Old Memories, New Faces
“Hey Stinger! Trail! You two are able to drink, right?” Surprise motioned to the young stallion across the round table from her as she laid back against the soft plush of the circular couch at their corner table. Sky and Vapor both nodded.
Vapor and Sky had decided to take an evening off with Surprise and Angel Wings at their favorite restaurant in Cloudsdale, in a small hidden corner of the city, not too far from the academy. Having taken a liking to the timid, scarlet and grey-ish mare, Surprise had offered to take the filly under her wing as a mentor, and help train her to improve her flight capabilities. Angel, surprised, had timidly, but gladly, accepted the offer, happy to have coaching from such an experienced mare.
“What about you, Wings?”
“Well… yeah, but…” Angel answered, putting aside the strawberry milkshake she had been sipping out of. “I’m not that interested… and I’ve never actually had anything alcoholic before…”
“You’re serious?” Sky asked her incredulously. He’d had a few drinks before but nothing too serious.
“Really? Well, we’re going to have to fix that!” Surprise decided. “Stinger, go order us some drinks! Whatever their special is!”
“Me?!” Stinger’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at the yellow-maned Bolt across from him. “Why me?!”
“Because I said so, that’s why! Come on, you’re not going to leave a couple of lovely mares without a drink, are you? What kind of a stallion does that?”
“I could just-“ Vapor began to intervene, raising a hoof towards his shoulder.
“No, no, it’s okay. I’ll be back,” Stinger replied calmly as he put her hoof back down. Surprise laughed.
“There you go! That’s how a real gentlecolt treats his sweetheart!” Surprise teased as Stinger walked away towards the counter, his face reddened. Had he turned around, he could have spotted a similar look on Vapor’s muzzle.
As soon as the cerulean colt was a short distance away, Surprise shot around the couch, positioning herself right next to Vapor, who yelped in surprise.
“What do you see in him?”
“W-what?” Vapor stuttered, caught off guard.
“I said,” Surprise reiterated, a smirk on her face as she narrowed her gaze suggestively. “What do you see in him?”
“I-I don’t know… what you mean…” Vapor stammered nervously, shrinking back from the encroaching white mare.
“You know exactly what I mean,” Surprise countered, her smirk growing more mischievously. Her tone and insinuations wouldn’t be lost on the dimmest of ponies.
“What, uh, are you t-talking about…?” Vapor tried deflecting, her blush returning as she tried to look away from the Wonderbolt, causing her gaze to fall on Sky Stinger as he waited by the counter which only made her blush grow deeper. She could see even Angel beginning to giggle.
“Come on, girl! Enough with the innocent act! I can see you even now getting all googly-eyed for the colt! Spill it!”
“I still don’t know what you’re getting at. We’re just friends,” Vapor tried one last time, her confidence failing her.
“Uh-huh. The two friends, a colt and a filly, who happen to spend a lot of time together, train together, be paired up together, and go everywhere together. Should I also add how you two spent Hearts and Hooves Day this year together? A certain Angel Wings happening to spot them together at Sugarcube Corner...” Surprise recounted, unfaltering. The shock and blush on Vapor’s face marked her victory, as she gave a triumphant laugh.
“Angel!” Vapor said, her expression turning into one of betrayal as she looked at the gray-ish mare.
“What? I didn’t think it meant anything! I just happened to catch sight of you two, and mentioned it to her later! I didn’t think you two were actually together! I didn’t know you liked him!” Angel tried to explain herself, her ears laying on her side timidly as she fondled her bracelets.
“We weren’t together! I don’t like him!” Vapor’s voice cried, louder than she expected as she shot upwards from her seat, her blush refusing to retreat. She paused for a moment to realize a few of the other ponies around them were looking at her strangely, causing her to shrink back into her seat. A quick glance showed Sky still busy at the counter, indicating he, thank Celestia, had not heard her outburst. Thankfully, the bar was quite busy, so they had at least a few minutes to chat before he came back.
“Seems like you’re awfully touchy about this simple ‘friend’,” Surprise commented as the other ponies returned to their own chatter. “Come on, girl. You can trust me. I promise I won’t tell.”
Vapor considered her options for a minute. She could continue denying, which Surprise would most likely not buy, and Celestia knows what would happen if she had another awkward moment like this, especially in front of Sky. On the other hoof, she could talk to Surprise, which might help her get some things off her chest but she would have to risk revealing some of her deep secrets, and risk someone else catching wind of them. Gossip spread like wildfire at the Academy.
Still, as devilish of a prankster as she was, Surprise wasn’t one to betray her teammates or friends. She loved to indulge in tricking and messing with others, but she had never really taken it too far, and she always remained considerate of others’ opinions and emotions. Mostly.
