Equestria Hockey League Part XII – Season Wrap-Up
by XFizzle
Off to Canterlot were the Ponyville Golden Leafs on a sunny, yet chilly winter morning. Inside the carriage, Twilight and company, accompanied by Sweetie Belle, eagerly chattered about things to do once they arrived in the capitol city. Rarity was the most excited of the ponies as she bounced from window to window, trying to observe Canterlot’s splendor.
“Ooh we absolutely MUST visit Hoity Toity’s fashion studio. It’s been ages since I’ve seen him last!”
Applejack yanked Rarity away from the window. “Hold yer horses there, Rarity. We need ta’ see Canterlot’s famous golden apple trees! I’ma take an apple home and plant its seeds at the farm!”
“Pfft, golden apples, schmolden schmapples. I’m going to find the headquarters of the royal air guard and check out their awesome military stuff and maybe learn a new trick!” said Rainbow Dash with an excited squeak in her voice.
Fluttershy tried pushing Rainbow out of the way to the window but her gentle nudge was no use. Fluttershy instead moved her head all about to look over Rainbow. “I’m going to re-introduce myself to all the cute, little winter critters. I hope they can forgive me and see that I am really kind.”
“I’m going to throw a BIG snowball fight for all of Canterlot! We can build snowponies, go sledding, and maybe sing our favorite winter songs!” squealed Pinkie Pie as she forcefully bumped both Fluttershy and Rainbow away from the window, knocking them into Twilight’s lap.
Twilight warmly smiled at her friends’ anxiousness to explore her hometown, but she was first concerned about the trial at EHL Headquarters scheduled for that afternoon. “I can’t wait to show you girls around Canterlot. We really didn’t get to see a whole lot when we were here for the Grand Galloping Gala. Luckily our game against the Equestriens isn’t for a couple days so we have plenty of time to explore! But before we get too excited, we have the hearing at the EHL offices to deal with. We have to see what will happen to Sweetie Belle here.” Twilight gave Sweetie Belle a pat on the head.
“The EHL better make the right decision about those despicable Rangers! I bet you Trixie will try to weasel her way out of it! She’s such a snake in the grass!” exclaimed Rarity.
“But I thought she was a weasel? You can’t be both a weasel AND a snake!” asked Pinkie somewhat facetiously as Fluttershy pondered what a weasel-snake would look like.
Applejack interjected. “I don’t know, Rarity. I reckon the Commissioner ain’t gonna be too happy ‘bout seein’ us again.”
“Yeah, because you went all crazy on Rose! Even though you got suspended, that was so cool!” said Rainbow as she extended her hoof to Applejack for a hoof bump to which Applejack obliged.
Twilight sat up to speak. “We will be ready no matter what the EHL decides to hand down. Let’s get through this hearing then focus on the Equestriens. It’ll be our last chance to start building momentum for the playoffs.”
“Okie dokie, Twilight! I can’t wait to party with Princess Luna again! She knows how to PARTAY!” said Pinkie as she danced in the center of the carriage. Pinkie stumbled over toward a slumbering Spike on the floor and accidentally stepped on his tail. Spike was jolted from his sleep in pain, unaware of what happened.
“OUCH! Wha-what was that?”
“Oh, sorry Spike! I didn’t see where I was dancing! I hope I didn’t hurt your tail too bad!”
Spike sucked on his tail to help ease the pain but had to quickly release it when a fiery burp rumbled out a scroll. Twilight opened the scroll to read it to everypony.
”My Dearest Student Twilight Sparkle,
You and the Ponyville Golden Leafs are cordially invited for a royal banquet on the eve of your match against the Canterlot Equestriens. Princess Luna and I are very excited to see you again. Good luck and I shall see you soon.
Your Royal Highness,
Princess Celestia”
Twilight’s unbridled glee made her heart race. The other Golden Leafs also bounced about the carriage with giddiness as they were looked forward to their first royal feast. However, as the carriage approached EHL Headquarters, the excitement in the air gradually calmed down into seriousness for there was business to settle first.
