Points of Canon: S1x03 - The Ticket Master

Continuing the retrospective while I still have the time and energy.

• The cold open provides us with the only name of a street in Ponyville used that I remember – Stirrup Street – and the bizarre fact that ponies wear a garment called “girdle,” wearing which could be embarrassing for males, enough that this would be a suitable thing to bet. Unfortunately, quite a few things can be called a girdle, so this by itself does not tell us much.
• This is the only time Celestia is referred to as “Grand Royal Highness.” Amusingly, as far as I can tell, this is also the only time the correct, full title is used.
• The Gala is held on the 21st day of some month. Nobody told us which one. EVER.
• The “plus one” formula typically implies “bring a date.” Did Celestia expect Twilight to bring a date? In fact, did she send the letter at all? It’s written in a heavy formal style, very different from all her other letters, annoying enough that Spike skips through half of it. I actually suspect it could have been sent at Luna’s orders…
• Pretty much everyone knows what the Gala is without having to be told.
• Twilight states she has never been to the Gala – which is in itself strange, why wouldn’t she be invited previously? – but then she asks Spike if he has ever been to the Gala, which is really strange. Spike says no. It is possible that he would acquire an invitation separately. But given Friendship is Magic #40, in which Celestia dumps Spike on Twilight when he’s at most a few months old, leaving the impression that this arrangement is permanent, and given the photos of Twilight with Baby Spike that pop up around the primary canon, how would Twilight escape knowing if he used it? I find it difficult to produce a Watsonian explanation of this without supposing one or another kind of conspiracy between Twilight and Spike, but what would be the purpose of that?
• It has been said before that Applejack’s justification for the desire to attend is the most dubious out of all. Rainbow, Rarity and Pinkie essentially want to attend for the potential company. Fluttershy wants to see the gardens in bloom. Only Applejack wants to set up a stand at a catered party. That’s not exactly sound business sense. But what’s interesting is that nobody calls her on it. While it’s obvious why Twilight wouldn’t, you would expect someone like Rarity or Spike to notice something is wrong.
• Applejack’s hopes for the profits include replacing the roof, replacing the plow, and replacing Granny’s hip joint. Which would imply both that the medical technology or magic to do the latter exists, and that at least this particular operation is not free. We can’t really say if Equestria has universal medical care for ponies or not based on that, and Read it and Weep throws more nonsense into the fire later with Rainbow’s stunts in the hospital. That said… I don’t see Granny Smith needing a replacement hip joint, even though Applejack mentions the hip twice throughout the episode.
• So why is Rainbow napping in a tree, and not on a cloud like she usually does? Clouds got to be softer. I don’t remember any other cases where she was napping in a tree.
• Rainbow is able to evenly match Applejack in a hoof wrestle for at least five seconds, though it’s an open question how long would she really last if Twilight didn’t interfere. But judging by the fact that neither gave up in the end, I suppose the contest lasted quite a while.
• Twilight complains she can’t think straight when she’s hungry to Spike. Which is something we easily forget when writing about a hyper-concentrated Twilight.
• Notably, Twilight does not even consider cooking herself, she asks “Where should we eat?”
• That’s the first time Pinkie mentions piñatas, so at least those have been around for a while, even though we very rarely, if ever, see them. Notably, she also mentions “fairy lights.” Ponies wouldn’t have Christmas lights, of course, but I don’t see them mentioned in fanfic by that name often.
• Pinkie’s dream vision involves a photo printing machine. I wonder if these are stickers or not.
• Rarity says that she designs ensembles for the Gala every year – for her clients, of course – which makes me wonder if any of those live in Ponyville. We know Twilight’s Canterlot friends turn up at both observed Galas…
• Rarity’s dream hinging so much on an audience with Celestia suggests that the Mane 5 do not consider themselves heroes for saving Princess Luna either. Otherwise, Rarity would expect getting such an audience easily, and not dream up an entire romance novel. Sure, romance novels might be more fun, but some more self-confidence due to having participated in saving Equestria would make it go very differently, Rarity wouldn’t need to involve Celestia in this dream at all.
