A Fancy Nightmare Night [Invite only]

[Halide]

It was a cool, dark sort of night, as one might expect of the turn of October, and on this particular Nightmare Night, one might find shelter in any number of houses and buildings hosting their own little events. But there was only one place that one could find anything hossted by Fancy Pants, and that was in the old Lady Stagefirst opera house. Rather than busy himself with some stodgy party so soon after the Gala, the noble Pony of Interest decided to do something a little more peculiar; he was hosting a 'haunted' tour of the old opera house. Unorthodox? Certainly, but it was a fresh sort of thing to do as far as he was concerned. So, with a little planning and a little gathered talent, he'd dolled the place up a bit for a bit of a more in-depth performance than the opera house might've been used to.

It was a limited-member sort of tour, of course, but it was open enough for those who might decide to visit a canterlot opera house. Given that he hadn't sent out any invitations or put around any real publication, he didn't expect to be swarmed overmuch with ponies and persons wishing to experience the little tour he and a few unnamed others had planned out. A bit of a historical, theatrical bent on the evening - surely nothing could go terribly wrong there!

But, be that all as it may, all that one might see from the outside was Fancy Pants standing by the door of an old, seldomly-used front door of an aged old theatre. The stallion himself had chosen a clean-cut and fairly fashionable vampire costume, complete with a high-collared red velvet cape, a pair of fake fangs he was slowly getting used to, and a clean coat of temporary black dye for his mane - and, of course, the monocle which he so often refused to be without. He didn't look quite his usual self, but it was still most certainly him.

Still, there was just one question - who would show up? He just didn't know, and that fact rather amused him.

[stormchaser1991]

After finishing with flim flam apple thing stormchaser was flying threw the air with his stuffed bear on his back when he saw something odd Fancy Pants was standing outside of old, seldomly-used front door of an aged old theatre so stormchaser decide to see what is up.Stormchaser landed and started talking that would"what is someone like you standing outside of a place that is most likely feel with dirt and dust" asked stormchaser trying not to sound rude as he grab the stuffed bear off his back and holding it in his front left hoof. stormchaser was dress as a vampire

[Solaria]

Destiny lifted her muzzle to the soft winds that bore the excitement of Nightmare Night through the whole of Equestria and smiled. It was always so interesting as to how such holidays formed. A celebration based upon masking oneself from the Black Terror's airborne gaze and providing offerings of treats that survival may yet grace the frightened populace for another year? It was almost unbelievable that anypony would think such antics would work these days, but back then she was sure they would have tried anything. Thankfully Nightmare Moon no longer roamed the lands of ponykind... or so they thought.

Destiny strode forward to the fountain that dominated the square in which she waited, admiring her reflection in the rippling surface. What grinned back at her was the face of an ages-old fear in Equestria: the Nightborn herself. The unicorn had spent many an hour this year perfecting her illusion spell, getting it just right. The slitted pupils had been rather difficult, honestly. So had the flexible wings (which didn't actually provide flight, a spell of that magnitude would have taken much much longer to accomplish). Things like the armor and hoofguards had been easy for the REA mage to borrow, and the astral mane that flowed so carelessly in the face of gravity hadn't been too much trouble either.

With a small glow at the tip of her horn, Destiny touched up the inky black crescent cutie mark upon her right flank, so different than her own. It was somewhat disconcerting if she thought about it. There. For all casual appearances, Nightmare Moon now stood upon the streets of Canterlot. The mare smiled. What better way to celebrate a holiday visit to Canterlot than by seeing the sights and instilling some archaic terror while she was at it? After all, seeing the reason for the celebration might enlighten some young minds to the Nightmare Nights of yesteryear.

She hadn't cantered for long when she noticed a rather stately-looking vampire and a pegasus with a stuffed bear standing outside the Lady Stagefirst opera house. Ah, a wonderful first stop on her evening in town! Some of her fellow REAs had sauntered off on their own, but that was quite alright. They likely wouldn't have enjoyed something like this anyway. With confidence befitting a time-lost force of darkness, Destiny stepped forward from the shadows and revealed herself to the two with a smile that was all glistening fang.

