"You kept me waiting so long." Discord was darting about the room, looking at every portion of Blossom's area. She had teleported there, and he had followed. Moving from place to place was well within his skill set. "Ooo." He pushed on either side, spreading out Blossom's collection of clothes wide. "This you is so much more fashionable!" Dressed in a tux and top hat, he tapped the new cane on the ground. "Love it."

Blossom snorted at that. "Well, got a few friends that like dressin' me up."

Discord snickered. "Sure, sure... But if you didn't want to dress up, then they'd be out of luck, I imagine." He threw the cane aside, zipping up to Blossom. "You've tried on a frilly dress before all this, I remind."

Blossom colored at the memory of the origin of her name. "It was fer Apple Bloom..."

"Sure sure." He tossed that notion right over his shoulder. "You do know, most of the mares there were naked, right?"

Blossom's blush only grew in amplitude. "Well, yeah... but ah had to sell it. Ah was... As was just pretendin' an' ah was nervous!"

"So you overdid it." Discord tapped the quivering nose of his newest princess victim. "But you liked it, at least a little... And when you had the chance to do it without looking or feeling odd about it, you took it. Just be honest with yourself."

"Yer bein' mean."

"Is that it?" Discord floated away with a smirk. "Your big comeback?"

"Well, it's true." Blossom reared up to cross her arms. "Y'are. Don't plan on wearin' a dress as Big Mac again."

"Never said you were," he taunted. "But here you are, with a fine excuse, so no reason not to enjoy it." Discord drifted closer. "Nothing wrong with that. You're a mare, enjoy mare's clothes. You look quite sporting in that police getup, for that matter." With a wave of his hand, Blossom was back in her uniform. "So official! Hm, to think..."

Blossom raised a doubting brow, falling back to all fours."To think what 'xactly?"

"Well, if the mighty police officer Blossom caught me back in my wilder days." He giggled to himself, rocking in the air. "That'd be quite the feather in your cap. A pity I have no wanted posters anymore. They never did get my good side."

"'magine not." Blossom cocked a brow at her chaotic ally. "I'll just come out an' ask. Do ya see me different?"

"'Course I do!" He grabbed Blossom's cheeks, squeezing and ruffling them. "This you is an avatar of law! This you is a keeper of peace. This you wears a dress whenever she can get away with it." He waggled his brows. "We all have our 'phases', and treating you the same through them all would be just silly, I say."

Blossom swatted one of his hands away. "Cut that out. It ain't a 'phase.'"

"Oh, of course it isn't." He puffed from his cigar. "I understand..."

Blossom squinted at the one that pretended to be his father. "That ain't funny."

"Mmm, I suppose not." Not that he was apologizing. "Still, a little bare in here, isn't it?" He twirled a finger around. "I expected a little more... glitz. What I do see doesn't even look like you picked it."

"Oh, um..." Blossom slid in front of a fancy little mirror perched on her desk. "There's a reason."

"I imagine there is." He curled his hands under his chin, smiling at his uncomfortable friend. "Share?"

"Nnn..." There was little way to escape it... "I... mighta got a boyfriend."

Discord's monocle dropped free of his face, even if he hadn't been wearing one before. "Come again?" He curled an arm around Blossom's snout, finger on the far side. "Tell me more!"

She groaned sufferingly, but did just that, going over how their family was expanding with Sugar Belle as the lead pony of it all.

"And all of this--" He waved about with both hands. "That's Fancy Pants' way of saying, 'I like what I'm looking at.'" He leaned in with a great smirk. "And he liked it back when you were a stallion. His tastes, at least, are consistent. Give 'em big and strong!"

Blossom shrank in defeat. "Basically... Um..."

"And you're alright with that." He tapped Blossom anew. "Good on you, both of you."

This brought something to Blossom's mind. "Hey! Can you tell me if ah'm one pony or two?"

"I could." Discord shrugged softly. "But what's the fun in that? What you find is probably more important, anyway."

Blossom snorted at the denial. "Just wanna know the truth."

"My truth?" He pulled down a screen with Twilight's smiling face. "Her truth? Nah." He let the screen flip up and away. "Way more interested in what your--" He jabbed his finger at Blossom. "--truth is. So keep looking! You'll know it when you find it, then you can share with me."

Blossom smiled a strange little gesture. "That's... nice an' all... but what if I get to the wrong answer?"

Discord lifted his shoulders and hands high. "Then maybe it isn't as wrong as you're scared of. Only you have to live with the result." He clapped his hands together. "So one pony or two? That's up to you, really." He meshed his fingers. "Be one. Be two. Up to you. Now, really, I'm rooting for you either way. We are friends and all."

Blossom curled a hoof at herself. "Are ya friends with me? We barely met."

"Please." Discord rolled his eyes. "You think you can get one over on me that easily? Whether Blossom takes off on her own or not, she was there, with me, for quite some time. We'll be friends either way. That goes for Big Mac, or Big Blossom, whatever the result is in the end. If you're worried for me, don't be. I'll get one combo pack friend or two fine pony friends. Not a bad deal either way."

Blossom went to her closet, horn glowing as she plucked out the tiara she had gained in her coronation. "Ya won't be bothered by this?"

"Please." Discord waved the idea way. "I already have two pals that wear one of those. What's one more?" He plonked a crown on his head. "A little royal jewelry really brings out the best in a creature, hm?"

