Chapters The evening was long and the air was quiet as a mouse. All around, stallions and mares ran about, rushing to prepare everything – lights, effects, speaker systems, curtains, and background drapes in time for the fans’ arrival. Tonight, Countess Coloratura would be performing her newest hit single, and literally every fan from across Equestria would be flocking to Manehatten’s Celestial Square Garden to watch her perform it live for the first time.
“Raise the curtain!” shouted one stagehand.
“Prepare the speakers!” bellowed another.
From a distance, Rara watched them through her trailer window, gazing at the assortment of equipment being assembled and aligned for the big event she was to be at the very core of. Sitting back, she reflected over the progression of her career – being manipulated by a scheming manager, feeling hopeless, and getting back on her feet. At first it was hard, having no support team or assistants. But with her best friend, Applejack at her side, Rara was able to secure a temporary home in Ponyville until Rarity and Twilight Sparkle could find her new employees.
However, instead of being under the rules of a manager, Rara had decided to go solo, relying on only a personal assistant, an investigator, and a band of tour assistants. She now chose her own stage styles, and her own stage makeup. In a way, self-management meant she was free.
A low but quick knock came from the door. “Hello?”
“Who is it, please?” Rara replied attentively.
“Smooth Soprano, your assistant,” the voice replied.
Rara opened the door to reveal a beautiful sea green pony with smooth cyan-and-yellow hair. “Welcome in, Soprano!” she replied, beaming.
“Good evening, Coloratura,” she replied with a soft smile. “Hope your ears are ready for this event, the fans are gonna go crazy.”
“Ha! I’d bet you may need to double the number of speakers so I can head my own voice,” Rara joked.
“We’ve got plenty,” Soprano replied with a chuckle. “It’s now half past 7, so I’d suggest getting a good rest and go over those fiery lyrics, because at 8 we’ll start the backstage warmup sessions before the final preparations. Canterlot Records are very pleased with your single, and it’s sold over 80,000 copies in just the past few weeks!”
“All the better for people to know me for who I am,” Rara replied humbly, climbing into her comforting bed. “Thanks for reminding me. See you in half an hour.”
Rara laid back in her bed and read over the lines, singing them softly to herself over and over in an attempt to memorize them properly. There could be no margin of error once she stepped through the doors into the spotlight.
After what felt like the thirtieth read, Rara stepped out and, accompanied by a guard, left the trailer and walked down to a set of doors, then down a long, excluded aisle to the centrally mounted stage rooms. The guard opened a set of double doors to a large, curved room. Fancy Pants, Octavia, and a couple of other players were all waiting.
“Good evening, everypony,” Rara announced.
“Had a good rest?” Octavia inquired.
“Yeah, went over some of my performance lines,” she replied. “I feel a lot better now after going through them. Instead of just reading them, I can feel them in my head, just flowing smoothly like a stream in a forest.”
“Well, we’d better get started if we want to make this the best show Equestria will ever see,” Fancy Pants declared. “Let’s get started now, shall we?”
Coloratura stood back by the wall and began to smoothly warm up with a few repetitive words, before moving onto the actual song, ensuring that each line was spelt out correctly with a proper flow. Fancy Pants gazed into her eyes, amazed at the pop singer’s range of notes and vocal pitch control, while Octavia made sure every part of the lead was in line with the melody. In just a little over five minutes, the first warmup was completed.
“Absolutely splendid,” Fancy Pants complimented.
“Your vocal pitches blend perfectly into each other, though I think your pauses need to be more equal in time,” Octavia critiqued.
“No kidding,” Coloratura replied, her breath slightly short and rapid. “There’s a ton of effort on that falsetto.”
“Pretty good performance overall,” the other instrument players added. “Let’s go again in a bit.”
Coloratura took a few quick sips of water, before repeating the song. After four more rehearsals, she got the timing and pauses just right, with a fifth and final one to check that she could still perform it.
“Good evening everypony, and welcome to the Square Garden Concert,” Twilight Sparkle announced over the loudspeaker.
“You all ready?” Fancy Pants asked as they all patiently waited behind the curtain.
“Like I always say, I try and do what is possible within my grasp,” Coloratura replied with a smile.
A portion of the stage, lined with a few strobe lights and spot lights, lowered down, before Octavia and the others stepped on. Coloratura had decided to let her team play on the elevated platform while she sang on a catwalk-like floor below and in front.
The curtains slid aside. Instantly the stadium was filled with the shouts, squeals, and happy cries of hundreds, if not thousands, of fans who’d flocked from all over Equestria to watch. With a slightly nervous sigh, Coloratura slipped on her headset and flipped on the microphone. Strobes flashed, lights beamed, and instruments played as she stepped out onto the stage as the intro to the song began.
“Here I am, ready with all of it…” Coloratura began smoothly belting out the first few words of the song as she walked forwards nearer to the front of the stage, bringing her voice up a notch. But just as she stepped onto the very frontal part of the stage, a loud cracking sound was heard. A louder shrieking sound immediately followed as the crowd gasped in shock, as Coloratura slipped and fell through the stage, seemingly vanishing right before their very eyes. Many front-row-seated fans rushed up onto the stage, only to find a dark, deep hole – and no Coloratura to be seen. The last thing heard was an awkwardly extended note from her mic before it abruptly cut out.
Author's Note
First chapter - hope you like it. Been a while since I wrote in 3rd person so bear with me.
Coloratura felt her head spin, then black out, completely losing sensory-oriented mental imagery. Much later, she found her mind stirring, with little memories of the crazy and unexpected event that had just befallen. Her head felt dazed, painful, and stiff, as if a hundred rocks had just fallen on top of her. Nothing really made sense. Then, without warning, the ground beneath her shook slightly, as if the earth itself was having a tremor. Eager to find out the source of the movement, Coloratura blinked and looked around, only to find the room dark as the night itself.
Reaching out and slowly touching her way around, Coloratura felt a tall desk or raised platform of some sort, a toilet, and… a door? Was that… a handle?
“Yes!” she thought excitedly. A handle meant exit and escape – and a chance to finally figure out where exactly she was and what in Equestria was making that shaking.
