"Whenever presented with a choice, ponder what might go wrong and if there are any benefits."
Those were the words Vapor Trail followed throughout much of her life, even before she forged her friendship with Sky Stinger back when they were foals. It was part of the driving force behind why she followed Sky into the Wonderbolts Academy, even if the thought of garnering attention froze her veins.
Then again, the Wonderbolts Academy was far from the place where she could've blended in with the crowd or avoided the awkwardness that came along with being the center of attention. Much of the facility was a flat, gray runway that extended from one side of the plateau to the other. Even the blue, rectangular structures were spaced out enough to where being noticed by somepony was guaranteed. However, as Vapor glanced over to Sky, the tension gripping her legs dissipated. She was at the academy for a reason, recognizing much of what being a trainee constituted.
Such a realization included how everything about the Wonderbolts Academy had vast differences compared to trials week, right down to the other ponies who wore the recognizable trainee uniforms. After all, the only pony aside from Sky and herself that jumped from her trial group to the academy proper was Angel Wings, the cream-colored mare biting her lip and tweaking the bow attached to the back of her head. Aside from Angel Wings, everypony else to her left sported unfamiliar visages, whereas Sky and a turquoise mare Vapor could've sworn was featured on a poster stood to her left.
"Ready, Vapor?" Sky asked, donning a crooked grin. The stallion's cheeks tautened, sweat dripping down his forehead. "I've never been more ready in my life, but—" he stretched his wings, touching his chest and closing his eyes for a few seconds "—if we're gonna get through this academy and into the reserves, we'll both need to be at our best."
While Vapor recognized her friend's shimmering eyes, often the telltale sign of him skirting around the truth at best, she feigned ignorance and bobbed her head. There was plenty of room for honesty, as Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash had taught her on the day they met, but stressing Sky out even more on what might've been the most important day of their lives would've brought the progress they'd made as flyers spiraling back down to where they were at trials week.
"You think Rainbow Dash will teach us again?" Vapor muttered, cocking her head. She slipped the slightest of smirks, touching her lips. "Both she and Princess Twilight were so helpful last time, so maybe the Wonderbolts will want their help again. Two or three instructors are better than one, after all."
"Can you repeat that?" a feminine voice hissed. It came from the turquoise-coated mare to her right, the pony in question shaking her wings and swiping her hoof across her amber mane. For reasons unbeknownst to Vapor, the mare's eyes were narrowed, brow furrowed and a slight frown across her face.
"Um, I said that I wonder if Rainbow Dash will teach us again?"
"Why would you want her teaching you, let alone twice?" A soft sigh left the mare's mouth, head lowered. She then chuckled and brought her focus back to Vapor. "Sorry, I kinda got carried away. I've got a bit of a history with her, and I'd be wasting my time getting mad again when the first drills are coming up."
"Wait, you're here a second time?" Sky blurted out. Turning toward the mare, his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "How awful was the first time?"
The mare chortled, slapping her foreleg. "Please, the exercises are nothing if you don't freak out. I'd rather not blather on about why the first time didn't work, and I totally don't wanna talk about why Rainbow Dash had something to do with it, but just know that you'd better not do anything stupid. They'll kick you out if it's bad enough."
"But maybe I can tell the story," another voice added.
Vapor shuddered, a chill coursing through her spine as she leaned forward and stared at the pony trotting toward her and Sky. The mare's yellow coat, coupled with her fiery, orange mane and slick shades made her stand out like a sore hoof. Her dress uniform, decorated with a plethora of gleaming badges and medals, demanded attention.
The pony in question was Spitfire, Captain of the Wonderbolts, and the faintest of smirks adorned her visage. Spitfire froze in place once she was a few steps away from the turquoise mare, the two making eye contact. With her smile metamorphosing into a slight scowl, Spitfire leaned closer to the mare.
