Headcanon 50-question thing

This was going around and I decided to jump on the bandwagon. (I'll work more on my stories soon, I promise!)

The Princesses:

1. How old are Celestia and Luna?
Somewhere between 1500-2000 years

2. How old is Cadance?
Probably in thirties-forties in human years.

3. Were Celestia and Luna always alicorns, or did they ascend?
They were always alicorns

4. Are Cadance and Twilight immortal?
If they don't get killed in a battle, yes.

5. Have there been other alicorns in the past?
Yes; Celestia's and Luna's parents, and parents before them, etc.

6. How much authority do Celestia and Luna have in Equestria?
They rule the land of Equestria only, but Equestria is not the only land in the MLP world.

7. Does Shining Armor rule The Crystal Empire along side of Cadance?
Yes he does, though Cadance has slightly more power in government.

8. Other than Twilight, Luna, and Cadance, what relationships have been important to Celestia in her lifetime (students, close friends, lovers, family)?
Family- especially her mother.

Ponies and Equestrian Culture:

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)?
There are still cultural differences, but most stereotypes are gone by the time of the show. However, some of the more haughty unicorns and pegasi look down on earth ponies.

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?
No

11. Can all unicorns learn all spells, given the time and effort spent practicing them, or is magical talent usually limited in some way?
Magic talent is normally limited in some way, often only strong in one skill besides the basic levitation/teleportation. Ex- Rarity's magic has the strongest effect on cloth, gems, and thread, not so much for, say, magical attacks. It is very rare to have a unicorn greatly skilled in all magic (like Twilight)

12. Earth pony magic: Does it exist? What is it?
It definitely exists. Earth ponies have a deep connection to plants the land, and thus are generally the best farmers, miners, etc. They are also the best at fighting the way horses do; with their hooves. In addition, they are generally physically much stronger than, say, unicorns or pegasi. Also, they are often good herbalists and/or cooks.

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?
Both are equally common, and the reason depends on ancestry- older families have naming conventions, less old ones don't.

14. How much formal schooling is an average, middle class pony expected to complete?
At least 8 years of regular, public schooling, then, depending on tribe, at least four years of trade school or professional school. Ex- Flight Academy for pegasi, Magic School for unicorns, farming/herbalist school for earth ponies.

15. What’s the average lifespan for a pony? At what age is a pony expected to be independent of their parents?
The equivalent of about 80 years for a human. Usually independent by 15-20 depending on how fast they mature.

16. Are there roughly an equal number of male and female ponies?
It depends on which kingdom you travel to; for instance, in Equestria, most stallions are usually on guard duty or farming, but in other kingdoms (especially nomadic ones), not so much- some still follow the way of ancient herds; one male for a group of females or vice versa.

17. How informed are most ponies about things that happen in other parts of Equestria? What about other parts of the world?
In Equestria, most are well informed about what happens there; in the rest of the world, not so much.

The Main Characters:

18. How old are the Mane Six? Spike? The CMC?
Mane 6- equivalent of 20-25 years Spike- equivalent of 12 years CMC- equivalent of 10 years

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?
Fluttershy did remain on the ground to be closer to her animals. She drifted away from Rainbow for a long time.

20. Rarity and Applejack both seem to have grown up in Ponyville. What were their interactions like before the show?
Rarity and Applejack pretty much ignored each other before the show; Applejack was on the farm and Rarity in her boutique.

21. What do Twilight and Spike consider their relationship to be?
Sister-brother or 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 moved in after she left the rock farm. She is a worker who rented a room.

23. Who among the Mane Six had the best parents growing up? The worst parents?
Best: Twilight Sparkle because her mother is part of the reason she was forced to excel. Worst: Pinkie Pie because she and her family could not relate to each other very well.

24. Why didn’t the CMC hang out more/know each other before Call of the Cutie?
Because they were all trying to avoid their classmates for fear of being teased.

25. Is Scootaloo an orphan? Will she ever be able to fly?
Yes, Scootaloo is an orphan, thus explaining why she stays with Rainbow. She may be able to fly one day, but as of right now her wings are not strong enough.

26. Will Apple Bloom’s cutie mark involve an apple in some way, even if it’s unrelated to farming or baking?
Yes because of the way her family works. Everyone of the Apple family has a mark somehow involving apples.

27. How is Sweetie Belle’s relationship with their parents different than Rarity’s was?
Sweetie Belle is different because her parents are not home for her as much as they were for Rarity.

Side and Background Characters:

28. Is Mr. Cake the father of the Cake twins or not?
Yes

29. Are Big Mac and Cheerilee an item, romantically?
No

30. How did Prince Blueblood get his title?
I assume it has to do with his being somehow related to a high-ranking noble family and nothing to do with ability.

31. Is Silver Spoon equally as bad as Diamond Tiara?
Not so much; Silver Spoon just plays follower for fear Diamond will not want her to be friends if she stops. She actually doesn't like bullying but is insecure.

32. Is Zecora’s magic common among zebras?
Yes; among zebra tribes, plant magic (usually involving herbal potions like Zecora) or wind magic ( for speed because in their land, there are lots of things that will eat them) are very common

33. Why does Daring Do publish her stories as fiction?
To avoid someone coming after her allies or herself for revenge or to make a name for themselves.

34. Do you have a strong headcanon for any non-speaking or one line background ponies that you want to share?
No

Other Species:

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?)
Yes it does; if a creature can speak, it has more rights than one that can't and usually is more respected. Unless it tries to kill the ponies, in which case not so much.

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?
Other speaking species do indeed have their own nations. Griffins have their own kingdoms, as do dragons, deer, kirin, zebras, etc.

37. Are minotaurs related to cows at all?
They evolved from a race of sentient wild cattle, but are now a distinct species.

38. Do all zebras rhyme?
No, only the shamans and sorcerers.

39. Do zebra cutie marks work the same way as pony cutie marks?
No; for zebras, it is not so much a representation of their talent as it is of their 'helper spirit' or 'guardian spirit' that helps them through their entire life.

40. Do any species have types of magic, other than ponies and zebras?
Yes; all sentient species have their own magic.

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?
It's more because the buffalo have their own culture as nomadic warriors and thus towns are not suitable for their beliefs.

Headcanon and You:

42. Do you consider official sources other than the show (comics, card game text, movies, novels, etc.) to be canon?
The comics, definitely

43. Do you have one headcanon that you always use, or do you switch depending on projects?
Generally I only use one

44. Can you easily accept the headcanons of different writers? Do you prefer when stories match your headcanon?
I can easily accept other headcanons.

45. Is there a part of your headcanon that you wish was more popular among writers?
Yes; Equestria only being one of many kingdoms and alicorns being immortal unless they get killed.

46. Is there a popular piece of headcanon that other writers use that you dislike?
All the shipping because I don't like romance, so I just avoid romance fics.

47. Have you ever written a story or blogpost just to explain some part of your headcanon (other than this one)?
Not yet, but I probably will eventually.

48. Does your headcanon influence things like your favorite pony, ship, or episode?
Yes and no- it depends on the situation.

49. Would it bother you if the show proved part of your headcanon wrong? Any specific piece that would really bother you to lose?
Not at all since I don't really follow the show canon anyway in my stories.

50. Is there something that wasn't asked about here, but you feel like you need to explain to everyone?
No