The Disney Chronicles III: Fantasia

The Nutcracker Suite Op. 71a

Equestria
Canterlot Theater
Many hours later

Applause is heard as Twilight prepares to announce the next concert number, smiling cutely toward the audience.

"You know, it's funny how wrong an artist can be about his own work. Let's take an example from another famous composer from the planet Earth. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was his name. The one composition that he really detested was his Nutcracker Suite, which is probably the most popular thing he ever wrote. It's a series of dances taken out of a full-length ballet called The Nutcracker that he once composed for the St. Petersburg opera house. It wasn't much of a success and nobody performs it nowadays. And even though you never seen the ballet, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the music from it when you hear it. Incidentally, you won't see any nutcracker on the screen. There's nothing left of him but the title."

Symphony of Sorcery
The Orchestra Stand
Present Time

Deems, the ponies, Jiminy and Spike approach another songbook, this one colored blue.

"The next sheet music you need to look for is called the 'Nutcracker Suite'," Deems explained. "It was written by a famous Russian composer known as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Some of his works are among the most popular music in the classical repertoire."

"Wow!" Octavia gasped, amazed.

"I'm already liking this Tchaikovsky fella," Vinyl said.

"Me too!" Rarity agreed.

"The Nutcracker Suite was one of his most famous," Leopold said, joining the conversation. "But he really detested it."

The ponies gasp hearing about a composer hating his own work.

"It's taken out of a full-length ballet called 'The Nutcracker' that he composed for the St. Petersburg Opera House," Leopold continued. "It sadly wasn't much of a success and nobody performs it nowadays."

But give it a few more years, eventually it becomes a Christmas tradition.

"But why would someone hate their own work?" Rarity asked.

"Nobody knows, but there is always the one project that a worker doesn't hold too fondly of," Deems answered. "Even if it is one of their most popular works... In this case, Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker Suite'. "

"And you say nobody performs it nowadays?" Twilight asked.

"Well, not completely," Deems replied. "Yes, as of this year, we'd doing this. It's not performed outside of Russia, but something tells me that someday, the music of the Nutcracker and the story that went along with it will always be performed around the world every Christmas... But that could just be me."

Told you so...

"Oh! Well, that's good to know!" Pinkie smiled, then thought of something. "Uh... What's Christmas?"

The other ponies and dragon seemed curious as well, as if only hearing it for the first time.

"Oh, I can answer that," Jiminy cut in. "You see, one day a year on Earth on December 25th, we all come together and celebrate the holiday known as Christmas. Christmas is a time to spend together with families, friends and doing holiday traditions, such as decorating Christmas trees, singing carols and opening Christmas gifts..."

As Jiminy goes on about Christmas in general, the ponies imagine it in their heads as the images of the holiday play out. Pinkie especially loved the idea of Christmas gifts, seeing wrapped boxes float around her head.

"I'd say it's the most wonderful time of the year," Jiminy concluded, sighing happily.

"You mean Christmas in your world and this one is like Hearth's Warming Eve on ours?" Applejack asked.