Chapter 48: Lost in Memories
The eve of the Crystal Summit had arrived with little fanfare, but no shortage of stress. The official festivities weren’t set to start until tomorrow, yet legions of guards, servants, and committee members were already rushing around. Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the Imperial Delegation were arriving tonight, and they only had one chance to make a good first impression. It’d been years since the Suede Shoes Estate had bustled with so much activity. Everything had to be perfect when welcoming the not-so-foreign leader back to Canterlot.
The old song and dance wasn’t anything new to Fancy Pants or Dapper Dandy. However, the same could not be said for the young Fluffer Duster. Fancy had spared the young mare the task of head maid due to her default seniority over the outside help. Instead, he decided to keep her close as his personal assistant for the evening. While his presence ran the show, her schedule would direct it.
To prevent any upper class confusion, Fancy had taken the liberty of providing Fluffer Duster a business blazer and blouse fit for her temporary role. Éclair infused a bit of Prench professionalism by tying the mare’s mulberry mane into a beautiful, interlocking bun. According to the humble baker, if one had to be formidable, it helped to be formidable. Fancy was inclined to agree. Had she accepted Fleur’s offer of fake glasses, Fluffer Duster would fit right into any boardroom in Manehattan.
Her official-looking presence had the added benefit of helping Fancy look busy. For once, he was glad she was such a homebody. He heard murmurs between the nobles trying to name the mysterious planner hogging all of his attention. Even during the lulls where he could be interrupted, he acted occupied to avoid getting roped into an endless conversation with the more vocal members of the committee. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to Upper Crust any more than necessary.
Fancy took one last look around the dining hall to ensure everything was ready for the delegation’s arrival. “How are we doing on time, Miss Duster?”
“Going by the watchtower’s last report twenty minutes ago, I’d say we have about six minutes until the Adora lands.”
Fancy nodded along, but stopped at the name. “Not the Imperious? I thought the Empire only had one airship.”
Fluffer Duster flipped through her clipboard until she arrived at a communique from the castle. “I don’t know. It says here that a pink and white ship called the Adora requested entrance into Canterlot airspace. Maybe her Imperial highness changed its name?”
“And the paint from the sounds of it,” Fancy added with a warm chuckle. “I suppose our world’s newest leader is more attached to her duties as the Princess of Love than as the Crystal Empress. A name like Imperious doesn’t sound very lovable.”
A familiar airy laugh drew their attention. “You’re right. I probably should’ve thought about that when I commissioned the ship for her,” Celestia remarked.
“Y-your majesties!” Fluffer Duster stuttered. Remembering her manners, she dropped to the ground in a deep bow. The gesture rippled through the room as ponies fell like dominoes in reverence to their immortal leaders.
Following their example, Fancy knelt down respectfully toward the approaching sun and moon being led by Dapper. “Good evening, your highnesses. I apologize for not greeting you upon your arrival.”
“It is I who should apologize to you, dear Fancy Pants. I didn’t wish to cause a commotion upon our arrival. So I asked the impressively mustached one to refrain from announcing us. It was a foolish thought in hindsight.” Luna shot a leer around the room full of bowing ponies, then launched herself skyward with a resolute hoofstomp.
“Arise, everypony! Return to your duties at once!” she commanded with her royal voice. Everypony bounced back immediately and returned to their work as she fluttered to the floor. “Such needless pleasantries.”
“I think it was worth the try, sister,” Princess Celestia said in support. Her eyes darted around the area with an eternally exacting eye for detail. She smiled in approval at the results. “Besides, it would appear that everything is in order for our beloved niece's arrival, including you, Sir Fancy Pants. Don’t you agree, Dapper Dandy?”
“Indubitably, your highness. It’s marvelous to see you dressed in your finest again, sir,” the old butler remarked with a subdued, yet pleasant smile.
“I’m just glad the old thing still fits. Barely.” Fancy looked down at his diplomatic uniform in all of its ornate, royal, and uncomfortably tight splendor. His decorated navy blue and gold jacket rattled with silver stars, gold medals, and other honors that he’d earned over his years of service to the crown.
“Not to worry, my dear friend,” Luna said as she admired his outfit. “You wear our colors well.”
“With all due respect, you’re not the one with your barrel bunching up like a marshmallow.”
Dapper stepped forward to inspect the slight bulge of his underside. “From my limited understanding, you’re simply in the early stages of developing something Fleur calls a ‘dad bod,’ if I heard her correctly. Supposedly those are ‘in’ right now.”
“Don’t believe everything you hear, Dapper. Especially from Fleur. Still, I appreciate the sentiment.” Fancy made one last attempt to adjust his jacket, but he could still feel the pooch of flab where his shirt met his stomach.
“You look fine, Fancy Pants. You already have my sister’s approval, which I wholeheartedly agree with,” Princess Celestia assured as she shooed the stallion’s hoof away from his midsection. Her ear swiveled subtly towards several approaching committee members. “Let’s go ahead and get ready to meet my niece on the back lawn.” The princess’ horn flared with magic as she wrapped the group with her powerful spellwork. In an instant, the tiled floors yielded to soft grass as they appeared outside.
“Not even sparing a moment for the nobility?” Luna asked with a knowing smirk. “You must be more excited than I thought.”
The elder sister smiled softly. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a very long time.”
