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.