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OurLadyOfWires
Uh-oh, better hide those FOALS!
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You are Velvet Covers.
And right now, you are at peace.
In fact, part of you knows that you might just fall asleep if you stay like this for too long. Yet again, even that would be welcome.
Because when was the last time you felt like this? When was the last time you thought things ended up fine?
Of course, things are not perfect. It's not like everything miraculously fell into place and everypony is smiling from ear to ear. Far from that, even. Ponies got hurt, and some ponies got hurt a lot more than others.
You still think Twilight Sparkle hates you, and you know that she is in a very dark place right now. After all, not only did she lose her young… well, her young brother, but she also lost her horn. And considering how practicing magic was her life, you have no idea how badly that must be affecting her. Heavens, you never made it into the School for Gifted Unicorns when you were young, but she did. Her whole life revolved around practicing magic, and being the best at it to the point that she became the Princess' own pupil.
And then there was Shining Armor. Because for all that he took his own harm a lot better than Twilight, the fact remains that he is also a unicorn. Losing a horn is quite literally the same as losing a limb. And for all that there is some cruel irony in how his wound mirrors his sister's, he also had a brush with death.
Finally, you also got hurt. You feel gaunt and weak, and for all that your body is technically unhurt in the sense that you don't have any visible wounds on your coat, you are still gaunt. You look thinner, you have a constant headache as if you were permanently dehydrated, you are sure that you only have half a pony's worth of blood in your veins… and even though you don't have any physical wounds, you can still feel the punctures on the side of your body where that monster's teeth sunk into you. Even if it was just in a dream.
And yet…
And yet, despite all that, nopony died. And you genuinely feel good about things right now.
Because the Cult practically dissolved, for starters. You haven't had the time or energy to check on that yet, but you know that the Cult's presence in Ponyville at least is practically nonexistent now. Its leadership all but fractured. You know for a fact that at least four of the original six Inner Circle members are in no position to give orders. And most importantly, this is all happening in way that almost feels natural. Explainable, even.
After all, for several long weeks you had dreaded that leaving the Cult would mean making an enemy out of it. Or that the Cult might even retaliate against you, most likely in a deadly fashion.
But with the Master gone, for whatever reason, and everything else in disarray that seems entirely unlikely. At best, the Cult will just forget about you, and at worst they might just think you are continuing your own designs in private. Which, even though technically accurate, doesn't feel like you are painting a target on your back.
So, in short, everything is… fine.
Your daughters are home.
Stormchaser is back from work.
You are in your tearoom.
And you are having a pleasant time with your friends.
A scenario like this seemed like an impossibility maybe two weeks ago. And yet, here you are, almost falling asleep as you sip down on a sweet drink.
"Velvet, darling, far from me to critique your looks, but… are you sure you are alright?"
Rarity's words, spoken through an expression of honest concern, push your sleepiness away just slightly.
"I'm fine, Rarity. Like I said, I had an… accident, during my dreams. But I'm here, and I'm fine, and that's all that matters."
The white unicorn gives you a slow, slightly uncomfortable nod. But you know she is feeling concern more than anything else.
Jade, on the other hoof, seems a lot calmer. Granted, the mare always seems calm and neutral and… well, and bored, given her expression. But still, she shares her agreement as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Stuff gets messier the higher you rise," she says, with her usual nonchalant tone. "That's why I stick to the Woods."
You raise an eyebrow at her statement. And you are sure the mare notices it, given how observant you know her to be. Still, she doesn't elaborate any further, and you don't have a chance to say anything before Rarity speaks up once again.
"You say that so easily, but I can't even get to the Woods half the times I try!" she says, her words at the same time frustrated and confused.
In fact, she is speaking with a tone that is almost familiar to you. The same tone that you used to speak with, months and years ago, when you and so many other ponies were also stuck on the Crossroads, back when the Cult was younger and had less members.
"I mean, just having the Dream is already a problem to begin with. Because I can't just paint the walls of my room white like you suggested, Jade," she says, looking at Jade. "What would Sweetie think? And I absolutely will not sacrifice any more locks of my beautiful mane," she finishes, throwing you a slightly disappointed glare, already anticipating what you were going to say.
Because yes, you are sure her complaints are valid. But still, those are the Lantern and Moth aligned ways of having the Dream that you and Jade taught her.
So, you can understand why she has the most basic logistical problem of even reaching the Mansus to begin with… but still.
"Well, it does sound hard to have the Dream when you are trying so hard not to have it, Rarity," you say, with a tiny hint of mockery on your tone. "But pray tell, how are you even dreaming of the Mansus then?"
"It should be obvious, shouldn't it darling? Of course I just get drunk," she answers easily, puffing her chest slightly. Until she realizes what she just said, and quickly backtracks on her words. "I mean, I don't get drunk. I just have a bit of wine! I'm not setting a bad example or anything to Sweetie Belle, and I definitely don't want it to impact my work. I-I mean, I think I only try to have the Dream once a week at most!"
