//------------------------------//
// Chapter Thirty-One: Troy the T.G. 
// Story: Brushed Away 2: By Hoof and Claw 
// by TheVClaw 
//------------------------------//

"Man… you are screwed!"

Canvas groaned and turned his face away at Blaze's comment. Even though he couldn't necessarily say that the Gryphon was wrong, hearing that kind of reply wasn't what he wanted right now.

Blade, who was also sitting at the dining room table of the barn, had a similar perplexed stare on the stallion that his brother had. "So, what are ya planning to do, mate? I mean, you can’t necessarily go without a mare now, can you?"

Canvas sighed and shook his head timidly, knowing that he wasn't going to get out of this debacle too easily. "No, probably not," admitted the stallion with grief in his tone, "and Angela seemed so happy about meeting my fiancé, too! It's not like I can correct her about it now!"

Before either of the Gryphons could speak up, Blane's head popped up from over the studio wall. "Well, technically speaking, she already met your fiancé. She just doesn't know it yet."

Blaze groaned and looked up at Blane. "That's kinda the problem, Numb-Nuts!"

"Well, maybe it could be a good ice breaker! Like, Canvas could play it up like a guessing game or something. 'Hey Missus Clawston, guess who it is! I'm sure you'll be surprised!'"

Even though Blane tried to keep a playful tone while leaning on top of the wall, he was only met with bewildered stares. Even Troy, who was getting ready in the bathroom, poked his head out to look at Blane like he grew a third eyeball on his forehead. "Blane, are you high!?"

Blane's head jolted back in surprise, and he looked at all of them with an offended look. "What?! It was just a joke, damn!" He then disappeared back into the studio before muttering to himself. "Man, I try to make one joke and everyone gets all pissy…"

"OI!" As if a light bulb turned on above his head, Blade's expression became more positive as he turned back to Canvas. "How about Fluttershy? Maybe she could help and pretend to be your fiancé!"

"Ugh, no!" Canvas quickly dismissed that idea with a strong shake of his head. "I already caused enough trouble with all this! The last thing I want to do is make an even bigger lie and dig myself into a deeper hole!"

"Well… it's already pretty deep, dude."

Canvas groaned and rubbed his temple with a hoof. "I know, I know…" While Troy went back into the bathroom to finish getting ready, Canvas took a breath and tried to continue his statement towards Blade, "but I'm not going to bring a fake fiancé to dinner! That sounds like something out of a bad comedy movie!"

Blaze piped up towards his brother with a raised talon, "I think I saw that movie! It didn't turn out well."

While Blade shrugged his shoulders, deciding to let his idea pass, Canvas sighed when he looked back at the bathroom. "I just hope Troy isn’t mad at me or anything. He seemed kinda upset when he came back from Cloudsdale."

"Oh, come on," replied Blaze with a roll of his eyes, "I doubt he's upset about you! Have you ever seen how Dad acts when he has to pay for something? He'll try to pull any deal or discount out of his ass to save an Ave! I bet getting those hotel rooms was a friggin' nightmare!"

"It was," muttered Troy from the bathroom. "He threatened to fight the manager."

Canvas winced in worry, and pursed his lips shut for a moment before exhaling briefly. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

While the stallion walked over to the bathroom, cautiously opening the door to go inside, Blade piped up from the table, "That room ain't soundproof! We'll hear you if you start making out or something!"

Canvas groaned before looking back at Blade from the doorway. He gave the Gryphon a sarcastic smile and laugh before closing the door behind him. When he looked back up at Troy, who had a worried look on his face while looking in the mirror, Canvas grew more guilty as he spoke, "Troy, I… I'm really sorry for telling her that. I--"

"No, it's not your fault, " assured Troy quickly before Canvas could finish his apology. He looked back at the stallion before clarifying in an honest tone, "I'm not mad, I'm just…"  Troy closed his eyes and sighed, taking a second before turning his head back to the mirror. "I'm just… worried about tonight, that's all."

Canvas nodded with an equally nervous look of his own. He put a hoof on the Gryphon's shoulder before assuring him, "You don't have to say anything about it tonight, okay?"

"I want to tell them."

Canvas's eyes widened in an instant, not expecting Troy to say that so surely. "R-really?"

"Well… yeah…" Blinking a couple times as he stared at himself, Troy gave a firm nod to confirm his statement. "I… I really do want to tell them about me. I mean… they're already here, right? It… it might be better to get this over with now."

