The conversation that split the world.

"Hey Blank-flank come on!"

"I am not a Blank-flank!" Shockwave shouted back as he ran up the hill after his brother.

"What did you just get you're Cutie Mark in being slow?" Blitzberg inquired as he turned around.

Shockwave just sighed as he looked at his flank which was indeed completely blank.

"Hey," said Blitzberg coming to sit down beside his brother, "ya know I was only teasing right?"

"Yeah I know." Shockwave just kept looking at the ground."but you got yours around my age so..."

Bltizberg looked back at his Cutie Mark, a snow capped Mountain being struck by lightning. It had taken them a while to figure out it meant they were combining into a force as fast as lightning yet as strong as a mountain. Him in other words. As he looked back though he noticed something that made his purple eyes light up mischievously.

"I see something that might cheer you up, or at least get you to stop moping he said as he turned back around"

"What?" Shockwave looked up his own green eyes looking hopefully into Blitzbergs. The gray teenage stallion stood and uttered a single word that made Shockwaves heart freeze.

"Vinyl" he said, a smile on his lips.

Shockwave immediately stood up and started craning his neck to see around his brothers bulk.

"Where is she." he said as his wings fluttered excitedly.

"Now, now steady on lad." Blitzberg said. still smiling but Shockwave wasn't listening anymore. he had spotted Vinyl walking along the lake side with her best friend Octavia beside her. Shockwave made to run towards her but Blitzberg held out a hoof to stop him.

"What" Shockwave half shouted but Blitzberg stood firm.

"You can't just go running up to her and expect results" he said calmly, "just because you share her coat-color, mane-style and love of music doesn't mean she'll fall in love with you. You need a plan."

Shockwave stopped struggling and thought. Blitzberg released him then leaned in closer.

"If i might give a suggestion, Vinyl will be preforming at the young flyers race next week. Why don't you enter. if you win in front of her i'm pretty sure it would increase your chances"

Shockwave smiled. There was a chance of the plan backfiring of course but he was confident of his abilities and he would only be up against other young fillies and colts his age.

"Lets do this!" he said confidently as his smile grew wider.

The day of the big race dawned. Shockwave stood by the starting line looking around for Vinyl. He could see Blitzberg and his parents smiling in the audience. Next to them was Rainbow Dash, who seemed just as excited as the young ponies competing. Rainbow was a good family friend though she lived in Cloudsdale with her parents. Shockwave turned his head as Ponyvilles  Mayor began speaking.

"Fillies and colts, welcome to Ponyvilles best young flier race. The rules are simple. You will race around the outskirts of ponyville. Anypony seen taking a different route or trying to hurt another pony will be disqualified. First pony back here wins!" The crowd gave off a round of applause befor the Mayor cleare her throat and continued. "Also here to provide music for the event is the winner of Ponyvilles best young musician Vinyl Scratch!" The crowd gave another round of applause as Shockwave whipped his head around to see Vinyl back on to the stage. With out wasting any time she walked over to the DJ station already set up and slid a disc onto the the player. Shockwave instantly recognized the song as Aerodynamic by Daft-Pony. He smiled, a perfect choice. As he did so he felt a strange tingling in his wings that grew and enveloped his whole body. No time to worry about it know though, the race was about to start. He took his position with the others as the Mayor stepped back up to the announcers podium. "On your marks" Shockwave settled into a comfortable starting stance. "Get set" He raised his wings. He still felt tingly all over. "GO!" He thrust his wings down and back, feeling the air rush into his face. Then he took a double take.

That one wing beat couldn't have taken him this far. He tried it again and again his wings shot him forward farther then he expected, straight in to one of the poles at the marking the course. He fell to the ground as the crowd moaned and the other competitors rushed over him. He got up slowly prepared to take flight again and then realized something. The pole he had crashed into had one of the tracks speakers on it, set there so that the racers could still here Vinyls music. As he listened he realized that his whole body was throbbing, but not from pain. it was throbbing to the beat of the music and it felt good. Now he realized why he had went so far. The music was acting like a steroid on his body, making it stronger than ever. He smiled slowly.

"Lets do this!"

He shot of again. He had lost a lot of ground but it felt like foals play to catch it back up. He passed pony after pony with ease, laughing all the while. But he had lost more ground than he thought. He came around the last bend with one colt still in front of them. This colt was bigger than the rest and try as he might Shockwave couldn't get around him. they were running out of course he wasn't going to make it! Then the song hit it's climax. Suddenly his wing muscles tightened, his feathers all seemed to lock and his wings came down with more force than he thought was possible. A massive sound-wave erupted behind him as he was propelled forward like a rocket, smashing through the colt in front of him, shooting past the finish line and crashing straight in Vinyls stage. The music cut out and silence fell upon everything. And than a lone fillies voice came from the crowd. "That was Awesome!" Rainbow Dashs shout seemed to bring everyone back to their senses and suddenly everyone was cheering and beating their hooves on the ground. But Shockwave didn't care. He only had eyes for one filly as he pulled Vinyl Scratch to her hooves.

"Hi"he said slowly.

"Um hi" she responded. Then her hoof slipped, knocking the record player, which then started on the next song in the album. Shockwave felt himself blush. Digital Love, it just had to be Digital Love.

"Um, so..." he swallowed, "want to go out some time or..." he closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable. Why did he say that, just why did he say that.

He took a deep breath opened his eyes again... and found Vinyl looking straight into his eyes. "You know," she said slowly "I've been waiting so long to hear you say that..." Shockwave sat down in shock. Then he started laughing. he laughed with both relief and joy the latter of which doubled as Vinyl joined in and the Mayor walked up to them. "Shockwave"the Mayor started "I am pleased to announce you the winner of the Ponyville best young flier competition. The crowd cheered as the Mayor motioned for two ponies to bring the trophy on stage only for Shockwave to stop them. "Thank you very much and all but" he walked back to Vinyl and put his wing around her, "the real reward is right here." The crowd all simultaneously went "Awww" as Shockwave and Vinyl walked off the stage together.

Blitzberg watched his brother go before turning to Rainbow and saying "Did you notice that he got another reward?"

"No, what?" she asked.

"His Cutie Mark" Blitzberg replied.

"Really, what was it?" Rainbow asked excitedly.

"Well i could by wrong" Blitz said slowly "But is looked to me like a lightning bolt intertwined with a music note."

Rainbow frowned "What the hay does that mean"

Blitzberg looked away from her in the direction his brother had went. "No idea."