> Requiem For A Nightmare
>  by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Pre-performance Nerves
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	It was an exciting Friday night at Canterlot's Royal Orchestra Hall.  Tonight was the debut of a new, original composition.  It was also the first full orchestra piece of the composer, Octavia Melody.  Although not the best known musician -- or even cellist -- Octavia's name had gained some recognition.  Opinions on her, however, varied.  There were those who knew of her and saw her as a great potential, especially as she seemed fully capable of maintaining her composure and play well regardless of distractions or circumstances around her (such as a friendly but overly hyper and enthusiastic mare trying to turn a formal event into something more of a common rabble).  Others -- some of the older, more stuck-up ponies --  saw her as a crass and uncouth upstart, who was a threat to true music by willingly try and combine it with horrendous garbage younger -- and less sophisticated -- ponies called "music."  There were even rumors that she played (to their horror) Jazz.

There was also much talk about the first orchestra part she had created which was to be performed for the first time tonight: "Requiem For A Nightmare."  Supposedly, it was a piece inspired the events of Nightmare Moon.  That left a big question for some of the attendees: how will the princesses react to it?  Will they enjoy it, will there be mild disapproval, or will it be the first time in remembered history that Princess Celestia actively and audibly condemned a piece of music that somepony had created?

Inside the hall, backstage, Octavia was asking herself that same question.  While there had been times when she had lost her composure before, it was normally when the light gray mare was caught up in a rapid paced piece of music, most often while "rocking out" with her friend Vinyl.  However, those were moments of unbridled passion, the world vanishing away as she got caught up in her passion and enjoying the music that she was creating.  This, however, was slightly different.  This was her being slightly anxious and frazzled due to last minute nerves.

Octavia brought a hoof up toward her mane, only to stop and put it back down.  She had run her hoof through it so much already, that her luxurious dark gray mane was at risk of becoming slightly unkempt.  This was a big night for her, and she had to look absolutely perfect.  That included every hair of her mane and tail being in their proper place, and her pink bow tie being properly tied.  To that end, she took a hold of the neck wear, once again trying to adjust it so the thing looked completely even.

It was fine.  She was fine.  Everything was as good as it was going to be.  She was just fidgeting.  Octavia was fully aware of it.  Yet she could not really help herself.  No matter how much she told herself to, she just could not cease her nervous behavior.

A knock at the door startled her, her purple eyes going wide as she stared at it.

"Enter," she blurted out.

The door opened to reveal a white unicorn mare, in a dress-shirt, dark blue jacket, and tie.  The normally wild two-toned electric blue mane was as much in a properly groomed manner as Octavia had ever seen it.  A pair of purple sunglasses hid the mare's eyes, but Octavia was aware that she was being looked at.

"Hello, Vinyl," Octavia said as she turned toward the mirror again.

"Woah," Vinyl Scratch said, lowering her glasses.  "You okay?"

"Of course," Octavia replied as she took a hold of her bow tie.  "Why would I not be 'okay,' Vinyl?  I am just about to perform my first ever orchestra piece that I have composed."  She turned to look at Vinyl from the corner of her eye.  "One, I might add, that is based on some of the darkest moments in the lives of our princesses.  The very princesses who rule our kingdom and will be here for the premiere."  The edges of her lips tugged up as she started to chuckle.  "So, if anything does not go well, or either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna do not approve, then not only will it bring a quick end to my chance at being a composer, but may very well cause issues for my classical cellist career as well."

With a small sigh, Vinyl stepped into the dressing room, shutting the door behind her.  Her horn lit up as she took a hold of Octavia in her magic, turning the other mare around to face her.  The magic released Octavia and focused on the bow tie as Vinyl untied and re-tied it properly.

"It's okay, Octavia.  I mean you talked to the princesses and asked if it was okay, right?"

"Yes," Octavia said with a nod.  "However, there is a difference between being aware of something, and fully comprehending or understanding it."  Her eyes narrowed a little.  "Need I remind you of that recent lesson in regards to spray paint and foam?"

