CHAPTER 1
>Holy crap, you’re alive! 
>With a whoop, you fall backwards, landing in a snowbank as laughter consumes you. 
>You are the Mageslayer, the Witch of the North, the Auroran Queen…
>Probably a dozen more, and you don't care about a single one of them. 
>There's only one title you care about right now. 
>You are Queen Umbra, the greatest sorceress the world has ever seen!
>There's no ego in that statement, either.
>After all, you just spat in the eye of divinity! 
>And survived! 
>Who else has done that? 
>Nopony, that's who! 
>Your victory celebration is soon interrupted by a vicious bout of coughing. 
>The sharp copper taste of blood hits your tongue as you double over hacking, knives raking your lungs.
>The coughing fit passes as quickly as it came on.
>You greedily suck down air as your eyes lock onto the crimson splatter of blood on the otherwise pure white snow.
>Maybe you're getting ahead of yourself with that whole “survived” thing.
>Just get back to the castle first, then you can worry about whether or not that last spell killed you. 
>Struggling to your hooves, your legs buckle and shake, your left hind especially, threatening to drop you right back onto your belly.
>You corral them just as you would any one of your ponies, and soon stand tall.
>Off in the distance, the obsidian towers of your Crystal Empire glitter in the pale moonlight, a scar upon the otherwise unbroken tundra.
>The spell worked.
>It just...took a lot more out of you than you expected.
>With deep, deliberate breaths, you force one hoof in front of the other, starting the arduous journey back to the castle.
>Get back.
>To the workshop.
>Figure out how close to death you are.
>Go from there.
>Don’t teleport and make it worse.
>Get back.
>To the workshop.
>Figure out...where everypony...went?

>There isn’t a soul out in the tundra with you.
>Your entire army, they should have come with you, they should...where are they?!
>The howling wind of the north bites at your wounds, numbing them; it's the only companion you find.
>Dread begins to gnaw at your stomach.
>You might have screwed up the spell.
>Visions of your Empire flash through your mind, the streets and mines empty or littered with mangled corpses, you the sole survivor of your gambit.
>You’ll be defenseless, you’ll be alone, you’ll be-
>No!
>Get back. To the workshop.
>Before you do ANYTHING else.
>Figure out how bad you are.
>Go from there…
>You repeat a line of your mantra with every step you take.
>Slowly but surely, your Empire grows larger on the horizon, the pit of dread in your stomach growing deeper.
>You know that objectively, you were only two miles away from the edge of the city…but you may as well have been on the other side of the world.
>It takes an eternity, but finally, your hoof falls not on freezing snow, but the warm grass signalling the border of your Empire.
>A wall of warm air almost knocks you onto your rump, as though you had walked into the castle's kitchens.
>...Everything is going to hurt once you've warmed up and can feel your legs again. 
>You deserve it and then some if you killed every-
>There’s a flash of violet as some stallion pokes his head out from behind a half-finished barricade, before ducking back down.
>Seriously?! 
>After you just saved his life?! 
>Fuck him, he gets to go in the mines.
>Running your tongue over your fangs, you think of how best to “convince” a terrified pony to help you out, without either using your horn or giving away just how badly off you are.
>...Screw it, trigger the memory spell. 
“Oooh, my crystal slave!”
>Just like that, you know he’s forgotten what he was doing, and more importantly, why he’s hiding back there.

>You really should stop relying on this spell so much.
>It might start having an effect on a pony’s long term memory if you’re not careful.
>But just like that, he soon wanders out in the open, dazed and confused.
>That is, until he sees you.
>A look of horror strikes him, before he falls to his belly in prostration.
>”Your eminence!”
>He squeezes his eyes shut and flinches, like a foal who just talked back to his mother.
>”I-I, I didn't see you there!”
>Eyeing him, you walk, or more accurately, you limp around his side, before collapsing on his back.
>He cries in shock, but otherwise doesn't move.
“Carry me to the palace, subject.”
>The odd request terrifies him, “Y-your e-em-eminence?-”
“Move. And stay quiet.”
>With hooves shaking almost as badly as yours, he stands and obeys, soon carrying you towards the center of your Empire.
>Along the way, you run across dozens of your subjects, all of which react in the same terrified manner as the stallion you're riding.
>When you aren't in the middle of coughing up more blood, anyway.
>When THAT happens, you make sure to trigger that memory spell in the same manner as before, send your ponies off on various tasks, before browbeating this stallion back towards the castle.
>There still isn't a single sign of your army.
>Just as you feared, now that you're out of the cold, your legs throb, your barrel burns, and your horn feels like it's drilling straight into your brain.
>Maybe a healer is the first thing you should find…
>As you lay there, gasping after a particularly vicious coughing attack, an errant thought runs through your mind. 
>Your fear about killing everypony was completely misguided. 
>The Arcane obviously took “You, and the entirety of the Crystal Empire” to be a geographic command, and not one based on citizenship.
>...You're back to square one when it comes to defending the country.
>Again.


