//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: An Ode to Days Ahead 
// Story: Strong Talons 
// by Ambizar 
//------------------------------//

My receiving coach, High Hauler, gave me a clop on the helmet as I passed by him.
"Atta boy Gaius! Keep showing that speed! If you keep that level of separation, you can catch anything Hoofrocket throws at you!"
"Yes sir!" I returned Coach's wide grin and ran to get back to my place in line. We were doing receiving drills; the other receivers (Citrus Sprint, Snowfall, Blitzing Wing, and Marathon Iron) and I were doing one-on-one drills with Hoofrocket. One of us would receive and the other would cover while Hoofrocket threw to the receiver. It was a bit of head scratcher to me as to why receivers were guarding each other today rather than having the actual defending backs do the job, but I wasn't going to question the coaches. Snowfall had done his best to guard me, but I'd pulled ahead and caught the throw perfectly. While it was pretty easy to get out from under my fellow receivers, who were naturally much more atoned to offense than defense, I'd been covered successfully a decent number of times by our defensive players. Searing Shock, our star cornerbuck, had especially given me some trouble. Despite this, I'd managed to embarrass him on a few reps the last time receivers and DB's practiced together. Apparently, from what I heard in the locker room lately, that had earned me some serious resentment from the bright green earth pony.
As I paced down the side of the field, another duo ran out as Hoofrocket got ready to throw again. Marathon Iron was receiving and Citrus Sprint was blocking. Citrus gave a good attempt, but he just couldn't quite stand up to M.I.. Iron couldn't quite blaze past his temporary cornerbuck, and instead weaved and strafed masterfully until he created just enough space to catch Hoofrocket's pass unopposed. After the catch, he put on the jets and made his way downfield.
I heard an impressed whistle beside me. Snowfall had caught up and was trotting beside me as we made our way to the back of the line.
"Not bad," Snowfall said while picking dirt out of his facemask. He had taken a bit of a fall trying to block me in the last run.
"Yep. M.I.'s the real deal." I said appreciatively.
Snowfall's crystal blue mane swayed wildly under his practice helmet as he shook his head. "Nope, I was talking about you, man. You're impossible to guard, bro. It's kind of ridiculous."
"Shock's gotten me a few times, and it feels like Endgame has my number. It's just because I'm fast, I need to work on my maneuvering a bit more. If I come across a corner with some real jets, I'll really be in trouble." I smiled at him. Snowfall had been one of my best friends since my move to Manehattan. I was grateful for his kindness, especially since me being on the team along with Marathon Iron's arrival had all but kicked him to second-string. Because of us, he'd be seeing far less passes.
"You're too humble, man. I could take a hint from you." He replied with a shake of his head.
Snowfall got set to receive while Blitzing Wing got ready to block. Coach Hauler gave them the signal and they took off while Hoofrocket got ready to throw again.
Hoofrocket. While I got ready for the next round, I watched our award-winning quarterbuck as he loaded his cannon; his practice jersey and helmet displaying his name and the number 8. His coat was the color of a light mocha, with a straw yellow mane and tail. His cutie mark was a spiraling hoofball engulfed in flames.
Hoofrocket had been ecstatic when Marathon Iron and I had been named the starting receivers. He had gone from a somewhat meager receiving core headed by Snowfall (no offense) to what was, in his mind, "the most dangerous group of receivers in the EHL". 'Rocket had been good to me since I'd arrived in Manehattan, and was pretty good about having my back while we were practicing in the Manehattan Dome.
The Manehattan Dome itself was gigantic. The stands surrounding me could sit over 60,000 ponies, and had done so at last year's Equestria Bowl, where Canterlot had beaten Vanhoover, much to me and my parents' disappointment. The stadium was roofed and sat in the heart of the city not too far from Eminence Tower, the tallest building in Manehattan. Adjusting to the city had been a bit difficult, but I felt pretty at home now that I had a basic knowledge of my surroundings.
As I got set to block, Citrus Sprint stepped up beside me to be the receiver, but was stopped when Marathon Iron nudged his shoulder instead of lining up behind me.
"Why don't you let me receive again real quick? See if the rookie can guard me?" he said in a tone loaded with well-justified cockiness.
Citrus just shrugged and stepped back as M.I. took his place. Marathon Iron was tall, but not too bulky. He was still rock-solid, though, with a slate gray coat, jet black mane and a cutie mark of a gleaming steel beam. He stared over at me, eyes deathly serious. I thought I heard a chuckle coming from Hoofrocket's direction, but when I looked over his eyes were set dead ahead, laser focused.
