Due to the massive disturbance in the snack car, there were quite a lot of ponies that were disappointed about their meals being changed for the night. Among those was Canvas, whose previously chosen order of spinach and mushroom fettuccine was replaced with a bag of zucchini chips with sour cream and onion dip. Even though he had no idea what occurred, or why he and everypony else got such large changes in their dinner menus, he was about ninety percent sure that the triplets had something to do with it. Nevertheless, the stallion was overwhelmed with other thoughts at that time, not to mention the bad taste from his “dinner” that was lingering on his tongue. So, he decided to take a walk outside his room.
Troy was already resting on the bench with Tenor on his chest and his headphones on, listening to a rare opera cassette on his walkman. Because of that, Canvas was easily able to leave the cabin without disturbing either of them. Unlike his fiancè, the pony decided to just head back through the rear cars and avoid any of the disgruntled passengers seated ahead of him. Despite how late it was, the stallion needed to move around so his anxiety (as well as his restless legs) could get a little relaxation from a change of scenery.
Each time he walked between the cars, Canvas couldn’t help pausing briefly to take in the mystical view. Due to the weather feeling more like an early Summer than it did late Spring, the stallion didn’t feel the slightest shiver while standing outdoors despite the rushing winds that brushed past his fur. In fact, the weather felt nice enough to lighten the pony’s mood by the time he reached the caboose of the train.
However, it seemed that Canvas wasn’t the only one who decided to relax in the back patio of the speeding train. When he opened the door to the car, Canvas was greeted by the sight of Jonas. He had a large cigar in his beak, which seemed to go along well with his stoic expression. Even though the only sources of illumination outside were the moonlight, and the red ember from the tip of the Gryphon’s cigar, Canvas still noticed the large bucket of ice and glass bottles that were rested beside Jonas’ seat. After making a long exhale of the strong-smelling smoke, the brown Gryphon took notice of the stallion with a turn of his head.
“Nice to know I’m not the only one awake,” said Canvas as he admired the view that the back of the caboose gave that night. Even with how quickly the train was moving, making the tracks look like a blur underneath them, the nocturnal landscape of Equestria’s deserts in front of them seemed almost as still as a painting. Jonas didn’t make much of a vocal response to Canvas’ statment, but he still motioned to an empty stool that was sitting at the other end of the patio. Canvas nodded with a smile and silently accepted the gesture.
While the pony pulled the stool in closer beside the chair and took a seat, Jonas took the cigar out of his beak and asked, “Have you seen the triplets anywhere?”
“Nope,” Canvas answered with a shake of his head. He took his art bag off his his shoulder and placed it beside his stool. “And I’m not going to ask why you’re asking that question.”
“Why, because you already know?” The tone didn’t sound too playful, but Canvas could tell that Jonas had the slightest hint of a smirk on his beak.
”I have an idea or two, but I don’t want to be too informed about it if I get questioned.” Canvas’ answer was enough to make the Gryphon chuckle in a surprisingly deep tone. Meanwhile, the stallion looked in the bucket, and his muzzle skewed when he saw all the bottles were expectedly various crafts of booze. Canvas merely shrugged and picked up an ice cube to pop in his mouth. After a couple chews to break apart the ice to melt in his mouth, he asked curiously, “You think they’re on the roof?”
Jonas shook his head while looking outward. “Nah. I saw Pegasus staff flying around not too long ago. Those three might be dumb, but they’re not THAT dumb.”
“You got that right,” said Canvas in a more cheeky tone. As he popped another ice cube into his mouth, his voice became muffled when he spoke. “Sho, where do you fink dey are?”
“Beats me,” said the Gryphon before pulling a bottle of hard cider from the bucket and uncapping it with his talon. “We probably won’t see them until Manehattan though.”
Canvas nodded before swallowing his ice. “Yeah. I bet Twilight is gonna regret getting you guys those hotel rooms when she hears about it.”
Jonas shrugged in objection. “I dunno. I think she wanted those guys out of the castle pretty quickly. The triplets got really damn excited when that Spike kid mentioned he was fireproof.”
Canvas laughed a bit, and he made sure his stool was close enough to the back wall before leaning against it. “In that case, maybe they went to find a twenty-four hour firework stand or something.”
That made Jonas crack up as well. “Or a whorehouse.”
If he hadn’t have swallowed his ice, Canvas would’ve most likely choked on it due to his laughter. After it died down a little, Canvas looked back at him with a grateful smile. “Thanks, Jonas. I kinda needed that.”