Winter Wrap-up had finally come and gone in Canterlot, and the bitter chill of the late evening wind had yielded to the cool mountain breeze of spring. Pegasi had swept away the snow, revealing verdant fields with fresh grass springing up along the river and around the waterfall. The free-flowing cascades kicked up a cloud of vapor that scattered the setting sunlight in a warm rainbow. While the wildflowers hadn’t come in yet, the warm glow of the setting sun kissed the grass, painting the blades in yellow and red hues. Fancy’s gaze followed the trail of signal flags from the designated landing zone all the way to the city’s east wall. In the distance was a large, pink balloon with a shimmering glint underneath that was getting larger with each passing moment.
Even though he’d mentally prepared, Fancy couldn’t help but feel the slightest modicum of apprehension. Ever since he’d known Princess Cadance, he’d always made her uncomfortable. While she bore no outward hostility towards him, the princess always found some excuse to avoid meeting him more than she had to. He hoped his presence wouldn’t complicate things if there was still an issue between them, especially since Princess Celestia was so adamant about him being here.
His magical aura reached for the stress crystal that his mind knew wasn’t there. The formal dress uniform was too tight to secret it away without drawing an unsightly bulge on his chest. For now, he’d just have to make do with his monocle, or Princess Luna’s magic if she caught him stress casting.
As the Adora made its approach, the luxurious gold and silver ship dropped ropes for the Royal Guard’s Air Force. Pegasi and nocturnes worked together, pulling the ship lower to tie it to the ground. Finally, the last and largest rope meant to tie the ship down appeared off the side, carried down in a royal streak of pink and purple. The beautiful swan of the Frozen North, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, alighted to the ground like a seasoned sailor dressed in golden Imperial finery. She guided the thick rope in her mouth to the mooring post and tied her royal ship down by hoof. After testing the knot with a tug, she brushed her mane to reveal a beaming smile at a job well done. It only shined brighter upon seeing her adoptive royal family.
“Auntie Celestia! Auntie Luna!” The youngest princess broke into a gallop towards the sun and moon.
Princess Celestia extended her wings and caught her niece within her feathery spread. “Welcome back to Canterlot. It is so good to see you again, your Imperial Highness.”
“Oh don’t you start with that. It’s just Cadance with you two.”
Luna trotted past the pair to observe the princess’ work. “I see you’ve been practicing nautical knots, Cadence.”
“Shiny taught me that one!” she said with pride. “It was a good excuse to get off the boat sooner. I just wanted to be your niece for a few minutes before things really got underway.”
Luna flicked the rope with her hoof and smiled. “Searching for ways to shirk your duties? My my, I think our nations will get along swimmingly, my lovely niece.”
“Without a doubt, Auntie Luna. This whole thing is basically a formality anyway.”
Luna’s mouth drew into a firm line. “Perhaps it is so for the Alicorn Princess of Love, but it mustn’t be for the Empress of the Crystal Empire. Unless Harmony itself is at stake, you are expected to act in the best interest of your nation first and foremost.”
The pink princess bristled slightly at the sudden change in her aunt’s demeanor. “But the conditions are already so favorable, I don’t see why I should treat you any differently. Besides, the crystal ponies love Equestria so much!”
“While it is true that we’ve done much to help them upon their return, we are still separate powers. Regardless of your unique connection to the Crystal Heart, the delegation may question your loyalties as their Equestrian-born sovereign. Fortunately, we have our good friend and fateweaver to guide us. While not impartial, his limited foresight should help us strike a better balance.”
“Oh yeah. I almost forgot. This isn’t the castle’s backyard, is it?” The princess tittered and glanced around until she spotted him. Her face fell briefly, but she quickly recovered by clearing her throat. The royal still had a good century before her mask even came close to her aunts'. “It’s good to see you again, Sir Fancy Pants.”
“The pleasure is all mine, your Imperial highness.” Fancy bowed deeply with every ounce of deference he could muster. “It is a privilege to be able to lend my humble estate to house your servants.”
“Thank you, Sir Fancy Pants,” she said weakly. Fancy lifted his head to give the princess his full attention, but her eyes flicked over to Luna the moment his made contact. “Auntie Celestia told me that you and Auntie Luna were working closely together.”
“And the both of them have been doing an excellent job,” Princess Celestia stated as she motioned for Luna to come closer. She nudged Fancy Pants towards her younger sister, almost making them bump into each other. She then extended her wing all the way around both of them and pulled the two into a close hug. “I am very pleased with the results of their efforts, and I’m sure you will be as well.”
The smaller stallion did his best to smile while awkwardly sandwiched between the royals. Fancy knew Princess Celestia was determined to fix the rift between him and Cadance, but this was far more forward than he expected. He glanced up at Luna, who seemed to be annoyed by her sister’s crushing wing hug and complete lack of subtlety. Before either of them could protest, Princess Celestia released them and shifted over to Cadance’s side.
“After seeing them in action, I know there’s nothing they can’t do together. What do you think, Cadenza?” Celestia asked.
The youngest princess’ ear flicked. Everypony in the castle had known for years that she hated hearing her full name. “I’m sure the summit will be—” The words died on Candance’s lips as her eyes widened. She quickly glanced back over to Fancy and Luna, her focus darting between them as her face paled. “Aunt Celestia? Could I talk to you for a moment? Privately?”