I snorted. "I can block you, Iron. I've done it before."
Marathon Iron lowered his haunches as Coach Hauler readied the signal, apparently a bit confused at the order change. Marathon Iron snorted. "Then let's see you do it again."
The whistle rang out, and we both blasted off. I could keep pace with him, even pass him if I wanted to, but the goal was to stick with him and block when Hoofrocket threw. I may have been faster, but he was definitely more skilled, the product of years of playing and outplaying the best cornerbucks in the league again and again. He tried to drive away from me, but my speed kept me close to him.
He was nearing the end of his route and he still hadn't shaken me, but this was where it usually ended for me. He'd find a way to twist and maneuver around to get himself in perfect catching position while I would typically spiral and crash into the turf, getting a facemask full of dirt for my efforts, save for one time. The one time I actually blocked him, which he still wouldn't let go. But I had a plan.
He pulled to the right, and I feigned pulling back, making my move late and giving him just enough room to catch. He would feel secure; no tricks, no fake play, he'd just bring up his hooves and put them in front of him to catch the ball. Hoofrocket threw, and it was perfect. It looked like I had been beat until...
I lunged. I was several yards behind M.I., but I put everything into the jump and closed the distance just in time. Right before the rapidly spiraling ball could fall into Marathon Iron's waiting hooves, my talons passed over and grabbed it out of the air. I caught a glimpse of my teammate/opponent's wide-eyed gaze as I pulled the ball to my barrel and crashed into the ground. I felt the shock as my helmet and shoulder pads met turf and tumbled for a few rotations before I finally came to a stop. I looked up to see Hoofrocket downfield staring in shock, and Marathon Iron staring at me in deep frustration. The hoofball was still in my rubber-guarded talons, and I felt a stupid grin crawling across my face as I realized what I had just accomplished. I hadn't just blocked the pass, I had intercepted it.
"Woo-hoo!" Coach's voice broke out across the field so loud that even the other players doing their own drills stopped what they were doing. "That's what I'm talking about! I better see that outta ya more often, kid! But for now, let's stick to the proper order and not cut lines anymore, alright Marathon?"
The pony in question simply nodded and trotted off down the field. I could have sworn I heard him say something about being a cornerbuck.


<*****>-------<*****>


I felt my strained muscles relax as the steaming water cascaded down from the shower head. Practice was over, meaning the day was over for all of us. The showers and locker room were full of conversation as the team cleaned up and took their gear off. Everyone else was as tired as I was, and they were eager to get back to home and rest. Especially since tomorrow was our day off.
Hoofball in Academy had been demanding, but the schedule had been nothing like what the EHL was taking out of me so far. Every morning, it was show up to the stadium early, get breakfast, then get a work out in with your designated partners. For me, it was the rest of the receivers, Hoofrocket, and our backup quarterbuck, Tremor Blitz. Then I attended scheduled meetings all day; some with just the receivers, some with the receivers and the quarterbucks, some with the entire offense, and sometimes with special teams. Lunch was somewhere in between, then we had practice for several hours. All of that, six days a week, for the past month and a half. It was a good thing I loved hoofball, because it demanded everything from me now. Despite the grinding schedule, I still left the Manehattan Dome every day with a smile on my face, if I still had the energy to do so.
I heard the shower on my right turn on as a buck groaned at the sensation of hot water. I couldn't blame him.
"So, that was a pretty nice move you made against Marathon today, rookie." Said the voice in the adjacent shower. It was High Impact; a hulking, muscular lummox of a stallion and the star right guard of our offensive line. "Was that a griffon thing, or are you just that good?"
I rolled my eyes behind the safety of the stall-style wall separating us. "I don't know, you tell me."
He laughed. "Well, I don't think I know a pony that could make that play." There was a pause. "Then again, I don't know many ponies who would have the brains or guts to try that play, either. If you start dropping catches, I got a good feeling you'll make for a great corner."
More laughing. The shower to my left turned on.
"Lighten up, Imp. Give the kid a break, he showed some stuff today." Hoofrocket, his voice was unmistakable. It was the only voice on the team that had the power to shut High Impact's mouth, aside from the coach's. "In fact, if you ask me, he's been showing stuff ever since he got here. So, what's your secret, Gaius?"
Silence, aside from the running water of several showers. Everyone in the room was listening. I gave a quiet sigh.