Canvas sighed once more with a saddened expression. "Honey, you really shouldn't think like that. It's not like ripping off a band-aid."

"You don’t know my parents!" Troy grimaced as he put a claw to his face in guilt, hating that he raised his voice so quickly. "Sorry, I just… I know that they're going to freak out about this. Like, you saw how irked my Dad was about me staying here with you! And… and when we were going through Cloudsdale…"

Canvas kept his hoof on Troy, and his expression grew more concerned. "What?"

"Well…" Looking more upset, the Gryphon looked down at the sink he was leaning against as he continued with a small cringe in his expression. "Apparently, my Mom met up with Lyra and Bon-Bon before going to the library, and… she was really weirded out about the two of them being married…"

Canvas's eyes widened in an instant. "Seriously?"

"Yeah… I mean, I told you that Gryphons usually aren’t open about that stuff, right? So, she was surprised when I told her that it was a normal thing around here. I managed to settle her down about it and say that they're really great friends, but…" Troy sighed before making a small shrug. "Yeah, I think it's gonna take a while for her to really get used to that kind of concept."

Seeing how morose Troy was looking, Canvas didn’t hesitate to lean in towards him. While he nuzzled the Gryphon tenderly, hoping to alleviate his tensions, Canvas took a breath before speaking in a more calming tone. "It's going to be okay, Troy… Just try to think positive, alright?"

Troy meagerly nodded to Canvas's words, and leaned down to nuzzle the pony back. After holding him closely for another moment, Troy pulled himself back before trying to maintain a more natural smile. "You know… Mom mentioned that she really likes you."

Canvas raised his brows in pleasant surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," answered the Gryphon with a surprised smile of his own. "Like, she said she was proud of me for saving your life like that, although she was also kinda upset that I never mentioned getting hit by lightning."

Canvas's attempt at a smile disappeared as soon at Troy mentioned that last part. His head slumped down in slight guilt. "Ooh… Sorry about that."

"No, it’s alright," continued Troy in a more positive tone than before. "Mom told me that you were a great friend to talk to. You said a lot of nice things about me, and she really appreciated how cheerful you were towards her and Dad."

With his smile coming back, Canvas began to blush faintly while keeping his head away. "Well… I kinda wanted to make a good first impression, you know?''

"And you did." Happy to see his fiancé cheering up, Troy bent down to kiss the stallion on the lips. "And just so you know," added the Gryphon when he pulled his beak back with a smile, "after telling me all that, Mom also mentioned that Lyra and Bon-Bon were really nice as well. So if anything, you really helped her make a good impression on ponies."

Looking back up at the Gryphon, Canvas's grin was much prouder after that statement. "Awwww, really?"

Troy only made a sure nod in response, prompting Canvas to wrap his hooves around him for a tight hug. After the two stayed in embrace for a brief moment, letting the peaceful silence envelop them, Canvas pulled himself back to look at Troy with a more cautious look on his face. "So… are you sure you want to tell them tonight? Because I'll completely understand if you want to wait."

Troy breathed out slowly as his eyes looked elsewhere, obviously looking like he was trying to think it over. Nevertheless, after a small bout of silence, Troy smiled again before nodding to his mate more confidently. "Definitely."

With that, Canvas pushed his muzzle against the Gryphon's beak for a deep kiss, holding him tightly within the somewhat-cramped bathroom. After pulling his lips free, the stallion moved his muzzle up to Troy's ear, and gave the outer tuft a light nibble before his fiancé could protest. 

"Hey! I--" Troy let off a small giggle, and flinched as soon as he felt his lover's teeth press firmly against that familiar part of his ear. Almost instinctively, the Gryphon's feathers ruffled out from the sensation of Canvas's breath and he pulled back with a frustrated blush. "Canvas, come on! Do you always have to do that?!"

"Mmmhmmm…" Looking satisfied with his mate's ruffled out look, Canvas had a cheeky grin on his face while he stared up at him. "I think it makes you look cute."

"Ugh…" Troy took one glance back at the mirror before groaning under his breath. "Jeeze, I always look like a barn-owl or something…" He grabbed the brush from the counter and shook his head. "And I just got my feathers brushed, too."

"Oh, come on…" Canvas took the moment to nuzzle against Troy's ruffled-out feathers, pressing his face against them with a blushed smile. "You look so adorable with your feathers out like this! It makes you look so cute, and big, and fluffy…"

Troy's blush shone out even deeper against his silver feathers. "Dude, come on…"

"Mmmmm…" Canvas closed his eyes as he hugged the Gryphon from the side, nestling in against his feathers more tightly. "You're so soft… It's like hugging a big stuffed animal…"

While Troy groaned with an embarrassed smile, unsure whether to be upset or turned on by his fiancé's words, he could only wince as Canvas kissed him on the cheek and added in a happy tone, "You're my big Teddy-Gryphon!"