You let out a small laughter as the mare trips over herself, and you deliberately don't press the issue any further. Because it would be so easy to tease her more about this.
But Rarity is your friend, and you still feel particularly tired from your wounds.
So, you just wave her a placating hoof before she gets any more worked up.
"Relax, relax, nopony here thinks you are irresponsible," you say, to which Rarity finally settles down.
And you are sure that there is a joke you could have made there, about "rescuing" Sweetie Belle from her alcoholic older sister and having her live here with you. But again, even from this little conversation you already feel parched and dry, so you just float your teacup towards you and take another sip from the sweet tea.
You could really use more days like this.
"So," you say, after maybe a full minute of comfortable silence, "I'll most likely be absent this month. I told you all earlier about the new job that I accepted, but I honestly have no idea how demanding it will be. So, I can't do anything but plan around me being away."
You watch Jade narrow her eyes slightly, a sign that you have learned can indicate many things, but that undoubtedly means she feels something about what you just said.
But the mare stays quiet, like she always does, and instead Rarity opens her mouth to say something.
But she is interrupted by the sound of your teacup hitting the ground because Comet Feet is coming and you are in danger and everypony in your house is at risk of dying.
"Velvet?! What happ-" Jade says.
"Get me the Daughter get me the Daughter getmetheDaughter-of-Axesrightnow!"
But you interrupt her. Before she can even finish her phrase, you have already jumped out of your sofa, the words coming out of your mouth before you can even think about them.
Your tearoom is a flurry of activity the next moment.
Rarity runs out of the room, compelled to do what you just asked out of reflex. Jade keeps looking at you wide-eyed, unsure of what is going on.
And you? You only realize what you are doing halfway through it. Your own posture is tense, and you are standing up, but the entirety of your focus is concentrated on your nose.
You are taking stock of your situation.
You track everything down like a panicked hound.
You feel Silky, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in your daughter's room, all sitting around something as they play. You sense Selene in the next room over, on her bed and sleeping her fever away. You smell your husband in his study room. And you… you can't find Soft. She is probably out of your range, and that is bad and you are worried and you hate this.
But most importantly, you feel Comet Feet.
He is currently at the very edge of your radius. Outside your estate. Flying high up in the air.
And to your absolute surprise he is…
He is not moving?
"Velvet! I-I… The Daughter-of-Axes, I went to her room and-" Rarity says, tripping over her own words as she runs back into the tearoom.
"Well? Where is the blasted Name-mare?!" you say, as you turn to Rarity and see a distinct absence of a snakemare following her.
"W-well… she told us to… to shove it and not annoy her?" Rarity answers, her tone equal parts embarrassed and fearful.
To which you let out a groan. Because for all that you care this is an emergency, and you might not even survive long enough to give the Name an earful given the situation.
However, again, you sniff the air with urgency. And once again you confirm that Comet is…
He is just there?
"Velvet, please, what is going on?!" Jade's voice, heavy with uncharacteristic panic, finally reaches you.
And you look at the two mares to realize how utterly frightened they are.
Which makes sense. After all, they don't know what you know. They can't feel what you feel.
From their point of view, you just panicked out of the blue, and they responded in the only way they could. By doing everything you told them and just waiting. And since you only asked them to try and get hold of Axe, only to find out that will be most likely impossible, well…
"I…" you say, sniffing the air once again just to triple-check. "I… am not sure? No, I mean. There is somepony out there and…"
You say that, hesitating, as you look at jade and Rarity in the eye one at a time.
Still, what can you do? Not telling them is not an option, and they know as much as you do so…
"Actually, Comet Feet is out there. And I have no idea why."
"You mean the Enforcer?!" Rarity gasps.
Jade only reacts with an expression of undisguised fear. Which coming from the mare means a lot.
"Yeah, but he is just…" you trail off, checking again just to be darned sure. "He is just standing there? Or rather, he is just flying there? He's… at the very edge of my senses, but he's not coming any closer?"
You say that, but you are not sure of what else you should add. Because you haven't told Rarity that you think Comet Feet attacked Shining Armor. You shared that theory with Jade, and she agrees, but you haven't told Rarity yet. But still, Rarity knows more than enough to understand Comet's ties with the cult.
Hay, you all know what Comet's role in the Cult was. And for all that the Cult might have been thrown into a disorganized chaos, having its greatest sword suddenly appear over your heads is not reassuring.
"W-what do you mean just flying there? Darling, give us details!" Rarity says that, and Jade mutely nods by her side. Both of them looking at you with bated breath.
"There's no details to give Rarity, he's just there!" you say, as exasperated as your two friends.
Because his presence here can only mean one thing. His coming scent can only mean violence.
And yet, you would expect a "visit" from him to involve the stallion zipping through your range like an arrow. Breaking into your home through a window, or maybe even a wall, with all the meteoric violence his name implies.
But he is… he is just not?
