Chapter Forty-Two: ... And the Big Finale
Rarity, now without her Pony Tones sweater, had only a scarf around her neck and a nervous expression on her face as she closed the door of her boutique after leaving. When she walked back out into the chilly Equestrian night, she saw Canvas, Angela, and Lyle standing amongst themselves underneath a nearby street lamp. “Well, Troius and Jonas are inside alone,” said the mare as she walked up to the trio. “I don’t know how it’s going to go, but I’m hopeful that things won’t get too intense.”
“Well,” replied Angela as she looked past Rarity to see the illuminated windows of the shop, ”I think that’s for the two to decide for themselves.”
Canvas nodded silently with a bitten lip, not sure if either of them would keep the discussion peaceful after what happened last time. Meanwhile, Lyle looked around confusedly and asked, “Wait a minute… where are the others?”
“Hm?” Angela looked back down to her youngest son, taking a moment before realizing what he meant. “Oh, the triplets?” Upon realizing she hasn’t seen them as well, her gaze turned to see where the three may have headed off to. “Huh… where did they go?”
“Wait, I think I see them!” Noticing the paw prints left behind in the snow, Canvas was able to spot the Gryphons before either Lyle or Angela could. He pointed a hoof over to the side of the boutique, where a large moving shadow could be seen nearby through the reflection of one of the windows.
“Ohhhh, no they’re not!” Rarity stormed back over towards her home immediately, and lit her horn to pull the three figures back with her magic. With the glow of her blue magic, the triplets were seen being jolted in surprise as they were lifted with surprising ease away from the window and back towards the rest of the family. The unicorn had a judgemental stare on them as she asked angrily, “Just what do you three think you’re doing?!”
“What?!” asked all the triplets at the same time. After being floated back onto the snowy ground, Blaze was the first to speak while shaking himself off. “We were just wanting to keep an eye on them, that’s all!”
“Yeah!” added Blade as he wiped some powdered snow off his fur. “We saw what happened the last time those two talked! And your house has a LOT of fra-gee-lay stuff in it!”
“Fra… fra-gee-lay?” It took Rarity a few seconds before realizing that the fake Trottingham Gryphon was trying to say ‘fragile’, which just made her groan and desperately try to avoid the subject by saying, “Nevertheless, you shouldn’t be eavesdropping on them! Regardless of what might occur, you need to be confident that the two will act like responsible adults.”
Canvas, despite being as worried as the triplets were, nodded in agreement to Rarity. “S-she’s right, guys,” said the stallion reluctantly. “I mean, I’m worried too, but I’m not going to linger at the side of the house like a leech because of it.”
Blane looked back at him with a more befuddled expression. “And why not?”
Canvas’s eyes looked down at the snow for a brief moment to gather his thoughts, which resulted in him making a meager shrug before looking back up to answer honestly. “Because I trust my fiancè. And in any relationship, trust is the most important thing you could have.”
While it looked like all of the triplets wanted to make a rebuttal, none of them were able to actually open their beaks to say anything. Instead, the only response that Canvas received was a rather surprised and impressed smile from Angela. “Well,” said the Gryphoness with a slight tilt of her head. “I have to admit, that’s surprisingly mature of you.”
Growing a small blush, Canvas could only chuckle timidly while rubbing the back of his head. “Heh heh… Well, to be honest, I kinda got that advice from a baby dragon, so…”
Angela’s head skewed the other way, now with a more confused look. While Lyle rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh at Canvas’s statement, Rarity’s eyes merely narrowed on him suspiciously. Hmmm… Even though the mare didn’t speak out loud, she couldn’t help thinking about the stallion’s answer. I swear, Spike better not be reading through my magazines again...
“Well, whatever the case,” said Angela with a respectful smile towards the stallion, “I’m glad that you’re looking at things in a more mature light than--”
“WHAT THE!!” Rarity was looking around frantically, now alone as soon as she took her magic off the triplets. “Where in Celestia’s name did they go?!!”
The others quickly realized that Rarity’s outburst was well warranted, as the three Gryphons were missing again. Lyle looked up to the near pitch-black skies, just as dumbfounded as the rest of them. “I swear, those guys don’t move that fast unless a taco cart is involved!”
After Rarity made her leave, the interior of the Carousel Boutique was surprisingly eerie without any ponies inside of it. Despite the bright lighting and lack of any dark or brooding colors, Troy still felt more than a little apprehensive about being in this massive space with the Gryphon he used to call his Father. Plus, the bright pink walls and mannequins at the corner of the showroom didn’t exactly help with the lingering tension that was building up with each second of awkward silence.
Jonas, who was standing by the door after Rarity left, was staring around the overly feminine space with an obvious look of disgust. Even though he figured that the prim and proper unicorn would have a feminine touch with her business, he wasn’t expecting it to be this overly blatant. Nevertheless, the old Gryphon didn’t open his beak to make any remarks about the place, especially since he was planning to try and talk with Troy while they were alone.
Even though he considered sitting in one of the pastel-colored chairs, Troy didn’t move from his spot while standing beside the large podium stage that Rarity used for her clients. Instead, he took a moment to look around before breathing out slowly, and turned his gaze back towards Jonas. “So…”
Jonas kept his focus on his son, and stood his ground as he waited to make a reply. After making sure that Jonas wasn’t going to interrupt him, Troy’s brows furrowed before continuing. “Would you mind telling me why you’re here?”
Jonas responded with only a shrug of his shoulders. “What does it look like? I came back to talk to you.”
“Yeah? And why is that?”
Jonas looked confused from that question, but he didn’t have enough time to try to answer Troy before hearing him continue in an increasingly pissed-off tone. “Because if I remember correctly, the last thing you said to me was that I was an ‘Utter Disgrace’.”
Hearing how much Troy emphasized those last two words as maliciously as possible, Jonas felt his beak skew a little while shut, just barely concealing his cringe. Meanwhile, the younger Gryphon’s glare only became stronger. “WELL?!”
For almost any pony in town, that outburst from Troy would’ve made them flinch bad enough to look like a serious spasm. But for Jonas, the only movement that he gave was an involuntary double-blink while his expression turned more uneasy. Nevertheless, Jonas still took a breath before finally opening his beak. “Yes, Troy. I… I know what I said.”
“Yeah. Exactly.” Even though his voice was more subdued than before, Troy’s tone was still fairly bitter while responding. “So it makes it pretty damn hard for me think of a good reason why you’re back right now.”
Jonas’s beak clenched tighter for a brief second, making him look like he wanted to make a quick retort. But instead, he made another deep exhale before getting a statement out. “Dammit, Troy, I’m trying to be reasonable here! Is it so hard for you to think that maybe I’m being honest about that?!”
“Actually, yeah! It really is!!” Troy’s anger started to grow as his voice got louder. “Because the last time you acted ‘honest’, you treated me and everyone else like complete SHIT!! So why the buck should I believe you’re going to act any different now?!”
