//------------------------------// // Chapter Thirty-Three: The Dinner (Part 2) // Story: Brushed Away 2: By Hoof and Claw // by TheVClaw //------------------------------// Troy rushed out of the back room as quickly as he could to reach his Mother. Angela, who was already looking quite distraught, was leaning against the counter of the bakery, wide-eyed in silence. Missus Cake, who just came out from the kitchen after checking on the foals, noticed the Gryphoness before walking up to her with a smile. "Oh, hello Angela! How are yo--" "Do you have any alcohol?" asked Angela as she looked at the mare intensely. The mare flinched a bit, and her expression turned more worried when she saw Troy coming up towards his Mother. "Oh. Ummm… let me check…" Even though Cupcake already knew that she didn't have any liquor for Angela (except that one bottle of wine that the Cakes got exclusively for this party), she disappeared from behind the counter to give the two some space. When the mare went back to the kitchen hurriedly, her husband poked his head out to see what was going on. Troy had a panicked look on his face as he tried to speak towards his Mother. "M-Mom? Wha… what's wro--" Angela quickly crooked her neck so that she was looking directly at Troy. "Who is Canvas's fiancée?" Mister Cake sucked some air through his teeth before shooting back into the kitchen with his wife. "W-w-what?" asked Troy as he felt his heartbeat racing even faster. Seeing how his Mother was staring at him, the Gryphon was feeling more scared for his well-being than when she found him with the vacuum cleaner that one time. "You heard me." answered Angela more intensely than before. "Who is Canvas engaged to?" Troy’s beak hung open in utter dread, and could only open and close in silence to answer his Mom. As soon as the Gryphon’s eyes looked away from her, obviously looking terrified to give the only answer he could say, Angela bent her head in closer while giving an uneasy look. Her voice came out more feeble as she asked, “Troy… please say something.” Hearing the strained tone of his Mom’s voice, Troy felt like he was going to break down at the spot. Knowing that he had to say something, Troy’s eyes clenched in shut as his beak shut tightly. While his head skewed away from her slightly, he tried to speak without having any tears escape his shut eyes. “I… I… I didn’t… want you to find out like this…” A sharp inhale escaped Angela as she took an involuntary step back. Lyle, as well as all three of the triplets, looked absolutely shocked at how Canvas was staring at Jonas. After all the years they all spent under Jonas’s roof, they knew that the bloodthirsty glare that he was giving the pony was anything but good. But still, the stallion just stood his ground as he stared back at him, his tone looking almost equally as cold and callous as the Gryphon’s. Jonas’s head skewed slightly, almost like he was unsure whether to be confused or amused by the stallion’s courage. After making a light huff, Jonas tossed Lyle’s bag aside before narrowing his eyes on Canvas. “Hmmm… You mind explaining yourself, pony?” With the way that Jonas emphasized that last word, Canvas pursed his lips shut so the Gryphon wouldn’t see him gritting his teeth. After a small exhale through his nostrils, the pony calmed himself down enough to speak firmly up to Jonas. “What I was meaning to say was that you shouldn’t berate Lyle like that. He didn’t do anything wrong.” “Oh yeah?” Keeping his angered glare on Canvas, which was enough to make the other Gryphons stay silent and frozen, Jonas pointed at Lyle’s art bag that was lying on the ground. “You think there’s nothing wrong with a kid drawing porn?!” “He doesn’t only do porn!” shouted Canvas in an equally angry tone as he leaned in closer to Jonas. “And if you took a moment to actually pay attention to his stuff, you’d see that Lyle is an exceptional artist!” Despite the stallion’s insistent glare, Jonas openly scoffed with a slightly amused sneer. “Oh, really? And what gives you the authority to make a claim like that?” Canvas’s head skewed as well, giving the former General a bemused stare like he just asked a rather stupid question. “Well… I AM an artist, Mister Clawston. I think that gives me a little experience on what makes for good art!” Canvas then pointed a hoof towards Lyle, who was sitting petrified in his seat. Even though he’d want to