9. Beautiful (Part 2)
Vinyl looked up at the grand clock on top of Canterlot Town Hall, which put the time at half-past-eight. She bit her lip and looked over at Octavia, who was taking slow and deliberate steps towards the doors to the hall.
"Why exactly did you want to show up late to this?" Vinyl asked. "I figured you would have wanted to be here from the start.”
"I didn't see a reason to show up early," Octavia calmly replied.
Vinyl cocked her head to the side. "What? Tavi, this whole thing is about you. Well your 'other' personality."
Octavia rolled her eyes. "It's hardly a case of schizophrenia."
"Alright, your 'extracurricular activities?'"
"I'm not in school anymore, you know."
Vinyl sighed. "Alrighty then, what about—"
"Vinyl! Please, can you just be quiet for a minute?!" she snapped. Almost immediately, Octavia's face fell. She turned away and lowered her head to the ground. "I..."
She continued stumbling over her words until Vinyl walked over and patted her on the back. "It's alright. I know you're nervous."
"I can't help it," Octavia mumbled. "I know nopony knows who Flanksy really is, but I still feel like I’m in the spotlight anyway. I don't like it, Vinyl. I'm worried."
"You really don't have to be," Vinyl said. "I hope this doesn't sound mean, but you're kinda facing major criticism for the first time. It's always nerve-racking. I mean, I was kinda a wreck the first time The Canterlot Stranger reviewed a set of mine. The whole day before, I was pacing back and forth, and—"
"It's not that I'm worried about," Octavia said." It's... something else; there's a lot of uncertainty about tonight that is making me nervous."
Vinyl chuckled. "I'm assuming that's why you brought that?" she said motioning at a shopping bag in Octavia's hoof.
Octavia smiled, then trotted over to a small alley behind city hall. She carefully hid the bag behind a dumpster. "Yes. Just in case there's a break in the proceedings, this might be a good way to alleviate some anxiety, not to mention the chance to embarrass Blueblood again. He may not have done anything to my art in the park, but the mere act of locking the gates is a slap in my face."
She turned and walked past Vinyl, towards the Castle Auditorium, with Vinyl trotting alongside her. As they got close, Vinyl kept waking, but paused when she realized she was now alone. She looked behind her to find Octavia's pace had slowed and a few beads of sweat were sliding down her face. Octavia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then caught up with Vinyl as they reached the large doors to the Castle Auditorium. A few ponies were loitering around the entrance, chatting, and there was a general din coming from inside the room.
"I suppose there's no sense in putting this off any longer…" Octavia muttered.
Vinyl stepped up next to Octavia, smiling. "Just take a deep breath and don't worry about it."
"You're right," Octavia said, pulling the door open. "This is just a public forum, no need to—"
"—and she is a disgusting blemish on the face of Canterlot!" a voice boomed from inside. They both looked in to find an absolutely packed auditorium, with ponies not only taking up all the seats but lining the aisles on the side of the auditorium, all talking. At the front of the auditorium were two figures. One was Prince Blueblood, who was angrily standing in front of a podium, glaring back and forth at the crowd as if he were a dictator drumming up support. Behind him was a long table where Princess Celestia was sitting, staring at Blueblood with a perplexed look on her face. Octavia and Vinyl glanced at each other and stood at the back as Blueblood continued his rant.
"Canterlot is a beautiful city. The fact that Flanksy believes that she is somehow making this city more beautiful only shows that she is either arrogant or delusional. Clearly, it is time that something is done about her—permanently!" As he finished his sentence, noise rose up from the crowd. Many were cheering and many were booing, but from the look on Blueblood's face, he wasn't happy with the ratio. He snorted. "The last thing that this city needs is some psychotic artist ruining every wall in sight!"
As he continued ranting, Vinyl leaned over. "Geez, he's all worked up tonight. Didn't know he cared so much about the park."
"He can't."
Vinyl raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
Octavia shook her head. "He can't care this much about the park. If he did, he would have cleaned it up by now."
Blueblood finally banged a large glowing gavel on the podium, silencing the crowd. Before he could continue, a pony rose from her seat and approached the microphone set up in the middle of the room. Octavia leaned forward to get a good look at her. "Huh. Her again…"
"Who is that?" Vinyl asked.
"I've seen her a few times. She's a huge fan of Flanksy. She actually started painting because of me."
Amethyst Star glanced around the room, momentarily pausing when she saw Octavia in the back. "Blueblood,"
"That's Prince Blueblood to you," Blueblood snorted back.
"Oh, sorry. Prince Blueblood, I'm just wondering, are you going to be cleaning up the park? Cause I kinda like the way it looks with all the colors on the trees, and the cool fountain." Many of the ponies in the auditorium nodded and murmured, but Blueblood just rolled his eyes.
"The park? Who cares about the park! This is about far more than that. But yes: with what I am proposing, the park will be completely restored—as will everything else that Flanksy has defiled!"
The crowd talked amongst themselves for a few moments before Amethyst talked again. "Um… what do you mean?"
"I mean that this is about more than the park. Why on earth would I call a meeting about some patch of green? This is about Flanksy herself… Namely, it’s about ending this right now before it gets any worse!"
Again, the crowd chittered amongst themselves. As they did, Octavia subconsciously backed up until she was pressed against the far wall. She glanced around nervously for a few seconds, then looked back at Blueblood. There was a spark in his eyes as he glared back and forth, then turned his head back to look at Princess Celestia.
