"Arghhhhh! Darling!" I heard a voice yell, waking me up.

"What's going on..." I asked, not feeling focused.

"It's happening again!"

"Hold on, let me get you out slowly."

I grabbed Rarity by the hooves and took her out of bed, she was panting and breathing heavily. Her time to give birth was fast approaching and her stomach had grown a little bit more. She was moving more slowly than before and she had been feeling some pain since last month, but everyone of us was there for her.

"Are you okay love?" I asked her with worry.

"It's alright now darling, false alarm." she replied with her a sigh of relief. "I'm not sure if I want to go through this again."

I held her by the waist, standing on our back legs. "I can understand why, but I think it will all be worth it in the end."

"I know dear...and our little bundle of joy will be a moment to remember." we then shared a kiss before I heard a door knock.

I opened the door to see Pinkie and Applejack.

"Howdy there ya'll." Applejack greeted.

"Hi there!" Pinkie added. "We have big news!"

"Calm down, Pinkie." I replied. "What's the news?"

"Well it turns out doin' up a concert's the same as settin' up a rodeo!" Applejack said happily. "And thanks to Pinkie's connections organizing the Ponypalooza Rock Concert, we've got quite a lineup for the Helping Hooves Music Festival!"

"That's so cool." I replied.

"I have the most amazing news ever! It is totally gonna freak your frizz!" Pinkie exclaimed. "It wasn't easy. In fact, it was terribly difficult. But I have managed to book the biggest pony pop star in all of Equestria as the main attraction of the Helping Hooves Music Festival!"

"Sapphire Shores?" Rarity asked.

"Sapphire Shores?! Please! Sapphire Shores is merely the second biggest pony pop star in all of Equestria. I have booked the one, the only, Countess Coloratura!"

"C-C-C-C-Countess Coloratura?"

"Uhhh, who is Countess Coloratura?" I asked.

Pinkie's mane suddenly frizzled up like she was turning into a super saiyan. "My frizz has been freaked!"

"No it hasn't, I just asked a question. I know a few months have gone by but you know that I don't read magazines or newspapers."

"Anyways! How how how how how have you not heard of her?!"

"And then I said that I knoe a gal named Coloratura when I was just a filly." Applejack added. "Wouldn't it just be the funniest thing if that Coloratura and this Coloratura were the same Coloratura!"

"Yeah, that would be kinda ironic." I replied.

"So we were wondering if you could help go through any hoops, a whole lot of hoops! That pony is very demanding!" Pinkie said.

"Well, I'd be able to help of course, but you know that Rarity is due sometime soon and I don't wanna put her in harms way."

"No it's alright darling, I completely understand." Rarity assured. "We artistes require certain necessities in order to do our best work."

"Are you sure, love, you want to help too?"

"Yes, I really do want to."

"Alright, then we'll both be able to help with anything you need."

"Thank you!" Pinkie replied happily. "Let's go see the others, they're already where the stage is being set up."

Rarity and I left the house with Pinkie and Applejack, before we met up with Rainbow, Fluttershy, Twilight and Spike. After a moment of talking, Applejack began to feel like something was on her mind.

"This was clearly some sort of misunderstandin', 'cause Rara was just as down home as me!"

"Wait, Rara?" I asked.

"Even that big name was too fancy for her, so I shortened Coloratura to Rara! We had the best time at Camp Friendship! Rara was just so easy goin'! We were like two apples from the same branch. Rara and I prepared this song for the camp talent show. When we performed, she belted it out, singin' in the most colorful, clear voice I've ever heard!"

She then gave us a brief sample of what the song was and I kinda liked it. She then continued. "After camp, we wrote to each other for a bit, but... then we lost touch. But Rara always did want to go to Manehattan to try and make it big. But a demandin' diva? Just you wait, Pinkie. Once Rara gets here, you'll see she's just a plain old pony like you an' me."

"I don't have to wait – she's here!" Pinkie said.

"Really?"

Suddenly, some random pop music began to play and a bright light shone above some sort of carriage with several ponies coming out.

