A Blank Canvas

by Bardsworth Brony

Chapter Five: In Which the Ponies Party Hard

It felt great to be out of bed and walking again, although Sketch was a little wobbly on his legs to begin with. He couldn't thank Fluttershy enough, and the gentle pony nearly blushed herself silly from the gush of appreciation. Sketch promised her he would return as soon as he could to do her portrait and then trotted down the trail leading from her house to Ponyville.

He stopped at the library, apparently waking up Spike by accident. Twilight was already up and reading, no big surprise to Sketch at that point. When he handed the book back to the purple unicorn, she said, "You can keep it until you finish it."

"I already did."

"Wow, you read almost as fast as I do! So who's your favorite?"

"Artist? Actually, my favorite isn't in this book. My favorite artist mentioned in the book, though, is Rosethorn. Her eye for composition is unrivaled."

"I'm not that familiar with her. I guess I'll have to read up on her." She paused and then asked, "Who's your favorite artist outside of the book?"

"Artsy Brushstroke."

"Brushstroke… wasn't he the one who-"

"Yes," Sketch nodded, cutting Twilight off. He didn't want to hear it spoken out loud.

"I think I've seen one or two of his paintings. Weird stuff. But good. If you're a fan of his, I'll be interested to see what your work looks like."

"Soon enough," Sketch smiled. "Once I get settled in at Sweet Apple Acres, I plan on putting brush to canvas and letting my inspiration spill out over it."

"Glad to hear it," Twilight returned the smile.

"Speaking of which, I better get going. Applejack is expecting me."

"All right. I'll see you at the party tonight."

"Party? Oh wait, does this have to do with this Pinkie Pie everyone keeps talking about?"

"Yeah. And it's supposed to be a surprise, but I figured I'd give you fair warning."

"She doesn't take long to get a party organized, does she?"

"Pinkie doesn't so much organize parties as she does sneeze them out."

Sketch raised an eyebrow. Again, his only experiences with parties were the uptight events he had attended against his will as a young pony. Apparently that wasn't what he should be expecting with his "surprise" party. "All right, then, I'll see you tonight." He called up to the loft, "Sorry to wake you up, Spike!" He received a half-groan, half-gurgle as a reply.

***

"Good to have ya back, sugar cube," Applejack said as Sketch walked through the front door of the farmhouse. There was a pause as the orange pony seemed to consider something, and then she gave Sketch a quick hug. Surprised, he just stood there for a moment and then smiled. That was the first hug he had ever received. His mother had occasionally hugged him, but it had always been a stiff, cold action, leaving him feeling uncomfortable. Applejack's hug, on the other hand, left him feeling warm and happy.

"So, back to training?" Sketch asked once he was able to speak again.

"Ah think we're gonna take it easy today, what with you just gettin' over that bug. So ah'm gonna show ya what we do after the apples get bucked from the trees. Tomorrow we'll jump back into the thick of things, okay?"

"Okay," Sketch nodded.

Applejack led Sketch out back, where she had a basket of hoof-picked apples ready for demonstration. She went over the different varieties that were growing all around the orchard and how to tell which one was which, both by sight and taste. She showed Sketch how to inspect the apples, to look them over and check for bruises, irregularities, and gashes in the skin. She explained what apples would be set aside for pastry fillings and which would be for cider pressing.

"Most importantly," she added when all was said and done, "ya gotta learn to do all that quick-like and with no mistakes. We'll have tons'a apples to go through and not a whole lotta time to do it. But ah'm hopin' with yer help we'll get the applebuckin' done faster, givin' us more time for the rest of it."

"I'll try my hardest," Sketch said, although he was feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"That's all ah ask, sugar cube. Now, what say we get a bite to eat for lunch and then finish up our lesson here?"

"Sounds good to me," Sketch replied, loving the idea of regular meals once again.

***

Sketch was deep in thought, trying to sort a large variety of apples by their appearances. It was a test that Applejack had given him towards the end of the day to see how much he had learned. Because of how focused he was he jumped when his boss appeared behind him and said, "Looks like ya only got a few wrong. Good job for a rookie!"

"Thanks. Honestly, I don't know how you do it. There are so many factors to consider."

"Well, growin' up on a farm gives ya years of experience. You can't learn everythin' in a day and be the best at it. Ah'll bet it took you a long time to get good at paintin', right?"

"I'm still trying to get good at it."

"Aw, ah'm sure you're great. Can't wait to see some of your work."

"Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that," Sketch said, a bit embarrassed by what he wanted to ask. Applejack had taken him up to see his room after lunch, and he couldn't ask for more comfortable lodging. There had only been two problems that he had thought of. One was that his art supplies weren't in there. The second was that he was worried that doing any painting in there would result in making a mess, something he didn't want to do in a room that was owned by someone else.