The solar princess’ smile glowed with the serenity of Elysium as she hugged her niece. “Of course. I already had a room prepared for us, but we should wait for the rest of your subjects to finish landing first.”
Cadance shrank back into her aunt’s embrace. “O-oh. Right.”
Where he’d hoped some time apart would’ve helped, it seemed Princess Cadance was more upset by him than ever. Her revulsion hadn’t been missed by Luna either, as she offered him a supportive wing hug of her own before shooting a disappointed frown at Cadance. At this point, Fancy was hoping his mere presence wouldn’t spark an international incident.
“Sure you don’t wanna duck out with us for the night, sis?” Fleur asked Vinyl for the umpteenth time. “We’ve got a mattress with your name on it.”
Vinyl leaned back from her desk and shook her head. “I’m good here. Just gonna hang out while the welcoming party’s going down.” She grabbed her half-eaten plate of random food. “Don’t want to waste Dapper’s good cooking.”
“Okay, Vinyle. Remember you promised,” Éclair warned as her eyes scanned the studio’s clutter.
“I know, I know,” she assured the two, but the worried frown on her maman didn’t budge. “You know what? How about this?” Vinyl shuffled the pages of music and notes she’d taken until her hoof clicked against her dampening ring. She slid it on, numbing her horn again. “No magic until the performance tomorrow. Deal?”
Éclair finally smiled softly and nodded. “Deal.”
Fleur gave Vinyl a quick hug. “Just actually take it easy. I don’t want to have to run all the way over here from home just to smack some sense into you.”
“The ring stays on all night, I promise. I’m just gonna relax and listen to some records, no notes.”
Fleur narrowed her gaze, giving her sister a suspicious stink eye.
“I swear, no notes.”
“Okay. I trust you. But first, I’m just gonna…” Fleur’s magic wrapped around the mound of paper on the table, sweeping it up in a flurry of magic and depositing it on top of the tallest cabinet in the studio. “There!”
Vinyl shot an eyebrow up as she leaned over her clean desk. “How exactly is that trusting?”
“I trust that you won’t be able to reach those. I’ll ask Dapper to check on you before bed. At nine.”
“Geez, okay. Anything else, your majesty?”
“Non, non,” Fleur answered as Lady Faire without missing a beat. “If I hear you are, how you say, being a bad filly, I will send for la guillotine, oui?”
“I comprende.”
“Qu'est-ce que c'est?” Fleur tilted her head. “This is non Prench.”
“Whatever. You still got it.”
“Sí.”
Vinyl rolled her eyes and waved her sister out of the recording studio. Maman simply shook her head and helped Fleur out the door with a soft kick to her flank. She then smiled sweetly as she leaned her head back inside for one last look. “See you tomorrow evening, ma précieuse fleur de vinyle.”
Vinyl cracked a smile and waved goodbye until the door closed. After they left, she sighed and tried to reach for her fork with her magic, only to fail her spell. “Right. Shoulda finished my food before the ring thing.” Forgoing any Canterlot table manners, Vinyl stuck her muzzle into the food and grazed off of her plate, holding her mane back by hoof.
Her eyes wandered up to her research, filed neatly along with the sheet music she’d planned to compare to Suede’s music. “So much for that idea.”
It was probably for the best anyway. Without the use of her magic, there wasn’t much else she’d be able to do if something sounded off. Now she had the problem of waiting for bedtime to roll around. Fancy had offered to invite her to the welcoming party, but there was no way Vinyl was going to spend a second more than she needed to around rich, snooty ponies.
So what are you going to do then? Desire asked.
Vinyl groaned to herself. She’d been alone with her thoughts too long. “Something to keep you quiet.”
You want to listen to your collection.
“Fancy’s collection,” Vinyl corrected firmly. “Fancy’s parent’s collection.”
But he gave it to you.
“I never accepted.”
You wanted to accept it. You want all of this and more.
“I know, but please. Not now,” Vinyl begged fruitlessly as she sunk her head into her hooves.
Fine. You still want to listen to something, though. Desire hummed loudly to herself, banefully interrupting Vinyl’s thoughts. Oh! I know! Let’s find the Moondance Album!
“First off, don’t talk like you’re realizing anything I haven’t. Second, you say that like it’s gonna be easy. The masters have been missing for years.”
Maybe Fancy never tried to look? It’s gotta be somewhere in the newer records. We won’t even need your magic.
Vinyl sighed. She was supposed to be taking things easy, but the last thing she wanted to do was relax for even a single second.
Let’s just look, alright? Finding Moondance would make Fancy happy and make you feel better about accepting the collection.
Vinyl’s shoulders sagged as Desire pulled at her heart. “I don’t want to accept it.”
But you do want it.
Vinyl said nothing, but it wasn’t like she could hide her desires from herself. Plus, it’d offer a distraction from thinking about anything.
That’s the spirit!
Especially Desire.
That, not so much.
Vinyl scarfed down the last of her greens in one gigantic bite and set the plate aside. She was going to need the space if she intended to dig some albums out of the collection. Vinyl swore to herself that she wasn’t going to go crazy with the search. The last thing she wanted was to upset everypony again… Right?
Right! Desire agreed.
“Right. So, let’s get started.”