"It's good to see you again, Lightning Dust," Spitfire muttered. She stepped away from Lightning, grabbing her whistle and fiddling with it for a moment. She then donned a modest expression, arching an eyebrow. "I hope you've learned the error of your ways after thinking that forming a tornado, nearly taking out an air balloon in the process, was a good idea. Breaking formation and thinking you could've flown through a trash can after hearing about Rainbow Dash's nickname during your second trials week wasn't much better." She rolled her eyes and sighed. "When I tell you to exceed your limits, not one word of that is to suggest you should do anything boneheaded. Understood, newbie?"
Lightning nodded with a grin. "Yes, ma'am."
"Oh, and don't go thinking that Rainbow Dash was at fault. I'll take some blame since I was busy with paperwork when that went down, but almost all of that mess was on you. The sooner you accept it, the easier the academy and life in general will be for you. If I see you complaining about that incident for the millionth time, it's five laps around the track, no excuses. Got it?"
"Yes, ma'am." Lightning lifted her foreleg and saluted Spitfire, the former's body as still as a statue.
Spitfire feigned a soft chuckle, flicking her tail. "That's wonderful, so for the love of Celestia, please follow my advice to the letter." She took a step forward, her eyes still focused on Lightning's. "Oh, and you don't have to salute me like I'm Princess Twilight or somepony important. In case anypony here has the memory of a goldfish, the rules here are that aside from my spot as instructor, all of our prior accomplishments are tossed out the window. If you want to make the reserves, you'll have to impress us in the academy. As I was saying—"
With short steps, Spitfire trotted away from Lightning and over to Sky, her smile widening as she gazed into the stallion's eyes. Stopping once she was inches away from him, Spitfire tapped her hoof against the concrete runway, clacks echoing in the air. Vapor couldn't help herself from swallowing a lump, hoping that everything went well.
"Sky Stinger, it's an honor seeing you here," Spitfire continued. She snickered, rubbing the back of her neck and looking over to Vapor. "I'll admit, I was buying your story as being one of Equestria's top flyers when you first arrived at the academy, but—" she turned back to Sky "—don't think I'm letting you off the hook easy here."
Sky nodded without a second thought, his lips pursed.
"Yeah, I knew you were getting help from Vapor the moment I first saw you two flying together. I would've called you out on it much earlier if Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash hadn't arrived with a friendship mission, so count yourself lucky." Spitfire stood as tall as she could, her head raised. "Tricks like that aren't going to pass muster here, but you've learned your lesson, and you were good enough in the solo trials to make it here."
"Thank you, ma'am," Sky said, a sigh of relief escaping his mouth.
"I've got my eyes on both of you." Spitfire tapped Sky and Lightning's shoulders. Making her way down the row of ponies, Spitfire then ceased trotting once she reached Vapor, her smile brightening. "And I guess we've got Sky's special somepony joining us, too. Zero guesses as to whether you'll be paired together."
Vapor's cheeks became warm. To her right, she noticed that Sky had donned a sheepish smirk of his own, the stallion blushing.
"I'm just teasing you." Spitfire ruffled her wings and snickered. Straightening her posture, she then winked at Sky and Vapor, bringing her attention back purely to Vapor a second later. "Anyway, I don't think I need to repeat the warning I gave for Sky, so I'm hoping you'll be able to shine here like you did in the solo trials. Give us your full effort for everypony's sake. Is that clear?"
Vapor bobbed her head. "Yes, ma'am," she said.
"Good, and this warning goes out to everypony here." Spitfire trotted away from Vapor and over to the pony on Vapor's left, a grayish mare with a light blue mane and unshorn fetlocks. "Because we're all in this together, I expect you to give us a hundred percent. Anything less than that, and I won't make things any easier for you."
As Spitfire began surveying the pony to Vapor's left, going on her usual spiel, the latter glanced over to Sky. She wiped away the sweat clinging to her forehead and took a deep breath. How Spitfire knew of how she assisted Sky much earlier than she let on pricked her coat at the thought. Perhaps fewer things slipped past her radar than she expected, Vapor ruffling her feathers as the anxiety in her chest rushed back.
Vapor hoped that she wouldn't have found herself in such a situation again.
