//------------------------------// // Chapter 4-The Sins of the Past. // Story: Fancy Pants and The Phantom of Canterlot // by Mr Monty //------------------------------// ~One month earlier~ "That will be about ten bits sir!" Fancy reached into his pocket and gave the taxi pony every bit he asked for. "Have a nice night mister Fancy!" Fancy thanked him for the ride and approached his humble abode. He opened the door and, after removing his jacket and tie, he noticed something that made him smile. The lit candles at the dinner table signaled that Fleur had beat him home. He sighed and made his way to his seat and waited for her to come out. "It's not a surprise anymore Fleur. You can come out now, my dear." He turned to see some covers shifting on the couch and her head peeped out. Upon seeing that they had made eye contact she giggled and revealed herself. "Why do you always have to spoil my fun?" Fancy observed her as she made her way to the table. "You can't hide your beauty Fleur, no matter how hard you try." She, once again, giggled and waved her hoof as she levitated a tea set from the kitchen. "You and your corny lines, Fancy." Fancy chuckled and adjusted his monocle. "Well, being a poet never was one of my strong points." He watched as she poured his favorite lime and lemon tea. After doing so, she changed her expression to one of worry. "I heard about what happened at the garden party, Fancy. It must have been so embarrassing." "Not at all! Rarity and her delightful group of friends turned that party into something deserving praise, not scorn." He took a sip and sighed happily. Fleur looked at him, confused by his words. "Fancy, why don't you ever get mad at somepony? You always forgive and forget, it seems rather odd." Fancy waved his hoof at her, as if telling a foal something important. "A gentlecolt never holds a grudge, nor does he ever anger unless his friends, loved ones, or innocents are harmed." She playfully rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "I forgot, your gentlecolt code." She took a sip of her tea and then her eyes widened in remembrance. She peaked under the table and her horn lit up. Her light pink magic was lifting a small, foal sized box. She set it down next to the tea set in the center of the table. "A package arrived for you the moment you left the house. The mail pony made it explicitly clear to not open it until you came home." Fancy looked at the box in curiosity and pulled it in front of him. After he cut the tape he slowly opened the box in order to build tension. Fleur sighed and quickly opened it with her magic. Fancy smirked at her. "Look who is ruining who's fun." Fleur simply smirked back and Fancy pulled out a book. He raised an eyebrow. The cover was dark red and it's corners and spine were laced with bronze. Fancy began to rotate the book to what he believed was the cover, but to his surprise, there was not a title, an author or any way to identify the book. Fancy rubbed his chin in thought. "Fleur, can you go to my study and bring me that monocle case. It should be next to my book on the pre-banishment years of manners." She nodded and left the table. As she did, Fancy observed the book and tried to open it but, to his surprise once again, the book refused to cooperate. Fleur set down the case without a word and moved her chair next to Fancy. He opened the case to reveal a unique monocle. Unique to him, anyways. It looked like just another one of his collection, except with an additional eye piece for further magnification. "Fleur, can you do me a favor and please put out those candles." Fleur sighed and did so, quickly squeezing the life out of the flames with her magic. He applied the monocle and looked at the book with his other eye covered with a hoof. Just as he suspected, light blue and shiny words revealed themselves to him. Fleur leaned on his back and tried to look through as well. "Hmm..I recognize these symbols." He muttered to himself. He got up from his seat and went into his study. After setting the book down, he looked over his book shelf that resided behind his desk. He skimmed the shelf until he found the one he was looking for. "Page number 215.." He murmured as he flicked through the pages. He stopped immediately when he got to 214 and simply turned the page with his hoof instead of magic. The page revealed numerous hieroglyphics and a translation into common pony language. After a few minutes of translating, Fancy seen that it had translated into a mess of letters, not a single audible word was formed. "PLr WiarhTmaoT. ane rroun heht "Hmm...this reminds me of...a puzzle of sorts." He was about to request some more tea but he seen that Fleur had already entered with the set at the ready. He smiled at her in relief. "What would I do without you, my dear?" She laughed and winked at him. "Probably go into a tea-less insanity." Fancy took a sip and re focused on the paper. He carefully began to reorganize the jumbled mess of letters until, after an hour or two and lots of tea, he formed an understandable title for the cover. "The Phantom. The Lunar Warrior" After reading it aloud, the book glowed for a moment before an invisible lock, only visible through the monocle, appeared and unlocked itself. Fancy, his curiosity peaked, opened the book and seen a slot at the bottom of a page. It did not seem to have a purpose at the moment, so Fancy focused on the newly formed words at the top of the page. "The Phantom, neither legend nor myth. Not safe, shall the ponies be upon his return. A locket, gold and drenched in the sins of the past, shall be required for his revival. So says the moon at the strike of midnight." Fancy sat there and read the phrase over and over again, trying to figure out what it meant. After another hour of doing so, he closed the book and left