Headcanons Galore · 1:04pm Apr 14th, 2014
Doing another one of these, because why not! Plus, you get something to read while I keep (slowly) writing Harmony Awakes.
1. How old are Celestia and Luna?
I place Celestia at around the 1500 mark, give or take a few decades, and Luna only handful of years younger.
2. How old is Cadance?
Late twenties, possibly as old as her early thirties.
3. Were Celestia and Luna always alicorns, or did they ascend?
For consistency's sake, I believe they did ascend. Personally, I think they were both unicorns prior to their ascension.
4. Are Cadance and Twilight immortal?
Not... yet? It's weird to explain, but I think they have to grow into their roles more before they attain that. To simplify, Twilight and Cadence are Stage 1 Alicorns, while Celestia and Luna have reached Stage 2. (Stage 3 = Fausticorn, Creator of Worlds :P)
5. Have there been other alicorns in the past?
I think there have been. This ties into part of my ridiculously over-thought lorecrafting, but I think that key facets of the world have always been under the control of Alicorns. I believe they are part of the world as much as Harmony itself.
6. How much authority do Celestia and Luna have in Equestria?
I believe they are more than figureheads, but less than diarchs. 'Princess' is not the title of the highest authority in a kingdom. In terms of day-to-day matters, I think Celestia and Luna have only perfunctory duties, the rest being taken care of by a sort of Pony Parliament or Senate. Elected officials are canonical, after all.
7. Does Shining Armor rule The Crystal Empire along side of Cadance?
I'd say that's a fair statement, though I believe Cadance shoulders the bulk of the royal duties while Shining, being an experienced officer, likely manages logistics and defense.
8. Other than Twilight, Luna, and Cadance, what relationships have been important to Celestia in her lifetime (students, close friends, lovers, family)?
Starswirl was likely her mentor first, and close adviser later. I also think she had many students, each of them dear to her. But if you ask me if she's been romantically involved, I don't think Celestia would have the heart to pursue that, given her apparent immortality. Watching students come and go is probably hard enough for her, so I can't see her letting herself get emotionally invested in a lover.
9. Are there still cultural differences between earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns, or is the culture homogeneous by the time shown in canon? Are there cultural stereotypes (positive or negative)?
Yes, I do believe there are distinct cultural differences between the three, and the stereotypes that go with them. They share the greater part of the unified culture of Equestria, but due to just their physical differences alone, not to mention historical precedence, it would be unrealistic to assume that certain practices and traditions didn't differ between the three races.
10. Are there foods or items native to Cloudsdale that are uncommon on the ground? Are there foods or items on the ground that are uncommon in Cloudsdale?
To be honest, I've never thought about that. However, taking the story of Hearth's Warming, I would say no. The Pegasi of Cloudsdale are as reliant on earth-grown crops as their ancestors were. So I imagine they eat the same things their earthbound counterparts do.
11. Can all unicorns learn all spells, given the time and effort spent practicing them, or is magical talent usually limited in some way?
I'd say most utilitarian spells could be learned, but to say total magical mastery is possible for all unicorns would be akin to saying that all runners can run a 4-minute mile, triathlons, and full marathons. There a some gifted individuals who can, but most runners specialize in single events. So Twilight and Starswirl could run the full gamut of spells, however Trixie specializes in illusion, and Rarity in precision telekinetics. So I'd say total mastery is an uncommon trait.
12. Earth pony magic: Does it exist? What is it?
I think so. It's the kind of magic that doesn't show outwardly in a fashion that seems fantastical. They're stronger than their frames would conceivably allow and they're attuned to the world around them in ways the other races aren't. I don't think they're aware of their magic either, except in unique circumstances like Pinkie and Cheese. It just simply is part of their very existence, and operates without their conscious input.
13. Some pony families we’ve seen seem to have naming conventions (the Apples, Twilight’s family) and others don’t appear to (Rarity’s family, Pinkie’s family), which is more common? Are there reasons for one or the other?
I think themed names are common, even shared surnames in some cases. But I also think that some ponies change their names when their talents manifest; a kind of earned name, rather than a given name.
14. How much formal schooling is an average, middle class pony expected to complete?
GED equivalent. Anything beyond that would be tailored to talent fields if necessary, and often, it's not.
15. What’s the average lifespan for a pony? At what age is a pony expected to be independent of their parents?
I think ponies of the show have longer lifespans than humans, and the average would be different by race. I think Pegasi, with their rapid metabolisms, likely live an average of 100 years. Unicorns around 110. And earth ponies pushing 150+. I think the expectation is that once both your cutie mark is revealed and your basic education complete, that would be when you're expected to begin living independently. Not in the kick-you-out-the-door kind of way, but in the sense that upon reaching that stage, you should be actively pursuing independence. That being said, this stage likely hits somewhere in the 18-20 year range, about the same as humans.