The welcoming scent of old cardboard and vinyl wafted over the amateur archivist’s nose as she opened the door to the collection again. Every time she’d stepped through the threshold, Vinyl had stopped to gaze down the rows and rows of boxes brimming with old disks. She remembered seeing Steeplechase bubbling with excitement as he looked around the musty, neglected shelves. At the time, Vinyl had no idea why, but now she saw it.
Despite the decrepit appearance, the collection was alive in its own way. A living, breathing, untapped treasure trove of two ponies that had come to mean the world to her. Summers and Suede were a constant source of musical inspiration, a wellspring of life lessons, and the parents Vinyl wished she’d had growing up. And Fancy Pants wanted to give it all to her.
Better than any ring, right?
Vinyl’s face flushed bright red and she slammed her hooves down. “Would you shut up already!”
Shaking the annoying idea away, Vinyl stepped inside to begin her search. The timeline started to her left with two rows of separate boxes that eventually merged into one. From there, it jumped across to the right wall and flowed from the back as the years went on. The newer cases ended, eventually turning into storage for retired sound equipment. If she had time, Vinyl could try restoring them to use in her studio—
“Fancy’s studio,” she reminded herself.
Vinyl trotted over to the very end of the collection. She kept a sharp eye out for dates on the side of the boxes to get a feel for the period she was searching through. There wasn’t a single marking on the last box, nor any masters inside.
“Makes sense,” Vinyl muttered to herself. “They’d need to prepare boxes to store the records in as they made them.”
The next few boxes were the same. No markings, no masters. They were all so empty. A sharp pang of loss flickered through her heart. There was still so much room they could’ve filled. So much more she thought was there to listen to. Vinyl stopped bothering to check for dates and simply opened the boxes to look inside as she went down the line.
Finally, she opened a box to find a lone record marked with a strange entry marked 01/18/00. Confused by the impossible, thousand-year-old disk, she slipped it out of the box and took it back to the record player for a quick listen.
Vinyl put on her headphones and listened closely, but heard nothing. As she cranked up the volume, the thrum of a magic aura sparkled through, along with the sound of a pencil writing. If she listened closely, she could barely hear two ponies talking in the distance. She ratcheted up the audio as high as it would go, trying to catch what they were saying, only for the scratchy sound of her own laughter to explode in her ears.
Vinyl knocked her headphones to the ground and pulled down on the soundboard’s volume, hearing her past nearly die of laughter as she slammed the table. “Cats meow!” she heard her past self wheeze through guffaws.
Vinyl cut the record and sighed. At least now she knew where the collection ended thanks to the “Sunny Spaz” incident. She went back and slotted her accidental submission to the collection as a bookend to the timeline. With renewed purpose, Vinyl opened the next box in line to check the masters, only to find it empty like the others. As far as she knew, the last time the studio had been properly used was by Suede.
“So, if this was the Moondance, it’s long gone.” Vinyl shut the box and leaned her head against it. Of course it wouldn’t be this easy. Fancy would’ve obviously checked himself since he was familiar with the dating system.
Still, she wasn’t deterred from her search. Her goal might’ve been a bust, but Vinyl still had plenty of time before bed, and listening to the records was always so comforting. Skimming the next few boxes, another strange entry in the collection caught her eye. It was a box full of records marked with the same date: 08/23/980. It sounded strangely familiar, but Vinyl couldn’t put her hoof on it. Her curiosity piqued, she stacked the last five masters on her back and returned to the sound board to give them a listen.
Popping the very last one in, she gently raised the audio to spare herself any deafening shenanigans. She listened intently, waiting for something to start, but there was nothing. Absolutely nothing. The studio was completely quiet on the other end. She might as well have been listening to paint dry.
“That’s weird. Did they forget to turn the recording off?” She lifted the disk and put the second down. Nothing. The third. Still nothing. Then fourth and the fifth. Nothing and nothing.
“They definitely forgot to turn the recording off,” Vinyl huffed in frustration. All she wanted was something to listen to for a while. Why was this so hard?
The irritated archivist placed the wasted disks back into their slots, not bothering to check the order, and traced her hoof all the way to the first disk of that day. If this turned out to be a bust, she was going to eat her sunglasses. She stormed back over to the studio’s console for the third time and sat down to hopefully listen to the final record in the collection.
And at last, she heard a voice.
“You… you ready?” Summers asked nervously. Vinyl could practically hear the mare sweating in her horseshoes. “Is it recording?”
There was no answer from the other side.
“Okay. Groovy!” The queen laughed to herself, trying to downplay her nerves. Summers then coughed. “Umm… this is a song that I’ve really wanted you to hear for—heavens, I can’t remember how long. I had a little help from Suede making it. Well, a lot if I’m keeping it real. I just did the lyrics.”
Another stint of silence fell over the disk, but this time, Vinyl could hear the vague sound of a gentle laugh. After a few moments, the studio’s speaker clicked. “Go ahead, Summers. I’m all ears,” a warm, friendly, and familiar voice assured her from the sound booth.
Vinyl shot up to attention. “Sunny?”
Aside from the awkward reintroduction between Princess Cadance and himself, the rest of the welcoming party went off without a hitch. The Crystal Delegation was given a royal welcome by their hosts with plenty of food and drink for everypony, along with enough time for the undercover guards to find their escorts for the week.
