//------------------------------//
// What Else is New? 
// Story: Fancy That? 
// by HapHazred 
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After leaving the gardens, Celestia talked. She spoke seriously, and Luna's attention never wavered for an instant. They entered the castle and began to make their way through the winding staircases towards Celestia's chambers.

"When you left, I did try to keep everything together. I had my court of advisors, after all, and they were all brave, competent ponies," Celestia explained as she led her sister through the corridors. "It was highly impersonal. I was, for all intents and purposes, a ruler and nothing else. My commander, Ser Cerulean, was the first to notice my increasing frustration, and how it was affecting my nation."

"I recall Ser Cerulean. He was a squire, was he not?"

"I knighted him after your banishment," Celestia said. "For exceptional heroism. He had the nerve to confront me about what I was doing, and my attitude," Celestia said. "Back then, this was not as simple a matter as it would be today. I was furious and almost had him sent away. I am eternally glad I did not."

"That does sound exceptionally heroic," Luna commented.

"The two matters were separate. I knighted him for a different reason entirely," Celestia said. "Anyhow, I suppose I must have been truly lonely to listen to him. He convinced me to take a day off. You of all ponies should know how difficult a task that would have been."

Luna knew. Celestia hadn't stopped working... ever. It had driven her insane, and had been the beginning, perhaps, of their centuries long feud. Luna felt a pang of jealousy at the thought that a mere knight succeeded where she, Celestia's own sister, had failed. Celestia caught her disappointed look and was quick to reassure Luna. "It was your departure and his advice that convinced me. I suppose even after you succumbed to the Nightmare forces, you were still helping me."

Luna's gaze softened as Celestia continued her tale.

"I'm certain that he was my first real friend, after yourself. I slowly opened up to the court and began acting less the deity and more a mere ruler... with all the insecurities that came with it. I felt the need to prove myself far more, and every mistake stung more keenly than ever."

"What of Ser Cerulean?"

"His heroism was the end of him. He did not return from his third act of bravery, tragically." 

Luna scrutinized her sister for any sign of sadness or regret. She found none. "'Tis a sad thing."

"It was. I have had centuries to heal from that wound, thankfully. It wasn't long after that I realized my friends in the court were disappearing, and being replaced with new ones. I did not mind. We are, after all, very long lived, and I was only ever stricken with grief when they were taken by force. Except in one case."

The pair stopped in front of the portrait Celestia had been standing before the day before. Luna knew without asking that it had significant importance to her sister, but she dared not comment.

"Five hundred years ago, I met a... very exceptional pony. He was not especially brave, or even kind, but he had a wit and warmth that rolled off him. I confess I was quite taken with him. I had... explored romance before, but not quite to that degree." She gestured towards the painting. "Out of all the ponies I have met in my thousand years, she is the one I truly miss the most. She was my daughter."

Luna felt her stomach tighten. Not simply because her own sister had neglected to tell her of such a monumental event in her life... truly a moment that would have changed her forever... But because of the wistful pain that glazed over Celestia's expression as she looked at the painting, succumbing to sorrow.

"How?"

Celestia didn't waver. "Just a cold, of all things," she said. "She was a bit feeble, though, especially when she got older. It was very peaceful. It didn't matter, though. I was prepared for anything but that. Ser Cerulean, even her father... It stung, but it never hurt." Celestia sighed. "I buried myself in the past. The effect can be seen on Equestria, too. Canterlot advanced much slower than cities free of my influence. Manehattan, Las Pegasus, Applewood... they were all decades ahead of me. When I finally returned to the world of the living, I was nothing more than an antique."

Luna held her hoof up to argue, but Celestia silenced her. 

"It's true. I served only to raise the sun and moon, and was very distant from politics. So I changed in response to the changing of the times. I... loosened up. I made many more friends, and not just among the nobility. I felt a strong connection with teachers, in particular, and started up my own school. I even took on new lovers, in time. They passed away like the others, but I never cried. Never again."

"I am truly sorry," Luna babbled. Celestia turned towards her younger sibling.

