"I say." An upperclass pony looked upon Umbra with undisguised surprise. "They will allow anypony in these days, won't they?"
Shifting scowled at the new pony. "Excuse you?"
"I require no excusing." He raised a brow at Shifting. "And what are you? Lunar ponies and crystal ponies haven't even had the time to consider creating a hybrid pony just yet."
Umbra took a step forward. "Wait... That's awfully clever of you."
"Thank you." He buffed his chest with a hoof and a smug smile. "It pays to be knowledgeable of family trees in my business, Miss..."
"Umbra."
He started. "Oh! Well, now I look rather foolish. My apologies, Umbra, hero of the Crystal Empire, if I recall correctly?"
Umbra smiled, maybe that pony wasn't all trouble? "That's me. Just visiting. And you are?"
"Blueblood, Prince Blueblood." He stood tall and proudly. "A pleasure for the both of us, hm? I haven't met a royal consort before, unless you wish to count Shining Armor, and neither he nor Cadance prefer that line of thinking." He rolled his eyes. "A bit daft if you ask me. Changing the name doesn't change the truth of it." He laughed nobly, amused with his own words.
Umbra considered him. "That's one of many titles I have. I seem to collect them."
"Oh! Do tell." Blueblood leaned in curiously. "Vanquisher of shadows, Prettiest by public demand. I heard those." His eyes wandered up and down Umbra. "Curious taste, the public..."
Shifting bristled instantly. "Are you insulting her?!"
Umbra put an arm over her bottle-brushed girlfriend, gently petting down the fluffed up fur. "Easy. I'm an interesting pony by most cases, hm?"
"Quite," agreed Blueblood. "Consider me interested. Dark sorceress of determination? Are you a wizard?" He sighed with a wistful smile. "A thing to be jealous of, I was never all that good at magic play."
Umbra flashed a sharp smile as they pivoted into more comfortable territory. "Blame the determination. I wanted it, so I had it. Darkness magic is mine, to wield for the protection and comfort of ponies around me."
Blueblood recoiled. "Shadow spells? Why, whatever spells would those even be? You can turn off the lights?" He waved to a close candelabra, its many candles glowing in flickering light.
Umbra threw her head as her mane moved in the wrong direction as if sharing her momentary agitation. "That and so much more." She waved at the light, banishing the warmth and light away with a sudden emission of grey and greens, eyes flashing with her dread power. "I am still learning ever more depths to it, but shadow is nothing if not eternally deep. I doubt I will reach the bottom, but trying is fun."
Shifting merrily giggled at that. "You should see her whenever she gets a new spell. It's Hearth's Warming instantly!"
"I imagine." Blueblood was side-eying Umbra, taking her measure. "A dreadful magic, but you only use it kindly? No wonder auntie allows you around then. You're exactly the sort of monster she prefers."
Umbra sank back. "Auntie?" Knowing who that was would help put the rest in context, she hoped.
"Hm? Dreadfully sorry. Have you not heard of Princess Celestia? She's a bit of a mover around here." He looked confident, perhaps amused at the seeming lack of knowledge.
Shifting huffed at that. "We know who she is. I didn't know she had any nephews... Her parents have siblings? Who are they?"
Blueblood adjusted the collar of his vest. "That was quite some time ago.. I'm not her first nephew..." He stroked at his chin with a hum. "Or second... or third..." He waved it away suddenly. "But I am her nephew!" He didn't try to explain how distantly that was true. "You aren't of noble blood, am I right?"
Umbra stopped Shifting from getting out a quick retort. "I'm the start of a noble line."
Blueblood's eyes widened. "I see! How exciting." He clapped with a genuine smile, impressed at the idea of starting a new noble line. "Do you have a crest designed then? I know a delightful heraldric master of a pony. If you'd like, I'll put you two in contact. But you must show it to me afterwards."
Soft steps and armored hooves revealed that Celestia was coming before she arrived, but she was smiling at them all. "Nephew, Umbra. A pleasure to see you both."
Blueblood dipped his head in deference to his larger relation. "Auntie! The pleasure is all mine. You didn't tell me we had a new noble! I've been quite rude. Auntie, you put me in such situations!"
Celestia showed no sign of distress. "How unkind of me. Blueblood, this is Umbra, champion of the Crystal Empire. She helped save the day at the games, do you not recall?"
Blueblood thought back on that, and it clicked. "Ah, yes! Jolly good showing. Shadows turned to good... Such a delightfully queer idea! Your taste remains impeccable, auntie."
Celestia leaned in to whisper to Umbra, "He isn't bothering you, I hope?"
Umbra swallowed thickly. "N-no... Sorry... I know I wasn't..."
Celestia shook her head. "What are you stammering for? Ah, I hadn't mentioned it publically yet." Her voice was loud enough to be heard in the area easily. "Blueblood, you're the first, but not last. Umbra is the start of a noble family. I'm still working out the details with Cadance about it. She has so few nobles up there, it'll be good to expand that network of loyal aristocrats."
"Marvelous idea!" gushed Blueblood, looking quite pleased. "The frozen north could use a few more upperclass ponies to help guide it forward. You are ever the forward thinker." He wagged a hoof at Celestia, nodding approvingly. "We were just discussing designing her family crest."
"Very important," Celestia agreed. "I will entrust her in your care. Prince Blueblood knows what is required of nobility."
