Octavia Philharmonica has achieved everything she ever dreamed of. Thanks to her skill, talent, and friends, she has risen to the rank of Court Musician and has earned the right to perform for the Princess and the nobles as frequently as she could want. Yet the musical scene of Canterlot is never still, and she learns that a new musician is taking the city by storm. At first, Octavia's interest in the musician is merely professional, and she wants only to learn more about his new style of music. However, as she is drawn deeper into his concerts, she learns that this newcomer harbors a wicked secret, and his phenomenal success may have more to do with dark magic than music. Octavia will need to use all of her ability and strength to expose the truth and stop him, or the entire city may fall under his sway.
Though AU, the only thing you need to know from the setting (Lunaverse) is that Luna is raising both the sun and the moon. Anything else relevant will be covered in-story
New story!
I don't know about all of you, but I have a good feeling about Octavia's first rave. :-)
As for continuity, I see this as a tie-in. I do want some elements of it to be able to move into the canon episodes at some point (Paperweight and Metail especially), but since it doesn't really involve the L6 or M6, it's not a full episode.
As for when it is... originally, it was slated for S2, but there's nothing really placing it there besides the concept that Octavia has been the Court musician for 'a while' at this point. And time is fungible in MLP, like how it's only winter for one episode. So that's not a big deal, and I decided to write it now as a late-S1 tie in.
Out of curiosity, have you every heard anyone ask for someone's handograph?
Also...Kinda nervous with the summery there. Maybe I'm getting worked up over nothing...Or maybe you really are going to go that route.
Please don't go that route.
1744429: What route?
Premise sounds promising, will track this, good luck!
-Minty
1744449 The Batman:Fortunate Son route.
1744497: I haven't read it, although I've seen the AT4W review of it. Rest assured:
1. No one complains about capitalism or profit-seeking ruining art.
2. No one insinuates that an entire genre of music is bad. The problem is the one guy, not that metal itself is somehow corrupt.
The reason why it's a different genre than classical is that the new guy needs to be playing music Octavia isn't familiar with, or the story doesn't work.
1744501 So...we going to see other performers then?
1744513: There's a fair chance of that happening, yes. It'll be hard for Octavia to figure this guy out if she has no idea what non-evil metal is supposed to sound like in the first place.
1744527 Cool.
And you still haven't answerd my first question. Have you ever heard someone ask for a Handograph?
1744449
Left on forty-seventh, down into the bad neighbourhood.
1744529: No, but hoofograph sounds cooler than hoofprint. :-)
Well, as I've said before, you're better at writing music than any other author I know - that includes published ones, BTW. And this story has me officially intrigued.
I'll add it to the tie-ins section.
Interesting start. Bit rapid for my tastes but you've definitely intrigued me. Hope to read more soon and thanks for sharing.
Well, this is an interesting start. Can't wait to see where this goes...
did....did Octy get asked out on a date without realizing she was being asked out on a date?
I gotta admit, Octavia comes off as... arrogant and entitled sometimes concerning music. I don't exactly have perfect pitch, but I don't think I have to be as 'aware' of music as she is in order to buckin' compliment her without coming off like she thinks.
Anyway, goo start. Glad you're aware of Fortunate Son. Punk is not crime nor rage of the beast.
I'm loving this so far, as always the way you describe the music is fantastic.
The relationship that has clearly developed between Octavia and Luna is nice to see too. Being the court musician has worked out well for her.
I think the main issue with translating the Lunaverse into a traditional animated series would be finding someone as talented in making music as you are in writing it. I love your musician stories, can't wait to read more
1744535 And...You couldn't just use autograph? You had to make a pony pun?
Also, I'm, hung up on the word choice of an inconsequential word in an entirely inconsequential scene. I...I feel the intense need to do something productive right now.
1745045: Heh. Octy doesn't know much about dates, that's for sure.
1745311: As the Court Musician (who also became a media name due to all the build up over the Symphony), she probably has to deal with a lot of suck-ups who want to use her to get close to Luna. I don't blame her for being a bit paranoid, although, yes, she may well take it too far.
1745565>>1745460>>1745038>>1744840>>1744554: Glad you all like it! :-)
Well, this seems off to a fairly good start.
1745045 Heh, I didn't even think of that!
So much to love about this story!
- Octavia is helping Luna raise the sun. That is just amazing. It's so sweet that Luna actually has somepony making her daily burden just a little bit lighter.
- Paperweight is adorable! He's so enthusiastic and excitable!
- Octavia is so classy. Arrogant, maybe, but she's in a position to be arrogant. She's basically won at life.
- Octavia dressed up for a rave is hilarious. Somepony needs to draw this.
- Thrash Metail. Seems awesome, but something is wrong, if he can make Octavia dance to music that she knows, knows is bad. I have a theory as to what's going on here...
So, yeah. Awesome start, I love it!
1749725: Glad you love it!
One note though: Paperweight is female. And I'm glad you like the character. I figured that Octy could use a hyper, silly, almost Pinkie-esque but slightly more sane, friend. :-D
I like Crescendo. She's cool. (And hopefully the name isn't already taken by a Daughter of Discord or something; if it is and I forgot, ping me and I'll change it).
Metail's kind of a jerk, I guess. Although he should have known better than to try to get Octavia to help him with lies. Honesty's kind of her thing. Well, that and awesome music.
And I really like Octavia's reaction at the very end there. She just got blasted with multiple hours of whatever it is Metail is doing... and she's still all, "Yeah, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this." She's a tough one.
heh. Hypnotic music. Nice.
Ooh...Metail's an evil bard! Awesome!
1756705
the real question is whether or not he is spoony as well
Spoony's an elitist self-aggrandizing deluded ass... So yeah seems like a good characterization to give for this guy.