"Don't be. I'm not insecure. I may have changed, but my heart is as strong and resolute as it was when we ruled together. But please promise me you won't try to join me across one thousand years of alternating joy and grief before your time," she said. "It was wonderful at times, and I want you to cherish those moments. But not the other times. I wouldn't wish those on anypony."

"And your Fancy, he is just another pony?"

"No... no, I don't think of it in those terms," Celestia went on. "They are each unique and special, and I never compare them. There would be no use: I loved every one, and they each filled a place in my heart at the time." She sighed. "I suppose I owe you an apology. I didn't mean to snap. Although I hope you understand why it is awkward for me to be pushed into any relationship."

Luna nodded. "Yes... I didn't realize the stakes," she said. "Although I promise my intentions were pure."

"I know they were," Celestia said, putting her hoof around her sister. "There is nothing wrong with wanting one's family to be happy."

"That is all I want," Luna said. "Always."





"Oi! Go, ya' magnificent blighter! Cut through the middle!"

Fancy Pants was leaning against the railing, eyes transfixed on the racing track. All around him the zealous crowd shouted and roared. The particularly vocal mare below him was particularly entertaining. All he cared about right then was the race. He had a hundred bits riding on Soarin, and he was eager to see him win.

The track was oval in shape, and far from horizontal. It was at an incline, so that half the track involved the flyers gaining altitude and the other half had them shooting downwards, transforming their hard earned potential energy into kinetic, shooting down with the speed of a coursing river. The athletic pegasus was currently stuck in third, behind Spitfire and Sky High. He was obviously struggling, too, much to Fancy's chagrin. 

"Come on," he muttered under his breath, his hoof tightening around the betting slips. It wasn't even that the money mattered to him. He just wanted to win.

"Enjoying the race?" came a familiar voice beside him. Fancy turned, his monocle dropping from his eye. Towering a good head above him, Celestia gave a wry chuckle. "I recieved information from a reliable source that you never missed the Wonderbolts Derby."

The crowd that was perpetually gathered around Fancy Pants vanished. Celestia had that effect on ponies. When she wished to have a private conversation, other ponies instinctively knew to leave. Fancy quickly closed his jaw, not wishing to appear too flabbergasted than was considered acceptable.

"I... Yes, I always attend the races," he said. "It's been a favourite pass-time of mine for decades." He glanced back at the race. His eyes widened when he saw Soarin cut into second place, only for them to cross the finish line, signalling the end of the race. He threw his hooves in the air. "Oh, bloody hell!" he shouted. "So close!"

Celestia eyed the leaderboard. "I see Sky High came in first. What a coincidence. I'm certain everypony would have placed bets on Spitfire."

"Not everypony," Fancy replied. "I was banking on Soarin. Spitfire has a pattern to her wins. Every now and then, she hits a slump. It's taken me years to figure it out, and I was sure Soarin would win. Only for him to be beaten by some newcomer."

Celestia smiled, and leaved through a few betting slips of her own. "I imagine the odds must have been pretty low on Sky High."

"Very," Fancy said glumly. He looked over at Celestia. "Who did you bet on?"

"Sky High, naturally," Celestia said. "I always bet on the least likely horse. It makes the victory all the sweeter." She smiled. "Speaking of unlikely, I got your... package."

Fancy brushed his mane back semi-awkwardly. Even then, he still strove to maintain an elegant image of himself. "Yes, I, ah... had a little advice from a pony you might know."

"Likewise." Celestia sat down on one of the chairs in the booth. "I'm surprised Luna ever found out about my preferences in flowers. It was... so very trivial at the time."

"Much that seems trivial is often of vital importance," Fancy said. "It's why my favourite series of books is the Day At series by Yearling. Nothing exiting like her Daring Do novels, of course... but if its of importance to the characters, then it's important to me." Fancy replaced his monocle on one side of his nose. "I suspect that Luna thought the matter was important to you, and therefore made a point of remembering."

Celestia nodded. "A wise opinion." She looked at the racetrack with a curious look in her eye. "I wouldn't have thought you were a betting stallion, Algernon. You always seemed rather cautious."

