Even with all the spending Canvas did to furnish his new home, most of his earnings went to stocking his brand new art studio with everything he needed. As Canvas opened the barn doors, Troy and the two stallions stared in awe at how much he had already done.

Along the three walls were large stacks of supplies, which all looked to have been purchased in bulk with Canvas’ earnings. Several towers of art cans were laid out along the left side of the studio, while several stacks of canvas boards leaned against the right. On the back wall, a large wooden shelf was built to hold all of Canvas' various supplies; paint brushes, rags, specialized paints, and other miscellaneous items were already arranged neatly with a level of organization that would’ve made Twilight Sparkle proud. In the middle of the room stood a worn-looking red couch, which seemed a little out of place among all of the brand new stuff.

"Dang!" Troy exclaimed, with his beak nearly going agape as he walked through the spacious studio with an impressed smirk. "How the heck did you get all of this done in a few weeks?"

Canvas blushed bashfully and shrugged a little. "Well, it wasn't easy,” he admitted sheepishly, “but Applejack and her siblings were really good at getting everything cleared out first. By the time the place was fixed up, I already had a lot of these supplies bought through special order."

With a flap of his wings, the gryphon leapt across the room onto the top of the wall. The resulting gust of wind caused many of the supplies to shake violently, with some almost toppling over. Canvas frantically ran around the room as random pieces of paper flew around, trying his hardest to make sure nothing too expensive toppled over. Troy didn't notice the commotion he caused when he landed, and was instead peering at Canvas’ living space behind the wall. "Man, those Apples know how to fix stuff up!"

"Could you not fly around like that, please!?" Canvas said with an exasperated tone, but refrained from sounding too upset while picking up the rustled papers. "I'd rather not deal with a bunch of wind messing up my stuff."

"Oops!" As soon as he looked behind him and saw the remaining sheets of paper being picked up by Canvas, Troy looked away and his head sank with guilt. "Sorry, dude."

"Well, I must say,” said Filthy Rich as he stepped inside, and stared around the studio with a look of bewildered fascination. "You really made yourself a nifty workplace here!"

"Well thank you, Mister Rich.” Canvas trotted over to the stack of boards, and sighed softly in relief upon seeing nothing was damaged. "Honestly, I couldn't have gotten all this without your help."

Filthy rolled his eyes with an appreciative smile, and was quick to say assuredly, “Hey, that’s just part of the magic of being an entrepreneur. Your paintings helped me a lot back in Canterlot, so it’s only fair I got to help you a little as well.”

“Well, I think we have very different definitions of the word ‘little,’ Mister Rich.” Canvas’ head was behind the stack or boards lying against the wall, so he wasn’t able to notice Fancy Pants’ lighthearted chuckle in response to his statement. Instead, Canvas pulled out a large board with his teeth, and carefully placed it against the front for the stallions to see. Fancy Pants’ brows rose with interest as he walked past Filthy to scan the painting first. Meanwhile, Canvas tried to give a confident smile while presenting his latest piece. "I actually got this one done right before I moved out of my hotel room. I figured you might like seeing my more abstract work."

Canvas stepped back from the painting he made, which allowed both stallions to get a closer look without crowding too awkwardly. The canvas board was about five feet high and three feet wide, with the background carrying a deep shade of cherry red across every inch. Against the rosy backdrop were several slashes of black paint strokes all randomly arranged, as well as a bunch of splash effects of white paint over that. Troy's head turned sideways, and his eyes narrowed in confusion from trying to make anything out of the random collage of colors. Filthy Rich put a hoof to his chin as he stared silently in contemplation, while Fancy Pants narrowed his eyes and peered in closer. The unicorn’s horn lit up so he could adjust the monocle over his eye, which helped the magnify the piece and give him a better assessment.

"Hmm…” Fancy Pants cocked his head to the side and tried to look from a different angle. As for Filthy Rich, it was obvious from his skewed muzzle that he wasn't as encaptured as the client he brought in. While Fancy hummed to himself and scanned every inch, Filthy looked back at Canvas with his thick eyebrows skewed.

"Um… are you sure this is what you wanna be showin' to a pony like this?" While he knew that Filthy wasn’t trying to sound too judgemental, Canvas still tried his hardest not to wince from the stallion’s perplexed tone. "I mean, it's alright, I guess. Trust me, I’m not tryin’ to be insulting or anything. But still, I mean… don't you think you should focus on more--”

"Well, I quite like it!"

