"Aw." The joy of victory was abated. Umbra could see that Twilight's sparkling attack was quite effective, so effective it had cut into the magic of the blanket. It was the first magic item of hers she'd ever had destroyed. "Aw..." It bothered her. More than it should? She disliked the feeling, but it refused to go away. "Let's let him rest..."
"Darling." Rarity was at Umbra's side as they wove through the castle. "Why are you looking beside yourself? Shouldn't we be happy right now?"
Twilight looked pleased, if tired. "We rescued somepony today. Let's be happy about that."
"I am," she assured with more of a pout in her tone than she had intended. "Look, Twilight, you did the right thing. Shoot, you did what I told you to do, so I'm not even mad... But you broke my dark blanket."
Twilight raised a brow. "Dark blanket?" She perked up. "The second layer?"
"Yeah, the not-angry dark." Umbra nodded firmly. "You cut right through both. Again! Not angry at you. You did what I asked."
"But I broke your artifact. Apologies." Twilight dipped her head, ears sagging a moment. "Can it be repaired? Magical items are not my specialty."
"Uh hm. I can try, later." Umbra waved it off. "The blanket is right now on a sleeping pony. That'd be kinda rude."
Rainbow thumped against Umbra roughly. "Good attitude about it. We won! Now, we take the fight back to those shadow things." She punched at the air, hopping on her hind legs. "Show them their mistakes."
"About that." Spike leaned forward from his perch atop Twilight. "What do we know about these things, other than 'darkness' and 'nightmares'? I mean, what, are we going to put out some big spotlights?"
Twilight snorted, one ear turned back to Spike. "That would be amusing, but likely of limited effect."
"I have a different idea." A pony approached them as they entered the main hall. Cadance's wings were spread wide. "Umbra, if you have a moment?"
Umbra's ears perked up, just to wilt a little. "Um, sure? Did I do something wrong?"
"Not that I'm aware of." Cadance smiled gently. "Anything you want to share with me? Back on topic." She pointed at Umbra directly. "You are tied to the crystal heart. It's right there, the same as me." She twisted to present her rump, adorned with the crystal heart.
Umbra peeked back. She had much the same heart, minus the golden marks at the bottom, instead a few shadowy wisps. "That's me, crystal shadow wizard." She nodded, looking back to Cadance. "What about it?"
Cadance raised her head as high as it'd go, horn angled just a little forward as she took a slow breath. A brilliant light pulsed from her, causing the ponies touched to become crystalline, if only for a fleeting moment. "I can't replicate the wonder of the entire kingdom finishing the crystal fair... But I can 'echo' the heart. When I do, I feel my connection to the heart tingle. You have that same connection. Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Umbra took an unsure step back. "Yeah... but I'm still shadow. Shadow's nice and all, still working on making it cool, but shadow and light don't mix super well, and the last time the crystal did one of those... things, I almost flew apart."
The mares gasped collectively in horror at the image summoned.
Rainbow stepped in front of Umbra. "No exploding Miss Dark Horse. She's cool."
"And we're not cleaning it up." Spike clicked his tongue on his teeth, firing finger guns with a smarmy grin.
Pinkie gigglesnorted at Spike's words. "'Course we would." She waved it off like that was just obvious. "But why would you want that?"
Cadance waved the hoof already directed at Umbra. "That didn't hurt."
Umbra went still, but a nod came. "Oh, hey." The wave of crystal heart energy hadn't hurt when it washed over her. "How did you know that?! Was I just experimented on?"
"A little," admitted Cadance. "But I felt certain. You were not given that mark to hide from the very thing on you forever. Destiny is not that cruel. You didn't become crystal, even for an instant, but neither did it hurt you."
Umbra had remained the grey-furred mare she had started. She ran a hoof through her soft mane. "I'm still me."
"So, be you, with the crystal." Cadance nodded with satisfaction. "Let it in, and share it with the world. I have a feeling your echo will not be exactly the same as mine, but will be just as genuine."
Even as Umbra fidgeted, Rarity stepped up. "Darling, we've only known each other a small while." She held up two hooves close. "But I feel I've learned some matter of you. Don't be afraid to shine, whatever light that may be. Dark? Fine, make us bask in your night then, dear. I have a feeling it'll be quite the show."
Umbra smiled at Rarity's words. "Wow... That's actually kind of touching..." She looked to the others who were all beaming at her encouragingly. "I'm... willing to try, but Cades, you have to make sure I don't literally explode."
"I'm already prepared." She angled her head faintly. "I was a little worried my echo might do something."
"That is not confidence building!" Umbra stomped a hoof and circled in place until she faced where she imagined the crystal was in. "How do I even do it?"
"That will require a little practice." Cadance began a slow walk. "I'll gladly show you what I've picked up. This doesn't have to be right now." She led Umbra away to show her a magic trick that had no proper spellcraft to it.
Spike scratched at the side of his head. "Alright, so what are we doing?"
Rainbow lifted in the air. "Well I'm gonna scout the city for baddies." And she was off without further delay.
