Leap of Faith

by A bag of plums


The Velvet Room

Sunset awoke the next morning with a crick in her neck and the sun shining through a gap in the curtains right on her face. Instead of getting up to stretch out her muscles, she turned over on her other side and pulled her blanket tighter around herself. The temperature was just too good to waste, thanks to the heater that stood quietly puffing away in the corner, small clouds of steam rising and fogging up the window.

She might’ve gone another few hours before getting up, but someone had suddenly planted a foot in her back and it was starting to bother her. Shifting her body slightly, Sunset got up into a seated position and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Pinkie Pie lay strewn across her mattress and Sunset’s, one leg still twitching where Sunset’s back had been a few seconds before.

“Oh, Pinkie…” Sunset yawned and stretched out her arms as far as they could go.

The rest of her friends were still asleep, including Velvet Breeze, who lay atop Apple Bloom’s bed. They were all still probably pooped from the party last night. Carefully stepping over a half-empty cup of soda, Sunset tiptoed to the window and pulled the curtains open. The sun had already passed the snow-covered hills surrounding Sweet Apple Acres, and judging from the height, it was already close to afternoon.

“Boy, did I sleep that long?” Sunset pushed some hair away from her eyes.

“Ugh, what’s with the light?” Rainbow Dash asked as she got up, rubbing at her face. “It’s still so early…”

“Have you checked the clock, Rainbow?” Sunset chuckled and folded her arms. “It’s definitely not early.”

“Still feels early. What time did we fall asleep yesterday?”

“Close to four,” Sunset remembered.

“That explains it.”

“Mornin’ girls…” Applejack got up and scratched at her head. “Everythin’ alright? How’s Velvet?”

“I’m fine.” The girls turned to Velvet Breeze’s bed and only now did Sunset notice that the teal-grey haired girl’s eyes were open, staring up at the ceiling. “Don’t worry. I wasn’t up all night.”

“You had fun yesterday?” Sunset walked over to check on her.

“Yeah…” Velvet panned her eyes to the others. “Thanks... For being my friends.”

“Eh, it’s what we do, Velvet?” Rainbow Dash put on a smug face. “Literally. Friendship is our thing.”

“So I’ve heard,” Velvet said with a smile. She tugged at her sleeve, as if unsure of what to say next.

“How’re ya feeling today?” Applejack asked as she grabbed for her hat. “Ya good enough to start walkin’?”

“I… I guess so,” Velvet swung her legs off the bed and put them on the floor. “Wouldn’t be the first time I- woah!”

The young Assassin swayed and would have fallen, had Rainbow and Sunset darted in the grab Velvet’s arms.

“Careful, Velvet! Not so fast!” Sunset and Rainbow steered Velvet back to a sitting position. “Just take it easy, okay?”

“Alright, alright,” she complied, first placing her good leg down. Her injured leg soon followed, tapping on the floor gently. “Better?”

“Yup,” Sunset nodded with a smile. “So, how’re you liking the place? Is it up to your standards? Everything alright?”

“It’s nice,” Velvet answered as she gingerly put a little weight on her bad leg. “Each room has a lot of space if that means anything. Plus, it’s nice to have some fresh food for a change.”

Applejack let out a whistle, followed by a chortle. “You’re right about that, Velvet. Here at Sweet Apple Acres, you’re gettin’ the products before they’re even shipped off to who knows where.”

“The apples are really good,” Velvet managed a smile and began to stand; Sunset and Rainbow held on to her arms just in case. “Then again, it’s your speciality, am I right?”

“You know it, kid!” Rainbow Dash guffawed and clapped her on the shoulder, receiving a warning glance from Sunset. “Right, well, AJ here gets us the best apples in the city. You’ll find nothing better!”

“I can’t argue with that,” Velvet said as she rubbed her shoulder.

“Speaking of apples,” Rainbow turned to the cowgirl. “AJ, when’s breakfast? I’m starving!” The athlete rubbed her belly to emphasize her point.

Applejack laughed. “Judgin’ by the smell, breakfast’s already cooking. C’mon, let’s go.”

The group hurried downstairs, with Sunset aiding Velvet, where just as Applejack had predicted, Big Mac was flipping pancakes on the stove, the warm, sweet scent filling the kitchen and keeping the outside chill at bay.

