"Hey, Sunset, can we have an important chat?" Twilight asked her friend.
"Sure, why not?" Sunset replied.
The bell just ring as they walked out of the classroom. The school day is almost over, and after one more class, then it's finally over for the rest of the day.
"I just want to ask you if you heard that the school board, for some reason, wants our football team to be back on the field?" Twilight informed her.
Now that got Sunset surprised, she turned to her friend and raised her left eyebrow, "What?" she asked.
"I don't know," Twilight shrugged. "All they said it's more of a way to get our school's spirits back up since... you know,"
"Why would they bother?" Sunset asked annoyed. "The Friendship Games, the camping trip to Camp Everfree, and other activities were all canceled because of what happened last holidays."
"I said I don't know," Twilight repeated. "They just want our school back to its former spirits. Also, they even decided to put Rainbow Dash back as team captain."
"What?" Sunset exclaimed, both of them stopped walking because of Sunset's reaction.
"Yeah, they literally did," Twilight confirmed. "Because they said if you can spare Rainbow and the CMC from going to jail for their part in Anon A Miss, then.... why not bring Dash back as the captain of the team?"
Sunset grumbles, just as her recovery is going really well, only for the school board to be stubborn enough to put the football team back on the field.
"I'm also meaning to ask if you also want to come back to the team as a lead striker?" Twilight questioned her.
It's true, ever since the Battle of the Bands, Sunset joined Rainbow's football team to see what she got. And over time, Sunset nailed in every football practice and match. Sunset also went through a lot of intense fitness training of her own, and she practiced day and night to get this sick signature move right, she called it; The Shimmer Spinner. She's virtually unstoppable with this move in every game she and the team played.
Twilight just realized what she asked and she immediately said, "Oh-oh wait! I'm sorry! I forgot that your-!"
"It's fine," Sunset told her annoyed, shutting her up. "But even if I want to come back to the team, my body is still recovering, so I doubt the Shimmer Spinner is still possible anymore."
She looked away, looking emotionless about the board's decision. Twilight tries to say something to her but Sunset spoke again, and this time her emotionless face turned into one of determination, "But if the school board can be so stubborn enough to bring back the team, then fine. But if their decision proved to be a bad idea, then I'm not coming back!" She turned to the nerd. "Let's head out to the field."
The two girls were outside and at the football field, Sunset was in the center of the pitch with the ball to her foot, and Twilight was just next to her, looking so concerned.
"Sunset, wait," Twilight protested. "Maybe this is a bad idea. You don't need to show that you can still use your signature move."
"I just want to try," Sunset told her, she looked so determined as she glares at Twilight. "It wouldn't hurt to try. I'm gonna see if I can get my signature move back."
"But Sunset, how were you going to hold it together to be with Rainbow Dash during the game?" Twilight reminded her about her PTSD.
"I took some meds, not only that but I've been taking much therapy as I can," Sunset told her again. "I don't need to keep my eyes on Dash, all I can do is to give her the ball or something."
"Okay, I see," Twilight said. "But how long are you going to keep it up? I remembered how fast Indigo was, she can move up to 20 miles per hour. And if I remember what you told me when you were in the team, you can move up to 18 miles per hour. Sunset, I don't think you can keep up with her!"
"And I told you that I have my own scuba gear and I trained underneath the ocean, remember?" Sunset reminded her. "Let's see if 5 months of recovery should be enough."
So then, Sunset took a deep breath and takes her eyes on the ball. And then, time slows down around her, Sunset sweeps the ball with her foot and begins to spin, she spins, and spins until she finally got it! After quite a long time, the Shimmer Spinner is back! Sunset is spinning like a furious tornado, Twilight couldn't believe it herself. Sunset herself looked like a tornado when she's spinning that fast, and then, she quickly stopped and unleashed a power shot to the goal.
Sunset stared at the ball at the net, she smiled in determination, "Now I'm ready,"
"Welcome to Crystal Prep vs Canterlot High School in our home ground pitch," Lyra announced, she and Bon Bon were the commentators for the game, both of them were in the commentator's room and both students of CP and CHS were cheering wildly.
"I can't believe the school board wanted our team back, Lyra," Bon Bon told her. "After everything that happened last holidays, what were they thinking?"
"I have no idea," Lyra shrugged. "And what Sunset is also thinking of coming back to the team as well? And why does Rainbow Dash comes back as team captain too?"
The CHS team was stretching but the rest of the team avoid eye contact with Rainbow Dash, some of them whispered to her, saying "monster", Rainbow Dash tries to ignore them as she stretches. It's only been half a year, and so far so good, almost no one has stopped calling her mean names but they still gave her the glares and the cold shoulder. Well, that's some good for her at least.
She gazes her right to Sunset, who's also stretching but avoiding Rainbow and the others. Rainbow sighs sadly, but not wanting to be reminded of what happened, she continued her warm-up stretching.
"Hey," Sunset's voice called out to her, surprising the rainbow-haired girl. Rainbow turned her attention to Sunset approaching her, wearing a neutral expression on her face. "You knew this is a bad decision making the School Board makes, right?"
Rainbow nodded, she knew that too. "Yeah, this is a bad idea, especially for what happened."
"Yep," Sunset agreed emotionlessly, "just try and think about this game. And if you want things to be a bit easier for you, let me deal with Indigo."
"Yeah, sure, good luck," Rainbow told her, and then she thought of something. "Oh, and Sunset," she took off her captain armband, giving it to the redhead. "I wanted you to have this... I'm not worthy to be the captain after what I.... you know.... what I did to you...Here."
