Electro Swing

by Rego

Chapter 54: After the Lights Go Out

Fancy Pants shakily poured himself another Griffonstone brandy. His head was scattered everywhere and nowhere at the same time as he stumbled back and forth in a tipsy haze. The next event of the Summit was only a few hours away, but nothing was easing the persistent anxiety clawing at his mind. The stallion’s magic had been effectively sealed since last night, locked around the crystal in his pocket. He’d feel the carefully rounded sides with his aura, aching for relief where there was none to be found. Every crafted contour served as a reminder of his failures.

The signs had all been there. Though they had diminished over the years, the aging bachelor was no stranger to the advances of others vying for his wealthy hoof. There was a time he flaunted it, taunting would-be marefriends with his power, only to deem them all unworthy and withholding what he considered the ultimate prize. The fool either didn’t realize or wouldn’t admit his only value was the scraps he plucked off the pony feathers of his parents. Maybe if he hadn’t taken so long to grow up, he wouldn’t be paying for the mistakes of his youth now.

His bleary gaze drifted to the papers scattered across his desk, focusing in on his adjusted itinerary for the night again. Ambassador Dovetail was covering for him under the assumption he was recovering from two straight days of sleepless work. However, the closest he’d gotten was passing out for maybe half an hour in his chair. The rest of the time, he’d been draining his personal bar of liquor. At the rate he was day drinking, he’d have to ask Luna for another eldritch concoction before tonight.

Fancy murmured wordless curses into his drink before taking another shot and collapsing into his chair. He flopped over his workspace, scattering stationary everywhere as he slumped down to rest his head in his forelegs. He risked nodding off again, hoping the sheer exhaustion would be enough to whisk him into some semblance of slumber. However, the moment he closed his eyes, he was met with hers again.

“But… but I love you…”

Her dejection, her sadness, her fear, her confusion; Fancy couldn’t bear it no matter how many times his mind threw it at his face. It was so similar to the terror he inflicted upon his mother, and his shattered heart broke a little more every time.

He’d grown too complacent, too comfortable, and let her warmth far too close. The only thing he couldn’t figure out was when it started. He felt it in her lips, saw it in her gaze. The young mare only had eyes for the stallion before her. Her fiery passion nearly engulfed him before he mercilessly stamped it out. Vinyl Scratch loved him. Him. Not his wealth. Not his prestige. Not his power. For the life of him, Fancy Pants couldn’t figure out why.

“Excuse me, Fancy Pants?” Fluffer Duster asked carefully.

“Yes?” he croaked as he groggily pulled himself up from his desk. “Is it time to return to the castle?”

“No, not yet. It’s Miss Éclair de Lune. She is here and wishes to see you,” Fluffer Duster announced, looking over her shoulder at the impatient mare. “Urgently.”

“Please, let her in.” Fancy dragged himself to his hooves to face the music just as Éclair burst through the doors. The sheer force nearly knocked the poor pegasus off her hooves. Instead of maternal fury, the mare’s face was etched with a deep worry.

“Please, Fancy. Please tell me you know of where Vinyle is! The maid says she’s non here! I have seen not the day with… it was been…” Éclair shrieked in frustration. ~To Tartarus with it! Nopony has seen her since last night!~ she exclaimed in Prench.

Fancy’s fuzzy head drifted to the side in confusion. “Isn’t she at home with you?”

~Home? What do you mean? This is her home!~

“This is where she lives and works, yes. That doesn’t make this place a home. Family does.”

~Yes! And since she is so fond of…~ Éclair caught her mouth with her hoof and coughed. Fancy’s breath hitched as the mare tried and failed to deflect her slip of the tongue. ~Since she is so fond of living here, this is her home. She’s always talking to me about how nice it is to have a recording studio just down the hall and—~

“I rejected her, Éclair,” Fancy stated, not wanting to dance around the apparently open secret.

She froze and blinked. ~Forgive me, Fancy Pants. I still sometimes struggle with the language. What do you mean ‘rejected her?’~

~Vinyl told me she loved me, and I rejected her,~ he reiterated firmly in Prench.

Éclair held a hoof over her heart and her eyes flitted about, trying to process what she had just heard, lost for words in either language. Fancy turned away and reached for his brandy to let her catch up, as well as brace for the oncoming onslaught.

~But, why?~

~I don’t love her,~ he swore to himself as he nursed his drink.

