• Published 31st Jul 2012
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I Would Give to You - Jet Howitzer



You move to Ponyville, and a certain mare catches your eye, but are you right for her?

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Chapter V: "You Keep Your Goggles"

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The small café offered a wide variety of vittles to choose from, and you made a mental note to come here often, so you could sample all of the choices offered. The one item that caught your eye, though, was the Fillydelphia Cheese ‘n’ shroom sandwich. While you weren’t a native to Fillydelphia you had developed a sense of pride in the city, and so you wanted to try the sandwich here, to see if it could compare to what was offered back… Well, home wasn’t the right word anymore.

Regardless, you placed your order when the waitress came over, and that left you sitting across from Twilight, an awkward silence having descended upon the two of you. You allowed you gaze to wander, and so you looked at the town around you, as you had chosen to eat outside. Ponyville was a beautiful place, of that you were certain. And you could also say, without tribulation that it was better than Fillydelphia in nearly every way. Sure, it was far smaller, and less advanced, but it had a level of charm that Fillydelphia never had.

The ponies as well, made the town a nice place to stay. Often a pony would pass by the café, see another pony they knew, and they’d just pop in to chat, or share a quick bite to eat. The kindness these ponies displayed was baffling. Some even approached Twilight, seeing as she was well known, and they’d introduce themselves to you without a bit of hesitation. You couldn’t keep track of all the names they told you, but you were good with faces, so that’d have to do.

Your examination of the town was cut short, though, as the food arrived. The sandwich looked nearly perfect, but you wouldn’t be able to give an accurate assessment until you ate some. The first bite told you that it was, in fact, perfect. The tastes blended together perfectly, creating the ideal flavor. For quite some time, or so it seemed, you just enjoyed the taste of the food. It had been a while since you enjoyed anything this good, and you wanted to relish the taste.

“So, do you want to know what we’ll be getting into once we finish here?” Twilight’s voice broke into your enjoyment of the vittles, but you didn’t mind. You tried to dredge up the conversation you shared with Rarity and her sister yesterday, but it wasn’t coming up very clear.

“Yeah, refresh my memory. I know that I heard about it briefly from Rarity and her sister, but I can’t recall any of the specifics.”

Twilight’s features drooped slightly and she began. “Well, it turns out that Taupe is Scootaloo’s uncle.” You raise an eyebrow, and Twilight quickly understands why. “Taupe is Applejack’s coltfriend. He moved here several months ago, and just a couple days ago he finally managed to confess his love, and his past. I haven’t heard his past for myself, but Applejack swears that he’ll come around and tell the rest of us sooner or later. And Scootaloo is a member of the Crusaders, who I’m sure you’ve heard about from Fluttershy.” You nod in agreement, and she continues.

“Well, Scootaloo found a letter that Taupe had received from his sister. One in which she talks about her relationship with Taupe, and her relationship with Scootaloo. Scootaloo didn’t know anything about this, and so she is understandably upset that nopony told her the truth about any of this.” You leaned back in your seat as you digested the information presented. You didn’t really know enough about any of the ponies involved to pass judgment on them, but you did have some ideas about what you could say to the distraught filly.

The rest of the meal passed quickly, your enjoyment of the meal lessened by the thoughts racing through your head. As you both finished Twilight pulled a pile of bits out of her coin pouch, and a few minutes later the waitress returned, taking the bits along with the plates. She also wished us a nice day, and hoped that we’d come back soon. You smiled in response, and soon you were following Twilight through the town once again. Eventually she arrived in front of a fairly new looking home, and she knocked on the door.

Just a few seconds passed before the door was opened. Standing there was Storm. You could hear some voices coming from within the room behind him. He offered a sad smile as the two of you entered. Inside the living room was Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity’s sister, and a filly you hadn’t seen before. And sitting on the couch, between the two fillies, was an orange pegasus filly who you could only assume was Scootaloo. She barely glanced over as the two of you entered.

“Scoots, you need to forgive Taupe and your mother for what they did. They were only trying to protect you.” Rainbow’s voice lacked the same edge that you remembered from yesterday, but you could understand why it would be like that. Twilight quickly moved over to the group of mares, leaving you and Storm by the door. You made a move to stand by the mares, but Storm raised a hoof, stopping you. You looked at him, and he just shook his head.

The mares tried every tactic they could think of to get through to the pegasus filly, but none of it seemed to change the way she felt about the whole situation. Luckily, you managed to piece together what had happened from what they were all saying. You thought you saw a way to get through to the filly, but you didn’t know if she’d listen to you, considering that you were a stranger. While most of the mares and stallions you’d seen were ready and willing to meet a new pony, you weren’t sure if the fillies and colts were the same way.