"That is precisely why I called this meeting," Blueblood said. “Aunt Celestia, I am hereby asking for the authority to arrest Flanksy immediately. With your permission, I can not only eradicate the disgusting art around the city, but I can take the perpetrator and have her thrown in the castle dungeon, or exiled from Canterlot! "
Octavia began to hyperventilate. As soon as she saw a pony look her way, she bit her lip and tried to keep herself composed. On the stage, Princess Celestia beckoned Blueblood over. He reluctantly abandoned his place at the podium to talk to her.
"Blueblood," she said quietly. "Are you really resorting to public intimidation tactics?"
"Precisely," Blueblood said, unable to contain his smirk. "Once Flanksy hears about this, she'll have no choice but to surrender herself! That will take care of this problem once and for all."
"But like this? With threats of exile and imprisonment? Blueblood, this has the potential to set a precedent. Ponies could become terrified of royal guards, or of the royal family itself!"
Blueblood scoffed. "Well you know what they say about omelets, auntie," he said, then turned back to the main microphone. The murmurs from the crowd had grown into a much louder chatter, and Blueblood raised a hoof to quiet them. At the microphone, Amethyst Star cleared her throat.
"Um, but Mr. Blueblood, I think a lot of ponies like the park the way it is now! We want to see it up close, not just through the gate!" To Octavia's surprise, the crowd responded mostly positively. Blueblood just shook his head.
"The park is irrelevant!" Blueblood waved a hoof dismissively. "This meeting is not about the park, this meeting is about Flanksy. There are so many ponies whose lives she has effected negatively. Graham, would you come up to the microphone?"
A few ponies turned their heads to an old pony sitting near the back of the room wearing a blue hat with a red feather in it. Realizing that all eyes were on him, he stood up and slowly hobbled up to the microphone as Amethyst retook her seat. Vinyl glanced over at Octavia, and saw that her face had gone white.
"You okay?" she asked.
"I… I never cleaned up the wall of the toy shop," Octavia whispered, shaking her head. "I just left it up there."
Vinyl pursed her lips, trying to find the right words. "Uh… yeah, but I mean…" She couldn't figure out what to say next, so she just went quiet as the old pony stepped to the microphone.
"Yes, Blueblood?" the pony asked with a crackling, yet dignified, voice.
"Graham, the wall of your toy shop was absolutely desecrated by Flanksy. Not only that, but it wasn't in the name of 'art' or 'rebellion,' but merely a way for her to display her name; a truly disgusting show of arrogance! Now wouldn't you prefer it if that had never happened?"
Graham scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I suppose. I'm not a big fan of what she did, and I'm surprised she never cleaned it up, given that she only half finished it. She just sorta abandoned the wall."
Blueblood nodded knowingly as the crowd mumbled. He motioned for Graham to sit down, then pointed at another pony. "If you would?"
At the very front of the room, a pony stood up. She was wearing an elegant grey dress, and a pair of glasses perched on the edge of her muzzle, and she carefully pushed her way through the crowd towards the microphone.
"Who is that?" Vinyl whispered.
"I haven't the foggiest idea," Octavia replied. "I've never seen her before in my life."
The pony finally worked her way up to the microphone and brushed a greying hair out of her eyes. "Blueblood, is this really why you called me here? To use me as some sort of example?"
"Heavens no, Miss Chisel!" Blueblood insisted. "I feel your input is very important tonight."
"Chisel…" Octavia mumbled. She rolled the name back and forth in her head for a moment before her eyes widened. "Marble Chisel!"
"That name sounds familiar," Vinyl whispered.
"She's a sculptor! She's done a lot of work around Canterlot, like—" She went quiet for a few moments, then spoke in an even more hushed tone. "Like the statue of Celestia…"
"Miss Chisel," Blueblood continued, "I am curious: how did it feel to have something you had worked so hard at destroyed? You must have put years into working on that statue!"
"It was a few weeks, Blueblood," Chisel replied.
"The point remains the same: Flanksy ravaged your sculpture nonetheless. Not to mention the fact that not only has nopony cleaned it up, but some ponies have actively wanted to keep it the way it is! Doesn't that make you angry?"
Marble Chisel sighed. "Well, I guess if you put it that way, it would make any artist angry. But wouldn’t destroying her art just do—"
“See!?” Blueblood yelled, interrupting her. “All Flanksy has done is ruin everything she has touched! Look at the lives who Flanksy's so-called 'art' has destroyed. She is not an artist, she is a plague on the very face of Canterlot! She..."
While Blueblood continued his angry rant, Octavia pressed herself back against the wall, hoping beyond hope that she could somehow blend in like a chameleon. Though the crowd was paying attention to Blueblood, she still felt as though all eyes were on her. Her legs shook uncontrollably with anxiety and her head lowered close to the ground as Blueblood finally came to the end of his speech.
"—which is why it's time this ends. Flanksy has turned Canterlot into her own personal playground. No, 'playground' is far too nice a word. She has turned Canterlot into her own personal barnyard! If I had the authority to arrest her, then we could be rid of her once and for all! Canterlot can go back to being the flawless city it once was. Everything she did can be undone, and—"
"No!!"
Octavia's eyes widened. She looked up and over at Vinyl, but realized that Vinyl was just as surprised as she was. She turned to the front of the room, to where a third pony had gotten up to the microphone, and Octavia recognized her immediately. Amethyst Star shook her head in surprising anger, nearly yelling into the microphone.
"You can't just say that! Flanksy has done so much good for Canterlot!"
Blueblood laughed. "Good? What good, pray tell, has she done?"
"Blueblood, Celestia," Amethyst began, her voice quieting down. "I've lived in Canterlot my whole life. I've been trying to find something to do here, something creative, but it wasn’t until Flanksy showed up that I started painting. Painting has become so important to me, and I've been able to make other ponies happy with the art I've made. So at the very least, can't you say that Flanksy has made my life better?"
