Brushed Away

by TheVClaw


Chapter Forty-Eight: Moving Forward and Looking Back

Canvas and Troy were both rather exhausted from everything that happened in the past twenty-four hours, but they still managed a regular pace as they walked back home together. Now that the storm had ended, every inch of Ponyville was covered in a thick mist, making the two feel even more secluded in the brisk autumn morning.

Neither of them could see more than a few feet through the mist, but they knew when they’d reached the town limits. Canvas’ last moments with his father rendered him silent the whole way there.

It wasn't until they were less than a mile from their home that Canvas noticed that Troy was silent as well. Looking over, he saw him staring dead ahead, like he was avoiding eye contact. Canvas put a hoof out to halt him.

Troy breathed out deeply and slowly turned toward Canvas, looking upset. He then threw his forelegs out and hugged him, gripping him tightly while clenching his eyes shut. Canvas stood within his embrace in confusion until he spoke.

"I… I'm sorry Canvas."

"Huh? Why are you…”

Canvas couldn't think of what to say. Troy slowly let go of him, revealing a face of guilt.

"I was convinced that you didn’t need to see him anymore, but I saw how much better you felt after talking to him again, and all I can think about is how I almost kept you from doing that."

Canvas remembered what he said to him earlier. His words did almost convince him not to see his father again, but Canvas knew he couldn't let his lover feel so guilty about it. He hugged him back tightly.

"Troy, it's alright. I would never blame you for something like that, and you know that I'll always love you."

Troy felt a light smile come back. Canvas took a moment to enjoy the sensation of Troy's warm feathers brushing against his wet fur.

"Honey, I know that you were trying to help when you said I shouldn't talk with him… and you weren't wrong about anything you said."

Troy pulled back and looked down at him in befuddlement. 

"I don't think I can ever completely forgive him… I don’t know if I can even call him my dad anymore.”

After seeing how happy he looked with Copper earlier, Troy was surprised to hear Canvas say such a thing; however, Canvas' expression became more optimistic as he went on.

"But that wasn't why I decided to talk with him again. I realized that, despite everything that happened, I couldn’t just let things end that way. I was still clinging to my past and letting it take over me."

Canvas put out a hoof and grabbed Troy's claw, holding it as he looked up at him with a faint smile.

"I didn't want to drag my past around anymore. I learned that in order to really move on, I couldn't hold a grudge."

Troy smiled back in understanding, looking into his lover's beautiful blue eyes.

"Troy, I realized something big last night... I realized that life is way too precious to waste, and I shouldn't use the time I have hung up on something that's already done. Life is too short, and we should use the time we have to focus on what we really want, not what we could've had."

Troy leaned forward and used a claw to stroke Canvas’ chestnut mane. He knew that he was absolutely right. He closed his eyes upon seeing Canvas lean in as well, and he spoke faintly.

"I couldn’t agree with you more..."

Shrouded by the thick fog, Canvas and Troy felt even closer as they shared a deep kiss, holding each other close. Canvas slowly freed his lips from his lover's beak.

"Hey Troy,” said Canvas curiously. “You said you followed me because of a letter?"

"Yeah.” Troy opened one of his wings, pulling out a sheet of paper with a claw and handing it to him. "I woke up to see that you weren't there. When I rushed downstairs, I found this on the dining room table."

Canvas' eyes widened as he read the note, written in royal-purple ink.

Troy,

Head to the Ponyville Train Station. You might be needed, but please do not interfere.

Canvas was surprised Troy would think he wrote this himself, since it was nothing like his hoofwriting. He kept himself silent, however, as he looked back at his boyfriend. He didn’t have to say anything, for Troy found himself coming to the same conclusion.

"Wait a minute,” said Troy, his eyes growing wider. "If you didn’t write that, then who--”

"It's okay, don't worry about it.”.

Looking down at the letter, Canvas smiled over how much Luna helped him out. He then remembered that the Gala was in less than a month, and thought about what he could do before then.

