//------------------------------// // 7. The Finishing Touch // Story: Exit Through Canterlot // by TheBrianJ //------------------------------// Vinyl Scratch slammed her hoof down onto her already damaged alarm clock, silencing the incessant ringing. She sat up, blearily rubbing her eyes as she rolled out of bed and stretched her legs out. Before she could do anything else, she heard some commotion coming from the living room. She slowly nudged her bedroom door open and glanced around, before seeing Octavia with her head in the hall closet and rummaging through the variety of coats there. "You're up earlier than usual," Vinyl muttered, walking past her and into the kitchen. "I'm in a good mood today, so I thought I'd get an early start," Octavia chimed, pulling out an elegant white coat and trying it on. "Glad to hear it! You've been kinda bummed out the past few days, ever since that Blueblood thing." "Trust me, Vinyl, there is no way I am going to be bummed out today," Octavia said. Vinyl waited for Octavia to elaborate, but she continued to look through the closet, taking out a fancy scarf and trying it on. "Uh… you gonna go into more detail about that? What's going on today?" "You haven't heard? Photo Finish is having a press conference today. It starts in an hour or so." Vinyl's ears perked up into the air. She immediately looked over at the bag of spray paint cans that was sitting in the corner of the closet. Her grin grew as she turned and rushed back into her room, combing her hair. "I'm coming with!” Vinyl said excitedly, reaching for her sunglasses. “Oh, this is going to be so awesome. So I just gotta ask, what are you planning to do?" Octavia looked back towards Vinyl's room, one eyebrow raised. "I was planning on standing in the crowd and watching what she has to say." There was a long pause as Vinyl poked her head around the door, smiling. She waited for more, but Octavia had gone back to the closet, trying on a second scarf. The smile on Vinyl's face turned to a confused frown as she stepped out of her bedroom. "Wait, that's it? I was kinda expecting, ya know, that Flanksy would be making an appearance." Octavia turned back to Vinyl, wrapping the scarf around her neck. "Vinyl, there are ponies in Canterlot who I dislike, but Photo Finish is not one of them. There's just something about her that sets her apart from all the other ponies in her position. Yes, she is a little eccentric—" "A little?" Vinyl interrupted. "She literally has ponies carry her around on a platform!" "Okay, very eccentric. But she has an appreciation for artistry that most ponies in Canterlot lack! She isn't just obsessed with looking good, she actively looks to bring out the beauty in the world around her. That's something I respect! Not to mention she is the most dedicated patron of the arts I have ever met. Do you have any idea how many bits she donated to the Canterlot Museum of Modern Art last year?" Her speech was interrupted when she noticed Vinyl chuckling, and she blushed slightly. "The point is, despite her eccentricities, I respect Photo Finish. I don't think it would be right to embarrass her the way I have other ponies." "Gosh, Tavi," Vinyl said with a taunting smirk. "I had no idea you were such a squealing fangirl of hers!" Octavia's blush deepened. "A little, I suppose. The point is, I just want to go to the conference and find out what this big announcement is. All she's said about it is that it will be some form of new project." "Awesome, let's go find out!" Vinyl said, opening the front door. "But what if she's, like, working with Chic Trend or Hoity Toity, or one of those other fashion jerks?" There was silence as Octavia thought about it. She responded with a smirk, throwing the scarf around her neck. "Well, I suppose I’ll just figure that out if it comes to that, won’t I?” --- A small stage was set up against the outside wall of Photo Finish's studio, the aptly named Finish Line. A crowd had already assembled, with the front row consisting entirely of reporters, each one waiting patiently for the big announcement as Octavia and Vinyl arrived. Vinyl stopped at the back of the crowd, but Octavia carefully shimmied her way through the ponies to get as close to the stage as she could. Chuckling, Vinyl joined her, and they waited for the show to begin. "I honestly had no idea you were such a fan of Photo Finish," Vinyl observed, looking over the stage. "Any pony who appreciates art the way she does deserves to be respected and admired," Octavia responded. "I had the pleasure of conversing with her a year ago at a performance. She has such a passion for music, paintings, photography... I