Brushed Away

Chapters

Chapter One: Weight on My Wings
Chapter Two: Raindrops Fall
Chapter Three: Helping Hooves
Chapter Four: Stable's Diagnosis
Chapter Five: Hello, Canvas
Chapter Six: Welcome to Ponyville
Chapter Seven: Drawing Attention
Chapter Eight: The Gryphon and the Artist
Chapter Nine: Seeing the Signs
Chapter Ten: Breaking the Silence
Chapter Eleven: Stitches
Chapter Twelve: Not Alone
Chapter Thirteen: Celebration
Chapter Fourteen: Working it Out
Chapter Fifteen: Readjustments
Chapter Sixteen: To Listen and To Act
Chapter Seventeen: Promise of a Princess
Chapter Eighteen: Leaving the Past
Chapter Nineteen: Giving Something Back
Chapter Twenty: New Clientele
Chapter Twenty-One: A Guest No More
Chapter Twenty-Two: Songbird
Chapter Twenty-Three: A Hoof Ahead
Chapter Twenty-Four: Surprises
Chapter Twenty-Five: Memories and Meteors
Chapter Twenty-Six: Breaking Point
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Most Painful Truth
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Retribution
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Growing Changes
Chapter Thirty: New Appearances
Chapter Thirty-One: Kind Words
Chapter Thirty-Two: The Biggest Honor
Chapter Thirty-Three: Dream of an Artist
Chapter Thirty-Four: Not While I'm Around
Chapter Thirty-Five: Getting Closer
Chapter Thirty-Six: Revelations
Chapter Thirty-Seven: More Than Friends
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Great Expectations
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Preparations
Chapter Forty: Angel of Music
Chapter Forty-One: Making A Masterpiece
Chapter Forty-Two: Brewing Up A Storm
Chapter Forty-Three: Confrontation (Part 1)
Chapter Forty-Four: Confrontation (Part 2)
Chapter Forty-Five: Picking Up The Pieces
Chapter Forty-Six: The Son and the Moon
Chapter Forty-Seven: Reaching for Redemption
Chapter Forty-Eight: Moving Forward and Looking Back
Chapter Forty-Nine: The Return (Part 1)
Chapter Fifty: The Return (Part 2)
Chapter Fifty-One: Ave Maria
Chapter Fifty-Two: Reflections
Chapter Fifty-Three: Carpe Noctem
Chapter Fifty-Four (Epilogue): Carpe Diem

Chapter One: Weight on My Wings

There are only a few things in life which are more irritating than being woken up by a blaring alarm clock. One of those is waking up the very second BEFORE the alarm goes off.

Yet, like some cruel joke designed by Discord himself, this very thing has happened for the past three days without error for the silver gryphon upon his cloud. There weren't many things that Troy could say he legitimately hated, but he was really beginning to hate his recent sleeping habits. He also started to hate clouds, including the rather small one he made for himself to live in. Even though the cozy abode wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable, Troy was more displeased with the space because it wasn't made with a gryphon in mind.

It was difficult enough being a different species in a place where almost everyone else was a pony, right down to the point that hearing "everypony" and "anypony" was more common than “everyone” and “anyone.” Having to live in a cloud instead of a nest just seemed to confirm that fact. Nothing felt like it was for him. Not his job at the Weather Factory. Not his limited interactions with the pegasi around Cloudsdale. Even his place of residence felt more like it was meant for some… pony. Everything felt temporary to Troy, even though he didn't want it to be.

Not after everything else.

Troy managed to pick himself off his cloud bedding, despite resistance from his exhausted body, and freshen himself up. After a quick preening of his silver wings, he flew off to the nearby waterfall for some much-needed cleaning.

Troy found it rather odd that none of the pegasi took advantage of the fresh water these afforded. Then again, maybe pegasi were more reluctant over using a waterfall on ground level. Either way, Troy was a bit glad his cloud was out of the way of other ponies. They weren't exactly the most private of living arrangements, but the seclusion Troy’s cloud offered was comforting.

One of the best things about the waterfall was how it acted as both a shower and a mirror. After a quick rinse over his feathers and fur, Troy took a quick glance over himself: The silver feathers along his face were always a lot sleeker than those of other gryphons, and his smooth, yellow beak didn't exactly make him look more masculine back home. Of course, the darker grey feathers along his chest to the top of his head were a decent indicator to ponies that he was, in fact, male―even if there were several pesky feathers that always seemed to find a way to cover his golden eyes.

The rest of his body was nothing special to Troy. It was, however, starting to become annoying how often ponies would stop and stare at him. Some would look for uncomfortably long periods of time with curiosity, while others kept their distance in fear. Almost every pony who talked to him had questions. Most of them were simple enough, either regarding his diet or the culture of the Gryphon Kingdom; but it was usually difficult to answer the questions dealing with the biological aspects of gryphons, since most of those kind were either extremely uncomfortable or unbelievably stupid. In less than a few months, Troy managed to distance himself enough from those things to live his life in a somewhat comfortable manner, even if that meant borderline isolation.

As Troy flew up towards Cloudsdale with his mind on cruise-control and a satchel draped over his shoulder, he passed by several pegasi, happily waving back as they greeted him. In all honesty, Troy didn't want to be as secluded as he was, even if being more social meant dealing with countless questions like, "Is it true gryphons eat changelings?" (absolutely not, since their blood is toxic) or "Do gryphons lay eggs?" (well, yeah, duh). Even with the almost alien feel Equestria had to Troy, it still felt a lot… kinder than back home, for lack of a better word.

Troy finally arrived at the Weather Factory, and he was surprised to see a large crowd forming around the entrance where two ponies stood at the top of the steps. It took less than a second for Troy to recognize the first pony as Rainbow Dash―with her cyan coat and multicolored mane―talking over the crowd with a large, red megaphone (as if she needed to be any louder). The pony next to her was a much bigger surprise: the purple alicorn known as Princess Twilight Sparkle. He knew quite a bit about her coronation, which happened shortly after he moved to Equestria, but he never thought he would actually have the chance to see her up close. He settled himself on a cloud near the back of the crowd, and began to listen to what Rainbow Dash was saying.

"Listen up, everypony!” While her voice boomed out through the megaphone, Twilight Sparkle stood beside her with her horn brightly lit, carrying a pointing stick in her aura. Behind the two mares, a large map was hung up on a bulletin board with several areas marked with red borderlines. The Princess pointed to various sections of the map while Dash spoke. “As most of you guys may know, a large storm is being organized over the D, E, F, G, and H regions west of Ponyville. These might be a bit more intensethan our usual routines, but they’ve been specifically designed to better help with farming efforts."

Troy could see several heads within the crowd nod, but the masses as a whole remained silent.

"However, it's been reported to me by Twilight here,” she said, raising her free hoof in Twilight Sparkle's direction, "that we don't have enough ponies to clear out the area before the storm begins."

At that moment, Twilight stepped forward. With the Princess’ presence on full display, Troy sat more upright out of instinct while his ears twitched attentively.

"Because of this, we are asking for any and all ponies willing to assist as volunteers. If anypony, or err… any creature is interested, then please step forward so we can have you listed for preparations."

The crowd had some rather mixed reactions, to say the least. While there were some ponies who immediately raised their hooves or began yelling to join in, a large majority looked less than enthusiastic about being a part of something this sudden. Not that Troy could blame them, though: there were about three dozen different projects being done all over Cloudsdale that needed their attention as much as a weather job did. Cleaning up a field before it rained didn't exactly seem like the most efficient use of everyone’s time on a Friday.

Troy then glanced up at the clock above the factory, which indicated that it was nearly eight. Definitely not much time left to get ready, although he was sure nopony would mind since a member of Royalty was at the front door. But even so, he didn’t want to be late for his shift. A quick stretch later, he spread his wings out to fly toward―

"Hey, you! The gryphon!"

Troy turned back toward the stage upon hearing Rainbow Dash, who was now flying toward him. As the crowd looked back, Troy worried about what the pegasus wanted with him. He'd heard some rumors about an interaction she had with a gryphon that didn't go well, and he was less than curious to learn more about the details. But alas, Rainbow Dash approached him with a surprisingly blank look on her face, scanning him up and down. "So, gryphon guy, what's your name?"

Troy blanched for a moment before realizing she asked a question, and quickly responded. "Um, my name is Troius Clawston. I work snow division at the Rainbow Factory."

He was worried about whether or not to have added that last detail since she didn't ask for it, but she didn’t seem to take note of it. "What's your wing power, Troy?"

"Um…” Troy tried to remember the last time he had his wing power measured, but it wasn’t like he usually needed to take notes during his physical exams. Luckily, he had recently undergone a physical upon moving to Equestria, so he was able to answer her accurately enough. “Eight… eight-point-seven, I think?”

Rainbow's eyebrows raised slightly. "You think you can help out with cloud formation today?"

"I… I guess I could?" Troy wasn't planning to volunteer due to his work schedule, but he really didn't want to object to the pegasus hovering in front of him. Dash may have been two-thirds his size, but her reputation was intimidating enough to make him comply accordingly.

"Oh, that's great to hear!"

Troy looked past Rainbow Dash at the lavender alicorn flying toward them, who looked particularly happy upon hearing their exchange. "We really need all the help we can get for this project, so thank you somuch for your help."

Her statement and her smile were undoubtedly sincere, which was enough to put him more at ease about the situation. As Troy looked back to Rainbow Dash, he noticed she seemed more lively and pleased also. "Cleanup’ll start at ten AM in the D section. You know where that is?"

"Ummm…” Troy paused briefly to process his thoughts. “Sure, it's about... ten miles from the hospital, right?"

“Ehhh… more around fifteen, but yeah, that’s it.” Dash pulled out a sheet of paper and pen from under her saddlebag. When she hoofed it to Troy, he saw that it was a long signup sheet with a few names written at the top. Troy signed the first clear line available, even as he realized that he would nowhave to explain this new duty for the day to his boss.

"And you won't have to worry about your work schedule,” added the Princess, almost as if she could read his thoughts (and given her powers, it wouldn't surprise Troy if she could). "Just tell your supervisor that you're going to be helping me and Rainbow Dash. I'm sure they'll understand." With her horn’s magic, she levitated a small Royal Excuse sheet toward him.

"Um… thank you,” Troy muttered as he took the small note from her magic, and placed it in his satchel. Troy nodded to them and handed back the sign-up sheet. "Well, I gotta get to my shift. So... I guess I'll see you guys at ten, then?"

The two ponies nodded happily. He turned past them and made his way toward the Factory, but made sure to pause and give the ponies a friendly wave before going inside.

Author's Note

Just so any newer readers are aware, I've recently been undergoing a big project to turn the Brushed Away series into physical books for individual sale. Because of that, I just wanted to make a quick note for which chapters have been revised so far, including this one.

I want to give my deepest thanks, as well as some well-deserved credit to the editors helping me out with this process: SirReal, and Double R. Forrest. And if anyone is interested in helping out with making this project a reality, I highly recommend checking out my Official Ko-Fi page dedicated to it.

Chapter Two: Raindrops Fall

He was only in the Weather Factory for less than two hours, but time passed away faster than expected for Troy. After he told his boss about his spur-of-the-moment volunteer job for the day (followed immediately by a pegasus half his size yelling at him about jeopardizing the schedule for the winter season), Troy headed off to the fields west of Ponyville. He knew that his absence wouldn't look good on his work record, but he also knew that helping a newly appointed Princess would morethan make up for it. Looking back, he wished he presented that Royal Excuse sheet in a more outgoing matter to shut his boss up about him leaving, instead of just meagerly pulling it out of his bag like a scolded kit. But regardless of his presentation, the look on that bitter pegasus' face was beyond priceless.

Note to self: invest in a good camera for moments like that.

Once Troy reached the airspace above the clear, grassy field, he glided down to the ground where a respectably large crowd was forming. Most of them were earth ponies, which made sense since the weather was supposed to be for the crops and upcoming harvest; with the summer season almost upon them, ponies had to put in as much work as they could for any upcoming storms. As Troy landed on the grass amongst the crowd, quite a few ponies stepped back from him before his claws even touched the ground.

Troy tried his best not to look around, knowing all too well that the large majority were just going to stare at him. He couldn't blame earthponies for staring, since he was fairly sure that most of them had never seen a gryphon up close before; but still, it didn't help Troy's composure that he was the onlygryphon among the group. He kept his eyes up to the sky to see when other pegasi would arrive, and to try and convince himself that the hushed voices he heard nearby was just the wind.

After several minutes of watching more ponies arriving and congregating with each other, Troy sat down on the grass, his thoughts slowly drifting off to think about… Well, nothing specific. Just random things that drifted in and out of his head: books he'd recently read; what to make for dinner tonight; how many changelings he thought he could take in a fight; simple stuff like that.

As his thoughts drifted deeper, and he stared further off to more pegasi flying in from above, he didn't notice the young filly who had approached until she poked him in the side.

"Wha!" Troy jumped back, seeing that it was just a small, yellow earth pony with a red mane and matching bow, who now looked slightly alarmed.

"O-Oh! Ah’m sorry, mister!” she shouted with an adorably strong country twang. “Ah didn't mean to startle ya. Honest!" The little pony stepped back from Troy, trying to give a nervous-looking smile to show some sincerity. Not wanting to look like he intentionally scared the kid, Troy just shakily smiled back at her as he held up his claws (in retrospect, that probably could've been misinterpreted in hindsight) to calm her down.

"It’s… It’s all right, kid. I should've been paying attention." Troy looked around to make sure nopony mistook that he was going to eatthe poor child. "So, uhhh… what’s up?"

"Well…” The pony fidgeted a little, and glanced down at Troy's flank. "How come ya don't have a cutie mark?"

"Oh,” Troy responded, quickly realizing that this pony didn't have a mark on her flank just yet. "Well… I’m pretty sure that gryphons don't get those. I think that's just a pony thing."

With the way her eyes narrowed, it seemed like the filly wasn’t too convinced. "So… how do ya figure out what your special talent is?"

Troy should've known she would ask something like that, but he wasn’t offended either. Compared to some of the asinine questions he'd heard before from adult ponies, this filly's question wasn't that difficult to comprehend or answer honestly. "Gryphons just have to figure out what they're good at for themselves,” he said with a shrug. “It can be a bit hard sometimes, since we can't see the proof like youguys can, but I haven't really had any problems with how my life has gone."

"So, whaddya do?"

"Oh, I work in the snow division at the Weather Factory."

The filly cocked her head to the side in slight confusion. "Ya mean like making snowflakes ‘n’ stuff?"

"No, that's not what I do,” said Troy, slightly chuckling at the thought of trying to make tiny snowflakes all day with his clunky talons. "What I do is grind large ice blocks down so that they can be converted into snowflakes."

"Oh, that’s neat!” she chirped with an impressed smile. “Do you use your claws for that?"

Looking down at his talons, Troy could see why she would think that. Though he wouldn't dare do it in public, he'd opened more than a few tin cans with just his claws after his can opener broke. The only reason he bought himself a new one was because he didn't want to dull his claws down too much. "No, they would get dull reallyquick if I did that. I just use a big ice scraper."

"Cool! Is there anything else ya can do?"

"Well…” Troy was unsure of whether or not to answer that, mostly out of slight embarrassment. Fortunately, he didn’t have to give a suitable reply when he noticed an orange mare trotting toward them.

"Apple Bloom! What in tarnation are ya doin’ here?” The farmpony’s eyes narrowed on the little filly. “You're supposed to be helpin' Big Mac out with gettin' the wagons ready!"

The filly’s eyes widened. "Oh yeah! Ah gotta go!" She darted off, but before she made it too far she quickly stopped and looked back at the gryphon. "Thanks for talkin' with me, Mister Gryphon!"

"Not a problem,” said Troy, waving and trying not to laugh at the “Mister Gryphon” bit. "My name is Troy, by the way."

"Oh, alright! See ya later, Troy!" yelled Apple Bloom as she ran off to the apple trees in the distance.

"Ah'm awful sorry about my sis,” said the orange mare, looking slightly embarrassed. "Ah hope she wasn't too intrusive or nothin’."

"No, your sister was fine." Troy scratched the back of his head, realizing that that conversation was one of the most pleasant (and longest) ones that he'd had since moving to Equestria. "She was just wondering why I didn't have a mark like you guys do." He noticed that this mare’s flank had three red apples on it, explaining why Apple Bloom ran over to the apple orchard. Must’ve been a family thing.

"Yeah, Apple Bloom's been a bit obsessed over gettin' her cutie mark lately." As the mare spoke, she adjusted the brown Stetson on her head before holding her hoof out to Troy. "Name's Applejack! So, ya helpin' out with storm prep today?"

"Yes I am, although this is my first time." Troy shook her hoof, noting she had a surprisingly strong grip.

"Well, don’tcha worry none,” assured Applejack, letting go of his claws. "Twilight is one o' the best organizers Ah've ever seen, so you're in good… um… claws, Ah guess?"

Before she could stammer on, Troy smiled and nodded his head. Meanwhile, up above their heads, the very alicorn arrived through the thick wall of clouds with Rainbow Dash by her side. As Twilight descended, most of the gathered crowd paused and began to bow before her. But to many of the ponies’ surprise, she immediately stopped midair to hover, and held her hooves outward.

"Please don't bow to me, please!" Some of the ponies looked up at confusion upon hearing the Princess pleading for them to not do what was standard protocol. "It's just…” Twilight struggled to find the right words. "I'm still not really used to this whole ‘Princess’ thing, and I'd rather not have everyponybowing down to me when I'm just trying to do my job." As she looked down at the crowd below, she could tell this was an odd request for them. "I just want you guys to see me as an organizertoday, not as a princess."

Rainbow Dash groaned and face-hoofed. "Twilight, you ARE a princess! And the last time I checked, princesses organize stuff. So just go with it already!"

"I'm fairly aware of my new position, Rainbow,” she said with a stern stare back at her. “I'd rather just be seen as a team leader than as a princess right now."

Rainbow Dash looked at her with one eyebrow cocked up. "And a princess is different from a team leader… how?!”

Twilight opened her mouth, but nothing came out as she realized that, despite her petulance, the pegasus had a fair point. With a deep sigh, Twilight just closed her eyes before giving a rebuttal to both her friend andthe crowd below.

"I just don't want everypony to treat me like Princess Twilight right now, okay? I want to help, and I can’t do that with everypony bowing down to me like I'm Celestia!"

With a low groan, Rainbow Dash slunk down, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere arguing like this. "Fine, fine, ‘organizer.’ Let's just get this started."

And with that, Twilight's organization skills came to light as she gave everypony and Troy their duties for the day. Troy's job was simple enough: moving the stratus clouds up with the stratocumulus clouds for better storm coverage.

The job took several hours to complete, but it wasn't difficult to accomplish. After the last of the clouds were placed among the dark grey blanket of sky above, Troy headed back down to see if he could help down below.

Once Troy reached the ground and looked around, he found that most of the earth ponies and unicorns were already done with their jobs and had gone home. He felt like resting his wings a bit, so he landed nearby on an old dirt road, which nopony had been on for years if the overgrowth was any indication. Troy was surprised that no one was around to check on things, but couldn’t scan anything too off that needed his assistance. The only landmark along the road was a nearby bush next to a sign that read “PONYVILLE 15 MILES - PONYVILLE HOSPITAL 14 MILES.”

Troy looked back up at the darkened sky, and saw that several pegasi were heading back up above the cloudline.

"Hey Troy!" shouted Rainbow Dash as she flew down to the ground. "Everything seems to be done, so you can go home now."

"Oh, okay. Thanks Rainbow!"

As Troy stretched his wings out, he looked back at the bush, which seemed almost out of place among the rest of the clear field. What really caught his attention was how the shadows underneath the bush looked so unnaturally dark. Upon closer inspection, the gryphon noticed something small sticking out. It might’ve been just a branch, but something about it ate at Troy. The gryphon walked closer to the bush, seeing that there was, in fact, something else there.

A small bag.

"Hey, gryphon!" Troy looked back up to see Rainbow Dash staring at him, while also flying up and away like the others. "The storm's about to start! Move your flank!"

"I think I see something in that bush! I'm gonna check it out!"

"Well, hurry up!” she shouted in annoyance. “I'm not gonna wait!"

"Just go! I'll be fine!"

With that final word, Troy approached the bush, and heard Rainbow Dash's wings flutter off into the soon-to-be stormy skies. As Troy got in closer, he could see the bag that caught his eye. Though it looked rather small in the distance, the gryphon discovered that the bag was actually quite large up-close. The bag held what appeared to be numerous paintings and canvases inside, and the tannish-brown fabric was covered with writing on every square inch―random symbols, words, and sketches―all of which looked like it was drawn on with an ink pen and meticulous precision (likely a unicorn’s handiwork).

While some of the etchings looked to have been added more recently than others, the bag itself looked rather worn out, with several tears at the seams and a few scuffed places where it’d been carelessly dragged along the ground.

Troy wasn't much of a detective, but he could tell that the bag probably belonged to an artsy kind of pony. He grabbed the strap with one of his claws, and could feel from the weight that the bag had a considerable amount of things inside. Knowing the rain would probably ruin this bag and its contents, Troy began pulling the bag out from the bush. But as he pulled, he soon found that the strap was caught onto something.

He used his free claw to reach into the bush and pull free whatever had snared the bag. When Troy felt the source, he looked closer inside the bush to see what it was. Troy’s eyes widened in horror when he saw that the bag wasn't being held by a random branch or root.

It was a bloodied hoof.

Troy bolted back from the bush with a horrified scream. The appendage was now lying limp on the ground, and stuck out from underneath the bush like something from a horror comic. Slowly walking closer again, Troy saw that the leg’s fur was a bluish-green, abruptly changing to a garish mud-brown as it reached halfway up, and then changing again to a deep dark red at the end. Troy’s breathing hitched when he saw that the hoof itself looked like it was almost completely worn down, as if whoever it belonged to had been dragged through thistles and loose stones. Trembling with an almost alien sense of worry, Troy reached with both forelegs into the bush to pull the hoof out.

Troy bolted back a second time. Lying in a fetal position inside the bush, an earth pony was seen passed out with multiple bruises blossoming along his body. His coat, which Troy guessed was supposed to be the same aqua color as his legs, was matted down, and had patches of mud and dirt along his stomach and back. His other three legs were in no better shape, covered in mud and worn down at the hooves in a sickly red. His long mane looked to have originally been a chestnut brown, but was now badly tangled and darkened, for a large part was matted to the pony's forehead with blood.

Troy was almost unsure of what gender the pony was, since its face was mangled beyond recognition. An almost-blackened coat of dried blood covered most of the pony's battered face, its left eye swollen shut with the flesh around it colored an especially nasty dark blue.

Troy's heart started to beat at levels he didn't think was physically possible for a gryphon, vacillating over what to do. He overheard the thunder beginning to rumble, and Troy immediately flew upwards into the sky, hoping to Celestia he wasn't too late. He began yelling for help as he soared higher, not caring that the cloud coverage would diminish any sounds he made to the ponies above them.

"SOMEBODY HEL―"

A loud boom crashed through the sky, and Troy was mercilessly thrown back onto the road in a simmering, mewling heap. There was a protocol for operating during storm preparations, and one of the biggest rules was to never fly up to the clouds unless you had a death wish. The storm wasn’t supposed to start so quickly! Or maybe, with the adrenaline pumping through his system, Troy had lost track of time.

A sharp sting shot throughout his whole body, especially across his right wing. Regardless, Troy managed to get back on his legs. Troy groaned in pain as he regained his balance, his mind racing over what to do. He limped back to the bush, reaching underneath. As his claws caught the pony in their grip, Troy was relieved to feel the body was still warm. There was still a chance.

Troy pulled the pony out into clear view, and saw that the other side of the pony's face was even worse. Its right eye was swollen to about the size of a baseball, and the bruising looked pitch black under the limited light; a small sliver of blood seeped out from between the eyelids, much to the gryphon’s dismay. Troy tried his best to keep his composure, hoping he wouldn't throw up. With a quick check of its pulse, he discovered that the pony was still breathing, although it was very, very weak.

Troy flinched at the sharp pain in his back and wings, knowing he was definitely in no shape to fly anywhere at the moment. He looked back up at the sign, paling at how far away the hospital was. He knew he could've flown that distance in his sleep, but fourteen miles on four legs was a hard enough feat to accomplish alone, let alone while carrying somepony who was hanging on by a thread.

Troy looked back down at the pony, and he knew there wasn't much time. He could hear the aqua pony slowly wheeze out, sounding as if the very act of breathing was a struggle in its state. With a quick breath, Troy hoisted the pony up with his claws, and winced as he laid the earth pony on his strained back.

"I can do this. I…” Troy turned forward toward the dirt road, just as the first drops of rain hit his face. "... I have to do this."

Right as the rain started hammering down to the ground, the gryphon began to run.

Author's Note

Chapter Three: Helping Hooves

Underneath the cloudline, the Equestrian landscape was being bombarded by the storm. Right up above it, the mood was just as overbearing, as every pegasus zoomed around the cloudscapes to make sure everything was in order before clocking out. Volunteer vests were put away, tools were returned and accounted for by maintenance, and among the crowds of tired ponies stood Twilight Sparkle, checking off everything on her clipboard.

With a purple aura of magic surrounding her clipboard and quill, Twilight was on her third look-through of all the completed tasks. Satisfied with her flawless line of checks, she glanced over at Rainbow Dash, who was ungracefully slouched on a pile of clouds shaped into a reclining sofa.

"Rainbow, did you finish looking over the crew list yet?"

The cyan pegasus shifted her weight on the chair, and belted out a particularly loud snore.

"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted, startling Rainbow Dash who shot up from the chair with both her eyes and wings wide open. As she stood up, her eyes slowly drooped as she readjusted to a state of passable awakeness.

"Wha... whatdoyawant?" grumbled the pegasus as she brought a forehoof to the back of her head and scratched her technicolor mane.

Twilight sighed before reiterating her question: "Is everypony on the attendance list accounted for?"

Rainbow Dash responded with a purposely loud groan. "THAT'S what you woke me up for?!" Looking morethan upset about her nap being interrupted over a list, Rainbow Dash stumbled back to her cloud chair where her clipboard was, and hoofed it over to Twilight. "Okay, there! Everypony has been crossed off, see?”

She watched as the Princess looked over the list, humming to herself with her eyes narrowed studiously. Rainbow didn’t wait for confirmation as she dragged herself back to her chair, hoping to get a few more minutes of sleep in before―

"Wait, where's Troius?"

"Who?" Rainbow asked as she looked back at Twilight.

"Troius Clawston. He's the only name on the list that isn't crossed off. Are you sure he's here?"

As she unravelled the cobwebs from her mind, Rainbow tried to remember who Twilight was talking about. After a few seconds, the pegasus' head shot up. "Oh yeah, Troy! The gryphon! Yeah, I saw him earlier."

Twilight's eyebrows furrowed with worry, and she asked, "You saw him?"

"Yes, Twilight! I saw Troy!" Rainbow then huffed with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “Jeez, I don’t think it’s too hard to remember seeing a gryphon around here.”

"Above the cloudline?” Twilight locked her sights on Dash more sternly than before. “Before the storm started?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes, first darting around as if trying to find the specific memory, suddenly shot wide open in shock. "Oh no! He―I think he's still down there!"

"WHAT?!” Twilight grabbed the pegasus with her forehooves. "What do you mean he's still down there!"

"H-He said something about seeing a bush or something by that road sign! I thought he would’ve gotten back by―"

Before Rainbow could finish, a bright flash of purple light appeared in front of her where Twilight once stood, leaving nothing there afterwards. As Rainbow Dash looked around, she quickly realized what her egghead friend just did: the newly appointed Princess of Equestria just teleported herself into the middle of a severe-level thunderstorm!

Almost two hours had passed since the first raindrops fell. After all the animals were moved, and everypony managed to find shelter, the area under the rain was empty. Celestia's sun had already dropped past the horizon a half-hour earlier, making the overcast skies that much darker―almost pitch black without the illumination of Luna's moon or stars. The field was completely still, save for the pounding rain that drummed every square inch.

A flash of purple light appeared, bringing forth Twilight as she materialized at the road sign Rainbow Dash told her about.

She was immediately pelted by the heavy rain, but Twilight Sparkle illuminated her horn as she looked around the wet darkness.

"TROOOOOOOY!” called the Princess frantically. "Where are you?!”

Realizing the state of her fur after only a few seconds out in the storm, Twilight quickly summoned a force field spell around herself. It wasn't the most practicaluse of her magic, but it certainly worked as an effective replacement for an umbrella.

With the added light from her dome, the pony looked around, hoping to see anything that’d indicate Troy was nearby. When she looked back at the bush, Twilight noticed something in the middle of the road. Upon closer inspection, she saw several singed feathers in the mud, confirming Twilight's worst fears: a lightning strike.

She knew how dangerous lightning could be even beforeshe gained her wings, and she studied the dangers even more since she became a Princess. Twilight grew more worried about the gryphon, knowing that he could be in serious trouble. She noted the sign next to the bush, and guessed that if Troy was able to move, he would head to the hospital. With a quick change to her forcefield to allow it to move withher, Twilight spread open her wings and flew along the road.

With each step his paws and talons made in the increasingly thickening mud, Troy felt like he was going to pass out then and there. The darkness around him made it almost impossibleto see further than a few feet, but he still tried to keep a steady pace with the unconscious pony propped on his back. His legs were burning intensely from the exertion. Each forced breath he took stung his lungs like he was inhaling pure ice. The freezing rain hitting his already-soaked fur and feathers only helped to emphasize how royally bucked this situation was.

He wasn't sure how long he had been running through the storm, but the unrelenting rainfall made it feel like an eternity. All he knew was the hospital was still a long, long way off.

The gryphon slowed his pace to catch his breath, his heart feeling as if it was going to burst at any moment. Even though his legs were practically beggingto give out from the weight on his back, Troy kept his posture up as he struggled to keep his mind in focus. He needed to get help! He painfully started to move his legs again, unsure of how much energy he had left in him. He only moved forward a few steps before noticing a strange light coming from behind.

Looking back, Troy could make out what he’d describe as a floating ball of light speeding toward him. Twilight caught sight of Troy below, and alighted on the path before him. She dissipated the force field the moment her hooves touched the muddy ground, but didn’t seem to care about her matted fur when she ran up to the gryphon.

"Troy!" shouted the soaking-wet alicorn. "Are you oka―”

Twilight went silent as her eyes grew in horror, noticing the hurt pony slumped on Troy’s back. Struggling to keep his balance, Troy tried to regain some strength to explain what happened. The pony on his back remained lifelessly limp, and was staining the gryphon's grey coat with the mud and blood from his own battered body.

After finally gaining enough air in his lungs to speak, Troy tried to tell Twilight that he needed help. Unfortunately, each word he spoke came out between several deep, exhausted breaths. "I… I found him… under a bush… He―”

Before Troy could finish, he saw the worried Princess light her horn once more. She illuminated herself with an especiallybright, purple glow before a flash engulfed the both of them. For a brief moment, Troy was weightless―not particularly flying, but… floating, as if he were a mayfly trapped in a vat of viscous gelatin.

As suddenly as the sensation took him, it left; Troy then fell onto a cold floor with a wet and ungraceful thud. An even brighter light pierced his sight from above, leaving him unable to see where he was. He could tell that there was no more rain, but that was about it. As his eyes readjusted, he realized he was no longer even outdoors, but now standing on a laminated tile floor as he heard Twilight nearby calling for help.

Troy felt the weight on his back being lifted off; two nearby unicorns carefully laid the injured pony across a stretcher, both of whom wearing what looked to be hospital scrubs. Troy tried to say something, but his exhaustion left him barely able to stand in that moment while the injured pony was pushed further into the building.

The gryphon looked around the white-painted room, and started to understand where he was at: judging by the lines of chairs along the walls, along with the several panicked ponies who were seated across them, it seemed that Princess Twilight had teleported them to the hospital, right in the middle of the waiting room.

The gryphon blinked a couple times as a bout of grogginess hit him with the force of a brick. His head started to spin violently, and he could only hear bits of what was being said by Twilight and the staff before he collapsed on the floor again. The voices started to fade away, and Troy's mind began to blank. Before he completely passed out, he could hear Twilight's relieved voice above him.

"You did a great job, Troy. You both are going to be just fine..."

After that, all Troy could feel was warmth and silence as the darkness encompassed him, and he finally let his aching body get some well-earned rest.

Author's Note

Chapter Four: Stable's Diagnosis

"I swear to Celestia, if that clock goes off right now…"

Despite the attempts from the hamster in his head to stir him from his slumber, Troy stubbornly kept his eyes closed. When he tried to turn over, he noticed an odd restriction in his wings and back, and his bedding felt a lot firmer than usual. Slowly opening his eyes, Troy realized he wasn't on his cloud. In fact, he wasn't on any cloud at all; he was on a large mattress set on the ground with several blankets rolled around it, similar to a makeshift nest.

Troy looked around the pale white-and-tan room, seeing from the window to his right that it was bright again outside, although the clouds still looked rather miffed. To his left, he saw a large table, on it a large arrangement of flowers, balloons and various cards, most of which said things like “Get Well Soon!” or “Great Job!” Troy scratched his head, confused as to why such an arrangement was lying there.

It all came flooding back into his mind: the storm, the bloodied hoof, the flash of lightning, the Princess... Troy instantly sat up on the mattress. All he could recall after the storm was a calm voice, and the ruffle of purple feathers before he blacked out. As he looked down at the bandages around his torso and wings, a noise jolted Troy. The door opened.

Troy looked up to see Twilight Sparkle entering the room. Behind her was a tan unicorn with a thick, chocolate-colored mane, glasses, and a heart monitor emblazoned on his flank. The stallion wore a white doctor's coat with a nametag titled "Stable M.D.” The unicorn lifted the stethoscope around his neck with his magic toward Troy's chest. Twilight walked up to Troy's side, overjoyed to see him awake.

"Oh, Troy, I'm so glad you're okay!" Before Troy could reply, the alicorn wrapped her forehooves around the gryphon in a surprisingly strong hug. Stammering, Troy’s heart raced just as quickly as it did back in the field. Of all the things he expected to happen in his lifetime, being hugged by Royalty was noton that list.

“P-Princess! I, um…” The gryphon’s face burned as he scrambled to respond.

Twilight pulled away from him, giving him a warm smile. “It’s alright, Troy, you’re safe now.” She cast her eyes to his haphazardly strewn-together bedding, trying not to wince. "Ummm… I’m sorry about the accommodations. There weren’t any bed frames large enough for gryphons."

“It’s, uh, it’s fine, Princess,” Troy muttered. Twilight’s smile dipped slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Doctor Stable stepped forward as he pulled the stethoscope from Troy’s chest. "Well Troy, you're very lucky to still have your wings right now,” he said, summoning a clipboard and scribbling across a sheet.

Troy's eyes widened, and he tried to turn his head around to glance at the bandages on his back. He attempted to flutter his wings, but they were restricted under the tight wrappings.

"The lightning strike didn't hit you directly,” said Doctor Stable. "You were only grazed. Nothing indicates that you’ve suffered any serious injuries." Troy closed his eyes and sighed in relief. The Doctor looked up from the chart at Troy, and gave him a slight smile. "In fact, you could actually leave the hospital todayif you want. After a quick look-over, of course."

"That would be great, Doc." As Troy readjusted his weight so he could sit easier on the mattress, he looked back over at Twilight, who was now standing at the table and looking at the various cards. "How long was I in here?"

"Since last night,” said Twilight. “Although you've been unconscious for most of the day. It's almost four already."

Troy’s mind grinded to a halt, and he looked at the clock sitting above the doorway. His eyes went back to the table, and all of the well-wishes and trinkets lined along it. Troy’s brows furrowed. "What's with all the cards and stuff?"

Twilight looked back at him as though he had sprouted a horn on his forehead. "Seriously? After the news spread around about what happened, ponies wanted to show their thanks for what you did. I mean… you saved somepony, Troy! Who knowswhat would have happened if you weren’t there."

“THE PONY!” Troy immediately shot up. Despite Stable's efforts to restrain him in fear of the bandages ripping open, he rushed over to Twilight. "What happened to him? Is he alright?"

Twilight's ears dropped slightly, causing Troy’s face to fall.

"The stallion's condition is stable for now," Doctor Stable assured, annoyance clear in his tone. Removing his glasses with a forehoof, he continued. "Honestly, he’s doing muchbetter than he was when the two of you first brought him in. Although..."

“Although what?” Troy looked between both of the ponies as his expression grew more concerned. “Why is everyone beating around the bush!?” The gryphon winced over his wording. Twilight and Stable cringed as well, clearly catching it also.

Doctor Stable wiped the lens on his glasses with a white cloth via his magic, sighing. "The pony had to undergo emergency surgery due to the extensive damage to his skull. Particularly his right eye socket.”

Troy’s throat tightened, though he wasn’t too surprised given how bad the pony’s eye looked. "A large part of the socket was caved in,” said Doctor Stable, “and the internal bleeding could've caused seriousdamage if you hadn't found him." Stable levitated the cloth back into his coat pocket, and placed his glasses back on. "Luckily, we were able to repair the skull and possibly save his eye... But that wasn't the most troubling thing."

"What…” Troy blinked a couple times. "What do you mean?"

Doctor Stable closed his eyes. "Well… The stallion was also showing signs of extremedehydration and fatigue, and the state of his hooves was the worst I've seen in a long time." Troy could only nod. "The muscles in the pony's legs were in rather bad shape from overuse, and combined with the signs of severe exhaustion, it would seem like…”

"Seem like what?" asked Troy. Twilight stepped in closer as she listened, clearly concerned as well. After a brief pause, Stable looked between both of them.

"It would seem like... the pony had been running himself to exhaustion for days before you found him."

Troy looked at Twilight. Her muzzle was clenched shut in worry, not wanting to show that she already knew about most of this. As he thought about the pony's condition, Troy asked her, "Do you… Do you think maybe he was chasedby something? Like a dragon or a manticore, or...?" He waved his claws around as though to pull the answer none of them had from the air.

Twilight slowly shook her head, looking away into nothing as she tried to think about Troy's theory from a logical standpoint. "I don't think the pony was chased by anything that big. If there was something like that terrorizing ponies, there would've been a report of it somewhere." A purple forehoof came up to her chin as she pondered. "And if something waschasing him, I would think it would give up after a while. I don't think any creature would keep a pony running for days on end like that."

"I don't believe he was injured by a creature at all."

Troy and Twilight turned their heads back to Dr. Stable, who looked back at his clipboard as he explained. "The damage done to his eye was most likely done with a weaponor blunt object. And looking over the other bruises and injuries on his body, most looked like they were done by hoof."

"Whoa, wait a second!" Troy exclaimed. "Are you telling me that some pony did that to him? He could’ve died!"

The doctor solemnly nodded whilst Troy looked on in a state of utter disbelief. Gryphons may have been a more brutal species than their Equestrian counterparts, but even theyrarely took things to such bloody extremes. For a pony to enact such violence against another was almost impossibleto even conceive. Sure, there may have been fights here and there in Equestria, but most of them were just petty squabbles or arguments that almost never turned physical. And even if they did get violent, absolutely none of them would've ended like… that.

He looked back at Twilight, and Troy could see from her expression that she was feeling the same way. Unsure about how to respond, both were slightly taken aback when Stable spoke again.

"However, that’s merely a theory. The stallion is still unconscious, so at the moment I have no concrete idea as to what happened to him. I'm not sure when he'll be lucid enough to speak, but we'll be sure to let the bothof you know as soon as it happens."

Doctor Stable looked over Troy one last time before giving him the okay to leave the hospital. He was happy to leave the cramped room and get back to his cloud, but his hopes fell when the doctor told him to stay off his wings for a couple of days.

He packed all of the cards and a majority of the flowers into his satchel, and tied several of the balloons around the strap. Afterward, Troy was surprised to find Twilight waiting for him when he left his room. It felt jarring to be so casually close to someone so renowned, but Troy tried not to look too overwhelmed as he walked alongside the Princess through the hospital halls. He was unsure of where he was going to stay while his wings recuperated, now that he knew he couldn't simply flyhome. But before he could work himself up about it, Twilight surprised him by asking, "So Troy, do you want me to get you a ride back to your place?"

Taken aback by the sudden offer, Troy stammered. "Oh! I-I couldn't, Twilight. You already helped me so much. I just... I don't want to imposeor any―"

"It wouldn't be a problem at all to help you." said Twilight, smiling brightly. "I can arrange for a carriage to carry you back home, no sweat! If you don't mind, of course."

"Um…” Not knowing how to respond, Troy decided to just let her help out. He did want to get back to his bed again. "...I guessI wouldn't mind. After all, I wouldn't want to turn down an offer from a Princess."

Twilight giggled with an understanding shrug. “Trust me, it’s a lot harder for me to ask for things as a Princess. You’re perfectly fine.”

Troy ended up smiling a bit more naturally, not expecting the alicorn to be so humble. As they waited for Troy’s carriage, the two ended up having a rather nice conversation over how life in Equestria had gone for him so far. Troy was relieved to find Twilight to be incredibly down-to-earth and an absolute pleasure to talk to, whether the topic was about the intricacies of atmospheric electricity and manipulation (something Troy was elated to discuss at length with someone so passionate about the subject) or what brew of tea was the best cure for aching wings after a long day of flying (charming as she was, Twilight’s tastes were just unfortunate in Troy’s opinion).

Soon enough, the discussion came to a close with the arrival of the requested carriage, piloted by four Royal Guards. Such an act of generosity brought forth several thank-you's from the gryphon, for both the carriage and for her efforts the previous night.

When he finally left the hospital, and waved at the lavender alicorn below in a kind goodbye, Troy's mind slowly went back to the stallion still at the hospital. Despite Doctor Stable’s reassurances, Troy was still concerned about him. As the wind blew through the feathers on his face and chest, questions pummeled the gryphon's mind.

Did he do something bad?

Was he part of some crime?

Was it something serious?

Who the buck would clobber a pony like that?

Why?!

It wasn't until one of the guards caught his attention that Troy realized that he was back at his modest cloud. He made sure to thank the guards as he hopped out of the carriage, offering them a kind farewell before walking into his abode. By the time the carriage left to return to Canterlot, Troy ended up dropping face-first onto his cloud bedding.

His body grew weaker, and his thoughts grew more discordant as the seconds passed. Troy knew he had a few days of confinement before he could fly again, but was grateful he had enough food in his kitchen to keep himself from starving during that time. With a deep sigh, the gryphon moved himself into a more comfortable position, mindful of his binded wings.

Whatever happened, Troy thought as his eyes slowly closed to get some much-needed shuteye. I really hope that stallion will be alright...

Author's Note

Chapter Five: Hello, Canvas

For the next week, things changed drastically for Troy. After his wings got back into flying shape, he was overwhelmed by how much attention he'd received around Cloudsdale. The story about him saving a pony during the storm had spread all throughout the city, and the gryphon had become something of a local hero. Troy wasn't used to the constant barrage of ponies asking about what happened or telling him how awesome he was, but he was feeling a lot better about himself and his place in Equestria.

However, as the days passed, Troy started to become more and more worried. It'd been a week since he had gotten that stallion to the hospital, but he hadn’t received any news regarding an improvement in the pony's condition. He knew that the stallion was in really bad shape, but he didn't think it would take this long for him to get better. Was he in a coma? Did his condition get worse? Not knowing what to think, Troy couldn't focus on much else by the time he flew back to the hospital for a checkup.

"Everything looks alright, Mister Clawston." Upon hearing Doctor Stable's approval, Troy smiled and closed his wings back to his sides. "You're very lucky to have only lost a few feathers from that strike. Celestia knows what would've happened if you were just a few inches to the right or to the left."

"That's great to know,” said Troy, running his claws over his head. “Um… so, Doc… Is that pony alright? I mean, has he gotten better, or…”

Troy was afraid to finish, worried about whether or not the pony had actually gotten worse. Fortunately, Doctor Stable didn't look upset; in fact, he wore a look of optimism.

"Well, his physical condition has greatly improved since the last time you were here. His hooves have healed up nicely, and his legs are regaining their strength and shape. Even the fractures in his skull are beginning to heal after several rounds of regenerative magic, so I'm confident that he'll be back in good condition very soon."

"Alright, good! That’s… that’s good." Troy wasn't sure what much else to say, but he could tell that the doctor wasn't telling him everything. "Is he… Is he awake?”

The doctor's ears dropped, his expression darkening as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. "He's been waking up for a short amount of time for the past few days before slipping back into unconsciousness. We're not sure why, but we're hoping that he'll be fully awake and talking soon."

As Troy let this new information sink in, the doctor placed his hoof on his shoulder. "Please try not to worry about it too much, Mister Clawston. His condition is getting much better, and I know he'll be up and walking again in no time at all. I promise I'll let you and Twilight know when he's awake so you can talk to him. I'm sure he'll want to speak with both of you as well."

Troy nodded, making sure to hold his tongue. When the appointment was finished and he was allowed to leave without his bandages, his thoughts still buzzed around the injured pony. As the gryphon walked down the halls to leave the hospital, he came across an empty hallway. Among the lines of closed doors and fluorescent lighting, Troy looked up the archway above the hall, which carried a sign reading “Intensive Care.”

After looking around to make sure no one was watching him, Troy crept down the hall, sneaking quick glances through the windows of each door. Most of the rooms were either empty, or angled too oddly for him to see anything noteworthy. But just before he decided to head back out, he looked in one last door at the very end.

At first, all he could see was a darkened room with a small light illuminating the hospital bed. Then, in front of the bed, Troy spotted something he recognized immediately: the brown art bag he picked up from the storm. Troy almost forgot even picking up the bag, and he didn't even notice it on him as he ran through the storm that night.

Troy then glanced at the bed, and was finally able to see the stallion he saved. Unfortunately, the dim lighting just made the shape on the bed look that much more depressing. A large amount of bandages covered each of the pony’s legs, each of them spread out across the bed in all four directions. There were also bandages covering the right side of the pony's face, where a nasty-looking red tube poked out from underneath the wrapping. Troy could also see a few other small tubes sticking out from the pony's body, all connected to the equipment surrounding the bed.

As Troy observed the unconscious pony, he could finally see the cutie mark on the pony's now-clean aqua flank: a painter's palette with a small paintbrush underneath.

A painter? Troy thought to himself, blinking repeatedly in befuddlement. How the buck does a painter end up like that?!

Troy heard the voices of some ponies in the distance and quickly left the hallway, not wanting to be caught snooping around where he didn’t belong. Once he reached the main doors of the hospital and stepped into the fresh open air, the gryphon sighed in relief, now finally able to spread his wings again. But alas, even as he soared off into the sky, the comforting sensation of flying was barelyenough to help Troy in that moment.

Though Stable’s words comforted him, he couldn’t stop thinking about what could’ve led to such a cruel fate for that pony. Troy decided to head back to Cloudsdale and get some groceries before going home in hopes of distracting himself. It may have been a temporarydistraction, but he already knew he’d have a lot on his mind that night.

As the day drew to a close, and Luna's stars shined brightly above Equestria, the Ponyville Hospital was fairly still for the evening. Not many patients were admitted―only a couple of ponies were in the waiting room to be seen for their ailments, and the staff was taking their time, ready to help at a moment's notice.

Meanwhile in the Intensive Care unit, the aqua stallion with the painting cutie mark laid still, the motions of his chest syncing with the solemn beeps of the heart-rate monitor. The pony had awakened a few times earlier in the week, but most of those moments only lasted a few seconds before the webs of oblivion once again entangled his feeble consciousness.

Beep… beep… beep… beep… beep…

The steady rhythm of beeps rang monotonously inside the room, the pony laying motionless. Save for the lights from the machines and the small lamp near the bed, the room itself was shrouded in dreary shadows. But slowly, the stallion's right forehoof began to move and scratch at the sheets.

Beep… beep… beep… beep… beep… beep…

While his eyes remained closed, his muzzle began to twitch and move. He tossed his head back and forth on the pillow slowly, and his breathing started to grow more erratic.

Beep.. beep.. beep.. beep.. Beep-beep-beep.. beep.. beep..

The pony gritted his teeth as he writhed on the bed, all of his legs struggling to move despite their thick bandages. His thrashing motions triggered the sensors on the machines, and the emergency call button automatically went off for the front desk staff. Meanwhile, the heart-rate machine started beeping faster.

Beep.. beep.. beep.. beep.. beep.. beepbeep.. beepbeep.. beepbeep.. beepbeep..

Two nurses rushed into the room and turned on the lights, finding the pony violently convulsing on the bed while his tubes were pulling at the machinery. The pony's face, eyes still clenched shut, glowed with fear and pain as the staff tried to wrestle his limbs down. The unicorn nurse levitated up a syringe. The pony's heavy gasping turned into groans and incomprehensible mumbles. The earth pony nurse kept her hooves planted on his flailing forelegs, and yelled at the other nurse for assistance.

"I need twenty-five cc’s of morphine, stat!"

beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep.

The syringe was quickly carried to the nurse through magic, and she grabbed it with her teeth, flawlessly removing the cap in one motion with a flick of the neck.

"Get Doctor Stable right away!" she commanded, her voice muffled through the syringe.

beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeep. beepbeepbeep. beepbeepbeep. beepbeepbeep.

The unicorn nurse rushed out to the hall, shouting out Stable's name frantically. The second nurse was starting to have serious trouble holding the stallion down. His mumblings became louder with each passing second, sounding increasingly worrisome. His head thrashed around even more, causing his long brown mane to get tangled with his bandages. Unable to get a good enough grip on the pony to administer the shot, the nurse called out for more help, the syringe still in her mouth. “I NEED SOME ASSISTANCE RIGHT NOW!”

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep…

In one final burst of energy, the nurse was thrown off the bed by the stallion as he shot upright with cold sweat beading his face. He looked like a victim out of some horror movie, and his uncovered eye was wide open as he started screaming his head off.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

At the sound of the pony's screaming, Doctor Stable ran into the room with the unicorn nurse right behind him. He quickly grabbed the morphine from the other nurse's mouth with his magic. The unicorn nurse used her magic to grab all four of the pony's bandaged limbs, and held him onto the bed while he screamed in confused terror. But even with the nurse’s magic holding him down, the panicked stallion still thrashed around hard enough to make the bed rock on its legs.

"No! No! Nononono! NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Doctor Stable also used his magic to hold the pony as still as he could. He quickly administered the syringe into the stallion's left foreleg, hoping that the pony’s writhing wouldn't break the needle off inside. As quickly as he removed the needle, the pony’s movements turned sluggish. Tears were now pouring from his uncovered eye, and the pony's screaming slowly went back to panicked mumblings. His heavy breathing soon turned to painful sobs as the drug took effect, helping the pony settle back down into his bed.

"No… No, no, no… I can't… I… Icantdothisan… anymnnh...”

With his last words being too unintelligible for the doctor or panicked staff to understand, they could only watch as the stallion fell back to sleep. His breathing settled, and the heart monitor slowed back down. Large parts of his long mane now covered his face. Stable looked back at his staff, unsure of how to react, and could only say the first thing that came to mind: "So… what's the time right now? When did he wake up?"

The unicorn nurse looked up at the clock over the doorway. "Umm… A-At about 11:37, Doc.”

The stallion looked up to confirm, and groaned as he placed his hoof to his forehead. "Darnit! I had ten PM in the betting pool!"

Some time later, the aqua pony stirred in his hospital bed once again. Fortunately, there wasn’t any screaming this time. He slowly lifted his hoof up to shield his eye from the piercing light overhead, but realized it felt a lot… heavier than usual. Groaning, he lifted his head from the pillow, hearing muffled voices nearby.

The stallion was surprised to see a veritable cloak of white and tan bandages where his greenish-blue coat was supposed to be. Once he lifted himself up enough to sit upright on the bed, he saw that all of his other hooves were covered as well. He eventually moved his right forehoof up to his face, and felt the bandage over his right eye. He winced slightly at the pain, and dropped his hoof back down as the door opened.

Somepony in a white lab-coat entered the room, looking rather concerned to see the pony awake once more. He put up a hoof in a gentle, placating manner. "Please stay calm, sir. I'm a doctor. Doctor Stable. How are you feeling?"

As he looked around the room in fear and confusion, the pony replied. "Where…” His eye widened over how weak his own voice sounded, and he cleared his throat. “Where am I?" The aqua pony felt around his head for his mane before he started stroking it; something Stable assumed was a nervous habit.

"Well, you're in a hospital, of course. Ponyville General Hospital, to be more specific."

The pony blinked a few times with his good eye, staring at the doctor in even more confusion. "I'm… I'm in Ponyville?" He looked back around the room and out the window, but all he could see from his angle was the night sky.

"That’s right,” said Doctor Stable with a nod, still concerned. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to ask you a few questions, starting with your name."

After a moment of silence, the pony breathed out and looked back at the doctor. "Ummm… My name is Canvas. L-Like the material." He went back to stroking his mane.

"I see." Stable levitated a clipboard from the front of the bed, mumbling to himself as he wrote down the name on the sheet. "Well, Canvas, you've been here for just over a weeknow. Can you recall anything of the time before you arrived here?"

When he looked up, the doctor noticed the pony's face turn slightly paler. Canvas appeared lost in thought before shaking his head. "No… No, I… I don't remember much, Doctor."

Stable's eyes locked with his as he spoke more sternly. "Canvas, I need you to be honest with me. If there's anything you can remember, you need to tell us." Canvas hesitantly nodded after a moment, gulping nervously. "Can you tell me where you're from?" asked Stable, trying his best to keep a casual tone for the patient’s sake.

Canvas' ears lowered as he looked away, looking like he just asked him if a relative had died. "I… don't really havea place right now..." When he looked back at Stable, Canvas could tell that wasn't the answer he was looking for. He closed his eyes before speaking. "I used to be from… G-Gallop Creek..." He turned his muzzle away from the doctor, biting his lip while Stable wrote it down.

"I…” Canvas tried to speak again, but then waited until the doctor stopped writing before he continued. "I really don't remember much about what happened. I don't think I can tell you much right now..."

Stable merely nodded, surprising Canvas. The doctor breathed out heavily before placing the clipboard on the bed. "Alright, I understand. You just woke up, so I don't blame you if your memory is still a little hazy. It israther late, after all."

After looking up at the clock to see that it was past midnight, Canvas turned back toward the doctor with a slight shade of guilt on his face. "S-Sorry..."

"Oh, don't be!" Stable smiled cheerfully at Canvas. "I'm just glad to see you're awake again, although your sleep schedule might be a bit off for a while. You've been out for over a week, so I'm sure that Princess Twilight Sparkle will be glad to know―"

"Wait, what?!"

Stable couldn’t help smirking at Canvas' shocked reaction, and chuckled to himself before continuing. "Yes, you were found during a storm preparation west of Ponyville last week. Princess Twilight was organizing the event, and she personally helped to get you here."

Canvas' jaw dropped, the bedridden pony only able to look at Doctor Stable in stunned silence. Canvas―the same as anypony who didn’t live under a rock―knew exactlywho Twilight Sparkle was. But at the same time, to think that he’d been saved by someone like her…

"I… I have no idea what to say. I mean… The Twilight Sparkle actually saved my life?" Feeling like he was going to break down any second, Canvas just slumped back in his bed and started to twist his chestnut mane around his hoof.

"Yes, Princess Twilight brought you to the hospital,” repeated Doctor Stable. “One of the preparation’s volunteers―a gryphon named Troy―was the first to try and get you help. To my knowledge, he’s the one who found you before the storm started." Canvas looked back up at Stable as soon as the word ‘gryphon’ came up, his brows raised in confusion. "He apparently ran quite a long ways through the storm with you on his back before Twilight found you both."

Again, Canvas blinked a few times before dropping his hoof from his mane. "So… A gryphon and a princess helped me?"

Doctor Stable just smiled, fighting down a chuckle.

A small smile of its own settled on Canvas’ face. "Ummm… Well, Doctor, that’s… quitea lot to take in."

"I'll leave you to rest for a bit,” said Doctor Stable, nodding toward a device within hoof’s reach of Canvas. “Just press the call button by the bed if you need anything from the staff." As the doctor turned to leave, he looked back at Canvas, who was now looking down at his hooves again. "And just remember, if there's anything you can remember…”

"Yeah, I know." Biting his lip again, he looked back up at the doctor just before he crossed the doorway. "Doctor?"

Doctor Stable looked back at him.

"Ummm… have a good night.” Canvas gave a sincere, albeit meek smile. “And thank you."

Stable gave a smile and a slight nod of his own before exiting the room, closing the door behind him.

Now alone, Canvas looked around the room, staring at all the equipment he was hooked up to, before noticing the mirror on the wall to his right. As he looked at his reflection, Canvas saw for the first time how heavily bandaged his face was. He gently lifted a hoof up to his eye, and carefully tried to feel the bandages clinging to his fur. He knew he was in bad shape before, but just seeing how much damage was done to him cemented how badly everything went for him.

How badly he was treated.

Canvas' good eye welled up as he looked away. Not sure of what to do, Canvas laid back on the bed, and grabbed a pillow with his bandaged hooves to cradle in his forearms.

He buried his face in the pillow, and he cried.

Author's Note

Chapter Six: Welcome to Ponyville

After two days, the bandages on his hooves came off, now being almost completely healed (but still soft and sensitive); and Canvas was allowed to leave the hospital. Unfortunately, Stable's efforts to contact both Twilight and Troy were fruitless. Princess Twilight Sparkle was apparently in the Crystal Empire for some important job that neither he nor the dragon he contacted knew about, and Troy was sent to help with water transport to Appleloosa due to a severe drought earlier that year.

After the first night, Canvas was a lot more quiet around Stable and the staff, but he did stay polite whenever they checked in on him. The only thing that he wouldn’t talk about was how he got his injuries.

Canvas insisted that he couldn't remember how he ended up with a shattered eye socket or how he ran his hooves raw, but Stable was certain he didn't have amnesia. He didn't want to think the pony was lying, but as time passed, he felt more certain that Canvas was hiding something.

Something big.

Regardless, Stable knew that Canvas would have to come back to have the stitches removed, so he was hopeful that spending some time in Ponyville would calm Canvas down enough to talk about what happened. Fortunately, Canvas seemed more than alright with staying around Ponyville for the time being, and was surprisingly optimistic after his checkup with Stable was completed.

"I really can't say enough how grateful I am for everything you've done for me,” said Canvas as he lifted his bag from the floor. "I mean, I was getting worried about whether or not I could even use my hooves again."

The doctor only nodded as he used his magic to readjust the bandages on Canvas' right eye. "Believe me, I’m just as grateful. But if I’m being honest, Twilight Sparkle and Troius are the ones you should be thanking. They'rethe ones who found you in time for me to help. Plus, Twilight was generous enough to pay off your medical bills."

With a heavy sigh, Canvas adjusted his bag’s shoulder strap so it hung only a few inches off the ground. "Yeah, I still can't believe she did that! I mean, I know she's royaltyand all, but it’s still shocking to think about, you know? Do you know when she'll be back from the Crystal Empire?"

Stable shook his head and wiped his glasses clean. "I'm not sure, but I’ve heard that she might be back later today. And I'll be sure to try contacting Troius again as well. I’m not too familiar with Cloudsdale’s scheduling, but I'm certain he should've come back from Appleloosa by now."

"Alright,” said Canvas with a smile, holding out his freshly healed hoof. "And thank you again, Doctor Stable."

"Not a problem. Just remember to come back in two days to get the stitches removed." As he shook Canvas' hoof, his expression became more serious. "Just so you know, though… within these walls, anything that you tell me will remain confidential. If you can tell me anything―and I mean anything―about what happened, please let me know. I promise you'll be alright."

Canvas nervously nodded before pulling his hoof back. He knew that the doctor was being sincere, but he didn't even want to thinkabout what happened, let alone talk about it out loud. Maybe he’d be able to tell him when he came back for his next appointment; but for right now, he just wanted to get out of the hospital and breathe some fresh air. He also had quite a bit to do, starting with giving some well-deserved thanks to the two who saved him.

He was given his medication and directions on how to change his bandages, and then Canvas finally stepped out of the hospital. After spending so long cooped up in a sterile room, it felt incredible for Canvas to be outside, taking in the fresh air as it brushed past his long chestnut mane. The stallion saw nothing but luscious green fields with magnificently tall trees, all under a clear blue sky that brought out a content smile as he walked down the road. Everything looked just… perfect, and it took everything in him to keep from constantly pausing his steps to savor his elation.

Canvas reached the town limits of Ponyville around noon, just as the hamlet became vibrant with ponies going on about their daily routines and lunch hours. As Canvas walked over the bridge into town, he could see just how bright and colorful the community really was: houses and buildings were painted in appealing shades of every color he could’ve imagined. Banners and signs decorated the streets above with vivid colors and designs, all coming together to provide a tone that could uplift anypony's mood.

He then walked through the quaint streets, seeing how happy and kind ponies were as they passed by; townsfolk were giving their greetings and compliments to each other without a shred of sarcasm, pessimism, or insincerity. For the aqua pony, it all felt like something out of a story book, something he would’ve neverthought he’d see in real life.

This certainly feels a lot better than Gallop Creek.

As Canvas trotted along, he tried to keep his uncovered eye occupied on anything other than the ponies staring at him. He knew that the bandages on his face and knees (a suggestion from Dr. Stable to ensure there wouldn't be much stress on his legs) would attract some attention; thankfully, most of the ponies he passed were courteous enough to not do anything more than look. Canvas held his bag closer to himself, trying to keep his mind focused on finding the library. He learned from some of the hospital staff that Princess Twilight Sparkle was living there, instead of a castle like any other princess would. Just as he reached the large fountain at the center of town, a sharp burst of pain struck Canvas' right hindleg, almost knocking him down as he grimaced at his now-throbbing knee.

Knowing his other legs would give out just as soon as the first one, Canvas looked around and noticed an empty bench near the fountain. Canvas gritted his teeth as he tried limping towards the spot, even as his other hindleg started to fail. Canvas then felt a sharp stinging hit his left foreleg, causing him to yelp and drop to the ground, only a few feet from the bench. Wincing from his aching joints, Canvas tried to raise himself up, until suddenly, he felt himself being lifted from the ground.

"Are you alright, sir?" He was hoisted up to his hooves by his torso, and Canvas turned his head to see the source: a mint-green unicorn mare with a matching green and white mane that was styled surprisingly short. Her amber eyes looked at Canvas with worry. "Do you need to see a doctor?"

"N-No,” he said with a shake of his head. “I… I just got back from a doctor. I was just trying to get to that bench over―"

Before Canvas could finish, he was lifted up by the mare’s aura of green magic and placed gently on the bench. As he adjusted himself, making sure to move his joints as little as possible, the pony walked closer to him with a look of concern. "Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor? You look like you're in pretty bad shape."

Canvas put his good hoof up, and glanced up at her with a quick smile. "No, I'm fine, really. I just didn't think I had to walk thatfar from the hospital.” Canvas sighed, maintaining his smile. “Trust me, I've been through a lot worse."

Canvas didn’t intend for that statement to sound too troubling, but was quick to notice the pony eyeing his bandages. The stallion’s smile lessened, but he tried his hardest not to let it show; he didn’t want to worry the unicorn more than he already had. "Thank you for helping me, though. My name is Canvas." He held out his hoof, which the mare shook gently.

"Lyra. Pleasure to meet you." She gave a smile that Canvas found to look kind. "So what brings you to Ponyville?"

"I actually came into town to talk to Twilight Sparkle,” said Canvas. “She was actually the one who got me to a doctor in the first place."

Lyra's eyes widened. "Wait a minute! Were you that pony she found in the storm a week ago?"

Canvas' ears dropped down and his smile fell to one of embarrassment. "Ummm… yeah, I… I guess I am."

"Wow, everypony's been talking about that!” Lyra leaned in closer to Canvas. “What exactly happened? I’ve heard bits and pieces, but it’s all been kinda hearsay, you know?"

"I'm… I-I’m not really sure how I got to the hospital,” said Canvas, looking away from her sheepishly. “I was unconscious at the time. I honestly don't want to talk about it right now..."

Lyra blinked a couple times. "Oh, um… Alright, I understand. I didn’t mean to freak you out or anything.” She glanced over her shoulder before adding, “I think Twilight is supposed to be back in town pretty soon. I'm sure you'll catch her when she comes in. She’s kindof hard to miss."

Canvas nodded as he got more comfortable. Lyra looked up at the clock tower, nearly jumping out of her skin. "Oh shoot, I gotta get to work! Nice to meet you, Canvas. Be careful on those hooves!" She hurriedly galloped off.

"You too.”

Now alone on the bench, he turned his attention toward the fountain in front of him. Canvas' thoughts started to drift back to what he needed to do. Aside from thanking Twilight and the gryphon for saving him, he realized he didn't have anything planned after that. In fact, he didn’t have anything at all.

His heart sank in his chest, and Canvas knew that despite his recent luck and his miraculous recovery, he was still no better off than before his hospitalization. He had no money. No job. Nothing to his name, other than his art bag. And worst of all, Canvas had no place to live.

Canvas felt his throat close up at that last one, knowing that what happened was, in fact, real.

No matter how much he wanted it to notbe real, he knew that wasn't going to change anything.

I'm… I'm all alone.

Canvas struggled to hold himself together as the reality of his situation began to sink in. He really didn't want to think about that night, but the events loomed over his head like a black omen he couldn’t shake. He knew that if he didn't do something soon, he was just going to break down right there in the middle of town, in front of everypony.

Canvas grew desperate for anything to keep his mind distracted, and he quickly looked to see what was in his art bag. He knew he didn't have much inside, since he barely had any time to pack beforehoof. But as he rummaged around the inside, he found his art supplies among his remaining work―the various paintings and drawings he'd made in his hometown.

Or at least, what was leftof them.

In an attempt to clear his head of any more dreadful reminders, Canvas took out the supplies he needed: a piece of graphite, a thick rubber band, another piece of graphite covered in cloth, and a large notepad of paper. Canvas placed the rubber band around his right hoof like a tight bracelet, and stuck the graphite under the band so it protruded from his foreleg like an extension of his body. He then grabbed his pad of paper and opened it to the first empty sheet. Canvas used his free hoof to rub the cloth along the paper, covering the originally white sheet with a fine layer of gray. When the new shade looked evenly toned, Canvas looked around for somethingto draw.

He just needed something, anything to draw.

Canvas took notice of the statue of Princess Celestia near the fountain, staring off into the sky, the very picture of grace and implacability. Canvas took a deep breath before looking down at the paper. As soon as he placed the end of the graphite on the sheet, he drew a quick framework to match the statue’s position, leaving his lines as faint as possible so they would be easy to remove later. Satisfied with the way the lines turned out, he looked at the statue again, and that’s when he truly began.

As ponies walked past the center of town, many took notice of the aqua stallion as he drew, his eye burning with focus. The shape of Princess Celestia started to take form on the paper, with her figure and face flawlessly replicated beneath his hooves. Canvas kept his attention solely on his work, his mind only concerned with his creation.

Of all the things that could calm a pony down, whether it be a massage or a relaxing bath, nothing seemed to ease Canvas' mind better than his art. Though his long mane kept falling into his face (which he just blew away every three seconds or so without caring), a weight was slowly being lifted from his shoulders as all his frustrations and worries were channeled into his hoof, expressing himself and his feelings into the lines and shades of graphite in front of him.

He wasn’t sure how long he was drawing, but as the drawing of Celestia in his hooves neared completion, the maelstrom within Canvas’ being had settled into a tranquil stream of smooth, flowing contours. By the time a confident smile spread across his face, Celestia's figure looked almost exactly like the statue.

As he glanced between the paper and the statue, Canvas failed to notice when a pink mare saw him from across the block. He also didn't notice that when the next time he looked at the statue from his paper, the mare was now at the fountain, seemingly snapping into existence in a movement too quick for the naked eye to follow. As he finished the final shading on Celestia's mane, Canvas looked up one last time, only to see the face of the bright-pink mare inches away from his own.

"HI THERE!"

“AAAHHHH!!!” Canvas shrieked and jolted off the bench, falling to the ground. "Ooooww…" Now his back and head were aching, and his sore hooves felt even worsethan before. As he struggled to lift himself, the pink pony was once again in his face, except now her cheery smile was replaced with a worried frown.

"Ohmigosh, I'm soooo sorry, mister! Here, let me help you!" Before Canvas could object, she lifted him up with her forehooves and plopped him back on the bench. Though grateful, the stallion was left dumbfounded over how she lifted him with so little effort. "You okay, Mister New Pony?"

Canvas wasn't sure how to respond, partially due to not being used to meeting a pony like this, but mostly because his head was still spinning a bit from the fall. "...Yeah, I think I'm fine."

"GREAT!"

Startled by her sudden, cheerful outburst, he could only stare in slightly unsettled silence as the mare started talking a mile a minute.

"My name is Pinkie Pie and I know you're a new pony because I know everypony and I mean everypony here in Ponyville, and I saw you sitting here drawing so I thought I should be the very first to welcome you because you looked kinda weird and upset like the first time I tried to eat fifty cupcakes in a row for breakfast and almost threw up everywhere but I still won fifty bits so it was totally worth it, and I wanted to make sure you were happy so what brings you here, what's with the thing over your eye, what's your name!"

Her face was now only a few inches from his again. Canvas tried to move his head back before realizing she asked him a question (or twenty), and tried his best to answer. "M-My name is Canvas! I just got out of the hospital, and I was just waiting to see Twilight Sparkle ab―"

"OOOOHH!!! I know who you are!” Pinkie beamed as she rambled. “You’re that pony Twilight found in the storm, right? I heard about that and I was like 'Whaaat?' so I asked her what happened and she told me she found you and a gryphon and got you to a hospital and I was like 'Double-whaaat?’ so I wanted to throw you an ‘I’m super-duper glad you’re okay and not in a coma!’ party but she told me you were still in the hospital so I was all sad because I wanted to throw a party but now you're here and I know Twilight is gonna be here later today so I can finally throw a PARTYYYY!!!"

Canvas wasn’t sure how to react to this mare's borderline-insane manner, and could only put his hoof up to get her to stand still. "Umm, thank you for the idea, but I justgot out of the hospital! So I… I don't know if I would be up for a party right now."

Canvas' heart almost broke in half when Pinkie’s face fell. She looked like he’d kicked a bunny right in front of her. "But… maybe some other time? I really want to talk to Twilight to thank her for helping me out. I was actually drawing something to pass the time while waiting for her."

Once he settled back on the bench, Canvas looked for his pad before noticing that Pinkie Pie was holding it. Her blue eyes were as wide as frisbees as she marveled at his sketch of Princess Celestia. "Wow, this is really really, REALLY good!"

The stallion tried to snatch the paper back from Pinkie, feeling slightly panicked at not having his artwork in his hooves. "C-Can you give that back please?” he asked in a flustered tone. Pinkie, seeing his troubled look, was quick to hoof the pad back; but her face shined with a new look of admiration.

"You’re a really good drawer, Canvas! I mean, I like drawing too but I can't draw nearlyas good as that. How long did that take you to make?"

Canvas looked up at the clock tower to see how long it'd been since he started.

"Ten minutes?” he said to himself, his brows raised in surprise. “That can't be―"

"WHOOOA! You did this in only ten minutes?!" Pinkie looked at the sketch again (except this time sticking her head around Canvas to look from his angle), and then looked at the artist with a huge smile. "What else can you draw?"

Surprised that Pinkie just asked onequestion this time, he stammered to think about what it was he usually drew, which was basically anything. "Umm… things in nature, random objects, maybe a pony―"

"OOH! Ooh, ooh! Draw me, draw me, draw me!"

Canvas stared at Pinkie, who was now raising her hoof like she was a foal asking the teacher to go to the bathroom. He didn’t say it out loud, but he was surprised that she asked for something that would require her to stay still for more than two seconds. "I… I guess I could… Do you want me to?"

"Abso-luppa-tivvy-dibbley!" shouted the pink mare. "You can draw Celestiareally well, so why not me? You were drawing stuff anyway, and I need something to do until Twilight arrives, too, so I figure we can both wait for her while you draw me!"

He was unsure of whether or not he could keep this mare still enough to draw a good picture of her, but she didmake a good point. They were both waiting for the same pony, and he just finished his sketch of Celestia, so why not?

With a shrug and a slight smile, Canvas turned the Celestia sketch over to reveal a new sheet, using his cloth once more to make a new graphite layer. When he looked back up from the fresh pad, he saw Pinkie Pie in front of him, sitting on a small stool (which he was certain wasn't there before) and smiling at him, like she was posing for a school photo. Chuckling under his breath, Canvas analyzed the basic shape of her face and fluffy mane, and began to draw.

Author's Note

Chapter Seven: Drawing Attention

Twilight Sparkle was really starting to love this newly found feeling of flight. She cherished the wind flowing through her wings and mane as she soared over the land of Equestria on her way back to Ponyville. She could even understand why Rainbow Dash was always so eager to go flying. Said pony was also the one to interrupt her state of tranquility.

"Hey, Earth to Twilight! We're nearly there!"

Twilight nodded and slowed her speed, feeling grateful to have her friend escort her on long flying trips like this. While she was hesitant at first to have the pegasus with her due to her need for speed, Rainbow proved to be a surprisingly good mentor. Dash was still inclined to fly ahead of Twilight, of course, but that just helped to give the alicorn a better incentive to strengthen her own wings to keep up. As the two flew across the clear blue skies, Twilight couldn't help but smile as she saw Ponyville come closer into view.

They landed near Sugar Cube Corner, both surprised to not hear Pinkie Pie's usual antics from within the bakery. Usually, Mister Cake would have to escort Pinkie out in order to find a new hiding spot for his bags of coffee grounds by now; Pinkie had told her friends and the Cakes numeroustimes that she didn't like the taste of coffee, but none of them wanted to give her any chance of getting into the stuff. Curious to see what Pinkie was up to, Twilight decided to look around town to find her, while Rainbow Dash went to check on Fluttershy.

As the new Princess walked around the town, she gave her usual greetings to the ponies who passed her and wished her a good day. While her coronation changed a lot of ponies' outlooks on the former librarian, Twilight was happy that most of the ponies in town didn't try to change that much in her presence. They acted the same way around her as they did before, albeit more polite. She was surprised when she noticed one particularpony doing something she never thought she’d see:

Pinkie Pie was sitting still.

Twilight walked over to where Pinkie was sitting, hearing her talking with a familiar-looking aqua pony who had a bandage over his right eye. The pony seemed to be drawing Pinkie as she waxed lyrical about this, that, and the other, although it didn't look like he was paying much attention to her. Instead, his unbandaged eye was narrowed in concentration while sketching, occasionally whipping his head back to get strands of his long brown mane away from his snout. Twilight caught the butt of the one-sided conversation, and soon rolled her eyes upon recognizing Pinkie’s topic of conversation.

"So then I found out that since Spike was a dragon, he didn't have any problems with spicy food or even lava! But Rainbow Dash didn't know that, so when Spike ate the ghost pepper without flinching, she was all like, 'I can totally do that if the baby dragon can!' and started chewing on threeat the same time! Her face got totally red and sweaty, and she needed to chug down two whole gallons of milk just to be able to talk again! Then she got all mad because she thought Spike cheated! Of course, that was because he said it tasted like candy, so she..."

Looking back at the pony drawing through her ramblings, Twilight's eyes widened in surprise when she noticed his cutie mark: a light-brown painter's palette with four different colors of paint within it, and a matching paintbrush underneath with red paint on the bristle.

Twilight immediately knew who the pony was, even with the drastic reduction of bandages. Neither Canvas nor Pinkie seemed to notice her presence when she approached. Only after Twilight coughed into her hoof did Pinkie finally take notice of her, which led to the mare bursting out of her stool and hugging Twilight like she just came back from the dead.

"Twilight! I'm so glad to see you again! How was the Crystal Empire? Was it fun? Did you bring back anything?"

Struggling to breathe, Twilight patted Pinkie Pie on the back in a gesture that was both appreciative and pleading, the party pony mercifully pulling away with a smile. "The Crystal Empire was fine. I just had to help Shining and Cadence with some law reforms, nothing too exciting."

As she looked back at the pony on the bench, Twilight was surprised to see he was still drawing, seeming entirely focused on shading. Noticing Canvas' lack of attention, Pinkie walked up and poked him on the head with her hoof, slightly startling him. He looked up at her, somewhat peeved. "W-What. What is it?"

"Guess who's heeere!" Hosting a huge grin, Pinkie Pie pointed her hoof at the Princess beside her.

Canvas nearly fell off the bench for a second time whilst trying to get to his hooves at the sight of Twilight. After quickly placing the pad and his graphite on the bench, Canvas stood in front of Twilight, unsure of what the proper protocol was for addressing royalty. Breathing heavily, Canvas was only able to stammer a few noises―which were supposedto be words―until Twilight gently put her hoof up.

"It's alright. There's no need to worry." She extended her hoof. Canvas started to put out his own before realizing his hoof was covered in graphite. Twilight pulled out a handkerchief from her saddlebag with her magic, levitating it to Canvas.

He tried to wipe off as much as he could, biting his lower lip as he looked at Twilight. The Princess’ smile was just as warm and inviting as he would’ve imagined, causing him to blush profusely in trepidation. The artist took a deep breath before speaking. "M-My name is Canvas. I-I heard that you helped save me. And… And I just wanted to talk to you, and, y’know… umm…”

Much to Canvas’ surprise, Twilight placed a hoof on his shoulder, and spoke with the sincerest expression of gratitude and appreciation, "It's perfectly fine, Canvas. I'm really glad to see that you're okay. Just... try to relax, okay?"

Canvas nodded, a bead of sweat falling down his forehead. "I-I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me. I mean, I have no idea what would've happened if you didn't get me to the hospital. A-And I… I'm beyond grateful for what you've done. Just… thank you.”

Glad to finally get those words out of his muzzle, Canvas saw Twilight blush ever so slightly. "Well, you're very welcome. Although, I think Troy is more deserving of your thanks than I am. Hewas the one who actually found you out in the storm." Twilight became more enthusiastic as she recalled the events. "He was out in that storm for about two hours. And by the time anypony noticed he was gone, he was already halfway to the hospital! Frankly, I was shocked to see a gryphon run that far!"

Canvas blinked. "Wait, the gryphon ran? Why didn't he just fly or something?"

Twilight flinched. "Well, ummm… he apparently got hit by lightning, and it struck his wing.”

“What!?” Canvas’ eyes shot wide-open. “Nopony said anything about that!”

Before he could work himself into a conniption, Twilight raised her hooves in a calming gesture. “The strike just grazed him! I swear, his wings are perfectlyalright now.” Canvas still looked alarmed, but was paying attention. “Anywho, when I found him, he was carrying you on his back through the storm. I believe he ran about 7.8 miles by the time I reached him!"

Canvas stared at Twilight in surprise and shock. He knew that the gryphon helped him, but he didn't think he went through that much trouble. Eventually, he moved his gaze to the ground, and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Holy cow..."

The two mares giggled, and Canvas looked back up as Twilight replied. "I guess that's an appropriate response. Even Rainbow Dash was surprised when I told her about it."

"So… you said the guy is alright now?"

Twilight nodded warmly. "Rainbow Dash told me he was fine a couple days ago. I believe he went to Appleloosa to help with the drought there, but he's supposed to be back in Cloudsdale by now."

"Yeah, that was what the doctor told me. Is there a way I can contact him? I’d like to… y’know..."

Twilight put her hoof to her chin in thought. "Hmmm… I can probably get Rainbow to find him for you, but she's at Fluttershy's right now." She then looked over at her friend. "Pinkie, would you mind if we stopped by her place before we go for lunch?"

Pinkie quickly nodded with a huge smile. "Sure thing! OOH! We can bring Canvas with us!"

They both turned back to Canvas, who looked down at his hooves and bandaged legs while thinking. Though he would’ve loved to go with them, he was already feeling sore in his joints just from standing upright, and he knew that anymore walking would just make it worse. "Ummm… Thank you for the offer, but I honestly don't think I should walk around much right now. My legs still feel pretty tense from leaving the hospital this morning."

Pinkie looked at Canvas with a saddened slump in her posture. Twilight didn't seem as upset. "Well, that's understandable. I saw for myself how bad your injuries were, so it would be a smart idea to take it slow for the time being."

After saying their goodbyes, Canvas walked back to his bench and picked up the pad. Remembering what he was doing earlier, Canvas quickly grabbed the sheet and pulled it from the pad before running back to the mares. "Pinkie, wait! You forgot this!"

Pinkie took notice of the sheet in his hoof, and quickly trotted back to Canvas in excitement. "Oh, yeah! Hey Twilight, check out what Canvas did!"

Pinkie held the paper up proudly with both her hooves, giving Twilight the opportunity to see it herself. Everything about the picture looked exactly like Pinkie Pie: her eyes were drawn with perfect symmetry and shading to match the mare’s blue pair; her mane carried the same feel of volume and energy, even on the two-dimensional surface; and her face boasted the same toothy grin as the real counterpart. Simply put, Canvas' drawing of Pinkie Pie was absolutely flawless.

"Wow!" Looking up from the sheet held by her magic, Twilight caught sight of Canvas’ blush. "This is amazing! Did you draw this by hoof?"

"Umm… Yeah. I… I kinda have to hold the graphite on with a rubber band, but it works." When he saw how impressed both of the mares were, Canvas tried looking away to hide his face. What he didn’t notice, however, was that several ponies had overheard Twilight's praise, and were now walking in to look at the paper from behind her.

"Wow, that's really good!" said one mare as she admired Canvas' sketch. "That was seriously done by hoof?"

He glanced back at the growing crowd. Canvas’ heartbeat started to accelerate as more ponies asked him about his work.

"How long did that take to make?"

“You got Pinkie to stand still? How?!”

“Why, you’re as talented as my grandson, young stallion. Silver, isn’t he as good as Feathernote?”

"I couldn’t even do that with my horn!"

“It’s witchcraft, I tell ya! Witchcraft!”

“I wish I could draw like that…”

"Pfft. It’s nothing special. I could do that, too, if I wanted; I just don’t have the time for it.”

“Can you do color pieces too?"

"Draw me next! I have money!"

The crowd continued to grow as more ponies saw the sketch. All the while, Canvas looked back at Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie with an extremely heavy blush. Luckily, they started to look as overwhelmed as he was. "Alright everypony,” said the Princess authoritatively, "can you give Canvas some space, please?"

The other ponies quickly complied, giving Canvas some room. He thought about what that last pony said, regarding having money for more. Like a light bulb being turned on above his head, Canvas realized that he had a pristine opportunity right now. He needed to make some money, and he couldn’t really do much else with his legs, leaving him mostly immobile. And if he could make some bits doing something he enjoyed, then why the heck not?

"Umm… did somepony say something about buying one?"

From the crowd, a white mare with a short, scarlet mane stepped forward. Canvas noticed that the mare had what looked to be a rose as her cutie mark.

"Yes, I was wondering how much it would cost if you drew one of me?" The mare blushed in slight embarrassment, mostly due to seeing the artist all bandaged up. "You see, I'm not really that great at taking pictures, but that one you did of Pinkie looks great! I would love to have something like that."

As he looked around the crowd, Canvas could see that this mare wasn't the only one who wanted a sketch from him. It now looked like about ten ponies were here besides Pinkie and Twilight. Even if he gave a cheap price, he knew he could easilymake enough money to at least get a good meal before the day was over. So, when he turned back towards his potential first customer, Canvas began thinking of a price.

"Well, I guess I can draw a sketch for… five bits?”

The mare smiled. "Perfect! That sounds fair."

A wave of relief washed over him as he saw that most of the ponies looked content with his price. When he looked back at Twilight and Pinkie, Canvas could only give them a light smile before speaking. "Well, at least I have something to do while my legs get better."

The two mares nodded, and the pony walked up to the stool in front of the bench. “Don’t worry, Canvas,” assured Twilight. “I’ll make sure Troy knows where you are.” After giving their goodbyes once again, Twilight and Pinkie went off to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, and Canvas sat back down.

Canvas started a new sheet, not noticing the small crowd that was forming behind his bench. Rubbing the graphite layer on the page, Canvas looked back at the white mare, who smiled when she saw he was ready to start.

"I think I'm ready. This will probably take five or ten minutes, but I promise it'll look great." Canvas placed the piece of graphite under the rubber band, and made a quick circle and framework of her face on the paper. "So, tell me a little about yourself. What's your name?"

"Oh, my name is Roseluck. I work over at the flower stand in the market district…"

While Roseluck cheerfully talked about her job, Canvas started drawing his second pony for the day. More ponies gathered around Canvas as they watched him sketch the mare's face. Realizing how much attention he was getting already, Canvas couldn’t help smiling to himself with a newfound feeling of optimism. Even if his prices were cheap, the artist was happy to know that this pony definitelywouldn't be his last.

Author's Note

Chapter Eight: The Gryphon and the Artist

Troy's oversized wings tore across the clear skies, drawing him closer to the horizon as the day came to a close. Whilst the wind blew past his ruffling grey feathers, the gryphon started to feel anxious when he saw Ponyville take shape. He was just getting back from Appleloosa when he heard from Rainbow Dash that the pony he saved had been released from the hospital. And despite not knowing much about the stallion himself, Troy was glad to finally be able to talk to him face-to-face.

When he landed on the hard, cobblestoned streets of Ponyville, it didn't take long for Troy to hear the clamoring of ponies near the center of town.

Meanwhile, back at the fountain, Canvas was hard at work drawing the next pony in line: a pale yellow mare with a poofy orange mane and carrying the image of a carrot on her flank. While the mare named Golden Harvest―or Carrot Top to her friends―spoke with Canvas about her gardening, the stallion's mind was focused on the sketch in front of him.

By this point, Canvas was in his own world, his hoof and mind working together in unity to transform the lines and shades of graphite into the pony sitting in front of him. While his shrunken piece of graphite traced along the page and his drawing took better form with each passing stroke, a rather large crowd was forming behind Canvas as they watched him working. Some conversed with each other, but most of them kept silent as they watched pony after pony take shape on each passing page, fascinated with seeing the blank sheets turn into masterpieces.

Canvas wiped the sweat off his forehead with his hoof, seeming satisfied as he held his pad out and looked at the finished product. Glancing up, Canvas gave a quick, "Here you go," before showing her the sketch, feeling a great sense of accomplishment as her face lit up at the drawing.

"That looks amazing! Thank you so much, Canvas!"

"Not a problem, Carrot Top. Have a great day!"

The mare stood up and tossed five bits into a near-full change bag in front of him before walking back into the crowd with her sheet. Canvas gave her a quick wave before a navy-blue stallion took his place on the stool.

When he picked his pad back up, Canvas' smile dropped. The pad was now completely empty (save for the two cardboard pieces that served as the covers). He just went through his entirepad of paper in less than a day. He was unsure whether to feel disappointed or impressed by such a feat. Canvas started to feel bad as he noticed how many ponies were still around, either waiting to be drawn or to watch him draw some more.

After taking a deep breath, Canvas held up the empty pad for the blue stallion in front of him to see. "Um… I'm reallysorry, but I kinda ran out of paper."

Canvas cringed as he heard the groans of disappointment sweep through the crowd. He sheepishly looked back at the pony in front of him, but was slightly relieved to see that he didn't look too upset―although the bandages over Canvas' eye might have helped a little bit.

As he stuffed the empty pad back in his art bag, Canvas tried to think of what to do next, and came up with one possible question to ask. "Ummm… Does anypony know where I can get some more art supplies?"

When Canvas looked around the crowd, he noticed that the sky was getting much darker than expected. He was so surprised to see how long he had been drawing, that he almost didn't notice when a mare spoke up from within the crowd. "There's a stationery store next to the library, but I think it closed an hour ago. It should be open at eight tomorrow."

"Oh! Thank you,” he said, nodding in the voice’s general direction before closing up his bag. "Well, I guess I'll be here tomorrow as soon as I get more paper."

Canvas was relieved when the ponies around him smiled and walked off; a few even gave some polite goodbyes. He then stretched his legs out on the bench, happy that they weren't feeling so sore anymore.

Troy waited until the crowd dispersed before he finally came into view and walked over to the pony. He couldn’t help smiling in relief when he got a good look at the stallion for the first time. Canvas didn’t instantly see the gryphon, and hopped off the bench to walk over to the fountain. It may have not been the most hygienic method to wash the thick layer of graphite off his hooves, but it seemed to do the trick.

Not wanting to scare the pony, Troy simply stood by the bench as Canvas continued washing himself. Troy was impressed by how much better the stallion looked now in comparison to a week earlier. His hooves looked completely healed, his body didn't show any major bruises anymore, and aside from the bandages on his face and knees, the pony looked healthy.

Troy decided to let himself be known by the time Canvas dropped his clean hooves back on the ground. Coughing lightly, Troy waited. Canvas finally faced him, and blinked a few times in realization. While Canvas' eyes did widen a bit, the pony didn't falter. Instead, he walked over to the gryphon, a nervous blush creeping across his muzzle.

"Are you…” Canvas bit his lip, his heart racing as he walked up closer. "Are you Troius?"

"Uhh....yeah, that’s me,” said Troy meekly, scratching the back of his neck. “Just ‘Troy’ is fine, though." Troy then held out his right claw. A smile grew on the pony's face.

"M-My name is Canvas." While shaking the gryphon's claw, Canvas’ smile started to shrink a little from uncertainty. He felt his heart growing heavier in his chest as he looked up into the piercing golden eyes of the gryphon who saved his life. His blush grew even heavier, but he continued.

"I… I found out from Princess Twilight what you did to help me, and… I just wanted to thank you for what you did." His grip became tighter, his voice shakier. "I mean… you had noidea who I was, and you still went out of your way to help me out like that, and… I just don't know what I can say. You… You saved my life..."

Tears began to well up in his blue eyes, but Canvas tried his best to hold them back. "Thank you. Just… thank you so much."

Troy didn’t know what to do as he listened to the stallion, and could only nod while the pony held onto his claw. He wasn't exactly the best when it came to situations like this. But seeing how close to crying Canvas was, Troy tried his best to calm the pony down. The last thing he wanted or needed was for anypony to think the big, bad gryphon had hurt him.

"It-It’s alright, Canvas. I mean, you were really hurt out there and needed help. I would've done it for anypony." Troy let go of Canvas' hoof before resting his claw on the pony's shoulder and giving him a reassuring smile. "Seriously, it's okay. I'm just glad to see you're not dead or anything."

Appreciating the gryphon's sentiment, Canvas nodded his head as he brought a foreleg up to his bandaged face and wiped his uncovered eye. "Thanks. And if… if there's anything you need, just let me know. I mean… I owe you big time."

Troy held his claws up in protest. "Hey, come on now. You don't owe me anything. I mean… thank you for the offer, but I don't think there's anyth―"

A large noise that sounded like the muffled roar of a manticore rumbled from his stomach, cutting off Troy and catching them both off-guard. Troy tried not to look too embarrassed, and gave a sheepish laugh as Canvas started looking around the town.

"Say, Troy... you know of any good places to eat around here?"

Troy shook his head. "No, I don't. Honestly, this is the first time I've ever been in this town. Although…” Canvas' ears raised up as Troy tried to think. "I think Rainbow Dash told me of a café around here called the Corner Market or something. I think she said it was by Sugar Cube Corner."

"Great!" said Canvas as he picked up his art bag from the bench. "I know where that is. I walked past it on my way here." Canvas wrapped the strap over his shoulder, and then picked up the change bag before looking back at Troy.

"Let's go!" Canvas held up his bag of bits with a big smile. "My treat."

The gryphon held his claws up and shook his head. "Whoa! No, no, I couldn't accept that!" Despite the pony already trotting off in the direction of the café, Troy tried to get out of Canvas buying him dinner. "I mean, you justgot out of the hospital, and I'm sure you need that money for other things. You don't have to do this."

"I know,” replied Canvas as he looked back with a smirk. "And you didn't have to run over seven miles through a thunderstorm with me on your back."

Clenching his teeth, Troy could only sigh. Canvas made a pretty good point.

"Seriously,” the pony continued as paused, his smile dropping. "You saved my life, Troy. Despite what you might say, I dofeel like I owe you for that. It… It just wouldn't feel right to leave it as it is, and buying you dinner is the least I can do."

Troy could only keep his beak shut at Canvas’ overwhelming insistence.

"Please. Just… Just let me do this for you."

Knowing that Canvas wasn't going to give up, Troy groaned under his breath. "Fine. I… I ampretty hungry, I guess."

"Great! Let's go!" Canvas' smile came right back up. He resumed his trot, and Troy started to follow.

The sun left sight of the skies, and the streetlights around Ponyville flickered to life. Only the sound of hooves and claws on cobblestones could be heard as they walked side-by-side, moving under the twilit sky on their way to the café.

Author's Note

Chapter Nine: Seeing the Signs

Ponyville was a moderately sized township, but still small enough that not many ponies would be around after sunset. Most went back to their homes to relax or turn in early for bed at this hour. The few going about their business that evening, however, would find themselves staring at Canvas and Troy walking along the main street.

The two made their way to the Corner Market Café, both becoming aware of all the attention they were getting. Neither seemed to be sure which one was the reason for it: the large gryphon, or the bandaged stallion.

As they got closer to the café, Canvas couldn't help but look up at the gryphon beside him. Troy was the first gryphon that Canvas had ever seen aside from pictures in books, so standing beside one was nothing short of surreal. The silver and grey feathers on the gryphon started to shine under the streetlights, making Troy look like he was almost glowing. As much as he didn't want to get caught staring, Canvas couldn't help but keep his gaze on the creature beside him, who kept his eyes ahead and walked like a moving statue.

Meanwhile, Troy's golden eyes flicked to and from the pony walking alongside him. Canvas' long mane moved with his body, waving back and forth with each step he took. The gryphon also noticed a slight limp on his right forehoof, probably from his drawing frenzy earlier. This gave cause for concern for Troy, as well as getting a good look at the bandages on his face. His thoughts kept going back to what the doctor had told him.

A blunt object or weapon.

Did somepony really do that to him?

Why was he hurt that badly?

What happened?

As Troy's thoughts grew darker with each step, he almost didn't realize when they made it to the café’s front door.

The Corner Market Café wasn't anything special in Ponyville―just a small restaurant that had its fair amount of customers looking for a good meal at a fair price. The décor was a basic mix of white and green, including the tables and chairs. The white walls were decorated with various old signs and photos celebrating the origins of Ponyville and Equestria. When the pony and gryphon sat themselves down at a booth in the corner, a young unicorn mare with a pale-pink coat and powder-blue mane took their orders. Since Troy was considerably taller than the ponies who usually ate around here, he could see most of the café from his height.

Troy became increasingly uncomfortable. He could feel the eyes of the other patrons all over him and Canvas like parasprites. But when he glanced back at the stallion across from him, Troy saw that Canvas didn't seem to notice them, for he was preoccupied with straightening the bandages around his knees with his hooves.

When their food arrived, Troy didn't show much interest in his plate: a simple daffodil salad. While there were a lot of things in Equestria that Troy preferred over the Gryphon Kingdom, the food was notone of them. Troy never took into account how much he would miss the taste of meat when he moved into a vegetarian society. After the first month, he was seriously considering snatching up an animal or two, just so he could have something to sink his beak into.

But on this night, Troy wasn't occupied with his collection of leaves and flowers because he wasn't hungry, but because he was focused on the ravenous nature of the pony in front of him.

Troy stared at Canvas in disbelief, who was muzzle-deep in a huge plate of cheesy hay-fries, devouring the mound in front of him like a released prisoner enjoying his first meal in freedom. The stallion grabbed the lily and petunia sandwich on his other plate, and stuffed half of it into his muzzle while it was still filled with half-chewed hay and cheese.

While most ponies would've found Canvas's gorging to be disgusting, Troy just watched with amusement as the stallion tore through his food like a starving wolverine. For the first time in months, Troy felt like he was eating with his family again.

Canvas licked the final pieces of melted cheese from his now greasy hooves before noticing the gryphon staring back, eating his salad with a fork and an impressed grin. Canvas immediately blushed in embarrassment, grabbed some napkins from the table and tried to wipe off the excess grease off his hooves and muzzle. When the gryphon chuckled at his desperate attempts to clean himself off, Canvas could only glance at him abashedly before muttering under his breath.

"Umm… Sorry. I haven't really eaten much today."

Troy snickered as he grabbed his drink. "I can see that! The last time I saw something eat like that, it was inside a cage at the zoo!" Canvas' face only got redder. Troy laughed some more before drinking his soda through a straw. "Seriously though, stop worrying. You still have better table manners than most of the gryphons I know. Must be nice getting some real food in you, now that you’re out and about." Troy seriously considered changing his definition of ‘real food’ in relation to Equestrian cuisine as he stabbed his fork into his salad.

Canvas nodded before drinking his glass of iced tea, grimacing as he remembered that green mess the hospital tried calling ‘food.’ "Yeah, the only good thing that hospital had was the jello, and even that was pretty meh at best."

As he put his glass back down, Canvas noticed Troy looking at him with an upset look on his face. Just being reminded of the hospital and how Canvas looked was enough to make Troy feel uneasy. Realizing that Canvas noticed the change in his behavior, Troy decided to bite the bullet: "So Canvas, um… Where are you from?"

Canvas became paler, and stammered. "I'm… I'm from Gallop Creek."

Troy stared at Canvas in disbelief, needing a couple seconds to comprehend what he just said. When Troy went south to Appleloosa, he remembered seeing a road sign for Gallop Creek, which was supposed to be twenty miles south from there. That meant if Canvas was telling the truth, he had to have travelled over two hundred miles before passing out near Ponyville.

Troy wanted to think something like that would be impossible, but then his mind went back to the image of Canvas' hooves back in the storm, almost completely worn down and caked in dried blood. Troy shook his head with an open beak. Canvas, meanwhile, grew more uncomfortable.

"Gallop Creek? You… You're telling me you ran all the way here from Gallop Creek?!"

Canvas looked away, and fidgeted his hooves as he struggled to think of a response. "Umm… well…”

"Canvas, look at me." Trying to keep his voice calm while remaining stern, Troy kept his eyes on the pony as he looked back at him. "How could you have gone that far? Why? I mean… that’s a long friggin’ walk you had to take! Were you being chased or something?"

Canvas quickly shook his head and looked away from Troy again, biting his lip as he tried to keep his composure, even when his eyes started welling up. "I… I-I wasn't being chased, I just…” Canvas exhaled heavily. "Does it really even matter?"

Troy huffed, the feathers around his neck puffing out with concern. "Canvas, I just want to know what happened. I mean, you looked like a dragon used you to floss its teeth!"

"Okay, I really don't want to talk about this right now." When he shot a firmer stare back at the gryphon, Canvas tried to stay calm while speaking bitterly. "I justgot out of the hospital, so can you please just drop it?”

"Yeah, and I was the one who got you there," Troy leaned his head in, not wanting to be overheard by the other patrons. "I just want to know what the heck happened, Canvas!"

The stallion huffed. “Please, I… I don't want to talk about it." Canvas crossed his forelegs while slumping back in his seat, his eyes darting everywhere except the gryphon glaring at him.

"Yeah, you keep saying that,” said Troy flatly. “Can you pleasedrop the excuses and just―”

"I said I don't want to talk about it!"

Not noticing the pony gripping the table like a shipwrecked foal clinging to passing debris, Troy reached his boiling point. "Canvas, I saved your bucking life! If it wasn't for me, you'd be dead! Did you think about that? Huh!? I think the least you can do is tell me what the buck happened!"

Canvas slammed his hooves on the table, and clenched his eyes shut as he shouted, "BUCK OFF, TROY!"

Canvas quickly covered his mouth with his hooves, shaking in his booth with his eyes as wide open as dinner plates. The rest of the restaurant was staring at them in dead silence. When he finally turned his head to the worried patrons, Canvas could only give a meek smile and a wave of his hoof. "Um…S-Sorry…”

At that point, Troy had sunk low into his seat, and tried to make himself look as small as possible out of guilt. "I'm… I'm sorry, Canvas." Canvas returned his look as he grabbed another napkin. "I shouldn't have tried to press you on like that. You're right, you justgot out of the hospital. I just wanted to know...”

"It's alright." Troy stared at Canvas who wiped his uncovered eye. "I just didn't… I didn't want to talk about it here. You areright, though. You shouldknow. Especially after what you've done. I just… I'd rather talk about it in private, okay?"

Troy agreed with the suggestion, looking embarrassed when the waitress came to their table. "Is everything alright here?" Both of them quickly nodded. Canvas pulled out his bag of bits before asking for the bill.

The two stepped out of the café, still feeling the stares upon both of them as they left. Canvas readjusted the strap of his art bag before looking into his bag of bits. Noticing the pony counting his money, Troy tried making some small talk to get past the prior awkwardness.

"So… you have enough for a room?"

"I hope so,” said Canvas, not looking up as he answered. "I saw a hotel back in the town square, so I think I might go there for tonight."

"Cool. Uh, cool..." Troy struggled to think of something else to talk about. Upon seeing Canvas' old art bag, Troy decided to ask, "So, how long have you had that bag?"

Canvas looked up at Troy, then glanced back down at his art bag. "Oh, this? I've had this bag for years! It's… It’s probably the most important thing I have right now..." The stallion sighed as he rubbed a hoof along the faded fabric and countless pieces of writing on it. Canvas' face brightened as he stared at his most prized possession. "It was actually a gift from my mom."

Lifting the strap up from his shoulder, Canvas stood on his hind legs as he held the bag in front of him with both of his hooves. "I-I remember she was always wanting me to be passionate about my art, and she got this for me right after I got my cutie mark." He didn’t notice the gryphon staring at him with a smile of admiration. Canvas sniffed as he tossed his bag back on his back. "It's the only thing I have left to reme―"

The bottom of the bag ripped out, and dozens of sheets of paper flew out in every direction.

"NO!”

Canvas dropped his bag on the ground, a look of pure horror on his face as he tried to gather as many of his drawings and paintings as he could. “NO! Nonononononono!!”

Without hesitation, Troy shot open his wings and soared into the flying array of papers, collecting every piece darting around the sky. Seeing that Canvas already got most of the ones that landed on the ground, Troy walked back over to the pony's fallen bag. Troy inspected the ruined bag, and eventually, took notice of the paintings he was holding in his claws.

Most of them were in really bad condition. The paintings themselves looked rather nice―at least to the gryphon― but many of them looked like they were covered in dried mud. A couple of them even looked like they were nearly ripped in half. He was unsure whether or not Canvas knew the state of these pieces, but he was positivethat Canvas wasn't somepony who didn't take care of his art. He then saw that the bottom of Canvas' bag was still attached by one end, so Troy placed the sheets back inside before looking closer at the writings on it.

On the faded brown fabric, there were tons of different things written across the bag in black ink. Among the various snippets of song lyrics and phrases, Troy also noticed dozens of different symbols etched on: peace signs, yin-yang symbols, drawings of emblems from Equestrian mythology, and various random sketches covering every inch of the bag.

Doing his best to keep the papers in the bag, Troy called out to Canvas as he tried to tuck the bottom of the bag back in. "Hey, Canvas, I think this can be fixed! You might need to get a few safety pins or something to hold it together, but I think you can stitch this back together if you have a sewing―”

Troy fell silent as he looked upon the inside of the bottom piece. Hanging away from the sides it used to hold onto, the piece was in the same shade of faded brown as the outside. However, it was completely clear of any etchings or written words. All except for one:

Right in the middle of the flap of fabric stood a single symbol, lightly drawn on with black ink all by itself.

Two intertwined male symbols.

“...kit.”

As Troy stared at the sign, he suddenly felt the bag get snatched from his claws. Looking up, he saw Canvas with his uncovered eye wide open, staring at the gryphon in complete mortification. Canvas quickly stuffed the pile of papers he collected into the bag with the ones Troy already placed inside. The stallion clutched the bag tightly against his chest, and then took several steps away from the gryphon in a panic.

"Um, th-thanks, Troy." The terrified pony looked in every direction except at Troy, stammering as he picked up his change bag with his mouth. Breathing heavily, Canvas tried to talk through the bag of bits clutched in his muzzle, using both hooves to hold onto his bag. "I―I fink am goin ta ga ta da hotel, ‘kay?"

"Wait, Canva―”

"AH GODDA GO!"

Before Troy could finish, Canvas ran off toward the town square, using one hoof to hold the bag to his chest as he galloped off.

The stallion quickly left his line of vision, and Troy just stood in the middle of the street, completely dumbfounded.

"Was that…” Troy thought out loud, trying to process what happened. “...Was that what I think it was?"

Author's Note

Chapter Ten: Breaking the Silence

The swollen silver moon loomed over the land of Equestria, a silent sentry of the great beyond. The streets of Ponyville were now completely still, except for the gray gryphon who sat perched in a tree near Town Hall, mulling over the events from earlier. After seeing how terrified Canvas was when he saw the inside of the stallion’s bag, Troy couldn't stop thinking about what it meant. It had only been five minutes since Canvas bolted off, but Troy’s mind was stirring with various theories regarding what may have happened to him; of course, all of his thoughts went back to that bag, and that one particular symbol.

Troy may not have known that much about Equestrian society before moving to Cloudsdale, but he wasn't an idiot. Seeing that mark didn't change his opinion of the stallion at all, but it was still a surprising thing to find out, nonetheless. Then his thoughts came back to how Canvas reacted to him discovering the symbol: pure fear.

Was that because of somepony else?

Was that why he ended up like that?

Troy quickly shook his head clear, knowing how insane an idea like that was. He may have understood how controversial such a lifestyle would've been back home, but he honestly didn't think any ponies would have a problem with something like that. One of the biggest things that Equestria tried to uphold was the practice of love and tolerance. So if anyone was going to be alright with that kind of thing, it would be ponies.

At least, that was what Troy thought.

The gryphon eventually noticed the time was only a quarter until ten, although judging from the streets, most ponies would've thought it was way later than that. Troy was still unsure of what to do. He really wanted to talk to Canvas and let him know he didn't care about his… preferences, but he knew the stallion probably didn't want to talk with him tonight. Considering how frightened the pony looked, it may have been a bit too soon to check up on him.

Even so, Troy still hoped that he could catch up with him tomorrow. As he lifted himself off the branch to head back home, he paused when he noticed something drift past him.

A calm evening breeze carried what looked like a piece of paper past the gryphon’s face. Thinking back to all the sheets that came out of Canvas' bag, he figured that might’ve been one they missed.

He quickly jumped off the tree and glided over to the sheet, glad to see that it wassomething of the pony's. However, the paper in his claws wasn't a drawing or a painting. His eyes narrowed on the text across the thick sheet of paper, and he realized that he was holding a graduation diploma. The name and text declared it was for Canvas as a recent graduate of Gallop Creek High School. This clearly belonged to the stallion, but what surprised Troy even morewas that, according to this document, Canvas was a Valedictorian.

Troy flew off toward the town square, hoping to find the hotel Canvas said he’d be staying at. He landed on an empty street, and was lucky to find the hotel in front of him: a modest brick building, which looked rather old in comparison to the rest of the town. Luckily, he could see that the building was still open, so he stepped inside and walked up to the front desk.

He gently tapped the bell on the desk, and a short, elderly stallion with thick-rimmed glasses stepped out from the back room. After he adjusted his glasses, the pony blinked twice while looking at Troy before he gasped.

Afraid that he was going to give the pony a heart attack, Troy tried to give him a friendly smile, hoping to Celestia that it wouldn’t make him look any scarier. The pony looked the gryphon up and down with his spectacles, his mouth hanging open for several seconds before he muttered, "You're a big pony, ain’tcha?"

Blinking a few times in confoundment, Troy decided not to risk his luck and just go with it. "Um… Okay then… Um, hello. Did a stallion check in here recently? Brown mane, bluish-green coat, painting cutie mark?"

The pony sucked in his lips as he tried to remember, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "Huh… Not sure I've seen a pony like that. I remember checking in a stallion earlier tonight, but he had a chestnut mane and a greenish-blue coat."

Sighing in both irritation and relief, Troy held up the paper in his claw. "Can you tell me which room he's in? He forgot this and I wanted to give it to him."

