• Published 10th Jun 2020
  • 1,046 Views, 68 Comments

Brushed Away: Canvas' Cutie Mark Mission - TheVClaw



Less than a month after Twilight's Coronation, Canvas Clawston was prepared to resume his normal life following the defeat of the Legion of Doom. However, it seemed that his destiny has different plans, as he finds himself summoned by the Cutie Map.

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Chapter One

Far off the furthest reaches of the horizon, only the faintest hint of morning light could be seen emerging from the East. Meanwhile, across the rest of the Equestrian skies, the pre-morning darkness was immense enough to completely mask the stars of the night. The only illumination from above was from Luna’s moon, but even that was far off west in preparation of the incoming morning. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the few early ponies from getting up to start their days.

Down in the quaint little hamlet of Ponyville, there were already about a dozen ponies setting up their stands in the marketplace, eager to get some sales in the first hours of the morning. Even though the streetlamps were usually turned off around that time, Mayor Mare had to disarm the automatic timers so ponies wouldn’t be trapped underneath the shade of Twilight Sparkle’s former castle. The Alicorn may have moved back to Canterlot to act as Equestria’s newest Ruler, but the Castle of Friendship still stood outside Ponyville as a massive landmark; and with the architectural behemoth standing several hundred feet, its presence now served as a giant shade throughout most of the daytime.

Just outside the marketplace, one particular stallion stood by himself while staring up at the castle with a look of awe. He remembered when he first moved to Ponyville, when Princess Twilight was originally living at the Golden Oaks library instead of some big castle. He may have gotten used to the various changes Ponyville had gone through over the years, but it was still jarring to reflect on how much had actually changed overall. What had used to be a simple little township outside of Canterlot, was now a prospective community that was growing bigger with each passing day.

The aqua stallion looked off in the distance just beside the castle, where he could see the rooftop of the School of Friendship past Ponyville’s limits. The institution had only been open for a year or so, but it was already creating a lot of added progress for Ponyville as a whole. Since so many international students were attending, it was becoming more common to see more than just ponies roaming around town. Even this early in the morning, the stallion could look up and see a female gryphon flying past the skies with a mail parcel at her side.

The sight of that gryphon made the pony smile, and he paused his thoughts to reach a hoof up and feel the golden ring in his right ear. Even though he only had the piercing since his wedding years ago, it still felt as natural on him now as the cutie mark of a paintbrush and palette resting on his flanks. And as he touched that tiny golden band, he sighed to himself wistfully, thinking of the gryphon that symbolized it.

“Ugh…” The pony’s smile dampened the tiniest bit, and he looked down at his left hoof where another ring was firmly nestled around his wrist. The engagement band still had the engraving of his Cutie Mark clear as day against the white gold, right beside the professionally-done etching of a silver feather. Even after wearing the ring for several years, the insignia still made him smile with a light blush. After another moment of staring, the stallion sighed pertly and said to himself, “Man, I’m glad I finished that commission last night…”

“Woof! Woof! Woof!”

The familiar sound of those lumbering barks caused the stallion’s ears to perk up, and he smiled when he turned towards the source. Just in the distance where a large oak tree was planted, a massive Saint Bernard was panting happily as he walked back towards his owner with his tail wagging. The canine was wearing a thick black collar around his neck, a metal tag hanging on the front with the name Tenor proudly etched in bold lettering. Since the Saint Bernard was obviously finished with his business, he was quick to return to the stallion with slobber drooling from his saggy muzzle.

“Good boy, Tenor! Good boy!” As soon as he brought his hooves out, Tenor lunged in to eagerly lap the pony’s face with his giant tongue. Since the dog was nearly as large as his owner, the stallion was nearly pushed backwards while reeling from Tenor’s sloppy kisses. “GAH! Hehehehe… C-C’mon, Tenor! I just took a shower before we left!”

Unfortunately for the pony, Tenor kept licking until most of the stallion’s face was matted in slobber. Fortunately, by the time he finally pulled away from his cheerful dog, the stallion didn’t seem too upset as he reached a hoof into the canvas bag hanging on his shoulder. The satchel looked worn-down through years of constant use, and was covered with tons of various artwork that littered the outside with different colors of permanent ink. The pony quickly pulled out a couple clean rags, which he used to wipe the drool off his face. “Jeeze, you’re affectionate this morning!” he said, shooting Tenor an amused smirk. “Was I really asleep for that long?”