"I run fast and jump really, really far."
More silence. Then both Hoofrocket and High Impact burst into laughter, which was followed by several other laughs, some of which I swear were coming from the locker room past the showers.
"Oh, this kid's something else!" High Impact said after he could breathe again. "You're something special, griffon, you know that?"
"I'm aware." I said with a light eye roll as I turned the water off. I shook myself relatively dry, then grabbed my towel with a wing and stepped out. While I was drying my head feathers, Hoofrocket stepped out of his shower, towel draped around his neck.
"Hey, Gaius, just so you know, there's something me, Tremor, and the receivers will be doing tomorrow night. You're welcome to tag along." He said while drying the inside of his ear.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You ever hear heard of Le Merveilleux? It's a fancy Prench restaurant over by Bucklyn Bridge passing."
"I think I've seen it. But... why are we all going to a fancy dinner?"
"It's something we do every year a few weeks before the season starts. Don't worry about bits, I've got that part covered. I've already told Snowfall and Marathon Iron..." He stopped when I cringed at the latter receiver. He continued in a quieter tone. "Hey, don't worry about M.I.. He'll come around."
I was stunned. Dang it, why did quarterbucks have to be so observant? Bronze was the same way.
"Uh, yeah. I'll... be there."
"Seven o' clock tomorrow night at Le Merveilleux. See you there." And then he ducked out of the shower room while Snowfall stepped in.
"Hey, 'Rocket. Oh, hey, Gaius. Did you hear about-"
"Le Merveilleux, yeah." I murmured.
"Uh, okay, you coming?"
"Seems to be the idea." I said with a lighthearted smile. Then I proceeded into the locker room, grabbed my stuff, and headed out of the stadium.


<*****>-------<*****>


It was late afternoon. The golden hues of sunlight streaking in between the towering skyscrapers added a backdrop to the sound of bustling hooves and wooden taxi carriage wheels against the streets below. Around me, pegasi flew hurriedly between the buildings, desperate to be somewhere on time even in the later hours. Even though I was a griffon, and decently famous one in this city at that, none of them gave me a second look. Of course, some of that may have had to do with the fact that my face was wrapped in the hood of my Manehattan Equestrians jacket. Even as a rookie, I'd already been mobbed a few too many times in the streets and skies of this town to go around without concealment. When they post your face on every sports magazine in the city for a few months straight, you tend to get recognized.
I may have been exhausted, but thankfully my wings weren't since they had been tucked in a harness underneath my jersey all practice long. I was flying at a consistent speed, so it wasn't long until was at the front door of my new home. Or rather, the building it was in.
It was a nice apartment in a downtown Manehattan building called the Brickpony Plaza, which always confused me due to the fact that the building was made of smooth green stone and glass. I made a quick landing and trotted in through the rotary glass doors.
The lobby was open, with inviting brown tile floors and wooden columns that held up a second-floor balcony that wrapped around above me. To my left, a soft purple pegasus mare with a curly mint-green mane tied back with a suave pink bow was reading a fashion magazine behind the mahogany front desk. Behind her, a radio was softly droning out Rara Coloratura's newest song. I tried to hurry by, but the sound of my talons clacking on the floor as I walked by drew her attention. She looked up from her magazine and gave me a smile.
"Hi, Gaius, how was practice?" She asked sweetly.
I fought the urge to sigh in defeat. "Hey, Periwinkle. It was good."
"Great." She turned around to turn down the radio volume. I contemplated flying away up the stairs in the couple of seconds that her back was to me. "So, I have question for you, if you don't mind."
Oh no. "Uh, yeah, what's that?"
"So, I was telling my friends that we were talking...you know, that we're friends and all that, and that you live in the apartment building I work at. And get this," She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "They didn't believe me."
"That's tragic." I said with the most non-sarcastic voice I could muster. If she noticed at all, she didn't show it.
"I know! But..." I saw a wicked gleam in her eye that almost made me shake. "I told them that to prove it, I would invite you out for a dinner with all of us at Pionne's tomorrow night."
"Did you, now?..." I said with uncertainty. The gleam in her eye brightened as the cogs in her mind kept turning.
"And, if you want, you can even invite some of your teammates. I think my friends would be especially flattered if Hoofrocket attended. Just tell him there'll be some pretty mares there." She finished with a wink.
