//------------------------------// // 8.- The Remaining Days // Story: Canterlot High's Sports Challenge // by LiQuiD //------------------------------// - CHAPTER 8 - THE REMAINING DAYS Wednesday, 5:42 A.M ”C’mon Anon! You gotta keep up!” Sunset Shimmer says. “Ok Sunset…” you barely manage to reply. You’ve done nothing but run for more than half an hour, even though you’re not in the cross-country team, you wish to increase your stamina as well, on the way to school you ran into Sunset Shimmer and she proposed you to train with her. Who would've known that she got up as early as you do to exercise? And although you two have been running around the school, you feel like you almost ran from one end of the city to the other. ”You’re not tired are you?” Sunset Shimmer teases. “No, you?” ”Nope…” she replies with that smug face of hers you're starting to like; to show her your worth you decide to run faster than her and eventually you get past her. ”Wow, easy there tiger, no need to tire yourself like that!” She giggles. “I told you…I’m not tired!” Is the last thing you say before you run into a telephone pole. "Oh my goodness!" Sunset Shimmer runs toand places her arms around you, "Anon?! Are you okay?!" "Yeah, I am now..." you say as you feel Sunset's bosom on your forehead, luckily for you Sunset didn't understand what you said. Thursday. 6:37 A.M. ”Wow!” Twilight says as she looks at her phone’s stopwatch, “Anon broke his record again!” ”Pfft…he’s still not as fast as that blondie from Pleasantview High,” Zephyr Breeze says, “he might as well secure the second place.” ”Why don’t ‘cha stuff your mouth with a sock? Or even better…an apple! "Applejack shoves an apple right into Zephyr Breeze’s mouth, "RUN SUGARCUBE! RUN!” ”He’s quite fast isn’t he sister?” Both Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna watch you race around the school from the statue. ”Indeed…you know Luna, I feel our new student Anon is playing quite a motivational role in the team to make them work harder.” ”If only he could inspire them as well to have grades just as good as his,” Vice Principal Luna says, and Principal Celestia just giggles." Friday. 6:45 A.M. ”Anon broke his record again Rainbow Dash!” Twilight excitedly says. ”I know! Isn’t he…amazing?!” Rainbow Dash says. ”Totally…” Rarity swoons, Zephyr Breeze just frowns and crosses his arms. ”There’s no way Sandy and the others will be able to beat us tomorrow! Not even Crystal Prep!” (BGM) Hours later, it’s lunch time. You’re all gathered at the usual table, you’re sitting at the usual table on your favorite seat, next to Rarity. Rainbow Dash sits to your right with a huge smile on her face. ”So! Tomorrow’s the big day! How are you all feeling?” Rainbow Dash asks. ”Great!” Heath Burns says. ”Amazing!” Sandalwood says, “no one can stop us!” ”Nnnnope,” Big Mac shakes his head. ”YEEEEEEEEAH! Uh, I mean…NOOOOOOOOO!” Bulk Biceps yells, looking quite confused and conflicted. ”We’re so gonna win this!” Sonata excitedly says, “aren’t you excited Ari?” Aria just shrugs. Sonata turns around and finds Adagio sitting at a table far away by herself. ”DAGI! We’re gonna win tomorrow!” Sonata loudly yells from her seat to catch Adagio's attention, Adagio however just rolls her eyes and pretends she didn’t hear a thing, leaving you wonderin why she didn’t want to join the team or why she's rude to your new friends. ”I see you are all having a good time…” you all find Principal Celestia and her sister Luna standing right next to your table. ”Hey Principal Celestia…what’s good?” Rainbow Dash confidently says. ”Superintendent Discord sent me an e-mail about the other teams that are going to participate in this tournament. You were placed in Group A!” ”Duh! It couldn’t be more obvious! We’re the best after all…” Lyra brags; Vice Principal Luna digs how the collective morale of your team has changed for the best. ”Along with you are Crystal Prep Academy, Pleasantview High and Croix Bleue High, a very tough group if I say so myself.” ”Psssh…please Principal Celestia, they’re nothing, especially Croix Blergh High!” Sweetie Drops says, giving Lyra a high five. ”So…” Principal Celestia continues, “There are going to be eight groups. From A to F…the rules state that only the best two out of each group will pass to the Round of Sixteen! Isn’t this exciting?” ”If you don’t make it first…then second is okay!” Vice Principal Luna adds. ”And…what about the other groups?” Twilight Sparkle asks. ”Right…so, these are the teams you will be facing only if you qualify, which I know you will,” Principal Celestia winks, then she hands you all copies of all the groups. ”Aww man, they invited Lion County’s High Schools as well?” Lyra says, “they are a bunch of stuck-up jerks…” ”Their matches are always quite rough,” Sunset Shimmer says, “they always call their matches a ‘classic’.” ”If you live in Lion County that is…like, they always brag about being the best at everything, but nobody outside their county cares about them,” Lyra replies. ”They call their pathetic matches a ‘Classic’? Ha, don’t make me laugh, the real classic is Cougars vs Donkeys!” Flash Sentry says, “The Donkeys have lost lately against the cougars in football but they both pour their souls in the pitch. Both have very vocal fanbases as well.” ”But that’s only Football…” Sandalwood