My idiot

by Marshall_Evergreen

Roll call

Today was the day.

The best day ever!

The sun was shinning and the brilliant, blue sky was littered with patches of soft, gentle cloud leaving a sight to be admired from any altitude.

Take 150 metres above the ground for example; the wind in your mane and the air so crisp you could just...

"Aahh," Scootaloo exhaled in a blissful sigh, "perfect."

The last few years had flown by quite literally. As she'd gotten older, nature had taken its course and Scootaloo's wings had grown, allowing her to take off into the sky she had longed to be in for so long. True, she was still a bit shaky, being something of a 'late bloomer', but she could hold her own. Best of all were the times she went flying with Rainbow Dash. She had been her idol for so long, the embodiment of everything she'd wanted to be, and now...

Life was certainly perfect.

But today made it ten times more perfect.

Because today was the first day of the Junior Wonderbolt Academy boot camp, the most prestegious and awesome academy for young flyers. Even if you don't intend to become a Wonderbolt, it never hurts to become a better flyer. But just the experience in itself would be one filled with exhilaration every single moment of everyday.

To say she was excited would be an understatement.

Nothing could describe how she felt.

It was like a new chapter of her life; her destiny unfolding before her. Everyday continually getting better and better and better!

She felt confident and ready. Nothing could bring her down! She had waited for ever to prove herself as a pegasus and this was it. The ultimate test.

Okay so maybe she blowing things out of proportion...just a smidge, but there was that part of her that believed every bit of that. Some part of her felt the need to be proven and tested, but to who or why she didn't know...

"Pphhhffff!" Scootaloo breathed out dismissively, "There I go, over thinking things again."

The only thing that mattered was the here and now. The academy, the Wonderbolts, the sky, the now.

Nothing else.

Zip.

Nix.

Nadda.

Scootaloo cruised on absentmindedly for a couple more miuntes before her attention was diverted by the sound of laughing. She diverted her gaze to focus on them.

'They' were a pack of pegasai ahead of her, laughing and joking as they flew up to a majestic building high up in the clouds.

The Junior Wonderbolt Academy.

Her eyes shone with excitement as ahe grinned from ear to ear.

Quickly, she beat her wings, picking up speed and shooting her up towards the academy.

---

Rumble had woken up early that morning, done a couple push-ups and gone to the mirror. He stroked a hoof along the bottom of his sharp jaw as he examined himself in the mirror. Once he was satisfied he smiled and stood on his hind legs, bobbing back and forth as he punched the air in front of him, a determined look in his eye.

"Aw'righty Champ," Rumble chanted to himself, "time to win. All you do today is win! Every moment, every second is yours; own it!"

He squat low and delivered a frenzy of blows to the space in fornt of his face.

"Attack the day! Defeat the day! Destroy the day!" He shouted out.

"What ya gonna do?" He called out.

"Win!" Came his answer seconds later.

"When?" He yelled again.

"Now!" Came the reply in turn.

"Where?"

"Here, today!"

He got back on all four legs and started running in place.

"Who'da boss?" Came the question.

"You da boss." his voice rang out again in glorious, triumphant victory.

"Who'da boss?"

Faster.

"You da boss!"

Faster!

"WHO'DA BOSS?"

Faster, faster!

"YOU DA BOSS!"

Come on!

"WHO'DABOSS-YOUDABOSS-WHO'DABOSS-YOUDABOSS-WHO'DABOSS-YOUDABOSS!!" he chanted frantically.

He was on fire. Full throtal. He stopped and reared back, containing the energy, before shooting out the window in a flash of grey.

"I'M THE BOSS!" He roared out, smiling widely.

He looped and turned at full speed, laughing in excitement.

Celestia, was he pumped!

To every other pony, he must have appeared to be utterly mad.

Once he'd finished, Rumble steered himself back towards his house. He smirked; time to rock. He narrowed his eyes and folded in his legs and wings. Quickly, he gained phenomenal speed brought on by gravity's natural pull. Speed was everything to Rumble.

5.

The ground started to climb up

4.

The house seemed to come closer and closer, but it was actuall Rumble who was plumeting towards him.

3.

The front door was in sight.

2.

Here we go...

1.

...

PULL UP!

His wings flared out and his legs stretched out before him, ready to brace his landing. But too late, his hooves caught on the front step, sending him hurtling into the solid, wooden door. He crashed through, shattering the wood, sending splinters everywhere. He face planted and slid forward a couple metres before his head knocked against the table.

He was out cold.

Thunderlane, who had been sitting at the table, merely rested his head on his hoof and sighed heavily as he bit into his toast.

"Well," Thunderlane said nonchalantly, "Rumble's awake."

He leaned down and looked under the table cloth to see him lying unconscious...and drooling.

"Or rather, was awake." Thunderlane corrected in the same stoic tone.

He reached across the table and grabbed another piece of toast, which he'd intended for Rumble. He took the toast, popped Rumble's mouth open, and stuffed the toast in.

"Eat up, Champ." He said, as he raised himself up again, allowing the table cloth to drape down again so only Rumble's legs could be seen, sticking out from under the table.

Utterly mad.

Thunderlane breathed another heavy sigh and proceeded eating. His face was expressionless, as if he either didn't notice, didn't care, or didn't really give a darn.

All of the above, really.

