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Are Alicorns Poor Fliers?


--Thunder Bolt--

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I was pondering pony evolution and kinda started developing a headcanon, that Alicorns were the original pony species, which later specialized into the other three types, and that when a pony turns into an Alicorn, they're re-activating inactive Alicorn genes that remain in the pony genome (plus, magic for the insta-change).  Then I was wondering why pegasi would be a specialization, since Alicorns already have wings, and it occurred to me: most of the time we see Alicorns in the air, they're being pulled in chariots by pegasi.  In "Feeling Pinkie Keen," Celestia falls out of the sky after Pinkie started twitching.  But she's a winged creature.  Why would she fall?

 

But, what if Alicorn wings are more for display than for true flight?  Celestia and Luna frequently hold their wings out and to the side (especially when seen from the front) rather than folding them like pegasi do when they're on the ground.  Alicorn wings are much larger than pegasus wings relative to body size, so they would take much more musculature to flap (especially high-speed like RD and Scootaloo do).  If Alicorns have about the same wing musculature that pegasi do, their wings would be oversized and ungainly in flight, like walking in swimming flippers.  Thus, when the pony evolutionary tree split, pegasi ended up with smaller, nimbler wings for fast, powerful flight.

 

Can anyone think of an episode where we see Celestia or Luna flying strong under her own power?  I can't think of one, but then I haven't watched all the episodes multiple times like some of you. :)

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It is indeed true that we haven't seen Celestia or Luna flying strongly by their own, but they're princesses and all. I wouldn't expect them to travel long distances by themselves. We have seen Cadence flying well.

S2E26_Twilight_Cadance_flying.png

(Got that shot from the wiki. Don't sue me, thank you very much.)

 

She was carrying Twilight with her. Carrying a pony during flight should take some skills. Cadence seemed to have little difficulty, flying smoothly, so Twilight didn't weigh her down.

 

Then again, Cadence used to be a pegasus before being coronated, plus she was launched from a cart at a high speed. Obviously a former pegasus would be good at flying. And that look of determination on her face.

 

But putting Cadence aside, let's look at Celestia and Luna. In Feeling Pinkie Keen, as you already mentioned, she fell from the sky. But we don't know whether she was brought to Ponyville by the guards, whether she took the train, or however other way. I would guess that the royal castle and Twilight's library aren't too near each other.

Granny_Smith_map_Ponyville_Canterlot_Clo

(Again, that was from the wiki)

As you can see from here, you would travel a while to get to Ponyville from Canterlot. 

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I couldnt see them being weak fliers, but seriously they never need to fly far cause they got pegasus guards flying them everwhere(Luna's are my favorite btw) so until twilight shows us something we'll mever know

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But we don't know whether she was brought to Ponyville by the guards, whether she took the train, or however other way.

That would be hilarious if her most likely highly trained royal guards just accidentally dropped her :P

 

 

With royal guards pulling chariots for them the don't really seem to travel much themselves at all. The Canterlot palace must have a gym for Celestia to keep her physique. Alicorns are supposedly super powerful Tia and Luna especially (regardless Discord and Chrysalis kick Celestia's flank with seemingly minimal effort but there ya go) teleportation magic may  be nothing to them having them get from point A to point B as trivial hell they might even have the chariots and pegasi pulling them as a royal tradition or something. I'm sure they could fly mediocrely at best but any ol pegasi (aside from Fluttershy) could easily outfly them I guess

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Actually both alicorn princesses have been shown flying plenty of times:

 

Celestia:

"Cutie Mark Chronicles" - She flies up as she raises the sun in Twilight's flashback.

"Lesson Zero" (See picture) - She hovers above the crowd when getting rid of the want-it-need-it spell, then flies off towards the moon before teleporting away later in the same episode.

"Sonic Rainboom" - she shows a controlled descent along with her Royal Guards when attending the Best Young Fliers Competition.

Even in "Feeling Pinkie Keen," after taking the scroll from Spike, she flies up under her own power.

 

post-2257-0-58589900-1378903352_thumb.jpg

 

Luna:

She flies in through the shield halfway through "A Canterlot Wedding",  and she flies upward when canceling Nightmare Night in "Luna Eclipsed" (see picture)

 

post-2257-0-29483400-1378903510_thumb.jpg

 

Sorry to disprove your theory, but there is no indication that alicorns are naturally weak at flying.

Edited by Full Spectrum
  • Brohoof 5
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Not necessarily; they simply behave more like just "super unicorns" than they do actual hybrids of unicorns, pegasi, and Earth ponies.

 

P.S.- If Cadance is a former pegasus, then who's to say an Earth pony can't become an alicorn as well?

Edited by Anti-Villain
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@Anti-villain I don't think it's been stated that Earth Ponies can't become a Princess/Alicorn. I don't expect to see it happen but nothing says it can't occur. The whole Cadence being a Pegasi comes from the Crystal Heart Spell book, which is considered canon but was never in the show.

 

As far as the Alicorns and flight I agree that they have little need to fly and although their larger size may make them less agile we've not been shown it's true. Twilight will be the test. Once she learns you may see her flying more than the other Princesses.

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Logically they should be less agile & have less endurance since I'd guess they spend less time flying around then some Pegasus like Rainbow Dash & the wonderbolts, being busy running things.  Though being a cartoon show logic has little to do with things so they may be portrayed as superior, which wouldn't make sense to me.  They don't have the time to practice.  I assume they are to busy, with their day already pretty much already planned out.  Similar to what I saw when the local pbs station here, years ago, showed a show where they followed around Queen Elizabeth the 2nd, for a day to show what a typical day for her was like.  

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