Ponywatching

by ThunderTempest

Prompt #448-All's Fair In The Music Business

Vinyl Scratch was a whirlwind of magic, mess and music as she flew through the apartment. Her magic was grabbing items left and right, discarding some with casual flicks, and shoving others into her saddle bag.

“Are you going out, Vinyl?” asked Octavia, from her position by her bedroom door. Vinyl paused for a second, her magic suspending two records and a toaster.

“Yeah, I am. Got an interview for a gig. Probably won’t be back until late.”

“I see. Well, good luck to you. I too, am also going out.”

“Yeah?” said Vinyl, her magic putting the toaster back down, and re-inspecting her saddle bags, just to make sure that she hadn’t accidentally grabbed any other appliances, “Where are you going?”

“I’m meeting up with Miss Rarity. She’s in town for the Royal Wedding. She may be able to get me a performance at the reception. Such a performance would be truly wondrous, a truly once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Although Octavia’s voice was calm, Vinyl could see the signs of excitement written all over Octavia’s face. It was this which made Vinyl unconciously swallow, her mouth run dry, and consider her next words very carefully.

“Well, I hope she can get you one. You performing at that kind of event would be perfect.” Vinyl didn’t dare tell Octavia that she was actually heading out to meet Pinkie Pie, the pony in charge of the reception, to be interviewed for that very job. She didn’t want to crush Octavia’s dreams like that.

“And you, Vinyl? Do you know where your gig is going to be?”

“Uh, lemme think for a sec,” said Vinyl, making a show of trying to remember, “The Rusty Horseshoe, or something like that. I’m not sure. I may have been drinking when the guy asked me.”

Octavia rolled her eyes, but wished Vinyl luck, and then vanished back into her room to keep getting ready for her meeting with Rarity. Vinyl, realizing the time, dashed out the door and down the stairs, heading for the place where she was due to meet Pinkie Pie.

******

The Wedding reception had carried long into the night, and for that, Vinyl Scratch was glad. She knew that Octavia, despite her slightly aloof nature, did keep abreast of the news. The fact that the entertainment at the reception had not been announced had only delayed what Vinyl knew would be waiting for her when she got home.

And sure enough, when Vinyl carefully unlocked the door to her apartment, Octavia was standing there, in the middle of the room, the thousand-yard stare fixed on her face.

“Alright, Octy, before you say anything, let me ask you one question. Would it really have been better if I told you what I was going for?”

“It would have been easier, certainly. Not knowing who was picked was sheer torture, Vinyl. Finding out that it was you, from the tabloids, no less, only made it harder. You could have at least told me yourself. You knew that I wanted to play at a royal wedding. And you lied to me.”

“Look, I didn’t want to crush you like that. I wanted to tell you, but after seeing you so excited at the possibility of being able to play your dream event, I just...couldn’t.”

“So you just went behind my back?”

“If it makes any difference, Pinkie Pie contacted me, not the other way around. You’ve been talking about performing at a royal wedding for years, Octy, ever since Princess Cadence became known to you. I didn’t want to take your dream away. I tried to drop hints about you. But I was the one that Pinkie wanted. So I just figured it would be better if I just...you know, never told you. Kept your hope alive.”

***Time***

After Vinyl finished attempting to explain herself, silence persisted in the living room for a while. Then, without saying a single word, Octavia turned away from Vinyl, trotted to her room, moved inside, and shut the door.

“Well,” muttered Vinyl, “that could have gone better.”

Author's Note:

Written for Prompt #448-“Dissonance”
The Prompt: Sometimes loyalty requires you to lie, and sometimes honesty requires you to betray.

Edit: This short now has a reading! By the wonderful ObabScribbler! I am totally freaking out right now.

Comments

[Valhuir]

So then, when Twilight became a princess, Octy had a spontaneous joygasm?

[ThunderTempest]

3086213 Possibly.

[Themaskedferret]

Hope: the greatest of all mankind's gifts.