As the sun began to rise from the horizon, Celestia’s morning light started to brighten the cabin car as it chugged along toward Canterlot. Feeling the sunlight hit his face, Troy slowly opened his eyes while lying on the bench, groaning as he tried to get himself to adjust his sights to the light. Fortunately, the Gryphon began to smile again as he looked down at Canvas, seeing the stallion resting peacefully on his chest with a faint smile on his muzzle.

Looking at the pony sleeping on top of him, Troy felt his heart get lighter as he saw how serene Canvas looked, knowing how much the stallion went through in the past twenty-four hours. While the two didn’t stay in Gallop Creek for that long--something he was sure both of them were glad for--Troy knew that it was something his coltfriend really needed to do for himself.

Even though he really wanted to nuzzle the dozing pony right now, Troy didn’t move an inch as he watched Canvas on his chest, seeing how he breathed in and out in perfect rhythm in the morning light. With each breath that Canvas made, a faint whisper of air from his muzzle brushed against Troy's feathers, making the Gryphon feel even better as he savored the pleasurable tingle it gave him.

With his lover watching, Canvas's eyelids clenched in for a second, trying to avoid the new sunlight before the stallion slowly opened his eyes. As his shining blue eyes alighted on the Gryphon, Troy smiled as he watched Canvas begin to wake up, loving how adorable the pony looked when he was half-awake.

As his mind adjusted to the realization he was still on the train to Canterlot, Canvas gave a tired smile as he looked up and saw how happy Troy looked. Without even thinking, Canvas moved his head forward and wrapped his hooves around the Gryphon, kissing Troy's open beak deeply before he spoke softly.

"Troy,” said the stallion as he looked into Troy's golden eyes with pure admiration, "I'm really glad you were with me for this."

Without saying a word, Troy smiled as he bent in, letting Canvas kiss his beak once more before he spoke in a gentle tone of voice.

"And I would've done it a million times for you."

Seeing the sincerity in Troy's eyes, Canvas's smile grew even bigger as he hugged the Gryphon, clutching him tightly as Canterlot came into view from the window. Seeing the Canterlot Castle in the distance from his spot, Troy kept his smile as he hugged Canvas back, holding him snugly before he lifted himself on the bench.

Now sitting upright in the train cabin, Troy felt the train begin to vibrate as it started to slow down, not phasing Canvas one bit as he laid against his boyfriend in a half-conscious state. Even though he was still extremely excited about his big night, the stallion still felt rather tired as he nuzzled Troy's chest, hoping to get more comfortable before the Gryphon spoke up.

"So Canvas,” said Troy in a cheerful tone of voice, "how does it feel to make history tonight?"

Even in his tired state, Canvas still giggled a little as he looked up to his lover, seeing how happy the Gryphon looked before he replied, "It feels amazing.” Canvas said in a positive, yet tired tone of voice, "But I feel even better, knowing that you're by my side."

With a huge smile on his beak, Troy held Canvas against his chest, hugging him as tight as he could as the train began to slow further down. Remembering what Rainbow Dash said about Rarity waiting for him at the station, Troy's heart began to race faster as he knew what he was planning to do.

Closing his eyes, Troy held onto his coltfriend and nuzzled his mane, hoping to keep this moment for as long as he could before he spoke tenderly.

"I love you, Canvas."

Hearing Troy's caring voice say that as his beak brushed against his mane, Canvas felt himself well up a little as he smiled. He clutched the Gryphon tighter as he closed his eyes and spoke back to him faintly.

"I love you too, Troy."

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As the steam from the train engine began to envelop the station platform in a thick, warm mist, Rarity didn’t seem to mind one bit while she stood in her stylish trench coat, which was accessorized with a matching sunhat, as she watched the train doors open.

With her horn glowing with a hue of blue magic, the white unicorn held up two items of clothing, each wrapped in plastic and on hangers as they hung suspended from her aura. Keeping her attention on the train doors and her two pieces, Rarity barely paid much notice to Rainbow Dash as she stood beside her, looking rather bored as she tapped her hooves against the concrete platform. While she'd rather be flying right now (despite how tight security has been lately for the Gala, even for her), the Pegasus wanted to check up on Troy and make sure everything went smoothly for them.