>You glance up at the nearest guard tower, spotting one of the armored figures you were able to spare.
>It's a good thing you solved the “able bodies” issue…
>Better serving you, than being a gryphon’s next meal.
>Your trusty steed makes his way into the heart of your Empire with you dangling your legs off his back, looking over the dwellings carved out of gems that could have purchased entire kingdoms, had your magic not blackened each and every one of them. 
>He stops in front of the large stone gates of your palace. 
“Alright, put me down.”
>He prostrates himself once again, your hooves touching down nicely. 
>And your legs begin screaming.
>Clenching your teeth, you shuffle backwards, each hooffall a hammerblow.
>Oblivious to the agony you're in, the stallion puts his head down, his eyes squeezed shut, “It was an honor to…carry you, your eminence!”
>He cringes, expecting you to…kick him or something, you don't know.
>Everything hurts too much to think of a colorful description for his terror. 
“Just…go.”
>You gasp out those words once you've worked your way free of him, and limp to your front door. 
>Turning your ears back, you hear the clattering hooves of a certain pony galloping away for his life.
>Now, what was the phrase Amore had to unlock the door…? 
>Oh right! 
“A humble traveler begs for sanctuary on this freezing night!”
>The great stone doors swing inwards, eerily silent.
>...Once again, you are absolutely astounded by the perfect storm of naivety and stupidity that was named Princess Amore.
>It’s a miracle nobody killed her before you did. 
>The doors swing shut behind you, the crash of stone echoing through the grand hall.
>...
>They open IN!
>”Hello?” A voice like the soft ring of a crystal bell calls out, as your seneschal, your precious Jewel Joy emerges.


>Waves of shock and terror wash over her as she lays eyes upon you, before settling into a look of faux concern.
>Of course she isn't ACTUALLY concerned about you, why would she be?
>Galloping over to you, her light hoof-falls barely reach the walls, making yours sound like the awkward clomping of a peasant fresh out of the fields.
>”Queen Umbra!” The words have scarcely left her mouth before her flank presses against your barrel, supporting you the best she can.
>”Are you ok? What happened?! The gryphons were almost here, and then there was a huge flash, and...your majesty, the sun is GONE! Along with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna! Please, what happened?”
>Her sudden volley of questions is almost enough to finish you off.
>But your mind is still preoccupied on…
“Let’s take a diamond the size of a mountain, and carve it into a castle large enough to house the entire Empire in the event of a siege. And then let’s have the defences be penetrable by a single charging yak or angry mud pony!”
>She takes a shocked step back, looking as though you had just sprouted a second head, “Your eminence?!”
”The doors open inwards, Jewel!”
>...This is why she thinks you’re a raving lunatic.
>She just stares at you, too horrified to even move, let alone respond.
>With a big sigh, you shove your outrage to a corner of your mind, resolving to refortify your palace the first chance you get.
“The flash was my doing. All three armies are gone. Now help me to the infirmary.”
>Your terrible, half-finished explanation does nothing to quell her rising terror.
>Quivering, she takes another step back, her jaw on the ground, “You…but you…all those ponies are…a-a-and you k-..kil-”
>You double over as another coughing fit overtakes you, blood splattering against the stone floor, ruining your attempt to hoodwink Jewel into thinking it’s business as usual.
>The instant you can, you gasp out a command.
“Infirmary, Jewel! Now!”


