Brushed Away

by TheVClaw

Chapter Fifty-Two: Reflections

Canvas groaned in frustration as he fumbled with the black tie tangled in his hooves. He practically begged Rarity to let him wear a clip-on tie, but she would not settle for anything less than a real one for the Gala. Any skill he had with his hooves didn’t matter when it came to getting those knots around his neck right. After messing up for the fifth time, Canvas groaned even louder. His boyfriend noticed his struggle and walked up to him.

"Don't worry about it,” said Troy, attempting to cover his amused chuckles. "Let me get this for you. It's easier when you have talons."

Considering how Troy already had his tie and tuxedo on, Canvas could see his point. So, he stood upright for him, keeping his chest out while Troy tried his claws at tying the tie.

Troy, being ever the natural, quickly got Canvas' tie done right. He adjusted it so that it laid within the collars of Canvas' dress shirt, not noticing how much Canvas was blushing. When Troy finally looked up, he was only able to look into his blue eyes for a second before Canvas leaned in, wrapping his hooves around his neck and kissing him deeply.

Though initially surprised, Troy soon found himself returning the kiss just as vigorously. The fact that they were in one of the bathrooms of Canterlot Castle quickly became irrelevant. Only after several warm moments did Troy slowly pull his beak back.

"You know,” said Troy, almost panting as he looked at Canvas with half-open eyes and a lustful grin, "if we keep going like this, I might end up ripping that cute little tux off of you."

"Oh really?" Canvas pushed Troy against the tiled wall, keeping him pinned against his hooves. "Because that sounds more like a reward than a consequence."

The two giggled while looking into each other's eager eyes, only for the moment to dampen when another stallion entered. He shrieked and shot straight back out. The two looked back at each other with worry, realizing that they looked like a couple of antsy teenagers on prom night. It didn’t take long for them to start cracking up, however.

Troy put a foreleg around Canvas, holding him closer as they left the bathroom. He found himself not caring about the potential of odd looks as he looked at the stallion next to him, his art bag hanging on his shoulder and over his tux. He felt so much more confident about what he wanted to do tonight.

They stepped out into the hallway, and before they got five steps in, Rarity appeared at the other end. Her eyes grew wide in excitement at the sight of the couple. She shrieked out in joy and ran up to them.

"Omigosh, there you two are! I'm so happy to see you! Congrat--"

Rarity's cheerful banter stopped when she saw Troy making a quick ‘cut it’ gesture across his throat. Before Canvas could look at him and see what he was doing, Troy put his claws back down and kept a regular smile.

"I was going to say… congratulations on the painting, Canvas! I just saw it, and it looks marvelous!"

"Oh, um… thanks."

Canvas looked at her with a confused smile. He didn’t notice Troy nodding to her with a serious expression. Knowing she shouldn't say anymore, Rarity quickly cleared her throat before speaking to them daintily.

"Well, gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me I'll… be going somewhere else."

Rarity quickly trotted off down the hallway. While Canvas looked back at his lover confused, Rarity's head popped back out at the corner, glaring at Troy as she pointed at him with a hoof. In less than a second, Troy made a talons-up gesture to indicate things were fine. When Canvas saw this, he looked back down the hallway, but Rarity had already disappeared. Now he was really confused

Troy could feel Canvas' blue eyes burning on him in suspicion, and could only offer a quick smile of fake innocence in response. Canvas sighed in slight annoyance, rolling his eyes before the two moved forward. Troy quietly sighed in relief, and tried his hardest to remain inconspicuous. Not long after, the sight of Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight Sparkle made them both stop in their tracks.

The princesses walked up to them with smiles. The couple smiled back and bowed. When Canvas looked back up, he saw Celestia looking at him with warmth and gratitude.

"Good evening, Canvas,” said Celestia. “It's nice to see you before the Gala begins. I hope that security wasn't too intrusive for the two of you."

