Sky Stinger, trying not to fall asleep in a pegasus-themed gallery, once more asks himself what kind of friend Vapor Trail really is.
Once the aerobatic pride and joy of Stratusburg, he now has to live with the wind taken out of his wings. Oh, she gave it back again, only this time with uplifting words rather than with sneaky gusts. But he still remembers the shameful moment when she'd told him the truth, let him fly alone, and watched as he instantly failed a flip he'd "mastered" years ago.
What kind of friend, after all, would do something like that?
Chapters (1)
Sweet!
I enjoyed how Sky finally decided to do the right thing and battle his own prejudices. He's obviously got a lot to work out when it comes to shallowness and insecurity. He's growing, though. Growing up, and growing out of the box he kept himself in.
7976477
Wonderfully put.
I find the relationship between Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail so fascinating, not just because of its "opposites attract" nature but because of the way two perfectly well-intentioned (or, in Sky Stinger's case, at least understandably-intentioned) ponies ended up undermining each other's progress. And not just in terms of ability, either. That sort of thing has to have consequences after the episode.
That's what makes Sky Stinger so interesting too, and not just because of how his trust was undermined (and then gradually rebuilt). His overconfidence is at least partly a result of Vapor Trail's secret help, and his attempts to get his family's attention are understandable enough. And sadly, her well-intentioned assistance was unfair on the poor guy, especially given that she seems to be his only childhood friend.
That said, I do wonder how much of it was a result of his natural self-interest and boastfulness in the first place. After all, Vapor Trail didn't necessarily make him push his abilities and ego so far. So it was interesting to push that further and imagine if there were other issues and factors behind his boastfulness, such as what kind of background he had and how he treats other ponies. Hence the fic above.
Thank you for the comment.
It's nice to see a male pony get the spotlight now and then.
I like stories that explore the history of Equestria. I was learning right alongside Sky Stinger. I'd like to visit that museum he was in, and the lessons he learned were a great metaphor for his relationship with Vapor Trail.
7982174
Thank you for the comment.
I like it, nice.
Great characterization, nice and deep thoughts, and even some world building!
7993982
Three out of three ain't bad.
I'm glad you liked it, especially the characterization; I really wanted to do Sky Stinger justice in particular.
I wonder perhaps if you intended it or just accidentally wrote Vapor Trail as a pony who seems to have received the affection half of the little emperor syndrome that comes with a lot of parents who have a single child, as from Sky Stinger's perspective Vapor has been positively doted on by her parents, with lots of toys in her fillyhood, and the affection for visiting museums and the like probably came from her parents wanting to fill her head with worldly knowledge while she was younger. Conversely, Sky Stinger, with four or five siblings, got only a little bit of attention from his parents and so never really received the exposure to museums and culture and the arts in the first place, for example. Of course, Vapor Trail is hardly selfish as would be stereotypical of spoiled only children, while Sky Stinger seems to at least be introspectively viewing himself as never having really valued Vapor's own pursuits outside of flying, despite how long they've been friends, so it's a little funny of an about-twist.
Well, at least from my reading of it (and keep in mind this is a few hours removed from reading the actual story so details are a little bit blurred for me already) Sky seems to ultimately realise that while Vapor Trail comes from a part of the community he would normally view with disdain, she is his friend, somepony he's been around with for quite a while. Though he's had cause to look at her in a new light upon the revelation of how Vapor's been aiding him more intimately, it's Vapor Trail, not her identical twin who he doesn't know at all. He knows who she is, and still cares for her very much as a friend. It's why he's tagging along with her to the museum, after all, and at the end Sky Stinger is able to take the plunge and actually show interest in the things Vapor Trail does, if not out of his own curiosity, then because it would make her happy to have someone to share it with.
Of course, there is a little bit of introspection too along the way, though how much that will help Sky's growth as a character remains to be seen. I did enjoy reading this, anyways. There simply still isn't enough of this ship on the site yet
8002263
Sorry about the late response. I'm not used to long comments that aren't my own, and I wanted to do yours justice, which meant more thinking time.
