//------------------------------// // EPILOGUE: Three Months Later // Story: Exit Through Canterlot // by TheBrianJ //------------------------------// To much applause, Allegro Sonata trotted onto the stage and cleared his throat. “Fillies and Gentlecolts, as we come to the end of this year’s Canterlot Variety Concert, I thought it only fitting that our final act be one of Canterlot’s lesser known musical acts. She is a name that some of you may be familiar with, and I felt that the ideal way to cap off the night was to give her an opportunity on a big stage the likes of which she has never had before. I am proud and honored to present to you all one of the great unsung musicians in Canterlot, miss Lyra Heartstrings.” The room was filled with applause as a green unicorn in an elegant black dress trotted on stage. She bowed her head to the crowd, then sat in front of a large lyre. She drew her hooves across the strings and began to play the opening chords of Hoofdel’s Harp Concerto. As she played, a pony in the far back of the concert hall quietly worked her way to the exit. Just before she got to the door, one of the ushers looked over at her. “Hey, I know you,” he said. “You’re DJ Pon-3, aren’t you?” Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. Listen, sorry to do this, but I’m in the middle of something right now.” “Oh, of course,” he said as he opened the door. “I’m surprised to see you here, actually… I wouldn’t think you would be at a show where everypony plays classical music.” “Yeah, normally I wouldn’t be anywhere near here. But I got a little project.” “What kind of project are you doing?” Vinyl smiled. “Oh, it ain’t my project.” The door pony scratched his head as Vinyl walked out into the Canterlot night. She got halfway across the street, then concentrated as her horn lit up. On a rooftop across from the Anvil Rust Theater, a pony stuck her head out over the edge. “That’s the signal, isn’t it?” Amethyst Star asked Octavia looked over the edge at Vinyl, then waved. “Yes, it is. That means the event should be ending in a few minutes, we should get ready.” The two ponies trotted over to a large folded up sheet and lifted it up, then carried it to the edge of the building. As Amethyst carefully taped one edge down, Octavia looked over at her. “I do want to thank you for your help in this,” she said. “This didn’t seem like the kind of thing only Vinyl and myself could have done.” Amethyst blushed. “No problem. Glad to help out any time.” As Octavia finished taping her side down, she and Amethyst sat and watched the building across the street, waiting for ponies to emerge. Octavia looked at Amethyst to find the unicorn was awkwardly looking away, biting her lip. “Is everything alright?” Amethyst jumped a bit. “Oh, yeah, everything’s fine, it’s just… uh…” Amethyst hemmed and hawed for a few seconds before finally looking back at Octavia. “It’s just that I have a little mini-gallery showing coming up next weekend.” Octavia smiled. “You do?” “It’s not a huge deal,” Amethyst said. “A bunch of artists in Canterlot are renting out a building for a gallery showing, and they asked me to participate. It’s my first gallery like that, and I’m kinda hoping… well, I was hoping you could show up.” Octavia enthusiastically nodded. “Of course I will.” Amethyst looked up, wide-eyed. “R-really?” “Absolutely,” Octavia said. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. After everything that’s happened, it’s the very least I can do.” Amethyst couldn’t contain her grin, and the two ponies again watched the theater carefully. Once the Canterlot Variety Concert came to a close, the legions of ponies made their way out of the theater. They were all laughing, enjoying each other’s company, and discussing the show they had just seen. Behind them, surrounded by royal guards, was Princess Celestia herself; she always made it a point to attend the Variety Concert every year. As ponies filled the streets, Octavia looked over at Amethyst. “I think now would be best.” Amethyst nodded, and the two ponies picked up the ends of the sheet and threw it over the edge of the building. Down below, the ponies looked up as the sheet unfurled, draping the large, colorful mural down on the building across from the theater. Colorful paintings of different musical instruments adorned the entire sheet, drawn in every color of the rainbow. The spaces in between the instruments had been filled in with gold and yellow, making the instruments stand out all the more. The words “Canterlot Variety Performance” were written in large letters near the bottom, with the very bottom right corner of the sheet featuring a small “O” painted in black. The ponies on the street all looked up in shock, which quickly turned into them talking. Princess Celestia held a hoof up to her mouth to stifle a giggle and looked around at the smiling ponies around her, then tapped her hooves on the ground. Other ponies soon followed suit, and soon most of the ponies who were looking were applauding the massive mural. Once the applause died down, Octavia and Amethyst made their way down and out of the building. As they entered the crowd, Princess Celestia quickly approached Octavia. “I had a feeling you might do something like this,” Celestia said with a smile. “A wonderful contribution. I’m just surprised you waited until after the show was over to put it up.” Octavia smiled back at the princess. “I didn’t want my work to take away from what they were doing. Although to be fair, I assumed more ponies would be on the street once the show ended, and—” Octavia stopped as she heard a commotion coming from deeper within the crowd. She carefully worked her way forward until she found the source: a pink pony with loud purple hair was ranting in the middle of the