A Different Type of Talent

by BurningMockingJay

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sky Stinger, Alternate Universe, Sad, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Mystery, Vapor Trail
Length: 6071

Vapor Trail, as a young filly, discovered she had a unique ability that no other pegasus had: teleportation. She's kept it hidden her whole life. She decided it's time to tell Sky Stinger.

Vapor Trail is an outstanding flyer, and everypony knows it. Sky Stinger knows it, too. However, Vapor has been hiding a part of herself from him for some very good reasons. Her true talent isn't flying, as she makes it out to be. Instead, her talent is something unheard of in the land of Equestria for the average Pegasus: Teleportation.

She so badly wants to tell Sky Stinger about her special ability, one that should only be an ability that of only a unicorn or alicorn can possess, but is afraid to let him in. She already feels like a freak, so how will he react to her unique gift of an ability?

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Special thanks to Amethyst Dawn and Skyward Sword for giving their thoughts. 💙

Published 2020-09-02 02:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-09-02 02:10:01 UTC

A Different Type of Talent

Author's Note

This is an idea that came to me recently. Vapor Trail is a very under-rated character, so I thought I'd show her some love and give her her own story. This is an origin story, a bit of a strange idea for sure, but I think it's got a lot of promise. I've never been much of an AU author, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

A Different Type of Talent

*** *** ***

Vapor Trail's bedroom

*** *** ***

A ten-year-old Vapor Trail sat on her bed, her eyes partially blurred and glossed over with a light layer of warm tears and her mouth tugged down into a frown. All around her, she sat in a nest of her heavily-tossed and hoof-battered bedspread. She wasn't the strongest pony in the world, so not much damage was done and she hadn't done anything aside from cause her bed to be unkempt and ruffled.

She observed her room for a moment, gazing around at all of her personal artefacts that resided around her sleeping quarters and at the little trinkets and family-based items she treasured. Mostly photos of her and her mother and father all smiling together behind a glass frame. She only snarled or growled lowly when she saw them now, but she didn't inherently hate her parents. She could never do that. She was just...fed up of them.

Always praising her over every little thing she did, always telling her she was so great, always wanting to hang out with her and do this and that, blah, blah, the list drags on into an endless parent-only-child-bonding regime of madness. If it would stop for a day and she could be allowed the luxury to breathe clean, non-parent-affection-stained air, she wouldn't object.

She had yelled at them, something she had never done before. She'd never once raised her voice at her parents, and to experience that surge of rage that caused her to snap had hurt her more than it had her parents. They were apparently unfazed by it, calling it 'cute' and telling her 'somepony's got a case of the grumps!', and that fuelled her anger further. Her room was her only safe haven from the two of them, so she had locked the door with the twist lock and retreated to gather herself.

She still wanted to bash and toss her bedsheets around, but she hadn't the energy to do so. That outburst earlier had taken it out of her. It had only been about ten minutes, and a million emotions and thoughts raced through her all at one; regret, spite, anger, sadness, self-pity...

''Why can't they just leave me alone? I can take care of myself!'' Vapor Trail sniffled to herself. She wasn't sure what she was inside anymore, be it angry or sad. ''Why can't they understand that I don't want to be smothered all the time! Oh, I just...I just wish that I could go somewhere quiet and peaceful, like Rolling Valley!''

After those words were spoken by her, she had clenched her eyes shut to conceal yet more tears. She had actually began crying softly to herself, and she had lost track of time all together after what happened next.

There was a tingle of static running up her spinal column, a very light and very soft buzz-like sensation, as if somepony was very gingerly tickling her along her back and working their way up to the back of her head and between her ears. Vapor felt her light blue-green hairs on her head slowly stand on-end, raising slowly and protruding upwards as the static built in intensity.

A warm fuzziness took her over and she had finally become aware of what was happening. She blinked and rapidly glanced around herself in confusion, uncertain of what was happening. Had she fallen asleep unknowingly and was this a strange dream?

Before the young filly understood what was happening, her room began to tremble as shockwaves built up around her, beginning as gentle rocking but soon becoming vigorous rumbles that shook her cloud-based bed frame. It was as if a giant was outside and was shaking up her house like a tin can, and the force was almost making her lift from her plush sheets where she was sat.

