Title: Dynamite With a Laserbeam
Pairing: Sapphire Shores/Countess Coloratura
She loved being in the wings at these shows. The lights, the laser-beams, the moving backdrops and gyrating dancers. It was such a spectacle – and the music! Even the stagehoofs were nodding along, and they had heard these songs a million times during rehearsals.
On stage, the lead pony threw her head back, rearing up slowly with expert muscle control as she let out a note so long and loud it was a wonder she didn’t pass out. She strutted. She whirled. She spun about the stage with easy grace, weaving in and out of the other performers but never missing a hoofstep or note. It was the product of hundreds of hours of practise but it looked effortless.
The crowd loved it. They bayed her name. Ponies at the front struggled to get her attention, screaming in joy when she winked at them on her way past. She dipped down, slapping open hooves, then jumped back up to snap her head to and fro in time with the beat.
The final chorus came. The song ended with an eruption of smoke from machines at the back of the stage. The crowd went wild. Pieces of glitter spiraled down from gigantic buckets positioned around the ceiling of the arena.
“Mares and gentlecolts of Baltimare, you’ve been a wonderful audience!” she said into her head-mic. “Thank you so much and goodnight!”
A reprise of her own song played her off. She shimmied out of sight, then bounded back into view for another bow. She did this several times, threatening to leave her audience and them giving them more. She introduced her team, encouraging whoops and applause for them too. When everypony had been thanked, she made the audience applaud themselves for being such great fans. Finally, she took her leave and the house lights came up.
She was sucking down a water bottle from a stage-side table when soft hooves approached her from behind.
“That was amazing, sweetie.”
She coughed up half the bottle and turned with that same effortless grace. “Coloratura! Baby!”
“Hi Sapphire.”
“I didn’t think your tour ended for another month!” Sapphire Shores lit up more than her own show’s lighting rig. “Girl, did you change your mane? I like it!”
“Well … I kind of have more time on my hooves now than I did when we last spoke on the phone. And, um …” The plain blue pony in a plain blue dress smiled up at her. “Could you … could you call me Rara from now on?”
“Uh … sure, if you want me to. But I still get to call you Baby too, right?”
She laughed. “Right.” The laughter ceased. “I … I fired Svengallop.”
“Why? Did something happen?” Sapphire was instantly all concern. “Do I need to go bust somepony’s head? I never liked the way he looked at you. I’ll cave in his dang face if he so much as –”
“No, no, it was nothing like that, I just … I needed a change. And he was the first thing I changed.”
Sapphire’s scowl morphed back into her brilliant, traffic-stopping smile. “Baby, we gotta talk. And kiss. I ain’t kissed you without nopony lookin’ for far too long. But also talk.” She nodded to herself, making the peacock feathers on her headdress wave. “We can multi-task. You can tell me what happened while I kiss the dang face offa you.”
Rara giggled. “Oh gosh, I missed you while I was on tour.”
Sapphire dragged her off to her dressing room. “Come show me how much. I scored a room with a lock at this gig.”
“Don’t you need to get changed out of your stage outfit?”
“What do you think I’m planning to do?”
“Oh. Oh! Oh, I have missed you!”