As for the princesses, Celestia and Cadance had left the dinner early for some privacy. Luna tried to follow, but was stayed by her sister’s firm hoof.
“You have enough on your plate this evening, Lulu,” was the excuse Celestia had given, but her sister hadn’t bought it for a second. Suffice to say, Princess Luna’s indignation was palpable.
The rest of the evening’s event went as planned, with a short orientation about the schedule for the rest of the week. Once everypony was in agreement, the delegates were led to the castle by the Royal Guard with their personal servants. The rest of the Imperial entourage either returned to the ship or retired to the mansion’s servant quarters. As for Fancy Pants, he still had to contend with the perturbed princess. By her request, the two had adjourned for a walk around the mansion to help her cool off.
Fancy stopped in front of the next display item in his collection. “And this here is a—”
“A blue Saddle Arabian crystal decanter with yet another diplomatic story behind its acquisition?” Luna finished curtly for him.
“A gift from Wazir Black Pearl. I forget how to pronounce his name properly in his native tongue.”
“It is a beautiful treasure from a remarkable friend, just like the rest of your ambassadorial collection,” she remarked as she passed it by with the same level of interest Fancy would spare for a paper cup. “It just proves once more how beloved Equestria’s most decorated servant is to the rest of the world, save one rude niece.”
Fancy sighed and tried to push through the princess’ anger. “While I do not know the reason behind Princess Cadance’s apprehension around me—”
“You mean vitriolic disgust,” she corrected rather than suggested.
“Please. Do not so quickly characterize her reaction as such. We’ve spoken before about my younger days. Perhaps I offended her in some way back then?”
“How foalish. Unless thy transgression was egregious a sin against her and worthy of decades of condemnation, we see no reason for our ‘niece’ to be so sickened by you.”
“Be still, your highness,” Fancy softly reminded the bitter moon. “If I did make a mistake, perhaps she will be more willing to tell you in secret. I will do my best to remain professional and apologize if I have upset her before.”
The princess snorted in anger and whipped back around to face him. “This is what we—what I mean. How could anypony find fault with a perfect gentlecolt like you? Utterly vexing! I have never been so disappointed with Cadance.”
“I’m sorry about that,” a nervous voice called from the distance.
Fancy looked past the princess to see a nerve-wracked Cadance approaching from down the hallway. Luna sneered and reared up to her hind legs as she spun around. She slammed them down in a powerful, silencing blast and stood as tall as she could against the other princess.
Cadance bit her lip. “Aunt—”
“SILENCE!” Luna boomed, threatening to wake the entire mansion. “Keep that familial title out of your mouth, Empress Mi Amore Cadenza! No family of mine would treat our beloved friends so terribly. We demand an explanation!”
Cadance’s ears pinned against her head, genuinely hurt by the harsh words, but she didn’t flinch. “Yes. I understand. He’s your friend, right?”
Luna leaned into the other princess’ face and sneered. “Indeed! Sir Fancy Pants was the first dear friend I made upon my return. Daresay, I consider him to be even closer than my harmonious saviors!”
“Right. And nopony’s closer to you than him?” the other princess probed carefully.
“The details of my relations are none of your concern right now!”
“I’m sorry Au—P-Princess Luna,” the dejected mare whispered as she retreated.
Having heard enough, Fancy stepped around between the two royals, shielding Cadance from Luna’s fury. “Okay, that is sufficient, your majesty. She may be your niece, but as you stated earlier, she is also foreign royalty. You mustn’t address her with such open hostility.”
Luna grinned ruefully. “You see? He still intervenes upon your behalf despite your loathing of him.”
“I don’t hate him!” Cadance swore.
“Such a claim would be easier to believe had your eyes for him not borne the same displeasure of gazing upon a festering corpse!”
“Please, your highness!” Fancy rebuked firmly, catching Luna by complete surprise. He cleared his throat, doing away with any remaining semblance of decorum. “You’re jeopardizing everything we’ve been working towards! You cannot allow such a small matter to ruin the summit before it even starts.”
The princess’ fury flickered away faster than a comet’s trail, but her chilling spite still remained. “Fine. Be that way. Where has my sister gone, Empress Cadenza?”
“I’m not sure,” the cowed princess answered. “After we spoke, she said she wished to be left alone.” Cadence looked down at her hooves and shivered. “She… wasn’t exactly happy with me either.”
Luna’s mouth briefly fluttered with the beginning of a snide remark, but she bit it back. “Very well, then I shall respect her wishes and continue on my tour of the mansion while you two work this out.” Luna narrowed her gaze at the other two ponies. “And you will work this out. Immediately.”
The Princess of Love looked back up to her aunt and nodded quickly. “I was planning on doing just that, Princess Luna.”
Luna scoffed. “Hopefully it was set in motion before I demanded it.” She turned her nose up at the two and trotted away with her head held high. “For now, I will peruse more of my dear friend’s celebrated history, alone. Perhaps reflecting on his renowned service for the good of all ponies will put me in a more forgiving mood. If not, I bid thee goodnight, Empress.”
With that, Luna quickly strode away in a huff. When Fancy could no longer hear the echoes of her powerful hoofsteps, he heaved a sigh in either relief or weariness. He wasn’t sure which. His new companion didn’t seem to be faring much better, grimacing uncomfortably at the void left by her beloved aunt.