The shaking ceased, but it was followed by noise – a lot of noise. A mix of voices could be heard; some talking casually, some shouting, others giving short but firm orders. It was being on the other side of a frenzied office meeting room.
Just as Coloratura was about to begin thinking of a way to open the door, a light flickered on overhead, stinging her eyes. Her eyes adjusted, and more slight ground shake occurred again. Then, a big thud was heard, followed by a sudden movement that jostled her about, though not enough to knock her off balance. Realizing that enough was enough, Coloratura reached up, grasped the door handle in her mouth, and pushed it open, only to be greeted with a group of weird-looking creatures, who all turned their heads and froze in shock at the sight they’d just seen before their very eyes.
“Oh sweet Lord, I’ve gone insane, haven’t I?” one uttered, barely able to break the silence.
Coloratura bit back a gasp, now feeling fearful. These creatures were considerably larger than she was, and if anything, they could easily hurt her if they wanted to. But that was exactly it – did they? There was only one way to find out.
“Hello there, I’m sorry if I scared or interrupted you,” she said, albeit anxiously. “I’ve never seen anything like you all before.”
One of them gave an exasperated sigh. “Can’t blame ya for the way you look, obviously, you’re not from around here. Well, we’re all humans – tall, strong, and upright in the way we walk. We communicate via speech mainly, and also through other means. Stallion to guy, mare to girl. But… how? Why am I talking to a talking pony? Am I still sane?”
Coloratura bit back a giggle “I assure you, everything’s still the same. Where are we, exactly, again?”
“In our luxury van, traveling down the road on planet Earth,” replied another. “Motorized chariot, if you will.” Then he paused. “Did you seriously find yourself in that bathroom?”
“Sure sugar did.”
“Well, I can say I’m glad you’re out,” came a third voice, this one soft and more relaxed than the others. Coloratura spotted him – a dark-skinned guy with a thick quiff and fashionable yet modest-looking clothes, sitting at the very front.
“Come,” he said invitingly. “Come sit with us. We won’t hurt you.”
Feeling more at ease, Coloratura walked over and climbed up onto the soft, couch-like leather seat beside him. Immediately, almost on instinct, he reached out and gently stroked her mane, causing her to pull a blissful and relaxed smile as she sat upright.
“Where are you from?” he kindly asked.
“Equestria, a land of harmony.”
“Sounds like a totally different place. Well, if it is the land of harmony, then I’m positive there is a whole team of friends lookin’ out for ya. For now, you’ll be in the care and comfort of me and my team.”
Coloratura let out a smooth sigh as her previously heightened worries were washed away. This guy was so supporting and caring, yet he still didn’t fully know her.
“What’s your name, actually?” he inquired. “Forgot about introductions, damnit.”
“Ah, no worries. My name’s Coloratura, though my friends call me Rara. And you?”
“Abel Tesfaye, though my fans know me as The Weeknd.” He gestured to a rather young guy with windswept hair, and then to an older guy with glasses, and two other guys. “That’s Peter, my lead guitarist, Alex, my tour coordinator, and Amir and Tony, who are my managers. There are many more, but you’ll get to know them in time.”
As Coloratura settled down for the ride, Abel soon caught notice of a pattern beneath her satin skirt. “What’s that marking on your ass?”
“Oh, yes,” Coloratura replied with a blush. “That’s my cutie mark. It’s a symbol of my destiny – my true path in life of what I’m good at and can be the best at.”
“I would say without a doubt that it’s got to do with making good music,” Peter noted. “If anything, we’ll see if I’ve got free time during our upcoming backstage prep and you and I can jam together.”
Coloratura’s eyes lit up like stars. “Really?!”
Peter nodded firmly. “Really. I know a great musician when I see one.”
“It’s quite the coincidence that I was just starting a concert back in Equestria before…something weird happened and I found myself here, in the back of your van.”
“Can you recall what happened?” Alex inquired.
“Not a thing comes up in my memory.”
“What a sour bit of luck,” Amir added. “But it was probably really traumatic anyways so why bother trying to recall it, right?”
Coloratura nodded in agreement. “So you’re all headed to a concert, huh?”
“We certainly are!” Peter, Alex, Amir, and Tony all said at the same time, causing Abel to giggle at the obviousness. But he continued with questions, eager to discover more about the pony he’d taken into care.
“So, what instruments you play?”
“Mostly just the piano, where I compose and write out my songs.”
“How many albums have you released since you began your musical career?”
“Two so far, one when I got carried away with being under the influence of a manipulative, selfish manager, and the second one when I broke away and struck out solo. Before that, I had a couple singles that I made at summer camp as a kid, and released them for free.”
For a moment, Abel’s face grew slightly somber, but he continued. “Any friends you had there?”
“I had a couple best buddies, but my absolute best friend was a country pony named Applejack. She and I would often perform together – her the guitar or banjo, and me the vocals. My biggest hit out of the few singles that I made at the time was “Equestria: The Land I Love”. Literally every single camper would flock to watch me sing it. Afterwards, I moved to Manehattan to make it big in the music scene – and I nailed it. Success after record-smashing success came, though I was unaware of the wickedly manipulative schemes of my manager. I soon lost touch to my true self and stopped writing to Applejack. That was, until I came to perform at the Helping Hooves Music Festival in Ponyville, and she assisted in bringing me back to whom I was.”
Everyone fell silent as they all reflected for a second on Coloratura’s story. The silence of the atmosphere was so thick you couldn’t even fit it in a burger. But Abel soon broke it with more questions.
“What do you mostly sing about?”
“Well, it varies depending on the influences and changing scenarios. Mostly I sing about the struggles of personal livelihood, heartfelt love, and the world around me that I observe. And you?”
“I mostly talk about love – the deep, intimate love. Not necessarily between those married, but more of crushes and those merely yearning to just ‘do it’. Then they gotta deal with all the crap that comes with screwing around with the wrong girls, you get what I mean?”
“A lot of midnight sex, I presume?”