"Just so you know, Troy... I think I'm going to be in my studio for a while before the Gala."

Troy wasn't sure why Canvas would say that, but the grateful smile Canvas wore was more than enough for him to know he was feeling better now; and he didn’t want to interfere with his coltfriend's happiness. So he simply nodded in agreement, before leaning in and kissing him once more.

They stayed there for what felt like an eternity, but the two eventually made their way back home, and back into their nest. While Canvas was quick to rest snugly against the gryphon's feathered chest, Troy stayed awake as he held him close. He gazed upon his lover whose breathing came in a gentle rhythm.

For the first time, Troy could see that Canvas was truly at peace.

For awhile longer, Troy couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about Canvas' most recent words. The stallion was right: life was way too precious. Especially since the one he was holding was almost taken away not too long ago.

If he’d never found him that fateful day, Troy knew he would've never felt as happy or fulfilled with his life as he was now. He pulled his coltfriend in closer, closing his eyes and basking in the knowledge of how much this beautiful pony really made his life better. At that moment, Troy’s mind latched onto something else Canvas said: life is too short.

He replayed those four words in his head over and over, until his eyes suddenly shot open in revelation. His lover's heartbeat gently thumped against his body, and Troy felt a smile spread across on his beak as he looked down at Canvas. He knew.

Troy's eyes moistened. His mind started to become at ease, and he closed his eyes once more. The last thing he thought about before sleep took him over was what he wanted to do in Canterlot, reinforced by that one paramount phrase.

Life is too short.


Opening his tired eyes, Troy moved his head in forward, hoping to nuzzle his stallion. Unfortunately, he soon found out that Canvas wasn't in the nest with him. It was nighttime, so Troy groaned and rose to his legs, knowing his sleep schedule was going to be messed up now. He made his way toward the stairs, where found the stallion down below.

Canvas was sitting silently in one of the chairs at the dining room table, his back turned to Troy. He was illuminated only by a single light bulb above him. Troy walked down the stairs quietly. Canvas didn’t notice, for his attention focused on what was in front of him. From his height, Troy could easily see what Canvas had, taking note of the manila folder on the table corner.

All of Canvas' artwork that had been given to him at the train station was now in full view, covering every inch of the dining table. Looking over Canvas' shoulder, Troy could see the various drawings and paintings his coltfriend did back when he lived in Gallop Creek, the vast arrangement of talent on full display. However, amongst all the stunning landscape paintings and charcoal etchings, Troy turned his attention to what was directly in front of Canvas. Copper didn’t just give him his paintings back.

Canvas looked down at the only open space on the table, where several photographs of him and his parents lay. Troy slowly bent in and looked at the photos with him, holding his lover softly as he noticed the tears coming down Canvas' face.

While most of them were basic ones of Canvas as a colt (a really cute one too), Troy's attention went to the one in the middle standing alone, the one Canvas was staring at. The photograph looked fairly old, containing a dark-blue mare with a wavy, black mane, smiling at the camera as she held the little Canvas with her wing.

A small puddle of Canvas' tears had formed underneath the photo. Troy didn’t need to be told who this mare was supposed to be. He hugged Canvas, hoping to ease his heartache.

"Canvas, your mother was beautiful."

Feeling his lover's warmth against his back, Canvas smiled faintly and used a hoof to pull Troy in closer.

"I… I never thought I would see her face again. When I left, I didn’t have a single photo of her.”

Troy hugged Canvas even tighter.

"I’m really happy he gave me these. That was probably the nicest thing he could've ever done.”

Troy still hated Copper with a passion, but he couldn’t help feeling a little better about him as he saw how much the photos helped Canvas. Closing his eyes, Troy kept his forelegs around Canvas' chest, resting his head on his aqua shoulder. The two savored their warmth for a moment, until Canvas broke the silence.

"Troy…”

Troy opened his eyes, looking down at him. "Yeah, hon?"

"I… I need to do something before we go to the Gala."

"What is it?"

"I… I need to see her again."