Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Legacy Prompt #31: Absence

Octavia was never quite so glad to see somepony leave her sight as she was the day that Vinyl Scratch departed the Royal Canterlot Conservatory. She had suspected that the workload would be too much for the aspiring DJ. Though, Octavia did have to give some credit to Vinyl; the mare was not untalented, and it was clear that she had the skill to justify her being at the Conservatory, but her chosen genre of music was hardly to Octavia’s taste.

Really, it was all drums and bass. No real melody, nor subtleties. And the way that she would blast it out so that it was audible even two floors below her room, was hardly appropriate, but Octavia would never say that she hated Vinyl Scratch. No, those thoughts would be reserved for Octavia and Octavia only.

Still, Octavia was polite, and her parents had raised her to help ponies if they asked, and Vinyl Scratch had asked for Octavia’s help that day in getting her equipment and furniture out of the room she had been assigned. And, like a good, polite pony, Octavia had helped her, if only to personally make sure that Vinyl had left. She remembered feeling the slightest sense of satisfaction when Vinyl had finally left the campus, towing a cart full of her belongings.

And even though she knew it was wrong, she remembered thinking that only ‘real’ musicians would succeed at the Conservatory, and that Vinyl’s departure was only proof of this. That was another thought that Octavia had decided would remain only for Octavia. But Octavia couldn’t deny that a return to the blessed silence of the nights that Vinyl Scratch’s practice habits had denied everypony would be welcome.
So it was with a smile on her face that that night, after completing her weekly assignments in good time, as always, that Octavia settled down to sleep.

She tossed and turned a few times to get comfortable, closed her eyes, and waited to be whisked off to the world of dreams, away from the cares of the physical world for a time.

Two hours later, Octavia remained firmly awake. It only took her another half an hour to figure out why.

She couldn’t hear the usual thump of the bass that she had evidently become used to. It was an odd feeling for Octavia, that she missed the music that she disliked so much while Vinyl had been there. But there was little that she could do now. Vinyl Scratch was likely off somewhere, seeking her fame and fortune in her own way.

Still, perhaps a trip to the record store would be in order. The music that Vinyl had played, the music that Octavia admitted was not her particular taste, did have an oddly appealing draw to it.

Author's Note:

Written for Legacy Prompt #31, on the TMP group Forums.
The prompt: I can't hear the music.