Chapters "Starlight," Twilight said, rifling through a box. "Can you give me a hoof organizing these artifacts?"
"Sure," Starlight said. They were in Twilight's castle. Starlight had carted over the artifacts from the School of Friendship, and now Twilight was using her empty shelf in the library to place them. "How are we organizing them?"
"I was thinking we'd organize them by use," Twilight said. Starlight cocked her head.
"What do they all do?" she asked.
Twilight raised a stone in the air with her magic. "This one grants three wishes," she said. She raised another one. "This one magnifies magic," she said. Starlight grinned a little.
"Have you been using it?" she asked.
"No way," Twilight said. "If you're already powerful, it can make your magic uncontrollable." Starlight absentmindedly smiled at the implication. Such a great artifact, but it wasn't being used? That is such a waste of magic! Good thing Starlight was already crafting a plan.
Starlight listened to Twilight talk about each artifact. There seemed to be something for everypony! Starlight didn't understand why Earth ponies didn't use the Flight Rope to give themselves Pegasus wings, or why unicorns didn't use the Strength Shoe to give themselves Earth pony strength. Or why unicorns didn't use both the Flight Rope and the Strength Shoe to make themselves Alicorns! Well, after tonight, one of these artifacts would be in use. The Magnify Stone seemed to be just the right thing for her. With that artifact, Starlight would be able to do absolutely everything! Who knows, maybe she could even make herself an Alicorn with magic! She would never get magic fatigue again! She could time travel consequence-free! She could make herself more powerful than Twilight! Her life would be perfect after she executed her plan. And all she had to do was one simple heist. This wasn't an evil plot. With this kind of power, she could help everypony! Who knows, maybe there wouldn't be any more trouble in Equestria. Who would need the Elements of Harmony and their carriers when Starlight could defeat every villain that came their way?
“I’m tired,” Twilight said. “I think I’ll take a…” She fell on a pile of books and started snoring. Starlight grinned. Her plan was going to go into motion even earlier than she thought!
Starlight found a blanket in the corner of the library and tucked Twilight in. Hopefully she would sleep even longer than Starlight needed, so she could impress her with her new powers.
Starlight stepped toward the shelf where the artifacts were organized. She took hold of the Magnify Stone with her magic. “Careful,” Twilight’s voice called out. “Artifacts…” Starlight froze. She looked back toward Twilight. She was still sleeping peacefully. Starlight let out her breath. She grabbed the stone with her magic and raised it into the air. Now was the tricky part. How to make it work? Starlight shook it around, bonked it on her horn (“Ow!” she said, making Twilight snore even louder), made strange incantations over it, everything she could think of and more. After a good fifteen minutes trying to make the rock work, she finally let go with her magic. The stone fell to the ground. Starlight winced, but Twilight stayed asleep. When she looked back towards the Magnify Stone, it was glowing! It was emanating with a purple glow, spreading outward. When the light touched Starlight’s cutie mark, the rock floated above her, enveloping her in a purple swirl. It raised her in the air, pulling out her magic and replacing her usual aquamarine color with a lavender the color of her coat. Starlight glanced back at her cutie mark, and gasped! It had changed! Instead of the purple star with teal decals, it was a blue star with silver decals! Her coat was slowly changing, too, turning a dark purple, even darker than Twilight’s mane. Starlight began to feel like a mare in somepony else’s body. She didn’t like it one bit. Maybe this was why Twilight didn’t want to use it. Maybe it...changed you. As soon as she had this thought, the swirl and the stone dropped her new body on the ground. Starlight didn’t even want to test out her new magic. She just wanted Twilight to wake up and tell her what had happened. Her eyelids closed gently, and she fell into a restless sleep.
