Three years later...

Princess Twilight Sparkle sat waiting in the library, pouring through a book to pass the time. Beneath her lavender cape, her wings twitched and threatened to unfurl, but she kept them down for now. Her eyes fell to her Element of Magic tiara, now the symbol of her coronation.

Princess. Even now, it still felt quite odd to have that title. She was no longer just plain old unicorn Twilight Sparkle. She was Princess Twilight Sparkle, a risen alicorn. What a crazy day that had been, two weeks ago now.

Encased with the Elements of Harmony was Starswirl the Bearded's notebook. Within it was the spell she had finished. Finishing his life's work. With upon the very thing he could have learned.

'That could've been me. I could've been just like him. He was powerful, he was smart, he was groundbreaking in his spells, and has even mentored Clover the Clever herself. But he didn't know the true meaning of friendship, how it too could make for powerful magic. It's why he couldn't finish that spell... And that could've been me. I could've been just like him...if I had never met my friends. But even if I was, somepony else further down the line would've been able to figure out how to finish that spell.'

Twilight sighed, looking back to her book, but finding the words blurred. She just couldn't focus, at least not on this.

'What's Ascentia going to think? Now I'm an Alicorn, a Princess... Will she still love me? Will she still want to be with me? Would she even still want to be my friend? ...What if she never wants to see me again?'

The thought terrified her, there was no doubt. She felt her stomach churning and her body going numb, the fear of the unknown was overtaking her once more. These questions had been buzzing in her mind for the past two weeks, since Ascentia had been busy. Now, with a letter, she said she was returning and would be coming to see her. Today was that day.

Twilight trembled, taking a few deep breaths. “Okay, I can do this. I can't hide it from her forever, and I won't. I'm just going to be honest. I'll just-”

“Twilight?” A voice called from the door, followed by a knock.

“Yipe!” Twilight nearly flung her book aside, wide-eyed. “Uh...I'll be right there!”

Gathering herself, making sure that her cape continued to hide her wings, Twilight took another deep breath, making sure her dress was on right, brushing off invisible dust. She then approached the door, opening it with her magic. Ascentia crawled in moments later, holding a box in one hand, and stood up on her knees.

“H-Hey! Welcome back!” Twilight grinned sheepishly.

“Thank you. I brought you back some chocolates. I know you liked them the last time I-” Ascentia paused, studying her. Her brow furrowed slightly, looking confused. “...Why are you wearing that, Twilight? It's not cold.”

“Er...well...actually...” Twilight looked around herself nervously. That had escalated quickly, to be sure. Now she just had to come out with it. “I... have something to confess. ...Please don't be mad, okay? Hear me out.”

Placing the box aside, the woman faced her with a serious gaze. “I can't promise anything of that sort, Twilight. But I will hear you out, regardless.”

Nodding, the new alicorn hesitated for a moment or two. But she had to just go out with it and not let the future frighten her so much. And after three years of being together, was this really going to be that much of a deal breaker?

'My friends, Princess Celestia, Cadance, Shining Armor...all said the same thing. Just be honest about it, tell her what's going on, and let things go from there. If she really did love me, she'd at least accept it, right? I just hope she'll understand.'

“Okay. Well...here it is.” With her mouth, Twilight removed her cape, throwing it aside. Her wings, though perfectly in view, flared anyway. She flinched, closing her eyes and ducking her head.

There was silence. Not even the sounds of movement. Whatever was going on, Ascentia didn't seem to be doing anything. There wasn't even the sound of her drawing her sword. Twilight swallowed, keeping her eyes closed and trying not to shake so much.

“...Twilight, why are you standing like that? Do you think I'm going to strike you?” Ascentia's voice eventually spoke up.

Opening her eyes, she could see that the Val'Kyr had not moved from her spot. She was only gazing at her with an unreadable look. But nothing about it was anger nor hatred, which was relieving to her.

“So, what's the problem?” She went on.

“...What do you mean, 'what's the problem'?! I'm an alicorn!” Twilight burst, her anxiety getting the better of her. “Hello? Alicorn? I'm not just Twilight Sparkle anymore! I'm... I'm a Princess! I have been for the past two weeks, since you've been gone! Look at me!”