Fancy bowed deeply. “I do apologize for all of this, your highness.”
Cadence shook her head. “Please, don’t, Sir Fancy Pants. After all, she’s right. We need to get along better. Or really I need to start getting along with you.”
“Then allow me to be the first to make amends for whatever it is I’ve done to upset you.”
“No-no-no! It’s not…” the princess trailed as she bit back her words. “It’s nothing like that. As she said, you’ve never been anything but a perfect gentlecolt to me.”
Fancy’s mind went blank. “I don’t understand. I must’ve done something to upset you. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve maintained a… polite distance.”
“A lovely way of saying I avoided you as much as possible,” Cadence joked with a hesitant smile. “It’s just something I can’t help but feel around you. Or maybe it’s better to say that it’s something I don’t feel from you.”
Fancy blinked trying to fathom what in Equestria she could be talking about. He wasn’t wearing his regular suit. Prince Shining Armor bore the same colors as he did, albeit in different hues. Plenty of ponies had various facial hair styles and eyewear. He was almost tempted to smell himself in case his natural scent was repulsive.
“I don’t mind telling you, and honestly, you deserve to know why. But, please think about it first. I don’t want to hurt you,” the princess added cryptically.
Fancy smirked in disbelief. That was a new one. He wasn’t sure if he should feel amused or threatened. “I assure you, it takes a great deal to offend a seasoned diplomat like myself.”
“Even if it is tied to a closely guarded secret of yours?” she pressed with a wince.
Fancy chuckled to himself. “If it’s a secret from over fifteen years ago, I bet I’ve already forgotten it by now.”
“No, Sir Fancy Pants. It’s something from your past that still remains in you to this day.” Her eyes drifted to his chest with a pained grimace. “Let me remind you that I am the Princess of Love. It is my duty to spread its many joys and heal its sorrows. I can also feel… the weight of the hearts around me. Like yours.”
“The weight of my heart?”
“Mhmm.” The princess turned her head away and looked at him askew.
“You say that as if there’s something wrong with it.”
Cadence nodded her head fervently while covering her muzzle with her hoof.
“Then please, tell me!”
“It’s hard,” she finally answered.
Fancy stepped forward, trying to meet her retreating eyes. “With all due respect, your highness. I know it might be difficult to say, but if it’s this bad, I must know.”
“No, I mean your heart is hard. It’s like a rock,” she answered sadly. “Solid, inert, dead, and utterly broken. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Ice shot through his veins as he gripped his chest. “Let’s say I believe you. Just how bad is it?”
The princess hesitated as she considered the question. “I’ve seen worse, but not often.”
Despite his fear, Fancy was compelled to ask. “Like who?”
Princess Cadance bit her lip and closed her eyes. “Chrysalis.”
A changeling’s heart? And not just any changeling, the changeling queen’s? “No, that’s impossible. Chrysalis is a heartless villain who steals love. I’ve served Equestria for years, building relationships with creatures across the world. I would give anything for my friends and loved ones! How could you possibly compare my heart to hers?”
“It’s not that. It’s just your love is so painfully strained. You guard it so closely that you choke the life out of it. It not only hurts you, but risks hurting those that you want to love but refuse to. Haven’t you ever tried to comfort somepony or be there for another, but found that you couldn’t?”
“Of course not! I’ve never—”
“Fancy, it has been ages since you come to Pâte de Lune! Even longer for coming for the anniversary. You make time for Fleur. You make time for the princess. But none for me? I have missed you so dearly!” Tears started streaming down Éclair’s face. “Why has it been so long? D-did I do something?”
“I-I’ve never…”
The melancholy returned as Fleur’s head flopped to the side. Her frown deepened as she kept her eyes locked onto Fancy’s hoof. Unlike before, it only took a few seconds for it to click what she was referring to. It was the one roadblock he couldn’t overcome, and family wasn’t going to cut it for Fleur.
“No… it isn’t like that.”
“And you do too. So why do you say you should be alone? Why can’t you just enjoy it?” Vinyl bit her lip with an envious sorrow burning in her eyes. “I’d have given anything to have somepony like Éclair or Dapper or Summers growing up. What’s stopping you?”
Fancy’s horn screamed for relief, trying desperately to find his stress crystal. He attempted to draw a calming breath, but his lungs refused to work at all. He would’ve collapsed to the floor had his legs not locked up.
“Sir Fancy Pants!” the princess exclaimed as she shot her soothing aura around him. Like Luna before, he could feel the calming, comforting caress of another’s magic in his mind, but this time it wasn’t helping.
“H-how much do you know?” Fancy eked out in a strangled wheeze.
“I don’t know! I swear I don’t! I have no idea who or what or why, but whatever it is, you’ve held on to it for years.”
Princess Cadance was right. She was exactly right.
“Whatever love escapes it is strained, hampered by something hurtful and old. The loss of a loved one, unrequited passion, a traumatic rejection; I’m not sure. It…” Cadance sucked in her lips silently cursing to herself. “It was never my place to say.”
She was right. It wasn’t her place. She shouldn’t have said anything. Living in ignorance would’ve been bliss.
Her eyes glistened with empathy as she reached out to him. “Please. Whatever it is, you have to resolve it.”
Fancy felt his old, smoldering flame flare up from the ashes, sparking him back to life. “Resolve it?”
