"... I thought everything was going great! I was happy, Soarin was happy, and Sunny seemed happy, but then I found out she tried to find another mare." Tears were in Azurite's eyes, but she had kept them at bay throughout the whole explanation. Velvet had to commend her determination. "And now, Soarin's not talking to Sunny and Sunny's not talking to me. So, yeah, things are... pretty tense right now."
There was a sympathetic pause before Sunbeam broke the silence. "See, Velvet? Azurite has two special someponies! What's stopping you from just finding one?"
Why did nopony seem to want to take Azurite seriously? First Crystal, now her mother! Well, actually, she couldn't blame either of them. Crystal was overtaken by the chance to tease Velvet, and her mother? Sunbeam tried to lighten every situation with a joke. She meant well, of course, but this was a situation that would have been better served by her father being there.
"Mom, seriously, you're killing me." Velvet sighed. "Can we please just focus on Azurite? As weird as that might sound right now, given my hoof in the matter."
"Yes, yes." Sunbeam turned her attention on Azurite with a smile. "It sounds like you're in a pretty tough situation, sweetie. Do you really love the both of them that much?" Raising a hoof, she added, "Not that I'm judging you. I'm not, not at all! I'm just trying to make sure I understand the whole situation."
Azurite shifted in her seat. "Yes, ma'am, I do. Very, very much. Things just feel wrong without Sunny around." She sniffled. "I thought everything was perfect."
Velvet winced. Things probably would have been just fine if it weren't for her. If she hadn't pressed Sunny so hard. Then Azurite wouldn't be stuck sitting with 'the other mare' and having to talk about her love life to two near-complete strangers. "I'm really, really sorry, Azurite. I really am. I had no idea about any of this. I swear I wasn't trying to mess things up between you all."
"No, it's okay." Azurite shook her head with a heavy sigh. "Honestly, I think if you hadn't been there, it would have just been another pretty mare." Her nose scrunched up. "A mean one that would have beat me up when I showed up at her house and then told the Guard and gotten me fired. So, I guess, in a way, I'm actually glad it was you 'cause you're really nice and didn't do any of those things."
A warm, fuzzy feeling spread throughout Velvet's chest. Azurite was so sincere, even if a bit quirky, that it was hard not to just adore the little mare. "Aww! You're so sweet. You know what, I'm glad it was me, too." Crabapples. Her eyes widened and she tried to cover her mouth before it could do more harm. "Totally didn't mean that the way it sounded!"
Azurite's nose wiggled a bit before she burst into laughter. It was the happiest she had sounded in the very short time Velvet had known her, but given what she was going through, it was pretty darn happy. "It's okay! I know what you meant. I understand." She sighed, the mirth dissipating as quickly as it had appeared. "Really, I just want to fix everything and move on and pretend it never happened. No offense."
"Fix it?" Sandy raised her brow and set down her half-eaten cookie. "What makes you think you can fix things?"
Sunbeam waved a hoof. "She clearly thinks she's the glue in this relationship, so of course she thinks that."
"Well, honestly, I bet she is," Velvet added. "I mean, having met Sunny, I can already tell that Azurite is the more amiable one. I don't know Soarin but she's definitely the one in the middle."
"I—" Azurite started, but Sandy cut in over her.
"More like the most pliable." Sandy whispered in an exaggerated manner, "I've known Azurite for a long time, and I've seen it happen before. She is really easygoing and sweet, so I think sometimes ponies take advantage of her because of that. Honestly, what do we know about Sunny? Maybe she's just using her to get in with Soarin. He's famous, you know."
Azurite frowned. "Well—"
Sunbeam gasped. "I hadn't considered that!" She clasped a hoof to her cheek. "Oh, but isn't she important, too? What if he is the one using Azurite to get into the palace?"
Azurite shook her head. "He'd just—"
"No, no." Velvet rolled her eyes. "Come on, Mom. He's a Wonderbolt! Crystal's said she sees them coming and going at the palace a lot. Yeah, sure, Sunny may be important, but she's in the same boat as Silent. Just a chain in the link. There's tons of more important ponies outranking him. Soarin is definitely the far more famous one of the two."
"Can I just—"
Sunbeam's brow furrowed and she clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Well, regardless, Sunny should just own up and do right by Azurite. She needs to apologize right away to set things straight. She's the one at fault, after all."
Velvet and Sandy nodded, but Azurite sat up straight in her seat and shouted, "Can we please get back to the whole 'helping me' thing?!"
"What?" Sandy looked at her. "But we are helping, Azurite!"
Azurite eyed her with clear skepticism. "How? It just sounds like gossip to me!"
