“You look fine,” Vapor Trail said with a peck on Sky Stinger’s ear. “I told you the navy and silver tie was the way to go, didn’t I? Goes wonderfully with your coat.”
“I guess,” he admitted with a shrug. “Why can’t I just wear my red one, though? I like it.”
“That one clashes with your coat, honey.” She giggled, then pushed a few stray hairs back into his mane. “You look very handsome tonight, by the way.”
“You sure?” Tilting his head back, he took the necktie in his hoof and held it away from his body. “I can always change it. They might like a different one more.”
Frustration and nervousness mixed together as she sighed. “Your tie will be the least of my parents’ worries, believe me. They’re going to want to know you, not your wardrobe.”
After a few deep breaths, he turned to face Vapor Trail. “Alright, I think I’m ready to go. Are you?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she mumbled, walking to the door to their bedroom and opening it. “Just whatever happens tonight, remember that I love you, okay?”
With a warm smile, he placed a hoof around her. “I’ve never thought you haven’t.”
“I just don’t want you to let them get to you. Whatever they say or do, just remember that they’re at least trying to have good intentions. I’m their only foal, so they’re just very invested in me. More than I think they need to be, but I’m not touching that on the first night I introduce my boyfriend to them. That conversation’s on hold for now. Indefinite hold maybe, but not something I want you to worry about.”
As the two ponies walked outside into the brisk spring night, Vapor Trail felt Sky Stinger’s hoof replaced by a warm and feathery wing pulling her in close. Unable to meet his wing with hers, she instead brought a hoof up to his shoulder and gently stroked his soft down feathers. She always did think he had nice wings, and while it still was a struggle to get him to pay some mind to their proper care, there were the rare occasions that he listened. Thankfully, tonight was one of those instances. The last thing she wanted him to have when he finally met her parents was filthy, wind-damaged feathers covering his wings.
They continued the rest of their walk in silence, Vapor Trail keeping warm and dry under a soft blanket of feathers and Sky Stinger simply not bothered by the cold mist hanging in the air. Soft light shed by streetlamps illuminated their way along the packed cloud sidewalks of Cloudsdale, their new home since joining the Wonderbolts. Each hoofstep caused a little puff of cloud to shoot up, something she still hadn’t gotten used to since leaving Stratusburg and its heavy, wet clouds that were just as hard as the ground below.
Just as the rain was beginning to pick up, the ornately decorated exterior of The Grapevine came into view, because only the best restaurant in all of Cloudsdale was acceptable. She had tried to get her parents to reconsider and go to a less extravagant location, but as always, her efforts to get them to do anything except go all out for her fell on deaf ears.
A blast of warm air hit the couple as they walked inside the restaurant, an expensively-dressed stallion waiting for them. “Do you have a reservation?” he asked.
“Steer Straight, party of four,” she responded as she took Sky Stinger’s damp wing off of her and tucked it back into his body.
With a small bow of recognition, the maître d’ walked out from the server’s station and began leading them into the restaurant. “Right this way, madam.”
“Yoo hoo!” a mare started calling once they were being lead to their table. “Over here!”
Out of dread, she slowly turned her head to the source of the voice, a table next to a glass wall that overlooked the edge of Cloudsdale and all of Equestria. “Hi mom,” she forced through an insincere smile. “Hi dad.”
“We will give you some time to decide before coming around for drink orders,” the maître d’ spoke before leaving the party be.
“Do you like the table?” Steer Straight asked excitedly as his daughter and her boyfriend sat down. “We specifically asked for it, and they gave it to us!”
As she sat down, she tilted her head in confusion. “You can reserve a specific table?”
“Nope!” Twirly Whirly beamed. “They were leading us to the table they had chosen for us and we saw this one sitting all alone, so we asked if we could sit here and they let us! We had to wait a little bit for them to clean the dishes off of it, but we both knew you’d just love it!”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have!” she replied through a tightly-clenched smile. Sky Stinger’s hoof made its way over to hers, causing her to grab it tight.
“It’s the very least that we can do,” he dismissed. “We just want everything to be perfect tonight, and it was no trouble to get this table.”
“Why don’t we start looking at what we want to drink?” Sky Stinger suggested as Vapor Trail’s grip on his hoof began strengthening. “I think I saw some nice wines behind the bar as we came in, maybe we could get a bottle and share it?”
As Steer Straight grabbed the wine menu and began looking it over, Twirly Whirly turned to Sky Stinger. “So Sky Stinger, Vapor Trail has told us very little about the two of you. How did you two meet?”
