Never the Final Word (Vol. 2)

by FanOfMostEverything


Georg's Troubing but Nuffle (Estee's Sports in Equestria blog)

The locker room for the Canterlot Cavaliers was nearly silent except for the sound of turning pages and the odd whispering as certain hoofball players attempted to sound out the unusual words on their copy of the invitation. Finally, Wind Gust closed his copy and looked around at his fellow athletes.

"Dis rulebook is too short. Dey must have broke it up into pieces, on account of it ain't got no rules for most of our plays."

"Like the Flying Piledriver," said Static Block.

"Or the Mitzocanitic Blitz Incantation," said Esoteric. "In fact, this has to be a joke. The Interdimensional League? I've never heard of it before."

"They shipped us fifty-six kilograms of .999 pure gold for a down payment," said Assay Line, the team owner, who had been lurking in the corner ever since he passed out the duplicated invites. "Substantially more is due on our arrival, and if we win all three of our exhibition games at this venue, we'll clear more net than the gross for a whole season in Canterlot." The wealthy unicorn's lips curled back in a vicious grin, reminding all of the players that he had once been out on the field just like them, and had plowed more than his fair share of opponents into the turf despite being nominally a Canterlot Royal with a pinkish coat and frilly mane. "They said it would be a lot of fun teaching a bunch of little paisley ponies how to play their game."

There was a low growl that went around the locker room, the kind that would make a full-grown lion decide on rutabagas for lunch.

"I'm in," said Heavy Impact, the quarterback, with a gap-toothed grin. "I tink we can teach them a lot too about how to play—" He squinted at the cover of the instruction manual "—Bloodbowl."