//------------------------------// // THE FIRST DOWN // Story: Ten More Yards // by 5aszs //------------------------------// “Atomic, get up! You’re going to be late for school!” Atomic groaned when he heard his mother’s voice, and he threw the duvet onto the floor in frustration. “Atomic. Up, now!” “Yes Mom, I’m up!” Atomic rubbed his eyes and yawned as he got out of bed, slowly making his way out of his bedroom. He walked across the hallway and into the bathroom and closed the door behind him, before taking out his toothbrush from the cup that was next to the mirror above the sink. “Atomic, you’re going to be late, hurry up!” Ten minutes later, a yawning Atomic sat down at the breakfast table with his satchel, his breakfast already waiting for him on the table. “Mom, you know I don't like porridge! It tastes so crap!” Atomic cried, looking down disgustedly at the bowl of steaming hot porridge in front of him. “If you had woken up earlier, then there would’ve been time for me to make something else. Stop complaining and eat.” Atomic groaned and slowly ate his breakfast, before lifting his head when he heard somepony enter the living room. “Hey Atomic, how come you’re still here?” “I was gonna ask you the same thing Dad.” “Luckily for me, I have a late start today. Apparently all of the typewriters are down so they’re gonna try and fix them now.” Syracuse walked over to the radio to turn it on. “Let’s see what’s the latest hoofball news is today.” “And we’re about to go live to the Nick Foals interview.” Both Syracuse and Atomic sat up straight. “Nick, how do you rate your team’s chances against the Eagles?” “It’s definitely gonna be a good matchup, the Eagles are a very strong team, but uh, I’m confident that we’re gonna take this game.” “What are your aims for this season?” “It's the same as every season really, get as deep in the playoffs as we can and hopefully make the Finals and win the title.” “And are you looking to redeem yourself after how last season ended for you?” “Yeah, definitely. But it isn’t my primary focus, I just want to make sure that the team can count on me to come through when needed.” As Syracuse turned off the radio, Atomic finished his breakfast and stood up. “The Dragons better win, otherwise it’ll be a waste of our time.” “Even if they lose, it’ll still be a good day out Atomic, so keep your hopes up,” said Syracuse, before walking over to give his son a hug. “Have a good day at school, son. If there are any more problems, you know who to come to.” “I know. Tell Mom and Butter I said bye.” Atomic returned his father’s embrace, before picking up his satchel and leaving the house. “Atomic, wait up!” Thunderhoof galloped behind Atomic and stopped, panting for breath. “I..know….you don't wanna, talk to me, but, I’m sorry for what I did yesterday. That’s all I wanted to say.” Atomic watched Thunderhoof walk past him, toying with whether he should forgive him or not. It's not fair for me to treat him like this, and I need somepony to talk to. “Thunder, wait!” Atomic quickened his pace and caught up to his friend. “You’re not gonna go to school without me are you?” “Come on Thunder, let’s get to PE quickly, I don't wanna be late.” As the bell continued to ring, Atomic quickly threw away the rest of his food into the bin behind him and he followed Thunder through the canteen exit and out onto the field. “Do we line up here or…” “Over there!” Atomic pointed at a few ponies from his homeroom class that were walking into the field and lining up. The two friends sprinted across the field, barging past ponies that were coming back into the building. “Watch it you idiots!” Nearly ninety seconds later, the colts reached the rest of their class, and they quickly joined the back of the queue as their teacher came out, desperately trying to catch their breath. “Hello everypony! Did you all have a good summer?” The fillies and colts eagerly replied, and Mr Cobalt smiled, before his face narrowed into a frown. “Good, because this year, I am going to make you work harder than ever, and there will be no slacking from any of you, you got that? That includes you fillies, if I hear any complaints from your teacher, there will be severe consequences, alright?” “Yes, sir,” replied the class. “Okay, let me do the register,” Mr Cobalt paused to pick up the clipboard and pen. “Atomic.” “Here, sir.” Everypony turned around to look at Atomic, shocked at where he was standing, before they burst into laughter, Pablo laughing the loudest. “I’m sorry Atomic and Thunderhoof, but you can’t join the fillies today, however much you prefer ballet over hoofball.” Thunderhoof and Atomic realised