Sunset just stood there for a few seconds, and then, she slowly took the armband from Rainbow. Lyra, Bon Bon, and everyone else noticed that and they were all a little surprised what Rainbow had just done.
"Rainbow Dash just made Sunset Shimmer the new captain of CHS," Lyra commented. "I have to admit, that's touching."
"But the question is; can Sunset being the new captain make the difference?" Bon Bon questioned.
"Especially with the two known speedsters; Indigo Zap vs. Sunset Shimmer," Lyra added, she grabs her speed tracker.
So the game is on! While the home fans were pretty displeased to see Rainbow Dash taking possession of the ball, however, it's not long when they see Indigo and Sunset challenged one on one with each other using their legit human speed. Sunset bought her scuba gear using her hard-earned money from the gems and gold she fenced, she's been using her scuba gear to train underwater to become faster and improved her stamina.
Indigo, on the other hand, was also trained to improve her speed and stamina using a weight belt and it paid off. Now, two players, two strikers, and two captains battled one on one. Minutes passed, the crowd goes wild, the scores were tied 2-2, both Sunset and Indigo scored those two goals thanks to their impressive speed and stamina.
85 minutes later, the scores were still tied. Lemon Zest jumped over Rainbow's slide and tackle and pass the ball to Indigo, and she then makes a break for it, zooming through the midfield like a wind, leaving CHS' midfielders in the dust.
"And Indigo once again makes another run to goal," Bon Bon commented.
"And she's fast as ever," Lyra added, tracking Indigo's speed using her speed tracker. "21 miles per hour."
"But if there's anyone who can keep up with her, it's Sunset Shimmer," Bon Bon said.
Just as Indigo was about to take her third shot in the game, Sunset zooms in and steals the ball from her, and makes a break to Crystal Prep's goal.
"22 miles per hour," Lyra said, tracking Sunset's speed.
But then, Indigo catches up with her and steals the ball, and runs back to CHS' goal.
"23 miles per hour for Indigo,"
Indigo shoots, the goalkeeper dives the wrong way as the ball flew to the other side of the net, however, Sunset zooms in and steals the ball again.
"What an unbelievable save from the new CHS captain!" Lyra exclaimed. "And she reached 24 miles per hour!"
Indigo chases Sunset all the way to the other side of the pitch. Now wanting to feed Indigo's need to win with arrogance, Sunset performs her Shimmer Spinner move. She moves through Sunny Flare and Sugercoat's defense like a raging tornado, she jumps mid-air and takes a powerful shot. Crystal Prep's goalie was way too late to react just as the ball hits the back of the net.
However, just as she lands on her feet, Indigo just slide tackles her with such a strong force, her right foot went straight to Sunset's right knee! Creating a small crack in her knee, Sunset yelled in agony that the whole school can hear, she fell on her back. Indigo just realized that she was too late that Sunset had already taken her shot just a split second before Indigo injures her.
The crowd gasps in shock at what they have witnessed, but the ones who have been hit the hardest were Rainbow Dash, Twilight, and the girls.
"SUNSET!!" Rainbow Dash and the girls cried out at the sight of the redhead on the ground in pain, holding her knee.
"That was the dirtiest dangerous tackle!" Both Bon Bon and Lyra exclaimed at the same time.
"CHS' best speedster and their new captain was down!" Lyra cried out.
"And Indigo has made things way too far!" Bon Bon added, just as Mr. Cranky Doodle who poses as a referee gives Indigo a yellow card.
"A yellow card?!" Applejack cried out surprised. "That no-good varmint deserves a red card!"
"I pretty much expected Indigo to have a red card instead!" Lyra claims.
"Out of my way!" Rainbow barked, shoving her teammates out of the way to check on Sunset, who was laying on the ground, gripping on her broken knee, she's gasping in pain. She knelt down to get a closer look at her, "Sunset," she spoke, her eyes widen seeing Sunset's condition. "I'm so sorry this happened!"
"Rainbow... Dash...." Sunset barely spoke, she slowly lids her eyes open to see Dash staring down at her, scared for her.
"Yeah...." Rainbow mumbled, she gets lifts Sunset's a little with her right hand, "speak to me, Sunset. Speak."
Sunset is still wincing in pain, "We... all... knew this was a bad timing to play soccer again," she barely told her.
Rainbow nodded, "Yeah, I know but this is not the time to talk about it," she said quietly, "because of this, I'm out, for real this time."
"Yeah, I'm with you..." Sunset agreed.
Moments later, Sunset was taken to the hospital again to get her knee treated. What's even worse is that her body is still recovering and a knee injury is just as bad enough.
What?! Are you okay?! How bad was it?!
It's pretty bad. Real bad. Like, it hurts like hell, Twilight.
That Indigo girl has got some explaining to do!
I'd say the school board has got some explaining to do. It's their dumb decision to bring back the football despite what happened with Anon A Miss.
And what about Rainbow Dash?
Well, she and I both knew it is bad timing to be playing some soccer again. If the school board didn't decide to let us play soccer again despite our school's condition of what's left after the holiday incident, I would never end up here again.
Okay, but what about you? Are you feeling better?
For now. The doctor said I have to wear this knee for like a long while and I shouldn't put too much pressure on my knee. Well, I guess I can no longer use my Shimmer Spinner for a while.
Well, I'd never see how you'd done it yourself despite what you told me about and how it works but I'd recommended you not to do that while you're healing. Get some rest, Sunset, and don't forget about your meds.
I already took my meds and thanks. Anyway, I should get some sleep. Goodnight.
Goodnight and be well soon.