• Rarity’s statement is that Blueblood is Celestia’s nephew. There’s a word of god regarding this, which is best ignored like all word of god. Notably, in later canon Blueblood never appears, and in semi-canon, Blueblood calls Celestia by name, never addressing her as his aunt.
• Dream-Blueblood proposes to Rarity by putting a diamond ring on his horn and sticking it out towards Rarity for some really unclear reason. In fact, usage of diamond rings in pony culture is very much a Sandwich Problem, both because they don’t have fingers to wear them on and because diamond rings are entirely a result of successful marketing campaigns in our world.
• Rarity also states that upon marrying Blueblood she would become a princess. This is an important argument for supposing that the title of “princess” is not solely restricted to alicorn princesses, and others might exist.
• Blueblood is never named nor has his title given during this entire sequence, which is more important than it sounds.
• Angel is intelligent enough to recognize that Gala tickets are important enough to steal them for Fluttershy. Does he also steal other stuff?
• According to Fluttershy, the Gala venue is surrounded by a “private gated garden,” and for the night of the Gala, “and that night alone, they will all be in bloom.” Gala has, therefore, to happen in either spring or summer, and spring is far more likely than summer.
• The list of fauna Fluttershy expects includes “Hummingbirds that can really hum, and buzzards that can really buzz. White-blue jays, and red jays, and green jays, pink jays and pink flamingos!” These creatures exist. I don’t think all of them exist here.
• So here we have the infamous daffodil and daisy sandwich, as well as the hay fries. Notably, later incidents of sandwiches tend to avoid flowers. Also notably, just which eateries would stock rubies for Spike that he would even try asking, considering nopony knows anything about dragon culture?
• While in most episodes, the color of the aura on the horn is identical with the color of the aura on the object being telekinetically moved, in this case, the sandwich has a gold aura. I call animation error.
• This is the first appearance of Rarity’s umbrella saddle, which is, so far, the only actual use of an umbrella that I remember.
• The outfit Rarity makes for Spike includes a wig for some bizarre reason.
• Twilight explicitly says “It’s summer!” when Fluttershy mentions spring cleaning, locking this episode to within the three months since her arrival.
• I’m not sure what this red object in the salad Angel made is, but it’s probably a cherry tomato, not that I doubted ponies have those.
• I wonder what’s the occasion, because, while ponies usually don’t wear anything in town, the crowd Pinkie assembles includes three ponies wearing saddles.
• Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, Lyra and Minuette crowd around Twilight in direct proximity, asking for the ticket like everyone else.
• Twilight disguises herself by using a pram. Notably, we don’t see wheeled prams often: the one Flurry has is meant to be levitated.
• While hiding in a shop display, we see a rather strange set of costumes: A clown wig, later observed on Mayor Mare, a hula girl costume that Spike wears, and a Santa Claus cap and saddle set, which never seems to come up again. Just what is this place? Nightmare Night costume shop? A bit early for those…
• At the conclusion of the chase scene, Twilight teleports what has to be at least a few hundred meters, producing unintended side effects. This is relevant for chronology.
• Twilight blows out the light outside on the balcony, which would only work if this was some form of flame light. Notably, the sun has just set, during the chase scene, so only the Mane 5, who were waiting for them in the library, could have turned all the lights on for Twilight and Spike to turn them off upon arrival.
• So Twilight finishes the episode by returning both tickets and immediately gets back a very informal letter from Celestia. Notably, even Twilight comments that the reply has been very quick.
• Each of the tickets glows with golden magic, which matches neither Twilight’s nor Rarity’s aura, but looks much closer to Celestia’s, and as Spike hands them out and tries to hold back the last one, it rips out of his hand and jumps to fly over Applejack. I’m pretty sure that has to be Celestia’s own spell for ease of handling and that the tickets were each assigned by name this time.