Applejack smirked softly in the direction of the fled one. "Well, ah'm thinkin' we go an' ask around. Quiet like. Ah know this ain't public news, so we keep a hush." She started for the stairs. "Comin', Pinkie?"
Pinkie was right at her side in an instant. "I thought you'd never ask." The two departed, a team.
Rarity gave a soft hum of thought. "Ah ha! If Umbra dear likes to make things into magic things, and she likes crystals to do it with..."
Spike hopped down from Twilight. "We're going crystal mining?"
"Exactly." She booped Spike gently on the nose. "My wonderful Spikey-Wikey. We'll find some marvelous stones for Umbra to consider later. She'll like that, hm?"
"Yeah, good idea." Spike brandished his basket, ready to hold the found gems. "Lead the way, Rarity."
Twilight gave a thoughtful hum. She was alone. The only girl left was... "Actually." She went off to Fluttershy's room and knocked lightly. "Fluttershy, are you home?"
The door cracked open, one large eye peeking out. "Yes?"
"Fluttershy." Twilight leaned forward with what she hoped was a winning smile. "You're good with animals."
"I am," she agreed with what hadn't been a question. "Why?"
"I was hoping you could talk to them." Twilight nodded. "I bet these shadow ponies aren't thinking of the animals, so they may have seen things, possibly a lot of things, and we'd never know if you didn't ask them. You liked the crystal ewes, didn't you? They--"
"--Oh, yes." Fluttershy was nodding briskly. "Visiting them sounds lovely." She stepped free of her room, a big smile only growing by the moment. "What a great idea. I'll go over and see how they're doing now."
"Mind if I tag along?" Everypony else had fled. Twilight didn't want to be alone in the palace.
"I don't have a problem with that." Fluttershy began on her journey. "But they don't talk Ponish, so it may be hard for you to follow."
"I'll do my best." And off they went together to interrogate some crystal ewes.
Shining Armor squinted through a pair of binoculars that shone with his magic. "Hm... Don't like that." He passed them to another pony on the wall who held them in their hooves, only to squeak and quickly pass them back. "Alright, not just me. We're going on red alert."
He raised the binocs back into view. "And I think we're going public soon. There's no hiding that."
"Shadow."
Umbra quirked up her ears, looking around in the darkness of the dream. It was a dream, she knew that for sure. "Who's asking?"
"Like attracts like," whispered the voice dryly. "We got off on the wrong hoof. We want the same thing."
Umbra scowled, placing the voice. "You're in my dream, already a point against you. What do you think I 'want'?"
"Shadow, I said that. To plunge this land into shadow, eternal and deep, from which no creature can hope to escape, but some of us would never want to. Doesn't that sound lovely?"
Umbra frowned at the formless voice. "I like shadow, but I like light too. A little balance is nice, you know? Now--"
"Don't dismiss me so quickly," cut in the voice. "We are on the way now. Me and my army, just as you requested. You could march at the head of that army... or you can be crushed by it. We will not be stopped."
"Blah blah, evil monologue. Don't suppose you could share this spell?" Umbra wobbled a hoof. "You're the second shadow person to show off dream magic and it's really ticking me off to be the only shadow wizard without it!"
"Join us and we would share such things." The voice flowed past her, as if something were talking past. "Such shadowy arts the world has long since forgot. You will know fear. You will know the sleeping mind. You will hold it in your hooves and--"
"Yeah yeah, seriously. I get it. Can you share the dream spell or not?" Umbra snorted in the direction of the voice. "Just that one, and no, I'm not joining your baddy club. I'm a nice shadow wizard. So show me how to give people nice dreams!"
"Repugnant... This was a waste of time. I look forward to crushing your little shadow tricks to dust beneath my hooves." And the presence was gone. Umbra would not learn dream magic that night.
"Dang it."
Umbra sat up in bed sharply. The door opened immediately. "Is that you, Purple?"
"I heard you awaken." Purple came in, kicking the door shut and hurrying forward with a brush in her mouth. "You're early today."
Umbra huffed, but let Purple get to the task of grooming. "Bad dream, and one given on purpose. I have news I need to get to Cades and Shining."
"Then don't let me keep you." Purple hurried to the side, smiling at her handiwork. Umbra already looked decent for having just awoken.
"I don't know how you do it..." Umbra made for the door. "But this is important."
Purple moved to close the door behind Umbra. "Not as important as this room." She tapped her hooves together and got to it. The room wouldn't clean itself, no matter how nicely it was asked. It required the touch of a trained cleaner!
"The attack is coming." But no one pony had said that. Shining Armor and Umbra peered at one another.
Shining Armor pointed upwards. "I can see them on the horizon, an army of darkness."
Umbra flipped an ear back. "Their leader whispered it to me. They offered me a chance to defect and join them. I declined."
Cadance nodded. "Glad to hear that, not that I feared for your loyalty. Umbra, Shining, we approach a serious time. I can't imagine this will be easy."
Shining heaved a sigh. "Did the girls ever get back with what they found? On one hoof, they can help. On the other, they're going to be here for this..."
"I'll try to protect them." Umbra sat up in her chair. "Time for everyone to ante up."