"That Spitfire sure is smarter than she seems, huh?" Sky whispered, leaning closer to Vapor's ear. "I could've sworn we fooled her with those gusts of wind before Twilight and Rainbow helped us, but she knew from the start. How crazy is that? Do you think she'll pretend to ignore something, but actually know what's going on again?"
Lightning shuffled closer to Sky, then murmured, "I can guarantee it. Did you know that after Rainbow Dash told her what happened with the tornado, it only took her three minutes to piece together all of the evidence? Yeah, even when she's caught off guard, not much is gonna get past her. It takes a lot more wit to outmaneuver her than you think."
Vapor twiddled her mane, forcing a chuckle. "Well, I guess we'd better not do anything risky," she muttered. "Since we've all learned our lessons, there's no doubt that we won't be the ones getting into trouble over something foolish." Vapor pressed the tips of her hooves together. "That doesn't mean I'm not nervous."
"Yeah, just look at the fire in her eyes," Sky added.
As Vapor looked to her left and watched as Spitfire made her way down the row of ponies, her chest tightened further. With Spitfire's demeanor like an innocent kitten compared to the ferocity on display during trials week, Vapor wondered if the upcoming drills were going to make the latter, something that pushed her body to the limit, seem like foal's play in comparison. She might've been a better flyer than she gave herself credit for, but perhaps she wasn't to the level of ponies like Lightning Dust.
However, Vapor worried about Sky Stinger more than anypony else.
Much to Vapor's relief, the first set of drills were only a smidgen tougher than what she experienced during trials week. Of course, she found herself huffing and puffing by the time the individual exercises concluded, though it was better than embarrassing herself in front of everypony in some way.
However, she dreaded the next assignment that Spitfire had planned for the cadets. From what she gathered during a lecture that must've lasted hours, everypony was assigned with racing around an obstacle course that began at the academy, worked its way down the plateau and the lake below, and back to where they started. At least five or so warnings reached her ears about following the designated path, Spitfire stressing that she wouldn't have been able to keep an eye on everypony due to the course's layout.
Vapor glanced over to where Sky stood, her friend wearing the second smuggest grin in the world. The smuggest, however, went to the one Lightning wore, her eyes brighter than the sun. Vapor only wished she had the attitude those two had as she inched closer to the start line, catching her breath.
"Alright, so some of you might've found the Dizzitron hilarious," Spitfire grunted, pacing back and forth next to the starting line. Her brow was furrowed and eyes seemingly ablaze. "This exercise will be anything but hilarious." Her eyes focused on Lightning for the briefest of moments. "As Miss Reckless can attest to, this obstacle course is designed to push your wings to the limit. Winning the race is one thing, but we're looking for satisfactory times, so don't slack off!"
"Yes, ma'am!" everypony else shouted in unison.
Spitfire brought her whistle closer to her lips. "When I blow this whistle, that's your cue to begin."
Puckering her lips, Spitfire wasted no time in blowing her whistle, a cacophonous shout piercing Vapor's ears. Time slowed to a standstill for a brief moment, Vapor's heart skipping a beat before she flapped her wings. Everypony else rocketed ahead, Vapor right beside the other cadets.
Like a flock of vultures, the pegasi swooped down the end of the runway and down the plateau, following the green thread connecting the hoops as Vapor and company dove as fast as possible. Vapor hadn't batted an eye at spotting Lightning flying ahead of everypony else, though she couldn't help herself from sweating bullets when she saw no sign of Sky anywhere.
"Where is he?" Vapor muttered under her breath. She sped past one of her fellow cadets, passing through each of the rings affixed to the plateau as all she saw in front of her was Lightning. A body of water then came into view, its sparkling surface much like a mirror's. "Sky wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I stopped for him. I have to keep going for his sake, even if he's behind."
Try as Vapor might, she struggled in keeping up with Lightning, the latter diving into a fluffy, white cloud and vanishing from sight. Vapor slowed down as she glanced to her left, then to her right, and finally behind her shoulder and at the other cadets. However, she saw no signs of Lightning. Perhaps a first place was out of the question, yet she donned the faintest of smirks.