It was clear from Jonas’s expression that his patience was beginning to wear thin. Despite not wanting to cause another scene, the way that Troy was acting wasn’t exactly suiting well with the General’s resolve. Meanwhile, Troy’s angered stare at him was starting to break, exposing a more hurt frown underneath his mask of a scowl on his beak.
“I swear,” said the younger Gryphon as his voice cracked a little, “I… I really do not want to be here right now. And… it’s taking everything in me to not walk out right now because of what you said to me…”
It was Jonas’s turn to start to appear more saddened as well. Of course, unlike his son, the General was able to conceal it better beneath his hardened expression while listening to him. “So unless you want that to happen,” continued Troy as his tone turned more sour, “I actually want you to be honest with me.”
The older Gryphon was able to nod to Troy’s stipulation without much of a pause between them. “Of course,” said Jonas, grateful that he was getting the chance to speak without interruption.
After making sure he didn’t have anything else to add to that, Troy waited a moment before reopening his beak. “So tell me. Why did you come back?”
“Because your Mother threatened to divorce me if I didn’t.”
Of all the things Troy expected him to say, that definitely wasn’t it. His expression softened in an instant as his eyes widened, showing his clear surprise at Jonas’s answer. “W… what?”
“You heard me,” said Jonas with a nastier inflection in his voice. “She told me to either talk to you or sign the papers, and I’m going to be DAMNED if I’m going to let this get in the way of my marriage!”
Troy blinked a couple times absently, his mind drawing a surprisingly large blank. Even though he remembered that Angela said she had a plan for getting her husband to come back, he would’ve never imagined that she did something that drastic for it to happen. His eyes slowly looked down to the ground between him and Jonas, looking unsure about how to feel. “Holy… I…”
“Yeah,” said the General bluntly, his own irritation about the situation coming out clearly as he spoke. “So believe me, Troy. I’m not that happy about any of this either! But if talking to you means keeping Angela in my life, then so be it! Because nothing, and I mean nothing means more to me than your Mother, and I love her too damn much to have her leave me because of you!”
Troy’s head came back up to give Jonas a stronger glare than before. While part of him wanted to give the General some credit for actually admitting what he did, another part of the Gryphon wanted to give a suitable reply back to him. “Yeah, I can understand that feeling pretty well.”
A quick breath came out of Jonas’s beak, giving a clear indication that he was waiting for his son to give a proper explanation. “You say that nothing means more to you than Mom?” asked Troy with a more stable resolve in his voice. “I know what that’s like, because that’s how I feel about Canvas.”
After taking a deep breath and making sure that Jonas wasn’t going to interrupt, the silver Gryphon stood his ground while looking the General dead in the eyes. “Ever since I saved his life, I have never felt anything as deep or as important as how I feel about Canvas. He’s the best friend I ever had, and he’s helped me just as much as I helped him. And you know what? I… I didn’t even care about him being a pony, let alone a stallion when I fell in love with him! The only thing I was worried about was losing my best friend, and that was it! After that, I couldn’t care less what you or anyone else would have to say, because I found someone that I would give my life for if it came to that!”
While Jonas stared back at him, his stoic expression not giving much evidence of what he was thinking, Troy’s stare turned more venomous as he continued. “And… and when I saw you trying to kill him…”
“HEY!!” Despite not wanting to cause another fight, Jonas wasn’t going to dare let that accusation slide. “I was NOT trying to kill him, Troy! You really think that I would actually resort to murder over a petty argument?!”
“YOU HAD YOUR CLAWS AROUND HIS NECK!!”
“HE CALLED ME A SHITTY PARENT!!”
“DO YOU BLAME HIM?!?”
That statement made Jonas’s blood turn cold as ice. With a nasty scowl, it took everything in him not to attack while getting closer up to Troy. However, instead of continuing the screaming match, the General’s beak was practically welded shut while waiting for his heartrate to settle down. Meanwhile, Troy got in close as well while continuing to yell.
“All that Canvas was trying to do was keep you from treating Lyle like CRAP! Do you know how much you were blistering his self-esteem since he got suspended from school!? DO YOU?! If it wasn’t for Canvas, Lyle would still be treating himself like shit because of you!”
Jonas rolled his eyes with obvious skepticism. “Oh, so that’s how it is? I keep one of my children from drawing pornography, and I’m seen as the bad guy?!”
“It was only that one time, and that was only because he got paid for it! Have you even tried looking at any of his other drawings?! Because if you had, then you would probably see why Canvas wants him to continue doing it as a career! He has potential!”
The General just turned his head away from Troy with a scowl, shaking his head in annoyance and disbelief. His son, whose expression turned angrier at seeing that, narrowed his eyes on Jonas and continued. “Oh, but wait… That wouldn’t be good for you, now would it? Because that would mean that one of your kids is doing something that you didn’t expect, which you consider to be bad because you’re too damn arrogant to think you’re wrong about ANYTHING!!”
“Oh, so I’m arrogant?!” asked Jonas in an enraged shout. “Why?! Because I’m trying to raise my children properly? Because I want what’s best for them?!”
“HOW WAS CALLING ME A DISGRACE DOING THAT!?!”
Despite what he was trying to say, that statement from Troy was enough to make Jonas stay frozen for a moment. While Troy waited with a furious snarl pointed straight at him, the older Gryphon had to pause momentarily, unable to think of a response.
“WELL?!” screamed his son on a more enraged tone. “HOW WAS DOING THAT GOING TO HELP ME, HUH?!? DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT’S PROPER PARENTING?! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY GOING TO DEFEND THAT!?”
Even though Troy looked angry enough to try throwing a swing at the Gryphon in front of him, his eyes were still beading up like he was about to start crying. Meanwhile, Jonas’s eyes slightly averted from his son, his beak staying shut as he tried to stand against Troy’s words. After a long bout of silence following Troy’s question, the only sound that he could make was heavy panting while waiting for a response. He swallowed some excess saliva before repeating in a weakened voice. “... Well? Are you?”
Jonas closed his eyes as he let off a deep, uncomfortable sigh that almost sounded like a pathetic growl. When he finally looked back up to face his son, the General’s eyes were narrowed on him, like he was trying to cover the thin veil of contemplation resting on his face. “Troy… do you have any idea how that night felt for me?”
Troy’s head tilted to the side as he gave a look that bordered on anger and disbelief. “For… for you?!”
“Yeah, for me!” shouted Jonas back at him, his voice coming out more insistent. “I had to spend almost an entire day cramped in that shitty excuse of a train to even arrive to this nation, because I wanted to see my son who I haven’t seen in a year! And when I finally did get here, I didn’t even get to spend a full day before having ALL my children disrespect and leave me, after finding out that you’re getting married to someone I never even met! And that was AFTER he called me a shitty parent! Can you really blame me for being so bucking angry?!”