"Gossip? Oh, no, no, sugarsnap." Sunbeam giggled. "We're talking it out like civilized ponies and working on a solution."
Velvet snickered as Azurite sputtered before glaring at them all, grabbing a cookie, and sulking in her seat. This was going to be fun. Way too much fun. Of course, once Azurite got Sunny back, things would go back to normal and they'd return to awkward acquaintances, but in the meantime it was fun to watch her pout. It was like teasing Crystal, but in the tiny, cute form of an older Red.
While Sandy and Sunbeam continued their debate on the best course of action, Velvet's gaze wandered to the door that separated her from the little guy. Maybe he'd grow up to be cute and adorable like Azurite.
That wouldn't be so bad, now, would it? She smiled and nodded in agreement with herself. No, that'd suit her just fine.
---
Move like a swan. Grace. Poise. Every movement had to be perfect. She had to keep her mind one step ahead while her body followed behind in muscle memory. Don't think about the current sweep of her forelegs; think about the arabesque to follow.
Velvet glided across the studio floor. Breathing was key. She had to move slowly, to elongate every movement, to showcase every curve of her body and the grace therein. It wasn't about speed. It wasn't about flourish. It was about precision and beauty.
The strain on her muscles was minimal, and when the performance drew to a close, she found herself hardly sweating or panting at all. She held the final pose for as long as she could: the high arabesque, her back in a perfect arch. Finally, she dropped down and sucked in a breath, looking over to see Perennial's reaction.
There was none. Perennial's face was a perfectly blank slate, no emotion or feelings given away whatsoever. It was totally and thoroughly unnerving. Then, it happened.
Perennial smiled.
"Well," she said, leaning back on her haunches to cross her forelegs, "I must say, I am impressed. I honestly thought you would give up after a few days. I had no idea you were actually serious about being in ballet, Velvet Step."
Velvet's chest swelled with pride and she grinned. "Thanks! It helps that I had a pretty okay teacher."
Perennial snorted. "For your sake, I sincerely hope the Royal Ballet takes you. I think we have stretched the limit of how much I can stand you." She paused, then added, "But if you kept up this enthusiasm for the true art of ballet, then perhaps I could learn to stand you a little better."
"Aww, thanks, Perry." Velvet winked before she started trotting toward the showers. "But it's Royal Ballet or bust for me."
"Perry?" Perennial repeated with clear distaste in her tone as she followed behind. "Please don't ever call me that again." She tugged her mane out of its bun and walked into one of the shower stalls.
"Spoilsport." Velvet laughed. She took the stall two over, keeping a safe distance between them.
They showered in silence for a while until Perennial cleared her throat. "And what do you plan to do if you don't make the auditions, exactly? You're a little too young and inexperienced to retire to teaching."
Velvet shrugged and closed her eyes to let the water hit her face. "I'll work at my parents' bakery, d'uh."
"What?" Perennial snorted. "You can't be serious."
"I can! And I am!" Velvet shifted to stick her head out from under the stream, one hoof raising to grab the bottle of shampoo. "I don't want to move out of Canterlot, and I don't think we can get along for the long term. This has been fun, but let's be honest. You hate me."
Perennial shifted in her stall. "Excuse me, but please refrain from putting words in my mouth. I hate your attitude and your incessant harassment. If you cleaned those up, then I would have no issue with you."
Velvet rolled her eyes, but bit back her knee-jerk response. There was no sense in starting a fight with the pony who had taken the time to teach her. But then again, after the auditions, she'd probably never see her again, so what the hay? "Well, I hate your attitude and your incessant insistence that it's your way or no way."
"I didn't work tirelessly for seven years to not be listened to." Perennial's hoofsteps grew near and the mare stuck her head around the wall to peer at Velvet with a serious expression. "I started out as a nopony corps dancer and have earned my position as prima with my own four hooves. It is my way or no way; I've learned more things than anypony in this company and it's my job to utilize that knowledge so that you all can benefit from what I know."
After a pause, Perennial's ears flicked and she disappeared back to her own stall. "When you become a prima someday, you'll understand."
Velvet's lips curled into a sneer until the will to fight deflated entirely like a burst bubble. "Wait, what? Me, a prima? You're kidding."
Perennial gave an exaggerated sigh. "I don't kid. I told you that I was impressed. Despite your feelings toward me, you endured almost a whole month of my training and rose to meet my standards. If you can do that for somepony you hate, then imagine what you'll do in a company with ponies you like."
