This story is a sequel to Gloria Celestia
A rumor here, a scandal there, and a peppering of negative publicity can easily provide all the ammunition necessary to take down some of the most powerful players of the Canterlot nobility. But when one party foul too far turns the entirety of the upper class against DJ Pon-3, Upper Crust leads an unrelenting blitz against her, and Vinyl Scratch's world begins to crumble all around her.
Unwilling to let an accident ruin the DJ's reputation on the callous whims of Canterlot's elite, Fancy Pants decides to make a risky investment into counter-culture and help Vinyl get back on her hooves. However, it's going to take more than the prestige of the Kingmaker of Canterlot to get this record spinning again, especially when real royal matters start spiraling out of control.
Edited by: TheAncientPolitzanian
Preread by: Alchemik and Jymbroni
Cover Art by: W. Viloria of Vintage Future Games
Takes place shortly after the events of The Crystal Empire - Part 2
Part of the Silent-verse AU of stories. While not necessary reading, be sure to check out the other stories in the universe:
Forbidden Melodies - Breaking the Silence
Gloria Celestia - The Origins of the Silence
A Peach is Worth a Thousand Problems - The Silly Spin-off for Fun!
Chapter 31 Preread by Wanderer D
Special Thanks to ShutterflyYay for their contributions to the original drafts.
Special Thanks to anonixar for helping ensure accuracy in French with this fiction.
Special Thanks to Stormfox from the Discord server for helping with the costuming research.
Special Thanks to BirdsBooksBrownies for finding many numerous typos
Hm.
I claim 2nd comment!, Will be reading this later
Ayyyyy, I thought back on this about a week ago, and here it is being posted!
Thank you, Universe.
Thanks for the mention, Rego. My name is missing an 'er', but it's a link, so it is okay
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How I got the link right but the name wrong is beyond me. Fix't!
And so, do we see the consequences of individuals with too much time, too much money, and not enough sense to manage the two; they become incapable of identifying an actual disaster, and lose all sense of what real danger is.
An annual party having a mishap is not a disaster; it's an inconvenience. And our heroine is most certainly not an anarchist; if she was, she wouldn't be making rude noises at your little soiree, she'd be galloping through the streets of Canterlot throwing firebombs into every cafe, boutique, and counting house she came across.
Well, nothing to be done for it now. We'll just have to wait and see how our little bulldog handles this mess.
From bad to worse.
You see, Celestia? This is what happens when you don't keep your pimp hoof strong.
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True. Though if Celestia could wipe away all problems, there'd be no show or story. Plus, her inability to often do so while carrying a millennium and more years of experience grounds her to where she's not a goddess. A lot of folks find it infuriating, but I enjoy the immortal screw up, flaws and all. It makes her much more fun.
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Oh, I agree. Just like I'm sure you'll agree that they is such a thing as too much luxury, and even too much safety.
I had an analogy here I was pretty proud of, but it was too heavy on politics, so to paraphrase: Aristocracy blows.
Hm.
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The infathomable, neutral depths of "Hm" has descended for the second time upon this story. I wonder what happens with a third...
Yes, I do believe that Luna has found a new friend.
I similar am glad that Vinyl has good family around her, even if the ones who would traditionally fill that role are seemingly not well-suited for it.
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Glad we could come up for some air for Vinyl.
Also, I love writing Princess Luna in this transitional period after Nightmare Night. Socially awkward Luna is best Luna.
Hello, yes, is this Saddler and Maulwarf? The brokerage firm? Yes, I would like to buy some shares of the Canterhorn Courier, as many as you can get me. Oh, no particular reason, just a hunch....
observe romance tag
observe vinyl
observe fancy
observe luna
observe romance tag
observe athena
observe luna
observe fleur
observe romance tag
observe luna
observe vinyl
observe romance tag
observe upper crust
i.imgur.com/JluRUn7.png
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Ah, Pepper. I haven't seen you since the cease and desist. You were still a sergeant then. Your lonely heart's come a long way....
I feel like a common phrase they might've shared, were their personalities slightly different, would doubtlessly be, "Dammit, Fleur...."
What an outstanding chapter. I absolutely ADORE the way you've written Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Vinyl. I know Upper Crust is supposed to be the villain but she's still coming off as more boisterous than threatful, at least for now
Maybe...that changes in the next chapters
Though I am curious about the strange relationship you decided to develop between Fancy and Fleur. It's a take I didn't see coming and I'm looking forth to where you take it.
Also, seeing as Vinyl saved the night by playing a beautiful piece, it's a bit obvious that the media is going to have a field day with her in the coming days if the conflict is to keep going. Though I still enjoy that she kept her cool and it was Fleur who had the outburst
Loving it so far!
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Glad you're enjoying it so far.
You're the first person to comment about this. Congratulations!
The chapter greatly explains a great part of Vinyl and Fleur's character. Alas, we find ourselves at the crossroads of people with too much money and too much ego to properly behave and consider their misfortunes anything but the coming of the next apocalypse.
