Canvas groaned in frustration as he tried to fumble with the black tie tangled in his hooves. Despite his insistence to Rarity that he wanted a clip-on tie, the unicorn was even more insistent on Canvas having a real tie for the Gala. While he may have been great with his hooves when it came to painting or drawing, none of that mattered to the stallion as he tried to get the knots around his neck right, feeling like he was doing something as maddening as eating soup with chopsticks. After messing up his fifth attempt to get the knot right, Canvas groaned even louder, making his boyfriend take notice and walk up to him.

"Don't worry about it,” said Troy as he attempted to cover any chuckles of amusement as he grabbed Canvas's tie. "Let me get this for you. It's kinda easier to do this when you have talons."

Seeing how the Gryphon already had his tie and tuxedo jacket on, Canvas could see his point and stood upright for him, keeping his chest out as he let Troy try his claws at the necktie around him.

Keeping a warm smile on his beak, Troy quickly got Canvas's tie done right as it laid around his aqua neck. As the Gryphon adjusted the tie so it laid within the collars of Canvas's dress shirt, he didn’t seem to notice how much the stallion was blushing with a smile on his muzzle. When Troy finally looked back up to his coltfriend, he was only able to look into his blue eyes for about a second before Canvas bent in, wrapping his hooves around the Gryphon's neck as he kissed him deeply.

Though he was slightly surprised that Canvas would do this in one of the bathrooms of Canterlot Castle, Troy didn't care one bit as he immediately returned the kiss, holding the stallion tightly as his beak intertwined with his lover's lips. While he wouldn't have minded staying like this with him for the rest of the night, Troy only kept the kiss for another warm moment before he slowly pulled his beak back.

"You know,” said the Gryphon in almost a pant as he looked at Canvas with half-open eyes and a lustful grin, "if we keep going like this, I might end up ripping that cute little tux off of you."

"Oh really?" Canvas then pushed Troy against the tiled wall of the elegant bathroom, keeping him pinned against his hooves as he spoke in a more sultry tone. "Because that sounds more like a reward than a consequence."

As the two giggled while looking into each other's eager eyes, the moment was dampened when another stallion entered the bathroom, who shrieked at seeing them before shooting back out. The two looked back at each other with worried looks on their faces, realizing how much they looked like a couple of antsy teenagers on Prom Night with Canvas pinning Troy against the wall like this. It wasn’t long before they started cracking up and letting go.

Still laughing, Troy was quick to put a foreleg around Canvas, holding him closer as they left the bathroom. Even though he didn't want the two of them to get any odd looks from ponies at being seen this close, Troy didn't care as he looked at the stallion next to him, seeing his art bag hanged on his shoulder as it draped against his tux. Looking at Canvas, Troy felt his chest get warmer as he walked beside him, making him feel even more confident about what he wanted to do tonight.

Stepping out into the hallway in their matching tuxedos, Canvas giggled as he walked closer to Troy, keeping his eyes on the Gryphon as they started to make their way down the hall. Before they got five steps in, Rarity appeared at the end of the hallway, noticing the two before her eyes went wide in excitement. Shrieking out in joy, the unicorn ran up to the two of them as she yelled out in a happy tone of voice.

"There you guys are! I'm so happy to see you two like this, congrat--"

Rarity's cheerful banter stopped as she looked at Troy, seeing him make a quick "cut it" gesture across his throat as he looked at her, wide-eyed. Before Canvas could look back up to him and see what he was doing, Troy put his claws back down and looked at Rarity with a regular smile. While the stallion stood in confusion between the two, Rarity bit her lip as she looked at Troy, promptly realizing what he was motioning to her as she tried to finish her statement differently.

"I was going to say… congratulations on the painting, Canvas!” said the unicorn in a still cheerful, but slightly different tone. "I just saw it, and it looks marvelous!"

"Oh, um… thanks."

As Canvas looked at her with a light--and still slightly confused--smile, he didn’t seem to notice Troy as he nodded to the mare, a serious expression on his face as he eyed Rarity down. Knowing she shouldn't say any more, the unicorn quickly cleared her throat before speaking to them in a dainty tone of voice.

"Well, gentlemen, if you excuse me I'll… be going somewhere else…"

Before Canvas question how weird she was acting, Rarity quickly trotted back off down the hallway. As Canvas looked back to his lover in a confused state, he didn’t notice Rarity's head pop back out at the end of the hallway, glaring at Troy as she pointed at him with a hoof.

In less than a second, Troy looked back at her and made a talon's up gesture to indicate things are fine before she went back off. However, Canvas saw what Troy did, making him look back down the hallway just after Rarity disappeared and making him even more confused as he looked back to the Gryphon.

Feeling the stallion's blue eyes burning on him in suspicion, Troy could only muster a quick smile to fake innocence, leaving it there for a moment before Canvas sighed, rolling his eyes before he went back down the hall with him. Hoping Canvas wasn't getting too suspicious or annoyed, Troy quietly sighed in relief and walked beside him.

As the two walked side-by-side down the large hallway, both of them worried whether they should've gotten horseshoes or padding as they walked barefooted along the marble floors. The sight of Princess Celestia and Princess Twilight Sparkle made them both stop in their tracks.

As the Princesses walked up to Canvas and Troy with smiles on their faces, the couple smiled back as they made their quick bows to them. When Canvas looked back up at the two alicorns, he saw Celestia looking at him with a warm smile on her face, looking rather grateful to meet him as she spoke in a tender tone of voice.

