Headcanon Questions

While I doubt anyone will read this I wanted to write it down for myself if nobody else. I read this on Visiden Visidane's blog and I didn't agree with his on everything he said so I thought I should answer it myself. I did draw my original perception of Equestria from the show but as I read some of the better stories I have grown to like and incorporate some of those ideas into my own headcanon.

The Princesses

1. How old are Princess Celestia and Luna?
Always imagined them to be older than Discord. There was a time when the races didn't get along if you believe the heartswarming tale so they didn't exist before then. I like to think that they were among the unicorns who raised the sun and moon but when Discord appeared they went on a quest to save Equestria and found the tree of harmony and ascended like Twilight did and gained absolute powers over the sun and moon. (Totally thought this before the tree of harmony was officially either thanks to a pic I saw.)

2. How old is Cadance?
She is probably about as Old as Shining Armor we see her growing up in the show and they look to be aging at a similar rate but I don't have much to base that belief on. (While I own the books I have yet stop reading fanfic long enough to read them instead.)

3. Were Celestia and Luna always alicorns? Or did they ascend?
I like to think that they ascended and that alicorns, once ascended gained immortality as well as duty specific special abilities.

4. Are Cadance and Twilight immortal?
Simple answer is no. The better answer is I don't believe they should be alicorns as I do think alicorns should be immortal. Unless they give a justification why Celestia and Luna are "special" alicorns this should not be the case. Maybe immortality was the price they had to pay to the tree of harmony to ascend, take control of the sun and moon from Discord, and restore balance to Equestria. For all time.

5. Have there been other alicorns in the past?
For the show no. For my own maybe. I was strongly considering writing a story where there were other alicorns all governing the world. Some were killed during a war with the dragonequus. All the rest fell beside the princesses fell into hibernation to heal and that is why the world needs ponies to change the seasons, because the alicorns that did these duties are not fit to at the present time.

6. How much authority does Celestia and Luna have in Equestria?
They have the final word on everything. They usually do not resort to executive orders very often and only in the most dire of circumstances and would rather the ponies did not rely on them for their every needs.

7. Does Shining Armor rule the Crystal Empire alongside Cadance?
Yes. I like to think that Cadance focuses on the political aspects and Armor the guard and security. They do share power though.

8. Other than Twilight, Luna, and Cadance, what relationships have been important to Celestia in her lifetime (students, close friends, lovers, family)?
I think Celestia did have a family (sorta) at one time. Some how she ended up with royal nieces and nephews. It had been hypothesized that after Luna was banished she became lonely and 'adopted' which eventually led to Blueblood and Cadance's relationship with her. Before Equestria girls I did not consider that Celestia might have had a student before Twilight. However that idea makes a great deal of sense and I have since adopted it.

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)?
I believe the "the Earth Pony Way" is mentioned in the show. I especially like 'how the Earth Pony Way' is an actual set of rules among earth ponies in the winningverse just as pegasi who live in clouds have a culture around that. I would also say that some aspects of the original tribal culture still persist. Like how Rainbow was able to draft all the pegasi for Tornado Day. The cultures have mixed but they still have aspects that are distinct to each tribe, like the horn rings that can't be worn by any other tribe of pony.

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?
Possibly. It is never mentioned in the show directly or indirectly to my knowledge. I would saw it has items made specially because it is the center of weather control and as such has some unique items but I would argue any cloud city would have similar products. If non-pegasi and items alike fall through clouds then they must make something that can be suspended by clouds. Likely made usuing pegasi magic without the help of unicorns. Like thundersteel from the winningverse.

11. Can all unicorns learn all spells, given the time and effort spent practicing them, or is magical talent usually limited in some way?
Yes but it is far more difficult for a unicorn to learn something outside their talent set thus many don't even bother. Magical strength is also an issue as Twilight is shown to be an incredibly powerful unicorn and is described as being far more stronger than the average. I heard it described as being similar to lung capacity. Simple breathes are easy but holding it for a long period of time or a large amount can be taxing and then the user must catch their breath before doing magic again.

12. Earth pony magic: Does it exist? What is it?
Absolutely! I always imagined the three tribes as being different but equal. Earth pony magic was just more passive than the others. Earth ponies are more stronger, faster, more enduring than the average ponies for the most part. They also have magic that allows them to grow plants that the others lack as well as commune with animals. I like to think that Pinkies unusual abilities are in part active earth pony magic that she is able to control. If nothing else the pinkie sense as an early warning to danger is an interesting idea. Finally earth ponies have a greater affinity with the arts than other ponies as well as being more dexterous than the other tribes. This is why we see so many earth pony musicians in the show. (There are exceptions of course like Fluttershy and her animals or non-earth pony artists but these are rare in comparison.

