Author's Note
just an idea that was halting progress of other stories. I liked this and plan to add and rewrite more at a later time. Until then I hope you all enjoy this little one-shot I made. I know it's not terribly original but you know how it is coming up with your own ideas is hard?
in either case I wrote a thing.
Enjoy!
Confession of Coloratura
Honesty, loyalty, love, family.
Coloratura was a pony blessed to have all these things. She had and honest and loyal friend in Applejack, Element of Honesty. She had a loyal and loving family, mother, father, two brothers, and three sisters. She had great and loyal fans who she considered a third family. In the light of her arousing success in Ponyville after falling out with her manager Sven Gallop at the Ponyville Helping Hooves Musical Festival, she had doubts about where her heart lay. In an after party celebrating her success Coloratura was busy sipping a nice cold apple cider, courtesy of Sweet Apple Acres, by herself in a corner in Sugarcube Corner.
She was in a small three pony booth by herself with only her cider and an untouched cupcake next to it. The cider was filled twice by now, and her poor cupcake sat lonely, untouched since it was placed there on its white dish. Coloratura fidgeted with her cider, spinning the mug with her hooves and looked inside to see her own melancholic reflection staring back at her. It said to her, ‘you’re a disappointment’.
She felt tears forming under her eyes and quickly shook her head to clear her mind of this horrible feeling and quickly chugged her cider in a most unlady like fashion, with big gurgling gulps. She felt the cider rush down her throat warming her throat and her tummy as the chugged. Finishing she slammed the mug down on the table and let out a most dainty burp, which made everypony around her stare at her.
Blushing at her unsavory behavior, Coloratura blushed meekly and waved to the crowd of ponies.
“Heh, excuse me,” She squeaked in a low voice, mimicking a Fluttershy moment easily to the residents.
After her apology most ponies went back to their own business. Small talk resumed, and out on her own personal stage was the famous, or infamous depending on who you asked, DJPON3, and personal friend of Pinkie Pie.
Coloratura went back to spinning her mug feeling only deeper in pain after chugging her cider. Deep down she knew why she felt like scum from the cesspool of the deepest depths of Tartarus. She was feeling guilty and it was destroying her inside. At this moment she thought back on the day she met he manager Sven Gallop, and how she thought he was the best decision she ever made.
Today she learned retrospect was life's was of spitting karam back in your face and not even realise it until it's too late.
For many ponies, friends, family, yes even fans are all they need to get back up and move on with their lives. For Countess Coloratura it was more than enough, but for Coloratura it wasn’t enough to satisfy the gnawing guilt. It was like a bad ulcer that was getting worse and worse with no end in sight to how bad things could fall apart. She felt lost and afraid. Despite her friends support, Coloratura felt that the, ‘Countess’ had ruined what she once had, and there was no going back.
She was snapped out of her thoughts then a strong pair of hooves wrapped around her neck and pulled her. She was now cheek to cheek with her foal hood friend applejack who had a most intoxicating grin she’d seen in years on the apple pony.
“Well, howdy there, Rara,” Applejack greeted her. “How's the cider doing ya?”
Coloratura sighed spinning the mug a few more times before answering.
“I don’t know, AJ. The cider’s fine but… I don’t feel fine,” she said, dejectedly to her friend.
Applejack’s ears folded back as she watched her friend sulk over her empty mug.
“Hey, what’s wrong there sugarcube?” Applejack asked leaning into her friend's side.
Applejack then rubbed her nose against Coloratura’s cheek. The mare smiled at her friends gesture and pushed back slightly rubbing her cheek against the wet nose, making Applejack giggle.
“Heh, heh… ya’ll were always so affectionate, Rara,” Applejack said pushing her back with a playful nudge.
Coloratura stifled a giggle as she sat there with Applejack feeling a lot better since they talked. She always felt her spirits rise when she dealt with Applejack, but she felt she was avoiding the problem that caused her to feel so miserable to begin with.
“Applejack?”
The farm pony looked at her friend. “What’s up, Rara?”
Biting her lip, Coloratura clenched her eyes shut preparing herself for the typical Applejack stern talking that would most likely result from her confession to be. Taking one deep calming breath, Coloratura opened her eyes, feeling her shaking body relax.
“I have a confession to make. It’s about Sven Gallop.”
Coloratura watched as Applejack’s calm demeanor turned sour instantly. It seems the very mention of her former manager was enough to set her friend off, but thankfully it was just a look and nothing more. That much Coloratura knew.
“Ah, I figured as much. Alot has changed in the last twenty-four- hours hasn’t it?” Applejack asked wrapping an arm around her friends neck. “So, what’s on yer mind?”
This was it. The moment of truth. Coloratura was about to tell her closest friend and confidant the secret to her fame and fortune, and the very things she sacrificed for that fame and fortune. At first she wanted to back out and play if off as a bad joke, but she knew Applejack would see through her. Even if her orange friend was the Element of Honesty, she was very perceptive, in terms of truth and lies, to be able to see through Coloratura’s lie. So, with that she opted to spill it all.
She must have thought for a long time, for she was suddenly startled when Applejack nudged her side while she was deep in thought. Suddenly the world around her became much louder and more vibrant. She realized at that moment she was anxious, fearful of Applejack’s reaction.
“Applejack, when I meet Sven Gallop he was so nice to me. He understood my concerns-”
What if she hated her afterwards? What if Applejack didn’t want to associate with her after?
“-when I met him, he had the answers to all my problems. I wanted to be famous, and he offered me my first audition-”
What would happen if Applejack said she hated her?