“Yep. I left home at seventeen with a couple friends, and we lived together in this tiny house, living off what we could of drugs, girls comin’ over to play, and whatnot. It was quite hard, but we got through it. As my fame grew, so did my music.”
“Given that development environment, it’s no wonder deep sex is your primary topic.”
“I’ve actually been branching out a little. Still heavy on the sex talk, but exploring new ways of talking about the same topics with my most recent album, Starboy.”
“Have you ever felt nervous about your musical career?” Coloratura added, just to reverse the interview-like discussion.
“Um…” Abel sighed. “Yes, quite a few times. Back when there wasn’t really much to do except make music, I found myself like an old, crippled guy with crutches, except for me the crippling was the act of constantly rambling through lyrics – sometimes to the point where a single song would be like, seven minutes in length, and the crutches were hard drugs I’d often take.”
“You do have confidence, don’t you?”
Abel leaned back and laughed. “Yes, I do have quite a bit of confidence, though it’s at the least when I’m on stage. That’s when I find myself with only a hair’s width of confidence, and I really have to push myself to simply let all the lyrics of the song flow out smoothly. Sometimes I take a quick shot of alcohol before I step out to assist me.”
“I don’t really see how that could help in the long run,” Coloratura remarked, a hint of concern in her voice. “Sure, it’ll give you a quick urge when at the peak point of that high feel, but after that it’s back to square one again as beforehand. I think deep down inside, you want to freely express yourself as you see fit, but a part of you is fearful of the overwhelming factor of the crowds of people who flock to hear your voice. As much as you do it to entertain and inspire your fans, you also need to do it for yourself. Once you have that… that deep internal confidence of letting your actions and words go freely as you see fit on stage, then everything else will fall into position. I myself had stage fright in the first leg of my career, but it vanished over time once I ‘let it flow’, as you said.”
Abel smiled solemnly. “You’re a smart sweetie. I think I’ve given you a lot less credit than you actually deserve. On the note of drugs, I vape from time to time, but I left those drugs once I’d built myself a solid musical foundation in my career.”
“Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad.”
“Absolutely. Give me some time, I’ll try to incorporate you into our routine for the concert tonight. It’ll be beyond spectacular.”
Author's Note
Did quite a bit of research on Abel for this chapter. More to come!! Hit that like button if you enjoyed this chapter!
The clock struck nine o’clock as the tour van approached the rear entrance to the concert hall, two hours before the concert was due to begin. Setup still needed to take place in all aspects – stage props and lighting, rehearsals, and more.
“Aw crap. Look at ya, you already snoozin’ girl,” Abel mused at Coloratura, who was sound asleep, her head resting on his lap like a puppy. “C’mon, the show’s gonna be starting soon and we need to get all kitted up.”
Coloratura woke up with a start at that one word “show”, and quickly rose to her feet. “Have we…”
“Yes, we’ve arrived, Coloratura,” Peter interrupted. “Got a lot of work cut out for us.”
Coloratura gazed back at him and smiled as she hopped out of the van. It felt very comforting to be in the presence and care of such nice and respectful people, even if both sides didn’t fully know each other. As she walked down a narrow hall, though, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous being amongst so many other people who had now joined the group. Even her team was much fewer in number of assistants.
Bit by bit, the team soon disbanded to get to work on their respective tasks, while Coloratura stuck to Peter’s side. Still, she couldn’t help but be taken aback at the size and expanse of the area and what it contained.
“In here,” Peter urged, gesturing to another door, and Coloratura quickly followed him.
Inside, the room was crowded, with all kinds of instruments and bright lighting overhead, though the room still felt a little spacious at the same time. At the far end was a much larger door, along with a couple stage props. Amongst the instruments was a large grand piano, and Peter noticed the puppyish eagerness in Coloratura’s eyes. He pulled a thoughtful face, then picked up a guitar and sat down on a chair. Just as Abel was about to begin, Peter spoke up.
“As you know, Abel, you and I have been working together for many years and in that time, I’ve come to recognize and appreciate your talent for being the most amazing vocalist ever. I know great singers when I see them, and I believe Coloratura here is one. As such, I kindly ask if she can rehearse with us for one of her own songs after our sessions are done.”
Abel’s face went a little weird. He took a long stare at Coloratura, then glanced up at the overhead lights, then stepped back and sighed. “I know she’s been good company and all, but this is my tour, ya know?”
Coloratura bit back a hiss of anger at the thick, hard streak of pride and selfishness that had just been revealed. All this time she thought that he was a chill, good-natured singer who loved letting sexual lyrics flow, but now her doubt meter had risen up a considerable amount. But maybe he had a point. His lyrical subjectivity was completely different from hers, and the world she was from contained different elements that brought up different vibes which influenced her vocal motions. Maybe being on the sidelines and being an observant spectator would be a wise choice after all. Before she could think it over too much, Abel broke the silence.
“We’ll see how things flow. But no promises.”
Peter started smoothly jamming out on the guitar as Abel started to belt out a couple lines:
“Baby, you are so strong, Baby, you are calm, you are so calm, yeah, Tell me where it went wrong, Tell me how to love, it's been so long…”
“When a call's not enough, And you just need to touch, Thinking twice on my one, But you just need to trust…”
Coloratura stepped back in awe at the beauty that was flooding her ears. She’d only been with Abel for a couple hours, and got to know his story and his singing style. But now that she actually was hearing him sing with the full capabilities of his voice, her perspective on him changed. The way he let the words of the song flow so smoothly without continuous rhyming amazed her. His voice wasn’t overly sweet or loudly high-pitched – it was smooth, composed, beautiful, and emotional.
Abel reached the chorus, and Coloratura tuned in. For her, the chorus was one of the most important parts of any song.
“You're only looking for attention, You only notice it cause I'm never around, You're only looking for attention, oh, oh…”
From the sound of it, the subject here was having problems with a girl whom you loved, yet only appeared to merely have desire for attention – a hidden word for getting wet in bed at night, Coloratura theorized. Even though Abel’s lyrics were quite dirty by her standards, she couldn’t deny they ran deep by their meaning and perceptions, both visually and psychologically.