Filthy Rich and Canvas both turned to Fancy Pants, who was now gazing at the painting with an exuberant look in his eyes. Filthy looked rather surprised by the older stallion’s response, but Canvas was struggling not to smile too excitedly. "I've always had an interest for interpretive pieces like this. Some ponies might not see the appeal, but I always found abstract art to be rather captivating. The right piece always seems to speak to anypony who looks at it, and not one pony sees it in the same way." Fancy Pants looked back to Canvas with a prideful smile before adding, "And I happen to know of an associate back in Canterlot who would love something like this!"

"Really?" Canvas' eyes shot open in delight as he smiled brightly, clearly happy about the prospect of already making a sale so soon. “I-I mean, uhhh… Should I provide some contact info or something?”

“Actually, I think I have an easier solution for both of us." The unicorn looked back at the piece, and then around the room to make sure the space had adequate lighting. "Hmmm… Would you mind if I take a picture to show her?"

Canvas blinked a few times in confusion, and tried to figure out how in Equestria this pony was going to do that. He couldn't see a camera anywhere on the stallion, and the only ones he had seen were bulky enough to require back harnesses to keep them in place. "Umm… sure, I guess...”

“Ah, thank you!” Fancy Pants lit up his horn, and used his magic to pull out a small-looking camera from the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket. Canvas' eyes widened in surprise when he saw how tiny the camera was,which looked to be a hoof-held device. Even though technology had come a long way in recent years, the stallion still looked just as bewildered as Troy did. The gryphon was still perched atop the wall, and the way he stared at Fancy’s camera resembled the look an owl would give while his head skewed so strongly to one side.

With a quick flash of light, Fancy Pants took the photo in an instant before levitating the camera back into his pocket. As he adjusted his collar with his amber-hued magic, the unicorn froze for a moment and gasped in relevation.

"Oh that’s right!” Before Canvas or Filthy could ask what was up, Fancy turned back to Canvas with an optimistic smile. “I almost forgot, but I happen to know where she's going to be! I'm planning on meeting her at a social in Baltimare later this week. Have you ever been there?"

Canvas tried not to wince as he shook his head. “No, I honestly haven’t. Sorry.”

"Oh, don’t worry about that,” he assured Canvas with a wave of his manicured hoof. “There’s always plenty of time to travel for ponies your age. But if you're interested, I would love for you to attend the social as well."

Canvas had to do a double take, and reeled his head back in an attempt to keep from appearing too shocked. "W-wait, what!? Are… are you serious right now?"

“Absolutely,” said the unicorn with a nod, before he levitated a piece of paper and a pen out from his jacket. "I know this may seem a bit sudden, but I think your artwork is simply exquisite. And since you’re just starting your own business, this could be a great opportunity to get your hoof in the door. Not to mention, I’m certain that your paintings could make quite the splash among my associates and friends."

Canvas stood in a frozen state, and had to take a moment to properly process what this stallion was offering him. Did some rich unicorn just invite him to a huge elite social event? Just because of his art? Was this some elaborate dream crafted by Princess Luna herself? Or was it just a huge setup to a joke?

Fortunately though, Canvas could see the genuine interest on Fancy Pants' face, and could tell he was being sincere with his invitation. Even though he had heard stories about artists being used for others’ personal gain or exploitation, Canvas couldn’t catch anything ominous or two-faced when he caught sight of that charming smile. If anything, it truly seemed that Fancy Pants was wanting to help out a rising artist who he saw potential in.

Canvas eventually looked back at Troy, who was already smiling cheerfully for him. "You know what? I totally think you should do it, dude! I mean, you were hoping to find some more clients, right?"

I agree with your friend one hundred percent!,” said Filthy Rich with an equally convinced tone of voice. "I've known Fancy Pants here for years, and I can't think of too many ponies I trust more than him. So, what do you say?"

As Canvas looked around the room, he could feel his heart racing from the three pairs of eyes staring and waiting for an answer. Canvas looked down to the ground, and bit his lip briefly before taking a deep breath. This was a big chance for him, but so was everything else that happened over the past couple of months. Heck, he was lucky to even be alive, let alone in a situation with this much promise laid out before him...

It only took a few seconds of thought, but Canvas looked back at the unicorn with a confident grin before giving his answer: "Well… If you really feel like my work will make an impression, I’d be more than happy to accept your invitation."

Canvas’ hoof may have trembled a bit while shaking Fancy’s in agreement, but he couldn’t have felt happier about his decision by the time their deal was made.

