History WMG / MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingPonies

* Unicorns ''are'', after all, strongly associated with stars (which are balls of fire) and light (which fire provides), and their magic (as alluded to by the original troper) manifests as a sort of pseudo-tangible "energy" that cannot be neatly put into the box of solid, liquid or gas.

* Unicorns ''are'', after all, strongly associated with stars (which are balls of fire), light (which fire provides), and their magic (as alluded to by the original troper) manifests as a sort of pseudo-tangible "energy" that cannot be neatly put into the box of solid, liquid or gas.

Their primary role seems to be weather management and that involves a lot of water, getting drenched is almost a sure thing. Possibly sharing some featuer with water fowl or Sea Hawks that dive into water to catch fish.

A cutie mark is what makes you individual. If you don't have one, you're either a soulless freak or [[PsychopathicManchild just a foal]]. In dystopian cinema ponies have barcodes for cutie marks, [[CloningBlues clones have no cutie marks]] and ponies of mystery will not have them, ala TheBlank.

Horses are to Equestrian ponies as [[OneMillionBC neanderthals]] are to modern-day humans. Thus, the reason we don't see any horses on the show is because they're all extinct.

* Beat me to this guess
* Probably more accurate to say equines to them are the equivalent of the primitive proto-hominid that is the common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and apes. However, it's also very likely that the equine-like creature that they probably evolved from millions of years in their past was probably [[VertebrateWithExtraLimbs 6-limbed]]. This would be necessary in order to pegasi to exist and be genetically compatible with the other 2 species. Evolving more limbs practically doesn't happen in nature, but it would make sense if earth ponies and unicorns lost their wings (or more accurate, they have vestigal structures where the wings would be, and they just never complete development). It's very likely that even further back, some of the earliest life on that world is 6-limbed - notice all the 6 limbed creatures: pegasi, alicorns, dragons, griffons, hippogriffs.

Maybe it's due to utilizing magic through an appendage that's so close to their brain, but it seems like most of the unicorn cast members appear somewhat... neurotic. There are several claims of Twilight having Aspergers, Rarity being SuperOCD and even Sweetie Belle being a crayon short of a box. Even minor and background unicorns come off as a little unhinged, Snips and Snails appear slow, Trixie's a little over-dramatic and Lyra's well... Lyra.

Upon reaching sexual maturity, a My Little Pony's cutie mark begins to naturally radiate some sort of DNA, or, as is my suspicion, pure sugar with genetic material encoded in it. The radiation from the kajillions of ponies accumulates in the atmosphere, and collects in clouds. The rain falling from these clouds, if it encounters a depression in which pretty flowers bloom and the indwells and outdwells of the [[TastesLikeDiabetes sweetness]] that flows across the land of Equestria like {{ley line}}s collect, will create a Pool of Poniness, from which new My Little Ponies arise. The various Pools of Poniness are regularly checked on, and if a foal has arisen lately, they will be taken back to the nearest hospital and delivered to the pony couple it most nearly resembles.

!![[center: [-[[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSetting Main Index]]\\

[[folder: Physiology]]
[[WMG: Equestrian ponies can breed with any species in their universe.]]

[[WMG: Equestrian ponies' hooves are different in form from real life hooves.]]

[[WMG: Only pegasi and unicorns are allowed to be buried after death, earth ponies must be cremated or recycled into pet food/glue.]]

[[WMG: Ponies are quite literally MadeOfIron.]]

[[WMG: Equestrian ponies have no fur: they have colored skin.]]

[[WMG: If you shave a pony's body fur, their skin will be the similar, but muted color that their Equestria Girls counterpart have for skin.]]

[[WMG: The Ponies of Equestria are omnivorous.]]

[[WMG: The ponies' hooves are magnetic.]]

[[WMG: Ponies are elemental creatures, and we've only seen three so far.]]

[[WMG: Ponies lay and come from [[WhaleEgg eggs]].]]

[[WMG: The secret to pony magic is that keratin, the material hair and horns are made of is an excellent conductor of it.]]

[[WMG: All types of ponies have potential to use some types of magic.]]

[[WMG: Ponies in the MLP universe live longer than RealLife ponies.]]

[[WMG: There are no "Baby" ponies.]]

[[WMG: The ponies in Equestria have a high female to male ratio as an evolutionary advantage.]]

