I Always Wanted to be Like You

by Cheezy805

Chapter 3

I Always Wanted to be Like You – Part 3

As Scootaloo walked out of the clinic, she had no thoughts on her mind except what may be in store for her. She was already making plans on when and where she would train, and she would see if she could find a trainer. She didn’t need one. She was self-motivated.

This was for Dash.

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Six Months Later

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She had been training solidly for 6 months. She had barely spoken to anypony at all, except when taking breaks, however short, and travelling home. She had long since abandoned her scooter. She had missed it, out of nostalgia more than anything, for a time, but eventually was rid of it. She had locked it in her garage to serve as a memory of a better time.

She still lived in Ponyville, but rather than fly around the small town, she would spend her mornings and afternoons doing the two mile flight to Cloudsdale and back in as little time as possible. If she didn’t make it in 10 minutes, she would do it over and over until she succeeded.

Her friends were worried. This was almost like depression, but instead of sadness and no sense of self-worth, she seemed to have nothing but determination for her training, even if it killed her.

After 5 months, she had joined the Junior Flight Academy. She had to work her way up to the Junior Speedsters. In the month she had been at the Junior Flight Academy she had risen to nearly being top of the class. The teacher called it natural skill, but he had no idea of how much training she was doing, and why.

She had almost immediately gotten a cutie mark when she left for her training. It was a cloud with thunder identical to Rainbow Dash’s own, except that the thunder was purple, like her mane. The mark had gone to show not that she had wanted to race, like Dash’s had, but rather that she wanted Rainbow Dash’s legacy to live on through her.

There were only two better fliers than her. One of them was stuck up and went around bragging about how he was the best, and the other, who was actually better than him, had grown to become Scootaloo’s friend. Her name was Jecht and she was the niece of Spitfire of the Wonderbolts. Her dream was to grow up to become like her auntie, who was only a few years older, and through this friendship would Scootaloo’s first trainer come in.

Jecht was a Pegasus who was rather small for her age. She had a smooth, sky blue coat and bright blue eyes, but had inherited the family mark of an orange mane and tail with streaks of red in them.

Jecht’s father had been the original trainer of the Wonderbolts before his arthritis had set in. he could still fly, but not well. Her father had trained Jecht whenever she wanted help, but had not forced her to train as so many others might have.

They were drawn together by a common interest of striving to do their best in school and later life. Jecht, with her connections, could have secured a place in any flight-related academy or club, but had chosen not to do so until she deemed herself good enough. It was this that kept her down in the Academy with Scootaloo until they were both ready to move on.

---

Applejack still visited Rainbow Dash almost daily, but the rest of the friends had settled down to a visit roughly once a week whenever they could make it. Twilight optimised this best, making for a two hour visit every Saturday morning from 10 until midday.

Pinkie had nearly been banned from the hospital when she tried to get Dash to wake up by throwing a party, right in the middle of her room. She had been banned from the hospital for two weeks and scolded by her friends, but they knew she was only trying to help.

Rarity was sure to bring in a new vase of flowers every week. Not just new flowers, she actually bought a new vase every week.

Applejack began to donate as many apples as the farm could spare in the hopes that if they bought less food, they could focus more attention on Rainbow Dash. Big Macintosh had tried to explain that that wasn’t the way hospitals worked, and tried to explain how a monthly budget works, only to be berated for using ‘them fancy mathematics’ on her.

Twilight researched all she could, even calling in books from Canterlot, but nothing could help. They all said the same thing; that ‘if a pony is to wake up, they will do it in their own time’. The doctor that Princess Celestia had sent in had said the exact same thing, except he had at least been able to use some magic to speed the healing of her broken leg and fractured wing.

Scootaloo had visited a mere twice since she had left that day six months ago. When she came in, she merely sat and watched Rainbow Dash, every so often muttering to herself. ‘I will do it. For you’ and ‘I’m making progress. Please get better soon’ were among the most common things heard from her.

After her broken bones were fixed, the doctors saw no improvements in her condition. More than once, they had offered to pull the plug on Dash, but her friends had denied the request.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders had broken up. Scootaloo had left them, and not long after found her cutie mark. Applebloom had gained an image of an apple seed on her flank to represent that she is the spark of new life, but Sweetie Belle still hadn’t received her mark.

In Dash’s dream world, she was now able to use her wings and legs all properly, but not as well as normal. There was nopony around to show off to, so this didn’t bother her much. She had begun to drift off more and more. She had seen several other important ponies from her life, but could talk to none. They were all as transparent as Tank had been.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, her heart rate had begun to slow. Over the first two months, it halved its normal speed, and in the four months following that it had gone to a quarter normal speed. The doctors were beginning to worry.