'He's married, you featherbrain,' I thought while my mind raced for an excuse as usual. From what I'd gathered in our past grating conversations, Periwinkle's old coltfriend was majorly into hoofball. So when I moved to this apartment building she recognized me from one of his magazines. Ever since she realized a famous hoofball player for her hometown EHL team was living within her workplace, she had come up with countless schemes to use me to her benefit, including several date offers, trying to introduce me to said ex-coltfriend as some kind of sick revenge, and of course, trying to show me off to her friends. It was a never-ending cycle that was wearing thinner every day. I had met a few crazy fans in this city, but it was hard to avoid one that was always between me and my own home. If only my apartment had a balcony or a window that opened, then I could just fly to it and skip the lobby. Coming up with a new excuse every few days was getting old.
Thankfully, I realized, I had a perfect and totally legitimate excuse this time around. Thank Celestia.
"Actually, Speaking of Hoofrocket," I started. "He invited me and some of the other receivers to Le Merveilleux tomorrow, so I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
Usually, she gave an over-dramatic face of raw disappointment when I gave her an excuse, but this time was different. That sadistic gleam was still strong, even though her lips pouted again.
"Oh, well, good for you I guess."
"Sorry, maybe next time." I cringed inwardly at my wording, that would give her extra fuel for the next run-in. I turned away and headed past the desk for the stairs.
"Oh, Gaius! By the way, you should know that there's-" She tried to get my attention again, but I was already flying straight up the stairs like a firecracker, desperate for the privacy and security of home. At floor 32, I took a sharp turn out of the stairwell and into the hallways until I was at the door for apartment 3219. The lock was combination, and I entered my code in quickly, almost as if I was afraid Periwinkle would teleport behind me like a unicorn whatever statement she had started downstairs.
The lock opened and I walked into my apartment, being extra sure to shut and lock the door behind me. Honestly, living in the building where Periwinkle worked was probably unhealthy for me. It might not have been a bad idea to consider moving. Still, though, I couldn't complain about the apartment itself.
It was reasonably small, but that didn't matter to me since I was living by myself. It was comprised of a living room, a kitchen and small dining area, a master bedroom and bathroom, a laundry room, and a guest room. It came fully furnished, and also featured big panel windows that gave a good view of the city, a nice perk of living so high up. I made my way to my bedroom, subconsciously wondering which new apartment building might be good to move to while I passed my mother lounging on my couch, muzzle stuck in a magazine.
"Oh, hello, honey!" She said excitedly as she looked up at me.
"Hi, Mom." I mumbled as I wandered absentmindedly into my room and shut the door behind me. I paused for a second, then pivoted on my back paws and threw open the door. Mom was still sitting on my couch, looking a bit confused.
"Mom!? What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.
"Oh, I'm here with your father. We have something big to tell you!"
"What? Then where's Da-" Before I could finish my sentence, I heard a flush from my bathroom. I turned to see Dad walk out and give an impressed whistle.
"Boy, that bathroom is faaaaancy! Don't make 'em like that in Vanhoover!" His eyes went wide when he saw me. "Hey, if it isn't my favorite Equestrian! How was practice?"
I debated getting angry at them barging in and fouling my toilet, but I opted for giving Dad a hug instead. It was nice to see them, and we hadn't talked face to face in over a month.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked. "And how did you even get in?"
"I remembered the code for the lock." Dad said proudly.
"I never told you the code." I replied flatly.
"I watched you put it in. You can't anything past me, son. You should know that by now."
I sighed. "Well, what do you guys have to tell me?"
Dad got visibly excited. "Oh, you're going to love this!" He walked over the couch and sat next to Mom. "Things have been kind of lonely on the farm since you've left, so..." Oh no. "I decided to sell it. Your mom and I are moving to Manehattan!"
"WHAT!?" I screamed. They gave me a concerned expression.
"What do you mean 'what'?" Dad said plainly. "Don't like the idea of your folks being close to you again?"
"W-well no, b-b-but..." I stammered "You sold the farm? You loved that grain farm, you inherited it from your dad!"
"Yeah, well..." Dad scratched the back of his head with a hoof. "I didn't have anyone to inherit it from me with you gone, and it was mighty lonesome there since you left. So, your mom and I talked about it, and we decided we'd sell it so we could move closer to you. Got some good bits for it, too."
The longer he went on, the harder my eye twitched. I couldn't fathom it. Dad selling his farm? Moving here? He didn't even like going to the city district of Vanhoover! And Manehattan was three times as big, with over five times the population! And surely he knew how expensive it was to live here.