"No," Vinyl huffed with a roll of her eyes.  She let the bow tie go.  "But that's different.  This is about a personal part of their lives.  They wouldn't forget about it like chemistry.  They wouldn't have agreed if they weren't willing to give it a chance."

Octavia turned away, looking at herself in the mirror again.  She pressed her hooves against the floor more, resisting the urge to adjust her tie again.

"I suppose," she finally said, not able to argue the point.

"You put a lot of work into this," Vinyl continued.  "You did your research, you talked to all the ponies its based off of, and you've put a lot of effort into it.  They're going to love it."

"I certainly hope so."

Moving closer, Vinyl smirked.

"And hey, if you're right, you could always start your own jazz band."

That got a laugh from Octavia, lightening her mood.
> A Song for The Princesses
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	The performance was about to begin.  Most of the ponies had taken their seats, and the orchestra was performing final adjustments to their instruments to make sure they sounded right.

High above the crowd was the royal booth, where sat Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.  While Celestia seemed to be sitting calmly, Luna kept fidgeting slightly.  A shift of her weight on her chair here.  A flicker of her wings there.  The occasional twitch of her ears and nibble of her lip.

"Is something the matter, Luna?" Celestia asked, looking at her younger sister from the corner of her eye.

"We are about to see a musical performance based on Nightmare Moon."

Luna's statement got Celestia's full attention.  Turning to face Luna, Celestia raised an eyebrow.

"You didn't know?  I thought that Octavia Melody had gotten your permission to create this."

"She did," Luna confirmed, "and asked quite a few questions on the matter to gain our perspective on the matter.  However, she has not been the first to ask such from me."  Turning from her sister, she looked out toward the stage again.  "Yet she is the first I am aware of to actually complete the project."  Her wings gave a flicker.  "Also, while I was aware of it, it was more of a distant, abstract concept.  Now that we are here, looking at the stage and waiting for it begin, it has all become so concrete, to fully sink in."

Princess Celestia moved closer to her sister.  Reaching out one of her great white wings, she wrapped it around the dark blue form her younger sister, pulling her into a hug.

"We suddenly find ourselves feeling ... anxious..." Princess Luna continued.  "A musical composition of our darkest moment is about to be performed before a great many ponies."

"Do you want to cancel it?" Celestia asked.  "I am certain that Octavia shall understand.  We can compensate her for the work she has already done, and reimburse the hall for the ticket refunds.  Perhaps you could have a private performance instead.  Hear the music for yourself before deciding to release it to the public."

Princess Luna looked at her sister, then at the stage again.  Her eyes glassed over as her ears twitched and jaw shifted.  The balcony was silent for several minutes as she considered the possibility, and Celestia allowed her to.   Finally, Luna turned to look at Celestia.

"Celestia," she said softly, "were you in my place, would you do such a thing?"

"No."

"Than neither shall I."  Luna shifted in her seat.  "As tempting as it is, it feels... selfish to do such a thing."  Raising a hoof, she motioned toward the crowd.  "Miss Melody has put much work into this, as has many ponies.  It is only fair that she and they are granted this opportunity at success and reward for it."

A small smile spread across Celestia's mouth before she leaned down, giving Luna a gentle kiss on the forehead.  She then broke the hug, moving to sit up straight and return her attention to the stage.  There, a spotlight was shining on Octavia as she made her way to the center.

"The past," she said in a voice that managed carry through the entire hall, "our history.  There are many saying about it.  Many beliefs.  Such as 'those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it,' and -- conversely -- 'those who live in the past have no future.'  As such, we must remember the past, but not let ourselves become obsessed with it."

Princess Luna squished down in her seat, blushing slightly as she recalled her experience with The Tantabus. 

"Tonight," Octavia continued, unaware of Luna's reaction, "I present to you all a piece intended to commemorate a part of our own history as a culture, and of our beloved princesses personally.  A piece that contains sadness, loss, grief, and fear, as well as hope, love, and forgiveness.  A piece that I hope shall remind us that even the best of us can make mistakes, and that we should always remember to try and listen to those we love."

