"This has been fun." She turned for the nearest window. "But ah really should go..."

"I thought I had secured the evening." But he didn't move to stop her.

She was quiet and still for a time. He had asked that... "A little part of me's worried thin's are happenin' an' ah ain't there to help it..."

Fancy nodded briefly. "Ah. You are truly a princess now. Your work has risen to the front of your mind. Princess of night guardianship, to not guard at night has become an alien thing."

Blossom chuckled softly at the idea, but didn't flee, or sit, looking ready to do either, but doing neither. "Am ah doin' it wrong?"

"That's a personal question, but I can tell you this." Fancy raised a hoof towards Celestia's distant castle. "Even she takes a break. Cadance takes a break, why, that's how she mediated for us." He leaned in closer. "I feel certain doing that was quite entertaining for her. Have no fear, we provided a fine brief vacation for her. Even Twilight, focused as she is, takes a day for herself to simply... be. It is not sloth to care for oneself."

Blossom's nose wrinkled and she burst into laughter. "Oh no! Ah'm becomin' mah sister!" Fancy inclined his head quietly at her. "Oh, ya see. Ah, um, Big Mac me... done yelled at her afore fer not takin' a helpin' hoof when she felt she could take it all on herself. Ran herself ragged fer no good reason." She flumped down to her haunches. "Yer right. Ah deserve one night off. Ah'll fight fer justice soon enough."

"Marvelous." His horn glowed as he drew the window shut. Blossom didn't even remember willing it open in her readiness to flee, but he certainly remembered to close it properly. "Now, we could dovetail a little. Shall we go and visit the city?" He waved out through the window, towards Canterlot as a whole. "A social visit, you and I?"

"That sounds... great!" She hopped back to her hooves, following him out for a night of fun and luxury.

He gladly offered her various libations and snacks, and a chance for some high class entertainment. Wherever he took her, they welcomed the two with glad faces and directed to an important pony portion of things.

"Fancy!" A well dressed stallion trotted up to get to his side. "And with a lovely lady friend, how delightful." He spoke as if he was quite used to being around money. An uppercrust pony.

"Did you say Fancy?" A mare caught up with him. "Don't take off like that, really. Oh, there he is." She nodded at Fancy. "Did we catch you on a date, or some other affair?" She glanced between Fancy and Blossom.

Fancy raised his hovering glass at the both of them. "As always, a delight to see you two. This is Princess Orchard Blossom, whom I am courting." Right out in front, bluntly stated in a proper way. "Please treat her well." He turned to Blossom. "These two are Jet Set--" He indicated the stallion. "And his wife, Upper Crust." She nodded as she was mentioned. "Friends and associates."

Blossom scrambled to her hooves. "Nice to meetcha both." It weren't a hoof kiss, but that was clear enough an announcement of their relationship that didn't involve fireworks and the royal voice to make it clear. "Longtime friends?"

Upper fanned at herself with a hoof. "It feels like forever, and only in good ways. Fancy Pants is the pony everypony must know, and for good reason! Why, if you've fallen in with him, I should imagine you already know this. Quite a character, and always where one needs to be."

Jet Set threw an arm over Fancy, invading personal space casually. "Now see here! You were cultivating a romance on the side and not even a whisper to us? I'm unsure if I should be impressed at your ability to keep a secret or gravely offended." He laughed despite his words, jostling Fancy on the way. "Good show!" He leaned in closer, whispering, "And she's quite a looker, isn't she?"

Upper scowled, but pretended she didn't hear. A familial shouting match wasn't how one did things. "That was quite the nice coronation Princess Celestia ran for you. She must have high hopes for you. Hm, have you discovered what you are the princess of just yet?"

Blossom reached into her side, drawing out a police hat. "Ah'm a defender of the night." She raised it into clear view. "Got mah badge in another city, but they got a deal worked out so ah can work anywhere."

Upper Crust inclined her head. "But you live here... don't you? Or did you travel all this way just for Fancy? Oh! How delightfully romantic." She tittered at the imagined scenario. "How wonderful."

Fancy coughed into a hoof. "Not precisely, Upper. To each princess, a talent. A special gift that even other princesses struggle to match, often failing entirely."

Jet Set released Fancy, his attention on Blossom. "Well, don't keep us in suspense a moment longer, Fancy. What's this talent?"

Blossom smiled as best she could. "Ain't nothin' special. Ah can go to places ah've been before."

Upper inclined her head. "I can do that too."

Jet curled a hoof to his chin. "You're being coy. What's the trick?"

Blossom chuckled softly. "Right, well... it don't take no time. Could be in Manehatten right now." And she vanished.

Fancy blinked at the spot that used to hold his girlfriend. "I... trust she will be right back... But, yes. She has a knack of teleportation that goes beyond anything I've heard or read about before I met her. Any place she's at least seen before, she can simply be there. No build up, no travel time. She simply is there. Quite the breathtaking talent. Not as kingdom reaching as controlling the sun or moon, no doubt, but still, quite a thing."

