Umbra led Miss Harshwhinny into the stadium. "Built with my hooves, in part. A lot of ponies came together to make this happen. If it was just me, well, I'd still be slowly working on it, so don't let me take all the credit." She waved over the lush green grass and the collection of ponies already making use of it. "Oh, there's Shining Armor. He's the prince of the empire."
"I see?" Harshwhinny advanced past Umbra, right over to Shining Armor. "Excuse me." When he looked towards her, she nodded. "Very good. I see you're already making use of this stadium."
"Of course, miss...? It's a nice open field waiting to be worked out on. Me and the guards and the athletes are all welcome to make use of it when it's not in any official capacity." He looked past her to see Umbra inclining her head urgently, tapping at her chest with a message. That she was the inspector was made clear. "The stadium is brand new, but our desire to play fair and hard isn't! We're ready to host a lot of ponies." He waved at the many empty seats, awaiting pony bottoms to set themselves in them, even if only the edge would get the maximum usage.
"I see." Harshwhinny was examining the stadium critically. "What is the maximum amount of ponies that can be safely and comfortably housed, and compete, as two different numbers. Do you have sufficient housing available for that number of competitors?"
Umbra let them go over the specific numbers, but there was one thing she could help with. "If you need more houses, Shining, let me know and I'll get right on that."
Shining nodded, but most of his attention was on Harshwhinny. "Plenty enough to host the event, hm?"
Miss Harshwhinny turned an ear at Umbra but was facing the many seats in a slow turning. "They expect this year will be the busiest yet. Fair times lead to filled bleachers. I hope your city can handle it." Without saying goodbye, she started for the exit at a measured walk.
Umbra waved at Shining briefly and chased after Harshwhinny. Was that a good ending? She wasn't sure. It didn't sound like a good ending... "There's so much more to see."
"I have seen enough." Her tone left no room for arguments. "You can go now." Miss Harshwhinny left Umbra there on the road without a further word.
Umbra sank to her haunches, letting out the breath she'd been holding. "Did I do alright?" Nobody was there to answer her question. "Shoot..." She had done her best, but she couldn't force Harshwhinney to go with her. Sure, she had more places to wander past and talk about.... But she had not prepared a trip. She had no itinerary, plan, or even much of a notion. She had been wandering and hoping to make a good impression. "Messed that right up." She flopped to her belly as ponies wandered past her, unaware of how badly she'd flubbed their chances. "Oh man..." That was another term lost on them.
"You look down." There was Prism, watching her with a tilted head. "Anything I can help with?"
Umbra sat up slowly. "Well, if my girlfriend wanted a hug I--" She was grabbed in a fierce embrace with a squeak of surprise, but soon was returning it. Hugging Shifting Prism felt great and, just for a moment, she could forget the worries of the day. The tension abated a little. "Thanks... Needed that."
Shifting nestled in close with Umbra. "Wanna tell me what has you so down?"
"Ugh!" Umbra wrinkled her nose. "So there's this mare, Miss Harshwhinney. What a name! And she lives right up to it. She's 110% business!" Umbra got to her hooves to start pacing about in front of Shifting. "She was looking at everything like it personally insulted her! I kept trying to show her the nice parts of things, but she barely noticed. She kept bringing up the problems too! She'd spot something, each time! It was amazing...ly awful."
"Sounds like it." Shifting looked left and right. "Where is she now? All done?"
"All done!" Umbra wailed out. "She stormed off to do... whatever she wanted to do. I don't even know for sure what she thought, but it's probably no good." A hoof landed on her nose. "Excuse me?"
"You don't know that yet." Shifting smiled as she rubbed Umbra's nose in slow motions of her hoof over the sensitive nose of her girlfriend. "So let's not panic until we know."
"Adulting is my job." Umbra crossed her arms with a pout, but it broke into a laugh shortly after. "Fine, alright. You're not wrong. We don't know yet. Maybe she had a great time! Maybe I'm freaking out for no reason." She sat in front of Shifting. "I'm just stressed... Apparently half the reason that stadium was built was to hopefully host this thing, I learned, and I built it, so I want it to be used!"
"I was there. I want it to be used too, and for lots of ponies to Oooo and Aaaa at it." Shifting burst into little giggles. "But that'll happen no matter what, just a matter of when. No point getting bent out of shape about it right now."
"I am perfectly in shape." Umbra nudged at Shifting. "C'mon. I could use a snack about now."
"You stress eat." That didn't stop Shifting from hopping up to readiness. "Lead the way."
"Only for special occasions." The inspector qualified, she had decided. She would stress eat a little... "You in the mood for pasta or salad?"
"Those are the choices? Well..."
"Miss Cadenza!" Harshwhinney was facing the princess, done up in traditional headdress, though still at the spa. "I didn't think I'd find you here."
"Miss." Cadance sat forward with a smile. "I trust you've been enjoying your trip?"
"It was given by a lost foal." Harshwhinny frowned at the monarch. "Who was filled with the tallest tales. They did not impress me."