After several ponies stepped off the train onto the Canterlot platform, Troy departed the train with Canvas in tow, both looking especially happy to see the two mares waiting for them. Since she expected Troy to greet her first, Rainbow Dash was surprised when the Gryphon made a beeline towards Rarity, keeping an excited look on his face as she levitated one of the hanging items to him.

"Here's your tuxedo, Troy,” said Rarity in a particularly cheerful tone as she carefully folded it with her magic and levitated it into his satchel. Keeping a cheeky grin on her face, the unicorn looked up to the Gryphon with a definite spring in her step as she spoke.

"And the accommodations are already in place inside."

Not noticing how both Canvas and Rainbow Dash looked confused as to why Rarity said that one word so differently from the rest, Troy just kept his own eager smile on his beak as he secured the satchel against his shoulder. Before Canvas could respond or ask what was going on, Rarity was quick to place the stallion's jacket into his art bag before speaking to him in a caring tone.

"And here's your suit, Canvas. I already made sure all the measurements were correct, but if anything feels off, just come straight to me so I can make any readjustments, okay?"

Despite thinking her behavior itself was a little off, Canvas kept his muzzle shut and nodded in understanding. As he closed his art bag with the tux inside, Canvas looked over to Rainbow Dash before speaking.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash, do you know if my package came into Canterlot yet?"

While Troy looked at his coltfriend with surprise on face, Rainbow Dash looked up as she tried to ponder Canvas's question. After a second or two of contemplation, the Pegasus's eyes shot open as she looked back at Canvas with a smile.

"Oh yeah! I think Twi picked it up from the post office herself, so it's probably at the castle by now."

"Great!” said the stallion as he carried a new, excited look on his face, confusing Troy even more before he spoke up.

"Wait, what package?"

Canvas's eyebrows rose as he looked up to the Gryphon, looking at him in slight surprise before replying, "Wait, I thought I told you. I was working on my other project in time for the Gala, remember?"

"Oooohhhhhh…"

While Troy realized the Gala had something to do with why Canvas was in his studio so much for the past two weeks (despite how many times he tried to entice him to the bedroom), he didn’t realize that it actually involved the Gala itself.

Also curious about Canvas's answer, Rainbow Dash was quick to ask, "Wait, what were you working on? I thought you finished that painting like, a month ago!"

"I did,” said the stallion as he turned back to Rainbow Dash, "but I decided to do something else for--”

Remembering the reason why he’d started his second project for the Gala, Canvas bit his lip as he thought about his answer, not wanting to give too much away about what he was making, or why he did it.

"... For… personal reasons. And I… wanted to have it at the Gala for somepony to see…"

Despite knowing his answer would probably just lead to more questions, Canvas kept his muzzle shut as he felt the Pegasus and Gryphon's stares on him. Fortunately, neither Rainbow Dash nor Troy said much after his statement, figuring that any more answers they would try to get would be as vague as the one he just gave.

Even with his curious gaze on his coltfriend, Troy turned his head to the clock above the train station exit, seeing that there was still plenty of time before the Gala as he spoke to Canvas. "Hey Canvas, we could probably make it to the Concert Hall if we start moving now."

Seeing the eager look in the Gryphon's face as he said that, Canvas couldn’t help but grin a little as he secured the art bag over his shoulder. Remembering how Troy mentioned wanting to visit that place, Rainbow Dash just smiled and watched the two begin to leave, not noticing how overjoyed Rarity was looking as she stood next to her. With the stallion close by his side, Troy looked back at the two mares as he smiled and waved at them.

"Thanks for helping out, Rarity!" said Troy as he and Canvas waved at them. "We'll see you both at the Gala."

With that, the two set off out of the station, heading to the Canterlot Concert Hall as Rainbow Dash stood beside Rarity. Seeing how antsy the unicorn looked at seeing them leave, Rainbow's curiosity got the best of her.

"Okay Rare, what's going on?" asked the cyan mare in an insistent tone as she eyed her with a raised eyebrow.