"Well, good evening, Canvas,” said Celestia, not noticing the stallion's quick blush at hearing her voice as she continued, "it's nice to be able to see you before the Gala begins. I hope that security wasn't too intrusive for the two of you."

Looking back to his boyfriend, Canvas and Troy both looked kind of unsure of what to say to the Princesses in front of them. While they did manage to get back to the castle in less time than expected, the two still underwent a pretty thorough security check before being permitted into the castle. Even though both of them understood its importance for a night like this--especially considering how the Royal Wedding a couple years ago exposed some pretty big flaws in security--neither of them wanted to bring up the discomfort of being searched and having all their things looked through.

While Troy had an especially big bone to pick regarding how one of the Royal Guards opened up everything in front of them without thinking twice, he was still grateful that the unicorn didn't pull out what was in his jacket. He kept his beak shut as Canvas replied to the alicorn.

"Oh, it's alright,” said the stallion in an insistent tone as he kept a smile on his muzzle. "I totally get it. I'm just glad I was able to see the Castle before the Gala actually began."

"I'm very glad to hear that,” said Celestia in a warm tone as she smiled at the stallion, "because I was wanting to show you where I placed your painting."

Canvas's smile grew even wider as he heard that, not expecting to have the Goddess show him where his painting was personally. As Celestia motioned the two to follow her, Twilight kept her smile as she walked alongside Canvas opposite of Troy, looking over to the stallion as she spoke.

"I saw where she placed your painting,” said the lavender alicorn as she carried an excited tone in her voice, "and I can say that she picked a great spot for it!"

"That's great to know, Twilight,” said Canvas as he looked back towards her. Remembering what Rainbow Dash told him at the train station, Canvas was quick to make sure the cyan mare was right as he spoke to Twilight. "By the way, Rainbow Dash told me you picked up my package?"

Remembering Canvas's discussion about that (as well as his weak excuse), Troy peered in as he walked alongside the stallion and Twilight, listening in as the alicorn replied cheerfully, "Yes I did, Canvas. She's asleep right now, so I don't think she'll see it until tonight, but I left it in her quarters."

Although Troy was getting more confused and wondering who "she" was supposed to be, the Gryphon noticed how happy Canvas looked at hearing Twilight's response, making him decide to just stay silent for the moment as he smiled. Before anything else could be said, Celestia already walked into the main ballroom of Canterlot Castle, leaving the other three to follow and look inside the grand entrance.

Even though the large ballroom was still undergoing preparations for the Gala, with dozens of ponies either arranging the food or getting the stage for the band ready, the whole space felt eerily still as the Princesses walked through the suddenly silent space. Even with everypony stopping and staying silent in her presence, Celestia didn't pay much attention as she looked back at the two behind her, giving a warm smile before she spoke.

"Canvas,” said Princess Celestia in a happy tone of voice, "because of the Gala, I thought it would be best to place your painting here in the ballroom."

Pointing over to where she placed Canvas's greatest work, Celestia smiled as she saw the stallion's eyes widen, his jaw slowly dropping as he saw where it was hung. Walking over to the two large windows, which faced the garden outside, Canvas was shocked when he saw his painting of Celestia hanging proudly between the windows in the center.

Looking back at where this was in relation to the ballroom, Canvas realized that this really was a great spot for his painting; he saw that the main entrance to the ballroom was directly across from these windows, Canvas smiled as he looked back to his painting, realizing that this would be one of the first things ponies see when they enter the room for the Gala.

Before the overwhelmed pony could say anything to Celestia, Canvas looked back to her with his eyes welling as he saw the Goddess smiling back, looking pleased as she spoke in a warm tone of voice.

"You really did an amazing job, Canvas. And I want you to know that of all the ponies I could've chosen for this, I'm really glad it was you."

No longer being able to hold back, tears of joy started to run down Canvas's face as he let this moment set in. After everything he'd had to endure in his past, and after all the heartache he had to suffer before finding salvation, all Canvas could think about is how much he'd managed to accomplish by now.

Less than a year ago, Canvas was just a lonely stallion in an uncaring town, living each day in fear over wanting to really wanting to live his life for who he was. Now, with the love of his life by his side, the stallion was able to find everything he ever wanted in a matter of months: friends, a home, a real life, a mate, and a real sense of happiness and peace.

And now, with his greatest painting on display for royalty, Canvas could only stand in a stunned sense of joy as he let everything sink in. Along with making history by being the first Earth Pony to make a painting for Celestia, Canvas knew that, no matter what happened in his life, his art will always remain in this sacred space.

Knowing how much was almost taken away forever, the stallion couldn't say a word as he looked back to his greatest work, marveling in the fact that, even when he's long gone, that his art and his name will forever be immortalized in the framed painting in front of him. As Troy walked in closer to Canvas, holding him close before the stallion could fall over, the pony closed his eyes and savored the Gryphon's warmth, breathing in before he noticed Celestia walking over to him.

Even though lunging forward at a Princess could've easily been followed by a dozen guards tackling him, Canvas didn't care one bit as he quickly grabbed Celestia, hugging her with tears coming down his face. While both Troy and Twilight were both surprised to see the stallion do something like that--along with the other ponies in the ballroom, who looked rather shocked at this display--Celestia didn't falter for a second as she hugged him back.

Keeping the biggest smile on his face as it stayed against the Goddess's warm chest, only a few whimpers could come out of Canvas's mouth before he finally spoke, his voice coming out in a faint whisper.