“-I made a mistake back then. I wish I could take it back and never go with him to that audition-”
Suddenly, out of nowhere Applejack hugged Coloratura and gently patted the mare's back and rubbed her mane. Coloratura felt her eyes water, her vision became blurry behind the thick layer of tears as she hugged her friend back.
“Applejack? Why?” She asked sniffling. “Why are you being so nice?”
“Nice?” Applejack asked, worried about her friends reaction. “Rara, that stallion was not a good pony for you. We all make mistakes, but I know you learned from it. That’s what matters.”
Applejack then nuzzled her friend making her spirits rise.
“Beside, if ya weren’t with him during that audition, we wouldn’t be here now,” Applejack said wiping her friend tear strained eyes dry. “Now, ya’ll stop that crying and let me get ya a refill.”
Coloratura nodded and stayed in her seat while Applejack got her a new mug of cider. While she waited Coloratura reached into her saddlebags and pulled out a mane pin. It was a large in in the shape of a sakura blossom, bright pink and outlined with silver and a white and gold center with ‘Rara’ in the center.
The earth pony held the pin in her hooves. She turned it over and over again then spun int in her hooves. The same feeling of sadness and depression returned making her feel like trash. The sound of a mug landing near her made her jump slightly as Applejack sat beside her with a mug of cider of her own. Applejack noticed the startled look on Coloratura’s face as she sat down and leaned back into her chair.
“Rara, what’s wrong, and what’s that ya got there?”
She looked and pointed to the mane pin Coloratura was holding. Coloratura quickly put the mane pin back in her saddlebags and took the cider in her hooves and replied coldly, “It was a momento from a time long ago, AJ.”
Answering her friends query Coloratura took one massive gulp of her cider and slammed the mug down hard enough to make a sound, but not spill any cider. (Mostly because of a certain rainbow maned pegasus nearby.)
Applejack calmly sipped her own cider watching as Coloratura stared down at her bag briefly. The light blue earth pony shook her head and slapped her cheeks and hugged her cider down. Finishing her cider Coloratura tried to direct the conversation away from her and onto something else.
“So, AJ… how’s the farm doing these days? Apple Bloom getting bigger I Assume?” She asked the orange pony.
Applejack narrowed her eyes at her friend making her shrink from the intensity of the heated glare.
“Heh, heh, what?” Coloratura asked nervously chuckling. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Rara, what are you hiding from me? Ya’ll know ah don’t like being roundhoused,” Applejack asked sternly.
Coloratura sighed pushing her mug away. She then pulled out her manep pin and put it onto the table for Applejack to see. The farm pony gave the little pin a through inspection before saying, “It’s a mane pin?”
“Yes, it was mine back when I was first getting into show business.”
“Really?” Applejack asked sipping her cider again. “What does this pin have to do with that? Was it from a secret admirer?”
Applejack gave Coloratura a cheeky grin, and playfully elbowed her friend wiggling her eyebrow suggestively. Coloratura blushed pushing Applejack away, making the orange mare giggle at her friends bashfulness.
“AJ! You’re mean! No!” Coloratura giggled. “No, it was what I wore back when I was with the Sakuraba.”
Now, Applejack was not oblivious to many things, but living in Ponyville as long as she had and losing contact with city life had left the more ignorant to many things in pop culture. Bands that weren’t country, and in Ponyville, she typically never heard of. Coloratura’s fame as ‘Countess’ was living proof of this. To her surprise however, many ponies took note of this statement and rushed over to the two mares herding around them like raving fans.
“Coloratura was in Sakuraba!?” One pony asked.
Another pushed her way through asked, “What’s the Sakuraba?”
“Are you kidding me? The Sakuraba is the famous all mares band from Neigh Pony! They’re almost as popular as Countess Coloratura herself!”
“Coloratura! Why did you leave the Sakuraba?”
That one question made everypony take pause. This was something they all wanted to hear. Applejack felt uneasy. Her friend was now looking like a mouse at a cat convention and was clearly uncomfortable. Seeing her friends distress she quickly helped Coloratura up and helped her through the crowd, but the one pony was persistent.
“Why did you abandon them? What compelled you to do such a thing!?” The pony asked again.
Applejack glared at the pony. He was a young stallion, probably just old enough to be considered an adult. He was a unicorn, small frame, just under Applejack’s height by a few inches. He was baby blue with a dark blue and white highlighted spiked mane and tail. His cutie mark was three question marks with a white talk bubble around them.
Applejack stared him down, keeping herself between Coloratura and the stallion. She leaned forward into his face and managed to make him step back. The stallion put on a brave face and puffed his chest out and stood up to Applejack.
“Get out of mah friends business,” Applejack said pushing past the young stallion.
Coloratura dared not look at the stallion who scoffed as she passed by.
“Heh, well it seems sis was right. You are a coward hiding behind other ponies!” The stallion said to her.
Coloratura choked back a sob as a fury of emotions ran through her. Guilt, fear, despair. All were very accurate for how she felt at this point. She knew it was her own fault she felt this way and that young stallion was right to tell her so. She felt so low, but her friend wouldn’t stand for it.
“Hey!”
Before Coloratura could act she saw Applejack walk upto the stallion and pressed her head against his with a threatening growl.
“Ya’ll better apologize to mah friend,” Applejack hissed at him.
The stallion was shivering at the brute of a mare staring him down, but stood fast against her. His defiance didn’t go over Applejack well. Before she could say anything else; however, Coloratura stepped between them and pushed Applejack back and pleaded to her friend.
