The Ponies Answer: Part One · 3:47am Jun 9th, 2013
We got a bunch of questions from y'all, and it's gonna take a while to get answers to everypony- um, I mean, everyhuman? All y'all. But we might as well get this rodeo started! I'm gonna kick things off.
Dear anypony,
If Dog spelled backwards is God, then do I have to offer squirrel sacrifices to Sparky to ensure a good harvest? - North Carolina
If ya' can catch the varmints.
Heh, sorry, didn't know Fluttershy got to read this. I shouldn't be makin' jokes like that.
You don't gotta sacrifice any kind of critter for a good harvest, and a dog'll be just as happy with a new toy as a dead squirrel... okay, that ain't true, but they'll be happy 'nough, and some other ponies'll be a lot happier.
Dear Rarity, Rainbow Dash, or Pinkie Pie,
I'm attracted to a friend of three years (we're both humans, by the way), but I'm not quite sure exactly how I feel about her. I get jealous when she's seeing someone, but I also don't think that we would be the world's best couple (she hates reading, I love reading, etc etc).
But here's my question: how do you know the difference between love and infatuation? Should I act on these feelings if I'm not sure if i'd even be a good match for her? - Anytown, USA
A question about romance! Wonderful!
In answer to your question, darling, love begins as infatuation. If a relationship is meant to be then love grows, while infatuation fades with familiarity.
I would recommend trying to find out if your potential inamorata also has an infatuation- drop hints and try to arrange for time together without distraction. If she seems receptive, then ask her out on a date. From there, things will either blossom into the beauty of true love, or it won't. If the worst happens, nopony will be to blame, and if you both act like reasonable pon- I mean, people, you should be able to preserve your friendship.
It's important to remember with this plan, when looking for hints of her affection, to think rationally. Reading someone can be tricky, so wait until you are certain before you make your move, or else prepare yourself to accept heartache gracefully.
Never mind Rarity, I got this one.
First, tell her to like reading. It's awesome.
Second, when you get that straightened out, you'll have something in common.
Third, ask her out. Tell her she's cool, and you're cool, and together you'd be radicool. (Twilight says that’s not how it’s spelled, but her spelling isn’t cool enough.) Anyway, if you're not that great together, you'll figure it out, and at least you tried!
Oh, this is a hard one.
Okay, the important thing is that you’re friends. So you want to make her happy, and she wants to make you happy, and it makes you happy when she’s happy, and it makes her happy when you’re happy, and it makes you happy that she’s happy when you’re happy, and it makes her happy that you’re happy when she’s happy, and-
Oh yeah, you had a question! If it makes you happy when she’s happy, you should ask her out. If she says it would make her happy to go out with you, then that will make you happy! If she says it will make her happy not to go out with you, then that should make you happy too, because it makes her happy! And if you’re happy that she’s happy, it will make her happy, and nopony is sad.
Then you can go out and have fun as long as it makes you both happy, or you can keep being friends!
Dear anypony,
I'm home from college for the summer, and I'm VERY VERY VERY unemployed. How do I get a job? -CT
Looks like I get this one, since I’m the only one of us who’s ever actually looked for a job. (Turns out Pinkie just kind of moved into Sugarcube Corner, and the Cakes didn’t have the heart to throw her out. I’m not sure that one’s gonna work for anypony else.)
Okay, what you have to do is show people you’re the best at whatever it is you do. Not pretty good, not one of the best, but the very best. If you have to fill out an application, make sure it looks nice and neat. Don’t spill soda on it, or get it all wrinkled. When you give it to a pony, make sure your mane or hair or whatever is brushed, and you don’t look like your flew through a hailstorm; and that goes double for the interview.
Also, when they ask you stuff like “what’s your worst quality?” or “what’s a problem you had in your last job?” or “you got fired for napping, didn’t you?” they don’t want the real answers. They’re checking to see if you’re smart enough to figure that out. (I learned that one the hard way. There’s a reason I’m not on Manehattan weather patrol.)