The Gryphon turned back at him with a raised brow. Of course, it was unclear whether it was from the second statement Canvas made, or the fact that the pony called him Jonas instead of Mister Clawston. “Why?” he asked with a hint of caution. “Something wrong?”
“Eh, not really,” said Canvas as he leaned forward in his seat. While Jonas dug a claw back into the bucket for another bottle, Canvas sighed and scratched the back of his head. “I just needed to clear my head a bit.”
“What for?” Jonas asked with the cigar in his beak. When he looked back at Canvas, Jonas held out a dark glass bottle towards him. Before the stallion could try to politely refuse, the General added, “It’s non-alcoholic. Troy already told me you don’t drink.”
“Oh.” With that affirmation, Canvas shrugged before taking the bottle. “Thanks.”
After he uncapped his own bottle with the bottom of his hoof, Canvas shook his head as he leaned back in his stool and sighed. “I’m just a little unnerved about where we are, that’s all.”
“What do you mean?” asked Jonas before pulling out his cigar and taking a swig from his bottle.
Canvas followed suit after saying in an upset huff. “Well, we just passed Gallop Creek a half hour ago…”
Unfortunately, as soon as the stallion took a sip from his bottle, he violently spat it out.
“BLEH!!!” Canvas coughed a couple times and tried to spit that bitter taste out of his mouth. “What is that?!”
“What?! That’s not alcoholic!” Jonas pointed his cigar at Canvas’ bottle and added, “See? It says it right there on the bottle: Non-Alcoholic beer!”
“UGH!!!” Canvas instantly put down his bottle in disgust. “What the buck, man?! I don’t drink beer, period!”
“Hey, I wasn’t gonna drink it.” Even though he didn’t want to be seen laughing at Canvas’ reaction to the drink, the Gryphon still chuckled to himself and took another swig. “Sorry about that. You can blame the tailor and his friends. They gave me some of their extra bottles when I helped them win a game.”
“Well, as long as you and Lyle got your appointments.” Shaking his head, Canvas groaned and picked up another ice cube to hopefully cleanse his tongue with. While the pony chewed on a new cube, Jonas looked over at him and decided to ask a question.
“So, what was that about the Gallop Creek thing?”
Canvas stopped chewing for a second, and made a sharp exhale through his nostrils before swallowing. “Ugh, it’s nothing,” he said in a less than convincing tone. “I just don’t like being reminded of that place.”
Jonas nodded silently, and focused on finishing his bottle instead of saying anything. Meanwhile, the pony leaned back against the wall while seated and added, “It was like… as soon as I heard the intercom say that town was ahead, I just instantly got reminded of all the crap I went through back there. Not just when I left, but…”
Canvas stopped after that brief mention, and closed his eyes with a bit lip in a small effort to keep that memory out of his train of thought. After taking a breath, the stallion continued as he looked up at the late-night skies. “But like, everything just comes trickling back like a bad leak, you know? I just keep thinking about stuff like the names I was called, or how none of the teachers gave me the time of day when I needed them. Heck, even the bucking art teacher acted like he never saw any of those spitballs hit me!”
The artist quickly leaned back forward in his seat. His head rested in his hooves with a low and painful groan. “Urgh! Sorry, I… I just don’t want to think about it.”
“No, it’s fine,” answered Jonas while looking away from Canvas. He puffed from his cigar deeply before saying in affirmation, “I won’t try to press you about it.”
“Thanks.”
For a while, neither of the two said anything as the train chugged along the silent landscape. Of course, due to the vibrations of the train, along with the sounds of the steam engine, it really couldn’t be considered a “silent” moment. It wasn’t until Canvas picked his bottle of non-alcoholic “beer” back up that he decided to speak. “Heh. You know, this wasn’t the first beer I ever tried.”
Jonas turned back at him with a curious raise of his brows. “Really?”
“Yeah.” The stallion swirled the contents of the bottle a little with his hoof, but he put it back down instead of trying to take another taste. “Back before I graduated, my Dad took me to Dodge Junction to celebrate when he found out I got Valedictorian status.”
Canvas’ muzzle slowly crept a smile as he looked out at the desert landscape that was becoming smaller in front of them. “I remember when I came home, the first thing that happened was my Dad hugging me and saying how proud he was. And I didn’t even expect him to be home at that time. He usually worked late or was already passed out by the time I got home. But that day, he just acted… normal. Like, not drunk, or depressed or anything. It was hard for me to even remember when he was like that after Mom…”
The artist stopped momentarily, biting the inside of his cheek as tried not to dampen the mood he was getting himself into. After a couple seconds of silence, Canvas sighed and kept going while the General smoked.