stand up for himself, he certainly wasn’t going to stand in when he saw how his Dad looked. “And Lyle is one of the best young artists that I’ve seen in a LONG time! If you just took one second--” “I looked at enough of his damn doodles!” interrupted Jonas in a louder shout to shut Canvas up. “He almost got expelled because of them! You think I’m just going to sit idly by and let him ruin his future?! I’ve already had enough shit to deal with from THOSE three!” Jonas pointed a talon at the triplets, who all widened their eyes with offended looks on their faces. “Wait a minute!” shouted Blane as he tried to stand up against him, “What the buck is that suppo--” “And I’m NOT going to have Lyle go down that path too!” continued Jonas as he pointed his talon back at the increasingly irate Canvas. “First it’ll be drawings, and then deviancy! And before you know it, he’s gonna be dealing weapons or doing drugs!” “HEY!” shouted Blaze angrily. “I told you I wasn’t using that stuff!” “And you said you LIKED that business!” added Blane. “YOU three sit back down this instant!” yelled Jonas back at the triplets. “If you interrupt me again, you WILL regret it!” Despite still looking angry, the three slumped back in their seats rather quickly. Seeing this, Canvas’s anger towards Jonas became stronger than before. If that was the way this Gryphon acted towards his kids, then it was no wonder that Lyle’s confidence was so low. Of course, unlike them, Canvas wasn’t afraid to speak up against Jonas; after all, this wasn’t the first time that the stallion stood up against a Father. “If you don’t mind me asking, Jonas, what makes you think you can talk down to your sons like that?” Canvas had to keep himself from smirking when he called the Gryphon by his first name, knowing very well that doing so was a sign of disrespect. But still, the stallion didn’t flinch when Jonas turned back to him with an even stronger glare. “What was that?!” Canvas only narrowed his eyes on his in response. “What I was saying, was that you really shouldn’t disrespect them the way you are. I’ve learned a lot about Lyle and the triplets since meeting them, and they don’t deserve to be treated that poorly.” Jonas merely huffed with a disbelieving smirk on his beak. “Oh, really?” “Yes. Really,” hissed Canvas with malice. While his eyes peered at Jonas, Canvas pointed a hoof at Lyle as he continued. “When I took Troy and Lyle with me to the art show in Manehattan, I showed several artists Lyle’s work, and every single one said that he has serious potential as an artist! He even got a letter of recommendation by Fancy Pants, one of the biggest influential figures on Canterlot, after making a colored pencil sketch for him in less than a day!” Before Jonas could make any indication that the stallion’s words were just going into one ear and out the other, Canvas continued as he pointed at each of the triplets. “Along with that, Blaze is probably one of the smartest Gryphons I’ve ever met! I’ve never seen anyone react and respond to a problem as quickly as he had, and be able to solve it with the amount of logic that he possesses! “As for Blade, he’s probably one of the most noble musicians when it comes to interacting with his fans! He shows genuine respect to ponies who appreciate his work, and I haven’t seen him act like a ‘deviant’ towards any of them even once! “And I can say, with utmost honesty, that Blane is one of the most skilled Gryphons in regards to… his interests.” Despite not wanting to pause in the middle of his rant, Canvas didn’t want to outright say something about Blane’s floral expertise if the Gryphon was keeping it a secret. “And if he wasn’t afraid of what others like YOU thought of it, he could be at the top of his game in his craft! “Every single one of them is extremely talented and pleasant, so hearing their own Father yell at them like that is completely out of line! Maybe if you weren’t so intent on blistering their self esteem every second you’re around them, then maybe they can achieve more than they already have!” Lyle, along with the triplets, all just stared at Canvas with looks of utter shock. Even though all of them should have felt gratitude for the stallion sticking up for them, most of their focus was set on whether or not their Father was going to turn the pony into a stain on the wall. Jonas just narrowed his eyes on Canvas, looking like he was making a