Or maybe he is just taunting you? Maybe he knows enough about your skill to know its nebulous range? Maybe he is just waiting there as an implied threat?
Oh heavens… oh hay. You have no idea what this means.
Your thoughts jump into a gallop as you try to make sense of what is going on. As you try to figure out what to do next. Because maybe you should get your family and run? Maybe you have enough time to break down Axe's door and slap some sense into her?
Maybe he has Softy, and that is why you can't feel her anywhere?
You think all of that, but your thoughts are interrupted by a chill that covers your whole body, as you undoubtedly sense that…
"He is coming," you say, the words coming out of your mouth almost in a whisper.
But there is nothing you can do, really. You just don't have enough time.
Because with the slow pace of a mocking executioner, you can feel his sharp presence getting closer and closer.
You can sense him landing on your garden, and you immediately make your way down to the entrance hall.
There is nothing else you can do. There is no time to get your daughters and run. No time even to warn your husband. Trying to do any of that would only mean they are close to you, and consequently close to a potential fight. Telling them to run away will just make them exposed targets.
No, there really is nothing you can do… but head down to the entrance hall and face whatever is coming your way.
Because the way he is doing this… the way he waited at the edge of your senses, and then came to your front door of all places in a… relatively slow speed. You can only hope that this means he doesn't want to fight.
At least, not immediately.
You can only hope that he is here to… talk. Be it to negotiate, or to threaten you, or maybe just to give you a message in behalf of the Cult.
And sure, you know he said he would leave the Cult, but who knows what happened during these last few days? Loyalties can shift, new occurrences might take place, and for all that you know the Master might have already returned and pressed the stallion into service again.
Still, you walk down to the entrance hall, Rarity and Jade walking right behind you.
And you stand before the large double doors, its thick wooden frame feeling awfully thin when you know who is standing right behind it.
Knock...
... knock...
... knock.
A trio of sharp knocks reach your ears, each of them enough to make the heavy doors tremble.
You feel you throat dry as you light up your horn. Twisting the doorknob and opening this last barrier between you and that sharp knife of violence.
You open the door just a tiny little bit. Just enough for you to open a sliver, allowing you to look at the stallion outside.
And just like you expected, you see-
"Fluttershy?" the name comes out of you in a surprised rush.
-scrap that, you did not expect this. You did not expect this at all.
"Fluttershy?!" Rarity mimics the same thing behind you, the half-shouted half-surprised tone present in her voice as well.
Even Jade lets out a large gasp.
But sure enough, as you open the door, you see…
You see Fluttershy. You see the pink-maned yellow pegasus staring back at you.
"Oh, hi there Velvet, I hope I am not disturbing you," she says, her tone calm and low as always.
But for some reason, she also looks unusually spirited. Or at least unusually energetic.
Because every time you spoke to the mare, in the past, she seemed… well, she seemed several things. At times you thought she was intimidated by you. Other days you thought she was just being sheepish to the point of becoming mute. And of course, the last few times you spoke to her she just had a lot going on.
But right now? Her posture is still slightly curled up, and she is still looking at you from behind the bangs of her mane. But she also looks… motivated?
As if she is here for a purpose that she is… dare you say excited about?
Or as excited as she is able to show, that is.
You know she can be focused when she is interested in something, like that one time you visited her house to… "check on" an animal she was nursing. And right now, you think you can feel some of that energy.
"N-not at all, Fluttershy? But… but why in the heavens are you here?" you ask, fully aware that you aren't really choosing your words well, but also fully aware that you are too shocked to care.
"Oh, you see, I am here because…" she begins to say, but then she stops.
She stops talking, as if she just had a better idea about something. And then she places a hoof on the door, pushing it a little bit so it is slightly more open.
Revealing a very disgruntled Comet Feet, who is standing by your side. The large stallion being previously blocked from your sight given how little you had opened the door before.
And even though… even though you knew he was there. No, even though you knew he was there, you can't help but feel shocked.
Because the sight before your eyes couldn't be more contrasting.
Right in front of you are two pegasi.
One of them is small, thin and delicate. Beautiful in a way that is hard to put into words, and somehow giving the impression that she is equally pure. She has a small smile on her face, and her expression all but tells you that she is as innocent and harmless as a small animal.
The other one, standing right next to her, is large. He is large, and he is strong, and he is angry. His fur is coarse and messy in some places, in line-like patterns that tells you he has scars on his coat. And you can very much see that he is still hurt, given the bandages on his sides. Bandages, you can already tell, that are too clean and too well-kept for him to have applied on his own.
They look like the definition of predator and prey, if those two words were to be turned into ponies.
And somehow, they are standing side by side.
No, even worse than that.
You can tell by their expressions that, somehow, one of them has been forced to come here. Or at least is here against their will.
And you feel your jaw drop open as you realize that Fluttershy is not the one who is here against her will.
"Come on… you know you want to say it…" the small, meek, delicate mare says those words. Her voice is no louder than a whisper, and yet you watch as Comet's frown turns into a scowl at that.