"Oh." Velvet finished rinsing out her mane before applying the anti-curl serum. Perennial speaking sincerely was nothing short of awkward. "Well, thanks, I guess." Her ear twitched. "So, uh, I have to ask. Why don't you audition for the Royal Ballet? You'd get in for sure."
"Why?" Perennial's shower turned off and the mare walked out with a towel held in her magic, which she rubbed along her mane and neck. "Because I have no interest in it. I have everything I want here in this company. Moving to the Royal Ballet would, more or less, be starting over for me. No, thank you."
Velvet frowned down at her hooves, relishing in the hot water running down her sides a while longer. Starting over. That was a downside to switching companies, wasn't it? She'd lose the friends she had made. What would happen to her friendship with Nightingale? Quickly, she shook her head and straightened up. No, she'd just have to be extra diligent to not lose touch.
---
The turnout for the Royal Ballet auditions was astounding. Mares and stallions from all over Equestria gathered in Canterlot for their chance to join the most prestigious company in existence.
Velvet took her time to marvel at the stained glass windows that lined the walls of the Royal Opera House, which was home to not just the Royal Ballet, but the Royal Opera and Orchestra as well. Each mural showcased a different event in the history of the Royal companies, the most prominent of which being Princess Celestia founding them.
With beautiful curves and shimmering white glass, the form of Princess Celestia took up the center of the window as she gazed back at the viewer with a gentle smile, her wings spread wide as if to shelter the other figures in the scene. At her sides were two silhouettes, one of a ballerina in a perfect arabesque, the other of a stallion with one foreleg lifted and his mouth open wide to bellow an unheard but powerful note. Flanking the bottom of the scene was an orchestra, each pony playing an iconic instrument and composed of a different color of the rainbow.
A strong, empowering sense of purpose washed over Velvet as she stared up at Celestia and the other figures, blissfully unaware of the ponies rushing about around her. The history of the Royal companies and the meaning behind their founding felt suddenly clear.
It wasn't about the ballerinas, the singers, or the musicians. It was about the art itself, about bringing enjoyment and enlightenment to other ponies through dance and song. It was about doing something, no matter how seemingly unimportant, that mattered to even just one pony out there watching.
The fire within her started to burn and she lowered her gaze to the room of ponies. There was no way Velvet could be content working at her parents' bakery. She was meant for ballet and nothing less.
Her hooves started to carry her toward an empty spot along the barre to begin stretching. She would get a spot in the Royal Ballet. There would be no doubt or indecision to hold her back.
And that was when reality came crashing down on her like a cartwheeling pony. Or, in this case, by a cartwheeling pony.
"Sorry!" a voice bubbled between giggles. "Got a little carried away!"
Velvet blinked a few times, trying to get her wits back about her. She was on the ground, her side throbbed with pain, and there was a giggling magenta pony on top of her. "What?" She groaned as the other mare stood up and offered a hoof, which Velvet reluctantly accepted. "Were you doing cartwheels?"
The mare nodded, her tri-color mane of aquamarine, teal, and light violet curls bouncing with the motion. "Yup! They're super fun. You should try it!" She paused, then waved a hoof. "But maybe don't crash into ponies when you do it."
Velvet just stared as her mouth hung open. She gave a quick shake of her head and exclaimed, "But there aren't cartwheels in ballet!"
"No?" She tilted her head. "Really?"
Velvet gawked. "What kind of ballet company do you come from where they do cartwheels?!"
"I don't!" The mare giggled.
"Then..." Velvet slowly raised a hoof to rub her forehead. "You do realize that these are auditions for a ballet company, right? The Royal Ballet of Equestria?"
"Yup!"
"And you're not a ballerina?"
"Nope!"
Velvet frowned. "Then what are you doing here?"
The mare puffed her chest and beamed as she replied simply, "Having fun, of course! Isn't that why all of us are here?"
"No. Some of us are here to—" Velvet's words were strangled by a sudden pang of déjà vu and her brow furrowed. Slowly, her gaze fell before lifting back to the stained glass mural. Had she really almost forgotten what was important to her?
Princess Celestia's figure gazed back at her, fondly, patiently, waiting for her to figure it out on her own. After a moment of consideration, Velvet smiled. Did the princess really want a ballet company full of no-nonsense Perennials? No way. She was too benevolent to allow that kind of nightmare to happen.
"You're right." Velvet looked back at the mare and grinned. "Let's kill time before our auditions! I bet I can do twenty fouettés before you can do twenty cartwheels, you, uh—what's your name?"
"Toola Roola! And you are so on!" Toola hopped up onto her hindlegs, her forelegs stretched in the air. "Three..."
