//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: The Season Begins // Story: The Ponyville Sluggers // by Master_Twig //------------------------------// The Ponyville Tornadoes stepped off the train. It was a beautiful morning and the air of Dodge Junction was dry, but pleasantly cool. It was the morning of opening day, with just six hours until the first pitch. The whole team was buzzing with excitement. Rainbow Dash was flying just over her friends. “I can’t believe it’s finally our first game. Why do we have to be on the road though? We should start the season at home.” Thunderlane shrugged. “Half the teams have to play their first game on the road.” Twilight shook her head with a smile. “Look at it this way. Rarity’s contact has time to get more merchandise to the park to sell. We’ll have a bigger and better opening day this way.” “I don’t care where we’re playing, I’m just happy that we’re finally here. The offseason is finally over.” Moonshot had a bounce to her step and a smile on her face. “You can look around town for a while, but you need to be at the field in an hour for lunch. Fluttershy is making it special for us, so don’t eat anything else. I don’t want any of you all groggy on me from overeating.” “I think I’m gonna go say hello to Cherry Jubilee real quick.” Announced Applejack. “I’ll come too. How about you Rainbow Dash?” said Twilight. “Might as well. Though it won’t be a great visit if we can’t eat any cherries.” Said Dash dryly. Moonshot shook her head. “You can eat all the cherries you want after the game. I need you moving fast. We’ll see you at the field. I do need two of you to stay behind to help Fluttershy with the equipment.” Caramel and Thunderlane volunteered and stuck behind to wait for the train attendants to unload the gear. The rest of the team headed off into town. Moonshot headed directly to the Dodge Junction field. She liked Dodge Junction. It was a small town, much like Ponyville, but what Moonshot liked was that baseball seemed to be the only sport that really caught on here. The Dodge Junction Rangers were the only sports team in town with any following, so their games were always packed. If not Ponyville, Moonshot was glad this town was the first stop on the Tornadoes tour. She knew the competition would be tough, especially now that they were taking players from Appleloosa. As she approached the park she noticed a teammate of her’s was right behind her. She looked back and smiled at her. “Hey Maud. Ready to play?” Maud was as dry as ever. “I want to look at the dirt on the field. See what kind of rocks they’re using.” Moonshot rolled her eyes. “Knock yourself out.” “Why would I do that? A head injury would affect my play.” “I was… nevermind. Have fun looking at the dirt. I need to go check us in.” Moonshot headed into the field office. She met with the league official, signed some paperwork and submitted the team line-up and batting order. Once all the boring work was done she walked out of the field office and onto the field. She looked around and took a deep breath, taking in the atmosphere. “Well, well, well. Moonshot Striker.” A stallion’s voice came from behind her. Moonshot quickly turned around. “Flint Bolt!” She ran over and gave the stallion a tight hug. Flint returned it just as tightly, then loosened and took a step back, smiling. “Great to see you here again. Made me really happy to hear that Ponyville was going to play this year.” Moonshot smiled broadly at the stallion. Flint Bolt was a tall stallion. His fur was a deep teal color accented by a blackened steel colored mane. The image of a lightning bolt shattering a boulder adorned his flank. Moonshots smile turned into a cocky smirk. “You won’t be so happy after we’re done beating you senseless on the field.” Flint Bolt raised an eyebrow. “Oh, is that a fact?” “Best team Ponyville has ever put together.” Moonshot beamed at him. Flint raised a hoof and waved it dismissively. “Well I got some great ponies from Apple Loosa to join this year. I’m afraid Dodge Junction also has the best team we’ve ever put together.” “So we can both beat up on the Royals then?” Flint chuckled. “If only to see the look on Winning Streak’s face when they take last place in the division.” “That is definitely the dream.” Her eyes softened. “It really is great to see you again.” “You too. Just don’t go soft on me. I want to see you and your team in top form. You know, so I can feel proud about beating you.” “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of going easy on you. I’m more motivated than ever to win this year.” Flint’s eyes shifted to the side. “Yeah. I heard about that. I’m going to do my best to convince Swift Impact to keep you around.” “You don’t need to do that. I’m confident we’ll do well enough on our own.” “You really think your team is that good?” Moonshot nodded. “I got some really great ponies. Like that one right there.” She pointed to Maud, who was on the warning track, scooping dirt into a mason jar. “Plus I got myself an