For a thousand years, there was just Celestia. Then Cadance appeared, Luna returned -- and now Twilight has ascended. There are ponies who are very curious about just what happened, why -- and how. Especially the how. Twilight herself is on that list, a freshly-minted princess with far more questions than answers, about to face a brand new one: what truly makes an alicorn?

And what happens if it goes wrong?

(Part of the Triptych Continuum, which has its own TVTropes page and FIMFiction group. New members and trope edits welcome.)

Now with author Patreon and Ko-Fi pages.

Cover art by Harwick.

While welcoming a foreign dignitary to Princess Twilight's Palace, Applejack refers to the single monarch as "Y'all." This, of course, causes the entire Kingdom of Equestria to explode into flames.

Okay, maybe not explode into flames, but it could happen... right? Just ask Twilight...

Meh.

Meeting herself was not really something Sunset had ever planned to do. But once she does, she insists that they’re different people. What that leads to is something she was not expecting to enjoy.

Second place finalist for the Sunset Shimmer X Sunset Shimmer Shipping Contest! Proof read by Sunlight Rays

_{Sex tag is only for suggestive jokes and comments. This is not as serious as the title and cover art makes it seem.}

It finally happened as Twilight always knew it would. The first of her friends had died. The Element of Loyalty too. Not loyal enough to stick around. No, that was the depression talking.

And the lack of sleep. Something was prowling the halls of her castle at night and, for some reason, she was the only pony that ever heard it; although, one guard did mention something strange happening to the lighting once.

It could not be ghosts. Their very concept made no sense. Intangible yet able to hear? What a contradiction.

But just in case…

Sunset decides to dress up as a demon for a Nightmare Night party. Her fellow students don't handle it all that well and now Sunset has to deal with her unwanted reign.

With Halloween upon Canterlot High, Sunset and her friends want to make the best haunted house ever. Luna tells them about the ghost that once haunted the halls of their school, unknowingly sending Sunset on the path to uncover the mystery of the hoofbeat haunting and forcing the girls to try to rid the school of its terrors before it's too late.

Sunset convinces Twilight to spend a Christmas with her and the girls in their world so she could get a taste of what it's like while accidentally showing her one of the best parts of the holiday.
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Featured on 12/17/14! *Dash voice* Aw yeah!

Applejack's tired of Rainbow's antics so she decides to do something about them.

Goldenrod Gleam is starting at Canterlot High soon, today she has come for a tour and Sunset Shimmer is still signed up to show newbies around.

It becomes very clear very quickly that they are too alike.

Something Sunset has to admit is very attractive.

Soarin introduces Rainbow Dash to another Wonderbolt tradition: a monthly dinner outing with his best friend in the Royal Guard.

She soon realises that they have an awful lot in common to bond over.

(Rated Teen for some naughty jokes.)