I think my headcanon just misfired... (Contains Spoilers for SSN3EP5) · 6:25am Dec 7th, 2012
[rant]
Ok... for all the awesomeness that came about from Twilight and Trixie's magic duel, one thing nearly made me want to scream...
Twilight... Used... Summoning Magic... 
Anyone who's also following my story "Fundamentals" probably realizes that I'm playing it off like summoning magic is something new, bold, and exciting. Something that nopony has seen in a while; something not just anypony can do. I mean, the book was an "Advanced Guide" for a reason. 
Granted, as Cadence pointed out, Twi is anything but a 'regular old unicorn', and Trixie's Alicorn Amulet could probably handle it, but it's still frustrating to see my headcanon tossed aside and trampled underhoof. I mean, she just went *POOF*, a parasprite! And poofed it away two seconds later.
I don't think that it causes a big enough divide to make me have to use an AU tag, but the ideas and plans I have for the rest of my story (and future stories) seem less realistic now after seeing Twilight cast the same kind of spell I'm having her learn in my fic with such ease as to negate half of the learning process I plan on putting her through... 
Please don't think I'm just ranting to be ranting... And to anyone who's enjoying my fic: Don't worry. This is not going to stop me from writing it. The easiest fix I can think of to avoid breaking canon is to assume that my fic occurs during the downtime between Season 2 and Season 3, meaning this might be how she learned such a spell in the first place. 
I just needed to get this off my chest, or I'd never be able to finish writing the next chapter.
[/rant]
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Also, thank you to all my readers and watchers! You guys ROCK! ... *whoo-hoo*
So, as a reward for putting up with my mini-rant, I'll give you a little teaser in the form of the next chapter title:
"Study"
Till next time,
--TwilightFox
You know, you could rationalize it this way -
She's had 'summoning magic' since the very start of the show. Now, I know this doesn't sound like it's a GOOD thing for your side, but hear me out...
One of her basic spells that she's always been able to do was TELEPORTATION. Now, along with teleporting herself, she's always been able to teleport other things and/or ponies, not necessarily along with herself.
So, this summoning that happened in Magic Duel? It wasn't a summon at all. It was a teleport, and she had a parasprite in a jar somewhere in the area.
PROBLEM SOLVED.
Honestly, what bothers me more is the use of the term 'alicorn' in that fashion on the show... I have a pet peeve against it because that term is really a misappropriation of another term by the fans that led them to use it anyway... and that just grates on me.
That is quite a common problem sadly, canon effectively nullifying any premises set for a fanfiction. For example, I remember reading some fanfictions about Sweetie and Rarity's family which were written before "Sisterhooves Social" aired, the introduction of their parents effectively causing those fics to be non-canon now. And obviously any fanfiction assuming Twilight is the only child in her family have been technically alternate universe ever since "A Canterlot Wedding" aired. And not to talk about all those Luna fics written before "Luna Eclipsed"... That doesn't make those fics any worse though—those were canon by the time the story was written.
Now that you are still writing your story, there is a choice: just ignore any canon episodes aired after you started writing your story, or try to adapt your story on the new canon somehow. Former I think is more common and easier way to go, and it is totally okay to do so. I have also seen some long stories successfully include new canon in their stories, but I believe that is quite hard to do right, and sometimes even impossible. So I'd recommend you to just go on like you've planned already.
While I haven't yet been hit by that problem of new canon making any part of my incomplete fic (Dash's Secret Diary) non-canon, I'm quite sure it will happen some day... Actually, I'm quite sure it will happen about a week from now when s3ep7 airs (I'm not posting any specifics here, in case you want to stay completely unspoiled about upcoming episodes). I have had to scrap some of my story ideas due to new episodes though...
Anyway, whatever way you choose to continue writing your story, I'll keep reading it.