//------------------------------//
// Facet of the Truth 
// Story: The Velveteen Mask 
// by Crystal Wishes 
//------------------------------//

The Mare Contraire was in full swing; there were so many new faces that Velvet almost didn't recognize the place.  It had been a while since she’d last dropped by, but it hadn't been that long.  It took a moment to get her bearings before she spied her target.

"Hey there!" Velvet chimed as she trotted over to the booth.  "Got room for one more?"

Nightingale looked up from the conversation she was having with two other mares and smiled.  "Oh, hi, Velvet!  Sure!  We're just discussing how you totally ruined our lives."

Velvet glanced around the table to offer an awkward grin to Ocean Starlight and Beryl Waltz.  "Uh, what?"

Ocean Starlight leaned in, eyes wide and lips curled with interest.  "Did you really kiss Perennial?"

Velvet blinked.  "What? No?"

"Oh, sweet Celestia."  Beryl slapped a hoof to her forehead and groaned.  "You weren't kidding.  She really was completely smashed."

Nightingale giggled and scooted over, patting the space next to her.  "Velvet, dear, it's time we told you something."

Cautiously and slowly, Velvet lowered herself to sit, her eyes darting about.  "Told me what?"

"You kissed Perennial," Ocean said.

"And now she's taking it out on all of us," Beryl continued.

"But you don't remember it because you had drank way too much," Nightingale finished.

Velvet stared straight ahead at nothing in particular as she wracked her memories.  When was the last time she had drunk a bunch?  That would be when she celebrated getting into the Royal Ballet, of course, so not even remotely long enough to forget something like kissing Perennial.  Yeah, sure, she had thought about it, but not seriously thought about it.

She would never... would she?

"She really doesn't remember!"  Ocean gawked.  "The boldest thing a pony could ever do and she forgot?!"

Nightingale's wings fluttered as she laughed.  "Well, she did pass out immediately after doing it."

Velvet finally squeaked, "Did I really kiss her?"

"Yes!" the three mares shouted at the same time.

Slowly, Velvet lowered her head into her hooves, then looked back up at them.  "Oh my gosh.  What did I do?"

"Well, for starters, you kissed Perennial," Nightingale said, wrapping a wing around Velvet.  "Like, right on the lips.  Then you passed out.  Then Perennial came to practice furious and took it out on us the next day.  And the next day."

Beryl scrunched up her nose.  "Well, technically, she was just taking it out on you at first."

"Yeah, this is kind of your fault, too, Nightin."  Ocean nodded.  "By proxy of you being there, she blamed you.  And by proxy of us trying to stand up for you, she blamed us."

Nightingale waved a hoof before gesturing at the still-shocked Velvet.  "Let's just focus on Velvet, okay?  Besides, I imagine she has quite the story to tell us, anyway."

Velvet's brow furrowed and she started to straighten up.  "What?  About how I can't believe I did something like kiss Perennial?"

"Nope!  We're moving on from that.  Didn't you have a special day recently?"  Nightingale grinned.

"Uh, no?"  Velvet started to lean away from her.  "What did I do now?!"

"I don't know, you tell me!"  Nightingale hooked her forelegs together and rested her chin on them while the other two glanced at each other.  "A certain stallion came by the studio asking for a certain mare, so a certain friend directed him a certain way."

After a moment, Velvet's eyes narrowed.  "Would that certain stallion be Thunder Tumble?"

Nightingale grinned.  "Yup!"

"First Azurite, and now Tumbler?  Seriously, could you stop giving out where I live and work to random ponies?"  Velvet groaned and rubbed a growing ache between her eyes.

When Ocean and Beryl shot Nightingale skeptical looks, she exclaimed, "They're not random ponies!  One was a guard and one was a suitor!  Anypony else would have done the same."

"Yeah, that's true," Beryl mused quietly.  She sighed and shook her head.  "But, as much fun as it is to tease Velvet, I really do want to discuss the matter at hoof.  I don't like the way Perennial is treating you two and the other corps dancers.  We should really talk to the board about her behavior."

As invested as Velvet wanted to be, a bright array of colors walking over dragged her attention away.  "Hey, sweet cheeks."

Velvet stiffened and swallowed.  Oh, no.  No, no, no.  Nightingale may have known her secret, but Ocean and Beryl?  It was too late, however.  There was no room for escape.  "H-Hey, Candy.  What's up?"