The pony's head tilted to the side while staring at the gryphon in suspicion. "You staying the night? Because he's only checked in a single."

Troy shook his head. "No, I just wanted to give something back to him, and then I'll leave."

Troy waited as the pony stared at him for what felt like forever. Just as Troy was about to just give up and wait until the morning, the old pony gave a quick smile, like he was reminded of a funny joke. "Oh, okay! He's in room B2, just upstairs."

"Thank you, sir,” said Troy as he headed to the stairway.

"Not a problem, madam!"

After a quick ascent up the stairwell, Troy found himself standing in front of the wooden door with a bronze engraving of ‘B2’ above the peephole. Even after making it this far, Troy was growing nervous as to whether or not he should go through with this. He really wanted to talk to Canvas, but was this too soon? Would Canvas be willing to talk after earlier tonight? Taking a deep breath, Troy puffed out his chest confidently before knocking on the door.

Troy heard the sound of several hoofsteps come closer to the door before he heard Canvas' muffled voice. "Hello?"

"Um… It’s me, Troy." The gryphon heard only silence from the other side of the door, which caused him to sigh softly. Not wanting to give up yet, Troy spoke through the door again. "I… I found something of yours, and I just wanted to give it back to you." The gryphon kneeled down to the bottom of the door, and slid the diploma halfway through the crack.

"Oh!"

Happy to hear Canvas say something, Troy watched the paper disappear from under the door into the room. The door slowly opened up after a moment, until the chain lock kept it from opening any more than a few inches. Canvas poked his head through the opening, and gave the gryphon a weak smile from where he was visible.

"Th-Thank you. I was just looking through my papers and noticed that one was missing. I-I'm glad you found it."

"No problem." Troy rubbed one of his claws against the other, and tried to think of how to go forward with the conversation. He could see that, even through the small space, Canvas looked fairly uncomfortable. "Hey Canvas, I was, um..." Troy felt more tense as he tried to think of the right words to say. "I was wondering if... if we could talk."

Canvas looked away from the opening, and Troy stayed close to the door in case he tried to close it. "I know you said you didn't want to talk about it before, but we're alone now, so―"

"It's kind of late, Troy." Although he was glad to hear Canvas respond at all, he wanted him to say something other than that. "Ummm… Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow or something?"

Troy stayed firmly by the door. "Please, Canvas. I'm not going to do anything. I promise."

Troy's heart sank as he saw the pony move further away. The gryphon took a deeper breath, and closed his eyes in worry.

"Listen, I… I saw what was in the bag."

He heard a gasp from the other side, and Troy quickly held his claws against the door as Canvas tried to slam it shut. It wasn't that hard for the gryphon to keep it open against Canvas' weight, but he didn't want the pony to try to keep him away like this. "Canvas, please! I'm not going to hurt you, I swear! I just want to talk!"

Troy slowly felt the door giving less and less weight from the other side, and hesitantly let go when he knew Canvas wasn't going to close it. As he waited patiently, the gryphon saw Canvas' face reappear in the opening, looking up at Troy fearfully. He slowly planted one claw against the bottom of the door in case Canvas tried to close it again, and he took a deep breath.

"I just wanted to know… Are… Are you…”

The question should've been easy to ask upfront, but Troy was feeling a huge resistance in his mind as he tried to utter out that last word. He knew it wasn't bad or dirty, but for some reason, it still felt uncomfortable to say out loud. But even as his heart pummeled against his chest like the steam engine on a runaway train, Troy swallowed some excess saliva in his throat before finally saying it.

“...Are you, like… gay?”

A deathly silence filled the hallway. Troy stood at the door in wait. Meanwhile, Canvas kept his gaze on the floor between them, his hooves shaking in trepidation.

“...Y…Yes.”

Canvas exhaled, trying to keep himself together while keeping his eye at his hooves. While the stallion felt a huge wave of relief at admitting it, he still felt terrified, and hoped that the gryphon in front of him wouldn't do anything bad.

Troy kept his claw at the door, knowing what he had to ask next. After seeing how scared Canvas was, he was certain about what may have happened. The last thing Troy wanted to do was think about how something like that would happen in Equestriaof all places, but looking at the pony in front of him was good enough proof to the contrary.

“Was…” He knew that this question was going to be painful to ask, but Troy tried to keep his composure in hopes of finally knowing the truth. “...Was that why you got hurt?”

Again, a deep silence filled the void. Troy stayed in place until he heard something: a very light tap on the floor.

Troy looked down, and noticed a small drop on the hardwood floor, right underneath Canvas' hung head. As another teardrop fell, Canvas’ voice started to shake before he muttered in an almost inaudible creak.

“...Y-Yes...”

Canvas sniffed as more tears fell, his head still hung away from Troy's sight. The gryphon waited as he watched Canvas, moving his claw back before asking one more question.

“Canvas…” The stallion didn't give any indication that he heard him, but Troy continued cautiously. "...Can you pleaseopen the door?”

Canvas twitched, and the gryphon hoped by everything in Equestria that he wasn't going to close the door on him. After what felt like an eternity, Troy's eyes widened as he saw the door begin to close. "Canvas! Please don't―”

Before he could finish, Troy felt his heart drop like a brick as he heard the door close against the frame. Looking down at his claws in dread, the gryphon just stood in front of the door, static permeating his cluttered mind. Troy wanted nothing more than to break down the door in front of him, but he felt hopeless in that moment. He couldn't just leave it like this! He had to do something!

Just as Troy was about to do something he would probably regret, he heard a distinct click from the other side of the door. A second later, the door opened all the way in front of him, the chain lock now undone as the two stood in front of each other without any barriers. Canvas looked up to Troy with tears running down his face, his one blue eye now reddened from crying, the bandaged one now damp.

Not wanting to hold back anymore, Troy lunged into the room. He wrapped his forelegs around the stallion and held him tightly, closing his eyes as he hugged him. Slowly, he felt Canvas' hooves lift up from the ground. Canvas was still sniffling audibly, but his hooves continued to move up until they met Troy’s back. As more tears fell down his face, Canvas clenched his eyes shut before hugging the gryphon back.

Troy could feel the pony's body shaking from his sobs, causing him to hug Canvas even tighter; and with that, the last of Canvas’ shell fell apart, and he finally let go. The pony began to cry into the gryphon's shoulder. Canvas clung onto him for a long while as he savored his warmth, and found exactly what he needed on his first night in Ponyville:

A friend.

Author's Note

Chapter Eleven: Stitches

Troy sat silently on the hotel bed while the shower ran from behind the closed bathroom door. He wasn't sure how long he held Canvas like that, but by the time the pony stopped sobbing, he told Troy that he needed to wash up and change his bandages. As he heard the faucet stop, followed by the sound of hoofsteps moving around inside the bathroom, Troy looked around the rest of the small room. Along the dark brown walls were several cheap-looking paintings of things in nature, none of which seemed to match the pale-green carpet or the faded blue blankets of the bed.

On top of the chipped, mahogany dresser across from the bed, Canvas' art bag was carefully laid out and emptied, with several safety pins applied to the bottom to keep it held together. Next to it lay two separate piles of Canvas' artwork, one being much taller than the other. It didn't take a doctorate for Troy to figure out that the larger pile consisted of all the pieces that were ripped or damaged. The gryphon wanted to look at the undamaged ones to see what Canvas had done before, but he decided to keep himself on the bed. After everything that happened, the last thing Troy wanted to do was intrude on Canvas’ privacy any more than he already had.

The bathroom door opened behind him, and Troy turned to see Canvas emerge from the cloud of steam within. His long mane was brushed back and held in a ponytail, and his head was hung low. He no longer had a bandage over his right eye. When Canvas raised his head, Troy couldn't help but wince.

Canvas had two long lines of stitches along his face; one went vertically along the right side of his eye, and another went horizontally underneath it. Both incisions were closed with what looked to be a dozen or so stitches, done in a thick, black thread that stood out on Canvas' light, aqua fur. His right eye was closed shut, and his eyelids looked slightly discolored. Troy wasn't sure if it was still healing from before the storm, but after remembering how horrible the eye looked back then, it was nothing short of a miracle to see it as well as it was now.

Troy stared at the pony's face with worry as Canvas exhaled deeply, walking over to the bed to sit beside the gryphon. Canvas kept his face forward, his stitches facing away from Troy's side.

When Canvas turned his head toward the gryphon and looked into his golden eyes, he saw nothing but care and concern within them. For some reason, Canvas started to feel a lot better as he looked at Troy, feeling somewhat safer with him. But, he knew that Troy wanted to know what happened, so Canvas eventually turned back to stare straight ahead, and took a deep breath before explaining.

“I lived in that town all my life. Gallop Creek was... it was a farming town, I guess. Most of the ponies were just focused on their crops―alfalfa and wheat and stuff like that. I… I wasn't like them. I liked painting. I liked drawing. And I didn't care that much for that other stuff."

As Troy listened, he noticed the bitterness stemming in Canvas’ voice.

"And they hated that. They never liked what I was doing, always calling me names and treating me badly. It didn't matter what I did, even if I didtry to help with the crops, they still made fun of me. Calling me things like sissy and pansy and… colt cuddler."

Canvas' face scrunched in at that last name, clearly hating the very taste of it. Troy knew that the term was a slur, but he hadn't heard it much since coming to Equestria.

"All the time,” continued the stallion, bristling. "...All the buckingtime! They just kept calling me that, even when I was just a colt..."

Canvas' eyes welled up, but he kept talking through his cracking voice.

"But then... then I realized I was. After all the names and the punches and the pushing around, I tried so hard not to admit it to myself, but…”

Canvas looked down at the floor, biting his lip, trying as hard as he could not to start crying again.

“I… I liked stallions. And… I was so scared… scared of what would happen if they knew."

Troy clenched his fists around the sheets of the bed, trembling. “But… Tartarus, this is Equestria. Ponies… Ponies don’t…” His wings twitched restlessly. He knew not why, but the gryphon wanted to go out and hurt something. Somepony. To hell with what any of the ponies would think about a ‘savage’ gryphon going medieval on one of those country bumpkins. If it kept another innocent pony from being left half-dead on the side of the road, he’d do it in a heartbeat.

Canvas continued. "I mean… Gallop Creek was, like, way out of the way, compared to the rest of the towns around there. Most of the ponies were… not as loving as the ones in places like Canterlot or Cloudsdale, or even Appleloosa. Out there, a lot of them still didn't trust Celestia taking in Luna, and thought she was a tyrant!"

Troy could only nod as he realized what Canvas meant. He'd heard that there were ponies like that scattered around Equestria, and he'd certainly heard more than a few crack-pot conspiracy theories surrounding Celestia and Luna, but he didn't think there was a whole town full of them.

"But then…” Troy's attention went back to Canvas. "Then I just tried to focus on my studies. I did a bunch of advanced classes and stuff like that and… and eventually I found out I was at the top of my whole school."

A nostalgic smile wormed its way onto Canvas' muzzle at the memory.

"The town finally began, like… respectingme… Like for the first time, I was normal."

Canvas' smile suddenly dropped, and his eyes welled up once more.

"But... then I had to go and buck it all up."

Troy bristled at that. “From the sound of it, those egg-stompers had it out for you just for existing, Canvas. I doubt you bucked anything up.” He placed a claw on Canvas’ shoulder. “Why did I find you on that road?”

Canvas fidgeted a bit on the bed, then took a deep breath.

"When graduation came up, I found out I was the Valedictorian. And I felt great, like I finally did something that those ponies couldn't criticize me for, you know? And I thought, maybe… maybe I could finally say what I wanted to… without them caring anymore…”

Troy could only utter a quiet "Oh..."

Rubbing one hoof over the other, Canvas said, “I… I came out. I came out during my graduation speech."

Before Troy could say something to overcome the deathly silence, he heard Canvas sniffling. He looked over to see the stallion hunched over the bed and crying. Though he knew doing that had to have been incrediblybrave, especially in a town like that, Troy could clearly see how badly it went for Canvas. It was written in every bruise.

A rueful, joyless grin pulled at Canvas’ muzzle, as though he had remembered a dark joke. "No one… No one said a thing. They didn't applaud, they didn't yell, they were just… silent. And then…”

Canvas started to shake.

"After graduation, I was c-cornered, and… and I got… I got…”

The pony's voice clenched up as he tried to say it.

"I got beaten up."

Not able to continue, Canvas' face fell into his forehooves, and he cried, careful not to touch his stitches. "I was beaten, and nopony did anything! They just… They just watched!"

Canvas' sobs became louder as he felt a bitter mix of relief and remorse at finally admitting what happened. As the pony sat on the edge of the bed, trying to keep himself together, Troy finally lifted his foreleg across Canvas' back and held him to his side. The gryphon gently held Canvas' head to his feathered shoulder, feeling the pony's warmth while stroking his mane with his claws.

"It's alright, Canvas." Canvas cried harder, clearly overwhelmed by Troy's kindness. "You're alright now. You know that, right?"

Keeping his head on Troy's shoulder, Canvas nodded while trying to stifle his sobs. He wiped his eyes dry with a hoof, and slowly looked up at Troy, who looked back with a smile of assurance. While it did hurt to talk about what happened, Canvas felt a lot better after getting it off his chest. The pony breathed in, happy that he could now breathe out without his chest convulsing from emotion, and his voice came out in a light whisper as he felt Troy's touch.

"Thank you, Troy. I… I really needed that."

"No problem."

The two sat there in silence. Canvas looked toward the window, which showed the sleeping town of Ponyville. The stallion thought about everything that had happened, unsure of what he was going to do. He was in a hotel room now, but Canvas couldn't escape the bitter truth that he had nowhere to go after this. The future he thought he’d have was now just a distant fantasy. He was a stranger in a strange place, with only his work on the dresser and the stitches in his face to his name.

As Canvas sat with his mind spinning about how he was going to live his life, Troy took notice of his uncertainty.

"Hey Canvas.” The pony stirred back into reality and looked back at the gryphon. "Are you okay?"

Canvas slowly nodded, although Troy could tell he didn't feel that confident. "I just don't know what to do now. I mean, all I have is my bag and a few bits left. I mean… what am I gonna do?"

Troy could only shrug as he thought about Canvas' worries. "I'm sure you'll think of something, dude. You made a lot of money today just by drawing, right? Didn't you say something about doing that tomorrow?"

Canvas nodded, a brief smile spreading across his face. "Yeah, I did. And there were a lot of ponies still in line when I ran out of paper. So… I guess I can keep drawing ponies for a while."

"You see, things are looking up already!" Troy gave the pony a light slap on the back to try to cheer him up. "And from what I've seen, those ponies really liked talking with you. I mean, this town ispretty nice, don’t you think?"

Canvas nodded again, but his smile slowly went away. "It's just… What if…”

While Troy knew something like that wouldn't happen around here―especially with a Princess AND the Elements of Harmony around―he couldn't blame Canvas for still being apprehensive. He held the pony closer beside him, hopeful that he could calm his nerves.

"Listen, Canvas. You know just as well as I do that Ponyville is nothing like… like that place, and you know that nopony is going to bother you about who you are, right?"

Canvas didn't nod that time. The pony brought a hoof up to his stitches, feeling them stick out from his fur like a bitter scab.

"Dude…” Canvas dropped down his hoof before looking back at Troy, who was staring back at him with pure optimism in his eyes. "I promise you, nothing like what happened in Gallop Creek is going to happen here. And if anypony doesmess with you, just let me know, okay?” He flashed his talons, which glinted threateningly in the low light of the room. “I’ll sort ‘em out."

Canvas' eyes widened, surprised at what Troy was saying he'd do for him.

"I mean it. If anypony starts giving you trouble, I'll take care of it."

"Really?” Canvas could see in his golden eyes that he meant every word. "You would really help me like that?"

"Of course,” replied Troy with a smirk. "I mean, that's what friends do, right?"

Canvas blinked repeatedly. "I'm… You’re saying we’re friends?"

"Well… yeah." Troy looked at Canvas as if the response was obvious. He shrunk in on himself the slightest bit. "Aren't we?"

After taking a moment to process the gryphon’s sincerity, Canvas nodded back with a smile of his own. "Yeah, I… I guess we are."

Troy stayed for a little longer before deciding to leave, knowing that Canvas would need to reapply his bandages and get some sleep. The gryphon waved at the old hotel clerk as he stepped back outside, breathing in the fresh night air around him. Troy shot open his wings and soared off into the stunning night skies, his thoughts going back to Canvas and how everything went. When he reached his cloud, Troy reminded himself that he should talk with somepony about trying to get a job in Ponyville sometime soon.

Back at the hotel, Canvas tried to remain optimistic following the conversation he had with Troy. After reapplying his bandages, Canvas looked into the mirror, feeling slightly better that he didn't have to look at his stitches right before going to sleep. The stallion then laid down on the bed’s firm mattress, thinking back to what Troy said about having his back. He was extremely grateful for what Troy offered him, but he still felt a pit in his stomach as he thought about whether or not Troy was right about Ponyville.

As Canvas' eyelids grew heavier, he tried not to think too much about the future ahead of him. Was it really worth it to stay in Ponyville? Could he actually make it on his own?

I didn’t run all that way just to end up back in Gallop Creek, did I?

Author's Note

Chapter Twelve: Not Alone

Dawn came, with the sun shining into the hotel room and waking the stallion inside. Canvas groaned and stirred in his bed, wanting nothing more than to rest a couple more minutes. However, the pony reluctantly raised his head, knowing he had to make more bits if he wanted to stay in this hotel another night.

He looked over at the clock on the nightstand, which read a quarter past seven. Just enough time to get ready and packed back up before heading to the stationery store. With a yawn, Canvas pulled himself off the bed and headed to the bathroom. He felt both surprised and grateful that he didn't have any nightmares the night before.

Troy was already halfway through his exercise regimen up on his cloud. He felt happy that today was his day off after all that work he did in Appleloosa. And now after everything that happened the previous night, he was hoping to talk to somepony about whether or not he could be transferred to weather patrol.

Troy figured he could spend more time in Ponyville, do something to try and pull himself out of his cloud more often. He didn't spend much time in places on the ground other than his waterfall, but Ponyville seemed like a pretty nice town. Plus, Troy wanted to check up on Canvas to see how he was holding up.

After completing his wing stretches, the gryphon blasted off into the morning sky, smiling as he felt the newly risen sun warm his feathers. Soon, he noticed the unmistakable rainbow trail that could only come from one pony shooting off ahead of him. Troy remembered that Rainbow Dash was the captain of the weather patrol around Ponyville, so he figured she would be the best bet in helping him out. With the trail quickly dissipating in the distance, the gryphon barreled off to catch up with her.

Canvas made sure to buy as much paper as he could with his remaining bits, as well as some graphite pencils and a sturdier rubber band for his hoof. Upon leaving the stationery store, he breathed in the brisk morning air with a smile and trotted off to the fountain.

When he arrived, the stallion looked into his reflection in the water to make sure his bandage was reapplied properly. Despite how badly his appearance made him want to wince, he was confident enough with it to try to look past it. Canvas pulled out a new pad of paper from his art bag, and placed it beside him on the bench in preparation for what he hoped was going to be a busy day.

Using the back of yesterday’s empty pad, Canvas pulled out a black marker and wrote down his prices for the day: ‘5 BITS PER PONY - 8 FOR TWO’.

Canvas placed the sign next to him on the ground, believing having an advert would help attract more customers. He heard hoofsteps approaching from behind him. He turned hoping it wasn't some policepony coming to tell him he was breaking any rules. However, Canvas was relieved to see that it was actually the mint-colored mare from yesterday. The unicorn had a pleased smile as she walked over to him, and paused for a moment to take note of his setup.

"Well hello, Canvas,” said the mare. "You’re looking much better now."

Giving a quick shrug, Canvas put the rubber band over his hoof as he replied, "Thank you, um... Lyra, was it?" The mare nodded. "I was just getting ready to do some sketches for ponies today."

"Yeah, I saw the ones you did for Roseluck and Colgate last night. You’re a regular Titian!" Canvas blushed as he pushed the graphite under the band on his hoof. "Seriously, I can't draw that well with my magic, and they said it was done by hoof! Anyway, you said you're going to be drawing ponies all day today as well?"

Canvas nodded and started rubbing the new, white sheet with the blackened cloth in preparation for his first customer’s arrival. "I sure am." Canvas looked back with a smile. "You want one done? It's only five bits."

"Actually…” Lyra looked down at the sign, noting the prices. "I might have to ask Bon-Bon if she wants to be in a drawing with me. How long do you think you'll be here?"

"As long as I still have paper." Canvas patted the pad in front of him, smirking confidently. Lyra smiled and nodded.

"Great!" said Lyra, walking off. "Hopefully I'll see you back here when her shift ends."

"You will." Canvas continued making the graphite layer an even shade of grey. "Tell your friends, too!"

Troy was hunched over like a gargoyle while perching on a nearby cloud, struggling to catch his breath. By the Divines themselves, the gryphon felt like he was going to hurl. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was hovering over him with a raised brow, looking confused at his request.

"So, let me get this straight,” said the cyan mare, watching the gryphon start ripping off pieces of the cloud to wipe off sweat with. "You want to be part of the weather patrol around Ponyville now?"

Troy merely nodded, unable to speak. He knew Rainbow was a national hero and star athlete, but the gryphon had to wonder how the buck somepony could fly so fast without even breaking a sweat.

Rainbow Dash shook her head in skepticism. "I dunno, Troy. I mean, don't you have a good job at the Weather Factory right now? From what I heard, you're one of the best ice scraper guys they've had since Snowflake quit."

Troy shrugged as he remembered Snowflake, the freakishly huge white pegasus with a buzzcut. Troy wasn’t used to having to look up at a pony. He only met him a couple times when he trained Troy on how to do the job (which mostly amounted to the guy grunting or yelling "Yeaaahhh!"). Sometimes he wondered how the guy managed to keep his almost grotesquely muscular body in the air with wings that tiny, or why a pony with a dumbbell cutie mark had the name Snowflake, but he wasn’t going to say any of that to his face; the guy looked like he could bite into a boulder and spit out pebbles. Still, the pony was helpful in teaching Troy how to scrape ice, and getting him used to being around ponies his first month in Equestria.

"Yeah, I've heard that, but honestly…” As Troy thought of a good reason, he wanted to come up with something better than ‘I want to check up on a gay stallion in case he gets bullied again.’

“I just want to be more social, you know? I mean, I'm cooped up in that little freezer room all day, scraping blocks of ice, and I barely know anypony around there! I just want to try something new and… maybe make some friendsor something."

This wasn't necessarily a lie. He really was sick of being in a room by himself all day with nothing but an ice scraper, a block of yet-to-be-scraped ice, and his brooding, intrusive thoughts; and he really didn't like the fact that he only knew as many ponies as he had talons on his claws (eight, to be precise). When Troy thought back to why he moved to Equestria in the first place, it made him feel kind of pathetic to still be as antisocial as he was back in the Gryphon Kingdom. When he glanced back at Rainbow Dash, the look of pity on her face told him that she wasn’t not considering it.

"Well…I guess I can see if I can talk to somepony about transferring you. I mean, I didhear some good things about how you helped with the Appleloosa drought, so I don't think that you’d be that bad on weather duty around here."

A huge smile grew across Troy's beak. He reached in to grab Rainbow Dash's hoof, shaking it vigorously. "Thank you somuch for helping me out! I mean it, I really appreciate you doing this for me."

The mare quickly pulled her hoof back and looked at Troy with annoyance. "I'm just going to ask, okay? I'm not saying you'll get transferred."

Quickly nodding, Troy gave another quick ‘thank you’ before Rainbow Dash went off to complete her weather duties. He then decided to get a quick meal in Cloudsdale to slake his hunger before flying off to Ponyville to check on Canvas. That salad from last night did barely anything for Troy, and he had the strongest hankering for some cheesy hay fries.

The sun began its slow descent from the top of the cloudless skies, and the area around Ponyville's fountain was buzzing with excitement. It was now filled with anxious ponies as they either watched or waited for Canvas’ next sketch to be completed.

Canvas wore a huge smile on his sweating face as he worked on the drawing of his current pony. He was so focused on his work, he’d even forgotten how many he had drawn today. The mare in front of him―a magenta earth pony with what looked to be a bundle of grapes as a cutie mark―was in the middle of a story regarding a stallion she met at the bar the other night. Canvas didn't notice when a tan mare approached him. A few murmurs sparked in the wary crowd as they parted for her.

“Uh oh, Mayor Mare’s here…”

“Here comes the hammer. Poor guy.”

“When’s the last time she’s shown us her tax returns again?”

“Dangit, and I was next in line!”

The grey-maned mare tried to catch Canvas' attention with several throaty grunts, and when that failed, she lightly tapped his shoulder with a hoof. Canvas looked up to see Mayor Mare, who was looking back at him through the pair of respectable reading glasses perched upon her muzzle.

Scrutinous dark-blue eyes peered into the stallion’s, her gaze that of a shark that caught the scent of blood in the water. "Good afternoon, sir. I'm the Mayor of this town, and I couldn’t help but notice your little stand here."

Canvas’ ears lowered, already having a good idea of what Mayor Mare was going to say.

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but ponies have to have a permit to conduct businesses like this here."

Most of the crowd groaned in worry over the stallion having to stop, a few departing in agitation. Canvas winced and dropped his head worriedly. He didn’t have the money for a fine! He was only scraping together just enough each night for a bed to rest his head on. "I… wasn't aware of that, ma'am. I'm sorry."

Mayor Mare noticed the drawing he was currently working on, and her eyes widened at just how flawless a translation it was of the pony in front of them. The Mayor glanced over at the large crowd before turning back to Canvas' sketch. She then lowered her head close to the stallion and whispered into his ear:

"Tell you what. You do one of me next, and we’ll forget about the permit for today, okay?"

Canvas' ears shot back up. He smiled at the Mayor, quickly agreeing with a hoofshake before finishing the magenta pony.

Troy opened his eyes, still feeling groggy as he laid stomach-down on a random cloud. His belly ached, and his brain took a mental note not to eat three whole orders of cheesy hay fries in one sitting before taking a nap. But those fries were so worth it.

He looked around, and realized his quick nap wasn't as ‘quick’ as he had hoped. The sky was now a familiar shade of pink, indicating it was almost dusk. He shakily stood back up, even as his stomach groaned in protest, and awkwardly flopped off the cloud to fly back to Ponyville.

Meanwhile, Canvas was peacefully wiping the excess black dust off his hooves after finishing his last pony for the day. Taking a deep breath in relief as he rested his hooves, the stallion looked back to his huge stack of unused paper. He had only gone halfway through it in the course of the whole day.

Even though Canvas was disappointed that he would have to get a permit to do this again (unless he could bribe the Mayor with another drawing, which he knew would be a fat chance), he still felt great after looking down at his bag of bits next to him, now completely full and even overflowing slightly. He didn't get a chance to count his money yet, but he could already tell he had enough bits to stay at the hotel for at leasta few more nights without any worry.

Canvas rested his back against the bench, and closed his eyes to appreciate the first moment of serenity he had all day. However, the artist then heard the sound of several hoofsteps coming toward his direction. When he opened his eyes, Canvas saw that Lyra had returned with a cream-colored earth pony alongside her. Guessing that this was the ‘Bon-Bon’ mare she was talking about, Canvas studied her curly blue-and-pink mane, which glimmered in a way only somepony who pretended to not concern herself with her appearance would. His eyes then trailed down to her cutie mark: an image of three pieces of candy.

Canvas felt pretty tired from drawing ponies all day, but he remembered his promise to Lyra. So after a quick stretch, Canvas pulled out a fresh piece of paper and greeted the two mares. "Hey there, Lyra! I'm guessing this is Bon-Bon?"

Smiling, Bon-Bon stuck out her hoof for Canvas to shake, her light-blue eyes twinkling with mischievous mirth. "Lyra already told you about me, huh?” she said, playfully bumping into her friend. “She’s told me a bit about you, too, you know.”

“Bonnie, don’t.” said Lyra, glaring at Bon-Bon with her cheeks puffed out.

“‘His work sends my spirit aflutter as my hooves dance ponderously across my lyre.’”

“I’m warning you, Bon-Bon!”

Placing her hoof over her eyes, Bon-Bon tossed her head back theatrically. “‘My muse has been reawakened after so many lonely aeons beneath the umbrageous, impotent waves of seething lethargy! Hark, O winter-scented cherubim! Hear my soul as it pours its agony, its love, its blooming emotion into you, in tandem with that of the field-coated incubus as he―’ ”

Lyra shoved her hoof into Bon-Bon’s mouth, eyes wide and face red as she laughed nervously. “Haha! Bonnie, ever the jokester! She’s just yanking your leg, hahaha! Anyway, about that picture!”

Canvas looked between Bon-Bon’s smirk and Lyra’s desperate, tooth-filled smile, fighting back a smirk of his own. “So... your muse, huh?”

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it, Canvas,” said Bon-Bon, her smirk threatening to stretch past the bounds of her face.

“About that picture!” growled Lyra, narrowing her eyes at the two.

Canvas raised his hooves in a placating gesture, snickering. “Okay, okay, I didn’t forget about the picture… or the ‘blooming emotion’ it’ll inspire.”

Lyra groaned, even as Bon-Bon nuzzled her teasingly.

Remembering that he had a second stool next to the bench for couples’ sketches (which, surprisingly, didn't sell as well as he thought they would), Canvas pulled it out and placed it next to the other one in front of him. Canvas nodded to the girls and started applying the graphite cloth to his paper, while Lyra and Bon-Bon sat themselves down.

"I'm sorry we showed up this late,” said Lyra, looking embarrassed. "Bon-Bon’s been testing a new recipe and got waytoo caught up with her work."

Bon-Bon gave the unicorn a glare. "For the last time, Lyra, the taffy was too thick to turn! And it’s not like you helped, you lazybones. It wasn't myfault it held us up!" Lyra made a sigh she was surewas supposed to be intentionally loud, so Bon-Bon scoffed once more. "Seriously, honey, you know I'm wanting to try this new pomegranate flavor, and I really think…”

While Bon-Bon talked, Canvas slowed down his wiping. This mare just called Lyra ‘honey.’ He knew he shouldn’t assume, but the implications caused his guts to twist and his chest to hum.

As he finished his preparations, he tried to keep himself together, even though he couldn’t stop thinking about what this meant for him. For the first time in his life, Canvas would actually be talking to ponies like him.

There IS hope!

Canvas held the graphite in his hoof, and looked up to see Bon-Bon still arguing with Lyra about her candies. "This is just like the time you got all, ‘Oh, Bonnie! You’re too obsessive over your work!’ when I was perfecting the recipe for that kiwi candy! You don’t see me smothering you whenever you lock yourself away in your room with your ‘muse’ to tangle yourself up in that lyre of yours."

Lyra gasped. “Don’t you dare bring Lilac into this! Her strings can sunder mountains and divide the heavens! Take it back!”

"Umm…” Canvas didn't want to interrupt, but he was anxious to start talking to them. "I'm ready to start drawing."

Quick to get started, Lyra and Bon-Bon sat upright on their stools, smiling as he began drawing their basic shapes. "So, tell me…” said Canvas, "How… How long have the two of you been friends?"

Though Canvas didn't want to ask a question that generic, he knew better than to just be upfront about them. With the bitter memories of Gallop Creek still on his conscience, Canvas wanted to approach this delicately so he could test the waters.

"Oh, well…” Lyra seemed a little surprised at Canvas' question. "Actually, Bon-Bon and I are married."

Feeling his heart practically burst out of his chest, Canvas was swimming in ecstasy as he continued to draw. "Wow, really? That's… That’s great!"

With his out-of-the-blue happiness coming across as frantic and, frankly frightening to Bon-Bon, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the stallion suspiciously. "Are you okay, sir?"

Canvas stammered, realizing the girls might think they freaked him out. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine! It's just…”

Just what? The first time I ever met ponies like me? The first time in my life I actually feel like I'm not alone? Like I'm not some freak?

Canvas could only smile as he looked at them. "You two make a great-looking couple."

Lyra and Bon-Bon both smiled graciously, which helped Canvas remain in high spirits as he went back to his drawing. "So, tell me, how did the two of you meet?"

"Oh, that's a great story, actually!" exclaimed Lyra, looking excited as she glanced over at the mare beside her. "You see, a few years ago, I was performing in Canterlot as part of their Philharmonic Orchestra." She pointed to the lyre on her flank. “And no, there was no muse involved.” Canvas and Bon-Bon just kept their smiles on. "Well, one night I was performing for a big show at Canterlot Castle, and Bon-Bon happened to be there as one of the caterers. I just finished a performance when I decided to get a drink…”

While Lyra and Bon-Bon continued on, Canvas couldn't help but feel completely overjoyed as he drew the two of them. He could feel the love these mares had for each other as they reminisced about how they became a couple: Meeting in Canterlot, becoming quick friends, friendship blossoming into love, and ending up engaged. By the time his drawing neared completion, Canvas' heart felt warmer as he realized how lucky these two really were.

He also couldn't help but feel a tad envious at what these mares had. He wanted nothing more than to feel that way for somepony. Once the drawing was completed, though, Canvas felt a wave of optimism wash over him; he might actually get that chance now.

“...And to think, I was planning to propose when I got the money for the ring later that week!" The mint unicorn looked back at her wife with a big smile on her face and a tear in her eye. "But there she was when I got home, on her knees with the box in her mouth." Lyra leaned over and nuzzled the mare. Her eyes remained glued on Bon-Bon, whose smirk had settled into a far more heartfelt smile. "It was the greatest moment of my life."

Both mares looked back at Canvas, who had a tear coming down his cheek from his un-bandaged eye as well. "Wow. That's… beautiful. You two are… really lucky."

Canvas quickly wiped the tear away with his clean hoof, the couple going “Aaaawwww!” in unison at his reaction. "I mean it. I'm actually kind of jealous of you two."

"Well, don't worry,” said Lyra, giving Canvas a kind, assuring smile. "I'm sure you'll find the right stallion when he comes along."

"Yeah, thanks. I just don't kno―"

Canvas immediately stopped talking. He stared at the two with wide eyes, motionless as he tried to figure out how she could’ve known. "Wait, I… H-How did you…”

With a little smirk, the mint unicorn pointed at the bench where his art bag was. Canvas stared in shock as he saw the bottom of his bag was no longer held by the pins, but now hanging off the bench, displaying the two male symbols for everypony to see.

Canvas' eye twitched, his body frozen in place, his mind desperately trying to comprehend just what the buck happened. The two mares became increasingly concerned at his sudden aura of fear. "W-W-When did…”

"Canvas,” said Lyra, now slightly worried that the stallion might have a panic attack. "…the bag was like that all day. I saw the symbol this morning. I thought you knew…”

Though he knew it was already too late, the stallion quickly stuffed the bottom back into the bag, breathing heavily and feeling dumbfounded at his idiocy. When he looked back to the two, Canvas could only stutter out a few noises that were supposed to be words. His babbling stopped, however, when he felt a hoof on his shoulder, and he turned to see Bon-Bon giving him a confused look. "Canvas, what’s wrong?"

"I-I-I didn't…” Struggling to think, Canvas’ tail swished back and forth in agitation, and his muzzle wrinkled tightly as he tried to speak coherently. "Th-That-That wasn't… I mean, I didn't think…” His eye, watery and unfocused, jumped from alley to alley, searching for an escape.

"Hey." Lyra looked at him in worry, and took hold of his hoof to caress it consolingly. "Why are you acting like this?"

Bon-Bon looked back at the bag. "Were you worried about ponies seeingthat? Why would you think…”

Bon-Bon's eyes slowly widened as she saw the fear in Canvas' face, before her gaze went to the bandage over his eye. Canvas tried to look away, and saw Lyra put a hoof to her mouth as she realized the same thing her wife did. He closed his eye to block them both out, but he knew that they figured it out. Why he was scared. Why he felt that way about his bag being open like that. Why he had the bandage in the first place.

"Oh… Oh, Canvas…”

Canvas opened his eye when he felt Bon-Bon's forelegs wrap around him, holding him in the second hug he'd received since everything happened. The stallion simply put his head against her shoulder, staying silent as a few tears came from his uncovered eye. He was only in that position for about a minute before Bon-Bon let go, feeling thankful that he didn't cry again like he did last night. As he wiped his eye with his hoof, he felt Lyra's hoof on his shoulder. He turned to see her with a gentle smile on her face.

"It's okay. I don't know what happened, but… it’s alright, Canvas."

Canvas quickly nodded. "Yeah, I know. I… I heard that before."

Canvas breathed out sharply before he gave them their drawing, which showed the two of them looking at each other with the same love and admiration they had when they were telling their tale. Both of them loved the drawing, looking grateful and impressed at how well he drew the both of them together.

Lyra asked whether or not he had a place to stay for the night, but Canvas pointed out he had enough bits to stay at the hotel for a while. Despite their insistence, Canvas refused to let them take him in, or to let them pay for the drawing, telling them that their story and kind words were more than enough. After another quick hug, Lyra and Bon-Bon left Canvas to be alone as he gathered his things.

As the stallion reapplied the pins to his art bag, he heard the sound of something being dropped into his bit bag. Canvas turned around to see nopony there. However, a folded note was now on top of the pile of bits. When he opened the note, Canvas smiled as he read what it said, feeling a tug on his heart:

If you need somepony to talk to, we will always be there to listen. Never forget that you have friends.
-Lyra & Bon-Bon

P.S. Bon-Bon needs somepony to test some candy ideas. Are you allergic to pomegranate?

Seeing that it was now almost completely dark, Troy felt a wave of disappointment as he landed in Ponyville. He was sure Canvas was likely back at the hotel by now, but the gryphon decided to head to the fountain anyway to stretch out his legs.

Troy reached the town center just as the streetlights lit up, revealing the aqua stallion standing by the fountain with a smile, looking at a note in his hooves. Troy blinked, pleased by the coincidence. His claws clicked on the stones beneath him, catching Canvas’ attention.

"Oh, hey Troy,” said Canvas, placing the note back in his art bag. "If you want a portrait done, it’ll have to wait till light. Kinda late out."

"Oh, no, I’m not here for anything like that! Figured I’d stroll through because, uh...” Troy tried thinking of a reason for being around other than to check up on Canvas. "I found out I might get transferred to weather patrol around here, so I wanted to get the lay of the land," he said a little too insistently. The pony raised a brow.

"Uh huh." said Canvas skeptically, giving the gryphon a wry smirk. "Well, I guess I can see why you would want to do that. I mean…”

"What?" Troy asked, confused.

"You were right, Troy. Ponyville is a lot better." Canvas looked around the town with a smile as lights from the houses and buildings began turning on around them. Troy was transfixed by the way the shadows accentuated the glow of Canvas’ hopeful eyes, hidden as they were behind his scraggly mane. His smile, soft and longing, left Troy nearly breathless, even though he wasn’t chasing a rainbow trail this time. For some reason he couldn’t explain to himself, he really wished he had that camera right about now. Canvas looked at him, and Troy realized he’d been staring. "I'm really glad I came here."

Troy gave a slight smile, wings fluttering. "So… did something happen? You seem a lotless jumpy."

Canvas closed his eyes as he inhaled the cool air, and exhaled deeply.

"The nights really are beautiful in Ponyville."

Author's Note

Chapter Thirteen: Celebration

Canvas and Troy walked along the cobblestone street, the stars in the great vault above twinkling playfully as they observed the land below. The two passed other ponies going about their evenings, many of whom waved to Canvas, recognizing him from his work earlier that day.

Watching Canvas waving back with an enthusiastic smile, Troy felt relieved that the stallion was in such a good mood. He thought about what could have happened if he’d never talked to him at the hotel, and how distant Canvas would've been if he’d barricaded himself in that room, with only his demons as company as he shied away from the pain of the outside. The rumination prompted Troy to wonder if hewas like that as well, whether his cloud was his sanctuary or his prison. He didn’t want to think about it too much, though, so Troy kept his beak shut and listened to Canvas talk about his day and how he came across Lyra and Bon-Bon.

"Talking with them just really put me at ease, you know?"

"Ponyville fits you like a glove, eh? I’ll definitely admit it, it ain’t too shabby." Troy thought back to the weather job he wanted in Ponyville, and to his delight he still wanted to go through with it. Even though Canvas seemed alright and didn't really need him around, Troy remembered the reason he gave Rainbow Dash about wanting the job. He really did want to be more social, and right now, he was already getting on the right track with Canvas. "So they're married? Bet they’re the type that’s always making lovey-dovey eyes at each other and mwah mwah mwah!" He held his taloned hands together against his cheek and burlesqued a lovestruck, googly-eyed hen.

Canvas chuckled at the gryphon’s exaggerated display. "Yeah, they were a really sweet couple, too. I'm really glad I got to meet them."

Troy smiled pridefully as he bumped into the pony. "See, I told you! Things are a lot better around here. You just gotta relaxa bit. You’re way too high-strung at times."

Canvas nodded. He lifted a hoof to his art bag, making sure the safety pins were still holding the bottom together. Troy couldn’t help huffing with a befuddled look. "You know, you reallyshould try investing in a new bag or something. That hunk of junk’s a sneeze away from falling apart."

"Absolutely not." Troy was surprised by how quickly Canvas shot the idea down. "I've had this bag since I was a colt. It's… It’s sentimental to me."

"Well, your sentiment isn't gonna hold your paintings and stuff very well unless you do something about it, fast."

"Yeah, I know." He didn’t want to admit it, but the gryphon had a point. The bag, even with all its memories, was being held together only with gum, toothpicks, and a prayer. When Canvas noticed one of the pins coming off already, he quickly refastened it. "I still can’t believe it opened on me like that today."

Canvas still felt flustered about the whole situation. Noticing this, Troy cleared his throat.

"So, let me ask you something. Did anypony say anythingabout it before Lyra and Bon-Bon? Like, did any of the ponies make a big deal out of it?"

Canvas blinked a couple times, and slowly shook his head. "No, none of them.” His pace slowed and his eyes widened. Troy was right. Nopony cared about seeing that symbol. No one who was around Canvas seemed to mind that he was gay. As his smile grew, he turned excitedly to Troy, almost bouncing in place. "None of them cared about it. It… It wasn't a big deal to any of them!"

Canvas stopped walking, letting the revelation sink in. Now grinning like Pinkie Pie, Canvas started laughing out loud in the middle of the street about how pointless his worries were. “They didn’t care! They… Troy, do you know what this means!?”

Troy gave off a light chuckle of his own, finding it hard to be weirded out when the stallion looked so overjoyed. Noticing the gryphon staring at him in amusement, Canvas recomposed himself.

"Sorry, I just…” Canvas wasn't sure how to complete his meek attempt at an apology. He felt a slight twinge of relief, however, when Troy lifted his claws.

"It's alright, dude. At least you're not crying." Troy gave Canvas a small grin before adding, "You look a lot better when you're smiling anyway."

Immediately, Troy grew flustered and Canvas blushed slightly. "I didn't mean it like, um… I just meant that you, er…”

Canvas tried to shake his blushing away as he replied, "No, it-it's alright! I got what you meant. I know you didn't mean it like…” Canvas bit his lip, not wanting to complete that statement.

Feeling the awkwardness rising between the two of them, Troy looked around the town whilst rubbing down his feathers. "So… have you had anything to eat today?"

Canvas' stomach gurgled in response, which caused him to giggle in embarrassment. "Well, it was a pretty busy day..."

Canvas scanned the town alongside Troy, trying to think of where to eat, and noticing how empty the streets were. Odd. The stallion looked along the strangely dark buildings before what looked to be a pink flash caught his eye about a block away from them.

"It might not be a good idea to go to that café again, Canvas,” said Troy. “But I’m sure we can find someplace around here.”

Another flash of pink, this time much closer, came from the corner of Canvas' good eye. A cold sweat broke down his forehead, the muscles in his legs tensing. "Hey Troy, did you notice―”

When the stallion turned his head back ahead of him, he only saw a wall of pink. Pinkie Pie stood less than a foot from his face.

"Hiya, Canvas!"

The stallion shot back and crashed into Troy, who hardly even budged. Both of them looked dumbfoundedly at their surprise guest, with Canvas blurting out, "P-Pinkie! You scared me! Troy, tell her she scared me!" Troy opened his beak before shutting it, still processing what just happened.

Pinkie immediately looked worried. "Oh no! You weren't supposed to be surprised yet! I mean―” Pinkie's blue eyes nervously darted back and forth, before she once again adopted an ebullient (if sly) grin that took up an impossible amount of space on her face. "Wanna stop by Sugar Cube Corner? We’ve got yummies~"

Blinking a couple times, Canvas could hardly keep up with the mare's on-a-dime mood swings. He looked at Troy, who was still busy rebooting his system software, before returning his gaze to Pinkie. "Um… I guess so? I mean, I was a bit hu―"

Pinkie started pushing both Troy and Canvas from behind with her hooves. "Then let's go! You can come too, Mister Gryphon!"

Unsure of how to deal with this new pony, Troy simply followed along this ride of madness. "I have a name, you know! ‘Troy!’ "

"Pleased to meetcha, Mister Troy! I hope you like chocolate!"

By the time the three reached Sugar Cube Corner, Pinkie had taken pity on the limits of their delicate mortal flesh, and allowed Troy and Canvas to walk without her prodding them along. The thought of running had crossed their minds more than once whenever their eyes met, but one look at the pink fiend’s all-seeing eyes, and her cheery smile that morphed into something far more sinister under the writhing shadows chased the idea away and ruthlessly savaged it before it could take form. They doubted she would do anything too crazy, but they also knew their place.

Canvas and Troy couldn't help but be impressed when they finally reached the bakery. Looking like a giant baked good itself, they could see why Pinkie Pie was so energetic. Troy could feel his blood sugar skyrocket just by looking at the place. He may have started sweating vanilla extract if it wasn’t for Pinkie calling out to them.

"Well, come on in, guys! Wonder and sugary-sweet goodness awaits!"

Before either could move, Pinkie Pie bolted into the bakery, the door closing behind her. Canvas looked back at Troy in confusion before hesitantly walking to the door. As he lifted a hoof to the door handle―which resembled a piece of red licorice―he could hear a couple of hushed whispers from inside.

The stallion looked back at Troy, with the gryphon seeing a hint of worry on Canvas' face. Troy gave an ‘Are you kidding?’ look, causing Canvas to sigh with a slight smile before turning back, opening the door, and walking inside.

Sugar Cube Corner appeared completely empty. All the lights were turned off, and the room was eerily silent. Canvas wanted to say something, but all the lights flicked on without warning, scaring the stallion half to death as the room was suddenly full of ponies who shouted, "SURPRISE!!”

Canvas fell backwards in fright, landing on his back as he tried to grasp what the buck was going on. He stared up at the ceiling―which looked like a huge graham cracker―before Pinkie's face appeared over his, nearly throwing him into a secondheart attack. "So, were you surprised, Canvas? Were you were you were you were you?"

Before he could put his mind back together enough to make a response, Pinkie pushed Canvas back into a sitting position on the floor. He tightly clutched the art bag at his side while Pinkie began talking rapidly once more.

"I wanted to throw a party for you yesterdaybut you said that maybe we could do it another day, and now it's another day so I got this party together just for you! And your drawings were reallypopular so a lot of ponies decided to help out because they wanted to make you feel extra special about being here and to thank you for doing such a super-duper fantastitoozly with sugar on top job!"

Canvas stared wide-eyed at all the ponies, many of whom he recognized from drawing earlier, as well as the huge table full of every sugary treat imaginable. Canvas' muzzle twitched, his eyes unblinking. He wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. The stallion turned back to Troy, who was trying to pull his ruffled feathers back down and recompose himself.

When he looked back at Pinkie, Canvas saw that she was now holding a big chocolate cake, which she placed down in front of him. Glancing down at the cake, Canvas' hoof shot to cover his mouth when he saw what was written on it, not even noticing what Pinkie was saying.

"I talked to Bell Hopper at the hotel when he mentioned that Troy came by to give back your diploma, and he told me he saw on the paper that you were a Valley-Victor-something, which is apparently really really good, so I made you this!"

Feeling a tear come down his cheek, Canvas read what was on the cake in bright pink frosting:

Congratulations On Your Graduation, Canvas!

"I… I…”

Canvas was too floored to speak. After everything he'd done and everything he went through, this cake was the first thing he'd received to actually celebrate graduating high school. Even though this mare and everypony else here barely knew him, they still went out of their way to make him feel welcome in this town. They accepted him.

He tried covering his whole face in a poor attempt to hide his crying, but Canvas could only smile through his overjoyed sobs. "I… I don't know what to say…”

Canvas felt Pinkie lift him up without warning and pull him to her side, not seeming to notice or mind his tears as she smiled back at the crowd. "I know what you can say: LET'S PARTYYYY!!"

The room cheered, and Canvas wiped away his tears as the party began.

Author's Note

Chapter Fourteen: Working it Out

Ponyville was usually a fairly quiet place when it got dark. But if there was anything exciting going on after the sun went down, chances were pretty high that Pinkie Pie was somehow involved. While her wild and loud antics could easily irritate or bother most unsuspecting ponies, the citizens of Ponyville had come to accept―or, at least, stopped trying to avoid―her bubbly attitude, as well as her extravagant celebrations for any and every occasion she saw fit to throw a party for.

Since Ponyville could get boring without her parties, most of the town just let Pinkie Pie do what she wanted to give the community some well-needed excitement―not to mention she would probably do it regardless. Noise complaints were beneath her, and Mayor Mare didn’t want to try leashing her lest she find herself dragged along by it through the party pony’s high-octane revelry (the politician’s job was stressful enough, she didn’t need split ends on top of everything else). And, once again, the pink mare was giving the town another reason to have a good time as Canvas’ surprise party went down at Sugar Cube Corner.

Canvas didn't think of himself as the partying type, but he managed to loosen up pretty well after overcoming the initial shock from having a party just for him. As he chatted with the various ponies there, the stallion felt a lot calmer as he came to understand how friendly and approachable they really were.

There were a few moments where Canvas felt a little uncomfortable, mostly when ponies asked about the storm or the bandage over his eye, but he was able to keep most of those conversations simple and short, moving on to more positive things before they could notice or care. When Canvas could finally take a break from talking and drink some punch, he furrowed his brows when his art bag was held up by a light-blue aura.

Canvas looked to his side to find a white unicorn readjusting the pins holding the bottom of his bag. The beautiful mare looked over Canvas' bag with a mix of curiosity and strange admiration. Her flawlessly done face showed nothing but inquisitiveness. Her meticulously styled purple mane bounced lightly as she nodded and shook her head, muttering to herself. Her blue eyes shined with the attentive gleam of a surgeon in the midst of an operation.

"Um…” Canvas didn’t feel comfortable with how this mare was handling his bag, and he didn’t want anything to damage it any more than it already was. “Excuse me?”

"Oh!" The unicorn looked up at Canvas before letting go of the bag, letting it rest back on his shoulder. "Forgive me if I'm intruding, darling,” said the mare with a surprisingly posh accent that sounded like something straight from the upper crust of Canterlot, "but I couldn't help but notice your supply bag. I actually recognize the style, even if its state is a touch… well, ‘ghastly’ is a strong word, no?”

"Umm… thanks?” Unsure of whether or not the mare was insulting him, Canvas decided to let it slide.

"Where did you acquire it? Because from what I can see, this is a positively sterlingbrand. In fact, many would call it vintage." Lifting up the top flap of it with her magic, the unicorn showed the inside tag that Canvas never took notice of: HT Goods. "I've been a long-time admirer of Hoity Toity's work, and I'm quite surprised to see something as rare as this being worn so roughly."

Canvas recognized the name. Hoity Toity was a high-end fashion pony of sorts. While fashion never did catch his interest, he was surprised to find out his art bag was associated with him. Canvas also knew how expensive his stuff was, and he wondered how much the bag would've been worth if it wasn't ripped up and covered with years worth of random drawings and etchings. He wouldn't dare think of giving it up, of course, but he couldn’t help but see his bag with a newfound sense of appreciation.

"Hoity Toity made this bag?" Canvas blinked a few times as he looked at the tag. "I never knew she went to so much trouble..."

"Hm?"

Not realizing he muttered that out loud, Canvas looked back at the mare who was watching him curiously. "Oh, um…” Canvas held the bag closer to himself. "I… I got this from my mom back when I was a colt. It was a gift for me after I discovered my talent in art. I knew it was a big thing for her to do, but…”

The stallion's ears slumped down as he looked down at the sorry state of the bag, thinking about what Troy said earlier. "I should reallyget this repaired."

"Well, worry not!" Canvas looked back up at the unicorn, who now wore an enthusiastic smile. "My name is Rarity, of Rarity's Carousel Boutique! I've been told of your skills, and considering your current predicament, why don’t we help one another? I could use your assistance."

Canvas raised his brows curiously. "Assistance?"

As the party was getting into full swing, and Pinkie Pie was running another round of Pin the Tail on the Pony, Troy was perched near one of the snack tables. He was drinking yet another bottle of grape soda, watching the ponies around him and narrowing his eyes at any who strayed too close. It was his first time at this kind of party, but the experience wasn’t nearly as harrowing as the gryphon would have pictured.

At first, most of the ponies kept their distance from Troy, since Gilda’s boorish actions at one of Pinkie’s previous parties had soured the image of gryphons everywhere in their minds. However, as more of them conversed with the gryphon, they realized that while he was a bit quiet, he was a lot nicer than expected. Before he knew it, several ponies were clamoring to speak with Troy, crowding the poor introvert, and he had to excuse himself just to catch his breath. Crowds were exhausting, and to him, if there were more than two ponies, it was a crowd. Go figure he had to entertain a dozen. Well, nothing a little more sugar couldn’t fix. He wasn’t sure how well Equestria’s healthcare system paid out, but hopefully they had some cheap insulin.

After tossing his fifth empty bottle into a nearby trash bin, Troy felt a nudge on his side. Turning around with a haunted look in his eye at the prospect of having to weather another torrent of asinine questions, his weariness subsided when he found Rainbow Dash standing next to him wearing a grin. "Jeez, thirsty much? At this rate, you’re gonna whiz purple, dude."

Troy scoffed. "Hey, it's a party. And you can’t blame me, these things are heaven for the taste buds." Rainbow shrugged as he grabbed a clawful of lemon drops and popped one into his mouth. "Besides, lemon drops make me thirsty."

Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Man, I remember Gilda was a huge fan of lemon drops, too. I'm starting to think that's a gryphon thing."

Troy shrugged. "Maybe. I just happen to enjoy sour stuff." He kept talking as he crunched on the candies in his beak. "So Rainbow, did they say anything about the, y’know, thing?"

Rainbow looked at him sympathetically. "Yeah… They said they'd think about it."

Troy sighed, knowing that usually meant ‘no.’ The more he thought about getting a job in the Weather Patrol, the more he began hating the idea of going back to that stupid ice room in the morning. It might’ve paid well, and it was certainly easy enough for him, but after spending all this time with Canvas and the other ponies, Troy really didn't want to be cooped up like that every day. The Weather Patrol would be a much-needed breath of fresh air.

"Although…” Troy looked back up at Rainbow. "If you do get a transfer, and that’s a big if, I'll see to getting you on the team real snappy-like. But you didn’t hear that from me."

The gryphon smiled and nodded. "That's great to know, Rainbow." Though he'd heard things from other ponies around Cloudsdale about how hot-headed she could be when it came to work or training, even seeing it himself when they’d first met, it was hard for him to catch anything of the sort in whom he saw standing next to him at that moment. "You know, you didn’t have to stick your neck out for me like this, but… I really do appreciate it. I owe you big."

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at Troy. "It's just a job, dude!" Looking down at the ground, the mare sighed before speaking again, now in a more sullen tone. "But um… there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you…”

Troy cocked his head to the side. "Careful, Rainbow, you might make somepony think you feel guilty just for being a decent pony. I know you’ve got this whole hard-as-steel persona going on, but past that? You’re alright," he said with a slight chuckle. When she didn’t respond, Troy furrowed his brows, the smile on his beak fading. “Hey, you okay?” Rainbow looked back up at him, her ears flat against her skull.

"It's just…” Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, afraid of seeing his reaction. “I was the one who made that lightning strike!"

Though the party was still loud around them, the space between the two suddenly fell silent. Shame, awful shame, pressed down on Rainbow, keeping her from looking Troy in the eye.

"I should've made sure to check the list, but I didn't, and I was the reason you couldn't just fly up to get help! And I…” The mare bit her lip, mostly to keep it from quivering. "...I'm really, really sorry, Troy."

Troy didn’t know what to feel: there was disbelief, denial, even a distant, dark feeling that howled calamitously at the mare that could have ended his career, if not his life, through stupid negligence just so she could punch the clock a few minutes early. He tightened his fist, the lemon drops in his palm cracking and grinding to dust.

But as much as he felt betrayed, the thing that stood out the most in this maelstrom of emotions swirling in his core was an overwhelming confusion. He’d never hated somepony, he’d never loved somepony. Tartarus, until he arrived in Equestria, his every interaction was merely surface-level, so these feelings were still very new to him. But if he knew one thing about Rainbow Dash, it was that she didn’t have a single malicious bone in her body. The fact that the mare had the mettle to forego her pride―something incrediblyimportant to her―and show him, a gryphon, a predator, the softest part of her neck in deference, helped to prove that. If anything, Troy actually felt a strange kind of respect for her.

Biting back something poisonous, Troy took a deep breath and placed a claw on her shoulder. "Hey, it's alright. I mean, that strike just grazed me and―”

"But what if it didn't?!" Moving his head back from her sudden shout, he could only stand silent in front of her. She tapped her hoof against the side of her head, a baleful sneer twisting her visage. "Celestia, you can’t be this clueless. That could have seriously hurt you, or worse! And what about that guy in the bush, huh? What then!” Troy flinched as if struck; he hadn’t even considered Canvas in all this! Rainbow shook her head, her gaze desperate. “I just… I can’t just let that slide!"

Now looking like she really was going to tear up, Troy grabbed the pegasus by the shoulders. His talons dug into her coat, but only enough to be discomforting. "Rainbow, listen to me!" Rainbow looked up at Troy, startled at his intensity. "You didn't know I was there. It may have been a mistake, but that's all it was! A mistake! I'm not mad about it, okay? I took that risk, and the danger was not lost on me when I did."

At Rainbow’s shock, Troy sighed before letting her go. He raised his trembling claws to his face, studying them. "I won’t lie, Rainbow, I… I’m not sure if I want to laugh, or punchsomething, or―” He held his breath for a moment, releasing a frustrated growl and massaging the space between his eyes. “I don’t know. It’s a lot to take in. Still though… majorprops to you for telling me.” He clapped a claw on her shoulder, and she looked at him in utter bafflement. Rubbing the back of his neck, he continued. “But, uh, don’t let it happen again. I’ll deck you in the schnoz next time, and I’ll only feel a little bad about it afterward." The mare snorted at that, looking far less tense. She eyed him up and down as though she was seeing him for the first time.

He considered giving her a hug, but then he figured doing something like that with this mare could end up with him getting his beak broken. He liked his face just the way it was, thank you. So instead, the gryphon proffered a clenched fist, which she promptly bumped with her hoof, a smile growing back on her face.

Determination shined in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. "I'm gonna make sure you get that job, alright?" Troy nodded at Rainbow's promise, now seeing why she got the title of Element of Loyalty. Her relieved smile quickly dropped as she stepped nearer, her expression severe. "But don't think I'll let you slack off under my watch, got it? If you're working for me, you're gonna work!"

Aaaand therewas the Rainbow Dash everypony knew and loved. Troy quickly nodded, understanding her condition. Rainbow then sighed, looking happy to have gotten all that off her chest. “That kinda spunk’ll get you far, Troy; you oughta show it more often.” She then turned and walked off, disappearing into the sea of ponies at the party, some of whom had quieted down during her altercation with Troy. A few wary glances were passed between the eavesdroppers, but conversation once again picked up when it was clear no trouble would come of it.

Troy was too preoccupied to take notice of this. He didn’t know when he had grabbed another bottle of grape soda, but he found himself staring into his warped reflection in the inky, beckoning liquid. Golden eyes stared back. “You say that like it’s so simple,” he muttered to himself, frowning.

"I must say, Canvas, your paintings are simply dazzling!"

Rarity couldn't stop raving as she sifted through his collection of paintings, shuffling through them as she levitated them in her blue aura. She was ooing and ahhing, looking absolutely mesmerized, her eyes sparkling like she’d unearthed diamonds. Canvas was happy to show his work, even if it was for a seamstress he had just met. That said, Canvas was careful to only pull out his undamaged pieces, keeping the others tucked away in his bag. When she found herself especiallyentranced by a blue-and-purple abstract piece, Rarity felt a lot more confident about what she was asking of Canvas.

"I know this is an odd request, but I simply can’t find the time to do it myself due to a plethora of clients this month."

Canvas thought about what Rarity wanted him to do for her. The job itself was a fairly simple one: painting a specific floral design for her bedroom. And yet, the mare was offering a really generous pay for his time. As he looked at her design idea on a piece of paper she gave him―a surprisingly intricate style, almost like some sort of Zebra tribal motif―Canvas was confident he could finish this in less than a day.

"And for your time on this project, my good stallion,” said Rarity, once again lifting his bag gently with her magic, "I'll also repair your art bag, free of charge.” She winked. “We’ll tally it as an ‘artistic exchange.’"

With a big smile on his face, Canvas shook Rarity's hoof, careful not to mess up her hooficure. "Miss Rarity, I would be happy to help with your design." The unicorn's face beamed with excitement. Canvas put a hoof to his bandage, remembering what he had to do tomorrow. "I may have to visit the hospital first to get my stitches removed, but after that I'll be right over. Is that okay with you?"

Rarity nodded, but kept a muzzle on her curiosity. Like most of the ponies at the party, she was aware of the basics: Canvas was found hurt before the storm last week and was recuperating at the hospital until yesterday. Even though she wanted to know more about what happened (as did a lotof ponies in town), she knew better than to ask such personal questions, especially with a tentative business partner. It was unprofessional. With a quick ‘thank you and congratulations’ to the stallion, Rarity went back off to the party, happy to finally get this idea off the ground.

Canvas readjusted his bag, glad to know it’d be repaired as soon as tomorrow, before heading back to the table Rarity placed his paintings on. Walking over, Canvas noticed two more ponies looking through the stack, carefully studying each painting with interest. One was a fairly tall and skinny yellow stallion with a short, orange mane and freckles lining his muzzle, while the other next to him was a light-blue mare who was rather short and pudgy.

The mare quickly placed the painting she was holding back on the pile when she noticed Canvas, and readjusted her poofy pink mane. "I'm sorry, sir, I couldn’t help myself. But these pieces are so eye-catching!"

"Oh, it's alright." After his interaction with Rarity, he was feeling a lot more comfortable with ponies seeing his work. "I think Pinkie introduced us earlier. You're Mr. and Mrs. Cake, right?"

The mare nodded, and the stallion looked up from the stack to talk with him. "Gotta say, I don’t have the chops to be a critic of these artsy things―I’m much more comfortable whipping up a nice pumpkin pecan cheesecake and keeping the ovens preheated, y’see―but in my humble opinion, young stallion, you oughta be doing a lotmore than five-bit drawings on the street."

Canvas blushed slightly, but remained gracious as he smiled with a thankful nod. He remembered how unenthusiastic ponies were back in Gallop Creek, with the nicest compliments either being amused ‘huh’s’ or nods before they just walked past. To go from that to practically everypony saying how well done they were was quite a change for Canvas, who now wished he could've lived in a community this supportive growing up.

Mrs. Cake cleared her throat. "My husband and I were wondering. How would you feel about painting something for us?"

Troy walked out of the bathroom, relieved that the party was finally over. Looking over the bakery, now clear of most ponies, he saw Mr. and Mrs. Cake sweeping up the fallen confetti and streamers strewn about the floor. Meanwhile, Canvas was helping Pinkie Pie put paper plates into a trash bag; despite objections from both Pinkie and the Cakes, the stallion insisted he helped clean up before heading back to the hotel. Realizing he was the only one not doing anything, Troy looked around before flying up to the ceiling, and helped to take down the various streamers and balloons.

With everything done in the main room, Pinkie gave Canvas a particularlybone-crushing hug before letting him leave to get some rest. Paradoxically, the stallion came out of it feeling less sore than before. Before Pinkie could open her forelegs again to do the same for Troy, the gryphon put out his claw for her to shake, opting not to involve himself in whatever black magic the mare was indulging in. He could tell Pinkie wanted to give him a hug, but she still had a big smile while shaking his claw with her hoof.

Before leaving, Troy saw Canvas shaking the hooves of Mr. and Mrs. Cake, talking with them about something.

"Alright, I might not get here until sometime in the afternoon, but I'll be sure to get it done before the kids come back, alright?"

The two ponies nodded as Canvas thanked them once again for the party, feeling relieved that he could leave Sugar Cube Corner and get some sleep. Canvas and Troy stepped back outside, waving back at the ponies inside the bakery, and both were surprised how cool the night air had become.

"So, Canvas…” Canvas glanced over at Troy, who looked exhausted following that surprise party. "What was that whole thing about?"

"Oh, that." Canvas rubbed his uncovered eye with his hoof, hoping he’d stay awake long enough to get to the hotel. He didn’t put all those bits into getting a proper room just to pass out on the street. "The Cakes asked me to help paint their nursery. Their kids are at their grandparents’ or something, and they wanted to get it done as a surprise for when they get back."

"Oh." Troy turned away from Canvas to quietly yawn. "The more bits the merrier, as they say. Who’d’ve thought you’d get so popular!"

Canvas nodded before he yawned loudly. The gryphon sighed to himself, hoping he didn’t cause that. Canvas yawned a second time before continuing.

"I'm also gonna paint something for Rarity at her boutique. She makes clothing and stuff, and she said she would actually fix the bottom of my bag if I painted something for her bedroom."

Troy smiled a bit, and tried his hardest to hold back another yawn. The gryphon looked down at Canvas' bag, which was now stuffed with leftover sweets and candies wrapped in plastic to protect the artwork. "Well, thank the stars for that. Won’t have to fret over that torn up travesty for much longer."

"I’m just taking your advice, Troy. You were right when you said sentiments weren’t going to hold this thing together." Canvas sighed and touched his bandage, making sure it was still secure. "I'm getting the stitches out first thing in the morning, so hopefully I can start looking out of this eye again soon."

Troy nodded, trying not to look upset as he remembered how that eye looked before, all swollen and black. He was surprised to think Canvas would still be able to see anything from it. Troy then thought about what Canvas said the other night, feeling his anger build up at the idea that some pony actually did that to him.

"Canvas, don't you think you should talk to the police about what happened?" Looking at Canvas with concern, Troy could see the stallion tremble a little bit as they walked.

"I… um…” Canvas looked away from Troy. The stallion's mind started spinning with the memories from that night, growing increasingly troubled as he tried to keep his focus on walking. Canvas heard Troy’s voice again.

"Canvas, listento me. If some ponies did that to you, especially for something like… that, you really should try to press charges or something! They shouldn't get away with that!"

"I know, it's just…” Canvas bit his lip, not wanting to think about that night anymore. The stallion stopped in the middle of the empty street, clenching his eye shut as he tried to keep himself calm. "I just…”

Canvas felt Troy's claws rest on his shoulder, feeling pleasantly surprised by how warm they felt on his coat. Breathing deeply, Canvas started feeling a lot easier with the gryphon by him.

"It's just that coming here and meeting everypony has made me feel… it made me feel happier than I felt in a really, really long time." Canvas kept breathing heavily in an effort to keep himself from tearing up. "I want to put that stuff behind me right now. A-And I… I just want to move on with my life."

Looking up, Canvas could see from the gryphon's grave stare that this wasn't what he wanted to hear. Canvas looked back down at his hooves, and sighed deeply before he continued, hoping to keep Troy from digging further into any topics he’d prefer to let lie. "I know I should talk to somepony… And I will,” he said, pursing his lips together as he wondered if he actually would. "I just... It really hurts to think about it all, okay?!"

Canvas almost dropped to the ground, feeling like something punched him in the gut as he struggled not to cry. Troy instantly held onto him, not caring that he was outdoors or if somepony was watching. Canvas clung to Troy's shoulder for a few moments, not wanting to cause a scene in public, even though it was probably too late now. As he felt the gryphon's feathers brush against his fur, Canvas started to feel calmer and safer, and his sobs decreased.

Canvas breathed in deeply as he let go of Troy, making sure his bandage wasn't too wet from crying before they started walking again. By the time they were in front of the hotel, Canvas was the one who finally broke the silence.

"I willtalk to somepony about it. I… I just need to rest first."

"Well, that's understandable." Looking up at the clock tower in the distance, Troy saw that it was already almost a quarter to one. He sniffed the air, making a face. "And take a shower while you’re at it. You smell like banana bread and wet tree bark."

Canvas scoffed and shot the gryphon a flat stare. “Wow. Seriously, dude?”

“H-Hey, I’m just trying to be more upfront, alright?” Troy raised his claws up in sincerity, not wanting his friend to think that remark was too insulting between them. “Seriously, blame Rainbow Dash. She was the one who told me to show more ‘spunk’ or whatever.”

Canvas immediately looked away and tried his hardest not to snicker. He wasn’t very successful. “Ummm… Maybe you should use a different term than thatone? ‘Spunk’ is sorta… suggestive.”

Troy needed a couple seconds to process what he meant, but his brows rose after a moment before he gave an affirmative “Ohhhh.” After smiling more naturally, he shook his head while rolling his eyes. “Oh, I’m gonna need a shower after that one! Jeez, and here I thought you were supposed to be a prude,” he said, playfully shoving the stallion, who couldn’t fight down a growing smirk.

The two shared a quick hug and an exchange of goodbyes, and Troy waited until Canvas disappeared past the front doors of the hotel before he flew off. Unfortunately, even with how happy the gryphon felt about his friend’s progress, his mind was still plagued with images of the frail, unresponsive stallion hooked up to life-support back in that hospital. The stallion who could have been brushed away into the night without anyone knowing, without anyone caring, if everything had gone according to schedule on that fateful day. His friend.

You’d better not be stringing me along, Canvas...

Author's Note

Chapter Fifteen: Readjustments

Canvas never stopped running. He thought he saw the sun rise and set more than once. It looked like dusk (or maybe dawn) now. The amber sun was in front of him, blinding his left eye. The unswollen one. His whole face throbbed with so much pain, it kept him from thinking straight. He felt blood dripping, although he wasn't sure from where. His lungs felt like they were going to explode. But he kept his hooves moving, not stopping for anything.

His hooves. Earlier they stung and brayed like they were being ripped apart. Now they just gave off a pulsing numbness as he galloped along. He was sure they were in bad shape, but he didn't want to look down to see. Canvas didn't know what road he was on, nor did he really care. All he knew was that he needed to keep running. For as long as it took.

Breathing was itself a herculean effort, his throat so clenched up and dry that each breath came out in a pained wheeze. He saw a sign in the distance for Ponyville. Something yanked his tail, causing him to yelp and trip over his hooves. He landed in a mewling heap and the world spun. It was all he could do to stop himself from throwing up.

A shadow loomed over him. He turned to find a figure pinning him down. He couldn’t see his face, but he knew who he was. Trying to break free, Canvas could only watch in horror as the figure raised something over his head. The sun made it shine a ghastly shade of yellow. Canvas couldn't do anything. He couldn’t even scream. Only terrified silence came out of his mouth. The figure shrieked gutturally before striking.

Canvas screamed and shot up as he opened his eyes. Breathing heavily, the stallion looked around. He was back in his hotel room, a beam of light creeping in from Celestia's rising morning sun. It was all just a dream. Canvas put his hooves to his head, trying to calm down. He closed his eyes and sighed, sitting in silence and fear of what he remembered.

Suddenly, a loud blaring noise broke out within the room. The terrified pony shot out of bed like a bullet, only to realize that it was just the alarm clock. Canvas turned it off with a groan, quickly remembering about all he had to do today.

They can’t hurt you, Canvas thought. So why do you keep thinking about it?! The ponies here are here for you…

Aren’t they?

Sitting in the bare, white room, the sterile stench of disinfectant assaulted Canvas’ nostrils while an aura of magic moved over his face. Although the numbing spell Doctor Stable used was working, the stallion couldn’t help but wince as he watched the thread being pulled from his skin. He felt as if his whole facewas being painlessly pulled apart by the doctor’s magic. Canvas bit his lips to cover his discomfort, but the doctor spotted it right away.

"Are you alright, Canvas?” asked Dr. Stable, cutting off his magic. “Are you feeling any pain right now?"

Canvas shook his head, being careful not to mess with Stable's progress. "No. It's just weird, you know?"

Stable nodded and went back to removing the stitches, his face showing nothing but an unemotional focus until he pulled the last of the thread from Canvas' aqua fur. "Alright, I think that's it! It looks like your wounds have healed tremendously. Would you like to see?"

Canvas nodded, and Stable used his magic to levitate a mirror over from the counter. In his reflection, Canvas could finally see his other eye without any bandages or stitches getting in the way. It was no longer swollen, but his right eye was still closed shut, and his eyelid was still slightly discolored. Stable then levitated something else from one of the drawers. "Your eye is mostly healed, though I’d still recommend that you wear this eyepatch over it until the bones are healed completely and the swelling goes down. You can make a game of it, if you want. Play pirate."

Seeing the eyepatch, Canvas nodded before grabbing it with his hoof, considering it for a moment before placing it over his right eye. He adopted a terrible accent and said, "Arr, ‘tis fortunate for you, ye saltless scallywag. Though ye be a landlubbing softshell, yer assistance has me in a good humor! You’ll walk the plank another day, Doctor Stable."

Rolling his eyes with an amused smile, Dr. Stable replied, “I take it back. You’d make an awful pirate.”

Canvas smirked. “I’ll have ye swab the poop deck for yer insubordination, stowaway! If not entertainin’ the sharks!”

“Stars above…” Stable shook his head. Canvas chuckled.

Canvas glanced at the closed door, feeling a weight in his stomach as he remembered what he promised Troy. He also remembered what he said to the doctor the last time he was here, and how concerned Stable was when he asked about the cause of Canvas’ injuries. So, after taking a deep breath, Canvas waited until Stable was done looking through his clipboard before speaking.

"So, Doctor…” Canvas looked down at the floor as he spoke. "You said that everything was… confidential… in this room… right?”

Doctor Stable looked back at the stallion with newfound interest, and placed his clipboard on the counter. "Yes, I did. Is there anything you wish to tell me?"

Stable waited while he watched Canvas fidget on the stool. Canvas took another breath, and stared straight at the doctor.

"I… I want to talk about what happened."

With Sweetie Belle out of her mane, Rarity was finally able to relax after a truly hectic morning. Despite her best attempts to keep her little sister from trying to burn down her boutique whenever the fancy struck her to attempt to fry omelettes, the little gremlin always seemed to find a way into the kitchen when Rarity's back was turned. Making Sweetie’s cooking seem like it was edible was a mountain of a task, but Rarity always pulled it off with a grace that should’ve won her an acting award. After getting her cookware cleaned and her kitchen free from the rancid smell of eggs, tears, and for some Celestia-forsaken reason, rubber, Rarity was happy when she heard knocking from her door.

The unicorn beamed when she saw Canvas at her front entrance, now with an eyepatch over his right eye and his art bag sagging at an alarmingly odd angle. It looked like the bottom would not hold for much longer.

Rarity also noticed that Canvas' mood was more sullen than expected, but she figured that the artist was just recovering from Pinkie Pie's antics from last night. Rarity shuddered as she remembered the first birthday party she threw for her. To this day she occasionally had nightmares about candy corn. She shook her thoughts aside and let Canvas in.

"Why, good morning, Canvas. Your timing is impeccable. How was your appointment?"

Canvas readjusted the straps of his bag, and wiped his hooves before entering the immaculately clean boutique. "It was fine. Doctor Stable said that I have to wear this eyepatch for a little while, but other than that, I'm in good shape." Canvas kept a strained smile on his muzzle, hoping the unicorn wouldn't ask much more. Luckily, Rarity was quick to lead him across her shop, which was lined with dozens of arrangements of impressive-looking outfits.

After a quick trot upstairs, Rarity opened the door to her bedroom and showed Canvas the bare, white wall she wanted him to design. Canvas looked a bit bewildered as he glanced over at the bed, taking note of how soft and supple the royal purple bedding looked, with a veritable sea of matching throw pillows one could sink into and lose one’s sense of up and down in. On the ground between the bed and the wall lay a small, clear tarp, with several small buckets of paint which were intricately arranged by color next to a small paint brush. Canvas was surprised to see that Rarity already had these things arranged for him before he arrived.

"I already picked out the colors I wanted for this design, and I wasn't sure what supplies you might already have. I do hope this is everything you need, darling."

Canvas nodded as he looked at the buckets, recognizing the brand of paint to be rather expensive. "Yeah, yeah, this is fine. I think I have everything I need at the moment."

Canvas pulled his art bag from his shoulder, pulling out his other supplies from inside. Since he paid for an extended stay at the hotel, Canvas could keep his paintings in the room, leaving only some spare paintbrushes and cleaning supplies in his bag (as well as some leftover treats from last night). Once the bag was finally emptied, Rarity carefully lifted it with her magic while Canvas started on the design, drawing it in full scale on the wall with a light graphite pencil strapped on his hoof.

"Take all the time that you need, and I'll get to repairing this bag for you." Looking at the various etchings on the expensive fabric, Rarity felt more than a little inclined to do more. "Would you be alright with me cleaning this while you're here?"

Canvas snapped his attention back to Rarity, biting his lip. "Um…” Rarity seemed confused at his hesitation, his eyes darting down at his bag like a gryphon watching its kit. "It's just that I reallydon’t want my markings to fade or anything."

"Oh, pish posh, my good stallion! I happen to know some spells which will clean the fabric and keep the material sleek and pristine. I'll be sure not to harm your writings."

Sensing the unicorn’s confidence with her promise, Canvas felt trusting enough to nod reluctantly. "Ummm, alright, I guess. Thank you."

With a quick nod, Rarity closed the bedroom door, letting Canvas continue with the project in peace.

Though she had several big projects to complete today, Rarity decided to fix the art bag first and foremost. This fashion catastrophe could not be allowed to persist! She couldn’t call herself a seamstress so long as a single tear went unthreaded under her roof. It was her duty to Hoity Toity, to Canvas, to fashion itself! She removed the pins and placed it on her sewing table, relieved to see that while the fabric was well-worn and ripped badly in some places, the repairs would be simple. She started by flipping the bag inside-out in order to reapply the bottom seams.

Meanwhile, Canvas finished drawing the basic layout.

He slowly drifted off into his mind, his focus lying solely on the wall before him. He applied the colors onto it from the assorted paint buckets. The colors spread across the plaster, slowly turning into the image laid out on Rarity's sketch.

This is what he lived for. This is what kept him going through the pain and heartache. The refreshing smell of fresh paint and paper; the reassuring feel of the paintbrush held against his hoof; the sensation of creation happening before his very eyes. No matter what, ever since he was a colt, Canvas had never felt more calm and carefree than when he was painting.

This time, however, his interaction with Doctor Stable kept replaying in his mind. Canvas described what happened to the doctor, feeling very much the same way he did when he told Troy. Only, where Troy felt a lot more comforting and supportive, Stable felt a lot more neutral, not saying or doing much as Canvas went on. It wasn't until after he said everything that Stable finally spoke, offering a box of tissues to Canvas with his magic.

"Canvas, I'm glad that you told me this. It must have been difficult to recall something like that."

Canvas could only nod as wiped his eyes with the tissue, glad to be able to wipe away his tears without the bandages in the way.

"Have you told anypony else about this?"

Canvas tossed the tissue into the nearby trash bin. "I… I told Troy a couple nights ago. But that's it."

Stable kept his gaze on Canvas, his expression stern. "Canvas, if what you're saying is true, then the authorities should be made aware of this." Canvas kept his eyes locked onto the floor between them.

Stable sat in front of him for a moment in wait, and eventually sighed when the silence persisted. “What happened to you was a hate crime, Canvas. That can’t be ignored."

Canvas’ eyes welled up again, and Stable hoofed him the tissue box before speaking calmly. "Listen, nopony ever said this was going to be easy. It’s pretty bucking hard, actually. But I hope you seriously consider talking to somepony who can help make sure this doesn’t happen again. To you or to somepony else."

Canvas slowly nodded, still looking away. "I'll… I’ll see what I can do."

Stable rested a hoof on Canvas’ shoulder. “That’s all I ask.”

By the time Canvas' mind cleared again, he was already finished with the painting. He had to admit that after seeing the end result, the floral pattern looked amazing in full scale. He made a few quick improvements to add to the detail, and then began cleaning his brushes, using a bucket of water that Rarity provided. He didn’t notice Rarity re-entering the room until he heard her gasp. When he turned around, he saw the unicorn staring at the design with a huge grin.

Rarity’s excitement was tangible, a wave that emanated from her and warmed the room. The mare bounced on her hind legs as she clapped her hooves together like a filly at a magic show, squeeing. "My stars, Canvas! It looks absolutely marvelous!"

"Well, thank you, Rarity.” Canvas wiped off the excess water and paint off his brushes with his rag before noticing that Rarity was holding up his art bag with her magic. She levitated it in front of him like some sort of mythical relic, and she couldn’t help but giggle as she saw Canvas' jaw drop at the sight.

“I suppose we are both artists in a sense of the word.”

True to her word, the art bag was repaired back to mint condition. The mare wore a prideful smile whilst Canvas stared at it in awe. He could see from the scrupulous stitching that this was no run-of-the-mill fair―this mare was the real deal, a prodigy at the top of her craft. To think all she’d asked for in return was a painting!

Additionally, the bag's fabric felt a lot softer in his hooves. He remembered what she said about cleaning it for him. Upon closer inspection, Canvas saw that all the years' worth of paint, food, and mud stains were completely gone, and the writings stood out all the more. Rarity raised a hoof to catch his attention.

"I hope you don’t mind, Canvas, but I took the liberty of re-applying your markings with a fade-resistant ink. That way, you would be able to wash it regularly without worrying about it fading or bleeding into the surrounding fabric."

Canvas saw that the ink on his bag was freshly applied, the design appearing as if it had come printed on the bag when it was still fresh off the store shelf. She had gone over every inch of his work with the new ink. Simply put, the end result looked completely natural and untouched.

When he looked inside, Canvas felt a weight in his stomach. She even did it for the mark on the bottom as well. The male symbols stood out to him with fresh ink like a neon sign, and Canvas looked back up to see Rarity smiling at him nonchalantly, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"So, what do you think, darling?" she asked expectantly.

To think a pony would actually do something this nice for him. Canvas could only smile.

"I... I love it! It's absolutely perfect." Looking back at Rarity, Canvas could see her trying to hold back her excitement at seeing his happiness. He felt like he was going to cry again, almost at a loss of words for her. In a move unexpected to the both of them, Canvas pulled the mare in for a hug. "Th-Thank you so much, Rarity."

Smiling, Rarity nuzzled the stallion. “The pleasure is all mine, Canvas.”

Rarity was insistent on paying Canvas the price she’d promised the night before, despite his efforts to refuse. Canvas would've been fine with just having the fixed bag as payment, but Rarity still paid him the generous amount of bits, as well as a plate of macaroons she baked (without Sweetie Belle’s help, she insisted, much to Canvas’ confusion) before letting him leave for Sugar Cube Corner.

Canvas arrived at the bakery at around noon, much earlier than he previously thought he would. Walking inside, the pony was taken aback by the overpowering smell of burnt sugar that hit his nostrils like a cloying pepper-spray.

Covering his muzzle with his hoof, he saw the Cakes frantically skittering around back in the kitchen. When he readjusted his weight while standing, Canvas ended up inhaling too much of the sweetened air, coughing and catching the attention of Mrs. Cake.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Canvas! Pinkie Pie promised she wouldn't try making that brownie cannon during business hours! The dear is a baking savant, but there’s a time and a place!"

Looking around at the mass of ponies huddled into the shop, all of whom were in no better humor than himself, Canvas gathered that they were in the middle of a lunch rush. "Oh, it's alright." He just hoped it would be easier to breathe in the nursery. He figured that if Pinkie Pie did stuff like this regularly, then the Cakes had probably dealt with a lot worse than some burnt sugar, and that he should be grateful he came on this day.

After the Cakes did some necessary cleaning, Mr. Cake led Canvas upstairs to the nursery while his wife tended to the customers. Walking inside, Canvas saw that the nursery itself was pretty basic, with both cribs and all the furniture moved away from the walls. Canvas was surprised, however, to see that the walls already had an appealing design element, with a trippy-looking swirl pattern going along the light purple and blue colors.

He then looked at the sketch Mr. Cake gave him (which wasn't as well-drawn as Rarity's) to see what they were trying to go for: using the swirling patterns already there, the Cakes wanted to theme the walls after outer space, with solar systems and stars across the walls.

Impressed by their idea, Canvas looked over the walls to think of what to do while Mr. Cake brought in the paint buckets and the floor tarp. He looked through some books on outer space the Cakes already had, and soon, he had an idea of how to pull it off. Once everything was laid out and ready for Canvas, Mr. Cake closed the door to let him work in peace and went back downstairs to help his wife.

The explosion from Pinkie Pie's new contraption made Sugar Cube Corner almost uninhabitable for about an hour, but the Cakes managed to get everything back to normal before the lunch rush ended. After one busy afternoon (and sending Pinkie off to do some errands to get her out of their hair), Mr. and Mrs. Cake saw that it was getting close to dinner time.

“That mare’s giving me split ends,” said Mrs. Cake, smiling exhaustedly.

Mrs. Cake decided it was time to go upstairs to check up on the mural for the kids. She lightly knocked on the closed door, but didn't hear anything inside. Throwing caution to the wind, Mrs. Cake slowly opened the door, her eyes growing wide as she took in the nursery’s new look.

All four walls of the room were adorned with hundreds of stars, arranged in patterns around the swirls to make the whole room look like a window to the universe. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that there were distinct constellations, with very light lines painted to indicate which ones for the kids to see. The stars mirthfully twinkled in the enrapturing sea of pitch and purple, a breathtakingly faithful reflection of the Lunar Princess’ favored construction of her night sky.

Beholding it made her feel like a filly again, back when she ran through the fields at night and caught little fireflies in a jar so she could watch them buzz along, lighting each others’ way without a care in the world. To them, there was no jar; they were never confined. All that mattered was flying, because so long as they had wings, they could fly, and so long as they could fly, they were free. The night was beautiful for a firefly, because it meant they could shine all the brighter.

Mrs. Cake swore she could feel the brisk breeze blowing through her mane as she admired it all, and it was only the faint smell of burnt sugar that brought her back down to Earth. To think her foals would be lulled into a gentle sleep under such a wonder every night… The mare blinked, her eyes damp. Thank these painted smiling stars she caught Carrot, her own firefly.

On the wall next to the door was a stunning mural of the Horsehead Nebula, standing amongst the outer space background with vibrant shades of blue, yellow, and red. In the middle of the room laid a sleeping Canvas, small specks of paint covering his coat, his work speaking for itself. Mrs. Cake was almost speechless, only eventually uttering out an, "Oh my goodness," before running back downstairs to fetch her husband.

Canvas slowly stirred himself back awake when he heard the voices of ponies nearby. Opening his eyes, he saw the Cakes staring at the nursery walls in utter amazement, looking especially impressed by the Nebula mural. Canvas rose to his hooves, his neck feeling a little sore after using his bag as a makeshift pillow. The Cakes took notice, immediately shaking his hooves.

"I don’t have the words for it, Canvas! To think you did all this in one afternoon!"

Canvas nodded at Mr. Cake's praises, yawning a little as he tried readjusting his consciousness to reality. While the Cakes looked at his work some more, Canvas gave a profoundly strained stretch, glad to have gotten everything done. Mrs. Cake then looked back at him and cleared her throat.

"Canvas, would you like to stay for dinner tonight?” Canvas looked at her in surprise. Mrs. Cake gave him a kind smile. “You’ve worked yourself to the marrow, dear, and I couldn’t send you on your way hungry after all your help."

Canvas blinked a couple times, thoughtfully considering her offer. Mr. Cake chimed in as well.

"I think that's a greatidea! Lyra and Bon-Bon are coming over tonight, and we would be more than happy if you joined us."

Canvas felt another tug in his heart as he realized how long it'd been since he'd been welcomed to something so personal. His thoughts went back to how he usually ate alone in Gallop Creek, being the only one at home when he got done with classes. Aside from his dinner with Troy the other night, Canvas couldn't remember the last time he ate a meal with other ponies.

"I… I would love that. Thank you."

After the Cakes showed Canvas to the bathroom, he used their shower to wash off the excess paint splattered over his coat and mane. While brushing the tangles out of his mane, he heard several new voices and hoofsteps, which eventually made their way upstairs. He then heard two distinct female voices shout, "Holy cow!" Chuckling to himself, he opened the bathroom door, seeing Lyra and Bon-Bon staring awestruck at the nursery walls before noticing him.

"Canvas! I knew it. Only one pony could be responsible for this!"

Lyra ran up and hugged Canvas immediately. He was surprised at first by her greeting, but was quick to hug her back, finding himself getting used to the casual displays of affection unique to Ponyville. He felt acknowledged. Wanted. He squeezed the mare, letting her know he appreciated the gesture more than words could ever express. Lyra squeezed back, as though to say, “You’re not alone so long as I’m around, you big lug.” Once he let go of Lyra, Canvas saw that Bon-Bon was still looking at the mural of the Horsehead Nebula.

She nodded to herself. "Yup,” she said, popping the ‘p’ as she tilted her head, her expression blank. “So this is what she meant about that muse..."

Canvas grinned sheepishly, rubbing his foreleg as he heard more hoofsteps coming up the stairs. All three ponies looked to see Mrs. Cake removing her apron. She gave a warm smile and directed a hoof to the stairs.

"Well guys, dinner's ready!"

Author's Note

Chapter Sixteen: To Listen and To Act

For the first time since he could remember, Canvas was having a home-cooked meal with other ponies. He sat down at the dining room table with Lyra, Bon-Bon, and the Cakes. As he listened to their conversations and stories (including how the Cakes catered for Lyra and Bon-Bon's wedding), Canvas felt his heart grow warmer over how comfortable everything was. He'd known all these ponies for only a day or two, but they already felt like good friends. He could even converse with them without feeling like a leper.

He usually didn’t feel comfortable talking about how he got his cutie mark, but Canvas felt a lot more at ease with the two couples here who asked him. There weren’t many great memories from Gallop Creek, but the moment he discovered his destiny in painting was one of the few good ones. After taking a quick drink from his glass of lemonade, Canvas cleared his throat and began his story.

"Well… back when I was a colt, my bedroom was right across from the town drugstore, so I just saw a brick wall from my window. Then one day, some idiots thought it would be fun to vandalize it. When I woke up and looked out the window that morning, I saw nothing but a bunch of swear words and other rude stuff spray-painted on it. Luckily, the guys who did it were quickly caught and got in huge trouble, but the paint that they used was some sort of specialized stuff that was really difficult to clean. And since the owner of the drugstore was an old stallion, he wasn't really able to do it himself."

Canvas took another sip from his glass, noticing the four ponies were now listening with great interest.

"Anyway, because it was a special kind of paint, they had to use a high-grade cleaning agent to get it off. Problem is, it would have to take a month for the stuff to be delivered to town, which meant I had to see that graffiti every night. For some reason, it really bothered me, you know? Like, I don’t want to wake up every morning and see those words when I look out the window! So… I got myself some paint and figured I could cover it up myself. I mean, it was going to be washed anyway.

"So one night, while my parents were asleep, I snuck out of my room and started covering up the bad words with my paint. I don't know what happened, but I just didn't want to stop. I just kept going all night, adding more and more stuff to make the wall look better. I'm shocked that nopony saw me since I was pretty much out in the open, but by the time morning came, I made this huge mural over all the graffiti. Thankfully, I did this on a Friday night, so I was able to pass out in my bed when I was done."

Canvas finished off his glass of lemonade. Lyra spoke. "So what happened? Did you get in trouble?"

Canvas chuckled a little. "I thought I was going to! I mean, the owner was absolutely furious that somepony else painted on his wall. Didn’t even care that it was a major improvement. I mean, I painted a lot of stuff that one night. Mostly patterns in bright colors at first, but then I just kept going and added a few symbols and some other things.

"When my Mom woke me up around noon, she saw me all covered in paint and passed out on the bed. I thought she was going to kill me for what I did, but she just hugged me right then and there. I didn't realize why until she pointed to this."

Canvas motioned to the paint palette and brush on his flank, looking at it with a sentimental smile.

"I… I was actually one of the last ponies in my class to get my cutie mark. I knew both my parents were worried about when I'd finally get one, but I remember Mom was so happy for me when it happened. One of the first things she told me afterwards was, 'I'm so proud of you.'

“She… She was my first fan."

Canvas grabbed a napkin from the table, and wiped his eyes while the others waited for the end.

"She talked with the drugstore owner for a while, and made sure he didn’t press charges. All she did was ask him whether what I did was better or worse than what those other kids did. He wasn't a fan of my mural, but even he admitted that it was at least better than a bunch of swear words.

"Everything from the wall was removed when the cleaning stuff came in a few weeks later. I wasn't that upset, though. By then, I was really getting into making more paintings, so I didn't think too much about the drugstore. That was when she got me my art bag." Canvas looked down at his bag, which was lying neatly on the ground next to his seat.

Seeing that his story was over, Bon-Bon smiled. "That's really sweet, Canvas. Your mother sounds like a great pony." She bumped into Lyra. “See? That is a supportive mare.” Lyra grumbled, scraping at her plate.

Canvas grabbed his napkin again, holding it against his eyes as he tried to keep his composure. "She really was."

While Canvas felt he made the dinner a bit awkward when his story ended, everypony was quick to make him feel better by the end of the night. He collected his supplies (as well as some leftovers), gave the Cakes his thanks, and left with Lyra and Bon-Bon. Canvas closed his eyes while taking in the cool air of Luna's night, feeling a lot better about how his day went. Eventually, Lyra decided to break the silence.

"So, Canvas, I heard you were your school’s valedictorian. I know you’re a wizard with a brush, but you never told me you were a bucking genius on top of that!"

Canvas was a little surprised that she knew that, but he figured that word got around since the party.

"Um… Well, all I really did was just study a lot. Anyone could have done it if they wanted."

“That’s still really impressive, Canvas,” said Bon-Bon. “Don’t sell yourself short. I happen to know a certain hamhead who tried eating her cereal with a fork once.”

“Oh har har, Bonnie. You say that like you don’t trip over your own tail whenever you step out of the shower.”

Bon-Bon’s cheeks reddened. “That happens to lots of ponies! And that shower’s tiny!”

“You’re literally the only pony I’ve ever met who has that problem, Bon-Bon. And it happens every time! Honestly, that’s what’s really impressive here.”

Bon-Bon rolled her eyes. Canvas silently listened with an amused grin.

"So…” Lyra looked at the stallion curiously. "Are you planning on going to college?"

Canvas’ eyebrows raised. He knew he could probably do well in college, at least academically, but he never thought about it as a path to take. "Frankly, I don't think college is for me. I mean, I already know what I want to do with my life, and I don't feel like an art college would really help me out that much."

Lyra shrugged. "I can understand that. I knew a few art students, and I haven’t heard that many big success stories from them after they graduated. Plus, with your talent, you could probably teach those classes instead. I’d be first in line to ‘How to Unlock Your Third Eye with Le Canvas Magnifique.’"

Canvas grew a sheepish smile. "Well, I'm thinking of maybe seeing if I can do more jobs around town. I mean, I had a pretty good day already."

Both mares nodded. Bon-Bon chimed in. "No doubt about it. You’ll find work. Well, unless the world’s gone mad or something. As soon as more ponies see what you did with that nursery, I wouldn’t be surprised if you get tons of offers by the end of the week!"

Canvas gave a light chuckle, feeling confident that she might be right. "Thanks, Bon-Bon. I appreciate that."

Suddenly, with a quick whoosh, a large, winged figure swooped past the three. It landed on the street in front of them, causing Lyra and Bon-Bon to jump back in surprise. Canvas, however, simply gave a flat stare at the figure’s showy antics, for he knew who it was. Even in the dark, the stallion could recognize someone as distinct as Troy.

The gryphon shook his feathers and made a quick stretch before walking toward the three. Seeing the dark lines under Troy's eyes and the ruffled state of his feathers, Canvas could tell he had a busy day as well.

"Look who decided to drop in." The stallion gave himself a mental high-hoof for that one.

Troy slowly nodded, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes with his claw. "Canvas. Ladies.” Bon-Bon and Lyra remained speechless at Troy’s sudden appearance. Ignoring them, the gryphon turned to Canvas and said, “The transfer went through, but it was like yanking teeth, convincing the boss to allow it. Hardly spoke to the guy before today, but all of a sudden he’s talking my head off about how I’m ‘a valued member of the team.’” Troy gritted his teeth. “Buck off, you old tailkisser."

Sensing Troy’s agitation, Canvas decided to keep his muzzle shut about his own. "Well, at least you have a new job now."

Troy shook his head, pacing the ground. His tail whipped around in agitation. "Not quite. I have to train the new guy in ice scraping, and I'm positivemy supervisor picked the absolute worst pony to take my place just to spite me!" Groaning under his breath, Troy rubbed his temples. "But it's alright,” he said, more to himself than anypony present. “It's a simple job, and I know I'll get him used to it by the end of the week." A dark expression dawned on the gryphon’s face. “Even if I have to shove the entire bloody ice block down his gullet.”

Troy ran a claw through the feathers on his head in a poor attempt to get them slightly less messy. He once again regarded the mares, his demeanor flipping in an instant. “Sorry you two had to bear the brunt of that. Work’s a pain and a half, y’know?” He adopted a charming smile. “Name’s Troy. So you’re Lyra and Bon-Bon, right? The pirate over here wouldn’t shut up about you two,” he said smoothly, pointing a talon at Canvas.

Lyra, ever quick to warm up to a new face, was the first to speak up. "That entrance was so cool!” She latched onto and shook her wife. “Ohmygosh, Bonnie, did you see that!?"

Bon-Bon gave a long-suffering sigh. “I saw it, honey.”

“Yeah, this is the gryphon who saved me during that storm,” said Canvas, knowing his friend had made an impression on the mares.

“Troy, you’ve got your hooves full with this one,” said Bon-Bon, nodding at Canvas. “I’m still trying to pick up the pieces of my head after that mind-blowing mural he painted at the Cakes’.”

Troy gave Canvas an amused glance. “That so? Guess I can say the same to you from what I’ve heard. Marriage is a pretty big deal! And I must say, Canvas wasn't kidding. You two do make a cute couple!~"

The two mares blushed and giggled. "Well, aren't youthe charmer!" said Lyra, pulling her wife closer. "But she’s already taken."

Troy and Lyra laughed, and Bon-Bon looked up to the clock tower. "Oh shoot! I have to get the taffy out at ten! I gotta go!"

Before anypony could say anything, she galloped off. She only made a few strides until she quickly stopped and turned her head back to Troy with a kind smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Troy!" And then, Bon-Bon was off, running into the night.

Lyra groaned, laying a hoof across her face. "Ugh, that stupid taffy idea…” Looking back between Troy and Canvas, Lyra sighed. "Listen, she's probably going to need my help, so I'll talk to you guys later, alright?" The two nodded and made their goodbyes, watching the unicorn trot off after Bon-Bon.

Now standing alone together under the streetlights, Troy yawned and his tiredness came creeping back. Canvas giggled and caught Troy's attention.

"What?" said Troy, trying not to sound agitated.

"Oh, nothing." A sly smirk spread across his muzzle. "I just didn't think of you as a prowler."

Troy shot up in surprise, holding out his claws in protest. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! You think I was flirtingwith them?"

"Why don’t you tell me, lady-killer?" With his smile growing wider, it was obvious that Canvas wasn't buying what Troy was selling.

"Seriously, that’s just how I act around mares. I’m not even into ponies like that, so bleh.” Troy stuck out his tongue at Canvas.

Canvas still raised an eyebrow in skepticism, causing Troy to sigh with a roll of his eyes.

"Ponies tend to be intimidatedby me. Y’know, the big, bad gryphon or whatever. It’s a real drag." Canvas' eyes narrowed a bit in confusion. "So I try acting more… pleasing like that, so ponies get used to me. It worked with those two, didn’t it?"

"Oh.” Canvas felt guilty at making such an assumption, and his ears drooped down. "Um… Sorry. I didn’t mean to―”

"Don’t apologize." Troy held up a claw to stop him, a smirk of his own carving its way onto his beak. "To be honest, it wouldn't be the first time a pony took it that way. At least there wasn't a jealous husband with a ketchup packet and a rubber chicken this time."

Canvas quickly covered his mouth in an attempt to not laugh too loud. Troy smiled. Seeing this side of Canvas made him feel lighter, like all the headaches of the day were worth it. He thought back to what he said to him yesterday, feeling odd that he was thinking the same thing right now: Canvas really did look better when he was smiling.

As Troy walked alongside Canvas, he kept looking at the eyepatch, and the smooth, black fabric sticking out against the rougher aqua fur. The look didn't seem to suit the pony, but Troy kept his beak shut about it.

Though the silence was quite companionable, the eyepatch did stir a few questions in the gryphon. "So…” Troy drew a blank, but he knew he had to go on. "Did the doctor say anything else?"

He wasn't sure why he asked that, but he regretted it when he saw Canvas' face fall.

"Well, I… I told him what happened."

The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. He thought back to what he told Canvas the previous night, knowing in his heart of hearts he was the reason the pony said anything to him.

"He… He asked me about it before I left the first time. And when I went to see him today, I just felt like letting him know."

Troy nodded. He was sure that the doctor had thought about what happened, maybe even more than he. When one’s job involves looking over the health of the injured, questions are bound to burn brighter in cases like Canvas'. "So, what was the good doctor’s professional opinion?"

Once again, Canvas bit his lip. "He told me the same thing you did. About… About telling somepony about it." Though Canvas seemed a little bit better about bringing it up, Troy could tell he was still hesitant about actually taking the advice. "I just… I…”

"Hey…”

Canvas focused on the gryphon, who had that same look of concern that Stable did. "Doing this won't change how everypony else will treat you here. I promise." Canvas breathed out uneasily, letting Troy's words sink in. "But if you do tell somepony who can help, it could change things for the better back there."

Canvas looked down at the ground, slowly nodding his head. He knew that he was safe here in Ponyville, and he couldn’t deny that he hadn’t felt this accepted in a long time. But even so, it was still hard to think about what happened in Gallop Creek, let alone speak about it out loud. It was like a bad dream he wanted to forget about, but the more he focused on looking away, the tighter its grip on his mind became.

As Canvas tried to think of a clear answer among the bombardment of conflicting thoughts, he felt a gentle warmth on his shoulder. He saw a claw resting there, and he looked back up at Troy who gave him a look of assurance. The clouds in his mind started to clear up. He gazed into the gryphon's shining golden eyes, brighter and more magnificent than any treasure beheld, and Canvas saw the only answer that remained. He knew what it was that he had to do.

"I… I gotta see somepony. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Troy let him go, unsure of what the stallion was up to. “If you’re sure.”

Canvas trotted off in a different direction than before, and Troy stared after him, hoping he had gotten through to the pony. Just as he opened his wings, he heard Canvas call out to him.

"Hey, Troy?"

Surprised, Troy looked over to see Canvas in the distance.

"Good luck,” he said with a genuine smile. “With the job, I mean."

Smiling a bit, Troy nodded as Canvas trotted off. He then flew off into the night sky.

Canvas didn't know much about the layout of Ponyville just yet, but he knew some of the basic landmarks. He felt confident when Town Hall came up in his sight, for he knew what he was looking for, having passed it before. After making a right turn, Canvas sighed in relief as he saw the place ahead of him: a huge tree, which was supposed to house the Ponyville Library. Though he still felt hesitant, he knew he had to say something. He also knew that if anypony would be able to help him, it would be a princess.

Steeling himself, Canvas took a deep breath before walking up and knocking on the door.

Author's Note

Chapter Seventeen: Promise of a Princess

Twilight Sparkle found it peculiar to have a pony visit the library at this time of night. While Spike wasn't too happy having to answer the door so late in the evening, the alicorn was glad to let her assistant go back to bed when she saw who was at the door.

Twilight remembered Canvas from a couple days ago, and was pleasantly surprised to see him no longer wearing any bandages (though the pirate look didconcern her somewhat). He seemed a little hesitant at first as he stood in the doorway, but his mood quickly changed to something more determined. Out of respect, Canvas bowed his head to her.

"Princess Twilight Sparkle, I… I wanted to talk to you about something."

Twilight may have been confused as to why Canvas wanted to talk to her this late, but she could see from the worry in his eye that whatever he had to say was important. She let Canvas into the library, and he looked around the space as if searching for anyone else.

"Is there something wrong, Canvas? I've been meaning to talk with you, but I knew you were busy around town recently."

Canvas only nodded as he continued to look around. Though it was inside of a tree, the library looked surprisingly spacious, the walls lined with huge shelves of countless books. Among the familiar smells of pages and ink, the entire place felt perfectly still. He could tell why the Princess liked living here; it seemed like a more peaceful place than any castle.

"It's just that…” Looking back at Twilight, Canvas’ tongue turned to lead. He knew both Troy and Stable were right, but doing this was still a huge step for him. "I talked with Doctor Stable about… about how I got hurt. And he told me that I should talk with somepony who could help me."

"Oh. I see…” Twilight started to feel concerned.

Like Troy and Stable, Twilight was also worried about what happened to Canvas before the storm, but her busy schedule made it difficult for her to make any time to ask him. Seeing how much the stallion was fidgeting on his hooves in front of her, the Princess realized that this might be more serious than she’d thought.

She levitated two throw pillows for the both of them, and let Canvas sit down on one before sitting on the other. Even as she gave him a warm smile, Twilight could still see worry in the pony's face when he looked up toward the upstairs balcony. Thinking quickly, a purple glow came from Twilight's horn. It spread out, creating a large sphere of magic around them.

"It's a soundproofing spell. Nopony can hear us outside this space." Twilight kept a reassuring smile while Canvas looked at the purple forcefield around them.

Canvas finally felt more comfortable, and took a deep breath.

"Alright. It… It happened back in Gallop Creek…”

Twilight grew more worried as Canvas recounted his story, talking about how scared he was about coming out to the ponies in his hometown. She knew that some ponies had some objections to same-sex relationships or attraction, but she was shocked that it could've gotten this bad in Equestria.

As soon as he mentioned how he was abused because of it, Twilight hugged him, more for her own sake than his. Twilight may have been a princess for a while, and she knew that it meant greater duties, but none of Celestia's lessons truly prepared her for how to deal with something like this. Usually it was just ‘go out to the next aspiring villain, use the Elements, and, bang, that’s a wrap. Everypony pack up and go home until the next existential threat crawls out of the shadows.’ But what was she supposed to do about the shadows within the hearts of ponies? The shadows ingrained into the bedrock of society? Gallop Creek had an ugly face that was hidden from the world by virtue of it being out of the limelight; and that’s where shadows are able to expand, where nopony bothered to look. She couldn’t just blast this away with a spell and call it a day, no matter how badly she wanted that to be the solution.

Surprisingly enough, Canvas didn’t cry as he told his story to Twilight. While it did still hurt to talk about it, the Princess’ forcefield made him feel safer. Canvas did keep his head pointed downward as he talked, mostly so he couldn’t see the alicorn’s stunned look. It wasn't until she hugged him again that she finally said something.

"Canvas, I promise I'm going to do everything I can to help you."

Canvas hugged her back, and savored the Princess’ tight yet caring grasp. He was breathing hard, but the stallion was able to hold back his tears. He finally had somepony who could help him.

Twilight took her time to comfort the stallion before letting him go, and stood up to levitate several different books from different sections of the library. Canvas wasn't able to catch most of the book titles as they flew past his head, but certain keywords like “Law” and “Crime” caught his eye from within their titles. It became clear what she was planning.

