My fluffy changeling babygirl! I just redesigned her reformed form and I am in love with it. she has all the fluff.
I introduced Spyra here
Changeling princesses of rebel hives who have been raised to not share love tend to not be used to hugs. Colorful pony princesses from loving families give them out like candy. Spyra experienced a lot of culture shock when she moved to the Castle of Friendship, and the hugs were a very small part of that.
"I, Princess Luna, offer you, exiled Princess Spiracle of the changelings, my assistance and support in your bid to gain the crown. It matters not to me if your people want back- I will do whatever is in my power to train you to be the princess you were born to be. You will live a full life and you will study, and when the time is right, you will go back to your hive and lead them to the bright future you so desire. Do you accept?"
"Yes."
Having to leave her hive behind was absolutely devastating for young Spyra. She had spent her entire life she would to lead the hives, to usher in a new era of plenty where changelings could feast on love as they pleased. Suddenly losing that purpose was quite distressing for her. It wasn't until she met Princess Luna that she realized she wasn't as lost as she thought...
Cozy Glow has always loved dressing up, and she's only too happy to extend that joy to her baby brother. Flurry Heart has never seen so much cuteness in her entire life.
Green Acorn Smith (later Granny Smith) was Bright Macintosh's mother. She is deceased.
Grand Pear was Pear Butter's father.
Second Row:
Bright Mac and Pear Butter were married. They were the parents of Big Macintosh, Jacqueline "Applejack" Apple and Apple Bloom. Both of them are deceased.
Third Row:
Sugar Belle and Bright Mac are married. They are Acorn Butter's parents.
Celestia and Luna ascended at the hooves of Starswirl the Bearded. In the oldest days of Equestria, there was a dire need for good leaders. Building up a new civilization was a difficult task, especially when the representatives of the three tribes were each pushing for their own agenda and wouldn’t see eye to eye. Equestria needed rulers that would be respected by all the tribes- and powerful ones to boot, as the fledgling nation had to deal with many threats in its early days. Starswirl found a solution in the work of his own disciple Clover the Clever- that the magic of three ponies of different tribes working together is far greater than the sum of its parts, also known as the Clover Effect. While his student used her findings to push for inter-tribal unity, Starswirl was more focused on the magical aspect. Pushing two extra types of pony magic into one body was an almost impossible to grasp concept for most- but Starswirl lived the impossible. Working for years, he combined together many, many spells and rituals to create his masterpiece- the first, perfect Alicornation Spell. He found two perfect candidates for the spell in his youngest student and her sister, who had the power to move celestial bodies. A grand ceremony was conducted where Celestia and Luna were to show off their powers in front of the entire kingdom. Starswirl used the magic of the crowd to power his Alicornation Spell, creating two extremely powerful beings with the magic of all three tribes and long lifespans just like his own. Equestria had entered a new era.
Celestia Sol Invictus
The oldest mare in the world by about five years, and the seniormost alicorn. She was meant to serve as Queen of Equestria, but lost motivation when Starswirl vanished. While she does hold the duties of a queen, she is content to be the princess of her kingdom. Originally a unicorn student of Starswirl, she was chosen for ascension after discovering her power over the sun. She is gifted with incredible power and foresight, but has made many mistakes over a thousand years that leave her with a lot of regret.
Luna Eclipsa Invictus
Younger half-sister of Celestia, originally an earth pony, picked for ascension after Starswirl discovered that earth ponies have a psychic connection to the moon. Can raise and lower the moon, but her true power is bringing peace and tranquillity through her dreamwalking. In her younger years, she grew resentful of her older sister and plotted to show everyone her true might. Her plan ended with her being exiled to the moon for a thousand years. However, she has made great progress since her return to Equestria, and now rules by Celestia's side.
Second Generation Alicorns
After Starswirl's disappearance and Luna’s banishment, Celestia was alone. Running the entire kingdom by herself was a very difficult task. She had the help of many friends and advisors, but she always wished for an equal who could take some of the weight of her shoulders. Eventually, it lead her to study Starswirl's Alicornation Spell. The complete version was lost in a fire- but a number of his notes and early drafts managed to survive. Celestia tinkered with these, hoping to finally assuage her loneliness. Her plan was successful and the first of the second generation alicorns ascended- but not all was perfect. While Celestia had managed to imitate the portion of the spell that gave alicorns their special magic, she had not recreated the part which gave them a long lifespan. Eventually, her first companion withered and died.
Now lonelier than ever, Celestia was determined to perfect the spell. She worked on it tirelessly, sometimes neglecting her actual duties in order to do so. Her spell required test subjects, so she created a special magical working which identified worthy candidates and teleported them to an alternate dimension, where Celestia could perform her ascension spell without any witnesses. Some worthy ponies she discovered through the spell, but others had the game deliberately rigged in their favor. In the second case, Celestia never made the final decision of wether or not they were to be ascended, instead allowing the screening spell to do its job. The corruptive influences of power were too great, and she wouldn’t make the mistake of choosing the wrong pony.
