Chapter 21 - Speech Of Greatness; Preparation
In Ponyville, Twilight was relaxing in the library, doing whatever she could to pass the time. Which was pretty much reading. Lately she's been getting a lot more ponies coming and going for books on things like building, writing, music, and other things that were recreational. Why? She had no idea. Must've been a new trend that she didn't know about. She'll ask Rarity about it later.
She looked up when somepony walked into the library, ringing the bell and catching her attention. "Hello, Twilight," Sunshower greeted as she made her way to the desk while looking around the library.
"Hey, Sunshower!" She greeted happily. "How can I help you? Looking for another book?"
"No thanks, I already have the ten I need. I'm asking if you've seen Clear Skies anywhere. She's been acting really strange lately." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I've noticed that each time we walk past the memorial, she gets all fidgety. The same thing with Scootaloo, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy definitely, and Pinkie Pie."
"Well, it is a memorial. You're supposed to stare at it," Twilight responded nervously. "But don't worry, I doubt it's something to even BE worried about."
"Yeah, maybe. But...I can't help but feel like there's something else big going on here that I'm missing. Eh. So. Have you figured out why everypony's getting instructional and history novels instead of adventure like Daring Do that everypony here was crazy about last week?"
"No, I'm stuck!" Twilight cried out in frustration. "I don't understand why everypony is going nuts over books that tell them instructions! Is somepony building something? Like last week, Filthy Rich, FILTHY RICH, walked in here and asked, 'Do you have any books on mechanics of a sewing machine?'"
"You're bucking with me," Sunshower muttered.
"I kid you not. I have a section in here on them and he got three of those. I was confused, but I didn't say anything about it. Since when does Filthy Rich do anything except count bits?"
Sunshower shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. Think it has something to do with the Royal Guard being stationed all over Equestria?"
"No, that's a whole 'nother deal. There are strange creatures lurking around that have been seen eating other animals. And they're getting bigger. Celestia and Luna have the Guard on high alert in case something gets out of hand. If they do, we'll be useless. The Elements of Harmony aren't available."
"Right...right. It hasn't chosen another bearer?" Sunshower asked in worry.
"It can't." She pointed her hoof at the display case by the window of the library where the Elements of Harmony were sitting. All of them were intact...except the red one which was only dust sitting in a tiny glass jar. "The only way it can choose a bearer is if it's intact. And the Elements of Harmony can't operate without all of them working. So....unless we get a miracle, the Elements of Harmony are absolutely useless and are just a piece of history."
"Dang. So...you're all just...veterans then, huh?" Sunshower joked.
Twilight shrugged and sighed. "Eh. We can still fight, we just can't end it with the Elements. We'll just have to find another way."
"Well, I hope you can find something. Good luck with trying to figure out what's going on with the ponies." Sunshower turned around and made her way out of the library, nearly bumping into Rarity.
"Twilight!" She yelled before she ran into the desk and fell out of view. A second later, her head popped back up with a face riddled with concern. "I figured out what's going on!"
"Did you now?" Twilight asked unamused. "How's your head, you ran face first into this desk."
"I'm fine. And yes, darling! It's..." She looked behind her for a moment before she gestured for Twilight to get closer. "Rainbow Dash."
"What about her?" Twilight whispered back.
"Well, I was talking to a pony earlier today. And they said they wanted to make a change in Equestria. I was like, 'Huh? How are you going to do that?' And she was all, 'Easy! I create devices that can give anypony the ability to fly!' I was all, 'How in Equestria are you going to do that?' And she was all, 'Pencil Sketch told us that we can go beyond our limits via one of her paintings. I think it was the one with the little filly flying through the air. So everypony everywhere is going around and doing things that could benefit Equestria.'"
"Wait, wait, whoa!" Twilight exclaimed, waving her hooves to stop Rarity for a moment. "Are you telling me Rain....Pencil Sketch inspired ponies everywhere to....innovate?!"
"Yes! That is the word I was looking for. They're improving everything that could make Equestria better. Almost all of Ponyville has done something in the 'Sketch Movement'. That's what they call it."
"So...Pencil Sketch, the millionaire, has started a movement in Equestria? Named after her? That could end in total ruin...or total success?"
"Total ruin?" Rarity asked in confusion. "Whatever do you mean?"