“Horseapples!” Éclair swore loudly. Fancy could hear her petite, but heavy hoof falls canter up behind him. She grabbed Fancy and forced him back around. ~Look me in the eyes, and say what you said!~

~As both her employer and benefactor, I wield tremendous power over her. I’d be taking advantage of her had I even entertained the notion.~

~I see. Hiding behind your eloquent words like a liar and a coward.~ Éclair clicked her tongue loudly and flashed the daggers in her eyes. ~If you didn’t love her, then why have I found you reeking of alcohol so early in the day? I haven’t seen you this upset since your father passed.~

Feeling the knife twist into his heart, he did his best to maintain his stance. The last thing he wanted to talk about was him with her of all ponies. ~I do care for her, but anything more than that is a mistake. This is for the best.~

~Really?~ The mare bit her lip to hold back her steaming fury. She then whipped out a newspaper and threw it to the ground. ~Is this for the best too?~

Fancy hesitantly reached down towards the paper prominently featuring the headline, “Audible Annihilation! Department Destroyed by Darkness!” As he lifted it towards him, his attention was immediately drawn to the front-page picture. He didn’t even need to bother reading the article. There were no words that could ever hope to capture its devastation in writing.

If not for the golden guards blocking off the entrance, he would’ve thought the picture was black and white. A recording studio, or at least the remains of one, was covered from wall to blasted wall in streaks of oozing, crystalline sludge that seeped through what was left of the soundproofing panels. Broken remains of a table with unidentifiable equipment sat melted and warped in the middle of the floor as it slowly disintegrated into nothing.

~My precious lily flower said that it was caused by the unstable crystals Vinyl studies. They respond to strong emotions, but she’s never seen anything so terrible. Nopony was found there, but truly the only one capable of this is my little Vinyl!~ The concerned mother fought through her twisting emotions and glared at the likely reason behind the destruction. ~Tell me, is this really what’s best for her?~

Fancy gazed at the abyss darkening the page in his shaking hooves. Just trying to wrap his mind around it was already too much for him to grasp amid the myriad of other spiraling crises.

~Well? Answer me!~ she demanded.

~I don’t have one.~

~Not good enough, Fancy!~

~I know. I never have been, have I?~

~Don’t turn this around on yourself! You’re not the victim here!~

~I’m not. I’m simply stating the fact that I don’t know what’s best for her.~ Fancy carefully folded the paper and placed it facedown on his desk, unable to look at it anymore. ~There was a time that I thought I knew, but it became muddled and complicated. All I’ve ever known for certain is that she wasn’t meant to be with me.~

The mare huffed, dismissing the notion with a swat of her hoof. ~And what makes you so sure?~

~Because I know who I’m supposed to be with. I’ve know for decades, but I’ve never been able to tell her. Not after she fell for the wrong stallion.~

~Who are you to say she was wrong? Does every lover in Equestria need the Kingmaker’s blessing?~ Éclair snapped back before she scoffed at him. ~Such a silly and cowardly thing; pining after somepony for so long.~

~Yes. You’re right. I am a cowardly pony who has sought a clear solution time and again where none can be found. I’ve played the situation over in my head a million times, and each time I’ve told her, it ends in complete disaster.~

~Well, at least you admit it. Now, if you are done with your pity party, we must find Vinyl!~ she demanded as she grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him along.

~We?~ Fancy asked.

~But of course! If she is not here, then you will help me find her after your mistake!~

Fancy pushed the mare’s hoof away as his last nerve began to fray. ~There was no mistake, Éclair! Do you think telling Vinyl no was easy?~

~If that’s what you think, then it would’ve been much easier for you to say yes, you stubborn idiot!~

Fancy gritted his teeth and slammed a hoof down. ~I told you, it wouldn’t have been right!~

~Why? Because of this ‘power’ you lord over her?~

~Because I love you!~

The heated confession brought the argument to a complete stop. For once in his life, it was Éclair that was taken by complete surprise as she gaped back at the stallion’s outburst.

~What do you mean?~

~I love you!~ Fancy repeated, trying to calm himself. ~I love you, Éclair de Lune, the only light in those dark days all those years ago. The pony who built me back up and made me realize that money couldn’t buy happiness. You were the one mare who didn’t try to trick me into buying her, the one who turned my life around and set me back on a path I should’ve always been on. I’ve always loved you!~

Fancy wasn’t sure if it was the sleep deprivation or the liquor helping him soldier through, but it felt good to finally tell her. An old tension flowed out of him with the comfort of a held breath. The satisfying catharsis must’ve been how Vinyl felt before he’d responded, despite how fleeting it would be once she returned the favor.

~You can’t possibly mean that…~ Her brow furrowed as she tried to process what was happening.

~It’s the truth. I love you. I was just too scared to tell you because I knew it would only end in failure no matter what approach I tried.~

~Of course it would! I am your mother!~

~Only because you made the wrong choice!~

Predictably, Éclair pulled back, before pouring all of her anger into a slap across Fancy’s face. He was tempted to keep looking away. He didn’t want to see her face contorted with anger, hurt, sorrow, or all three. Still, he knew he had to play his part, and turned back to meet Éclair’s eyes once more, burning red from tears she refused to shed.