Canvas and Troy both looked unsure of what to say. While they did manage to get back to the castle in less time than expected, the two still underwent a thorough security check before being permitted inside. Troy had an especially large bone to pick regarding how one of the royal guards opened up everything in front of them without thinking twice. At least he could be grateful that he didn't pull out what was in his jacket.

"Oh, it's alright,” said Canvas insistently. "I totally get it. I'm just glad I was able to see the castle before the Gala."

"I'm very glad to hear that, because I wanted to show you where I placed your painting."

Canvas' smile grew even wider. Celestia motioned the two to follow her, and Twilight moved over to walk alongside Canvas opposite of Troy.

"I saw where she placed your painting. She picked a great spot for it!"

"That's great to know, Twilight,” said Canvas. "By the way, Rainbow Dash told me you picked up my package?"

Troy peered in to listen, remembering that tidbit at the train station. "Yes I did, Canvas. She's asleep right now, so I don't think she'll see it until tonight, but I left it in her quarters."

Now Troy was confused. Who was this ‘she’ supposed to be? Regardless, Canvas seemed happy with the answer, so he decided to stay silent for the moment. Just then, Celestia had entered the main ballroom, leaving the other three to follow and look around.

The large ballroom was still undergoing preparations for the Gala, with dozens of ponies either arranging the food or getting the stage ready; but at the Princesses’ entrance, the whole space went suddenly silent. Everypony stopped as Celestia passed by, but she didn't pay much attention as she looked back at the two behind her, giving them a warm smile.

"Canvas, because of the Gala, I thought it would be best to place your painting here in the ballroom."

Celestia pointed over to where she placed Canvas' greatest work, her smile growing as she saw the artist’s jaw slowly drop. He walked over to the two large windows facing the garden outside, where his painting of Celestia hung proudly between in the center.

Looking back at where this was in relation to the ballroom, Canvas realized that this was a great spot for his painting. The main ballroom entrance was directly across from these windows, meaning his painting would be one of the first things ponies would see when they entered.

Canvas looked back at Celestia with his eyes welling. The Goddess smiled back and nodded.

"You did an amazing job, Canvas. And I want you to know that of all the ponies I could've chosen for this, I'm really glad it was you."

Tears of joy started to run down Canvas' face. Less than a year ago, Canvas was just a lonely stallion in an uncaring town, living each day in fear over wanting to live his life for who he was. Now, after mere months, he found everything he ever wanted: friends, a home, a real life, a mate, and a real sense of happiness and peace.

And with his greatest painting on display for royalty, Canvas had made history. History that would always remain here, in this sacred space, even after he was long gone.

Troy walked closer to Canvas, holding him close before the stallion could fall over. Canvas closed his eyes and relished the gryphon's warmth, until he noticed Celestia walking closer also.

Canvas quickly grabbed Celestia for a tight hug, not caring one bit what lunging at a princess could look like to a dozen royal guards. Both Troy and Twilight (along with everypony else in the ballroom) were surprised to see Canvas do something so bold, but Celestia didn't falter for a second as she hugged him back.

Only a few whimpers could come out of Canvas' mouth before he finally spoke in a faint whisper.

"... Thank you… Thank you so much, Celestia."

"You don't need to thank me,” said the Goddess lovingly, slowly pulling her head back. Canvas let go of the princess, looking up at her smiling face while trying to wipe off his tears in an effort to look presentable again.

"You were the one who did this, Canvas. Nopony else can say that."

Canvas nodded, trying not to cry again as he bowed to her. Once he raised himself back up, Troy quickly stood by his side again, wrapping a foreleg around Canvas with a smile of his own.

Celestia cleared her throat to catch their attention. She set her eyes on Troy.

"Troius Clawston?"

Troy wasn't a military Gryphon by any standards (despite his father's insistence as a child to toughen him up), but he still stood upright with his chest out and a firm voice. "Yes, Ma'am!"