You have no words to describe your shock as Comet proceeds to… growl out the next words.
"I. Am. Here… To. Visit… Your husband." He says.
"I knew you could do it! I am really proud of you," the mare says.
And even though her words could have been perceived as mocking, if it was anypony else saying it, Fluttershy's tone somehow made it clear that she really meant it.
The stallion then lets out a short, disgruntled neigh.
And before anypony else can say anything, he just marches into your house.
Leaving the three of you… frozen in shock.
…
That is, until you realize that violence just stepped hoof on the central stairway of your home, and that he is that much closer to the rest of your family.
"W-wait! Hold on!" you say in a panic, as you run behind the stallion.
- - -
Your conversation with Comet Feet, if you could even call it that, was… short.
It was short, and it was enlightening.
Because you chased after him, of course. You ran after him as he just made his way into your home.
He had casually (even if reluctantly) said he was here to visit "your husband," which caused all sorts of questions to appear in your mind. But even those questions had to get in line when compared to everything else you had to ask him.
But first of all, you had to stop him.
"Comet Feet, wait!"
You finally stopped him, as he was about to reach the top of the stairs. And once you made sure there was nopony eavesdropping, you finally managed to have something approaching a conversation with him.
Although, again, it was rather… short.
"What?"
"Comet, I… first of all, what in the hay are you doing here?!"
"Already said it. Here to visit your husband. Now leave me alone."
"W-what? Is that… is that really just it? You're just here to talk to Stormchaser?"
"I won't cause problems if you don't cause me problems. Now let go of my tail."
"I can't do that just yet… A-are you… I have to know. Are you really done with the Cult?"
"Are we going to have a problem?"
"Did… did you hurt Shining Armor?"
"Are we going to have a problem?"
You let him go right after that. And sure enough, he unerringly made his way to your husband's study room. You heard Stormchaser let out a surprised yelp right after that, but other than that… nothing else really happened?
You could sense both of them there. Still alive, and most importantly not fighting. But still, he really didn't… do anything? You think they started to talk, but you didn't really stay there to eavesdrop.
More importantly, you could sense that Rarity and Jade went back to your tearoom, and that Fluttershy was with them now.
So, you made your way back there, because you had no idea of what was going on and what they hay else could you do?
As you reach the tearoom, you enter through the door just in time to pick up the tail end of a conversation.
"Fluttershy, darling, you simply must tell me… who was Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome back there? I mean… prrrr…"
"What? Who…? You mean Comet Feet?"
"Wait, that's Comet Feet?!"
"I guess? I mean, yes that is Comet Feet. But the way you said it… well, I guess he really is kind of tall."
"More than just tall, darling…"
"And I guess his fur is kind of dark."
"Go on…"
"And I guess he really is kind of hands-… I mean."
You enter the tearoom just in time to see a blushing Fluttershy hiding behind her teacup, her eyes firmly blocked by the long bangs of her mane.
And sitting opposite to her, you see Rarity with a smile on her face. The expression of a savvy gossiper who had just lured an innocent pony into the oldest of traps.
Fluttershy is sitting next to Jade, in a spot you think you will refer to as the Quiet Couch form now on. And with a long, confused sigh, you sit next to Rarity.
"So… Fluttershy…" you say, still half-dazed at everything that just happened. "It is really, really lovely to see you here. But can I just ask… why?"
"Oh, I am really sorry if I am interrupting anything," she says demurely, "but it's just that… well Comet has mentioned your husband a few times. And I could tell he really wanted to pay him a visit, so…"
You hear what she says, and even though you take every last word out of her mouth with several grains of salt, you are still left with more questions than you had before.
Because you can understand a pony like Fluttershy being able to "read" Comet Feet. Heavens, Rarity told you the mare can talk to animals, so you assume that when she says the stallion "mentioned" something she actually means she caught on to hints that are far more subtle.
But still, again, that leaves you with a whole swathe of questions.
"…and I encouraged him to visit. But I could tell he wasn't feeling confident enough to come by himself. So, here I am," she says with that same small, lovely smile of hers.
As if she hadn't just said a bunch of things that are unbelievable for their own separate reasons.
However…
However…
Well, the mare is here now?
The mare is here, Comet Feet is here, and apparently you need to reevaluate your relationship with both of them?
And now seems to be a good time as any, given how Fluttershy is not only here, but also seems to be willing to speak words.
Now seems to be a good time as any to introduce her to Jade, you suppose…
Fluttershy… apparently is a Confidante now?
(A reminder that Velvet's list of contacts is based on her own perception. And since she could not read Fluttershy for the life of her, so far she thought they were only Acquaintances. Fluttershy's status has been updated).
But Comet Feet hates you. You are sure of it.
(QMs promise: Comet Feet hates you. Velvet knows it, and she felt it with a certainty that is unrelated to her usual self-depreciation. Keep that in mind as you move forward.)