“AND YOU THINK THAT JUSTIFIES HOW YOU ACTED?!”
“NO IT DOESN’T!!”
It took a second for Troy to realize what Jonas actually said, which made him reel back in surprise. Jonas, now fuming just as much as his son was, repeatedly blinked while looking between Troy and the floor between them. After a short bout of silence, which honestly felt like an eternity for either of them, Jonas exhaled briefly with his beak slightly open. “I…. n-no… No, it…. it doesn’t…”
Actually saying that out loud (albeit very weakly) was enough to make the General move his gaze gown to the ground completely, not wanting to see how his son was staring at him. Jonas gave another sigh as he tried to speak as honestly as he could for Troy to hear. “I… I know that things went bad, alright? And… and I… I’ll admit that… I may have done more wrong than anyone else…”
When his head finally came back up, the look on Jonas’s face was clearly more saddened than when he made that admission. However, his face was still pointed away from Troy, who was looking at the Gryphon like he just grew a third eye on his forehead. “W… what?”
“You heard me,” growed Jonas bitterly while avoiding looking at him. “I… I know I didn’t act the way I should’ve. And… and I can understand why Angela was so insistent on wanting me to talk to you…”
Troy could only blink in stunned silence, not expecting him to say anything even remotely close to that. Even with knowing that Jonas was going to get divorced if he didn’t do this, nothing could have made him believe that it would be enough to get the old Gryphon to actually speak this rationally.
When Jonas finally regained the ability to look his son in the eyes, his aged golden orbs carried nothing but the purest sincerity as he spoke firmly. “There is nothing… NOTHING that means more to me than my family, Troy. Without my wife or my kids, I don’t have anything. Everything that I’ve done, and all the choices that I’ve made, were because I wanted nothing but the best for my family…”
A new shade of guilt crept along Jonas’s face, and his eyes peered away again before his voice turned weaker. “But… I can admit that sometimes it’s not the best choice…” A small scowl came up on his beak before looking back at Troy to add, “So no, Troy. I don’t think that I’m ‘Too damn arrogant to think I’m wrong about anything’...”
The old Gryphon slowly turned his head down in deep thought. “I was wrong to yell at my wife back at that hotel, and I’ll never let myself down for doing that to her. And… I was also wrong for letting all my sons to leave me out of anger…”
After a long pause, Jonas took a deep breath, his face showing a pained expression which looked to be growing stronger with each word he said next. “And… I… I was wrong to… leave you the way that I did…”
The Gryphon kept his face hidden after saying that, not needing to look up to know that his son heard what he said with no misinterpretation. Troy’s eyes were open wide while staring back at him, his mind drawing a complete blank. When he opened his beak, the younger Gryphon was unable to make an audible statement for several lingering seconds. Fortunately, that was enough time for Jonas to say one more thing before his son could state his response.
“I… I’ll admit that what I said was uncalled for, Troy. And I… hope you understand that it wasn’t sincere.”
Troy could only stare at the General with a befuddled look, not knowing if Jonas was lying or just turning senile. When the old Gryphon finally turned his head back up, he saw Troy’s eyes slowly narrow on him in returning anger.
“... So, “ With his scowled beak trembling shut, the Gryphon’s glare on Jonas intensified as his voice tried to stay bitter through his timid tone. “... Why should I believe you?”
Jonas’s saddened face turned to slight worry as his eyes widened in confusion. “W… what?”
“Y-you heard me,” said Troy in a stronger voice than before. “Why..,.. why should I believe that you really mean that?! Do you really think that what you said was wrong, or are you only saying that because of Mom?!”
The General’s stern glare started to return on his face. “Troy… I am trying to set things right.”
“Oh really?!” shouted his son back at him with a more intense stare. “How do I know that?! After what you said to me, AND everyone else, how can I know you didn’t mean any of it?! Do you really expect me to believe that after a couple of days, that now you’re suddenly okay with me getting married?!”
“I didn’t say that!”
Troy stopped again in surprise, while Jonas paused briefly with a small cringe on his face. After taking another breath, the older Gryphon tried to keep his expression firm while clarifying, “I never said that I was okay with any of this! You told me to be honest, right?! Well, I don’t like that you’re doing this! I’m not okay with you marrying a stallion! And… and there’s probably a good chance that I never will be completely used to it…”
His voice lessened a little at that last sentence, with Jonas looking like he didn’t want to actually say that in front of his son. However, before Troy could say anything about it in a fit of rage, Jonas put up a claw to stop him while his beak was open. “But…”
After putting his claw back down, the older Gryphon sighed as he looked down to the ground to add, “But I… I also don’t like how Blade is in a metal band instead of something more suitable for his skills… I don’t like how Blaze is willing to throw his athletic skills away because of drugs, even if he was just ‘holding them for a friend’... I don’t like the idea of Lyle drawing more obscene artwork that could get him expelled, and I… REALLY don’t know how to feel about Blane being an actual florist! I mean, at least it’s legal, but…”
Jonas made a small huff as he looked back up at Troy. “I’m just saying, Troy… I don’t like a lot of things that my children are doing, but… that doesn’t mean that I love them any less. I know I’ve acted brashly before, but… that was only because I wanted them to have good lives for themselves. But now… now I can see that… no matter what any of them do with their lives… it shouldn’t matter as long as they’re happy…”
With his head hanging low while speaking, Jonas closed his eyes as he tried to make his tone as honest as it possibly could for his son to hear. “I… I know I shouldn’t have acted the way I did with you, especially considering that you’ve probably caused me a lot less trouble back home than any of your brothers…” After another bout of silence following that statement, Jonas waited before adding apprehensively, “Plus, you… you weren’t wrong…”
Despite still looking skeptical, Troy waited to see if Jonas was going to clarify what he meant with that last point. When he realized nothing was going to follow that, he sighed before asking, “What… what was I not wrong about?”
The old Gryphon breathed out one final time, hating that he was going to say the next thing that came out of his beak. “Back at that bakery, you… you said that you… acted like a bigger man…”
Troy’s eyes shot open in shock, but was unseen by Jonas while his face was still pointed away from him. “And… and you were right. You could’ve just lied and kept it hidden from me, but… you didn’t…” His face came up slowly to eye Troy as he finished. “You stood your ground against me, and you didn’t back down after telling me the truth. And… I’ll admit that you showed more dedication that night than I did.”
Jonas looked away from him briefly, wanting to collect his thoughts while Troy stood completely speechless. Knowing what needed to be said, the old Gryphon sighed before returning his attention to his son. “I really don’t like anything about this, Troy. But there’s a lot of things that I don’t like from any of your brothers either, but I still love them as my own. And… and you’re no different from them.