Velvet stood up as well. "Two..."
"One!"
Velvet pushed off with one leg to begin her first spin and tried not to laugh at how Toola giggled and flipped about. No matter what, she had to keep in mind that none of it was worth it if she wasn't enjoying herself, even if that meant a bunch of ponies staring as she and Toola made quite the strange display of movement in the middle of the room.
---
Nightingale squealed as she held Velvet's hooves and bounced up and down in her seat, her wings fluttering to aid her movement. The other ponies in Sunridge Sweets glanced over with curious looks, but Nightingale paid them no mind. "I can't believe it, I can't believe it, I can't believe it!"
Velvet laughed and tried to put on a sulky expression. "What, seriously? You can't? I'm hurt! Where is the faith?"
"Oh, you know what I mean!" Nightingale let go to instead wrap her forelegs around Velvet's neck. "This is so exciting! You're going to be in the Royal Ballet!"
"Not just in the Royal Ballet." Velvet stuck her nose in the air. "But as a soloist, too!"
The reality of it all hadn't quite set in yet. When the names had been called out of who made the cut and Velvet heard hers, everything became a big blur. Disbelief, elation, surprise, joy—all of it collided together and had left her feeling blissfully numb. Her parents had showered them with free celebration sweets, though, and that was real enough to enjoy.
Nightingale, on the other hoof, was anything but numb as she continued to make high-pitched titters of excitement. "We have to celebrate. We have to celebrate right now!"
With another laugh, Velvet shook her head and pulled away. "No can do! Right now, I have to go home and prepare to make Crystal think I failed so I can watch her squirm."
"That's cruel." Nightingale wagged a hoof at her. "Why are you so mean to her?"
"Because it's fun?" Though a raised cupcake only barely hid Velvet's grin, the wiggle of her ears gave away her amusement. She took a bite and continued, "You have no idea how cute it is when she gets upset."
Nightingale leaned back in her seat and sighed. "Remind me not to become your best friend."
Velvet blinked a few times. "What? Aw, come on, you're my second best friend!"
"Velvet!" Sunbeam called as she came around the counter. "Velvet, I had the most wonderful idea." She flashed a smile at Nightingale. "Sorry, sugarcup, I don't mean to interrupt, but if I don't share this I'll forget."
"It's no problem, Mrs. Sunbeam!" Nightingale took a sip from her milkshake, though her ears were both angled forward to pay close attention.
"What's up, Mom?" Velvet licked her lips to clean them of stray frosting.
Sunbeam sat down and drummed her hooves on the table. "Well, I was thinking about Crystal's upcoming wedding shower. It's going to be hosted at the palace, so it has to be a very special cake, don't you think?"
Velvet nodded idly. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Picture this." Sunbeam raised her hooves to gesture vaguely. "White frosting, of course, because this is for a wedding shower. But underneath is a surprise! A pink cake for Crystal, with blue hearts all throughout for Silent! Can you imagine the surprise of cutting into it and seeing that inside?" She giggled. "Oh, it'll be so scrumdiddlyumptious! Nothing short of perfect for my little daughter from another mother!"
Nightingale finished slurping her milkshake to chime, "I think that'd be really cool! How do you do that?"
Sunbeam winked. "A magician never reveals their secrets, my dear!"
Velvet snorted and lowered her cupcake. "It's easy. You just—" She grinned when a hoof clamped over her mouth. "Mmfffm!"
"What's that?" Sunbeam's ears wiggled. "You promise to stay late to help clean up tomorrow to make up for skipping out today so you can torment Crystal? Why, all right, thank you, sweetums!" She withdrew her hoof. "You're such a wonderful and thoughtful daughter. Okay, I'm going to get work on the first attempt at Crystal's wedding shower cake." She stood and trotted back into the bakery's kitchen.
"Your mom is the best." Nightingale sighed. "My mom is so normal and boring compared to yours."
"Oh, it's okay. You're not the only one with lame parents compared to mine." Velvet leaned back, grinning. "I have pretty much the best parents ever. Anyway, I need to head home. Once I'm done with my Crystal torture, I'll swing by your place and we can head out for karaoke night to celebrate, okay?"
Nightingale snorted, swatted a hoof at Velvet, but nodded nonetheless. "Okay, okay. I can't wait!"
Velvet's grin widened as she imagined the many different ways Crystal would react. Anger? Maybe a pillow to the face? Would she just huff and storm off? Threaten to never be friends again? Or would she just laugh because, honestly, after so many years of pranks, how did she keep falling for Velvet's traps?
With a devious snicker, Velvet simply replied, "Me neither."