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 that families that 'earn' a title like to keep it in the name. Maybe Celestia bestows a honor on an ancestor and those dissidents want to keep it in the family. I believed there is magic involved a parent would know the right name for their foal and would give it. It was usually accurate but in the case that it wasn't the pony would change their name when they got their cutie mark or left home.

14. How much formal schooling is an average, middle class pony expected to complete?
Fillies and colts go through schooling up until they have a general grasp of the basics needed such as Math, History, Language (reading/writing), possibly science. They then take apprenticeships to pursue their chosen career. The main exception is Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns where unicorns learn to harness their full potential which is more than most tutors can teach a powerful unicorn. I like to also think there is a music school for earth ponies but open to all of some kind just as their is the wonderbolt academy for flying.

15. What’s the average lifespan for a pony? At what age is a pony expected to be independent of their parents?
Without it being really explained in the show I think it just assumed to be the same as humans. I would speculate that ponies are expected to be independent before 20 possibly as young as 16. Pony age specifics have never been a huge concern for me though.

16. Are there roughly an equal number of male and female ponies?
I am totally okay with it being equal or not but from what I have seen in the show and what I personally prefer I would say there are significantly more females than males. The reason I liked the Xenoverse so much was seeing how their society was different from our own because of that main difference.

17. How informed are most ponies about things that happen in other parts of Equestria? What about other parts of the world?
I think ponies are usually reasonably well informed. The main exception seems to be that the Main 6 are national heroes or that Twilight is a princess most of the time. It was suggested that Twilight uses a spell to disguise her wings when she isn't doing princess things which is why any pony that doesn't know her personally (not from ponyville) wouldn't recognize her as a princess. That was an acceptable justification in my opinion. In some story I read (darn if I can't remember the name) the elements cast a spell so the main six aren't viewed as celebrities for their actions so as not to put stress on their friendship. Also an excellent hypothesis.

The Main Characters:

18. How old are the Mane Six? Spike? The CMC?
I would say just becoming independent, so young twenties/late teens probably. CMC, ten to twelve. Maybe younger. Again exact ages have never been a big deal to me. Possibly younger but I'm not sure.

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?
Basically the winningverse sums up my feelings for this whole question. I think she returned shortly after flight school or at least as soon as she was old enough to be on her own. She would have needed to learn how to take care of all the animals before then. I feel like she should be the town vet but I think she is similar to a zoo keeper but for all the local wildlife. Probably a government job.

20. Rarity and Applejack both seem to have grown up in Ponyville. What were their interactions like before the show?
They didn't seem like friends when they first met during the show so I would saw nothing beyond a strictly business/professional relationship.

21. What do Twilight and Spike consider their relationship to be?
Siblings most of the time. I do think Twilight sees herself as his mom at times and some stories have taken that perspective and done some fun things with it but over all I think brother and sister describes them pretty well.

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 somewhere else because she wanted to bring smiles to more ponies and being on the rock farm she could only bring smiles to her family. I imagine the Pies and Cakes knew each other and Pinkie entered into an apprenticeship with the Cakes. After that she continued to work there. Her job at Sugarcube Corner allows her to pay for her party supplies as well for her room which she has continued to live in.

23. Who among the Mane Six had the best parents growing up? The worst parents?
Best: It would have to be Pinkie Pie's simply because we do actually see her parents and while it is a stricter household it isn't unloving I imagine. Twilight's were supportive of her application to Celestia's School but I think they would be wary if not scared of a daughter that even accidentally turned them into plants. Otherwise I would assume they were the best.
Worst: I would have to say Rarity's parents. They seem more than a little oblivious otherwise it's Fluttershy's again only because we don't see anything of them ever. I like to think they helped her get set up in Ponyville though. I assume AJ's parents died in some way and RD's Dad was single but caring which is why she is such a tomboy.

24. Why didn’t the CMC hang out more/know each other before Call of the Cutie?
They probably just didn't notice each other, and thanks to the bullying of DT and SS were to focused on their own lack of mark to notice that several other colts and fillies don't have marks yet either.

25. Is Scootaloo an orphan? Will she ever be able to fly?
I am totally fine with stories where she is but I like to think that he Father is in the Royal Guard and that her inability to fly is due to her not having an adult pegasi to teach her (her mom might be an earth pony but I like to think it is Quick Fix the Unicorn) and that she is used to getting thrust from her wings for her scooter not lift for flight. (again not sure where I read that theory but it is my favorite).