Due to the scorching weather that struck Equestria without warning, the number of ponies waiting at the Ponyville Train Station was surprisingly small. Even though Cloudsdale’s weather teams tried their hardest to maintain the incoming summer heat waves, there were only so many clouds to spread around for shade and cooler temperatures. And since Ponyville’s teams had to place emphasis on the Schoolhouse for children’s safety, most of the town’s adults were trying to keep cool indoors as much as they could.

But regardless of how close temperatures were getting to three digits, neither the heat nor the lack of crowds seemed to faze Canvas too badly. Aside from a couple beads of sweat lingering across his brow, the stallion sat patiently by himself at the bench while waiting for his train to Baltimare. Several large canvas boards of his finished works were securely strapped together and sitting alongside his personal bags. The luggage fees may have been a pain, but Canvas was mostly grateful he wouldn't have to walk that far with the load until he reached the city.

Canvas instinctively wiped his head with his foreleg, and cringed a little when he saw how much sweat had already soaked into his fur. When he grabbed a water bottle from his art bag, he heard a quick 'whoosh' before a cool gust of wind suddenly hit him. The stallion shivered a little from that surprisingly pleasant (albeit short-lived) breeze, and he quickly looked up to the skies for the source.

A bright trail of rainbow light was already starting to fade as Rainbow Dash landed at the end of the train station. She wiped her brow before quickly trotting up to Canvas, even though she looked fairly exhausted from flying around in the heat unprotected.

"Hey Canvas!" she shouted, before she paused for a second and breathed out slowly. The mare then slowed down her pace as she continued walking, almost as if she regretted trying to move that quickly in this weather. "Hey, before you go to Baltimare, you mind if I ask you something?"

"Sure, I gue--” Canvas’ words stopped as Rainbow Dash came in closer, and his eyes widened in shock from how parched she appeared. Her cyan fur was damp and matted to her skin from sweat, which made her coat look a shade or two darker than usual. When she finally reached Canvas, he could hear her heavy panting as she tried to catch her breath. He quickly pulled out a second water bottle he was carrying, and hoofed it to her before he spoke again. "Here you go, Rainbow. You really shouldn't be pushing yourself."

"Oh, thanks!" Rainbow Dash's voice came out in a light gasp as she snatched the bottle, and she chugged half of it down in an instant. She gasped a few times, looking relieved to get some hydration in her system. After shuddering a little from the brisk relief to her drying tongue, Rainbow's voice came out slightly less raspier than before. "I just had to get some clouds over the retirement home. I usually have my sports drinks on me, but I went through all of them this morning."

Rainbow Dash took a few more breaths before finishing her bottle, and then tossing it back to Canvas. "So anyway, I was hoping to ask… What do you know about Troy?"

"Umm…” Canvas looked around for a second before glancing back at Rainbow with a raised brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well…” Rainbow wiped more sweat off from her face during her pause in words. "The guy's been working really hard the past few weeks, and he’s been making a good impression with the rest of the crew. And since he hangs out with you so much, I figure you might know what I could get him for his birthday next week."

"Oh, that’s a nice ide--Wait, WHAT!?" Canvas shot up from his seat with an extremely surprised look on his face. "His birthday is next week!?"

"Well, yeah." Rainbow answered with a shrug of her shoulders like it was common knowledge. Despite how bug-eyed the artist looked, she didn’t seem to notice how thrown back he was by that news. "I am his boss, you know! I kinda have to know his personal info."

Canvas may have been shocked to not know his friend’s birthday, but he couldn’t help shrugging back at her in response to that point.

"Anyways,” she continued with a wave of her hoof, "since you're his closest friend and all, I figured that maybe you know what he likes."

Canvas pulled his head back a little, and stared at Rainbow Dash in confusion. "Wait, you mean... I'm his closest friend?"

Now it was Rainbow’s turn to look confused. After blinking a couple times in puzzlement, she huffed with a cheeky smirk and replied, "Well, duh! Of course you are! I mean, he spends most of his time outside work with you! What did you think he was?"

"I…” Canvas’ words trailed off as he stared down at his hooves, looking absolutely dumbfounded. He knew that they hung out a lot, and they certainly had a lot of fun; but even though he considered Troy to be his best friend, he didn't think that their friendship was that mutual. He figured that since the gryphon lived in Cloudsdale for so long, that Troy probably had a lot of other friends there. Heck, it was weird enough to think that he was a closer friend to Troy than most gryphons back in his homeland. After shaking his head, Canvas stared at the mare suspiciously and asked, "If that's true, then why didn't he tell me about his birthday? I mean, that's kind of a big thing not to tell a friend, you know!"