"... Thank you… thank you so much, Celestia…"

The alicorn closed her eyes as she smiled, hugging Canvas back as she heard how appreciative the stallion's words were.

"You don't need to thank me,” said the Goddess in a loving tone as she slowly pulled her head back. As Canvas let go of the Princess, he looked up at her smiling face while he tried wiping tears off his matted cheeks, hoping to look presentable again as she continued to speak.

"You were the one who did this, Canvas. Nopony else can say that."

Hearing her humble words, Canvas could only nod and smile, trying not to cry again before he bowed to her. As the stallion raised himself back up, Troy quickly stood by his side again, wrapping a foreleg around Canvas as he kept a smile on his beak.

Seeing how happy the two of them looked together, Celestia smiled before clearing her throat, catching the attention of both of them as they looked back up to the Goddess. Seeing that she was now looking at him, Troy's heart began racing as Celestia spoke.

"Troius Clawston?"

Even though he wasn't a military Gryphon by any standards (despite his father's insistence as a child to toughen him up), Troy still stood upright with his chest out as he spoke firmly, "Yes, Ma'am!"

Canvas giggled a little as he saw how drastically his boyfriend changed his composure in front of royalty, which also made Celestia giggle a bit before continuing.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again. I didn’t get a chance to talk with you during the Gallery, but I want to say I had the great pleasure to know your Grandparents. The Talonochs were responsible for accomplishing so much between Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom, and I have nothing but the highest respect for them."

Troy's stoic stance suddenly changed at the mention of them, making him smile a little as he looked at Celestia with a kinder look on his face. Seeing how genuine the Goddess looked as she said that, it was hard for Troy not to well up as he responded, "Th… thank you."

Celestia's smile grew warmer as she replied, "I can truly say that Niko and Helen were an amazing couple to work with. And I'm glad that I got to meet you as well."

With that, Celestia held out a hoof, making Troy stammer a little as he saw how kind this alicorn was being towards him. Lifting his claw, Troy felt a million different waves of excitement flow through him as he reached out and shook her hoof, realizing that he was one of only a few Gryphons to actually interact with royalty like this.

Feeling the warm hoof in his grasp, Troy kept his grateful smile as he looked up to the Goddess, seeing how legitimately kind Celestia looked from behind her light-lavender eyes, looking back at him with the utmost look of understanding and care. When he finally let go, the Gryphon tried as hard as he could to keep his composure as he stepped back, standing beside his coltfriend before he nodded to the Princess.

With a caring nod back to him, Celestia looked back to Twilight before she spoke to the couple. "I have some tasks to complete before the Gala begins, so I'll be heading off for the moment. Feel free to enjoy yourself for the time being."

As the two kept their enlightened smiles, Canvas and Troy were quick to give a final bow to the alicorns as they made their way out of the ballroom, making the other ponies working quickly get back to their jobs as soon as the Princesses left. Even with the sounds of ponies' murmurs and things moving around them, neither the stallion or Gryphon seemed to notice anything as they looked back at each other in glee.

Before either of them could say or do anything, the sound of a familiar mare's voice caught the attention of Canvas and Troy, making them turn over as they heard the Canterlot voice call out, "Canvas, there you are!"

Looking over at the direction of the voice, the two saw Octavia walk toward them, now wearing a pink bowtie around her neck as she said, "It's nice that I got to see you two again before the Gala begins. Was security rough on you guys too?"

Remembering the close call he had with the guard searching him, Troy made sure his jacket was on tightly as he responded with a groan. "Yeah, they were. Seriously, you would think they would've taken it down a notch after a year or two."

"Maybe,” said the mare as she kept a slightly frustrated look on her face, "but given how much has gone on in recent years--what with Discord, the Changeling Invasion, AND that whole Crystal Empire event--I can't blame the Princesses for being a little paranoid."

Despite how upset he felt about it, Troy still nodded in understanding to Octavia, realizing she had a valid point. Even though he preferred this nation over the Gryphon Kingdom, Troy had to admit that a lot of crazy stuff has happened over the years.

"By the way, sir,” said Octavia as she looked at the Gryphon curiously, "I haven't gotten the chance to ask for your name."

Troy's eyebrows rose a little as he looked at the mare before he lifted his claw and smiled as he spoke.

"Oh of course. My name is Troius. Troius Clawston, although most ponies just call me Troy."

"Charmed,” said Octavia as she shook his claw with her hoof. Looking around, the mare kept a slightly embarrassed look on her face as she continued to speak. "I wanted to say something back at the Concert Hall, but I figured things were already a little awkward after catching you with your… partner."

Both Troy and Canvas blushed a little as they looked back at each other, still feeling a little flustered that a musician like her caught them making out.

"But I just wanted to say,” continued the mare as a new look of interest came up on her face, "I couldn't stop thinking about that performance you did of Ave Maria."

The Gryphon blushed a little more as he looked away from Octavia, feeling embarrassed that she witnessed something that personal to him. Even though he could tell she was impressed by how she complimented him, Troy still blushed a little heavier as he spoke meagerly.

"You… you don't have to say tha--”

"I mean it!" said Octavia as a new tone of admiration came in her voice. "I've heard that song so many times from various ponies, but I have never heard it sung as beautifully as your rendition!"