"Ah think ah have an idea of what ya wanna talk about, Sketch," Applejack said with a grin. "But hold onto that discussion a mite longer. You'll see why, ah promise." Curious, but trusting in the pony, Sketch just nodded his head. "Ah say we call it a day, how about you?"

"I say we're on the same page."

"Ah just need yer help with one last thing before supper. Follow me over to the barn."

Happy to be taken away from the baskets of apples that he had been sorting for over an hour, Sketch stretched his legs and then followed Applejack, walking beside her. While they walked, he couldn't help studying her, noting the telltale signs of a day's work. She had bits of dirt here and there in her hair, and strands of her mane had come loose from her tied ponytail. But for some reason Sketch found himself admiring these things. No, "admiring" wasn't the right word. What was he feeling?

"Somethin' wrong?" Applejack said, checking herself and then looking at Sketch quizzically.

"Oh, no, I… I'm sorry," he said, looking away in embarrassment. "I guess it's an artist thing. We tend to spend a little more time staring than normal ponies do. Observing and all that."

"Am ah worth paintin'?" Applejack asked with a smirk. "Dirt and all?"

"Anything and anypony is worth painting. The trick is to capture the beauty of the subject within the canvas. Dirt and all."

The smirk on Applejack's face turned into a small smile, and Sketch felt himself blush, thought he wasn't entirely sure why. Before either could say anything else they had reached the barn. Applejack pulled one of the doors open and Sketch was about to ask what she needed help with.

"SURPRISE!"

A chorus of voices nearly shook Sketch right off of his hooves. Inside the barn was what looked to be the entire population of Ponyville, a sea of color among the haystacks. Hanging from the rafters was a banner painted with, "Welcome, Sketch!"

A loud laugh came from Sketch's left and Rainbow Dash appeared, hovering over him. "Oh man, you should have seen your face. You thought you were all ready for a surprise party because we warned you about it. Good work, Applejack!"

The orange pony gave Sketch a sheepish grin. "Ah'm not all work, ya know."

Sketch laughed, his adrenaline dying down. "I'm glad to hear it."

There was a blur, possibly faster than Rainbow Dash in flight, and Sketch was assaulted by a babbling pink pony. "Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! I finally get to meet you! I can't believe I didn't meet you until today! That's a really nice coat! Come in, come in! Want some cake? Have some cake! It's really good!" She shoved a plate of cake with frosting an inch thick into Sketch's hooves.

"Uh, you must be Pinkie Pie," Sketch said with a raise of his eyebrows.

The pink pony beamed, her teeth gleaming. "Come on, the guest of honor is here! Let's get this party started!" She grabbed Sketch as he was about to take a bite of cake and dragged him off into the crowd, the plate falling to the barn floor.

***

As the night wore on, Sketch was sure he had met everypony in the village. His head swam with faces and names, and he could only hope that he'd remember at least some of them the following day. He had stuffed himself silly on cake and cookies, and had danced for a solid hour. He had talked so much that his voice started to get scratchy. But the whole time he was having the most fun he had ever had in his life. It was definitely not the type of party he was used to, and he strongly started to suspect that parties in Whinnypeg weren't really parties.

Occasionally Twilight Sparkle or Applejack would catch up to him and stay by his side for a bit, being an anchor in the sea of strangers, for which he was grateful. Nearly every fifteen minutes Pinkie Pie would find him and ask if he was having fun, then disappear as she was distracted by something else. Even Rainbow Dash popped by a few times to check in on him. It felt nice to have ponies looking out for him.

The night went on and the sea of ponies dwindled to a pond. Sketch was taking a moment for himself outside the barn, sipping a cup of punch, when a unicorn he had met earlier approached him. She was a friend of Twilight's, although Sketch found he couldn't remember her name. His first impression of the pony with the immaculately-styled purple mane was that she was a bit like the pompous ponies he knew from Whinnypeg, and she made Sketch a bit uncomfortable. He managed a smile, though.

"I see you needed to get outside for some fresh air, too," the unicorn said, shaking her mane back and taking a deep breath.

"Yeah. I've done more partying tonight than I've done in my whole life. I needed to take a breather before I collapsed."

The other pony laughed and smirked. "Oh, you'll quickly learn to deal with these parties, darling. When Pinkie Pie is around, you find yourself celebrating everything and anything." The two stood in silence for a few moments, listening to the sounds of revelry in the barn. Finally, the white unicorn spoke up again. "I wanted to ask you about your overcoat, if you don't mind."

"Oh. No, I don't mind. That's right, you're a fashion designer, aren't you?"

"I am. And I respect fine craftsponyship when I see it. Do you mind if I take a closer look?"

"Uh, no, go ahead." Sketch stood, feeling a bit awkward as the unicorn circled him, inspecting every inch of his coat.