[[WMG: Both wings and horns are recessive traits.]]

[[WMG: Ponies can reduce the weight of objects they're carrying.]]

[[WMG: Ponies with mixed ancestry can sometimes get some magic abilities of a different pony type]]

[[WMG: Pound and Pumpkin Cake's exceptional abilities are not exceptional at all.]]

[[WMG: Night Ponies are a separate, but related, race to normal Ponies.]]

[[WMG: [=Horse is to Pony as Human is to Elf (or Dwarf)=]]]

[[WMG: Ponies have ball-and-socket joints instead of elbows[[note]]Yes, they're called elbows. It's a specific type of joint.[[/note]]]]

[[WMG: Foals' instinctive use of their powers is a result of the CentipedesDilemma.]]

[[WMG: Many male ponies have a "female" form]]

[[WMG: Nearly ALL of the ponies, even the likes of Celestia, are [[TooDumbToLive complete]] [[IdiotBall idiots]].]]

[[WMG: The "Race" gene is on the X Chromosome]]

[[WMG: There is about a 50/50 split between colts and fillies in Equestria]]

[[WMG: Most foodstuffs made by ponies are not fit for human consumption.]]

[[WMG: Pony teeth are super tough.]]

[[WMG: Breaking a leg for a Pony does not mean its time for a MercyKill. They can actually get better from that.]]

[[WMG: When young, boy ponies will be stupid.]]

[[WMG: Ponies, if translated to "real life" sizes, are actually tiny.]]

[[WMG: Ponies are vastly smarter than humans.]]

[[WMG: Pony Birtrate is low.]]

[[WMG: The Ponies are actually Claytronics with AI or uploaded intelligences]]

[[WMG: Ponies sunbathe to bleach their fur]]

[[WMG: The official name for the species of pony in the show is actually "Little Pony"]]

[[WMG: Foals go through 'surges' as they grow.]]

[[WMG: Ponies are extremely durable... against certain types of trauma.]]

[[WMG: A pony is an incorporeal hive mind.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns are not biologically born, but "given/earned" for those selected to rule]]

[[WMG: Ponies are [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facultative_biped facultative bipeds]] rather than normal quadrupeds]]

[[WMG: The Theory of Poneous Generation]]

[[WMG: On behalf of [[Webcomic/SequentialArt Pip]]...]]

[[WMG: There are secondary pony races for all types.]]

[[WMG: The objects ponies interact with their hooves are [[AWizardDidIt enchanted]].]]

[[WMG: Ponies React a lot better to alcohol than humans.]]

[[WMG: Ponies don't grow gradually, but have major growth spurts.]] This is why nearly all young ponies are almost exactly the same size, and nearly all mares are the same size. This is most clearly seen when comparing the Canterlot Five when they were all filly-sized to when we see most of them in Cheese's flashback: Lyra and Minuette (right side of the overhead shot) are still filly-sized, while Twinkleshine (lower left of same) and Lemon Hearts (helps Orange Swirl/Dizzy Twister pick up Cheese and toss him after he gets his hat and sandwich) are mare-sized.

[[folder: Origins]]
[[WMG: Alicorns are the Progenitor Race of all Ponies]]

[[WMG: Ponies are Programs.]]

[[WMG: The ponies of Equestria are semi-divine servitors created to uphold the natural laws.]]

[[WMG: The ponies of Equestria are evolved from ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'''s Annelids.]]

[[WMG: The ponies of Equestria are [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]].]]

[[WMG: "Pegacorns" were the SufficientlyAdvancedAlien {{Precursors}}; the rest are their descendants.]]

[[WMG: The ponies of Equestria evolved from prehistoric horses.]]

[[WMG: The ponies were once a slave race.]]

[[WMG: The ponies are a colony of terraformers.]]