Vapor adjusted her wings as she approached the lake, skidding across the water for a moment as she gracefully swerved into each ring, careful not to crash against the ring itself or the metal rod planted into the earth. She glanced to her right, noticing the green thread still coiling around the obstacle course, then surveyed the rest of the environment. The rest of the course made its way up the plateau, wrapping around it like a python.
In a flash, Vapor shot up toward the clouds like a rocket, swerving from left to right and sometimes glancing back in case she missed one of the checkpoints. It felt as though she contorted her body into a variety of different shapes as she made her way through the course. Her limbs began aching, Vapor biting her lip.
A burst of smoke appeared as if an explosion went off, Vapor gasping at the sight.
Lightning emerged from the clouds, passing through one of the rings that was far ahead of Vapor. The turquoise mare then dove toward the runway as she glided toward the finish line, Vapor noticing Spitfire jotting down a time and leaning closer to Lightning with what appeared to be a suspicious glare.
Vapor swung her body around the last corner, her mane and tail flapping in the wind, and approached the runway. She began slowing down and crossed the finish line, her hooves sliding across the runway as a screech pierced her eardrums. Doing one final flip, Vapor cringed upon coming to a halt, a stinging sensation pricking her nerves.
Vapor inched closer to where Lightning and Spitfire stood, watching the rest of the cadets with narrowed eyes as they flew toward the finish line one at a time. All of the ponies approaching the runway wore the same, droopy expressions, a few of them gasping for air. However, none of them were Sky, Vapor's heart thrashing in her chest as she awaited her best friend.
Around thirty seconds later, Sky showed up with a slouched flying posture of all things, a scowl across his face and teeth clenched. Vapor's heart sank as she watched the scene unfold, unsure how her best friend could've finished so far back, yet nothing seemed out of the ordinary from what she noticed.
"I guess we should start calling him 'Slowpoke Sky' or something!" one of the trainees hollered.
Sky grumbled in response, trotting over to Vapor with a glum expression. He lowered his head, his shoulders drooping, and groaned.
"That's enough, newbie!" Spitfire scolded, her brow sagging. "Leave the clever nicknames for when you're actually a Wonderbolt and know why we do them!" She trotted up to the mare in question, a purple-coated pony with a blonde mane and hazelnut eyes. "Now keep your mouth shut unless you want to do fifty!"
The mare nodded, wilting before Spitfire.
"Looks like almost all of you need some improvement," Spitfire continued. "We'll do another lap of the obstacle course, but for now, go have some lunch." She nodded her head and cracked a smile. "I know you lot will get the hang of it. If you need me, I'll be in my office, but don't think I'll mince words if you're looking for advice."
As Spitfire trotted away from the cadets, Vapor made her way over to Sky with short, rapid steps, wrapping her wing around her friend once she caught up. Sky looked away at first, but then made eye contact with Vapor. The two cracked the faintest of smiles, though they vanished simultaneously as Sky's nostrils flared up.
"We need to hit the showers," Sky teased, chuckling. A sigh then escaped his mouth. "I so thought I had improved by miles after Twilight and Rainbow helped me." He then feigned another smile. "But hey, you got here way ahead of me. You've improved so much since trials week, so at least there's that."
"Thanks, Sky," Vapor muttered, faking her own smile. "Maybe having the best sneeze was useful today."
The two ponies chuckled for a moment as they followed the others over to the barracks. While Vapor felt content with where she was as a flyer, her thoughts kept turning back toward Sky, the stallion's irritated eyes and pursed lips one of Vapor's most dreaded sights. Seeing it at the academy only made the heartache worse.
Perhaps they would've been luckier the second time around.
If there was one thing that everypony could've agreed on, it was that the obstacle course had to have been a product of Tartarus. Every limb in Vapor's body still ached somewhat, and her fellow ponies all kept moaning about the drill whenever she heard their voices. How Lightning Dust breezed through without breaking a sweat pricked Vapor's nerves at the thought.
