The air in Veilhiem hung heavy with roasted chestnut smoke along with traces of cracked spellwork. That night marked the festival’s height - when ordinary life blurred into wild wonder, almost like a breath-thin barrier held them apart. Lights bobbed overhead, made from frozen moonbeams or maybe just charm-woven silk, drifting above old stone courtyards while painting folks in deep reds and warm yellows. Stargazer - a dark-coated mare, like ocean shadows lit by faint blue glimmers - waited under the main platform. Her typical smooth sway felt off, tighter than usual. That playful spark in her step? Held back, pulled short by what everyone hoped to see. This moment wasn’t for games or surprises. It was showtime. Beside her, Iris jolted like a fizzing spell let loose. Not calm at all, she looked wild - streaks of deep blue and bright white smeared across her fur, shifting like starlight trapped in glass. Her whole body hummed with raw magic, messy but real, and Stargazer liked it… no need for reasons, just warmth. That kind of happiness stayed simple. “Dam, are they ready for the aurora?” Iris whispered, her tail swishing impatiently. “They’ll handle the light just fine,” Stargazer said softly, giving her a little push. Her eyes stayed on the still, shape pressed near her, partly hidden from the press of people around them. North. Out from the dim platform spot, North stood stunning - raw, wild beauty mixed with quiet grace. Her fur? Dark as midnight, touched by pale streaks, plus sudden bursts of spotted patterns like a leopard’s dance near her back legs. Yet what really struck people silent wasn’t just looks - it was the way her power moved: cool, watery light flickering inside, glowing faint blue, alive under her skin. Stargazer stretched her hoof forward, trying to touch softly - yet North pulled back, just slightly, like she meant to. ‘I'm not Iris.’ That quiet thought hit Stargazer hard - clear, sudden, like ice down her spine. North didn't just feel annoyed - her anger was cold, thick, like ice built up over old wounds and every moment Stargazer had vanished without a word. Back then, things were rough, way before Iris showed up, Stargazer got pulled in other directions, busy surviving, so North ended up alone, left to grow sharp and tough like stone struck by steel. These days, watching how naturally Stargazer smiles at silly, clingy Iris makes that buried hurt flare fresh again. North had a clear idea of her role that day. As the center of attention during the Harvest Blessing, she carried meaning for Veilhiem - hope, fresh magic. People watched, waiting for her to stay calm, shine with a soft white glow, then accept their shared goodwill. Yet North, a spark twisted by motive, didn't mind who got harmed - so long as she cracked the illusion of Stargazer's flawless parenting. "It's go-time," said Stargazer, her voice like water rolling under ice, hushing the noisy fair for just a beat. She climbed up on the old wooden stage, pausing while the helper eased down the little ramp for the baby, Iris. Iris darted up fast, eyes caught by a flickering moth stuck in the glow - people nearby smiled, quietly amused. North moved up bit by bit. Each movement was careful, quiet, pulling attention to how strange and out-of-place she looked. When she got to the peak, her glow started showing - blue like ice - not soft, but crisp, shaped like glass edges. Stargazer stepped into place beside her girls - like earth meeting sky. All the folks from Veilhiem were watching, their gazes heavy, sizing up whether magic still ran true through the bloodline. "My kin," Stargazer said, her voice soft like a stream after dusk - carried in it that hush of water-born charm. Fog curled from her fur, drifting slowly across the platform, damp and quiet, like clouds before a storm. "We’ve worked hard; we’ve gathered what grew. Now comes the result - not just spellcraft, but care woven deep." She glanced at Iris, grinning while shooting a tiny spark up above. Then Stargazer faced North, soaking in the warm glow from the mare standing there. “This way lies North," Stargazer said, voice quiet now - warm like real care, yet heavy with sorrow. Not far off stood the one who carried Aurora Aquaris, a glow meant to show what’s ahead She moved her muzzle close to North’s ear - something soft, something kind. "Only stay put, small glow… let your spark show through." North stayed still, staring past the crowd without looking at anyone. The light within her stirred - strong, restless, ready to break free. Did Stargazer crave hope now? Or was it just light they were after? North might bring light - yet no soft heat from kindness. When Stargazer got ready to speak the old ritual words, North acted. Not with force - but with sharp focus, sending out raw magic in one quick flash. The sapphire gleam along her coat zapped to life - bursting into fierce white-blue radiance that spread fast, shaped like a flawless orb. Not gentle or warm like mending rays. More like staring straight into an exploding star’s core. The bright flash hit hard, making everyone flinch - hooves and wings went up fast. One after another, the delicate magic lamps flickered, then broke, their glow wiped away when North's harsh shine took over. Stargazer sucked in a breath, tossing aside her watery glow - mist faded while she scrambled to block what came next. North’s shining energy rattled the ground under them, shaking each plank like thunder through timber. “North! Quit right away!” Stargazer shouted, her tone sharp with fear. This wasn’t mere show - it was magic aimed straight at the mind, carefully timed to overwhelm and repel. Iris flinched at first, then tuned into what her older sister was aiming for. Not scared anymore - something wild lit up in her gaze. Her magic, normally messy and bright, synced with North’s raw surge, sparking jagged bolts of deep purple, cranking up the chaos. North brushed them aside. At that moment, her spotlight stayed unshaken - Stargazer watched, not out of duty or caution, but like a mom caught in freefall, heart racing, grip slipping. The small bright thing locked on, then sent a sharp picture straight into nearby heads - especially Stargazer’s - with strong force. A flash came - clear, impossible to ignore: Stargazer walking away from a cold, trembling baby horse long before; then her, relaxed and joking with pals while North lingered off by herself, quiet and unseen; later still, Stargazer cradling Iris close, looking just like care itself. That new scene - the flawless parent today - slammed straight into the old one - harsh, raw, full of abandonment. The crowd, dazed from the glare, suddenly hit a wave of shame - seeing North’s raw pain spilled out like that. One moment they were looking; next, they couldn’t tell if it was wrong or necessary. A hush rolled through them, not loud but deep. Some looked down, others stared harder. It wasn’t about right or wrong anymore - it just was. No one clapped. Stargazer stumbled backward - this mind attack felt way worse than a punch. It hit her like a ton of bricks: North wasn't out to wreck the party alone, but to drag her mother into the open and make her suffer on purpose. The water inside Stargazer flared up when she hurt, turning into heavy rain - but just on the platform - soaking her pale blue fur like crying did. North waited till the harsh glow faded, then came a deep quiet, thick with magic. Her blue eyes - normally alive like northern lights - now looked dull, lifeless, just stones sitting still. “She presents hope,” North stated, her young voice ringing with a chilling clarity that carried across the stunned square. “But if hope requires that I forget the shadows she forced me to stand in, then I will not offer it.” She stared straight at Stargazer, her glare now packed with pure hate. “I am not your symbol, Dam. I am your consequence.” After saying those last sharp words, North spun around. Then she climbed off the platform - once full of promise, now just wood and silence. Behind her, a stunned Iris stood frozen beside Stargazer, soaked through, barely holding on. Rain dripped from their coats under cracked beams of fading festival lights. Across the empty space, one pale gleam remained - the icy shine of northern lights tracing North’s back as she moved further, leaving behind her mother who’d finally grasped what her choices broke.