“Anyway, he… actually got time off of work after finding out, so we took a vacation out to Dodge Junction for the weekend. We went out to a couple of restaurants, took in the sights, and… and it just felt like I actually had my Dad again. Like… like nothing was lost.”
Canvas then chuckled briefly. “Before we headed back, we ended up camping out in the desert. It was a really nice night, and we were able to talk about a lot of stuff. I mentioned some of the things I did research on to get in my advanced classes, and he told me a bunch of stories about what Mom was like when he was my age. And he… just looked so happy when telling me about her. After a while he handed me one of his beers, telling me that I earned it for never settling for less in my studies.”
When he looked down at his hooves, Canvas struggled not to laugh when he finished his story with, “I drank about half that bottle before I threw up in the fire.”
Jonas bursted out laughing louder than ever before. One of his claws covered his face as he cackled wildly, and it took a little while before he could calm down enough to speak. “Oh man! At least he knew you weren’t sneaking drinks on the side or anything.”
“Yeah, that’s true.” He glanced back at Jonas with a smirk and asked, “I take it you learned that the hard way?”
“Yep,” answered the General with a meager shrug. “Angela and I should’ve known something was up when we took the triplets out to celebrate them reaching drinking age. The bartender knew them by name the moment they walked through the door.”
It was Canvas’ turn to laugh that time. He pulled his mane back with a hoof as he tried to speak through his giggles. “Woo, you got me beat there! Definitely worse than throwing up.”
“You got that right.” After putting out the nub of his cigar on the arm of his chair, Jonas grabbed himself another beer and uncapped it with ease. He downed a hearty amount before turning back to Canvas. “Still, that sounds like a pretty nice thing for your Dad to do.”
“Yeah…”
Canvas turned silent. While he bit his bottom lip tightly, the pony kept his gaze down to the ground instead of anywhere else. His front hooves rubbed against one another timidly, obviously a form of distraction so the pony wouldn’t think too much about it. However, Canvas made a brief huff and decided to ask something to his future Father-In-Law. “So… how much do you know about what happened?”
Jonas didn’t say anything at first, but it didn’t seem like he needed any context in regards to Canvas’ question. It wasn’t until Canvas glanced up at him that the Gryphon sighed and answered. “About as much as what you told Lyle.”
Canvas nodded his head faintly. He wasn’t particularly surprised that Lyle brought it up to Canvas’ future family, so he merely shrugged and said, “Well… at least I don’t need to explain anything then.”
“Hopefully not.” Jonas downed the rest of his bottle and put it away. As he sighed and settled in his chair, the Gryphon took a moment before glancing back at the pony with a sympathetic skew of his beak. “Listen, uhhh… I know it probably doesn’t mean much coming from me, but--”
“D-don’t,” said Canvas with his hoof raised insistently to interrupt the General’s words. “Just… don’t. I’d rather not think too much about that right now.”
“I understand.” Jonas quickly turned away respectfully, not wanting to pry. However, he still sighed and added, “Don’t worry, I get it. It’s not like I’m any better.”
Since the Gryphon was looking away, he didn’t notice Canvas’ head look up at him with a surprised expression. “What?”
“I already know what you’ll say,” clarified Jonas as he lit himself up another cigar. “I’ll try to give my sympathies and say how shitty your Dad’s actions were, and you’ll say something like, ‘Pot to the kettle,’ or ‘Like you’re one to talk.’”
While Jonas sat silently and began to smoke, Canvas just stared at him in bafflement about that assumption. The pony cleared his throat and responded with, “Actually, that’s… not what I meant at all.”
Jonas glanced back at him with a skeptical look, which prompted Canvas to add, “I probably would’ve stopped anyone from trying to say sorry about what happened. Not just you.” The artist then huffed and looked back to his hooves as his tone turned more somber. “Seriously, after half of Ponyville saw me fighting with him, I couldn’t go into town for over a week without a bunch of ponies saying sorry or hugging me or whatever. They had no idea what happened to me, and they were just saying sorry like they did it themselves. I know they were just trying to make me feel better, but... after a while, it kinda became less comforting and more… numbing.”
Jonas blinked a couple of times, and he took another drag from his cigar before giving a brief response. “I wouldn’t have thought that.”