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One Year Later

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Scootaloo had been training with Jecht, as usual, when the colt had arrived. He said he was the coach of the Junior Speedsters and that the teacher at the Academy had mentioned just how advanced these two young mares were. He offered them a chance to be a part of the Junior Speedsters and, without a second thought, they both accepted.

Scootaloo had moved in with Jecht. She was like a sister to the young mare. Jecht’s father was delighted for her to move in, as she was just like a daughter to him. Scootaloo was overjoyed to finally have a family. She had been alone for almost as long as she could remember, and having a family again made a huge difference.

She was still absolutely devoted to her training, now more than ever, and was almost never seen away from the training track if she was outside. She had easily surpassed Jecht by this point, and was ready to join the Weather Team. She decided to go and pay another visit to Rainbow Dash before then.

Jecht had wanted to go with her, and Scootaloo was more than happy to invite her along. Dash had been her whole reason for any of this happening, after all, and Jecht had wanted to see who it was she was striving so hard for.

They both set off early in the morning for Ponyville to see Rainbow Dash in the clinic.

---

When they arrived in Ponyville, they were immediately greeted by both of the old Cutie Mark Crusaders. Applebloom said she had finished the plantation single-handedly and had been let off of any other chores for the whole week, while Sweetie Belle said she was simply taking the day off from the Boutique.

She had eventually figured out that she was really good at drawing and when she wasn’t making her own works of art, she was designing dresses for her older sister, Rarity, to make. Her cutie mark had come in the form of a paintbrush next to an easel.

‘Ooh, this your marefriend?’ chided Applebloom

‘Actually, no. This is my… she’s pretty much a sister to me. We’re so alike, and I live as a part of her family now. Her name’s Jecht. Y’know, like a fighter jet?’

‘Hiya!’ put in Jecht

‘If you say so’ said Sweetie Belle, a sly smirk coming across her face.

‘Nothing like that is going on, Sweetie Belle,’ said Scootaloo

‘I’m only teasing. Don’t you remember when we used to make jokes? You haven’t forgotten what a joke is have you?’ said Sweetie Belle

‘No, I do, I just don’t remember those kinds of jokes going on. Anyway, we were heading to the clinic?’

‘Actually,’ said Applebloom, ‘They moved Rainbow to the long stay ward a bit over a year ago. They wanted to move her to Manehattan, but we said “no way is we losin’ a friend like Rainbow! We want her to stay here.” And that was it. They moved her over that-a-way’ she pointed her head south.

‘Well, let’s go then. You two can lead the way.’

They set off at a slow trot across Ponyville, bumping into familiar faces here and there and exchanging pleasantries.

When they arrived at the long-stay ward and were directed to the right room, they entered together. This room seemed to be a bit more homely than the clinic had been. There were paintings by famous mares and colts on the walls and there was a small TV in the corner, not on for obvious reasons.

She still had the oxygen mask, but unlike the old one which covered her whole muzzle, this one sat in her nostrils. She also had a heart monitor, but it was just a cabled patch attached to her left foreleg. There was an IV attached to her right foreleg.

‘Hey girls. Scootaloo, long time no see. Is this yer marefriend yeh brought with yeh?’ said a familiar voice emanating from the corner of the room.

‘Applejack! Uhh, hi. I didn’t see you there. Err, no, this isn’t my marefriend. I see that assumption runs in the family,’ she said with a backwards glance at Applebloom who shrugged. ‘This is Jecht. She’s a friend of mine, and the closest to a sister I’ve ever had.’

‘Well it’s good t’ see yer alive and well. It’s been too long. More’n a year since I last saw yeh.’

She seemed tired, sitting there. She had rushed her chores every single day to try to make it into town and be with Rainbow Dash. Applebloom secretly admired how loyal she was to Rainbow Dash, but only ever said how bad for Applejack’s health it was to do that.

‘Well, ah should be getting’ back t’ th’ farm. Big Macintosh will be wantin’ some help since you’re takin’ the day off, Applebloom. I see you couldn’t have picked a better day, too.’

She stood and cantered out of the room, only pausing to give Scootaloo a quick, friendly hug.

Scootaloo walked to the bedside, Jecht standing back in the doorway.

‘Uh, hi, Rainbow Dash. I haven’t seen you in more than a year. Sorry, I guess. Well… I’ve been training like you said. I joined the Junior Flight Academy. I graduated top of the year, second-fastest of any pony, ever, right after you. Oh, and I’m in the Junior Speedsters now, just like you were.’

