//------------------------------// // Chapter 29: Getting Ready for a Solid Groove // Story: Electro Swing // by Rego //------------------------------// The synthesizer keys danced under Vinyl’s hooves as she crescendoed into the last measure of a jazzy piano interlude. It was both the most crucial and the most aggravating part to play. So many things needed to happen with her hooves and horn to make it work, and she only had a scant few seconds to pull it all off flawlessly. She’d added a glissando slide to give herself a free hoof to help lighten the mental and magical load, but there was only so much she could do from her position. As she hammered out the rhythm leading up to the gliss, she sparked her magic over the upper synthesizer. First, fade out all the other instruments; second, swap back to the original record; third, cue up the other saved patterns and double check their positions; and fourth, wait for the trumpet’s last long note to begin the slide while kicking up everything else. Every step needed to occur in the span of five seconds, with one of those dedicated to the playing of the gliss itself. Unfortunately, Vinyl was no closer to cracking cacophony storage, so nothing else could be automated without locking it into place. Putting her irritation to the back of her mind, she breathed through her nose as she readied for the manual maneuvering. “And… go!” Vinyl’s lightning blue aura flashed over the top synthesizer’s buttons in a memorized sweep. Everything clicked to its proper prepared pattern as she lightened her hooves to play pianissimo. Quickly moving her mass manipulation spell, she magically switched the turntable to the original record, causing the trumpet to roar to life. Checking the numbers on the digital displays, she saw each one set to the fourth and final pattern for the coda. The metronome was still clicking away to ensure everything kicked in on the same beat. She readied her magic to hit the upper keys all at once as she got her body in position to slide down the keys. With the trumpet still going, Vinyl smirked. She had made the switch in record time. Finally, she felt her practice was really paying off. But then, another second passed and a needling thought entered her mind. It should’ve been impossible to shave off a full second and a half from— “The sampler!” Vinyl gasped, seeing the percussive mix hadn’t been swapped over yet. Her magic quickly shifted to try to fix the error, but then the trumpet’s last note played. A deafening silence hung over the failed performance. She’d missed the glissando cue, again. “Horseapples!” Vinyl yelled as she slammed her hooves on the keyboard, blasting a bitter smattering of notes. After all her hard work, the arrangement wasn’t getting any easier to play. In isolation, she was able to perform each magical maneuver with ease, but stringing them together for the whole song was proving to be a struggle. There was only so much one mare could do, and she felt like she was plateauing. There were no numbers she was keeping track of, but her gut told her that she was still messing up far too many times in rehearsals to perform it for the show. She began resetting everything for another attempt from the top until the old studio’s intercom buzzed to life. “Kay, Vy. You’re done in there,” Fleur called from the other side of the glass. Vinyl panted in frustration. “No. Not yet, Fleur. I—I still haven’t—” “That wasn’t a question, Vinyl.” Fleur furrowed her brow. “I don’t even need to check your aura strength to see that you’re struggling in there, DJ Sweat-3.” Vinyl grumbled at the terrible pun. She wiped said liquid from her forehead while trying to catch the breath she didn’t know she’d lost. “But I’m running out of time. The Showcases are tomorrow!” “Exactly. You obviously shouldn’t be straining your magic the day before,” Fleur argued. “Plus we both know you’ve got a larger mana pool than I do. If you drain yourself completely, you might not be fully recovered for the real deal.” “But I’m still messing up the coda.” “The what now?” “Oh, for peat’s—The finale, Fleur! The last part of the song!” “Okay, you’re getting snippy about music terms again. You’ve got until the count of five to shut everything down before I drag you out of there by the tail.” “The count of five is the whole problem!” “Four…” Fleur counted with an impatient glare. Vinyl growled in frustration. On one hoof, her crabbiness had always been a good barometer for her magical exhaustion. On the other, it gave Fleur a reason to never learn proper musical terminology. She might focus more on the acting part of her vocal performances, but her friend still had a great singing voice. Fleur’s natural mezzo-soprano was leagues better than the DJ’s scratchy contralto. It bothered the petty, classically trained part of Vinyl that Fleur had no idea what she was talking about. “Three… You’re running down the clock in there, sis.” Right. Sisters. That was a term she was still coming to terms with herself. “I got it, I got it!” the irritable DJ barked back. “Shutting it down in here.” Vinyl stepped away and ran her waning magic over the systems, powering them down one by one. Putting some distance between herself and her equipment, she was starting to feel just how much mana she’d burned during practice. Still, just because Fleur was right didn’t make it any easier to accept. She needed to get that last series of steps down before tomorrow night. Trotting towards the studio’s door, Vinyl flicked off the lights of the mansion’s live room and was met with an enormous Fleur hug the moment she exited. “Did you forget I’m sweaty?” “But you need a big hug, big sis.” Fleur pulled Vinyl in closer without hesitation and nuzzled the top of her head. “See? Doesn’t that feel better?” “Yeah, I guess… lil’ sis.” “Vinyl? We’ve been over this,” Fleur bonked the smaller mare’s horn lightly with the back of her fetlock. “You don’t need to lie to make me feel better.” On impulse, Vinyl