50 Head Cannon Questions

saw this thing on another blog from here thought I could take a crack at it

The Princesses:
1. How old are Celestia and Luna?
They're twins and are 1100 and -@% years old. "Born" during Discords "reign" time was inconsistent at best so it's not certain how their youth was or how long. After defeating him they were thrust into ruling but both were "young" and inexperienced so I think it was only a century at most before Luna turning into Nightmare Moon. this is also why she was reduced only into legend since she was only around for a single generation to remember her, when it's been all of properly recorded history for Celestia.

2. How old is Cadance?
As of her wedding early twenties. I'd say 23

3. Were Celestia and Luna always alicorns, or did they ascend?
They ascended mostly. part of undermining Discord's reign was for them to take control over the sun and moon and establish the day and night cycle again. they did this with the help of the tree of harmony which ascended them and gave them their cutie marks.

4. Are Cadance and Twilight immortal?
No, and technically neither are Celestia and Luna. They're all functionally immortal, meaning they're immune to disease and sickness, and only age as necessary. Alicorns ascend to fulfill some purpose and are only around as long as that role is needed. Once their role is completed they then age normally and eventually die.

5. Have there been other alicorns in the past?
Yes it's not too uncommon, but there are two types. the traditional ascended alicorn which has the magical abilities of all three tribes, and born alicorns. the born alicorns (unless they have some important destiny) are really just a unicorn-pegasus hybrid. they come out from a birth defect and either their wings or horn, or even both are vestigial. usually when their born their unusable appendage is removed.

6. How much authority do Celestia and Luna have in Equestria?
As much as they want. As the defeaters of Discord and bringers of order in night and day everyone just automatically listened to their opinion and quickly became supreme rulers of Equestria, but after NMM Celestia started organizing the government differently. Equestria's government is divided up into committees, each fulfilling a different role. who is on these committees, how that's decided, and how they operate has differed throughout history, but of course Celestia has consistently had a seat in most or all of these committees. Luna upon her return hasn't gotten to involved with politics, but has done more in humanitarian projects.

7. Does Shining Armor rule The Crystal Empire along side of Cadance?
Yes, although when you've been displaced in time only to get an alicorn showing up who has your sacred artifact tattooed on her rump your going to listen to what she says that much more closely.

8. Other than Twilight, Luna, and Cadance, what relationships have been important to Celestia in her lifetime (students, close friends, lovers, family)?
Celestia has been around for over a thousand years and has a been there and done that kind of history. but she typically has a few select close friends (some who become family) and a protege. how close her relationship with her student is has differed pony to pony but she always chooses one whose abilities or talents need extra help for the pony to properly use.

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)?
Yes to all the above. each tribe has it's unique characteristics that can be impeding or excelling. The primary cultural view that every pony shares though, is one of cooperation. they openly accept their personal capacity and limitations and will naturally seek and offer help. As such most project require more ponies to complete than other species but by the same token many hooves make light work and they'll typically complete more work.

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?
Cloud constructs are a uniquely pegasus trait and most every necessary item a pegasus needs can be made from cloud materials. The one thing that isn't available from clouds is food which has to shipped in. they do have cloud materials dense enough to support solid weight so they can store items like food as necessary.
Most cloud homes have a base from this material so they can have non-pegasus visitors but pegasus homes are made three dimensional so maneuvering through one and their cities is difficult for non-pegasi if not outright dangerous.

11. Can all unicorns learn all spells, given the time and effort spent practicing them, or is magical talent usually limited in some way?
every ponies special talent is magically based; that's why they get a picture suddenly appearing on their butt to represent it. but a unicorn's magic depends on their understanding and perception. if they see something and understand what they wish to manipulate, and it all holds true, then a unicorns magic let's them manipulate it, this is why a unicorn's magic is linked closer to their special talent since they automatically understand and perceive it better than anything else. but with proper education they can have a better understanding of how the world works and by extension manipulate it.

12. Earth pony magic: Does it exist? What is it?
Yes, but it's only linked directly to their special talent, but how that magic comes about differs pony to pony even for non-earth ponies.

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?
Ponies are more liberal as far as what's socially allowed. although most do tend to settle down with a special some pony but this isn't necessarily considered the rule of thumb and families become very complicated very quickly, so family names never developed. Clans like the Apples tend to develop around a trade and by extension they name their children after what they're around and know. but naming convention revolves around what aspirations or familiarity the parents have and will end up instilling in their children.