"We know what you're going to say, Gaius." Mom said gently. "But we've thought it through. Manehattan is different, sure, and some of the ponies here are just plain rude, but we're ready for some change after so many years of just doing the same thing over and over. Plus, we'd really like to be closer to you."
I took deep breaths to force myself to calm down. Finally, I gathered my thoughts well enough to form a coherent sentence. 
"Are you guys sure about this? I mean... this is kind of a big deal."
"Hmph." Dad crossed his forelegs. "Do you really think your folks are dumb enough to move to Manehattan without having a plan?"
"Well? What are you guys going to do for work? And where are you going to live?"
"Oh, we've got the work part covered, don't you worry. But..." Dad fiddled with his hooves awkwardly. "We're currently... in the market for some property here in the city so... until we find something suitable, you wouldn't mind if we stayed here in the extra bedroom, would you?"
The eye twitch returned with a vengeance. "You couldn't have written or something before dropping this on me?" I exclaimed.
Mom gave Dad a light sock on the foreleg. "I told you we should've let him know ahead of time."
Dad sighed. "I'm sorry, son. But if you let us stay just for a few weeks or so, we'd be grateful. If not, we understand. We'll just stay in a hotel here in the city until we find something."
I rubbed my temples. Sure, I was angry that they were dropping in and requesting an extended stay out of nowhere. Of course, that was so much like my parents that I couldn't be too surprised. What wasn't like my parents was them leaving Vanhoover to live in Manehattan out of nowhere, even if their son did just move away. It would be pretty insufferable living in a small apartment with my parents for the next month, especially with hoofball season about to start, but I couldn't just kick them out. That would be wrong of me, wouldn't it? If only I'd endured the conversation with Periwinkle a bit longer, she was probably trying to warn me about my parents showing up when I'd bolted up the stairs.
"Okay, okay. You guys can stay. But only if you promise to start looking for a new place right away, alright? This apartment is a little small for three ponies, not to mention the fact that it only has one bathroom."
"Well what do you think I'm doing?" Mom asked with a teasing smile. She held up the magazine she was reading, a catalog about real estate and apartments in Manehattan. I shook my head, but couldn't help but laugh a little.
"We've already got some places we want to check out tomorrow. I promise we won't be a problem. We're in your home now, not the other way around. We'll respect that."
"I know, Dad." I sighed and flopped down in the seat across from the couch they were sitting on. Mom got up and headed towards the kitchen.
"Well, to help celebrate, I'll get some dinner going. You do have food, right Gaius?"
"Yes, Mom," I groaned. But the thought of eating her cooking again did cheer me up. Maybe this arrangement would have some benefits. The apartment was suddenly filled with the sound of her rummaging through my refrigerator.
"Oh, and Gaius, do you know that lovely little pegasus mare that works at the desk downstairs? We asked her about you when we walked in she spoke awful highly of you."
Dad tried and failed to suppress his laughter. "That's my boy!"
I took it back. This was going to be Tartarus.


<*****>-------<*****>


Le Merveilleux was an exquisitely decorated restaurant adorned by black canopies and dark wood trim set at the bottom of a large luxury apartment building made of polished white stone. In short, everything about the place screamed 'expensive'.
I was wearing the same suit I'd worn at the Draft, once again without with my biological father's necklace. I spent several minutes debating on whether or not to wear it before time finally ran out and I had to leave.
Due to my wardrobe, I was wary of the pegasi sharing the crowded airspace with me between the clustered buildings. Most of them were also wearing suits, which didn't surprise me. This was the nicer end of Manehattan, towards the Bucklyn Bridge, and a lot of the ponies here were either rich, important, or both. Either that, or they were just doing their best to seem like they were. Because of this, I wasn't too worried about getting recognized. It's hard to notice somewhen when you're flying with your nose upturned.
I made a quick landing in front of the building and spotted my party immediately. Only Hoofrocket, Tremor Blitz, and Marathon Iron had made it so far. I weaved my way around the small, well-dressed crowd in front of the restaurant and plodded up to them. Tremor and 'Rocket broke off their conversation when I approached.
"Hey, the rookie made it!" Tremor grinned and gave me a hoof-bump. The backup quarterbuck was dressed in a strong navy blue plaid suit with a black shirt and neon green tie that matched his bright emerald eyes almost perfectly. His mane was almost the exact same shade of muddy brown as his coat, and his cutie mark showcased a trio of crumpling boulders. Marathon Iron was a good ten hoof distance from the rest of us in a subtle dark black sports suit. I heard a whistle from Hoofrocket.