Vapor sighed, her mind made up.
“M… Maybe… there is… something…”
“Really?! You have a crush on a colt?” Angel asked, as innocently curious as ever, her expression one of awe and her hooves up to her mouth in shock.
“HA! I knew it!” Surprise declared, the battle won. “Now, why don’t you get to answering my original question: What do you see in him? He seems like a narcissistic jerk who only cares about himself, no offense. Kind of like that other colt Rainbow brought to the academy to work one day, the one with a yellow mop for hair and the greenish-coat.”
“Huh?” Vapor asked, puzzled.
“Nevermind. Just answer the question,” Surprise decided, pushing the memory of the colt who had been unfortunate enough to anger Rainbow and receive a bolt straight to the face, with a little help from Soarin, who had promptly kicked the colt off the Academy grounds.
Vapor sighed. “It’s… kind of hard to explain… I know he seems that way to most ponies… but I’ve known him since we were both foals. I know that there’s more to him. He can be kind, too, if need be.”
Her look became distant as she began to recall their past together. “When I was a filly, I was very shy around everypony, and I hardly had any friends at school. Everypony else made friends, played together, went to each other’s houses, and had plenty of fun together. But I was an only child, so I didn’t really know how to socialize very well. My parents had recently moved to Stratusburg, they didn’t have any friends with kids for me to be around. So I was just alone, and shy, unsure how to talk to others…”
“Then you met him, right? Crash gave me some of the story, him trying to impress his parents, you helping him, and all that,” Surprise mentioned.
“Right,” Vapor confirmed, deciding to skip ahead. “Our friendship took off from there, always hanging out together, both in and out of school. He may be a bit of a show-off, but he’s also a good friend. He helped me experience things my parents would never have allowed me to…”
…
“Hey, you okay?”
A young Vapor Trail gulped as she looked up at the giant jungle of steel rails and columns, the screams of ponies clearly audible even through the background noises of the carnival. Something told her that, despite having convinced them to let her go with Sky for a while, her parents would likely not be so approving of what she was about to do.
“Y-yeah. I’m… fine,” Vapor told the cerulean foal next to her. Sky raised an eyebrow.
“Are you sure? I mean, you did say you’ve never been on a rollercoaster before… don’t you want to try it?” Sky pointed out.
“It’s just… are you sure it’s… s-safe?” Vapor felt miniscule compared to the contraption that stood before her, it’s steel beams seeming to loom over her and grow into a fierce metal monster…
“'Course!” he giddily replied. “I’ve been on tons of these. They’re awesome! Just wait till you feel what it’s like to go down that drop! It’s like you’ll fall out of your seat!”
Vapor pictured the terrifying scene for a moment, horrified, then yelped, ducking behind Sky.
“On second thought… I think I’ll pass…” she began to nervously shake.
“Hey, hey!” Sky tried to assure her. “It’s alright. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. But it’s really fun, and I know your parents haven’t ever let you on one, but trust me, it’ll be fun!”
He stretched out a hoof to her.
“I’ll be there with you. We’ll ride it together. Okay?”
Vapor paused for a moment, looking up at his earnest face as he waited for an answer.
“O-okay…”
…
Vapor’s trembling would not stop as the cart the two were on began it’s slow, creaking ascent to the top of the ride. She could feel her bones shaking along with the clickety-clack of the track hauling their cart up.
Almost there.
She tried to distract herself by looking at the carnival that seemed to sink below them. Colorful lights and banners adorned the event, with crowds of ponies mulling back and forth, calling out in delight as they took in the sights and sounds of the festival.
Click.
And they were at the top.
In that moment, time seemed to pause. All Vapor could see was the track swooping below her, like a mouth of steel awaiting to bite down on her. She felt light-headed. She wasn’t sure she could take it…
Then she suddenly felt something grab her hoof. Looking to her side, surprised, he saw Sky’s hoof around her own, flashing one of his winning grins as the cart tipped over the edge…
Vapor squeezed down on his hoof and screamed as their descent began.
…
“Wow! That was fun! Did you see how cool that loop was! I felt like I was going to go shooting out!”
Sky gave a hearty laugh as he looked to his friends beside him.
“Vapor?”
Her face was still, her mind was numb as she wobbled down behind him. All she could do was give a blank, distant stare.
“That…”
“…was…”
“AMAZING!”
Vapor suddenly snapped to attention, giving a cry of glee as she felt the leftover adrenaline pump through her system. She began to jump around in excitement, giggling like a mad pony.
Sky smiled. “Your welcome.”
…
“Vapor! Vapor! VAPOR!”