This time, it was Princess Celestia who blushed.  Her gaze once more drifted to her sister.

"Mares, stallions, your majesties," Octavia said with a bow, "I now present to you, the debut of a new composition: 'Requiem For A Nightmare.'"  She gave one more bow and then moved off the stage.

Once she was gone, the orchestra began to play.  All of the sections started up, their music blending together into a single melody.  Then, slowly, they started to get quieter.  The music faded until it was just a harmonious piece of background music.  However, it would not stay that way, and did not for very long.

The string section grew in volume, with the harps becoming the most prominent.  These were intended to represent Princess Celestia.  The notes were light and fluttering.  They then faded back down.

That was when the woodwinds picked up.  Long, slow notes played that were almost like the sound of a lullaby.  They were meant to represent Princess Luna.  They also faded slightly as the strings picked up in volume.  The two sections became equal in volume to each other, but dominant to the rest.  The strings and winds mixed together, creating a melody of their own.

It was interrupted by the loud clash of cymbals.

The percussion section started to grow louder, drowning out everything with their rolling beat.  It stopped as a massive hammer slammed down a box with a deafening boom.

Discord.

The music alternated between the percussion, and the combination of wind and string.  One would grow louder as the other softer, the pace becoming more erratic.  Some times the cymbals or hammer would interrupt the combination, breaking the melody and taking over.  Other times, the strings or winds would play by themselves, and when the percussion started to pick up, the other that had been silent would suddenly interrupt.

Finally, there was one final loud bang before the drums started to grow softer, the music fading as string and woodwinds picked up, taking on an upbeat and cheery tone.

Discord had been defeated.

There was a short silence before the music started up again.  Once again the entire orchestra played before fading to gentle background music.  Also again, the strings and woodwinds would play and take dominance.  This time, one would play before the other joined, and then the first would fade as the second became dominant.  After, they would switch and reverse.  Celestia and Luna.  Day and Night.  Both of them equally balanced out.

However, it did not last.  As the song progressed, the accompanying instruments with the string portions grew louder, stronger.  The accompaniment with the woodwinds grew softer, shorter, until seeming to go quiet altogether.  Next, the wind sections grew shorter and shorter, while the rest grew longer and longer.  Soon, the song became lengths of a grand orchestra led by the strings, broken up by short bursts of just the woodwinds playing a few notes before turning quiet again.

Until a long, harsh note from the woodwinds broke the rhythm.

The rest of the orchestra turned silent as again the strings and winds began to alternate.  Except this time, the notes were quick and harsh.   They went back and forth, one growing louder to over power the other, only to dwindle as the other took control.

As the battle progressed, another section began to join in: the brass.  It started low at first, barely audible.  Each time the woodwinds would play, the brass section would accompany it.  As it continued, they grew louder, harsher.  Before long, the brass began to overpower the woodwinds.  Then it came.  A moment where the woodwinds started, played off into a high-pitched, sustained note like a scream, then faded as loud, short notes from the brass section took over.

With that, the woodwinds had stopped playing.  Now the battle was between the string section and the brass.  Again, they alternated back and forth, with one growing louder and playing longer before fading as the other did so.  More often than not, the brass section would dominate, playing short, angry bursts of notes before being overcome by the strings at least temporarily.

Finally, there was a clash between the two, followed by the brass holding a long, single note that slowly faded to nothingness.

There was silence.

Once again, the string section began to play.  Only this time they were alone, and the harp was quiet.  The notes were long, low, and in minor cords.  The violins were the most prominent, with cellos as the main accompaniment.

However, just as life had to go on, so did the song.  A princess could not grieve alone for her loss forever, after all.  One by one, the rest of the sections began playing again.  Not the sad, slow tune that the strings were, but the happy, cheerful notes that they had before the events.  As it grew louder, the strings got drowned out.

