Which would be worse, a unicorn who loses magic, or a pegasus who loses flying?

[CatCat 1,115]

I honestly don't know on this, what do yall think? 

[Odyssey 5,713]

If we're talking about pony race as a whole? I think that all pegasi losing their ability to fly is much worse. You got them living in the clouds, walking on clouds and manipulating the weather. Without those things, Equestria would be in a lot of stormy chaos! 

[Kadae 655]

I think this really depends on the actual pony in question! I think it'd be worse for a very magical unicorn to lose their horn than it would be for a very grounded pegasus to lose their wings, and also worse for a very flappy pegasus to lose their wings than it would be for a very hooves-on unicorn to lose their horn.

[Dashy 4 Ever 4,832]

If there are pegasuses out there like Dashie, then I don't even want to imagine how they'd react.

[Cash In 21,489]

I'd say a pegasus that loses their wings would generally be worse. Even though magic is a significant trait of a unicorn, I feel that pegasi would be much more reliant on their flight than unicorns with their magic. This also could be a case by case situation, as some would have a greater attachment towards their ability than others. For example, Rainbow Dash would be much more devastated to lose flight than somepony like Fluttershy. The same applies with magic. 

[SharpWit 2,472]

Be worse to be a Pegasus losing flight. Let's look at the Unicorn first.

While losing use of any appendage can be a deeply hurtful loss in terms of capability and identity, a unicorn is visually presented with everything the same way. They have to look at an item and focus on the task. the difference here is that they now must do thing's physically. If they don't have the skills already to cope, then they can learn. It won't be easy, but there's a curve to it. A unicorn can do anything an earth pony can in terms of just physical action. Careful hoofwork will be time consuming, but most things a unicorn was doing before can still be done.

A Pegasus though, has a whole other hurdle. There's no real substitute for flight. Sure artificial wings could be developed and there's gliders and other sporting wear that could help provide an adrenaline rush, but the former required a war of attrition with every resource being put to use in order to accomplish if we go by what we've seen in the show, and the latter is like getting a "high" where you always come crashing down afterwards and the pain never really goes away. Not to mention, Pegasi have a much stronger identity. Unicorns may dominate the upper-class and much of high society, but they're not truly united. Pegasi have an area all their own, the sky is theirs and theirs alone. Take away their wings and you take away not just an ability, but a way of life, a whole world.

To lose your horn would be a punishment. To lose your wings would be damnation.

[CheeryFox 23,811]

Probs not flying. I wanna say losing magic would be like your remote control not working anymore vs. a quicker way to travel is no longer an option.

[Splashee 28,537]

Isn't this question like "What is worst, losing your sight, our your hearing"?

 

I think both are horrible, and no one can really be better than the other.

[Latecomer 438]

14 hours ago, Kadae said:

I think this really depends on the actual pony in question! I think it'd be worse for a very magical unicorn to lose their horn than it would be for a very grounded pegasus to lose their wings, and also worse for a very flappy pegasus to lose their wings than it would be for a very hooves-on unicorn to lose their horn.

Indeed - you need only contrast the possibilities among the Manes to see this.

As an analogy for humans - would you rather lose an arm or a leg? Different people will pick differntly.

2 hours ago, Splashee said:

Isn't this question like "What is worst, losing your sight, our your hearing"?

 

I think both are horrible, and no one can really be better than the other.

Perhaps not the best example, given how much more dependent we are on sight.

 

 

[Lunatic_Moonwalker 52]

In both cases they would become an Earth Pony and there will be several changes to their life, but its an immense loss anyway.

Lets take Tempest as an example. She lost her horn when she was young, but then she developed new skills other than magic that helped her to manage things just in another way. She became a important and powerful character, but she was always trying to get back her magic.

I think its worse to lose a horn because Unicorns use thair magic more often than Pegasi thair flying. Unicorns use thair magic for many different things, some powerful unicorns can fly with thair magic too (Starlight), so they have to change the way they do almost everything. Pegasi use thair hooves most time just like Eath Ponys.

[Latecomer 438]

1 minute ago, Lunatic_Moonwalker said:

In both cases they would become an Earth Pony

No, not really.

[Buzz 1,769]

Depends on the context:

If we're talking about individual loss, id go with unicorns have it harder. Pegasi may not be able to fly, but that doesn't mean their wings don't have purpose. We've seen in the show pegasi holding items in their wings that earth ponies would use their mouths for, making them still plausible for day to day activities, or at the very least they cane be used as shelves. However, unicorns use magic to perform a lot of what they can do, without it they're just earth ponies with an extra bone on their head. 

However, if we're talking about groups or equestria as a whole, then pegasi have it rougher. Not only are the the weather brigade of the land but also a significant amount of them live in the sky on clouds. This would cause severe consequences to all of equestria, not just the pegasi. Meanwhile some of what unicorns can do can be acomplished through alternative methods: Got a heavy object: get some other ponies, need a magic remedy: brew it instead of casting, etc.

