//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: I Always Wanted to be Like You (Rewritten) // by Cheezy805 //------------------------------// I Always Wanted to be Like You – Part 4 Word had spread that the Wonderbolts had come to Cloudsdale. What had actually happened was that the Wonderbolts officially said they were going to make a trip to Cloudsdale, and posters had been stuck up around the city. Rumours have a strange way of only containing half the truth. ‘Well, at least we have time to prepare for now… right, Jecht?’ ‘You bet’cha! I can’t wait to see what we have to do! I wonder if it’ll be a race or a talent competition?’ ‘Maybe both. Wouldn’t that be something,’ muttered Scootaloo, her thoughts drifting back to Rainbow Dash stuck in a hospital bed, missing out on her achievements. ‘Scoots…’ Jecht rarely called Scootaloo this. ‘You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you? Don’t worry. I swear we’ll win. It’s what she wanted and it’s what we’ll do.’ ‘It’s just… I don’t know if this is what she actually would have wanted. Have I ever told you why I wanted to surpass her? Why I had to become a Wonderbolt?’ ‘Yeah, she told you herself. She… wait… I never realised. How did she tell you if she was unconscious?’ ‘That’s just the thing. She didn’t. Just after the accident happened, and I went to see her, I ran away. It didn’t last long. I was found and brought back. Well, when I went in to see her again, I fainted. While I was unconscious, I had a dream; a vision. She told me that for her legacy to live on, I had to surpass her. She said her speed lives on in me, and to complete her life goal I have to become a Wonderbolt.’ ‘So, you’ve been living off a dream?’ ‘Basically… yeah,’ she said, looking dejected. ‘Well have I ever told you why I like racing?’ Jecht asked. ‘…No, I don’t think so. Family?’ ‘Well, you’d think so. Everypony with potential for the last six generations has been a great racer in my family. I’m not doing it because of that, though. I just like to be noticed. ‘Having a family member like Spitfire has kept me shunned. Nopony ever noticed me for me; they only ever saw a relative of the great Spitfire. I race so that maybe, some day, people will see Jecht, not the niece of Spitfire. Living in a shadow… it’s not fun. Nopony ever paid attention to me- the real me. The only friends I ever had just wanted to be seen with a relative of the Great Spitfire.’ ‘I… never knew-’ ‘That was until I met you! You were a great flyer. You quickly rose to being one of the best flyers at the Academy, and you quickly became my friend. I knew that you were my friend because we were alike, not because I was related to Spitfire. You definitely saw the relation, yeah, I mean, how can you not; I have the flaming hair to show it,’ she said with a laugh. ‘But at the same time, you saw more. You saw a pony going through something similar to what you were, and…’ she suddenly looked up into Scootaloo’s eyes ‘…Thank you,’ she finished; a tear forming in her eye, a smile on her lips. Wow… I never thought about it like that, thought Scootaloo. She’s more than a friend. She’s a sister in all but blood. Or… maybe… She knew this wasn’t the time for any further comments, and instead just sat closer to Jecht, leaning her head against the other’s neck, just as Jecht had done for her earlier. --- The day of the Wonderbolts’ arrival grew closer and closer. For a group such as them to leave Canterlot and head to Cloudsdale took preparation. They were preparing to leave Canterlot in a week, and they would arrive in Cloudsdale in eight days time. An unofficial letter arrived from Spitfire addressed to Firebolt. She said they were going to fly in on the seventh night to avoid a crowd. She wished the family all the best, gave her condolences to Scootaloo about “that talented pony Rainbow Dash,” and ended the letter with an official signature. Jecht wasn’t mentioned once. Scootaloo and Jecht were both becoming nervous, and both could guess at the other’s reason. It sometimes seemed the two were so close they could read each other’s thoughts, sometimes before the other even thought it. Scootaloo was worried about what was to happen if she lost. If she didn’t become a Wonderbolt, she’ll have failed Dash. This was almost definitely the only chance she would ever get to go up against the Wonderbolts. She tried not to think about it, but the thoughts seeped back into her mind anyway. The more she tried not to think about it, the more she thought about not thinking about it, and the more she thought about it. Jecht was also worried about losing, but for a different reason. Her auntie Spitfire was coming to Cloudsdale. If she lost the race, she would slip back down to where she began. She had become somewhat renowned in Cloudsdale, and if she lost the competition, she would never be recognised under Spitfire. They had both prepared their lunches and packed their saddlebags for a day of training with the Junior Speedsters. After donning their matching black jackets of the Speedsters, they sat down for breakfast. ‘Are you ready for what’s coming?’ Jecht asked Scootaloo out of the blue. ‘I… no…’ ‘Neither am I. Don’t worry about it! As long as we have each other, we’ll be fine!’ Sometimes I think she thinks we’re more than friends…. Are we? I don’t even know anymore. I can’t say I’ve never thought about her in that way before, but at the same time, she’s my sister… sort of… Her thoughts continued to go in conflicting circles for a few moments. ‘Equestria to Scootaloo, come in Scootaloo,’ said Jecht, mockingly. ‘Yeah, sorry, I have a lot on my mind.’ ‘Don’t we all? I mean, we have our minds, then some blood, then a skull, and then our manes! It all weighs, what, a couple’ pounds?’ ‘You know what I mean,’ she said forcing an angry tone to her voice, but the tone was betrayed by a grin spreading across her muzzle. ‘That’s more like it. So what’s up?’ Jecht asked. ‘It’s… I dunno… you’ll think I’m weird.’ ‘Are you kidding me? I know you’re weird, but so am I. There’s no such thing as normal. Just tell me what you’re thinking,’ she said. She could already guess what was going through Scootaloo’s mind, but she wanted to be sure before making moves either way. ‘You think about things too literally, Jecht. It’s just… we’re more than friends, aren’t we? I don’t know what we are any more. I-‘ ‘Do you like where we are together?’ ‘Well, yeah. In fact I wouldn’t mind if-’ she suddenly cut herself off, blushing. ‘Scootaloo, I’ve known you for a year and a half, now. You know you can tell me anything.’ Anything… Can I tell her this? Scootaloo looked into her eyes and saw something she had never seen before. She saw a sparkle in Jecht’s eyes that said she wanted to be accepted. It said she wanted to be loved. There was no doubt that they had the same thoughts. I can’t get sidetracked, though. I need to become a Wonderbolt. I need to… I need to have friends…. When I lost the Crusaders, life was terrible, but… oh, what do I do? ‘I… Jecht, I…’ she was still looking into Jecht’s eyes. She stared into her very soul, through the black portal encircled by a ring of pure, sky blue. ‘Good morning, everypony! Glad to… oh, err, sorry. Is this a bad time?’ Firebolt looked like he’d walked into the wrong changing room at the Aerodrome. Scootaloo became aware that she was mere inches from Jecht’s face and suddenly pulled herself back to her half eaten breakfast. ‘Uhh, no! Not a bad time. I’ll, err, see you later, I guess,’ stammered Scootaloo, rushing out the door, blushing furiously. She left without Jecht and flew to a nearby cloud to sit and think, burying her red face in the cool cloud. --- Firebolt seemed almost as embarrassed at the situation as Jecht did. ‘I’m sorry, Jecht. I didn’t mean to-’ ‘No, dad, it’s alright. Nothing was happening, I swear. She was just, err, telling me about a new move she was practising?’ ‘Jecht, I’m your father. You know you can’t lie to me,’ he said. ‘Well, we aren’t together, if that’s what you’re thinking.’ That he wasn’t sure so about. He could nearly always tell when his daughter told lies, which was rare, but right now he couldn’t find a trace of a lie in her voice. Well that doesn’t make sense. They wouldn’t have been that close together if it was just moves she was talking about. Unless she was talking about “other” moves, he thought. But this is my daughter. I suppose I should have a talk with her. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off by Jecht. ‘Dad, I have to go to training. I don’t want to be late for the Junior Speedsters.’ ‘Well… we’ll talk when you return home. Scootaloo too, if she will permit it. Just know this: you’re my daughter and I will support you in any choice you make, no matter what.’ Jecht smiled and walked out, pausing to give him a kiss on the cheek and mutter ‘Thanks, daddy’ before leaving. My daughter is growing up. I must have missed the part where she became so mature. --- Scootaloo noticed Jecht standing in the doorway. With her mind still reeling at what had happened, she didn’t move. Jecht saw her sitting on the nearby cloud, just above the house and about 50 yards away. She lazily flew up to join her. ‘Scootaloo, it’s alright. He’s fine with it… whatever “it” is.’ ‘Y-yeah… but… uhh… let’s just go to training, okay?’ They went together to the outskirts of Cloudsdale where the Aerodrome was located. Several silhouettes flew around above them, shadowed by the early morning sun. The Junior Speedsters had a permanent booking on the Cloudsdale Aerodrome one day a week for training. ‘Sorry we’re late, coach. Family issues.’ The coach was a large grey Pegasus colt with completely black eyes, except for the whites. His mane was cut to stubble, to “reduce air-resistance,” but the team believed it had once been a fluffy white, like cirrus clouds. ‘Alright,’ he said, his deep voice ragged from years of shouting instructions to his students. ‘Get in there and do some laps to warm up your wings. Proper training starts in twenty.’ Training went faster than usual for Jecht. She was dreading returning home for the “talk” with her father, and wanted to spend as much time at training as possible. She was so distracted, she ended up flying into other ponies twice, much to the vocalised displeasure of the coach, and couldn’t even get up to her normal speed until Scootaloo spoke to her. ‘Are you alright, Jecht? You seem distracted.’ ‘Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… this morning after you left, dad said he wanted to have a talk with me. With both of us, if he could. I don’t know what to expect. He said he would support me through anything, but I don’t know if he agrees with choices I’m making or-’ ‘Jecht, it’s alright,’ she said, ignoring the echo in her mind of just what “choices” she was making. ‘I’ll be there for you. You don’t have to go through this alone. You don’t have to go through anything alone. I’ll be there for you, I promise.’ ‘Does that mean you...?’ Jecht began, before noticing that Scootaloo had already taken off. ‘Come on! I’ll answer one question for every two laps you beat me around the Aerodrome!’ Scootaloo called out from above. ‘Hey, no fair! You had a head start!’ Jecht shouted ahead, taking off, too. She began to laugh as she caught up with Scootaloo, but the second she became level with her friend, Scootaloo put on a burst of speed. I can match anything Scootaloo can do! She flew faster and faster, racing Scootaloo around the Aerodrome, but only beating her once by the end of training. ‘That was some good flying once you pulled yourself together, Jecht. ‘Best I’ve seen you do, I’d say,’ said the coach, his voice even more hoarse now that the eight hour training session was over. ‘Thanks, coach. See you next week.’ He continued down the line of students, offering advice or praise to each in turn before they all departed to their individual homes. ‘So you said you’d answer a question for every lap I won against you?’ ‘No, I said every two laps, and you only beat me once,’ said Scootaloo, remembering the taunts thrown at her after she had sneezed mid-flight. ‘So? I want a question answered!’ ‘Well, I’ll half answer it.’ Jecht considered this. ‘Alright, but you have to half answer it, nothing more, nothing less. No laughing, and no awkward silence.’ ‘Uh… okay? Deal,’ said Scootaloo, knowing what the question was before it was even asked. ‘Scootaloo… Do you…’ Jecht said, blushing more and more red the longer she took to ask. ‘Do you… L… Love me?’ she asked, immediately looking away, her normally blue face now completely red. She looked at Scootaloo, and saw that she, too, was blushing. She was too embarrassed and closed her eyes, facing down a bit. Then she felt something. Another set of lips against her own. It lasted a few seconds, but felt like an eternity to the blue Pegasus. If this was half-answering, she really wanted to know what completely answering was. After they broke apart, Jecht opened her eyes to see Scootaloo a couple of feet away. ‘Come on, Jecht. We’re expected home, remember?’ ‘Uhh, right. Y-yeah… home,’ stuttered Jecht. Scootaloo winked, taking to the air and angling to their house, Jecht right beside her. As they flew, the sun began to set off to the west. I never noticed how incredible the sunset could look. It’s beautiful, and orange, and… purple… Her thoughts trailed off as she looked to the pony next to her; her coat the exact same colour as the sunset, her mane the same colour as the opposing end of the sky. They arrived home as Luna’s moon appeared on the horizon and Celestia’s sun fell below the other side of Equestria. Jecht’s father, Firebolt, was waiting at the table for her, along with her mother. A mixture of vegetables and roots was boiling on the stove in fresh cloudwater for dinner. Jecht sat down opposite them, Scootaloo next to her. They sat together in silence for a few seconds before her father spoke up. ‘Jecht,’ he said ‘I have never been more proud of you than at this very point in your life. You have excelled at the academy, even in the Junior Speedsters, and you have found a-’ he glanced at Scootaloo- ‘a friend. You’re both respectable young mares, and I can foresee you both going far in this world of ours. ‘I want to have a serious talk with you. I said this morning that I would support you with any choices you make, Jecht. I did truly mean that. If you decided you wanted to go and do something else besides flying, I wouldn’t mind, whether it means going to rule Equestria or becoming a garbage-mare. It’s your choice to make, and I only truly realised that this morning. ‘I’ve raised you as best I could. I could have given you anything you wanted. I could have put you into any school you wished. I could have had you in the Junior Speedsters before you could even fly, but you only ever asked for what you thought you deserved. You have worked for everything you have, even without needing to, and you have earned not just my love, but my respect.’ ‘Dad, I… Thank you,’ she said, a single tear on her cheek. ‘Scootaloo, I have known you for more than a year now. I do not know what it is that fuels your passion for flight, but I know it must be strong. You came from nothing and made a name for yourself. I am equally proud of you, as I am of my own daughter, and I consider you as one of my own. You have lived in this household for a bit over a year, now, and have always tried to prove your worth. You were self-supporting, and you supported Jecht in a time that I feared would corrupt her, and for this: I thank you.’ Scootaloo nodded to him, overcome with pride. So this is what a father’s love is… I am not related to him, but I do love him as though he’s my own father. ‘Dad…’ said Jecht, breaking the silence that had come over them. ‘Scootaloo and I… I… we…’ Her father interrupted. ‘I know, Jecht. I know. You have found yourself a pony to have a relationship with, strong enough to transcend any other, and to survive any adversity you both may face. I support your choice in this. Love was never meant to be limited. It was never meant to be only shared between a stallion and a mare. It can appear anywhere, no matter the circumstances. ‘I believe that you two were, indeed, meant for each other, and I will allow you two to be with each other. As though I had a choice, though, hahah!’ he said, breaking the serious mood. Everypony at the table laughed. Jecht’s mother reached over and placed a hoof to her daughters’, a loving smile on her face. Dinner was served and they all began a conversation of their best memories together, as husband and wife, and for Scootaloo and Jecht, as friends who were meant to be more. Not a thought was spared for the mere week they had left until the competition to change their lives. --- Three days had passed since the conversation, and Jecht’s family had never been closer. They had received a letter from a certain cross-eyed mailmare saying that Spitfire was coming down two days earlier than planned to spend some time with family (this time actually mentioning Jecht while saying she was looking forward to seeing all of them.) Jecht seemed torn on what to think about this. She loved her auntie as a family member, but she despised being eclipsed by her. Scootaloo and Jecht were still not officially together, but they were closer than they’d ever been before and, somehow, word had gotten around about it. Elderly ponies would frown at them whenever they passed, some even muttering taunts and insults, but adults and teenagers would either pass them by without a word or congratulate them on being happily together. This wasn’t helping with training, which now took up most of their spare time. Jecht had worked out a diet plan to give them maximum energy by the end of the week while Scootaloo had worked out a training schedule. They were given nine hours a night for sleep and three hours a day for everything else from eating to relaxing. They would wake up, have breakfast, train for six hours, have lunch, train for a further six hours, then have dinner and talk with family until bed. After six days of this somewhat antisocial schedule, they rested an entire day with no training to conserve energy for the competition. --- Rainbow Dash had been living in this