It wasn’t clear if the Saint Bernard could understand what his owner said, but he was quick to respond with an affirmative, “WOOF! WOOF!”

“GAH!” The pony was quickly given another couple enthusiastic licks, causing him to giggle and stumble backwards. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry for sleeping in for so long!” Fortunately, since he was still holding onto his slobber rags, it didn’t take long for him to re-clean himself. Just as he was about to grab the dog’s chained leash from his bag, the stallion’s ears twitched again when he heard a familiar voice nearby.

“Well, Ah’ll be!” As she tipped up the brown Stetson resting atop her head, the orange mare looked downright pleased to see the stallion this early in the day. She had a large wooden cart full of apples strapped to her back, but she quickly undid the straps so she could park it in place beside the road. She then walked up to the stallion and his dog with a friendly smile. “Ah wasn’t expectin’ to see you up this early, Canvas,” she said with a distinct country twang. One of her brows raised up puzzledly. “Either you’re up way too late, or you woke up earlier than me this mornin’.”

Canvas chuckled with a light shrug, and rolled his eyes while scratching the back of his shaggy brown mane. “Yeah, I’m fully aware of how messed-up my sleep schedule got. Although in my defense, I spent nearly twenty hours straight on a painting for a client in Canterlot, and I was pretty much passed out for the rest of the day. The only reason I’m up this early is because this guy wouldn’t stop barking for a walk.”

The Saint Bernard stood beside Canvas with a prideful smile on his panting muzzle, in spite of Canvas’s inflection. The mare giggled with a smirk, but remained cordial nonetheless. “Well, just as long as you’re not overworkin’ yourself, Ah ain’t gonna judge. Ah know how judgemental some of them Canterlot types can be when it comes to artsy stuff…”

It took the mare a couple seconds before her eyes widened in realization, and she quickly brought up a hoof to add insistently, “Uhh, nothin’ personal though.”

“It’s alright, Applejack,” said Canvas with a reassuring wave of his hoof. “You’re definitely not wrong about some of the clients I’ve dealt with.” He then chuckled and shook his head, only to follow it with a longer sigh. “Not to mention certain… former locals who I’ve done paintings for…”

Applejack immediately winced and sucked some air through her teeth, clearly not needing to ask for context. “Oohhh… Right…” The mare looked away briefly, while the stallion pursed his muzzle shut with a deeper look of resentment on his face. Applejack eventually tried to break the silence. “Well, if it means anything, Ah’d be hard-pressed to think of many ponies who haven’t done somethin’ for Cozy Glow. Heck, you know how many times I had that brat on my farm? Around my family?”

Though Cozy Glow was just as incapacitated as the other members of the infamous Legion of Doom, Applejack couldn’t help shuddering in disgust after what she reminded herself of. Canvas looked equally as uncomfortable about that filly, and was quick to start petting Tenor as a means to distract himself. “Yeah, that’s true… Honestly, I’m just glad that Troy and I weren’t targeted by her or anything.”

“Well, that makes two of us,” said Applejack with a stern nod and a warmer smile. “So, is Troy back in Ponyville too? Or is he still back at your guys’ place in Manehattan?”

Upon hearing his husband’s name, the stallion sighed while his smile depleted completely. “No, he’s still in Manehattan. Apparently there was a ton of re-casting for the show he’s currently in, so they have to run a bunch of dress-rehearsals to make sure things go smoothly.”

Applejack’s ears dropped down a little at Canvas’ moroseness. But before she could try to say anything optimistic, Canvas tilted his head to the side before adding, “But, since I just finished my commission, I’m planning to get a train ticket for Manehattan as soon as the train station opens up.”

“Well, that’s the spirit!” Applejack smiled again as she reached in and gave Canvas a cheerful nudge to the shoulder with her hoof. “Just lemme know if you’re needin’ anything before leavin’ Ponyville, alright? Mac and Sugar were wantin’ to mail you guys some fritters as a thank-you for that wedding gift y’all got them.”