There have been many alicorns over the years, though unfortunately none of them could achieve Celestia's immortality. In each case, after their deaths, Celestia erased all knowledge of their existence. Part of this was to keep her memories of them untarnished by outsider’s opinions, but she also feared that by studying her creations, someone may learn how to imitate or defeat them. Making sure they were forgotten was paramount to Equestria's safety.
Mi Amore Cadenza
Commonly known as Cadence, originally a pegasus, ascended unexpectedly after using her love to defeat a sorceress. She is the princess of romantic love as well as the Empress of the Crystal Empire, married to Captain of the Crystal Guard Shining Armour with three children. Cadence has the ability to influence ponies' connections to each other with her magic, though she doesn’t do it much for ethical reasons. The recent expansion of the Empire has taken a toll on her, so she is currently training her son Polaris to take over.
Twilight Sparkle
The Princess of Friendship, a national hero, widely considered the most influential figure in recent history. Celestia had her marked for ascension for years before she planted Starswirl’s journal on her. She is responsible for maintaining good relations both within Equestria and with its neighbouring nations, whilst running her own school to teach friendship to those who have difficulty with it. While her true special talent is unicorn magic, since she became an alicorn she has lost her connection with it, focusing on her friendship duties instead.
Third Generation Alicorns
While many of the alicorns have had children over the years, none of the foals ever inherited their alicorn parent's race. Celestia and Luna expected Cadence's new baby to be no different. It was a great shock to them when Flurry Heart was born. After the births of Polaris Star and later Melody Shine, it became clear that there was something greater at play. It seemed that the latest iteration of Celestia's Alicornation Spell, the one she used on Twilight and Cadence enabled them to pass on their alicorn genes to the next generation. Both Flurry and Moonshine are blessed with powerful magic- even more powerful than their respective mothers. Having no separate birth race, they have never thought of themselves as a unicorn, pegasus, or earth pony. They are an amalgam of all three tribes not just in body, but in mind, and their magic reflects that.
Flurry Heart
The first natural born alicorn, whose arrival was a huge shock to Equestrian royalty. (Though not to anyone else. Celestia had introduced Cadence as her niece, which caused the assumption that yes, alicorns could have alicorn children.) An incredibly clever, powerful mare, her talent lies in defence and protection- recently, from the wild blizzards that plague the Empire. She fights to save her home from destruction, both upfront and behind the scenes.
Polaris Star
While not technically an alicorn- he lost his horn and most of his unicorn magic defending the Empire from Sombra- he did come into the world as one. He acts as a living conduit for the Crystal Ponies' magic in times of crisis and is responsible for pulling a large portion of the Empire out of the shadow realm. Currently training to rule the Empire alongside his mother.
Melody Shine
The youngest of the alicorns, currently not playing any part in the ruling of Equestria due to her youth and immaturity. Desperate to prove herself, while at the same time absolutely determined to be nothing like her mother, Twilight Sparkle. Her odd magical abilities are certainly something to speculate about, but she hasn’t quite unlocked her full potential there yet either.
Alicorns in the future
The birth of two alicorns has raised some unpleasant questions. Before, royal titles were always based on a pony's virtues, but children of alicorns don’t have to pass any tests. How will Flurry, Polaris and Melody- and any future alicorn children of their own- cope with the powerful magic and the great expectations? It’s possible that, driven mad with power, they may turn to darkness. If that happens, how will Equestria stand?
There are other concerns too, not just about the new, but the old. The return of Starswirl means that for the first time in over a thousand years, the princesses have access to the original Alicornation Spell. How will this affect ascensions in the future? Is it possible to extend the lifespan of the current alicorns, like Twilight and Cadence? What will the consequences be?
From the moment she was born, Flurry Heart was showered with love and admiration by the Crystal Ponies. To them, she was almost divine, destined to lead them out of their dark past and into a new, brighter future. Flurry ate up their attention and praise. By showing off her magical skill or simply through her presence, she never missed an opportunity to bring delight to her lovely subjects. The Crystal Ponies thought it natural that she would lead the Empire when she was older, and Flurry too grew to believe this fact.
While Polaris Star's birth was also an occasion of joy and celebration, it was also a bit less exciting. The Crystal Empire had seen this before, and besides, Polaris's birth simply wasn’t as… memorable as Flurry’s had been. It didn’t take as long for things to go back to normal. As he got older, her wasn’t as invested in the Crystal Ponies's attention and didn’t actively try to direct it towards him the way Flurry did. This led to him slowly falling under the radar over the years.
Polaris bore his sister no ill will for being the Empire’s golden child. He knew his subjects cared for him too, and wished Flurry the best in becoming empress. Back then, at least, he didn’t mind being in her shadow.