Side observations:

• Season 1 Spike seems quite a bit more mature than Season 3 Spike. It’s like he grows backwards.
• Friendship is Magic and this episode are the only two cases where ponies are formally addressed by their tribe: “the unicorn Twilight Sparkle” and “Rarity the unicorn” – which never happens again.

Some pieces of this story are conspicuously odd, particularly the first letter and Twilight and Spike’s dialogue in the beginning.

Comments

[Eruantalon]

How would Twilight escape knowing whether Spike had been invited to the Gala, or whether he'd gone? Simple: She's been obliviously locked in books and leaving him to do his own thing. Cf. how he was about to go to Moondancer's party by himself two episodes ago.

From the next Gala (where the CMC went as +1's, without anypony remarking anything), we can be pretty sure that it doesn't imply bringing dates. Why the invitations are phrased as +1, in that case, remains an open question. I can easily see "Bring a friend!", but why would it be a single friend?

As for the stuffiness, I would guess it's a custom of the Gala; one of the thing's Celestia's upset with later?

[Oliver]

4526209

How would Twilight escape knowing whether Spike had been invited to the Gala, or whether he’d gone? Simple: She’s been obliviously locked in books and leaving him to do his own thing. Cf. how he was about to go to Moondancer’s party by himself two episodes ago.

I dislike this explanation for two reasons:

Too simple. :)
While it is possible in theory for Spike to get invited without being Twilight’s +1, I find it exceedingly unlikely.

That would still leave the option for Twilight to get two tickets and dispose of them by tossing them at Spike and forgetting them entirely, but fact is, she is exactly as excited about the Gala as Applejack, down to dancing with her in full symmetry. Chronologically, I believe the best spot for this episode is the last episode of the first summer. Nothing that would make Twilight excited about a formal party where she could only bring one friend fits into this time period, and Sweet and Elite can’t happen before this episode either. Later in the episode, she is ready to give up her own ticket…

There’s a missing piece.

I can easily see “Bring a friend!”, but why would it be a single friend?

That’s exactly the issue.

As for the stuffiness, I would guess it’s a custom of the Gala; one of the thing’s Celestia’s upset with later?

Possible, but exceedingly unlikely if it was Celestia who sent the letter, because we know from later episodes that she sends these personally with no dictation or anybody’s help, and because they are never anywhere as formal otherwise. :)

Which is why I propose this scenario:

Character X wishes to see Twilight, personally, at the Gala.
They pull some strings to get her invited, and because they don’t write the letter personally, either, a form letter gets sent.
Celestia finds out about this, puts two and two together and decides to exploit the opportunity for a lesson: she prepares six tickets and sits there waiting for a letter from Twilight returning both, because she believes this is the solution Twilight will pick.
Receiving this, Celestia skims the letter and very quickly scribbles out a very informal response sticking the six tickets in. Then, moments later, she remembers about Spike and sends one for him too.

Who is Character X? The only candidate that remains would be Luna, who just told Kibitz she wanted this to happen, and he did what she expected. But then he told Celestia.

Why wasn’t Luna at the Gala? It’s likely she was planning to attend – later in the evening, when Twilight and Company have already made their mess and left.

[Eruantalon]

4526219 Perhaps Twilight tossed two tickets at Spike some time back before she was excited about the Gala? Or I think it's reasonable for somepony else to invite Spike as a +1 -- or more precisely, for Twilight to believe it might have happened sometime. Remember, Spike wasn't at the Gala before; we're just looking for a reason Twilight would think he might have been.

That's a very good point about the form invitation! Okay, maybe this finally pushed Celestia to overrule Kibbitz and stop sending them, but that's less likely. My first candidate for "wants to see Twilight at the Gala" would be Moondancer, but she probably doesn't have the pull to get Twilight her own ticket. Maybe it was an old professor? Or Blueblood or someone else who remembers Twilight and does have that pull? Or I do like your idea of Luna!

[Eruantalon]

4526219 Another explanation: Celestia left a note to herself saying "Don't forget to invite Twilight to the Gala this year!" Kibbitz (or whoever) found it and duly sent the invitation out.

