Warrior

It has become a running routine that Velvet Petal has burned into her memory. She wakes up and cleans the castle an hour before Twilight wakes up, then she cleans the windows, then eat breakfast, and the rest is just a domino effect waiting to happen the next day.

And today she was in the middle of washing the dishes while Twilight, Starlight, Spike, and their friends were out and about doing Velvet knows what, she never knew because they never told.

But there was one part of her routine that she never quite remembers happening, and that was the unsettling feeling that she was being watched. Now, being a five year old means that she usually comes up with crazy ideas and stuff, and once thought Twilight was watching over her with some tracking spell, but this was not like Twilight’s peering. This was different, she knew it because it didn’t feel like her imagination was running wild again, it literally felt like another entity was in the room with her.

But she shrugged it off, knowing she really couldn’t go to anyone about this because they wouldn’t believe her and Twilight would beat her for believing in nonsense. So she pushed the feeling to the far back of her subconscious, telling herself that she was being delusional. But she knew deep down that she was being watched, that something else was in the room with her.

It was towards the end of her time washing the dishes and she was almost finished, just needed to dry up this last one. And once she was done, she glanced at her hardwork and a feeling a pride and joy filled her chest, she was happy, she was joyous, she was prideful, she is scared.

Velvet’s eyes were glued to the side of the plate where the clear outline of a figure stood, and she could swear that it was staring right at her. Staring straight into her eyes through the reflection.

And in a literal heartbeat, the adolescent Unicorn turns her head to the point where the reflection was being casted, and nothing was there. But that doesn’t stop her from keeping her eyes glued to the wall, expecting for the figure to pop out of the wall and grab her, but nothing happened.

She hesitantly turned her eyes towards the plate and saw that nothing was reflected. But now that she knew what she saw, she knew that something was watching her. But her underdeveloped brain told her that if it wanted to hurt her, it would have attacked in that brief heart-stopping moment they locked eyes in that reflection. But she was wrong. So, so wrong.

Once she was done the dishes, Velvet rushes to the throne room where she was supposed to clean, desperate to not be in the kitchen no longer, for her toddler brain convinced her that that monster was only relegated to stalking her within the confines of the kitchen, but she knew that monster wasn’t through with her.

Velvet was almost finished cleaning the throne room, accentuating her work by wiping down the Friendship Map, when her eyes averted to the part of the map that showcased Canterlot, and her eyes locked with the pearl white eyes of the monster she saw in the kitchen. This time though, her reaction was to equip her bow and arrow and point it to the monster on the ceiling, but as with before, it was gone.

But her gaze on the ceiling didn’t falter even after a minute of gazing upon it. If anything, her resolve only strengthened as her mind was filled with strange voices, barely above whispers, sounding demonic and destructive. Her grip on her bow becomes tighter as she pulls the bow even farther, ready to release it in a moments notice.

She was so focused on the ceiling that she didn’t hear the doors open, followed by a slew of female voices conversing about the day that had just transpired.

Twilight and her friends expected to enter into the throne room to see Velvet standing obediently saluting them, but instead they were met with the sight of Velvet pointing her bow at the ceiling, her eyes glued to it. Not even wavering a bit.

“Velvet, what are you doing?” Twilight ask, but receives no reply whatsoever.

The girls approach the filly with caution, “Sugarcube, what’re you looking at?” Applejack finally breaks the ice, but just like Twilight, received only silence in return, not even a blink.

The girls were curious to know what had Velvet so glued to the ceiling and follows her gaze, only to see nothing just as the filly.

Twilight sighs in irritation and nudges Velvet, “C’mon Velvet, stop lollygagging and get back to work.” Little did she know, that would explode in a series of unfortunate events.

Twilight’s nudge caused Velvet to violently pull back and point her bow straight at Twilight’s chest.

Twilight and friends were shocked of course, but Twilight keeps a calm demeanour, “Velvet, that is a dangerous stance you are taking. Put that bow down and go to bed.” She demands.

But what came out as an elegant regal demand from Twilight’s mouth, it only increased the demonic whispering to a point that forced Velvet’s mouth to form three words.

“Who are you?”

Twilight cocked an eyebrow in curiosity, “What do you mean Velvet? It’s me Twilight.” Twilight tries to confirm.

Velvet shakes her head, “I know what Miss Twilight looks like, and you look nothing like her.” She says.

Now the other girls were much more confused, Velvet was staring straight at Twilight, yet here she is saying Twilight looks nothing like Twilight.