~You pig-headed idiot! You know I loved your father! I still love him! A relationship between the two of us? It wouldn’t work!~

~Because it’s wrong?~ he replied sardonically. The twist of the cheap blade in his own heart felt paradoxically pleasant.

~Do not compare this and that! Why would I marry my son?~

~A son by law only!~ he fruitlessly argued, airing the grievances he’d held in for years. ~A son according to a little piece of paper lost in some forgotten filing cabinet in the Canterlot Council building. If it was just the matter of paperwork, this wouldn’t have been difficult, but there’s always been one pony in the way with a knack for complicating things. If she wasn’t…~ Fancy’s heart ached as he clamped down on his tirade.

~If who wasn’t—~ Éclair stopped as she caught onto Fancy’s meaning. ~Fleur? You’re talking about my precious lily flower, aren’t you?~

Fancy bit his lips and averted his gaze in shame. Even in his lowest moments, he could never utter such an awful notion aloud.

~You’ve always refused to let Fleur call you her brother.~ She couldn’t bring herself to finish the thought. She didn’t need to anyway. Fancy’s grim silence told her all she needed to know. ~How could you even entertain such a horrible idea? Fleur is your sister! She loves you!~

~And I love her, but not in the way she wants.~ Fancy shook his head. ~And no matter how much I want to, I can’t replace her father. Not when we share one.~

~Lying drake!~ Éclair screamed as she slapped Fancy hard across the face again. ~You speak of choices and love, but all you have are hollow words! You reek of alcohol and bitter jealousy!~

~I know! I know that full well!~ Fancy cried as he poured the vitriol out of his heart. ~I admit it! I was jealous! So incredibly jealous of Suede when you told him you loved him! And it’s because I loved you that I stayed away from you!~

His envious roar caused the smaller mare to flinch and back away from him. He went back to his desk to spare her from the seething viciousness coiled around his embittered heart. He took a moment to catch his breath and recenter himself. No matter how angry he got, it wasn’t her fault. It was his for not pulling the bandage off a long time ago.

~I knew it was wrong to be jealous, and I hated myself for hating him. Thankfully, returning to Canterlot helped eventually. I even started enjoying the letters you sent, especially the ones when Fleur came around. She was so precious.~ Fancy looked up and smiled at the memories they’d sent from Prance. ~But then you moved back to Canterlot for Fleur’s studies. It was the right thing to do for her, but I still wasn’t ready. So, I gave you both the only thing I could: space.~

Éclair sighed and trotted over next to Fancy. ~Fancy Pants, your father and I never wanted you out of our lives. We wanted you to be part of them. Everypony was so excited to move here because we would be close to you. Fleur was singing about how she was getting to finally meet her big brother.~

A dull sting struck his chest. ~Yes, and we were happy for a time, weren’t we? Seeing you three together, it reminded me of my childhood. Those were better days.~ Fancy sighed through his nose, savoring the last wisps of warm nostalgia before they were swept away by a deep, dormant anger roiling back to life. ~But then Suede did something I will never forgive him for.~

~What?~ Éclair asked in concern.

~He died.~

The softness on Éclair’s face faded, replaced with genuine confusion.

~I accepted that you fell in love with him. I accepted that the two of you married and started a family. I accepted all of it. But… but then he died.~

~Yes. It was a terrible day for all of us, but why would you be mad at him? How could you be? It was nopony’s fault.~

~Because he left you behind!~ Fancy shouted. ~Widowed you! Condemned you to raise Fleur alone in a land you barely knew anything about!~

The mare shook her head adamantly. ~Fancy, all of us will die someday.~

~And he should’ve thought of that before he proposed!~ Fancy slammed his hoof on the desk and ground his teeth furiously. ~If you were just some gold-digging horse after his wealth that would’ve been one thing, but he loved you. Truly, devoutly loved you! So why didn’t he consider his age? Did you know my grandfather died young as well? I wonder how my great-grandfather fared? He would’ve known the risks, and still, that selfish stud didn’t think twice about how old he was before he stole the best years of your li—~

The petite mare reared up and punched him with a right hook, silencing his angry spiel and nearly knocking him off his hooves. He stumbled back and tried to shake the stars from his vision.

~Suede stole nothing from me! He gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for in your sister! I will always treasure the years I had with your father! I only wish we had more together.~

~And I would’ve given you more!~ Fancy adamantly proclaimed as he pulled himself back up, ready to take all the blows she’d throw at him. ~It was a mistake to choose him! At least I’m still alive!~

There it was, the most uncomfortable, undeniable truth. It was the lowest blow that Fancy had dreaded to say, but it was ultimately right. Suede was dead. Fancy was alive. If Éclair had chosen him, she’d still have a husband. There was no counter. Which made it all the more surprising that Éclair began to giggle, soon breaking into full bouts of laughter.