"I'd barely consider changing a single pony's life for the better a massive achievement," Blueblood said. A surprised gasp rose from the crowd, which quickly turned into angry muttering. Blueblood began to sweat as he looked back at Celestia, who was glaring at him. He immediately turned back and waved his hoof. "W-wait, I certainly didn't mean it like that! Obviously your life is important, but in the grand scheme of things, I think that a single pony—"
"Well it's not just me!" Amethyst interrupted. "I think a lot of ponies are liking what she's done. Not only that, but even the stuff you pointed out has positives. Graham, there had to be some good to come from Flanksy spraying your wall!"
Graham stood up and rubbed his chin. For a few moments the smile returned to Blueblood's face, but Graham held his hoof up in the air and walked back to the microphone. "Well, suppose that I've had a lot more customers since she did it. Guess that all the ponies wanting to see it lead to them discovering the shop."
"See?" Amethyst said, then turning around. "Miss Chisel. With all due respect, I want to ask you something important. What do you think of what Flanksy did to the statue, as an artist? I know you are one of Canterlot's most well known artists, so look past how it affected you directly and tell me what it meant to you as an artist!"
Marble Chisel stood still for a few moments. She looked up at Blueblood, who responded with a head shake, then back around at the crowd before she stepped forward to the microphone. She remained silent for a bit longer before she closed her eyes, sighed, and smiled.
"I've never seen an artist in Canterlot make such a strong statement. To be quite honest, I don't think I've seen any artist do it. While I may not like what she did to the statue, I cannot help but admire a pony willing to be so controversial."
"Excuse me?!" Blueblood yelled. "You admire her? After everything she did? I refuse to believe that. Flanksy has done awful things to Canterlot, awful things that nopony could possibly enjoy! I'm merely trying to protect the ponies in Canterlot from this rubbish."
"And what about the park?" Amethyst yelled back at him. "Every single pony in Canterlot has only been able to see what she did through the gaps in the fence. Why is it that you get to decide what we see? Shouldn't you let ponies make the decision for themselves if they like the art or not? It’s public property, so it should be up to the public to decide what is done! You're not 'protecting' anypony, you're just blocking us based on your own opinion!"
Octavia's head raised up. Amethyst was taking deep breaths to try to calm herself down, while the assembled ponies looked around at each other. A tense silence filled the air as Octavia waited for Blueblood to respond, but before he did, other voices began to raise up from the crowd.
"Hey, yeah!"
"I wanna see the park!"
"Why does Blueblood get to decide everything?!"
"Yeah, impeach Blueblood!" Vinyl yelled with a smirk. Even through her anxiety, Octavia couldn't help but chuckle. Her eyes gradually widened as more and more ponies started yelling. Blueblood frustratedly banged the gavel into the podium, sweating as the crowd finally calmed down. Before he could say anything, Princess Celestia smiled and spoke first.
"Blueblood, it would seem that just as many ponies are interested in keeping Flanksy's art up," she said. "You haven't given me a real argument for why I should let you remove it all, much less arrest her in the first place. Now, unless you can—"
"She called you ignorant!" Blueblood suddenly yelled. Celestia closed her mouth, staring at Blueblood as he breathed angrily through his nose, then continued. "Celestia, regardless of what ponies think, one fact remains: she directly insulted you. When she called you ignorant, she didn't just insult the most important pony in all of Equestra, she lashed out at Equestria itself. The fact that this has gone unchecked for this long is a travesty. Now I will ask you directly: do you want Flanksy to be stopped now, when she is making your image ugly, or would you prefer it be later? Would you really want to wait until she has begun setting monuments on fire and and trying to lead some sort of rebellion?!"
Princess Celestia didn't speak. She closed her eyes as if lost in deep thought, leading to a hush through the entire room. After what felt like an eternity to Octavia, Celestia sighed.
"I suppose I cannot rule out that possibility, can I?" The crowd murmured as Octavia began to sweat again. Princess Celestia stood up at the front of the room. "I think I have heard all I need to hear, but I need to do a bit of thinking first. I'm going to call for a recess to this meeting so I can come to a decision."
With that, Celestia stood up and walked off the stage. Blueblood turned around, not even bothering to hide his smirk. "You heard her, this meeting has been called into intermission!" he authoritatively yelled, slamming his gavel down on the podium in triumph. The crowd in the auditorium quickly dissipated, all wrapped up in their own conversations about what had happened.
Vinyl and Octavia quietly broke away from the mass of ponies that had settled outside. Octavia's face was blank, and Vinyl finally decided to speak up.
"How are you feeling, Tavi?"
Octavia let out a long sigh. "I'm not sure. I don't know what's going to happen. A lot of ponies stood up for me, but… well, Blueblood seemed to be very passionate. Not to mention that Celestia at least seemed curious about that last thing he said."
"Oh come on!" Vinyl responded. "I don't think you're about to start setting stuff on fire! He was just saying that to intimidate everyone!"
"Yes, and it may have worked," Octavia said. "Nopony knows what Flanksy is going to do next. For all everypony knows, Flanksy is going to do those things Blueblood says, and Celestia will try to prevent it…"
Realizing that Octavia's knees were shaking, Vinyl looked around, trying to find something to take her mind off the situation. She looked off in the distance and saw the very top of city hall, then smiled and tapped Octavia on the shoulder.
"You know, if you're anxious…"
Octavia looked up. She saw the knowing smile on Vinyl's face, and smiled herself. "That is true. I wonder how long this recess is going to last. It might give me time to run a quick 'errand'"
Vinyl laughed. "Totally! You gotta stick it to Blueblood again. Or, ya know, if you go down, you go down fighting!"