[[WMG: All ponies came from one, great Alicorn who now exists to ponies as nothing more than an old ponytale, akin to the Stork.]]
Slightly inspired from a guess down in the Winged Unicorns section. This Alicorn existed before the rest of the planet Equestria is on, having come from a similar planet which was likewise created by a great Alicorn with similar abilities, and wrote into life four Alicorns to do what her abilities could not; Terra and Tempus to create a world (as a planet and time are not alive, she could not create them herself), and Luna and Celestia, to raise the moon and sun. Together, they created the planet, and the Alicorn wrote into being the life forms, from dragons to ponies to gryphons to goats and everything in between. However, she also wrote some dark things into the world to counterbalance the good and create Harmony in the land, though sometimes the dark things got out of hoof. She's the one in charge, too, of writing what kind of pony will be born to what parents, and is the real reason why Mr and Mrs Cake had a pegasus and a unicorn; she was amusing herself. Most ponies don't seriously think this Alicorn is responsible for the birth of ponies, but will tell their foals that she wrote them into being. This Alicorn, Anima, gifted with giving Life, has no hold over how things progress on the planet, none of them make things happen in a particular way. Anima simply creates life, nothing more. Tempus controls the ''flow'' of time (fully capable of stopping it or speeding it up if he so chooses, and he is the high scheduler of anything time-related), but does not interfere even if he is capable of foresight, Terra created the planet itself and she is the cause of quakes, volcanoes, and other phenomena, as well as working with Tempus to schedule the seasons and weather. Anima created three races of pony: first came Earth Ponies, created to cultivate the soil and blessed with the abilities of Terra herself and with her connection to the ground. Earth ponies were also blessed with Tempus's gift with time (note that most ponies with that infamous cutie mark are earth ponies, as is the pony with the pocket watch). Pegasi and Unicorns followed soon after, each race gifted with the abilities of a different Alicorn. Anima created three different races rather than more Alicorns because these were the races she recalled fondly from the planet she originated from.

[[folder: Pegasi]]
[[WMG: All pegasi have a sort of elemental affiliation that gives them a trail at high speed.]]

[[WMG: Pegasus ponies don't fly with their wings.]]

[[WMG: Pegasi have a secondary set of pectoral muscles]]

[[WMG: Pegasus magic is not flight, but rather InertialDampening.]]

[[WMG: Pegasi don't form families.]]

[[WMG: Pegasi have toxic feathers.]]

[[WMG: Pegasuses flying is related to the pony's aggression or assertiveness]]

[[WMG: Pegasi wing-muscles add front leg strength]]

[[WMG: Pegasi don't actually LIVE on cloud settlements.]]

[[WMG: Pegasi colonies that live on isolated islands for a very long time become flightless.]]

[[WMG: Pegasi wings are very water resistant]]

[[WMG: Some pegasi are born with a rare genetic disease that makes their flying develop late, if at all]]

[[WMG: A pegasus standing with their wings spread is considered polite and respectful on the same level as bowing or saluting.]]

[[WMG: The "wingboner" is, in fact, a threat display. Not an erotic one.]]

[[WMG: Pegasi are [[BizarreAlienBiology balooning dinosaurs]]]]

[[WMG: G3 pegasi existed, but..]]

[[folder: Unicorns]]
[[WMG: Unicorns are naturally predisposed to having mental disorders.]]

[[WMG: Unicorn Magic has something to do with [[Creator/AleisterCrowley Thelema]].]]

[[WMG: Unicorns are specifically vulnerable to compulsive disorders.]]

[[WMG: What keeps a unicorn from casting off-talent is mainly psychosomatic.]]

[[folder: Earth Ponies]]
[[WMG: Earth Ponies are capable of Necromancy and life-stealing.]]

[[WMG: Earth Ponies have the ''potential'' for super strength]]

[[WMG: Earth pony magic comes from [[PlantPerson unique organnelles]]]]

[[WMG: Crystal Ponies are a new breed.]]

[[WMG: Crystal ponies are descended from ponies that didn’t head south on Hearth’s Warming Eve]]
When most of ancient ponykind was forced to emigrate to Equestria by the Windigoes, a group of them -- mostly earth ponies and some pegasi -- stayed behind, perhaps deliberately refusing to abandon their home or perhaps having set off on an exploration of their own independently of the main characters, eventually reaching a dead end without knowing about Equestria being funded, or alternatively they knew about it but were in a position where traveling to it was not an option. Regardless, they eventually reach the same conclusion Pansy, Clover and Smart Cookie did -- hate is doing this, use good emotions to fight back -- and created an enchanted artifact (the Crystal Heart) to focus and harness their positive emotions to keep the cold at bay. Over time, prolonged exposure to the Heart’s magic affected their physiology, turning their coats to crystal.

