//------------------------------// // Chapter 10: The Cup Final // Story: Violet Hill // by TorontoFCBrony //------------------------------// “Are you almost ready, Dashie?” Soarin asked his marefriend while he was waiting on her couch for her to come out of the bathroom. “The match is starting in an hour. We've got to get going!” “Yeah, yeah, hold your horses,” Rainbow responded from inside the bathroom. She still was getting ready for the Equestrian Hoofball Association Cup final. Cloudsdale Rovers were taking on the league champions for the past three years, Manechester United. United had also won the Hoofball Champions League the year prior and this cup two years in a row. They were by far the favourites to win, but Soarin and Rainbow were still going to go to Cloudsdale Field to cheer on their Rovers at the top of their lungs. The last few weeks were very positive for Rainbow, who performed really well in practice, as well as in their shows in Fillydelphia and Las Pegasus. She had done well in respecting Soarin’s plea to her that she would not mention what happened to Spitfire. Things had gone on as usual, and Rainbow had even put what happened in the back of her mind. Soarin decided to turn on the television for a few more minutes before they left. He was going to turn on the pregame show, but instead was distracted by a breaking news report. “Uh oh,” he said while watching the new disturbing report. “What’s wrong, Soarin?” Dash said as she got out of the bathroom. She was wearing the home jersey of the Cloudsdale Rovers, the same jersey that Soarin was wearing. She walked over to the television and had the same reaction. “Uh oh.” They listened in to the breaking report on Cloudsdale News Seven. The light purple female pegasus was holding her microphone while flying in spot in front of the Cloudsdale Clock Tower. She reported, “The biggest news of today has come out of Saddle Arabia, where Equestria has declared war. Reports are currently saying that all talks and negotiations have stopped, and Equestria is about to move in to claim resources from the kingdom. Saddle Arabia has an abundance of oil, which is a newly discovered fuel that can be used to help develop technology around the world, and they refuse to negotiate. Princesses Celestia and Luna are still in Canterlot, but were unable to comment at the time. A ship of both male and female earth ponies, who will be equipped with newly developed weaponry, will leave this afternoon. The ponies are currently being conscripted from Manehattan and Fillydelphia, but ponies from across Equestria will be added to the list soon. Stay tuned for more breaking news.” Rainbow and Soarin looked at each other with nervous expressions as the anchorpony came back on the screen. “Soarin, what are we going to do? Today is the biggest game I’ll ever see. We’re still going, right?” Dash asked him. “Well, Dashie,” he replied while putting his hoof on her shoulder, “We’ll just have to take one day at a time from here on in. We still should go to the game. I'm sure everything's fine here. Tomorrow will bring another day and another challenge, so let’s just worry about having fun today.” Rainbow nodded her head in agreement to the wise words of Soarin, but she still was nervous going out to have fun while other ponies are getting ready for possible death. She was also nervous about the game, which the two of them were now ready to go to. They left the room and Rainbow locked the door behind her. After a little while, they made it down to the ground part of the city. The hoofball ground that the couple were going to on this day seated forty-five thousand and had four different main stands of two levels that were connected with four corner stands of one level. It was one of the loudest stadiums in the league, despite the team under performing in the last few years. Cloudsdale fans were loud and proud of their sports teams. While on the ground, with Cloudsdale Field straight ahead of them, they could see the other buildings in the area. The Cloudsdale Arena, where Rainbow and Soarin saw Coltplay, as well as the Cloudome for the Cloudsdale Cardinals baseball team, were close by. They could hear music blaring from the speakers around the field, which hyped up all of the many fans coming from far and near. As the two of them made their walk around the stadium grounds, they could see the travelling fans from Manechester, who were standing in a circle and bouncing up and down while singing their team songs and preparing for the big game. There didn’t appear to be any concern about the war by all the ponies around them. Everypony was just focusing on the game. As Rainbow and Soarin made their way to their gate, they signed a few autographs of young colts and fillies who were really excited to be able to see two of the Wonderbolts up close. Rainbow was not used to signing too many autographs, but her recent shows had given her more fame than ever before. She wasn't known by everypony, but she was definitely gaining more popularity the more shows she did. The two of them showed their tickets to the gate attendant and made their way in and to their front row seats just to the left of the south net. The fans were all starting to pile in. Rainbow and Soarin looked out to the players on the field. Manechester United was by far the better team of the two. They were the most successful Equestrian team of the past twenty years. But the beautiful thing about hoofball was that anything could happen. Soarin pointed over to one of the ponies who was playing for Manechester and said to Rainbow, “Do you see that red pony with the grey mane? That’s Striker. He was basically born to play hoofball and his parents named him that because they wanted him to become a famous player one day. I think he’ll be one of the world’s best players in a few years.” Soarin told her more information about different players on the field as they were practicing. Rainbow had good knowledge of hoofball, but she had not been to many games before she started to date Soarin. The last time she went to a game was the day before her father’s tragic death. Rainbow was only an older filly at the time, but she had to live the rest of her life in the care of only her mother. She had only sad memories of this