the room. Looking back only once to blow out the candle that kept the room alive with light. *** The pony dropped all hesitations and immediately jumped to strike at Fancy. Fancy was quick to draw up his guard and their blades connected. Fancy grunted as he was trying his hardest to keep his magic up. The orange aura around his sword grew with intensity and focus as he pushed forward. The pony jumped back to get into position again. He did not pause for breath and he lunged again, catching Fancy off guard. Fancy jumped to the left and turned to counter and, as he suspected, the stallion recovered from the failed stab and crossed blades once again with him. The stallion grinned as he seen Fancy's strained expression. "What's the matter old goat? Can't stop playing defense?" Fancy countered with his own smirk as he managed to focus enough to counter the cross and force the pony to step back, gaining a bit of ground. "Defense is an important part of swordplay, dear boy. If you simply rely on offense, you will leave yourself wide open." Fancy managed to hold onto his smirk as he positioned himself again. "May I?" "Be my guest." The stallion prepared himself. Fancy was quicker than he looked, as he charged toward the stallion and tried to swing at his head. The pony responded with a duck and dodged the rest of Fancy's swings with ease. Their fighting looked choreographic as they danced circles around the other and countered the swings of the other perfectly. Some ponies in the audience even began to cheer, believing it to be staged. Pip, meanwhile, was still struggling to get to the head of the crowd. His progress was halted by either ponies who believed him to be cutting or just general jerks. After a few more tries he gave up and left the crowd. He looked toward the stage to see Fancy holding his own just fine against this villain. Pip felt like he was useless at the moment and looked around for an idea. The two combatants had stopped fighting and were catching their breath. Fancy had halted the use of his magic and was now holding the sword in his teeth. The other stallion had resulted to using magic and was panting from exhaustion. None of them had a scratch. "You fight well, Fancy Pants. I did not expect a 'to rich for pants' pony to be a worthy opponent." Fancy, through gasp, smiled back and picked up the sword with his magic again. "Well, you are not to bad yourself chum. Though, your form is a bit reckless." The stallion chuckled and looked over his sword in contemplation. "I guess you can say that. A quick victory was what I was hoping for." He sliced the air "But I can now say that was a foolish thought." He began to charge once again and Fancy got ready to counter in response. Before their blows connected, Fancy had a trick up his sleeve. He slightly tilted his blade without the pony noticing and sliced upward just before they connected, knocking the sword from the ponies magical grip. He turned to see his sword stab into the ground. He then turned to see Fancy, his blade pointing at his muzzle. They did not move for the longest time, nopony spoke or move until Fancy finally said something. "You have lost." The words hit the stallion like a brick covered in hornets. He thought of the many things he could say back to the gentlecolt. But, only two of them managed to champion the rest of his insults. "Very well." The stallion turned to pick up his blade, his pride shattered. He turned one last time to see Fancy's unwavering blank expression. He said, through gritted teeth. "We will certainly meet again." Fancy smiled and lowered his own blade. "I will look forward to it." He had not expected that. That one sentence made him do something he could not have imagined he would have done, even through his shattered pride. He genuinely, without mock or taunt, smiled back. He whistled for his clan as a signal to leave and, before running out with them. He made a vow to himself. He would not lose again. After they left, Fancy turned to the crowd and waited for a reaction. The ball room exploded in applause and cheers. All of them praising Fancy's name. He smiled and bowed, scanning the crowd for Pip. Pip was cheering as he made his way to the side of the stage and tried to climb up, getting some unexpected help from the crowd. He ran to Fancy's side and he acknowledged him with a pat on the head and Pip responded with a hug to his foreleg. Fleur, who shoved half the crowd out the way, ran on stage and planted the biggest smooch on Fancy's lips. The crowd cheered even more upon seeing this and Pip bowed towards the crowd. "A little help here!" The trio turned to see Jet Set looking agitated, trying to wiggle free. Fancy rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and undid his restraints. "I apologize Jet, I just got caught up in the moment, it seems." Jet Set waved it off and shook Fancy's hoof with both of his own. "I could not care less! You did amazing! I did not know you could do swordplay Fancy!" Pip chimed in as well. "Yeah mister Fancy! Where did you learn to fight like that?" he asked jumping up and down in excitement. Fancy looked at Fleur, who winked back at him and he grinned. "Let's just say that I dabble in it, that's all." Jet Set could not have smiled wider. "Well, your dabbling just saved my life! How could I ever repay you?" Fancy waved his hoof. "No thanks are necessary old friend, just doing what any gentlecolt would do." Jet Set continued to squeal, that is until he remembered something. "Fancy, what do you think that cult wanted with Upper Crust's locket?" Fancy rubbed his chin in thought. "I have a hunch. However, I believe further investigation is in order before I can say for sure." Pip's expression brightened and he yelled. "Does that mean?!" Fancy nodded, smiling. "Yes. Tommorow, we head to Canterlot Castle."