A tear began to roll, down her face. Her voice, however, remained level and unbroken.

‘I wish you could see how far I’ve come. It was all for you. Rainbow Dash, you’re my hero. I-I…’ she broke off and stood in silence while more tears rolled down her muzzle.

Jecht came and stepped up to the bed to better look at Rainbow Dash.

‘Hi, Rainbow Dash. I’m Jecht, Scootaloo’s new sister. I’m very happy to meet you’ she said. She knew there was no point in talking to a pony this far under, but she did it more for Scootaloo’s sake then anything. ‘I now see why she strives so hard to do her best. I’ll make sure to keep her in check for you!’ She then leant against Scootaloo’s neck to give the orange mare some comfort.

‘Thank you’ whispered Scootaloo.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at each other.

‘Are y’ sure they ain’t…’

‘Well, I’m not sure myself… But I suppose there was a point when we both did that with our sisters. Just don’t say anyth- uh-oh.’

Scootaloo had heard faint muttering and turned around to see two guilty looking faces. She suddenly realised how bas the whole scene was. She had been talking to a comatose pony and now she was nuzzling somepony she had claimed to be nothing more than a family member.

She turned to Dash and said ‘It’s all been for you’, then turned back and walked out again.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle glanced one final time back to Dash and left with their old and new friends.

They spent the rest of the day meeting and greeting all of her old friends and acquaintances from Ponyville. Pinkie was literally bouncing off the walls with excitement when Scootaloo got there, and she wasn’t able to leave until an hour had passed and they were carrying a tray of free cupcakes each that Pinkie Pie had insisted they take.

At about 4PM they had reacquainted everypony from her old life, and decided to take a break together down at her favourite childhood spot. She had once found a small river a few hundred yards into the Everfree Forest and had since then visited it at least once a week until she had left Ponyville.

When the day was nearly over, Scootaloo and Jecht headed home to Cloudsdale, still with a few cupcakes wrapped up in their saddlebags.

---

More and more competitors came to Cloudsdale specifically to go against the duo of Scootaloo and Jecht. Jecht had now caught up in flight skill with Scootaloo and was neck-in-neck with her almost every race. Not a single competitor stood a chance against either of them.

Finally, Scootaloo began to enter competitions. She lost nearly every one of them until Jecht joined in, too. With the added family competition, she began to win half of them, with the other half being won by Jecht. Nopony could beat them.

They entered more and more advanced competitions, including some aerobatics ones, just to see how they could go. They both failed abysmally in the single aerobatics competitions, but in duo-comps, they blew the rest out of the water. They were in perfect sync and together looked like different coloured reflections of each other.

Finally the Wonderbolts themselves came to Cloudsdale. They normally never left Canterlot, but they had heard stories of the incredible duo and wanted to investigate.

This was what two years of training and competitions had boiled down to. In order to achieve her life goal, she had to surpass Rainbow Dash. She had to become a Wonderbolt.

Comments

[HopeFox]

Congratulations, Scootaloo. You're the new Rainbow Dash.
This is so sad! Scootaloo's devotion to Rainbow Dash is really touching, and everypony else's reaction to her condition is so very sad and sweet, too. It's interesting to see how Scootaloo is growing up through all of this, too.

[SureFreeD]

Me gusta, but if Rainbow Dash dies, Scootaloo was wasting all that time for nothing, just for a dead pony. I expect a sad ending, not a happy one. There's always a happy ending in every fiction. So cheers mate, hope you succeed!

[mbpony 512]

I got to say, Scootaloo's devotion and admiration to Rainbow Dash is truly inspiring.

To the very end, but I do wonder how everpony is taking the news of her surpassing her idol ?

Please do keep up the good work upon such a great tale like this one as I cannot wait to see how Jecht reacts to Spitfire given their family relation.

[Super]

Am I the only one hoping it ends happily? too many sad endings floating around

[Cheezy805]

Decision made! To keep everypony happy, I am going to write TWO endings! One will be a happy ending, the other will be sad. I don't really want to kill Rainbow Dash, but I will in one of them. Will that make everypony happy?
I'll submit both: one called Happy Ending, the other Sad Ending, and you can choose which one, or both, to read.

[fearanger]

*100 years later and still crying* *sniff* i know im a rotting skeleton but... EVEN THE UNDEAD HAVE FEELINGS YOU KNOW!*continues crying*

[Primordial Deomontus]

I hope rainbow doesn't die I know the pictures on the title is her grave but I don't want her to die