I Always Wanted to be Like You

by Cheezy805

Chapter 7 - Happy Epilogue

ATTENTION: Please disregard this and read the extended version. The extended version is exactly the same, word for word, but has twice as much story on the end of it. Believe me, you're not going to gain anything extra from reading both this and that one.

I Always Wanted to be Like You – Part 7 – Happy Epilogue

Authors note: Out of boredom, I’m going to put in several references to groups. See if you can find them all. The first one is 2PM, that will let you know how hard they’ll be to find.

Post-story note: I only ended up putting in two. The references in the arcade don't count.

And, yes, the arcade “Flynt’s” is a reference to a movie.

‘This is so boring’ whispered Jecht

‘I know, but it’ll be worth it’ said Scootaloo

They had been signing forms for the past half hour. The Wonderbolts seemed to have an endless supply of paper for them to write signatures and initials on. A few were wavers saying that if they were injured, the team couldn’t be sued; while others were forms for free medicals from certain doctors. They had to give right to attorney to the captain of the team, along with signing their contracts. They would be given an exceptional amount of money. For every race they won, they would each receive a thousand bits, and for every event they went to in costume, they would receive 200.

The pile of sheets for them to sign was slowly dwindling, until at roughly 2PM they were finally done, and were allowed to leave for the day. They were told to be back at the Canterlot aerodrome by dawn the next day for drills.

‘Where to, then? Have you ever been to Canterlot?’ asked Jecht

‘No. I’ve only ever been to Ponyville and Cloudsdale.’

‘Well, I came along here once to see Spitfire. Dad made me. I know of some good spots to take you, so let’s go!’

Scootaloo followed Jecht along Canterlot, past the castle and out of the rich district. They were heading along the mane street with surprisingly few other Pegasus ponies flying. Then again, they had lived in Cloudsdale for so long, that Scootaaloo had nearly forgotten what it was like not having ponies flying everywhere, and Jecht couldn’t even remember what it was like.

There were shops for almost everything. There were several café’s, along with a few boutiques, and they wondered how a shop called Globus stayed in business that only seemed to sell maps and globes.

They touched down just in front of a café on Mane Street, then looked around. Just before walking Scootaloo called Jecht back.

‘Look over there. It’s the new Sugarcube Corner!’ she said excitedly.

‘Oh, yeah, I forgot. Your friend opened that didn’t she? Pink… what was her name?’

‘Pinkie Pie. I’m not sure if she’ll be here, since Rainbow woke up.’ She said, and then flinched. She wanted to be spending time with Rainbow now more than ever, but she wasn’t able to leave Canterlot. If she left, she ran the risk of being over tired at the next day’s training, or even not turning up at all from being a city away.

The new Sugarcube Corner looked just like the old one. It was a fair difference from the buildings surrounding it, which were mostly single story and grey. Sugarcube Corner had a constant stream of ponies walking in and out, yet none of them seemed to be ‘fancy’. Several small-time DJs were inside, along with every pony and their dog who didn’t live in the rich district.

There was a tremendous amount of talking going on inside, semi-drowned in electronic music. There were light flashing over to the left of the shop and a white mare with lightning blue mane was standing behind a turntable.

‘Oh my Celestia, that’s DJ PON-3!!’ shouted Scootaloo over the crowd and music. ‘What’s she doing here?!’

Mrs. Cake suddenly appeared next to them. ‘She agreed to do shows every week for a few months to promote business. Oh, I can’t thank Pinkie Pie enough for trying to boost business, but she could have chosen someone a little quieter!’ she shouted over the noise in the room. ‘I haven’t seen you in years, Scootaloo! Come with me’ she said, leading them into a back room and shutting the door. The noise of the other room subsided somewhat and she offered them both seats.

She left the room again, the noise coming back momentarily as the door opened, and they looked at each other.

‘Well, I was right. Pinkie isn’t here.’ Said Scootaloo

‘Well, duh, but who’s the mare?’

‘Oh, yeah. She’s Mrs. Cake. She and her husband started Sugarcube Corner in Ponyville and basically adopted Pinkie when she arrived. She’s always been nice to me, and tolerant to the Crusaders. Then again, I don’t think there’s a pony alive she hasn’t been nice to.’

After a minute, Mrs. Cake re-entered the room with a tray on her back. The tray had a brightly coloured two-story cake on it, surrounded by cupcakes with pink, swirly frosting on them.

