The Alicorn Solution

They say that a good scientist keeps studious notes of everything they work on. Until today, I have not been one of those scientists.

After how many projects I have been a part of, I can’t remember what my reasons were for taking part in such things. We called the Zebra Common Ancestor Project a smashing success because geologists found the place where the land split and what would become Equestria separated from what would become the Zebra Kingdom. Archaeologists then dug around for a while and found skeletons that seemed like miniature ponies, even smaller than ponies today, and called this new species a missing link. I’m no expert on evolutionary patterns, but that means the zebras grew larger than ponies in the same amount of time that it took for ponies to grow to their current size.

Had I had even the slightest inkling of where to search in the genes for either of the species we were focusing on—that is, earth ponies and zebras—perhaps my part in the project would have yielded a much more fulfilling bounty than a write-off “success” based on a most unconvincing skeleton. As it is, I quite distinctly recall a request for additional funding to continue our project, but we were, of course, denied due to our lack of results and the “success” that the archaeologists found.

The biggest problem is, I can’t remember why I even cared in the first place. Why did I care so much about a common ancestor between zebras and ponies? Did I care? Was that something I wanted to pursue in my life? I can’t remember. I just can’t remember.

So, I’ve decided to keep this journal of my motivations and feelings on the project. Scientific notes are important and everything, but they say nothing of why I want to do this. This is the why, and I’m writing it all down as I go along. It’s important that I remember why I put so much effort into a project.

So, why am I interested in learning the genetics of an alicorn? I guess you could blame the archaeology team for that one, too.

I guess it’s a fluke that I even know about this. I think the Princesses don’t want this kind of information public, seeing as no one has breathed a word of it outside of the initial discovery. The archaeologists involved in the project suddenly aren’t available for comment, and outright lies are being fabricated about this “missing link.”

I know what I saw. I’m just glad they don’t realize I saw it. On that tiny pony, quite likely our very own ancestor, were wings and a horn.

The initial discovery wasn’t actually all that shocking to me. It’s entirely likely that an ancestor possessed both wings and a horn, but this changed at some point due to shifting climate, diet, or any other miscellaneous reason. It wasn’t even surprising to me that the entire group of skeletons possessed wings and a horn, implying our entire race used to be alicorns. No, what got me was the reaction to such news.

Prior to this, I would never have thought Celestia and Luna so low as to censor the truth from the common folk. Now that I have seen it so vividly myself, I resent that these two remnants of our past are preventing us from learning more about who we used to be. They’re alicorns, and they’re terrified of the citizens of Equestria discovering that there have always been more.

In the name of freedom of understanding for all Equestrian citizens, I have decided to put research into the alicorn gene. It exists. I have seen the evidence with my own eyes.

So, let’s put out a framework of understanding:

-Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadance were not born alicorns, but are both alicorns now, based on unicorn and pegasus genes respectively

-Princesses Celestia and Luna’s origins are unknown, but I hypothesize they are the only born alicorns left

-The alicorn gene causes growth of body, resulting in gigantism of pony species as well as a larger horn and wings

-The alicorn gene is believed to cause immortality, though this may only be for natural-born alicorns

Thus, I will be starting my search where the genes for growth rates lie in the three pony races. We haven’t fully mapped DNA yet, but I have a good idea of where to start digging for growth regulation.