//------------------------------//
// A Big Success 
// Story: Divided 
// by Phoenix Pastel 
//------------------------------//

One Year later...

Aurum Sky woke up with a thump.
"Owww..." Aurum groaned as she picked herself up from the floor. She rubbed her head where she had landed on the hard floor of where she lived- cloud floors were expensive.
She looked over at her flank. Still nothing. She sighed as she trudged to the bathroom with bags under her eyes- mornings were not her thing, especially on weekends. She walked to the sink and put her front hooves on the sink counter, reaching for the handles. The water turned on with a sploosh and she splashed some water on her face and dried it.
A few minutes after combing her messy mane she walked downstairs. Her mom was at the table eating a bowl of cereal.
"Good morning, sweetie."
"Good morning, Mama."
Aurum trudged to the pantry and pulled out a box of Honey Creams cereal, and poured herself a bowl before going to sit at the table. She sighed as she realized she forgot a spoon, and got up to get one. Her ears pricked as she heard the sound of hoofsteps knocking on the tile floor as she opened the silverware drawer.
"Good morning, beautiful," said her father and he walked to the table and kissed her mother Rosy Sky, making her giggle. Aurum rolled her eyes as she walked back to her cereal, spoon in hoof. Her father looked at her as she started eating her cereal.
"Good morning to you, too, Aurum. Are you ready for today?" He asked, smiling broadly. Rosy Sky looked at him with disdain.
"You know not everypony likes waking up in the morning, right, Thunderblue?" She asked, giving him an are-you-serious look. Thunder chuckled nervously. The blue pegasus stallion with a gold mane was known to be the first one up among the two anti-morning ponies- it had become a joke in this family. It was even his cutie mark- an electric blue sun on top of a golden lightning bolt.

Aurum looked up and smiled as she started to wake up with excitement about today. Today was her first game of Solball! She was ecstatic about her first performance, the first time all those Tuesday after-school practices would pay off. Today would be her moment. She grinned happily.
"Yep! Im soooo excited! Im sure we'll win!
Thunderblue chuckled. "Well then, eat your breakfast and hurry upstairs to put on your uniform. The game starts in a hour." Aurums eyes widened as she whipped her head aside to check the clock, and started hyperventilating as she saw it was already 10:13.
She shoved her cereal into her mouth and sped upstairs, yelling a "Thwanks Daddey!" as she took flight to go faster.

She landed in her bed and tumbled to her Cloudwood dresser as she threw on her Solball uniform- a blue jersey with a 12 on the back and a bright blue and green viper head on the front, for her team was the Sky Vipers, a type of snake known to cause anypony who was bit to float uncontrollably into the air. She shuddered with delight. Aurum always wanted to have a pet snake. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Focus, Aurum!, She thought. Ok. Do your best. You will win! She took a few deep breathes before brushing and tying her mane into a ponytail, and ran downstairs to her parents.
Rosy grinned as Aurum ran down to her and Thunder. Thunder gave Aurum a quick noogie as he and Rosy turned and spread their wings to go to the field. Aurum followed suit, giving her dad a dirty look, and took flight after her parents as they flew to the game.

Aurum squealed in delight as the Solball field finally came into view. She had practiced here many times before, but to see it on game day gave it a whole new light. She smiled uncontrollably as she and her parents landed infront of her coach, Spectrum Rush, or, Coach Rush.
Coach Rush, as she was known, was a lithe, pearly white Pegasus mare with the colors of the rainbow as her mane, styled short in a pixie cut. Her cutie mark consisted of a crystal prism reflecting out a ray of rainbow colors.

Aurum smiled. She loved her coach, almost idolizing her, for her great amount of speed and agility that came with her pointed wings.
Her wings buzzed excitedly as Coach Rush looked at her, a smirk on her face.  She spoke in a crystal clear voice full of confidence.
"Hey, there, Aurum. I'm expecting some real action on the team. You up to it?" She put a hoof behind her back and pulled out a blue brayball hat and plopped it on her head, a blue whistle on a white ribbon also coming down over her neck. Aurum didn't notice this, however. The pink filly was much too excited.
"LETSGOLETSGOLETSGOLETSGO!!" She screamed, bouncing with enthusiasm and practically flew off her hooves. Rush laughed and turned to the field.
"Hurry up, then. Game's about to start." Aurum squealed and bounded after her, shouting a "Bye, Mama and Daddy!" as she ran away. Rosy chuckled as Thunder pulled her to the stands. 
...
The game was about to start. Aurum was in position, a line up and down the middle line, she being in the spot 4 ponies away from the end. Aurum was excited as she looked at the 6 other ponies on her team, her gaze then switching over to the other team- The Red Hawks. The tension was thick as the referee raised his whistle- And the game was on!
Falcon Jem, a ruby red Pegasus with a black mane, kicked the ball to Aurum and ran forward. Aurum caught it and ran to the other teams goal, all four of her legs pumping with energy until a blue earth pony rammed into her and she dropped the ball. Another blue earth pony grabbed it and ran away. Aurum grit her teeth.
Solball was a game of running. The two teams where supposed to kick and carry the ball to the other teams goal to score, and the first to 4 points won. The players could grab the ball out of the others hoof, but that was it, get the ball to the other teams goal. All had to stay on the ground, so it would be fair, but the game was simple and required teamwork.
And Aurum loved it. 
She tore down the field to the ball. One goal scored for the Vipers.
The Red Hawks scored.
Aurum passed the ball to a purple unicorn named Velvet Hooves and scored a point.
The teams got a break and Aurum flicked some water at a nearby Red Hawk. The game resumed
The Vipers scored another point due to the other teams goalie being distracted by a butterfly.
And they where down to the final few minutes. Aurum was sweating at this point, and she locked eyes with the other team. the whistle was blowed and Aurum kicked the ball to a teammate. She rammed a green pegasus out of the way and nearly caught the ball as another teammate passed it to her, before a magenta earth pony intercepted it. She ran after her, her heart pounding.
5 minutes remained.
Aurum watched as Velvet from before caught the ball and threw it to her.
4 minutes.
Aurum pounded down the field, as a gray unicorn jumped in front of her.
3 minutes.
She swerved to the right and dropped the ball. Her parents leaned forward in anticipation, biting their hooves.
2 minutes.
Aurum grabbed the ball just before a minty pegasus did and tore down the field, barely registering her teammates running beside her.
1 minute.
The goal was right in front of her. She could taste victory...
30 seconds...
And Aurum delivered a last, powerful kick before the game ended. The ball whistled past the goalie's hoofs and landed square in the net behind him.
The game was over. Aurum's teammates screamed and cheered as they crowded around her, chanting her name as the parents grinned until their face hurt. Aurum was elated, thinking that nothing could be better than this, until a bright flash blinded her.
FLASH!
She blinked and looked at her once-blank flank. Instead of a patch of pink fur like there usually was, there was a golden sun with wavy rays in alternating yellow-and-orange colors. Aurums face split into an impossible grin, her eyes sparkling.
"I GOT MY CUTIE MARK!!"
She yelled and danced with delight as her proud parents laughed and grinned with absolute pride and joy clear on their faces.
The entire team was happy and proud, and Coach Rush was so proud that she treated the entire team to milkshakes at Soneighc, Aurum grinning the entire time.
It was the best day ever.