[[WMG: Crystal ponies are normal ponies which got turned permanently crystal by the crystal heart]]

[[WMG: The bat ponies live on the shores of Luna Bay]]
In the [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uj5l0C_W9Ps/Vh9gxWnaXKI/AAAAAAAAA98/kYLCGxpkHmI/s1600/eq_map.jpg updated canon map]], there’s a body of water named Luna Bay in the Northern Luna Ocean. On its shores, sort of separate from the rest of Equestria and between the sea and the slopes of the Yaket Mountains, there’s a small cluster of buildings. Unlike other such locations on the map, it doesn’t have a town name, and the buildings have an unusual appearance, dark and indistinct with lighted windows, as if in shadow or at night. My guess is that this is where the bat ponies live, with the distance from Equestria being the reason for their rarity.

[[WMG:We’re never gonna see another bat pony on the show]]
They were just a one-off visual gag way back in the first half of Season 2 and in all likelihood they’re never going to show up again.

[[WMG: Guesses about the bat-winged ponies who pulled Princess Luna's chariot.]]

[[WMG: All batponies are magically made from combining bats and pegasi]]

[[WMG: All ponies are born as winged unicorns.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns are [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels celestial paragons]].]]

[[WMG: Normal-sized Alicorns like Cadance are the result of a do-not-express gene failing to transmit.]]

[[WMG: "Alicorns" and Changeling queens are directly related and possibly even the same thing.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns get their wings and ethereal god-manes when they hit some magical peak.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns and ageing]]

[[WMG: Alicorns are NOT immortal.]]

[[WMG: The original Alicorns were forged as living weapons against Discord.]]

[[WMG: The original Alicorns were created by Discord.]]

[[WMG: While Celestia is an avatar of the Sun and Luna is of the Moon, Cadance is an avatar of Venus.]]

[[WMG: Only females can be alicorns.]]

[[WMG: There are at least a hundred Alicorns scattered across Equestria.]]
In the episode "The Mysterious Mare Do Well", Rainbow Dash is surprised, but not suspicious, to see that Mare Do Well has both wings and a horn. [[spoiler: It turns out that Mare Do Well was really several different ponies.]] This indicates that alicorns, while rare, aren't as few in number as previously thought. It's likely that there are several Alicorns, mostly scattered across Equestria. Still a rare occurrence but not really seen as mythical beings either.

[[WMG: Alicorn status is acquired through a YouKillItYouBoughtIt principle.]]
When an Alicorn passes on either through violence, age, or some other way. Their power and status transfers to the nearest acceptable/willing target. It seems that each Alicorn represent a primal force/element of nature. Celestia>Sun, Luna>Moon/Night, Cadance>Love, [[spoiler: and if his name is anything to go on King Sombra>Shadow/Darkness.]] As this is the case a "There can be only one" rule may be in force. [[spoiler: This could also explain the recent promo banner that depicted Twilight as an Alicorn, if the image is based on her after the expected defeat of King Sombra in Season 3, she beat him and absorbed his magic.]]
* But [[spoiler: King Sombra isn't an alicorn. Just a unicorn]].

[[WMG: Alicorns are not limited in the types of spells they can use.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns are the evolved or level up state.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns form and develop by going through different stages.]]

[[WMG: All alicorns start out as regular ponies.]]

[[WMG: There are two different sub-races of alicorn.]]

[[WMG: Aicorns are what happen when ponies go godtier]]

[[WMG: Alicorns can output more magic than they can absorb.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns are not living creatures]]

[[WMG: Alicorns have SuperStrength.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns have access to all three forms of Pony Magic.]]

[[WMG: There is an Alicorn representing different "elements", akin to those of Harmony, but that represent the facets of existence itself, but very few of them are really known, even to Celestia.]]

[[WMG: There is a number of Alicorns around, but only the Princesses are ''true'' Alicorns]]

[[WMG: The "background Alicorns" seen in Season 4 are {{Cosplay}}ers]]

[[WMG: Alicorn manes change to show the princesses' harnessing the full power of their alicorn magic.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns, both born and created, can have children, but only up to a certain age.]]