The princess smiled softly. “Yes. I can help you, I promise that I will however I can.” She placed a supportive hoof on the shaking stallion’s shoulder. “But you have to act. Confess your love for them, admit that it’s over, face the reality that they’re no longer with us, move onto somepony new. The sooner the better. You have to stop hurting yourself.”
Fancy shook his head. She was wrong. He knew happiness. He knew the proper happiness. The optimal happiness. He just had to figure out how to make it happen first. For Éclair’s sake. For his sake.
Cadance placed both of her hooves on his shoulders and start to shake him. “No, please! Stop that! Stop poisoning your heart with whatever it is you’re thinking.”
“My thoughts are my own!” Fancy yelled far louder than he meant as he backed away from the damnedable mare. “You know nothing!”
“You’re right. I don’t. But I could if you were to tell me.” The terrifying pink princess bent down to meet his gaze, trying to trick him into lowering his guard. He could feel her intrusive empathic magic worming its way into his very soul. “I want to help you. I’ve wanted to help you since I met you, but… the time was never right.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Cadance sucked in her lips as her eyes searched for the right words to say. “Please, Sir Fancy Pants. You’ve locked yourself away in so much darkness and pain when there is so much more happiness out there just waiting for you. New ways, new lives, new loves. Don’t cling to the prison of ‘the one.’ There is no such thing. Deep down, you must know. There must be someone else who has moved your heart before or since.”
Fancy’s heart raced in sheer panic. It pounded with a solid percussive rhythm that would suit a genre of music he barely understood. The beautiful beat sent a shock of electricity through his system and rattled the sides of his iron heart.
Cadance gasped with a spark of hope. “There! Right there! That joy you felt for a moment. It’s renewing vigor. That’s a love worth pursuing!”
“Get out of my head! Get out!” Fancy roared as he fought against her aura. His hooves reached for the closest thing he could get a grip on and threw it to the ground between them. A shattering of Saddle Arabian glass broke the princess’ concentration, releasing him from her violating grasp.
“I… I’m sorry. I just wanted to help.”
Fancy struggled to catch his breath, but eventually settled down enough to form a coherent thought that wasn’t just a string of curses. “I am a professional, your highness. I will not allow my personal feelings towards you marr my perception of those you represent.”
Fancy grabbed his monocle by his hoof and polished it as he tried to gather his thoughts. Otherwise, he was going to say something that both of their nations would regret for decades to come. “However, if you ever try to do that again, I will be forced to recuse myself from any further negotiations. I fear I might not be able to look past my personal grievances with you.”
“I understand, Sir Fancy Pants. I apologize for—”
Fancy’s eyes sharpened to a contemptible gaze filled with utter loathing. “Do not waste your breath, your Imperial majesty. It will not be accepted. Now, I beg your leave before I say anything else I cannot take back.”
“Yes. Of course.” The Crystal Empress closed her eyes, unable to face Fancy. “I’ll just see myself out.”
Fancy cantered away, leaving the shattered glass on the ground. He’d have somepony clean it later. For now, he had to calm down. He had to get away from her. His mind was reeling, and polishing his monocle wasn’t helping at all. Hopefully, Luna would be able to soothe him with her spellwork, wherever she’d ended up in the estate.
He wandered through the halls, trying his best to track the princess in his own house. In all the time that they were friends, Luna had never visited him. Or at least, she’d never done so in the waking world. With Vinyl’s apprehension towards her, she’d kept her distance. At this rate, he’d need to keep his distance from Vinyl too. His heart couldn’t be trusted to do what was right with her around him. Not like this, after what that so-called Princess of Love had done to him.
Reaching the stairs at the end of the hallway, he had a choice of going up towards the servant’s quarters on the third floor, or down towards Vinyl’s room on the first. Deciding it wasn’t his lucky night, he ventured downstairs to find Luna. It was a more visually interesting path to take anyway. With any luck, she wouldn’t have made it all the way to the studio.
“Princess Luna? Are you down here?” he asked warily at the bottom of the stairs. Hearing nothing, he continued on through the halls of his parent’s memorabilia, towards the last place he wanted to go tonight.
Memories of his late parents grew more numerous as he pressed on towards the mansion’s Studio Wing. Reaching the corner of his mother’s collage hallway, he stopped and silently wished he wouldn’t find her. He strode out to check and—as his terrible luck had it—in the middle of the hallway was his royal friend staring at the wall.
“There you are, Luna,” he said as he approached her. For her part, she didn’t flinch in the slightest, her eyes transfixed on a single picture.
Wondering what had captured the princess’ attention, Fancy joined her side to see a very familiar magazine cover: his mother singing at her breakout concert. Sauna Summers’ curly mane had been done up in a huge afro and she was wearing a white and gold, form-fitting dress speckled with rainbow sequins. Her wings were flared out, her full span draped with a translucent tapestry that cascaded around her as she sang passionately into a microphone. In the background were three backup ponies dressed in similarly colored dresses, but nopony outshined the “Sensational Sauna Summers.”
Fancy decided to go with the canned question he always posed to his guests. “Did you know her special talent was operating steam rooms?”
“Yes. We are aware,” Luna answered, her eyes never moving from the picture.
Fancy forced a chuckle. “I don’t remember telling you that. Perhaps your sister mentioned it to you?”