“You… you’re not a disgrace, Troy. You never were, and I wish I could take back saying that. And… I’m sure that you won’t believe me when I say this, and I don’t blame you. If my Father said something like that to me when I was younger, I doubt that I would’ve accepted anything he said afterward that easily either. But… even if I don’t like who you’re with, that shouldn’t be a reason for me to try to give up on my family…”
While Troy stood motionless, only able to blink in response, Jonas reaffirmed his stance so that he was standing fully upright while stating his final words. “I still do see you as my son, and… even if you don’t accept it, I just wanted to say that…
“I’m sorry.”
For what felt like hours, neither of them said a single word while staring at one another. When Troy finally managed to get his body moving again, his head lowered slowly as his eyes looked down to his claws on the floor. His eyes couldn’t stop blinking, which seemed to be the only thing keeping any stray tears from coming out while he stood without a single clear thought in his mind. “I… I…”
Jonas made a careful step forward towards Troy, only waiting until making sure the Gryphon wouldn’t pull back before making another. “Troy…”
Even though his talons clenched into the carpet a little tighter, Troy’s body stayed where it was. Nevertheless, his face scrunched in while avoiding looking up at Jonas, not wanting him to see how badly he was struggling not to cry. By the time stray tears began to come down both of his cheeks, Troy barely noticed that the General was right in front of him. “Troy, please…”
The younger Gryphon felt a claw touch his shoulder, which made him breathe out a little faster in worry. After another long moment of silence, Troy finally pulled his head up to look at Jonas. As the old Gryphon’s golden eyes peered back at him, they showed nothing but the purest sincerity as he spoke to his son.
“I know that there’s still a lot I need to do before you can forgive me, but… I want to have that chance. Because… I’d rather have all of my family than none of them…”
Troy’s head pointed downward again, his breath coming out shakier and more rapid. He felt Jonas’s claw slowly move around to his back, leading to both of his forelegs wrapping his son in. Realizing what he was doing, Troy’s eyes widened even more in disbelief. Even when he was younger, he remembered that Jonas barely did anything more than a shake of the claw when it came to his children. But at that moment, Troy’s heart was racing as he felt the older Gryphon hug him tightly.
“Troy, I… I’m sorry for what happened. I know things went wrong, but… I still do love you…”
While Jonas’s claws were wrapped around his son’s back, Troy’s face was pressed against the Gryphon’s brown-feathered chest with his eyes still wide open. As the seconds passed, each one feeling more nerve-racking than the next, it wasn’t until the hug became tighter that Troy finally pushed in against him. The younger Gryphon’s eyes slowly closed while tears still flowed from them, but it didn’t seem to faze Troy enough to do anything about them. By the time his eyes were clenched fully shut, the emotional overload was too much to bear as he finally gave in.
Troy’s forelegs wrapped around the Gryphon in front of him, and hugged his Father back.
For over a minute, neither of the two said a word during that shared hug. The only sounds that could be heard were Jonas’s heavy breathing, combined with the muffled sobs from his son while his beak was pressed into his Dad’s chest feathers. When the two finally pulled apart, Troy quickly wiped his cheeks dry with a claw as he tried to maintain his breathing enough to speak.
“So, ummm…” Jonas scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he looked around, not sure what else he could say to his son. “Do you think that… we’ll be alright?”
Troy looked away silently for a moment, obviously thinking it over deeply. When he finally had a response, he looked up at Jonas with a firm glare and pointed a talon at him. “First, you apologize to Canvas.”
Jonas nodded with a faint shrug in understanding. “Yeah, I sorta figured I’d have to.”
Instead of putting his talon down, Troy’s eyes slowly narrowed on Jonas before he added in a stronger tone. “And you also apologize to Lyle.”
Even though he expected apologizing to Canvas, that inclusion was enough to make Jonas look confused. “Wait, Lyle? Why?”
Troy’s expression only grew angrier with his eyes widening on him. “You are aware that he knows what you said after he left, right?!”
“What? I…” Jonas was planning to ask what his son was talking about, but his question stopped as the realization came back to him. Remembering what he actually said in that hotel room after Lyle left, the General’s eyes slowly widened, revealing a new look of regret on his face. “Oh… Oh, shit.”
“Yeah,” said Troy in a bitter tone with a frown pointed at Jonas. “I might still be pissed at you, but I can guarantee that he’s just as mad at you right now.”
Jonas’s head sunk low as he looked down at the floor, blinking repeatedly as he thought back to that night. Troy sighed as he looked around the room, seeming unsure about what could actually be done. “I mean… I could go out and see if he would talk to you, if you want.”
“Th… that would be good, thanks…” When his head came back up, Jonas had a more shameful expression as he looked past his son to the kitchen door. “Do you know if your unicorn friend has any alcohol?”
“Hm?” Troy turned around to see the kitchen door as well, and shrugged his shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t think drinking is a great decision. However… I’m not sure, but I guess she would.”
Troy walked over to the door while his Dad stood in wait. Considering the fact that Rarity was friends with Applejack, the Gryphon was hopeful that she at least had a bottle of hard cider or som--
WHUMP!!!
As soon as Troy opened the kitchen door, all three of the triplets fell out from the other side into the living room. Since they were listening to the discussion the entire time, the three Gryphons were frozen for a moment on the floor while Jonas and Troy stared at them in shock. Before either of them could say anything, the triplets ran out of the room, breaking out through the front door in a panic.
Even though both of them were unable to speak for a brief moment, Troy was the first one to break the silence with a bit of stifled laughter. While Jonas looked back at him with a deadpan stare, Troy looked back over to the kitchen with a small chuckle. “Well… I guess it won’t be hard to convince them what you actually said.”
Jonas just groaned in irritation, and walked past his son to see what Rarity had in her kitchen. “Whatever. Can you just get Lyle for me, please?!”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
While Troy began to walk over to the front door, Jonas looked back at him with a more worried glance before calling out, “Hey, Troy.”
Troy stopped for a second to look back at him. “Yeah?”
“So…” Jonas made a small sigh before asking in an apprehensive tone of voice, “If… if this goes alright… Do you think we’ll be good?”
Troy paused briefly, unsure of what to say. But after some thought, he merely sighed before opening his beak. “Well… we’ll see.”
Jonas only nodded, not needing any other confirmation. “Alright then.”
Not surprisingly, Jonas wasn’t able to find any decent liquor in the fashionista’s kitchen that could help with his talk with Lyle. However, he did manage to find a small bag of sunflower seeds in the cupboard, which would have to do after leaving a couple of bits in its place. The last thing that the Gryphon wanted to do was get back into munching on seeds absent-mindedly (especially since it almost caused him to gain twenty pounds shortly after Troy was born), but right now, it was the only thing able he could focus on while alone in the boutique.
