There's something about Rara that just seems so familiar.
As Applejack's fillyhood friend, Countess Coloratura, is singing up on the stage, amid all of the flashing lights and music, Twilight Sparkle can't help but feel that there is something familiar about the mare.
Oh well, it's probably just her imagination. . . right?
Possible spoilers for the latest episode, The Mane Attraction. Spoilers may be contained in comments.
Featured 11/23/15 12/06/15 Thanks for all of the support!
"Rarity was right," Applejack muttered as a frown found its way to her muzzle once the show was over. "Ah don't believe it."
Now that was not necessarily the truth on her part. She could believe that one of her oldest friends had used such a flashy and, quite frankly, blinding display. She could believe the fact that she had backup dancers, pyrotechnics and flashing strobe lights. And it was actually rather impressive the way her voice was distorted halfway through as she sang.
What she could not believe was the way her manager, a real stuck up prick of a stallion with a mane only slightly less puffy than Pinkie Pie's by the name of Svengallop, was speaking to her. It was not in the kind of way that indicated he thought he was superior to her, but more like he felt he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what the singer needed every moment. From what she had seen of him so far, all he really did was make demands in her name, always pushing and shoving to get what he wanted.
And Applejack did not like it one bit.
As the farm pony watched said manager trot up to Rara, Applejack's nickname for the mare, and begin complimenting her in ways that sounded more like he was complimenting himself, she turned to talk to Rarity, who had stood next to Applejack during the entire performance. While she was speaking to the alabaster unicorn about Rara's performance, neither mare noticed that, standing a short distance away on the side of the concert stage, a familiar alicorn with a lavender coat was watching the singer conversing with wide eyes.
Is. . . did I just. . . is she a. . .? Twilight Sparkle's brain muttered as it attempted to process what she might have just witnessed. But even as her thoughts continued to run by at a thousand miles an hour she tried to convince herself that it was not true. There was absolutely no way it could be true. All of the suspicions that were building in her head were completely unfounded, and were nothing more than a reaction a rather drastic case of deja-vu. That was it, nothing more.
But as Twilight watched the supposed countess walk away before being intercepted by Applejack, who began talking with the singer in a hushed tone, her suspicions would not leave her be. There was just so much she had in common with those three, it was almost uncanny. The outfit, the singing, the huge stylized mane. Could it really be possible that Applejack's friend was really a-
Twilight quickly shook her head at her own foalish thoughts, chastising herself for even considering such a possibility. After all, there was absolutely nothing suggesting that she really was affiliated with those three. All of the supposed "evidence" Twilight had seen and witnessed were nothing more than especially elaborate and flashy special effects. All she was really doing was jumping to conclusions with nothing to back them up.
"Hello there Twilight," she heard Rarity say as the unicorn approached her, an awestruck smile on her muzzle. "My word, did see Countess Coloratura's performance? It was absolutely stunning was it not?" she said with no small amount of glee.
Twilight pushed her thoughts out of her mind for the moment as she turned to answer her friend.
"Yes I did. I know those songs aren't usually my kind of thing, but even I have to admit it was pretty impressive," Twilight said. "And isn't it also great how Applejack is friends with her? I never would have thought she would know somepony as famous as her, aside from the Princesses of course."
Rarity nodded her agreement. "Indeed it is. And apparently they used to write each other letters, at least until they fell out of touch." Rarity put a hoof to chin as she thought about something. "Although, I do find it rather odd in that Applejack never really knew of Countess Coloratura's success until just today. I would have thought that that information would have already found its way to Applejack long before today."
Twilight considered the observation, agreeing that it was a little odd. "Maybe," she said. "But still, I'm sure it's nothing that's worth getting worked up over. I mean it's like Applejack said, they fell out of contact with each other years ago, so the fact that Applejack knew nothing about it until today is not beyond the realm of possibility."
"Perhaps," Rarity answered with a nod. "But still, I wonder what happened to cause it. She and Applejack seem to be on friendly enough terms, which is something to be gracious for, however. . ." Rarity trailed off.
"However what?" Twilight asked, wondering what had made her fall into silent contemplation. Rarity glanced up at her and cleared her throat to speak.
"Oh, well usually I don't like to impart information without permission, but in this instance I believe it is harmless enough. You see, I just got done speaking with our farm pony friend, and she has made it abundantly clear to me that Coloratura is not the same pony she knew as a filly."
Twilight's ears flicked slightly in response to what she just heard, and she felt the earlier suspicion that she had squashed return just the tiniest bit. "Really?" she said, hoping Rarity had more to say.
She was disappointed however when Rarity replied, "Yes, but I am afraid that is pretty much all I really know about their relationship. Aside from what Applejack has already told us I simply do not know what her friendship with a soon-to-be superstar was like, so I simply cannot say." Noticing the alicorn's contemplative expression Rarity then added, "Oh not to worry dear. I am quite sure everything will work itself out. In the meantime, have you noticed Countess Coloratura's wardrobe? It is simply to die for!"
Twilight let her mood be lightened as Rarity began to gush about the pop star's choice of apparel, momentarily forgetting her worries as the fashionista's praise swept them away from her as the two began to walk to little cart that sold oat-burgers.
"I must say, I simply must contact whoever her tailor is. That outfit of hers is to die for. And the veil she is always wearing, so mysterious. Not to mention that choker with the gems on it."
Twilight came to a complete stop when she heard Rarity say that, and the white unicorn suddenly had the Princess's full wide eyed attention. Rarity noticed the look on Twilight's face and fixed her with a curious expression.
"Is something wrong Twilight?" she asked her friend, wondering if there was something wrong with what she had said, although she could not imagine what it could possibly be. But Twilight did not answer immediately as she looked at Rarity like she had just seen a ghost of some sort, and quite frankly it was beginning to make the fashionista rather nervous. "Twilight?" she said curiously, wondering what was making her friend act like this all of a sudden.
Rarity's voice seemed to snap Twilight out of her odd trance as she lightly shook her head from side to side. "Sorry Rarity," she apologized with a sheepish grin. "I was just thinking of something."
"What about?"
Twilight opened her mouth to speak and tell Rarity what was on her mind, until she spotted some distance behind the fashionista that Applejack had struck up a friendly conversation with Coloratura as the singer was busy giving "hoovesies", little heart shaped stamps designed like horseshoes, to the little fillies and colts that practically swarmed around her. Twilight felt her mouth close as she watched her farm pony friend speaking with the singer.
"Twilight?"
Twilight was slightly startled by Rarity's concerned voice, and she turned to quickly address the question before she inquired about her health. "I'm sorry Rarity," she apologized for the second time today. "I don't know what's going on with me. I just seem to be blanking out all of sudden for some reason."
"Oh my," Rarity said as she put a hoof to Twilight's forehead, presumably to feel her temperature. "You are not falling ill I hope. Tell me dear, do you feel ill? Maybe you should be at home, resting up instead of helping supervise. If you like I can knit you a nice sweater that you would look absolutely lovely in."
Twilight gave a light chuckle as she gently pushed her friends hoof away. "No thank you Rarity, but I appreciate your concern. No, it's nothing like that."
Rarity smiled, looking a bit unsure with Twilight's insistence. "Well, whatever it was dear, I hope it does not continue to bother you. Well now, I must be going. I need to go check and see how Sweetie Belle is doing. I imagine she was quite taken with finally meeting the Countess Coloratura. Farewell."