"Wha--I mean…" Rarity was quick to look away from the Pegasus's glare, making the white fur on her cheeks begin to blush as she tried to muster out a statement. Seeing how flustered her friend was getting, Rainbow narrowed her eyes as she realized something was going on.

"I… don’t know what you're talking about, Rainbow Dash. I--”

"Spill the beans, Rarity!" said Rainbow as she bent in, her face less than a few inches from the unicorn's as she spoke insistently. "Troy is my co-worker, so I should know whatever it is the two of you are up to!"

"I… I…” After a brief moment to keep herself from saying anything, Rarity puffed her chest out and turned back to Rainbow Dash, now carrying a insistent look of her own as she spoke to the mare.

"I cannot tell you of anything that is going on, Rainbow. I made a Pinkie Promise to stay silent about it, and I intend on keeping that, no matter what."

Not waiting for a response, Rarity walked away from Rainbow Dash, leaving the Pegasus standing dumbfounded as she tried to comprehend the sudden change in her friend. Not wanting this conversation to just cut off like that, Rainbow was quick to speak up to the unicorn as she stood near a trashcan.

"Oh come on, Rarity! I won’t say anything, I swear!"

"The answer is no,” said Rarity as she stopped and turned back to Rainbow Dash. "I made a Pinkie Promise. To break a Pinkie Promise means to lose a friend, remember?"

As the unicorn began to walk ahead once more, Rainbow Dash groaned and rubbed her temple with a hoof. Not one to be denied any good info, the Pegasus felt especially irritated as she tried to think of something to say. Knowing that Rarity wasn't going to say much more about it right now, the cyan mare pouted as she stood next to the trash can, muttering under her breath as she mimicked the unicorn's voice.

"’I made a Pinkie Promise, Rainbow Dash. To break it is to lose a friend--’”

Suddenly, Pinkie Pie's head popped out from inside the trash can as she shouted, "FOREVERRRRRRR!!!"

Rainbow Dash shrieked as she jumped up, landing on top of a lamppost as she looked down to the pink mare, who was still inside the trash can.

"What the hay, Pinkie Pie!?!?!” shouted Rainbow as she saw Pinkie looking up at her with her usual carefree grin. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Pinkie's smile suddenly turned into a pout as she pointed a hoof to Rainbow Dash from the trash can. "And you tried to make Rarity break a Pinkie Promise! Shame on you, Rainbow Dash!"

Annoyed that the mare was so insistent on following a rule like that--although she'd learned over the years not to question anything Pinkie did--Rainbow dropped back down to the station platform, eying Pinkie Pie as she spoke with an irritated tone of voice.

"Pinkie, do you seriously just wait around at random places just to catch your friends doing stuff you don’t like?!"

Pinkie Pie blinked a few times as her head poked out from the trash can, a blank look on her face before she replied to the Pegasus.

"… Why? You don't?"

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Even though Canterlot was the thriving capital of Equestria, as well as the home of two Goddesses, the kingdom was surprisingly small in size, only boasting a few miles in length as it stood at the side of Canterlot Mountain. However, even with its small size, the massive amount of ponies and small one-way roads made it rather difficult to get anywhere in the city on time. Because of that, it took a considerable amount of time for Troy and Canvas to make it to the Canterlot Concert hall. Even though he was glad to reach a place so important to his family history, Troy's heart sank as he saw the state of the Concert Hall now.

While the stadium was still standing triumphantly over the beautiful landscape of Equestria, massive walls of scaffolding and clear tarp were hung the domed structure, covering it completely, like it was under quarantine. Seeing how upset the Gryphon looked over seeing this, Canvas trotted over to a sign in front of the main doors of the Concert Hall, wondering why a national landmark was in this condition. Hoping to ease his boyfriend's nerves, Canvas read the notice out loud to Troy to catch his attention.

"Notice: due to extensive repairs needed to the exterior of this building, no ponies are permitted to enter until further notice."

Troy groaned as he heard that, not wanting to turn back after moving around so many uptight Canterlot ponies to get here.