16. Are there roughly an equal number of male and female ponies?
I should hope so! I'd hate to learn that our pastel-colored friends are sliding towards extinction D:
17. How informed are most ponies about things that happen in other parts of Equestria? What about other parts of the world?
News seems to travel by delivery and word-of-mouth, so I imagine it takes a few days to a few weeks for events to circulate across the country. Ponies also seem to have annoyingly bad memories, so take that as you will.
18. How old are the Mane Six? Spike? The CMC?
I peg Twilight Sparkle as being in her early to mid twenties. Applejack and Rarity would both be pushing thirty. Fluttershy would be a couple years younger than Twilight, Pinkie a year younger than her, and Rainbow would be right about the 18-20 range. Spike is probably only round about 7-10 years younger than Twilight, so that puts him in his tweens or early teens. The CMC are younger than Spike by several years. I think Apple Bloom is the oldest of the three, followed by Sweetie, then Scoots.
19. Did Fluttershy remain on the ground after getting her cutie mark? Were she and Rainbow Dash friends all along, or did they drift apart for a while?
I think she probably moved to Ponyville not long after that point. With her cutie mark and basic education finished, she'd be the first of the two pegasi to move out. Rainbow would have followed her down a year or two later, just in time for Twilight to move into town. I'd say they stayed good friends, good enough that Rainbow decided to live down closer to the ground, rather than up in Cloudsdale where her Wonderbolt heroes live.
20. Rarity and Applejack both seem to have grown up in Ponyville. What were their interactions like before the show?
I'd say "Look Before You Sleep" is a nice summary of how they got along back then, or rather, didn't. I don't think they spent much time around each-other.
21. What do Twilight and Spike consider their relationship to be?
Siblings would be putting it too simply, and calling Twilight Spike's mother destroys a lot of the dynamics already established. I think they get along in the same way an older sister raising a younger brother would. More than siblings, but not mother-son.
22. When did Pinkie move in with the Cakes? Is she a worker who rents a room, an apprentice, or is there some other relationship?
Pinkie was probably the first of the girls who were not from Ponyville to move in. Pinkie was probably taught by her mother, and so learned nothing more or less than the basics. Once she got her cutie mark, it would have been evident to the family that her talents were not going to be well-suited to the rock farm, so Cloudy and Igneous probably encouraged her to go to nearby Ponyville. There she met the Cakes, and agreed to pay for the use of one of their spare rooms by working in the bakery. And, well, the rest is history!
23. Who among the Mane Six had the best parents growing up? The worst parents?
I think they all had good home lives. Different from each other, certainly, but none of their upbringings seem bad or even comparatively worse. So I'm not going to make a call on that.
24. Why didn’t the CMC hang out more/know each other before Call of the Cutie?
It seems they were in different classes, meaning that there's an age difference within the group. Only after the events of S1E1 did they end up in the same class,
25. Is Scootaloo an orphan? Will she ever be able to fly?
No, she's not an orphan, any more than I think Flutters is an orphan. And I frankly don't care if she flies or not, she's "all kinds of awesome anyway"!
26. Will Apple Bloom’s cutie mark involve an apple in some way, even if it’s unrelated to farming or baking?
I think cutie marks are family themed, with a few stipulations. If your talent can be related to your family's theme, your cutie mark keeps the family theme. If your talent is something way out of left field, like Pinkie Pie's, then the talent takes precedent, and you get a unique cutie mark.
27. How is Sweetie Belle’s relationship with her parents different than Rarity’s was?
Not too much different, I imagine. Rarity was always a more independent spirit, looking to strike out on her own early on. Sweetie doesn't seem to have that same drive, but while Rarity wants to distance herself from her more homely roots (not in a cold or malicious way, mind), Sweetie doesn't seem to mind.
28. Is Mr. Cake the father of the Cake twins or not?
While the in-scene joke was worth a chuckle, yes I do think they twins are his. I don't see infidelity being in either of the Cake's character traits.
29. Are Big Mac and Cheerilee an item, romantically?
I think they may be exploring the idea, but I don't think they're an item yet.
30. How did Prince Blueblood get his title?
The explanation I use is that he is the current heir of the old Unicorn Royal Family, tracing his bloodline back to Princess Platinum's father, the old Unicorn King. I think they got to keep their lesser titles, but had to give up "King" and "Queen" since they were uniting with the other two races. Blueblood would be the Crown Prince of Unicornia if the old Unicorn Kingdom was still a thing.
