough for the show's purposes)



PonyTrixie's show boils down to "bragging about how awesome she is, including stories that are total fabrications, a few lights that I'm pretty sure most unicorns could figure out how to do, assuming it's not just slight of hoof hiding real fireworks,l claiming to be better than you, accepting challenges based on that, but then instead of proving she's better than you she just humiliates you without actually demonstrating an skill at what she claims she can do better than you."

Human Trixie meanwhile, while still bragging, actually does a show that people can enjoy since she's you know, not humiliating people.

Yeah, I figure that A lot of what Pony Trixie does for her show is impressive from a technical standpoint, but Human Trixie is a better showman by default because she's actually a showman instead of a fraudulent jackass with a stage.

Ever been to or seen a show where the comedian or entertainer just tears a heckler a new one? It generally results in cheers from the rest of the audience. Yeah, Trixie's show might've been arrogant beforehand, but Spike was openly and loudly heckling right from the start. Everything she did was totally fair game for the rest of the show. And ultimately, it worked. It got the heckler (Spike) to shut up, so everyone else could go on to enjoy the show.



"A Pony is smart. Ponies as a group are a group of stupid, panicky herd animals."

...wait, no, that's 85.88876547903105% of Humans

Only difference is that it's 100% of ponies. Which is why even the Mane 6 tend to do incredibly stupid stuff when they are with other ponies.

[Rater202]

Ever been to or seen a show where the comedian or entertainer just tears a heckler a new one? It generally results in cheers from the rest of the audience. Yeah, Trixie's show might've been arrogant beforehand, but Spike was openly and loudly heckling right from the start. Everything she did was totally fair game for the rest of the show. And ultimately, it worked. It got the heckler (Spike) to shut up, so everyone else could go on to enjoy the show.

But Trixie didn't tear the heckler a new one. She tore everyone else a new one.

She also didn't live up to her claims. She said "Anything you can do, I can do better". That's a challenge. Ponies take her up on the challenge, and then instead of doing what they do better, or doing what they do period, she does something different that humiliates them and then claims she's done it better.

Pony Trixie was a jackass on a stage, basically.

[Forum Explorer]

But Trixie didn't tear the heckler a new one. She tore everyone else a new one.

She also didn't live up to her claims. She said "Anything you can do, I can do better". That's a challenge. Ponies take her up on the challenge, and then instead of doing what they do better, or doing what they do period, she does something different that humiliates them and then claims she's done it better.

Pony Trixie was a jackass on a stage, basically.

Because Spike didn't/couldn't go up on stage. Instead Trixie laid down the gauntlet and took on anyone who challenged her, which Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity did.

And yes she didn't meet the literal words of her challenge. However, she did manage to meet her challenge in a different way. They were all aiming to impress the crowd the most, and Trixie did that better.

But the heckler (Spike) still wasn't going away, and still urging a unicorn in the audience to challenge Trixie. So Trixie called out that unicorn (who also happened to be with the other challengers so far), and finally got what she wanted. The heckler removed from the audience.

Yes, Trixie was/is a jerk. That's not really my point. My point is that Trixie put on a good show, that was enjoyed by the audience. She can still be a jerk and do that. It can even enhance her performance.

[DigoDragon]

But Trixie didn't tear the heckler a new one. She tore everyone else a new one.

AJ, Dash, and Rarity did heckle her as well. Accepting Trixie's challenge is like feeding an internet troll. The better mare would just walk away from the show. :smallsmile:

[Tiki Snakes]

She also didn't live up to her claims. She said "Anything you can do, I can do better". That's a challenge. Ponies take her up on the challenge, and then instead of doing what they do better, or doing what they do period, she does something different that humiliates them and then claims she's done it better.

Pony Trixie was a jackass on a stage, basically.


And yes she didn't meet the literal words of her challenge. However, she did manage to meet her challenge in a different way. They were all aiming to impress the crowd the most, and Trixie did that better.



braggart

Also found in: Legal, Wikipedia.
brag·gart
(brăg′ərt)
n.
One given to loud, empty boasting; a bragger.
adj.
Boastful.

Of course she didn't meet the words of her challenge. It was an empty boast. Working as intended, so to speak. And using bait-and-switch misdirection on the way, making it fit perfectly both with the theme (Jerk Pony is a boastful jerk) and her specific cutie mark (Stage Magician).


The better mare would just walk away from the show. :smallsmile:

She did. :smallwink:

[Rater202]

And yes she didn't meet the literal words of her challenge. However, she did manage to meet her challenge in a different way. They were all aiming to impress the crowd the most, and Trixie did that better.

No, they were aiming to prove who was better at *task*, which Trixie failed to do because she didn't even try to do *Task* Instead she caused pain and humiliation.

A good showman must deliver on what they promised. If a ventriloquist starts doing magic acts and never pciks up a puppet, you demand your money back, and if a performer says she can do anything you can do better and then doesn't even try to do what you did and just focuses on humiliating you in a way that is tangentially related to what you did, you get pissed off.

She doesn't deliver on the medium she promised, and she made claims she didn't even try to back up. Wheather or not most of the audience, who we've alreay agreed are stupid, likes it or not is irrelevant. When you make claims you can't back, don't even try to back, do athatish things that are barely related to your claims and claim it as evidence to back your claims, and are generally a jackass, you aren't a showman, you're jackass who has a stage.

Before any heckling or challenges, her show consisted of simple magic tricks that might not even be real magic, lighting off fireworks, and telling bald faced lies about how awesome she was.

Human Trixie didn't make an claims and then do something else. She delivered what she promised, and that makes her a better showman.

Pony Trixie-Magician first, showman second. Human Trixie-Shawman First Magician second.

That's the original point I was trying to make. Human's whose pony self has a personality dominated by a trait they can't emulate are instead focused on a different trait.

Human Trixie is less of a magician but is a much better showman. Human Rainbow Dash can't be a fast flyer, so she's more of a general athlete and the "awesome" part of her personality is more dominant over the "athlete" part when they're about equal in Pony Dash.

Human Twilight is, from what little we saw of her, far more of a science type that pony Twilight is or was.

[DigoDragon]

She did. :smallwink:

Haha, too right. +100 xp



No, they were aiming to prove who was better at *task*, which Trixie failed to do because she didn't even try to do *Task* Instead she caused pain and humiliation.

Having been to a number of magic shows, a common theme I see is that they say A, but mean B. Use different word meanings to provide misdirection, particularly when they ask for volunteers to do something.

Applejack lassos an apple; Trixie lassos an Applejack (Pretty straightforward task-- lasso something)
Dash flies fast to create a rainbow; Trixie manipulates and spins a rainbow quickly to create a sick pony (Task involves "Rainbow" and "Dash". Get it?)
Rarity creates a beautiful blue dress from a blue curtain, Trixie turns a straight-hair purple mane to a curly green rat nest (Task is transform an object from A to B)


The pain and humiliation is just bonus points because if you heckle someone on a stage and then accept their challenge, you just bought into their trap. :smallbiggrin:

[Forum Explorer]

Of course she didn't meet the words of her challenge. It was an empty boast. Working as intended, so to speak. And using bait-and-switch misdirection on the way, making it fit perfectly both with the theme (Jerk Pony is a boastful jerk) and her specific cutie mark (Stage Magician).



She did. :smallwink:

I'm not entirely sure who you are agreeing with there. I mean you're 100% correct, but I'm not sure of the direction of your argument.



No, they were aiming to prove who was better at *task*, which Trixie failed to do because she didn't even try to do *Task* Instead she caused pain and humiliation.

A good showman must deliver on what they promised. If a ventriloquist starts doing magic acts and never pciks up a puppet, you demand your money back, and if a performer says she can do anything you can do better and then doesn't even try to do what you did and just focuses on humiliating you in a way that is tangentially related to what you did, you get pissed off.

She doesn't deliver on the medium she promised, and she made claims she didn't even try to back up. Wheather or not most of the audience, who we've alreay agreed are stupid, likes it or not is irrelevant. When you make claims you can't back, don't even try to back, do athatish things that are barely related to your claims and claim it as evidence to back your claims, and are generally a jackass, you aren't a showman, you're jackass who has a stage.

Before any heckling or challenges, her show consisted of simple magic tricks that might not even be real magic, lighting off fireworks, and telling bald faced lies about how awesome she was.

Human Trixie didn't make an claims and then do something else. She delivered what she promised, and that makes her a better showman.

Pony Trixie-Magician first, showman second. Human Trixie-Shawman First Magician second.

That's the original point I was trying to make. Human's whose pony self has a personality dominated by a trait they can't emulate are instead focused on a different trait.

Human Trixie is less of a magician but is a much better showman. Human Rainbow Dash can't be a fast flyer, so she's more of a general athlete and the "awesome" part of her personality is more dominant over the "athlete" part when they're about equal in Pony Dash.

Human Twilight is, from what little we saw of her, far more of a science type that pony Twilight is or was.

A good showman entertains the crowd. And Trixie did that. She put on a fine entertaining show.

Don't focus on what she literally said, focus on what she meant. Which I think is 'Anything you do, I will entertain the crowd better.' or 'Anything you do, will not steal the crowd from me'.

All you are saying about the crowd getting pissed off and stuff? Well they disagree. They loved it. And no matter how stupid you think they might be, or how wrong Trixie is to cater to them, well that doesn't matter. Because Trixie's goal, her entire livelihood, is dependent on keeping the crowd on her side and happy. As long as she is cheered on, and supported by that crowd, she is meeting her goal, no matter what she literally said.

Because Trixie doesn't care about what she literally said. "Anything you do, I can do better" has a much better ring to it, the "I can entertain this crowd better then any of you". So the words were chosen for impact and to please the crowd more. Which again, is all that matters to Trixie.

Also remember, you may find Trixie's original show to be crappy, but I find Pinkie's parties to be childish, and apparently they are fit for pony royalty. The crowd was loving the show before Spike started heckling. They did find her spells and tricks to be impressive.

My point is not related to Human Trixie at all. I haven't seen Rainbow Rocks, so I can't accurately comment on her.

My point is that Pony Trixie is still a pretty impressive showmare and magician in her own right. She fully and totally put on an entertaining show to her chosen audience. That's a complete success, no matter her methods.

[Rater202]

My point is not related to Human Trixie at all. I haven't seen Rainbow Rocks, so I can't accurately comment on her.

This entire conversation started becuase I made a comment about how the Human versions of characters were diferant and someone questioned me about the claim that Human Trixie was a better Showman than Pony Trixie, which I think is areaosnable statement becuase Human Trixie can at least back up her claims.

Human Trixie got tot he smifinals of a battle of the bands despite only playing one song, and listening to the official extended version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOEKu8L5UqQ), my subjective opinion is that it's the number 3 Best song in the Movie. By all means she should have gotten to the finals on her own merits. She promised good music, and she delivered on what she promised, and that makes her a better showman than the Unicorn who claims to be a great magic user but can only do party tricks.

[Tiki Snakes]

I'm not entirely sure who you are agreeing with there. I mean you're 100% correct, but I'm not sure of the direction of your argument.
I'm not sure I was necessarily agreeing with anyone. I was pointing out an angle that seemed to be being overlooked. To a degree, by both sides.



A good showman entertains the crowd. And Trixie did that. She put on a fine entertaining show.

Don't focus on what she literally said, focus on what she meant. Which I think is 'Anything you do, I will entertain the crowd better.' or 'Anything you do, will not steal the crowd from me'.

All you are saying about the crowd getting pissed off and stuff? Well they disagree. They loved it. And no matter how stupid you think they might be, or how wrong Trixie is to cater to them, well that doesn't matter. Because Trixie's goal, her entire livelihood, is dependent on keeping the crowd on her side and happy. As long as she is cheered on, and supported by that crowd, she is meeting her goal, no matter what she literally said.

Because Trixie doesn't care about what she literally said. "Anything you do, I can do better" has a much better ring to it, the "I can entertain this crowd better then any of you". So the words were chosen for impact and to please the crowd more. Which again, is all that matters to Trixie.

Also remember, you may find Trixie's original show to be crappy, but I find Pinkie's parties to be childish, and apparently they are fit for pony royalty. The crowd was loving the show before Spike started heckling. They did find her spells and tricks to be impressive.

My point is not related to Human Trixie at all. I haven't seen Rainbow Rocks, so I can't accurately comment on her.

My point is that Pony Trixie is still a pretty impressive showmare and magician in her own right. She fully and totally put on an entertaining show to her chosen audience. That's a complete success, no matter her methods.

You're still missing the point of that sequence. Trixie is/was a Braggart. The whole point of that scene is to establish her wild claims and empty boasts. It's the core of the character at that point, it's her purpose in the plot. That doesn't stop and start with the Ursa Major story, it's the whole performance. It's what makes her a compelling character and what drives the plot. People claiming that she is just misunderstood, or doing what a performer is supposed to do, or claiming that she didn't mean what she said and instead meant some other thing are selling the character short on her own core gimmick and I think that's kind of a shame.

You don't have to make excuses for Trixie's behaviour, you know?

[Forum Explorer]

This entire conversation started becuase I made a comment about how the Human versions of characters were diferant and someone questioned me about the claim that Human Trixie was a better Showman than Pony Trixie, which I think is areaosnable statement becuase Human Trixie can at least back up her claims.
.

Your original post implied that pony Trixie was a bad showman, and I'm challenging that implication because I think she's actually a good showman, regardless of not liking her methods.

Human Trixie might be better, might be worse. I don't know and I'm not touching that conversation.



You're still missing the point of that sequence. Trixie is/was a Braggart. The whole point of that scene is to establish her wild claims and empty boasts. It's the core of the character at that point, it's her purpose in the plot. That doesn't stop and start with the Ursa Major story, it's the whole performance. It's what makes her a compelling character and what drives the plot. People claiming that she is just misunderstood, or doing what a performer is supposed to do, or claiming that she didn't mean what she said and instead meant some other thing are selling the character short on her own core gimmick and I think that's kind of a shame.

You don't have to make excuses for Trixie's behaviour, you know?

Not at all. I'm not arguing that she isn't a Braggart, or a jerk. She certainly is/was those things. I'm saying that she's a good showman despite those things.

[Tiki Snakes]

Not at all. I'm not arguing that she isn't a Braggart, or a jerk. She certainly is/was those things. I'm saying that she's a good showman despite those things.

You really can't use "entertained a crowd of ponies" as any kind of metric, though. Ponies in crowds basically have a super simple process for deciding their collective reaction. Is there the possibility of entertainment? Watch happily. Is there something to sing or dance along to? If so do so. Is there a source of potential danger? Panic!

Take the second coming of Flim/Flam, their tonic business. They have huge crowds singing and dancing along, presumably even buying non-trivial amounts of the tonic. But up until Applejack endorses it, the crowd doesn't actually believe a word they were saying. They're literally just going with the flow, right down to joining in with the shilling song. that's basically just how ponies respond to shows. They're like the people of Ankh Morpork in that sense, though a lot less sarcastic and generally better smelling.

And if you are going to judge Trixie purely on her success as a showmare, then you have to take the thing in full. Her act is so badly received that she either had to basically stop the show in order to deal with numerous irate hecklers, or gets that reaction often enough that it's a planned part of her show. Compare that to the Flim Flam Brothers, who barely get heckled at all, even when directly attempting to run one of Ponyville's founding families out of business.

Now that, that's a successful display of showmareship.

She also was unable to come back from her setback in the episode, resorting to rock farming to make ends meet for a non-trivial period of time. The inability to survive such a minor setback is not a sign of a resilient, successful showmare.

[Rater202]

Having your home and all your worldly possessions destroyed because of a pair of idiot fans is a minor setback?

And being exposed as a fraud doesn't seem like the kinda thing a career can bounce back from, um, ever.

My comments on her showmanship basically boil down to her not delivering what she promised, compared to her human world counterpart who certainly did.

[Juntao112]

Having your home and all your worldly possessions destroyed because of a pair of idiot fans is a minor setback?

Eh, there's always work on the rock farm.

[Tiki Snakes]

Having your home and all your worldly possessions destroyed because of a pair of idiot fans is a minor setback?

And being exposed as a fraud doesn't seem like the kinda thing a career can bounce back from, um, ever.

My comments on her showmanship basically boil down to her not delivering what she promised, compared to her human world counterpart who certainly did.

It was a tiny wooden caravan. If she hadn't managed enough success to have an actual home then she was doing the equivalent of being a touring entertainer living out of their car. That's not success. The CMC's build a comparable vehicle in, what, a single short montage?

As for being exposed for a fraud, sure you can bounce back from that. That's a great sign of a genuinely good entertainer, a real professional. You think anypony really cared whether Trixie had ever beaten an Ursa Major or not? I mean, actually cared? Sure, they thought it was cool when she boasted about it, but you think Ponies wouldn't be just as entertained by a song and dance number or a bit of clever stage magic? If your act is entirely based on a single implausible, poorly researched lie, then you're damn right you're not a good entertainer. If having that one pointless boast exposed is enough to end your show business career, then maybe you didn't have what it takes in the first place.

[Rater202]

Exactly!

Pony Trixie claims to be a great Unicorn but she can only do stage tricks and maybe fireworks, and thus her focus on magic and boasting thereof hurts her as a showman, and her entire act is built o claims she can't back up.

Human Trixie has no magic, and thus has to focus more or less exclusively on entertaining skills. As a result, she actually is a skilled performer and can back up her boasts. She delivers on what she promises. Pony Trixie doesn't.

[Forum Explorer]

Exactly!

Pony Trixie claims to be a great Unicorn but she can only do stage tricks and maybe fireworks, and thus her focus on magic and boasting thereof hurts her as a showman, and her entire act is built o claims she can't back up.


Like I said earlier, Trixie's magic is/was pretty impressive for a long time, in comparison to the average unicorn. She can't compete with Twilight at all, but Twilight is the most powerful unicorn so yeah. It's like comparing Canada's best detective (whoever that may be) with Batman.


But Trixie's failure to recover from her experiences in Ponyville is certainly a good point. I think that Tiki is understating the damage to her rep. (Since it's not the one boast, but rather her whole persona that was basically broken. That of being a 'better then you, boastful unicorn') With that sort of damage Trixie would not be able to put on the same sort of act as she did even if she did change things around in how she did things.

But that is her failure. She needed to innovate and come up with a new act, and she didn't. Thus everypony stayed fixated on the embarrassing truth and derided her shows from then on.

[DigoDragon]

Eh, there's always work on the rock farm.

And apparently it was very lucrative given the coinage she dropped down for that amulet. :D

[Rater202]

But that is her failure. She needed to innovate and come up with a new act, and she didn't. Thus everypony stayed fixated on the embarrassing truth and derided her shows from then on.
Maybe that's what the Alicorn Amulet was for? "No, don't belive those lies! The Great and Powerful Trixie Truly is the greatest Unicorn. See?" But she was too week willed to control the amulet so it controlled her.

Hell, she didn't mention anything about ruling Ponyville until after she beet Twilight, perhaps her reaosning for going their was "Beat Twilight, thus proving I'm the best" which then, as the amulet drove her more mad, became "beat Twilight, humilate her, and drive her away from her home" and then "do all f that, enslave the town, and rule it with an iron hoof."

And apparently it was very lucrative given the coinage she dropped down for that amulet. :D

Unless she stole it.

[Kd7sov]

So here's a question, Rater.

What promises does Biped Trixie back up?

No, really. To the best of my recollection and research, she: expresses a desire for peanut-butter crackers; claims to want "this" (presumably Battle of the Bands victory); sings about dominating and captivating due to power and magnitude; claims the Rainbooms will be unable to top her performance (accurate, but you'd have to really stretch to count it as a promise); derides the Rainbooms' semifinal performance; proclaims that she will not be denied her victory (seriously not backed up); and claims again that the Rainbooms won't be able to match her. All in all, it appears to fall into two categories: A) not a promise and B) precisely the same type of comments (often nearly to specific wording) that her quadrupedal counterpart made with similar results.

[Rater202]

You're putting to much value in the literal meaning of the word "promise". When a preformer claims something as part of their act, that's a promise. It's an unspoken social contract-once more, if a man claims to be a ventriloquist but only does magic tricks without ever touching a puppet, then he's not living up to what he promised his audience. Pony Trixie claims that she's the greatest unicorn and can do anything better than anypony else. She fails to deliver on both claims.

Human Trixie does not claim to be a powerful magician except when she's singing*-techicall not even then, she's talking about her music, not any hypothetical magic powers. Beyond that, she by her actions, promises to deliver a good musical preformance. Se proceeds to perform so well that she manages to get to the semi-final round with just one song.

And the only reason she didn't make it to the finals on her own merits is because the Dazzlings cheated to get the Rainbooms to move on as part of their plan, and when one considers that the Dazzlings can't sing without their gems, the other group that got to the finals was cheating forthemselves as well.

This is just my opinion, but "Tricks up my Sleeve" sounds a whole lot better than most of the songs the Rainbooms sang. Trixie shouls have won that, and didn't because, essentially, the Big Bads of the movie were cheating.

Human Trixie delivered what was promised. Pony Trixie did not.

*We don't even know if Human Trixie is even a magician, she might be a musician with a "Magic" theme.

[otakuryoga]

Consider that The one time we saw a show of Pony Trixie's, very few ponies liked it because she was a jerk, and that Human Trixie seems to have the same jerky personality as pre-alicorn amulet Pony Trixie, the fact that people like her performance enough for her to advance, when she's a magician not a musician, and she's essentially singing about how much better than you see is(something most people hate), that tells me that she's a much better showman than pony Trixie
as was said the Mane6 in attendance did not like it for PLOT
there is a performer on stage trying to make a living and these ponies show up and immidiately start heckling her.... yeah AJ/Dash/Spike/ and Rarity were grade A ********s in that episode


PonyTrixie's show boils down to "bragging about how awesome she is, including stories that are total fabrications, a few lights that I'm pretty sure most unicorns could figure out how to do, assuming it's not just slight of hoof hiding real fireworks,l claiming to be better than you, accepting challenges based on that, but then instead of proving she's better than you she just humiliates you without actually demonstrating an skill at what she claims she can do better than you."

...

No, the magic we do see out of Trixie is pretty impressive, for a very long time it was significantly better then anything we see the average unicorn do. Problem is that Trixie is a) a minor character who has had only two episodes and b) Twilight is the most powerful unicorn, ever. (Or close enough for the show's purposes)




Ever been to or seen a show where the comedian or entertainer just tears a heckler a new one? It generally results in cheers from the rest of the audience. Yeah, Trixie's show might've been arrogant beforehand, but Spike was openly and loudly heckling right from the start. Everything she did was totally fair game for the rest of the show. And ultimately, it worked. It got the heckler (Spike) to shut up, so everyone else could go on to enjoy the show.


yeah, pretty much

But Trixie didn't tear the heckler a new one. She tore everyone else a new one.

She also didn't live up to her claims. She said "Anything you can do, I can do better". That's a challenge. Ponies take her up on the challenge, and then instead of doing what they do better, or doing what they do period, she does something different that humiliates them and then claims she's done it better.


Applejack used a lasso...TGaPT used a lasso better

Dash did a trick using a rainbow, spinning at high speed, and something found in a cloud... TGaPT did a better trick using a rainbow, spinning at high speed, and something found in a cloud(lightning)

Rarity changed her appearance... TGaPT changed Rarity's appearance

she did what they did and she did it BETTER
better(in this case at least) being defined as "shut the jerkass hecklers up so the show can go on"

------------
said before i will say it again
the moral would have been much stronger to have Twilight stand up to her friends for being such jerks
"Dear Princess Celestia, just because a pony is your friend does not mean they are always in the right. Sometimes you have to stand up to your friends when they are doing something wrong/bad, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being their friend."
instead of whatever the moral supposedly was

[Aotrs Commander]

Well, Professor Pirate Princess Cadance's first foray into the life of a banana republic semi-dictator didn't go too badly, ending with a town of about 360... She even won her first election without actually having to cheat or anything... Not too shabby...!

[zimmerwald1915]

said before i will say it again
the moral would have been much stronger to have Twilight stand up to her friends for being such jerks
"Dear Princess Celestia, just because a pony is your friend does not mean they are always in the right. Sometimes you have to stand up to your friends when they are doing something wrong/bad, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being their friend."
instead of whatever the moral supposedly was
Come now, who's the jerk, someone who says mean things, or someone who uses physical violence? I'm not even talking Magic Duel here. In Boast Busters Trixie hog-tied one pony and gave another an electric shock and motion sickness. Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity did what they did to themselves, or to inanimate objects, and left Trixie alone; Trixie did what she did to other ponies without their permission (no, volunteering to give an impromptu demonstration does not constitute permission to be manhandled), but with the manifested intent to incapacitate. It was mentioned before that Trixie's object was to shut down her hecklers. She did that, with the exception of Rarity, by beating them into submission. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both do similar things later, by the way, but even then their conduct is distinguishable. Applejack hog-tied Spike...but he'd presumably volunteered given that he was standing ready rather than fleeing, and was prepped with a helmet, even if he wasn't happy about it. And Rainbow used thunderclouds to prank ponies during Nightmare Night, but she was going around scaring ponies with thunder, not actually zapping them with electricity.

It's pretty obvious that Trixie's line was inspired by the song from Annie Get Your Gun. But her conduct was more like if, after watching Annie hit a bulls-eye, Frank shot her in the hand.

[Rater202]

Exactly! Pony!Trixie laid down challenge, and then instead of even trying to go and fulfill her claim she just inflicts pain and humiliation on her the ponies who took her up on it. That's on top of the empty boasts, flat out lies and the whole "so called greatest Unicron can only do stage tricks and maybe fireworks"

And calling Rarity's mane a rat's nest was uncalled for.

[Topaz]

TRPG Update already! New Version 1.18 of Courage is Magic (http://littlelunamoonmatron.deviantart.com/art/Courage-is-Magic-1-18-A-Pony-Tabletop-Game-502623622).

[zimmerwald1915]

Exactly! Pony!Trixie laid down challenge, and then instead of even trying to go and fulfill her claim she just inflicts pain and humiliation on her the ponies who took her up on it.
You may be overselling your point...and underselling at the same time, depending on what you're trying to say. There's no "instead of." Trixie was perfectly capable of doing things with ropes, rainbows, and hair that Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were not capable of doing. She could have made a rope dance like a snake without using it to tangle Applejack up in knots, or made the rainbow dance in the sky above her cart, or made tatters of Rarity's dress instead of her mane. But she didn't. She used her magic on ponies, and she did those things in order to beat her challengers into submission.

Trixie was clearly the worst-behaved adult pony in Boast Busters, and the failings of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Spike amounted to sinking to somewhere that was still above her level.

EDIT: and no one better talk to me about "that's just showbiz." I've done showbiz. It really, really isn't. Even people who dunk audience volunteers (real audience volunteers, not shills like they sometimes are) into watertanks inform their volunteers about what they're going to do.

[Rater202]

Her claim was "anything you can do, I can do better"

She did not do what Applejack Did(Rodeo Rope Tricks) she did not do what Rainbow Dash did (A Display of athletic abillity and weather crafting) and she did not do what rarity did(create a quality dress out of scraps)

Instead she hogtied a pony with magic(not a rodeo rope trick) used localized weather manipulation to inflict pain on a pony(not athletic), and altered a ponies appearance against their will in order to humiliate them(not dressmaking)

She did not even do what the challenging ponies did, much less do it better. Her mouth wrote a check that her skills couldn't pay, so she physically assaulted the ponies she wrote the rubber check to. That's poor showmanship.

That's on top of Pony Trixie's entire act bening based on bald face lies and her just having been a jerk in general, both of which are also examples or poor showmanship.

Compare this to Human Trixie, whose boasts boil down to "being able to put on a performance capable of winning the battle of the bands". Consider, as I said before, that her one song got her all the way to the semi finals, would have gotten her to the finals if the Dazzlings hadn't used their magic to control Luna and Celestia, and that if you discount the Dazzling's gems-the ones they need to sing, as cheating, then Trixie did, by technicality, win the battle of the bands. She made a claim, backed it up, and put on a good show. That's better showmanship than Pony Trixie showed.

[DigoDragon]

Unless she stole it.

If she's capable of stealing that much money, why not just use those skills to steal the amulet? :smalltongue:
The Great and Elusive Trixie the Third!



ending with a town of about 360... She even won her first election without actually having to cheat or anything... Not too shabby...!

Ah, so the voters have come around... full circle. :3



Trixie was clearly the worst-behaved adult pony in Boast Busters, and the failings of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Spike amounted to sinking to somewhere that was still above her level.

I'd say the other way around in my opinion. *shrug*

Absolute worst pony period goes to Snips & Snails. Way to nearly destroy your own hometown guys.

[zimmerwald1915]

Her claim was "anything you can do, I can do better"
..."with magic" being the unstated but obvious corollary. I hope you didn't actually expect her to fly.


She did not do what Applejack Did(Rodeo Rope Tricks) she did not do what Rainbow Dash did (A Display of athletic abillity and weather crafting) and she did not do what rarity did(create a quality dress out of scraps)

Instead she hogtied a pony with magic(not a rodeo rope trick) used localized weather manipulation to inflict pain on a pony(not athletic), and altered a ponies appearance against their will in order to humiliate them(not dressmaking)

She did not even do what the challenging ponies did, much less do it better. Her mouth wrote a check that her skills couldn't pay, so she physically assaulted the ponies she wrote the rubber check to. That's poor showmanship.
Per Applejack's performance in Fall Weather Friends, hogtying is a rodeo rope trick. It wasn't the same rope trick Applejack pulled in Boast Busters, but neither was making the rope dance like a snake, something Trixie did that Applejack couldn't, much less do but worse. As for weather crafting (athleticism is beside the point because, again, the point was to do better with magic), Trixie made a rainbow move on its own and created a cloud from nothing1, neither of which Rainbow Dash did. AFAIK, it might be beyond her; the pegasi make clouds in factories, and in Wonderbolts Academy where creating a cloud from nothing would have been really useful, Dash had to sculpt a big one from the small ones that were lying around. Trixie never did make a beautiful object, but Rarity's altered mane was uglier than anything from Suited for Success or Inspiration Manifestation, and approached the baked bads in horridness.

Trixie is a fairly skilled and, when not under pressure, creative unicorn. She is also beyond the pale of ethical showmareship, but that does not make her unskilled at her craft. Nor does human Trixie being modestly more...modest make her better at hers (that was the point of this, wasn't it? I'm kinda lost).

1 "Nothing" in this case meaning "either nothing or ambient uncondensed water vapor."


I'd say the other way around in my opinion. *shrug*
I keep coming back to the physical violence and soliciting volunteers under false pretenses2, but ponies are resilient (random Torts thought; could Equestria reasonably have an eggshell plaintiff rule given how resilient ponies are?) and nopony was permanently damaged, so whatever floats your boat I guess.

2 "Anything you can do, I can do better" does not mean "I can do anything better to you."


Absolute worst pony period goes to Snips & Snails. Way to nearly destroy your own hometown guys.
I did say "adult" pony :smallwink:

That said, they did report promptly for punishment when the consequences of their actions became clear, and the worst they've done since is try too hard to get featured in the school paper, so there's hope for them yet.

[Rater202]

The point is that Human Trixie is a better showman because she delivers the performances she says she will and is less of a jerk, compared to Pony Trixie whose act is based on blatant lies and being a jackass.

Tying up Applejack with a TK manipulated robe is not the same rope trick as AJs and most certainly is not as impressive. Rainbow Dash's trick was a work of athletics that just so happened to have some weather components. Trixie preformed a weather manipution trick that completly ignored the athletic part of the equation(that being the important part, as that's Rainbow Dash's skill and thus what Trixie would have to be "better" at), anmd making someone else uggly is niether the same thing nor is it "better" than creating a fine dress out of scraps.

Pony Trixie flat out failed to deliver on her claim of "anything you can do, I can do better" because she didn't do what the challengers did. you can say she did what AJ did, if you squint, but she most certainly dind't do it better(and using TK feels like cheating)

If you don't deliver the show you promised, then you aren't a good showman. It's just that simple. And Pony Trixie, being either a mediocre unicorn with a lot of power or a pathetic unicorn with a lot of skill(I'm leaning towards the second one), simply can not deliver on the claims she makes as part of her show.

Pony doesn't deliver and probably can't deliver on her claims, human certainly does back up her claims. Thus the Human Trixie is a better showman than the Pony Trixie.

[zimmerwald1915]

The point is that Human Trixie is a better showman because she delivers the performances she says she will and is less of a jerk, compared to Pony Trixie whose act is based on blatant lies and being a jackass.
I'm not even sure it's true that human Trixie is better at stagecraft. Human Trixie might have been a better songwriter than human Rainbow Dash depending on your taste in music, but her performance, and her band's, was utterly without energy. Snips and Snails gave more of a damn about what they were doing on stage.

I'm also not sure how someone's ethics impact their skills. The truth in performance lies in believing in your imagined circumstances, not in telling the literal truth. Of the two Trixies, I'd say pony Trixie gave a better performance from a purely technical point of view. Not Stanislavskian by any means - as far as I know no Stanislavsky-derived school teaches you to actually dissolve your persona into your character's - but better.


Pony Trixie flat out failed to deliver on her claim of "anything you can do, I can do better" because she didn't do what the challengers did. you can say she did what AJ did, if you squint, but she most certainly dind't do it better(and using TK feels like cheating)
Of course it's cheating, it's using unicorn magic to accomplish what somepony else accomplished without unicorn magic. But that was the point. Trixie's challenge amounted to "I'll prove my special talent at magic is better than your special talent at anything else." She wasn't claiming to be more skilled at any given task than anypony else and nopony could reasonably expect that to be what she was sayin. She was claiming that their talents paled in comparison to hers. It's more explicit in her challenge to Twilight specifically: "You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent?"


