Pony POV Series: Fancy and Fleur-Dreams and Duty

by Purple Patch

Fancy Pants Reharmisation: Chivalry

Pony POV Series
Fancy Pants
Chivalry
Recursive Fanfiction

Oh...hello again...

I hope you got here alright and I trust my household were welcoming.

Yes, I suppose you must have heard. It was only a matter of time.

I’m terribly sorry. You...rather caught me at a bit of a bad time...though I suppose I haven’t had any other sort of time for a while now.

What sort of leader am I? What sort of pony am I? What can I call myself but the vilest traitor that ever walked upon Equestria’s soil?

Dear alicorns over paradise, what have I done?

I’ve been a damn bounder of the lowliest degree, that’s what.

I let that foul beast dupe me, falling for its temptations like a foal to confectionary. While chaos reigned in Equestria, I saw fit to act the opportunist, trying to seize control over Canterlot in the mayhem while the Princess who trusted me struggled to keep order.

I betrayed everypony...I betrayed everything!

My household, my city, my princess...and my wife.

Oh Fleur...my poor, sweet lily...you cannot know how sorry I am...

And I, fittingly...cannot know how much I hurt her.

I called her such horrible things...I tried to do such horrible things. Things I hesitate to even think about! I wanted to do those things!

To the mare of my dreams! The love of my life!

What did that monster do to me?!

...

No...I cannot pin the blame on that creature. Evil comes naturally to him.

I should have remained strong.

But...if Discord was capable of convincing me so easily to take control...surely I must think that too.

Somewhere in my mind, there must be a lingering urge to seize power over Equestria!

There must be. How else would I have fallen to him! You can’t create a thought out of thin-air!

Why did I think that way?! Why did I do the things I did?!

...

Dreadfully sorry...that was...improper...

Let’s...let’s start from the beginning.

Ahem...

Upon Discord’s defeat and my revelation of what I had truly done that day...I spent what time I had behind bars weeping.

I was certain that I would suffer for my crimes.

Why should I be except from the consequences not even poor old Princess Luna avoided?

I deserved it...I was a traitor. There was no other word for a pony who commits the actions I committed that day.

How could I have been so arrogant? So cruel? So dishonourable?

Though it felt like an eternity, sitting there with only my colossal guilt to keep me company...I had only been in the cell five minutes after Discord’s defeat when the guards opened my cell. They hadn't locked it, as it turned out but I still did not care to leave.

I was a criminal.

‘Here it is.’ I thought ‘Off for a quick stroll around the block...’

A traitor’s death.

It would besmirch my family name forever.

They bring me to the princess, haggard from the day’s calamities. I kneel, weeping and bedraggled, no fit sight for a princess, and accept my fate.

Instead, Princess Celestia, our kind...wise...and so wonderfully forgiving monarch does something extraordinary.

She leans down and gives me a hug.

Her forelegs feel so much like my dear mother.

It was too much. I broke down, sobbing and whimpering, apologising as if it were the only thing I was capable of doing...which was largely true under the circumstances.

I made numerous promises. I swore to hand in my resignation, remove my name from the hall of honours, leave Canterlot and so forth but she would hear none of it.

Her hold was kind but her voice was firm.

So much like my mother.

She simply told me to go out into the city, find my wife and make sure she was alright.

Fleur...

I needed no time to mull things over. I was out like a shot, galloping through the streets, desperately searching for the mare I’d wronged so cruelly. I would not rest until she was well again.

As long as I was free, I was capable of such.

It took the better part of the late afternoon before I found her.

Staggering out of the forest, covered horn to hoof in mud and soil, head bowed, weeping incessantly.

She had so hoped not to be seen.

As she noticed me she raised her head.

I could see the cut I’d given her.

Beneath the dirt, the look she gave me as I swore to mutilate her was still prevalent on her face.

The colours in her mane and eyes were drained and morbid, half-dead to the world around her.

I feared then that I had doomed her. I had killed the mare I fell in love with and left in its shell a scared little creature who didn’t want to be seen.

I really didn’t care about the mud or the tears or the blood from her injury. I held onto her and begged her to forgive me. All the years of my life spent in prison or on the moon would mean nothing as long as she could be herself again.