“Ooh, nice!~” Canvas’ face lit up the moment he heard the word ‘fritters,’ though that likely would’ve been the reaction of most Ponyville citizens. Ever since Big Macintosh got eloped with Sugar Belle, the mare was able to sell certain Apple Family products at Sugar Cube Corner with Granny Smith’s permission. Even though Sweet Apple Acres was already having a huge surge in sales following Princess Twilight’s coronation, having a means to sell additional products in Ponyville was definitely a beneficial move for the farm. “Honestly, I’m just happy that they liked our present! We didn’t even know they were engaged until we saw the wedding photos.”

“Yeah, don’t worry ‘bout that,” assured Applejack with a lighthearted shrug. “It was one of them ‘spur-of-the-moment’ things, and they didn’t wanna wait too long after exchangin’ rings. If it means anything, even Twilight didn’t get the chance to attend it.”

“Wow, really?” Canvas blinked a couple times out of pure confoundment. “I honestly would’ve figured Sugar Belle would want that after you guys saved her from a cult.”

Applejack paused briefly with her muzzle slightly clenched, but refrained from saying anything about the stallion’s choice of words. “Well,” noted Applejack with a roll of her eyes, “Mayor Mare kinda has a history officiatin’ Apple family marriages, so it seemed only fair for her to do it. Plus, it ain’t like Twilight wasn’t busy with a million other things durin’ that.”

That point got Canvas to close his muzzle promptly shut, and nod his head once more. While he and Troy were both busier than ever in their careers, neither of them could even fathom what Princess Twilight must’ve been going through. It was one thing to be a national hero who saved Equestria multiple times, but to be the literal successor of Celestia herself was a feat Canvas couldn’t have even imagined as a possibility. But even with his shock in mind, Canvas couldn’t help smiling naturally when he said, “Speaking of Twilight, weren’t you and the other girls planning on visiting her soon?”

“Yer darn tootin’!” said Applejack with a more cheerful smile and a kick of her hoof. “We’re actually plannin’ to see her in a couple days, so hopefully she ain’t too tuckered out after her first month as Ruler.”

Though he wanted to be as optimistic as Applejack, Canvas couldn’t help skewing his muzzle as he shrugged in response. “Jeeze… and to think, Troy and I thought that you girls working at the school was going to be too exhausting.”

That remark got both of the ponies laughing, while Tenor simply sat between them with his tongue lolling out of his muzzle. “Yeah, Ah ain’t gonna fault you on that one,” remarked Applejack truthfully. “That reminds me, Ah really need to finish up gradin’ this week’s assignments before my Canterlot trip.”

“You know what?” Canvas quickly got out his leash and attached it to the back of Tenor’s collar. “I don’t want to keep you from your apple sales, so I’ll just head off to Sugar Cube Corner.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Applejack with a smile, before pulling Canvas into a strong hug. “It really is great seein’ you again though.”

Canvas froze for a moment, but eventually sighed with a smile before hugging her back. “It’s great seeing you again too, Applejack…” After the two finished their hug, Canvas added, “and I’ll be sure to tell Troy you said hi when I get to Manehattan, alright?”

AJ gave a quick nod and a wave before heading back to her cart, just as the morning sunlight was becoming more prominent behind the eastern landscapes. Meanwhile, Canvas continued on happily walking through town with Tenor by his side, only to stop again when he reached the fountain in the town square. Ever since he moved to Ponyville, the statue of Princess Celestia stood as a beacon of hope in the middle of Ponyville. And even with said Alicorn happily retired and living her life freely, Canvas felt a profound sense of comfort when he looked up at that expertly-made statue.

The sun finally began to peek over the buildings at the outskirts of town, instantly illuminating the statue to reveal the Princess in all her majestic glory. Tenor sat patiently beside his owner, and waited while looking up at the stallion’s teary-eyed smile. Since the coronation had only happened a few weeks prior, Canvas still needed a moment to let the gravity of such a change sink in. Still, it didn’t take long for Canvas to say to nopony in particular, “She’s really getting the hang of raising the sun herself, isn’t she?”

Canvas may have been worried about Princess Twilight when she first started her rule, mostly due to how hectic things got right before her coronation; but as he looked up at the statue of her mentor, seeing that flawless sunrise was all he needed to know that she was doing just fine in Celestia’s place.