More to follow.
And right now, you are at peace.
In fact, part of you knows that you might just fall asleep if you stay like this for too long. Yet again, even that would be welcome.
Because when was the last time you felt like this? When was the last time you thought things ended up fine?
Of course, things are not perfect. It's not like everything miraculously fell into place and everypony is smiling from ear to ear. Far from that, even. Ponies got hurt, and some ponies got hurt a lot more than others.
You still think Twilight Sparkle hates you, and you know that she is in a very dark place right now. After all, not only did she lose her young… well, her young brother, but she also lost her horn. And considering how practicing magic was her life, you have no idea how badly that must be affecting her. Heavens, you never made it into the School for Gifted Unicorns when you were young, but she did. Her whole life revolved around practicing magic, and being the best at it to the point that she became the Princess' own pupil.
And then there was Shining Armor. Because for all that he took his own harm a lot better than Twilight, the fact remains that he is also a unicorn. Losing a horn is quite literally the same as losing a limb. And for all that there is some cruel irony in how his wound mirrors his sister's, he also had a brush with death.
Finally, you also got hurt. You feel gaunt and weak, and for all that your body is technically unhurt in the sense that you don't have any visible wounds on your coat, you are still gaunt. You look thinner, you have a constant headache as if you were permanently dehydrated, you are sure that you only have half a pony's worth of blood in your veins… and even though you don't have any physical wounds, you can still feel the punctures on the side of your body where that monster's teeth sunk into you. Even if it was just in a dream.
And yet…
And yet, despite all that, nopony died. And you genuinely feel good about things right now.
Because the Cult practically dissolved, for starters. You haven't had the time or energy to check on that yet, but you know that the Cult's presence in Ponyville at least is practically nonexistent now. Its leadership all but fractured. You know for a fact that at least four of the original six Inner Circle members are in no position to give orders. And most importantly, this is all happening in way that almost feels natural. Explainable, even.
After all, for several long weeks you had dreaded that leaving the Cult would mean making an enemy out of it. Or that the Cult might even retaliate against you, most likely in a deadly fashion.
But with the Master gone, for whatever reason, and everything else in disarray that seems entirely unlikely. At best, the Cult will just forget about you, and at worst they might just think you are continuing your own designs in private. Which, even though technically accurate, doesn't feel like you are painting a target on your back.
So, in short, everything is… fine.
Your daughters are home.
Stormchaser is back from work.
You are in your tearoom.
And you are having a pleasant time with your friends.
A scenario like this seemed like an impossibility maybe two weeks ago. And yet, here you are, almost falling asleep as you sip down on a sweet drink.
"Velvet, darling, far from me to critique your looks, but… are you sure you are alright?"
Rarity's words, spoken through an expression of honest concern, push your sleepiness away just slightly.
"I'm fine, Rarity. Like I said, I had an… accident, during my dreams. But I'm here, and I'm fine, and that's all that matters."
The white unicorn gives you a slow, slightly uncomfortable nod. But you know she is feeling concern more than anything else.
Jade, on the other hoof, seems a lot calmer. Granted, the mare always seems calm and neutral and… well, and bored, given her expression. But still, she shares her agreement as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"Stuff gets messier the higher you rise," she says, with her usual nonchalant tone. "That's why I stick to the Woods."
You raise an eyebrow at her statement. And you are sure the mare notices it, given how observant you know her to be. Still, she doesn't elaborate any further, and you don't have a chance to say anything before Rarity speaks up once again.
"You say that so easily, but I can't even get to the Woods half the times I try!" she says, her words at the same time frustrated and confused.
In fact, she is speaking with a tone that is almost familiar to you. The same tone that you used to speak with, months and years ago, when you and so many other ponies were also stuck on the Crossroads, back when the Cult was younger and had less members.
"I mean, just having the Dream is already a problem to begin with. Because I can't just paint the walls of my room white like you suggested, Jade," she says, looking at Jade. "What would Sweetie think? And I absolutely will not sacrifice any more locks of my beautiful mane," she finishes, throwing you a slightly disappointed glare, already anticipating what you were going to say.
Because yes, you are sure her complaints are valid. But still, those are the Lantern and Moth aligned ways of having the Dream that you and Jade taught her.
So, you can understand why she has the most basic logistical problem of even reaching the Mansus to begin with… but still.
"Well, it does sound hard to have the Dream when you are trying so hard not to have it, Rarity," you say, with a tiny hint of mockery on your tone. "But pray tell, how are you even dreaming of the Mansus then?"
"It should be obvious, shouldn't it darling? Of course I just get drunk," she answers easily, puffing her chest slightly. Until she realizes what she just said, and quickly backtracks on her words. "I mean, I don't get drunk. I just have a bit of wine! I'm not setting a bad example or anything to Sweetie Belle, and I definitely don't want it to impact my work. I-I mean, I think I only try to have the Dream once a week at most!"
