//------------------------------// // Chapter Twenty-Two: Songbird // Story: Brushed Away // by TheVClaw //------------------------------// 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 swear he saw this landscape from a painting somewhere back in the Gryphon Kingdom. Heck, maybe that was 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 wings in 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 exactly when 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 else was 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 little bit, 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 least come 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 do have 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… sang in… 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 really glad 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 just got 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 exterior damages 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 previously living, 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 especially chipper 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 love to 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 your weight. 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 surprisingly warm 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 do need my help painting all this, huh?" Canvas giggled guiltily and nodded. He remained hopeful that Troy wouldn't be too upset 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 recent pieces 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 the Fancy 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 sworn I’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 Phoenix portrait, 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’ two of 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 nothing to do with your race. But I must admit, it is rather refreshing to see such immaculate skills from such a young pony. You should be very proud 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 all about 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 all by 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."