Artist & Concept
Fancy Pants had traveled down this Canterlot road many times. He knew it so well he could walk the entire route in his sleep. In fact he did. Once. Long ago. But this time? Everything was different.
Thick fog rolled across the cobblestones, limiting his vision. It responded to a wind he couldn’t feel, swaying before him in tiny swirls. There was a slight chill that made him shiver, even though it should have been warm that night. Moisture had formed on the stones and dampened the fur around his hooves, and there was even moss growing in places throughout the road. The buildings to either side were invisible, the only sign of their presence the dim glow of lights that could just barely pierce the mist.
This wasn’t Canterlot weather, regardless of the time of year.
Even so, Fancy wasn’t worried. He still knew his way around, and was well aware of the cause. He continued his walk, the sound of his hooves seeming loud in the isolating fog. He recalled from memory precisely when he should turn, and a few seconds later the cobblestones shifted to cool, clean grass.
The fog thinned almost immediately, and he found himself before a tall, imposing mansion. It wasn’t the home he was used to, though; white walls turned to grey stone, towers made taller and thinner, magnificent oaks transformed into hulking, swaying willows. The entire building seemed to loom over him, like a great behemoth guarding its lair. The windows shined in the darkness, like menacing eyes that dared him to approach.
And he did, unafraid and confident, for Fancy knew the game, even if he’d never played it. His old friend would have to try much, much harder if she was going to frighten him.
He had come to the event early; the front door was closed. He pulled the rope, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the loud gong reverberate through the air. Well, she was certainly giving it her all, wasn’t she? He wondered how hard it had been to replace the old chime.
A moment or two of patient waiting, and the door creaked open. A unicorn stallion who looked to be a little older than Fancy appeared, with a dappled brown coat and black mane. He wore a black and red vest that Fancy thought looked appropriate on him. “Ah,” the stallion said with a grin, “Mr. Fancy Pants. You’re early.”
Fancy tilted his head. “Do I know you, sir?”
“Ah, no.” The stallion bowed with a flourish. “Forgive me, I should introduce myself. I am Fine Crime, a friend of Fleur’s and her… Let’s say ‘creative advisor’. Do come in, I’m sure she’d be pleased to see you.”
Fancy entered the mansion, its marble floors and brilliant walls replaced with black wooden flooring and gloomy paneling. He noted that the crystal chandelier had been replaced with black iron, the candles flickering in the unusual darkness. “She’s really into the spirit of things, I see.”
“You’d know better than me,” Fine admitted, closing the door and heading into the main hall. “Oh, Fleur! You have a visitor.”
“Fancy!” Fleur de Lis met him at the entrance, giving him a tight hug that lasted several seconds. “I am so pleased you could make it this year!”
Fancy had to take a moment to recover; he’d never seen Fleur look so odd! She wore a thick, conservative black dress riddled with cobwebs and red highlights. She even had what appeared to be live spiders crawling about her! Her mane, normally pink, was now a deep black, and her eyes had been tinted a glowing, dark red. She even had a pair of fangs!
“My goodness,” he said, eyes roaming up and down her strange attire. “You really do get in the mood! And you still manage to make me look underdressed.”
She giggled as they walked to the center of the dark hall, stopping before the great central staircase with its red carpet. “This isn’t a party, but the Mistress of the Nightmare must look her part! I hope you’re ready to be frightened.”
He smirked. “I went through quite a bit as a soldier, my dear. Scaring this stallion won’t be easy.”
Fine, who was lazing on the staircase with hooves behind his head, asked, “Then why have you avoided coming over the past three years?”
“Because I thought it was pointless,” Fancy declared, head held high. “Fleur can devote her energies to trying to scare ponies with less backbone. But—” he shot a smile Fleur's way, “—you were so insistent this year. I hope you don’t disappoint after all that gloating.”
Fleur returned his smile, a wicked glint in her eyes. “We have been friends since my foalhood, Fancy. I would like to think I know what buttons to push.”
Fancy gave a huff and a smirk, then turned his attention to Fine. “And how do you know her, sir?”
Fine offered a mischievous grin. “Why, we share similar hobbies! Fleur doesn’t practice the art of frightening much as I do, though, so she asked me to be an adviser for the night’s events. No worries; I’m not out to steal your mare from you.”
The joke was clearly meant to embarrass him. Fancy frowned and did something he would never do in public; he rolled his eyes. “You’ll have to try better than that.”
“Hmm…” Fine sat up and leaned towards Fancy, studying him with an expressionless face. After a few seconds, he nodded and said, “You’re right, Fleur; he’ll be a challenge. You’ll be in for a surprise, then, because I know exactly who I want you partnered up with.”
“Partnered up?” Fancy shot a frown at Fleur.
“Everypony will need a partner to participate,” she explained with a twisted smile. “We’ve somepony special in mind for you.”