Vapor stirred from her attempted slumber as she heard small stones hitting against her window. The filly groggily looked to the clock near her bed.
7:00 PM
She sighed, rolling her eyes at her parents’ strict bedtime policies.
She walked over to the window, propping it open and catching sight of the young colt down below, hissing and calling out to her discreetly
“Sky? What is it?”
“Come out here! I want to show you something!”
“At this time?!”
“Vapor, it’s barely seven.”
She gave an exasperated sigh. “Okay, yeah, I know, but what is it?”
Sky frantically beckoned her down. “Just come on! It’s a surprise!”
Vapor pondered for a moment.
Who am I kidding? It’s not like I’m tired…
“Fine, give me a second!”
…
“Here?!”
Vapor looked incredulously as Sky began to march ahead into the dark woods near their village, happy as could be.
“Yeah, over here! It’ll be fun!”
“But Sky! I’m not supposed to go there! Especially not at night! My parents would freak out!”
“Your parents freak out over everything!” he rolled his eyes, still motioning for her. “Besides, this is worth it! This may be the only chance for a long time to see this! Just come on, trust me!”
Vapor sighed, not having the will to protest further. “Okay, fine…”
“…only because it’s you…”
…
The two foals carefully trekked through the forest, Vapor slowly following in Sky’s trail as he expertly maneuvered around the plants and trees.
“Isn’t it dangerous out here! There could be a timberwolf! Or snakes! Or bats! Or…!”
“It’s fine, really! I’ve been here a bunch of times, even at night! Just follow me, you’ll be okay!”
Vapor did her best to steady her pounding heart as her eyes and ears nervously scanned the surroundings. She heard a faint rustling of leaves, the distant cry of an owl. The trees loomed like a maze of wood, evil shadows blending into their branches and hiding just out of sight behind their trunks…
“Here!”
She turned back to him as the two came upon a clearing within the overgrowth, a small lake before them. She looked around. Dense wildlife, sure, but she couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“Why are we here?”
“Shh!” Sky hissed, trotting over to the lake’s edge and plopping himself by the water. “Just come over here, and make sure you stay quiet and still!”
Vapor cautiously walked over, positioning herself next to him. For a few minutes, nothing could be seen or heard except the glow of the moon and the chirping of crickets.
“Look!”
She turned to the side and gasped as she began to see small, tiny glowing orbs of light come out of the bushes and trees. Though miniscule, they shone in an array of orange, yellow, and even green colors that helped them stand out against the night. Bit by bit, slow streams of the lights began to pour out of the forest, hovering over the lake. They began to group together in certain clusters, as if preparing for something…
“W-what is this?” Vapor asked in a hushed voice of wonder.
“The ‘Dance of the Fireflies’.”
Vapor looked on in amazement as the fireflies began to weave together in patterns across the sky. Swoops, dives, gentle curves. The lighting bugs seemed to blend into a river of graceful motion, highlighted by the glow of the bright, full moon. Their colors seemed to synchronize together into an array of flashing lights, reflected upon the surface of the lake.
Vapor simply stared in awe.
Sky turned and smiled as he saw her taking in the beautiful sight, a look of wonder upon the young filly’s face. In that moment, he felt a strange urge to wrap a wing around her, to pull her close. Something about her appearance in that moment tugged at him, yet the young colt couldn’t quite make heads or tails of the feeling.
Instead, he was simply happy to sit there, beside his best friend, enjoying the view.
…
“Ooooh,” Surprise swooned in her seat upon hearing the stories. “What a young charmer! I guess I can’t blame you too much for falling for him, eh?”
Vapor blushed. “It was… nice. Thanks to him, I was able to see and experience so many things that my parents would never have let me. He taught me how to have fun, to try new things, to have a little bit of adventure. I’d never felt so happy in my life.”
“So when was it that you actually realized you were head over hooves for the colt?”
Vapor wasn’t sure how much redder her muzzle could get.
“Uhh… well…”
Surprise snickered, putting on her best lovey-dovey voice. “Yes…?”
“Well, it was one fall, when we entered into a sky hockey competition in one of the local towns. It would be two versus two, me and Sky, against a bunch of other ponies in a tournament-style competition. The grand prize was five hundred bits! Sky might have been lacking in his flying, but he’s always been good at sports, especially sky hockey. Thanks to his scoring abilities, we breezed through most of the tournament, all the way to the finals.”
“Five hundred bits!” Surprise gave a small whistle. “Sounds like a lot of money for a pair of foals. Guess you two must have been pretty motivated, huh?”
“Maybe,” Vapor shrugged. “But there was somebody with more motivation, as I learned after our last match that tournament…”
Surprise raised an eyebrow.
…
BZZZT!
