Umbra was finishing up the report of the period when a soft knocking made her look up to see a new person. A teacher? She had a moon on her collar. Ah ha. "Luna?"
"You've heard of us both then?" Luna was smiling and coming closer. "How'd the class go?"
"I'm just finishing that report." With a final swish, she set down the pen atop the paper. "And ready for when Miss Angle gets back." Luna looked like the other Luna, kinda. Neither of the 'royal' humans had magical flowing hair, but they were humans. That was to be expected. At least, of mostly-humans.
"Any trouble students?" She leaned over for a peek at what Umbra had been writing. "Lesson notes?"
"What we went over." Umbra tapped at the paper. "And who seemed to get it, and who may need a little extra help."
And not a single trouble student gone on about. Luna let out a little surprised huh. "Well... Very good. Very... good. Umbra, was it?"
"That's me." She slid to her feet, standing properly. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Their hands met in a firm but friendly shake. "I'd like to invite you to the teacher's lounge. I understand if you have other plans; your work day is technically over."
Umbra's eyes shone. "I'd love to." Perfect, a reason to stick around. "Please, lead the way. I know I'm just a temporary figure, but going over notes, together, might help us all."
"Marvelous." Luna led the way through the mostly empty halls. It was mid-period. Students were expected to be in their classes. "Tell me, are you wanting to remain a substitute, or are you hoping to become a full time teacher some day?"
Umbra tensed. That was a tricky question. How to answer... "Teachers are such a precious thing," she started, getting a nod from Luna. "But I don't have all the qualifications." There, truth! Vague, but true!
"This isn't an offer, or a promise." Luna slid her back just next to a door that read 'Teacher's Lounge' right on it. "But you wouldn't be the first time we've sponsored the education of promising teachers, if you wanted to pursue that, full time. Something to consider, nothing more." She wagged a finger at Umbra. "I still have to review things before I can even formally offer that, but it is something to have in mind, hm?"
"That's so kind of you to even bring up." Umbra felt a bit of fluttering inside her. She couldn't take any offer of a long term gig in a world she didn't belong in. She was a shadow crystal princess! They needed her back in pony land. "That is... I'm a little overwhelmed, not gonna lie."
"It's not a promise," repeated Luna, patting Umbra on the shoulder as she moved to leave. "But go inside, make some friends."
Umbra let Luna depart to other things and cracked the door open. A few teachers were drinking coffee and chatting. A female teacher noticed her at the door. "Don't be shy." She waved Umbra further inside. "Besides, can't have the students getting a look in here."
A portly male teacher laughed at the idea. "They think there's some kind of wonderland of videogames and free soda." He tipped his coffee. "But all we get are some doughnuts and coffee. Good enough, right?" He and the woman struck their mugs together with a clink of the ceramic. "What's your name?"
Umbra slipped inside fully, leaning back to close the door behind her. "I'm Umbra, a substitute." It just struck her in that moment that she hadn't done anything with the actual sub. Shoot... Hopefully he'd wake up and wander home, confused, but unharmed. "Luna said I should say hello." She raised a hand to wriggle a few fingers. "Hello."
"Hello," half-laughed the female of the two. "If you got the vice principal's eye, you must have been on your game. Come, join us." She pointed to another seat near them. "The teacher's lounge is, mostly, where we decompress a little between classes. You probably already know that."
"She loves to tell everyone that the first time she sees them in here," warned the guy with a wink. "Teacher instinct."
"Guilty as charged."
Umbra slid into the offered chair, smiling at the two teachers. She hadn't had a super great relationship with most of the teachers in her life, but those two seemed alright. Of course, she was approaching them from a peer angle instead of as a student. That was perhaps the difference? "Silly question." Both were looking at her intently. "You know a student called Sunset Shimmer?"
The guy let out a whoof. "Firecracker, that one."
"Just as warm as her hair," agreed the woman. "Not a dull student, but it's like she's always up to something."
Umbra steepled her fingers. She was getting somewhere. "Oh, do tell?"
The guy shook his head. "Mostly student drama."
"The worst," laughed out the woman in agreement. "She, thankfully, leaves most of that outside of the classroom."
"Unlike some." The two nodded at one another as if on some inside joke. "What about her? Was she in your class?"
Actually... "Yeah, she was." Thinking back on it... "She was alright. She didn't raise her hand very often, but she didn't look lost or anything."
The man nodded. "That sounds like her. Smart student, but detached."
"Like she's heard it all before or something." The woman shrugged softly. "Once in a while, you get a student like that. 'Old Soul,' I think they call it."
Umbra tensed faintly. Old soul? She qualified as one of those, in the pony lands. Curiously, less so in the human ones. Er, the almost-human ones. She looked far closer to her proper age, and people treated her like it. Wait... Umbra frowned with fresh thoughts tumbling through her mind. "Maybe that's the problem." Both teachers looked at her anew. "Maybe she's ahead, in learning. Maybe she's just bored going over things she already understands."
