Innocence

It was the last show of our first ever tour.  We were playing in the back room of Canterlot Gardens, a restuarant that was inside the core of the capital city of Equestria.  We were playing in front of a much more classy and sophisticated crowd, so we slowed down our songs, I lowered my vocals, and we avoided any crazy antics that we were used to, like jumping on the speakers, or pouring whisky on the mares who were screaming in excitement at us.  We wore our finest suits as well, and I must say, we looked quite dashing.

The concert actually went very well.  The crowd was quiet while we performed each individual song, aside from a few screams from some mares, and one "I love you!" from a stallion.  The quiet crowd and our toned-down style was actually a very pleasant difference, and I must say that I enjoyed it.  I could actually hear our sound properly, and I will admit that we played very well.  The Canterlot audience gave us a standing ovation at the end, and taking a bow in front of them was just so satisfying.

Afterwards, as we we had just finished packing up, the other members already on the bus, ready to leave with nowhere really to go but home, I heard somepony call from behind me, "Wait, I have something for you."

I quickly turned around because I knew that voice.  It was the owner of the restaurant, and he was running to catch up with us before we left.  "Oh, we were just about to leave.  Is everything okay?" I asked.  "Did we forget anything?"

After a few gasps for air, the middle-aged stallion who chased us down responded, "I wanted to give you four tickets to the Grand Galloping Gala tomorrow night.  Your show was just brilliant, and I think this is a good enough reward for you.  Just think of it as a token of our appreciation for a job well done."

I was actually quite surprise, as were my fellow band members.  Our share of the ticket sales and the cheers from the crowd were enough for us, but now we were offered something much different.  I had never been to the gala, and to be honest, I never really thought I would ever go.  It wasn't that I didn't feel good enough about myself, or that I wasn't interested, it was just that the Grand Galloping Gala was a very prestigious event, and there were only a few tickets available for sale every year.  The only other way to get in was by invitation.  Because of that, the thought of going ot this event had never really crossed my mind.

"Are you sure you want to give these to us?" I asked while still in a little bit of shock.

"Of course, you colts earned it."

I thanked him profusely, took the tickets, and brought them back to my band members on the tour bus that we had rented for a few months.  They absolutely loved the news, and we made our plans to go to the gala the next evening.