That’s another thing- if you can’t find a job someplace you really want to work, try places that don’t seem as cool. Sometimes the ponies you’re around will make a kind of crummy job a lot better than you thought it would be.
Anypony, or even everypony: What makes a good breakfast? -Europe, Earth.
Muffins! Or danishes, or donuts, or bear claws... the yummy cakey kind with pecans, not the kind with real claws, I mean, unless you’re a griffon or something. Do they have griffons in Europe?
Pinkie! Europe is on Earth. Remember what I told you? There are no griffons on Earth.
Also, those things Pinkie mentioned do make a good breakfast, as long as they’re balanced with more nutritious food like milk and fruit. People need vitamins just like ponies, they’re way more important than you probably realize for both physical and mental health.
All that makes a good start, I reckon, but you oughta toss in some eggs, and maybe some flapjacks too. Breakfast is fuel for the day, and you don’t wanna be gettin’ hungry again a few hours later and havta stop and eat.
That is all assuming that one wants the figure of a large stallion. A lady may prefer to have a half a grapefruit and a cup of tea.
Um... then why do you ask for some of Elisabeak’s eggs?
I- um, that is... what do you have for breakfast, darling?
Oatmeal, with cream and sugar.
Yeah, she has that every. Single. Day. Anyway, the best thing to have is whatever’s on the table at Sugarcube Corner or Sweet Apple Acres. Don’t go to the library, Spike will roll his eyes at you if you do that too much, and Rarity always hides the good stuff at the Boutique if somepony else is around, and breakfast at Fluttershy’s is always kind of boring.
You... never make your own breakfast?
Um, no? Other ponies make awesome breakfasts!
Anyway, while we’re mostly here to offer advice, a few readers had some different kinds of questions for us. I can’t promise we’ll answer them all, but we hate to let a reader down.
The Elements of Harmony jewels, at least in my head canon, were created to contain the Gods of Equestria should they ever enter their state of darkness, such as Luna or Discord did, as well as any of the other three (or rather four if Twilight Sparkle counts) sometime in their centuries of life.
My question is....
Could you ever go against your element and not suffer negative consequences?
If so, then when would such be?
Also, would any of you say you had your own darkness before or after being bonded with the jewels? -FiMfiction.net
That’s an interesting theory about the elements! I’ll have to discuss it with Princess Celestia.
But, as to your question, yes, we can go against our elements. But it kind of depends on what you mean by “negative consequences.”
Our elements aren’t like a spell that makes us do something; they’re something about friendship that we understand. For the other girls, it came naturally, they knew that honesty, kindness, loyalty, generosity, and laughter were important parts of friendship. At first I didn’t understand friendship at all, but when I saw it in action it all fell into place. My talent with magic, and understanding of the elements, is what lets me use them.
So, the elements of harmony are the things that make a friendship strong, and we all understand that. We can act against our elements; sometimes it’s the right thing to do. Pinkie knows that there are times and places where ponies shouldn’t be laughing, and Applejack knows that sometimes being too honest will hurt a pony’s feelings. And sometimes there’s just no way to avoid acting against our elements; Rainbow is the Element of Loyalty, but if two different ponies need her, she still can't be in two places at once. (No, Rainbow, you’re not allowed to use the mirrorpool, no matter how “awesome” it would be.)
But I said I wasn’t sure about negative consequences. The virtues of the elements keep our friendship strong, and going against them makes it weaker. We forgive each other when it’s just every now and then, and when our friend’s heart is in the right place; but if one of us usually acted against her element, it would be hard to stay friends with her.
As far as darkness, that’s kind of a philosophical question. The question of whether ponies are born evil, and learn to be good, or born in a state of innocence and corrupted has been debated by very wise ponies for centuries! Fet Locke argued that--
Well now! Thanks for answerin’ that, Twilight. I reckon you’re right, we were all just nice, normal ponies before we became elements of harmony, so we got our good and bad like everypony else.
