A blast of light and sound came forth from the train before them, as music began to play in the background, loud, thumping, monotonous music you would expect to hear in a club or a bar that lacked any proper taste in music. Many, many people stepped out of the train, to the point it got absolutely ridiculous.
"Are you sure the carriage isn't the TARDIS?" asked Rumble.
"It might as well be, given all the people they seemed to have packed into it!" Button joked, as people piled off onto the platform. First off were a group of people in ridiculous jackets, covered in brightly coloured buttons and sequins, as if they had got lost on their way to a Glam convention. Then came large numbers of women dressed in brightly coloured jackets and pants, who looked equally silly, and formed up on the platform in a perfect line. Then appeared lots of people dressed from head to toe in black, with black baseball caps upon their heads, carrying speakers, sub-woofers, a collection of microphones, cables, canisters, fans, and many other odd devices needed for a concert in the modern age. Ocellus looked perplexed at this display, and glanced over to the others with a look of surprise.
"Whoever organised this concert sure likes people wearing black!" she said to Thorax.
"It does seem a bit odd," her brother replied. "Maybe they just like black for some reason? It's not practical in this weather, that's all I can say."
Once they had all been offloaded from the carriages, Svengallop appeared from the carriage carrying a clipboard and glancing around as the thumping bass echoed around the station. "Stand back!" he demanded, to the crowds of people stood safely behind the safety rails. "Stand back! Keep your hands and feet to yourselves! That means you! Keep your hands behind the rails!" He stepped forward to the door to exit the station. "And now presenting, the lady herself; Countess Coloratura!"
Rumble, Pip, Button, Thorax and Ocellus walked forward to try and see the main star step off the train. After a moment, the lights refocused on the carriage door, and out she stepped. A woman with light grey skin and pink hair with a purple streak running through it. This was done up in a truly ridiculous ponytail, and her eyes glowed a mild turquoise. She wore a ridiculous amount of eyeliner, and a light grey veil sat over her face, bolted to the hair on her head with what looked like screwdriver bolts. She wore a purple blouse, a pink jacket with more silver buttons set into it, a short, black, see through skirt with more of the buttons upon it, black pants, and a pair of pink boots that went halfway up the bottom portion of her legs. This was Countess Coloratura, and boy did she look odd.
"Why does she make me think of Lady Gaga?" Thorax wandered, out loud. Sorry, he wondered out loud. However, him speaking seemed to attract her attention, and Coloratura looked over.
"Hello!" she said, warmly. "Are you the people who drove this train here?"
"Yes, we are," Pip said quickly. He couldn't quite believe what was going on. Countess Coloratura, one of the biggest names in contemporary music, was speaking to him. And not only was she speaking to him, she was asking him a question? This was a turn of events he couldn't ever have anticipated!
"Well, thank you," she said, with a smile. And then, she reached over and with a stamp marker, stamped the pieces of papers they happened to be holding. "Cutesies!"
After this had happened, she began to walk away, and began stamping other people's pieces of paper in the same manner, each and every time saying "Cutesies!" This was equally odd. She had taken the time to speak to them personally, and yet was only stamping pieces of paper for everybody else? This came across as strange.
"It's somewhat impersonal," Button sighed. "At least she spoke to us. I never thought that'd happen."
"It's very egalitarian," Thorax replied. "She's giving everybody exactly the same thing, thereby making everybody equal in that regard."
"Who are you, Karl Marx?" asked Ocellus.
Whilst the presentation was going on, and Coloratura was still busy stamping papers with that same autograph symbol, Svengallop walked over to them. "Can you please get that smelly diesel engine away from this platform?" he snapped. "It's old, and it's not fitting for the image that the Countess wishes to present!"
"It's an antique!" Pip protested. "Without her, you wouldn't have got here!"
"I want it moved, and that is final!" Svengallop snapped. He then walked away. "Countess why did you spend time talking to those children?"
"I take the time to talk to my fans," Coloratura replied. "Besides, they seemed nice enough, and they drove us here."
"Well, you didn't become the Countess because you speak to children, did you?" Svengallop said. He then spoke loudly. "Attention everybody!" he called. "This autograph session with Countess Coloratura is now over. We are moving to Canterlot Park for rehearsal, so you may come and watch the rehearsal process!" The entourage began to move through the station doors, and soon vanished to a series of waiting taxis and limosines, which soon rolled off into the distance.
Button looked cross. "I never was so keen on her music after he took over," he said. "There's a beauty to her older hits that you just don't get from senseless effects, smoke machines, or lasers."
"At least it helps to bring money into the local area," Rumble sighed, "as much as I dislike that guy as well. Come on, let's get Western Champion back to the depot, and then shall we go and watch the rehearsal?"
"Sounds good to me," Thorax said, as he hopped back into the rear cab of the hydraulic. Pip spooled up the engine, and the locomotive rolled away with the coaches coupled to it, ready to be put in the sidings.
At Canterlot Park, a huge stage had been built, complete with sound speakers, firework launchers, laser machines, and heaven knows what else. On stage, Coloratura was already in position, and the backing track started up, with a roar, and a booming, thundering bass that made the ground shake.
"Time for the spectacle, time for the show;
The lights are bright and the colors glow."
I'm not just anybody,
I think you know;
The time is now, it's about to blow!"
The lights refocused to reveal a dance troup standing behind her, hopping up and down and rolling their arms in a bizarre manner.
"Razzle dazzle;
Glitz and glam;
Turn it all up, it's a spectacle!"
"Razzle dazzle;
Glitz and glam;
Turn it all up, it's a spectacle!"
Just then, as the dubstep noises echoed across the stage and the techno sound became clearer, smoke and lights drifted across the stage like an explosion in a paint factory.
"Give me more
Razzle dazzle.
Glitter eyes, big surprise
Lights, cameras!"
Ooh ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh!"
Clearly tired of nonsense vocables, she then switched to the chorus again.
"Razzle dazzle,
Glitz and glam,
Turn it all up, it's a spectacle;=!"
Hear the applause,
Here to impress;
Not just a singer, I am the Countess!"
A blast of fireworks rounded the song off, and Svengallop applauded. "Magnificent! Magnificent!" he cried. "Thanks to the sparkling costumes, dazzling choreography, and brilliant vocal effects that I designed, your performance was spectacular, Countess Coloratura!"
Coloratura simply smiled. "Thank you," she said quietly. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like a short rest. That flight was a bit unpleasant, and I didn't get as much sleep on the train as I would have liked, although it was driven very well."
Suddenly, Pinkie Pie appeared from nowhere. "You can't rest just yet!" she said, with a massive grin. "You have a meet and greet to do with the younger kids from Canterlot High School, which includes the kid who drove you here!"
Svengallop rolled his eyes. "Oh, I can totally get you out of that, Countess," he sneered.
"Absolutely not!" Coloratura replied. "Meeting with children is one of the highlights of my tours, and connecting with them is important. I'll be on my way to Canterlot High School as soon as I can, miss..."
"Pinkie Pie!"
"Miss Pinkie Pie, thank you," Coloratura replied, and headed backstage in order to have a rest. Svengallop impatiently checked his watch.
"Are you the woman who is overseeing the catering here?" he asked.
"Why yes, I am!" Pinkie cried, hopping up and down in the air. "Is there anything you particularly need?"
"Not particulalrly," Svengallop replied. "I always bring my own food and drink in case whatever we find in the towns we perform in is not up to standard. But I trust you brought everything that we had on Coloratura's list of items she requested?"
"Here we are, sir!" Pinkie smiled, rolling up a cart filled with items. Svengallop peered closely.