that they were standing in the wrong queue‍, and they quickly joined the back of the colts’ queue as the others laughed, their cheeks burning bright red. Once Mr Cobalt had finished taking the register, he led the colts through the gate at the end of the field and into their changing room. “Girls, your teacher is waiting for you inside, she’s just getting the studio ready for you,” Mr Cobalt pointed inside the other changing room as the fillies entered. Atomic and Thunderhoof made their way through the other colts to get to their spaces at the back of the changing room. “If any of you forgot your kits, now is the time to tell me,” Mr Cobalt called out as he entered the small room next to the changing room entrance. Three minutes after he had entered, Atomic had finished putting his kit on, and he sat down on the bench as he waited for his friend to finish. “Are you sure you wanna be here with us and not dancing with the fillies?” Atomic sighed and turned to face Pablo, who as usual had Blaze and Mustang with him. Thunderhoof opened his mouth to speak but remembered what had happened yesterday, and he kept quiet. “Nope, I’m perfectly fine here Pablo. If I were you I wouldn’t be looking forward to losing today, so why don’t you and your friends get back to getting changed or I’ll make your defeat ten times worse.” “Aw, look guys, baby Atomic is actually speaking up for once. What happened, did mummy Thunderhoof teach you how to speak?” sneered Pablo, and Blaze and Mustang started laughing. “Coming from the guy who’s always got two other ponies with him. Are you scared of me Pablo, is that why you always have to have backup every time you try and talk to me?” smirked Atomic, stepping forward to stand face to face with Pablo. Thunderhoof laughed and Atomic smirked as Pablo growled and walked away, the other colts quickly following after him. “That was so funny, did you see his face when you said that?” giggled Thunderhoof. “Yeah, he had it coming.” “I’m done now, let’s go.” Atomic and Thunderhoof walked out of the changing room. “Ladies, stop right there.” The two colts turned around and saw Mr Cobalt carrying two buckets; one filled with hoofballs and the other filled with bibs. “Take these two with you and put them next to the goalposts.” “Yes, sir,” Atomic and Thunderhoof replied, before taking a bucket each. “Do you want me to take that for you Atomic?” asked Thunderhoof, noticing that his friend was struggling.” “I’ll be fine,” grunted Atomic as he put the bucket down, before picking it up again and following his friend. “For those of you who don’t know by now, this semester we will be doing the hoofball unit. By the end of this semester, you will all be able to catch and throw a hoofball at a distance of least ten metres, you will all improve your 40 yard dash times, and you will all know and be able to play your allocated position in a full hoofball game.” Atomic struggled to stand still, his excitement causing him to shiver slightly as he stared at the goalposts behind his teacher, picturing himself running with the ball, dodging the oncoming defenders and smirking when he brushed past them with ease. He swerved past the last opponent in his path and crossed the ten yard line, and making a touchdown, the crowds cheering wildly for him as he celebrated. Atomic! Atomic! Atomic! “Atomic!” “What?” Thunderhoof gestured to their teacher, who appeared close to losing his temper. “For the third time Atomic Tangerine, what are the rules of hoofball?” “The aim of the game is to score more points than the other team, eleven players are on the field for each team, the team with the ball are the offense and the team without the ball are the defence and-” “Thank you Atomic. The job of the offence is to move the ball up the field and score points whilst the defence’s job is to stop the offence moving the ball forwards.” Mr Cobalt picked up a hoofball from the bucket behind him and held it up. “The first little activity we’re gonna do today is a catching drill. You’re all gonna get into pairs and stand a few metres away from each other and throw the ball. For every catch made, you and your partner will take two steps back. The pair that get the furthest without dropping the ball will get a prize. If you or your partner do not catch the ball, then you are both out and you must both sit down. Oh, and you’re not allowed to use any magic, unicorns.” The unicorns in the class immediately began complaining, and Mr Cobalt ignored their complaints and put the hoofball back into the bucket. “Me and you Thunder, we can beat all of them easily,” whispered Atomic, nudging Thunder. “And one more thing. I