You let out a small laughter as the mare trips over herself, and you deliberately don't press the issue any further. Because it would be so easy to tease her more about this.
But Rarity is your friend, and you still feel particularly tired from your wounds.
So, you just wave her a placating hoof before she gets any more worked up.
"Relax, relax, nopony here thinks you are irresponsible," you say, to which Rarity finally settles down.
And you are sure that there is a joke you could have made there, about "rescuing" Sweetie Belle from her alcoholic older sister and having her live here with you. But again, even from this little conversation you already feel parched and dry, so you just float your teacup towards you and take another sip from the sweet tea.
You could really use more days like this.
"So," you say, after maybe a full minute of comfortable silence, "I'll most likely be absent this month. I told you all earlier about the new job that I accepted, but I honestly have no idea how demanding it will be. So, I can't do anything but plan around me being away."
You watch Jade narrow her eyes slightly, a sign that you have learned can indicate many things, but that undoubtedly means she feels something about what you just said.
But the mare stays quiet, like she always does, and instead Rarity opens her mouth to say something.
But she is interrupted by the sound of your teacup hitting the ground because Comet Feet is coming and you are in danger and everypony in your house is at risk of dying.
"Velvet?! What happ-" Jade says.
"Get me the Daughter get me the Daughter getmetheDaughter-of-Axesrightnow!"
But you interrupt her. Before she can even finish her phrase, you have already jumped out of your sofa, the words coming out of your mouth before you can even think about them.
Your tearoom is a flurry of activity the next moment.
Rarity runs out of the room, compelled to do what you just asked out of reflex. Jade keeps looking at you wide-eyed, unsure of what is going on.
And you? You only realize what you are doing halfway through it. Your own posture is tense, and you are standing up, but the entirety of your focus is concentrated on your nose.
You are taking stock of your situation.
You track everything down like a panicked hound.
You feel Silky, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle in your daughter's room, all sitting around something as they play. You sense Selene in the next room over, on her bed and sleeping her fever away. You smell your husband in his study room. And you… you can't find Soft. She is probably out of your range, and that is bad and you are worried and you hate this.
But most importantly, you feel Comet Feet.
He is currently at the very edge of your radius. Outside your estate. Flying high up in the air.
And to your absolute surprise he is…
He is not moving?
"Velvet! I-I… The Daughter-of-Axes, I went to her room and-" Rarity says, tripping over her own words as she runs back into the tearoom.
"Well? Where is the blasted Name-mare?!" you say, as you turn to Rarity and see a distinct absence of a snakemare following her.
"W-well… she told us to… to shove it and not annoy her?" Rarity answers, her tone equal parts embarrassed and fearful.
To which you let out a groan. Because for all that you care this is an emergency, and you might not even survive long enough to give the Name an earful given the situation.
However, again, you sniff the air with urgency. And once again you confirm that Comet is…
He is just there?
"Velvet, please, what is going on?!" Jade's voice, heavy with uncharacteristic panic, finally reaches you.
And you look at the two mares to realize how utterly frightened they are.
Which makes sense. After all, they don't know what you know. They can't feel what you feel.
From their point of view, you just panicked out of the blue, and they responded in the only way they could. By doing everything you told them and just waiting. And since you only asked them to try and get hold of Axe, only to find out that will be most likely impossible, well…
"I…" you say, sniffing the air once again just to triple-check. "I… am not sure? No, I mean. There is somepony out there and…"
You say that, hesitating, as you look at jade and Rarity in the eye one at a time.
Still, what can you do? Not telling them is not an option, and they know as much as you do so…
"Actually, Comet Feet is out there. And I have no idea why."
"You mean the Enforcer?!" Rarity gasps.
Jade only reacts with an expression of undisguised fear. Which coming from the mare means a lot.
"Yeah, but he is just…" you trail off, checking again just to be darned sure. "He is just standing there? Or rather, he is just flying there? He's… at the very edge of my senses, but he's not coming any closer?"
You say that, but you are not sure of what else you should add. Because you haven't told Rarity that you think Comet Feet attacked Shining Armor. You shared that theory with Jade, and she agrees, but you haven't told Rarity yet. But still, Rarity knows more than enough to understand Comet's ties with the cult.
Hay, you all know what Comet's role in the Cult was. And for all that the Cult might have been thrown into a disorganized chaos, having its greatest sword suddenly appear over your heads is not reassuring.
"W-what do you mean just flying there? Darling, give us details!" Rarity says that, and Jade mutely nods by her side. Both of them looking at you with bated breath.
"There's no details to give Rarity, he's just there!" you say, as exasperated as your two friends.
Because his presence here can only mean one thing. His coming scent can only mean violence.
And yet, you would expect a "visit" from him to involve the stallion zipping through your range like an arrow. Breaking into your home through a window, or maybe even a wall, with all the meteoric violence his name implies.
But he is… he is just not?