All of that was behind Vapor for the time being. For now, getting some lunch and chatting with Sky in the cafeteria took priority over everything else. The two ponies occupied a small table, both of them having trays adorned with fresh food in front of them. As Vapor nibbled on the sandwich, she couldn't help herself from smiling as the various flavors pleased her taste buds. Even after a few meals at the cafeteria, the academy's food always surprised her with its quality.
"So at least we're getting free food while we're here," Sky said, wrapping his hoof around a cup. After sipping his water, he licked his lips. "I don't know what Rainbow Dash or whoever told Spitfire how to improve the academy, but she must've really taken it to heart. Everything feels much tougher than trials week."
Vapor nodded, swallowing her food. "Yeah, I've been struggling to keep up with Lightning Dust," she muttered, playing with a strand of her mane. "At least both of us have been doing well, even if we've got a lot of work to do." Placing her hooves behind her head, a sigh then left Vapor's lips. "At least Spitfire seems to think we're on the right track."
"She was so impressed with my cobra roll!" Sky bragged, donning a smug grin. "So what if that one brat thinks I can't keep up with the fastest flyers? I've got style and substance, and those are two of the most important qualities in being a Wonderbolt. As Misty Fly and High Winds show, there's more to it than just raw speed!"
"I'm glad you're looking at this positively." Vapor touched her chest, warmth spreading throughout her body, and nodded. "Even if trials week wasn't that long ago, you've been doing a wonderful job of improving yourself. I'm so proud of how far you've come in such a short time."
"I'm not saying I can just ignore that jerk, even if it looks like he ran into a shovel."
Vapor snickered, blushing. "I know, but every little improvement helps." She sighed a second time, taking a sip of her cold water. "I've still got a long way to go before I feel comfortable standing out. Watching Spitfire talking about my flying, not to mention how much confidence she has in me, was tougher than I thought."
"Hey, she was trying to be nice." Sky feigned a chuckle, Vapor following suit seconds later. "I just wanna know how we're getting through that obstacle course down the plateau. Almost all of us struggled the first time, and now she's gonna make us do it again once we're back to work. What makes you think we'll get it right this time?"
"Maybe you just need my advice," Lightning said, approaching Sky and Vapor's table. The young mare wore a cheeky grin, stretching her wings out as she skipped over to them. "If you wanna know how to beat that crazy obstacle course, you'll need to do a certain trick. It's a gamble, but it'll work."
"What kind of trick?" asked Sky, tilting his head.
Lightning slammed her hooves against the table, a thunderous clap echoing throughout the cafeteria. "Easy, all you've gotta do is cut through that tunnel and avoid the waterfall, and you'll reach one of the checkpoints in record time! If you wanna save more time, just power through that waterfall like it's nothing!"
"That sounds incredibly dangerous," Vapor muttered, touching her lips. "Besides, didn't Spitfire tell us that we should follow the designated route? She told us that if we broke any rules like that, we'd go through an even tougher trial as punishment. I'm guessing that's how you broke the academy record."
"It's not putting anypony else in danger, so whatever works." Lightning's grin widened; she crossed her forelegs. "I know the spiel Spitfire told me, but there are some things that are just worth taking advantage of. Besides, the course is big enough to where she probably wouldn't notice stuff like that."
"What if she had noticed and you don't know?" Vapor leaned closer to Lightning. "Remember what we talked about earlier today?"
Lightning's coat became pale, her pupils shrinking. "Oh, horseradish." Lightning fidgeted her hooves, then stepped back and took a deep breath. "You honestly don't think she'd know that I took that path, right? I mean, she'd have to be psychic in order to realize how I was so fast." She rubbed her mane and donned a sheepish grin. "But if you can get away with that, it may be something to think about."
As Lightning meandered away from the table, Vapor turned toward Sky and gazed into her friend's twinkling eyes. She knew that Sky must've been pondering Lightning's advice, even if it wasn't worth the risk.
Even with Twilight and Rainbow's words of wisdom, Vapor knew she would've been a fool if she thought Sky overestimating his abilities wasn't going to happen from time to time. When that smug smirk ran across Sky's face, Vapor couldn't help herself from swallowing a lump.
"I think she's got a point," Sky muttered, motioning a hoof. "I've got the strength and confidence to pull it off perfectly."
