//------------------------------//
// Silverline 
// Story: Childhood Sweethearts 
// by Ribe_FireRain 
//------------------------------//

The Ponyville Scooter Rally had been over for hours and the sun has tucked itself away behind the horizon, leaving the sky a heavenly shade of contrasting glowing orange and yellow.

Somewhere on the edge of the town on a hill, the young colt, Silverline, sat on a hill with his back to a tall oak tree, his head in his hooves as he cried. He had a clear view of the town, a bird's eye lookout over the landscape. His black and grey scooter lay beside him with a handlebar burrowed partially into the soil.

His defeat had burned him with humiliation and the feared gloom of failure. He lost the race to a blank-flank.

Shortly after it had ended, he found this spot on the hill by the tree, far away from any locals and wildlife. It was quiet, but the only sound filling the air was his sobs.

He did all he could. Every last idea an ounce of willpower he had in his being didn't seem to be enough to win for first place. 

He was disappointed in himself. More importantly, Diamond Tiara, his cousin, was very disappointed with him.

''You lost?! Against those blank-flanks?!'' He could still hear their little chat reverberate in his ears from only moments after the race had ended and she found him in a ditch, thrown from the track during the bend with the cones on the right borderline of the town. ''I told you to win, and you couldn't even give me that! I thought I could trust you to win and humiliate those blank-flanks!'' She scoffed at him. ''I suppose I was wrong. You're nothing but a failure.'' She said, turning around and whipping his chin with her tail as she turned her back on him, causing him to squirm. ''As a matter of fact, I'm convinced you're just as worthless as they are.'' And then she trotted off in a huff, leaving him in the mud.

It hurt, and he knew it would hurt for a very long time. He was a failure and a nothing.

He lifted his head, bringing up his chin to rest it on his crossed hooves that were resting on his knees, allowing his tears to drip as he looked out over the town of Ponyville. It was all so peaceful, now. The only ponies out were the ones disassembling the race track. ''It's not fair,'' He said through a sniffle. ''I should have won so that Diamond would be proud of me.'' He looked over to his scooter and helmet at his side. ''No thanks to you.'' 

His hoof scooped under his helmet and he brought it to his face, holding it in both hooves. He stared at it for a while, feeling his tears dry as he concentrated on it. ''You know what,'' He began, feeling a burn in his chest. ''I'm going to prove her wrong. She'll see! She'll have to be proud of me!'' He said with a freshly bake batch of confidence as he placed the helmet back on top of his head, strapping it beneath his chin. ''I've got to prove her wrong! I am worth something!'' 

He sat up, gathering himself on all four hooves and picking up his discarded scooter from the ground before mounting it. He took a glance towards the town, watching it and the sunset for a moment before he pushed away with a hoof to the ground, taking his leave from the hill and back on route to Ponyville.

There was some business he had to take care of.