The session continued for a good four minutes, then a couple short dialogue was exchanged, and a second song started, this one with a generic, catchy beat that even she couldn’t escape from. Abel had to stop himself from looking at Coloratura as she danced across the floor to the beat.
“You’re a motherf**kin starboy at this point!” Peter remarked as the song ended and Abel took a couple long breaths to relax after the intense session. Coloratura winced at the blatant swear, but ignored it for the most part. “Yeah, I am a star, though I tend to think of myself as somepony who’s just like everybody else, but has a special talent that puts me above the rest. At least, in their eyes.”
“I remember those days,” Abel added in. “When my first mixtape rolled off the line, I was so secretive I didn’t even put myself on it. Had to ask a sexy chick for a freakin’ photo to use for the cover art instead.”
At those words, Coloratura laughed, a thick, hearty laugh, as if she truly knew the humor behind what he was saying. “So you really did have confidence issues. All good know, eh?”
“Yeah, it’s gotten a hell of a lot better. Peter says I should give you a chance, so let’s spin this, shall we? How about your biggest hit, that… that camp song?”
“It has been a long while, but I still remember it,” Coloratura replied with a friendly smile. She turned to Peter. “Too bad I didn’t have the sheet music on me when I arrived here. Will you be able to stay in tune?”
“No problem,” he reiterated. “I can pick up a melody even from raw vocals.”
“Length don’t matter at this point, I say,” Abel chimed in.
Coloratura sat down across from Abel, took a couple breaths, and gently let out the lyrics that she knew so well from many years ago.
“Equestria, the land I love… A land of harmony, Our flag does wave, From high above, For pony kind to see.
Equestria a land of friends Where pony kind do roam They say true friendship never ends, Equestria my home!”
“Holy hell girl,” Abel mouthed, his eyes lit up with astonishment.
“Told you so,” Peter teased, adding a little short strum for joking effect. “She’s got it.”
“Can we…”
“…do a duet?!” Coloratura excitedly finished before he could even start.
Abel nodded. “I seriously want to see how your mid-tone pitched notes can blend with my falsettos.”
Feeling accepted and pleased, Coloratura repeated her iconic camp song. Right off the bat, Abel soon picked up the rhythm and seamlessly flowed his vocals into the song itself. It was only the second time ever she’d done so with somepony else – the last time being at the Helping Hooves Music Festival with the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Having Abel sing in such incredible unison uplifted her spirits even more. For the first time since waking up in the back of the tour van, Coloratura knew with confidence that Applejack and her friends would arrive to bring her home.
Author's Note
finally got this out. songs here are "Attention" and "Starboy" fyi.
Big stuff happening in the next one!
After another quick session, Abel had to hand it to Coloratura – she was very good. Much better than even he could imagine her to be. Her vocal capabilities were on par with his own, and she could bring out the emotion in lyrics very well, perhaps even better than he could – which was surprising, given the very different fields of lyrical topics she had compared to his.
“I… I can’t take all this in at once,” he confessed, reaching over and patting her neck. “C’mon, let’s get something to eat before our big showdown.”
Abel set out with Ricky, another team member, Amir, and Peter (who didn’t seem to go anywhere without his guitar) back down the halls. As they approached the door, a loud racket could be clearly heard, and camera shutters went off repeatedly like fireworks.
“I’ve seen this before…” Coloratura spoke as security opened the doors.
“F**kin paparazzi…” Peter muttered as they slowly made their way to the car. Being significantly shorter, Coloratura didn’t get much attention as she patiently walked behind Abel. She’d had run-ins with paparazzi back in Equestria, though they were more civilized. These people were almost heartless in their urge to get good photos. More than once Abel’s bodyguards had to push them aside and yell for them to give space and minimize the flashes.
“Do those lowlifes ever leave you alone?” Coloratura inquired, her voice sounding irritated as the crowd disappeared behind the tour van as it drove off.
Abel shook his head sadly. “Hardly ever. But I try my best to respect them – it’s their job to take photos of me to sell to those who make magazines and news articles. I don’t mind it, just wish they’d be more mature and controlled.”
“They surely need to get a better job than hounding famous stars just for photos,” Coloratura hissed. “Do your eyes ever hurt from their camera flashes?”
Abel shuffled over to her. “Hey, don’t sweat it, Coloratura. We try our best to cope with what comes with what we choose, and lay it hard when needed. Yes, it does hurt occasionally, but most of the time I simply look down so the glare doesn’t hit me directly – and at the same time they don’t get too much of a good shot.” He gave a mocking wink, and Coloratura snickered back.
“Back in my world, little fillies would ask ‘what does a unicorn do when she’s stuck in a traffic?’”
“I have no idea… throw rainbows?”
“And then they’d say, ‘She honks her horn.’ Because unicorns have a horn, get it?”
“Hahaha! Nice one, I love it.”
Coloratura gave Abel a soft, almost romantic smile. While she couldn’t fully sympathize with his lyrical subjectivity, she couldn’t help but admire his slightly bashful and friendly composure, and his incredibly chill demeanor.
As Coloratura continued telling juicy jokes and Abel eagerly shared his experiences, Peter quietly picked up his guitar and whipped up a quick melody. Then he started singing, first quietly then slowly louder and louder.
“We're far apart in every way,
But you're the best part of my day,
And sure as I breathe the air,
I know we are the perfect pair,
On a prickly path that goes on for miles,
But it's worth it just to see you smile,
And I cannot be pulled apart,
From the hold you have on my heart,
And even if the world tells us it's wrong,
You're in my head like a catchy song,
The seasons change and leaves may fall,
But I'll be with you through them all,
And rain or shine, you'll always be mine,
On a prickly path that goes on for miles,
You're the only one who makes it all worthwhile,
And you should not blame me, too,
If I can't help fall in love with you...”
“What was that all about?!” Abel snapped, and Peter quickly put down his guitar as if nothing had happened at all.
Coloratura turned with a stare. “Yeah. What makes you think that? I mean, it’s amazing, but –”
“Totally uncalled for,” Abel cut in.