In an instant, a monstrous amount of howling laughter erupted outside the bathroom, which made both Troy and Canvas's eyes widen in sudden realization. Even though he recalled what Blade said, Canvas seriously didn’t think that Troy's brothers would actually overhear what he just said. However, with the near deafening amount of cackling being heard from the outside, Canvas cringed when he looked back up at Troy, who was giving him a strong, angry glare.

"Ummm… sorry?"

When Troy poked his head out of the bathroom, he saw Blaze and Blade, as well as Blane at the doorway of the studio, all looking at him while struggling to not pass out on the floor laughing. Blaze, who was leaning into his chair to keep from falling off, had his talon pointed at Troy before shouting, "How's it hanging, Teddy-Gryphon?!"

That made all the triplets laugh even harder, which caused Troy to turn around to give an even angrier glare back at Canvas. Feeling even worse about what he accidentally did, the stallion winced before stepping back towards the laundry hamper. "Troy, I'm really… really--"

Before anything else could be said, Pinkie Pie popped out of the hamper excitedly. "GOT IT!" 

Startling both Troy and Canvas, Pinkie hopped past both of them to leave the bathroom with a spring in her step. As soon as the pink mare appeared in the main living space to leave the barn, the triplets all quickly stopped laughing. While the room started to turn to a very confused bout of pregnant silence, Pinkie pulled a notebook and pencil out of her hair before writing down into it. "Teddy… Gryphon…"

After getting what she wanted, Pinkie looked back at Troy and Canvas with a smile and a wave of her hoof. "Thanks, guys!" She then bounced her way to the front door, leaving as she shouted out, "And don’t worry about coming out to your parents, Troy! I'm sure things will be just fine! La, la-la, la-la, la-la…"

While the pink mare hopped out of the house cheerfully, leaving everyone inside of it rightfully confused, a pregnant silence passed. Blaze was the first to speak up: 

"Ummm… am I the only one who thinks that Pinkie chick is kinda hot?"





Lyle sighed as he zipped up his last luggage bag, feeling glad that he packed so lightly to begin with. Since he got himself his own room at the Cloudsdale Inn, the Gryphon was fairly glad to get himself out of this barn and have the chance to sleep in an actual bed. But still, it didn’t keep him from feeling slightly disappointed, mostly since he knew he was going to miss a few things about staying here. Despite a few uncomfortable moments, Lyle had to admit that Canvas was a really cool guy, and a damn good cook for a vegetarian.

Almost on cue, the aqua stallion trotted into the studio as he got his dress shirt buttoned on. "You ready to go, Lyle?"

Lyle shrugged his shoulders as he got his bags ready, testing their weight as they plopped on the now empty couch. "Yeah, I think so." Looking around the studio space, Lyle huffed a bit in surprise with a smirk. "Man, it's gonna be weird sleeping in an actual bed for a change."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," replied Canvas with a chuckle. Looking over at the couch, Canvas added with a smirk, "Although, that couch was pretty comfy for me when I was working on that painting for Celestia."

Lyle scoffed as he stretched his back out. "Well, you don't have wings to keep you from sleeping on your back."

Thinking it over, Canvas shrugged with an contemplative pout. "You have a point there." Of course, as the stallion thought it over before adding with a sly grin, "You know, I think Troy made that same statement when he laid in it."

Lyle's head instantly turned to Canvas with a worried glare. "Dude… You better not tell me you guys did it on that!"

Taking a few seconds to appreciate Lyle's reaction, Canvas finally broke his stare to make a satisfied giggle and shake his head. "No, no… We never did. It was too small for both of us."

"Okay, goo--" Lyle's relieved sigh froze halfway through when he looked at Canvas again. Letting that statement sink in, the Gryphon shuddered before grabbing his bags. "UGH! I don't want to know how you know that!"

"Man, you're easy to mess with!" responded Canvas with a more hearty chuckle. While the Gryphon groaned and put his bags over by the door, Canvas sighed before clarifying. "But seriously though, we never did it on the couch, so don't freak out."

Although, thought the artist to himself naughtily, there was that one time, but… Nah, that shouldn't count. Troy was the only one on the couch when that happened.