"Nice suit, Gaius. You clean up pretty well."
"Thanks," I replied casually. His simple black suit looked just as expensive as mine, and he had his Equestria Bowl badge pinned to his barrel. He noticed me staring at it.
"Hopefully you can help me get a second one this year, huh?"
I grinned. "That's the idea."
The three of us joked around for a bit longer, leaving M.I. leaning against the front of the restaurant as the odd pony out. Nopony that passed by seemed to recognize us. Or if they did, they ignored us. After a few minutes, Snowfall showed up in a stark white suit so bright it seemed to reflect the light from the streetlamps. After Citrus Sprint and Blitzing Wing arrived, we all filed in and took the table that Hoofrocket had reserved for us. I took the outside seat with Citrus Sprint to my left. I noticed that Marathon Iron took the other edge, sitting as far away from me as possible. I hoped that was just coincidental.
The inside of the restaurant was just as nice as the outside, if not more so. The floors and walls were made of polished marble, with dark wood highlights everywhere you looked. Opaque crystal chandeliers hung everywhere, and a band featuring a harp, cello, violin, and piano played softly in one corner. Our table was an elegant, wraparound booth in the far corner of the room from where the band was playing, decently private. That was probably a good thing, considering we we had some very famous personnel. I was surprised nopony recognized any of us, Hoofrocket especially. He was sort of the face of hoofball in this city.
Thankfully, though, a group of gentlestallions (plus griffon) clad in expensive suits didn't exactly stand out in this environment, and everypony was too busy looking at either their significant others, business partners, or the band to look over and see our heavily-marketed faces. I privately wondered how many of the posh-looking ponies in the room with me were secretly avid hoofball fans. Knowing how popular the sport was these days, probably most of them.
It took only moments for a well-dressed server to take our orders for drinks once we sat down. After he left, we grabbed our menus and started looking at the delicious-yet-disgustingly-expensive options. Even with the gracious starting salary from the Equestrians, I was very glad Hoofrocket was paying.
"Order anything you want, guys, I'm not looking to be stingy tonight." 'Rocket clicked his tongue as he went over the choices. "I think I'm going to have my usual."
"I've never had Prench before, what do you guys recommend?" I asked.
"I've heard their crepes are good." The answer came from Marathon Iron. He caught me by surprise, it was the first thing he'd said since I'd arrived.
"Their croissants are killer, too. And they're famous for their ratatouille." Tremor lifted a hoof to scratch his chin. "I think I'm gonna go with their oat nicoise salad, though."
"Wait, rat-a what?" I stared at Tremor Blitz in confusion as my teammates tried to smother snickers around me.
"Ratatouille," he answered in an amused smile. "Sounds weird, I know, but it's basically sliced veggie stew with lots of tomatoes. Real good stuff."
"I might try that." I said. I was in the mood for some veggies.
"I'm getting the soufflé. No one in the city does them better than this place." Said Snowfall. He raised an eyebrow at Hoofrocket. "'Course, nopony charges more either. Good thing I'm not paying."
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Snowy." 'Rocket jeered while the waiter returned with our drinks.
Most of my friends had gotten a wine or champagne, but I'd ordered a sparkling cider. There was a couple of restaurants in Vanhoover that I'd been to that served them. And due to my not-that-rich bloodline, I'd get one every chance I'd get. But what I was tasting in my glass now blew anything I'd ever had back home out of the water.
"That's really good." I said absentmindedly. Citrus Sprint nodded beside me.
"Only thing that beats their food is their drinks. I'd love to see their cellar."
"You can buy bottles to go if you want." said Hoofrocket. "But that'll come out of your bitpurse, not mine."
Citrus sloshed the red wine around in his glass in contemplation. "A whole bottle of this would probably cost as much as a house in this city. But, it'd probably be worth it."
"Figures you'd think that." Hoofrocket cleared his throat. "So, M.I., I've been meaning to ask you, what do you think about Manehattan so far? Does it stack up against Filly at all?"
Marathon Iron put down his champagne glass. "It's bigger, I'll give it that. And full of jerks." A slight smile played on his lips. "But I'll give them credit where credit is due, the fans here love their team. Gives a humble sportspony like me life to see something like that. It's a lot like Fillydelphia in that way."
"Humble," Snowfall joked. "Sure."
