Hello everypony! My name’s Paintbrush, but I prefer to be called Talunion. And as not indicated by my name, it was really hard to make friends in the past. I have to say that my brother wasn’t very helpful about that.
I was born in Canterlot, and I now live in Ponyville. We moved here with our mother and father when I was 2 years old, and 6 for my brother. My mother was a journalist, my father was a mechanical engineer. Well, I said “was” because they are dead now, I was just a colt. Luckily for us, there was an orphanage director who didn’t wait and take care of us both.
But despite the sympathy of the director -I expected that-, losing my mother and father was really the hardest thing I could think of. There were so many time I decided myself to be alone because of that. And unfortunately, and I think you guessed it, my brother was not here to help me with this problem. He is not very talkative, I know that. But as a brother, he should really know what to do with me.
But then comes a moment with my bro that will really change my life. There was a filly who had big trouble while sleeping, and the director took time before noticing it. And before the director decided to intervene, my brother immediately volunteered and decided to help her. And that’s what he did: during the afternoon he was walking around, wondering about what he can do to help her, and I heard him in the evening saying something I cannot understand. I just properly heard that it’s about relaxing, sleeping and dreaming. And more precisely, “the best dream of your life”. It was at this moment I decided to go to sleep. But when I woke up, I saw something physically different with my brother. I saw in his flank a hanging pendulum with a spiral in the center. But I wonder, is that a cutie mark? I think it is. And did he get this by helping the filly to sleep? Probably.
Anyway, now he had his cutie mark, he was allowed to leave the orphanage. And that’s what he did after giving me a hug, filling me with courage for the future. After that, I made some friends in the orphanage, especially another colt with a dark blue coat and a wide long black mane and tail. He considered me as his best friend, and me as my second brother.
And comes the moment that will really change my life. During a trip with other orphanage children, I heard about a drawing and painting contest. That was amazing, exactly what I wanted. I took some of my free time in the orphanage drawing not only on papers, but also on tables and walls, I wanted to fill in the blanks. So I didn’t wait and I immediately register for the contest. After I announced that, everypony in the orphanage wanted to see me in action, to see what I can do. During the contest, the first rounds was not so hard, it’s during the final which gave me a hard time. But at the same time, I saw all the orphanage children with the director who saw me and encouraged me. So I was wondering and I was saying to myself “what if I draw Canterlot, my native city?”. And that’s what I did, I took a vision of Canterlot and I drew what I saw from the city. The jury saw in my drawing one of the perfect representation of Canterlot and saw in my opponent’s drawing an absolutely good self-portrait. And relying on the public reactions, the jury gave me the first price. I was very proud of myself even my opponent shake my hoof as a congratulation. And then, I saw what is happening in my flank. There was my cutie mark appearing on it: a red paintbrush with a brown spot. I was 9 years old.
And even if I’m allowed to leave the orphanage, I wanted all the same to stay, at least to say my last words as an orphan little colt. After we arrived, nopony waited and I was now in front of everypony waiting for my words. So I improvised.
“Fillies and gentlecolts! I know everypony here in the orphanage had a bad time with their mother and father. As for me and my brother, they lived their life and was dead by old age. For the others, I guess they were the survivors of a terrible thing that their mother and father didn’t stand. And I guess others were even abandoned by their mother and father for some reason and they didn’t come back. Whatever the reason, I have just one thing to say: if you prove yourself, you can gain all the dignity to the others. And that’s what my mother and father wanted me to do: to prove myself and clearly say I autonomous. When I heard about this drawing contest, I immediately took my chance. And even if I fail, I can be proud all the same, because I tried. And that’s what I want you to do: to prove yourself and to try. And if you finally get your cutie mark, I hope you will think about me. It’s on these beautiful words that I leave you here, Talunion’s out.”
But before I left, everypony shared me a little hug. I guess, as my brother did to me, I fill them with courage. And finally, I left the orphanage.
After some days, I really wanted to travel. But not now, I’m still such a colt. So I decided to draw Ponyville without worry for my future.
I mean, what could possibly go wrong with me?