"Bye," Twilight said as she waved, watching her friend depart. When Rarity was out of sight the sheepish smile on her face slowly fell as she glanced over at the pop star, who had just finished giving hoovesies to the foals, and was now discussing something with her manager. She still doubted the thoughts forming in her head, but still they would not let her rest until she found out for sure.
For the moment she resolved to just simply keep an eye on the singer until a piece of evidence presented itself, whether good or bad.
Twilight could not help but stare wide eyed at the sight that she had just witnessed. Partially hidden but not actually hiding behind the wagon full of supplies, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, Twilight could barely believe what she was seeing.
There Applejack stood, ears drooping and sad expression on her face as she watched what was supposedly her fillyhood friend walk away from her with an angered look on her face, though it was barely seen behind her dark veil. Twilight Sparkle had just witnessed them have a little spat about how Applejack's suspicion of Coloratura letting her manager use her for his personal gain by making demands in her name. It was hardly an inaccurate accusation of the stallion, as Twilight had seen earlier when he was with Pinkie.
What struck her now was the fact how, less than an hour ago the two mares seemed to be on pretty good terms with each other, despite the fact that they had not seen each other for so long. Now however, Twilight was all but forced to bare witness to them part ways after fighting. The more logical part of her brain was still in disbelief, trying to rationalize that all she had seen was a minor disagreement between friends, something she was familiar with in regards to Rainbow Dash.
The rest of her mind saw something else however. Something that she had trained herself to recognize ever since her last visit to the human world. To her, this was not just some ordinary disagreement between old friends. To her, there was a completely different explanation for this, and she began to wonder if she should contact the princess for help. She discarded the thought however, as she would not be able to find Spike in time to put a stop to whatever the supposed mare was up to.
She thought about getting her friends to help, but even though Applejack had just had a fight with her, there was still the possibility that she still considered Coloratura a friend. If she approached the rest of her friends with her theories, then there was a chance that they would take her side over Twilight's. Not to mention it would give the singer an opportunity to get away while they were discussing the matter, especially if she already had Applejack in her thrall. Twilight did not see anything to indicate her friend was under any sort of influence, but still it never hurt to be too careful.
Twilight concluded that she was essentially on her own, as she snuck off to devise a plan on how to deal with this. She didn't want to make it seem like she was confronting Coloratura, as she simply did not know how many other ponies might be under her spell. Svengallop was obvious, as there was virtually nopony that would be that rude to Pinkie Pie. For all she knew there might be an army of enemies around her this very instant.
As Twilight walked along, she found herself eyeing every pony that came near her with a certain amount of suspicion, making sure that she knew what they were doing at every moment.
"Hey Twi'? Can Ah ask ya somethin'?" Twilight was pulled out of her thoughts as she noticed Applejack speaking with her. The lavender alicorn had been sitting on a wooden soapbox, and had been staring at the grassy ground beneath her when the farm pony called her name. She looked up to see Applejack looking at her with a somewhat hopeful expression.
"Sure Applejack, what do you need?" Twilight responded. She was willing to help her friend with whatever she needed, but Twilight still wanted to be cautious. She still did not know if Applejack had been hypnotized or something.
"It's about Rara," Applejack said, and Twilight's ears stood up a little straighter. "Ah'm pretty sure her manager, that Svengallop fella, is just using her."
At the moment Twilight was more willing to believe the opposite was true, but decided not to say anything and hear her friend out. Applejack removed her stetson hat as she continued to speak.
"It's just, Ah think Rara really does care about other ponies. Ah saw the way she was actin' with them school ponies the other day, and Ah know that deep down she's still the same as when we parted. Ah want to remind her of that, but that Svengallop character just keeps stickin' his muzzle in."
"What do you want me to do about it?" Twilight asked, suddenly not so sure of herself. Applejack's words had reminded her that she had also seen how Coloratura acted around the school ponies, how she seemed to be so happy just being with them. And then there was the fact that she was hosting the Helping Hooves Music Festival. She had even said so herself that meeting with the school ponies was her favorite part of the concert. Would any one of those three really do something like that?
Twilight doubted it, and that only made her wonder if she wasn't just jumping to conclusions based on nothing more than mere suspicion. After all, she had not actually seen Coloratura do anything harmful.
Applejack interrupted her musings by voicing her request.
"Ah've asked Rara ta give me a chance to prove to her that what Ah'm sayin' is true, and Ah need your help to do it. Are ya up for it Twi?"
Twilight furrowed her brow in thought, wondering what she should do. She was still suspicious of the singer, but that suspicion had all but gone up in smoke in the face of her more rational thoughts.
Her mind made up, Twilight gave a short nod. "Of course Applejack," she said. "What did you have in mind?"
Twilight stood on the main section of the concert stage, overseeing Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy as they hovered above with a red tarp in their hooves. Though her attention was focused on the two pegasi, she was aware of Countess Coloratura standing little ways behind her on the catwalk. Every once in a while Twilight would glance at the singer, still unable to decide whether or not she was right or wrong. She was leaning more towards the fact that she was wrong, but the little seed of worry if she was right was still there.
Svengallop had just finished finished speaking to Coloratura, and was practically ecstatic when he heard that she had decided to cancel the contest for the school ponies that was to be held later. He trotted away to speak with Pinkie Pie, no doubt about the change in plans.
Twilight then noticed Applejack giving her a nod. Twilight nodded back, and quickly flew up to spy on the two ponies conversation over the top of the stage. What she saw there made her feel like decking the stuck up stallion, and her wariness of Coloratura faded as she watched her friend be insulted by him. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to fly down there and give Svengallop a piece of her mind, whether he was under some sort of spell or not. She reigned herself in however, and when Svengallop had finished "speaking" with Pinkie, he left to meet up with Coloratura on the stage again, leaving the pink mare on the verge of tears.
Twilight was going to have some words for him later when this was all taken care of.
Her task complete, Twilight flew back down, though she remained airborne as she watched the stallion approach Coloratura with a rather smug grin, one that Twilight wanted so desperately to smack right off of his face. To her mild surprise, Coloratura's own expression suggested that she felt the same as Svengallop spoke to her.
"Okay Countess Coloratura. All taken care of," he said. Before he could say any more however, Twilight lit up her horn, and a large rectangular magical construct appeared above the stage, drawing everypony's attention to it as an image of the scene Twilight had just witnessed played on it like a movie projector. Soon, Svengallop's voice emanated from seemingly nowhere as the stallion on the screen spoke to Pinkie in a rude manner.
"You know the drill: deliver, or the diva ditches your dippy charity."
A momentary pause followed, during which everypony began to cast disapproving glares at the stallion on the stage, including Coloratura. Twilight allowed the construct to fade into nothingness as she watched the scene play out.
"So that's how you've been managing things?" she questioned as she glared at the Svengallop, a mix of disbelief and disapproval in her voice.
Svengallop however did not seem to catch the hint as he said, "Yeah, so? What's the problem?" It was obvious to Twilight that he was all but oblivious to the looks he was receiving.
Stomping up to Svengallop, Coloratura explained. "The problem is you've been using my name to intimidate ponies to get you want!" she exclaimed, punctuating the statement by stomping her hoof on the stage. Twilight looked on with vested interest, as the worry in her heart melted away at the sight she was witnessing.
