It was a big day! Or a big night, if one wanted to me more accurate. The students were arriving. Some in their own cars, some in rented cars, some even in limousines secured for just the occasion. The energy was thick with the young need to make a mark at the school event.
Umbra was in the auditorium, where the dance was officially happening. Shifting was chatting with some of the students, which was fine by her. It was likely more fun than standing with her as she peered at the proceedings suspiciously.
"Celly!" And there was Dean Cadance, approaching with a warm smile. "It's been too long."
"Too long indeed." They met in a warm, if brief, hug. "The formal is just starting, and the students are clearly ready for it." Celestia waved out over the excited crowd. "But I'll admit, part of me is more interested in you right now."
"I'm not that interesting," she warded gently, eyes drifting to Umbra. "Is this her?"
"I kept her safe for you." Celestia nodded at their guest of honor. "Now, will the two of you tell me exactly what's going on?"
"A fine question." Cadance was looking over Umbra, eyes lingering a moment on that fancy tiara that had no business on a teacher. "That was quite some trick you pulled."
Dang it... They were in far too public a space for that conversation. "Wasn't it? Sorry if it bothered you. I was running low on ideas, and time."
"Is that..." Cadance's question died without being finished. "This isn't the place. How has she been." Her attention was back on Celestia. "Causing trouble?"
"Her?" Celestia shook her head. "A model substitute. Not a complaint, other than how she got here to start." Her voice lowered a bit, though the noise of the formal did much to keep her words from traveling. "Most of our subs come thoroughly vetted beforehand."
Luna crossed her arms, fingers tapping at the opposing arm. "Are we still pretending that isn't a big deal?"
But they weren't paying that much attention to Luna at that moment. Cadance casually looped an arm through Umbra's, guiding her away. "We have so much to catch up on!"
Umbra tried to think of an excuse, any, but not many ways sprang to mind that'd get her away from Cadance without completely blowing her cover. She'd have to adult through it! Just explain things calmly and hope it worked out. Yeah! "So much. How long has it been?"
Human Cadance was still Cadance... like? She put out the airs of someone in charge, but didn't seem immediately stuffy. She was pretty, Umbra was fairly sure. Her gauge for almost-humans was far from perfect, but she seemed to fit the pretty model she'd seen so far. "How'd you do that?" Umbra was startled out of her musings by the question. "The tapping thing." Cadance was subtly tapping herself where it had happened as they slipped free of the auditorium. "And it happened to one of my alumni too, but only him. Why?"
"Right to the point!" Umbra slipped her arm free, putting at least a foot or three between them. "If I told you straight out, it'd sound crazy."
"You already did it," noted Cadance. "And it was, in fact, crazy. So tell me how, please."
Adulting! "I can appreciate that. First." Umbra reached up to remove her tiara. "A demonstration." With it removed, she could easily tap the wrist of her left arm with her right hand. The jump from Cadance was hint enough that it had worked. "Now the crazy. In another world, me and another you and the other guy, Shining Armor, right?"
"Y-yes?" stuttered out Cadance, perhaps surprised that Umbra even knew the name.
"You two are married there, and I got connected, so whatever one of us feels, the others do too." Umbra took a slow breath. "Turns out, I'm still broadcasting, and it can still reach you two, here. You're not, obviously, as I can't feel anything from you."
"Another world?" Oh how her brow went up. "You weren't lying, that sounds a bit crazy." And yet, proof that Umbra wasn't just making things up was right there. "This is all a bit crazy... Let's assume, for the moment, that you are telling 100% of the truth. If you came from another world, why?" She leaned forward with a smirk. "Have you come to conquer us by taking over our educational facilities? That is certainly playing the long game."
"That would be insidious," agreed Umbra with a chuckle as she plopped her tiara back on. "But no. We're just here to get the other tiara like this back." She pointed up at the tiara she just put on. "It's being given away at the formal going on right now. With luck, our other agent will win it, and we can all go home and stop bothering you."
"How..." Another question died on the vine. Cadance shook her head. "Alright... Your crown clearly does... things. I could imagine why you'd want the other, and I don't want to imagine something like that in the hands of any student of ours. If that's your goal, I'd say we're in complete agreement."
Umbra flashed a great smile. "You mean?"
"I'll help. Who's your 'other agent'?" Cadance turned a hand about. "I'm not the principal here, but I can put in a good word in the right ear, increase the odds of them winning, if it means this comes to a nice orderly stop."
Umbra couldn't shake her smile. Good news! She would be able to actually help in the plan to get the tiara back! "Twilight Sparkle." She began to describe the Twilight she had seen. "She's here, for sure."
"Hm. I'll tell Celestia then. If this works, you go home, and I don't get poked in the middle of nowhere again, right?"
"That's the theory." Umbra blushed faintly. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to ruin your day, but options were limited."
"You seem nice enough... Though it is... bothersome to imagine another 'me'... We're not that close." She stomped off, blushing brightly at the thought of what her other-worldly self was up to.