>With that look of horror still etched into her face, only now with added tears of misery, she dutifully obeys, supporting you once again, getting your weight off that leg.
>”This waayy…you.. your eminence…”
>Her voice makes it clear that she wants nothing more than to hide in some closet somewhere and cry.
>...Maybe this joke’s in poor taste.
>But with how often you have to stop to cough up various bits of yourself, even with her help, it takes you a good long while to come up with a real explanation. 
>The two of you make slow, stuttering progress through the crystalline halls, passing the various art pieces and magical wonders, both evidence of the castle's current owner and reminders of the previous one, in silence. 
>It isn't until you're almost there, passing by a fountain filled with water that flows upwards, that you form coherent sentences.
“If anypony died, it's not by my horn, Jewel. My spell simply...moved the Empire. But instead of moving to a different place...we moved to a new time.”
>Jewel slows down, her brow furrowing. 
>It takes a moment for your words to sink in, but when they do, she slumps over in relief, almost dropping you. 
>”So everypony’s ok, your eminence? They're just...somewhere else?””
>You snap at her, your pain destroying any patience you might have had.
“That’s not even CLOSE to what I said! LISTEN to me when I speak, Jewel!”
>She winces, but doesn’t pull away again, “I’m sorry, my Queen. Could you...explain it to me? If...how could we move through time?”
>Ooohh, if only she was a unicorn.
>It’s like trying to discuss mathematics with an ape, they just don’t have the mind for it.
“When you go to sleep every night, Jewel, the world doesn’t stand still. It doesn’t feel like it, but when you wake up, it’s morning. Because you’ve moved through time. I moved the Empire the same way.”
>That is absolutely nothing like what the spell you cast had done.


>Before you can try and correct your terrible explanation, you’re overcome by yet another coughing fit.
>The claws raking your insides ruin any chance of speaking.
>Once you’re gasping for air again, Jewel’s meek voice rings out, “It’s just a little further, your eminence, we’re almost there.”
>Blinking to clear away the purple fog that seems to be obscuring your vision, you squint to see the door.
>It’s right there…
“Move, Jewel.”
>As she does so, almost carrying you now, she tries to take your mind off your agony.
>”My queen? How long was the Empire...asleep for?”
“A thousand-nn!-days. If I did everything right.”
>She eyes you warily, “I-if?”
>You stare ahead, your jaw clenched as you feel another coughing fit coming on.
“Our army didn’t come. They were supposed to. Door!”
>Jewel throws open the door, helping you stumble inside.
“Flesh Mender! Mend me!”
>His typical response dies as he sees the state you’re in, merely crying out, “My stars! Get her to a bed, quick!”
>What follows is a flurry of activity.
>His apprentices come rushing from other patients, their magic scooping you up and out of Jewel’s grasp.
>Surrounding you, they start poking and prodding, yelling this and that as they prepare to treat you.
>Soon, one thing becomes clear: the treatment is going to be so painful, that they’re going to have to put you into a magical sleep for days.
>Evidently, you’ve been walking on a broken leg this entire time.
>As their spell begins to take hold, you beckon Jewel over.
>They haven’t even mentioned the magical damage done to your body and why would they?
>You’re the leading expert when it comes to arcane corruption, not them.
>Since you can’t rely on them, you’re going to have to take drastic measures, if you’re going to make it through this.
“Jewel. Go into my workshop. The shelves to the right of the big opened book. Third shelf, on the right, look for the…”
>You’re fading fast.

“Purple potion. It needs an equal amount of…a newborn foal’s blood mixed in. Do it.”
>Her jaw agape, she shakes her head, “Your eminence, please...I-I can’t...I can’t hurt an infant!”
“That’s an order, Jewel! If I wake up, and you haven’t poured it down my throat, I’ll drag you out to the tundra myself.”
>She’s flat out sobbing now, grabbing your hooves with hers, “Please, Queen Umbra! Have somepony else do it, not me! Anypony else, please!”
>But your eyes have already closed.
>The voices of your physicians are muddled now, you can’t make out any individual words.
>You’re about to...wait!
>Summoning the last reserves of your energy, you fight against the spell, yelling out a final command.
“One more thing, Jewel! It’s important! Have a mason flip the front doors so they open out!”
>And like a candle being blown out, you fall into a deep sleep.