But what the girls perceived as Velvet looking Twilight in the eye, Velvet’s mind doesn’t see Twilight, she sees the monster that’s been stalking her from the moment she woke up.

Starlight makes the first move by tapping Velvet on the shoulder, “C’mon honey, you’re just tired, why not me and you go make some cookies in the kitchen.” She suggest.

That tap caused Velvet to snap towards Starlight, pulling her bow farther, so hard in fact that the girls can hear the bowstring almost about to tear from Velvet’s force.

Velvet takes a deep breath, “Go away.” She demands.

But out of all the ponies that didn’t move, Pinkie Pie made the mistake by harshly grabbing Velvet’s shoulder’s, “C’mon Velvet, why don’t you chill!” She says.

Instead of receiving the reaction she was hoping for, Velvet turns to her and releases her bow, the arrow grazing Pinkie’s face.

But before anyone can respond to this action, Velvet jumps on the table and ricochets onto Pinkie Pie.

*WHACK*

Pinkie’s face made contact with Velvet’s fist hard enough to draw a little bit of blood, and this got Rainbow Dash to react.

“You don’t hit my friend!” She shouts, ready to throw a punch at the poor filly.

Velvet dodges the punch and sweeps Rainbow Dash, and mounts the Pegasus before two quick punches landed on the mare’s face.

Applejack picks Velvet off of Rainbow who started to thrash wildly, trying her best to break out and beat Rainbow’s head to her stomach.

“Damn girl, I’ve never seen a filly act like this over anything!” Applejack sighs.

Twilight nods and walks up to Velvet and neels down, “Velvet, you need to calm down. What you’re doing is unacceptable in every way possible.” She says, “If you stop and explain what’s going on tonight, I’ll be lenient with the punishment.” She promises.

Velvet stops struggling in Applejack’s grasp and starts to cry.

Twilight never liked it when Velvet cried for anything, in fact, she beat her for it, especially since it was mostly when she was pissed because of something. But her crying right now was different from stress or pain, it was pure unadulterated fear.

And Twilight could tell that she was afraid because Velvet tried to form words, but she just kept on choking on her sobs.

Twilight, acting on her memories of how her mother treated her, reached out to Applejack who nods and hands Velvet over to the Princess of Friendship. Once Velvet was in Twilight’s grasp, the young Alicorn sat down on the table and held the crying filly like a baby.

Twilight runs her hand through Velvet’s lush, beautiful silver white mane affectionately, “Shhh, it’s okay Velvet, just calm down and take your time.” She whispers, “I won’t punish you, just tell me what’s going on.” She assures.

Velvet relishes in Twilight’s affection, something she’s never been subjected to, and calms down with in a reasonable amount of time, about 3 minutes before she starts explaining, “A monster was watching me ever since I woke up, it only got worse when you left with Miss Starlight and Mister Spike.” She explains.

Twilight sighs, “I told you Velvet; monsters aren’t real. You’re just young.” She reassures.

Velvet snaps her attention to Twilight and looks her in the eye, “No Miss Twilight! I wasn’t imagining things, it felt like something else was watching me the whole morning. And in the kitchen I saw it on a plate.” She says.

Twilight shakes her head, “You were just-”

“I was not imagining things Miss Twilight!” Velvet snaps, breaking into Twilight’s response, but not giving the Alicorn a chance to chastise her, “It was tall, really tall, as tall as the doorway, it had long fingernails, big bat wings, and white eyes!” She describes the monster.

Twilight and friends gasped for they did not expect Velvet describe this monster with such detail. Velvet took this opportunity to continue, “I saw it again on the ceiling before you guys came in, and it whispered in my ears, I couldn’t tell what it was saying, but it sounded evil and wrong in every way.” She explains further before burying her face in Twilight’s shirt, “Please Miss Twilight, you got to believe me. Please believe me. I’m begging you Miss Twilight. Believe me.” She pleads with her mistress.

Twilight nods and caresses Velvet, “Go to sleep Velvet, you are relieved of your duties today. Just get some rest.” She says as she continued to caress her crying slave.

After 5 minutes of crying, Velvet wheeped herself to sleep. Once Twilight was sure she was slumbering peacefully, she stood up and began walking her to a guest room, completely omitting the idea of placing Velvet in the basement.

Once Twilight tucked Velvet in bed, she leaned over and kisses Velvet on the cheek, “Rest now Velvet, everything will be alright.” She whispers before leaving her slave.