Betraying her was the greatest crime I had committed that day.

And my penance would never end until she was free of the nightmare I brought upon her.

I knelt her weeping into her shoulder, mumbling ‘sorry’ this and ‘love you’ that for what seemed like hours. She never said a word.

Then, ever so slowly, she placed a foreleg at the back of my neck and returned the hold.

I could feel her tears running down my spine.

I would make this right, I promised. I will make my beloved herself again.

I took her home and gave her a good bath, then dressed the cut.

It wouldn’t scar.

If it had, if it lay upon her face for all time, mocking my failure every time she turned to face me...

I would not be able to live with the shame.

Yet she remained...dull.

Ahem, colour-wise, you understand.

Well...no offence intended but dull in many other ways too. I don’t think she spoke for some time and she had terrible trouble interacting with anypony. She flinched at their touch, sometimes outright attacking them, and whenever she looked long into the eyes of another she broke into tears.

I didn't know where she slept, if sleeping was available to her, but I found out she'd been taking a blade to bed. My ceremonial cane-sword. She once cut herself on it in the night.

Have you ever heard her cry? It is...the most heart-rending noise on this earth.

And I...I made her cry.

When I found out what happened, I felt sick to recall how she looked when she came to me.

‘The Eyes!’ she said ‘The Hooves! They won’t stop coming!’

Dear Celestia, trapped in a stalker-victim’s nightmare for half a day! Eyes everywhere she looked, hooves grabbing her from everywhere she touched. There was no-where for her to run or hide.

This was my fault. She was still herself before I hurt her. She had her colours, she had her senses!

DAMN IT ALL, I SHOULD HAVE HELPED HER!!!

Ugh...Sorry, old chap. I’m not myself. I haven’t been for some time.

I lost count of how many days it had been since that horrible day when my manor was paid a visit by an unexpected guest.

A young farm-mare from Ponyville. Works on the Sweet Apple Acres the Rich family have so many investments in. The servants made a great song-and-dance over her casual regard for me but I found her quite charming. She had excellent manners and, I confess, was very pretty in a ‘rustic’ sort of way.

Her name was Applejack. Upon knowing her name and that she was the Bearer of the Element of Honesty, I cursed myself for my ignorance. This was a pony to whom all of Equestria owed the sun in the sky toward. Granted, Canterlot's rather slow when it comes to news and those that were aware of their prowess apparently lost a great deal of respect for them after the havoc that ensued at the Grand Galloping Gala.

A trivial matter, in my opinion, hardly worth looking down on them as they do.

I volunteered to greet her properly as a hero and defender of the realm but she politely refused and went straight to business.

She’d been sent by the Princess herself and was going around the place talking to those severely harmed by Discord’s sick games.

Tremendously charitable of her, I thought.

She had something to say but wouldn’t say it until both I and Fleur were in the same room together. That was something we hadn’t found easy, I’m afraid to say, but we managed there and then, sitting down in the lounge, facing each other as Miss Applejack spoke.

I remembered every word.

“Ah can’t stay long. Probably shouldn’t anyways. City life’s never agreed with me. But ah want yer both to know ah’m here to help. Ah know what happened when that lying varmint, Discord, went around turning everypony into...something they weren’t. Ah won’t pretend to know what yer goin’ through. But ah ain’t lyin’ when ah say it’s not too late to sort things out.”

She turned to me.

“Mister Fancy Pants...ah admit, I don’t know yer well. So ah asked Princess Celestia who ya were and what ya did around the city. When she was finished, ah hadn’t any doubt that what that snake did to ya was none of yer fault. What ya did that day, what ya thought. It meant nothin’. It wasn’t you! D’ya understand that?” The sincerity in her voice, the wisdom in her words...it was quite inspiring.

“Ah haven’t known ya long but everypony I asked about ya has nothin’ but respect for yers. Hard-workin’, honourable, wise, gallant, chivalrous, all these ‘ere words and more are what they think of when they hear yer name. That schemin’ old belly-crawler knew that, he saw that and he hated it. He knew that y’all were a good stallion that weren’t afraid to stand up to him and so he changed that into somethin’ rotten. The Princess knows that. Everypony knows that. And ah think ah’m right in sayin’ Miss Fleur knows that. Nopony is gonna’ blame ya for what happened. You shouldn’t either.”