~Alive? You? Oh, that is rich.~ The mare wiped an errant tear from her eye as she tried to catch her breath. ~You are such a joke!~

~What?~ Fancy furrowed his brow. ~But, it’s true. Suede’s gone. I’m still here.~

Éclair’s laughter turned on a bit as she sneered with murderous fire in her eyes. ~Exactly! You! Are! Here!~ Instead of bucking him in the jaw, she stomped a solid hoof against the tiled floor, thundering with righteous fury. ~Right here! Alone! In this cold, empty place! Every time I need you, you’re always here!~

Her fury echoed around the room, bounding off of untouched bookshelves and grand halls built to be brimming with the lives Summers cherished. Despite the vast space, all of the oxygen was sucked from the air as Éclair drove her grievances into Fancy’s soul.

~Why didn’t you come to the funeral? Why weren’t you the brother Fleur needed when it mattered most? Why weren’t you there to help your family? All you ever did—all you’ve ever done—was come and go at your own leisure! Showering us with more money than we would ever know what to do with!~ The mare caught her breath as her anger gave way to grief. ~We didn’t need your wealth. We needed you, Fancy! But, it seems our love was never enough for you, was it? You always stayed here.~

Fancy’s mind went blank and his legs locked as he was rendered helpless by the mare’s cutting words. He could only watch as the end slowly barreled towards him. An end that, in all of his times he’d tried to find a solution to this argument, he never anticipated.

~You say I chose the wrong stallion because he died?~ The mare wiped her eyes and sniffed the one tear that escaped, refusing to let another go to waste on his account. She steeled herself with a disappointed frown. ~You choose not to live at all.~

If only she’d just kept punching. A trip to the intensive care unit would be more bearable than her exacting words hollowing him from within. The shell of a stallion fell to his knees as he stared down at the floor. In the polished marble, he could see his reflection more clearly than he’d seen it in years. Behind all of his dapper dressings and accolades, he was still just a little colt who thought he knew better than everypony in the world.

All the times he’d played this conversation in his mind, he’d always wound up breaking her heart, scaring her off, or driving her away in anger. The thought that he didn’t love her never crossed his mind. He was so certain of it. He’d seen it a million times in his mind spending the rest of his life with his destined one in the Prench countryside.

Her patisserie, his winery, her wonderful baking, his clumsy farming, their two beautiful children, Fancy could see it all so clearly when he closed his eyes. He’d smell the bread or taste the merlot just before foalish laughter interrupted the quiet times just before bed. He’d take them up to their room, tuck them both in and read a story, and then retire with his wife to their own bed to contemplate adding a third to their home filled with more happiness than he’d ever thought possible. Fancy was always so certain that it was real, the perfect life he’d seen and failed to manifest. It was a lovely idea, but that’s all it was, an idea, a fantasy, a dream.

Luna was right. She’d always been right. Fancy couldn’t predict his future.

“I’m sorry,” Fancy whispered to himself. “I’m so sorry.”

All that was left was to listen to her steps towards the door. Éclair would rightly walk out his life and slam the door on her way out to wake him up, leaving him to rot in his gilded halls filled with useless treasures. And he waited. And waited. And wait—

~Get up.~

“W-what?” Fancy croaked as he opened his eyes.

A forceful nudge bumped his shoulder, calling his attention back to the fuming Éclair. “Get up! Up I say! Up-up-up!” she ordered, trotting in place with the beat of her voice.

By her command, the exhausted stallion pulled himself up, feeling the full force of his liquor and exhausting emotions bearing down on him.

“We are now done with pity partying,” Éclair stated rather than asked. “You waste enough time! I still need my Vinyle! Now, come and help!”

“Wha—But why?”

“Because she is missing!” Éclair slapped his face lightly back and forth “Keep up, espèce d'idiot ivre!”

Fancy stared back in flabbergasted shock. “But everything I said. Everything I did…”

“Oui, you fall for moi, like many before, do stupide things, and I tell you non. You say sorry for being stupide? Fine, but still on the very thinnest ice with me. My Vinyle is more important to find than you. So, you will help find, now! Do you not listen?” The mare heaved a slew of curses under her breath. ~This is why I only date older stallions. You young ones are so useless!~

“But I’m the last pony Vinyl will ever want to see.”

~I don’t care! You made mistakes, many, many, many, mistakes. Now, you must do right for once. And we will start by finding her!~ the mare declared as she began fixing Fancy’s sloven attire. ~Perhaps if you are good enough and beg for forgiveness, she will ask again. Then, you can say yes like you should’ve in the first place.~ As she fixed his bow tie, she gently slapped him twice on the cheek. ~There. Good enough. Now we go.~

Fancy frowned. “I told you, I care for her, but I don’t love her.”