opened her mouth to deny it, but she knew Fleur wasn’t letting even the smallest excuse slip by her anymore. “It’s not the hug, really. It’s just ‘sis’ feels weird, you know? I haven’t had a family for a long time.” “Sure you have. You just never noticed, silly filly,” Fleur corrected with a wink and giggle. “Fleur’s still perfectly fine in my book, too. It’d actually be weird to call me your sister all the time.” Vinyl sighed. “Sorry. I’m really trying. I promise.” “And that already means the world to me. No need to beat yourself up about it.” Fleur trotted around to face Vinyl directly. “Look at me.” She propped Vinyl’s shades to her horn so she could see her eyes. “You don’t need to apologize for being you, okay? Especially since you are so cuddly-wuddly, Vy!” she exclaimed as she pulled Vinyl into another crushing hug. Fleur always knew how to ruin a moment when it needed to be. “How did you turn out so big if your mom is so small?” Vinyl grunted under the pressure of Fleur’s vice grip hug. “Maman’s strength and Daddy’s size,” Fleur bragged as she wiggled Vinyl like a teddy bear. “I got the best combination for making mares like you the perfect hugging height.” “I know I’m trying to work on myself, but I do enjoy my personal space,” Vinyl complained. At this rate, she was going to be tumble dried from her friend shaking her back and forth. “Hey, if you got it, you flaunt it.” She flexed a leg, showing off her earth pony side. It wasn’t much, considering she had the build of a lithe unicorn model, but that little extra physical strength and size were better than the none at all that Vinyl had. “Think of it as sisterhood hugging exercises.” “Then let me pace myself better and let me go already!” Realizing her mistake, Fleur immediately released her and backed off. “Sorry! My bad, Vy! It’s just that I’m not having to wrestle you into hugs anymore, and I can’t help myself sometimes,” Fleur admitted while averting her eyes. Her shoulders slumped as she grabbed her mane and pulled at it. “I’m sorry. It was supposed to calm you down, not rile you up again.” While Vinyl appreciated the mare’s restraint, telling Fleur not to “Fleur” so much was difficult. “Don’t worry. It did help a little,” Vinyl was glad that wasn’t a lie as her friend’s smile came back. “But let’s find a middle ground, alright sis? I’m not as clingy as you.” “Okay. And you worked in such a natural-sounding ‘sis’ there, sister! That calls for a…” Fleur trailed as Vinyl stiffened in preparation for another hug. “—a verbal compliment and a pat on the withers.” Fleur stomped her legs down in self-control before raising a hoof to her friend. With restrained movements, she patted Vinyl twice, squarely between her shoulders. “Good job, Vy.” Vinyl acknowledged the compliment with a nod and took a swig of water from her thermos. As the refreshing crispness hit her tongue, it reminded her just how much of a workout performing at that level was. At least with her other genres she could make something work by modulating a few synth sounds into something different. Electro swing required so much more effort to sound anywhere near decent. Simplifying any further was off the table. Doing so would ultimately detract from the original rather than add to it. “Okay, fresh air time,” Fleur announced as she started shutting down the rest of the studio. “What about practicing for your routine?” “No need. Unlike your insanely complicated solo swing band, I’ve only got a couple of illusion spells, a gem, and a parasol. More importantly, what is that I hear in the distance?” Fleur threw the door open to the hallway, raised a hoof to her perked ears, and plastered on a commanding grin at the inaudible sound. “Avast! It be the call to adventure! Time to set sail once more on the Friend Ship!” Hearing the gravely, seasoned call of Fleur’s new favorite, name-pending captain character, Vinyl sighed and saluted dutifully. “Where to, ma’am?” “By my seasoned seafairer sense, it be a little before four o’ clock,” Fleur reckoned by using her honed, seadog experience to read the clock on the wall. “Miss Fluffs is probably still swabbing the study. Let’s go see if Mister Dapper needs help in the mess hall!” Offering a nod, Vinyl went to lower her shades until Fleur’s magic intercepted them. “We won’t be needing the services of DJ Pon-3 on this voyage, matey.” “Right,” Vinyl agreed reluctantly and hovered her trusty sunglasses to rest on the soundboard. Rather than perpetrating her mutiny like Tavi had suggested, Vinyl had allowed the captain to expand the rules of the Friend Ship while they were on board. Top of the list was leaving Vinyl’s sunglasses off for the duration of any voyage unless DJ Pon-3 would need to make an appearance. There was no need to hide one’s self while sailing on the Friend Ship. A small part of First Mate Scratch was still considering overthrowing the captain. She was growing tired of the constant nautical puns. Fortunately, she had found a middle ground. “Okay, glasses are stowed, captain,” she reported as the two stepped into the hallway. “That means I get to enact rule two.” “Yar must be pulling my peg leg!” Fleur harrumphed and stroked her non-existent beard. With how long she drew her hoof down, it must’ve been very impressive in her imagination. “Don’cha like me salty company?” “If I gotta be honest, you gotta be honest. So, no act’n, cap’n.” Fleur nickered in disappointment and tossed the invisible captain’s hat inside the studio before slamming the door. “Stupid rule two,” she grumbled under her breath. “Hey! Stupid rule one!” Vinyl countered, pointing to her unshielded eyes. Fleur puffed her cheeks, but it only lasted so long before their giggles started. It felt good to be laughing freely with Fleur again. Vinyl hadn’t realized how much she had missed it since her life was turned upside down. It was the simple things with her best friend—or sister rather—that always lifted her spirits, and it was comforting to know that Fleur