[Lucky Bolt 34,914]

A Pegasus who loses flying! A Pegasus isn’t a Pegasus without her flappers!

[Landi 597]

This question is a bit hard in the sense that it is based on the individual. We have seen examples of Pegasi who fly a ton and some who don't do it as much. Same goes for the Unicorns. Not only that, but some ponies may be more adaptable than others. So it's really hard to answer in that sense.

Although, I do feel that there is an answer. As a whole, Pegasi would be the most affected by this. The main reason is how so many Pegasi attribute themselves to skyward living. Many Pegasi live in cloud cities and spend their time trying to control the weather. When it comes to Unicorns, they don't tend to adopt this big magic reliant culture. Some do but not nearly as much as Pegasi. And speaking of weather, Equestria would be utterly screwed if the Pegasi lost their flight. Weather would be uncontrolled and chaos would ensue. It wouldn't affect Equestria as much if Unicorns lost their magic because it's the princesses who control the sun and the moon (or I guess that would be twilight now). Both cases are pretty bad, but in general, Pegasi losing their flight would be worse.

[Emerald Heart 24,559]

Neither would be bad. They're just downgraded to Earth Ponies.

But you know what would be worse than both?

If the Earth Ponies lost their legs. 

[Splashee 28,537]

On 1/26/2020 at 1:02 PM, Lucky Bolt said:

A Pegasus who loses flying! A Pegasus isn’t a Pegasus without her flappers!

Poor Scootaloo She's just a chicken.

[ExplosionMare 18,007]

A Pegasus losing flight cause they could lose it in midair and crash

[Lunatic_Moonwalker 52]

23 hours ago, ExplosionMare said:

A Pegasus losing flight cause they could lose it in midair and crash

A Unicorn could lose the magic while carrying something heavy in a crowd that could drop down and hurt somepony 

[Splashee 28,537]

1 minute ago, Lunatic_Moonwalker said:

A Unicorn could lose the magic while carrying something heavy in a crowd that could drop down and hurt somepony 

That's why everypony needs a Pinkie Pie (Hasbro has on sale!), to detect when a random accident will happen.

[Dragonia009 6]

On 1/27/2020 at 5:16 AM, Emerald Heart said:

Neither would be bad. They're just downgraded to Earth Ponies.

But you know what would be worse than both?

If the Earth Ponies lost their legs. 

Hmm, they would be downgraded, but not exactly to earth ponies.

I mean, they have their own kind of magic, like strength and having a connection to nature. And I'm pretty sure more than that which wasn't touched clear in the show. They would look like an earth pony, but still have the same strength and so on as before.

However, I agree that it would be much worse if earth ponies lost their legs... or they could have wheels instead of legs

[EpicEnergy 22,064]

I think both would be equally as terrible to lose.

[Evil Pink One 12,953]

About scootaloo being a chicken... Chickens can fly. don't you guys know that? They usually nest or roost on top of a barn or tree... What ?somepony put them there just to crow? 

So scootaloo being a chicken is actually a ....compliment?

And an earth pony without an earth is worst

[Widdershins 9,955]

5 hours ago, Kujamih said:

And an earth pony without an earth is worst

Yeehaw! I done did me an Earth! Reckon ah'm a earthin' all over tha place what with me capacity to Earth!

(Earth is technically the name of the planet Humans live on... not, like... the element, so.... Confusing.)

 But that's kind of my point, I feel. Magic is a skill. Like losing your capacity to do math. 

 The question first stated was specifically if the Magic was lost, not the horn. One does assume horn injuries might lead to that though. It's why I felt Tempest Shadow was unjust in feeling she was nothing without magic... but moreover that she took her horn breaking so hard, that it became an point of becoming ostracized. That the way she took it did more damage than what was actually happening. After all, a few mean comments from other small children are typical.... see Scootaloo and the rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

 No doubt there's many unicorns out there who just don't have the training, skill or mental focus and fortitude to do magic even somewhat like what other unicorns. Losing magic, I feel, doesn't impact you quite as much. You could relearn, or live life without the capacity to levitate things or give sentience to inanimate objects. 

 But now losing wingpower.... especially when wings are notoriously fickle. 

 We've seen Cloudsdale, home of the Birbhorse Pegasai race is almost solely dependent on having flight or pegasus magic to navigate it. I don't care how solid they make those clouds, I am an Earth Pony by nature and it's creepy as all Get Down to be so high up you can't see the ground! Their ancestoral home is predicated on flight, losing it would not only mean perhaps some social judgement but likely not even being able to get around as much up there! 

 If Rainbow Dash is anything to go by, pegasai are as dependent on their wings as most are with their dominant hand. RD practically prefers fluttering over standing in place! Losing one's wings, to any extent, is definitionally quite crippling. They might still be able to walk freely... but that motion is about as practical to a pegasus's mind as dancing down the street.

 I'd take losing a mental skill over a physical skill!