Five months of hard work, and it was finally finished. Every detail from the individual leaves on the tress to the realistic looking fur was the result of five months of painting. Brush Stroke looked at his masterpiece to see if he was missing something. Princess Celestia's wings where symmetrical, and the sun behind her gave her a slightly silhouette appearance. The other ponies in the scenery where not ignored. Each pony was designed after ponies he passed in the streets. His signature was neatly written on the bottom right corner. “The Bringer of Dawn” as he called it, was his finest piece yet.
It was the piece that he intended on entering into the Royal Art Show, the art show he dreamed of winning his entire life. Winning art shows was nothing new to him. He didn't always get first place, but he has always placed in every art show he entered since the Canterlot Foal's Art Festival, the same time he got his cutie mark.
The Royal Art Show wasn't for another week, and he already did what he needed to do. For all his life, he dreamed that one of his paintings was displayed in the Canterlot Castle, and that was the best chance he got. He was confident that he was going to win. The judges where going to love his piece.
The week leading to the art show was chaotic yet predictable. On Monday through Friday, waves of ponies arrived. Most of them where fellow competitors with their families. He assumed that those who arrived earlier where hoping for better hotels while those who arrived on a later date already had reservations or weren't picky. He was in no place to judge them. He has lived in Canterlot his entire life.
Thursday was the day Princess Cadence arrived. Brush Stroke joined the other ponies in greeting her as she stepped off the train. There was no doubt that he held high respects for the Crystal Princess. He wasn't sure if it was because Princess Cadence was the first and only princess to compliment his art or if it was because she invited him to her wedding. Either way, he thought of her as his favorite princess.
On Saturday, the day of the art show, Princess Twilight Sparkle arrived. He loved Princess Twilight because she refused to let her title as a princess change her. She continued being a book worm who lived in Ponyville. She didn't expect other ponies to suddenly bow down to her. In fact, she gave other ponies a choice whether to call her Princess Twilight or just Twilight. She reminded him that even a normal pony could be important.
Brush Stroke already sent in his art, so all he had to do was wait. The first round of the art show was to pick the top ten pieces to go to round two. Then, of the ten, one was to be chosen as the winner. All he had to do was wait for his name to be announced as the winner.
The names of the ten ponies where finally posted on a piece of paper. In the art hall Ponies gathered around to read the names written on the paper. A few ponies jumped with excitement, but most of them lowered their heads in disappointment. He finally had a chance to look at the names. He searched for his name, but it wasn't on there. That had to have been a big mistake.
He ran away from the hall with tears streaming down his eyes. He knew he would win. He knew the judges would love his piece. Why didn't he get passed round one? It wasn't fair. He vaguely noticed Twilight trying to talk to him, but he was too upset to listen. He found a corner and hid in it.
His hiding wasn't too good, though. “What's wrong?” Twilight asked after she found him.
“What.... do you... think!” He shouted between sobs, not showing his face.
“I think you are like one of my friends, Rarity.” Twilight responded.
“Do I look like a fashion lover who wields the element of generosity?” He asked, still angry.
“She ran away crying after she found out that one of her creations wasn't as great as she thought it was. She knew that the puppeteer would love it, but he found it to be awful,” Twilight explained, “You may not be into fashion nor wield an element of harmony, but you are an artist who takes pride in his work, so much that you become devastated when others don't find your work to be as great. I personally thought your painting was amazing.”
“Really?” He asked. He started to calm down, but tears continued streaming down his face.
“Yes. If I was one of the judges, I would have definitely voted for yours! I loved how you put a lot of detail on the painting, especially with the lighting and textures,” Twilight praised, “In fact, do you mind if I keep if it?”
He stopped crying and told her, “Sure. I'm going to ask the judges if I can have it back.”
Twilight helped him up, and both ponies walked into the judging room. Two unicorns and an earth pony looked at them as they entered. The earth pony and one of the unicorns where stallions while the third one was a mare. He didn't know any of their names, though.
“Can I have my painting back since I didn't win?” Brush Stroke asked them.
The male unicorn laughed and turned his nose up, “Don't be ridiculous! Why would you want that awful piece?” He asked.
“I thought it was the worst piece I have ever seen in my life!” The earth pony criticized, “Did you let a baby paint it?”
“I should have burned that piece the second I saw it!” The mare scoffed insultingly.
Tears streamed down Brush Stroke's face again. He ran out of the room. Twilight wasn't going to have any of it. “It's one thing to criticize, but it another to flatly insult a piece of art that a pony has been working on for some time! You should be ashamed of yourselves for talking about a painting like that! Now, if you don't mind, I would like to have Brush's painting.”
“Go ahead, take it!” The mare told Twilight. She pointed to Brush Stroke's painting.
“Thank you. I think this will look nice hung up in my castle,” Twilight commented before teleporting away with the painting.
She found Brush in the same corner he was previously. There was a puddle of tears under him from all his crying. Those judges where very rude to him. They should have gave him constructive criticism instead of talk down on his work without a reason. She had to help him.
“Do you like your painting?” Twilight asked.
“I did,” Brush replied. Twilight couldn't see his face, but she knew he was sad with slow the words where.
“Why don't you like it anymore?” Twilight questioned.
“You heard what they said in there!” He shouted angrily, “my painting sucks! It's the worst thing ever!”
“That's their opinion, not yours,” Twilight explained, “It shouldn't matter what other ponies think. If you like it, then that's all that matters. Don't let the opinion of others sway your own.”
“You like it though,” Brush realized.
“I think that it was one of the best, if not the best, paintings in the art show.” Twilight confirmed.
Brush smiled, “If a princess likes it, then it has to be great.”
Twilight returned the smile. “If you like it, then it is definitely great. After all, you painted it.”