"It's hardly like I can lose so much money I'll go bankrupt," he said. "Besides, I've enjoyed this since I was young. I deal with so many new artists, models, fashionistas and the like I feel the need to return to my roots now and then." He gave a dissatisfied sigh. "You know... I'm rarely all that impressed with the new directions in art and culture. It sometimes seems so random and unfocused... But it's far more worthwhile than being stuck in the past constantly."

"True. I know the feeling."

Fancy nodded. "I suspected you did. When it hit home that you were, in fact, a millennia old, which is a surprisingly easy thing to forget, apparently... I imagined you must have much more insight to the matter than me." He adjusted his coat. "I'd rather not rehash old memories, though. I'm quite comfortable looking towards the future. It has much more potential, no matter how much I may miss... well, everything."

Celestia got to her hooves and stood next to Fancy. They both overlooked the racetrack, watching the ponies clear up the mess the racers had left behind them. There would have to be another race later, after all, and if it looked like it did now, the Wonderbolts wouldn't be able to fly anywhere. Broken clouds littered the place.

"Well then," Celestia said, "let's enjoy the present, shall we?" She nudged the unicorn playfully. "Dinner at my place?"

"I would be delighted, Tia."





The room was definitely not to Vinyl's liking. First off, it was huge. She felt like she might get swallowed up by the vastness of it any second. Second off, there was the company. Admittedly, Octavia was making the ordeal much more enjoyable, and her constant presence made listening to the Princess's odd speech patterns bearable. Looking over at her special somepony, Vinyl couldn't help but wonder if the silent and polite musician might even be enjoyingherself.

"Tonight," Luna exclaimed, "we drink to our success! Silver, provide the refreshments!"

Vinyl adjusted her headphones. She didn't like the kind of volume Luna was throwing at her. Thankfully she could dial down how much noise she'd hear around her. It kept everything nice and clean.

"Perhaps you could lower your voice a notch," Octavia asked the Princess. "We have a bit of an issue with loud noises."

The hint of a smile played Vinyl's lips. Octavia would always have her back.

"Certainly! We shall use the Royal Canterlot Indoor Voice," Luna said. "I mean, I shall use the normal Canterlot indoor voice. Is that not right, Silver?"

"Your tone is exceedingly normal, milady."

Vinyl took the drink that was offered her. Octavia followed suit. "It seems interfering with other ponies business pays off," the earth pony said.

"Only when done correctly," Luna replied. 

"That sounds about right," Octavia muttered. "I'm still surprised you got Scratchie-watchie to help you," she said, using to Vinyl's dismay her favourite pet name in front of the Princess. "She's awfully touchy sometimes."

"I used my skills of diplomacy to great effect," Luna said.

"Meaning she told me it'd make my dad happy," Vinyl butted in. Octavia beamed. 

"Gracious, you are such a softie."

Vinyl's expression darkened. She was not a 'softie'. A small squeeze from Octavia removed the matter from her mind, though. 

"This leaves my sister occupied far more than usual," Luna said. "And although I was able to negociate sufficient us-time, I find myself needing new companions to enjoy the evenings with." She took a deep breath. "Would you be willing to accompany me and Silver to Crystal Chalice's wine tasting come next Thursday?"

Before Vinyl could answer, Octavia gave a small squeal of delight. "Oh, that sounds wonderful!"

Vinyl caught Silver Cup's smug look. Suddenly she was very aware why the mischievious butler had sent for the both of them. She grit her teeth with frustration.

"Oh... goodie," she growled.

"Don't be so grumpy, Vinyl," Octavia scolded. "You'll be going with me, after all."

Well... admittedly, the prospect did sound a lot better after that. Vinyl sighed. 

"Can't wait," she said. Yeah... because a wine-tasting is so me.

"It shall be an old fashioned wine tasting!" Luna exclaimed. "And it shall be fun. We have had enough of this 'modern' thinking for a while, and I shall be taking a break." She flared her wings. "I can tell we shall be the best of friends!"

Vinyl sighed again. "Can't... wait."