Coloratura bit her lip and gave him a look that read “took the words right out of my mouth”. But it wasn’t a look of offense. It was…friendly. Like when a friend completes a sentence for the other out of eagerness and care.
“S…sorry, bro,” Peter muttered, and Abel’s face relaxed.
“Not a prob,” Abel replied. “But you’ll have a couple questions from me to answer when we return.”
The tour van pulled up by the side of a busy downtown intersection, and the chauffeur opened the door with a press of a button. Abel stepped out, with his trusty bodyguards ready at hand. Coloratura stepped out after him, followed by Amir, who instructed Peter to wait behind.
Right off the bat, fans came swarming in from all sides like killer bees on a bear. Around ten tried to push past the guards pleading to take a picture, holding out their phone cameras, while others chanted his name saying that they loved him over and over.
“One at a time, please everypony!” Coloratura shouted in an attempt to make her voice heard. “Give him space!”
All at once, part of the attention drifted to her, and several of the swarm of fans – mostly young girls – rushed over and bent down to try and caress her.
“You’re so cute!” one squealed, extending her arm behind one of the guards.
“Thanks!” Coloratura replied with a forced smile, reaching out to shake her hand, which resulted in a wave of loud squeals. Right in front of her, Abel also was shaking a couple hands as well, and signed a couple album covers. In spite of the crowd, Coloratura managed a true smile. This was the difficult but also the enjoyable part of life for both him and her – meeting and making the day for the fans who loved them the most. Only here it was much more difficult and harder to control.
Staying close to Abel, Coloratura crossed the street, shielded from other rude fans by bodyguards. Leaning out, she noticed a sign with a star and a woman on the front, reading “Starbucks Coffee”.
“Sounds good to me,” she thought excitedly.
Inside Starbucks, Abel sat down, accompanied by Coloratura and a single bodyguard.
“Whatcha eatin’ bro?” said Amir, holding up a clipboard.
“Order time, what would you like?” Abel quickly asked, handing Coloratura a pamphlet.
Knowing the limited time she had, Coloratura skimmed through the menu. There were so many choices – cookies, muffins, croissants, and more. Not to mention the endless flavors of coffee. After about two full minutes, she made up her mind.
“Two blueberry muffins, one butter croissant, and an iced latte cappuccino, please.”
Abel went with a good decaf roast and a bagel sandwich, while Amir quickly jotted down their orders at the speed of a typewriter.
“Quite an interesting combo,” Abel commented.
“Lots of interesting food,” Coloratura replied politely. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a group of fans pointing and waving with yells of excitement at the windows opposite them. Coloratura waved back with a smile, and blew them a kiss.
“Just need a bit more respect when it comes to the enthusiasm of these people, eh?” she remarked, though Abel only nodded. His face was turned down slightly, as if thinking deeply. For a moment, Coloratura reclined back in her chair and gazed back at the singer who’d been so caring, comforting, and so chill despite the crazy events that occurred in his life that was ever-so-full of movement, crowds, timing, and fame. She pondered what went on way down inside. What truly was influencing his deep meaningful sex-oriented lyrics? How much had he adapted to his crazy fame? And how much of an effect would she have on him after she returned to Equestria?
That is, if she did. Maybe Abel’s lyrics weren’t the sweetest fruit of the bunch, but she liked him. His personality was among the best she’d seen from anyone with this much fame, status, and influence.
Author's Note
Back with another chapter! Man, I loved "The Perfect Pear". By far the best episode of Season 7, if not the entire show.
Trying to get this done soon so I can get back to my other writing projects. Added a cover picture now too. All comments and likes are greatly appreciated
Moments later, the food arrived on two large platters. Coloratura immediately tucked in to her muffins, while Abel quietly sipped his coffee, bodyguards at his side as ever. Even though she tried to stay civilized, Coloratura was making it very hard for everyone who looked at her not to squee – the way she ate was just too adorable.
For the first time, Abel seemed unusually aloof. He simply chewed down on his sandwich and sipped his coffee in silence, not uttering a word or even looking at her. She couldn’t blame him; the way Peter had acted in the tour van had clearly influenced his behaviour.
A brief light went off in her head: What if the clue lay not with Peter but with herself?
Since her awkward arrival, Abel and his team had been very welcoming and accepting of her, yet Abel himself had been… different. He had doubts of her potential, but after he saw her potential and talent, he became more open and caring. Even Peter didn’t get a chance to share as much humor with him, and the two were evidently close. Was Peter’s quick guitar song a way of mocking their interaction? Or was he having a quick laugh at what he believed to be a growing friendship between her and Abel?
Before Coloratura could think about it too much, Abel finally spoke, but said just two words. “Food’s good.”
Coloratura nodded and took a big bite out of her croissant, gingerly holding it and dipping it in her latte cappuccino. The fans outside had reduced slightly in number, but a good portion of them were still out there, all giggly and excited around the corner restaurant.
When both singers had finished their meals, the bodyguards got into position as Abel stood up and headed for the door. Coloratura slurped up the last of her latte, tossed her empty cup into a trash bin, and quickly followed him. But just as Abel stepped out of the restaurant, he gave a thank-you to the staff.
“That’s the spirit, Abel,” Coloratura smiled, keeping in line with his stride and direction.
They made their way to the intersection and crossed the street, but upon approaching the tour van the fans suddenly increased. All around girls were screaming. But unusually, the yells were twofold. Coloratura could hear not only Abel being called, but occasionally she heard a few calling her name. And then it got louder and louder.
“Coloratura! I love you! You’re amazing and cute! Thank you!”
The chant seemed to narrow down to one person – a young one, judging from the pitch. And then she spotted it: a shorter, younger girl, no older than 12, pushed up against the van by a bodyguard and other, older fans.
Without even a sliver of hesitation, Coloratura crouched down and squeezed through the sea of legs, straight towards her.
“Hello, you alright?” she asked the girl, standing up on her hind legs and caressing her cheek with her hoof. “What’s your name?”
