“Thank you for coming, Miss Coloratura,” said Old Classics, a white unicorn stallion with a light blue mane standing at the door.
“Please, just call me Rara...” the former Countess replied, trotting into the big mansion Classics and his wife lived in.
“Oh, yes, my apologies.”
Rara knew the ins and outs of high society well enough to know when 'my apologies' translated to 'Oh, yes, I don't give a darn.' But she politely nodded and followed to the big living room where Classics' wife, Symphony (a dark blue unicorn with a white mane and tail) sat.
Old Classics and Symphony were famous classical musicians, she'd listened to their work before coming over as professional courtesy. She wasn't a rabid fanfilly or even a frequent listener, but she did enjoy what songs she'd heard of theirs.
The three ponies set down and Rara took some tea provided by the servants. “So, what exactly do you need?” Her new agent had received word from them a few days ago asking for her assistance, but hadn't explained exactly what it was.
Classics cleared his throat. “Well, you see, we heard about recent events and how your Countess persona was a facade.”
Rara sighed, looking down. There'd been one very good reason that was semi-public knowledge: so ponies would know the kind of selfish pony Svengallop was and he couldn't catch another impressionable artist to be his new meal-ticket. “Yes...My manager wanted a doll to mold into what he wanted to get famous, and I was so caught up wanting to reach my dream I listened to every word he said. Thanks to a friend of mine, I finally realized I wasn't being me.”
“And,” Symphony began, raising a hoof. “And that...pop music you played was also a facade?”
“That's...more complicated...”
That wasn't QUITE what she'd said about her former persona, just it wasn't her thing. The musician admitted she didn't exactly MIND singing pop and had written many of the lyrics herself even if Svengallop had chosen the themes and style, it was just far from her preferred style. The tone of Symphony's voice left little to the imagination her opinion of it.
“I much prefer classical, but Svengallop said classical styles weren't 'hip' anymore and insisted,” Rara explained.
“Poor dear,” Symphony said, sounding genuinely sympathetic.
“It's honestly fine. I didn't really mind the style of music very much. I was just sort of...apathetic to the genre and it just wasn't me...that and Svengallop was...self-serving.”
“Regardless,” Classics continued. “You have experience with impressionable young artists being strong-legged into another genre, correct?”
Rara nodded. “I suppose you could say that...with manipulative managers if nothing else.”
“Well, you see we believe our daughter is in a similar predicament to yours,” Symphony replied, sipping her tea politely. “She used to love classical music like we did and we encouraged her, but then the moment she actually got a manager and working on her own, she changed styles and everything.”
The Earth Pony musician nodded thoughtfully. “That does sound a little suspicious...”
“Exactly our thought...” said Classics. “We'd like you to go talk to her, as your friends talked to you.”
“I suppose I could...but I don't know her. I had a good friend of mine tell me the truth...”
“I see...well, we do have a bit of...a reward if you'll talk to her for us,” Symphony replied.
Rara entered a club building, covering her eyes against the sudden neon lights when coming in from Luna's night. It wasn't the wildest one she'd ever seen (Ponyville wasn't exactly a place for that), but it was far from the least furnished either (and boy she'd seen a lot of them). Of course her now ex-manager had picked the majority of the ones she'd had experience with, and naturally had very expensive tastes. In this case, she'd been able to get VIP access to observe the preparations thanks to her status, even with her change in style.
Rara admitted to herself she was glad ponies didn't quite recognize her when she was Rara rather than the Countess just yet, it'd make this much more awkward than it'd need to be. And she had a feeling this was going to be pretty awkward to begin with.
“Alright let's get this party started!” announced a big minotaur with a mohawk in a loud voice. Rara noted his name tag read 'Heavy Metal.' He put down a big speaker in place, which he lifted with next to no effort despite it being about the same size as himself.
Looking to the station next to the speaker, Rara saw the pony she was there to speak to.
Vinyl Scratch, better known as DJ Pon-3, sat at her DJ station, trademark red glasses on her face and headphones on her head. Her horn glowed as she placed down the records, then kept glowing even though she didn't seem to be doing anything with it.
“The lady wants lots of lasers!” Heavy Metal exclaimed, emphasizing his statements with dramatic posing.
Rara backed up to get out of the way of unicorns dashing into position.
“Fog! Now!” the big minotaur bellowed with more poses, causing several unicorns to create more fog. “Turn down those lights, and up those lights! And you! Get some root beer! Vinyl Scratch is parched!”
