A cutie mark is everything to an Alicorn, even more so than for a pony. It is a symbol of our power. It shows we are ready, that we have staked a claim on this universe and will fight to protect it. It represents our dominion over the heavens and our call to preserve them. An Alicorn who has discovered their cutie mark has discovered their companion for this world. Our cutie marks remind us that the stars will never leave us, and we will never leave them.

My name is Celestia. I rule over Equestria with my sister Luna, and I am the guardian of the sun. I bring forth the day and relinquish the sky for the night. I protect those in my borders and ever push for peace and harmony throughout the land.

But this was not always the case.

You see, I was a most unusual Alicorn. I was well over three hundred years old when I received my cutie mark. It is a day I will always remember, and a day I will always wish I could forget. I am the reason for the status quo. I am the reason the magnificent "We" of the Alicorns is now a whimpered "us." The day I found my cutie mark was the day the Alicorns died.