Rock Candy reached out a hoof to trace a line from Velvet's chest, along her neck, and under her chin.  It sent a shiver down Velvet's spine that she struggled against, but the weight of all the other mares' eyes on her only made it worse.  "Thanks for sending that cute little treat my way.  Kind of reminded me of you, except with a lot more trembling.  Maybe next time, the three of us can—"

Another shiver coursed through Velvet, leaving a cold sensation in its wake.  Her stomach turned on itself and she jerked away from Candy's touch.  "What?"  She shook her head to try to clear her thoughts.

It was hard to even imagine.  Sweet, innocent little Dawn had been taken by Rock Candy.  There was no way Velvet could believe Dawn enjoyed it.  Knowing her, she probably just went along with it because Velvet had been foolish enough to mention Candy's name.

Her gaze fell to the hoof that had touched her and a sense of disgust filled her rather than the usual arousal.  Candy was crude, rough, and dirty.  Dawn was clean.  Or, at least, she used to be.

"I don't think that's going to happen," Velvet said, her tone more venomous than she realized she felt.  "Listen, it was fun, Candy, but I think it's best if we leave it at that."

Almost of their own accord, Velvet's hooves pulled her upright and she started toward the door.  The words called after her faded away in the myriad of concerns consuming her.   She had to check on Dawn.  She had to make sure she was okay.  Dawn was so fragile.  What if Candy had been too rough with her?

It didn't take long for Velvet to make it to Dawn's place, especially given that she was running the whole way there.  She knocked on the door a few times, panting to catch the breath she hadn't realized she lost along the way.

A moment later, Dawn answered and smiled.  "Oh!  Hi, Velvet."

Velvet glanced her over.  She seemed to be in one piece.  No visible bruising, and she stood solid on all four legs.  Finally, Velvet heaved a sigh of relief and smiled.  "Mind if I come in?"

Dawn stepped to the side.  "Not at all!  I just finished dinner a bit ago, but if you want, I can throw something together."

"Nah, I'm good.  Just wanted to make sure you were okay."  She took another look at Dawn before walking over to the couch.  "Kinda been a while.  Sorry about that!  You know how it is, though.  Super busy."

"Oh, yes."  Dawn bit her lower lip.  "I know how it is."  An awkward silence held them until Dawn blurted out, "I don't think I like Candy.  Rock Candy.  The mare you like."

Velvet stiffened and waved her hooves.  "Hey!  That's okay!  Listen, I don't like her.  I liked my time with her.  There's a difference, and anyway, just because I may like a mare or may like being with her or whatever doesn't mean you have to, too.  We're different ponies, right?"

Dawn paused a moment, then giggled and settled onto the couch beside her.  "I think that's definitely true.  I… Well, I won't be seeing her again.  She was too—too different.  Too rough."  Her gaze darted away.  "I don't think I like that."

"Yeah, so, about that."  Velvet swallowed.  A lump was in her throat.  Was she coming down with a cold?  When was the last time she had gotten sick, anyway?  She quickly shook her head and tried to smile.  "So, look."

Dawn shifted uncomfortably.  "Y-Yes?"

What could she say?  How should she say it?  Dawn needed a special somepony.  Velvet could see that, but wasn't qualified to help her find one.  She had let her fall into Rock Candy's hooves, for Celestia's sake!  What if she pushed her in the wrong direction?

Velvet rubbed one foreleg against the other.  She had to try.  And, at the least, she could make sure Dawn wasn't lonely in the meantime.  Her smile growing more sincere, she leaned over to nuzzle Dawn's cheek.  "Don't worry, babe.  I'll take care of you."

A bright red hue spread across Dawn's face and she ducked her head, stammering, "O-Oh, well, that—that sounds good to me…"


---


Velvet drummed her hooves on the counter and let her gaze wander the bakery.  It was a nice, quiet day, with a few of the regular customers sitting at their usual tables and a couple new ones eyeing the goods behind the glass.

It was a great way to unwind after practice.  Smile, take orders, switch off with her dad, and play with Red.  Ponies who wanted sweets were generally pretty nice, and she'd never dealt with an angry or unreasonable customer.  Really, if she hadn't gotten into the Royal Ballet, working at the bakery wouldn't have been the worst thing in the world.

The bell chimed and she looked up to greet the customer with a smile, but it dropped into a frown.  "Seriously?!"

Thunder Tumble's eyes went wide and he froze just a few paces inside.

"Let me guess, Nightingale told you!"  Velvet glared at him.

Tumble managed to gasp out, "Told me what?"