"Y-yes," Octavia said. "I guess that is definitely a possibility. So I'll—"
"Um, hi," a voice came from behind. Octavia and Vinyl turned around, to find Amethyst Star pawing at the cobblestone ground awkwardly.
"Oh, hello again," Octavia said. Amethyst looked around nervously before finally replying.
"Can we, uh, talk in private?"
"Hey, I'm Tavi's closest friend. If you have something to say to her, you can say it to me too," Vinyl said.
"No, it's like super important and private."
"I'm sorry, I don't think I quite follow," Octavia said. Amethyst sighed, and took another look around, making sure no other ponies were in the area. Finally, she leaned forward and spoke quietly.
"I just need to say… look, I know who you are."
A chill shot through Octavia’s body.. She took a few moments to gather her thoughts, then spoke. "Oh… if that is what you want to talk about, you can talk in front of Vinyl. She knows too."
Vinyl's eyes widened. "Wait, you know? Have you told—"
Amethyst immediately shook her head. "No, I promise I haven't told anypony! I'd never do that!
Octavia nodded. "I had an inkling that you knew, I'll admit. The way you've acted around me, it just felt like you were hiding something."
Amethyst blushed. "Yeah, it's been kinda hard not to freak out around you."
"Wait wait wait!" Vinyl said. "How the heck do you know?!"
"I'm curious about that myself," Octavia added.
"Remember when we ran into each other when Miss—well, Chic Trend was ranting near the statue? I remember that you had this coat I really liked, so it stuck in my mind. The next night at the show, I ran into Flanksy, and she was wearing the same coat. Considering how rude she was to you…" Amethyst smiled. "Well, for me at least, it was easy to put two and two together."
Octavia sighed. "I should have figured as much. That was the only time I’ve worn that coat on its own. I’m glad nopony else saw me...”
"But anyway, I kinda need to tell you something right now. I've been wanting to say it for a while, but it seems like now is the best time to do it, so…"
Amethyst trailed off, gathering herself. Octavia and Vinyl nervously glanced at each other as Amethyst took a long breath with her eyes closed, then looked directly at Octavia.
"I need to say thank you," she said, smiling. "I've been trying to do stuff creatively my whole life. Nothing ever really worked out for me, but I think it's because I was trying so hard to be liked, and to become well known with my stuff. Then I saw what you were doing, and it, well, really inspired me. I've just been painting to be happy, to just challenge myself, and… well, I'm just really, really happy. I think what you're doing is amazing, it's totally unlike anything I've ever seen before, and you're just such an inspiration to me. So just, thank you. Thank you so much."
Octavia stood completely still, her eyes wide as she just stared at Amethyst. "I-I, um, appreciate that."
Amethyst blushed again. "Sorry for getting so sappy, but since I'm not sure if Celestia is going to stop things now, I figure now is the time to tell you." She looked around; then smiled. "I'm, uh, gonna get going. Just thought you should know all that. Thanks!"
Amethyst turned and walked off, rejoining the crowd outside the auditorium. Octavia and Vinyl Scratch just watched her go, both silent for a while.
"Whoa," Vinyl finally said, breaking the silence and grinning. "She's more than just some fangirl; you totally inspired her. That's pretty cool. No, that's pretty amazing! No matter what happens tonight, I bet that totally makes you feel great!" She waited, but there was no response. "Tavi?" she asked, turning to her friend.
Tears were cascading down Octavia's face, and her entire body was shivering almost uncontrollably. Vinyl gasped, but before she said anything, Octavia suddenly turned around and ran off, her head bowed down as she galloped away crying. Vinyl chased after her, but by the time that she had turned the corner, Octavia had disappeared.
---
As the minutes ticked by, Vinyl frantically ran from street to street. With every turn she made, she hoped that she would find Octavia, but no matter where she checked she couldn't find her friend. Her anxious pants became louder and louder as she ran through Canterlot. After a half hour of failure, she came to a halt in the center of a road.
"Okay, calm down," she said to herself. "You can find her. You have to find her. Where on earth could she have…" her thoughts quieted as she looked up at the building a block away: city hall. She blinked a few times, then shook her head. "I should have checked here first," she snapped to herself, running towards the familiar alley. When she got close she slowed down, then peeked her head around the corner.
Octavia sat up against the wall, holding her bag of supplies. She looked up at Vinyl with a tear-stained face, then just sniffled and turned away, closing her eyes as she clutched the bag tighter to her chest. Vinyl approached her and sat down, and Octavia immediately rested her head on her shoulder. Vinyl patted her on the back.
"It's alright, Tavi. I know you're anxious," Vinyl said, "but listen, I don't think Prince Blueblood is going to be able to arrest you. Celestia seems like she wants to be lenient. So even if they get rid of all your art, you should be fine."
"I don't care," Octavia muttered.
"Huh?"
"I don't care about any of that. I don't care about being arrested, I don't care about being 'fine,' I don't care about Celestia being lenient."
She rocked back and forth as Vinyl patted her again. More tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled the bag even tighter.
"I d-don't want everything I've worked for to be ruined again."
Vinyl stared down at her. It took a few moments for her to process what Octavia had said, and then sighed. "The Gala…"
"Was the w-worst night of my life. Since then, so much has happened, Vinyl. I'm doing something that is bringing me so much happiness, is bringing happiness to other ponies, is inspiring some ponies… and tonight, it c-could all end. I'm s-scared. I don't have any control over w-what's going to happen. I don't want to lose everything again, not now when I'm j-just figuring out what I want to do with it. I don't want it all to end."
She buried her head into the top of the bag, sniffling. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up, where Vinyl greeted her with a reassuring smile.