Rara narrowed her eyes and sat down, as the show began. She couldn't help but think the pop music that started playing sounded familiar. Or at least similar to something she heard before, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. She didn't mind it, but could tell it was high quality. She did notice that Heavy Metal seemed to be calling all the shots and Vinyl never gave any orders herself, just did her music. No hoof signals or anything.
The former Countess trotted through Ponyville the next day. Vinyl had just...vanished after the show was over. Wasn't entirely odd, it was night time and the performer knew just how much work it could take to put on a show from personal experience.
“Come on, it can't be that hard to find...” Her ears twitched, hearing the familiar sound of classical music playing. Following the music, she made her way towards a house that was decidedly unmistakable. It seemed split directly down the middle, one half blue and purple, the other half browner hues. Despite having a hay roof, the two halves were completely different shades of the stuff. That said, there were congruent traits, with the windows having the same designs right down to the piano key motif of them. “Oh, there it is...”
Slowly making her way up to the house, she politely knocked on the door, which like the rest of the house was split right down the middle.
“Coming!”
Rara blinked as the door opened to reveal, not Vinyl, but a familiar Earth Pony. “Octavia?”
Octavia gave a smile. “Oh, hello there, Coloratura. I saw your latest show. The more classical styling suits you.”
Musicians tended to know each other, it was a fact, especially when they were in the same genre. The aquamarine-tinted Earth Pony still knew Sapphire Shores from back when she was the Countess. While the public liked to blow anything out of proportion, she did admit she and Sapphire had been friendly rivals when they were fighting over number one on the charts, and were still friends.
The former Countess smiled and nodded. “Just Rara, please, and thank you. I'm a fan of your music too. Perhaps we could do a concert together some time?”
“That would be wonderful. I do have a few songs I've been wanting to try out.”
Rara smiled, then remembered why she was there. “Oh, is Vinyl Scratch home?”
Octavia blinked in confusion. “Oh, certainly. I believe she's still asleep. Come on in and I'll fetch her.”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I don't want to inconvenience her. I can come back later.”
Octavia chuckled and shook her head. “No, it's quite alright. She sleeps in so often I sometimes wonder if she's nocturnal. Come on in and make yourself at home.”
Rara nodded and trotted in after Octavia. To her surprise, she found the inside of the house was just like the outside of it. Half the room was brown and looked more average, if with a few high society additions. The other half was blue like the outside and looked like a modern house with a recording studio built in.
She sat down at the kitchen table to wait...and then blinked, looking at want seemed to be an amp built into the kitchen bar. “You have a stereo in the kitchen?”
Octavia gave a sigh of annoyance as she headed towards Vinyl's door. “No, that's our dishwasher...”
Rara merely stared in confusion.
“It cleans dishes with...ugh...wubs...don't ask...” Octavia replied with an irritated tone. She knocked on the door with her hoof. “Vinyl! Wake up! You have a visitor!”
The door opened to reveal the unicorn herself with a mane that left no question that she'd just woken up, using her magic to put on her trademark glasses on.
“Vinyl, do something about your mane,” Octavia advised, noting her roommate's bed head.
Vinyl's horn glowed as she simply smoothed her mane out a bit with her hooves and gave Octavia a smile.
The classical musician merely rolled her eyes. “Fine, I suppose it is your mane...”
Vinyl merely put her hoof over her mouth and mimed laughter then looked at her.
“She's at the table,” Octavia replied, trotting over to her cello to practice a bit.
The DJ turned and looked to Rara, who waved politely...and her smile disappeared, much to Rara's confusion. She looked back to Octavia.
“I don't know why she's here, but she's nice,” was the musician’s reply.
Vinyl simply took her sweet time grabbing a root beer in her telekinesis and sat down in front of Rara and looked at her. The Earth Pony musician couldn't see the mare's eyes through her sunglasses, but something about how she was looking at her just made her feel awkward.
“Hi...I'm Rara...” the mare said...Vinyl not replying at all. “Okay...Your parents asked me to come talk to you...”
Octavia gave an annoyed sigh. Rara thought it was something she said, but the other Earth Pony was looking at Vinyl like she'd said a bad word or something.
“I'm sure you've heard about my situation and how my manager stronghoofed me into a genre I wasn't a fan of and they were worried if you were in the same boat...and I did notice your manager was calling all of the shots at the club, so I just wanted to check to see if they might be right...” Rara said, feeling more awkward by the second as Vinyl just stared at her...or glared, Rara couldn't tell with the glasses.
