It's okay Twilight. Just stay calm. Cover art by Pedantia
Ascend
is a My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fan fiction story by xTSGx that was first published October 17, 2012, mere months before Magical Mystery Cure would make Twilight an Alicorn in the show itself.
It is a comedic Slice of Life story that plays with the ever-popular "Twilight becomes an Alicorn" fan fiction plotline.
It has a more adventurous sequel, Regent, that deals with Twilight's problems as she rules Equestria as princess while the Royal Sisters are on vacation. The sequel is currently on hiatus although xTSGx has indicated a desire to complete it.
Ascend provides examples of the following tropes:
- Alliterative List: The title of one of Chapter One's books has the following subtitle:Deja Vu, Dreams, and Delusions: Understanding Hallucinations and Other Mental Strangites
- Alliterative Title: The title of two of Chapter One's books:
- Anomalous Abnormalities of Anatomy
- Deja Vu, Dreams, and Delusions: Understanding Hallucinations and Other Mental Strangites, due to Alliterative List.
- Contrived Coincidence: As Lampshaded by Spike in Chapter Four, the reason for sudden stopping of dragonfire communication:Celestia via letter: I regret to inform you that, due to the increasing instability within the Griffo-Minotaurian Empire, I have been advised by the National Defense Council to halt all forms of Dragonfire communication, effective immediately.
[...]
Spike: “Oh, come on! That's so contrived!” - Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: The story description, which starts with trying to cheer Twilight up, then figures out that she shouldn't really be happy:Cheer up, Twilight. It's not every day somepony changes species. In fact, no pony has ever changed species. It's something new and you like discovering new things. Granted, Equestrians don't like new things, especially things that fundamentally alter their government. So maybe there is reason not to be happy after all.
- The short version, seen at the short blurb at the top of chapters, goes
- Cheer up, Twilight. It's not every day somepony changes species. In fact, no pony has ever changed species. Or dealt with the results of that change.
- Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: One-Word Title-style. The first three chapters are:
- Denial
- Illusions
- Errands
- In Medias Res: A form is used. The story begins with Twilight staring in a mirror with her wings already grown.
- Just Woke Up That Way: As said in Chapter Two, this is the cause of Twilight's alicornification:“All I know is that, after I finished chapter seven of A Troper's Guide To: Clichés, I went to sleep and woke up with a pair of wings.”
- Lampshade Hanging: The Oddly Specific in Chapter Ten's book, So You've Been Subpenaed to Testify Before Parliament: An Oddly Specific Book on How to Handle a Visit Before Equestria's Legislature.
- LEGO Genetics: Mentioned in the title of an in-universe book, in Chapter One:The books' titles read: LEGO Genetics: How to Splice Your Genes in Ten Easy Steps;
- Mundane Utility: In Chapter Four, Spike uses his fire Breath Weapon to light a candle.
- One-Word Title: A common feature of many xTSGx fics.
- The fanfic's title itself.
- The Idiosyncratic Episode Naming, the first three being:
- Denial
- Illusions
- Errands
- Shout-Out: to TV Tropes directly, in the title of an in-universe book from Chapter One:A Troper's Guide To: Clichés
- Specific Situation Books: Twilight is subpoenaed to testify before parliament and in Chapter Ten, consults a book titled So You've Been Subpenaed to Testify Before Parliament: An Oddly Specific Book on How to Handle a Visit Before Equestria's Legislature. Spike is dubious:Spike: I don't know about this one, Twilight. They misspelled "subpoenaed".
- Tyop on the Cover: A book in Chapter Ten is So You've Been Subpenaed to Testify Before Parliament: An Oddly Specific Book on How to Handle a Visit Before Equestria's Legislature:Spike: They misspelled "subpoenaed".