''Wha-what's going on?!'' She asked helplessly, becoming more panicked as her mind began to conclude this was indeed happening. ''Mum, dad?!'' She called, her tone becoming higher-pitched as her alarm grew and her eyesight began to be shrouded in a brilliant whiteness.

Vapor was getting terrified now. A small segment of her brain rolling in fear for the worst case scenario ate into her that she was maybe going to die, and she believed that to be true.

As soon as the whiteness had become so bright she was fearful of going blind, she had no choice but to shield her eyes by clenching them shut tightly and barricading them with her small hooves. She felt warm and then warmer on the inside and outside, the rumbles of electro static enveloping her. In the air, there was a very lightning-y smell, a familiar aroma to a pegasus, a bit like burning copper or warm tungsten.

And like that, it was over.

While the warmth remained, a now-shuddering and shivering Vapor Trail felt her heart racing as she felt everything suddenly become tranquil again. Her hooves very slowly released their tension and she began to lower them, perplexed.

''Mum...dad?'' She asked slowly and carefully, right before she cautiously fully brought her hooves down and began to gradually peel open her eyelids. She began hearing...birds?

The filly blinked, now fully opening her eyes to view where she was. Her heart and mind froze when she quickly discovered she wasn't in her bedroom anymore. And she was sitting on grass, as a quick look below her confirmed.

All around her, there were rolling green fields outstretched so far along the landscape that anypony taking in the view would think it was endless. Mountains and open, virgin land spread wide and far, a couple or so small lakes and ponds nearby.

There was a light and warm breeze that brushed through and caressed the hairs on her head and on her coat, so soothing and calming. The sun was high up in the sky during the early hours of the afternoon, the golden our of optimal light, brilliant golden rays cascading down all around. Everything was so tranquil, at rest. So idly beautiful in its own way.

''W-What...?'' Vapor breathed so gently that she hardly heard herself speak. She was taken heavily back by the scene around her, lost in its imagery.

The fields of endless grass were so lush that the blades of grass could be mistaken for having neon chloroplast, almost glowing in the bright rays of the sun. This was nature's valley, as untouched as the day the planet was born, when nature came into being. No habitation from ponies or the like; just the native birds and various woodland critters, like squirrels and rabbits.

''The Rolling Valley!'' She breathed in a gasp, eyes widening as she took in the area around her. The area was so tranquil, so peaceful and quiet. She had been here before at least a few times. She came here to get away from her parents, to be alone and recollect herself. It was her private slice of heaven, her personal nirvana. Being here allowed her to melt into her own mind and escape her troubles while she became one with the land.

She gazed off behind her from where she was sat and she observed Cloudsdale off in the background, barely visible upon the skyline. It was obvious that she was viewing the grand city in the sky due to the vibrant rainbow streams careening off of the sides of the city, pooling out from the rainbow factory. It was a fair distance away, and far enough that she felt freedom that she never felt while at home.

She had come here when she was sad, smothered or wanted to breathe and relax. The setting was so peaceful, exactly what her aching head needed to relieve itself from her stress. There was a magical presence about this untouched area of land, like a fantasy. If one would gaze off at the sun during the crack of dawn, in time to feel the first, tender golden sunbeam-kiss of the warm morning sun, brilliant golden rays, their minds would be transported into a garden of nirvana.

It was like staring intently and thoughtfully into a brightly coloured oil painting of the same landscape, taking in its radiance and allowing it to absorb into your being, becoming one with the bright colours of oil between the gentle strokes of the brush that spread about the oil to form something wonderful. To Vapor, it felt exactly like she was inside of that said painting, living within that image and breathing through a fresh set of lungs and viewing from a fresh perspective. This new land was a thought-provoking piece of art. An enigma of sorts.

''How'd I get here?'' Vapor breathed softly, raising her hooves up and gazing intently at them. She felt a gentle tingle of electro-static ring through them every so often, pulsing through her nerves and itching at her fur, causing some of the hairs on them to stand up briefly before falling again. Tentatively, she sniffed them and recoiled, the strong scent of burning copper emanating from them with a smoke-like essence.

