A Biological Overview of Equus mannulus caelestis
A Physiological Study of Alicorn Ponies by Twilight Sparkle
Do gods walk among us? Are we in the presence of divine beings? These are questions that alicorns raise and ponies have asked for millennia. While ponies are born, live, grow old, and die within a century, alicorns are ageless, lasting hundreds or even thousands of years, rendering them biologically immortal. They possess the magic and capabilities of all three pony subspecies, bearing the strength and power of the earth ponies, the wings and speed of the pegasi, and the magical abilities of the unicorns. Such is their power that they have become royalty in every instance of their existence. They walk the line between kings and gods, leading many ponies to believe that they are a little of both.
Currently, only three alicorns are known to be living in Equestria. All three are princesses with large amounts of legislative and executive powers. The oldest and longest ruling of them is Princess Celestia, who raises the Sun each morning and for most of the past 1000 years has been the sole leader of Equestria. Her younger sister, Princess Luna, is the other ruling Diarch of Equestria, raising the Moon each night. Luna has spent most of the last millennium imprisoned on the Moon as the ‘Mare in the Moon’, due to the actions of her alter ego, Nightmare Moon. To the North, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza (or simply, ‘Cadance’) of the Crystal Empire, is the youngest of the three and the only one with a defined origin as a pegasus pony. All three have extraordinary abilities, beyond any unicorn, earth pony, or pegasus.
Alicorns are not merely ‘winged unicorns’, but a separate entity on their own. Very little is known about them due to their rarity and the unwillingness of the current population to divulge information. Researchers are certain of a few things: their biological immortality, possession of unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony magic, and that they possess an additional type of magic beyond the sum of the three subspecies. Though a commonly held belief states that they are immortal and invulnerable, the existence of historical alicorns no longer thought to be living implies that death is possible and therefore inevitable even to alicorns. The fact that Princess Cadance was once a pegasus until her encounter with the sorceress Prismia gives evidence that ponies can become alicorns and therefore earn titles of royalty, though it is not known whether this differs from ponies born as alicorns or if all alicorns were once ordinary ponies. The alicorn princesses declined to comment on this matter.
Little to nothing is known about the anatomy of alicorns in comparison to other ponies. The princesses are quite careful to withhold information regarding their physiology (not to mention the history that they witnessed), but it is assumed that they possess a mix of features possessed by all three subspecies. Alicorns may not appear to have the muscle mass of a fully developed earth pony, but observations show that their strength is beyond that of most, if not all, ponies in existence. Whether their muscles are enhanced with innate magical charms, or their every motion is reinforced with kinetic spells is unknown, but most researchers assume this strength is derived from alicorn magic in some way. Similarly, the skeletal system has never been directly observed as no alicorn has been recorded dying in the history of Equestria, but it is thought to be nigh indestructible in either material or enchantments (similar to unicorn horn magic), though is light enough to be analogous to pegasus bone. This structural support is key when it comes to the larger body size alicorns possess.
Alicorns are larger than their counterparts in the other pony subspecies, and seem to grow larger in respect to age and power. Princess Celestia is the tallest known pony in Equestria and beyond. She and her sister also possess a mane and tail with innate enchanted qualities that seem to derive from alicorn magic. As Cadance is a recently crowned alicorn, it is thought that she does not yet possess the magical abilities of the Diarchal Princesses. Whether she ever will is a mystery.
The magical abilities of alicorns are truly awe inspiring. What took the combined might of Princess Platinum and her court mages, including Clover the Clever, to move the Sun and Moon was accomplished singlehoofedly by Celestia for over 1000 years. Using her alicorn magic, Princess Luna is able to enter the minds of dreaming ponies, a feat that no unicorn could replicate in countless attempts. Even Princess Cadance, who does not possess the same amount of power as the other two, has mastered rare and difficult love spells that few sorcerers can accomplish. Alicorn magic breaks the laws of Thaumatology that all unicorns abide by, allowing spellcasting of ludicrous power and duration. The same is true in regards to pegasus magic, allowing an alicorn to actively funnel in magic to increase Wing-Power. Similarly, they possess an enhanced version of earth pony magic, allowing them to heal from injuries that would kill lesser creatures instantly. It is no wonder that such powerful beings are revered as rulers and deities.
It seems odd then, that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have actively condemned the worship of alicorn princesses. If one has the abilities of a god or goddess, would it not be correct to be revered as such? Celestia admits that she often makes mistakes, while Luna’s infamous actions during the Long Night Crisis implies corruptibility. The fact that Cadance has ascended to their ranks suggests that more ponies can earn this gift. Princesshood is not hereditary or even voluntary, but requires worthiness. They may not be gods, but the alicorns are something else, perhaps something greater. They are an ideal to aspire to, a symbol that shines like a beacon to guide Equestria with love and patience, and if we can follow them into the light we too can become one of them.