She placed the tray on the table and told them to help themselves.

‘No, Mrs. Cake, we couldn’t do that!’ Scootaloo objected

‘Yeah we could, I’m starving…’ muttered Jecht

‘Oh, please, dearies. It’s no trouble at all. After hearing about you becoming a Wonderbolt, and also about Rainbow Dash waking up, you must want to celebrate somehow! Well, I’m no Pinkie Pie, but I can give you some sweets. Go on, have some.’ Said Mrs. Cake, and Jecht immediately grabbed a cupcake

‘Thif if bood!’ said Jecht, then swallowed. ‘This has to be the best cupcake I’ve ever had’ she repeated, Scootaloo nearly choking on her cupcake with laughter.

‘Well, thank you. Now, I don’t think I got your name- oh! Where are my manners? I’m Vanilla Cake, but you can call me “Mrs. Cake” if you wish’

‘Nice to meet you. I’m Jecht. All I’m wondering is why Scootaloo never told me how amazing your baking was! Heh-heh, amazing baking’ she muttered to herself, pleased with how it rhymed.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes. ‘Well, I suppose it slipped my mind. I was probably too distracted by a friend who is entertained by bad half-rhymes’ she said.

‘Well, it’s nice to meet you too. Now Scootaloo,’ she said, turning to her. ‘You must tell me all that’s happened since you left! The Cutie Mark Crusaders were devastated, the poor little dears. Well, they’re not so little, now, but they were quite downtrodden!’

Scootaloo, with the help of Jecht, began to tell of all she had done after leaving Ponyville, how she had met Jecht, trained with her, and won countless competitions by her side. Mr. Cake came in from time to time looking for something or other in the boxes off to the side of the room. After she had finished telling her story, Mrs. Cake had a tear in her eye.

‘That’s just so sweet.’ She said with a sniffle. ‘So you two are… together?’

Scootaloo and Jecht looked at each other, smiled, and nodded.

‘Oh, it’s so nice to know that two ponies can love, despite what the populous may think. Back when I was a filly, they would have sent anypony off to a camp if they’d even hinted at such a thing. It’s nice to see how people are becoming more loving and tolerant’ she completed.

‘Well, I’m sorry to cut this short, but the night rush is about to start. That loud Vinyl puts on her new tracks and everypony for three miles comes to listen. We’ve made more money since the shop opened than we have in the last 15 years in Ponyville, but all the same I miss the little shop. We still send letters to our old friends, and Pinkie assures the shop is running well, but, oh, what I wouldn’t give to be back in Ponyville’

On that note, she trotted out of the room and went to stand behind the front counter and serve customers.

‘Maybe we should go check out those other places you mentioned?’ said Scootaloo

‘Oh, yeah. Sure, let’s go… after one more cupcake… or two!’ Said Jecht, grabbing two cupcakes and taking a huge bite out of one.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes at her marefriend, but grabbed a cupcake herself, and walked out after her. They waded back through the crowd and noticed the sun had lowered. Jecht guessed they had two hours before sunset.

She finished her first cupcake, then took to the air, Scootaloo following, and angling toward the North end of the rich district, almost as far from the castle as they could go before hitting the middle-class district. Right on the corner to the middle-class district, there was a massive arcade with the word “Flynt’s” displayed in full-caps on the front. They walked in, and were greeted with 80’s music by the Eurithmares. Looking around, they saw a whole load of retro-style arcade machines.

Jecht looked like she was one step away from salivating. Scootaloo suddenly burst out with laughter, but Jecht payed no heed.

‘Is this not the coolest thing you’ve seen all day?’ Jecht asked

‘It is pretty cool… I haven’t ever been to an old arcade. I’ve wanted to, but I’ve never even seen one before. I didn’t know there was one in Canterlot.’ She said

‘Oh yeah, there’s one here, and another in Manehattan. I think they have about four spread all about Fillydelphia. Fillydelphia is the place that I always wanted to live in. Great place to have a family. Everypony’s friendly, there’s almost no crime, and there are loads of family places like the arcades.’