The scent was very familiar to her. When she would go to work with her father at the weather factory on Bring Your Daughter to Work Day, she would go into the weather room with him where the lightning and thunder was made. The aroma of burning copper lingered in the air along with a wave of electro-static and heat, often causing ripples of spontaneous bursts of energy to crackle through the air. The aroma on her hooves smelled no different.

''What's going on with me?'' She wondered out loud, confused for a moment as to what happened, before the reality of the situation came crashing down on her and mild panic once again built up inside of her, building up her furthering anxiety. ''Oh, I don't know what to do! I just want to be back home in my bed with mum and dad! I'm so scared!''

That was when it began to happen again.

The electro-static tingling in her hooves began to intensify and pulse with sharp bursts of energy. It built up gradually and generated a buzzing hum through her small frame, crackling softly and quietly before it became louder within seconds. Little sparks of blue-coloured energy began to pulsate around her small hooves and prick at her as if they were tiny needles, and her eyes went wide as she witnessed it occur.

The electronic tingles coursing through her began to spark their way through her spinal column like a power conduit and zap at her fur. To Vapor, it felt like being inside of one of the thunderclouds at the weather factory while they matured, and a white light began to take over her vision once more. She gasped and shielded her eyes as her entire body was overcome with the blinding light, and she was soon enveloped within it.

''Ahhh!'' She cried out in alarm. ''What's happening?!'' She asked in panic as all she could hear and smell was burning copper and crackling electricity. And then that was when she felt herself become lighter than air.

With a quick burst of energy, Vapor Trail cried out a final time as everything around her disappeared and there was a titanic flash of light within her vision through her closed eyes. She sensed it all happen; she was held within the safety of gravity, then she was hovering in the air and as light as a feather, then she was heavy once again but on a softer material than grass.

''Ah!'' She yelped in shock as the static enveloping her dissipated as soon as it had begun. She could smell her fur smoking and reeking of burning copper, but the sound of crackling electricity had completely gone silent. She had found herself cowering into a ball with her eyes still shielded, but when she heard nothing else, she cautiously began to open them, deeming it safe again.

She was back in her bedroom. Only this time, the sheets she was laying on top of were slightly warmer than before and were even more ruffled than before. Her usually-clean room was a mess, as a quick glance all around her confirmed, likely having been scattered upon her re-entry. She blinked in confusion and wiped a couple of tears from her eyes.

''M-My room?'' She asked to herself. ''How'd I get back here?''

Vapor Trail first noticed how strongly the smell of electric energy was hanging in the air. She looked up and into the air of her tall-ceiling bedroom and noticed that she could see heat rippling in the air, as it did during a heatwave. She watched it hang there in the air, intently observing it as the dense air pooled in with less-dense air and merged like a portal to another dimension.

In some areas, Vapor took notice of very obvious burn marks, tall, branch-like snakes of black scorch marks leaking up the walls of her room. They only touched the parts of her room which were made out of wood, such as the support beams in the ceiling and along the walls and doorframe, but nowhere else given the rest of the home was made from clouds. The sight of them struck fear into the young filly's heart. The form the scorch marks took appeared so nightmarish, they were like witch fingers encasing her, surrounding her.

''Wha---?'' Vapor was perplexed, clueless. ''How did I get back here?'' She asked herself, so confused that her skull was pounding. Then again, that might be the shock getting through to her. She had no clue on how to process any of this, or what had just happened. One second, she was in one location and now she back where she started, all without actually going anywhere.

This was an ability that was only available to unicorns, not pegasi! Pegasi aren't meant to be able to have access to teleportation! Was that even what this was? If this was what Vapor Trail thought it was, she didn't know if she should be scared of it or purely terrified of it. Her little heart was already racing so fast from powerful anxiety that she was sure her ribcage would rupture.

''Ow, my head,'' She rubbed her temples and felt a twinge of pain ring through her skull, rattling her brain as if it were being grazed by an old razor blade. She only felt this pain once her panic had died down, her adrenaline levels declining. ''Why is any of this happening?'' She questioned, suddenly unsure what to think. ''Mum, dad?'' She called, not usually wishing to be smothered by them, but in her fear, she wanted nothing more than a cuddle and to be told everything would be alright.