Twilight woke up. Her bones were aching from the books giving her a hard position. She smiled when she saw that Starlight had put a blanket on her. Twilight was so proud of her pupil. She had turned from a cutie-mark stealing villain to a kind friend. That reminds me, Twilight thought, where is Starlight? Twilight looked around slowly. That was when she noticed the strange mare sleeping on the library floor. She slowly walked over to her. She looked familiar somehow, but Twilight knew she had never seen this unicorn before. That was when the mare’s eyes snapped open. To a familiar look, like she had some plan working its gears behind them. “Starlight?” The mare stood up, a desperate look in her eyes. Twilight noticed her cutie mark. It was the same as Starlight’s, but a completely different color. So was her coat. Her mane and tail were the same, she thought. And that look…
“Twilight?” the mare said. That was definitely Starlight’s voice. “It’s me.”
“What happened to you?” Twilight asked. This definitely wasn’t normal. She had never seen someone’s coat change, and the one time she had seen somepony’s cutie mark change, it hadn’t gone well.
The mare—Starlight—winced. “It’s a long story,” Starlight said. “Are you sure you want to hear it?”
“Definitely,” Twilight said. “Let’s fix this. Together.” Starlight smiled.
“Thanks,” Starlight said. “So, do you remember when we were organizing artifacts? You were telling me about the Magnify Stone—”
“You used it? Don’t tell me you used it!” Twilight said, fear in her eyes. “I told you it was dangerous!”
“I know now,” Starlight said. “So yeah, that’s how it started…”
Twilight paced in a circle, starting to wear out the floor. Occasionally, she levitated a book from the shelves and flipped through it, then shaking her head and tossing it away. Starlight sat on a pile of books, her head in her hooves, both tired and guilty. "Twilight?" Starlight asked.
"Not now, Starlight," Twilight said. Starlight felt a fair bit of frustration boiling up inside. Twilight shouldn't ignore her like this!
"Twilight!" she yelled. Her magic stopped Twilight in her tracks. Starlight took a breath, and released Twilight.
"What was that?!" Twilight said, raising her voice.
Starlight shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "My magic just responded!"
Twilight nodded. "Part of the Magnify Stone's power makes your magic obey your every wish, even the subconscious ones."
Starlight's mind had wandered after Twilight said that her magic would make her every wish come true. That sounds good, Starlight thought. I could be the most powerful unicorn in Equestria! Starlight started to smile. Her new body might be less than satisfactory, but maybe, just maybe, it was worth it.
A few hours later, Twilight had gone through all her books, and she was starting to go into one of her freak-outs. Her mane was getting frazzled, and she had developed a tick in her eye. Starlight watched this without emotion. She was tired. "Why don't you ask Princess Celestia what to do?"
"Why didn't I think of that?" Twilight exclaimed, her eye tick subsiding. She fixed her mane with her magic and levitated Starlight over her shoulder as she prepared to spread her wings.
Starlight sighed. She had hoped to work with her new powers by herself while Twilight was in Canterlot. But she could still do that. Starlight broke out of Twilight's levitation and levitated herself. "I'll be right behind you," Starlight said, and meant it.
"Okey-doke," Twilight said, and flew out of the castle towards Canterlot.
Starlight stayed behind for a bit and looked at the Flight Rope and the Strength Shoe in the library. She smiled. Those artifacts had the power to turn an Earth pony into a pegasus. They had the power to give a unicorn wings. Together, they could make Starlight an Alicorn. Maybe even an Alicorn Princess, once Twilight cooled down about it. But Starlight barely cared. This was the opportunity of a lifetime. Starlight Glimmer closed her eyes and used her new, super-strong magic to draw the power out of the artifacts and into herself. The magic surrounded her, making a cocoon of magic around her. She felt the rooted strength of Earth ponies drawing into her hooves. She felt the airy flight magic of the Pegasi push into her shoulder blades, and with them, she felt feathered wings appear on her back. After a minute or two, the cocoon subsided, and Alicorn Starlight Glimmer floated to the ground, her new wings spread wide. Starlight risked a glance at the Flight Rope and the Strength Shoe. The magic had left them just an ordinary rope and shoe. Starlight didn't care. She was an Alicorn now. Maybe even a princess.