guess I've never been too open about it, but I am rather fond of what she does." No sooner had she finished talking than a pony in a styled cloak walked out on stage to set up a microphone. An anticipatory hush fell over the crowd as she cleared her throat. "Fillies and gentlecolts… Photo Finish,” she said. The silence gave way to applause as two ponies walked out with a platform on their backs, Photo Finish standing triumphantly on top of it. She leapt from the platform onto the stage, triggering an explosion of pyrotechnics on either side that drew even louder cheers from the assembled ponies. Photo Finish gazed into the distance for a few seconds before she held a hoof up, almost immediately quieting the crowd. She stood in front of the microphone, the tension building as the crowd remained silent, hanging on her. She stared off into the distance for almost a full minute before beginning. "Three hundred years ago, a group of unicorns discovered ze vay to channel magic out of their horns and into simple systems. This paved ze vay for ze advancement of machinery in Equestria, and vas directly responsible for ze creation of large scale transportation systems. Since then, this period of advancement has come to be known as ze Magi-Technological Revolution." The ponies in the crowd exchanged looks as Photo Finish again went quiet, staring off into the distance. Octavia and Vinyl glanced at each other, a look of confusion mirrored on both of their faces. "One thousand years ago, ze princess of ze night vas banished to ze moon,” Photo Finish continued, immediately drawing the crowd’s attention back. “Ze ensuing years saw Princess Celestia rise to full power over all of Equestria. Many ponies did not know how she would handle complete rule, but she ushered in an era of peace and prosperity that has lasted to this day. Scholars now refer to those first few years as ze Celestial Revolution." She again fell silent, this time met with more murmurs from the crowd. Photo Finish stomped her hoof on the stage, immediately quieting them again. "Canterlot is no stranger to revolutions, and there is one happening right now. A different kind of revolution. This revolution is not about technology or rule, but instead about challenging ze very notion of art itself. It is a revolution that I, Photo Finish, vish to be a part of." There was a pause for dramatic effect as she looked through the crowd. "And at ze fulcrum of this revolution is ze rogue artist known as Flanksy." No sooner had she said the name than reporters at the front of the crowd erupted into questions. Vinyl looked to her side and saw Octavia taking slow, deep breaths, her eyes glancing around nervously. Photo Finish raised a hoof and most of the reporters quieted down, but one of them stepped forward. "Miss Finish, are you saying that you have partnered with Flanksy?" he asked. All the reporters whipped out their notepads and waited in eager anticipation, but Photo Finish shook her head. "No, I have not. But I shall. I must! My next project is not a ‘what,’ but a ‘who.’ Flanksy is my next project! I have worked in Canterlot my whole life, but never before have I seen such raw, unadulterated art. Such passion, such drive, such... such controversy! I must find out more; I must represent her! Ze next time that she goes out, I shall be there," Photo Finish said, her voice rising in excitement. "Ze vay that I have turned ponies into stars, I vish to do ze same with Flanksy! Mark my words: she vill work with me. That is all I have to say. Press conference over. I go!" Without another word, Photo Finish abruptly leapt off the stage and back onto her platform. Reporters mobbed around her and yelled questions, but she ignored them as she was carried back into her studio. The reporters eventually scattered, and the crowd went their separate ways. When the crowd had mostly cleared out, Vinyl looked over at her best friend. Octavia had managed to keep her composure during the short press conference, but now beads of sweat were dribbling down her face. She turned and briskly trotted off, Vinyl right behind her. --- Barely a second had passed once Vinyl closed the door to the apartment before she excitedly spoke up, making Octavia jump in surprise. "Holy crap, Tavi! She's a huge fan of yours, too! How awesome is that?" "I… I don't even know what to say!" Octavia fell back on the couch, her eyes sparkling. She looked over at her Flanksy supplies sticking out of the open closet of the main room. "Photo Finish has changed the lives of so many ponies, and now she really wants to help me? She wants to make me her next project? That's the kind