By the time he was halfway through the bag, Jonas was left by himself in the house for almost ten minutes after Troy went back outside. Even with the triplets out there as well, the General knew that if Lyle really did know about what he said about him back at that hotel, that there was a good chance that the younger Gryphon wouldn’t even want to look at him, let alone talk. Of course, at remembering how Lyle reacted to seeing him after that concert, Jonas figured that things were going to get ugly regardless.
While sitting in one of the loveseats in the main showroom -- which was actually quite comfortable despite its appearance -- Jonas’s head turned the instant he heard the knob to the front door start to turn. When he looked over at the door, Jonas didn’t move an inch when he saw Lyle slowly walk into the room. However, that didn’t keep the General’s face from looking cautious when he saw how intensely his son was looking back at him.
Even though Troy wasn’t exactly chipper at seeing him either, that reaction had nothing compared to the absolutely nasty glare that Lyle had when he stared back at Jonas. If looks were able to kill, then Jonas probably would’ve been mutilated worse than some of the victims in one of Lyle’s comics from the look in his young, bloodthirsty eyes. His beak was clenched shut for a long moment, undoubtedly hiding any involuntary outbursts or swears that Lyle had prepared in the back of his mind. However, after taking a very long and deep breath, Lyle’s eyes narrowed on Jonas when he finally opened his beak to say something.
“... ‘Too pathetic anyway’…”
Jonas only blinked in response, not wanting to say anything while his son looked so adamantly furious towards him. Unfortunately, his silence only made Lyle’s stare grow more livid. “...That was what you said… RIGHT!?!”
Once again, Jonas didn’t flinch from the sudden shout his son made, but a notable cringe could be seen on his face after that statement was made. Even though Lyle saw it, it didn’t make his expression any less enraged as he waited for Jonas to say something. Fortunately, the General was able to make a quick exhale before making a reply. “Lyle… I wasn’t thinking clearly when I--”
“BULLSHIT!!!”
That was enough to throw Jonas off guard. Looking like an internal switch was set off the instant Jonas tried to defend himself, the younger Gryphon turned downright furious when he pointed a talon at him. “Don’t you DARE try to pull that shit on me!! You knew EXACTLY what you were saying, so don’t even TRY to act like you didn’t mean it!!”
Jonas’s brows furrowed as he gave off a quick, irritated sigh. Meanwhile, Lyle’s scowl only grew stronger, even though it was clear that he was only doing it as a means to keep his eyes from welling up. With his talon still pointed at Jonas, Lyle’s voice came out weaker and cracked after his outburst. “You… you didn’t even care that I left.”
Jonas bursted out of his chair. “What? After you SPAT IN MY FACE?! How was I supposed to react after you were the one to say you had nothing to do with me?! YOU were the one who left! YOU were the one who made that choice!!”
Lyle’s beak was firmly shut when he put his claw back down, but his eyes narrowed even tighter in a meager attempt to keep himself from crying. “Yeah… and you were so upset by me leaving, weren’t you?”
Jonas may have been angry, but that statement made his grizzled expression soften in an instant. Seeing how upset his son looked, it was clear that any follow-up points that Jonas wanted to make would only make things worse than they already were. So instead, the old Gryphon exhaled again as a more shameful look appeared on his face. His eyes looked down to the floor, not wanting to see another son of his start crying because of him. “Lyle… We all do things that we regret when we’re upset. And… I was really upset that night.”
Despite his more saddened look, Lyle made an angry huff through his closed beak before it opened. “Yeah, I was upset too. But I don’t regret what I did.”
Jonas may have not showed much a change in his expression, but that blunt statement from Lyle still hurt. Knowing that the younger Gryphon wasn’t being dishonest by saying that, Jonas took a couple seconds before looking at him with a reluctant nod. “Well… if that’s how you feel, then I doubt I can change that. But… that doesn’t change that I do have regrets.”
Lyle’s stare on him didn’t change, but his silence was enough to indicate that he was at least willing to keep listening. Despite his uncertainties, Jonas kept his stance heightened while speaking honestly. “I… I may have been thinking clearly back at that hotel, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have regretted what I said! I was mad, okay?! But that doesn’t mean I would’ve stayed mad forever!”
Jonas then rubbed his temples with a claw while his eyes were closed, hoping to calm himself down enough to not be shouting at his son. Taking a couple breaths, the General waited a moment before putting his claw back down. “Listen, I… I came back to apologize to your brother, and I’m sure that he told you what I said while you were outside.”
After a couple seconds, Lyle faintly nodded in silence. Even though he was doubtful of what Troy actually said, the fact that the triplets backed him up was enough to give Lyle enough reason to agree trying to speak to Jonas again.
“And despite what you might be thinking,” continued Jonas as he eyed Lyle for any negative reactions, “I really did mean that. I might not be okay with Troy getting married to a… stallion, but that doesn’t mean I want him out of my life. Especially if it means losing everyone else.”
Lyle blinked as his eyes widened a bit, his expression softening a little when he heard the sincerity in Jonas’s tone. Meanwhile, the General continued to talk while his voice stayed firm.
“Listen, I… I know that I act stern with you, and I know that I’ve probably been more of a ‘hardass’ than you or your brothers would’ve liked. But the only reason that I did any of that was because I didn’t want you to screw up too badly and destroy your future while it’s still ahead of you…”
His head slowly looked down to the floor again, and his tone turned more somber. “But… I also realized that no matter what I do, that… I won’t have much say on what you do when you become an adult. And no matter how much I try to teach you right from wrong, that doesn’t mean I can say what you have to do with your life when you get older. And… I could either realize that now, or continue to push you until you decide to cut me off when you finally leave the nest…”
Hearing how saddened his voice turned at that last part, Lyle no longer looked angry with him. While there was still a hint of irritation in his expression, the Gryphon looked fairly blank as he listened to Jonas. The General brought his head back up before continuing.
“Lyle, I… I know that you’re mad at me, and I don’t blame you. We both acted out, and we both hurt each other in the process. And even though I said some things I can’t really take back, that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t if I had the chance. I would. I’d take back how I acted to both you AND your brothers. Because despite how you acted towards me, it… it doesn’t change the fact that I still love you as my son.”
Lyle’s eyes widened even more, showing surprise that was overshadowing any looks of anger that might have still been underneath. Jonas merely kept his spot a few feet away from his son, hoping that his words were getting through to him.
“I… know that I acted wrong. And I know that you’re just as mad at me as everyone else, and I understand why. I didn’t act the way a proper parent should, and… and I know that any apology I give right now won’t completely undo everything…”
Jonas then began to walk towards Lyle slowly, being careful as to make sure his son wouldn’t back away. “But even despite that… I love my family more than anything else in my life. And even though I’m not proud to say it, I’ll admit that… I didn’t have them in my best interest when I acted the way I had towards you and Troy. I’ll freely admit that I was wrong, and… I really am sorry.”