"Octavia, if anything, you're more in control now than you've ever been in your life." She repositioned herself so she was right next to Octavia, and turned her head. They looked out the alley, into the expanse of Canterlot. "You said it yourself: look how happy you are; look how much you've influenced and inspired the ponies in Canterlot. You're not powerless here; you are the reason all of this is happening."
Octavia wiped the tears out of her eyes. "Do you really think so?"
"Heck yeah!"
"B-but what if Celestia decides to erase everything? What if she gives Blueblood the authority to arrest me?"
Vinyl didn't have an answer. She and Octavia stared at each other for a few moments before Octavia looked down at the bag clutched to her chest. She slowly unzipped it and rummaged around until she pulled out a can of black paint. For a minute, she didn't speak, she just stared at the can. Finally she shook her head and closed her eyes for a minute. When she opened them again, Vinyl couldn't help but smile: the spark was back.
"I haven’t worried about authority since the moment I started this. Why should I start now?"
Vinyl laughed. "There we go, that's the spirit!"
Octavia smiled back and reached into the bag again, but the sound of a ringing bell in the distance stopped her. She and Vinyl both looked in the direction of the bell towards the auditorium.
"Sounds like Celestia's reached a decision," Vinyl said. She looked back at Octavia, then down at the bag in her hooves. "Are you gonna try sticking it one more time to Blueblood?"
Octavia shook her head. "I have to be there, Vinyl. I need to know. I don't care about the authority, but…" She trailed off, shivering a bit. "If everything is about to change, I need to know."
---
Octavia and Vinyl carefully worked their way back into the auditorium just as all the ponies had settled. They stood at the back of the room as Prince Blueblood again stood behind the podium at the front, a self-sure smile on his face. Octavia glared at him until Princess Celestia walked out onto the stage. Blueblood's smile only grew as he moved out of the way and graciously offered her the podium.
"I have reached a decision regarding the Flanksy situation. The fact is that there are ponies who greatly dislike what she is doing. They claim that she is dirtying Canterlot, ruining it with her unique brand of 'art,' and that it is going to lead to some form of moral downward spiral."
Blueblood's smile grew even wider as he smarmed at the crowd and Octavia gulped down a lump in her throat. Princess Celestia raised a hoof to silence the conversations of the crowd, then did something that caught Octavia off guard: she smiled.
"However, it is also clear that there are many ponies who enjoy it. Ponies have drawn inspiration from it, found her messages fascinating, and want to see what she does next. I understand that some are wary about what she could start doing, but I believe that her intentions, while certainly not innocent, are not malicious either. Therefore, I have made the decision to not authorize her arrest."
Octavia barely had time to breath a sigh of relief when she realized that the reaction from the ponies assembled was more positive than she expected. The smile had been wiped off of Prince Blueblood's face, and he stared wide-eyed back at Celestia.
"Excuse me?!" he practically screamed. "After everything she's done to me, and to you?"
"Blueblood, this comes down to a simple majority. More ponies enjoy her work than not, not to mention even the ponies you called up had positives to say about her. Therefore, I'm going to let her continue. That being said, I will authorize you to continue to watch her. You may let me know of any changes in her attitude or approach, but again, public opinion will have the final say in this, not you."
"B-but, but," Blueblood stammered, causing a few of the ponies in the crowd to laugh. "What about the park?"
"Regarding that, I feel you were premature in your closing of it. As I said before, I would prefer public opinion dictate what is done. Since you haven't let ponies experience what Flanksy did to the park, I'm going to ask that you unlock it for everyone."
This time, Blueblood's voice was loud enough to pierce glass. "What?!" he shrieked, causing many of the ponies in attendance to jerk back in shock. "But but but but—"
"Blueblood, for now my decision is final. I want you to reopen the park. I believe we have covered everything we need to, so I'm going to go ahead and dismiss this meeting. Thank you all very much for coming."
As ponies again separated and headed out of the exit, Princess Celestia left the stage, with a pleading Blueblood right behind her. Octavia and Vinyl left the auditorium and broke away from the crowd, heading in the direction of city hall. Once they were well out of earshot of the ponies and near to the alley, Vinyl spoke up.
"Alright! Score one victory for Flanksy, zero for Blueblood!" Vinyl excitedly said, practically bounding back and forth on her hooves as she walked. "Seems like Celestia didn't fall for all that crap Blueblood was spewing, huh?
"Mmm," Octavia hummed as she turned into the alley.
"You can just keep doing what you're doing! No need to change anything, and best of all, nothing you've done is getting taken down! Everypony gets to keep—"
Vinyl didn't have a chance to finish as Octavia suddenly turned around and wrapped her in a hug. Vinyl blinked a few times, unsure of how to react, until she heard Octavia's breathing; it was deep and stuttering, not of anxiety but of relief.
"It's not being undone" Octavia quietly said, pulling her friend even tighter. "It's not being undone."
"No, it's not," Vinyl said. "This ain't the Gala. Your work isn't being erased. How does it feel?"
Through the her stuttered breaths, Octavia somehow managed to laugh. "It feels good. No… it feels wonderful."
---
The next afternoon, after stalling for as long as he could, Prince Blueblood begrudgingly unlocked the gates to Canterlot Park. Ponies gradually filtered in, admiring the painted trees, while many others went to the fountain to see the pink and blue swirls that had been drawn on, and every pony who entered from the north gate took notice of the sign that Flanksy had hung.
As the hours went by, more and more ponies found themselves drawn to the park due to how busy it was becoming and all the press that it had gotten the day before. By the time the sun had begun to set, the park had become an epicenter of activity, with more ponies visiting and enjoying it than had been seen in years.