Canvas and Celestia giggled at how drastically his boyfriend changed his composure.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again. I didn’t get a chance to talk with you during the Gallery, but I want to say that I had the great pleasure of knowing your grandparents. The Talonochs were responsible for accomplishing so much between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom, and I have nothing but the highest respect for them."

Troy's stoic stance suddenly changed. A smile and a look of kindness took its place. It was hard for Troy not to well up at such sincerity. "Th-thank you."

Celestia's smile grew warmer. "I can truly say that Niko and Helen were an amazing couple to work with. And I'm glad that I got to meet you as well."

Celestia held out a hoof. Troy felt a million different waves of excitement flow through him as he reached out and shook it. He knew that he was now one of only a few gryphons to interact with royalty in such a fashion.

Troy kept his grateful smile as he looked up at the Goddess, feeling the warm hoof in his grasp and seeing how genuinely kind she looked from behind those light-lavender eyes; a look of utmost understanding and caring. When he finally let go, he had to try as hard as he could to keep his composure. He stepped back beside his coltfriend and bowed to her.

With a caring nod back to him, Celestia looked at Twilight. "I have some tasks to complete before the Gala begins, so I'll be heading off for the moment. Feel free to enjoy yourself for the time being."

Canvas and Troy were quick to give a final bow before the alicorns made their way out of the ballroom. When they left, the other ponies quickly got back to their jobs. Neither the stallion nor the gryphon seemed to notice the burst of activity around them as they looked at each other with glee.

Suddenly, the sound of a familiar mare's voice caught their attention, making them turn around. "Canvas, there you are!"

The two saw Octavia walk toward them, now wearing a pink bow tie around her neck. "It's nice to see you two again before the Gala begins. Was security rough on you as well?"

Troy made sure his jacket was on tightly as he responded with a groan. "Yeah, they were. Seriously, you’d think they would've taken it down a notch after a year or two."

"Maybe, but given how much has gone on in recent years, what with Discord, the Changeling Invasion, and that whole Crystal Empire event; I can't blame the Princesses for being a tad paranoid."

Troy nodded in understanding, knowing she had a valid point. Though he preferred this nation over the Gryphon Kingdom, he had to admit that a lot of crazy stuff happened here.

"By the way, sir, I haven't gotten the chance to ask for your name."

Troy's eyebrows rose. He offered his claw and smiled.

"Oh, of course. My name is Troius. Troius Clawston, although most ponies just call me Troy."

"Charmed.” Octavia shook his claw. Looking around, the mare kept an embarrassed look on her face. "I wanted to say something back at the Concert Hall, but I figured things were already a little awkward after catching you with your… partner."

Both Troy and Canvas blushed.

"But I just wanted to say, I couldn't stop thinking about that performance you did of ‘Ave Maria’."

The gryphon looked away, embarrassed that she witnessed something so personal.

"Y-you don't have to say that--”

"I mean it!" Octavia’s tone now conveyed admiration. "I've heard that song so many times from various ponies, but I have never heard it sung as beautifully as your rendition!"

Troy felt surprised that such a high-caliber musician would say something like that about something he did on a whim. Canvas stood beside him with a big grin.

"Mister Clawston, I can say with utmost confidence that you have great talent. Have you ever done anything professionally?"

"Actually,” said Canvas. "Troy here was the lead in Ponyville's latest play production! He played the Phantom."

Now Troy's feathers were ruffling out. He looked away from both of them, trying not to look too flustered while Octavia giggled. He could only stand silent before he heard his coltfriend open up his art bag and pull out a copy of the newspaper, one that contained a review for that show.

Looking back, Troy looked on in growing discomfort as she read the review. He glared at Canvas, who kept his smile regardless until Octavia spoke up and grabbed both of their attention.

"Well, Troy, I'm impressed! I knew Stage Presence back when I studied Theater in Canterlot University, and I know that she has impeccable taste when it comes to talent."

Octavia then addressed Canvas. "Excuse me, do you happen to have a pen and paper?"