Ascentia didn't say anything, she just let her rant. She looked along Twilight's body, then spoke up.

“Honestly, Twilight, I can't say that I didn't see this coming. Perhaps not exactly, but I had a feeling you would rise up as the prodigy you truly are. Even to be Celestia's successor, if you will. So, I would say that you becoming an alicorn makes sense,” Ascentia stated. “From the stories you've told, from everything I've seen since upon meeting you, the clues were right in front of me.”

“...Oh...” Twilight sat on her haunches, looking sheepish. “Okay...so...that's it?”

“What's it?”

“You really have nothing more to say about it?”

“If you're expecting me to start squealing like a child and exclaiming that we throw a party, then you're in for a disappointment. I am not Pinkie.” Despite her tone, there was an amused smile on her face.

Twilight rolled her eyes, sighing. “That's not what I meant! I just...it was a huge change for me, you know?”

“I can see that. But that doesn't change who you are, Twilight. You just have wings, and I assume a whole new set of responsibilities, don't you?” Ascentia reached over to gently stroke her mane.

“Yeah, I do... Princess Celestia isn't even really my teacher, anymore. What she does now is show me my duties as a Princess... And now...she, Princess Luna, Cadance...they're like...my equals, now,” the alicorn murmured, nuzzling her head into Ascentia's hand. “But I am still me. Ponies all around started calling me Princess Twilight a lot, though.”

“It's understandable. They just want to be respectful.”

“I know, but I try to tell them that they can still just call me Twilight. I don't need to be addressed as Princess. It's kind of like when you address someone as Mr or Mrs So-and-So and they say you can call them by their names.”

Ascentia stroked her back and pulled her into a gentle hug. Feeling a sense of comfort, Twilight smiled and snuggled into her lover. At least she didn't have to worry about what she felt of the situation, all things considered. She could even see that she was right. All the seeds were planted, and she knew she was going to be doing something important in the future. She just hadn't known what.

“You're still the adorkable and knowledgeable Twilight Sparkle I know. A pair of wings and the Princess status are not going to change that.”

A beaming smile overcame the new alicorn's face. “...I love you, you know that?”

Ascentia smiled, kissing her forehead. “And I love you, too.”

Twilight giggled, nuzzling her sweetly, before releasing the woman. She then indicated to the glass casing, where the notebook and the Elements of Harmony sat. “You see that book right there?”

Ascentia nodded, regarding the item in question. “Yes, I do. I believe that is Starswirl the Bearded's notebook, correct?”

“It was,” Twilight said, going over to the glass casing and sitting in front of it. “Princess Celestia entrusted it to me some time ago. She knew if anypony could finish Starswirl the Beaded's last spell, it'd be me. I didn't know how, or what to expect, but when I did... everything just went crazy.”

“How so?”

Recalling the events, Twilight explained the situation as best she could. From when her friends had their cutie marks switched around, and even their memories wiped of who they really are. All the way to truly seeing what friendship was all about, and how it was the key to finishing the spell. It had all been what lead her to become who she was now, an alicorn. A Princess.

“And that's what happened. I got wings, I had a coronation, and...here I am.” Twilight gestured to her tiara. “I guess having the Element of Magic in the form of a tiara was the dead giveaway.”

Before either of them could say anything further, there was a knock at the door. Twilight went to answer it, greeted by the sight of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Rarity, all of them smiling.

“Hey, Twilight!” Rainbow greeted as they came inside. “We've got some news!”

“Wonderfully glorious news!” Rarity threw in.

“Well, okay! What's up, girls?” Twilight asked, smiling curiously.

Both pegasi exchanged looks, with Rainbow gently nuzzling Fluttershy and nudging her side. The shy pony giggled, blushing a bit and looking nervous, but still very happy.

“Um...well...Rainbow and I...we're going.... we're going to get married.” Fluttershy said softly, her bright, loving smile betraying her shy and nervous tone.