Cadance did her best to keep her face neutral. "I see..."
"No, you do not." Harshwhinny pointed off. "While I was being given the second-rate tour, that mare got the premium treatment from. She's bedazzled and can't wait to visit the Crystal Empire again."
Miss Peachbottom waved exitedly from where she was being tended to. "They were just so nice!"
Cadance forced a smile. "I see..."
"You still do not. Fortunately, her review was beyond glowing. If that's how you treat random ponies... Well, perhaps there's something to be said for the Crystal Empire." She fished out a pad and scribbled on it. "You'll have to prepare yourself. I've made a list of things to touch up in the meantime." Cadance accepted the letter in her numb magic. "See that it's done. That incompetent claimed to know more about building, maybe get her on the case. You don't want her doing the tours."
"Yes, right?" Cadance sat up taller. "Does this mean?"
"It means exactly that." She closed her board with a snap. "The Crystal Empire will host the next Equestria Games." The room exploded in cheers and stomps at the news, but Miss Harshwhinny was already turning away. "There's a lot riding on this. We have high expectations." She walked off, comported and dignified.
"Yes!" Rainbow landed where the inspector had been a moment before. "I knew we could do it!" The girls got together in celebratory hugs and cheers. Their work had paid off, and the Equestrian Games would be coming.
Umbra was chewing on her salad softly with good company. One thing about ponies. They ate salads more often, so those salads could get quite... ornate. She was not bored as she worked through the collection of leafy greens and nuts and sauces that stood in firm rejection of the idea that one needed meat to make a full meal.
Shifting leaned off to the side. "What's that?" They both looked in time to see a pony charging down the street with a big sign. 'We're hosting the Equestrian Games!' it read in big and bold letters, making it quite clear what that pony was advertising. Cheering followed along with it as ponies came out into the streets to hollar and call out in jubilant celebration.
Umbra sagged. "Oh thank... Wow..." She took a new chomp of her salad. "Now I can really enjoy this. Thanks for calming me down."
"Any time." Shifting angled the fork attached to her hoof and got back to shoveling the food into her eager mouth. "Um, I had an awkward question, and this seems like a good time for maybe good news."
"Good news is... good?" Umbra leaned in at her shrinking girlfriend. "Go on. I'm here."
"Yes, right..." She wriggled the fork free of her hoof. "About that! I... I want to step onto the next, um, step." Not the most grand of statements. "Can we go steady?"
"We weren't steady already?" Umbra perked up an ear at her girlfriend that was also a changeling. "I thought we were."
Shifting rubbed at her hooves that warmed at the same moment. "I mean... I want to start thinking about being together... forever like... You don't have to say yes to that, not yet... But I want it on the table, as something we both think about."
"You really are taking after me, stealing my adult cred." Umbra flashed half her sharp teeth on the right side. "You really want to be with this dangerous shadow crystal wizard?"
"You want to be with a..." She glanced around to be sure nopony was too close. "Changeling?"
Umbra bopped her on the nose. "They know about Thorax. Why are you still hiding it? Ma'am?" A waiter turned towards her. "My girlfriend, a lovely changeling, would like a delicate glass of wine, please."
"Right away." The pony trotted off briskly.
"Humph! Then we're even for today." Shifting crossed her arms. "Is this how it'll go, calling each other out whenever we don't adult properly?"
"Forever and ever." Umbra waggled her brows. "You sure you want that? I'm probably not gonna change it, so... Really, this is a fine time to back out of it."
"I'm willing to consider, which is all I'm asking." She pushed at the table lightly. "I want us both to think about it, and what life would be like, and if we both like what we see... Then maybe, later..."
"...We can do that?" Umbra snorted gently. "I swear... When did I get such an adult partner?" She touched noses with a slow rubbing of sensitive nose to sensitive nose. "I love it. Let's keep being honest with each other, and ourselves. Speaking of that, if you feel super called out by what I did with that waiter, tell me and I'll never do it again."
The two enjoyed their dinner as the city celebrated in a far louder way. It was a good day on multiple fronts. "Oh!" Umbra sat up, feeling a tapping message coming. "Cadance wants to talk to me, has projects." Umbra rolled her eyes. "I thought I was done with those, but being a princess is a long-term gig. Look at Celestia. I hear she's been doing it for over a thousand years. That's dedication!"
"Do you want to do it that long? That's a very long time..."
"If you're not with me, I'll be sad... How long do... changelings hang around for? Gosh, that's an awkward question, but super valid to the topic right now... Tell me."
"Um..." Shifting leaned back in her chair. "Royalty lasts longer than normal drones...."
"Great! I get Shifting for longer, but since I don't know how long a drone lasts, or how much longer you are from them... That only tells me so much, and not much at that. I'd rather you hang around until I'm done with things... Can we do that?"
"That'd be nice." Shifting suddenly lunged forward to press her nose to Umbra's cheeks. "Really nice."