“Applejack stop!”
“Nah uh! That colt don’t deserve to talk to you that way!” Applejack pointed to him. “Apologize!”
Coloratura was at her breaking point. She gripped her friends head with both her hooves and pressed their foreheads together and screamed as loud as she could.
“APPLEJACK I SAID STOP!!”
Applejack was taken aback by her friend's sudden outburst. She quickly pulled Coloratura off and guided the mare out of the store, gesturing to her friends that she was leaving. Once outside and away from the ponies Applejack took Coloratura to the farm. Along the way Applejack noticed a big change in her friend's behavior. She suddenly looked very down like she did before. She also caught her stopping to stare at her mane pin several times along the way too.
Finally reaching home and getting her friend inside Applejack tried to get Coloratura to talk but the mare simply refused to speak. After settling in, and Applejack was getting ready for bed she found Coloratura waiting for her outside the bathroom.
Stopping Applejack gave the earth pony her attention.
“Rara? What’s wrong?” Applejack asked. “Need the restroom?”
The earth pony shook her head. “No, I just wanted to say thanks for today. I’m not ready to talk tonight, but if you allow me the night to rest I promise to talk in the morning.”
Applejack nodded and hugged her friend. She missed her old friend dearly. Even though she never outright said it Coloratura still knew deep down because of the bond they shared. Something Applejack never felt with anypony else.
After a quick good night and tucking her friend in bed, despite her annoyed protests, Applejack and Coloratura turned in for the night. Under the light of the moon, Coloratura looked at her mane pin hoping that she would be able to make amends for missed opportunities. Make amends for abandoning those who needed her. She hoped that soon she cold say she was sorry for her betrayal. Putting the pin on the table next to her bed Coloratura fell into a deep sleep but was plagued by voices in her mind. Judging her, calling her out, saying awful mean things about her behind her back. The voices continued on into the night until a bright light defused the voices and they spoke kindly to her allowing Coloratura to sleep peacefully through the night. That is until the reality of dawn came to be.
The Next morning coloratura was up before Applejack was. She was use to getting up early, Svengallop made sure of that. Perhaps it was one of the few things he taught her that was useful.
After waking up Coloratura didn’t bother getting ready, but instead went out to the barn by the house. There she spent the next few hours watching the sun rise and waited for the first cawing of the rooster, signaling the start of a new day.
Once the sun pierced the horizon and the rooster crowed Coloratura returned to the house and rested on the couch. Some time later Applejack and her family poured down the stairs in one large group and made their way to the kitchen like zombies. Coloratura chuckled at Apple Bloom who looked like she pulled an all nighter. Her mane was a mess, her bow was lazily tied up and crooked, and she had bags under her eyes like she didn't sleep at all. The others seemed to be in a similar state, with the one exception being Applejack who rather energized. Coloratura was envious of her friends morning energy. It took her hours just to feel awake and here was Applejack right as rain in June like nothing was wrong.
After the Apple family was awake enough to make breakfast Coloratura offered to help around the house to keep herself busy, but mostly to keep her mind preoccupied.
Coloratura was dusting a few cabinets when applejack came into the room with two breakfast trays and set them on a nearby table. Coloratura stopped to see what was on the menu for today. She felt her mouth water at the sight and smells of hay bacon, salted oats, grits, and zap-apple jam cover toast and warm apple cider.
Applejack chuckled at her friends drooling mouth and set the trays down on a table in the common area, and sat down on the couch bating the cushion beside her.
“Well, it ain’t ta be looked at. Come on, Rara let’s eat!”
Coloratura snapped out of her daze as her stomach growled in protest to being starved. Blushing at her stomachs loud noise Coloratura allowed herself to sit beside her friend and the two enjoyed their meal together. When they finished Applejack went to the kitchen with the trays to clean up while Coloratura went back to cleaning the living room.
Some time later Applejack came back with a glass of water and offered it to Coloratura who accepted it graciously. Once they were done Applejack and Coloratura went outside for a bit to walk around the farm at Coloratura’s request.
As they passed by a large tree where the Cutie Mark Crusaders had their club house Coloratura stopped under it and looked up at it. Applejack stopped a few feet ahead, not noticing her friend stopped, and turned back to stand side by side with Coloratura.
Suddenly Coloratura turned and faced Applejack and asked, “Applejack, do you remember camp?”
“How could ah forget the most magical moment of our lives?” Applejack said reminiscing that day. “Ah, never seen you look so happy before.”
Coloratura blushed leaning against her friend's side.
“Well, I can think of one other time I was more happy. Reuniting with my best friend!”
“Ah, shucks, Rara.”
Applejack nuzzled her friend. “Ah, don’t understand though, why’d you let that stallion talk about ya like that? It ain’t right!” Applejack said firmly.
To her surprise Coloratura smiled. It was a half hearted smile one that looked almost sad and empty.
Coloratura sighed looking away from Applejack in shame. She felt the gnawing pain in her gut, nibbling away at her very core. It screamed to her, ‘confess! Confess!’ It made her feel sick. So sick she had trouble looking at herself at night.
“Applejack, can I confess something to you?” Coloratura sked.
Applejack nodded taking her hat off. “Sure. Why wouldn’t I?”
But Coloratura waved her friend with her hooves warningly. “Applejack, what I’m about to tell you is something I never told anypony. Not even my parents,” She paused to allow her words to sink into her friend's mind., before she continued in a dark tone “What I tell you here may very well change your view on me forever.”