Looking up at Jonas’s honest expression, Lyle’s beak stayed tightly clenched when he turned his head away, looking like he didn’t know what to say. While his son’s head was turned, Jonas noticed the art bag that was draped across the Gryphon’s shoulder. Tilting his head a little, the old Gryphon looked slightly confused when he saw what looked to be a frame inside of it. Of course, he barely gave it much thought when he looked back to his son’s face, hoping that Lyle was able to tell he wasn’t just blowing hot air with that apology.
“Lyle?”
When he finally looked back up at Jonas, Lyle carried a small hint of anger that reemerged. Before his son could say anything, Jonas looked back to Lyle’s bag in an attempt to ease the thick tension between them. “So, ummm… what’s that?”
Lyle looked back to his bag, almost forgetting that he had it on. “Oh, ummm… it was something I made before you and Mom showed up.”
Even though Jonas looked uneasy -- partially since that bag was the reason his argument with Canvas at the bakery started in the first place (which also lead to his conflict with Troy) -- he was able to shrug off any tensions as he continued to ask. “Well… can I see it?”
Lyle looked back up at him, his face giving off a clear vibe of distrust. Of course, given what Jonas just said to him earlier, the young Gryphon was able to contemplate it enough to decide to comply. “I… I guess so…”
Lyle then pulled the frame out of his bag, which now carried the copy of his drawing of Fleur De Lis which he now personally considered his biggest achievement. With a look of slight caution on his face, Lyle handed it to Jonas, but was prepared to react if he tried to break it or anything. However, as soon as he saw what it was that his son drew, the General’s eyes widened in astonishment at the amount of detail and talent that was shown on the page. “I… wow…”
Jonas stared between Lyle and the drawing a couple of times, looking quite perplexed that his son actually drew this. Even with that Troy said lingering in the back of his mind, the old Gryphon wasn’t expecting something like what was held in his claw. “You… you really made this?”
“Yeah,” said Lyle in a more bitter tone before snatching the frame back from Jonas’s claw to put in his bag. “And I probably would’ve never even thought of doing that if it wasn’t for Canvas.”
Jonas wanted to say something about Lyle’s attitude from how he took that picture back, but he decided to let it slide by looking over at the front window of the shop. “Well… if you really managed to make that, then… I suppose I can see why they’re wanting you to keep drawing.”
Even though that statement felt foreign even to himself, Jonas barely thought about much when he looked back at Lyle. “Lyle, I… I really don’t want an even bigger wedge between myself and my family than I already have. So… I want to make a deal with you…”
Lyle raised one his brows up at Jonas, not sure where he was heading with this. The General merely huffed before continuing to speak. “I know you’re mad at me, and I deserve it. But I want to have the chance to make things right. So… if you’re willing to look past what I’ve done, I’ll do the same for you. I don’t want what happened to come between us, and if you want, I’ll never mention it again.”
From the way Lyle’s eyes narrowed on him, it was clear he wasn’t too accepting of that deal. Nevertheless, Jonas pointed a talon at his bag before adding, “And… if you really want, I’ll… I’ll support you on whatever it is you want to do with your life…” Despite how Jonas looked away for a moment with clear distaste in his tone, he regained his composure enough to look back at Lyle with honesty. “Seriously, I… I don’t want to actually say it, but… if you decide to go to an art school or something, then... I wouldn’t go against it. Because… all I want is what’s best for you. And that includes what makes you happy, because I love you.”
While Lyle stood with a blank expression, at a complete loss for anything to say or even think, Jonas waited a moment to see if his son would say anything. Slowly, Lyle’s eyes looked down to his claws on the floor, seeming to be thinking about everything that was just told to him. For at least a minute, nothing but lingering silence passed between them, with only the ticking of the clock nearby on the wall being able to give any sound to the space. After a long moment without anything to say, Jonas made a slight cough to try and catch Lyle’s attention. “So… what do you say?”
Considering the fact that he pretty much put everything he had on the line to try to get his son to talk to him, Jonas was worried when Lyle didn't say anything back. After several seconds of a growing, pregnant absence of words, the young Gryphon slowly looked up at him with a more disdained look on his face. “Ummm… could I… think about it alone?”
Even with everything else that occurred, that answer hurt Jonas more than anything else. After all that he said and admitted, even going out of his comfort zone to make promises he never would’ve made before, the fact that Lyle still had to put it to consideration was enough to make the General look visibly saddened by Lyle’s answer. Nevertheless, the old Gryphon merely nodded softly, not wanting to push his son any more than he already has. “... Okay, I… I’ll wait outside…”
With that, Jonas made his way over to the door in silence. Even when Lyle gave a soft “Thanks” in response, Jonas still felt like he could actually lose his youngest son because of what he did. But still, he opened the door and left without a word, hoping that there was still hope as he closed the door behind him and went out towards his wife.
As his claws and paws crunched the light dusting of snow underneath him, Jonas noticed Canvas standing beside Troy and Angela, which prompted the General to get one more apology out of the way before the night was over. He passed the triplets, who were all standing by the window of the boutique in wait, and focused his attention on the aqua stallion.
“Ummm… Canvas?” As he walked up to the stallion, Jonas was grateful to see his wife and Troy step aside so he could talk with Canvas man-to-man. After clearing his throat, the Gryphon looked down at the pony and spoke in a professional tone, “Just so you know, despite how I might feel about your relationship with… my son… I also know that the two of you are adults, so whatever you decide to do is none of my business.” He then took a breath before putting out his claw to Canvas. “And since it’s clear that you’re going to be marrying Troy no matter what, the least I can do is offer an apology for what happened between us earlier, and hope for a clean slate. So… I’m sorry.”
Fortunately, despite how difficult it was for Jonas to get either of his other two apologies to stick, Canvas only nodded with an understanding smile before putting his hoof out to shake the General’s claw. “Well,” began the stallion in an equally professional tone to the Gryphon’s, “To be honest, I know that I could’ve handled things at Sugar Cube Corner less abruptly myself, which I’ll apologize for out of mutual respect.”
While Troy looked over at his fiancè like he just sprouted a third ear, Canvas kept his firm shake on Jonas’s claw while adding, “And as for your offer, General Clawston, I’ll gladly accept your apology…” Before putting down his hoof, Canvas’s eyes narrowed up at Jonas with a small smirk. “... as your future Son-In-Law.”
Jonas put down his claw with an irritated groan, looking like that stallion’s comment was enough to leave a bad taste in his beak. Of course, that reaction was also enough to make both Troy and Angela giggle while looking away from him. After groaning with a roll of his eyes, ignoring the chuckles he heard from the triplets from behind him, Jonas turned over at his wife with a softer expression.
While Canvas walked away from Jonas to stick close to his fiancè, the Gryphoness looked over at her husband and asked, “So… how’s Lyle?”
