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playing around some with Stormy and Zipperflash's rivalry and respective backstories, trying to flesh them out a bit more

1.) "I wanna be just like you, Mama!"

Perhaps it was just coincidence that Lightning Dust disbanded her extreme aeronautics team, The Washouts, after a bad stunt landed her only child her in the hospital.

2.) For most of Stormy's life, he was content being a scrawny hippie, happily strumming his ukulele and snoozing on top of clouds. He didn't gel with his parents' emphasis on competition and athleticism....Stormy's always been a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. At least, that's how he'd describe himself.....Mama Dash would probably use words like "ridiculously lazy" and "zero ambition".
Stormy's always been kind of a D student, but his difficulty with school becomes insurmountable as he enters his teens. He has some complex learning issues (dyslexia, ADHD) that have gone hidden and undiagnosed, as well as a lot of academic anxiety that pushes him to the brink of flunking out. Not especially confident in his ability to prevent that, Stormy opts to drop out and join Wonderbolt Academy. Flying is easier than literary analysis, after all.

3.) Oh wait no, turns out flight school is actually really hard? Sergeant Spitfire isn't a very patient pony, especially when it comes to hippie-dippie idiots that'd rather cloud-watch than compete.

4.) Time passes. Stormy doesn't like the Wonderbolt standard-issue haircut for new recruits, he doesn't like the emphasis on conformity and deference to authority, he doesn't especially like Sergeant Spitfire and her love of barking orders in his ears. But he does like that Rainbow seems to be genuinely proud of him now. Stormy's a naturally fast flier, and as he trains under Spitfire and Rainbow, he's able to outclass his peers with ease. With a bit more effort, Stormy starts smashing speed records left and right. He wins a medal, then fifteen more to match. To his surprise, he begins amassing a fan following. "Aerostorm" becomes a well-known name among Wonderbolt enthusiasts....and Stormy, for the first time in his life, develops a bit of an ego....

5.) And then young new hotshot Zipperflash promptly stomps it into the ground. His speed is so ludicrous that Stormy's left in the dust, wondering what in the hell just happened. Who is this guy?

(little does Stormy know, Zipperflash is actually a huge fan (with a huge crush): )

6.) After suffering under Zip's bold taunts and smug victories, Stormy decided that not only would he beat Zips in a race, he'll also make him cry. He puts his all into their next race, and in the final lap, Stormy surges into first place in an explosive burst of speed, so intense it generates lightning. Zipperflash is struck by a stray bolt and sent crashing down, and for a while, things look very grim.

7.) The crash is ruled an accident, and Stormy is ruled the fair victor. But he can't enjoy any part of it, because he almost killed someone. He was so caught up in winning and training and being the best that Zipperflash could have died. Should have died. Stormy's so sick with shame that he can't eat. He misses practice. Won't show his face to anypony. Won't give an interview. Can't sleep.

He sends lots of flowers and apology cards to Zips in the hospital, but it does little to soothe his mind. Finally, he summons the courage to visit his rival, give Zipperflash his golden medal, and announce that he's quitting racing, forever.

Zipperflash is angry and hurt. Not about the accident- after all, injuries are inherent to his career- but because Stormy, his rival, his long-admired hero, just up and fucking quit. After one little hiccup. Zips will recover and be back in the air in no time, so what's the big goddamn deal? Why can't Aero look him in the eye? What a coward. What a rotten, miserable goddamn quitter. Zips doesn't need him to be the best. He'll be the best damned flier in the world, no stupid rivalry necessary.

....Did Zips do something wrong?

After Stormy retires in shame, he wanders around Equestria, doing odd jobs, jumping into reckless, ill-fitting relationships (*cough*Chakra Blossom*coughcough*), searching for something to fill the void in his life and give him a sense of purpose. It isn't until years later- when he befriends an old classmate, Bruce- that he begins feeling brave enough to start flying again (mostly because Bruce wouldn't stop badgering him about it, "You mean ya used to be a world-class flier and you just quit?"). I imagine his rematch race with Zipperflash would be hyped to hell and back by the pegasi of Cloudsdale, with everypony, especially Zips himself, eagerly anticipating Aero's return (Zips can't wait, he's really upped the game on his trash talk and he totally isn't going to get all stupid and star-struck again no sir)

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nextgen shown:

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Description

playing around some with Stormy and Zipperflash's rivalry and respective backstories, trying to flesh them out a bit more

1.) "I wanna be just like you, Mama!"