As the music faded, a single violin continued to play loudly.  The notes were short and upbeat, almost bouncing with excitement.  As it did, it was joined by the harp again.   The two played together before the harp went silent again, the violin giving a series of short, angry notes before returning to a steadier, softer tone.

Then came something that likely none of the audience members had suspected: the accordion.  It was a short set of loud, quick notes that quickly faded into silence.

The violin started playing again, getting back into rhythm.  Once it did, it was soon accompanied by a banjo.  The metallic twangs of the instrument filled the air, mixing with the classical sounds of the violin and creating a powerful contrast.  It then faded back, turning to background noise before stopping.

Just as the violin started getting into a steady rhythm on its own, it was interrupted by a piercing note from an alto saxophone.  The two alternated back and forth before the sax gave a series of short, quick notes, followed by a long, drawn out one.

There was a moment of silence before the violin picked up again.  Once more, it played on its own, creating a steady rhythm, although not quite as upbeat.

The sounds of a piano began to follow the rhythm before overtaking it.  The piano quickly dominated the violin, taking over the song and drowning out the other instrument.  A high-pitched sour note from the violin caused silence before taking over and playing on its own once again.

Everything turned quiet before a bird flute started to warble.   It played nearly an entire song on its own before a single note from the violin caused a single blast on the flute that stopped suddenly.  Several notes played from the violin before a single one came from the flute.  This was repeated.  Then again.  After a series of notes from the violin, the bird flute started to play properly, the two creating a melody together before going quiet once more.

Just as the violin began to play again, it was once more interrupted by the accordion.  This time, it continued to play its loud, squeaky notes as it was joined by the banjo, alto saxaphone, piano, and even the bird flute.  Each of the five then started playing together, occasionally interrupted by the violin, but not really stopping for it.  Then, one by one, they started to go quiet, with the last note being from the accordion.

The entire orchestra began playing again, the volume picking up and instruments blending together into a single melody.  Even the five more unique instruments played along.  The song slowly faded, turning softer and softer before becoming barely audible.  The harp began to play above the other instruments.

It was abruptly silenced by a loud, drawn out note from the brass section.  They then moved on to deep, drawn out notes before ending on another long note that slowly faded down.  The section continued to play low and drawn out, just barely audible to the audience.  Meanwhile, the violin once again took prominence, playing a series of short, fast notes.  It was soon joined by the accordion, banjo, sax, piano, and flute.

The six played a while before being interrupted by a blast from the horns.  There was a series of short, erratic notes before going silent.  It was interrupted by the sound of the banjo playing one of its metallic, upbeat tunes (Octavia had actually used a portion of a song about barn raising Applejack had shared).  It was eventually joined by the violin, the two playing a duet before the rest began to join in as well.

Before long, they were again interrupted by a blast of the horns.  Again, there was a series of short erratic notes, but this time it was stopped by a long, sustained, high-pitched note from the bird flute.  As the echo of it faded into the silence, the flute then started playing a variation of the lullaby "Hush Now, Quiet Now."  One by one, the other instruments joined in before returning to the main melody.

It was a pattern that was repeated one more time.  After the blast of horns and the panicked notes, the accordion began to play.  A version of Pinkie Pie's "Giggle at Ghosties" played, filling the air.  The volume softened as it was joined by the bird flute, then the saxaphone, followed by the piano, the banjo, and finally the violin.  The six continued on with the new melody before stopping again.

This time, the silence was broken by the sound of a waterphone.  Its already unusual notes were long and low, echoing through the hall.  The piano started to play a matching tune, accompanying it before a loud bang on the keys led to everything going quiet.  The waterphone and piano started up again, the waterphone fading as the other instruments resumed the main melody once again.

One by one, the faded away until only the alto saxaphone remained.  The brass section suddenly started playing, interrupting the sax.  The section began playing a variation of The Wonderbolts theme, with a deep somber tone.  Occasionally, the sax would join in, giving a short, happy burst of the theme song.  The saxaphone then broke into a different tune: a song called "Awesome as I Wanna Be," supposedly written by Rainbow Dash, but a Rainbow Dash from a different reality.  Kind of odd, but it seemed fitting.  The other five eventually joined in as well before coming to an end and returning to the original melody.