Upon seeing how upset Canvas looked, Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and sighed in response. "Dude, it’s not like that at all. If anything, Troy probably doesn’t care about his own birthday.”

Canvas cocked his head in even deeper confusion. “Wait… How could someone not care about their birthday?”

“I have no idea,” she replied with a genuine shrug of confusion herself, “but gryphons have this weird thing about not celebrating their birthdays. I think they see it as being like… Narcissistic or something? I’m not entirely sure, but I remember that detail when I had a gryphon as a friend back in the flight academy. She was really weirded out by birthday parties and stuff.”

Canvas wasn’t sure how to feel about such a foreign concept, and had to look away from Dash while processing his thoughts. However, despite how weirded out he felt about his friend possibly not wanting to celebrate his own birthday, he was still mostly pondering the fact that he was Troy’s best friend. He may have known that the gryphon moved to Equestria a few months before they met, but he wouldn’t have fathomed he would’ve made such an impact in such a short amount of time. Was that why Troy hung out with him so often? Is that why he didn’t talk much about the friends he had back in the Gryphon Kingdom? But most of all… How lonely would Troy have been if he hadn’t found Canvas back in that storm?

Rainbow waited a moment while the stallion thought things over, and decided to give a response when she overheard the engines of the train in the distance. She placed a hoof on Canvas’ shoulder, and pulled him back to reality when she said, "Seriously though, Canvas? Troy really does like being around you. I…”

The mare bit her lip and looked around, making sure nopony was eavesdropping on them. "I shouldn't be saying this to you, but... I’m pretty sure you're the reason he's being so social now. I mean, not many ponies knew about him until that storm prep, and he'd been around Cloudsdale for a while before that. But ever since he helped you out and started hanging around Ponyville, he's been a lot more outgoing and stuff."

Rainbow then let go of Canvas’ shoulder, and added with a sincere smile, "I mean it, dude. He may have helped you first, but... overall, I think you’re helping him a lot more."

Rainbow Dash hoped that her words made an impact while Canvas stood with a befuddled look on his face. He and Troy may have developed a solid friendship from the start, but Canvas wouldn’t have assumed the gryphon saw him as much more than some pony he helped out. But after hearing Dash’s honest assessment about him, Canvas couldn’t help blushing from the realization. Troy may have just been a friend, but… something about that reveal really helped to put Canvas in higher spirits than before.

After a smile creeped on Canvas' muzzle, he looked up at Rainbow Dash to see she had a satisfied grin of her own. Before either could say anything, a blaring voice boomed over the train station’s speakers.

"Next train boarding! Baltimare! Next train boarding!"

Both ponies saw the train pull in from the distance, the steam engines chugging along as it began to make its arrival. As the steam engine entered the station at a crawling pace, plumes of smoke from its stacks rumbled up to the skies while steam emanated from underneath. Canvas quickly picked up his bags and artwork, and he began to haul all the things over his back while Rainbow looked up at the sky.

"Welp, this is my train!" Canvas made sure everything was on him as the train doors opened up. While several ponies made their way out of the passenger car, Canvas glanced back at the mare and said, "Hey, Rainbow."

"Hm?"

When she looked back at him, Canvas gave her a smile and a gracious nod of his head. "Thank you. You know... for telling me all that."

The pegasus shot a warm smile back at him, but didn’t feel the need to say anything else. Canvas climbed into the passenger car after it emptied out, and was one of the first ponies to get into a vacant seat. Before Rainbow could fly off and get back to work, she heard Canvas' voice call out to her from a train window.

"He likes opera!”

Dash paused as she looked at him, with her face carrying a mix of surprise and disgust. "Wait, really? Opera!?"

Canvas happily nodded, and tried his hardest not to giggle from her confounded look. "Seriously, he likes opera music!"

After taking a moment to process that detail, Rainbow Dash chuckled to herself and said, “You know what? That’s something I never would’ve guessed! Thanks, Canvas!”

The train doors eventually closed, and the engines fired back up to make its departure from the station. Rainbow may have been one of the only ponies still standing at that scorching station, but she made sure to wave Canvas goodbye before the train could leave. The artist happily waved back at her from the window, and then disappeared back through the window as the car began to move. Even though she felt fine enough to fly right off again, Rainbow Dash waited until the train was out of sight before she flew off.

“Hmmm…” The mare’s muzzle skewed in thought as she soared through the muggy skies, and she muttered to herself, “I wonder if Rarity has any good opera albums to recommend…”

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

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