//------------------------------// // Star Ruby // Story: Odd's Oubliette: Otherwise Obsolete Oddities // by Odd_Sarge //------------------------------// What happens next? Well, I’ll tell you what came first. Even when she was a filly, she was the Crystal Empire’s little sweetheart. She nailed her first big gig singing on the grand stage at the Equestria Games. That was most ponies’ first introduction to her. Back home, she’d had a long-standing career that wrapped around every street corner. Diamond of the Empire, on account of her original name, Diamond Trill. At that point in time, all she was and had to be was a young, talented filly with a beautiful voice, and a whole lot of heart. Really, she still is, even if her style’s fostered a little more amid all her tours of Equestria. Compare that to Equestria’s own Pony of Pop, and you can see quite a few parallels. Everypony knows the struggles Miss Sapphire faced in bringing her style to the center-stage. We’ve seen plenty of that reflected in the unique tonal qualities that a crystal pony has. Most ponies found it more irritating than enjoyable, but given trust and time, fans have emerged to appreciate their work. They both started out with only close-knit communities to support them, and now they’ve established that they’re out to take Equestria by storm. And if you ask me, in the Windigo-cold Equestria of today, ponies could do with some more soul on the radio. So, do I think Star Ruby is on the decline, even after her announcement? No, she’s more boldhearted than ever before. You’re going to like the next songs she has to sing. I can guarantee it. Up next on our show... A set of eye-catching reds and blues popped out against the drab brown of the theater’s outside walls. ‘Sapphire Stars on Ruby Shores! Tickets on sale now!’ The poster had faded in the time it’d been posted up; it was almost a year to the day, in fact. Sapphire Shores puffed one last time on the holder clenched between her lips. The sweet-smelling smoke drafted up and into the dark Manehattan sky. “Take five, ponies. I’ve just got one little thing I need to see to.” The eager replies from the yes-mares and bodyguards behind her barely registered as she stepped into the theater. As she wound through the corridors, the work of the staff was evident: the walls and floors had been thoroughly scrubbed and dusted of the night’s previous excitement. The stains of concessions and grimy hoofprints had been replaced with a clean that the theater only saw on nights like these. Sapphire hoofed the whole cleaning bill herself, especially in Manehattan. Something about ponies in the world today, just... She hummed high, cutting her own thoughts off. Her white-gold and gemstone-set dress bobbed as she puffed up. Twenty performances of their show had come and gone in the last two years, and she still found herself slipping from time to time. In truth, it was probably for the best that Star Ruby... Brightly and suddenly, “Hey!” Sapphire chirped. Her voice echoed through the theater, and the pleasant reverb sent ripples right down her back. “Sensational,” she whispered. She paused, then laughed for herself. Holding her head high, the twinkling mare slipped into the lonely depths of the vacated performance hall, and her giggle cracked its way through her core. The Pony of Pop had a very special protégé indeed. Star Ruby was flamboyantly red for a crystal pony. Her warm colors diverged quite strongly from the cooler of her counterparts, and that made her stand out all the more to Equestrians. The crimson of her coat and the doubly dark red gradient occupying her mane and tail positively glimmered under the right conditions. On stage, Sapphire made sure to direct the spotlight operators to her as often as she could. Oh, of course she wanted to standout, but what better way to stand out then to have a partner who could match your shine? Still, Ruby’s crystal coloration was about as natural as the name she’d adopted. That was why it fell on Sapphire to make sure the young mare was bright at all times. Practically prancing on her hooftips, Sapphire glided into the back VIP room. Normally, there would have been a good pair of stallions to watch the door, but out of preference, only Sapphire had bodyguards. Ruby may have been a star, but she didn’t have the complement that Sapphire liked to keep around. It spoke more about her increasingly soloist attitude than anything else. Again, Sapphire had to kick her negative and negligent thoughts out of the way. “Ruby!” she sing-songed. She was ready to continue that trend, but her voice mellowed out in an instant. “What’s cooking, pretty filly?” “Hi, Sapphire.” ‘Oh, that’s not going to do it at all, Ruby!’ was what she wanted to say, but those words died on her lips. Sighing, Sapphire settled into a chair close to Ruby. A bit of a twirl and tuck of her dress had her right in place. The bright red crystal pony shimmered before her. The lamp on the vanity in front of them was the room’s only source of light. Its white glow bounced brilliantly off of Ruby’s coat. On either side of her rump, the trademark star-shaped seams of white sprouted out in an effervescent spray. When Sapphire had first met Ruby, it had been barely noticeable. But with her new—and ever-deepening—red pigments, Star Ruby’s faux cutie mark shone through. Draped