"Of course!" Canvas said, enthusiastically. He dug into his bag and pulled out a pen and paper, passing them to Octavia.

Octavia took them graciously. She then held the pen in her mouth as she quickly jotted down something. When she was finished, Octavia gave the pen back to Canvas and turned to Troy.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but I happen to know of a big production happening in Canterlot in a couple of months." She hoofed the paper to Troy, waiting until he took it before continuing. "If you're interested, I think it might be a great opportunity for you."

With that, Octavia gave a warm smile and walked off. Troy looked at the paper in his talons, as well as Canvas over his shoulder. The mare wrote down what appeared to be the date and address for an upcoming audition.

"Way to go!" shouted Canvas, hugging Troy tightly. "You did it, honey!"

Although this new opportunity left him in a bit of shock, Troy managed to grow a huge smile and hug his coltfriend back.

---

Twilight Sparkle tried to keep up an optimistic attitude as she walked alongside her mentor down the halls of Canterlot Castle. After learning the full story of what happened to Canvas involving his father and Gallop Creek, however, she was feeling more than concerned. She remembered how Celestia already knew about everything months ago.

Upon noticing her student’s hidden distress, Celestia sighed sullenly.

"Princess Celestia,” said Twilight. "would you mind if we talked about something?"

The Goddess stopped for a second before nodding.

"Of course, but I take from your tone that it should be in a more private place?"

Twilight nodded. Celestia lit her horn, enveloping them both in a bright, white light. In an instant, the two princesses vanished, and were both teleported within a tower overlooking the castle.

Looking around and seeing that they were both alone, Celestia looked back at Twilight.

"Celestia, I was wanting to talk with you about what happened with Canvas."

Celestia sighed again. "I see…"

She looked away for a moment, looking out the window to see it was already close to sundown. When she looked back at Twilight, Celestia maintained a stern tone.

"Twilight, did my sister happen to speak with you about my findings in Gallop Creek?"

"Yes, she sent me a letter about a week ago about her involvement. She told me about how she helped Canvas, and… she told me that you were the one who let Copper go."

Celestia closed her eyes. She anticipated these questions would come after Twilight learned the full truth.

"I know that you had your intentions, and I still trust your judgment, but I want to know… why didn't you punish him?"

As the young alicorn looked up at her with worry, Celestia gave her a warm smile to calm her nerves, waiting a moment before answering more seriously.

"Twilight, when you wrote that letter to me about what happened, and I discovered who Canvas' attacker was, I was fully intent on tracking him down. And when I went to see Copper Fields, I had every intention to prosecute him for his actions. However…"

The Goddess' head hung down.

"When I saw him at that graveyard, and how truly ashamed he was for his actions without knowing I was there, I knew that no action of my own would be enough. No punishment I could give would be worse than the heartache he was already feeling himself."

Celestia looked back at Twilight. "I didn't let him go out of pity, or because I felt sorry for him. The reason I let Copper search for his son was because I understood how he felt."

Twilight's eyes widened, not expecting such a response. Before she could question what she meant, Celestia went on.

"Twilight, in the thousands of years I've spent ruling this land, I have made more than my share of mistakes. Some of which were much bigger than others… But of all the mistakes I've made in my lifetime, I can honestly say that the biggest regrets I have, are the ones where I hurt those who were closest to me."

Twilight blinked.

"Much like Copper, I know how painful it can be to hurt somepony close to me, and I know how important it can be to seek redemption… When I banished my dear sister, I spent a thousand years in constant torment, wanting nothing more than to have Luna back in my life. And when I finally held her again when she was reformed, nothing would’ve expressed the happiness I felt when I had her as my sister again.

"Also… when I saw Copper's regret over hurting his child, all I could think about… was how I acted at the Royal Wedding."