felt the same. The two fell into a familiar gait side-by-side as they shoved off for the kitchen. While Vinyl was still getting used to it, Fleur had immediately clung to their newfound sisterhood and wouldn’t let go. It had felt like the right thing to say at the time to calm Fleur down, but she didn’t realize just how serious of a commitment she’d made in the moment. Vinyl didn’t see much of a difference between it and being a best friend, but Fleur was adamant about them being sisters now, to the point she was telling everypony they knew. At least it was always interesting to see their reaction, even if it was a little embarrassing. Thinking back to their friends, Fluffs had bubbled with excitement as if the two had announced an engagement. Dapper had welcomed “Miss Vinyl” into the family without missing a beat. Arpeggio had been confused, thinking they were already dating. Steeplechase was in trouble with Arpeggio for having fooled his father-in-law into thinking the two unicorns had been an item for years. And, as for Tavi… “I’m so proud of you, Vinyl.” It was stupid. Vinyl’s eyes always became a little heavier anytime she thought of her mentor’s warm smile. “Sister” was just a word, but it was also so much more. It was a deeper bond that Vinyl didn’t fully understand, but was willing to learn. Fleur had gone without a sibling for so long, even though she had a strangely reluctant half one. It reminded her of her own hang ups over certain words. And not being alone anymore? It was nice. As for the last candidate of the Friend Ship’s crew, Vinyl wasn’t sure what to make of Fancy Pants’ reaction. It had been interesting to say the least, but not for anything the stallion had said at the time. He’d used an expected platitude, but despite the genuine happiness behind it, something more was bothering her. “Is it just me, or has Fancy been acting funny recently?” Vinyl asked, breaking their pleasantly silent trot. Fleur tilted her head at the question. “‘Funny haha’ or ‘funny uh oh?’” Vinyl felt the temptation to ask for clarification, but sensed a sort of trap behind her wacky sister’s response. “Strange, Fleur. Weird, off, that kind of funny.” “What makes you say that?” “Well, he’s been wearing turtlenecks around the house instead of his suits for one.” “So? It’s still sweater season. I’ve seen him wear them before when getting his Hoity Toity wardrobe dry cleaned. No biggie.” “Yeah, but that’s like two days max. He’s been wearing them for almost a week now.” “Hey, that’s an improvement in my book,” Fleur argued with a suspiciously wide smile. “I know I’d rather just lounge around in comfortable clothes if I’m gonna stay home. I’d hate to shuffle into a dinner dress every day for the heck of it.” “Speaking of, hasn’t he also been pretty evasive at dinner?” Vinyl pressed. She received another quirk of an eyebrow in response. “Oh, come on! You’ve had to at least notice me trying to carry a conversation with him, but he just kinda says nothing.” “Says the shut-in,” Fleur teased with a snicker. Seeing Vinyl’s bemused frown, she cleared her throat. “Sorry, that sounded funnier in my head. ‘Haha funny,’ that is. You’re not exactly a social butterfly, Vy.” The remark wouldn’t have bothered Vinyl at all before; she knew full well that she wasn’t the most talkative mare. However, she was supposed to be helping bridge the gap between Fleur and Fancy, but she was failing even more at that than playing the coda correctly. At first, she chalked it up to being bad at small talk, but the more she tried to talk to him, it just didn’t feel that simple. Fancy was a socialite who should’ve been a master at keeping any conversation going, but he seemed to be leaving them to die before they could really start. She couldn’t claim to know him very well, but it was all just so wrong. “Don’t worry about it, Vy. He’s always been that way with me. Guess he’d extend it to another ‘sister,’” Fleur added bitterly. “What about—” “Look, Vinyl. I know you’re trying really hard for me. I really, really appreciate it. More than you know. You have to understand. He’s always been a little distant. Fancy’s polite and sweet, but he…” Fleur trailed as she tried to figure out what to say. “You know how you’ve always put up one massive wall after the other?” Vinyl said nothing, but nodded in agreement. It was strange to be bothered by it. She knew full well what she was doing, but the shame was still there. “With that, at least you can crane your head up to see if you’re almost over it. With Fancy, it’s an endless, foggy maze. He’s got a bunch of paths that you can go down, but just when you think you’ve figured it out, something gets turned around and you find yourself back outside.” Fleur’s head dipped from the weight of her disappointment. “I’ve been getting lost in it for so long.” “Fleur—” “Don’t worry! It’s not your fault. I know I haven’t been making it any easier on myself recently. Probably why he’s been weirder than usual,” Fleur admitted, the unspoken guilt of last week weighing her down. She brandished another overly large smile. “But hey! At least I always stumble out, right? And now I’ve got a big sister to help me now! Maybe—maybe we can figure it out together?” Fleur’s was usually able to snap out of a funk at the tip of a hat, but Vinyl wasn’t buying it this time. With a sigh, she snaked a leg around the back of her friend’s neck and squeezed a quick hug before letting go to continue sailing through the hallway. “And now you’re just spoiling me,” Fleur joked. Vinyl shrugged. “You needed it.” After Fleur’s initial surprise passed, a tender smile crossed her lips. Vinyl’s heart fluttered with pride. She was getting better at this real friendship thing. As they rounded the corner to the foyer, they came face-to-fancy-face with Fancy Pants walking back from the front door with a stack of letters wrapped in his magic. As per his new usual, he was dressed down, but managed to maintain an air of classiness. If it had