ace pitcher and the fastest center fielder you’ve ever seen.” “And what about you? Haven’t gotten rusty on me have you? Moonshot put her hoof on his chest. “You’ll just have to see on the field. I’m the starting pitcher today.” “I don’t know how you manage to own and coach the team and still end up playing on it.” “Simple,” said Moonshot with a wink. “Passion.” Flint chuckled and waved a hoof. “Of course. Well, I better get to the locker room. Gotta let the team know you’re not going to be a bunch of pushovers.” He turned and headed to the Ranger’s locker room. Moonshot watched him leave, a smile on her face. She let out a sigh and turned to head to her own locker room. Just as she turned, she was face to face with Cloudchaser. Moonshot jumped back. “Gah. Don’t do that.” Cloudchaser smirked at Moonshot. “So, who was that?” “The manager of the Rangers.” She put up a hoof defensively. “Just having a friendly pre-game chat.” Cloudchaser leaned in, her grin only growing. “A very friendly chat it seems.” “Hey now. Flint and I are old friends. Nothing more.” She pushes Cloudchaser back gently. “So don’t get any ideas.” “Well that’s good.” Cloudchaser said with a hint of tease in her voice. “Wouldn’t want you getting all mushy on us.” “Wouldn’t dream of it.” Moonshot trotted past Cloudchaser quickly, trying to hide the redness in her cheeks. -------------------------- The energy level in the locker room was high. Lunch was eaten, batting practice was over, and every pony on the team was in uniform. The first pitch was only fifteen minutes away. Nopony in the room was more excited than Moonshot. She hopped up onto a table and cleared her throat. “Alright everypony! We’ve practiced for a month for this and it’s finally here! It’s going to be tough out there. The Rangers aren’t going to go easy on us, so let’s not go easy on them. I want you all to do your best and get us a win. But most importantly, have fun out there. Now, are you all ready?” The rest of the team stomped their hooves and let out a loud, enthusiastic “Yeah!” “Alright. Let’s get out there and stomp those Rangers! Go Tornadoes!” Moonshot led the way, charging out of the locker room and onto the field. The Tornadoes were met with mild applause. The team lined up down the third base line as the announcer read off the lineup. Most of the ponies in the crowd were simply chatting amongst themselves, with only a few claps here and there. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but notice and turned to Moonshot. “They’re not really too excited to see us, are they?” Moonshot chuckled. “Get used to it. To all of them we’re the bad guys. Just be happy they’re not booing us. Wait til we play at home.” Rainbow Dash smirked, “Then I guess I’ll just have to give them such a show that they can’t help but cheer for us.” “That’s the spirit. You’re the first pony to bat today. How bout you lead off the season with a hit?” “Just watch me.” The announcer reached the end of the line-up. “And batting 9th, playing first base, Princess Twilight Sparkle!” This announcement got the fans attention, causing no shortage of cheering. Twilight blushed and gave a meek wave to the crowd. Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Figures.” They stood and watched as the Rangers took the field. As they did, the crowd erupted in cheers and stomps, causing the whole park to shake. As the announcer read off the Rangers line-up, each pony on the team got a loud cheer. Once the ceremony was over, Moonshot and Flint Bolt met in the in-field and shook each other’s hooves. “You guys got a nice welcome from your fans there. Too bad they’re going to be all disappointed when you lose.” Said Moonshot with a wink. “Just try to not hit my batters with a wild pitch, alright?” Moonshot chuckled. “Alright. Let’s do this.” Flint nodded. “Let’s have a good game. “ The two ponies trotted back to their dugouts. The Rangers grabbed their gloves and ran out onto the field. Rainbow Dash hopped out of the dugout and towards the batter’s box. She gave her bat a few practice swings as the pitcher tossed a few warm-up pitches to the catcher. Rainbow Dash stepped into the batter’s box and stared at the pitcher, a slender, yellow furred stallion with a dark red mane. The two made eye contact. Both narrowed their eyes, trying to intimidate the other. The park went quiet. The pitcher reared up. With a mighty buck, the first pitch was a fastball, right over the plate. Rainbow Dash swung, but it was a miss. “Strike one!” called out the umpire. Rainbow grunted and reset herself, ready for the next pitch. The pitcher sent out the pitch. Rainbow nearly swung, but she held back as it was sailing a bit high. The ball hit the catcher’s mitt. “Ball!” came the umpire’s announcement. “Good eye Dash!” called out Moonshot from the dugout. The next pitch came quickly. This one was on target and Dash gave a mighty swing. The bat made firm contact with the ball. It flew up into the air, heading sharply to the right. The ball was caught, but by a