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The carriage came to an abrupt stop, flinging Fluttershy, Pinkie, Spike, and Rainbow to the opposite side into Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle. Slightly dazed, the Golden Leafs brushed themselves off and exited their vehicle. The EHL Headquarters was a short, but wide building that stretched back pretty far. The pathway to the front doors contained a fountain shut down for the winter. The fountain featured the statue of a pony in full hockey gear. Upon passing the fountain, Twilight glanced over at the plaque at the front of the fountain and saw the name “Hayne Gretzky”. The ponies entered the main doors and walked into a bustling lobby full of business ponies. A lush, black carpeted mat extended from the doors to the main reception desk. The logos of the six EHL teams glowed on the walls leading up to the junction of hallways. Twilight and friends trotted over a giant EHL logo emblazoned on the mat in bright orange fabric as they slowly strolled into the league offices. They approached the reception desk where a secretary unicorn was leisurely talking on the phone while using magic on an emery board to file her hoof.
Twilight approached the desk and cleared her throat to get the secretary’s attention. “Ahem. Excuse me. We are the Ponyville Golden Leafs and we are here for the hearing scheduled for today.”
The secretary continued on with her phone conversation, not giving Twilight one inkling of notice. Twilight cleared her throat louder and tried again. “AHEM! Excuse me ma’am, but we are the Ponyville Golden Leafs and we’re here for the hearing.”
In a very uninspiring, monotone voice, the secretary moved the phone away from her ear and mouth. “If you need service, please ring the bell.” The Golden Leafs blankly stared on as the secretary placed the phone back on her ear to listen. Twilight located the bell at the far end of the desk and strongly pushed down on the button, making the ring loud enough to startle the secretary. The secretary put the phone down and angrily turned to face Twilight.
“What can I help you with, ma’am?”
“We’re here for the scheduled hearing today,” said Twilight sternly.
“Very well, I’ll let the Board of Discipline know you’re here.” The secretary picked the phone back up and pushed a button. “Hello? The Manehattan Rangers are here for their punishment.”
Twilight and friends smacked their faces with their hooves. Twilight spoke back up, “No! We’re the Ponyville Golden Leafs!”
“Oh, I mean the Ponyville Golden Leafs are here. Okay. I’ll send them in,” said the unhelpful receptionist. With the phone back on the receiver, the secretary pointed toward a long corridor and robotically instructed the Golden Leafs. “The conference room is down that hallway, the first door on the left. Thank you for visiting the Equestria Hockey League and have a nice day.”
Twilight led her team to the corridor and saw a sign pointing to the conference room they were told to arrive at. When the Golden Leafs entered the room, there was no sign of anypony. On one side of the room was a long, rectangular table with space for six ponies to stand while the other side contained a much longer table. At the head of the room, facing the two long tables, was a platform containing a podium in the center with chairs on each side. On the longer table sat a microphone and a nameplate that read “Ponyville Golden Leafs”. Twilight and company stood at their table while Sweetie Belle found a chair in the very back of the room to sit on. As the Golden Leafs got settled into their spots, the conference room doors reopened. Three briefcase-toting stallions in suits pompously trotted in, led by commissioner Gary Bettpony. The EHL officials took their spots at the platform with Commissioner Bettpony standing at the podium. Commissioner Bettpony retrieved his notes and smacked a gavel onto the podium for no particular reason but to feel important.
“Order! Order! This hearing is now in session. Where are the Manehattan Rangers?”
The Golden Leafs looked around and shrugged their shoulders at the Commish. Suddenly, the conference room doors flung open and in sauntered the Manehattan Rangers with Trixie at the head of the pack. Rarity leapt over the table at Trixie but was held back by Twilight and Rainbow with the Commissioner’s gavel loudly smacking on the podium. The Rangers took their spot at the opposing table and made faces at the Golden Leafs. The Golden Leafs kept looking ahead, not wanting to give Trixie’s crew any further attention. With both teams now present, the hearing began.
Commissioner Bettpony glanced over the papers in front of him and then addressed the Rangers. “Trixie, your team is being accused of tampering and illegal use of magic. As captain, how do you plead?”