says, “they don’t shine in any other thing…” ”Heh, the Bears are here as well? Well…we totally know who isn’t winning the cup,” Rainbow Dash says, Big Mac chuckles. ”I’ve always wondered why Abel City’s mascots are called The Nukes…” Fluttershy says. “There’s a Missile Launch Facility not far away from Abel City. It’s called Sigma Complex I think…” Curly Winds says. ”Scary…” she says. ”The Foxes?! HA HA HA HA!” Rainbow Dash laughs out loud, “Please! The last time they’ve won something was back in the ‘50s, their only cup is almost as old as Superintendent Discord himself! I can’t believe they have the guts to call their matches against the Goats another Classic, am I glad they won’t face off in the qualifiers.” ”Buuuut, look who’s here as well! St. Ursula’s Eagles, boy if the Eagles and the Goats faced against each other in this tournament…” Derpy says, “that would be scary!” ”As long as they don’t cheat like they ALWAYS do, then fine by me…” Heath Burns adds, making everyone laughs. You keep reading the list. "Wait a sec…something’s not right here," you say as you read Group G’s teams. ”Yo, you okay dude? You look like you saw a ghost!” Rainbow Dash says with a laugh. (BGM) “I-uh…I-“ Everyone stops laughing. ”Anon? Are you okay dear?” Rarity asks. “S-Seacrest County High…is here as well,” you barely manage to say. Rarity gasps, Pinkie Pie opens her mouth wide in disbelief. ”What?! No way!” Rainbow Dash says she reads the teams of Group G. And when she reads her eyes suddenly go wide, almost dropping the list. ”Well…that’s lame,” Heath Burns says, everyone looks at each other, worried that in the near future, they might have to fight the most aggressive team of all. ”Oh no…why did it have to be them?” Trixie says, resting her face on her hands. ”Group G’s done for…” Tennis Match says. ”Umm…Wondercolts?” Principal Celestia looks worried. You recall your days back In Seacrest Jr. High…the people you met there are nothing compared to the ones that attended High School. If you face off against them…will you see your former teammates and classmates? “I can’t believe this! ARGH!” You tear the list in a fit of rage. ”…you okay dude?” Flash Sentry asks. “Excuse me for a moment…” you stand up and leave your food behind. ”A-Anonymous? Where are you going?” Rarity asks. You quickly get out of there and head to the restroom, as soon as you get there you hide inside a restroom stall, to be alone with your thoughts. 32 teams…and Seacrest High had to be one of them. You can’t believe it. After you finally got out of that place, you swore you never wanted to hear anything related to Seacrest County, not even the name of that place again. It’s like they came back to haunt you once again. The other teams surely can’t take care of them…so, it’s inevitable. You’ll have to face them one way or the other, no matter what, if you wish to win that is. What will you do now? They’re the absolute champions of everything, they even beat Crystal Prep Academy in several occasions and in different sports according to Rainbow Dash. There’s no way you’ll be able to beat them…you let out a defeated sigh. ”Anonymous? Are you there?” Rarity asks, knocking on the restroom’s door. (BGM) “Rarity?” “Listen, I know you had a horrible time in that place darling, but you’re making things worse for yourself if you cling onto the past like this,” Rarity says. “Rarity’s right Sugarcube…you’ll never move on if you keep downplaying yourself!” Applejack says. “Come on dude! You can’t be serious! Don’t tell me you are actually afraid of those jerks!” Rainbow Dash says. What did she come here for? To laugh at you? (BGM) “With all the training you’ve went through it should be THEM who should be afraid of YOU!” What? Did Rainbow actually say that? “YEEEEEAH!” Bulk Biceps is heard as well. “You know those guys better than us Anon, can’t you see? You’ve got a clear advantage over them!” Sunset Shimmer adds. “Like, seriously Anon…you can’t give up yet and we can’t do this without you!” Sonata says, “quick! Say something Aria!” “…you’re okay I guess Anon, and if you don’t come out I’ll burst in and drag you out by force you hear?!” Aria threatens you. “Come on man, no one runs or swims like you do!” Flash Sentry says, “we’ll show everyone tomorrow who’s boss! Then Seacrest won’t be anything for you and us!” “Eeeeyup!” Mac adds. You quickly stand up and open the restroom’s door, you find your team standing right in front of the restroom’s door. ”Did everything come out nicely?” Pinkie Pie asks, you let out a chuckle. “Thanks everyone, you guys are the best…” you say to your team, everyone pats your head, hair and back. Bulk Biceps even hugs you…HARD! “-I…can’t breathe!” You barely manage to say. “Whoops…sorry Anon;” as soon as Bulk Biceps releases you all, you turn to Rarity. “Rares…?“ ”Yes darling?” She says with the cutest smile you’ve ever seen. “I-“ Before you can say anything else, the bell rings. ”We’ll be late for class!” Pinkie Pie yells. ”Aww…” Rarity says. ”You didn’t eat your lunch Nonny! So I thought I should give it to you…” Pinkie Pie says. “Thanks Pink…wait a sec, did you bite my sandwich?” ”Sorry, I was kinda hungry.” Pinkie shrugs. Well, it certainly doesn’t matter who are you up against. Out of 32 High schools, Canterlot High will be the only one which will prevail!