She leaned forward and tapped the side of my head gently.

“Now what ya were thinkin’ while yer were dancin’ to his tune? All that nonsense ‘bout crowns and kings and the princess bein’ useless? I know about that too. Long story. Anyways, that’s probably just a naggin’ doubt or anxiety ya have in the dark corners of yer mind. Everypony has ‘em. They exist alright but that’s all they are. Doubts, anxieties, things that can only take over if ya let ‘em. Believe me when ah say he twisted us just as bad. It weren’t any easier than what yer goin’ through, Princess knows it weren’t. But if we can pull through...ah reckon it shouldn’t be too hard for you.”

I put my hooves under my chin in thought. Her words have truly taken me to a spot of enlightenment.

I’m afraid to say I don’t quite recall what she said to Fleur but it seemed to do the trick. Her colours hadn’t yet returned but she managed to look up at us fully this time and give a little smile.

I’ll have to ask her what really happened. I must say that Applejack’s a bit of a marvel. I’m rather looking forward to properly getting to know the Elements. They seem like a cracking young sextet of mares.

My Cutie Mark?

Well, it’s interesting you should bring that up.

Heh...that ruddy crown again.

I was...a bit of rascal when I was younger. Not a bad foal, of course, but I enjoyed the odd prank and the therapeutic little wander.

My parents, bless their stainless souls, took it in good spirits, playing along most of the time.

Anyhow, it was at a Royal Procession, I must have been around nine or so? Thereabouts. It was during the Summer Sun Celebration and Princess Celestia had finished her daily rounds and disappeared for the day.

As had I. I was, at that point, exploring the wonders of the Royal Labyrinth. I had a fairly decent sense of direction and was dying to get a good look of the statues I’d heard about...

Ugh...I must forget about that loathsome creature.

Moving on. I was getting lost and caring little for it when I found something shining in the hedgerows. After some amount of pulling and tugging, I removed it from the clutches of the undergrowth and found a gleaming, gilded, jewel-encrusted crown in my hooves.

Now I’d wandered off before the procession, no sense sticking around for something I wasn’t tall enough to see, I thought, so I had no clue as to whom the crown belonged to when I heard crying. It sounded like a mare’s.

Now my old father told me to never leave a mare in distress. I sought out the noise and found out its deliverer.

Would you believe it was Princess Celestia herself?!

Weeping before a mural of herself and her banished sister, working side by side to reforge Equestria anew and send the mad draconequus to his prison of stone.

Dragging the crown over, she noticed me.

I explained that I’d wandered off and gotten lost and she, in turn, explained why she was crying.

Whatever she’d done, whatever she had become, Luna was still her sister and she missed her with all her heart. In her grief, she’d thrown her crown away and was starting to regret it.

I did my best to cheer her up.

My dear father and his sister, you see, had fallen out terribly over the mare he’d fallen in love with many years ago.

It had taken them a great deal of time for them to make up, equal effort required on both sides, but they forgave insult and injury and remembered they were family.

As precarious as I was precocious, I spent a lengthy conversation with the sullen ruler of all Equestria until she finally smiled, stood up on her own four hooves and accepted the crown, thanking me for my kind words and praising my sense of logic for one so young.

Her words, not mine.

As the crown, once again, rested on her head, three appeared on my side.

My parents were overjoyed, conveniently forgetting to question me on what I was doing in the maze with the Princess.

Put simply, my Cutie Mark comes from solving matters of the kingdom as far as my abilities will take me. Words or actions, I offer all I can to help. It's what I do. What I enjoy.

I like to think of it as my own little element of Chivalry.

...I’m awfully sorry. I’m reminded of that horrid creature’s games again.

No matter. He couldn’t hold my Fleur down forever.

It was late that evening when I found her. She was in the living room, nearly in darkness, shivering as she lay upon the couch, staying up at the ceiling.