"But I work incredibly hard for you," Svengallop replied, almost sounding whiny in Twilight's ears. "I deserve everything I get."
"But because you scare ponies into thinking I won't perform for their charity's otherwise," the Countess snapped back. "I would never do that to my fans!" Coloratura proceeded to get right up into Svengallop's face. "Which is why you should have known that I would never have canceled the school ponies contest."
"Hmf! All this charity and school pony contest nonsense is just remnants of that boring little Rara I met back in Manehatten." Svengallop said with no small amount of disdain as he spoke to her.
"You clearly don't understand the real me!" Coloratura said as she flipped the veil, which up until now Twilight had never seen her without, over her head, revealing her eyes teal eyes. At this point the lavender alicorn had heard enough to convince her beyond a shadow of a doubt that her fears were completely unjustified, but she still stayed however to see how this scene would play out. She may have been the Princess of Friendship, but personally she wanted to see the singer sock the stallion right on the muzzle before it was over.
It was unfortunately not to be however, as Svengallop practically laughed right in her face as he said, "Heh! That's a joke! I made you somepony! What can you even do without me?" Trotting away from her as though he were the most important thing in the world, Svengallop said, "Good luck Countess Coloratura." And with that he was gone, nose up the air like he was a noble pony, leaving the singer glaring daggers at him before a frown found its way to her face and her ears drooped low.
At that moment, Twilight wanted nothing more than to fly down and comfort the mare, but Applejack beat her to the punch. Staring off at where Svengallop was headed, Twilight began to fly after him.
She still had a few choice words for him before he left.
Twilight Sparkle found Svengallop just as he was entering the the little trailer set up behind the concert stage that Coloratura used to rest in. He opened the door forcefully, and even from a distance the Princess could plainly hear the curses he was muttering under his breath.
Twilight descended to the ground just as the thin door slammed shut behind him. With a stern expression on her face, she casually trotted up to the trailer. She heard the sound of the stallion rummaging around inside as she reached the door. She was just about to raise a hoof to knock when the rummaging stopped suddenly. Twilight paused, a little unsure, before she shrugged.
She was cut off yet again when Svengallop exclaimed from inside, his voice slightly muffled, "You think this is over Coloratura?" he half shouted, and even though she could not see him, Twilight could plainly hear the anger in the words, like just saying the singers name had left a bad taste in his mouth. "You are going to regret making a fool out of me!"
Twilight had just about had enough of the pony's antics, and brought her hoof again to knock on the door and let him know exactly what she thought about him upsetting her friends.
"I know what you really are, you stupid seahorse thing!"
Twilight halted immediately when she heard that last bit, and her hoof froze just before it made contact with the door.
Did he just say. . . ?
Twilight tilted her ears forward to listen more intently to the stallions sputtering.
"You may think you're so clever, hiding what you really are from all of these ponies, trying to get on their good side. Well, let's see how much they love you when I've shown them what you really are, you sneaky siren."
Twilight felt her heart skip more than a few beats, and her face instantly paled at the revelation.
So it was true! The pony was exactly what Twilight's paranoid mind had suspected all along! She was not a pony at all!
Countess Coloratura was a siren!
Twilight felt all sorts of feelings begin to flood her mind as a result of finding out the truth, if unintentionally. She felt a certain sense of pride at her suspicions being confirmed, anger that she had been fooled like everypony else, and fear at what might happen if the information was not taken to the Princesses, or at least the local authorities. But amid all of those other emotions, Twilight felt something rather strange, something she did not expect to feel.
Twilight Sparkle felt saddened.
She was not upset by the fact that Coloratura, Applejack's fillyhood friend, had turned out to be one the things Twilight had fought against on the other side of the mirror, but because even though she was right, she was also wrong as well. Yes, Coloratura may be a siren, at least according to Svengallop, but she certainly did not act like the ones Twilight had met. She was nothing like them in any way, shape or form.
Countess Coloratura was a kind, generous mare that was close friends with Applejack. Not once had Twilight ever seen the singer do anything to really indicate if she was evil like the others. In all of the times Twilight had seen her, Coloratura had been more generous and thoughtful than most ponies that Twilight knew.
So yes, Twilight was upset by the fact that Coloratura turned out to be a siren, but she also felt guilty for suspecting her of wrong doing simply because her past interactions with her kind. It was like what she had told Rainbow Dash when she and Pinkie had visited Griffonstone. The actions of others do not reflect the actions of all.
Still Twilight wondered, if Coloratura really was a siren, then how was she able to keep herself going without spreading negativity and hate everywhere she went? She imagined that it must be difficult for her to get by without it, so how was she sustaining herself.
Her thoughts on the matter were interrupted when the Twilight heard Svengallop trotting inside, coming towards the door. She stepped off to the side to avoid having it slam into her face just as the stallion kicked it open. The open door hid her from view as he stepped out holding something in his right hoof.
"Now, let's see how well you can manage without me when I've exposed you for what you are. I wonder where the Princesses will cart you off to. A dungeon cell underneath Canterlot sounds fitting, although I'm sure with a few tall tales I can get you a spot somewhere even better, like somewhere in Everfree or, ooh! Maybe Tartarus!"
Svengallop kicked the door closed with a back hoof, allowing Twilight to see him holding a very familiar looking red gem in his hoof. "We'll see how much all those stupid charity's do for you after you've been carted off to some-"
"Ahem."
Svengallop yelped in fright as he quickly turned to face the pony that had snuck up on him, only to find a certain purple princess looking at him with a very unamused look on her face. He either did not notice the look, or just didn't care as he said, "Oh my, uh, Princess Twilight! It is an honor."
Twilight Sparkle did not say anything in response.
Svengallop continued to run his mouth at a million miles an hour anyway. "Princess! I am afraid that I have the absolute worst news! I believe that there is one of those dreaded sirens among us!"
"Really?" Twilight said, although Svengallop seemed to finally notice the lack of any actual concern in her voice and the look she was giving him. This threw him for a little bit of a loop, but he appeared to choose to ignore it as he continued speaking.
"Uh, well yes! And I have reason to believe that it may actually be Countess Coloratura!" Svengallop set the gem on the ground before putting a hoof to his forehead in a show of despair. "Oh! This is an absolute tragedy! To think that somepony so beloved could be a monster in disguise! We have to contact the police, the royal guard, the other princesses! Something must be done!" he exclaimed.
"I agree," Twilight Sparkle said before her horn lit up in a light magenta aura.
"There you are Twilight," Rarity exclaimed as the lavender pony sidled up beside the fashionista. The two ponies stood among an entire crowd of stallions and mares as they watched Coloratura perform in front of everypony with Applejack by her side. In front of the two mares, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo sang their hearts out, their lovely voices filling Twilight's heart and everypony else's with joy and admiration. It had admittedly been a surprise for all when the pop star strayed from her usual routine of strobe lights and pyrotechnics to sing straight from her heart while playing on a grand piano.
"Wherever have you been dear? We missed you," Rarity scolded, though Twilight knew there was no actual malice in her friends tone. She was just upset that she had missed a little bit of the show.
"Sorry Rarity," Twilight apologized. "I just had to help a friend."
Rarity did not inquire to what Twilight was referring to, though she did wonder why she was smiling like that.
Twilight continued to smile as she watched Applejack sing on the stage, not even knowing that she was standing right next to a siren the entire time. And to be completely honest with herself, Twilight could not have been happier.