Canvas sat in thought to the Gryphon’s earlier statement, and began to rub his hooves together when he added, “Also, I… really wouldn’t have said ‘Pot to the Kettle’ or anything like that if you told me sorry.”
Both of Jonas’ brows raised in slight surprise.
“I mean, it would definitely be a fitting comeback,” the artist bluntly added with a guilty shrug, “but honestly, I… I really wouldn’t put you on the same level as him.”
Canvas didn’t look up at Jonas as he said that, but he hoped that statement was sincere enough for the General to appreciate. However, what he didn’t expect was the Gryphon’s reply.
“Why not?”
The stallion peered up at him confusedly. “Hm?”
Jonas was looking back at Canvas with a serious stare of curiosity. “Really, I want to know… why don’t you?”
That question left Canvas utterly confused while his mouth stayed halfway open. After a couple seconds, Canvas slowly looked back out to the shrinking landscapes as he tried to say something. “Well, I… I can’t really say for sure.”
That unclear answer was enough to make Jonas look out from the platform as well. After taking a deep puff, the General watched the plume of smoke quickly disappear against the winds of the train. In that time, Canvas was able to say, “I mean, it wasn’t like I was the one to choose whether or not to forgive you. Troy was. It wasn’t really my place to decide.”
Even though Canvas didn’t intend for that answer to sound too blunt or harsh, it still made Jonas look back at him and ask, “So, you wouldn’t have?”
“I didn’t say that,” said Canvas insistently. “I’m just saying the circumstances were different.”
Canvas breathed out slowly through his nostrils while his muzzle was shut. He turned his attention back to the view in front of them before continuing in a bleaker tone. “I… I was completely alone when my Dad threw me out. I didn’t have any other family to go to. No friends. No… no pony to try and tell me things were going to be alright. All I got were stares and shut doors. My Dad was the only real friend I had, and he… he almost killed me when I came out.”
The stallion closed his eyes briefly, hoping that they weren’t welling too much to let any tears stray. “When you reach a low as bad as that, it’s not easy to accept any kind of apology from the pony who put you there. No matter how much they say they regret it.”
Jonas just nodded silently, not opening his beak an inch to say anything in response.
“And,” continued the stallion with his eyes pointed down at the floor, “...and when Troy went through that same thing, he wasn’t alone like I was. He had his brothers that night. He had a lot of friends to make sure he was okay the next morning. And… and I made sure I was there for him the entire time.”
Canvas wiped his eyes to make sure they were dry as he kept talking. “Troy… he was the first one to find out what happened to me after I got out of the hospital. He was also the first one who found out it was my Dad a couple months later. And both times I opened up to him, he didn’t even hesitate to comfort me and make sure I wasn’t alone.
“And when he dealt with that same kind of thing, I just… I wanted to make sure he wasn’t as alone as I was that night.”
Jonas’ cigar was down to the nub when Canvas finished, and the Gryphon put it out on the chair silently. Even though he wasn’t sure what he could say, the General still broke the silence by saying faintly, “I see…”
Canvas took a breath to make sure his throat didn’t feel hoarse, and turned his head to add insistently, “I know you’re trying to do better, and you have my utmost respect because of that. We may have had some issues before, but all that matters to me is that Troy and his brothers are happy. So as long as you don’t mess with that, I have nothing against you personally.”
Hearing the sincerity in Canvas’ words, Jonas nodded with a content expression on his face. “Well, I really appreciate that, Canvas. Thank you.”
However, the Gryphon’s smile slowly disappeared as he looked down to his claws and huffed briefly. “You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re the only one to have that mentality towards me right now.”
Canvas could’ve asked what Jonas meant by that, but he had a good feeling that he already knew the context. “You shouldn’t think like that,” said the stallion sympathetically. “If anything, you should be lucky you didn’t lose anyone because of what happened.”
“Yeah, but now I feel like a dog that just got neutered!” Jonas grumbled as he leaned forward in his chair with a bitter scowl. “I swear, sometimes I feel like Lyle is just waiting for me to blow up again. Just so he can have an excuse to leave me for good. I know I hurt him bad enough to justify him feeling that way, but…” The Gryphon sighed as he lowered his head in shame. “I just wish he could trust me again.”
Seeing how hurt Jonas looked, Canvas actually felt pretty bad for the guy. He considered putting a hoof on the Gryphon’s back in assurance, but he decided against that and instead tried to catch his attention by saying, “Just give it some time, okay? Troy was just talking with him earlier today. I think Lyle’s just feeling a little upset because of the baby, that’s all.”
