Petri reared up. "Can win this shadow."
Morning considered her sizable foe. "Can you? Very well. First, dark." She flared with the power of darkness, plunging the room into pitch black nothingness. Her eyes opened in that umbral shade. "Next--"
But Petri wasn't hesitating. She was grabbing for Morning. She could only see eyes, so she grabbed an eye, to Morning's surprised squeal. Both eyes closed against the pain, vanishing from sight, and Petri's grip.
Petri looked between her hands where she should have been hugging, but nothing was there. "Give up?"
"No." Morning appeared behind her. "I just didn't expect that... I'm not done."
Petri twirled and jumped at where Morning had been a moment before, left only tackling darkness to the ground. "Where?"
Morning snapped her teeth around Petri's tail, giving a cruel yank in the instant before she vanished, leaving Petri squeaking and dancing, trying to soothe the ouchies with midling success. "Mmmf, fine. You win."
"I win?" she asked without revealing herself.
"You win." Petri crossed her arms with a mighty pout. "You bad shadow."
The darkness faded, leaving Morning with a smug grin. "I did tell you that."
Umbra slid between them. "Quite enough of that. I want you two to be friends."
Petri huffed, but flopped in place. "Fine... Still bad shadow. Oh. Where den?"
"Here den?" Umbra waved a hoof about. "This is my room."
"Where my room?" Petri waved at herself wildly, fur ruffling with the energetic motions.
"Oh! Right. I'll get--"
"Ma'am." Her maid stepped forward with a light nod. "Please follow me." She led Petri out to get her situated without any further prompting.
Morning willed the door shut with a puff of darkness. "Mother, are you adopting her? She is no Shadowheart. I motion in disagreement."
Umbra cupped her daughter by the chins. "I'm not. She's a diplomat, for the tsukis. Treat her with respect and kindness, but she's not part of the family."
"Good." Morning pushed Umbra's hands away, brushing them off. "Somecreature has to keep an eye on you, mother."
"Cold." Not that this was that surprising, from that filly. "I already promised myself."
"You've broken promises before, mother." Morning stood up, eyes on Umbra. "I will not let you stray again."
Umbra sagged at that. "Yeah... Speaking of that, I really should say hi to her. Just because we aren't a thing doesn't mean I should toss her out of my life."
"That would be kind." Morning inclined her head. "You like doing kind things."
"Guilty. Tomorrow." She hopped up onto her bed and flopped over. "Bed. Let's do that."
"No, thank you." Morning headed out on other business, predator of the night as she was.
Umbra surrendered to sleep. She didn't have to wait for it, drawing herself into its embrace with a glowing horn that faded rapidly. She roused in the dreamworld, in her treasure vault. All around her were the lustrous jewels that were the dreams of the creatures that lived near her. "Which one..." She began sifting through rocks, pearls, crowns, and pendants. Each held a dream, infinitely complex and shifting. Each held a soul to be protected.
Only one had the one she wanted. She ran her hooves across the piles, sending them clacking and tumbling. "You." A lonely gem, but it was the one she had used to make the original daydark. "Definitely you." She cradled it close, hugging it. "I owe you everything, and you, nothing to me... I am so sorry. I ruined that." She ceased to exist, there at least.
She appeared in a familiar workshop. Shifting Prism was working with her wings, grinding a stone against a rough sander to get it even shinier. The bat-changeling was whistling a merry little tune to herself. It was, as dreams went, remarkably domestic and simple.
Like its owner. Umbra winced. Like the one she scared away... "Hello," she announced. "I'm not here to spy on you."
Shifting squeaked, bouncing up and coming down facing Umbra. The gem was forgotten, and thus lost to the dream. "What are you doing here?" A moment later, she realized. "I'm dreaming. I didn't say you could do that."
"You didn't" admitted Umbra. "And you're not having a nightmare, so not using that excuse. I'm here to ask a little thing, then I'll get out of your mane. I'd like to visit tomorrow, just a friendly visit, nothing more or less."
Shifting peered at Umbra skeptically. "Just to talk?"
"Just to talk," assured Umbra with a little smile. "I'm so sorry, but this isn't about that. I... would like to still have a friend, if I can..."
"Silly..." She stepped up to the dream wizard and casually booped her on the nose. "You're not nearly as imposing as Luna would be."
"I guess not." Umbra smiled at that. "You know me. I know you... I don't want to hurt you..."
"But you did." Shifting angled an ear back. "Still hurts..."
"I'm sorry... Can we talk? Oh! Oh! I found something you probably want. It's yours, me or not. This isn't a bribe."
"What'd you find?" Her ears quivered with curiosity. "Sounds big. Is it... as big as you're hinting? Bigger?" She spread her wings to measure the theoretical thing. "Well, shoot. Now I need to know... Come tell me. Now let me sleep."
"Sleep well." Umbra offered an arm.
Shifting didn't take that offer, peering at Umbra skeptically. "Not fair... I want that hug so bad... but I shouldn't."
"Probably not..." Umbra sagged with defeat. "I'm sorry. Let me get out of your way." She awoke in the treasure vault, surrounded by sleepers that were jewels. "One check for nightmares... Then some real sleep for me."
