OP isn’t wrong. The glacer came crashing down and the powerful royals just sat there. We KNOW they are physically powerful, but lol nah lets just sit here because the writers can’t think of a way to make spike useful out of making a bunch of butt backwards plotholes so that he can save it and then still manage to botch up the animation of it.

@Jarkes  
Inaccuraties of this picture were never my point.

@Secretkeeper
 
That’s a fair point, but that still doesn’t change the fact that this particular picture is technically inaccurate.

@Jarkes  
All that was seen: they flop stationary next to the frozen cloud.
 
(But this is not simply about this particular episode where Spike was in the spotlight. As intended. But the huge lack of actual use of alicorn magic overall. And there was atleast 3 alicorns in that arena alone.
 
It is known that the royal sisters are not suppose to directly take action in the show, atleast not too much. But having a powerful being/s in the midst, that do very little. Kills the scenery outside the illusion of the show.)
 
Show did what it was suppose to do but it didn’t do the things it could have.

@Secretkeeper
 
You DO realize that this was already debunked almost immediately after this was posted, right?

A true ruler, like an actual Queen might do something. Or a King. But hey they are only princesses afterall.

@PonyPon
 
Yeah. I mean, Tirek and Scorpan came from somewhere that sure as heck wasn’t in Equestria. Tirek was more powerful than the princesses after feeding enough, and hell if I know what Scorpan’s power level is compared to his G1 self (ie: abysmal). Even so, it means there are things beyond Equestria on the planet and some of those things make beings that can move celestial bodies look like chumps.

@Kharn The Generally Swell Guy  
Gosh, I hope so.

ahem  
Most powerful beings in EQUESTRIA. Not the world. There’s stuff outside Equestria.

@Jarkes  
That would be highly suspicious of her, wouldn’t it?

Incidentally, did you notice that the magic seal thing wasn’t in place until AFTER Twilight had helped Spike light the torch? She might’ve decided to add those measures so she COULDN’T do something like that again. At least, that’s the impression I got.

Seriously guys discussing the Security of a Kingdom made for a Little Girls Show (not mocking after all I am here as well, it just that the original audience was for little girls) part of the fun in shows its juts rolling with the plot

@Starswirl  
To be fair, it seems like the forest is dangerous if you go INTO it. Leave it alone and you’re safe. Like a beehive, you don’t bug them and vice versa.

@Darkmoon  
Well… yeah. You can never be too careful in events like these.

They are teaching Twilight ‘The Ways of the Princess’

And I just started a flame war…

@Nukechaser  
Oh, they’ve a prosperous outfit no doubt, as irresponsible ponies often do. And it’s not like the princesses themselves are any better.

@Starswirl  
Creating a prosperous community which, despite its small size, is able to produce athletes that can compete and beat those from much, much larger settlements as well as 4 of the 6 elements of harmony. Along with all of the Zap apple jam in Equestria. Come on, give the Ponyville founders a little credit.

@Darkmoon  
Naw, I think modern Equestrians are criminally irresponsible. Earth Pony settlers ask Celestia for land, and what does she do? She gives them a spot right next to the Everfree.
 
And the idiots actually build there.

@Starswirl  
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh  
Are you suggesting that the plot is inconsistent?

@Darkmoon  
They apparently did. That, or all the royals in attendance, including Shining “shield around all of frikkin’ Canterlot” Armor, were completely useless.

@ReadingReader  
No. That would be like making the President/Prime minister/what-have-you go through airport security.

Damn it Celestia and others

@Grieffon  
This.
 
@ReadingReader  
And this. I’m sure their little ponies trust them, but the princesses probably went through the temporary magic disable security booths just to give them more ease of mind.

@Background Pony #EA3C  
Well they’d only bee there for a few hours. I’m sure that weren’t actually required to, but maybe they did it as a show of humility to their subjects. Like “if we’re going to force you to surrender your magic then we will as well” thing, sounds like the kind of thing a noble leader would do symbolically.