Jonas looked back at him with a surprised glance. “Really?”
“Yeah,” nodded Canvas sincerely. “Honestly, I don’t think it would hurt to do something with him before the baby comes along. You know, like when my Dad took me on that vacation.”
It seemed that Jonas wasn’t against that idea. When he looked down at the ground, the General was silent for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. “Hmmm. I guess that could be worth a shot.”
While Canvas smiled in appreciation, the Gryphon looked back towards him and said in an honest tone, “I’m really grateful that you talked with him after everything that happened. I know I never said it before, but… thank you.”
The pony felt his heart grow a little warmer, and he blinked a couple times in surprise before realizing he was silent for a couple seconds. “Oh! Umm…” He looked away while rubbing the back of his mane bashfully. “It’s was nothing, really.”
“Don’t give me that,” Jonas retorted sternly. “If it wasn’t for you talking with him after I apologized, there’s a good chance he would’ve left me like you did your Dad.”
Canvas was frozen for a brief moment. He bit his lip apprehensively until finding the right words to say in response. “Well… All I told him was that he should think about whether keeping someone in his life was better than keeping them away.” Even though he wasn’t sure if that statement was worded the best way, he still made a quick breath and added when turning back to Jonas, “I made my choice back then, and Lyle made his. I think that says enough about whether or not he really cares about you.”
Despite the brash tone that statement may have carried, it was enough to make the Gryphon grow a small smile in understanding. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” he said as he leaned back in his seat. “I’m just glad I have a chance to make that choice count. And not just for the baby.”
Canvas nodded and quickly added, “That’s something you should really let Lyle know sometime.”
“Duly noted.” The General then got himself one last beer while the night’s skies became darker above them. As he looked up at the stars which were shining brighter against the Equestrian night, he sighed as he said to himself, “I’ll see if I can do something in Manehattan for him.”
“That’s a good idea.” Canvas decided to chew on one last ice cube while the Gryphon downed his bottle. While he broke apart the cube of ice with his teeth, the stallion realized that this was the longest he ever talked with Troy’s Father by himself. And despite their history, Canvas actually wasn’t that uncomfortable about that revelation.
After finishing his ice cube, the artist decided to take advantage of this moment as he reached for his art bag. Jonas heard Canvas’ bag open, and he looked down just as the pony found what he was looking for. An old photograph was held in Canvas’ hooves, slightly worn at the edges from how often he carried it around. The stallion stared at it for a moment before handing it towards Jonas. “Here. It’s… actually one of the only pictures I have of my Mom and Dad together.”
Jonas picked up the photograph, peering in closely enough to see it underneath the moonlight. The picture showed Canvas as a young colt in front of his old home, with his parents standing by both sides of him proudly. The Gryphon tilted his head a little when he saw how the dark blue Pegasus mare looked. “Huh. Your Mother was a Pegasus?”
“Mmmhmm,” nodded Canvas. “Her name was Blowing Winds. She worked weather patrol back in Gallop Creek, and she and my Dad actually met back when they were in middle school. They used to be friends for a long time, but I think they became a couple after high school after my Dad’s parents…”
Canvas kept talking about them, but Jonas’ focus on the pony’s words faded when he noticed the green stallion in the photograph. The guy may have had darker fur and a much younger-looking appearance, but the General’s eyes still widened as soon as he recognized that faint glimpse of the golden leaf on his flank.
I would’ve given anything to keep my son in my life.
While he stared down at the familiar face in the photo, all that the General could think about where the words that he recalled the pony saying back at that bar.
I loved him with all my heart, and I still do.
Copper Fields. That was the guy’s name. And the more that Jonas thought back to that night, the more he understood various elements from that encounter. The way that Copper was laughing wildly when he found out who Jonas’ son was marrying. How dedicated he became to helping the Gryphon get on better terms with his own family. But most of all, the experiences that Copper shared suddenly rang clear as a bell in the General’s mind.
I would’ve sold my soul to Discord for the chance that you have right now. My son was the only family I had, and I lost him because I acted like the ignorant bastard you’re being right now. And unless you want to end up in the same spot I’m in, you’ll grow enough brain cells to realize how much you need your family in your life.
“... I guess I always sorta admired how well Troy can fly because of that.”
