//------------------------------//
// En Face 
// Story: The Velveteen Mask 
// by Crystal Wishes 
//------------------------------//

One more act.  That was all that stood between her and the curtains falling on opening night.  Swan Lake was by far her least favorite ballet the company had decided to perform.  A larger one like the Royal Ballet was more suited to such demanding pieces; they had more corps dancers to rotate so that no pony wore out.  With the Canterlot Ballet's smaller numbers, however, that meant they all had to perform in every act.

It was beyond exhausting.  In fact, it verged on torture.  Every muscle in her body ached and each movement sent a burning sensation through her limbs, but she couldn't falter.  She had to stay in perfect unison with the other corps dancers no matter what.  Nightingale was to her right and when her back faced Velvet, the mare's wings threatened to distract her with the way certain movements ruffled the feathers.  

The worst part was the alternating sequences.  There would be intense dancing followed by periods of standing still.  Her forelegs begged her to let them fall, but she begged them to stay suspended in the air.  Something about the very act of being unable to move was more painful than the segments of dancing.

Velvet stood with her head turned to the side, both forelegs crossed in front of her, and one hind leg stretched out.  She was already losing feeling in her forehooves as they trembled in their effort to remain still.  Pain raked through her and her chin trembled while she bit down on her tongue.

Hold it together for a while longer.  Hold the pose, wait for the cue to move again, and don't faint.  Definitely don't faint, no matter how tempting the idea was.

Then, just as her muscles had started to seize and dared to never move again, they had to.  The dancing had to be resumed all over again as the ballet continued.

One more act.  Keep it together.  Ignore the pain.  Dance through it.  Stay in unison.  Don't faint.

The mantra repeated over and over in her mind until, finally, sweet relief—the curtains fell.  Once out of sight of the audience, each dancer's charade of composure fell, too.  Nightingale slumped against Velvet, the both of them panting and wheezing.

"Job—job well done," Nightingale managed with a weak smile, her chest rising and falling with jagged breaths.

All Velvet could manage in response was a weak "Yeah."

There was just one last task remaining: curtain call.  They all took up their positions on the stage with Perennial and Beryl Waltz—who had played the role of Prince Siegfried—standing front and center.  Applause washed over them and replaced all the pain and exhaustion with a feeling of elation over yet another successful performance.

After they had taken their bows and soaked up all the life-giving attention, the dancers trotted off stage, aching hooves temporarily ignored in the rush to get to the showers.

"I can't believe we did it!" Nightingale chirped from her stall and fluttered her wings to send droplets of water in all directions.

Velvet leaned around the wall that separated them to grin at her.  "Aww, you doubted us?"

"Thanks so much for the vote of confidence," Ocean Starlight teased from the next stall over.

Above the sound of running water and chittering mares, Perennial hollered, "All right, girls!  Shower up quick and get back out there!  We have some VIPs scheduled for backstage meet and greets in five!"

Velvet sighed and retreated to the warm embrace of the shower, hot water running over her sore muscles and coaxing them into a state of relaxation.  "Nope!"

Nightingale's voice asked, "What?"

"Nope, I don't wanna."  Velvet flopped down onto the floor and stuck her hooves in the air so they were all under the stream while her head lolled to the side to stay out of it.  "My hooves hurt.  My legs hurt.  My everything hurts.  I'm not interested in a meet and greet."

"But isn't Crystal one of the VIPs?"  Nightingale poked her head into view, a coy smile on her lips.  "And weren't you saying before the show that you had to make sure she didn't run into her mother back there?"

With an ungraceful flailing of all her legs, Velvet scrambled upright and kicked the faucet off.  "Crap, you're right!"  She shook out her coat and grabbed one of the towels hanging outside the stalls.  "Crap, crap, crap," she muttered under her breath as she dried off as quickly as she could, snapped her hair into its usual bun, grabbed her bag, and hurried to the door.

Waiting out in the hall, as per usual, was Crystal's mother Upper Crust.  The mare stood with an air of authority and eyed the other dancers that had already wandered out, her expression one of mild disdain.  Her gaze focused on Velvet and her eyes softened.  "Velvet Step," the mare said, approaching her.  "You were wonderful as always, dear."

Velvet laughed and shifted from one hoof to the other.  "Thanks, Mrs. Upper Crust."

Upper Crust nodded, then turned her head to look over her shoulder.  "I believe I saw my daughter on the other end of the VIP section.  Did you get her a ticket?"