place, and it reminded her of her father every time she saw it. It's the reason why he never came back. Cloudsdale in general had many bad memories for her. The reason why she moved to Ponyville was because of her mother’s death much later when Rainbow was a young mare. She had nothing left in Cloudsdale for her but pain, so she decided to move on. Rainbow never did tell the story of her parents to Soarin. She never thought the time was right, and she also didn't want to tell him because she thought that it would just be depressing to him. Soarin looked over to Rainbow, who actually had a tear in her eye as she looked out towards the field. “Dashie, is everything okay? What’s wrong?” he asked while leaning closer to her. Rainbow stiffened and tried to suck up the pain she had. “Oh, you know, just bad memories of this stadium,” she told him. “I understand completely, Dashie,” he said to her. “Cloudsdale has lost so many times here. I almost cry just thinking about it. All the disappointment over the years...” That was not what Rainbow was thinking of when she was sadly staring off, but Soarin’s comment did get a laugh out of her. One day… One day I’ll tell him, she thought to herself. One day she would be able to tell him about her parents. But she just did not feel like it on this day. This was a day meant to distract her from all the badness around her. Some time passed, and the crowd filled up. The crowd was in total support of Cloudsdale, except for the travelling fans from Manechester who were sitting behind the net opposite to Soarin and Rainbow. Both sets of fans were chanting and singing, and that created an amazing atmosphere. The cheers from crowd went out as both teams came out of the tunnel together. Manechester United were wearing their red jerseys, and Cloudsdale Rovers were wearing their white jerseys. The sets of players took their team photographs and then shook hooves. Both sets of teams with their eleven players each went to their respective sides. “Here we go,” Rainbow said to Soarin excitedly. For the next ninety minutes she could put any and all of her worries behind her. The referee blew his whistle to signal the game had begun. The crowd roared with excitement. Manechester United dominated most of the first half. They had plenty of chances, but just couldn't find the goal. They hit the post twice and the crossbar once, causing the fans to groan and shout. In the thirty-fifth minute Cloudsdale had their chance. Rainbow shouted in excitement and the entire crowd got on their feet as the forward for Cloudsdale was sent in on a breakaway, beating the goalkeeper, and sliding the ball into the net. The fans roared and jumped in sheer joy, and Rainbow and Soarin hugged while looking at the play with large grins on their faces. The cheering quickly turned into booing, however, as the fans realized that the linesmare had raised her flag for offside, causing the goal to be disallowed. The fans booed and shouted harassing words at the linesmare for her decision, which cost Cloudsdale he go-ahead goal. It was a very tough call that had to be made quickly with her best judgement. The first half ended goalless as both teams went into the dressing rooms to rest for halftime. Rainbow and Soarin sat down for the first time in a while. The game was so exciting that they stood for most of the first half, as with the rest of the fans. Rainbow sat quietly for a few minutes, but the things on her mind continued to bother her. She just kept getting flashbacks of the last time she was here with her father. She had not told anypony about her parents, and when anypony, even her close friends, asked her about her parents, she would always just try to change the subject. But the thoughts and memories were still in her mind. She needed to tell somepony about it. “Um, Soarin, I need to tell you something,” she said to the stallion sitting beside her. Soarin looked back at her. “Of course, dear, you can tell me anything,” he informed her lovingly. “Okay, if you say so,” she replied. She looked at the warm smile he was giving her. “The reason why I was crying earlier was because of the memories I had about my parents because of coming here.” Soarin interrupted, “Yeah, you know something: you never have told me about your family. Where are they?” “That’s the thing, Soarin. I don’t have any family. You and my friends are the only family I have now,” she told him. “Dashie, that’s horrible! You must tell me what happened,” he demanded from her, though in a nice way. Rainbow took a deep breath. She exhaled, and said, “Okay, I’ll tell you. My father used to take me to sports games all the time. The last game I went to was in this stadium. I was still a filly and Cloudsdale had beaten Manechester in a league game. I was so happy. The next day, my father went to work, but he never came back. He died in a work related accident at the weather factory. I loved him so much, and my whole world was just crushed. I had to live the rest of my life without him. I loved both of my parents, but everything was just not the same without my father. This stadium brings me back all the memories of him. I miss him and I want him back, Soarin. But I know that will never happen.” Soarin could see the watery eyes of Rainbow once again. She didn't show much sadness in her life, but the times that she did, Soarin just knew that something was really bothering her. “Dashie, I’m really sorry. I wish you had told me sooner. We could go home if you want. We can cry together and talk about it.” “I’m not crying!” Rainbow snapped at him while she clearly was. “Okay, fine, maybe I’m crying a little bit,” she admitted while turning away. “I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Dashie. There is nothing wrong with crying. You loved him, and I know he loved you too. How is your mom doing? Maybe one day I can meet her,” he told her. That comment however did not help; in fact, it only made things worse. “Soarin, she died soon after I graduated from high school. She got really sick, and living without a husband and the love of her life, she just did not have enough reason in her to continue living, I guess. She passed away in the hospital.” Soarin now nearly had tears along with her. “I can’t believe you never told me this before. Why