If you don't deliver the show you promised, then you aren't a good showman.
Bull. Is Star Trek: the Next Generation a bad show because Tasha Yar's assertion that Starfleet security training is the best in the cosmos turns out to be blatantly false? Put aside whatever other failings you feel the show might have and focus just on that one facet: is the show bad because (and I'm talking proximate cause here) it can't, mostly for time and budget reasons, deliver on that one claim?

[t209]

About Trixie, what do you expect from an arrogant stage magician.

[Rater202]

Bull. Is Star Trek: the Next Generation a bad show because Tasha Yar's assertion that Starfleet security training is the best in the cosmos turns out to be blatantly false? Put aside whatever other failings you feel the show might have and focus just on that one facet: is the show bad because (and I'm talking proximate cause here) it can't, mostly for time and budget reasons, deliver on that one claim?

No. But if it failed to deliver on all of it's claims, then it would be a bad show.

Pony Trixie claims "Anything you can do, I can to better" "The Great and Powerful Trixie Once Vanquished an Ursa Major" and "Trixie is the greatest and most powerful Unicorn in Equestria" are all blatantly false. She can not back up any of those claims, and she either knew it going in or is arrogant to the point of delusional.

If you can't deliver the show you promised, you are a bad show man, and Trixie's boasting wrote a check that her skills couldn't pay for.

[DigoDragon]

I did say "adult" pony :smallwink:

Right, hence why I needed to add the italic extra word there. That stunt trumps all age categories.



the worst they've done since is try too hard to get featured in the school paper, so there's hope for them yet.

I ship Snails with DT. I don't even know why I do that.



About Trixie, what do you expect from an arrogant stage magician.

Show Stoppage.
http://th06.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2014/308/8/c/trixie_by_icyvignette-d85ar7h.png (http://icyvignette.deviantart.com/art/Trixie-492629309)

[Rater202]

Trixie is far better atbeing cute with maud than she ever was at doing magic shows.https://img0.derpicdn.net/img/2014/12/5/778316/large.jpeg

...How the hell did this ship get started, anyway?

[cavalieredraghi]

Trixie is far better atbeing cute with maud than she ever was at doing magic shows.https://img0.derpicdn.net/img/2014/12/5/778316/large.jpeg

...How the hell did this ship get started, anyway?

Rater you are absolute right, and honestly why does it matter it is here now, and they are so adorable!

[zimmerwald1915]

No. But if it failed to deliver on all of it's claims, then it would be a bad show.

Pony Trixie claims "Anything you can do, I can to better" "The Great and Powerful Trixie Once Vanquished an Ursa Major" and "Trixie is the greatest and most powerful Unicorn in Equestria" are all blatantly false. She can not back up any of those claims, and she either knew it going in or is arrogant to the point of delusional.

If you can't deliver the show you promised, you are a bad show man, and Trixie's boasting wrote a check that her skills couldn't pay for.
Again, "anything you can do, I can do better" doesn't mean what you think it means. Look back at the source material. How does hitting a sparrow with a bow and arrow prove you're a better shot with a gun? How does getting sicker from downing shots make you better at downing shots? And the ending of every interlude features Annie getting the better of Frank without even describing what she does, but just by hoisting him on his own petards (calling him a rat for his boast that he can live on bread and cheese and calling him a crook for his safe-cracking boast). Annie demonstrably gets the better of Frank in the song, just like Trixie demonstrably got the better of Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, but by your test would clearly fail. From a narrative standpoint, therefore, your test doesn't make sense.

No adult pony actually cares about whether her claim to be the most magical unicorn in Equestria is true. Only Spike, Snips, and Snails care about that. Rarity accepts it as fact that Trixie has "lots of magic" and doesn't care; she and the others don't like her attitude. They take her words for what they are; obvious hyperbole meant to attract attention. As for Trixie's actual skills, we've been over some of this ground, but it's also worth noting that making flowers appear out of thin air (the one part of the scripted magic show we're actually treated to, aside from the carnival barking) is a trick no other unicorn besides Twilight has ever performed in the show. I'm blanking on the episode where she first managed it, but it was Look Before You Sleep or some earlier episode; she conjured a scroll. Demonstrating a vanishingly rare ability isn't proof of being the most magical unicorn in Equestria, but it's close enough for a more or less uncritical and not literal-minded audience. Speaking of vanishingly rare abilities, Twilight was only able to surpass Trixie in the creation of illusory images by Season 4 (Bats shows us her first illusion, unless I'm mistaken; she repeats the feat in Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3).

"I vanquished an Ursa Major" is blatantly false, and a pretty stupid lie, really. Here she's playing off the same tropes as Flim and Flam, tropes which go back to commedia del arte if not further; the well-traveled cosmopolitan taking advantage of ignorant small-towners by spouting what amounts to nonsense. It was her bad luck that she tried it in a town that 1) harbored ursas nearby (she really should have known better, she did claim to drive it "beyond the Everfree Forest" that was right next door) and 2) had a number of residents who actually knew a thing or two about ursas.

[Tiki Snakes]

Of course it's cheating, it's using unicorn magic to accomplish what somepony else accomplished without unicorn magic. But that was the point. Trixie's challenge amounted to "I'll prove my special talent at magic is better than your special talent at anything else." She wasn't claiming to be more skilled at any given task than anypony else and nopony could reasonably expect that to be what she was sayin. She was claiming that their talents paled in comparison to hers. It's more explicit in her challenge to Twilight specifically: "You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent?"

It's a nice idea, but it's simply not supported by the episode. What exactly makes you think she meant anything other than exactly what she said when she claimed "Anything you can do, I can do better!"? What exactly is it that so convinced you that was anything other than Trixie simply being caught out in another round of empty boasts that she had no ability or intention of backing up?


"I vanquished an Ursa Major" is blatantly false, and a pretty stupid lie, really. Here she's playing off the same tropes as Flim and Flam, tropes which go back to commedia del arte if not further; the well-traveled cosmopolitan taking advantage of ignorant small-towners by spouting what amounts to nonsense. It was her bad luck that she tried it in a town that 1) harbored ursas nearby (she really should have known better, she did claim to drive it "beyond the Everfree Forest" that was right next door) and 2) had a number of residents who actually knew a thing or two about ursas.

I'd peg Trixie more as Carnival-Folk than well-travelled cosmopolitan, or something like that. I mean, her ignorance is a pretty major plot-point in Boast Busters after all.

[zimmerwald1915]

It's a nice idea, but it's simply not supported by the episode. What exactly makes you think she meant anything other than exactly what she said when she claimed "Anything you can do, I can do better!"? What exactly is it that so convinced you that was anything other than Trixie simply being caught out in another round of empty boasts that she had no ability or intention of backing up?
You haven't been reading my posts. I've given three reasons I think this: her statement is a clear reference to the song from Annie Get Your Gun, where it is not meant literally; her challenge to Twilight clearly refers to "magical talent;" and she actually demonstrated pretty rare gifts in the scripted portion of her show.


I'd peg Trixie more as Carnival-Folk than well-travelled cosmopolitan, or something like that. I mean, her ignorance is a pretty major plot-point in Boast Busters after all.
Il dottore was more often than not pretty ignorant too, despite his pretentious babbling. The doctors who embrace Sganarelle as one of their own in The Doctor in Spite of Himself are a good example of the type. So's Sganarelle himself, for that matter, although, as the title says, in spite of himself.

[Rater202]

She was only speaking of magic when speaking with Twilight. Thus, she only meant magic when speaking with Twilight.

And the facts remain, she didn't even try to do what Rainbow Dash and Rarity did, and what she did with AJ can hardly described as beter than what AJ did.

[DigoDragon]

...How the hell did this ship get started, anyway?

Because one artist made a series of cute comics that worked out too adorably to ignore by Trixie and Maud fans.

[Tiki Snakes]

You haven't been reading my posts. I've given three reasons I think this: her statement is a clear reference to the song from Annie Get Your Gun, where it is not meant literally, her challenge to Twilight clearly refers to "magical talent," and she actually demonstrated pretty rare gifts in the scripted portion of her show.

So, it is your contention that instead of it tying in to the moral of the story, the characterisation of Trixie as established before this and after this and following along from what is actually said, the actual meaning of the exchange is contained in a specific facet of a reference that none of the actual target audience are likely to get (even if they would agree with that particular interpretation)? That seems like a bit of a stretch, to be perfectly honest.

And the challenge to Twilight doesn't refer to anything of the sort.


Trixie: Don't believe the Great and Powerful Trixie? [chuckles] Well then, I hereby challenge you, Ponyvillians. Anything you can do, I can do better. Any takers? Anyone? Hmm? Or is Trixie destined to be the greatest equine who has ever lived!?
[fireworks and fanfare]
Spike: [zip] Please! She's unbearable! Ya gotta show her! Ya just gotta! [cries]
Twilight Sparkle : There's no way I'm going to use my magic now, Spike. Especially since—
Trixie: Hmm, how about you!
Twilight Sparkle: [gulps]
[music]

Trixie: Well, how about it? Hm? Is there anything you can do that the Great and Powerful Trixie can't?
Twilight Sparkle: I— I—
Trixie: Well, little hayseed?
Applejack: That's it! I can't stand for no more of this!
Spike: You show her, AJ!
No mention in terms of the challenge to Magical ability, a direct challenge to all of Ponyville, a generalised "is there anything you can do that the great and powerful Trixie can't?" and the exact same challenge extended to Applejack, (which would be meaningless if the challenge was specifically about magical talent).

[zimmerwald1915]

So, it is your contention that instead of it tying in to the moral of the story, the characterisation of Trixie as established before this and after this and following along from what is actually said, the actual meaning of the exchange is contained in a specific facet of a reference that none of the actual target audience are likely to get (even if they would agree with that particular interpretation)? That seems like a bit of a stretch, to be perfectly honest.
The scene played out the same way as the song, I don't think it's a stretch to say that the line referred to and was inspired by the song. But I don't think you're being fair. The only thing I'm trying to prove with that point is that Rater's interpretation of the line "anything you can do, I can do better" is too narrow. It can mean, but does not have to mean, "I can perform the exact same feat you can, only with more of the native skill you possess." It can also mean "I can show you up in a way connected with whatever it was you did, using my magical talent." Which is exactly what Trixie did.

Showing people up with her magic, and declaring her superiority based on that, is perfectly in line with Trixie's characterization as a braggart and a fraud. Hell, her statement being sufficiently misleading so as to lure ponies onstage not expecting to get manhandled plays into that characterization. But she is also a fairly skilled and creative unicorn, and there isn't really much point in denying it. No trait is diminished by any other.


And the challenge to Twilight doesn't refer to anything of the sort.

No mention in terms of the challenge to Magical ability, a direct challenge to all of Ponyville, a generalised "is there anything you can do that the great and powerful Trixie can't?" and the exact same challenge extended to Applejack, (which would be meaningless if the challenge was specifically about magical talent).
Ah, I was talking about her second challenge to Twilight, which went like this: "You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent?" Is there any reason to believe she meant something different the first time, aside from choosing slightly different (and therefore not redundant) wording? Apropos of that, you bring up a good point that I had forgotten. She picked the same pony to challenge both times: Twilight. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash accepted without being singled out by Trixie. Why would she issue the same pony two different challenges, instead of the same challenge, but repeated after it was not accepted the first time?

Besides, I really think this interpretation is too literal. I don't think Applejack went on stage expecting Trixie to try and mimic her exact movements with the rope, but to maybe attempt some other rope trick. Which Trixie did.

[Tiki Snakes]

The scene played out the same way as the song, I don't think it's a stretch to say that the line referred to and was inspired by the song. But I don't think you're being fair. The only thing I'm trying to prove with that point is that Rater's interpretation of the line "anything you can do, I can do better" is too narrow. It can mean, but does not have to mean, "I can perform the exact same feat you can, only with more of the native skill you possess." It can also mean "I can show you up in a way connected with whatever it was you did, using my magical talent." Which is exactly what Trixie did.

Showing people up with her magic, and declaring her superiority based on that, is perfectly in line with Trixie's characterization as a braggart and a fraud. Hell, her statement being sufficiently misleading so as to lure ponies onstage not expecting to get manhandled plays into that characterization. But she is also a fairly skilled and creative unicorn, and there isn't really much point in denying it. No trait is diminished by any other.

It could mean that, but that's clearly not what she said and it's clearly not what the ponies of Ponyville were supposed to understand by what she said. She posed a clearly worded challenge to any pony in ponyville; " Is there anything you can do that the Great and Powerful Trixie can't?" That sentence clearly precludes "I can show you up in a way connected with whatever it was you did, using my magical talent." being a fair and honest interpretation even if it does strike pretty close to Trixie's actual plan and actions.

Simply put, Rater's take on her challenge as a facet of her show is pretty much unavoidable, at least the basics of it. Her show consisted in no small part of the claim that she could do anything that the ponies of Ponyville could do better than they themselves could do it, but she not only failed to prove this she didn't even try, resorting to trickery, bullying and assault instead. I find it strange that you could seek to disagree with Rater's point that Trixie's show was flawed because she resorted to Fraud and empty bragging rather than legitimately tackling her own stated challenge whilst also admitting that Trixie was being deliberately misleading about her statement in order to lure ponies on-stage and that she was a braggart and a fraud.

(For the record, having re-watched the source scene in question, I would argue this all isn't comparable even if we do consider how this largely unrelated sequence plays out, as the girl in the film arguably out-does the guy, but not by cheating or facetiously ducking a point or two but by being able to legitimately sing a higher note and legitimately hold a note for longer. I'm not sure it supports the concept that you are using it to support, to be honest.)


Ah, I was talking about her second challenge to Twilight, which went like this: "You think you're better than the Great and Powerful Trixie? You think you have more magical talent?" Is there any reason to believe she meant something different the first time, aside from choosing slightly different (and therefore not redundant) wording? Also, you bring up a good point that I had forgotten, and which bolsters the argument that she meant the same thing both times. She picked the same pony to challenge both times: Twilight. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash accepted without being singled out by Trixie.

Besides, I really think this interpretation is too literal. I don't think Applejack went on stage expecting Trixie to try and mimic her exact movements with the rope, but to maybe attempt some other rope trick. Which Trixie did.

The line you're referring to comes after she challenged ponyville, after she extended her challenge from Twilight to Applejack directly. It's right at the end of the scene, and the obvious context of that is as a clarification of the existing challenge; To do anything Ponyville can do except better. Twilight being a Unicorn, this would obviously be something magical if Twilight was to step up on stage and isn't really anything more than Trixie continuing to boast about being better in every way at everything than everyone in Ponyville. It isn't a clarification of what she was actually saying previously and it requires a pretty tortured reading of the scene to claim that.

[Rater202]

Simply put, Rater's take on her challenge as a facet of her show is pretty much unavoidable, at least the basics of it. Her show consisted in no small part of the claim that she could do anything that the ponies of Ponyville could do better than they themselves could do it, but she not only failed to prove this she didn't even try, resorting to trickery, bullying and assault instead. I find it strange that you could seek to disagree with Rater's point that Trixie's show was flawed because she resorted to Fraud and empty bragging rather than legitimately tackling her own stated challenge whilst also admitting that Trixie was being deliberately misleading about her statement in order to lure ponies on-stage and that she was a braggart and a fraud.

And I'm scared now.

[Tiki Snakes]

And I'm scared now.

Oh hush. You say that every time, and I keep telling you that we often agree on things. :smalltongue:

[cavalieredraghi]

Oh hush. You say that every time, and I keep telling you that we often agree on things. :smalltongue:

O.o You do!

[Rater202]

Oh hush. You say that every time, and I keep telling you that we often agree on things. :smalltongue:

And at this point it's a running gag:smalltongue:

[otakuryoga]

Instead she hogtied a pony with magic(not a rodeo rope trick) used localized weather manipulation to inflict pain on a pony(not athletic), and altered a ponies appearance against their will in order to humiliate them(not dressmaking)

She did not even do what the challenging ponies did, much less do it better. Her mouth wrote a check that her skills couldn't pay, so she physically assaulted the ponies she wrote the rubber check to. That's poor showmanship.
this has been covered by others since so i shall leave it be except for one question....
have you EVER been to/watched a rodeo?
because hogtying is a MAJOR event at rodeos


That's on top of Pony Trixie's entire act bening based on bald face lies and her just having been a jerk in general, both of which are also examples or poor showmanship.



Pony Trixie claims "Anything you can do, I can to better" "The Great and Powerful Trixie Once Vanquished an Ursa Major" and "Trixie is the greatest and most powerful Unicorn in Equestria" are all blatantly false. She can not back up any of those claims, and she either knew it going in or is arrogant to the point of delusional.

she does a travelling magic show..the heyday for those was 20's/30's (much like the timeframe for travelling hucksters like flimflam bros)

look at the history of those shows..they made outrageous claims all the time..its what puts butts in the seats

are you going to go see
A) the plain and ordinary Randy performing mundane uses of magic
or
B) The Amazing Randini! performing never before seen feats of Awesome Magic learned from the Ancient Sorcerers of the Orient! (which at the time may as well have been Mars or Venus to most people)

did anyone actually expect to see all brand new magic? no
did anyone believe he really went to the orient? probably not
but its the story/spectacle that put butts in seats/coins in hand
suspension of disbelief..its what makes the entertainment industry(such as magic shows) go 'round
...and why we are able to enjoy a show featuring talking horses with magic and wings and prehensile tails(just to touch the tip of the iceberg)

you keep getting on her for doing what EVERY SINGLE travelling, and many non-travelling magician has done to make a living..make grandiose claims that no one takes seriously in order to entertain the customers that are paying them
even her name seems to annoy you most times but look at real world examples
The Great Houdini
Nicola: Prince of Magic
The Amazing Jonathon
The Great Carazini
Carter the Great
Le Grand David
---just a few from http://www.magictricks.com/magicians-real-names.html



"I vanquished an Ursa Major" is blatantly false, and a pretty stupid lie, really. Here she's playing off the same tropes as Flim and Flam, tropes which go back to commedia del arte if not further; the well-traveled cosmopolitan taking advantage of ignorant small-towners by spouting what amounts to nonsense. It was her bad luck that she tried it in a town that 1) harbored ursas nearby

^^this^^
RL equivalent would be someone in the audience standing up and saying "yeah my parents were ambassadors to (country x)" and speaking to him in that language and him being unable to answer
possible but of such small likelyhood that the claim is just made at every whistlestop w/o thought

[Rater202]

this has been covered by others since so i shall leave it be except for one question....
have you EVER been to/watched a rodeo?
because hogtying is a MAJOR event at rodeos

Magic hogtying isn't. Using magic is cheating.



she does a travelling magic show..the heyday for those was 20's/30's (much like the timeframe for travelling hucksters like flimflam bros)

look at the history of those shows..they made outrageous claims all the time..its what puts butts in the seats

are you going to go see
A) the plain and ordinary Randy performing mundane uses of magic
or
B) The Amazing Randini performing never before seen feats of Awesome Magic learned from the Ancient Sorcerers of the Orient! (which at the time may as well have been Mars or Venus to most people)

did anyone actually expect to see all brand new magic? no
did anyone believe he really went to the orient? probably not
but its the story/spectacle that put butts in seats/coins in hand
suspension of disbelief..its what makes the entertainment industry(such as magic shows) go 'round
...and why we are able to enjoy a show featuring talking horses with magic and wings and prehensile tails(just to touch the tip of the iceberg)

Real World magic shows are irrlevent. Those don't have real magic. Equestria is a nation where literally everyone has real magic, and roughly a third of the population can cast at least one spell.

An ordinary stage magic show is nothing, in a setting like that, and claims of being "great and powerful" hold more weight when there's a chance you actually could, infact, be a great and powerful sorcerer.

Trixie such a claim, and utterly failed to put her bits where her mouth was.

It's not the equivalent of a stage magician calling herself Y the great and powerful or X the Magnificent.

It's like, if Wizards were real and publicly known, and a Wizard claimed to be the greatest Wizard on the planet, but they really could only do card tricks.

[otakuryoga]

Magic hogtying isn't. Using magic is cheating.




Real World magic shows are irrlevent. Those don't have real magic. Equestria is a nation where literally everyone has real magic, and roughly a third of the population can cast at least one spell.

An ordinary stage magic show is nothing, in a setting like that, and claims of being "great and powerful" hold more weight when there's a chance you actually could, infact, be a great and powerful sorcerer.

Trixie such a claim, and utterly failed to put her bits where her mouth was.

It's not the equivalent of a stage magician calling herself Y the great and powerful or X the Magnificent.

It's like, if Wizards were real and publicly known, and a Wizard claimed to be the greatest Wizard on the planet, but they really could only do card tricks.
she is a MAGICIAN a UNICORN magic is NOT cheating for her

did you expect her to fly over and circle the windmill blades exactly like Dash?
thats flying..thats cheating!

its a TRAVELLING ENTERTAINMENT show...whether magic/cooking/comedy it LITERALLY DOES NOT MATTER
a cooking show host is going to claim to "bake the greatest treats never before seen outside the far distant lands of gobbledeegook"
or maybe they make buffalo wings "so hot they could be deadly" and get ponies to sign a waiver before eating them(which many places do right now if you ever watched Man vs Food)

or a comedian claim to be so funny "you'll be carted away in an ambulance after you split your sides laughing"

the point is they are trying to MAKE MONEY
so they make outrageous claims that no one actually believes to pique interest and get people to the show

would you be upset in those examples?

how bout the prototypical motocross ad(which i just heard one today)
"you can buy the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge"
if you go and actually use the whole seat would you get upset?

and whether or not YOU PERSONALLY would be upset in those instances(i am going to go out on a limb and say yes)
ask and answer yourself honestly "would 99.99% of people be upset over these claims not being absolutely 100% provably accurate?"
or would they shrug and say thats show business hype
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole

[Rater202]

she is a MAGICIAN a UNICORN magic is NOT cheating for her

She did a magic rope trick, and a magic rope trick is not a rodeo rope trick. Trixie using TK to control the rpe is cheeting, and while I wasn't expecting her to fly I would expect her to do something athletic when she claims to be able to do the local athlete's skills better than said athlete did, and she didn't even try to make a dress.

And Equestria is not Earth. It has real magic. That's going to have an effect on the culture. Since you don't seem to understand the point I was trying to make, I'm going to reiterate:

When magic is an everyday occurrence, and a third of the population can cast spells, a standard magical stage show, even if you're using real magic instead of sleight of hand, is nothing. A good stage show involving magic would have to be something spectacular, something well out of the range of abilities of the average unicorn.

Trixie claimed she was such a unicorn, and utterly failed to deliver.

It's the equivalent, of, in a hypothetical world whre magic is real and see's everyday used and is well known to exist, of an ordinary sleight of hand stage magician claiming to be Merlin. In the real world that's a fun part of the act. In a world with widely known real magic, it's a bald faced lie

[otakuryoga]

AJ lassoed an apple..that is not a rodeo rope trick either
so stop saying magic hogtying is not a (RL) rodeo trick it is not relevant

AJ did a rope trick and put an apple in her mouth
Trixie did a rope trick and put an apple in her(AJ's) mouth


Dash did a trick involving Dash doing high speed spins, a rainbow, and something found in clouds
Trixie did a trick involving Dash doing high speed spins, a rainbow, and something found in clouds
the exact method of doing the trick(athletic/flying vs magic) is not relevant


It's the equivalent, of, in a hypothetical world whre magic is real and see's everyday used and is well known to exist, of an ordinary sleight of hand stage magician claiming to be Merlin. In the real world that's a fun part of the act. In a world with widely known real magic, it's a bald faced lie

lets try this again

Rater.. meet Hyperbole http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole

Hyperbole http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole.. meet Rater

the key words are --> not intended to be taken literally <--


A good stage show involving magic would have to be something spectacular, something well out of the range of abilities of the average unicorn.


almost completely wrong
a good stage show entertains the crowd and makes money for the performer/producer
whether it includes what you mention or involves 100% illusion or is a comedic magic act doesn't matter one iota

[Forum Explorer]

Maybe that's what the Alicorn Amulet was for? "No, don't belive those lies! The Great and Powerful Trixie Truly is the greatest Unicorn. See?" But she was too week willed to control the amulet so it controlled her.

Hell, she didn't mention anything about ruling Ponyville until after she beet Twilight, perhaps her reaosning for going their was "Beat Twilight, thus proving I'm the best" which then, as the amulet drove her more mad, became "beat Twilight, humilate her, and drive her away from her home" and then "do all f that, enslave the town, and rule it with an iron hoof."


Unless she stole it.

Personally I don't think anypony can use the Alicorn Amulet without it corrupting them. It's like taking cocaine, it doesn't matter how strong your will is, it's going to mess with you while you are on it.

But I do agree that was her thought process, more or less. She originally came there to simply prove her power, and reclaim her reputation. By the time she got there she had gone to full out, vengeance mode, and by the time she one she was rapidly slipping into evil overlord mode.



said before i will say it again
the moral would have been much stronger to have Twilight stand up to her friends for being such jerks
"Dear Princess Celestia, just because a pony is your friend does not mean they are always in the right. Sometimes you have to stand up to your friends when they are doing something wrong/bad, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being their friend."
instead of whatever the moral supposedly was

I disagree, Trixie was a pretty massive jerk in this episode. The episode would have to be radically different in order for that lesson to work.


She did a magic rope trick, and a magic rope trick is not a rodeo rope trick. Trixie using TK to control the rpe is cheeting, and while I wasn't expecting her to fly I would expect her to do something athletic when she claims to be able to do the local athlete's skills better than said athlete did, and she didn't even try to make a dress.

And Equestria is not Earth. It has real magic. That's going to have an effect on the culture. Since you don't seem to understand the point I was trying to make, I'm going to reiterate:

When magic is an everyday occurrence, and a third of the population can cast spells, a standard magical stage show, even if you're using real magic instead of sleight of hand, is nothing. A good stage show involving magic would have to be something spectacular, something well out of the range of abilities of the average unicorn.

Trixie claimed she was such a unicorn, and utterly failed to deliver.

It's the equivalent, of, in a hypothetical world whre magic is real and see's everyday used and is well known to exist, of an ordinary sleight of hand stage magician claiming to be Merlin. In the real world that's a fun part of the act. In a world with widely known real magic, it's a bald faced lie

It's not cheating dude. Not at all. And even if it was cheating, Trixie and more importantly the audience didn't care. Frig, even Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Rarity didn't say Trixie cheated. (And RD and AJ are certainly ponies who would call somepony else out for cheating in a competition.)

And again, the crowd cheering her is all the justification Trixie cares about. As long as they like what she's doing, she seriously does not give a flying feather about any other opinions.

As for magical ability. Put your money where your mouth is. Take a feat that is clearly out of Trixie's capabilities and more impressive that is being performed by a unicorn who is not Twilight. Oh, and isn't powered by dark, insanity inducing, magic.

I can only think of one example. And it's a pretty questionable one IMO.

[Rater202]

lets try this again

Rater.. meet Hyperbole http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole

Hyperbole http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole.. meet Rater

Hyperbolic speech carries significantly more weight if you're in a setting where your claims might actually be true.

For all anypony know, before Trixie was exposed as a fraud, when she claimed to be a grat and powerful magician, she meant it. If a Unicorn has a magical implement as her cutie mark, it's entirely plausible that when she claims to be a great and powrful magician, that she is in fact a great and powerful magician.

In such a world, where maic is real, all such claims are a far more serious thing to make than they are in the real world where magic does not exist. You know going in that Wandisimo the Magnificent is't casting real spells, so his boastful claims are part of the show.

The Great and Powerful Trixie does cast real spells, and so can a third of her audience. Magic is an everyday thing in Equestria. Thus, a claim of being one of the greatest unicorn magicians in the world isn't necessarily part of the show.

Let me find another analogy, because the one I've been using clearly isn't clear enough.

The "Greatest Unicorn in Equestria" doing prestidigitations and lighting off fireworks is like someone claiming to have trained under David Copperfield only being able to do those simple magic tricks that you get out of a kit. You know, the cups and balls, or the "is this your card?" trick, the crap that anybody can learn with no formal training as long as you read the little booklet that comes with it. Hell, my first magic kit I didn't even need to read the instructions for the cups and balls.

In a world with real magic, a boast of being "Great and Powerful" will make people expect not an ordinary stage magician, but one of the best damn magicians on the planets, since, ou know, a third of the population are magicians. And instead of getting one of the Best Damn Magicians, you get either a magic user with mediocre skill or pathetic power(not both. Trixie couldn't pull of her prestidigitations if she was both)

That is exactly like going to a show on the vegas strip and getting party tricks.

Am I clear now?

[Balmas]

Magic hogtying isn't. Using magic is cheating.

I will direct paypal you thirty dollars right now if you can show me any major rodeo circuit rules that include a ban against magic.


Actually, that brings up a bit of a question: In Fall Weather Friends, Applejack insists that Rainbow Dash is cheating by using her wings in athletic events.

Why?

Why is it fair for Applejack to use her natural strength, endurance, and earth pony magic in a competition, but Rainbow Dash is deprived of hers? Is it cheating for a unicorn to use magic? If so, why?

It's nonsensical to make a challenge and then declare that only one subsect of ponies gets to benefit from their natural abilities. And what's more, it's not good for the sport in general. It doesn't promote competition, level the playing field, or make it more entertaining for the people watching.

To borrow a mismatched simile, it's like taking out the stairs because the wheelchair users don't have a ramp.

[Rater202]

PAs for magical ability. Put your money where your mouth is. Take a feat that is clearly out of Trixie's capabilities and more impressive that is being performed by a unicorn who is not Twilight. Oh, and isn't powered by dark, insanity inducing, magic.

Rarity controlling all of Ponyville's weather. She screwed it up, but she was doing the spells right.

Or maybe Sunset Shimmer Teleporting. If Trixie could teleport, she wouldn't need to do the smoke bomb run away thing, so it's out of her capabillities. Infact, Sunset is the only canon unicorn other than Twilight to teleport

[Rater202]

I will direct paypal you thirty dollars right now if you can show me any major rodeo circuit rules that include a ban against magic.

I don't need to. the fact that Trixie was moving the rope with Telekinesis means she had perfect control over which part of the rope went where, as opposed to actually swinging the rope which requires lots of practice to just get the one end to go where you want it to.

That's what makes it cheating. If she had only TK'd the one end of the rope and then used it like a cowpony would otherwise, the it'd have been fine, but the "total control of every part" is what makes it unfair.

It's also a completely different skillset, which means she was not, in fact, demonstrating the same skills Applejack did, which is an other example of Trixie not living up to her claims.

[otakuryoga]

I disagree, Trixie was a pretty massive jerk in this episode. The episode would have to be radically different in order for that lesson to work.


in what way?
she is putting on a show
which the crowd seemed to be liking when some group of people in the audience start heckling her
she responded as any competent performer would..by shutting them the hell up so she could go back to putting on the show
want some examples?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neRWv17Saj8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwg4OiYgTIw

[Rater202]

I'd like to point out, once more, that there is significant evidence that large crowds of ponies tend to be idiots(see, singing along and buying Flim Flam merchandise when they know the brothers are a pair of hucksters out to make a quick and dishonest bit)

Simply put, a large group of ponies liking something does not indicate that it's good, because most ponies are idiots.

Hell, a large group of people liking something in general doesn't mean it;s good, unless you want to tell me that Twilight was a good series of not at all creepy romance novels?

...can't do it, can you?

[Forum Explorer]

Actually, that brings up a bit of a question: In Fall Weather Friends, Applejack insists that Rainbow Dash is cheating by using her wings in athletic events.

Why?

Why is it fair for Applejack to use her natural strength, endurance, and earth pony magic in a competition, but Rainbow Dash is deprived of hers? Is it cheating for a unicorn to use magic? If so, why?

It's nonsensical to make a challenge and then declare that only one subsect of ponies gets to benefit from their natural abilities. And what's more, it's not good for the sport in general. It doesn't promote competition, level the playing field, or make it more entertaining for the people watching.


Well some clearly were, like using her wings to fly during the long jump.

Others, yeah fair enough.


Rarity controlling all of Ponyville's weather. She screwed it up, but she was doing the spells right.

Or maybe Sunset Shimmer Teleporting. If Trixie could teleport, she wouldn't need to do the smoke bomb run away thing, so it's out of her capabillities. Infact, Sunset is the only canon unicorn other than Twilight to teleport

Thought of those two.

1. Rarity did that in a song, the same song where we see Pinkie apparently reduce Sweet Apple Acres to a barren wasteland. Outside the song we see her control clouds only one at a time. Something that we've literally seen Trixie do.

2. Sunset Shimmer is a questionable choice due to her quasi-canon status. (Side note: Trixie teleported using the alicorn amulet.)

Though I did think of one, Shining Armor's shield over Canterlot.

Though it kinda proves my point in a way. The ponies that we see outmatching her? The Captain of the Royal Guard, Princess Celestia's personal student, and a pony who ascended to become an alicorn. Hardly ponies that Trixie would even meet normally.

We always knew Trixie wasn't the best, that was established in episode 1-2. But the question is how far beyond the average is she? If she can reliably beat 90% of the ponies in Equestria then she is basically showing off skills that 99% of her audience barely knew was possible.

This also explains why Spike was so dismissive of Trixie. He grew up around Twiight, Shining Armor, Princesses Celestia and Cadence. For him mind-blowing feats of magic is literally every day stuff.


in what way?
she is putting on a show
which the crowd seemed to be liking when some group of people in the audience start heckling her
she responded as any competent performer would..by shutting them the hell up so she could go back to putting on the show
want some examples?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neRWv17Saj8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwg4OiYgTIw

Hitting Rainbow with a lightning bolt after she was walking away and repeatedly challenging Twilight, who clearly just wanted to watch the show puts her into jerk category for me.