Soon, one special guest arrived: Princess Celestia herself. She slowly trotted through the park, smiling at her bowing subjects and looking over all the trees. As she came to the fountain, she stopped to look it over for a bit. She trotted around it, only to spot Prince Blueblood standing still, a scowl plastered on his face, a few feet from the fountain. She trotted over to him.
"I'm surprised at you, Blueblood."
Blueblood turned. "I beg your pardon, auntie?"
"With how much you love Canterlot, I would think you would be at least a little happy," she replied.
With a snort, Blueblood turned away. "Happy? What possible reason could I have for being happy?"
Celestia held her hoof out, motioning him to look at the rest of the park. "You've always talked about wanting to act in the best interest of Canterlot. Well look at all these ponies. Look how they're enjoying the park, how happy they are. Certainly this is exactly what you want."
"Hardly!" Blueblood sneered. "The ends do not justify the means. This is filth; artificial beauty that does not help Canterlot in any way, shape, or form. Just because ponies are momentarily happy does not mean that Canterlot is a better place."
Celestia trotted down a path, nodding at Blueblood to follow her. They passed by groups of ponies looking around the park, and Celestia just sighed. "If that's what you believe, I'm not going to convince you otherwise."
"This isn't over," Blueblood said. "This is not over between Flanksy and myself. I'm not going to give up just because she won this round. She's going to use this as an excuse to do more and more. I just know it. I despise what she does, Celestia, and nothing will change that."
With an angry huff, Blueblood stormed off in the other direction. Celestia just shook her head, then turned to her right and looked down. Paintings were scattered around the grass, with a sign sitting in front of them reading "Art By Amethyst - Free!" A pony sat behind them, her face buried in a canvas as she painted on it. Celestia's horn glowed and she picked one of the paintings up, smiling.
"This is quite pretty. May I hold onto it?"
"Of course!" Amethyst chirped from behind her latest painting. "They're all free, I just wanna share them. Go ahead and take one!"
Amethyst lowered the canvas to say something else to her guest, but she froze and her eyes widened as she found herself staring at the ruler of all Equestria.
"I, um, I, uh, I-I-I..." Amethyst stuttered. Celestia just smiled at her as she floated the painting behind her.
"Thank you very much," Celestia said, turning and continuing down her path. Amethyst stared after the princess with her jaw hanging open, until she finally was able to tear her gaze away. Celestia's presence had drawn a few other ponies to the area, and they were all looking over her art, commenting on it. Amethyst leaned her head back against a tree, looking over at the multicolored fountain.
"Next time I see you, I think I owe you another thanks," she quietly said, turning back to the ponies who were now picking up her art.
At the other side of the park, two best friends sat and just watched. They had been there ever since it had opened, but few words had been spoken.
"Man, this is so cool," Vinyl said. She waited, but there was no response, so she turned to look at her friend. Octavia wasn't paying attention, just silently looking over the park. The setting sun reflected a sparkle in her wide eyes, making Vinyl smile. She almost didn't want to say anything, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Hey, Tavi?"
Octavia blinked and turned her head only slightly in Vinyl's direction, but with most of her attention still on the park. "Yes?"
"A bit for your thoughts."
Octavia took a long breath, turning her head to gaze over the scene. "I don't have the words, Vinyl. I doubt I'll ever have the words."
She went quiet again, and the two of them looked out over the park in silence. After another minute, Vinyl couldn't contain the question anymore.
"How does it feel, Tavi?" she quietly asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, look at all of this," Vinyl said, gesturing with her hoof at the park. "This is all on you. Everything you set out to accomplish with this, you got! What's it like knowing that all of these ponies are happy, and enjoying the park, because of you?"
Vinyl paused, trying to find the right words. She smiled.
"What's it like knowing that you're changing Canterlot?"
Octavia slowly looked over at Vinyl, then back at the park. For a bit, she said nothing, just contemplating.
"It… It's like no feeling I've ever had before in my life. It's the kind of fulfillment that nothing has been able to bring me, not even music. I don't want it to end, Vinyl. I never want it to end."
Vinyl chuckled. "Who said it had to end? Tavi, I hope you realize just how awesome all of this is. I've never in my life seen a pony do stuff like this. You're like a revolutionary! You're totally breaking new ground!"
"Mmm," Octavia quietly hummed.
"No no, it's even more than that!" Vinyl continued, getting louder. "It's like Photo Finish said: this is a renaissance, and you're entirely the reason for it! I mean it's cooler than anything I've ever seen in Canterlot, and I've seen—"
"Vinyl?" Octavia quietly interrupted. She turned to face Vinyl, a warm and content smile on her face and a shimmer in her eyes. "I know how supportive you have been through so much of this, and how excited you are. But, perhaps, would it be alright if for a few minutes, we didn't talk?"
Vinyl stared at her, then looked out over the park. She smiled too. "Heh. Sure thing, Tavi."
The sun had almost completely set, but enough of it peeked over the horizon to leave the park illuminated in orange and yellow. The activity didn't seem to be slowing down, as some ponies set up blankets on the grass to prepare to enjoy the soon-to-be star-filled sky and others continued to admire the trees and fountain. No more words were said between Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.
They just sat, enjoying the beauty.
---------------
End of Chapter 9: Beautiful (Part 2)
Special Thanks: Wardenardo, Razatello, Propselangelo, and Worstael
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another amazing chapter, carry on my friend!
I knew Celestia wouldn't get rid of the art!
But boy if blueblood doesn't sound happy about this. He better not do anything to the art! 
Great chapter as always and cant wait for the next one
Always a good read.
Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh it updated! I really like where you've taken this story so far, and I can't wait for it to continue!
Hurray! An update! I loved this chapter keep up the great work!
The chapter name is very much descriptive of the content.