Starlight spread her wings and started flapping them. She wobbled through the air, never going where she wished. She crashed into a bookcase, shaking the Strength Shoe and the Flight Rope, or now just a shoe and a rope from the artifact shelf, but the shelf was empty of books. Twilight had thrown them to the corner of the room. She was never going where she wanted. Or wished... Starlight lit up her horn, and cast a spell of steadiness on her indigo wings, ones that now matched her coat. She flapped with purpose out of a window in the castle library. She could see Twilight in the distance, and she glided in her direction.
"What!?" A voice called. Starlight looked down at Rainbow Dash, soaring beneath her. "Are you an Alicorn? Why have I never heard of you? Who are you anyway?"
"You know me," said Starlight, confused. Then she remembered she didn't look the same. "It's me, Starlight."
"You're not Starlight," Rainbow said.
"Yes, I am," Starlight said, and showed Rainbow her cutie mark. "My colors were changed magically, but it's still me."
Rainbow still looked suspicious. "Starlight is a unicorn," Rainbow said. "She doesn't have wings."
"I, um, earned them," Starlight lied. She doubted anypony would appreciate the fact that she had made herself an Alicorn.
"I still don't think you're Starlight," Rainbow said. "Can you prove it?"
Starlight smiled. "That I can do," she said and conjured an image of herself, her old colors, enchanting Rainbow, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie to do whatever she asked.
"Okay," Rainbow admitted, wincing a little with the recollection of being put under that huge spell. "I believe it. Where are you going?"
"To Canterlot," Starlight said. "Twilight's going to ask Princess Celestia if there's a way to get my normal colors back."
"Good," Rainbow said. "This new scheme doesn't suit you."
Starlight winced. She knew Rainbow meant her color scheme, not her stealing the Magnify Stone, and turning herself into an Alicorn, but it seemed she still harbored guilt about all of that. Even though she could help so many ponies with her new power. Everyone might even forget what she had done in the past! And Trixie! Trixie would love this. But she knew talking to Rainbow Dash wouldn't help her guilt. "I've got to go," Starlight said, and zoomed a bit faster towards the speck that was Twilight. But then she remembered that Rainbow might be the fastest pony in Equestria. She lit up her horn and teleported where Twilight was.
Rainbow was left behind, a bit confused. "Goodbye?" she said to where Starlight must be.
Starlight did a few loops, to really get the joy of flying. She understood fully why Rainbow Dash loved it so much. "I can explain," she said to Twilight. She was sure her friend would understand.
That was when Starlight looked at Twilight.
Starlight gasped.
It wasn't Twilight.
Starlight was face to face with a bugbear.
Starlight flapped away from the bugbear. It roared back at her, its giant stinger out and ready, pointed at her. She was terrified. Starlight shot a bolt of magic at it, but it did no good. What should I do? Starlight thought to herself. There was no way that this was going to be easy.
Starlight thought back to when Twilight had told her about the time a bugbear had gotten out of Tartarus. (Not that she had been able to detail that part. Pinkie kept interrupting and telling her how sad it was that they had missed Cranky Doodle's and Matilda's wedding, and how that was no way to be rewarded for saving all of Ponyville from a venomous, flying bear bee monster. Starlight couldn't help agreeing.) How had they defeated it? She couldn't remember anything, except it had something to do with Applejack's lasso and Bon Bon. That's not helpful at all, Starlight thought. She used a band of magic to contain it, but it broke it right away. Then she remembered that she had enhanced magic. Maybe even some dark magic. She was using traditional methods when she could just wish the thing in Tartarus. She visualized the bugbear sitting in a cage in Tartarus. She imagined being there with Twilight when Cozy Glow tried to take over instead of encased in a ball of magic. I could have gotten out of that if I had this magic, Starlight thought distractedly. Starlight's horn glowed. Sweat beaded on her brow, and the magic exploded out of her, wrapping her in a lavender aura. The bugbear vanished, and Starlight's grip on her wings faltered. She fell from the sky, too exhausted to try flapping her wings or levitating herself. Starlight closed her eyes as the ground rushed towards her.