The news surprised Twilight, more so actually hearing it than the news itself. Considering that the two have now been together for the past three years, as well. After a few months since they started to date, being more than just friends with benefits, the special moment had happened on their four-month anniversary, to which Rainbow had also declared with no uncertainty that she loved her. Rainbow Dash had also given Fluttershy her own primary feather back then, making the exchange complete.

It was really sweet, to which Twilight felt so glad for her friends to have made it this far.

“Aww, that's great, you guys!” Twilight grinned, giving them both a hug. “So, you finally proposed, huh?” She smirked playfully at her cyan friend.

“Yeah, I did....” Rainbow chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “Yesterday was the same date that we first met and all... So uh... I'd been planning to ask her for a while, you know! And uh, so it worked out... I asked her to marry me.”

“And I said yes...” Fluttershy giggled.

“Big surprise!” Rarity cajoled. “Isn't it simply lovely? I of course have been appointed to design the dresses! How exciting this will be!”

Twilight laughed a bit, shaking her head. “Congratulations! I'm really happy for you two! When's the wedding?”

“Oh, we were thinking of having it next spring...” Fluttershy said dreamily, giggling. “We haven't set a date just yet, but that's what we're planning for.”

“That's great! So, let me guess, you want my help to organize it?”

“Actually, Twi,” Rainbow looked sheepish, eyeing Fluttershy. “We want you to marry us! I mean, you're a Princess now, right? You can do that?”

Surprised at that, Twilight considered for a moment. “Well, yeah...technically, I can do that.”

“We'd love for you to help us organize it, and to be the one marry us off...if that's all right...” Fluttershy said, hiding behind her mane a bit.

“What do you say to that, Twilight?” Said Rarity.

Seeing the hopeful looks on her friends' faces, the lavender alicorn just couldn't refuse. She'd never thought she would ever preside over a wedding, much less the wedding of two of her friends, but it was definitely going to be a very interesting opportunity. Smiling, Twilight gave a nod.

“Sure! I'll help organize and preside your wedding, girls.”

Rainbow Dash let out a cheer, slapping wings with Twilight, and of course happily hugging her fiancée with glee. Fluttershy cheered in her own sweet, quiet way, before clapping. Rarity was of course delighted, already running through some ideas of their dresses.

“Oh! Um, Ascentia....I was also wondering, since you're here...” Fluttershy spoke up then. “Would you like to come? I mean... I know we haven't made invitations yet-so it's a little early and all! But we-”

“Don't hurt yourself, Fluttershy,” Ascentia cut her off, firmly, but kindly. “I get what you're asking. And yes, I will.”

“...Really?”

“Yes.”

“Looks like the invites are a given!” Twilight remarked, drawing a piece of parchment from the nearby table, along with a quill. “We'll have to go over the details, see what kind of flowers we need, where it'll be held...”

“Goodness, dear! Slow down!” Rarity placed a hoof on her shoulder, smiling. “We still have plenty of time to do all of that!”

“Just as you have plenty of time to make the dresses?” Twilight teased, winking at the now sole unicorn of the gang.

The white unicorn looked taken aback before she smiled, laughing a little bit. “Touché, darling.”

“Um...so we'll go over the details as soon as we can...” Fluttershy said, clearing her throat. “Thank you so much, Twilight. I can't tell you how much this means to us.”

Giggling, the alicorn hugged her shy friend. “Hey, you're welcome, Fluttershy. I'm glad to do this for some of my best friends! So, I should really be the one thanking you both, for giving me this opportunity. I really-” Twilight realized something, then. “...Did you guys tell Pinkie yet?”

“Nope!” Rainbow shook her head. “We were just on our way to do that, but since we were passing by here, we decided to tell you, first!”

Ascentia interjected by that point, making no effort to hide her amused smile. “Oh, then I think it would be best if you took care of that now. I think we all know what happens when Pinkie doesn't hear big news, especially since she might know that you haven't told her yet.”

Twilight laughed at this while Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked sheepish, but then laughing as well.

“You know, if you two wanted to be alone, all you had to do was say so,” Rarity said in a mock-haughty tone, unable to hide her smile. “Well, dears, we should be heading to Sugarcube Corner, then.”