been anypony else, Vinyl wouldn’t have questioned it, but this was supposed to be the Kingmaker. Before he was always dressed for an occasion that wasn’t even happening. The stallion’s turtleneck color of the day was a flat, dark gray. What was more curious was the wireframe pair of reading glasses he was sporting that she’d never seen him wear. Fancy’s custom wardrobe seemed to enjoy hiding subtle pockets, but after a quick visual sweep, the sweater didn’t seem to have one to carry his monocle in for when he needed to destress. After a few more scans, she realized she was staring and looked away just in time for him to notice their hoofsteps. “Good afternoon you two. I hope practice is making perfect for tomorrow night.” Vinyl slowed down, trying to think of an answer that could start a conversation between the three of them, but came up short as usual. “I think we could use far fewer attempts at it, but we should be ready for the Showcases tomorrow,” Fleur assured him evenly. “Wonderful! I must say, Fluffer Duster’s excitement has proven quite infectious. Even Dapper has been looking forward to it all week,” Fancy remarked. Vinyl noted the lack of Miss and Mister titles. When had he dropped that bit of decorum? “I bought them tickets closer to the front, so be sure to keep an eye out for them.” Fancy nodded a pleasant goodbye and trotted into his study. With that, the two friends continued on their journey to the kitchen. Suddenly, Fleur stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes worked back and forth to assemble something in her mind. She gritted her teeth and bolted after her half brother, with Vinyl chasing her as she galloped after him through the double doors. “Wait! Did you say Dapper is going to the concert?” Fleur asked warily. “Yes I did. I gave them the night off, and both she and Dapper are looking forward to showing you their full support. We all want to see you two shining on that stage tomorrow night.” “‘We?’” Fleur seized up, dumbfounded by the pronoun. “You mean you’re still going?” Fancy looked back over his shoulder as he continued towards the study’s fireplace. “You sound surprised. I already told you I was attending.” “No, well yeah, but—but it’s just… I just assumed you weren’t going like you never do,” she struggled to say with a subtle pain creeping into her voice. “You always have something else come up.” Fancy sighed as he began organizing the letters into a neat stack with his magic. “I know, and you deserve far more from me than a mere apology for missing such things so often. While it’s true that I usually do have other things to do, this year will be different, I promise.” “You said that before, Fancy.” Fleur drew closer, suspiciously eying the stallion. “You’ve always said that before, but then bailed on me in the end anyway!” “I know, I know. But this time, I promise. I will be there,” Fancy assured. He brightened up as he went back to his letters. “I’m even bringing friends!” “Friends? Who the hay in your elite circles even wants to see us perform?” Fancy’s aura weakened around his bundle of mail at the question. He caught the letters in his hooves before they could scatter like a loose deck of cards. With a sigh of relief, his magic flashed briefly somewhere. Before Vinyl could trace where, she was distracted by Fancy’s low chuckling at the question. The stallion’s hollowness rang so uncomfortably alongside the crackling of the fireplace. “What, and spoil the surprise? I learned my lesson last time, Corn Acopia,” Fancy teased the lying actress. He turned towards Vinyl with a wry smile. “That being said, I am very much looking forward to introducing my friends to you, the both of you. They’re big fans of DJ Pon-3, but I’m sure they’ll be excited to meet you as well, Fleur.” Fleur’s breathing quickened. “But—but I’ve invited you every time!” “I know, Fleur,” Fancy sighed. Vinyl couldn’t tell if he was more frustrated with Fleur or himself. “I know.” “Then what changed?” Fleur demanded, her ire quickly rising. “My priorities have shifted,” Fancy answered curtly, not looking up from his stack of letters. Unsatisfied with his vaguery, Fleur drew closer to him. Vinyl leapt to her hooves to try to stop what might happen next. She was supposed to be helping these two, not just sitting idly by watching their relationship disintegrate. Before she could stop Fleur, Fancy unknowingly halted the mare’s battle march by casually tossing a sealed letter into the fire. Fleur’s eyes widened and her mouth fell agape seeing the missive burn. The stallion skimmed the sender’s name of the next one and frowned before tossing it callously into the fire as well. That unread letter was then joined by another one. And then another. And another. After the purge, only two unread letters were spared a fiery demise. Curious to see who the survivors were from, Vinyl craned her neck trying to catch sight of their senders. She didn’t need to see any names, immediately recognizing the familiar cheap pastel yellow and blue envelopes of Canterlot utility bills. The rest of the mail, all sealed with crests of famous noble houses, burned as kindling for Fancy’s fireplace without a second thought. With a sigh of relief, Fancy turned towards the two mares, raising an eyebrow at their stunned silence. “Was there something else I could do for you?” For once, Fleur failed to find a single word to utter and simply stared as the unopened envelopes curled and blackened from the flames. “Nope. Everything’s fine! Right, Fleur?” Vinyl shoulder-bumped Fleur, trying to get a reaction from the catatonic mare. Fleur nodded absently, her eyes flickering as once vitally important letters were reduced to smoke and ashes. “Well okay then, if that is all, I need to go get properly dressed for my weekly tea time. I’ll see you at dinner.” And, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened at all, Fancy walked up the spiral stairs of the study and headed towards his room. After watching the