Not surprisingly to her, Applejack got her typical friendly country pony smile and wrapped her arm around Coloratura supportingly. (What was I thinking? Applejack is a loyal friend, she’d never turn from me. Unlike Myself.) Coloratura thought.
Applejack then said softly to her, “Rara, nothing will ever make me stop liking you. You’re my friend. Now, and forever.”
Coloratura smiled happy to hear this.
“Thanks, AJ.”
“Think nothing of it, sugarcube. Now what’s eatin ya?” Applejack asked bluntly. “What’s got you all worked up? What’s this, ‘Sakuraba’, and why was that stallation saying those awful things about you the other night?”
Coloratura felt her heart race as Applejack bombarded her with these questions. She was at the point of no return. This was do or die time. She made terrible mistakes in the past, and this must have been karma paying her a visit with humble pie in hand. Feeling trapped and seeing only one way out, Coloratura gave in and answered honestly and truthfully.
“Because it was all true.”
“True?” Applejack gave a soft laugh at the absurdity of what Coloratura said, in her mind anyway. “Ah know you and ah know ya wouldn’t abandon friends and family like that, Rara. That stallion was just blowing a lot of hot air and there ain't nothin to it.”
“No, you’re wrong Applejack. I was horrible to my friends-no my family,” Coloratura sighed, and began playing with her long curled mane as Applejack listened. “I was part of the all mares band Sakuraba. Before that however I was approached by my first manager, a mare of great renown in Manehattan. She brought me and the others together and formed the Sakuraba. Then Svengallop came into the picture and offered a better opportunity than what I had with my first manager.”
Applejack nodded in silence. Coltura could feel her anxiety returning ten fold. So far Applejack seemed very supportive, non judging of her. It helped make Coloratura feel a slight sense of relief that Applejack would take the news a lot better than she thought, so with that in mind the mare continued her story.
“I went with Svengallop and never looked back. Now… now I just regret it. After you showed me for what he really was I… I’ve been having trouble sleeping and looking at myself without feeling disgusted with myself.”
Coloratura lowered her head and folded her ears back in shame.
“I’m a horrible pony.”
Not surprisingly, Coloratura felt Applejack hug her and offer a supportive smile.
“Now ya’ll listen and you listen good, Rara, you’re not a horrible pony. You’re a great pony and anypony who says otherwise is blind as a bat.”
Smiling Coloratura hugged Applejack back and once more nuzzled her cheek. Applejack purred as her friend nuzzled her. The two use to do this as a show of friendship that was more along the line of sisterhood. For Coloratura and Applejack it was a show of trust and affection that had great meaning to them. To them it was a sign of their everlasting friendship and would never die even as time waned on. Once the show of affection was done Applejack became curious and asked, “So, who was your first manager? Ah was under the impression it was Svengallop?”
Coloratura chuckled nervously playing with her mane again. Applejack knew what this was. It was Coloratura’s old habit she had as a filly. She would nervously play with them and if she knew something would upset Applejack, which made Applejack nervous too. She wanted to be supportive but knew that sometimes she could go overboard, but she needed to be there for her friend now more than ever.
Applejack wrapped her arm around Coloratura and nuzzled her cheek once more calming the mare down.
“Listen, Rara, no matter what happens or what ya do I’ll always be your friend. Never doubt that for a minute,” Applejack declared.
Coloratura smiled. “I’m glad you feel that way, AJ.”
“What are friends for?” Applejack said with a wink.
Coloratura sighed then wrapped her arms around her friend and swallowed hard.
“Applejack, can you do me a huge favor? As a friend?” Coloratura asked.
“Sure. What do ya need me to do?” Applejack asked.
“Can you come with me to Manehattan to help appologize to my old sing group and my old manager?” Coloratura asked, almost as if she was begging Applejack and expected her to say no.
Not surprisingly, Applejack gave a smile and said, “Sure, if ya need me to be there to help support you then I’m all for it!”
“Really!?” Coloratura exclaimed.
Applejack nodded tilting her hat. “Really.”
Many hours later the two mares were on the first train to get to Manehattan. The ride was shorter than usual, but still took a good majority of the day. With Coloratura’s fortune however, the living arrangements would prove to be a minor inconvenience. The whole ride was relatively uneventful, but Applejack grew concerned as time went on. The longer the trip took the more time Coloratura fiddled with her old groups insignia mane pin.
Applejack was worried Coloratura was getting cold hooves and would back out.
So, every so often Applejack would reassure her and make small talk to keep her friend's mind off the meeting. She was very afraid it seemed, but wouldn’t say why she was. Applejack was sure it was just the, “nervous jitters” as she called it and nothing more.
After they arrived at Manehattan Applejack gathered their luggage and helped carry most of it. She was surprised to find out that Coloratura had quite the extensive wardrobe collection that could easily rival Rarity’s if the luggage was anything to go by.
Finding her friend at the front of the train Applejack gave Coloratura a sour look as she hauled over twelve large luggage bags to her and dropped them on the spot a few feet away. Coloratura stared at her orange friend who continued to give her a sour look.
“What?” Coloratura asked picking up two bags as three service ponies gathered the rest. “I have to have a change of clothes if need be, AJ. Doesn’t Rarity do that too?”
“Yes, but Rarity is Rarity, ah don't’ see how you need all this,” Applejack said glaring at the luggage.
“What? A girl as rich and famous is allowed to spend their bits as they see fit, right?” Coloratura asked, receiving a nod from applejack. “So, I like dresses. I like wearing clothes. I know it’s not common even among the rich and elite, but I still like it so I bought a bunch of clothes I like to wear. And yes, I do wear all of them regularly.” She quickly added seeing Applejack’s look change.
