Quote Originally Posted by Soras Teva Gee View Post
Pretty much. Even putting aside that occupation (Princess's there are not bound by our expectations of association!) having grown up much roughly along with Twilight precludes for now that Alicorns have some super-special-awesome origin or whatever.

I got over this kinda of thinking with Heath's Warming Eve personally. With Equestria well predating Celestia/Luna its just plain hard to ascribe the breed more deistic characteristics like was fairly common before.

Now we know from a few months back Cadance is involved in events so they may be changing this in someway... but she still largely precludes a unified theory as it will need to have her particular exception to it.
My personal headcannon is that alicorns are immortal, but Cadance's immortality, unlike that of her aunts, works as a continual reincarnation cycle, which allows her to experience love with regular ponies during each of her individual lifetimes.

As for Celestia's...less than stellar combat record, I explain that as A) Nightmare Moon's power having been greatly enhanced by her transformation, B) Discord is simply too powerful for anything short of the Elements of Harmony, and C) Celestia held too much of her power back when fighting Chrysalis due to her being in the middle of Canterlot (i.e. Celestia's combat power comes in two settings; regular unicorn and dragon slave-esq destruction, with nothing inbetween).