fire consume the corner of the last letter, Vinyl tapped Fleur on the shoulder, trying to shake her out of her stupor. “You still in there, sis?” “That was—That just happened, right?” Fleur finally answered, her gaze still locked on the fireplace. “You mean Fancy throwing a bunch of his fancy mail into the fireplace?” Vinyl asked, earning another slow nod from Fleur. “Yeah?” Fleur swallowed with dry lips as she slowly turned to Vinyl. “I think something’s wrong with my brother.” Fancy reached into his suit to pull out his pocket watch as he followed a royal guard to the princess’ sunroom. He was a bit early, but that was to be expected. He’d wrapped up his day before it had even started, only taking a brief break from the nothing he’d been doing to deal with some junk mail at the door. His inbox was looking exceptionally clean these days. After his morning jog, purchasing the tickets, informing the venue of his plus-sized guest, and ironing his suit himself, he still had hours upon hours to do whatever struck his fancy. That shouldn't have been a problem. After all, he was the Kingmaker. He had all the money in the world to do whatever he wanted in the world. He just needed to find something he wanted to actually do first. Fancy offered a quick thank you to his escort before customarily checking his worries at the door to the tea room. He took a deep breath and tried to clear every problem weighing him down out of his head. When that failed utterly, he stroked the quartz in his pocket several times and trotted into the sunroom anyway. His brief moment in the late afternoon sun came to a swift close as he was drawn into a dark blue night of feathers. “Thank the stars you have finally come, dear Fancy Pants!” “L-Luna!” Fancy exclaimed as his horn met her royal highnesses. “Be still. Focus upon our voice and relax.” Lunar magic sparked with silver starlight as the princess gently leaned her horn onto his. A wave of serenity rushed through Fancy’s body. It was a half-remembered, soothing sensation he’d felt in a dream once. The tranquility nearly lulled him to sleep on the spot until he managed to shake free of the princess’ surprise spell. “Thank you, but don’t worry, Luna. I’m fine. Really,” Fancy said diplomatically while stepping away from the princess, but regretted it after seeing Luna flinch. “Lies! We have stayed our hooves to respect thy desire for privacy, but we can bear it no longer!” Luna cried. He could see the bags under her eyes and stress shooting through her twitchy wings. “We intended to demand an explanation for drinking thyself into a stupor in the trembling presence of sweet Athena, but received our answer in the press the next morning. “That contemptible money-changer!” Luna shouted royally with a thunderous stomp of her hoof. “How dare she, the miserly whelp!” The princess’ eyes pulsed with glowing light. “Luna, it’s fine…” Fancy trailed as he noticed he could see his breath. Looking around, the air became heavy as it began to crystalize in the void of Luna’s desperate rage. “‘Tis not fine!” Luna roared with as much strength her royal voice could manage. “And the thought we are powerless to strike her down where she stands—” “LUNA!” A star-shattering boom forced Fancy to the floor. Though not as loud as the Screech, Fancy still covered his ears from the overwhelming magical pressure as the air blazed in the fiery might of Princess Celestia’s Royal Canterlot Voice. In an instant, the withering chill was consumed by the intensity of the sun descending upon the room. “S-sister,” Luna gasped at the sight of the elder princess’ scorching glare. “You shall not pass judgment so lightly upon our subjects!” Celestia rebuked with absolute authority. “But, sister! You do not understand. If you’d only seen his dreams!” Celestia softened with pity as she closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her mouth. Solar wind breezed towards the Princess of the Sun, gathering a subtle, ancient strength as if the world itself was drawing a bracing breath. “Sigōntōn…” A stern, primal whisper shook the room, and at once, all became silent. Fancy tried to stand, but Celestia’s commanding utterance yoked him to the floor. Looking up, Luna’s eyes had returned to their shimmering turquoise, but that was not all. Her majestic mane had flickered out, falling into a light blue mess alongside her coat fading into the same blue color as Fancy’s mane. Luna’s legs struggled to shoulder the burden of the oppressive silence her sister had ushered in. He tried to say something to make sure Luna was okay, but he couldn’t speak. His lips moved, he felt the tremble of his vocal cords, yet he was mute. In fact, everything seemed muted. Colors, light, the air itself. Nothing dared to oppose the word of Celestia. Before he could muster the strength to turn to Princess Celestia, the world boomed back to life. Magic rushed back in to fill the vacuum that had been banished from by the will of the sun. It seemed Celestia had suffered ill-effects as well with her mane flowing back to its pastel ethereal form. She slowly opened her eyes and looked upon her sister in utter sorrow. “Luna. Please.” “But we—I cannot abide by this, sister,” Luna stammered as her magic returned to her, her mane slowly shimmering back to nebulous life, just as her starlit sky winked into existence every night. “I beg of you, sister. If not for all of our little ponies, then for me. This place is special. We all need escape, and this is mine. In the warmth of spring and summer, I rest here and look at the flowers and listen to birdsong.” The elder sister stepped into the room, looking out upon the cold, waning daylight lighting the slumbering royal garden waiting patiently to spring back to life when the time was right. “Problems of the outside world are banished from this sanctuary for a reason. I wish to enjoy this fleeting peace we allow ourselves. If you wish to comfort our dear friend, then you may do so while respecting