                                                                       ~*~

>With tears in your eyes, you gallop as fast as your legs will carry you, as rock after rock hurtles down from the sky.
“Stop it Eclipse!”
>Your sister responds by throwing another rock. 
>This one hits you on the flank.
“Aaahh-ooww!”
>Pain shoots out as a river of hot crimson flows down your leg. 
>As agony lances with every hoofbeat, all you want to do is curl up in a ball and cry until Mom finds you. 
>But you can't, you have to keep running for the treeline. 
>The last time you gave up and cried, she just kept pelting you. 
>It was also the first time Mom called you a crybaby when she knew you were listening. 
>”Why don't you come up here and make me, bonehead?! That's right, you can't cuz you don't have wings!”
>With that, she fishes another rock out of her pouch and throws it at you.
>It strikes you right in the middle of your back.
“Aaah-aah-ooow!”
>Your hooves rip out chunks of grass as you scramble to keep from being knocked flat on your belly, the sharp pain blinding you.
>Almost there, almost there! 
>“You can't even stand on clouds cause you're a dumb, useless bonehead!” She lifts a large slab with both her forehooves and heaves it at you.
>Too late! 
>With a loud thunk, it bounces off a tree. 
>A few flecks of bark ricochet off your back as you pass into the relative safety of the forest.
>Dried leaves crunch under your hooves while you continue running through the much more unstable ground, weaving around trees, ducking under branches, and squirming your way through the brush.
>It’s ok that you’re moving slower now.
>With all the branches up above, she won't fly any faster than you can run.
>With a leap over a stream, you stop to catch your breath, the only sounds in your ears your heavy panting and the burbling rush of water.
>Maybe...maybe you're safe now.
>A shadow appears on the ground.


>Looking up, you see flashes of her eggshell coat between the leaves as she darts around, obviously looking for you.
>She figured out how to be faster than you.
>Gotta hide!
>Gotta find somewhere to hide!
>You take off again, following the stream, looking around for something-anything you could hide under.
>Maybe a big bush, some weird rocks or...up ahead!
>A hollowed out log rests against some rocks, just before the stream goes downhill.
>With one last burst of energy, you gallop inside, only to collapse on your belly.
>Your short, heavy breath echos around you as you gulp down air.
>Once you can breathe again, you do the only thing you can do, until the danger’s passed. 
>You curl up in a ball and start to cry. 
>She HATES you! 
>She's been mean to you as long as you can remember…
>You don't know why! 
>Mommy and Daddy keep saying she misses her old home...but they also say that this place is so nice too! 
>...Then they tell you to play outside…
>You don't wanna have this stupid horn, you want wings like them! 
>Why can’t she see that?
>Laying there, your tears keep coming while you wait for your sister to get bored and go home;  she won’t try anything when Mom’s around.
>Then Mommy will kiss where Eclipse’s rocks hit you and make it feel better and then she’ll-
>”Aww, is the little bonehead crying like a baby?”
>Your blood freezes-that’s Eclipse! 
>Looking up, your tears stop as you see your sister’s sneering face block off the only exit.
>She has you trapped, she's gonna hurt you bad! 
>”Is that your new home, bonehead? I'm gonna go tell Mommy and Daddy we can go back to Pegapolis cause you're gonna live here now!”
“Noo!!”
>With that squeal, you thrash around and scramble for the exit.
“I don't wanna live in a log!”