will be picking the pairs. Line up.” The colts groaned but lined up side by side to face their teacher. Atomic and Thunderhoof stood next to each other in hopes that they would be put together. “Chrome Sky and Steel Wind, off you go. Aegis and Silver. Blaze and Mustang.” As Coach Cobalt made his way down the line, Thunderhoof noticed that he was pairing up ponies that were standing next to each other. “I’m telling you Atomic, he’s definitely gonna put us together, he’s just picking the ponies that are next to each other,” he whispered. Coach Cobalt overheard Thunderhoof’s comment and he stopped in front of him. “Atomic and……Pablo! Pair up.” “What?!” “You heard me. Is there a problem gentlecolts?” “No sir,” they both grumbled, Atomic reluctantly walking over to join Pablo. “I’m getting the ball. Find a good space,” Pablo ordered as he walked over to the bucket with hoofballs. “Find a good space,” mimicked Atomic under his breath. He spotted Thunderhoof and his partner at a spot near the other side of the pitch and he quickly galloped there. “Hey Thunder, hey Pacific Sail.” Atomic as he stood next to Thunderhoof. “I feel sorry for you man, you got paired up with Pablo,” remarked Pacific Sail to which Atomic sighed and nodded. “Stop talking and move back.” Pablo walked through the middle of pairs that were doing the activity, ignoring the complaints as he walked over to stand nearly ten metres opposite Atomic. Without any warning, Atomic suddenly saw the hoofball flying towards him at breakneck speed, and he just about managed to lean back and rise up on his hind legs to catch the ball. “At least give me a heads up,” Atomic grumbled. “I don't care. Don’t make us lose,” came the harsh reply. Atomic growled and took two steps back before throwing the ball back to Pablo as hard as he could, and he caught it with ease. As the colts took more and more steps back, the number of pairs missing their catches increased, until there were only two pairs left. “This is really far Thunder, I don't think I’ll be able to catch it.” “Come on, you can do it,” reassured Thunderhoof as he threw the ball. The ball however fell short and despite Pacific Sail’s best efforts, it landed in front of him. “Sorry. Messed up on that one,” said Thunderhoof as he sprinted to join his partner. “It’s alright, I probably wouldn’t have caught it anyway,” replied Pacific Sail as the two sat down next to each other. I can’t let him beat me. I’m gonna catch everything he throws at me. Atomic and Pablo were locked in a throwing and catching duel, each pony determined to not be the one who broke the streak and lost. The rest of the colts stopped their conversations one by one and turned to watch the two colts. “Whoever drops the ball first stays behind to help me clean up the changing rooms for an hour,” Mr Cobalt called out, and his words had the desired effect as Atomic and Pablo increased the speed at which they were throwing the ball. Come on, I have to get this one. There’s no way I can drop this. Atomic took two steps back and leapt up into the air, his back arching as his forelegs stretched behind his head and his hooves just managed to scrape the ball before he quickly pulled it down into his stomach as he landed. “Yes, Atomic!” Thunderhoof jumped up from the grass, before sliding back down to the floor when he saw the others looking at him. Atomic smiled when he heard Thunderhoof’s encouragement and he took two steps, throwing the ball as hard as he could and hoping that Pablo would not catch it. Pablo smirked as he watched the ball fly through the air, digging his hooves into the ground in anticipation to jump into the air and catch the ball. But Pablo jumped too late, and he watched in horror as his hooves desperately tried to reach the ball from behind his head as it fell behind him. The colts and their teacher watched in silence as the ball rolled around on the floor, and Atomic couldn't help but grin when he saw Pablo’s crestfallen face. “Pablo, I was just kidding about the detention. Well done, the pair of you for being the last two remaining,” said Mr Cobalt, and the rest of the class applauded. “What about the prize, sir?” asked Atomic. “There was no prize.” “What?!” “You heard me, there was never any prize. But clearly it motivated you two to do your best, did it not? Right, up you get everypony, the next activity is one that I know all of you are going to enjoy; the bleep test.” “I think, I think….I’m gonna throw up.” “Me...too.” The colts lay on the grass exhausted, with some having to visit the medical room after the demanding fitness test. Atomic lay on his back next to Thunderhoof, hooves behind his head as he tried to catch his breath. “By the end of this semester, I expect each of you to improve by two levels in the bleep test. Go get changed. If you're feeling ill, go and see the nurse on your way out of school .” Thunderhoof slowly stood up and he held out a hoof to help Atomic up. “Ladies, take these two back to the changing rooms and put them outside my door.” Atomic groaned and reluctantly picked up the bucket with his mouth, limping to the changing rooms. “It’s okay, I’ll take them,” said Thunderhoof, using his magic to levitate the two buckets above his head. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, my dad told me in the summer that he was gonna look for a local hoofball team to join. D’you wanna come with me to their tryouts?” “My dad said the same thing to me yesterday! When’s the tryouts?” “At seven o'clock.” “Seven o'clock?!” exclaimed Atomic, suddenly stopping. “I can barely walk, let alone run. How am I gonna make it onto the team?” “It'll be fine Atomic, just rest up when you get home and you get home and I’m sure that your legs will be fine so that you can play at your best in the tryouts. We'll both make the team.” “Yeah, we'll both make it.” “That’s the spirit!” Thunderhoof placed the buckets outside Coach Cobalt’s door and turned to face Atomic. “It’ll also be one step closer to the EHL for both of us.” “And one less thing for Miss Ivory to use against me, the stupid mare,” added Atomic. “Mom, I’m home!” Atomic closed the door behind him and walked into the living room, falling back onto the sofa and lying down. “How was your day?” called out Tea Rose as she came down the stairs. “Tiring,” replied Atomic, lifting his head up slightly. “Dinner’s running a little late today, is that alright?” “Yeah, it’s….fine,” mumbled Atomic, getting up off the sofa and slowly leaving the room to put his satchel away. “Atomic, where are you? I’ve got some good news!” “Coming, Dad!” Atomic quickly got up from his bed and left his room, going down the stairs two at a time before slowing down as he reached the bottom, wincing in pain. “Hey...Dad, what’s the good news?” Syracuse closed the door behind him and held up a leaflet to show his son. “I was talking to one of my friends today about you and he told me about a hoofball team not too far away that he sends his son to, and that today they were holding their annual tryouts. Sound good?” “Thunderhoof told me that he was going to hoofball tryouts today as well! Maybe it's for the same team,” said Atomic, skimming over the leaflet. “It says tryouts start at seven o'clock. You want to go with him?” “No, not really,” mumbled Atomic, shocking his father. “Just kidding! Of course I wanna go!” Atomic took the leaflet from his father. “Alright then, have dinner and we'll be leaving in two hours’ time.” “But my legs are really sore from PE,” moaned Atomic. “I know what’ll fix that. But you won't like it.” “What is it? I don't care what it is as long as it makes my legs feel better.” “I told you that an ice bath always helps relieve the muscles.” “You know I hate anything that’s cold, except for ice cream. But yeah, it did help Dad, so thanks.” The father and son fell silent as they travelled through downtown Fillydelphia in a taxi. One of the buildings that they passed had a large billboard of Nick Foals, advertising that there were only a few tickets left for the Dragons’ first game of the season. Atomic pressed his face against the window to look at the billboard and he smiled when he thought of the prospect of seeing Nick Foals live for the first time. “I still can’t believe you got us tickets for the game, Dad.” “Yeah, it's definitely going to be a good day out for us. You nervous for the tryouts?” “Nervous?! I don't get nervous, and besides, I’m just really excited. It's gonna be so fun playing on the team.” “Don't get ahead of yourself son, you're not on the team yet,” warned Syracuse. “Well I’m gonna be,” retorted Atomic. “Is that the place?” he asked, pointing to a large building that the taxi was currently approaching. “Yep. Here we are, the Western Fillydelphia Broncos training ground. Looks good doesn't it?” “Yeah.” Atomic stared at the entrance in awe. The Western Fillydelphia Broncos training grounds was far more advanced than anything he had ever seen, and he struggled to contain his excitement as they walked towards the huge glass doors. “Alright, make sure you’re both here at seven o’clock okay, and whatever happens, have fun, alright? Good luck, you’re gonna blow them away,” Syracuse said, embracing his son and ruffling his mane. “Are you gonna wait outside for me until it finishes?” “I'll pop into a café for