"That this is my parents' bakery, d'uh!"  She gestured wildly to the store around them.  "Isn't that why you're here?"

"No!"  Tumble shook his head and raised a defensive hoof.  "It's not like that at all, honest!"

Velvet paused, then slowly lowered her guard as she asked, "All right, then, what is it?"

"I just—I just came here for a cupcake!"  He pointed at the glass case displaying the assortment of sweets for sale.  "Honest!"

Velvet glanced between him and the display case before she relented with a shrug.  "That checks out.  What'll it be?"

It took a moment for Tumble to recover from the interrogation.  He just stared at her, his wings slowly easing out of their tightly clasped position.  "I, uh."  He blinked and finally looked at the rows of cupcakes.  "I don't know.  What do you recommend?"

Velvet shrugged.  "They're all great.  You can't go wrong, so long as you don't assume they're flirting with you and get disappointed."

Tumble's gaze snapped back to her and his ears folded flat against his mane.  "Could, uh.  Could you maybe not mention this to Silent Knight?  Or Crystal Wishes?"  His wings drooped.  "I really crossed a line I shouldn't have."

"And what line is that?"  She leaned against the counter, looking him over him from head to hoof.  Admiring the goods was still okay, wasn't it?  Or was that accidentally flirting?  When he fidgeted under the weight of her gaze, she settled on just making eye contact with him.

"Pursuing an uninterested mare past the point of reason."  He sighed.  "I really thought you were just being, well, you."

Velvet raised her brow.  "What exactly does that mean?"

"Uh."  He offered a weak smile.  "Like a colt tugging on a filly's tail?"

Mulling over the mental image, Velvet's mouth wriggled as she struggled against a laugh that eventually escaped her.  She slapped a hoof on the counter and managed, "O-Oh my gosh!  You're totally right!  Oh, Tumble, I'm so sorry!"

Tumble just stood there quietly as her laughter waned into giggles and she wiped the tears from her eyes.  "Yeah…  And that's why I think I'd kind of rather Silent Knight not find out."

With her forehooves hooked together, she rested her chin on them and grinned.  The grin fell into a somber line as a thought struck her.  "So, what you're saying is, you don't want Silent to find out?"

Tumble blinked.  "Yes, that's what I just said."

"You'd prefer he not know about what happened?"  Her ears flicked.

His brow furrowed.  "Yes?"

Her tongue darted to lick her suddenly dry lips.  "If he never heard about it, you'd be happy?"

"I'm sorry, what are we doing?"  His wings shifted and tucked in close to his sides.  "You're just saying the same thing over and over."

A soft hum rumbled in her throat and her tail started to swish.  Why hadn't she thought of it before?  He was perfect.  Perfectly handsome.  His muscles twitched with a mix of uncertainty, irritation, and a whole lot of… deliciousness.  "I've come to a new conclusion, Tumbler."  She leaned in toward him.  "I may have been too hasty about you."

"Huh?" was all he said, but the flush in his face told her that her expression and tone were just right.

Velvet reached out a hoof and lightly tapped him on the nose.  "If we kept it a secret, would you still be interested in me?  Because I've never been with a stallion before, and I think you're just the one to change that, stud."

Tumble's eyes widened and his mouth opened to speak.  No words came out.  Instead, he opted for a small, slow nod.

"Great."  Velvet straightened up and her cheerful voice returned as she chimed, "You know, the cupcakes are even better when they're fresh.  Why don't you place an order and I'll have it delivered to you?"

Another almost dumbfounded nod.

Velvet picked up a clipboard from underneath the counter and slid it to him.  "Here you are, sir," she said with a wink.

Tumble glanced between her and the order sheet.  It was almost like he didn't trust her!  Well, all right, to his credit, she probably wasn't very trustworthy, especially not after the whole 'door to the face' incident.

Maybe stallions were better seen and not touched.  Maybe they were much better in the sheets than on the streets.  There was only one way to find out… of course, that still left one small problem.  Velvet kept her frown to herself and waited until he had filled out the form before saying, "Thank you, sir!  It'll be delivered to you this evening.  Please wear something appropriate."

"Oh.  Uh?"  Tumble's face couldn't have gotten any redder.  "Okay.  Okay, all right."  He took a step back and froze, as if preparing for the other horseshoe to fall.  When it didn't, his face lit up with a smile.  "All right!"