"You said that this occurred in Gallop Creek, right?" Twilight’s voice held a grim determination as she started looking through her books of Equestrian law. "I'll make sure that Celestia knows about everything that happened first thing tomorrow, alright?"

Canvas nodded, seeing how focused the Princess was while she looked through the books, now scattered across her large desk. Her purple magic levitated multiple stacks at the same time, and Canvas was enthralled by how flawlessly she let the books and their pages fly around without difficulty or error. After picking up a quill and blank sheet of paper with her magic, Twilight turned her focus back to Canvas.

"Now, Canvas,” she said with a look of concern on her face, hoping Canvas could give her more answers, "I need to know... who attacked you that night?"

Canvas paled, for this was the first time anypony asked him that question. "I…” His lips quivered. He tried to give an answer, but he soon closed his eyes in emotional pain. Canvas wanted nothing more than to tell her, but as he felt his gut tying up in a knot, he knew he wasn't ready to go any deeper.

“...I wish I knew…”

Canvas waited until Twilight went back to writing on her sheet, hoping that she wouldn't dwell on that question. Seeing how flustered Canvas appeared, Twilight put her sheet and quill down and walked up to him. "Canvas, if you want me to help you, you have to tell me as much as you can."

"Don’t say that. Don’t. Say. That.” He looked up at the concerned alicorn with a shamefully conflicted expression. "Do you know what it’s like?! To cry for help and be spaton for it? To be hated just for existing!?" Canvas slammed his eyes shut, and tried his hardest to contain himself so he wouldn't be full-on shouting. But alas, his words still came out rather loud between his whimpering breaths. "They… They sawme.. They all saw what was happening, and… a-and they just watched! Like it was just some street performance!"

Canvas plopped down on the floor. His head hung low in front of the Princess. His eyes teared up.

"I… I just felt so alone."

Canvas heard the sound of Twilight's hooves approaching him. The hoofsteps soon stopped, and he then felt a gentle warmth as Twilight laid her neck over the top of his head. One of her hooves graced his back, and Canvas’ breathing hitched. He heard Twilight Sparkle's gentle voice speaking to him with a tranquil whisper.

"You're not alone anymore."

Canvas dug his head into her chest, and whimpered pitifully through choked-up sobs. He’d shed so many tears that he was drained dry. Now, he just felt a wave of numb exhaustion. He comforted himself in her presence, as though to assure himself she was truly there. Twilight hugged him back, and didn’t say anything else. She knew this was no force the Elements could destroy, but one thing she did know was that wherever shadows fester, her duty was to burn them away with light. And this stallion had gone so long thinking there was nothing in the world but darkness.

As Canvas began to settle down in her embrace, Twilight quietly lifted her quill with her magic, and wrote on her parchment.

Dear Princess Celestia…

Author's Note

Chapter Eighteen: Leaving the Past

Canvas opened his tired eyes as the sun beamed in through his window and its thin curtains. He had gotten used to how early the sun came in the mornings. He did a quick stretch before lifting himself off the hotel bed and taking a look at his schedule sheet, surprised to find that he didn't have any appointments for the whole day. He already felt rested enough to be up for the rest of the morning, but the stallion threw himself back on the bed, choosing to bask in the warmth of the morning light.

It’d been over a month since he’d spoken with Twilight Sparkle, and decided to extend his stay in Ponyville. Since that day, the Princess didn’t tell him much about what was going on. All he knew was that Celestia was investigating Gallop Creek, and that he didn’t have to worry about anything happening to him while he was in Ponyville. A part of Canvas wanted to know more details, but he was grateful that he was away from everything in that place. The more time he spent in Ponyville, the more he felt like the town was his new home. For the first time in his life, he truly felt happy with where he was.

Ever since Canvas made that mural for Rarity's room and the Cakes' nursery, more ponies had asked for his assistance for various jobs around town. Before he knew it, he was becoming the go-to-pony for most painting tasks around Ponyville. The pay may not have been as great as his drawing business was, but it was still more than enough to keep him afloat. Canvas was also happy to have friends as wonderful as Lyra and Bon-Bon. Aside from being great conversationalists, the mares were also quick to ask him for his help in Bon-Bon's experimental candy recipes, which he was more than happy to do.

His gaze went to the two stacks of paintings on top of his dresser. Even with all the time he had to relax, he’d been too busy for any personal projects over the past few weeks. Because of his schedule, a lot of his damaged works were still left unattended. Canvas lifted himself up again with a deep sigh and walked to the stacks.

Canvas remembered precisely when he made each painting in his collection, as well as the state of his mind and emotions while making them. In a way, his art was a way to preserve the memories he had. But now, his heart sank at the sight of so many of them in such bad condition. The mud stains on certain pages left a horrible shade of brown that conflicted with the paint streaks, and said streaks were now faded from water damage. As he reached the bottom, to the ones that were ripped apart, Canvas closed his eyes, with resentment and helplessness bubbling in his veins. He quickly put the stack back down. He didn’t want to think about how they were destroyed just less than two months ago.

Canvas looked over at his art bag, hanging neatly on a hook against the back of the door. He walked to it and looked inside to see what supplies he still had. His thoughts returned to his old art, and he had an epiphany. He grabbed his bag and some bits, and then left his room for the stationery store.

"You got all the clouds cleared out yet, Troy?"

Troy shot a glance at Rainbow Dash, and motioned his claws towards the large stack of cumulus clouds beside him. "Rainbow, if you need an optometrist, I know a guy. You have been squinting a lot lately."

She scowled at Troy, putting her hooves on her hips. "Don't get smart with me! I want to get everything done before noon so I can give a good report back to Cloudsdale."

"Oh, right,” said the gryphon, a knowing smirk on his beak, "and totally not because you have tickets to the Wonderbolts show today at one, right?"

Rainbow glared at Troy with a pout while he snickered. "Just get it done, alright? Don’t forget who got you this job, Feathers!"

"Yeah, yeah." With a quick swipe of his talons, Troy broke apart half of the clouds almost instantly before working on the rest. Rainbow Dash wasn't lying to Troy when she said he would be working hard, but he was quick to finish the tasks given to him without much complaint.

As the last of the clouds disintegrated with a few slashes of Troy's claws, Rainbow raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. "Not bad! I just wish you’d keep up that kind of speed all day."

"Well, if I actually wanted to break a sweat, then there wouldn't be anything left for you to do."

Rainbow scoffed and checked off her clipboard. "Don’t get too ahead of yourself, wise guy. I think we both know who does more around here."

"Remind me to thank Princess Celestia whenever I get to meet her." He gave her a sly grin. Rainbow huffed with a smirk of her own, and flew off to send the report. With the rest of the day off, Troy decided to see what Canvas was up to.

It took longer than expected for Troy to train the other pony on proper ice scraping, but he still managed to join the Ponyville Weather Patrol in less than a week. Many of the ponies seemed initially wary with a gryphon joining their crew, but he was quick to make himself useful. Before they knew it, even Rainbow Dash was impressed at how well Troy could manage even the most difficult duties, including breaking apart cumulonimbus clouds or maintaining storm pressures. With the number of weather complaints decreasing because of his help, many of Ponyville’s citizens quickly learned who Troy was.

Troy originally didn't plan to stick with Canvas that much after seeing how well he had adjusted to his new life, but the gryphon found himself hanging out with him often after he started his new job. Thanks to Canvas' open schedule, he was able to have a meal or a chat whenever he was done with work, and the two of them could share some great conversations and laughs around town. And ever since Canvas talked with Twilight about getting everything settled, Troy noticed how much happier the stallion looked.

Troy landed in the streets of Ponyville, clutching his parcel and giving his usual greetings to the ponies around him. Considering how he used to feel back in Cloudsdale, the gryphon really enjoyed how so many of Ponyville’s citizens had gotten used to his presence. As he walked around town, Troy didn’t see Canvas at his usual haunts. Luckily, when he reached the hotel, he saw that Canvas was still in his room through the open window.

Once again, Troy stood in front of the wooden door marked B2. He knocked twice, and heard hoofsteps from the other side before the door opened, revealing an exhausted artist who had a few splatters of fresh paint on his face. Canvas was quick to give him a big smile and said, "Hey, Troy. What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing much." Troy caught the familiar smell of fresh paint coming from inside the room, figuring that Canvas was busy with another job. "So, whatcha doing this time? Another mural idea? The Cakes are still gushing about that whole space thing, y’know."

Canvas shook his head before letting the gryphon in, giving him a view of what he was up to. The bed and furniture were covered with a clear tarp, and several fresh paintings were held up by tripod stands in various parts of the room.

"Wow." Although this wasn't the first time Troy saw Canvas working on his art, this was the first time he saw him painting this many pieces at once. "Which pony are you doing all these for?"

Troy looked back at Canvas as he wiped off the paint from his face with a rag. "To be honest, I was redoing some of my paintings that got damaged."

"Oh..." Troy looked at the paintings around the room once more, recognizing some of them from when he helped Canvas pick them up the night they first met. Since he only glanced through them when they were ripped or covered in mud, it was refreshing to see what they looked like untarnished. Troy also noticed a wastebasket in the middle of the room, with many of the ripped pieces crumpled up inside.

Canvas sighed, and Troy turned his attention back to him. "I just hated seeing how scuffed they were. I had a day off, so I figured I could at least get one big thing out of the way."

"I see…” Troy looked back at the fresh artwork around him, surprised he made so many in such a short amount of time. "You’re like a mad scientist, but with paint brushes instead of tesla coils and whatnot.” Sniffing the air, he rolled his eyes. “And you’re about just as hygienic. You smell like―"

“Banana bread and wet tree bark,” Canvas said along with Troy. “Clever you, Mr. Spunk.”

Troy’s eye twitched. “One of these days, Canvas, everypony will know you’re not the demure, squeaky-clean stallion you pretend to be.”

“Same could be said for you~” Canvas chuckled as he ran a hoof through his long, messy mane, realizing he forgot to shower today. "Yeah, I guess I've been a little into it today. It was a lot easier to redo these since I already knew how they were supposed to look. I think each one took me less than an hour to complete."

Troy figured the pony might have done these a lot quicker than that, since there seemed to be more than a dozen standing around every open region of the floor. "Well, at least you're keeping your painting skills up. That's always a plus. Oh!"

Remembering what he came here for, Troy quickly opened his parcel, and pulled out a flyer. "I was doing some errands in Cloudsdale when I found this. I figured it might be a good way to make some extra bits."

Canvas raised both eyebrows as he read the flyer. The font looked a bit cheesy and the design was amateur at best, but the message still caught Canvas' attention.

56th Annual Equestrian Art Show

Open to All Ponies in the Central Equestria Area

All Ponies Welcome to Display Their Artwork

Grand Prize to the Winner!

Canvas looked a bit skeptical. "An art contest? Really?"

"Well, why not?" Troy kept his tone casual, but he had hoped Canvas would've been a littlemore excited about it. "You're really good at painting and stuff, and I figured you would like to get some extra exposure. Plus, the prize money is a neat incentive."

Canvas read the small print at the bottom, his eyebrows rising yet again. "Five hundred bits? That's actually pretty good for an art contest."

"That's what I thought!" At this point, Troy stopped trying to restrain his enthusiasm. "Seriously, just look at all these paintings you’ve done. This is pretty much free money!"

Canvas’ apprehension melted away at Troy’s excitement, and his smile slowly turned more intrigued. "You really think I should do this?"

"Canvas, if you try backing out, I will drag you there myself."

Canvas looked over the flyer again, a pleased flush spreading across his muzzle. "Well, it says here that it's being held in Ponyville in a week, so I guess it couldn’t hurt."

Troy wrapped his arm around the stallion. "That's the spirit!" Troy then tried to give Canvas a playful slap on the back, but realized too late that it hit the pony a little harder than he planned. The very moment he heard the stallion suck some air through his teeth, he quickly pulled his claw away and blurted, "Oops, sorry!" Troy rubbed the feathers on the back of his head, giving a guilty grin while the pony rubbed the sore spot.

"It's alright,” he assured Troy, not looking too upset. “I've been through worse... I, uh, kinda skipped breakfast. Wanna meet me at Sugar Cube Corner after I take a quick shower?"

Troy nodded and bumped Canvas' hoof with his claw before leaving to let him get ready. Stepping back outside, Troy felt a lot better about telling Canvas about the contest, but that final exchange had left him a bit unsettled. He didn’t mean to remind the stallion about such an ugly part of his life. After seeing how much happier the pony had become in the past few weeks, he figured something like this could help him get his art noticed outside of Ponyville. Upon hearing the shower run from Canvas' open window, Troy flew to the bakery, taking in the warm summer breeze.

Canvas hummed as the warm water cascaded over his fur, the shower's steam slowly filling the bathroom in a fine mist. Troy's mention of the contest was a surprise to the pony, since he had no idea of it going on. His mind kept racing about whether or not to participate in it. He certainly had the skills, and the money would be nice as well, but all he could think about was what the recognition could mean for him. If he were to get noticed and become big in the art world, what would happen to him?

All his thoughts went back to Gallop Creek. Everything that happened to him in that town. That one night which made Canvas leave that wretched place for good. Running all that distance by himself, fueled only by his own self-loathing. Because all he wanted to do was run. Because he didn't want to think about what they did to him.

What he did to him.

The last thing Canvas wanted to do was think about him. The last time he thought about him was when he was running. He could still remember how his emotions cut into him like daggers, only to go away bit by bit the harder he pushed himself to run further. He was alone the whole time, but he still felt like he was being chased. Not by any actual pony, not by the one who hurt him and now haunted his nightmares, but by the heartbreak. By the sheer emotional pain that he wanted to keep as far away as possible.

Canvas looked down at the shower drain, seeing the leftover paint from his fur slowly come off of him and into the swirling water underneath his hooves. As the colors blended together, spiraling within each other against the white porcelain, the stallion thought about why he made art in the first place. He always wanted to create, to make something new and exciting to contradict the darker parts of the world. In a way, the art he created helped to keep him sane while he was living there. But now, Ponyville gave him a brand new perspective of why he pursued his dream.

Instead of just painting to occupy himself, he could now paint to bring something new and joyous into the world. To go above what he thought was possible. To be able to show his true self without any opposition or fear. For the first time in his life, Canvas could do what he loved, and beloved for it.

Canvas turned off the shower, breathing the steam in deeply, and feeling truly refreshed. Like a huge barrier had been removed from his psyche, Canvas knew what he wanted to do. More than anything, Canvas knew he wanted to do something amazing. He wanted to show the world who he really was. And, most of all, he wanted to make sure he could look back on where he came from, and know that he broke free from what they said he couldn’t do.

Canvas stepped out of the hotel with his bag on his shoulder, feeling reborn. His future might not be certain, and he might not know where the road leads, but he still smiled as he breathed in a new day, happy to have a new goal on his mind.

He wanted to prove everypony in Gallop Creek wrong.

Author's Note

Chapter Nineteen: Giving Something Back

Troy perched himself on the edge of Sugar Cube Corner’s roof. To the uninitiated, he could have been mistaken for a gargoyle; but since most local ponies already knew him as part of the weather crew, they simply waved or said hello while passing by. Troy was quick to wave back while he waited for Canvas.

Eventually, he saw the artist wading through the crowd and to the bakery. His eyes narrowed, trying to discern how differently Canvas looked from earlier. He couldn’t put his talon on it, but he could swear Canvas looked a lot brighter. For a brief moment, Troy thought that the stallion was almost… glowing.

Just as Canvas passed through a thick array of ponies on the street, Troy flew down into an open area in front of him and landed, startling the stallion. Canvas then noticed the peculiar way the gryphon was looking at him, almost as if the artist still had some paint on his face. His eyes bored into him with an uncomfortable intensity.

"Umm… hey, Troy!" His words came out somewhat nervously.

Troy shook his head clear. "Oh, hey. Uh, sorry. My head was somewhere else."

“Oh, alright…” Canvas shrugged. "Yeah, that happens to me all the time. You kinda had me worried there."

Once Canvas relaxed, Troy smiled again. He wasn't sure why, but he always felt better when the stallion was happier. Maybe it was because he felt like he helped Canvas get to this point in his life, and was glad to see things going so well. Whatever the reason, Troy just felt glad to be here right now.

"Oh, hey guys!"

Canvas and Troy turned to see Lyra trotting toward them with Bon-Bon in tow. Both of the guys gave a "Hey, Lyra," in unison. The unicorn was cheerful as always, but her wife seemed a lot less enthusiastic with all the lines under her eyes.

"Bon-Bon, are you okay?" Canvas didn't want to seem intrusive, but he also wanted to make sure she wasn't getting too obsessed with her newest creation. The last time he visited the two for dinner, her experimental mango-flavored candy almost destroyed the basement.

"It’s nothing,” said Bon-Bon with a gruff as she slowly rubbed her eyes. "I was just trying to get some big orders done so I could focus on my candy booth for the art show next week. They just asked me to help out with it last night."

"Wow, really?” Troy asked in surprise. “I was just telling Canvas about that going on! Speaking of which…” Troy looked back to Canvas. "Are you gonna do a piece for the contest?"

"Actually, I think I will!” he said with a confident shrug. “I mean, I have been wanting to do something bigger anyways, so I don’t see the harm."

"Attaboy!" Troy grabbed Canvas in a headlock, using his claws to mess with the pony's wet mane.

"Troy, c-come on! Hehehehe~ I just got my mane brushed!"

"Wait, did you sign up yet?" Lyra asked, blushing faintly at the gryphon’s display. "Because today is the last day for artists to enter."

"Really?!" Canvas pulled himself from Troy’s headlock, not noticing his mane was now in matted tangles. "Where is it?"

Lyra and Bon-Bon both pointed toward the center of town. "It's at town hall. Hurry!"

Not needing to be told twice, Canvas bolted off.

Lyra and Bon-Bon then turned their attention back to Troy, who was now preoccupied with wiping the excess moisture off his forelegs. The gryphon looked up to see the two staring at him with the most peculiar grins.

"So, Troy,” said Bon-Bon, trying to keep herself from giggling. "What was that whole noogie thing with Canvas about?"

“What?” he asked in confusion. “I’m just proud of the guy for coming out of his shell. This art show will do him some good, I think.” Troy stood on his hind-legs to stretch, causing the mares to reel back at the sight of his extended height.

Lyra struggled not to snicker under her breath. “So, you gave him a noogie to show him you’re proud?”

Troy blinked and shrugged. “Isn’t that what friends do?”

Lyra and Bon-Bon glanced back at each other with a new shared look of uncertainty. After a couple seconds of silence, Bon-Bon was the first to reply.

"Umm… sure. We did."

"See? That's what I thought." While Troy smirked confidently to himself, the two ponies were surprised at his obliviousness. Lyra looked like she wanted to say something, but decided to let it go and switch subjects.

"At any rate, we were actually going to have lunch. Would you like to join us?"

“Ehhh… why not? I could use the company."

With that, the three walked into Sugar Cube Corner. Troy's mind was mostly occupied with how long it would take for Canvas to sign up, while Lyra and Bon-Bon’s grew more curious about the gryphon who befriended him.

After an uneventful week, long rows of vending booths were arranged along the streets of downtown Ponyville. Visitors from out of town joined the local populace to fill the streets to the brim. The Equestrian Art Show may have not been as popular as other events like Nightmare Night or the Summer Sun Celebration, but it was still a big enough event to get ponies excited.

The air was buzzing with the vibrant din of conversation and the aroma of various delicious foods. Many ponies were focused in the town square, where four large walls were raised to display the dozens of artworks that the show provided. Paintings and drawings of all different types were hung and displayed next to each other without organization or theme. All of the pieces varied in every way―from theme, to color selection, to skill―and all of them managed to stand out and gain admiration from the crowds.

Troy was perched on a tree branch as he surveyed the scene, not wanting to be cramped in the sea of ponies below. Troy knew he would stick out like a sore talon, and would likely get in their way too, what with him being two feet taller than most of them. He didn’t want to inadvertently cause a scene, even whilst trying to be social.

Troy dug into his box of nachos, munching on the dampening chips and trying to spot Canvas within the crowd. There were definitely a lot of aqua coats and brown manes, but none of them belonged to his friend. He hadn’t been able to see him much in the past week, mostly due to how busy the week had been for both of them. Now, Troy kind of wished his friend still had that eyepatch from a few weeks ago, just so he could spot him easier though the technicolor equine crowd. But just as he was about to go down, he heard Canvas call to him from below.

"Hey, Troy!"

The gryphon looked down and saw Canvas on the grass smiling up at him. He noticed that Canvas looked rather tired, with large bags under both of his blue eyes. Troy glided down to the ground in front of Canvas, careful not to bump into any nearby ponies with his wings.

"Dang,” he said curtly. “No offense Canvas, but you look like crap."

Canvas merely shrugged and swiped a few nachos from Troy's box. "Yeah, I know. I was busy with getting my painting done." He stuffed the chips into his maw. "Ah hada reawy good idea fah dis, and Ah wanded ta geddit done befoh da deabwhime."

Troy was sure the pony was somewhat sleep deprived, especially since it looked like those nachos might have been the first real food he ate in at least a day or two. Regardless, Troy kept the rest of his box out of Canvas' reach. Canvas sucked the remaining melted cheese off his hoof before scoping the vending booths. "You know where Lyra and Bon-Bon are? I heard their candy is a big seller around here, and I’ve been meaning to try that pomegranate they had me test."

Troy shook his head. "I can’t say I do. I haven't really been in the crowd all that much, except to get myself a snack." Troy motioned to his box of nachos, pulling them back when Canvas tried to get at them. "Ew, dude! You just licked your hoof! Why can’t you get your own?"

"But the lines are too long!" Canvas whined. “Besides, it’s not like I have cooties. Did I freak out when you tried my smoothie the other week?”

It wasn’t the greatest comparison, but the gryphon couldn’t say much in defense; he knew Canvas was right about the lines. So Troy simply groaned under his breath and stuck his box out for his friend. As Canvas gorged himself like an uncultured pauper, Troy looked at the wall of artwork.

"So Canvas, which one is yours?"

"Top left." Canvas pointed at one of the walls. Despite being a considerable distance away, Troy's gryphon eyesight was advanced enough to see what the pony made.

Painted on a large canvas base, the piece appeared to be a landscape portrait of Ponyville at night. Under a pensive sky, Ponyville stood in an array of streetlights and colorful banner lights, illuminating the town in a beautiful soft-colored glow. Canvas had painted the night sky just as amazingly, tittering above the town as a backdrop for dozens of intricately painted constellations amongst the ocean of stars around them. On the top right corner, Luna's moon shone brightly above everything, with every crater painted with oil paints from Canvas' brush.

Troy's beak hung open in awe, much to Canvas’ approval who smiled to himself pridefully. Noticing the angle of the town in the painting, Troy turned toward the large hill that hung over the outside of Ponyville, where a large birch tree stood triumphantly at its top. He knew that a lot of ponies liked to sit under it and get a bird’s eye view of the town. When he looked back at Canvas, the blush against his aqua fur was nothing short of incriminating.

"I… I kinda went up there the past few nights to paint that...” Canvas' gaze went back to the town square, watching all the ponies happily chatting and having fun. "I just wanted to paint something for Ponyville." A warm beam came across the stallion's face as he looked upon the town that helped him so much. "It really is beautiful, isn't it?"

Troy looked at the town with him, now appreciating the beauty that Canvas was talking about. Though he may have saved Canvas in the first place, he knew that all of Ponyville helped to make Canvas into a better pony since then. Turning back, Troy could see how grateful Canvas was of everything. All of the happiness, love, and care that Canvas received in that time sank in, and he managed to use all of it as inspiration for the oil painting now displayed for all to see.

The chattering of the crowd began to die down when Mayor Mare appeared at the wall’s front. Several other older-looking ponies stood behind her (probably from Canterlot), each wearing either a tie or expensive glasses. The one closest to Mayor Mare, a dark-purple unicorn stallion with a top hat, levitated a large envelope with his magic to the Mayor before stepping back in line with the others. As she held the envelope in her hoof, Mayor Mare looked back out at the crowd with a graciously wide smile.

"Ladies and gentlecolts! I am pleased to announce the winners of the 56th Annual Equestrian Art Show!"

The crowd gave a large applause, while Canvas and Troy walked their way through it to get closer. The Mayor continued. "But first, I just want to thank everyponywho participated for showing just how expressive and artistic Equestria can really be. Your determination, your talent, and above all, your passion has moved the hearts of everypony here. On behalf of them all, I would like to thank you for sharing the fruit of your labor with us. The judges for this year's proceedings have told me that this was hooves-down one of the best galleries they've attended in years!"

The crowd cheered once more. The judges gave formal waves to the audience, trying to keep themselves composed behind their stuffy exteriors. The crowd grew silent as they watched Mayor Mare open the envelope with her teeth. Finally, she pulled out the cards.

"The third-place finisher for this year's Equestrian Art show is… Pokey Pierce! For his awe-inspiring painting of Princess Twilight Sparkle!"

One of the unicorn judges levitated the painting out toward the cheering crowd, showing a minimalistic oil painting of the princess flying upwards above a sunrise. The third-place winner―a powder-blue unicorn stallion with a silver mane, a safety pin on his flank, and a large blush on his face―slowly walked to the front. Canvas recognized the pony from a few casual interactions (mostly because he thought he was kind of cute), but he had no idea that he painted. The piece was a bit simple for Canvas' tastes, but it still looked well-done.

"In second place is… Dinky! For her painting of a… um… blue box!"

The second painting was levitated next to the first one. It showed a watercolor image of what looked to be a blue telephone box shooting through outer space, with a grey pegasus mare looking out from the inside. Even more unusual than the painting was the artist, who turned out to be a little grey unicorn filly. She happily trotted to the judges with a huge smile, and stood next to Pierce. Canvas was impressed by how detailed the painting looked, almost as if it was something she saw for real.

"And the winner of this year's Equestria Art Show, and the grand prize of five hundred bits, goes to…”

As Mayor Mare read the final card, a huge grin popped up on her face.

"Canvas! For his captivating painting of our very own Ponyville!"

The stallion froze for a few seconds while applause thundered around him, until he finally shot up and shouted in glee. Canvas quickly moved his way through the crowd. His painting was levitated with the others, causing a few ponies in the crowd who hadn’t seen it before to marvel at the town’s rendition. All the while, Troy was standing on his hind-legs to tower over the crowd, and smacking his claws enthusiastically in support of his friend’s win. “WOOOOO!!! Yeah, there you go, dude!”

Lyra and Bon-Bon, who were still stuck behind their candy stand, could overhear Troy’s voice enough to blush and giggle to each other.

Mayor Mare was quick to put out her hoof for Canvas to shake as soon as he approached, but Canvas pulled the Mayor into a large bear hug. After letting go of her (and leaving her a bit flustered), Canvas stood next to the other two happy winners while the judges stared in disbelief.

In all their years of critiquing and comparing artwork, never had they seen a painting as skillfully done as that from a mere earth pony. Many of the judges eyed the stallion suspiciously, and then joined in a huddle to murmur to one another. Mayor Mare noticed their behavior, and quickly walked over to them.

Meanwhile, Canvas let his victory sink in as he talked with the other two winners, both of whom seemed both happy and surprised by his win. Pierce shook Canvas' hoof while glancing at his piece, unsure of what to think.

"Congratulations! Did you seriously do that by hoof alone?"

Canvas nodded and tried to look away to hide his blush. "Y-yeah. I… I don't think I ever did anything like this before."

"Well, it looks fantastic!" Pokey Pierce let go of the stallion’s hoof, and Dinky came right up to give Canvas a hoof-bump. Canvas and Pierce then overheard the judges’ hushed bickering, and both looked at them. The group was still huddled tightly, but the artists could hear what sounded to be an argument between the judges and the Mayor. While Pierce tilted his head in confusion, Canvas started to look worried when he heard one of them say ‘earth pony.’

Before Canvas could do anything, Mayor Mare pulled out a sheet of paper from her purse, and held it out for the judges to see. Even though her back was turned to Canvas, he could see that she was holding the portrait he drew for her over a month ago.

After staring at the paper and back at Canvas, the group of judges looked at each other in disbelief. Then, they sighed in reluctant admittance, and one of them pulled out a large bag and hoofed it to the Mayor. Looking triumphant, Mayor Mare walked back to Canvas and the runner-ups with the bag in her hoof.

"Sorry about that. Canterlot bigwigs have big purses, but their minds can be quite narrow." With a smile, Mayor Mare hoofed the bag to Canvas. "I want to say I’m surprised to see you up here, Canvas." The look in her eyes, however, said she wasn’t.

Canvas clutched the bag of five hundred bits in his hoof, and looked between her and the applauding crowd. The stallion was frozen in elation. His gaze settled on his painting which now had a big blue ribbon on it.

Canvas' smile grew, and tears of joy stemmed from his eyes and ran down his cheeks. Feeling happier than he'd ever been, Canvas threw his hooves up in the air.

This, Canvas thought, is where my life really begins.

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty: New Clientele

"I TOLD you, dude! You were awesome!"

Troy couldn't stop raving as he hugged Canvas, almost choking the stallion when he finally got to him after the award ceremony. Canvas felt slightly uncomfortable by the gryphon's enthusiasm, but he didn't want to tell him to stop when he was so excited. Once Troy let him go, Canvas had to take a few heavy gasps for air. But alas, as soon as he saw Lyra and Bon-Bon running toward him, he had a good idea what was going to happen again. He took a deep breath before both mares grabbed him in another hug.

Lyra seemed especiallyhappy as she shouted with gusto. "Congratulations, Canvas! I knew you could win!"

Luckily, their hug wasn't nearly as long or intense, meaning Canvas could actually feel his hooves after being let go this time. Canvas moved a hoof to feel the bottom of his art bag, making sure his large bag of prize money was still inside. He felt relieved when he heard the jingling of bits, which caught Bon-Bon’s attention.

"Wow, I can’t believe you got five hundred bits in there! You can do a lot with that kind of money!"

Canvas nodded. He already had a good idea of what he wanted to do with his winnings, but he wasn't sure where he could go to make it happen. Canvas glanced over at the couple with a look of curiosity and asked, "Say girls, do either of you know whe--"

"Why, hello there!"

Canvas and the others turned toward the new voice to see a confident brown stallion standing before them. The pony's slicked-back mane was a very dark tone of grey, almost like charcoal, which matched his thick eyebrows. He donned a blue collar around his neck, as well as a large, red necktie with a dollar sign on the front. On his flank, the stallion had the image of three money bags.

"I hope I'm not intrudin' or nuthin', but I was hopin' to talk to Mister Canvas here about his work."

Canvas didn't like being interrupted, but he figured he could ask his question later. The new stallion stuck out his hoof politely while speaking with a confident drawl. "Name's Filthy Rich, although I prefer MisterRich, for obvious reasons."

Despite his wariness, Canvas shook the stallion’s hoof, refraining the urge to judge. Mister Rich had a surprisingly sturdy grip, and maintained eye contact with Canvas while keeping a grin.

"Mister Canvas, I gotta say that you have a great painting skill there. Tell me, how long did it take you to paint that?"

Looking back at the wall, Canvas saw his painting prominently displayed next to the two runner-ups. He was told by the judges that the piece was planned to be displayed in a few other towns as an incentive for local painters. Though he was unsure about letting something go so soon after working so hard on it, he felt a little better when they told him it would be back in a couple of weeks.

"Honestly, I did that in under a week," he admitted with a sheepish shrug.

Filthy Rich's eyes widened, and he looked at the painting in shock. "Seriously? I'd find that hard to believe if you were a unicorn, but saying you did somethin' like that in a week by hoof is almost unreal!" Mister Rich looked back at Canvas with an even bigger smile. "If that's true, then there's no doubt I'd like to work with you!"

Canvas blinked a few times. "Umm… excuse me?"

"Oh, of course! I should explain my type of business!" Mister Rich brushed something off his shoulder before speaking further. "You see, I make a living sellin' things for profit, and I've been meanin' to get into sellin' artwork. As you may have noticed, you got a lotof attention from those judges the moment they saw you weren't a unicorn."

Canvas shrugged again while trying not to look too apprehensive, even though he knew that the stallion had a point. Filthy Rich laid a hoof on his aqua shoulder as another pointed at his chest. "And I figure if I can help you get your name out there, you could reallyget a lot more money from your work!"

Canvas didn't like the idea of having his work looked at just because he was an earth pony. He couldn’t deny, however, that this Filthy Rich seemed to know what he was talking about. "So, what is it you want me to do, exactly?"

"Well, that's easy!" Filthy Rich exclaimed. "If you’re willin’ to let me buy a few paintings from you, I’ll sell them at a slightlyhigher rate to the fancy art crowd, and I help you get your name out there so you can sell more!"

Canvas put a hoof to his chin, humming to himself in contemplation. He began to understand Mister Rich's business plans. He didn’t quite agree with his method, but Canvas knew this pony could likely help sell more of his paintings than he ever could on his own. He also knew that he needed to gain some exposure through his craft, so maybe having somepony else to assist him would be a smart move. When he looked back at his friends, Canvas could tell from their nods that all of them seemed optimistic with this idea.

Canvas turned back to Filthy Rich. He bit his lip in further contemplation as he paused briefly; after all, this could easily be one of the biggest decisions of his future.

"...Alright. I'll do it."

"Fantastic!" Mister Rich was quick to shake Canvas' hoof again in agreement. "So, do you happen to have some more of your work with ya? I’m willin’ to buy whatever you have available."

Canvas realized that his art bag was empty, prompting him to motion a hoof back toward his hotel. "Actually, they're back in my room. Would you be alright with looking at them there?"

"Of course, that would be fine! I have plenty of time."

He knew this was something Canvas should do privately, but Troy still felt compelled to make sure of his well-being. He sat perched on a street lamp across the street from Canvas' window, while Lyra and Bon-Bon waited on a bench nearby the building. The artist’s curtains were closed, so Troy was hopeful that he wouldn't be seen as intrusive. As for the mares, neither of them felt inclined to stalk their friend; but since they already cleaned up and loaded up their candy stand, there wasn’t much else for the two of them to do.

Meanwhile, in room B2, Filthy Rich was looking through a large assortment of Canvas' paintings, all carefully laid out on the hotel bed for critique. The business-pony's attitude changed dramatically since their first meeting, his smile now replaced with a more stoic look of focus. He scanned through each page with surprising intensity, and kept himself completely silent. The sudden change from happy to serious seemed like an odd quality to Canvas, but he figured that the stallion had to be more serious when money was involved. So instead of feeling intimidated, Canvas just stood to the side and waited patiently for Filthy’s assessment.

After looking through every piece on the bed, Filthy Rich carefully placed five paintings in a line near the edge, and looked back at Canvas. "I would like to buy thesefive, if that's possible."

Canvas looked to see which five he picked. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw the choices, as all of them were paintings he’d repainted a week ago. What was moreshocking was the fact that out of all the pieces Canvas repainted, the chosen five were all ones that were originally ripped to shreds. While the recognition felt great, Canvas was more than hesitant to just sell them like that.

Upon noticing Canvas’ uncertainty, Mister Rich cleared his throat. "Is something wrong, Mister Canvas? I assure you I'll offer a fair price for them."

"It's not that, it's just…” He didn’t want to go into detail on what happened to these paintings prior, but Canvas knew he had to say something. " Well... I just want to make sure these will be in good hooves. I actually finished these pieces a week ago, and they… they really mean a lot to me."

Mister Rich held his hoof up and gave a warm smile to quell Canvas’ concerns. "You have my word, Mister Canvas. Your artwork will be kept in pristine condition. Believe me, for the price I'm offering, the last thing I want to do is mess them up!"

Canvas' eyebrows perked up curiously. "So… what price are you offering?"

Filthy Rich gave a slyer grin before picking up a blank sheet of paper from Canvas' dresser. He wrote down a number with a pencil in his mouth, and then folded the paper in half. Once he was done, he handed the note back to Canvas for him to read.

After about five minutes on the streetlight, Troy decided it was too uncomfortable and glided back to the ground instead. He leaned his back against the lamppost, and looked up at the window with a skewed beak. Lyra and Bon-Bon were now leaning next to each other, already half-asleep on the bench. Troy couldn’t even see a shadow through the curtains, and he sighed deeply as the wait for even the slightest sign of anything happening dragged on.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, Troy heard a very loud "WHOA!" come from Canvas' room. After shooting his wings open, Troy flew himself directly upwards so he was right across from Canvas' window. Fortunately, before Troy could think anything bad was happening, he felt a twinge of relief when he heard Canvas exclaim:

"You got a deal!"

A few minutes later, Filthy Rich appeared from the hotel building with a satisfied smile on his face. The five paintings he purchased from Canvas were all rolled up, each placed in a large tube and strapped to his back side-by-side. He noticed Troy hovering above him, trying his best not to look like he was stalking. Thankfully, Mister Rich simply gave a quick nod before walking off into the streets of Ponyville. As soon as Filthy Rich was out of eyesight, Canvas appeared at the hotel’s front doors with the biggest grin. Bon-Bon noticed the stallion first, and nudged her wife so they could go check up on him.

Canvas was giggling to himself as Troy, Lyra and Bon-Bon all walked up to him. When they saw how happy he looked, all three became anxious. Meanwhile, Canvas had his eyes wide open with excitement, and his voice came out shaky with adrenaline.

"One… hundred… fifty… BITS!”

Canvas started giggling like a madpony and bouncing on his hooves. Troy blinked a couple times in puzzlement, but the stallion’s excitement kept his smile from dissipating. He was surprised that Canvas would act this way about that kind of money, especially after he made five times that earlier in the day. Still, the gryphon was proud of his friend’s sale. "Hey, that's pretty good. I mean, now you have like six--"

"Each."

Troy needed a moment to process what Canvas meant, but his head quickly reeled back in shock. Lyra and Bon-Bon grew equally as stunned, and were staring at Canvas with their jaws agape. Meanwhile, the artist started giggling uncontrollably, and his grin grew to Cheshire levels. "I just made... Over seven. HUNDRED MORE!"

Canvas couldn’t keep his hooves on the ground. He started hopping up and down, his giggles turning into full-blown laughter. While Lyra and Bon-Bon stood in frozen awe, Troy’s dropped beak soon turned to an extremely prideful smile. He quickly grabbed Canvas, and lifted him off the ground to spin him around the street in a huge hug. Canvas kept laughing gleefully, which ended up being addictive enough to make the gryphon join in. When the two mares could finally speak, Lyra was the first to respond.

"Are you telling me that sixof your paintings made you over one THOUSAND bits in less than a day?!"

"YES!!" The stallion shouted in elation. He let go of Troy and pranced across the streets like an excited filly. Troy watched on in admiration, and with an unnoticed light blush.

Lyra looked back at her wife, still stunned silent, and spoke to her in a faint voice.

"Hey, Bon-Bon?"

“... Ye-yeah?”

"I think I should start painting."

“... Me too.”

Author's Note

I want to give my deepest thanks, as well as some well-deserved credit to my followers helping me out with this process, as well as Double R. Forrest for their proofreading credits. And if anyone is interested in helping out with making this project a reality, I highly recommend checking out my Official Ko-Fi page dedicated to it.

Chapter Twenty-One: A Guest No More

Canvas eventually calmed down enough so that he and his friends could go celebrate without him giggling and hopping all over the place. As the four walked toward the market district, Canvas was still acting giddy over all the money he just made. Considering how dire his situation was just a month prior, the fact that his finances became so secure in an instant was enough to leave a massive spring in the stallion’s step. Of course, when he thought back to what he was going to ask his friends before Filthy Rich came along, Canvas was quick to turn his attention back to the married couple.

"Hey, Lyra? Bon-Bon?"

The two looked over at Canvas, now looking a lot happier as opposed to their prior shock. "Yeah?" asked Lyra. “What’s up?

"I was actually wondering… do either of you know of any places to rent?"

Both of the mares gasped with extremely delighted smiles. "Ohmigosh!” exclaimed Bon-Bon. “You mean you're finally going to live here?!"

"Ugh, finally!" said Troy, who looked equally as elated as the mares. "I swear, I was probably gonna snap at Canvas if he wasted his bits on that hotel for another month."

“Thank you!” shouted Lyra with an appreciative nod. “Bon-Bon and I tried to tell him the same thing!”

“Guys, come on!” griped Canvas, rolling his eyes in exasperation. “It’s been a really busy month for me! I’d appreciate a little less criticism about how long I waited to decide on this.”

“Oh, we weren’t criticising you at all!” To prove that point, Lyra went in to give Canvas a tight hug that pulled the stallion off his hooves. “Canvas, we’re sooohappy you’re going to be living in Ponyville!~”

Bon-Bon went in to hug Canvas as well, which he was more than happy to receive. All the while, none of the ponies seemed to notice the prideful smile Troy was carrying on his beak. The gryphon had already given more than enough hugs to Canvas following his art show win, so it was only fair that the mares shared some love as well.

By the time everyone’s congratulations were in order, Canvas was smiling wide again, and they reached the lines of vendors around the market district. The art show crowd was still around, all looking for a quick meal after a long day outdoors. Canvas noticed that the shortest line seemed to be for a modest wooden stand with the words ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ painted in red on the front. After waiting behind two other ponies, Canvas was greeted by a cheerful orange mare with freckles on her cheeks and an old brown Stetson on her head, which held back the long, blonde mane tied up behind it. Troy’s face lit up when he saw the farmpony, recognizing her from the storm prep.

"Hey there, Applejack!" he said with a wave of his claw, causing the pony’s ears to perk up in surprise.

"Oh hey there!” she said with a cheerful nod as Canvas came up to her stand. Her eyes narrowed on the gryphon. “Um, your name’s Troy, right?"

Troy nodded, and the mare sighed in relief. “Alright, good to know! Ah would’ve felt lousy forgettin’ that name after thislong.” Applejack then turned her attention back to Canvas, who was busy staring at the various barrels of apples behind her. "And Ah certainly know who youare too! Congrats for winnin' that art contest, Canvas!"

Canvas smiled graciously. "Thank you so much, Applejack. Um, I would like to buy four Golden Delicious apples, please."

Applejack nodded as he put the four bits on the booth. Once they were exchanged for four apples, Canvas munched on one and gave another to Troy, who accepted it gladly. He then offered the last two to Lyra and Bon-Bon, only for them to shake their heads in declination. "No thanks, Canvas,” said Lyra. "We both had a big lunch."

Bon-Bon was quick to interject with a skewed eyebrow. "Besides, shouldn’t you be savingyour bits for a place to live now?"

He knew Bon-Bon was right, but Canvas simply gave a shrug and put the two apples in his bag. "C'mon, it's just a couple apples. Although, I shouldsee what a place would cost around here."

"Wait a minute!” Applejack’s brows rose up. “Are ya talkin’ about movin’ to Ponyville? Like, officially?”

“As a matter of fact, he is!” Bon-Bon came up to pull Canvas close to her side, smiling just as wide as her wife. “Hopefully we won’t need to live in a hotel room anymore!”

“Although he could’ve easily roomed with us to get the money for a place sooner,” chided Lyra playfully. Canvas rolled his eyes with a brief whinny. Troy and Applejack both chuckled.

When Canvas finally turned back to Applejack, she was carrying a look of interest. "So, what exactly are ya lookin' for? Ah might be able to help dependin’ on what you need."

"Well…” Canvas hadn’t put that much thought to what he wanted specifically, mostly since he was grateful to have a roof over his head at all. "I guess if I can, I wouldn’t mind finding a place with a lot of open space. If I can have a loft of some kind, I can probably paint a lot more."

Applejack's face lit up. "Is that so? Because Ah mighthave somethin’ right up your alley!"

In exchange for her help, Canvas agreed to help Applejack sell some apples at her stand, as well as pack up the remaining ones for the trip back to Sweet Apple Acres. Because it took the rest of the day to help her out, Troy and the mares left and said their goodbyes shortly after they helped get the barrels on Applejack's cart. Fortunately for Canvas, the mare was honest when she said she had something for him to see.

After dropping the cart off in her barn, Applejack led Canvas up the dirt road that ran between the farm and Ponyville. Aside from the occasional tree or bush, not much seemed to catch Canvas' attention. However, the stallion’s interest was piqued when Applejack pointed out the place she had in mind: a large, abandoned barn that stood by itself on the right of the road.

Canvas walked up to the old barn. It looked like nopony had been around it in years. The original red paint was now long gone, weathered off and worn down to reveal the grayed wood underneath. Several windows along the side walls had large planks of wood screwed outside the frames. A large, rusted lock held the large front doors together, but Applejack pulled out a ring of keys from under her hat to unlock it with her teeth. After trying to pull out the doors with her hooves, Applejack looked back at Canvas awkwardly. "Uhhh… Ya mind helpin' me out here?"

"Oh! Sure." Canvas quickly went in to assist, and pulled on one of the door handles alongside her. With a long groan from both ponies, the barn doors slowly opened as the rusted hinges moved for the first time in years. A large cloud of dust blew out from inside, causing both Canvas and Applejack to cough before they could see the inside.

The lack of light made it difficult to notice many of the cobwebs or spots in need of repair, but Canvas could tell this place definitelyhad a lot of space.

Between the aged and dusted walls lay about thirty feet of matching wooden floors, though most of it was covered by several large pieces of rusted farming equipment. Stepping inside, Canvas looked past a pile of broken plows to see the back end of the barn about ninety feet away. While the front of the barn was a wide-open area, the back third housed what looked to be a loft as a second floor. The top floor appeared to be full of worn saddles, and several unboarded windows shone a faint beam of light through the fine wall of dust now sitting upon them. From the loft, a staircase on the left side led down to the ground level, where even more used equipment sat underneath the loft space.

"Ah know it ain't much right now,” Applejack admitted with a shrug “but we've reallybeen lookin' to sell this space since we don’t need it no more. Considerin’ the taxes on this thing, it’s costin’ more money to keep it than what it's worth."

Canvas nodded, but he still scanned the giant barn in puzzlement. He was curious as to why the Apple Family had a barn like this outsidetheir property, so he decided to ask some questions when he reached the bottom of the staircase. "So, how long have you guys had this barn?"

"Well, a few years ago, Granny Smith got it into her head that she should try getting' into real estate after talkin' with that Filthy Rich fella." Canvas' eyebrows raised at the mention of Filthy Rich. He certainly wasn’t going to say anything about the stallion who just helped him out so tremendously, but he couldn’t help but worry a little as he looked around the dilapidated space.

"Now, don’t get me wrong,” Applejack said insistently, wiping some sweat from under her hat. "Ah ain’t sayin’ anything bad about Filthy Rich! Mister Rich is an honest stallion and all, but Ah swear that Granny does the silliest things after talkin' with him! She won this barn in a poker game, and was hopin' to fix it up and sell it at a higher price. But then her hip went out a while later, and she wasn't able ta do nuthin with this place."

Canvas winced. "Ooh, sorry to hear that." Canvas couldn’t think of much else to say as walked back up the stairs, staying conscious of any creaks in the old wood.

"S' alright. She's doin' mighty fine nowadays. We've mostly been using this space for storage, but we've been lookin' ta sell it for a while now.”

"I can see that.” Canvas reached the top of the loft, and blew off a large amount of dust lingering on the mantle. "It doesn't look like anypony's been here in years."

“Yeah, you’d be right ‘bout that, but the last time Ah checked, the place itself isn’t in that bad of a shape. The foundation and supports are all still as strong as ever. It just needs some heavy cleanin’ and some light touch-ups here and there.”

Canvas looked out from the loft, seeing just how massive the barn really was. It may have been old, dusty, and probably in need of repairs, but it could be a great place with some hard work. He walked over to the windows at the back, and used his hoof to wipe away a large line of dust. A bright burst of light entered the dark space in a concentrated beam, almost like some final burst of energy in the climax of a sci-fi movie. By the time Applejack got up the stairs, Canvas was wiping the rest of the dust off the windows with a rag from his art bag. When most of the dust had come off, Canvas turned around to look at the loft’s view once more.

With the extra light, Canvas could see that the barn was actually in decent shape. There were some uplifted floorboards and a couple holes in the roof, but nothing appeared to be unfixable. Applejack seemed a tad wary when she walked up beside Canvas, most likely expecting him to be a bit more hesitant about the place. Much to her surprise, Canvas turned to her with a contented smile and asked, "So, how much are you asking for it?"

Applejack’s eyes widened at his optimistic response. Nevertheless, the farmpony was able to come up with a fair estimate. "Well, Ah won’t ask for a lot, since we’re gonna need to fix it up ourselves. But if yer really interested, we can sell it for about… seven hundred and fifty bits?"

Applejack winced and kept her gaze away from Canvas, fearful of his reaction. It may have been a really cheap estimate, but a profit was still a profit. Canvas stayed silent, but didn’t even show the slightest hint of a frown when Applejack finally looked back at him. Hoping she could close the deal, Applejack added sincerely, "And, if you’re willin’ to help out, we’ll have this place fixed up before ya move in, at no extra charge."

"Hmm…”

Canvas continued to scan the barn, rubbing the bottom of his chin with a hoof. He already knew his answer, but he didn’t want to seem tooeager to buy. After taking a deep breath (and almost choking from the dust), Canvas turned back towards Applejack with a smile and held out his hoof.

"Miss Applejack, you have a deal!"

Applejack grew an eager smile before she spat on her hoof. After sticking it out to Canvas, the stallion didn’t need to be asked as he spat in his own hoof and shook on it.

After making sure everything was packed up, Canvas closed the door to room B2 behind him, feeling strangely sad that this would be the last time he’d be here. He walked down to the lobby, and found Bell Hopper laying asleep behind the front desk. He didn’t want to wake him up, so Canvas left his room key and a hoofful of bits as a tip before walking out. As he stepped out in the morning air, Canvas breathed in deeply, savoring the new day before heading off to his new place.

It had only been less than two weeks since Canvas bought the barn from Applejack, and helped with the renovation process as best as he could. Despite how minimal the majority of the repairs actually were, Canvas still spent many early mornings and late nights helping to get the place back up to code. By working with Applejack and her siblings, they managed to get most of the junk out of the main space, and also clear out all the dust before the first day ended. The rest of that time was spent making all the necessary repairs, as well as fixing the plumbing and electrical problems. Three days prior to his current trek, Canvas was told to stay put in Ponyville until the Apples got the finishing touches done. It didn't feel right leaving them to do work he could've done himself, but reluctantly, he agreed to wait for the reveal.

Canvas tried not to feel too overwhelmed as he trotted down the road by himself, but his hooves were getting more jittery with each passing step. Even after painting several pieces in his hotel room to occupy his mind, there was nothing to keep him from thinking about his new home. Before he could walk around the final curve on the road, however, Canvas found Applejack standing in wait with a grin. He could see some beads of sweat on her orange fur, and could only guess that they finished their work right on time

"There ya are, Canvas!" The mare panted as she wiped some sweat. "Ya ready ta see the barn?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" chirped Canvas giddily, who could barely stop walking while his hooves constantly moved about. Applejack chuckled to the sight of Canvas’ exuberance, and merely smiled as she motioned for him to follow her.

Walking around the corner, Canvas was surprised to see that the outside of the barn looked exactly the same. The windows had been unboarded and were sporting some brand new frames, but the walls itself were still unpainted and greying with wear. Applejack spoke up. "Just so ya know, we decided to get the insidefinished up before anything else. Besides, we figured you’d wanna try paintin’ the barn yourself for a personal touch, you being a painter and all."

Canvas thought that them painting the barn would’ve been the ‘finishing touch’ Applejack talked about; but upon reflection, he was grateful that Applejack put his skills into consideration. In fact, if he was being honest, he really didwant to paint the barn himself, especially after seeing that huge blank wall along the left side that was just begging for an awesome mural.

"You know what? I’m more than fine with that,” Canvas said, shooting Applejack a thankful smile. “I've been wanting to try painting this myself anyways."

Before Canvas could reach the front doors, Applejack motioned him to follow her. She went along the right side of the barn until they reached near the barn’s far end where a regular door was placed. Applejack opened the door (smoothly, like it was just oiled) and held her hoof out to Canvas so he could enter first. Smiling warmly, Canvas took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The first thing that Canvas noticed, besides how bright the barn looked with the new coat of white paint along the walls, was how much smaller it looked now. On the left side, a large wall with a single door was now built down the middle of the barn. The wall itself worked as a divider for the front and back ends, though it only went halfway up to the roof. He turned back toward the barn’s rear end, where he could see another wall running underneath the loft to his right, with two doorways on it. The first doorway, closest to the entrance, led to a bathroom with a working toilet, sink, and shower. The second doorway, nearby the refurbished stairs to the loft, led into a modest kitchen with a sink, oven and refrigerator.

With a huge smile, Canvas rushed up the stairs while Applejack stayed and giggled by the doorway. When he reached the top, Canvas found that the open loft was completely bare and spotless, with a line of clean windows shining brightly across the whole barn. The hardwood flooring beneath his hooves was smooth and spotless, and not a speck of dust could be seen anywhere.

Canvas turned his sights to the rest of the barn, quickly looking back at the dividing wall on the ground floor. From his vantage point at the loft, he was able to look over the top half of the wall and better appreciate his new space. Much like the loft, the front end of the barn was also completely bare, with the hardwood floors shining proudly underneath the sunbeams.

Canvas’ jaw dropped as he figured out what the wall across the middle of the barn was meant for. Since they knew he was planning to use the extra space for painting, the Apple Family converted the whole front of Canvas' barn into his personal work space, and a storage room for all his incoming art projects

"So, wha'cha think?” shouted Applejack from downstairs. “Ya like it?"

Without hesitation, Canvas bolted down the stairs like a foal on Heart's Warming Eve. Canvas was close to tears as he lunged onto Applejack and pulled her in a massive hug with an overwhelmingly joyous smile. He stood on his hindlegs and hoisted Applejack off her hooves, spinning her around the room.

"ThankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouTHANKYOOOUUUU!!"

"Whoa nelly!" Applejack was glad he was happy with their work, but she wouldn’t have expected him to be thisexcited about an unfurnished and unpainted barn. Nevertheless, the mare still tried to hug him back while speaking. "Y-yer welcome, partner! But, uhhh… can ya please let me down?"

“OH!” Canvas quickly put Applejack back on the ground and pulled back a few steps, his aqua cheeks blushing into a fine purple. "Sorry, it's just…” Canvas looked around his barn, and barely registered the tear trickling down his face. "It's perfect."

After having a nice dinner with the Apple Family, who gave him enough leftovers to last him several days, Canvas was still on Cloud Nine when he went back to his new place. He held onto his new key with pride as he unlocked his door and entered the back half of his barn. Once he turned on the lights, Canvas smiled with a content sigh while looking around the clean space.

It was virtually empty right now, but he still felt euphoric over how this space was now his. Not to mention, he still had plenty of bits to help furnish and decorate the place, so he knew the current emptiness wouldn’t last long. After walking up the stairs, Canvas pulled out a blanket and pillow from his luggage and placed them on the middle of the loft floor.

He then turned off the lights and laid down on his blanket, beaming in the darkness as he looked up at his ceiling. No matter how scary it felt to lay in such a spaciously dark barn by himself, only one thing could pass through the stallion’s mind that kept him happy:

I have a home.

Canvas sat back upright on the floor, and held his hooves up to his face as tears of joy came streaming down his cheeks. For the longest time, nothing had ever worked out as well for him as they had here in Ponyville. And now, after spending so much time amongst great friends, and staying in the town he'd come to call his own, he could finally say that he was truly living here.

I'm actually a citizen of Ponyville now, thought Canvas, resting his head back on the pillow. Despite the hard floor, Canvas still kept a gracious smile as his eyes slowly closed into the depths of sleep. Before he went completely asleep, one more thought graced Canvas' mind to leave him feeling truly content.

I'm no longer just a guest.

I actually have a home.

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Two: Songbird

Yawning loudly, Troy slowly opened his eyes as he woke up on his cloud. Since it was his scheduled day off, he could appreciate waking up without a blaring alarm while the morning sun warmed his back. Troy groaned as he rolled off of his stomach, feeling the cooling mist of the cloud evaporating as it brushed against his warmed feathers.

Troy drew a blank on what to do as he looked up into the clear blue skies. Usually, he would spend his days off with Canvas and try to do something fun; but ever since the pony bought that old barn from Applejack, he'd been spending all his time either fixing the place up or making more paintings for Filthy Rich.

Rolling back to his side, Troy looked out from the cloud’s edge to the waterfall nearby, which poured into a pristine lake below, surrounded by a grassy field. Troy could swearhe saw this landscape from a painting somewhere back in the Gryphon Kingdom. Heck, maybe thatwas why he liked having his cloud here.

Troy decided to start the day off by getting himself washed up, and hoped he could come up with something else later on.

"Okay, that's everything, Mister Canvas."

The stallion nodded and signed the paperwork for the orange pegasus in front of him. Meanwhile, several other pegasi continued to move in the new furniture he bought. Canvas tried to stay frugal on his purchases (especially after buying all his art supplies for the barn walls), but he still ended up spending a large portion of his bits on the bed and dresser being moved into the loft. Then came several other amenities, like food and shampoo. He wasn’t broke again just yet, but he hoped he’d be able to sell some more paintings to Mister Rich soon.

After the movers left, Canvas walked upstairs to his loft, sighing in joy as he looked upon his newly purchased king-sized bed, with a fluffy blue comforter and pillows on top to complete it. The mattress alone took up nearly half of the side wall. Canvas remembered when he went to Carousel Boutique to paint Rarity's wall, and how he wanted to purchase himself a bed that looked as plush and luxurious as the fashionista’s. Now, he had his very own bed that was set to last him for a long time.

Once Canvas made sure that the movers were out of sight, he shouted in glee and threw himself on the bedspread. He giggled to himself while rolling around like a dog in the grass, savoring the sensation of the soft, cushy bedding that served as his first major interior purchase.

After taking a quick shower under the waterfall, Troy shook himself dry and glided to the ground. Here, the modest field served as a clearing within the thick woods that surrounded it, with Troy’s cloud resting on top to serve as the only shadow. Troy counted himself lucky that no ponies had come around to claim such a pristine place for themselves. He’d been living in this area for several months, but he’d only ever seen one pony come around here; and that was because the yellow pegasus was trying to look for her pet bunny. Other than that, the region was like his own personal slice of heaven outside of Ponyville.

He started his morning stretches when he had an idea. Since he had nothing else to do, and no one else was around, he could do something he hadn’t done in a while. Troy bolted off the ground to soar back up to his cloud. He already knew exactly where he had stashed away his things for a quick and effortless setup, and as he did so, he couldn’t hold back his eager grin.

Canvas sighed in trepidation as he stood outside his new home, overwhelmed at how much work needed to be done. For all the amazing work the Apple Family did to fix up the barn, Canvas was going to need a ton of paint and primer to decorate his home. On top of that, the barn was taller than most of the ladders the Apples had, so he knew he would need some help. More specifically, he would need a pair of wingsin order to do the job right.

A small skew came across the stallion’s muzzle, mostly due to how awkward he felt about his plans. Nevertheless, the necessity of the matter was enough for Canvas to huff sharply, and then trot off to look for his friend.

Troy was vague about where he put his cloud, but Canvas knew that it was somewhere nearby. The last time he and Troy hung out at the bowling alley with his coworkers, he remembered the gryphon mentioning something about it being near a waterfall. He looked through a map he had in his art bag, trying to see if it had anything regarding one.

After several minutes of scanning, Canvas noticed a familiar icon for one near a pond less than a mile from his home. Canvas noted which way it was with a compass, and headed into the woods behind his house. He wasn’t the most outdoorsy of ponies, but he hoped that his good sense of direction would guide him through the thick foliage.

Canvas almost felt like he was going through the Everfree Forest as he traversed through the dauntingly thick brush, trying his hardest not to get scratched up by all the hanging branches. A couple squirrels scurried past him, both of them looking surprised to see anypony out here. Canvas almost considered turning back when his surroundings became unfamiliar to him. However, when Canvas stopped moving to check his map, he realized the forest wasn't completely silent. Amongst the sounds of buzzing insects and branches rustling in the wind, the stallion heard something completely different in the distance.

Music.

On the ground underneath Troy's cloud, a vintage record player spun an even older-looking vinyl record. A booming orchestral arrangement was playing out from the cone-shaped speaker, sounding amazingly pristine even amongst the crackles of the aged audio. Meanwhile, Troy was soaring freely above the skies and in tandem to the music without a care in the world. He knew exactlywhen the vocals would begin during the song, so the gryphon cleared his throat after making a pronounced loop over his cloud.

Canvas finally reached the clearing with a stroke of luck, but continued to look around for the source of that music. When he noticed the record player, Canvas looked around in confusion to see who left an antique out in the middle of an open field. It wasn’t until he walked up to the player that he saw that it was not only super old, but looked to have been made from a non-Equestrian manufacturer. The knobs appeared to be more attuned for claws than hooves, and the manufacturer logo was clearly in Gryphonian text. Next to the player was the case for the spinning record. The sleeve was well-worn, and had a painting of a clown on the front. Canvas’ knowledge of Gryphonian was novice at best, but he could read the words ‘Pagliacci’ on the bottom.

Canvas blinked in confusion before he heard a booming voice above him sing.

“Recitaaar! … Mentre preso dal delirioooo…”

Looking up to the skies, Canvas' eyes widened in shock when he saw Troy soaring high above. His flying looked absolutely majestic as he glided theatrically around his home. He didn’t even open his eyes while he sang along with the record.

“Non so più quel che dico… E quel che faccio! … Eppur… è d’uopo… sforzati! … Baaaah! Sei tu forse un uom!”

Canvas couldn’t understand a single word of what he was singing, but he instantly recognized the song as being a well-known opera track. He remained silent as to keep from disturbing his friend, and sat down next to the record as he listened. All the while, his wide-eyed gaze never left Troy, following the seamless path the gryphon made among the cloudscapes.

“E se, Arlecchin… t’invola Colombina… Rridi, Pagliacco... E ognun, applaudirà!”

Canvas never had much of an interest in opera music growing up, but his jaw dropped as his friend serenaded those vocals with such a passionate intensity. Troy's singing voice was as smooth as the gliding of a hoof against freshly-pressed velvet, and came out with such a flawless mixture of power and grace. Meanwhile, the stellar motions of his body carried just as much tenacity and skill as his singing, his soaring movements carrying a level of experience that even Rainbow Dash would’ve considered to be impressive. Unaware of the unintentional audience watching below him, Troy spread his wings to full length as he belted out the big finish.

“Ridi, Pagliaaaaa-ccioooo…”

The final note lasted for nearly half a minute, and left Canvas in complete silence. After the song faded out, Troy sighed in relief and nearly collapsed on his cloud. He used a chunk of the cloud to dab the sweat from his brow, and smiled in satisfaction over being able to do that in peace. He then stretched his back upward and bent down, hoping he didn't throw out his posture from his theatrical flying. Unfortunately, his eyes immediately shot open in shock when he looked down, and saw Canvas sitting down below.

Canvas' eyes and mouth were fully gaped like a goldfish while staring back at the gryphon, whose pupils shrunk to the size of pin-pricks. The dark feathers on Troy’s face didn't stop the violently red blush from glowing when Canvas threw his hooves up and applauded.

"Wooooo!! Encore! Encore!"

Troy quickly hid himself away from Canvas' sight within the cloud, and groaned while covering his face with both claws. Though he was glad the pony wasn’t laughing, he still felt mortified from hearing Canvas’ cheerful clapping. After shuddering uncomfortably in embarrassment, Troy tried to calm himself down and figure out how long his friend had been down there. Eventually, Canvas' clapping ceased and shouted up to his friend.

"Aw, c'mon, Troy! That was awesome! I swear, you have nothing to be embarrassed about!"

A strong grimace shot across Troy’s face, and it took everything in him not to feel insecure. Slowly but surely, Troy popped his head out from under the cloud, and looked down at Canvas with a notable blush. As he looked around to make sure nopony elsewas there, his voice came out in an audible, but still feeble tone. "... How… H-How long were you sitting there?"

Canvas tried not to smirk in amusement, mostly since he felt a bit surprised at seeing his friend looking so shy. "Well… I only heard a littlebit, but holy CRAP!"

Canvas' sudden excitement caught Troy off-guard when the pony stood up to start raving. "Seriously, that was incredible! How long have you been singing like that? I mean, I couldn't sing that well if I spent years practicing, but YOU! Like... Sweet Mother of Celestia, that was amazing, Troy!"

Troy rubbed the feathers on the back of his head. His blush deepened in response to Canvas' high praise. He kept his eyes away from the pony, but was able to give a meek smile and say, "Um… Thanks, I guess. I mean, I…I thought I was alone…”

"Okay, seriously dude?!” Canvas’ voice turned insistent. “Can you at leastcome down? I’d rather not keep shouting in the middle of a field like a crazy pony.”

Even in his flustered state, Troy couldn’t help shouting down in response. “Yeah, Pinkie Pie would probably get mad at you for stealing her title.”

That little quip was good enough to make both of them laugh, and helped to get the gryphon in higher spirits. Troy reluctantly hopped off the cloud, and slowly glided down until his claws and paws touched the ground. He tried not to blush too heavily while looking at Canvas in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the stallion just kept that big smile on his muzzle while staring back at Troy. Canvas then looked around to take notice of their surroundings. "Wow… Not gonna lie, you really dohave a nice place, Troy."

"Thanks,” said the gryphon with a thankful nod, even though his sheepish squirming was more evident now. “L-Listen, I… I never really, like… sangin… in a situation like…”

Canvas' brows rose up at his friend’s shaky voice. "Wait a minute. Are… Are you telling me you never sang in front of anypony before?"

"Well… um…” Troy's blush grew even deeper, and he rubbed his foreleg while keeping his eyes on the ground. "... Technically, I never sang in front of a pony, yeah. I mean… I’ve only lived in Equestria for a few months, after all...”

Canvas' smile grew even wider in astoundment, and he chuckled pridefully to himself. "If that's so, then I'm reallyglad I have the distinction of being the first. If you ever put out an opera record yourself, I’ll be sure to tell ponies about that little fact~"

Troy’s eyes widened when he caught the sincere smile on Canvas’ face. Not only was he refraining from laughing or pestering him, but he was also showing genuine appreciation for the candid performance he witnessed. Troy may have known that he had a good singing voice, but it still felt weird to know that one of his friends felt the same way. Troy could only smile back while his blush began to dissipate.

"So, Canvas, what the heck are you doing here!?” he asked with a befuddled huff, finally coming down from his nervousness to take notice of Canvas’ unplanned appearance. “I mean, did I even tell you where I lived?! All I said was that I lived near a waterfall!"

Canvas shrugged, and was quick to pull out the map and compass from his bag. "Yeah, you technically didn’t tell me the exact location, but there aren’t too many waterfalls listed on this regional map. And since you mentioned living nearby my new place, I put two and two together when I saw the lake right here."

Canvas pointed a hoof to the small indication on the map. Troy shrugged as a way to say ‘color me impressed.’ The fact that his friend could find a private residence so easily felt a little unnerving, but it wasn’t like he could claim Canvas was invading his privacy either. After all, if he really wanted to remain secluded, he probably shouldn’t have been blasting opera in the middle of the woods and flying about like a protagonist in a kid’s movie’s first musical number.

"But with that being said,” Canvas continued as he struggled not to wince, looking away from Troy in anticipation. “I, uhhh… I was kinda wanting to ask for your help sometime."

Troy raised his brows with interest, but kept himself silent while Canvas put the map away. "The renovations to my place justgot finished on the inside, and I already got myself moved in and everything. But I still needed to paint the outside myself, so... I was hoping to ask whether or not you could maybe… help me with that sometime soon?

Now Canvas looked like the more timid of the two. "Wait, really?" asked Troy in surprise. He huffed with an astounded smile. “Wow, your place is already fixed-up? I would’ve expected you guys to need a month to get that barn up to code!”

Though he was proud of his newly-purchased property, Canvas couldn’t blame Troy for feeling that way. “Honestly, the exteriordamages were the biggest issues the barn had. By the time we got everything cleared out, it took less than a week to make all the bigger repairs. I was planning to paint the barn myself, but… I kinda need someone with wings to help apply the primer first.”

“Aaaaahhhhh…” Troy nodded in understanding, trying his hardest not to look upset by his realization. While he certainly wasn’t going to refuse if Canvas asked for his help, he could only imagine how taxing such a project could be for his wings. However, when he considered where Canvas was previouslyliving, Troy found that he wasn’t going to complain now that the stallion had his own place to call a home. “Well hey, at least you can paint it however you want!” he said optimistically. “Heck, you could even put some big mural on the side walls!”

"That was the idea!" Canvas said with an especiallychipper tone. "So… you wanna see it?"

With Canvas grinning at him like a little colt wanting to show off a new toy, Troy couldn’t help smirking back. His curiosity got the best of him. "You know what? I’d loveto see what you guys did with the place. Lead the way!"

"Great!" Canvas began to trot back into the woods, but eventually stopped in front of the line of trees. As he looked around, Canvas started to appear confused. He could’ve sworn he remembered which clearing he exited the woods from, but now all the trees seemed to look identical. After a few seconds, Canvas slowly turned his head back to Troy with a sheepish blush. "Umm…”

Troy sighed and gave Canvas a deadpan stare. "Canvas, did you seriously forget how to get back to your own house?"

Canvas cringed while nodding his head in guilty silence. Troy had to cover his beak with a claw to try his hardest not to laugh out-loud at his friend's mistake. "Oh man, Rainbow Dash would never let that go if she heard that!” Canvas’ head lowered a little more in shame, and Troy was quick to ask, “So, do you need me to fly you back?"

"Umm…” Canvas didn't expect Troy to make such an offer. He looked at him with a confounded stare. "Wait, are… are you actually alright with doing that?"

Troy shrugged casually, and then nodded. "Well, yeah. I mean… I saw where the barn was, and it’s not like I can’t lift up things twice yourweight. It seriously wouldn’t be a big deal. Besides... that's what friends do, right?"

Canvas felt a distinct warmth across his cheeks upon seeing Troy’s smile, which carried just as much sincerity as his assuring tone of voice. He never would’ve thought of asking for such a favor, but he also knew that his friend wasn’t one to veer away from close personal contact. So despite his own apprehensions, Canvas accepted the offer. "Ummm… Right."

Troy spread out his wings, the wind shooting out to brush strongly against Canvas' fur. After a couple profound flaps, the gryphon hovered a few feet in the air as he maneuvered himself above Canvas. As the wind gusted around wildly beneath Troy’s wings, Canvas' long mane stirred around unprotected and got in his face.

Canvas tried to get the chestnut strands out from his eyes, but his heart suddenly began beating rapidly when he felt Troy's chest brush against his back. The gryphon’s claws came down and wrapped around his chest, causing Canvas to gasp sharply from the close contact. The artist may have been hugged by him before, but this felt a lot more… intimate than he would’ve predicted. While Troy didn't seem to notice how overwhelmed his friend was getting, Canvas had to clench his eyes tightly shut when he felt his body being lifted off the ground.

In less than a few seconds, Troy flew the two of them high into the air and well above the forest line, heading toward Canvas' home. The stallion slowly opened one eye, and nearly had a heart attack when he saw how far the ground was from his dangling hooves. Canvas tensed up greatly and clenched his eyes shut again, trembling in fear before he felt Troy's claws gripping him tighter. Almost instantly, Canvas’ trepidation dwindled down as he felt how securely the gryphon was holding him, and how serenely they were gliding across the endless blue skies.

Canvas' heart rate began to settle down. He focused on Troy's surprisinglywarm body nestled against his back, and the high-altitude winds brushing against his fur. Canvas breathed in deeply while savoring his friend’s secure embrace. Just as his home was coming up within view, Canvas felt himself blushing hotly when he felt the beating of Troy's heart through his feathered chest, taking note of its soft and steady tempo.

Without even thinking, Canvas closed his eyes and tried to feel that heartbeat as much as he could. The rushing winds gusted loudly around him, but the artist tried to breathe calmly while being held so firmly by his friend. That looming fear wasn’t enough to counteract the trust he felt that his friend wouldn’t let him go. The flight may have only lasted a couple of minutes, but it felt much longer to Canvas by the time he felt the winds change, and he opened his eyes to see his barn below and closer.

Canvas shook his head, quickly recomposing while Troy lowered him down to the ground. When his hooves touched the cool grass along the property, Canvas suddenly felt a bitter rush of cold wind creep across his back when Troy pulled away. After landing himself, Troy immediately winced in dread when he looked up at the massive wall of aged and unprotected wood.

"Hoo boy… I guess you really doneed my help painting all this, huh?"

Canvas giggled guiltily and nodded. He remained hopeful that Troy wouldn't be tooupset about agreeing. But before either could say anything more, the sounds of fresh hoofsteps could be heard from the barn front. The two looked over, and Canvas was surprised to see Filthy Rich happily walking up to them with another stallion.

"Oh, there you are, Canvas! I tried knockin’ a few times, but I didn’t realize you were away from home."

“It’s alright,” assured Canvas as he walked up to the two with an apologetic smile. “If I knew somepony was coming by, I probably would’ve stayed home. I hope I didn’t leave you two waiting for too long.” Canvas’ attention turned toward the white unicorn standing next to Mister Rich. The posh-looking stallion was wearing a regal tuxedo jacket, had a monocle over his left eye, and sported a pencil-thin mustache that matched the light blue coat of his well-kept mane.

The stallion blinked as he stared at Canvas with a look of surprise. Fortunately, he was quick to smirk contentedly when he glanced back at Filthy Rich. "Well, I must say, Mister Rich. You certainly know how to impress me in the most unexpected ways!”

The unicorn then brought out a hoof to Canvas, and smiled politely as he introduced himself. "I was rather surprised when Mister Rich told me about you, but it's a pleasure to actually meet the creator of the most recentpieces of artwork in my collection. My name is Fancy Pants."

Canvas shook the stallion's hoof, and blinked upon recognizing his charming smile. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. If I may ask, though… Are you actually theFancy Pants? As in… the Canterlot Noble Fancy Pants?"

“Why, yes I am!” Fancy looked pleasantly surprised by the artist’s recognition, and narrowed his eyes when he asked, “Have we met before? Because I could’ve swornI’d remember if we did.”

“No, I don’t believe we have.” Canvas let go of Fancy’s hoof. “I did a couple of painting jobs for Rarity at Carousel Boutique, and she mentioned you a few times in conversation.”

“Aaahh…” Upon hearing that mare’s name, Fancy pointed a hoof at Canvas and said, “She actually showed me that wall portrait you made for her the last time I visited her shop. I wouldn’t have expected that to be from the same pony who made the Phoenixportrait, but I guess that only proves how varied your talents really are, Mister Canvas.”

Canvas blushed and his smile grew wider in response to Fancy Pants’ sincere praises. Meanwhile, Troy tried not to smirk to himself while watching the interaction nearby, keeping himself silent out of politeness. Filthy Rich quickly interjected, and caught Canvas’ attention when he spoke enthusiastically. "I was in Canterlot last week for some business deals, and I ended up sellin' some of your paintings to this lovely gentlecolt. He was doin’ some renovations to his penthouse, so he ended up buyin’ twoof your pieces in an instant! Of course, as soon as I mentioned you weren't a unicorn, he insisted on coming down to Ponyville to meet you himself!"

Canvas turned his attention back to Fancy Pants, who was quick to hold up his hoof to correct Filthy Rich. "For the record, I like to visit every artist I purchase a piece from. I can assure you, it has nothingto do with your race. But I must admit, it israther refreshing to see such immaculate skills from such a young pony. You should be veryproud of your work, good sir."

Canvas blushed even more and looked away out of bashfulness. Even though this stallion was a bit older than he would’ve preferred, Fancy Pants’ charming attitude made the artist feel more than a little flattered.

"Th-thank you, Sir." Canvas tried not to giggle, hoping his giddy reaction wasn't too obvious. “I-I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t expecting for my work to be noticed by a Noble.”

Once again, Filthy Rich was quick to put himself into the conversation. "Now Canvas, I told him allabout your art and how you won the Central Equestrian Art show. And because of that, he was interested in making a deal with you."

"Really?" asked Canvas and Troy at the same time, with both of their brows raised up in surprise.

"Well, yes,” said the unicorn, who used his magic to remove the monocle from his face. "But if you don’t mind, I would also like to see some of your other work first. It’s always good to look through an artist’s portfolio before making negotiations, after all."

Canvas nodded rapidly and fumbled for the keys inside his bag. "O-Of course! Sure! I was just about to show my friend Troy the place anyway." Canvas motioned to the gryphon behind him. Troy walked up to the two while trying not to feel out of place.

"Um… hello,” Troy said as he brought out his claw and tried to give the Noble a friendly smile.

Fortunately, Fancy Pants was quick to shake the gryphon’s claw, not looking phased at allby his presence. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Troy. I take it that’s short for Troius?"

Troy blinked in surprise, and grew a more impressed smile. “Actually, yeah! It is!”

Meanwhile, Canvas pulled the newly-renovated doors open with ease, and motioned to the three to show them his new workplace.

"Well guys, come on in."

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Hoof Ahead

Troy and the two stallions stared in awe at how much Canvas had already done with the barn. Even with all the spending he did to furnish his new home, most of Canvas’ earnings went to stocking his brand new art studio with everything he needed.

Along the three walls were large stacks of supplies. Several towers of art cans were laid out along the left side of the studio, while multiple stacks of canvas boards leaned against the right. On the back wall, a large wooden shelf was built to hold all of Canvas' various supplies; paint brushes, rags, specialized paints, and other miscellaneous items were already arranged neatly with a level of organization that would’ve made Twilight Sparkle proud. In the middle of the room stood a worn-looking red couch, which seemed a little out of place amongst all of the brand new stuff.

"Dang!" Troy exclaimed, his beak nearly going agape as he walked through the spacious studio. "How the heck did you get all of this done in a few weeks?"

Canvas blushed bashfully and shrugged. "Well, it wasn't easy, but Applejack and her siblings were really good at getting everything cleared out first. By the time the place was fixed up, I already had a lot of these supplies bought through special order."

With a flap of his wings, the gryphon leapt across the room onto the top of the wall. The resulting gust of wind caused many of the supplies to shake violently, with some almost toppling over. Canvas frantically ran around the room as random pieces of paper flew around, trying his hardest to make sure nothing too expensive toppled over. Troy didn't notice the commotion he caused when he landed, and was instead peering at Canvas’ living space behind the wall. "Man, those Apples know how to fix stuff up!"

"Could you notfly around like that, please!?" Canvas said in exasperation, refraining from sounding too upset while picking up the rustled papers. "I'd rather not deal with a bunch of wind messing up my stuff."

"Oops!" As soon as he looked behind him and saw the remaining sheets of paper being picked up by Canvas, Troy looked away and his head sank with guilt. "Sorry, dude."

"Well, I must say,” said Filthy Rich as he stepped inside, and stared around the studio with a look of bewildered fascination. "You really made yourself a nifty workplace here!"

"Well thank you, Mister Rich.” Canvas trotted over to the stack of boards, sighing softly in relief upon seeing that nothing was damaged. "I couldn't have gotten all this without your help."

Filthy rolled his eyes with an appreciative smile. “Hey, that’s just part of the magic of being an entrepreneur. Your paintings helped me a lot back in Canterlot, so it’s only fair I got to help you a little as well.”

“Well, I think we have very different definitions of the word ‘little,’ Mister Rich.” Canvas pulled out a large board with his teeth, and carefully placed it against the front for the stallions to see. Fancy Pants’ brows rose with interest as he walked past Filthy to scan the painting first. Meanwhile, Canvas tried to give a confident smile while presenting his latest piece. "I actually got this one done right before I moved out of my hotel room. I figured you might like seeing my more abstractwork."

Canvas stepped back from the painting, allowing both stallions to get a closer look without crowding too awkwardly. The canvas board was about five feet high and three feet wide, with the background carrying a deep shade of cherry red across every inch. Against the rosy backdrop were several slashes of black paint strokes all randomly arranged, as well as a bunch of splash effects of white paint over that. Troy's head turned sideways, and his eyes narrowed in confusion as he tried to make anything out of the random collage of colors. Filthy Rich put a hoof to his chin as he stared silently in contemplation, while Fancy Pants narrowed his eyes and peered in closer. The unicorn’s horn lit up so he could adjust the monocle over his eye, which helped magnify the piece and give him a better assessment.

"Hmm…” Fancy Pants cocked his head and tried looking from a different angle. As for Filthy Rich, it was obvious that he wasn't as encaptured as his client. While Fancy hummed to himself and scanned every inch, Filthy looked back at Canvas with his thick eyebrows skewed.

"Um… are you surethis is what you wanna be showin' to a pony like him?" He knew that Filthy wasn’t trying to sound too judgemental, but Canvas still tried his hardest not to wince at the stallion’s perplexed tone. "I mean, it's alright, I guess. Trust me, I’m not tryin’ to be insulting. But still… don't you think you should focus more on--”

"Well, I quite like it!"

Filthy Rich and Canvas both turned to Fancy Pants, who was now gazing at the painting with an exuberant look in his eyes. Filthy looked surprised by his response, but Canvas was struggling not to smile too excitedly. "I've always had an interest in interpretive pieces. Some ponies might not see the appeal, but I always found abstract art to be rather captivating. The right piece always seems to speak to anypony who looks at it, and not one pony sees it in the same way." Fancy Pants looked back at Canvas with a prideful smile. "And I happen to know of an associate back in Canterlot who would lovesomething like this!"

"Really?" Canvas' eyes shot open in delight, clearly happy about the prospect of already making a sale so soon. “I-I mean, uhhh… Should I provide some contact info?”

“Actually, I think I have an easier solution for both of us." The unicorn looked back at the piece, and then around the room to make sure the space had adequate lighting. "Hmmm… Would you mind if I take a picture to show her?"

Canvas blinked in confusion. He tried to figure out how in Equestria this pony was going to do that. He couldn't see a camera anywhere on the stallion, and the only ones he had seen were bulky enough to requireback harnesses to keep them in place. "Umm… sure, I guess...”

“Ah, thank you!” Fancy Pants lit up his horn, and used his magic to pull out a small camera from the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket. Canvas' eyes widened in surprise when he saw how tiny the camera was; it was small enough to fit in his hoof. To think that technology had come such a long way in recent years. Troy was also bewildered at the device; the way he stared at Fancy’s camera from his perch atop the wall resembled an owl when it spotted its prey.

With a quick flash of light, Fancy Pants took the photo in an instant before levitating the camera back into his pocket. He adjusted his collar with his amber-hued magic, and then froze for a moment until he gasped in revelation.

"Oh that’s right!” Fancy turned back to Canvas with an optimistic smile. “I almost forgot, but I happen to know where she's going to be! I'm planning on meeting her at a social in Baltimarelater this week. Have you ever been there?"

Canvas tried not to wince as he shook his head. “No, I honestly haven’t. Sorry.”

"Oh, don’t worry about that,” he assured Canvas with a wave of his manicured hoof. “There’s always plenty of time to travel for ponies your age. But if you're interested, I would lovefor you to attend the social as well."

Canvas did a double take and reeled his head back in shock. "W-wait, what!? Are… are you serious right now?"

“Absolutely.” The unicorn levitated a piece of paper and a pen out from his jacket. "I know this may seem a bit sudden, but I think your artwork is simply exquisite. And since you’re just starting your own business, this could be a great opportunity to get your hoof in the door. Not to mention, I’m certain that your paintings could make quitethe splash amongst my associates and friends."

Canvas stood frozen. Did some rich unicorn just invite him to a huge elite social event? Just because of his art? Was this some elaborate dream crafted by Princess Luna herself? Or was it just a huge setup to a joke?

Fortunately, Canvas could see the genuine interest and sincerity on Fancy Pants' face. If anything, it truly seemed that Fancy Pants was wanting not to use him for his personal gain or exploitation, but to help out a rising artist who he saw potential in.

Canvas eventually looked back at Troy, who was already smiling cheerfully for him. "You know what? I totally think you should do it, dude! I mean, you were hoping to find some more clients, right?"

“I agree with your friend one hundred percent!,” said Filthy Rich, sounding equally convinced. "I've known Fancy Pants here for years, and I can't think of too many ponies I trust more than him. So, what do you say?"

Canvas could feel his heart racing from the three pairs of eyes staring, waiting for an answer. Canvas looked down at the ground, biting his lip briefly before taking a deep breath. This was a big chance for him, but so was everything else that happened over the past couple of months. Heck, he was lucky to even be alive, let alone in a situation with this much promise laid out before him...

It only took a few seconds of thought, but Canvas looked back at the unicorn with a confident grin, and gave his answer. "Well… If you really think my work will make an impression, I’d be more than happy to accept your invitation."

Canvas’ hoof trembled a bit while shaking Fancy’s in agreement, but he couldn’t have felt happier.

Due to the scorching weather that struck Equestria without warning, the number of ponies waiting at the Ponyville Train Station was surprisingly small. Cloudsdale’s weather teams tried their hardest to maintain the incoming summer heat waves, but there were only so many clouds to spread around for shade and cooler temperatures. And since Ponyville’s teams had to place emphasis on the Schoolhouse for children’s safety, most of the town’s adults were trying to keep cool indoors as much as they could.

Regardless, neither the heat nor the lack of crowds seemed to faze Canvas too badly (aside from a couple beads of sweat lingering across his brow). The stallion sat patiently by himself at the bench, waiting for his train to Baltimare. Several large canvas boards of his finished works were securely strapped together and sitting alongside his personal bags. The luggage fees may have been a pain, but Canvas was mostly grateful he wouldn't have to walk that far with the load until he reached the city.

Canvas instinctively wiped his head with his foreleg, cringing a little when he saw how much sweat had already soaked into his fur. He grabbed a water bottle from his art bag, when suddenly, a quick 'whoosh' hit him with a cool gust of wind. The stallion shivered a little from the surprisingly pleasant breeze, and quickly looked up to the skies for the source.

A bright trail of rainbow light was already fading as Rainbow Dash landed at the end of the train station. She wiped her brow before quickly trotting up to Canvas, though she looked exhausted from flying around in the heat unprotected.

"Hey Canvas!" she shouted before pausing for a second and breathing out slowly. The mare then slowed down her pace as she continued walking, almost as if she regretted trying to move that quickly in this weather. "Hey, before you go to Baltimare, you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, I gue--” Canvas’ words stopped as Rainbow Dash came in closer. His eyes widened in shock from how parched she appeared. Her cyan fur was damp and matted to her skin with sweat, making her coat look a shade darker than usual. When she finally reached Canvas, he could hear her heavy panting as she tried to catch her breath. He quickly pulled out a second water bottle, and hoofed it to her before he spoke again. "Here you go, Rainbow. You reallyshouldn't be pushing yourself."

"Oh, thanks!" Rainbow Dash's voice came out in a light gasp as she snatched the bottle, and she chugged half of it down in an instant. She gasped a few times, looking relieved to get some hydration in her system. After shuddering from the brisk relief to her drying tongue, Rainbow's voice came out slightly less raspier than before. "I just had to get some clouds over the retirement home. I usually have my sports drinks on me, but I went through all of them this morning."

Rainbow Dash took a few more breaths before finishing her bottle, and then tossing it back to Canvas. "So anyway, I was hoping to ask… What do you know about Troy?"

"Umm… What do you mean?"

"Well…” Rainbow wiped more sweat off her face. "The guy's been working reallyhard the past few weeks, and he’s been making a good impression with the rest of the crew. And since he hangs out with youso much, I figure you might know what I could get him for his birthday next week."

"Oh, that’s a nice ide--Wait, WHAT!?" Canvas shot up from his seat. "His birthday is next week!?"

"Well, yeah." Rainbow answered with a shrug, like it was common knowledge. She didn’t seem to notice the bug-eyed look she was receiving. "I am his boss, you know! I kinda have to know his personal info."

Canvas he couldn’t help shrugging over that fair point.

"Anyways, since you're his closest friend and all, I figured that maybe you know what he likes."

Canvas pulled his head back and stared at Rainbow Dash in confusion. "Wait, you mean... I'm his closest friend?"

Now it was Rainbow’s turn to look confused. "Well, duh! Of courseyou are! I mean, he spends most of his time outside work with you! What did you thinkhe was?"

"I…” Canvas’ words trailed off as he stared down at his hooves, looking dumbfounded. He knew that they hung out a lot, and they certainly had a lot of fun; and though he considered Troy to be hisbest friend, he didn't think that their friendship was that mutual. He figured that since Troy lived in Cloudsdale for so long, he probably had a lot of other friends there. Heck, it was weird enough to think that he was a closer friend to Troy than most gryphons back in his homeland. After shaking his head, Canvas stared at the mare suspiciously and asked, "If that's true, then why didn't he tell me about his birthday? I mean, that's kindof a big thing not to tell a friend, you know!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and sighed in response. "Dude, it’s not like that at all. If anything, Troy probably doesn’t care about his own birthday.”

“Wait… How could someone not care about their birthday!?”

“I have no idea, but gryphons have this weirdthing about not celebrating their birthdays. I think they see it as being like… narcissistic or something? I’m not entirely sure, but I remember that detail when I had a gryphon as a friend back in the flight academy. She was really weirded out by birthday parties and stuff.”

Canvas wasn’t sure how to feel about such a foreign concept. Regardless, he was still mostly pondering the fact that hewas Troy’s best friend. The gryphon had moved to Equestria a few months before they met, so how could he have made such an impact on him in such a short amount of time? Was that why Troy hung out with him so often? Was that why he didn’t talk much about the friends he had back in the Gryphon Kingdom? But most of all… How lonely would Troy have been if he hadn’t found Canvas back in that storm?

Rainbow waited a moment while the stallion thought things over. When she overheard the engines of the train in the distance, however, she decided to speed things up, and placed a hoof on Canvas’ shoulder. "Seriously though, Canvas? Troy really doeslike being around you. I…”

The mare bit her lip and looked around, making sure nopony was eavesdropping on them. "I shouldn't be saying this to you, but... I’m pretty sure you'rethe reason he's being so social now. I mean, not many ponies knew about him until that storm prep, and he'd been around Cloudsdale for a whilebefore that. But ever since he helped you out and started hanging around Ponyville, he's been a lot more outgoing and stuff."

Rainbow then let go of Canvas’ shoulder, and added with a sincere smile, "I mean it, dude. He may have helped you first, but... overall, I think you’re helping him a lotmore."

Rainbow Dash hoped that her words made an impact. Canvas just stood there with a befuddled look on his face. He and Troy had developed a solid friendship from the start, but Canvas wouldn’t have assumed the gryphon saw him as much more than some pony he helped out. But after hearing Dash’s honest assessment about him, Canvas couldn’t help blushing from the realization. A realization that put Canvas in higher spirits than before.

After a smile creeped on Canvas' muzzle, he looked up at Rainbow Dash to see she had a satisfied grin of her own. Before either could say anything, a blaring voice boomed over the train station’s speakers.

"Next train boarding! Baltimare! Next train boarding!"

Both ponies saw the train pull in from the distance, the steam engines chugging along as it made its arrival. When the steam engine finally entered the station at a crawling pace, plumes of smoke from its stacks rumbled up to the skies while steam emanated from underneath. Canvas quickly picked up his bags and artwork, and began to haul all the things over his back.

"Welp, this is my train!" Canvas made sure everything was on him as the train doors opened up. While several ponies made their way out of the passenger car, Canvas glanced back at the mare and said, "Hey, Rainbow."

"Hm?"

"Thank you. You know... for telling me all that."

The pegasus shot a warm smile back at him, but didn’t feel the need to say anything else. Canvas climbed into the passenger car after it emptied out, and was one of the first ponies to get into a vacant seat. Before Rainbow could fly off and get back to work, she heard Canvas' voice call out to her from a train window.

"He likes opera!”

Dash paused. She looked back with a face that carried a mix of surprise and disgust. "Wait, really? Opera!?"

Canvas happily nodded, and tried his hardest not to giggle at her confounded look. "Seriously, he likes opera music!"

Rainbow Dash paused, then chuckled. “You know what? That’s something I never would’ve guessed! Thanks, Canvas!”

The train doors eventually closed, and the engines fired back up to make its departure. Rainbow made sure to wave Canvas goodbye before the train could leave. The artist happily waved back at her, and then disappeared back through the window once the car began to move. Though she felt fine enough to fly right off again, Rainbow Dash waited until the train was out of sight before she flew off.

“Hmmm…” The mare’s muzzle skewed in thought as she soared through the muggy skies and she muttered to herself. “I wonder if Rarityhas any good opera albums to recommend…”

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Four: Surprises

"Thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine, and… forty!"

Canvas looked on with a tired, but satisfied smile as he marveled at the large wall of white paint cans in front of him. Because of his success in Baltimare, he was able to buy all the supplies he needed to finally paint his house. Canvas knew that it would take a lot of hard work, even for several ponies at once. He had the time to start on it today, but he didn't feel like doing anything that tricky after just getting back home to Ponyville.

Not to mention, he certainlydidn't want to start any work on his friend's birthday.

Canvas headed toward the backwoods that would lead him to Troy's place. Since he remembered what happened last timehe tried venturing through the forest, Canvas pulled out several lines of orange rope from his art bag before trotting off. He wasn’t an expert on wilderness survival, but he did learn a few pointers over the years; and in this case, Canvas made sure to tie one of the orange ropes to the base of a tree every twenty feet so that he could retrace his steps.

Once the forest line became more familiar, Canvas couldn’t help smiling to himself in success. Of course, he continued to tie more rope to the trees he passed until he saw the clearing. Once he finally made it to the region that hosted Troy’s cloud, Canvas looked back contentedly to see the clear trail of orange that would guide him back home.

Despite how embarrassed Troy was the last time he was caught, Canvas was secretly hoping that his friend would be singing some more. Granted, that was less to do with seeing a funny reaction, and more because his voice was legitimatelygood. Unfortunately, all he could hear was Troy’s snoring from his cloud. He knew it was Troy's day off, but he was still surprised to see that he wasn't up yet. Canvas knew it was likely a bad idea to wake up a dozing gryphon, but he nervously cleared his throat before calling out to him.

"Good morning, Troy!"

A disgruntled groan could be heard, and Canvas tried his hardest not to instinctively grow worried about his own well-being. Fortunately for him, after an irritated gryphon's head popped out from the cloud’s side, Troy's expression immediately went from annoyance to pleased surprise. "Oh, hey Canvas!"

Troy quickly flew down to land in front of Canvas, and appeared rather cheerful despite his ruffled feathers. "Where have you been, man? I thought that Baltimare trip was only going to be for a day or two! I was this close to asking Twilight if something happened."

Upon seeing how closely Troy was holding two of his talons together for emphasis, Canvas tried not to feel too guilty while smiling back at him. "Well, it was supposedto be, but that social went really well for me! The paintings I brought with me sold like hotcakes, and I ended up taking a few commissions on the spot! It took me a few extra days to get all the clients’ works finalized, but the pay was more than worth it!”

Troy’s face lit up excitedly, and he put out his claw for Canvas to bump. “Dude, that’s awesome! I told you that trip would be worth it!”

“Yeah, I’ll fully admit you were right there.” Canvas smiled warmly as he bumped the gryphon’s clenched claw. He then added with a cheekier tone, “Plus... With my extra earnings, I was lucky to get enough bits for your birthday gift."

Troy's eyes widened before his face drooped down, and he groaned under his breath. "Ugh… Seriously, Canvas? You really didn't have to buy me a gift for my birthday."

Canvas raised his eyebrows in confoundment. "Wow, Rainbow Dash wasright! Do you seriously not celebrate your own birthday?"

"Well…" Noticing how baffled the pony looked, Troy looked away with an awkward skew of his beak. He straightened out the ruffled feathers across his neck as he tried to explain. "Back in the Gryphon Kingdom, most of us don't really see the point of it. I mean, it’s not like we don’t celebrate anything, but we don’t see the reason to celebrate the day we're born. It just seems kinda narcissistic, you know? Like, 'Hey, I survived another year! Buy me something!'"

Canvas narrowed his eyes as he tried to fathom the gryphon's words. It was as if Troy tried to explain quantum physics to him in traditional Zebrican. "Seriously? That's kind of a cynical way to think about birthdays, dude!"

Troy could understand how a pony could be so befuddled, but all he could do was shrug. "Hey, that's just how I was raised. I mean, I get it's a big thing around here, but it just seems weird to me."

Canvas looked like he wanted to say something more, but instead he sighed and nodded in understanding. He then regrew his optimistic smile. "Well, considering that you’re my friend, it seems only fair to show my appreciation. And since you literallysaved my life, I’m notgonna apologize for getting you a birthday gift."

If it wasn’t for that last part, Troy likely would’ve tried to say otherwise about accepting a gift. But given the circumstances, he mirrored Canvas’ grin all the same. "Well, thank you. So… do you have it with you?"

"Actually, ummm...” Canvas made sure to look around before continuing his answer. "I can’t give it to you now. But if you’re not doing anything, can you be at my place at eight tonight?"

Troy pondered for a moment, but didn’t seem too weirded-out by his friend’s request. "Well… I know I was supposed to help out at Lyra and Bon-Bon's place today for some candy tasting, but that's about it…"

Troy didn't notice Canvas’ smirk, which was most likely due to the pony knowing something he didn’t. But upon realizing his schedule was clear after that meeting, Troy nodded in acceptance. "Alright, that sounds good. I'll be there at eight."

Canvas' smile grew even bigger than before, and his tail wagged excitedly enough to smack against his cutie marks. "Great! I gotta get some other things done today, but trust me! I think you're really gonna like it!"

Since both of them had plans, Canvas and Troy said their goodbyes before the pony started heading back to the woods. However, he stopped at the treeline to turn back to Troy, and shouted out, “Oh! And one more thing! Be sureyou come alone."

Troy cocked his head in confusion. "Umm… why?"

Canvas didn’t give an answer, and merely winked at him with a coy smirk. "Just trust me, okay?"

Troy wasn't sure what to think about Canvas’ request, despite his reassuring smile. Still, if the gryphon learned anything from the time he spent with Canvas, it was that he wasn’t the kind of pony to screw him over. After giving a quick sigh, Troy nodded back. “Oh, alright then. I trust you, Canvas.”

The stallion shot his friend a thankful smile, and then waved him goodbye before disappearing back into the woods. When the pony was out of eyesight, Troy looked back up at his cloud, not sure of what he was going to do until the afternoon. After shrugging to himself, Troy spoke to nobody in particular. “Eh, I might as well shower before visiting Lyra and Bon-Bon. It’s not like anything bigis gonna happen…”

"SURPRISE!!"

“GAAAHHH!!!” Just as Troy opened the door to Lyra and Bon-Bon's sweet shop, he shot back out into the street in shock. His pupils were as thin as pin-pricks as he stared wide-eyed back at the crowd of ponies inside the building. Most of the ponies looked surprised at his reaction, but they weren’t worried enough to keep a mass of giggles from following suit. Troy’s feathers were so ruffled that he looked like a puffball with a beak.

After groaning under his breath, Troy quickly rubbed his feathers back down while the ponies kept snickering. Even though he should’ve realized it from the get-go, it turned out the whole ‘candy testing’ thing was just a ruse for a surprise party.

However, once Troy got his feathers straightened out and his heart rate back to normal, the party went alright. He was fairly surprised that none of his coworkers or Rainbow Dash showed up (or Canvas, for that matter), but Troy didn't mind that much as he conversed with Pinkie Pie and others who were there.

As he drank his thirdbottle of watermelon soda, Lyra and Bon-Bon walked up to him with cheeky smiles. Lyra had two wrapped gifts levitating in her magic. "Happy Birthday, Troy!" said Bon-Bon.

“Oh! Uhhh… thank you!” Even though Troy wouldn’t say that the mares weren’t friends of his, he was still surprised that these two would go all-out for him. He considered the two to be more friends of Canvasthan himself, so Troy smiled meekly as they hoofed him the gifts. "Wow, I… I don’t know what to say. I can't believe you two would do all this for me."

"Well, why not?" said Lyra with a skewed brow and a sassy grin. "You're a really good friend to Canvas, so I don’t see why we wouldn't help out. Besides, Pinkie Pie was the one who did most of this."

The couple glanced back at the pink mare, who was now dancing on the shop counter with a lampshade on her head. The mare’s antics were enough to incite a ton of laughter from the other patrons, but Bon-Bon looked worried over whether the glass counter was going to hold Pinkie's weight. Meanwhile, Lyra just chuckled and turned back to Troy. "Seriously, I have noidea how she does this all the time without getting worn out. She just loves throwing parties, no matter the occasion."

"Yeah, I can see that,” Troy said while staring at the borderline-insane pony. After shaking his head in disbelief, he turned back to Lyra with a curious look. "Speaking of Canvas, though... I'm kinda surprised he's not here."

"Well, he didsay something about getting some paintings started when we met him at the train station…” Lyra tapped the bottom of her chin with a hoof, and then looked up at Troy to ask, “Didn't he say anything to you?"

"Well…” Troy thought back to their conversation earlier that morning. The topic of incoming paintings didn’t come up, but he recalled what Canvas said about a gift for him tonight. "I didpromise Canvas I’d be at his place at eight for something. He wouldn't tell me what, though."

"Oh, really?~" Lyra grew a devilish-looking grin and perked her brows suggestively. "Is it a date?"

Troy merely scoffed and rolled his eyes. "No, it's not. Canvas is just a friend, alright? He just wanted to give me a birthday gift, and he wanted to show up alone."

Troy hoped that would end her suspicion, but that last detail made Lyra cheekily stare at him a little longer. Fortunately, she didrevert back to a regular smile eventually, and let the gryphon’s response slide with a shrug.

"So what are you waiting for?" asked Bon-Bon, pointing a hoof at the unopened gifts still in Troy's claws. "It’s not the boxes themselves we’re gifting, you know! Presents have things inside of them~"

“Wow.” Lyra eyed her wife coyly. “And you call me sassy.”

“Hey, it’s totally fine,” said Troy assuredly. “I probably would’ve said something like that if I thought of it.” The gryphon opened the first present, giving Bon-Bon the chance to stick out her tongue teasingly back at Lyra. The unicorn huffed in response with a forgiving smile, and used her magic to pick up the shreds of yellow and blue wrapping paper Troy ripped from the box. A large smile grew on Troy's beak when he saw it was a large bag of Lemon Drops, freshly crafted by the candy-maker. "Wow! This is really thoughtful, Bon-Bon! Thank you so much!"

Bon-Bon grinned proudly. Lyra interjected with a cautious expression. "You better be careful, Troy. I swear the last time she made lemon candies, one of them tried to biteme!"

“Ugh!” Bon-Bon instantly turned to her spouse with a bitter scowl. "For crying out loud, can you quit saying that?! I keep telling you, the hard candy probably shrank in your mouth from the saliva! Seriously, how can candy even bite somepony? It's almost as crazy as the time you said you saw a humanlooking through our window!"

Lyra’s glare immediately turned serious as she eyed her wife intensely, and spoke with an unrelenting tone of voice. "There was a human. He was wearing a pink hat!”

The moment Troy saw Bon-Bon roll her eyes with an umanused groan, he returned his attention to the second gift before the two could start bickering. This one was a smaller box wrapped with a familiar mint-green paper. He opened the top flap, and his brows rose in surprise when he saw a small cassette player with a pair of matching headphones. "Wow, a walkman?” he asked with a huge smile. “That's awesome, Lyra! I've been meaning to get something like this for my flights."

Lyra quickly stopped arguing, and turned her attention back to Troy with a thankful smile. "Yeah, I figured you might enjoy that. Also…”

Using her magic, Lyra pulled out a small card from behind the counter and levitated it to Troy. "I wasn't sure what kind of music you liked, so here's a gift card for that music store in Cloudsdale. I've had it on me for a while, but I haven't been able to use it for obvious reasons. I don’t want it to go to waste, so here you go!"

Troy’s eyes widened in shock when he took the card and saw the amount was worth. “Holy crap, fortybits?! This is really nice of you, Lyra!"

"Hey, that's what friends are for. I know that wedon’t hang out with you as much as Canvas, but we still appreciate everything you’ve been doing. Not just for him, but for Ponyville too.”

A small blush came up across Troy’s cheeks, and his chest felt a little lighter. He couldn’t deny how nice they’ve been to him whenever they met up. He also couldn’t help glancing around the shop with a touched look as he thought about Lyra’s words.

He saw all the cheerful ponies hanging out and laughing without a care in the world, and Troy’s smile grew wider when he thought back to when he started working for the weather patrol. Despite how strangely they may have reacted to seeing a gryphon around town on the regular, the town’s citizens quickly warmed up to his presence. Unlike back home in the Gryphon Kingdom, ponies didn’t hesitate to show their kindness and generosity whenever Troy finished a hard day’s work. And while he still thought birthday parties were an odd thing to do, Troy didn’t mind it one bit in the end. He turned his attention back to Lyra and Bon-Bon, trying his hardest not to look too emotional.

"Yeah, it… It really means a lot to hear that. And you guys are really good friends too."

Lyra and Bon-Bon hugged him. Troy closed his eyes as he hugged them back, making sure not to cling too tightly and accidentally hurt them. Troy then felt a large weight pressing down on his back, and heard Pinkie Pie’s voice as she shouted, "Oh, come on! I want to be part of the group hug too!"

After the party died down, Troy helped Lyra and Bon-Bon with cleaning up the shop, despite how much they tried to claim that wasn’t necessary. The cleanup wasn’t too taxing, but he was surprised by how many candy wrappers were strewn around the place. A few final hugs and goodbyes later, Troy decided to venture off to Cloudsdale to make use of his gift card. The mare behind the record store counter seemed somewhat taken aback when he entered the place, but Troy didn’t try to feel too judged while scanning through the store’s music selection.

Troy was surprised by how much pricier tapes were in comparison to records, so he only bought a few opera cassettes for his flights. At the counter, he also decided to get a tape placed near the register: a cassette with a grey mare on the cover holding a cello, titled ‘Octavia: Concerto in Canterlot.’

After his items were rung up, Troy added the batteries to his walkman as he walked out of the store. He then put the Octavia cassette in, pressed play, and flew off.

Troy liked listening to opera while flying overall, but doing it with a cassette and headphones was a muchbetter experience than anything else. It used to be that if he wanted to fly around with music, he’d have to settle with soaring in circles around his record player on the ground. Now, the sounds of the different instruments flowed to Troy's ears through his new headphones, and carried a lot more clarity that made him grin the entire time he glided back home.

When he reached his lake and cloud, Troy was pleased to see that nopony else was around. Since he was alone again, Troy quickly popped out the Octavia cassette (which was actually impressive for an earth pony) while hovering in the air, and pulled out one of the other tapes in his satchel.

He grinned to himself as he selected one particular tape, titled ‘Rigoletto.’ He may not have cared too much about birthdays, but he was willing to use his own as an excuse to listen to one of his favorite tracks. He quickly fast-forwarded the tape to a particular section, and his wings fluttered in the air when he found the specific song he was looking for. Troy cleared his throat as he heard the orchestral arrangement with crystal clarity.

The vintage strings began to play out the beginning parts, and the gryphon spread his wings out as he flew around the clear skies. His body flipped around like an acrobat, but his headphones stayed secure on his head. Troy felt fantastic knowing he could go all-out while singing in the air, with no fears of being unable to hear the music due to high winds. He couldn’t have appreciated the portability of his new device more than in that moment.

With nopony in sight, Troy spun around like crazy as he let the music take over. His nerves tingled from the elating energy flowing through his body, and he began to sing. His operatic voice belted out passionately amongst the silent skies.

“La donna, mobileeee!! Qual piuma al vento!! muta d'accento, e di pensiero…
Sempre un amabileeee, leggiadro visoo… in pianto o in riso, menzognero…”

His voice grew even louder, and Troy started flying higher upward. With no restraints, the ability to fly so high and still hear the music clearly in his grasp now, Troy felt ecstatic.

“La donna, mobil… qual piuma al vento…”

Troy stopped when he was several hundred feet in the air, and hovered in the skies as he sang the next long verse.

“Muta d'acc - eeeeeento…”

Troy quickly shot down to the lake with his wings pulled in. All the while, he kept singing, his voice picking back up.

“E di pensier!!”