a while, and then I’ll be waiting out here five minutes before it finishes, okay?” Atomic waved goodbye to Syracuse and walked up to the entrance, passing through the automatic doors and stopping in the middle of the main reception. Thunderhoof had promised to wait in front of the receptionist if he came first, but Atomic couldn’t see him. “Excuse me Miss, have you seen a dark green unicorn? He’s my age and a bit taller than me. We were supposed to be going to the tryouts together.” The receptionist smiled. “The colt you just described was asking about you nearly ten minutes ago. He’ll be in the hall; go straight down the corridor, turn right, and the hall door will be on your right. You can’t miss it.” “Okay, thanks.” Atomic followed the receptionist’s directions and quickly found the hall entrance, and he pushed the door open and entered the hall. The hall consisted of a stage with a lectern at the front a few metres behind a large whiteboard that had the words ‘UNDER 12 TRYOUTS’ written in bold. At the front of the hall, there were staff talking amongst themselves, the Western Fillydelphia Broncos logo (a picture of a dark brown horse galloping) emblazoned on their jackets and hats. The hall was able to hold up to 150 colts, and most of the seats had already been taken up by colts hoping to get onto the under-twelve team, most of which were wearing their own kits. Atomic stood in front of the rows of seats and looked for his friend. “Atomic! Over here!” Thunderhoof shouted, waving from one of the top rows. Atomic quickly clambered up the steps and reached Thunderhoof, who was sitting next to a small brown colt with pale green eyes. His dark blond mane hung low over his eyes and he didn't push it back, uncomfortable with making eye contact with Atomic. “Hey, Atomic! This is Chestnut Oak,” said Thunderhoof, gesturing to the small brown colt. “Nice to meet you,” Chestnut mumbled, slightly intimidated by Atomic’s confidence. He turned away from them and stared at the front. Atomic looked at Chestnut and shrugged as he sat in between the two colts and turned to Thunderhoof. “You nervous Thunder?” Thunderhoof sighed. “Yeah kinda, what if I don’t make it?” “You have nothing to worry about. We’re gonna smash it today and we’re both get on the team, don't worry about it.” “Thanks Atomic,” smiled Thunderhoof. Atomic tapped Chestnut’s shoulder. “Are you nervous for these tryouts?” “Um...yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna make the team,” replied Chestnut quietly. “If you’re thinking like that then you won’t. You have to be positive and give it your all, so that no matter what happens, you’re happy,” said Thunderhoof, hoping to bolster his new friend’s confidence. “Thanks,” replied Chestnut, a small smile appearing on his face. “Good evening gentlecolts, I am Coach Storm Shaker, and welcome to the Western Fillydelphia Buccaneers under-twelve team tryouts.” The deep booming voice immediately silenced all of the conversations, and every colt sat up straight. The voice’s owner was a tall, burly navy blue stallion with a stern expression fixed upon his face. He wore a plain red cap on his head and a black stopwatch around his neck. He continued walking until he reached the lectern and he stood behind it, tapping the microphone and speaking into it. “It looks like there are a lot more of you here than we expected, so just bear with us while we try and split you all up into equal groups.” The door swung open and seven more stallions entered the hall, each wearing a different coloured cap. They all gathered. “Right, the first two rows, you’re gonna be with Coach Tornado. Off you go!” The colts in the corresponding seats got up and formed an orderly line in front of Coach Tornado, who was standing closest to the entrance. Once the first group had been led out of the hall, Storm Shaker divided up the rest of the colts into groups until the ponies sitting in the top rows remained. “The rest of you, you’re with me. Line up, and we'll be heading straight for the pitch. I don’t want to hear any talking, all right?” Atomic, Thunderhoof and Chestnut found themselves at the queue as the group followed Storm Shaker out of the hall. “D’you think he’s gonna make us do laps, or will we head straight into a game?” Thunderhoof whispered. “I don’t know, maybe we’ll do a few drills first, then a game at the end,” replied Atomic. Storm Shaker turned around and looked in Atomic’s direction, and Chestnut quickly pulled Atomic down to avoid detection. “Thanks,” whispered Atomic, and Chestnut nodded. Storm Shaker escorted the colts down the corridor and turned right, heading straight towards the