This, besides Twilight and Cadence, also includes Celestia and Luna, as well as any potential alicorns that may or may not have lived before them. They were all born as regular ponies and became alicorns after inventing new branches of magic, performing feats no individual ever did before, and so on, and any children they may have had were born as regular ponies. Before Flurry was born, alicorn births were thought to be impossible. There is, as such, no distinction between immortal "Greater Alicorns" that are born winged and horned versus mortal "Lesser Alicorns" that ascend later in life. This means that either a) all alicorns are immortal or b) Celestia and Luna’s immortality is something they gained separately from their alicorn status -- in essence, they're immortal ''and'' they’re alicorns, but not immortal ''because'' they’re alicorns.

The conclusion drawn from this is that there has been at least one case, and likely multiple ones, of a pony ascending to alicornhood before Celestia and Luna did. Even if only a single pony in a million possesses the qualities necessary to become an alicorn, it’s unrealistic to expect that there was never a single other pony over the entirety of history and the world that fit the criteria. As such, there may actually have been multiple nations and civilizations with their own alicorn rulers before Celestia and Luna became the rulers of Equestria.

[[WMG: Every Pony born an Alicorn has their own "Mane Six"]]

[[folder: Cutie Marks]]
[[WMG: Ponies are actually born with their Cutie marks.]]

[[WMG: Cutie Marks are not genetic.]]

[[WMG: Cutie Marks are not determined until they appear.]]

[[WMG: Cutie marks are meaningless.]]

[[WMG: Ponies who've lost their way badly enough can ''lose'' their cutie marks.]]

[[WMG: The "Cutie Pox plague" mentioned in Twilight's book is the canon explanation for VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks.]]
As read by Twilight, the Cutie Pox was a plague that caused ponies to suddenly get a bunch of cutie marks, and the ponies were forced to preform the talent each mark represents. If there was no known cure for it, and there were perhaps some bad marks as well that some ponies got, it's no wonder that in VideoGame/StoryOfTheBlanks, [[spoiler: the ponies of Sunny Town were paranoid about cutie marks. If one appeared, others might follow, so the Sunny Town residents figured it was best to kill off a pony that got a cutie mark before they went out of control and the plague spread]].

[[WMG: Cutie Pox isn't normally very serious.]]

[[WMG: Cutie marks are implanted by the princess to take away free will]]

[[WMG: Ponies have potentially multiple Cutie Marks]]

[[WMG: A pony's "special talent" is actually two talents]]

* Twilight Sparkle’s talent is magic, and her virtue is her dedication and discipline.
* Pinkie Pie’s talent is throwing parties, and her virtue is her capacity for joy.
* Applejack’s talent is running Sweet Apple Acres, and her virtue is being true to herself.
* Rainbow Dash’s talent is flying, specifically flying with enough skill and speed to produce a sonic rainboom, and her virtue is her love for achieving the best she can.
* Rarity’s talent is designing clothes, and her virtue is her ability to find the beauty in everything and share that beauty with others.
* Fluttershy’s talent is her skill at working with animals, and her virtue is her patience and understanding.

[[WMG: Even after death, afflicted ponies continue performing the talents associated with the marks until decomposition and general wear and tear degrade the body to an absolutely unusable state.]]

[[WMG: Adult ponies without cutie marks are seen as incredibly creepy, because they don't exist naturally]]

[[WMG: It is traditional to suspend school for a day once someone gets their cutie mark.]]

[[WMG: Peppermint Twist paints her flank in hopes of Apple Bloom un-abandoning her.]]

[[WMG: Apple Bloom already has a cutie mark.]]

[[WMG: Apple Bloom's special talent is to help young ponies discover their cutie marks.]]

* [[spoiler: Confirmed!]]
[[WMG: One can tell the potential strength of Cutie Mark by looking at it.]]

[[WMG: Apple Bloom's specialty is going to be getting drunk, or possibly breeding and blooming the yeast for hard cider.]]

[[WMG: All star-shaped cutie marks in the series represent a talent, or subtalent, of magic]]

[[WMG: Cutie Mark designs are cultural.]]

[[WMG: It's not rare for ponies to dye their fur to hide their Cutie Marks]]

[[WMG: A Cutie Mark is a representation of at least a part of that pony's [[AnatomyOfTheSoul very soul]].]]

[[WMG: A Cutie Mark does not represent any special talent and certainly does not determine a pony's destiny.]]

[[WMG: An adult pony without a Cutie Mark has a Cutie Mark that isn't specific to their race of pony.]]