Troy's eyes widened as he turned back to Octavia, looking surprised that such a high-caliber musician would say something like that about something he did on a whim. As Canvas stood beside him with a big grin on his muzzle, Octavia went on while Troy kept blushing.

"Mister Clawston, I can say with the utmost sincerity that you have a great talent. Have you ever done anything professionally?"

"Actually,” said Canvas as he intervened with a grin of pride on his face, "Troy here was the lead in Ponyville's production of Phantom of the Opera!"

Along with the blush on Troy's face, the feathers at the back of his head were now ruffling out as he looked away from both of them, trying not to look too flustered as he heard Octavia giggle a little. Feeling too embarrassed to say anything, Troy could only stand silent before he heard his coltfriend open up his art bag and pull out a copy of the newspaper article from that show.

Looking back, Troy could only look in growing discomfort as a musician he liked read the review of his play, making him turn over and glare at Canvas. Despite how upset his boyfriend looked, Canvas still kept his smile before Octavia spoke up, catching the attention of both of them as they looked back at her.

"Well, Troy, I'm impressed! I happen to know Stage Presence back when I studied Theater in Canterlot University, and I know that she has impeccable taste when it comes to talent."

Octavia then looked back to Canvas as she spoke to him. "Excuse me, do you happen to have a pen and paper?"

"Of course!" said the stallion enthusiastically as he dug into his bag, pulling out a pen and paper in his mouth as he handed them to Octavia.

Taking them with a hoof, the mare gave a smile back to him as she began to write down on the paper, holding the pen in her mouth as she quickly jotted down something. When she was finished, Octavia gave the pen back to Canvas before looking at Troy.

"I shouldn't be telling you this, but I happen to know of a big production happening in Canterlot in a couple months." The mare then handed the paper to Troy, waiting until he took it before continuing, "If you're interested, I think it might be a great opportunity for you."

With that, Octavia gave a warm smile and nod to the Gryphon before walking off, heading back to the stage as Troy looked at the paper in his talons. Looking over his boyfriend's shoulder, Canvas saw that the mare wrote down the date and address for an upcoming audition. He smiled as he looked up to the stunned Gryphon.

"Way to go!" shouted the stallion as he hugged Troy tightly. "You did it, honey!"

Even though he was still in light shock that one of his favorite musicians not only complemented his singing, but also give him insider info about a huge opportunity for him, Troy still managed to grow a huge smile on his beak before hugging his coltfriend back.

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Twilight Sparkle tried to keep an optimistic look on her face as she walked alongside her mentor along the halls of Canterlot Castle. After learning the full story of what happened to Canvas involving his father and Gallop Creek, the lavender alicorn was feeling more than a little concerned as she looked up to Celestia, realizing that she already knew about everything months ago.

Seeing the look of concern on her student's face, Celestia sighed as a new sullen tone came upon her own face, already knowing what Twilight was going to bring up with her.

"Princess Celestia,” said Twilight as she walked with her, "would you mind if we talked about something?"

The Goddess stopped for a second, looking at her student for a moment before nodding.

"Of course,” said Celestia, "but I take from your tone that it should be in a more private place?"

Seeing Twilight nod at her assumption, Celestia nodded back before lighting her horn, enveloping them both in a bright, white light before vanishing in the hallway. In an instant, the two Princesses were both within the tower overlooking the castle, appearing in a flash nearby the large telescope that looked up to the stars.

Looking around and seeing that they were both alone, Celestia looked back to Twilight, seeing how troubled the lavender mare looked before she spoke to her.

"Celestia,” said Twilight in a more concerned tone of voice, "I was wanting to talk with you about what happened with Canvas."

Celestia exhaled as she looked back at Twilight, sighing before she spoke. "I see…"

The Goddess looked away from Twilight for a moment, looking out the window to the tower as she saw it was already getting close to sundown. When she looked back at Twilight, Celestia kept a stern tone in her voice as she spoke to her.

"Twilight, did my sister happen to speak with you about my findings in Gallop Creek?"

Biting her lip, Twilight nodded a little before she replied, "Yes, she sent me a letter about a week ago about her involvement. She told me about how she helped Canvas, and--”

Despite not wanting to bring up a something like this to her mentor, especially since it still worked out in the end, Twilight still felt like she had to keep going as she finished her statement.

"… And she told me that…. that you let Copper go."

Celestia closed her eyes as she sighed, knowing what was going to be asked. Hearing how Twilight said that last part, the Goddess anticipated her student's question as she heard her speak honestly.

"I know that you had your intentions, and I'm not going to question them at all, but…"

Twilight hesitated for a second, exhaling nervously before she completed her question.

"… I want to know… why didn't you punish him?"

As the young alicorn looked up to her mentor with worried eyes, Celestia gave her a warm smile to calm her nerves, waiting a moment before she answered in a more serious tone.

"Twilight, when you wrote that letter to me about what happened, and I discovered who Canvas's attacker was, I was insistent about tracking him down. And when I went to see Copper Fields, I had every intention to prosecute him for his actions. However…"

The Goddess's head hung down for a moment, looking more saddened as she continued in an upset tone of voice.

"When I saw him at that graveyard, and I saw how truly ashamed he was for his actions without knowing I was there, I knew that no punishment would be enough. Seeing how much heartache he was going through, I knew that no punishment I could give would be worse than what he was already feeling himself."

Celestia looked back to Twilight, now carrying a more stern look on her face as she continued, "I didn't let him go out of pity, or because I felt sorry for him. The reason I let Copper search for his son was because I understood how he felt."