The crowd of ponies around the ice hockey field gave a cheer as the buzzer went off, signaling another goal scored.
Down below them, in the field composed out of enchanted clouds, were two pairs of pegasi in a tense standoff. One team, a dark-cerulean colt with sea-green hair and a small filly with a light chartreuse coat and an array of pastel blue, green, and yellow on her mane. The other team, an azure colt with a white mane, slim but tall, and a younger colt behind him, with a slightly lighter coat and creamy mane. Vapor vaguely recalled them from somewhere, but she couldn’t quite make out where.
“Dang it,” Sky growled as he flew back to Vapor, who stood guarding their goal net.
“We’ve only got a few minutes left! We gotta keep them away!” Vapor reminded him, pointing at the scoreboard. 7-6, three minutes left.
“I know, I know!” Sky sighed in frustration. He was not about to lose that trophy and pair of medals to anyone, especially these two posers. They were newbies to the local sky hockey teams, and yet here they were, challenging him, a seasoned player and local champion. Who were they to think they could stand up to him?
“Time to take things up a notch.”
Vapor gave a small nod. “Alright. Whatever you say.”
Sky flew back over to the center of the field next to the older colt, the two locked in a tense stare as the puck was dropped onto the clouds once more, a loud whistle ringing out.
The battle raged on furiously. The older colt may not have had the muscle that Sky had, but he was very agile. He would constantly weasel his way around Sky and strip him of the puck, expertly maneuvering his stick as he made a dash for Vapor.
Two minutes left. The timid mare was a decent goalie (the slight padding they wore helped), and was able to block most of the colt’s shots, though some made their way around her and into the goal, causing the buzzer to sound and the crowd to cheer in delight. Sky Stinger sighed, but he knew his friend was giving it her all.
That meant that the rest was up to him.
He gripped the stick harder in his mouth. His breathing was growing increasingly heavy by the second. The match had taken a lot out of him, and he didn’t know how much longer he could keep this up.
One minute, thirty seconds left. The colt got the better of Sky, quickly snatching the puck the moment it touched the ground. He tried to make another approach on their goal, but Sky continuously kept blocking his path. Wood beating against wood, like a pair of swords trading blows. He made several swipes at the ball, to no avail. On and on the two battled it out around the midfield, sweat glistening on their brows as they concentrated. In a moment of clarity, Sky looked up at the clock and made a heart-stopping realization.
Forty-five seconds. They were tied. The older wasn’t trying to score. He was trying to keep Sky busy, letting the clock run down. And given how tired he was… Sky wasn’t sure if his body could handle having to continue into overtime.
Thirty seconds. Sky began to subtly back off, letting the older brother encroach slightly more on his and Vapor’s side of the field. It was now or never.
Fifteen seconds. Sky suddenly put on a burst of speed, charging straight at the brother, taking him by surprise and stealing control of the puck.
Ten seconds. Sky stabilized himself, tightly holding the puck next to his stick as he made a dash towards the other goal.
Five seconds. Time, as it always seems to in these situations, slowed. A sudden fire of ferocity burned in Stinger’s eyes as he approached the younger colt guarding the opposing goal. The young brother trembled slightly at the speed and fury of Sky’s charge.
Sky had never felt like this before. He. Was. NOT. LOSING. He felt his mind going blank and his body charging up power as he prepared to unleash a powerful shot.
Too powerful.
Just as Sky brought down the stick upon the puck, the older brother suddenly jumped into his field of view, tackling his younger brother out of the way. The two landed on the soft cloud ring around the field with a small oomf.
Meanwhile, Sky’s puck seemed to almost ignite into flames as it blasted into the wide open goal, breaking through the net and even smashing through the cloud wall on the other side, streaking across the air to land Celestia-knows where. The crowd roared at the dramatic last shot as the buzzer sounded and the game ended.
Sky bounced across the cloud, panting. His ears slowly stopped ringing as they focused in on the cheer of the crowd, the ponies spilling onto the field, and the confetti blasting upwards. He grinned, oblivious to what had just happened.
8-7. Victory for him and Vapor.
…
“Wow…,” Surprise commented, looking genuinely surprised. “I didn’t know Stinger took sky hockey that seriously.”
“He doesn’t necessarily obsess over hockey, but he obsesses over winning,” Vapor pointed out.
Surprise rolled her eyes. “This just in, fillies and gentlecolts.” She sighed.
“So… that’s it? He won a tournament, and you were impressed by it?”
“No, it wasn’t the tournament that mattered…”
“…it’s what happened after.”
…
The crowds cheered around Vapor and Sky as they stood on the victor’s podium. Both pegasus had gold medals draped around their necks, while Sky proudly put one arm around Vapor and held the prize trophy high in another, posing for the cameras.
