SV: Alicorns of Equestria
A History of Alicorns
First Generation Alicorns
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?
There is no way to know. Only time will tell.