>As you move to climb out, Eclipse plants a hoof on your forehead and shoves you backwards.
>You fall hard on your rump. 
“Nnn!”
>”Well too bad, cause you're gonna live here now!”
“I don't WANNA!”
>You throw yourself at her in a fit of rage, only to be stopped once again by her hoof.
>With a wordless scream, you pinwheel your hooves, trying to hit her.
>But her foreleg puts the rest of her out of your reach.
>You wanna hurt her! 
>It's not fair, she's bigger than you, she can fly and you can't…you can't even-
>A weird feeling bubbles up inside you.
>It moves forward through your body, going right to your horn, and sparks shower out, spraying Eclipse in the face. 
>”Ow!” Eclipse jerks back, pressing her hoof to her eye.
>Without that hoof to hold you in place, you fall forward onto your belly.
>Did you just…what just happened? 
>Looking up, you see a tear in the corner of her uncovered eye, tiny singe marks speckling her fur.
>”You hit me in the eeeyyyee!” 
>How did you do that?!
>You hurt her…you finally hurt her back…
>She limps out of sight, around the side of the log as she begins to sob.
>Oh no…she's gonna tell Mommy and Daddy and get you in trouble! 
“Wait! Eclipse, I'm sorry!”
>You scramble to get to your hooves, only to bang your head against the ceiling. 
>”I HATE you!” She kicks the log, and both it and you roll over. 
“Oouf!”
>You land hard on your back. 
>Thrashing around, you try to get upright, but the log keeps spinning under you, taking you with it.
>Faster it turns, rolling downhill as it flips you over and over again, each time slamming you painfully against the unyielding wood. 
>You scream as it begins to bounce, spinning too fast for you to comprehend, the world a blur outside the hole.
>There’s a bang and the world goes black.

-
>”Umbraaaaaa!”
>”Umbra, sweetie, where are you?!”
>The voices of your parents pull you away from the abyss.
>As consciousness slowly returns, your legs won't move right.
“Muuhm…duuh…”
>Your cry of mom and dad didn't come out the way it was supposed to.
>Pulling your eyes open, your vision’s blurred.
>There are lots of trees around you.
>But...where’d the log go?
>With great effort, you force your head up, looking around.
>Where are they…? 
>You're both covered in, and surrounded by shards of wood. 
>A few of them stick into your side.
>Half of the log you were just trapped in rests near-by, the end jagged, like the teeth of a wolf.
>The pain starts coming as your mind wakes up, bit by bit, a dull ache at first, but steadily growing stronger.
>It soon becomes more than you can stand, and before you know it, you wail out in pain.
>Your wail quickly devolves into an agony-filled sobbing as you start to curl up in a fetal position.
>Start too, but you don’t quite make it.
>It hurts too much to move.
>”Down here, she’s down here!” Your dad’s voice just barely reaches your ears, doing nothing to make you feel better.
>It’s an agonizingly long time before you hear your parents’ hooves crunch against the log fragments surrounding you, telling you they’ve landed.
>”Oh, Sisters above,” your mom curses, “Sshh, shh, Umbra, it’s ok. We’re here now, Mommy and Daddy are here now. We’re going to bring you home now, ok sweetie?”
>She brushes her wing over your mane to try and calm you down.
>But it doesn’t make everything hurt any less!
>You squirm to press into her wing, only to have her grab you with her hooves.
>”No, no Umbra, don’t move, just stay right-”
>Her hoof pushes on your leg.
>White hot agony shoots out, consuming your entire left side.
“Aaahh-ooww!”
>You scream as loud as you can and pull your head away from her wing.
>Your mom says something under her breath as she pulls away.

>”Blanket’s ready. Are you?” Your dad says, sounding almost scared.
>”I don’t think we can move her like this. She’s...one of her legs might be…”
>”Well it’s not like we can just LEAVE her here. You know what kinds of things live in the woods,” He sighs, “How do Earth ponies deal with a broken leg, anyway?”
>”I don’t know,” Your mother retorts her voice full of venom, “They probably WATCH their foals to make sure they don’t get hurt in the first place!”
>“I told you with Eclipse, we’re not doing this in front of them.”
>Soon, your dad’s breath tickles your ear, his voice as gentle as can be, “Umbra? I need you to be a big girl for me, Umbra. Do you remember how much fun it was when we used to take you flying?”
>Sobbing away, you nod your head just the slightest bit.
>”Do you want to go flying again?”
“Nn-nn!” 
>You shake your head no as hard as you can.
>His tone hardens, “Do you want to WALK home?”
“Noo-oo-ooo!”
>Getting a full word out, you shake your head no once again.
>”Then do you want to walk or fly?”
>You just want everything to stop hurting!
>Why aren’t they making you feel better?!
>Sobbing away, you force an answer out.
“F...f...flyyyyyyy…”
>That satisfies your father.
>”Then we’re going to pick you up and put you on the blanket. Umbra? This is going to hurt. So I need you to be a big girl and not squirm around while we’re moving you. Can you be a big girl?”
>Why do they keep going on about how they don’t want you to move?
>You don’t understand...but you hurt too much to want to.
>Instead, you just nod yes, your tears unrelenting.
>Soon, both your mother and your father flank you and the two of them wedge their wings between you and the ground.
>”Ready?” Your mother asks.
>”Three, two one, move!”
“G-aah-aah! Aaahhooww!”
>Pain.
>Blinding, agonizing pain.
>You scream your throat raw, as your vision tunnels, threatening to go black once again.