“I’m… I’m okay… omigosh, I still can’t believe it’s really you!” the girl squeaked with nervousness and excitement at the same time. “I’m Katie. I saw you on the news a while ago with Abel and I just had to see you in person. Thank you so much!”
“You’re most welcome, Katie.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Abel caught sight of Coloratura standing upright and hugging Katie comfortingly.
“Damn, you really dedicated to your fans,” he thought. “I didn’t even think you had fans here on earth.”
A short while later, Coloratura entered the tour van, looking pleased and very content as the bodyguards carefully closed the door behind her and ushered the remaining fans and paparazzi away.
“I still can’t believe you did that,” Abel reiterated. “We were supposed to stick together, remember?”
“Yes, Abel, I understood that,” Coloratura replied, sitting down across from him. “But I also have the utmost love and care for my fans. I know this is your world and your domain – of fans who love to call out that they love you and are happy to see you and take photos. But I heard someone different – someone who was calling a different name. My name.”
“She was?!” Abel leaned forward in surprise.
“Yes,” Coloratura replied firmly. “And she was much younger than the rest, only about 12 by the looks of it, and pressed up against the van. I could hear the plea in her voice, and I couldn’t take it – I wanted to comfort her and show that I truly did love and care for her. A conversation and a hug was short, but it meant everything.”
“What the hell is a little girl like her doing out on a crowded downtown street like this so late at night?” Amir asked no one in particular, but Abel was silent. His head was slightly down, just like he’d been at the restaurant. Finally, he spoke up in a serious and slightly commanding voice. “Peter, as I said before, I have some questions to ask you.” He pointed to Coloratura. “You as well.”
The three of them had a long talk. Peter explained that he simply thought that Abel and Coloratura would make good friends, and admitted that he took it too far by suggesting that they were in love. Abel forgave him though. Now it was down to Coloratura.
“I need your honesty here,” Abel asked, a hint of seriousness in his voice. It wasn’t one of sternness, but more of giving an ultimatum. “Do you…”
Coloratura slowly nodded, as if she was only just getting what he was inquiring about. “I enjoy being around you. Travelling may be a bit of a hassle, but your chill, caring, humble and lovable personality makes it all worth it. I’ve seen almost all of it now – how you handle yourself amongst your team, your fans, and with newcomers. Like me.”
Abel returned the nod. “But about what Peter had suggested about us, what’s your input?”
“I… alright. I do like you, Abel. When – and if – I return to Equestria, I will miss you. I just wish… that you didn’t have to talk about getting deep in that moist hole all the time when you sing. You know, branching out a bit to other topics, perhaps?”
Abel sat back and sighed. “Each of the albums I’ve produced is a chapter in my journey of producing music and my experiences along the way, all from the start and what I’m exposed to. Starboy was kind of an emerging character of the new me, wanting to erase the old me from the last album I released. Influences come mostly from my past when I was in and out of deep, short-lived relationships – the ‘in-out’ kind. However, I find myself settling down a bit more now.”
Coloratura paused and tapped her chin. “Do you have a special somepony?”
“Like a… girlfriend?” Abel inquired with a confused face. Coloratura nodded.
“Yes, I do. Her name’s Selena. We got engaged quite recently and she’s been the sweetest lovey I’ve come across. We went to my hometown of Toronto recently and she enjoyed every minute of it.”
“Here’s to high hopes that your relationship lasts longer and stays rich and healthy,” Coloratura beamed, sharing a brofist and a grin with Abel.
“Now, back to the music. You, too have been different than literally any other girl I’ve met. Honestly at this point I’m not sure, but I might want to switch things up a bit for my next big gig… thanks to you.”
Coloratura’s head tilted coyly. “Are you saying that I’m going to be one of the major driving forces behind your next album in the future?”
Abel pulled a sweet grin and a cute chuckle and simply shrugged. “You’ve made me reflect more about myself and where I’m headed. And this can’t go without me giving something equally great in return.”
Author's Note
Sorry for the lame title for this chapter. Still more to this story - stay tuned!
The van pulled up in front of a large metal door that Coloratura was now familiar with. The driver opened the door and out stepped both stars.
“So, what’s the plan?” Coloratura asked as they walked into the backstage warm-up room.
“I’ll begin with one of my hit songs, then the baton is over to you,” Abel replied with a rather coyly smile.
“The event of us going out for a meal is out all over town and beyond, so wherever your friends may be, they’re bound to know where you are,” Peter added.
Coloratura smiled. “Your news reporters must be pretty fast at getting information out.”
Amir, Peter, and the whole instrument player team walked out onto the stage, Abel and Coloratura leading them. While both singers were away, the stagehands had been busy preparing the concert’s physical appearance. The main stage would extend outwards like a catwalk, with a large kite-shaped, chandelier-like structure overhead. Behind that a large platform hung suspended further above.
“That’s where you’ll be,” Abel said, pointing up. “When the baton is handed over, it’ll over down and away you go. Peter and his fellow players have already kitted you out with the finest piano, along with a nice comfortable ottoman and a mic. On cue, Peter and the others will swap music sheets so everything lines up.”
“You can’t be serious!” Coloratura exclaimed, the excitement bubbling up inside her.
“Oh I am definitely serious,” Abel replied with a thick voice, before smiling down at her sweetly. “This is going to be lit. Speaking of which, let’s take a look at how those lights will fit and blend together.”
Over the next hour, Abel and Coloratura went through all the details of the concert’s setup. They discussed and agreed on the placement of lights, positioning the orchestra, and lowering the smaller stage platform at a comfortable speed. Finally, the intricate parts of the electrical wiring were put in place. It was time for the trial runs.
“You step over into here,” Abel instructed, pointing to a small cubicle, “where you’ll be hoisted up. There, all you have to do is walk down the pathway and step onto the platform, which will be at the same height.”
“But…will I fall?” Coloratura asked worriedly. Her face was so adorable Abel’s knees gave out.
“You will not ,” he said, kneeling down and looking deeply into her eyes. “Trust me. It’ll all be safe.”
“All the love to boost my courage ah, elevated levels to wow them all, ah,” Coloratura replied in a singsong voice.