“We’ve known each other for a while now,” he laughed. “We met when we were young, and have been friends ever since.”
“Is this true?” she questioned, turning to face Vapor Trail. “How come we’ve never met him before?”
“I guess it just never happened,” she giggled nervously. “Dad, what bottle were you thinking of?”
“I can’t decide,” he proclaimed as he put the menu down. “Let’s just get the Moondust Vintage, I figure that sounds nice.”
With her free hoof, Vapor Trail turned the menu towards herself and skimmed it over. “Dad, that’s the most expensive bottle they sell! I’m sure there’s something else that’s just as nice and won’t be as much.”
“If it’s that expensive,” he defended as he put the list back in its place, “then we know it’ll be good.”
“We’ll just see what it’s like when it comes,” Sky Stinger said to Vapor Trail as he gave her a kiss. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“How’s the Academy going?” Twirly Whirly asked. “You hardly write us anymore, sweetheart, so we never know what’s going on in your life!”
“It’s going well,” she blushed. “We just had another round of trials the other day, and I, you know...kinda got into the Reserves.”
“That’s so fantastic!” both of her parents chirped in unison.
She laughed uneasily, then used her free hoof to rub the back of her neck. “It’s just the Reserves. One of the ponies is going to the Wonderbolts themselves, he’s going to be starting practice with all of them after the weekend.”
“Were you the one that got in?” Steer Straight asked, looking towards Sky Stinger.
“I wish!” he laughed. “No, I’m still in the Academy. Wasn’t strong or agile enough to be able to get into the Reserves, so I have to keep at it and go try again later.”
“Did you not practice?”
“No, I practiced,” he shook his head. “Vapor Trail and I were out on the course every day when the sun came up, and only stopped training when they close it when it gets too dark to fly.”
“Then why didn’t you get in?” Twirly Whirly inquired.
“It’s very difficult to get into the Reserves,” Vapor Trail butted in. “I probably barely got in, anyways.”
“Nonsense!” her father exclaimed. “I’m sure Sky Stinger will just make sure to try harder next time so he gets in.”
“I tried hard,” he replied before Vapor Trail could get any words out. “Vapor Trail and I did all the exact same exercises and routines, she just got in over me. Nothing else to it, so I just have to keep at it and hope there’s space next time they hold trials.”
“You know who’s a really good flyer?” Twirly Whirly butted in. “Thunderhead. Do you two keep in touch, sweetheart?”
“Not since he joined the Royal Guard,” she replied slowly, clenching Sky Stinger’s hoof tighter in fear of what was going to come next. “Why?”
“I bet he could’ve gotten into the Reserves,” she smiled. “You should write him a letter sometime soon, reconnect with him.”
“Why?” she asked after a few seconds of bewilderment. “He and I were never that close, mom. It would be really weird to just send him a letter out of nowhere, and he’d probably be super weirded out by it.”
“We just think you need somepony in your life who can be there for you and provide for you,” Steer Straight added in. “And he seems to be doing quite well for himself.”
“I have somepony in my life who can be there for me and provide for me,” Vapor Trail replied through clamped teeth. “I’ve told you before that Sky Stinger and I are happily in love.”
“Well…” Twirly Whirly looked briefly at her husband before turning back to look at Vapor Trail. “If Sky Stinger isn’t able to join the Wonderbolts, what will he do? Will you have to support both of you?”
“He’ll join the Wonderbolts, I know it,” she spoke before Sky Stinger could say anything. “And even if he doesn’t...well, he’ll find something. Besides, I’ve lived on my own for years now. A few extra months while he keeps training won’t kill me.”
“Just don’t hesitate to ask if you need some financial assistance, okay?” A warm smile appeared on her father’s face. “We don’t want you to struggle.”
“We’re not going to struggle,” Sky Stinger spoke up as Vapor Trail simply buried her face in her hooves. “Yeah being in the Academy pays nothing and being in the Reserves isn’t the best pay, but it’s just the two of us. We might not be living in luxury, but we’re going to be just fine.”
“But how long before she’ll need the extra money? If you two say you did the exact same training and she got in and you didn’t, then how can you be so certain that you'll get into the Wonderbolts? Maybe you should start looking into other careers now, before you’ve invested too much time into this and it’s too late.”
“I’m not just going to give up because I didn’t get in on my first try,” he responded as energy began building inside of him. “Lots of ponies don’t.”
“And lots of ponies never do get in,” Twirly Whirly added. “I think he’s just trying to say that you should be a little more realistic. There are so many ponies admitted into the Academy every year, and so few Wonderbolts. You’re going up against some of the best fliers in all of Equestria, and it helps to know your limits.”