“BREAKFAST!” Pinkie yelled and dashed past Sunset and Velvet, immediately sitting herself at the dining table. “Morning, everyone!”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said without turning away from the frying pan, tossing a pancake up.

Before long, the table was set and the girls began mowing through the large stack of pancakes Applejack’s brother had made.

“These are good,” Velvet said, taking a bite of her third pancake.

“Eeyup,” Big Mac said. “Family recipe.”

“Ah, by the way, Velvet, this is my big brother, Big Macintosh,” Applejack explained as she gobbled down another pancake. “Ya might’ve seen him in school, might not.”

“Nice to meet you,” Velvet shook his hand.

“Eeyup.”

Sunset watched, amazed that Velvet had began on a fourth pancake. “Is there anything else you’d like, Velvet? Anything we can do for you?”

Velvet looked up and swallowed. “Food wise, you’ve done more for me than anyone has ever done, so no. Something you can do for me… yes. I think you can.”

“And what would that be?” Sunset placed an elbow on the table and waited.

“I need to get home,” Velvet replied. “I need to let… let the others know I’m fine.”

“Home?” It was only now that Sunset realized she had no idea where Velvet actually lived.

“Yeah,” Velvet wiped at her mouth with a napkin. “Or at least, where I’m currently staying. It’s not far from school. I’ve been away for so long. The others must be worried.”

Sunset nodded slowly. “You mean, the other Assassins.”

All eyes turned to Big Mac, but he didn’t seem affected by that word.

Velvet sighed and rubbed at her arm. “Yeah. My Mentor must be worried sick. I should let her know I’m still alive.”

“You could use my phone, dear,” Rarity fished her purple mobile device from her coat pocket. “I always make sure it’s got enough battery to last.”

Velvet lifted a hand and waved it. “I can’t. Thanks for offering and all, but it’s safer if I use my laptop, back at my home. It’s encrypted so that Templars don’t listen in on our conversations.”

“Encrypted so the Templars can’t listen in on your conversations…” Rainbow repeated slowly with a shake of her head. “Wow. You take this whole Assassin thing pret-ty seriously, don’t you? This is like, Con Mane levels of paranoid.”

Velvet shrugged ruefully. “It’s just how things are.”

Rainbow speared another pancake on her fork. “I guess with everything else you’ve dumped on us, I shouldn’t be surprised, but hey, sometime, you’ll have to tell us all about this Assassin stuff.”

“Well, I’m not supposed to, if you recall. I’m probably already in trouble for explaining what we do to you girls.”

“Right, right,” the athlete leaned back in her seat. “It’s cool though, but yeah, wouldn’t want to get you in trouble or anything.”

“So, Velvet,” Sunset cut back in. “You’d like us to take you to your home? I don’t mind.”

“Neither do we,” Applejack gave her a confident grin. “You’re a friend now, Velvet. Friends help each other. No way we’d let ya walk there on your own. ‘specially not when you’ve got a bad leg there.”

“Thanks girls,” Velvet smiled and lifted her now empty plate. “Could I get one more pancake?”


Sunset held on tighter to the side of the truck as it jumped over another speed bump, heading back to the city. Applejack and Velvet Breeze sat in the front while the rest of the girls were in the back with Sunset. She and the others had donned a second layer under their jackets, along with scarves and leggings to combat the increasingly cold weather.

“Oh, do watch the speed limit, Applejack,” Rarity warned from the back after a knock on the glass. “We want to stay on the truck if you don’t mind.”

“At least Rainbow Dash ain’t the one drivin’,” AJ replied with a laugh, letting go of the accelerator a little.

“Hey, I only crashed once!” the athlete yelled to the front. “Once!”

The next turning brought them all up the highway and into the city, which thankfully didn’t have much traffic, seeing as it was still mid-afternoon. Snow had already covered a good portion of the road, but still enough for cars to drive along safely.

“Someone needs to drive one of them shovel-car thingies and get this snow off the road before someone gets hurt,” Applejack thought out loud as she checked her right before changing lanes. “Where to, Velvet?”

“Next exit,” Velvet breathed. Velvet had borrowed a beige coat from Applejack, seeing as her white hoodie was still in the wash. “Then just keep right and follow the road for a while.”