fan in the stands, a foul ball. “Come on Rainbow, you can do this.” She muttered to herself as they tossed a new ball to the pitcher. The pitcher stared Rainbow down intensely. He reared up and gave the ball a buck, this pitch was a change-up, coming in slower. Rainbow adjusted and gave the bat a swing. The bat hit the ball firmly. The pitcher watched as the ball sailed right over his head and right between the second basemare and shortstop, landing in shallow center field. Rainbow released the bat and charged towards first base. The centerfielder charged the ball and quickly bucked it back to the infield, but far too late. Rainbow Dash jogged across first base with plenty of time to spare. She looked back at her dugout to see the rest of her team cheering loudly. Rainbow beamed and waved to her team. Fluttershy trotted over and traded Dash’s batting helmet for a ball cap. They gave each other a quick hoof bump before Fluttershy trotted back to the dugout. Rainbow Dash watched as Thunderlane secured his bat and stepped up to the plate. She glanced to her right, looking right at second base. She turned her gaze to the pitcher. She started to inch off of second base, getting a nice lead off. The pitcher reared up, readying his pitch. As soon as the ball was lobbed for the pitch, Dash took off for second base. The ball was bucked hard, but far outside. The catcher was ready and as soon as it hit his glove, it was out and bucked . The second basemare dashed forward, snagging the ball and swiping downwards in the same motion. Rainbow Dash didn’t have a chance. As quickly as she had gotten a moment of glory, it was gone. The out call by the umpire stung in her ears as she shamefully stood up and began her walk back to the dugout. Moonshot didn’t have to say anything to Dash, her expression staring daggers at her. With her head hung low and her tail between her legs, Dash sat back down on the dugout bench. The rest of the inning was over fast. Three pitches later, Thunderlane struck out. Maud was up next and made contact, but the ball was easily caught in the outfield on the fly. Moonshot turned to the team. “That’s alright. We’re not going to score every inning. Let’s just get out there and keep it even. “ The Tornadoes took to the field. Moonshot stood on the mound and picked up the ball. She did a few practice bucks to Big Mac while the batter warmed up. She looked out over the crowd. A feeling of euphoria swept over her. She was finally back on the field. The smell of the grass, the cheering of the crowd, and the feeling of the ball on her hoof melted all of her worries away. The probation, the revenue; none of that mattered anymore. The game was on and it was time to pitch. The first batter gave her a little trouble. She started out with a strike, but then lost focus and threw a few balls. She recovered with a strike, but the strike-out wouldn’t come on the next few pitches as the batter kept fouling them back. Finally, on the 9th pitch, the batter got a small piece of the ball. It rolled towards third base. Maud dashed forward, scooping it up tossing it to Twilight, easily getting the force-out. Moonshot recovered nicely as the next batter swung on the first pitch, sending the ball sky-high. Big Macintosh pulled off his catcher’s mask and positioned himself under it. He made the catch with no trouble. The third batter was a large stallion. Moonshot recognized him from a few years back. Lots of power, but she knew how to deal with him. Moonshot alternated curveballs and sliders. He swung three times and made no contact. A smirk crossed her face as the umpire called the third strike. Moonshot jogged off the mound and over to Fluttershy who traded her catching glove for a batting glove. Moonshot was set to lead off the inning and she was itching for a hit. Once the Rangers were all in place, she stood in the batter’s box and readied herself. She let the first ball sail past her. The umpire called a strike, and Moonshot knew he was right, but it wasn’t the pitch she wanted. The second pitch also flew past her, nearly hitting her as it was way inside. She stepped back and adjusted her grip, then stepped forward and prepared herself. The pitcher reared up and sent a fastball down the center. Moonshot gave a swing and with a pop, the ball flew off towards the outfield. Moonshot ran as fast as she could towards first. She kept an eye on the ball and watched it hit the gap. The centerfielder had to chase it down as it cruised towards the wall. Moonshot rounded first and kept her sprint going. The ball was bucked back to the infield, but it was too late. Moonshot ran into second base standing. She pumped a hoof in the air as her team cheered for her. Fluttershy quickly flew out to exchange Moonshot’s equipment as Big Macintosh readied himself to hit. “Alright. Get me home Big Mac!” shouted Moonshot from second. “Eeyup.” Said Big Mac with a nod as he pulled his bat back. The first couple pitches were tough ones and Big Macintosh quickly found himself