“Everypony, give a round of applause for your champions, Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail! And now, for the winners’ grand prize… a lump sum of five hundred bits!” the local announcer called, the ponies in the audience parting as the mayor, a grey pegasus with slightly lavender hair, came up to the two winners, smiling and carrying a small document.
“Congratulations, Mr. Stinger and Ms. Trail,” she praised them, handing them a certificate for five hundred bits.
“Whenever you want to redeem your winnings, one of you must simply sign your name here on the certificate, to authenticate it,” she informed them, shaking their hooves.
“Thank you, ma’am! We’ll put it to good use,” Vapor courteously nodded.
“Yeah, yeah, there’ll be time for that later,” Sky commented in dismissal as he took the certificate before returning to his posing, a cocky grin still on his face. “One more for the papers, eh?”
…
Vapor sighed in relief as she snuck out of the stadium and field, hugging the cloud wall as she took a moment to relax. As grateful as she was for the money and the victory, she wasn’t one for large crowds or constant yelling. Hence why she made the decision to sneak out of the field stealthily by walking rather than flying out of the rear maintenance exit.
She began to trot her way around the stadium, hoping to reach the front exit and meet up with her partner, before a sudden noise made her ear twitch. She looked around, and saw the figures of two ponies a small distance away. One was stood, the other was… on the ground?
She carefully walked over to them, hiding behind one of the supporting pillars just a bit from where they were, enough to hear what was going on. Maybe they were fine, maybe it was something private, or maybe they needed her help. She’d rather find out first.
She peeked out slightly and took a closer look at the scene, recognizing the two brothers who she and Sky had just played against. The younger, lighter blue brother was… sobbing… on the floor. The older brother stood there, trying to speak what sounded like encouragement to his sibling, but to no avail.
“It’s my fault! It’s all my fault!” The younger cried, pushing away his brother’s hoof. Vapor heart clenched in sympathy.
The brother gave a heavy sigh, glancing away to look at a flyer he had kept secretly, unrolling to view it’s contents. Looking at it, Vapor felt her heart wrench even further, a shocked look of sadness on her face.
It was an advertisement for a local carpenter’s shop. It was brightly colored, proclaiming a sale on what looked like some kind of playset. A miniature playground for foals, including a few prop toys for them to enjoy.
In that moment, all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place for Vapor.
Orphans, she realized, recalling seeing them both around the nearby shelter a few times. They were probably after the money prize. Not many other ways for young orphans to make money. And a playset on sale. But if they lived in the orphanage, and the older wanted to buy a playset, it probably wasn’t meant for just them two…
Vapor covered her mouth with her hooves as she ducked back into cover, sitting on her rear. She couldn’t believe it. That colt was trying to do perhaps the most selfless thing she had ever did. And they lost… because of Sky. The way he charged at the younger one. The ferocity of his shot that would have greatly injured the young colt. The way his older brother protected him, at the cost of the victory and the playset…
She immediately got up and turned around, stepping out of the pillar, determined to go over and comfort them. She couldn’t let them suffer. And Sky… what he had done, intentionally or not…
Her eyes widened and she got back behind the pillar as Sky Stinger himself suddenly came out from behind a nearby building, marching towards the brothers.
She poked her head out and observed the interaction. The older brother noticed Sky and flared out his blue wings in aggressiveness, shielding his sibling. Sky simply stood, looking at him, his medal around his neck and the certificate in one hoof.
He calmly took the medal over his head and off his neck, and tossed it aside, between him and the brother.
The azure pegasus blinked in confusion, wings still out, but his stance faltering. Sky walked slowly over to him, lowering his head as he softly spoke, his mouthing revealing his words to Vapor.
“I’m sorry.”
The older brother certainly looked as surprised as Vapor was. He stood still, unsure of what was happening as his wings slowly lowered back into his sides. Sky’s head drooped low as he slowly walked over to the brother and put a hoof on his shoulder, looking away in shame. He started to once more talk to the brother, though this time Vapor couldn’t quite make out his words.
She watched them in confusion and anticipation. She had never seen Sky like this, so humble and apologetic. Gone was that cocky grin he always wore, his boastful speech and stature. It was like she was looking at a completely different stallion. She wanted to step out and say something, but some part of her told her to simply stay where she was and watch. She obliged.
The younger brother had also noticed Sky’s approach, but he had simply broken down in tears, further reminded of his “failure”. The older brother cautiously and defensively began to speak with Sky, seeming to question him. Sky slowly shook his head, responding and avoiding eye contact with him. As their talk continued, the older brother slowly became less cold, curious to see the reason for Sky’s intervention.