"Think about it, Rarity. There's a lot of problems that could follow along with this. Ponies could be too engrossed in their creations or innovations that they'll completely abandon what they're supposed to be doing."
Rarity sighed and facehoofed. She let the hoof drag down her face and give Twilight a look of unamusement. "Let me take a wild guess here and say that you're still on the side that ponies should be doing what their cutie marks tell them to and not what they want."
"Exactly!" Twilight confirmed before she pulled her hoof back from its pointing position. "Wait, what?"
"Twilight, you sound like a dictator!" Rarity yelled. "Do you not realize that ponies can finally do something they enjoy and believe in rather than doing something they were told to do?"
"I mean...I realize that, yes. But it has its repercussions that I think ponies just shouldn't risk. Such as what they're supposed to do. Each pony has a special talent that places them in a specific place in a cycle that helps Equestria. I'll give you an example. If there is a new law that was passed, and the governor is too busy 'innovating' to even notice the report's on her desk, then Ponyville ends up not following that law, and we all get in trouble. Another example would be Cloudsdale. If everypony working in the weather factory is too bust 'innovating', then the weather patterns will be unfocused and mismatched. It'll be absolute chaos."
"It sounds like you have no faith in ponykind, darling," Rarity commented. "I've also put a hoof in the movement. I've been researching how gems are created so I can find more gems for my design. As well as different ways to create clothing that actually helps the pony wearing them instead of just providing fashion. I am balancing my works. What makes you think we all can't do it?" Before Twilight could respond, Pinkie Pie burst through the library door, wearing...clothes?
Rarity turned around and gasped in horror. "Pinkie? Wh-What in Equestria are you wearing?!" She asked in absolute terror. Pinkie was wearing light blue pants that had shapes on them and a shirt that had a heart on the front. She was also sporting a baseball cap that was rotated around so the snap was in the front.
"It's my new design! You like it? I've been taking up fashion lately!" Rarity was just staring in horror at the ensemble.
"Rarity?" Twilight said behind her. Rarity twisted around with the same look. Twilight pointed to Pinkie Pie who was trying to strike a pose. "THAT...is why I think we all can't do it. THAT is a prime example. This could all end in disaster. Pinkie Pie, who's running the shop?"
"Oh, it's closed today."
"On a saturday?!" The other two asked in disbelief.
"Yep! Mr. And Mrs. Cake are out of town on a business trip and took Carrot and Pound Cake with them. So I closed the shop to work on my sewing." Rarity's right eye twitched before she swayed from side to side, then fell to the floor unconscious. "Rarity? Are you upset that I didn't make you anything? Don't worry I made all my friends something to wear! Here's a beanie!"
"So, Ms. Sketch," one of the teachers called, catching her attention from the other side of the table. Pencil looked down the line and spotted the pegasus mare waving at her. "We are so excited to have you attend today."
"Yes, well I did promise to attend," she responded while looking around. "Although I didn't expect this much of a turn out."
"Yes, they are all excited about the Sketch Movement." Pencil and Golden looked towards her way for an explanation.
"The...Sketch Movement?" Pencil repeated.
"Yes. The Renaissance movement that is sweeping all over Equestria and it's surrounding countries. Everypony is attempting to innovate. And it's making a big impact. Both big and small."
"I'm guessing there's rallies as well," Pencil asked while taking a bite out of some food she grabbed earlier. A hayburger.
"Every now and then. We have not been getting a lot of ponies asking about them, but they do draw a big turn out. And we have you to thank for it." The teachers at the table all voiced their agreements.
Pencil could hear Rainbow groaning in her mind. "Well...I do not believe I am the one who deserves all the thanks for innovation. My paintings were for inspiration."
"Yes, inspiration to innovate." Pencil shrugged before she went back to her hayburger. "Most of the ponies here are looking for, obviously answers for their questions, and how to make themselves become successful in the world if not just Equestria."