~You don’t or you won’t? You two have spent so much time together despite your differences. The way she glows around you is precious, and you almost look halfway attractive with such a beautiful flower by your side. Perhaps if you are still somewhere in my vinyl flower’s heart, I will consider letting you be my son-in-law again,~ Éclair said with a hearty laugh.

Fancy pushed the sudden disowning aside and shook his head. “I told you before, it wouldn’t be right. I must’ve done something, taken advantage of her somehow. Manipulating her into thinking she loves me.”

~No Fancy. I know daughters. Vinyl is many things: strong, vivacious, and honest to a fault, but she is no fool.~ The mare paused as she took in Fancy again. ~Then again, she fell in love with an idiot like you.~

“That’s my point exactly! I embody every single thing she hates! I’m a rich, Canterlotian noble who lives off the works of others simply because I know where to invest my parent’s wealth. For goodness sake, it was ponies like me that ruined her life because of a simple wine stain!”

~I do not know what is in her head, but I do know one thing that is in her heart.~ Éclair grabbed him by the shoulders and focused his attention on her face. ~Tell me: did she say ‘I love you’ when she told you her feelings?~

“Of course she did. It was a confession. A confused, ill-placed confession.”

~Fancy Pants. In all the years I’ve known her, I’ve never once heard her say she ‘love’ anypony. Not to me, not to Fleur, not even to her favorite parfaits. You Equestrians throw the word around on everything, yet every time I tell her, she seems hurt. If she said she loves you, she meant it with all her heart.~

“I’ve heard her say it before,” Fancy swore with a needling uncertainty in the back of his head. “While I’m aware she can be… sensitive to that word, I know she’s said it around me. She’s had to.” Instead of thoughtlessly making claims, he closed his eyes and concentrated, letting his cutie mark finally do some work as he considered when he’d heard Vinyl say love.

“After all, ‘Rich stallions just love a mare who can play music.’” Vinyl spat in disgust.

No, not that time. The other times. The good times. The times when she was having fun as herself. There had to be…

“I’m so stupid. I thought if I tried hard enough, I could prove them wrong. I could prove that I mattered. They’d be proud of me. They’d accept me. They’d… they’d finally love me.”

… at least one time…

“Why would mom tell me she loved me if I’m worthless?”

… that she said it—

“But… but I love you…”

“Fancy Pants!”

The world snapped back into focus at the sound of his name, reminding him to breathe as he gasped for air.

“Why do you sleep? We must find Vinyle!”

Once. Only once. He couldn’t think of any other instance, and even then it was her last, desperate plea. Placing a steadying hoof over his chest, Fancy could feel his heart rattling from an electrified jumpstart that he barely understood. Thoughts, emotions, sensations, tastes, sounds, light itself all seemed to pulsate out of control as his mind reeled from his guilty desires.

“Are you ready?” Éclair asked with an impatient tap of her hoof. “Night will be coming soon.”

“N-night?” Fancy shook his head as he tried to recollect himself. “You go look for her. I must return to the Crystal Summit immediately.”

“Qu'est-ce que c'est?” The mare hardened once more with anger and stomped her hoof. “The princesses can do your politics, we need to find Vinyle!”

“I know and I agree. I will have the guards not tied up with the Summit help you search for her. Twenty trained pegasi will find her faster than I can.”

“Then you will get twenty guards and you! Get the princesses! Your family needs you!”

“As does the Summit,” Fancy swore, knowing that his good excuse was still just an excuse. He cleared his throat as he picked up his papers and checked his pocket watch. “Vinyl is scheduled to DJ tonight again during the reception, so there is a chance she will be there. I promise I will send her your way if I find her.”

Éclair leered at the tiny pony in front of her. ~So, you’re choosing to stay again.~

Fancy sighed, knowing he still couldn’t sneak anything past the mare. “Yes, I am. I rejected her already. She’ll move on. She’s still young.”

~As are you.~

“In your eyes, perhaps.”

~So you are right for me, but wrong for her?~

“You only had nine years with Suede. You deserved more. So many more.” Fancy reached inside his pocket and pulled out his stress quartz still being held in his aura. Taking a deep breath, he opened a drawer and placed it inside. “Neither of my parents made it past fifty. I couldn’t bear doing that to Vinyl.”

Éclair tutted as she placed a hoof on his shoulder. ~Listen to me, Fancy. You, I, or anypony else in this world could die at this very moment.~

“Not exactly a comforting thought,” Fancy said with a fragile smirk.

~No, but focus on the present, not the future. You are still alive. Even if you knew the day you were going to die, you shouldn’t act like you’re already dead in the here and now. If Vinyl is willing to forgive you, then don’t let death steal the joy you could have. Would you deny a princess her love knowing she has lived thousands of years and will continue for thousands more after you?~

Fancy grimaced from the fresh wounds from the other crisis weighing on him. “T-that’s different...”