14. How much formal schooling is an average, middle class pony expected to complete?
ten years of basic schooling and then high school or apprenticeship. high schools are incorporated into a collage system and some degrees can last as little as two years up to another ten for some doctorates. apprenticeships have no designated time frame but are merit based, so a particularly talented pony could finish in as little as a few months or could end up taking many years. although once a cutie mark appears a career choices might be apparent and many high schools cater to those that wish to enter early. It's also not uncommon for ponies to go back to school when they wish to better their employment options.

15. What’s the average lifespan for a pony? At what age is a pony expected to be independent of their parents?
between 80 to 100 years for all three tribes, but in a magical world there are things just lying around that can significantly askew this average in either direction. ponies are born more developed than humans so they don't spend near as much time as infants and by three or four are ready to start school. adolescence happens between 8 and 11 and is the time when ponies typically get cutie marks. once basic schooling is complete at around 14 most are ready to begin striking out on their own accepting apprenticeships or going off to a high school. a pony is fully grown by 16 and is given full citizen rights then as well. Most ponies begin forming families after 18, and can continue to have children up into their 60's.

16. Are there roughly an equal number of male and female ponies?
it's slightly askew to the female side but nothing so drastic they wouldn't find their own special some pony.

17. How informed are most ponies about things that happen in other parts of Equestria? What about other parts of the world?
with magic technology has developed very differently than our own. most nations have had some form of magically mutual assured destruction for

almost as long as they've had swords so most countries are more willing to be peaceful with one another. as a result technology tends to improve

based on financial influence. so people were willing to invest in railroads more so than in telegraph since a reliable mail service was in place

and magic provided instantaneous communication for those who could afford it. but ponies are as informed about the world as they wish to be.

The Main Characters:
18. How old are the Mane Six? Spike? The CMC?
I'm just going to go over everyone off the top of my head oldest to youngest: Discord - 20X6, Celestia - 1100, Luna - 1100, Granny Smith - 120'ish she got lucky with the zap apples, Cadance - 23, Shining Armor - 21, Big Mac - 20 Rarity - 18, Applejack - 18, Fluttershy - 17, Rainbow Dash - 16, Pinkie Pie - 16, Twilight Sparkle - 16, Sweetie Belle - 10, Scootaloo - 10, Apple Bloom - 10, Spike - 8 Dragons age more along the lines of how mature they need to be than how long they've been around.

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?
They're both friends by association, they've always attended the same schools. Both RD and Shy are members of the guard under the environmental management division and as pegasi who have joined the guard they've both been through flight school.

20. Rarity and Applejack both seem to have grown up in Ponyville. What were their interactions like before the show?
they're both the same age and are from a small town, so they knew each other as well as anyone else. Overall though they kept different social circles.

21. What do Twilight and Spike consider their relationship to be?
Family. Twilight hatched Spike and he imprinted on her so they were near inseparable during Twilight's time at Celestia's School often considered a single unit. although Spike has become increasingly independent since they've gone to Ponyville.

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?
Apprentice baker. both Carrot and Cup Cake are master bakers so they automatically are expected to have at least one apprentice at any time and they've made accommodations accordingly. Pinkie began apprenticing under them at 14 like normal (about the only normal thing with her) and has since become a Journeymare baker but has chosen to stay working with them since their bakery has become very successful.

23. Who among the Mane Six had the best parents growing up? The worst parents?
They all had fairly normal settings all things considered. Twilight from a middle class family with Shining and Spike and are not considered nobility although they may have some lineage, but so does most every pony else. Rainbow Dash was a middle child in a large family. Rarity we've seen, and no her parents are not neglectful; that one episode was a well planned out vacation with just some miscommunication. Applejack lost her parents, and that's why she was in Manehatten, but she's always been around her extensive extended family. Fluttershy was an only child. and Pinkie Pie may have retroactively made her family exist (not really I don't think Pinkie's abilities are reality breaking just reality flexible).

24. Why didn't the CMC hang out more/know each other before Call of the Cutie?
School year was just starting and Apple Bloom wasn't in the same class as before

25. Is Scootaloo an orphan? Will she ever be able to fly?
No. Maybe?

26. Will Apple Bloom’s cutie mark involve an apple in some way, even if it’s unrelated to farming or baking?
Cutie marks depict what the pony themselves would interpret as what makes them special. that's why a pony can tell you every little meaning behind their behind doodle. So if Apple Bloom sees an apple as somehow representing some aspect of what makes her special it'll be there.

27. How is Sweetie Belle’s relationship with their parents different than Rarity’s was?
Young child with older parents. She's a bundle of energy with parents that can't quite keep up anymore. It's part of why Rarity is simply expected to babysit more even though she's left their house.