"Crap!" said the Gryphon as he walked up and saw the sign did in fact say that. "I really wanted to see this place!"

Knowing how important this place was to him, Canvas sighed and looked back to the large stadium, looking morose himself until he looked at the sign again. Reading the fine print, Canvas's eyes widened a little before a grin grew on his face. Reaching out a hoof to the door, Canvas's grin grew even bigger when he saw it wasn't locked. Keeping a sly smirk on his muzzle, Canvas looked back to the upset-looking Gryphon before he spoke up.

"Hey Troy,” said the stallion in a more whispered tone as he opened the main door a little, "come on."

Seeing what Canvas was suggesting, Troy's eyes widened as he threw his claws up in protest. Even though he wanted to see this place, he knew it wasn't worth ending up in a Royal Guard jail cell.

"Dude, are you serious?" asked the Gryphon as he looked at his coltfriend like he was insane. "I'm not gonna risk getting deported or something! The sign says--"

"The sign says 'no ponies,’”, said Canvas as he interrupted his boyfriend, keeping a grin on his muzzle as he continued. "I could get in trouble for going in since I am a pony, but you…"

Keeping his smirk, Canvas watched as Troy looked back at the sign, seeing that it didn't make any mention of Gryphons entering the property. Realizing the same thing Canvas did, Troy began to grin as well as he read the sign, appreciating the fact that his coltfriend noticed a loophole like that.

Looking around to make sure nopony was watching, Troy stepped up to the front doors of the Concert Hall, waiting until he was sure he was unnoticed until stepping over the ropes and heading in. Not wanting to leave his boyfriend alone, Canvas kept a smile as he looked around as well, checking that the coast was clear before following and closing the door behind him.

While the outside of the Canterlot Concert Hall was obviously in need of repair, it was almost impossible to tell from the inside. The luxurious main room was draped in the finest red carpets underneath the ornate columns along the walls. Even though it was empty, the lights to the main hall were still on as Canvas and Troy walked inside the large space, both of them noticing the faint smell of perfume within the entrance from the thousands of ponies who had been here before.

Looking around, Troy's eyes widened as he saw the walkways to the balcony seating, making the Gryphon smile before he rushed up to one of the hallways. With Canvas following--and having trouble keeping pace with his boyfriend--Troy ran along the hallways like a colt in a candy store, looking at the letters above each section as he moved past them. It wasn't until he nearly reached the end of the walkway that Troy stopped, keeping his eyes pinned on the doorway above one particular balcony seating before Canvas caught up with him.

Panting heavily, Canvas was unsure of what was making the Gryphon so excited until he looked up at the doorway. Seeing that the bronze lettering over the door showed the letter J, Canvas saw Troy's eyes widen as a smile grew on his beak, looking like he saw something amazing before he walked past the doorway.

As Troy's talons pressed against the soft, red carpet underneath him, his heart felt heavier as he stepped onto the balcony seating over the Concert Hall. While the view to the stage wasn't that great from this angle, Troy didn’t notice at all as he stood between the two rows of plush seating facing the right side of the stage.

Putting a claw over the foreleg-rests of one of the seats, Troy smiled and tried not to cry, knowing exactly where he was. While Canvas stood at the doorway, watching with happy, yet worried eyes, Troy stayed silent as he savored the silence of this space, knowing that this was the very spot that his Grandparents first met.

For the longest time, Troy's grandparents were the only real friends that he had growing up. Because of his small size and meek build, Troy was quickly shunned by a lot of the other Gryphons when he was young. While his father was determined to make him stronger through exercise and discipline, Troy's Grandma and Grandpa took a different route with him. Whenever the little Gryphon would visit them for whatever reason, the two would always be quick to make him feel welcome, no matter what happened to him earlier that day. As time went on, Troy eventually began to listen to more and more records from their collection, developing a real appreciation for the same classical music and opera they liked.

Even when he grew and became a more suitable size in comparison to his classmates--although he was still rather small when compared to his older brothers--Troy preferred hanging out with his grandparents, listening to their stories about Equestria and appreciating their great company.

