"Mail, ma'am." Purple dipped her head, holding a letter in her teeth. "Good morning."
"Good morning." With a glowing horn, Umbra took the letter from Purple. "Who from?" The from had nothing in it. The to was written crisply, 'Great and Honorable, Umbra the Brave and Glorious.' "Huh..."
Umbra slid to her hooves as her magic ripped the top off. "A fan?" She pulled out the letter and got the reading.
Glorious One,
It is an honor to write you, but more than that, it is... a passion. Umbra, I have seen you striding through town, the epitome of confidence
Umbra burst into giggles. "Oh no! Do I have an ultra fan?" She kept reading.
and grace. Like a sleek predator on the prowl, but with only kindness in your heart. I was intimidated! But this ends today, with this letter. Hello, Great one. I am an admirer that would wish to present myself to you, to perhaps win your favor. If you have time for a little pony like me, be here at noon. I will be there every day this following week, starting the day I sent this letter.
Hoping for the best.
Umbra shook her head slowly. "Oh... no... I have an admirer, and they want to meet me."
Purple reached for the letter. "Do you want me to dismiss them, ma'am? You have important matters to attend to. It is well within my job to free you of such distractions."
Umbra brought her hooves together quietly. "I am really warming up to you, but I don't want to just shut them down. That'd hurt their feelings." She could imagine some random dork of a pony getting all sad and dejected as they were told to buzz off by Purple. "I'll meet them. Talking to them won't hurt anything."
"You are as honorable as your title implies, ma'am." Purple dipped her head. "Good luck in your work. I'll have the room ready for your return."
"One thing I don't have to worry about." Umbra strode forth, ready to tackle the day. It was only a few steps down the hallway that she realized something. She brought out a mirror to inspect herself, but her mane and fur was brushed nicely. "Did... Purple!" Her voice raised. "You don't have to brush me when I'm asleep!" She hurried off with a little huff, more amazed than anything else.
When she arrived at her first house, she was greeted with cheers from guild ponies and Shifting alike. They got right to it. The second house, no problem. While the guild ponies worked on it though, Umbra slid away. "Gotta meet someone right quick. Wait for me at the third house if I'm not already there." And off she went, trotting briskly towards the address given.
"We're back." Rainbow pumped a hoof even as she darted off the train. "Huh. I remember having to go way further through the snow."
The other ponies disembarked, joining in the wonder of how much less snowed in things seemed to be. Perfect, no, there was plenty of snow around, but it wasn't as deep, nor the wind blowing as savagely. The city could be seen, closer, pushing back the line of chill somehow. Twilight let out an appreciative hum. "They're really working hard, but that's not what we're here for."
"About that." Rarity stepped up at Twilight's side. "You've been awfully quiet, dear, about why exactly we are here." She leaned in, lashes fluttering. "Is this just an excuse to visit your brother?"
Pinkie giggled at the idea, pronking towards the city proper. "Twilight wouldn't do that."
"I wouldn't," hastily agreed Twilight, raising her head tall. "Princess Celestia asked us to come here to help the Crystal Empire."
"Again?" asked Fluttershy, looking about timidly. "I thought we saved it?"
Rainbow darted in just in front of Twilight. "Yeah! What gives?"
Applejack caught Rainbow's tail and tugged her down. "Turns out, some thin's need savin' more than once. Fancy that. What's botherin' the ponies up here?" She looked to Twilight for that answer.
"Apparently shadow ponies." Twilight shrugged, not having all the information. "Vicious shadow ponies."
Rarity laughed at the idea. "The last shadow pony we met didn't seem so awful. The dear was a little confused, but friendly enough."
Twilight broke into a bright smile. "I look forward to checking on her progress, but that doesn't stop the current issue. Come on, girls. Let's get to the palace. They can tell us more there." With a communal cheer, they set off.
Umbra looked around the intersection she had been led to. "Hello?"
A crystal pony looked over at her question. "Honorable one." He dipped his head at Umbra. "How can I help you?"
Umbra smiled awkwardly. "Actually, I'm supposed to meet a pony here, but I don't know their name. Or what they look like, or... much of anything."
"That is hard." The crystal pony slipped a hoof behind his head a moment, looking around. "Everypony around here knows you, Umbra. Surely if anypony wanted to meet you, they'd be able to find you."
"Yeah." She glanced about. "I'll just relax, by this pond." She went over to what was not a pond. It was a fountain, burbling gently. "Least I can get a sip." She leaned in and drew in some cool water. A new reflection joined hers. A stallion, not a crystal pony. "Oh, sorry." Umbra hopped to the side away from the new pony.
"I should be sorry." The stallion was smiling brightly. He had soft greenish fur and bright brown eyes. "Umbra, I didn't think you'd come on the first day. You are as honorable as they say. Brave and Glorious one, thank you."
Umbra perked at that. "You're--"
"I sent the letter," he cut in. "I thought, for sure, you'd ignore it."
Umbra waved that way. "Nah. So, what's your name?"
"Wensley." He dipped his head and coiled to present his cutie mark of two apples and a block of cheese. "Of the Apples."