"Sky, remember what happened last time," Vapor murmured. She clenched her teeth, averting her gaze from Sky for a second. "I don't think I have to remind you of how much you struggled on those exercises before Princess Twilight and Rainbow Dash taught us that lesson. If Lightning Dust hesitated, maybe we'd be better off doing what we did last time."
Sky placed his hooves behind his head. "You can fly alongside me. We'll look out for each other in case something goes wrong."
"I don't think we should use that shortcut." Vapor inhaled, touched her chest, and then exhaled. "Step back and think what Rainbow—um—Princess Twilight would say if she was here. She'd probably say that you might get injured doing something that dangerous. There's a designated path for a reason, and the shortcut isn't going to save much time."
"It'll save tons of time."
"Do you know how fast Lightning Dust is?"
Sky nodded, yet his smile hadn't disappeared. "Maybe she's faster, but I'll be right alongside her before she knows it."
"That might be true, but don't use that as an excuse if you're caught using the shortcut." Sighing, Vapor stood up and took a step away from the table. She ruffled her wings, her bottom lip jutting out a little. "I know how much all of this means to you, but I don't want either of us getting into trouble. If it's as troublesome as it sounds, getting hurt would only make it worse." She crept toward Sky until their muzzles were inches apart. Vapor feigned a slight smile while Sky kept wearing his cheeky grin. "Whatever you do, please don't do anything you'll regret, okay?"
"I've totally got this under control." Sky pushed his chair away from the table, standing up a second later. He rubbed his foreleg and shook his wings. "You'll be surprised with how fast I am once I've mastered the course. The only reason why I was so slow was that, um—"
Vapor gently bobbed her head, her expression vacant. She knew that what often followed was Sky explaining he had pulled a muscle.
"I pulled a muscle during the drill, that's all," Sky continued, rubbing the back of his neck. He donned a sheepish grin, cheeks flushed. He straightened his posture and trotted away from the table. "Those cadets don't know my amazing talents yet, and they'll be in for a shock!"
"I hope so," Vapor muttered under her breath.
While she still wished for Sky's success beyond almost anything else, Vapor would've been lying to herself if she denied how much his brashness pricked her nerves, and today was no different. Talking her best friend out of a dangerous detour would've been a waste of time, but if their previous experiences told her anything, it was that Sky was bound to learn his lesson at some point. Vapor just hoped that the lesson wouldn't have been too painful.
Then again, nopony said becoming a Wonderbolt was effortless.
As everypony's lunch break came to a close and Spitfire summoned them back to the runway, Vapor couldn't help herself from wondering if she tripped back in time. A cold, gentle breeze swept past her just as it had earlier in the day, the mare's mane and tail flapping against the current. Even the sunlight touching down on the academy and its surroundings felt the same as earlier in the day, not to mention how everypony took the same starting positions.
Over to Vapor's left, she noticed Spitfire thwacking a pen against her notepad, the latter's eyes narrowed and focused on Lightning and Sky. The captain's slight frown tightened Vapor's chest at the sight, even if Spitfire wasn't looking at her, and the captain glancing over to where the supposed shortcut was sent chills down Vapor's spine.
From what Vapor understood, the shortcut cut through a tunnel in the plateau, starting near the ground and shooting those who made it across out like a cannon. It was just short enough for somepony to exploit without missing a checkpoint, yet long enough to where it sliced a considerable portion off the total distance.
Of course, there was a catch. The tunnel was only wide enough for one pony at a time, and the odds of clipping a wing against something grew exponentially despite the shortcut being straightforward. Perhaps that was a small part of why Spitfire stressed following the designated flight path; the alternative was longer, but lacked the heightened risks of breaking a wing.
"I'll be keeping a close watch on all of you," Spitfire announced, trotting away from the row of ponies. She adjusted her shades, lips pursed. "I won't be the first or last pony to admit that this obstacle course isn't perfect, hence why there have been some minor modifications since you last went through it."
Over to Vapor's right, she noticed Sky sweating up a storm, the stallion's eyes widening.