His wings shot back out just a few feet above the lake, and Troy glided over the shimmering water like an eagle keen on catching a fish. As the motion of his flight caused a sizable wave behind him, Troy continued soaring, and singing, a mere few inchesfrom the surface.

“E di pensier!!!”

Troy quickly landed on the ground, leaving an impressive skid mark on the grass, and belted out the first big finish of the song to the nature around him. The tidal wave he created crashed just a few feet behind him, which accompanied his lingering notes with a fine mist.

“Eeeeeeee... E di pensier!!!”

With a huge grin on his face, and an unrelenting rush of excitement, Troy shot back up to the skies as he sang the song’s second half. The gryphon performed several barrel-rolls and flips through the air, his singing filling the serenity of the forest. As he reached the end of the song, Troy landed on the edge of his cloud, and lingered at the outside of his entrance as he got to the final big finish.

“EeeEEeeEE DIIII…”

Troy bursted inside of his cloud with a theatrical raising of his claw, and sang out the last part with gusto like he was on a grand stage:

“PEN-SIEEEEEEeeeaaaahhh!!!!”

Troy's voice went from a powerful belt to an inaudible screech halfway through the line. The very moment his eyes reopened, Troy ended up standing in his room with a look of frozen shock. Standing in front of him, in his living quarters, were Rainbow Dash and the rest of the weather team. Much like Troy, the ponies remained deathly silent while staring at the gryphon with their jaws wide open.

Above the group, a banner was hung from the top of the cloud structure that read, ‘Happy Birthday Troy!’

Of course, Troy didn't notice the banner, for he was too busy trying not to piss himself. He stayed silent, his beak hung open and his claw still up in the air; the music from his cassette player could still be heard coming out of his headphones.

After what felt like an eternity, Troy slowly used his other claw to shakily press the 'stop' button on his walkman. Unfortunately, the abrupt pause to his orchestrals meant that he was stuck in a veryawkward bout of silence while facing his work crew. The only sound that could be heard was the rapid breathing from Rainbow Dash's snout, whose face was scrunched in while trying not to burst out laughing.

Troy’s feathers started to ruffle out from his body, and his face began twitching uncontrollably by the time he tried to speak. Unfortunately, his voice came out in a veryfaint creak.

"... Why… are you in my house…?”

Holding a hoof to her muzzle, Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes shut and tried to control her muffled snickering. The other ponies had to look away from the gryphon, mostly due to how stunned they were from the impromptu performance they just heard him performing outside. Meanwhile, Dash’s words came out in one quick breath.

"... Mmf… ggng… itwasasurpriseparty… mmhmmm…”

While the rest of the weather crew either just stood in shock or tried to muffle their own laughter, Troy's outward claw finally came down to the floor. Of course, his talons were still shaking alongside the rest of his body as he desperatelytried to think of anything to say. Knowing very well that his cloud wasn't soundproof, he could only stand in his stunned state from the realization that his boss, and all his coworkers, just listened to him sing the entirety of ‘La Donna É Mobile’.

His feathers were now fully ruffled out, which drew even moresnickering from his coworkers. Troy managed to speak once more, his voice now slightlymore audible, but the strong twitches from his bulging eyes made it look like he was either going to have a heart-attack, or do something that would lead to several ponies being thrown out of his cloud.

"... I-I… already HAD a surprise party…”

Rainbow Dash's legs started shaking as she looked away from Troy, and several more chortles slipped from her clenched muzzle. She tried to nod to Troy’s point, but she already looked like she was laughing from how much her head was convulsing up and down.

"... That… Th-That was the surprise!”

She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Rainbow Dash fell to the floor with tears trailing down her face as she howled in laughter. Even though Troy looked like he was going to go into full-on murder mode against them, the rest of the weather crew couldn't contain themselves either. In less than a minute, the sound of Troy’s singing was replaced with the uproar of laughter that echoed far across the field below his cloud.

"Another round for my buddy here, the birthday boy!" shouted Rainbow Dash, looking to be in high spirits with a hoof wrapped around Troy’s shoulder.

The weather crew cheered again while bunched together across the counter of the Cloudsdale sports bar. Troy couldn’t help smiling as well, and took another shot as he sat on his tiny stool. Despite how furious he felt at having his coworkers laughing at him in his own home, he managed to loosen up a little after they all quickly apologized afterward.

Troy didn't plan on doing anything else that afternoon, so he felt alright about going with them to celebrate his birthday. After a few shots and some good laughs, Troy was beginning to warm up to the whole ‘birthday’ thing.

Two of his coworkers started to chat with him at the bar. The duo, who Troy knew to be Flitter and Cloud Chaser, seemed especiallyinterested in talking with him some more after the whole cloud incident. They were identical twins, with matching shades of light-purple coats and light-blue manes; the only real distinctive difference between them was the pink bow in Flitter's mane, which bobbed up and down as she cheerfully sang his praises. "So Troy, do you like, sing professionally? Because you could totally get yourself a singing career with that voice!”

"Yeah, totally!" said Cloud Chaser as she dipped her head next to her sister's. "If you sold an album, we’d both buy copies of it the opening day!"

As genuine as their compliments may have been, Troy just scoffed to himself and turned away from them. "No, no, I haven't. And I don't really plan to, thank you very much."

"Aw, come ooon!” The mares whined in unison. When he glanced back at them, he saw that Flitter and Cloud Chaser looked legitimately disappointed. Flitter continued. "Seriously, you should totally try singing at, like, concerts and stuff! I mean, I don’t even listen to opera, but I would totally pay a ticket for that!"

“A-And not as a joke either!” clarified Cloudchaser, followed by a firm nod from her sister. “Like, you could give a stellar performance if you really tried for it.”

"I can’t believe I'm saying this,” said Rainbow Dash, who caught Troy’s attention from his other side, “but I agree with both of them."

Troy turned his head back to Rainbow Dash with his brows raised in surprise. Considering how loudly she was cracking up from his performance just a couple hours ago, he wasn’t expecting her to compliment him now while munching on a plate of mozzarella sticks. After downing another deep-fried stick of goodness, the pegasus looked back at him with a smirk. "I mean, I hate opera! I can’t see why Rarity or Twilight like it so much. But I have to say, you really do have a knack for singing the stuff, dude! I mean, I don't think I'd actually payto listen to that kind of thing, but I knowa lot of ponies would."

Troy may have been skeptical about his abilities to say the least, but he had to nod in confoundment over his coworkers’ praises. Not to mention, he could tell from Rainbow’s insistent tone that she truly meant every word she said. As the gryphon stared off toward the bottles on the wall across from them, Rainbow huffed with a shrug and added, "I mean, I knew Canvas said you liked opera and all, but he never told me you, like, sang it!"

"Wait, when did he tell you that?" Troy was surprised that Canvas mentioned anything of the sort to his boss.

"I caught him at the train station before he went to Baltimare,” she replied casually between bites of her mozzarella sticks. “I asked him what would be a good gift for you, and he told me you liked opera. How did you think I knew to get you that record?"

"Ohhh." Troy slowly nodded, and was quick to recall the opera record she had gifted him back in his cloud. Though she was still giggling when she presented it, she was also really glad when he mentioned it was one he was planning to buy. All the other gifts from his coworkers were thoughtful as well, including a new satchel, some Wonderbolts patches from the twins, and a reallynice pair of claw trimmers from Thunderlane. Nevertheless, the album collection of Cosí Fan Tutte from Rainbow Dash was claws-down Troy’s favorite present from the group.

Over the course of his second surprise party, Troy began to feel less insecure about his hobby as more of them raved about his singing. At first, he thought that Canvas was just complimenting him because he was his friend; but now, the gryphon was trying his hardest not to blushas everypony else went on about how great he was.

While half of them tried to get him to use the karaoke machine nearby (which was about as fruitless as teaching Pinkie Pie how to sit still), Troy glanced up at a nearby clock on the wall. His eyes shot wide-open when he saw that it was already close to seven o'clock.

"Yeesh, we've been here thatlong? Troy downed the remainder of his pint in one go, and was just about to get himself off his stool. “I gotta get back home so I can meet up with Canvas at eight."

"What for?" asked Rainbow Dash after downing her mug of root beer.

"Oh, he said he had a birthday gift for me, so I'm gonna head there to see what it is."

"Ooohh, I see." Rainbow Dash gave the gryphon a cheeky grin, which looked verysimilar to the one Lyra gave at his first party. Troy paused before he could get out of his seat.

"Okay, what is it?” Troy wasn’t willing to put up with much more after the cloud incident, and was quick to shoot a warning glare back at her. “Seriously, I reallydon't see what the big deal is!"

Seeing his irritation, Rainbow Dash turned her expression a bit more serious, albeit still smiling a bit. "Nothing, nothing at all!"

Troy could tell there was something. He was about to let it go, nonetheless, until she added, "I'm just surprised to see you dating, that's all."

“UGH!” Troy’s groan was loud enough to catch the attention of several of his coworkers, who turned to see him rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Oh, come on! You too?!"

Troy looked irritated at her assumption, and spoke up before Dash could get the chance to defend herself. "It is nota date, Rainbow! I'm just visiting a friend, and that's allhe is! Just because I hang out with a gay friend doesn’t mean anything, and I think youwould know better than to make assumptions like that!" He sighed deeply while glancing away from her, which kept him from noticing Rainbow Dash biting her lip in guilt.

"Umm…” Rainbow felt uneasy as she squirmed in her stool, but only needed to let out a light huff before saying sincerely, “I'm sorry, Troy. You're right. I shouldn't make assumptions like that."

"Nah, it's alright,” assured Troy apologetically. “I'm sorry for snapping at you. You didn’t deserve that. It's just that Lyra thought that too. It's really weird, you know?"

He knew he had to get home soon, but Troy decided to remain in his stool for a little while longer. Rainbow Dash nodded in understanding, and waited a moment to make sure he really wasn't mad at her. She was sure he was going to get snippy, but she couldn’t help speaking up. “You know, the two of you do spend a lot of time together…”

"So? Is that so bad?" He didn't like where Rainbow was getting at, even though he knew she had a fair point. "He's a good friend, and he's pretty cool to hang out with. Besides, he’s really been helping me be more social recently, so I don't see why everypony’s making such a big deal."

"It's not a big deal. Really.” Rainbow finished her mug. She didn’t want any awkward silence between the two of them, so she cleared her throat before asking, "So Troy, did heknow about your singing thing?"

Troy chuckled under his breath. "Yeah, he did. He decided to find me at my cloud right when I was in the middle of Vesti La Giubba." Troy huffed to himself, only to look back at his boss and see her staring back confusedly. "It's a song from Pagliacci, an opera madeby Leo--oh, never mind!"

Troy brushed the rest of his comment away with a swipe of his claw, while Rainbow Dash just shrugged. Then she giggled. "Man, I bet he was surprised to hear you like that!"

A smirk came across Troy's beak as he remembered how Canvas looked.

"Yeah. His face waspretty cute."

Troy downed another drink without realizing what he said. It didn’t take long, however, before he suddenly spat it back out with a shocked look on his face. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was staring at him all bug-eyed, and looked like she was going to have another laugh-attack. The startled gryphon held out his claws and sputtered. "Priceless!! I meant priceless! His face was… priceless. You know, like, funny and stuff. I didn't mean like… like…”

Rainbow's head hit the bar as she started laughing. A few of Troy’s other coworkers heard enough of his comment to struggle not to giggle as well, which caused his face to turn even redder. Not wanting to deal with any more of her pestering, Troy grabbed his satchel and shot off his stool. He made a beeline toward the exit, keeping his head pointed to the ground as he shouted, "I gotta go, guys! See you at work!"

Troy didn't listen to the groans from his coworkers as he walked across the bar, and was instead trying desperatelyto avoid thinking about that slip of the tongue. By the time he reached the door, he didn't look back when he heard Rainbow Dash yelling for him.

"Troy, wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh, jus--"

Her voice cut off as Troy closed the door behind him. Before any of the ponies could have the chance to reel him back in, he spread his wings and flew off. He didn't want to ditch his coworkers like that, but he also didn't want to deal with the awkward aftermath of what he just said. It wasn't like he meantit or anything. It was just a fluke, a miscommunication of words on the gryphon’s behalf.

Troy managed to get back to his lake in record time. He tossed his satchel into the cloud before heading for the waterfall. Since it was close to evening, the waterfall was even colder than usual as Troy plunged his head into the wall of cascading water. The freezing water was more than enough to jolt Troy's conscience from thinking of it any more, and he eventually sighed with a refreshed shiver while droplets rolled off his feathers.

After about ten minutes of lying under the waterfall in silence, Troy silently soared back up to his cloud, still shivering from the freezing temperature. Troy was quick to shake himself off like a wet dog before stepping inside. His satchel remained on the floor, but he couldn’t think to pick it back up while his mind remained numbly blank.

Troy eventually looked at his alarm clock to see it was almost eight. Even though he felt more than a little hesitant to see Canvas after what just happened, Troy knew better than to go back on a promise to his friend. He had to take a deep breath while checking his feathers to make sure they weren't too wet or ruffled. When he stepped from his cloud and spread his wings open, Troy hoped more than anything that he could keep his head clear on his way to Canvas’ place.

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Five: Memories and Meteors

Yeah, his face was pretty cute.

Pretty cute.

Cute.

Troy still couldn't stop thinking about that one bucking word. That’d never happened before, so why did it happen then? He knew it had to be nothing more than a small mix-up of words. It couldn’t have been any other reason; or at least, he didn’t want to think of any other reason.

A gust of wind brushed past him as he soared through the dusk skies, and Troy tried to focus on his surroundings instead. When he saw Canvas' house in the distance, he tried not to take notice of how quickly his heart sank into his stomach. He certainly didn’t want to turn back like a coward, but he also wasn’t sure of what to do when he got there. Surely that slip of the tongue wasn’t enough to make him feel awkward around Canvas.

Would it?

Troy cringed. His own thoughts were betraying him. But before he could do anything to quell his uncertainties, the gryphon suddenly stopped midair.

A distinct scent caught his senses strongly enough to make Troy’s eyes widen and his pupils shrink. It had been monthssince he left the Gryphon Kingdom, but that familiar aroma of salty savoriness still hit him like a bag of bricks. He took several rapid sniffs like a bloodhound, and his sights peered downward when he realized it was coming from Canvas' house. His left eye twitched, and he shot toward the barn like a bullet.

Meanwhile in the barn itself, Canvas was working diligently in his kitchen to get everything done before eight. The process took a bit longer than he’d like to admit, but the pony hoped that Troy wouldn’t be late. As the cast iron skillet cooked the contents inside, Canvas tightened both his ponytail and his apron, not wanting to get hit with the scalding-hot splatter of that grease again. The smell that filled his home was borderline nauseating, but he persisted. He pulled the last of the sizzling pieces out of the skillet with the tongs in his teeth. Then he carefully placed them on a plate lined with paper towels, and brought down the dial on his stove to a simmer for later on.

Canvas was just about to bring the plate to the table, but he nearly dropped it when a loud barrage of knocks came from his door. The stallion yelped sharply enough to make his fur stuck out, so he quickly rubbed his coat back down before putting the plate down, and smirked to himself as he went to answer the door.

“Hey there, birthda--GAAAHHH!!” Canvas inadvertently shrieked when he saw Troy at his door, or rather, the state Troy was in. The gryphon’s stare was downright terrifying, and his upright stance made his body nearly block up the entire doorway. He didn’t say anything, and his eyes darted around like a hawk looking for its kill.

"Umm… h-hey Troy!” said Canvas, trying to recompose himself. “S-So, I just got the--"

"I smell bacon."

Canvas took a second to blink in disbelief, but then gawked as he looked back at the kitchen. "S-seriously?! You can smell it from that far?! I didn't think gryphons could smell tha--"

Troy's face loomed less than an inch from his. The stallion froze up again, and could only glance up at the gryphon staring him down like a hungry dog.

"Did you make bacon?" Troy’s voice bordered between stoic concern and unparalleled need.

Canvas sighed with a smile before taking a few steps back. "Just sit down at the table, buddy."

Canvas trotted back into the kitchen, giving Troy the chance to calm himself down as he walked into his modest abode. Troy noticed that Canvas' living space was much more decorated than the last time he was here. Several small, framed pieces of artwork were now hanging on the walls, and a potted plant rested by the base of the loft stairs. There was also a large decorative rug draped on the floor underneath him, which seemed to go with the décor fairly well.

Troy breathed in the smell of bacon deeply as he sat down in his chair at the dining table. His hind-paws tapped on the floor anxiously, like a little foal at a restaurant in wait for the dessert cart to wheel by. Troy eyed the kitchen door when it opened, which revealed Canvas entering the main room with a large plate in his mouth. Troy's wings shot open when he saw that the plate was filled with a large pile of steaming bacon. The moment Canvas rested the plate on the table, he nearly burst out laughing when he caught sight of Troy’s enamored stare and gaped beak.

"That's… th--that’s… ba… baco… you made…”

"Yeah, I made you bacon,” said Canvas with a prideful grin. “Happy Birthday!"

With the way he shuddered, his claws fidgeting, Troy looked like he was going to eat the entire plate instantly. However, much to Canvas’ surprise, the gryphon didn’t hesitate to shoot a serious glare back at him. "Please do not tell me you killed an animal to make this for me!"

"NO!” Canvas instantly threw his hooves up in a panic. “No, no, no, no! I swear I didn't do anything like that! When I was in Baltimare, I met a guy who sold me the meat! I promise, all I did was cook the meat. I wasn’t beatingit or anything."

Troy would’ve sighed in relief, but that last sentence caused him to clutch his beak shut with both claws so he wouldn’t crack up. Meanwhile, Canvas tilted his head at the gryphon’s immediate response. “Uhhh… what did I do now?”

“N-Nothing! Nothing…” Troy was quick to wave his claw assuredly while trying to control his breathing. He then turned his attention back to the plate in front of him, and stared at the pile of salty pork like it was a gift from Celestia herself. Troy salivated as he breathed out shakily, and his claws slowly loomed towards the pile.Though his impulses were screaming at him to dig in, he struggled not to worry over whether it would actually be meat, or some of that plant-based crap ponies would try to pass off as meat.

"Ugh! Dude, go ahead!” griped Canvas. “You’re looking kinda creepy leaning into the plate like that. Just eatit already!"

Troy didn’t need to be told twice, and instantlysunk his claws into the bacon. A primal groan came out of his beak before he tried shoving half of the pile into his open maw. Various chunks of bacon fell from his beak, sprinkling back onto the table along with copious drippings of bacon grease that likely would’ve stained any tablecloth. Canvas could only stare in a mix of disgust and disbelief at the scenario he created right beside him, but refrained from saying anything. Upon remembering what elsehe had planned, Canvas trotted back to the kitchen. He couldn’t resist looking back one last time, however, and giggled when he saw Troy laughing to himself with his head reeled back and his beak stuffed with half-chewed bacon.

Troy kept cramming as much of the salty gift from the goddesses as he could into his mouth. He could swear that he heard choruses playing in his head. After spending months in a society where eating meat was taboo, Troy savored every piece of the forbidden bacon on his tongue and grease-slathered claws. By the time he picked up and ate every piece of the pile, Troy couldn’t have cared less about how he looked when he started licking the remaining grease off the plate.

Canvas eventually came back, and spoke with a sing-song tone. "Oh, Trooooyyyy…”

"Yeah?" Troy's response came out as more of a moan than anything else, and his eyes were blissfully shut.

"I still have the pan ready, so how do you like this cooked?"

Troy's heart almost stopped when he finally looked up, and he dropped the plate in his claws. Only a few inaudible gasps could come out of his beak, for he was left in utter disbelief upon seeing what his friend was holding in his hoof: a five-inch thick, prime-cut steak.

"Gustav told me that this was one of the best cuts, but I wasn't sure if he was right…” Canvas' words trailed off as he took in Troy’s awe-stricken stare. "...but I'm guessing by how much you're drooling that this was a good pick?"

Troy slowly nodded, his head slowly moving forward and his claws reaching out like he was going to eat it raw right there. Canvas cautiously stepped back and repeated his question. "So, ummm… Troy? How do you want this cooked?"

"Medium rare. Alwaysmedium rare." Troy didn't even look at Canvas, and kept his eyes glued on the steak. Canvas merely sighed with an accepting smile, and went back into the kitchen without asking anything else.

Cooking the steak took longer than Canvas expected, but Troy didn't seem to mind when it was finally brought out. He nearly snatched the plate from Canvas' hooves as soon as he came out the doorway. As Troy started gnawing on the steak without any utensils, his talons pierced through the strip and the juices dripped down his forelegs. All the while, Canvas just watched him from across the table with curious amazement as he quietly ate his garlic bread. Even though the whole concept of eating animals was beyond discomforting for the stallion, he didn't seem to mind watching Troy eating his steak. Of course, that was most likely due to how much Troy was savoring every bite with absolute pleasure, which was quite a confidence boost for the pony who never cooked such a thing before that night.

"Uhh…” Troy laid back in his chair in a daze. The back of his chair creaked a little as he held a claw against his stomach. "I might not celebrate birthdays that much, but… I can safely say that’s the best birthday gift I’ve evergotten."

Canvas smiled cheerfully. "Well, I'm really glad you liked it. I was honestly a little worried whether or not I cooked it right, since I never cooked meat before."

"Dude…” Troy chuckled to himself as he basked in the afterglow of his meal. “That steak… was absolutely perfect."

Troy gave Canvas a genuine smile. "Seriously, this was reallythoughtful of you. Thank you."

"Oh, don't mention it,” Canvas said after swallowing a mouthful of bread. "That's what friends do."

Before Canvas could wipe off his hooves with a napkin, he quickly looked back up to Troy with a more serious expression. "Seriously though, please don't mention this to anypony. I'm pretty sure I'd get in huge trouble."

Troy smiled and nodded his head in understanding. Suddenly, a distinct 'ding' came from the kitchen, which made Canvas bolt up from his chair. "Oph! The cake's done!"

“Wait, what?!” Troy gawked at the stallion as he went off to the kitchen, mostly since he wasn’t sure if he could eat anything else. "Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh! It's chocolate too!"

By the time half of the cake was eaten (mostly on Canvas' part), the smell of bacon was partially masked by the aroma of chocolate. Because of that, Canvas felt a little more comfortable as he listened to Troy talk about his day. When he got to the part about what happened when he got home, Canvas couldn’t keep himself from laughing. Meanwhile, Troy just sat there with an embarrassed blush, which was almostdeep enough to conceal his bashful smile.

"Seriously?!" exclaimed Canvas. "The whole weather team heard you?"

"Yeah…” Troy rubbed the feathers on the back of his neck. "Luckily, they weren't too mean about it. A lot of them actually said I should sing professionally."

"Dude, you totally should! I don’t see why you don't do that! In fact…” Canvas quickly lifted himself from his seat, and left Troy slightly confused as he rushed into his workspace.

After a few seconds, he came back with a flyer in his mouth, and hoofed it to Troy before sitting back down. "When I got back into town, I saw that the Ponyville Theater is planning to hold auditions for their next play in about a month."

Troy glossed through at the flyer, and then stared back at Canvas with a skewed brow. "Seriously? A musical?"

"Why not? I mean, it’s not like Ponyville has a singing ban like Griffinstone. I really think this would be great for you.”

Troy scoffed and placed the flier back on the table. "Ehhh… I don't think so."

Canvas tried not to look too sullen, but he still sighed dishearteningly. "Troy… Do you remember when you found that flyer for the art show, and how insistent you were that I should go for it?"

Troy held his beak shut as he looked away, already knowing where Canvas was going with this. His beak skewed uncomfortably, but he couldn’t say anything.

"Seriously, Troy... that was one of the best things that everhappened to me.” Canvas grabbed the flier off the table and stared at it. “And when I saw this flyer, I… well… I thought of you."

Troy slowly turned back to Canvas, and cringed at how upset he looked. One of the last things Troy wanted to do was disappoint his friend, especially after he cooked meat for him. Not to mention, he could tell that Canvas didn’t just keep that flier to catch his friend’s interest; he kept it because he really believed in Troy’s abilities as a singer, just like the gryphon believed in Canvas’ abilities as an artist.

So, with a low sigh, Troy closed his eyes and broke the silence. "Oh, fine. I… I’ll see if I can audition."

"Awesome!" Canvas suddenly looked ecstatic again, and cut another piece of cake. "You want another piece?"

Troy shook his head and held his claws to his stomach. "Dude, you did more than enough." Seeing how bloated his friend was looking, Canvas shrugged before going back to his own plate. Troy waited until Canvas finished his piece before speaking. "So, Canvas… Where did you learn to cook like that? I mean, I never saw you cook before."

"Well, I’ve never had a kitchenbefore,” he said nonchalantly, causing Troy to shrug with an understanding nod. “Honestly though, I mostly learned to cook for myself growing up, since I was at home alone so often."

"Seriously? Didn't your parents teach you to cook?"

"Well, not really…” Canvas’ voice became a little more somber. "Neither of them really knew how to cook, except for maybe those pre-made boxed dinners or whatever. And uhhh…” Looking down at the table, Canvas bit his lip, and then said in a quieter tone:

"... And.. my Mom, she… she died when I was a colt…”

The mood fell deathly silent across the dining table. Troy sunk his face into his claws in guilt. "Oh, buck! I'm sorry, Canvas, I shouldn't have asked! I'm reallysor--"

"It's alright,” Canvas said in an instant, holding up his hoof. "I never told you about it, so you couldn't have known. I mean… If anything, I should've said something beforehoof."

Canvas pushed his plate aside. "Besides, it happened a long time ago. It's not like it happened last week or anything. I've gotten past it since then."

Unsure of what to say, Troy kept his beak shut as he looked down at his lap in remorse. Meanwhile, Canvas’ muzzle skewed a bit before he let out a weak exhale. "It.. it happened two weeks after she got me my art bag."

Both of them looked over at the bag, hanging on a hook between the kitchen and bathroom doors. After a few seconds, Canvas turned his attention back to Troy whilst squirming in his seat.

"She… she died of an aneurysm while walking through town. I… I was still in school when it happened." Canvas put a hoof to his mouth as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to tear up. "I… I remember hearing how much she was loved by everypony in town. She did a lot of volunteer work for the school and weather duties, and… it really hit everypony hard when it happened."

Troy hated to see him like this, but he knew that Canvas had to let it out. Birthday or not, the gryphon listened patiently while Canvas kept talking, even when he saw tears running down his friend’s aqua cheeks.

"I… I remember how that was one of the only times when ponies in town were legitimately nice to me. After the funeral… I was invited to a few dinners and stuff." After wiping his tears away, Canvas smiled a little. "Heck, even the ponies that usually messed with me backed off for a long time, but…” Canvas' smile slowly dropped. "... But that didn't last forever. After a while, I just kept to myself at home, either painting or reading. Eventually, I had to learn to cook something other than macaroni and cheese every night, and…”

Troy then noticed how much Canvas' muzzle wrinkled up all of a sudden. Before Troy could ask what was wrong, Canvas sighed softly with his eyes closed. "... And… my Dad, he… he wasn't home much after she died… We… We didn't talk much..."

Troy could tell that his friend wasn’t going to say much more, and waited only a moment responding with sincerity. "Canvas, I'm really sorry."

"Th-Thanks...” He wiped his face dry with a napkin, and tried to lighten the mood. "Heh~ Frankly, I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to bring this up on your birthday."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I already told you I don't see the point of these things anyway." Even with his comforting smile, Troy could tell that Canvas still felt bad. "Besides, I'm glad you're actually talking to me about this kind of stuff. I didn't know that much about your family, so…"

From the way Canvas' face scrunched in, Troy decided to change the subject before things got too awkward again. "So, ummm… you want me to tell you about myfamily?"

Canvas’ brows rose up in surprise. "Uhh… sure! I mean, as long as it isn’t too personal or anything.”

"Nah, it’s all good.” Troy put his claws on the table and tapped his talons against the wood, trying to think of a good place to start. "Well, uhh... my parents both work in the shipping industry. My Dad used to be a Brigadier General for the gryphon military, but he retired since then. Now he helps my Mom manage their company, which ships feathers to be used as quills."

"Oh, nice,” said Canvas with a look of interest as he leaned into the table. “Any siblings?”

"Mmhmm. I have four brothers.” Troy smiled more naturally as he leaned back in his chair. “My three older brothers are triplets, and my younger brother, Lyle, is still a kid, I guess. I'm the second youngest but… well… I'm kind of the runt of the group."

Canvas' eyes widened, and his eyes scanned the gryphon up and down. Between the two of them, their height differences were quite vast. “Ummm… Okay, I’m not gonna lie. I reallycan’t imagine you as a runt.”

"Oh yeah? You should see how big the tripletsare!" Troy chuckled under his breath, and shook his head in nostalgia. "One of them, Blaze, is a professional Stormball player, although I think he's on break right now. Another, Blade, is the lead of a death metal band, but I doubt you heard of them."

"What are they called?"

"Gee, they keep changing their name, um… I think they're called Talon Ripper or something, but whatever. I'm not sure what Blane is doing right now, but he seems to be doing okay for himself. The last I heard, he actually bought a building to start up some business of some kind. I have no idea what, though."

Canvas’ eyebrow skewed, and his eyes narrowed on Troy suspiciously. "So let me get this straight… You have triplet brothers named Blaze, Blade, and Blane?" He tried to keep his expression stoic, but it was obvious from his hiccuping breaths that he was struggling not to laugh. Luckily for him, though, it was hard for Troy to get upset when he saw how quickly Canvas’ mood was lightening up.

"Yeah, my parents were prettyyoung when the three were hatched. Apparently, Mom was out of it after giving birth, so Dad had to name them himself."

Canvas folded his napkin as he tried not to chuckle, and put it on top of his abandoned plate. "So, do you talk with them much?"

Troy tried to look away from Canvas, but the pony could still see his smile slowly fading away. "Well… We try writing letters and stuff, but… things have been kinda tense for a while."

"How come?" Canvas didn't want to press anything, especially on his birthday; but after learning so much about his friend, the artist didn’t want their discussion to end so soon.

Troy sighed deeply. "Uhhh… I told you I was a runt, right? Well… because of that, I didn't have many friends growing up. So instead, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents."

Canvas could see sadness in Troy's golden eyes, but it wasn’t enough for him to ignore the faint smile that grew across his beak as well.

"I mean, they were awesomegryphons to hang out with, you know? Whenever I went to their place, they were always so accepting and kind to me. They also taught me a lot about opera, which is one of the reasons I got into it so much. And they… they were the biggest reason I wanted to come to Equestria."

"Really?" Canvas rested his head on his hooves. “How so?”

Troy’s smile widened, but he still refrained from looking back at Canvas as he continued. “I remember when I was still young, they always talked about how great Equestria was when they visited. They actually met at the Canterlot Concert Hall during a big opera performance, and fell in love instantly. Of course, that may have been because they were the onlygryphons there, but still… They went to that hall a lot, since they were both ambassadors for the Gryphon Kingdom."

Canvas' eyes shot open. "Wait a minute!” The stallion stared at Troy like he just sprouted a third eye on his forehead. “Are you saying your grandparents are Niko and Helen Talonoch?!"

Troy almost fell out of his chair, and he gawked at Canvas with his beak dropped. "Yes! What the!? How the buck did you know that?!"

"Oh my gosh, I did a research paper about them during my junior year of high school!" Canvas’ floored expression quickly morphed to an elated smile, and he hopped off his chair to pace around the room. "Holy crap, those guys did so much to help stop the Gryphon-Equestrian conflicts! If it wasn’t for them, you likely wouldn’t have been able to move to Equestria in the first place! Oh man, I can’t believe I'm friends with their grandson!"

Troy wasn’t sure how to react to such a revelation, but he couldn’t help smiling with a touched blush. “W-Wow, I… I didn’t know you were so well-versed in Gryphon Kingdom history.”

"Are you kidding me? That paper was one of the reasons I got accepted into advanced classes! I mean, I even tried contacting them for an interview, but…”

Canvas suddenly stopped talking, and his smile dropped like a brick. One of his hooves came up to cover his mouth. He slowly turned back to Troy, who immediately looked a lot more distressed. The pony looked away with his ears dropped, and he spoke sympathetically. "I'm… I'm sorry, Troy. I didn't mea--"

Troy held up his claws, and took that moment to breathe in deeply. "It's okay. It happened a while ago."

Despite the fact that Troy used his own response back at him, Canvas could tell he was still upset. Meanwhile, Troy looked away before continuing in a more solemn tone.

"I remember… how devastated she was when he died… You could tell how much she loved him. And I mean, really loved him! Like, gryphons don't usually express their love that much, but they… they didn't care about standards like that. They really cared for each other all those years, and… it was just so painful when he passed."

Canvas quietly sat back in his chair, not saying a word.

"I mean, she was so lively and cheerful before, but… after the funeral… she just turned silent. She barely spoke to anyone for that month afterward. Not… not even me..." Canvas thought he could see Troy's eyes moisten. "She… she just gave up. We all knew she had some medical problems before, but… as soon as that happened, the doctors couldn't do anythingto help her. It just… it was advancing so quickly."

Troy looked at his satchel lying on the ground, and his new walkman sticking out of it. Thinking about the tape inside, Troy clenched his beak shut for a moment to process his thoughts.

"She… she loved opera. Even when I was a hatchling, she loved that I appreciated it at such a young age. But I… I remember on one of the last days…”

Troy put a claw up to his beak, and held it there so Canvas couldn’t see it tremble. "We… We allknew it was going to happen, but most of the family had other things to do. When I visited her, she was all alone, just lying in her bed... silent. And when I looked around, I saw that one of her records was completely worn out. I mean, she had that record for years, but I guess she kept playing it constantly after he passed. And eventually, she just wore down the vinyl completely. Her… her favorite song was Ave Maria."

Troy looked down, probably to keep Canvas from seeing his face. But it was to no avail, for the stallion could see a tear running down Troy’s cheek. "I knew she was alone for a while, so… I started to sing it for her. I didn't even think I could sing it well, but… I just sang it while she laid there. I… I remember I kept my eyes closed during the whole song. I didn’t think she was going to respond but..."

A second tear of Troy's hit the table. "W-When I opened my eyes, that… that was the first time I saw her smile since he died. She just… she looked so happy."

Canvas hoofed Troy a napkin, which he quickly grabbed to wipe his eyes.

"Thanks... Anyway, after she died, I didn't expect much to happen for me. I was taking a few exams to get approved for a living permit for Equestria, even though both my parents didn't want me to leave. I think they were worried about how I would adjust. I dunno for sure. But then, when we went to the reading of her will she… she left most of her money to me."

Canvas' head reeled back in surprise. Thanks to his research paper, he was aware of how well-off the Talonochs were. "Wait, seriously?!"

"Yeah,” said Troy, a new smile on his beak as he kept wiping his face. "Everyone was freakin’ shocked! Especially my brothers, who all refused to speak to me for a while. I didn't get everything, but I still got more than enough to make it easy to move here. After I got approved, I moved here. They were still upset with me at that point. I mean… I think they got over it now, but it still feels tense."

A deep silence passed through the room. Canvas was quick to fill the void. "I'm… I'm sorry, Troy."

"It's cool, dude. I'm actually kind of glad to talkabout it, you know? Like, it’s probably cheaper than a therapist session or something?"

“Not to mention, I doubt many therapists would have cake and bacon as well.” That got both of them laughing again, which helped to uplift the mood. Canvas then glanced over at the wall clock without much thought. Upon seeing how close it was to ten, the stallion gasped in a panic and jumped out of his chair. Troy did a double-take upon seeing his friend’s frantic behavior, and remained in his chair even when Canvas was at the stairs.

"Troy!” he shouted, looking back at him wide-eyed. “Meet me on the roof!"

"What?"

"Just meet me up there! Trust me!"

Despite his confusion, Troy was quick to hop out of his seat and head to the door. The gryphon figured that after what Canvas promised the last time he trusted him, this would be worth his time as well.

In less than a couple of seconds, Troy flew up to the barn roof. He noticed the large wall of paint cans along the side of the barn, and groaned when he remembered what Canvas said about needing help with painting. The pony may have not asked him directlyas of yet, but he could already tell that he would likely have to help out. Of course, after that meal Canvas prepared, it wasn't like he could say no without feeling like a massivejerk.

After carefully landing on the roof, Troy saw a hatch door a few feet away open up. Canvas crawled up with a large blanket in his mouth, which did nothing to cover the smile on his face. When he saw Troy already there, Canvas’ smile widened. He whipped the blanket open with a flick of his neck, and let it gently land on the roof. Meanwhile, Troy looked around worriedly as his paranoia got the best of him, and he began to feel the same as he did when he flew to Canvas’ place earlier. Despite knowing better than to make assumptions about his friend’s plans, Troy tried not to ponder whether Lyra and Rainbow Dash's suspicions were for real.

Canvas sat himself down on the blanket, and looked up at the night sky while Troy stood in confusion. But before he could ask what was up, a faint flash of light flew by from the corner of Troy's eye. As soon as the stars above caught his attention, Troy looked up and instantlyunderstood Canvas’ intentions. The gryphon’s eyes widened in awe, and he gently sat beside Canvas without saying a word. They both looked to see the first few beams of light shoot past them. Troy remembered hearing something about this happening today, but he forgot all about it until now. A smile grew across Troy’s beak, and he couldn’t have felt more grateful to be there.

Above the land of Equestria, under Luna's brilliant night skies, the gryphon and the stallion sat motionless as they watched the meteor shower flash above their heads. From the roof of Canvas' barn, both of them could get a perfect view of the hundreds of bright lights that soared across the cosmos, gracing the skies as they shot forward toward infinity. Troy looked up at the spectacle in silent amazement, an incredible warmth stirring in his heart.

Troy’s gaze slowly veered back toward Canvas, where he was able to observe the flashes reflecting off the pony's blue eyes. The sight caused his feathers to ruffle out ever so slightly, but he was quick to fix that with a hard shudder to pull them back in. That heaviness in his chest was still there, but he couldn’t feel a twinge of discomfort like he had before. Instead, all that Troy felt was something more… content, in a weird way. He wasn’t sure how to describe it, but it was more than enough to make him smile alongside his friend. Meanwhile, the stallion looked back at him with a smile of his own as he said quietly:

"Happy Birthday."

Seeing how peaceful the aqua pony looked in the moonlight, the warm smile on Troy's beak grew wider as well.

"Thanks. This was a great day."

As both of them looked back up at the shooting stars, one of Troy’s wings reached out to wrap around Canvas' back. Canvas slowly rested his head against Troy's shoulder, and savored his warmth.

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Six: Breaking Point

With a loud ‘clunk’, the last of the white paint cans were tossed aside, now all empty. After a whole strenuous day of work, the dozens of metal cans were laid out in an uncouth pile that towered over the adjacent trashcan by the road. Canvas reminded himself to contact the trash company and inform them before they made their run on Thursday, just so they didn’t have to deal with such an unexpected surprise on top of all their hard work.

Canvas couldn’t help sighing in satisfaction at the sight of his home. The whole barn was completely painted in a uniform shade of white, making it stick out against the green fields like a giant marker. He had to wait a week after Troy's birthday to receive his help, but the wait was worth it. He then looked over at Troy who was lying on his back in the grass, panting heavily under the barn’s shade while his feathers were splattered in white paint.

Troy was exhaustedas he rested his aching back and legs, but was also glad that everything was finally painted over. Since Canvas couldn't fly or use any magic to paint higher than his hooves could reach, Troy had to paint a majority of the walls himself. Fortunately, the entire process itself went by surprisingly fast, all thanks to Canvas who was eager to help his friend out however he could.

"Hey, Troy,” asked Canvas as he walked up towards him. “You want me to get you a drink?"

Troy could manage to shake his head weakly in response. "I'm fine, I’m fine... I think I'm just gonna take a nap right now."

"Umm... okay." Canvas shrugged, choosing to trust his friend’s judgement. Just then, the sound of hoofsteps at the front of his property quickly caught Canvas’ attention. Trotting over to see who it was, Canvas’ face lit up when he spotted a familiar client.

“Oh, hey there, Fancy Pants!” said Canvas with a friendly smile, one that matched the unicorn’s as he looked up at the newly painted home with admiration. “Man, this is perfecttiming! Troy and I just got finished painting the place with primer.”

"Well, it’s nice to know I’m not intruding on anything.” Fancy Pants huffed with a friendly smirk upon seeing the pony’s paint-splattered fur. "Heh~ I wouldn’t have expected you to paint your home white of all colors. But I must say, your place looks a lotmore impressive with a fresh coat of paint."

"Well, thank you very much. Although I should point out that I definitelyhave plans to add more color to this place after the primer dries up.”

“Oh, do you now?” One of the unicorn’s eyebrows rose up with intrigue. “Are you willing to tell me what you have planned? Or are you wanting to keep that a surprise for later on?”

“Definitely a surprise,” he retorted with a smirk of his own. Fancy Pants chuckled with an understanding nod. Canvas then pointed out a hoof back at Troy, who was just within Fancy’s line of sight. "Honestly though, Troywas the one who did most of the work, so he should definitely deserve more praise than myself."

“Well, it’s still a marvelous job from the both of you.” Fancy Pants’ expression faltered slightly when he observed Troy’s state. "Ummm...is he alright though? He looks rather--”

Troy raised up his claw to indicate he was still alive, and then let it plop back down in the grass.

"Oh. Well… that's good, I suppose…” Fancy redirected his focus back on the artist. “Nevertheless, I was meaning to talk with you about that social back in Baltimare. I've spoken with several of the ponies who hired you for your services, and I've heard nothingbut great praises from them regarding your work!"

"Really?" The stallion couldn’t help blushing with a bashful smile. "Oh, wow! Umm… I'm really glad to hear that! I gotta say, I was a little worried how well I’d be able to socialize in Baltimare."

"I can assure you, you were absolutely splendid." Fancy Pants’ smile remained as warn and charming as ever, causing Canvas’ blush to deepen. If Troy wasn’t in a semi-comatose state, Canvas was certain that his friend would’ve teased him about having a possible crushon the noble. Regardless, he kept himself silent while Fancy levitated a business card from his jacket.

“One of the ponies who saw your work insisted on me giving you this,” he said as he floated the card to Canvas with his magic. “Her name is Glimmer Heart, and she works as an independent art assessor for up and coming artists. She manages most of her work in Canterlot and Manehatten, but she expressed great interest in branching out after seeing your pieces.”

As Canvas read the card, he remembered talking with the aforementioned mare at the social. Most of the unicorns there acted stuffy or pretentious in their social circles, but Glimmer Heart was genuinely courteous toward Canvas. The older mare had a light-pink coat and a luscious green mane, which helped to accentuate the pearl necklace and golden earrings she was wearing that night. Though he could tell that she was successful, Canvas wouldn’t have expected to see the occupation of ‘Art Curator and Manager’ listed underneath her name.

"Glimmer told me that she was planning on opening an art gallery in about two months,” continued Fancy Pants. “It’s something she does every year to showcase young and rising talents, and she takes a lot of pride in seeking out ponies she sees potential in. And after meeting you back in Baltimare, she asked me if you would be interested in being a part of this year’s showing."

Canvas almost fell on his flank. He used his free hoof to cover his gaping muzzle. "Wha-what?! I-I mean… REALLY?!"

Fancy Pants’ smirk became more evident. "Yes, really. Glimmer Heart showed a lot of interest when we were talking the other day, and she was hopeful that you might have a portfolio of your work."

"A portfolio? I…” Canvas’ smile faltered a bit. He bit his lip awkwardly and looked down at the ground. "I… I think I can get one made... Um, when can I meet her?"

“Oh, uhh…” Now it was Fancy Pants’ turn to look a tad wary. He scratched the back of his mane awkwardly and said, "Well... I was actuallyplanning on meeting her here in Ponyville this afternoon. When I told her about this quaint little township, she said that she hadto see it for herself."

Canvas clutched his chest with a hoof, taking a couple breaths to try and calm himself down. He definitely had enough personal pieces to craft up a portfolio, but he couldn’t help feeling like a student who was unprepared for a surprise pop-quiz at school. Nevertheless, he was just given an opportunity that he’d have to be insane to pass up, so he spoke up. “O-Oh, okay then! Uhh… Alright, lemme see if I can get something worked up before then! When is she gonna be in Ponyville?”

"It’ll be a few hours at the least. Go right ahead and do whatever you need to do. Can you be at Sugar Cube Corner by five?"

“YEP!” shouted Canvas as he threw open the doors to his studio, and rushed in like the space was about to go up in flames. He began to frantically look through his stuff, picking up several of his finished paintings to get somethingresembling a portfolio done. Meanwhile, Fancy Pants took notice of Troy as he rose up like a zombie. Though still tired, he got back on his legs and stretched.

"Ughhh… You know what?” he said groggily to nobody in particular. “I'm just gonna head back home where it's a little quieter. See ya later, Canvas!"

"Alright, Troy!” shouted Canvas from inside the barn. “Thanks for your help! I owe you one!”

"No problem!" After nodding to Fancy Pants, Troy soared off into the skies to go over the forest line. He gave one last glance at the barn below, and smiled in satisfaction.

Summer months were supposed to be hot, but Rainbow Dash could’ve swornthat it was getting even hotter on purpose. As she laid atop her small cloud, she had to make sure that it wasn't evaporating too quickly due to the high temperatures. She could see the rest of the Weather Crew lying around on their own scavenged clouds, none of them willing to move and risk getting a heat stroke before noon. Troy, however, seemed to be the leastbothered by the heat. In fact, with the way he was perched on his cloud so casually, he looked like he was waiting for a train instead of sweating his beak off.

“Uggghhhhh…” Rainbow didn’t want to throw in the towel so soon, but even she could tell that little work was going to get done today. So, after groaning tiredly, she stood up and addressed her team. "Listen guys, let's just go home! There's not much to take care of anyway, so--"

She couldn’t even finish her sentence before all the weather ponies zoomed past her. She had half the nerve to chase them down for being so energetic all of a sudden, but the resulting breeze kept her from moving as she savored the rare, cool air. In the end, Troy was the only member who remained.

"Thanks for doing that for us, Rainbow,” he said with a gracious smile. “Even Thunderlanewas looking pretty rough after that Cumulus run.”

"Yeah, allof us were...” As she wiped some sweat from her brow, Rainbow Dash shot a confused glance at Troy. "How come you look alright? Are gryphons better in hot climates or something?"

“Yeah, pretty much.” Troy nodded as he pulled his satchel over his shoulder. "Feathers are really good insulators, so it’s not too hard to keep myself cool. Plus, I live right by a waterfall, so I got myself a good refresher before I got here.”

“Well, aren’t you the lucky one?” she said with a partially envious scoff, causing Troy to struggle not to smirk. "So, what's your plan for the rest of the day? Meeting up with Canvas again?"

Troy shook his head and groaned under his breath. "Nah, not tonight. He's been busy getting enough paintings ready for that big gallery in Canterlot. Ever since he talked with that Glimmer mare a couple weeks back, I've barely been able to hang out with him."

"Well, shouldn’t you be happy for him?" Rainbow used a chunk of her cloud to dab her forehead like a cloth. "I mean, this isa pretty big thing for him, isn’t it?"

"Yeah, it's a great thing! I couldn't be happier for him!" Rainbow Dash could sense the slightest hint of irritation from Troy. "I'm just bored! I mean, whenever I try to meet up with him, he's either painting something or passed out on his couch! And I can’t hang out with Lyra or Bon-Bon either, because they'rehelping with the gallery as well."

"Wait, really? How did they get involved?"

"Apparently, Canvas introduced them to Fancy Pants and Glimmer when they met up. And after they sampled some of their candies at the shop, Glimmer hired them as caterers on the spot."

"Oh dude, that's awesome! Those two have like, the besttaffy ever! I thought Pinkie was exaggerating when she was gushing about…”

Rainbow’s words slowly trailed off as she saw how Troy’s poorly concealed irritation grew. Ever since the gryphon started to work for her on the Weather Patrol, she could tell that Canvas was Troy’s usual go-to friend to keep himself occupied; and ever since that moment at the bar, Dash had a prettygood idea why Troy was so unhinged without Canvas around. Of course, recalling how strongly he reacted to her accusations on his birthday, she kept herself from bringing it up out of respect. Regardless, the pegasus was keen on trying to help Troy out.

"Hey, uhhh... if you're not busy today, I could use some help over at Fluttershy's.” Troy glanced back at her with a raised brow, and Dash gave him a light shrug. “She's been needing to cool down her animals due to this heat wave, so she asked me to help out when I had the free time. If you want, you can come with me."

Troy wasn’t the best with animals; he didn’t even own a pet back in the Gryphon Kingdom. However, given the circumstances, he figured working with them would be better than listening to his opera records on his cloud all day. "Well... If you're needing some help, I guess I can do it."

"Nice! And don’t worry, she’s already met you a few times in town, so she probably won’t freak out about seeing a gryphon like she had with Gilda."

That was the third time he heard somepony mentioning that name. Troy felt compelled to ask. "Yeah, who's Gilda by the way? Ponies keep bringing her up around town, and I've been meaning to ask what actually happened."

"Ehhhh… It's kindof a long story, but whatever." Rainbow Dash spread her wings open before motioning for Troy to follow her. The moment both of them shot off from their clouds, the two flew up to higher altitudes to get away from the heat. "Okay, so I met Gilda during Flight Academy, and I thought she was really cool…”

Canvas bit his lip with a fretful look while trying to stir the melted sugar as best as he could. He couldn’t help feeling out of his element amongst all the sugary goodness. He was good at cooking basic things (and meat, surprisingly enough), but he didn't plan on helping Lyra and Bon-Bon with preparations for Glimmer Heart's small social. Nevertheless, there were still a couple weeks until the Canterlot Gallery, and Canvas wasn’t one to turn down his friends when they asked for his assistance. Not to mention, considering how good Bon-Bon's candies were, Canvas was determined to help her get more attention outside of Ponyville.

As the dark-blue mixture in his saucepan began to thicken, he called out to Bon-Bon when the syrupy substance was able to coat the back of his spoon. "Hey Bon-Bon, I think this is ready!"

Bon-Bon quickly put down her tube of frosting and trotted over to Canvas' spot. "Oh, greattiming! I just got the toppings ready for them."

The three ponies worked diligently in the small kitchen. Bon-Bon carefully poured the sugary mixture into the trays laid out on the counter, and Lyra used her magic to levitate the other ingredients that were already prepared herself. Since the mares seemed to be handling things on their own, Canvas stepped away so he could look out the kitchen doors. Unlike the upcoming art show, this venue was just outside Canterlot due to the small guestlist. The ballroom wasn’t particularly large, but it still looked immaculately clean and regal for Glimmer’s event. Most of the tables and chairs were already in place, but the tablecloths and cutlery were all still in the kitchen. Canvas contemplated getting that task out of the way before the guests could arrive, but his head was poked out just long enough to get him noticed by the host.

"Canvas?” asked Glimmer Heart, a baffled look on her face the moment she caught sight of him. The unicorn floated her clipboard toward one of the empty tables, and grew a pleasantly surprised smile as she walked up to him. “Oh wow, I didn’t expect to see youhere! Are you helping with the catering as well?”

Since he was caught, Canvas took a quick glance back in the kitchen to make sure Lyra and Bon-Bon were alright without him. He then exited the kitchen with a meager blush, mostly due to how out of place he felt. He wasn’t sure how Glimmer would respond to seeing him covered in sweat and his mane was tied in a tight ponytail. Even so, Canvas kept a calm demeanor as he spoke to her. "Hey there, Glimmer Heart. I know it’s a little sudden, but Lyra and Bon-Bon asked me to help them out with the candy-making tonight.”

"You are? I must say, I wouldn’t have expected you to be an artist and a skilled cook!"

Canvas could tell from her chipper tone that she was glad to see him this soon before the gallery, which made him smile more naturally. “W-Well, I wouldn’t call myself a chef or anything, but I wouldn’t have felt right about leaving them high and dry, you know?”

“Hey, I completely understand. I remember Lyra telling me how you befriended her and Bon-Bon, so it’s not much of a surprise you would want to help them out.”

Canvas recalled how that interaction went. He was grateful for Lyra and Bon-Bon’s hospitality when they invited Glimmer for a taste-testing. The two gave an amazingimpression by the time negotiations were made. Canvas also appreciated how well Glimmer Heart presented herself as a colleague around others. Even now, the artist took notice of a couple small wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, but couldn’t deny how well her natural beauty shone through without any disingenuous filters or a pound of makeup. All in all, Canvas really hoped that their professionalism wouldn’t get in the way of a possible friendship later on.

"Well then,” added Glimmer. “While it isnice to see you before this event, I really hope this won't affect the paintings you're making for the gallery."

"Oh, of course not!” assured Canvas with a smile and a wave of his hoof. "This isn’t impeding on my schedule at all. In fact, I'm almost done with everything for my collection. I might need to add some final touches here and there, but it’s nothing I can't finish."

Despite her concerns, Glimmer’s expression softened. "Well, I'll take your word for it and let you get back to work. Have a nice night, Canvas.”

Canvas nodded back before making his leave and heading back into the kitchen. The very moment his face was out of Glimmer’s line of sight, he bit his lip in an attempt to conceal his fretful wince. His worrisome expression couldn’t be hidden from Bon-Bon, however, and she cleared her throat to catch Canvas’ attention.

"Hey, uhhh… Canvas? Is everything alright?"

Canvas couldn even look back at her, and clenched his eyes shut as he let out a strained exhale. "Ugh… I think I just lied to Glimmer Heart."

“Wait what?!” blurted Lyra, poking her head out from the freezer doorway.

“What do you mean?” asked Bon-Bon, immediately putting down her spoon to go up to Canvas. “What did you tell her?”

Canvas sighed while pinching the bridge of his snout. "I… I told her that I was on schedule with my work, but… I’m honestly really behind right now.”

“Seriously?” asked Lyra, who went up to him as well. Whereas her wife looked concerned, the unicorn narrowed her eyes confusedly. “Because I remember visiting your studio the other day, and it looked like you had most of your paintings finished already.”

“Yeah, the smaller paintings are mostly done, but I haven’t even started on my biggest one, which is supposed to be the headlining piece! I've tried to get something nailed down, but I have no idea what to do with it! Even after I got my other stuff done, there's still that huge canvas board just staring at me!”

Lyra and Bon-Bon turned to each other with equally worried looks on their faces. Meanwhile, Canvas leaned himself against the edge of the counter and dragged his hoof down his face. “I… I just don't know what to do! Heck, the biggest reason I came here was because I thought it could clear my head."

An uncomfortable bout of silence loomed over the kitchen. Lyra shot a glance toward the doors to make sure nopony was eavesdropping on them. She then trotted up to Canvas and placed a hoof on his shoulder. "Hey, it's perfectly alright, Canvas. You're just having an artist's block right now. It's nothing to get worked up about." Canvas sighed deeply, looking down at the floor.

"You know what?" Bon-Bon said while looking back at their half-finished trays. "How about you take a break? It seems like you need a breather after all the cooking you did anyway." When Canvas looked up at Bon-Bon, she made sure to add with a sincere smile, "Seriously, it's alright. We can take over for a while. Just relax a little, okay?"

Canvas felt a little guilty about leaving the two, but he wasn’t one to go against Bon-Bon’s insistence. After giving the couple a quiet thanks, he headed out of the kitchen to refresh himself in the bathroom. The staff restroom was basically a tile-lined closet with a sink and toilet, but it provided just enough privacy for him to breathe and clear his head. Canvas readjusted his ponytail while the sink filled with water, looking at his reflection in the mirror and pouting upon seeing how matted his fur became from sweat. Dark bags hung under his eyes, but that was more to do with his painting than his overall stress.

Once the sink was full and he turned off the faucet, Canvas took a deep breath and plunged his face into the freezing water. After about ten seconds, Canvas pulled back up with a heavy gasp. He then used his hooves and a paper towel to help rub his face clean, which only took a few minutes before he felt significantly less flustered. When he finally looked at himself in the mirror again, Canvas was able to give himself a healthier-looking smile. The artist spoke to his reflection in confirmation. “Well… I guess Bon-Bon knew what she was talking abo--”

CLANG!!!

“Hey, put that down!”

“Lyra, what’s going on?!”

“Some guy just barged in, get over here!”

“You call these hors d'oeuvres?! What kind of arrangement is this?!”

Canvas’ thoughts stopped the moment he heard his friends’ distressed voices outside the bathroom door. Over Lyra and Bon-Bon's yelling, Canvas could overhear the slurred ramblings of some unknown stallion also. The artist quickly rushed out of the bathroom to see what was going on. “Guys?! Are you alright?!”

The moment he got back in the kitchen, he was surprised to see an orange unicorn stallion looming over the mares with a bitter grimace on his muzzle. Canvas saw that he had a shot glass cutie mark, and greying mane that was sporting a very obvious combover. The pony was standing across from the two mares and yelling incoherently, while the couple carried very differing expressions on their faces. Bon-Bon looked petrified as she gawked at the pieces of candies strewn and broken across the floor. Meanwhile, Lyra was glaring at the stallion with gritted teeth like she was about to deck him in the face. “What the buck was that for?!” she shouted furiously, not caring one bit about her language. “Do you know how long we spent making those?!”

"You call this food!?” shouted the stallion as he pointed down to the ruined candies on the floor. “I wouldn't feed this to my dog!"

"Sir, you cannot be back here!" yelled Bon-Bon, whose expression turned equally as upset as Lyra’s. "The event isn't supposed to start in a few hours anyway, so most of the food isn’t done yet."

"You think I care!?" Canvas was frozen in shock from the exchange he was seeing, but even he could catch the scent of booze on that stallion’s breath from a distance. "I can do whatever I damn well please, dirt pony! So don't thi--"

"HEY!" Lyra stormed right up in the stallion’s face. "Don’t you dare talk to my wife like that, you balding twerp! You have three seconds to GET THE BUCK OUT before you regret it!"

The stallion reeled back from her with a wide-eyed look. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few seconds before a disgusted sneer came across his muzzle. "Oh, I see…” After scoffing with a roll of his eyes, he stumbled away while stepping over the candy shards. “Figures that this kind of garbage could be seen as food to a couple of filly-foolers!"

Lyra's horn lit up. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!” Several knives from the backboard levitated behind her. Bon-Bon gasped in shock, but her mortified look didn’t stop all those knives from pointing toward the stallion and his arrogant sneer.

"Oh, what are yougonna do about it, you piece of tra--"

Without warning, the stallion was pulled back by his shoulders by a pair of aqua hooves, which threw him hard enough to pin his back to the wall. Before he could process what just occurred, Canvas was face-to-face with the pony, holding him in a death grip. The artist’s eyes were burning in unbridled rage, and his furious sneer was intense enough to leave Bon-Bon and Lyra standing in shock.

"Don't. Mess. With my friends."

Despite Canvas’ livid glare, the unicorn's cocky sneer came back. "Or what? You really think you scare me, earth pon--"

Canvas pushed him harder against the wall, cutting off the unicorn's words as his face came in closer. "Do youthink you can scare me?! Do you honestly think you're the worst thing I've dealt with? I've fought off more ponies than you can count in my life, and allof them were more intimidating than you are."

The stallion tried his hardest to maintain an enraged glare, but his muzzle twitched the slightest bit when the intensity in Canvas’ voice settled in.

"I've been hurt before. I've gotten myself beaten up. I've been abused, spat on, and hurt beyond all recognition. But you know what? I'm still here. Despite everything that happened, I’M STILL HERE!! I don't care what you threaten me with, because I willget back up from whatever you try. And I willfight back, so you better hopeyou can get back up from what I do to you. So go ahead! Try me!! SEE WHAT THE BUCK HAPPENS!!"

The kitchen lay deathly silent. Canvas hoped that his words sunk into the bigot in front of him. Despite his growing scowl, the stallion eventually lowered himself before Canvas loosened his grip. Canvas finally let him go when he was sure the pony wouldn’t try anything, but he still kept a stern glare on him when he stepped back. When the orange pony began walking toward the door, Canvas turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon and asked, "Are you two alright?"

The two mares slowly nodded, but neither of them could say anything while carrying stunned looks on their faces. Meanwhile, the stallion couldn’t resist pausing at the doorway, and turned his head back toward the three. "I'm gonna make sure you all get fired for this, you litt--”

Canvas instantly reeled back at him with his face red in rage. "I SAID GET OUT!!!"

Lyra may have been just as pissed as her friend, but she couldn’t help staring between the two cautiously. The unicorn stood at his spot, and narrowed his eyes on Canvas like he was silently testinghim. Bon-Bon looked equally as worried as her wife, and tried to calm down Canvas.

"Please, just let it go,” Bon-Bon placed a hoof to his shoulder. "He's notworth it, Canvas. Just look away."

Gritting his teeth, Canvas slowly nodded before turning his head away. While Canvas breathed in deeply, the unicorn looked at the three with a smug grin as if he won. "That's right,” he gloated with a slurred voice. “Just get back to your job while you still haveit. You don't want to mess with me."

Canvas breathed out in a silent groan, but kept his back to him as he bit his tongue hard enough to risk drawing blood. Meanwhile, the unicorn reeled his head in closer to give a final jab. "Yeah, typical that you’d let a couple of dikeshold you by the balls, you bucking colt-cuddler!!”

At that instant, Canvas lost it. He broke away from Lyra and Bon-Bon with a primal yell, and rushed toward the panicked unicorn like a battering ram. He threw him through the kitchen doors, where he fell on his back on the floor of the ballroom. Before he could roll himself back up, Canvas pinned himself atop his chest to unload a heavy barrage of punches. The unicorn cried out as he tried to light up his horn, but could only have it flicker uselessly as the artist’s hooves repeatedly pummeled at his face. Canvas was fueled by pure adrenaline and rage as he beat him without mercy, and didn’t seem to register the panicked screams of Lyra or Bon-Bon trying to break them up.

"CANVAS, STOP!!" shrieked Bon-Bon, trying to wrap her hooves around his back. “LET HIM GO, STOP IT!!!”

Canvas kept going, even as blood began to stain his aqua hooves. Lyra used her magic to get a grip on Canvas’ hooves while Bon-Bon pulled his body. Canvas thrashed against the mint aura, yelling out loudly in frustration. Because of that, he didn’t hear Glimmer Heart screaming in a panic.

"OH MY GODDESS!!” she shrieked in mortification. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Glimmer Heart rushed over to the stallion with tears in her eyes. The beaten pony struggled to pull himself away from the enraged Canvas. It was clear his mangled face was in dire need of an emergency room visit. The pink mare put a hoof to her mouth as she looked back at the three in shock. "How could you?!"

Canvas kept thrashing against his friends’ restraints. "Let me go! Let me go, he deservesit! Get off of me!"

"Canvas, what's wrong with you!?" Glimmer Heart looked absolutely appalled at him while holding the stallion in her forelegs. "He's my husband!!"

Lyra and Bon-Bon gasped in horror, clearly not having known that information. Canvas instantly froze, and stared at Glimmer Heart in confusion. His petrified gaze moved to the stallion, who was now coughing up blood and struggling to breathe. Canvas' pupils shrunk in terror, his face began to pale, and his breathing came out in rapid gasps. "He… he, he… he was--"

“I don’t want to hear it!" Glimmer Heart snarled in absolute rage, her infuriated voice enough to make Canvas’ legs buckle. She couldn’t even lookat them as she lifted up her husband with her magic. "Just get the buck out RIGHT NOW!!” She stormed past the three, the stallion clinging to her side and struggling to walk on his own hooves. “If you’re not out of here in two minutes, I will report you to the police!!”

Without saying another word, the mare walked away while her husband desperately hung onto her back. As he whimpered painfully, drops of blood left a morbid trail of red against the carpet. Lyra and Bon-Bon looked back at each other in stunned silence, neither of sure what to do after that horrific display. Meanwhile, Canvas sat motionless on the floor with his eyes wide open, his jaw agape and quivering.

Bon-Bon was the first to look down at Canvas. Any feelings of resentment or rage as a result of his actions immediately vanquished the moment she saw how he looked. Lyra took notice of their friend as well, and covered her mouth when she saw the tears streaming down his frozen face. The couple shared a look back at each other briefly, both of them showing the same feelings of sympathy. Lyra tried to console their friend as she placed a hoof on Canvas' back. "Canvas? Canvas, it's alright. We’re not mad at you, we swear."

The pony didn't move an inch, but his muzzle started to wrinkle as his expression grew more distressed. That was when Bon-Bon stepped in. "Canvas, please don't blame yourself! None of us knew that he wa--"

Before she could finish, Canvas shot up to his hooves and ran out of the ballroom. His eyes were tightly clenched shut, but hot tears trickled down his cheeks as he galloped away. The two mares tried to chase after him in a panic, and shouted out to him.

"CANVAS!! Canvas, wait!"

“Please come back!!”

“We’ll get through this, Canvas!”

“COME BACK!!”

Troy carried a content smile on his beak while staring up at the night’s sky, taking in the serenity of his home as he laid on the top of his cloud. Ever since that meteor shower, the gryphon tried to take some time out of his daily routine to appreciate the beauty of Equestria’s nature whenever he could. He breathed in the cool summer air, and listened to the gentle water falling from the waterfall. He closed his eyes, and let the peace of the moment help clear his consciousness. In less than a few minutes, his lingering worries about his upcoming play audition were able to slip from his thoughts. He could even manage to briefly stop thinking of Canvas, who had become particularlypersistent in his thoughts as of recently.

Before the gryphon could start to contemplate whythat may have been so, his ears perked up when he heard the sounds of hoofsteps galloping through the forest nearby.

Troy opened his eyes and pulled himself up. He looked down as the sounds of heavy breathing and breaking branches came closer. Troy had to narrow his eyes and lean down the moment two darkened figures ran out from the woods. The moonlight wasn't a greatlight source, but it only took Troy a few seconds to recognize that the figures were a very distraught-looking Lyra and Bon-Bon. The two looked like they had just run a marathon, but both were looking up at the cloud wide-eyed.

"Troy!" shouted Lyra with her hooves at the sides of her muzzle. "Troy, we need your help right now!"

Troy could hear the frantic tone in her voice, and quickly soared down to the ground and landed with a loud 'thump'. "What is it? What happened?"

While Lyra struggled to catch her breath, Bon-Bon spoke up in her spouse’s place. "Canvas got in a fight with some moron during that social! The guy was harassing us, so he fought him off, and now we think he lost his shot at that gallery!”

"What!? Where's Canvas now!?"

"Back at his house!” shouted Lyra between heated breaths. “We tried to get in, but he locked the doors and windows shut. We knew you lived nearby, so we used the orange ropes on the trees to find you. We heard a lot of screaming and stuff breaking inside, and we're really worried about him!"

By that point, Troy was looking just as fretful as the two mares before him. He took one look above the forest line, and his beak clenched in determination. "Don’t worry, I'll go talk to him!"

Troy shot off like a missile into the skies, and flew toward Canvas' home while Lyra and Bon-Bon stood alone in the field. Lyra eventually glanced back at her wife, sounding uneasy as she asked, "Are you sure he'll be able to get to him?"

"He's Canvas' closest friend," said Bon-Bon reassuringly. "If anyonecan help Canvas, it'll be him."

"I hope so…” Lyra didn’t want to look too worried, but she couldn’t help rubbing her foreleg anxiously with a hoof. “Should we go back and help?"

"No. Right now, I think we need to talk to somepony else."

"Who?"

"I’ll explain on the way to the train station. Just follow me!" Bon-Bon quickly rushed back toward the woods, leaving her spouse standing awkwardly for a moment in confusion. Though she wanted to chastise Bon-Bon for leaving her hanging without an explanation, Lyra rolled her eyes with a groan before running after her.

Troy reached Canvas' barn in record time, and hovered in the air as he listened to all the commotion down below. Much like Lyra said, Troy could hear muffled yelling inside the studio. He landed on the ground and tried opening the doors, but they were tightly bolted shut against the frames. Troy’s worries intensified as Canvas continued to scream through the other side, and he could hear various things either smashing or falling over. Fortunately, a light bulb turned on above the gryphon's head. He looked up to the roof, and he opened up his wings.

Troy skidded onto the roof with his claws, and rushed over to the hatch door. The latch was unlocked, so Troy flung the door open and jumped down without checking what was underneath. He was lucky to fall effortlessly onto the hardwood floor of the loft, where Canvas' screams could now be heard clearly. Troy instantly bolted out of the loft, and shot into the artist’s studio where all the rampage was taking place.

None of the lights were on, but they weren’t needed to see how much damage Canvas had already done. The old red couch was flipped over, and was now lying against the front doors on its back. The wall of neatly-arranged paint cans Troy recalled seeing were scattered across the studio, with several of them broken open to leave giant puddles across the floor. There were also several large dents across the walls where large splatters of paint were strewn about, most likely from Canvas throwing the cans. The shelf that held all of Canvas' brushes was thrown to the ground, where dozens of wooden handles were scattered all over the floor. The large stacks of canvas boards were also thrown all over the room, many of which were now broken in half or punctured by the stallion’s hooves.

And in the middle of all the chaos stood Canvas, who looked completely miserableas he stumbled around the room in confused anger. He didn’t even take notice of the gryphon perched in shocked silence above his dividing wall, and sobbed to himself through gritted teeth, tears matting the fur on his face.

Canvas aimlessly kicked a paint can, which sent it crashing against the wall before it busted open on the floor. Troy cringed and quickly hopped off the wall to land in the studio. His presence finally caught Canvas’ attention, who yelped in surprise and jumped back with his fur raised up.

The artist looked beyond disturbed, trembling fearfully in front of his friend. Troy tried stepping toward Canvas slowly, keeping a reassuring look on his face as he spoke in a calm and collected tone.

"Canvas? Canvas, it’s just me. You don’t have to freak out, okay? Everything's gonna be alrigh--"

"NO IT'S NOT!!” screamed Canvas with his eyes clenched shut, which worried Troy even more. The pony stumbled away from Troy while his muzzle pointed to the ground, his voice coming out in a panicked whimper.

"I bucked up... I… I bucked everythingup! I was only trying to help Lyra and B-Bon-Bon, and… and… and now it's all ruined!”

"No, it isn't!" Troy could tell that Canvas was going to lose it again, and ran up to pull the stallion in for a hug. Canvas was caught off-guard as he felt himself being clung to the gryphon’s chest. "Canvas, they told me about what happened! I know why you did it, and you didn’t do anything wrong, I swear.”

For a few seconds, Canvas stood frozen with his eyes wide-open. Tears continued to trail down his face, and a couple sobs broke out as he leaned in weakly against Troy’s chest. He tried to hug the gryphon as best as he could, but his muzzle couldn’t stop twitching in panicked frustration. Before Troy could try to say anything else, Canvas groaned out in aggravation and shoved him away. The pony tried wiping his cheeks while stumbling a few steps back, and then pacing around the destroyed room like a madpony again.

“Canvas, COME ON!” Troy tried to step in closer, but Canvas reeled back even further, keeping his distance before stopping dead in his tracks. He peered at the large canvas board across the room from him. Since it was so large, Canvas couldn't just lift it up to break it like all the others. But his rage continued to build up inside of him, so Canvas quickly grabbed a fallen paint can and lunged it toward the white board.

“GNAAAHHH!!”

Troy could already tell where Canvas was trying to throw it, and hastily shot forward to grab the can before could it hit the board. He made sure to carefully place the can back on the ground as he yelled back. "Canvas! Canvas, please, stop doing this!"

"JUST SHUT UP!!" Canvas picked up another can, and chucked it with a furious roar. Troy was able to grab it once more with both claws, placing it on the ground beside the first.

"Canvas, I know you're upset! But this can be fixed! You can still talk with that Glimmer mare and explai--"

"It doesn't matter!” Canvas screamed before grabbing yet another paint can. "It doesn't matter what the buck I do! No matter what, there will alwaysbe ponies like that! There will always be ponies that treat me like dirt, just because of who I am!!"

Canvas threw the can as hard as he could, but grew even more frustrated when Troy caught it without effort. The gryphon was struggling not to lose his patience; he was gritting his teeth by the time he put the can back on the floor. "Canvas, don't say that! I know you’re freaked out, but you can’t let one jackass get to you! You have tons of friends back in Ponyville! You have me!! You have a great life now, so don’t you dare act like this!!"

The very last thing Troy wanted to do was raise his voice at him, but he couldn’t bear the thought of Canvas losing his faith in others so easily. After everything he went though, Troy knew that Canvas had the means to move past this if he tried. Unfortunately, Canvas didn't seem to be listening to him, and kept picking up paint cans to throw at the board.

"It doesn't matter what the buck I do!” he shouted out between choking sobs, his teary eyes narrowed in rage. “It doesn't matter where I go! It doesn't matter what the buck I do with my life, because there will always be ponies who will look at me and just see a colt-cuddler!! They'll just look at me like I'm nothing, even though they don’t know a damn thing about me! No, all they’ll do is say stuff like, 'That’s not natural!'"

Canvas lunged a can at the wall, not caring that Troy caught it as he went to grab another.

"Canvas, stop it!!"

"Or saying stuff like, 'You wanna kiss colts? Wanna get a sex change too?!'"

Canvas threw another, aggravating Troy further as he continued to catch them before they could hit their target.

"Or, 'Stay away from my kids, Canvas!'"

Canvas threw another.

"Or, 'Why can’t you choose to like mares?' Like I’d bucking want to!!"

Canvas threw another. After catching it, Troy was just about to lunge in and grab Canvas by the hooves. “This is going too far!!”

"Or beating me up when I finally came out!!” Canvas screamed as he took hold of a can of silver paint, and held it high over his head while his eyes were clenched shut. “He didn’t even give me a chance to say anything, and just yelled at me, 'GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, YOU COLT-CUDDLER, YOU'RE NOT MY SON ANYMORE!!!'"

Canvas screamed with all his might as he tossed that can as hard as he could. But unlike all the others, the can struck the board at full-force while the gryphon stood completely motionless. Even when the can flew less than a few inches from his head, Troy didn’t register its thunderous crash. The gryphon was left speechless, as did the stallion who froze up in shock. Canvas didn’t grab another paint can, and could only look down at the floor in stunned silence at what he just admitted.

About what actually happened that night in Gallop Creek.

Canvas stood in that spot for what felt like hours, and didn’t take notice of anything around him. Meanwhile, Troy slowly stepped forward with a terrified look of concern on his face. As he kept an unblinking stare on Canvas, Troy’s claws trembled as he finally understood his friend’s affliction. While he knew that Canvas went through a lot before moving to Ponyville, it wasn’t until that moment that Troy realized how bad things really werefor him back home. Troy's heart sunk down into his stomach as thought back to those bandages the stallion used to wear, and how close he was to death in the ICU. His beak struggled not to quiver, but his eyes were already welling from thought of how long Canvas was dealing with all this.

Why he was so hesitant to talk about what happened.

Why he never talked about who hurt him.

Why he acted so distant when he mentioned his father.

Why he ran away for such a long distance.

Why he pushed himself so far.

As he stood before Canvas, Troy tried his hardest to break though his stunned state in order to get through to his terrified friend.

“... Ca… Canvas..."

Canvas didn't move an inch, and remained perilously frozen.

"Canvas?"

Again, Canvas didn’t budge. Troy winced before grabbing Canvas by the shoulders, and tried to shake the shock out of him. Canvas yelped out with a panicked cry, but Troy was looking just as frantic as he shouted,

"CANVAS, PLEASE! SAY SOMETHING!!"

Canvas finally blinked, and his pupils grew fuller as he looked up at Troy. He started breathing rapidly, and Canvas' bulging eyes began to well up. Troy wasn’t able to say anything else, and could only watch as tears started pouring down the pony’s face. Canvas began to whimper, and his muzzle scrunched in as his distress finally went past the point of no return. In less than a few seconds, Canvas' expression went from a state of shock to pure, tearful anguish.

Troy couldn't hold back as he pulled Canvas to his chest, and hugged him as tightly as he possibly could. Canvas began to sob loudly into his chest, and wrapped his hooves tightly around the gryphon’s back. Troy felt a growing sense of dread. For all the theories he had about what happened to Canvas, Troy would've never thought it was something this mortifying.

No matter how badly he wanted to ignore it, the realization still clung to his mind. He wasn't hurt by some random bully or some unknown drunk. In fact, Canvas wasn't hurt by some stranger at all.

He was hurt by his own father.

Author's Note

Also as a quick sidenote, the next chapter is going to be a flashback scene with strong themes of violence, domestic disputes and family trauma. Because of this, Reader Discretion is advised.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Most Painful Truth

Canvas didn't say anything for a long time. He continued to sob silently while his head was buried in the soft feathers of Troy’s chest. His heart still felt tremendously heavy in his chest, but he was able to stop shaking as he savored the gryphon’s body warmth, and listened to the rhythmic thumps of his heartbeat. Eventually, the forced gasps from Canvas' sobs settled down, allowing him to breathe somewhat quietly.

Meanwhile, Troy remained deathly silent as he clutched the pony tightly within his claws. Despite how calm he may have felt within Canvas’ embrace, Troy's thoughts were racing past at lightning speed. He hated to think that Canvas was hurt so badly by somepony that was supposed to be so close to him. Troy's relationship with his own father wasn't exactly great, but he couldn't imagine him doing anything that cruel or heartless.

The only thing Canvas could overhear was a brief sigh from above, before he felt Troy’s chin resting down on top of his head. Troy slowly lifted his claw and began to stroke Canvas’ long mane, hoping to alleviate his heartache even by the tiniest bit.

Canvas clutched Troy tighter, and struggled not to whimper into his chest. He couldn’t bear to look up at Troy’s face, mostly due to the guilt he felt from never telling him the truth. Though willing to give basic details, Canvas never wanted to tell the full story about his past. This was mostly due to how terrifiedhe felt about the memory; how close he was to death that night.

"He…”

Canvas' voice came out in a cracked whisper, and he could feel Troy’s grip tightening in response. Canvas kept himself from raising his head up as he spoke. Instead, he closed his eyes a little tighter to keep his tears held back, and hoped that Troy's embrace would make him feel more secure.

"... He was so proud of me before that night. For the first time after Mom… he actually looked happy..."

Troy heard a couple sniffles, and then felt some additional warmth from Canvas’ tears soaking into his feathers.

"But then… after the graduation…”

Gallop Creek stood dormant as the rain hammered down relentlessly, which caused the grey buildings to look even less inviting in the dark. As he slowly trotted down the dirt road, Canvas tried his hardest to keep his mind focused on getting home. Unfortunately, it was hard for him to focus on his steps when he felt his fetlocks becoming matted in a thick coating of mud. The graduation gown was doing a surprisingly good job of keeping most of his fur dry, but his face was still soaked underneath his cap. But even as his body shivered from the cold, Canvas had other worries on his mind. More specifically, he hoped he hadn’t made a huge mistake earlier.

Canvas made sure no rain got inside the art bag lugged over his shoulder, which now contained his new diploma. He still felt glad to receive such a high accomplishment as earning a Valedictorian status, but any prideful feelings about his degree were badly weighed down by the looming dread he was feeling. While he wasn’t planning to stay in Gallop Creek for much longer, Canvas knew that he messed up any growing respect he had from the town after his speech.

Amongst the deafening silence and overheard murmurs following its conclusion, the most troubling thing Canvas noticed was the empty seat in the crowd where his father was supposed to be. He expected to see the dark-green stallion there, showing his support and providing at least one friendly face in the crowded auditorium; but instead, all that Canvas saw was an empty chair with the reserved note taped to the back: ‘Copper Fields.’

Canvas was growing more worried as he got closer to his home, the night’s black sky his only company. He’d tried to stay at the school until dark, but Canvas was still unable to find his Dad after the ceremony. The poor stallion was left walking among the crowd for about an hour, where he felt various ponies’ stares digging into him like painful needles. He didn’t want to think that his father straight-up abandoned him, but Canvas certainly felt casted aside at that point. When he finally reached his house, Canvas only saw a single light inside through one of the windows. He gulped when he recognized the window; it was coming from his Dad’s personal study.

Canvas slowly walked in, and took off his gown and cap amidst the darkness. Just as he was placing down his art bag and clothing, he heard a thump from behind the closed door of the study. Canvas slowly walked toward the room, even as he felt the sense of dread in his chest growing immensely. When he cautiously turned the knob and opened the door, he couldn’t see anypony inside. All that he saw was the single lamp that was turned on beside his Dad’s empty recliner, while the rest of the room remained shrouded in darkness. Canvas’ muzzle tightened as he tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness, and carefully stepped into the room.

"... Dad?”

Canvas heard a floorboard creak behind him, and he turned around just in time to see a large figure in the shadows. The last thing Canvas was able to see was the glimmer of golden brown, illuminated by his father's whiskey bottle, just before it collided with his face.

SMASH!!!

With a slurred yell from the stallion brandishing that bottle, a half-empty glass vessel smashed with brutal force against Canvas' face. The pony fell to the ground hard, blood spurting out of his snout like a water balloon. Canvas’ mind was caught in a temporary blank as he lay on the floor amongst the blood and broken glass, and his senses were overwhelmed by the acrid scent of alcohol that soaked into his fur. He coughed up more blood, and he could barely process a thing before hearing his father’s hoofsteps drawing closer.

"GET THE BUCK UP!"

Due to how badly his ears were ringing from the strike, Canvas wasn’t able to hear his father’s enraged voice; and even if he did, the blow to his head left him semi-conscious and unable to move. Unfortunately, Canvas’ sense of terror kicked in just as he felt his father' hooves grabbing him by the shoulders; and before he could defend himself, the stallion was thrown with his back up against the wall.

Canvas’ left eye was already starting to swell, so he could only see his Dad’s livid sneer for about a second or two. As he held his son by the neck with a single hoof, Copper’s furious voice was accompanied by his breath, reeking of alcohol.

"SO YOU'RE A COLT-CUDDLER NOW?!”

Canvas couldn’t even give a response before Copper started punching him repeatedly. The younger pony tried to cry out, but his Dad didn’t show any remorse as he continued to pummel his face with his free hoof. Canvas’ left eye was already in a bad state, but the first couple of punches blackened it to an alarming degree; his right eye, meanwhile, was already swelling too, and more blood spewed from his battered muzzle.

After several more punches to his face, staining Copper's green hoof with his son’s red blood, he threw Canvas to the floor and started kicking him in the gut. With each vicious strike, Canvas coughed up more blood that left the taste plastered in his mouth. Despite the abuse, Canvas tried to speak out in gagging wheezes while struggling on the floor.

"… P-please… please… just… Dad, I--"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!”

Copper grabbed his son by his long mane, causing Canvas to scream in pain as he was pulled up from the floor. Canvas desperately tried to move his hooves. Copper smashed his face against the wall. Several framed photos fell down from the force of the impact, none of this phasing Copper as he went down to grab him again. Before he could get his grip on him again, Canvas lunged forward with a panicked cry and pushed his father onto his back. He managed to stumble out of the study, a steady stream of blood dripping from various parts of his face as he tried to run up the stairs.

"GET BACK HERE!!"

Canvas' heart was thundering fearfully, and the sound of his Dad’s voice caused him to stumble up the steps. He heard his father's hooves rushing up the stairs by the time he reached the top. Canvas hoped he could reach his bedroom in time, and lock the door before anything else could happen. But as his vision grew more strained behind his swelling face, Canvas had to frantically use his hooves to feel his way down the hallway for his door.

Just as he touched the doorframe, a hoof suddenly grabbed Canvas by the back of his mane. Canvas tried to scream before his father threw his son's face against the doorframe. The impact struck Canvas’ snout directly, and he lost consciousness.

Canvas was only out for less than a minute, but his head and face were throbbing in pain when he slowly woke up. His right eye was now swollen completely shut, and Canvas winced as his left eye tried to open around its own bruising. As his eye tried to adjust to the light, he could overhear his father's slurring grunts, as well as sheets of paper being torn. Canvas had to lean up against the wall as he struggled to get back on his hooves, and his ears twitched upon hearing his Dad’s enraged mutterings from his bedroom.

"A colt-cuddler!? A bucking cold-cuddler!? I'm not having that!! No way!! There's no BUCKING way!!"

Canvas' working eye could now see the light coming from his open bedroom. The moment he tried to stumble toward the light source, Canvas found himself staring in horror as his bedroom was torn apart. His bed was overturned in the middle of the room, and the rest of his belongings were either being broken or strewn around by his drunken father.

Copper was holding a large stack of Canvas' paintings in his hooves, and was carelessly ripping each of them apart before his son's mortified eyes. Years upon years of his hard work were being destroyed right in front of him, many of which were pieces Canvas pridefully made after he discovered his calling as an artist. Even paintings he had made in dedication to his mother were being destroyed. Canvas no longer processed the throbbing pain in his face and body, and he ran toward Copper in a bolt of unbridled rage. “GNAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Unfortunately for Canvas, his primal yell caught Copper’s attention before he could strike. But even when Copper responded with another brutal decking of his hoof against Canvas’ face, the younger stallion only faltered a little before lunging again. Canvas managed to push Copper off of his hooves, making him drop the rest of his son's work.

Copper's head hit the edge of Canvas' dresser when he fell over, knocking him out cold. Canvas panted frantically as he ran around his destroyed bedroom, desperately trying to pick up every piece of his artwork before Copper could get back up. He wished more than anything that he could pack whatever he could to escape, and cursed himself for thinking he could’ve ever trusted his Dad. But above all else, Canvas worried about getting himself out of the house alive.

With tears dripping down his blood-matted face, Canvas stumbled out of his room, nearly falling down the stairs as he made a beeline for the door. Canvas was able to pick up his art bag from the floor, and sobbed to himself as he crammed all the paintings inside without restraint.

Just as Canvas threw the bag over his shoulder, he screamed when he felt Copper’s hoof grabbing him from behind. He wasn’t sure how the older stallion could’ve gotten up so quickly, but the shock of the moment left his body limp in his grasp. Canvas tried to scream out for help, but Copper didn’t show any hesitation as he threw open the front door. He then shoved his son out of the house as hard as he could, sending the pony flying out into the yard in the middle of the pouring rain.

Canvas fell face-first in the lawn, which was now basically a giant mud-puddle that further dirtied his fur and battered face. Canvas tried to raise his head while it was caked in mud, just as Copper threw his art bag out of the house as well. The bag struck Canvas right in the back of his head, and half of the paintings spilled out in the rain. Canvas was wheezing heavily through his sobs as he started grabbing as many pieces as he could, and shoving them back into his bag with his muddy hooves.

"GET THE BUCK OUT, AND DON’T YOU EVER COME BACK!!!”

The pony took one last glance back up at the place he called home. But when he turned around, Canvas saw his father holding the door, glaring at him, showing nothing but pure hatred and disappointment in his eyes

"...You're better off dead, you bucking worthless freak."

With that, Copper slammed the door, and turned off the front porch light to leave Canvas completely in the dark. The young pony could only lay frozen with his jaw agape, tears still streaming from his swollen eyes. His sobbing intensified as he struggled to get back on his hooves. When he was finally able to stand under his own weight, Canvas was left in a stunned state when he turned away from his house. Due to all the commotion, the other houses in the neighborhood had their lights on; none of the doors were open, but he could see the shapes of many ponies looking through their window blinds to stare at him.

"HELP!!” Canvas cried out in desperation, tears streaming down his face as he stood alone on his front lawn. “PLEASE, HELP ME!!!"

Not a single door opened. Even as the stallion continued to cry out for help, the neighborhood slowly turned dark as each individual house turned off its lights. By the time the house across the street finally went dark, Canvas’ sobs receded and his shock grew. It didn’t take long for the pony to realize that he was truly alone. Canvas grabbed his art bag from the mud, and held it tightly between his teeth as he galloped off.

He had no idea where he could’ve gone, but he knew he couldn’t stay in the blasted town. As far as he was concerned, even staying in Gallop Creek for another day would leave him in a worse state than he was in his former home. Eventually, the town limits came up in the distance.

There was only one place in Gallop Creek where Canvas could think to go: the local graveyard―the place where his mother rested. By the time he reached his mother’s grave, the storm died down, leaving everything underneath him wet and stagnant.

Canvas dropped his bag and threw his hooves around the tombstone, bawling uncontrollably while holding his face against the marble. Not noticing the blood from his face staining the drying stone, Canvas stayed in that spot for several minutes while gusting winds brushed against his back

Canvas laid against the headstone with a shattered heart, knowing that the only pony who could be there for him, the only pony who ever loved him, had died years ago. The winds blew even harder against Canvas' back, but they weren’t strong enough to keep him there. When he slowly raised himself back up, his voice came out in a faint whisper as he stared at the tombstone in defeat.

"I can’t do this, Mom. I… I just can’t do this anymore..."

Despite how hard the winds tried to blow Canvas back toward the stone, he hoisted his muddied bag over his shoulder and rushed out from the graveyard. He galloped past the town limits of Gallop Creek. No matter how much his hooves started to hurt, Canvas couldn’t stop galloping as fast as he could. All he could do was close his eyes, and hope that the pain would eventually go away like the town he left behind...

"I… I didn’t have anything to live for… I had absolutely nothing…”

Canvas didn't look up a single time as he recounted what happened, so he couldn’t have noticed Troy’s shock. Meanwhile, the gryphon could only sit with his beak and eyes wide open, looking completely mortified while his body trembled in disbelief. Even by gryphon standards, Troy knew that what happened to Canvas was beyond horrible. But as he heard his friend whimpering louder, Troy kept himself silent. Canvas pushed his head closer against his chest.

"I just kept running. I knew I was hurting, but I didn't care! I just kept running until I couldn't move any more… I just wanted to get as far away as I could.I… I felt like…”

Canvas winced painfully as he clenched his eyes shut, his teeth clenching tightly in apprehension. He knew he couldn’t keep it in; he could remember how horrible he felt when he galloped himself to exhaustion. Canvas’ hooves gripped Troy's back a little tighter.

"I really felt like I wanted to die…”

The moment those words came out, Troy couldn't hold it in any longer. Tears finally escaped his eyes, and he hugged Canvas tightly in both claws while shouting, "Don’t say that! Please, don’t ever say that again!"

Canvas reopened his eyes when he heard the distress in his friend’s voice. "But… but, I--"

"I know you were hurt!” Troy hugged him even tighter. “I know you've been through a lot, but please! Please don't say anything like that!"

He could hear the pony's muffled sobs through his feathered chest, causing tears to continue streaming from Troy's eyes too.

"Canvas, you're the best friend that I ever had! I can't imagine what I’d do if you weren't around. I… I can’t lose you."

Troy dipped his head down so that the bottom of his chin rested firmly on top of Canvas' head.

"Canvas, you're never going to be alone again. I swear, by everything that I hold dear, that I will alwaysbe here for you! You're my best friend, and you always will be! So please… please don't hold in anything like this again!"

Canvas gripped him as tightly as ever, knowing what his friend was asking of him. After all these months of trying to keep everything dormant in the back of his mind, Canvas was now being asked to let it all go in his best friend’s embrace. The pony's body began to convulse as he tried to stop his sobbing. Meanwhile, Troy just held him, keeping his eyes closed and gently whispering into Canvas’ ear.

"It's okay, Canvas. I'm here for you. Just… just let it out."

Canvas’ hooves clasped the gryphon’s back, and he pushed his face as hard as he could against Troy's chest before he began bawling. After spending so long trying to move past the horrors that he’d experienced, Canvas never took a moment to vent out all the feelings that had been ruminating just underneath the surface. But now, with the closest friend he'd ever had by his side, Canvas was finally able to let it all go. Every ounce of sadness, frustration, devastation and pain bellowed out in an intense torrent of emotion as he cried out as loudly as possible. Even with his muzzle muffled through Troy's feathers, Canvas' cries still came out in deafening howls that shook the windows.

As he sat on the floor and held Canvas through his heartbroken weeps, it didn’t take long for Troy to realize that he was crying as well. After learning how badly his friend was treated, and why Canvas looked the way he did before the storm, Troy couldn’t help sobbing alongside him. Nothing else seemed to matter in the destroyed studio as Canvas and Troy held each other in the darkness. Holding each other as close as they could through the pain.

Troy couldn't tell how late it had gotten. Since he was sitting in the middle of the darkened aftermath of drying paint and broken boards, he couldn’t see the moon from the nearby window. All he could do was look down where Canvas laid on his lap, whose breathing coming out at a slow and resting pace.

With the moonlight shining in through the windows, Troy could see the matted fur on Canvas' face where the tears had dried up. His eyes were still a little puffy while closed, something that made Troy feel even worse. It reminded Troy of how his eyes looked before that storm...

When he was hurt…

When his father…

Troy clenched his eyes shut and shook his head. He put a claw to Canvas' face, and tried to calm himself down as he felt the smoothness of the stallion’s fur. He was grateful that the bruises and stitches were long gone, but the bitter remains of his tears still served as a temporary reminder.

Troy tried not to wake the stallion, and carefully rubbed the matted fur smooth with a talon. Despite how tranquil Canvas looked as he dozed, Troy felt a heavy pressure in his gut when he thought about what Canvas went through. And even now, the gryphon felt like he was going to cry again if his thoughts went back to what Canvas said earlier.

About his father.

His bucking father...

Troy felt a strong wave of anger hit him, and his beak gritted shut. His thoughts grew more agitated as he reflected on everything he had learned about his friend. How could somepony do something that horrible to their own son? If Troy never noticed him that fateful day, Canvas could've easily died alone in that field with nothing to his name. Troy held the sleeping pony closer to his chest, silently vowing to hurt the bastard who did that to him. Hell, if he wasn’t so concerned about the state of his friend, he’d likely make an overnight flight straight to Gallop Creek to beat Copper to a bloody pulp.

Before his rage could build up any more, Troy felt a sharp pain in his back. He'd been sitting in an uncomfortable position for hours. The gryphon groaned silently while rubbing the small of his back with a claw. Looking behind him, Troy quickly took notice of Canvas' loft above the wall. He knew it would be tricky to move the stallion without disturbing his rest, but he certainly wasn’t going to leave him sleeping in the middle of his trashed studio.

Troy lifted himself up slowly, trying to keep the stallion’s head rested on his shoulder like a sleeping foal. Since the room was already in bad shape anyway, Troy knew a little breeze wouldn't do much more damage; so even as scraps of paper flew around the studio thanks to his gusting wings, Troy quickly flew up above the wall and glided over to Canvas' bed.

After landing on his hind legs, Troy tried to walk bipedally as he carried Canvas to the bed. Once he was close enough, he carefully lowered Canvas' body to the mattress. However, while still asleep, Canvas' forelegs wrapped around Troy’s neck to hold him closer. He let out a quiet whimper when Troy tried to let him go, which caused the gryphon to stand for a moment with a look of realization. The idea felt a little weird, but Troy wasn’t one to relent.

Troy slowly lowered himself into the bed, keeping Canvas securely nestled around his forelegs. Troy rested his head on the pillow, but couldn’t get himself under the covers. Since the pony was still asleep, Troy could only blush when he felt Canvas nuzzling against his feathered neck. His heart raced from such an unexpected gesture, but he was too tired to think of pulling himself up from the bed. Instead, he tried to settle in while his claws rested soundlessly against the stallion’s back.

Troy wasn’t sure if it was because of his own exhaustion, the worries he felt regarding his friend’s emotional state, or just how comfortable the mattress felt underneath his and Canvas’ shared weight; but either way, the gryphon couldn’t deny that in that moment, he didn’t want to leave Canvas’ place to go back home. When Canvas nuzzled his neck again, he didn’t seem to care all of a sudden. Rather, Troy slowly closed his eyes, and gave a brief nuzzle of his beak against the pony’s mane. He eventually grew a more contented smile as he nestled himself closer to Canvas, joining him for some much needed rest.

After all the chaos that happened that night, everything became calm and silent as Canvas and Troy dozed off in each other's embrace. And in those brief couple of hours before morning could come, the stallion and gryphon were both able to sleep soundlessly.

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Retribution

When he finally awoke the following morning, Canvas hummed to himself upon feeling the warm blanket around his body. He kept his hooves latched around the warm, large mass beside him, feeling a sense of comfort that he desperately didn’t want to pass.

However, when he opened his eyes, Canvas felt his heart sink slightly when he saw nothing but a large pillow in his grasp. The warmth was simply the sunlight beaming through the window. Canvas clenched his eyes shut again and hugged the pillow some more. He tried his best to bring back that allusion from mere moments ago, but it was already slipping.

Canvas' ears perked up when he heard the sounds of something sizzling and things banging around in the kitchen. Canvas opened his eyes again when the smoke alarm went off. Troy's voice rang out from downstairs. "Shut up, you stupid fire thingie! I didn't set anything on fire this time!"

Several loud bangs erupted before the beeping suddenly ceased, sounding like a deflated whistle. After a few seconds of silence, he heard Troy groan, followed by something small hitting the floor. Canvas was now fully awake, and was quick to lift himself off the bed.

Troy stepped away from the skillet and looked toward the sound of hoofsteps coming from upstairs. Once Canvas appeared at the bottom, Troy's heart sank when he saw how badly Canvas looked. His long mane was a ragged mess, with several large tangles strewn around the chestnut locks. His eyes, though dry and no longer red, had dark bags and tear stains underneath. The bottoms of his hooves were still stained with dried paint from the puddles he’d walked through.

Clutching the door frame, Troy breathed in deeply before speaking. "Are… are you okay?"

Canvas slowly nodded and looked around the living area. Before the pony could say anything, Troy held out his claws. "How about you take a shower before doing anything else? Breakfast is almost done anyway."

Troy tried giving him a reassuring smile, but he was sure that a shade of worry was still there. Slowly nodding again, Canvas walked past Troy toward the bathroom. Once inside, Canvas closed the door behind him and headed straight to the bathtub, throwing the curtain back and turning on the water. As it got warmer, and a thick cloud of steam enveloped the bathroom, Canvas began to settle while recollecting what had transpired last night.

“Ughhh… Oh, goddess…”

Canvas struggled to keep himself upright as he recalled his confession to Troy. For so long, the stallion had tried to keep the horrible thoughts from that night as far away as possible, using his artwork as a distraction. But like a nasty scar, those memories remained inside of Canvas, eating away at him while lying dormant. And with the intensity of a loaded spring, all of those painful recollections shot right out when he was at his lowest point.

Canvas felt grateful for his friend, who managed to stay by him before things could get any worse. For the second time since leaving Gallop Creek, Canvas felt that Troy truly saved him from himself.

He eventually dried himself off and stepped out of the bathroom, leaving a cloud of steam behind him. At that moment, Canvas gasped in horror when he remembered what else he did last night. He rushed into his studio, hoping to the Goddesses that nothing was too damaged. Canvas skidded into the open space, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Though it was now much smaller, the row of paint cans was neatly stacked back up along the wall, albeit some stains here and there. On the opposite wall, all of the canvas boards that weren't broken were back in place. A separate pile was made of other boards that were unbroken, but stained with paint laying beside them. On the back wall behind Canvas, the large shelf was propped back up, with every paintbrush meticulously placed back inside and reorganized. Next to it was a well-used mop and bucket, a detail that made Canvas notice that the hardwood floors were now completely clean. His red couch stood proudly in the middle of the room again. It looked as if nothing had ever happened.

When he looked back toward the kitchen doorway, Canvas saw Troy standing there in sheepish guilt. “I… I decided to clean up a little while you were asleep. I tried my best, but it was a bitchto get all the paint from between the floorboards."

Canvas stared back at the studio in disbelief, taking in how much Troy had done. He then looked back at him speechless. Troy rubbed the back of his neck.

"I put the stuff that was too wrecked outside by the trash. Thankfully, it doesn't look like any of your artworkwas destroyed."

Canvas brought his gaze to the ground. He was glad that none of his artwork was caught in his path of destruction; but at the same time, he was more shocked that his friend would do all of this for him while he slept. Before anything else could be said, the smell of something burning hit Canvas' nostrils, and he looked past Troy and into the kitchen to see a cloud of white smoke. Troy shouted out in shock and flew back inside.

"BUCK! Why did I break the smoke alarm!?"

Once the kitchen was cleared of smoke, and nothing was found to be seriously damaged (save for one melted spatula), Troy let Canvas sit down at the table while he prepared breakfast.

Troy's cooking skills were almost nonexistent, but he still managed to make some grilled cheeses and a plate of slightly burned fried potatoes for the both of them. As the two awkwardly ate across from each other, neither of them spoke, letting the silence take over so they could process their thoughts.

Canvas was mostly focused on how he could try to fix the mess he made with Glimmer Heart, no matter how pointless it would likely be. Troy thought about how long Canvas had kept his past from everypony, an annoyed scowl threatening to expose itself. He could understand not wanting to talk about something so horrible, but he still felt increasingly upset that Canvas didn’t bring it up at all. Finally, Canvas finished his plate and broke the silence.

"Th-thank you for doing all of this…” Canvas was trying his hardest to smile, but it was notably weak overall. “I still can’t believe you cleaned everything up."

Troy could hear how sore Canvas’ throat was from all the yelling from last night. He figured that now wouldn't be a good time to start anything, so he just sighed with a thankful nod. "It’s no problem. I just figured that after everything last night, the last thing you wanted was to wake up to a trashed home. Plus, I was pretty hungry after I got everything fixed, so I decided to cook for the both of us.”

"Well, this was really nice of you. Thank you." Pushing his plate aside, Canvas looked back at his workspace with his muzzle tightly clasped.

"I put your paintings and stuff on your couch, and I made sure none of them were ripped or anything. When I was cleaning up, it looked like you had those stashed somewhere before you went all Discord on the place."

"Yeah...” Last night was a horrifying emotional blur, but he did remember moving all his artwork to a corner and covering it with a box before he went completely postal. Emotional wreck or not, he knew better than to ruin his own work.

"Frankly, I'm surprised I managed to keep my paintings safe in the state I was in,” said Canvas. "I guess I just didn’t want to get my art destroyed again. If I wrecked my paintings, I…”

Canvas bit his lip. “I think if I did that… I would have just been doing what he did.”

Canvas closed his eyes. Troy clenched his claws in frustration, still irritated over not knowing any of this prior to now. The two had been friends for so long, and Troy cared for the stallion, muchmore than he thought he did. He decided he wasn’t going to let it slide after all.

"How come you never told me about this?"

Canvas jolted in surprise. When he looked back up, Troy’s glare intensified greatly. "Seriously, why the buck didn’t you ever tell me!?”

Canvas looked away and uttered meekly. "I… I did. I told you that I--”

"Yeah, you told me you got beaten up, but that was it! You never said it was your bucking dad who did that to you! How could you not mention such a huge detail? How can you just keep something like that hidden!?"

Troy couldn't keep himself from yelling. Canvas kept his eyes clenched shut, his muzzle trembling. "Canvas, this is bucking serious! You can't just keep that kind of thing a secret when your friends are trying to help you! You should've told us!"

"I KNOW!!"

Troy froze in surprise. Canvas looked up at Troy in anger, tears already building up as he yelled in a cracking voice, "I know I should have said something, okay!? I know I should've told you, and I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I kept this from you, but you have noidea how hard it's been for me!!"

Canvas kept his glare between heavy breaths, not noticing the fresh tears streaming down his cheeks. Troy immediately winced in shame.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to move on from that night!? The last time I thought about what he did to me, i-it was when I was running from that town! A-And back then, it was because I wanted to just end it all! That was why I pushed myself like that! That was why I ran that bucking far!!"

Canvas' face scrunched up in a mixture of anger and guilt, and Troy just sat there in stunned silence. Canvas sunk his head into his hooves, whimpering morosely.

"I… I just wanted to forget it. I wanted to forget what he did to me, so I could try to move on. I didn’t want to think about it because… I didn't want to do that to myself again…”

Canvas sobbed softly, keeping his face covered even when he heard Troy move out of his seat. The gryphon walked toward him, and placed a claw on Canvas' shoulder. He waited patiently until Canvas looked back up, and responded in a firmly reassuring tone. "Canvas, I know you've been through a lot, and… and you're right. I don'tknow how bad it was for you..."

As his expression grew more sympathetic, Troy used a talon to wipe the tears from Canvas' face.

"But that doesn't mean I won't help you. Canvas, I meant every word I said last night. You really aremy best friend, and the last thing I want is to see you get hurt again. But if you want me to help you, you can’tkeep these things locked inside."

Troy put his claws down, and Canvas nodded in silent agreement. His memories were still painful, but he knew he wasn't doing himself any good by holding them in. Canvas wiped his face with his napkin, still listening to Troy.

"Canvas, if you keep those feelings bottled up, they're just gonna build up until they burst out and do some real damage. You saw what happened last night, right? I'm just glad I could help out before you hurt yourself too badly. And I wantto help you, Canvas! I really do! But I can't do that if you can't open up."

“... H-How?” Canvas asked weakly, looking lost. “… What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying that you shouldn't drag your past with you. Even if you try to hide or ignore it, it's just going to get worse if you don't try to let go. I know I'm asking a lot from you, but… if you want to move on, you can’t keep avoiding your problems. You have to at least talk about it. And I promise, I'll always be here to listen when you do."

A sheepish, albeit genuine smile slowly grew across Canvas' face. Troy smiled back brightly, feeling a lot more at ease. He knew that his friend went through a lot, and he didn’t want to push things further than he already had. Even so, he hoped that out of all the friends that Canvas had made since then, he could at least be the first one he could truly trust.

A sudden knock came from the door, surprising both of them. Troy quickly held up a claw to stop Canvas. "Don't get up. I'll get it."

Before Canvas could protest, Troy walked over to the door himself. Opening it revealed Glimmer Heart, who was standing silently with a conflicted-looking wince. Her eyes widened before stepping back, not expecting to see a gryphon. Nevertheless, Glimmer quickly composed herself and cleared her throat.

"O-Oh! Ummm… Hello, there. I came to speak with Canvas about what happened last night. Is he here?"

Troy looked back at Canvas for a second, pausing in contemplation before turning back to Glimmer. "Listen, there's been a lotgoing on right now, so I'm not su--"

"It's alright, Troy."

Canvas huffed in trepidation before walking toward the door. Troy cautiously stepped back from the two, his expression equally as wary.

Once Canvas stood opposite of Glimmer Heart, he tried his best to match the mare’s professional mannerisms through his meager voice.

"Glimmer Heart, I… I just want to start by apologizing for my actions. I know that I lost con--”

"Canvas,” said Glimmer, quick to interrupt him with a raised hoof. The stallion cringed worriedly. "Let me start... When I got to the hospital, my husband, Hot Shot, was found to have a broken snout, and needed several stitches due to lacerations. When I asked him about what happened, hetold me that he tried to make a formal complaint before you harassed him."

Canvas bit his lip in anger and looked away with a strong grimace. He figured that bigot would try to twist the story to make himself look like the victim. But before Canvas could retort, Glimmer kept her hoof raised and continued.

"However, I also talked to your two friends, Lyra and Bon-Bon, who visited me earlier this morning." Glimmer pointed outside toward the aforementioned two. Canvas and Troy were surprised to see the couple waiting outside, both looking just as worried but carrying optimistic smiles.

"They told me a fairly differentstory... in which my husband was harassing them, and you were defending the two."

Canvas caught the change in Glimmer's tone, one of rising hesitance. She took a couple steps back, and lit up her horn brightly. Her aura expanded out to conjure a large rectangular block of grey, fuzzy light between them.

"Before the social, I placed a surveillance spell around various parts of the ballroom, including the kitchen, for security purposes. I originally planned to have this in case anything was stolen or misplaced. When I heard Lyra and Bon-Bon's story, however, I looked back through the footage myself to see what really happened..."

With a quick flash, the screen showed a video feed of the kitchen, playing back the moment when Hot Shot began yelling at the two mares. Canvas was surprised to see legitimate proof in his favor, but kept his muzzle shut. Meanwhile, Troy leaned in with widening eyes as he watched the encounter himself.

As soon as the word ‘filly-foolers’ came out of Hot Shot's mouth, Canvas saw Glimmer cringe especiallyhard and her eyes pointed elsewhere. When the artist himself appeared on screen and proceeded to give his tirade, Canvas could overhear Troy mutter a "Whoa,” at seeing his friend’s intensity.

When Hot Shot made his final jab, and Canvas beat him down in the ballroom, the stallion looked away in guilt. Troy kept his eyes glued to the screen, and his beak dropped while struggling not to laugh.