Shaking her head Applejack adjusted her hat and walked beside Coloratura.
“So, where to, Rara?”
“The hotel to get settled in and then we seek out my old group,” the blue earth pony said walking towards the city center.
An hour later the two ponies, and all twelve luggage bags, were settled into a nice fancy suite in the Ivory Towers Luxury Apartments. Once they dropped off the luggage and got a nice hot meal they left to see what they could find on the Sakuraba Band. Not long into their search Applejack managed to find out from several ponies that the Sakuraba was having a comeback tour in Manehattan at the Manhattan Grand Theater before traveling to the Griffin Kingdoms.
Armed with this information Applejack and Coloratura made their way to the theater. By late night time just before the time when Sakuraba was to go onstage they found the theater. Entering wasn’t easy.
Guards stood by pushing back the crowds as Applejack and Coloratura made their way towards the front. Coloratura seemed unusually determined to get to the back doors, forcing her way through the crowds as fast as she could.
As they circled around the back a few guard ponies standing guard blocked their path. Applejack was about to tell the bouncer ponies off when Coloratura held up her hoof to stop her. Standing back, Applejack watched as Coloratura threw back the covers revealing herself to the bouncer ponies. By the surprised looks on their faces it was clear they recognized Coloratura. One stepped to the front of the group, he was a large unicron, dark grey coat, black suit with his ear piece hanging from his left ear.
In a low gruff voice the bouncer pony asked, “What are you doing here, Countess?”
Applejack frowned at the old stage name but Coloratura gave a flattered look waving her hoof at the bouncer playfully.
“Oh, you know just getting back with the old group,” She said, flashing out her Sakuraba mane pin to him.
The bouncer inspected it and nodded. He stepped silently to the side and allowed Coloratura to pass. Applejack followed but he held up a hoof to block her path. Applejack snorted indignantly at the bouncer who was eyeing her with a dangerous look. A gentle cough gathered both their attentions as Coloratura pointed to Applejack.
“It’s okay sir. She’s with me,” Coloratura said.
The pony allowed Applejack to pass and closed the door behind her.
Inside the two earth ponies entered the backstage area where they saw several ponies going about in a scurry trying to get the stage ready for the next performance. Coloratura felt a sense of nostalgia at the all too familiar decorations. She could see the large Sakura Blossom icon the Sakuraba used for their introduction to the stage.
She then trotted past several other working ponies and into the back to the stage with Applejack following close behind her. Eventually Coloratura found what she was looking for. A large door with a large golden star on it that had the word Sakuraba engraved on it.
Applejack watched as Coloratura went through a deep breathing exercise she did whenever she got stressed. Once the performance pony was calm she looked back at Applejack who walked beside her and gave her a support smile.
“Ya can do it, Rara,”Applejack said softly to her friend. “Just be honest with them and tell them you're sorry. It’ll all work out.”
“I sure hope so,” Coloratura said, not feeling any more confident at Applejack’s words, reaching for the door and knocked.
Then they waited. Sudden sound of scuffling came from the other side of the door before it slowly slide open revealing a tall unicorn with light tan fur, a overly done red curly mane done in two large curly pigtails. She was wearing a large black and white maid style outfit with a large frilly style and a identical mane pin over her left ear.
Coloratura and the mare both looked surprised at the sight of the other. While Applejack saw Coloratura’s facial expression soften the other mare gave a hateful glare at Coloratura. The mare leaned back not taking her eyes off Coloratura and yelling inside the room, “Hey girls! Guess who came crawling back to us!” She said in a thick Japanese accent.
Stepping to the side the mare allowed Coloratura and Applejack access to the room. It was a large dressing room with eight mares in identical clothing all preparing themselves it seemed. Some were getting dressed in their outfits, one was applying makeup to her nose, another more chubby mare, was eating a large bowl of popcorn, and the one who let them in was ready and glaring at the two newcomers. Shortly after entering the rest of the ponies glared at Coloratura and Applejack, making the Element of Honesty feel uncomfortable under the heated stares.
Nopony said a word. All they did was stare hatefully at Coloratura who shied away from looking at any of them in the eye. Somehow, under all the intense pressure, Coloratura managed to find her voice and tried to say something.
“He-hey girls.How are things going?” She asked the Sakuraba girls nervously.
The unicorn who answered the door scoffed. She walked up to Coloratura and pushed her to the side as she passed by and sat at her own seat in front of her mirror.
“Well, not that you care, bu twe have been fine ever since you left,” The mare said harshly, powdering her face. “What did you come here for? To gloat about how you were more successful alone than we are together?”
“No! I wanted to say how sorry I was,” Coloratura cried out. “I didn’t realize just what I had lost until it was too late. Even then I only truly realized the gravity of what i did.”
Suddenly the mare Coloratura was talking too reared on her throwing her chair against the wall. This started all the other mares who huddled together in shock, away from the angry unicorn as she stared down at Coloratura.
With a hiss the mare then said, “You honestly think apologizing after what you pulled will make a difference!?”
Coloratura panted feeling her anxiety rising again as her eyes teared up.
“Please… Sakura, I’m so so sorry… I didn’t think that-”
“THAT’S RIGHT! YOU DIDN’T THINK!” The mare named Sakura said, pushing Coloratura to the floor.
Applejack rushed between them and shoved the show mare back against the mirror, shattering it.
“Yah, leave her alone!” Applejack growled at the unicorn.
