Hornless unicorns and Alicorns are just Earth ponies?

[ManaMinori 4,145]

This is something I've been wondering for some time now. We have two horned species in MLP:FIM that are capable of using magic. Unicorns and Alicorns. But what do we really know about these horned magic users and their powers? In "Boast Busters", it was shown that Twilight was unable to use her unicorn magic when she came into contact with the Poison Joke, which caused her horn to become flaccid; and in "The Return of Harmony", when Discord removed Twilight and Rarity's horns completely; rendering them both unable to use their magic; also Shining Armor was prevented from doing magic in "The Crystal Empire", because of Sombra's black crystals which were stuck to his horn, and Rarity's spell brought to an abrupt halt from Sweetie Belle kicking her horn in "Ponyville Confidential".

 

In "Boast Busters", Twilight states that most unicorn's magic (and I suspect Alicorns as well) revolved only around their natural talents, and both Rarity (in "The Cutie mark Chronicles") and Twilight (in "Hearth's warming Eve") claim that magic doesn't happen without a reason, and I suppose, their magic can also activate and act independently of the bearer's will...?

 

So if, according to Twilight and Rarity, a unicorn (and possibly alicorn's) magic revolves around their natural talents, then even if a spell was cast that made their horns useless in some way, was cast, wouldn't they still be able to perform it, so long as they had their cutie mark, and their passive magic, as was seen when Tirek was taking it?

 

Without the effects of a spell (or plant) altering (or removing) their horn, would they still be able to perform magic? What if a horned magic user ground down their horn (dunno, maybe to hide it or something?), and part of the horn still remained, could magic still be cast, so long as a part of it remained? So long as the cutie mark that determined their magical talent remained? Or would spells be ineffective if (most) the horn is missing, as Discord was able to prove with removing the entire horn, but not the horned magic users' cutie marks?

 

let's try to figure all this stuff out!

[Mlpfan185 1,763]

Something was here. Something was here. Something was here. Something was here. 

Edited October 10, 2018 by NONAME

[PoisonClaw 8,166]

One, I'm pretty sure Twilight was still able to cast magic after being exposed to Poison Joke. Before her now flaccid horn was revealed, she was shown levitating a hair brush, and I'm pretty sure she could still levitate objects afterwards.

 

Two, from what I can tell, a unicorn's horn is a means to focus or direct a their magic. Compare it to a wand a wizard uses. They can cast spells by directing the magic through the wand, but if they lose the wand they still possess their magic, they just can't focus it in a way to achieve an effect. This is why both Twilight and Shining Armor were unable to cast spells when their horns were removed or sealed respectively. Without a horn a unicorn would be unable to channel magic in a way to properly cast a spell, and trying to cast with a broken or damaged horn would probably have the same outcome as using a damaged wand; uncontrolled magic and possible backfiring. 

[XxConfusedUnicornxX 834]

One, I'm pretty sure Twilight was still able to cast magic after being exposed to Poison Joke. Before her now flaccid horn was revealed, she was shown levitating a hair brush, and I'm pretty sure she could still levitate objects afterwards.

 

Two, from what I can tell, a unicorn's horn is a means to focus or direct a their magic. Compare it to a wand a wizard uses. They can cast spells by directing the magic through the wand, but if they lose the wand they still possess their magic, they just can't focus it in a way to achieve an effect. This is why both Twilight and Shining Armor were unable to cast spells when their horns were removed or sealed respectively. Without a horn a unicorn would be unable to channel magic in a way to properly cast a spell, and trying to cast with a broken or damaged horn would probably have the same outcome as using a damaged wand; uncontrolled magic and possible backfiring. 

You took the words right out of my mouth.

[Thespian 78]

I don't think it is that easy. Just because Pegasus have wings it doesn't make them an earthpony with wings. Pegasus also have some kind of magic associated with them that allow them to manipulate weather and walk on clouds. The rest of the mane six other than rainbow and fluttershy had to take a potion to get up there (except rarity but she looked so weird). So I think just because you can make yourself look like something doesn't necessarily make you that thing.

[Astraea 8]

All the different pony races have something special about them.

 

Earth ponies are physically stronger than other ponies while Pegasus ponies are more physically fragile than Earth ponies and Unicorns while having wings and the ability to fly. I assume pegasi are weaker due to their special anatomy which is like a mixture of equine and avian, the avian part of them making their bones hollow like birds so they are light enough to be lifted off the ground with their own wings.

 

Unicorns have innate magic that is channeled through their horns which is why they have them. They are pretty much like what PoisonClaw said, magic users who use their horn to channel their magic but it isn't the horn itself that gives them their magic abilities. Pegusi also have an innate magic that allows them to walk on clouds. It is this that makes them able to better affect the weather since they are able to work where the weather happens. Not all pegusi do things that invovle the weather though but many do just because they can. Doing it well is another story as having a special talent is also something else entirely.

 

Alicorns are another race of ponies that happen to be rare in the FIM timeline for reasons unknown to me. They were once just as abundant as the other types of ponies. They have the charcteristics of both pegusi and unicorns as they can fly and use their horns to channel magic. Those born alicorns are no different than other ponies in reguards to their aging. They age like any other pony. A longer lifespan or immortality is not a unique quality only they can acheive. Other ponies can gain a longer lifespan by other means too if their special talent is needed in a way that their lives would need to be longer than average. Immortality is earned if a pony's talent becomes essencial for maintaining the balance in Equestria like Celestia and Luna who control the rising and setting of the sun and moon, respectively.

 

Made alicorns like Twilight and Candace, IMO, are a response to the dwindling numbers of alicorns in general. For whatever reason, any of the pony types just one day *poof* become an alicorn at random. I personally don't like to think that Ceslestia or Luna can make other alicorns because for me, that makes them too powerful in my opinion. Plus, it is established that Celestia didn't even know about Candace UNTIL she became an alicorn.

 

Ponies born to already immortal ponies, alicorn or otherwise, are born immortal but their immortality wares off after a while. They then have a choice to either age and die normally like other non-immortal ponies or they can attempt to earn their immortality some way.

 

Hope this wasn't too confusing for anyone.

[A goat 323]

An alicorn without a horn would mot be a bloody earth pony, it'd be a pegasis. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT!

[Castle Bleck 19,383]

@Astraea,

 

Celestia and Luna don't seem bothered at all by aging slowly/never in The Journal Of The Two Sisters. Also, Star Swirl finds a spell that lets him Fountain-Of-Youth himself (and there's nothing saying he can only use it once).

 

Equestrians just don't seem to give a buck about aging/outliving/etc., it seems.

Edited July 31, 2014 by A.V.

[Darker 1,351]

Alicorns still have wings, ya know... :comeatus:

[Cwanky 17,602]

Well I like to think of it this way: a hornless unicorn (assuming it was born with a horn or as a unicorn otherwise), is still a unicorn. It simply has a defect or disability.

 

Just as a stripeless zebra is still, by genetics considered a zebra, and a hornless rhinoceros still a rhinoceros, not having a horn does not render a unicorn to be any less of a unicorn, unless otherwise stated.