I didn't even know about the Little Emperor Syndrome you mentioned (though thank you for introducing me to such a fascinating concept), but I do touch upon the same themes, yes. As extrapolated from her introductory episode, Vapor Trail did receive a lot of parental attention, though here I extended it to receiving material goods and being showered with wealth and high education and culture, etc. That's partly what fuels his growing class resentment. The about-twist you mention was borne from their individual responses to it.
For instance, Vapor Trail isn't simply pushed out of the spotlight by her own resentment of her doting parents. I imagine her as the sort who doesn't want to be in the spotlight anyway, even if she'd been born in Sky Stinger's shoes, because character is often more important than social circumstance. And because that's who she is, she unconditionally welcomes someone like Sky Stinger who craves attention instead, since they complete each other. He's the reverse - opposites attract, and all that - and of course he gets a loyal and encouraging supporter for his troubles. Sky Stinger's original mistake in my story was to assume this was because of her background, which is why he's so confused and which is why he can't fit the more obvious stereotype-fulfilling explanations (trying to humiliate him, trying to patronize him) with what he knows about her.
My depiction of Vapor Trail is what TVTropes would describe as Spoiled Sweet, as you point out. That was really what the about-twist was for: to point out to Sky Stinger that how the individual responds to circumstances is sometimes more important than the circumstances themselves. After all, "Vapor Trail is still Vapor Trail" whether she's doted upon or not. Hence his more sincere attempts to bridge the gap and become a better friend in turn.
Your penultimate paragraph is spot on, so I can't really add much beyond that. Instead, I'll take the opportunity to say how happy I am that you were interested enough to devote time to such a thorough reply, and yes, there isn't enough Vapor-Sky on Fimfiction full stop, ship or no ship. Hopefully, that will change over time.
That was a great little story, I'm happy I found it. Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail have a complex relationship, I'm glad you delved into it.
8176462
They do indeed, which was what made "Top Bolt" such a great episode. Glad you liked the story too.
Short and sweet read. You did a great job expanding on the characters and fleshing them out. I just got through re-watching Top Bolt, looked for some good fanfiction on them and this was one of the first results. Just what the doctor ordered :D
8947897
Glad to hear it. At the time, I remember there was a lot of focus on Stinger-Trail, and a little extra on Vapor Trail as a standalone, but I hadn't seen much of anything focusing on Sky Stinger himself. This was partly a way to redress the balance. Thank you for the comment!
I really liked this story Sky Stinger's thoughts were interesting to read and it's good that he eventually lets his reservations go and simply aks Vapor Trail for explanations. When it comes academic pursuits and endevours he seems to be just as uninterested as Rainbow Dash which fits the episode too.
Damn, that's intense. :D You really are a gem.
9034769
FIrstly, I apologize for leaving my reply so late. I am grateful for your comment. It was a pleasure to read.
In particular, I do like the Rainbow parallel you indicate here. I wish it had been on my mind at the time, but now you mention it there is some overlap between the two. That's giving me an idea...
9135665
Although I'm not sure "intense" is the word. It's a pretty sedate story with not much happening, when all's said and done. I'm intrigued as to how it can be intense.
I mean, I might be misunderstanding you, to be fair.
9149132
I have been using "intense" to describe literally everything, of late. :B
Can't believe I've let this story linger as long as I have. Wonderful work with both the lingering class resentment and how Sky's able to look past that and see the friend who only wanted to help... and who unthinkingly echoed her parents' overbearing nature with someone far more receptive to it. Plus, the incidental worldbuilding's fantastic. Thank you for this. I'm glad I finally got to it.
9170649
Thank you for the comment. Although honestly I'm surprised more people haven't looked into the potential economic disparity between these two: just look at their houses in the Top Bolt flashback, for starters.
A delightful story. And I enjoyed the fact that Sky has a guilty moment where he thinks to himself that he's being unfair assuming that the unicorn isn't a good guy; it's a good way for him to acknowledge his prejudices while still working to overcome them and understand what exactly they are.
9292383
I'm pleased you picked up on that in particular. One of the things I wanted to avoid was making Sky Stinger too brash and careless; if we're delving into his inner psychology, at least some self-awareness should be on the cards. In general, I prefer to show a character with more nuance without sacrificing what makes them unique, and this seemed the right way to do it.
Thanks for the comment, and I'm delighted you enjoyed this story.