She hadn’t wanted the lights on for a long time. She didn’t like to see them. The eyes. But they were there every time she blinked and so she could only keep calm in relative dimness. I suppose she felt comfortable when she felt she couldn't be noticed.

My poor Fleur. She shouldn’t be kept in the gloom like this. She shouldn’t do this to herself.

I decide to be firm, but I never abandon the wish to be kind. I light the fire-place with my magic. Then, before she can grow panicked, I take off my jacket and wrap it around her before sitting down beside her and just gently resting her head against her shoulder.
I can feel her rapid heartbeat slowing to a normal pace, her breathing steadying, a great sigh pouring from her mouth as she’s finally able to relax. There’s no more eyes, Fleur, no more hooves. It’s just me. I’m here for you, Fleur.

Please come back to me.

A slow smile blossoms on her face as, steady as a lily soaking up the sun, shimmering lilac spreads across her beautiful eyes and her luxurious mane flows with every shade of pink once again.

Gently placing a hoof on mine, my dear, sweet, extraordinary wife speaks to me again, almost sleepily.

“I’m so happy to have you back...Fancy...”

*

We’ve been out more often as of late.

I have to say, it’s helped significantly.

Fleur’s still quiet most of the time but if she’s finding it in her to strike another luscious pose, that is, generally, a good sign.

Many were the times I feared she was letting her anxieties get the better of her. But that’s just her way. She enjoys looking good for others. It’s something I find so terribly endearing about her.

As to the Elements, I bumped into one in a fateful encounter on the fashion district some time ago. Quite literally ‘bumped into’, you understand. Certainly was one way to make an introduction.

Delightful young mare, Rarity’s the name. Bearer of Generosity and she’s more than earned the title. Custom-made dresses for all her friends in the span of mere hours while indulging me and my friends with her company at my various gatherings.

Fleur, unfortunately, hasn’t yet recovered her taste for the occasions I’m often dragged to. Thus coming home to her is always a much-anticipated pleasure.

I ensure I make time for her every day.

My position has been largely untarnished, judging by how much the upper class cling to me tightly as ever.

Perhaps they’re afraid I’ll have their heads snicked off, ha-ha...ha...ah...

Ahem...

Moving on...

As if Discord’s little escapade wasn’t enough, not all too long after, up jumps the one they’re all calling Princess Gaia.

I mean really! Two apocalypses is enough for my lifetime, thank you kindly, ma’am!

Is that the right word for it? Apocalypses? Apocalypsi? Well never mind...

I'm afraid I cannot divulge much information on the creature herself.

Her highness had me promise to keep the sordid details from reaching the discriminate elite. No telling what might happen...

Though the Day of Innocence was a curious day for me and my wife, I have to say...

Both of us were to finish work early that day and were on our way to Ponyville. Fleur's birthday was coming up and I'd promised to have a look in Canterlot Boutique. She hadn't been able to see Rarity at my garden party, pressing family business, and I knew I simply must get the two of them to properly know each other.

She'd been in Suddery for the last few days on a shoot and so was planning to meet me in the gardens outside the train station.

Nothing too out of the ordinary when, all of a sudden, I’ve rapidly decreased in age and height, without so much as a by-your-leave.

Yet I’m dressed in big stallion’s cloths which, of course, means I’m going to play around with them, the jacket sleeves trailing around my forelegs as I find no end of fun with my monocle, constantly making impressions of various twits I used to know in my youth. I do as I always used to do, wander around and have fun in the great outdoors.

All thoughts of Fleur slip my mind until I wander into her.

It’s quite a bizarre experience...seeing her as a foal.

You may have seen Fleur de Lis, noticed her height and shape are quite unique,

That’s not solely down to a model’s diet and fitness program. She’s always been like that.

Tall and thin.

So now she’s wobbling around, struggling to keep on her own two fours.

Have you ever seen a newborn giraffe?

They have to be born standing, you see and it makes an awkward sight.

I was rather reminded of it when I saw her, no offence intended to my wife but you really had to see it.

She wasn’t in any sort of distress. None of us felt any sort of negative feelings that day.

Liberation from all we’d suffered was...truly a luxury.

So I spent the day largely helping her to get used to walking and we played in the gardens throughout the day, finally falling asleep beside each other in the grass.