crowd as ponies awkwardly exchanged glances. “Really?! Flanksy is still around?” she screamed. “This is disgusting! Art belongs in galleries, ‘kay? I thought Canterlot was better than this, that’s why I visited!” Octavia calmly tapped the pony on the shoulder. She turned around, and her eyes narrowed. “You!” she yelled. “You’re Flanksy, aren’t you?” Octavia shook her head. “I don’t really go by that name anymore.” “You know what I mean!” the pony said. “I came to Canterlot to find inspiration for my new line, ‘kay? What I didn’t come for is something like that!” “I’m not sure I understand,” Octavia said. “How would a mural celebrating the Canterlot Variety Concert hinder your inspiration in any way?” “Because I know Flanksy!” the pony snapped back. “Flanksy ruined my friend Chic Trend’s show all those months ago, and now you’re trying to ruin the concert!” Octavia shook her head. “I’m going to have to disagree with that. These were two very different scenes, I hardly—“ “Can it,” the pony said. “I didn’t come to Canterlot to be talked down to by some hooligan, ‘kay?” The pony reached over and tapped another pony on the shoulder, then began to stroll away. “Come on, let’s go.” The other pony, a cream-colored mare with striped blue hair, didn’t move. She was staring up at the mural with a look of almost childlike wonder. Her eyes were sparkling as she looked over all the instruments, and the corners of her mouth curled up into a smile. She turned to Octavia and opened her mouth, but before she said anything, the pink pony returned and clamped a hoof down on her shoulder hard enough to send a jolt through her whole body. “Come on, Coco!” she screamed. “I’m not paying you to gawk at crap, we’re leaving now!!” The pony left again, and Coco took one last look at Octavia. Her smile had disappeared, but Octavia could see the sparkle still dancing in her eyes. Octavia smiled back at her and gave a small nod, which only made the sparkle grow before Coco finally turned around and hurried to catch up with her boss. Octavia turned and rejoined the rest of the crowd. Several ponies came up to her to talk, while many of them continued to admire the mural. “Dang. You’re popular, Tavi,” Vinyl Scratch said as she trotted up behind her friend. Octavia blushed. “Perhaps a bit. I just wanted to contribute is all.” “Oh don’t be modest, this is awesome,” Vinyl replied as she patted Octavia on the back. “This was totally awesome and you know it.” “Excuse me, Miss Octavia?” Octavia and Vinyl looked over as a pony with a styled mane and a pair of spectacles perched on the edge of his snout. “Oh, hello Sir Sonata,” Octavia said. “Is there something I can do for you?” “If you don’t mind me asking, how much community service do you have left?” Octavia looked down at the ground. “Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next month, then I’m done.” Sonata nodded. “That should work out just fine, then. I had a bit of a proposition for you. In a month and a half I’m hosting a small event at Canterlot Castle. Nothing too formal, I’m just giving some of Canterlot’s musicians a chance to perform in a more informal environment. If you’re not too busy, perhaps you’d like to perform.” “Really?” Octavia asked. “That would be my first real performance since my arrest…” “Well I assume you’ve still been keeping up with your cello.” “Are you kiddin’?” Vinyl said as she suddenly interjected herself into the conversation. “She still plays like every day!” Octavia blushed. “That is true.” “Well, if you’d like to, the spot will be open for you.” Octavia looked over at Vinyl, who responded with an enthusiastic nod. She was about to reply to Sir Sonata, but when she turned back, something else caught her eye: Amethyst Star was standing at the other side of the crowd, where several ponies were crowded around and talking to her. Octavia watched as Amethyst’s face lit up as she talked with each of them, then smiled before turning back to Allegro Sonata. “I appreciate the offer,” she said, “but I can’t give you a definitive answer just yet. I’ll have to think about it.” Sonata nodded. “Of course, of course. Just send me a letter when you decide.” Sonata and Octavia shook hooves and Sonata walked away to join the rest of the crowd. Octavia turned and walked through the crowd, with Vinyl Scratch quickly catching up with her. “Hey, what’s the deal?” Vinyl said as she nudged Octavia. “What do you mean?” “That was your chance to get back into the music world!” Vinyl said. “I woulda figured you’d be ready to jump at that!” Octavia stopped walking, and Vinyl stopped next to her. Octavia sighed. “Vinyl… I once said, I once truly believed, that music was the most important thing in my life. And in many ways, that is true. But…” she momentarily trailed off before gathering her thoughts. “But I don’t want to jump back into music simply because the door is open again,” she said. “I don’t want to do anything ‘just because.’ I’m happy where I am right now, Vinyl. That’s what’s most important to me. Should I decide I am ready to get back into music? Then I will most assuredly be contacting Sir Sonata. But I don’t want to make any steps without thinking first. And most importantly, I don’t want to jump back into music yet if it’s going to take away from my happiness. I don’t want to make any jumps just yet. I don’t have to. Because…” Once again, she looked back. The last ponies were filing out of the Anvil Rust Theater and as they saw the mural, Octavia could see their eyes light up. She just admired the scene for a few seconds before sighing. When she turned back to Vinyl, the corners of Octavia’s eyes glistened.” “I’ve found my harmony.” ————— The End Eternal gratitude for everything they have done for me:  PropMaster, RazgrizS57, TheWorstWriter, and WardenPony