"Well, good," muttered the Gryphon with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I'm still trying to get that 'Touch it' comment out of my head."

Canvas let off a guilty giggle at hearing that. "Okay, yeah, I'm really sorry about that." With his smirk growing a little bigger, he looked over at Lyle's luggage bags as he spoke up. "Speaking of which… I think you should check the pockets before you go. There might be something you may have missed."

Lyle skewed a brow in slight suspicion. "Huh?"

"Just go check," replied the stallion as he motioned to Lyle's bags. "There might be something a little... extra."

Seeing the cheeky grin that Canvas had, Lyle began to look perplexed at what the stallion was trying to say. The Gryphon went back to his bags, and rifled through them while Canvas stood with a bigger smirk. Of course, his smile became full as soon as he heard Lyle gasp in shock.

"WHAT THE!"

With his eyes as wide open as dinner plates, Lyle pulled out the large bag that was inside one of the side pockets of his duffle bag. Even though the bag was tied shut, the loud jingle that was heard the instant Lyle pulled it out was a good indicator of what was inside. As soon as the Gryphon opened the sack, his beak dropped when he saw the large amount of bits inside.

"I… I can't… holy…"

Breathing out heavily, Lyle looked back at Canvas with an unsure expression on his face, looking like he was debating whether to be stunned from joy or from shame. "Dude, I… I can’t take this."

Canvas rolled his eyes while replying with a smile, "It's seriously alright, Lyle. Fancy Pants included a little bonus in my check as an 'Engagement Gift' of sorts, and since you personally saved my flank with that drawing you made, I figured you'd be more deserving of it."

Lyle only blinked in response, and looked down at the bag that was clutched in his claw. Knowing that the amount of bits had to be in the range of three digits, Lyle looked more uneasy as he shook his head. "This… this is way too much."

"No it isn't," said the stallion in a firmer tone. "You seriously have an awesome talent, Lyle. The last thing I want is to see you let that slip away. So, I figured that having the money for some decent supplies would be a good incentive to continue."

Lyle's eyes were frozen open as he looked between Canvas and the bag. His beak opened and closed, and he was unable to speak for a moment. After a faint exhale, the Gryphon looked back at Canvas with a bewildered look of awe. "You're… you're serious…"

Seeing the look of uncertainty in Lyle's eyes, Canvas couldn't keep himself from biting his lip while nodding. The stallion walked up to him while speaking in a sincere tone. "Of course I am. Lyle, I can't think of anyone who has as much artistic potential as you do. I know that it's your life, and whatever you do is your choice, I swear. I just… I just want to make sure you don't let this chance slip away. Especially after proving how much you deserve it."

Lyle just stayed silent as he looked down at the bag, only able to blink in response. When he finally looked back at Canvas, a small smile appearing at the corners of his beak, the corners of the Gryphon's eyes were undoubtedly wet, but nothing was mentioned about that. Instead, the stallion just kept a warm smile on his muzzle before giving Lyle a tight hug. 

And after a brief moment of stillness, Lyle's claws shot around his future Brother-In-Law to hug him back.





Troy let off a short, panicked sigh as he reached closer towards Sugar Cube Corner. Since the skies were starting to get dark, not many ponies were out on the street while Troy and the triplets walked side-by side; although, given how the four Gryphons (as well as Canvas walking beside Troy) were taking up most of the street's width, it was probably good that they weren't blocking anypony's way.

"Troy?" asked the stallion worriedly as he looked up at him. "Are you gonna be alright?"

Even though Troy breathed out rather shakily, the silver Gryphon still nodded when he looked down at his fiancé. "Y-yeah… Sure I am…"

Canvas could tell that his mate's answer was less than accurate, but he still nodded in response to it, albeit with a slightly skewed muzzle. "Just remember," began the stallion in an assuring tone, "stay positive, and everything will be just fine."

Blaze's head leaned in before adding, "Yeah, dude! You gotta relax! You're kinda looking like that Fluttershy chick when she first saw Blade!"

Blade put up a talon to make a retort, but paused for a couple seconds before deciding against it. Instead, he put his claw back down with a shrug before saying, "You know what? You kinda do, T.G."

"Urgh, I know!" griped Troy as his head slumped down lower while walking, "I'm just wondering ho--Wait!" His head snapped back at Blade with a suspicious glare. "What's T.G?"