"Countess Coloratura!" Pinkie squealed before she fainted, which was almost deafening.

"Clear the way! Stand back! Keep your hooves and tail to yourselves!" The lead pony said with the other following behind him.

"No... that can't be her!" Applejack muttered before she moved forward to her. "Um... hi. Remember me? We met at Camp Friendship? I gave you the nickname Rara?"

"AJ?" the mare replied.

"Yeah, heh...howdy, Rara!"

There was some whispering by the stallion, I began to assume that he's the manager. He then handed out something red with a stamp and Rara placed a stamp of a horseshoe on Applejack's cheek.

"Hoofsies!" she declared, which I thought was kinda cute.

"Ooh, you got hoofsies from Countess Coloratura! Look!" Rarity exclaimed with delight."Ooh, she clearly thinks you're very special!"

We then saw Rara give hoofsies to the other ponies in a line.

"Yeah...real special." Applejack muttered. I guess that wasn't quite the welcome she was expecting.

One the stallions stood in Rara's way as the manager took her away from the line.

"Now that's how you make an entrance! Big, bold, absolutely stunning!" the manager said. "Though it was muddied a bit with your interaction with that dusty farmpony. Do you actually know her?"

"Oh yeah, that's my childhood fillyfriend, AJ!" Rara replied. "She was the one that started calling me Rara." Rara seemed happy to talk about her, but her manager was clearly being uptight about it.

"Oh yes, how cute and...common. Of course, I was the one that started calling you Countess, and just look at how you've moved up in Equestria since then! Why, you've gotten everything you've ever wanted! Speaking of which, where is the pony Pinkie Pie?"

Pinkie suddenly turned up with a wagon full of stuff. "Ooh! I'm the pony Pinkie Pie Mr. Manager sir!"

"Do you have the water imported from Rainbow Falls that I requested for Countess Coloratura?"

"I have twenty glass containers full right here!"

"Did I not tell you to provide straws in all of Countess Coloratura's beverages?"

"Uh, I don't think so. But lucky for you I have the biggest straw collection in Equestria! I call this straw Fernando."

I wasn't sure what to make of that, I only know Fernando as a holiday destination, not a straw.

The manager didn't seem impressed. "Hm. Let us confirm that you acquired the rest of the items that Countess Coloratura requested before she performs her run-through, shall we?"

"Ooh, we shall!"

"Floral arrangements from the royal Canterlot gardens... chocolate eclairs made by Gustave le Grande... a selection of crystals from the Crystal Empire... freshly picked cherries from Cherry Jubilee's farm separated red from yellow..."

"Abso-tootley!"

"Well, by some miracle your requests have been reasonably met. So let us move on...to rehearsal!" They then left. "See, Applejack? Demanding!" Pinkie silently commented, taking Rara's requested items with her.

Applejack wasn't feeling right about it. "The Rara I knew didn't hide behind a veil givin' out fake stamp kisses, sippin' up imported water, and needin' her cherries separated..."

"Oh I do understand. Sometimes it's hard to see our friends change." Rarity replied.

"She's become a whole other pony!"

"Maybe once you see Countess Coloratura perform, you simply won't believe it?" Twilight asked.

I wasn't feeling convinced. "Maybe, but I have to say...is it me or does her manager sound like a complete, stuck up jerk?"

"You're right darling, I'm afraid that most of the managers that watch over the artists are like that." Rarity replied.

Just then, the lights on the stage went off, looks like it was rehearsal time for Rara as the music began to play.

Time for the spectacle

Time for the show

The lights are bright and the colors glow

I'm not just anypony

I think you know

The time is now, it's about to go!

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

Give me more

Razzle dazzle

Glitter eyes, big surprise

Lights, cameras

Razzle dazzle

Glitz and glam

Turn it all up, it's a spectacle

Hear the applause

Here to impress

Not just a pony, I am the Countess!

When it was over, the ponies cheered except Applejack who wasn't buying it at all.

"Rarity was right! I don't believe it!" she said.