[otakuryoga]

Hitting Rainbow with a lightning bolt after she was walking away and repeatedly challenging Twilight, who clearly just wanted to watch the show puts her into jerk category for me.

she still had to use something from a cloud to match Dash's trick and that was just the exclamation point to make her point that you dont heckle the performer if you cant take the return heat

and as for Twilight..3 outta 5 ponies in that group had just disrupted her show and the 4th was being egged on by the 5th to do so again..starting the show just to be instantly interrupted again makes no sense..so she dealt with the last 2 members of the group then and there then returned to the show

[Rater202]

(Side note: Trixie teleported using the alicorn amulet.)

Hehem:
Oh, and isn't powered by dark, insanity inducing, magic.

Doesn't count by your own criteria.

[Forum Explorer]

I'd like to point out, once more, that there is significant evidence that large crowds of ponies tend to be idiots(see, singing along and buying Flim Flam merchandise when they know the brothers are a pair of hucksters out to make a quick and dishonest bit)

Simply put, a large group of ponies liking something does not indicate that it's good, because most ponies are idiots.

Hell, a large group of people liking something in general doesn't mean it;s good, unless you want to tell me that Twilight was a good series of not at all creepy romance novels?

...can't do it, can you?

Tempted to play devil's adovcate there but nah,

Yeah it's true simple popularity isn't a indication of quality. However that,

a) doesn't disprove anything when it comes to Trixie's motivations for her actions.

b) is not a point against the quality of something either

Plus what are you basing Trixie's show quality on? Your own personal preferences? General human point of view? Because,

a) that's kinda silly. Ponies have a demonstrated alien tastes to the majority of humans.

b) I'd actually say Trixie's show is pretty good, by my tastes. Yeah the special effects were pretty low key, but Trixie makes up for it with sheer force of personality. Also fireworks.



she still had to use something from a cloud to match Dash's trick and that was just the exclamation point to make her point that you dont heckle the performer if you cant take the return heat

and as for Twilight..3 outta 5 ponies in that group had just disrupted her show and the 4th was being egged on by the 5th to do so again..starting the show just to be instantly interrupted again makes no sense..so she dealt with the last 2 members of the group then and there then returned to the show

After she was walking away, defeated? Still a **** move.

True, but calling out Spike would've worked just as well.

Anyways jerk hardly equals evil. Just being a bit of a jerk.


Hehem:

Doesn't count by your own criteria.

I know, that's why it's a side note. I was pointing it out in case you forgot about it when you claimed that Sunset Shimmer is the only unicorn we've seen teleport besides Twilight.

[Aotrs Commander]

Random New Year's Ponythread Challenge!

Which pony (slash dragon slash whatever) secretly has their own version of Joxer the Mighty's theme that they quietly sing to themselves when they think nopony else is listening (and would be most Humorously Mortified if somepony did) and what are the words?

(Only half-points for Trixie on account of that Being Too Obvious.)



No, I have NO idea where these random thing come from. I really, really don't.

[DigoDragon]

Egads, we got ourselves a conversation! :smallbiggrin:


its what puts butts in the seats

http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2014/093/f/3/made_of_butts_by_bico_kun-d7cvm22.jpg



Trixie such a claim, and utterly failed to put her bits where her mouth was.

Up until the Ponyville incident it didn't seem like anyone knew anything about Ursas so Trixie was making a living off claims no one could challenge. Who knew a couple of bumbling unicorn colts would actually find one in the same town that had a unicorn that was capable of defeating one? That was just the perfect storm of coincidences.



I will direct paypal you thirty dollars right now if you can show me any major rodeo circuit rules that include a ban against magic.
Actually, that brings up a bit of a question: In Fall Weather Friends, Applejack insists that Rainbow Dash is cheating by using her wings in athletic events.

Why?

Because AJ finds it unfair that Dash has multi-purpose wings. Look at the crazy advantages it gave Dash during the iron pony competition. She lifted AJ over the mudpit. How is a non-flyer supposed to counter that? If I were in AJ's position I'd feel like it was cheating.



It's also a completely different skillset, which means she was not, in fact, demonstrating the same skills Applejack did, which is an other example of Trixie not living up to her claims.

I'm reminded of Captain Barbossa in Pirates of the Caribbean, where he promised to let Elizabeth and Jack go, but because they didn't mention where to let them go, he opted to just drop them on a deserted island. :smalltongue:




Which pony (slash dragon slash whatever) secretly has their own version of Joxer the Mighty's theme that they quietly sing to themselves when they think nopony else is listening (and would be most Humorously Mortified if somepony did) and what are the words?

Big Mac the Mighty
Bucks through the apple farm,
He never dares a mare to harm.
With Smarty as his doll mook,
Reading from her little book.
Righting wrongs and singing songs.
Being awesome all day long.
He's Big Mac! He's Big Mac the Mighty!

[Tiki Snakes]

Magic hogtying isn't. Using magic is cheating.


she is a MAGICIAN a UNICORN magic is NOT cheating for her

did you expect her to fly over and circle the windmill blades exactly like Dash?
thats flying..thats cheating!Not for the first time, I feel that Rater broadly has the right of it but is using unhelpful terminology to explain and back up his point.
It doesn't matter if you consider her using magic cheating or not, that's clearly irrelevant to the challenge. The point is that Trixie's rope-trick simply isn't as skilful or impressive as AJ's. She doesn't outdo her, she simply assaults her, humiliates her and then declares victory. She successfully stops AJ claiming otherwise, but what she actually did simply isn't as impressive.



its a TRAVELLING ENTERTAINMENT show...whether magic/cooking/comedy it LITERALLY DOES NOT MATTER
a cooking show host is going to claim to "bake the greatest treats never before seen outside the far distant lands of gobbledeegook"
or maybe they make buffalo wings "so hot they could be deadly" and get ponies to sign a waiver before eating them(which many places do right now if you ever watched Man vs Food)

or a comedian claim to be so funny "you'll be carted away in an ambulance after you split your sides laughing"

the point is they are trying to MAKE MONEY
so they make outrageous claims that no one actually believes to pique interest and get people to the show

would you be upset in those examples?

how bout the prototypical motocross ad(which i just heard one today)
"you can buy the whole seat, but you'll only need the edge"
if you go and actually use the whole seat would you get upset?

and whether or not YOU PERSONALLY would be upset in those instances(i am going to go out on a limb and say yes)
ask and answer yourself honestly "would 99.99% of people be upset over these claims not being absolutely 100% provably accurate?"
or would they shrug and say thats show business hype
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/hyperbole

See, this line of thought isn't without merit. Like in professional wrestling shows, at the end of the day the task is to put bums on seats, sell tickets and t-shirts and so on. At the end of the day, this is the bottom line. It is a business, it is about making money. To do this, you put on a show and to a degree it doesn't matter what you do, what you resort to, it's that bottom line that is king. The thing is, there's another part of this comparison that is pertinent to this discussion.

Trixie's role in the episode. It is her task in this scenario to be The Heel. It is her job to make the audience root for the Face's, (the mane 6). She is there to get them over, by being a big jerk and by establishing herself as a braggart. Everything she does is to hammer home the fact that she's a bag of hot air full of empty boasts and unfounded self-importance. This is her gimmick, this is her reason for being in the episode. This is what she is for. When you insist that she is justified in her actions, that it's simply how a travelling show makes money, you fundamentally miss the point because that understanding undermines that central gimmick and her role in the episode. Simply put, it's not a compliment. Just the same as it's bad to cheer the heel in a wrestling show, even if you're aware that it's just a show. They don't want you to cheer them, that's practically an insult, you're supposed to root for the hero. Getting you to do that is their job and they take pride in that.

When you insist that Trixie wasn't simply throwing out empty boasts and personal attacks in place of stepping up and proving she wasn't just full of hot air, what you're saying is that Trixie failed as a character.



Personally I don't think anypony can use the Alicorn Amulet without it corrupting them. It's like taking cocaine, it doesn't matter how strong your will is, it's going to mess with you while you are on it.

But I do agree that was her thought process, more or less. She originally came there to simply prove her power, and reclaim her reputation. By the time she got there she had gone to full out, vengeance mode, and by the time she one she was rapidly slipping into evil overlord mode.
I still like the headcanon that it's no coincidence that it matches King Sombra's colour-scheme and delivers incredible dark powers. It fits with the above so nicely, I think. (and has the benefit of being a theory that's highly unlikely to be specifically joss'd by the show at any later date.)




I disagree, Trixie was a pretty massive jerk in this episode.
I agree, it's part of what I like about the character. It makes any future growth that much more meaningful if nothing else, but in terms of her in this one episode, see above rambling.




As for magical ability. Put your money where your mouth is. Take a feat that is clearly out of Trixie's capabilities and more impressive that is being performed by a unicorn who is not Twilight. Oh, and isn't powered by dark, insanity inducing, magic.

I can only think of one example. And it's a pretty questionable one IMO.
There's an example in that same scene. Rarity takes a single sheet of fabric and in a split second transforms her entire ensemble beyond recognition, putting together an outfit and style of incredible grace and beauty. The best Trixie manages in response is messing her hair up. She shows none of the precision, control or creativity that Rarity brings to bear.
Note, Rarity's transformation also includes either the spontaneous creation or summoning of a saddle (which matches Trixies previous feat of flower-producing), as well as what appears to be a significant amount of transmutation of the fabric, all while styling her mane and tail.) Nothing that pre-amulet Trixie does comes close to involving so many different disciplines at once, nor with such a deft touch.


I will direct paypal you thirty dollars right now if you can show me any major rodeo circuit rules that include a ban against magic.
I am so tempted to check right now. I mean, you never know, right? A rodeo circuit in a suitably superstitious area, I wouldn't be entirely shocked and thirty dollars are thirty dollars...


in what way?
she is putting on a show
which the crowd seemed to be liking when some group of people in the audience start heckling her
she responded as any competent performer would..by shutting them the hell up so she could go back to putting on the show
want some examples?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neRWv17Saj8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwg4OiYgTIw

I still think that this interpretation is both wholly at odds with the Episode's theme and what we actually see as well as selling Trixie short as a character. I don't really understand this determination people seem to have to justify and defend Trixie, especially when that actually equates to claiming that she is a failure as a character.

I wonder how much of this is inspired by the actual episode and how much comes from an attachment to the character in general, from the vast amount of fan-works she is involved in and her portrayal in all those. I'm not sure there's an easy answer to that question, but I do wonder.

[b_jonas]

...How the hell did this ship get started, anyway?

In Magic Duel, Trixie says he had to work in a rock farm, then Pinkie Pie says Trixie should be glad the rock farm took her in. From this, people guessed Trixe is working in the Pie's rock farm. We know that Maud used to work there, as well as her sisters, but we don't know much about the other sisters. That's why Trixie was shipped with Maud.

[Aotrs Commander]

I am SO FRACKING FED UP with Beyond Earth.

Seriously.

It just WILL NOT let me do ANYTHING.

After what, TWO HOURS or so over the last couple of attempts of it refusing outright to give me a decent start location, I gave up and did what I have to with the other Civ games - go and find a fracking map editor. And EVEN THEN it INSISTS on not letting me do anything without about five reloads.

I have LITERALLY spent more time waiting for it to take FOREVER to reload than I have actual PLAYING it. I am about one more "haha! Gotha! Neenaneenaneena!" from the game away from going "[expletive] you game, I'm going back to Tropico 4."

FRACK'S SAKE.




Big Mac the Mighty
Bucks through the apple farm,
He never dares a mare to harm.
With Smarty as his doll mook,
Reading from her little book.
Righting wrongs and singing songs.
Being awesome all day long.
He's Big Mac! He's Big Mac the Mighty!

Yeah... I don't think I'm going to beat that with the half-built attempt involving Cadance I was working on...

Any more challengers to Digo's crown here?

[Rater202]

From this, people guessed Trixe is working in the Pie's rock farm.

Um, no they didn't. Watch the episode again, you can clearly see Pinkie's Father when Trixie casts her flashback screen spell.

That's not people guessing it, that's the show telling us.

[Forum Explorer]

Not for the first time, I feel that Rater broadly has the right of it but is using unhelpful terminology to explain and back up his point.
It doesn't matter if you consider her using magic cheating or not, that's clearly irrelevant to the challenge. The point is that Trixie's rope-trick simply isn't as skilful or impressive as AJ's. She doesn't outdo her, she simply assaults her, humiliates her and then declares victory. She successfully stops AJ claiming otherwise, but what she actually did simply isn't as impressive.




See, this line of thought isn't without merit. Like in professional wrestling shows, at the end of the day the task is to put bums on seats, sell tickets and t-shirts and so on. At the end of the day, this is the bottom line. It is a business, it is about making money. To do this, you put on a show and to a degree it doesn't matter what you do, what you resort to, it's that bottom line that is king. The thing is, there's another part of this comparison that is pertinent to this discussion.

Trixie's role in the episode. It is her task in this scenario to be The Heel. It is her job to make the audience root for the Face's, (the mane 6). She is there to get them over, by being a big jerk and by establishing herself as a braggart. Everything she does is to hammer home the fact that she's a bag of hot air full of empty boasts and unfounded self-importance. This is her gimmick, this is her reason for being in the episode. This is what she is for. When you insist that she is justified in her actions, that it's simply how a travelling show makes money, you fundamentally miss the point because that understanding undermines that central gimmick and her role in the episode. Simply put, it's not a compliment. Just the same as it's bad to cheer the heel in a wrestling show, even if you're aware that it's just a show. They don't want you to cheer them, that's practically an insult, you're supposed to root for the hero. Getting you to do that is their job and they take pride in that.

When you insist that Trixie wasn't simply throwing out empty boasts and personal attacks in place of stepping up and proving she wasn't just full of hot air, what you're saying is that Trixie failed as a character.



I still like the headcanon that it's no coincidence that it matches King Sombra's colour-scheme and delivers incredible dark powers. It fits with the above so nicely, I think. (and has the benefit of being a theory that's highly unlikely to be specifically joss'd by the show at any later date.)




There's an example in that same scene. Rarity takes a single sheet of fabric and in a split second transforms her entire ensemble beyond recognition, putting together an outfit and style of incredible grace and beauty. The best Trixie manages in response is messing her hair up. She shows none of the precision, control or creativity that Rarity brings to bear.
Note, Rarity's transformation also includes either the spontaneous creation or summoning of a saddle (which matches Trixies previous feat of flower-producing), as well as what appears to be a significant amount of transmutation of the fabric, all while styling her mane and tail.) Nothing that pre-amulet Trixie does comes close to involving so many different disciplines at once, nor with such a deft touch.


The rope trick, I'll give you. It certainly isn't that impressive compared to what AJ does. I'd say her feats of magic vs Rarity and Rainbow were though.

There's a difference between rooting for the Heel and justifying their existence and actions in a more 'meta' sense.

I do as well. Question is what came first? The amulet or the King?

No, I'd say physical manipulation of objects isn't nearly as impressive as the complete pigment transformation of a living object. As well, Rarity took a short time to do her stuff. Trixie did it instantly. I'd say Trixie's feat there outshone Rarity's.



I am SO FRACKING FED UP with Beyond Earth.

Seriously.

It just WILL NOT let me do ANYTHING.

After what, TWO HOURS or so over the last couple of attempts of it refusing outright to give me a decent start location, I gave up and did what I have to with the other Civ games - go and find a fracking map editor. And EVEN THEN it INSISTS on not letting me do anything without about five reloads.

I have LITERALLY spent more time waiting for it to take FOREVER to reload than I have actual PLAYING it. I am about one more "haha! Gotha! Neenaneenaneena!" from the game away from going "[expletive] you game, I'm going back to Tropico 4."

FRACK'S SAKE.


Ugh, that must be really frustrating. I hate when it feels like the game is arbitrarily shutting you down to create difficulty.

[Tiki Snakes]

Changing the pigmentation of a living thing is more difficult? If you say so, but I don't recall that being established at any point. And if it's simply that she re-arranged and coloured the hair, that's still less impressive because Rarity re-arranged her mane, and her tail, and created a dress and changed the fabric colour and summoned a saddle and not meaningfully any slower or faster.

And again, what Trixie did not only was simpler, it was also significantly less controlled, (largely indiscriminate spoiling/destruction) and did not remotely match the task that Rarity set her, namely one of demonstrating poise, elegance and precision in spell casting.

If you honestly believe that her feat was more impressive than Rarity's, then Fair enough I guess, it's all subjective on some level. But I really cannot credit your ratings and I don't see anything in particular to support your interpretation.

I just don't buy it, and I don't believe it fits the episode for that to be the interpretation that was intended.

The heel thing is hard to explain, but simply put, it's fine to appreciate the heel, or see a person underneath that you can empathise with, but when you look at a heel and you say "no, you are mistaken, this is no heel!" then you are saying that the heel has failed in their one true purpose. I feel that claiming that Trixie's actions were justified, or that she was able to back up her claims in any meaningful way is a huge disservice to the character and the episode and I just don't see any in-show justification for that interpretation.

Beyond some kind of, I don't know. Wishful thinking?

[DigoDragon]

I live! Ugh, I really hate driving [i]Period[\i]. Well I"m typing this from a Kindle Fire, so forgive any odd ... rulings. Also I had a decent meal that included a nice white wine. Slightly buzzed.
My


G FED UP wit Ea go and ave L
FRAs w..

Any more challengers to Digo's crown here?

Sorry to hear that your game is being a butt. :(

At least I did have fun on your challenge. Thanks for coming up with that.



Um, no y didn't. Wr flashback screen spes.

I recall that it was Trixie's Trixie's Trixie's

I recall that in Trixie's flashback, they showed Pinkie's dad there with Trixie.

[Rater202]

...what the hell happened to that quote?

[Thanqol]

Happy New Year everyone!

To celebrate 2015, I broke my ponyfic writing hiatus! THAT'S RIGHT, I'M BACK BABBY!

This is a short comedy story titled Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole. Critique is welcome, appreciated, and is good karma! Also, I'd really like cover art suggestions! Gonna post it on FIMFic once I have cover art.

Otherwise, enjoy!

based on a true story

Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole

By Thanqol



“How about here?” asked Applejack.

Roseluck shook her head. “Platypus reserve,”

Applejack frowned. “Here?”

“Yeah, if you fancy digging through solid limestone to make it happen,” said Berry Punch.

“Here?” said Applejack, very maturely not making an exasperated sigh.

“No good,” said Carrot Top. “It’s technically free, but that’s right near Filthy Rich’s property and you can be sure he’ll raise one hell of a stink at Council if we start building there.”

“Well, what if we - “

“ATTEN-CHUN!”

None of the four earth ponies snapped to, instead just rotating in a very civilian way to face Rainbow Dash - who was doing enough military posturing for the lot of them. She was wearing her Wonderbolt Cadet uniform and was giving an over the top salute.

“Mornin’, Rainbow,” said Applejack. “Want some celery?”

“IS THAT HOW YOU ADDRESS A SUPERIOR OFFICER, SERGEANT?” yelled Rainbow Dash, demonstrating that she had passed her Drill Sergeant elective course. Strutting around and yelling at ponies? Easy A.

“Uh, with the what?” said Applejack.

Rainbow Dash dramatically pointed at the magnificent military banner - which, somewhat less magnificently, was currently being used as a tablecloth. It read PONY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. “Are you or are you not Ponyville’s Earth Pony Militia?” she snapped.

“Oh, yeah,” said Applejack. “I suppose.”

“Then WHY are your regimental colours being used so DISGRACEFULLY?”

“Because the good tablecloth is at the cleaners?” said Roseluck nervously.

Rainbow Dash clucked her tongue. “I guess this surprise inspection isn’t off to a good start. I’m going to have to dock you points!”

“Wait, what?” said Applejack. “Surprise with the what now?”

Rainbow Dash puffed herself up. She’d been waiting for that. “Commander Spitfire,” she let the words linger in the air as if they were meant to mean something, “has personally assigned me with the task of checking on the combat readiness of Ponyville’s Earth Pony Auxiliaries! And I can see already -“ she waved a hoof dramatically around Roseluck’s (admittedly somewhat scruffy) living room, “- that some changes are going to be necessary.”

Roseluck raised a hoof like a schoolfilly. Rainbow Dash puffed up even more as she pointed at her and said, “Name?”

“R-Roseluck.”

“Question?”

“Um, what’s an Auxiliary?” asked Roseluck.

“Uh - well, it means -“ Rainbow Dash thought for a second, and then remembered the term Auxiliary Power and made a mental leap - “You’re the ponies who do the fighting after all the proper soldiers are dead!”

Roseluck raised her hoof again. “Yes, Roseluck?” said Rainbow.

“Does that mean that we only fight things that are guaranteed to kill us all?”

“Hold your horses everypony!” said Applejack. “What’s all this about fighting? Rainbow, that ain’t exactly -“

“You will address me as Special Lieutenant, Sergeant!” barked Rainbow. “Special Lieutenant Rainbow Professionalism Dash!”

Applejack gave her friend a look that let her know that on account of their past friendship she wasn’t going to react to that the way she’d like to. “Special Lieutenant, fightin’ ain’t exactly what we do here.”

“Are you or are you not soldiers in the Solar Army, sworn to the defence of the Realm even unto death?” asked Rainbow.

“I didn’t swear to death!” said Roseluck panickedly.

“You did, actually,” said Berry Punch. “It was on your contract. Right at the top.”

“I didn’t read that! It doesn’t count! That’s unconscionable conduct!” said Roseluck, starting to hyperventilate. “I don’t want to fight Tirek! I’m a conscientious objector!”

Rainbow Dash didn’t feel like she’d come into this situation with unreasonably high expectations, but even so she was feeling deeply disappointed. “So what does the Ponyville Militia do, then?”

“We mostly do civil engineering projects,” said Applejack brightly, happy to be back on safer ground. “Right now we’re discussin’ where to put a dyke -“

“Applejack!” gasped Rainbow Dash.

“What?”

“I didn’t think that even you would go so far as to turn this once honourable military regiment into your own personal dating service!” said Rainbow Dash.

“A dyke’s actually -“

“No! Enough of this!” said Rainbow Dash. She pointed a hoof at Roseluck. “You! What would you do if a dragon attacked the town!?”

“Panic,” said Roseluck nervously.

“ - designed to prevent floodin’ and assist with maritime commerce -“

“You!” Rainbow jabbed her hoof in Berry Punch’s chest. “A swarm of timberwolves charges out of the Everfree forest. What do you do!?”

“A group of timberwolves is called a pack,” said Berry Punch.

“What do you do to defend the town!?” yelled Rainbow.

“Oh! Panic!” she said, nodding firmly.

“- and the word’s derived from dijk, which is a really old fashioned way to say ‘dig’ -“

“You!” yelled Rainbow Dash, getting all up in Carrot Top’s grill. “What do you -“

“Panic.” said Carrot Top confidently.

“- griffon reavers! From the sky!” said Rainbow Dash, thrown off her game by three voices happening at once.

“Oh. Don’t panic,” said Carrot Top. “We just go to the trenches.”

“- the first apple carried by river barge was in 202 A.C. -“

Rainbow Dash stuck her hoof in Applejack’s mouth to stop her talking. Her eyes were lit up and gleaming. “Trenches?”

“You know. Like a hole in the ground?”

“Show me,” said Rainbow Dash.

*

“This is it?” said Rainbow Dash, unable to keep the appalled disappointment out of her voice.

“Yep. Dug this one ourselves,” said Applejack.

“It’s - just a hole in the ground!” sputtered Rainbow Dash.

“Yup,” said Applejack with a tinge of pride.

“And it’s not even a big one!” said Rainbow Dash. “You couldn’t fit two ponies side by side in that thing!”

“Nope!” said Applejack, buffing her coat with a hoof as if she’d received a compliment.

“I thought - “ Rainbow Dash rummaged in her saddlebags and grabbed out a book titled The Fortifications Of Our Flightless Friends. It had an unflattering picture of an earth pony on the cover, in the foreground of a very flattering picture of a fortified castle. Rainbow Dash jabbed her hoof at the picture. “Why doesn’t it look like this?”

“That’s a castle, Special Lieutenant,” said Applejack patiently. “This here is a trench.”

“The castle has a moat!” said Rainbow Dash. “And that moat is filled with water and like four hundred times the size of that dinky little trench!”

All the earth ponies were frowning and looking at the picture. “That doesn’t look secure,” said Carrot Top.

“Yeah, that much water would undermine the foundations in a matter of years,” agreed Roseluck.

“I wasn’t expecting you to have a castle but I was expecting some sort of fort or something,” said Rainbow Dash. “This… this is nothing!”

“No, it ain’t nothing,” said Applejack patiently. “It’s a trench.”

“It’s not a trench! It’s a sad little pit!” said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack frowned. “Now there, Special Lieutenant. We spent a week on that -“

“A week!?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped.

Applejack beamed at what she took to be the compliment. “Yep! It was hard work, but what with the Everfree and all, we thought that the extra security was worth it -“

“It took all four of you a week to dig this?” said Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy could jump across this!” To demonstrate, she hopped from one side to the other and gave them a totally flat look. “I thought earth ponies were supposed to be good at building things. This is absurd.”

“Now there, Special Lieutenant -” said Applejack, eyes narrowing.

“I could dig further than this by myself,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, could you now?” said Applejack.

“Yeah!” said Rainbow Dash. “I could! Because I’m not lazy!”

“Oh yeah?” said Applejack, temper rising.

“Oh yeah!” said Rainbow Dash, pushing her nose against Applejack’s.

“Prove it!” said Applejack.

*

Day One

How hard could it be?

Rainbow Dash knew a thing or two about architecture. While it might take Applejack a week to dig a hole in the ground, when Rainbow Dash spent a week on a project - well, she could add an entire wing to her house. Or transform a cloud into a kilometre long copy of her cutie mark. Or kick up a thunderstorm that could level a minor city. And she could do all those things with style, grace and speed.

She picked up her shovel in her mouth. Yeah, this would be easy.

And it was easy. For the first foot of dirt. Then her shovel hit something hard.

“What the hay AJ?” said Rainbow Dash, looking up.

“Huh?” said Applejack, walking over.

“This ground is, like, solid rocks,” said Rainbow Dash.

“That ain’t rock,” said Applejack. “That’s just dry soil. Rock is much harder.”

Rainbow Dash scowled. She had already convinced herself that Applejack had tricked her into trying to dig into a rocky location. But - dry soil huh?

One quick raincloud later and she was digging again and making great progress - but the damp, soaked soil was heavier than boulders. Sweat was pouring down her neck as she shovelled and finally, after what felt like hours, she collapsed, panting. Five minute break -

She’d barely dug enough to fit herself in - if she curled up inside it. The dirt kept falling down the sides of the hole and she was chipping away at the rock with her shovel rather than getting the full, satisfying scoops she’d imagined. And she had to do the entire thing with her neck.

Okay. Okay. Let’s try it again without the water.

She couldn’t figure out the right stance. The shovel was an awkward length and she needed to get enough leverage to really power a slice in to crack the rock. She tried standing on her hind legs and then diving in but that just hurt her teeth. Then she tried a wide stance with her hooves spread out on either side of the pit, but as soon as the pit got a little too deep then she was having to bend her knees almost all the way down just to reach what she was getting at. She constantly tried repositioning, moving around to get the best angle on the rock or look for a weak point, but it was just the same stupid dirt no matter what direction she came at it from.

The longer she worked, the more breaks she took, and the longer each break became. The work was exhausting and she felt like she was going to break her neck! This was mental - doing all the work with the same part of your body? Who did that?

At the end of the day, Rainbow limped home, and then ate two nights worth of food in one meal, and collapsed into her bed. She was too exhausted to even blame Applejack.

*

Day Two

Okay. If Applejack could do this, she could do this.

Rainbow Dash worked hard and worked strong all day. She finally found a rhythm she could work to and just set into it. She started using her whole body with each shovel scoop, not just her neck. She took breathers when she needed them and paced herself like Twilight had taught her. Solid work. Marathon speed. She could do this.

By the end of the day she’d created some sort of terrible crater. She realised far too late she had no idea how she was supposed to grow the pit in any specific direction, let alone get the laser sharp sides that Applejack had done. It wasn’t even a satisfyingly big crater.

Okay, thought Rainbow Dash as she crawled pathetically into bed. Applejack has a lifetime experience digging holes and earth ponies probably have creepy magical dirt powers. Like Maud Pie did. Plus it was four against one. It was only fair that she evened the odds a bit.

*

Day Three

Rainbow Dash couldn’t get out of bed until late afternoon, excepting brief passages to and from the ice box to eat anything that looked vaguely organic. She’d never been more tired in her life. This was insane. She was an athlete! She should be able to handle a little dirt!

By the evening, realising she’d wasted almost the entire day, she set off for Cloudsdale. It was a long trip but there was a good tailwind and there was something there that could help her.

*

Day Four

The jackhammer. A masterpiece of modern engineering. Pegasi used it to carve precision cloud formations. She’d requisitioned it from a construction company for military purposes. With this she’d be able to make far more progress than with that wretched shovel.

She was almost cackling as she hammered away at the dirt and rock, pounding it into dust and then coming in with the shovel at the newly loosened dirt. It wasn’t until she looked at her progress at the end of the day that she realised that, while she’d made a little more distance than she had before, at this rate she wouldn’t even come close to a quarter of what the earth ponies had done. And she was exhausted again. And the jackhammer was making a dangerous rattling sound.

She needed something more drastic to beat that stupid, cheating Applejack.

*

Day Five

Of course! The answer lay within herself! Within her childhood, in fact! Beach!

Rainbow Dash’s crater-trench suddenly took a very sharp and very shallow detour across to one of the Ponyville lakes and then ran deep into the soft sand there. The trench went in two complete laps around the lake’s sandy shore, cutting straight through a prize sandcastle in the process. Its value as a defensive fortification was understandably suspect but Rainbow Dash felt proud of herself.

Still, she needed more than this if she wanted to beat Applejack in just two days. But, as she flopped down to sleep, a terrible, brilliant, ingenious idea came to her head….

*

Day Six

“From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled…” said Rainbow Dash, reading aloud from the ancient tome of Starswirl the Bearded’s final spell.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon… one in six chance…

“Aw horseapples!” she cussed when she saw Twilight’s bright purple star appear on her flank in place of her familiar lightning bolt. Well, no harm in trying again, right? “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled!”

Once again, the shifting threads of destiny warped and screeched, and this time - bingo! Three diamonds! A cutie mark related to moving piles of dirt around, sort of! She’d win for sure with this! And then she’d read out the other half of the spell and get things back to normal before anypony noticed.

She hurried out to her trench and started digging, but her head wasn’t in it. She was swamping up with weird questions. Had this been a dumb idea? When she’d had Fluttershy’s cutie mark the animals hadn’t listened to her - but when Rarity had her cutie mark she’d learned a weather spell she’d never had before. Was that a unicorn thing? She was making good progress with this hole but - oh horseapples! She’d forgotten, Twilight hadn’t fixed everypony’s cutie marks by reading out the second half of the spell, that had been like a weird bonus after she’d used her ordinary magic to fix the spell. Uh, did that mean she had to cast Starswirl’s spell again until she got Twilight’s cutie mark back and use that to figure out what she’d done? Would that even work? Hold on, why did she have her memories of her proper cutie mark? Twilight’s cutie mark hadn’t changed when she cast the spell. Was it because she wasn’t a unicorn? Or was it because she’d been through this all once before?

Rainbow Dash realised that she was in over her head with all this magic stuff and had maybe acted a bit impulsively in her attempt to cheat a victory against Applejack in hole digging.

Regretfully, she dropped the shovel, rushed back to the library, threw open the book and mumbled out Twilight’s completion to the spell. “From all of us together -“

“Rainbow?” said Spike, coming down the steps with a candle. “What are you doing here this late?”

“Oh hi Spike,” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m just - just reading the new Daring Do book! Yep, that’s me! Biggest fan out there!”

“Out loud?” he groaned. “At midnight? This is a lending library.”

“Ha ha - togetherwearefriends - “ said Rainbow Dash, glancing back at the book.

“What?” said Spike.

“I’ll just be a minute,” said Rainbow Dash. “Is that ‘destinies’ or ‘destined’?”

“Hey, isn’t that Twilight’s magical princess book?” said Spike.

“Uh! With the marks of our destined made one there is magic without end!” Rainbow Dash choked out.

All across the sleeping Ponyville, five great lights lit up, powering to the sky. Five great bolts shot out of five houses, from the hearts of five sleeping ponies. They broke walls and windows in their passage and burst in through the windows of the library. They struck Rainbow Dash on all sides and disintegrated her.

*

“Rainbow Dash?” said Princess Celestia. “You’re… early.”

“Princess Celestia!” said Rainbow Dash, snapping out of gaping at the brilliant, star-filled void she found herself floating in to remember to bow.

“No, really, when did this happen?” said Celestia with concern, horn glowing as she pulled large, floating screens towards her. Rainbow Dash was sure she could see herself in some of them.

“Oh!” said Rainbow Dash, eyes lighting up. “Princess Celestia! I need your help!”

“Of course, my little pony,” she said, smiling and turning her attention away from the screens. “What do you need?”

“I need you to take my wings away!”

“…”

“Like the opposite of what you did with Twilight!”

“I -“

“Just for a day!”

“… Why?”

“So I can be an earth pony and beat Applejack at digging…” Rainbow Dash stopped talking. “I guess that’s even dumber than it was in my head.”

Princess Celestia actually laughed. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. Yes it was. Go home.”