Twilight's eyes widened a little as she heard her mentor's statement, not expecting her to say something like that. Before she could try to ask what she meant, Twilight could only keep silent as Celestia went on.

"Twilight, in the thousands of years I've spent ruling this land, I have made more than my share of mistakes. Some of which were much bigger than others…"

As she spoke, Celestia's tone became more saddened, making Twilight look more distraught as she listened.

"But of all the mistakes I've made in my lifetime,” said the Goddess, "I can honestly say that the biggest regrets I have, are the ones where I hurt those who were closest to me."

Twilight only blinked, trying to process her statement before Celestia continued.

"Much like Copper, I know how painful it can be to hurt somepony close to me, and I how important it can be to seek redemption… When I banished my dear sister, I spent a thousand years in constant torment, wanting nothing more than to have Luna back in my life like I did before. And when I finally held her again when she was reformed, nothing could've expressed the happiness I felt when I had her as my sister again."

Despite wanting to speak up about what her mentor was saying, Twilight wasn't able to put a word in before the Goddess continued.

"Also… when I saw Copper's regret over hurting his child, all I could think about was… was how I acted at the Royal Wedding…"

Twilight tried to hide her cringe, not needing to know what she was referring to as she looked away from Celestia. Even though what happened at the Royal Wedding Rehearsal was definitely still a sore spot in her conscience, Twilight was able to get past that moment after some well-needed reflection, knowing that she should've at least talked with Celestia about her suspicions before barging in like that.

However, as she recalled how cold everypony acted towards her after her outburst, Twilight was surprised to see Celestia look this upset as she spoke about it now, realizing that it hadn't been brought up much since the wedding.

"I shouldn't have left you alone like that, Twilight,” said Celestia in a more distressed tone of voice. "Despite how you may have acted, it was no excuse for me to act that way towards you. And I truly am sorry."

Even though she already forgave everypony involved before the wedding even began, knowing that they were all tricked by the same foe, Twilight still felt a twinge in her heart as she heard Celestia say that, grateful that it was at least said upfront like this.

"And,” continued Celestia, "... I saw that same look of regret on Copper's face… as he made that blood oath on his wife's grave."

Celestia paused for a moment, hoping that her words were able to sink in. Before Twilight could speak up as she opened her mouth, Celestia was quick to put a hoof up to silence her before speaking again.

"I'm not saying that his actions are comparable to mine,” said the Goddess in a more insistent tone. "While I may have acted wrong, I can still say that I acted accordingly under those circumstances. Hurting my sister was bad, and hurting you was wrong as well, but what he did was unforgivable."

Seeing how Twilight closed her muzzle again, Celestia was glad she was able to bring up a point before her student could.

"However,” said Celestia as she put her hoof back down, "I could still tell that, no matter what I did to him, Copper wouldn't have felt any closure for his pain unless he spoke to his son. So with a quick deliberation, I decided that instead of putting him in jail, or banishing him someplace to make him wallow in pity, that I should at least give the stallion a single chance to redeem himself. And considering how things went, I have no regrets over that decision."

Thinking back to how things went for the two, and hearing what Canvas told her about their goodbye at the Ponyville Train Station, Twilight couldn't exactly deny the Goddess's statement. Seeing how her student was looking, Celestia was glad to see Twilight nod as she looked back at her, knowing that she was able to understand her motives.

Before the two of them could go back downstairs, the Goddess wanted to say one more thing, hoping that her faithful student could learn a new lesson before the Gala began.

"Twilight, I want you to realize that, sometimes in life, not every problem can be easily resolved, and that some issues can’t be looked at from an outside perspective. As we move on in our lives, we're going to face struggles and heartache which could be too much to bear, or which are too personal for others to get involved ourselves. But when those moments come, I want you to remember that, no matter what, there is always hope for good to come. Even if everything feels lost, or an answer might not be easy to find, I want you to remember that good is always possible, and that it's always best to follow the light when it shows itself."

Breathing in, Twilight thought about what Celestia was saying to her. Even though she wanted to make a rebuttal, the mare couldn't actually think of one. Thinking back to all her experiences, Twilight understood what her mentor was saying: that there always is hope when we least expect it.

And as she thought about Canvas, the stallion who almost lost everything--including his own life--Twilight smiled as she knew where he was now: accomplishing something no other Earth Pony could do, and finding true love along the way. Looking back to Celestia, Twilight kept a smile on her muzzle as she heard the Goddess speak.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, Twilight Sparkle?"

Without hesitation, the younger Princess nodded, keeping her smile as she answered in a confident tone of voice, "Yes I do, your Highness."

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Waking up in her sleeping quarters, the dark-blue alicorn groaned as she lifted herself from her bed, realizing she had to make herself presentable for the Grand Galloping Gala tonight. As she lifted herself onto her hooves and stood on the marble floor below her, the sound of cheering ponies outside only added to Luna's frustration as she realized she was going to be late for the grand opening.

Despite not wanting to be tardy, Luna decided to not let it get the best of her as she headed for the bathroom, hoping to at least get herself washed up before the Gala was halfway over. Before she could reach her bathroom, Luna's gaze caught notice of a package standing by her bedroom door before she walked over to it.

Not expecting any mail, Luna began to grow suspicious as she looked at the brown box before her, hoping this wouldn’t be another stupid prank from Discord like last week. Staying cautious about whatever was in the thin box, Luna lifted it with her magic and noticed a letter taped onto it. Removing the letter, Luna's eyes widened as she opened it, realizing who this was from. As a smile came up on her muzzle, the Princess of the Night felt a great sense of gratitude as she read the letter, written by hoof in black ink.