Starlight opened her eyes. She was on the ground, in a shaded area in Canterlot. Twilight's face hazed above her. "Twilight?" She murmured.
"Thank Celestia you're all right," Twilight said. "Now, Starlight. Tell me what you were doing 500 hooves above the ground with wings."
Starlight stood up shakily. She wanted to be level with Twilight when she told her the truth, about how badly she had messed things up and abused her power. Not that she would have any left after this. "I, er, kind of used the Flight Rope and the Strength Shoe to make myself an Alicorn," she said.
Twilight's eyes widened. "You what!? "
"Look," Starlight said. "I thought that if I was an Alicorn, I could do more with my new magic."
"Don't tell me you're planning to keep it," Twilight said. Starlight smiled sheepishly. It was clear she was guilty of that plan. "Where are those artifacts anyway? You have to be wearing them for them to work, and you don't have them, but you still have your wings."
"I sucked the magic from them and into myself," Starlight said simply.
Twilight's eyes widened and she took a deep breath as if she was going to yell at Starlight, but instead, she took a deep breath, holding her anger in, and said, "Celestia will want to hear about this." Starlight's eyes conveyed in no uncertain terms how nervous she was.
Starlight and Twilight entered the throne room of Canterlot's castle. Celestia and Luna were in their respective seats in the castle. "Hello, Twilight," Princess Celestia said.
"Hi, um, Princess Celestia," Twilight said uncertainly. "Um, Starlight here was something to tell you."
"Hey!" Starlight said. "You said that you would be the one to ask her!"
"It's your problem," Twilight said simply.
Starlight sighed. "Princess, I—"
"Wait," Princess Celestia said. "Are those...wings? "
"Um, yeah..." Starlight answered hesitantly.
"How in Equestria did you get wings, Starlight?" Celestia asked.
"Aren't you curious about my color change?" Starlight asked, a bit confused why everypony else had been so confused as to who she was, but Princess Celestia didn't bat an eyelash. Were princesses psychic? Starlight would have to ask Twilight sometime. Maybe she should have Princess Celestia and Pinkie have a party together. Maybe she could get Cheese Sandwich to throw it, or Pinkie herself...
"I am over a thousand years old. I know the effect of the Magnify Stone on powerful unicorns. I can fix your colors, but you have to find the Crystal of Reducement to fix the effects. Otherwise, the magic will swallow you and you will become a supernova of magical energy, and Equestria might be destroyed. But, as your princess, tell me about your wings!"
Starlight just stared, shocked. "I—I will destroy Equestria?"
"My sister asks about your wings, Starlight Glimmer!" Princess Luna suddenly used her Royal Canterlot Voice. Even Twilight couldn't help jumping a bit in surprise.
"Y—yes, Princess Luna," Starlight said. "I used two artifacts called the Flight Rope and the Strength Shoe to make myself an Alicorn. I couldn't help it! I've always wanted to be a princess." Starlight gave a guilty grin. "I hope you can forgive me."
"I will once you stop," said Celestia.
"I can't," said Starlight fearfully. "I took the magic from the artifacts. It's mine now." Even Starlight knew that was a bad way to phrase it. Luna and Celestia whispered to each other.
"I'm sorry," Twilight said with a small smile.
"The Crystal of Reducement should lessen the power," Celestia finally said. "You'll still be an Alicorn, but you won't be able to fly, and you'll have very little Earth Pony strength."
Starlight was barely listening. You shouldn't have lied, Starlight scolded herself. These are the princesses! The Ones that rule Equestria, not the barely princess that Twilight is. They'll find out you could return the magic sooner or later, and then not only will you have to give up your being an Alicorn, but you'll be punished! A lot! Maybe even banished to the moon! This was a bad idea! All of it!
"Starlight?" Twilight said. "Equestria to Starlight."
"Oh! Um, yes?" Starlight answered.
"So, are you up for the adventure?" Twilight asked.
"What adventure?" Starlight said, confused and oblivious.
"You really weren't listening, were you," Twilight said.
"No," Starlight admitted. So then, Twilight told Starlight the plan. Not that she had a choice.