Spotting the mansion from the skies above Canterlot was an easy feat; just look for the fog. Luna circled the dark residence, her lips set in a tight frown. Should she do this? Celestia had suggested she give it a try, but she had her doubts. After all, she was the Princess of the Night; she’d waded through more nightmares than anypony living in this age. Whatever Fleur, master illusionist, had planned for her would certainly fall short.
“A chance to show off,” Celestia had said. “Might be fun,” she’d claimed. Luna had doubts about that, too.
She flew a few more circles, brooding over the pros and cons of this little ‘adventure’. Finally, wondering why she was even bothering, Luna descended, dropping at a leisurely pace to land softly in the grass. The fog wasn’t so thick in the yard, which was good; landing might have been more difficult, otherwise. Perhaps Fleur had planned for that? Well, she did have some common sense.
“I was wondering when you’d show up.”
She looked up, surprised to see Fine Crime waiting at the open door. She walked to him at a patient, regal pace as she considered his presence. “I had not expected you here. Is Fleur not meant to be off for the week?”
He waved a dismissive hoof. “I always give her a couple weeks off right around Nightmare Night. It’s one of the few times she can let loose with her magic for the sake of fun.”
She paused at the doorway, tilting her head with a raised eyebrow. “And your presence?”
“I’m her advisor,” he replied with a grin. “Who better to figure out a pony’s fears than a former Bloodmane?”
She leaned her head back in a confident pose. “You’ll not find me an easy victim.”
“We’ll see about that,” he answered with a smirk as they entered the mansion side-by-side. The doors came to a creaking close behind them. “You’re the last to show. I’m glad you did; we really were starting to think you’d not show up.”
“I wasn’t so certain, either,” she admitted, following as he lead her into a gloomy hallway. She eyed the webs in the windows, the rusted chandelier, the grim carvings in the wood. The intention was clear, but Luna was tempted to fake a yawn.
The other guests spotted her and let out gasps. She wasn’t surprised; the invitations were private, and nopony had any reason to expect a Princess to attend. “I’ll go let Fleur know we can begin,” Fine noted, slipping off to a closed door under the central staircase as all the others were bowing.
She took a moment to indulge their attempts at pleasantry, but she was hardly interested in socializing. Instead, she focused on watching their mannerisms. Years of traversing nightmares had taught her how to read fear in others, and these ponies were filled with it. Shifting eyes, anxious laughs, ducked heads, all the tale-tell signs were present. It was almost amusing; they thought this place was scary? They should try one of Fine’s nightmares.
But there was one stallion who was not afraid. Luna recognized Fancy Pants, who bore a smile under his familiar mustache. He approached her after the others had finished their obligatory greetings. No shivering, no anxiety. He clearly had no fear at all of this place, and Luna found herself curiously pleased by this.
“Hello, Princess,” he said. “I would ask you if you were having a good evening so far, but I suspect you are as unimpressed as I am.”
She eyed their surroundings yet again. “Unimpressed. I think that word would be accurate.” She turned her eyes on him, once more noting his calm, pleasant manner. “Have you been to this event, before?”
He shook his head. “Fleur has been trying to convince me to come to her little soiree for many years. I finally accepted, if only because she’s been so insistent.”
“Ah.” Luna looked up to the top of the stairs, wondering when Fleur might arrive. “You are old friends?”
“Since her foalhood,” he acknowledged with a grin. “I do hope she-“
“Good evening, everypony.” Fleur’s theatrical, pleasantly soft voice echoed through the hall. All eyes turned to the top of the stairs as a cloud of smoke slowly formed there. Bats flew from the dark clouds, eliciting a cry from one of the more jumpy guests. A moment later the smoke dissipated, and there stood Fleur, elegant and beautiful and – yes, Luna had to admit – regal. “I, Fleur de Lis, welcome you all to this year’s opening night of my delightful Week of Nightmares.”
The mage turned her head towards Luna with a pleased smile. “I am delighted to welcome you, Princess of the Night, to this evening’s proceedings. You honor us with your presence.” Luna accepted the praise and polite applause with a stately smile, though she wished Fleur would simply get on with things.
But first, a speech. Fleur began: “Every year, ponies celebrate Nightmare Night, making light of their fears. Few recall that this holiday began as an ancient ritual, where ponies allowed their nightmares to come true. It was thought that by experiencing that which frightens us, we might be best prepared to brave the darkness. At the very least, our nightly tormentors might be satiated, and let us be for another year.
“Tonight I, your devoted host, shall help you re-enact that ritual. Can you brave the darkness? Will you stand firm before the fiends and demons of Tartarus?” Fleur lifted her head high, and her horn began to shine. “Let your bravery be tested! May your fears be faced! And remember, the things you shall see are only as real as you believe them to be. This is my only advise to you brave souls. And now…we begin.”
Already? Luna had expected something more dramatic.