Dear Luna,

Words cannot describe how grateful I am for what you've done for me. While I know things will never be the same between my father and me, I'm still glad that I followed your advice. And you were right: despite how much I went through because of him, it wouldn’t do me any good to hold a grudge. While I still don't think I can ever completely forgive him, I was glad to at least say my proper goodbyes.

You really are a wise pony, and I know that there's nothing I can say that can truly describe how thankful I am for your help. Because of that, all that I ask is that you accept this gift, as a token of my appreciation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Canvas

Luna sighed in joy as she finished the letter, happy that she was able to help somepony like that. Looking back to the package before her, the alicorn carefully opened the box, using her magic to levitate the item out. Looking at the framed picture before her, Luna's eyes widened as she saw what Canvas had made for her.

Much like his painting of Celestia, Canvas made something similar for the Princess of the night; however, while his artwork of Celestia just had her standing over a cliff with a confident look on her face, the painting he made for Luna was much more active.

Painted with oil paint on a canvas backdrop, the picture showed an image of Luna as she flew upward against the night sky. Illuminated by the vibrant moonlight against her dark-blue coat, the Princess was shown looking up to the cosmos as her wings were spread out fully, flying upward as her stance showed that of pure grace and elegance. Along with her wings glowing against the moonlight, Canvas also painted a special constellation in the sky over her head, with the stars arranged to look like a halo was above her.

Looking at the painting, Luna smiled as she saw how Canvas portrayed her, realizing, that instead of just painting her as a Princess, the stallion made her look like an angel.

In that moment, Canvas the stallion made history twice that night. Along with being the first Earth Pony to ever make a painting for Canterlot Castle, on that night, Canvas became the first artist ever to have two paintings displayed in the castle.

While his painting of Celestia was hung in the ballroom for everypony to see, Canvas's second painting of Luna was hung in another place, standing proudly within the Princess's sleeping quarters for herself.

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After all the preparations were done and everything was ready, the Grand Galloping Gala went off without a hitch. Celestia started the event, with Twilight Sparkle standing next to her side happily. As the night went on, both Canvas and Troy were surprised by two things.

First, both were surprised at how much attention Canvas's work had received by ponies. For a large part of the night, Canvas wasn't able to get away from his painting as ponies kept walking up to him, either congratulating his success or asking how he accomplished it. Even though he wanted to try some of the delicious-looking displays of food across the ballroom, the stallion almost felt trapped as ponies kept speaking with him, leaving Canvas to feel a bitter mix of frustration and pride as he kept hearing the praises for his work..

And since he couldn't move from his spot much, Troy was also feeling upset as he looked on, wanting to find the perfect moment before this night ended.

Second, of all the things Canvas and Troy expected to happen at the Grand Galloping Gala, neither of them expected the event to be so boring. Despite hearing from several of the girls how this night wouldn’t be nearly as fantastic as expected, neither the stallion or Gryphon expected the party to be this dull.

If it wasn't for the constant barrage of ponies asking him about Gryphon culture, Troy probably would've fallen asleep before the Gala ended. Luckily, Rainbow Dash was able to help him out as he felt separated from his coltfriend. He was invited to chat with her and Soarin from the Wonderbolts, who was wearing a surprisingly casual-looking suit jacket. As he talked with the two Pegasus ponies, Troy almost didn't notice when Canvas was finally able to break free from the crowds and get himself something to eat.

As he listened to Rainbow Dash talk about how she saved the Wonderbolts that one time--something he'd heard her brag about at work at least once a week--Troy felt a hoof poke at his side, looking over to see Canvas carrying a big smile on his face.

"Finally!" said the Gryphon as he wrapped a foreleg around Canvas and quickly nuzzled him. Hearing his coltfriend giggle a little at the feathers brushing against his face, Troy smiled as he pulled his head back and looked at him. "Seriously, I'm really glad you're here. I've really been getting bored tonight."

"Hey!" said the cyan mare with an offended look on her face. "I was telling a great story!"

"Which I already heard thirty times,” retorted the Gryphon as he looked back at her with a smirk on his beak.

As the Pegasus mare huffed and looked away from Troy with a pout, Soarin tried to hide his laughter at the Gryphon's comeback. Looking back to his coltfriend, Troy noticed that Canvas was slightly blushing as he stared at Soarin, making the Gryphon's eyes narrow a little before poking at the stallion's head with a talon.

Canvas flinched a little as he looked back to Troy, making him blush even more as he saw how suspiciously the Gryphon was looking at him. "Ummmm,” said Canvas in a sheepish tone of voice, "I… I wasn’t…”

Looking almost oblivious to Canvas's embarrassed look, Soarin was quick to put out a hoof to him. "You're Canvas, right? The pony who made that painting by the windows?"

As the Pegasus stallion kept his hoof out, Canvas slowly looked back to him and shook it, keeping meager smile on his muzzle as he felt his boyfriend's stare on both of them.

"Ummm… yes. I'm Canvas."

"Well, it's nice to meet you,” said Soarin in a cheerful tone of voice. "Troy's had a lot of nice things to say about you. You should be lucky to have him."

"Oh, believe me,” said Canvas as he let go of Soarin's hoof and looked back at Troy with a warm smile on his face, "I know I'm lucky."