“Yes. She spoke of this, amid a great many other things,” Luna stated, trying to keep her voice even. “However, she said nothing about this when recounting their past together.”
Fancy took a deeper look at the familiar cover, but couldn’t tell what had caught Luna’s eye. “Is something amiss?”
The princess raised a firm hoof, pointing out one of the mares behind Sauna Summers.
“Why is ‘Sunny Skies’ performing with your mother?”
Fancy’s mind went blank upon hearing the full name Vinyl had been searching for all this time. Before he could even begin to formulate a proper response, a shrill, terrified scream pierced the halls. Fancy and Luna both looked to the source from further down the hallway. There was only one pony he knew that’d be down there at this time of night.
“Vinyl!” Fancy raced ahead, the princess joining his side in a fierce gallop.
“It came from this room,” Luna said as she threw open the door to the studio.
Inside was Vinyl, trying desperately to destroy a record by hoof as tears streamed down her face. She was hunched down on her hind legs and using her forelegs to slam it on the ground over and over with all her might. It was the best she could muster with her magic sealed by her dampening ring. Her eyes that always brimmed with life were shattered red with pained rage. She’d been hurt, deeply, and she was striking back.
“Vinyl!” Fancy shouted as he ran into the room. He caught her leg with her hoof, preventing it from damaging the record or herself any further. “Vinyl!”
Finally, the mare snapped back to attention, realizing she wasn’t alone in the room anymore. She shrank back at the sight of the princess, but then she spotted Fancy and turned to him, quivering with sorrow.
“Fancy…” she croaked as her face crumpled. Vinyl collapsed into his chest and wailed.
Without a second thought, Fancy hugged the trembling mare as she wept into his fur. “Vinyl, what happened?”
The mare coughed and tried to answer, but Fancy couldn’t understand through her muffled cries.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you. Please, just tell me you didn’t hurt yourself again.”
“She’s… she’s dead.”
Fancy’s heart sank at the sudden news. “What? Who?”
“Summers. She died. I-I heard it.” She gripped his dress shirt, struggling for any strength or warmth she could feel from him. “I heard Summers die.”
If you find a simple mistake in the GSP (Grammar, Spelling, or Punctuation), please let me know through a private message rather than leaving it in the comment section. Thank you for reading!
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O wow poor vynil.
Also wow that interaction between fancy and cadence
Oooooh dear. A lot of things are coming to a head here. Next chapter is gonna be real interesting.
Well, several things that have been heavily foreshadowed are about to come to a head. Several predictions appear to be dead on, but a last minute twist is always possible.
That... what the... Oh I get a feeling that next chapter is going to be very very bad for Fancy. If it was so horrifying Vinyl would DESTROy the record... oh god
11605697
But no cigar.
11605723
Don't worry. Everything will be A-okay! Pink princess is here!
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Next chapter is one I've been worried about since I started working on the fic. Let's see if I get any more dislikes come chapter 49.
This feels like a redundant statement.
And that has unsettling implications.
He needs so much therapy. I'm also not entierely sure WHY he now holds such open hostility for her. Did I miss something?
My guess, either Celestia or a descendant or such.
Oh. Well then. That's, traumatizing.
Also, I know it's in bad taste but I really want some one to respond to Vinyl with, "yes, she's been dead for decades, any other breaking news you have for us?"
11606332
I considered changing the line, but Lady Faire is also an Obulettes and Ogres character.
Essentially telling him that his pining after Eclair is hurting him and those around him. He didn't like that much.
Parasocial relationships can be rough.
Oh... Oh no... Oh dammit...
Well that right there will be trauma for life.
Yer an idiot. A pink and bubble gum, idiot.
Yeah, I've been waiting for this for a while now. Somepony (a rather large pony) has some 'splainin' to do!
There are so many heads that need to be smacked together in this story. Or at least, rattled a bit so we can see what shakes loose and falls out. (They're all idiots!)
...and this is how we break the sparky unicorn. Sigh. Paging, Dr. Fleur. Paging, Dr. Pants. Paging, Dr. Maman.
11605902
I don't think she actually destroyed it. I think she was trying to destroy it. Had she had her magic, it would have definitely been gone.
(okay, this quote could go either way, TBH, but I still don't think the record is broken.)
11606408
Yes, and I feel that she knows that; however, Vinyl is so invested in Sauna and Suede that her emotions are removing her from reality. She so desperately wants them to be the parents that she never had that it's too much for her when she 'actually' hears Suana dies. I don't know about you, but seeing, let alone hearing, someone die is not a positive experience, even if it's through recording, and this issue is only compounded by how invested Vinyl is in Sauna. Being in the military and a nurse, I've seen my fair share of deaths through all ranges of life, so I get her reaction to hearing Sauna dying, especially for someone whose potential has never experienced it before.
Oof very exciting! Excellent update as usual!
11606549
I mean the existence of the guillotine in this world.
well ok call me slow but i know who Sunny Skies is.
Summers. She died. I-I heard it.” She gripped his dress shirt, struggling for any strength or warmth she could feel from him. “I heard Summers die.”
ok the last part has me stumped a bit i am going to have to go back over this chapter.
this is a amazing chapter.
looks like Celestia is trying to set luna up with fancy but is not liking what cadence told her in private i want what