//------------------------------// // Facing the Consequences // Story: The Velveteen Mask // by Crystal Wishes //------------------------------// Her big debut with the Royal Ballet. Everything she had been working for and dreaming of had finally come to fruition. And she could hardly remember any of it. Oh, she was certain she had done her part. Her moves were likely as flawless as could be expected given how many practice hours she had put in. Her fellow ballerinas had congratulated her, and she had congratulated them in turn. She was pretty sure she had, anyway. "Velvet, darling?" Upper Crust pawed at the air with a hoof. "Are you listening?" Velvet blinked a few times. "Huh? Oh, sorry." Upper Crust huffed lightly. "You must be exhausted. Well, I could hardly blame you. The performance was quite unlike what you must be accustomed to from the Canterlot Ballet." "Yeah, exhausted." Velvet gave a soft laugh. "Hopefully I did okay, though." "Hopefully? Darling, if you don't have confidence in yourself, then how can you expect anypony else to?" Upper Crust raised a brow. "However, if it's reassurance you want, then yes. You seemed to do as well as the other dancers on the stage to me." Velvet's ear flicked. Jeeze, it was just a word. 'Hopefully' wasn't throwing her hooves up in the air or anything dramatic like that, but whatever. "Oh, than—" Upper Crust inclined her head to look down her nose at Velvet. "Of course, I believe you are capable of doing better now that you are not shackled to the corps." And that was the reason why Crystal hated her mother. Upper Crust could never just say things plainly. It was always weirdly worded compliment-insults. Velvet tried not to grin. Complimensults? Nah, that was too wordy. Complinsults. That sounded like something they sold at Greenwall's Pharmacy. "All of that aside, however," Upper Crust continued, her gaze wandering the halls, "I must admit I am shocked to not see my daughter here. Does she not appreciate the magnitude of this performance in your career?" "Huh?" Velvet blinked a few times. "You don't know?" "Know?" Upper Crust started to frown, her gaze returning to Velvet. "Know what, darling?" Rubbing the back of her neck and shifting some as discomfort nipped at her flanks, Velvet said carefully and slowly, "She, well—She's out of town. The address you gave her—" Something crossed Upper Crust's expression that Velvet had never seen before. Her eyes widened, her ears stood straight up, and the tension in her cheeks and brow faded away. For a moment—and only for a moment—Upper Crust looked genuine. The pretenses and charades had fallen, but were quickly raised back up before Velvet could get a good read on her. What the hay was that? "I see," Upper Crust said in a soft, almost breathless voice. "I don't know why I'm surprised. I suppose a part of me was hoping that she wouldn't go…" She cleared her throat and shook her head. "It is what it is." It was a shame Crystal and her mother couldn't get along. If only the two of them could just talk without all the fighting. No barbed words, no double meanings, no complinsults… Just a straightforward, honest conversation. Then perhaps they could clear the air between them, Crystal could see that her mother wasn't from Tartarus, and life would just be easier for the both of them. Velvet's ears started to fall. Straightforward, honest conversation, huh? Maybe Upper Crust and Crystal weren't the only ones struggling with that. She'd been putting it off, but she knew what her heart wanted. It had been pretty clear to her for a while, and it was time to speak its words. Stalling was only going to make things worse for everypony involved. "Hey, Mrs. Crust?" Velvet straightened to her full height. "Do you think you could get me a reservation at Le Bernardin tomorrow night?" Upper Crust opened her mouth, then slowly closed it. She raised a hoof to primp her mane and laughed softly. "Could I? Velvet, darling, I have a standing reservation for four there on the off-chance I might need it for occasions exactly like this. Will that suffice?" "Yeah! That'll more than suffice." And now it was time for the best part of asking for favors from Crystal's mom. Before the stuffy mare could react, Velvet swooped in and hugged her. "Thanks, Mrs. Crust! You're the best!" As Velvet bounded away, doing her best not to cackle, she could hear Upper Crust sputter in surprise. So worth it! Crystal would probably lose her cupcakes if she ever knew that Velvet hugged her mother. That would be really fun to see, actually. She should totally hug Crusty in front of Crystal. But those thoughts were for Future Velvet. Present Velvet had a very important conversation to prepare for. --- Soft music from the live quartet playing that night in the center of the restaurant filtered through the dim lighting. The darkness was kept at bay by vanilla-scented candles, so that each table felt like their own little personal, secluded slice of Prance. Ne me quitte pas, the singer's voice sang softly above the quiet conversations whispered in the dark. Velvet wrung her hooves. Should she have dressed nicer? She