''Vapor, is that you?'' Her dad's voice called out, and it wasn't long until they came running through the door to the bedroom. Her father stood there in the doorway along with her mother, his powder blue face and pale yellow eyes worriedly looking over to her. ''What happened?" He asked upon seeing the damage inside of his daughter's bedroom.

''Oh, sweetheart, what's happened to you?'' Her mother followed suit as her father entered the room with her, her light green eyes sharing his concern.

''M-Mum, dad, I...I don't know what happened! I w-was here, then I was...not here and I don't know wha-what's going on!'' Vapor Trail tried to explain what had happened, but was far too upset to be very coherent. Her parents, usually too chipper to see past her sad episodes, understood that whatever she was trying to explain had rattled her to the core, and she was shivering visibly.

Her parents climbed onto the bed with her and cradled her. Her mother was the first to wrap her wings around her and cradle her child's head in her hooves while nuzzling the top of her mane. Vapor didn't resist and she pushed herself into her mother for comfort.

''Oh, my little Vapey,'' She cooed. ''Mummy and daddy are here, you're safe now,'' She continued to comfort her daughter, and it was working, but the young filly was still shivering and feeling the residual static from her teleportation crackling through her nerves.

''What...happened in here, Vapey?'' Her father asked after he sat next to her on her unkempt bed, observing all of the electrical damage and the scattered mess of personal belongings all over the floor. ''And what's that smell? It smells like thunder!'' He said, sniffing the air, clearly catching on to the scent wafting from Vapor's smoking fur. ''Sweetheart, you're not hurt, are you? Did a bolt of lightning hit you?'' He asked, immediately checking over his little girl for any injuries.

''N-No, dad,'' she said with a light sniffle, trying to calm herself down. Having her parents nearby her now was easing her nerves a little, but she was still very shaken. ''There was a bright flash an-and static and...I disappeared!'' Vapor said, and both her parents gave her a worried and shocked expression, not knowing what she meant.

''You disappeared?" Her father asked. ''What, um, what do you mean, honey?''

''I mean that I was here, there was a flash, I closed my eyes, and then I wasn't when I opened them! It was like magic!'' She said, hoping that it would give them some clarification, or at least help them enough that they could help her by telling her what was going on. They gave her perplexed expressions, glancing between each other and shrugging helplessly.

It was then that Vapor Trail's father noticed something on his daughter's body that wasn't there before. Gazing down at her flank, he noticed that there was an image of a golden shooting star with a matching trail behind it! His eyes took a moment to adjust to what he was looking at, but when it clicked in his brain what it was, he gasped.

''Vapor! You've got your cutie mark!'' He said, pointing to it, the now-confused filly raising her brow at him and turning slowly to face her rear end.

Vapor couldn't believe her eyes when she saw it. It took her a moment to understand what it was, but when the pieces connected in her puzzled mind, she too began to gasp. She wasn't sure if it was the shock or the news that she had earned her cutie mark, but when it mixed in with her constantly rising anxiety and the panic that hadn't yet left her veins, it made her skull thump and pump painfully.

Vapor Trail heard her heart thump so hard in her ears that she felt her body move along with it as she stared down at her own flank. Along with that powerful thump, she began to feel light-headed and dazed once again, her chest tying into an unbearably tight knot as a breath barely escaped her dry lips; ''My cutie mahhhh---''.

It was then that Vapor Trail fainted into her mother's chest. She barely heard them calling her name as she lost consciousness.

*** *** ***

The Present

*** *** ***

Vapor Trail itched at one of her front hooves nervously as she waited for Sky Stinger to land next to her. They had spent the day together around Cloudsdale, a move decided by Vapor herself in preparation to find a convenient moment in which to explain her 'ability'.

''That was a long fly!'' Sky said as he came to a halt beside her, wiping sweat off his brow and partially flicking his seafoam-coloured mane. His lime eyes noticed Vapor and how anxious she appeared. ''Hey, Vapor, why'd you look so nervous? Are you going to propose or something?'' He teased, her face becoming flustered instantly.

''No, Sky!'' She squeaked in surprise, her reaction pleasing the stallion. He suppressed a soft chuckle and Vapor gave him a soft glare before once again becoming nervous. ''Actually, Sky, there is one thing I've been meaning to tell you. I, um...have been wanting to tell you for a bit, actually.'' This gained the stallion's attention.