Sunset was busy looking at all the tall buildings pass by when someone suddenly nudged her in the ribs. She jumped for a second before rubbing at her side and looking at Rarity.

“What kind of house do you think she lives in?” the fashionista asked her. “Judging from her appearance, it’s nothing fancy, but it could be big. And she lives alone, so maybe something small and manageable?”

“Can’t we just wait till we get there, Rarity?” Sunset frowned. “I mean, it’s no big deal how large her house is.”

“Well, I’d like to know,” the pale-skinned girl flipped her hair back.

“Like I said, we’ll find out when we get there.” Sometimes, Sunset just didn’t know why certain things were such a big deal. “How far is your place, Velvet?” she called to the front.

“Not far,” the blue-skinned girl replied as she monitored the road. “Maybe twenty minutes. Exit here, Applejack.”

The truck headed down from the highway and made a right turn around the train station, driving along Canterlot city’s streets, heading out and away from the center. A good amount of people were about on the streets, likely looking for presents for the coming Christmas Day. The rest were probably staying home, probably resting beside the fireplace or in their warm beds away from the cold.

Sunset herself wished she had brought a third layer, but it was too late now. All she could do was hope that Velvet’s house was near enough, and whether she had an indoor heater.

“Left,” Velvet instructed. “Left again.”

And then they were out of the city, driving down the suburbs where most of the girls stayed. Apparently, Velvet’s home was just one the outskirts of the city, one of the first buildings they saw when they entered the suburbs.

“You can stop here,” Velvet breathed on her hands to keep them warm. “That’s where I’m staying.”

All heads turned to what looked like an old apartment, five stories high and looking quite derelict. It looked empty and abandoned, as if no one had lived in it for years. The front door was sealed up with a heavy chain and a steel padlock.

“Uhhh, not what I was expecting…” Rarity smiled awkwardly and scratched at her ear. “So… You live here? In this… fine establishment?”

“Ye-es,” Velvet said, looking uneasy. “It might not look like much, but it’s been home to a lot of Assassins before me, and they placed a high priority on blending in.” Noticing the others’ uncertain looks, she added quickly, “It looks better inside.”

“That explains the desolate look…” Fluttershy pulled her scarf closer to her nose.

“Does this place even have internal heating?” Rarity pulled at her violet hair. “Too much cold is bad for my hair.”

“Follow me.” Velvet led the group round the side of the building. They moved through the snow, some of them shivering more than others until Velvet came to a side door, this one sealed by a single deadbolt lock that Velvet undid with a key. The door swung open, revealing a surprisingly clean, carpeted floor.

“Come on in,” Velvet gestured with her free hand.

Even though Sunset had known this girl for a while now, she still find something inside her keeping her from immediately following after her. She couldn’t help but feel she was being dragged into the start of something big.

Eventually, her need for warmth pushed her and the other girls in after Velvet, who closed the door and locked it behind them.

As they walked inside, Velvet flicked on the lights, revealing that they were in a long corridor, with a neat tan carpet laid underfoot and wood paneled walls that were covered with white wallpaper. It was vastly different from the ramshackle exterior, with electric lamps placed every few paces to light the way.

“Oh. This is… nicer,” Rarity poked at the wall, returning with a dusty finger. “Nicer is the word.”

“Thanks,” Velvet said way at the front. “Normally there’d be other Assassins here, but this place hasn’t really been used in years. Not since… Saddle Arabia, anyway.”

“Saddle Arabia?” Sunset turned back to Velvet. “Did they all go there?”

Velvet’s mouth tightened. “Something like that.” she muttered.

The group followed Velvet to the end of the corridor, passing several closed doors and went up a flight of stairs, arriving in what must have been the common room. There was a wide expanse, as if the walls had been cleared away, and in their place was a kitchen, a long table, some chairs, and a large TV. A few paintings adorned the walls, each one displaying some kind of exotic location. Sunset recognized Prance, Trottingham, and Manehattan.

“Much better, dear,” Rarity walked around the room, checking everything. “At least this room seems well kept. Where do you sleep?”

“Bedrooms are that way,” Velvet jerked a thumb at a door at the far end of the common room. “Next to the armory.”

“May I?” As soon as she got a nod from Velvet, the violet haired girl dashed off in that direction.

“Armory?” Pinkie zoomed from painting to table to kitchen. “Do you have swords in there? How about guns? Armor? Tanks?”