all life.” Fully rebuked by her sister for her trespass, Luna lowered her head in shame. “You are right, dear sister. I have made the grave mistake of entertaining dark thoughts against others before. I should not do so, so lightly again. I will reflect on this.” Celestia stepped up to her sister and lifted her head from the ground to see her loving eyes. “Thank you, my dear Luna. Forgive yourself. This too shall pass. Do not let such things marr the precious starlight on your face.” Amid the two swans supporting each other in a boundless, sisterly love beyond mortal understanding, Fancy felt like an intruder. It was as if he stood upon sacred ground with dirty horse shoes, but could do nothing to clean them. Then, after an eternity of heartfelt tenderness, Celestia shot an eyebrow up with a smirk. “All of that being said though, if you do wish to defend your mate’s honor, I might be convinced to resurrect a certain ancient tradition, within modern reason.” With that, the illusion of divinity shattered completely into dust as the room fell silent for a completely different reason. Luna’s face and ears burned in the flames of hot embarrassment as she stammered trying to find her words again. “For the final time, Tia! Fancy Pants is our friend! Those are rumors being spread across the castle by salacious gossips!” The elder sister shrugged as she let go of her little sister’s head. “Of course. Whatever you say. That’ll pass, too, eventually.” She took her seat and began preparing her high tea, sparing only a brief moment to look up at her fuming sister. “Oh, don’t be like that.” “You are the one who said our words carry weight!” “I did.” “Then don’t play into falsehoods so lightly!” “But they’re so fun, Lulu,” her royal highness, Princess Celestia, whined with the pouty disappointment of a foal. “Very well, dear sister,” Luna sneered with a competitive smile. “If he is so wonderful in your eyes, why have you not taken him as your suitor?” “Because it wouldn’t be proper. Fancy Pants is a Noble to me,” she replied without missing a beat. “From what I can tell from the history that still exists,” Luna continued, earning a furrow of her sister’s brow, “that has not stayed your hoof with other nobles over the last few centuries.” “Mind the sources you read, Lulu. I can assure you that any modern lineages that claim to be descended from me have been wildly exaggerated. Still, that is not what I meant. This stallion isn’t just a noble, Lulu, but a Noble One.” “A Noble One? In the truest sense?" Luna balked and then smiled giddily. "My, my, dear Fancy Pants, you are truly one-of-a-kind.” Luna’s praise shied away as she considered the title. “Wait, but that means I would stay my hoof as well.” “Excuse my interruption, your highnesses, but while I feel as though I should be flattered, I don’t know what you mean by a ‘Noble One,’” Fancy noted. “Ah yes. A truly ancient custom, but one we still wordlessly follow.” Luna’s gaze turned skyward as she watched the warm twilight colors gently paint the clouds above, her eyes trained on the heavens beyond them. “The first nobles weren’t great heroes or renowned servants, but families who were our intergenerational friends: The Noble Ones. Those ones who were kind enough to share their whole lives with us and maintain it through their lineages. We knew them from birth till death as family, back before we were burdened with the responsibilities of Equestrian princesses.” Pulling her vision down to the present, she raised a hoof to her chest. “I was known as Lunaria then while Tia was—” “Luna,” Celestia promptly interjected, “let’s not weigh Fancy down with details of something so far removed from the present that it might as well be a different world.” Luna bristled at the interruption. “It is you who brought up such ancient history in the first place!” “In passing only for your benefit as it is the recent history that matters here. It was meant for you to know just how special Fancy has been to me since his foalhood through his wonderful mother, Sauna Summers. She was both a marvelous masseuse and sensational singer who just wanted to make others happy.” Luna shook her frustration with her sister away for the sake of their company and her own curiosity. “The more I hear about this amazing mare, the more I wish I could’ve met her.” “Oh, you would’ve loved her, Lulu!” Celestia sparkled with fond nostalgia as she recalled her dear friend. “She was an inspiration to a generation, and to myself. A dear friend who left this world far too quickly. It’s a true blessing that she had such a noble son to continue her legacy of Noble friendship with me.” The princess’s fond smile twisted into a knowing grin towards her sister. “But only with me. As you said, it is regrettable that you never knew her, but there are certain other blessings such Noble ignorance grants.” For a moment Luna blushed brightly again, but it was replaced by a somber frown. “You always believe yourself to be so clever, don’t you sister? Perhaps if our problems are not worthy of consideration, it would be best if we took our evening coffee in our chambers, alone.” “Luna?” For once, Celestia seemed to be at a loss for words as she grew more concerned from her sister turning away from her. “Please. It was just harmless fun to lighten the mood, honest! Truly, all I ever wish for is for your eternal happiness.” “Princess Celestia. If I may,” Fancy interjected between their sisterly feud. “I believe you said we should check our problems at the door a moment ago?” “I suppose I went too far,” Celestia conceded. Taking a sip of tea, the solar princess smiled, turning her attention upon her former diplomat. “Then let us actually see about you then, my most Noble friend. It fills me with gladness to see you have joined us for high tea, dear Fancy Pants. I admit, I was worried about you, but I should’ve never doubted the resilience of my most capable envoy.” “You are too kind, your highness,” Fancy said with a