Trixie tossed her mane back and smugly declared, “Not guilty, Mr. Commissioner!”
“OH BIG SURPRISE!” yelled Rarity, which elicited more gavel pounding.
“This is your first and only warning, Ponyville. Do not speak out of turn!”
Rarity was going to yell some more but Twilight used magic to zipper her lips up. Rainbow held Rarity down as she struggled to mumble angrily behind her zipped lips. The hearing continued on.
“Now, Manehattan. We received Ponyville’s grievance along with a recording device. After our league technicians reviewed the device in question, we saw some very demonstrative actions by you and your team. Care to defend yourselves?”
The Rangers all looked to Trixie who stood up and put her front hooves on the table. “Your honor, I assure you that the recording device you received was not ours. We arrived at Ponyville the morning of the game, therefore we could not have the time to plant it. It must be Ponyville’s device so that they can spy on visiting teams’ practices!”
Twilight immediately jumped up to interrupt. “That is an awful lie, Mr. Commissioner! The device must have clearly shown Trixie and her team bullying me during a practice! I saw her plant it with my own eyes!”
The Commissioner turned his attention toward Twilight. “There was no such footage as the device began recording at the start of the game. We did not see this ‘bullying’ you speak of.”
Trixie looked to Twilight and stuck her tongue out. Twilight pleaded her case again. “Well, even though there wasn’t footage of the Rangers’ bullying, I still saw Trixie place it on the boards! We learned a new play at that practice and during the game, when we went to execute it, Trixie was able to recognize our play and had a breakaway goal as well as an assist on a second goal!”
“That’s because you and your team are losers and can’t pass the puck!” shouted Trixie. Irritated, the Golden Leafs began to yell back at Trixie while the Rangers fired back with insults.
The commissioner slammed the gavel once again to stop the noise. “Enough! This hearing is going nowhere with a bunch of hearsay and shouting going back and forth. I’ll just cut to the chase. Manehattan, after reviewing the footage, we saw that Trixie’s horn was glowing for a significant portion of time which prompted your goalie to delay the game in pain. The use of magic during a game is illegal and is subject to strict penalties. Furthermore, placing your own teammate in physical pain, albeit not subject to the EHL rulebook, is still a violation of a high standard of morals we, the EHL, try to adhere to. As commissioner, I hereby declare your penalty for these infractions to be…”
Gary Bettpony then pulled out a magic 8-ball from his briefcase and shook it. Both teams had a great deal of confusion on their faces as they couldn’t believe that is how their league determines penalties.
The commissioner put the 8-ball away. “Just kidding. Anyways, Manehattan Rangers, you are officially fined 50,000 bits for tampering as we believe you did plant the device based on Ms. Sparkle’s light defense. Also, the previous game, which did result in a victory for Manehattan, is now hereby forfeited. Ponyville will be recognized as the winner of that game.”
The Rangers all put their hooves up on the table in protest with Trixie beginning to yell at the commissioner. Twilight and friends sat back and enjoyed hearing the rest of the ruling. With the shouting from the Rangers growing louder, Commissioner Bettpony slammed the gavel and raised his voice. “Furthermore, the contract of Sweetie Belle as a member of the Manehattan Rangers is now TERMINATED and will be granted to the Ponyville Golden Leafs!”
Sweetie Belle jumped out from her chair and ran up to Rarity. She received a big hug from her sister as well as happy pats on the head from her new teammates. Enraged, Trixie slammed her hooves on the table.
“THIS IS A TRAVESTY! YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO MY TEAM!”
The commissioner flashed a self-righteous grin. “Oh, that reminds me. I also read what you had to say in that newspaper interview, young lady! You think I’m a puppet for Princess Celestia do ya? You know, I was going to let you off easy but you since you reminded me of that scathing article…you are placed under severe probation! From now on, any shenanigans from you will be grounds for BANISHMENT FROM THE LEAGUE! How do like that?”
Trixie’s jaw dropped in absolute shock as the Golden Leafs pointed and laughed at Trixie’s reaction to the commissioner’s decree. Trixie desperately tried to backpedal in defense.