“Mostly swords and knives, Pinkie,” Velvet went to one of the kitchen cupboards and took out a packet of dried mangoes. “I don’t know how to fire a gun.” Sunset frowned; she could have sworn Velvet sounded disappointed.

“So Velvet, where’s your laptop?” Sunset Shimmer reminded her the reason the way here.

“Oh, it’s in my room,” she pointed to her now opened door. “I’ll just go get it.”

Sunset leaned against the wall and sighed once Velvet had left. Even after all this time, she still couldn’t take all this in. Assassins, Templars, weapons, killing. This was a new field for her, and nothing she had experienced thus far could have prepared her..

“Hey, checph ‘e out!” Everyone turned to Rainbow Dash, who held one sword in each hand and a knife in her mouth. “Cool wight?”

“Rainbow Dash, put those down!” Applejack walked over, but kept a safe distance away. “Those things are dangerous!”

“But wook at ‘e!” she swung one sword, almost taking a chunk out of the wall. “Itscho cool!”

“It’s so dangerous…” Fluttershy tried to hide behind Sunset.

“Well, you’ve had your fun,” Applejack motioned to put the weapons down. “But put those away before someone gets hurt!”

“Awright, awright, oo win…” The athlete turned around and headed back to the armory.

“I got it!” the girls heard Velvet call from the room before she began making her way out with Rarity helping her hold her laptop. “I won’t be long. I just need to let them know I’m still alive. I hope they haven’t been worrying too much. And please, don’t say anything while I’m on the call. I’ll be in big trouble if they find out I told a bunch of civilians. Well… you can speak, Sunset. I should let them know the Templars didn’t get you.”

Sunset watched as Velvet opened her computer and tapped a few keys. As soon as it booted up, Velvet clicked on a program with a blue icon and waited. Soon, she was ready, waiting for someone on the other end to pick up.

While waiting, Sunset decided to explore the rest of Velvet’s room, seeing what else she kept in here. All the paintings of places on the walls were interesting, though there wasn’t anything special about them. They were just cities with a nice painted sky behind them. Sunset figured one of the Assassins That used to live here liked collecting paintings.

The kitchen itself didn’t look like it was used much. There was a cutting board and a knife on the counter, but other than that, Velvet didn’t seem to own any pots or pans.

What does the poor girl eat…?

Sunset knew Velvet Breeze liked mangoes, but she couldn’t possibly only been living off those things, could she?

Another strange thing about the room was that it didn’t have any windows. If the lights were turned off, she doubted she would have been able to see anything.

“Psst Sunset…” Fluttershy tapped on her friend’s shoulder. “D-do you think he’s still out there, looking for Velvet, that Mr. Wolfgang? Or y-you?”

“It’s fine, Fluttershy,” Sunset assured. “I’m sure he won’t be well enough to start again so soon. Velvet said she really got him good, remember?”

“I suppose…”

“Okay, shhh…” Velvet told all of them, waving with her hand to lower the volume. “They’re on.”

The screen showed a darkened room with a hooded figure sitting at the end of the table. The lights in the room were off, but as the camera compensated for the darkness, Sunset beheld a young woman seated there, her face hidden by a grey hood.

The figure gasped, pulling her hood off to reveal a light green face with white and green hair braided down the side.

“Velvet! You’re okay!”

Velvet nodded. “Hey there, Morning Blade.”

“Is everything alright? We were so worried.”

“I’m fine now. Is… Is the lieutenant there?”

Morning Blade thought for a moment. “I think he’s talking with the Mentor right now.”

“Oh.”

“But I can pass along anything you have to say,” Morning added enthusiastically. “How was CHS? Has it changed much?”

“No offense, Morning, but I wouldn’t know,” Velvet shrugged with her good arm. “I wasn’t there before, remember?”

“Oh. Right,” Morning changed tack. “How goes your mission? Everything going alright on your end?”

“More or less,” Velvet replied. “I got into a fight with Wolfgang, but he got away.”

“Wolfgang?” Morning Blade stood up and put her face closer to the screen. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

“He was trying to kidnap Sunset, Morning. I had to stop him. We got each other pretty good, but so long as he’s still breathing, it’s not safe for Sunset here.”