They walked in between the aisles of machines, watching ponies playing different games. Scootaloo didn’t recognise any of the games, but they looked interesting. They ranged right down from a pixelated unicorn eating red lines, presumably carrots, and running from four different coloured ghosts all the way to a game where there were two Pegasus ponies flying around releasing jet-streams behind them. The goal of that game was to go as long as possible while trying not to hit the jetstreams, but also trying to trap the other person’s character in it.

Scootaloo turned around and Jecht was already deeply entranced and gaming away nearby. She went over to join her at a game called “Sky invaders” where an insane unicorn was trying to shoot down a flock of Pegasi that were all flying across the screen and slowly down.

---

After roughly an hour in the arcade, their saddlebags were a bit lighter. Well, 30 bits, to be precise. The sun was about half an hour from setting and Scootaloo asked where they were going next. Jecht seemed to come out of a daze and looked out the glass front door.

‘Oh! Wow, you should have said something earlier. I sort of drift off when I play games, hahah’ she said, idly rubbing the back of her head with a hoof.

‘Well, I know one more spot we can go before we head back to the hotel.’ She said

The two Pegasi exited the arcade and took to the skies. They seemed to be heading away from Canterlot, and just as Scootaloo was about to ask again where they were headed, Jecht began to bank down. They landed on a hill with a solitary tree standing on it.

They sat in silence under the tree, and Scootaloo spoke.

‘So, what is there to do here?... Jecht?’ she asked and turned to face her.

When she turned, she was met with a completely clear, orange sky. The sun was barely above the horizon and seemed to slowly be melting into the ground. They watched in silence for several minutes, and Jecht scooted up close and rested her head against Scootaloo’s neck. Scootaloo tilted her head over Jecht’s and they continued to sit in loving silence for several more minutes, before Scootaloo figured they if they didn’t head back soon, they would lose all light.

Scootaloo lifted her head and noticed that Jecht had a tear on her cheek.

‘What’s up?’ asked Scootaloo

Jecht stirred. ‘What?’ felt her cheek to be wet. ‘Oh. I guess… it’s just… we’ve come so far together. I’m glad Rainbow Dash is awake, but if she hadn’t been hurt so badly, we never would have met. Neither of us would have gotten to where we are and… well, I’ve never told anypony this before, but… before I met you, I didn’t want to live. I was always out shadowed by Spitfire and no one wanted to talk to me. They were scared that I was stuck up, or that I was so rich that I’d reject them… life was horrible. I… If I hadn’t met you, I never would have met anyone else ever again…’ she said.

Scootaloo was taken aback. She had never known Jecht to be this way. Jecht always thinks things through before making any decision… could she really have considered suicide? If it wasn’t for me… she… her thoughts trailed off.

She lightly pressed her muzzle to Jecht’s cheek.

‘I’ll always be here for you, Jecht. I never want to leave your side. The whole deal with the Wonderbolts proved that.’

‘I know. I love you, Scootaloo.’ She said

‘And I love you, too, Jecht.’ Scootaloo responded, softly.

---

Two weeks later

---

Scootaloo and Jecht had finally been allowed to take a few days off. The first bits of training were to make sure the two new recruits were up to the standard of the rest of the team. They were up to it, and above it, so they were given a week to themselves. They both wanted to go back to each other’s hometowns. Jecht wanted to get to know Rainbow Dash a bit better, and they both wanted to go and see their parents.

They had decided that since Cloudsdale was further away, they would go there first so they would have a shorter trip back to Canterlot when they were tired out from their week.

---

‘Welcome home, Jecht! You too, Scootaloo. How has your week been?’ asked their father.

‘Pretty good’ said Scootaloo

‘Yeah,’ said Jecht, ‘except for how boring it was! All we did was sign papers and fly in circles. Sure, a couple of them are talkative, but mostly they’re devoted to flying around the aerodrome. We’re being put in the speed division, so all we do all day is practise flying.’

‘Well, it still sounds good! I mean, how many ponies become Wonderbolts?’ he countered

‘Yeah, I guess. We’re getting a fair few bits for it, too, but it just doesn’t seem like it’ll be fun… maybe I’ll see if we can get into the fancy-flier division.’ Said Jecht

‘Come along, your mother just served lunch. You should have called ahead, we would have made more; maybe even something better’ said their father, and they walked to the kitchen.

‘Welcome home; Scootaloo, Jecht.’ Said their mother, nodding to each in turn.

‘Hey mum. I missed you’ said Jecht, hugging her mother. ‘So… about this lunch…?’