"Oh my gosh! Did you see me Rarity?! Huh, did you see me?! I was actually singing with Countess Coloratura! The Countess Coloratura! I can't believe we won the contest! It was so awesome!" Sweetie Belle said rapidly as she pranced circles around her elder sibling, her squeaky voice sounding only slightly less jovial than Pinkie Pie on a good day. Rarity was just as excited for her little sister, although she was noticeably more reserved in her enthusiasm than the filly.
"Yes! It surely is Sweetie Belle," Rarity exclaimed as her eyes struggled to keep track of the filly. "Uh, Sweetie? Could you kindly stop please? You are making me rather dizzy."
Sweetie Belle did as she was told, and came to a stop beside her sister. "Sorry Rarity," she apologized, though the glee she was exhibiting never once faltered. Rarity simply smiled as she ruffled the little unicorn's curly mane with a hoof.
"It is quite alright dear," she soothed. "It is perfectly understandable that you feel like this this. I am quite proud of you darling."
"We all are," said the soft voice of Fluttershy as she and the rest of the group, minus Applejack, came up to meet them. "You were all really amazing singing up there," she added with a sincere smile. Everypony else nodded in agreement.
"It went a lot better than our last public performance, that's for sure," Scootaloo said as she zipped around Rainbow Dash, appearing as little more than an orange blur around the cyan pegasus. This elicited a light chuckle from everypony, both from her words and from her antics. The little filly was just as excited as Sweetie Belle had just been moments ago. The only one out of the three that seemed to have any sense of restraint was Applebloom, as she was busy glancing all around in search of something amid the crowd of ponies around them.
Twilight noticed this and asked as she stepped up beside the filly, "What's the matter Applebloom? Are you looking for somepony?"
"Yeah," Applebloom answered. "Ah'm lookin' for Applejack, but Ah don't see her around. Have an of ya seen her?"
It was Rainbow that answered the question as she said, "Yeah, I think she's off talking to Countess Collar-something-or-other."
Twilight Sparkle was not entirely sure, but there was just something about the way Rainbow had said those words that made her believe that there was something else going on in the pegasus' mind that she was hiding. "Is something wrong Rainbow?" she asked, wondering what was up with her friend.
Rainbow merely shrugged and replied, "Eh, I'll be fine. I just don't get why AJ's pretty much ditched us to be with that mare. I mean, I get that they were friends back in the day, and one's super famous now, but come on."
At this Rarity fixed Rainbow with a wry smile, knowing all too well what was really going on. "Why Miss Dash." she said, "you aren't jealous of the Countess now, are you?"
"I am not jealous!" Rainbow said, practically shouting her denial. The outburst drew some attention from the crowd of ponies milling around them before they returned to their own conversations. Despite her insistence, the way her scratchy voice sounded a little more high pitched betrayed her real thoughts, causing everypony to give a light chuckle at her expense. Rainbow knew that they were just teasing her however, and began to chuckle along with them.
"Aright, so maybe I'm a little jealous about it, but come on. AJ could have at least introduced us to her."
Before anypony could offer a reply to her complaint, they all heard a familiar voice with a southern drawl answer for them, "And if ya'll would wait just a bit Ah can do that. No need for ya to be impatient." Everypony turned to see none other than Applejack trotting towards them, with the singer and presumed pony, Countess Coloratura, alongside her. Everypony around her was either cheering her name or requesting her autograph, which slowed their progress considerably. Eventually the two mares were finally able to break free as Coloratura graciously thanked her fans for their support.
As the two approached Applebloom exclaimed, "There ya are!" before running up to greet her sister.
"Sorry Ah made ya'll wait everypony. Had a heck of a time getting through that crowd," Applejack said as she was embraced by her little sister in a crushing embrace. "Me an' Rara were just catchin' up a bit."
Twilight could not help but smile knowingly, although secretly she wondered if a certain topic had been discussed. Most likely not, given how many ponies continued to swarm around the pop star. But now that she was practically standing right next to Coloratura, Twilight could not help but think that there was something different about her than before. It had nothing to do with the fact that she had completely changed her look to be more modest, as opposed to the eye shadow and mane extensions. It was more than that.
There was something in the singers eyes that Twilight could not quite identify, like she did not really want to be here anymore. Twilight began to wonder if there was something wrong that was upsetting her, but decided not to say anything with everypony around.
"So these are the friends you told me about?" Coloratura said, receiving a nod from Applejack. "It's so nice to finally meet you all personally. Aj's told me so much about you all."
"Good things I hope," Rarity said with a light chuckle. Everypony laughed with her, though Twilight still got he impression that Coloratura was not quite as invested in the mirth as everypony else. In her ears the singers laughter sounded almost hollow, like there was no actual joy behind it. Nopony else seemed to notice however, not even Pinkie, which made Twilight wonder if she was just imagining it.
Suddenly Pinkie Pie, who had been strangely quiet after her "discussion" with Svengallop from earlier, suddenly gasped and exclaimed, "I know what we should do!" Zipping over to put her forelegs around Applejack and Coloratura's withers she began to say rapidly, "We should throw an Applejack-Meets-long-lost-fillyhood-friend party to celebrate Applejack finding her long lost fillyhood friend! I can have everything set up in a jiffy. It won't take ten minutes!"
Applejack grinned at the pink mares jovial attitude. "That sound mighty fine Pinkie." Turning to Coloratura she said, "What do ya say Rara? Ah can personally guarantee that ya'll have fun. Ah mean, ya haven't really been welcomed ta Ponyville until ya'll have had a Pinkie Pie Welcome. Ya up for it?"
When Applejack asked the question, Coloratura hesitated for the briefest of moments, and uncertainty flashed in her teal eyes before it disappeared. Nopony else seemed to pick up on it, but Twilight did, and she knew that it was not her imagination playing tricks on her. There was definitely something going on that was bothering the pop star, and Twilight wondered what it could be, or if it had anything to do with what she really was.
"Oh, I don't know AJ," Coloratura said, sounding truly sorry. "I'm feeling a little wore out after everything that's gone on today. It's like I'm about to fall off of my hooves at any moment. Do you mind if I just called it a night, and we can have the party later? I'll still be around for a few days at least, so there's plenty of time for it."
Despite her attempt to placate them, everypony seemed to deflate a little to hear that she could not join them right now.
"Well, alright then," said Applejack, sounding slightly disappointed. But just as quickly her sullen expression was replaced with a somewhat mischievous smirk. "But ya better believe that Ah'm gonna hold ya to that Rara."
Coloratura responded with a smile of her own. Letting out a little laugh she said, "All these years and you still haven't changed a bit AJ." Coloratura then leaned over and gave her friend a light nuzzle.
"Nope," Applejack responded.
With that everypony said their goodbyes and farewells to the singer, and began the trek to their respective homes. Twilight Sparkle, however, hung back as she watched Coloratura go behind the stage, presumably back to her little trailer, where the truth had been revealed to Twilight by a careless Svengallop. Twilight was glad that she had been there to deal with him before he became a problem, but still there seemed to be something bothering Coloratura. This struck Twilight as strange, especially after such a successful performance earlier.
"Hey Twi? Are you coming?" Rainbow Dash called when she noticed that Twilight had not joined them. Twilight briefly considered what she wanted to do before she answered.