Jonas quickly came back to reality soon enough to catch the end of Canvas’ now nonsensical ramblings. “I mean, I wouldn’t consider myself into wings or anything, but I’m not gonna lie. It’s really nice to see Troy’s wings fully out, making him look big and powerful--”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Jonas instantly put a claw out to stop whatever Canvas was going on about. “I don’t need to hear that!”
Canvas stopped talking long enough to quickly realize what he was doing, and covered his muzzle with a hoof as he blushed deeply. The Gryphon just groaned and handed Canvas his picture back. “Here, uhh… they’re a nice-looking couple.”
When Canvas took his photo back, he sighed as he placed it back into his bag. “They really were…”
Jonas could tell that there was a clear hint of sadness in the pony’s voice when he said that, but he didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he just finished his final beer while Canvas said in a playful tone, “Honestly, I’m not sure how Mom would’ve reacted to me marrying a Gryphon.”
“How do you think I feel about it?” asked the General before putting down his bottle. Jonas chuckled with a befuddled shake of his head as he looked away from Canvas. “Jeeze, I never imagined I would be an In-Law for a pony!”
“Well, get used to it,” jeered Canvas sternly while keeping his smirk.
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” the Gryphon scoffed as he waved a claw at Canvas. “Just be glad you didn’t have MY Father-In-Law!”
Canvas raised a brow towards Jonas skeptically. “Oh really? Are you forgetting that you tried to strangle me the first night we met?”
“First off, I apologized for that,” retorted the Gryphon as he looked back at him to make that claim. “And secondly, the first time I met Angela’s Father was when he broke into my apartment and put a spear up to my throat.”
Canvas reeled back in surprise with his eyes widened. “What?!”
“Yeah,” said the General with a confirming nod, “and I was still in bed at the time! It wasn’t until Angela came in after him that I realized who he was.”
After blinking a couple times, the stallion decided to ask, “So… how did you react?”
Jonas huffed with a faint smile on his beak. “The very first thing I said to that bastard was, ‘She’s pregnant, isn’t she?’”
Both of them cracked up like crazy after that punchline. In fact, if anyone were to walk out to that caboose without any context, they would’ve thought that Jonas and Canvas were actually good friends. And in a weird way, maybe that fact wasn’t exactly false.
Of course, the laughter died down when the door to the caboose actually did open. Angela came out and strolled over towards her husband, not even noticing the stallion when she wrapped her claws around the General’s chest from behind. “Come on, baby,” she cooed in a very lustrous tone of voice. “I found Lyle’s earplugs, so do we don’t have to wait for him being away from our room agai--AHHH!!!”
Angela was just about to lick at the tuft of Jonas’ ear when she caught sight of Canvas from the corner of her eye. When she bolted back from both of them in shock, all that Canvas could do was sit in an awkward stillness on his stool. “Uhhh… Good evening, Missus Clawston.”
Angela could only blink in her temporarily frozen state. “...uhhhhh…”
She then shot back to the door while shouting “HELLOCANVASGOODNIGHT!!”
Canvas cackled again after that door slammed shut. Jonas tried his hardest not to be caught chuckling as well, and picked up his bottles and bucket before getting out of his seat. “Well, I guess I should check up on her.”
“Alright,” said Canvas with a wave of his hoof. “Goodnight, Mister Clawston.”
“Night,” echoed Jonas as he opened the door with his things. However, instead of just leaving the open space, the Gryphon paused for a moment before looking back at Canvas. “And, uhh…”
Canvas was looking back into his bag as soon as Jonas said “Night,” so it took a second before he realized the General said something else. When he looked back to his future Father-In-Law, Jonas huffed slightly and said, “You can… call me Jonas if you want.”
Canvas’ eyes widened in surprise. Jonas didn’t wait for a reply, and just nodded with a smile before leaving the pony alone at the back of the train.
For almost twenty seconds, Canvas had no idea what to think of that moment. It almost felt like if Princess Celestia were to swoop down right now and smack him on the rear: even he got to tell anypony about it, he doubted that no one would actually believe him.
After a long moment of silence, Canvas went back to his art bag with a newfound smile on his muzzle. All that he expected to do tonight was take a walk and clear his head. And along with achieving that goal, the pony actually managed to get on (slightly) good terms with Troy’s Dad.
With that thought on his mind, Canvas’ smile didn’t disappear for a while that night. Instead of going right back to his room, the artist waited for a while out on that beautiful night, drawing in his sketchpad while the flawless night sky laid draped above him.