Expectations and Realities
A bead of sweat fell to the ground, as she adjusted the paint brush in her mouth and took another dollop of paint from her mortar board. With a few light sweeping motions, the painting was complete. All that remained was to sign her name to the canvas. She wrote the words "Toola Roola" in the corner and laid her brush and mortar on the ground.
She took a few steps back and admired her latest masterpiece. The lines were soft and subtle, the framing exquisite. In her mind, the self-portrait was the epitomy of her pink period, her form spread across the canvas with a flair that only she could manage. Her visage was warm and completely full of life. It was her masterpiece.
She picked up her easel and paint board, and lovingly placed them in her wagon, then she gently placed a cloth cover over the portrait, and laid it beside the other paintings. As she pulled her wagon toward Ponyville, she had visions of ponies lined up in the street, fawning over her work, garnering herself the fame she deserved, as well as the bits to pay for a large art gallery in Canterlot.
She had chosen the perfect day for it. The sky was a perfect azure blue. A soft breeze served to cool the air, while the sun provided warmth. She confidently strode toward the town that she could now see ahead of her in the distance.
Applejack gave her a hearty hello, and Apple Bloom circled her wagon, as she crossed the bridge into town. Apple Bloom bounced around her as she walked, talking about her friends, how friendly the town was, and prodding her about what was under the cloths.
She found herself talking about the story of her cutie mark, and how painting was the only thing that kept her still, and how much trouble her escapades used to get her into when she was a filly.
Other ponies soon tagged along, as the makings of what almost seemed to her a pony conga-line formed behind her. Ponies always loved a good show, or really anything that could pull at their imaginations.
When she reached the town square, she could count fifty ponies watching her every move. The energy from the waiting ponies filled Toola Roola with anticipation and satisfaction. She listened to the ponies talk to each other as she set up her paintings in an aesthetically pleasing display. Each cloth-covered masterpiece was laid out with the precision that came from a lifetime devoted to her art.
She took one last look back at the ponies who were gawking at her performance. This was going to be great. She grabbed the velvet rope that she had attached to the cloths, and gave it a hearty yank, revealing the paintings beneath.
The crowd of ponies suddenly went silent. She could feel the light breeze blowing through the square. A foal started to cry in the background, breaking the silence.
After several tense seconds that felt like hours to Toola Roola, the crowd erupted with peals of laughter. Ponies pointed and snickered. Another pony with an artist cutie mark covered it with her tail in shame.
Pinkie Pie emerged from the receding crowds and tilted her head askew as she looked deeply into her portrait. She looked back at Toola Roola, "Every pony knows I like pink as much as the next mare, but gah. There are other colors on the palette wheel." She pronked away following the other ponies.
"If you need any help clearing the canvases," Rainbow Dash said with a snicker, "I could bring a few clouds over."
She waved Rainbow Dash off. "That won't be necessary."
She watched as the ponies drifted back into town. One by one their colorful forms vanished from the square until she was completely alone with her paintings. She was out of luck, and all the fertilizer in Equestria wouldn't help her. Somewhere along the line her style had just gone out of style, and was no longer compatible with what ponies wanted.
Her dreams of a gallery in Canterlot crumbled, and she started to place the canvases into her wagon. She didn't even bother covering them before grabbing each with her mouth and tossing them unceremoniously within. She would have to change her art style completely. Her pink period was over before it started. It was simply incompatible with the needs of the ponies.
As she left Ponyville, Apple Bloom, and two other fillies who hadn't yet earned their cutie marks ran up to her. She was so lost in thought that it took some prodding from Apple Bloom to get her to acknowledge them. She glanced down at the fillies and stopped her wagon.
"You wouldn't happen to have some of those paintings for sale would you?" Apple Bloom asked.
"Yeah, I have a few bits saved up and they would...go well in the club house," Scootaloo said.
"I like the color of...the paintings," Sweetie Belle said.
Toola Roola stopped and let the fillies paw through the paintings. After the reception she had in Ponyville, she gratefully let each of the fillies take two of the canvases for a couple of bits a piece. It was far less than they were worth, but she was glad she was making at least some pony happy, though she did make sure to keep her portrait for herself.
The fillies thanked her, and trotted away with their new artwork. As she watched them retreat into the distance, she thought, "At least some pony appreciated her art." Maybe there was some hope after all.
She pulled her wagon with a hint more spring in her step as she pondered on her works. She wouldn't have to change her style after all. Maybe it was just a little ahead of its time and ponies would eventually flock to her paintings, bits in hoof.
"Cutie Mark Crusader canvas cleaners is a go, Yay! " she could hear from the distance.
Author's Note
I was goaded into actually doing this by the Noble Jury.