"Don't worry about me. I'll catch up with you later," she called back. "I just have something that I need to take care of first."
Twilight felt a sense of satisfaction when Rainbow merely shrugged, apparently deciding not to pursue the matter and ask what she was up to. "Alright. See you later egghead." With those parting words Rainbow flew off, leaving a multicolored streak and a mildly annoyed princess in her wake. Twilight wished her friend would stop calling her that one of these days, but decided to ignore it favor of other things on her mind.
Coloratura breathed an audible sigh of relief when her tacky orange trailer finally came into view, and her pace quickened to swift trot. She was eager to finally be away from the spotlight for a little while and finally have a few moments to herself. She was genuinely saddened that she had to deny Applejack's invitation, but Coloratura had been telling the truth when she said she was feeling wore out, though it was it was not just from the days events.
Everything, from Svengallop walking out on her to the stress of changing her entire routine had taken its toll on her, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to not faint on the spot. If that had happened, then losing her cranky manager would be the least of her worries.
But now she was alone, and Coloratura could relax and go back to. . .
Coloratura paused briefly as she reached out a hoof to undo the latch. Her eyes became downcast and a frown found its way to her muzzle as she thought about how long she had been keeping her secret from everypony around her, including Applejack, the same mare that had been one of Colorarura's very first friends in a long time. In fact, she had been her first actual friend, one that she held so dearly to her heart that she even referred to herself by the nickname the farm pony had given her.
One that I keep lying to, even now, Coloratura thought. Even years after she had first met Applejack, Coloratura felt a deep longing to finally reveal her secret to her friend, hoping that she would be accepted. But every time she wanted to confess, memories of other times when she had tried to be open around others, ponies in particular, and she would bail out at the last minute every time.
Sighing heavily, Coloratura eventually built up the nerve to open the trailer door. But when she stepped inside, the singer found herself feeling a sense of dread when she saw the state the interior was in. Papers, mostly fan mail, had been scattered all over the place. Almost all of the drawers and cupboards had been opened. It was plainly obvious that somepony had come in here in search of something, and Coloratura felt that she could guess pretty accurately what that was.
Almost panicking, she barely had enough forethought to shut the door behind her before she frantically raced over to the cupboard overhead at the very back of the trailer, almost ripping the door off of its handle as she rummaged around, pushing aside plastic plates and other manufactured stemware in her search.
"Where is it?!" she exclaimed, almost shouting from her building anxiety when she did not find her arguably most valuable possession in its usual place. She paled to think what would happen if somepony had actually taken it. Not only would her secret be exposed, she would likely perish if she remained separated from it. She was already taking a huge risk by taking it off every time she appeared in public. If she did not find it soon then-
Coloratura spotted the small wooden chest sitting on the counter next to small sink, partially behind a stack of posters with her face leaning over it. Not even bothering to question how it got there in the first place, Coloratura hurried over to it. Pushing the posters aside with her snout she undid the latch keeping it closed and flipped the lid up.
Coloratura felt a strange mix of emotions flood her being when saw that it was still here. She felt unimaginable relief sweep over her to know that nopony had stolen it, and that her secret was not going to be made public anytime soon.
But at the same time, Coloratura felt strangely disappointed, like she was not truly glad to know that it was still there. She loathed the fact that she could not live without it for more than a few days. And she absolutely hated that such a small, seemingly inconsequential thing, was the cause of so much heartache in her life, both literally and metaphorically. And it was not like it would really do her much good now that Svengallop had chosen to quit on her.
Her relieved expression turned to one of sadness as she looked forlornly at the little red hexagonal gem in the box, kept in place by the layers of dark fabric around it. She dipped her hoof into the box to pick it up and-
A knock at door came, and the sound startled Coloratura so much that she almost knocked the box off of the counter. "Just a moment!" she said in a tone that sounded a little too high pitched in her ears as she scrambled to place the gem back in the box. Quickly she hid the container in a small closet, placing it behind her old outfits before shutting the door. Breathing deeply to calm her nerves, Coloratura proceeded to put on a blank face and quickly trot to the trailer door. Undoing the latch she pushed it open, and was surprised to find one lavender alicorn standing in front of her with a raised hoof as though she were about to knock again.
"Oh! Princess Twilight," Coloratura said in surprise. "What an honor this is. I wasn't expecting company, much less from royalty."
Princess Twilight merely smiled and said, "Good to see you again Miss Coloratura."
"Oh no, please. You don't have to call me that," Coloratura said while giving a little wave of her hoof, feeling some of her nervousness fade a little. "Applejack just calls me Rara, so it's only fair that the rest of her friends do the same."
Twilight nodded with a small smile on her face before she looked up at the singer with an odd expression that she could not quite place. "I hope I'm not being too much of a bother. It's just that none of us really got the chance to talk back there."
Coloratura laughed sheepishly as she rubbed her left foreleg with a hoof. "Yeah, sorry about that. Like I said, I wasn't really feeling a hundred percent earlier. The whole day has been kind of stressful for me, what with changing my whole routine." Coloratura sighed through her nostrils. "Not to mention Svengallop quitting on me. Don't get me wrong, he was a pain to have around at times, but he. . . he had his uses."
Coloratura was fairly confident that the Twilight would not catch the meaning behind the statement, until she noticed the princess had her head slightly tilted, as though she had just heard something strange. It was not the kind of look that indicated she knew anything, but it still made her feel somewhat nervous. Hoping to turn the conversation in a different direction, Coloratura quickly said, "S-so anyway, what can I do for you Princess? Did you want to come inside and chat for a little bit?"
Twilight strangely seemed to hesitate, but only for a moment before she nodded her head and replied, "Of course, if you don't mind that is, Rara."
"Not at all," Coloratura said as she stepped over to allow the Princess entry into her trailer. In truth the last thing she wanted was to be alone with a pony that could so easily overpower her if she was discovered, especially in the state she was in. But for the sake of good manners, Coloratura felt it would be safe enough if all they did was talk a little bit. Twilight stepped inside as Coloratura closed the door behind her. Strangely the Princess did not seem to be at all surprised by the mess, which Coloratura felt relieved about. If she had known that her presence was going to be graced by a Princess she would have done more to clean up. As it was she could only hope that Twilight did not find it to be too much of a bother, as the alicorn in question sat down on a small yet brightly colored comforter. Coloratura took a seat opposite the Princess to allow for a more easy conversation.
"So," Coloratura said, hoping to break the ice, "how are you doing Princess? I imagine you have a lot on your plate, what with ponies coming to you for advice and whatnot."
The corner of Twilight's mouth turned up in a smile. "First off, if you're going to have me call you Rara, then I'm going to have you call me Twilight. None of that "Princess" business, especially if nopony's around to tell you otherwise, alright?"
Coloratura felt a smile of her own form on her lips at Twilight's gentle admonishment, giving a short nod in reply. "Fair enough, Twilight" she said with a slight chuckle.
Twilight responded with a chuckle of her own, and Coloratura felt some of her anxiety from earlier begin to ebb away in her presence. She did not say why, but there was just something about the lavender alicorn that comforted her enough to feel safe and relaxed. That was not to say she was not still cautious around her, but she felt secure knowing that she was not going to be discovered immediately. When the laughter died down Twilight continued to speak.
"So anyway, I just wanted to come over and see how you were doing. Forgive me for prying, but it just seemed to me that you weren't feeling well earlier. Is everything alright?"
