It had been so long. Umbra settled in her chair comfortably at the breakfast table. "This is so nice..." She stretched her arms above her head and came back down. "The breakfast ritual!"
Shining nodded in less excited agreement. "It wasn't the same without you." He floated over a cup to his lips, sipping some morning coffee. "Now, you've kept us in suspense. What went wrong?"
Cadance nodded quickly. "Your children are away, so there's no excuse left. Just us." She waved between them. "So what happened?"
"Speaking of that." Umbra frowned faintly. "Did you know you can lose the bottle magic? I'm not a wet nurse anymore..."
Cadance inclined her head. "I hear ponies that truly wish to keep that practice making bottles as a daily routine. I hadn't thought of it, or that you especially wanted to keep it. Apologies."
Shining waggled a hoof. "I know you liked that, but that isn't what you were hiding."
Dang it, her clever distraction, failed. "Right... It's about the bat I let walk away." She sagged in place. "I cheated on her... It's my fault. It's 100% my fault. There was no grand seducer. There were no spells involved that I didn't cast. It was, start to end, my dumb fault."
Cadance half-lidded her eyes, leaning forward onto a curled leg. "Well, now you have to tell us the ghastly details. This isn't a joking matter, but what did you do? You always struck me as a straight laced mare, and suddenly this?"
Shining rubbed behind his head. "I've been there."
Umbra started at that. "You?! You practically worship her hooves and the ground they touch. I can't even imagine it."
Shining colored. "Well, um... Chrysalis was pretending to be Cadance, remember? I might have... done... things..." He reached for some French Toast, or was that Prench Toast? Whatever it was called, he stuffed it in his mouth, silencing himself in sweet distraction.
Cadance nodded towards him anyway. "He's not wrong... It took us quite some time and words to recover from that horrible event... Many relationships don't survive that kind of infedility, or they are a sign that they shouldn't survive in the first place." She consided Umbra critically. "This is not me saying you should run after her. This is her decision, but I do want to ask, if she did give the opportunity...?"
"I would do whatever it took." Umbra slapped the table, energy flaring angrily in a moment of frustration. "Whatever it took... If it meant we're seeing a couple's therapist forever, fine... I was such an idiot." She clasped her head between her hooves. "And I have nobody to blame. Um... Small tiny bit of good news." She slowly lowered her hooves to the table. "She said alright to not vanishing on the O&O group. At least we can be friends..."
Cadance smiled gently at that. "I am glad to hear that. Often, the breaking of romantic bonds can lead to them all being severed. Many ponies are hesitant to be involved with their ex, however the breakup came about, but especially so when infidelity pokes its ugly head... Now, what pony distracted you? Who would you do that with?"
Shining thrust his hooves out. "You don't have to tell us."
"Yes you do," countered Cadance with no remorse. "We were there, in part. Assuming that broadcast you shared was with the pony you were--"
"--Yes!" Umbra hid her face with shame. "I lost it... I was having so much fun and I just threw all caution to the wind. I took off my tiara to share. Why did I do that?! That wasn't very nice... Moron." She sighed out in self-defeat. "Sorry... So... remember Starlight?" The two nodded. "She is a serious dominant pony that had no idea how to be dominant in a consentual way between freinds and lovers. When I found out, I went right on to show her. And ruined everything."
Umbra sat up. "And I can't blame her. I was the teacher. I was the one calling the shots."
Cadance pinkened faintly. "I mean no offense... You two were quite fond and close... but maybe they weren't the right pony for you?"
Umbra's ears skewed in different directions. "Come again? I loved her! I still love her... She was... Ugh. While I was busy ruining it all, she was trying to get close to my daughter, to be a good step-mom..." She flopped, chin banging on the table, knocking over a glass of juice with the impact. "I didn't deserve her."
Shining gulped down his food and patted Umbra gently on the shoulder. "You seem insistent on making sure I know how a mare feels."
Umbra colored with emberassment, which was different than her self critical shame. "Sorry... Are you mad?"
Shining rolled his shoulders and coughed softly. "Well... Every time I'm with that lovely mare, she does share..."
Cadance giggled at that. "We are all quite experienced at this point, hm? None of us are unaware of how 'the other side' feels." She reached to set a metal clad hoof on Umbra's arm. "Now... No, we're not angry, though it did catch us by surprise. You know how to talk to us, so send a message first, in the future, hm?"
Umbra flipped her ears back. "Promise." She reached for some eggs and hash with her magic, resuming breakfast proper. "So! Anything new with you two?"
Cadance leered at Shining silently.
Shining shrank at that. "Fine! Fine... Um, so... as we were discussing, we all know what the other side feels at this point..." He tapped his hooves softly. "Everything... But what you feel, um, echoed, isn't the same as being there in person."
"And we've decided to take that last step," finished Cadance. "We're going to swap our pronouns for a year."
Umbra blinked at that. "An entire year?! Why so long?"