26. Will Apple Bloom’s cutie mark involve an apple in some way, even if it’s unrelated to farming or baking?
I think it will. I have seen cutie mark pics for the CMC and my fav for AB are usually an apple or applebloom with a hammer over it.
Sweetie's as either a bell or a music note, preferably both. Scootaloo as a shooting star (as that sometimes represents athletics.

27. How is Sweetie Belle’s relationship with their parents different than Rarity’s was?
As the younger sibling Sweetie is probably just a little spoiled. Their parents except Rarity to take care of her little sister when they can't. Which is the case in my own experience when you are the older and arguably the more responsible one.

Side and Background Characters:

28. Is Mr. Cake the father of the Cake twins or not?
It depends on the story. I think that he is and that it is possible.

29. Are Big Mac and Cheerilee an item, romantically?
The Romantic in me likes to say they are or will be but are not at present. Even after that Hearts and Hooves disaster did anyone else notice that Cheerilee swoons when the pony tones are singing? Could have easily been for Big Mac. I imagine they also noticed Mac gazing out the window of the school house when Fluttershy did her not so shy dance. So possible love triangle. Or they just do the herd thing and it's not quite such a big deal.

30. How did Prince Blueblood get his title?
See Q:8 where I talk about the ponies Celestia cares about. While I don't think she cares especially for Blueblood I think she did care for one of his ancestors and tolerates him in honor of that individual.

31. Is Silver Spoon equally as bad as Diamond Tiara?
No. She is still bad just not as bad. Did we think that Bab Seed was super evil when she bullied the CMC as to not be bullied herself? We were supposed to feel sympathy for her position. The same applies for SS. Maybe DT did something genuinely nice for her and they became friends but in order to not loose that she has to keep up the mean spirited act. (I read this idea in Forgiveness Pending and a few other places and thought it 'humanized both of them')

32. Is Zecora’s magic common among zebras?
I think all being on Equestria should have their own form of magic that is unique to their species. To that end I am going to say yes but I would call her exceptional compared to other zebras.

33. Why does Daring Do publish her stories as fiction?

Its easier to swallow and thus lends to faster sales. If she sold them as non-fiction, ponies left and right would question the validity and she'd be mired in constantly trying to prove herself or fending off investigators from falling into the many traps she often deals with. - V V

I'm just going to leave this as is as I doubt I could have said it better myself.

34. Do you have a strong headcanon for any non-speaking or one line background ponies that you want to share?
The main reason I became a brony was because of the fan generated content. I didn't watch Doctor Who till after watching the Doctor Whooves Adventures and Doctor Whooves and Assistant radio shows on Youtube.
While I am okay with characters breaking their molds I like them being those basic characters being reimagined or with different twists. Here are some examples if needed but honestly if characters basically keep to their personalities I find the stories more meaningful as I am already connected with them like the main characters that have defined characters within the show.

Lyra having an interest in humans for some reason or another. (The Xenoverse had her obsessed with motion not humans specifically)
Bon Bon being a confectionist and Lyra's best friend to roommate or lover.
Ditzy 'Derpy' Doo the single mom with Dinky and possible adopted Sparkler
Doctor Whooves when appropriate otherwise Time Turner the town time keeper/clock store owner.
Berry Punch the town alcohol enthusist.
Octavia as the uptight musician.
Vinyl Scratch as the DJ that loves to party and very laid back when not working but professional when needed.

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?)
There obviously is. We never see Angel while obviously intelligent is taken care of by Fluttershy. We don't see cows within Ponyville just on the farm usually. I think non-speaking species get respect much as we would give to our own pets (I'm assuming that they are treated well.) Cows I feel are more intelligent than most animals but not to the point that ponies the other 'major' races are. They seem content to just do their thing which is animal stuff rather than go shopping. (Don't feel like I have enough justification here for a solid opinion though. I've never read anything where it was explored thoroughly.)

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?
I think they have their own nations or at least a nation that is not Equestria. I wondered if maybe the Griffins, Zebras, and Minotaurs lived in Zebrafrica together in harmony like the ponies, playing off each others strengths. (Maybe I'll write that story down and explore it properly someday.)

37. Are minotaurs related to cows at all?

In the same way humans are related to other apes. They may share an ancestor up the line, but it is no more advisable to call a minotaur a cow than it is to call a human an orangutan. - V V

Again said better than I could myself.