down 0 – 2 in the count. The third however was right in his zone and he slammed the ball hard. It was a line-drive shot just over first base. The ball landed just fair. Moonshot took off. The right fielder got to the ball quickly and bucked it back towards first. Moonshot rounded third, determined to score. The relay was on and the ball sailed towards home. Moonshot leapt forward, going into a slide. The catcher grabbed the ball and swung his mitt down towards Moonshot. A cloud of dust poofed up and the park went quiet. The umpire stepped up and swung his front legs outward. “SAFE!” The crowd let out a disappointed groan, but the Tornadoes dugout burst out into cheering. Moonshot trotted into the dugout, high-hoofing each teammate as she walked past them. The scorekeeper pegasi took a “1” tile and placed it onto the Tornadoes score. Ponyville had its first lead of the season. Caramel stepped up to bat next. On a 3-2 pitch, he made soft contact. It was a weak grounder to the shortstop. The shortstop quickly tagged second then bucked it to first and the double-play was complete. This seemed to get the crowd back into the game. It picked up the pitcher’s spirit as well, as when Cloudchaser came up, she was put down on a four pitch strike-out. The bottom of the inning went as well for the Tornadoes as the first. The Tornadoes felt like they were off the field as quickly as they got onto it. Candy Mane was up first. She took a few pitches, but then finally made contact. It was a grounder to third. With a quick relay, she was out. Twilight put on her batting glove and swallowed hard. She stepped up to the plate nervously, not even noticing the legions of ponies cheering for her. Three pitches are all it took. Strike one. Strike two. Strike three. Twilight walked shamefully back to the plate. Rainbow Dash gave her a little nod. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll get a hit next time.” Twilight forced a smile. “Thanks Rainbow. Guess it’s up to you now.” “Right on. Gotta make up for my mistake in the first.” Rainbow Dash stepped up and readied her bat. The first pitch was in the dirt. The second was wide. Rainbow kept her cool and let both pitches sail by for balls. The third pitch was a low curveball. Dash swung and missed. The fourth pitch was in the dirt again. Rainbow Dash was itching to get another hit, not really wanting to take a walk. She was about to focus on making contact, but Moonshots words from training stuck with her. It was her job to get on base, not to be a hero. The next pitch sailed in. It was a curveball, coming in slow. She held off, and the ball missed the strike zone. Close, but definitely a ball. Rainbow smirked as it was time to take her base. She started to unstrap the glove when the umpire called out. “Strike.” Rainbow couldn’t believe it. The pitch was easily a ball. “What? How can you call that a strike? That was way out of the zone!” The umpire stared at Rainbow Dash, keeping calm and saying nothing. Dash stomped her foot. “Take the call back and give me the walk! That was a terrible call!” Moonshot was on her feet, calling out to Dash to get her to stop, but it was too late. The umpire turned and with a strong motion, swung his hoof out and to the right. “You’re outta here!” Rainbows jaw dropped. “You can’t call me out! That would still only be strike two!” The umpire furrowed his brow. “No, you’re out of the game. Get to the locker room and don’t come out for the rest of the game. You’re done.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes were wide and her wings flared out. “You… you can’t do that!” Moonshot grabbed Dash’s tail in her mouth and yanked her back. She put herself between Dash and the umpire and put a hoof in Dash’s mouth. “Yes he can. Now get the hay out of here before you make it worse!” Dash pulled away from Moonshot, looking her straight in the eye. If looks could kill, Dash would be on her way to the morgue instead of the locker room. She inched back, then turned and ran back to the locker room, leaving the game behind her. She stepped into the room, looking around and feeling very alone suddenly. “It was a ball… how can he call it like that? It’s not my fault he can’t get a call right. All I did was defend the truth!” She slammed a hoof onto a table, causing a plate of cheese and crackers to fly onto the floor. The next couple hours were agonizing for Dash. She couldn’t make out what the announcer was saying, but she could hear cheering every now and then. The hardest part wasn’t being kept from the results of the game, it was knowing that she was going to have a talk with Moonshot, and it wasn’t going to be pleasant. Just to keep herself from going crazy, Dash decided to pass the time cleaning up the locker room and packing up some equipment. It helped a little, but not much. Just as she was finished setting out the post-game snacks that Fluttershy had prepared, she heard an enormous roar from the crowd. Something good had happened for the Rangers, and it seemed big because