had just grabbed a dress out of her closet that she was pretty sure was actually Crystal's, because she didn't own many dresses. It was a silvery blue and had little rhinestone flowers along the hem. It was probably definitely Crystal's. Oublier le temps des malentendus, the voice continued to croon, et le temps perdu… It was going to be fine. One way or another, it was going to be fine. She just had to be straightforward and honest. "Madam?" Velvet snapped her head up to see a yellow-coated stallion standing by her table, wearing a chef's apron and hat. He smiled and bowed his head when their gazes met. "I am Gourmet Palate. I will be your chef this evening. If you are ready, I wanted to discuss the courses I have prepared for you tonight and make sure everything is according to your tastes." "Oh, uh, sorry." Velvet waved a hoof. "It's not just me tonight. I'm still waiting. So, uh, maybe in a bit?" Gourmet nodded. "Of course. Would you like an appetizer while you wait, then?" Velvet's mouth opened, but the response she gave came from her stomach, which pleaded with a grumble. With a polite laugh, Gourmet winked. "I'll put something together for you, then, and have the waiter bring it out." Velvet gave a sheepish grin. "Yeah, thanks." Le Bernardin was such a fancy place. Like, the fanciest. No wonder Crystal's mom liked it so much. She didn't just have a standing reservation there, but it was one of the three chef's tables in the restaurant. It took what was already a great dining experience and made it all the more amazing. She'd just spoken to a restaurant's chef like she was a very important pony or something! Je ferai un domaine, où l'amour sera roi, où l'amour sera loi, où tu seras reine… Breathing in and out, Velvet tried to level off her feelings. Excitement was not what she needed to be falling into right then. She needed to stay calm and collected, especially because she just saw a yellow figure heading her way. "Hey, Velvet," Tumble said, a light flush in his cheeks. He was wearing that adorable little tuxedo collar. Focus! Velvet offered a lopsided grin. "Hey, st—umble." His ear flicked at the slip, but he made no mention of it as he took the seat across from her. "I'm kinda surprised. Dinner? In public?" He laughed. "This is really unlike you." "Yeah, well, hey, I'm full of surprises, you know?" Velvet's gaze flicked past him to see a well-dressed waiter coming their way with a covered silver tray carried in light green magic. "Oh, look! Appetizer's here." Tumble laughed again, more earnestly this time. "Full of surprises, you say?" Velvet stuck out her tongue, then smiled at the waiter as he lowered the tray onto the table. "Whatever. I like food, okay? Ooh…" Her eyes widened slightly at the roasted slices of eggplant topped with a thick smear of cheese and little nuts. "Fancy." "Enjoy," the waiter said, bowing his head and turning to leave. Tumble picked up one of the slices and took a bite, watching her with a curious look in his eye as she popped a whole one in her mouth. Je t'inventerai des mots insensés que tu comprendras… After the silence between them had dragged on a little too long, he cleared his throat. "So, uh—" "I know. I know," Velvet interrupted with a sigh, raising a hoof. "You want to know what's up." Tumble just nodded and took another bite. "I wanted to have a conversation with you. Like, a serious one. I want to make sure you and I are…" She swallowed, keeping her gaze firmly fixed on the table until she worked up the nerve to look into his soft, green eyes. "I want to make sure we are on the same page." "Okay?" he replied cautiously, setting down what remained of his eggplant. Velvet bundled up some of the dress's skirt in her wrung hooves. "Hypothetically… If I wanted to, uh, go further. Like, be special someponies. Be together. Even if your career might take you all the way across Equestria… If I wanted to try to make things work, what would you say?" A red flush filled his cheeks and his ears perked upright. "Huh?" He blinked a few times before ducking his head. "Oh, wow. I was kind of expecting this, but to hear you actually say it?" He laughed breathlessly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I won't lie to you, Velvet. I like you. I like our time together. I wasn't going to push anything on you since you said you didn't want anything more, but if you want to try to make it work…" The hoof lowered from his neck and reached out to touch hers. "I'm willing to give it a shot." There they were: the words she was hoping she'd hear. They made her heart race so fast that the taut band that had been keeping it in check finally snapped. A pang of pain shot through her chest and tears welled up in her eyes. Ne me quitte pas… "I knew you'd say that," she said in a weak voice. It felt like her throat was closing up. "I'm such an idiot. A stupid, stupid idiot." It was no surprise that Tumble looked confused. His hoof slowly, uncertainly retracted. "W-Was that not the right answer?" Velvet quickly shook her head. "No, no, it was the right answer. I'm just an idiot for not realizing it sooner." She