The brass section gave out a loud, deep note that continued for over a second.  This was followed by two short notes and another long, drawn out one.  It then continued to play, more notes being added as it became a full song of its own.  It was loud, with the blows being hard and heavy.  The six other instruments tried to play again, only to be drowned out by the sound.  Then one by one each of them -- violin, sax, flute, piano, banjo, and accordion --  played by their own, only to be silence again.

The sound of glass shattering filled the air, followed by a triumphant blare from  the brass section.

Silence.

The violin began to play.  Low and slow at first.  It then started to pick up in pace and tone, becoming faster and lighter.  There were several notes from the horns, but the violin kept going, faster and faster.  As it hit a crescendo, there was a pause before the banjo joined in.  It played a few lines of "Raise This Barn," before shifting to the same melody as the violin as the two played together.  Again, the brass section blew several notes before fading away.  Again there was a pause.  This time filled by the bird flute and "Hush Now, Quiet Now," before joining the main song with the violin and banjo.  Next joined the accordion, the piano and finally the saxophone.  The six played together, fast and loud as they came together.

There was a hard note followed by a long, drawn out one from the brass that slowly faded away to nothing.

The violin started up again, playing at low volume.  It was then joined by the others, the song fading further to barely audible.

The harps picked up, taking the lead for the strings.

Then came the woodwinds.  They gave short, warbling notes at first.  Slowly, they grew stronger, steadier, as they joined the melody.

The others picked up as well, growing louder.  First the six instruments, then the rest of the orchestra.  Before long, the entire orchestra was playing a happy, upbeat tune.  All the instruments played together, blending perfectly.  From time to time, one instrument or section would become more prominent before rejoining the rest again.

Finally, the performance came to an end.
> The Reviews Are Not In
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Octavia woke up later than she usually did.  In retrospect, perhaps she should have stayed in Canterlot instead of catching a train back to Ponyville.  More so since she would have to go back for tonight's performance. However, it was cheaper to pay for the train than a hotel room, and sleeping in ones own bed was always nice.

After a stretching of her back and legs, she made her way to the kitchen.

In the dining room sat Vinyl Scratch.  She had a large bowl in front of her that could fit an entire box of cereal into it.  Knowing Vinyl, it probably did.  In the mare's magic was the spoon that was moving between the bowl and her mouth, and the comic section.  The rest of the day's newspaper was scattered across the table.

Octavia sighed and gave a shake of her head as she made her way to the kitchen.  Grabbing a blueberry bagel, she cut it in half and stuck it in the toaster to warm up.  After starting the coffee maker, she made her way back toward the dining room.

"Vinyl, how many times have I told you: you don't need to use such a large bowl.  You can simply use a smaller one, and refill it as you eat."

"I don't know," Vinyl answered as she took another big spoonful of her bright colored, marshmallow filled cereal.  "I don't really keep track of that."

"Yet you are still going to complain when your cereal gets, quote, 'soggy and gross.'"  Octavia started shifting through the portions of the newspaper.  "The very reason I began to tell you in the first place."  Her eyes narrowed.  "Also, why must you always leave the newspaper in such a disarray simply so you can get to your 'comics?'"

"Comics are awesome," Vinyl declared.  "The rest of the paper sucks."

Octavia let out a snort, but chose not to comment further.  Instead she chose to focus on the newspaper, searching for the Entertainment section.  A search that was cut short by the toaster declaring it was finished.

"Could you find the entertainment section for me?  I want to see if there is a review of my show from last night."

As she got the bagel and the strawberry cream cheese, the sound of paper rustling reached her ears.  It sounded to her more like papers were being moved back and forth against each other instead of actually searched through.

"I can't seem to find it," Vinyl called out.  "Maybe they forgot to include it or something."