"Incredible," she murmured. "The stitching is exceptional, and the material was a first rate choice." She looked up at Sketch. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, darling, but you didn't buy this coat, did you?"

"No, it was given to me. How did you know?"

"Well, first of all, it looks as though it was custom-designed, but it doesn't fit you perfectly. It's a little big on you. Secondly, a custom job like this isn't cheap. Do you happen to know who the designer was?"

"Topstitch."

The unicorn gasped. "The Topstitch?"

"I guess, unless there's another one I don't know about."

With a thump, the unicorn's hind end fell to the ground and her eyes went wide. "How… how on Equestria did you get a custom Topstitch coat?!"

"The person who gave it to me knew him."

"He's one of the premier designers in Equestria! Did you… did you ever meet him?"

"A couple of times. He's very nice."

The feeling of discomfort had grown stronger in Sketch as the conversation played out. This unicorn was acting like many of the ponies from Whinnypeg, becoming crazy over a popular name. The more well-known a pony was, the more the citizens of Whinnypeg tried to connect themselves to that pony. It was almost like currency; the more names a pony associated with, the higher of a status they held.

Then, as the amazed fashion designer continued to study the details of the coat, Sketch realized with a wave of guilt that that wasn't what was happening at all. This unicorn was an artist like himself; she was admiring the work of Topstitch, not the name. In an instant he felt like a heel for jumping to a wrong conclusion about someone that he didn't know all that well. With that in mind he tried to get onto common ground with her.

"Can I… ask you a question about your job?"

Sketch's question startled the unicorn from her locked gaze on his coat, and she stood up and smiled. "Of course, darling."

"Well, when you come up with your initial design, you draw it out, right?"

"I do."

"If you're okay with it, I'd love to look at your drawings to see your technique. I'm always on the lookout for artistic inspiration."

The unicorn's eyes sparkled and said, "Absolutely, darling! Stop by my shop anytime. It's always good to have another artistically-inclined pony around. Sometimes the others just don't get it."

It was Sketch's turn to smile. "I know exactly what you mean. Can I, uh, ask another question?"

"Of course."

"…Can you tell me your name again?"

The unicorn laughed. "Rarity. And don't worry yourself. You certainly met enough ponies tonight."

In that moment, all of Sketch's negative feelings about the unicorn vanished. He should have known from the beginning that if Rarity was a friend of Twilight's then she would be all right. Making a silent resolution to be much more careful about his first impressions of the ponies in the village, he was about to speak again when a pink head poked around the corner of the barn doors.

"Oh there you are! Just wanted to make sure you're still having fun!"

***

The party had ended, and the only ponies who remained were Applejack, Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie, who continued dancing even though there was no music to be heard. The barn was a mess, but Rainbow Dash zipped around, creating a whirlwind that sucked all of the trash into one pile. When she landed, she was holding the banner that said "Welcome, Sketch!" on it. "You wanna keep this?" she asked the guest of honor.

"Yeah, I think I do," he said. "Thanks."

"There's still tons'a food left over, everypony," Applejack said. "Ah don't wanna have to find room for it in the kitchen, so eat up."

"I couldn't eat another bite," said Twilight, shaking her head.

"I have to watch my figure," said Rarity, not-so-subtly showing off said figure.

"Already got enough calories to burn off in training tomorrow," said Rainbow Dash, punching her hooves into the air.

"I don't like to eat too many sweets," whispered Fluttershy, giving a small smile.

"I'll eat some more!" yelled Pinkie Pie, nearly jumping onto the table and grabbing two cupcakes, only to shove both of them into her mouth at the same time.

"You could save it and throw another party," Sketch offered as a joke. Immediately the other ponies looked at him with horrified expressions or made "No! No!" gestures, but it was too late.

"Oh my gosh, what a great idea!" Pinkie Pie said, bounding over to Sketch and squeezing him until his eyes bugged out. "We should have an after-party party! Turn the music back on!" She started dancing again despite the fact that no one complied with her request.

"Ah think it's a bit late for us all, Pinkie Pie," Applejack said in a patient tone. "Maybe some other time."

"Awww," came the disappointed reply, only it was muffled because she had stuffed a hoof-full of cookies into her mouth.

"Besides, you still have to show Sketch you-know-what," Twilight said with a knowing smile.

Sketch raised an eyebrow and looked back and forth between Twilight and Applejack. "Uh-oh, another surprise?"

"I think you'll like this one," Twilight insisted.

"Well, I liked the party, too," Sketch added.

"Of course you did, silly!" Pinkie Pie appeared and squeezed him again. "That's because I throw the best parties in Equestria! Everypony knows that!"

"I believe you!" Sketch croaked, and Pinkie Pie let go of him to bounce off to the food table once again.

