• Published 17th May 2013
  • 11,082 Views, 780 Comments

Brushed Away - TheVClaw



For Troy the Gryphon, life in Equestria wasn't exactly as fulfilling as he imagined on his own. However, after volunteering to help out with a storm prepping project, he discovers a pony who helps to change everything.

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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 some gratitude 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 always be 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 killed because 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 especially distraught. 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 do wish 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 me for 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 really think 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 tried doing 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 little upset 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 shocking to 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 do want 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 am sorry 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:

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.

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