of thing that any creative pony dreams of! She's helped photograph and promote so many stars! Fleur de Lis, Sapphire Shores…" Vinyl nodded in excitement. "Yeah, and remember a few months ago? She even managed to turn one of the Elements of Harmony into a huge fashion star!" Vinyl opened her mouth to continue, but froze when she saw Octavia's face. Something about it had darkened, the excited spark that had been there since the press conference replaced with an angry scowl. Before Vinyl could say anything, Octavia shook her head and the scowl disappeared. "You alright?" Vinyl cautiously asked. "I'm fine. I... I would just prefer if you didn't talk about those ponies," Octavia muttered. "It doesn't matter who else she helped. The point is that she wants to help me." Vinyl resisted the urge to push Octavia on the matter, smiling instead. "Yeah, you're right. Well, you have a fan in a high place. I bet it feels good!” "A fan in a high place? This is so much more than that!" Octavia jumped back to her hooves and trotted to her room and emerged with her sketch pad. "I have to start planning right away if I want to impress Photo Finish!" “Planning? Can’t you just keep doing what you’ve been doing?” Vinyl asked. “Nonsense!” Octavia quickly retorted. “I have to do something specifically to thrill Photo Finish! I can’t just attack some other pony again, I need to create something extravagant!” Vinyl shrugged. “Alright, I’ll leave you to it!” She got up and trotted off, looking back at Octavia once before heading to her room. Octavia furrowed her brow. "Hmmmm. I wonder what kind of art would impress Photo Finish the most," she said to herself as she drew a few patterns on the pad.  She finished her first sketch and held the pad out in front of her in silence. She waited for a few seconds, then squinted and held the paper close to her face. "Hrm... no." She slowly put the sketch pad down and drew on it again, this time creating an even more intricate, exorbitant design. The minutes ticked by and she finished the second drawing, again holding it in front of herself to take a look. This time as she stared at it, the ticking of the clock across the room rang deafeningly in her ears. "Huh. Why..." she muttered quietly, staring at the paper with a concerned expression on her face. She quickly shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the confusion that was suddenly plaguing it. "No no, there's no time to think about that. I have to think bigger, I have to paint something to impress Photo Finish!" Octavia curled up on the corner of the couch and resumed her sketching, again trying to make it even grander than the previous. Vinyl stuck her head back out around the corner. "You okay, Tavi? You're, erm, talking to yourself." Octavia momentarily looked up from her pad. "Oh, it's nothing. I’m just... thinking out loud, I guess." She looked back down at the sketch pad and drew again. After a few moments she looked up again to see Vinyl still staring at her. "Something else, Vinyl?" "Well, it's just that you..." Vinyl trailed off, then sighed and smiled. "Nah, it's nothing," she said, walking away. Vinyl was so happy that Octavia had such a big fan that she didn't want to say or do anything that would bring her down. She didn't have the heart to tell Octavia that for the first time since everything began, she didn't have a smile on her face while drawing. --- "No, no! I vant ambition, not aspiration! Ambition!" Photo Finish stared out from behind the camera at the pony who stood on the stage in front of her, a black dress with jagged white trim draped over her. The model glanced around awkwardly, then repositioned her right hoof slightly to the right of where it was previously and leaned forward a few inches. "Yes, perfect!" Photo Finish said with a smile, returning to the camera. "These pictures will be ideal! I assure you, Fuchsia Vein, when Hoity Toity sees these shots, he vill have no choice but to sign you to model his latest line!" "Thank you, Miss Finish," the pony replied, blushing and turning her head away. "I can't tell you how—" "Please, be quiet! These shots take absolute concentration!" Fuchsia Vein went back to her pose, and Photo Finish circled the platform, looking for the perfect angle. She had just lined her camera up when the door to the studio opened. A pony had barely taken a step in when Photo Finish spoke up. "This had better be important!” Photo Finish said, staring at the stallion. “I am in ze midst of a shoot!" "I-it is, Miss Finish," the stallion said. "I thought you should know that Flanksy has been painting a large picture on a wall on Mane Street for the past