"Two, actually!"  Velvet brushed a stray strand of her mane back behind her ear.  "One for her and one for her coltfriend."

One of Upper Crust's brows arched as she returned her head forward.  "I see."  She stared for a moment, sending nerves of uncertainty through Velvet.  "Her stallionfriend is a mare?"

Velvet blinked.  "What?"

"I saw Crystal, but she was with a mare, not a stallion."  The raised brow fell into a flat line.  "Is that why she hasn't introduced anypony to us?"

"What?" Velvet repeated almost dumbly before giving a quick shake of her head.  "No, she's definitely dating a stallion!  I, uh, well, who knows with her?  Maybe he was busy and she invited somepony else.  I dunno who, but, well, yeah, Silent's definitely a stallion."

Upper Crust snorted, then smiled and shrugged.  "I see.  Well, then, I would hate to upset her.  You know how she gets when I'm around.  Honestly, it's as though she's still a foal."  She rolled her eyes and started to walk down the hall toward the exit.  "Good work today, Velvet Step."

Velvet waved after her.  "Thanks, Mrs. Upper Crust!"

Almost as if on cue, hoofsteps approached and Crystal's voice asked, "Was my mother bothering you?"

"Huh?"  Velvet turned her head to blink at Crystal, then laughed.  "Nope!"  She shook her head.  "She always comes to my performances in Canterlot."

Crystal stared at her with wide eyes.  "Really?"

"Yup."  Velvet's gaze darted to the side to see Upper Crust disappear from view.  She took in a breath and put a playful grin on her face.  Now was not the time to get between mother and daughter.  "Guess she likes bragging that she can come and say she knows somepony in the ballet or something.  Who knows with her!"  She shifted her attention to the pegasus at Crystal's side, grin growing more sincere.  "So you're Crystal's date, huh?"

The light brown mare gawked.  Velvet knew that look.  Usually, that was the look fans would give Perennial when meeting her for the first time.  It was, admittedly, kind of awesome to be on the receiving end.

"N-no!" the mare finally said.  "Not at all!"  She snatched a bouquet that had been floating in Crystal's magic and shoved it in Velvet's face.  "You and everypony in the ballet were amazing!"

Velvet swept one foreleg to take the offered bouquet, swung one hind leg back, and ended with her forelegs in fourth position.  "Why, thank you ever so much, darling!"

"That."  Crystal jabbed one hoof at her chest to push her upright.  "That right there is a sign you need to not talk with my mother so much."

Or that Crystal had no sense of humor.  Velvet stuck out her tongue and waved the hoof away, then looked back at the pegasus mare.  "So, you enjoyed it, huh?"

She nodded like an over-energized filly.  "Absolutely!  I've attended ballets with Princess Luna before, but I—"  Her gaze darted away, her ears folded back, and her lips curled into a sheepish grin.  "I've always been so busy planning what she had to do after the ballet that I never paid attention, I suppose.  And now I regret not noticing how beautiful ballet is."

After putting the bouquet into her bag, which she slung over her back, Velvet started toward the side exit door.  "I'm glad to hear my performance could touch you so deeply!"

Crystal and her friend followed behind her.  The latter tentatively started, "Perhaps—"  There was a hesitant pause.  "Perhaps, some time, you could intentionally invite me to an event?  I think I need to get out more."

"Absolutely," Crystal replied.

"That's perfect!"  Velvet stopped just short of opening the door, turned to face them, and grinned.  "Now that you two are buddy buddy, Crystal, you won't be mad."

The smile that had been on Crystal's face fell into a straight line.  "Won't be mad about what?  What did you do?"

This was too easy.  Messing with Crystal was always too easy, but Velvet could never resist.  She tried to keep her composure as she shrugged and said, "I figured you wouldn't need it."  One hind leg kicked out to open the door and reveal the valet waiting outside with Crystal's sulky.

Velvet had made a minor adjustment to the little cart: a piece of paper was taped on to cover up Crystal's cutie mark and had her own drawn on it.  It was a little crude, but Velvet was a dancer, not an artist.

"So I borrowed it!"  Velvet leapt into a grand jeté to land her right hind leg on the seat, pivoted into a pique turn, and dropped her rump down.  "I'll see you later!"

The valet took the cue and trotted forward before Crystal or her friend could say anything.  He chuckled before asking, "So, where to, ma'am?"

