Quote Originally Posted by MLai View Post
Couple of things:

(1) The sisters are super special. Watching the 1st 5 minutes of S01E01 immediately tells you that. Looking at them immediately tells you that. No way around it, that's the entrance fee.
(2) Yes Equestria is all about friendship being the ultimate power. Who made it that way? Celestia. The tree may exist, but it was Celestia who discovered it, had an inspiration, and then tirelessly molded ponydom to use the tree's metaphysical values as an intrinsic societal strength. That is all on her, not despite of her. She's the Founding Mother of the MLP values you love so much. Credit where it's due.
(3) Given the above, how can you say that Celestia didn't work hard to become "super special"? She's simply a different heroic archetype compared to Twilight, dealing with a different tier of problems existing on a completely different time scale. Problems that her physical asskicking powers aren't really relevant for. Celestia is one that adults can appreciate more; she's more of a Leto III/ Ender Wiggin.
1. As my extended argument with Rater revealed, I'm not concerned so much about the specialness, but if she earned it or not. I'm fine with Celestia being a powerful alicorn in the future. I'm even fine with her being born an alicorn. But I'm not fine with her solving a major problem because she was born an alicorn. (Note: If there wasn't a major problem (IE, Celestia and Luna just freed up a lot of unicorns to do other work/have fun) then I'm fine with her solving it because she was born an alicorn)

2. That is completely incorrect. Friendships power wasn't discovered by her, but by Clover the Clever and Co when they defeated the windigos. At that point, ponies were already moving towards a friendship based society with the MLP values I love so much. Did she contribute to it? Oh yes, incredibly. But keep your facts straight, friendship was already a powerful value/force by the time she was born.

On a side note, even if she had been the one to discover friendship's power, that wouldn't change anything. It's like discovering gravity. Gravity's rules and laws didn't not exist before they were discovered, it acted the same way as it did now. In Equestria, the power of friendship always existed. Celestia and Luna were the ones to discover (and weaponize) the Elements of Harmony. Which also has nothing to do with how Equestria's society turned out. We know they were already on that path, and Celestia almost certainly supported them. But the level of her involvement is unknown.

On that note, it's worth noting that the set up of the three tribes as established in Hearth's Warming is a perfect example of Harmony. All three tribes have an important job, but if they aren't working in harmony everything starts to go wrong. No tribe can survive on it's own, and no tribe can do the other's job. If that's not proof of the settings fundamental basis in harmony and friendship from the very beginning, then I don't think I'll be able to prove it to you at all. Of course the new handbook completely ruins that set up by having the unicorns raising the sun require a permanent sacrifice of their magic. Which violates the three tribes being able to live in harmony. For long anyways.

3. I have nothing against present day Celestia. Or even her defeat of Nightmare Moon, or Discord. My problem is if she solved the unicorn sacrifice problem, by it simply being her cutie mark moment and she raised the sun through sheer power. (Also it's worth noting that this criticism also applies to Luna. It's just easier to say only one of them) Not only does the problem not fit the sort of themes the show uses, but it's solution is equally as far away from said themes. It wasn't solved through an understanding of friendship or some other equally positive emotion like love or even an epic quest of discovery, but simply because Celestia was super special.

So overall I'm saying that the problem it created was 'unrealistic' and poorly handled. The solution to said problem was just as poorly written. Overall it was complete crap. I will be dismayed if the show confirms that that's how things were handled.