"Dang!” yelled Troy, looking back at his friend with an impressed grin. "That is friggin’ badass, dude!"

Troy instantly regretted saying that. Glimmer Heart shot him a nasty glare, and Troy sputtered out as he stepped back, his feathers ruffling out. "Sorry! I mean, I didn't mean like… I-I mean--”

"Just drop it.” Glimmer stopped the feed, the screen disappearing with a flash of her horn. She closed her eyes with a sigh, before turning her attention back to Canvas.

"Canvas, I… I had noidea my husband would act like that.” When she reopened her eyes, Canvas could tell how utterly shameful she felt. “I may have known that he had a temper at times, but I have neverheard him say such things to anypony when I was around. I'm not going to say that what you did was right, because it wasn't."

Canvas bit his lip and nodded awkwardly. Hot Shot may have been an absolute prick, but a couple of slurs shouldn’t have equated to a hospital visit.

"However, if there's one thing I absolutely cannot tolerate, it's intolerance. I would’ve neverapproved of him treating anypony as such, or for him to use that kind of language toward you and your friends. And for that, I am so sorry."

Canvas could only blink in stunned silence. His eyes widened immensely in surprise.

"My line of work depends on how I treat my clients, and that includes how the ponies associated with me treat my clients as well. To say that Hot Shot’s actions were wrong would be an extremeunderstatement. And I just want you to know that I have absolutely no bias over anypony, and I certainly would not judge a pony for how they live their lives. I’ve told Lyra and Bon-Bon this as well, and apologized to them profuselyfor what Hot Shot said. While you may have reacted wrongly, my husband acted wrong first, and I feel it's my responsibility to apologize on behalf of the both of us."

Canvas eventually nodded. "Oh, um… w-well, thank you. I really appreciate you telling me all that. But I want you to know that I'msorry as well for acting violently. I shouldn't have gone that far, and…”

His gaze averted from Glimmer, and he lowered his head in remorse. “... and I completely understand if I'm no longer part of the gallery."

Troy, Lyra, and Bon-Bon looked at Canvas in shock, not wanting him to accept such a defeat after everything was resolved. Glimmer cleared her throat.

"That won’t be necessary, Canvas. I could see that you only acted out to help your friends, which I can completely understand. And while I hadseriously considered not keeping you in the exhibit…”

Glimmer looked back at Lyra and Bon-Bon before looking at Canvas with more sympathy.

"I know that you're still a good pony overall. And… I'm willing to allow you to keep your place as part of the gallery."

Canvas put a hoof up to his mouth to contain his shocked gasp. Lyra and Bon-Bon were grinning wide as they hoof-bumped each other. Troy grabbed Canvas from behind, lifting him up so his hooves dangled from the floor. He couldn’t have cared less about Glimmer’s surprised reaction while hugging his friend excitedly and smiling with pride. “Ha, HA!! Holy crap, YES!! That’s awesome!!”

"Really?!” By the time Canvas was put back down from Troy’s embrace, he was smiling just as wide. “Th-thank you so much! I… I don't know what to say!"

"All that I ask,” said Glimmer in a warmer voice. "Is that you focus on your work for the gallery. I'm giving you a second chance because I knowyou can do this, and I want to make sure I'm not making a mistake. Understood?"

Canvas stood upright, his grin fading into something more serious. “Yes I do, Glimmer Heart. I won’t disappoint you."

Satisfied by his answer, Glimmer Heart nodded back with a smirk. "Then I hope to see you in two weeks for the premiere."

Canvas and Glimmer shook hooves in agreement. Once Glimmer left and was out of sight, Lyra and Bon-Bon cheered in delight, and rushed inside to hug Canvas with blissful smiles. As the pony grimaced over how tightly he was being latched, Troy could only chuckle while watching the three with amusement.

"We're soglad you're alright, Canvas!" shouted Bon-Bon. "We were so worried about you!"

"It's alright...” Canvas’ voice became weak with emotion once both mares let go of him. "I know things were bad, but… I really do feel a lot better now." Canvas turned his attention back to Troy, and smiled at him with the utmost gratitude. Troy couldn’t help smiling back, his cheeks blushing a little with pride.

"Well Troy,” said Lyra, smirking at him as well. “We're really glad you were here while we got to Glimmer. How did you get in?"

"Through the hatch door on the roof,” answered Troy, pointing a claw up toward the ceiling. "I managed to calm him down before any of his artwork was destroyed."

"Oh yeah!" shouted Canvas as he rushed back into his studio. "I gotta get working on my big piece for the gallery!"

"Oh, of course!” Lyra’s eyes widened upon recalling their conversation last night about Canvas’ artists’ block. But then, as she took a look around, she took notice of the open loft. She recalled that Troy and Canvas were both inside the barn when they came over with Glimmer Heart. To her, this must’ve meant that they spent the night together. Lyra's eyes narrowed on the gryphon before grinning slyly. "Hmmmm… I think Bon-Bon and I should head off so that you can get focused."

“Wait, what?” Bon-Bon blinked puzzledly at her wife. "But Lyra, do you really think we--"

"It's alright, honey. I think they'll be justfine~"

With that, Lyra looked back at the two for a second, trying not to snicker. She was the first to exit Canvas’ place without much else to say, leaving the stallion alone in his studio. Bon-Bon followed her spouse, still looking confused. When the two were outside, Troy heard Lyra shout out one more thing: "Have fun, you two! Hehehehe~"

“Oh, honey!” griped Bon-Bon in annoyance. “Don’t act like that!”

“What? I’m not saying anything~”

“I don’t care, this is not the time!”

“Ugh… Oh, alright, alright…”

Troy blinked in confusion.

"Wait, what did she mean by that? Canvas, what do you…”

Troy’s words quickly trailed off, and his eyes widened when he caught the foreboding silence from his friend. Troy slowly stepped inside the studio to investigate, only to see the stallion’s back facing him. Canvas was standing completely still, staring up at the large canvas board leaning against the wall. Over the past few weeks, Canvas wasn't able to do anything with it due to a lack of inspiration. But now, the board had a large, grey paint stain splattered across the middle. Troy gasped, recalling how he had tried to protect that board the previous night; but alas, he had allowed Canvas to strike the board with the paint can after admitting what his father had done.

Troy looked devastated, but he could only imagine how Canvas was feeling at that moment. Even with the amount of time Canvas had to paint, the gryphon was aware how badly the stallion screwed up the foundation for his biggest piece.

"Canvas, I… I'm really sorry..."

Troy tried to reach forward with a claw, when all of a sudden, Canvas' head jolted upward, as if a light bulb turned on within his conscience. His head started cocking to each side, while his eyes narrowed intensely on the splotch of grey paint before him. Confused by the sudden change, Troy stepped forward to get a glance at Canvas from the side.

“Hmmm…” Instead of devastation or anger, Troy could only see pure focus in Canvas’ eyes. The pony slowly moved around to stare at the board at differing angles, keeping himself silent in thought. Troy blinked in befuddlement. “Dude, are you--”

"I GOT IT!!"

Canvas ran past Troy like he wasn’t even there, and grabbed a thick brush from the back shelf with his teeth. Then he ran over to the wall of paint cans, and grabbed several of the buckets with his hooves. Juggling all the items together, Canvas wobbled on his hindlegs back toward the board, and placed all the cans on the floor before opening the tops. Troy could only stare at the stallion in shock, not expecting to witness such a sudden burst of creativity right off the bat. “So… are you alright, Canva--”

"Yep!"

Canvas dipped the brush into one of the cans, and kept it in his teeth as he started painting part of the left side of the board with a bright shade of yellow.

"Well, ummm…” Troy looked around awkwardly, and merely shrugged. “I guess I'll get going then."

"Yeah, okay,” said Canvas with the brush still in his mouth. “Don’t you have that audition today?"

Troy gasped. “Oh yeah, I do! I need to get ready for that."

"Alright! Don’t worry about me, I got this!”

Troy could tell that Canvas was in his zone. So, Troy gave a quick goodbye before walking out of Canvas’ workspace. Just as he was about to open the front door, Canvas called out:

"WAIT!!"

Troy glanced back to see Canvas rushing out of the studio with a frantic look. He ran right up to Troy and skidded to a halt. Pausing momentarily, Canvas shot forward and threw his hooves around Troy's neck for a tight hug. The gryphon then heard his friend whisper weakly, "Thank you, Troy. For… F-For everything. I just… I'm really glad I have you."

Troy smiled graciously, and closed his eyes tightly while hugging Canvas back. Neither of them said a thing during their long embrace, not that anything needed to be said after last night. Troy wasn't sure how long they held that position, but it didn’t feel nearly long enough by the time Canvas pulled back. Once they were back on all fours, Canvas looked genuinely happy again.

"A-And, ummm… Good luck."

Troy nodded with a smile and left the barn. He made sure to close the door behind him, just as he heard Canvas galloping back into the studio. Troy breathed in the fresh air, pausing as he put a foreleg around his chest to relish the warmth he’d felt from Canvas.

He then glanced up at the sky, feeling a lot more energized. He was still nervous, but he couldn’t break the promise he made to his friend. Troy soared upwards into the morning skies, shooting back to his cloud to get ready for his audition. He remembered what Canvas said to Glimmer Heart, feeling the same way in regards to his own plans.

I won't disappoint.

Author's Note

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Growing Changes

Two Weeks Later

Outside the Ponyville Theater, a small crowd of ponies eagerly waited for the casting to be unveiled. Among them included a grey pegasus standing quietly with her eyes focused on two different spots: the left pointed at the empty bulletin board ahead of her, and the right pointed up at the skies above. As she waited anxiously, the blonde-maned mare wondered whether the sheet or her new friend would arrive first. Just then, the gryphon flew in from above.

As soon as he landed outside the crowd, Troy shook the sweat off his feathers. The mare quickly tried to shuffle through the ponies toward him. Troy gave an enthusiastic wave as he walked over. "Hey, Derpy! How's it going?"

Derpy gave him an equally bright smile. "I've been pretty good, and Dinky says hi." She turned her crossed gaze back to the crowd, staring in confusion at the bulletin board and its continued blankness. "Oh man, I can’t believe it's taking so long for the announcements to be made!"

"I know. It's like the director had no idea what she was going to do for this."

"Probably. I heard that happens sometimes. Do you think she was looking for the right play to include you?"

Troy struggled not to laugh, and rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Oh, yeah right. I reallydon't think that's gonna happen."

"Oh come on!" The mare playfully jabbed at his shoulder. "Troy, you gotta be more confident in yourself! Ever since your audition, she's been keeping you on for every callback! I mean, that first song you did was brilliant!"

Despite Derpy’s persistent praises, Troy wasn't sure if he was good enough to be among the more experienced ponies around him. The director definitely looked impressed after his first audition, but Troy knew he had some big issues when it came to actually acting. In every callback he was picked for, Troy struggled to memorize his lines, and had no knowledge of the various stage directions. He’d never even heard any of the audition songs before in his life, although he admitted to himself that his renditions were decent, at least. Still, Troy felt that being a decent singer wasn't going to be enough to be given a major role.

Well, I can’t say I didn’t try.

The theatre doors opened up, and an earth pony mare with a light-orange coat and poofy white mane stepped out, whom Troy knew to be the director. She shuffled through the crowd with the sheet in her mouth, and waited until the ponies around her stepped back before walking up to the bulletin board. Once she tacked the paper onto it, she walked back inside without saying a word, seemingly unaware of the impatient ponies pushing themselves to look at the list.

Derpy quickly flew upwards and hovered over the crowd, getting plenty of free space as one of the few pegasi present. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she leaned in and read the names.

Before Troy could spread his own wings open to join her, the grey mare shrieked out in joy and barreled back toward him. She caught the gryphon off-guard and she tackled him to the ground, hugging him in absolute glee.

“OHMIGOSH!!!” she shrieked out elatedly. "I got the lead I got the lead I got the lead I got the leeeeaad!!"

Troy couldn’t help smiling wide at the mare’s good news, and hugged her back before prying her off his chest. As the crowd dissipated, many of them looked disappointed as they sulked away from the cast list. On the other hoof, there were also a few that happily trotted off with content smiles, a clear sign that they made the cut. Troy made his way toward the board, leaving Derpy to dance around and squeal audibly. He bent in to read through the casting, starting at the bottom of the list and working his way to the top, until--

Christine - Derpy Hooves

The Phantom - Troius Clawston

Troy's beak couldn't have dropped any quicker. His name, as clear as day, was at the top of the list alongside Derpy's. His left eye twitched uncontrollably, and he blinked repeatedly in shock. Troy didn't notice at first when Derpy started hugging him again, even when she started cheering and hopping up and down.

"I can’t believe it! We're both leading! We're both leading together!!"

Troy couldn't help himself. He grew a large smile of his own, and he began jumping alongside the pegasus mid-hug. His excitement was unbound at the prospect of his first performance ever being a lead role. Before he knew it, Troy was laughing when he held Derpy up and squeezed her, almost suffocating the mare before yelling out in joy.

"YES! Yes, yes, yes, yes! This is awesome! I can’t wait to tell--"

Suddenly, Troy gasped and dropped Derpy. He looked up at the clock tower nearby, his brows raising up in surprise.

"Oh shoot! I gotta get to the train!" Troy gave Derpy one more big hug, and proceeded to fly off. "See you on Tuesday, Derpy!"

"Alright, have fun!" Derpy shouted back, waving her hoof while watching him leave. It was surprising to see him disappear so quickly after such big news, but she already knew he had big plans for the weekend. “Be sure to tell Canvas good luck on his art show!!”

Troy landed at the train station platform just in time, skidding to a halt with his talons grinding against the wooden floor. His entrance terrified half of the ponies around him, but the sweating gryphon didn’t seem to notice while his eyes were pinned on the train. He pulled out the ticket from his satchel, and quickly gave it to the wide-eyed ticket-collector before stepping on board.

To typical pony passengers, the trains were rather spacious and accommodating; but to someone of Troy’s size, it made him feel cramped whilst scanning the rows of seats for his friend. Troy turned around when he felt someone poke at his back.

"There you are, Troy!” Lyra said, relieved to find him. “We were wondering if you were gonna make it! Come on, the others are waiting back in the sleeper cars."

The two made their way to the sleeper cars, with Troy muttering a quick “Sorry” each time his wings accidentally brushed against somepony. Once they reached the outside of the sleeper cars, Troy was surprised to find that the entrance doors were to the right. He opened the entrance to find a narrow hallway within, a row of doors on the left side leading into separate rooms. Following Lyra, Troy entered one of the rooms where Bon-Bon was sitting by herself. Upon seeing the two, Bon-Bon quickly got out of her seat to hug Troy.

"There you are!" The steam engines could be heard rumbling from outside. Troy looked around in confusion before sitting on the bench opposite of them, trying to get himself comfortable as the train began to move.

"So, uhhh… where's Canvas at?” he asked before glancing out the window, seeing the Ponyville train station slowly passing his line of sight. “Is he in another car?"

"He's in the room next door,” Lyra answered. "I think he's asleep right now, so it might not be a good idea to wake him up."

"Oh, alright then." Troy leaned back in his bench while Lyra and Bon-Bon chatted amongst themselves.

As the train moved faster, Troy looked around the room some more with an appreciative smile. Due to the cabin’s spacious size, he could actually sit comfortably with Lyra and Bon-Bon without feeling like he was in a sardine tin. He could remember how cramped his seat was when he first took the train to Equestria from the Gryphon Kingdom, which was horribly cheap in comparison to this one. Troy eventually stretched out across the bench with a pleased sigh, and sat in a more laid-back fashion.

"Man, this is waybetter than I thought it was going to be."

"I know,” said Bon-Bon, scooting closer to her wife. "I’m pretty sure Glimmer Heart upgraded our tickets to make up for that whole Hot Shot incident."

Lyra groaned and slouched on her seat. "Ugh! Please don't remind me of that homophobic jerk! I really thought I was gonna deck that guy if Canvas didn't do it first."

Troy smirked. He recalled the footage he watched, and how many punches Canvas got in such a short amount of time. He had to admire how tough the pony acted through that whole ordeal.

"Yeah, I get what you mean. Considering how badly he got her husband, I'm kinda shocked that Glimmer would do something like this at all."

“Well, what was she supposed to do?” asked Lyra. “Even if she went through with pressing charges against Canvas, she’d have to deal with a P.R. nightmareafter her husband harassed us. If that recording went out, her reputation would likely be worse off than Canvas’.”

Troy nodded in understanding, not saying a word. Canvas may have beaten that guy to a bloody pulp, but it was doubtful that many ponies would blame him after the way Hot Shot acted.

"Oh! I almost forgot!” said Bon-Bon, pointing a hoof at Troy. “Did you hear about what happened to them? Glimmer Heart divorced him!”

"Wait, what!?" Troy jolted. "Holy crap, really!? She dumped him for what he did?"

"No, actually!” Bon-Bon looked just as befuddled as the gryphon. “From what I heard, she tried to get him to do couples counseling because of his anger issues. But during their first session, they got in a hugefight in front of their therapist, and he accidentally admitted to an affair!"

"Whoa!" Troy had to hold a claw over his beak to keep himself from laughing too loud. “Damn, talk about karma! Does Canvas know about that?”

"Well…” Lyra’s muzzle skewed in apprehension. "We talked to him a little bit at the station, but I don't think he was listening too well. He was, like, really tired when he got here! He kinda looked like a zombie! He was even covered in a lot of paint, but he didn’t seem to notice it."

"Oh..."

Troy remembered when he last saw Canvas two weeks ago, right after the stallion had that sudden burst of inspiration. Ever since then, Troy wasn't able to see him at all while locked in that studio. He knew the painting was a big deal for Canvas, but Troy wouldn’t have expected him to be working on it the entire time. However, given how intense of an emotional downpour the artist experienced, the gryphon was sure that the isolation was something Canvas needed to do for himself, regardless of the risk.

“Hmmm…” Troy leaned back against the back wall, humming in thought about what Canvas may have done with all that time. Aside from that one giant splotch of paint, he didn’t have any idea what the pony made for the gallery. Bon-Bon cleared her throat to grab his attention.

"So what's new, Troy? We heard that you've been auditioning for the town musical this year!"

Lyra’s face lit up as she stared at Troy expectantly as well. Troy sighed with a roll of his eyes, and tried not to smile too bashfully. "Yeah, I have. In fact, I just got back from the casting announcements today, and I got the lead role!"

The two mares gasped in pleasant surprise. Lyra hopped out of her seat excitedly. “Whoa, really?! Sweet Celestia, you must have been amazing at the auditions! What's the play? What role do you have?"

"Well, I don't know the play that well…” He looked away from the two in embarrassment. “... but it said I'm playing the Phantom or some--"

The two gasped loudly. "SERIOUSLY!?” shouted Lyra with her eyes nearly bulging out of her skull. “You're playing the Phantom!? I… I can’t believe it! That's amazing!"

Lyra shot forward and hugged Troy tightly, leaving him with a deeper blush that matched his confused smile. Bon-Bon just stared him up and down, taking a moment before saying her piece. "You know what? I can actually see you playing that really well! I mean, the character kinda works for a gryphon, if you think about it.”

“Actually, yeah!” Lyra added after letting go of Troy. “Plus, Rainbow Dash said he had a great opera voice, so he can probably rock those songs without issue!”

Troy still couldn’t comprehend what exactly was so great about this ‘Phantom’ play, but given how optimistically the mares were raving about his news, he still smiled thankfully.

"Well, I honestly never heard of this play before. We don’t really have musicals back in the Gryphon Kingdom, so I'm kind of nervous about it."

"Oh, don't worry!" Lyra levitated her luggage bag from the rack above her. As she spoke, she opened one of the side pockets to rummage through her belongings. "I have a cassette of the soundtrack somewhere in my bag. I'll lend it to you if you need it."

"Really?" Troy’s face lit up. He needed something to occupy his time before Canvas woke up, so he took the tape from her mint aura. "Well… I guess I can use my walkman to hear what all the hubbub is about..."

For the rest of the day, Troy rested across his bench while listening to the soundtrack through his headphones. Meanwhile, the two mares left the gryphon alone, occupying their time with a deck of cards Bon-Bon had in her bag. As he listened through the tape, which included the play dialogue between songs, Troy could see why the show was so popular to ponies. In fact, after hearing some of the leads’ songs in particular, he was feeling downright excited to try his claw at them himself.

By sunset, Lyra and Bon-Bon were leaning against each other tiredly in their seat. By then, Troy had already listened through the entirety of Lyra’s tape (as well as played back a couple of the songs on repeat), so he decided to go to the room next door. Lifting himself up, he caught the mares’ attention and said, "Hey, I'm gonna go check on Canvas, alright?"

"Alright,” said Lyra while snuggling with her half-conscious wife. “And you can keep listening to that tape if you want."

Troy smiled with a thankful nod, and silently left the room so they could have their rest.

Troy slid the door closed behind him, and put the walkman back into his satchel before looking into the next room. From the door window, Troy couldn’t see anypony on either bench. But as soon as he slid the door open, the gryphon’s brows rose up when he saw Canvas lying on the floor. The artist was splayed out across the ground, still passed-out while using his art bag as a pillow.

Even with the limited light from the window, Troy could see the various colors of paint splattered all over the stallion’s fur. Canvas' long mane, which also had several splashes of colors matted to it, was covering a large part of his face as he slept. Because of that, a few strands blew out every time he exhaled weakly.

Troy was careful to step over the pony, and laid himself down across one of the benches, all the while looking down at Canvas. Troy slowly reached down and pulled a couple mane strands away from his muzzle. Even as the train passed various structures, causing dark shadows to zoom past the cabin’s interior, Troy kept his gaze on Canvas and his moonlit face. The gryphon eventually rested his head on the bench, his face less than a few feet from the stallion’s. It had been awhile since he last saw his friend, so Troy couldn’t help staring in fascination over how peaceful the pony looked.

Canvas was resting without a care in the world, which made Troy smile in relief after everything that transpired. Without any tears matting his face, or any feelings of worry or frustration to take away his smile, Canvas simply looked at ease throughout his slumber. The chugging of the train engine and the clacking of the wheels against the tracks were the only things that overtook the silence of that moment. That, and Canvas’ calm breathing, which went at a gentle but steady rhythm.

Troy wasn't sure how long he stared at Canvas, but as soon as the stallion’s muzzle began to twitch, and his eyelids began to flutter open, Troy quickly moved his head back to appear as if he was resting more casually.

“Mnnnghhh…” After stretching his back out and yawning loudly, Canvas slowly opened his eyes, looking around before noticing Troy resting on the bench above him. “Huh… Oh, hey Troy…”

Canvas grunted as he got himself back on his hooves, his knees wobbling a little from fatigue. Troy moved himself into a sitting position, leaving more than enough room for his friend to sit beside him. Canvas slowly sat down beside the gryphon, ignoring the other bench across from them. Despite the fact that it was nighttime, Canvas still felt unbelievably tired as he grimaced from the bitter dryness in his mouth. Before Canvas could reach down to his art bag to find a water bottle, Troy handed him one from his satchel.

“Hmm?” Canvas smiled weakly and accepted the gesture. "Oh, thanks."

"S' alright,” said Troy with a light shrug. “You look wiped out anyway."

“Yeah, I know…” Canvas took a few large gulps, nearly coughing as soon as he pulled the bottle from his lips. "I guess it’s pretty obvious, huh?"

The artist chuckled as he looked down at himself, seeing how much paint was splattered all over him. "Jeeze, I guess I should've taken a shower before coming to the train. I'd hate to think what Glimmer Heart will think when she sees me in Canterlot."

"Honestly, looking like that would probably show her you've been working your flank off. If anything, she'd probably admire that."

"You think so?" Canvas ran a hoof through his mane, wincing from how much of a tangled mess it became. "I guess that's the only impression I can hopefor right now."

"Hey, don’t worry about it.” Troy relaxed on his side of the bench, stretching out while keeping some distance from Canvas. “You're gonna be greatat that gallery, I know it."

The stallion looked back at him with a gracious smile, not needing to question his friend’s sincerity in the slightest. Meanwhile, the gryphon looked back at him for a moment, before his beak skewed slightly in thought.

"So, Canvas… why do you have a long mane?"

"Because I don’t cut it?" Canvas’ sarcastic tone matched his smirk. Troy usually didn’t care much for smartass presonsas (particularly Rainbow Dash's), but in Canvas’ case, it was valid proof that he was feeling a lot better following his rest.

"Well, what I mean is…” Troy noticed a small piece of dried paint that was barelyhanging on to a strand of Canvas' mane. He reached out to pick it away before he continued. "How come you don't cutit? I mean, it's probably a bit of a nuisance for you, isn’t it?"

"Well…” Canvas’ face displayed uneasiness. "The thing is… the last time I had my mane cut… it was by my Mom."

“... Oh…” Troy struggled not to cringe awkwardly as he looked away toward the window. “Right. That… That makes sense, I guess...."

He didn’t want to keep an uncomfortable bout of silence between them, but Troy wasn't sure of what to say. After readjusting the wings on his back, Troy looked back at Canvas and tried rewording his question. "I just meant, like... have you ever thoughtabout cutting it? Or at least, trimming it a bit?”

Canvas slowly ran a hoof down some of his chestnut locks. Troy was happy to see a smile on Canvas’ face appear ever so briefly.

"Yeah, it canbe a little irritating. I've gotten it caught in more than a few things. Plus, it's a bit of a pain to wash, and especially annoying to dry, since it takes forever to do..." Canvas sighed before letting go of his mane, letting it fall back across his shoulders. He looked up at the ceiling, appearing lost in thought for a moment.

"I guess… I guess that I just didn’t want to, you know... do anything to forget her..."

Another bout of silence began to seep in. Troy sighed once more.

"Hey, it's not like doing something like that will automaticallymake you forget her. I mean… from what I've heard you say about her, it seems like it would take waymore than a manecut to do that."

Canvas kept his gaze upon the ceiling. Troy decided to press his luck and keep going. "Like… it’s obvious that you love your Mom more than anything. Shouldn't… shouldn't having her in your heartbe enough?"

Canvas blinked once more, and breathed out slowly while letting those words sink in. He remembered what Troy said about not holding onto the past. Obviously, he knew that didn't include forgetting his own mother. Until several months ago, losing his Mom was the worst moment of Canvas' life. But now, after regaining his footing in a new town, he couldn’t deny how well he’d been able to move forward since. And despite all the changes that had occurred, Canvas knew that he would never, ever stop thinking about her.

Eventually, Canvas bit his lips and slowly nodded. He looked back at Troy with an appreciative smile, while the gryphon showed the same expression beneath the moonlight.

"Yeah, I… I guess so… Thanks."

"Hey, it's alright,” said Troy. “I'm just looking out for a friend."

Canvas nodded again. Both of them kept their smiles and gazes at one another. The stallion observed how Troy's golden eyes were shimmering in the dark, which he could only assume was a benefit gryphons biologically possessed. Meanwhile, the gryphon couldn’t stop thinking back to how Canvas looked when he was asleep, and how that gentleness was still evident in those bright blue eyes...

Neither one of them said a word, not that either of them paid much notice to the silence. The shadows from outside kept dancing around the two, but it was ignored just as easily by the two as their increasing heartbeats.

For a split-second, Troy’s head moved forward the slightest bit, as if some unknown force was making him move closer to Canvas. However, the pony quickly flinched and turned his head away, hiding the blooming blush on his face. "I-I-I, uhhh… Is the snack car still open?"

Troy blinked and shook his head awake, not sure of what happened. "Well, umm… I think it might be?” The gryphon pulled back a little, not seeming to realize he was blushing as well. “You... you can go check."

"Yeah! Yeah, I'll go do that. See ya later!"

Canvas quickly hopped off the bench, and threw the door open to rush out into the hallway. After the pony slid the door back behind him, Troy breathed out heavily while seated in the room alone. He looked back at the window with a confounded look, unsure of how to explain why his heart was racing like crazy.

His eyes blinked repeatedly, and he had to shake his head a second time to try and clear his head. Not wanting to overthink things and ruin this weekend, Troy eventually pulled out the walkman from his satchel, and put on his headphones to listen to the soundtrack some more.

Meanwhile, Canvas was standing at the open platform between the train cars, his hooves tightly clutching the guard rails as they vibrated from the rumbling engines. He was panting just as heavily as Troy was, trying his hardest to ignore the impulsive thoughts that went through his head. He clenched his eyes shut, but winced as he struggled to shake the image of Troy's face from his memory. Canvas focused on the strong winds gusting past his ears, hoping they could keep him from hearing his own thoughts. After a brief swallow, the stallion began to breathe at a calmer rate.

By the time he managed to feel less flustered, Canvas opened the door to the adjacent train car, trying to keep his mind blank while trotting past the aisles of seats. He could overhear the various chatter and noises from ponies around him, and he used that noise to help ignore his thoughts about Troy.

After everything the gryphon had done to help him out, the lastthing Canvas wanted to do was endanger their friendship. If anything, losing Troy as a friend was more heartbreaking than that night he spent bawling in his embrace. But alas, as he kept moving forward to find the snack car, Canvas' thoughts slowly devolved to him chanting the same fact in his head over and over.

Troy's your best friend, Canvas.

Troy is your friend.

Just a friend.

… Right?

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty: New Appearances

Canvas wasn't sure how long he’d walked around the train car after that… moment with his friend. The stallion couldn’t stop thinking about it. How quickly his heart raced... how overwhelmed he’d felt... how long he’d stared at Troy...

But most importantly, how intensely Troy was staring back.

He kept his head hung low as he finally returned to the cabin car, despondent after finding out that the snack car was closed. There wasn’t much else he could do that late in the evening, but he wasn't sure whether he was ready to face his friend again. Even though neither of them actually did anything, the image of the gryphon's golden eyes had an impact on him. Or the peculiar way he stared at him...

Canvas kept replaying the moment in his head over and over, thinking about what could've happened if he hadn’t moved back. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he was certain that Troy had been moving in closer. As if Troy was trying to lean in for a k--

STOP IT!!

Canvas violently shook his head, breathing heavily in guilt over his blasted conscience. He was now standing outside the door, not wanting to open it yet while repeatedly chanting the same mantra in his head.

Troy is your friend.

Just a friend.

After letting out a hoarse breath, Canvas put a hoof to the door and slowly slid it open. The very moment he glanced inside, the stallion felt worldsbetter when he found Troy asleep on the bench. Canvas knew he wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, partially thanks to his long nap that afternoon; but at least now, he wouldn’t have to deal with any more awkward moments for the time being.

He sat down on the bench opposite of the gryphon. He then realized he had to do somethingto pass the time until sleep came to him. Luckily for him, the answer could be found in his art bag, where Canvas quietly shuffled around its inside for his supplies...

Just as Celestia's sun rose from the horizon, the train slowed its engines down when Canterlot showed itself in the distance. The train began to shake slightly, which caused Troy to stir from his rest. Lying on the bench with his forelegs around his chest, Troy kept himself still in apathy. He opened his eyes and looked around, quickly taking notice of Canvas, who was sitting silently and drawing in his sketchpad.

He could see how focused Canvas was as he drew with the graphite strapped to his hoof. Even in his half-awake state of mind, it didn’t take long for him to figure out what Canvas was drawing. Although, that was mostly because Troy was the only other thing inside the cabin.

Troy knew he should’ve been unnerved by the fact that somepony was drawing him while he was asleep. But at the same time, he didn't seem to care enoughto move from his comfy position, so he simply stared back. The artist bit his lips in concentration, until his bottom lip escaped from between his teeth to form a small pout covered in saliva. As soon as he spotted that glossy shine, Troy breathed out a little heavier. A small smile crept across his beak, and he wondered why he never noticed a detail like that before.

While he knew that Canvas was passionate about art, seeing the pony like this up-close was a new experience for him. The way his eyes almost never blinked; how his hoof jerked and swished across the page like it had a mind of its own; how he barely showed any emotion beyond determination. He could now appreciate just how much care and talent his friend had for his craft. He remembered how supportive Canvas was when he heard him sing that one day; and considering how well things have been going since that play audition, Troy felt truly grateful that his friend was taking advantage of his own talents as well.

Troy felt his left wing beginning to cramp while nestled under his weight. After silently groaning under his breath, Troy slowly raised his wing outward. Canvas gasped at the movement, and tried to hide his sketchpad. Unfortunately, Canvas knew that he was caught as soon as he saw Troy’s smirk. The gryphon couldn’t keep himself from chuckling coyly, especially when he saw how flustered Canvas looked.

"T-Troy! Oh, um... g-good morning!” Canvas tried his hardest to give him a friendly smile, but it was far too wide to be natural. “I was just, um... trying to pass the time. Er, I mean... I didn’t mean to do anything weird, I just--”

Canvas stopped talking by the time Troy sat himself upright on the bench. As his friend leaned back in his seat, Canvas glanced away from him and bit his lip in worry. Troy kept his amused grin, and his eyes focused on the pad now clutched in Canvas' hooves against his chest.

"So…” Troy let out a big yawn, doing a huge stretch before resting his back against the wall again. A second smaller yawn followed, and Troy continued.

"So, Canvas… Can I see it?"

Canvas' head reeled back, his eyes the size of saucers.

"Aw, c'mon! If it means anything, I promiseI’m not mad, alright? Besides, I really want to see it."

Canvas looked away for a second before closing his eyes and sighing deeply. With his muzzle pursed tightly shut, he slowly held out the sketchpad with an extended hoof and turned it around. Troy blinked upon seeing the piece he had created overnight.

Even in the monochromatic medium, Troy could see how incredibly well-detailed the sketch was. It consisted of Troy lying down on the bench asleep, a look of pure calmness on his face. The drawing looked almost like a photo, looking exactly like him in every way; especially since most of his body was either silver or grey in real life, meaning the shades of graphite were fairly identical to his own colors. All of these details impressed Troy even further, bringing a genuine smile to his face.

"Wow,” he said, his tone growing happier with each word, "that’s… actually really impressive, dude. Even by yourawesome standards, this is stunning!"

Canvas blushed and looked away bashfully. "Well, I… I was mostly bored since I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t mean to do it without asking you, but…”

Canvas wasn't sure how to finish, knowing how creepy his actions may have looked.

"Hey, don’t worry about it. I know you were asleep all day yesterday, so it’d make sense that you’d want to find something to do at night. I mean yeah, it's kinda weird…”

Before Canvas could wince, Troy made sure to add sincerely, “but it's still a really, really great drawing regardless! I'm actually kind of honored, you know?"

Canvas looked back in surprise. "R-really? You mean… you're not mad?"

"Nah. It's fine, dude. This just shows how much you deserve to be in the gallery."

Canvas' blush deepened. "Th-thanks, Troy."

Just then, the train speakers came on to announce the upcoming stop at Canterlot. Canvas and Troy picked up their bags, with the artist being the first to head for the door. Before sliding it open, Canvas turned back to Troy and said, "I have my paintings in the storage cars, so I gotta make sure they're alright."

Troy held out his claw in understanding. "Hey, I get it, Canvas. I'll see you at the station, alright?"

Canvas nodded and headed off, leaving Troy alone in the room once more. Tightening his satchel, Troy noticed the drawing of him was left lying on the bench. He picked the page up to admire it once more. He still felt flattered at the thought of being an inspiration for Canvas’ impromptu piece. Troy then carefully rolled the sketch up, and placed it in his bag with the intent of returning it later.

When Troy finally exited the train, he was surprised to see so many ponies gathered around the platform. They scooted and pushed their way around each other, making Troy feel completely out of place while catching the dozens of stares on him. Before he could think of flying to a high vantage point to perch and wait for his friends, he spotted several Royal Guards patrolling the area, making sure that nopony (or gryphon) tried anything funny within Canterlot limits. Groaning under his breath, Troy was forced to walk on the ground floor amongst the ponies, excusing himself frequently as he slowly reached inside the station.

It wasn't nearly as crowded as the platform, but the inside of the Canterlot Train Station was still densely packed when Troy walked in. He walked toward the center, smiling in relief when he saw Lyra and Bon-Bon sitting next to each other on one of the benches. The couple were quick to wave at Troy once they saw him.

"There you are, Troy!" shouted Lyra. "Did you actually walkthrough that crowd? I'm kinda surprised you didn’t just fly over them."

Troy scoffed before pointing a talon back outside. "What, with all those guards outside? I'd rather not get arrested for doing anything dumb, thank you very much."

Both mares shrugged in agreement. "You know,” said Bon-Bon. “I heard that Twilight and her friends came to Canterlot today for some royal business. I'm not sure what it is, but I think their train showed up right before ours. Maybe that's why security is so heavy right now."

"Ah." Troy understood how important Twilight and the other five were after all their efforts over the years. All the same, he hoped that it wouldn’t take Canvas that long to get all of his artwork collected.

As dozens of different ponies moved past the three, none of them seemed to notice Glimmer Heart stumbling up to them. The pink mare was carrying a goofy smirk on her face, and trying her hardest to keep from falling over. It wasn't until she made a hiccup that Bon-Bon noticed Glimmer Heart leaning against one of the benches. "Theeeerrre you arreeee!!!"

Before any of them could react, the unicorn threw her hooves out and hugged both Lyra and Bon-Bon. The mares yelped in surprise, their muzzles quickly grimacing as they caught the strong scent of alcohol on her breath. After trying to let go of the two, Glimmer stumbled a little in her attempts to stand freely. Troy moved in instinctually to help, using both claws to hold her upright. When she finally took notice of the gryphon, she kept a drunken gaze on him for a few seconds before slurring, “You... You're a pretty, pretty bird! You… You remind me of a parrot I once owned."

She giggled from her own words, while Lyra and Bon-Bon struggled not to crack up in second-hoof embarrassment. Meanwhile, Troy’s expression carried a mix of embarrassment, and slight offense to such a comparison. "No really! You’re a cute guy. Way, way cuter than that other guy..." Glimmer's face immediately went from a drunk happy to a drunk angry as she looked down at her hooves bitterly.

"Stupid Hot Shot... Mister Sleeping-with-a-mare-half-my-age! What a jerk!" Glimmer Heart looked back up at Troy, and prodded her hoof hard against his chest. "You know how long I've been with that idiot? We've been together for--”

Glimmer poked at the feathered plume a few times, almost as if she was trying to count the number of years manually; but alas, she eventually gave up after another sudden hiccup. "Nevermind! I-I don’t think I can really do big maths right now, but it was a lot!"

Since none of them were expecting to see a drunk pony this early in the morning, they didn’t notice Fancy Pants galloping frantically into the station. Running up to Glimmer, Fancy used his magic to carefully pull her off Troy's chest. The white unicorn turned her around in his blue aura, and maintained eye contact as he tried to get through to her.

"Glimmer Heart! I really need you to head back home and get some rest. You have to get ready for the gallerytonight, remember?"

Glimmer blinked a couple times with a blank look. "Uhhhh... Oh, oh yeah. I… I gotta do that, don’t I..."

Suddenly, she pushed him away and looked back around the station. "I gotta talk to Cabinet! He… he needs a big hug for punching that prick! If he never did that I… I would have never--THERE YOU ARE, CABINET!!"

Glimmer stumbled over to the confused aqua stallion pulling a large cart behind him. Not sure of what was going on, Canvas just stood there baffled while Glimmer Heart threw him to the ground and hugged him. Canvas nearly gagged from the suffocation of her weight, as well as her breath smelling like a distillery. "Cabinet! You… You are my new hero. I… I kinda want to kiss you right now for saving me from Mister Cheating-with-an-underaged-slu--”

Fortunately for bothponies, Fancy Pants pulled the mare off Canvas with his magic before things could get more uncomfortable. He enveloped her whole body in his aura, leaving her levitated about a foot off the ground. The stallion looked unbelievably embarrassed as he glanced back down at Canvas, extending a hoof to help him up.

"I'm so sorry about that,” said Fancy Pants as he got Canvas back on his hooves. "Glimmer Heart's been having a rough time adjusting to the divorce."

"NO I'M NOT! I've been great since I dumped his stupid flank!" Glimmer Heart hiccupped once again. She squirmed in Fancy’s aura, but stopped when she noticed Canvas’ worried expression.

"Thank you Cabinet, and I'm gonna loveseeing you at the art thing tonight, so have fun!"

Fancy Pants turned her body around so she was no longer looking at Canvas, hoping that would stop her drunken monologue. Unfortunately, Glimmer Heart continued while being pulled away. "And take a bath, Cabinet! You smell like Hot Shot…”

With that, the mare passed out. Lyra and Bon-Bon got out of their bench, allowing Fancy to carefully lower her onto it. Canvas, still looking stunned, eventually lifted one of his forelegs and smelled himself. Canvas' face grimaced from a single sniff, confirming Glimmer’s suggestion. With all the pieces of paint still on his fur, Canvas couldn’t remember the last time he had a shower while working on his painting. Fancy Pants walked toward the artist with an embarrassed look.

"Again, I apologize for Glimmer Heart's behavior. I hoped that the fresh air would help her a little, but I'm going to get her back home so she can rest."

Fancy Pants then lit up his horn, pulling out a ring of keys from the inside of his jacket and floating it toward Canvas. "My penthouse is at the Cadenza Suite a block away. How about you go over there so you can freshen up? I think the hotel Glimmer reserved for you is across town, so it might be more convenient to use my place."

He took the keys with his hoof reluctantly. "Is… Is that really alright? I mean, I don't want to impose or--"

Fancy Pants held out his hoof and used his magic to pick up Glimmer Heart once more. "I assure you, you won’t be imposing. The gallery is closer to my place anyway, so you can head there after taking a shower. Besides, I have one of your pieces on display there, so it would be nice for you to see where I put it.”

Canvas smiled at his generosity before nodding in acceptance. "Well, I… I wouldn’t mind seeing how my art looks in a Canterlot apartment”

"Good. I'll be seeing you at the gallery then, Mister Canvas." With a polite shake of Canvas’ hoof, Fancy Pants headed out. Even with a passed-out mare hovering in his aura, the stallion’s confidence allowed him to exit the station without any ponies batting an eye.

Canvas looked back at Troy and the mares, who were all still rather stunned from the unusual interaction they witnessed. But as they walked up to him, Canvas bursted out laughing. It didn’t take long for Troy and the couple to start laughing as well.

"Oh, man that was crazy!” said Canvas. He looked back at his cart. "Well, I guess I gotta get these to the gallery."

"Oh, wecan do that,” insisted Bon-Bon, sharing a glance with her wife. "We were going to head straight there anyway to get preparations ready. You just get yourself fixed up for your big night. We'll make sure your stuff gets there safe and sound."

Canvas looked back at his cart one more time. "Well, alright. It would be good to get myself cleaned up as soon as possible anyway."

Bon-Bon smiled while Lyra levitated the cart over to them, leaving Canvas to glance back at Troy. Troy couldn’t help smirking while looking him up and down. "Yeah, you really do need a bath. I'm just gonna head to the hotel and get my stuff unpacked before heading over to that gallery thing… Oh! Wait! You left this back in the cabin."

Reaching into his satchel, Troy pulled out the sketch. As soon as he unrolled the piece, Lyra and Bon-Bon shared peculiar looks at one another. Troy tried to hand it back to Canvas, but was surprised when the stallion held out his hoof in dismissal.

"Actually, I kinda left that there for you. I mean… It seemed only fair that you got to keep that one.”

Troy blinked, and then glanced back at the drawing meant to be a gift. "Wow… um, really?"

Canvas nodded with a sheepish smile. His cheeks were growing too red for him to want to stay for much longer. Before Troy could take notice, the artist headed off with a wave of his hoof. “Okay, I'm gonna go to that Cadenza Suite. See you guys at the gallery!"

Canvas quickly rushed out of the station with his art bag, looking back only once to see the three waving him goodbye. Troy tucked the drawing back in his bag while the mares secured Canvas’ cart.

"Well Troy,” said Lyra, "I guess we'll be seeing you at the gallery later?"

"Yep, I just gotta unpack at the hotel. See ya later!"

Troy headed out while the mares got their things together. As soon as the gryphon was out of earshot, Lyra shot her wife a stare and whispered. “He drew a picture of Troy? That’s… kinda interesting, don’t you think?”

Bon-Bon, not liking the way her wife was grinning, was quick to speak firmly. “Don’t even think about it, Lyra Heartstrings.”

“Oh, come on! You don’t even know what I’m thinking about.”

“Yes, I do.” She took hold of the front of Canvas’ cart, leading the way out of the station with her wife in tow. “And considering how much work we have to do, I reallydon’t want you to try anything funny.”

“Pbbt…” Lyra looked elsewhere while muttering to herself, “Well, I wasn’t going to do anything during work…”

“I heard that!”

Canvas received some odd looks while walking to the Cadenza Suite in his dirty state. When he entered the lavish abode with Fancy’s key, he was shocked to see how luxurious the place really was. Stylish furniture and ornate décor was strewn about the large suite, all standing before a huge window that gave an exceptional view of the Canterlot cityscape. Canvas took a moment to look around in pure amazement, having never expected to step hoof in such a place by invitation. It didn’t take long before he noticed the wall by the window.

Above the white faux-leather chairs and crystal coffee table, Canvas' painting of a phoenix rising from its ashes was proudly hung above the spotless fireplace. He remembered that it was one of the paintings he repainted while at the hotel. It seemed quite appropriate that the painting of something being reborn would be placed here.

After admiring the painting and the immaculate suite some more, Canvas made his way to the bathroom for a much-needed shower. Much like the rest of the penthouse, Fancy Pants’ restroom looked immaculate from top to bottom. He almost felt bad using such a pristine porcelain bathtub, especially when he saw how much paint and grime washed off his fur the moment he turned the water on. Nevertheless, due to how powerful the showerhead was, Canvas wasn’t willing to feel too guilty while enjoying such a luxurious wash by himself.

Eventually, the water coming off the stallion became clear as he washed himself off. There were several bottles of what looked to be veryexpensive shampoos arranged along the shelf by the tub, but Canvas opted to use the bottle of shampoo and conditioner in his bag. Sadly, the artist grimaced when he realized he was already almost out of conditioner again.

About twenty minutes later, Canvas turned the water off and stepped out, wiping some steam from the mirror to look himself over. His mane was now clean of all the leftover paint, but it was still tangled after his constant scrubbing. Groaning under his breath, Canvas pulled out his hairbrush from his bag to try and tend to such a monstrosity. Over the years, Canvas hated how long it took to get his mane straightened, and all the tangles pulling against his scalp.

After almost ten minutes of brushing and re-brushing, Canvas looked at his wet mane in frustration, knowing it might still be wet by the time the gallery started. Before he could look around for a hair dryer, he overheard the sound of muffled laughter from outside the bathroom door. He used a towel to dry off the rest of himself, and then put his bag back on before stepping out.

Back in the living room, Canvas was surprised to find not only Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur De Lis--a very tall, white unicorn with a light pink-mane, whom even Canvascould see was beautiful--but Rarity as well. They were seated across from her on the couch, happily laughing at something Fancy Pants had just said. As soon as they noticed Canvas at the doorway, Fancy Pants called out to him cheerfully.

"Canvas! What an exquisite coincidence. I was talking with Rarity here about your painting."

Fancy Pants pointed a hoof toward the phoenix painting. Rarity looked at Canvas with a cheerful smirk. "Well, I must say,” said the posh mare. "I didn’t know that you sold a painting to Fancy Pants! It's quite an interesting feeling to know I received a commission from you before he did."

Fleur moved her head to look at Canvas from her spot on the couch. "Oh yes, the last time I visited Rarity in Ponyville, she showed me the design you made for her bedroom! I have to say, it's quite amazing!"

"Well,” said Canvas, blushing bashfully while rubbing the back of his neck. "To be honest, I was just following the designs that Rarity made."

"Oh, don’t act like that,” Rarity said with a wave of her hoof. "You're an outstanding artist, Canvas! And my friends and I already have plans to visit you at the gallery tonight!"

"Speaking of which,” said Fancy Pants, raising himself from his couch. "My wife and I are supposed to visit Twilight there. We'll let you two get more acquainted as you prepare for the gallery."

As the unicorn noble and his wife made their way out, Fleur looked back at Canvas. "If you want, the hairdryer is in the bottom shelf of the bathroom."

With a quick smile, the two stepped out, leaving Canvas and Rarity alone in Fancy Pants' penthouse. Canvas put a hoof to his mane, groaning at the thought of how long it would take to dry it out. Observing his irritated look, Rarity stepped forward with caution. "Canvas, is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just…”

Canvas paused as he looked back at the unicorn, his muzzle skewing in thought. Remembering how good she was with detailing, his mind started ticking. After feeling his mane again, his brows rose up with a look of revelation.

"Ummm… Hey, Rarity.” Canvas secretly hoped that he wasn't asking too much from the Element of Generosity. "I was wondering if I could ask for a small favor...”

Inside the penthouse’s bathroom, Canvas was seated on a folding chair with a worrisome look. His ears twitched each time he heard the constant snips of the scissors behind him. Said scissors were being held in Rarity's magical aura, who wore a grin of Cheshire proportions in excitement. Canvas didn’t expect Rarity to be so willing to assist. She practically threwhim onto the chair with her magic the moment he mentioned a light trim. As more strands fell to the floor, Canvas winced from the shears continuing to snip while Rarity talked eagerly.

"Canvas, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to do this! Ever since I first met you, all I wanted to do was fix this mess you called a mane! No offense, of course, but if my mother saw you? My goodness! She would probably say something like, 'That colt has more split-ends than a...’ Oh wait, how did it go?"

Rarity stopped for a moment. "Oh yes! She would say you had 'more split-ends than a Las Pegasus Divorce Court!’"

Rarity giggled at her own joke, while Canvas wondered whether it was a good idea to let somepony like her do this. The grin spreading across Rarity’s face made her look like a psychopath, and Canvas felt even more freaked out as her snips came closer to his scalp.

"Well, um… thank you for agreeing to do this for me." Canvas kept a cautious smile, not wanting to anger somepony with scissors so close to his head. "I was actually kind of surprised you would do this, but it means a lot."

"You're very welcome! And don't you worry a bit, Canvas. You are going to look simply fabulous for the gallery! And I am so glad that you're finally getting your mane cut! What was it that inspired you?"

"Well…” Canvas thought back to Troy and their conversation on the train, which caused his cheeks to blush slightly. "... I guess I just found out I didn’t needto have a long mane anymore. I mean, it was a big hassle to deal with all the time, and… I think I realized how much I needed it after talking with Troy."

Rarity's snips became less frequent as she came closer to completion. Since he wasn't able to see it himself with his back to the mirror (something Rarity insisted so it would be a surprise), Canvas had to put his trust in her as she kept cutting happily. Thinking over Canvas' answer, Rarity couldn’t contain her amused smirk.

"Well, you certainly didneed this, Canvas! And I must say, you already look great with the way your mane is coming out. I'm certain that your boyfriend will love to see--"

"Wait, what!?"

Canvas' head shot upward, almost messing up the style she was working on. Rarity paused and glanced at Canvas with a confused look. "What? I'm just saying that Troy would like seeing you with--"

"Whoa!" Canvas threw his hooves up from underneath the towel tied around his neck. "Wait, wait, wait! Troy… Troy isn’t… he's not, like…”

A heavy blush appeared on Rarity's face. Canvas bit his lip before sighing and closing his eyes.

"He's… he's just a friend."

Rarity looked extremely embarrassed at her assumption, and turned her head away while covering her mouth. "I'm so sorry Canvas, I… I just figured that since you… well..."

Noticing how upset the stallion looked, Rarity decided to stop her apology and went back to the manecut. "J-Just forget what I said, alright? I promise, I'll stay silent for the rest of this."

"It’s alright, Rarity,” Canvas said with guilt. He didn’t want to make a national hero feel bad about her mistake. "I mean, he… he is a great friend. He’s been there for so much, and… he means a lot to me…”

Rarity's snips came at an even slower pace while listening to his disheartened voice.

"I just… I just know he's my friend… and that's all that matters."

Canvas closed his eyes, trying not to wince. Though he was glad to set things straight, it didn't explain why he felt so bad after saying it. It wasn't like he was lying, because Troy really washis friend.

Troy is your friend.

Just a friend.

After several more snips, Rarity's satisfied grin came back up as she stepped back and looked at Canvas. Keeping a hoof to her mouth, Rarity was unable to contain her excitement. She used her magic to lift up Canvas' chair, and pulled off the towel with a sharp whip. "So Canvas, are you ready so see your new look?"

After breathing in shakily, Canvas nodded. She slowly spinned the chair around, while Canvas’ eyes remained tightly closed. When the chair finally stopped and faced the mirror directly, Canvas slowly opened his eyes with a worrisome cringe.

Canvas' expression quickly changed. His blue eyes shot wide open, and he gasped with both hooves over his face. “H-HOLY!!”

The ballroom where the gallery would be held was mostly empty now, but that didn’t stop Troy from noticing the large levels of excitement when he walked in. Lyra and Bon-Bon could be heard laughing as they prepared their catering in the kitchen. Fancy Pants and Fleur happily chatted with Princess Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie near the ballroom center. Rainbow Dash, however, was walking around the ballroom with a bored look until she noticed Troy.

"There you are!" said Rainbow Dash, trotting over to him. "Where've you been, man? Lyra and Bon-Bon said you'd be here!"

"Hey, it wasn't my fault!” Troy readjusted the black tie around his neck, which was the only attire he was wearing before the formal event. "It took forever to walk over to the hotel and get myself ready! And when I tried to fly back here, I got stopped by one of the guards, who told me I was in a no-fly zone!"

"Oooohhh… Oh yeah,” Rainbow’s head lowering sheepishly with a wince. "Yeah, I should’ve warned you about that. They never stopped meabout it, but you know... what could they do? Arrest the Element of Loyalty?"

Troy shrugged, wondering how much Dash and her friends could get away with after saving Equestria so many times. Even after working for her for so long, it was still a little weird for him to know he was friends with a national hero and Royalty. Troy then noticed Lyra and Bon-Bon coming out from the kitchen, happily trotting together.

"There you are, Troy!" Lyra exclaimed. "I forgot that we were in a no-fly zone. Sorry for not telling you."

"Oh, that's alright. I ama little thirsty, though. Is there anything to drink?"

"Actually,” Bon-Bon chimed in. "I saw a bunch of bottles of soda for the gallery back in the kitchen. I don’t think they'd mind if you took one."

"Cool. Thanks, Bon-Bon."

Troy headed back through the kitchen double doors, not noticing Rarity as she entered and stood at the main doorway. After clearing her throat, Rarity raised a hoof to the room and spoke out loudly.

"Attention! May I have everypony's attention, please?"

As Fancy Pants and the others turned their heads toward Rarity, Canvas' voice could be heard faintly from behind the entryway. "Seriously?! I didn’t want it to be a big deal, Rarity."

"Oh, don’t be embarrassed,” Rarity assured, turning back behind the doorway. "This is going to be fabulous. I promise."

Rarity then returned her attention to the group ahead of her, and cleared her throat once more. "Everypony, I would like to introduce to you all the new, and improved, Canvas!"

Directing a manicured hoof toward her side, Rarity looked over with a warm smile while Canvas slowly walked into view. As soon as he stood in front of the doorway, everypony gasped.

Against his aqua coat, Canvas was now wearing a light-blue dress shirt with a light-green tie. None of them seemed to notice that, however, as everypony’s eyes were directed at his freshly-styled mane. Now cut to a length where it barely reached his shoulders, Canvas' chestnut locks shone vibrantly in the ballroom. The ends stuck out with volume from the back of his head, while the rest of his hair parted in the middle. The two sides came down along his face, just reaching his blue eyes as they stared back at the ponies in front of him.

After a few seconds of silence, Canvas was trying not to feel too nervous while smiling sheepishly. Rainbow Dash was the first pony to speak up. "Nice, man! You don’t look like a hippie anymore!"

"Rainbow!" Twilight shouted. "That's a bit rude, don’t you think?"

"What, for giving a compliment?” Rainbow scoffed as she looked back at the alicorn with skewed eyebrows. Twilight groaned and facehoofed, which didn’t seem to bother Rainbow. "Seriously, dude, you look a lotbetter with a short mane. It's a nice manecut."

"Thanks,” said Canvas and Rarity at the same time. As Rarity turned away from the stallion with a blush, Pinkie Pie and Bon-Bon rushed up to Canvas in amazement while Lyra ran back into the kitchen.

"Canvas!" Pinkie shouted as she grabbed him in a huge hug. "You look super-duper-kablooper AWESOME!" With that last word, Pinkie squeezed Canvas so hard that a loud wheeze came out of him, almost sounding like an accordion before Bon-Bon pulled her off.

"I gotta say, Canvas,” said Bon-Bon, putting a hoof to his mane, "this doeslook great on you! I mean, I liked your mane before, but this is definitely an improvement."

Canvas blushed heavily from the praise he was receiving, and had to look away from the mares with a light giggle. He knew it would take a while to get used to his new mane, but he was glad to have finally gotten it done without screwing up. But before he could give any replies or thanks, Canvas noticed Troy being pushed out of the kitchen doors by Lyra.

"Hey, come on! What's the big deal!?" Troy groaned while holding a bottle of grape soda in his claws. "I only took one! And Bon-Bon said it--”

As soon as Troy stumbled forward and looked ahead, his golden eyes widened when he saw Canvas’ new mane for the first time. The gryphon almost dropped his bottle in his claw, and his beak immediately went agape. He didn’t seem to notice when his wings popped out, almost hitting Fluttershy who was standing nearby. He also didn’t hear Rainbow Dash cracking up behind him. He slowly walked up to Canvas with a blush and a stunned expression.

Much like Troy, Canvas was standing frozen with a wide-eyed stare. Just like on the train, the artist didn’t notice how rapid his heart rate was becoming. Troy waited until he stood a few feet from Canvas before finally speaking.

"Wow… Ca-Canvas… you look…”

Amazing...

Stunning...

Remarkable…

Perfect…

You look perfect.

"... You look great."

With a smile growing on his beak, Troy tried not to huff in amusement when he saw Canvas' blush growing even deeper. His wings slowly pulled back in, not that either of them seemed to notice. None of the ponies around them said anything, but there were quite a few looks being exchanged with one another. The mood was luckily broken when Glimmer Heart slowly walked into the room.

"What the…” Glimmer’s words came out slightly slurred while holding an ice pack to her head. "What's going on? And who's the newguy?"

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-One: Kind Words

Glimmer Heart was quick to apologize to Canvas, Troy, Lyra and Bon-Bon for her behavior at the train station. Fortunately, all of them were understanding of her situation, and accepted it graciously. Once that was done, the gallery was officially opened. Even while dealing with a hangover, Glimmer was still able to make herself look presentable once the other artists and guests appeared, including tying her mane into a stylish bun to hide the fact that it wasn't washed recently. Meanwhile, Canvas came to a somewhat surprising realization when he saw the other five artists who were part of this gallery: Canvas was the only one who wasn’t a unicorn.

Canvas walked up to the other artists to greet them, remaining courteous even as they expressed their puzzlement over an earth pony participating with them. Luckily, with a single glance over at his paintings, the group could tell that he was equally as skilled with a paintbrush. Of the large number of paintings among his section of the walls, a large curtain was covering the largest piece. Coincidentally, it was the one he’d been working on for the last two weeks. Curtains were hiding the largest pieces of the other five artists also, for they were supposed to be revealed later that night.

As he conversed with the other artists―four unicorn mares and one stallion, all of whom were around his age―Canvas was bombarded with a large number of questions. Most of them, however, revolved around how he worked with a hoof instead of a horn. Eventually, despite his expectations of such questions, Canvas became uncomfortable real quick. Instead of appreciating his art for what it was, they just seemed to look at him and his work like it was a pet trick. By the time most of the other guests arrived, Canvas just wanted to get away from them and find his friend.

When the exhibition began, Troy was firstly impressed by how large and luxurious the ballroom looked with its domed roof and ornate architecture. After all the stories he remembered hearing from his grandparents, he had to take a moment to marvel at the sheer beauty of the Canterlot scene that caught their interest decades ago. What surprised Troy even more, however, was the fact that this art gallery had an open bar. Troy was quick to take advantage of such a perk. He took a seat near the bar’s end and ordered himself a White Stalliongrad. Troy usually wasn’t much of a drinker, but he was expecting the venue to get boring pretty fast.

As more guests came in, Troy kept his spot at the bar while the various ponies came and went with their drinks. The minutes passed, and ponies sitting nearby started getting tipsy. Troy, unfortunately, became more aggravated at his own high alcohol tolerance. It didn’t take long before a couple attendees tried asking various questions in their drunken stupor; the most ludicrous being an inebriated stallion who asked if gryphon eggs were an aphrodisiac, which was definitely a first for Troy. Then, at one point, a couple of mares tried to literallypetTroy, like touching a gryphon was some sign of good luck. After the seventhtime he felt some pony ‘accidentally’ touching his tail, a strong glare made sure the stools beside his own would remain empty for the rest of the night.

About an hour into the event, Canvas finally pulled away from his display to find Troy. He hopped on the empty seat beside him, and ordered a ginger ale before noticing the large number of empty glasses around his friend.

"Don’t worry,” Troy said insistently. “Gryphon blood takes like, twentytimes more alcohol to get drunk than ponies. That's why most gryphon-based liquor is banned in Equestria."

Canvas shrugged in acceptance. He remembered hearing how gryphon liquor could get to 300% proof before filtering. He had absolutely no idea how such an impossibility could be done, but he wasn’t one to question it either. The bartender slid over the ginger ale, and Canvas sipped it through a straw. He then noticed Troy throwing a smirk in his direction.

"Before you say anything,” said Canvas. "I don’t drink alcohol. I never have, and I never will…”

The stallion glared strongly at the wall of liquor bottles shelved across from them. Seconds later, Troy nodded while Canvas muttered under his breath. “Never."

It didn’t surprise Troy one bit if Canvas never touched an alcoholic drink, considering what happened to him back in Gallop Creek. He then looked down at his empty glasses and winced, suddenly fearful of enjoying booze in front of him. Fortunately, one glance back at Canvas and his own smirk helped to ease Troy.

"What? Dude, I've seen you eat meat. You really think a few glasses is gonna freak me out?"

Troy chuckled, and his eyes locked onto Canvas' new mane. Ever since he’d seen the new manecut, Troy was constantly catching himself staring at him. Thanks to the shorter mane, everything Canvas did seemed brand new to the gryphon; from the smallest movement to the faintest smile. It was hard for Troy to veer away from the artist now that he was right beside him.

"Let me guess,” said Canvas with a skewed eyebrow. "It's the mane, right?"

"Actually, yeah!" Troy smiled at Canvas. A new White Stalliongrad was levitated over to him. "Not gonna lie, it's going to take a while for me to get used to."

"For you?!” Canvas’ eyes and grin grew in unison. “Do you know how long it's going to take for me to get used to this? I mean, it feels so weird to not have my mane so heavy!"

Troy shrugged and finished his drink in one go, placing the empty glass among the rest of them. "Yeah, I guess…. But hey, think of how many bits you'll save on shampoo alone."

Canvas burst out laughing. Troy smiled even wider in response, not seeming to realize his cheeks were blushing slightly. "Yeah, that's a plus. Although, I was actually spending more on conditioner. Seriously, my mane was impossibleto brush without that stuff."

Canvas stayed at the bar long enough to enjoy another ginger ale, while his friend practically drained the event’s vodka budget by himself. Eventually, the artist decided to head back when he noticed a large crowd by his work.

Canvas stayed next to his section alone, mostly in hopes that somepony would talk to him about his work and show their admiration. Sadly, since he was an earth pony, most of the murmurs he heard from nearby attendees weren’t assuming that hewas the one who did them. As the night went on, Canvas was feeling less enthusiastic while hearing praises from ponies assuming a unicorn did his work. Just as he was about to head back to the bar, the voice of a posh stallion caught his attention.

"Well, I say! Is that one of my bags!?"

Canvas quickly turned around, and saw a charcoal-grey earth pony stallion standing before him. He boasted a rather large ruffled collar, as well as an overstyled mane of white and silver. The stallion lowered his purple sunglasses, blinking repeatedly while staring at Canvas' bag with a mix of curiosity and disgust.

Canvas snuck a glance at the pony's cutie mark, consisting of an ornate paper fan. His eyes widened, recognizing that he was standing before the bag’s original designer: Hoity Toity. The posh stallion leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he gazed upon the intricately placed drawings that covered every part of the fabric.

"Young stallion, I don't know what I was hoping to see here tonight, but to see one of my rarest designs be turned into… this was not one of them!"

Canvas cringed hard, staying silent as the stallion made eye contact. "Who exactly are you?"

"Um. M-My name is Canvas, sir. I… I'm one of the artists for this gallery." He held a hoof out toward his paintings, trying his hardest to give a ‘prideful’ smile despite his nervousness. Canvas watched as Hoity Toity's gaze glanced over to the wall, and his face turned into one of surprise. He hoped the reaction was a positive one.

"Well, well, well.” Hoity pulled off his sunglasses entirely, and stepped in to take a closer look. “You did these yourself?"

Upon seeing how impressed he was, Canvas nodded with a more relaxed smile. "Yes I did. In fact…” Canvas pulled his art bag around so it was draped over his chest, allowing Hoity Toity to get a better look. "I've had this as an art bag for years. I gotta say, it's kind of an honor to meet the pony who made this."

Hoity glanced at Canvas curiously. He pointed a hoof at it and asked, "May I?"

Canvas nodded before Hoity Toity carefully opened the front flap, lifting it with a hoof to look at the tag inside. "I see…” He closed the bag and stared back at Canvas with a perplexed smirk.

"Mister Canvas, I have only sold tenof these bags. And just by looking at the tag, I can see that this was the very first one."

Canvas quickly looked down at the bag hanging over his chest. Rarity had told him that it was a rare design, but he never would’ve assumed it would be that rare. He looked back at Hoity, who was now as wide-eyed as he was.

"I…” Hoity Toity pointed at the stallion, his words pausing in thought. “I believe I remember who I made this for."

Canvas stepped back, covering his mouth with a hoof. Hoity stayed silent briefly, his peculiar stare making it clear that he knew he struck a nerve.

"…I remember a mare came to my shop years ago. She was a dark-blue pegasus, with… with a pure black mane and a tornado for a cutie mark."

Canvas' hoof remained tightly clasped over his mouth, but his eyes struggled to stay open whilst welling at the corners. This designer, who probably did orders for thousandsof ponies over the years, still remembered the mare known as Blowing Winds, his mother. Canvas was absolutely floored.

"When she came in, she told me that she was looking for a bag for her son… who had just discovered his talent in art. Though she didn't have much money, she was insistent on finding something of good quality for him to use. I usually didn’t take requests from walk-ins, but I… I felt like she deserved something worth my attention. So after a few days of work, I ended up designing a custom art bag... That very bag you have on your shoulder right now."

Tears were openly streaming down Canvas’ face. He tried his hardest to cover his whimpering smile with his hoof. Of all the things he expected would happen tonight, finding out how important his art bag was to the pony that made it was not one of them. When he finally lowered his hoof, the sight of his teary smile was enough to make Hoity cover his own muzzle. The designer glanced back at Canvas’ art, coming to the same revelation as the stallion before him. The artist faintly whispered. "That… that was my Mom."

Hoity Toity didn’t hesitate to lean in and give Canvas a brief hug. The younger stallion practically threw his hooves around him, his eyes clenched shut while his cheeks were matted in tears. Hoity looked close to crying himself, judging by his emotional smile. Canvas spoke once more. "Thank you... Thank you so much...”

"I-It's quite alright…” Once the two let go, Hoity took a couple quick breaths to keep his composure. He reached into his collar to pull out a handkerchief, which he used to carefully dab his face. Canvas was about to rub his own cheeks dry with his foreleg, but Hoity Toity hoofed him his handkerchief while carrying a warm smile. “Here you go. And don't worry, you can keep that handkerchief.”

With a light pat on the shoulder, Hoity Toity walked off without another word. Canvas nodded thankfully, wiping his face dry before Lyra walked up to him.

"Are you alright?" Lyra said, having noticed Canvas’ tear-matted face. "Bon-Bon’s doing alright with her catering, so I thought I could check on you. I saw you talking with Hoity Toity, and I've heard a lot of things about him being overcritical."

"Yeah, I’d believe it,” said Canvas, who huffed to himself before placing the handkerchief in his bag. "Honestly though, he turned out to be really nice."

"Oh, alright then..." Lyra took a moment to glance back to where Hoity Toity trotted off to. She then leaned her head in, shooting him a devilish smirk. "So, Canvas... wanna see something really cool?"

No attendees were coming up to him, so Canvas shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "Um… Sure. What is it?"

"Follow me."

Lyra and Canvas moved their way through dozens of ponies, until they eventually found themselves standing underneath the large dome roofing of the ballroom. Here with them stood a large ornate statue of Starswirl the Bearded, where many other ponies stood around and chatted with one another. Lyra stared up at the ceiling before taking two steps back, making sure her distance was correct. She then motioned for Canvas to stand beside her.

"I've been to this ballroom before,” whispered Lyra excitedly, "and I found out from an architect about a cool feature this place has. Apparently, If you stand at a certain spot near the statue and speak, the acoustics from the dome will carry the noise to the exact opposite spot."

Canvas seemed more confused than intrigued. "Okay, so… so what?"

"So,” Lyra glanced past the statue, spotting somepony across from them. “If you speak here, that pony over there will hear it like somepony was right next to him. Watch.”

Lyra leaned her head in slightly, and whispered loudly. "Boogers!"

Canvas watched as the stallion across from them suddenly jerked his head around, looking like he was just brushed up by a ghost. He had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing, not expecting to see such a response. Meanwhile, Lyra chuckled to herself mischievously as she moved to another spot, standing across from a large unicorn mare in a gaudy, green dress.

"There's a stain on your dress!"

The mare’s head gave a jerk, and then she spun around frantically to look for the nonexistent stain. Canvas couldn’t even watch this time, having to turn away while laughing muffledly. Lyra motioned for him to join in with an eager grin. Canvas peered around the ballroom for a moment before finding the perfect target: Rarity, who was holding a drink in her hoof and chatting with Fluttershy. A stallion was standing close beside the two, keeping to himself and checking his watch. Canvas positioned himself carefully and whispered. "Nice flank!"

Rarity gasped and turned around in anger. Much to her friend’s shock, the mare threw the drink in the random stallion's face before storming off. Both the stallion and Fluttershy stood there completely stunned, neither of them noticing Lyra and Canvas cracking up across the room.

"Okay, that was awesome!" Lyra said after giving Canvas a hoof-bump. "A little bit meaner than I would’ve gone, but that was still really funny."

"Yeah...” Canvas watched as Fluttershy helped dry the confused stallion off with a cloth. "Actually, a weird thing happened with me and Rarity today."

"Oh, really now? What happened?"

"Well…” Canvas tried not to snicker while smirking. "When Rarity was cutting my mane, she…”

After the briefest pause, Canvas scoffed. “... She actually thought that Troy was my boyfriend."

Canvas chuckled to himself, shaking his head in disbelief. Meanwhile, Lyra just looked at him in confusion. "Wait… you mean he isn't?"

Canvas stopped giggling in an instant. He gawked back at his friend. "W-What? He… No! No, he's not."

Lyra's eyebrows raised in surprise. Canvas turned away to hide his deepening blush. He wouldn’t have guessed that more than one pony would come to that kind of assumption, especially not on the same day; and especially not from someone as close as Lyra. The unicorn tried to reach a hoof out to him apologetically.

"Canvas? Canvas, I just thou--"

"Troy is just a friend!"

Canvas’ outburst caused the mare to jolt back. While she stared back at him with concern, Canvas’ hoof was shaking a little as he pointed back at her and stammered nervously. "I-I mean, yeah! He's a close friend, but he's just a friend, okay?! I don’t get why so many ponies think that about us! W-What, is it because of me?! Am I not allowed to have a platonic friend who happens to be a guy!? It's just weird, you know?! Troy is… he’s…”

Canvas looked down at the floor. Lyra, seeing his distress, tried to step in closer.

"He… he’s a friend…” Though he tried to state it as clearly as he could, his whimpering tone made it clear that he was showing some doubt. Even when he felt Lyra’s hoof resting against his back, he could only sigh before closing his eyes. “… J-Just a friend…”

"Canvas… do you…” Lyra’s lips pursed shut for a moment. She took a look around to make sure nopony was eavesdropping. Once she was sure they couldn’t be heard, she spoke cautiously. “... Do you like him?"

Canvas' head shot back up. He backed away from Lyra with a hesitant look. Lyra kept her composure, standing in place in hope that he wouldn’t run away from her question. Seeing that she wasn’t getting in too close again, Canvas muttered weakly. "Troy… Troy is my friend. He's just a friend..."

"That wasn't what I asked."

Canvas winced. He looked back at Lyra, who kept her stare surprisingly firm. The stallion’s breaths became more audible, and his eyes darted away from her frantically. Lyra didn’t try to touch him, but she moved in a little closer. "Canvas, it's just a question... And I promiseyou, I won’t say a word about it to Troy."

Canvas exhaled deeply, and kept his eyes tightly shut.

"Canvas, do… Do you like Troy? Like… as more than a friend?"

Canvas couldn’t look her in the eyes. But even so, he tried his hardest to respond. "Well… well, I…”

Even in that moment, Canvas wanted nothing more than to continue repeating to himself that Troy was just a friend. Knowing all that the gryphon had done for him, and how accepting he had been since they first met, Canvas really didn’t want to admit to himself that there was anything more than that. He had no idea whether or not Troy could feel any closer to him than that. The last thing he wanted to do was feel anything too severe about him, only to know deep-down that it could never be reciprocated. Canvas felt like his heart was about to burst. Lyra’s hoof on his back wasn’t enough to ease the tension he was feeling within. Nevertheless, Canvas let out a nervous breath as he tried to say the one thing he didn’t even want to admit. Not even to himself. "I… I…”

Lyra wrapped her foreleg around his shoulder to pull him in closer. Canvas pressed his head against her chest with a heavy sigh. “... I do...”

The moment that last word escaped his lips, Canvas felt like a massive weight tugged down on his heart had been pulled to his stomach. At the same time, though, he couldn’t deny how right it sounded out-loud. After all this time, all the constant reassurances he tried to give to himself, Canvas could only hug Lyra back as he realized how he truly felt.

I have feelings for Troy.

Lyra waited while she hugged Canvas tightly, knowing that he was likely processing a lot. When she finally pulled back, she saw that he was staring at the floor wide-eyed. Lyra glanced back at the bar in the distance, her brows quickly flagging up in surprise. She then turned back to Canvas with a reassuring smile, and told him, "Canvas, it's alright. I promise you, everything will be okay."

"But…” Canvas gulped nervously. Even after what he’d just admitted to himself, he was afraid to continue with his train of thought. "What… what if he doesn't like me back? I mean, what if he can't have feelings for me? Like… like I do for him?"

"Why? Because he's a gryphon? Because I've met a tonof ponies who are in great interspecies relationships! There are ponies all over Equestria who are with zebras, buffalo, mules, all kinds of other species. I think I heard of one pony who was with a diamond dog…”

"Lyra, I didn’t mean tha--"

"In fact, I was talking with Twilight once, and she told me that her brother knows a pony Reserve Guard who's currently in a relationship with a changeling!"

"Well, that's just fine but--really, a changeling?"

Canvas stared at Lyra for a second in slight disbelief, and then shrugged. "Huh… Well, I didn’t mean it like that, Lyra. I just don’t know if… he… he would want to be with a guy."

Lyra kept her hoof on him while smiling confidently. "Canvas, I've seenhow he acts around you. I might not know much about guys, but… I really dothink he likes you."

Canvas tried to stare back at Lyra in skepticism, but she could see the faintest glimmer of optimism in his eyes. "Really? How can you tell?"

"Well… Do you remember how his wings shot open as soon as he saw you with your short mane?"

Canvas narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Uhhh...Yeah, so?”

“Wait… do you not know about that?"

"About what?"

After blinking in surprise, Lyra took a breath before blushing. "Oh. W-Well, uhhhh… Canvas, when… when wings shoot open like that… it means that…”

Lyra looked around, and then whispered the rest into Canvas' ear. The stallion quickly pulled back, his blush just as notable as his bug-eyed expression. "N-No way!"

"Yes way! “ Lyra tried not to chuckle at Canvas’ reaction. “Rainbow Dash told me so!"

"Oh please.” Canvas was still blushing, but he tried to dismiss her point with a roll of his eyes. “His wings also did that when I cooked him bacon! That doesn’t mean anything."

Canvas looked away from Lyra, feeling like he made a valid point. Then his eyes shot wide open, instantly realizing what he just told a ponyhe did. He turned back to Lyra to see her just stunned as him, and quickly tried to ‘correct’ his statement.

"A salad! I cooked him a salad. He-he really likes salads..."

Canvas tried to smile as a sign of confidence, but was clearly sweating a little.

"I… I'm just going to pretend I didn’t hear any of that...” Lyra closed her eyes briefly to take a breath, not wanting to press thatissue at the moment. "Okay, I didn’t want to do this, but... I think you should see something."

Motioning Canvas to follow her, the mint unicorn made her way through the crowds again. Canvas reluctantly followed behind her until the two reached a large mirror hung on the wall. Lyra glanced back at the bar to make sure this would work, and smiled before turning her attention to the confused artist.

"Okay, so… what is it, Lyra? What did you want to show me?"

"This..."

With a bright flash of her horn, Lyra's mint aura slowly pulled the mirror outward from one of its sides. Once it was angled right for Canvas to see, she glanced back at Canvas to whisper discreetly. “Now, I want you to look at the bar from the mirror."

Canvas nodded and turned to gaze into the mirror. With his eyes focused on the bar’s reflection, Canvas wasn't sure what it was Lyra was talking about until he saw Troy. Even from the skewed angle, Canvas could see as clear as day that Troy was sitting at the bar, and looking right at him as Canvas looked back.

Canvas gasped silently, but tried not to instinctively turn around to glance at Troy directly. When Lyra saw that he noticed, she carefully placed the mirror back in place. Canvas then gave a cautious glance back at the bar to see what would happen. As soon as he looked over, Troy quickly turned his head away, as if he didn’t want to be caught staring. While the artist stood in shock, Lyra was glancing over at the gryphon as well.

"Canvas, I've been walking around this gallery all night. Every time I noticed Troy, he was looking right at you. And when I saw his face, he had the exact same look Bon-Bon had for mebefore we got together."

Canvas looked down at his hooves again. He wanted nothing more than for her to be right, but he also didn’t want to keep his hopes up too high.

"I… I gotta think about some things..."

Lyra wanted to smirk confidently, but instead just nodded in acceptance. "Go right ahead. Just remember what I said, okay?"

Canvas gave a weak smile, and slowly walked back toward his section of the exhibit. Though his heart was still racing in a mixture of unease and anticipation, he could only hope that he could have a clearer head soon enough...

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Biggest Honor

Troy had become increasingly surprised at how weak Equestrian alcohol really was as the night went on. Even after taking full advantage of the open bar, Troy didn’t even feel the slightest buzz. While the bartender started pulling the pile of empty glasses away with an obvious glare aimed at him, the gryphon sighed and looked back toward the crowds. He was finding it difficult to see where Canvas could be through the masses of different ponies in fancy outfits and garments. That said, he could easily pick out the technicolor mane of Rainbow Dash before she got close enough to sit at the bar with him.

"Hey Troy.” She held a hoof up for the bartender. "Yo, barkeep! Get me whatever my buddy's drinking!"

The bartender reluctantly made two more glasses, and levitated the drinks to them. Upon seeing Troy’s drink of choice, Rainbow Dash gave him a skeptical smirk.

"Really, dude? A Sea Breeze? That's something Fluttershy would drink!"

"Well, I'm not drinking it for the buzz. I just wanted something that tastes alright."

Rainbow gave a shrug before both of them downed their drinks. Normally she'd rather have something a bit stronger, but Troy wasn't kidding when he said it tasted good. Once she took a moment to appreciate the fruity sweetness, Rainbow looked over at Troy who was eyeing the crowd again. "Canvas is by his exhibit."

"Oh, thanks." Troy looked over and saw that Canvas was there, though he seemed to be on edge about something. Moments later, he suddenly realized what Rainbow Dash had said, and he turned back to see her grin.

"H-HEY!” he blurted with blush. “I wasn't… I… I was just trying, like--”

"Dude, cut the denial! I think we both know what's going on."

Troy groaned "Can't I just have a drink in peace? Why are you so insistent on digging into me about this?"

"About what? I'm just trying to keep conversation."

"Oh, don't give me that!” Troy had to look away from his employer and her cocky smirk. “Ever since that slip-up at the sports bar, you keep bringing up these little jabs about me and Canvas, and it's really getting on my nerves!"

Rainbow Dash sighed, and her smile dropped. "Listen Troy, I'm not trying to jabat you or anything. I'm just trying to point out something you might not realize yourself."

Troy face-clawed. "Rainbow, pleasestop making assumptions. It’s really annoying."

"Oh come on! Do you really think this is just an assumption? I've seen what you've been doing, and I think it's pretty clear that you like Canvas."

Troy tensed up, groaning once more, and used two talons to pinch at his temples.

"And I'm not just talking about the sports bar either, “which, may I remind you, I neverbrought up since I'm your friend.”

Troy knew that detail was true. He let his silence serve as a sign of acknowledgement.

"Ever since you joined my crew, you spend almost allyour free time with Canvas. I mean, I spend a lot of time with my friends too, but I don't spend every day off with just oneof them! I'm just saying, it seems like you care a lot about him."

"Well, of course I do!” Troy exclaimed in puzzlement. “I saved his life, remember? And after he got released from the hospital, I wanted to make sure he got better! And after that, I mean… What do you want me to say? He turned out to be a great friend."

"Uh-huh. And how about that wingboner you got today?"

"What?!” Troy nearly fell out of his stool over that bold question.

"Oh, please! You almost knocked Fluttershy out when you prepared for takeoff, and don’t try to deny it!"

"For crying out loud, can you just shut up about this!?" Troy was getting angrier. He crossed his forelegs while averting his glare. "Besides, gryphons don't even get those! That's a pegasus thing!"

“...Are you kiddingme?” Troy glanced back at her to see her expression as flat as a pancake. “Dude, I'm not a moron. I was best friends with a gryphon back in Flight Camp. I know how the gryphon body works, and I knowwhat you just said is a lie. You popped a wingboner."

By that point, Troy was just about irritated enough to leave in a huff. But before he could get off his stool, Rainbow Dash had one more question.

"Troy… do you remember when you told me why you wanted to be part of the Weather Patrol?"

Despite not wanting to listen anymore, Troy kept himself still. "Yeah. I… I wanted to be more social. And I am!"

"Well, sort of."

Troy looked at Rainbow Dash’s small smile in confusion.

"Troy, I knew you joined my crew only so you could look over Canvas at first, which I allowed because I wanted to make up for that storm. But ever since you started working for me, I’ve seen how often you've been there for him. Even after he was all healed up and started his own career, you still stood by his side whenever you could. And yeah, you have been more social around town and stuff, but there’s something different about you when you're with other ponies."

Troy was now looking curious as she continued. "Whenever you're with other ponies, like my crew or with Lyra and Bon-Bon, you're usually pretty neutral. I mean, you smile here and there, but not nearly enough for me to see that you're actually happy. But when I see you with Canvas, or talking about Canvas, or even just thinking about him... I always see a smile on that beak."

Rainbow’s smile had become warmer, but Troy seemed nonplussed. "Okay, so... what's your point?"

"My pointis that I can see that Canvas makes you happy. Happier than anypony else around here. I'm not trying to make fun of you or anything, alright? I'm just being honest. That stallion makes you happy, and you should know that."

With that, she got off her stool and left Troy to his lonesome. Troy sighed in relief and went back to looking across the ballroom, his gaze slowly returning to Canvas' display. Now Troy could see that Canvas was chatting and laughing with a few ponies.

He couldn’t hear what Canvas was saying from that far, but Troy could see that he was looking a lot less stressed. He thought about everything Canvas had managed to do for himself, how much he had to overcome to reach this point, and where the two of them were now; and he felt a strong amount of respect and admiration for the stallion. Before he realized it, a small smile grew on his beak. With his attention on Canvas, Troy didn’t notice Rainbow Dash leering in close to his face, sneaking up to him before whispering in his ear.

"Told ya!"

Troy quickly swiped his claws in her direction out of both surprise and annoyance, missing her as she quickly darted off laughing. Troy decided to stretch his legs to walk off his irritation, and finally left his stool. As soon as the gryphon left the bar, the bartender silently cheered to himself in relief.

Glimmer Heart looked up at the clock to see it was almost eight, and smiled to herself excitedly. After her undignified morning, she looked grateful that the main event was about to begin. She stood in the middle of the ballroom and levitated a microphone, tapping the end with her hoof. Once everypony turned their attention toward her, Glimmer Heart cleared her throat.

"Fillies and gentlecolts, I would like to thank everypony here for coming to this gallery. Every year, this event is held to showcase the best and brightest up-and-coming talents in the Equestrian arts. And over the years, it has always been my greatest pleasure to meet so many new, shining artists."

Canvas stood by his artwork, a blush growing anew as he tried to keep his smile restrained.

"Because of this, “I am honoredto present the highlighting pieces of the six artists displayed for tonight."

Glimmer Heart's horn grew brighter as she directed the room’s attention to the first collection of artwork. A white unicorn mare with a blonde mane stood proudly beside her designs while being introduced by Glimmer.

"From Manehatten, I would like to present Gemini's piece, titled Heart of the City."

Glimmer Heart slowly pulled back Gemini’s curtain, showing a large painting of the Manehatten skyline. The outline of the city itself was painted pitch-black, with blue windows meticulously added in a minimalistic fashion. Meanwhile, the white background carried a large image of a pink heart, which looked to be rising above the city like a sun. Canvas thought the piece was rather striking, albeit a tad clichéd, and was quick to clap his hooves alongside the others.

Glimmer Heart then walked over to the second unicorn mare, a powder-blue pony with a purple mane in pigtails. Most of her paintings were adorned with enough glitter to make Pinkie Pie proud, but they were done in a surprisingly tasteful fashion.

"From Las Pegasus, here is Glitter Shine's painting, titled Shining in the Night."

Many ponies looked in admiration as the curtain revealed a large painting of one of Las Pegasus' most well-known casinos standing against the night along the Pegasus Strip. The hotel was built to resemble a modern-day pyramid, and had a bright beam of light that cut through the night sky along the top half of the painting. Canvas was especially impressed with how the golden glitter was used against the large buildings, making it all look like a natural part of the cityscape.

After the applause died down, Glimmer's aura then reached for the third curtain. This piece belonged to a yellow unicorn with a matching blonde mane, wearing an expensive-looking green dress.

"From Appleloosa, this is Country Comfort's piece, titled Buffalo Roam."

The curtain gave way to a large, detailed painting of the buffalo migrations running through the apple orchards of Apploosa. Boasting the brightest colors possible, the piece reminded Canvas of the old-fashioned paintings he'd seen in traditional places. Given how intense the migrations could get, he was impressed to see a depiction of something that happened so quickly be made in such detail. There looked to be dozens of buffalo in the painting itself, so he wondered how long it took her to get all the little details just right.

The fourth curtain came next, belonging to the last unicorn mare standing anxiously. She wore a thick pair of fake glasses and a red, plaid scarf that clashed with her green coat. Her pink mane was kept within a grey fedora, which she used to hide her blushing face.

"From Portlandia, I would like to show Vintage Vinyl's piece, titled Mane Stream."

Applause followed after the curtain was unveiled, but many of the patrons stared in confusion or unease at the revealed painting. It displayed what appeared to be a pure-black stallion trying to pull himself out of a raging blue river, situated against a blood-red sky. Looking closer, Canvas could see that the river wasn't supposed to be water, but many different objects making up the blue surface, including a bunch of newspapers and garbage. Canvas wasn't sure what to think of its meaning, but it was an interesting piece to look at nonetheless.

Glimmer Heart then walked over to the curtain of the only unicorn stallion in the exhibit: a surprisingly tall and thin red pony with a pure, white, spiked mane. He was looking just as uncomfortable as the mares before him, nervously tugging at the collar of his ill-fitting suit. If it wasn't for the large amount of hair gel, or the piercings along both his ears and nose, Canvas would've considered him to be kind of cute.

"From Baltimare, here is Flamingo Fire's piece, titled Within Darkness."

The moment Glimmer opened the curtain, many of the attendees gasped in shock. The painting displayed the inside of a dark alley, and a bloodied pony walking toward the viewer with a knife in its mouth. A large cross-shaped scar went across its grinning face, emphasizing a look of terror that was difficult to describe. Canvas definitely didn’t expect to see a piece that dark to be displayed here, but he had to admit that it looked pretty cool. Not to mention, both he and the actual artist had to struggle not to laugh at the shocked faces of the uptight Canterlot crowd.

"And finally…”

Glimmer Heart walked over to Canvas' display. The earth pony tried not to look too nervous while standing proudly. Meanwhile, he could see that a good portion of the crowd was staring at him in confusion or curiosity.

"From Ponyville, this painting from Canvas is titled Soaring Through Sound."

With everypony, including Troy, watching enthusiastically, the curtain opened to reveal Canvas' largest painting to date. While many went ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’, Troy could only stare at the painting with his beak agape.

Looking like an abstract painting at first, the background was flooded with almost every color imaginable, all of them blending together in a tie-dye motif that swirled around toward the highlighted center. In the middle of the piece stood the image of a grey and silver gryphon, his wings and legs spread out in flight with his beak wide open.

Troy blushed heavily behind his feathers, trying not to notice the countless stares from attendees who made the connection themselves. As soon as he saw the piece, the gryphon recognized it as how Canvas saw him while he was singing Vesti La Giubba. The swirling colors were there to represent his music, how his voice and dedication helped burst out so many different emotions so different from himself. He may have been seen as nothing more than a grey gryphon to most ponies, but Canvas saw him for much more than that; with his painting, he was able to accurately convey what Troy had inside of him as well.

The crowds began to move around between the displays yet again. Troy himself slowly walked over to Canvas' exhibit to take a closer look. He almost didn’t notice when Canvas walked up beside him, carrying a particularly deep blush against his aqua fur. Troy kept a calm and contented smirk on his beak all the while.

"So, when you were looking at that grey splash of paint two weeks ago, you… saw me?"

Canvas slowly nodded as he looked away in sheer embarrassment. He then winced upon noticing how many ponies were whispering and motioning over at Troy.

"Ye-yeah. It… it just came to me, I guess…” Even though Troy was smiling, Canvas still hung his head shamefully. “I… I know I should've told you sooner. I-It’s just, ummm... I’m sorry."

Troy didn’t seem the slightest bit upset, and gently placed a claw on Canvas' shoulder. "Hey, don’t say you're sorry.” When Canvas looked up at him, he was surprised to see the prideful smile on his friend’s face. “Dude, you did a great job! Frankly, I'm just glad everything worked out for you."

"Wait. You… you're alright with this?" Canvas had to do a double-take between Troy and the painting.

"Well, why wouldn't I be? This is a reallygood painting, Canvas! I'm impressed by it. Besides… It’s kinda cool to know I was your inspiration for this."

Troy smiled at him, and Canvas' blush grew even deeper. He felt his heart beating even faster as he looked at Troy's vibrantly golden eyes. Those eyes peered back at Canvas with warmth and gentleness, leaving Canvas feeling frozen at the spot. His chest got warmer, and he wanted nothing more than to be closer to the gryphon beside him. Before he could say or do anything, though, Troy quickly turned around.

"Ooh!” Troy excitedly sniffed the air. "I think Bon-Bon just made more of those caramel candies."

Canvas was left surprised at how quickly he picked up such a scent, and with a heavy heart at how quickly he darted back into the crowd.

Several ponies came up to the stallion, all of whom seeming interested in his art. So, after taking a deep breath, Canvas forced out a genuine-looking smile, and stood tall while hearing their praises.

After dealing with snooty ponies all night, most of whom were quick to criticize any visual imperfections of her food, Bon-Bon was happy to see Troy come up to her station. The gryphon looked legitimately thrilled to see that her caramel-chocolate candies were just brought out. Very few had touched them since they weren't ‘visually appealing,’ so Bon-Bon didn’t mind when Troy started quickly eating them from her platter. Bon-Bon cleared her throat to try and catch his attention. "So Troy, how's the gallery going for you?"

"Nod bud." Troy finished chewing before swallowing, allowing him to speak clearly. "I mean, it's a bit boring, but I'm really glad I came here with you guys. Did you see Canvas' big painting for this?"

"Well, yeah. I did help carry it here from the station, remember? Lyra and I saw the painting before the curtain was draped over it. I was wondering what you’d think about seeing that."

"I think it's awesome! I mean, I wasn't expecting him to paint a picture of me, but it's still pretty cool, you know? It's a little flattering to know that I was a big part of his work."

Bon-Bon nodded with a smile. Suddenly, her wife rushed up to stare daggers at the gryphon. "Troy!" Lyra shouted with an upset pout. "Why are you here?! Shouldn’t you be talking with Canvas?"

"Umm… I did?” said Troy, confused. "I told him how I liked the painting, and then I came here when I smelled the chocolate being brought out."

Bon-Bon's eyes widened in surprise. Lyra facehoofed with a groan before looking around. Noticing something near the center of the ballroom, Lyra turned back to Troy, and used her magic to wrap his body in an aura. "Come on, birdbrain!"

Before Troy could protest, Lyra pulled him away from Bon-Bon's station. While the gryphon squawked and struggled in her magic, Bon-Bon was left looking utterly confused. "Wait… Can a gryphon really smell that far?"

Because of the large number of ponies who’d come up to Canvas after his unveiling, the earth pony had to move closer to the ballroom center in order to not feel so overcrowded. None of the other artists had crowds comparable to the mass of ponies circled around Canvas. Granted, many of them were there to ask the same technical questions as the artists earlier on, so Canvas’ smile remained fairly forced throughout.

But amongst the sea of ponies asking him questions, Canvas noticed the voice of one particular mare within the crowd, coming out from an unknown direction.

"Canvas, what's your inspiration for your big painting?"

Canvas swore he recognized the voice, but couldn’t see who it was. Nevertheless, most of the crowd went silent after that question was heard, curious to the answer. Though the answer in his head caused him to blush, Canvas cleared his throat.

"Well, ummm… I guess I can say my piece was inspired by my best friend...”

Canvas felt like he should say more, mostly for himself, even if he was likely one of the only ponies who would understand.

"He… he found me several months ago, when I lost everything I had…” Canvas found it difficult not to feel choked-up. He rubbed a foreleg with his hoof, looking down at the floor as he continued. “I… I was going through a lot back then, and… and at one point, I felt like I could have ended my own life...”

Canvas kept his gaze downward to avoid the worried looks and gasps. Canvas’ voice grew shakier.

"But, he found me, and he saved my life… He had no idea who I was or what happened to me, but… but he still saved me. And… A-And he stayed by my side ever since."

Canvas wiped his face to dry off his moistened eyes. A smile appeared thereafter.

"He became the best friend I ever had, and he was there for me when I needed him the most. I… I honestly don't know what I would’ve done without him… I don't think there's anything I can do that can fully make up for everything he's done for me. He was always there for me since that day… and…”

And I love him.

The very instant that thought came up in his head, Canvas was rendered speechless. He breathed out a shaky gasp over how truthful that declaration felt. Luckily, the pause was only momentary, and his smile became more enamored.

"…I just wish he knew… how much I really care about him…” Canvas felt like he could say a lot more, but all that came out was a contented sigh. “Because he means so much to me..."

Throughout his speech, Canvas didn’t seem to notice his position by the statue, or under the dome for that matter. Since the crowd of ponies blocked his sight, he couldn’t see how on the opposite end from the statue, Troy was standing wide-eyed by himself.

As soon as Lyra dragged him to the spot and asked Canvas that question, she told Troy to stay where he was before walking off. Because of her quick thinking, Troy was able to hear every word Canvas said like he was standing right beside him. And even when Canvas started answering more questions, Troy remained there in silence. He felt floored, but he also felt a smile coming on from the knowledge of how important he was to his best friend.

Meanwhile, Lyra stood proudly by the entrance, ecstatic at seeing how grateful Troy looked to have heard all that. She almost didn’t notice when two particular ponies walked past her into the ballroom. However, the moment she caught a glimpse of a shimmering mane from the corner of her eye, Lyra gasped before quickly bowing to the ground.

Soon after, everypony else took notice and hurriedly bowed as well, letting their gratitude be known for the two alicorns entering the gallery. Twilight Sparkle had left shortly after the event started, but now she was back. This time, however, she was standing next to her mentor, Princess Celestia.

As the almighty alicorn stood amongst her subjects, her stunning, multicolored mane flowing weightless in the ballroom, Celestia slowly raised a hoof to the room, allowing everypony to rise.

"Good evening."

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Three: Dream of an Artist

Many of the gallery’s attendees were aware of Twilight Sparkle and her friends’ attendance, but it was obvious from the shocked stares and intimidated blushes that Princess Celestia was a welcome surprise. The two princesses insisted to be seen as nothing more than guests, but most of the attendees still kept a respectable distance from them.

For Canvas, he had gotten used to being around Twilight over the past few months, and even considered her a personal friend of sorts; but still, to be in the same room with a goddess like Celestia was something he never thought he'd experience. He couldn’t help fidgeting as he stood by his wall of paintings. He almost didn’t notice when Troy came up to stand beside him in support.

“Man, she’s way taller than I would’ve guessed,” Troy muttered under his breath, his cheeks carrying the faintest blush beneath his feathers. Back in the Gryphon Kingdom, the system of government they had as an independent nation was practically nonexistent. That said, Troy couldn’t think of a single gryphon who would dare disrespect Celestia's ruling; although, that was mostly due to her responsibility of raising and lowering the sun. Even now, Troy could feel a huge knot in his stomach about how he should act around her. Of course, glancing back at Canvas and his overwhelmed state, he could only imagine how frazzled the artist was feeling right now.

"Hey Canvas,” whispered Troy, reaching a claw to Canvas’ shoulder. The stallion nearly yelped and flinched to the touch, only to let out an embarrassed breath when he realized it was just Troy. "Canvas, are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah,” he said with a forced smile. “I'm just standing by my artwork on the biggest night of my life, waiting for the Goddess of the Sun to look at my achievements. What's to worry about?"

Troy’s beak clenched tightly. He looked back at Celestia, who was now leaving Gemini’s exhibit and heading for Glitter Shine's, with Twilight in tow. Where Gemini looked as pale as a ghost while standing stoically by her work, Glitter looked like she was speaking a mile a minute while pointing at various paintings.

"Canvas, c'mon. You really shouldn't be this worried. You’ve talked with Royalty before, right? I mean, if anything, you have the most experience of anypony here."

"But what if she doesn’t like my work? What if she says something bad about them? W-What if nopony buys my work anymore? This could be the last night I ever paint again!"

Troy gave him the strongest ‘Are you kidding me?’ face he could muster. "Dude, do you seriously think that would happen? I understand getting a little paranoid, but that's a bit extreme, don’t you think?"

Canvas could only breathe out shakily. Back at Glitter Shine and Gemini’s displays, a good number of attendees were whispering silently whilst re-examining their work. Celestia and Twilight had just left Country Comfort's exhibit on their way to Vintage Vinyl's. The blonde mare they just visited was using her magic to float out a paper bag to stick into her muzzle and breathe rapidly. The hipster pony, meanwhile, was clearly struggling to explain her artwork as articulately as she could.

Canvas gulped, his face almost as red as the other stallion artist. "I-I-I know I’m freaking out right now. I’m just… I don’t know how to handle this … I mean, Celestia has probably seen thousandsof paintings in her lifetime, so the idea that I ca--”

"Hey, hey, hey…” Troy tightened his grip on Canvas’ shoulder ever so slightly, stopping his babbling. “Canvas, nothing bad is going to happen. I'm sure of it."

Canvas breathed out weakly before looking up at Troy, who was carrying a calm and collected smile on his beak. The stallion couldn’t say anything, but his eyes widened as he felt his cheeks burning with a heavier blush. As for Troy, he couldn't stop staring at Canvas' eyes more than his obviously smitten expression. The gryphon had no idea why his mind turned blank so suddenly, but those shining pools of blue were pulling him in like a moth to a flame.

Slowly, Canvas' eyes went from wide to half-closed, making him look almost hypnotized as he peered into Troy’s and their burning gold hue. There were so many things Canvas wanted to tell Troy, yet none of them seemed to escape his mind. Instead, all he could do was grow an appreciative smile as he gazed at the gryphon he appreciated so much.

The gryphon he loved.

For a split-second, Canvas felt like he was going to tense up again. Luckily, his attention was piqued as soon as he heard the voices of Twilight Sparkle and Celestia. The Princesses were now within listening distance, for they now reached Flamingo Fire's exhibit. Canvas and Troy turned to see how terrified the unicorn appeared before the two alicorns. Celestia stared at the stallion's morbid painting with an odd fascination. Twilight, on the other hoof, had her muzzle tightly skewed with a look of unease.

“Nnnghh… Well, it's probably a good thing I didn’t bring Spike with me. This would probably give him nightmares."

Flamingo Fire cringed and looked down at the ground in guilt. Celestia gave a more optimistic opinion.

"You know, I think Luna might enjoy this. She's always been interested in the more macabre pieces, and this reminds me a lot of Pransisco Goya's work."

At Celestia's comment, the red unicorn stood proudly once more, although his smile looked slightly unbecoming with all the piercings. After giving a kind nod and thank-you, Celestia and Twilight moved on, making their way toward Canvas’ exhibit.

Canvas started shaking again, prompting Troy to move in closer. When the gryphon's feathers brushed up against his fur, Canvas felt a hundred times warmer as his heart started racing. Though he stopped thinking about the two alicorns coming up to them, Canvas was nowfeeling a completely different form of worry. Closing his eyes, Canvas breathed in deeply before he could recompose himself. And just as he looked back ahead of him, he was met with the warm and friendly smile of Twilight Sparkle.

"Good evening, Canvas,” she said with pride. “It's nice to see you've been working hard since moving to Ponyville! I'm really glad to finally show your work to Celestia."

Even though he wanted to feel tremendously grateful, Canvas couldn’t help gulping with a worried smile as he watched Celestia gazing at his paintings. After all the restless nights he spent working on his pieces, he never felt so overwhelmed in his life. Even Troy tensed up with a blush of his own, not wanting to do anything to negatively affect his friend’s hard work. Because of that, Canvas was left on his own by the time Celestia turned toward him with a kind smile. She brought out her hoof for him to shake as she spoke cordially.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Canvas.” Canvas had never met her in his life, but the sound of her warm voice put him at ease. He shook her hoof, feeling an almost maternalpresence as he looked up at her nurturing smile. Once he put his hoof down, Canvas gave a small bow in gratitude.

"Princess Celestia, it… it's truly an honor to be in your presence. And it's been an honor to know Princess Twilight as well.

"Well, I'm very glad to hear that. She told me quite a lot about you since you moved to Ponyville."

Upon hearing that, Canvas instantly grew worried. He knew what Twilight Sparkle most likely mentioned about him. Troy, who was the only one to know the full scale of Canvas’ past, looked equally as concerned as he glanced between the princesses and his friend. Princess Celestia looked down at Canvas' art bag in curiosity.

"Is that your art bag, Canvas?"

Canvas nodded. Without needing to be asked, Canvas pulled the bag off his shoulder, and hoofed it to her for her shimmering white aura to pick it up. Canvas watched in amazement as the Princess carefully opened the bag and pulled out several pictures inside, shuffling them around midair to scan each one studiously. Celestia paused on one particular sketch. She glanced back at the artist in amusement. Canvas could see through the thin page from the other side, realizing that Celestia was holding the sketch he made of her. In retrospect, that sketch was the very first picture he drew after leaving Gallop Creek.

With her smile unchanged, Celestia carefully arranged Canvas' pictures back together before placing them back in his bag. She levitated the bag back onto his shoulder, and then looked back over Canvas' paintings. Her gaze focused on his largest piece, taking note of the gryphon painted in the middle amongst the vibrant colors. She then glanced over at Troy, whose feathers ruffled out immediately. Celestia put a hoof over her mouth, not wanting to openly giggle in response. Her attention then returned to Canvas himself.

Canvas had no idea what to do or say. He stood frozen on the spot, his heart thundering inside of his chest.

“I hope I’m not too upfront about anything sensitive, but considering everything I learned from Twilight Sparkle, it really makes me happy to see you doing so well."

Despite her grace, Canvas still felt uneasy being in front of somepony who knew what had happened to him. All of his worries flowed away, however, the instant he felt the Princess's hoof resting on his shoulder.

"Despite all that's happened to you, you still managed to move forward and accomplish so much in a matter of months. You have an amazing talent, and you should be proud of what you've done."

Canvas felt his eyes well up. He had to try his hardest to keep his smile from trembling. Glancing over at his friend, Canvas saw that Troy carried a small smirk, clearly proud of him too. Celestia took one last look at his masterpiece, and spoke with sheer confidence.

"Canvas, you truly are a great artist, and I have no doubt in my mind that you can accomplish so much more...

“And because of that, I would like to ask if you would make a painting for my castle."

Most of the attendees had been keeping their attention on Celestia, so her request left everypony in shock, with a round of gasps sweeping across the ballroom. Even Troy’s beak hung agape, not that Celestia seemed to notice. The stallion stood motionless, looking like he was going to faint at any second. His hooves trembled, his breathing turned rapid, and he couldn’t come up with any full words in response.

"You… you-you w-w-wan… you want m-me to…”

Holding a hoof to his face, Canvas almost stumbled forward. Fresh tears fell from his eyes and hit the golden carpet, leaving small dark specks. Upon seeing Celestia’s unchanging smile, one of his own faintly grew back. As he felt the carpet underneath his hooves and the tears against his fur, Canvas knew that this was actually happening, that this wasn't a dream. He bowed his head, and spoke in the most grateful (albeit quivering) tone he could possibly use.

"Your Highness... i-it would be an absolute honor."

The gallery attendees all cheered in applause, while the other artists stared at him in anger or shock. A grey pegasus stallion with a green mane and large camera stumbled up to them. Canvas could see the lanyard across his neck labeling him as a member of the Canterlot Press, so he quickly took position next to Celestia with the largest smile he could own. Twilight made sure to stand beside the artist as well, and used her magic to pull in Troy so he could be present for the photo. A quick flash of light later, and Canvas was left standing in absolute bliss.

The applause continued, and Troy looked back at his elated friend with the widest smile. After everything the stallion had to endure, Troy couldn’t have felt happier to see him truly reach his wildest dreams. Not to mention, he felt equally as blessed to be there with him in that once-in-a-lifetime moment.

After the countless hugs and hoofshakes he’d received, Canvas was left sitting in pure contentment outside the gallery once it was over. He felt the cool air hit his fur, and Troy’s wing over his back. Canvas ended up selling most of his paintings that night, including his largest piece that was purchased by Hoity Toity.

Canvas stayed close to Troy, his eyes closed while listening to the hoofsteps walk past him. Troy stayed silent as he looked down at the pony, smiling about how lucky they both were.

Meanwhile, just a few blocks away, Celestia decided to walk back to the castle so that she could appreciate the summer night before heading to bed. Two pegasus guards, as well as her most faithful student-turned-Princess, walked alongside her. Though Celestia seemed happy, Twilight looked somewhat unsure as she looked up at her mentor.

"Umm, Celestia? Do you mind if I ask a question?"

"What is it, Twilight?"

"When you were talking with Canvas, you said that you knew what happened to him?"

Celestia's smile began to drop, but she still nodded back. "Yes, that’s correct. After you wrote to me about Canvas’ experience, I personally looked into what happened in Gallop Creek."

As they kept walking, Twilight saw that her mentor's face had become more sullen. "I found out what happened to him before he arrived in Ponyville, and… I also know who hurt him."

"Wait, really?” Twilight’s brows flagged up in surprise. “When I asked him about it, he said he didn’t know who it was."

Celestia's pace slowed down. She shifted her gaze to Twilight, looking more grim.