raised a trembling hoof to her aching forehead. "I can't believe how stupid I am. You said you didn't want a relationship, but now you do. It's not because you didn't, but because I didn't. You still did. Do." Her heart was racing, each thunderous pound sending a wave of anxiety and adrenaline through her veins. She didn't want to have this conversation. She just wanted to run away, but she planted her hindhooves against the ground. Sucking in a breath, she said as clearly as she could manage, "I'm sorry, Tumble. I'm really sorry. I was selfish for thinking you wouldn't have feelings. You want a special somepony… and I don't." "Oh." His ears started to droop and his gaze lowered. "I… I see." On a vu souvent rejaillir le feu de l’ancien volcan qu’on croyait trop vieux.… A soft blue figure walked toward them, candlelight illuminating the golden amber of her eyes. "And I'm about to get a whole lot more sorry," Velvet muttered. "Huh?" Tumble looked at her, then followed her gaze. The confusion on his face didn't relent any when Dawn stopped at their table, mirroring his expression. "Who—" they started to ask at the same time, looked at each other, then looked at Velvet for explanation. Velvet gestured at the seat to her right. "Hi, Dawn. Why don't you have a seat? There's some things I need to talk about with you." Dawn slowly lowered herself into the seat, glancing at Tumble, who just sat there with an almost pitiable look on his face. "Who's this?" "Dawn, this is Thunder Tumble, a stallion I've been seeing," Velvet explained simply. "Tumble, this is Dawn Walker, a mare I've been seeing." An awkward tension filled the air as they mumbled cordial but uncertain greetings to one another. Le rouge et le noir ne s'épousent-ils pas… Deep breath in through the mouth, out through the nose. It was time to settle things once and for all. "I'm breaking things off with both of you." Dawn's eyes went wide and tears jumped to them almost instantly. "Velvet, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't—I shouldn't have—" "I'm sorry," Velvet interrupted, dropping her gaze to avoid looking at their faces, then forced herself to raise it. She couldn't run. "Dawn, you are like, the absolute sweetest pony I've ever met. I'm so sorry things turned out this way. I assumed that because I had said I didn't want a relationship between us, that meant it was a done deal. "I didn't take your feelings into account, and… I'm sorry for that. I wanted to protect you from somepony breaking your heart. I really did just want you to be happy." Dawn didn't say anything. She just trembled lightly, her breathing uneven, tears falling down her cheeks. It made Velvet feel like an absolute monster, but she forced herself to look at Tumble and keep going. "Tumble, you're a really good pony. You're going to make a mare really happy someday. The stuff with Dawn made me realize that I was going to end up in the same boat with you, and, well, you proved my point." Her ears drooped, but she tried to smile. "So I don't want to see you anymore, either." If there was anything he was good at, it was pulling himself together for a professional guard face. Though there was still confusion in his knitted brow, he gave a curt nod. "I understand. I appreciate you being honest, at least." Velvet breathed in again. "Yeah. So… There it is. I hope you two find the special someponies you're looking for. Now, I'll leave, so you two can enjoy this dinner, okay? The food here's amazing." "What about Azurite?" Dawn asked in a soft, trembling voice. Tumble blinked, his stoic expression faltering, his ears perked upright. "Azurite?" Velvet's brow furrowed, waving a hoof to dismiss Tumble for the moment and keeping her gaze on Dawn. "What about her?" Dawn hesitated, then startled Velvet with such a glowering stare that it chilled her to the bone. "Y-You say all that, but why isn't she here? Why are you just breaking it off with us? What's so special about her?!" "What are you talking about?" Velvet tried to keep her voice even, though she felt her hackles raising. Dawn had a right to be mad, and Velvet deserved every hateful glare, but that didn't make it any easier to be yelled at. "Azurite's just a friend. Is that really what you were so upset about?" "I—" A small sound somewhere in the realm of a sob broke up Dawn's attempt at a retort. She rose suddenly, her chair nearly toppling over. She looked at Velvet one more time and opened her mouth to speak, but jerked her head to the side and instead fled from the table. Velvet and Tumble just sat there, both of them watching Dawn's retreating form as she disappeared out the front doors. Je ne veux plus pleurer, je ne veux plus parler… What a horrible pony she was. What kind of despicable, cruel, selfish pony did she have to be to hurt a sweet, caring, loving pony like Dawn? Tumble turned his head toward her, the confusion having since faded away. There was a new look in his eyes. It was… pity? "I don't think you're a bad pony for all this, Velvet… but I have a feeling what I think doesn't make much of a difference in this situation." He pushed his chair back