Blossom snorted out a chuckle at the sight. "Y'ain't the royal of anythin'."

"Now that's just not true." He set his hands, balled, on his hips. "I'm the High Lord of Chaos! There are none that can stand beside me. Well, except you, but that's because I like you."

"An' Barb?"

Discord huffed. "Fine, her too, I guess... Before you ask, Fluttershy's already included. The bride of the king can stand next to them, that'd be odd if they couldn't."

Blossom blinked softly. "Wait, when did--"

"--I said nothing." He tucked his crown away quickly. "Anyway, you're on vacation! Enjoy that. Why don't you visit those lovers of yours? I bet they'll be happy to kiss your booboos better."

As if prompted, Blossom's radio, attached to her chest, buzzed with static and a voice a moment later, "Officer Princess Blossom, are you listening?"

"That sounds urgent." Discord sidestepped to a door that hadn't been there. "I should go. Good luck with that." He slipped through the door that vanished in a puff on closing.

Blossom floated the receiver to a raised hoof. "Blossom here."

"Oh, good. We were trying all the cities. You're a slippery one, officer." The dispatch sounded amused, not annoyed. "Report from Cloudsdale, they appreciate the helping wing. Word's being passed down that you are releived of duty until you're all better. Rough, huh?" He didn't wait to get the answer. "Rest and come back better. Over."

"Roger that." She released the button to sigh to herself. "Officer Blossom, signing out." She floated the receiver and its unit over to rest on her desk. She had no use for it for the time. "Now... which one?" It was the night. Sugar hadn't been warned, so popping in on her felt rude. Fancy may be awake, or may not be. But there was a chance! Better than assuredly bein' a pain.

"Decision made." She took a step forward, landing in front of Fancy's, at his gate. "Huh... Gettin' better at that." It was nice, being in proper control of her ability, to skip from place to place. She clopped a hoof on the gate in a rapping of metal and hoof colliding. "Anypony home?"

"Coming," came a male voice from a speaker, the door to the house opening a moment later. "Ah, lady Blossom." It was his butler, approaching with a smile. "Are you seeking the master, or is there something I can assist with?"

"Nice to see ya." She tipped a hat she wasn't wearing. "Is Fancy in, and is he awake? Ah'll understand if either of those is a no."

"He is attending a function." He pointed to the castle in the distance. "It would seem Princess Luna is trying her hoof at it, and invited him."

"And there ain't no way he'd say no to her," reasoned Blossom out loud. "Shoot."

"Apologies, ma'am." He dipped his head at Blossom. "You could join him? Being a princess, I feel certain they would allow it."

Blossom perked at the idea, but it was short-lived. "With these?" She spread her burnt wings. "Not the kinda impression ah'm tryin' to make."

"Oh dear." He circled her, examining the wings. "In the course of duty?" She nodded and he closed. "Then, I insist. Please, come inside. I feel certain the master would be beside himself if I allowed you to leave in this state."

"Ya sure?" But she wasn't resisting very hard, going inside along with the butler. "It's part of the job..."

"All the more reason we should be thankful. Would you care to share the tale, or would you prefer to keep that quiet, ma'am?" He led her into one of the front rooms to sit in a cushy couch. "I'll fetch some refreshments for you in either event." And off he went to do just that.

Blossom sat up and reached her hoof, magic doing the rest to bring a bottle over. She poured herself a little drink, feeling certain Fancy wouldn't mind. "Mm." Fancy did have good taste in drinks. Or was that his servants? It would be impossible to guess...

"Here we are." The butler returned, pushing a cart with his magic. "A little meal for you." He popped the lid off, revealing a three course offering that he waved over. "I trust it will meet your expectations."

Blossom didn't touch it at first. "Wow... I wasn't expectin' all this." She reached only then for a fork with her magic. "This leftovers?"

"Perish the thought." He folded the lid in under the cart. "We prepared it freshly today, I assure! But... since you asked..." He winked. "We do a lot of the prep in the morning, so we can quickly have food at the ready whenever the need comes up. Still, every day, a new wave of prep. to serve day old food? No, that simple won't do."

Blossom pinned an ear back. "That sounds right nice, but a little wasteful, ain't it?"

"These are the prices we pay." He casually refilled Blossom's glass with the same drink without asking which it was. "We want Fancy Pants to look forward to his time at home as a relaxing break from all the stress he must endure on a daily basis. So, if it helps, consider your presence a reason for less food to be lost. Eat as much as you wish, ma'am, but not a bite further."

"Huh." Blossom savored the savory bits dancing across her tongue. "Mmm, compliments to the chef... Um, say, ever consider givin' the extra to ponies what ain't got the means for themselves?"

The butler inclined his head. "Would they want such fancy things, already prepared and approaching the end of their lives?"

Blossom considered that, but brightened with an idea. "Let me talk to a pony er two. If they say yes, you can give it to me, and ah'll get it over to them in a snap." She clopped her hooves together. "No delay. Everypony wins."

"Well... I have no objection." He shrugged. "It was planned for the trash. If it can find an agreeable home in another pony, all the better, hm? Such a good spirit you have." He wandered off, leaving the cart behind. "For now, enjoy yourself. Call if you need anything."

Author's Note

Blossom can't stop thinking about ways to make the world a bit better... But is she one pony or two? Dang Discord for not just telling her.

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