Anyway, really interesting story. Odd how the mind control seems to be working. Would've thought it was a little more something to do with the crowds, though if there is a draining of energy angle that's really quite interesting indeed. Overall quite a well written story with a lot more ground to cover and an interesting story backing then whole thing up. Thanks very much for sharing and can't wait to read the more.
1756788 I thought he'd be more forky.
Anyway, wow. He is seriously messing with Octy, here. Although I do agree with Crescendo's views on Octavia, how high she's got her muzzle in the air sometimes.
1757416
.....seriously? You do know the reference, right?
1757433 Yes, I know the reference. I was making a joke.
Badass musician is badass, I really love this rendition of Octavia, as well as how resistant she is to Metail's machinations.
I'm guessing this is a reference to her kidnapping in her last story?
rhythmical (music/chant-based) magic always tends to be the most subtle and powerful, but not many can actually pull off describing it.
Alright, I'm going to put my guess out here now, but ROT13 in case I turn out to be right and it's a spoiler: Guenfu Zrgnvy vf hfvat gur nyvpbea nzhyrg.
You've written Octavia's integrity and discipline very well here, and it's such a sharp contrast when she loses it. It's a clear demonstration that something's going very wrong. She makes a very good point about the difference between "I think Thrash Metail is a good musician" and "I should recommend Thrash Metail to Luna and the Court". Thrash really doesn't know what it takes to be a successful musician, does he? He's been thrust into the heights of musical fame without working his way up the way a normal musician would, and he doesn't understand what he's supposed to do now.
Uh, oh.
Octavia, don't listen! 
Anyway, another good chapter. I like Octavia's integrity, and Metail is becoming more and more ominous. I guess I don't have any thoughts on Crescendo yet, but I guess we'll see what happens. It would be awful, though, if Octavia, without the creepy brainwashing stuff, viewed Crescendo's music objectively and didn't like it, and that furthered her impression that Metail is actually good at the genre.
"Frankly my dear, I don't give a dam."
...
...
...
...
Sorry, couldn't resist. Thought it was a dam shame no one took advantage of it.
1756705: I love the idea of magic, particularly mental magic, crossed with music. Music is already a way to influence emotions, adding magic just makes things more awesome.
1757211: Glad you're enjoying it! And I'm also glad that Metail's characterization is working well for you.
1757416: Well, when she spends all her time focusing on the embodiment of the moon, I suppose it's only natural that she'd have her head in the clouds. :-)
1757542: Yes. Glad you appreciate Octavia's characterization as well.
1758088: No comment on the ROT13 stuff. :-) But yes, that's what I'm going for with Octavia. She loves his music, but she has too much integrity to recommend him based on that alone... and yeah, Thrash doesn't know how to deal with things like this. Not that he won't try, of course.
1758533: Glad you're enjoying it!
1758732: *badum-tish*
Well, Metail sure itrouble. I wonder why Crescendo is immune to his mind-affecting.
1762169: Stay tuned to find out! :-)
(Actually, there've been a couple of hints in the story already that it could probably already be deduced, but I'll spell it out more explicitly in a later chapter).
I apologize for any errors. I am practically a zombie due to a marathon day of flying that is not yet over.
Score one for Octavia! Hard work beats fraud every time, at least in pony land. And she defends Paperweight too from a couple lazy slackers. For that matter, I think Paperweight and Pinkie Pie would get along well.
Next time: Thrash plots his revenge, and Octavia goes to a real metal concert. Hijinks ensue -- I promise!
(Random note: on the legality of the spell, I don't know if it's legal or not (with permission) in mlp, but Octavia doesn't know either and is assuming that it is, hence her not bringing charges).
Looking forward to seeing what she thinks of Crescendo’s stuff.
Nice musical analysis by Octavia, straight up transcribing his music to study it.
Can't believe I'm about to say this... but go, Octavia!
I can so see her staying up all night to analyze his music. And yeah, I figured it was some sort of spell pretty early. 
Great job on this one!
This was good, but I can't help but feel you kind of rushed Octavia's discovery a little quickly. A bit more of her trying to figure things out and comparing other musicians in the same style first before confronting him seems like it might have made this a bit of a better story. Overall though really solid writing and plotting though and thanks very much for sharing.
Hmmmm.......I wonder where it is that L!Twilight gets her annoying tendency to focus on trivial details at the expense of the point from. I might be wrong but I think I saw something that might point me in the right direction.
♪♪This Concert's going to be perfect....
1772191: It's perhaps worth noting that the pages don't really have an unbiased view of the guy.
1772308: I hope so!
1772098: I thought about it, but the chapter was running long already. Besides, Octy's metal revelations, I think, will come best experienced live.
1772030: Why were you not expecting to say it? She's the hero. :-) But I'm glad you liked it.
1771888: I think you'll like next chapter, then. :-) Glad you liked this one too.
I kind of wonder what Thrash is going to do now. I imagine it's going to be something more aggressive, but can't really guess much at the details.
Also, I only spotted one error, so I'd say your tiredness didn't impair your writing as much as you thought it might have.
There's only one quotation mark on this quote, rather than two.
False Metal is the worst kind of metal.
Metal should be pure.
1772586: Indeed. Fortunately, Crescendo has just the playlist for her. :-)
Always enjoy a good Octavia story, and you write her so well that I think I'll keep reading as many of these stories as you want to put out. Looking forward to seeing just what Thrash is up to and why he's so eager to get his hoof into the door in court. In fact he seems very specific about playing for Luna. While part of me figures this is just another random political scheme I think it'd be rather funny if Thrash just wanted to play for Luna because he's audacious enough to use it as an opportunity to hit on her.