calculated account on how he should respond to the pony -- Or more accurately, what would be the quickest method to take him down and make sure he wouldn’t get up. “So… you think that you’re acting like a big colt talking up at me like that?” Canvas just replied flatly, “More than a Gryphon who thinks that demeaning his own children makes him look tougher.” Jonas’s eyes widened on Canvas, which just made the other Gryphons take a precautionary movement back. Nevertheless, despite their thoughts, Jonas didn’t strike the pony down. Instead, he just scoffed once more. “Well, aren’t you trying to act all high and mighty on your own.” Catching Jonas’s malicious tone of voice, Canvas kept a peculiar stare on him. “And what’s that supposed to mean?” “You know what.” Jonas raised a claw to point down at the stallion’s left hoof. “If you really were supposed to be a tough stallion, then how come you’re wearing the ring, huh? You really expect me to take you seriously when you had to have the mare pop the question? Hmph! Even for a pony, that’s pretty pathetic!” While Canvas’s expression grew more intense, looking like he was going to repeat how he acted towards that Hot Shot stallion several months ago, Lyle and the triplets just watched in growing worry at what might occur next. While they already knew that their Dad could easily gut the pony in an instant, they also knew that Canvas could hold his own. However, instead of trying to start anything physical, Canvas’s expression changed slightly as his brows raised. “Oh really? Well… what if I wasn’t engaged to a mare? What then?” Jonas’s eyes widened in an instant, immediately catching what the pony was implying. Meanwhile, the looks from the other Gryphons made it clear that they were all worried. Even though Canvas was smart, they wouldn’t think that he’d be stupid enough to admit anything before Troy could. “Oh… really?” Jonas’s eyes narrowed in on Canvas once more, as a disgusted sneer grew across his beak. “Huh… I guess I should’ve known why you’d be so inclined to be around my children.” Canvas’s lips pursed together in fury as his eyes widened. “Whatever it is you’re implying, I can assure you that your assumptions are way off.” “Oh really? You expect me to believe that a pervert like you isn’t just trying to get close to a kid for your own pleasure? You make me sick.” Canvas raised himself up even more as he got up to an eye level more equal to Jonas’s. Even though he would have loved to start punching this Gryphon square in the face and never stop, the stallion subdued himself enough as he spoke in a colder tone. “Well, seeing that your parenting is as shitty as your state of beliefs, I can certainly see why Troy left the Gryphon Kingdom in the first place.” Jonas’s eyes shot wide open. His claws gripped the edge of the table hard, making his talons sink deeply into the wood. “What. Did. You. Say?” “You heard me,” answered Canvas in a venomous tone that he hasn’t used since his own Father came in to Ponyville. “Troy is one of the greatest friends I’ve ever had the pleasure to know, and his brothers are just as caring and understanding. And given how you’ve acted towards me AND them, it’s clear that they didn’t get any of that kind of compassion from you. And if you actually did give any support for what your kids are doing with their lives, instead of just judging them while your head is firmly up your COLON, then maybe they wouldn’t be flocking to another nation to find some decent attention and praise!” The triplets and Lyle were all leaned back against the wall, beaks agape. Meanwhile, Jonas just gritted his teeth before leaning his head in, getting right up into Canvas’s face. “Get. Out.” Canvas didn’t budge. Instead, he just leaned in against the General to press his forehead against Jonas’s. “Make. Me.” “Mom, I… Can you please say something?!” Troy was looking increasingly nervous while his Mother stood in front of him in a state of shock. Instead of yelling obscenities, or running away from him, Angela just stood frozen in a stunned state, staring off into nothing while wide-eyed. And considering that this lasted for at least two minutes, Troy was panicking at how this might end up. “Mom, please!” Angela only blinked in response. Even though her slightly open beak didn’t move, a faint sound escaped it after a brief moment. “I… I…” “Mom, please,” pleaded Troy as he tried to catch her