“B-but that interview was taken out of context! I didn’t mean that!”
As Gary Bettpony and his associates were trotting off to leave, he turned back toward Trixie to give one final remark. “YOU GET NOTHING! YOU LOSE! GOOD DAY MADAM!”
Trixie angrily stomped in place as her teammates tried to calm her down. The Rangers stormed out of the room while Twilight and friends mockingly waved goodbye to them. The Golden Leafs exchanged celebratory hugs and hoof bumps for their favorable ruling and the Rangers’ misfortune. Rarity let Sweetie Belle ride on her back as the Golden Leafs exited the conference room in complete satisfaction.
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With their administrative duties out of the way, the Golden Leafs spent the rest of their afternoon in Canterlot exploring the city with Twilight as their tour guide. Each pony got to do what they had planned on the ride over. Rarity visited Hoity Toity, Applejack saw and picked a golden apple, Fluttershy played with a handful of critters, Rainbow Dash saw the royal air guard’s compound, and Pinkie Pie started a snowball fight with her friends and some unfortunate passers-by. Tired from the day’s fun-filled events, the Golden Leafs arrived at Twilight’s home.
Afraid of being embarrassed by her parents, Twilight quickly introduced her friends to them then hurriedly pushed them down into the basement where their slumber party would be held. Each time her parents tried to come downstairs to provide snacks or games, Twilight met them at the steps and prevented them from coming down any further.
The rest of the evening was spent chatting and playing fun games. Giggling and shouting echoed throughout the basement as the team bonded over conversation and a tiny bit of scouting of the Equestriens at Twilight’s behest. Spike and Sweetie Belle were the first ones to fall asleep, but soon the rest of the ponies followed to close out the long day.
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The next morning, Twilight was the first to wake up and she prepared a giant breakfast for her team. The Golden Leafs enjoyed the delicious breakfast and readied themselves for the day’s activities. The plan was for the team to run through a brief practice at the Celestia Centre before arriving for their royal banquet at the palace in the evening. With stomachs full, the Golden Leafs set out for another packed day.
At the Celestia Centre, the Golden Leafs worked on their agility and skating. Twilight introduced new skating drills to help her teammates change direction quickly since the Equestriens were known for their quick, sneaky plays as evidenced in the first meeting in Ponyville. The Golden Leafs also worked on their penalty killing as they allowed three power play goals to the Equestriens last time. Both Pinkie and Sweetie Belle took reps as goalie, taking on shots. Rarity was hesitant on shooting at her little sister but eventually became comfortable enough to participate fully. Rarity quietly vowed to herself that if Sweetie Belle goes in net during a game, that she would do whatever it takes to play better defense and prevent shots from being taken. The practice ended short, but it was effective, which pleased Twilight. After the ponies and Spike freshened up, they left the arena to head for the royal palace.
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A royal chariot pulled up to Twilight’s home to transport the Golden Leafs to the palace. Twilight and friends piled into the chariot anxiously, pushing and pulling each other out of the way to hop aboard. Once the dust settled, the chariot was off and away. It did not take long for the girls and Spike to arrive at the palace. Once everypony stepped out of the chariot, they were in awe once again seeing as it was their first return since the Gala. The palace was adorned with amazing winter ornaments. Giant crystal snowflakes and powder blue banners and tapestries hung from the towers. A line of trumpet unicorns stood along the main drag into the palace courtyard. They began sounding the horns as Twilight and her friends trotted their way toward the palace.
Coming up on the main hall, Pinkie Pie looked over to the left where the dining hall was. As soon as she saw the giant spread of food, Pinkie galloped over and was about to dive in. Twilight froze Pinkie with her magic and brought her back to the group. Pinkie was able to stick her tongue out to grab a bread roll before getting yanked back and was furiously munching on it. Twilight led the group up to the main hall where they passed by colorful stained glass windows depicting various moments of Equestrian history including their triumph over Nightmare Moon. The Golden Leafs were confused when neither princess was in sight. Suddenly, in a puff of purple smoke, both Princess Celestia and Luna stood before them, standing tall and proud. The Golden Leafs bowed to the princesses and awaited their greeting.