While everyone in the family was saddened by their loss, Troy was especially distraught about it, remembering all the amazing things they told him regarding love and Canterlot. Now, with the greatest love he'd ever known in his life, the Gryphon was in the very spot where his Grandfather met his Grandmother, making him start to tear up as he stood in the vacant space.

Seeing how his boyfriend was looking, Canvas put caution to the wind and lifted his hoof, stepping inside the balcony as he slowly walked over to Troy. Even with the tears streaming down Troy's face, Canvas was happy to see the Gryphon keeping a smile on his beak as he looked around, savoring the space before noticing the stallion next to him.

Keeping a grateful smile on his face, Troy bent in to nuzzle his lover as he stood in this sacred spot, letting this moment sink in as he held Canvas close. As Troy nuzzled him with his eyes closed, Canvas's gaze slowly went over to the large stage below them, making him grin a little before turning back to the Gryphon.

"Hey, Troy,” said Canvas as he kept a warm smile on him, "I have an idea…"

Curious about Canvas's optimistic tone, Troy pulled his head back as he looked at his lover, feeling slightly confused before the stallion motioned over to the stage. Looking over at the large space underneath them, Troy's eyes widened as he realized what it was Canvas was suggesting.

Despite not wanting to do anything to catch the attention of anypony inside--especially any security guards--the reassuring smile on the pony's face was more than enough to know it was fine.

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While he didn’t want to fly around in a place like this (though it was large enough for him to do so easily), Troy knew it would be a more convenient method than following his coltfriend along the hallways to reach the stage. In a matter of seconds, the Gryphon's paws and claws went from the carpeted floors of the balcony to the wooden floors of the theater as he landed on the immaculate stage of the Canterlot Concert Hall.

While there were no spotlights on to light up the stage, it was still surprisingly well-lit as Troy stood on the spot, realizing that he was on a spot where thousands of great performers stood before. After a few seconds of silence, the sound of Canvas hooves caught Troy's attention as he saw the stallion running down the aisle to the stage.

Seeing Troy up on the biggest stage in Equestria, Canvas smiled and stopped at the front row of seats, keeping his eyes on the Gryphon as he spoke.

"So, Troy,” said the stallion with a cheerful tone as he slowly walked along the lavish seats facing the stage, "how does it feel? Think you can see yourself performing on this stage someday?"

Despite not noticing any sarcasm in Canvas's voice, Troy still scoffed a little as he look away from the stallion, not wanting to get his hopes up as he replied, "Oh come on! You really think I'm good enough for this place?"

As Troy looked back to the front row of seats, he watched Canvas sit in the middle of the row, keeping his eyes on the Gryphon before he spoke in a kind and confident tone of voice.

"Troy, I know you're good enough."

The Gryphon could only smile as the feathers on the back of his neck began to ruffle out. Not wanting to get caught looking this bashful--although a snicker from the pony proved that ship had already sailed--Troy quickly rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke.

"So…"

Looking around from his spot on the stage, Troy's eyes widened as he saw how massive this place really was. Among the hundreds of seats in front of him, and the dozens of balcony seats above, Troy's heart began to beat faster as he let everything sink in, knowing that this really was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for him.

As his mind imagined all of these seats occupied, he thought of what it would be like to be in front of this stage with thousands of ponies watching. A smile grew on Troy' beak as he realized how right that felt. Looking back to the stallion in front of him, Troy saw Canvas keeping a chipper smile on his muzzle, making him feel happier himself as he finished his statement.

"So, Canvas… do… do you have any requests?"

Canvas only kept silent with his smile for a moment before replying, "Just do what you want…. This is your moment."

Hearing that, Troy felt his feathers ruffle out a little again as he looked around the concert hall. Seeing the J Balcony to his left, Troy smiled as he focused on that spot, knowing that was where two of the most important Gryphons in his life first met.

Closing his eyes, Troy turned his head back out ahead of him as he savored the silence around him. Lifting a foreleg up, Troy placed it over his chest, letting the warmth come over him as he thought of what to do.