*

Rainbow Dash arrived back in the library. Spike was just coming out of the kitchen with a plate of nachos, evidently having decided to have his midnight snack before waking Twilight r.e. the lightning bolt shaped scorch mark in the library floor.

“Goodnight, Spike,” said Rainbow Dash, trotting for the door, head hanging low.

“Goodnight, Rainbow!” said Spike, waving and then going upstairs.

*

Day Seven

“Yeah, I lose,” said Rainbow Dash to Applejack first thing in the morning. “Digging holes is super hard.”

“Well, that’s big of you to admit, Special Lieutenant -“

“It’s just Rainbow,” said Rainbow Dash, downcast. “Look, sorry I got all on your case about the trench thing. I just got excited about having a mission from Spitfire.”

“And I don’t imagine it looks like much to a pegasus who can just fly over the whole thing, right?” said Applejack.

“Yeah,” said Rainbow.

“C’mere, let me show you,” said Applejack. She jumped down into the trench. “Say you’re a flying griffon and you want to get me. What do you do?”

“Well, I come at you like this -“ said Rainbow Dash, lunging for Applejack - but the narrowness of the trench meant she couldn’t spread her wings while swooping down at it, and the depth meant she couldn’t reach the top of Applejack’s hat without entering the trench itself.

“Yep. It’s that simple,” said Applejack. “Point of the trench is to get anything flying to land and come at us one on one. And then we whack ‘em with our shovels. It’s also good against timberwolves, dragons and most kinds of monster. Hoofington managed to trick a Hydra into getting its head stuck in a trench like this”

“That’s… actually pretty clever AJ,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Aw, you’re too kind,” said Applejack, “but it ain’t my idea. Trenches like this have been around for a hundred years and the dimensions are standardised. I just dug it.”

“And that’s not as easy as it sounds,” said Rainbow Dash. She straightened a little. “Good job, Sergeant. I’ll let the Commander know that Ponyville stands ready.”

“Heh,” said Applejack. “Actually, give me a week? We’ve actually slacked off majorly on actual combat training and I want to get the grunts back in shape.”

“I suppose I can allow it,” said Rainbow Dash with a smile.

“Thanks, S.L.T,” said Applejack, saluting.

“I - hey!”

[otakuryoga]

...what the hell happened to that quote?
he already said

Also I had a decent meal that included a nice white wine. Slightly buzzed.


never drink and multi-quote
this has been a public service announcement from the Princess Celestia loves tea society

[Rater202]

Good thing I don't drink then.

Oh Dear Celestia, it's Digo's turn to GM SoLiM.

[DigoDragon]

Good
Oh Dear Celestia, it's Digo's turn to GM SoLiM.

Don't freak out just yet. >.>
Doing colors is like shaving with a cheesegrater and I Don't know how to select text. Also I am fighting autocorrect. But the good news is that the buzz has subsided. :)

[Rater202]

I can't tell what color that is.

[Manga Shoggoth]

I can't tell what color that is.

Maroon, apparantly (I had to look it up... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_colors#HTML_color_names))

[DigoDragon]

Yes, it is maroon. I'm starting to master this device for posting.

Earlier today my daughter saw that I had put AJ's hat on my Trixie plush. She asked me why Trixie was wearing the hat and I said that it was so Trixie could look the part of an outlaw mare. My daughter said that Trixie worked on a rock farm, not an Applejack farm.

She then did an impersonation of AJ impersonating Trixie in a mocking tone. I think I got told.

[Manga Shoggoth]

And, judging by the fireworks going off, it's New Year here now. Happy New Year all!

[DigoDragon]

Happy New Year everyone!

To celebrate 2015, I broke my ponyfic writing hiatus! THAT'S RIGHT, I'M BACK BABBY!

This is a short comedy story titled Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole. Critique is welcome, appreciated, and is good karma! Also, I'd really like cover art suggestions! Gonna post it on FIMFic once I have cover art.

Otherwise, enjoy!

based on a true story

Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole

By Thanqol



“How about here?” asked Applejack.

Roseluck shook her head. “Platypus reserve,”

Applejack frowned. “Here?”

“Yeah, if you fancy digging through solid limestone to make it happen,” said Berry Punch.

“Here?” said Applejack, very maturely not making an exasperated sigh.

“No good,” said Carrot Top. “It’s technically free, but that’s right near Filthy Rich’s property and you can be sure he’ll raise one hell of a stink at Council if we start building there.”

“Well, what if we - “

“ATTEN-CHUN!”

None of the four earth ponies snapped to, instead just rotating in a very civilian way to face Rainbow Dash - who was doing enough military posturing for the lot of them. She was wearing her Wonderbolt Cadet uniform and was giving an over the top salute.

“Mornin’, Rainbow,” said Applejack. “Want some celery?”

“IS THAT HOW YOU ADDRESS A SUPERIOR OFFICER, SERGEANT?” yelled Rainbow Dash, demonstrating that she had passed her Drill Sergeant elective course. Strutting around and yelling at ponies? Easy A.

“Uh, with the what?” said Applejack.

Rainbow Dash dramatically pointed at the magnificent military banner - which, somewhat less magnificently, was currently being used as a tablecloth. It read PONY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. “Are you or are you not Ponyville’s Earth Pony Militia?” she snapped.

“Oh, yeah,” said Applejack. “I suppose.”

“Then WHY are your regimental colours being used so DISGRACEFULLY?”

“Because the good tablecloth is at the cleaners?” said Roseluck nervously.

Rainbow Dash clucked her tongue. “I guess this surprise inspection isn’t off to a good start. I’m going to have to dock you points!”

“Wait, what?” said Applejack. “Surprise with the what now?”

Rainbow Dash puffed herself up. She’d been waiting for that. “Commander Spitfire,” she let the words linger in the air as if they were meant to mean something, “has personally assigned me with the task of checking on the combat readiness of Ponyville’s Earth Pony Auxiliaries! And I can see already -“ she waved a hoof dramatically around Roseluck’s (admittedly somewhat scruffy) living room, “- that some changes are going to be necessary.”

Roseluck raised a hoof like a schoolfilly. Rainbow Dash puffed up even more as she pointed at her and said, “Name?”

“R-Roseluck.”

“Question?”

“Um, what’s an Auxiliary?” asked Roseluck.

“Uh - well, it means -“ Rainbow Dash thought for a second, and then remembered the term Auxiliary Power and made a mental leap - “You’re the ponies who do the fighting after all the proper soldiers are dead!”

Roseluck raised her hoof again. “Yes, Roseluck?” said Rainbow.

“Does that mean that we only fight things that are guaranteed to kill us all?”

“Hold your horses everypony!” said Applejack. “What’s all this about fighting? Rainbow, that ain’t exactly -“

“You will address me as Special Lieutenant, Sergeant!” barked Rainbow. “Special Lieutenant Rainbow Professionalism Dash!”

Applejack gave her friend a look that let her know that on account of their past friendship she wasn’t going to react to that the way she’d like to. “Special Lieutenant, fightin’ ain’t exactly what we do here.”

“Are you or are you not soldiers in the Solar Army, sworn to the defence of the Realm even unto death?” asked Rainbow.

“I didn’t swear to death!” said Roseluck panickedly.

“You did, actually,” said Berry Punch. “It was on your contract. Right at the top.”

“I didn’t read that! It doesn’t count! That’s unconscionable conduct!” said Roseluck, starting to hyperventilate. “I don’t want to fight Tirek! I’m a conscientious objector!”

Rainbow Dash didn’t feel like she’d come into this situation with unreasonably high expectations, but even so she was feeling deeply disappointed. “So what does the Ponyville Militia do, then?”

“We mostly do civil engineering projects,” said Applejack brightly, happy to be back on safer ground. “Right now we’re discussin’ where to put a dyke -“

“Applejack!” gasped Rainbow Dash.

“What?”

“I didn’t think that even you would go so far as to turn this once honourable military regiment into your own personal dating service!” said Rainbow Dash.

“A dyke’s actually -“

“No! Enough of this!” said Rainbow Dash. She pointed a hoof at Roseluck. “You! What would you do if a dragon attacked the town!?”

“Panic,” said Roseluck nervously.

“ - designed to prevent floodin’ and assist with maritime commerce -“

“You!” Rainbow jabbed her hoof in Berry Punch’s chest. “A swarm of timberwolves charges out of the Everfree forest. What do you do!?”

“A group of timberwolves is called a pack,” said Berry Punch.

“What do you do to defend the town!?” yelled Rainbow.

“Oh! Panic!” she said, nodding firmly.

“- and the word’s derived from dijk, which is a really old fashioned way to say ‘dig’ -“

“You!” yelled Rainbow Dash, getting all up in Carrot Top’s grill. “What do you -“

“Panic.” said Carrot Top confidently.

“- griffon reavers! From the sky!” said Rainbow Dash, thrown off her game by three voices happening at once.

“Oh. Don’t panic,” said Carrot Top. “We just go to the trenches.”

“- the first apple carried by river barge was in 202 A.C. -“

Rainbow Dash stuck her hoof in Applejack’s mouth to stop her talking. Her eyes were lit up and gleaming. “Trenches?”

“You know. Like a hole in the ground?”

“Show me,” said Rainbow Dash.

*

“This is it?” said Rainbow Dash, unable to keep the appalled disappointment out of her voice.

“Yep. Dug this one ourselves,” said Applejack.

“It’s - just a hole in the ground!” sputtered Rainbow Dash.

“Yup,” said Applejack with a tinge of pride.

“And it’s not even a big one!” said Rainbow Dash. “You couldn’t fit two ponies side by side in that thing!”

“Nope!” said Applejack, buffing her coat with a hoof as if she’d received a compliment.

“I thought - “ Rainbow Dash rummaged in her saddlebags and grabbed out a book titled The Fortifications Of Our Flightless Friends. It had an unflattering picture of an earth pony on the cover, in the foreground of a very flattering picture of a fortified castle. Rainbow Dash jabbed her hoof at the picture. “Why doesn’t it look like this?”

“That’s a castle, Special Lieutenant,” said Applejack patiently. “This here is a trench.”

“The castle has a moat!” said Rainbow Dash. “And that moat is filled with water and like four hundred times the size of that dinky little trench!”

All the earth ponies were frowning and looking at the picture. “That doesn’t look secure,” said Carrot Top.

“Yeah, that much water would undermine the foundations in a matter of years,” agreed Roseluck.

“I wasn’t expecting you to have a castle but I was expecting some sort of fort or something,” said Rainbow Dash. “This… this is nothing!”

“No, it ain’t nothing,” said Applejack patiently. “It’s a trench.”

“It’s not a trench! It’s a sad little pit!” said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack frowned. “Now there, Special Lieutenant. We spent a week on that -“

“A week!?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped.

Applejack beamed at what she took to be the compliment. “Yep! It was hard work, but what with the Everfree and all, we thought that the extra security was worth it -“

“It took all four of you a week to dig this?” said Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy could jump across this!” To demonstrate, she hopped from one side to the other and gave them a totally flat look. “I thought earth ponies were supposed to be good at building things. This is absurd.”

“Now there, Special Lieutenant -” said Applejack, eyes narrowing.

“I could dig further than this by myself,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, could you now?” said Applejack.

“Yeah!” said Rainbow Dash. “I could! Because I’m not lazy!”

“Oh yeah?” said Applejack, temper rising.

“Oh yeah!” said Rainbow Dash, pushing her nose against Applejack’s.

“Prove it!” said Applejack.

*

Day One

How hard could it be?

Rainbow Dash knew a thing or two about architecture. While it might take Applejack a week to dig a hole in the ground, when Rainbow Dash spent a week on a project - well, she could add an entire wing to her house. Or transform a cloud into a kilometre long copy of her cutie mark. Or kick up a thunderstorm that could level a minor city. And she could do all those things with style, grace and speed.

She picked up her shovel in her mouth. Yeah, this would be easy.

And it was easy. For the first foot of dirt. Then her shovel hit something hard.

“What the hay AJ?” said Rainbow Dash, looking up.

“Huh?” said Applejack, walking over.

“This ground is, like, solid rocks,” said Rainbow Dash.

“That ain’t rock,” said Applejack. “That’s just dry soil. Rock is much harder.”

Rainbow Dash scowled. She had already convinced herself that Applejack had tricked her into trying to dig into a rocky location. But - dry soil huh?

One quick raincloud later and she was digging again and making great progress - but the damp, soaked soil was heavier than boulders. Sweat was pouring down her neck as she shovelled and finally, after what felt like hours, she collapsed, panting. Five minute break -

She’d barely dug enough to fit herself in - if she curled up inside it. The dirt kept falling down the sides of the hole and she was chipping away at the rock with her shovel rather than getting the full, satisfying scoops she’d imagined. And she had to do the entire thing with her neck.

Okay. Okay. Let’s try it again without the water.

She couldn’t figure out the right stance. The shovel was an awkward length and she needed to get enough leverage to really power a slice in to crack the rock. She tried standing on her hind legs and then diving in but that just hurt her teeth. Then she tried a wide stance with her hooves spread out on either side of the pit, but as soon as the pit got a little too deep then she was having to bend her knees almost all the way down just to reach what she was getting at. She constantly tried repositioning, moving around to get the best angle on the rock or look for a weak point, but it was just the same stupid dirt no matter what direction she came at it from.

The longer she worked, the more breaks she took, and the longer each break became. The work was exhausting and she felt like she was going to break her neck! This was mental - doing all the work with the same part of your body? Who did that?

At the end of the day, Rainbow limped home, and then ate two nights worth of food in one meal, and collapsed into her bed. She was too exhausted to even blame Applejack.

*

Day Two

Okay. If Applejack could do this, she could do this.

Rainbow Dash worked hard and worked strong all day. She finally found a rhythm she could work to and just set into it. She started using her whole body with each shovel scoop, not just her neck. She took breathers when she needed them and paced herself like Twilight had taught her. Solid work. Marathon speed. She could do this.

By the end of the day she’d created some sort of terrible crater. She realised far too late she had no idea how she was supposed to grow the pit in any specific direction, let alone get the laser sharp sides that Applejack had done. It wasn’t even a satisfyingly big crater.

Okay, thought Rainbow Dash as she crawled pathetically into bed. Applejack has a lifetime experience digging holes and earth ponies probably have creepy magical dirt powers. Like Maud Pie did. Plus it was four against one. It was only fair that she evened the odds a bit.

*

Day Three

Rainbow Dash couldn’t get out of bed until late afternoon, excepting brief passages to and from the ice box to eat anything that looked vaguely organic. She’d never been more tired in her life. This was insane. She was an athlete! She should be able to handle a little dirt!

By the evening, realising she’d wasted almost the entire day, she set off for Cloudsdale. It was a long trip but there was a good tailwind and there was something there that could help her.

*

Day Four

The jackhammer. A masterpiece of modern engineering. Pegasi used it to carve precision cloud formations. She’d requisitioned it from a construction company for military purposes. With this she’d be able to make far more progress than with that wretched shovel.

She was almost cackling as she hammered away at the dirt and rock, pounding it into dust and then coming in with the shovel at the newly loosened dirt. It wasn’t until she looked at her progress at the end of the day that she realised that, while she’d made a little more distance than she had before, at this rate she wouldn’t even come close to a quarter of what the earth ponies had done. And she was exhausted again. And the jackhammer was making a dangerous rattling sound.

She needed something more drastic to beat that stupid, cheating Applejack.

*

Day Five

Of course! The answer lay within herself! Within her childhood, in fact! Beach!

Rainbow Dash’s crater-trench suddenly took a very sharp and very shallow detour across to one of the Ponyville lakes and then ran deep into the soft sand there. The trench went in two complete laps around the lake’s sandy shore, cutting straight through a prize sandcastle in the process. Its value as a defensive fortification was understandably suspect but Rainbow Dash felt proud of herself.

Still, she needed more than this if she wanted to beat Applejack in just two days. But, as she flopped down to sleep, a terrible, brilliant, ingenious idea came to her head….

*

Day Six

“From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled…” said Rainbow Dash, reading aloud from the ancient tome of Starswirl the Bearded’s final spell.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon… one in six chance…

“Aw horseapples!” she cussed when she saw Twilight’s bright purple star appear on her flank in place of her familiar lightning bolt. Well, no harm in trying again, right? “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled!”

Once again, the shifting threads of destiny warped and screeched, and this time - bingo! Three diamonds! A cutie mark related to moving piles of dirt around, sort of! She’d win for sure with this! And then she’d read out the other half of the spell and get things back to normal before anypony noticed.

She hurried out to her trench and started digging, but her head wasn’t in it. She was swamping up with weird questions. Had this been a dumb idea? When she’d had Fluttershy’s cutie mark the animals hadn’t listened to her - but when Rarity had her cutie mark she’d learned a weather spell she’d never had before. Was that a unicorn thing? She was making good progress with this hole but - oh horseapples! She’d forgotten, Twilight hadn’t fixed everypony’s cutie marks by reading out the second half of the spell, that had been like a weird bonus after she’d used her ordinary magic to fix the spell. Uh, did that mean she had to cast Starswirl’s spell again until she got Twilight’s cutie mark back and use that to figure out what she’d done? Would that even work? Hold on, why did she have her memories of her proper cutie mark? Twilight’s cutie mark hadn’t changed when she cast the spell. Was it because she wasn’t a unicorn? Or was it because she’d been through this all once before?

Rainbow Dash realised that she was in over her head with all this magic stuff and had maybe acted a bit impulsively in her attempt to cheat a victory against Applejack in hole digging.

Regretfully, she dropped the shovel, rushed back to the library, threw open the book and mumbled out Twilight’s completion to the spell. “From all of us together -“

“Rainbow?” said Spike, coming down the steps with a candle. “What are you doing here this late?”

“Oh hi Spike,” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m just - just reading the new Daring Do book! Yep, that’s me! Biggest fan out there!”

“Out loud?” he groaned. “At midnight? This is a lending library.”

“Ha ha - togetherwearefriends - “ said Rainbow Dash, glancing back at the book.

“What?” said Spike.

“I’ll just be a minute,” said Rainbow Dash. “Is that ‘destinies’ or ‘destined’?”

“Hey, isn’t that Twilight’s magical princess book?” said Spike.

“Uh! With the marks of our destined made one there is magic without end!” Rainbow Dash choked out.

All across the sleeping Ponyville, five great lights lit up, powering to the sky. Five great bolts shot out of five houses, from the hearts of five sleeping ponies. They broke walls and windows in their passage and burst in through the windows of the library. They struck Rainbow Dash on all sides and disintegrated her.

*

“Rainbow Dash?” said Princess Celestia. “You’re… early.”

“Princess Celestia!” said Rainbow Dash, snapping out of gaping at the brilliant, star-filled void she found herself floating in to remember to bow.

“No, really, when did this happen?” said Celestia with concern, horn glowing as she pulled large, floating screens towards her. Rainbow Dash was sure she could see herself in some of them.

“Oh!” said Rainbow Dash, eyes lighting up. “Princess Celestia! I need your help!”

“Of course, my little pony,” she said, smiling and turning her attention away from the screens. “What do you need?”

“I need you to take my wings away!”

“…”

“Like the opposite of what you did with Twilight!”

“I -“

“Just for a day!”

“… Why?”

“So I can be an earth pony and beat Applejack at digging…” Rainbow Dash stopped talking. “I guess that’s even dumber than it was in my head.”

Princess Celestia actually laughed. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. Yes it was. Go home.”

*

Rainbow Dash arrived back in the library. Spike was just coming out of the kitchen with a plate of nachos, evidently having decided to have his midnight snack before waking Twilight r.e. the lightning bolt shaped scorch mark in the library floor.

“Goodnight, Spike,” said Rainbow Dash, trotting for the door, head hanging low.

“Goodnight, Rainbow!” said Spike, waving and then going upstairs.

*

Day Seven

“Yeah, I lose,” said Rainbow Dash to Applejack first thing in the morning. “Digging holes is super hard.”

“Well, that’s big of you to admit, Special Lieutenant -“

“It’s just Rainbow,” said Rainbow Dash, downcast. “Look, sorry I got all on your case about the trench thing. I just got excited about having a mission from Spitfire.”

“And I don’t imagine it looks like much to a pegasus who can just fly over the whole thing, right?” said Applejack.

“Yeah,” said Rainbow.

“C’mere, let me show you,” said Applejack. She jumped down into the trench. “Say you’re a flying griffon and you want to get me. What do you do?”

“Well, I come at you like this -“ said Rainbow Dash, lunging for Applejack - but the narrowness of the trench meant she couldn’t spread her wings while swooping down at it, and the depth meant she couldn’t reach the top of Applejack’s hat without entering the trench itself.

“Yep. It’s that simple,” said Applejack. “Point of the trench is to get anything flying to land and come at us one on one. And then we whack ‘em with our shovels. It’s also good against timberwolves, dragons and most kinds of monster. Hoofington managed to trick a Hydra into getting its head stuck in a trench like this”

“That’s… actually pretty clever AJ,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Aw, you’re too kind,” said Applejack, “but it ain’t my idea. Trenches like this have been around for a hundred years and the dimensions are standardised. I just dug it.”

“And that’s not as easy as it sounds,” said Rainbow Dash. She straightened a little. “Good job, Sergeant. I’ll let the Commander know that Ponyville stands ready.”

“Heh,” said Applejack. “Actually, give me a week? We’ve actually slacked off majorly on actual combat training and I want to get the grunts back in shape.”

“I suppose I can allow it,” said Rainbow Dash with a smile.

“Thanks, S.L.T,” said Applejack, saluting.

“I - hey!”



Cute story! I'm not sure what all went on in day five, but the shenanigans of day six were hilarious! And getting it at night meant no one would notice. Hee hee... I wonder if the hydra story should be that It got multiple heads caught?

Overall a fun read.


Nonsequitor: I'm soon to be the test subject for sampling a turkey that has been marinated for three days straight. O.o

[Thanqol]

Cute story! I'm not sure what all went on in day five, but the shenanigans of day six were hilarious! And getting it at night meant no one would notice. Hee hee... I wonder if the hydra story should be that It got multiple heads caught?

Overall a fun read.

Day 5 was Rainbow going and digging around on the beach because sand is easier to shovel than dirt. Thanks! :smallbiggrin:

[Aotrs Commander]

At least I did have fun on your challenge. Thanks for coming up with that.

Well, as nopony else rose to the challenge, you can consider yourself the winner! Award yourself +2537 points and Thing of your choice or something! And forever more be known as Winner Of Tht Thing Bleakbane Did That One Time, You Know, the One With Song Wotsit, I dunno, I Forget, Couldn't Have Been That Important!



Happy slightly bealated new year, ponythread!

Slightly belated, since for this year's Bleakbane Makes Some LEGO On New Year's Eve Tradition (est. 2000), I treated myself to Benny's Space, Spaceship, SPACESHIP! because I'm old and therefore had (have, rather...) the LEGO sets that it is a homage to. It was a bit more than I'd usually go for (normally I aim for something in £40-50 range), but on my suister's advice, I went to our local Smyth's which I'd never been to, and got it at a tenner off. (And considering that was a tenner off £80, that wasn't bad at all.)

Now, I knew it was a bit bigger than my usual fare -around 900 pieces, I think, not that I have any idea what they normally are and I aim to finish for midnight, so that parents and granparents and uncles can see it. (Bampy always loved to watch me - last year, I got two bits, a small one and Z-95 Headhunter. So I did the small one while he was there so he could see me do it, because by that point midnight was a bit too late for him. (Nanny, trooper that she is, was quite happy to stay until midnight!)) So... I started at half-nine, when we had Red (that movie with Bruce Willis) on. My first inkling of the fact I might have miscalcuated a bit was when I realised there were TWO instruction books.

I finished at about HALF-PAST ONE.

Yes.

It took

FOUR.

HOURS.

Now, let's get this straight. I am GOOD at this sort of thing. I have been making LEGO stuff for... more years than I can remember, and like a lot of things, the searching and pattern recognition is not something you lose, even when you only do it once a year. And yes, I do indeed scoff at the "make each bag seperately, don't pour it all out on the carpet." That's quitter nonsense talk, that is! ALL out, on the carpet, thank you, that's what it's THERE for! But EVEN so, even I found I was using the cheaty pictures of the bits for each step in the corner (largely because for the first hour-and-half with the main lights off and trying not to make TOO much noise searching through the pile on the carpet).

And it still took ME four hours. Just working steady, not missing bits or anything or having to back or anything: I made no errors (you can't, really with these modern instructions) or anything, just solid, step by step through all 83 steps.

I knew it was probably the biggest LEGO set I'd ever had, but I'd really failed to realise HOW much bigger it was! I've not missed the midnight nominal target very often in the last fourteen years - and definitely never as spectactularly past as this time!

But frag damn, time well spent!



(I shall try and take photos with ponies tomorrow, if I have time.)




Thanq - I read your horse words come the morrow, for 'tis a little to late at this point to divert the attention they deserve...

[DigoDragon]

Day 5 was Rainbow going and digging around on the beach because sand is easier to shovel than dirt. Thanks! :smallbiggrin:

Ah, now I see it. I must have missed the context about the sand being her reason to dig there.


Well, as nopony else rose to the challenge, you can consider yourself the winner! Award yourself +2537 points and Thing of your choice or something! And forever more be known as Winner Of Tht Thing Bleakbane Did That One Time, You Know, the One With Song Wotsit, I dunno, I Forget, Couldn't Have Been That Important.

FOUR.

HOURS.

Yay! I'd like to thank all the liches and changelings that made this victory possible. I wanted to Sig my award, but it seems there is a character limit. So... I'll shorten it to my WOTTBDTOTYKTOWSWIDIFCHBTI award. :smalltongue:

Dang, it's only 9:13 pm?

Anyway, awesome bit with the Lego. I am proud.

[Rater202]

My Grandmother got so drunk that she forgot that her son was my uncle.https://img1.derpicdn.net/img/2014/12/29/795197/large.png

[t209]

Guys, I have to tell you that January 1st is my birthday!

[DigoDragon]

My Grandmother got so drunk that she forgot that her son was my uncle.

That's... pretty drunk. My daughter is having a minor meltdown from being overtired. Well, it was brought on when she ran out of battery power for her pony game.


Guys, I have to tell you that January 1st is my birthday!

Happy birthday if I don't make it to midnight!

[Rater202]

Guys, I have to tell you that January 1st is my birthday!

Happy preemptive birthday!

[Tiki Snakes]

My Grandmother got so drunk that she forgot that her son was my uncle.https://img1.derpicdn.net/img/2014/12/29/795197/large.png

That is a job well done, lady. If I wore a hat, I would tip it.

[Rater202]

That is a job well done, lady. If I wore a hat, I would tip it.

Two shots of tequila and an entire thing of home made vodka punch. My granny is a drinker.

We have, in the house, lots and lots of vodka, some tequila, and a bottle of Sparkling White wine that is too cheap to legally be called Champagne.

Part of me has been considering, for a while, trying a drink once so I can make an informed decision about my choice to abstain from alcohol, but it probably isn't going to be tonight.

[t209]

Two shots of tequila and an entire thing of home made vodka punch. My granny is a drinker.

We have, in the house, lots and lots of vodka, some tequila, and a bottle of Sparkling White wine that is too cheap to legally be called Champagne.

Part of me has been considering, for a while, trying a drink once so I can make an informed decision about my choice to abstain from alcohol, but it probably isn't going to be tonight.
For me, it was three Blue Moon beer (the third will be drunk on midnight).

[Thanqol]

Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/238948/rainbow-dash-digs-herself-into-a-hole) is now on FimFic. Like, comment, subscribe, retweet, +1, jingle, thumbs up, reblog, ring a ding dingle, etc.

I also now have a Writethread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?390703-Thanqol-Writes-Weekly) apparently!

[DigoDragon]

Happy New year!

...okay,I got 10 minutes technically, but I'll just pocket that. Here's to hopefully a better year for all of you!

[Rater202]

Happy New Year everypony!

[Rater202]

https://img0.derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/6/28/662954__twilight+sparkle_meme_exploitable+meme_pri ncess+twilight_hub+logo_semi-dash-grimdark_blood_zombie_dinosaur_tyrannosaurus+rex.p ng

[Balmas]

Because AJ finds it unfair that Dash has multi-purpose wings. Look at the crazy advantages it gave Dash during the iron pony competition. She lifted AJ over the mudpit. How is a non-flyer supposed to counter that? If I were in AJ's position I'd feel like it was cheating.

The point of the whole Iron Pony Competition was to determine who was the better athlete. Barring a few events, like the long jump that Forum Explorer noted, Rainbow Dash showed that she is the better athlete. Consider that in order for Rainbow Dash to have lifted AJ like that, she had to be able to lift both her own body weight, plus the weight of AJ herself.


Happy New Year everyone!

To celebrate 2015, I broke my ponyfic writing hiatus! THAT'S RIGHT, I'M BACK BABBY!

This is a short comedy story titled Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole. Critique is welcome, appreciated, and is good karma! Also, I'd really like cover art suggestions! Gonna post it on FIMFic once I have cover art.

Otherwise, enjoy!

based on a true story

Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole

By Thanqol



“How about here?” asked Applejack.

Roseluck shook her head. “Platypus reserve,”

Applejack frowned. “Here?”

“Yeah, if you fancy digging through solid limestone to make it happen,” said Berry Punch.

“Here?” said Applejack, very maturely not making an exasperated sigh.

“No good,” said Carrot Top. “It’s technically free, but that’s right near Filthy Rich’s property and you can be sure he’ll raise one hell of a stink at Council if we start building there.”

“Well, what if we - “

“ATTEN-CHUN!”

None of the four earth ponies snapped to, instead just rotating in a very civilian way to face Rainbow Dash - who was doing enough military posturing for the lot of them. She was wearing her Wonderbolt Cadet uniform and was giving an over the top salute.

“Mornin’, Rainbow,” said Applejack. “Want some celery?”

“IS THAT HOW YOU ADDRESS A SUPERIOR OFFICER, SERGEANT?” yelled Rainbow Dash, demonstrating that she had passed her Drill Sergeant elective course. Strutting around and yelling at ponies? Easy A.

“Uh, with the what?” said Applejack.

Rainbow Dash dramatically pointed at the magnificent military banner - which, somewhat less magnificently, was currently being used as a tablecloth. It read PONY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. “Are you or are you not Ponyville’s Earth Pony Militia?” she snapped.

“Oh, yeah,” said Applejack. “I suppose.”

“Then WHY are your regimental colours being used so DISGRACEFULLY?”

“Because the good tablecloth is at the cleaners?” said Roseluck nervously.

Rainbow Dash clucked her tongue. “I guess this surprise inspection isn’t off to a good start. I’m going to have to dock you points!”

“Wait, what?” said Applejack. “Surprise with the what now?”

Rainbow Dash puffed herself up. She’d been waiting for that. “Commander Spitfire,” she let the words linger in the air as if they were meant to mean something, “has personally assigned me with the task of checking on the combat readiness of Ponyville’s Earth Pony Auxiliaries! And I can see already -“ she waved a hoof dramatically around Roseluck’s (admittedly somewhat scruffy) living room, “- that some changes are going to be necessary.”

Roseluck raised a hoof like a schoolfilly. Rainbow Dash puffed up even more as she pointed at her and said, “Name?”

“R-Roseluck.”

“Question?”

“Um, what’s an Auxiliary?” asked Roseluck.

“Uh - well, it means -“ Rainbow Dash thought for a second, and then remembered the term Auxiliary Power and made a mental leap - “You’re the ponies who do the fighting after all the proper soldiers are dead!”

Roseluck raised her hoof again. “Yes, Roseluck?” said Rainbow.

“Does that mean that we only fight things that are guaranteed to kill us all?”

“Hold your horses everypony!” said Applejack. “What’s all this about fighting? Rainbow, that ain’t exactly -“

“You will address me as Special Lieutenant, Sergeant!” barked Rainbow. “Special Lieutenant Rainbow Professionalism Dash!”

Applejack gave her friend a look that let her know that on account of their past friendship she wasn’t going to react to that the way she’d like to. “Special Lieutenant, fightin’ ain’t exactly what we do here.”

“Are you or are you not soldiers in the Solar Army, sworn to the defence of the Realm even unto death?” asked Rainbow.

“I didn’t swear to death!” said Roseluck panickedly.

“You did, actually,” said Berry Punch. “It was on your contract. Right at the top.”

“I didn’t read that! It doesn’t count! That’s unconscionable conduct!” said Roseluck, starting to hyperventilate. “I don’t want to fight Tirek! I’m a conscientious objector!”

Rainbow Dash didn’t feel like she’d come into this situation with unreasonably high expectations, but even so she was feeling deeply disappointed. “So what does the Ponyville Militia do, then?”

“We mostly do civil engineering projects,” said Applejack brightly, happy to be back on safer ground. “Right now we’re discussin’ where to put a dyke -“

“Applejack!” gasped Rainbow Dash.

“What?”

“I didn’t think that even you would go so far as to turn this once honourable military regiment into your own personal dating service!” said Rainbow Dash.

“A dyke’s actually -“

“No! Enough of this!” said Rainbow Dash. She pointed a hoof at Roseluck. “You! What would you do if a dragon attacked the town!?”

“Panic,” said Roseluck nervously.

“ - designed to prevent floodin’ and assist with maritime commerce -“

“You!” Rainbow jabbed her hoof in Berry Punch’s chest. “A swarm of timberwolves charges out of the Everfree forest. What do you do!?”

“A group of timberwolves is called a pack,” said Berry Punch.

“What do you do to defend the town!?” yelled Rainbow.

“Oh! Panic!” she said, nodding firmly.