Twilight tried to hide her cringe. What happened at the Royal Wedding rehearsal was still a sore spot in her conscience, but Twilight was able to get past that after some well-needed reflection. However, as she recalled how everypony acted toward her back then, Twilight was surprised to see Celestia look this upset as she spoke about it now. She realized that it hadn't been brought up much since the wedding.

"I shouldn't have left you alone like that, Twilight,” said Celestia, distressed. "Despite how you may have acted, it was no excuse for me to act that way toward you. Or to leave you alone with that… thing. And for that, I truly am sorry."

Twilight had already forgiven everypony involved before the wedding even began, knowing that they were all tricked by the same foe. All the same, she still felt a twinge of gratitude in her heart as she heard Celestia’s apology.

"And... I saw that same look of regret on Copper's face as he made that blood oath on his wife's grave."

Celestia paused for a moment. She then put a hoof up to prevent Twilight from speaking up.

"I'm not saying that his actions are comparable to mine. I may have acted wrong, but I can still say that I acted accordingly under those circumstances. Compared to how I’ve hurted my family, what he did was unforgivable. However, I could still see that no matter what I did to him, Copper wouldn't have felt any closure for his pain unless he spoke to his son. So with a quick deliberation, I decided that instead of putting him in jail, or banishing him someplace to make him wallow in pity, I should at least give him one, single chance to redeem himself. And considering how things went, I have no regrets."

Twilight couldn't exactly deny Celestia’s statement, especially after personally seeing what occurred and hearing about what happened after. Celestia was glad to see Twilight nod, knowing that she understood.

"Twilight, I want you to understand that sometimes in life, not every problem can be easily resolved, and that some issues can’t be looked at from an outside perspective. As we move on in our lives, we're going to face struggles and heartache which could be too much to bear, or which are too personal for others to get involved ourselves. But when those moments come, I want you to remember that, no matter what, there is always hope for good to come. Even if everything feels lost, or an answer might not be easy to find, good is always possible, and that it's always best to follow the light when it shows itself."

Twilight thought about Celestia’s words. In the end, she understood the lesson: there’s always hope when we least expect it.

Then she thought about Canvas, the stallion who almost lost everything, including his own life. She smiled knowing where he was now: accomplishing something no other earth pony could do, and finding true love along the way.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Twilight Sparkle?"

Without hesitation, the younger Princess nodded, keeping her smile as she spoke confidently. "Yes I do, your Highness."

---

The dark-blue alicorn woke up in her sleeping quarters, groaning as she lifted herself from her bed. She had to make herself presentable for the Grand Galloping Gala tonight. Once she stood on the marble floor, the sound of cheering ponies outside added to Luna's frustration. She was going to be late for the grand opening.

Luna decided to not let it get the best of her, though, and she headed for the bathroom, hoping to at least get herself washed up before the Gala was halfway over. Before she could make it there, however, she noticed a package by her bedroom door.

Luna wasn’t expecting any mail. She began to grow suspicious as she looked at the brown box before her, hoping this wouldn’t be another stupid prank from Discord like last week. Luna lifted the box cautiously with her magic and found a letter taped onto it. Upon removing the letter and opening it, she saw who it was from. A smile grew on her muzzle, and a sense of gratitude flowed through her as she read it.

Dear Luna,

Words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done for me. While I know things will never be the same between my father and I, I'm still glad that I followed your advice. And you were right. Despite how much I went through because of him, it wouldn’t do me any good to hold a grudge. I still don't think I can ever completely forgive him, but I was glad to at least say my proper goodbyes.
You really are a wise pony, and as I said, there's nothing I can say that can truly express how thankful I am for your help. Because of that, all that I ask is that you accept this gift, as a token of my appreciation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Canvas

Luna sighed in joy, happy to know that she was able to help somepony. She looked at the package before her, using her magic to carefully open it and take out what was inside. Luna's eyes widened at the sight of Canvas' framed creation.

Much like his painting of Celestia, Canvas made a painting for the Princess of the Night; however, whereas his artwork of Celestia just had her confidently standing over a cliff, the painting he made for Luna was much more active.