Princess Celestia trotted forward toward Twilight and company. “Rise Ponyville Golden Leafs for you have played admirably thus far this season. It is great to see you all once again!”
“It’s great to see you too, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna!” exclaimed Twilight.
Luna smiled back as Celestia began to lead everypony toward the dining hall. “Now that we’re all together, shall we eat?”
“Yes ma’am!” yelled Pinkie as she blew right past Celestia and started pigging out on all the food. Embarrassed, Twilight tried to wrangle up Pinkie but the princesses laughed at the scene. The other Golden Leafs took their places at the table along with Celestia and Luna, digging into the large feast as well.
After everypony stuffed their faces, the royal waiters cleared the table and brought out dessert. Before the Golden Leafs could take a bite, Princess Celestia stood from her throne to address them. Pinkie gulped her dessert in one bite and was nudged in the side by Twilight to pay attention.
“I hope you all enjoyed the food we’ve prepared tonight. Before this banquet is over, I have something to show you.”
Princess Celestia turned around to whistle a short, lovely tune. Almost immediately, two doors flung open behind her and two ponies trotted into the room. The two ponies were carrying a large, blue trunk, carefully bringing it over to the table while wearing white gloves on their hooves. The usher-like ponies unlatched the locks on the trunk and opened it. A bright, silvery glow emerged from the trunk as the Golden Leafs’ eyes widened. Standing tall on the table before the Golden Leafs was the elusive Celestia Cup. The Golden Leafs gathered around it and looked upon it with great admiration. Rainbow Dash went to touch it but was met with a slap on the hoof by Twilight.
“It’s…it’s more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be,” said the awestruck Twilight.
“Shiiiiinyyyy!” said Pinkie as she wobbled back and forth to see her reflection shrink and grow in the Cup.
“Amazing! Fabulous! Amazingly fabulous! I must have this for my boutique!” shouted Rarity.
“It would be so fun to show this off to Apple Bloom and Scootaloo! Maybe I’ll get a Celestia Cup cutie mark!” yelped Sweetie Belle as she jumped up and down to get a better view.
Applejack carefully scanned the trophy from base to top. “I reckon I could sell a lot of apples with this big ol’ hunk of metal sittin’ on the cart. It’s so cool lookin’!”
“It’s nice,” said Fluttershy softly as she imagined using the bowl of the Cup to give all the little birdies a bath.
Rainbow went to sneak another touch onto the Cup but was spotted by Twilight who threatened another slap. “If I have the Celestia Cup then the Wonderbolts will HAVE to let me in! They’ll be so jealous!”
“If you continue to work together as a team and learn the power of teamwork and friendship, then this radiant trophy could be all yours,” said Princess Celestia with a delightful grin.
“We’ll do our best, Princess!” shouted Twilight.
“Yeah!” responded the other Golden Leafs.
The Cup keepers placed the Cup back into its case and took it from the dining hall. With the evening growing longer, the Golden Leafs were ready to head back to Twilight’s house. Princess Celestia and Luna waved goodbye to Twilight and friends as they boarded the chariot back to Twilight’s home where they retired to bed immediately upon arrival.
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Dawn broke on the day of the final regular season game. The Golden Leafs lounged around the Sparkle residence until it was time to depart to the Celestia Centre. With the surprising visit from the Celestia Cup the previous night still fresh in their minds, Twilight and her crew were more focused than they have ever been before a game. After exchanging goodbyes with Twilight’s parents, the Golden Leafs set out to wrap-up their inaugural regular season.
As the girls and Spike approached the arena, a surprising, yet encouraging sight appeared before them. Outside the arena doors, not only were there a throng of Equestriens fans waiting to enter, but there was also a large contingent of Ponyvillians. They traveled to Canterlot to support the Golden Leafs and were making their presence known with cheers and yells. At the front of the Golden Leafs’ fan cavalcade was a large blue banner that said “GO LEAFS GO” in shining gold silk. The small sea of ponies sporting blue jerseys blended in with the red of the Equestriens’ fans as they made their way toward the entrance. The Golden Leafs all felt a wave of warmness ignite inside them and their focus doubled as a result. Twilight and friends trotted proudly toward the visitor’s entrance and found their way to the locker room to get dressed.
