Kiri

I think the show artists find it easier to make all the guards look bland, except for the ones that have more prominent roles, like Shining Armor. There was an idea floating around that the armor the guards wear is enchanted so that their identities are concealed for security purposes. Captains get to have custom, non-enchanted armor so that they stand out, since they are high ranking leaders. I somewhat accept this theory as it relates to the show, but have a separate idea of how the guards would look if we were to "step into Equestria" ourselves. I think every pony has a unique cutie mark. The Wonder Bolts all have similar talents in speed and agility, yet their marks portray that talent differently. There aren't as many Wonder Bolts as there are guards, and they also have a more substantial role via their interactions with Dash, so that is why I believe they get to keep their uniqueness. So why can't there be different ways to depict talents related to defending Equestria? My head cannon is that if Equestria were real, the guards would look just as unique as every other pony, if Flash Sentry is anything to go by. His mark is personalized to him, but still reflects a guard-related talent. That's just how I see it.

I'm sure Quartz would fit into the show. Her occupation as a Crystal Guard allows her to blend right into the scene. She's a quarter zebra and has a couple stripes, but I really don't think that's something to raise a brow at. Zecora lives in Ponyville, and who's to say that other zebras won't leave their lands and settle down in Equestria? Odds are that zebra-pony hybrids will pop up sometime!

If tasked to babysit, Quartz would watch her charges with the utmost scrutiny, ensuring their protection from danger...as long as she doesn't have to interact with them...

I think there needs to be an episode in general about the abilities of each pony race. Sure, we can obviously see that Unicorns and Pegasi have magic and flight, but I want to know more about what makes Earth Ponies unique. Hearths Warming Eve suggests that their agricultural skills are beyond compare, and that they seem to have the magic to make things grow from the ground. But not every Earth Pony's talent is related to nature. They seem to have a wider range of talents than Unicorns and Pegasi. The episode that focuses on what makes each race special could also give us more information on the nature of Alicorns, aside from the obvious longer horn, bigger wings, and taller stature.

As part of the Crystal Guard, Quartz has been in a couple of scuffles with ruffians and outlaws trying to disrupt the peace. However, she hasn't inflicted serious, life-threatening injuries on anyone. She's never been in a real battle so far, but if you count guard training, she's bruised others in mock fights (and has received plenty of bruises herself in the process). She's hurt others emotionally, though, by snapping at them out of frustration, which hurt their feelings.

Quartz Aegis is more comfortable in using defense magic than she is in attacking. If she's up against an opponent who matches or surpasses her strength, she tries to tire it out first by mostly using defense spells. To save her own energy, she uses teleportation spells sparingly since they require a good deal of magic. Once she senses fatigue in her opponent, she then uses her magical attacks in an attempt to incapacitate it. So I guess Quartz relies more on strategy than on brawn. She rarely starts a fight going full force.

I've been busy with summer studies, which takes up a great deal of time. I'm also listening to audiobooks, too.

I don't think parent ponies know what their child's talent will be in advance, nor do I believe that they are responsible for placing a destiny upon their child. I always assumed that pony parents had some sort of magical "realization" once their child was born and they suddenly knew what to name the foal. While they could make educated guesses of the pony's destiny based upon the its name, they, as well as the foal, would have to wait until the mark itself appears. Even if newborn foals are orphaned or adopted, their foster parents or guardians could also receive the same realization. I think the magical force in the Pony Universe itself is behind all of this. It is able to be omnipresent and omnipotent, where the royal sisters are limited in their ability to be aware of all things in Equestria at once.