Coloratura sighed heavily through her nostrils, as the subtle wave of fatigue she had been hiding for some time now once again made itself known. She did her best to hide it, but ultimately felt it would have been pointless if Twilight had already seen.
"I'll be honest," she finally answered. "Today has been kind of hard on me."
"I can imagine why," said Twilight, eliciting a short from the singer. A moment of silence passed between the two mares, during which neither of them seemed to be sure what to say next. Eventually Twilight cleared her throat, startling Coloratura slightly as she readjusted her position on the comforter.
"Col- um, Rara?" Twilight said, sounding a little hesitant for some reason. Coloratura was confused by this, as she did not think that the conversation had become that awkward.
"Yes Twilight?"
The lavender pony paused to take in a breath to steady herself, And Coloratura got the distinct feeling that whatever was on her mind was an uncomfortable topic for her to think, much less talk about. What that topic was she had not the foggiest idea, but if it was making the Princess nervous then it must be a serious issue. However Twilight seemed to be having trouble saying it, as she opened her mouth a few times before faltering, and Coloratura had to keep herself from laughing at how much she looked like some sort of fish. Eventually Twilight seemed to work up the nerve to finally speak again.
"Rara. . . do you. . . " Twilight faltered, as she took another breath before continuing. "Do you. . . . Do the names Adagio, Aria and Sonata, mean anything to you by any chance?"
The moment Coloratura heard Twilight say those three names, she felt her own heart skip a beat, and she had to struggle just to keep herself from panicking right then and there. But even then she still felt herself let out an involuntary gasp of surprise as her ears fell and her pupils shrunk to the size of pinpricks, wondering how the Princess knew of those three. Even more importantly, Coloratura wondered why she would even mention them at all, and the only explanation that she could come up with was that Twilight had somehow learned what she really was, which in her mind could only mean that she was here to apprehend her.
As the realization sunk in, Coloratura fought to keep herself under control as she ever so slightly began to inch towards the door, hoping the Princess would not notice long enough for her to get away. Swallowing the lump that had somehow formed in her throat, Coloratura began to say nervously in a stuttering voice, "I-I don't know what you are talking about P-princess. I've never heard of those names in my life."
Twilight however did not appear to be convinced, as she slid off of the comforter, moving towards Coloratura with an outstretched hoof. She said something to Coloratura, but the singer could not hear over the thudding of her own heart as she realized that had been discovered by one of the last ponies she wanted to know her secret.
"No!" she exclaimed, abandoning all attempts at being discreet as she made a dash for the door, not even caring if she was leaving her gem behind anymore.
"Coloratura, please! Just hear me out!" She heard Twilight say just as she reached the door. To her confusion and terror however she found that it would not budge. It was then that she noticed that it was surrounded in a faint magenta light. She looked to see that a similar aura emanated from Twilight's spiral horn, and the hopelessness of her situation became evident to her.
"Stay back!" she shouted as she backed away from the lavender alicorn as far the small confines of the trailer would allow her to. "I'm not going to let you take me away! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"Coloratura, please! I just want to-" Twilight began to say, only for her to be interrupted by the frightened mare.
"What do you want with me?! Just please leave me alone!"
"Rara!" Twilight exclaimed suddenly, causing Coloratura to flinch in fear as she cowered before the pony. She covered herself with her hooves, fully expecting to feel a ray of magic to hit her at any moment. She closed her eyes tightly as she began to cry, hoping beyond hope that she would not be hurt. For what seemed like an eternity, Coloratura waited for the blast to come.
It never did, and Coloratura risked opening her eyes to see why she was not currently being held against the wall by magic, or why there were not half a dozen royal guards storming inside the trailer to take her away. What she found instead was the Princess looking down at her with what appeared to be a concerned look in her wide eyes. Coloratura was of course confused by this, as she had expected the Princess to be hostile towards her for discovering her true nature, however she managed to do it.
Twilight slowly began to trot towards her, and Coloratura, still not sure what her intentions were, tried to back away more. "Please, please don't hurt me," she pleaded as Twilight came to a careful stop a few hoof lengths away from her. To her alarm Twilight raised a hoof and moved it towards Coloratura, and the singer began to feel another wave of panic override her thoughts, until Twilight said the absolute last thing that she expected to hear.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," Twilight said in a comforting tone, her hoof still outstretched in an unmistakable gesture of goodwill. Coloratura was unsure what to do, and eyed it warily for a few moments before she slowly took it in her own hoof and allowed Twilight to help her up of of the floor. When she up on all four legs again Coloratura regarded Twilight with a confused expression.
"But. . . why would . . . ?" Coloratura faltered, as she continued to try and process what was going on here. In response Twilight gave her a sincere smile before she unexpectedly wrapped her left foreleg around Coloratura, pulling her into a hug. Coloratura was initially alarmed by this action, but after a moment she felt all of her fear and anxiety melt away into Twilight's embrace, and she instantly knew that she was in friendly company. Letting out a breath that she did not know she had been holding, Coloratura returned the hug.
"Th-Thank you," Coloratura said softly, and the strain her voice was obvious as she struggled to keep herself from crying again, but this time it was from joy and relief. The relief came from the fact that her secret was still safe, at least for the moment. But the joy and happiness that she felt was from the revelation that she had discovered a pony, a princess no less, that still considered her to be a friend even though they knew what she was. Such a thing she had not thought she would ever find after years of hiding.
After a little while, when Coloratura finally calmed down from Twilight scaring her, however unintentionally it might have been, the two ponies arranged themselves to sit across from each other. However for a little while an awkward silence settled down on the confined space of the trailer, and each mare fidgeted somewhat nervously in their seats as they glanced around. Every once in a while they would make eye contact, but it was quickly broken as they glanced away to look at the floor or whatever odd knick-knack adorned the shelves of Rara's trailer. The pop star seemed to have an affinity for snow globes, Twilight noticed. In addition to that there were envelopes of various sizes scattered about the place. Twilight imagined that they were mostly fan-mail, given to her by fillies and colts if the little heart stickers on them were anything to judge by.
As her gaze wandered around the interior of the trailer,Twilight found herself herself accidentally looking at Rara again. The pop star opened her mouth slightly as if to speak, before apparently deciding not to and closed it. This repeated a few times, and Twilight could not help but find the comparison to be a little humorous. She kept her mirth contained however, and remained silent.
Twilight sniffed.
Coloratura coughed lightly into her hoof.
The situation was incredibly awkward for Twilight, though she could not imagine how much more so it must be for Rara. She began to feel that if something was not said soon, then she was going to go nuts. And judging from the look in Rara's eye she felt much the same, except neither one of them was sure what to say to the other.
Which meant that Twilight was all the more relieved relieved when Rara at last cleared her throat and started to speak, although the nervous tone in her voice was plainly obvious in Twilight's ears. It seemed that she was still hesitant to speak openly about her true nature, even in the presence of friendly company, but Twilight knew that she could not really blame her for it.
"S-so," Rara said, clearing her throat a second time. "How long have you, um. . . you know. . . ." Rara fell silent as she gestured to herself with a hoof.