In the locker room, the Golden Leafs’ determination was palpable as each pony prepared for the game with a quiet seriousness. Sweetie Belle donned a Golden Leafs jersey for the first time, dressing at the stall between Rarity and Pinkie Pie. When the Golden Leafs were dressed and ready to go, Twilight stood in front of her team for the pre-game speech.
“Tonight we face our last chance to build momentum for the playoffs. We also face a team that already beat us already this season. We know Canterlot’s game and how they like to get in the referee’s ear. Tonight, we won’t put ourselves in a position for the Equestriens’ to even think that have a case. We saw on the walk in that there are a large number of our fans who traveled at this way to come watch us play. They are sacrificing their time, energy, and business to close up Ponyville and come to Canterlot. We shall not let them down! Let’s do this for them! Let’s get a win and take a strong step forward toward the playoffs! Hooves in, play smart on three!”
“One…two…three…PLAY SMART!” yelled the Golden Leafs.
The warning horn sounded and Twilight led the charge out from the locker room toward the rink.
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When the Golden Leafs reached the rink and stepped onto the ice, the electric atmosphere of the Celestia Centre poured over them. The arena was split fifty-fifty in Ponyville royal blue and Canterlot red. Dueling chants of “GO LEAFS GO!” and “LET’S GO ‘QUESTS!” brought the arena volume to unprecedented levels. Some surly Ponyville fans and Canterlot fans began to talk smack to each other but were calmed down by their peers. Both the Equestriens and the Golden Leafs skated around their ends, waiting for the introductions. Sweetie Belle and Pinkie Pie stretched off to the side and helped each other with warming up before Sweetie retreated to the bench to watch the game. The lights dimmed for the introductions which sparked the crowd back up again.
The Golden Leafs’ introduction was bland and succinct while the Equestriens had a lavish ceremony complete with royal guards providing a fanfare. The Equestriens’ roster had no changes as they were the same team who defeated Ponyville four games back in a 3-0 shutout. The Golden Leafs couldn’t crack the scoreboard last time but they were poised and ready to start this game with a loud, visiting fan base rallying behind them.
With introductions over, the referee grabbed the puck and brought both teams into the center circle. Ponyville’s road whites glowed under the arena lighting while the Equestriens’ home reds boldly stood out. Rainbow and Luna leaned forward for the faceoff and gritted their teeth. The referee checked both Pony Joe and Pinkie Pie and slammed the puck down to start the final contest.
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The game started out with Ponyville dominance as they kept the puck in the offensive zone. Each pass was sharp and clean and the Golden Leafs did well to get open for shots. Despite the early onslaught of offense, Pony Joe denied each attempt and had racked up six saves before Canterlot could take control of the puck. Canterlot tried to answer back with some offense but had a couple passing miscues, allowing Ponyville to reclaim control. With the puck back in the Equestriens’ zone, Twilight called to run their new play from the previous week. Rainbow took the puck deep behind the Canterlot net with Moondancer right on her. Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Twilight took their positions just in time for Rainbow to pass. Applejack received Rainbow’s pass as Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged positions. With Twilight drifting sideways, Applejack pushed the puck towards her, out of Hoity Toity’s reach. With the puck coming at her, Twilight wound up for the one-timer. Rainbow escaped Moondancer’s tight coverage and parked herself right in Pony Joe’s way. Twilight whipped the shot on net as Rainbow hunkered down in the crease. Pony Joe stretched around Rainbow to get an eye on the shot but couldn’t find it. With the puck coming in on net, Rainbow tipped her stick ever so slightly to deflect it. The puck glanced off Rainbow’s stick and into the bottom corner of the net. Half of the arena jumped with a yell as the goal light spun and Rainbow skated toward her teammates in jubilation.
”Ponyville goal, scored by number 20, Rainbow Dash, assisted by number 42 Twilight Sparkle, and number 88, Applejack.
