It was the day! It was time for that great structure she built to be fully used. It was also time for security, to her surprise. "Ma'am." A crystal guard stood stoically in her way. "To prevent cheating."
"As if I ever would," she hissed out. "I built this! Are you implying The Great and honorable Umbra would stoop so low as to cheat?"
The guard looked around with building anxiety. "The other princesses are submitting to it in a show of solidarity, ma'am. To set a good example."
"So all the princesses are together." The guard nodded. "In one place." He nodded. "And none of them have magic." He kept right on nodding. "And you see no problem with this?" Umbra scowled with a skill only a shadow wizard could have. "I will keep mine to ward off any attacks by those foolish enough to think this is a moment of weakness. If they are heartless enough to attack when we are having our games, they will regret it for what little time they have left." She struck the ground with a firm clop. "Now, good day." She melted into shadow and flowed up along the wall and over the magic deactivator without ever going through it properly.
She sprang back up into physicality next to Twilight, to her surprised yelp. "Hey!"
"Hey yourself." Twilight calmed herself with a little sigh. "You can come out of anywhere."
Celestia seemed less pleased. "Umbra... Why does your horn lack its glow?"
Umbra peeked up at Celestia's horn, then Twilight's. They both had a new glow that wasn't their magic. "I did not consent to having my magic sealed away, which is likely the issue."
Celestia raised a brow. "It is tradition that all unicorns, including princesses, have their magic sealed away for the duration of the games."
"It's tradition that I not be here," Umbra scoffed softly. "And yet, here I am. I'm on guard duty. If something happens, I'll be ready to act. I won't be interfering with the games, promise, other than protecting them." She tapped at the side of her head. "Bonus, it's really easy to see when I'm doing magic. Shadowy wafting? Magic. For all my magic can be subtle, that isn't one of them."
Cadance shook her head. "You waft when you get emotionally invested, which you may if you get enthralled in the games. It's not a very good indicator. Still, I do trust you. You've been, at large, a responsible pony. If she wants to guard us, let her."
Luna snuffed softly at the air. "We don't want to make it seem like princesses are above the laws we set."
Cadance sat up a bit taller. "And we aren't. She's not getting an exception as a princess. She's getting one as a hero of the ponies of the empire. None of them will find it odd that she, of anyone, is ready to act."
Umbra flashed a feral grin, tail wagging behind her. "Darn right! I'll protect these ponies, and you all, if need be. Now, what kind of games should I look forward to happening? I've only seen these kinds of games an entire world away, and I doubt they're the same."
Twilight set a hoof on Umbra's back, the other drawing Spike in close. He hadn't ever been asked to perform duties and had come with Twilight. "I'll gladly go over them. One of the popular events is Pegasi relay."
Umbra wafted shadow with the imagination. "Like relay, but with flying? That sounds fun!"
"Exactly! Then there's the archery, always a crowd pleasure. They fire arrows of ice at targets." Twilight pointed down to where the targets were already gathered, but not arranged in a line just yet.
"How...?"
"How what?" Twilight inclined her head.
"How do ponies, with no hands, use bows?" She waggled her hoof. "That's stretching even with sticky hooves."
"Oh, you are not incorrect." Twilight tapped the space in front of her. "The bows are rooted to the ground, allowing us to draw and fire with our mouths, without any sticky hooves involved."
"I want to see that..." Umbra clapped once. "By the way, why did you get to bring your +1 with you? They told me this is a spot for princesses only. Shifting is out there, without me."
Spike hiked both of his thumbs at himself. "You're not related to her, um, yet? If you two were married or something, but they woulda let ya."
Twilight gently pushed him back into his seat. "Basically, yes. As my adopted little brother, I could get him in. The girls, though friends of mine, quite close, have to sit in the regular seats. Your girlfriend counts the same until she's actually family." She colored faintly. "I have so many questions about that."
Umbra leered at Twilight. "Which part?"
"All of the parts!" Twilight threw up her hooves. "You've chosen a changeling as a special somepony? Aren't you worried about your love being siphoned off, even accidentally? She's a mare, like you. How does that... work?"
Umbra chuckled softly at the shown confusion. "I can tell you right now that two ladies can be a thing just fine. Besides..." She did not have permission to go spouting Shifting's secrets, so she aborted that statement. "Love finds a way."
Cadance sighed with a smile. "There's a true statement. Twilight, they are an adorable couple, don't harass them."
"I'm not harassing! I'm just curious, is all... I was raised with the basic idea that a mare and a stallion--" She danced two hooves close together, likely one of either gender. "get together, and pop, a family, maybe with foals in their future."
"Cute." Cishet ponies, they were a thing. "But not the only way it works. I'm going to bet there are other ponies out there, in this very crowd, that aren't one mare and one stallion. Two mares, two stallions, maybe sometimes three or more ponies if they're all up for it. So long as they are happy and respect each other, they're doing it right."
Spike blinked owlishly on the lesson of alternative sexualities. "Woah..."