"After learning the details myself, I wouldn’t blame Canvas for not speaking about it. Even to a Princess."

Twilight didn’t expect Celestia to look this morose, especially over something she thought she knew much about. Before she could say anything, Celestia picked her pace back up.

"After finding out the culprit, I asked Luna to verify the claims given to me from the townsponies in Gallop Creek. Then, after looking through the memories of the ponies I interviewed, it became difficult for me to figure out what to do."

"What do you mean by that? If you know who did it, shouldn’t you do something to punish them?"

Celestia stopped walking, causing Twilight and the Guards to stand still. Celestia sighed before looking over at her student sternly.

"Twilight, there was a lotthat happened, both before and after Canvas left that town. And even after consulting with Luna, I realized that the issue was much more complicated than I first imagined. I'm not sure what will happen in the near future, but I cansay with the utmost certainty that Canvas won't be attacked like that again."

Despite Celestia’s confidence, Twilight’s head tilted slightly with doubt. "I… I trust that you're right, but what does this mean for me? Is there anything that I can do?"

After another long pause, Celestia placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"All I ask is that you keep an eye out, Twilight Sparkle. I'm not saying anything will happen soon, or even at all. But if anything does happen, I trust that you’ll learn from your own experiences to act accordingly. Do you understand?"

Twilight wasn't sure what that meant, but she still nodded in affirmation. "I… I understand, your Highness."

Because of how long Canvas and Troy stayed at the gallery, mostly to talk with Glimmer Heart and the press, Lyra and Bon-Bon were already back at the hotel by the time their friends started walking across Canterlot. The streetlights were much brighter in Canterlot than in Ponyville, but the meticulously paved stone streets still felt just as empty this time of night. Thus, Canvas felt a nice sense of familiarity as he trotted happily alongside Troy toward the hotel.

Troy kept his sights forward as they walked, while Canvas couldn’t keep his eyes off him with a massive grin. Underneath the bright streetlights, Troy's feathers shimmered like the most polished silver, illuminating the gryphon in a light glow that made Canvas' heart flutter. After everything that happened during the gallery, Canvas was almost hopping around the empty streets like Pinkie Pie.

"I really can't believe this is happening to me!" exclaimed Canvas. "I mean, I knew this gallery was going to be big, but I didn’t think it was going to be THAT big!"

Troy kept his smile, relieved to see Canvas so happy. "I know, right? This is a really huge deal!"

"Oh, this is way, WAY bigger than huge!" Canvas grabbed Troy by the shoulders. "Do you know how many earth ponies have their art in Canterlot Castle!? No really, guess how many!"

“Uhhhh…” Troy’s eyes darted back and forth in slight awkwardness. “... Like… two?”

"NONE!!” Canvas let go of Troy and he paced back and forth across the street. "There are no earth ponies in history who have ever made anything good enough for Canterlot Castle!"

Troy had to do a double-take from that detail, clearly not expecting it. Still, he smiled in amusement as he watched Canvas getting giddier by the second. "I'm going to be the very first earth pony ever to do that! I'm going to make history! I'm…”

Canvas froze in place, and turned back to Troy with a huge smile of revelation "Troy, I'm going to make history!!"

Canvas lunged at Troy, unable to control himself as he hugged him as hard as he could. Fortunately, Troy was just as excited, and quickly hugged him back. He even lifted Canvas off the ground, chuckling as he spun the pony around the street. Canvas moved his head back so he was looking straight at him; and even through his unwavering grin, his blush deepened as he stared into those golden eyes.

Upon seeing how happy Canvas looked this close, Troy could feel his heart beating faster. He couldn’t feel the feathers on the back of his head ruffling out, though. Suddenly, a large ‘whoosh’ could be heard as Troy's wings sprung open. The gryphon’s eyes shot wide-open, as did Canvas’, who struggled not to crack up.

"Umm…” Troy slowly looked back at his wings, his cheeks reddening near-instantly. "It's… it’s not what you think…”

Canvas finally let go of Troy, trying his hardest not to stumble on his hooves while laughing. Troy looked away, his wings slowly folding back. Canvas managed to stop giggling and speak with a smile. "I'm sorry, dude. I just… I didn’t expect that."

"Yeah, me neither,” grumbled Troy.

Once that awkward moment passed, the two continued on toward the hotel. Along the way, Canvas and Troy eventually reached one of the large balconies that overlooked the whole of Equestria. Under the glow of Luna's moonlight, both of them stopped and leaned against the edge, admiring the view. The countless miles of hills, all laid under the stunning backdrop of constellations and stars above. Troy eventually turned back to Canvas with a smile.

"You really did it, Canvas. You made it big time."

Canvas stayed silent, taking a moment to let it sink in. A small grin slowly crept across his muzzle. "I did. I… I really made it as an artist."

Troy thought something felt off about how Canvas said that, but he didn’t want to put too much thought into it. "Well, you want to head ba--"

"And they said I'd never make it!"

Troy was taken aback by Canvas' outburst, as well as how suddenly the pony’s grin turned into a scowl. The gryphon started to get worried when Canvas stepped away from the ledge, and looked over at him in anger. "Back in Gallop Creek, they alwaystold me I'd never do anything with my talent! They constantly picked on me, and treated me like dirt, called me every name in the book! But now…”

Canvas started pacing around again, a weird grin growing on his panting face. He panted heavily and pointed right at Troy. "You know what I want to do right now?! I want to go back there! RIGHT NOW! I want to go back to Gallop Creek, and walk up to every single one of those jerks and just… just… just rub it in their stupid faces!!"

Troy stepped back from the ledge, his eyes darting back and forth over worry that they might be causing a scene. Canvas kept going, pacing along the edge of the balcony.

"After everything I went through! After everything I did and sacrificed, all I wanted to do was prove I could be successful! I wanted to be a great artist, just so I could prove everypony back in that damn town they were wrong! And now I did it! I'm doing a painting for a goddess! A goddess!!"

Canvas quickly turned to the ledge and stuck his head out to. He screamed out at the top of his lungs. "You hear that, Gallop Creek!? I became somepony!! I became more important than any of you morons evercould! I made it, and I did it without anyof you losers!! You hear me, Gallop Creek!? YOU HEAR ME, DAD!? SCREEEEW YOU!!!”

Canvas’ head slumped, and he breathed heavily. Troy was left utterly speechless as he stared at him from the side. Before he could say anything, he heard the sounds of clanking armor coming toward them. Knowing what might happen if the Royal Guards saw them, Troy quickly snatched an exhausted Canvas and flew off.

Fortunately for the gryphon, the two were practically invisible once they were out of the streetlights. Troy landed about a block away from the hotel. He rested the pony's hooves on the ground, and looked at him with worry. Canvas was still breathing heavily, and clutching his chest with a hoof.

"I… I'm glad I got that out..."

Looking back over his shoulder, Troy made sure nopony saw them before addressing Canvas. "Okay, I know I told you to let these things out, but did you have to do it with a bunch of Royal Guards around!?"

Canvas blushed in embarrassment. "I'm… I’m sorry, Troy."

Troy chuckled under his breath and put a claw on Canvas' back. "Hey, it's alright. Believe me, I totally get it. At least you're not bottling it up. Besides, we didn’t get caught, so it's all good." Troy gave one last look behind him. "And hey, I finally got to fly around Canterlot a bit."

Canvas giggled. “Yeah, that’s true. But don’t worry, I… I got it out of my system.”

“Well, that’s good to hear…” Troy motioned for Canvas to follow him back to their destination. The two stayed silent for the remainder of their trek, still smiling as they walked side-by-side without worry.

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Four: Not While I'm Around

After unlocking the door with his key card, Troy entered the hotel room with Canvas close behind. The pony couldn’t help whistling in amazement when he saw the lavish space Glimmer Heart reserved for them. Compared to the hotel Canvas had back in Ponyville, this suite was much larger and more luxurious. A plush white couch that matched the carpet was placed in the lounge, and a large glass door led to the balcony outside. Canvas rushed out to the balcony to find that the room boasted a great view of Canterlot.

Looking back in the suite itself, Canvas froze when he noticed the bedroom on the opposite end; more specifically, the fact that there was only one bed. It may have been king-sized with a beautiful white comforter, but Canvas was worried whether Troy would be alright with the sleeping arrangements.

"I already know what you’re gonna ask,” said Troy, taking his tie off. "and I don't mind sharing the bed."

Canvas was surprised, but secretly happy. He took off his own tie and dress shirt, but blushed when he realized he was finally alone with Troy. After what happened on the train last night, Canvas didn't want an opportunity like that to pass him again. Canvas looked over at his friend, who was now sitting on the bed and about to put a tape in his walkman.

Canvas could see the cover of the cassette case laying by the player. It was the soundtrack for the acclaimed Phantom musical from Bridleway. Troy took notice of Canvas’ peering peepers, and quickly tucked the player away. The last thing he wanted to do was steal Canvas’ thunder if he had to explain why he had it. Thus, Troy tried changing the topic of discussion. "So Canvas, you have any idea of what you're going to paint for Celestia?"

Canvas skewed his eyebrow. "Are you kiddingme? I just got the job a few hours ago!"

"Well yeah, but you gotta have some ideas floating around your head right now, right?"

Canvas bit the inside of his cheek in thought. "Well... maybe an idea or two, but nothing worth writing down. I'm still reeling over how she actually picked me for such a thing! I mean, she looked through everypony’s designs, and still decided to trust mewith that!"

Troy grinned, and responded cheekily. "Yeah, and considering how you had all your drawings in that bag, it's probably a good thing you don’t draw porn!"

Canvas went eerily silent. “Uhhh… Actually…”

Troy's eyes widened, and he instantly burst off the bed. "No way!"

"Well… I only did a few small sketches. I was hoping she didn’t notice them, but…”

Troy's beak dropped. "Seriously!? You draw that kind of stuff!?”

Canvas looked away with a blush.

"...I was surprised she didn’t banish me to the moon for the one I made of her and Luna…”

"WHAT!? What the buck did you draw?!?”

Before Troy could snatch his friend’s bag to look for himself, he overheard Canvas struggling not to snicker. After a couple seconds, Canvas couldn’t hold the charade any longer, and fell to the floor laughing. "Oh man! I can't believe you fell for that!"

Troy felt a wave of relief (and slight disappointment) at the realization that Canvas was just messing with him. "Okay, that's pretty good. So you seriously don’t draw porn?"

"NO! Of coursenot! You really think I’d do that!?"

Troy shrugged. "Well, you certainly could have the talent for it. Otherwise, you could probably get a good actingjob after pulling that prank on me!"

"Oh yeah, your acting thing! How’d that audition go?"

Troy winced, and he used a claw to rub at his foreleg without saying a word. "Oh come on, Troy,” said Canvas almost pleadingly. “I didn't get to ask you before, so did you--”

Canvas stopped short. He slowly looked back toward the bed, where Troy's walkman laid with the Phantom tape inside, and put two and two together.

“... No. Way.”

"Umm. Yeah… I got the lead for that."

Just as a guiltily small smile spread across his beak, Troy felt Canvas almost lift him off the ground in a tremendously strong hug.

"OH MY GOSH!!! That's so awesome, Troy! I knew you could do it!"

After letting him go, leaving Troy fairly flustered, Canvas trotted over to the bed and grabbed the tape. "So you're playing the Phantom? I listened to that musical all the time when I was younger! Man, I bet your audition was amazing!"

"Well…”

Troy thought back to that day, surprised that things went so well for him then.

Troy knew he was going to be an odd sight for everypony there, but he paid no heed to the stares and whispers while he signed up outside the audition room. Looking back at the rest of the crowd, he noticed that all of them were holding sheets of paper, which caused him to worry somewhat. Due to his inexperience, he had no idea what that was for. Before he could ask somepony, he heard a mare's voice behind him.

"Hey, you're Troy, right?"

Turning around, Troy saw a cross-eyed pegasus mare staring up at him―or at least one eye was―with a surprised smile on her face. "You're part of Rainbow Dash's weather crew, right?"

He didn’t know the grey mare all that well, but he remembered Rainbow telling him about how she almost destroyed town hall once. "Umm… yeah. I think she mentioned you before. You’re, uhhh… Derpy Hooves, right?”

“Yep!” She held out a hoof as she introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you, Troy! You can just call me Derpy if you want."

Troy was surprised she didn’t mind being called that, but he shook her hoof regardless. "Well, it's nice to meet you too."

"I gotta say, it’s pretty cool to see someone like you out here. You don’t see many gryphons in the performing arts, you know?"

“Yeah, I get what you mean. Honestly, I’m only doing this because a friend suggested it."

"I can understand that. My daughter Dinky wanted me to do this too." Depry’s head tilted. "So Troy, what song are you doing for your audition?"

"Oh, um…” Troy felt even more out of his element. “I'm not too sure, actually. Maybe Nessun Dorma or something?"

Derpy looked at Troy in confusion, having no idea what he said. "Nessa what? I don't remember that being in the list."

"What list?"

"Umm… the list over there?" Derpy pointed to a long table filled with stacks of different song sheets. "You're supposed to do one of the songs from that selection, so the director can know who can sing them best."

Seeing the stacks, Troy felt a knot in his gut. He walked over to the table, seeing that there were ten different songs to choose from; but much to his dismay, there wasn't a single one with a title he recognized. Derpy stood next to him while he looked between the different sheets, observing his growing worried state.

"Is something wrong?” she asked cautiously. “Are you good at any of these?"

"I have no idea!" Troy said, looking back at Derpy. "I usually just listen to opera! I… I don't know any of these songs!"

"Wait, seriously!? All of these are pretty well-known. You live under a rock?"

"No, the Gryphon Kingdom. Oh crap… Oh crap, oh crap, oh CRAP!”

As he continued to shuffle through the sheets, Derpy tried to calm him down. "Don't worry. I think we can find something for you. There are a lot of auditions, so there might be some time."

The two worked together as he scrolled through the lists. A few minutes later, Troy's claw stopped on one sheet when he read the title. He then picked it up and started reading the lyrics. Derpy looked over his back to see for herself. "Ooh, that's a really good one!"

"I hope so...” He had no idea how the song went, but Troy couldn’t deny that the lyrics caught his interest. After what just happened between him and Canvas, this song felt surprisingly fitting. Turning back to Derpy, Troy held the sheet in his claws and asked, "So, uhhh... you know how this song goes?"

"Sure do! In fact, I think a couple of ponies before you are doing that song too! You can probably listen in on them so you can see how you wanna do it."

"Really?" The plan seemed feasible enough, so he smiled gratefully. "Thanks!"

Troy sat in the back of the theater while auditions were held, listening as several different ponies sang the same song he was doing. While most of them weren't exactly the best singers, Troy could still figure out how the song was supposed to go. Soon enough, he had a good idea how he wanted to sing it. Troy almost didn't hear when the director called out for him.

"Clawston? Troius Clawston?"

Troy quickly got up from his seat. "That's me, ma'am. I'm Troy."

As he walked up to the stage front, the director stared at him in surprise, not expecting a gryphon to be auditioning. With the song sheet in his claws, Troy still felt nervous over doing a song he’d just learned. However, upon remembering how much Canvas wanted him to do it, Troy knew he had to try his best.

"Well, hello,” the director said, intrigued. "Are you auditioning for the play?"

"Yes I am. To be honest, I… I've never done this before."

"That’s perfectly fine. Just take a couple breaths, and do the song.” She pointed a hoof over to the unicorn stallion at the piano. Troy handed the sheet over to him, hoping to Celestia he had all the words memorized.

"So, Mister Clawston, what song are you going to be doing?"

"Umm… it’s called…”

Troy quickly looked back at the sheet to read the title, making the director facehoof.

"It's called… 'Not While I'm Around.’”

"So, can I hear it?"

"Wait, what?"

"Can I hear the song you did?"

Troy wasn't expecting Canvas to make such a request. "I…”

He knew he performed really well back at the audition, but the reason he chose the song in the first place left him apprehensive. "I don't know, Canvas..."

"Oh come on!" Canvas whined, looking at Troy with a pout. "I won't make fun of you, I swear!"

"I just… I don’t know if--”

"Please?"

Troy looked back at Canvas now sitting on the bed, and struggled not to cringe at how happy he looked. "Please, Troy? It… it would mean a lot to me."

Troy couldn’t help but feel guilty. So, instead of prolonging the inevitable, he sighed and looked around for a good spot. "Alright. I… I'll do it."

Canvas smiled eagerly. Troy walked over to the middle of the lounge and breathed in. Seeing how excited Canvas looked made Troy’s heartbeat a little faster. Strangely enough, one of his first thoughts was about how he felt on that stage. It made Troy close his eyes, as he tried to imagine himself in that theater again.

He heard the slow, melancholy piano begin to play in his head. He felt the director’s judgmental stare upon his brow. But above all else, he slowly lifted his foreleg to his chest to remember that warmth he felt.

The same feeling of warmth he experienced when he held Canvas that night.

Troy swallowed as the music played on in his head, and he cleared his throat before opening his beak. With his eyes closed, his voice didn’t falter as the words came out naturally without pause. He then imagined he was back at Canvas' studio, holding him against his chest, their heartbeats synced in the moonlight. The lyrics, deep and meaningful, were serenaded with the utmost sincerity to the only pony watching.

Canvas didn’t say a word, his muzzle tightly shut while listening to Troy’s beautiful voice. He could hear the sheer, genuine emotion belting from Troy’s beak as he recited the lyrics with true understanding.

The recital lasted for less than a couple minutes, but it felt much longer for the gryphon by the time he reached the climax. Though the song was meant to be a gentle ballad from one loving soul to another, he sang the last couple lines with his operatic prowess. Every word that came out felt truthful, as if he was speaking to the stallion listening. His claw clutched his chest tighter. When he reached the finale, he had to clench his eyes shut to keep them from tearing up. He let the gentle melody of his mind’s piano play to the conclusion, and only then did he open his eyes once more.

Troy stared down at the white carpet below his talons for some time. When he finally raised his head, Troy saw Canvas sitting completely still with a hoof over his mouth. He could even see two faint trails of tears stream down Canvas' face as he looked upon him in pure admiration.

“... W-Wow…”

Troy felt his heart thundering. But before either of them could say anything to break the silence, the sound of cheering and hooves clapping could be heard outside. Both of them gasped. Troy turned his head toward the balcony and, much to his horror, saw that Canvas never closed the sliding glass door.

Troy rushed to the balcony in a panic, dismayed to see a sizable number of ponies cheering from the balconies of nearby buildings. There were even a few standing out in the street below the hotel. Troy’s feathers ruffled out in mortified shock as the ponies saw him coming out, and shouted their praises.

"Wooo!”

"Encore!"

"Do another song!"

Troy quickly closed the door shut and pulled in the curtains, eliciting many disappointed groans that were just barelymuffled through the glass. When he turned back to Canvas, he was carrying a huge blush under his ruffled feathers. The stallion struggled not to laugh. "I… I…” Canvas fanned his hooves, his breaths weak due to his squeaky tone of voice. “I swear to Celestia, I had no idea that door was open!"

Troy felt like he was going to die of embarrassment. He covered his face with both claws while Canvas laughed into his pillow. Fortunately, the artist was quick to recollect himself. "Troy, I'm sorry about that, but… wow…”

Canvas let the silence speak for himself. While Troy's feathers gradually went back down, he wiped the tears from his eyes, and gave his friend an undoubtedly touched smile.

"That… that was perfect."

Troy could only give a small smile in return before looking away sheepishly. He held his foreleg back to his chest again, trying to collect his breaths as best as he could. He then started thinking back to what Canvas said in his speech at the gallery. More specifically, about wanting to make up for everything he did.

"Troy, I've heard that song before, but… that was waybetter than any other version I've heard. That was beautiful."

"Yeah, well…” Troy was feeling more flustered by the second, and he let out a meager chuckle. “It's just that…”

I do care about you, Canvas. You really do mean a lot to me.

I'm not sure why, but… I really do like being with you.

"You don't owe me anything."

Canvas’ head reeled back for a second, clearly confused. "Ummm… wait, what do you me--"

"Back at the gallery, I… I heard what you said… and I just want you to know that you don't have to make up for anything."

Canvas' eyes widened in shock.

"Canvas, I've never known anyoneI cared about more than you. You're a great friend, and… you’ve helped me justas much as I helped you. I mean… you're the biggest reason I've put an effort to make friends here in Equestria."

Canvas recalled what Rainbow Dash told him at the train station long ago. Even after that, he still couldn’t grasp just how much he actually helped the gryphon out. Meanwhile, Troy continued.

"I mean, before I met you, I… I didn’t really have any friends. All I had was my family, and not much else. I left the Gryphon Kingdom so I could have a good life, and be happy like my grandparents did. But… I wasn't able to be so social, you know? Everything felt so alien to me, and I had such a hard time adjusting to Equestrian life. But then… when I found you in that storm, that was when I started to become closer to ponies around me. And when I finally started talking with you… you became my first real friend since I moved here."

Canvas felt his heart growing heavier. He knew that Troy spent a lot of time with him, but he hadn’t realized how much it impacted the gryphon. A smile grew on his muzzle, which he tried his best to cover with his hoof. After worrying all night about whether Troy could feel so deeply for him, Canvas couldn’t have felt more grateful for the words coming out of that beautiful beak.

"Canvas, I... I'm just saying that you shouldn't think I don't care that much about you, because I do. I may have helped you a lot, but… you helped me too. I really do care about you, and you’re just as important to me as I am to you."

Canvas sat on the bed in silence, unable to discern how rapidly his heart was beating in his chest. He couldn’t stop thinking about what to say to him right now, or rather, what he'd been wanting to say to him for so long.

I love you.

I love you, Troy.

I love you so much.

Those three words. The mood was so perfect now. But just as he was about to open his muzzle, a knock came from the door. The two were slightly startled, but Troy broke the silence first. "I'll get it."

Troy walked up to the door, leaving Canvas to slump his head into the pillow and conceal his disappointed groan. A unicorn maid with a large cart next to her stood at the door’s opposite side.

"Oh! Umm…” The grey mare was momentarily surprised to see a gryphon, but her cordialness held strong. "I'm here with the room service?"

Troy turned back to Canvas, both of them looking fairly confused. "Umm... I don’t think we ordered any room service."

"Oh, it's supposed to be a gift, from…” Using her magic, the maid pulled out a card from the cart and read it aloud. "It's from a pony named Glimmer Heart. It says, 'Congratulations on a successful evening. I hope you two have a great night.’”

"Wow, really?!” Canvas hopped off the bed with a gracious smile. “That's really nice of her."

The maid smiled and used her magic to push the cart into the room. "I'll just leave this here for you two. Have a wonderful evening."

Troy waved goodbye before closing the door, and walked over to the cart where Canvas was already opening the silver platter lids. The pony found himself amazed at how much stuff was delivered to them. Amongst the assortment were two large bowls of strawberries, a bowl of whipped cream, a small bowl of cashews, a plate of assorted fruits, and a bucket of ice with several water bottles crammed inside.

A gasp from Troy caught Canvas' attention. He turned to see the gryphon staring at another large bucket of ice, which held two huge brown glass bottles. When he pulled out one of them, Troy looked ecstatic upon recognizing the blue labeling and gryphonian text.

"No freaking way!” He looked over at Canvas with the biggest smile. “I couldn’t find this stuff anywhere in Equestria!"

Canvas wanted to be excited as well, but he couldn’t read the odd writing to know what the gryphon was holding. "So… what is it?"

"Dude…” His grin became much giddier as he chuckled devilishly at the bottle. “This is by far, without a doubt, the bestroot beer ever made! For real, I've tried some of the stuff you ponies have, but none of it even comes close to this!"

Troy quickly grabbed the second bottle and handed it to Canvas, its size surprising the pony. He had to hold it with both hooves. At first, he was apprehensive about Troy’s claim, but the gryphon’s excited grin was more than contagious for Canvas. Troy quickly popped off the tops of both their bottles with a talon, and then held his bottle out to Canvas as a steamy mist escaped from the top.

"A toast,” he said with a prideful grin "to an awesome night."

Canvas smiled back with sincerity, and held his bottle out to Troy's.

"And to an awesome friend."

With a loud 'clink', Canvas and Troy shared a drink. Canvas was taken aback at first by how strong its taste was as it swished around his tongue; but much to his surprise, he quickly began to drink more, enjoying the fizzy sweetness hitting his taste-buds. Once the swig was complete, Canvas marveled at how little he actually drank before looking back at Troy, who let loose a long sigh of satisfaction.

"Aaaaahhhhhhh, man! You don't know how long it's been since I had one of these bad boys!"

"Well, I gotta admit, this is actually really good stuff."

As the two kept drinking, neither of them noticed a small orb of mint-colored magic that hung above the balcony doorway...

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Five: Getting Closer

Lyra sat in the lounge of her hotel room with her muzzle skewed in concentration. She hoped that she learned that spell from Glimmer Heart correctly. After a bit of struggling, a rectangular screen appeared in front of Lyra, glowing that familiar mint-green hue while the unicorn looked on in satisfaction. She then tried to remember how the spell transferred the view from the orb she snuck into Troy and Canvas' room. As her horn continued to glow, she didn't notice Bon-Bon when she walked in.

"Honey, I just got back from the front desk. Why is there a charge of two hundred bits on our bil--"

Bon-Bon stopped when she noticed the screen, her expression switching from confusion to aggravation immediately. Upon spotting her wife, Lyra went and stood in front of the screen, wearing a sheepish grin while hoping her body would somehow hide her antics.

"Lyra…” said Bon-Bon, her eyes narrowing. "You better not be doing what I think you're doing."

Lyra’s nervous grin became wider as her eyes darted back and forth. "W-What do you mean? I… I have no idea what you're talking about, honey."

“... Lyra, you promised you were going to stop doing this!"

"Hey! You don't even know what I'm doing!"

"You're trying to pair together ponies again, aren't you?"

An awkward silence developed between the two.

“... Noooo... Only one of them is a pony."

"HONEY! I told you to stop!"

"Oh, come on! At least let me explain!"

"You swore that you would stop trying to pair random ponies together, but now you're doing it again! Do I have to point out the multiple reasons why that's a bad idea?"

"Listen, I know what I said, but I really think that--"

"Lyra, do I need to remind you of what happened when you tried pairing Rarity and Fluttershy together?"

Lyra cringed and looked away. "Yeesh, honey! You don't need to bring up that disaster! Those girls at the spa still giggle when they see me."

"Or how about the time you tried to set up Caramel with Big Macintosh?"

"Okay, to be fair, I didn't know that Big Mac was already in a relationship with--"

"Or when you tried it againwith Applejack and Rainbow Dash?"

"They kissed!” shouted Lyra with great insistence. “I swear to Celestia, I saw those two kiss!"

Bon-Bon rolled her eyes, having heard that excuse a hundred times before. "Whatever. How about the time you tried to set up Twilight Sparkle with Cheerilee?"

Once again, Lyra winced in guilt. "Yeah... that was pretty bad. But again, I didn't know about Big Mac, and I never would've done it if--"

"You shouldn't be doing it at all!" Bon-Bon threw her hooves up in frustration. "Every time you try getting involved in the lives of ponies, it ends up a giant mess!"

Lyra sighed and looked away, feeling somewhat shameful for making Bon-Bon upset.

"Honey,” Bon-Bon said more calmly. “I knowyou just want to help out your friends. And believe me, I'm happy that you want to do that. I love you, I reallydo, but this has to stop before somepony really gets hurt."

“... I…”

Lyra looked upon her vacant magical screen for a moment.

"I knowI shouldn't be doing this again, and you have every right to be mad at me for it. But I’m willing to Pinkie Promise you I’m not going to interfere directly!" Lyra pointed at the screen. "I already have things set up for Canvas and Troy in their room. I was just going to watch, alright?"

Bon-Bon closed her eyes and groaned. "Lyra, I know you've been saying a lot about those two, but do you really think this is a good idea?"

"You’ve seen how they are together! You know how much they care for each other! Heck, you saw that wing-thing Troy did, right? Or how he looked when he heard Canvas' speech?"

"Honey, I just don’t--”

"Just listen to me, please? Canvas likes Troy, and it's pretty obvious that Troy likes him back. They care about each other, and they deserve to be together! And if you can tell me, without a doubt in your mind, that you don't think those two have feelings for each other, then I'll stop. I'll turn this screen off right now."

Bon-Bon was left wide-eyed for a moment in confoundment, not expecting for her wife to give such a strong argument. The mare looked between Lyra and the screen, her lips tightly pursed in contemplation. After a moment of silence, Bon-Bon sighed in defeat and walked back to the bed.

"Just be careful, alright, honey?"

"I always am,” said Lyra cheerfully, sitting back on the couch. A few sparks flew out of her horn as she tried to adjust the spell. In a green flash of light, the screen changed, showing a bird's-eye view of Canvas and Troy's hotel room.

"Yes! I can picture it now! The two stare into each other's eyes as their faces get closer, and then they--”

BRAAAP!!

Lyra suddenly looked back at the screen. Both she and Bon-Bon could hear laughter from Canvas and Troy as they held their bottles of root beer. Through the magical feed, Canvas held his hoof up to catch Troy's attention. "Wait, wait! I feel another one!"

Lyra could only stare as Canvas breathed in and out a few times, holding his hoof out before opening his mouth again.

UUUUURP!!

Another loud burp later, and the two of them started cracking up again. Lyra felt absolutely disgusted, her mouth left agape with a heavy cringe. Sure, they were guys, but she didn't expect thisto happen. Lyra didn't notice Bon-Bon staring at her with a coy smirk.

"Wonderful job, Lyra.” she said sarcastically. “You really area matchmaker. Two hundred bits, so you can watch a burping contest. You're just like Princess Cadance."

The unicorn peered back at her wife with a sneer.

"Don’t give me that look!” She then glanced back at the screen, and gave a light shrug. “This isn’t that different from when we first met."

BRAAAUUOOOP!!

Both Troy and Canvas were laughing their heads off, sitting on the couch and holding their nearly empty bottles. Canvas took another swig, while Troy examined the labeling of his own bottle.

"Oh man,” said Troy with a sigh, slightly saddened over how little was left. "I really need to find out where Glimmer Heart got this stuff. I couldn't find it anywhere in Cloudsdale."

"I'm kinda surprised,” said Canvas. "This stuff is really good. I bet it would sell well over at Sugar Cube--”

Canvas stopped talking when he felt another burp coming up. The stallion sat up and took several breaths, while Troy watched with anticipation.

"This is a big one...” He bent forward, putting his hooves on the glass coffee table in front of him. "Wait, wait!"

Canvas opened his mouth wide, anticipating something huge until finally-

Urp.

Canvas sat confused, his eyes blinking repeatedly after such a measly display. Troy busted out laughing, holding a claw to his face while the other kept him from falling off the couch.

"Oh come on! Even my brother Lyle could burp louder than--"

BRRUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!

Canvas’ burp erupted out without warning for at leastfive seconds, carrying a force that almost shook the windows. Several more seconds of deathly silence followed. The blushing stallion looked back at his friend wide-eyed, and the gryphon looked equally as stunned. Lyra and Bon-Bon stood in front of the screen with their jaws agape. Eventually, Troy spoke.

“... You… you win, dude."

After another bout of silence, the two dissolved into laughter once again. Even Lyra and Bon-Bon couldn’t help laughing from their room, as disgusting it may have been. Once Troy and Canvas calmed down and finished their bottles, the stallion got up to inspect the rest of their room service gifts.

"It's pretty cool that Glimmer Heart would do something like this. Although I have to wonder why she got so many strawberries."

Bon-Bon glared at Lyra, making the unicorn blush.

Canvas picked up a strawberry, holding it for a second before tossing it up in the air. With Troy watching from the couch, Canvas opened his mouth as the strawberry came back down, only for it to hit his eye and fall to the floor. Troy struggled not to laugh as the pony winced, rubbing his eye for a second with a hoof. Upon hearing his friend’s snickering, Canvas looked back at him while walking toward the fallen fruit.

"What?"

Canvas picked up the strawberry with his mouth and ate it.

"Dude, I could've done better with my eyes closed!" said Troy.

Canvas gave him a skeptical look. "Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try!"

"Gladly!"

Troy lifted himself from the couch and walked over, bearing a cocky grin as he picked up a strawberry for himself. Holding it between two talons, Troy placed his other claw over his eyes and tossed up the fruit. Without any effort, Troy opened his beak and caught it. Opening his eyes again, Troy saw Canvas staring at him in disbelief, looking between him and the cart.

"I… I thought… how did you--you cheated!"

"Oh, please. I caught it fair and square. I'm just better than you at it, that's all."

Canvas quickly grabbed two more strawberries. Giving Troy a determined look, Canvas tossed both strawberries up one-by-one. As they came back down, the pony managed to catch both of them in his mouth. Canvas gave his own smug grin back as he chewed his victory.

Troy reached for the bowl once more, knowing a challenge when he saw one. "Alright, I'll put in some effort this time."

Troy now held three strawberries in his claw. He threw them outward with a loud ‘swish,’ before shooting his wings out to bounce them in the air in different directions. Not caring about blowing anything over in the room, Troy flew around in a quick circle, and caught all three of them in less than a second. He landed back in front of a stunned Canvas, a cocky smirk on his beak.

Canvas had no idea how he was going to beat that, but he kept a confident front as he reached for the bowl. Holding another strawberry in his hoof, Canvas looked at Troy with a smirk of his own, and then threw it upward as hard as he could. Canvas prepared to catch it with an impressive body-roll, but froze when he heard a loud 'splat’. Troy and Canvas both looked up to see that the strawberry was now stuck to the ceiling.

Shortly after, Troy fell to the ground laughing, pointing at Canvas with his claw.

"Oh man! That… that was hilarious!"

Canvas grew irritated at Troy’s uproarious laughter, and he reached for the bowl again. Picking up another strawberry, Canvas looked back at Troy and his continuous mirth. Without thinking, Canvas threw the strawberry at Troy, hitting him right in the forehead. Troy immediately stopped laughing, and his stunned stare back at Canvas terrified the stallion.

"Did you…” Troy's golden eyes narrowed on Canvas as he lifted himself up. "Did you just throw a strawberry at me?"

Canvas looked away from him worriedly and stepped back.

"Um… I-I was getting… you know, a little annoyed, but…”

Canvas looked back at Troy, growing even more worried at the gryphon’s intense stare. Keeping his gaze on Canvas, Troy walked back to the cart and used his claw to pick up one of the strawberry bowls. A grin slowly grew on his beak. Knowing what he was thinking, Canvas narrowed his eyes and walked up to the cart as well.

"You really want to start this, Troy?" Canvas grabbed the other bowl, growing a sly-looking smile of his own.

Troy's eyes narrowed closer, and his grin grew wider.

"You're the one who started it.”

In less than a few seconds, the spotless, white hotel room became a battleground. The stallion and gryphon were laughing like a couple of kids as they assaulted each other with strawberries, staining every white surface red while pieces of fruit flew all around and splattered everywhere. Meanwhile, Lyra and Bon-Bon sat on the couch in their room, watching the fruit fight on the screen in enjoyment.

Through the constant laughter and yelling, Canvas and Troy didn't seem to notice the mess they were making. Even when both of them emptied their bowls, they improvised by picking up random smashed pieces from the floor or furniture to refill their ammo. As the white walls and carpet got splattered with even more pink stains, Canvas ran to the bed giggling as he tried to avoid Troy’s barrage of strawberries.

Canvas jumped on the bed and grabbed a pillow, using it as a shield against the fruity onslaught. Troy ran up to the bed to throw some more, which provided Canvas the perfect opportunity to smack him across the head. All that it did was make the gryphon bounce across the bed in surprise. Seeing that the pony had a new weapon in his arsenal, Troy grabbed the other pillow. The two of them stood on the bed for a second, breathing heavily and smirking at each other, both knowing exactly what was going to happen.

Now with a bowl of popcorn between them, Lyra and Bon-Bon sat on the couch comfortably as they watched their friends’ pillow fight. The unicorn made sure to use a spell to zoom in on the action, her grin as wide as could be in excitement. They watched the feathers fly while the two kept pummeling each other. Bon-Bon reached in their bowl for another helping.

"I hate to admit it, but this is actually really entertaining."

"I know, right? It reminds me of when wedid this!"

"Yeah... It's almost scary how close this is to what happened on our honeymoon."

As Troy tried to make a particularly hard swing at the pony, Canvas ducked underneath it just in the nick of time. He took that opportunity to lunge forward, and tackled the gryphon on the bed. Canvas threw him on his back, holding Troy's claws against the bed with his hooves. The two remained in that questionable position, breathing heavily. Troy looked surprised that Canvas managed to pin him down, but didn’t mind as he looked at the smiling pony on top of him.

"I,” grunted Canvas between several deep breaths, "won!"

"Oh yeah?" Troy smirked and turned his head over to his side. His beak felt around the feathers on his shoulders until he found a loose feather, preening it out before turning back to a confused Canvas. Troy moved his head in, and used the feather in his beak to tickle Canvas' chest. Canvas giggled loudly and his grip became looser, eventually making him let go to clutch his chest with both hooves. As soon as the stallion’s weakness was exposed, Troy lunged forward.

In a single impressive swoop, Troy turned the tables as he got the pony on hisback instead. Canvas was unable to move his hooves while Troy's claws held them against the bed, so all he could do was keep laughing with his eyes closed. Of course, he didn’t seem to notice when Troy slowly stopped laughing himself.

Troy could feel his heartbeat quicken as he stared down at Canvas in silence. By the time Canvas was finally able to stop giggling, the gryphon was fully blushing as he admired the view of his friend in such a vulnerable and… cute-looking state.

Canvas looked back up at Troy with a cheerful smile, but it slowly faded as he observed the quiet gryphon above him. With the stallion’s eyes open again, Troy couldn't stop staring at that flawless shade of blue around his large black pupils. Even when Canvas started to blush, Troy could only see how happy he looked underneath him. There was no darkness surrounding them, or tears, or bandages, or stitches, or anypony to get in the way. It was the same feeling he had when he was with Canvas that emotional night.

Meanwhile, Canvas was growing equally as flustered as he peered up at the gryphon. Those pitch-black pupils surrounded by seas of gold stared straight at him with intensity and wonder. Canvas breathed a little harder and his blush deepened. Troy slowly let go of Canvas' hooves, letting his claws rest beside his head.

With his hooves now free, Canvas slowly lifted them up, letting them rest around the back of Troy's neck. In a nigh-instinctive manner, Troy felt his own claws move against his will toward Canvas, until they met around the back of the pony's head. As Canvas felt the gryphon’s careful grip, he felt a new wave of euphoric warmth flowing through his body. He gripped his hooves against the gryphon's neck, using them to slowly pull his head up toward him. Much like that night on the train, Troy could feel his neck craning down to get closer to Canvas.

They kept their eyes locked on one another the whole time, their minds completely blank of anything. Troy could hear his heart thundering, and he could feel Canvas' warm breath brushing against his feathers. Troy began to close his eyes, letting his body take over while his thoughts remained purely vacant. Canvas closed his eyes as well, his bottom lip quivering as badly as the rapid beating in his chest...

Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock…

'Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock’

With Canvas' face only a few inches from that beak, Troy's eyes opened when he realized the thumping sound wasn't his heart. Instead, it was the sound of frantic knocking coming from the door. Troy’s mind came back into reality, and his eyes shot wide-open as he pulled his head back. Catching Canvas by surprise, Troy got off the stallion and quickly moved to the other side of the bed.

"NOOOO!!!!"Lyra held her face up against the screen in pure, unbridled rage. "KISS HIM, YOU STUPID BUZZARD!!”

Canvas slowly sat up, his thoughts were thoroughly frazzled as he tried to process what exactly went wrong. His blushing face just barely concealed the look of horrified realization that came from their interruption.

"Hello?" said the voice from the other side. "I’m so sorry to interrupt, but think I left my wallet on the cart when I brought it in."

With his heart still racing, Canvas looked over at Troy, who was sitting on the bed with his back turned to him. Because of that, he couldn’t see Troy’s eyes and beak wide open in shock. Canvas quickly pulled himself off the bed while the knocking continued. And with a multitude of feelings racing through him, Canvas frantically grabbed the wallet in anger before opening the door.

“NNGHHH!!!” Canvas threw the wallet as hard as he could, and slammed the door shut before the maid could even let out a brief “Ouch!” in the hallway. He rested his back against the door, keeping his eyes shut. He then suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind blow past him, and heard the door to the balcony fly open. Canvas gasped in horror when he caught the briefest glimpse of Troy’s back, now flying away from the hotel. A new wave of panic flowed through Canvas. He ran to the balcony, but alas, Troy was already a small speck in the distance.

"Troy!... TROOOOY!!!"

It was too late. Even if Troy didhear his friend’s screams, it was unlikely he’d come flying back. Canvas’ hooves clasped the ledge tightly, and his eyes clenched shut. His hind-legs buckled underneath him. He breathed hard as he felt his heart push down to his stomach.

"No… No, no, no, no, no… Don't go…”

Canvas' voice came out in a faint, despairing whisper against the winds of the summer night

"Please don't go…”

Nothing could now stop the tears from trailing down his cheeks.

"Troy… please…

“... I love you.”

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Six: Revelations

Troy didn’t care about Canterlot being a no-fly zone. He soared low through the city streets as quickly as he could. His heart felt like a cannonball in his chest, and his mind felt frayed over what just happened. But even while having difficulty thinking coherently, he knew he would likely crash into something if he kept flying in his overwhelmed state. So, in an attempt to calm himself down, he landed by a small collection of ponds in the middle of the city.

His beak was tightly gritted, as were his eyes, while he desperately tried to collect his breaths. His claws dug into the earth underneath him, ripping at the manicured grass.Troy tried to think of literally anything else, not wanting to imagine what he almost did with his best friend. All the while, paranoid questions bombarded his conscience.

What was I thinking?

What was I doing?!

He's my best friend!

What was I about to do?

What… What the buck is going on!?

Troy sat on the grass, pulling at the feathers on his head. He held his head down to his chest, unsure of what to do. He cared about Canvas, he knew that he did, but his heart still felt heavy with unease. He wanted nothing more than to keep his friendship from changing anytime soon. He hoped to Celestia he could still face him after―

"Troy, is that you?"

Troy felt his tensions grow even higher when he heard that familiar raspy voice flying over. Of all the things that could’ve happened in that moment, the last thing he wanted to do was talk with Rainbow Dash. He certainlydidn't need her to pester him about their relationship even more, either.

Rainbow landed on the ground nearby, looking rather confused. "What are you doing out here, Troy? Shouldn’t you be at your hotel room with Can--"

"SHUT UP!!” yelled Troy, pulling himself up to get right up in her face with a livid glare. "JUST SHUT THE BUCK UP ALREADY!!!"

Rainbow Dash's jaw dropped in shock, not expecting Troy to act like this. She tried to take a couple steps back, but the gryphon just went up toward her to keep ranting.

"It's all your fault! It's all your bucking fault!!" He pointed a talon at her accusingly, pacing around the pond while fuming. "Why couldn’t you just leave me alone!? Why couldn't you just stay out of my personal life!?”

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Troy, just calm down! I don't know what--”

"You couldn't keep your little assumptions to yourself, could you!? No! You just kept pushing, with all the 'you like Canvas' here, and 'listen to your feelings' there! I was doing just finebefore all that, and now everything's bucked up!!”

"Troy!" Rainbow was getting angry. "I'm trying to be nice right now! Just calm down and--"

"I never tried to make any assumptions about you! I never said anything about you when you hung out with yourfriends, did I!? No! Because I keep my opinions to myself! Because I know better than to say anything about you that I don't know about! Because unlike you, I have the decency to keep my beak shut, not intrude in on you or say you're a filly-foo--"

SLAP!

The Canterlot ponds suddenly turned silent again. Troy stood in shock, feeling the strong sting on his face from Rainbow Dash's hoof. Breathing heavily, he slowly looked back at the pegasus standing in front of him. She didn’t say a word, but her furious glare said far more than any statement ever could. Troy hung his head and sighed shamefully.

"I’m… I’m sorry... I'm really sorry."

The mare stood silent for a moment, glaring at the guilty gryphon in front of her before speaking firmly. "Troy... you have noidea how easily I could pummel you to the ground. So unless you want to get your ass kicked by a mare, you better tell me what is going on. Right. Now.”

Troy knew Rainbow Dash was being serious, so he slowly nodded before sitting himself down. "I… I don’t… I don't know what to do.”

Rainbow Dash sighed, and sat down in front of him.

"Okay… Troy, I need you to be honest with me. I might still be mad at you, but it’s pretty clear you need somepony to talk to."

Troy looked at her with fear in his eyes. As he wallowed in post-shock, his mind kept reeling with rising confusion. His beak tried to open, but he couldn’t think of anything to say to her. Rainbow maintained her serious demeanor, even as she took in Troy’s flustered appearance.

"Troy… is this about Canvas?"

Troy painfully sighed, and averted his eyes before giving a meager nod.

"Okay.” Rainbow let out a calm breath, her glare lessening significantly. “Now, what happened?”

Troy winced as he felt a knot in his stomach. With the frustration building up inside of him, it was hard enough for Troy to admit to himselfwhat happened, let alone to somepony else. He held up a claw to cover his face, seeming unable to say anything. Despite his extreme reluctance, Rainbow Dash kept a warning stare on him.

"Troy, I'm serious! I know you're having some crisis right now, but I can’t do anything about it if you don't speak up."

Troy breathed in shakily, but it did nothing to quell the strain in his gut. Slowly, his beak opened, and his voice came out faintly.

"I… I think…”

Troy squeezed his eyes shut in apprehension. But then, he thought back to what he told Canvas after his meltdown. If he wanted to get through this, he had to open up at least a little.

"... I think… I was about to kiss him.”

Troy opened his eyes and stared at the ground, feeling like a small weight had come off his chest. Exhaling heavily, the gryphon waited for Rainbow to say something. The silence continued, however, even when Troy felt her hoof rest on his shoulder. Troy was surprised to look up and see Rainbow looking at him with a slight smirk.

"There. You said it. Was that so bad?"

Troy didn’t expect the mare to be so casual. He sighed in frustration.

"What, so that's it? That's allyou're going to say? No 'I told you so,’ or 'I knew it,’ or 'Applejack owes me twenty bits' or something?"

Rainbow Dash scoffed with a strong eye-roll, her smile becoming more natural. She figured that Troy would be stubborn about his feelings for Canvas. "Dude, c'mon! I'm just glad that you admitted it! I’m really happy for you, and I mean that."

"Yeah…” While Troy hung his head low, Rainbow Dash could tell there was still something up with him. Having a good idea of what it was, she waited patiently until Troy spoke again.

"It’s just that… I don't know what to do! I never thought that something like this would happen! I never thought of doing something like… like that..."

Troy turned his gaze down on the grass, his beak skewed in uncertainty. All this time, he just thought he cared about Canvas as a friend. He may have known about Canvas being gay from the very beginning, but he never considered it to be something worth worrying about. But now, there he was, freaked out over nearly starting something that intimate with him. Could he really see himself with him in that way?

Rainbow sighed in understanding, letting go of his shoulder.

"Troy, I want you to tell me something. And I need you to really think about it… How does Canvas make you feel?"

Troy blinked as he processed her question.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, how do you feel? When you're with Canvas, what do you think of him? I mean, what emotionsdo you have when you’re with him?"

After a moment of silence, Troy slowly opened his beak to try and quell his confusion.

"Well, he… he makes me happy.I really like being with him. He’s funny, and caring, and one of the most hard-working ponies I know. He always looks out for me and… and I really care about him…

“I... I like him…”

Those were the last words Rainbow Dash could hear from him. Troy’s whispers to himself became inaudible from there, his beak clicking open and shut. She then noticed one of Troy's forelegs move up and wrap around his chest. Eventually, Troy's eyes widened as his breathing became heavier, causing the mare to grin confidently. The gryphon didn’t say it outloud, but she could tell that he finally figured it out. Troy looked back at Rainbow Dash with a faint smile.

"Thanks, Dash. I… I gotta go!"

Before the pegasus could get up from her spot, a large gust of wind blew past her as Troy flew off. Rainbow Dash smiled to herself, and managed to stand up on her hooves before she felt another gust of wind. Out of nowhere, Troy came back to pick her up from the ground and hug her tightly.

"Thanks, Dash,” said Troy as he squeezed her. "You really are a good friend."

"N-no problem." Rainbow's words came out in a strained wheeze. When Troy finally let go, his expression turned from a gracious smile to a more guilty pout.

"And I'm really sorry about what I said earlier! I swear, I didn't mean any--”

"Troy! I'm gonna punch you in the faceif you don't fly over to him right now! Do this, and we'll be fine! So go!"

Not needing to be told twice, Troy once again flew off to the hotel. Troy's heart felt much lighter as he soared through the pitch-black night, his mind now crystal clear with determination. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, and he knew exactly what he wanted to say to Canvas. He just hoped that he didn't mess up things too badly.

Back in the suite, the hotel room lay silent. The strawberries strewn all over the floor (and the ceiling) were laid forgotten. All of the lights were turned off, save for the sliver of illumination peeking from under the bathroom door. Canvas was in the bathroom, lying in the bathtub filled with warm water.

He never really cared for baths much, but this time around, Canvas appreciated how the water muffled the sounds around him as he kept his ears submerged and his eyes closed.

Right after Troy flew off, Lyra and Bon-Bon tried coming into his room to check on him. He had no idea how they knew he was distressed, but he appreciated their presence nonetheless. Regardless, Canvas managed to talk them down by telling them he was just about to go to bed. He eventually got them to leave, despite their hesitance, and then decided to take a bath. He was glad to have some peace, but his heart still felt weary as he thought about Troy.

Exhaling heavily, Canvas couldn’t stop thinking about how Troy looked back on the bed. How his golden eyes looked while they stared at each other. How his head was undoubtedly moving in toward his own, much like how he envisioned in his wildest dreams. What could've happened if they were never interrupted, or if Troy didn’t burst out of the room like it was on fire. He wanted nothing more than to be with that gryphon, to hold him in his hooves as he told him how much he loved him. But now, in the tub, with his mind constantly replaying Troy’s hasty exit from the balcony, Canvas hadn’t felt more alone in a longtime.

He thought back to his conversation with Lyra at the gallery, which only confirmed to him how accurate his worries were. No matter how hard he tried not to think of Troy that way, knowing it was likely that he could never reciprocate those feelings, Canvas still fell in love with him. Even with that stare Troy held upon him, even with how close Canvas was to kissing him, that dream still shattered like the finest crystal. Now he had no choice but to move on.

He lifted himself from the bathtub and opened the drain, trying to think of what else he could do. Though it felt like it happened a million years ago, Canvas knew he still had the painting for Celestia, which was more than great for him. Not to mention that because of all the attention he received from the gallery, he knew he’d be busy enough to keep his mind occupied. Drying himself off with a towel, Canvas sighed and decided to head off to bed.

He at least hoped he could get some sleep, even though he didn’t want to go near the bed after everything that happened. However, a loud crash out on the balcony caught his attention. More specifically, the sound of crunching metal.

Troy knew he was flying pretty fast, but he still cringed at how badly bent the balcony railing was from his hard landing. That would probably result in a nasty repair bill, but he couldn’t have cared less as he moved forward and tried opening the balcony door. Unfortunately, the glass door was locked, and Troy groaned in dismay. He didn’t want Canvas to be alone, especially after all the promises he made to always be there for him. So after breathing out hoarsely, Troy started banging on the glass door, yelling out for Canvas in a panic.

"Canvas! Canvas, please! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I flew off like that!"

Canvas heard the banging and pleads from the gryphon, but could only stand still in shock. He faced toward the balcony as Troy kept yelling.

"Canvas, I shouldn't have flown off without saying anything! I know I messed up, but please listen! I…”

Clenching his eyes shut, Troy leaned his forehead against the door. He didn't want to admit to himself why he flew off in the first place, but he didknow the reason.

"I… I was scared. I was scared, okay?"

Troy couldn’t see much past the door curtain, but he could still see a figure walking toward the door slowly. Canvas walked his way toward the balcony, staying cautious as he listened to Troy's sincere words.

"I was scared about what was going to happen, because… because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do… Or what I wanted to do..."

Troy could see that the figure was right at the other side of the curtain. Because of that, he leaned back so he could stand more confidently for his friend to see.

"But I know what I want to do now! I know what to do, and… and I'm not scared anymore."

When the curtain pulled open, Troy shrieked when he saw a mare with facial cream and hair-rollers looking at him. The mare screamed in horror, and Troy quickly darted backward. He hovered a few feet from the building, blinking confusedly as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"Troy?”

Troy suddenly looked up, and saw Canvas staring down at him from the balcony abovethe one he was at. Troy grew even more puzzled, and tried counting the row of windows again.

"Umm…” Canvas waited until he had Troy’s attention. "The lobby takes the first two rows of windows… That's why you were at the wrong one."

"Oh..."

Before Troy could chuckle to himself in embarrassment, a hair-curler hit him right across the forehead. “GAH!! What the?!”

The mare he woke up was now standing at her balcony, throwing things at him while yelling, "Get away from me, you pervert!"

“H-HEY! Come on!” Blocking himself from the barrage of items, Troy quickly flew up to Canvas’ balcony. "Ow! C'mon, I'm sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you!"

Troy could still hear the mare yelling when he landed beside Canvas. "And you better pay for what you did to my railing!"

Troy went back inside the hotel room with Canvas, and quickly locked the door behind them. Not wanting to deal with thatissue right now, he turned his focus back to Canvas. Even in the darkened room, Troy could tell that he looked upset, which just made him feel even worse.

"Canvas, I… I'm so sorry..."

Canvas only nodded, his muzzle remaining shut. Before Troy could keep apologizing, Canvas took a breath and spoke up.

"You… said you were scared."

“... Yeah.”

Troy could see that familiar shade of blue in the pony's eyes, almost glowing in the room against the moonlight. Despite his own apprehensions, Troy felt his chest growing warmer from seeing his face once more.

"Canvas, when I flew off, I was in a full-blown panic mode, alright? I was scared about what was going to happen, and I didn’t want to screw anything up. You're the closest friend I ever had, and I… I didn’t think I was doing something friends should do."

Canvas only blinked.

"But… I realized why I almost... did that...”

Troy gulped, his heart racing from knowing what ‘that’ actually meant.

"You… you've been such a good friend to me since we met, and I didn’t want to do anything to ruin that. I still wanted us to be close. But then… then I found out whyI wanted to be close."

Looking at him through the darkness, Canvas could see the glow of Troy's eyes against the shadow of his body, shining like a golden beacon. With his own heart beating faster as well, Canvas stayed in place while Troy came closer. The moonlight helped to better illuminate his face as he looked at the stallion with intensity.

"Canvas… I thought that I cared about you because you were my best friend. B-But… but now I know… I know you mean more to me than that."

Canvas' breathing came out harder, and his eyes started to widen in realization.

"You mean more to me than any friend ever could, Canvas… You're more than just a friend to me.”

Troy stepped closer until he was only a couple of feet from him. Tears now ran down his face, and he felt his throat tighten up as he struggled to admit it with a trembling smile.

"Canvas… I always want to be there for you… I want to be there because I care about you… because you mean so much to me… because…”

Troy breathed harder as he tried to push those last words out. Unfortunately, the gryphon found himself stuttering. He lowered his head away from Canvas, his beak clicking incessantly

“... Be… be-because… because, I…”

As he tried his hardest to muster up the courage, his claws dug into the carpet underneath him. Knowing it was now or never, Troy kept his eyes shut as he fought against his mental restraints. Even with the tears coming down his eyes, he wanted nothing more than to tell Canvas what he should've said ages ago. What he should've realized long before being here. "Because...

“... Because I love you!"

Troy was left frozen for but a moment, his eyes slowly reopening. When he finally gazed back at Canvas, he saw the stallion looking equally as stunned. Breathing heavily, Troy felt himself becoming weightless as a faint smile appeared on his beak.

"I…. I mean it…” As soon as he said that, Troy gave him a teary smile and repeated himself sincerely. “... I love you, Canvas."

After all this time, after all these months of thinking of Canvas as just a friend, saying those words out loud felt indescribable. But more than that, saying it sounded so right. He could see a couple tears streaming down Canvas’ cheeks as well. But much like himself, a trembling smile soon came across the pony’s muzzle.

"I love you. I love everything about you… I love how you always try to make me happy… I love the way you smile… I love that no matter what, you always kept me by your side. A-And… and I always want to be by your side."

Troy looked down at his claws, smiling at himself over how natural his confession felt. He didn’t notice when Canvas' hooves began to move forward.

"I never felt this way about anyone... Not for a gryphon or a pony, or a mare or a stallion, or anything! But I know what I feel. Canvas, I lo--MMPHH!!!"

Canvas lunged forward, grabbing the back of the gryphon's head before pressing his muzzle against his open beak. Troy felt a wave of warmth he’d never felt before as Canvas' mouth tilted to the right position, and the stallion’s lips pressed tightly against his. More tears came from Canvas' clenched eyes as he held him in place. Though he wished it happened sooner, he cherished every single second of the moment he finally kissed his best friend. Troy closed his eyes as well, holding onto Canvas as he kissed back. Even in the darkness around them, his beak meshed perfectly with Canvas’ lips to provide a proper kiss in return.

Canvas slowly reopened his eyes as he pulled back, staring at Troy with a teary smile while holding him so tightly. He could feel the gryphon’s claws were wrapped around his back in return. He finally spoke in a faint, cracked voice.

"... I love you too."

In that instant, Canvas and Troy couldn't hold back, and they embraced each other once more. Their faces intertwined under the glow of Luna's night, their kiss lingering on with unbridled passion and love. Neither of them moved from their bipedal stances. Their heartbeats synced together. The stallion's lips and the gryphon's beak remained tightly locked, neither of them daring to let go. As time stood still for the two, both of them came to the same wondrous realization that out of all the time they spent as friends, nothing would ever compare to the moment when they became something more.

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Seven: More Than Friends

Celestia's sun rose slowly above the horizon of Canterlot, and a beam of light entered the hotel room of Troy and Canvas. Even as the room grew brighter, the morning light didn't disturb the pony at all, who laid cradled with the gryphon on their bed. Canvas’ head was buried within the warm feathers of Troy's chest, and he kept his hooves wrapped around his body as they both dozed. Slowly opening his golden eyes, Troy peered down at the sleeping pony he held close, smiling to himself in pure contentment. He finally felt that warmth he cherished once more.

Troy closed his eyes again and hugged Canvas tighter, breathing in deeply. He took note of his mane’s scent, smelling shampoo and faintly fresh paint, and moved his head in closer to the top of Canvas' head. He listened to the faint sound of Canvas' heartbeat, feeling it thump in a slow rhythm as he was pressed against him. Troy kept himself still while holding the stallion lovingly, content with listening to that ever-so-steady beat.

Canvas’ muzzle twitched before he repositioned himself, hugging Troy tighter and nuzzling his face against the feathered chest. Upon feeling the warmth and softness of Troy's body, Canvas slowly opened his eyes. His heart leapt in joy from knowing that the gryphon was really there, and a huge smile grew on his muzzle.

Canvas kept his eyes shut, his thoughts ecstatic as he remembered last night. Neither were sure how long they stood in each other's embrace during that first kiss, but they eventually made their way back to the bed together. He could recall Troy carrying him to the bed, and he never let him go as they made out passionately. For most of the night, the two just stayed like that in the darkness, their bodies intertwined while kissing each other in unbridled joy.

Even now with the two awake, neither of them said a word, letting the silence speak for itself. Canvas nuzzled Troy's chest again, feeling a wave of warmth flow through his body. He then began to kiss his feathered chest softly. While doing so, he moved his head upward, slowly making his way up to Troy’s neck. Before he could go any further, the stallion noticed Troy looking down at him, his golden eyes peering at him with the purest look of bliss. He quickly wrapped his hooves around the back of Troy's neck and pulled himself up toward him, waiting until the gryphon opened his beak to kiss him deeply.

Of all the wonderful experiences Canvas had since coming to Ponyville, nothing came even closeto how he felt when he kissed Troy. Nothing could match the happiness he felt when he was with him. Through all the heartbreak, all the healing, and all the time it took to rebuild his life and leave his past behind, he always had that amazing gryphon right there by his side. With his caring smile, dedication, and undying support, Canvas couldn't think of anyone else he’d rather be with.

Troy laid on his back while the stallion kissed him, until he slowly rolled the both of them over onto their side. He held onto the back of Canvas’ head and kept his lips on his beak the entire time. He was still reeling from finding the truth of his feelings, but he was mostly grateful for how happy he felt right now regardless. Thinking back to how much time he'd spent with Canvas, Troy felt like an idiot for not realizing how long he truly loved him. With every word spoken during those months, every moment they shared, and every time Troy held Canvas close to him, he felt increasingly guilty that it took this long for him to find out the stallion was so much more than just a friend to him.

Troy slowly pulled back, looking at Canvas with half-lidded eyes. He took in the pure joy that resonated from within those pools of blue staring back at him, which also made his regret run deeper. Troy wrapped his forelegs around Canvas, and pulled him in a tight hug.

"Canvas… I'm so sorry it took me so long to do this. I wish I did this sooner. I wish I knew how I felt about you ages ago."

Canvas’ eyes welled up over such sincerity, and he hugged Troy back without a shred of remorse. "Troy, it doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that you're here now..."

Canvas paused to nuzzle Troy again, still smiling contentedly in his embrace.

"I love you, Troy. I love you more than anything, and nothing makes me happier than having you here."

"I love you too, Canvas… I just wish I told you sooner."

"It's alright.” Canvas pulled his head back, staring straight into the gryphon's troubled eyes. "You shouldn’t worry what could've happened, Troy. It's like you told me: you shouldn't let the past drag you down."

Troy smiled again. He knew the stallion was right. He moved his head in for another kiss, but Canvas pulled back.

"Troy, you've made me happier than anyone else in the world. You've always made me happy, and I have no regrets about anything before today."

Canvas slowly came close, his eyes remaining locked onto Troy's. Just as he was about to kiss him again, the last of his words came out in a faint whisper.

"I'm just happy to have you now. And I never want to let go..."

With that, Canvas closed his eyes, and his lips locked with Troy’s beak once again. Troy closed his eyes as well, sighing blissfully as he tried to let his previous feelings of guilt slip away from his conscience.

Bon-Bon could hardly keep her eyes open as she stood beside her wife at the train station. She could barely sleep after what happened with Canvas and Troy. Canvas’ insistence to be alone didn’t sit well with her either. She wanted nothing more than to double-check on him and make sure he was alright, but she knew that they couldn’t exactly confirm too much without revealing Lyra’s controversial surveillance spell.

Looking over at Lyra, Bon-Bon could see that she was still brooding over what happened. The unicorn kept her miffed glare to the ground.

"They were going to kiss,” Lyra muttered through a bitter grimace. "They were totally going to kiss."

Bon-Bon sighed and looked around, hoping that neither Troy nor Canvas were going to skip out on the train back to Ponyville.

“Yeah, I agree with you, but you really shouldn’t beat yourself up over it, honey. You know this isn’t your fault."

"But still!" Lyra stared back at Bon-Bon. "It shouldn't have happened like that! Troy was going to kisshim! That's what he was supposed to do! But instead he just flew off like a chicken!"

"Um…Chickens don’t fly, honey."

Lyra kept seething in frustration with her head hung low, her wife’s meager jokes proving ineffective. "I mean, what kind of idiot would just fly off like that!? After everything he's done for Canvas, how could he just leave him alone so quickly!?"

Lyra didn’t hear Bon-Bon gasp loudly.

"Seriously, who would just leave their friend hanging?"

"Lyra--”

"And he didn’t even sayanything! He just rushed out of there before Canvas even noticed!"

"Lyra, look up--”

"I swear, I'm gonna punch that bird-brain in the face the moment I--"

"LYRA!"

"What!?"

Bon-Bon pointed back toward the station’s entrance, and Lyra’s gaze followed. Her eyes shot wide open upon seeing Troy walking toward the two of them, with Canvas close by his side. They were both wearing large, blushing smiles. “No… Way…”

"Hey girls!" shouted Troy happily. He wrapped a foreleg around Canvas as they came up and stood in front of the surprised couple. "You two excited about getting back to Ponyville?"

Lyra and Bon-Bon simply stared at each other in stunned silence. When the two turned back to Troy and Canvas, all they could see was what looked like a happy couple. With a growing smirk, Bon-Bon looked on with surprised disbelief. “Yeah, we are…”

Lyra observed how tightly Troy was holding Canvas. She was feeling giddy. "You two look… really happy right now.”

Canvas and Troy blushed at her enthusiasm, but didn’t pull away from one another. In fact, Troy pulled Canvas in closer.

"Yeah,” said Troy, looking down at Canvas with a smile. "We really are."

Canvas smiled right back at Troy, and confirmed their new relationship with a nuzzle against the nape of his neck. Bon-Bon put a hoof over her mouth to cover her smile, while Lyra openly beamed, shaking with excitement.

"Oh my gosh! Please, please, please tell me something happened last night!"

Canvas' blush deepened, and he gave the two a small nod. "Well… I-I guess you can say that, yeah.”

“EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!~” Lyra squealed out in joy and started jumping up and down, hopping around the two like Pinkie Pie. She didn’t take notice of the ponies around them staring while she cheered to herself. "I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!"

Bon-Bon shook her head at her wife's overexcited behavior, but kept her smile for Canvas and Troy. The guys were still staring at each other lovingly, so she cleared her throat. "So... are the two of you togethernow? Like, as boyfriends?"

Upon hearing that word, Canvas' smile slightly dropped in worry. Even with all the time he'd spent falling in love with Troy, Canvas never thought he’d actually be in a situation where he could call him a boyfriend. Still, as he played around with that word in his head, Canvas' heart thumped harder over how amazing it sounded. And when he looked back at Troy curiously, he was relieved to see him looking just as pleased with the idea as he was.

"I don't see why not,” said Troy, putting a claw around Canvas’ shoulder and looking down at him confidently. Canvas breathed faster with a matching smile of his own. Troy slowly brought his claw to the side of Canvas' face and held it there. "So, Canvas… arewe?"

Instead of using words, Canvas shot forward to kiss him there and then. It took less than a second for Troy to start kissing him back, neither of them noticing or caring about the other ponies staring. Even Lyra stopped bouncing around like a lunatic, and looked at the two in sheer delight. “Daaaawwww!~”

Even when the train pulled in, Canvas still kept kissing the gryphon he could now call his boyfriend. Bon-Bon blushed at the spectacle. Lyra looked back at her with a smug grin.

"See? I toldyou sending that cart to them would work!"

"That was you!?” said Canvas and Troy in unison, who quickly stopped kissing and gawked at her in shock.

Lyra blushed heavier than her wife. Troy let Canvas go, and stared the mare down intensely with bulging eyes. He slowly walked over to Lyra, causing her to back away with a slightly fearful expression. The train behind her halted to a complete stop, and Lyra's back went up against it. Bon-Bon was just about to intervene when his face was only a few inches from hers.

"Lyra… where did you find that root beer?"

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Great Expectations

Canvas and Troy had originally planned to head straight to their cabin on the train to make up for lost time. But instead, Lyra pushed them into her and Bon-Bon's cabin, acting like a giddy school-filly as she demanded every single detail of their encounter. While her overexcitement made them both a bit uncomfortable at first, the two eventually relaxed enough to talk.

As Troy recounted his discussion with Rainbow Dash, Bon-Bon took a mental note to make the pegasus a tonof free candy for her help. By the time the story reached their first kiss, Canvas couldn't keep his subtlety in check and was nuzzling Troy's shoulder. Realizing the two were probably going to make out right then and there, the two blushing mares let them get back to their cabin.

Since their ride back to Ponyville took a different route than the one to Canterlot, the train arrived at the station just before nightfall. Once the train began to slow down, Bon-Bon decided to check on the new couple to make sure they were ready.

She trotted over to Canvas and Troy's door, knocking a few times. She heard the sound of things moving around before the door opened slightly. Troy's head popped out through the gap, seeming unaware that his feathers were ruffled beyond recognition. Bon-Bon struggled not to laugh.

"Guys, we're almost in Ponyville… You may need to freshen up."

With that, Bon-Bon trotted back to her cabin, laughing while Troy peered at her in confusion. He closed the door behind him and looked back at his new coltfriend, whose mane was also mussed up. Canvas and Troy struggled not to laugh, blushing heavily.

Canvas calmed down first. “You… you look really cute."

Troy's feathers ruffled out even more, causing Canvas to laugh out loud. Troy moved his head forward to nuzzle Canvas' face, his feathers brushing against the aqua fur. Just then, the train stopped altogether. Canvas gave him another kiss on the beak before grabbing his art bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

After taking a moment to smooth out their fur and feathers, Canvas and Troy stepped off the train side-by-side. Troy draped his wing over the pony’s back to keep him close. Canvas nestled himself in close in return, looking almost inseparable from the cheerful gryphon. Neither of them noticed Rainbow Dash shoot past above them.

Upon noticing Troy, Rainbow Dash shot her wings out to slow down, turning around midair to see Canvas beside him. A huge grin appeared on her face. Her friend hadn’t chickened out.

"Yo, Troy!" Rainbow landed in front of them, smirking at the two. "So, how did it go? I'm guessing things went well?"

Troy's wing pulled his coltfriend in closer. "Yeah, it couldn't have gone better.” He looked back at her with a graciously warm smile. “Thank you, Dash. I mean it. You really helped me out big time."

“Hey, it's cool. Don't sweat it, dude…” Her muzzle skewed ever so slightly. “Say Troy, do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, what?"

Her eyes narrowed, and her tone became more curious. "When you got back to the hotel room and got together, what time did it happen?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Would you say it happened after midnight?" At this point, Rainbow was looking rather insistent, puzzling Troy and his coltfriend.

"I, uh… I guess so, right?"

Canvas nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I… I think it was after midnight."

"So it technically happened on a Sunday?" Rainbow's eyes now shined with anticipation.

"Um… yeah,” said Troy. "I guess it was on a Sunday. Why are you so interested--"

"YES!!" Rainbow Dash flew up above them, hovering in the air and doing a little victory dance.

Eventually, Rainbow noticed the couple’s befuddled stare, and she quickly recomposed herself with an embarrassed grin before landing again. "Sorry about that. It's just that… I… may have won a wager with some ponies."

”I knew it!" shouted Troy, pointing a talon at her. "I knew you would make a bet on us! I even said that back at the pond!"

"Technically, you thought it was with Applejack for twenty bits… It was actually fifty."

Troy groaned and rubbed his temple.

"Also, a few other ponies got in on it, too."

"Other ponies?" asked Canvas, bemused. "What are you talking about?"

"Well… There's been a betting pool going on for which day you two would finally hook up. Applejack had fifty on it happening on a Saturday, and… I was the only one who had money going on a Sunday."

"Wait, the only one?" Troy said, aggravated. "How many ponies were in on this!?"

"Um…” Rainbow Dash poked her at the air. "Twenty… twenty-seven, I think?"

Both Canvas and Troy's jaws dropped. Troy closed his eyes to hold his rising anger back, and raised a talon to her.

"Twenty… seven!?"

Oblivious to their surprise, the mare kept going cheerfully. "Well, I think a few more may have joined before you two went to Canterlot. I mean, it was pretty obvious that it was going to happen sometime! It started off as a bet with some of the other crew members, but then Applejack and Rarity wanted in on it, and then the Cakes, and before I knew it, I had to hire Spike to manage everything!"

Canvas’ mouth was still agape. "Let me get this straight. You're telling me that there's been a major gambling ring going on regarding when Troy and I would end up together!?"

"Yeah. And I won a looot of money!"

Before Troy could reach out and strangle the mare, Rainbow Dash flew off, laughing as she went back into town. Troy considered chasing after her, but his anger subsided as soon as he felt Canvas nuzzling his chest again. Troy took deep breaths to calm himself down, and then knelt down to nuzzle him back.

"Don't worry about it,” said Canvas. "At least you got an awesome coltfriend out of it!"

Troy giggled before using a claw to pull Canvas in, holding him close. "Yeah, I guess I can’t beat that..."

The two bent in and kissed once more. Suddenly, they heard the audible click of a megaphone. Rainbow Dash's voice boomed out from within the town.

"THEY DID IT! THEY KISSED ON SUNDAY!"

A large mass of groans erupted, causing Canvas to blush and Troy’s anger to return. Before the gryphon could seriously contemplate first-degree murder, however, Canvas sighed and put a hoof to Troy's shoulder, bringing his attention back to each other.

"C'mon, let's just get back to my place."

After the sixthpony came up to them to confirm the day they kissed, Troy decided to just pick up his new love and fly them both to Canvas' home. Canvas had wanted to get some things from Ponyville before heading home, but he quickly stopped caring when he felt Troy's forelegs wrap around his body. As soon as he was up in the air, he felt the same sense of euphoria he experienced from the first flight.

Canvas closed his eyes. He felt the wind flow through his aqua fur. He savored the sensation of Troy keeping him to his chest. Troy flew in silence, trying to stay composed while looking ahead.

Troy’ mind kept racing with random thoughts even when he reached the barn. He landed on the ground by his door, still holding Canvas underneath him. Though Canvas didn’t want to let him go, he could tell something was wrong. With a worried look, Canvas slowly crawled out of the embrace, and put a hoof on his feathered shoulder.

"Troy? Troy, what's wrong?"

Troy sighed and looked away, unsure of how to say it.

"I… I dunno."

Canvas brought his face closer to him. He brought his hooves around his back to hold him, standing on his hindlegs as he kept a concerned gaze on him. He gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

"Troy, is it about what Rainbow Dash said? Because that doesn’t bother me at all."

"I know, it's just…” Troy sighed again, lifting a foreleg to hug Canvas back. "... It just makes me feel like a huge idiot for taking so long."

Canvas quickly let go. "Troy, please don’t say that! I told you, I don't have any regrets about the time we've spent together as friends, and you shouldn't feel bad about it either. Why are you still upset?"

"Oh, I dunno. Maybe the fact that half the town knew I loved you before I did? That everypony knew I was gay before I realized it myself?"

Canvas hugged Troy once more and softly kissed his neck. He could understand how Troy was feeling, for he remembered how hard it was for him to come to terms with his own sexuality. So he kept on with his gentle hug, letting his caring warmth give his boyfriend the support he needed.

"Troy, I know this is a big adjustment for you. I've been there before, and I know how scary it can be. You should be grateful that you have friends who love you no matter what, and that you have someone who you can truly feel happy with. Because that'sall that matters."

Troy felt a small smile grow on his beak, knowing that Canvas was right. Considering how most of the ponies reacted to them as a new couple, Troy was grateful he was being given support. As he held Canvas closer, Troy bent his head down and gave a light peck on his chestnut mane.

"Canvas, finding you was the greatest thing that ever happened to me. I really do love you. I just… I just feel like I was taking too long to see it."

"It's alright. You're not the only one…” Canvas sighed. “Troy, I didn’t realize that I was in love with you until the gallery. For the longest time, I tried to convince myself that you were just a really good friend to me, because… because I didn’t want to hurt myself for falling for someone who… might not love me back."

The stallion slowly brought his head up to Troy's, keeping his eyes locked on those shining, golden orbs. "But falling in love with you, and letting you into my heart, was one of the best things I’ve ever done."

With that, Canvas gave another tender kiss, and Troy kissed even deeper in return. With the warmth and taste of the stallion flooding his mind once more, all of Troy's worries vanished. Deep down, the gryphon knew that Canvas was right; even though it took a while to see the light, finally basking in its warmth was totally worth it.

Slowly, Canvas pulled his head back. "Besides, I think we've been catching up pretty quick, don’t you think?"

Troy grinned and pulled the stallion closer. He then looked at Canvas' home.

"You got a point, and my first play rehearsal isn’t until Tuesday. I don't have anything to do tomorrow, so we could certainly use that time to our advantage."

"We certainly could. We don't have to rush into anything huge right now, but we can certainly do a lot tonight and tomorrow for sure."

Troy's smile grew more seductive.

"So… what do you think?"

"Well…” Canvas looked down in contemplation. "We both have some big things to do in the next month or two, what with you and the play and me with Celestia's painting. Because of that, it might be best if we wait a little before we do anything, well… big.”

"Oh. You mean…”

Canvas nodded in worry.

"It's just... we only justbecame a couple, and I think it might be best if we waited for… that… when the time is right."

Troy nodded in understanding. They were both going to be busy with their own things, regardless of their new relationship. As much as Troy didn't want his relationship to go slow after spending so much time as just friends, he knew better than to rush into anything major after just one day. He wanted this relationship to work just as much as Canvas did.

However, Canvas’ sensual grin persisted. "But like you said, we have all night tonight, and all day tomorrow. We could still do a lot of making out in that amount of time…”

Troy picked Canvas up to his chest and stood on his hindlegs, looking at him seductively while kicking open Canvas' door. Canvas giggled at being carried by his boyfriend in such a way, and wrapped his hooves around the back of Troy's neck, kissing him on the cheek. The pony felt surprisingly secure as Troy balanced himself, and walked them up the stairs to the loft.

He never would've thought he would ever be in a relationship like this in his life, but Troy didn’t care one bit as he looked into the shimmering blue of Canvas' eyes. He smiled over the thought of how lucky he really was, sighing to himself in pure contentment. The two fell onto the king-sized bed and held onto each other, both of them savoring the moment as they kissed once more. Even when the day turned into the night, the couple merely let the darkness slip into their room while they celebrated their newfound love.

Author's Note

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Preparations

"CUT!!"

Troy felt a small shudder go through his spine at hearing the director's shrill scream. At this point, he started to prefer his alarm clock. He knew rehearsals wouldn't be easy, but hearing her judgmental voice every two minutes was really starting to get on his nerves. Said director walked her way back onto the stage. Troy relaxed from his pose, groaning under his breath in preparation for the incoming rant.

"Troy, for the last time, you need to have intensity when you appear in front of Christine!"

"I understand, Stage Presence,” said Troy, keeping his temper in check. “And I've been trying to do so. I've even incorporated the cape more like you said."

"That's not what I'm talking about! You need to show more emotion in your performance. Remember who your character is supposed to be: a tortured soul who wants to keep his distance, but show his musical genius to the world. You're a lone creature who is trying to make a visible impact in the world, and the only way to do so is through the mare you love!"

Troy looked over at Derpy on the other side of the stage. She was wearing a plain white rehearsal dress… and staring at the lighting above her with a slack-jawed gaze. Troy sighed. Thiswas supposed to be his love interest. Troy flinched when he turned back to see Stage Presence seeming on edge. Thankfully, she raised her hoof to smooth her frizzled white mane out, and turned to walk away.

"I need to recompose myself. Take five, and I expect to see some improvement when I come back!"

As soon as the doors closed behind her, Troy and everypony else in the theater sighed in relief. Troy immediately plopped down in the middle of the stage, careful not to sit on his black cape. Derpy walked up to him. Troy could see that she was looking a little worried.

"Sorry, Derpy. I'm trying as hard as I can, but I'm still not exactly used to this whole 'acting' thing."

"What are you talking about?" said Derpy. "You're doing a really good job!"

Troy thought she was full of it, and stared back at her skeptically. "Really? Then why has Stage Presence been down my throat since day one?"

"I can tell you why."

Troy and Derpy looked over to see the powder-blue, silver-maned unicorn known as Pokey Pierce walk over to them. He carried a look of slight disdain as he spoke. "I've been in several productions with her, so I can tell what she's thinking a lot of the time."

Troy found himself curious about this unicorn's input, so he paid close attention.

"Whenever she watches and listens to ponies during auditions, she never changes her tone or expression. She just keeps this blank stare and says 'Thank you,' after they're done, so nopony would get too overconfident about their performance. However…”

Pierce pointed a hoof right at Troy, his eyes narrowing on the gryphon more intensely.

"When you sang, that was the only time I ever, ever, saw her smile! It was only there for a couple seconds, but I saw it! And when she said 'thank you,’ it sounded genuine! With all the performances and auditions that she's witnessed, yours was the only one that made a positive first impression on her!"

Pierce eyed the gryphon with a hint of anger and annoyance before closing his eyes to calm himself down. Once he reopened them, he spoke more tranquilly.

"Troy, the reason she's being so hard on you isn’t because you're doing a poor job. You’re actually doing very well, especiallyfor a first-timer. It’s because she sees potential in you. I think she really sees something in you, and she doesn’t want you to get too lazy or full of yourself. If you want my advice, you should take every word she says to you by heart. She wants you to be great, so try to be so."

With that, Pierce exited the stage. Troy was left in a state of confusion, blinking repeatedly with his beak slightly agape. Because of this, he wasn't aware of Derpy trying to catch his attention.

"Troy? Troy, are you alright?"

Troy nodded as he turned back to her. "I… I didn't think that at all."

"Well, it kinda makes sense. You were great at that audition, so maybe she just wants you to reach your potential."

"Maybe... I'm just surprised Pierce would say that to me. I mean, I thought the guy had it out for me since the first day of rehearsals."

"Well, he did say he's worked with her before.” Derpy shrugged with a roll of her crossed eyes. “I think he really wanted to get the role you have. Personally, I think he's better as Raoul for this, but maybe he just really wanted to be the Phantom, you know?"

Troy merely shrugged, figuring her guess was as good as anything he could think of.

"Also, I heard he lost a lotof money because he had Monday in that betting pool."

Troy groaned and put a claw over his face. Two weeks later, and Troy still encountered ponies who were upset that his relationship with Canvas started on a Sunday. Granted, ponies were also happy and supportive that they finally got together, but that didn’t stop Troy from feeling sore about the whole betting pool fiasco. Derpy felt embarrassed over causing such irritation, and tried to make up for it. "Just so you know, I had no idea about it until a week ago! And even if I did know about it before then, I wouldn't have participated in it."

Troy looked back at her with a gracious smile. "Yeah. Thanks, Derpy."

"Not a problem. How isCanvas, by the way? I haven't seen him in town much since the two of you came back."

"Well, he's been spending most of his time working on that painting for Celestia. He's barely left his studio since starting on it. Even I haven't been able to talk to him that much."

"Well that makes sense, don't you think? I mean, it is a painting for the Ruler of Equestria! Don't you think that's a pretty big deal?"

"Of course I do! We even agreed to keep our relationship going at a slower pace because of it! I mean, I've been staying at his place a lot since then, but he won't let me see his painting or the studio. It's just…”

Troy looked up at the ceiling. "…I'm glad I have this play to focus on. Otherwise, I don't know what I'd do without him."

"Aaaaawwww!" Derpy gave the gryphon a big hug, squeezing him surprisingly hard. "You must really love that stallion, don’t you?"

Troy blushed, his feathers ruffling out around his neck. "Yeah, I do..."

As soon as Derpy let go of him, Troy rested his forelegs behind him and leaned back, gazing upon the roof and looking upset. He didn’t like being alone without Canvas. "... I reallydo."

"THERE! RIGHT THERE!"

Troy shrieked and fell onto his back. Stage Presence came running back onto the stage, her eyes wide as she eyed Troy with intensity.

"Right there! When you were staring at the ceiling! THAT'S what I want to see when you're playing the Phantom! Desire! Longing! A look of heartache! That’s what I want to see when you interact with Christine!"

He lifted himself up and stared at the director. He never would've thought to use something like that as a foundation for his character's emotions, and he couldn’t quite compare the struggles of the Phantom to his own desire to spend more time with his boyfriend; however, Troy could see what Stage Presence was getting at, and he knew he could use that feeling of longing to help him with this role.

Troy nodded with confidence and stood up proper. Stage Presence trotted back to her spot in front of the stage.

"Okay, places, everypony! Let's try the beginning of Act Two once more!"

Outside the Ponyville Theater, amidst the setting sun, a large crowd of ponies waited anxiously, all of whom excited to see the show premiere. The front doors opened, and the sea of multicolor ponies poured into the auditorium. Troy poked his head out slightly from behind the curtain to see how many were coming in. The front rows were already filling quickly (save for several reserved seats in the very front).

Troy walked back behind the stage, perturbed at the revelation of how big of a night this was going to be. He pulled out a handkerchief from the pocket of his costume jacket, hoping to wipe off any excess sweat before it messed with his makeup.

"Ready for the big night, Troy?" Derpy asked cheerfully as she trotted over to him, her lace dress moving gracefully with her body.

"I… I hope so. I just don’t know what to think right now! I've never done this kind of thing before, especially in front of the whole town! I just--”

Pierce quickly trotted over from his spot, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Troy, listen to me! I know this is scary. Everypony gets stage fright, but it's nothing to worry about. Just do it like you did during the dress rehearsals, alright?"

Troy nodded, keeping his eyes closed and taking a deep breath in an effort to compose himself. While doing so, Pierce trotted off to the wardrobe, and Troy felt another hoof on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Derpy wielding an optimistic grin.

"Wanna know a little trick to get rid of stage fright?"

"Umm… Okay, what is it?"

Derpy looked around before moving her head in, her grin turning cheeky as she whispered.

"Pretend everypony is naked!"

She giggled to herself, not noticing Troy’s befuddlement.

"Umm… isn't everypony alreadynaked?"

"... Oh, yeah. I guess ponies usually are, aren't they?"

Troy immediately regretted bringing that up. He didn’t want to give his co-star stage fright too. Luckily, Derpy’s cheerful smile came back swiftly.

"Oh well! They're still naked out there, and that's good enough for me!"

Derpy gave Troy another hug and trotted. A small grin grew across Troy's beak, and a giggle escaped him.

"Hehehe… My boyfriend is naked out there."

Lyra and Bon-Bon made their way to the front, having received reserved tickets before anypony else due to Troy's connections. Once there, both mares were surprised to see that Canvas wasn't at his reserved seat. Instead, a small, grey unicorn filly was happily perched on her own, and she cheerfully waved at Lyra and Bon-Bon. Lyra took her seat, and Bon-Bon walked up to the filly with her own smile.

"Why hello, Dinky! Are you excited to watch the play?"

"Uh-huh!" said Dinky, nodding enthusiastically. "I can’t wait to see my Mommy sing!"

Bon-Bon knew Derpy as a lot of things (particularly as the mare who kept breaking her merchandise every other time she showed up), but she never would've expected the grey pegasus to be a singer. She cocked an eyebrow. "So is your Mommy a goodsinger? I don't think I ever heard her."

"Yeah!" The filly jumped up on her seat, now sounding really excited. "Mommy's one of the best singers in the world! She only sang at home alone because she was really shy about it, but I really, really wanted other ponies to hear her, so I got her to audition for the play as my birthday present!"

Lyra and Bon-Bon both felt their hearts melt and went "Aaaawww!" in unison.

"That is so sweet!" said Bon-Bon as she hugged the filly. "And I bet your Mommy is going to be great in this play."

"From what Troy told me, she really will,” said Canvas, who walked over to them with a smile. Despite how freshly cleaned his mane and fur looked, it was obvious the pony was sleep-deprived, thanks to the dark bags under his eyes. Regardless, the stallion kept up an eager demeanor. "Troy has said nothing but great things about her singing, so I have no doubt this is going to be a great night."

"I was starting to get worried, Canvas!" said Lyra, getting out of her seat to hug him. "It's nice to see you didn’t forget your gryphon's big night!"

"Are you kidding me? I wouldn't have missed this for the world!" Canvas noticed Dinky and smiled at her. "Hey there, Dinky! You still making paintings too?"

"Yep! Congratulations on the big Celestia painting!"

"Well, thank you!" After Canvas shook the filly's hoof, he turned his attention back to Lyra and Bon-Bon as they all took their seats. "I almost got the whole thing finished. Hopefully I can get it done in time for this year's Grand Galloping Gala."

"Nice!" said Bon-Bon. "And I bet you'll be happy to spend more time with Troy after it's all done."

"Yeah, I certainly will." Canvas’ smile dropped somewhat when he thought about how the past month had gone. "Honestly, I just hope he's alright with how little time we've been spending together. I mean, he's been at my place more often than his own cloud, just so he can be around whenever I have free time."

"I'm sure he understands completely. You're making something for royalty! You two will have more than plenty of time when it’s done."

"True." Canvas glanced at the large stage curtain, an unsure look on his face. "I'm just happy Troy's been doing this while I've been painting. I even helped him rehearse his lines a few times."

"Well, that's nice of you!" A grin grew slowly, and Bon-Bon bent in closer toward him. "I'm guessing you two practiced the kissing scene a few times?"

Canvas giggled with a blush. "Sort of, but we kept getting distracted when that happened."

Lyra looked at Canvas curiously. "So, how do you feel about Troy kissing Derpy? Won't it be kinda weird to see your boyfriend kiss a mare?"

"I don't mind, actually. I've seen the play before, so I know it's going to happen; and I've talked with him about it, and we both agreed that it won’t be weird for him to do it for the role. Besides… I'm more worried about Derpy. Kissing a beak is kinda tricky if you don't know how to angle it right."

Lyra just shrugged, not wanting to ask about such an odd detail. None of them noticed a certain pegasus mare peeking out from behind the curtain.

"Oh, Troooy,” said Derpy excitedly, stepping back behind the stage. "They're all heeere…”

Troy felt his heart come up to his throat. He took a quick peek through the curtain. "Oh, no. Even the whole weather crew is here!"

Derpy looked out again, noticing that Rainbow Dash and the other pegasi were all on a balcony above the audience, perching themselves on the ledge. Troy stepped back, terrified.

"Hey,” said Derpy. "Just remember what Pierce said. Pretend it's the dress rehearsal, and you'll be fine."

Troy nodded as he breathed in and out. He then closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything except the impending crowds. Slowly, Troy reopened his eyes and peered out the curtain again, keeping himself hidden as he scanned the audience. It didn't take long for him to find Canvas, sitting in the first row and chatting happily with Lyra and Bon-Bon. Troy's fears came down upon seeing his happiness, and he pulled his head back, smiling.

Troy felt himself getting more calm already as he turned away from the curtain. His heart rate shot right back up, however, when he saw Stage Presence directly in front of him, silently glaring as she pointed a hoof to his starting place.

The theatre lights began to dim, and all the ponies quieted down. Standing at his spot in costume and mask, Troy felt his heart beat uncontrollably fast. This was really happening. All of the hours of rehearsing his lines, singing, and dancing had all come to this.

Once the stage lights shined on, all of his worries and tensions vanished, like those bright lights had burned them away in an instant. And as the music started, Troy felt nothing holding him back as he began his very first performance.

Author's Note

Chapter Forty: Angel of Music

Canvas was fairly exhausted from working on his painting almost non-stop, but that didn’t stop him from hanging on the edge of his seat as he watched the play. With the usage of dry ice for the fog effects, lighting that gave everything an eerie blue or dark-pink hue, and other technical effects that required the work of a dozen different ponies backstage, the performance looked fantastic.

By the time Troy and Derpy's duet came up and they flew down onstage, the whole audience’s attention was captured. They landed on the viking-esque boat at one side of the stage, and the music came in full swing from the orchestra pit below. Derpy stood at the bow, while Troy pretended to push it slowly across the stage with his claw. As the strings underneath the fog pulled the two of them at a snail's pace, Derpy began to sing, her surprisingly fluent voice captivating the audience.

Dinky was barely able to control herself, having to bite her hooves to keep from squealing in absolute glee. Derpy's amazing singing surprised everypony from the beginning, and now it had won them over completely. Even Rainbow Dash was floored by the mare’s hidden talent, and couldn’t stop smiling from the rafters up above. Everypony was compelled to remain silent as she performed with an aura of pure professionalism.

The sound of applause could be heard briefly above the background music before Troy's part began. He kept the side of his face hidden by the white mask created by Rarity just for him, and he kept his gaze away from everypony as per his character. With his brooding figure and his operatic voice, Troy truly captured the essence of The Phantom.

Troy could hear a few of his coworkers cheering him on from the balcony. Even after the news of his opera singing spread around after his birthday, it still didn’t convey to most ponies how good of singer Troy really was. Now, with most of the town watching, the gryphon felt ecstatic.

The boat finally reached the other side of the stage, and the two stepped off. Carefully avoiding the strings, Troy stepped near the back, keeping his gaze on Derpy whilst she avoided Troy’s well-practiced stare.

Troy walked closer and looked away from Derpy, both of them looking out toward the audience as they sang in harmony. Their duet worked wonderfully, their voices meshing beautifully against the booming orchestrals beneath them. Ponies attempted to sneak photos from their miniature cameras, risking the theatre’s rules against such actions. Some unicorns were even lighting up their horns to record the show with their magic. By the time their first duet came to a climactic close, the entire theater was raving, all celebrating their luck at seeing such an event first-hoof.

Standing in the middle of the stage, with Derpy near the side, Troy felt the spotlights right on him, his retinas almost burning. The calm music began, with strings and a harp leading; and Troy kept his gaze onto the wooden floor, watching the artificial fog underneath him.

Canvas sat quietly as set his sights on his love, feeling himself become lighter as Troy began to sing. The gryphon’s ballad started slowly, his voice lingering in a deep and lumbering tone. His operatic vibrato matched the song perfectly, giving his character far more depth than the costume he was wearing.

Troy moved around the stage in a brooding manner, moving closer toward Derpy as she kept her gaze away from him. Troy kept his emotional appearance in check, as per Stage Presence's advice. He wore a look of shameful desire directed toward her and the audience. He held his cape close to his body, using it to shield himself. Canvas didn’t even notice that he was tearing up over such a performance from his lover.

The last line of his ballad became a long belt, earning him more cheers from the weather crew. Rainbow Dash pumped her hoof ecstatically, stopping only after receiving a warning glare from Stage Presence down below. Troy hung his head down, breathing in before he looked back at Derpy, and sang more gently.

Troy heard the whole audience cheering, forcing him to lift his cape over his face for a second to hide his smile. He used this as an excuse to lunge closer toward Derpy and stay in character. He quickly recomposed himself before lowering his cape and coming up right next to Derpy. His voice turned to a faint, lingering creak by the time he reached the end, but he did not allow his voice to crack under the pressure.

Troy closed his eyes, letting his final line come out as gently and beautifully as he possibly could while backing away from her. Before he could even finish, the entire audience roared with applause, and Rainbow Dash whistled loudly. As the spotlight dimmed, allowling Troy to stand on the stage in darkness, a huge smile broke out on his beak. He’d never thought he would have the confidence to do something like this in front of so many, but he couldn’t be happier. When his eyes fell upon Canvas, Troy could see him wearing the largest smile, tears streaming down his cheeks as he clapped vigorously.

In that moment, Troy truly saw how important Canvas was to him, and a wave of warmth flowed through his chest.

Troy took a mental note as he looked back at Derpy, knowing what he wanted to do the instant the show was done. With that, Troy felt weightless as the play continued, his heart racing faster with each passing minute in anticipation for the end.

As soon as the cast and crew took their final bow, everypony on stage went back to clean themselves up. Troy was practically a blur of feathers as he quickly got out of his costume and makeup. Stage Presence was insistent on talking with him about his performance, but Troy zoomed past her before she could get a single word out.

Troy bursted out the back doors of the theater like it was on fire, scanning the crowd until he found Canvas. He shot through the crowd and practically tackled him, squeezing the stallion tight enough to easily cut off circulation.

Canvas couldn’t care less about the gryphon’s tight embrace while hugging his boyfriend back, feeling overjoyed at what Troy just accomplished. Eventually, Troy did loosen his grip, and rested his chin on top of the pony’s head as he heard the praises from ponies around him.

Before he could respond to any of them, he felt himself get pushed back from Canvas as Rainbow Dash and the rest of the weather team gathered around him, holding him in a huge group hug.

"Dude, that was awesome!" shouted Rainbow Dash, violently rubbing the feathers on his head. "That was totally worth buying a ticket!"

"That was amazing, Troy!" added Cloud Chaser. "The whole play was really intense! Even Rainbow screamed when that chandelier fell!"

"NO, I DID NOT!! I just flinched a little, that's all!"

"So, that was you?” said Troy, looking at Rainbow mischievously. "I thought I heard a girlish squeal when that happened!"

Rainbow's face turned red. The rest of the weather crew laughed, which just made her angrier. "You better watch it, Feather-Butt! I still write your paychecks!"

"Yeah, yeah. “ Troy waved a claw while he stretched out his wing to pull Canvas back next to him. Canvas stood still for a moment, surprised by his wing’s strength; but once he recognized the sensation of Troy's feathers against his body, he relaxed. Canvas nuzzled closer into his warmth as Lyra and Bon-Bon walked over with Dinky in tow.

"That was amazing, Troy!" exclaimed Lyra, hugging Troy. "I heard you had a great singing voice, but I wasn't expecting that at all!"

"Neither was I!" said Bon-Bon. "You were incredible as the Phantom! Seriously, that was one of the best performances I've ever seen!"

Troy blushed at the onslaught of compliments he was receiving. He then noticed Dinky looking at him with a cheeky grin. Giggling, the filly pointed at him.

"You kissed my Mommy!"

The others immediately cracked up as Troy's blush grew even deeper and he looked away. Canvas wrapped a hoof around his back.

"Well, it sounds like your Mommy was very lucky!" said Canvas. Derpy's voice could be heard as she gleefully called out to her daughter.

"Dinky! There you are!"

Dinky rushed to her mother. Derpy grabbed her midair before landing and hugging the filly tightly. With a huge smile on her face, she cried tears of joy before she noticed the cheers around her. She looked around at the applauding crowd before setting her gaze upon Troy. Derpy went up and hugged Troy, both of them feeling incredible that they were able to be a part of such an experience.

"You were great, Derpy,” whispered Troy.

"You too, Troy,” said Derpy before she let go, letting her daughter hug her again. Bon-Bon stepped up.

"Derpy, I'm gonna make sure you get something really good the next time you come to my sweet shop!"

"Awww… thanks, Bon-Bon!" Derpy gave a gleaming smile, and then lifted Dinky onto her back. "I'm just glad my little muffin here convinced me to do this. It feels so weird to know everypony just heard me sing. I'm a little embarrassed by it."

"You shouldn't be embarrassed at all!" said Lyra. "You have a great singing voice! Why haven't you done this sort of thing before?"

The grey pegasus blushed and looked away. "I guess I was just nervous … I wasn't sure how my voice sounded to other ponies when I sang."

"Derpy.” Canvas poked his head out from under Troy’s wing. “Your singing was absolutely amazing. I knew Troy was impressed by your voice, but hearing it for myself was way better than I ever imagined!"

"Why thank you, Canvas!" Seeing how close Canvas was to his significant other, Derpy blushed and her grin grew bigger. "And you're a very lucky pony to have someone as nice as Troy."

As Canvas nodded and looked back up at Troy with a smile, Derpy looked back at the theater to see Pokey Pierce coming out alone. "You know what? I'm gonna go chat with Pokey a little bit. He really helped me out with this role, so I should give him my thanks." Derpy looked back at the others before trotting off, Dinky yawning on her back. "See you guys later!"

The other ponies waved Derpy and her daughter goodbye. Lyra and Bon-Bon turned their attention back to the happy couple.

"So Troy,” said Lyra, "you wanna go somewhere with us to celebrate your debut?"

"Well…” Troy looked back down at the stallion beside him. "You know what? Right now, I really want to talk with Canvas about something."

Canvas looked at him in amusement, one of his brows rising curiously.

"But first,” he added, a devilish smirk creeping across his beak, “seeing what Derpy was doing gave me an idea…"

"WOOO-HOOOOO!!"

As the winds of the cool summer night flowed through his mane, Canvas didn't dare let go of Troy. His hooves gripped around the gryphon’s neck tightly, his eyes watered from the cold winds brushing past his face. This wasn't the first time he'd flown with him, but Canvas never experienced it while lying on top of Troy's back.

Resting between the gryphon’s massive tan and grey wings, he grinned like a schoolcolt as he experienced something he never thought would happen in his life

"This is so awesome! You are the best boyfriend, EVER!!"

Troy couldn’t hold back his amusement as he laughed mid-flight, looking back at Canvas’ giddiness. Knowing there was nothing but clear sky ahead of them, Troy moved his head back further, closing his eyes for a moment as Canvas kissed him warmly above the fields outside Ponyville.

When they reached Canvas' home, Troy didn’t try to get Canvas off him as he walked in through the door. Canvas kept a smile on his face while riding his back like a little foal.

"Troy,” said Canvas faintly as he nuzzled the gryphon’s neck, "you were absolutely wonderful tonight."

"I know, and you're the reason I even tried in the first place."

Not wanting this feeling to end, Troy nuzzled Canvas back before he slowly got off, stumbling a little as he got used to walking again.Troy smiled and pulled him to his chest, hugging him before speaking gently. "Canvas… I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay.” Canvas slowly pulled his head back and glanced up at Troy, noticing how nervous he looked. "What is it?"

"Well…" Troy rubbed the feathers on the back of his neck. "Canvas, I love you. I really love being with you, and… I was thinking…"

Canvas kept silent, but he couldn’t help biting his lip slightly.

"Since I've been sleeping over so often, and… since I've really gotten sick of sleeping alone on that cloud… I was wondering if... if I can… move in?"

Canvas' eyes widened in surprise, before he smiled and lunged forward. He hugged Troy as tightly as he could, prompting him to hug back in return. Canvas could barely contain himself. “Re-really?”

"Well, why not? I mean, I've practically been living here for the past few weeks, and the only time I go back to my place is to make sure my cloud hasn’t dissolved too much. Besides…"

Troy pulled his head back, his golden orbs piercing straight into Canvas' shining, blue eyes. "Nothing would make me happier than to be with you. When I was on that stage, and I saw you looking at me… all I could think about was how amazing it would be to wake up with you every morning."

Canvas felt his heart melt, and pulled Troy's head in to kiss him deeply. Letting his answer speak through his actions, Canvas kept his lips on Troy's beak as he felt him kiss back. Troy felt a surge of happiness flow through him, keeping his coltfriend in his embrace even when Canvas pulled back and spoke enthusiastically.

"So, when can you move in?"

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-One: Making A Masterpiece

Troy looked around the shimmering lake and the clear blue skies above it. His cloud was now long gone, but he didn't miss it at all; instead, he found enjoyment in the gorgeous view that came without it. The lake and waterfall seemed more natural, like an untouched paradise. Troy's feeling of serenity vanished, however, as soon as he heard Rainbow Dash call out from the waterfall.

"DUDE! This lake is so cool! Why the hay didn’t I ever notice this place before?"

Troy shrugged to himself. Rainbow streaked across the lake, soaring only a few inches above the water as it rippled and waved underneath her. When she reached the edge, she picked up her speed, the waves beneath her turning into a large rip current. Troy shot up into the sky to avoid getting hit by the rooster tail of water. He managed to dodge, but it didn’t stop Rainbow Dash from laughing. Troy flew up to her height and her smirk.

"Man, your reflexes are way quicker than I thought! I'm kinda surprised you’re not trying out to be a Wonderbolt."

Troy smirked back and rolled his eyes. "Eh, stunt flying isn’t really my thing. Besides, I'd rather not kick your butt for that kind of position."

"You better not!" Rainbow said playfully. "Heh. Not like you would, anyway. Seems you’ve caught the acting bug after that play bit."

"Honestly, I think I did!” Troy smiled more naturally upon thinking of his recent success. “I mean, I didn’t expect to enjoy it after all those rehearsals, but, man! Hearing that applause was totally worth it!"

"Yeah, hearing ponies cheer your name can do that." Rainbow’s smile dropped momentarily, and she became serious. "Just don’t let that kind of thing get to your head, dude. I know from experience."

"Yeah, I heard about that.” Spending six months in Ponyville made certain stories become common knowledge to Troy, including the Mare-Do-Well incident. He was surprised that Rainbow Dash's friends would do something that intricate and over-the-top just to teach her a lesson, but he also knew Rainbow long enough to know she likely needed something that big for the lesson to stick. "Honestly though, I wasn't thinking of doing anything huge with this acting thing. I might do some more shows here and there, but that's about it."

"I dunno. I'm not much of a musical fan, but even I can tell you could be really big at it. Who knows? Maybe you can even get a gig on Bridleway!"

"Doubt it. Besides, there's no way I would go anywhere if it meant leaving Canvas."

"I guess I can understand that, but did you really have to move into his place? Seriously, I’d want to make a second cloud home here if you're not using it! This isn’t that far from his barn, so it's not like you two would be that far apart. Not to mention, there’s no wayyou can tell me you prefer his shower over that huge waterfall!"

Troy chuckled. He'd only been living with Canvas for a couple of weeks now, and the only major complaint he could think of was how small the bathroom was. While the Apple Family did help place a larger outdoor shower at the back of the barn for him, Troy knew that it was nothing compared to that waterfall. Still, even a change like that was more than worth it.

"I have no regrets about my decision,” said Troy. “I'm living with the love of my life, I'm still close to work, I don't have to worry about my stuff falling through that cloud, andI'm not sleeping alone anymore. Plus, Canvas' bed is really comfortable!"

"So… is he still working on that painting for Celestia?"

"Yeah… I'm really happy that he's so dedicated to it, but he's been practically living in that studio since he started; and he's been insistent that no one sees it! He even bought these huge blinds to cover it so I wouldn’t peek over the wall!"

"Well, at least he's not slacking off. That Grand Galloping Gala is in less than two months, you know."

"Yeah, I know. Canvas already got the tickets so I can go with him."

"Well, good for you!" Rainbow bumped his shoulder with her hoof. "Got anything big planned for the night?"

"Well, I've been wanting to visit the Canterlot Concert Hall. I didn’t get the chance to go last time, so I'd really like to see it while we're there."

"Oh, alright..." Troy noticed a hint of underwhelmed surprise in Rainbow's eyes, making him suspicious.

"What? Were you expecting me to say something else?"

"No, no it’s fine, Troy. I just…"

Rainbow Dash stayed silent in thought for a moment before looking back at him curiously. "I just expected you to be planning something big with your coltfriend in Canterlot. You two didget together there!"

"Yeah... ” Knowing that Rainbow was right, Troy began to feel disappointed. "We should, but it's not like we can go back to that hotel. We kinda got banned from there after I bent the railing. Also, we got in trouble for all the stains we left in the room."

Rainbow snickered, and Troy quickly put up a talon in clarification. "Strawberry stains! Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"Yeah, sure.”

"I'm serious! We were having a strawberry fight in the room. We also had a… pillow fight. Which was another reason we got in trouble with housekeeping."

Rainbow kept a skewed eyebrow, and shook her head in disbelief. "So, let me get this straight. You had a strawberry fight… and a pillow fight… with a gay guy…"

Troy grew a light blush. "... Yes."

"And you did this… before you realized you like dudes?"

"Shut up!" Troy looked away and tried to change the subject. "Anyway, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for the Gala. But you're right, I should do something special."

"Just give it a little thought.” Rainbow put a hoof to his shoulder. "Look, I may mess with you, but you two are a great couple. I just want you to be happy with him."

Troy turned back with a smile. "Yeah… thanks." He looked back at the waterfall, pondering the view for a moment longer. "Just so you know, I probably won’t be building a cloud here again, so you can do what you want with it if you’re interested."

"Nice!"

Rainbow Dash put out a hoof to Troy. He quickly clenched his talons to bump it in agreement.

Troy landed in front of the barn, savoring the knowledge that this was his new home. He looked over the white walls, and hoped the two of them could do some extra painting for them when their schedules cleared up. He wasn't a good painter by any means, but he still wanted to help make the place their own. As he walked closer, Troy smiled when he heard the faint noise of classical music from inside.

Opening the door and walking into the living room, Troy could hear his Canterlot Symphony Orchestra record playing on his record player. The vintage relic from the Gryphon Kingdom was now resting proudly against the wall next to the door to Canvas' workspace. He looked over the shelf of records next to it, as well as a small rack of cassettes for his walkman, He suddenly felt a lot better about not living on a cloud anymore. No more water damage, and no more maintaining condensation to keep his stuff from falling through.