"Hey, I've got talent and I'm not afraid to show it." That trademark smirk I'd seen on multiple magazine covers made an appearance. "When you're one of the best in the game, it's to be expected."
Tremor chuckled. "Good for you and all, but that's pretty much the opposite of humble."
There was an outbreak of laughter at this, then we tried to reign it in when we remembered where we were and caught the irritated looks of a few disgruntled ponies thrown our way. Marathon Iron was crass at first, but eventually joined in the laughter.
"Okay, okay guys. I get it." then he went for another sip of champagne.
"So, Gaius," Blitzing Wing Started. "Tell us about yourself, rookie. What was it like back home in Vanhoover?"
"Uh." I fiddled with my talons as I fished for a response. Compared to Manehattan, Vanhoover just seemed kind of... boring. Nice, sure, and full of good memories but... just boring. "Well, not much to tell. A city district one fourth the size of this city maybe, then it's just fields and farmhouses."
"So what does a griffon do in Vanhoover if he wants to have a good time?" Hoofrocket asked with a smile.
I shrugged. "All I ever did was hoofball and hung out with friends." I hated how lame that sounded. "I mean, I'm sure if you looked, you could find something in the city distric-"
"Well, well, if it isn't my good friend Gaius."
Suddenly, I was stiffer than the ice sculpture we saw on the way in. I knew that voice, that terrible voice. The moment I heard it, puzzle pieces clicked together nefariously in my brain. She wouldn't. She wasn't. I turned around. She was.
Periwinkle stepped up to our table clad in a silver dress and matching silver bedazzled manebow, exaggerating the sway in her hips to the point where it was almost laughable. Behind her were two more mares, one a dark purple unicorn with a curly gold mane in a short white dress, the other a brown pegasus in a long black number with her muted-red mane done up in spiky tips.
My heart pounded in my chest. Why did I tell her where we were meeting? What did I think was going to happen? But no, I couldn't blame myself. I knew Periwinkle was ruthless, but I never would have guessed that she would go this far. The thought of what I was looking at right now terrified me more than any linebacker that had ever steamrolled me on a hoofball field.
A waiter rushed up to the trio as they took all of us in.
"Please mademoiselles, 'zis is not ze way to your table."
Periwinkle brushed him off. "And these must be your friends from the Manehattan Equestrians, right?" She turned around to her entourage. "See, girls? I told you!"
The golden-maned mare ignored her friend and leaned forward on the table towards Hoofrocket on the other side.
"So you must be Hoofrocket, Manehattan's golden quarterbuck." She let out a little giggle that nauseated me. Hoofrocket, to his credit, just cleared his throat and turned to me while the rest of the table looked at each other in confusion.
"Um, Gaius, do you know these lovely mares?" He asked. All three of them swooned at his wording while I visibly wilted.
"Uh, well, kind of. Um... one second." I turned to the purple she-demon, whispering harshly. "What are you doing here, Periwinkle?"
"What do you mean, Gaius?" She asked innocently, purposely loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. "You're the one who told me you were meeting with your friends at Le Merveilleux tonight. I just assumed I was invited."
My blood ran cold. I turned unwillingly back to the group and awaited the harsh reactions directed at me for bringing down the mares that were ruining our night out. Instead, the faces I saw were amused. Marathon Iron's especially.
Hoofrocket cleared his throat. "So, I think I caught your name was Periwinkle?" He asked.
"You would be correct," she answered with a sickeningly sweet smile.
"Well then, Periwinkle, would you mind introducing us to your friends?
"Gladly. This here is Cornucopia, and this is Cinnamon Dust. We're all big fans of your work, if you know what I mean."
Hoofrocket gave a genuine smile. "Of course. We're always happy to meet some fans."
This, hilariously, seemed to bring down their spirits a little. I tried to stifle a laugh at the disappointed expression on Periwinkle's face.
"Please, mademoiselles," the waiter started again. "I must ask that you leave these diners alo-"
"Excuse me, my good man," Hoofrocket interrupted. "I appreciate the concern, but these mares aren't bothering anyone. In fact, would it be too much trouble to ask for a few extra chairs to be added on to this table? You ladies don't mind dining with us, do you?"
My beak fell open while Periwinkle's eyes sparkled like fireworks. "Oh, it would be our pleasure."
Next thing we knew, three chairs were squeezed into the one open corner of our circular booth. Periwinkle's red-maned friend, who's name I caught was Cinnamon Dust, locked me in an almost predatory gaze.