Octavia suddenly glared at Vinyl. “Vinyl, she doesn't know how you do things or Heavy Metal, so tell her what's on your mind.”
Rara simply assumed she knew Vinyl much better than she did and caught onto cues she herself was blind to. Vinyl looked to Octavia.
“Yes, I know, but I trust her and so does Applejack,” the classical musician replied. Vinyl just continued looking at her, but her expression changed to a glare. “Vinyl, you know if I tell her, your parents won't believe it because they don't think I 'know you' well enough, we've tried that before...And that's exactly why you should just TALK TO THEM already instead of pretending they don't exist.”
Rara blinked. “Uh...what exactly is going on here...” she asked, getting confused.
Octavia sighed. “Vinyl is being childish, as per usual...you know it's the truth, Vinyl. Now just tell her!”
Vinyl gave a soundless sigh and looked to Octavia who rolled her eyes.
“Fine, Rara, do you know sign language?” Octavia asked.
The aquamarine tinted earth pony blinked. “No, sorry...”
Octavia merely looked to Vinyl in response, then gave an exasperated sigh. “Rara, can you prove you're not a Changeling?”
“That I can do...” Rara said. When your personality suddenly seems to do a one eighty, it tends to make someponies jump to the 'she's a changeling!' conclusion. Thankfully, you don't wear a mask for that long without knowing how to put it on. Rara got down from the table and walked out to the middle of the room. While she didn't have everything she needed, she put her mane up how she had it in her Countess persona and did a dance she'd practiced so much she could do it with no trouble.
“Give me more
Razzle dazzle.
Glitter eyes, big surprise,
Lights, cameras!” she sang, coming to a stop with one hoof in the air in a dramatic pose as she always did. She noted Vinyl's jaw drop a little bit...then she swore she saw a bit of hurt there before she just went back to giving her the silent treatment as she returned back to the table, putting her mane back to normal.
“See? Seriously, Vinyl, you've been accused of being a vampire so many times you'd think you'd be more understanding,” Octavia said, then waited a moment as she looked at Vinyl. “...Fine, then do the sign language for ME because I understand it, alright?”
Vinyl Scratch gave an annoyed, soundless sigh and turned to Rara. Her horn glowed and Rara felt a strange sensation as Vinyl began making hoof signs.
'The answer is no, bye bye.'
Rara jumped at the sudden words that felt like they were coming from inside her own head, spoken by a mare's voice that wasn't hers.
Vinyl's horn glowed and she looked back to Octavia.
“No, that's not enough,” the gray Earth Pony replied.
Vinyl gave another voiceless sigh and turned back to Rara with her horn aglow.
“What was that?!” the former Countess replied.
'Telepathy. It's a spell I learned from my Granny Ribbon so I can actually TALK,' the mare's voice in her head continued, Vinyl continuing to do hoof signs for Octavia's benefit.
Rara blinked in confusion. “Telepathy?”
'Means I can send my thoughts to somepony else...ONE pony else. Granny had it for her special talent, I just know the spell so I can't do more than one pony at once.'
Rara blinked in confusion. “But why would you...”
Vinyl gave a look of annoyance. 'Of course they wouldn't tell you. Probably were hoping you'd 'talk some sense' into me before you realized it.'
“Realize what?”
'That I can't bucking talk!' Vinyl's voice yelled in her head causing her to nearly fall out of her chair as Vinyl angrily slammed her hooves on the table. Rara felt SOMETHING that she was sure wasn't from her. Anger?
“Vinyl was born mute, Rara,” Octavia stepped in, abandoning her cello and joining them at the table. “She normally isn't this touchy about it. And I'm pretty sure her parents are simply too used to it to find it strange, Vinyl.”
Vinyl merely did some hoof signs.
Octavia sighed. “Vinyl, I know you do not like your parents, but that is no way to talk about them.”
Vinyl made more hoof signs.
“...I'm going to pretend I didn't see that...”
Rara tried to make sense of this. Which was fairly easy, given she lived in a land of magical ponies where the sun and moon was raised and lowered by two literal goddesses...then she realized something. “...So...the entire time after I came in here, she was talking to you using telepathy?” she asked Octavia.
The mare nodded. “Yes, but she only normally speaks to the ones she trusts with it.”
Rara heard a mental groan in her head and felt a sudden tinge of annoyance that wasn't hers.