"Of the... Um, hi!" Umbra looked over the stallion curiously. Not a local, clearly. "What brings you all the way up north?" She flashed a toothy grin. "Not just me, right?"
"You're a good reason," Wensley laughed. "But no, I have business up here that just happens to include you." He put out a hoof towards her. "Right nice to meet you in person."
Umbra met the hoof with one of her own. "Sure thing! You're... a little less overwhelmed than I thought you might be."
"It's an act." He leaned in, brows falling. "I am a huge fan, but gushing all over a pony you like is a good way to make them run."
Umbra's ears danced. "Huh! That isn't a lie. Good on you for keeping control of yourself then. One point for you." She smiled, happiness building. A normal not-worrying fan? Nothing wrong with that. "So how can I help?"
"I wasn't lying." He crossed an arm across his front. "I wanted to meet you. Word is, you're a shadow wizard, but a nice one."
"That is my thing," agreed Umbra in a humble bragging tone. "Don't forget the crystal part."
"Crystal part?"
She turned in place, pointing back towards the new houses in the distance. "Crystal part! I'm helping build new houses right now! Well, I built the house. The guild ponies are making it livable right now. After this, I have to get back to it. Two more houses for the day at least, maybe three at the pace we're going."
Wensley clopped in applause. "Very good. You have that kind of power and you take time to build houses for ponies?"
"If you can, do," reasoned Umbra out loud. "I like helping, and I love my powers, so put the two together." She sat to bring her hooves together. "And you got me out here building houses!"
"Very nice of you." Wensley inclined his head. "You don't do that all day, every day?"
"Nah." She waved that right off. "I only got this project a little ago, and I'll be done soonish. Then it's back to studying!"
"Studying what, if I may ask?" He leaned in with a big smile.
"Magic, duh." She rolled her eyes. "You just finished saying that. I like being a shadow wizard, so I need to know more shadow magic." She raised one hoof and lowered the other. "With me?"
"Makes perfect sense. I shouldn't keep you up." He nodded firmly and began to turn away. "Let's meet again, compare notes. You're pretty approachable for one of those 'super stars'."
"I don't.... Being a 'super star' was a thing they decided." Umbra waved a hoof wildly at the city as a whole. "Not my call. I'm just Umbra, and I'm here to help if I can."
"Well, Just Umbra, nice to meet you." Wensley splayed his ears out as he dipped his head. "I'll send another letter."
"You do that." And off she trotted with a pleased smile. She had made a friend, a perfectly normal friend.
Umbra was walking home, Shifting at her side. "Five total."
"Better than the four of your off day." Shifting nodded. "But not close to the ten you've done before. Not feeling well?"
"I could do ten, probably more now." Umbra lifted a hoof just to wobble it. "But making more empty houses? Why? I'm going just fast enough to keep the others busy. They have to make them into homes that ponies can hop right into."
"Huh... sure." Shifting leaned in from the side as they walked. "Don't gotta tell me, but I am curious. How much are you giving them?"
Not a secret in Umbra's eyes. "Forty a house."
Shifting whistled. "Wow! That's... a lot more than I'm getting."
"Did you want more?" Umbra thumped to the side against Shifting. "You just have to ask. I had to talk you into even taking one."
"N-no! I'm... Sorry." She slumped a moment before perking right up. "Not fair, there are more of them, and they're working. I'm still just overseeing. And I'm still making way more bits than I used to." She shook herself out from nose to tail, a little squeak escaping her. "Put that right away. Sorry." She closed in, rubbing her side against Umbra's. "Whatcha gonna do with your share? 59 thousand bits per house! That's not a small amount of bits."
"Ugh." Reminded of it, Umbra sagged a little. "Well, if a pony showed up with a shadow book, I'd be able to pay for it."
"True." The two ascended the stairs of the crystal palace to find the entry foyer had ponies. Familiar ponies.
"Umbra!" Twilight approached with a bright smile. "You're looking chipper. How are your magic studies going."
"Twilight!" Umbra sat, just to raise her hooves and clap Twilight on the shoulders. "Hey, teach! I've been putting those basics you showed me right to work. You're looking at the premiere shadow wizard and enchanter in the empire!"
Twilight raised a brow at that. "I imagine the only one of either, but still, congratulations." She noticed Shifting. "Hello. Friend?"
Umbra grabbed Shifting, looping an arm around her neck to draw her close. "This is Shifting Prism, crystal expert. She's been helping me up my crystal-crafting game, and she showed me how to enchant things."
Twilight perked an ear. "You are an enchanter? How curious. I've met so few."
"Darlings!" Rarity was suddenly present on the scene. "Umbra, dear, you are looking fabulous. You've really gotten into the swing of things. Your mane--" She reached out, brushing a hoof through Umbra's locks. "To die for! Loving it! You're not looking especially fancy today, wardrobe wise."
Shifting took that prompt. "She's a working pony." She bobbed her head. "Five houses today, all ready to be moved into. She takes her work seriously."
"Exactly." Umbra squeezed her friend closer. "But it's great to see you." She released Shifting to instead touch noses with Rarity. "When did you all get here?!"