I am very glad I was still wearing my clothes when I woke. If anypony saw us, the tabloids would have had a field day.

Ahem...

Finding out what had truly transpired that day was jarring to say the very least. It was just as well a day was all we had.

Still, I cannot help but remember how well everypony was getting along...

No, it wasn’t real in the first place. If a kingdom kept peace by imprisoning or destroying anypony that could potentially bring war, that’s no peace at all.

I’ve been a politician long enough to know that no good ever came of ignoring the existence of the bad.

I’m just so happy to have my Fleur back with me.

I hated seeing her so damaged, I hated it.

I pray to every god or goddess that has ever crafted Equestria that such an atrocity never resurfaces.

Until then, I shall do what I can to make the world they made a better place to live in.

I wear no crown.

I am no king.

I am Fancy Pants.

And everything I have, my household, my career, my friends...and my wife.

That, my dear sir...is my kingdom.

Author's Note:

Sorry about the delay everyone.
I gave this quite a bit of thought but if there are flaws, let me know.
I haven't found all too many mentions of Fancy Pants in the POV Series but I'd like to thank Alex for sending me info on Fleur. Gonna' come in handy later.
I might come back to this if I find out I've missed something crucial.
I'm still fairly new to the POV Series.
Thanks for reading and please comment if you feel the need.

Comments

[Ardashir]

It's a lovely piece of work, and I really enjoy the way you showed Fancy's struggle with what Discord did to him.

[Purple Patch]

7856052 Thanks. Glad you like it.

[Alex Warlorn]

Though it felt like an eternity, sitting there with only my colossal guilt to keep me company...I had only been in the cell five minutes after Discord’s defeat when the guards opened my cell.

Five minutes? Heh, that feels like Equestria.

And I imagine Fancy Pants ORDERED the guards to put him in there! And I imagine the guards mostly went along with it because they were traumatized as well.

The colours in her mane and eyes had not yet returned.

0-0 Wha?

Have you added your stuff to the Pony POV Series trope page?

Interesting. People respond to trauma differently. But surprised Fluer doesn't react violently to any stallion touching her and sleeping with a sword almost.

Granted, Canterlot tends not to hear about these sort of things as often as it should but nonetheless.

And the ceremony the mane six got in Canterlot for saving the world from Discord, and they did destroy the Grand Galloping Gala last year.

it’s not too late to sort things out”
it’s not too late to sort things out.”

You shouldn’t either.”

Dude, for the love of EVERYTHING put periods at the ends of your quotes!

‘bout crowns and kings and the princess bein’ useless? That’s probably just a naggin’ doubt or anxiety ya have in the dark corners of yer mind. Everypony has ‘em.

Wonder if he wonders how she knew that.

They seem like a cracking young quintet of mares.

They seem like a cracking young sextet of mares.

I like to think of it as my own little element of Chivalry.

HEH!

She hadn’t wanted the lights on for a long time. She didn’t like to see them. The eyes. But they were there every time she blinked and so she could only keep calm in relative darkness.

Paradox.

As if Discord’s little escapade wasn’t enough, not all too long after, up jumps the one they’re all calling Princess Gaia.

And finding out who SHE is.

I mean really! One apocalypse is enough for my lifetime, thank you kindly, ma’am!

And he's already had two, remember Nightmare Moon?

Nothing too out of the ordinary when, all of a sudden, I’ve rapidly decreased in age and height, without so much as a by-your-leave.

This is odd. Since Philomina kept Princess Gaia's fog from ever touching Canterlot (Blueblood and his overworked guards were goaded into racing into it by Celly). So I wonder where the two are.

Thank you for writing this. It made for an interesting listen!

Fluer and Fancy did ironically play a bigger role during Mind Games and the Wedding Arc.

[Purple Patch]

7858298 Alright, I'll go over this.
I confess, I'm fairly new to the POV Series. I'm not as informed as I should be.
Don't worry, this has helped.
I didn't know you could put headcanon on the TV Tropes page. I don't have a TV Tropes account though.
I might be able to get 6samuelb to help out. He put my own stuff on there.
Thanks.