Shining colored. "Well... That's about how long it takes... to do the whole... thing..."
Cadance leaned in at Umbra. "What he's trying to say is that he's going to lift that tail and let me climb up, and then we're going to give Flurry Heart a brother or sister."
Umbra blinked softly. "Oh! Oh... Oh... I... would join you... but... Look, it was a struggle, a fight, day in and day out, to get where I am." She waved over herself. "You were born like this. Nobody questioned that you were a mare, just the default really. It wasn't like that for me, so the idea of giving it up? Scary, if we're being blunt..."
Cadance inclined her head. "Well, it's harder for two stallions to share a mare in quite that way... But a stallion could share two mares fairly easily." She waggled her brows with a clear meaning behind her smoldering look.
Umbra laughed, a somewhat strained noise. "Ah ha. I picked it up from you." She pawed at Cadance. "Sorry, bad joke... But speaking of that." She placed her hooves neatly on the table. "We really should set extremely clear boundaries. I don't want to make that mistake again."
Shining pointed at Cadance and Umbra. "The only two ponies I would even consider are sitting here."
"Ditto," echoed Cadance. "Quite clear. Me and Shining are married, but you are welcome at any time." She turned up her hooves and lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "The crystal heart bound us together. I can't really call that much anything else but fate itself speaking on the matter. Good thing we like you."
Umbra relaxed a little at Cadance's words. "Well, I like you two too... I just thought I'd get my own thing going..." If she hadn't messed it up, she didn't bother to say. "Alright, my turn." She pointed to the two of them, one hoof at either at the same time. "You two are open season. If I decide I really really like a pony, I will stop and chat with you two before I do anything more untoward than a friendship hug."
Shining waggled a laden fork at Umbra. "Deal. And no 'sharing' without some kind of warning."
"R-right." Umbra colored faintly at that reminder. "Sorry about that."
They finished their breakfast, the atmosphere becoming lighter as they talked about little nothings, the heavy topics behind them for the moment. Cadance pushed away from the table. "Princess duties call. You know how it is." She paused, looking at Umbra. "Actually. Now that your daughter understands her nature better, could you take her around and look for any other survivors? The war is over, and Morning has proven that Umbrum don't have to be enemies."
Shining tensed at the idea. "Carefully! Um... Don't want either of you getting hurt."
Umbra slid to her own hooves. "I'm not scared of the average umbrum, and pretty sure their leader is quite gone, washed away in the light of that crystal."
Cadance started away. "Let me know if you find anything."
Shining waved at his departing wife. "That goes for me too. If I can help, let me know. I know you just got back..."
"No rest for the wicked." Her eyes flared with her dark power. "Morning will probably be happy to do something official, and if we do find one of her family, probably happy about that." She raised a hoof to her chin. "Actually, not sure what emotions would come up if that happens. I should... approach this carefully. I don't want to get her hurt."
"Of course not. Umbrum or not, she is a filly. Your filly! We want her safe." He nodded with firm agreement on that point. "So, if I can help?"
"I will reach out and poke you." Which is what she did, prodding him in his chest. "You're really going to do that?! You... felt what birth is like." That was a thing they experienced together. "Liked it enough to rush for an encore?"
Shining went red, shuffling in place. "It was... intense, but not awful at all... I am a father... I want to... try?"
Umbra leaned in to touch noses. "My lovely gender-fluid stallion. Brave! I... Well, I can lend a hoof." She joined him in coloring, though hers was far more mild. "It's a funny thing, but realizing I lost that trick made me sad. I'll look forward to picking up that job again." A thought hit her. "Hey! If you go back to being a guy before your bottle trick fades out, will you be able to make bottles as a stallion?"
Shining sank to his haunches. "I am entirely unsure how that works... I wouldn't want to do it until the new foal doesn't need me." His awkward shufflings increased. "That would be being a bad mom."
"Which you aren't. You are a proud parent." She thumped herself on the chest. "I am a joyous and proud aunt. I'm here to help! So, when you feel tired, you throw that foal into my arms and I'll take care of them for a bit while you recharge and recover."
"I'll keep you to that." He touched nose to her cheek and started off. "Time to get to work."
"Time to get to work," she agreed, but first she went home.
"Ma'am." It was like her maid hadn't moved the entire time Umbra had been gone. "Your mail." She gestured to several neat piles. "Sorted in intent from bills to personal correspondence and other matters. I've taken the liberty of paying legitimate invoices." She pointed to another stack. "Please inform me if I made any errors." She turned the hoof to another. "I replied to your personal correspondence to inform the writer of your unavailable state and an estimated time of your return, along with an assurance that you would receive their letter at earliest convenience."
Umbra blinked, caught off guard. "You... are a precious treat." She tapped with her magic at the letters. "Did you read them?"
"Only the barest minimum to get a name and address, ma'am. Welcome back." Purple Polish bowed low, clearly ready to resume her task.