Applejack stood ready to strike the mare should she try to hurt her friend again. Sakura grit her teeth together and was getting ready to lunge at Applejack when suddenly a light pink magical beam shot between the two mares and striking the wall at the end of the room. Once gone, there was large burn mark on the wall and a thick smell of burned paint and paper in the air. Everypony looked at the doorway to see a very angry azure blue unicorn stallion at the doorway. Applejack frowned seeing the stallion.
She remembered him well. Arrogant. Loved talking in third pony. Long silvery white mane and tail. Wand a magic cutie mark. She then glanced to the side of the room as a hint of violet fabric caught her eye. She recognized the star covered cape and hat that was on a coat rack near by the doorway where the stallion stood frowning at the scene before him.
“That’s enough, all of you!” He shouted.
The stallion walked up to Coloratura and offered his hoof to her. Applejack stood between them. The stallion glared at Applejack who narrowed her eyes at him.
“Applejack,” The stallion greeted her coldly.
“Tristan Lulamoon,” Applejack replied back.
The two ponies stared each other down for several seconds. Coloratura managed to get back up to her hooves and stepped around Applejack to face Tristan. The azure unicorn’s expression softened, which was to say he was still frowning but he was glaring hatefully like he did with Applejack. Coloratura could barely believe it.
Here he was, her mentor. They girls mentor after all these years she was finally facing him. A chance to make up for all the horrible things she once told him, all the things she did to him. She stared up at him as if in awe until finally he rolled his magenta eyes and coughed in his hoof to bring Coloratura back to reality.
“Well? What are you doing here?” He asked sternly to her walking past. “Tristan has a show to get the girls ready for. If you’re here for some reason say it or begone.”
Applejack frowned. She then marched forward and stood in Tristans way and pushed him back with her front hooves. “Now see her you arrogant showoff-”
Coloratura gasped and quickly ran between Applejack and Tristan. She pushed them apart as Applejack continued her verbal lashing at the stallion.
“She came all the way here to apologize! An what do yah do? Shove her away!”
To Coloratura’s surprise Tristan did nothing but take it until Applejack was finally done. When Applejack was done Tristan looked down at Coloratura with a look of disappointment. It made her feel very small and ashamed. Applejack saw her friend looking down and aplced her hooves on Coloratura’s shoulder and gave them a gentle massage.
Coloratura craned her neck back and smiled at Applejack while the rest of the mares stared at eh exchange between the three. Tristan then said, “You wanted to say sorry? For what?”
“I wanted… I have to say I’m sorry. For what I did and said to all of you,” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Tristan face to face, so she stepped forward and leaned her head into his fluffy chest. “I especially owe an apology to you Tristan. I should have listened.”
The stallion said nothing, but continued to listen as Coloratura rubbed her face in his chest. As she spoke she had a hard time keeping her composure. Though he couldn’t see it, Tristan could feel the wet tears running over his fur coat as the young mare sobbed out her next words.
“I - i was a terrible student and an even worse friend. Hic… I abandoned you. I a-I-i-abandoned all of you. I’m so sorry…. Sniff.”
She then looked up at Tristan with tear strained eyes at him.
“I should have listened and I’m so so so sorry! You were right and I was wrong. Svengallop was a horrible pony. I should have listened. I’m sorry.”
Everypony stared at theater strained mare as she apologised profusely at Tristan. Most of them held onto their sour looks with one exception. A younger mare with peach colored fur and a short spiky mane and emerald eyes seemed to take the apology to heart. She ran up and hugged Coloratura as the rest protested against it.
Applejack told them off and tried to support her friend but the next words that come from Tristan silenced everypony in the room.
“Why did you abandon us?” He asked.
Applejack glared at him and pushed him again.
“Now see here you arrogant showoff! Rara, would never abandon anypony! I’ll bet you were the reason she left!” Applejack said accusingly to the stallion.
“Applejack stop it!”
“No, Rara! I won’t stand by and let this stallion tell my friend off with his lies!” Applejack snapped at him.
“Applejack, what he said… it’s true.”
That made Applejack pause. Her brain worked overtime to try and comprehend what was just said to her. She heard the words come from Coloratura’s mouth, but she scarcely believed it, but she also knew Coloratura was one of the most honest ponies she knew. She also knew she was kind, and kind ponies didn’t do that, right?
Coloratura separated from the younger peach colored mare and stepped between Applejack and Tristan, looking at the farm pony with a looks of absolute shame. She was here at her lowest point and she was ready to accept what was to come.
“Applejack, when I asked if you’d be my friend no matter what happened, and you said yes, did you really mean it?” She asked.
Applejack sighed, taking her hat off and placed it on the ground. Coloratura gasped covering her mouth. Applejack never put her hat on the ground like that. She then felt Applejack raise her chin with a hoof and looked her into the eyes.
“Rara, i'll always be your friend. Never doubt that,” Applejack said hugging her.
Tristan gave a weak smile as Coloratura hugged Applejack. Breaking apart Coloratura finally made her full confession.
“Applejack, back before I left to join Svengallop, Tristan was my original manager. He saw the talent I had in signing and help raise me after camp that year. He approached me and my family saying, ‘I had exceptional talent that could one day become great and powerful.’”
Applejack rolled her eyes at the former magician's catch phrase, but listened all the same.
“He took me under his wing,” Coloratura continued, wiping her eyes free of tears. “For the next few years he helped me with my singing and help me master it. I was so grateful. He then found the rest of the girls and we formed the Sakuraba Band. At that time Tristan had lost his home to an Ursa Minor in Ponyville and his reputation took a great hit, as did ours for him being our manager.”