31. Is Silver Spoon equally as bad as Diamond Tiara?
I think she's a social chameleon. She imitates the tactics and mannerisms of whichever pony has the most sway and piggy-backs off of their influence. By herself, I imagine she's naturally rather friendly, but is willing to change herself to match whatever places her in the most advantageous position. If Diamond Tiara didn't have the kind of influence in the class that she does, I imagine Silver would have fallen in with the Crusaders rather willingly.
32. Is Zecora’s magic common among zebras?
I'd say it's common among their Shaman, which Zecora appears to be.
33. Why does Daring Do publish her stories as fiction?
I think she does it because she enjoys telling other ponies about what she's done, even if what she's doing doesn't have any immediate effect on Equestria as a whole. The Tenochtitlan Valley's artifact-controlled climate seems to be only a local problem. Why worry the whole of the nation when the worst that happens is 800 years of heat in an isolated basin in the north-west?
34. Do you have a strong headcanon for any non-speaking or one line background ponies that you want to share?
I play along with most of the headcanons in the fandom, though recently I've begun to entertain the idea that Vinyl Scratch may be a mute; unable to speak. It presents a lot of cool dynamics and an interesting twist on her fanon friendship with Octavia.
35. Does Equestria differentiate between speaking and non-speaking species, in terms of respect, rights and legal responsibilities? Is there some other line or scale used? (For example, how are cows classified? Diamond Dogs? A chimera?)
I imagine so, on some level. I imagine speech is the requirement for legal rights to apply. Beyond that, I really don't give it much thought.
36. Do other speaking species form their own nations, or are all nations largely integrated, with some having larger populations of a species than others?
Griffon Kingdoms, Zebra Nations, and Buffalo Tribes all lend credence to the idea that other animals have whole geographical nations for themselves. I imagine there's some intermingling, but if Equestria is our representation of a nation is that world, then they're mostly homogeneous.
37. Are minotaurs related to cows at all?
Only in form. They likely have their own nation.
38. Do all zebras rhyme?
The way it flows so naturally for Zecora, I'll bet it's common among them to express their thoughts in rhyme.
39. Do zebra cutie marks work the same way as pony cutie marks?
I don't see why they wouldn't. Though perhaps theirs are more consistent in their symbology and meaning than ponies'.
40. Do any species have types of magic, other than ponies and zebras?
I'd like to think so. I often thing of Griffon Magisters with staves and orbs, or a nation of Deer who gain and lose their magical abilities with the seasons.
41. Is the lack of buffalo presence in Equestria cultural, or simply because most pony towns aren’t built to accommodate a full grown buffalo?
Strictly cultural, I think. The Buffalo appear to be rather isolationist in their ways.
42. Do you consider official sources other than the show (comics, card game text, movies, novels, etc.) to be canon?
I consider the comics to be canon unless the canon of the show contradicts the comics. So far, they're compatible.
43. Do you have one headcanon that you always use, or do you switch depending on projects?
If I'm setting a story in the show's Equestria, then I stick to the world building I've already done. I like keeping that consistency across such stories.
44. Can you easily accept the headcanons of different writers? Do you prefer when stories match your headcanon?
The headcanons of others don't affect mine at all, so I can enjoy any story.
45. Is there a part of your headcanon that you wish was more popular among writers?
Not really. Most of what I do is extrapolate history based on what we know from the show.
46. Is there a popular piece of headcanon that other writers use that you dislike?
Most shippings. I don't ship in general, and definitely not between the Mane6. I am adamant that the show's focus of friendship should be central. While I can read a good ship fic, and enjoy it for what it is; on some level I'm always reminding myself that it's just headcanon to keep from rejecting the story prematurely.
47. Have you ever written a story or blogpost just to explain some part of your headcanon (other than this one)?
I tried once. Even opened a whole blog to explore Equestria's backstory. I couldn't get a good format for it, though, and closed it down.
48. Does your headcanon influence things like your favorite pony, ship, or episode?
Rarely, though I do prefer episodes that build the world over pure slice of life stories. "Testing, Testing, 1-2-3" is a good example of the kind of episode I like; tons of new information about Equestria.
49. Would it bother you if the show proved part of your headcanon wrong? Any specific piece that would really bother you to lose?
The focus on Friendship. The show could do a lot of other things and I'll forgive it, but if it ever loses the focus on Friendship... I'm not sure how I'd react.
50. Is there something that wasn't asked about here, but you feel like you need to explain to everyone?
I have expanded the information in the show to create a whole history for Equestria, from its mythological creation up through to the start of Season 1, and I've been building and refining that history ever since "The Return of Harmony" aired.
Oh boy, another chain blog, but this one actually intrigues me.
I'm gonna make one.
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