Seeing how genuine his coltfriend's statement was, Troy let his light feeling of jealousy slide as he held the stallion closer. Seeing how lovestruck the two were, Soarin chuckled a little and turned back to Rainbow Dash, letting the couple get reacquainted as they walked away.

As Rainbow went back to finishing her story to Soarin (even though he was there when it happened), Canvas walked with his boyfriend back to the large tables of food. Feeling like he should at least try to clear the air, Canvas cleared his throat before he spoke up to Troy with a smirk on his face.

"Troy, just so you know, you're way cuter than Soarin ever was."

Looking down to his coltfriend, Troy gave a light smirk on his beak before he retorted, "Oh yeah? Then why were you blushing like that? The last time I saw your face get that red was when I wore those stockings for you."

Canvas quickly blushed heavily again as he looked away from Troy, trying to hide his face as he remembered how the Gryphon looked that night. After a quick giggle from the stallion, Canvas quickly recomposed himself before turning back to his boyfriend.

"It's just that… well…”

As they walked, Canvas stopped for a second as he looked down to the ground, feeling embarrassed as he said, "I… I used to have a really big crush on him back in high school."

Even though he was slightly ashamed to admit something like that, Canvas was surprised when he felt Troy put his foreleg around him, chuckling a little as he replied, "Eh, don’t worry about it! I'm not jealous of a wimp like him."

As Canvas looked up and saw how confident the Gryphon looked with his statement, he smiled back and nuzzled his chest.

"And you shouldn’t be,” said Canvas as his face brushed against Troy's tux,."Seriously, I'd rather have you than any Wonderbolt!"

Even though he was happy to have Canvas nuzzle him like this, Troy quickly stepped back a little as he felt the stallion's face brush too close to the side of his jacket. As Canvas looked up, slightly confused, Troy looked around a little and made sure his jacket was secure, realizing the night was going to be over soon before he spoke.

"I, I… I don't want to mess with the tux. I… I know Rarity worked hard on this for me and… and I don’t want it to get messed up."

Seeing how flustered the Gryphon was getting as he explained, Canvas's eyes narrowed on him in suspicion as he said, "So… was that why you looked so happy when Rarity gave you the jacket?"

"Ummm…” Troy tried to make himself look less nervous as he looked back at his coltfriend, forcing a smile on his beak as he answered, "Yes! She… she got the measurements wrong a couple days ago because the wing holes were meant for a Pegasus body…"

Troy pointed back to the openings on the back of his tux, showing that they were much bigger than what Pegasus ponies usually had on jackets. "So she… she helped me make the changes so they would fit, and… and that's it."

Canvas only blinked a few times as he saw Troy's odd-looking smile, making the Gryphon get even more nervous as he tried to think of something to do. Remembering how excited Rarity looked earlier today at what she thought happened at the Concert Hall, Troy hoped to all that was sacred that Canvas wasn't catching on. Hoping to distract him for a little longer, Troy cleared his throat before he spoke some more.

"I… I was happy to have a fitting suit. I… never really had one, since I'm a Gryphon and all…"

Luckily, Troy's worries faded a little as he saw Canvas's eyes light up, as if he suddenly remembered something.

"That reminds me!" said Canvas in a more elated tone of voice,."There's someone I want you to meet!"

Even though he was confused as to who Canvas was leading him to, seeing the stallion focused on something else was more than enough for Troy to play along while he looked around to find the right moment.

Walking over to the large table full of food, Troy was surprised to see how much was there, ranging from a vast array of sweets to a classy display of small bite-sized foods of every variety. However, before he could pick up one of the little cheese pieces placed on a toothpick, Troy's gaze went to where Canvas was pointing with a hoof.

Looking up to the other side of the table where the chefs and caterers were, Troy's eyes widened as he saw something he didn’t expect to see: another Gryphon. Boasting a much larger beak than his own--which happened to have a rather unappealing black moustache on it--the Gryphon, who was stirring some new contents in a pan, kept his beady eyes on his work, not noticing Troy as he worked on his next dish. Keeping a smile on his muzzle, Canvas tried to catch this new Gryphon's attention as he spoke up.

"Hey Gustav!"

The mustached Gryphon's head quickly darted up to Canvas, looking at him for a second before a smile came up on his slightly jagged beak.

"Why hello, Canvas!" said Gustav in a cheerful tone, his accent sounding like what Troy would figure Applejack would refer to as "fancy”. As Troy stood there, slightly confused as to where Canvas met another Gryphon, the stallion looked back to his boyfriend as he spoke.

"Troy, remember when I told you I met a guy in Baltimare, when I got you your birthday gift?”

Troy's golden eyes shot wide open as he looked back at Gustav, seeing the smirk on the other Gryphon's beak before a huge smile came up on his own.

"Well, well, well,” said Gustav as he looked back to Canvas, "so this was the friend you bought my products for…”

Troy put his claw out across the table to Gustav, looking at him with a huge smile on his beak as he said excitedly, "Sir, you have no idea how much you made my night with that! I mean, that steak wa--”

“SSSHHHHHH!” Gustav quickly looked around from his spot, making sure no ponies heard that before he turned back to Troy. After giving a quick glare to him for almost blowing his operation, Gustav shook Troy's claw before speaking in a hushed tone.

"Do not mention my extracurricular activities…"

Letting go of his claw, Troy nodded and gave an embarrassed look, realizing how dumb it was to mention the "S" word in public like this. Luckily, Gustav gave a slight smile to Troy as he continued.