'Because my thoughts are MY thoughts, you know? Feels weird sharing 'em with total strangers...And for the record, last night, I was talking to Heavy Metal with it too. Just like every night...' Vinyl raised her hoofs. 'Hoof signs ain't exactly easy to do when they're busy on the turn table, you dig?'
The aquamarine-tinted mare thought back. “So...that's why he did all the talking. You were giving him advice the entire night?”
Vinyl nodded. 'Yeah. HM's got some sick manger skills, but we work best when we're talking and I can get my input in there. DJ Pon-3 isn't just some stage persona, it's me. In fact it's MORE me, it's when I get to be myself....cause I wouldn't want my show not giving my fans the real me and making them disappointed their idol is a sham would I? That'd just be a rotten thing to do, wouldn't it?'
Rara didn't just note the anger in the psychic voice. She could FEEL it and this time she was absolutely certain of it. Vinyl was mad at her and there was zero hiding it. “...Ex...excuse me?”
Vinyl Scratch got up from the table and trotted over to her room.
“I...honestly didn't expect this...I thought she was just angry about her parents,” Octavia added, looking as surprised as Rara.
The DJ came back with a trash can held in her telekinesis...which she dumped on the table. Amidst the candy and snack wrappers were records and tapes of Rara's songs back as Countess Coloratura. Rara looked up at her.
'I...I used to LIKE you...I LOVED your music...I was one of your biggest fans...how do you think I felt when you just suddenly quit and said it was all a big fat lie?' Vinyl asked, Rara shuddering, feeling the mare's anger and SADNESS thought her projected thoughts.
“...I...I hadn't thought about that.”
'Of course you didn't...I get it...it wasn't your thing...I GET that because my parents have been trying to force their tastes on me since I was a filly! They told tutors I was in love with classical music because I COULDN'T argue with them thinking I did. It wasn't until I learned hoof language I could even communicate with them and by then it was too late and they convinced themselves I loved it because it was what THEY wanted...' Vinyl turned, showing the music note on her flank. 'Even when I got THIS at this freaking epic rock concert my big bro took me to as a filly they convinced themselves it was music in general, and never quit hoping I'd 'remember how much I loved' classical music...I DON'T love classical music...it wasn't till I met Tavi that I stopped hating it.'
Rara shuddered. Both at Vinyl's 'tone' (as best as that described it) and at the emotions her telepathic voice conveyed. Hurt...pain...anger...sadness...Rara loved her parents, but she could feel Vinyl's bitterness through whatever connection they had at the moment.
“And believe me, that wasn't easy,” Octavia remarked, following Vinyl's hoof signs the entire time.
'But why couldn't you have just...I don't know, eased out of it? To give your fans a send off or something?...You really inspired me...sorry, the COUNTESS inspired me...I'm not as big as you were, but I wanted to be...now...I feel like I got slapped in the face by one of my idols and told the stuff I made because of them was garbage. That something I like never really mattered to her...How do you think that feels?'
Rara looked down. “I can FEEL how it feels, Vinyl...”
Vinyl blushed a little and looked away. 'Sorry...this is why I only use this with ponies I trust...'
The unicorn gave a voiceless sigh, Rara hearing a mental one. '...I'm not just a pony.' Those lyrics...they MEANT something to me. They meant 'go past your limits and reach higher and higher,' so I TRIED to...I get that it's not what you meant, but when you sang 'I'm just a pony'...I heard 'settle for being how you are.' And for me...that's being a mute little doll for my parents to have do whatever they want, never what I care about.'
“...I guess you have a point...I don't regret turning back from that style...and my manager was a self-centered jerk just feeding off my fame for himself...but you're right, it was inconsiderate to everypony who'd loved me up until then to just quit out of nowhere. Though in my defense, that night I didn't really have a choice. I fired Svengallop on the spot and had to improvise, but maybe afterward I could have done something...But you're wrong about one thing, Vinyl.”
'What?'
“I don't hate pop music, or think it's garbage. I'm FLATTERED you made work inspired by me...” Rara said, looking up and giving Vinyl a small smile. “Thank you.”
Vinyl blinked in confusion, her glasses falling just enough to make that visible. 'Uh...you're welcome...I guess...but if you don't think it's garbage why...'