bow as he took his usual seat with Luna following behind. Still upset by her sister’s words, she moved her cushion closer to Fancy and draped a wing over his back. Celestia smiled warmly at her sister's gesture. “I’m afraid I’m not the kindest one out of all of us tonight. I have been very unkind in keeping my distance from you in your time of need and to my sister’s needs just now,” Celestia apologized as she poured a cup of tea for her friend. Fancy shook his head. “Had I felt it necessary, I would’ve requested your audience sooner.” “And I respected that privacy until you stepped into this castle. Now that you are here, I do have something I can kindly offer to you.” She glinted with a familiar light from years past. “I wanted to ask you closer to the event, but in light of more recent ones, I think it would be better to ask you now.” “Ah. Is it another request for me, your highness?” Fancy asked knowingly. “Not a request, but an offer. Something to get you back on your hooves, though you are free to decline. While we must maintain a strict distance from weighing too heavily upon our little ponies' lives, politics falls more directly under our royal purview. I want to call upon you to assist me with a diplomatic matter: one involving the Crystal Empire.” The briefest tempting thought of revenge crossed Fancy’s mind. Doing something in service to both the Crystal Empire and Equestria over Upper Crust certainly bore a tasteful sense of polite society revenge. However, it would mean interacting with the one that inspired him to step down from his position in the first place. The risk was far too great for satisfying trivial desires. “Princess, I’m not sure that is a good idea.” Both royal sisters replied with their own quizzical confusion scrawled across their faces. “I was expecting outright rejection, but not this. May I ask why?” Celestia asked. Fancy sighed, considering his words carefully. He didn’t want to say it, but it would eventually lead back to it no matter how he spun it. He might be able to get around Princess Celestia, but he knew Luna wouldn’t allow him to mince words for long at all. “To put it bluntly, I don’t think your niece likes me. It might be enough to jeopardize the mission.” “What?” Luna shouted with a tremble of royalty. Her wings flared out as she leaned over to Fancy in disbelief. “You? The epitome of noble chivalry in an era devoid of such notions? How can this be? There must be some mistake!” “I don’t know. I don’t recall doing something to offend the Princess of Love in the past, but she’s always been very… uncomfortable around me. You’d think I’d remember upsetting a royalty before.” Celestia narrowed her eyes as a tiny frown crossed her face. “She will need to get used to your presence soon enough. I will not allow animosity to fester over misunderstandings. Even though you’ve stepped down from your position at my side, you’re both a dear friend to both me and my sister and a major figure in the fabric of modern Equestria.” Fancy felt the urge to grasp the quartz in his pocket, but he opted to clean his monocle so as to not arouse suspicion. “I’m not so sure I want to be the latter anymore. Truthfully, I’m not even sure what I am meant to do.” Luna nodded in understanding and pulled him closer into a wing hug. “All the more reason to take on this challenge I’m offering you,” the elder princess urged as she tapped a hoof on the tea table. “I believe you are perfectly suited in helping Luna with managing the Imperial delegation.” Luna’s comforting aura crumbled away as her attention whipped back to her sister in shock. “What are you playing at, sister? Why is this the first time we are hearing of such a change of plans?” Celestia shook her head. “There is no play here. I always intended to ask you to take charge of this, dear sister. I just wanted to make sure you were ready, and I believe you are.” Celestia winked at Fancy in thanks for his service before returning her attention to her sister. “We are meant to rule together, you and I, but I haven’t let you take charge of anything since your return.” “That is because we cannot be trusted,” Luna argued as she shrank into herself. “We have been an utter foal in public these past moons. It is still far too early for one as clumsy as us! We have yet to stand firmly within modern Equestria.” “For once, I believe we can use our time apart as a source of strength,” Celestia countered with a complicated smile. Luna’s ears perked at the claim. “You may not be over the trauma I inflicted upon you—” “Sister, you didn’t—” Celestia raised her hoof, quieting her sister. “Please. Let me finish. While I failed you utterly in the past, you are in a unique position to empathize with a citizenry displaced by time.” Luna paused as she considered the notion. “You mean to say that something good may finally come from me becoming—” “That was not you!” Celestia snapped back in a solar flare of anger. After a smoldering moment, she recovered herself with a cough before continuing. “The world they existed in is far fresher in your mind than mine. This is the perfect opportunity to get your ruling hooves wet again,” the elder princess assured. “The treaty with the Crystal Empire is very likely to occur, but not a forgone conclusion. Cadance has recused herself from making any formal decisions outside of signing the finalized treaty. The crystal ponies will be the ones to strike a balance between ourselves and their reemergent city-state.” Luna tapped her hooves together nervously. “Even so, do you really believe that I am capable? You were always the one with the better mind for the light side of politics.” Celestia smiled tenderly at her precious sister. “I do. There is no doubt in my mind. I can go over the finer details with you later, but our proposed terms are fairly favorable for them. The major hurdle was taken care of in the preliminary negotiations.” Fancy nodded in thought. “I can imagine bringing the Empire up to speed with