“- and the word’s derived from dijk, which is a really old fashioned way to say ‘dig’ -“

“You!” yelled Rainbow Dash, getting all up in Carrot Top’s grill. “What do you -“

“Panic.” said Carrot Top confidently.

“- griffon reavers! From the sky!” said Rainbow Dash, thrown off her game by three voices happening at once.

“Oh. Don’t panic,” said Carrot Top. “We just go to the trenches.”

“- the first apple carried by river barge was in 202 A.C. -“

Rainbow Dash stuck her hoof in Applejack’s mouth to stop her talking. Her eyes were lit up and gleaming. “Trenches?”

“You know. Like a hole in the ground?”

“Show me,” said Rainbow Dash.

*

“This is it?” said Rainbow Dash, unable to keep the appalled disappointment out of her voice.

“Yep. Dug this one ourselves,” said Applejack.

“It’s - just a hole in the ground!” sputtered Rainbow Dash.

“Yup,” said Applejack with a tinge of pride.

“And it’s not even a big one!” said Rainbow Dash. “You couldn’t fit two ponies side by side in that thing!”

“Nope!” said Applejack, buffing her coat with a hoof as if she’d received a compliment.

“I thought - “ Rainbow Dash rummaged in her saddlebags and grabbed out a book titled The Fortifications Of Our Flightless Friends. It had an unflattering picture of an earth pony on the cover, in the foreground of a very flattering picture of a fortified castle. Rainbow Dash jabbed her hoof at the picture. “Why doesn’t it look like this?”

“That’s a castle, Special Lieutenant,” said Applejack patiently. “This here is a trench.”

“The castle has a moat!” said Rainbow Dash. “And that moat is filled with water and like four hundred times the size of that dinky little trench!”

All the earth ponies were frowning and looking at the picture. “That doesn’t look secure,” said Carrot Top.

“Yeah, that much water would undermine the foundations in a matter of years,” agreed Roseluck.

“I wasn’t expecting you to have a castle but I was expecting some sort of fort or something,” said Rainbow Dash. “This… this is nothing!”

“No, it ain’t nothing,” said Applejack patiently. “It’s a trench.”

“It’s not a trench! It’s a sad little pit!” said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack frowned. “Now there, Special Lieutenant. We spent a week on that -“

“A week!?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped.

Applejack beamed at what she took to be the compliment. “Yep! It was hard work, but what with the Everfree and all, we thought that the extra security was worth it -“

“It took all four of you a week to dig this?” said Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy could jump across this!” To demonstrate, she hopped from one side to the other and gave them a totally flat look. “I thought earth ponies were supposed to be good at building things. This is absurd.”

“Now there, Special Lieutenant -” said Applejack, eyes narrowing.

“I could dig further than this by myself,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, could you now?” said Applejack.

“Yeah!” said Rainbow Dash. “I could! Because I’m not lazy!”

“Oh yeah?” said Applejack, temper rising.

“Oh yeah!” said Rainbow Dash, pushing her nose against Applejack’s.

“Prove it!” said Applejack.

*

Day One

How hard could it be?

Rainbow Dash knew a thing or two about architecture. While it might take Applejack a week to dig a hole in the ground, when Rainbow Dash spent a week on a project - well, she could add an entire wing to her house. Or transform a cloud into a kilometre long copy of her cutie mark. Or kick up a thunderstorm that could level a minor city. And she could do all those things with style, grace and speed.

She picked up her shovel in her mouth. Yeah, this would be easy.

And it was easy. For the first foot of dirt. Then her shovel hit something hard.

“What the hay AJ?” said Rainbow Dash, looking up.

“Huh?” said Applejack, walking over.

“This ground is, like, solid rocks,” said Rainbow Dash.

“That ain’t rock,” said Applejack. “That’s just dry soil. Rock is much harder.”

Rainbow Dash scowled. She had already convinced herself that Applejack had tricked her into trying to dig into a rocky location. But - dry soil huh?

One quick raincloud later and she was digging again and making great progress - but the damp, soaked soil was heavier than boulders. Sweat was pouring down her neck as she shovelled and finally, after what felt like hours, she collapsed, panting. Five minute break -

She’d barely dug enough to fit herself in - if she curled up inside it. The dirt kept falling down the sides of the hole and she was chipping away at the rock with her shovel rather than getting the full, satisfying scoops she’d imagined. And she had to do the entire thing with her neck.

Okay. Okay. Let’s try it again without the water.

She couldn’t figure out the right stance. The shovel was an awkward length and she needed to get enough leverage to really power a slice in to crack the rock. She tried standing on her hind legs and then diving in but that just hurt her teeth. Then she tried a wide stance with her hooves spread out on either side of the pit, but as soon as the pit got a little too deep then she was having to bend her knees almost all the way down just to reach what she was getting at. She constantly tried repositioning, moving around to get the best angle on the rock or look for a weak point, but it was just the same stupid dirt no matter what direction she came at it from.

The longer she worked, the more breaks she took, and the longer each break became. The work was exhausting and she felt like she was going to break her neck! This was mental - doing all the work with the same part of your body? Who did that?

At the end of the day, Rainbow limped home, and then ate two nights worth of food in one meal, and collapsed into her bed. She was too exhausted to even blame Applejack.

*

Day Two

Okay. If Applejack could do this, she could do this.

Rainbow Dash worked hard and worked strong all day. She finally found a rhythm she could work to and just set into it. She started using her whole body with each shovel scoop, not just her neck. She took breathers when she needed them and paced herself like Twilight had taught her. Solid work. Marathon speed. She could do this.

By the end of the day she’d created some sort of terrible crater. She realised far too late she had no idea how she was supposed to grow the pit in any specific direction, let alone get the laser sharp sides that Applejack had done. It wasn’t even a satisfyingly big crater.

Okay, thought Rainbow Dash as she crawled pathetically into bed. Applejack has a lifetime experience digging holes and earth ponies probably have creepy magical dirt powers. Like Maud Pie did. Plus it was four against one. It was only fair that she evened the odds a bit.

*

Day Three

Rainbow Dash couldn’t get out of bed until late afternoon, excepting brief passages to and from the ice box to eat anything that looked vaguely organic. She’d never been more tired in her life. This was insane. She was an athlete! She should be able to handle a little dirt!

By the evening, realising she’d wasted almost the entire day, she set off for Cloudsdale. It was a long trip but there was a good tailwind and there was something there that could help her.

*

Day Four

The jackhammer. A masterpiece of modern engineering. Pegasi used it to carve precision cloud formations. She’d requisitioned it from a construction company for military purposes. With this she’d be able to make far more progress than with that wretched shovel.

She was almost cackling as she hammered away at the dirt and rock, pounding it into dust and then coming in with the shovel at the newly loosened dirt. It wasn’t until she looked at her progress at the end of the day that she realised that, while she’d made a little more distance than she had before, at this rate she wouldn’t even come close to a quarter of what the earth ponies had done. And she was exhausted again. And the jackhammer was making a dangerous rattling sound.

She needed something more drastic to beat that stupid, cheating Applejack.

*

Day Five

Of course! The answer lay within herself! Within her childhood, in fact! Beach!

Rainbow Dash’s crater-trench suddenly took a very sharp and very shallow detour across to one of the Ponyville lakes and then ran deep into the soft sand there. The trench went in two complete laps around the lake’s sandy shore, cutting straight through a prize sandcastle in the process. Its value as a defensive fortification was understandably suspect but Rainbow Dash felt proud of herself.

Still, she needed more than this if she wanted to beat Applejack in just two days. But, as she flopped down to sleep, a terrible, brilliant, ingenious idea came to her head….

*

Day Six

“From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled…” said Rainbow Dash, reading aloud from the ancient tome of Starswirl the Bearded’s final spell.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon… one in six chance…

“Aw horseapples!” she cussed when she saw Twilight’s bright purple star appear on her flank in place of her familiar lightning bolt. Well, no harm in trying again, right? “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled!”

Once again, the shifting threads of destiny warped and screeched, and this time - bingo! Three diamonds! A cutie mark related to moving piles of dirt around, sort of! She’d win for sure with this! And then she’d read out the other half of the spell and get things back to normal before anypony noticed.

She hurried out to her trench and started digging, but her head wasn’t in it. She was swamping up with weird questions. Had this been a dumb idea? When she’d had Fluttershy’s cutie mark the animals hadn’t listened to her - but when Rarity had her cutie mark she’d learned a weather spell she’d never had before. Was that a unicorn thing? She was making good progress with this hole but - oh horseapples! She’d forgotten, Twilight hadn’t fixed everypony’s cutie marks by reading out the second half of the spell, that had been like a weird bonus after she’d used her ordinary magic to fix the spell. Uh, did that mean she had to cast Starswirl’s spell again until she got Twilight’s cutie mark back and use that to figure out what she’d done? Would that even work? Hold on, why did she have her memories of her proper cutie mark? Twilight’s cutie mark hadn’t changed when she cast the spell. Was it because she wasn’t a unicorn? Or was it because she’d been through this all once before?

Rainbow Dash realised that she was in over her head with all this magic stuff and had maybe acted a bit impulsively in her attempt to cheat a victory against Applejack in hole digging.

Regretfully, she dropped the shovel, rushed back to the library, threw open the book and mumbled out Twilight’s completion to the spell. “From all of us together -“

“Rainbow?” said Spike, coming down the steps with a candle. “What are you doing here this late?”

“Oh hi Spike,” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m just - just reading the new Daring Do book! Yep, that’s me! Biggest fan out there!”

“Out loud?” he groaned. “At midnight? This is a lending library.”

“Ha ha - togetherwearefriends - “ said Rainbow Dash, glancing back at the book.

“What?” said Spike.

“I’ll just be a minute,” said Rainbow Dash. “Is that ‘destinies’ or ‘destined’?”

“Hey, isn’t that Twilight’s magical princess book?” said Spike.

“Uh! With the marks of our destined made one there is magic without end!” Rainbow Dash choked out.

All across the sleeping Ponyville, five great lights lit up, powering to the sky. Five great bolts shot out of five houses, from the hearts of five sleeping ponies. They broke walls and windows in their passage and burst in through the windows of the library. They struck Rainbow Dash on all sides and disintegrated her.

*

“Rainbow Dash?” said Princess Celestia. “You’re… early.”

“Princess Celestia!” said Rainbow Dash, snapping out of gaping at the brilliant, star-filled void she found herself floating in to remember to bow.

“No, really, when did this happen?” said Celestia with concern, horn glowing as she pulled large, floating screens towards her. Rainbow Dash was sure she could see herself in some of them.

“Oh!” said Rainbow Dash, eyes lighting up. “Princess Celestia! I need your help!”

“Of course, my little pony,” she said, smiling and turning her attention away from the screens. “What do you need?”

“I need you to take my wings away!”

“…”

“Like the opposite of what you did with Twilight!”

“I -“

“Just for a day!”

“… Why?”

“So I can be an earth pony and beat Applejack at digging…” Rainbow Dash stopped talking. “I guess that’s even dumber than it was in my head.”

Princess Celestia actually laughed. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. Yes it was. Go home.”

*

Rainbow Dash arrived back in the library. Spike was just coming out of the kitchen with a plate of nachos, evidently having decided to have his midnight snack before waking Twilight r.e. the lightning bolt shaped scorch mark in the library floor.

“Goodnight, Spike,” said Rainbow Dash, trotting for the door, head hanging low.

“Goodnight, Rainbow!” said Spike, waving and then going upstairs.

*

Day Seven

“Yeah, I lose,” said Rainbow Dash to Applejack first thing in the morning. “Digging holes is super hard.”

“Well, that’s big of you to admit, Special Lieutenant -“

“It’s just Rainbow,” said Rainbow Dash, downcast. “Look, sorry I got all on your case about the trench thing. I just got excited about having a mission from Spitfire.”

“And I don’t imagine it looks like much to a pegasus who can just fly over the whole thing, right?” said Applejack.

“Yeah,” said Rainbow.

“C’mere, let me show you,” said Applejack. She jumped down into the trench. “Say you’re a flying griffon and you want to get me. What do you do?”

“Well, I come at you like this -“ said Rainbow Dash, lunging for Applejack - but the narrowness of the trench meant she couldn’t spread her wings while swooping down at it, and the depth meant she couldn’t reach the top of Applejack’s hat without entering the trench itself.

“Yep. It’s that simple,” said Applejack. “Point of the trench is to get anything flying to land and come at us one on one. And then we whack ‘em with our shovels. It’s also good against timberwolves, dragons and most kinds of monster. Hoofington managed to trick a Hydra into getting its head stuck in a trench like this”

“That’s… actually pretty clever AJ,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Aw, you’re too kind,” said Applejack, “but it ain’t my idea. Trenches like this have been around for a hundred years and the dimensions are standardised. I just dug it.”

“And that’s not as easy as it sounds,” said Rainbow Dash. She straightened a little. “Good job, Sergeant. I’ll let the Commander know that Ponyville stands ready.”

“Heh,” said Applejack. “Actually, give me a week? We’ve actually slacked off majorly on actual combat training and I want to get the grunts back in shape.”

“I suppose I can allow it,” said Rainbow Dash with a smile.

“Thanks, S.L.T,” said Applejack, saluting.

“I - hey!”



I'm interested in learning the story that inspired this.


https://img0.derpicdn.net/img/view/2014/6/28/662954__twilight+sparkle_meme_exploitable+meme_pri ncess+twilight_hub+logo_semi-dash-grimdark_blood_zombie_dinosaur_tyrannosaurus+rex.p ng

Reminds me, I still need to read My Little Denarians, though I ought to get past book seven or so in the Dresden Files first.

[Rater202]

Reminds me, I still need to read My Little Denarians, though I ought to get past book seven or so in the Dresden Files first.

1. I'm so so sorry about the spoilers in my last post... Assuming you didn't already know about the Zombie T-Rex, which you probably did.

2. Read Forever first, assuming you haven't already done so.

3. My Little Denarians takes place after Ghost Story and AU dresdenverse from there on, so there will be spoilers.

[Balmas]

1. I'm so so sorry about the spoilers in my last post... Assuming you didn't already know about the Zombie T-Rex, which you probably did.

The fact that I knew who it was says that you don't need to worry about spoilers. :smalltongue:

[Rater202]

The fact that I knew who it was says that you don't need to worry about spoilers. :smalltongue:

I don't know, you could have read the canonical prequel graphic novel. That Harry looks like the Harry in the picture(Butcher said it's spot on)

Or hell, you could just recognise him from this crossover pic I posted a while agohttp://www.fimfiction-static.net/images/story_images/163521.jpg?1390741027

[t209]

Happy New Year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NBMoz4P6Ww

[Fable Wright]

The point of the whole Iron Pony Competition was to determine who was the better athlete. Barring a few events, like the long jump that Forum Explorer noted, Rainbow Dash showed that she is the better athlete. Consider that in order for Rainbow Dash to have lifted AJ like that, she had to be able to lift both her own body weight, plus the weight of AJ herself.
1. There was the event where Rainbow could use her wings to keep the baby chickens from falling off her back. This was clearly cheating.
2. Lifting Applejack and herself was very likely far easier than dealing with the force that Applejack exerts with her hind legs. See also: Demolishing the strength test bell. This gave Rainbow an unfair advantage.
3. The of the events was clearly meant to show that while the first 10 tests were direct competitions of skill, where Applejack and Rainbow were evenly matched, the next 10 tests were ones that Rainbow's pair of wings gave her an unfair edge in. Having an unfair edge does not mean that you're the better athlete; see also, Lance Armstrong.

[Rater202]

I don't think a natural part of your body counts as an unfair advantage.

[Juntao112]

1. There was the event where Rainbow could use her wings to keep the baby chickens from falling off her back. This was clearly cheating.
Show me the rule.

[Forum Explorer]

Changing the pigmentation of a living thing is more difficult? If you say so, but I don't recall that being established at any point. And if it's simply that she re-arranged and coloured the hair, that's still less impressive because Rarity re-arranged her mane, and her tail, and created a dress and changed the fabric colour and summoned a saddle and not meaningfully any slower or faster.

And again, what Trixie did not only was simpler, it was also significantly less controlled, (largely indiscriminate spoiling/destruction) and did not remotely match the task that Rarity set her, namely one of demonstrating poise, elegance and precision in spell casting.

If you honestly believe that her feat was more impressive than Rarity's, then Fair enough I guess, it's all subjective on some level. But I really cannot credit your ratings and I don't see anything in particular to support your interpretation.

I just don't buy it, and I don't believe it fits the episode for that to be the interpretation that was intended.

The heel thing is hard to explain, but simply put, it's fine to appreciate the heel, or see a person underneath that you can empathise with, but when you look at a heel and you say "no, you are mistaken, this is no heel!" then you are saying that the heel has failed in their one true purpose. I feel that claiming that Trixie's actions were justified, or that she was able to back up her claims in any meaningful way is a huge disservice to the character and the episode and I just don't see any in-show justification for that interpretation.

Beyond some kind of, I don't know. Wishful thinking?

It isn't stated anywhere in the show, no. But creating a dress out of a curtain seems more to be applied telekinisis, something any unicorn can do (with a little extra stuff), while transforming something is seen as pretty difficult (Twilight's difficulty transforming apples to oranges, or rocks to clothing, which is admittedly on a different level then color change, is still a type of transformation.)

I'd like to watch scene in question again, but my internet is preparing for it's next life as a snail, and is practicing moving at speeds usually used to describe glaciers (I have literally been trying to post this all day today), so I can't speak to the details of what happened, only my memory.

And in my memory I do not remember Rarity's creation as having a saddle, or really being any significantly different then a curtain in color.

I do feel that we were supposed to get that Trixie was above average in power. In part to really emphasize how much power Twilight possesses in comparison, and in part to justify her besting Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Applejack.

Trixie is certainly more then a Heel though. Just like most characters are in this show. And a closer look at her is why she is popular and fun to use in stories. So I don't see how it's a disservice by saying she's more then a Heel and can be used for other things. (Which in fact she was. She went from Heel to full out Villain.)



Happy New Year everyone!

To celebrate 2015, I broke my ponyfic writing hiatus! THAT'S RIGHT, I'M BACK BABBY!

This is a short comedy story titled Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole. Critique is welcome, appreciated, and is good karma! Also, I'd really like cover art suggestions! Gonna post it on FIMFic once I have cover art.

Otherwise, enjoy!

based on a true story

Rainbow Dash Digs Herself Into A Hole

By Thanqol



“How about here?” asked Applejack.

Roseluck shook her head. “Platypus reserve,”

Applejack frowned. “Here?”

“Yeah, if you fancy digging through solid limestone to make it happen,” said Berry Punch.

“Here?” said Applejack, very maturely not making an exasperated sigh.

“No good,” said Carrot Top. “It’s technically free, but that’s right near Filthy Rich’s property and you can be sure he’ll raise one hell of a stink at Council if we start building there.”

“Well, what if we - “

“ATTEN-CHUN!”

None of the four earth ponies snapped to, instead just rotating in a very civilian way to face Rainbow Dash - who was doing enough military posturing for the lot of them. She was wearing her Wonderbolt Cadet uniform and was giving an over the top salute.

“Mornin’, Rainbow,” said Applejack. “Want some celery?”

“IS THAT HOW YOU ADDRESS A SUPERIOR OFFICER, SERGEANT?” yelled Rainbow Dash, demonstrating that she had passed her Drill Sergeant elective course. Strutting around and yelling at ponies? Easy A.

“Uh, with the what?” said Applejack.

Rainbow Dash dramatically pointed at the magnificent military banner - which, somewhat less magnificently, was currently being used as a tablecloth. It read PONY CORPS OF ENGINEERS. “Are you or are you not Ponyville’s Earth Pony Militia?” she snapped.

“Oh, yeah,” said Applejack. “I suppose.”

“Then WHY are your regimental colours being used so DISGRACEFULLY?”

“Because the good tablecloth is at the cleaners?” said Roseluck nervously.

Rainbow Dash clucked her tongue. “I guess this surprise inspection isn’t off to a good start. I’m going to have to dock you points!”

“Wait, what?” said Applejack. “Surprise with the what now?”

Rainbow Dash puffed herself up. She’d been waiting for that. “Commander Spitfire,” she let the words linger in the air as if they were meant to mean something, “has personally assigned me with the task of checking on the combat readiness of Ponyville’s Earth Pony Auxiliaries! And I can see already -“ she waved a hoof dramatically around Roseluck’s (admittedly somewhat scruffy) living room, “- that some changes are going to be necessary.”

Roseluck raised a hoof like a schoolfilly. Rainbow Dash puffed up even more as she pointed at her and said, “Name?”

“R-Roseluck.”

“Question?”

“Um, what’s an Auxiliary?” asked Roseluck.

“Uh - well, it means -“ Rainbow Dash thought for a second, and then remembered the term Auxiliary Power and made a mental leap - “You’re the ponies who do the fighting after all the proper soldiers are dead!”

Roseluck raised her hoof again. “Yes, Roseluck?” said Rainbow.

“Does that mean that we only fight things that are guaranteed to kill us all?”

“Hold your horses everypony!” said Applejack. “What’s all this about fighting? Rainbow, that ain’t exactly -“

“You will address me as Special Lieutenant, Sergeant!” barked Rainbow. “Special Lieutenant Rainbow Professionalism Dash!”

Applejack gave her friend a look that let her know that on account of their past friendship she wasn’t going to react to that the way she’d like to. “Special Lieutenant, fightin’ ain’t exactly what we do here.”

“Are you or are you not soldiers in the Solar Army, sworn to the defence of the Realm even unto death?” asked Rainbow.

“I didn’t swear to death!” said Roseluck panickedly.

“You did, actually,” said Berry Punch. “It was on your contract. Right at the top.”

“I didn’t read that! It doesn’t count! That’s unconscionable conduct!” said Roseluck, starting to hyperventilate. “I don’t want to fight Tirek! I’m a conscientious objector!”

Rainbow Dash didn’t feel like she’d come into this situation with unreasonably high expectations, but even so she was feeling deeply disappointed. “So what does the Ponyville Militia do, then?”

“We mostly do civil engineering projects,” said Applejack brightly, happy to be back on safer ground. “Right now we’re discussin’ where to put a dyke -“

“Applejack!” gasped Rainbow Dash.

“What?”

“I didn’t think that even you would go so far as to turn this once honourable military regiment into your own personal dating service!” said Rainbow Dash.

“A dyke’s actually -“

“No! Enough of this!” said Rainbow Dash. She pointed a hoof at Roseluck. “You! What would you do if a dragon attacked the town!?”

“Panic,” said Roseluck nervously.

“ - designed to prevent floodin’ and assist with maritime commerce -“

“You!” Rainbow jabbed her hoof in Berry Punch’s chest. “A swarm of timberwolves charges out of the Everfree forest. What do you do!?”

“A group of timberwolves is called a pack,” said Berry Punch.

“What do you do to defend the town!?” yelled Rainbow.

“Oh! Panic!” she said, nodding firmly.

“- and the word’s derived from dijk, which is a really old fashioned way to say ‘dig’ -“

“You!” yelled Rainbow Dash, getting all up in Carrot Top’s grill. “What do you -“

“Panic.” said Carrot Top confidently.

“- griffon reavers! From the sky!” said Rainbow Dash, thrown off her game by three voices happening at once.

“Oh. Don’t panic,” said Carrot Top. “We just go to the trenches.”

“- the first apple carried by river barge was in 202 A.C. -“

Rainbow Dash stuck her hoof in Applejack’s mouth to stop her talking. Her eyes were lit up and gleaming. “Trenches?”

“You know. Like a hole in the ground?”

“Show me,” said Rainbow Dash.

*

“This is it?” said Rainbow Dash, unable to keep the appalled disappointment out of her voice.

“Yep. Dug this one ourselves,” said Applejack.

“It’s - just a hole in the ground!” sputtered Rainbow Dash.

“Yup,” said Applejack with a tinge of pride.

“And it’s not even a big one!” said Rainbow Dash. “You couldn’t fit two ponies side by side in that thing!”

“Nope!” said Applejack, buffing her coat with a hoof as if she’d received a compliment.

“I thought - “ Rainbow Dash rummaged in her saddlebags and grabbed out a book titled The Fortifications Of Our Flightless Friends. It had an unflattering picture of an earth pony on the cover, in the foreground of a very flattering picture of a fortified castle. Rainbow Dash jabbed her hoof at the picture. “Why doesn’t it look like this?”

“That’s a castle, Special Lieutenant,” said Applejack patiently. “This here is a trench.”

“The castle has a moat!” said Rainbow Dash. “And that moat is filled with water and like four hundred times the size of that dinky little trench!”

All the earth ponies were frowning and looking at the picture. “That doesn’t look secure,” said Carrot Top.

“Yeah, that much water would undermine the foundations in a matter of years,” agreed Roseluck.

“I wasn’t expecting you to have a castle but I was expecting some sort of fort or something,” said Rainbow Dash. “This… this is nothing!”

“No, it ain’t nothing,” said Applejack patiently. “It’s a trench.”

“It’s not a trench! It’s a sad little pit!” said Rainbow Dash.

Applejack frowned. “Now there, Special Lieutenant. We spent a week on that -“

“A week!?” Rainbow’s jaw dropped.

Applejack beamed at what she took to be the compliment. “Yep! It was hard work, but what with the Everfree and all, we thought that the extra security was worth it -“

“It took all four of you a week to dig this?” said Rainbow Dash. “Fluttershy could jump across this!” To demonstrate, she hopped from one side to the other and gave them a totally flat look. “I thought earth ponies were supposed to be good at building things. This is absurd.”

“Now there, Special Lieutenant -” said Applejack, eyes narrowing.

“I could dig further than this by myself,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, could you now?” said Applejack.

“Yeah!” said Rainbow Dash. “I could! Because I’m not lazy!”

“Oh yeah?” said Applejack, temper rising.

“Oh yeah!” said Rainbow Dash, pushing her nose against Applejack’s.

“Prove it!” said Applejack.

*

Day One

How hard could it be?

Rainbow Dash knew a thing or two about architecture. While it might take Applejack a week to dig a hole in the ground, when Rainbow Dash spent a week on a project - well, she could add an entire wing to her house. Or transform a cloud into a kilometre long copy of her cutie mark. Or kick up a thunderstorm that could level a minor city. And she could do all those things with style, grace and speed.

She picked up her shovel in her mouth. Yeah, this would be easy.

And it was easy. For the first foot of dirt. Then her shovel hit something hard.

“What the hay AJ?” said Rainbow Dash, looking up.

“Huh?” said Applejack, walking over.

“This ground is, like, solid rocks,” said Rainbow Dash.

“That ain’t rock,” said Applejack. “That’s just dry soil. Rock is much harder.”

Rainbow Dash scowled. She had already convinced herself that Applejack had tricked her into trying to dig into a rocky location. But - dry soil huh?

One quick raincloud later and she was digging again and making great progress - but the damp, soaked soil was heavier than boulders. Sweat was pouring down her neck as she shovelled and finally, after what felt like hours, she collapsed, panting. Five minute break -

She’d barely dug enough to fit herself in - if she curled up inside it. The dirt kept falling down the sides of the hole and she was chipping away at the rock with her shovel rather than getting the full, satisfying scoops she’d imagined. And she had to do the entire thing with her neck.

Okay. Okay. Let’s try it again without the water.

She couldn’t figure out the right stance. The shovel was an awkward length and she needed to get enough leverage to really power a slice in to crack the rock. She tried standing on her hind legs and then diving in but that just hurt her teeth. Then she tried a wide stance with her hooves spread out on either side of the pit, but as soon as the pit got a little too deep then she was having to bend her knees almost all the way down just to reach what she was getting at. She constantly tried repositioning, moving around to get the best angle on the rock or look for a weak point, but it was just the same stupid dirt no matter what direction she came at it from.

The longer she worked, the more breaks she took, and the longer each break became. The work was exhausting and she felt like she was going to break her neck! This was mental - doing all the work with the same part of your body? Who did that?

At the end of the day, Rainbow limped home, and then ate two nights worth of food in one meal, and collapsed into her bed. She was too exhausted to even blame Applejack.

*

Day Two

Okay. If Applejack could do this, she could do this.

Rainbow Dash worked hard and worked strong all day. She finally found a rhythm she could work to and just set into it. She started using her whole body with each shovel scoop, not just her neck. She took breathers when she needed them and paced herself like Twilight had taught her. Solid work. Marathon speed. She could do this.

By the end of the day she’d created some sort of terrible crater. She realised far too late she had no idea how she was supposed to grow the pit in any specific direction, let alone get the laser sharp sides that Applejack had done. It wasn’t even a satisfyingly big crater.

Okay, thought Rainbow Dash as she crawled pathetically into bed. Applejack has a lifetime experience digging holes and earth ponies probably have creepy magical dirt powers. Like Maud Pie did. Plus it was four against one. It was only fair that she evened the odds a bit.

*

Day Three

Rainbow Dash couldn’t get out of bed until late afternoon, excepting brief passages to and from the ice box to eat anything that looked vaguely organic. She’d never been more tired in her life. This was insane. She was an athlete! She should be able to handle a little dirt!

By the evening, realising she’d wasted almost the entire day, she set off for Cloudsdale. It was a long trip but there was a good tailwind and there was something there that could help her.

*

Day Four

The jackhammer. A masterpiece of modern engineering. Pegasi used it to carve precision cloud formations. She’d requisitioned it from a construction company for military purposes. With this she’d be able to make far more progress than with that wretched shovel.

She was almost cackling as she hammered away at the dirt and rock, pounding it into dust and then coming in with the shovel at the newly loosened dirt. It wasn’t until she looked at her progress at the end of the day that she realised that, while she’d made a little more distance than she had before, at this rate she wouldn’t even come close to a quarter of what the earth ponies had done. And she was exhausted again. And the jackhammer was making a dangerous rattling sound.

She needed something more drastic to beat that stupid, cheating Applejack.

*

Day Five

Of course! The answer lay within herself! Within her childhood, in fact! Beach!

Rainbow Dash’s crater-trench suddenly took a very sharp and very shallow detour across to one of the Ponyville lakes and then ran deep into the soft sand there. The trench went in two complete laps around the lake’s sandy shore, cutting straight through a prize sandcastle in the process. Its value as a defensive fortification was understandably suspect but Rainbow Dash felt proud of herself.

Still, she needed more than this if she wanted to beat Applejack in just two days. But, as she flopped down to sleep, a terrible, brilliant, ingenious idea came to her head….

*

Day Six

“From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled…” said Rainbow Dash, reading aloud from the ancient tome of Starswirl the Bearded’s final spell.

C’mon, c’mon, c’mon… one in six chance…

“Aw horseapples!” she cussed when she saw Twilight’s bright purple star appear on her flank in place of her familiar lightning bolt. Well, no harm in trying again, right? “From one to another, another to one. A mark of one’s destiny singled out alone, fulfilled!”

Once again, the shifting threads of destiny warped and screeched, and this time - bingo! Three diamonds! A cutie mark related to moving piles of dirt around, sort of! She’d win for sure with this! And then she’d read out the other half of the spell and get things back to normal before anypony noticed.

She hurried out to her trench and started digging, but her head wasn’t in it. She was swamping up with weird questions. Had this been a dumb idea? When she’d had Fluttershy’s cutie mark the animals hadn’t listened to her - but when Rarity had her cutie mark she’d learned a weather spell she’d never had before. Was that a unicorn thing? She was making good progress with this hole but - oh horseapples! She’d forgotten, Twilight hadn’t fixed everypony’s cutie marks by reading out the second half of the spell, that had been like a weird bonus after she’d used her ordinary magic to fix the spell. Uh, did that mean she had to cast Starswirl’s spell again until she got Twilight’s cutie mark back and use that to figure out what she’d done? Would that even work? Hold on, why did she have her memories of her proper cutie mark? Twilight’s cutie mark hadn’t changed when she cast the spell. Was it because she wasn’t a unicorn? Or was it because she’d been through this all once before?

Rainbow Dash realised that she was in over her head with all this magic stuff and had maybe acted a bit impulsively in her attempt to cheat a victory against Applejack in hole digging.

Regretfully, she dropped the shovel, rushed back to the library, threw open the book and mumbled out Twilight’s completion to the spell. “From all of us together -“

“Rainbow?” said Spike, coming down the steps with a candle. “What are you doing here this late?”

“Oh hi Spike,” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m just - just reading the new Daring Do book! Yep, that’s me! Biggest fan out there!”

“Out loud?” he groaned. “At midnight? This is a lending library.”

“Ha ha - togetherwearefriends - “ said Rainbow Dash, glancing back at the book.

“What?” said Spike.

“I’ll just be a minute,” said Rainbow Dash. “Is that ‘destinies’ or ‘destined’?”

“Hey, isn’t that Twilight’s magical princess book?” said Spike.

“Uh! With the marks of our destined made one there is magic without end!” Rainbow Dash choked out.

All across the sleeping Ponyville, five great lights lit up, powering to the sky. Five great bolts shot out of five houses, from the hearts of five sleeping ponies. They broke walls and windows in their passage and burst in through the windows of the library. They struck Rainbow Dash on all sides and disintegrated her.

*

“Rainbow Dash?” said Princess Celestia. “You’re… early.”

“Princess Celestia!” said Rainbow Dash, snapping out of gaping at the brilliant, star-filled void she found herself floating in to remember to bow.

“No, really, when did this happen?” said Celestia with concern, horn glowing as she pulled large, floating screens towards her. Rainbow Dash was sure she could see herself in some of them.

“Oh!” said Rainbow Dash, eyes lighting up. “Princess Celestia! I need your help!”

“Of course, my little pony,” she said, smiling and turning her attention away from the screens. “What do you need?”

“I need you to take my wings away!”