Side and Background Characters:
28. Is Mr. Cake the father of the Cake twins or not?
yes, pony genetics are weird just; their color alone would make geneticists wide eyed.

29. Are Big Mac and Cheerilee an item, romantically?
No, but they could be.

30. How did Prince Blueblood get his title?
Old noble house, they say Celestia's in there somewhere. the only privilege a noble title gives you is a spot on a single committee with no power.

31. Is Silver Spoon equally as bad as Diamond Tiara?
Silver is the lackey so she's mostly going along with Diamond, and Diamond is a grade school bully. she's not exactly the most sinister of ponies.

32. Is Zecora’s magic common among zebras?
IDK there's not enough shown of her to really hazard a guess.

33. Why does Daring Do publish her stories as fiction?
If you could be linked to the destruction of priceless historical sites would you want to be, beside she stretches the truth more than she'd care to admit.

34. Do you have a strong head cannon for any non-speaking or one line background ponies that you want to share?
Not really

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?)
if it want's legal rights and can fulfill the obligations of such then it gets them, other wise it's considered an animal and has no legal rights. there are plenty of things that are intelligent but have no desire to involve themselves with Equestria. as far as common species that receive citizenship there's a range of intelligence levels. still it's a society of cooperation so a less intelligent being is still given respect because they can help you and all the more opportunity for you to help them.

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?
There are other nations, but Equestria is more like an umbrella nation. by default it's annexed the entire world and has no set boarders. it simply recognizes the governments of all other nations as committees of it's own government. whether the other government view this as privilege to have influence over Equestria or the other way around differs.

37. Are Minotaurs related to cows at all?
about as close as lemurs to monkeys

38. Do all zebras rhyme?
No Zecora just likes to mess with ponies

39. Do zebra cutie marks work the same way as pony cutie marks?
yes but not every zebra will get one. depends if they have pony heritage or not.

40. Do any species have types of magic, other than ponies and zebras?
magic takes on many forms and is utilized by even more means.

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?
Buffalo are nomadic and have kept to their parries mostly it's simply a geographical divide.

Head cannon and You:
42. Do you consider official sources other than the show (comics, card game text, movies, novels, etc.) to be canon?
apart from the show it's pick and choose and even with the show I view it like a filter; we're only seeing it through the perspective of a kids show.

43. Do you have one head cannon that you always use, or do you switch depending on projects?
too often I see caricatures of what are already caricatures, which I find to be in bad tastes. If you're making a head cannon it needs to flesh out what's there and not just sweep the material into a corner. for example Pinkamena, in "Cup Cakes" it's taking an obvious psychological illness and fleshing it out to make her a psycho killer. but this head cannon became popular and suddenly Pinkamena started popping up everywhere (all according to her diabolical plans), and this doesn't work unless it's satire since your making a caricature of Pinkie Pie who's already a caricature of the peppy girl.

44. Can you easily accept the head canons of different writers? Do you prefer when stories match your head canon?
more or less, the story itself needs to stand on it's own legs. take away the ponies or any previous knowledge of the world and if it still works it's a winner, if not I don't read for long.

45. Is there a part of your head canon that you wish was more popular among writers?
Celestia, I always see her as multiple of thousands of years old and unquestionable supreme ruler. I just feel there's more room for creativity than what's usually portrayed.

46. Is there a popular piece of head canon that other writers use that you dislike?
like I said previously if the story can stand on it's own legs I don't care.

47. Have you ever written a story or blog post just to explain some part of your head canon (other than this one)?
I've gone over how I think the characters would be represented in Homestuck in other blog (which no one has read including this ... WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE!!!)

48. Does your head canon influence things like your favorite pony, ship, or episode?
No I try to keep it general world building. I like to see when the shows characters are portrayed more as people than caricatures the exception being if it's comedy

49. Would it bother you if the show proved part of your head canon wrong? Any specific piece that would really bother you to lose?
No, it's not like my head cannon is used in anything and I can always change what's in my head.

50. Is there something that wasn't asked about here, but you feel like you need to explain to everyone?
so yeah I mention government briefly. so the government is divided up into Committees each one fulfilling a purpose or task. at the tippity top is a parliament/UN that decides who does what and how much power they have (or money). this committee is composed of representatives sent from all regions of the globe how each region determines it's representative difference but most do so democratically. the mane power this top committee can perform is making new committees, disbanding old committees, and adding new seats within for newly represented areas. below this it gets very complicated and very political, but suffice to say primarily each region/nation runs itself by it's own means and many have adopted a democratic-republic that we would recognize.