Sky made a motion towards the brother’s wing. The colt looked confused for a minute, raising an eyebrow, until he found the object of Sky’s attention. The flyer. Sky gave a serious look at the brother, asking something, to which the older brother simply gave a small nod, looking away. Sky paused from their conversation, taking a deep breath and walking towards… the younger brother. The older colt hesitated for a minute, before stepping aside.
Sky approached the young foal on the ground, ducking down to meet him. The younger colt tried to cover his face with one of his wings, as Sky tried to gently grab his attention. He seemed so soft, so caring, so sympathetic. Eventually, after some soft-spoken words, the younger one slowly lowered his wing, looking at him through teary eyes. Sky gave a sad smile, speaking what seemed like another apology. He stretched out a hoof, which after a moment of pause, the younger colt grabbed onto as Sky helped him stand up.
Finally, Sky took out the certificate he was carrying with him. He looked to the older brother. The pegasus took out the playset flyer, looking at it. The younger colt gasped as he noticed the flyer, realizing his brother’s intentions, his eyes watering once more. Sky looked at the flyer and nodded, before looking at the older brother…
…and handing him the certificate for the money.
The brother was speechless. He simply stood there, looking in disbelief at the certificate he now held. For a moment, the aggressiveness in his gaze returned as he glared at Sky, growling something defiant. Sky was unfazed, shaking his head, and saying something that once more softened the brother’s gaze and caused him to go silent.
While he was paused, Sky calmly walked over to the medal he had thrown away. He picked it up in his mouth and walked over to the two brothers. He gently picked up the younger one, who didn’t try to resist. Sky hoisted the young pegasus colt onto his brother’s back.
He then took the medal in his mouth, and pulled the (thankfully large) medal down over both the brother’s heads, which we in close proximity. Both finally shook off their shock and locked eyes with Sky. He smiled and happily proclaimed something.
“…real winners,” she could make out.
The two brothers finally broke down, both putting their hooves around Sky and embracing him tightly, tears of happiness trickling down their faces. Sky was taken aback, but gave a happy, hearty laugh as he returned the gesture, enjoying the feeling of the group hug.
Vapor’s eyes watered at the display. She felt a warm glow in her heart and her muzzle at seeing Sky’s actions. This was… the other him. The unspoken reason for their friendship. The reason why she liked him..
She suddenly felt a wave of fresh clarity wash over her mind as her heart and mind came to the same conclusion, causing her muzzle to further redden.
She softly closed her eyes, giving a smile as she felt these new emotions run through her entire body.
Sky…
Eventually, the brothers and Sky split apart, grateful words and apologies exchanged. Sky motioned back to the stadium, bowing as he began to back away. The brothers nodded, smiling and giving him a happy wave. The two groups split ways, the two orphans happily carrying the flyer and the certificate as they flew their way back home. Sky walked back into the stadium, to which Vapor herself eventually snuck back into.
She bumped into him later, as he was exiting the stadium. He apologized for running off, claiming he had “something to do”. Vapor kept silent about the exchange she saw, smiling as she waved off the apology. As the two began to flap their way home, she questioned him where the money and his medal was, seeing as she was still wearing hers while he only carried the trophy. Sky looked away nervously, claiming he had given it to his parents for safekeeping.
Vapor gave a knowing smile at the obvious and weak lie, saying she didn’t mind. Thankfully, he was oblivious to what she had witnessed.
Some time later, Vapor would walk by the local orphanage, happy to see a new playset on the clouds nearby, with several foals, including an azure pegasus and his younger brother, happily playing and laughing with each other. Another day, she caught Sky Stinger doing the same, simply observing, a small, content smile on his face. She flew over to him, asking what he was looking at. He shook his head, claiming it was nothing, stretching out his hoof to her, asking whether she was ready for them to fly home. Vapor blushed as she took hold of his hoof, and the two began their flight home.
…
Surprise paused for a moment after Vapor finished her retelling of the story.
“My, my, my…” Surprise simply said, looking at Stinger who had finally reached the front of the line. Thank Celestia the place was so busy today, otherwise she might never have heard this peculiar story.
“Stinger’s just full of surprises, pardon the pun, isn’t he?” She commented. Vapor said nothing, simply looking at Sky and giving a wistful sigh.
“Well?”
She perked up, looking at Surprise.
“Well… what?”
“Well, why don’t you say something?!” Surprise exasperatedly asked.
Vapor shook her head. “Because, it’s me. And it’s Sky. I told you, I’m shy about new people, let alone talking about… crushes… and stuff. Besides, Sky’s been popular with the fillies ever since school. He’s probably already talked with several, dated several, kissed several. Why would he care about me, the shy filly next door?”