attention. “It’s still me! I never changed, Mom! I’m still Troy! I… I just…” Troy looked away for a second, knowing that anything he said probably wouldn’t be enough to get his Mother out of her stupor. “I… I don’t want to lose yo--” CRASH!!! A heavy crashing noise caused Troy and Angela to immediately look back at the back room. Before either of the Cakes could come from the kitchen to see what was going on, Troy’s eyes widened in terror before shooting off. “Oh no!” Troy flew back into the private room in less than a second, just in time to catch Canvas being pinned against the wall. While the large table was completely overturned, Jonas had the stallion in a death grip with his claws wrapped around his neck. “You… pathetic piece of--” POW!!! Even though Troy’s strength wasn’t really impressive enough around other Gryphons to say the least, his involuntary punch against his Dad’s face was enough to get him to let go of Canvas and make him drop to the floor. While Jonas winced while clutching his face, taking a moment to breathe and process what the buck just happened after nearly committing murder, Canvas looked up from the floor to see the furious stare that Troy had on Jonas. “T-Troy?!” shouted Jonas as he quickly raised himself back up. “Troy, did you just HIT me?!” Despite his Father’s outraged expression, Troy just had a cold and malicious look as he stared him down. “Don’t you dare touch him.” Blaze, who was thrown to the ground along with the others after Jonas threw the table over, quickly tried to get up and stop things from getting worse. “Guys wait a min--” “AND WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO ACT LIKE THAT?!” screamed Jonas in an infuriated tone before pointing a talon at Canvas. “You’re seriously going to defend this COLT-CUDDLER after he--” “DON’T YOU DARE TALK THAT WAY ABOUT MY FIANCE!!!” “Here you go, Silver Spoon! Happy Birthday!” FWEE!!! Even though Pinkie Pie’s party blower made the grey filly flinch a bit, she still had a happy smile on her face as she sat in front of her huge birthday cake. With her best friend Diamond Tiara sitting next to her, Silver Spoon seemed fairly pleased with how her celebration was going; aside from three fillies near the corner who were mostly talking to each other, all the other fillies and colts who were invited had their attention on the birthday girl as they partied in her parents’ mansion. “Well, go ahead!” shouted Pinkie happily as she lit the candles with a snap of her hoof. “Blow out your candles and make a--” Instantly, the pink mare froze at the spot, looking like she suddenly saw a cockatrice. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara both looked confused as they stared at the mare, but it wasn’t until she moved again that they got concerned. With her face scrunched in like she ate too much candy, Pinkie started to convulse a bit while all the other ponies began to take notice. Before any of them could try to help her out, they watched as Pinkie’s tail began to twitch. Immediately after, her left ear made a strange fluttering motion, which caused the mare to twitch her neck from the sensation. And then, one of her hind legs raised up high as it started to vibrate for a quick moment; even though it was highly debated, many ponies claimed that they actually saw her hoof develop an icicle or two before disappearing. After all of her hooves were back on the ground, Pinkie stood still for a moment, which alarmed the party-goers even more than all the convulsions she managed to make in less than a second. Hoping that something bad wasn’t going to occur, Silver Spoon spoke up to try and catch her attention. “Ummm…Pinkie Pie?” Like an explosion had occurred underneath her hooves, Pinkie jumped up so high that she nearly hit the ceiling. “I GOTTA GO!!!” With that, Pinkie zoomed out towards the window like a rocket. Of course, the mare paused her high-speed escape while in mid-air, opening the window daintly before shooting out. “SEE YOU LATER! ENJOY THE PARTY!” And like that, the entire party was eerily silent. Since nopony was sure what the heck that was about, not a single one was able to utter out a single word. Nevertheless, the silence was finally broken by the faint sound of smacking lips, which was followed by a disgusted “Blech!” Pipsqueak had a dab of frosting on his hoof as he carried a displeased look on his face. “Oh, gross! It’s coconut!”