"It came to my attention earlier that there's a new, dangerous shortcut that makes its way through the plateau's face." Spitfire leaned her shoulder against a nearby pole. Her eyes narrowed a little. "That flaw in the course's design wasn't there before, but the academy has taken some precautions and boarded up the area. We'll investigate how that got there later."
Vapor couldn't help herself from breathing a sigh of relief. Even if Sky wasn't the fastest out there, at least he would've arrived without a cast wrapping around his foreleg or wing. With her muscles loosening, she looked ahead at the end of the runway, her hooves inching closer to the starting line.
"Alright, you rookies! Get moving!"
Vapor and her fellow trainees darted away from the starting line, gliding down the plateau. It was much the same layout as before, rings attached to the ground or the plateau's side and a long, green spool of thread connecting them as a guide for the flyers. While the exercise began in much the same way as last time, Vapor couldn't help herself from smiling a little.
Sky was less than a meter behind her, keeping up with the other recruits as promised. His eyes shone brighter than a star as he swooped down and made his way through the different checkpoints. However, the stallion's furrowed brow and bit lip kept grabbing Vapor's attention most of all whenever she glanced back at him.
Once the trainees were flying just above the lake, Vapor slowed down and let Sky past. Even if he would've rolled his eyes at not trying her hardest, something about the stallion's glare tied Vapor's stomach into knots. She looked away and over to the obstacle course's rings, Vapor's wing almost brushing against one of the checkpoints, yet Sky's presence commanded her attention like nothing else.
Farther down the course, both Vapor and Sky ascended the plateau and toward the clouds. Over to her left, Vapor noticed the boarded-up area that Spitfire had mentioned, the turquoise speck up ahead that was Lightning Dust outright ignoring the closed off detour. While some of the ponies up ahead glanced at it, they also followed the designated route.
Sky charged at the sealed tunnel with a fierce scowl, Vapor gasping as she slowed to a crawl.
"Sky, what are you doing?" Vapor blurted out, the tension in her muscles tightening exponentially to where it became a struggle to even continue flying. "You'll hurt yourself!"
Nevertheless, Sky stretched his foreleg out and thrust his hoof into the plywood, a sickening crack reaching Vapor's ears. The latter couldn't help herself from wincing as she saw Sky coming to a halt. The stallion's foreleg had gone through the material, yet he clenched his teeth whilst trying to pull it out.
A bloodcurdling scream split the air.
Vapor shivered as if a blizzard raged past. Wasting no time, she raced up to where Sky was and grabbed onto his foreleg. Tears dripped down her friend's bloodshot eyes as he wiggled his foreleg and grunted. Despite flailing as much as possible, the plywood refused releasing its grip on his foreleg.
"Sky, are you okay?" Vapor asked, catching her breath. Wiping her forehead, she brought her attention to where Sky's hoof was stuck. Bile tickled her tongue as she noticed splinters wedged into the stallion's limb. "Try to keep still, and I'll get your hoof out of there as fast as I can."
"It's over," Sky murmured under his breath. He sniffled, eyes blinking every other second. "I'm never gonna be a Wonderbolt at this rate. Spitfire may as well just kick me out for being slow and stupid."
"You're not stupid at all." Vapor wrapped her hoof around Sky's foreleg, using every last bit of her strength to release it from the plywood's grasp. However, aside from a few creaks reaching her ears, Sky hadn't budged an inch. "You're a wonderful pony and the best friend in the whole world. No matter what happens, we'll stick together and make it through anything."
"But how am I supposed to be a Wonderbolt if I'm doing stuff like this?" Sky pursed his lips, cringing as he fought back tears. "I ignored Spitfire's warning, and look at where that got me. Maybe you were right from the beginning." His eyes began glowing brighter than ever. "I'm not cut out for flying."
"That's wrong, and you and I both know it." Vapor took a deep breath, examining where Sky's hoof was stuck a second time. "Even if I helped you out a little, almost all of your stunts back then were your own doing. I know how much you strive for attention, but just know that everypony makes mistakes."
"W-what are you talking about?"