~How so? She still feels the pain of loss, but if she is like me, she will cherish the time you shared. There is no difference. I’d rather bear the lives of a million ponies in my heart than live an eternity alone.~

“I see. I will be sure to ask Celestia about that at our next teatime,” Fancy promised, unsure if there’d ever be another one. “For now, I’m needed at the castle. If I find Vinyl, I’ll be sure she is sent your way. You have my word.”

With that, Fancy trotted towards the doors to the entrance and opened it for his guest. Éclair growled lowly, but eventually accepted the gesture with barely restrained contempt as she strode towards the exit.

~Fine. I will hold you to that, coward,~ she reluctantly agreed. As she stepped through the door, Éclair gave one last side-eyed glare at her host. ~My precious Vinyl will need her family’s love when she sees how far you’ve fallen.~

Fancy chuckled at his foolishly aching heart. “I’ve been at rock bottom for years. I simply never noticed until now.”

---

After ducking into the royal waiting room to freshen up and pop a couple emergency caffeine pills, Fancy performed one final check of himself before briskly cantering towards the ballroom. His mind was still in a million places, but his country needed him more than ever while Celestia was still noticeably absent from the festivities. The other two princesses could only keep the nobles so distracted from the towering gap left by her former majesty.

Upon entering the reception, he immediately noticed the lack of any music within the hall. He looked up to see a vacant platform where Vinyl would’ve been performing. It made sense. She hated these parties. He’d known that from the day they’d first met. Since getting to know her, Fancy had grown to loathe them too. It was all pageantry and theater with nobles talking in practiced circles as they tried to carve out a single moment to be memorable to the others. He muddled through the pleasantries and welcomes in rhythm, letting his memory guide him through the meaningless words.

The familiar mundanity served as a good reminder that this was for the best. This was the role he’d made for himself, the life he deserved. Hopefully Vinyl was far away from it. Perhaps she’d decided to skip town and leave the mess he’d made for her behind. A little space could be all she needed to move on with her life, just like how he’d fled to Prance all of those years ago. Fancy wished her well if that was the case. Heaven knew that he was never going to forget her.

As he clinked a polite glass of sparkling water, he heard a commotion rising from the other side of the room. It grew louder and louder with the sea of ponies parting to make way for Athena running as fast as her feet would carry her. She barreled past him before he could utter a word, not even seeing him through her terror. She held her hand over her mouth and was clutching her stomach all the way to the exit. He nearly pursued her, but a haughty scoff caught his attention. Fancy followed the minotaur’s wake towards a small gathering near the windows overlooking the royal gardens. As he drew closer, Upper Crust’s sharp quibbles arose above the din of conversation. He wasn’t surprised to see her of all mares at the center of attention alongside Princess Cadance and her delegation.

“My apologies to you all. Some of us tried to maintain some level of sophistication in this event, but we were overruled despite our best intentions.” Upper Crust spat towards the wide-open path of ponies Athena had carved through the hall. “Thank goodness nopony appears to be hurt. I’m surprised an oafish brute like that could even squeeze through the doors.”

The mare was likely in need of a harmonious reminder, using disparaging language like that around the crystal ponies. Fancy was surprised the young empress hadn’t said anything to object to the aristocrat’s objectionable opinion. Instead, Upper Crust’s eyes sparkled as she caught sight of his approach.

“Sir Fancy Pants! It is so wonderful to see you again!” the mare exclaimed with pure delight. “It’s been far too long.”

“Good evening, Upper Crust,” he said diplomatically. “You seem excited.”

“Oh, is it that noticeable?” She cackled insufferably as she gave Fancy an unwelcome hug. “Oh, who am I kidding? I haven’t been this elated in years!”

“How lovely for you. Now, would you care to explain why my dear friend Athena was so…” Fancy’s words failed him as his eyes caught sight of Princess Cadance’s face.

The Imperial Empress was smiling, or at least doing her best to smile at the pony she was speaking with. Fancy Pants knew the mask better in its perfected, Elysian form. It might’ve been enough to fool other ponies, but Fancy’s trained eyes could see the horror leaking through. Her eyes were locked upon the young mare, unblinking and unflinching, as she trembled in her presence. He couldn’t fathom who or what Princess Cadence couldn’t look away from, but she appeared to be on the verge of a complete breakdown.

“Oh, I suppose I should introduce you,” Upper Crust said with a giggle. “Dear? Mommy has another pony she wants you to meet.”

The daughter’s ears perked at her mother’s summons, and she turned her head slightly to nod. Fancy caught sight of the mare’s magical aura as it hovered a small sampling of hors d'oeuvre along with a wine glass next to her, glowing with a familiar, electric blue aura.

