//------------------------------// // Subliminal Message // Story: Failed Confessions to an Oblivious Friend // by FerociousCreation //------------------------------// The morning sun beamed into the Wonderbolts' eyes as the team stood on the grass beside the runway. Spitfire had them face the ball of hot light on purpose, partially as a way to deal with sudden brightness. When spinning, looping, and darting through the air, a flyer may face the sun and get flashed. Many times before has a flyer see spots because of the sun and had to bail out of a stunt. Luckily, the team wore goggles to lessen the intense light. The second reason for the team being on the grass was because Spitfire wants to introduce each flier and have them shape a cloud to look like their own head when called. The Wonderbolt’s announcer, Card Call, held Spitfire’s megaphone and proceeded with the mock introductions. “May I introduce the heart, the left wing, and the right one as well, Spitfire, Soarin, and Fleetfoot!” The trio took off into the air, their clouds right above them. Vapor Trail squinted from the sunlight and watched her teammates spin around their clouds before each cloud poofed into the flier’s respective head. The poof was more of a cosmetic effect, simulating a magic spell being cast. But shaping a cloud into an actual shape was very difficult, especially at great speed. The trick was to press the cloud into a tight space while diving into it and cutting it with a hoof to the appropriate shape. When the shape is complete, the flier then hollows out the inside of the cloud while still suppressing the outside shell. Once the flier stops their spinning, the image springs out, creating the “magical” proofing effect. The announcer called three members at a time, balancing the attention among each Wonderbolt, while not having the intro too long. To Vapor Trail’s right stood Rainbow Dash and the left was Sky Stinger. Neither of them tried to talk with one another, lest Spitfire ends up actually spewing flames from her tongue. Small talk was not allowed throughout the early morning practice. Spitfire made it clear that practice was going to be short so her teammates can enjoy the rest of the day for themselves. And the captain wanted to keep all lovey-dovey talk as far away from herself as possible. Love was clearly not Spitfire’s favorite thing and she intended to keep it that way. Vapor Trail closed her eyes, the sun a little too much for her. She thought about the performance in her head, remembering how to shape a cloud to look like her head. However, the Hearts and Hooves holiday infected Vapor Trail with the lovesick plague. And she was also possessed by Sky Stinger’s handsome face. Vapor Trail looked up even more and felt the sun warm her throat, pretending her best friend was rising up from below and warming her with his nose. “Last but not least, the latest members of the Wonderbolts!” Vapor Trail snapped back to reality as her time to act was upon her. Focus, Vapor Trail! Focus. “The Element of Loyalty and her two successors, Vapor Trail and Sky Stinger!” Rainbow Dash, Sky Stinger, and Vapor Trail launched upwards and began to shape their cloud. Vapor Trail’s mind was in the present, but it was more than just in the clouds. In the three seconds she spun around her cloud, the pegasus wondered if the box of chocolates was enough to capture Sky Stinger’s heart. And where should she give the gift to him? The waterfall was already used to tell Sky Stinger that Vapor Trail loved him. So where? Concluded with shaping her cloud, Vapor Trail flew out of her cloud and watched in horror that it was not what Spitfire had asked for. Vapor Trail looped around the white cotton and landed on top of the heart she accidentally created. Rainbow Dash and Sky Stinger looked to the white pegasus, not sure what to do for her. And if Spitfire was able to perform a sonic rainboom, she would have with the amount of speed it took her to get to the love-struck mare. Spitfire quickly removed her goggles, her eyes angrier than the sun that was starting to blind Vapor Trail. “Oh, you think you’re funny!” the captain shouted. Shame and embarrassment released its emotions inside Vapor Trail’s soft heart. The pegasus’ ears fell back, scared of the angry Wonderbolt. “Do you think I am here to play games today, Daydreamer, or are you trying to pull a prank on your teammates?” “N-n-n-no…” Vapor Trail squeaked, her voice cracking from pressure. In a quick glance, she saw Sky Stinger, stagnant and unable to help. Spitfire snagged Vapor Trail’s hoof and pulled the mare from her cloud. Both flew in front of the newly shaped clouds and the captain pointed, “Then what are you implying with your heart, Daydreamer?” When Vapor Trail noticed what she did and the way the clouds were aligned, she made an unintentional subliminal message. Rainbow Dash’s and Sky Stinger’s clouds were obviously shaped to the flyer’s head. However, the heart Vapor Trail had made in the center of her teammates’ images said, “Rainbow Dash hearts Sky Stinger.” “I’m sorry… I wasn’t trying to prank you…” Vapor Trail muttered, still embarrassed by what she had made. “And I am sorry I allowed my team to have such an unfocused flier!” Spitfire exclaimed. Vapor Trail saw no mercy in her captain’s eyes when she said, “You are off the team!” A gasp from every member was heard in the very mute morning air. Not even the crickets dared to make a sound unless they wanted to be poisoned by Spitfire’s harsh words. Vapor Trail had to slide her goggles off or her tears would have drowned her eyes. Sky Stinger made a single move to come to his friend, but Spitfire turned to him, daring the stallion to come to Vapor Trail’s aid. “I’m… I’m off the team…?” Vapor Trail sobbed. Spitfire snorted, “You pulled a prank on me, so now I did the same…” In a very flat sarcastic tone, the Wonderbolt said, “Ha… ha…” Vapor Trail sighed in relief, but fear still gripped at her heart, now knowing the extent of how angry Spitfire can become. Spitfire herself let out a sigh before calling to her team, “Take five, everypony. I’m going to take a lap around the academy. When I get back, we are going to do the introductions again and are going to do them right.” The Wonderbolt looked at Vapor Trail specifically when she concluded her sentence. “Dismissed.” Spitfire left in a bright dash of yellow, leaving the team to do as they pleased before she returns. Soarin was the only pegasus who followed after the leader but didn’t fly too quickly as he left. Vapor Trail hovered in the air, frozen by humiliation. The ground below looked like an overview of a golf course to the mare as her eyes were cast to the world. A pegasus approached the upset mare and grabbed her hoof. “Let’s land,” Sky Stinger said. The two descended and touched down on the grass, the blades tickling their hooves. Vapor Trail did not wish to look up at Sky Stinger or anypony else for that matter. Her friend moved forward and handled the mare with care. “It’s alright. Spitfire is gone.” Unable to hold back, Vapor Trail clenched her teeth and wept. “I’m an idiot!” Vapor Trail huffed. “It was a mistake. I know you are thinking about your special somepony and it is hard to get him off your mind.” The mare pressed her face into Sky Stinger’s neck, “I am thinking about him. And I can’t stop myself. I want to tell him my feelings so badly.” Vapor Trail’s special somepony in question was up against her and he didn’t even know it. Despite his warming care for his friend, Vapor Trail was still afraid of the potential negative aftermath, not to mention actually getting out the right words with the right setting at hoof was something the mare needed to consider. “If you don’t mind,” Sky Stinger said into Vapor Trail’s ear, “just to ease some tension off your shoulders, you can… point in the direction of your special somepony. That way, you don’t have to tell me his name but I will know his whereabouts.” The offer was kind, but with Spitfire on the loose with a hot temper, Vapor Trail figured the captain didn’t want any proposing going on on the runway. But the white pegasus was in the arms of the friend she loved the most. He was right there, right up against her face. It was a simple offer that would require a simple gesture. “If… If I point to where he is, will you… keep it a secret?” Vapor Trail asked in a nervous shiver. “I would never let your secrets out,” Sky Stinger answered. “You were the wind at my wings for so long and you kept that a secret. I am more than willing to return the favor.” Vapor Trail backed away from Sky Stinger, her smile almost touching her eyes. It made her happy that Sky was willing to mention her past helping, and showed how grateful he really was, revealing the softer and more caring side of Sky Stinger. Red in the face, Vapor Trail nodded. Her eyes clenched shut as she quickly stabbed her hoof forward at the stallion in front of her. “He’s right in front of me!” Vapor Trail’s own voice surprised herself, but the words were said. Through the cracks in her eyes, Vapor Trail saw Sky Stinger smiling. “Wow, now that is quite the surprise,” Sky Stinger said, a beaming smile shining from his lips. A shimmer danced off Vapor Trail’s eyes. I think he heard me! “I never thought… that you would like Soarin.” The illusion was shattered by reality and the mare flinched at her friend’s words. She pointed right at Sky Stinger, so why would he assume another stallion? Vapor Trail looked over Sky Stinger’s shoulder and noticed Soarin walking beside Spitfire. And the two were walking her direction. “Vapor Trail,” Spitfire called, “come here, please.” Please was not a common work in Spitfire’s vocabulary, so what she had to say was very important. Vapor Trail wanted to explain to Sky Stinger her pointing hoof was directed at him, but a captain’s demand was what the white pegasus needed to attend to first. Sky Stinger winked at her before lifting into the air, leaving his friend to attend to Spitfire’s call.