That question quickly made Jonas look more saddened when he looked back at the Carousel Boutique. “He… he said that he needed to think about it.”
Despite nodding with a clenched beak, it was clear that Angela wasn’t wanting to hear that kind of answer. Without saying a word, Canvas trotted over to the boutique before anyone could say anything to him. While the pony opened the door and went inside, Jonas turned back to his wife with a weakened look in his golden eyes. “I… I did everything I could…”
Angela nodded again, albeit with a soft smile on her beak this time, and walked up closer to him while speaking warmly. “Honey… all I wanted was for you to actually talk with your children…”
“I know, but…” With the way Jonas looked back at the shop again, it was clear that every minute that passed with Lyle inside only made him feel more worried about what the outcome could be. “I just… I don’t want him to hate me forever because of this.”
Jonas felt his wife’s claw rest on his shoulder, making him look back to see her nervous expression. “Neither do I…”
For several minutes, nothing could be heard from inside the boutique, despite how obviously the triplets tried to listen in through the closed window. While Jonas and Angela continued to talk with one another, Troy walked up to his older brothers with an apprehensive look. “So… nothing?”
Blaze shook his head when he looked back at him. “Nothing, bra. This place is surprisingly soundproof.”
“Yeah,” added Blade when he looked over with his head still pinned near the windowsill. He had an almost impressed tone when he looked back at the window to say, “Honestly, I should ask her how she did that when she gets back.”
“Gets back?” Troy then looked around, realizing the unicorn was nowhere to be seen. “Where did she go?”
“Uhhh... “ Blane pulled back as he tried to recall what the mare said to them while Troy was still in the house earlier. “I think she went to get some hot chocolate or something.”
“What?” asked Troy as he blinked repeatedly. “Why would she leave you three alone by her house to get hot choc--”
The front door to the boutique opened once more, but only Canvas exited after closing the door behind him. Troy was quick to walk up to him before any of the triplets could as he asked, “So… how is he?”
Canvas sighed and looked back at the door worriedly. “He told me what Jonas said, but… he wasn’t sure what to do.”
“What did you tell him?” asked Blaze while standing behind his younger brother. “I mean, did you say anything?”
The stallion sighed as he turned back towards Troy and the triplets. “Well, I didn’t want to give my opinion on what he should do. It really seemed like something he needed to figure out himself.”
“So, what?” Blade peered his head in with a perplexed look down at the pony as he asked, “You just went in there and didn’t say a bloody thing to ‘im?”
“No,” answered Canvas insistently back to him. “I did talk with him about it. I just didn’t directly say what he should do.”
While Troy nodded in understanding, all of the triplets looked fairly confused by what Canvas said. “So…” Blane scratched the top of his head before it tilted to the side like a confused owl. “What did you say to him?”
Canvas turned his head to look over at the parents, who were still standing by the streetlight, but looking over at the pony nervously. “Well…” When Canvas turned back to the Gryphons in front of him, he shrugged his shoulders before answering honestly, “He asked me what I would’ve done, but I said that my situation was completely different from his. But… I was able to tell him that when I was in his position, the only thought that really stuck was one thing. And that was… whether or not keeping someone in my life would be better than keeping them away...”
The triplets, as well as Troy, all looked over at the shop again. “Oohhhh…” Troy, now looking just as worried as his parents might have been, seemed unsure what to think. Even though he knew that his fiancè was able to give Lyle some sound advice, he wasn’t sure which decision the young Gryphon was going to make. “Well… I guess we’ll just have to wait, then…”
Fortunately, before any awkward silence could develop, the glow of blue magic was enough to divert everyone’s attention to the white unicorn that returned with several large, steaming paper cups. “Here you go, everyone,” said Rarity cheerfully as she floated cups of hot chocolate to Troy and Canvas, as well as the triplets before going over to the parents. “I don’t know about any of you, but I’d rather not be standing out in the cold without something to warm my palate. I was just glad that Sugar Cube Corner still had some cocoa to give away right before they closed.”
“Oh, thank you, Rarity,” said Angela with a grateful smile as she took a cup. “That was really thoughtful of you!”
“Well,” continued the mare as she still held two cups in her aura, looking back to her boutique to see where Lyle was. “Let’s just say this isn’t the first time I’ve had to deal with family conflicts, personal or from others. And after past experiences, I’d… rather not see anyone be left alone.”
Jonas nodded respectively before taking a sip of his chocolate. “Well,” began the General when he pulled the cup away from his beak. “Right now we’re just waiting for--”
As soon as the front door of the boutique opened, everyone watched in silence when Lyle finally stepped out into the chilly winter night. Rarity looked like she was going to step forward first to give Lyle his drink, but Jonas’s claw came out in front of her. While the mare paused in place, Jonas walked past her to slowly head towards his youngest son. All of the Gryphons, as well as Canvas, stepped back from the shop to give Lyle some space as they saw Jonas come in closer. Due to the illumination coming from the shop’s window, it was clear to see that the General’s face showed nothing but a haphazard mix of worry and hopefulness without saying a word. Slowly, Lyle’s head looked up at him, his face looking fairly emotionless.
Due to their distance from the two, no one was able to hear what Jonas asked when he opened his beak. Although, due to the softened look on his face, it seemed like whatever the Gryphon said was spoken in a weaker tone than anyone would've heard before. Despite some pauses, they could all see Lyle respond back a few times, although it was unclear what was actually being said. After a while, Jonas put his claw on Lyle’s shoulder, and said one last thing with a hint of a smile on his large, grizzled beak. And after another long moment, Lyle could be seen giving a small nod of his head, a smile on his beak as well.
And in one last silent moment, they all saw Jonas and Lyle finally hug, each with trembled smiles on their beaks.
The triplets were quick to give somewhat reserved cheers to themselves after seeing that, and Canvas walked over to the Father and Son after they pulled back. While Angela walked towards Jonas, Canvas poked Lyle on the shoulder with a hoof as he asked, “So… are you okay?”
Lyle made a small nod as he quickly wiped his eyes with a foreleg before anyone could see. “Y-yeah,” said the Gryphon weakly before looking up at Canvas with a smile. “I… I think I’ll be good. It might take a little while, but...”
The young Gryphon turned his head to look back up at his Father, who giving him a more reserved smile with his wife by my side. Lyle sighed before finishing his statement, “I… think things can work out.”
Jonas’s smile grew briefly, and his gaze turned to the rest of his sons who were standing behind Lyle. Blaze was the first to speak up towards their Father while motioning to the other two triplets. “Ummm… just so you know, I… I think I can speak for these two when I say we’re on the same page as Lyle here.”
“Yeah,” added Blane, who brought out a wing to pull his identical brothers in from the side. “It’ll be like when we tried making sushi that one time. I mean, that smell might've lasted a while, but it eventually got back to normal.”