“I can get in!” he defended through a shaky voice. “And why are we focusing on me not getting in, anyways? We should be congratulating Vapor Trail for getting into the Wonderbolt Reserves, shouldn’t we?”
“We want her to be with somepony who’s her equal,” Steer Straight proclaimed. “I’m sure you’re a wonderful stallion, but Vapor Trail is a very gifted and talented young mare with a lot of potential ahead of her! Who knows where in Equestria she’ll go, and don’t you think it would be best if whoever was with her could push her and challenge her to reach new heights?”
“Well...I guess yeah, but who says I couldn’t do that?”
“She’s in the Reserves and you’re not,” he pointed out tentatively. “Getting into the Wonderbolts is very competitive, and with each time you don’t get in, you’re just competing with more and more new ponies who might be very good at flying!”
“The number of ponies they admit is the same as always, and it’s not going to change. I’ll just have more experience next time.”
“But don’t the Wonderbolts always say that getting into the Academy gets tougher every year?” Twirly Whirly added. “And don’t they say that each new class of Wonderbolts is better than the last? All of the ponies you have to compete against are just going to get better and better each time you try, and at a certain point, you’re going to level off.”
Without even saying a word, Sky Stinger stood up from the table and turned around, walking towards the exit. His head turned skyward as he walked out of the restaurant, looking towards the tiny sliver of moonlight that was struggling to poke its way through the thick clouds.
“Sky Stinger!” Vapor Trail called from behind him. “Wait!”
“Yeah?” he asked through a defeated sigh, not even bothering to turn around and look at her.
“Why did you run out?” As moments passed without a response, she walked up next to him and looked him in the eyes. “I told you not to let them get to you.”
“It’s not that they really got to me, but…” He paused, then turned his gaze away from hers. “I dunno. I guess they were just kinda right.”
“I don’t remember the last time my parents were right about anything,” she scoffed. “And that includes tonight. What, you think you maybe not being as good a flier as I am is going to hurt our relationship?”
“I think they’re right in saying that I’m just going to end up holding you back.” His head began to hang. “Vapor Trail, let’s get real: you’re simply a better flyer than I am.”
She fidgeted uneasily for a few moments, then stopped and used her hoof to prop his head up. “Okay, fine. I am. So? There’s plenty of things you’re better than me at.”
“But I’ll just end up holding you back,” he claimed while bringing her hoof down. “You said you’d make time to train with me until I got into the Wonderbolts, but how long is that going to take? That’s a lot of time that would be better spent if you were working on your own flying, and I just know you could become a full-time Wonderbolt if you didn’t have to devote time to staying behind with me.”
“You’re not just going to get in the way,” she comforted. “Besides, I’d rather take more time to become a Wonderbolt and then be able to do it with the pony I love than rush ahead to it while leaving him behind.”
“You shouldn’t need to hold yourself back just because I’m not as good as you.” As he spoke, he wiped away tears that were pooling in his eyes. “Vapor Trail, I don’t think it’ll work. You’ve got so much potential in front of you, but because I’m here, you’re only focused on looking backwards to where I am. I think maybe for your sake, it would be best if we stopped seeing each other. What we have together right now only hinders you.”
“Are you breaking up with me?” she asked much more calmly than Sky Stinger had expected.
“Yeah,” he managed to spit out between sobs.
After what seemed like an eternity, Vapor Trail grabbed his chin once again and looked him straight in the eyes.
“No.”
“No?” he repeated.
“No,” she confirmed. “We’re not breaking up.”
“This is a breakup, they don’t need to be mutual!”
“True, but one of the ponies needs to want it. I don’t. Can you honestly say you want to break up with me?”
“I want to because I feel like I’m holding you b—”
“Sky Stinger,” she said after placing a hoof on his mouth. “Yes or no. Do you honestly want to break up with me?”
Her hoof was lifted from his lips, but his only response was slow shaking of his head.
“Sky, maybe it’s true that you’re not as good a flyer as I am. And who knows, maybe you won’t get into the Wonderbolts and I might miss my chance by trying to help you. But I love you, and that means sticking together. We’re partners not just in romance, but in life. I don’t care if we come in last place, so long as we cross that finish line together.”
“You really want to stick with me, though? I’m a weak flyer, I’m not as agile as you, all the Wonderbolts seem to like you better, your parents think I’m not worth your time, and that’s just the beginning of it. Face it, there’s no reason to keep me around as long as you have. You could be doing a lot better.”