Twilight slapped a wing over his face, as if to shield his eyes from the topic. "Ahem! You certainly are knowledgable on this topic... I would like to discuss it, after the games?" Out of the earshot of her brother was unspoken.
"Ahem." Miss Harshwhinny was there, close to the exclusive box without actually entering it. "Umbra, may we speak?"
"Hm?" Umbra hopped to her hooves and rushed over. "What's up?"
"It's more 'down' from here." She pointed to the great, unlit, torch. "I am given to understand you are very popular around here. It would look good if you lit the torch. Are you up for that task?"
"Sure! That sounds fun." Umbra hopped free of the box. "Show me the process."
"Delightful." Harshwhinny led the way away from the others, with Umbra behind her. "You still have your magic. Good in this case if you can make sparks or fire with it."
"Not my usual specialty, but sure." Umbra trailed after her with a little smile. It all seemed so exciting! "I'm ready to light this candle!"
"Torch," corrected Harshwhinny. She showed the way to the torch's base. "Go up there and light it when the flag presenting demonstrations are completed and the opening words are stated. Then come back down. That's it. Got it?"
"All over it." Umbra spread her wings, flapping up to the top of the torch and landing on the platform that sorrounded where the fire would be. The crowd cheered for her, which is when she saw them. Standing right in front of them, it hit her how many ponies were watching her, cheering for her. So many cute fuzzy faces! It was intimidating, but also adorable. It was difficult to be entirely scared of ponies. She waved at them gently as she walked to the edge of the center, gazing into the pit that would soon be lit.
Shining Armor was giving a little speech on the games, some of the attention slid off Umbra towards him and their applause was for Shining for a time. That was fine. Oh, the flags. Were those the crusaders? Aw, such cute little foals! Umbra wanted to grab them all and hug them forever! Alas, they were not her foals, and even if they were, foals, like kids of any species, would grow up and want to do adult things. Such was the cycle of life. Umbra sighed with wistful sadness as she watched the foals perform their best. "Go little ponies..." Still, it was time! Her shadowy aura flared as she called on not-shadow magic, sparking the fire with a dramatic sweep of her hooves. "Let the games begin!" She didn't have to shout that, but she did, and the crowd ate it up with cheers.
She slid down the ladder she hadn't used to ascend, hitting the ground with a soft thud. "Acceptable." Harshwhinny was there. "You may return to your seat."
"Sure thing." That didn't stop Umbra from giving that dour mare a side eye on the way. She was not allowed to go tromping through the middle of the arena, having to detour around the outside of it to get back at things. Out there, she ran into the others, congratuating the crusaders on their performance. Opportunity!
Umbra trotted up to the little ponies. "Hey. Nice show."
The three fillies blinked as one at the new pony. Sweetie put it together first. "Oh! Umbra, right?"
Umbra's toothy smile only got wider. "That's me. And you are the crusaders. I saw your flag presentation. Very nice. You must have practiced forever getting it right."
Apple Bloom laughed at that. "Woo, yeah! But it was worth it!" She thrust out a hoof and two other filly hooves met it with a clop of solidarity. "Showin' Equestria what Ponyville's made of! Now let's see how many golds we get to take home!" The three cheered as one, charging inside.
Rarity tittered softly. "Don't hold it against them. I know they didn't say bye properly, but they're very excited right now, darling."
Rainbow nodded. "Me too. I have to get ready for my part. Cheer for us, alright?" And she was gone in a streak of rainbows.
Twilight inclined her head inside. "Let's get going. Walk with me back to the box?" She led the way back inside. She went through the magical blocker again. Umbra skipped it without even speaking to the guard.
"Ma'am." A second guard stepped in her way just after she reformed. "All magic is to be disabled." He pointed back at the security station.
"I'm security," huffed Umbra. "The local hero is staying ready to protect everyone if anything goes wrong. Any problem with that?"
The guard stood, unmoving. "Hm. Is Miss Harshwhinny aware of this?"
"Actually, yes. I just lit the torch, as she requested, with my magic." Umbra pointed up at her horn. "So I'll be going now. And promise, no magic on the games. May the best ponies win, without outside help."
"Agreed." But he did step out of the way. "The integrity of the games is very important, ma'am."
She caught up with Twilight, the both of them retaking their seats. "They are too cute."
Twilight blinked softly. "Who?"
"The crusaders!" Umbra chuckled darkly, the only chuckle she had. "Sweet enough to give cavities. What do they crusade about?" Religious crusades seemed unlikely, but not entirely impossible? Unlikely...
"Well, that's a few steps..."
Spike leaned in past Twilight. "They were crusading to find their mark, and now they crusade to help everypony else figure out their marks."
"Cute!" Umbra clapped her cheeks with her hooves. "I want to talk to them later... But, right now, let's watch the games."
Spike smirked softly. "They're cute until you have their attention, then that cute gets smaller."
"Please." Umbra waved that away. "I'm an aunt to a little baby. You think I've never dealt with that before? Show me their worst!" She clopped her hooves together with a fierce look of determination.