Blueblood saluted as Celestia wandered on to whatever royal duties she had. "Oh, how exciting! I have an official task." He clasped his hooves together and rocked in place, looking perhaps too pleased at being given an official mandate. "Let's get you a family crest worthy of your imposing stature. Something that echoes your impressive presence."
Umbra chuckled softly at the stallion's antics. "You look more excited than me about it, but you know what you're doing. Celestia hasn't steered me wrong so far." She nudged against Shifting. "Want to go crest shopping?"
"I have no idea what that looks like." But she was smiling. "Let's go!"
"Excellent." Blueblood turned down the hallway. "Right this way. Hallmark is her name, by the way. Truly a quality pony. Not a noble, but works with them constantly. She is 'in' the circle, trust me on this. And once she's done, we'll have a proper shield commissioned to bear it back to Princess Cadance. She will be so surprised!"
Shifting leaned in for a whisper, "I thought he was just gonna be annoying."
"Shows us to judge on first appearances." Umbra marched at Blueblood's side as they went off in search of a crest.
"Majestic." Morning clapped gently as she beheld the family seal that had been made. "I enjoy the counterplay of shadow and light. It's very true to the source. Fierce, but loving. Terrible, but comforting. You are a sweet nightmare, mother. One will wake with panting breath, perhaps to wish they hadn't roused so quickly."
Umbra squeezed her child with a glowing horn. "You are flattering." Not that she said to stop. "It'll be engraved on a shield shortly. But while that's going on... How did your home schooling come along?"
"My hour is complete," Morning reported with a mild nod. "As if it stood a chance, mother. Are we scouting today?"
"We are scouting today." Umbra snatched up Morning with her magic, walking off with her filly atop her back. "You have more experience with this than me, so I will wander, and you will be the real eyes of this operation. If you see anything, let me know."
"I was not informed of other umbrum presences." But she was already looking around. "They wouldn't tell me that. I was still training... I was, to be honest, surprised when they let us come at all." She leaned in from atop Umbra. "The ponies here." They were navigating through the streets of Canterlot. "They have no idea what we really are," she whispered softly. "How terrified would they be to see the real us?"
It didn't take long to consider that. "Horrified, which is why we won't do that. They haven't bothered us. I bet most of them are pretty nice." She looked around before spotting a pony with a bright smile. "Hey, you!"
The pony started and pointed at herself. "Me? Hi. What's up?" The cheerful unicorn came up at a jogging trot.
Umbra pointed to her rider. "Can you tell her who you are and what you do, please?"
"Gosh! I love to sing and smile." She forced her lips up in an even bigger grin. "But I'm Minuette, local busybody, time wizard, and hopefully nice pony to be around. What's your name? Wait..." She squinted at Umbra with sudden intensity. "Weren't you... Didn't you help at the games? I remember that, and you lit the torch!" She began clapping eagerly. "Wow! This is a lucky day."
Morning smiled with less delight and more calculating pride. "My mother is renown for her fearsome acts."
"I'm not sure I'd count lighting a torch as 'fearsome', but she did cut up that big ice block!" Minuette nodded firmly. "Nice to meetcha!" She offered a hoof towards Umbra. "Putter there."
Umbra met the hoof with a loud clop. "Did you say wizard? I'd offer to trade books right now, but Luna is reading through my book right now."
Minuette's eyes only grew. "Luna? The Luna is reading your magic book? That's awesome!" With a sparkling horn, a new book was conjured. "Here's mine. Not at all Luna-approved."
Umbra fixed her eyes on the book with the big hourglass on it. Magic...
Morning pointed at the hovering book. "Surrender that to my mother and we will be merciful."
Umbra squeaked. "Foals! They say the darnest things." She laughed nervously, blushing and hoping that wouldn't be taken the wrong way.
Minuette blinked at the little filly atop Umbra. "Well, hello there! How rude of me. What's your name?" She offered up a hoof to the little pony, seeming to take no umbrage to the threat.
"I am Morning Dew." Morning met the hoof, but it was a sedate meeting, barely a clop created. "Child of Umbra, of the Shadowheart house."
Umbra's ears danced. "That is a name I just got..."
Minuette burst into airy giggles. "You have a house? Neat! Does that mean you're Lady Umbra?"
Umbra smiled awkwardly, backpedaling a step. "Technically, but Umbra works fine."
"That means we're friends, and I'm alright with that. Hello there, Lady Morning Dew." She waved at Morning eagerly. "I hope I have earned the favor of the esteemed Shadowheart house."
Morning pointed at the still floating book. "You could earn our favor by allowing mother to study that tome. She is an avid collector of the arcane."
Umbra laughed, trying to make it sound natural, and failing entirely. "If you want to share, cool, but also cool if not. I'm a wizard too! A shadow wizard. I'll gladly trade when I get my book back."
"Shadow wizard, cool" Minuette inclined her head slowly. "Why would a shadow wizard want time magic?"
"Angles." Umbra raised a hoof. "You see, the more blocks you have, the more ways you can put them together. I'll find shadowy angles of time, but I need the time blocks to do that with. That's where you come in."
Minuette clopped her hooves to her cheeks. "Wow! My mind, pchoo." She spread her hooves in simulation of the explosion she was emulating with a bad sound effect. "Sure." She gave up her book without further todo. "Bring it back when you're done with it. I live right there." She turned and pointed down a street. "Really obvious, that one that looks like my cutie mark."
It was hard to miss a house that looked like an hourglass.