When Cadence was still a pegasus, she had tiny wings. Noone really knew why. They just didn't really grow much once she hit her teens. Cadence hated them. It wasn't that she couldn't fly (She could... Well enough... For someone who had to learn on her own… that’s a story for another day). They just... Looked so ugly. And stupid. Being the only pegasus in her earth pony village- aside from a few weather coordinators who came over twice a year from the next town to make sure the weather was to the farmers’ liking- she had almost no real-life reference for what pegasus wings were supposed to look like. Meanwhile, the pegasi in her romance novels were always described as having big, full wings. Cadence tried her hardest to draw attention away from hers, often hiding them under cloaks or other such items.
When Cadence ascended as an alicorn, Celestia altered her wings as part of the alicornation process, bringing them to a more normal size and changing their shape. Insecure teenage Cadence was delighted.
As an adult who has reached a place of self- acceptance, Cadence finds this…upsetting. She’s hurt that Celestia found it necessary to change her wings like that, when she had no reason to… without even asking for Cadence’s permission first. She chooses to not bring it up with her, because she loves and respects her auntie and no one incident is going to change that. After all they’ve been through together, it feels like a silly thing to fight over.
Fluttershy and Discord hit the nail on the head with their daughter’s name, just not in a way anyone expected. Butterfly is outgoing, friendly, and an absolute well of confidence- a true social butterfly. She can get along with just about anyone, and absolutely will spend two hours with a complete stranger talking about the latest fashion trends, the weather, or whatever else comes to mind. Her sheer friendliness and expressive nature make it easy for her to get along with anyone- even if they don’t fully understand what she is saying.
Much like her mother, she is, at heart, a deeply kind mare, always willing to give a listening ear or use her own confidence and conviction to boost someone else up. Her calm, sensitive, and level-headed nature makes her easy to confide in, a safe space for anyone who needs it. She is a well of calm in their lives, always levelheaded, always helpful, always a safe space for anyone who needs it. She’s dealt with her own share of self doubt, so she understands how important that support can be.
Despite being quite comfortable in her own skin, Butterfly has complicated feelings about her status as a hybrid. She has a pony mother and a draconequis father, and looks nothing like either of them. She has the body of a pegasus, the magic of a unicorn, and hearing more akin to her animal patients than any equine. Everything about her is strange, contradictory, and warrants some kind of explanation that she doesn’t feel like giving. While she tries not to let it bother her- and has found happiness and confidence in herself as she’s gotten older- she still occasionally finds herself wishing to know someone just like her.
Relationships:
Butterfly and her mother have always been close. They are alike in many ways, and quite enjoy each other’s company. Fluttershy is sensitive to Butterfly's emotions in a way no one else is. Butterfly doesn’t often feel the need to share her feelings, but when she does, Fluttershy is often the first pony she will go to.
She and Discord get along, even if they don’t exactly understand each other. Butterfly can’t keep up with Discord's wacky ways, and Discord is baffled that any foal of his could be so… normal- but they can usually find common ground, so it’s not really a problem. Even if Butterfly is well aware that their relationship isn’t all it could be. She knows Discord wants someone he can share chaos magic with- and aside from her ears and her magic, she’s practically a normal pegasus.
Her closest friend is Pixie Pie. Butterfly was quick to take the neurotic filly under her wing when they were foals, and their dynamic hasn’t changed much since then. She’s always encouraged Pixie to stop overthinking and get out of her comfort zone, and Pixie has been one of the few ponies to put effort into maintaining a connection with her. She’s well aware of Pixie’s crush on her but chooses not to address it, not wanting to put her through the pain of rejection unless absolutely necessary. Much to her relief, Pixie has never even tried to confess.
Another friend of hers is Alexandrite Pie. The ecologist always brings over injured animals she finds in the Everfree. In fact, she was the one who brought Butters's pet cockatrice, Gustave, to the sanctuary in the first place, sparking Butterfly's healing talent. They often take long walks together through Sandy's beloved forest.
She doesn’t know what to think of Summer Star. As aloof as she is, Butterfly has a feeling she doesn’t really like being a loner. No one who hides in a corner with that look on her face truly wants to be left alone. So Butterfly hangs around her when she can. She isn’t sure if Summer likes her company or just finds it annoying, but she hasn’t told her to go away yet, so Butterfly will keep doing what she does. Maybe she’ll solve the puzzle that is Summer Star, or maybe she won’t. She’s fine either way.
Fun Facts:
She has ultrasonic hearing. Most of her patients are well within her hearing range. Ponies aren’t. She’s never let that stop her from interacting with them, and uses a mixture of sign language and magic to communicate.
Her favourite foalsitter when she was a filly was the Smooze.
Butterfly’s pet cockatrice, Gustave, and her father don’t get along at all. Discord isn’t fond of anything that could potentially turn him to stone, and was furious when Butterfly first got him into the house. He and Gustave tolerate each other's presence in their home for Butters's sake, but will often get into intense, hours-long screeching matches when she isn’t paying attention.