The Crystal Empire was filled with wonderful jewels, most unblemished, but she did find one little opal that swirled with dark thoughts. She held it between hooves and entered that dream.
"I'm just a physician!" cried the pony, galloping away as fast as they could. What they were fleeing form, even they couldn't know exactly. "You won't catch me!"
Umbra landed on his back with a thump, hugging the doctor tightly. "It's alright..."
The doctor screamed with horror, but no bites came. No terrible claws... "Umbra? Is that you?"
"It's me." She gently stepped off the doctor. "Didn't think I'd see you again so quickly. What's wrong?"
He sat up, blushing faintly. "I'm sorry to disturb you... It's just... Sombra, still alive? He could... He could do so much harm... What if I can't... I feel so small."
Umbra leaned in, nose twitching. "I'm not going anywhere. I will do my best to show that jerk how unwelcome he is around here."
"Of course... of course. I'm being a foal, worrying about it." He laughed nervously, stepping from one hoof to the next with clops against the undefined ground. "Thank you for visiting me."
"You're welcome." She booped him on the nose. "And that's my job. Don't feel bad. You're safe, and surrounded by ponies ready to protect you, me included."
"O-of course." He flopped suddenly backwards in a motion most horses didn't take. "I know that, up here, but... ma'am... I lived with him as a ruler. I know how terrible he is. I'm... glad you didn't. I hope you never do... But I did, and that's hard to just... forget."
Umbra sat beside him silently, wings partially spread. "You're not wrong to feel nervous. Don't feel bad for that."
"B-but... you have no fear." He sat up, unsure and shaking. "I must be so trying, ma'am..."
"You're a precious pony to protect." She thumped her forehead against the doctor's. "Also, nice patch job, very well stitched. I'll be looking for you when I get hurt, and I will again, trust me there. I'll rely on you, you rely on me, alright?"
"Of course.... Of course, yes." He stood up, still shivering. "Thank you."
Umbra awoke in the vaults, holding that opal that wasn't so cloudy anymore. "Better..." She placed it gently with the others. "Any others?" There was one dark onyx that refused her entry. "Mmm, let me in..." She turned it one way and the other, trying to find a way inside, but it refused. It was only after she stopped trying and focused more on the examination that it became clear. The owner of that gem was awake. "I thought waking creatures didn't have gems..." And yet, there it was. "Who are you?" But it had no label, nor could she peek inside the mind of a waking creature so easily. "Maybe another time." She put the onyx down gently. "I can feel... I'd love to visit." Still, a waking mind wasn't hers to play with. That way led to being a jerk. Sombra had that well and covered.
Umbra trotted through the city. It was a sunny day, sun warming her back just the right amount. "A lovely day," she sighed out to herself as she came towards her target, a small cozy house. "Perfect day..." She went up to the door and knocked once. "Shifting?"
"Umbra?" A window popped open, allowing her former lover to peek out. "So it wasn't... I guess it was, really." She popped back inside. Umbra could hear the hoofsteps approaching the door form the inside and it opened. "Hey..."
"Hey..." Umbra rubbed behind her head. "Let me get to the good stuff first. Then you can tell me to buzz off, no hard feelings." Shifting inclined her head but was silent. "I met some new friends, tsukis, big rabbits. They are good at mining. The jewels they dig up have almost the same energy as a stone still resting in the ground. I was amazed!" She threw her hooves wide. "and I happen to know a fellow enchanter that I thought, hey, she'd love some super high purity gems. This is not a sales off. You'll have to deal with the tsuki, but they're friendly. They will gladly trade."
Umbra pantomimed each step, from hopping motions to simulated horns on her head. It only hit her afterwards that she had a trick. "Right!" She worked up her shadow and fashioned it, becoming a faux-tsuki, formed of shadows. "They look like this!"
"Cute." Shifting clapped with approval of the new species. "Well, I do like good gems, so thank you for that... But you didn't come here for just that, I bet... You know this isn't... a second chances kind of thing."
"I know!" Umbra swung at the air in front of her. "I know... not asking. I'm getting hitched, no more... anything else. I still want a friend though... and you were that, before... I'd still like to have that..."
"Hitched?" Shifting stepped out, closing the door with a lash of her tail on the knob along the way. "To who? Starlight?"
"Oh! No... Wow... That would be..." Umbra cringed at the thought. "I couldn't even face you if I did that... cheating on you and... marrying the pony I did it with? Gah... I'd hand you a sword to stab into me until you felt like stopping. No! No... Cadance and Shining. I was already involved with them, and got a mighty cold shoulder for what I did... They agree, me bad... But I promised... Promised! I swore I would never again... and they're taking that."
"They're stronger than me," Shifting barely whispered out. "Good." She swallowed thickly, as if her tongue were far too large and dry. "Good... Um... So... Friends huh?"
"I said that before, and I still mean it." Umbra offered a hoof. "Our characters will have to stop being, um, in a relationship, but other than that, I'd love to geek out about gems and play some fun games with funny dice... No other expectations."
"I can't forgive you so easily." But she advanced, touching noses. "But I can try... It will take time. Will you wait for me?"
"Forever and a day, if I have to." Umbra returned the rub, almost going for more but hauling herself back. Nothing further, just a friendship. And that was more than she deserved, really.