"You mean how long have I known that you were a siren?" Twilight guessed, and Rara nodded her confirmation. Twilight did not follow up immediately, unsure how to say what was on her mind without possibly offending Rara, especially after sort of gaining her trust after their brief misunderstanding. "Well," she finally said as she rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, "I know this might sound silly to you. Actually now that I think about it, it is rather silly in hindsight." Twilight paused, unsure quite how to say it. So Rara apparently decided to say it for her.
"It was the mane, wasn't it?" she asked.
Twilight could do little more than stare in shock at the pop siren, having temporarily lost all capability of thought the moment she heard those words. Rara noticed the expression on Twilight's face, and could not suppress the little knowing smile on her own muzzle.
"It's alright," she said as Twilight struggled to regain her train of thought. "I understand perfectly."
"B-but why?" Twilight asked, incredulous. "I mean, you're not offended by it?" Rara shook her head. "But why? I mean, you don't find it the least bit offensive that I might have judged you based on appearance?"
To Twilight's continued befuddlement Coloratura simply shrugged and said, "Actually if I'm being completely honest, this would not be the first time my personal hairdresser has gotten carried away, and I've been compared to a siren thanks to him overdoing it. You would not believe how often it actually happens. Now, I of course wanted to give as little away as possible when in public, but Svengallop said it would help to draw in fans."
Twilight quirked an eyebrow and put a hoof to her chin when Rara mentioned Svengallop, and what it meant concerning her encounter with him earlier today when he rambled on about exposing her secret. Had Svengallop known from the very start about the siren? She could not dwell on it long as Rara continued speaking.
"I actually remember this one time while touring around Manehatten a few years back when some history buff told me that I was emulating the sirens with my songs and my appearance. I think his name was Flare Blitz or something like that. Anyway he went on to give some of the fans a little history lesson on them to a few of my younger fans. Apparently hair stylist was one of the topics. At first I was scared that he would give me away, but it actually made them like me even more, like I was the real thing." Rara laughed a little. "If they only knew."
"But if this kind of thing has happened before, then why did you get scared when I brought it up?" Twilight asked.
Rara sighed through her nose and proceeded to explain, "It was when said the names of those three that sent me over the edge." It was hard for Twilight not to notice the slight edge in her voice as she said that. "Not once in my entire career as a singer has anypony brought them up, and I guess I just panicked."
"But why?"
Coloratura developed a far away look in her eyes as she gazed out of the small of her trailer. Twilight followed her line of sight to the groups of ponies still lingering about even after the show had ended almost an hour ago. Twilight however got the feeling that she was not really looking at them. And then she began to speak, her tone one of sadness and regret.
"A long time ago, years before Princess Luna tried to overthrow Celestia, three mysterious creatures unknown to almost everyone and everything above the waves appeared. At first their intentions seemed benign, as they did nothing on their own to upset the stability of the surface nations. At least that's what it looked like." Coloratura took a breath before continuing. "Eventually, after it became clear that something was happening to cause everyone to suddenly turn on each other, it was discovered that these three individuals were somehow responsible for it. The Princesses attempted to speak with them, and convince them to cease casting their spell song on the land." Turning to Twilight she stated, "I don't think I have to tell you what happened then."
Twilight merely shook her head and continued to listen.
"After those three were banished it was discovered that they were not the only ones of their kind to exist. Most of Equestria's leaders, your Princesses included, were of the opinion that it would simply be best to leave them alone." At this Rara's face turned sour. "There were unfortunately others, mostly politicians, that believed they were a threat that had to be dealt with before more came to invade. What they did not realize was that Equestria had already been invaded, although it was anything but a hostile takeover."
"What do mean?" Twilight asked, genuine curiosity in her voice, her studious traits leaking out at the prospect of learning an unknown piece of history.
Coloratura laughed lightly. "Truthfully Prin- oh excuse me, Twilight. The truth is, Twilight, that sirens have always been present, almost from the very beginning of Equestria's founding. I actually it was a little after the three pony tribes were united and the windigos were driven off that sirens first took notice of your then fledgling nation."
The mention of windigos brought a curious thought Twilight's mind and she asked, "Is there any relation between sirens and windigos? I mean, both feed on hate and negativity."
"True," Rara replied. "But that is the only similarity we have with them. And the way we do it doesn't affect the environment. In fact if anything sirens and windigos are bitter enemies, sometimes clashing with each other over our food supply. Uh, excuse the term."
Twiight simply shrugged and motioned for Rara to proceed.
"Anyway, even for a long time afterward there was still some animosity between the tribes. One does not simply find peace after being at each others throats for however many generations. And it was that animosity that drew us out of our homes in the sea. And so for many years afterward sirens have been secretly living with the ponies of Equestria, feeding on the ambient distrust and negativity of them."
"But wouldn't doing that make them even more hateful towards each other? Or are there other aspects of siren magic that allow you to feed without doing that?"
"You're right. You would think having us around would have been nothing but trouble for you ponies," Rara replied. " But in actuality, that only happens when a siren actively causes arguments to break out with her song. The rest of the time however we can just feed off of the ambient negativity off of ponies. In addition this method does nothing to harm the pony other than make them more agreeable. Believe it or not, but from I've been told that actually played a major part in helping the three tribes come together."
"Really?" Twilight said, receiving a nod from Rara. Twilight's eyes went wide at the prospect of sirens playing a secret role in the unification of Equestria. If what the pop star had just told her was true, then it was likely that without them then Equestria might have been very different than it was today. There was still one thing that bothered her regarding one of the sirens abilities. "What about mind control? Has that ever been a factor?"
When Twilight asked that question however she was surprised to see Rara suddenly scowl. Thinking that she had said something wrong, Twilight quickly began to apologize, only for the singer to cut her off with a wave of her hoof. "It's fine," she said, although the tone of her voice suggested otherwise. Realizing this, Rara closed her eyes for a few moments and inhaled deeply before letting out a calming breath. "I'm sorry," she said, and Twilight nodded even though she did not know what she could possibly be apologizing for, although she got the distinct feeling that she was going to find out.
After a brief moment of silence Rara began to speak. "It's just that even so long after those three have been banished, their actions still haunt our kind even centuries later. . . . You see, hypnotism and mind control is not an ability that a siren naturally possesses. To this day, it is still unknown how those three were able to obtain that kind of power, but their purpose was clear enough." Coloratura face shifted to a deeply angered scowl that Twilight would have been frightened of were it directed at her. Never-the-less it still set her ill at ease as Rara continued to speak.
"How could they have been so shortsighted? Did they not know that what they were going to do would have put a black mark on all of us?" Rara sighed as she seemed to calm down. "When ponies discovered that there were sirens living among them, right after the chaos that those three had caused, they began a sort of witch hunt, driving them out of their homes, destroying the lives that had built."
Coloratura's eyes glistened as she her gaze fell to the floor, and Twilight was alarmed to see a thin stream of tears slide down her face before falling, creating a dark blotch on the cheap carpet. She inhaled sharply, a deep stuttering breath that made it seem like she were doing everything just to keep herself from falling apart completely. Unsure what else to do, Twilight got up from her seat and hurried over to Rara, putting a comforting wing around around her withers. The siren responded by burying her head into Twilight's chest as more tears came.
When she seemed to recover enough she said, "Some of them. . . they had so much to live for. They had lives that they were proud of, ponies that they would have been proud to call friends. And many had even become more than friends with the ponies they lived with. They. . . I had somepony special." Twilight's eyes widened slightly in surprise at that, though she made no comment as she continued to listen. "I thought that I'd had something special. I thought he would always love me. . . but when I was found out, he. . . he. . ."