"Sadly, I cannot answer that question entirely." The teachers stopped what they were doing and turned to her in confusion. Pencil set down her hayburger and cleared her throat. "There is no predetermined path to greatness. You have to create that on your own. I know only the ins and outs of paintings and business. But what if somepony wants answers as to how to make a new chariot profitable and desirable to other ponies? I have no answers for that because that is not my profession. My main profession is painting, and knowing the ins and outs of business. Not engineering. You would have to ask another engineer about that. That is why I am not entirely sure of this movement. Do not get me wrong, I am all for it. And I see great things happening in it. But I also see bad things. There is an equal share of it. Somepony could profit greatly off their innovations, while others would fail miserably. So I am going to tell the ponies here that as long as they can balance their work life and their dreams at the same time, they will be fine. They shouldn't abandon what they are already doing until they succeed. For if they do not succeed...they will have a hard time getting what they abandoned back. And I have proof of that."
"So....ponies should be aware of their time spending?" Another teacher asked. Pencil nodded. "Sounds reasonable. Don't go too far in your works."
"Correct. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to venture through some of these stands and see what all the big fuss is about over there." She and Golden stood up and made their way towards the games and such. There was a lot of commotion at the dance one where there was a DJ playing and the Ponies were cheering "Go! Go! Go!" over and over again.
"Someone's destroying the dancefloor, I guess," Golden interpreted from Pencil's side.
"Apparently. Let's find out who it is. If it is the Dean, I am going to laugh." They made their way towards the crowd and pushed through the ponies and cheering to see what they were even cheering for. They arrived at the edge, looked down, and gasped.
"BUFF?!" Pencil asked in astonishment. The big bodyguard was doing some type of shuffling with his hooves that had the crowd cheering for him.
"Go Buff! Go Buff! Go Buff!" And go he did. Pencil and Golden were just staring at him in shock before Pencil chuckled.
"I am so teasing him for this later," she muttered. Eventually the song ended and the bodyguard gave the DJ a highhoof before he started making his way out of the circle. Pencil nudged Golden away, so they started to make their way out with him. Once they were clear, Pencil cleared her throat.
"Wow, Buff!" She said, making the Stallion sneaking away freeze midstep. "Busting some moves back there or what?" Pencil could just hear Rainbow laughing in a torrent of tears, along with banging her hoof on the ground.
"Somepony, make it stop!" She screamed.
"Uh..." Buff turned around and looked at them with wide and bright cerise eyes. "Oh hey, Pencil. How was the lunch?"
"It was fine. And then I saw my bodyguard get his boogy on. What was all that about? And where are my saddlebags?" He motioned with his head towards the ground by a table nearby where her Saddlebags were sitting.
"Just thought I'd get the stiffness out of my bones. So I gave everypony a dance lesson," he responded. Pencil would've been convinced if she didn't see him try to avert his gaze. She smirked and walked up to him, then leaned close to his ear.
"You know I am definitely teasing you this from here on out, right?" She whispered. "By the way....I'm impressed. Try for another brownie point, rough stallion." She pulled back, grabbed her saddlebags, and started to make her way to another stand. Particularly, the cotton candy one.
"Wait, what?!" Buff asked a second later. Golden chuckled and walked with them. She had nothing else better to do.
After a few more minutes, a loud feedback came over a pair of speakers on a stage setup on the field, grabbing everyone's attention. "Hello, everypony! And welcome to the twenty second Annual Upper Conference!" A teacher onstage announced. Everyone cheered, except Pencil who was too busy going over her cards and notes.
"Do you even know when you're speaking?" Buff asked. He went through her bag and pulled out a notebook that he just stared at. "Did you bring a notebook full of topics?"
Pencil shook her head and held up a folded paper. "Not exactly and I have a program right here. I'm the very last one, but I want to be able to get all of my stuff together first before it even begins."
"Sounds fine."
"Golden, you with me for this one?" Pencil asked. She put her cards in a deck with her magic and placed a rubber band around them.
"You know it," she responded. She grabbed the notebook from Buff with her magic and put it on her back. She could feel it in case it slipped. Finding herself prepared, Pencil placed the cards underneath her wing and made her way towards the stage where the other speakers were waiting and listening to the host.
"We're so honored that we have such a big turnout this year!" She yelled into the microphone. "We have some amazing speakers as well as a local celebrity." Pencil looked around and spotted a few cameras and news press nearby. Of course they'd be around. They never miss an opportunity to see her. The host was reading off the names of the ponies who would be speaking. "We have a few inspirational speakers also. So if you want to ask them questions, or gather information, please do. Do not be afraid to ask. And finally, for the last bit, we have Pencil Sketch!" The crowd cheered and stomped their hooves while the painter merely grinned and waved at them. After a few more seconds, they quieted down.