"I've goofed up so many times as a filly in flight school that I lost count, but I got back up and kept going." She licked her lips and tapped her hoof against the damaged plywood. "Spitfire has messed up plenty of times, too. If you asked her about what she regretted and said why you're curious, I bet she'd tell you some stories. The same is true for Rainbow Dash."
Holding her breath for a moment, Vapor pulled Sky's foreleg away from the board. The two rocketed away from the plywood and the tunnel itself, shrieks escaping Sky's mouth. Gnashing his teeth, he then massaged his hoof, mumbling something to himself. He removed one of the splinters in his hoof and groaned, forcing a smile as tears flowed down his cheeks.
Vapor donned the slightest of smiles as she gazed into her friend's eyes. Even if looking at the splinters pierced her nerves as though they had struck her instead, she took solace knowing that Sky's injuries weren't severe. What warmed Vapor's heart most of all, however, was seeing Sky's brilliant smile once more.
"There you are!" Spitfire's voice called out. The mare in question descended from the top of the plateau, reaching Vapor and Sky in a flash. She adjusted her shades and squinted at Sky's hoof, stroking her chin as she focused on the wooden pieces sticking out of it. "It'll hurt for a while, but you'll be okay."
Behind Spitfire was Lightning Dust of all ponies, the mare breathing a sigh of relief and wiping her forehead upon gazing at Sky and Vapor. "Thank goodness you're okay," Lightning said, placing her hooves behind her back. "I told Spitfire everything that happened before the trial, and making sure neither of you were hurt was more important than any punishment."
"Thank you," Vapor said, touching her chest. "We're so sorry that all of this happened."
"Apology accepted," Spitfire said without hesitating. "Sky Stinger, we can talk about what to expect from here. Don't worry, you're still in the Wonderbolts Academy." She inched her way toward Sky and patted his shoulder, the stallion flinching in response. "Right now, I'm just glad to see you're okay." Spitfire then brought her attention to Vapor, the two making eye contact. "As for you, Vapor, you did the right thing by staying behind and helping your friend. That's the mark of a true Wonderbolt."
Vapor's cheeks became warm, averting her gaze from everypony. "Um, thanks for the compliment," she muttered, pressing the tips of her hooves together. She then brought her attention back to Spitfire. "If I must be honest, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Sky." Widening her smile, she then turned to face Sky. "So thanks for being such a wonderful friend."
"Vapor, you deserve thanks more than I do right now," Sky added, feigning a light chuckle. He stared into Vapor's eyes, then turned toward Spitfire, and sighed. "Sorry for not listening to your warning, ma'am. I guess I got too overwhelmed and wanted to make an impression, but ended up hurting myself in the process."
"Apology accepted," Vapor and Spitfire said in unison.
"Hey, I'll try to not egg you into doing something like that again, too," said Lightning. "So I'm sorry for what happened."
"Well, at least everypony's learned their lesson for the day," Spitfire said, wrapping her forelegs and smiling. "Once things become a little quieter again, drop by my office. I've got a few stories about myself and Rainbow Dash where I came off looking like a fool, so maybe you'll learn something." She giggled, touching her lips and smiling. "For now, feel free to head to the barracks. You could all use some rest."
"Thank you, ma'am," Vapor and Sky replied.
As Spitfire and Lightning ascended toward the academy, both Vapor and Sky followed suit. Sky continued massaging his right hoof as the two made their way back to the barracks, yet he couldn't help himself from cracking a smirk. Vapor wore one of her own, her heart beating to the rhythm of her wings.
"Even if I'm not in the reserves this time, there's always a second chance," Sky muttered, looking over to Vapor. "I'll admit, what I did was really stupid, and I should've listened to both you and Spitfire." His eyes began shimmering. "Thanks for not getting too mad at me. I'm glad we're still friends."
"Isn't that what friends are for?" Vapor replied, her grin widening. "We always look out for each other, even when we do silly things."
"Yeah, I guess you've got a point."
Vapor bobbed her head, inching closer to Sky as the two descended toward the runway. "Who knows, maybe we'll be more than friends one day."