“Sounds good to me!” Rainbow said, then nudged Twilight. “Hey, Twi...you know, ever think of you guys tyin' the knot?”

Blushing, the alicorn looked away a little. “We can talk about that later. Now go on!”

The cyan pegasus laughed heartily, before then leading Fluttershy out of the library, with Rarity following them. Twilight closed the door behind them, letting out a breath.

“You know, if somepony had told me, back before I first moved to Ponyville; that two of my future best friends were going to get married... I'd have thought they were crazy,” Twilight remarked.

“If someone had told me that I would have found a land of magical talking ponies, protected it, and then fell in love with one of them... I suppose I would have thought that they were insane,” Ascentia threw in, chuckling.

“Can't argue with that...” Twilight smiled a little bit. “I guess I can say the same thing, too. And here we are! If we do get married, I really will be making you my Princess!” She laughed at this, recalling the silly little game Pinkie had made them play back three years ago.

The Val'Kyr looked at her, a little smile on her face. “So long as you don't start making me wear those kinds of dresses, then we'll talk.”

“Hey, you know I'd get custom-made robes for you! Nothing's too good for a future consort.”

“Oh? Thinking ahead, already?”

Twilight blushed and looked away, heading toward her room. “Never mind. I think we all get the picture. Besides...I have something for you.”

“What is it?” Ascentia asked, following her.

Coming into her bedroom, Twilight levitated something off of her dresser, which turned out to be a long, fine-looking feather, the same colour as her coat and wings. She levitated it to Ascentia, placing it in her hand.

“That's my primary feather. You remember the old tradition among pegasi?”

“Yes...they give their primary feathers to their mates, as a symbol of their love and devotion to them,” Ascentia responded, looking down at the feather.

“Well...alicorns have them, too. So, I'm giving you mine,” Twilight smiled lovingly. “You entrusted me with your sword, as a symbol of choosing me as your mate. Well...I'm giving you my primary feather, as my own symbol of love and devotion to you. I'd have given it to you back then, but you know... I was only a unicorn at the time. I know you don't exactly need it to know that I'm serious of our relationship...but I felt it was a nice little bonus.”

The woman was silent for a few moments, before she then knelt down, taking Twilight into her arms and hugging her tightly. Returning the hug, Twilight nuzzled into her lover, taking in her warmth and familiar scent.

“I love you so much, Twilight,” Ascentia murmured.

“I love you too, Ascentia.” Twilight said, closing her eyes, “More than you know.”

Keeping the embrace for some time, the two then parted, exchanging smiles. The feather then disappeared, being stored away for safe keeping.

“By the way, I got a letter from Cadance and Shining Armor. They wanted to know if we'd go up to the Crystal Empire for the weekend. Star Shine's been practically begging them to see us lately!” Twilight giggled, showcasing the letter she'd received earlier that morning.

Chuckling, Ascentia nodded. “That would be nice. But in the meantime, I see a problem here.”

Twilight looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“You're still wearing your dress, and I don't see you on your bed.”

“Ohh...so that's it...” Twilight smirked.

She proceeded to remove her dress, carefully placing it on its hanger in her closet. Once undressed, or at least in her normal state, Twilight climbed onto her bed; laying on her back with her wings and legs spread.

“Aren't you un-Princess-like,” Ascentia teased, climbing onto her bed and towering over her.

“Shut up and buck me.”

Author's Notes:

And it's over, folks! My oh my, what a journey this was. It started out as a one-shot request, and even testing the waters a bit. Then, lo and behold, ten chapters (including this) later, it's quite a full story. I have to say it turned out pretty good! I'm glad it managed to go beyond just a "Twiscentia Clopfic" and still manage to be a solid story. It managed to do just that, so yay!

It was fun to do, I hit some roadblocks at times and even felt so lost as to where it was going to go. But I'm happy with how it all turned out. Plus, it was a real bonus to write out Shining Armor and Cadance in a published story, and also Discord. Now that was just pure fun. :D

So, that's it! Thank you guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Also give a huge thanks to good ol' Bhaalspawn for being very helpful and a great editor. :D