Hearing the familiar music in his head, the Gryphon felt his heart grow heavier as he realized which song he wanted to do; even though he hadn’t sang it or even listened to it since his grandmother's death, Troy knew that, in that moment, in front of the love of his life, it was the perfect song to sing

Breathing in, Troy slowed any excess saliva in his throat before opening his beak, letting the serenity of the stage take over as he began to sing.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave Mariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…

Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatia pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeennaaaaaaaaaaa…

As he heard his own voice come out on the stage, in the very space where so many great performers had sung before, Troy felt his eyes begin to well up as he went on, not noticing that Canvas was tearing up as well.

Mariiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaa, graaatia pleeeeeeeeeeeeennaaaaaaaaa…

Mariiiiiiiiiiiaa, graaaaaatia pleeeeeeeeeeeennnaaaaaaaaaa…

Aaaaaveeeeeeee…aaaaaveeee dooooominuuuuuusssss…

Teeeeeeeeeeeeecuuuuuuuuummmmm…

Even with his eyes closed, tears were still streaming down the Gryphon's face while he sang, as he remembered how things went the last time he sang Ave Maria. With the image of his grandmother's smiling face in his mind, showing the most genuine look of happiness while lying in her bed, Troy was finding it difficult to keep himself composed while on the stage.

Beeeenediiiiiiiiiiiiiiiicta tuuuu in mulieribuuuuuuuuuuusssss…

Et beeeeeeeeeeeeenediiiiiictuuuuuuuuuuussss…

As his eyes stayed shut, Troy raised his head up to the roof of the Concert Hall, letting the music take over as he belted out the big lines.

Beeeenediiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiictus fruuuuuuctus, ventris

Tuuuuuuuuuuuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!

Troy lowered his head again as he breathed in, feeling his body become practically weightless after that last note. As he slowly opened his golden eyes, Troy was surprised to see Canvas right in front of him, standing on the stage with him as he carried a smile underneath those beautiful blue eyes.

As he looked at the stallion before him, more tears came from Troy's face as he smiled back, before he lifted a claw to hold against Canvas's face. As he used a talon to gently brush away the tears from the matted aqua fur on his lover's cheeks, Troy kept his eyes locked onto his, staring into those perfect pools of blue as he continued.

Tuuuiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussss…

As he looked into Canvas's eyes, Troy held the stallion closer, wrapping his forelegs around the pony's back so they were now only inches away from each other. No longer caring that they were on the biggest stage in Equestria, neither one noticed anything around them as they held each other in loving embrace. Their eyes were locked between the Gryphon's vibrant gold and the stallion's calming blue.

As Troy bent his head in closer, now touching the pony's forehead, he slowly reached a claw into his satchel, hoping to find what he was looking for as he gently finished his song to Canvas.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaavvvveeeeeeeeeeeeee…

Mariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…

Even though the Concert Hall was completely silent, Troy could still imagine the thunderous applause in his mind, not phasing him one bit as he bent his head in further. As his heart began beating faster, Troy kept one claw inside his satchel while the other held Canvas's head in, closing his eyes as he kissed him deeply.

With his mind racing over what he wanted to do in that very moment, Troy wanted to make sure their kiss was perfect. He kept his beak locked against Canvas's tender lips as deeply and passionately as the first time they came together. As his talons grasped what it was he was looking for, still wrapped inside his jacket in the satchel, Troy began to tear up again as he pulled his head back, looking into Canvas's eyes with the utmost look of bliss and beauty as he spoke in a faint whisper.

"... Canvas…”

Before Troy could continue, a loud crash from offstage startled the both of them, making the two jump back as they looked at the side of the stage, wide-eyed.

As a light fixture rolled its way onto the stage, neither of them noticed the dozens more, which fell to the ground as they saw who was standing in the middle of it. Looking extremely embarrassed and wide-eyed, a grey Earth Pony mare with a straight, black mane was almost shaking as she stood at the side of the stage.

Before either Canvas or Troy could say anything, hoping this mare wasn't part of security or something (even though her petite figure was fairly good proof of the contrary), the mare began to speak in a shaky, but still deeply posh tone of voice.