After what felt like an eternity of pleading with the filly, you saw Rarity slump her shoulders in defeat. Twilight followed suit minutes later, and after just a few more minutes the only ones still trying were Fluttershy and Pinkie. To your dismay, you saw Fluttershy showing signs of lost hope. Soon afterwards, she sat down where she was, and she lowered her gaze to the floor. You had long since sat down where you were, but when you saw Fluttershy sink to the floor you stood up.

You turned around, and placed a hoof on the door, ready to open it. Storm shot you an inquisitive look, but he didn’t stop you. You exited his home, and you could see that the sun was nearing the horizon. It had been several hours since you were last outside, and a plan was beginning to form inside your head. You’d need to move fast, though. You began running to Fluttershy’s home, desperate to get your bag, or, more importantly, the contents of that bag.

When you finally skidded to a halt in front of her small cottage you were greeted by a platypus sitting in front of the door, along with Angel bunny. The platypus looked at you for a moment before it walked off. Angel, though, held your gaze. You stared back at him, knowing that you were wasting precious time. “Angel, I need to get in.” The rabbit simply shook his head in response. “You know who I am, and you know who I am to Flutters, so I think it’s okay for me to go in.” Once more the rabbit just shook his head. “I’m bigger than you, so if I need to I’ll just force my way in.”

When you got the response you were expecting, you just stepped past the, now outraged, rabbit. The door was unlocked, as you expected, and you made your way to Fluttershy’s room, where you had dropped your small bag when you went to bed for a nap yesterday. You looked inside, and you gave a small sigh of relief as you saw the contents inside were the way you had left them. You put the bag on your back and you then went back outside the house where an angry Angel bunny had arrayed several of his woodland friends in a semicircle. As you exited the house they all looked at you.

Were they larger creatures the formation would’ve been intimidating, but as it was, you had to struggle to suppress the grin that threatened to take over your face. You took a tentative step forward, and you saw that none of the creatures moved from your path. “I can jump, you know?” And with that startling revelation, you did just that. You cleared them with plenty of room to spare, and you kept your momentum going as you landed. You arrived at Storm’s house just as the sun was halfway set.

The door opened quickly when you knocked. Hey, I didn’t end up with my hoof on somepony’s nose this time. Progress! Storm was there when the door opened, and you smiled at him. He returned the smile, albeit less enthusiastically. You walked past the stallion, and over to the filly. Pinkie was still trying to cheer up the filly, but it wasn’t having any effect. When you approached, though, Pinkie fell silent. The filly looked up when Pinkie’s silence reached her, and she met your gaze with one of her own.

“Hello, Scootaloo. I’m new in town, and my name is-”

“Are you just here to try and cheer me up?” You shook your head in response.

“No, actually, I’m not. I don’t think there’s anything anypony can say that will make you happy. That can only come from within you. If you don’t want to be happy, you won’t be. Instead, I’m going to offer you something that none of these mares thought to offer. They only thought to give you the comfort of their words, but I will give you something better.” You sat down in front of her, and she followed your movements, keeping her eyes locked on yours.

“You see, you’re thinking about what’s changed in your life. Out of all the things you do every day, how many of them will be altered by what you’ve learned? How will this affect your relationships with your friends, and fellow crusaders?” You paused for a moment to let your words sink in. “How will you let it change who you are?” You stood again, and you reached out a hoof to the filly. She took it, tentatively, and you gave it a gentle pull.

She didn’t resist as you led her outside. Just a minute later and you were atop a small rise near Storm’s home. It offered a view of the setting sun, and that’s just what you wanted. “You see, Scootaloo, the sun sets everyday in the West. Everyday, no matter what happens, the sun rises in the East, and sets in the West. Were I to cover myself in feathers, and pretend to be a chicken, or just stay who I am, the sun will still rise in the East, and set in the west.”

“What does this have to do with me? I’m not a chicken, and I don’t see how the sun relates to chickens.”

You chuckle softly, and you pull Scootaloo a bit closer to your side. “It’s not about the sun, Scootaloo. It’s about the constants in your life. Even if something changes you’ll still be you, and the world will keep moving. When I lost my wings I thought that I had lost everything that I was. But I realized that I only change as much as I let myself.” You pull out of your bag the only possession you had brought from home. Your old flight goggles. They were worn with age, since they had belonged to your grandfather, but they still did the job perfectly.

“These goggles belonged to my grandfather when he was a member of the Royal Guard in Canterlot. He used them every single day he flew, and they never failed him. The magic that prevents them from getting wet hasn’t faded, and the tiny inscription he made on the side has never faded. He gave them to me when I started my training for the Wonderbolts, and I wore them every day I trained.” You turned the goggles over, looking at the inscription on the side. “They were always there, reminding me of who I was, and where I came from. The day I lost my ability to fly I was certain that it was over for me, and to a certain degree, I was right. I learned from the doctors that I’d never fly again, save for intensive magical intervention.”