“After that nopony would sponsor us. Tristan being our manager after the Ursa Incident lost all hopes of us getting a proper sponsorship. So, Tristan asked for help from a friend of his at a rock farm. While he wanted us to go to our families and wait it out, we chose to stay with him,”the earth pony looked at him with a sincere smile. “He gave up so much for us the following months. He worked so hard, and taught us so much and we were so grateful. Then Svengallop came to the town the rock farm was in.”
“It wasn’t long after that I met Svengallop. He was passing through town looking for a way to Canterlot from Manehattan when he stumbled upon our group practice in a large rock quarry. He was so amazed by our singing he wanted to take us with him and make us famous, saying Tristan was holding us back,” Coloratura suddenly stopped and lowered her head, covering her face with her mane. “The entire group said no, but I thought about it. He took our rejection well, saying he’d be in town for a few days and left us shortly after.”
After a brief pause Coloratura continued her story.
“After Svengallop spoke to us, the girls and I had a meeting to discuss what he said to us. Everypony agreed that he was just trying to recruit us, but didn’t like him. The others thought he was… off, with how he talked to us,” Coloratura said.
“I thought about it, and I did think that it was because of Tristan that we weren’t getting anywhere. I was young, foolish, and impatient,” Coloratura admitted shamefully. “I then confronted him with Svengallop and demanded he allow us to perform for the town we were in, but he refused saying we weren’t ready and that Svengallop was a two-faced crook with no real heart for show business. Turns out he was right.”
Applejack stared in shock at what he heard. Coloratura sighed lowering her head and covering her face with her mane to hide her shame as Tristan continued to listen without a saying a word.
“I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness, but if you all can could you find it in your hearts to forgive me for being selfish and short sighted?” She asked, looking at each pony present.
There were mixed reactions from all the ponies. For one Sakura made a sickly face, clearly not up to the idea of forgiving her. Most of the other performers gave worried looks as if they couldn’t decide, and Tristan remained passive with a blank face.
Meanwhile, Applejack had never once thought that Tristan of all ponies would have cared about anything other than himself. When he first came to Ponyville she thought he was nothing but an arrogant show off, but hearing Coloratura’s description of him changed her view of him dramatically. Here she was listening to her closet foal hood friend talking to Tristan like he was some idol she worshiped and was trying to win his approval.
She hated to admit she was wrong, but maybe there was more to Tristan than she initially gave credit for. Perhaps Tristan wasn’t the arrogant showoff she always thought of him as.
Sakura, the first mare to answer the door, scoffed and stepped up to Coloratura sticking her nose into hers.
“Funny, I recall a certain pony defending him!” Sakura accused pointing to Coloratura. “You said that if it wasn’t for Tristan holding us back, we would already be famous!”
The earth pony looked away in shame at Sakura’s acquisition. She didn’t deny it and felt her heart sink. She felt empty inside and looked to Tristan who had a hurt look on his face at the words. Coloratura stepped towards him but Sakura shoved the mare back to the ground and stepped between her and Tristan.
“Don’t you dare go near him! Not after what you did to him!” Coloratura gasped looking up at Sakura who gave a sinister grin. “Oh yeah, I heard your little conversation with him! AND what you said to him before walking out on us! You have no right to be here and no right to ask for forgiveness from any of us. Especially not from Tristan!”
Coloratura tried to speak, “I know that but I-”
SLAP!
The entire room went silent as the sound of Sakura’s hoof slapping Coloratura across the face.
Applejack gasped suddenly seeing her friend struck. She could feel her anger rising in her chest. Snorting from her nostrils Applejack started walking towards Sakura but Tristan stood in the way. Sakura looked worried and hid behind the stallion, away from the much larger orange mare.
“Get outta mah way Tristan!” Applejack warned him. “Or i’ll make ya.”
Tristan narrowed his gaze at Applejack and stood his ground.
“Sorry, I can’t let you harm my girls on their big debut<” He said helping Coloratura up. “You need to leave. We have a performance to start in a few minutes and we don’t need emotional distractions. Leave now or I’ll have you two escorted out.”
Applejack said nothing but stared at him. Then she shifted her body to look past him at Sakura who seemed to shy away from her piercing gaze. Snorting Applejack turned and walked towards the doors and waited there for her friend to join her. Coloratura stood before Tristan once more and bowed her head to him.
“Tristan, I’m really sorry for all the trouble. Please, if you can find it in your heart I’d like to start over as your friend again,” She offered to him.
“That was a long time ago, Tristain has moved on,” He said looking to the girls. “We all have. Haven’t we?”
The entire group of mares nodded sadly at him. Coloratura felt her heart breaking as they gathered around him and Sakura. Coloratura turned away dejectedly and was about to leave in defeat when Tristan’s voice called out to her suddenly.
“But, if you’d like, we can talk after the performance,” Tristan's said to her. “The girls do miss you, and despite what she says, Sakura missed you too.”
Coloratura gasped covering her mouth as she spun to see Tristan as he pulled her head to his soft fur chest. Colorful felt her heart race as the sound of her old mentor's heart pounded against his chest and echoed in her ear. She sighed contently feeling her world falling together as the rest of the group came in and joined into a large group hug.