"I… I'm sorry, I… didn’t mean to… interrupt you two…"

As Troy looked at the mare, his eyes narrowed on her as he tried to recognize her face, swearing that he’d seen her before. As his eyes lowered to the pink octave symbol on her flank, Troy's eyes widened in shock as he stepped back, looking rather surprised as he spoke up.

"Wait a minute! You…. you're Octavia! From… from Concerto in Canterlot!"

While Canvas stood beside the Gryphon, slightly surprised, Octavia just stood dumbfounded for a moment before replying to Troy with a smile.

"Umm… yes! Yes, I am! I must say, I'm rather surprised you know about me."

"Well,” said Troy as he looked away from her sheepishly, "I… kinda bought your cassette on my birthday."

"Well,” said Octavia with a pleased smirk on her face as she walked forward onto the stage, "I'm glad that someone bought a copy."

Before Troy could try to respond with a quick quip or something, he suddenly remembered the questionable situation he and Canvas were caught in. He quickly began to stammer out a response as he stood next to his coltfriend.

"Umm… just so you know, we… well…. we're… sorry, about--”

Octavia held up a hoof to stop Troy's rambling, waiting until he stopped before she responded in a more cheerful tone through her Canterlot accent. "You don't have to explain, gentlemen. I won't say anything."

Octavia then bent her head in closer to the two as she quickly whispered, "To be honest, I shouldn’t be here either."

As the two chuckled a little to lighten the mood, Canvas was the first to respond to Octavia, holding out a hoof to her as he spoke. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Octavia. We just wanted to visit this place before the Gala tonight."

Hearing that, Octavia's eyes widened as she shook the stallion's hoof, realizing who he was before saying in a surprised tone, "Oh yes, I know you! You're Canvas, right? I've read about your success in the paper."

Canvas's smile grew bigger as he put his hoof back down, excited to know he was becoming so well-known because of his art. Seeing how interested the grey mare was at meeting him, Canvas began to blush a little as he responded to her.

"Umm… yeah, I'm Canvas. Th-thank you for recognizing me."

"Well, how couldn’t I?" said Octavia as her tone became more cheerful. "Being the first Earth Pony to accomplish a task like that is pretty big! Plus…"

Octavia then looked back to the side of the stage, making Canvas and Troy notice the large cello propped against the wall in the shadows. Keeping a smile on her face, Octavia's voice came out more subdued and sincere as she looked back to Canvas and finished her statement.

"I know how difficult it can be to be noticed for those kinds of talents as an Earth Pony."

Remembering how most of the unicorns reacted to him back at the gallery, Canvas nodded as he replied, "Yeah… I'd hate to say it, but unicorns can really be uptight sometimes."

The mare giggled a little as she looked away from Canvas, blushing as she thought of something. Without realizing it, Octavia began to speak under her breath as she thought about Canvas's statement.

"… Not Vinyl Scratch…"

Realizing she said that out loud, Octavia immediately shook her head back to the two in front of her before she blurted, "Oh! Um… well… you two should probably get ready for the Gala. It might take a while to get past security this year, so…"

Realizing that it probably would take a while to get to the Gala after walking back and going through security, Canvas and Troy both nodded to the mare before looking back at each other. Even though Troy didn’t want to leave the Concert Hall yet, still wanting to do what he came here for, the Gryphon groaned internally as he looked around, realizing that the mood wasn't right any more.

As he secured his satchel on his shoulder, Troy tried to hide his disappointment and kept a faint smile on his beak, looking back at Canvas as he kept his art bag to his side. After the two made their goodbyes to Octavia and began to leave the stage, Troy looked down at his coltfriend while they walked side-by-side along the long isle of seats.

Looking at the stallion as he happily trotted along the red carpet underneath them, Troy breathed in as he looked back forward, keeping his satchel secure as he thought of what he wanted to do. Even though he wanted to do this here at the Concert Hall, Troy sighed as he walked, keeping a mental note that, no matter what, he wasn't going to get distracted like that again.

At the Gala, thought Troy as he kept Canvas close by his side. Tonight, I'll do it at the Gala.

Because life is too short.

Next Chapter: Chapter Fifty-Two: Reflections Estimated time remaining: 42 Minutes