forty-five minutes." "What?!" Photo Finish yelled. She slammed her hoof on her camera, sending it folding up into a small case. With a flick of her hoof she launched the case into the air, where the stallion leapt forward and caught it. "We must go to her right now! This is my best chance!" Photo Finish ran around the studio, grabbing a number of small cameras and throwing them into a canvas bag. Fuchsia Vein stepped down from the platform. "Miss Finish, does that mean that you can't continue the photo shoot?" "I am afraid so. This is an urgent matter I must attend to! Come back in a few hours, ve shall finish then." As Photo Finish closed up her canvas bag, Fuchsia scuffed her hoof into the ground. "Um... I'm completely busy the rest of the day. Hoity wanted the pictures by tomorrow. But th-that's alright, I suppose I can take the pictures myself, or get a friend to..." Photo Finish turned to look at Fuchsia Vein for a moment, then shook her head. "Nonsense! Come back at midnight tonight, I vill finish ze photos then." Fuchsia's face lit up in surprise. "R-really? You'd be willing to do that?!" "Of course. It is art that is important to you, is it not? I am more than villing to help if I am doing so in ze name of art! But for now, photo shoot over. I go!" Fuchsia's smile grew, and Photo Finish trotted out of the studio, the stallion right behind her. As they exited, the stallion spoke up. "Miss Finish, I'm curious... Do you really think that you can sign Flanksy? She seems like a very private pony." "I don't know, but I must try. I must!" Photo Finish quickly responded. She looked back at her studio, then out towards Canterlot. "There is an artistic renaissance coming. I can feel it in ze air in this city. It is something that I vish to be a part of. So I must try. If I can partner with Flanksy, it will be ze crowning achievement of my career!" "And if she says no?" Photo Finish turned her head. "I will decide that when I come to it. For now, I must meet with her face-to-face." --- With a flick of her hoof, Octavia put a finishing curl on the bottom corner of the massive, colorful letter "A" on the wall in front of her. She stepped backwards and looked at the "FLA" already drawn on the wall in alternating colors, then dug through her bag for a new one. As she glanced at the crowd staring at her, then back at the letters on the wall, she let out a long sigh, and shook her head. "Why am I not…" was all she could mumble to herself, not even wanting to finish the sentence. She numbly pulled a can out of the bag and stared at the label for a few seconds, then turned back to the wall and began to spray an "N." The first attempted vertical line wavered back and forth as she sprayed, and Octavia found herself unable to connect herself to her art the way she normally did; every hoof step, every whisper, every single noise that came from behind her seemed to echo deafeningly in her head. "It is beautiful!" Octavia's ears perked up as she recognized the voice. Her heart skipped a beat as she turned around to find Photo Finish standing in awe, her jaw hanging open as she stared at the wall. Photo Finish stepped forward, choosing to stand next to Octavia and gaze at the half-finished work. "To see your art up close and personal like this... such a statement! Ze colors, ze message, it is everything that I could have imagined! It is wunderbar!" Behind her mask, Octavia had a huge smile on her face as Photo Finish gushed over her work, then leapt behind the camera. Octavia turned back to the wall and continued drawing the next letter as she saw the repeated flashes of the camera illuminate the wall briefly. Her heart was pounding as the sounds of the camera shutter got quicker and quicker behind her, and her spraying became more haphazard, the "N" becoming jagged and abstract. "Yes, yes, yes!" Photo Finish yelled, moving her camera to take more pictures. "This is new, this is fresh, this is vat Canterlot needs! This is art! This is precisely why I must represent you, Flanksy!” She stepped up to the wall and wrapped her front leg around Octavia's shoulders. She spun her around, holding her other hoof into the air, pointing into the distance. “Together, we shall change all of Canterlot! Together, art shall reign supreme!” A nervous yet excited lump had formed deep in Octavia’s throat as she struggled to contain her enthusiasm, visibly shaking. With a nod, Photo Finish went back to her camera and Octavia turned to the wall again, putting the finishing touches on the letter “N." "This is art unlike anything anypony has ever seen in Canterlot," Photo Finish continued, leaping to the side and taking