Painted with oil paint on a canvas backdrop, the picture showed an image of Luna flying upward against the night sky, her dark-blue coat illuminated by the vibrant moonlight. She looked up toward the cosmos with her wings fully spread out, her stance one of pure grace and elegance. Canvas also painted a special constellation in the sky over her head, the stars arranged to look like a halo was above her.

Luna smiled. Canvas portrayed her not as a princess, but an angel.

At that moment, Canvas made history twice that night. Along with being the first earth pony to ever make a painting for Canterlot Castle, Canvas became the first artist ever to have two paintings displayed in the castle.

While his painting of Celestia was hung in the ballroom for everypony to see, Canvas' second painting of Luna was hung within her sleeping quarters for herself.

---

The Grand Galloping Gala went off without a hitch, with Celestia starting the event, and Twilight Sparkle standing next to her happily. As the night went on, both Canvas and Troy were surprised by two things.

First was how much attention Canvas' work had received. For a large part of the night, Canvas wasn't able to get away from his painting because ponies kept walking up to him, either congratulating his success or asking how he accomplished it. He wanted to try some of the delicious-looking displays of food across the ballroom, but he almost felt trapped by all the curious Gala-goers, leaving Canvas with a bitter mix of frustration and pride. And since Troy couldn't move from his spot much, he also felt upset as he looked on, wanting to find the perfect moment before this night ended.

Second was finding out the Grand Galloping Gala was, in fact, boring. All those stories from their friends about how the night wouldn’t be nearly as fantastic as expected suddenly made sense.

If it wasn't for the constant barrage of ponies asking him about gryphon culture, Troy probably would've fallen asleep before the Gala ended. Luckily, Rainbow Dash was able to help him out by inviting him to chat with her and Soarin from the Wonderbolts. He almost didn't notice when Canvas finally broke free from the crowds and got himself something to eat.

As he listened to Rainbow Dash talk about how she saved the Wonderbolts that one time (something he'd heard her brag about at work at least once a week), Canvas poked at Troy’s side to catch his attention.

"Finally!" said Troy as he wrapped a foreleg around Canvas and quickly nuzzled him. His coltfriend giggled at the feathers brushing against his face, and Troy smiled as he pulled his head back and looked at him. "Seriously, I'm really glad you're here. I was getting bored tonight."

"Hey!" said Rainbow, clearly offended. "I was telling a great story!"

"Which I already heard thirty times.”

Rainbow Dash huffed and looked away with a pout, and Soarin tried to hide his laughter. Troy then noticed that Canvas was slightly blushing at Soarin, making his eyes narrow. He poked at Canvas' head with a talon.

Canvas flinched and looked back at Troy, his blush growing. "Umm. I-I wasn’t…”

Soarin put out a hoof for Canvas, seeming oblivious of the artist’s embarrassed state. "You're Canvas, right? The pony who made that painting by the windows?"

Canvas slowly looked back at him and shook it, keeping a meager smile on his muzzle as he felt his boyfriend's stare on both of them.

"Um… yes. I'm Canvas."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. Troy's had a lot of nice things to say about you. You should be lucky to have him."

"Oh, believe me,” said Canvas, looking back at Troy warmly. "I know I'm lucky."

Any feelings of jealousy Troy had dissipated as he held him closer. Seeing how lovestruck the two were, Soarin chuckled and turned back to Rainbow Dash, letting the couple get reacquainted as they walked away.

Canvas walked with his boyfriend back to the large tables of food. He felt like he should at least try to clear the air, so he cleared his throat.

"Troy, just so you know, you're way cuter than Soarin ever was."

Troy gave a light smirk. "Oh yeah? Then why were you blushing like that? The last time I saw your face get that red was when I wore those stockings for you."

Canvas quickly blushed heavily again, and giggled.

"It's just that… well… I used to have a really big crush on him back in high school."