38. Do all zebras rhyme?
No. I like to think it is something done strictly by the well educated or royalty.

39. Do zebra cutie marks work the same way as pony cutie marks?
I always thought of them as tribal marks. Possible gotten as a right of passage when one comes of age and joins the tribe they intend to spend the rest of their life with. (I think FoE: Project Horizons described my thoughts on this best.)

40. Do any species have types of magic, other than ponies and zebras?
Yes. I have been trying to decide what forms of magic would be best suited but be unique to reach species but have yet to make any definitive decisions on it. I exclude mules and possibly donkeys in that as we see that mules are looked down upon unintentionally in the show and I think that would be a very good reason why.

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?

Buffalos keep to their own and are not obliged or inclined to live in pony settlements. They may offer trade and a few might actually settle, but that's about it. There may be an entire buffalo nation out there in the great plains, one formed by multiple cooperative tribes.. - V V

Nuff Said.

Headcanon and You:

42. Do you consider official sources other than the show (comics, card game text, movies, novels, etc.) to be canon?
Not just the comics and novels but fan fics too. Some stories started long before some new plot element was revealed in the show. It's the same reason why I Don't have a One True Ship. Because I need to have a relationship justified and developed. I can't stand when people ship the main six and I'm expected to take it at face value. Thought there are assumption that can be made I'll ship anyone if given a good enough story to justify why they grew together.

43. Do you have one headcanon that you always use, or do you switch depending on projects?
I like the world building so while I like one canon more than others I have no problem writing different stories with different rules (just need to post sometime) and I love reading about those stories.

44. Can you easily accept the headcanons of different writers? Do you prefer when stories match your headcanon?
Again world building and character development are what I am here for mostly. If there is an idea that differs from the most basic of assumptions I want it justified or explained. I do prefer my own headcanon because I like to see it explored but it doesn't bother me.

45. Is there a part of your headcanon that you wish was more popular among writers?
Honestly not really. I wish the show had some more continuity. I also love the idea of the Music of Harmony as it is described in the Xenoverse. I wish that was incorporated as just another law of the pony world like magic and weather control is. (Also see Q:46 about estrus.)

46. Is there a popular piece of headcanon that other writers use that you dislike?

Twilestia. Any premise which takes agape/philia/storge and mangles it into eros. Pinkamena Diane Pie being a psychotic killer. Estrus cycles where the mares turn into crazed sex fiends, but the stallions are surprisingly chaste. To anyone who uses the last one, I invite you to get on a stallion (preferably bareback) and ride close to some mares in heat. Enjoy. - V V

With amendments: I have yet had anyone justify Twilestia to me. Their relationship is very obviously student/teacher with Celestia seeing it as more as a mother role. The Estrus cycle I am totally okay with except when the mares go beyond being drunk in their decision making. I prefer when the males are likewise affected. (actually this last bit should probably go up to Q:45)

47. Have you ever written a story or blogpost just to explain some part of your headcanon (other than this one)?
Nope. I think you should establish your canon for your story. Again the rules frequently work a little different from story to story and a good author should show it in their world not tell it in a side note.

48. Does your headcanon influence things like your favorite pony, ship, or episode?
Yes! I'll probably get hate for this if anyone ever reads this but the show is definitely good but nothing utterly spectacular on its own in my opinion. Reading about these characters in stories showed me the depth these characters can reach that isn't always conveyed properly in the show, or usually only shown for a moment without time to expand on it. I really liked how in the comics Big Mac had his own little arc that was a lot of fun but we probably wont see something like that in the show.

49. Would it bother you if the show proved part of your headcanon wrong? Any specific piece that would really bother you to lose?
It does bother me. Usually not a ton but sometimes if it is a big revolutionary change, like Celestia and Luna not being the only alicorns or more specifically that alicorns weren't immortal. It just seemed like a bad direction to take the story to me. Or that Discord was suddenly totally reformed, they retconed that so I'm okay now but it just seemed like a bad idea to get ride of (in my opinion) best villian. I disagree with professional authors frequently with their stories. Sometimes authors make mistakes like plot holes which is where my problem usually lies. Sometimes they have their characters break character or the story to make a hard left for the sake of getting to the ending they want not the ending that is natural for the story. I'm going to cite the Twilight saga and the Inheritance cycle as my prime examples of stories with potential but mistepped so badly at the end that they broke their legs and sent their kneecaps shoting off into orbit. And while I struggled with tragic endings, especially with the likes of Fallout Equestria I can't deny that that was the best ending for that story.

50. Is there something that wasn't asked about here, but you feel like you need to explain to everyone?
Not at the moment but I'll edit it in later if I realize I missed something important.