''Oh? And what's that?'' He wondered, now curious as the two began to walk together down the wide-open street on the edge of Cloudsdale. They were right on the edge, by one of the vast rainbow streams pouring gracefully down the side of the grand city. The sound of a rainbow waterfall was much thicker than a water-based waterfall, and it had this very soothing presence about it.

There was a small balcony comprised of clouds, about the size of a fully-grown pony, barricading the edge of the city's limits. It overlooked the Rolling Valley where Vapor had been many times before. She propped her hooves up on the balcony and gave a heavy sigh as she mentally prepared herself for this conversation, fearful for how it might go.

The sun was setting over the horizon, casting a bright neon orange glow to radiate brilliantly through the clouds. The level of light at this time of the evening caused clouds to almost glow with a soft yellow-ish aura as the rays of fading light touched them, melting into them and giving them a heavenly sparkle. The colour it changed Vapor Trail's and Sky Stinger's body was a divine shade of peach orange and a highlighted navy blue.

''Sky, I...I don't know how I'm supposed to tell you this, but I really need you to listen,'' Vapor began, doing her best to try and stay calm while she turned her head to speak directly to Sky, who only watched her in confusion. He came up beside her and also placed his hooves softly onto the cloud railing.

''What's going on? You're never usually like this,'' He observed, naturally worried about her. She had never been like this in his memory banks, and not once has Vapor ever been this serious-looking before.

''Look, I...I'm scared, alright? I'm scared to hear what you'll say once I tell you...the truth,'' She said slowly, and the green-eyed stallion raised his brow at her.

''The truth?'' He repeated. ''About what? Vape, you're kinda freaking me about by how you're acting.''

''Ugh, sorry, it's just---! Oh, this is so hard...'' She placed a hoof to her temples and clenched her eyes.

''Hey,'' Her friend said, and she felt him touch her shoulder. She opened her eyes and saw he was showing her genuine concern, but he remained patient. ''Vapor, if something's on your mind, I want to hear about it. What are you scared of telling me?''

''Sky,'' She breathed in deep through her nostrils and exhaled through her mouth in the deepest, saddest sigh Sky had ever heard from her. ''I'm...not like everybody else,'' She began. ''Not like any pegasus, I mean,'' She clarified before he could get a word in. ''My cutie mark, it's not, well...it's not for being a great flyer like you think it is.''

Sky Stinger gazed into her eyes for a moment, the tinge of sunset orange staining her pale sky blue eyes highlighting her true emotions: sadness and fear. She was beautiful in the natural light at this time of the evening, but Sky didn't say so. Right now, he gazed so deeply into her eyes to let her know he was listening to her.

''Okay, well, what'd you mean?'' He asked her, unsure of what to make of that. ''Your talent isn't flying? What is it, then?" At that, Vapor Trail broke eye contact with him and averted her gaze over to the distance, looking at nothing in particular. She didn't want to face him when his expression shifted and soured into what would be the start of the end for their friendship.

''Teleportation,'' Vapor stated simply, her voice carrying with it no emotion. Her tone was firm but had a warble to it that she often heard herself when she was trying to be confident but her nerves were too bothersome to overcome. ''I can teleport, Sky.'' She turned back to face him, waiting for his response.

Sky stood there for a moment or two, silently calculating her being, skimming her for any sincerity in her words. Even if he wanted to believe her, he probably wouldn't be able to admit that he did. He was too proud for that. And so, he did the only thing his stubborn personality could allow: he began to laugh.

It wasn't deep-bellied, uproarious laughter that was akin to one after a hilarious punchline had been delivered, nor was it the kind that was intended to be demeaning or hurtful. It was good-natured, likely from the line of thought that Vapor was having him on and attempting to trick him somehow. He wiped his eye and smiled at her.

''O-Oh, Vape, that's good! That's too good!'' He said, knocking her shoulder. ''You nearly had me! What with you being all quiet and sad-looking, you nearly convinced me!'' He let the remnants of his laughter die down. Vapor eyed him with a hurt expression, but tried to hide it.

''I wasn't lying,'' She said, frowning at him. ''I can prove it.''

''You can prove it? Oh, come on, Vapor Trail, the joke's over already!''