Blade, as well as Blaze and Blane, grew cheeky smiles before they narrowed their eyes on him in unison. Taking a moment, Troy tried to figure out what those initials stood for before he heard the three start to snicker. In an instant, his eyes widened before he grew a murderous glare on them.

"I bucking swear… if you make ONE mention of that name during dinner…"

"What name?" asked Blane with a perk of his eyebrows, obviously wanting to get Troy to say it.

"You know what I'm talking about," responded Troy in a brutal tone of voice.

"Troy, come on," hushed Canvas as he tried to pull his head away from the direction of the triplets. "Don’t let them get to you. They'll stop if you don't react to it."

"No they won't."
"No we won't."

Hearing how quickly Troy's statement and the unified one from the triplets came out at the same time, Canvas shuddered a little bit from how instantaneous and creepy it was. Although, it really did solidify how similar the brothers really were. "Ummm… let's change the subject. Do any of you know where Lyle went? He said that he was going to fly here for something, but--"

A ding from a nearby door caught Canvas's attention, and his eyes widened when he saw Lyle emerge from a nearby building, the sign overhead reading,Davenport's Sofas & Quills. Seeing the addition of a large, black satchel hanging at the Gryphon's side, Canvas smiled as he walked up to Lyle. "There you are!"

"Oh, hey guys!" Lyle had a smile of his own as he walked up to the group, using a claw to readjust the strap wrapped around his shoulder. "I was just getting some stuff before dinner. That's all."

With a smirk growing on his face, Canvas chuckled when he stared at the bag, recognizing the type fairly easily. He pointed at Lyle's purchase with a hoof. "Well, I think that's a good choice. Davenport usually has some pretty good art supplies."

"Oi!" Noticing the bag, Blade grew an amused smile while pointing at it as well. "The bloke who makes all my album covers has a bag like that! He’s had that thing for years, so Canvas is probably right."

"Huh…" Looking down at it, Lyle made a shrug of his shoulders. "Honestly, it was just the biggest one for the pencil packs and notepads I got."

Blaze piped up with widened eyes, "Dude! You gonna draw porn with that?!"

All of them turned to Blaze with varied looks of disbelief and deadpanned annoyance. Not catching the tone of "What the buck?!" emanating around them for the first couple seconds, it took a little bit before Blaze's mind was able to process how that comment may have sounded. "No, NO!" quickly added the Gryphon with a shake of his head before adding in defense, "I just mean, like… You all saw that drawing he made of that old guy's squeeze, right? Imagine how much money he can make if he draws porn that good!"

Blane's brows rose in contemplation. "Wow, yeah. Lyle could make a killing!"

"Ugh! I'm not doing THAT anymore! And that was only one time!" Getting a bit peeved about his brothers' behavior, despite the fact that none of them seem to actually be making fun of him anymore, Lyle just walked ahead of the group towards Sugar Cube Corner in the distance. "And I'd rather not think about that kind of crap right before having dinner with Mom and Dad!"

"Lyle's right," groaned Troy in agreement as he followed his younger brother. "Let's just try to practice keeping our beaks shut before dinner, okay?"

"Why?" asked Blade with a cheeky grin. "Is Teddy-Gryphon afraid his Mum's gonna find out about what's in your nightstand?"

Troy and Canvas both turned back to Blade with shocked expressions. Seeing the skinny Gryphon's smirk behind that stupid feather-braid hanging in front, the couple narrowed their eyes on him before speaking at the same time, "Why were you in there?"

Blade's eyes narrowed on them while he grinned. "I didn't. I just wanted to see if you two would admit to something. And you did!"

Canvas and Troy groaned in unison before picking up the pace, choosing to avoid the triplets' cackling as they followed Lyle. Reaching the steps of the bakery, Troy paused as he looked down at his fiancé. "Wait a minute. What are you planning to tell Mom when she doesn't see your 'fiancé'?"

Canvas sighed and rubbed the back of his mane with a hoof. "I already know what I'm going to do, so just focus on yourself, alright? I don’t want you to be too upset before dinner."

Before Troy could nod in understanding, he overheard Blane speak up from behind. "Yeah, just soften up a bit. Maybe like a… stuffed animal?"

While the triplets started laughing, Troy growled in irritation before going towards the door of Sugar Cube Corner, muttering under his breath towards Canvas, "Yeah, it's a little late to not be too upset..."

Of course, despite the involuntary influx of annoyance that was caused by his brothers, Troy took a calming breath before turning the knob. Putting his trust into his Fiancé, Troy hoped that Canvas knew what he was doing, and swallowed his doubts before pushing open the door.