over the single hangar on the coat rack adjacent to her, Ruby’s glorious flowing dress idled in a slow wave; the air coming through the room’s vents was cool and chill. The dress had been a gift to Ruby from Coloratura, and perhaps the catalyst as to why Ruby had not left the building quite yet. It was clear the mare was thinking. And Coloratura’s recent revelations were certainly to blame. Blame was too strong a word, really. But Sapphire wasn’t as much of a thinker as Ruby was. This was one of the few times in her life where Sapphire remembered the limits sensationalist philosophy could have. It seemed so impossible, and yet, it was. So, Sapphire let Ruby think. “I don’t like stardom, Sapphire.” Ruby’s voice was soft and slow, but the jump from silence was still jarring. “Coloratura was telling me all about what it did to her and her music. I think more than ever before, this is what I need to do.” “You love to work with ponies, Ruby.” “And I love to work with you. These shows have been the best thing in my whole life.” “And I’m very glad to hear that.” Sapphire tried to put energy in her voice, but she just couldn’t do it without feeling as if she was talking over Ruby. Something she had tried very hard to work on in the last year of their shows. “But they’re still... ponies need more than this. You’re genuine. I know how much love you put into your craft. But ponies today are hurting, and the music we do together... I think it hurts some ponies, leaves them feeling like there’s no music that speaks to them.” “Rara’s music doesn’t do well on the radio, sweetheart.” Sapphire touched at a bob of her own mane pooling down. “That’s my point, Sapphire.” Ruby sat up. Her eyes were aimed fiercely into the mirror, but the slack in her withers said it all. “I think... you’re made for this. I’ve learned a lot from you. Enjoyed so much of our time together. But at the end of the day, there’s more enjoyment that ponies need than Pop. They don’t need another Pony of Pop. They need somepony who can pull them out. Not just to make them smile, but to make them remember their heart. Songs to make a pony think.” “...I’m sorry you’re not happy, Diamond.” The mare shuddered. The hoof she’d pressed to the vanity slid away as she turned a sullen muzzle to Sapphire. “You don’t have to be sorry for me. I just have a lot I need to work on. And I can’t convince myself that staying here is what I need.” Sapphire breathed. “All I wanted was for you to be sensational. And you are.” “And I’m sorry that I don’t want to do Pop anymore.” Ruby squeezed her eyes shut. “It just feels like I’m going through the motions.” Deep down, Sapphire wished she could understand. But she didn’t want to break Ruby’s heart any further. “I’m not saying that your work isn’t important. After all the shows we’ve been to, I can tell there are a lot of ponies who depend on your success. Just like home in the Crystal Empire. But there are some, maybe even just as many ponies, who don’t feel that. And I want to make them feel.” Ruby wriggled in her seat. And in that moment, Sapphire realized she could understand. “It just feels like you should be fighting me more on this.” Totally taken aback, Sapphire jumped back in with a squeak. “Why would I ever do a thing like that? I want you to be your best!” “Don’t you think I’m betraying you like Coloratura did?” “No! She might not be the Countess, but she’s still very much the pony she wants to be.” Ruby blinked. “You know that song? I thought you didn’t like that kind of music.” “Of course I do, filly!” Sapphire bobbed her head along while waving a hoof. “It’s not so sensational, but it’s still got that ‘oomph’.” “Oomph?” “You know, moxie! Your own way of shining on ponies!” It had been a long time since Sapphire’s heart had swelled at Ruby like this—very near to the time she’d taken her on in tutelage—but the realization and understanding of the needs plaguing Ruby finally surged up. “Oh, filly, you need to do this.” The young mare’s ears perked up. She gently tipped her muzzle down. “Really?” “Really. At first, I was thinking I had scared you too much with all the sensationalism! But I can see now that you’ve been trying to work on your own kind of magic!” “It’s not so sensational as you think it is...” “But you can make it work.” Sapphire came down, reigning in the fires just enough to speak ‘normally’ again. “I was being worried for my own sake. You were right. And maybe it will be hard to bring a certain kind of sensationalism to a certain kind of pony, but that’s a trip I know you can take.” “So... you’re letting me go?” “Filly, you could’ve left at any time. But now... now I’m not so worried.” Sapphire smiled. Instead of the happiness she expected, Ruby’s muzzle seemed to sour. It wasn’t particularly malign, but it was still a face. “I don’t want to leave you. I just feel compelled to.” “My door will always be open for you, filly.” Sapphire winked. “Anytime you need a little extra sensationalism, you can come back to me.” “...Thank you.” “No, thank you for all the wonderful shows. I can’t wait to see what you do next.” Star Ruby smiled. There was a great deal of pain behind it—Sapphire could see that, now—but it was still a start. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but eventually, this filly from the Frozen North could warm the other cold hearts in Equestria.