[Oliver]

4526229

Remember, Spike wasn’t at the Gala before; we’re just looking for a reason Twilight would think he might have been.

Good point. There is that “royal business” that Twilight mentions Spike is off to attend in Canterlot in Look Before You Sleep. Unfortunately, this never seems to come up again and is never ever detailed… Later canon firmly relegates Spike to be Twilight’s assistant to the exclusion of most anything else.

My first candidate for “wants to see Twilight at the Gala” would be Moondancer, but she probably doesn’t have the pull to get Twilight her own ticket. Maybe it was an old professor? Or Blueblood or someone else who remembers Twilight and does have that pull? Or I do like your idea of Luna!

I actually thought of Blueblood next right after I posted this comment. This is a good possibility. It needs to be someone who does not expect Twilight to become their date, or they would insist on sending exactly one ticket and getting the other one, but that does not exclude Blueblood, since every idea that he would be interested in Twilight romantically or purely for marriage is also exclusively a fanon supposition.

Moondancer would be really interesting, though whether she possibly has any strings to pull or not, we simply have no idea. She might, at that. She hermits away with no obvious work, and life in Canterlot has to be rather expensive.

As for old professors, we don’t know much of anything about anyone except Inkwell, who does not appear to be very close to Twilight.

Luna is still my best candidate, if only because we know she does have the motive from Luna Eclipsed, and for her it would be trivial to arrange: tell the majordomo to do that, and it gets done, no questions or objections. If anything, everyone would be happy she’s feeling better and desiring to be social.

P.S. Actually, anyone who knows Twilight well would probably assume her +1 would have to be Spike!

[Oliver]

4526238

Another explanation: Celestia left a note to herself saying “Don’t forget to invite Twilight to the Gala this year!” Kibbitz (or whoever) found it and duly sent the invitation out.

That one’s actually very good. Not very dramatically useful, but very natural, and still useful to explain Celestia’s behavior without supposing a Cruel Chessmaster Celestia.

[Meta Four]

So why is Rainbow napping in a tree, and not on a cloud like she usually does? Clouds got to be softer. I don’t remember any other cases where she was napping in a tree.

It's her and Applejack's little game. Dash "naps" in one of AJ's trees. AJ "finds" her and "gets angry". They "argue" for a bit...
derpicdn.net/img/view/2012/7/5/32640__suggestive_artist-colon-toonbat_derpy+hooves_rainbow+dash_and+then+sex+happened_and+then+they+all+fucked_artifact_love+heart_mouth+hold_old+bann.png

Twilight just happened to get in the way this time.

[Eruantalon]

4526349

So why is Rainbow napping in a tree, and not on a cloud like she usually does? Clouds got to be softer. I don’t remember any other cases where she was napping in a tree.

Alternatively, after they actually became friends sometime this season, Rainbow gave up her old habit?

[Shrink Laureate]

4526209

How would Twilight escape knowing whether Spike had been invited to the Gala, or whether he'd gone? Simple: She's been obliviously locked in books and leaving him to do his own thing. Cf. how he was about to go to Moondancer's party by himself two episodes ago.

I'm now imagining that Spike was incredibly popular before moving to Ponyville. Twilight may have spent her time in Canterlot locked in libraries, but Spike was out there getting cozy with all the mares. After all, he's cute, he's exotic, he's connected to royalty, and he's still young and innocent enough to get away with it.

[Eruantalon]

4526471 That's right! Remember how he's buttering up Fluttershy with his life story, with the air of one who's used to it.

[DannyJ]

You're much more comprehensive than I was in my own note-taking on this episode. I've got several items to add to my notes now.

That said… I don’t see Granny Smith needing a replacement hip joint, even though Applejack mentions the hip twice throughout the episode.

IIRC isn't Granny Smith walking with a zimmer frame over Applejack's narration in that scene? I think it might be worth keeping an eye on Granny Smith's frailty over the course of the earlier seasons, because that's a thing that seemed to disappear with time. She certainly seems a lot more spry as of late than she was depicted earlier on, so she may indeed have actually gotten this hip replacement at some point.