Ding!

“Hmm?” Sugar Cube Corner had just opened for business, so the unicorn mare behind the counter seemed surprised when her head poked up from behind the counter. Even though she wasn’t the pink mare that most Ponyvillians recognized as the bakery’s head cashier, what with her having a poofy violet mane that didn’t quite hide her horn, she still carried a cheerful smile that lit up the near-empty room. “Oh, hey there, Canvas!” she said as the stallion and his dog walked into the shop. “I would’ve guessed you and your hubby were back in Manehattan!”

“No, it’s just me,” said Canvas, smiling back as he went up to the counter. “By the way, I talked with Applejack on the way here. She told me that you and Mac really liked those mason jar sets.”

As the big Saint Bernard stood adjacent to Canvas, Sugar Belle reached behind the counter to pull out a small doggy treat she had hidden. She used her magic to toss it over for Tenor to catch with his mouth, not minding that the dog’s presence was a breach of the bakery’s policy against pets being indoors. “Yeah, those jars are really useful! I swear, Granny Smith made enough preserves with those to last us several winters combined!”

“Oh, nice!” While Tenor sloppily chewed on the remnants of his treat, and then bent down to lick up the crumbs on the floor, Canvas already had a rag on the ready while petting his back. “Troy and I had a feeling you guys would like it. He was actually worried you guys already had enough of them lying around the house.”

“Eh, we technically do,” she admitted with a light shrug. “But still, it was a really convenient gift that we were able to use right off the bat. Plus, it’s nice having jars that we know are clean, and weren’t being used for Apple Bloom’s bug collection or Granny Smith’s dentures.”

Canvas clasped a hoof over his muzzle to keep from laughing, but he could hear Sugar Belle giving a lighthearted chuckle of her own. By the time he settled down, Canvas could barely pull his hoof away from his face as he asked, “Wait, Apple Bloom had a bug collection? Like… was it for Zecora’s apothecary lessons or something?”

“No, I don’t think so,” replied Sugar as she tapped her chin in thought. “Hmmm… Oh yeah! It was actually something for the Cutie Mark Crusaders, I think. The girls decided to collect a whole bunch of bugs to see which ones were Gummy’s favorite food.”

“Ohhhhh…” Canvas nodded in realization. “Heh~ Yeah, I remember seeing Gummy catching flies with his tongue like a chameleon or something! I even asked Pinkie if that was a normal thing, and she was…”

As soon as he said that name out loud, Canvas’ smile quickly depleted like a punctured pool toy. Sugar Belle’s smile dampened as well, and was soon replaced with a saddened pout. “... Yeah… I get it.”

Neither of them said anything, and the silence intensified when both of their heads lowered in melancholy. Even Tenor grew a saddened pout with his ears drooping down, but that may have been because he finished his treat too fast. Just like Princess Twilight Sparkle and her Royal Advisor Spike, most of Ponyville’s citizens were forlorn about their resident party pony spending most of her time in Canterlot as well. Everypony knew that Pinkie Pie’s talents would’ve been wasted if she stayed only in Ponyville, and they all wished her the very best when they learned she was given a full-time job in Canterlot’s Party-Planning Committee. But at the same time, since her new job meant having to live in Canterlot for the time being, Pinkie’s absence was one of the largest voids that Ponyville was finding difficulty filling.

Canvas wanted to say something, since Pinkie Pie was one of the first ponies to make him feel welcomed by the whole town when he first moved to Ponyville. But considering how he was standing right across from Sugar Belle, who was basically standing as Pinkie Pie’s temporary replacement, the last thing he wanted to do was lament his own feelings to somepony who likely heard it from everypony else. Luckily though, the somber mood was quickly interrupted by the voice of a cheerful mare from the kitchen.

“Oh please, you two are acting like Pinkie Pie moved to Canterlot permanently!”