more pictures. "Such a rebellious disregard for decency, all for the sake of rebellion! Such fire!” Octavia's hoof stalled, her pressure on the nozzle of the can letting up. For a few seconds all she could do was stare at the half-finished name on the wall. She blinked a few times as the world went quiet around her as a single sentence played in her head. Rebellion... for the sake of rebellion? She shook her head and mumbled to herself, "No, no. What I'm doing... This is changing Canterlot. There’s more to this than just rebellion, there—" "Can I have a word with you, Miss Finish?" a voice rang out from behind, silencing Octavia's thoughts. Her hoof instinctively tightened around the can and she sighed in frustration. Slowly she turned around and was met with the sight of Photo Finish still taking pictures, with Prince Blueblood next to her. "Miss Finish, I am not going to be pleased if you are really looking to sign this scourge on as some sort of 'project,'" Blueblood sneered. "Why not?" Photo Finish responded, not even looking away from the camera. "I do not believe for a second that you know ze first thing about art." Blueblood snorted in anger, but Photo Finish continued. "Just because you don't like Flanksy doesn't mean that everypony dislikes her. As I am sure you are well aware, she has already developed quite ze following. Why wouldn't I want to represent her?" "Because what she does is disgusting!" Blueblood quickly retorted. He glared over with a sneer at Octavia, who responded by glaring right back. Blueblood snorted, then returned his attention to Photo Finish. "Did you not just admit that it's rebellion for the sake of rebellion?" "Yes, I did. Zat is precisely what is so alluring! It is controversial, but it is art!” Blueblood cracked his neck back and forth. “No, no it is not. It is vandalism! How could you possibly consider this art? Art should be beneficial, yes? Then what is the benefit here to Canterlot?” The crowd returned its attention to Photo Finish, curious as to how she would respond. She rubbed her chin as she examined the art on the wall. “Well... look at it! It is fresh and new, unseen in Canterlot before. It is unique, it opens your eyes and provokes the uncertain thoughts that art should create!” Prince Blueblood rolled his eyes, and Photo Finish dismissed him with a wave of her hoof. “You wouldn't understand. It is hard to explain, but what Flanksy is doing is more of an artistic statement than anything I have ever seen before!” Blueblood pursed his lips, “An artistic statement, eh?” He looked over at Octavia, who was digging through her duffel bag. “So in your world, an ‘artistic statement’ involves punishing innocent ponies like myself and Chic Trend?” Photo Finish scoffed. "Innocent? Firstly, Blueblood, as long as there is authority in ze world, there will be those who disagree with it. I wouldn't consider what she did to the statue of Celestia to be ‘hurling insults,’ more frustrated expression. Second, I have worked with Chic Trend in the past, and I could hardly call her ‘innocent.’ As far as you go... your attitude overrides your innocence." The assembled ponies chuckled and Octavia smiled behind her mask. She returned her attention to the wall, reaching up to begin writing a massive "K." Behind her, Prince Blueblood glared at her work, then brought his attention to Photo Finish, a smug smile on his face. "You know what? Let's assume you're right. Let's assume that Celestia did something to upset Flanksy, that Chic Trend deserved to have her show ruined, and that my ‘attitude’ earned me unflattering portrayals around Canterlot. Let's assume all of that. Then tell me, Miss Finish: what exactly did the owner of a toy store do to deserve an attack, and how is Flanksy painting her name on the wall a proper 'punishment?'" Photo Finish stopped taking pictures and responded to Blueblood, but Octavia didn't hear a word; in fact, she didn't hear anything. Everything was quiet. For the first time since she had arrived, she looked over the wall she was painting on, a wall she had picked arbitrarilly. Now that she took the time to look it over, she realized it was a building housing several shops, the most prominent of which was a toy store. A window off to the side displayed a small wooden marionette and a large hoof-crafted sled, and a sign hanging above it read "Graham's Toy Shop." Octavia's hoof wavered, then slowly dropped. She stood numbly still, looking at the half-finished tag of her pseudonym that now covered the wall. Behind her, she could only just hear the intensifying argument going on between Photo Finish and Prince Blueblood. Even as they