That gave Octavia pause.  There were times that Octavia would ask Vinyl to do something that she did not want to.  When that happened, Vinyl either said no, or ignored the request.  Octavia could not recall a time hat Vinyl would pretend to do something and make up an excuse.  Something odd was happening, and she thought she knew how to find out.

Grabbing the plate with her bagel and her cup of coffee, Octavia made her way to the dining area.  After setting them down, she took her seat across the table from Vinyl.  Instead of immediately eating or drinking, however, she instead folded her forehooves in front of her, and stared at the other mare.

Several seconds passed in silence at Octavia sat there, staring.

Vinyl Scratch shifted in her seat.  Her eye glanced at Octavia before looking at her breakfast.

The comics snapped audibly in the magical aura.

Vinyl's eyes flicked to Octavia, then back to the comic.

"You're coffee's getting cold," Vinyl blurted out.

Pulling the paper up more to block Octavia, Vinyl slouched down in her seat.

Her ears pulled back.

"Why do you care about it anyways?" Vinyl snapped as she slammed the paper to the table (and Octavia noted that it was new personal record for Vinyl).  "The show was awesome.  There wasn't a dry eye in the house.  I know it was great, you know it was great.  Hey, even Princess Luna herself told you it was great."

That last part had actually been very surprising to Octavia.  After the show, the princess had shown up backstage, saying that she had enjoyed the show very much.  It was the highest praise that the musician could have expected.  Even the memory of it made Octavia feel lightheaded and giddy.

A reaction that was short lived as the memory was pushed aside by Vinyl's words.

"Vinyl," Octavia said calmly, "where is the entertainment section?"

Vinyl grimaced.

"Listen.  We're friends.  Good friends.  So believe me when I say that it doesn't matter, and you don't want to read it.  Trust me on this, Octavia, forget about it."

"We both know I cannot do that," Octavia responded.  "Now, please give me the Entertainment section."

"Fine," Vinyl huffed, rolling her eyes.  Her horn lit up as she grabbed the cereal box and pulled out a wadded up piece of newspaper.

Octavia raised an eyebrow.

"I had to stash it fast when I heard you were coming," Vinyl stated as she passed the balled up paper over.

Taking the ball, Octavia set it onto the table.  Her hooves went to work unwrapping and smoothing it while looking for the review.  As she found it, she started scanning through it.

One word stuck out above all the rest: "abomination."

It was also essentially a summary of the review.  The critic quite adamantly opposed the addition of either non-traditional instruments or melodies in what was supposed to be classical music.

With a sigh, Octavia crumpled it back up.  Setting it aside, she turned her attention to her coffee and bagel.

"Like I said," Vinyl said, "you shouldn't care what that stupid critic says.  Princess Luna came and told you herself that she loved it, for crying out loud.  Who cares what some stuffy, stuck-up critic says?"

"The ponies that read the Entertainment section of the newspaper," Octavia replied, "and potential audience members.  Possibly future patrons and so forth."

Octavia sighed and took a bite, swallowing before continuing.

"As wonderful as it is that Princess Luna loved it, unfortunately, that" -- she pointed a hoof at the crumpled up newspaper -- "is primarily what ponies shall be reading.  It is what they shall use to judge whether or not they shall attend a performance, commission me to write a piece, or even hire me to perform for them."  She sighed again.  "And I highly doubt that Princess Luna will have the time to write her own review and have it printed in the paper."

"How cool would that be though?" Vinyl asked.

"Yes," Octavia agreed.  "It would be a rather impressive.  Still, she has more pressing matters to deal with."  She picked up her coffee and looked at it.  "I suppose I shall just have to wait and see the full extent of the consequences before deciding what to do next."

"Hey.  Come on.  You'll be fine."

"I certainly hope so."

"If you're really worried, you can set up auditions for your jazz band," Vinyl suggested, getting a laugh from the other mare.

"Perhaps I shall," Octavia replied.  "Depending how tonight and tomorrow's performances go."