Rara faltered as she continued to quietly sob into Twilight's chest, staining the princess's coat, and it did not take much for Twilight to come to the conclusion that this was something very personal for the siren. She had of course known that the sirens that she had already encountered were responsible for much heartache in not one but two worlds, but never did she imagine just how widespread the damage was. And now here she was, hearing the full story from someone who was there to witness it. And in her heart, she felt true sorrow for the siren. . . no, her friend, who had lost so much. She was truly at a loss as to what to say. What could be said to help alleviate that kind of pain and loss? Twilight did not know, so she opted not to say anything just yet and let her friend let it out.
"I didn't know what to do then. For so long I just wandered around, never letting myself get close to anypony else ever again, kept myself distant because I was so afraid they would look at me for what I truly was, and all they would see was a monster," Rara said, beginning to quiet down a little. Her sobbing tapered off into stuttering breaths as Twilight held the siren close. "Everyday was the same for so long, keeping everypony at hooves length so that I would never have to experience that kind of pain again. . . . But then all of that changed one day."
"How so?" Twilight asked quietly, hoping that she was not pushing too hard.
"I met Applejack," Rara explained, and Twilight noticed that her tone was somewhat lighter, as though all it took to bring some measure of happiness to her was the mere mention of the farm pony's name. "I honestly don't know why, but whenever I was around her I would just feel. . . safe. Like all of the pain just didn't matter anymore. The way she talked to me, how she actually encouraged me to finally sing again. Every moment at Camp Friendship felt the best time of my life, all because of her."
As Rara spoke, Twilight noticed that a small smile had steadily begun to grow on her face. But it seemed that as soon as Twilight spotted it, it disappeared when she said, "And for so long I wanted to tell her the truth, hoping that even if she knew what I was she would still see me as a friend. But every time I tried to tell her, I would remember how much it hurt to be rejected for simply being what I am, and I would lose my nerve." Rara took a deep stuttering breath, visibly shaking. "You can't imagine how guilty I felt that even after we went our separate ways, I couldn't even bring myself to tell her in the letters we sent each other. Eventually I couldn't even respond to her anymore. I was just so afraid that if I told her the truth, that she would. . . she would. . ."
"Rara."
Rara looked up to see Twilight looking at her, and the Princess began to speak to her with the utmost conviction in her tone.
"I may not have known Applejack for as long as you have. And I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for you go through what you did. But if I have learned one thing in the time that I have known her, then it's that it does not matter in the least what you are. It's who you are that matters. And who you are, Rara, is nothing less than a genuine friend to those around you. And if you think even for one second that your friendship with Applejack will end simply because you're a siren, then you don't really know her at all." Finally breaking the embrace she had on the lavender alicorn, Rara wiped her eyes with a fetlock as she looked at Twilight, who thought for a moment that she saw a kindle of hope ignite in them. "Now, I can't force you to, but I sincerely believe that if you go to Applejack and tell her the truth, nothing between you will change. If anything, I think that your friendship will be all the stronger for it."
Sniffing, Rara asked with a slight amount of trepidation in her voice, "You. . . you really think so?"
Twilight nodded, not even once doubting that what she was saying was the absolute truth. "What do you say?" she asked as she stretched out a hoof towards the siren. "Are you willing to trust me?"
It was early morning in Equestria, but the day had already begun for the ponies of Sweet Apple Acres.
Young Applebloom was preparing for a day at school. Big Macintosh was busy fixing the plow, which had become bent once again from the previous day. Granny Smith was inside, busying herself cleaning up the house.
As the rest of her family tended to their own chores and tasks, Applejack was busy setting out empty barrel halves underneath he branches of apple trees. This took no more than half an hour, after which she proceeded to walk up to each tree and give it a swift kick to the trunk. Years of practice carried through her legs and into the wood, vibrating the tree until the apples were shaken from the stems and fell into the waiting barrels below.
Applejack carried on this manner, and before long she had worked up a good sweat. And all the while in the back of her mind she thought of her friend, Rara. It would not be long before she would have to depart from Ponyville to host a concert somewhere else in Equestria, and when she did leave, Applejack would be there to wish her the absolute best of luck. She only wished that Rara would have been able to stay for a little longer that the party that Pinkie Pie was undoubtedly planning. Celestia knows that it has been a long time since they had last seen each other, and she was itching to catch up with all that her friend had been up to.
As Applejack continued about her work, thinking over what would be said in their conversation, she noticed that two figures were moving towards her. And they were ones that she recognized, and was more than happy to take a break for.
"Howdy Twi! Howdy Rara!" Applejack shouted over to them as they approached at a casual pace. Choosing to meet them halfway, Applejack trotted over to them to greet them personally.
"Hello Applejack," Twilight greeted, while Rara simply smiled and dipped her head in acknowledgment. Applejack didn't think too much on that as embraced each in friendly hug.
"So what brings y'all here to Mah humble little apple farm?" she asked. "Ah mean, not that Ah don't mind the company, 'specially when it's you two. What can Ah do ya for?"
Neither pony answered, although Applejack did take notice of the way Twilight was looking expectantly at Rara. She also noticed that Rara seemed to be shaking slightly, and no matter what it seemed as though she couldn't bring herself make eye contact with the farm pony. Something was making her uncomfortable, and Applejack immediately became concerned. She put a comforting hoof on her friends shoulder.
"Hey," she said. "Is everythin' alright? What's wrong Rara? Whatever it is, Ah'll help ya any way Ah can."
Before replying Rara glanced over at Twilight, giving her a questioning look that the Princess responded with a comforting smile and a short nod. Setting her mouth in a thin line Rara turned back to Applejack.
"Applejack," she said. "There's something that I would like to tell you."
A knock at the front door of Sugarcube Corner caused Pinkie Pie's head to shoot up from behind the front counter. Wondering who it could possibly be, as the confectionary store was still closed until later, the pink mare casually trotted over to the front door, where she undid the lock and pulled the door open.
She was somewhat confused to be greeted by a large wooden crate with the "This Way Up" arrow pointing straight at the ground. And oddly enough a rough sound seemed to coming from inside. Pinkie briefly looked it over to see if there was a return address, but all that she found was a little stamp that said, To: The Pink One. From: Anonymous.
Humming in thought, Pinkie tried to guess who this was from, but unfortunately came up with nothing. And still that strange sound remained. It almost sounded like snoring to her ears.
Pinkie went back inside, before reappearing with a crowbar held in her teeth. Hopping up on top of the crate, she proceeded to violently jam one end of the tool under the lid, and pushed with all of her might until it finally popped open. Pinkie pried the lid off the rest of the way with her hooves, being careful to not injure herself on the nail points, and peered inside to see what had been sent to her.
When she saw what it was, Pinkie closed the lid before using the more blunt end of the crowbar to hammer it back into place. Afterward she proceeded to roll the crate into town. Each roll created a jarring impact that shook the crate to its framework, but it held up well enough. Eventually she reached her destination, the Ponyville Postal Office. Once there she purchased a stamp, which she placed over the original one. And on it she wrote, To: The Badlands. From: Your Pony Pal Pinkie Pie.
Her task complete, Pinkie Pie happily bounced back to Sugarcube Corner. She had a busy day ahead of her after all.