That isn’t quite what I was going to say.
I know, sugarcube. But, uh, you ain’t gonna have time to write up any of them little bits on the bottom of the page, if ya’ go into this here and now!
Footnotes? You’re right! This will need citation, too! Okay, I guess the full answer will have to wait. I’m sorry.
Dear Fluttershy,
Did you have to get a license and training for what you do?
If so, how long did it take to get them?
Did it cost much?
Where did you meet Angel Bunny and what made you keep the little.....fluffy bunny as a pet aside from the other animals in your cottage? -fimfiction.net
Dear Fluttershy,
What can you tell me about the animals you keep in your home of rest?
Can they talk? -fimfiction.net Thank you for asking about my animal friends.
Um, I don’t really have much training on how to take care of them. I read quite a few books about it, after I got my cutie mark, and of course being able to talk to them helps a lot. They’re always happy to answer questions for me.
I didn’t really buy any of them. Some of them lived around Ponyville, and decided to stay with me, (I always have room for one more,) and others found themselves in trouble around Equestria. Some of the veterinarians know that this is my special talent, so they help the animals get to my house because they know they’ll be well cared for.
I don’t get paid for my job, but lots of ponies give me gifts and money to help me take care of my animals and the animals around Ponyville. Some of the ponies who used to keep the more exotic pets have been very generous, knowing that they came to a good home.
As for Angel... I suppose he needs me the most. He can be a hoofful sometimes, but his heart is in the right place. I know that he really appreciates my attention, more than any of my animal friends. I like to feel needed, and Angel does a very good job of helping me in return.
Um, animals can’t talk, but I never have trouble understanding them anyway. Cows, mules, donkeys, buffalo, zebras, and griffons can talk, but they’re no more animals than ponies are! 
Just how old IS Granny Smith? Or is that too personal?
Well, I reckon it ain’t too personal, it’s just a complicated question.
You gotta remember, Granny was born a long time ago, and my great-grandfolks were travelin’ seed collectors. She wasn’t born in a hospital, and nopony bothered with a birth certificate back in those days.
Then, on top of all that, well... how can I put this. Her memory ain’t quite what it was, and she gets a mite mixed up sometimes.
So I can’t say for sure how old she is. She’s at least pushin’ one hundred years old, but she could be even older than that! She ain’t doin’ too bad when it comes to that, now is she?
(Oh, if you’re referin’ to that mix-up ‘bout how old Ponyville is, that’s real simple to clear up. Some ol’ map makers accidentally put a dot on the map for a village here, but they never named it, and nopony lived here. Princess Celestia gave my family the land for Sweet Apple Acres ‘bout ninety five years ago, and we were the first ponies in these parts, which ya’ kinda need to have a town. But some old books say we been around longer, just ‘cause of that dot on the maps. It’s real easy to get wrong, but I got Twilight straightened out on it.)
That’s all for now, but there’s more to come! Submit questions for us here: Ask a Pony!
Whoah, that was really fast. Good stuff.
Very nice, I liked this.
I also couldn't see this without hearing Cold in Gardez talk about breakfast and the Elements...
i.imgur.com/IbDeO.png
Nice answer on the town's age and Granny Smith's ( although I've always preferred to think that Granny Smith was a badflank monster hunter in her youth along with her partner Granny Pie and their various adventures and clashes with the supernatural along with their insane training to face such threats has left them too tough to die).
This was very entertaining.
Also, fly-by breakfasts are best breakfasts.
Wow, these are some really cool, well thought out responses. Really in character with all of them. Well done!
My new favourite blog. Well done!
Now waiting when my question will get answered.
That was a perfect answer to my breakfast question. Fly by breakfasts *do* sound like what she'd do.
edit: this sounds like something to include in fics!
Wow this s a really cool idea, and as with all your stuff, excuted very well. I only wish you could ask them questions about themselves, like on a tumblr blog. But still fun anyways