The two sat in silence for a moment, Vinyl stirring her bowl while Octavia ate her bagel.

"My cereal's all soggy and gross," Vinyl declared.

Octavia looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, yeah," Vinyl huffed.  "I know, I know."

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Vinyl said as she got up.  "You can finish your breakfast... and your not gloating."

A snicker escaped Octavia as she took a drink of her coffee.  She watched Vinyl leave before turning her attention to the rest of the newspaper.  Maybe she could find an uplifting story, like something about a puppy or kitten, or and advertisement for a sale she might enjoy.

"Are you Octavia Melody?" a deep voice asked, loud enough to carry all the way to Octavia.

"Octaviaaaaaaaa!" Vinyl called out.  "You want to come see this."

Finishing her bagel and coffee, Octavia got up and made her way to the front door.  What could be at the door that got such a reaction from Vinyl?

As soon as she saw, Octavia understood.

Standing in the doorway was Discord.  As soon as she came up, his yellow eyes turned to her and a smile spread across his goat-like face.

He suddenly disappeared from the doorway and appeared directly in front of Octavia.

"Octavia Melody," Discord said, grabbing one of her hooves and shaking it rapidly.  "How delightful to meet you."

Octavia shook her hoof being held in a lion paw and eagle talon, still staring up at strange hodge-podge creature.  She was familiar with Discord, both from his attack on Ponyville and from having seen him around since his "reformation."  However, it had always been at a distance.  Perhaps not what could be considered a "safe" distance considering he could alter the world around him with a literal snap of his paw, but a distance all the same.  Seeing him in all his mismatched glory up close was... odd.  Octavia was not sure how else to describe.

"Yes," she finally said, pulling her hoof away.  "Now, how may I help you, Mister Discord?"

A dress suit appeared on Discord as he stood up, adjusting his monocle.

"Well, it's simple," he said.  "I read the review of your performance, and I just had to commission you to write a piece about my favorite subject: Me."

"You... you want me to write a song about you?"

"Yes," Discord confirmed, the suit vanishing as he floated in the air.  "Something much more than those silly drums you have near the start of that Requiem thing to signify me."

"Okay," Vinyl jumped in as she shut the door and turned to face them.  "I gotta ask.  What are you up to?"

A wide grin spread on Discord's face as he turned to Vinyl.

"That's the best part," he said.  "I'm not actually up to anything else."

"...Seriously?" Vinyl asked, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.

"In this case, yes, because it's so wonderful on its own."  He clapped his forelimbs together.  "I mean I get a song, a bunch of boring old ponies get annoyed, and I can't possibly get in trouble for it.  A nice little bit of chaos and I don't have to do anything."

"That last part is not quite accurate," Octavia stated.  "You do have to pay for the song."

Discord suddenly dropped from the air, shattering like glass as he hit the floor.

He then popped back up, reassembling himself.

"What?"  Discord shouted as he landed in front of Octavia.  "But... you didn't charge Princess Luna's for her song, did you?"

Straightening up, Octavia looked him in the eye as best she could.

"'Requiem for a Nightmare,'" she stated, "was a passion piece which I wrote at my own volition, as an attempt to create an original composition for a full orchestra, and which was my own idea to begin with."  She poked him in the nose.  "You are asking me to write a song on your behalf.  That means it is a commission piece, and thus, needs to be paid for."  Her eyes narrowed.  "With a down payment up front."

Straightening up, Discord let out a huff and crossed his arms.

"A down payment?" he asked.  "Up front?"  With another huff he turned his back to Octavia.  "Really, do you think I'm untrustworthy or something?"

Octavia stared at him, saying nothing.

With a roll of his eyes, Discord reached into his coat and pulled out a black rectangle.  He flipped it open to reveal it was filled with paper and pulled out a quill.

"Will you take a check?"

Octavia continued to stare.

"Fine!" Discord cried out, the checkbook disappearing as he threw up his forelimbs.  "Tell me how much the stupid down payment is, and I'll be come back with the dumb bits."