large glass doors that led out onto a hoofball pitch. The smell of freshly mowed grass hung heavily in the air and the shouts of colts training could be heard on the next pitch. “If you are selected for the team, this is where you will be training every Mondays and Thursdays. We expect 100% punctuality, so never be late for training.” Storm Shaker came to a stop on the forty yard line and the colts stood in front of him. The line had been marked out with an extra layer of white paint and the same had been done on the end zone line. “We’re going to start with a forty-yard dash test, so get into a line.” The colts quickly got into a line and waited for Storm Shaker to speak. “The forty-yard test is simple; run forty yards and I time you. Speed is a crucial aspect of hoofball and whether you’re on offense or defence, you need to be fast in order to get past your opponents or tackle them, alright?” “Yes, sir!” “Right, the first pony, get ready.” Storm Shaker quickly flew over to the end zone line and held up his stopwatch. “Three, two, one, go!” The first colt lowered his head and charged straight, keeping his head low and his eyes forward. Storm Shaker looked briefly at his stopwatch as the colt passed twenty yards before returning his focus onto the colt. The colt was almost ten yards away from the end zone line when he suddenly tripped and fell over his own hooves, crashing onto the grass. He grumbled as he slowly got back up and he walked to the finish line. Storm Shaker stopped the stopwatch and frowned. “Why did you walk? You still would’ve had a decent time,” asked Storm Shaker. “I……..” When the colt failed to give him an answer, Storm Shaker shook his head and wrote down the colt’s time on the before sending him to the back of the queue, and the next colt stepped forward. “Go!” The second colt got through his yards at an almost breakneck speed, shocking the colts and Storm Shaker stared in shock before quickly composing himself and recording the time. “Fastest time so far. Well done. What’s your name?” “Alabaster, sir.” “Nice job. Back of the queue.” The colt nodded and walked to the back of the queue. Atomic watched the other colts, making a note of how he should position himself when running, and before he knew it, he was at the front of the line. “Let’s go! We need to do the next drill quickly!” Storm Shaker looked impatiently at Atomic. Atomic nodded before crouching low and lifting his head to look at the goalposts in front of him. He slowed his breathing and emptied his mind, focusing only on getting the fastest time possible. “Go!” Atomic leapt from the start line and galloped, his legs moving in coordination as he made his way down the line, slowly lifting his head with each yard he ran. His muscles were working overtime, pushing Atomic to reach the end in the best time possible. As Atomic crossed the finish line, Storm Shaker looked at his stopwatch and made a note of the time. “Well done, that’s the second fastest time. What’s your name?” “Atomic, sir. Atomic Tangerine,” he panted. “Keep it up.” “Thank you, sir.” Atomic slowly walked to the back of the queue, getting a sly nod and smile from Thunderhoof who was at the front of the queue. “That was so cool! How do you run so fast like that?” whispered Chestnut. “All natural. I’m just fast like that, but…..I should’ve been the fastest,” said Atomic, looking in front of him at the tall, pale gray colt he was talking about. He looked much older than the other colts in the group and he appeared to be completely lost in his thoughts, not pay attention to the ponies standing around him. “His name’s Alabaster, he’s the best hoofball player in my school,” said Chestnut, answering Atomic’s unspoken question. “Is he now?” “Yeah, he’s probably gonna make the team. You’re definitely gonna make the team. Hopefully I don't mess this up,” said Chestnut as he stepped forward for his run. “Good luck!” whispered Atomic, before turning around to find Thunderhoof walking past him. “Hey, Thunder!” he whispered. “How did you do? Sorry I never saw, but Chestnut was telling me about the guy who got the fastest time.” “Kinda bad. I probably got one of the slowest times.” Atomic put a hoof on Thunderhoof’s shoulder. “No you didn’t, alright? Watch, you’re gonna totally dominate the other drills alright?” “Right, that’s the forty yard dash done. We’re moving on to the next drill. Come this way please,” announced Storm Shaker. The colts were standing in a large circle with Storm Shaker in the middle holding a hoofball with his wing. “This next drill is called Bull in the Ring. The pony in the middle will be the bull. When I throw the ball to any of