"Our first speaker is...."
The wind blew the mane of Princess Celestia astray as she looked out from the balcony of the Canterlot Castle. It was currently lunchtime, but she had more work to do. Like think. And plan. One of the scouts on the mission in Appleloosa informed her and Luna earlier that those creatures were moving in on certain towns. And that they were becoming more aggressive. Celestia didn't want to make any drastic measures such as evacuate the town immediately. But her and Luna did put a plan in place, as well as two hundred guards per threatened city in case it did happen. If those creatures did come to Appleloosa, Dodge Junction, and of course Ponyville. She would have to inform Twilight to have the Elements of Harmony in a place where they could be easy to grab and run. Placed in a bag or something.
"You are thinking again." Celestia glanced over her shoulder at her sister, who was approaching calmly behind her. "What are you thinking of now?"
"What will happen if we do not contain these creatures," she responded then turned back to look out over Equestria. Princess Luna sighed and sat down beside her, following her gaze with an expression of seriousness. "So far they are becoming more aggressive. Hungry. Which is not a good sign for anything or anypony."
"Yes. We have bumped up the security in each town and have evacuation procedures in place. But do we know how to fight them?"
Celestia sighed and responded sadly, "No, we do not. We can only hope magic will make them realize ponies are off the menu."
"And if that doesn't work?" Celestia stayed silent, making Luna sigh again. "Celestia, we cannot go hoof to claw with these things. We have magic on our side but that is it at this moment."
"We....we really need Rainbow Dash right now," Celestia responded. "Is there any word on her? At all?"
Luna shook her head. "I am afraid not. But that doesn't mean she is not thinking. I cannot say for certain that she is thinking about us since she has somehow blocked me off from her mind and dreams. But I can only hope that she is thinking about the others." The two princesses looked up to the sky when five chariots passed by overhead, filled with Royal Guards that were heading to their assigned cities. "And I only hope that she can come back and help soon."
After another hour of just waiting out of three, the second to last speaker waved their goodbye and thanks before the ponies cheered and she got off the stage. The host made her way to the podium before she cheered a little too. "Thank you, Miss Dirty Metals. Give it up for the engineer, huh?" The ponies cheered and stomped again before they quieted down. "Now. We have one more speaker that we all know and love. The painter and artist that has made a name for herself past the borders of Equestria and made an impact in Zebrica, Griffonstone, and the Dragonlands, not to mention Equestria itself, Give it up for PENCIL SKETCH!"
THe crowd went wild, cheering and stomping their hooves as she, Buff, and Golden Carat made their way towards the stage. Along the way, Pencil stopped and shook hooves with the rest of the speakers, giving them her appreciation for their words and knowledge. Eventually she made it to the steps and walked up it with Buff right behind her. Golden Carat grabbed the notebook from her back and levitated it on the podium. Pencil gave her a hug before she waved to the still cheering crowd and Golden stood beside Buff on the stage. She grabbed the notecards from underneath her wing and set them out on the podium. Once the ponies quieted down, she cleared her throat and began to speak.
"Amazing, isn't it?" She started. Her voice bounced off from the speakers setup around the field. "To have a whole nation united to make our land and home a better place through innovation that, somehow in some way, I started. The movement that I have been informed of, the Sketch Movement, has apparently a lot of supporters. Am I right"
The spectators cheered once more for a few seconds before quieting down again. "I am in full support of this movement. But I want to remind you...that the Sketch Movement is not meant to just quit and abandon what you are doing already to fulfill something greater. But to do both at the same time until you are sure that your innovation can and will stabilize you. When I took up painting, I was doing a second job at the same time. Because I knew that what I was creating would not get me to where I am today in one night. It took years for me to get to this point. On a stage talking to fellow ponies and future influencers, artists, mathematicians, engineers, designers, architects, and so much more than I have not named. Be safe with your innovations. Because sometimes you may get something you do not want.