And if she did, then hell yeah that's a timeline marker.

In fact, usage of diamond rings in pony culture is very much a Sandwich Problem, both because they don’t have fingers to wear them on and because diamond rings are entirely a result of successful marketing campaigns in our world.

De Brays corporation confirmed.

By the fact that they're worn on the horn, I'm guessing that engagement/wedding rings are a strictly unicorn thing. Further, I propose that they aren't actually worn regularly, and only have actual purpose in the ceremonies themselves, and thus are probably either rented like we would rent a tuxedo, or are just cheaper in general to buy (what with Equestrian gem prices being what they are). Cadance and Shining Armor, notably, did have wedding rings, but don't appear to wear them again in any subsequent appearances.

Gala has, therefore, to happen in either spring or summer, and spring is far more likely than summer.

Though significantly more awkward for our timeline, it should be noted.

Also notably, just which eateries would stock rubies for Spike that he would even try asking, considering nopony knows anything about dragon culture?

My theory here is that Twilight and Spike had a few regular spots that they'd go to in Canterlot, and some of those might have stocked gems specifically for Spike. Maybe those establishments just became familiar with Spike and his needs, maybe Twilight or Celestia would call ahead to them and make a special request, or maybe some places just stocked gems on the off-chance of a visit by the Princess's favoured pupil and/or her dragon assistant. After all, didn't you theorise that Spike lived Twilight's social life for her in Canterlot? If he did, then appealing to Spike's good side might have involved having gems stocked for him.

If we go by the assumption that this episode is early in the timeline, this encounter may just be a product of Spike being new to Ponyville. If the scenario I described above was the case, he'd probably been cantered to in Canterlot for so long that he's forgotten it's unusual for pony eateries to have gemstones.

4526238

I like this explanation.

[Cursed Quill]

which is in itself strange, why wouldn’t she be invited previously? – but then she asks Spike if he has ever been to the Gala, which is really strange.

She doesn't do social. She goes explicitly for Princess Celestia when she finally does go. While she was in Canterlot, she must have had easy personal access to Her Grand Royal Highness Princess Tutor Celestia. Spike's behavior toward's Moonshine's party implies he does and did social in Canterlot which Twilight did not.

how would Twilight escape knowing if he used it? I find it difficult to produce a Watsonian explanation of this without supposing one or another kind of conspiracy between Twilight and Spike, but what would be the purpose of that?

Simple: he does social a lot while she does not, and all those instances she was studying while he was out socializing blended. Remember, later he has contacts and social capital in Canterlot, like for pulling off the re-show for Rarity's dresses.

I fanon that he's, if not the Pinkie Pie of Canterlot, pretty close to being the "person everypony should know". He even has a fairly ready-made way of accruing minor favors: presenting things to the star pupil of Princess Celestia. He just has to be honest in disclaiming her likely interest in them…

I don’t remember any other cases where she was napping in a tree.

I can, but I can't recall which if not all are fanfiction and which are canon. I was thinking s1e5, but transcript's stage directions are sparse.

That’s the first time Pinkie mentions piñatas, so at least those have been around for a while, even though we very rarely, if ever, see them

Their presence, to me, seems to line up about with "uncommon, but known party thing". I think there's one at DT's Cuteceañara, and I know there's one on the boat at PPOV.

which is best ignored like all word of god.

like "pegasi fart helium"?

Angel is intelligent enough to recognize that Gala tickets are important enough to steal them for Fluttershy. Does he also steal other stuff?

I suspect his alignment is not good nor evil but selfish Fluttershy partisan.

which eateries would stock rubies for Spike that he would even try asking, considering nopony knows anything about dragon culture?

Contiuing the Spike-Agent hypothesis, he's used to seeding the eatery TWi eats at (studious types often stick to one!) with gem deals that trigger when he comes through. (Okay, now I'm just making things up.) But, if Twi has a usual place in Canterlot, it's not implausible he, Twi, or Celestia arrange that he get his required minerals there.