Awesome. I'm a little sad that she didn't put on her disguise, and say her own piece, but I can't blame her for it. *le shrug*
Also, Blueblood(as I think 'Tia is coming to realize) is clearly not concerned with what's best for everyone, but rather what is best for HIM. He's justifying a crusade because he is angry at being mocked.
The levels of yay are unparalleled.
out of 
One thing I really want to see is Celestia and Octavia talking to each other and Celestia apologizing for the gala...
Amazing end to an amazing segment of the story and can't wait to see what else u and flanksy create
Nyeh. It's good, but it feels very one-sided. All the way through Blueblood is fighting a losing battle and has to resort to desperate acts just to keep his oar in. It just feels a bit... I dunno, congratulatory? Octavia having a sudden freak-out felt a bit contrived, since literally everyone at the meeting except Blueblood came down on her side, and Celestia's been mentioned in the past as being more or less fine with it.
Why do people keep getting Schizophrenia and Dissociative Identity Disorder mixed up. I mean really, how does that even happen?
This just gets better and better. Thank you!
Very nice to see this update, and well worth the wait, too!
You mentioned in a comment last chapter that this essentially concludes the first act of the story, so is it safe to say that the next act will involve some form of a battle between Blueblood and Octavia? Or will "Flanksy" finally be revealed?
The world may never know.
Yaaay, an update! Can't wait to get into it.
I feel as though Flanksy should go back and do something to right the wrongs she inflicted upon the toyshop. She left her work half finished, and if she wants to beautify Canterlot she could easily start there.
Why not make a mural for the shop. There's plenty of artists like that, and plenty more shops that let them.
I'm a bit disappointed that Blueblood's opposition was so laughably harmless. He's the main antagonist of the story. After the surprisingly deep reasons for his actions that he gave to Celestia earlier, and how much of a good job you did building up to the meeting, it seems anticlimactic that he wasn't able to give a coherent argument for his side or even sway one person to his point of view. It feels like you've undone his character development for this chapter.
I don't even care about Blueblood anymore. I want to know how Octavia is going to top the park.
2552535
It's just another facet of the Schizophrenia Conspiracy.
I love how blueblood doesn't even realize that the biggest change that flanksy has made in canterlot is himself
also I think tavi should mail celestia the article on the gala where it quoted her in saying that nopony was harmed and highlighting that portion then signing it flanksy or maybe just leaving it by the statue
I'm wondering why Celestia is letting Blueblood's comments about Flanksy's insults to her stand. I was expecting her to point out that a leader who doesn't tolerate being criticised, even insulted, is a tyrant.
Unless this is a stealth Tyrantlestia fic...
An update? Mind = blown
I like where this is going...
Good thing Octavia was attending as herself, not as Flanksy. It really helped as I wouldn't have been able to take some of the emotional parts seriously if she did, seeing as in my mind's eye, Flanksy looks like this:
imgur.com/AEajH5a.png
At first I had thought that Blueblood was just so stubborn and sure of himself that he refused to consider that this graffiti can be anything but awful, but truly did believe in Canterlot's beauty.
Given how he was so dismissive of the park as a worthless patch of mud, now I think he's just an idiot.
2552449
I wonder if Celestia has begun to follow the trait left by Amethyst leading to Octavia/Flanksy.
Beautiful stuff! I wonder what flanksy will do next n_n
I didn't really like how hard Blueblood slipped and fell. But who knows, maybe this is chance at a comeback stronger than ever.
...
There is a beautiful oxymoron (I'm just incredibly keen on those
) in this chapter:
Hmm....
Well, lets get this out of the way.
Alright, love it so far, nothing to really point out writing wise, no mistakes easily seen, nothing really to correct, or even change. It is quite well written and the direction being taken is very exciting and emotions being played out is great and spot on.
However...
I am somewhat disappointed on the very direction this story has taken. Perhaps it is the part of me that loves reading about conflict and such, but when I first started reading this, I was enticed by Octavia's anger at Celestia and the Mane6. I could feel how everything fell apart for her due to them, and how it was a punch to the stomach for her when nothing came against the Mane6 for their actions. The lashed out in a very different and artistic way, but was still aiming her anger the proper targets, making the story stand out more due to the 'Passive aggressive' stance she took...
Then in comes BlueBlood and the entire story turn into artistic rights convention.
Suddenly, Octavia focused on Blueblood, who was also a victim of the Mane6 antics as well, and then completely forgot about why she started it in the first place. To get back at Celestia and her student and friends. She focused so much on Blueblood, that the story completely changed from the first 2 chapters.
What is even worse, she didn't even realizes that Celestia doesn't even seem to care, and even promote her persona in this chapter, which is the exact opposite what she wanted.
Part of me wants Octavia to realize this, that Flanksy is now in the good graces of the Celestia, and that no one is being hurt by this and her original message was now lost among all the craziness with BlueBlood. She has yet to actually done anything to Celestia or the Mane6, I want her to remember why she started this in the first place and ignore BlueBlood, which she now has free reigns for the time being.
That is mostly my gripe about the story, but it is a good read and I do enjoy it...
Just...Throwing out my criticisms to get it off my chest.
Someone draw a picture of the park scene, please!! I can picture it, but my pony-drawing skills are lacking...
I wonder... will "flanksy" thank Celestia somehow? Perhaps a work of art in full view of the window to her personal chambers? That seems a bit unlikely considering how convenient and direct it would be considering this is such a philosophical and arguably controversial work of fiction. Maybe she will instead just do something small. Something Celestia would be one of the few to notice and enjoy.