"Greetings," she said coolly, unable to resist using even more magic to cause her voice to echo slightly and mysteriously. "Tell me, what are you doing waiting so patiently outside the Lady Stagefirst when you could be joining in the festivities with your little friends?"

A kind of wild excitement flared briefly in Destiny's chest. What would the cultured-looking unicorn's reaction be? Would she have to temporarily drop her disguise so as not to start a panic? Some mischievous little part of her hoped so.

[stormchaser1991]

Stormchaser turn around and saw this pony with a really good nightmare moon costume "well i saw Fancy Pants standing here and i am waiting for him to answer " said stormchaser to the nightmare moon pony

[Mojo]

Ms. Harshwhinney

Ms. Harshwhinney had made the long journey from Canterlot hoping she'd run into a certain red stallion with orange mane. So far, the evening had been a complete disappointment for her. After all, the orange pelted Earth mare had spent considerable time and effort on her Princess Platinum costume, complete with fake horn and crown with fake gems on it. Then she got wind that Fancy Pants was here and that he had something going on at the Lady Stagefirst opera house.

"Ok," she thought to herself, "if I can't find true love tonight, maybe I can rub elbows with the elite of Canterlot! Wouldn't hurt my fund raising efforts for the next Equestria Games to befriend a very important pony like Fancy Pants!"

Now the regally dressed mare galloped over to the Opera House, rushing up to Fancy Pants and greeting him with a huge smile.

"Fancy Pants! How marvelous to see you again! I hope you remember me, Ms. Harshwhinney, from the last fundraiser we attended together. Well, you were up in the front of the ballroom and I was stuck in the back, but we were both there at the same time! How have you been? What do you have in store for all of us tonight?"

[SteelEagle]

Crescent Sparkle was normally with his wife, Velvet, this time of the year. Well, at all points of the year. He doubted he could escape from her loving hooves for more than a minute or three a year on most occasions. But in any case this time he had found himself most lucky. She had every intention of dealing with kids as they showed up to the house, and he had every intention of doing something more exciting this year than hoof out some candy. He used to love doing it but many years in a row and with no foals at home to make the event more interesting from every angle had turrned the act dull. Luckily, it appeared that now he could finally start to mature on his activities and go from escorting foals to attending real parties. Finally, after raising two children and becoming a tenured researcher at a prestigious university, he felt like an adult.

He approached the event, some sort of high society haunted house, in what would count as his evening best. A sash across his chest and a ripped shirt accompanied by fake, bulging muscles. He was tonight's Mr. Equestria, though he doubted bodybuilders ripped their shirts off anymore. But in any case it had been something thrown together at the last moment, simply and now that he thought about it simply too silly to stand in most cases for most stallions. It would have been preferable if he had another, more adult idea clogging up the works but nope. He was simply a stallion with a very poor choice in costumes, it seemed. Alas, it would have to do and if nothing else counted he was tickled pink by it, trotting up to the assembled guests and the famous host. Truth be told if anypony else had been hosting it Crescent wouldn't have considered it, but Fancy was a stallion of note who wouldn't waste their time. Good choice.

"Ah, hello there Fancy Pants! A bit unusual of a selection for tonight but far more thrilling than staying at home, that's for sure!"

[Halide]

The first to approach was - at first, or so Fancy Pants thought - Princess Luna, dressed in her old regalia. For anypony who lacked the distinct privilege of having met the princesses, the costume might have worked almost entirely. Be it for better or for worse, though, Fancy Pants also knew the lunar princess to be significantly taller than most. Still, for the sake of tradition, he decided to play along, at least for a little while. It was an incredibly impressive costume, no doubt; she deserved at very least to be given some respects for her resourcefulness. He couldn't even tell whether it was her horn or her wings that were fake! So, rather than simply acknowledge the costume briefly as he might any other pony, he actually gave Destiny a bow, lowering his own horn with due respect.

"Greetings," the mare pronounced in a cool, slightly unnatural tone. It was downright uncanny! "Tell me, what are you doing waiting so patiently outside the Lady Stagefirst when you could be joining in the festivities with your little friends?" And there were the twofold slips, not that he'd mention them; Luna spoke in older Equestrian than that, and it seemed unlikely that she'd address the building by name.

