“Then, right as I came around the corner, I flew under Fizzy pop! No one ever thinks to go under, and she never saw it coming. You should have seen the look on her face, priceless! I hope somepony managed to get a picture of that. Anyway, it was pretty much smooth sailing to the finish line after that.” Champ finished his story, leaning casually back as he wiped off the metaphorical dust of victory from his shoulder.
 
“Wow, I wish I could have been there!” Harmony sighed, her eyes twinkling with excitement. Suddenly, she perked up and asked,“Oh did you’re parents make it this time?”
 
Champ instantly opened his eyes, his cocky smiled turning into an unsettled frown. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, “No…not exactly. They were there right as it ended, but…they couldn’t make it for the actual race. They just couldn’t get off from practice.”
 
“Again?” Harmony cocked her head.
 
He shrugged, saying, “ They have a big tournament tomorrow, so this was their last chance to practice. Being a Wonderbolt is a pretty important job.”
 
“I know, but this is the third one of your races they’ve missed. And you actually won this time! Aren’t they upset they missed it?” Harmony asked, exasperated.
 
Champ suddenly sat up and glared at her. “Of course they were! But it’s not like they have any control over it.” He angrily yelled.
 
An awkward silence hung between the two. Champ shuffled at the ground, his head hung low, while Harmony fiddled with an ant scurrying this way and that. Champ finally sighed, short and hard.
 
“You know, It’s kinda funny,” he started, “Mom wants me to join the Wonderbolts when I grow up, but she’s too busy being a Wonderbolt to help me become one.”
 
There was another pause, before Harmony asked meekly,“Well, have you tried asking her?”
 
Champ rolled his eyes. “Sure I have, dozen of times. But each time it’s “later, Champ” or “Maybe after practice”. She does occasionally help me, but it’s never long before she has to go off and do something or is just too tired to do much with me.”
 
He finished, kicking at a pebble in his frustration. He sighed again, before turning to Harmony, with a look of helplessness. “And you know what, I’m not even sure I even want to be a Wonderbolt anymore!”
 
Harmony gasped, “But…that’s been your dream since…well…ever!”
 
“I know, and while it does look really cool and awesome…I’m just not sure I can do it.” Champ trailed off.
 
“Why not?” she prodded.
 
Champ scratched his head, not sure how to explain it. “Well, it’s just, every time I try flying really high, I just get….dizzy. And not the ‘spin around in a stool’ kind. It’s more like ‘the world is swimming and I don’t feel so good’ kind. Don’t even get me started only all the crazy aerial moves they have us doing at Flight Camp. No matter how hard I try to do them…I just…can’t. Practice got so embarrassing, that I had mom switch that segment out with a meteorology class. Meteorology! Do you know how boring it is to learn about how clouds are made? The worst part is, I still have to race in the Aerial relay, or I won’t go on to become a Senior speedster! Do you know how embarrassing it’s gonna be if I don’t graduate from Flight camp? Not to mention how disappointed Mom and Dad are going to be. I’m practically doomed to fail at this point!” Champ cried in despair, throwing his hooves up in the air before face-planting into the grass, which muffed his pathetic groans.
 
Harmony rolled her eyes at this melodramatic display. “Well, maybe it won’t be as bad as you think. It’s at the end of this year, right? That’s plenty of time to practice for it. And besides, you just won you’re first speed race! That’s gotta be a good sign, right?” she offered.
 
He peeked one eye up at her from grass as he said, “ Flying in a level, low-grounded race track is completely different from racing at high speeds seventy feet above cloud level, performing twists and flips at every turn. I can barely make a decent loop without getting sick. I’m pretty sure I should just quit now before I fail miserably.”
 
Harmony paused a moment, before asking, “What would you mom say?”
 
Champ stared for a second, then sighed. He slowly sat up, then in his best imitation of his mother’s voice, said, “Quitters never are never winners, and winners and Champions. So what are you, a quitter, or a champion?”
 
Harmony snickered at hearing his girly, squeaky vioce, making Champ smile half-heartedly. He sighed again, but this time resignedly.
 
“I suppose if I’m going to fail anyway, I’ve got nothing to lose. I can it least try,” Champ said decidedly.
 
“That’s the spirit!” Harmony cheered.
 
Champ smiled, then looked at her smugly. Puffing at his chest, he boasted in his most egotistical vioce, “Of course, since I’m so awesome and amazing, I’m sure it’ll be a piece of cake.”
 
“If you don’t throw it up first,” Harmony said smugly back,
 
“He-E~~y, that was one time!”
 

 
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————~~
 
I see Angst on the horizon.
 

 
So, this scene takes place when Champ’s about ten or so and is currently enrolled in the Junior Speedster’s flight camp. Since there’s not a lot of details about it, I headcanon it’s a lot like a pegasus version of Boy Scouts and is set up like a school with breaks during each season. It’s a two-year process for 10-12 years old, since, in my verse, you start attending school at 12. You start as a Junior and graduate as a Senior. So, it’s kinda like a pre-pre school for pegasi to learn how to fly and stuff. But enough about this, back to Champ.
 
Champ’s been pretty much babysitted his whole childhood, from Daycare to being with Fluttershy most of the time, and now Flight Camp. And for the most part, his parent’s have been pretty absent due to work. That doesn’t mean that don’t spend time with him and devoted much of their weekends and days off to being with him, but for the greater part of the day, he never sees them except when they’re slaving away at their newest flight routine.
 
Champ’s had this issue since he was a foal, but Rainbow chalked it up as him just being a too young to handle it. She figured Flight Camp would surely turn him into a great flyer, just like her. Eh-wrong. Rainbow, much less Champ, doesn’t even know he’s got a disability at this point. They just think it’s probably just jitters or something. Boy, are they in for a big surprise.
 
I might post a part two, showing the result of that race he’s dreading, but that will be farther down the line.
 
So far, Harmony is the only one he’s confessed his problems about flying too.
 
 
Also, trying out a new way to color my manes. Feel free to tell me what you think! :3