The older Assassin seemed to relax a little. “Well, I’m glad you’re not dead. Wolfgang is a dangerous man. Do you know why he wants the girl?”

“No, I don’t. Not even Sunset knows why he wanted her.”

“You’ve spoken to Sunset Shimmer?”

“I’ve got her right here, in the Canterlot bureau,” Velvet explained. “But I don’t think I can protect her on my own.”

“You brought her…” Morning Blade controlled her surprise. “ Alright, alright. That was a smart move. Hmm… Then we still have no leads. Did you learn anything else?”

“Not really,” Velvet scratched her head, tugging at her borrowed coat. “I’m not sure how well I’ll do if Wolfgang brings reinforcements. I think I’ll need you guys here.”

“You want us to go over there?” Morning Blade squirmed. “I’m not sure I can give the okay on an order like that… Besides, I think the others convinced Frigid to let you come back.”

“Come back? But what about Sunset? I can’t just leave her here.”

“None of us expected Wolfgang to pull such a move, so I don’t know if we have the clearance to bring Sunset Shimmer over here. I’m sure we can talk to Mentor about that. Do you think you’ll be able to hold out for at least another day or two? I could come down there on my own, but I don’t know if Frigid will allow it.

“Tell you what,” Morning said. “I’ll tell the Mentor that you’re all right, and that you need some help. I’m sure Mentor will know the best course of action. In the meantime, sit tight. Try to stay as low-profile as you can, and await further orders.”

“Got it,” Velvet nodded. “What about Sunset?”

Morning Blade leaned back and placed a hand to her chin. “Hmm… Don’t let her leave your sights, at least until I get Mentor’s orders. Is she there? May I talk to her?”

Oh! Um, yeah. Sure. I’ll go get her.”

Sunset watched as Velvet hobbled over with a smile on her face. “She wants to talk to me?” she whispered to the Assassin.

“Yeah…” Velvet pointed to the computer screen. “Would you?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” Sunset headed to the computer and sat down before it. “Hi there, I’m Sunset Shimmer. I heard you wanted to speak with me?”

“Hello,” the green-skinned Assassin greeted. “I’m Morning Blade, and I don’t know if Velvet has told you, but you’re very important to our cause and she’s a very important person to us. For the next day or two, at least until we can send help or something else, I need you two to watch out for each other. The Templars are still out there, and we can’t risk losing you or her. Do you understand how important all this is?”

Sunset didn’t know all of it, but she got the rough idea. “I think so. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Velvet doesn’t strain herself.”

“And be careful,” Morning Blade said with a stern voice. “Those Templars cannot get you. We don’t know why they want you, but it can’t be for something nice and friendly. I’ll be sure to notify Velvet on our next move. Until then, stay safe, stay together.”

“Umm… I’ll try,” Sunset scratched her cheek. “They’re not going to come after us in force, will they? I mean, what about the authorities?”

“I wouldn’t place too much faith in the authorities. Guards and police can be paid off and the Templars have their fingers in places even we haven’t experience with. Just lay low, and wait for further orders.”

“Okay then.” Sunset looked to Velvet, who returned to the front of the computer.

“We’ll do just that, Morning. Don’t worry.” Velvet gave her the biggest smile Sunset had ever seen from the girl.

“Alright,” the Assassin on the screen nodded. “Then I’ll get back to you when I hear from Frigid.” She looked around for a bit, as if she was checking for anyone else. “I do hope he makes the right choice. He’s changed, Velvet. I just hope he finally realizes it.”

“Yeah…” Velvet sighed. “Well, I’ll be seeing you, Morning Blade.”

“Take care, Velvet, and Sunset Shimmer.” With a final wave, the feed cut off, leaving Velvet and Sunset staring at the Assassin’s laptop wallpaper.

“So, no backup?” Applejack tipped her hat. “Not even with them Templars on your tail?”

“Not for a day or two,” Velvet admitted. “But I’m sure they’ll send someone soon.”

“I hope so…” Fluttershy patted at her hair. “I don’t want to see Mr. Wolfgang for as long as I live…”

“Follow my lead for the next day or two, and we’ll be fine!” Rainbow Dash jammed a thumb to her chest. “Rainbow Dash has you covered!”

“You do?” Velvet raised an eyebrow.

“Sure! We’re all friends here, and with our help, you’ll get through these two days just fine.”