Or maybe he is just taunting you? Maybe he knows enough about your skill to know its nebulous range? Maybe he is just waiting there as an implied threat?
Oh heavens… oh hay. You have no idea what this means.
Your thoughts jump into a gallop as you try to make sense of what is going on. As you try to figure out what to do next. Because maybe you should get your family and run? Maybe you have enough time to break down Axe's door and slap some sense into her?
Maybe he has Softy, and that is why you can't feel her anywhere?
You think all of that, but your thoughts are interrupted by a chill that covers your whole body, as you undoubtedly sense that…
"He is coming," you say, the words coming out of your mouth almost in a whisper.
But there is nothing you can do, really. You just don't have enough time.
Because with the slow pace of a mocking executioner, you can feel his sharp presence getting closer and closer.
You can sense him landing on your garden, and you immediately make your way down to the entrance hall.
There is nothing else you can do. There is no time to get your daughters and run. No time even to warn your husband. Trying to do any of that would only mean they are close to you, and consequently close to a potential fight. Telling them to run away will just make them exposed targets.
No, there really is nothing you can do… but head down to the entrance hall and face whatever is coming your way.
Because the way he is doing this… the way he waited at the edge of your senses, and then came to your front door of all places in a… relatively slow speed. You can only hope that this means he doesn't want to fight.
At least, not immediately.
You can only hope that he is here to… talk. Be it to negotiate, or to threaten you, or maybe just to give you a message in behalf of the Cult.
And sure, you know he said he would leave the Cult, but who knows what happened during these last few days? Loyalties can shift, new occurrences might take place, and for all that you know the Master might have already returned and pressed the stallion into service again.
Still, you walk down to the entrance hall, Rarity and Jade walking right behind you.
And you stand before the large double doors, its thick wooden frame feeling awfully thin when you know who is standing right behind it.
Knock...
... knock...
... knock.
A trio of sharp knocks reach your ears, each of them enough to make the heavy doors tremble.
You feel you throat dry as you light up your horn. Twisting the doorknob and opening this last barrier between you and that sharp knife of violence.
You open the door just a tiny little bit. Just enough for you to open a sliver, allowing you to look at the stallion outside.
And just like you expected, you see-
"Fluttershy?" the name comes out of you in a surprised rush.
-scrap that, you did not expect this. You did not expect this at all.
"Fluttershy?!" Rarity mimics the same thing behind you, the half-shouted half-surprised tone present in her voice as well.
Even Jade lets out a large gasp.
But sure enough, as you open the door, you see…
You see Fluttershy. You see the pink-maned yellow pegasus staring back at you.
"Oh, hi there Velvet, I hope I am not disturbing you," she says, her tone calm and low as always.
But for some reason, she also looks unusually spirited. Or at least unusually energetic.
Because every time you spoke to the mare, in the past, she seemed… well, she seemed several things. At times you thought she was intimidated by you. Other days you thought she was just being sheepish to the point of becoming mute. And of course, the last few times you spoke to her she just had a lot going on.
But right now? Her posture is still slightly curled up, and she is still looking at you from behind the bangs of her mane. But she also looks… motivated?
As if she is here for a purpose that she is… dare you say excited about?
Or as excited as she is able to show, that is.
You know she can be focused when she is interested in something, like that one time you visited her house to… "check on" an animal she was nursing. And right now, you think you can feel some of that energy.
"N-not at all, Fluttershy? But… but why in the heavens are you here?" you ask, fully aware that you aren't really choosing your words well, but also fully aware that you are too shocked to care.
"Oh, you see, I am here because…" she begins to say, but then she stops.
She stops talking, as if she just had a better idea about something. And then she places a hoof on the door, pushing it a little bit so it is slightly more open.
Revealing a very disgruntled Comet Feet, who is standing by your side. The large stallion being previously blocked from your sight given how little you had opened the door before.
And even though… even though you knew he was there. No, even though you knew he was there, you can't help but feel shocked.
Because the sight before your eyes couldn't be more contrasting.
Right in front of you are two pegasi.
One of them is small, thin and delicate. Beautiful in a way that is hard to put into words, and somehow giving the impression that she is equally pure. She has a small smile on her face, and her expression all but tells you that she is as innocent and harmless as a small animal.
The other one, standing right next to her, is large. He is large, and he is strong, and he is angry. His fur is coarse and messy in some places, in line-like patterns that tells you he has scars on his coat. And you can very much see that he is still hurt, given the bandages on his sides. Bandages, you can already tell, that are too clean and too well-kept for him to have applied on his own.
They look like the definition of predator and prey, if those two words were to be turned into ponies.
And somehow, they are standing side by side.
No, even worse than that.
You can tell by their expressions that, somehow, one of them has been forced to come here. Or at least is here against their will.
And you feel your jaw drop open as you realize that Fluttershy is not the one who is here against her will.
"Come on… you know you want to say it…" the small, meek, delicate mare says those words. Her voice is no louder than a whisper, and yet you watch as Comet's frown turns into a scowl at that.