“... And you're welcome."

As Gustav went back to his work with a satisfied grin on his beak, Troy smiled and looked back to Canvas, feeling even more in love with him as he realized how much the stallion had done for him as a friend. Thinking back to all the time they spent together, Troy's heart began beating even more as he looked at Canvas, wondering whether or not right now would be the right time.

Looking back to the rest of the ballroom, Troy smiled as he saw the large crowd of ponies around Canvas's painting, making him feel even better as he turned back and spoke to Canvas.

"So, how does it feel?"

Canvas's eyebrow skewed a little as he looked up to his lover, hesitating a little before he replied, "How does what feel? Because a lot of great things have happened today."

"Well, what I mean is…" Troy then held the stallion closer to him, grabbing him in his claws as he kept his gaze glued on the stallion's blue eyes.

"How does it feel… to be here on the biggest night of your life?"

"Well…" Without looking away from the stunning golden eyes in front of him, Canvas could only smile as he brought his head in closer. "The thing is… while this is a big night for me, I don't think this is the greatest night of my life…”

"Really?" said Troy with a curious look on his face, surprised by Canvas's answer.

"Yeah,” said Canvas as he moved his head even closer to the Gryphon's, "because the greatest night of my life… happened when I fell in love with you…”

With that, Troy opened his beak as Canvas kissed him, keeping him there for a moment as he felt the stallion's tender lips. Not caring about any odd stares they might be getting from the ponies around them, Troy kissed him back before pulling his head away, keeping his eyes on Canvas as he spoke in a loving tone.

"Well, Canvas… really hope I can change that tonight."

As Canvas's eyebrows raised up in curiosity, the stallion was about to say something before music began to play from the stage. Hearing the sensual piano start to play throughout the ballroom, Troy smiled as he looked back at the stallion, stepping back as he held out his claw to him.

"Canvas,” said Troy with a gentle smile on his beak, "may I have this dance?"

Even though he was surprised his boyfriend was up for something like dancing (especially in a public place like this), Canvas smiled as he put out his hoof.

"Troy,” said Canvas in a cheerful tone as he took his claw, "I would be happy to."

As the gentle music began to play from the band, the stallion and Gryphon stepped out onto the dance floor, joining the other couples as they came together. As the two stood on their hind legs, holding onto each other as the music continued, neither of them noticed anything around them as they closed their eyes in each other's embrace.

Despite the fact that many of the ponies in the ballroom were now staring at the two slow dancing--as well as some of the other couples, who began to falter on their own hooves--neither Canvas or Troy cared about anything but each other as they moved along to the music. As Troy kept his forelegs around the stallion's back, Canvas rested his head against the Gryphon's chest, savoring his warmth as they swayed side-by-side.

Even though he didn’t want to open his eyes and risk seeing any glares from the uptight ponies around them, Troy still looked down at the stallion he was holding, smiling as he saw how beautiful Canvas really looked tonight.

Neither of them was sure how long they danced together in front of that stage--although they knew several songs were played in full while they were out there--but it wasn't until Troy opened his eyes that he looked around, noticing the crowd beginning to dissipate within the ballroom. Hoping he wasn't too late, Troy looked around as he held onto Canvas, noticing Octavia on the stage as she began to put her cello back into her case.

"Octavia,” said Troy in a worried tone as Canvas began to let go of him, "don’t tell me the Gala's over!"

Octavia kept a skewed eyebrow at Troy in confusion before she replied, "Ummm… I don’t think so.”

Troy sighed in relief, looking back at Canvas with a smile before she continued, "If you're wondering where the ponies are going, Celestia is supposed to be doing something big for tonight that's happening outside."

Troy's eyes widened as he heard that, remembering what was supposed to occur at the Gala. Remembering how Rainbow Dash made him Pinkie Promise not to say anything about what Celestia was planning, Troy didn’t mention a word of it to Canvas. Since he originally planned to make his move at the Concert Hall, the Gryphon didn’t even think about this as an option.

But now, knowing what he wanted to do, Troy kept a tender smile on his beak as he looked at Canvas, realizing exactly where he could take him.

"Hey Canvas,” said Troy in a loving tone, "follow me…"

As Troy began to walk out of the ballroom with the stallion in tow, Canvas looked at him in confusion before he spoke up. "Where… where to?"

Troy looked back to his coltfriend with a smile on his beak, before he replied in a more carefree tone of voice, "Just trust me."

Seeing how Troy said that, Canvas could only smile in agreement as he followed him. As they made their way out of the ballroom, Troy managed to walk through the large crowd of ponies waiting outside as Canvas followed in tow.

With a new look of determination on his face, Troy's eyes were pinned on the one place he knew would be perfect, knowing that nopony would be present as they walked toward their destination.

Seeing that they were heading toward the platform Celestia used to raise the sun every morning, Canvas's eyes widened as he looked up at his lover, hoping that Troy wasn't going to get them in trouble as they walked towards it.

As they reached the stairs leading up to the platform, Troy looked back to Canvas with a smile on his face, looking ecstatic as a million thoughts went through his head. Among all the thoughts and feelings flowing through the Gryphon, the biggest ones were his hopes.

He hoped everything would plan out like he thought.

He hoped nopony was going to interrupt them this time.

He hoped this moment would be as perfect as he imagined it would be.

But mostly…

He hoped that Canvas would say "yes".

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