Jonas rolled his eyes with a sigh, not wanting to be reminded of that incident. But still, despite that odd comparison, the General was still happy to hear that he was able to get his second chance.
“Speaking of which…” Angela peered her claw inside of Jonas’s messenger bag, and pulled out the manilla folder that was inside. She then looked over at Rarity with a smirk. “Say, Rarity. Do you… happen to know how to make a fire spell or something?”
Rarity’s brows raised at that question, but she was still able to answer the Gryphoness after a brief pause. “Well, I… do happen to know a heating spell that could burn certain items.”
“Wait, really?!” asked all three of the triplets at the same time, staring at the mare with grins like she just put on a cellophane bikini.
Nevertheless, Angela handed the unicorn the folder in her claw with a smile. “Would you mind taking care of this?”
While Jonas stared at his wife with a shocked look, albeit with a smile on his beak, Rarity was able to understand the context enough to grab the folder with her magic and nod with a smirk. “Certainly, Missus Clawston.”
The blue magic around her horn began to glow brighter, and the manilla folder in her grasp slowly glowed a vibrant shade of red. After a few orange cracks appeared on the outside of the folder, the divorce papers quickly evaporated to a black husk before Rarity let go, letting it drift into the snow as a dark grey ash. Seeing that happen, none of the triplets could resist giving an impressed clap of their claws, which just made Rarity roll her eyes at them.
Jonas carried a relieved smile on his beak as he spoke to his wife. “Angela, I… I don’t know what to--”
Angela turned around to face Jonas, and grabbed his beak with a claw to clench it tightly shut. Her face quickly turned dead-serious as she eyed him vehemently, which was enough to make all her sons reel back in worry.
“If you ever… and I mean EVER pull something like that again…”
Jonas quickly nodded before his wife could finish, not needing to be told that there wasn’t going to be another warning. When she saw the look of sincerity in her husband’s eyes, Angela pulled her claw away so that he could speak. “I… I swear to you, Angela. I… I’ll never do that to you.”
After staring at him for a long moment, Angela’s face finally relaxed enough to give him a loving smile. “Thank you…”
She then pulled in closer to the large Gryphon, eyeing him with warmth as she spoke in a loving tone. “I love you, Jonas…”
Jonas smiled back at her, his eyes giving off that same look of devotion as he responded without hesitation. “I love you too, Angela…”
With that, the couple leaned in with their heads angled, letting their beaks align with one-another to share a deep kiss underneath the light snow. While Rarity and Canvas both looked on with smiled and involuntary “Awww”s, the couple’s sons all looked away uncomfortably. Luckily, Lyle was the first to look past his parents’ display when Rarity floated his cup of hot chocolate to him. “Ooh, thanks!”
While Lyle took a drink of his cocoa, Canvas looked over at him with a relaxed smile on his muzzle. “So Lyle, you hungry?”
“Yeah!” answered Lyle almost instantly, but was nearly unheard when the triplets shouted the same answer over at him.
Fortunately, Canvas only giggled in response as he looked over at the others, “Well, since I…” He paused for a second as he realized Rarity was still present, making him rearrange his words so that the unicorn wouldn’t catch on. “... just got some shopping done today, I don’t see anything wrong with making a late dinner back at the house.”
Troy’s eyes shot wide-open as he looked down at his fiancè, immediately remembering about the deep freezer and its contents inside. “You… you mean…”
“Mmmhmm…” Giving Troy a more sensual smirk, Canvas pulled his head up the Gryphon’s ear to whisper to him, “And I was thinking of making some…”
Even though Rarity looked at the engaged couple curiously with narrowed eyes, she wasn’t able to hear what the stallion whispered into his fiancè’s ear. However, whatever Canvas said was enough to make Troy’s face light up like a tree on Hearth’s Warming Eve. “Seriously?!”
Canvas nodded cheerfully, happy that the words “Chicken-Fried Steak” were enough to make Troy so happy after everything else tonight. “Why not? I bet it’ll be fun to-- UMMMFF!!”
Troy pulled Canvas in with his claws, and stood on his hind legs while lifting the stunned pony off the ground. After Canvas settled down enough to stop squirming, Troy looked at him with the sweetest smile on his beak. “I love you so much.”
Canvas instantly beamed with a large blush that exploded across his aqua cheeks. He smiled back to him before responding, “And I love you too.”
As the snow continued to fall, Troy pulled his fiancè in for a deep, loving kiss, not even caring for a second that his family was all present for it. Of course, while both of them could hear groans from Troy’s family (the loudest being Jonas’s as he looked away from them), Troy and Canvas could only giggle when they finally pulled back, never once looking away from each-other’s eyes.
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-tastes troys tone-
So sour.
Much sting.
Very hurt.
Yeah, like a major award.
I have to say that was one of the most realistic fights I've ever read. A lot of it was something i would have said
Corrections offered without malice.
faze
the only thought
palate
Awww.
Very few spelling errors for such a long chapter. I know from experience that longer chapters are much, much more difficult to proof-read. I had to wipe my eyes a couple of times here. While I still don't like what he did... he was man enough to apologize. That takes guts. I give this chapter a standing ovation. Now we just need to have Copper and Canvas reconcile.
That was .. quite marvelously written. I suspect some history was included, even subconsiously.
Know others still adore you. I do. Your writes are tasty.
I'm still wondering when Jonas is going to figure out who the stallion he spoke to really was.
Or if he ever will...
It would be pretty eye-opening for him if he did.
Expose Canvas long enough, he'll try some meat
The big difference between Copper Fields and Jonas Clawston is the reasons why they sought out their sons, and it’s a big factor in why I eventually forgave Copper (at least somewhat) but can’t forgive Jonas.
With Copper, he actually wanted to repent; he knew he fucked up big time, and he knew he had to set it straight. Guilt was the only thing fueling him.
With Jonas though, he wasn’t looking to patch things up; sure, it eventually came out like that, but that’s not what made him seek out Troy. No, Jonas had an incentive, he was doing it for himself. He clearly states that he only agreed to meet with Troy because he was practically forced to via threatened divorce, and he didn’t want to lose his wife as well. Again, he did eventually acknowledge his wrongdoings, but it wasn’t from the same place as with Copper.
Now, I don’t want to forgive Jonas, but it was probably in everybody’s best interests to not alienate him.
I've read this story like three or four times by now, but I just realized that...if this hadn't worked, and Lyle hadn't forgiven Jonas, he probably would've stayed with Troy and Canvas...which means that Twilight might have gotten the idea for a friendship school by seeing how Lyle (being older than the CMC) still needed a school to learn in and also knowing exactly how much the griffins and other creatures of Equestria might need friendship
Sorry, just had the random thought and had to say something- also no matter how many times I read this story and the other two, it always makes me laugh, cry, smile, and rage (at Jonas). You're an awesome writer!