“…”

“Like the opposite of what you did with Twilight!”

“I -“

“Just for a day!”

“… Why?”

“So I can be an earth pony and beat Applejack at digging…” Rainbow Dash stopped talking. “I guess that’s even dumber than it was in my head.”

Princess Celestia actually laughed. “Yes, Rainbow Dash. Yes it was. Go home.”

*

Rainbow Dash arrived back in the library. Spike was just coming out of the kitchen with a plate of nachos, evidently having decided to have his midnight snack before waking Twilight r.e. the lightning bolt shaped scorch mark in the library floor.

“Goodnight, Spike,” said Rainbow Dash, trotting for the door, head hanging low.

“Goodnight, Rainbow!” said Spike, waving and then going upstairs.

*

Day Seven

“Yeah, I lose,” said Rainbow Dash to Applejack first thing in the morning. “Digging holes is super hard.”

“Well, that’s big of you to admit, Special Lieutenant -“

“It’s just Rainbow,” said Rainbow Dash, downcast. “Look, sorry I got all on your case about the trench thing. I just got excited about having a mission from Spitfire.”

“And I don’t imagine it looks like much to a pegasus who can just fly over the whole thing, right?” said Applejack.

“Yeah,” said Rainbow.

“C’mere, let me show you,” said Applejack. She jumped down into the trench. “Say you’re a flying griffon and you want to get me. What do you do?”

“Well, I come at you like this -“ said Rainbow Dash, lunging for Applejack - but the narrowness of the trench meant she couldn’t spread her wings while swooping down at it, and the depth meant she couldn’t reach the top of Applejack’s hat without entering the trench itself.

“Yep. It’s that simple,” said Applejack. “Point of the trench is to get anything flying to land and come at us one on one. And then we whack ‘em with our shovels. It’s also good against timberwolves, dragons and most kinds of monster. Hoofington managed to trick a Hydra into getting its head stuck in a trench like this”

“That’s… actually pretty clever AJ,” said Rainbow Dash.

“Aw, you’re too kind,” said Applejack, “but it ain’t my idea. Trenches like this have been around for a hundred years and the dimensions are standardised. I just dug it.”

“And that’s not as easy as it sounds,” said Rainbow Dash. She straightened a little. “Good job, Sergeant. I’ll let the Commander know that Ponyville stands ready.”

“Heh,” said Applejack. “Actually, give me a week? We’ve actually slacked off majorly on actual combat training and I want to get the grunts back in shape.”

“I suppose I can allow it,” said Rainbow Dash with a smile.

“Thanks, S.L.T,” said Applejack, saluting.

“I - hey!”



Now that's an awesome way to start the new year. Oh, happy new year everyone. I was going to complain about the slow digging speed but then I remembered they were ponies.


Anyways, New Year Writing Report!

Finished Works: Procrastination (6,089 words, 1 chapter)

Current Works:
Discord's Heir: Still going (45,350 words, 13 chapters)
There's Something About Twilight Sparkle: Still Going (27,332 words, 8 chapters)

Possible Future Works:
Where in the World is Carmare Sandiago? (A fic about a young Shining Armor after the master thief)

Underworld In-laws (Rainbow Dash is marrying Fluttershy and has to deal with her family, who runs the Pegasi Mafia/and or is a deadly clan of ninjas)

Fate Stay/Rainbow (Rainbow Dash is summoned as a Servant for the Grail War, and proceeds to be awesome)

Violence is Friendship (A Nanoha-My Little Pony crossover. Name is a joke on Nanoha beating people up until they become her friends, but that is literally all I've got so far)

EDIT: Can't believe I almost forgot this one

Shipping Wars (Cadence, Luna and perhaps a third pony get into an argument over who deserves the title of best matchmaker. It quickly escalates into a contest, with the pair/trio going around Equestria and getting ponies to fall in love with each other.)

[Juntao112]

Violence is Friendship (A Nanoha-My Little Pony crossover. Name is a joke on Nanoha beating people up until they become her friends, but that is literally all I've got so far)

Yeah, because shooting people in the face with the friendship cannon is much nicer.

[Forum Explorer]

Two shots of tequila and an entire thing of home made vodka punch. My granny is a drinker.

We have, in the house, lots and lots of vodka, some tequila, and a bottle of Sparkling White wine that is too cheap to legally be called Champagne.

Part of me has been considering, for a while, trying a drink once so I can make an informed decision about my choice to abstain from alcohol, but it probably isn't going to be tonight.

My unsolicited advice on drinking?

Absence from drinking is fine, even admirable. But I'd like to point out that that absence from all alcohol can hurt you socially, as social drinks are a thing. There is literally nothing wrong with sipping on a single drink at times with friends, and depending on the drink, even some health benefits.

(I'm actually speaking from experience here. I personally rarely drink, only having the occasional drink with family and friends during special events (so about 3-4 times a year). However because I didn't go out drinking, I completely missed out on this weekly event in the science facility where they went out to a bar on campus for a drink or two. I am still kicking myself for never taking advantage of that amazing networking opportunity.)


Violence is Friendship (A Nanoha-My Little Pony crossover. Name is a joke on Nanoha beating people up until they become her friends, but that is literally all I've got so far)

Yeah, because shooting people in the face with the friendship cannon is much nicer.

Heh, I might have to use that for when/if I actually write that story.

[Tiki Snakes]

Forum Explorer; That's all very well and good, but I HAVE rewatched the scene. Rarity takes a single length of purple curtain, swirls it around herself and then reveals herself in a full blue gown with gold frills and a bright gold saddle and redone mane and tail. You might not remember it, but that's what she did. It includes pretty much anything Trixie's response did, only with much more precision and style which is exactly the point Rarity was making.

If anything, you were supposed to get the impression that Trixie's use of magic was crude and brutish, rather than being particularly impressive in any meaningful way. (again, called out by Rarity herself). Hence her resorting to direct physical attacks in all three cases rather than legitimately attempting to match or exceed the feats shown.

As for drinking, my experience with social drinking is that its the sense of joining in that is important, not so much the alcohol content. So the trick is to drink along, match your mates drink for drink even if what you are drinking is just tap water or orange juice or so on. It's when someone sits there without a drink at all that it starts sucking the atmosphere down the drain.

[Kd7sov]

1. There was the event where Rainbow could use her wings to keep the baby chickens from falling off her back. This was clearly cheating.

Try again; the point certainly looked to me like keeping the chicks comfortable enough (see: splashing mud) that they don't leave, while still being the first to get them to the hens. Them falling off wasn't a thing that seemed likely or relevant. A questionable use of wings, certainly, but it falls short of "clearly cheating".

[Tiki Snakes]

Try again; the point certainly looked to me like keeping the chicks comfortable enough (see: splashing mud) that they don't leave, while still being the first to get them to the hens. Them falling off wasn't a thing that seemed likely or relevant. A questionable use of wings, certainly, but it falls short of "clearly cheating".

To be fair, the theme of the episode was if I recall something along the lines of them getting so wrapped up in their petty rivalry and becoming so focused on beating the other that they both failed to have fun and also lost their chance to also win because of dragging each other down.

That whole sequence of Rainbow fudging around the rules and AJ taking increasingly petty exception to it was all about setting that up. Neither clearly edged ahead and both acted pretty badly.

It was a good episode.

[Fable Wright]

Show me the rule.


Try again; the point certainly looked to me like keeping the chicks comfortable enough (see: splashing mud) that they don't leave, while still being the first to get them to the hens. Them falling off wasn't a thing that seemed likely or relevant. A questionable use of wings, certainly, but it falls short of "clearly cheating".

This is fair; perhaps it was not cheating, but it was still an unfair edge. I have a question for you. If you were in a wrestling match/boxing match with a 4-armed man, would you call it a fair fight? You clearly don't stand on even ground, even if there is no rule against having four arms in most professional rulebooks. That's what Applejack was dealing with. Two additional limbs is a hell of a tactical advantage in a lot of events, and even if it wasn't strictly against the rules, as you guys have mentioned, then it was obviously unfair.

[DigoDragon]

I'm so hungry. D:

At my dad's place for breakfast, except everyone is asleep and there is an awful lot of Ham sitting around not refrigerated. That can't be good. Ah well, raiding the pantry for toast and coffee. Not waiting.


The point of the whole Iron Pony Competition was to determine who was the better athlete. Barring a few events, like the long jump that Forum Explorer noted, Rainbow Dash showed that she is the better athlete. Consider that in order for Rainbow Dash to have lifted AJ like that, she had to be able to lift both her own body weight, plus the weight of AJ herself

Though I still understand AJ's perspective that lifting you nonflying opponent in a game of tug-o-war is cheating. After all, Aj can't counter that.


I don't think a natural part of your body counts as an unfair advantage.

It can if the competition didn't have any way to compete against it. Flying is an advantage over running.

[Aotrs Commander]

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride001_zpsc1e09794.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride002_zpsa7ff03a9.jpg
Say, Bleakbane?

Yes, Other Bleakbane?

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Spaceship?

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride003_zps9d9f5977.jpg
Spaceship.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride004_zps35f24d29.jpg
SPACESHIP!!!!
SPACESHIP!!!!
SPACESHIP!!!!
SPACESHIP!!!!

[DigoDragon]

Spaceship! :smallbiggrin:

Awesome ship, Bleakbane. Did you know that autocorrect recognizes your name, but not 'autocorrect'? It guesses the word autocracy instead.

[Aotrs Commander]

Spaceship! :smallbiggrin:

Awesome ship, Bleakbane. Did you know that autocorrect recognizes your name, but not 'autocorrect'? It guesses the word autocracy instead.

Bahahahahahahaha!


Also, I can't help but feel that's some sort of sneaky social commetary on grammar or spelling or something.

[RCgothic]

Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship!

(Although how could you do that to Princess Unikitty!)

http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/339/d/0/the_pn_spaceship_by_unnop64-d5n4gi1.jpg

[Madcrafter]

Happy belated New Year ponythread!


Fun story Thanqol; like Balmas, I'd be interested in knowing the true events behind it.

[Rater202]

This is fair; perhaps it was not cheating, but it was still an unfair edge. I have a question for you. If you were in a wrestling match/boxing match with a 4-armed man, would you call it a fair fight? You clearly don't stand on even ground, even if there is no rule against having four arms in most professional rulebooks. That's what Applejack was dealing with. Two additional limbs is a hell of a tactical advantage in a lot of events, and even if it wasn't strictly against the rules, as you guys have mentioned, then it was obviously unfair.

1. Are the extra limbs a natural part of the person's body?
2. Do I know about the extra limbs before the X and still agree to it?
3. Do I have some degree of Super Strength?

Because in Applejack's situation, the answer to all three is yes.

Dashie's wings and flight are a natural part of her being, and AJ knew that Dashi had wings and could fly before she agreed to the Iron Pony competition. She clearly didn't think it was unfair until she started losing.

Also, she's an earth pony-she has supernaturally boosted strength and stamina-that is also an unfair advantage, by your reasoning, so they're both somehow cheating even though they're only using what they're born with.

The entire episode boils down to them both being sore losers. Don't try to lionize AJ, she's arguably worse than Dashie was.

[Tiki Snakes]

The entire episode boils down to them both being sore losers. Yes, this.
Don't try to lionize AJ, she's arguably worse than Dashie was.
You could argue that, perhaps. I'd say it's not clear cut enough to say that though, and the former point is more important than the latter here. Rainbow Dash was attempting to take advantage of her pegasi nature in order to get a few cheap wins, and AJ was being petty and defensive about it.

They both needed a time-out.

[DigoDragon]

Also, I can't help but feel that's some sort of sneaky social commetary on grammar or spelling or something.

Heh, I was thinking about that myself. But maybe I should' t think too hard about it.



http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/339/d/0/the_pn_spaceship_by_unnop64-d5n4gi1.jpg

Oooh, is that from anything in particular?



Also, she's an earth pony-she has supernaturally boosted strength and stamina-that is also an unfair advantage, by your reasoning, so they're both somehow cheating even though they're only using what they're bor.

But wasn't Dash still able to score points? Dash is unusually strong for a Pegasus so I think Applejack strength wasn't an advantage like flight is.

[RCgothic]

Oooh, is that from anything in particular?


No idea! I googled 'My Little Pony Spaceship". :smallredface:

[Rater202]

But wasn't Dash still able to score points? Dash is unusually strong for a Pegasus so I think Applejack strength wasn't an advantage like flight is.

Dash was scoring points in the events that were skills that played to her strengths. In tests of strength and things like rope tricks, AJ was winning.

The fact that, IIRC, most of the events were rodio type things, if Dashie hadn't been using her wings,the score would have probably been reveresed
Now, Consider that Dashie's entire life is built around being an athlete, she's justifyibly proud of her skills, if a little arrogant, and how SOnic Rainboom shows her with some serious anxiety and/or confidence issues, and Dashie's behavior during the Iron Pony competition becomes understandable.

AJ was just being a prideful jerk by sinking down to her level, and a hypocrite because she's naturally much stronger than Dashie is, and a double hypocrite when she starts flat out cheating in the running of the leaves.(Yes, I'm aware that Dashie cheated too. Considering they each already thought the other was cheating before they started cheating, normally that'd cancel out, but Dashie was already at disadvantage having her natural abilities restricted while AJ did not.)

Which is why AJ was arguably worse than Dashie was in that episode.

[DigoDragon]

But the point of the Running of the Leaves event is RUNNING. Isn't flying defeating that point?

[Rater202]

But the point of the Running of the Leaves event is RUNNING. Isn't flying defeating that point?

The point is that it's a friendly race with the point of shaking dead leaves out of trees, because the season and stuff in Equestria are all weird like that and don't change on their own. Presumably it's a race because that's more fun than just kicking the trees or something. They were already missing the point by treating it as a serious competition in order to settle a grudge because they're both sore losers.

Flying up by the leaves would arguably be more effective at shaking them lose, anyway.

[Tiki Snakes]

Dash was scoring points in the events that were skills that played to her strengths. In tests of strength and things like rope tricks, AJ was winning.

The fact that, IIRC, most of the events were rodio type things, if Dashie hadn't been using her wings,the score would have probably been reveresed
Now, Consider that Dashie's entire life is built around being an athlete, she's justifyibly proud of her skills, if a little arrogant, and how SOnic Rainboom shows her with some serious anxiety and/or confidence issues, and Dashie's behavior during the Iron Pony competition becomes understandable.

AJ was just being a prideful jerk by sinking down to her level, and a hypocrite because she's naturally much stronger than Dashie is, and a double hypocrite when she starts flat out cheating in the running of the leaves.(Yes, I'm aware that Dashie cheated too. Considering they each already thought the other was cheating before they started cheating, normally that'd cancel out, but Dashie was already at disadvantage having her natural abilities restricted while AJ did not.)

Which is why AJ was arguably worse than Dashie was in that episode.

You're pretty much doing the same thing here with Dash that you just called DMofDarkness out for doing with AJ, you realise?

[Rater202]

You're pretty much doing the same thing here with Dash that you just called DMofDarkness out for doing with AJ, you realise?

Oh no, I'm fully admitting that Dashie was an asshat this episode, but her behavior is understandably whereas AJ's, at least to me, is not.

Hence "Arguably" worse.

[Aotrs Commander]

Spaceship! Spaceship! Spaceship!

(Although how could you do that to Princess Unikitty!)

'Cos it's hilarious?


http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/339/d/0/the_pn_spaceship_by_unnop64-d5n4gi1.jpg

Shiny...

[Tiki Snakes]

Oh no, I'm fully admitting that Dashie was an asshat this episode, but her behavior is understandably whereas AJ's, at least to me, is not.

Hence "Arguably" worse.

Rainbow Dash really wanted to win, so she ignored the spirit of the games in question and used any advantage she had, fair or otherwise, in order to score points.
AJ really wanted to win, so she did whatever she could to deny Rainbow any advantage that she considered unfair, so that she could score points.

There's really nothing in it, from my point of view.

[DigoDragon]

Flying up by the leaves would arguably be more effective at shaking them lose, anyway.

But that just goes back to the original part of my argument-- The earth ponies can't fly and thus could not compete that way. If thou want real real efficiency, get the unicorns too just tk the leaves down. ;)

Running on the ground is the fairest way to hold the event. Anypony with legs can run and running isn't only based on strength as Twi proved. :)

[Juntao112]

This is fair; perhaps it was not cheating, but it was still an unfair edge. I have a question for you. If you were in a wrestling match/boxing match with a 4-armed man, would you call it a fair fight? You clearly don't stand on even ground, even if there is no rule against having four arms in most professional rulebooks. That's what Applejack was dealing with. Two additional limbs is a hell of a tactical advantage in a lot of events, and even if it wasn't strictly against the rules, as you guys have mentioned, then it was obviously unfair.

It'd also be unfair if I went sparring against a tai chi master with one arm, in that I would probaby get my plot handed to me, but I know of no rule or restricton that would level the playing field.

[Rater202]

Rainbow Dash really wanted to win, so she ignored the spirit of the games in question and used any advantage she had, fair or otherwise, in order to score points.
AJ really wanted to win, so she did whatever she could to deny Rainbow any advantage that she considered unfair, so that she could score points.

There's really nothing in it, from my point of view.

Dashie's entire life is built around athletics. It's a much bigger case of Serious Business for her than it is for AJ, and really the only time you can honestly say that Dashie using her natural abilities is unfair was when she started flying during the tug of war.

AJ didn't decide that Rainbow Using her wings was unfair until after she started losing. AJ knew that Dashie had wings and could fly before the Iron Pony competition started. If she thought it was unfair before hoof, then it would have been something they talked about before hoof. Also, AJ is an earth pony, She has super strength. She has an "unfair" advantage on every event that was strength based. Nopony called her on that, and that means she was a hypocrite in that episode. She was also, essentially, just being petty.

Between the two, AJ was, for those reasons, arguably worse than Dashie was in that episode, for those reasons, and because at least you can understand why Dashie was doing it while AJ.

[DigoDragon]

Wait, what happened to your other arm? :smalleek:

[Juntao112]

Wait, what happened to your other arm? :smalleek:

He lost it fighting ninjas.

[Forum Explorer]

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride001_zpsc1e09794.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride002_zpsa7ff03a9.jpg
Say, Bleakbane?

Yes, Other Bleakbane?

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

Spaceship?

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride003_zps9d9f5977.jpg
Spaceship.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u172/AotrsCommander/Bleakbanestealsaride004_zps35f24d29.jpg
SPACESHIP!!!!
SPACESHIP!!!!
SPACESHIP!!!!
SPACESHIP!!!!


Very cool indeed.


On Iron Pony competition, I'd say Rainbow Dash is the 'worse' pony in that episode. Because she was cheating whenever it looked like she might lose an event. Or did you think flying in a long jump competition is fair? Or how about the push up competition where instead of pushing up with her legs, she starts flapping her wings to elevate herself to get the 1-up on Applejack? Yeah there are plenty of events I'd say wing use is legit, like with the birds, but I feel the episode was really stressing the idea that Rainbow Dash can and will cheat if that's what it takes to win, while Applejack won't, unless the other pony cheats first.

Also Applejack and Rainbow Dash had literally identical circumstances. They trip on an object and thing the other tripped them instead. Twilight points out the truth to AJ who accepts it and moves on. She does the same thing for RD, who doesn't believe her and retaliates sparking the whole cheat fest between them.

[DigoDragon]

He lost it fighting ninjas.

Well I think he owes you another arm! At least he should... lend you a Hand.

[Rater202]

On Iron Pony competition, I'd say Rainbow Dash is the 'worse' pony in that episode. Because she was cheating whenever it looked like she might lose an event. Or did you think flying in a long jump competition is fair? Or how about the push up competition where instead of pushing up with her legs, she starts flapping her wings to elevate herself to get the 1-up on Applejack? Yeah there are plenty of events I'd say wing use is legit, like with the birds, but I feel the episode was really stressing the idea that Rainbow Dash can and will cheat if that's what it takes to win, while Applejack won't, unless the other pony cheats first.

Also Applejack and Rainbow Dash had literally identical circumstances. They trip on an object and thing the other tripped them instead. Twilight points out the truth to AJ who accepts it and moves on. She does the same thing for RD, who doesn't believe her and retaliates sparking the whole cheat fest between them.

Rainbow Dash's actions are understandable, as athleticism is her life and Sonic Rainboom establishes that she has some serious issues relating to confidence/anxiety when it comes to her skills. Applejack's are not, Especially because applejack already learned a lesson about being prideful, and AJ was a hypocrite in that episode because she has an unfair advantage in several of the events in the iron pony competition-between the repeated tests of strength and the rodeo based events that Dashie would be unpracticed in.

"Ah can use mah natural earth pony strength and years of doin' rodeos to win, but when you use yer wings an years a flyin' practise, it's cheatin' "

The only time Dashie could be said to be cheating during the Iron Pony was flying during the tug of War. the flap boost in the long jump is perfectly legal, considering that wind assists and stuff don't get you disqualified for that and similar athletic events don't get you disqualified"

We have, essentially, two ponies getting an "unfair" advantage because of perfectly legal and natural abilities, and then one pony got bent out of shape when she started losing. Dashie was a jerk about it, yes, bu her actions are understandable while AJ's are not.

As for the race, Dashie was already at disadvantage against APplejack because Applejack was allowed to use her natural abilities while Dashie was not. To assume that she'd continue to attempt to get legitimately unfair advantages is not unreasonable in that situation. The only reason both of them cheating doesn't cancel out in this situation is because AJ did have an unfair advantage against Dashie during the race.

Dashie's actions come off as being understandable and within her character, during season one. AJ's come of as her being petty and hypocritical, and that's why I think she's the worse one in that situation, even though they were both jackasses at the time.

[HalfTangible]

Rainbow Dash's actions are understandable, as athleticism is her life and Sonic Rainboom establishes that she has some serious issues relating to confidence/anxiety when it comes to her skills.No, she doesn't. She has anxiety about public performances. She has every confidence in her skills imaginable and a few that aren't.


Applejack's are not, Especially because applejack already learned a lesson about being prideful, and AJ was a hypocrite in that episode because she has an unfair advantage in several of the events in the iron pony competition-between the repeated tests of strength and the rodeo based events that Dashie would be unpracticed in.

"Ah can use mah natural earth pony strength and years of doin' rodeos to win, but when you use yer wings an years a flyin' practise, it's cheatin' "

The only time Dashie could be said to be cheating during the Iron Pony was flying during the tug of War. the flap boost in the long jump is perfectly legal, considering that wind assists and stuff don't get you disqualified for that and similar athletic events don't get you disqualified"You'll notice that that tug-of-war is what snapped her patience, and it's arguable that flapping during the long jump IS illegal since the point of the competition is to see how far you can jump.

I don't remember any of the other competitions aside from the barrels, which AJ didn't get mad about.


We have, essentially, two ponies getting an "unfair" advantage because of perfectly legal and natural abilities, and then one pony got bent out of shape when she started losing. Dashie was a jerk about it, yes, bu her actions are understandable while AJ's are not.That's like saying you're not allowed to be ticked about aimbot hacks because the hacker wrote the program himself. Dash's attitude was that she was allowed to use her wings (even in competitions where it ruined the whole point OF the competition) and AJ had no right to complain about it because her wings existed.

For the record, the air bud argument is a TERRIBLE argument whenever it's used.


As for the race, Dashie was already at disadvantage against APplejack because Applejack was allowed to use her natural abilities while Dashie was not.Running of the leaves. Dashie was being prevented from flying because the competition was about running.


To assume that she'd continue to attempt to get legitimately unfair advantages is not unreasonable in that situation.Assuming that one of your best friends is cheating because you're now losing is the very thing you just said AJ was an ass for doing. Only in this case, Dash doesn't even know AJ did anything, she just knows that she fell.


The only reason both of them cheating doesn't cancel out in this situation is because AJ did have an unfair advantage against Dashie during the race.You do know that the whole point of a competition is to test one set of skills against another's set, right? The running of the leaves is specifically about running, not about a race. You can't use a bike at every stage of a triathalon because that's not the point of the competition.


Dashie's actions come off as being understandable and within her character, during season one. AJ's come of as her being petty and hypocritical, and that's why I think she's the worse one in that situation, even though they were both jackasses at the time.

Both characters are jackweeds, but Dash doesn't even attempt to be a good pony. AJ tries to shake off Dash using her wings at first, and Dash jumps to the conclusion that AJ cheated because Dash tripped up.

Dash is infinitely worse in this episode.

[Rater202]

You say that, but the entire plot was kicked off because one event of cheating caused a pony to declare that that the entire games was a farce and that her natural abilities and years of skill were fair while arbitrarily declaring that an other's were cheating.

AJ has a decided advantage simply because as an earth pony, she has supernaturally potent strength and stamina greater than what Rainbow Dash would have. So, if Rainbow Dash using her wings during the Iron Pony is cheating, then so is Applejack using her naturally enhanced speed and stamina during the race, or using her supernaturally strong legs to jump further than a pony without such boosted strength.

Dashie didn't full out cheat until the tug of war-up until then she was expanding her surface area to better accomidate chicks, or flapping once while in fall to jump further(as opposed to taking off flying, which would have been cheating) She should have just been disqualified fromt hat one event. Instead AJ declares tat Rainbow Dash had been ceating the entire competicion, which she wasn't, unless AJ herself was also cheating, which makes her a hypocrit.

And tha't why I think AJ was worse in that episode.

Also, don't use absolutes like "Dash is infinitely worse in this episode." That's your opinion, it is not fact.

[Forum Explorer]

Rainbow Dash's actions are understandable, as athleticism is her life and Sonic Rainboom establishes that she has some serious issues relating to confidence/anxiety when it comes to her skills. Applejack's are not, Especially because applejack already learned a lesson about being prideful, and AJ was a hypocrite in that episode because she has an unfair advantage in several of the events in the iron pony competition-between the repeated tests of strength and the rodeo based events that Dashie would be unpracticed in.

"Ah can use mah natural earth pony strength and years of doin' rodeos to win, but when you use yer wings an years a flyin' practise, it's cheatin' "

The only time Dashie could be said to be cheating during the Iron Pony was flying during the tug of War. the flap boost in the long jump is perfectly legal, considering that wind assists and stuff don't get you disqualified for that and similar athletic events don't get you disqualified"

We have, essentially, two ponies getting an "unfair" advantage because of perfectly legal and natural abilities, and then one pony got bent out of shape when she started losing. Dashie was a jerk about it, yes, bu her actions are understandable while AJ's are not.

As for the race, Dashie was already at disadvantage against APplejack because Applejack was allowed to use her natural abilities while Dashie was not. To assume that she'd continue to attempt to get legitimately unfair advantages is not unreasonable in that situation. The only reason both of them cheating doesn't cancel out in this situation is because AJ did have an unfair advantage against Dashie during the race.

Dashie's actions come off as being understandable and within her character, during season one. AJ's come of as her being petty and hypocritical, and that's why I think she's the worse one in that situation, even though they were both jackasses at the time.

Except you are ignoring that Rainbow Dash was keeping up just fine using only her legs. She was matching Applejack pushup for pushup and even managed to win the arm wrestle.

And flying during a long jump isn't cheating? Are you seriously making that claim? Because then even Fluttershy will literally beat every earth pony ever in that competition because she doesn't have to touch the ground. Ever.

Same with doing push ups. The push up is using your arms and body to elevate yourself from the ground. Not suddenly using your wings.

Basically Rainbow Dash was literally doing something other then the competition. Flying is not jumping. And using your wings is not doing a push up.

Similarly, if I am challenged to a footrace, it's considered cheating for me to swim, even if I'm naturally a great swimmer and a poor runner. It's not inflicting a disadvantage upon me, it's literally the rules of the game. I mean by your logic, Twilight should have been allowed to just teleport to the end line and pick up first place that way. After all, not using her magic is putting her at a severe disadvantage.

[Rater202]

And flying during a long jump isn't cheating? Are you seriously making that claim? Because then even Fluttershy will literally beat every earth pony ever in that competition because she doesn't have to touch the ground. Ever.

Flapping your wings once is not flying. it's a momentary increase in buoyancy. If wind Assists are kosher, so is that. Besides, All of AJ's strength is in her legs, and as her strength is at least partially supernatural in origin, then she cheated on the long jump too.

Knowing what I know about the series, about the abilities of the pony races, and about the characterization of AJ and Dashie, then from my perspective, AJ comes off as a hypocrite in this episode, and that's why I think she's the bigger jackass in this episode.

[HalfTangible]

You say that, but the entire plot was kicked off because one event of cheating caused a pony to declare that that the entire games was a farce and that her natural abilities and years of skill were fair while arbitrarily declaring that an other's were cheating.Technically the plot was kicked off by the two both declaring themselves better than the other, which led to the competition. But ignoring that...

Dash WAS cheating. You admitted it yourself, and we saw previously that AJ was annoyed by the wings but was letting it go because she wanted to be a good sport. Meaning that it vexxed her but it wasn't cheating.


AJ has a decided advantage simply because as an earth pony, she has supernaturally potent strength and stamina greater than what Rainbow Dash would have.1) At the time this episode aired, Earth ponies being stronger than the other races was fanon. Having supernatural strength was EXTREMELY fanon, as was the notion of natural magic. Just wanna make that clear.

2) And that somehow makes it invalid that Dash outright cheated on numerous occasions, the most blatant being the tug-of-war?


So, if Rainbow Dash using her wings during the Iron Pony is cheating, then so is Applejack using her naturally enhanced speed and stamina during the race, or using her supernaturally strong legs to jump further than a pony without such boosted strength.No it's not. Enhanced strength or no, AJ is still jumping and JUST jumping. Getting into a plane so that you can win a marathon is cheating, being athletic and winning that way is not.

It's cheating when you break the rules of the competition to get your way, as Dash did. It's not cheating to be better than your opponent at something, that's what competitions exist to SHOW.

(I mean, it's arguable that competitions are there to push people to work harder, or to entertain the audience, or just for fun, but you get the idea)


Dashie didn't full out cheat until the tug of war-up until then she was expanding her surface area to better accomidate chicks, or flapping once while in fall to jump further(as opposed to taking off flying, which would have been cheating)You think that flight is cheating but flapping your wings isn't? Where do you draw the line? Does Fluttershy get to fly in these competitions since her pre-training montage wingpower was less than 1?


She should have just been disqualified fromt hat one event.Right, which is why AJ is ALSO a jerk. I'm just having trouble seeing how or why you think AJ is the bigger one here. You say it's because she's petty (and then admit she's right to point it out, meaning she isn't being petty) and hypocritical (so is RD. In fact I'd argue she's even MORE hypocritical, petty, etc by the time the race rolls around) but your explanations for why don't make a whole lot of sense.


Instead AJ declares tat Rainbow Dash had been ceating the entire competicion, which she wasn't, unless AJ herself was also cheating, which makes her a hypocrit.Yes, she was. This was the most blatant example but it wasn't the only example of 'outright cheating'.

The chicks I'll grant, not cheating (unless the competition was specifically for putting chicks on your back - I honestly don't remember if they specified). But using your wings in a jump IS cheating for the same reason rolling after your jump is. You're supposed to just jump.


Also, don't use absolutes like "Dash is infinitely worse in this episode." That's your opinion, it is not fact.

This sort of statement is a pet peeve of mine. :smallannoyed: I didn't present the absolute as a fact, don't act like I did. Please. It just makes it nigh-impossible to be calm in a discussion about magical pastel ponies and I would rather be calm while talking about magical pastel ponies.

[Fable Wright]

It'd also be unfair if I went sparring against a tai chi master with one arm, in that I would probaby get my plot handed to me, but I know of no rule or restricton that would level the playing field.
But in a spar between two tai chi masters, one with two arms and one without, there is an obvious imbalance. All other factors being equal, the number of limbs is a distinct advantage, and we have no indication that earth ponies are naturally gifted athletes. [citation needed]


Flapping your wings once is not flying. it's a momentary increase in buoyancy. If wind Assists are kosher, so is that.
Is flapping your wings twice cheating? Or three times? How about just flapping them until you get just ahead of the other pony? Is that okay? No? Then why is once different? Wind assists are kosher because they affect all athletes in a given event equally. Wings are not.


Besides, All of AJ's strength is in her legs, and as her strength is at least partially supernatural in origin, then she cheated on the long jump too.[citation needed]
We know that earth ponies have magic, and that the magic is a connection to the earth. We have no indication that it manifests as strength, outside of perhaps Maud's abilities. For all the concrete canon information we have, her earth pony magic could manifest simply as plants growing well in proximity to Applejack. [citation needed]

[Rater202]

1) At the time this episode aired, Earth ponies being stronger than the other races was fanon. Having supernatural strength was EXTREMELY fanon, as was the notion of natural magic. Just wanna make that clear. At the time the Episode Aired, Lauren Faust was in charge and "Earth Ponies are stronger and have more stamina is from Fuast's own Deviant Art coments. Since she was incharge and it came from her, it's safe to assume that, at the time, it was the working assumption.
You think that flight is cheating but flapping your wings isn't? Where do you draw the line? Dashie flapped her wing once. That still counts as a jump.


Right, which is why AJ is ALSO a jerk. I'm just having trouble seeing how or why you think AJ is the bigger one here. AJ and Rainbow DAsh both have supernatural abilities that give them advantages in a competition such as this . RAinbow Dash perform an action that may or may not have been cheating(probably yes), depending on the exact rules of the tug of war, which triggered AJ to get fed up and declare that her own supernatural powers legal and Rainbow Dash's cheating. That reeks of hypocrisy.

I can also understand why Dashie behaved that way, while Applejack's sort of comes out of left field, especialy considering that she already learned a lesson about being prideful earlier that season.