>The next thing you know, you’re nestled in the blanket from your parents’ cloud-bed, rocking gently from side to side as it sways.
>Looking up, you see the blue sky, clouds rushing by.
>Your parents wings flash by as they beat in sync, the downrush of air blowing over you as they fly you home.
>Home...where Eclipse will be waiting.
>She kicked the log, she threw rocks at you, she’s the reason you hurt this much!
>All ‘cause she doesn’t like your horn…
>You wish mom or dad could talk to you when they carry you like this.
>But they have to hold the blanket in their mouths...
>It feels like it takes forever, but finally, the flapping of your parents wings are replaced by the clip clopping of their hooves, the sky blocked out by the thatch roof of your home.
>The soft caress of the blanket is soon replaced by the relatively rough underside of your bed, before the sides of the blanket fall away.
>You’re home.
>”Dammit, where did she go now?” Your mother looks around your nice and cozy home.
>She’s looking for Eclipse.
>Your tears threaten to start again.
>Mom hasn’t even kissed you better and she’s already looking for your sister!
>”She’s probably hiding in her cloud-fort like she usually does when she’s upset.”
>Your dad tilts his head towards you, “You want to get her cleaned up while I go looking?”
>”May as well.”
>Your dad’s hooves clomp against the stone  floor as he leaves, leaving you with your mother.
>Grabbing a metal handle in her teeth, she starts pumping water into a bowl.
>Your mom who’s more worried about your sister…
>Curling up on yourself a bit, you’re left with that thought while your mother hums away, grabbing various things.
>They didn’t ask if you were ok, they didn’t kiss where you hurt...
>You start crying again, overwhelmed.

>In a flash, your mom’s by your side, “Umbra? Sweetie, talk to me. What’s wrong? Is something new hurting?”
>”Nn-nn.”
>A few leaves fall from your mane as you shake your head no.
>”Is it something else?”
“Mm-hmm.”
>With a bit of a sigh, your mother strokes her hoof over your mane, “Then whatever it is, it’s going to have to wait until you’re cleaned up. I have to get these splinters out before your leg becomes morbid.”
>She gives a kiss to your forehead.
“Oh-ohkay Mo-ommy…”
>The flow of your tears weakened, she goes back to gathering up whatever it is she’s fetching.
>There’s a loud rip as she tears up one of her bedsheets into strips.
>Finally, she brings all sorts of things over to the bed.
>”Up here, sweetie.”
>Looking up at her, you see she doesn’t look happy.
>”This is going to hurt a bit, but these splinters HAVE to come out. You CAN’T move, sweetie? You’ll hurt yourself even more.”
“Ohkay. I’ll try-y…”
>Grimacing, Mommy places both her forehooves on your barrel and presses you down before leaning in and biting one of the pieces of wood sticking out of you.
>She yanks it out hard.
“Oooww!”
-