The doors to the kitchen opened up, revealing a plump blue mare who trotted over to the counter with a rack of fresh apple fritters on her back. Canvas gasped in elation the moment he saw those pastries, which were quickly caught in a large aura of Sugar Belle’s magic. Though the stallion’s attention was caught by the dozens of glazed fritters headed for the window display, his ears twitched as he overheard Mrs Cake continue. “Jeeze Louise, it’s not like she’s never coming back to Ponyville. She promised me that her work in Canterlot was set to end in another month, and I can’t think of anypony more reliable with a promise than her. Besides, she just wrote to me about leading a huge charity event for the children’s hospital! I would’ve never forgiven myself if I kept her from raising money for a cause like that!”

That last part got Canvas and Sugar Belle to wince at the same time, and give a couple of reluctant nods. “Uhhh… yeah…” said Canvas, giving Tenor some scratches behind his ears. “I think I actually heard about that charity thing. Didn’t she raise like, fifty thousand bits from that?”

“On the first day!” chirped Mrs Cake, whose smile was downright prideful as she inspected the inventory for their morning sales. “And it was a weekend long event, so they ended up making over four times that amount by the time Twilight made a donation!”

“Oh, wow!” With Sugar Belle dumbfounded, her employer had to give her a warning nudge to trot past her. “O-Oh, right!” The mare quickly remembered Canvas was standing by the register, and went up to him to take his order. “Okay, yeah. I might miss Pinkie and Twilight a lot too, but I couldn’t be happier for them. I’m guessing you want an apple fritter?”

“Mmhmm,” nodded Canvas, who was trying his hardest to keep his focus on Sugar Belle and not at the apple fritter being floated into a paper bag. “And yeah, I’m really proud of them too. I guess it’s just kinda weird seeing how much things are changing around us.”

Sugar Belle could only nod in response, and gave a thoughtful hum as she took Canvas’ bits. “Things really have, didn’t they? I mean… we have a new Ruler of Equestria, three giant villains have been encased in stone, and our town has a gargantuan castle right beside an international academy! That’s definitely a lot to process in such a short amount of time.”

“And there isn’t a single problem with any of them!” Mrs Cake walked around her employee with another rack of muffins on her back, all with a chipper smile as she arranged them in one of the display cases. “That School of Friendship has been especially great for Ponyville! I swear, most of my customers have gotten so polite after it opened up, just because of how many times students call out the jerks during lunch.”

Sugar Belle giggled with a bitten lip, and gave Canvas an affirmative nod. “Yeah, it’s been pretty entertaining sometimes. You should’ve heard what Smolder said to Spoiled Rich last week!”

“Oh, that sounds awesome!” Canvas smiled at the thought, but it barely hid the disappointment from not seeing it. A couple seconds later to breathe out, Canvas continued, “Also, that school has really helped ponies tolerate meat products! I swear, as soon as we got more gryphons moving to Ponyville, it’s been way easier for Troy to enjoy beef jerky without getting any stinkeyes.”

“Yeah, that’s true!” said Mrs Cake while finishing her arrangements. “Oh! Speaking of which, Carrot and I might have found a supplier for bacon. I can’t guarantee anything right now, but we already have a maple bacon donut recipe with Troy’s name on it~”

“Oooohhhh!!~” Canvas’ eyes widened with intrigue, while Tenor’s ears perked up at the mention of bacon. “I’ll be sure to tell him when I get back to Manehattan~”

“Wait, are you leaving already?” asked Sugar Belle, sounding surprised. “We didn’t even know you came back! How long have you been around.”

“Oh, for a couple weeks,” said Canvas, sighing and taking a bite from his flaky pastry. “I was spending most of my time working on a big portrait for some bigwig in Canterlot-- Mmm, this is good! Man… B-But, uhhh… Yeah, most of my time was spent in my studio, and I’d rather not be away from Troy for this long.”

“Yeah, but you’ve done that before, haven’t you?” Mrs Cake was now leaning against the counter, looking at Canvas curiously. “Weren’t you two separated for over a month right after your honeymoon? That had to have been a bit more taxing than this, right?”

“I mean, it is, but that was just because we were investing in getting a second home, which paid off immensely in the end. When we were apart for a month, we ended up finding the perfect place for both of our careers! But now it’s over half that time, and…”

As he paused, he didn’t seem to notice Sugar and Mrs Cake’s worried expressions. Instead, Canvas looked away from the two, before he huffed out in thought. “... I dunno. I... I think it’s just been harder for me to justify my art, that’s all...”