would you ever not tell me this?” he asked her. Rainbow explained, “I guess it’s because I always fear what others will think of me. I was made fun of in middle school for getting sad at stuff, so I just decided to always play it cool. Putting on a smile and laughing at things made others respect me more, so I did it.” Soarin hugged her strongly. “Oh, sweetheart, you don’t need to care about what others think of you. You just need to know that I’m here for you, and I always will be. You know, if I knew about all that, I would have never made fun of you.” When the two of them ended their talk, it was time for the second half to start. Rainbow had felt better knowing that she finally had enough courage to tell another pony about something that she always wanted to keep hidden. There was just something about Soarin that made Rainbow feel safe with him. He was pretty much her only family now, after all. He was the only one she could lean on while in Cloudsdale. Cloudsdale Rovers had the kickoff for the second half. The chances for both teams were plenty in the second half, with Cloudsdale getting the best opportunities. The Manechester goalkeeper made a major mistake when he gave it away, causing the forward from Cloudsdale to have an empty net, but he missed it wide, probably due to his nerves getting the best of him. The fans all jumped prematurely but let out a loud groan as they saw the final result of this great opportunity. The score remained deadlocked even into the late minutes of the match. The possibility of extra time and a penalty shootout was becoming more and more of a reality by the look of how things were going. By the eighty-seventh minute, the fans in the stadium were completely quiet. Rainbow and Soarin were holding each other nervously The visitors had a three on two breakaway. The pony with the ball blew past the final defender on the left wing. As he ran down the side he kicked the ball with his front left hoof perfectly to the forward, who was open for a one-timer. As he connected with the ball with his hoof he blasted it, and it went off the crossbar. The fans held their breath. The ball rebounded off the bar and went straight to one of the Rovers' players, who passed it forward. It was a break on the other side now. The forward for Cloudsdale was given the ball, and he made a step-over move to break past the final defender and go one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The fans all stood on their feet and cheered him on. Rainbow and Soarin leaned forward to see what was about to happen in the net right in front of them. The forward moved in and finessed the ball into the lower left corner. It was winning goal in the final minute. The fans rejoiced as the stallion who scored removed his jersey with his front hooves and ran around the field with the biggest smile on his face. His teammates all jumped on him in celebration. Soarin and Rainbow bounced up and down, screaming and yelling in sheer joy. Glory was finally brought back to a city that desperately needed something to cheer about. Rainbow gave Soarin a kiss on the cheek as the madness in the stadium went on. This was one of the best moments in Dash’s life, and it completely distracted her from the sadness she had earlier in the day. It was a pleasant moment she waited a very long time for. -------------------------------------- "So, Dashie, what are you thinking about right now?" Soarin asked Rainbow as the two of them lay down on their backs against each other under the stars at Violet Hill later that evening. The celebration at the stadium went on for over an hour. They decided to spend the rest of the evening together at their special place. "Right now I'm not really thinking about anything. I'm just thinking about how happy I am to have you," she replied while turning her head over to see him. He responded, "You know, I'm really proud of you for what you told me earlier. I know it was probably really hard for you to tell me about your parents, since you seem to not like talking about that kind of thing. I still feel bad, Dashie." "Well, I feel safe enough to tell you anything," she said with a smile. "You don't have to feel bad for me. Bad things happen, and we can't stop them from happening. What's important is how we deal with those problems." "That is so true," he said in agreement. The two remained silent for a minute, until they saw a shooting star go across the sky. "Oh, look at that! Make a wish," Soarin told her. Both of them closed their eyes to make their wishes. "What did you wish for, Dashie?" Soarin asked her. "You know I can't tell you, because I want it to come true," she reminded him. "Oh yeah," he chuckled. Little did he know that Rainbow's wish was that Soarin would one day propose to her. "Soarin, what's going to happen with the war?" she asked him. "I really don't know, Dashie," he responded. "If I have to go, I will. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I don't think you should go. I need to be able to know that you will be safe." Soarin knew that if Rainbow refused to go to war she would be fired from the Wonderbolts, therefore losing her way of income. "If I go I will support you financially. You can go back to live in Ponyville while I'm gone, and we can buy a house together when I get back if you want." Rainbow paused for a few minutes. She was completely silent, lost in thought. Things could change so suddenly, and the possibility of her dream of being a Wonderbolt being gone was something that she desperately didn't want to happen. "I guess that can be our plan for now," Rainbow replied. "I'll try to stay a Wonderbolt if I can. Hopefully we won't have to fight at all. But if we are forced to go, I'll quit." "And that is fine with me, Dashie. You have to do what you feel is right." "But, if you choose to go, you have to make a deal with me." "All right, Dashie, what's the deal?" "Promise me you won't kill anypony if you go," she told him. "Rainbow, I promise you that. I will protect myself, but I will not take the life of another pony," he said to her. Rainbow had peace of mind. This day was a good day for her, especially considering the fact that neither of them knew what the next day would bring. They just needed to enjoy each day at a time for now.