Velvet waved him off before slumping against the counter.  No, no, no, no.  How could she have forgotten the other issue?  Nothing was guaranteed against pregnancy.  What if she was the one percent?  Or half of a percent, or whatever the number was?  It would just be her luck that she'd be the example parents used to scare their children out of fooling around too young.

How much better could being with a stallion be than a mare to make the risk worth it?

It was too late, though.  She was curious, he was interested, and she could trust him to keep things a secret.  Now or never.  And, as she looked at his address on the order form, she knew 'never' wasn't an option.

She dropped down onto all fours and tentatively made her way to the back room.  "Hey, Dad?  Can you take back over?"

Pepper looked up from where he sat with Red in front of him and smiled, standing up with a small grunt.  "Absolutely, sweetie!  I meant to come switch with you sooner, but Red wanted to show me how fast his train can move when it's thrown across the room."

Red squealed, "Choo-choo!"

Velvet stared at Red, nerves rising up from the pit of her stomach.  Oh, sweet mini cupcakes, how could she try to talk to her mom with Red in the room?

As he passed by, Pepper patted her shoulder.  "Thanks for all your help.  It's really appreciated."

Velvet just nodded and looked over at Sunbeam, blinking when their gazes met.  Sunbeam was staring at her a little too intently for comfort.  "What's up, Mom?"

"You're nervous," she replied simply, patting the seat next to hers.

"Y-Yeah."  Velvet walked over to sit down.  "That obvious?"

Sunbeam smiled.  "A mother always knows.  What's on your mind, sprinklefrosting?"

Velvet gave a long, drawn-out groan as she looked around the room at anything but her mother or her brother.  Finally, she muttered, "I, uh, so, Mom, I know I took sex education as a foal, but—"

Sunbeam gasped and clasped her hooves together.  "Are you pregnant?!"

"No!" Velvet squeaked.  She coughed and glared at her, hissing, "That's what I want to ask you about, how to avoid that!"

"Oh."  Sunbeam's ears drooped before perking back up as she giggled.  "You really didn't pay attention in class, did you?  You can't get pregnant with mares."

Velvet groaned, rolling her eyes.  "I know that!"  She crossed her forelegs over her chest.  "Why would you ask if I was pregnant if that's your answer?"

"A mother can dream, marshmallow.  A mother can always dream."  She took Velvet's hoof in hers after tugging it out of its crossed position and patted it.  "But, no, there's nothing to worry about."

In a quiet voice that hitched from her embarrassment, Velvet grumbled, "But what if there was?"

Sunbeam's smile faded with curiosity.  She tilted her head and her brow furrowed.  "I don't know what you mean?"

"What if, you know, what if a situation came up, and I wasn't going to be with a mare?"  Velvet kept her gaze firmly fixated on the wall.

Sunbeam let go of her hoof to instead clasp her own cheeks.  "A stallion?!  Oh, Velvet!  I'm going to be a grandmother after all!"

With a frustrated groan, Velvet dropped her head back to stare at the ceiling.  "Mom!  That's exactly what I'm trying to avoid here!  Could you please just get this over with?  How do I not make you a grandmother?"

Sunbeam didn't respond at first, the bright smile not budging in the least.  "It's not exactly in my personal interests to tell you the truth, but…"  She lowered her hooves, folded them in her lap, and put on a serious expression.  "All right.  Well, sweetie, your best bet is to double up.  Get yourself some condoms and a family planning potion."

"Potion, right.  Right."  Velvet nodded, then snapped her head to look at Sunbeam with wide eyes.  "Wait, a potion?!  You don't mean—"

"Oh, honey, I'm afraid I do."  Sunbeam's expression darkened as she grinned.  "It would just be easier to give me a grandfoal!"

Velvet slumped in her seat, whining as dread filled her very soul, "No, no, no, no, no, please, tell me they're not sold at—"

"The Phial and Filly Alchemist Supply?"  Sunbeam nodded.  "Yes, indeed!  Of course, they're sold at other shops, but in my experience, Runic's are the best.  They taste amazing!  Oh, pumpkin pie, I recommend the mint flavor."  She winked.  "Stallions like the minty sensation if you give them a little sweet treat."

Feeling almost as comatose as she probably looked, Velvet said nothing at first.  She had to collect her suddenly shattered train of thought, and that took all of her remaining will.  Her consciousness returned and her head lolled to the side so that she could glare at Sunbeam.  "Way too much info, Mom.  Seriously."

Great.  Just great.  Now what was she going to do?  Not go to Runic's shop, that was for sure.  That was the last place she was going for a situation like this.