''Oh, for---it's NOT a joke, Sky!'' She glared at him this time, and he instantly ceased his teasing. ''Do you honestly think I'd be lying to you over something I'm upset about?''

Well, she did have a point. In Sky's mind, she had never been the pranking type nor the sort of pony to be dishonest and lead others on with some gimmick or other ruse. She was far too sweet-hearted and good-natured for that sort of way of living. She was the most honest, sweetest and kindest mare he had ever met. But this...this had caught him off-guard. If this was a prank, she was worthy of a championship title.

''I don't know, maybe?'' He suggested, but a hardened glare from her shut him up. ''Okay, maybe not, but you can't possibly make me think that you can teleport! Only unicorns and alicorns can teleport, featherbrain. We don't have magic, remember?'' He told her, tapping a hoof on her forehead where a horn was supposed to be if she were a unicorn. She swatted his hoof away from her.

''Sky, trust me, I'm not making any of this up! I've never told you before because I've always been scared you'll act like this!'' She said, her hurt now breaking through. She felt her eyes sting gently at the suggestion she'd intentionally deceive him like this. ''Sky, please, I'm really trying to tell you about something that's so hard for me to talk about! I thought you'd be more understanding!''

''Understanding?'' He almost scoffed but decided not to. ''Vape, you're trying to tell me that you can teleport when you're a pegasus without the use of magic. Tell me how I'm supposed to understand that without feeling like you're trying to lie to me,'' He challenged her, not exactly angry but showing signs of irritation. Vapor Trail held turned around and held her hooves to his cheeks.

''Because I can prove that I'm not lying, Sky! Please, just let me try and show you!'' She said desperately, pulling him slightly closer to her, muzzles almost touching. As much as he might have wanted to object, Sky simply rolled his eyes and figured he might as well allow her to do whatever she had planned.

''Okay, fine, go ahead, show me,'' He said, tone bored and slow. He stared at the mare holding his cheeks with a semi-impatient expression, wondering what was going to happen next to convince him she wasn't a liar. Vapor breathed and said clearly but softly,

''I want to go to Rolling Valley.''

And then it happened.

Sky stood stock-still as he became witness to the sparks and electro-static that had surrounded Vapor Trail as a filly when she first discovered her special ability. The effects were no longer as gradual as they used to be, not taking long before the blinding whiteness enveloped Vapor, while Sky watched in a mix of horror and shock, watching the electronic wave of white energy consume her and running up her hooves that were still holding firmly but loosely to his face. They snaked up them like power lines, and he felt the urge to pull away to escape, but his shock prevented it.

The last thing Sky Stinger felt was a warm glow envelop his cheeks from where Vapor's hooves were connecting to his face, and it took seconds before there was an explosion of energy. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, but Sky Stinger flinched when it happened and he felt himself become weightless for a brief moment until he once again was retaken by gravity.

''You can open your eyes now, Sky,'' Vapor Trail's voice said softly to him. She was no longer touching him. He still felt tingles tracing along the hairs on his body, as if he had flown through a thundercloud in its early stages of development. He shook his head and his body to relieve the static.

''Wha-what was that?!'' He gasped, giving darting glances around him in hyper-alert mode. His eyes eventually landed upon the timid, worried but soft eyes of Vapor Trail, brightly lit by the dusk sun. ''I feel so...tingly!''

''It wears off after a while. It took me a while to get used to it,'' Vapor told him.

''Where are we? How'd we get here?'' Sky Stinger asked, now intently viewing the mare in front of him.

''The Rolling Valley. I teleported us here,'' She explained to him. ''I used to come here all the time when I was a little filly. I...got into a fight with my parents when I was ten. I went to my room and wished I could be here instead of around them, and...the rest you know,'' She said with a sad voice, sighing. She momentarily faced away from her friend to gaze over at Cloudsdale floating in the distance behind her. ''Ever since then, they are the only one who know about it. And now you do, too.'' She turned back to face him.

''B-But...how?! How can you do that? You're not even magical! You don't have a horn, or-or-or anything!'' He reasoned, perplexed.