“Seriously, Vapor?! What is this, some sappy teenage romance drama? You just gave the teenage filly’s dream story of the colt next door, and now you’re pulling the whole ‘too shy to confess’ story!” Surprise rolled her eyes.
“Can’t you see? It’s pretty clear he wouldn’t need or want someone like me,” Vapor reprimanded her.
“Exactly! It’s ‘pretty’ clear. It’s not certain. Have you tried anything with him? Do you actually know if he’s been with other fillies?” Surprise demanded.
“No, but why bother? It doesn’t take a genius to guess what would happen. And how do I know whether he even feels the same? Why bother, and create an awkward divide between us?” Vapor shook her head.
“You’ll never know unless you try, girl.”
Both Vapor and Surprise were surprised to hear a third voice suddenly enter the fray. Angel Wings had been so far quiet, just listening to the conversation and sipping from her strawberry milkshake as the story went on. But now, she had a thoughtful expression on her muzzle, her hoof tapping her chin as she thought and spoke.
“You’ve got to learn to take some risks in life. You’ll win some and lose some. If you succeed, you could finally be happy. If you don’t… well, you’ve got to believe in yourself, believe that you’ll do better in the future, that things will be okay. You need to learn to trust yourself, not doubt yourself for the sake of others,” Angel calmly explained.
Vapor was stunned for a few moments, hearing the deep and emotional words of wisdom coming out of her usually shy and innocent friend. Angel looked back down from her musings to see the surprised expression on the other mares’ faces.
“What? Do I have something on my face?” Angel worryingly questioned, as she fretted and began to paw at her face, trying to find the imaginary intruding milkshake stain.
Vapor thought over her words for a moment. As their incident at the Academy had shown, she was used to helping others first and foremost. She never really put much thought into herself. But she couldn’t keep going like this. Not without misery. She had to start to decide: What did she care more about? Her own well-being and happiness? Or keeping a simple status-quo?
Perhaps it wasn't a matter of one or the other?
There was a short pause.
“I…”
“Ahem.”
They turned to see Sky arriving, a plate with various drinks on his back. “Sorry about that long wait. Line was ridiculous.”
“Thanks, Stinger,” Surprise chirped, acting nonchalantly, as though the awkward mare-talk had never happened.
“Here,” Sky spoke, passing them each their drink. Vapor noticed that he seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her in particular, a strange, neutral look to him.
“Sky? What’s wrong?” Vapor asked, her voice and expression showing concern.
“Huh? Nothing. I’m fine,” Sky spoke calmly.
Déjà vu, thought Vapor. Sky turned to look at Angel.
“Well then, you ready for this, Angel?” Sky asked, a small, strange smile on his face. Not his usual cocky smile, Vapor noted.
“Um… well… sure, I guess,” Angel timidly answered as her drink was pushed to her. She gulped a bit, staring at the drink like it was a predator, ready to pounce on her.
“Hey, relax girl, we’re here. We’ll make sure you don’t get too ahead of yourself,” Surprised assured her, a gentle smile on her face as she gave a soft chuckle. Sky joined the laughter, but his cheer seemed strangely… superficial. Even for him.
Vapor couldn’t help but notice all these strange things about her friend as the four continued their night out, laughing, chatting, and all around having a good time (even Angel, who despite being a newbie, slowly warmed up to the softer of the alcoholic beverages). Sky Stinger happily chatted along, though he seemed to be avoiding her, both conversationally and physically, not even making eye contact.
Vapor, once more, worried.
Had she been blessed with psychic powers, the mare might have been able to see into her friend’s mind and witness the falling emotions swirling in his head, all kept underneath a seemingly cheery exterior. His laughs and smiles came out oddly, suggesting something else beneath the content expression.
The one flaw in his façade was his inability to look at the source of the problem, his wingpony next to him.
Her words and those of Surprise still rang in his ears. The words that, though the mares may have tried to hide it, he had clearly heard.
A whisper as he walked away from the table.
“What do you see in him?”
An outburst that had pierced through his attention, striking his heart.
“I don’t like him!”
Two phrases. The only two he heard…
… but the only two he needed to hear.
Whoopsie-doopsy, didn't mean for this chapter to take so long to upload 
... still, here's an extra long chapter, hopefully that helps make up a bit for my lack of haste. Things were further set back by me deciding at the last minute to make a Hearts and Hooves day special.
Which by the way, if you're in the mood for some heartfelt Rarity shipping, check out said story here: Like I'm Gonna Lose You! 
Anyways, back to this story. So yes, an extra long flashback chapter with some drama sprinkled in there. I felt the need to highlight some more of Sky's positives, since there weren't too many displayed in Top Bolt. Hopefully it keeps things interesting.