grew louder, Octavia couldn’t make out what they were saying, nor did she care anymore. Only three words were playing through her head. This isn't right. She let out a long sigh, then dropped the can in her hoof down into her bag. She lightly slung the bag over her shoulder and turned from the wall, walking past the still arguing Photo Finish and Prince Blueblood. When they noticed her their bickering stopped and Prince Blueblood grinned triumphantly. "Hrmph. Good riddance," he muttered, then turned back to Photo Finish. “Now then. Miss Finish, if you continue to pursu–” He didn’t get a chance to finish as Photo Finish pushed past him, stepping towards Octavia. "Flanksy!" Octavia momentarily turned around to look at Photo Finish. "I vant to make you a star! I vant to help you make Canterlot beautiful! Tomorrow morning, eight o'clock sharp, I vant you to be at my studio. There, we shall begin making da magicks with your art!" Octavia responded with a soft nod, her heart and mind anywhere but on Photo Finish now. She turned away and continued her walk, the sound of Photo Finish's camera clicking again barely registering with her. --- A crisp air blew across Canterlot and Octavia responded by tying the scarf tighter around her neck. Without her Flanksy disguise, the cold was sending shivers through her body. She hadn’t taken the time to get proper attire when she stopped at home, only dropping her gear off and leaving again. A part of her wished she had, but another part was too focused elsewhere to really care. What is wrong with me? she thought to herself, her head drooping. How could I have just done that to some pony's toy shop? Was I really that focused on Photo Finish that I lost sight of why I'm doing this in the first place? Octavia sat down on a bench and stared emptily down the street. A lump had formed deep in the pit of her stomach, a knot that absolutely refused to go away no matter what she thought about. She looked around Canterlot, and in the far distance she could still see a few ponies who were looking at the wall she had painted earlier, with a half-finished pseudonym written on it. She could only sigh, then lay her head back on the edge of the bench. "I want to change Canterlot," she mumbled to herself, "but not like that…" For minutes, Octavia remained motionless on the bench, just staring at the sky. Her brain was full of a thousand thoughts, none of them adding up to a clear answer at first. Every once in a while she would glance over at where her tag was: not be filled with the pride or adrenaline that her earlier work had brought her; only shame. "There has to be a balance," Octavia said to herself. "I just need to focus again. I need to figure out what I want…" Octavia got up to leave, but paused as she stared at the gates in front of her, where "Canterlot Park" was written out in large metallic letters. She could hear Photo Finish's voice in her head, something she had said just as Octavia was leaving the scene. "I vant to help you make Canterlot beautiful!" "Beautiful," Octavia repeated, stepping forward to get a better look at the park. She had been in it a few times before, but admittedly she had never really taken the time to admire the landscape. The park stretched out in all directions, full of green hills with gently swaying grass and cobblestone paths leading around. Although the trees had no leaves on them now, their jagged branches reached out in all directions, only adding to the marvelous autumn landscape. Yet all she could focus on was how empty it looked. There were only a few ponies in the entire park, and even they seemed to merely be using it as a shortcut across Canterlot. "Making Canterlot beautiful," she said, a smile appearing on her face for the first time in hours. "Maybe Photo Finish was right. Perhaps with her direction, I can achieve more." She paused, her head drooping again. "Clearly, without direction, I end up…" She stopped talking as she noticed something to her right at the end of the block. A unicorn sat against the wall, a small canvas and a paintbrush hovering in front of her. The pony seemed utterly content to be working on her latest project, a smile on her face as she washed off her brush and dipped it into another can. Octavia approached, noticing a small, hoof-scrawled sign sitting next to her that read, in pink letters, "Art By Amethyst." As Octavia approached from the side, she glanced at the new painting Amethyst was working on: an image of the front of Canterlot Park drawn with graceful strokes, but with a jagged red mass towering to the top of the canvas. Octavia smiled at it, then looked up at the artist. Amethyst