This is the first appearance of Rarity’s umbrella saddle, which is, so far, the only actual use of an umbrella that I remember.

Not counting the umbrella hats from Pinkie Keen?

Lemon Hearts, Twinkleshine, Lyra and Minuette crowd around Twilight in direct proximity, asking for the ticket like everyone else.

Well, that's a little heartbreaking canon nod, what with none of them being acknowledged at all…

wheeled prams often:

doesn't pram (shortening of perambulator from perambulate:walk) imply wheels? Yes, it does. Isn't there one in "Mysterious Mare Do-Well" to be saved from the cliff? Or am I conflating it with other instances of the archetype from other works?

Just what is this place? Nightmare Night costume shop?

Party supply store, I'd wager.

[teleport] producing unintended side effects.

What side effects? Oh, right, mild scorching, wasn't it, and dizziness? …On Spike which is interesting, given draconic nigh-immunity to fire (lava-bathing!)
having reviewed the chase scene, Twi and Spike can cling to the underside of the bridge, and Twi better than Spike. That's some serious strength…unless she's using her later Reverse Gravity spell, or D&D's spider climb.

diamond rings are entirely a result of successful marketing campaigns in our world.

It's Rarity's dream, and she likes gems…which…hmm, does anyone explicitly call the emblems on her cutie mark diamonds? a quick check says no "diamond" in "Cutie Mark Chronicles" nor "Magical Mystery Cure", which seem the ones to look at.

---

4526209
4526219
Eh, I agreed with Eruantalon, above.
4526494 Nice supporting evidence!
4526670

(what with Equestrian gem prices being what they are).

What are they, though? it's hard to say what the Rarity of Diamonds⁂ is other than a fake playing card.

I need to write that up. Offhand, the primary instances of gems being monetary are for Sapphire Shores and later when Spike is bribed to take care of pets…and the abundance implied by them coming back with a cart each in the "Dog and Pony Show"…and also that Pinkie can afford them, though Pinkie seems to have very strong individual buying power, what with the flying machine and batcave, and I suspect Pinkie is smart enough to ask for Rarity's gem filings, which of course she would let Pinkie have a small supply of…and in Dog and Pony show she "used every last diamond" …even if that was quite a few.

, didn't you theorise that Spike lived Twilight's social life for her in Canterlot?

I think that was Eruantalon and then myself. but, I see you came up with the exact same sort of explanation I did for the rubies at diners.

Later canon [weakly] suggests Earth Ponies [at least, the Pies] might do the same.

---

⁂and other gems

[Oliver]

4526471

I’m now imagining that Spike was incredibly popular before moving to Ponyville.

One name: Hoity Toity. Whom Spike “randomly met” on a train and then talked into attending a fashion show twice, the second time after an epic failure.

Oh yes he was.

4526670

And if she did, then hell yeah that’s a timeline marker.

Unfortunately, I don’t think we ever see this zimmer frame again.

By the fact that they’re worn on the horn, I’m guessing that engagement/wedding rings are a strictly unicorn thing.

You’d think so, but not really.

Spoiled Rich, nee Spoiled Milk, has one on her cutie mark.
Rings are mentioned in A Slice of Life even though both creatures being married are donkeys. We never see what they do with them, but they do mention needing them.

Further, I propose that they aren’t actually worn regularly, and only have actual purpose in the ceremonies themselves, and thus are probably either rented like we would rent a tuxedo, or are just cheaper in general to buy (what with Equestrian gem prices being what they are).

Cheaper in general, sure. Rented, no:

Cranky Doodle Donkey: I need my ring today, no matter the cost! …As long as it doesn’t cost any extra.

Though significantly more awkward for our timeline, it should be noted.

Had been a while ago.

4526934

like “pegasi fart helium”?

They sputtered so much nonsense over the years purely for trolling, that you can’t tell when they’re being serious anymore, and when they clearly are being serious, what they actually meant to say is almost always “we never really thought about it.”