“Diggin’ the hook, huh?” Abel teased.
“Stage’s so empty, it really needs a centerpiece,” Coloratura responded, jiggling her body in a slight dance movement. Peter laughed and added a quick drum rhythm for comedic effect.
“That’s enough for now,” Abel added quickly. “Now to actually test drive this whole contraption.”
“Hit it!” Amir called out from backstage. The lights flashed into action, the musicians began playing, and a smoke-like powder erupted from the edges of the stage. Right on cue, Abel strode forward on the stage toward the central area under the kite-shaped lighting structure, microphone in hand.
Trying not to get blinded by the lights, Coloratura stepped into the cubicle and hit a button. A loud buzz was heard overhead, and she began to rise up and up, until a narrow alleyway came into view. Coloratura hit the button and stepped onto the alleyway. Essentially, it was a channel made of curved U-shaped metal beams with holey metal sheets for a floor.
With shaky hooves, Coloratura stepped onto the alleyway and proceeded down it. Peering through the holes, she could see she was right above the orchestra. While seemingly fragile, the whole structure was actually very sturdy. Fixating her gaze straight ahead, Coloratura cancelled out her fear of heights and continued walking. Soon she reached the main platform and stepped onto it. Peering over the edge, she could now make out where she stood – she was almost directly above Abel, who was making a good effort to let the song flow out in a fluid yet entertaining way. After all, the seats that stood before both of them would be filled with tens of thousands of excited fans in the next hour or so.
Coloratura sat down on the ottoman, flicked the switch on her microphone, and happily hummed away while making a quick melody on the piano. Even though he couldn’t see her from where he was, Abel just looked up and smiled.
“One last brief rerun!” Amir called out. Coloratura quickly shut off her mic, shuffled off the ottoman, and walked back down the narrow alley. In no time at all she was gliding down in the elevator and was back on the main stage floor.
“Your breathing’s a little fast,” Abel remarked. “Bit of stage fright?”
“I actually was a little worried about you in that respect,” Coloratura panted. “I mean, look at all these seats – this is like the biggest show ever!”
Abel chuckled. “Not the biggest, but one of the largest, yeah.”
“I am embarrassed to admit, Abel, in all my years as a pop star, I’ve never done an elevation style concert setup,” Coloratura confessed. “So being up there was… quite the experience.”
“I can only imagine it,” Abel said with a wink. “Now let’s go again and try to pick out any misplacements. Everything’s gotta be as perfect as can be.”
“It’ll be as good as we make it to be, dear friend,” Coloratura replied, raising her hoof. Abel stuck out his fist and they shared a brofist.
While Abel continued practicing his singing and stage moves below, Coloratura zipped back up to the alleyway and crossed it. But as she reached the platform, she noticed that it was covered in a translucent veil of sorts. Looking up at the rigging that held everything in place, there were a couple ropes designed to pull it away smoothly but quickly. Suddenly a huge smile swept across Coloratura’s face as she realized the cleverness of Abel’s plan. He wanted to reveal her to all his fans in time with her hit song “The Magic Inside”, and do a duet partially through it.
Author's Note
The friendship increases between the stars as the final steps occur before the big show. Studied a lot of videos of the Weeknd's Starboy Paris concert and his 2013 Kissland tour behind-the-scenes for this. Could add a bit more details though...
The Grand Concert and Farewell
Abel sipped a glass of juice as he watched the fans pour into the stadium’s seats through a gap in the curtain. What would otherwise be a rather boring and “typical” evening had turned into an amazing, if not life-changing experience. While it had been a rather awkward one at first, a healthy discussion allowed him to open up more and share information, in addition to reflecting deeply on his lifestyle and music career.
In his eyes, Coloratura was a fine, educated, and talented young lady who combined a powerful voice with fluid, strong messages. The time they’d spent together had him thinking: were they really good friends or just two talented stars working together?
“Don’t think about it too much,” Amir reassured him, terminating any possibly worrisome thoughts Abel might have had. “We’re all in this together to make it the best show possible.”
“Thanks bro,” Abel replied, finishing his drink and giving Amir a brief hug. The two had been working together for many years and knew how to make each other feel better during down times.
Lights flashed.
The crowd roared and squealed with excitement.
A curtain was pulled aside.
Microphone in hand, Abel stepped onto the stage, and strode forward towards the main area as the song’s instrumental started.
The lights changed color to red and blue in a strobe fashion. From her position behind the orchestra, Coloratura whip danced along, quietly humming the words:
“I'm tryin’ put you in the worst mood, ah,
For a moment, she let herself slip completely into the moment. The screaming of the fans, Amir and other stagehands looking on weirdly, the necessity of timing – it all didn’t matter. What she was focusing on was how the lyrics flowed and the timing, speed, and major key of the instrumental composition.
“You really are a Stargirl as much as Abel thinks he’s a Starboy,” Amir mused after a while. “But don’t get too wrapped up in the hippy aspect of this hip hop. Your performance comes in a couple minutes, so I’d suggest you get up there and make yourself comfortable for the next big performance.”
Taking a quick drink to lubricate her vocal cords, Coloratura stepped into the cubicle and hoisted herself up, observing the exuberant crowd who were happily singing the chorus along with Abel. Far at the back, she was hidden. No one looked up as she gingerly made her way along the narrow elevated hallway towards the raised platform. Reaching it, she crept under the canvas and sat down in front of the piano.
“Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,
I’m a motherbuckin’ Starboy…”
Down below, Abel started to round off the song with an extension of the catchy chorus. Taking a deep, long breath, Coloratura slipped on her headset mic and flexed her hooves in preparation for all the key typing she’d have to do. She’d performed in front of large audiences before in Equestria, but Abel’s concert was on a whole other level. Besides, his fans didn’t really know her either. How would they react to her surprise appearance? She was about to find out.
“Thank you all so much everybody!” Abel called out, raising his hand in gratitude. “You all saw it, there was somepony with me before the concert, and… she is my friend. She’s quite the same, yet totally different at the same time. PLEASE WELCOME, RARA!”
Coloratura was flattered. He actually said her real name!