Star finally tore her own gaze away from the painting she was working on and looked over at Octavia. For a brief moment, Octavia swore she saw Amethyst's eyes widen, but the unicorn's face quickly turned to a smile. "Oh, hi!" she said with an excited tinge to her voice. "Oh, hello. I'm just looking at your art, it's really quite interesting," Octavia replied. Amethyst chuckled. "Thanks! If you see one you like, you can keep it.” Octavia cocked her head. "Really? For free?" "Oh, I'm giving all my art away for free. I don't really need the money," Amethyst said, turning back to her painting and switching colors. "I just wanna do what Flanksy is doing, ya know? Just make art and let ponies enjoy it." Octavia bit her lip and scuffed a hoof into the ground. "Well, there are some ponies out there who don't like what she's doing…" "Yeah, but that's not really what art is about, I don't think," Amethyst said, looking back up at Octavia with a smile. "I'm thinking that art is more about creating. Sure, there are gonna be detractors, but at the end of the day, it’s just pretty. That’s what art is about, isn’t it? Being pretty? Flanksy seems to understand that! Sure, there will always be ponies out there who don't like it, but the good of the art outweighs the bad." Amethyst returned to her art, humming as she drew a long black stroke down the red center of the painting. Octavia cocked her head to the side, then looked over at two of the other completed works: a picture of Canterlot Gardens with the sun blackened out, and a full cityscape, with the top of each building redrawn in a new, bright color. A third stood out to Octavia and she picked it up to examine it. It was a picture of the setup for Chic Trend's show, painted dull and lifeless. In the center of it, however, was a massive display of colorful flowers, standing out as the only color in the painting. "Well, I’m not sure if this will mean much,” Octavia said, “but I certainly find your art both beautiful and inspiring." Amethyst glanced up at Octavia, her eyes shimmering. "Wow… thanks. That really means a lot, coming fr—" Amethyst cut herself off, glancing around before continuing. "I-It really means a lot." With a nod, Octavia trotted off, leaving Amethyst to continue painting. As she passed by the entrance to Canterlot Park, she looked through the gates. There was now only one pony in the park, passing by the bubbling fountain with nary a glance at it. Octavia's eyes narrowed and she turned and trotted off with purpose. --- "You sure you wanna do this?" Vinyl said, stifling a yawn. "Yes," Octavia responded, zipping up her duffel bag. "Alright, but why so early? It's barely seven." "Well, Photo Finish wanted me there at eight. It'll be important to be there early." Vinyl lazily nodded her head. "So you're sure about this? Like, sure sure?" With a sigh, Octavia turned to her friend. "Absolutely sure. The offer that Photo Finish gave me? I just can't not respond to something like that. This isn't something I can think about doing, this is something I absolutely have to do." "Well… why?" Octavia smiled. "I have my reasons. I'll tell you when I get back." Vinyl nodded again. "Well, alright. Better get going if you wanna be there in time. Good luck!” With her head held up in determination, Octavia pulled her bag around her shoulder and opened the front door of the apartment. --- Photo Finish stared intently at the clock, watching it slowly tick away. The two ponies on either side of her exchanged glances before one of them spoke up. "Miss Finish, I think we should go out there and—" "No!" Photo Finish snapped, not taking her eyes off the time. "I said eight o'clock, and it vill not be a second sooner! Have patience. At eight, we vill meet Flanksy outside." The two ponies rolled their eyes. "Miss Finish," one of them began, "what if she doesn’t show? What if she's not interested?" "I vill come to that answer when, and only when, that happens." She looked back up at the clock, as the second hand finally clicked perfectly vertical. "It is time. Let us go meet her!" With a burst of energy, Photo Finish jumped forward, flinging the doors of her studio open with a smile on her face. The smile almost instantly disappeared, however, and she looked around the street. The two assistants joined her, seeing that there was no sign of Flanksy anywhere. "Um, she's not here, Miss Finish," one of them said. Photo Finish shook her head. "No, no, let us wait," she quickly said, looking around. "Perhaps she is merely running late, or—" She stopped talking when she had turned back to her studio, staring up in shock. The two assistants slowly turned around