You have no words to describe your shock as Comet proceeds to… growl out the next words.
"I. Am. Here… To. Visit… Your husband." He says.
"I knew you could do it! I am really proud of you," the mare says.
And even though her words could have been perceived as mocking, if it was anypony else saying it, Fluttershy's tone somehow made it clear that she really meant it.
The stallion then lets out a short, disgruntled neigh.
And before anypony else can say anything, he just marches into your house.
Leaving the three of you… frozen in shock.
…
That is, until you realize that violence just stepped hoof on the central stairway of your home, and that he is that much closer to the rest of your family.
"W-wait! Hold on!" you say in a panic, as you run behind the stallion.
- - -
Your conversation with Comet Feet, if you could even call it that, was… short.
It was short, and it was enlightening.
Because you chased after him, of course. You ran after him as he just made his way into your home.
He had casually (even if reluctantly) said he was here to visit "your husband," which caused all sorts of questions to appear in your mind. But even those questions had to get in line when compared to everything else you had to ask him.
But first of all, you had to stop him.
"Comet Feet, wait!"
You finally stopped him, as he was about to reach the top of the stairs. And once you made sure there was nopony eavesdropping, you finally managed to have something approaching a conversation with him.
Although, again, it was rather… short.
"What?"
"Comet, I… first of all, what in the hay are you doing here?!"
"Already said it. Here to visit your husband. Now leave me alone."
"W-what? Is that… is that really just it? You're just here to talk to Stormchaser?"
"I won't cause problems if you don't cause me problems. Now let go of my tail."
"I can't do that just yet… A-are you… I have to know. Are you really done with the Cult?"
"Are we going to have a problem?"
"Did… did you hurt Shining Armor?"
"Are we going to have a problem?"
You let him go right after that. And sure enough, he unerringly made his way to your husband's study room. You heard Stormchaser let out a surprised yelp right after that, but other than that… nothing else really happened?
You could sense both of them there. Still alive, and most importantly not fighting. But still, he really didn't… do anything? You think they started to talk, but you didn't really stay there to eavesdrop.
More importantly, you could sense that Rarity and Jade went back to your tearoom, and that Fluttershy was with them now.
So, you made your way back there, because you had no idea of what was going on and what they hay else could you do?
As you reach the tearoom, you enter through the door just in time to pick up the tail end of a conversation.
"Fluttershy, darling, you simply must tell me… who was Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Handsome back there? I mean… prrrr…"
"What? Who…? You mean Comet Feet?"
"Wait, that's Comet Feet?!"
"I guess? I mean, yes that is Comet Feet. But the way you said it… well, I guess he really is kind of tall."
"More than just tall, darling…"
"And I guess his fur is kind of dark."
"Go on…"
"And I guess he really is kind of hands-… I mean."
You enter the tearoom just in time to see a blushing Fluttershy hiding behind her teacup, her eyes firmly blocked by the long bangs of her mane.
And sitting opposite to her, you see Rarity with a smile on her face. The expression of a savvy gossiper who had just lured an innocent pony into the oldest of traps.
Fluttershy is sitting next to Jade, in a spot you think you will refer to as the Quiet Couch form now on. And with a long, confused sigh, you sit next to Rarity.
"So… Fluttershy…" you say, still half-dazed at everything that just happened. "It is really, really lovely to see you here. But can I just ask… why?"
"Oh, I am really sorry if I am interrupting anything," she says demurely, "but it's just that… well Comet has mentioned your husband a few times. And I could tell he really wanted to pay him a visit, so…"
You hear what she says, and even though you take every last word out of her mouth with several grains of salt, you are still left with more questions than you had before.
Because you can understand a pony like Fluttershy being able to "read" Comet Feet. Heavens, Rarity told you the mare can talk to animals, so you assume that when she says the stallion "mentioned" something she actually means she caught on to hints that are far more subtle.
But still, again, that leaves you with a whole swathe of questions.
"…and I encouraged him to visit. But I could tell he wasn't feeling confident enough to come by himself. So, here I am," she says with that same small, lovely smile of hers.
As if she hadn't just said a bunch of things that are unbelievable for their own separate reasons.
However…
However…
Well, the mare is here now?
The mare is here, Comet Feet is here, and apparently you need to reevaluate your relationship with both of them?
And now seems to be a good time as any, given how Fluttershy is not only here, but also seems to be willing to speak words.
Now seems to be a good time as any to introduce her to Jade, you suppose…
Fluttershy… apparently is a Confidante now?
(A reminder that Velvet's list of contacts is based on her own perception. And since she could not read Fluttershy for the life of her, so far she thought they were only Acquaintances. Fluttershy's status has been updated).
But Comet Feet hates you. You are sure of it.
(QMs promise: Comet Feet hates you. Velvet knows it, and she felt it with a certainty that is unrelated to her usual self-depreciation. Keep that in mind as you move forward.)
More to follow.