#james stf

While worrying — they think about how the Final Race is about a Week or Two away (Really guys, I’m sure the riders need their rest and time to train!! WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO SET IT 4 DAYS AFTER THE LAST RACE IN CANON..?)

ANYWAY I’m assuming it’s a school day (but Sofia & James sometimes, during the time before the Competition, miss classes to practice. They have special permission!)

Hugo’s class time is interrupted as he gets brought in as a replacement

(Amber finds herself worried about it bc she knows her siblings practice is now AND Hugo never makes it back to class that day.. when she does find out, she does freak out a little)

James is made the Assistant Coach BUT he actually gets the chance to coach the two a little before their actual Coach sends him to other work for being TOO DISTRACTING and ANNOYING!!!!

(See, James & Sofia would’ve been too comfortable to the point that if James tried to give the two actual ideas/tips, it would then turn into them giggling and reminiscing over their other Races)

(“Oh but don’t ever do (insert move here)— Hey Sofia! remember when we tried that and we ended up breaking a window?”)

(This would only make Hugo more jealous of their experiences. Maybe even a little jealous of their sibling relationship…. Why does Axel have to pick on him all the time?)

THOUGH before James ‘coaches’ them a little, I’d have the scene of Minimus/Sofia worrying about Electra/Hugo here

Sofia should absolutely get the chance to talk to Electra before they started — establishing a friendship between them!!!! It confuses and scares Minimus. Sofia had to reassure him (and also let him know that he's her favorite horse, that would never change)

After James gets a job switch, Sofia and Hugo would get into another argument, find it hard to work together, and call it quits for the day

I think over the course of the next few training days, he starts to warm up to Sofia a little. But of course he can't stop going off about her "Luck".

sometimes he’d get carried away having fun practicing with Sofia and forget to say anything mean

I think they try the Flying Slingshot the right way at least once

(Electra outright doesn’t listen to him when he gets too stubborn so he caves in and tries it once) (look it doesn’t make sense to me that a prestigious racing horse like her DOESN’T act against him at least once? boy you aren’t her first rider..)

it doesn’t work immediately but both of them can see it works way better the right way, they just have to get it right!!

I think the whole thing with Amber checking up on her, then Sofia’s opponents appear, and Hugo challenges them still happens

but I’d definitely have liked to see Clio and Hildegarde pop up with their opinions more

(tho I feel like their opinions would be less helpful and more.. silly?? traditional almost? y’know how they are 😭 I mean Hildy literally said "do you have to (practice)?")

Their ending agreement in my rewrite would be Sofia convincing Hugo that he shouldn’t start focusing on speed after getting beaten, they need team work!!

He’s definitely still insisting on being the one to cross tho. Everyone present SIIIIIGHED!!

They still get extra practice in before the competition but before that, Axel opens his big mouth and during practice Hugo spends a lot of time being MORE stubborn than usual. It's obvious to anyone and Sofia feels like they're back at square one.

After crashing out particularly bad at Sofia, Electra completely stops listening to him then and that's when he has his whole quitting moment

The rest of the ending would work almost the exact same way!

except Amber definitely acknowledges James for still being part of the team, tho she then says Hugo "did alright" (this gets a laugh out of all of them)

after everyones congratulated them, they’ll get time alone while leading their horses back to the stables AND HUGO APOLOGIZES TO SOFIA DIRECTLY!! this is important to me!

seriously why didn’t they have him apologize directly, it would’ve meant so much to her

(They’ll thank their horses for their work first tho!!!) (on a side note, don't you think it'd be kinda fun if there were hints of romance between their horses? kinda mirroring Hugfia in a way? no? just me? okay..)

ok I'm caving in and writing this part:

“Alright! If we’re done here, the others mentioned they wanted to—“ Sofia starts to make her way out, expecting him to follow her. Hugo only stares at her. Mentally debating on what he should do.

But he found himself chasing after her and catching her hand before she could completely walk away. This startled both of them.

"Wait Sofia!”

“What's wrong Hugo?”

“It.. it wasn't just luck," He pauses and realizes he wasn't making any sense at the moment. So he gathers up all his courage and continues. "Sofia, you’re the most hard working person I know, I was wrong you didn't get into the team with just 'luck'. I was just being too stubborn to admit it. What I’m trying to say is... I'm.. I'm sorry... for not listening to you and for looking down on you all those times."

Somewhere in the middle of his apology he found himself staring at the ground. When he finally gets the courage to look back at her, Sofia's beaming at him. And Hugo felt a strange warmth in his chest.

after that they become friends (tho it definitely won't be perfect, I like the idea that they’ll work on it over time!)

the horses especially Electra make sounds of approval btw, she definitely says it's "about time he apologized" and Minimus agrees

oh and they definitely get an after party!!