and looked back at the studio as well, both gasping. A large sheet was hanging from the roof of the studio, held in place at the top and covering nearly half the building. The sheet only had a few patches of white remaining, as almost the entire thing had been covered by paint. The conglomeration of color started in the center of the sheet and swirled outward in all directions, turning the sheet into a technicolor tapestry full of interlocking patterns and grand luminous spectrums. The entire edge of the sheet was painted with bursts of light and abstract shapes, all drawing attention to both themselves and the colors around them. Across the entire length of the sheet large black letters were written, large enough to be seen even at a distance: "I AM NOT A PROJECT" Photo Finish stared at the sheet, her eyes falling down on the "F" painted in the corner over a red and yellow sun. One of the assistants glanced at the other, then sighed and trotted forward, nervously patting her on the back. When she lowered her head, the assistant awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm sorry, Miss Finish. I know that signing Flanksy was really important to you…" the assistant said. Photo Finish didn't respond, so the assistant turned and nodded at the other. "We'll take the sheet down immediately." "No!!” The assistant jumped back in surprise as Photo Finish suddenly looked back up at the sheet. "Do not touch it! Leave it be, and get me my camera. I must capture ze very essence of rebellion right now, while the inspiration is still fresh!" One of the assistants quickly ran for the door to the studio and the other looked up at the mural. "But—" was all he got out before Photo Finish interrupted him. "You asked me what I would do if she said no. Vell, I was prepared for this possibility," Photo Finish said quietly. "Flanksy is unlike any artist, any model, any pony I have ever known. She is like a delicate flower, growing up through ze crack of a bustling sidewalk. This whole time, I knew that ze chances of her working with me were slim, but I had to try. I had to! I couldn't live with myself if I didn't at least make an attempt to work with her." The other assistant returned with a case. Photo Finish took it from him, slammed it on the side and watched as it unfolded into her camera. She carefully set it up, pointing it at the mural. For a few seconds there was silence as she gazed at it, then a smile grew across her face. "If I cannot be a part of ze artistic renaissance that Canterlot is going through, then I will at least be honored to vitness it firsthand." --- Octavia had barely taken two steps into the apartment before Vinyl was right in her face. "Well? Well?!" Octavia set her bag down. "Well what?" "Tell me tell me tell me! Why was this something you had to do?" The question was met with a chuckle.. "Goodness, Vinyl, have you just been waiting for me to get back to ask me that?" "Heck yes! You just turned down Photo Finish! I mean, you did, right? You told me you were gonna,” Vinyl said. When Octavia nodded, Vinyl continued. “After everything you said about respecting and admiring her, you said no! I have to know why!" Octavia didn’t respond yet, instead walking to her room where she picked up a bow and drew it across the strings of her cello. “I respect Photo Finish, yes. However, I believe that I can accomplish my new goal far better if I continue my work alone. I simply did not want to jeopardize my message by suddenly signing on to one of the biggest fashion names in Canterlot." "New goal?" Octavia nodded. "There was something that Photo Finish said to me yesterday. At the time, I was rather, well, distracted. But now that I’ve had time to think about it, I realize that she is right about something. So far, all I have done is struck back at ponies. Princess Celestia, Prince Blueblood, Chic Trend—all deservedly so, mind you. However, it is time for me to think far bigger than just one pony. The thing that Photo Finish said I now realize was more than just her interpretation of what I was doing… It was what I should be doing now. It is the direction I now need to take the next step." "Well, what did she say?" Octavia stopped playing, setting the bow down. She stepped over to her desk, where cans of spray paint were lined up in a neat row. She picked one up in her hoof and stared at it for a few seconds, before a determined smile curled across her face. "She said that I was making Canterlot more beautiful. That is exactly what I intend to do now." ---------- End of Chapter 7: The Finishing Touch Special Thanks: Haruko Razuhara, Worsta Nandaba, Propimi Samejima, Wardenti