"Anyway," Applejack spoke up, "Why don't ya follow me, Sketch." With that Applejack grabbed a lantern and made her way to the stairs that led to the second floor of the barn. Intrigued, Sketch followed behind, and the rest of the ponies fell in line behind him.

When Sketch emerged onto the second floor and saw what the light of the lantern revealed, he gasped. All of his painting supplies were there, laid out on an old table - his tubes of paint, his brushes, his palette and palette knife, and his assortment of canvases. In the corner stood an easel holding one of his blank canvases. He stared at the sight and then turned back to Applejack, who grinned at him.

"Ah knew you'd need a space to work in, so ah moved some things around and put yer art supplies up here. This here can be yer art studio."

"And Rarity donated the easel," Twilight added.

"I bought it a long time ago, but never used it," the unicorn shrugged. "I work with paper and pastels mostly. So I figured another artist might get more use out of it."

Sketch was beyond speechless. He just kept looking at each pony, wondering how they could be as kind as they were, how that sort of thing could actually exist in a world that had places like Whinnypeg. The only things that anyone had ever given him were his overcoat and his art supplies, and that had been a rare occurrence in and of itself. He opened his mouth to try to say something, but his words were unintelligible and they cracked. Aware that he had tears forming in his eyes, he looked away and whispered, "Thank you. Thank you so much. I don't know how-"

"Don't say it!" both Twilight and Applejack yelled in unison, and Sketch looked up at them only to burst out laughing a moment later.

"Okay, you ponies are getting to know me too well," he said when finally caught his voice. The tension had been cut, and he was able to speak again. "Really, thank you. Thank you for this, thank you for the party, and thank you for… for being my friends."

There was a moment of comfortable silence that was interrupted by Pinkie Pie, who yelled out, "Group hug!" Impossibly, she managed to squeeze everypony at once.

***

That night Sketch tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The mattress was comfy enough – certainly comfier than the hard floor of the rickety shack in the woods – but he just couldn’t make himself fall asleep. It could have been the amount of sugar he had eaten, it could have been the excitement of the day, or it could be something else. He decided to head to his new studio to see if it was "something else".

Sketch crept out of his room as silently as he could. He grimaced as he set a hoof on the first step of the stairs and heard the loud creak. He didn't want to wake anypony up, not after they all had gone to bed late because of the party. Slowly and with careful steps he made his way down the stairs, causing the boards to creak and moan here and there. A sigh of relief escaped him as he made it to the first floor, and a yelp escaped him as he bumped into Apple Bloom.

"Hiya Sketch," the little filly whispered. "Whatcha doin' up?"

"I couldn't sleep. I was going to go try to paint." He paused. "What are you doing up?"

"Gettin' a late night snack," she grinned and Sketch noticed icing on the corner of the pony's mouth from one of the cupcakes that had been left over and that Pinkie Pie hadn't gotten a hold of. "Want one?"

"You couldn't pay me to eat any more sweets at this point!" Sketch said, holding a hoof over his stomach and sticking out his tongue. "I've already eaten enough sugar to turn me into a cupcake."

Apple Bloom giggled. "Ya know, Sketch, ah'm glad yer stayin' with us. It feels like ah got another big brother."

Sketch smiled. "Thanks! It's pretty neat to have a little sister. I didn't have any siblings back home."

"Brothers and sisters can be nice to have around, but they can be a pain sometimes," the filly said, and squared Sketch with a look that was all too similar to her big sister's. "Don't be a pain, all right?"

Sketch sat back and raised his front hooves defensively. "I promise not to be a pain."

"And, uh," the little pony hesitated before saying in a sheepish voice, "don't tell Applejack ya saw me. Ah ain't supposed to be up this late."

"It'll be our secret," Sketch winked at the filly, and the two of them said good night.

The night air was cool since autumn was just getting ready to pounce with full force. The sky was clear and the moon cast everything in a beautiful glow. Another couple of weeks and it would be a complete circle. That was when the applebucking would start, Applejack had told him. It would be right after the Harvest Moon, when it was at its largest. The thought excited Sketch; catching a glimpse of the moon in Whinnypeg was rare, as the skies were perpetually cloudy. The weather went hand-in-hand with the personalities of the city's inhabitants – gloomy and dismal.

Sketch entered the barn and entertained an amusing notion that he'd find Pinkie Pie still dancing the night away in there. She wasn't, although from the small amount of time that he'd gotten to know her, he wouldn't have been surprised. He continued on up the steps to the second floor and entered his studio.

His studio. It made him smile just to think about those words. If only his mentor could see him now. Sketch lit the lanterns that Applejack had left on the second floor for him and he began preparing his palette with paints. Before he knew it, his brush was attacking the canvas, leaving no space uncovered with color.

Comments

[TheMyth]

Is it just me, or do I sense a romance forming (AJ)?

[BronyGamer]

957623 It's not just you.