the cheering didn’t subside. They kept on cheering for several minutes. “Oh boy… that can’t be good.” She muttered to herself. A couple minutes later the door to the locker room opened and the Tornadoes filed in. The complete lack of smiles told Rainbow all she needed to know. “What… happened?” Applejack tossed off her ball cap and replaced it with her Stetson. “They got a walk off hit. We had em going in to the ninth, and they beat us.” Lucky had his head down and his ears drooped. “It was my fault. I couldn’t close them out. Moonshot should have stayed in.” Moonshot patted him on the back. “I was too worn out to keep pitching. You did better than I would have. It happens.” Twilight sighed. “Well, it was just one game. 29 more to go right?” Moonshot nodded. “Right. You all did great out there today. We’re not going to win all the time. Try not to let this one get you down. Our next game is at home and we’ll be in front of all of your friends and families. Grab some food, get showered up and take it easy. The train leaves at 5 am tomorrow, so don’t be out too late.” Rainbow Dash cringed as Moonshot trotted right past her. She loosened up as Moonshot didn’t even acknowledge her. Dash kept quiet and stayed out of Moonshot’s way as the team cleaned up. Dash thought just for a second that maybe she was off the hook as she started to walk out of the locker room. Moonshot’s voice hit Rainbow Dash like a rock. “We need to talk. To the dugout. Now.” Rainbow gulped. “Yes Ma’am.” The two of them stepped into the dugout. Dash sat back, waiting for Moonshot to start. Moonshot took off her cap and turned to the Pegasus. “Want to tell me what you were thinking out there?” “I was doing what I thought was best. The first inning I thought I had the speed to steal. It looked so open.” “You have a lot to learn about when you’re open to steal or not. You could be a great base-stealer, but we’ll work on that. Now, you know that’s not why we’re out here.” “That pitch was a ball! It was way outside.” Moonshot raised her voice. “You think I give a flying feather if it was a ball or a strike? You do NOT argue with the umpire!” Dash pointed towards the plate. “But he was wrong! I should have walked!” Moonshot took a deep breath with her eyes closed to calm herself. “That doesn’t matter. Arguing with an umpire over balls or strikes will get you thrown out of a game, and it will never get you what you want. If I see you argue with an umpire again you’ll be out longer than just one game. Do I make myself clear?” Rainbow Dash stared blankly, then hung her head. “Yes Ma’am.” “Do you know how we lost tonight?” “I didn’t hear exactly how…” “It was a long fly ball to center field. Blossomforth chased it down and made a diving attempt to catch the ball, but she fell short and the baserunner made it home from first base.” Moonshot put her hoof on Dash’s chest. “You would have made that catch.” “I… I’m sorry Moonshot.” Moonshot took her hoof off of Dash. “I know you are. You’re a good ball player, but you need to use your head. From now on, you will not steal unless I give you the signal and you will not argue a call. Got it?” Dash gave a solemn nod. “Got it.” Moonshot looked out at the empty park. “I really wanted to get a win today. But honestly I’m more worried about our next game. The home opener is the most important game of the year. If we put on a good show, the ponies will be back. I really need to fill up those stands.” “We will. Promise.” Moonshot let out a long sigh. “When we were trying to recruit Applejack, you kept asking about last season. You want to know what’s really been going on?” Moonshot turned back and looked Rainbow Dash in the eyes. “You don’t have to…” “It’s okay. You should know. There wasn’t a team last year, so there wasn’t any revenue. I rented out the park a few times, but it wasn’t enough. I had very little income, and what I did have I paid to Clipper just to keep the place maintained. It got so bad I had to sell my house. I live at the park now in a tiny room in the back of the offices. If the league drops us I won’t be able to keep the park. I will have literally nothing left.” “Moonshot.” Dash put her hoof gently on Moonshot’s shoulder. “That’s not true. You have us. You’ve been a great manager, but you’ve also been a good friend, and friends help each other out. As long as you’ve got us, you don’t have nothing. Whatever happens, we’re here for you.” Moonshot wiped a tear from her eye. “Thank you Rainbow Dash. I don’t know how I got so lucky to find you and your friends. You’ve all gone above and beyond what I could ever ask of anypony. I thought if I worked really hard I could save the team.” She lets out a nervous chuckle. “But I guess it’s the team that’s going to save me.” “Hey now. Don’t get all mushy on me. We have 29 games to focus on winning. Can’t win if we’re getting all soft.” Moonshot shook her head with a smile. “Right.” She turned back towards the door to the locker room. “Next game is in two days. Let’s make Ponyville proud.”