"I don't believe what I'm seeing here, either." I added. "Did you notice anything about it?"

"Well correct me if I'm wrong here, but that fellow isn't actually complimentin' Rara. He's congratulatin' all the bells and whistles he's piled on to make her Countess Coloratura."

"Oh nonononono, you don't understand, Applejack!" Rarity said, intervening a little. "Creating all of those elements is a lot of work, and Countess Coloratura's performance wouldn't exist without them."

"Oh, if we're all done here, I'd love to go back to my trailer and rest, Svengallop." Rara said.

"Actually, right now you're scheduled for your meet and greet with the schoolponies!" Pinkie said, holding a noticeboard.

"Ugh, I can totally get you out of meeting with the schoolponies, Countess." the manager whispered and I caught Applejack looking displeased.

"Absolutely not. My favorite part of any event is meeting with the schoolponies!" Rara said, almost standing her ground which made Applejack happy.

"The schoolponies'll be so happy to hear that, Rara!" she said, escorting Rara to the filly school.

"Excuse me, common farm pony, I do the escorting around here." he boldly stated.

"Oh really?" I asked with a smirk look, flying and standing towards him. "You call one seventh of the heroes who has saved Equestria three times a common farm pony?"

"That farm pony, a hero?" he then chuckled. "Very amusing and you are an alicorn, but you are not a manager. Now if you'll excuse me, Countess Coloratura needs me." he trotted off away and in the same direction as Rara and Applejack were going.

After the filly school event, I got Rara's attention for a bit of her time whilst Applejack went to see Pinkie about something. "Hi Rara, you mind if I talk to you about your manager?" I asked.

"Sure, but who are you and what about him?" she asked back.

"Oh right, the name's Prince Bond Racer. You might recognise me from some of my accomplishments with the elements of harmony?"

"Yes, I remember hearing about that one time. Do I need to bow to you?"

"No it's okay, I'm not keen on royal formalities." I then cleared my throat before Applejack alongside me.

"Oh AJ, what is it?"

"Well, while you were meetin' with the schoolponies, he was demandin' all sorts of stuff from Pinkie Pie." Applejack replied.

"I was gonna say that..." I muttered before remaining quiet.

"Svengallop works very hard as my manager AJ, so if he needs some things when we're on the road, I don't see anything wrong with that." Rara said.

"Well do you see somethin' wrong with him tellin' Pinkie that if she doesn't get those things by tomorrow, he'll pull you from our charity festival?"

"What? But he knows how important charity is to me, and leaving the festival would completely ruin my image!"

"I'm afraid Svengallop doesn't give a pickled pippin about your charity work."

"That's not true! Svengallop has always supported me in all my interests. You're just saying those things because you're jealous!"

"Jealous of what? A pony who hides behind a veil so thick she can't see when somepony's usin' her? No, I'm not jealous of that, Rara."

"I am not Rara, I am Countess Coloratura! And while we may have been friends while we were young, we have clearly gone in different directions!"

What I then said was gonna burn her. "Is that you talking, or is that Svengallop speaking for you?"

She gasped and she walked away with her head up in the air, I guess I made her mad.

"Uhh Bond, that's wasn't a smart thing to say." Applejack commented. "But you are right! He's manipulatin' her, and she's just not seein' it!"

"Hmm, do you have an idea of how you can make her see it?"

Applejack came up with an idea. "I know, I'll try to get Rara to do exactly what I say and then we'll see if that Svengallop truly has her best interests at heart."

"Okay, you go and try that. I've gotta go to Rarity and hope she's okay, with the pregnancy and all."

"Alrighty, I'll come and get you if this don't work."

I nodded, leaving the grounds and flying back home where I saw Rarity practising breathing techniques outside our home. I landed down and sat beside her, wrapping my left foreleg around her, she smiled back and kissed me.

"How was it darling, was she amazing?" she asked.

I then explained what Applejack had said and how I saw things from my view, even adding that we might need a back-up plan just in case.

"I see, dear...but it's like I said earlier. Some managers are like that."