This had become regular routine for the brothers. Rumble'd get up at some unsanctioned hour of the morning, yelling his daily pep-talk to his reflection, before shooting off into the atmosphere, only to crash back down to earth minutes later. The guy could seriously hurt himself and of course Thunderlane was worried. He was his brother, of course he worried for Rumble. If anything, he'd tried to stop him making the same flying mistakes as him. But to no avail. Rumble had to experience it to believe, and even after that, he'd have to do it another ten times just to be sure.

So Thunderlane had learned to lay back and let him learn. If he needed help, he'd come. Thunderlane was always willing to help him out with anything. I mean, what are brothers for; they look out for each other.

Thunderlane counted down the seconds until...

"Aah!" Rumble shot up, only to knock his head on the table.

He rolled on the ground, groaning in agony as his brother lifted the table cloth again.

"You're two seconds late." Thunderlane said without emotion, a bemused look on his face.

"So sue me!" Rumble laughed. "Whhoooyyy, let's do that again!"

Thunderlane rolled his eyes and chuckled. "C'mon squirt, you'll be late. That and I've gotta go out and fix the door...again."

Rumble chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as he blushed out of embaressment.

"Sorry." Rumble said nervously, before his expression straightened out and became more serious, "But I swear, I almost had it that time!"

Thunderlane breathed out loudly through his nostrils, craning his neck into his raised hoof, obviously at conflict.

"Look Rumble, just promise me you don't hurt yourself. A downed pegasus, isn't a pegasus. In fact, it's hell. So...just be careful out there, Champ."

Rumble winked.

"No problem. I'll ace the move, then you'll see. I'm just like you!"

"I know." Thunderlane sighed again, this time speaking more to himself, "But let's hope not, for your sake."

Rumble cocked his head to one side, not completely sure he knew what his brother meant.

Thunderlane saw this and chuckled weakly.

"Hey," he smiled, "don't fret about it. Just go have fun."

Rumble smiled sincerely.

"Thanks, big bro."

He turned and started on his way up the stairs, before Thunderlane called after him.

"Just don't break any doors!"

---

Scootaloo landed softly at the front gate of the main college hall. This was where they would spend a few of the hours during the week, learning about the theory and physics of flying; something she could appreciate from first-hand experience.

One might think it's all easy. That all the science was an excuse to stay inside and study. That flying was as easy as up, down, left and right. You just do it.

Well, to some degree, they were right. To fly, you do need to 'do it'.

But she wasn't here to be a casual flyer. She was here to get better. To conquer.

She knew about not being able to fly. She knew there were greater forces at work than will power, which was a knowledge some of the more arrogant flyers would find difficult.

Scootaloo just hoped there weren't too many of them.

If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was an arrogant snob.

Especially stallions.

Arrogant, proud, immature stallions were the worst!

Scootaloo recalled some of the pegasi she'd seen flying up a few moments ago. They hadn't seemed too bad. A bit rowdy maybe, but not bad.

Anyway. Rant over.

The acadmey certainly looked official, with its large college halls, runways and open cloud fields. Over the various entrances hung blue banners, with the letters 'JWA' and the Wonderbolt ensignia emblazoned on them. Also, blue bunting was draped between the various lamps scattered around campus.

Blue, blue, blue.

Was everything about this place blue?

Blue sky, blue banners, blue bunting.

Well, she certainly couldn't blame them for a lack of enthusiasm.

It was also highly fool-proof.

Scootaloo got the feeling that if anypony should walk past fifty, consecutive Wonderbolt ensignias, they'd have a pretty good idea where they were.

Just a hunch really...

Once she'd finished gazing in wonder at the building, she started walking, stepping ever closer to her destiny and future.

"Hey!"

Scootaloo whirled around to find a stallion running up to her.

'Finally,' thought Scootaloo, 'a familiar face.'

"Featherweight!" she cried out in happy greeting.

Featherweight too had grown over the years. Naturally he was taller, his features more square rather than round and young. However one thing remained the same. He was still scrawny. But a pleasent friendly smile was always welcome. If anything, it might at least prove for engaging conversation.

"So what are you doing here?" Scootaloo began. As if the answer wasn't obvious enough.

"The academy." Featherweight beamed, happy to have a friend there.

"Really?" Scootaloo gasped in mock-disbelief. Then she realised something. yes, he was a pegasus, and yes, saying he couldn't join would slightly contradict the purpose of the academy. But still, Featherweight?

"Really?" Scootaloo asked again, this time in a more sincere tone.

He gave a rather sheepish look. "Well..."

"I'm sorry," she laughed, trying to lighten the mood, "I didn't mean to offend you. You just..."

"...Don't seem like the type." Featherweight finished, "I know. I'm not exactly a part of the flying team. I'm air support."

Scootaloo stared at him blankly, before shaking herself out of it.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm part of the ground team. I'll be making sure you guys are in shape to fly, be giving you tips on your flying, etc. I'm gonna be at HQ mainly, analysing your performance and studying the science behind your flying capabilities. Well, not you inhertly, but which ever team I'm assigned."

Scootaloo's head was spinning.

HQ?

Studying?

Teams?

Featherweight noticed this and chuckled.

"C'mon, you arrived a bit later than me I suppose. Roll call is in a couple minutes."

She nodded, just glad to have a guide and some company.

Comments

[Deathclaw2014]

"Pphhhffff!" Scootaloo breathed out dismissively, "There I go, over thinking things again."

I didn't even know she was thinking.