“Oh!” Mrs Cake rolled her eyes with a sigh, and quickly got around the counter so she could give Canvas a hug. “Canvas, you have nothing to worry about! I know you’re missing Troy, but I can guarantee you that he’s missing you just as much back in Manehattan. And he’s been busy with his career, just like you have. If anyone understands how important your work is, it would be him.”

Canvas may have already known that obvious fact, but he still appreciated Mrs Cake’s assurances enough to return her hug with his own. “Th-Thanks, Mrs Cake,” he said before the two pulled back, giving the stallion just enough time to glance away and wipe his eyes with a foreleg. Tenor let out a concerned whinny, and perked his head up when he saw something on his owner. Meanwhile, Canvas tried to keep himself from sounding too emotional as he said, “Honestly, I was thinking of surprising Troy by meeting him outside his dressing room or something. Heh heh heh… I remember one time, he was just finishing a workout, and he was wearing this white tank top that was soaked in--”

“Ohmigosh!” shouted Mrs Cake, who took a couple steps back while her eyes were bulging. “Canvas, you’re glowing!”

“Hmm? OH!” Canvas quickly covered his face with a hoof, and already felt his cheeks getting a little hotter out of embarrassment. “Sorry about that. I didn’t think I could blush that hard so quickly.”

“No, Canvas!” shouted Sugar Belle. When he looked over at her, his head reeled back; she looked just as freaked-out as Mrs Cake, and was pointing a hoof at his backside. “Look at your Cutie Mark! You’re literally glowing!!”

“Wait, what!?” Canvas instantly whipped his head around, and gasped with a profound jolt. “GAHHH!!”

Canvas’ eyes were as wide as saucers, and he could barely register Tenor’s bellowing barks in response to his owner’s Cutie Mark glowing brightly against his flank. A concentrated beam of light was spewing out from around Canvas’ paintbrush and palette, which sent the faintest pulsations up the nerves of his legs to indicate its presence. Mrs Cake and Sugar Belle looked back at each other in awe, both of them already aware of what was occurring. It hadn’t happened since Celestia was still the Ruler of Equestria, but it hadn’t been long enough for Canvas to not realize what it was either.

“Oh my gosh… Oh my GOSH!!” Though a million thoughts and feelings were coursing through his system, the first thing that Canvas could think to do was look back at the two mares, his eyes unblinking. “I… I’m summoned by the Cutie Map!”

“You’re summoned by the Cutie Map!” shouted out both mares at the same time, who immediately rushed up to Canvas in excitement. Sugar Belle hopped over the counter to give the stallion a hug, as did Mrs Cake who was giggling in delight. “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it! Canvas, you can’t ignore something like this!”

“Psh~ Are you kidding?!” Canvas shot the mare a gawking smirk. “Of course I’m not going to ignore this! I need to get to the Cutie Map right now!”

Canvas scarfed down the entirety of his apple fritter in one go before bolting out of the bakery. Tenor rushed off after his owner, barking like mad for the excitement he wasn’t able to understand. As soon as the stallion exited the shop, Mrs Cake and Sugar Belle couldn’t help staring back at each other with their mouths agape.

“Oh, wow…” Sugar Belle looked utterly floored from witnessing such a moment up-close, and huffed with a curious smirk. “Do you think Troy got a summoning too?”

“Wait, would he be able to?” asked Mrs Cake. “Have there been any species other than ponies who got summoned by the Cutie Map?”

“Um, I think Spike did, actually,” noted Sugar after a second or two of contemplation. “Although now that we’re asking questions about the Cutie Map, I have to wonder…”

Just then, the bell above the front door dinged again. The two mares glanced over to see Canvas sheepishly returning to the counter. His cheeks were reddened with an embarrassed blush, and his muzzle was pursed shut. But alas, Canvas couldn’t ignore the awkwardness, and asked in a meager tone, “Uhhh… Where’s the Cutie Map at? Like… is it still at the old castle, or did Twilight move it to Canterlot?”

Mrs Cake’s brows rose up in surprise, mostly because she didn’t know that answer. When she looked back at her employee, Sugar Belle appeared as blushed as Canvas. “Uhhh… that’s what I was about to ask…”