you, you will become the runner and your job will be to get past the bull without getting tackled. If you get tackled, then the you will become the bull and you will stand in the centre. Got that? Good. right, the first bull will be…..” Atomic avoided Storm Shaker’s gaze as he looked around him, desperately hoping that he wasn't picked. “You, Atomic. Come on up and be the first bull.” Atomic nodded and nervously walked into the middle of the circle. Storm Shaker stepped aside to let Atomic stand in the middle and he looked at the others, before throwing the ball to Alabaster. “Off you go!” Alabaster nodded and charged straight at Atomic, before suddenly turning to the right. Atomic lunged forward and managed to grab Alabaster’s shoulders, but the colt easily threw him off and Atomic fell to the floor as Alabaster reached the other side of the circle. “Well done Alabaster, that was a good move to fake the bull,” Storm Shaker commended. Atomic shook his head as he got up and Storm Shaker threw the ball at another colt, who was also able to get past Atomic with ease. The next three colts were also able to have the same success and Storm Shaker noticed that Atomic was quickly losing his composure. “Alright then, Atomic, get out of the circle, and...you, get in, you’ll be the bull now,” said Storm Shaker, pointing at Thunderhoof. Thunderhoof and Atomic swapped places and Storm Shaker threw the ball to Atomic. “Go!” Atomic charged forward, expecting to brush aside his slimmer’s friend’s tackle attempts, and he was more shocked than anypony when Thunderhoof grabbed his midsection and threw him to the floor, managing to also catch the ball in the process as it fell out of Atomic’s grip. Atomic hit the ground hard and pushed his hooves into the ground, trying to get up as quickly as he could. Thunderhoof was quick to help Atomic up, but his attempts to help his were ignored. “I’m fine,” hissed Atomic. Thunderhoof raised an eyebrow and joined the other side of the circle, throwing the ball back to Atomic. Ten minutes later, Storm Shaker looked at his watch and brought the second drill to an end, announcing that the final drill was to take place on the other side of the pitch. “The final drill is a simple one; four of you will act as quarterbacks and you'll line up opposite each other and I will be standing over here at the ten yard line. Your job as a receiver is to run in a straight line, catching each ball that is thrown to you and dropping it, before making a sharp turn here and throwing the fourth ball to me.” Storm Shaker quickly flew over to the end zone line and chose the four quarterbacks and the colts in the line began to take their turns doing the drill. Atomic nervously watched each colt do the drill, the embarrassment of the last drill ringing alarms in his head. I can't mess up this drill, or I can say goodbye to my chance of ever making the team. Come on Atomic, focus. “Next!” Atomic stepped forward and suddenly took off from his spot, making the first two catches with ease. Good, Atomic, now make the next two and you’ll definitely be on the team. Atomic quickly looked to his right and jumped up to catch the third ball thrown by Chestnut, stumbling a little as he lunged forward to catch the ball before quickly adjusting himself. The fourth ball was thrown to him high, and Atomic was forced to arch his back as he lept in order to catch the ball. He landed roughly but managed to stay on his hooves as he approached the final part of the drill. Atomic made the turn and threw the ball as hard as he could, and the ball flew high into the air very quickly. Yes, I did it! Atomic’s celebrations proved to be premature however, as the ball landed short and came to a stop underneath Storm Shaker. “Next!” “First of all, I would just like to congratulate each of you of all of your efforts today, and credit to all of you, you gave us all a real headache when it came to selection time.” The colts applauded politely in their seats, and Storm Shaker paused before speaking again. “Today we have chosen twenty four of you to join our team, three from each group, which is more than what we usually take, and it just goes to show the talent displayed today. Even if you did not make the team, there’s always next year’s tryouts so don't give up and you will accomplish whatever you want if you put your minds to it.” The coaches moved to stand next to the hall entrance, allowing the colts to see the blackboard clearly. “Once again, congratulations to those of you on the team.” One of the coaches lit up his horn and the blind covering the whiteboard was pulled up, revealing the names of the colts selected.