Between the two, I have all the justification for thinking that between two Jackasses, AJ was the worst.

That's not even counting the fact that AJ knew full well that Dash had wings and was a skilled flyer before the competition started. The fact that Dashie's wings weren't bound means that She clearly didn't think it was unfair untill she started losing.


This sort of statement is a pet peeve of mine. :smallannoyed: I didn't present the absolute as a fact, don't act like I did. Please. It just makes it nigh-impossible to be calm in a discussion about magical pastel ponies and I would rather be calm while talking about magical pastel ponies.

You gave your opinion as an absolute statement. "Rainbow Dash was infinitely worse in this episode". That's a statement of fact. I get told off for doing that when I'm not doing that, and I don't like it when people do not get told of for doing things that I allegedly did.

[Rater202]

Is flapping your wings twice cheating? Or three times? How about just flapping them until you get just ahead of the other pony? Is that okay? No? Then why is once different? Wind assists are kosher because they affect all athletes in a given event equally. Wings are not.

Once is still jumping. Twice is flight, and thus cheating.

[Juntao112]

Well I think he owes you another arm! At least he should... lend you a Hand.

Get back to work.

[Rater202]

Something else to note: The Iron Pony Competition was meant to test which one of them was the most athletic. That would, by it's nature, preclude the forbidding of ones natural abilities or any athletic skills.

"This is a competition to see which one of us is more athletic, but you're not allowed to use your primary natural ability or any of the skills you've picked up from the athletic events you've spent your entire life building up. Meanwhile I get to do all the things I just said you can't do because I'm a different subspecies"

Yeah.

[Forum Explorer]

Once is still jumping. Twice is flight, and thus cheating.

You are one hundred percent wrong here. The literal definition of jumping is to propel yourself off a surface and into the air using the muscles in your feet and legs. Using wings in any way shape or form is cheating for the purposes of a long jump.

[Rater202]

You are one hundred percent wrong here. The literal definition of jumping is to propel yourself off a surface and into the air using the muscles in your feet and legs. Using wings in any way shape or form is cheating for the purposes of a long jump.

You don't get disqualified for a wind assist. One wing flap can't possibly be worse than that. Also, see my above post.

[HalfTangible]

EDIT: Sorry, thought I'd hit preview. Gimme a minute.

EDIT2: Okay, done. Thanks.


Once is still jumping. Twice is flight, and thus cheating.This criteria was something you made up because you didn't want to count RD's maneuver as flight. :smallannoyed: Not only is this never brought up in the episode itself, but it's absurd criteria.

What constitutes one flap of a wing, for starters? How hard can she flap? Could she glide instead? How about land on a low-hanging cloud and do a front-flip over it? The competition is one JUMP.


At the time the Episode Aired, Lauren Faust was in charge and "Earth Ponies are stronger and have more stamina is from Fuast's own Deviant Art coments. Since she was incharge and it came from her, it's safe to assume that, at the time, it was the working assumption.I question the exact date, but fair enough. Did she also declare them supernatural? Because you are :smalltongue:


Dashie flapped her wing once. That still counts as a jump.No it doesn't.


AJ and Rainbow DAsh both have supernatural abilities that give them advantages in a competition such as this . RAinbow Dash perform an action that may or may not have been cheating(probably yes), depending on the exact rules of the tug of warIt's tug-of-freaking-war.


which triggered AJ to get fed up and declare that her own supernatural powers legal and Rainbow Dash's cheating. That reeks of hypocrisy.It's hypocritical to play by the rules of the game and demand that someone else do the same.

Really?


I can also understand why Dashie behaved that way, while Applejack's sort of comes out of left field,"Easy, Applejack, be a good sport..."

I have no inkling at all of how Rainbow thinks her behavior in this episode is justified. But that's okay, because at the end she realizes it isn't.


especialy considering that she already learned a lesson about being prideful earlier that season.Are we watching the same show? AJ learned to not be stubborn when you're in over your head. That's not the same thing as 'never being proud of yourself ever'.

Also, what does pride have to do with anything? She saw RD using her wings, thought it was cheating, and called her out on it when Dash started boasting. Even by your interpretation, that's not pride talking.


Between the two, I have all the justification for thinking that between two Jackasses, AJ was the worst.Only if you shine the absolute worst light on AJ's actions and the absolute best on Dashie's.

Dash cheated. AJ was justified in calling her out on it. AJ being a complete asshat to her friend, on the other hoof, was not.


That's not even counting the fact that AJ knew full well that Dash had wings and was a skilled flyer before the competition started.By this same logic, Dashie knew she was competing with an earth pony and should've known that wings weren't allowed.


The fact that Dashie's wings weren't bound means that She clearly didn't think it was unfair untill she started losing.Knowing that your opponent is physically capable of cheating means that you don't get to complain when they do? You REALLY wanna argue that? Should I take your keys and swallow them so you don't drive your car to the end of a three-mile race?

Like AJ said, she didn't think she NEEDED to bind her wings until RD had shown (repeatedly) that she was willing to use them to cheat.


You gave your opinion as an absolute statement.No I didn't. :smallannoyed:


That's a statement of fact. 'Infinitely' means 'much much more', not 'absolutely'.


I get told off for doing that when I'm not doing that, and I don't like it when people do not get told of for doing things that I allegedly did.

Don't... really understand what this sentence means and don't care enough to read it a fourth time. Sorry.

[Rater202]

I question the exact date, but fair enough. Did she also declare them supernatural? Because you are:She refered to it as a funtion of Earth Pony Magic. Calling something magic usually means it's supernatural.



No I didn't. :smallannoyed:.

"I think Dash was worse" is a statement of opinion.

"Dash was worse" is a statement of absolute fact.

You worded your opinion as though it was a fact, which is to say you gave your opinion as if it was a fact.

[HalfTangible]

She refered to it as a funtion of Earth Pony Magic. Calling something magic usually means it's supernatural.Not in a world where magic IS natural.

But okay. Fair enough.



"I think Dash was worse" is a statement of opinion.

"Dash was worse" is a statement of absolute fact.No, it's not. 'Worse' is a qualitative statement, meaning that the sentence is an opinion by virtue of basic grammar. I don't need to add 'i think' to it - 'i think' is already implied. 'Go get some double As' doesn't need to be 'I am asking you to go get me some double A batteries because I require two for this controller to function because of its original design as an electronic device'.


You worded your opinion as though it was a fact, which is to say you gave your opinion as if it was a fact.No, I didn't. :smallannoyed:

[Forum Explorer]

You don't get disqualified for a wind assist. One wing flap can't possibly be worse than that. Also, see my above post.

It's basically a double jump. It's massively different. Particularly since in our reality no one can control the wind.

And that's the real reason you don't get disqualified for a wind assist in reality. Because we can't do much of anything about it besides go inside. It's a random factor for all the athletes that is completely beyond their control.




Don't... really understand what this sentence means and don't care enough to read it a fourth time. Sorry.

There was an issue a while back where Rater was arguing with a couple other ponythreaders, and ultimately the entire issue was basically people having fault with him using absolutes in his argument.


Something else to note: The Iron Pony Competition was meant to test which one of them was the most athletic. That would, by it's nature, preclude the forbidding of ones natural abilities or any athletic skills.

"This is a competition to see which one of us is more athletic, but you're not allowed to use your primary natural ability or any of the skills you've picked up from the athletic events you've spent your entire life building up. Meanwhile I get to do all the things I just said you can't do because I'm a different subspecies"

Yeah.

The competition was a series of pre-chosen challenges, though we don't know how they were chosen. But if Rainbow Dash had an issue with it she should have brought it up before they started. Not resorted to cheating by using her wings. Though again, some uses of her wings weren't cheating at all. Like with the chicks.

Point is, they presumably selected or agreed on ground-based challenges. (Or maybe there is an actual official series of challenges for an 'Iron Pony' competition. There is a book on Goof Offs after all).

Basically, challenging someone to sumo wrestling means you don't get to complain when the massive fat guy has an advantage, and it's certainly not justification for you to use telekinesis to throw them out of the ring.

But we have three examples where Rainbow Dash is flat out cheating. And Applejack gets (rightfully IMO) upset about that, particularly when Rainbow Dash starts rubbing it in. Then Rainbow Dash starts cheating again in the race, and Applejack just looses it and decides to cheat right back until it dissolves into open fighting.

So how is Applejack being a hypocrite again? Or in anyway worse then Rainbow Dash?


Also I know we've said this many many times, but Word of Faust is that Word of Faust is useless.

[Rater202]

There was an issue a while back where Rater was arguing with a couple other ponythreaders, and ultimately the entire issue was basically people having fault with him using absolutes in his argument.

Because somehow "We're discussing my opinion on this subject, and this is the only logical explanation that makes sense to me" some how became "this is the only logical explanation period and that's a fact".


The competition was a series of pre-chosen challenges, though we don't know how they were chosen. But if Rainbow Dash had an issue with it she should have brought it up before they started. It's a competition to determine who th better athlete is, in which one participant is forbidden from using any of her athletic talents because of her race. That's unfair by default.


Also I know we've said this many many times, but Word of Faust is that Word of Faust is useless.

And in that case, Word of Faust is wrong, because word of Faust tells us what the working assumptions were when Faust was in charge. The one I cited tells us that during Season one at least, Earth Pony Magic made the stronger and gave them more stamina than other ponies had. That tells us that when the episode was written, that's what the assumption on the part of the writers was.

[Tiki Snakes]

Can't say I recall any Faust quote that says that, to be perfectly honest. Perhaps its one I missed, it's not like I bothered following her twitter or anything.

As for the other thing, "x is worse than y" is clearly a statement about a value judgement. It's only ever going to be subjective and opinion based. Something like "Earth Ponies have supernatural strength and stamina" is a factual statement, when taken without any kind of qualifying statement or language and can be interpreted as a deliberate statement of a fact rather than an opinion.

But regardless, I see that we're back on this topic again and I don't see any greater prospect for movement or understanding than there was last time, so I'm bailing on this particular conversation.

[Rater202]

Can't say I recall any Faust quote that says that, to be perfectly honest. Perhaps its one I missed, it's not like I bothered following her twitter or anything.

It was a DeviantArt comment about her explaining how Pony Magic Works-They all have it, but Only Unicorns use it consciously. Pegasus flight and weather control is magical in nature, and Earth Ponies have a mystical connection to the earth which provides them with enhanced strength and stamina as well as making them inherently better at plant cultivation than other ponies are.

[Tiki Snakes]

And how much of that did she actually say and how much would you say you have inferred? Just out of interest.

[Forum Explorer]

It's a competition to determine who th better athlete is, in which one participant is forbidden from using any of her athletic talents because of her race. That's unfair by default.


No, she's forbidden from using any of her athletic talents that her opponent is unable to replicate due to physical impossibilities. Which is standard for almost any athletic competition. Rainbow Dash does have plenty of skills and abilities that she can and did use for the majority of events. And she was winning around 50% of them that way. She could have scored a legitimate victory without using her wings.

[HalfTangible]

There was an issue a while back where Rater was arguing with a couple other ponythreaders, and ultimately the entire issue was basically people having fault with him using absolutes in his argument.

... Okay... and that is dumb. And since he's gone through it he should know why.

Also, I didn't use an absolute. Though I'm now tempted to do so just to be contrary.

@Natural Magic: At the time the episode aired, Faust was in charge and she said natural magic was a thing. Right now, we have the season 4 finale clearly showing natural magic is a thing. (Lookin' at you, Tirek)

[Tiki Snakes]

More or less all of it came directly from the comment. (http://comments.deviantart.com/4/1603670/1957965799)

More or less all of it?

Unicorns are the only ones that can control it willingly. Pegasi have involuntary magic that allows them to do things like walk on clouds, and Earth Ponies have a magically ingrained connection to the earth that makes them better at working with plants and animals.

Cause I'm seeing some gaps there, comparing the two statements.

[Forum Explorer]

Cause I'm seeing some gaps there, comparing the two statements.

Such as no mention at all of a physical increase in strength and stamina? :smalltongue:

[Kd7sov]

Dashie didn't full out cheat until the tug of war-up until then she was expanding her surface area to better accomidate chicks, or flapping once while in fall to jump further(as opposed to taking off flying, which would have been cheating) She should have just been disqualified fromt hat one event. Instead AJ declares tat Rainbow Dash had been ceating the entire competicion, which she wasn't, unless AJ herself was also cheating, which makes her a hypocrit.

See, here's the thing. At the halfway point, Rainbow Dash and Applejack each had five points, and neither was observed to have complained about the other. The very next event after the halfway point, the pushups, is where we first see Rainbow Dash using her wings - and where Applejack quite literally reminds herself to not whine over a loss. (For the record, I consider using one's wings for pushups no more valid than using one's head, so point against Dash there.)

We only see three other second-half events, but it is worth noting that in each of them Rainbow Dash uses her wings to give herself advantage. Fair or unfair is arguable, but I'll point out that the chick-carrying event, which I called questionable earlier, is the mildest use we see. In any case, the final score leaves Rainbow Dash with fifteen points and Applejack still with five. In other words, the two were equally matched in the first half, but entirely unequal in the second. Now, unless Applejack tires that quickly (unlikely for a pony who's done farm work all her life) or Rainbow Dash took that long to wake up (unlikely, given her performance in the barrel-weave and the bronco-buck), that absolutely reeks of foul play, which is only backed up by what we see RD doing.

Note, as well, that Rainbow Dash hates to lose (cf. the horseshoe contest that very episode, as well as Twilight's comments in Read It and Weep), whereas Applejack doesn't seem to mind losing fairly (cf. the barrel-weave) but despises what doesn't strike her as fair (cf. Winter Wrap-Up, the Flim-Flam Brothers' episodes, and arguably Last Roundup).

[Pendulous]

You say that, but the entire plot was kicked off because one event of cheating caused a pony to declare that that the entire games was a farce and that her natural abilities and years of skill were fair while arbitrarily declaring that an other's were cheating.

AJ has a decided advantage simply because as an earth pony, she has supernaturally potent strength and stamina greater than what Rainbow Dash would have. So, if Rainbow Dash using her wings during the Iron Pony is cheating, then so is Applejack using her naturally enhanced speed and stamina during the race, or using her supernaturally strong legs to jump further than a pony without such boosted strength.

Dashie didn't full out cheat until the tug of war-up until then she was expanding her surface area to better accomidate chicks, or flapping once while in fall to jump further(as opposed to taking off flying, which would have been cheating) She should have just been disqualified fromt hat one event. Instead AJ declares tat Rainbow Dash had been ceating the entire competicion, which she wasn't, unless AJ herself was also cheating, which makes her a hypocrit.

And tha't why I think AJ was worse in that episode.

Also, don't use absolutes like "Dash is infinitely worse in this episode." That's your opinion, it is not fact.
Applejack's strength does not come supernaturally from being an earth pony. It comes from working on a farm all her life.

Flying, or even feather falling, is completely against the idea of a JUMPING competition.

You can't say "it's unfair because she's stronger", when the entire point of a competition is to determine that.

[Balmas]

Right. I think I'll just weigh in on the debate quickly, as it was my question that started it.

To my way of thinking, both Applejack and Rainbow Dash acted poorly. However, Rainbow carries the burden of the more egregious fouls. The long jump and the tug-o-war were perhaps the most blatant displays of unsportsmanlike conduct. Note that during the long jump, Rainbow Dash doesn't flap her wings until it's clear that she's about to fall short of Applejack's mark. During the tug-o-war, Applejack succeeds in pulling Rainbow Dash over the mudpit, the traditional sign of victory--at which point Rainbow Dash simply hovers over the mudpit, takes off, and AJ drops into the pit. While the display of strength on Rainbow Dash's part is impressive, the victory should have gone to Applejack by any reasonable metric.

Now, let's take a look at Applejack. Is she a hypocrite if we accept Lauren Faust's word, namely that earth ponies display enhanced strength and stamina, as truth? Perhaps, but almost certainly not intentionally. Allow me to state that it seems strange to me that most of the events in the Iron Pony competition seem to favor Applejack. They're largely events of physical prowess--hoof wrestling, distance kicking, tug-o-war, haybale chucking--or events that you'd expect to see take place on a farm, like bronco bucking and rodeo wrangling. I'm not sure whether Iron Pony competitions take place regularly, or if they have a predetermined roster, or simply that the two ponies used what was available on AJ's farm. It's still odd that so many of the events are weighted in the favor of a strong farm pony. Is it hypocritical to allow one party to use all their inborn abilities, and then turn around and deny another the use of theirs? Perhaps a little, but only insomuch as the use of those inborn abilities would render moot those of another pony.

Case in point: The Running of the Leaves. The entire point of the race is to use the passing of so many running ponies to effectively drum the leaves off the tree. In this case, Applejack is perfectly justified in requiring that Rainbow Dash actually run, instead of flying. The goal is not to measure who flies the best, or who goes the fastest; it's to get the leaves off the tree. While there may be friendly--and not-so-friendly--competition involved, it's not the point or the goal.

The problem of the episode, as I see it, is that Rainbow Dash gets overly caught up in competition to the point that she's willing to cheat to win. Applejack, wanting a fair contest, demands that she not cheat, but eventually succumbs to cheating herself when her pride gets the better of her.

[Spamotron]

Applejack's strength does not come supernaturally from being an earth pony. It comes from working on a farm all her life.

Flying, or even feather falling, is completely against the idea of a JUMPING competition.

You can't say "it's unfair because she's stronger", when the entire point of a competition is to determine that.

The confusion comes from the Season 4 finale when Tirek says he's stealing "strength from Earth Ponies." Which many interpreted as Earth Pony magic finally being revealed as mystical super-strength. Dissenters point out that ALL the ponies have displayed supernatural strength for their size. For example Rarity and Twilight Sparkle a Unicorn Fashonista and Librarian lugged around Tom on their backs for extended periods and he appeared to be solid granite weighing a literal ton minimum. Fluttershy threw around a full grown grizzly bear like he was a rag doll for his "massage therapy," in Lesson Zero. Rainbow Dash intercepted and carried Rarity and the Wonderbolts by definition around 4 times her own body weight while flying at near top speed. etc.

Supporters counterpoint is that the top end strength feats in the show (Big McIntosh uprooting and pulling around the cottage is estimated as exrerting pulling force exceeding a hundred tons. The Train Stallions pulling a fully loaded multi-car engine for the better part of a day. Maud Pie's everything) are performed by Earth Ponies demonstrating a level of power an order of magnitude greater than anypony else.

The big sticking point is Rainbow Dash matching Applejack in the arm wrestling contest. One proposal I've seen is that in terms of pure muscle power Earth Ponies are no stronger than the other kinds but they have the ability to harness the "Strength of the Earth," conciously drawing on the magic of the land to supercharge themselves when nessecary. This is why applejack was so angry if she had chosen to do so she could have obliterated Rainbow Dash in all the Iron Pony contests of strength had she called upon her magic but only used her natural muscle power instead.

[Pendulous]

The confusion comes from the Season 4 finale when Tirek says he's stealing "strength from Earth Ponies." Which many interpreted as Earth Pony magic finally being revealed as mystical super-strength. Dissenters point out that ALL the ponies have displayed supernatural strength for their size. For example Rarity and Twilight Sparkle a Unicorn Fashonista and Librarian lugged around Tom on their backs for extended periods and he appeared to be solid granite weighing a literal ton minimum. Fluttershy threw around a full grown grizzly bear like he was a rag doll for his "massage therapy," in Lesson Zero. Rainbow Dash intercepted and carried Rarity and the Wonderbolts by definition around 4 times her own body weight while flying at near top speed. etc.

Even if Tirek is right, then all earth ponies have that kind of strength. They don't. AJ's incredible stoutness comes from her life as a farmer. And the competition was Dash's idea. It's not cheating to be better at something, even if that somebody is preternaturally attuned to physicality. If that were the case, we wouldn't have sports at all. The idea that Applejack cheated is laughable. Both ponies have the capability to run, pull objects, and leap. Rainbow Dash trains for these types of contests just as much, if not more, than AJ. She has nothing to complain about (and if memory serves, doesn't).

The only pony who shows true supernatural power is Maud. Big Mac's was done under a spell. Fluttershy's massage would have you assume the bear was doing it willingly, and thus allowed her to snap its neck.

[Rater202]

You can't say "it's unfair because she's stronger", when the entire point of a competition is to determine that.

Watch the episode again. It's not a competition to determine who is stronger, it's competition to determine who the better athlete is.

Most of Rainbow Dash's athletic skills relate to flying or wing use.

Or in other words, Rainbow Dash "cheated" in a competition to determine relative athletic skill by using the athletic skills she's best at, and using those skills is considered cheating because they key off of one of Dash's natural abilities. Meanwhile, AJ is permitted to use her natural abilities and acquired skills with no limitation, because she's a different species than Rainbow Dash.

The test is to prove who's more athletic, but AJ gets mad when she loses because Dashy used the natural abilities and athletic skills that she spent her life developing. That means that AJ's either a hypocrite, because a lot of the events were rodeo based and thus the sort of thing she's spent her life doing, or she's dismissing the thing that her friend puts much pride in as something easy or as a cheap trick, which is a major d*** move.

[Spamotron]

I expanded my post after you replied. I've found that for some reason my longer posts don't process so I abuse edit and write them in stages.

[Tiki Snakes]

No response, Rater? Aw.
Seriously though, I'm interested in your thought process here. Look again at your quote and your own statement.


It was a DeviantArt comment about her explaining how Pony Magic Works-They all have it, but Only Unicorns use it consciously. Pegasus flight and weather control is magical in nature, and Earth Ponies have a mystical connection to the earth which provides them with enhanced strength and stamina as well as making them inherently better at plant cultivation than other ponies are.


Unicorns are the only ones that can control it willingly. Pegasi have involuntary magic that allows them to do things like walk on clouds, and Earth Ponies have a magically ingrained connection to the earth that makes them better at working with plants and animals.

Given you've said that all or almost all of your statement comes directly from the Faust quote, I'd be interested in hearing how you'd characterise the differences and what parts of your statement you would consider to be inferences.

[Pendulous]

Watch the episode again. It's not a competition to determine who is stronger, it's competition to determine who the better athlete is.

Most of Rainbow Dash's athletic skills relate to flying or wing use.

Or in other words, Rainbow Dash "cheated" in a competition to determine relative athletic skill by using the athletic skills she's best at, and using those skills is considered cheating because they key off of one of Dash's natural abilities. Meanwhile, AJ is permitted to use her natural abilities and acquired skills with no limitation, because she's a different species than Rainbow Dash.

The test is to prove who's more athletic, but AJ gets mad when she loses because Dashy used the natural abilities and athletic skills that she spent her life developing. That means that AJ's either a hypocrite, because a lot of the events were rodeo based and thus the sort of thing she's spent her life doing, or she's dismissing the thing that her friend puts much pride in as something easy or as a cheap trick, which is a major d*** move.

AJ cheers Dash on when she wins, up until the point she uses her wings twice to gain an unfair advantage. Rainbow Dash didn't complain about the types of events. The whole thing was her idea and she legitimately won a couple of those events as shown on screen, and more offscreen.

[Rater202]

No response, Rater? Aw.
Seriously though, I'm interested in your thought process here. Look again at your quote and your own statement.





Given you've said that all or almost all of your statement comes directly from the Faust quote, I'd be interested in hearing how you'd characterise the differences and what parts of your statement you would consider to be inferences.

cross confusion between that quote and others.

Not relevant, other quotes exist. Can't find right now, busy. every second doing this is second not reading Fool Moon.

*Dresden boos read out of order. luckily don't mind spoilers.

[Tiki Snakes]

cross confusion between that quote and others.

Not relevant, other quotes exist. Can't find right now, busy. every second doing this is second not reading Fool Moon.

*Dresden boos read out of order. luckily don't mind spoilers.

Well, fair enough I suppose if you have other things you should be doing. I myself should probably have turned in already, so I can empathise. If you ever find that elusive quote where Faust says that Earth Pony strength and stamina is supernaturally enhanced, I'd certainly be interested. You're clearly convinced enough that it exists, so I imagine it's just a matter of finding time.

Would be interesting to see.

[Forum Explorer]

Watch the episode again. It's not a competition to determine who is stronger, it's competition to determine who the better athlete is.

Most of Rainbow Dash's athletic skills relate to flying or wing use.

Or in other words, Rainbow Dash "cheated" in a competition to determine relative athletic skill by using the athletic skills she's best at, and using those skills is considered cheating because they key off of one of Dash's natural abilities. Meanwhile, AJ is permitted to use her natural abilities and acquired skills with no limitation, because she's a different species than Rainbow Dash.

The test is to prove who's more athletic, but AJ gets mad when she loses because Dashy used the natural abilities and athletic skills that she spent her life developing. That means that AJ's either a hypocrite, because a lot of the events were rodeo based and thus the sort of thing she's spent her life doing, or she's dismissing the thing that her friend puts much pride in as something easy or as a cheap trick, which is a major d*** move.

Being a better Athlete includes playing by the rules of the competition. Yeah, none of the events were using the skills Rainbow Dash was best at. Well too bad for her. Again, if I'm competing in a Triathlon, Ping Pong, and Shot Put, but I've only trained to be a swimmer my whole life, then too bad for me. I do not get a free license to cheat as a result.

Rainbow Dash doesn't even really deny it, instead saying that Applejack didn't explicitly tell her to not use her wings. And Applejack's response is perfectly reasonable in saying that she shouldn't have to tell Rainbow Dash to follow the spirit of the rules. She then says she can win without her wings no problem, in which case they should've redone the whole competition, where we know of at least 3 events where Rainbow Dash would've flat out lost in which case. And considering it's Applejack saying that half of the games were only won because of her wings, I'm inclined to believe that the end score would have come out as a tie.

[Rater202]

Being a better Athlete includes playing by the rules of the competition. Yeah, none of the events were using the skills Rainbow Dash was best at. Well too bad for her. Again, if I'm competing in a Triathlon, Ping Pong, and Shot Put, but I've only trained to be a swimmer my whole life, then too bad for me. I do not get a free license to cheat as a result.

It's not a very fair test of athleticism if one of the athletes isn't allowed to actually use their athletic skills, now is it?

It's like trying to see(pardon my focus on American Athletes) who the more skilled Athlete is Between Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps by having them Shoot hoops one on one and then do some generic track and field. It's nowhere near a fair test of athleticism because they're not the same kind of athlete and the test favors one over the other.

With AJ and Dashie, a lot of the events favored somepony with AJ's skillset, and when Dashie starts adapting her skills to the tests, which is in the spirit of the competition since it's a test of athletic skill, AJ cries foul, but she doesn't do so immediately, only when she starts losing.

The only thing I'd call outright cheating, in spirit, was flying during the tug of war, and if the point of that was "drag them into the mud" then it might not even have been cheating by the rules.

[Forum Explorer]

It's not a very fair test of athleticism if one of the athletes isn't allowed to actually use their athletic skills, now is it?

It's like trying to see(pardon my focus on American Athletes) who the more skilled Athlete is Between Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps by having them Shoot hoops one on one and then do some generic track and field. It's nowhere near a fair test of athleticism because they're not the same kind of athlete and the test favors one over the other.

With AJ and Dashie, a lot of the events favored somepony with AJ's skillset, and when Dashie starts adapting her skills to the tests, which is in the spirit of the competition since it's a test of athletic skill, AJ cries foul, but she doesn't do so immediately, only when she starts losing.

The only thing I'd call outright cheating, in spirit, was flying during the tug of war, and if the point of that was "drag them into the mud" then it might not even have been cheating by the rules.

That's true and all. But while we didn't actually see how they selected competitions in question, I have very little doubt that Rainbow Dash approved all of the selected sports. In part due to her own spirit of fair play (she's not going to select sports that Applejack can't even compete in. Like an aerial obstacle course for example) but also due to her arrogance and her belief that she can fully beat Applejack in anything that Applejack challenges her in.

Either that, or Iron Pony competitions are a set thing and like triathlons, have specific sports implied. In which case, Rainbow Dash knew what she was getting herself into. In either case, Rainbow Dash was fully accepting and aware of the challenges beforehand, and doesn't get to start cheating and using her wings because her opponent was more of a challenge then she thought.

I honestly cannot comprehend how you think that flying in a long jump, and propelling yourself up with your wings in a push up contest isn't literally cheating, yet alone against the spirit of the competition.

[Rater202]

I honestly cannot comprehend how you think that flying in a long jump, and propelling yourself up with your wings in a push up contest isn't literally cheating, yet alone against the spirit of the competition.

1. A single flap is not flying. It's a double jump, if that, and if it's not against the rules it's not cheating. Since we don't know the rules, neither of us can be correct when declaring it cheating or not cheating. I'm inclined to believe that it is not, because Real World Athletes don't get disqualified for strong wind assists and I don't think Dash flapping her wings once is that much of an advantage.

2. Pushups as a test of athleticism are testing the strength of forelimbs. Wings are forelimbs.

3. As said before, the competition was a test of Athleticism. You can't fairly test how skilled an athlete is unless you actually let them use their athletic skills. If Dash adapting her own athletic skills to the events in the Iron Pony is cheating, then she's essentially being discriminated against because of her race, and that's a major d*** move from a pony who's supposed to be her friend.

4. Perhaps Dash agreed to the challenges under the assumption that she'd be permitted to adapt her skills to the challenges, or that her friend would have told her if she was doing something against the rules. AJ's position on how Dashie was cheating either comes of, o me, as AJ being butthurt over losing, or as AJ having no respect for the skill needed to be a flyer at Dash's level, and either way she comes off as a Jerk.

They're both jerks in the episode, but AJ comes of, to me, as the bigger jerk in the episode. And again, I can at least understand why Dashie acted the way she did. I can not say the same for AJ.

[DigoDragon]

Get back to work.

Can't, don't have access to my actual computer until Saturday evening. I'm still on this kindle thing, but at least I got most of the fancy posting quirks figured out. Trust me, I rather have my PC right now. Not being able to do art, writing, or access my other blogs is hard on a changeling spoiled with the web. :smalltongue:

CHANGELING you accursed autocorrect feature.

[Juntao112]

Can't, don't have access to my actual computer until Saturday evening. I'm still on this kindle thing, but at least I got most of the fancy posting quirks figured out. Trust me, I rather have my PC right now. Not being able to do art, writing, or access my other blogs is hard on a changeling spoiled with the web. :smalltongue:

CHANGELING you accursed autocorrect feature.

Then start brainstorming ideas for my cover art.

[DigoDragon]

Then start brainstorming ideas for my cover art.

Oh I have ideas. They might even be good ideas. :smallbiggrin:

[Forum Explorer]

1. A single flap is not flying. It's a double jump, if that, and if it's not against the rules it's not cheating. Since we don't know the rules, neither of us can be correct when declaring it cheating or not cheating. I'm inclined to believe that it is not, because Real World Athletes don't get disqualified for strong wind assists and I don't think Dash flapping her wings once is that much of an advantage.

2. Pushups as a test of athleticism are testing the strength of forelimbs. Wings are forelimbs.

3. As said before, the competition was a test of Athleticism. You can't fairly test how skilled an athlete is unless you actually let them use their athletic skills. If Dash adapting her own athletic skills to the events in the Iron Pony is cheating, then she's essentially being discriminated against because of her race, and that's a major d*** move from a pony who's supposed to be her friend.

4. Perhaps Dash agreed to the challenges under the assumption that she'd be permitted to adapt her skills to the challenges, or that her friend would have told her if she was doing something against the rules. AJ's position on how Dashie was cheating either comes of, o me, as AJ being butthurt over losing, or as AJ having no respect for the skill needed to be a flyer at Dash's level, and either way she comes off as a Jerk.

They're both jerks in the episode, but AJ comes of, to me, as the bigger jerk in the episode. And again, I can at least understand why Dashie acted the way she did. I can not say the same for AJ.

1. A long jump is how long you can go with a single jump. That is literally the entire premise of the sport. A single jump + 1 flap is still not a a single jump no matter how you try and justify it.

2. A push up specifies using your hands and arms. Wings are not your hands and arms. Now if Rainbow had started with her wings, fair enough. But she switched. That's the equivalent of doing 100 push-ups and 1 squat and claiming you did 101 push-ups.

3. Sure it is. A Triathlon is a fair enough contest of Athletic skills, but it doesn't cover literally everything. It's the same sort of thing.

4. There's adapting and flat out cheating. The chick contest is an adaptation. The other three we've been talking about? Clearly cheating.

In my mind? Dash was pretty horrible in this episode, and Applejack only descended to her level during the final stretches of the race after Dash started cheating. Even then she was only on par with how bad Dash was. So for me the only thing you can blame Applejack for is not being the better pony and ignoring Rainbow Dash.

If I was Applejack I'd have called Dash out immediately, during the first instance where she used her wings, because letting a cheater get away with crap like that isn't being a 'good sport'.

[Rater202]

Which is what she should have done, if it was really that big a deal. She didn't, that tells me that she didn't care enough to complain until she lost.

The fact remains that sh's essentially claiming that Rainbow Dash using her own natural abilities and the athletic skills she's acquired through a lifetime of training is cheating while ignoring that the challenges favor somepony with her own natural abilities and skill set. That's Hypocritical of her, and being a jackass sore loser about it is not the proper way to behave in that situation.

The hypocrisy is what makes me think she was worse of, and the whole episode, to me, sort of feels like Mare Do Well. "Dashie's a bit of a jerk and full of herself! I'mma act like a jackass instead of talking to her about it."

[Fable Wright]

Can't, don't have access to my actual computer until Saturday evening. I'm still on this kindle thing, but at least I got most of the fancy posting quirks figured out. Trust me, I rather have my PC right now. Not being able to do art, writing, or access my other blogs is hard on a changeling spoiled with the web. :smalltongue:

CHANGELING you accursed autocorrect feature.
That is rough. I remember the last time I tried posting on a Kindle. Not fun. Doing it until Saturday is worse.