Troy put his foreleg around him and chuckled. "Eh, don’t worry about it! I'm not jealous of a wimp like him."

Canvas smiled back and nuzzled his chest. "And you shouldn’t be. Seriously, I'd rather have you than any Wonderbolt!"

Troy quickly stepped back as he felt the stallion's face brush too close to the side of his jacket. When Canvas looked up, slightly confused, Troy looked around and made sure his jacket was secure. This night was going to be ending soon.

"I-I don't want to mess with the tux. I know Rarity worked hard on this for me a-and I don’t want it to get messed up."

Canvas' eyes narrowed on him in suspicion. "So… was that why you looked so happy when Rarity gave you the jacket?"

"Umm…” Troy tried to make himself look less nervous by forcing a smile on his beak. "Yes! She… she got the measurements wrong a couple days ago because the wing holes were meant for a pegasus body." Troy pointed at the openings on the back of his tux. "So she helped me make the changes so they would fit, and… that's it."

Canvas only blinked at Troy's odd-looking smile, making the gryphon feel more nervous. He hoped to all that was sacred that Canvas wasn't catching on.

"I was happy to have a fitting suit. I never really had one, since I'm a gryphon and all."

Luckily, Troy's worries faded when he saw Canvas' eyes light up, as if he suddenly remembered something.

"That reminds me! There's someone I want you to meet!"

Seeing Canvas focused on something else was more than enough for Troy to play along while he looked around to find the right moment.

They walked over to a particular large table full of small bite-sized snacks of every variety. Before Troy could pick up one of the little cheese pieces placed on a toothpick, his gaze went to where Canvas was pointing.

On the other side of the table where the chefs and caterers were, Troy saw something he didn’t expect to see: another gryphon. He boasted a much larger beak than his own with a (rather unappealing) black moustache on it, and was stirring some new contents in a pan, his beady eyes focused on his work.

"Hey, Gustav!" shouted Canvas

The gryphon's head quickly darted up, looking at Canvas for a second before a smile came up on his slightly jagged beak.

"Why hello, Canvas!" said Gustav cheerfully. His accent sounded like what Troy figured Applejack would refer to as ‘fancy’.

"Troy, remember when I told you I met a guy in Baltimare, when I got you your birthday gift?”

Troy's golden eyes shot wide open. He looked back at Gustav and his smirk.

"Well, well, well. So zis vas the friend you bought my products for.”

Troy put his claw out across the table to Gustav, looking at him with a huge smile. "Sir, you have no idea how much you made my night with that! I mean, that steak wa--”

“SHHH!” Gustav quickly looked around, making sure no ponies heard that. He gave one quick glare at Troy, and then shook his claw.

"Please do not mention my extracurricular activities…"

Troy nodded, embarassed at how dumb he was to mention the ‘S’ word in public. Thankfully, Gustav smiled once more.

“... And you're velcome."

As Gustav went back to his work, Troy felt even more in love with Canvas after being reminded how much the stallion had done for him as just a friend. He wondered whether or not right now would be the right time.

Troy looked around the rest of the ballroom. He smiled at seeing the large crowd of ponies around Canvas' painting.

"So, how does it feel?"

Canvas raised an eyebrow. "How does what feel? Because a lot of great things have happened today."

"Well, what I mean is…" Troy held the stallion closer to him, grabbing him in his claws and keeping his gaze glued on the stallion's blue eyes.

"How does it feel to be here on the biggest night of your life?"

"Well…" Without looking away, Canvas smiled as he brought his head in closer. "The thing is… while this is a big night for me, I don't think this is the greatest night of my life.”

"Really?"

"Yeah, because the greatest night of my life… happened when I fell in love with you.”

With that, the two kissed. Troy pulled away first.

"Well, Canvas… I really hope I can change that tonight."

Canvas' eyebrows rose up in curiosity. Just then, music began to play from the stage. Upon hearing the sensual piano, Troy smiled and stepped back, holding out his claw.