Luna blinked, her entire world having abruptly gone dark. Not dim, not shaded, dark. She could feel neither hot or cold, could hear no sound, could see no object. Everything was pure, perfect black.
“I wasn’t expecting anything like this.” She turned her hawkish gaze towards the voice, mildly surprised to find Fancy Pants still standing at her side. He cast his gaze about the darkness, a hoof to his chin and eyes questioning.
“It would seem we have already begun,” she stated while peering into the darkness. “Your friend wastes little time with theatrics.”
“It’s not like her, not at all,” he said.
Luna noticed him eyeing her mane, but ignored it. “This is hardly a good start for a pony who wishes to frighten,” she remarked with a grimace. “I do hope she does not anticipate me being afraid of the dark.”
“Or me,” he replied with a chuckle. “So… We are to be partners in this little charade, hmm?”
She took a moment to look him over with an inquisitive eye before responding. “I suppose we are.” That was not a bad thing; at least she knew who Fancy was, if only by reputation and one or two chance encounters at her sister’s pointless public events. If she simply had to be here with somepony, she could have been stuck with far worse.
“So,” she said, too late to keep the pause between them from feeling awkward, “you know Fleur well, or so you have suggested.” She gestured with a limp hoof to their surroundings, her tone dull. “I hope you understand what she’s up to?”
He frowned as he cast a look around. “I wish I did. She’s usually quite theatrical, but I’ve never been to this ‘Week of Nightmares’, and this beginning is rather bland for her. A disappointment, really.”
“You were expecting to be scared?”
“I was expecting her to try a little harder,” he corrected with head held high.
Luna liked that response. Really, she did. It revealed – or at least suggested – that he had standards to be met. She approved of ponies with high standards, for they usually applied those standards to themselves. She smiled at his manner as she said, “It pleases me greatly to see that at least somepony among tonight’s guests won’t be fooled so easily by her mere illusions.”
He bowed with a beaming smile. “My Princess, I was a soldier of the Dragon Campaign! It will take a lot more than a few light tricks and fog to frighten me.”
His statement made her pause and study him a bit more closely. She’d noticed his strong appearance, but never would have guessed that Fancy Pants, the most elite of the elite, had been a soldier. It was hard to put together in her mind, to say the least. “The Dragon Campaign. My sister does not like to speak of it…”
“And for good reason, I assure you,” he said with a solemn frown. “If I knew the pony who finally defeated Reddux the Tyrant, why, I’d be obligated to shake his hoof. I lost many a friend to that beast.”
Luna considered this, noting his grim manner. “You are a surprising stallion, Fancy. Please do not take offense when I say that I thought you…‘softer’ than that.”
He laughed, the sound coming so easily it alarmed her. “Cannot blame you for that, my dear! Most ponies of my class do have a reputation for softness. But,” he added with a grin, “there are always exceptions to the rule.”
“So it would seem,” she acknowledged, still questioning his rapid shift from solemnity to pleasure. She made a mental note to check public records and ascertain the accuracy of his claims. She didn’t like the idea that he might be leading her on, but a Princess could never be sure in the presence of elites. After all, the entire class was known for its sycophants, and his story could be little more than an attempt to win her good graces.
He was studying her mane again. She brushed it from her face and pretended not to notice. Was it that strange? What was she saying? She had stars in her hair, of course it was strange. Still, he did not have to stare…
Another awkward silence passed between them. Once more, she lamented it. Looking for something to discuss, she coughed before asking, “Do you at least know the… Hmm, what is the best term for it? The…rules. Yes, that will do. Do you know the rules of this little game?”
He scratched the back of his head, eyes dropping in thought. “Not really,” he confessed. “I suppose we are to simply avoid being frightened. Not that such will be hard, given the circumstances.”
“Agreed,” Luna muttered, sitting in the darkness and wondering just what she was sitting on, being as of how the ‘ground’ did not look any different from anything else. “She had best make some change to this world, and soon. I will be bored of this very quickly.”
He sat as well, maintaining his respectable distance and pawing at the darkness as if trying to understand what the ground was made of. He peered, listened, tapped his hoof soundlessly. “Well, I give her some credit; for such a bland world, at least it is complete. In that we seem entirely immersed in it, that is. I propose we give her a little time, see what happens.”
Luna had to admit, he was right. Fleur’s dark world might be unimaginative, but it was certainly a good showing of her talents. Where they still in the mansion, and just seeing things differently? Had they been rendered unconscious, and set in a dream state? No, Luna would have known if this were a dream. Whatever the case, the illusion was well-made. Perhaps waiting wouldn’t hurt.
Though she hoped they would see something soon.
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NIce so far! I love it!
... But why in Equestrian?
I DONT KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THAT. AHHHHHHHH
images.wikia.com/mlp/images/archive/c/cd/20120928230811!Twilight_Sparkle_Frustrated_S1E1.png
Haven't started No Heroes yet. Is it required reading?