“It just wasn't MY thing,” the former Countess replied. “I DID still put my all into those songs. I'm just...neutral about the style while classical music is my passion...I suppose I should've made that more clear...the Countess PERSONA was my manager's creation...the heart I worked into those songs was Rara. He handled a lot of my act, the lights, the visuals, the sound...but the lyrics were me. They were always MY songs...And I think I owe my fans a bit of an apology for just abandoning them out of nowhere. I'm sorry, Vinyl.”
Vinyl stared for a few moments. Rara could only feel her emotions when she spoke, but she was pretty sure Vinyl wasn't busy talking with Octavia at the moment.
'...Honestly? I didn't expect you to care...'
“You think I'd be Applejack's friend if I was heartless?” Rara asked, giving a kind smile. “...I'll need to think on how to handle this...maybe give the Countess a proper goodbye for her fans...”
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Octavia asked. “I mean if it was so hard on you...”
“It wasn't hard on me in and of itself...it was hard on me because I had no passion for it and couldn't do the thing I was really passionate about...I think I can find it for at least one more show for THEM...the only problem is my former manager was the one who handled all the glitz and glam, I'm no good at it and neither is my new manager...”
The room was silent for a few moments.
'...I could lend you a hoof...'
Rara blinked, turning her head to Vinyl. “Really?”
Vinyl gave a 'no big deal' wave. '...It IS my thing...besides...I'd rather one of my idols get a big sendoff than none at all...'
“...Thanks...” she replied. Rara at least didn't feel any anger or spite...more...uncertainty. Which was certainly an improvement.
'It's fine...so...what did mom and dad bribe you with?'
Rara blinked. “Uh...what makes you think they bribed me?”
'I know my parents. You're kinda the third or fourth pony they've tried to get to 'talk some sense into me.''
“Maybe if you actually TALKED to them they'd stop,” Octavia replied, rolling her eyes. Rara got a feeling she should be glad she didn't understand the hoof signs Vinyl replied with.
“They said that if I came to talk to you, they'd make a large donation to a charity for orphans...I kind of have a soft spot for helping foals.”
'Dang, that's low, even for my folks...sorry they put you in that spot...'
“I'm kind of used to it from my ex-manager...”
Vinyl got a devious look. 'Well, they DID just say you had to come TALK to me, didn't they? Not actually 'get through to me,' right?'
Rara blinked. “That's...correct...but I have a feeling they're not going to just take this with grace.”
'Tell some orphans how nice they were donating to them, that'll put 'em in a spot. No big name wants THAT kind of publicity,' Vinyl replied, the aquamarine-tinted Earth Pony FEELING how sly the DJ felt.
“...That's one way to go about it...thanks...and Vinyl?”
'Yeah, Coloratura?'
For once, Rara decided NOT to correct her. “...I've still got the rights to my Countess songs...what do you say after I do my last show as her, I let you have them? For remixes and covers?”
Vinyl looked excited and practically jumped up on the table. 'Whoa! Really?!'
Rara couldn't help but giggle at the excitement Vinyl's telepathy let her feel. “Really...I think even if I'm moving on to something else, somepony needs to be there for the ponies I'm leaving behind...”
“Hear the applause
Here to impress
Not just a pony, I am the Countess!” Countess Coloratura ended with as much passion as she'd ever put into those lines, being greeted to thunderous applause as for the ONLY time it'd ever done it (before or after), her Cutie Mark glowed as it did when she was herself.
Taking a bow...she removed her veil and let down her ponytail, removing the fake eyelashes. “Thank you, everypony, for coming to make Countess Coloratura's final performance a great one...but there's somepony else I want to thank...”
She turned and motioned to Vinyl, the unicorn coming on stage.
“I'm sure she needs no introductions, but this is DJ Pon-3. She reminded me that after you've been following me for so long, it'd be wrong to just leave you with nothing after all of that. Just because this wasn't my thing...doesn't mean it shouldn't be any of YOUR thing. That is the LAST thing I, or any musician worth her salt, wants anyone to think. Thank you.”
Vinyl bowed as she got a round of applause.
“And I'm officially granting her the rights to all my Countess songs to take from here and I hope you'll be as kind to her as you were to me...in fact I think she's already got a remix all ready for you tonight...” Rara said, stepping aside as Heavy Metal literally tossed her DJ station on stage with surprising accuracy and tact and Rara stepped aside to sing as herself instead of Coloratura as a formal torch passing.
'Coloratura?' Vinyl's voice asked in her head
Rara looked to her and saw a smile.
'Thanks...'
The former Countess nodded with a smile. Being yourself was important, but making sure those that adored you knew you cared about them was too...
The End.