‘Always the hungry one.’ She said, then served out some boiled vegetables and bread. ‘Now, eat all of that and I have some sugar canes in the cupboard.’

‘Mum, I’m not 7…’ said Jecht

‘Yeah,’ said Scootaloo, ‘but that’s no reason to turn down some sugar cane!’

‘It’s just the way she said it’

‘Oh, please. Aren’t mothers always meant to be like that?’

Jecht suddenly felt bad. She remembered that Scootaloo had never known her own parents.

‘Sorry, it’s just…’

‘What’s there to be sorry about? Come on and eat, I want some sugar cane.’ Said Scootaloo, sensing the turn in conversation before it happened.

They stayed in Cloudsdale for three days. Their parents were happy to hear of what had happened in the week since their departure, especially about what they had seen on stage, and in turn, referenced several stories they had of their years as husband and wife.

They left for Ponyville, after a teary goodbye from their mother, and arrived within 20 minutes. The wind was with them, so they only had to glide most of the way.

The town of Ponyville seemed to be throwing some sort of parade or ceremony. When they touched down, they found it to be for them and Rainbow Dash.

They were immediately greeted by a pink pony who began to speak very quickly.

‘Oh no, you’re not supposed to be here yet! Oh, it ruined the surprise!! We were going to throw you a whole-town celebration for becoming Wonderbolts, and also to celebrate Dash waking up, but you’re here to early and the surprise was ruined and-‘

‘Pinkie, I think they get it.’ Said Twilight from somewhere to their right. ‘We were told you would be leaving at midday, so we planned this for 12:30.’

‘Yeah, the wind was with us.’ Said Scootaloo.

‘Well, I guess we’re pretty much ready to start.’ Said Twilight. ‘Everypony was going to jump out and yell surprise, but I guess there wasn’t enough time to organise it. That would have been deafening, so I guess it wasn’t too much of a loss’ she joked.

A group of ponies began to play over at Mane Street as they trotted in. the mayor of Ponyville was waiting at the podium as they arrived.

‘Welcome, fillies and gentle colts, to a celebration for three special ponies. One has become a friend to many with her loyalty and determination to become a Wonderbolt. Rainbow Dash was injured in a flying accident and in a coma, and she had recently woken up. I’m sure I speak for us all when I give my warm welcomes back to her!’ she said, and the gathered crowd cheered.

Rainbow Dash trotted up onto the stage, a slight limp in her foreleg, and blushed. ‘Thanks, everyone.’ She said, then stood back.

The mayor continued. ‘The other ponies this is in celebration for are the two ponies Scootaloo, and Jecht. Scootaloo was raised in Ponyville, and quickly became friends with anypony she met. When she moved away, I’ll admit that the town became quieter, which was a bit better, but it was also emptier. She was one of a group called the “Cutie Mark Crusaders”, if I remember correctly, and they were the worst effected by Scootaloo leaving.

‘Now, we know that she had gone to Cloudsdale. She had trained, day and night, for months on end, until finally joining the Young Fliers Academy. She met Jecht, and together, they overcame every challenge they faced. We are celebrating their most recent victory, in becoming Wonderbolts!’ she said, and the crowd roared.

‘Scootaloo, Jecht, perhaps you’d like to say something?’ she asked.

They looked to each other and flew over to the stage. The crowd cheered again when they flew over.

‘Thank you, mayor.’ Said Scootaloo. She quickly explained all the training she had done, then listed the competitions she had won, but made special effort to make the point that she couldn’t have done it without Jecht. After she had finished her recount of the match, Rainbow Dash looked, for the first time in public, close to tears of happiness.

‘But… why did you do it? How did you do it? You surely didn’t just decide to become a Wonderbolt. Your cutie mark says that much. It’s just like mine.’ Said Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo went and showed the crowd her mark, to a collective gasp, and spoke loud enough for the crowd to hear.

‘Well, Rainbow…’ she said, ‘I knew I could do it because… I always wanted to be like you…’

This concludes the happy story! Stay tuned for the sad epilogue and the post-story author’s note!

Comments

[danabler42]

d'awwwwwww

[SirMrDrPwn]

This is major kick ass...

[Lucefudu]

I just found out what I'm reading today!

[Primordial Deomontus]

I'M not going to read the sad epilogue because I read the sad ending i was mad at myself for reading it