The man slapped his free hand down on a knee. "Damnit. That's so obvious, looking back on it."
"How did I not even consider that?" The woman placed a few fingers on her forehead. "Sometimes you need an outside set of eyes to see the obvious." She took a deep drink of her near-black coffee. "And that's why Luna sent you in here. She's a clever person, let me tell you."
"Subtly so," agreed the man. "Always acting behind the scenes to keep the school running straight. We're lucky to have that dynamic duo in charge of things."
"They seem nice." Pony land or human land, it seemed Celly and Lulu were beloved figures. "Say, new topic! Ever hear of someone named Cadance?"
"From CP?" asked the woman. "I see her once a year for when our schools butt heads."
The man laughed at that. "Oh wow, those are always such a show. What brings her up?"
"CP?" asked Umbra instead of answering the question.
The man's brows went up together. "Crystal Prep? Really snooty school. I'm glad I don't work there."
"Their dress code is super strict, and the teachers have to follow it," warned the female, shaking her head. "No thanks. I'll keep Celestia and Luna. Our students are so much nicer."
The two began talking about how uptight Crystal Prep was compared to Equestrian High. "Hey, what does 'Equestrian' mean, exactly?"
The lady perked at the question. "Someone who rides a horse, or deals with horses." She shrugged softly. "But that's being technical. In the name of the school, it's more about the 'spirit' of a horse. Being as strong as a horse. About coming together as part of the herd. About being ready to charge ahead and make some noise!" She let out an excited false neigh of a sound, laughing at the absurd noise she had just made. "Get it?"
The man leaned forward, cradling his mug between his hands. "That or our founders are secretly furries."
"Stop that!" The woman swatted at him as both laughed, clearly neither taking offense to the joke in poor taste. "Why did you ask about Cadance? She's the dean over at Crystal Prep, not here."
"Oh, uh..." Quick, quick! "She's the one that pointed me at the sub opening."
Both seemed to accept that excuse, the man nodding. "That makes it come together even more. Friends of friends."
Which only confused Umbra. "But Cadance doesn't work here, right?"
He shrugged. "She doesn't, but she's good friends with Principal Celestia, who's good friends with Luna. If Cadance pointed you this way, they probably both know you."
Umbra paled faintly. She'd messed up. If word got around of what she said, it would take one little phone call to make it all come apart. "I should go... Thank you both, you were so nice to meet." She shook hands with each of them in kind. "Maybe another time?" And she was out of the lounge in a hurry.
The lady teacher raised a brow, looking at her male peer. "Curious woman. I think she'd fit in just fine."
He laughed at that. "Another weirdo for the pile, yeah. Think she'll sign up?"
Umbra hurried back to the class she had started in. No new set of students nor a new teacher greeted her through the opening in the door. "Thank goodness." She pressed in and went straight for the closet. "Now--" She threw it open and... nothing. "Crap." The original sub had left already. Would he be the first thing to rat on her, or the cheerful teachers she had told the wrong thing to?
Her plan was falling apart! "Crap!" She threw a hand across her front as if punching at something that wasn't there. "Crap... Alright, calm down. Calm..." She pressed a finger to either temple. "You can handle this. Adult this. Adult power!"
Okay, so. She reflected on her situation. She was a substitute teacher, except not actually one of those. She had no credentials, and she had replaced whoever was supposed to do the job. She'd given enough evidence to point out that she'd told at least one lie already, if they did any amount of homework.
"Will that guy even get paid?" Poor guy. He hadn't done anything wrong. Umbra didn't plan to steal his lunch. "Crap," she got out, wobbling a bit. "This is a big mess." She emerged from the empty classroom and slumped against the wall as the bell rang. Students began swarming in all directions, mostly ignoring the adult that stood there, looking like they were thinking about something.
"Keep it cool..."
"Um..." Umbra looked up to see a student, female. The mark on her skirt and the color of her skin and hair gave it away in a hurry. Fluttershy had found her. "Are you alright?"
Umbra smiled gently. Even as a not-quite-human, Fluttershy was a dear creature that cared. "I'm alright, but thanks for checking in on me. That was very thoughtful of you."
"Oh, of course." Fluttershy smiled so nervously. "Have a good day then." She hurried off as if she was regretting sticking out her neck.
"Good ponies make good girls," chuckled Umbra to herself, feeling less devastated. "Alright, one step at a time..." She hadn't been kicked out of the school. Her plan hadn't completely fallen apart. Why assume it was ahead of time? "Twilight's counting on me to help!" She pumped a fist and started down the hallway. "And I'm going to do my best." As best as a grown adult could do in a high school they didn't technically work at.
She'd have to get extra clever.
Adulting would solve the problem! It had to. What was her second option? She glanced up at the tiara on her head. No, trying to put the entire school to sleep would definitely not help. Hiding her sensations would also not help, seeing as she wasn't tied to anyone in that world that she knew of?
Right?