''I don't know. I've tried reading a lot of books to figure out if it's happened to anypony else, but I'm the only one,'' She said. ''When it first started, I only tried when I was alone in my room. Sky, I don't know how it works or why I can teleport, but it's like I picture something in my mind and---!'' She waved her hooves around her for emphasis. ''I'm there.''

''This is the first time I've done it with anybody else. My first time scared me so much that I fainted when I went back home. Mum and dad, um, were skeptical and wouldn't stop asking me questions. They even tried to get me to see some kind of counsellor when it first happened, but I refused,'' She continued explaining her situation. ''I feel like such a freak.''

Vapor Trail's wings drooped as her voice once again sounded like she was about to burst into tears. She had turned around and was facing the tree she sat under her first time here the afternoon she earned her cutie mark, and Sky swore he saw glowing droplets of tears fall from her cheeks and absorb into the lush grass beneath her.

Sky Stinger didn't have any words. His best friend, his only friend, had so much weight on top of her shoulders and suffocating her, bothering her and tearing her apart inside, ripping her to shreds, kept all of this inside. She never once attempted to let him in on it! As hurt as Sky thought he should have been, he wasn't anything of the kind. He instead felt pity for her, one that yanked his heartstrings and hurt him.

Every single time he saw Vapor Trail cry or be brought to the point of welling up, it brought about physical pain. It was a sight in the same realm as witnessing an angel cry; an event which is unheard of and has this disturbing quality about it that makes you want to pull them in for a tight hug. That's what he felt like he should be doing right now.

Instead of saying something heartwarming, Sky opted to slowly trot up to Vapor and drape his wing over her. At the same time, her own wings drooped down at his touch, extended fully but remaining deflated, reflecting her mood. This type of comforting thing wasn't Sky's forté, but he knew he could at the very least offer some support and comfort.

''You're not a freak, Vapor,'' He began saying, as if offended himself by the saying. ''What you've got...it's unique. Strange and even a bit creepy, but still unique,'' He said, trying to find the right words in hope of not upsetting her further.

She slightly turned her head to face him, ears drooped and obviously tense. She didn't know how to respond, either. She had pictured it many a time in her head, and it ranged from acceptance in the best scenario or a yelling match and the end of their friendship in the worst scenario.

''Listen, Vapor, I don't know what to tell you. I wish you said something sooner, but you're no different from the filly I met all those years ago. And you're definitely not a freak,'' He said confidently, giving her a light squeeze. The gesture and his words made her smile slightly.

''Thank, Sky,'' She said, unsure of what else she should maybe say out of the many words flying around in her mind. ''I'm so relieved.''

''Huh? About what?"

''I though that...t-that you'd not want to be friends with me after finding out that I was dif...d-different...'' She trailed off, once again looking away for a moment. Sky swore he saw her body shudder slightly as she said that. That sentence hurt a part of him deep down, the very idea laughable that he'd do that to her.

''Your secret is safe with me, Vape. For Celestia's sake, I wouldn't abandon a friend like you! You're amazing, and honestly far better of a friend than I deserve half the time,'' He said flatly, ears drooping before slowly re-ascending to their full lengths. ''This thing,'' He motioned around her with a hoof, unsure of where else to hint at. ''It's, I don't know, strange and kinda scary, but you can trust me. I won't say a word. I still like you, Vapor Trail.''

Now blushing, Vapor Trail hugged lightly into him, leaning her body into his as they watched the sun set on the opposite side of the valley they were standing in. Neither one of them said a word the entire time. Vapor felt as if a tremendous leaden weight had been raised off of her back and shoulders now that her secret was out there. She trusted Sky Stinger more than any other pony she'd met who weren't her parents. That counted for at least one thing.

''Sky, we can go back to Cloudsdale if you'd rather not stay here. I mean, it is getting a little late...'' Vapor began, but Sky didn't budge. They had sat down beside each other, wings around their backs and watching the sun set together behind Cloudsdale.

''Nah, it's nice out here. Very open and quiet. We can stay here for a bit longer, if you wouldn't mind the company?'' He said suggestively to her, giving her a soft smile. She gave him a giggle and a light blush arose on her snow-white cheeks. The still-setting sun gave her coat and face pearlescent properties, her features more prominent.

''Oh, you,'' She said softly, leaning her head into him. ''That sounds wonderful.''