“But that’s just a part of being a pony,” she smiled. “You don’t think I have flaws of my own? Look, you’re much more confident and outgoing than I am. Do you think I’m not worthy to date you because I always make you stay in the corner and leave early with me?”
“That’s different,” he defended. “Going to parties and joining the Wonderbolts are on two completely different levels.”
“But the point is that we’re not going to be equals on every single little thing. You’re your own pony, and that means you’re different than me. Sure it’s possible that we’re going to end up as equals when it comes to flying, but it’s unrealistic to expect that we’re going to be the same at something just because we’re dating. I love you for who you are, Sky. Whether you stay in the Academy, become a Wonderbolt, or decide to pursue something else, who you are won’t change. I don’t love you because I think you’re good at flying, I love you because...well, I just love you.”
After a long period of not receiving an answer, Vapor Trail walked up and hugged Sky Stinger tightly. “Look, there’s nopony in this world who’s perfect, myself included. I just think sitting that down and counting all of our flaws isn’t the best thing we should be doing. Sky, you know I love you, but you’re too hard on yourself. I’d never consider breaking up with you just because I think I might have to support us because you’re still working at getting into the Wonderbolts. My love isn’t contingent on you being able to support me.”
“It’s not just that,” he replied through heavy tears as he rested his hoof on her back. “You shouldn’t need to be the one to hold yourself back to wait for me to catch up. I’ve never been a good flier, I only did half decent because of you. Think of how much time you spent flying under me and helping me get better. How good would you be right now if you had spent that time improving yourself instead of wasting it trying to get me to be a passable flyer? You would probably be in the Wonderbolts themselves, not the Reserves.”
“I didn’t waste it,” she cooed, stroking his mane. “It was time spent with you, and I loved every minute of it. If I cared more about how well I was flying than I did how well you were, would I keep doing everything I can to help you improve?” With a warm smile, she rested her head against his. “I love seeing you do well, I always have. It just makes me feel so great to see you happy, and that’s all I want from you. If you’ll be happy training and trying to get into the Wonderbolts, then I’ll be happy. If you’ll be happy pursuing something else, then I’ll also be happy. Finding your path can be hard, I know; if you told me a few years ago I’d be in the Wonderbolt Reserves, I probably would’ve said I wasn’t even interested in competitive flying! But sooner or later, we all end up where we belong.”
“I guess I’m just slower than you,” he moped. “And not just in flying.”
“Or maybe your path’s just longer,” she said with a kiss on his ear. “You’re a very determined, hardworking stallion. I’ve never thought for a second that you won’t be able to succeed at whatever it is you do in life. Like I’ve told you and you unfortunately just saw, my parents think everything in my life should be perfect. No matter who it is I date, they’d find some reason to think they’re beneath me. The only pony’s opinion you need to care about is mine, and I’ll never think that you’re not worth me or something silly like that.”
After a long period of not receiving a response, she rested her head against his. “I won’t be upset if you don’t want to have to go back in there and face them. Speaking honestly, you deserve better than how they were treating you. I don’t care if you won’t be by my side when I’m flying with the Wonderbolts, so long as you’re by my side once I come back down. Now come on, let’s go find somewhere and get dinner. My treat?”
“You really don’t want to go back inside?” he asked in shock. “You’re fine just walking out on your parents?”
“It’s the only thing they’ll understand,” she sighed. “We go back inside, they’re not going to learn that what they said is unacceptable and hurtful because they’ll just start back up. I don’t want to spend the night having my boyfriend be put down by my own parents simply because he’s working towards his goals. I’m sure there’s somewhere we can go to get a nice dinner on short notice, just the two of us.”
“Alright,” he sighed, exiting the hug.
As she too exited the hug, Vapor Trail pecked Sky Stinger on the nose. “I love you.”
“Thanks,” he responded through an almost-invisible smile.
“Is that a smile I see?” she teased. “Come on, don’t be shy. You love me too, don’t you?”
His smile grew, and he nodded. “I love you too.”
“Let’s go,” she giggled. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. Have any ideas on where you want to go?”
“Not back inside,” he laughed, eliciting a laugh from her as well. “Surprise me, I guess.”
“Ooh!” she exclaimed, her wings shooting out. “I know just the place! Come on, I bet if we get there soon, we won’t have to wait!”
“Slow down,” he smiled as he walked up to her and took her hoof in his. “We don’t need to rush there. It’ll be nice to just take a walk with you, don’t you think?”
Vapor Trail returned his smile, then laid her head on his shoulder. “I’ve told you just how much I love you, right?”