a thousand years of political change would take some time.” “Surprisingly, that wasn’t it. When the Crystal Empire returned, the minds of its inhabitants were somewhat confused. It’s why Cadance’s coronation hasn’t happened yet, but we don’t foresee any problems, despite her Equestrian heritage. Those who have recovered fully appear to be overjoyed to crown somepony who resonates so deeply with the Crystal Heart. However, many are still suffering the aftereffects of Sombra’s domination, so we’ve only negotiated the terms at length with Cadance.” Fancy tapped his chin. “I can see how that could pose a problem, and why Luna might be better equipped to relate to their desires if they’re based upon the knowledge from a thousand years ago.” “On the mark as always, my capable envoy. As they continue to emerge from the fog, they will surely have desires we could not anticipate. That’s hopefully where you come in, Fancy Pants.” “I understand your strategy in relying upon Luna’s fresher experience with the Empire, but why do you want a stallion like me? I’ve never dealt with them in any meaningful way.” “True, but your special talent of discernment would be invaluable. This is not a negotiation of balancing powers, but how we can best grant power back to those who have lost it in good faith. You are the perfect negotiator to help my sister with maintaining the needs of modern Equestria while aiding our ancient friends in recovering their lost heritage.” “Your highness, this is a monumental responsibility.” “It is,” Celestia agreed, cutting him off before he could ask her to reconsider. “I was going to make this a more formal request later, but after what happened, I wanted to do what I can to help my Noble friend.” The princess looked towards her waning sun. The light shimmered in her timeless pools, reflecting a deep sorrow bubbling underneath the surface. “My sister and I were called upon to become caretakers of Heavenly Harmony. Despite the tremendous power we wield, we aren’t goddesses. For this reason, we must be absolutely clear about the lines we must never cross. As co-ruler of Equestria, I protect all of my little ponies equally, even if my desires as Celestia the pony are at odds with it. To do otherwise could prove… catastrophic. “So, please. I will not order you, but I beg you to consider. It is the only help I can offer you. Take this chance to rise above the squabbling gentry and show the world, and more importantly yourself, who you are.” Fancy sighed as he looked down at his hooves. “And who is that, princess?” “You will know that answer in time.” The solar princess closed her eyes and sipped her tea. “Take comfort from your dearly departed mother, Fancy. Sauna Summers didn’t limit herself to her mark. She found more things in life that she enjoyed and expanded her horizons. If not for her boldness, you wouldn’t exist. With your talents, all you need to do is try.” “Thank you for trying to cheer me up,” Fancy said with a chuckle. “You both are too kind to a washed-up stallion such as myself.” “It is a lifetime too early for you to think such thoughts. It was always my intention to enlist your aid in this business with the Empire. That being said, you shouldn’t see this as a mere extension of your former responsibilities to me,” Celestia assured as she placed her hoof on Fancy’s. “Now more than ever, I want you to rise above your peers like your mother did before and thrive. Just as Luna needs to see she has her place in this world, you must see yours.” The princess withdrew her hoof and straightened herself to her fullest height as she looked upon both Fancy and Luna in solar authority. “So, will you two accept this task?” With no intention of answering the question before her lunar highness, Fancy looked to Luna for her answer first. The younger princess waxed and waned between her sister and Fancy as an internal debate raged across her flittering eyes. To ensure it wasn’t him holding her back from the decision, he nodded to Luna in unvoiced support. “If you truly believe us to be adequate, we—rather I accept this task,” she answered while turning herself back to Fancy, “provided Fancy Pants is willing to assist me in this endeavor.” “Of course, dear sister. There is no one else I would entrust you to.” Celestia’s eternal gaze fell upon Fancy. While it was as gentle as sunbeams shining through his window in the morning, the first light commanded those under it to start their day. “You’ve always had such a way with words, your highness,” her most capable envoy relented. “I believe I already accepted being Princess Luna’s escort. An ‘ambassador of today’ is how you put it if my memory serves right. I wouldn’t dare abandon her now.” Celestia smiled with the serenity of Elysium. “You know me too well, Sir Fancy Pants.” “But of course. It has always been my business to know you.” Celestia bowed her head towards him, pointing her horn to his in the same manner she had when knighting him all of those years ago. “From the bottom of my heart, you truly are my dearest Noble friend in this generation. However, with your acceptance, the Crystal treaty has become a diplomatic problem to be solved outside of these peaceful walls. In this moment, let’s enjoy the passing of the day into night as we look forward to spending more time together.” As the sister’s took hold of their celestial orbs, the room filled with their ancient magics bestowed to them during a time only known to them. In the presence of both heavenly bodies, their powers swirled around the room in perfect harmony, wrapping him in a temperate breeze of warm embraces and comforting coolness. Despite the heavenly beauty, Fancy’s thoughts were fixated on the mild dread of confronting the third princess again. From the time they met, she always forced a smile while trying to escape him, and he wasn’t sure why. He gripped the quartz in his pocket, hoping neither alicorn would notice the faint aura of stress from his paltry polishing.