I also really enjoyed the transition from Vinyl's POV to Fancy's. Nice touch.
Going strong thus far!
A very creative and grounded problem to resolve. I'm intrigued!
Though it is kind of both odd and exciting that Vinyl's magical musical instruments essentially become this world's equivalent of radioactive material if mishandled. I'm making a mental note of this last scene in case it's a Chekov's gun
Arpeggio and Fleur's back and forth was a well-made argument. I find myself wanting to agree with Fleur, but the Faculty's pragmatic approach was probably the best they could do for their other students short-term
Before I read this, I must know: Why is Fancy Pants called the Kingmaker of Canterlot?
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It is defined in more detail in Chapter 7.
I’ve been called ‘The Kingmaker of Canterlot,’ despite living in a land of princesses.” Fancy recounted with a coy smile. “Though rather arrogant for my tastes, it’s an accurate moniker that has stuck with me for some time thanks to the crowns on my flank. I’ve always had a knack for good judgement and an eye for talent.”
It's the reason why Upper Crust is so adamant in getting public approval from him back at the Festival of Flakes.
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Phrased another way, Fancy Pants is so well respected and looked up to, and so important to Canterlot society (whether that importance is real or imagined), that getting him to express a positive opinion of your actions automatically makes you important as well. Other ponies will flock around you in the wild hope that some of Fancy's approval might rub off onto them. Friendships end and rivalries begin. Street fights break out. It would be amusing if these weren't the same folks that are ostensibly running the show.
Also, I dig "hearthless windigo" in place of "Scrooge."
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Very well said.
Thanks! I liked that one too.
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It's what I do.
What a treat of a chapter. I absolutely adore the ever-fancy diplomatic sparring between Fancy and Celestia, he tried to get information out of her. It was a bit needless though if Celestia was planning on asking Fancy for a favor, was she just beating around the bush so she could get a few scones down before actually talking about work?
I may be a bit perplexed by this statement, so let me try to understand it. The snow began to fall under Celestia's order after the "Screech", but I fail to see how that had any impact on the itinerary. I get Celestia is asking Fancy to take Luna out for a stroll/dinner so that she avoids the Night Court's procedures after the way she reacted. Still don't get why moving the snow earlier helped Tia's schemes
Loving your take on Luna thus far!
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Glad you enjoyed the chapter.
Also, the answer is back in Chapter 2. #BlameFleur
Alright, I wasn't necessarily onboard with the speed the plot was moving, but I've changed my mind. We keep learning new pieces of information as we move along, and that keeps things from getting stale. It's also making it very hard to guess how the story will end, and that really is a mark in its favor; if I can't figure out what's going to happen, then I have no choice but to keep reading.
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I'm glad you're still enjoying it. Not gonna lie, the pacing has been weighing on me too. I wanted thus chapter to be old news by now. There are a lot of moving parts that have kept the slow burn of the story moving even slower than I initially intended. Even I wanted to be past the Screech and its immediate aftermath pretty quickly, but there were too many things to establish or needed time to bake in the oven.
You don't know how relieved I am that I was able to finally pull the trigger on some major guns and shoot Sir Seemingly Frikin Perfect in the dammed face. I have been chomping at the bit to reveal this stuff.
Thanks for your continued interest. I'll keep doing my best to maintain the flow.
Again, what a treat of a chapter! I absolutely adore the characters, as usual, and I find it laudable that you've managed to keep the story at a good pace despite tackling two different storylines in the same chapter. I hope to see Luna, Fancy and Vinyl intertwine in the next few chapters.
I love how through just subtle lines, you manage to reinforce the character of each one, and I'm gonna highlight some
This one, just funny as heck
Idk, the Eclair-Fleur duette is both adorable and funny. I like the dynamic they got going
Great, Luna caused some poor foals a Le Fort type 3 fracture
The entire Athena-Luna exchange was wonderful. Despite being socially inadequate, I completely understand Luna's position here. In her most recent memory, she was fighting Minoans, and as the chapter suggested, her interactions were far from diplomatic. I still found the back and forth between the anxious Athena and the equally anxious Luna to be fruitful and in character, particularly because both expressed it differently.