"You do us all a considerable honour by your visitation, Princess." Fancy Pants replied - the mare wanted to put that much effort into dressing like a princess, then by hoof, she'd be treated like one, at least so long as she wished to keep up appearances. He'd have to get her name later, of course, but for now this was a delightful surprise. "But to be honest, I would rather an evening of exploring the supernatural, rather than partake in festivities that might misrepresent your good name." It was a bit of a cheeky thing to say, but he was in the mood to entertain rather than simply look good amidst a crowd - words of jest were a staple of such, after all.

But, she was neither the first nor the last. Next to come was another dress-up princess, though this unicorn took a far less auspicious princess than that of the Nightmare Moon dress-up, nor did she maintain the character in question. "Fancy Pants! How marvelous to see you again! I hope you remember me, Ms. Harshwhinney, from the last fundraiser we attended together. Well, you were up in the front of the ballroom and I was stuck in the back, but we were both there at the same time! How have you been? What do you have in store for all of us tonight?" The mare in question was excitable, and though not directly familiar to Fancy Pants, she was as welcome as anyone else who wanted in on the night's sojourn. Still, remaining polite, Fancy pants gave her a nod and a smile in return to her enthusiastic entrance. "Hmmm... Ah, yes! I believe I do remember seeing you, good to make your aquantiance properly, young lady! I'll answer your question in just a minute, it seems as though we've a third and final entrant."

And, even as he spoke, a somewhat familiar stallion approached, though his own costume was amusingly more stark and rather in contrast to the two Princesses and the Count. Mister Sparkle himself, if memory served, a pleasant enough fellow with the rather interesting point of pride to be able to call himself father of Canterlot's finest, as well as one of the more widely-celebrated new Princesses. Fancy Pants was fairly sure the fellow was sick to death of being called "Father of Princess Sparkle", though, so he kept his attentions a little more direct.

"Ah, hello there Fancy Pants! A bit unusual of a selection for tonight but far more thrilling than staying at home, that's for sure!" "Crescent Sparkle, how good it is to see you out on such a night as this!" Rather than bow, Fancy Pants offered the fairly respectable fellow an extended hoofshake and a bit of a chuckle. "I must say you're looking as fit and stalwart as ever. Now then, I believe this is a large enough party for us to be considered an entourage - There's a bit of a story to be told here, and I'd like to share it with all three of you, if you're willing to take the time - Your Majesty." Fancy Pants readdressed Destiny, bowing his head once again. "The night, after all, will not last forever... or so some suspect."

[Mojo]

Ms. Harshwhinney was delighted that Fancy Pants had acknowledged her! This could turn into a wonderful evening after all.

"I simply LOVE the way you've decorated this place!" the costumed mare neighed. "Dazzling! Very marvelous! Did you do it all up yourself? I adore it!"

Then she noticed the others in attendance. in particular, Crescent Sparkle.

"Crescent Sparkle! Hi! Remember me, Ms. Harshwhinney? How have you been? How does it feel to be the father of a Princess? Have you been invited to move into the castle yet? How exciting it must be for you and your wonderful wife!"

[Solaria]

Destiny gave a bit of an inward sigh. She supposed it was a little too much to expect such a cultured pony as Fancy Pants to fall for her costume. After all, what would Nightmare Moon be doing wandering the streets of Canterlot unchallenged? The guard would have sounded the alarm long ago, and though she was a member of the REA, it would still take some explaining. Thinking about it that way, perhaps it was for the best that her costume wasn't perfect.

"That remains to be seen," she answered, snapping herself out of her reverie whilst leaving the magical echo to her voice. "The evening has only just begun. But please," she continued feigning indifference by waving a hoof through the air, "show me no deference. I'm hardly the only pony of note in attendance."

In truth, she really wasn't a pony of note in the first place. She doubted anyone around her knew the name Destiny. Letting a knowing smile flit across her face, she gave a small nod and waited patiently for Fancy Pants to complete the pleasantries and greetings. After all, he had to earn his moniker somehow, right?

(Sorry for the delay, it's been a crazy end of the week what with landing a huge new job. I should be more responsive now!)