"Canvas, may I have this dance?"

Canvas smiled, and took Troy’s claw.

"Troy, I would be happy to."

The two went to the dance floor, joining the other couples as they came together. They stood on their hind legs, holding onto each other and closing their eyes.

Many of the ponies in the ballroom couldn’t help staring at the couple’s slow dancing, but neither Canvas nor Troy cared about anything but each other. Troy kept his forelegs around the stallion's back, and Canvas rested his head against the gryphon's chest.

Eventually, Troy looked down at the stallion he was holding. He looked so beautiful.

Neither of them were sure how long they danced together, but when Troy turned his attention to his surroundings, he found that the crowd was beginning to dissipate. Hoping he wasn't too late, Troy looked around until he noticed Octavia on the stage putting her cello back into her case.

"Octavia,” said Troy as Canvas let go of him. "Don’t tell me the Gala's over!"

Octavia looked at Troy strangely. "Ummm… I don’t think so.”

Troy sighed in relief before she continued. "If you're wondering where the ponies are going, Celestia is supposed to be doing something big for tonight that's happening outside."

Troy's eyes widened. He now remembered what was supposed to occur at the Gala. Rainbow Dash made him Pinkie Promise not to say anything about it, so Troy didn’t mention a word of it to Canvas. And since he originally planned to make his move at the Concert Hall, he didn’t even think about it as an option.

But now, knowing what he wanted to do, Troy grew a tender smile as he looked at Canvas. He knew exactly where he could take him.

"Hey Canvas, follow me…"

Canvas looked at him in confusion. "Where to?"

"Just trust me."

Canvas smiled in agreement and followed him. Once out of the ballroom, Troy managed to walk through the large crowd of ponies outside with Canvas in tow.

With newfound determination, Troy's eyes landed on the one place he knew would be perfect. Nopony would be present there.

Canvas' eyes widened when he saw that they were heading toward the platform Celestia used to raise the sun every morning. He hoped that Troy wasn't going to get them in trouble.

When they reached the stairs leading up to the platform, Troy looked back at Canvas with an ecstatic smile on his face. A million thoughts and feelings ran through his head. Amongst them all, the biggest ones were his hopes.

He hoped everything would plan out like he thought.

He hoped nopony was going to interrupt them this time.

He hoped this moment would be as perfect as he imagined it would be.

But mostly… he hoped that Canvas would say ‘yes’.

Author's Note:

Just so any newer readers are aware, I've recently been undergoing a big project to turn the Brushed Away series into physical books for individual sale. Because of that, I just wanted to make a quick note for which chapters have been revised so far, including this one.

I want to give my deepest thanks, as well as some well-deserved credit to my followers helping me out with this process, as well as Double R. Forrest for their proofreading credits. And if anyone is interested in helping out with making this project a reality, I highly recommend checking out my Official Ko-Fi page dedicated to it.

Comments

[Bad_Seed_72]

I love how this chapter ties in a lot of loose ends. Twilight and Celestia are particularly in character here, which is awesome.

Also, I think I know why Soarin tolerates hearing that damn story from Dash again...

[TheBruteKiller]

3441284 Teehee, I have to agree with you on that last part...

[Twilight Best Pony]

He hoped that Canvas would say "yes".

i know where this is going!

[nameless]

The last time I saw your face get that red was when I wore those stockings for you

Oh my

[AdamAperture]

It's obvious that Troy is going to ask Canvas to marry him.

[Nira Lightshine]

4266775 ya I was blushing at that too

[Lycanthromancer]

Ugh. Twilight music? In my fanfiction?

It's more likely horrible than you'd think.

[Lycanthromancer]

4699673 And has been for a couple of chapters.

[Violet Sky]

4266775

I'd like to see that...

[Twistedpath]

Troy in stockings!? OWO Hmm... I like a SoarinDash ship as much as the next person but I ship Soarin x Braeburn like Fedex.