The platform lowered as the lights changed back to a bright sweeping white, and the clear, loud notes of a piano melody could be heard. Still under the cover, Coloratura flicked on her mic and started the song.
“I’m here to show you who I am,
Throw off the veil, it’s finally time…”
“Yes!” Abel whispered as the platform reached level with the main stage, and the cover was swiftly pulled off, the lights revealing the mystery singer amongst the rising vapor. He retreated out of the beams of the sweeping lights and listened attentively to her song.
” There's more to me than glitz and glam, ooh
For I had believed what I was sold
That I am just a pony
A relieved smile on his face, Abel stepped out back into the light and stepped up onto Coloratura’s stage. The beauty of her voice was too much to bear. He looked over at her, sitting in front of the piano and just letting every single word flow out so beautifully.
“And now I see those colors
I thought I was weak, but I am strong
Abel’s eyes began to well up. The power of his friend’s lyrics were too powerful. Turning his mic back on, he leaned against the piano and joined, syncing his voice exactly with Coloratura’s.
“That I am just a pony!”
Abel grinned, tears falling form his eyes as the crowd roared with delight and joy. Coloratura smiled in between verses and continued in sync.
“I make mistakes from time to time,
For a moment the crowd was silent, then erupted in a wave of claps, cheers, and happy cries. Coloratura exchanged a grin with Abel and stepped down onto the main stage, tears falling as she did so.
“Thank you all!” she exclaimed, waving. “When I first arrived here I didn’t know where I was or what to do. But then I found myself in the hands of this amazing, handsome, and talented…”
“Guy,” Abel whispered, sitting down so he was level in height with her.
“…guy,” Coloratura continued, still overcome with happiness. “He shared with me his own experiences and…”
“And she encouraged me to be true to myself, and to stay strong in all that I would go through. Thus I consider her a true friend, and one that showed love, respect, admiration, and kindness.”
Too busy talking, Abel failed to notice Coloratura leaning in and planting a loving kiss on his cheek. The crowd giggled and cheered.
“Uh…heh,” Abel chuckled, realizing what had just happened. He turned to Coloratura and threw his arms around her.
“Thank you so much, Abel,” she sobbed joyfully.
“You too, Rara,” he replied, planting an equally loving kiss on her forehead.
Just then, a large bursting sound came from behind the lowered stage platform, startling them both.
As if on cue, the platform was raised, revealing a tall, elegant white alicorn, and six other ponies in every color imaginable.
“I don’t believe what I’m seeing,” Abel muttered in disbelief, trying to keep a smile. Quickly ordering the lights to be shut off, except those overhead and at the rear of the stage, he rushed to his feet, as did Coloratura.
“Well, it looks like your friends have finally found you!” Abel exclaimed with a relieved grin, walking over to Celestia. “Greetings, dear. Glad you could make it.”
“AJ!”
“Coloratura! You’re okay!”
Applejack ran to her friend and they met each other in a snug, loving hug. Abel’s smile got so wide his cheeks hurt. He turned to Applejack. “Hey, I recognize you! You’re Rara’s best friend!”
“Excuse me, sugarcube, but only I call her ‘Rara’”, Applejack retorted.
“That’s because he is a good friend, just like you,” Coloratura told her with a loving smile.
“Er, let’s take this elsewhere, shall we?” Abel said sheepishly. “We’re still in the spotlight currently.”
“See you all soon!” he announced to the crowd, then walked back through the main stage doors, with eight ponies in tow.
Backstage, everyone was exchanging thank-yous and compliments.
“Thank you for taking care of Rara,” Applejack said, extending her hoof.
“All in a good star’s work, sweet sugarcube,” Abel replied with a chuckle, taking her hoof and giving it a little handshake.
“That performance was awesome!” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“It sure was, Rainbow Dash,” Abel replied, smiling again. “Your colors and attitude give away your name too easily.” He turned to Celestia. “How much time you got before the portal closes?”
“I have plenty,” Celestia nodded.
Abel paused. He left the room and returned with two large cardboard sleeves and a black marker.
“I want to give you something, Rara,” he said, tears already spilling out of his eyes as he realized that she’d be gone for good. “Before you leave.”
He uncapped the marker and quickly put his signature on both sleeves, before handing them over to her. Twilight Sparkle held them with her magic.
“Telekinesis! Neat,” he noted. “Rara, these are high-quality vinyls of my top-rated albums, Kiss Land and Starboy. All tracks are the radio-edit version, since I know you aren’t a fan of my swearing. I hope you enjoy them as a reminder of me and my music.”
“Thanks so much.” Now Rara was the one crying. She gave him another hug, then placed a decorative handkerchief in his hand.
“For you,” she said simply. “I had it when I attended summer camp and wore it during my first singing performance of ‘Equestria, The Land I Love’.”
“But this holds so much value for you! Keep it.” Abel insisted.
“No,” Rara replied in a firm voice. “You keep it. As a reminder of me and how I first started my journey in music.”
With the gifts exchanged, Abel then prepared to leave to his hotel for the next gig, while Rara and her friends patiently waited. A couple hours later, they were all ready. Escorted by his manager, bodyguards, and assistants, Abel headed out to his tour van, the ponies bringing up the rear. Outside on the street, with all their magical power, Twilight and Celestia opened the portal.
“Well, I…I guess this is goodbye,” Abel stuttered, trying not to cry.
“It sure is. Thanks again for an amazing concert and… and everything you’ve done, Abel,” Coloratura replied, wiping away a tear. “I don’t know if it will ever happen, but I just know I’ll see you again someday, and be able to tell you all about it. Whether it’s possible or not, I will do what it takes to return.”
“Promise?”
“Promise, Abel.”
The two stars shared one last hug. From his tour van, Abel gave a final farewell wave as Coloratura stepped through the portal, her loyal, honest friend Applejack by her side.
And she waved back, wearing the same loving smile.
Author's Note
Well, I finally completed it. And it was a thrill to write. I put a little easter egg in the dialogue at the end, see if you can find it!
Concert was essentially an edit of Abel's one in Paris.