Troy looked at the other side of the room, seeing the space between the kitchen and bathroom doors that held two large frames with newspaper headlines inside. The first one, from the Canterlot Press, was a large headliner that boasted a large picture of Canvas. He was smiling in the photo as he stood next to Celestia, with Twilight and Troy next to them. Above the picture, the title stood out in bold, black text reading:

Princess Celestia Inducts the First Earth Pony Artist for Canterlot Castle

Troy smiled as he stared at Canvas’ joyous expression, before slowly turning his head to look at the frame next to it. While the headline wasn't nearly as large or fancy, Troy still felt proud of his framed front page of the Ponyville Tribune, showing a picture of him and the rest of the cast from the play in full costume. Standing between Derpy and Pierce in the middle (and towering over everypony by at least two feet), Troy was pictured smiling with his mask still on. The title, displayed underneath in a tasteful font, read:

Ponyville’s Latest Theater Production A Huge Success!

Above both of the frames, hanging on a small tack on the wall, was Troy's Phantom mask, given to him by Stage Presence after the last show ended. The director tried to make it sound like it wasn't a gift (telling him that it was made for his face anyway), but Troy could tell that she was really trying to be nice to him after all the hard work he went through.

Troy felt incredible as he looked upon his achievements. He thought back to what Rainbow Dash said, and the prospect of making a career out of acting. He could very well make it happen, but why bother when he never felt better with his life right now?

After all the years he spent listening to his grandparents, and hearing their fantastic stories about being in Equestria, Troy could finally feel that same amazing feeling they did. He now had that same type of love for someone, just like them. It didn’t even matter if it came from such an unexpected source like Canvas.

At that moment, he felt eager to do something he wanted to do for a while. The gryphon felt a huge grin grow on his beak as he cleared his throat and called out to Canvas.

"Honey, I'm home!"

While many would've thought it to be silly to anticipate saying something that cheesy, Troy didn’t care when he saw Canvas' head pop out with a smile. The stallion happily trotted over to greet him.

Canvas was quick to kiss Troy on the beak before hugging him. Once done, he pulled his head back with a look of slight embarrassment. He then turned his attention to the record player, still playing.

"I… may have been listening to some of your records while you were gone. It's a nice inspiration for my painting."

"Well, that's good to know,” said Troy as he nuzzled Canvas. "So… what do you think of my music tastes?"

"Well… I found some of those records from your brother's band, Talon Ripper."

"Oof..." Troy winced. Despite the tensions he had with his brothers regarding that stupid will, Blade was still insistent on mailing him the new records their band released. He never really listened to them, or any of the other Talon Ripper records gifted to him, but Troy still held onto them since they were from family. That said, Troy knew that gryphonian death metal was probably a bad thing to leave lying around for a pony to hear.

"So, you didn’t listen to those, did you?"

"Well…" Canvas' face scrunched. "I did listen to one of the records for a bit. The one called… Manticore Massacre?"

Troy cringed. He knew how graphic the cover art was alone, and he didn’t want to imagine how his boyfriend reacted to hearing the lyrics. "Oh boy. I-I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be! I wasn't a huge fan of it, but I can tell your brother has some good lungs on him. It's kinda cool to know you're not the only songbird of the family."

Troy chuckled. "Yeah. I guess Blade would be happy to know that. Although he’d probably freak out if he knew I was with you."

"Oh, whatever.” Canvas gave Troy a peck on the cheek. "I'm sick of caring about what others think."

"Me too."

The two kissed once more, neither of them noticing that the record had stopped playing. As the silence enveloped them, Canvas' lips made a light smooching sound when they pulled away from Troy's beak, leaving them both blushing.

"I…" Canvas looked back at the open door to his studio before turning back to Troy with a sheepish smile. "I gotta finish my painting. I'm almost done with it."

"Of course,” said Troy with an understanding smile. He leaned in and kissed him again.

Canvas went back and closed the door behind him. A million different thoughts raced through Troy’s mind about what he wanted to do. Some of those went back to Rainbow's suggestion about doing something special for the Grand Galloping Gala. In the end, Troy decided to start making dinner, hoping it would help organize them all.

Troy pulled the garlic bread out of the oven, only to be disappointed that, despite his best efforts, it was still burnt around the edges. His cooking hadn’t improved much since moving in with Canvas, but at least Troy was finally able to make somemeals without setting off the smoke alarm.

Troy turned off the burner and began pouring the steaming pot of noodles into the strainer in the sink, not noticing Canvas standing at the doorway. The stallion looked both tired and relieved. He stood in place for a moment before stepping in, the sound of his hooves against the linoleum floor catching Troy's attention. He turned toward Canvas and moved the simmering pot of marinara onto a cool burner. His coltfriend spoke feebly.

"Troy… I did it."

Canvas' grin grew bigger, and Troy’s eyes widened. "You mean… you're done? With the painting?"

Canvas nodded quickly and giggled. "Yeah, I just finished it!"

"That's awesome!" Troy hugged Canvas, holding him closely. He almost didn’t hear Canvas’ muffled voice through his chest. Troy pulled back upon hearing Canvas’ attempt at speaking, however.

"You want to see it?"

Troy stood silent for a few seconds, letting the pony's question sink in. "Really? You want me to see it… before Celestia?"

Canvas moved his head in closer, keeping his eyes on Troy. "Yeah. I really do."

After making sure none of the burners were on and nothing was sure to catch on fire, Troy followed Canvas out of the kitchen and into the studio. Walking up to the blinds, Troy noticed a few blankets lying on the worn couch nearby, a testament to how much time Canvas had spent sleeping in the studio.

Carefully, Canvas pushed the blinds aside to show the back of a large canvas board, five by seven feet tall and secured on a wooden tripod. Canvas motioned Troy over, who slowly walked around to be in front of the painting. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he gazed upon what Canvas had been laboring over for over a month straight.

The painting against the canvas was done with the finest oil paint. A large portrait of Princess Celestia stood triumphantly at the top of a cliff. The bottom showed a large ocean, and a wave crashing against the grey stones of the cliffside. Meanwhile, the Goddess stood majestically from up above, staring out with a look of pride and determination as the sun began to rise above her. Her weightless mane shimmered in its multicolored hue. Each individual strand seemed to glow against the darkened skies, which moved from a pure black to a vibrant pink the closer it got to the rising sun. Upon closer inspection, Troy was amazed to see how much detail Canvas had put into it, down to every strand of fur along her flawless, white coat.

He looked at the painting for several minutes, utterly dumbfounded, until finally, he looked back at his coltfriend looking upon his creation with satisfaction. Troy slowly moved his head in to gently nuzzle Canvas' cheek.

"Canvas,” said Troy, his voice as faint as it was sincere, "it's amazing."

Troy then pulled his head back, looking right into the pony's blue eyes.

"You're amazing."

Canvas felt his heart flutter as he leaned forward, kissing Troy as deeply as he could while they both kept their eyes closed. Troy could sense how much more sensual this kiss felt, all the warmth and passion that was flowing through the stallion as he kissed him back.

When Canvas finally pulled his lips away, he looked right into Troy's shining golden eyes. He kept his face a few inches from him, and spoke in a voice deep with desire.

"Troy… I love you so much."

Canvas moved even closer, wrapping his hooves around the back of Troy's neck.

"I… I think I'm ready."

Troy's heart rate instantly skyrocketed.

"Y-you mean…"

Canvas only smiled before pulling him in and kissing him again.

"Yes. Troy… I really want to."

Troy and Canvas were finally going to move forward in their relationship. The gryphon was quick to lift his pony up with his claws. Breathing heavily with a huge grin, Troy could barely keep his wings from shooting out. Canvas looked out from behind him toward the kitchen.

"W-Wait! Didn't you just make dinner?"

"Screw dinner,” muttered Troy, holding him tighter and eyeing him lustfully. "We can eat later."

Canvas lost himself to pleasure as he kissed his boyfriend once more. Troy walked out the studio on his hindlegs, careful not to hit anything with his wings.

Looking right into the stallion's beautiful eyes, Troy took his time as he carried him to the bedroom, not wanting this moment to end any time soon. He hoped to make this night as memorable as he could...

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Two: Brewing Up A Storm

Canvas felt the morning light coming in through the window, so he turned his head away to stuff his face against one of the pillows. Granted, he knew he wasn't going to get back to sleep at that point, but he stayed there in bed, enjoying the comfort between the blanket and the sheets. He reached a hoof out to the other side, only to find that Troy wasn't there. His sigh was only slightly muffled by the pillow. Canvas slowly opened his eyes, adjusting to the brightness.

Ever since Troy moved into Canvas' home, several changes were made to accommodate them both. One of the biggest was made to the pony's bed. The king-sized mattress still laid in its original spot in the loft, but the bed frame was long gone. Instead, a large assortment of blankets and comforters surrounding said mattress took its place, all of which lay on the floor.

Initially, Troy was worried about what Canvas would think about his bed becoming a large, makeshift nest; but fortunately for him, the stallion enjoyed it quite a bit. The nest was made so that there was no hard landing from the bedding to the floor, so Canvas had no quarrel when he rolled his body over the wall of blankets and plopped down on the hardwood floor underneath him.

Though Canvas had plans for the day, his legs felt especially resistant on moving that morning. He laid still for a moment. But before he could fall into a light nap, the sound of orchestral music playing downstairs caught his attention. His ears picked up the voice of his lover singing downstairs.

“La mia letizia infondere…

Vorrei nel suo bel core!”

Canvas had never thought he would be the kind of pony to like opera, but Troy's voice had certainly helped him to appreciate such music over the past few months. He still didn’t understand a word of any of those songs, but he couldn’t have cared less these days. He closed his eyes and relished his boyfriend’s enthusiastic singing.

“Vorrei destar co' palpiti…

Del mio beato amore…”

Slowly, Canvas forced his legs to move again, and he reluctantly lifted his body up from the floor. His body felt tired, but his mind was wide awake, and his desire to be close to Troy was more than enough to overcome his body's apathy. He slowly trotted down the stairs, listening to Troy's voice growing louder as he got closer.

“Tante armonie nell'etere…

Quanti pianeti egli ha…”

Once he reached the bottom, Canvas saw the record player was playing on full blast, which still wasn't enough to overpower the gryphon’s passionate voice. He could smell something good coming from the kitchen, a rare occurrence when Troy was cooking. Canvas pushed open the kitchen door, revealing Troy standing in front of the stove.

“Aaaah! Ir seco al cielo, ed ergermi…

Dove mortal, mortal non va!”

Two large stacks of pancakes were already done, sitting on two plates next to the stove. Canvas' stomach growled, catching Troy's attention.

“Ir seco al cielo, ed eerg-…”

Troy turned and noticed Canvas with a cheeky grin on his muzzle. Even after getting used to singing in front of others, Troy still felt his feathers ruffle in embarrassment. Canvas giggled.

"Hehe… you're weird, Troy."

Troy raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Seriously? I thought you liked me weird."

"I do,” said Canvas, who kept his smile as he trotted into the kitchen. "But if somepony told me several months ago that one day, an opera-singing gryphon would be making me pancakes in my kitchen, I would assume that Discord was on the loose again."

Troy chuckled and turned back to the skillet, flipping two more pancakes. "I guess, but you gotta admit, I'm way better than an alarm clock."

Canvas' grin grew bigger as he threw his hooves around Troy's neck, speaking seductively.

"Troy, you're way better than a lot of things."

Troy scoffed and his smile grew wider. He grabbed Canvas by the back to give him a proper morning wakeup.

Troy felt Canvas' tongue slipped into his open beak, and gladly accepted it as he pulled his head in tighter. Ever since Canvas finished the painting and had it sent to Canterlot two weeks ago, the two had become a lot closer within their home, taking advantage of the new physicalside of their relationship whenever (and wherever) they saw fit. Troy then pulled his head back, coughing as he grimaced.

"Dude,” said Troy, trying to overcome the taste of morning breath in his mouth. "You should really brush your teeth first."

Canvas blushed and closed his mouth, realizing he was right upon tasting his own breath. Troy was quick to make Canvas feel better, however, by nuzzling Canvas' cheek. The stallion smiled again at the sensation of his lover's feathers against his fur.

Suddenly, Canvas noticed a small patch of white smoke rising from behind Troy. "Umm… Troy, the pancakes."

"OH BUCK!"

Troy quickly let go of Canvas and turned back to the stove, moving the skillet over to the other burner to try pulling out the now-ruined pancakes. Sadly, they were burned beyond recognition. Troy groaned under his breath as he took the skillet to the nearby trashcan and tossed out the breakfast casualties.

Meanwhile, Canvas took the plate with the smaller stack of pancakes in his mouth and trotted out to the dining table. Once Troy put away the skillet, he grabbed the bottle of syrup and the larger plated stack before following him.

Canvas and Troy sat in silence for a while, letting the opera music play on while they ate their breakfast. Canvas soon spotted a grin growing on Troy’s face.

"Well, Troy, you're looking rather happy today."

"Well, Derpy came over today to deliver our mail, and…" He pulled out a large yellow sheet and held it up.

"… Our order finally came in!"

Canvas blinked in confusion, trying to remember what they had ordered. Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open, and he copied Troy’s smile.

"Dude! You mean the root beer finally arrived!?"

"Yep! I have to go pick it up from the post office since it's so heavy, but it's finally here!"

It was too late for either of them to get that gryphonian root beer from a store in Canterlot while they were there, but Lyra was still gracious enough to give them the information so they could have it shipped to their home. Due to delays, however, Canvas had almost completely forgotten about the order they made over a month ago.

Canvas was feeling especially excited, for he was already planning to go into town today. Before he could get himself ready, Troy put up a claw. "I'll go get the order myself. I was planning to fly the stuff over here anyways, and it's probably gonna be heavy enough by myself."

Canvas nodded in recognition that Troy had a point. He knew an earth pony could only do so much without the aid of flight; and considering how tired his legs still felt, Canvas figured he should at least wait until the afternoon to do anything strenuous.

Canvas looked toward his studio, and sighed. "Alright. I guess I can find something to do until you get back. I've been wanting to get the chance to paint for fun again, anyways."

Troy got out of his chair and leaned forward, nuzzling Canvas lovingly to stop whatever disappointment he might’ve caused. "I'll be back soon, alright?"

Canvas nodded and kissed him on the cheek before Troy left the barn.

In the months since Troy and Canvas became a couple, the summer months became a part of the past, and the autumn leaves appeared across Equestria.

As Troy soared above the skies toward Ponyville, he saw how much the leaves had changed color, the forests no longer the huge sea of green they were before. Instead, he saw the massive splashes of a multitude of colors underneath his wings, ranging from the brightest yellows to the dullest browns. Troy could understand why Canvas would want to paint something today. After all, Inspiration seemed to be in the air already.

Speaking of inspiration, Troy's mind began to ponder. He still remembered what Rainbow Dash told him about doing something special during the Grand Galloping Gala, and he knew she was right for suggesting it. Alas, Troy couldn't think of anything big to do. Most of the romantic gestures he could think of were more appropriate for mares, and he knew he had to do something better for Canvas than flowers or jewelry.

When the autumn leaves began to reveal the town of Ponyville in the distance, Troy decided to put his worries on the back burner for now, and made way for the post office.

Canvas held the paintbrush in his mouth, feeling a lot more at ease with his painting than he had in awhile. The past few months had been focused entirely on getting paintings done for others, so Canvas hadn't found the time to do something for himself, or just for fun. As he felt the handle of the brush between his lips, the end sliding against the canvas board and sending a slight vibration back into his mouth, Canvas felt much more relaxed. Therefore, he didn't seem to notice or care whenever he moved his head in too closely, even when a small smudge of paint stained his snout.

As the white canvas transformed into a purposely abstract piece, Canvas almost didn’t notice when he heard a loud thump from outside the barn. He then heard the front door open, and a large amount of grunting from Troy who seemed to be dragging something heavy into the room.

Canvas trotted over to the door with a smile, opening it to see a huge wooden crate in the middle of the main room. Troy held a crowbar in his claws, using it to quickly pry the crate open and reveal dozens upon dozens of large brown and blue bottles inside. Troy looked like he was going to start chugging several of the bottles right at that moment, but he only grabbed a few bottles in each claw instead, before flying into the kitchen and opening the fridge.

"Ooh!" said Canvas, trying to catch Troy's attention. "Put them in some ice with water and salt! That's supposed to make them cool down faster!"

Troy's head popped out from the kitchen, looking surprised."Really?"

"Yeah, I think I heard Twilight say something about that once. There should be a cooler in one of the bottom shelves."

Troy nodded before going back into the kitchen. He found the large, red cooler, and started filling it with ice from the freezer.

"Oh man! It sucks that it took so long for this order to come in, but I don’t even care anymore!"

Troy turned on the faucet and grabbed the large container of table salt from the top shelf. He then poured the water and salt into the cooler. Soon, the ice began to crack apart and melt from the additives. He crammed the cooler with as many bottles as possible between the freezing slush, and then turned toward Canvas standing in the doorway. Upon seeing him, his smile scrunched inward.

"What?" asked Canvas confusedly, not knowing he had a large glob of pink paint on his snout.

Troy looked away and tried to stifle his laughter. "You… you've been painting, haven’t you?"

Canvas was becoming even more confused, but he nodded all the same. "Yes… yes, I have."

Canvas took a peek at the cooler. "Those will probably be good in less than ten minutes, so I'm gonna go paint some more, okay?"

Troy only nodded, keeping a smirk on himself as he watched Canvas leave the kitchen. Once he was gone, he giggled some more. A small cloud of freezing fog arose from the lip of the cooler, and Troy's smile grew even bigger. He then decided to check up on the pony and see what he was painting.

Troy was surprised to see Canvas painting with his hoof, the paintbrush tied to it as he continued with his abstract piece. He swished the brush across the board, giving the design several aimless swirls of black lines across the pre-existing colors. Canvas, upon hearing Troy’s talons on the hardwood floor, turned and smiled at the gryphon. His smile slowly diminished as soon as he saw his boyfriend giggling again.

"Okay, what is it?!" Canvas asked irritatingly. Before Troy could say anything, Canvas' eyes crossed together, and he finally noticed the pink paint on his snout.

Troy almost fell to the floor as he burst out laughing, barely holding himself up with a foreleg. Canvas blushed and rolled his eyes

"Okay, ha ha ha, very funny. So that's why you've been eyeing me like a vulture?"

Even through his laughter, Troy tried to look more serious. "Dude… just so you know, calling me a vulture is kind of a big insult back where I'm from."

"Oh, my bad…" Canvas dipped his brush in the can of black paint before walking up to Troy and painting a quick slab across his beak.

"There! Now you look like a toucan!"

Canvas giggled at his own little joke. Troy stood dumbfounded momentarily, before his eyes narrowed. He reached out toward an open can of paint, dipped his talons in it, and slathered what turned out to be yellow on the pony's face. Canvas' laughing suddenly turned to a gasp, and he looked at his boyfriend wide-eyed, not expecting him to do that at all.

"There. Now you look like, um… a pony covered in paint!"

They stood in silence for a few seconds. Canvas' shocked face slowly turned to a sly grin, and his eyes also narrowed. Without looking away from Troy, Canvas reached for another open can, making Troy's eyes narrow again as he did the same. Before Canvas' grin could grow to Cheshire levels, the stallion put up a hoof to Troy, making him pause.

"Wait..."

Canvas quickly took the brush off his hoof and picked up a tarp sheet from the ground, holding it in his mouth as he draped it over his current painting. After looking around to make sure nothing important would get ruined, Canvas turned back to Troy with his grin returned and his can in hoof.

"Alright, now we can start!"

Rainbow Dash groaned under breath, looking upset as she flew closer to Troy's place. She knew she needed him for this task, but she didn’t want to waste time flying here when she could get more done in Ponyville right now.

Upon seeing Troy and Canvas' barn ahead of her, she landed on the ground. She could see that there were some small paintings already added to the home’s walls (about a quarter of one side, to be exact), mostly small doodles and symbols in various colors.

Before she could knock on the door, Rainbow Dash heard some banging from the front where the studio should be. Knowing how busy Canvas was with his painting, she figured that he was just working on a new piece, and that he probably wouldn’t hear her from the front door. She trotted over to the barn’s front, and pulled one of the doors open to stick her head in.

"Hey Canvas, do you--WHOA!!!"

Rainbow Dash back-dashed from the barn doors, flying back several dozen feet in shock. She then looked away and started laughing uncontrollably.

"Sorry guys!" shouted Rainbow, blushing deeply. "I didn’t mean to see that, I swear!"

"Seriously, Dash!?" Troy yelled from within the studio. "Haven’t you heard of knocking!?"

Troy walked out of the studio with an angry look, which was slightly less intimidating than usual, considering he was now completely covered in about ten different colors of paint. He held a blank canvas board over the lower section of his body as he looked up at the giggling mare hovering in the air.

"What do you want, Dash!? This is my day off!"

"Yeah, I can tell... I knew he liked painting, but I didn’t think he liked it that much!"

Troy blushed heavily, but was thankfully covered by huge splotches of blue and green paint. "We were… having a paint fight."

"Dude!" Rainbow Dash kept a hoof pointed at Troy, struggling to keep herself in flight due to her difficulty breathing. "That did not look like you two were fighting, Troy!"

"Well… it started as a paint fight…” Troy's dark blush was now distinguishable from the paint. He looked down at the ground and fidgeted his talons together. "But then we started making out in the paint, and one thing led to another--”

"Dude, I don’t want to know!" Feeling her laughter subsiding, Rainbow Dash recomposed herself before adopting a more serious look. "I'm sorry for walking in on that, but we need your help with storm prep today."

"Seriously? I thought Thunderlane was taking care of the storm tonight!"

"He was, but then he threw out his wing getting the nimbostratus clouds ready. He needs to go to the doctor, and we still need to get this storm going so the leaves can be loosened for the Running of the Leaves next month."

Troy groaned. This wasn't something he could just put off. As much as he wanted to spend a nice night alone with Canvas, Troy knew that if Thunderlane was out of commission, he was the gryphon needed for the job.

"Alright, fine!" Troy looked back in the studio, hoping this wouldn’t upset Canvas too much. "Just give me… twenty minutes to get cleaned up."

Canvas called out from inside. "Make it forty!"

Rainbow Dash looked away, trying not to giggle. Troy compromised. "Thirty minutes?"

“... Okay, honey."

Troy looked back at Rainbow with a satisfied smile. "I'll be there in thirty minutes."

"Ugh. Fine, fine. Just clean yourself up and get your vest, alright?"

Troy nodded. Rainbow Dash flew off, heading back to Ponyville. He walked back into the barn, still holding the board over his body. Canvas looked at him from behind the red couch, looking upset behind the large slabs of yellow and pink paint on his face.

"Seriously?" asked Canvas, irritated. "You had to take one of my good canvas boards?"

Troy’s eyebrow skewed. "You're seriously mad that I took this? Dude, I took your virginity, for crying out loud!"

Canvas looked even more upset. "Wow. I can’t believe you actually went there."

Troy grew a sly smirk and his golden eyes narrowed. "I could say the exact same thing about what you did in the shower yesterday."

Canvas blushed heavily through the paint and looked away sheepishly. "Y-you said you liked that!"

"Oh, believe me, I do...”

With a loud whoosh, Troy's wings shot out. "And I know you're gonna like what I'm gonna do to you in the next thirty minutes."

Canvas' eyes narrowed and he grew a cheeky grin. Troy flew toward him, tackling him behind the couch. Canvas giggled until a moan escaped him.

"Oooohh… Troy…”

While his ‘cleanup’ took a tad longer than he thought, Troy didn’t seem to mind as he landed in the center of Ponyville with Canvas on his back. Making sure his saddle bag was secure, Canvas gave a quick smooch on Troy's cheek before pulling himself off. Troy gave him one last nuzzle, and then flew off to meet up with Rainbow Dash, leaving Canvas to do his errands for the day.

Canvas looked around Ponyville, finding that due to the storm prep and the dark-grey clouds being applied over the skies, many of the ponies around town were already in their homes. Canvas didn’t mind getting a little wet from rain, but he didn’t want to procrastinate, so he quickly trotted over to the market district.

After giving Troy the task of placing the nimbostratus clouds over the south side of town, Rainbow Dash laid the last of the clouds over the north section. Her job now complete, she landed on the ground and made sure there were no open spots. When she found none, she stretched her wings out in satisfaction over a job well done. She then noticed, however, that because of how much she'd been working, she’d used up her entire canteen of water before ending her shift, and she was parched. The train station was nearby, so Rainbow decided to fly over there, knowing she had enough bits to use the vending machines inside.

Rainbow decided to fly over to the open space of the platform, figuring that nopony was around the station at that time. What she didn’t know was that a train just came by moments ago, so when she was about to turn the corner, she flew right into a pony, making them both fall to the ground.

Lifting herself up, Rainbow Dash saw that she ran into a large green stallion with a messy brown mane, who's equally large saddlebag was now on the ground with all of its items lying around the floor.

"Oh geez, I'm really sorry!" Rainbow was quick to help pick up, putting them into his saddlebag before the stallion snatched it up.

"I-I'm fine, okay!?"

Breathing heavily, the stallion held the saddlebag while picking up the rest himself, trying to avoid the mare as she stood there, embarrassed. She should've felt a little angry at his rudeness, but Rainbow knew better than to start anything with a pony she just ran into.

Rainbow took note of how run-down he looked. Dark, heavy bags hung underneath his eyes. The heavy wrinkles on his pale-green face would’ve indicated he was old, but Rainbow could tell that the stallion was probably middle-aged at most. His appearance looked more due to stress than time. His cutie mark, a golden leaf, looked equally as worn as the rest of his pale green coat.

Normally, Rainbow Dash didn’t want to intrude on anypony, but the five-o'-clock shadow on his muzzle concerned her. He didn’t look like he'd slept or eaten in days. Rainbow then noticed an old, rolled-up newspaper on the ground. She picked it up to give to him, only to see which one it was as it rolled out in her hoof.

It was from the Manehatten Post. Its front page displayed the picture of Canvas with Celestia that'd been sent to almost every paper in Equestria. Underneath the photo of Canvas' smiling face beside the Goddess laid the headline in a bold font:

Canterlot Castle to Receive its Very First Painting from an Earth Pony

Before she could start reading the article, Rainbow Dash felt the paper get quickly pulled from her hooves as the stallion snatched it away. Before she could say anything about his attitude, the stallion's face slowly went from annoyance to remorse. He looked away from her and to the ground. He slowly opened his mouth as he spoke, his voice coming out in a cracked, deep whisper.

"I-I'm sorry. I… I need that."

Rainbow Dash blinked and tried to figure out what was up with this guy. "Um, sir… Excuse me if I'm being rude, but… Are you like, a bumor something?"

The stallion glanced at her with a skewed eyebrow. "Excuse me!?"

"Because I think there's a shelter nearby if you need to--"

"That's not why I'm here! I… I was here for something else."

The green stallion looked back at the newspaper in his hooves, specifically at the worn headline picture. Closing his eyes, the stallion sighed before he rolled the paper and put it back in his saddlebag, making sure he tucked it in carefully.

Rainbow cautiously put a hoof on the stallion's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? I mean, what are you in Ponyville for?"

The stallion stayed silent and looked away.

"Are…” Rainbow looked at the stallion's bag, remembering the paper.. "Are you looking for Canvas?"

The stallion quickly shot his gaze back toward her, staring at her wide-eyed. "You know him!?”

The stallion’ behavior was starting to worry Rainbow Dash.

"Umm… yeah, I do. He's a nice guy. Why, are you looking for a painting from him?"

"No, no, no, no,” The stallion shook his head. He closed his eyes, and spoke somberly.

"I'm not a client or anything. Canvas, he…

“He's my son."

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Three: Confrontation (Part 1)

Rainbow Dash walked out of the train station with the stallion in tow. She was surprised to finally meet Canvas' father. Looking back at him, Rainbow could see a resemblance between him and Canvas, although it was rather difficult to tell through all the wrinkles and overall sullenness.

He didn’t seem very talkative, though, and he always kept his gaze away from her. Regardless, Rainbow really wanted to get some small talk out of him, so she stopped and turned back toward him.

"So… what's your name?"

The stallion looked back at her for just a second, speaking nervously. “...My name is Copper Fields."

Rainbow's face scrunched in. "Copper Field? You know, if you say it right, it kind of sounds like--”

"Yes, I'm very aware. Like I haven't heard that one before."

Rainbow pouted. "Okay, I'm really getting sick of your attitude, you know that?"

"Well, I'm not here to socialize, okay!?"

Copper sounded upset. However, he quickly put a hoof to his temple in an apparent effort to calm down.

"I'm sorry, I just… I just want to talk to my son."

Rainbow Dash sighed and continued flying forward, keeping a slow pace a few feet off the ground while Copper trotted next to her. She was growing more and more curious about him, since she couldn’t recall one time when Canvas ever mentioned his Dad. She then started flying backwards, keeping him in her sights while she made another attempt at conversation.

"So… you're Canvas' dad, right?"

Copper sighed. This mare wasn't going to let up. "Yes, Canvas is my son."

"Alright… so, how does it feel knowing your son is painting for Princess Celestia?"

Copper bit his lip, looking back at his saddlebag. He seemed rather sad.

"I… I don’t know what to say.”

Copper stopped walking and stared at the ground. Rainbow landed and walked up to him, concerned at how Copper looked so troubled. Not sure of how to react, she simply stood silent until Copper's voice came out in a faint whimper.

"...I couldn’t be happier for him."

Rainbow stepped back, just in case she needed to avoid any random hug from some sobbing stallion in the middle of town. "Are… you okay, dude?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” He breathed in deeply. "It’s just… I haven’t talked to him in months."

Rainbow's eyes widened. She knew how bad of a state Canvas was in at the hospital when she filed the reports for the Weather Division. And based on that, she knew that Canvas was hurt before he got here.

She then remembered hearing from a few ponies that a hate crime might’ve been the reason for his injuries. Rainbow's demeanor became more cautious.

"Hey Copper,” said Rainbow sternly. "Do you happen to know what happened to your son?"

Copper's eyes widened with worry, and his face became paler. "I… I don't know what happened after he left town... Was it bad?"

Rainbow Dash was shocked to hear him ask such a question. She didn’t expect Canvas’ father to be completely unaware of his own son's situation.

"Yeah... it really was. He was in the hospital for two weeks because of exhaustion. He also had a shattered eye socket."

Copper shut his eyes and put a hoof over his mouth, as if trying to hide his shame. Rainbow Dash stepped closer. "How could you not know that? I mean, haven’t you tried contacting him or anything?"

Copper slowly opened his troubled eyes, keeping his mouth covered in a silent refusal to answer. It seemed obvious to Rainbow that he probably didn’t know anything about it. Perhaps it was past time for the family to catch up.

"Don’t worry, I'll help you out. I think I saw Canvas arrive in town anyway."

Copper lowered his hoof, keeping a cautious gaze. He looked surprised that an Element of Harmony was willing to help out.

"Re-really?"

"Well, sure. It looks like you really miss him, so I might as well."

Copper slowly nodded. "Yeah, I… I really do."

Suddenly, a loud ‘whoosh’ came over them, and a lavender alicorn came into view. Landing on the ground somewhat gracefully, Twilight Sparkle wiped some dirt off her hooves and addressed Rainbow Dash.

"Rainbow, are all the storm preps done for the north? Troy just got done with the south section a couple minutes ago."

"Seriously?" asked Rainbow, stunned. "How did he get that done so quickly!?"

Twilight kept an insistent stare, and Rainbow Dash sighed. "Yeah, I just finished the north end."

Rainbow then noticed Copper still next to her, who was suddenly looking more worried. "I was just talking with this guy. He said he's Canvas' dad, so I figured I'd help him out."

Twilight Sparkle's eyes narrowed on the green stallion before her. She recalled how Celestia reacted when she asked her about Canvas; and how horrible the pony looked that night. Now, with a member of Canvas’ family here, Twilight could finally get some answers.

"Excuse me, areyou Canvas' father?"

Copper nodded, unable to make eye contact. Twilight stepped in closer.

"Sir, I want to ask you some questions about what happened in Gallop Creek."

Copper was now white as a sheet of paper. He was visibly shaking and his rapid breathing was audible. Twilight's stare became more concerned before Rainbow put out a hoof.

"Twi, are you serious? He just got into town, and you're going to ask him about that? He hasn’t seen his own son in months, for crying out loud!"

Twilight stepped back, still keeping her gaze on Copper as she addressed her. "Rainbow, I saw first-hoof what happened to Canvas. I just want to know what happened to him that night, and I figured his father might know more than we do."

Copper bit his lip. "I… I just wanted to--”

A loud gasp caught the attention of all three. They turned to see Canvas at the street corner a block away, standing wide-eyed in terror. He quickly ran off.

Before Canvas' saddlebag full of groceries could hit the ground, Copper rushed out toward him, pushing the two mares to the ground as he frantically ran toward his son.

"CANVAS! CANVAS, WAIT!"

Twilight Sparkle quickly got back to her hooves alongside Rainbow Dash. Seeing that Rainbow was only slightly dazed, Twilight shot open her wings and flew off, hoping to catch up with Copper.

Right after, Rainbow Dash quickly got herself into the air as well, hoping to figure out what the buck was going on.

Troy sighed to himself with a smile, feeling more than happy to get his job done so quickly. He perched himself atop a streetlight to catch his breath, looking up to the grey skies above Ponyville he finished in such little time.

He finished off his water bottle and tossed it in a nearby trash can, and began unbuttoning his Weather Patrol vest. He wondered where he could find Canvas in town, so he could surprise him and help get some shopping done. Just then, the sound of several ponies speaking up in the distance caught Troy's attention.

He could discern that the commotion, consisting mostly of ponies yelling “Watch it!” or “Hey!”, was coming from the direction of the Market District. He repositioned himself on the streetlight and readied his wings to hover. Suddenly, a burst of Rainbow's trademark technicolor trail zoomed past him and stopped.

"Troy, something happened! Twi and I need your help!"

"What happened? What's going on?"

Before Rainbow could reply, Twilight flew up to them. "Rainbow! I lost him! Did you see him or Canvas anywhere?"

"What happened to Canvas!?” Troy grabbed Twilight by the shoulders.

"I don’t know! Rainbow Dash was talking with some pony who said he was Canvas' father, and--"

"WHAT!?”

Troy flew off instantly, his vest and several feathers left behind in the wind.

The two mares were left stunned. Rainbow was the first to move, and flew off after him. Hoping she could find them, Twilight lit her horn and vanished in a flash of purple light.

Gliding above the streets of Ponyville, Troy scanned the ponies underneath him as he tried to find Canvas. Because of the upcoming storm, there were far fewer ponies around than usual. That didn't stop Troy from hearing the commotion going on up ahead.

Troy flew toward the source, and he spotted Canvas running as fast as he could through the crowds. He looked terrified as he pushed past ponies left and right, not even stopping to apologize. Before he could swoop down and get Canvas to a safe place, Troy noticed the other green stallion further behind, running at a frantic pace and yelling out to him.

"CANVAS! Canvas, please, I just want to talk!"

Troy’s pupils slowly began to shrink in, his golden eyes turning into flaming orbs of pure, intense hatred. All these months he'd spent wanting to murder the bastard who almost killed his lover, and now he was right there chasing him.

Troy’s talons clenched. His body shot forward like a torpedo. He could only see red.

"Canvas, please listen to me! I'm not--"

Copper’s front hooves gave out as he fell to the ground, feeling something grabbing his hind-legs with a death grip. After skidding on the dirt, Copper looked back to see a huge gryphon holding him in place, looking at him with pure, murderous rage.

Frozen by the sight, no words were able to come out of Copper's mouth before Troy pulled him back. Troy held onto the stallion’s rear hooves, and swung Copper's entire body in the air like a sack of potatoes, directing the swing straight at the wall of a nearby building.

Troy made sure Copper hit the wall as hard as he possibly could, letting every ounce of rage inside of him come out as the stallion's body smashed against the bricks. Even when Copper's head hit the ground, Troy kept a death grip on his hooves while looking down at the stallion that almost murdered the love of his life.

Before Troy could think that he killed the pony, Copper coughed up a large amount of blood. Stars danced around Copper's head, and he was sure something was broken; the entire left side of his body throbbed in pain.

Gripping Copper by his shoulders, Troy flew the both of them up toward the clock tower. Before Copper could realize he was now several dozen feet in the air, his body was smashed against the clock tower’s side.

Troy’s talons dug into Copper's shoulders deep enough to draw blood, and he kept his bloodthirsty glare. Not noticing the small crowd of ponies underneath staring in horror, Troy moved in closer to Copper's face until they were mere inches apart.

"Stay… Away… From Canvas."

Copper coughed up more blood, unknowing or uncaring that his left eye was already swelling from the previous throw. He didn’t want to get gored by the murderous gryphon, so he sputtered out his pleas frantically.

"P-p-please! I-I just wanted t-to talk with Canvas! I'm his fath-aahh--"

Copper's words were cut off when Troy's talons went around the stallion's throat, squeezing his windpipe shut.

"I KNOW EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE! I WAS THE ONE WHO FOUND HIM! I WAS THE ONE WHO GOT HIM TO THE HOSPITAL BEFORE HE COULD DIE! I WAS THE ONE WHO HELPED HIM GET BETTER AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO HIM!!"

Copper's face began to turn purple. Troy's next words came out dark and chilling, yet clear.

"I should break every single bone in your pathetic body right now. After seeing what you did to Canvas... what you did to your own child...”

Troy moved his face in less than an inch from Copper's, his eyes never blinking.

"You don't know how many nights I imagined slitting your throat."

Before Copper could pass out from suffocation, Troy removed his claws from the stallion's throat and grabbed him by the hooves again. He stretched him out against the wall like he was being crucified.

"If you ever get near Canvas again… If you ever put a hoof on him again…”

Troy moved in even closer.

"If you ever do anything to hurt Canvas any more than you already have, I willfind you. I will find you, and I will hunt you down like the animal you are..."

Troy's forehead was now touching Copper’s.

"And I promise you, by everything that I hold dear to me...

“I… Will… Kill you.”

Copper was shaking in pure fear. He knew the gryphon meant every single word. Troy slowly pulled his head back, still glaring.

"You have two seconds to get out of town right now. And I never, ever want to see you get near Canvas again, you scumbag--"

A pair of cyan hooves grabbed Troy by the shoulders and pulled him back. He still had Copper within his grip, and thus flailed him around like a ragdoll. Troy could hear several screams from below as he tried to get Rainbow Dash off his back, struggling to keep his weight in the air. Both dropped down several feet.

"Put him down!” shouted Rainbow. "You're gonna kill him!"

One more sudden turn in the air later, and Copper's hooves slipped through Troy's talons. The crowd screamed out in horror as they watched him plummet to the ground and land in a pile of garbage. Luckily, the drop wasn't nearly as high now, so the fall was not fatal.

It was still painful, however, and his torso and legs were left bruised from the impact. Several ponies rushed up to him to see if he was okay, but Copper pulled himself out of the garbage and pushed them aside. He bolted down the street, galloping as fast as he could in the direction he last saw Canvas running.

Upon seeing Copper taking off, Troy's rage built up even more. He tried to fly after him again, but Rainbow Dash pulled at his hindlegs.

"Troy, what the buck is wrong with you!? You need to stop acting like--"

"HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

With one last adrenaline-fueled burst, Troy pulled himself free from Rainbow's grip and shot ahead. But before he could move ten feet, Rainbow Dash appeared again in front of him, using her hooves to push against his chest.

"Troy, get a grip on yourself! I talked with him, he's just trying--"

Troy grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shoulders and threw her off to the side, stunning her long enough for Troy to get a second head start. He got a little further this time, but Rainbow catched up to him yet again.

She used her quick reflexes to deliver a strong kick to Troy's face, sending him crashing to the ground against the wall of a house. The drop wasn't enough to seriously injure Troy, but he did have to stay still for a moment from the pain. While trying to shake his head clear, Rainbow got up in his face.

"Don’t you ever throw me like that again!! You hear me!?”

Troy tried rushing past her, not caring about Rainbow’s aggression. She pushed him back against the wall, her muzzle snarling tightly.

"Troy, I will have you fired if you don't stop this right now!"

"HE'S GOING TO HURT CANVAS!" Troy thrashed harder. Rainbow became more confused.

"What the hay are you talking about!? Do you even know who that guy is? He's Canvas' dad, for Celestia’s sake--”

"WHO DO YOU THINK BEAT HIM UP!?"

Troy looked right at her face as he screamed that remark, and Rainbow's eyes widened in shock. Her grip loosened, and Troy took the chance to pull himself free. He then shot off, leaving Rainbow Dash to stand still.

Rainbow Dash was usually confident in the worst situations. Now, she was visibly shaking as the shame and mortification washed over her. She put a hoof to her mouth. To help out somepony who would do something like that... She didn’t notice a flash of purple light appear a few feet away.

"Darnit, this isn’t working!"

Twilight Sparkle spotted Rainbow. "Rainbow Dash, did you see them anywhere? Do you know--”

She slowly stopped speaking as she took note of her friend’s horrified expression. Rainbow slowly turned her head.

She stood speechless for a moment, which worried Twilight greatly. After a whimpering breath, she finally spoke in a feeble voice.

"W… We're in trouble."

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Four: Confrontation (Part 2)

Upon reaching an empty section of Ponyville, Canvas slowed down and tried to catch his breath. He turned his head back to make sure he wasn't there. He could feel himself shaking from fear, unable to fathom how Copper Fields managed to find him here.

Canvas walked into a nearby alley, clenching his eyes shut as he held himself up against the brick wall. He wanted to get back home as soon as possible. He wanted to be back with Troy.

His mind went back to when Troy helped him after he finally confessed what his father did to him. His chest started to ache without his love around to hold him or help him. The stallion felt like he was going to cry at any moment.

Canvas heard several hoofsteps galloping up in the distance. He ducked behind one of the trash cans, praying to any Princess listening that Copper wouldn’t find him. When he slowly looked over the top of one of them, Canvas sighed in relief to see it was Lyra and Bon-Bon.

Canvas ran toward his friends as fast as he could, tears rolling down his cheeks as he latched himself onto them. Bon-Bon was quick to try and alleviate him as she hugged back.

"Canvas, what's wrong? We saw you running past our shop like something was on fire! Are you alright?"

Canvas took a moment before he let go, still terrified.

"He…he found me.”

"Who found you?" Lyra asked worriedly. "What are you talking about?"

Before Canvas could answer, his eyes shot wide open at the sight behind them. He screamed and ran back into the alley. The two mares turned their heads to see a green stallion galloping toward them, looking ragged and slightly beaten.

"CANVAS!!” shouted Copper. "Canvas, please come back!"

A mint-green aura grabbed him by the neck. Lyra pushed him against the wall, pinning him there while she spoke dead serious. "Sir, I don’t know who you are, but you're really scaring our friend, so you better stop chasing him around!"

Struggling against the aura, Copper tried to pull himself off from the wall. "Ma'am, please! I'm his father, I just wanted to talk with him! I need to tell him--"

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!"

Lyra turned her head back toward Canvas, ducking just in time as a trash can came flying. The can struck Copper right in the gut, and Lyra and her wife reeled back with horrified gasps. Canvas kept screaming like mad, grabbing whatever he could to lunge at Copper to keep distance.

The two mares wanted him to stop causing a scene, but neither of them wanted to risk getting hit by Canvas' barrage. After being nearly massacred by the gryphon earlier, Copper barely felt the metal canisters as they struck him back-to-back. "Canvas, please! I just--"

"I SAID STAY THE BUCK AWAY FROM ME!!"

Canvas kept screaming his head off and throwing things at Copper. Ponies began to run over in the direction of the uproar, and soon enough, a small crowd formed, keeping their distance from the apparent domestic dispute. Troy swooped down and landed hard on the street, shaking the ground as he glared at Copper.

Before he could move forward and seriously hurt him, Troy noticed Canvas throwing everything he could at him. He then observed Copper, and how he wasn't trying to get closer to Canvas. Thus, he kept himself still. This was something his lover needed to do.

Canvas threw one more can at Copper, missing his head by less than an inch as it smashed against the wall behind him. After that, he just stood there, breathing heavily and glaring at the stallion he once called his father.

Copper held up a hoof slowly, his voice trembling with worry.

"Canvas… Canvas, please, I… just want to talk."

"Talk… You want to talk!?"

Canvas' breathing now came out in an oddly rapid rate of gasps, like a whispered form of laughter. As Canvas continued to speak, his voice became increasingly louder, each word coming out harder and more frantic than the last.

"You just want to talk, huh? Well, doesn’t that sound bucking familiar!? 'I just want to talk, Dad.' 'Please, listen to me Dad.' 'Why are you yelling at me, Dad!?' 'Please let me go of me, Dad!' 'STOP HITTING ME, DAD!!' YOU REMEMBER THAT!?"

Copper just stood still as he took his son's verbal onslaught, wincing at Canvas' rage. Many of the ponies in the crowd gasped upon hearing Canvas' tirade. Most of them didn’t notice when Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash flew in. Troy’s claw came out in front of the two, stopping them from attempting to break up the fight.

Copper tried speaking again. "Canvas, I… I know I made a mistake. I should've never--"

"A mistake!?" Canvas completely snapped. "A MISTAKE!? YOU CALL WHAT YOU DID TO ME A BUCKING MISTAKE!?

"You cannot call what you did to me a mistake! Falling down the stairs is a mistake! Forgetting to deliver a bill on time is a mistake! Breaking a vase is a mistake! HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT BEATING AND THROWING OUT YOUR OWN SON WAS JUST A MISTAKE!?”

More horrified gasps erupted from the crowd. Copper cringed as he looked away from his son for a moment. When he finally looked back, Copper's voice came out like a shameful, cracked whisper. "I… I didn’t mean to hurt you like that--”

"YOU SMASHED A WHISKEY BOTTLE IN MY BUCKING FACE!!” Even while screaming lividly, tears trickled down Canvas’ face. “YOU SHATTERED MY SKULL AND LEFT ME OUT TO DIE!! HOW THE BUCK CAN YOU SAY YOU DIDN’T MEAN TO DO THAT!?"

There wasn't a single pony in the crowd who didn’t look terribly shocked by now. Lyra and Bon-Bon looked especially appalled as they stared at Copper, for they remembered how their friend looked with all those bandages back then. Lyra's glare was burning straight into Copper even as a couple tears came down her cheeks.

"That… that was you!?"

Even amongst all the shock and disgust waving off the crowd before them, Copper kept his attention only on Canvas. He didn’t want to give up after coming so far.

"Canvas, I… I'm so sorry--"

"Shut up! Don’t you daretry to act like you're bucking innocent!!"

Copper pursed his lips shut. He knew now that nothing was going to get through when he saw tears coming down Canvas' face. Though a huge array of emotions were flowing through Canvas, anger was coming out faster than any other.

"I did everythingfor you… Everything I did was to prove those ponies back home wrong! To make you proud of me for once. You were never there for me after Mom! After she died, you barely even talkedto me! You just left me alone for the longest time! You barely bucking acknowledged me! But... when I was graduating, that was the only time you looked proudof me...”

Canvas looked down at the ground underneath him, his tears leaving marks in the dirt.

"I… I thought you loved me.”

Copper tried stepping forward.

"Canvas, I always loved--”

"AND THEN YOU TOOK EVERYTHING AWAY FROM ME!!” Copper instantly jolted back. “You were all that I had, and you hurt me worse than any of them ever did!!” Canvas kept his bloodthirsty stare, more tears coming down without pause.

"Canvas, I always loved you!" shouted Copper. "I know I should've been there for you, and I wish I could change that! But Canvas, you have to believe me, I never meant to do any of that to you!"

Despite Copper's genuine desperation, Canvas simply kept his glare. His father kept going, now shouting frantically.

"I was drunk, Canvas! I was completely wasted that night. I barely remember a single thing that happened!!”

"So you think that excuses you from almost killing me?"

Copper winced, faltering for a second before he continued. "Canvas, I'm sorry! I know what I did was horrible, but you have to believe me! I've been trying to look for you ever since that night so I could apologize!"

Canvas shook his head in disbelief and looked away.

"Please, I've been running everywherein Equestria to try and find you! I went to every single town I could find just to make sure you weren't dead! I haven't slept or eaten in days! I spent every bit I had just to get a train ticket here! I sacrificed everything I had because of you!"

Canvas suddenly turned his gaze back, his muzzle trembling.

"And I tried to kill myself because of you."

Another collection of gasps came, but Copper took no heed of them. He stood frozen, his mouth hung open, and a whole new wave of shame washed over him.

"You took everything from me! You were the only thing I had after Mom, and you… you broke my bucking heart when I needed you most! Nopony in that town hurt me nearly as bad as you! None of them made me feel as horrible as you did! None of them ripped apart everything I've done in front of my eyes! None of them… None of them made me lose my will to live until you."

Copper's head was now hanging down in remorse.

"You remember what you said to me before you slammed the door in my face!? When you left me out in the bucking rain with nothing!? DO YOU!?"

Copper didn’t move, but his head hung lower.

"I was always there for you. Always! I was there for you after Mom died! I kept the house clean and made you dinner when you worked late! I worked my flank off to get a good education, so you wouldn’t have to worry about me when I left! I did everything I could to make you love me, but none of that mattered when I came out, did it!?

“No, I was just a 'worthless bucking freak,’ right!? I was 'better off dead,’ right!? YOUR BUCKING WORDS!!"

Copper’s ears hung down from the round of shocked gasps he heard behind him, and he started shaking even more.

"Do you know how that feels!? To have the only pony who ever cared about you say something like that!? YOU WERE THE ONLY BUCKING THING I EVER HAD! I never did anything to hurt you! I stayed in school, I didn’t smoke or do any drugs, and I did everything I could to be the perfect bucking son to you! But what did it all mean to you? Huh!? Did none of it matter to you after that night? Was having a gay son so bad for you, that you had to treat me like a damn punching bag before throwing me out in the rain!?”

Canvas caught his breath, not noticing the stunned crowd. If he had, he likely would’ve seen how mortified Lyra and Bon-Bon looked through their teary eyes. Even Twilight had to cover her muzzle with a hoof, her knees wobbling to keep herself from stumbling over the bombshells unloading before her.

"How could you even stand there and say you're my fatherafter doing that?"

"CANVAS, PLEASE STOP!!"

Copper slowly lifted his head. Canvas' eyes widened upon seeing his father's face, not expecting to see what was underneath.

Tears. So many of them.

In all the years Canvas lived with his father, he always knew him to be a strong stallion. He barely showed emotion, and he didn’t speak much, especially after his wife's death. And he almost never, ever, cried. Canvas could only recall one time in his life where he ever saw Copper shed a tear, and that was after the funeral reception when he thought he was alone.

But now, in the middle of town with dozens of ponies watching, the sides of Copper's face were soaked with his own tears, matting his faded-green fur. Copper carried what looked to be the deepest look of guilt and shame, and his voice came out in a pathetic whimper.

"Please… Canvas, please… I-I'm so sorry."

Despite such a display, Canvas didn’t falter at all. His expression remained as bitter as ever.

"I know that I hurt you… I-I know that I did horrible things to you. But… you have to believe me. I'm sosorry."

A couple seconds of silence passed, and Canvas only shook his head before walking away.

"Just stay away from me. Go back to Gallop Creek."

"Please, Canvas, just listen to me!" pleaded Copper. He tried rushing over to his son to grab him. "I can’t go back there, not after everything else!"

Canvas quickly threw his hooves up and pushed him away. "DON'T BUCKING TOUCH ME!!"

Copper’s breathing came out in gasping sobs, and his tone became more desperate. "Canvas, you're the only thing that I have! I don't have anything left!"

"Neither did I!” screamed Canvas, turning back toward Copper lividly. "I didn't have a single bucking thing, so don’t you dareact like a victim!!”

Canvas began to walk away once more, ignoring Copper who tried to pull himself from the ground. Copper didn’t notice the dirt on his fur or the tears on his face.

"Canvas, please!!! I can’t--”

"I SAID, LEAVE ME ALONE!!! You already did enough damage!"

"CANVAS! PLEASE, I'M BEGGING YOU!!!"

Canvas' hooves stopped moving. When he slowly turned his head back toward him, Canvas carried a surprised expression even through his anger. Still shedding tears, Copper looked Canvas dead in the eyes.

"I… I never begged for anything in my life… But I don't have anything left, Canvas.”

Canvas turned his whole body around to face Copper directly.

"I-I really have nothing left… I don’t even have a home."

Canvas' eyes widened in slight disbelief. “W-what do you mean?"

"I quit my job, Canvas! I haven’t worked since that night! I've spent all my time trying to find you! I went everywhere I could and I spent every bit I had! I…”

Copper's head hung low again.

“... I even sold the house."

Canvas' eyes grew even wider, and his feelings grew more upset at the thought of his childhood home now gone. "What!?"

"I sold everything I had! The moment I sobered up and realized what I did, I gave up everything to try and find you!"

Canvas stood still for several seconds. Even with the tears and desperation on his face, Canvas couldn't see anything in Copper other than the bastard who destroyed his art and beat him so heartlessly. Canvas turned away again with a disappointed huff.

"Well, now you found me. So go."

"CANVAS, PLEASE!! You're all that I have! I can’t lose you, Canvas! I lost everything else in my life, and I can’t lose the only thing I have left that matters to me! I lost my job, I lost my house, I lost all of my possessions, and I lost your mother, but I can’t lose you!!"

Canvas stopped walking. His hooves dug into the ground and his teeth clenched as he felt his anger building up. Copper no longer cared about his own shame as he tried his hardest to keep his son in his life. He screamed through his sobs, pleading while the crowd of ponies watched in mortified silence.

"PLEASE!! Please, Canvas, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! You're all that I have left!! Please… please… don't leave me! If I could go back in time and change things, I would, Canvas!!"

Canvas’ face grew more tense. His rage seeped out with every breath through his nostrils.

"I wish I could take back everything that happened that night, Canvas! I wish I could go back and never do any of those things to you! I wish I could take back everything I did!! I WISH I COULD TAKE BACK EVERY WORD I SAID!!"

At that moment, Canvas glanced over his shoulder.

"And I wish you died instead of Mom."

Copper's pupils shrunk. He stood speechless. He was just as shocked as the rest of the ponies around him, all floored by Canvas saying something so cruel. Rainbow Dash had to look away while mouthing ‘Whoa’ silently. Even Troy’s brows rose from his coltfriend’s venomous words. Canvas walked toward Copper, his hatred reaching new limits. He no longer yelled, just kept his voice as cold and soulless as possible.

"I don’t care what you have to say to me, and I don't care how sorry you think you are. After everything you put me through, after almost killing me, you stopped being my father the moment you threw me out."

Canvas walked right up to his tear-matted face, and glared right into his eyes.

"You. Are. Dead to me."

Not waiting to see his reaction, Canvas walked away one last time. More tears came from Copper's face, but he was unable to make a sound. Without looking back, Canvas stopped for a moment and spoke his last words.

"Stay out of my life. I never want to see you again."

With that, Canvas finally walked his way out of the crowd at a slow pace. The ponies around him stepped back to let him pass. Nopony said a word, many of whom too shocked or scared to confront him at that moment.

Seeing that it was over, Troy quickly made his way through the crowd and caught up with Canvas, keeping himself close to him as they walked together. Even with Troy's wing over him, Canvas didn’t seem to react much. The crowd turned back to Copper, still standing in the middle of the street.

There wasn't a single pony in that crowd who didn’t want to hurt Copper for hurting his own child, but nopony moved toward him when they could see such a look of utter devastation.

Seconds passed, and Copper let out a sob. His hooves gave out, and he fell on his flank, crying. Many ponies began to leave the bawling stallion, either out of guilt or pity.

Lyra and Bon-Bon rushed off to check on Canvas, but not before Lyra gave one last glare at Copper. Twilight Sparkle stood at her spot, looking at Copper with intense disdain until she felt a hoof touch her shoulder. Looking over, Twilight saw Rainbow Dash motioning to follow her and leave.

Twilight looked back at Copper and spoke to Rainbow, her tone firm and emotionless.

"Rainbow Dash, I want you to go to the train station and buy a ticket. Then come back here and give it to him so he can leave. Do you understand?"

“Uhhh… Yeah, sure...” Rainbow was surprised that Twilight wasn't going to arrest Copper (or at least turn him into an orange), but she nodded all the same and flew off, leaving Twilight alone with Copper.

On one hoof, Twilight felt a huge surge of rage at finally meeting the pony who hurt Canvas. On the other, she recalled Celestia's words; the situation was indeed more complicated than she originally thought. She could easily have him arrested or detained, but the look on his face was painful enough to see that he had gone through enough.

So instead, she just stood there, waiting for Rainbow Dash to return and watching the stallion wallowing in his loss.

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Five: Picking Up The Pieces

Canvas didn't utter a single word as he walked toward the Ponyville town limits. Even with Troy keeping himself as close as possible by his side, Canvas seemed unaware of anything around him. He simply looked forward with a blank expression, one that worried Troy more and more with each passing minute. He knew that his boyfriend would be distressed after what just happened with his father, but he was hoping to get some sign of emotion by the time they reached the edge of town. Before Troy could take a chance at starting a conversation, he heard Canvas start to breathe harder.

Troy looked over to see him staring at the ground, looking like he was about to start crying. The two stopped walking altogether. Troy knew what was going to happen, so he quickly moved to hold him to his chest for a tight hug.

For a moment, Canvas stayed silent while his head sunk into Troy’s feathers. Then, his forelegs slowly rose up to meet around Troy's back, clutching him tightly before the sound of muffled sobbing came out. Troy slowly lowered his head, letting his chin rest on the top of Canvas' head. He stroked Canvas' mane and spoke quietly.

"It's alright. I'm right here, Canvas. I'll always be here for you."

Canvas' crying continued, and Troy hugged him tighter.

"Canvas, it's okay now. You don’t have to worry about him anymore!"

"I know,” Canvas whimpered. "I just… I just don't know what to do right now… I don't know how to feel right now..."

Canvas did feel somegratitude for finally facing down his father, but he also felt conflicted over how it went. Even after how badly Copper treated him that horrible night, hurting him back didn't give Canvas the feeling of satisfaction he thought he’d receive.

Thinking about it more just made those conflicted emotions outweigh everything else. He didn’t exactly feel guilty, and he knew he meant every word, but was it really worth it? Before his confusion could sink any deeper, Canvas felt a talon lift up his chin. Troy had him look into his shining golden eyes, filled with utmost sincerity and beauty.

"Canvas, I know you went through a lot, but I'm so proud of you right now. You stood up for yourself, and you didn’t need any help to do it. You really are strong, and you managed to stand your ground against somepony who deserved it."

Despite his boyfriend’s tranquility, Canvas still felt an overwhelming weight in his gut. He remembered that tear-stained face, and all the things he said in front of everypony so shamelessly.

Did he really deserve that?

Even after everything else, was that… the right thing to do to him?

Troy then held Canvas against his chest again, making the stallion blush.

"Canvas, there's nothing that matters to me more than you. No matter what happens, no matter what comes our way, I want you to know that I will alwaysbe here for you."

Canvas felt his heart warm up. Slowly, Canvas lifted his head back up to see Troy's face, giving him a faint smile as he became lost in his eyes again.

Canvas moved his head up, and the two kissed under the overcast skies. He did his best to lose himself in his love for Troy, but the growing tension was keeping him from truly enjoying the kiss. Slowly, he pulled his head back.

"Troy… I still don’t… It just doesn’t feel right! I know I shouldn't feel bad for doing that, but… I just don’t know what to think about it."

"Canvas, look at me,” said Troy, surprisingly serious. "What Copper did to you was one of the worst things a parent could do. You know what happens to abusive parents like that in the Gryphon Kingdom? They get beheaded! Canvas, you were almost killedbecause of him! He almost murdered you! For something that wasn't your fault at all! If I never found you…”

Troy closed his eyes for a few seconds, trying to not tear up.

"Canvas... I've spent so many nights thinking about what you said about him, and all I could think about was how miserable my life would've been if you were never here. You… you made my life so much better, and I know I couldn’t be happier with anyone else."

Canvas couldn’t help wearing a weak smile upon seeing how much he meant to Troy. Holding the pony close, Troy’s voice became more sullen.

"But none of that would've happened if I never found you! Canvas, you can’t feel guilty about hurting somepony like him! After knowing how badly he treated you… after I held you that night when you finally talked about it… and I saw how much pain he put you through…”

Troy felt the floodgates break. He clung to Canvas for dear life while tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Canvas, I can never forgive him for doing that! I can’t forgive someone who almost took you away from me! Not after all the time we spent together, not after falling in love with you! I know that no pony who would do that to you should ever be called a parent!"

Canvas felt himself tear up as well. In that moment, Canvas could understand how deeply Troy felt about it all, and that what he said was right. Though the way he treated Copper was hurtful, maybe even regretful, Canvas felt the same way that Troy did: he could never forgive somepony like Copper for causing him so much pain and sorrow.

Canvas felt Troy’s tears hit the fur on his shoulders, and he nuzzled the gryphon lovingly in return.

"Canvas, you shouldn’t regret what you said to him. I know you hurt him, but.. he hurt you so much more."

Troy then opened his eyes and pulled his head back, looking straight into Canvas' moistened blue eyes.

"You can’t let this get to you. You did what you had to do, and you shouldn't think otherwise. You'll always have me… and I will always love you for being the brave and caring pony you are."

Canvas could feel his tension slip away, and he kissed him again. Once they parted, the sound of hoofsteps was heard. Lyra and Bon-Bon galloped toward them frantically.

"Canvas!" shouted Lyra. She ran toward Canvas and hugged him dearly, looking especiallydistraught. Troy stepped back from them. Bon-Bon tried to catch her breath.

"Honey! You… shouldn’t have… interrupted them!"

"I don’t care!" Lyra looked like she was going to break down any second. "Canvas, I… I can’t believe that happened to you! Why didn’t you tell us?!"

Canvas felt a new wave of guilt for keeping his first pony friends in the dark. He bit his lip with a pained wince, and tried his best to return her embrace.

"I… I'm sorry I never told you, Lyra. I tried to keep it away from everypony as long as I could… even from myself...”

When the two finally pulled apart, Canvas' gaze sunk to the ground. "Only Troy knew about it, and that was only because I happened to blurt it out after that moment with Hot Shot.”

Lyra slowly nodded in understanding. She still wished he told them about it sooner, but she knew this was something a lot bigger than either she or her wife would’ve expected.

Looking back at her Bon-Bon, Lyra saw that she understood too. Said mare walked up and placed a hoof on Canvas' shoulder, trying her best to maintain her quivering muzzle.

"Canvas, you don't have to explain. I dowish you told us about this sooner, but… we get it. You went through something really terrible, and… and I can see why it would be hard to talk about."

Bon-Bon then gave Canvas a gentle hug. "You're still a great friend, Canvas. And you always have been. Never forget that."

Canvas hugged Bon-Bon back, holding her tightly while trying not to cry again. "Th-thanks, Bon-Bon."

As soon as she let go, Troy was by Canvas' side again, holding him closely with his wing as they stood opposite Lyra and Bon-Bon.

"Canvas,” said Lyra worriedly. "Do you two want to come with us? We were planning to make dinner, and you're more than welcome to join us tonight."

Lyra looked over at Bon-Bon briefly, seeing her nod in agreement. "Besides, Bon-Bon was trying out a new flavor of hard candy."

“Honey, I really don’t think we should lure them with candy right now.”

“Well, excuse mefor trying to help!”

“And you are, Lyra. Nopony is saying otherwise.” Bon-Bon let out a miffed-sounding huff. “I’m so sorry, guys. You know we’re not trying to impose, right?”

Even with her small smile, Lyra could tell that Canvas had more pressing matters at hoof. After nodding to Bon-Bon’s remark, he pressed himself closer into Troy’s side.

"That's really nice of you, but right now, I just want to go home and rest."

Lyra sighed. "It’s alright. We understand."

Lyra and Bon-Bon each gave him one last hug, and then made their way back into town. Just as Canvas and Troy were about to walk away, however, Lyra turned back, looking at Canvas insistently.

"Canvas! I reallythink we should clear the air about this sometime. Not right now, but when you’re able to, okay?"

The unicorn’s stern tone made it clear she wasn't being flexible about the matter. "I know I'm asking for a lot, and I don’t want you to think you have to do something you don’t have to do. But I really think you should be more open about this with us, because, well... we're your friends."

Canvas blinked before eventually nodding. He owed the mares an explanation. Soon after, the two couples went back to their homes. Canvas walked on with a better appreciation for his friends, as well as his boyfriend.

Feeling the pony under his wing, Troy hoped to make sure Canvas was truly alright. He didn’t want to see his love deal with any more unneeded guilt. However, all of his worries were put on hold when they reached their home.

Neither of them were sure what to think when they saw who was waiting for them at their barn. Sitting in front of their door with her head hung low, Rainbow Dash seemed motionless as Canvas and Troy walked up to her. Both of them felt certain she was asleep, even.

But the moment she overheard their steps, her head immediately shot upward. Both were surprised to see how horrible she looked. Heavy lines were draped under her saddened eyes, and her mane was messier than usual. Simply put, the mare looked miserable, even as she got up to her hooves and ran to Canvas.

"Canvas, I’m so sorry!" Rainbow Dash grabbed Canvas and hugged him as tightly as she could. Her eyes were clenched shut as she spoke with sheer guilt. "I had no idea he did that to you! I swear to Celestia, I would've never trieddoing anything for him if I’d known about that!"

Troy remembered what she did for almost killing Copper, but was quick to put a claw to her shoulder. "Dash, you don't have to explain--"

"YES I DO!" She let go of Canvas and looked over at Troy. Rainbow looked like she was about to cry, leaving Troy too stunned to finish.

"You tried to keep that guy away from Canvas, and I kicked you in the face! You knew who he was, and you knew what he did, but I kept you from helping your boyfriend when he needed you! I should've known you had a reason for being like that, but…."

Rainbow Dash hung her head and paused, breathing heavily as she tried as hard as she could to hold back any tears.

"I… I feel horrible… I let you down."

"No you didn't!" shouted Troy, staring at Rainbow with a wave of anger. "You didn’t know, and you were just trying to help! Rainbow, I'm not mad at you! I…”

Troy paused long enough to take a deep breath. He knew how strongly the mare could act when guilt was involved, and he certainly couldn’t blame her for feeling as such right now. Sure, he still felt a littleupset at her, but he also knew it wasn't her fault. All that she saw was him attacking some random pony, and she made sure no one got killed from it (something that she most likely did prevent).

"… I should've told you about this a long time ago. It's not your fault at all. If anything, it's mine for keeping this between Canvas and I."

Rainbow Dash lifted her head, looking at him sullenly. Seeing his genuity, her sadness began to wane, and Canvas stepped forward to put his hooves around her in a hug.

"You don’t have to apologize, Rainbow. I know you were just wanting to help, and I'm not mad. You're still a great mare, and… you're still a loyal friend to Troy and me."

Canvas could hear Rainbow exhale a little heavier. A second later, she let go and wiped her face, carrying a light smile.

Before she could try to apologize some more, a bright flash of purple light erupted nearby. Twilight Sparkle appeared, concerned. Twilight spotted Canvas, and gave a sigh of relief.

"I took care of the situation, and I made sure he's taking the next train out of town, alright?"

Canvas nodded, but then remembered how little he’d originally told her. Thus, Canvas began to feel guilty for keeping such vital information from royalty. Twilight rested a hoof on his shoulder.

"Canvas, when I asked Celestia about what happened, she told me that she knew who did it, and… she also said she understood why you wouldn’t talk about it to anypony. I didn’t know what she meant at first, but…”

Twilight tried to hide how upset she felt by pulling up her other hoof and hugging Canvas tightly.

"...I had no idea it was something that bad. Canvas, I'm so sorry that happened to you!"

Canvas hugged her back. "Twilight, I'm sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I should've told you back then."

"It's alright, Canvas. I understand completely.”

The two let go. Canvas remained worried over Twilight having to deal with Copper after telling off so harshly.

"Twilight, I'm really sorry you saw me act that way. I know he hurt me, but--”

"Canvas, you don’t…”

Twilight’s words faltered. She couldn’t say she wasn't stunned at how cold he acted toward a pony that was supposed to be family. That said, she recalled how horrible he looked that night in the storm; how badly beaten his face was, how worn down his hooves were. There, Twilight couldn't blame him for lashing out at his attacker, even when the pony was already so beaten down himself.

"... You don't have to explain. I can't say it wasn't shockingto hear you say those things, but… it was also shocking to find out what happened to you. Canvas, I know you went through something horrible, and I dowant you to talk about this with me sometime…”

Canvas nodded in agreement.

"But I also know you've been keeping this in for a long time, and seeing him was probably overwhelming for you. I…”

Twilight wanted to say that she hoped Canvas would speak to his father again at another time, when they'd both calmed down enough to speak properly. She couldn't expect Canvas to be that well-adjusted after what he did to Copper.

However, she decided not to say this out loud, for it was likely too soon for him to even consider such an idea.

"I really hope we can talk about this when you're in a better mood. I'm sure you need some rest right now, so I'll go back home if you're alright."

Canvas nodded, letting his tired show itself completely. Before the two mares turned to leave, Rainbow looked over at Troy.

"Troy, I really amsorry for kicking you."

"Eh, don’t worry about it.” Troy managed to shoot her a cheeky smirk before adding, “You kick like a girl anyway."

Rainbow Dash stepped forward to try and make him flinch. When Troy didn’t, Rainbow just smiled, happy to see he was alright.

"You can take a few days off to stay home. The other guys can take care of the storm stuff, so just stay with Canvas for now. You earned it."

Pulling Canvas in closer, Troy nodded with a smile before she and Twilight went off, flying side-by-side back to Ponyville. The couple went inside, walking into their home just as the thunder began to roar in the skies.

Troy didn't bother asking if Canvas wanted dinner as he walked with him to the loft, knowing how tired he was. Canvas just stayed silent and kept a light smile.

Canvas crawled over the blankets to lie down in their nest, and Troy stayed right with him and laid down alongside him, holding him close as thunder grew louder. The room became darker, and Troy felt himself grow tired as well. He held his lover's back against his chest, savoring his warmth as the first raindrops hit the roof of their home.

Despite his exhaustion, Canvas was surprisingly unable to fall asleep. Even the soothing sound of raindrops did nothing to rest his mind, or Troy's warm body breathing slowly over his back. Canvas pulled the gryphon’s forelegs tighter around his own chest, feeling his lover's heartbeat thump in a stunningly beautiful rhythm.

Canvas still couldn't keep his mind at ease. His mind kept replaying what happened. Clenching his eyes shut, Canvas hoped to silence the tensions in his mind; but alas, he kept picturing Copper’s defeated look while he sat completely helpless in the middle of town.

Suddenly, Canvas' eyes shot open. He no longer felt Troy's heartbeat. He turned over to look over at Troy, only to see he was no longer moving. Before he could think something horrible just happened, Canvas paused and listened. Silence hung throughout the room. The sound of rain was no longer there.

Canvas looked over at the window to see hundreds of raindrops hanging in midair, frozen in place as the moonlight glistened against them. He lifted himself from the nest and looked closer. He then realized that the moonlight wasn't there before.

It was as if time had paused for everything except him. Canvas began to feel uneasy and tried to piece everything together. He didn’t notice the looming figure in the room. Then, a booming female voice called out to him.

"Canvas."

Canvas shrieked and moved swiftly away to the rear wall of blankets. At the foot of the nest, a large figure stood before him, completely darkened by shadows.

His sights adjusted to the shape. It was the body of an alicorn, and he quickly figured out who the body belonged to. The moonlight grew brighter. The alicorn’s mane began to glow, showing the night's sky itself within it as it flowed against her dark blue coat.

It was the Princess of the Night herself, Princess Luna.

"We need to talk."

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Six: The Son and the Moon

Over the past few months, Canvas had encountered enough strange and unexpected events to fill a large book; encountering multiple princesses, becoming a famous artist, falling in love with an opera-singing gryphon, you name it. But an all-powerful alicorn standing right in his bedroom... that was a new one.

Luna stood before him in all of her majestic glory against the darkness, and Canvas could only blink in confoundment. The question of why she’d be here in the first place concerned him.

"Do you know why I am here?"

Canvas slowly shook his head. He looked over at Troy, frozen in time along with everything else in sight. He tried to reach out and touch his lover, only to feel a resistance between him and Troy. He could even see a strange ripple between them as he did so.

"Am I... dreaming?"

"Yes, you are. I, however, am indeed in this space with you. I am able to enter the dreams of ponies, as is one of my duties as the Princess of the Night."

Canvas nodded in understanding and sat up. He'd heard of Luna being capable of this before, but he never would've thought that this would happen to him of all ponies.

"Canvas, do you know the reason why I am here right now?"

Canvas almost shook his head again, but then he pieced it together. The realization made his heart grow heavy.

"I want to speak with you about your father, Canvas."

Canvas' face scrunched in at hearing that word, and he had to look away from her. He could never think of Copper that way after everything he'd done, especially after what Troy said earlier. Canvas spoke in a faint and bitter tone.

"He's not my father."

A strong silence filled the frozen air. Canvas felt no remorse for such a declaration. Before the Princess could respond, Canvas continued harshly.

"I did everything for him. I spent so much time trying to make him proud of me, but it didn't matter to him..."

Luna kept a blank expression as she listened, unnoticed by the stallion. Canvas' anger built up once more as it all came back, and any guilt that may have sprouted withered away. All the more so as he did his best to smother the grief from those memories, his voice cracking in the process.

"I spent so much of my life trying to be a good son for him… and he threw me out! He nearly beat me to death, h-he destroyed my art! And he disowned me! He disowned me for something that wasn't even a choice! After everything I've done, h-he took away everything because… because I'm gay."

Canvas closed his eyes. He was unsure of whether that was an appropriate detail to bring up to the princess, but Luna stood still. Slowly, Canvas' face changed from sadness to an even stronger rage, the pain of the past fueling its fire.

Exhaling deeply, Canvas opened his eyes again to look right into Luna’s.

"I… I hate him."

Canvas had plenty more to say, but he kept his muzzle shut. As for Luna, she expected a reaction akin to this, but was still surprised to see such loathing. Alas, she didn’t try to show it.

"Canvas, I know about what happened to you that night. I looked into the recollections of ponies from Gallop Creek, and I can understand why you would feel that way. However, I also looked into the recollections for what happened after that night as well. I saw what your…”

Luna paused for a moment, then decided to change her words for Canvas' sake.

"…. what Copper Fields had done after you left. He truly meant everything he told you today, Canvas."

Canvas looked down at his hooves, unsure of what to think. He already figured that Copper wasn't lying. Still, it wasn't enough to forgive him. Not even selling his house was enough to make him forget the suffering he had to endure.

"It doesn't matter... He never should've done any of that to me in the first place. It doesn't change how I feel about him."

Canvas looked up at Luna again, conveying a stern honesty.

"I meant every single word that I said to him."

Another moment of silence passed. Luna's gaze faltered as she sighed, and closed her eyes.

"Canvas, I really think you should see for yourself what happened to Copper after you left."

Canvas could tell that Luna wasn't being flexible. The entire room rippled around them., and his bedroom disappeared and turned into another place.

Lifting himself to his hooves, Canvas no longer felt the blankets from his nest underneath him. Instead, he found himself standing on a muddy road. They were in Gallop Creek again, and in front of his old home no less.

Canvas started to breathe heavily. He could see several torn pieces of his paintings in the front yard, all of which were now useless, soaked wads in the wet grass. The sun was just rising behind him and Luna, which meant that this was supposed to be the morning after that terrible night.

Canvas glanced over at the drugstore next door, where the shopkeeper was putting his potted plants back outside. He looked morose behind his grey-coated face, even more when he looked over at Canvas' home. It became clear to Canvas that neither he nor Luna were seen by him. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream caught the attention of them all.

"NOOOOOO!!"

The door to his old home burst open, almost breaking off at the hinges. Copper ran out of the house, terrified and obviously recovering from a major hangover. Canvas grew more upset upon seeing Copper's hooves, still stained with his blood. Copper kept going, running out onto the muddy road and screaming his head off.

"CANVAS!! CANVAS!!"

Copper ran right past both Canvas and Luna, leaving his front door wide open while frantically screaming out his son’s name. Looking over at Canvas, Luna saw him keeping a hateful stare on his father, making her feel uneasy.

"This was only five hours after you left town, Canvas."

Canvas breathed in deeply, still upset.

"It took your father less than a night to know that he did wrong, to realize what he did to you."

Canvas looked down at the destroyed art on the lawn. He didn’t want to look at the other ponies in the neighborhood, who were now all looking out from their doors and windows at Copper. With a glow of her horn, Luna made their surroundings ripple again. Canvas’ hooves now stood in a patch of wet grass.

Canvas looked up and gasped. He was in the graveyard, by his mother's grave. Canvas winced and put a hoof to his mouth. The tombstone of Blowing Winds had a dark red stain across it; the blood he left behind.

He turned away, and that’s when he noticed the grave-keeper, a dark-purple pegasus stallion, looking around the property. The stallion then overheard Copper’s screaming as he ran into the graveyard.

Copper knew his son spent a lot of his time around here after she died, so he ran at full speed toward his wife’s tombstone. His hooves brushed against the wet grass, washing away the mud and blood. He quickly spotted it, and then stopped at the sight of his son's blood stained against the stone. Copper almost fell on his flank as he put a hoof to his mouth, mortified. With Canvas and the grave-keeper watching, Copper stumbled toward a nearby tree and threw up.

After taking a moment to breathe, Copper tried getting closer to the grave, tears coming down his face. However, when he got within ten feet, a surprisingly strong gust of wind blew against him. Both Canvas and the grave-keeper had difficulty staying in place due to the wind’s strength, while Copper was blown several feet away.

Luna didn't seem to have any difficulty standing her ground. Her attention remained on Canvas, who was now looking at the situation with wide eyes and a hoof held up against the wind. Copper looked at the tombstone with pained terror, and cried out remorsefully.

"I'm sorry!"His eyes struggled to stay open as he shouted. "I'm so sorry! I didn’t mean to--"

An even stronger gust of wind blew Copper onto his back. He rolled back onto his hooves, and then looked out toward the road that went out of town. His tear-stained face grew determined. He turned back toward the grave, ignoring the wind blowing him away.

"I'm going to find him! I'm gonna find him, honey! I swear!"

With that, Copper rushed out, running as fast as he could toward the town limits.

Luna changed the scene once more. Now they were high up in the skies, standing on top of a cloud. Canvas wasn't used to his hooves being on a cloud (he felt like he was going to fall through at any moment), but his attention was quickly grabbed by the sound of several galloping ponies underneath him.

Canvas carefully looked down to see several stallions running down a dirt road with a cart. He immediately recognized them as old friends of Copper. They were all rushing as fast as they could down the unfamiliar road. Canvas located a nearby sign, which indicated that he and Luna were almost eighty miles outside of Gallop Creek. This confused him, until he noticed a shape in the distance. His eyes widened as he saw what, or who, it was.

Copper lay passed out on the side of the road, struggling to keep his hooves moving while breathing as hard as he could. As soon as the other stallions ran up to him, Copper struggled against them while they tried to put him in the cart, thrashing against his own exhausted body and speaking in a gasping wheeze.

"Godda findim! Please… I gotta… I gotta find my boy."

"You need to pull yourself together, Copper!" shouted one of the stallions, a light-blue pegasus who Canvas knew as Cloud Thresher. "We have a search party going on right now! We're trying to find your son, I swear, but you can't keep pushing yourself like--"

"I HAVE TO FIND HIM!" With the last of his energy, Copper tried jumping out of the cart. Knowing he could certainly die if he kept this up, Cloud Thresher threw the both of themselves into the cart. He held him down with his hooves while shouting to the others.

"Get to the hospital now! I'll hold him down!"

Without hesitation, the other stallions pulled the cart. Copper struggled against his friend's weight all the while, screaming his head off.

Luna hoped that Canvas was starting to understand by now, although it was difficult to tell from his flat expression. She moved them to another place, within the waiting room of a hospital. Canvas now watched Cloud Thresher pacing in the room, looking worried while keeping his gaze on the linoleum floor beneath his hooves.

Before he could start pulling at his orange mane, a group of ponies caught his attention. He ran up to them, and when he took in the group’s morosity, Cloud Thresher's worry became more obvious.

"We haven’t found Canvas anywhere,” said a dark-grey stallion in the front. "We managed to look through every town up to Appleloosa, but we haven’t found anything."

"Dammit!” Cloud Thresher threw his hoof against the wall and clenched his eyes shut. “I can't tell him that! Copper's been running himself ragged for the past three days trying to find--"

A shrill scream caught everypony’s attention. They looked over to see three nurses trying to hold down Copper. Dressed in a hospital gown and with several tubes still attached to his body, the green stallion pushed himself against the three separate magical auras in an attempt to leave.

Copper ignored their orders to stop, and didn’t notice the squirts of his blood coming out from some of the tubes.

"Let me the buck go!”shouted Copper. He managed to break free from the auras, making it a few more feet before two large earth pony security guards pinned him against the floor. Copper tried punching one of the guards, only to miss and stumble to the ground. His forelegs were quickly pinned behind his back.

"Get off me, Goddess-Dammit! I need to get him! I need to find my son!!”

A hypodermic needle carried by an aura quickly shot past Canvas and Luna, making its way into his neck. While the dosage was quickly administered to Copper, Cloud Thresher looked on with growing unease as he watched his friend slowly move less against his restraints. With one last large jolt, Copper passed out on the ground, leaving everypony in the hospital room scared silent of the unconscious pony lying in his own blood.

Canvas stood at the spot, looking completely stunned. Luna finally spoke up.

"This happened around the time Troy found you.” The princess watched Canvas slowly turn toward her, his eyes still bulging. "He was sent to the hospital three separate times from exhaustion before you were found, Canvas. And from what I've seen, this was the first time he was able to sleep."

Canvas looked back toward the crowd who watched Copper's limp body being carried back to his room. Copper's unconscious face carried a look of despair, and upon seeing it, Canvas put on a bitter scowl.

Despite his expression, Canvas' shaky breathing was still noticed by the princess. She knew that this was starting to get to him. Luna quickly changed the setting again, moving them back to the front of Canvas' home. All of the destroyed paintings were gone, and the unkempt lawn was no longer soaked and muddy.

"This happened a week later, while you were still unconscious at Ponyville Hospital."

Canvas stayed silent as he took in his surroundings. Copper stood in front of his home with a large cardboard box next to him. Based on how faded his green fur was becoming, as well as the dark bags under his eyes, Canvas could tell that Copper had barely slept. He stood by the side of the road, holding a bottle of bourbon in his mouth and pouring the contents into the storm drain.

Copper threw the empty bottle into the box. Canvas' eyes widened at seeing how many empty bottles were inside. He reached over for his last bottle of vodka (Canvas remembered it being a really expensive brand), and didn’t even hesitate as he opened it with his teeth and began pouring it into the drain as well.

Canvas always knew that Copper was a heavy drinker, a habit he picked up quickly after his wife died. He tried to get him to drink less from time to time, but it was always a discussion that ended with him being told to mind his own business. Now, Canvas could only gawk as he watched Copper pour out his entire liquor cabinet without apprehension.

"He was trying to find you for over a week straight after you left,” said Luna. "This was the first time he came back home since you left, and this was the very first thing he did."

Canvas only blinked, almost not noticing Cloud Thresher as he ran past him toward Copper.

"Copper, where the buck have you been!?" shouted Cloud Thresher. "Oh, Sweet Mother of Celestia, are you seriously throwing out all your booze!? I haven't seen you for five days, and this is what you're doing--"

"Never again!” screamed Copper, throwing the empty bottle of aged scotch in the box among the others. He grabbed another bottle.

"Never bucking again! I never listened to him, and look what happened! I should've listened to my boy, I should've quit a long time ago!! I should've quit before…”

Copper clenched his eyes shut for a moment, gritting his teeth while trying not to tear up. He then screamed and threw the bottle against the drain. The bottle smashed open, sending shards of broken glass and whiskey everywhere. Cloud Thresher stepped back, terrified at his friend breaking down.

"Please, you have to pull yourself together! I know you feel horrible, and I'm sosorry about Canvas!"

Cloud Thresher put a hoof on Copper's shoulder, hoping to calm his crying friend down. "But Copper, you can't keep this up! You haven't been at work for a week, and the harvest is coming up! I know you want to find your son, and I'm trying to help as much as I can, but if you don't go back to work soon--"

"I already quit."

Cloud Thresher's eyes widened in shock.

"W-what!?"

"I quit.” Copper grabbed the last of the full bottles, holding it in his hoof as he poured it out. "I don't give a buck. I already pulled out all my savings so I can take a train in the morning. I figure he might’ve made it to Baltimare, so I'm heading there first."

"You… you can't be serious!" Cloud Thresher looked downright dumbfounded. "I know you want to get Canvas back, but don't you think this is going a bit too far--"

"HE'S MY BUCKING SON!!” screamed Copper. He grabbed Cloud Thresher by the shoulders, holding him a few inches from his face."Canvas is all that I bucking have, and I'm not going to lose him!"

Copper slowly pulled back, keeping his head hung low as more tears came down. Cloud Thresher stood silent while Copper’s voice came out in a whimper.

"I bucked up… and I can’t live with myself. I just can't, Thresher!"

Despite not wanting to be seen hugging another stallion in public, Cloud Thresher held Copper close while he cried against his shoulder. He could understand his friend’s guilt. Eventually, he let go.

"Copper, I know I can't stop you, but you need to think this over! Do you really think you can keep this up forever?"

Copper pushed himself away and stepped back, glaring at him. Cloud Thresher knew his friend's mind was made up.

"I… I just hope you know what you're doing..."

Copper nodded. He picked up the last bottle: a vintage bottle of champagne. He held it in his hoof for a moment, and then looked over at his friend.

"Cloud... I need you to take this."

Looking at the bottle, Cloud Thresher gasped when he realized exactly what it was. It was the bottle Copper had left unopened since his wedding.

"I… I can’t do that, Copper! You've had that since your wedding! I--"

"I can’t drain it. I can’t smash it. But I can't hold onto it… Please, Cloud Thresher. Just hold onto it for me."

Seeing Copper’s distress, Cloud Thresher closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn’t say no. He took the bottle from him, and could see his friend’s gratitude.

"I… I really hope you find your son, Copper. I mean it."

Copper only nodded before he walked back to his home, leaving the box of empty bottles out by the curb. Canvas stood by, his muzzle dropped. Cloud Thresher flew off past Canvas and Luna. The princess waited a moment while watching Canvas process everything he just saw and heard. Then, she changed the scene one more time.

It was the graveyard once more. Looking around, Canvas didn’t see anyone else, and the sun had begun to set behind them. Canvas looked at the gravestone, seeing that his blood had been washed away a long time ago. Unfortunately, there was still a slight discoloration where it used to be.

Canvas felt his eyes well up. He looked away at what he felt like was a scar he gave his own mom. He wanted to ask Luna about going somewhere else, but then saw Copper walk past him. He headed toward the gravestone with a large saddlebag over his back. Another strong gust of wind blew against him, but it didn’t phase him one bit.

"This was two weeks later,” said Luna. "After spending all of his savings to take the train to several different cities, he ended up selling his house to the bank to get more money."

Canvas turned back to Luna, wide-eyed and stunned at how quickly his father sacrificed everything he had. Canvas had been gone for almost seven months, but Copper gave up so much in less than one. Canvas then noticed a bright figure flying in from the distance. Luna turned toward it as well.

"This happened after Celestia ran an investigation in Gallop Creek regarding what happened to you. Copper was gone at the time, so she waited until he came back one last time to confront him."

The Princess of the Sun landed at the graveyard entrance. Her face gave a look of pure intensity as she walked past the rows of tombstones. She made her way toward Copper, who now sat in front of the grave.

The wind still blew against Copper’s face, but he simply stared at the tombstone, and the stain his son's blood made. He opened one of the pockets on his saddlebag, looking around inside while speaking to the tombstone.

"I don't know when I'll be back.” Celestia came closer, but Copper didn’t notice her. "I don’t know if I'll ever beback…”

Copper pulled out a razor blade with his teeth. Celestia paused for a moment, standing beside Canvas as they both looked at him with worry. Copper brought his determined gaze back at the grave, and the winds began to die down.

"... Bud… Ah'm nod gunna stahp, honeh."

Copper then raised a hoof, holding it against his face, and closed his eyes. Both Canvas and Celestia looked on in stunned silence as they watched him use the razor to cut open his hoof.

Copper winced from the pain, but he didn't care about the stream of blood running down his foreleg. He spit the blade back into his bag, and looked at the grave once more. He pressed his hoof against the stone, keeping it in the exact spot his own son's blood was. Copper felt tears roll down his face, and he spoke with utmost sincerity and pain.

"I swear… I bucking swear, I'm going to find him. I don't care how long it takes. I don’t care how much I have to give up… but I'm not going to lose him, honey… I'm not going to lose our boy."

A line of blood rolled down the tombstone.

"I promise… I promiseI will do everything I can to find Canvas! I… I know you'll never forgive me for what I did...”

Copper’s face became one of pure self-hatred. The wind had died down completely.

"... I am sosorry, honey… I know you'll never love me again…”

Copper pressed his head against the grave, clenching his eyes shut. A few seconds of silence later, and Copper continued.

"... But I will find Canvas. That I will swear by with my bucking life! I just can’t lose him… I can’t lose him like I lost you...”

Several sobs escaped him. Canvas, much like Celestia right beside him, was left speechless. They both watched him remove his hoof from the stone. He then pressed it against his other hoof, kneeled down against the gravestone, and bowed his head. Closing his streaming eyes, he spoke up faintly to the heavens.

"I know that I did wrong, and I know I don’t deserve anything for what I did… butI only ask for one thing...”

Keeping his hooves pressed together, Copper looked up at the sky and prayed.

"Please… please, Celestia…”

Celestia's eyes widened as she listened, not moving an inch.

"... I never asked for a thing in my life from you, but… please… please make sure Canvas is safe.”

Luna watched Canvas the whole time, now also shedding tears.

"Even if I never see him again… even if I die before I ever find him… please don't take him away. Don’t let my child die before me.”

Exhaling deeply, Copper wiped his eyes dry and lifted himself from the grave, turning away with his saddlebag. Right before he could face her, Celestia's horn lit up, turning herself invisible as she watched him walk past her toward the road. She didn't move at all while the stallion slowly limped out of the graveyard. Once far away enough, Celestia took off her invisibility spell and sighed, before flying off in the other direction.

Standing by himself, Canvas' tears hit the grass underneath him. Luna walked up, levitating a dark-purple cloth for him so he could wipe his face.

Canvas slowly nodded and took it, wiping off his tears as quickly as he could before giving it back to her. Canvas only stood in silence while keeping his gaze away from Luna.

"I know this is a lot to take in, but I hope you can see what this means for you."

Canvas stared at the grave that now had Copper's blood on it, feeling a growing uncertainty within him. Seeing how stricken with grief Copper was, all Canvas could think about was all the things he said to him in Ponyville.

Closing his eyes, Canvas tried to think of how to react while all of his memories circled around his head. That horrible night after his graduation, mixing with his hateful words during his confrontation, along with his recollections of what he just saw. Canvas' eyes started tearing up again. Luna hoped she could get him to listen even during his obvious struggle.

"Canvas, I really feel you should talk--"

"IT DOESN’T BUCKING MATTER!"

Luna flinched and backed away from him. Even with tears still streaming down his face, Canvas turned back toward her with a bitter glare through his trembling muzzle.

"Why are you showing me all of this!? After everything he did to me, after all the things he said, you really think any of this helps!? He still beatme! He still disowned me!!”

Canvas narrowed his eyes.

"Show what happened that night! Show him when he was beating me senseless! Show him as he ripped up all my paintings! Show him when he made me drive myself to bucking suicide! Go ahead, DO IT!!"

Luna understood what was happening. Canvas was using anger as a mask for his confusion. Nevertheless, Luna grew more agitated as his screaming continued.

"How could you just come up and show me this!? You really think seeing this will make me change my mind!? You think all this will make me think I can forgivehim!? You can’t force me to accept an apology after he did something that wrong! You can’t force me to just forgive him! YOU CAN'T FORCE ME TO--”

"I AM NOT FORCING YOU TO DO ANYTHING!!!"

She didn’t want to resort to something as drastic as her Royal Canterlot Voice to take control of a situation. But judging from Canvas' stunned silence, it was effective enough.

Canvas stood in front of Luna, wide-eyed, literally shaking in his hooves. Luna took a moment to calm herself down enough to speak tranquilly, yet sternly.

"Canvas, I am not going to forceyou to do anything. I know very well what Copper did to you, and I understand why you would not want to forgive him."

Canvas nodded in spite of his fear.

"I can understand your pain, Canvas. I know what it's like. I can speak from experience what it's like to feel abandoned. To feel pain come from family, for a reason that doesn't seem just, and wanting to hurt them just as badly because of it.”

Canvas knew what she was referring to. Granted, he wasn't that familiar with the whole story of Nightmare Moon, but he learned enough to know that Luna could partially relate to him.

"However, if there's one thing I have learned, it is that acceptingforgiveness is sometimes not nearly as hard as asking for it.”

Canvas blinked in uncertainty.

"Canvas, I can understand the pain you went through because of your father, but I can also understand Copper'spain as well."

Luna lowered her gaze to the ground, looking slightly more vulnerable.

"I… I know how it feels to hurt somepony who did not deserve it… I know how it feels to hurt your family… I know how it feels to realize I've done wrong, and to want nothing more than to be forgiven for my actions.”

Canvas looked away for a moment, feeling hesitant over what to think.

"I hurt… somany ponies… and I lost so many of them while I was banished. I never got the chance to redeem myself in time for many of my friends to see… I never got to show them that I could be better in their lifetimes."

Even though she wasn't crying, Canvas could tell how heartbreaking this was for her. She looked back up at Canvas sullenly.

"My older sister was the only pony left I could apologize to. After a thousand years, she was the only friend I had left. Even though I did something beyond terrible to so many ponies, and so many friends… she still forgave me… and that was the greatest thing to happen to me."

Seeing a glimmer of hope in her eyes, Canvas began to understand what she was trying to say.

"It took me over a thousand years to realize I did wrong...

“It didn’t even take your father half a day."

Luna slowly changed the setting so that they were now in a black void.

"All that I ask of you, Canvas, is to not let your past take over your present. I know it can be hard, or even impossibleto forgive. But I can tell you that, in the end, it is a much better choice than to hold a grudge."

Canvas thought about her wisdom some more, and when he finally understood, he nodded with a faint smile. Knowing that her deed was finished, Luna’s horn began to glow, and the space between them shone brightly in a burst of white light. As it grew brighter, Canvas put a hoof over his eyes.

After several seconds of clenching his eyes shut, Canvas realized he was no longer standing, but lying on his side. He slowly opened his eyes to find that he was back in his nest with Troy, who was still holding him tightly against his chest. Troy’s breathing could be heard now, but the rain had stopped. A clear night's sky was the window’s point of view.

The alarm clock showed that it was almost five in the morning, meaning that the sun would be up soon. Even so, Canvas felt wide awake. He knew that his dream was beyond real.

He knew what he had to do. Canvas closed his eyes and savored the warmth of his lover one more time. Then, he slowly lifted the gryphon's forelegs off him, and carefully got out of the nest.

He then took a deep breath, walked down the stairs, and made his way out of the house...

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Seven: Reaching for Redemption

Canvas didn't leave his bedroom at all during Blowing Wind’s funeral reception. Copper couldn't blame his son for feeling so depressed. He knew that he loved his mom dearly.

As he stood in his kitchen with his friends around him, Copper Fields kept silent and tried to stay strong. After finding out he lost the love of his life while at work, and then having to tell his son after pulling him out of school, the last thing he wanted was any more heartache. Even with Cloud Thresher by his side, Copper felt a throbbing pain in his very soul, which wasn't getting any easier after his fifth drink. Several neighbors were gracious enough to make some meals for him and his son, but Copper barely responded to any of their gifts or kind words.

When Cloud Thresher finally left, long after everypony else had, Copper slowly walked back to his bedroom. Along the way, he could see that Canvas' door was still closed. Copper just wanted to lie down and let his wife's passing sink in on his own, but as soon as he looked at the empty bed, Copper's heart felt shattered. It would always be like this now. Copper would be alone from now on.

Canvas' door slowly opened. The aqua-colored colt looked around to make sure nopony was left except his dad. With his brand-new art bag hoisted over his shoulder, large enough to drag along the ground, Canvas slowly walked over to his dad's bedroom, wiping the tears off of his face.

Canvas opened the door to see his father sitting on the bed, holding a picture of his wife. When he noticed his son was there, Copper quickly looked away and put the frame back on the nightstand. Canvas could tell that his father had been crying. He expected his dad to yell at him for not knocking, but Copper just kept a sad look as he wiped his tears before turning toward Canvas.

"C-Canvas? W-What is it?"

Clutching his art bag closely to his side, Canvas looked away for a second before speaking, his young voice coming out shakily.

"I… I can’t sleep, dad."

Copper bit his lip. He knew what his son was going to ask him. He usually would've said no, but his heart couldn’t handle it tonight.

"C-can I sleep in here with you tonight?"

Without saying a word, Copper slowly nodded. His son rushed onto the bed, keeping his bag by his side as he crawled up to his father. Copper wanted to say something about not having that bag in the bed with him, but he stayed silent while the colt laid down next to him. Copper grabbed his son and pulled him in close, clutching him tightly as they laid on the bed together.

Canvas pushed his face into Copper’s chest and began to cry softly. Hearing his colt's muffled sobs, Copper hugged him tighter and used a hoof to stroke his mane. It was starting to get shaggy, but he said nothing about it.

He wanted Canvas to be strong about everything that happened, but he didn’t stop his son's weeping. Copper remembered how horrible losing a parent could be from when he was a teenager, and he could only imagine how bad it must’ve felt for Canvas. It had to be even worse for a pony so young.

Copper reached out a hoof and turned off the bedside lamp, and the bedroom became shrouded in darkness. Copper was glad he still had Canvas. He also felt grateful that he wasn't sleeping alone tonight.

The warmth of his child alleviated his pain for the moment, but Copper knew there was going to be a really tough time ahead for the both of them. Copper spoke in a faint voice while continuing to stroke his son’s mane.

"Canvas, I want you to know that... whatever happens, no matter what... I'll always be there for you."

The colt stayed silent, but Copper clutched him tighter regardless.

"I know this is horrible, and… I miss her too… but you'll always have me. I promise."

Not long after, he began to notice that Canvas wasn’t giving much of a reaction. In fact, he was no longer even holding him, just lying limp against his body, silent.

Copper knew something was off once he felt his entire chest wet with something. Something that wasn’t tears. He slowly put out his hoof again and turned the lamp back on. The light entered the room again, and Copper's eyes widened in terror when he looked down.

Canvas, now at his current age, was lying lifeless against his father's chest, covered in blood. His face had returned to the badly beaten and swollen state it was the night of his graduation.

Copper screamed and shot back. Canvas' body fell to the ground, landing on top of a pile of his destroyed paintings. A pool of blood seeped out from under him. Copper found himself back in his son's bedroom, completely destroyed. He breathed rapidly, and his heart beat uncontrollably.

He looked down at his hooves and chest. They were stained with his son's blood. He shook out of sheer horror. His muzzle hung open, but several seconds of petrified silence passed before he screamed.

Halfway through his shrill cry, Copper's eyes shot wide open as he fell off the bench, and onto the hard, wooden floor. The cold ground awoke him fully. He could only groan in agony as he slowly lifted himself up, managing to get back onto his hooves before he looked around.

Usually, the train station had at least a few ponies, but there wasn't a single soul around this early. The station had been completely soaked by the storm that passed by several hours ago.

Because of said storm, no trains were able to arrive at the station until morning. None of this phased Copper, who slowly slumped back onto the bench. After hearing everything his son said to him, Copper felt numb to everything around him. All other interactions or feelings that came after just passed by him like a phantom.

When Rainbow Dash came back with the train ticket, Copper just sat silent in the middle of the street, completely broken, barely noticing her or Princess Twilight Sparkle standing there. The alicorn was generous enough to check his injuries, making sure nothing was broken after his interaction with that gryphon, but she didn’t say a single word to him the entire time. It wasn't until after she levitated his saddlebag to him, and placed the ticket inside of one of the pockets that she said just one thing.

"I think it would be best for you to leave."

Copper didn’t remember getting up, or walking all the way back to the train station through the storm. Copper couldn’t care less about the pouring rain that soaked his faded fur to the core, or how freezing it all felt. Copper didn't seem to care about anything even now, until he reached a hoof into his bag.

Copper pulled out an old photograph of him with Canvas and Blowing Winds. They stood in front of their home together, all of them happy.

And I tried to kill myself because of you.

Copper felt his heart drop to his stomach like a cannonball. The colt looked so happy, standing beside his mom with the biggest grin on his little face as he wrapped a foreleg around her.

I wish you died instead of Mom.

At the bottom was that art bag she got for him, lying next to the colt who carried it with him proudly. While he didn’t like that his wife spent so much money, the look on Canvas' face when it was given to him was beyond priceless. Looking back, Copper was glad she was so supportive of their son's talent. It was likely a big reason Canvas was so great at it today.

You. Are. Dead to me.

As his son's cruel words replayed in Copper's head, he shoved the photo back in his bag. He didn’t want to think about anything after how much he gave up for this. After all the things he sold and sacrificed, all the countless hours of searching town to town, none of it mattered when he finally found Canvas. Despite losing everything, including his own dignity as he literally begged for him to stay, all Copper had to show for it were the last words his son said to him.

Stay out of my life. I never want to see you again.

Copper recalled how honest and cold those words came out before Canvas walked away. He closed his eyes and buried his face in his hooves over how badly things had gone since that terrible night. He knew talking with him wouldn't be an easy task by any means, but he at least dearly hoped for something positive to come of it.

Now, the stallion sat alone, and his new, bitter reality began to set in; that along with everything else in his life, Copper had truly lost his only child.

And worst of all, no matter what, nopony could be blamed but himself.

Copper really didn’t remember much of what he did that night. Of course, waking up in a trashed home with bloodied hooves was more than enough to make him realize he did something horribly, horribly wrong. As time passed and his memories slowly began to come back to him, Copper only felt increasingly worse as he recalled every soul-shattering moment after Canvas came back home.

When he remembered every punch he’d thrown against his child, and every piece of artwork he’d tore apart in front of him, Copper felt his entire world crash down and shatter over. When he remembered the promise he made to his son that night after the funeral reception, Copper was fueled by nothing but pure adrenaline and shame as he constantly moved ahead, knowing he couldn’t possibly live with himself until he found him again.

But now he really had nothing left. Without his job, his home, most of his possessions, or even a foreseeable plan for the future, Copper was in a bad situation. He couldn’t even complain about any of it, though. After all, this was exactly what happened to his son several months ago.

On that thought, Copper figured this was probably close to how Canvas felt after being thrown out: all alone while wet and hurting. He couldn't compare his own physical injuries to what he did to Canvas, but he still winced as he put a hoof up to his left eye, feeling how sore it was thanks to that gryphon.

Copper only felt worse as he acknowledged that not only did he do this to his own child, but that he did it much worse than Canvas did to him.

Suddenly, Copper heard the faint sound of hoofsteps in the distance, coming closer against the wet wood. Sitting upright, Copper looked over to see a dark figure appear from within the shadows, stopping in his sights and standing at the platform entrance.

The skies grew even darker from a new set of clouds coming in for a second downpour, but Copper's eyes adjusted to the light, and they widened as the figure moved closer.

Canvas moved into the faint moonlight before his father, looking at him sternly. After a moment of silence, Copper pulled himself off the bench and began to open his mouth, hoping to say something. His son beat him to it.

"Why?"

Copper blinked as he tried to understand what Canvas meant. He wanted to answer any question his son was willing to ask him, but that one word befuddled him. He could his son's hooves grind against the platform before he spoke more dishearteningly.

"Why did you come here? Why did you have to come back to see me? What were you wanting to do?"

Copper faltered. He had a lot of reasons for why he wanted to find him, at first. But when he started to remember everything, he learned that looking for something akin to forgiveness was beyond his grasp.

"I… I just had to make sure you were alright, Canvas. I couldn’t live with myself after realizing what I did to you. I-I just wanted to try and… try and set things right."

Canvas only stood silent. Copper hung his head, and tried to add more.

"I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for what happened! As soon as I knew what I did, I-I knew I had to do something! I just couldn’t leave you alone and… make you think I was that same pony… I never meant to hurt you.”

"Then why did you do it?"

Copper looked back up. His son was starting to look angrier.

"Why did you hurt me like that?"

Copper squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip. This was the question he always dreaded most. Even with the million different excuses he could give, Copper knew none of them were good enough, all of them were terrible. So he resorted to using the first one that came to his head.

"I… can barely remember anything after I got drunk--”

"Don’t give me that!!” shouted Canvas, making Copper flinch.

"I want to know why you acted like that toward me! I want to know what the buckwas going through your skull while you were beating me! Why!? Why did you do that to me!? What bucking reason could you have for almost murdering your own--"

"I thought you were throwing your life away!"

Copper's eyes shot wide open, and Canvas stood speechless for what seemed like an eternity. Copper knew he couldn’t just say something like that without explaining.

"I… I was so worried for you after your Mother died. I always knew you weren't like the other colts, but… I always hoped that was just temporary.I wanted you to have a good life.”

Canvas only blinked as he looked at his father with a mix of confusion and disgust. His mind was drawing a complete blank.

"I always thought I knew what your future was going to be like. I always pictured how your life would go. You would graduate, find a nice mare to settle down with, maybe have a few kids… I always thought that was what was best for you."

As Copper kept going, his voice sounded more upset.

"But then you… you made that bucking announcement. And I just didn't know what to think! After all the years raising you, seeing you grow and become stronger after she died, I… I never thought something like that was going to happen! I…”

Copper shut his eyes tighter and turned his face away from Canvas’ sight.

"All I could think was how much harder your life was going to be! You already went through so much back in Gallop Creek, and… I just thought you were wanting to make your life worse by saying that…”

Canvas interrupted in a burst of anger. "And you thought beating me would help!?"

Copper cringed. He felt like he was going to start crying again.

"I didn’t know what to do, Canvas! All I thought was that you were going to throw your life away, because you weren't going to live the life I thought you would… I didn’t know what to do, so… so, I drank…”

Copper felt the tears coming. Saying his awful reasoning out loud felt even worse.

"I just kept drinking… and then... I lost control.”

Copper looked back up at his son glaring at him. Even with the shame written all over his face, Canvas just looked even angrier.

"So that's your bucking excuse!?"

"I don’t have an excuse! Canvas, I can tell you a million different reasons why I did those things to you! I could blame it on the alcohol, or my confusion, or the shock at hearing your speech, but none of that matters! I know that I can’t blame anything for what I did except myself!"

Canvas kept silent.

"I… I hurt you… and I know there's no apology or reason good enough for me to justify what I did. I'm so sorry, Canvas."

The looming silence hung in the air. Only the sound of thunder in the distance passed through it. Canvas wasn't sure what to say. When Copper closed his eyes and pointed his muzzle at his hooves, Canvas thought that he wasn't going to say much more.

But then, Copper's voice came out cold.

"I know that you hate me."

Copper didn’t need to look up to know his son wasn't going to argue. Canvas simply looked at his father, both upset and surprised that Copper would say that, even though it was true.

"And… you have every right, Canvas. I was supposed to be there for you. I promised you that I would always be there after your mother died. I promised herthat I would do that for you.”

Several teardrops hit the rain-soaked wood underneath Copper.

"But I failed. I failed you, and I failed your Mom… and I know… I know that she would hate me too if she was here."

Canvas was stunned at such a raw declaration.

"I didn’t come back for forgiveness, Canvas. I know you have no reason to forgive me for what I did."

The thunder rolled in closer. Neither of them seemed to notice as Copper's voice became more sullen and defeated, an expression of his self-awareness.

"If you never want to see me again, I understand. After what I did to you, I don’t blame you. I'll leave… I'll leave, and I'll never try to contact you if that's what you want...

“I promise I'll stay out of your life forever."

Canvas' eyes widened. Even though it hurt Copper more than anything to say it, they both knew he truly meant it.