Perhaps it was just coincidence that Lightning Dust disbanded her extreme aeronautics team, The Washouts, after a bad stunt landed her only child her in the hospital.

2.) For most of Stormy's life, he was content being a scrawny hippie, happily strumming his ukulele and snoozing on top of clouds. He didn't gel with his parents' emphasis on competition and athleticism....Stormy's always been a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. At least, that's how he'd describe himself.....Mama Dash would probably use words like "ridiculously lazy" and "zero ambition".
Stormy's always been kind of a D student, but his difficulty with school becomes insurmountable as he enters his teens. He has some complex learning issues (dyslexia, ADHD) that have gone hidden and undiagnosed, as well as a lot of academic anxiety that pushes him to the brink of flunking out. Not especially confident in his ability to prevent that, Stormy opts to drop out and join Wonderbolt Academy. Flying is easier than literary analysis, after all.

3.) Oh wait no, turns out flight school is actually really hard? Sergeant Spitfire isn't a very patient pony, especially when it comes to hippie-dippie idiots that'd rather cloud-watch than compete.

4.) Time passes. Stormy doesn't like the Wonderbolt standard-issue haircut for new recruits, he doesn't like the emphasis on conformity and deference to authority, he doesn't especially like Sergeant Spitfire and her love of barking orders in his ears. But he does like that Rainbow seems to be genuinely proud of him now. Stormy's a naturally fast flier, and as he trains under Spitfire and Rainbow, he's able to outclass his peers with ease. With a bit more effort, Stormy starts smashing speed records left and right. He wins a medal, then fifteen more to match. To his surprise, he begins amassing a fan following. "Aerostorm" becomes a well-known name among Wonderbolt enthusiasts....and Stormy, for the first time in his life, develops a bit of an ego....

5.) And then young new hotshot Zipperflash promptly stomps it into the ground. His speed is so ludicrous that Stormy's left in the dust, wondering what in the hell just happened. Who is this guy?

(little does Stormy know, Zipperflash is actually a huge fan (with a huge crush): )

6.) After suffering under Zip's bold taunts and smug victories, Stormy decided that not only would he beat Zips in a race, he'll also make him cry. He puts his all into their next race, and in the final lap, Stormy surges into first place in an explosive burst of speed, so intense it generates lightning. Zipperflash is struck by a stray bolt and sent crashing down, and for a while, things look very grim.

7.) The crash is ruled an accident, and Stormy is ruled the fair victor. But he can't enjoy any part of it, because he almost killed someone. He was so caught up in winning and training and being the best that Zipperflash could have died. Should have died. Stormy's so sick with shame that he can't eat. He misses practice. Won't show his face to anypony. Won't give an interview. Can't sleep.

He sends lots of flowers and apology cards to Zips in the hospital, but it does little to soothe his mind. Finally, he summons the courage to visit his rival, give Zipperflash his golden medal, and announce that he's quitting racing, forever.

Zipperflash is angry and hurt. Not about the accident- after all, injuries are inherent to his career- but because Stormy, his rival, his long-admired hero, just up and fucking quit. After one little hiccup. Zips will recover and be back in the air in no time, so what's the big goddamn deal? Why can't Aero look him in the eye? What a coward. What a rotten, miserable goddamn quitter. Zips doesn't need him to be the best. He'll be the best damned flier in the world, no stupid rivalry necessary.

....Did Zips do something wrong?

After Stormy retires in shame, he wanders around Equestria, doing odd jobs, jumping into reckless, ill-fitting relationships (*cough*Chakra Blossom*coughcough*), searching for something to fill the void in his life and give him a sense of purpose. It isn't until years later- when he befriends an old classmate, Bruce- that he begins feeling brave enough to start flying again (mostly because Bruce wouldn't stop badgering him about it, "You mean ya used to be a world-class flier and you just quit?"). I imagine his rematch race with Zipperflash would be hyped to hell and back by the pegasi of Cloudsdale, with everypony, especially Zips himself, eagerly anticipating Aero's return (Zips can't wait, he's really upped the game on his trash talk and he totally isn't going to get all stupid and star-struck again no sir)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

nextgen shown:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enjoy my content? Consider supporting me on Patreon! It has rewards, sneak peeks, and early viewing of finished art for patrons! Also, for each funding goal met, I produce a new promised art and story reward!

Support on PATREON!