"Well, well. Wink's been telling me that she knew the rookie griffon that would be playing for the Equestrians this season, but I didn't believe her until now. So tell me, big-wings, are you as good as the radio ponies say you are?"
I took a big gulp of sparkling cider. This was going to be a long, painful night.


<*****>-------<*****>


The moon had risen high behind a cover of clouds, and the lingering warmth of the day hung in the air. Hoofrocket and I stood outside of the restaurant, both of us stuffed and one of us thoroughly embarrassed and regretting his life decisions. Everyone else had left, Snowfall was still inside bartering for a bottle of wine after Citrus' initial attempt had succeeded. We were leaning against the side of the building in the shadows, trying again not to get recognized. It was working, none of the passing ponies were even glancing at us.
"I don't even know what to say," I began. 'Rocket let out a good laugh.
"Don't apologize, that was the most fun I've had since last season ended." He gave that trademark quarterbuck grin. "Shame I had to turn all three of those poor mares down. Life of the married stallion, I suppose. Jewel will love to hear this."
"I think M.I. picked up your slack in that regard." I said plainly. After getting politely shot down by the franchise quarterbuck, the three ravenous mares had quickly descended on the hot trade wide receiver from Fillydelphia. He had relished the attention, though, and managed to hold the trio in the sole of his hoof all night long. It didn't bother me, though, because that ensured I had minimal conversation with them.
I had to hand it to my teammates, they handled the three dinner-crashing mares better than I could have ever hoped. All in all, it wasn't too bad of a night. Now that Periwinkle got what she wanted, maybe she wouldn't harass me every day on the way to my apartment. I wasn't sure how Hoofrocket was acting so loose in front of me, though, because I was still as tight as a screw after catching a glimpse of the bill the waiter had given him. I knew he had plenty of money after his latest contract extension, in fact he probably made more money than anypony on the team, but still.
"He definitely did. The guy's a stud." He brought a hoof to his chin. "Maybe we should invite the tight ends next time. I bet Hightower would've gotten a kick out of this."
I gave a light sigh. "I'm guessing I have several weeks of pestering in the locker room for tonight, huh?"
"Not from me, but I can't speak for anypony else. For the next few weeks we have to worry about Fillydelphia and the start of the season, so I would expect that to take center stage over your little accident tonight."
I nodded. "Hopefully. I could use some hoofball right about now."
"Me, too." He stifled a yawn. "Well, I need to get home and get rested for practice tomorrow. See you at the dome, Gaius." with that, he picked himself up and walked over to his personal carriage, where his driver had been waiting patiently all night. Snowfall walked out laughing with his wine bottle tucked under his wing just as Hoofrocket pulled away.
"Oh, those mares were a riot! You've got some interesting friends off the field, Gaius." He wrapped his free wing around me as he shook from laughter. I rolled my eyes and flicked his wing off of me with my tail.
"Tell me about it. You still got enough bits for a taxi?"
"Barely." He smoothed his mane back with his wing as he looked to the dark, overcast sky. "Man, it's late. I always lose track of time when we do this. I gotta go, see you at practice tomorrow."
"You too." I said. Snowfall transferred the bottle to his mouth and took off with a mighty burst of his wings. Just like that, I was left alone in front of the fancy Prench restaurant, which would soon be getting ready to shut down for the night. I stayed there for a while, leaning against the cold alabaster stone, watching busy ponies walk past me in the lamp-lit night. I knew Mom and Dad would still be awake to ask me how the night with my teammates went. I grumbled as I remembered that Dad asked me for an autograph from Hoofrocket, but there was no way I was going to embarrass myself yet by asking for something like that.
Eventually, I finally managed to pull myself away and take off in the direction of my home. Even after such an eventful night, all I could think about was my conversation with Hoofrocket after we left. The season started in three weeks, and our first opponent was the Fillydelphia Zeppelins. They were coming to Manehattan, so we would be playing them with a home-field advantage. Still, their defense was supposed to be tough, so it would be a challenge.
Rock and Snap would get to play with their teams, too. I wondered how all of my friends were doing. We wrote each other, but I was missing real conversation with them. I needed to talk with them, and to catch up with Bronze. My new friends on the team were great, but I had been missing my academy friends more than ever. Somehow, having my parents living in my apartment with me had only amplified the feeling of homesickness.
But, after tonight, that wasn't quite the feeling I had as I flew home in solitude. For a split second, I caught myself wishing I had worn the stupid necklace.