Separating Princess Twilight into Princesshood and Alicornisation

Here's a bit of a thing about any derivative work, be it an actual full-blown story, video, or artwork, or just an idea or theory: it heavily relies on the original work having actually existed. For a big example, if you haven't seen it yet, look at the Darth Jar Jar Binks theory. The theory blew up just because it tickles our imaginations so, with a lot of evidence that actually gives credence to the theory. But it relied on the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy being disappointing and people generally detesting Jar Jar. If Episode 2/3 had actually followed through with a Darth Jar Jar, people would probably have hated it, since an annoying character made to sell toys ends up being a big bad.

I say this, because what I'm about to propose would have likely fallen flat if the show had actually done it, but incorporated into a fanfiction could provide a breath of fresh air. I have no plan to use it, at least not as a stand-alone idea (but possible a single part of a greater whole of a change to the storyline) but if any readers wish to, go ahead.

Anyways, I watched the first 12 episodes of the series in 2012, but didn't really pay any more attention until 2015, when I watched the first four seasons and then the first half of Season 5 during the hiatus. As a result, I missed out entirely on the Twilicorn drama.

Here is my proposal: instead of Twilight getting both wings and Princess status during the events of Magical Mystery Cure, split it up and give her one of those two during Magical Mystery Cure, and then the other during Twilight's Kingdom.

If you go with wings and then Princess status, what this means is Twilight achieves apotheosis from finishing Star Swirl's spell and gets her wings, but she doesn't become a Princess at the same time. This means that in Princess Twilight Sparkle (which would be renamed since she's not a Princess yet), the guards defer to her because she is Celestia's student and an alicorn, rather than because she's a Princess. After defeating Tirek, she gets a promotion from the current three Princesses for all her deeds to Equestria and being seen to be 'ready' in leading the nation once during a crisis and being trusted by the other three enough to take all their magic power. Twilight already did several good deeds for Equestria by the time of Magical Mystery Cure, but the timing wouldn't jive as well (this might be a little difficult for me to explain. For a military equivalent example: think of if a soldier did really well in several battles, didn't get a promotion, then gets a promotion right after doing something completely unrelated).

This also neatly explains away a gripe people may have with Canterlot Wedding - namely, how Twilight had no idea who 'Princess Mi Amore Cadenza' was. If alicorn doesn't automatically equal princess status, Cadence might not yet have been a princess (which also explains why she's babysitting a filly, possibly as a way to learn responsibility and gain some pocket money; note that Twilight in her flashback didn't have her Cutie Mark, so at that time she wasn't Celestia's student). Without Cadence being a Princess at the time, Twilight wouldn't have something to connect Princess Cadenza to Cadence. Finally, the castle's appearance at the end of Season 4 would be a little bit better: a new castle for a new Princess.

Alternatively, if you go with Princess status and then alicornhood, this is a little trickier to figure out. During Tirek's rampage, maybe Celestia, Cadence and Luna decide Twilight is the only unicorn strong enough to bear all their alicorn magic (and render unicorn Twilight invulnerable to Tirek taking away her magic), and that magic itself ascends her. Or activating the Tree of Harmony's box gives her wings.