[[WMG: Related to the above, most Cutie Marks are type-centric.]]

[[WMG: Every Pony can choose their own Cutie Mark.]]

[[WMG: Alicorns are actually the ROYAL term for an half-pegasus half-unicorn...]]

[[WMG: A Cutie Mark is meant to partially reflect a pony's personality, rather than just their career or interests.]]

[[WMG: The true form of the lack of cutie mark is an interrogation, not an equal sign.]]

[[WMG: If you acquire your cutie mark at the same time as your friends because of the same event, it means you are destined to together change something in Equestria for the better by fulfilling a need for something in the world.]]

[[WMG: Cutie Marks are like photos.]]

[[WMG: Cutie Marks are sentient]]
If you've been keeping up with Season 6 information, you'll know that [[spoiler: gryphons can get Cutie Marks]]. How is this possible when Cutie Marks are part of pony biology? Well, what if they're not? Maybe Cutie Marks are actually symbiotic two-dimensional life forms that attach themselves to whatever three-dimensional life form they deem worthy.
* When "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E9TheFaultInOurCutieMarks The Fault in Our Cutie Marks]]" actually came out, it pretty decisively stated that [[spoiler:no, griffons ''cannot'' get cutie marks]]. It seems that they're a part of pony biology after all.

[[WMG: The term "cutie mark" is the result of language drift.]]
The original term, which is still used in an academic context, was "''acuity'' mark," in reference to how it gives a pony a hint (based on their personality, talents, and possibly other less-obvious factors) as to where they'll find self-actualization.

Twilight seems to be a good Optimus Primal; she ''is'' the leader, after all...But really, she's closer to Dinobot than to Primal; she was initally not fond of friendship, as Dinobot was a former Predacon; but, after world-threatening events coming to light (Nightmare Moon's return and Megatron's plan to wipe out both Maximal and Predacon alike from history with the Golden Disk, respectively), both saw the error of their ways and became protagonists; the only differences coming from the fact that Dinobot ultimately died to save the world (''twice'', even!), and Twilight has yet to follow that idea (probably because Hasbro doesn't want that sort of idea coming to pass, since the show is, to take something from the Wiki/TFWikiDotNet, "to sell toys").

** Cerapters aren't ''that'' uncommon. However, it's vanishingly rare for both horn and wings to develop properly if present at birth. (This explains why Cadance doesn't seem any too powerful; she ''isn't'' a PhysicalGoddess, just one of those lucky few.) As an excessively deformed hornbud will never grow into a proper magical focus (making such foals a danger to themselves and others), and stunted wings are no good for flight, these are amputated before anything tragic can happen.

The original term, which is still used in an academic context, was "acuity mark."

[[WMG: The term "cutie mark" is an elision or bastardization.]]
The technical term is "acuity mark."

Upon reaching sexual maturity, a My Little Pony's cutie mark begins to naturally radiate some sort of DNA, or, as is my suspicion, pure sugar with genetic material encoded in it. The radiation from the kajillions of ponies accumulates in the atmosphere, and collects in clouds. The rain falling from these clouds, if it encounters a depression in which pretty flowers bloom and the indwells and outdwells of the [[TastesLikeDiabetes sweetness]] that flows across the land of Equestria like [[LeyLines ley lines]] collect, will create a Pool of Poniness, from which new My Little Ponies arise. The various Pools of Poniness are regularly checked on, and if a foal has arisen lately, they will be taken back to the nearest hospital and delivered to the pony couple it most nearly resembles.

!![[center: [-[[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingSharedUniverses Shared Universes]], '''Ponies''', [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingEquestria Equestria]], [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingEquestrianCulture Equestrian Culture]], [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingScienceAndMagic Science and Magic]], [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingOtherSpecies Other Species]] ([[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingChangelings Changelings]], [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingDragons Dragons]])-]]]

Ponies. How do they work? If you have guesses on other things then:

-> [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingSharedUniverses Shared Universe guesses go here]]
-> [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingEquestria Guesses about Equestria itself go here]]
-> [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingEquestrianCulture Guesses on Equestrian Culture go here]]
-> [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingScienceAndMagic Science and Magic guesses go here]]
-> [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingDragons Dragon guesses go here]]
-> [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSettingOtherSpecies Guesses on other species go here]]

-> Go back to the [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicSetting Main Setting Guesses page here]]

-> and you can still go back to the [[WMG/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic Main WMG Page, here]]

** Seaponies or hippocampi? Because sea ponies ([[spoiler: [[EarWorm SHOO BE DOO, SHOOP-SHOO BE DOO!]]]]) and hippocampi/mer-ponies (not yet seen in MLP) would be different.