Also, this chapter had to go through some serious reworking, and the same might apply for the next chapter, so patience, my friends.
Almost forgot, I'd like to quickly thank my new second editor: Mass! Check him out if you need any help on your own stories!
Next chapter underway, but I've actually decided to expand this story a bit, so it's not over yet! We're just getting started! Remember to follow me if you want to be aware the instant the chapter goes up! And as always, likes, favorites, and comments are a great, easy way to show your support/interest! See you soon!
-Wyngs
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Wait, this is only going to be a three parter?
Awwwww, I was hoping to have more.......!!
Overall, not too bad. A little heavy on the exposition, but I've been guilty of that myself. My main confusion was who's who in this part. I think I know who you are talking about with angel, but surprise is a new one for me. Had to look up who you were talking about.
7966363 Well, I'm reworking chapter 3 as we speak. Depending on what happens there, this may go to 4 chapters. This wasn't meant to be a long story, just a nice warm-up as I prepare to tackle some bigger projects. These two might still appear later in other stories, though.
7966474 mmm...
man, i was hoping to have a good, long story with this couple in my library! now i'll have to go out and find another one like it that will last me even longer.
7966506 Stahp pls. You're going to make me want to expand a story that I don't even know how to expand given what I've already published.
y u do dis
(But seriously, if you have any suggestions for expanding this, feel free to PM me. We can brainstorm together :)
7966894 saawweee...!
didnt mean to do that. but if you would like to brainstorm, i would enjoy doing that. give me until tomorrow to pm you and i'll see what kind of ideas i come up with. i wont make them too outrageous.
8012320 Well, we don't have a clear idea of where Stratusburg is. Actually, if we assume it to be a horse pun, as many cities are, then Stratusburg might actually be in Prance (France). The thought of a French Sky and Vapor seems peculiar to me
But as for the Annual, yeah, it's open to current residents. I'm assuming that Sky and Vapor have found some kind of living arrangement in Cloudsdale (if they don't just stay at the Academy, which is fully possible).
Also, thanks!
My uploading speed is miserable right now, sorry about that. This story's had some reworking after fan input, and now, TA-DA! It won't end at three chapters! With some modifications, I'm planning to stretch it to about 7 or 8. Hope everybody's okay with that!
Hah, definitely shaping up to be a sitcom-esque fic of miscommunication between two
peopleponies here. I honestly think it would be a little bit difficult to pull something like this off, if only given the amount of time Sky and Vapor have presumably spent together. Sky Stinger might not be the best judgement of character, but I think he would know if Vapor outright disliked him (though not so much the difference between if Vapor merely platonically liked him or was crushing on him).But aww, nice Sky in the flashback
There's that continued oddity about locations here. Why would Angel Wings have seen Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail in Sugarcube Corner of all places? Even if Sky and Vapor were in Ponyville for whatever reason (visiting Rainbow Dash or Princess Twilight), it still wouldn't explain Angel Wings being there. It feels like you just threw it in to act as a familiar place name without giving consideration to how illogical it is.
8012355 I mean, Sky is shown to be rather stubborn and ignorant at times. Besides, he doesn't necessarily know why exactly she "doesn't like him". Perhaps I wrote it too intensely there at the end of Chpt. 2, I may have to fix that, but he's really only meant to be hurt. Besides given the events of Top Bolt, would it be that strange for him to believe Vapor still holds something against him? Also, it would be very easy for him to, out of context, hear Surprise's question as an insult. Pretty sure he's aware some ponies dislike him or are upset by his attitude. Then follow that with Vapor supposedly "admitting" she doesn't really like him, and I think the end result comes across fairly simple.
As for Sugracube, well, crucify me then. Just a minor detail, not that important to the plot. Blame it on crazy coincidences or a deus ex machina. Bad writing on my part, maybe, but given the sheer reworking this story went through even straight after the first chapter, I hoped you could forgive some slight leftover errors.
Surprise: "You know what they say: you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. So live a little and take a shot at him, girl!"
8293534
For Faust's sake... I should really get back to this story, shouldn't I?
Please continue this... I even made an account just to tell you to continue this. You can't leave me hanging author! I need to know what happens next!
8346435
Don't worry, it's not dead, I promise!
It's just... there's a lot of reworking to be done here.... I'm looking to tweak some things, change it up a bit... it's kind of hard to explain.
Basically, I will finish this story, but there's a lot of outlining and planning to be done, so hang in there!
Liked the back-story of Sky's 'unknown' softer side; a 'big softy' underneath all that bragging and nonchalant attitude. Enjoying the read of this and can't wait to see what happens.