Octavia and Steeplechase collecting dividends on their W's
Well then that was something so it looks like the party is still going on and vinyl is still a little skeptical about this whole situation to keep her job as the music performance for fancy pants party and speaking of he offered her a little hospitality but she can be very something else and she doesn't even trust him too much but to her credit she doesn't think of him as a bad Pony or one of those stuck-up ones and Fleur de Lis try to offer her some cake but unfortunately things have gotten messy and very noisy and it did not please upper crust and it looks like she was about to make a scene with vinyl but Fleur stopped her and things got very heated between those two but good thing fancy pants stop the argument but it looks like vinyl have another plan so she instead she played the piano which that sounds pretty cool and again I really like what you did with those three it's really nice to see how their interaction so friendly and everything I wonder what's going to happen next
This is a pretty different look on vinyl scratch but something new I've always say and I really like the new side of Fleur de Lis so basically they got to do soundtracking but unfortunately the news it's spreading like wildfire about Vinyl Scratch and the disaster of the screeching and given her reputation apparently she's in a legal trouble that dang upper crust and apparently Fancy Pants also heard about the news and he also has a other problems that his Chef is not going to be there boy like you said what a way to start the season I wonder what they're going to do with this situation
Oh come on after what they did to save Equestria especially the invasion you know Prince Blueblood it's really pushing it 😡
So it looks like Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis are trying to do anything they can to help Vinyl Scratch to get through this whole situation she's in but it's becoming a little harder because of donors and it gives a bad reputation to the school which I really hate what they had to pull that stunt and right now it's getting very hard for her I wonder how she get herself out of the situation
Well that was a pretty interesting conversation between Fancy Pants and the royal sisters and I do like how much patient with Princess Luna despite that she still trying to get used to the modern Equestria but hey she's learning
I kind of guess it depends how you look at the other way it's better than saying I hate you or something right makes you feel even worse just saying
Sorry for the confusion if you popped in here expecting chapter 12. I hit the publish button while editing on accident. We're still a couple days away. Thank you for your patience!
Well it looks like things could have been a little for vinyl and I'm sure she will try to get through this whole situation knowing that she's not alone and Fancy Pants is treating Princess Luna for dinner which that's nice and they went to the restaurant of an old friend of Fancy Pants a female Minotaur name Athena what's the first encounter did not go as planned but then she explained herself if she apologized to Princess Luna for her action well I wonder how that would goes
I officially retract what I said way, way back in chapter 2. 3? 3/2.
With Upper Crust, this is not a matter of having more cents than sense. This is...
She isn't coming home, Crust.
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I think the initial claim is still just as valid, though.
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There's aggravating factors now, so while the initial analysis might be correct, is irrelevant for this circumstance.
How is this story not in the 'Featured' column? Its brilliant.
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Not sure what you mean, she isnt coming home?
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By my own reckoning, and I'm serious, this is potentially a very serious spoiler if I'm not wrong:
Upper Crust is Vinyl's mother and this campaign is an attempt to get her to give up on her own passions, go back home, and become the good girl that mommy wants her to be so things can go back to the way they were.
Now, I might be wrong. I have all the same dots that you do, but I may well have connected them in the wrong order and be completely incorrect. Only time will tell.
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The day I released it, it got buried in less than an hour, so people never had a chance to find it. Thank you for your kind words!
As for the rest of the spoiler speculation, you'll just have to wait and see. Thanks for marking potentially spoiler speculation with spoiler tags. It is very much appreciated regardless of your accuracy or lack thereof.
I actually really dig the fact that her devilish transformation has left some physical side-effects long term, and something as subtle as this is both fascinating and endearing. Hopefully there aren't that many side effects from the curse.
Sublime weaving of exposition
Rofl
Egad! Here it is! The connection between the Luna-Fancy Arc and Vinyl's! Huzzah! Now, what kind of hijinks will ensue? Oh I'm giddy to see how the princess of the night fares with her medieval manners at an electric rave
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Glad you liked the teeth! I was worried initially that I spent too much time on the ice breaker. Also... it is one of those little tid-bits from the show I like expanding for no reason.
We Do Deep Cuts Here
That's... ok, that reframes a lot of things. Most critically, it reframes the actual relationship between Vinyl and Fancy; each needs something the other is in the perfect position to provide. Things were already interesting, but now they're getting interesting.
What an absolutely stunning chapter! My favorite one thus far!
Obviously, the highlights are in the absolutely flawless pacing AND the rich interactions. Like, I didn't even consciously register that time was passing or that I was reading fanfiction, I was picturing the entire bar, Fancy sitting next to Vinyl, and Vinyl's complete emotional collapse and intoxication. You have a great capacity to describe and to write dialogue that's both in character and just so, natural.
You had a classic ideological confrontation between two opposing ideas represented by Vinyl and Fancy, but in the end, that ended up being mixed with the actual "human" interaction between them. I understood Vinyl's point of view but FELT Fancy's kindness seeping through.
Like, take this for example. It's HILARIOUS to imagine Luna going back and forth looking at the lights, but instead of simply describing it, adding the whole Moth part just adds to the joke.
And here I bring the best part of your writing. Characters. I adore every character you've set up thus far, I ADORE that their character is consistent in the story, consistent in the show and STILL you manage to bring them and react to new things. It's what one looks for in a fanfiction.
What can I say, this entire arc, from Vinyl's zooming in and out of reality, Luna exploring the night life and Fancy playing his strength in helping everypony he comes across made it a wonderful experience.
I'm so happy there's MORE after this! Ha ha!