* If we're using a five-element system, Earth Ponies are Earth, Pegasus ponies are Wind, Unicorns are Fire, Sea Pon- *is shot* [[OnlyAFleshWound hippocampi or mer-ponies]] are Water, and Alicorns/Unipegs/Pegasus-Unicorns are Void. ...Or Earth Ponies are Earth/Wood, Pegasus ponies are Fire, Unicorns are Metal, Zebras are Wood/Earth, and Sea... I mean Mer-ponies! are Water, while the Alicorns symbolize the energy, time, and all other cycles that hold the system together. What, me try to [[SquarePegRoundTrope cram a square peg into a round trope]]? I never!

[[FridgeBrilliance Look at the evidence.]] They [[WeatherControlMachine control the weather and the landscape.]] They've [[AllAnimalsAreDomesticated domesticated animals]] to the point where said animals have [[TheFairFolk forgotten how to take care of themselves.]] [[HumansAreCthulhu (Sound familiar?)]] Their society is [[PerfectPacifistPeople ludicrously advanced]] compared to humans. They even have [[FunctionalMagic Functional Magic]] [[CrystalDragonJesus for Celestia's sake!]] The ponies never seem to question any of this, and are horrified at the thought of nature taking care of itself. [[CaptainObvious Obviously,]] their technology has advanced to a level in which [[ClarkesThirdLaw the ponies themselves don't fully understand how it works]], it "just is". (Kinda like the attitude many humans in developed countries have towards advancements such as computers, medicine, and and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking democracy.]]) This perfectly explains all the [[SchizoTech Schizo Tech.]] It's [[ForScience SCIENCE]], people!

No pony was ever born an alicorn. The most powerful unicorns, which was Celestia and Luna, then later Twilight and Cadance, were selected and/or earned alicornship to make them the most effective rulers of Equestria. This is evidenced by the fact that A. we saw Twilight turned into one (no matter how many of you still deny that [[JumpTheShark certain turn of events]]) B. we know Equestria was not always ruled by the princesses and unicorns were able to make the sun rise. So, sometime before she met Twilight, Cadance was selected because she had mastery of the magic of love, and also was very powerful (she could shield the entire Crystal Empire on her own). Celestia selected Twilight Sparkle as a potential princess after her "Sonic Rainboom" incident, and got some clue she may be connected to the Elements of Harmony.

* This was confirmed in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS4E25TwilightsKingdomPart1 Twilight's Kingdom]]". When Tirek went on his magic-stealing rampage, Celestia specifically referred to him as stealing the earth ponies' strength alongside the pegasi's flight and the unicorns' spellcasting. More generally, when exaggerated feats of strength have been portrayed on the show, it's almost always been from earth ponies (and often specific families -- the Apple Family and the Pies especially). Also, in some cases, years of working out aren't all that likely, like in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E19CrusadersOfTheLostMark Crusaders of the Lost Mark]]" with the earth pony filly who could lift the school building with her head and the earth pony colt who can pick up a seesaw with a filly on it with his teeth both being too young for their strength to be due to years of physical work.

* In [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS5E19CrusadersOfTheLostMark Crusaders of the Lost Mark]], there's an earth pony colt who can pick up a seesaw with his teeth and an earth pony filly who can lift the whole school building using her head as a lever. Since both are school-age children, they almost certainly didn't build up or promote their strength through physical work, which would seem to discredit this theory.

Celestia is the Alicorn of the Sun, Luna of the Moon, Cadance of Love, and Twilight of Magic. It's impossible to have the Sun without the Moon because night is essential for sleep, and have the Moon without the Sun (because life would just cease to exist), and Love and Magic are shown as essential parts of everyday life in Equestria, both literal magic (particularly pegasi weather magic) and metaphorical magic (like miracles). That said, there are Alicorns to represent Time (who is Father Time himself as a pony, possibly called Tempus, the Latin word for time, and the only male Alicorn), Life itself (the most powerful Alicorn of all, rumoured to be a mere legend), and literal Earth (who likewise is associated with Gravity and is Mother Earth in pony form). Sun/Light, Moon/Dark, Love, Magic, Time, Life, and Earth. Seven Alicorns, with Twilight as the seventh and final. [[HarryPotter Seven is the most powerfully magical number]], how fitting that the seventh Alicorn be the one representing Magic itself?