"When I first arrived in Manehattan, I flew away from my hometown because ponies that I thought were my friends...were not my friends at all. They told me that themselves. And before I arrived in that town I was bullied in another because I wanted to do something different than what my cutie mark wanted me to do. I was bullied because I defied the limit that we all want to defy today." The crowd booed at that making her chuckle into the microphone. "Yes. They were not nice ponies. Things became physical and emotional to the point where I wanted to hurt them where agony and pain wouldn't even do it justice. But instead, I left and moved to the hometown, where it happened once more. Those paintings you see in the museums? Most of them were planned during the time I was being bullied. Let me tell you how far I've come. In the past, I used to have to plan my paintings and spend two weeks just creating the concept. Then a week and a half to paint it. Now? It takes me between one and five days, the longest being my best works. You see...when you have patience, you will end up creating something truly inspiring that you'll even amaze with yourself when you're finished with it. What I'm trying to say is, do not rush what you want to innovate or create. And make sure you have a backup plan in place. Sometimes, things don't work out, and you have to create something different.
"Now, I have to say this as well. I cannot help all of you with your innovations because what you do is not what I do." The ponies in the stand started muttering before she raised a hoof, silencing them. "I am a painter, not an architect. I cannot tell you where to get your buildings and designs published and built. I am a painter, not an engineer. I barely know how the washing machine works, I do not believe I can be of any help with how to build a train." The ponies in the stands and behind her laughed for a moment. "I am a painter, not a lawmaker. I cannot tell you the ins and outs of Equestrian government. I am a painter not a strategist. I cannot help you make plans on the future. The only way for you to get information and help is when you consult somepony in your own niche. If you want to be an engineer? Ask an engineer for help. If you want to be an inventor, you consult your friendly neighborhood inventor for assistance and advice. And if you want to be a painter...consult your friendly neighborhood Pencil Sketch about it. Or you can ask one of her future employees at Sketch It All! studios."
The ponies cheered again before she chuckled and waved. "Also, I am hiring artists, teachers, and faculty for the studios in the future. You will know when I am sending out the applications. There will only be a limited window for the applications. More than likely two weeks. Because I am only one pony. In the future there may be more time. But for now that will have to do. Now. I do believe I was supposed to answer questions?" The Dean behind her grabbed a notebook and trotted up to the podium.
"Here you go, Ms. Sketch," she whispered, placing it in front of her. She took it and set it down on the podium before she opened it. Then used her magic to count it. Forty pages, and each page, front and back, had three questions on it. This was going to take a while. "I see some ponies definitely wanted some questions answered," she commented. She cleared her throat before she read the question out loud. "'Dear, Ms. Sketch. Me and my friend were wondering how do you get your inspirations.' Well my inspiration comes from everything. There is inspiration right where everypony is standing or sitting. Those stands the audience is sitting on? Somepony that built that had a vision and made it happen. and now you have some place to sit in the middle of a large crowd and still get to hear and see me speak. So if I were to look at that bench, I would paint a picture of a group of stallions sweating bolts in the summer heat building it. Building something for the students of this school somewhere to sit so they can all watch and enjoy the best hoofball match of the season." The ponies fawned before she moved onto the next one.
"'Dear, Ms. Sketch. How do you get so many bits and what do you plan on doing with them?' Well I get all my bits after the museums, drawing companies, and more pay me to have my paintings displayed in their registry. Basically, I sell my paintings. I have a record of a painting that actually sold for five million bits. And what I plan to do with my bits is continue investing in Sketch It All! studios." The spectators cheered again before she quieted them down. She looked at the bottom of the page before her face blanched. She was not Expecting this question.
"'Dear...Ms. Sketch,'" she read slowly. "' Will you ever show your cutie mark?'" She looked up at the stands before glancing over at Buff. He shrugged before she turned back. "To be honest...I have no idea. Maybe one day. Or maybe when the world needs to see it again. My Cutie Mark was covered so ponies can't find or recognize me. So I am not so sure about it. Next question...."
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There’s really no telling where things can go from this point on, other than rifts will start to form between ponies who like their cutie marks and those who will start to feel like cutie marks are oppressive.
Excellent
I be the fans are gonna be flabbergasted when they find out who Sketch really is
!
This just shows a major flaw in the elements that the princess need to fix. Twilight and friends aren't immortal and if the elements go to pieces the minute they kick the bucket while you continue to send them out on dangerous assignments well you are risking a lot.