>You lay there, whimpering, as your mother tightens one last bandage around your trunk.
”Nnn!”
>”Awmosh, Umbah,” She speaks, holding one end of the cloth in her mouth as she ties it off.
>Finally, she lets it fall.
>”Ok. We’re finished, sweetie.” With that, she reaches down and kisses your side.
>It doesn’t make it better.
“Can I...get up noooww?”
>Your voice wavers, showing your mother how much you still hurt.
>She places her soft wing against your bandage-covered side, “No, not yet, Umbra. You need to wait for a doctor before you can walk on your leg. Until then, you need to stay in bed.”
“But whhyyy?”
>Leaning down, she nuzzles your neck.
>But despite her affections, her voice is firm, “If you walk around, you could hurt your leg even more. I don’t want you to move it until I can get a REAL doctor from Pegapolis tomorrow.”
>You don’t understand why she can’t make your leg better, too.
>And why Pegapolis?
>Why can’t one of the ponies the village nearby-
>The door is thrown open and Eclipse trots in, wearing a bandage over one of her eyes, just like the one around your belly.
>Right behind her, Daddy follows.
>The moment her uncovered eye falls upon you, Eclipse speaks, in the smuggest voice she can conjure, “Told you she went to play in the woods. It’s a good thing I saw her.”
>She what?!
>Liar!
>You jab your not-hurt hoof at her, and scream the truth.
“She chased me in there! I had to hide ‘cause she kept hitting me with rocks!”
>”Nuh-uh! I only did that because you threw glowey stuff in my EYE!”
>You burst out in tears as she continues to lie.
“That happened AFTER! When-when you made me hide in a log! And then you kicked it doowwn!”
>She stamps her hoof, “I did not, liar! I flew home and got Mommy and-”
>”Both of you, ENOUGH!” Your father roars out.

>While your sobbing doesn’t stop, you and your sister both shut your mouths.
>”I don’t care who was doing what! The only thing I care about is making sure both of you are ok!”
>He’s what?
>Both you and your sister jab your hooves at the other.
”She-she’s why I’m hur-”
>”But she hit me in-”
>Your mother lets out a piercing whistle, hurting your ears.
>She speaks the moment she stops whistling, before either you or your sister can.
>”Eclipse, Umbra, it doesn’t matter who broke the rules. You two have BOTH been hurt, and that’s punishment enough.”
>It...but…
>But you didn’t do anything wrong!
>It was all her…
>Your mother turns to your sister, “Eclipse. I don’t know if you’re ever going to see out of that eye again. But if you hurt someone, you can’t be surprised when they hurt you back.”
>Eclipse’s ears fall, “But I...I won’t...wha…?”
>Taking a cue from Mommy, your father looks down at you, “Umbra. What happened to you is exactly why you’re not allowed in the forest for ANY reason. You could have been hurt much, much worse than you were.”
“But...but she…”
>Your father presses his hoof to your lips.

>”No. No more, from either of you. The Sisters are about to lower the sun, it’s time for both of you to get to bed. Your mother’s going to have a hard time flying to Pegapolis and back tomorrow, you are NOT to wake her up. Is that clear?”
>As he takes his hoof back, you and your sister both mumble out together,
“Yes, sir.”
>”Yes sir.”
>That night, long after the rest of your family has fallen asleep, you lay in bed, staring at the moonlight pouring in through the windows.
>Your leg hurts too much.
>It’s not fair…
>Eclipse hurts you, lies to your parents about it, and she gets away with it.
>She ALWAYS gets away with it!
>No matter what happens, no matter what she does, she never gets punished, and you always get the blame.

>Your parents’ words keep repeating in your head, over and over again.
>’I don’t care...it doesn’t matter who broke the rules...I don’t care...punishment enough…what happened to you is why YOU aren’t allowed in the forest...it doesn’t matter who...I don’t care...’
>They’re never going to stop her.
>No matter what Eclipse does, no matter how badly she hurts you.
>She’ll never face any consequences...
>Because they don’t care.
>’If you hurt someone, you can’t be surprised if they hurt you back.’
>You hurt her back with your horn.
>It...can DO things to hurt a pony when you can’t reach.
>To hit back, when she’s flying.
>She’s never going to stop, she’s never going to be punished, she’s only going to get worse and worse, and no one’s ever going to help you.
>Unless you stop her.
>Closing your eyes, you think back to how you hurt her with your horn, what it felt like when you…
>You feel that same strange bubbly feeling from before, through your body, into your horn, and bright, glowing ball of sparkles shoots out.
>It floats in the air for a moment, before slowly, like a feather, sinking down to the ground next to your bed.
>Did anypony see?!
>Looking around, you don’t see any sign of your parents or your sister stirring.
>They’re all sleeping soundly on their clouds above you.
>Poking your head over the bed, you watch as the ball fades into nothing, leaving a large, round scorch mark in the stone floor.
>If your horn can do that...what else can it do?
>You aren’t sure.
>But there is one thing you’re sure about.
>The next time Eclipse tries to hurt you, you’re going to use your horn to make sure she doesn’t ever hurt you again.