Upper took a soft bite of an equally soft biscuit. "Mmm, I do hope we didn't scare her away. We had barely had the chance to meet."

Blossom appeared, the same editing mistake that had removed her casually placing her next to them. Her wings were spread, a carrot dog balanced on each, one last floating in her magic. "Brought some treats."

Jet laughed in rich chortles. "I say! You went and brought us some genuine Manehatten carrotdogs? A bit provincial, but well renown for their quality." Which was all a fancy way of saying he wasn't turning it down. His horn glowed as he lifted one dog by the bun free of Blossom's right wing. "Still warm!" he noted with amazement. "Truly, instant movement. It's hard to argue with the considerable nature of such a talent." He sank his teeth in, getting only a little smudge on his snout, quickly dabbed up. "Hm, yes, this is the genuine article. I confess, I thought you might have tried to slip some local fare."

Upper burst into merry laughter. "You remember what Manehattan carrotdogs taste like?" She took her own from Blossom's other wing, relieving the princess of that burden. "I've only ever tried them once. I wouldn't--" She took her bite. "Oh..."

"See?" He thumped against her gently. "There's no mistaking the real thing. I do hereby declare our new friend to be genuine."

Fancy adjusted his monocle in his magic. "I'm glad to hear she has your approval. Not that she strictly required your verification."

Jet waved that off. "All in jest, all in jest! Now, we have an exotic taste. This is a fine time to enjoy the show we came to see." He turned towards the stage where the show would begin. "Have you seen this one before, Miss Blossom?"

Blossom sank onto a bench. They had a number of well cushioned benches for the viewers to use. "Ah haven't." She floated last carrotdog over towards Fancy. "Here ya go."

The glow around it shifted to Fancy Pant's color as he accepted control over it. "My thanks. You didn't have to."

"But I wanted to."

"Another reason," Fancy sing-songed, taking a bite with not a drop spilled. "Now, this production." He waved down at the stage. "A classic. About a turbulent time long before any of us walked these verdant lands. When Celestia struggled to keep the nation in one piece, instead of a thousand warring factions. Not an easy time. I confess, you may already know the ending." He winked at that, a resident of that happy ending. "But it's still stirring to know how we reached this point. A reminder, perhaps of the mistakes that could lead us right back to such dire straights. Let's avoid them, hm?"

Upper Crust and Jet Set shared a longer bench, settling in for the show. Upper willed his glass of drink higher. Wine? Likely. "A classic indeed! It should be mandatory viewing for the foals at least once, if not once a year. A holiday perhaps. Do you think Princess Celestia would be up for such an idea?"

Jet pawed at him gently. "Don't say it like that. We're not foals, and here we are to enjoy it. It's hardly foal material, anyway. I wouldn't want any foal of mine gazing with wide eyes at the more... grizzly scenes."

Oh, it was that kind of show. Blossom nodded with rising understanding. "Um, we do have holidays about the foundin' of 'Questria! Right happy events those are."

Fancy considered with a soft hum. "Still, perhaps we could elevate the arts... Try to encourage her to make them more central to the festivities. I will whisper it in her ear, but I can promise no further than that."

Jet nodded at Fancy. "Jolly good then! All I can reasonably ask. Besides, it could just be making it available for grown ponies. That would satisfy me entirely." He leaned forward, looking down into the commoner seats below. "So many vacant seats. That is the true crime being committed. Ponies these days, so detached."

Somepony dimmed the lights and ponies began to clop and stomp with applause for the show starting. That too quieted as the first actor strolled into view. "A fine day. A pity I may not see the end of it." He struck a forlone look at the horizon that wasn't there. "But there's work to do."

Blossom shuffled over closer to Fancy at a later scene. "That don't look like Celestia none." She pointed to the mare that was clearly trying to play the part. Even if one ignored the dress and fake anatomy. "Hard to 'magine her without the billowin' mane."

"Ah, yes," he whispered. "She didn't always have that. In such distant past times, she had the colors, but they were as static as yours or mine. I actually don't know what made her and Luna's mane and tails such a display. If you are feeling bold, perhaps they would share with another princess. I haven't dared to broach the question directly. There are limits to association." Properties, a step he wasn't willing to take over that line. "It could be a princess thing, but neither Cadance nor Twilight have shown a hint. Yet."

"Yet," echoed Blossom, imagining herself with that self-moving mane and tail. What pattern would it show? Celestia was the first rays of sunrise or the last rays of sunset. Luna was a night sky, made manifest. What would she be? A yelp dragged her attention back to the stage where the faux-Celestia rushed to the side of several injured ponies, speaking to them urgently.

Blossom waved at the scene. "That's the kind of thin' ah try to stop. Nopony should have to live in a land like that."

"Hear hear." Fancy raised an ornate glass, matched without further prompting by Fancy and Jet to clink together with a ring of a toast to happier times ahead, and miserable times left far behind.

Author's Note

Some time in Fancy's social circles. Felt important!

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