She went right up to Celestia, whispering in her ear, "Have you heard of a Twilight Sparkle?"
"Hm? One of the contenders for the big prize," whispered Celestia back. "I was considering her, why?"
"This is my vote for her then." Cadance nodded faintly. "Go ahead."
"Well." Celestia had not asked for votes from the teachers, let alone one from another school. Still... "That's quite the vote." Her eyes went to the dance floor where the students were enjoying themselves. "How can I refuse?" It was a decision made for her. It didn't ultimately matter that much.
Celestia took the stage, congratulating all the students on their hard work, both in making the formal happen at all despite obstacles, and for doing their best, but there could only be one true winner. She looked to Twilight Sparkle as she said her name, to the clapping and cheering of the crowd. No upset calls. Cadance had chosen well. Celestia set the tiara on the student's head.
Then things got odd. A call for help. Twilight went running out the back of the auditorium, fleeing out a door where two others had just run through. Noises of confusion rose up among the crowd. "This was not planned..." The crowd began to mobilize, drifting out to see what all the fuss was about.
It was time for the climax of that adventure, but we're not here for that, are we? Cadance slid up next to Umbra as people rushed to head outside. "Was that supposed to happen?"
"No... No I don't think it was..." Umbra rubbed behind her head. "Have you seen Shifting?"
"Who?"
"Her!" Umbra spotted them in the crowd and waved them over. "We should probably get going, assuming that works out, we are going to be needed on the right side of the dimensions, and I made you a promise."
Shifting came jogging up. "What'd you promise her? What's going on?" She waved a hand at the mostly empty auditorium. "It was all fun until... poof, everypony's gone."
Cadance considered Shifting a moment. "Is she from your world?"
Shifting squeaked in horror, hiding behind Umbra. Umbra stood in solid defense. "She is. I'll take her with me, no worried about that."
"Does... she also have magic?" Cadance hiked a brow up. "Which I'm not 100%..." Her jaw went slack. Outside the window of the auditorium, she could see Sunset busily becoming and gloating as a literal demon. "Nevermind..."
"Aw, dang it..." Umbra put a hand to her head, wincing at the sight. "Keep it cool. Twilight's a super hero, like you. She can figure this out. Heroes like us always figure it out! Maybe she'll even surprise you how she does it." Little did Umbra expect friendship lasers. "Huh... That... That counts."
"Is this how you live your day to day life?" Cadance waved wildly at the crazy magic show that had just played for them. "How?!"
"With effort." Umbra nodded firmly, wrapping one arm around Shifting to draw them close. "Seriously, I'm so sorry for all the trouble."
Shifting was examining Cadance curiously. "You... look kinda like Cadance."
Cadance blinked at that observation. "Because I am Cadance?"
"No, oh! Yeah, of course, ha ha." Shifting looked away, lest she say anything else troubling.
Umbra squeezed her not-a-changeling-at-the-moment friend. "She can still feel what I feel, crazy huh?"
"Really?!" Shifting's eyes went wide a moment. "That must have been so confusing."
"To start." Cadance rotated one arm upwards. "Things seem to be calming out there. Your friend, Twilight was it? She..." A thought hit her, for later. She knew a Twilight... Sparkle was it? Yes, that was her name. "I hope you have a safe trip, but next time." She dug out a card and pretended it towards Umbra. "Call me instead of sending a telegram, if you would."
Umbra took the business card in a snatch. "Will do. Thank you, for not freaking out. I gave you plenty to freak out over, and you didn't. You're a real champ."
"Does she?" asked Cadance, returning to a previous question, looking at Shifting pointedly.
"Um." She dug out a wand. "This can...?" She looked to Umbra for permission, given in a nod. "Make squeaky noises." She waved it about as it began to squeak in a batty-like way. That it also gave her a radar-like vision of the area she didn't mention.
"That is... something." Cadance reached to grab the wand just firmly enough to stop it from waving wildly. It had no holes to explain the squeaks, and still squeaked despite being still. It wasn't a grand magic, but, not seeing any electronics involved, it was still magic. "Huh."
"Yeah, crazy..." Umbra shrugged greatly. "But let's get all this magic off your nice little world. You're doing just fine without magic messing it up."
"One thing." Cadance had a lone finger raised, releasing the wand back to Shifting's control. "How can you say that with a straight face?"
Umbra broke into laughter at being called out. "Point! Can't even argue that. Still, you want demon students to add to your list of problems?" She hiked a thumb outside. "Pretty sure you do not."
"I... do not." She folded her arms. "Then I will wish you both safe travels."
Shifting flashed a bright smile at the princess who wasn't. "Are we headed back now? I didn't get to help much."
"Unfair, I know." Umbra started off, Shifting at her side. "But you can help me celebrate getting home. In fact, I bet Pinkie's gonna go nuts when she sees Twilight, and you are invited before we even get there, how's that for speed?"
Umbra leaned in. "Find anyone you liked while you were here?"
"No!" blurted Shifting, blushing. "Was I supposed to be looking?"