Velvet hummed.  "The evening's still young, don't you think?  Take me to the nearest club!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Adrenaline was coursing through her veins like fire.  Some of that fire may be attributed to not having cooled down properly, but she felt great.  Somepony had given her a bouquet and called her amazing!  She grinned and tugged one of the flowers out of her bag to chew on the petals.  The ballet had been a success.  She had executed flawlessly.  Life was great.

Once the valet pulled up outside a club, she hopped out and tossed a few bits toward him.  "Mind taking it back where I had you get it from?"

The valet tipped his hat to her.  "Not at all, ma'am!  Have a fun night!"

"Oh, I will."  Velvet looked at the doors as she stalked toward them.  "Don't worry about that."

Music washed over her when she pushed open one of the doors.  The thumping of bass vibrated through her hooves and up into the back of her skull.  Nondescript forms of unfamiliar mares and stallions were grouped together in one herd like a single entity that moved with the heavy electronica.

Velvet grinned when she spotted two mares sitting at the bar, one blue and the other red.  The blurry memory of their hooves wandering her thighs gave her an idea that was much more appealing than standing on her sore legs.

"Hey, you two!" she yelled over the music once she was close enough to them to have a chance at being heard.

The blue one—Rhapsody?—turned to look at her.  Azure eyes that were just a few shades away from white traced her form before a smirk curled her lips, which were colored green that night.  "Hey, dancer girl!"

"I just had a great day."  Velvet put herself between them and draped her forelegs over their shoulders.  "Which one of you wants to make it a great night?"

Rhapsody tilted her head forward to look at her red companion.  "What do you think, Shots?  You or me?"

"Hmm..."  Shots shrugged.  "Why not both?"

Velvet paused.  A threesome?  Were they serious?  She glanced between their smirking faces, both sharing the same devious look in their eyes.  Oh, they were very serious.  She grinned and pulled them closer to her.  "Why not both indeed?"


---


Velvet was cold.  Very cold and incredibly uncomfortable.  The whole of her body ached and the floor beneath her was hard and unforgiving.  Though it took a great deal of effort, she managed to crack her eyes open.  Unfamiliar furniture looked back at her.

"The hay... ?" she moaned.

"Oh, hey," a voice said from somewhere in the room.  "Look at you, you're not dead!  I was a little worried about you, but good.  That makes this less awkward for me."

It wasn't Crystal's voice.  It wasn't Nightingale's, either.  Velvet winced as she tried to lift her head, but the muscles of her neck and shoulders were so stiff they practically screamed from the effort.  "Huh?  Where am I?"

The mysterious mare snorted.  "On my floor."

"Okay.  Figured that out.  Fine, then, who are you?"

The voice laughed and a red mare came into view, leaning her head down to Velvet's eye level.  "Hot Shots!  Remember?  Last night?"

Velvet squinted, stared, and then gasped.  "The threesome with the hot mares!"

Hot Shots plopped down beside her, laughing again.  "Wow, thanks, you're pretty good looking yourself.  Yeah, no, though.  We got here and made out for a bit on the couch, then you complained about your hooves, tried to walk, made it a few steps, fell over, said you were done, and passed out.  Rhapso and I were pretty fired up, and since you didn't seem like you were gonna wake up anytime soon, we went ahead without you.  Hope you don't mind!"

"Aww..."  Velvet's ears wiggled.  "No threesome with the hot mares?"

"Not with us."  Hot Shots reached out to pat her on the head.  "Maybe next time, weirdo."

Velvet sighed and closed her eyes.  "That's kind of disappointing."  She took in a deep breath.  It was time to stand up.  The room was pretty well lit so it was likely morning.  Crystal would be worried if she didn't come home soon, but she hurt all over.  Curse past-Velvet and her lack of cool down exercises!  "Hey, can I just stay here a while longer?"

There was a pause before Hot Shots said in a sugary sweet voice, "No."

"Crabapples."  Forcing all of the energy she could into her limbs, Velvet pushed herself upright.  "Okay.  Well, this was sad, embarrassing, and kind of a letdown.  Sorry about that."

Hot Shots waved a hoof.  "No worries!  Buh-bye now!"

Velvet wobbled her way to the door.  "Yeah."

She needed to get home and take a nice, hot bath to soothe her tight muscles, then get some sleep.  After all, there was another performance of Swan Lake that night.  There would be about four more before they were finally done.  She heaved a whole-bodied sigh as she dragged her hooves on the way to the condo.  Her body felt like a wreck and she had missed out on her first threesome.  Suddenly, the life of a ballerina didn't feel worth it at all.