Tristan sighed shaking his head, but patted the Coloratura’s head gently. He rubbed the back of her head and gently scratched her behind the ear. She loved that feeling. Applejack gasped, she knew Coloratura would never let anypony do that to her. No, the fact Tristan was allowed to scratch behind her ear said she trusted him greatly. That spoke in ways to Applejack that mere words could never convey. Suddenly she understood why her friend cared so much about what the unicorn had to say, and why she was so worried about his judgement.
She looked up to him as a friend.
Yet, something seemed off. There was a connection these two had that was just now rekindled. Applejack could see it in their eyes. Something in their eyes told her of a history that helped pave the way to the ponies that stood before her. A path that no doubt had its ups and downs, she was sure. No pony went their entire life without some bad things happening. That was just life, but these two had more ups than downs. If it wasn’t clear before it was clear when Tristan leaned down and kissed Coloratura atop her head and gave her a gentle nuzzle with his nose.
Tristan stepped away from her as a pony stuck her head through the doors and announced the Sakuraba were next on the stage in two minutes before retreating back to the hall.
Applejack watched the happy exchange feeling happy for her friend and proud too. Once the lovely exchange was over with Coloratura and Applejack left the dressing room and went to the backstage to watch the Sakuraba perform. Applejack was surprised to see so many ponies gathered her at the theater. It was packed tight with not a single seat left open. As they made their way to the exit the sound of the Sakuraba being introduced echoed over the speakers.
“Ladies and gentlecolts! Please give a round of applause to the newest hot and hip all mares band, the Sakuraba!”
At the end of the announcer's words the crowd roared cheering for the Sakuraba who were slowly lifted up from under the stage by a large elevating platform. Applejack and Coloratura watched for a short time as the girls bowed and started to sing Neighponesse Pop song that Coloratura recognized. It was a song she practiced for a long time before she left the Sakuraba, so much so she knew it by heart.
Applejack and Coloratura stayed long enough to watch the single performance as the Sakuraba girls danced in their cute outfits making all the ponies hearts melt as the danced and sang. At one point the mares put their arms over their heads making it look like they had large bunny ears, that drove the crowds wild.
Coloratura gushed at the cute display herself, and Applejack couldn’t help but giggled at her friends reaction.
“Oh! I wish I had one of those outfits now! Oh, AJ, can we go back and ask for one!? Please?” Coloratura asked, tugging at Applejack’s arm.
“Well, now ah don’t think we should do it yet but-”
“Actually Tristan had one for you in case you ever came back.”
Both mares turned to see Tristan holding up a large box with Coloratura's cutie mark on it. The singing mare gasped taking the box in her hooves shaking slightly. She looked up to Tristan who smiled kindly to her, and for the first time in several years, she finally felt whole again. She looked back at Applejack who nodded for her to open the box. Slipping the lid of the box off and discarding it, Coloratura gasped as she pulled out her very own cute fluffy maid outfit. It was just like the one the Sakuraka girls were wearing but this one had one notable difference. It had Coloraturas cutie mark embedded on the collar. A fresh set of tears formed under her eyes as she lunged into Tristan's arms hugging him as she sobbed in his chest.
“Thank you! It’s beautiful!” Her muffled words said.
Tristan stroked her mane and gently kissed her atop the head once again.
“I know little one,” He cooed to her.
Coloratura was happy. No amount of words could convey how she felt at this given moment. Her world was a blur filled with happiness and joy she hadn’t felt since reuniting with Applejack. Now she felt her life was finally complete. She managed to make amends, sort of, and now she had the respect of her former mentor again. In Coloratura’s mind this was a complete success.
Applejack all the while watched with a happy smile on her face. It was like watching a father and daughter rekindling their relationship after being apart for so long. It brought a tear to her eye.
As the song of the Sakuraba came to a close Coloratura and Tristan separated as the girls made their way backstage to see the two hugging. A short conversation later and everyone was caught up on what happened backstage and all welcomed Coloratura back, with one exception.
Coloratura and Applejack stayed the night at the hotel where the group and Tristan stayed and had a nice dinner together courtesy of Tristan himself. It was a celebratory dinner to mark the success of the Sakuraba band and to toast to their continued success. All though the dinner though, Sakura glared hatefully at Coloratura as she sipped her drink, listening as Tristan told tall tales and everypony laughed, even Applejack.
After dinner Coloratura and Applejack moved into the suite where Tristan and the girls were stating for the night before heading off to Ponyville to start their tour. It was late into the night and Coloratura was in bed with Applejack at her side. She was finally where she belonged, maybe not as part of the Sakuraba, but with her friends like it was always meant to be. Nothing was going to tear them apart ever again.
In a dark alley at night a mare snuck in the darkness of Manhattan's streets. The mare slipped through the alley until she came upon a stallion who was also covered by a large clock. The mare looked around to see if anyone was there and pushed the stallion back as he approached her.
“You said you would keep her away until our debut!” She hissed at the stallion.
The stallion gave an indignant scoff, dusting off his cloak.
“Well, I would have if her stupid friends would mind their own business,” He said slipping his hood off revealing his curly pink mane and white fur. “But I guess you can’t plan for everything. Am I right, Sakura?” He asked smugly.
The mare shuffled her hooves uneasily as she grit her teeth from under her hood.
“Just keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t get to Tristan!” She said turning to walk away. “I have a plan in cause you can't keep your end of the bargain. Oh! Which reminds me,” She reached in her clock and threw a bag of bits to Svengallops hooves. “A little future investment.”
As Svengallop took the bits the mare disappeared in the darkness. After securing his bits Svengallop slipped hi hood back on and slipped into the darkness chuckling.
“Only as long as you’re useful Sakura,” he said, walking into the alley.