"I know and thinking about it, we've seen Sapphire Shores twice. But she doesn't have a manager and she's doing fine."

"You are right and about pulling Countess Coloratura out of the event, I believe that would make the manager look just as bad as her, possibly even worse."

"Which is why I think we should be on standby, you never know when something goes horribly wrong."

"Agreed...alright, we'll see what we can do if Applejack needs us. For now, let's go on in, lunch is almost ready."

"Yummy!"

We walked in, giggling as we prepared for lunch. After our lunch, we walked back to the stage to find Twilight using her magic to create a screenplay, showing footage of Svengallop making more demands to pinkie behind a caravan. Looks like they beat us to it and it worked.

"So that's how you've been managing things?" Rara asked, displeased with what she just saw.

"Yeah, so? What's the problem?" Sven retorted.

"The problem is you've been using my name to intimidate ponies to get what you want!"

"But I work incredibly hard for you! I deserve everything I get!"

"But not because you scare ponies into thinking I won't perform for their charities otherwise! I would never do that to my fans! Which is why you should have known that I would never cancel the schoolponies' contest!"

"Hm, all this charity and schoolpony contest nonsense is just remnants of that boring little Rara I met back in Manehattan!

"You clearly don't understand the real me!"

"Ha, that's a joke! I made you somepony! What can you even do without me? Good luck, Countess Coloratura! Good luck."

And just like that, he trotted off and was out of sight, looks like the manager was fired, good riddance.

"Oh, Rara, I'm so sorry! Are you gonna be okay for the concert tonight?" Applejack asked.

"Of course! After all, the show must go on!" she replied with a moment of confidence.

Sometime later, it was the early evening a crowd had gathered at the Charity event. Rarity and Applejack were working backstage with Rara and it looks like it was about to start as Twilight out on stage. "Good evening, everypony! Welcome to opening night of the Helping Hooves Music Festival! Now it is my great honor to introduce you to our headlining act, Countess Coloratura!"

The performance began and Rara started to sing with me enjoying it a lot.

I'm here to show you who I am

Threw off the veil, it's finally time

There's more to me than glitz and glam, oh-whoa

And now I feel my stars align

For I had believed what I was sold

I did all the things that I was told

But all that has changed, and now I'm bold

'Cause I know

That I am just a pony

I make mistakes from time to time

But now I know the real me

And put my heart out on the line

And let the magic in my heart stay true, whoa, whoa, whoa

And let the magic in my heart stay true, whoa, whoa, whoa

Just like the magic inside of you

And now I see those colors

Right before my eyes

I hear my voice so clearly

And I know that it is right

They thought I was weak, but I am strong

They sold me the world, but they were wrong

And now that I'm back I still belong

'Cause I know

That I am just a pony

I make mistakes from time to time

But now I know the real me

And put my heart out on the line

And let the magic in my heart stay true, whoa, whoa, whoa

And let the magic in my heart stay true, whoa, whoa, whoa

Just like the magic inside of you

Just like the magic inside of you

The crowd cheered and this time I got involved and so did Applejack who I saw clapping away.

"Thank you, everypony!" she said to all of us. "When I arrived at the Helping Hooves Music Festival, I had forgotten who I really was! But then an old friend reminded me what real friendship is about, and she told me that if I was true to myself, I couldn't go wrong!" She then brought up the CMC's on stage to do a bonus performance with Sweetie singing most of the parts. Rarity felt like a proud sister in that moment.

It was all over then and it was time for the show to be wrapped up. Rarity and I said our farewells to Rara before I apologised to her for my remark earlier, she accepted it with a hug. We left for home and walked back, getting inside and up the stairs, into our bed.

It's hard to believe that in the space of many years, ponies can change and sometimes, it's not for the better. But thanks to Applejack and the rest of us, she was able to go back to what made her Applejack's filly friend. Talk about reunited friendship, it's all good. Next Chapter: The Cutie Re-Mark Pt. 1 Estimated time remaining: 28 Minutes