I didn’t always hold this opinion, but one long session of trolling by Faust on Twitter was enough to change my mind for good. I no longer accept word of god as a valid source for ponies.

But, if Twi has a usual place in Canterlot, it’s not implausible he, Twi, or Celestia arrange that he get his required minerals there.

Well, there’s Pony Joe’s…

Not counting the umbrella hats from Pinkie Keen?

They’re a bit too small to protect one from any actual rain, the only thing they’re good for is keeping very light drizzle out of the eyes.

Isn’t there one in “Mysterious Mare Do-Well” to be saved from the cliff?

There is, that’s the other time I’ve seen one! Thanks.

It’s Rarity’s dream, and she likes gems…which…hmm, does anyone explicitly call the emblems on her cutie mark diamonds? a quick check says no “diamond” in “Cutie Mark Chronicles” nor “Magical Mystery Cure”, which seem the ones to look at.

A global search for “diamond” which is not part of “Diamond Tiara” shows that nobody applies the word to Rarity’s mark…

What are they, though? it’s hard to say what the Rarity of Diamonds⁂ is other than a fake playing card.

Rarity frequently uses gems in lieu of cash, and nobody seems to mind, but she also uses rather large gems for comparatively petty sums thereof – tipping a porter, enticing a retired ice cream shop owner into a few hours of work, etc – enough that she looks generous, but not really enough to make handing out gems ridiculous. This trend holds all the way to season 7, and with Rarity it’s obviously a style point.

It follows that you can easily convert gems to cash, and yet it wouldn’t net you that much per gem.

[Cursed Quill]

4526957

I no longer accept word of god as a valid source for ponies.

…quaternary canon! …she even commissioned art of that, too. Still not gonna let go of this one, though:

The only races in My Little Pony are Earth Pony, Pegasus and Unicorn, and they are all treated equally, ruled by a leader who embodies the traits of all three

…which, as far as I can tell, is not a thing stated in the episodes, ever; they tend to go "wings + horn" and the Earth-poniness is ignored. Including by Earth Ponies.
4526957

with Rarity [tipping with a gem]’s obviously a style point.

ficbunny: if she crashed (and earned a lot of money from) the gem market with her finder-spell, this takes on a whole new dimension.

Of course, her spell is also a reason for one to put less-precious stones on losable things like keyrings, wallets…or…I wonder where exactly the boundary is for Rarity's spell. It generates so many problems, yet can feed so much… Should save for Dog and Pony Show.

[Oliver]

4526969

Still not gonna let go of this one, though:

That I no longer accept word of god as a valid source does not mean I’m not allowed to agree with it on other grounds, like, for example, general policy of interpretation. Or basic logic that it’s ridiculous to imagine that any subspecies of pony is somehow more evolutionary adapted than any other, and yet is less numerous. :) Of course all three tribes have their magic.

Including by Earth Ponies.

That’s just their own cultural bias. Which does need explanations and provide us with dramatic opportunities.

[Cursed Quill]

4526971

That’s just their own cultural bias. Which does need explanations and provide us with dramatic opportunities.

Pinkie has an uncannily high rate of being correct about things, including eldritch lore ("Swarm of the Century"), and is rarely wrong or fails without being spectacularly, show-focusingly wrong ("Party of One", "M-M-m-Mystery", "Over a Barrel"). (Or am I just in confirmation-bias land?)

But, the Crystal Empire (flugelhorns do not suffice for the Crystal Heart's return) and alicorns (wrong-speaking about Flurry Heart) are exceedingly-niche (state-secret, even) topics…except…that would require Celestia keeping secret Earth Pony Alicorn traits from Twilight, since she would have interest in and develop them and …okay, AJ would seem a more likely pick given Twilight's aversion to Pinkie's expressions of magic. But it is hard to keep a secret from Pinkie Pie, especially eldritch-enforcer-of-vows, especially vows about secrets.

Or, now that I go back and read the line…mm, I'll dodge this over to the Crystalling post.