"But before I go,” Copper, now slightly more determined, pulled his head back up. "I just want you to know that losing you was the worst moment of my life. Even more than your mother because… because hurting you was all my fault.”

Copper began to move forward, walking toward his son slowly. While Canvas stood still, Copper looked at him with the purest look of sincerity and guilt as he spoke from the heart.

"Canvas, there hasn't been a single day since that night where I wasn't thinking about how horribly I treated you, and regretted every single second of it. I wish more than anything to undo everything that happened."

Canvas looked away for a moment.

"I was afraid of what you were doing with your life, but….

"I can say, without any hesitation, that I have never been happier to be proven wrong."

Canvas looked back at his dad in surprise. Copper went on with a faint smile.

"Canvas, you… you managed to accomplish more with your life than I ever could've imagined! After only a few months, you did more than anypony back home could do in a lifetime! You really pulled it off! And I know that's all a parent asks for… to know that their child is doing alright on their own.”

Canvas felt a weight in his chest; those words made him feel slightly better.

"Canvas… you really became an amazing stallion. You managed to move on after everything that happened, and do so much with your life without any help. I know your mom couldn't be prouder of you for that."

Canvas only nodded while tears ran down his own face as well. When his father got within a few feet of him, Copper looked saddened again.

"…I just wished I told you that sooner."

With that, Copper slowly bent in, raising a hoof to hold his son for the first time in months. Canvas stood there, motionless, feeling his father's warmth as he hugged him.

"I'm so sorry, Canvas… I am so, so sorry. I always loved you, Canvas, and I always will.”

Copper's tears slowly ran down his face, hitting Canvas' shoulder. He knew this may very well be the last time he’d ever speak to him.

"No matter what you do with your life… no matter how you live your life… n-no matter who you love… I will always, always love you, from the bottom of my heart."

Copper clenched his eyes shut while hugging Canvas as tight as he could.

"You are an amazing son, Canvas. I never want you to forget that… and I'm soproud of you. After everything you accomplished, after seeing how strong you've become...

“... I truly am proud to call you my son."

Copper held Canvas for another moment, squeezing him tightly. He felt hesitant to let go, but he slowly pulled back regardless.

Copper felt a slight resistance. Canvas had lifted a hoof to hold him back. He kept his head against Copper's shoulder, several tears escaping him as he gripped his dad tighter, struggling to hold himself together. He felt beyond grateful to hear everything Copper told him.

"... Th-thank you…”

A sudden burst of thunder, and a large torrent of rain fell down across all of Ponyville. Neither Canvas nor Copper took notice. Copper bawled, his guilt pouring out while he screamed as loud as he could.

"I'm so sorry, Canvas! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorryyyy!!!"

Canvas listened to Copper's cries, not saying a word while he hugged his dad for the first time in over half a year. He felt how much raw emotion and pain was coming from him, and he couldn't hold back his tears either. Though the past shattered their relationship beyond repair, neither father nor son let it stop the bonding they shared for that one sacred moment.

Canvas let go and put his forelegs back on the ground. Copper kissed him on the forehead. As he did so, Canvas looked down and saw the wooden planks underneath him. He then noticed something was off: the lack of fresh raindrops around them.

Apart from what his dad’s wet fur touched, Canvas was mostly dry. There was no rain hitting either of them. Noticing the same thing, Copper slowly let go of his son and looked around in confusion. Then, the two of them looked up to see a large hole in the clouds directly above them.

His face was only visible for less than a second before it shot back behind the grey clouds, but Canvas instantly recognized his lover. Troy winced in worry over what Canvas would say about him being here.

"Troy!? Wh-what are you doing here?"

Knowing he was caught, Troy sheepishly moved back into view. Copper stepped back in worry. He remembered how furious the gryphon looked when he first met him, and hoped he wasn't here to fulfill his promise. However, Troy just kept a worried look on Canvas as he spoke to him.

"I… I found the letter, and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

Canvas blinked in confusion. He never wrote a letter. He stayed silent, however, as he watched Troy rubbing the feathers on the back of his head in faux innocence.

"I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear! I just wanted to make sure you… wouldn't get wet.”

Troy pulled back behind the clouds to stay out of the way, embarrassed at potentially ruining the moment. Canvas looked back at his slightly worried dad.

"Ummm…” Copper was unsure what to say. He already figured that gryphon knew Canvas, but he felt confused over why he was acting that way around his son.

"Is… that gryphon a friendof yours?"

Canvas bit his lip and started to blush. Though he wasn't afraid to tell his dad about Troy anymore, he still felt slightly embarrassed due to how odd his situation was. Remembering what Copper was saying about expecting how his son's life would go, Canvas felt like he was going to start laughing. His answer was probably going to reallysurprise his dad.

"Actually, Troy’s… He's my boyfriend.”

Copper's eyes grew as wide as dinner plates. He alternated between looking up at the hole in the cloud and back at Canvas, utterly dumbfounded.

He then looked down at the ground and lifted a hoof, touching his black eye and recalling the gryphon’s murderous attitude. A light chuckle escaped his muzzle.

"That actually explains a lot.”

Copper looked back at Canvas, a slight sense of worry creeping within. However, upon seeing how happy his son looked, Copper's hesitation faltered. Canvas really did have strong feelings for the gryphon above them.

"So… d-do you…”

Copper had gotten used to the fact that he had a gay son months ago, but he still felt resistance when he tried to ask the question. This was the very first time he actually talked to him about it.

"Do you… lovehim?"

Despite his dad’s obvious discomfort, Canvas kept a smile on his muzzle as he nodded.

"Yeah, I-I do.”

Canvas looked up, seeing Troy's head peek out slightly as he peered down at him. While Canvas gave a gracious smile to Troy, Copper looked up and saw the gryphon give a warm smile back to his son. They stayed like that for a moment before Troy moved back behind the clouds. Copper watched as a warm blush grew on his son's face, making him grow a light smile himself.

"Well,” said Copper, more comfortably than before. "that's all that matters, then."

Canvas was quick to give his father one more hug. The downpour was only scheduled for a few minutes, so the storm was already dying down. The sound of a train whistle in the distance interrupted their hug.

Copper looked over to see a train coming in, making his heart sink. That was his ride out of Ponyville. He held onto Canvas one last time. Once he let go, he reached into his saddlebag. He wanted to do one last thing before he left.

"Canvas, I wanted to give you something while I was here."

Copper pulled out a large, overstuffed manila folder from the bag, and gave it to his son. As he held the folder in his hooves, Canvas' eyes widened and almost teared up again.

"When I was cleaning out the house, I found all the paintings you did that… that were still alright."

Canvas started breathing harder as he clutched the folder to his chest. A faint smile crept up on his face while he looked at his father with immense appreciation. He thought that all his artwork from Gallop Creek was destroyed forever.

"Th-thank you…”

Copper bent in and kissed his son on the forehead again before holding him close, their heads touching each other.

"I really am proud of you, Canvas. And I'm really happy for you."

The train pulled into the station, a large cloud of steam appearing around the two against the rising sun. Canvas kept his father close as he savored this moment, his smile looking surprisingly content. He knew things would never be the same between him and his father, but he still felt grateful that he decided to talk to him. This kind of goodbye was far better than what happened the previous day.

The engines died down and the train doors opened up. Copper pulled back and looked into his son's eyes, feeling himself tear up.

As he walked onto the train alone, Copper looked back at his son on the platform, staring back at him in silence with a disheartened look. Copper smiled before saying one last thing.

"You look a lot better with a short mane."

A quick smirk spread across Canvas' muzzle.

"...Thanks.”

With that, Copper sighed and stepped inside the train proper, keeping his eyes on his son as he walked into the next train car. Canvas didn’t move from his spot, watching his father through the windows as he took his seat.

Even after the train doors closed and the engines fired up again, Canvas didn't move an inch, keeping his eyes on his dad who stared back at him. When the train started moving, however, Canvas didn’t try to follow it down the platform. He kept his hooves planted, watching his father leave for the last time.

Copper looked out the window with tears rolling down his face, his heart growing heavy as he watched his son shrink in the distance. He then smiled when he saw the gryphon fly down, landing beside his son and holding him close before the two of them disappeared completely.

Copper breathed in deeply and laid back in his seat, enjoying the warmth of the morning light on his wet fur. For the first time since that unforgivable night, he finally felt at ease. His son was alright, and there was nothing else that needed to be done.

The train moved wherever the ticket said it was going, and Copper slowly fell asleep, knowing everything was finally at peace, and that he could leave his child to grow.

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Eight: Moving Forward and Looking Back

Canvas and Troy were both rather exhausted from everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours, but they still managed a regular pace as they walked back home together. Now that the storm had ended, every inch of Ponyville was covered in a thick mist, making the two feel even more secluded in the brisk autumn morning.

Neither of them could see more than a few feet through the mist, but they knew when they’d reached the town limits. Canvas’ last moments with his father rendered him silent the whole way there.

It wasn't until they were less than a mile from their home that Canvas noticed that Troy was silent as well. Looking over, he saw him staring dead ahead, like he was avoiding eye contact. Canvas put a hoof out to halt him.

Troy breathed out deeply and slowly turned toward Canvas, looking upset. He then threw his forelegs out and hugged him, gripping him tightly while clenching his eyes shut. Canvas stood within his embrace in confusion until he spoke.

"I… I'm sorry Canvas."

"Huh? Why are you…”

Canvas couldn't think of what to say. Troy slowly let go of him, revealing a face of guilt.

"I was convinced that you didn’t need to see him anymore, but I saw how much better you felt after talking to him again, and all I can think about is how I almost kept you from doing that."

Canvas remembered what he said to him earlier. His words did almost convince him not to see his father again, but Canvas knew he couldn't let his lover feel so guilty about it. He hugged him back tightly.

"Troy, it's alright. I would never blame you for something like that, and you know that I'll always love you."

Troy felt a light smile come back. Canvas took a moment to enjoy the sensation of Troy's warm feathers brushing against his wet fur.

"Honey, I know that you were trying to help when you said I shouldn't talk with him… and you weren't wrong about anything you said."

Troy pulled back and looked down at him in befuddlement.

"I don't think I can ever completely forgive him… I don’t know if I can even call him my dadanymore.”

After seeing how happy he looked with Copper earlier, Troy was surprised to hear Canvas say such a thing; however, Canvas' expression became more optimistic as he went on.

"But that wasn't why I decided to talk with him again. I realized that, despite everything that happened, I couldn’t just let things end that way. I was still clinging to my past and letting it take over me."

Canvas put out a hoof and grabbed Troy's claw, holding it as he looked up at him with a faint smile.

"I didn't want to drag my past around anymore. I learned that in order to really move on, I couldn't hold a grudge."

Troy smiled back in understanding, looking into his lover's beautiful blue eyes.

"Troy, I realized something big last night... I realized that life is way too precious to waste, and I shouldn't use the time I have hung up on something that's already done. Life is too short, and we should use the time we have to focus on what we really want, not what we could'vehad."

Troy leaned forward and used a claw to stroke Canvas’ chestnut mane. He knew that he was absolutely right. He closed his eyes upon seeing Canvas lean in as well, and he spoke faintly.

"I couldn’t agree with you more..."

Shrouded by the thick fog, Canvas and Troy felt even closer as they shared a deep kiss, holding each other close. Canvas slowly freed his lips from his lover's beak.

"Hey Troy,” said Canvas curiously. “You said you followed me because of a letter?"

"Yeah.” Troy opened one of his wings, pulling out a sheet of paper with a claw and handing it to him. "I woke up to see that you weren't there. When I rushed downstairs, I found this on the dining room table."

Canvas' eyes widened as he read the note, written in royal-purple ink.

Troy,

Head to the Ponyville Train Station. You might be needed, but please do not interfere.

Canvas was surprised Troy would think he wrote this himself, since it was nothing like his hoofwriting. He kept himself silent, however, as he looked back at his boyfriend. He didn’t have to say anything, for Troy found himself coming to the same conclusion.

"Wait a minute,” said Troy, his eyes growing wider. "If you didn’t write that, then who--”

"It's okay, don't worry about it.”.

Looking down at the letter, Canvas smiled over how much Luna helped him out. He then remembered that the Gala was in less than a month, and thought about what he could do before then.

"Just so you know, Troy... I think I'm going to be in my studio for a while before the Gala."

Troy wasn't sure why Canvas would say that, but the grateful smile Canvas wore was more than enough for him to know he was feeling better now; and he didn’t want to interfere with his coltfriend's happiness. So he simply nodded in agreement, before leaning in and kissing him once more.

They stayed there for what felt like an eternity, but the two eventually made their way back home, and back into their nest. While Canvas was quick to rest snugly against the gryphon's feathered chest, Troy stayed awake as he held him close. He gazed upon his lover whose breathing came in a gentle rhythm.

For the first time, Troy could see that Canvas was truly at peace.

For awhile longer, Troy couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about Canvas' most recent words. The stallion was right: life was way too precious. Especially since the one he was holding was almost taken away not too long ago.

If he’d never found him that fateful day, Troy knew he would've never felt as happy or fulfilled with his life as he was now. He pulled his coltfriend in closer, closing his eyes and basking in the knowledge of how much this beautiful pony really made his life better. At that moment, Troy’s mind latched onto something else Canvas said: life is too short.

He replayed those four words in his head over and over, until his eyes suddenly shot open in revelation. His lover's heartbeat gently thumped against his body, and Troy felt a smile spread across on his beak as he looked down at Canvas. He knew.

Troy's eyes moistened. His mind started to become at ease, and he closed his eyes once more. The last thing he thought about before sleep took him over was what he wanted to do in Canterlot, reinforced by that one paramount phrase.

Life is too short.

Opening his tired eyes, Troy moved his head in forward, hoping to nuzzle his stallion. Unfortunately, he soon found out that Canvas wasn't in the nest with him. It was nighttime, so Troy groaned and rose to his legs, knowing his sleep schedule was going to be messed up now. He made his way toward the stairs, where found the stallion down below.

Canvas was sitting silently in one of the chairs at the dining room table, his back turned to Troy. He was illuminated only by a single light bulb above him. Troy walked down the stairs quietly. Canvas didn’t notice, for his attention focused on what was in front of him. From his height, Troy could easily see what Canvas had, taking note of the manila folder on the table corner.

All of Canvas' artwork that had been given to him at the train station was now in full view, covering every inch of the dining table. Looking over Canvas' shoulder, Troy could see the various drawings and paintings his coltfriend did back when he lived in Gallop Creek, the vast arrangement of talent on full display. However, amongst all the stunning landscape paintings and charcoal etchings, Troy turned his attention to what was directly in front of Canvas. Copper didn’t just give him his paintings back.

Canvas looked down at the only open space on the table, where several photographs of him and his parents lay. Troy slowly bent in and looked at the photos with him, holding his lover softly as he noticed the tears coming down Canvas' face.

While most of them were basic ones of Canvas as a colt (a really cute one too), Troy's attention went to the one in the middle standing alone, the one Canvas was staring at. The photograph looked fairly old, containing a dark-blue mare with a wavy, black mane, smiling at the camera as she held the little Canvas with her wing.

A small puddle of Canvas' tears had formed underneath the photo. Troy didn’t need to be told who this mare was supposed to be. He hugged Canvas, hoping to ease his heartache.

"Canvas, your mother was beautiful."

Feeling his lover's warmth against his back, Canvas smiled faintly and used a hoof to pull Troy in closer.

"I… I never thought I would see her face again. When I left, I didn’t have a single photo of her.”

Troy hugged Canvas even tighter.

"I’m really happy he gave me these. That was probably the nicest thing he could've ever done.”

Troy still hated Copper with a passion, but he couldn’t help feeling a little better about him as he saw how much the photos helped Canvas. Closing his eyes, Troy kept his forelegs around Canvas' chest, resting his head on his aqua shoulder. The two savored their warmth for a moment, until Canvas broke the silence.

"Troy…”

Troy opened his eyes, looking down at him. "Yeah, hon?"

"I… I need to do something before we go to the Gala."

"What is it?"

"I… I need to see her again."

Author's Note

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Return (Part 1)

Over the next few weeks, both Troy and Canvas stayed quite busy working on their preparations for the Grand Galloping Gala. For Canvas, things had been hectic to say the least. Along with the big (and private) project that he wanted to get done beforehoof, he also had to deal with the onslaught of questions about his past as news circulated around town.

When he first moved to Ponyville, many ponies were polite enough to avoid asking him about it; but now with the recent fight he had with his father, almost everypony was curious. He managed to keep his visits to Ponyville limited, but when he didgo into town, he had no choice but to explain the basic facts as clearly and simply as he could to anyone who asked.

When it came to his friends, however, Canvas told them not only about what happened in Gallop Creek, but what happened at the train station as well. Lyra seemed surprised Canvas would go and talk to Copper a second time. Twilight seemed especially happy that he did, for she knew just how important family bonds could really be. Afterward, word about his make-up spread just as quickly. Luckily, it didn’t take too long for all the questions to die down, allowing him to work on his project in peace.

Troy, on the other claw, was making preparations of his own. First, he had Rarity assist him and his coltfriend get fitted for tuxedos. Then, he had Rarity give a little extra assistance for the thing he trulywanted to make happen. He was being just as secretive as Canvas about everything, keeping his work to himself while the artist stayed holed up in his studio. Once everything was in place, Troy found himself surprised at how fast time passed before they had to leave.

The Grand Galloping Gala was a whole day away, but Canvas was adamant about what he wanted to do first. Thus, he found himself waiting at the train station early in the morning right beside him.

Before the train could arrive, the sound of galloping hooves caught their attention. Glancing over, they saw Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash approaching them, Lyra and Bon-Bon following behind. All of their faces held a mix of excitement and slight worry; they’d already been told of Canvas' plans prior to the Gala. Twilight cleared her throat.

"Well, Canvas, I just want you to know that I completely understand why you want to do this. Just know that you can contact me if anything happens."

Canvas gave her a light smile and a nod, although he was sure nothing would occur while he was there. Knowing that Celestia did a personal investigation in that town, Canvas figured that nopony in Gallop Creek would even dare try to bother him this time.

"I think I'll be alright, Twilight,” said Canvas. "I don't think I'll be there for that long, and I'd hate to think of anypony dumb enough to mess with me with thisguy around."

Troy grinned, happy to be the stallion's protector.

"Just so you know, Troy,” said Rainbow. “Rarity wanted me to tell you the alterations to your tux are ready, and that she'll give it to you as soon as you're off the train to Canterlot."

Troy's grin grew even bigger, not even noticing how much his tail was wagging. That is, until he saw Canvas looking at him oddly with a skewed eyebrow. Troy looked away with a blush.

"Th-thanks for telling me that, Dash. Tell her I really appreciate it."

She nodded, and Lyra and Bon-Bon came up. They quickly hugged both Canvas and Troy, happy to wish them luck before their big night. Ever since they learned of Canvas' full past, the two mares had been insistent on becoming closer with them both, as a token of gratitude.

"You two have a great time in Canterlot!" said Bon-Bon. "And I hope things go well for the both of you."

"Thanks, Bon-Bon,” said Canvas. "It's a shame you two can't come with us."

"Oh, don’t sweat it, Canvas,” said Lyra. "We've been there before, so it's not like I'm missing anything big. I'm just glad you both are going together."

Troy pulled in Canvas with a wing. He felt especially excited for this Gala; so excited he couldn’t keep the grin out of his voice.

"I know it's going to be a great night, and we'll be sure to let you know of what happens as soon as we get back."

The sounds of an upcoming steam engine came closer. Canvas and Troy gave some last-minute hugs to their friends. Once the train boarded into the station, a large cloud of steam enveloped them all, and the speakers clicked on.

“Now boarding: All passengers for the train to Baltimare, Appleloosa, and Gallop Creek.”

The train was crowded when Canvas and Troy took their seats, and the gryphon felt cramped due to his height making his head almost touch the roof. Fortunately, having Canvas next to him made him feel a bit more comfortable.

By the time the train departed from Appleloosa, though, the train car was nearly empty, and Troy found himself surprisingly comfortable in his small seat. However, the same could not be said for Canvas.

When the deserts slowly turned back into familiar large fields and farmland, Canvas started to look pale. He clutched his art bag and avoided looking out the window. Troy wrapped a foreleg around his coltfriend and held him close, nuzzling him and speaking gently.

"It's alright, Canvas. I'm going to be right next to you the whole time."

Canvas nodded and tried to force a faint smile to cover his obvious hesitance. The train speakers announced their stop approaching, and his cover-up cracked. Troy hugged him again.

"Canvas, remember in the hotel room when you first told me about what happened to you, and you were worried about it happening again in Ponyville?"

Canvas nodded.

"When I was with you then, what did I tell you?"

Canvas paused for a moment as he held himself against Troy, before his voice came out faintly in reply.

"You… you said that if anypony messed with me, that you’d take care of it."

"That's right.” Troy pulled back his head and looked straight into Canvas' eyes. "And I meant it then, just like I mean it right now."

Canvas felt lighter as he basked in the sincerity radiating from Troy’s golden eyes. Any worries he still carried had no power over him once they were within those windows of beauty. He leaned forward and kissed him on the beak, feeling a lot more at ease.

The train made its final stop in Gallop Creek just before noon. Troy was quick to get up from his seat before his coltfriend and wait for him at the exit. He made sure the stallion was right by him before he opened his wing, holding it up like a shield. Canvas moved in underneath, feeling grateful, and they walked out of the train side-by-side.

Even with his lover covered, Troy knew he was still going to attract a lot of attention. Most ponies around these parts had probably never seen a gryphon before. He considered just putting his coltfriend on his back and flying him to his destination, but Canvas poked at his side to catch his attention. He motioned Troy toward a different direction away from the main road. Following his lead, Troy walked around the side of the first building.

At the back, Troy found a small alleyway that led along the side of town. Upon seeing how empty the alley was, Troy lifted his wing, to let Canvas step forward and lead the way.

As Troy walked alongside Canvas, he couldn’t help but observe how grey and lifeless Gallop Creek looked. "Man,” he muttered. "I can see why you left this place. This town is really depressing."

"I know, but it doesn’t matter. That's not why I'm here."

Eventually, the two made their way through town, managing to avoid anypony present. As the buildings behind them slowly shrank from view, the skies started to look brighter.

When they finally walked past the black iron gates, Troy was surprised at how much more colorful the graveyard looked compared to the town behind them. He couldn’t blame Canvas for spending so much time here after his mom’s passing, as the gryphon took in its clear blue skies above them and shining green grass underneath. Ironically, of all the places in this lousy town, the one part that seemed the most lively happened to be the cemetery.

Canvas slowed down when they reached a large oak tree, and stopped within its shade. He took a moment to remember the many hours he spent under there, and then looked up at Troy in worry.

"Troy… I really want to be alone for this, first.”

Troy nodded in understanding and hugged him tightly. He stayed underneath the tree while watching Canvas slowly walk forward again.

Reaching closer to the grave, Canvas felt his heart grow heavier. As soon as his mother's came within sight, a huge gust of wind blew against Canvas' back, making him move faster.

His emotions took over, and Canvas' walk quickly turned into an anxious gallop while the winds kept blowing. Eventually, he was running as fast as he could, his bag flopping against his side, until he stopped at the grave. The wind blew even harder around Canvas, and he could only give a gracious, teary smile as he sat down in front of the tombstone and read its text.

Blowing Winds

Caring Wife

Loving Mother

Dedicated Storm Worker

Before he left Gallop Creek, Canvas spent almost every day in this graveyard, either sitting beside her grave or underneath the tree nearby, working on his art. His father was insistent about him being anywhere else but here, but Canvas never listened to him.

Whenever he was here, no matter what the weather was, Canvas always felt a gentle breeze against him, especially when closer to her. Now that he was back for the first time in months, the longest time he’d ever spent away from his mom, Canvas felt the wind around him blowing harder than it ever had, brushing against him in every direction. He put his hoof to the grave and closed his eyes, and then waited until the winds settled into a light caress.

"H-hi, Mom."

He felt so glad to finally do this again after so long. Suddenly, a new gust of wind picked up, blowing hard around the top of Canvas' head and through his mane. Canvas' smile grew even bigger.

"Yeah, I know… I had it cut a few months ago.”

Canvas looked at the top corner. His heart grew heavy again at the sight of the slightly discolored spot. A bitter reminder of everything that happened.

Canvas reached out to the darkened spot, touching where both his and his father's blood laid before. So much pain happened at the place where his Mother was supposed to rest. Canvas' smile dropped and his head hung low.

"It… it's been waytoo long, Mom.”

Canvas sniffed and tried to keep his voice strong. He struggled to speak clearly, but he knew what he had to say.

"He… he found me. You can probably say a lot about him, but… he was a stallion of his word.”

More tears escaped Canvas, and he wondered whether Copper came back here before him to tell her how everything went.

"He tried to talk with me, and… and I didn't want to at first. I-I said horrible things to him. I thought it would help me, but… it just didn’t feel right.”

Canvas clenched his eyes shut.

"I-I talked with him later on, and… we said our goodbyes.”

The winds died down. Canvas pressed his head against the stone, his tears hitting the grass underneath him.

"I don't… I don't think things will ever be the same again, but I'm glad it ended the way it did. It’s just…”

Canvas could no longer hold himself together. He hugged the tombstone with two forelegs, and cried harder.

"I just wish you were here, Mom! I really wish you were here before any of that happened! I know th-that you would've made everything easier…”

The winds suddenly blew harder again against Canvas' back, pressing him against the stone. Canvas smiled as he felt it. After a moment, he slowly pulled back and spoke more optimistically.

"I'm doing a lot better, though. I'm in a great town, called Ponyville. I know you would've loved it there."

Canvas touched the stone again as he recalled all the things that had gone well for him recently.

"I have a great home, and I'm a successful artist… just like you said I’d be."

Canvas reached a hoof into his art bag, pulling out a copy of the Canterlot Press. He laid it out in front of the grave, so that the headline of him with Celestia was in clear view.

"I made history, Mom! I made a painting for Canterlot Castle."

A huge gust of wind quickly blew Canvas against the stone again, jarring him as his head bumped against the grave. When he pulled his head back, the winds were holding the thick newspaper against it until it fell back on the ground seconds later.

"Also… I found someone."

The winds died down a little, worrying Canvas briefly. Then, he remembered what happened over a year ago. After several months of denial and self-loathing, he realized something about himself. He was terrified about what would happen to him if anypony found out, but one of the first things Canvas did was come here. He sat in front of the grave and whispered.

I'm… gay.

There was a long silence where nothing happened. No winds, no sounds, no indication of anything as he sat there, all by himself. However, before Canvas could think he truly was alone, a strong gust of wind brushed against his back, letting him know that he really was alright.

Now, in front of the first pony he ever came out to, Canvas felt his heart racing faster in anticipation of introducing someone so important to him to the one he cared about so much.

"His name is Troy. He's a Gryphon. He’s in the Weather Patrol, just like you… And… and I love him.”

The winds picked up against his back, and Canvas felt more at ease.

"He saved my life after I left here… and he became the greatest thing to ever happen to me.”

With that, Canvas looked over to the tree where Troy was still watching him. He motioned for his boyfriend to come over, and Canvas turned back to the tombstone. When he heard Troy's wings open up, Canvas became nervous while keeping an eager, yet worried look on his face.

"I-I really want you to meet him."

Troy landed several feet away, and then walked forward. Without making a sound, Troy sat down beside Canvas, seeing the grave for the first time.

As soon as he sat down, another gust of wind blew around him, brushing against his feathers. It almost felt like the winds were hugginghim. This confused Troy, and he looked back at a smiling Canvas.

"I think she likes you, Troy."

He really didn’t want to think there was some supernatural stuff going on (he hated the idea of ghosts), but Troy smiled at Canvas' happiness regardless. He then looked back at the grave of Blowing Winds.

"You… don’t have to say anything if you don’t--"

"It's alright. I did this before with my grandparents. I understand completely."

Troy put a foreleg around Canvas, and the stallion rested his head on the gryphon’s shoulder.

"I… I'm really glad to be here right now. You have an amazing son, and I really do love him."

The winds picked up around the two of them. Troy placed his head on top of Canvas’ and closed his eyes.

"I just want to say… that nothing makes me happier than being right here… right now… with you by my side."

Canvas held him closer and closed his eyes in return. Neither of them said a single word. They let the peace and beauty of the moment speak for itself while the gentle breeze held them closer.

Eventually, Canvas slowly let go of Troy and looked back at the grave.

"I… I have to go to Canterlot. They're premiering my painting there tomorrow night.”

Canvas then touched the stone one last time, feeling more tears coming down.

"I'll be back soon. I promise… I won’t be gone nearly as long as last time."

The couple pulled themselves back up. Canvas bent forward and gave the tombstone a quick kiss. He walked backwards for several feet, keeping his eyes on the grave, until he finally slowly turned around and began to walk toward the cemetery entrance. Troy walked by his side, but before they could reach the entrance, he suddenly stopped.

"Stay here,” said Troy. "I… I left my satchel there. I'll go get it."

Troy quickly flew back, picking up his bag and placing it over his shoulder. While Canvas looked on, Troy paused for a moment, and then slowly bent his head in toward the grave. He spoke to it with a smile on his beak.

Canvas became suspicious, and decided to trot over closer. He couldn’t hear what he was saying. And though he couldn’t feel it, he could see athunderous gust of wind blow around his lover before he kneeled down in front of it.

By the time Canvas got within hearing distance, Troy had his eyes closed, and he was moving his claws in an intricate manner across the stone while muttering something. Canvas wasn't sure what he was saying, but he did recognize that his boyfriend was speaking in traditional Gryphonian. He uttered several more words before lifting himself up.

As Troy began to walk back, his face grew slightly embarrassed when he saw Canvas staring at him confusedly.

"I… I just wanted to say something.”

Troy then tried to walk away, but Canvas held a hoof out to stop him, giving him a look of suspicion.

"I was doing the Chant of Remembrances, okay?"

Canvas kept a skewed eyebrow.

"…It's a prayer that gryphons use in memory of those who passed. I wasn't sure what you would've thought if I did it with you next to me.”

While Canvas was surprised his boyfriend would do something like that, he was more curious as to why Troy would think that was something to be ashamed of. He placed a hoof on his feathered shoulder.

"So… what did you say?"

Troy hung his head.

"Well, it's kind of hard to translate from Gryphonian… but, in simple terms, I said:

“No matter how high,
No matter how low...

“No matter how far,
Wherever you go...

“You are never forgotten.
We will always know

“Of how bright you shone
To make us grow…”

Troy looked away in embarrassment, not noticing how big Canvas' eyes became. A large smile came up on his muzzle, and he lunged forward and hugged him.

"Oh, Troy… that's beautiful!"

Canvas tried to keep himself from crying. Troy felt a little better, and he hugged him back.

Of course, he didn’t want to admit what else he said out of Canvas' earshot, so he kept his beak shut. Before Canvas could pull back, Troy looked around.

"I'm really glad you're cool with it. Most ponies get weirded out when I speak Gryphonian."

"Don’t worry about that. In fact, you sound pretty cute when you do it."

Troy's feathers ruffled out, making the pony giggle. He then realized they still had an hour until the next train to Canterlot would arrive.

"So… what do you want to do now? I mean, we still have a bit of time before the train comes."

Canvas signed and contemplated. He didn’t mind the idea just hanging around here until the train arrived, but he couldn’t help thinking of something else.

"Maybe... I can see my old home again."

Author's Note

Chapter Fifty: The Return (Part 2)

Troy felt more and more uneasy as he walked along the dirt road with his coltfriend, knowing very well what happened to Canvas here. There were no other ponies visible in between the rows of grey and white houses that flanked the couple on both sides, but Troy could still feel the piercing stares from their windows as they went past. He secretly hoped that Canvas was doing the right thing.

When a small, brick building came up in the distance, Canvas' trot changed slightly; his hooves began to shake with each added step. When they reached the drugstore proper, his shaking had reached his whole body. Troy moved up next to him quickly in an attempt to calm him down, but even with the warmth of his lover by his side, Canvas was still quivering. It wasn't until the house was in clear view that Canvas' mood changed.

The home was still there, standing tall at two stories, like nothing ever happened. The paint was still the same shade of off-white that Canvas remembered, with the dark-green window shutters that gave the slightest semblance of color. The front lawn was shining with a vibrant shade of green grass, now slightly overgrown. The ‘For Sale’ sign was an obvious cue for the reason why.

Canvas clenched his eyes shut. His old home really was no longer his. Troy put a foreleg around him and held him tight. Canvas slowly bent his head in toward him, letting the warm feathers brush against his face. They stood like that in the middle of the street for some time, until the sound of a door banging open behind them caught their attention.

The two turned their heads to see a light-blue pegasus fresh out the swinging drugstore doors, looking absolutely shocked.

"CANVAS!?” shouted Cloud Thresher. "Holy buck, I can’t believe it!"

The stallion tried to rush over, but his hooves skidded against the dirt road when Troy stepped out in front of Canvas. He shot open his wings, and Cloud Thresher froze up in a panic. He couldn’t speak over the fear of this gryphon ready to tear him apart

Canvas was quick to put his hoof out. "It's okay! It's just Cloud Thresher, don't worry."

He looked back at Cloud Thresher. "He won't do anything. It's alright."

Troy slowly nodded and lowered his wings, keeping his eyes pinned on Cloud Thresher as he stepped back. Seeing that he wasn't going to end up as a fur rug in some gryphon den, Cloud Thresher stopped shaking, and spoke faintly.

"C-Canvas… I-I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Canvas nodded sadly.

"Yeah, I… I heard the house was for sale, and--”

"It was. He… really wanted to find you.”

Canvas bit his lip, then sighed. "Yeah… He did.”

"I know. He was here about a week ago. I met up with him and he… he told me about what happened. And he mentioned you were doing really well.”

Cloud Thresher then looked at the gryphon, a smirk appearing in recognition. Even as Troy maintained a stern look, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

"I guess he wasn't screwing with me when he told me about the gryphon."

Canvas and Troy kept silent. His attempt to lighten the mood had failed. Cloud Thresher became serious once more.

"Canvas, it… it's really great to see you again. I'm happy to hear you're doing so well."

Canvas gave a light smile. "Thanks. I just wanted to… I wanted to see my Mom again. You know, before the Gala."

Cloud Thresher nodded in understanding, looking back in the direction of the graveyard briefly.

"I get it… You actually made the front page of the paper for that Celestia thing... Actually, wait right here!"

Cloud Thresher ran back into the drugstore as quickly as he’d exited. While Canvas and Troy stood there, slightly confused, they could hear his voice coming from inside as he talked with what sounded like another stallion.

One moment of silence later, and the head of the grey-coated shopkeeper poked out from the door. Upon noticing Canvas, his eyes widened in shock. His head went back in, and the sound of things banging could be heard before Cloud Thresher came back out, holding a large frame in his mouth as he trotted toward the duo.

Cloud Thresher propped the frame in front of the two, and Canvas' eyes widened when he read the newspaper headline inside. It was from the Gallop Creek Gazette a few months ago, boasting the same picture of Canvas with Celestia that'd been in every other paper in Equestria. The headline in question was printed in a bold font.

Gallop Creek Valedictorian Makes Equestrian History!

Canvas didn’t need to read the huge wall of text underneath that took the entire page to know how important this was. He smiled at how Gallop Creek managed to not only see, but appreciate his largest accomplishment since leaving.

Once he knew Canvas had an eyeful, Cloud Thresher picked the frame back up and propped it against the side of the building. A look of strong shame overtook him.

"There are… no words to describe how horrible I feel right now... I should've helped you, Canvas. And I know there's nothing I can say that can make up for not doing so. I saw what he did, but… but I didn’t do anything about it.”

Canvas looked back at him in disappointment, and Troy gave a particularly strong glare. This only made Cloud Thresher feel worse.

"I know I'm not the only one, but… I'm sosorry, Canvas. I just want you to know that.”

After a long bout of silence between them, Canvas nodded slowly.

"Th-thanks, Cloud Thresher. I know you helped him out a lot trying to find me, so it's alright."

Cloud Thresher was surprised to find out Canvas knew that. Regardless, a small smile came back on his face as he nodded back. Taking note of the house behind them, Cloud Thresher sighed and spoke up.

"Just so you know, I still have the spare key. You know, from when I used to foalsit you and stuff.”

Cloud Thresher lifted his right wing and pulled out a ring of keys from underneath it. Without saying anything, Cloud Thresher flew over to the house, and used the correct one to open the front door.

Canvas and Troy walked over to the front door together. Cloud Thresher stood beside it, still guilty. "I know this doesn't make up for anything, but it's the least I can do.”

Canvas smiled at Cloud Thresher, holding out a hoof.

"Thanks for doing this, Cloud. You really were a good friend."

Cloud Thresher smiled back and shook his hoof, grateful that things were fine at the moment.

"Not a problem. Just lock up before leaving, okay?"

Canvas nodded, and stepped inside. Troy followed him inside shortly thereafter and closed the door behind him. Cloud Thresher sighed before stepping off the front porch and leaving to give the frame back.

Canvas stood in the middle of the house, looking up at the stairs leading to the second floor.

"You okay, Canvas?” Troy asked, walking up and standing beside him. "I didn’t think you would be so alright with talking to him after everything."

"I know,” said Canvas. “But I talked with Twilight a week ago about what happened to me. She told me about this thing called the Bystander Effect…

"Apparently, during a traumatic event, a large group who is watching something happen might not help out that quickly, or even at all. When a pony knows they're not alone in seeing something bad happen, they might not do anything because they think somepony else will. It's actually a big psychological thing that happens a lot in bad situations."

Such a concept made sense to Troy. Still, if that could’ve killed his lover so easily, it wasn’t one he could care for.

"I mean, I know it doesn’t excuse any of them for what happened to me, but… I get it."

Canvas' tone became optimistic. "I don't know if I can ever forgive anypony in this town, but there isone thing that makes me feel better.”

Canvas put a hoof around Troy's neck. "Of all the help I could've gotten that night…

“You were the best help I could've ever asked for."

Canvas then put his head on Troy's shoulder, and leaned on him. As Troy hugged him back, he knew that Canvas was right. All these months of becoming friends, getting to know each other, and becoming happier as they became closer; none of it could've happened if he wasn't the first one to help him. The pain Canvas went through, though nigh unbearable to think about, brought forth so much love and happiness afterwards.

Canvas slowly pulled back and looked around the house. Since the blinds were closed, most of the house was dark, making the stuffiness feel even more uncomfortable. He hoped he was doing the right thing by returning to this place after so long.

He remembered all the things that happened in this very spot the last time he was here. His anxiety grew when he saw the doorway to his father's study.

Despite this, Canvas slowly walked over to that room, his breathing coming out harder with each passing step. Looking inside, Canvas found that the green room was completely bare. The walls were cleaned like they were brand new.

Canvas sighed and slowly made his way to the stairs. With his boyfriend close behind, both of them walked up silently. Canvas looked down at each step, expecting to see at least a drop of blood or two. But much like the rest of the house, the stairs were immaculately cleaned and wiped down, all to be presentable for any potential buyers. Once they reached the second floor, Canvas walked down the hallway, and to his old bedroom.

Canvas walked inside and stood in the middle of it, while Troy stayed at the doorway. His heart sank over how barren the space was now. There was absolutely nothing between the four blue walls, the blue carpeted floor and the wooden ceiling.

He knew exactly where everything had been, from the spot for his modest bed to where his painting easel used to be. But now it was all gone. Sensing his distress, Troy quickly walked in and offered a foreleg to Canvas.

With Troy by his side, Canvas couldn’t hold back anymore. He threw himself onto Troy, fresh tears streaming down his face. He sunk his head into the feathered chest, and Troy clutched him tightly in return.

For all his expectations of sad feelings, Canvas couldn’t have predicted how hard the bitter truth would hit him here in his old room. This was no longer a place of his own. He wasn't a part of this town anymore. Like nothing had changed since he left.

Just then, Canvas felt Troy's talons gently brush against his mane. To Troy, this felt similar to that one night when he held Canvas after his breakdown. Therefore, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Keeping the stallion against his chest, he began to sing softly.

The song that came from his beak, was the very same one he sang for that audition dedicated to him.

Canvas closed his eyes and gripped him tighter, smiling as he relished Troy's beautiful voice. Troy remembered that this was how he really wanted to sing this song back at that audition. Even before he even realized how much he loved Canvas, he knew this song was for him.

Canvas smiled and pulled his head back, looking straight into Troy's vibrant golden eyes. Troy used a claw to slowly wipe the tears off Canvas' matted fur, looking back into his shimmering blue eyes. All the while, he sang sensually, and slowly leaned in closer.

Once the final note was finished, Canvas closed his eyes and locked his lips against his beak. In return, Troy closed his eyes and kissed back lovingly.

Neither one was sure how long they stood in Canvas' old bedroom, sharing their deep kiss while a faint light came in from the closed blinds. At the same time, neither cared. When Troy did pull back, he was still smiling. His plans for Canterlot felt so much closer.

Author's Note

Chapter Fifty-One: Ave Maria

Celestia’s morning light brightened the cabin car as it chugged along toward Canterlot. Troy, lying on the bench, slowly opened his eyes and groaned at its insistence on waking him up. At least he had Canvas resting peacefully on his chest.

Troy felt his heart become lighter at the sight of Canvas’ peacefulness. He resisted the urge to nuzzle the dozing pony. Instead, he took satisfaction in the pleasurable tingle of Canvas’ steady breathing brushing against his feathered chest.

Soon the sunlight reached Canvas' face, and his eyelids clenched on contact. Troy smiled as he watched him wake up. He loved how adorable he looked when he was half-asleep.

Once fully awake, Canvas gave a tired smile at Troy’s happy face. Without thinking, Canvas moved his head forward and wrapped his hooves around him, kissing Troy deeply.

"Troy,” said Canvas. “I'm really glad you were with me for this."

Troy leaned in, letting Canvas kiss him once more, and then replied.

"And I would've done it a million times for you."

Canvas' smile grew even bigger, and the two hugged each other tightly. Within their embrace, Troy could see Canterlot come into view from the window. He sat himself upright with Canvas still clinging onto his makeshift gryphon-bed.

"So Canvas,” said Troy cheerfully. "How does it feel to make history tonight?"

Canvas giggled groggily. "It feels amazing, but it’s even better knowing that you're by my side."

The train was slowing down. His heart began to race when he remembered what Rainbow Dash said about Rarity waiting for him at the station.

Closing his eyes, Troy nuzzled his coltfriend’s mane, hoping to keep this moment going for as long as he could.

"I love you, Canvas."

Canvas closed his eyes too.

"I love you too, Troy."

The engine steam enveloped the station platform in a thick, warm mist. Rarity didn’t seem to mind one bit as she stood in a stylish trench coat, accessorized with a matching sunhat.

Her horn glowed with a hue of blue magic as she levitated two items of clothing, each wrapped in plastic and on hangers. She barely noticed Rainbow Dash standing beside her, who looked bored as she tapped her hooves against the concrete platform. She'd rather be flying right now, but she wanted to check on Troy.

The train doors opened, and after several ponies stepped off, Troy exited with Canvas in tow. They both looked happy to see the two mares waiting for them. Rainbow Dash was surprised, however, when Troy made a beeline toward Rarity (instead of his friend/boss).

"Here's your tuxedo, Troy,” said Rarity, particularly cheerful as she carefully folded it with her magic and placed it into his satchel. "And the accommodations are already in place."

Troy maintained an eager smile while securing the satchel against his shoulder, not noticing both Canvas and Rainbow Dash being confused about their interaction. Before Canvas could ask what was going on, Rarity placed the stallion’s suit into his art bag.

"And here's yours, Canvas. I’ve made sure all the measurements were correct, but if anything feels off, just come straight to me so I can make readjustments."

Despite his lingering confusion, Canvas let it slide and nodded. He closed up his art bag and addressed Rainbow.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash, do you know if my package came into Canterlot yet?"

Now Troy was the one who looked confused. Rainbow pondered in a moment of forgetfulness before her eyes widened in remembrance.

"Oh yeah! I think Twi picked it up from the post office herself, so it's probably at the castle by now."

"Great!”

"Wait, what package?" asked Troy.

“Didn’t I tell you? I was working on my other project in time for the Gala, remember?"

"Oooohhhhhh."

"Wait, what were you working on?” asked Rainbow. “I thought you finished that painting like, a month ago!"

"I did, but I decided to do something else for--”

Canvas bit his lip momentarily. He didn’t want to give too much away about what he was making, or why he did it.

"...For personal reasons, and I wanted to have it at the Gala for somepony to see."

Canvas kept his muzzle shut amidst their stares. Fortunately, neither Rainbow Dash nor Troy felt compelled to ask for more details.

Troy turned toward the clock above the train station exit, seeing that there was still plenty of time before the Gala. "Hey Canvas, we could probably make it to the Concert Hall if we start moving now."

Canvas couldn’t help but grin at Troy’s eagerness. Rainbow Dash smiled and watched the two leave. She didn’t notice Rarity’s giddiness as she stood adjacent to her. With the stallion close by his side, Troy looked back at the two and waved at them.

"Thanks for helping out, Rarity!" said Troy. "We'll see you both at the Gala."

With that, the two set off. Now Rainbow could take note of Rarity’s peculiar behavior.

"Okay Rare, what's going on?" she asked suspiciously.

"Wha--I mean…" Rarity quickly look away, a blush making its way across her white cheeks. Rainbow narrowed her eyes. Something was going on.

"I don’t know what you're talking about, Rainbow Dash. I--”

"Spill the beans, Rarity!" Rainbow leaned in close, her face less than a few inches from the unicorn's. "Troy is my co-worker, so I should know whatever it is the two of you are up to!"

"I…” Rarity puffed her chest out and put on a look of righteous defiance.

"I cannot tell you about anything that is going on, Rainbow. I made a Pinkie Promise to stay silent, and I intend on keeping it, no matter what."

Rarity walked away without another word, leaving Rainbow Dash to stand dumbfounded. Rainbow was quick to regain her senses and speak up. She couldn’t just end it like that.

"Oh come on, Rarity! I won’t say anything, I swear!"

"The answer is no.” Rarity stopped and turned back around to face her. "I made a Pinkie Promise. To break a Pinkie Promise means to lose a friend, remember?"

She then walked away once more. Rainbow Dash groaned and rubbed her temple, irritated to be denied the knowledge of what was going on. She then proceeded to pout, muttering under her breath while mimicking Rarity's voice.

"’I made a Pinkie Promise, Rainbow Dash. To break it is to lose a friend--’”

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's head popped out from inside a trash can right next to her. "FOREVER!!"

Rainbow Dash shrieked and jumped up, landing on top of a lamppost. She looked down at the pink mare still in a trash can.

"What the hay, Pinkie Pie!?” Pinkie simply looked up at her with her usual carefree grin. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Pinkie's smile suddenly turned into a pout as she pointed a hoof at Rainbow Dash. "And you tried to make Rarity break a Pinkie Promise! Shame on you, Rainbow Dash!"

Rainbow dropped back down, annoyed at Pinkie’s unyielding rules.

"Pinkie, do you seriously just wait around at random places just to catch your friends doing stuff you don’t like!?"

Pinkie Pie blinked blankly.

"… Why? You don't?"

Though Canterlot was the thriving capital of Equestria and the home of two Goddesses, it was surprisingly small, only boasting a few miles in length as it stood on the side of a massive mountain. As a result, the dense number of ponies and small one-way roads made it rather difficult to get anywhere in the city on time. This consequence applied to Troy and Canvas as well, for it took a considerable amount of time to reach the Canterlot Concert Hall.

Upon arrival, Troy's heart sank at the state it was in now. Massive walls of scaffolding and clear tarp hung all over the domed structure. Canvas trotted over to a sign in front of the main doors. He read the notice out loud in hopes of easing his boyfriend's nerves.

"Notice: due to extensive repairs on the exterior, no ponies are permitted to enter until further notice."

Troy groaned. "Crap! I really wanted to see this place!"

Canvas sighed, looking morose himself. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he read the sign again. He grew himself a grin, and he reached out for the door. It was unlocked. He looked back at Troy with a sly smirk.

"Hey Troy,” whispered Canvas. "Come on."

Troy threw his claws up in protest. As much as he wanted to see this place, he knew it wasn't worth ending up in a jail cell.

"Dude, are you serious? I'm not gonna risk getting deported for this! The sign says--"

"The sign says 'no ponies.’ I could get in trouble for going in since I’m a pony, but you…"

Troy looked at the sign, seeing that it didn't make any mention of gryphons entering the property. A matching grin found its way on his face. His coltfriend found quite the loophole.

Troy stepped up to the front doors. He looked around to make sure nopony was watching, and once he was certain of being unnoticed, he stepped over the ropes and headed in. Canvas also checked that the coast was clear before following and closing the door behind him.

Whereas the outside of the concert hall was obviously in need of repair, it was almost impossible to tell from the inside. The luxurious main room was draped in the finest red carpets, and ornate columns lined the walls. The lights were still on, and the faint smell of perfume from the thousands of ponies who had been here before lingered in the air.

Troy then spotted the walkways leading up to the balcony seating. He smiled before rushing up toward the right hall. With Canvas following, Troy ran along like a colt in a candy store, looking at the letters above each section as he moved past them. It wasn't until he nearly reached the end that Troy stopped, his eyes pinned on one particular doorway.

Canvas, panting heavily, was unsure of what made Troy so excited. Looking up at the doorway, he saw the bronze lettering showed the letter ‘J’. A moment of silence later, and Troy walked through.

Troy's talons pressed against the soft, red carpet underneath him, and his heart felt heavy. The view of the stage wasn't that great from this angle, but Troy didn’t seem to care. Instead, he stood between the two rows of plush seating.

Canvas stood at the doorway, watching with happy yet worried eyes. Troy dragged a claw over one of the foreleg-rests. He stayed silent, trying not to cry. He knew what this place was.

For the longest time, Troy's grandparents were the only real friends that he had. Troy was quickly shunned by a lot of the other gryphons in his youth because of his small size and meek build. His father was determined to make him stronger through exercise and discipline, but his grandma and grandpa took a different route with him. Whenever he’d visit them for whatever reason, the two always made him feel welcome. He even started listening to their collection of records, developing the same appreciation for classical music and opera that they had.

Even when he grew up and became a more acceptable size in comparison to his classmates (though still small when compared to his older brothers), Troy still preferred hanging out with his grandparents, listening to their stories about Equestria and appreciating their great company.

Everyone in the family was saddened by their loss, but Troy was especially distraught over it. Nevertheless, he remembered all the amazing things they told him regarding love and Canterlot. Now, with the greatest love he'd ever known in his life, he was in the very spot where his grandfather met his grandmother for the first time.

Canvas put caution to the wind and lifted his hoof, stepping inside the balcony and slowly walking over to Troy. He was happy to see that Troy still had a smile despite all the tears.

Once he noticed his coltfriend standing next to him, Troy leaned in to nuzzle his lover. Canvas' gaze slowly went over the large stage below them, making him smile.

"Hey, Troy. I have an idea…"

Troy pulled his head back, feeling slightly confused. Canvas motioned to the stage.

Though he didn’t want to fly around in a place like this, Troy knew it’d be more convenient than following his coltfriend down the hallways to reach the stage. In a matter of seconds, his paws and claws went from the carpeted floors of the balcony to the wooden floors of the stage.

Said stage was surprisingly well-lit, even without the spotlights on. He took a moment to appreciate how he was standing on a spot where thousands of great performers had stood before. Then, the sound of hooves caught Troy's attention. Canvas was running down the aisle.

Canvas stopped at the front row, keeping his eyes on Troy.

"So Troy, how does it feel? Think you can see yourself performing on this stage someday?"

Troy scoffed and looked away. "Oh come on! You really think I'm good enough for this place?"

Canvas sat in the middle of the row, and spoke confidently.

"Troy, I know you're good enough."

Troy could only smile as the feathers on the back of his neck ruffled out. He quickly rubbed them down, not wanting to get caught looking this bashful. A snicker from Canvas proved that that ship had already sailed.

"So…"

Troy observed how massive this place was, with hundreds of seats in front and dozens of balcony seats above. He imagined all of those seats occupied, thousands of ponies watching him. The idea made his heart race frantically, but at the same time… It felt so right.

"Canvas… do you have any requests?"

"Just do what you want. This is your moment."

Troy felt his feathers ruffle out again. He looked over at the J Balcony to his left, where two of the most important gryphons in his life started their beautiful lives together.

Closing his eyes, Troy turned his head to face straight ahead. He then lifted a foreleg up and placed it over his chest, letting the warmth come over him.

He heard the familiar music in his head. He knew which song he wanted to do. He hadn’t sang it, or even listened to it since his grandmother's death. Even so, Troy knew, in that moment, in front of the love of his life, it was the perfect song to sing.

“... Aaaaave Mariiiiiaaa…

“Graaaatia pleeenaaaa…”

The moment he opened his beak, each note came out as slowly and sensually as possible. The lyrics of ‘Ave Maria’ may have varied to some, and the arrangement was one that could be interpreted by many. Regardless, Troy felt his eyes begin to well up at the sound of his own voice. Down in the audience seats, the lone stallion listening was tearing up as well.

“Maaariiia, gratia pleeenaaa…

“Mariiiiia, gratia pleeeeenaaaa…

“Aaaaveeeee, ave dooominuuuus

“Dominus teeecuuum...”

Troy tried to keep his eyes closed as he sang the long-cherished ballad, letting its lyrics flood his soul with the same feelings he had carried throughout the years. He belted out every note with passionate vigor, even while tears ran down his cheeks. The image of his grandmother's smiling face came to his mind, reminding him of the most genuine look of happiness he remembered from her after his grandfather passed. It made keeping himself composed difficult, but he continued to sing with as much tenacity as possible.

“Benediiiicta tu in mulieribuuus, et beeenediiiiictuuus…”

His head raised up to the roof, his beak hung wide-open while each note came out near perfect like a claw gliding over smooth velvet. The gryphon clenched his outstretched claw tightly, and used the passion within himself to belt out those lyrics with the same care he encompassed in that play not too long ago. He could only imagine how his coltfriend must’ve seen him in that moment, most likely with his muzzle agape in awe.

“Et benediiictus fructus, veentris tuuuuiii!!!”

Troy lowered his head again. His body felt practically weightless. As he slowly opened his eyes, Troy was surprised to see Canvas right in front of him, standing on the stage. The stallion was carrying a smile underneath those beautiful eyes of his. More tears came as Troy smiled back. He lifted a claw and held it against Canvas' face. He then used a talon to gently brush away the tears off his lover's cheeks, keeping his eyes locked onto his.

“Ventris tuuui, Jeeeeesuuus…”

The next notes came out much softer, almost as if he was crooning the stallion with that gentle melody he could cherish forever.

“Aaaaave mariiiiiaaa…”

Troy held the stallion closer, wrapping his forelegs around the pony's back so they were now only inches away from each other. They no longer cared that they were on the biggest stage in Equestria. Their eyes were locked between the gryphon's vibrant gold and the stallion's calming blue.

As Troy bent his head in closer, now touching the pony's forehead, he slowly reached a claw into his satchel. The concert hall was completely silent, but Troy could imagine the thunderous applause in his mind. He kept one claw inside his satchel while the other held Canvas' head. He closed his eyes as he kissed him deeply.

Troy’s mind raced over what he wanted to do at that very moment. He had to make sure their kiss was perfect, so he kept his beak locked against Canvas' tender lips as deeply and passionately as the first time they came together. His talons grasped what he was looking for, still wrapped inside his jacket in the satchel. Troy began to tear up again as he pulled his head back, looking into Canvas' eyes with the utmost look of bliss and beauty.

"... Canvas…”

Suddenly, a loud crash from offstage startled both of them. The two jumped back and looked toward the side.

A light fixture rolled its way onto the stage, and dozens more fell to the ground. Of course, neither of them noticed that, for their attention was held by who was standing in the middle of it. A grey earth pony mare with a straight, black mane, looking extremely embarrassed. She spoke in an unsteady but deeply posh tone.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn’t mean to… interrupt you two."

Troy’s eyes narrowed on the mare. He could’ve sworn he’d seen her before. His eyes then found the pink treble clef on her flank, and they widened in recognition.

"Wait a minute! You're Octavia! From Concerto in Canterlot!"

Octavia stood dumbfounded for a moment before a smile came up on her face.

"Umm… yes! Yes, I am! I must say, I'm rather surprised you know about me."

"Well, I… kinda bought your cassette on my birthday."

"Well, I'm glad someone bought a copy."

Octavia walked onto the stage with a pleased smirk. Troy suddenly remembered the questionable situation he and Canvas were caught in, and quickly tried to stammer out some form of apology.

"Umm… Just so you know, we… well…. We're sorry, about--”

Octavia held up a hoof, waiting until he stopped before responding cheerfully through her Canterlot accent. "You don't have to explain, gentlemen. I won't say anything."

Octavia then bent her head in closer and whispered. "To be honest, I shouldn’t be here either."

The two chuckled. Canvas held out a hoof to her. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Octavia. We just wanted to visit this place before the Gala tonight."

Octavia's eyes widened and she shook the stallion's hoof. "Oh yes, I know you! You're Canvas, right? I've read about your success in the paper."

Canvas' smile grew bigger, excited at how he was becoming so well-known because of his art.

"Umm. Yeah, I'm Canvas. Thank you for recognizing me."

"Well, how couldn’t I? Being the first earth pony to accomplish what you’ve done is quite the achievement! Plus…"

Octavia briefly looked at where she was, making Canvas and Troy notice the large cello propped against the wall in the shadows. Octavia's voice came out more subdued and sincere as she continued.

"I know how difficult it can be to be noticed for those kinds of talents as an earth pony."

Canvas nodded. "Yeah… I'd hate to say it, but unicorns can really be uptight sometimes."

The mare giggled and looked away. She blushed and muttered under her breath. "Not Vinyl Scratch." Octavia shook her head and brought her attention back to the couple. "Oh! Um… well, you two should probably get ready for the Gala. It might take a while to get past security this year, so…"

Canvas and Troy both nodded before looking back at each other. Although Troy didn’t want to leave yet, he groaned internally as he realized that the mood wasn't right anymore.

Once the two secured their bags and made their goodbyes to Octavia, they left. Troy then started thinking about how to move forward with his plans. He really wanted to do it here at the Concert Hall, but there was no going back. He sighed and made a mental note that no matter what, he wasn't going to get distracted like that again.

At the Gala, thought Troy. Tonight, I'll do it at the Gala.

Because life is too short.

Author's Note

Chapter Fifty-Two: Reflections

Canvas groaned in frustration as he fumbled with the black tie tangled in his hooves. He practically begged Rarity to let him wear a clip-on tie, but she would not settle for anything less than a real one for the Gala. Any skill he had with his hooves didn’t matter when it came to getting those knots around his neck right. After messing up for the fifth time, Canvas groaned even louder. His boyfriend noticed his struggle and walked up to him.

"Don't worry about it,” said Troy, attempting to cover his amused chuckles. "Let me get this for you. It's easier when you have talons."

Considering how Troy already had his tie and tuxedo on, Canvas could see his point. So, he stood upright for him, keeping his chest out while Troy tried his claws at tying the tie.

Troy, being ever the natural, quickly got Canvas' tie done right. He adjusted it so that it laid within the collars of Canvas' dress shirt, not noticing how much Canvas was blushing. When Troy finally looked up, he was only able to look into his blue eyes for a second before Canvas leaned in, wrapping his hooves around his neck and kissing him deeply.

Though initially surprised, Troy soon found himself returning the kiss just as vigorously. The fact that they were in one of the bathrooms of Canterlot Castle quickly became irrelevant. Only after several warm moments did Troy slowly pull his beak back.

"You know,” said Troy, almost panting as he looked at Canvas with half-open eyes and a lustful grin, "if we keep going like this, I might end up ripping that cute little tux off of you."

"Oh really?" Canvas pushed Troy against the tiled wall, keeping him pinned against his hooves. "Because that sounds more like a reward than a consequence."

The two giggled while looking into each other's eager eyes, only for the moment to dampen when another stallion entered. He shrieked and shot straight back out. The two looked back at each other with worry, realizing that they looked like a couple of antsy teenagers on prom night. It didn’t take long for them to start cracking up, however.

Troy put a foreleg around Canvas, holding him closer as they left the bathroom. He found himself not caring about the potential of odd looks as he looked at the stallion next to him, his art bag hanging on his shoulder and over his tux. He felt so much more confident about what he wanted to do tonight.

They stepped out into the hallway, and before they got five steps in, Rarity appeared at the other end. Her eyes grew wide in excitement at the sight of the couple. She shrieked out in joy and ran up to them.

"Omigosh, there you two are! I'm so happy to see you! Congrat--"

Rarity's cheerful banter stopped when she saw Troy making a quick ‘cut it’ gesture across his throat. Before Canvas could look at him and see what he was doing, Troy put his claws back down and kept a regular smile.

"I was going to say… congratulations on the painting, Canvas! I just saw it, and it looks marvelous!"

"Oh, um… thanks."

Canvas looked at her with a confused smile. He didn’t notice Troy nodding to her with a serious expression. Knowing she shouldn't say anymore, Rarity quickly cleared her throat before speaking to them daintily.

"Well, gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me I'll… be going somewhere else."

Rarity quickly trotted off down the hallway. While Canvas looked back at his lover confused, Rarity's head popped back out at the corner, glaring at Troy as she pointed at him with a hoof. In less than a second, Troy made a talons-up gesture to indicate things were fine. When Canvas saw this, he looked back down the hallway, but Rarity had already disappeared. Now he was really confused

Troy could feel Canvas' blue eyes burning on him in suspicion, and could only offer a quick smile of fake innocence in response. Canvas sighed in slight annoyance, rolling his eyes before the two moved forward. Troy quietly sighed in relief, and tried his hardest to remain inconspicuous. Not long after, the sight of Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight Sparkle made them both stop in their tracks.

The princesses walked up to them with smiles. The couple smiled back and bowed. When Canvas looked back up, he saw Celestia looking at him with warmth and gratitude.

"Good evening, Canvas,” said Celestia. “It's nice to see you before the Gala begins. I hope that security wasn't too intrusive for the two of you."

Canvas and Troy both looked unsure of what to say. While they did manage to get back to the castle in less time than expected, the two still underwent a thorough security check before being permitted inside. Troy had an especially large bone to pick regarding how one of the royal guards opened up everything in front of them without thinking twice. At least he could be grateful that he didn't pull out what was in his jacket.

"Oh, it's alright,” said Canvas insistently. "I totally get it. I'm just glad I was able to see the castle before the Gala."

"I'm very glad to hear that, because I wanted to show you where I placed your painting."

Canvas' smile grew even wider. Celestia motioned the two to follow her, and Twilight moved over to walk alongside Canvas opposite of Troy.

"I saw where she placed your painting. She picked a great spot for it!"

"That's great to know, Twilight,” said Canvas. "By the way, Rainbow Dash told me you picked up my package?"

Troy peered in to listen, remembering that tidbit at the train station. "Yes I did, Canvas. She's asleep right now, so I don't think she'll see it until tonight, but I left it in her quarters."

Now Troy was confused. Who was this ‘she’ supposed to be? Regardless, Canvas seemed happy with the answer, so he decided to stay silent for the moment. Just then, Celestia had entered the main ballroom, leaving the other three to follow and look around.

The large ballroom was still undergoing preparations for the Gala, with dozens of ponies either arranging the food or getting the stage ready; but at the Princesses’ entrance, the whole space went suddenly silent. Everypony stopped as Celestia passed by, but she didn't pay much attention as she looked back at the two behind her, giving them a warm smile.

"Canvas, because of the Gala, I thought it would be best to place your painting here in the ballroom."

Celestia pointed over to where she placed Canvas' greatest work, her smile growing as she saw the artist’s jaw slowly drop. He walked over to the two large windows facing the garden outside, where his painting of Celestia hung proudly between in the center.

Looking back at where this was in relation to the ballroom, Canvas realized that this was a great spot for his painting. The main ballroom entrance was directly across from these windows, meaning his painting would be one of the first things ponies would see when they entered.

Canvas looked back at Celestia with his eyes welling. The Goddess smiled back and nodded.

"You did an amazing job, Canvas. And I want you to know that of all the ponies I could've chosen for this, I'm really glad it was you."

Tears of joy started to run down Canvas' face. Less than a year ago, Canvas was just a lonely stallion in an uncaring town, living each day in fear over wanting to live his life for who he was. Now, after mere months, he found everything he ever wanted: friends, a home, a real life, a mate, and a real sense of happiness and peace.

And with his greatest painting on display for royalty, Canvas had made history. History that would always remain here, in this sacred space, even after he was long gone.

Troy walked closer to Canvas, holding him close before the stallion could fall over. Canvas closed his eyes and relished the gryphon's warmth, until he noticed Celestia walking closer also.

Canvas quickly grabbed Celestia for a tight hug, not caring one bit what lunging at a princess could look like to a dozen royal guards. Both Troy and Twilight (along with everypony else in the ballroom) were surprised to see Canvas do something so bold, but Celestia didn't falter for a second as she hugged him back.

Only a few whimpers could come out of Canvas' mouth before he finally spoke in a faint whisper.

"... Thank you… Thank you so much, Celestia."

"You don't need to thank me,” said the Goddess lovingly, slowly pulling her head back. Canvas let go of the princess, looking up at her smiling face while trying to wipe off his tears in an effort to look presentable again.

"You were the one who did this, Canvas. Nopony else can say that."

Canvas nodded, trying not to cry again as he bowed to her. Once he raised himself back up, Troy quickly stood by his side again, wrapping a foreleg around Canvas with a smile of his own.

Celestia cleared her throat to catch their attention. She set her eyes on Troy.

"Troius Clawston?"

Troy wasn't a military Gryphon by any standards (despite his father's insistence as a child to toughen him up), but he still stood upright with his chest out and a firm voice. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Canvas and Celestia giggled at how drastically his boyfriend changed his composure.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again. I didn’t get a chance to talk with you during the Gallery, but I want to say that I had the great pleasure of knowing your grandparents. The Talonochs were responsible for accomplishing so much between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom, and I have nothing but the highest respect for them."

Troy's stoic stance suddenly changed. A smile and a look of kindness took its place. It was hard for Troy not to well up at such sincerity. "Th-thank you."

Celestia's smile grew warmer. "I can truly say that Niko and Helen were an amazing couple to work with. And I'm glad that I got to meet you as well."

Celestia held out a hoof. Troy felt a million different waves of excitement flow through him as he reached out and shook it. He knew that he was now one of only a few gryphons to interact with royalty in such a fashion.

Troy kept his grateful smile as he looked up at the Goddess, feeling the warm hoof in his grasp and seeing how genuinely kind she looked from behind those light-lavender eyes; a look of utmost understanding and caring. When he finally let go, he had to try as hard as he could to keep his composure. He stepped back beside his coltfriend and bowed to her.

With a caring nod back to him, Celestia looked at Twilight. "I have some tasks to complete before the Gala begins, so I'll be heading off for the moment. Feel free to enjoy yourself for the time being."

Canvas and Troy were quick to give a final bow before the alicorns made their way out of the ballroom. When they left, the other ponies quickly got back to their jobs. Neither the stallion nor the gryphon seemed to notice the burst of activity around them as they looked at each other with glee.

Suddenly, the sound of a familiar mare's voice caught their attention, making them turn around. "Canvas, there you are!"

The two saw Octavia walk toward them, now wearing a pink bow tie around her neck. "It's nice to see you two again before the Gala begins. Was security rough on you as well?"

Troy made sure his jacket was on tightly as he responded with a groan. "Yeah, they were. Seriously, you’d think they would've taken it down a notch after a year or two."

"Maybe, but given how much has gone on in recent years, what with Discord, the Changeling Invasion, and that whole Crystal Empire event; I can't blame the Princesses for being a tad paranoid."

Troy nodded in understanding, knowing she had a valid point. Though he preferred this nation over the Gryphon Kingdom, he had to admit that a lot of crazy stuff happened here.

"By the way, sir, I haven't gotten the chance to ask for your name."

Troy's eyebrows rose. He offered his claw and smiled.

"Oh, of course. My name is Troius. Troius Clawston, although most ponies just call me Troy."

"Charmed.” Octavia shook his claw. Looking around, the mare kept an embarrassed look on her face. "I wanted to say something back at the Concert Hall, but I figured things were already a little awkward after catching you with your… partner."

Both Troy and Canvas blushed.

"But I just wanted to say, I couldn't stop thinking about that performance you did of ‘Ave Maria’."

The gryphon looked away, embarrassed that she witnessed something so personal.

"Y-you don't have to say that--”

"I mean it!" Octavia’s tone now conveyed admiration. "I've heard that song so many times from various ponies, but I have never heard it sung as beautifully as your rendition!"

Troy felt surprised that such a high-caliber musician would say something like that about something he did on a whim. Canvas stood beside him with a big grin.

"Mister Clawston, I can say with utmost confidence that you have great talent. Have you ever done anything professionally?"

"Actually,” said Canvas. "Troy here was the lead in Ponyville's latest play production! He played the Phantom."

Now Troy's feathers were ruffling out. He looked away from both of them, trying not to look too flustered while Octavia giggled. He could only stand silent before he heard his coltfriend open up his art bag and pull out a copy of the newspaper, one that contained a review for that show.

Looking back, Troy looked on in growing discomfort as she read the review. He glared at Canvas, who kept his smile regardless until Octavia spoke up and grabbed both of their attention.

"Well, Troy, I'm impressed! I knew Stage Presence back when I studied Theater in Canterlot University, and I know that she has impeccabletaste when it comes to talent."

Octavia then addressed Canvas. "Excuse me, do you happen to have a pen and paper?"

"Of course!" Canvas said, enthusiastically. He dug into his bag and pulled out a pen and paper, passing them to Octavia.

Octavia took them graciously. She then held the pen in her mouth as she quickly jotted down something. When she was finished, Octavia gave the pen back to Canvas and turned to Troy.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but I happen to know of a big production happening in Canterlot in a couple of months." She hoofed the paper to Troy, waiting until he took it before continuing. "If you're interested, I think it might be a great opportunity for you."

With that, Octavia gave a warm smile and walked off. Troy looked at the paper in his talons, as well as Canvas over his shoulder. The mare wrote down what appeared to be the date and address for an upcoming audition.

"Way to go!" shouted Canvas, hugging Troy tightly. "You did it, honey!"

Although this new opportunity left him in a bit of shock, Troy managed to grow a huge smile and hug his coltfriend back.

Twilight Sparkle tried to keep up an optimistic attitude as she walked alongside her mentor down the halls of Canterlot Castle. After learning the full story of what happened to Canvas involving his father and Gallop Creek, however, she was feeling more than concerned. She remembered how Celestia already knew about everything months ago.

Upon noticing her student’s hidden distress, Celestia sighed sullenly.

"Princess Celestia,” said Twilight. "would you mind if we talked about something?"

The Goddess stopped for a second before nodding.

"Of course, but I take from your tone that it should be in a more private place?"

Twilight nodded. Celestia lit her horn, enveloping them both in a bright, white light. In an instant, the two princesses vanished, and were both teleported within a tower overlooking the castle.

Looking around and seeing that they were both alone, Celestia looked back at Twilight.

"Celestia, I was wanting to talk with you about what happened with Canvas."

Celestia sighed again. "I see…"

She looked away for a moment, looking out the window to see it was already close to sundown. When she looked back at Twilight, Celestia maintained a stern tone.

"Twilight, did my sister happen to speak with you about my findings in Gallop Creek?"

"Yes, she sent me a letter about a week ago about her involvement. She told me about how she helped Canvas, and… she told me that you were the one who let Copper go."

Celestia closed her eyes. She anticipated these questions would come after Twilight learned the full truth.

"I know that you had your intentions, and I still trust your judgment, but I want to know… why didn't you punish him?"

As the young alicorn looked up at her with worry, Celestia gave her a warm smile to calm her nerves, waiting a moment before answering more seriously.

"Twilight, when you wrote that letter to me about what happened, and I discovered who Canvas' attacker was, I was fully intent on tracking him down. And when I went to see Copper Fields, I had every intention to prosecute him for his actions. However…"

The Goddess' head hung down.

"When I saw him at that graveyard, and how truly ashamed he was for his actions without knowing I was there, I knew that no action of my own would be enough. No punishment I could give would be worse than the heartache he was already feeling himself."

Celestia looked back at Twilight. "I didn't let him go out of pity, or because I felt sorry for him. The reason I let Copper search for his son was because I understood how he felt."

Twilight's eyes widened, not expecting such a response. Before she could question what she meant, Celestia went on.

"Twilight, in the thousands of years I've spent ruling this land, I have made more than my share of mistakes. Some of which were much bigger than others… But of all the mistakes I've made in my lifetime, I can honestly say that the biggest regrets I have, are the ones where I hurt those who were closest to me."

Twilight blinked.

"Much like Copper, I know how painful it can be to hurt somepony close to me, and I know how important it can be to seek redemption… When I banished my dear sister, I spent a thousand years in constant torment, wanting nothing more than to have Luna back in my life. And when I finally held her again when she was reformed, nothing would’ve expressed the happiness I felt when I had her as my sister again.

"Also… when I saw Copper's regret over hurting his child, all I could think about… was how I acted at the Royal Wedding."

Twilight tried to hide her cringe. What happened at the Royal Wedding rehearsal was still a sore spot in her conscience, but Twilight was able to get past that after some well-needed reflection. However, as she recalled how everypony acted toward her back then, Twilight was surprised to see Celestia look this upset as she spoke about it now. She realized that it hadn't been brought up much since the wedding.

"I shouldn't have left you alone like that, Twilight,” said Celestia, distressed. "Despite how you may have acted, it was no excuse for me to act that way toward you. Or to leave you alone with that… thing. And for that, I truly am sorry."

Twilight had already forgiven everypony involved before the wedding even began, knowing that they were all tricked by the same foe. All the same, she still felt a twinge of gratitude in her heart as she heard Celestia’s apology.

"And... I saw that same look of regret on Copper's face as he made that blood oath on his wife's grave."

Celestia paused for a moment. She then put a hoof up to prevent Twilight from speaking up.

"I'm not saying that his actions are comparable to mine. I may have acted wrong, but I can still say that I acted accordingly under those circumstances. Compared to how I’ve hurted my family, what hedid was unforgivable. However, I could still see that no matter what I did to him, Copper wouldn't have felt any closure for his pain unless he spoke to his son. So with a quick deliberation, I decided that instead of putting him in jail, or banishing him someplace to make him wallow in pity, I should at least give him one, single chance to redeem himself. And considering how things went, I have no regrets."

Twilight couldn't exactly deny Celestia’s statement, especially after personally seeing what occurred and hearing about what happened after. Celestia was glad to see Twilight nod, knowing that she understood.

"Twilight, I want you to understand that sometimes in life, not every problem can be easily resolved, and that some issues can’t be looked at from an outside perspective. As we move on in our lives, we're going to face struggles and heartache which could be too much to bear, or which are too personal for others to get involved ourselves. But when those moments come, I want you to remember that, no matter what, there is always hope for good to come. Even if everything feels lost, or an answer might not be easy to find, good is always possible, and that it's always best to follow the light when it shows itself."

Twilight thought about Celestia’s words. In the end, she understood the lesson: there’s always hope when we least expect it.

Then she thought about Canvas, the stallion who almost lost everything, including his own life. She smiled knowing where he was now: accomplishing something no other earth pony could do, and finding true love along the way.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Twilight Sparkle?"

Without hesitation, the younger Princess nodded, keeping her smile as she spoke confidently. "Yes I do, your Highness."

The dark-blue alicorn woke up in her sleeping quarters, groaning as she lifted herself from her bed. She had to make herself presentable for the Grand Galloping Gala tonight. Once she stood on the marble floor, the sound of cheering ponies outside added to Luna's frustration. She was going to be late for the grand opening.

Luna decided to not let it get the best of her, though, and she headed for the bathroom, hoping to at least get herself washed up before the Gala was halfway over. Before she could make it there, however, she noticed a package by her bedroom door.

Luna wasn’t expecting any mail. She began to grow suspicious as she looked at the brown box before her, hoping this wouldn’t be another stupid prank from Discord like last week. Luna lifted the box cautiously with her magic and found a letter taped onto it. Upon removing the letter and opening it, she saw who it was from. A smile grew on her muzzle, and a sense of gratitude flowed through her as she read it.

Dear Luna,

Words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done for me. While I know things will never be the same between my father and I, I'm still glad that I followed your advice. And you were right. Despite how much I went through because of him, it wouldn’t do me any good to hold a grudge. I still don't think I can ever completely forgive him, but I was glad to at least say my proper goodbyes.
You really are a wise pony, and as I said, there's nothing I can say that can truly express how thankful I am for your help. Because of that, all that I ask is that you accept this gift, as a token of my appreciation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Canvas

Luna sighed in joy, happy to know that she was able to help somepony. She looked at the package before her, using her magic to carefully open it and take out what was inside. Luna's eyes widened at the sight of Canvas' framed creation.

Much like his painting of Celestia, Canvas made a painting for the Princess of the Night; however, whereas his artwork of Celestia just had her confidently standing over a cliff, the painting he made for Luna was much more active.

Painted with oil paint on a canvas backdrop, the picture showed an image of Luna flying upward against the night sky, her dark-blue coat illuminated by the vibrant moonlight. She looked up toward the cosmos with her wings fully spread out, her stance one of pure grace and elegance. Canvas also painted a special constellation in the sky over her head, the stars arranged to look like a halo was above her.

Luna smiled. Canvas portrayed her not as a princess, but an angel.

At that moment, Canvas made history twice that night. Along with being the first earth pony to ever make a painting for Canterlot Castle, Canvas became the first artist ever to have two paintings displayed in the castle.

While his painting of Celestia was hung in the ballroom for everypony to see, Canvas' second painting of Luna was hung within her sleeping quarters for herself.

The Grand Galloping Gala went off without a hitch, with Celestia starting the event, and Twilight Sparkle standing next to her happily. As the night went on, both Canvas and Troy were surprised by two things.

First was how much attention Canvas' work had received. For a large part of the night, Canvas wasn't able to get away from his painting because ponies kept walking up to him, either congratulating his success or asking how he accomplished it. He wanted to try some of the delicious-looking displays of food across the ballroom, but he almost felt trapped by all the curious Gala-goers, leaving Canvas with a bitter mix of frustration and pride. And since Troy couldn't move from his spot much, he also felt upset as he looked on, wanting to find the perfect moment before this night ended.

Second was finding out the Grand Galloping Gala was, in fact, boring. All those stories from their friends about how the night wouldn’t be nearly as fantastic as expected suddenly made sense.

If it wasn't for the constant barrage of ponies asking him about gryphon culture, Troy probably would've fallen asleep before the Gala ended. Luckily, Rainbow Dash was able to help him out by inviting him to chat with her and Soarin from the Wonderbolts. He almost didn't notice when Canvas finally broke free from the crowds and got himself something to eat.

As he listened to Rainbow Dash talk about how she saved the Wonderbolts that one time (something he'd heard her brag about at work at least once a week), Canvas poked at Troy’s side to catch his attention.

"Finally!" said Troy as he wrapped a foreleg around Canvas and quickly nuzzled him. His coltfriend giggled at the feathers brushing against his face, and Troy smiled as he pulled his head back and looked at him. "Seriously, I'm really glad you're here. I was getting bored tonight."

"Hey!" said Rainbow, clearly offended. "I was telling a great story!"

"Which I already heard thirty times.”

Rainbow Dash huffed and looked away with a pout, and Soarin tried to hide his laughter. Troy then noticed that Canvas was slightly blushing at Soarin, making his eyes narrow. He poked at Canvas' head with a talon.

Canvas flinched and looked back at Troy, his blush growing. "Umm. I-I wasn’t…”

Soarin put out a hoof for Canvas, seeming oblivious of the artist’s embarrassed state. "You're Canvas, right? The pony who made that painting by the windows?"

Canvas slowly looked back at him and shook it, keeping a meager smile on his muzzle as he felt his boyfriend's stare on both of them.

"Um… yes. I'm Canvas."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Troy's had a lot of nice things to say about you. You should be lucky to have him."

"Oh, believe me,” said Canvas, looking back at Troy warmly. "I know I'm lucky."

Any feelings of jealousy Troy had dissipated as he held him closer. Seeing how lovestruck the two were, Soarin chuckled and turned back to Rainbow Dash, letting the couple get reacquainted as they walked away.

Canvas walked with his boyfriend back to the large tables of food. He felt like he should at least try to clear the air, so he cleared his throat.

"Troy, just so you know, you're way cuter than Soarin ever was."

Troy gave a light smirk. "Oh yeah? Then why were you blushing like that? The last time I saw your face get that red was when I wore those stockings for you."

Canvas quickly blushed heavily again, and giggled.

"It's just that… well… I used to have a really big crush on him back in high school."

Troy put his foreleg around him and chuckled. "Eh, don’t worry about it! I'm not jealous of a wimp like him."

Canvas smiled back and nuzzled his chest. "And you shouldn’t be. Seriously, I'd rather have you than any Wonderbolt!"

Troy quickly stepped back as he felt the stallion's face brush too close to the side of his jacket. When Canvas looked up, slightly confused, Troy looked around and made sure his jacket was secure. This night was going to be ending soon.

"I-I don't want to mess with the tux. I know Rarity worked hard on this for me a-and I don’t want it to get messed up."

Canvas' eyes narrowed on him in suspicion. "So… was that why you looked so happy when Rarity gave you the jacket?"

"Umm…” Troy tried to make himself look less nervous by forcing a smile on his beak. "Yes! She… she got the measurements wrong a couple days ago because the wing holes were meant for a pegasus body." Troy pointed at the openings on the back of his tux. "So she helped me make the changes so they would fit, and… that's it."

Canvas only blinked at Troy's odd-looking smile, making the gryphon feel more nervous. He hoped to all that was sacred that Canvas wasn't catching on.

"I was happy to have a fitting suit. I never really had one, since I'm a gryphon and all."

Luckily, Troy's worries faded when he saw Canvas' eyes light up, as if he suddenly remembered something.

"That reminds me! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Seeing Canvas focused on something else was more than enough for Troy to play along while he looked around to find the right moment.

They walked over to a particular large table full of small bite-sized snacks of every variety. Before Troy could pick up one of the little cheese pieces placed on a toothpick, his gaze went to where Canvas was pointing.

On the other side of the table where the chefs and caterers were, Troy saw something he didn’t expect to see: another gryphon. He boasted a much larger beak than his own with a (rather unappealing) black moustache on it, and was stirring some new contents in a pan, his beady eyes focused on his work.

"Hey, Gustav!" shouted Canvas

The gryphon's head quickly darted up, looking at Canvas for a second before a smile came up on his slightly jagged beak.

"Why hello, Canvas!" said Gustav cheerfully. His accent sounded like what Troy figured Applejack would refer to as ‘fancy’.

"Troy, remember when I told you I met a guy in Baltimare, when I got you your birthday gift?”

Troy's golden eyes shot wide open. He looked back at Gustav and his smirk.

"Well, well, well. So zisvas the friend you bought my products for.”

Troy put his claw out across the table to Gustav, looking at him with a huge smile. "Sir, you have noidea how much you made my night with that! I mean, that steak wa--”

“SHHH!” Gustav quickly looked around, making sure no ponies heard that. He gave one quick glare at Troy, and then shook his claw.

"Please do not mention my extracurricular activities…"

Troy nodded, embarassed at how dumb he was to mention the ‘S’ word in public. Thankfully, Gustav smiled once more.

“... And you're velcome."

As Gustav went back to his work, Troy felt even more in love with Canvas after being reminded how much the stallion had done for him as just a friend. He wondered whether or not right now would be the right time.

Troy looked around the rest of the ballroom. He smiled at seeing the large crowd of ponies around Canvas' painting.

"So, how does it feel?"

Canvas raised an eyebrow. "How does what feel? Because a lot of great things have happened today."

"Well, what I mean is…" Troy held the stallion closer to him, grabbing him in his claws and keeping his gaze glued on the stallion's blue eyes.

"How does it feel to be here on the biggest night of your life?"

"Well…" Without looking away, Canvas smiled as he brought his head in closer. "The thing is… while this is a big night for me, I don't think this is the greatest night of my life.”

"Really?"

"Yeah, because the greatest night of my life… happened when I fell in love with you.”

With that, the two kissed. Troy pulled away first.

"Well, Canvas… I really hope I can change that tonight."

Canvas' eyebrows rose up in curiosity. Just then, music began to play from the stage. Upon hearing the sensual piano, Troy smiled and stepped back, holding out his claw.

"Canvas, may I have this dance?"

Canvas smiled, and took Troy’s claw.

"Troy, I would be happy to."

The two went to the dance floor, joining the other couples as they came together. They stood on their hind legs, holding onto each other and closing their eyes.

Many of the ponies in the ballroom couldn’t help staring at the couple’s slow dancing, but neither Canvas nor Troy cared about anything but each other. Troy kept his forelegs around the stallion's back, and Canvas rested his head against the gryphon's chest.

Eventually, Troy looked down at the stallion he was holding. He looked so beautiful.

Neither of them were sure how long they danced together, but when Troy turned his attention to his surroundings, he found that the crowd was beginning to dissipate. Hoping he wasn't too late, Troy looked around until he noticed Octavia on the stage putting her cello back into her case.

"Octavia,” said Troy as Canvas let go of him. "Don’t tell me the Gala's over!"

Octavia looked at Troy strangely. "Ummm… I don’t thinkso.”

Troy sighed in relief before she continued. "If you're wondering where the ponies are going, Celestia is supposed to be doing something big for tonight that's happening outside."

Troy's eyes widened. He now remembered what was supposed to occur at the Gala. Rainbow Dash made him Pinkie Promise not to say anything about it, so Troy didn’t mention a word of it to Canvas. And since he originally planned to make his move at the Concert Hall, he didn’t even think about it as an option.

But now, knowing what he wanted to do, Troy grew a tender smile as he looked at Canvas. He knew exactly where he could take him.

"Hey Canvas, follow me…"

Canvas looked at him in confusion. "Where to?"

"Just trust me."

Canvas smiled in agreement and followed him. Once out of the ballroom, Troy managed to walk through the large crowd of ponies outside with Canvas in tow.

With newfound determination, Troy's eyes landed on the one place he knew would be perfect. Nopony would be present there.

Canvas' eyes widened when he saw that they were heading toward the platform Celestia used to raise the sun every morning. He hoped that Troy wasn't going to get them in trouble.

When they reached the stairs leading up to the platform, Troy looked back at Canvas with an ecstatic smile on his face. A million thoughts and feelings ran through his head. Amongst them all, the biggest ones were his hopes.

He hoped everything would plan out like he thought.

He hoped nopony was going to interrupt them this time.

He hoped this moment would be as perfect as he imagined it would be.

But mostly… he hoped that Canvas would say ‘yes’.

Author's Note

Chapter Fifty-Three: Carpe Noctem

"HALT!"

Before Troy could even lift the velvet rope draped across the steps, two royal guards appeared before him and Canvas.

"... Buck,” muttered Troy.

Troy should've expected this place to be guarded, but he was too distracted. Neither he nor his coltfriend said a word to the armored pegasi, but they already knew they were in trouble. The grey-coated one spoke first.

"This is a restricted area. Please head back to the castle immediately."

Troy looked back up at the steps behind him, feeling his frustration seething over. He was so close. He couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.

"We weren't going to do any--”

"Silence!” shouted the brown-coated one. “You have been ordered to return to the castle!"

Troy’s claws were digging into the grass underneath him. His obvious aggravation worried Canvas greatly. Before Troy could do anything he’d regret, the unmistakable voice of Rainbow Dash came out from behind the Guards, startling them.

"Hey, Guards! Whaddya think you two are doing to my friends?"

"These two were attempting to trespass onto restricted property,” said the brown guard as he turned and stood before Rainbow Dash. "We have ordered them to return to the Gala, but they refuse to leave."

Rainbow couldn’t decide if she was more irritated at the guards for hassling her friends, or at her co-worker who should’ve known better than to try anything so stupid. She passed the two guards and walked straight up to Troy.

"Troy, just what in the hay are you trying to pull?"

"Dash,” Troy said with faux calmness. "I was just wanting to go up to the platform with Canvas. I wasn't--”

"Why?" Rainbow Dash, now more annoyed, got up closer, poking at his chest with a hoof as she berated him brashly. "Dude, you've been acting really weird lately! I want to know why you've been acting so freaky the past couple weeks, and I'm not letting you go until--"

Troy silently panicked when Rainbow’s hoof stopped at one particular spot. Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Troy, stunned. In that moment, she had put it all together. She knew what he was going to do.

Rainbow cracked a quick smile before turning back to the two guards with a more serious expression.

"Guys, let my friends go up to the platform, right now!"

The guards’ stalwartness broke into surprise. They didn’t expect her to change her mind so quickly. Nevertheless, they didn’t want to break protocol, so the brown guard kept his stance and addressed Rainbow Dash boldly.

"Ma'am, I cannot let these two pass onto restricted property!"

By now, the grey guard was looking worried. Rainbow Dash’s eyebrow skewed. "What's that? Are you disobeying the Element of Loyalty?"

Though his demeanor became visibly less confident, the guard stood his ground.

"I… I am supposed to guard this region, and make sure that nopony tres--"

"Dude, I helped save this nation while you were still in training! Multiple times! And I'm telling you that you better let my friends pass before I--"

"Rainbow Dash!" shouted a posh voice from behind the guards. Rainbow Dash looked past them to see Rarity trotting up toward them.

"Do you really think it's a bright idea to use your title as such? Did you not learn anything about why it's wrong to try boosting your own ego?"

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out. A couple seconds later, she shut it in defeat.

Rarity then noticed Canvas and Troy. She grinned as she took in Troy and the platform behind them, and swiftly figured out what was going on. Rarity turned toward the royal guards, carrying a mannerism of kind insistence.

"Gentlecolts, Troy and Canvas are good friends of Rainbow Dash and myself back in Ponyville. I can assure you that these two will not do anything of ill intent. All they want to do is see the platform, and I will personally make sure they won’t be there for long. You have my word that nothing bad will happen, and that Celestia will not know anything about this."

Both guards seemed hesitant at first, but with one glance between them, the brown-coated Guard gave their final say.

"Five minutes."

Rarity smiled. "That will be more than enough time. Thank you."

The two guards walked off, and Rarity turned and nodded to Troy in approval.

Troy lifted the rope up, looking at Canvas with a warm smile in hopes of alleviating his worries. Canvas took notice of Rainbow Dash and Rarity looking at him with big smiles, giddily motioning him to go on. This whole situation filled him with so much uncertainty, but one look back at Troy was enough to dispel it.

"It'll be fine, Canvas,” said Troy. “Trust me."

Taking a deep breath, Canvas stepped forward, going underneath the rope and up the stairs. Before Troy could follow his coltfriend, he looked back at the two excited mares.

Rainbow Dash walked up to him with a cheeky grin. She patted that very spot on his chest and whispered cheerfully. "Go get him!"

Troy smiled, not caring that she figured it out. He then went under the rope and rushed up the steps, ready to make this moment perfect.

"So, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said with a smirk. “I take it that you know what Troy's going to do?"

"Yeah. I felt it in his jacket when I was poking him... I'm guessing youhad something to do with that?"

Rarity blushed and giggled. "Well… I may have held onto it for him before he came to Canterlot, but I believe he already had everything planned out before I could help."

Rainbow glanced back up at the starlit skies, smiling warmly at what she knew was going to happen. "Well, feather-butt certainly picked a great time to do it."

Upon reaching the top, Troy caught his breath, and he marveled at the platform’s sheer elegance. The floor underneath his claws was made of grey marble, with an intricately designed pattern of Celestia's sun emblem etched across it. The pattern was laid in pure gold, standing out brightly even under Luna's moonlight. Before he could marvel any more, Troy spotted Canvas standing in the middle with his eyes drawn to the starry skies.

Because of Celestia's insistence to make this final event a surprise, only a select few ponies (including the Elements of Harmony) were told about what she had planned. Standing atop her tower, Celestia gave a smile as she lit up her horn.

In a sudden burst of light, Celestia's mane shot out in all directions. Its multicolored glow slowly began to flow into the night skies, spreading out against Luna's star-spangled night like a splash of paint against the smoothest sheet of canvas. Soon, an entire aurora rippled above Equestria for all the ponies below to gaze upon in wonder.

While Canvas looked at it in fascination from where he stood, he almost didn’t notice Troy walk up beside him. Slowly, Canvas turned toward his lover and his loving smile.

"Troy, this is perfect!"

As Troy looked into the glowing hues of majestic color reflected against the stallion's blue eyes, he found it difficult to keep his composure, tears streaming down his face before he opened his beak.

"Canvas… you are the one that's perfect."

Canvas felt like he was going to tear up. Troy stepped forward, keeping his eyes locked on him.

"Canvas, I can honestly say that nothing… nothing… has ever made me happier in my life than you have.

"I have no idea how my life would've been if I never found you, but I know that it wouldn't have been as great. I may have saved your life, but… you saved me as well.”

The aurora above was now meaningless to Canvas. Its majestic glow against the gryphon’s golden eyes was what held his attention, and his affectionate words.

"I love you, Canvas. I never would've thought in a million years that I would ever feel this way about anyone… especially a stallion… but I do. I love you, and I know what I want to do.”

Both of their hearts raced, and their smiles grew. Troy lightly placed his claw over his jacket.

"You mean more to me than anything else in my life. You gave me more purpose and motivation than I ever thought I had, and I… well…”

Troy's claw went inside his jacket. Canvas' breathing started coming out more rapidly. Troy couldn't turn back now, not that he wanted to.

"I know we've only been together a few months, but… life is too short. Just like you said. I shouldn’t focus on what I could've had, and… and I know what I want to do...

“... I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

As Troy pulled his claw back out, Canvas put a hoof up to his muzzle. Troy tried to keep himself together as he stood before the love of his life, holding a small black box in his claw.

"Canvas... there's something I want to ask you…”

Troy kneeled before Canvas, the tears finally escaping. His other claw reached out to gently hold Canvas' hoof. He looked up at the stallion's overjoyed face before he closed his eyes and hung his head.

"By Princess's Will…
Through Good Or Ill…
Our Souls Entwined…
Until The End Of Time…"

He opened his golden eyes to look up at Canvas, whose cheeks were matted with tears of joy. Troy’s voice now came out in a faint creak.

"Canvas… my best friend… my love… my soulmate…”

Troy opened the box. Inside, lined against the smoothest black velvet, laid a stunning hoof band made out of pure white gold. Engraved in the band, in intricate detail, was the image of Canvas' paint palette cutie mark intertwined with a silver feather.

Canvas was barely able to keep himself upright. He was weeping out of sheer, pure happiness.

"Will you marry me?"

Canvas didn’t even need a second to think about it. He lunged forward, hugging the gryphon while screaming out at the top of his lungs.

"YEEEEES!!!"

Troy fell on his back, hugging Canvas back tightly while more tears of joy came down both their faces. With his hooves wrapped around Troy's neck, Canvas clenched his eyes shut as he held his head against Troy's chest, still shrieking in weeping joy.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yeees!!"

Canvas slowly opened his eyes and pulled his head back.

"Yes… I'll marry you, Troy."

Moving back up so he could sit upright, Troy closed his eyes and kissed Canvas deeply underneath Celestia’s aurora.

Canvas never wanted this moment to end. After everything that happened in his life, he couldn't have felt happier. Out of all the amazing moments that occurred in these past months, nothing could ever compare to this. Troy truly meant everything to Canvas. He was first his hero, and then became a bigger part of Canvas’ life than either of them could’ve ever imagined.

Troy placed the band on his hoof. Canvas couldn't hold back his overwhelming glee. He knew he could never find another soul as amazing as Troy: his friend, his true love, his soulmate.

And now… his fiancé.

Author's Note

Chapter Fifty-Four (Epilogue): Carpe Diem

The sun began to rise over Canterlot once more, and everything was completely still within Canvas and Troy's room. Along with being invited to the gala, Canvas was also lucky enough to get a room for the night in Canterlot Castle. Canvas only felt pure bliss as he rested in the lusciously soft bed, his face brushing against Troy's warm chest. He wrapped his hooves around Troy's body tighter and listened to his sleeping heartbeat. His eyes slowly opened when he felt what was still on his left hoof.

Canvas moved his hoof back so he could see it, and smiled at the golden band resting there, shining brightly against the morning light. Then, his gaze slowly went back up to the gryphon sleeping beside him, his smile growing bigger. He should've known something was up, what with how odd Troy had been acting the past few weeks. But he didn’t care one bit anymore.

Canvas thought that everything that happened could've just been some amazing dream; that at any moment he would wake up back in that field, covered in the bruises his father gave him. Thankfully, Troy's breath gently brushing against his fur was proof enough that nothing could ever be as real as this.

He gently placed his lips against Troy's beak, and thought of everything he gained: a great life, amazing friends, a loving home, a talent that brought upon a legacy…

… And now, someone to call his husband.

Canvas smiled at that word, even amidst his kiss. He never would've expected Troy to propose this soon, but he did it at the very best moment. He still remembered how the aurora shined above them, and in Troy's golden eyes. How could he ever say no? It all felt so wonderful, and it still did even now.

Troy opened his tired eyes, and his heart melted as he looked into the eyes of his stallion. He remembered how hard his heart was beating when he finally found the courage to propose. Now he couldn't have felt happier with his new fiancé. Being with Canvas was the best decision he could've ever made.

They continued to hold onto each other atop the silk lavender sheets. They didn’t speak a word, their faint breathing and heartbeats the only sounds audible. The morning sun was now shining brightly, and neither of them could see any sign of doubt or regret in each other's eyes. Everything was just perfect between them.

The two bent in and kissed each other once more. After a long moment of silence, Troy finally spoke.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Canvas giggled. Troy nuzzled him.

"So… Can you now say that last night was the best night of your life?"

Canvas blushed, almost glowing against the morning light.

"Absolutely."

Canvas gave a quick smooch before resting his head against Troy's chest, nuzzling it. Before the two could fall asleep again, Troy sighed as he noticed how bright it was getting already; he knew they had to take the train back to Ponyville today. He groaned as he held Canvas closer, closing his eyes.

"So, Canvas… what time is our train supposed to be at the station?"

"Ummm…” Canvas kept his eyes closed as he thought it over. "I think it's supposed to be at ten."

"Okay.”

Troy opened his eyes ever so briefly to look at the clock on the wall.

"Wait,” said Canvas. "What time is it now?"

"A quarter past nine.”

"Oh.”

For exactly three seconds, the two rested together peacefully.

"...OH BUCK!"

The newly engaged couple frantically ran down the castle halls, hoping they could make their way out of the palace and to the station in time.

"Why didn't you set the alarm clock, Troy!?” shouted Canvas, his art bag flopping at his side as he galloped.

"It wasn't my fault!" shouted Troy. "The alarm clock broke!"

"What? When did it break?"

"This morning, I think.” Troy managed to give a sheepish smile amidst his high-speed run. "I might’ve broken it when it went off while still half-asleep. Sorry."

Canvas groaned. "I swear, if I wasn't still happy about marrying you, I’d be so much madder at you right now!"

"Good to know.”

The castle’s main entrance was in sight. They only had thirty minutes left to get to the station. Just then, however, the all-too familiar voice of Princess Celestia called out from behind them.

"Oh, good morning, Canvas!"

Both of them skidded to a halt. They instinctively turned around to make a quick bow. Canvas then tried to make himself look noble as he looked up at her, just in case their running was against some kind of protocol. Luckily, Celestia didn’t look upset at all.

"And good morning to you, Troy."

Troy nodded and stood back up, trying not to look too anxious. Celestia didn’t seem to notice their restlessness.

"Canvas, I heard from my sister that she received your gift. Luna wanted me to tell you that she greatly appreciates your painting."

Canvas smiled at the praise. Troy, having not considered Canvas’ side project to be for Luna despite being told of her aid, looked at him in surprise.

"A painting, huh? So that's what you've been so busy with!"

Canvas blushed and smiled meekly. "Ummm… yeah. I thought it would be a nice way to show my… appreciation."

"Well, I think it worked,” Celestia said cheerfully. "I heard that she had it placed in her bedroom."

Canvas almost buckled under his hooves before Troy held him upright.

"W-wow! I… I don’t know what to say!"

"I'll tell her that you're happy to hear about it. You did a wonderful job, Canvas. Congratulations."

As Canvas smiled, Celestia's gaze found the golden band on his hoof. She gave a warm smile in recognition.

"And congratulations to the both of you as well."

Canvas blushed at her approval. Troy looked away in slight embarrassment, hoping that Celestia didn’t know where he’d decided to make his proposal. At least she seemed happy for them.

"I'll see to it that Twilight helps with your arrangements."

Canvas and Troy looked at each other in slight disbelief.

"Wow,” said Troy, holding his fiancé closer. "Th-thank you! I…”

Before Troy could finish, he noticed a large grandfather clock nearby. They had little time left to spare.

"Oh, umm…" Troy quickly secured the satchel on his shoulder, and then looked down at Canvas to see he still had everything on him. "I-I'm really sorry, but we gotta catch our train."

Canvas’ panic returned. Celestia looked over at the clock, and gave a light grin.

"Allow me to help you two."

Celestia lit her horn. Canvas and Troy only saw a bright flash of light before they were engulfed in it. Troy felt the familiar weightlessness, and immediately realized what was happening. He held onto Canvas and closed his eyes before he felt his weight come back.

He remembered almost feeling like he was dropping the last time he was teleported, but Troy didn’t feel any drop this time around. In fact, he felt like he arrived at their destination rather gracefully. Troy smiled when he saw that Celestia had brought them to the Canterlot Train Station.

"Here you go,” Celestia said, kindly. "I better get back before the guards start to worry. Once again, congratulations, and have a great day."

Troy and Canvas nodded with a smile, and Celestia disappeared in a flash just as quickly as she arrived. The crowd around them stood speechless, trying to comprehend what they had just witnessed. They kept their distance while Canvas leaned in close to his gryphon, resting his head against his side.

"So… how long were you planning to propose to me?"

Troy chuckled. He looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Actually, I decided to do it after you... went to talk with him, and you told me why you did it."

Canvas' eyebrows rose; he knew right away what Troy was talking about.

"You told me that it's better to live our lives for what we want, and not for what we could've had. And you know what?"

Troy peered in closer to look right into Canvas’ gorgeous blue eyes.

"When I was holding you later that day, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to be with you, Canvas. I wanted to spend my life with you by my side...

“And I wanted to have you as my husband."

Canvas practically melted at that last statement. He lunged forward and hugged Troy tightly. As Troy hugged him back, he felt Canvas' left hoof raise up. He was taking yet another look at the white gold wrapped around it.

"So… you managed to get this in two weeks?"

"Well… yeah.”

Canvas slowly stepped back. "But… How could you afford this? I mean…"

Canvas looked down at the ring again, sounding even more astonished with each passing word. "I mean, this had to have cost a fortune! Where did you get the money for this!?"

Troy just chuckled again, and ruffled his fiancé's mane. "Aw, come on, Canvas! I had a little bit saved up. I told you about the inheritance I got, right?"

Canvas' eyes widened in shock.

"You… you spent your inheritance money on this?"

"Well, I didn’t spend all of it on that ring. I still have a lot left over, which I figured we could use for our wedding."

Canvas still looked taken aback. Hoping to calm his nerves, Troy bent down and nuzzled him.

"Besides, I wanted to seize the moment. And buying that ring was the best thing I could've done with that money."

Canvas didn't even take a moment to swoon. He wrapped his hooves around the back of Troy's neck, and kissed him. Ponies around them either stared or looked away in embarrassment, the two kept at it, even when the train for Ponyville pulled into the station. It wasn't until the train doors opened that the couple finally let go and stepped into the train car.

Canvas barely moved once the two took their seats, and he laid his head against Troy's shoulder. Troy nuzzled Canvas lovingly while the train moved along through Equestria's countryside.

Yet again, Canvas lifted his left hoof and looked at the hoofband. He sighed as he marveled at the white gold, at what this meant for him and Troy.

"I just can’t believe it,” Canvas said in a faint whisper, catching Troy's attention. "I mean… I really don't know what to say right now. I didn't expect anything like this to happen to me. I didn't think my life would change so much when… when I left Gallop Creek.”

Troy's smile slowly dropped. He felt morose as he was reminded of how horrible things were before. But as Canvas continued to speak, his tone became more positive, and his smile never wavered.

"But now… it all feels so amazing."

Closing his eyes, Canvas hugged the gryphon tightly.

"I made history… I got my life back… I fell in love…”

Troy smiled, and he nuzzled the pony again before Canvas raised his head.

"And now… I'm going to be Canvas Clawston."

Troy's eyes widened.

"Wait... You want to take my name?"

"Well, yeah. I don't really have much of a last name, so why not?"

Troy shrugged.

"Plus, youwere the one who proposed. You managed to give me so much, Troy. You helped me out when I needed someone, and you stood by my side ever since…”

Canvas wrapped his hooves around Troy, keeping his face only a few inches from Troy as he looked at him with the deepest of affection and care.

"I love you, Troy. You saved my life… you saved my soul… and…

“Nothing would make me happier, than to spend the rest of my life with you."

Troy held Canvas against him as they shared a tender kiss, feeling all his worries and thoughts slowly vanish. Whenever he was with Canvas, he felt like the pony was truly an artist inside and out. Much like all the pieces of artwork he made, Canvas did the same kind of painting for his own soul. Whenever he felt any doubts, any displeasure, any form of unhappiness in his life, this pony always cleared his mind. Whenever he held Canvas close, or kissed his lips, or looked into his perfect blue eyes, nothing else ever mattered to him.

It was like Canvas painted his conscience clean, keeping his mind clear of doubt or distraction as his love swept in like the smoothest paint, leaving only happiness behind.

Feeling almost intoxicated by Canvas' love, Troy could barely keep his eyes open until he felt Canvas' lips pull back. When he finally did, Troy saw his fiancé looking right back at him.

"So, Troy… What do you think? Does Canvas Clawston sound alright?"

"Canvas Clawston, huh?” Troy nodded, making the pony look much happier. “That… actually sounds pretty nice."

Troy's beak then skewed.

"Oh man. My parents are going to freak out somuch!"

Canvas giggled, causing Troy to start chuckling as well. He knew those problems could wait. The stallion beside him made him too happy to care.

"Oh well. As long as I have you."

Canvas rested his head on Troy's shoulder, and closed his eyes. Before he could doze off, Canvas said one last thing in a meek whisper.

"As long… as I have you…"

Following Canvas’ example, Troy closed his own eyes and rested his head against his fiancé’s. He let that last statement roll through his mind, knowing it was absolutely correct. It didn’t matter what others may have thought, or how odd their love may have looked, or whatever may come for the two of them in the future.

As long as I have you, Canvas, thought Troy.

As long as I have you.

The End

Author's Note

Just so any newer readers are aware, I've recently been undergoing a big project to turn the Brushed Away series into physical books for individual sale. Because of that, I just wanted to make a quick note for which chapters have been revised so far, including this one.

I want to give my deepest thanks, as well as some well-deserved credit to my followers helping me out with this process, as well as Double R. Forrest for their proofreading credits. And if anyone is interested in helping out with making this project a reality, I highly recommend checking out my Official Ko-Fi page dedicated to it.

Holy crap, I'm finally finished!!! AAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Alright, now that I got that out of my system, let me just say a few things to my readers.

To everyone who has been reading my story, and stayed with it through all this time, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. As someone who never tried writing like this before, it's been a rather daunting and restless experience, making sure this story went along alright. I've actually had this love story in my head for a LONG time, so to finally write it, let alone complete it, has been a great experience for me. And to look back, see what I've made, and read all the positive feedback regarding it, I don't know what else I could say but thank you. You guys are awesome! Also, if you liked this story, spread it around! Link it to friends, or to places that might appreciate it! It's always nice to pull in new readers.

Oh, and I want to give a massive thanks to Bad_Seed 72, who went out of her way to proofread all 54 chapters of this for me. She's super awesome, and definitely deserves to be appreciated! Also, her stories are great, so check them out.