Though now I've got a nagging fear. I know she will have the strength to continue. She is driven, she has a noble purpose that resonates with who she is and what she has experienced. She has a fight now; one she might even win and accomplish the ultimate dream that drives it. The nagging worry, however, is not whether or not she'll be stopped. It's that she won't stop herself when it is time. If she can't let go of this fight when it's coming to a close, she may well lose sight of what she was trying to accomplish in the first place and why. She might just end up starting a new fight, only this time she doesn't have that definitive moral high ground she has here, and Blueblood will finally win.
If this is only half way through the story then I need to know what happens next. I honestly thought this would be the end, I'd be satisfied if it was.
Great chapter and I can't wait for more.
OK, I just discoverd this story with its 9 chapters (as of now) and I was captivated by it.
I want to know what Octavia will do next or if Blueblood will have an extreme reaction. And regardless of what happens, what will Celestia's opinion be?
#1 Birthday Present update!
Best chapter I ever read through the school filter...
<3
DarqFox the ferret approves of everything in this story.
<3 DarqFox
Amazing, what a great chapter! I'm so glad that Celestia is being a calm, level headed ruler about all this. Take that Blueblood! I can't wait to find out what happens next! Keep up the amazing work!
2552690
I have a similar feeling... but I don't expect it to last.
I was wrong about this story before. I firmly believed that, after having served his role as The Fandom's main Punching Bag, Blueblood would simply be faded out. He wasn't. Instead, he came back swinging.
As he said, this was only one round. He's awfully determined- in fact, it's almost scary how determined he seems.
All things considered, Celestia should keep a close watch on her nephew; after all, her family members have a habit of losing control of their emotions due to paranoia and jealousy, to the point of harming themselves and others...
I can't help but notice that Blueblood's hatred for such things seem to be more deep than he lets on.
Come to think of it, HE was at the ruined gala too...
Connection?!
2553393
After the second chapter it stopped being about her anger, it wasn't revenge anymore, it was about Tavi enjoying this new way of expressing herself then ole bluey came in and started stomping on hooves so she directed some art at him simply for piss off value. now its art for the sake of art as well as lashing out at repression
2553909
Never thought about it that way before. Wouldn't that be something?
Heh. I'm still waiting for somepony to write slashfiction starring these two. Or at least tell them to "get a room"...
A round of applause for Amethyst Star, everypony.
OH SNAP! Great chapter, nice to see art prevailing over the oppressive government (or, to be specific, Blueblood). Amazing chapter, can't wait to see what's next. Keep goin and stay golden^^
A fine chapter, and quite interesting altogether. It would seem that Blueblood was too short sighted and short tempered to sway the public opinion his way. It is funny to see him so worked up, though in a cosmic sort of way tragic that that very state proves to be his own downfall. It's sad that he's letting his ego and personal feelings to Flanksy's work obscure the obvious good happening around him. On the other hoof, I quite like how Celestia is handling this. It really shows that she's been ruling for a thousand years and has the wisdom to not act too rashly over something that hasn't really harmed anypony. Amethyst was just darling in this, from how she spoke up for Flanksy, and totally threw Blueblood's argument, to her talk with Tavi, to her reaction to the princess liking her art, she's just been a pleasure to see. I truly hope that this continues to hold up in quality, and have little doubt that the next chapter will leave reader both in awe and inspired.
Keep hold of that feeling Tavi, and change the world.
P.S. Nice touch with the Renaissance names in the thanks.
2554290
This man knows what's up.
2553393
The story was never really about her "getting revenge" though.
Sure, there was a point where she acted out of frustration and anger, but really it was all about finally being able to express herself again.
The reason she was angry in the first place was because her past way of expression (music) was ruined to her.
Personally, I like the way the story is going.
Now I'm curious as to see what she will do next.
Since most people are on her side now, she may grow more content.
Will the fiery passion that sparked her interest in painting start to fade?
2555484 I don't know...
If some people came to my Company's Ball (Former Military), something I took pride in and worked hard to set up for everyone to enjoy, only for these people to ruin it (trash the place, run amok the animal petting zoo for kids, Force the DJ to play some stupid song of theirs) and walk away without a single issue being raised, I would have blown my top. Hell, I wouldn't even let them leave my sights.
True, I am not Octavia, but I still think it should go back and focus on who brought her to where she was.
To me, BlueBlood would have been an obstacle, nothing more, and Celestia only agreeing to let her continue would be the icing on the cake when everything falls around her.
This started off as a pony lashing out against something that felt she was truly wronged, and in a way, she and several others were during the Gala. And that really set me on this story in the first place.
It wasn't really about fighting, it was about throwing out the faults of the Mane6, and the problems they can bring (And we seen what happens when they do something stupid, like bringing the entire town on the verge of panic). I was actually hoping for Octy here to ruin something for Rarity or even Rainbow Dash by coloring suits/dresses, or making some sort of statement against the Wonderbolts.
But that is me...
Now what I want to see is if Octavia runs into one the Mane6, maybe Rarity or even Twilight, and suddenly remember why she is doing what she is doing.
But, I regress, I enjoy the story and I will await the new one.
More please
Lovely.
I find it interesting the way you portray the fear of man (or fear of pony) in your story.
This chapter is absolutely beautiful. When Amethyst asked Marble about what she thought of Flanksy as an artist, I just about died from glee. Because that's really what this story means to me- Octavia is finding herself as an artist, finding what is important to her and what she has to share with the world. The whole problem with Blueblood is a fantastic look into the mind of a conservative critic, and I love the fact that Celestia shut him down and let Flanksy continue her work. Perhaps she's not quite so ignorant after all, eh?
But the shift Flanksy makes from revenge to creation, from satire to beauty, is powerful and beautiful and inspiring, and I love that this story is headed in more wondrous ways.
And then Blueblood lights the park on fire.
>_>
This is
greatAmazing