The young mare wore a luxurious, blue Crystal Imperial dress bearing a ghost of a wine stain, with matching aquamarine earrings. Her long, two-toned blue mane and tail were perfectly feathered, matching precisely the amount of effort her mother had put into crafting the rest of her appearance. Fancy could tell the shock of yellow hue to her fur was her natural color, a light blend of her mother and father’s coat colors.

The well-mannered daughter bowed to the princess, who graced her in kind. Fancy could hear the internal screaming behind Cadence’s parting pleasantries. She took the moment in-between conversations to finish her cheesecake tart and sip of wine with perfect grace before properly setting the empty glass down on a nearby tray. She turned to Fancy Pants and Upper Crust, gracing the onlookers with her carefully cultivated beauty.

“Sir Fancy Pants, allow me to introduce to you, my daughter Glitterati.”

Fancy stared into the abyss opening before him, outlined by familiar, cerise irises.

“We are so glad to finally have her home, isn’t that right, Glitterati?”

“Yes, mother,” Glitterati replied on cue.

“Jet Set and I have just been so dreadfully worried about her, running off and galavanting around Celestia knows where. She plays the piano so wonderfully, but the cliché of the starving artist exists for a reason.” Upper Crust laughed and brushed the thought aside. “But that’s all water under the bridge now that she’s come back home, isn’t that right?” She turned to her little filly and smiled.

“Yes, mother,” the beautiful husk parroted once more.

“I know it was hard, but Mommy loves you too much to see you out on the streets, my dazzling Glitter,” she said as she patted her daughter’s head, jostling the wig the young mare was wearing to hide her stitches. Upper Crust quickly flashed her magic to adjust the hairpeice back into place and smiled. “She just cleans up so well! She might be a little late to debut into high society, but better late than never. And what better place than at the castle, wouldn’t you say? I’m sure we’ll find her a good stallion in no time.”

Glitterati said nothing, but smiled on command as her dead eyes stared past Fancy towards nothing at all. A tiny crinkle pulled the young mare’s attention off to the side.

“Oh, no!” Upper Crust cried in passable concern. “Your monocle!”

Fancy looked away from the abyss long enough to see a sphere of magic squeezing crumpled wire and glass powder in his aura screaming for relief.

“I’m sorry,” Glitterati said as she stared at the shattered remains.

Fancy swallowed, forcing the choking lumps in his throat down into his stomach. “Don’t apologize. This is my fault. You did nothing wrong.”

A flicker of life flashed behind the unicorn’s eyes as she looked back at Fancy. “I-I’m…” Her breath hitched as she tried and failed to suppress her emotions. “I’m sorry. I’m—”

Upper Crust shushed her daughter and pulled her away from the crowd. “It’s okay, Glitterati. Mommy’s here again. I know how you always struggled at these parties. You’re just a little out of practice. Now come along. Let’s go clean you up before you cause another scene.”

As the pair walked away, the gossip started immediately with the sudden emergence of a mysterious daughter from nowhere. A strange specimen for sure, but unmistakably a member of the family with how well they matched. Only time would tell if she could be molded to fit in with society or if she’d just be pawned off to some stallion seeking an in with either one of her parents’ businesses.

Through it all, Fancy just stared as they walked away with the crushed remains of his monocle in his hooves, twisted and broken beyond repair.

Author's Note:

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!

Comments

[TCC56]

Damn did this chapter swing my emotions. The start was needed and you go maman, but that last part... ouch. Just hard, condensed 'oh no'.

(Also shouldn't it be 'stepson' rather than 'son-in-law'? Unless I'm misunderstanding what she's saying?)

[Rego]

11684219
Hopefully it was also electrifying.

(Also shouldn't it be 'stepson' rather than 'son-in-law'? Unless I'm misunderstanding what she's saying?)

Good point. It was in reference to what Fancy said before, so I've changed "in" to "by" and put them in single quotes. It's meant to show the distance he's just put between them with his rant.

[TCC56]

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Hopefully it was also electrifying.

cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/817137022031626314/1081353068563665076/Sunny_Guns.png

And lord yes. The damage Fancy just did to... well, basically everything, it's pretty bad. It probably needed to happen, but hooboy did he make a mess.

[Noble Cause]

... *fuck*

I got nothing else, just... Oh Darkness... I get the feeling Cadance, and by extension Luna, are about to go to war in very short order. This has to be shredding Cadance especially, but with Luna's connections to Fancy, Cadance and Athena, things are definitely coming to a head.

[Autumnfire]

O wow...

[ShadowLDrago]

“No, not yet. It’s Miss Éclair de Lune. She is here and wishes to see you,” Fluffer Duster announced, looking over her shoulder at the impatient mare. “Urgently.”