and stood. "I'm going to go make sure she's okay." With a small smile, he leaned across the table to place a light kiss on her cheek. "Good luck finding whatever it is that you need. Enjoy your dinner." And with those parting words, she was alone. Dreadfully alone. The happiness she had found was gone, just like that, because she couldn't see past her own selfish desires to notice how she had been hurting Dawn and Tumble. Ne me quitte pas... "Here you are, madam," a stallion's voice said as a silver plate was set on the table in front of her. She blinked and looked up to see the chef standing there, a solemn look on his face. "Huh?" "Forgive me for noticing, but it looked like your evening didn't go the way you wanted. I decided to skip the other courses and bring dessert." For a moment, he smiled. "You look like you need it." Velvet raised a hoof to wipe her eyes and tried to return the smile. "I don't deserve it, but I do think I need it, yeah." Gourmet flicked an ear. His horn lit up and levitated the dome off the tray to reveal a slice of the most decadent chocolate cake with raspberry sauce drizzled over it. "Bon appétit. I hope your tomorrow is better." "Thank you," she mumbled, looking down at the cake. It smelled delicious. Rich cocoa, sweet raspberry… How nice of him. Did chefs get tipped? Well, the waiter was going to get a nice tip because of the chef. Maybe she'd leave a note with the tip. 'Thank your chef for these bits!' While she took a bite of cake, she felt tears returning to her eyes. She should have listened to Nightingale from the very beginning. She had said Velvet was making a big mistake… If only she had listened instead of just assuming she knew best. How could she have been so foolish to think she knew anything about the way hearts worked? Normal hearts, anyway. Hearts that felt love. Hearts that weren't defective. --- Tendrils of light reached under Velvet's bedroom door. She glared at them, knowing their source; Crystal was awake. She was out there, muttering to herself about honeymoon plans. The darkness surrounded Velvet, keeping her away from the light. Away from Crystal. "If there's nothing wrong with me, then what's wrong with you?" She hadn't slept all night. Had she slept the night prior? How long had she been awake? Perhaps she had nodded off a few times, but whatever sleep she could get was far from restful. Crystal would be married soon. She would go on the honeymoon she was out there planning, and then she would be gone. Silent would take her away to live in their own home as wife and husband. Velvet would be all alone. It wouldn't be so bad, would it? With Crystal gone, she would have the condo all to herself to bring mares and stallions over. She'd be free. Wasn't that what she wanted? "What the hay is wrong with you?!" Crystal would never have to find out how she had broken Dawn's heart. Never have to find out that she was perverting the wonderful thing that Crystal and Silent shared. That she was void of love. What kind of pony didn't love? How could Crystal ever be friends with a pony like that? Crystal, who lived in the world of romance, roses, and making love instead of sex… "A problem with it? No!  If they all love each other and they're happy together, then of course I don't!" Maybe it would be easier if Crystal knew the truth. Then she could move to the Crystal Empire with no regrets. Besides, she wouldn't be alone! She'd have Nightingale. Nightingale accepted her for who she was… "You need to break up with her!  Or break things off with her, however it works in your weird anti-dating world!" … mostly. Velvet trembled as a sob escaped her. She really was alone, wasn't she? Nightingale didn't understand her. Mom wanted her to settle down. Dad just indulged her. Azurite enjoyed the love of two ponies. And Crystal… Though her whole body ached to the very core, Velvet slid off the bed and started toward the door. Toward the light. Toward the voice. "Maris...  Colton Head...  Maredrid...  or just go back to Glimmer World?"  Crystal sighed loudly. "Oh, tea, would you hurry up already?" "You know what they say about a watched kettle," Velvet said. Her throat felt like she had tried to drink cinnamon. It was rough and scratchy and she was almost concerned she hadn't spoken loud enough for Crystal to hear. "Oh, good morning!  I—"  Crystal's head came into view from the kitchen, a smile on her face that quickly fell.  She must have looked as bad as she felt. "Velvet?  What's the matter?" Oh, wait. There was just one problem with this plan. Hurriedly, Velvet glanced around the condo.  "Is Silent still here?" Crystal shook her head.  "No, he's already left for work." "I can't—" Was she really ready to do this? Was she prepared for Crystal's reaction? Crystal stiffened, concern crossing her furrowed brow.  "What's wrong?" It was time. Time to let go of the worry, the fear, the pain. Time to let everything out and move forward. Time to face the consequences of all of her choices. Velvet rubbed at her aching eyes and whispered in a trembling voice, "I can't do this anymore.  I have—I have to tell you a secret."