You put the goggles down in front of the filly, and you pointed at them. “Those goggles helped me to get through it. Even though I’d never be able to use them for their true purpose again, they still held a part of me. They were given to me before I was the best flier in the program, and I had them afterwards too. They didn’t change, even though I had.” You grabbed the goggles, and after at small adjustment, you put them on the filly’s head. “You need to accept that things have changed for you, but that you shouldn’t let it affect you this much. Things will always be changing in your life, but you can’t let it change who you are.”

Several minutes passed, and the two of you just watched as the sun finally sank below the horizon, plunging the world into night. You picked up the filly, carefully, and you put her on your back. You turned to face the East, and you watched as the Moon rose from the horizon. “I don’t know if this helps, Scootaloo. But I have a good idea of what you’re going through. Today you are you, that is truer than true. There is nopony alive, who is you-er than you. It’s been years since I read the book that line comes from, but it’s still true. Don’t let the world change you, Scootaloo. You should be the one to change the world.” (Author’s Note: Dr. Seuss like a bawss.)

The filly on your back embraced your neck, and you felt a few tears run down your back. You walked back to Storm’s home, careful not to be rough with the filly. When you entered every head looked over to you, and you let a small smile show on your face. Everypony in the room visibly relaxed as you smiled, and you then moved next to the couch, and the filly climbed off your back. Before you could move away, though, she pulled you into a big hug. As you moved away you saw she had a smile on her face. However, you didn’t stand all the way up before she pulled the goggles off of her head, and she placed them on your head.

“I’ve got my friends to be there for me. You keep your goggles.” You finally stood up, and you stepped back from Scootaloo, and she was quickly embraced by her fellow crusaders, and the mares joined in just moments later. Storm abstained, though, choosing instead to stand back and watch.

“I’m glad you could help her. I just wish that one of the girls had thought of that sooner. Would’ve saved us quite a bit of stress.”

“Yeah, but where’s the fun in easy?” Storm chuckled at that, and he raised a hoof. “Thanks for your help. Really. Thanks.” You smiled back at Storm, and then you retook the position you were in earlier. The mares all talked with Scootaloo for a bit longer before the mares began heading home. Rarity consented to letting the fillies all stay at her place, so that they wouldn’t have to break up again so soon after they resolved the problem. Both Twilight and Fluttershy left at the same time, and you followed them out the door.

“So, Twilight, do you have any tests that you’d like to run tonight?” The mare sank into thought at your inquiry, and then she shook her head.

“Not tonight. I want to do some reading on the subject before we go any further. Although I have a few quick questions for you, so if you don’t mind?”

“Not at all. Fluttershy, you go on ahead, I’ll catch up.” Fluttershy smiled at you, and then she turned to go. “Oh, before you go. I may have bothered Angel bunny a bit, so if he’s upset, it’s probably my fault.” You smile a sheepish smile at her stern gaze. “Sorry.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ll just talk to him about it, and I’m certain that it’s nothing too bad.” The yellow pegasus then turned about, and began making her way towards her cottage. You turned back towards the unicorn, and she just watched Fluttershy trot down the road. She didn’t turn to look back at you until you could only barely make Fluttershy out.

“So, how’d you know what would work on Scootaloo?” She began walking towards the same hill that you spoke to Scootaloo on. You pondered your answer for a time, and by the time you answered the two of you were sitting atop the hill, looking at the Moon as it made its way across the night sky.

“Well, I figured that all of you were trying to make her think it was okay that you hid her past from her. Or that you were doing it for the best, or any number of possibilities. Am I right?”

“Yes, actually. We were trying to explain why the things that were done by her foster parents were done.”

“See, that won’t work. If something goes wrong, like this whole problem with Scootaloo’s past, you can’t just explain it away. A solution to a problem like this has to come from within. No amount of explanation will ease the acceptance that has to come. That’s why I didn’t tell her it was okay, I simply gave her some tools to use to aid her in coming to terms with it all.” Silence fell as you finished your explanation.

You glanced over at the mare next to you, and you smiled a bit as you looked at her. She looked over at you as you were looking at her, and you quickly averted your gaze. “Well, I’d better get back to Fluttershy’s place. Don’t want her to get worried, or think-”

A quick peck on the cheek cut off your words, and by the time you recovered you felt a burning heat in your cheeks. You looked at Twilight, and you could see that she was blushing almost as much as you were. “Thank you for helping with Scootaloo.” Before you could formulate a response the lavender mare trotted away from you, but not before she gave you another smile.

Maybe there is room for a certain mare in my life…

(Development of the relationship? No way! Anyway, things are moving along quite nicely. And at a reasonable pace too.)