Oh boy.

The maid says she’s non here!

Pas here.

~Because I love you!~

And there it is.

“Sir Fancy Pants, allow me to introduce to you, my daughter Glitterati.”

... I need you to tell me this isn't Vinyl in her 'original' form.

“Jet Set and I have just been so dreadfully worried about her, running off and galavanting around Celestia knows where. She plays the piano so wonderfully, but the cliché of the starving artist exists for a reason.” Upper Crust laughed and brushed the thought aside. “But that’s all water under the bridge now that she’s come back home, isn’t that right?” She turned to her little filly and smiled.

Goddammit. Why do you do this to us?

Through it all, Fancy just stared as they walked away with the crushed remains of his monocle in his hooves, twisted and broken beyond repair.

Oh Eclair is NOT going to be happy.

[Rego]

11684254 11684366
How I feel right now:
i.makeagif.com/media/6-15-2016/2oMy5H.gif

11684379

Pas here.

Curse languages being different. Guess I gotta change it to "not" then. I try to only use French the audience can guess unless it's for a specific comedic purpose.

... I need you to tell me this isn't Vinyl in her 'original' form.

Original you say? Since you've been following along since a while back and will miss this detail by not binge reading from the beginning, let me suggest something a little fun. Go back to Chapter 1 and search for the line “Oh, Miss de jay? Could you come here for a moment?” and read the few paragraphs under it.
I wrote the two introductions back-to-back. It's a fun mirror, isn't it?

[ShadowLDrago]

11684395

I meant original in the sense of before she broke away from Upper Crust's abusive 'parenthood'.

[Rego]

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Oh, I know, but it's still a detail that I'm quite fond of to just cement it.

[ShadowLDrago]

11684398

Is it because you're a sadist?

[Rego]

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I wouldn't say that. My goal is always to give my readers a good story with set ups and payoffs that will keep them entertained. Sometimes, that means venturing into hell. I did ask AP back in 2021 if this was too much in theory, and he said no if I pulled it off right. More recently my blind reader described this as horrific, but not unpalatable. It will be up to you if the pain is too great before we reach the end.
I will remind you that there is no [Tragedy] Tag.

[ShadowLDrago]

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It not being a tragedy doesn't preclude you being a sadist(affectionate).

[Rego]

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Well, I only take pleasure as a sadist if you are a masochist in kind. Otherwise, it's no fun for anyone.

[Noble Cause]

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With affection, fuck you <3

I cannot WAIT to see the next chapter!

[Evil Council]

Wonderfully twisted chapter. A damning confession of love, a harsh rebuke softened by familial love, and the confirmation of a suspected relation between abuser and abused.
I, like many others, enjoy the slice of life scenes of this story. The moments of people simply living their lives, whether it is a struggle or a success against a trying moment. However, heart-rending moments like those in this chapter add a lovely spike of drama to an already addictive story.
I can't wait to see how this all shakes out.

[Tsuguri]

Just have to say, Oh Faust Damn It! Why did you have to go and finally confirm what we were suspecting in one of the worst ways possible.

I thought maybe, just maybe, that Upper Crust had finally broken down and let her real emotions lose on Athena, and that Cadence was revolted at that. But no, then you just had to go and show the true horror was what her alicorn sight was showing her. The absolutely corrupted love that Upper Crust has for Glitterati.

And just to finish, if you don't fix this situation soon, then you are definitely going to need that book fort Fluttershy made for you in your blog post. Because we will be coming for you and I happen to know of a place that gives bulk discounts on pitchforks and torches. So you better not keep us waiting for long... please?

[ShutterflyYay]

fuck, man...

[Iron Comet]

Oh God no...

[SliverKing]

I have never wanted to hug a small cartoon unicorn so much. Poor Fancy cannot catch any kind of break!

[cogwheelbrain]

Damnit, Fancy!

...damnit, Rego!

*cries*

[Nasuna Senshi]

“Dear? Mommy has another pony she wants you to meet.”

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!

[Rego]

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media.tenor.com/2HqlKCz9Q0cAAAAC/street-fighter-bison.gif

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

I suspected this before I accidentally got a spoiler on the "final" blog post. I think I commented on it earlier in the story but Upper Crust loves Vinyl the way I "love" my favorite coffee mug, as a thing, and should it leak or get lost or whatever else, I won't feel too bad about getting another one.

She'd sell her own parents to the highest bidder if it got her a good return. The aristocracy probably only "respects" Celestia and Luna because of fear and reputation. But again, if they thought they could get something in return, "arrividerci sucker!" (Slams door).

[Alchemik]

And so we see that no matter how dense the object, when the right shatter point is struck, the resonant frequency met, the stone cracked, then it will break open.

11684400
Horrific, but not unpalatable. Yes. With extra horror.