Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #420-M.A.D

Vinyl Scratch, also known as DJ Pon-3, quietly slipped into her bedroom in her shared apartment with Octavia. It had been a long day for the unicorn, being up at the crack of dawn so she could sort out her arrangements for the upcoming music festival, and get registered as a performer. That alone had taken until lunchtime, then she’d had to swing by the Canterlot Conservatory to submit her latest essay for her belated final year of study, and naturally, had then been roped into a demonstration by her tutor for a few hours, leaving the unicorn with only ten minutes to get from the Conservatory in the upper districts to the socialite party she had been recruited to play at. And worst of all, they hadn’t wanted her to play any of her usual fare, just casual background music.

She gently shut the door to her darkened room, and fumbled around for a minute, levitating her saddlebags off and tossing them into a corner. As she began to stumble her way towards her bed, one of her ears twitched, and she turned to face that direction.

“No, I can’t right now,” she whispered, “ ‘m too tired.” Though there was no audible reply, Vinyl seemed to read the mood of the room.

“You always do this. You’re like an addiction for me, and just when I think I’ve gotten out, there you are, pulling me back down. But I can’t be doing this every night. I’ve got essays to write, research to do, and yeah, I know i’d promised I’d do that big project with you, but I have to prioritize things right now.”

Another brief silence fell over the room, and Vinyl turned away, her eyes shut.

“I sometimes ask myself ‘why?’, you know? Why do I put up with you sometimes? I know a lot of ponies don’t like you. Heck, I know Tavi hates you. But I can’t help it. I know you’re not good for me, but I love you, no matter what other ponies say. But that’s why I gotta do all this other stuff right now. Aw, look, I didn’t mean to hurt you. C’mere.” Vinyl moved over and gave something in the corner of the room a hug.

The light flicked on, and Octavia stood in the door of Vinyl’s room, dressed in her ridiculous pink fluffy dressing gown, her jaw nearly scraping the floor, and her eyes frozen in shock. Vinyl, for her part, never let go of the gigantic speaker she had been on the verge of kissing. Her head turned to face Octavia.

“Yeeah. This is...exactly what it looks like.” Octavia, for her part, just reached up, flicked the light back off, and backed out of the room.

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #420-“Love Hurts”
The Prompt: Why does it hurt so much to love you?