Also, as a head's up, I forwarded a commissioner to you a couple of days ago, Digo. Just thought you might like to know/check deviantart.


Which is what she should have done, if it was really that big a deal. She didn't, that tells me that she didn't care enough to complain until she lost.
She tried to fight through the challenge, and was going to keep her mouth quiet about it until Rainbow started bragging. Losing in an unfair competition wasn't in and of itself what made her complain. It was getting that unfair victory rubbed in her face as though it was an accomplishment that did it. I really don't see how this is a mark against her at all.

[Rater202]

She tried to fight through the challenge, and was going to keep her mouth quiet about it until Rainbow started bragging. Losing in an unfair competition wasn't in and of itself what made her complain. It was getting that unfair victory rubbed in her face as though it was an accomplishment that did it. I really don't see how this is a mark against her at all.

The nature of the competition favored Applejack. If Rainbow Dash hadn't adapted her skills to the challenges, then in all likelihood the scores would have been reversed. Either Rainbow Dash users her allegedly unfair advantage, or the competition favors AJ. Either way it's not fair.

UNless of course, the 7 events we didn't see were games where wing use would be considered legal, or were otherwise games Dashie could win without allegedly cheating, in which case Dashie would have won anyway. That's certainly a possibility.

[SiuiS]

Oh hush. You say that every time, and I keep telling you that we often agree on things. :smalltongue:

Ooh, nice face, Monsieur! From whence was it purloined~?

[Fable Wright]

The nature of the competition favored Applejack. If Rainbow Dash hadn't adapted her skills to the challenges, then in all likelihood the scores would have been reversed. Either Rainbow Dash users her allegedly unfair advantage, or the competition favors AJ. Either way it's not fair.

Oh? Let's look at the types of events they did:
1. Push-ups: Physical activity primarily based on the use of the pectorals, key flight muscles. Rainbow Dash surely had an inherent advantage here, without using her wings. She exercises her pecs more often that Applejack would have any reason to.
2. Kicking an object: Measuring the strength in one's hind legs, absolutely key for takeoff, landings, and cloud-bucking. On the other hand, Applejack uses her legs on the farm, so let's call it even.
3. Barrel weaving: A competition of balance and coordination in addition to running speed. Since neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash need to run to to their jobs but get good ancillary exercise in their legs, let's call the running part even. Other than that, balance and coordination is far more critical in flight than in ground work, so Rainbow has an inherent advantage.
4. Shot put: Neither pony has a reason to practice this on a regular basis any more than the other, so they're roughly matched.
5. Lassoing: Granted, this favors Applejack heavily.
6. Bronco bucking: This is a test of overall fitness, and so inherently favors neither. It's not like they try to buck people off them on a regular basis.

Notice how more events favor Rainbow Dash here than do Applejack, and even more are even matches where none has the inherent advantage. Just because the instruments used were ones Applejack was familiar with doesn't mean she has an inherent advantage; the skills in the events in question in most cases were evenly matched or in fact favored Rainbow.

[Rater202]

Oh? Let's look at the types of events they did:
1. Push-ups: Physical activity primarily based on the use of the pectorals, key flight muscles. Rainbow Dash surely had an inherent advantage here, without using her wings. She exercises her pecs more often that Applejack would have any reason to. Earth ponies are specifically called out in the show, at least twice, as being stronger than other ponies, even if you don't believe that that's their magic. Also, the position of Pegasi wings is atypical for winged flyer, meaning that pectoral muscles may not be the muscles used for pegasus flight.

2. Kicking an object: Measuring the strength in one's hind legs, absolutely key for takeoff, landings, and cloud-bucking. On the other hand, Applejack uses her legs on the farm, so let's call it even. Earth Pony strength, plus Dash doesn't kick off when she takes off.

3. Barrel weaving: A competition of balance and coordination in addition to running speed. Since neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash need to run to to their jobs but get good ancillary exercise in their legs, let's call the running part even. Other than that, balance and coordination is far more critical in flight than in ground work, so Rainbow has an inherent advantage. Common Rodeo stunt, the sort of thing that AJ is highly likely to be practiced in. Anything remotely similar that Dashie is likely to be practised in would be flight based, and that's a different set of skills

6. Bronco bucking: This is a test of overall fitness, and so inherently favors neither. It's not like they try to buck people off them on a regular basis. Rodeo stunt, the kind of thins AJ is more likely to be practiced in, since she does rodeo. Unlike the barrle weaving, Dashie likely won't have practiced anything like it, and AJ being an earth pony is stronger and can therefore be more forceful when bucking.


Notice how more events favor Rainbow Dash here than do Applejack
Not really, because they don't.

It's basically a test of athleticism that only tests athletic skills that are either general or skills that AJ is more likely to have than DAshie is, while completely ignoring the skills DAshie has. In order to be a fair test of athletic skill, it would have to focus exclusively on athletic events that they are both equally likely to win.

so either DAshie uses her wings and has an allegedly unfair advantage, or she doesn't and AJ has an unfair advantage. The way I see it, Dashie using her wings just evens the playing field. She was a jerk about it, but AJ was worse, because she doesn't complain until after she lost and DAshie started doing the Dashie thing and bragged. If it was that big a deal, she should have said something during the games.

Twilight was the Judge, wasn't she? If there was some book on Iron Pony tournaments or something, then Twilight would have read and memorized it in 10 seconds flat. If she was judging, and didn't dock DAshie for Cheating, then either there is no book of Iron Pony Rules or what Dashie did was not Cheating.

[Balmas]

so either DAshie uses her wings and has an allegedly unfair advantage, or she doesn't and AJ has an unfair advantage. The way I see it, Dashie using her wings just evens the playing field. She was a jerk about it, but AJ was worse, because she doesn't complain until after she lost and DAshie started doing the Dashie thing and bragged. If it was that big a deal, she should have said something during the games.

I think this comes down to the different expectations they had going in. Applejack viewed it as a small contest between friends, and was willing to brush off a small bit of shoddy sportsmanship at first. It was only when Rainbow Dash started cheating more blatantly and rubbing her victories in Applejack's face that Applejack called her out. It was that big a deal, which is why Applejack did say something during the games.

Consider that in the first few games, where Dash didn't use her wings, they were evenly matched. From the point that Dash started using her wings, Applejack didn't win a single game. That, paired with the smug gloating from RD, probably played a part in Applejack's frustration at RD's unsportsmanlike behavior.


Twilight was the Judge, wasn't she? If there was some book on Iron Pony tournaments or something, then Twilight would have read and memorized it in 10 seconds flat. If she was judging, and didn't dock DAshie for Cheating, then either there is no book of Iron Pony Rules or what Dashie did was not Cheating.

Or, alternatively, it was meant to be simply a competition between friends. Remember how surprised Twilight was when she saw the crowd that had gathered?

[Rater202]

Or, alternatively, it was meant to be simply a competition between friends. Remember how surprised Twilight was when she saw the crowd that had gathered?

I still think judging the competition would be something the Future Princess of Checklists would take very seriously. If she didn't doc Rainbow Dash for cheating in what was supposed to be a friendly game(You don't cheat friends) then it probably isn't something that can be called cheating.

[Balmas]

You misunderstand me. It was mean to be a simple match between friends. While what Rainbow Dash did may not have been strictly speaking against the rules, it's certainly against the rules of good sportsmanship. Rainbow Dash was a poor sport, both in losing and in winning. Can we agree on that much?

[Fable Wright]

Earth ponies are specifically called out in the show, at least twice, as being stronger than other ponies, even if you don't believe that that's their magic.
Find me a concrete canon quote for this, then I'll believe you. As is, I'm highly skeptical of this claim.

Earth Pony strength, plus Dash doesn't kick off when she takes off.
Unsupported claim, and while she doesn't kick off every time she goes airborne, she does when she wants to gain height fast, and presumably for non-crash landings.

Common Rodeo stunt, the sort of thing that AJ is highly likely to be practiced in. Anything remotely similar that Dashie is likely to be practised in would be flight based, and that's a different set of skills
Like the stunt that she heavily practiced of narrowly skirting the edges of clouds while practicing for the Cloudsdale Young Fliers competition? The clouds that she had to pass by quickly without touching, as they would send her careening? Doing the event with your legs instead of wings is hardly a large difference if you've got sufficient coordination. If anything, Rainbow's far more familiar with this stunt than Applejack, even if Applejack has practiced barrel weaving before.

Rodeo stunt, the kind of thins AJ is more likely to be practiced in, since she does rodeo. Unlike the barrle weaving, Dashie likely won't have practiced anything like it, and AJ being an earth pony is stronger and can therefore be more forceful when bucking.
First, I am still skeptical of your claim that earth ponies are inherently stronger. Second, you're right in that Rainbow Dash likely hasn't practiced anything like it. Yet, she easily clears this event sooner Applejack, showing that familiarity matters far less than the skills involved.



It's basically a test of athleticism that only tests athletic skills that are either general or skills that AJ is more likely to have than DAshie is, while completely ignoring the skills DAshie has. In order to be a fair test of athletic skill, it would have to focus exclusively on athletic events that they are both equally likely to win.
In other words, it's based on skills that any pony could practice and compete with, Unicorn, Pegasus, or Earth Pony, without tapping into their special talents like the use of flight, magic, or cooking/growing food/other event that takes advantage of some vaguely 'connection to the earth'. Which each of the events, perhaps discounting the lasso, were.


The way I see it, Dashie using her wings just evens the playing field.
Then you are blinded by your affection for Rainbow Horse.


If it was that big a deal, she should have said something during the games.
Or perhaps she was trying to be a good sport, and not accuse her opponent of cheating in the middle of an event, which is usually considered extremely poor form.


Twilight was the Judge, wasn't she? If there was some book on Iron Pony tournaments or something, then Twilight would have read and memorized it in 10 seconds flat. If she was judging, and didn't dock DAshie for Cheating, then either there is no book of Iron Pony Rules or what Dashie did was not Cheating.
Twilight was there as a 'judge' to ensure that neither pony could claim that they beat the other when they didn't. It was clear that she didn't think it was a large event until the last few rounds, and thus not too concerned about one of her honest or loyal friends cheating. And after that point, she would be going against precedent if she called out Rainbow for using her wings, and that's not something judges do. There is also zero indication that she was familiar with the rules of the Iron Pony competition and qualified to intervene, either.

[Rater202]

You misunderstand me. It was mean to be a simple match between friends. While what Rainbow Dash did may not have been strictly speaking against the rules, it's certainly against the rules of good sportsmanship. Rainbow Dash was a poor sport, both in losing and in winning. Can we agree on that much?

I ain't saying She wasn't a jackass, I'm saying AJ was, in my opinion, a worse jackass this episode.

Also, Cheating friends is not nice. The Future Princess of Friendship spent a day agonizing over who to give her extra Gala ticket two, and thus must care for all of her friends very much even though she hadn't known them for very long. I also imagine that with her Super OCD, that she'd be a stickler for the rules.

As a judge of a contest between two of her friends, she'd probably have said something if one of them was cheating the other. That she did not comment on Rainbow Dash using her wings, is telling on whether or not it should be considered cheating or an unfair advantage, yes?

[Rater202]

Find me a concrete canon quote for this, then I'll believe you. As is, I'm highly skeptical of this claim.


Princess Celestia: Tirek has stolen enough magic that he now has the strength to steal flight as well. Without Pegasi to control the weather, there will be no rain in Equestria. There is word he has gone after Earth ponies as well. Without their strength, they will not be able to tend the land.

Canon quote saying that strength is an earth pony trait. The fact that Earth Ponies will supposedly lose their great strength when Tirek drains their magic tells us that Earth Pony Strength is magical nature.

do you count the Chapter Books as Canon? if so Twilight Sparle and the Crystal Heart Spell says Twilight, as an Alicorn
was now able to harness the magical powers of the Unicorns, the flight abilities of the Pegasi, and the strength of a good, true heart of an Earth Pony

Applejack is demonstrably very strong, being able to easily carry saddlebags that her brother struggled with, and Mac ripped a house off it's foundations while pronking. Applebloom bucked at least one tree by herself and she's the size of a house cat. And we've seen Muad Pie, who otherwise demonstrates none of Pinkie's Physics breaking, throw one bolder and smash an other one to dust with her bare hooves.

Need more evidence?

[Forum Explorer]

Canon quote saying that strength is an earth pony trait. The fact that Earth Ponies will supposedly lose their great strength when Tirek drains their magic tells us that Earth Pony Strength is magical nature.

Playing Devil's advocate here, but that she can be speaking literally as everypony who is drained seems to be listless and weak.

Or as another possible interpretation she's using strength as shorthand for strength of magic, or strength of connection with the earth. Or basically being metaphorical and not literal.

[Rater202]

I've edited my prior post to include more evidence.

[MLai]

Real World magic shows are irrlevent. Those don't have real magic. Equestria is a nation where literally everyone has real magic, and roughly a third of the population can cast at least one spell.
An ordinary stage magic show is nothing, in a setting like that, and claims of being "great and powerful" hold more weight when there's a chance you actually could, infact, be a great and powerful sorcerer..

All you are saying about the crowd getting pissed off and stuff? Well they disagree. They loved it. And no matter how stupid you think they might be, or how wrong Trixie is to cater to them, well that doesn't matter. Because Trixie's goal, her entire livelihood, is dependent on keeping the crowd on her side and happy. As long as she is cheered on, and supported by that crowd, she is meeting her goal, no matter what she literally said..
Also keep in mind that although this is Equestria, a world supposedly suffused with magic, it's doesn't actually feel very "magical" to the average town pony, even the average unicorn. The average unicorn does exactly 2 things with his/her horn: Manipulate light small things, or produce a small plain light.

What Trixie was doing actually felt very "magical" and entertaining to the average pony. She can do card tricks on-stage using nothing but her TK (something every unicorn has), but as long as it's sufficiently flashy and dextrous, ponies will still eat it up. Same is true for human stage magicians. But yes as Tiki said pony herds are easy to entertain on average; they're just too empathic.


Or as another possible interpretation she's using strength as shorthand for strength of magic, or strength of connection with the earth. Or basically being metaphorical and not literal.
I think you're right, but it's important to note that in Equestria, metaphorical feelings (i.e. the power of HEART) translate into actual god-smacking powers. So when an alicorn princess says "magic of a unicorn, wings of a pegasus, and heart of an EP" she is by no means being facetious or patronizing.

[Fable Wright]

Canon quote saying that strength is an earth pony trait. The fact that Earth Ponies will supposedly lose their great strength when Tirek drains their magic tells us that Earth Pony Strength is magical nature.
As Forum Explorer says, this could easily mean the listlessness that comes with losing your magic, or the metaphorical meaning.


do you count the Chapter Books as Canon?
No, but go on.


if so Twilight Sparle and the Crystal Heart Spell says Twilight, as an Alicorn
That she gains the strength of a good, honest heart. Somehow, strength of character does not correlate with breaking boulders to me.



Applejack is demonstrably very strong, being able to easily carry saddlebags that her brother struggled with, and Mac ripped a house off it's foundations while pronking. Applebloom bucked at least one tree by herself and she's the size of a house cat. And we've seen Muad Pie, who otherwise demonstrates none of Pinkie's Physics breaking, throw one bolder and smash an other one to dust with her bare hooves.
Yes, they are strong. However, we have no evidence that other ponies are weaker. Who says that Bulk Biceps could not rip a house from its foundations while pronking, or that Scootaloo hasn't managed success bucking a tree while looking for her cutie mark? And Maud Pie is viewed as exceptionally strong by any standards, and is hardly a baseline to compare any other pony to, earth or otherwise.


Need more evidence?
Yes. You still have not shown me decisive evidence that earth ponies are inherently stronger than other ponies.

[Forum Explorer]

I've edited my prior post to include more evidence.

Those are good examples, though Rainbow Dash might just be freakishly strong since she

-flown through the trunks of three trees without losing any speed

- held up a large part of a building by herself, for a bit anyways (and yet was unable to hold Derpy up. That pony is a physics warping abnormality)

-carried 4 ponies without difficulty

-bit through a wooden board.

[Rater202]

Rainbow Dash had difficulty keeping up with Ms. PeachBottom(or whatever her name is, the one with the chicken on her flank).

As Velocity=Displacement/time taken, and higher strength to mass ratio means higher displacement, meaning that in order for fastest flyer in Equestria Rainbow Dash to struggle to keep up with her, she'd have to push off the ground with her legs with more force relative to her body weight than Rainbow Dash has to generate force with her wings relative to her own weight, which would necessitate the Earth Pony in question incredible leg strength relative to her mass.

Taken with all of the above examples, is that enough evidence now?

Also, hypothetically speaking, if Scootaloo had the strength to buck apples from a tree, would she not have the strength to do more than hover for a few seconds off the ground? I figure, with her desire to fly, that those would be the muscles she'd work on the most.

[SiuiS]

A quote debate hmm yes I see how droll scrolling along, scrolling along~


Well, as nopony else rose to the challenge, you can consider yourself the winner! Award yourself +2537 points and Thing of your choice or something! And forever more be known as Winner Of Tht Thing Bleakbane Did That One Time, You Know, the One With Song Wotsit, I dunno, I Forget, Couldn't Have Been That Important!


Dammit! I would have loved a title like that! :smallfrown:
Maybe I'll just steal Digo's face...



Happy slightly bealated new year, ponythread!

Happy January!


Guys, I have to tell you that January 1st is my birthday!

Congratulations on being born! Many great returns on that investment!

[Fable Wright]

Rainbow Dash had difficulty keeping up with Ms. PeachBottom(or whatever her name is, the one with the chicken on her flank).

As Velocity=Displacement/time taken, and higher strength to mass ratio means higher displacement, meaning that in order for fastest flyer in Equestria Rainbow Dash to struggle to keep up with her, she'd have to push off the ground with her legs with more force relative to her body weight than Rainbow Dash has to generate force with her wings relative to her own weight, which would necessitate the Earth Pony in question incredible leg strength relative to her mass.
Disclaimer: I do not remember this bit; I may have skipped this episode, and do not particularly feel like rewatching it.
Are you sure that it was a straight-up race that the pony was winning? And are you sure that Rainbow could not perform similar feats on the ground?


Taken with all of the above examples, is that enough evidence now?
It is difficult to build a case on anecdotal evidence, especially in a show that doesn't take minor issues of continuity too seriously. Unless you can find an authority specifically state in no unclear terms that all earth ponies are stronger than other ponies, I will not believe the claim. Instead, I'm just going to believe that all ponies are freakishly strong for their size, especially given this:

Those are good examples, though Rainbow Dash might just be freakishly strong since she

-flown through the trunks of three trees without losing any speed

- held up a large part of a building by herself, for a bit anyways (and yet was unable to hold Derpy up. That pony is a physics warping abnormality)

-carried 4 ponies without difficulty

-bit through a wooden board.



Also, hypothetically speaking, if Scootaloo had the strength to buck apples from a tree, would she not have the strength to do more than hover for a few seconds off the ground? I figure, with her desire to fly, that those would be the muscles she'd work on the most.
No, her wing muscles may be quite strong, but they might just not have stamina or the size they need to let her glide.

[Forum Explorer]

Rainbow Dash had difficulty keeping up with Ms. PeachBottom(or whatever her name is, the one with the chicken on her flank).

As Velocity=Displacement/time taken, and higher strength to mass ratio means higher displacement, meaning that in order for fastest flyer in Equestria Rainbow Dash to struggle to keep up with her, she'd have to push off the ground with her legs with more force relative to her body weight than Rainbow Dash has to generate force with her wings relative to her own weight, which would necessitate the Earth Pony in question incredible leg strength relative to her mass.

Taken with all of the above examples, is that enough evidence now?

Also, hypothetically speaking, if Scootaloo had the strength to buck apples from a tree, would she not have the strength to do more than hover for a few seconds off the ground? I figure, with her desire to fly, that those would be the muscles she'd work on the most.

I call her Chicken Little. I don't know if she has an official name.

And I remember thinking that was really weird.

thought of some more examples though, this time expanding to other ponies.

Twilight and Rarity carrying Tom.

Shining Armor throwing Cadence (there is a reason that 'I trust them as far as I can throw them' is a saying indicating distrust.)

A single pegasus was carrying a delivery van that had an anvil, cart and piano inside.

Snips and Snails (two unicorn colts) dragged a giant golden platform with Trixie sitting on it.

Spike can carry the massive pile that is Rarity's luggage all by himself. (as can the bellhop in Celestia's castle but I can't say 100% that he was a unicorn. Plus I remember him collapsing.)

Fluttershy can apparently lift a bear (and yet is unable to escape tiny birds)

Sweetie carrying Rarity's bags

[Rater202]

Disclaimer: I do not remember this bit; I may have skipped this episode, and do not particularly feel like rewatching it.

The Episode in late season three where they got confused about who the Equestria Games Inspector was*? It occurred concurrently with the "Spike is pet sitting, hijinks ensue" episode? It wasn't a race but Dash was really motivated to keep up with her.

Also, flying is usually considered faaster than running, and most creatures that can do both are in the air. Peachbottom was also not implied to be very athletic wheres Dash is a trained speed flyer.

*Could have just asked "Hello, are you miss Harshwhinny?" but no...

@Explorer: According to the Wiki, I was right when I called her Peachbottom

[Rater202]

Changing the subject, I must say that, watching ome of those Rainbow Rocks promotional Shorts,(in particular "Shake Your Tail (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02U0orY7JJ8)" and "Perfect Day for Fun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKBTsZgk1aA)"), that I really like the idea of Granny Smith rocking out in the audience while the Rainbooms are performing.

[Tiki Snakes]

Ooh, nice face, Monsieur! From whence was it purloined~?

It's an adaption of an Avatar I put together recently for another place.
http://i57.tinypic.com/2nv6kif.jpg
Just something thrown together in half an hour one evening.

[Kd7sov]

Earth ponies are specifically called out in the show, at least twice, as being stronger than other ponies, even if you don't believe that that's their magic.

Even if that's correct, it's irrelevant. We're not talking about earth ponies and pegasi in general here, and we know there are outliers. See, for instance, Fluttershy, who exemplifies a skill that the Faust comment you linked earlier ties to earth ponies. And as Forum Explorer has pointed out, Rainbow Dash has demonstrated considerable (at least from our perspective) strength.

If people from the planet Grebulon have a greater natural aptitude for mathematics than people from the planet Terra, does that mean no Terran can have a fair math competition with a Grebuloni? Of course not; individual aptitude variations and training can easily make up any plausible differences in this hypothetical scenario. But if the Terran pulls out an abacus when the Grebuloni is not using any external aids, the Terran is, at the least, acting in poor taste.

[DigoDragon]

Dammit! I would have loved a title like that! :smallfrown:
[size="1"]Maybe I'll just steal Digo's face...[/spoiler]!

So does that mean I get your face, and then we have a massive Nick Cage ham battle on speeding motorboats? Cause I can get the doves for the gun battle.

[Fable Wright]

Also, as a head's up, I forwarded a commissioner to you a couple of days ago, Digo. Just thought you might like to know/check deviantart.


The Episode in late season three where they got confused about who the Equestria Games Inspector was*? It occurred concurrently with the "Spike is pet sitting, hijinks ensue" episode?
Oh. That episode. I don't really remember it, as I don't enjoy watching characters I like picking up idiot balls and making utter fools out of themselves for absolutely no reason.


Changing the subject, I must say that, watching ome of those Rainbow Rocks promotional Shorts,(in particular "Shake Your Tail (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02U0orY7JJ8)" and "Perfect Day for Fun (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKBTsZgk1aA)"), that I really like the idea of Granny Smith rocking out in the audience while the Rainbooms are performing.
Granny Smith was young for longer than Applejack was; of course she's still able to rock out when her granddaughter's performing.

[otakuryoga]

The only time Dashie could be said to be cheating during the Iron Pony was flying during the tug of War. the flap boost in the long jump is perfectly legal, considering that wind assists and stuff don't get you disqualified for that and similar athletic events don't get you disqualified"





You'll notice that that tug-of-war is what snapped her patience, and it's arguable that flapping during the long jump IS illegal since the point of the competition is to see how far you can jump.


and with wings the world record for the long jump becomes "sideways eight"


You don't get disqualified for a wind assist. One wing flap can't possibly be worse than that. Also, see my above post.
a wind assist is outside the competitors control..flapping your wings is not
a wind assist is in equal force for each competitor(assuming a normal windy day and not one single freak gust from nowhere)..wings are not in equal force for both ponies


1. A single flap is not flying. It's a double jump, if that, and if it's not against the rules it's not cheating. Since we don't know the rules, neither of us can be correct when declaring it cheating or not cheating. I'm inclined to believe that it is not, because Real World Athletes don't get disqualified for strong wind assists and I don't think Dash flapping her wings once is that much of an advantage.

2. Pushups as a test of athleticism are testing the strength of forelimbs. Wings are forelimbs.


1. it was a long jump competition..not a double jump or triple jump competition

2. actually wings are mid limbs..they are between the front legs and the rear legs


Earth ponies are specifically called out in the show, at least twice, as being stronger than other ponies, even if you don't believe that that's their magic.
this is like the 6th or 7th time you have asserted so...still with no certification


Rainbow Dash had difficulty keeping up with Ms. PeachBottom(or whatever her name is, the one with the chicken on her flank).

As Velocity=Displacement/time taken, and higher strength to mass ratio means higher displacement, meaning that in order for fastest flyer in Equestria Rainbow Dash to struggle to keep up with her, she'd have to push off the ground with her legs with more force relative to her body weight than Rainbow Dash has to generate force with her wings relative to her own weight, which would necessitate the Earth Pony in question incredible leg strength relative to her mass.

rule of funny
she wanted to get somewhere/get outside(being claustrophobic)
rule of funny trumps physics every time just ask Pinkie Pie
(not to mention that physics says "unh unh...no WAY are you horselike things able to fly!)

[Rater202]

"unh unh...no WAY are you horselike things able to fly!

Consider if you will, that the pegasi lost their ability to fly when Tirek took their magic. That means that pegasus flight is magical in nature.

http://www.egscomics.com/comics/20110718_EL1y.png

[DigoDragon]

.

I definitely missed that. :smallfrown:

Unfortunately I won't have access to my DA until Saturday evening. Could you let them know I will respond when I can get to the pc tomorrow?

[Juntao112]

I definitely missed that. :smallfrown:

Unfortunately I won't have access to my DA until Saturday evening. Could you let them know I will respond when I can get to the pc tomorrow?

You could just give me your password, and I'll take care of it.

[otakuryoga]

Consider if you will, that the egasi lost their ability to fly when Tirek took their magic. That means that pegasus flight is magical in nature.

right..and?

my point was that you were using physics to prove something
and the laws of physics in this world have long since went to a far corner of the universe and curled up in a fetal position constantly muttering "make it stop...please for the love of all that is scientific, make it stop"

[Rater202]

right..and?

And running faster than Rainbow Dash flies demonstrates great leg strength. The only pony who consistently breaks physics is Pinkie, and you she's an eldritch abomination from beyond our plane of existence who just so happens to feed on love and happiness and thus assumes pony form so that she can spread it around.

Compared to Wing Flying which is clearly magical but should in theory still follow the basic rules of velocity.

[DigoDragon]

You could just give me your password, and I'll take care of it.

Oh I totally could, but I'm very much sober right now. So no. :smallbiggrin:

I was eating an Apple today and it occurred to me that applejack makes it look so easy to just finish it in 2-3 bites. Seeds and all.

[Forum Explorer]

And running faster than Rainbow Dash flies demonstrates great leg strength. The only pony who consistently breaks physics is Pinkie, and you she's an eldritch abomination from beyond our plane of existence who just so happens to feed on love and happiness and thus assumes pony form so that she can spread it around.

Compared to Wing Flying which is clearly magical but should in theory still follow the basic rules of velocity.

The thing is, feats of strength are wildly inconsistant across the show and races. I've just thought of another perfect example of this.

4 Earth Ponies, carrying a cart with only Applejack, are unable to outrun Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash (on the ground), who are carrying Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight. Despite having a headstart, and Fluttershy stopping at one point to avoid a bunny.

So we get this weird situation of 1 Earth Pony outrunning a flying Rainbow Dash and a running Rainbow Dash + Fluttershy outrunning 4 Earth Ponies.

[Juntao112]

The thing is, feats of strength are wildly inconsistant across the show and races. I've just thought of another perfect example of this.

4 Earth Ponies, carrying a cart with only Applejack, are unable to outrun Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash (on the ground), who are carrying Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight. Despite having a headstart, and Fluttershy stopping at one point to avoid a bunny.

So we get this weird situation of 1 Earth Pony outrunning a flying Rainbow Dash and a running Rainbow Dash + Fluttershy outrunning 4 Earth Ponies.

Perhaps Fluttershy thought Applejack was a big, dumb meanie.

[Trixie]

Trixie, I'm glad you're back! Have you really missed only one week? I think you've missed a whole month. Or I just failed all my spot checks.

Eh, I meant complete loss, not partial loss :smallfrown:


tribute to Bonnie Zacherle, the toy designer who created My Little Pony.

She wasn't just 'toy designer' - she was freelance illustrator who single-handedly fought both then all-male R&D and marketing departments at Hasbro for over a year to convince them girls like toys other than dolls. And despite being freshly hired artist, not already established big name, she not only convinced them to start a toy line, but TV series (including Rescue at Midnight Castle and other stuff much darker and bolder than MLP G4 until the debiut of Chrysalis/Sombra) as well as so far the only MLP movie/anime.

Imagine if she quit instead the very second someone dared to disagree with her vision *cough* *cough*

Oh, and she also was the original holder of this (http://www.freepatentsonline.com/D269986.pdf) http://i.imgur.com/N2nfK.png

[Rater202]

Well, she did break a Pinkie Promise...

[DigoDragon]

Imagine if she quit instead the very second someone dared to disagree with her vision *cough* *cough*[/SIZE]

Oh, and she also was the original holder of this (http://www.freepatentsonline.com/D269986.pdf) http://i.imgur.com/N2nfK.png

It's hard to imagine if she did quit. How many of us would not have met in that case? I suppose we might know each other from other threads if we still frequent this forum, but still is interesting to think about.

Dang, I can't pull up that pdf, this kindle is balking at reading it. You ars a Kindle! How can you not read pdfs?!


Well, she did break a Pinkie Promise...

And apparently that anger translates to powering up the pegasi to run faster. Ohhhhhh, I might have an idea for an awesome signature move for Sabina.

[Juntao112]

And apparently that anger translates to powering up the pegasi to run faster. Ohhhhhh, I might have an idea for an awesome signature move for Sabina.

And whom may that be?

[DigoDragon]

And whom may that be?

Sabina you mean? Imagine Babs Seed with Pinkie's positive attitude and AJ's strength. :)

[zimmerwald1915]

It's hard to imagine if she did quit. How many of us would not have met in that case? I suppose we might know each other from other threads if we still frequent this forum, but still is interesting to think about.
Eh, it's not that big a forum. But a number of us would almost certainly have different usernames and/or avatars.

[Rater202]

Sabina you mean? Imagine Babs Seed with Pinkie's positive attitude and AJ's strength. :)

I've described her as if "Rainbow Dash turned into a stallion and had a baby with Pinkie Pie"

[Juntao112]

Sabina you mean? Imagine Babs Seed with Pinkie's positive attitude and AJ's strength. :)

Mmm, and what does this filly do?

[Rater202]

Mmm, and what does this filly do?

She and her friends kick ass. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18421911&postcount=1)

[DigoDragon]

I've described her as if "Rainbow Dash turned into a stallion and had a baby with Pinkie Pie"

Well Dash is strong too, so yeah, one can substitute the ponies and get the sane effect. :smallcool:


Mmm, and what does this filly do?

She and her friends kick ass. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18421911&postcount=1)

Yes, yes they do. Sabina's hobbies include singing, sports, and playing pirate.

[Aotrs Commander]

Just back from seeing Battle of the Five Armies.

My opinion on the Elf/Dwarf debate remains unchanged. Bahahahahahaha!

[Rater202]

Yes, yes they do. Sabina's hobbies include singing, sports, and playing pirate.

With a real pirate ship.

My opinion on the Elf/Dwarf debate remains unchanged. Bahahahahahaha!

What is that opinion, anyway?

[Aotrs Commander]

What is that opinion, anyway?

It can be distilled down, for example, to that, as often suggested, yes, Elves are indeed tree-huggers.



And the reason that elfmaid is hugging that tree is because she's about to rip it right out of the ground and beat you over the head with it.



Put it another way, have you ever heard me to refer to any ex-Dwarves who are members of the Aotrs?

[DigoDragon]

Brute strength versus finesse. I'm partial to the latter myself.

[MLai]

4 Earth Ponies, carrying a cart with only Applejack, are unable to outrun Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash (on the ground), who are carrying Pinkie, Rarity, and Twilight. Despite having a headstart, and Fluttershy stopping at one point to avoid a bunny..
What eps is this? I can't remember.
The situation probably sounds more hilarious than it actually was, but still, I must know.

[Forum Explorer]

What eps is this? I can't remember.
The situation probably sounds more hilarious than it actually was, but still, I must know.

The Last Roundup. It's a pretty hilarious chase scene in general.

[DigoDragon]

The Last Roundup. It's a pretty hilarious chase scene in general.

Pretty fun episode all around. Dash weaponizing Pinkie was funny.

[Juntao112]

Oh I have ideas. They might even be good ideas. :smallbiggrin:

What might they be?