[Eruantalon]

4526957 4526670 Don't forget that Big Mac was also looking at a collection of diamond rings in Heart and Hooves Day. (It doesn't appear in the transcript, but onscreen, they're clearly rings.)

[Oliver]

4526978

Or am I just in confirmation-bias land?

I’m pretty sure that Pinkie is entirely in a category of her own – possibly, connected to the notion of party ponies in general, because Cheese Sandwich appears to exhibit at least some of these unusual properties. If you want a gauge on earth pony magic, Applejack is your measuring stick.

Some of the stuff she pulls in situations where plot depends on it is quite beyond the physically possible for a creature of her size and mass.

[Cursed Quill]

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Well, I was commenting on whether she'd know about alicorn* princess-types Earth magic there, and how she's incredibly-well-informed in ways that are mundane, like folktale for Parasprites, visiting the library often to be able to find books (…granted, sometimes she can pull it out of a post-Rainbow-Dash crash/Twilight-study-fort upset, which is much harder to do mundanely…except it landed on that page on her for the wing spell, just Being Lucky), inventing (or at least building) a flying machine, remembering everypony's birthday and party data…collating data of Pinkie Sense in order to be able to accurately identify what each twitch or itch or combo presages, indicating Efficacious Empiricist…
…that Twi would not go to her for instruction (thereby informing her) is a secondary point that is required for her to Still Not Know.

Some of the stuff she pulls in situations where plot depends on it is quite beyond the physically possible for a creature of her size and mass.

Faster than Rainbow Dash (Pepe le Pew-style, also to Yakyakistan); tail-based flight…

…hypothesis: the Rainboom popping open some extra magic pathways in Pinkie like it catastrophically did for Twilight; especially that tail-propeller flight bit.

Pinkie-tail-prop flight is, on reflection, more interesting if not cartoon-logic: tail-channeled magic (exhibited by others, esp. AJ, and in Buckball, Fluttershy) implemented with aim of flight…when Pinkie is known to have crafted a flying propeller-based machine, meaning she had access to the requisite concept**, and is brilliantly applying it, putting two primes together to make any even number.

* Piers Anthony!!!!!
** unfortunately, they don't directly say that pterippus wings channel magic in "Sonic Rainboom", and in fact state that it's "pegasus wings" required to walk on clouds…so I'm not sure when she'd pick up the "magic beats square cube and allows flight" premise. This premise is supported, though: s6e24-26; top bolt + finale, for instance…hmm, can't recall whether RD stays grounded post-Tirek-drain. That pterippus-wing aerodynamics is a studied field suggests a way she can find out, though.

[DannyJ]

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What are they, though?

I generally agree with Oliver's response to this, so I'm sorry for not going into detail with my counterpoints.

I think that was Eruantalon and then myself.

I'm sure that Oliver presented this idea in Aporia, but I don't remember if that's the original source of this theory, or if it was indeed one of you two who suggested it to him first.

This is relevant for me to know, because if I use this theory for any of my own essays, I'll want to credit the right person.

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Unfortunately, I don’t think we ever see this zimmer frame again.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I'm sure we do. Was it in the scene where Scootaloo nearly runs Granny Smith over? I don't remember the episode, but I think it was season one? The Show Stoppers maybe?

Ah, screw it.

You’d think so, but not really.

I entirely forgot about that.

4526983

This is correct.

[Oliver]

4527424

I’m sure that Oliver presented this idea in Aporia, but I don’t remember if that’s the original source of this theory, or if it was indeed one of you two who suggested it to him first.

Neither. I found a story wherein Spike was presented having conversation with various notable side characters, and an author’s note describing the theory.

Now I’ll have to track it down…

Ah, screw it.

I will be sure to look out for it of course. :)

[Oliver]

4527424

This is relevant for me to know, because if I use this theory for any of my own essays, I’ll want to credit the right person.

Ah there we go. Side Stories are Never Successful by A Pony Farce.

[DannyJ]

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Thank you very much.