* Probably more accurate to say equines to them are the equivalent of the primitive proto-hominid that is the common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and apes. However, it's also very likely that the equine-like creature that they probably evolved from millions of years in their past was probably [[6-limbed VertebrateWithExtraLimbs]]. This would be necessary in order to pegasi to exist and be genetically compatible with the other 2 species. Evolving more limbs practically doesn't happen in nature, but it would make sense if earth ponies and unicorns lost their wings (or more accurate, they have vestigal structures where the wings would be, and they just never complete development). It's very likely that even further back, some of the earliest life on that world is 6-limbed - notice all the 6 limbed creatures: pegasi, alicorns, dragons, griffons, hippogriffs.

[[WMG: Pound and Pumpkin cakes exceptional abilities are not exceptional at all.]]

[[WMG: Ponies have Ball-and-socket joints instead of elbows[[note]]Yes, they're called elbows. It's a specific type of joint.[[/note]]]]

[[WMG: Pony Teeth are Super Tough.]]

[[WMG: When Young, Boy Ponies Will Be Stupid.]]

-Jossed In the "A Canterlot Wedding".
[[WMG: Pony Birtrate is Low.]]

Perhaps up to the point where 3 is an uncommon number of children. This may be due to law, biology or magic, but Pony society is a society that will not have any drastic demographic change.

The ponies bodies are actually [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claytronics claytronics]] which is why they are able to grasp objects and bend in ways that seem to defy bone and muscle structure. Their intelligence is either complete AI from the beginning, uploaded minds of once organic beings (people possibly) or AI birthed from once organic mind uploads.

There’s been mention here and there of alicorns that it doesn’t make much sense for the royal sisters, or for that matter Cadance, to be the cause of. For instance, there is the alicorn princess from the "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E17HeartsAndHoovesDay Hearts and Hooves Day]]" story (although, granted, there is no evidence for or against that being a real historical account as opposed to just a fable), as well as the single alicorn depicted in the temple in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E14StrangerThanFanFiction Stranger than Fan Fiction]]". Although this last one does not necessarily depict an actual individual, it does require the knowledge of the at least potential existence of alicorns, as well as their status as special or remarkable beings, in a setting clearly presented as ancient and foreign. It really doesn’t make sense for this depiction to be inspired by Luna and/or Celestia, especially since a lot of emphasis is put on the fact that the alicorn is alone (versus the unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi in the same room, which came in pairs), which clashes with the strong duality theme that follows the royal sisters everywhere. Further, if one considers the comics canon, the backstory of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendsForeverIssue32 the thirty-second issue]] ''Friends Forever'' features Queen Parabola, an alicorn zebra who is explicitly stated to have ruled before the founding of Equestria.\\

There’s been mention here and there of alicorns that it doesn’t make much sense for the royal sisters, or for that matter Cadance, to be the cause of. For instance, there is the alicorn princess from the "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS2E17HeartsAndHoovesDay Hearts and Hooves Day]]" story (although, granted, there is no evidence for or against that being a real historical account as opposed to just a fable), as well as the single alicorn depicted in the temple in "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS6E14StrangerThanFanFiction Stranger than Fan Fiction]]". Although this last one does not necessarily depict an actual individual, it does require the knowledge of the at least potential existence of alicorns, as well as their status as special or remarkable beings, in a setting clearly presented as ancient and foreign. It really doesn’t make sense for this depiction to be inspired by Luna and/or Celestia, especially since a lot of emphasis is put on the fact that the alicorn is alone (versus the unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi in the same room, which came in pairs), which clashes with the strong duality theme that follows the royal sisters everywhere. Further, if one considers the comics canon, the backstory of [[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendsForeverIssue32 the thirty-second issue]] ''Friends Forever'' features Queen Parabola, an aileron zebra who is explicitly stated to have ruled before the founding of Equestria.\\