world for what felt like a month now. On the first day in her strange world, she had met Scootaloo. The words of their conversation, even after this slow month, had burned into her memory. She had told Scootaloo to go above and beyond. She had told Scootaloo to exceed her in everything she had ever strived to do, and she believed Scootaloo could do it. Then again, Scootaloo was just a figment. This world couldn’t be real… but then why did it seem so? This was the only world she ever knew, and nothing waited beyond it… After a few days in the strange dream-world, everything seemed to go a bit slower, and she was joined by Applejack. Another world rested on the edge of her memory, threatening to fall into the abyss if she attempted to recall it. Of this strange half-forgotten world, only Applejack remained. They had sat and talked for hours on end. Or rather, Applejack had talked to her. Rainbow didn’t really know what was happening anymore, but she couldn’t speak. She had trouble walking, could barely fly, and now she was mute. Only Applejack kept her sane. Every once in a while, one or more of her other friends would come into her dream, too, but would always leave after an hour or two. Whenever Rarity visited, the colour of the sky would change and the clouds would resemble a different type of flower. This seemed somehow strange to Rainbow Dash, but, as before, this was the only world she knew. No matter how strange it seemed, it must be real, for what else could it be? She had once felt extremely tired. So tired she knew she wouldn’t wake up if she slept. Oh, how she wanted to sleep, but Pinkie had kept her awake with one of her parties. Rainbow Dash didn’t object, she liked Pinkie’s parties, but she just wished Pinkie had picked a better time. She had heard yelling from somewhere and Pinkie disappeared, along with the colour she had brought to this white and grey cloud world. Just after Pinkie left, she heard words faintly in the distance… or was it one word repeated? She thought she heard ‘clear… clear…’ and something she assumed was an unseen thunder cloud struck her a few times until she was fully awake again. Whenever any of her other friends visited, they only ever sat quietly. She tried to interact with them, but while their gaze would follow her around, she couldn’t start a conversation with them. After a fortnight in this world, Scootaloo had brought somepony else with her. She couldn’t remember who, she couldn’t even remember what this pony looked like; only that they had come with Scootaloo. She had a feeling it was a mare, but it might have been a colt… was it a Pegasus or not? When Scootaloo spoke, her heart had soared. She had felt better than she had in the fortnight since her mind had started recording memories. Scootaloo said had learned to fly. She flew so well, she had even joined the Junior Speedsters. This was what Dash had wanted. After this visit, Dash was stronger. She was able to fly again. Not much, but she was able to. Somehow, Scootaloo having come one step closer to their shared goal had made her somewhat better… she didn’t know what this meant, but she knew Scootaloo had to complete the goal for… something. What would happen if Scootaloo completed the goal had slipped her mind, but Dash knew it was important. Scootaloo’s friend had spoken, too. They had wished for her to get better. Why would she need to get better? She couldn’t fly too well, but she felt fine. But then again, since Scootaloo left, that familiar tiredness was slowly returning… Applejack was almost always by her side. When she disappeared, she would come back after what felt like half an hour. Having Applejack there made her feel better… why, she didn’t know, but it helped having a friend as close as Applejack. Wait, why does it help? What do I need help with? That was a fortnight ago. She hadn’t seen Scootaloo since, but Applejack was still there, and her other friends were still visiting. She was content, though still uneasy with the world she was in. She just didn’t seem to be able to pick what was wrong with it... AUTHORS NOTE From here on in, you need to choose what ending you want to read. I’ve written a happy ending and a sad ending, to keep everyone happy. I know a lot of you will read both, but whatever. There is also a happy and sad epilogue. I’m contemplating writing a ScootaJecht continuation (A journey to the Old World), but that’ll all depend on how well-received this rewrite is. Once again, I thank you, the readers, for taking the time to read this. I’m nothing without all of you.