The “GO LEAFS GO” chant broke out again as the Golden Leafs finished their celebration and headed back to the faceoff circle. Luna skated by Pony Joe to give him a encouraging tap on the pads before making her way to the center to square off against Rainbow. Ponyville finally put a goal up on the Equestriens and wasn’t about to stop. After some back and forth offensive series by both teams, Ponyville had the puck back in the Canterlot end. Applejack dumped the puck into the corner with Rainbow giving chase. Rainbow reached the puck but was surrounded by Photo Finish and Hoity Toity. Rainbow held her ground but eventually succumbed to the prodding and poking of the Equestriens. Photo grabbed the puck and swept around the back of her own net to fire the puck off the boards. Fluttershy braced herself against the glass to keep the puck in and immediately passed to Rarity near the front of the net. The Equestriens’ defense collapsed on Rarity, prompting her to pass back to Fluttershy at the point. Fluttershy had an open lane to the net and fired off a shot. Pony Joe followed the puck until Rainbow once again skated through the crease to block his view. The puck pounded the top corner of the net without any movement from the screened Canterlot goalie. Fluttershy and Rarity embraced as the goal light was illuminated for Ponyville once more. The other Golden Leafs joined in the group hug as a mixture of cheers and boos emerged from the audience.
”Ponyville goal, scored by number 0, Fluttershy, assisted by number 9, Rarity.
With a minute remaining in the period, Ponyville rested on their laurels and were sluggish coming off the ensuing faceoff. Canterlot, increasing their focus, surged into the Ponyville end and attempted to at least get on the scoreboard before the break. Luna had the puck on the left wing boards and passed it to Hoity before Applejack could ram her. Hoity wanted to pass to Blueblood on the other wing but the path was blocked by Twilight on defense. Photo glided behind the net and called for the puck, receiving it. Luna bolted toward the crease but Rainbow was on her tight. Blueblood stepped into Rainbow’s path, causing her to skate away to avoid the collision, leaving Luna open between the defense. Photo snapped the puck to Luna who spun around Fluttershy to claim it and then flicked it on net. The puck was tucked in right under Pinkie’s glove hoof and Canterlot was on the board. A goal horn loudly bellowed throughout the arena as the red-clad Equestriens faithful finally had a reason to cheer.
”CANTERLOT GOOOAAALLL! Scored by number 25, YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS, PRINCESS LUNAAAAA! Assisted by number 55, PHOTOOOO FINISH! And number 77, HOITY TOITYYY!
The Equestriens finished their celebration as the Golden Leafs reassured Pinkie that it was going to be okay. The final thirty seconds of the period ran out with no further scoring. Both fan bases cheered their teams off the ice as the teams marched off to the locker rooms for the intermission.
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The intermission went by quickly as both teams made it back to the ice for the next frame. The Golden Leafs were pleased with the first period but were a little distraught about their let-up in the last minute. Their determination was still high as they briskly skated around before the second period started. The referee stood at center ice and called both teams over for the faceoff. The “GO LEAFS GO” and “LET’S GO ‘QUESTS” chants fired back up as the puck dropped.
Neither team held the puck for very long, only being able to pass a few times before they either fired a shot or were stopped by the defense. Canterlot began checking more, hoping that their newfound physicality would help them tie the score up. Remembering the uneven amount of calls against them from the first meeting, Ponyville decided to match Canterlot’s checking with finesse and speed. Four minutes of exciting back and forth hockey quickly passed, raising the crowd’s buzz with each series of shots.
Ponyville had fired eight shots to Canterlot’s twelve and found themselves back in their own zone on defense. Blueblood had the puck in the left corner and was hounded by Rarity and Twilight. Blueblood kicked the puck around the back boards to the other corner where Luna took over while battling off Fluttershy and Applejack. With Hoity coming into the scrum to help out Luna, Moondancer shifted over along the blue line. The puck squirted out of the corner right to Moondancer’s stick. With the Golden Leafs’ defense all shifted toward the right wing, Moondancer saw Blueblood open on the opposite side and zinged the puck right over. Blueblood settled the wobbly pass before firing on net. Pinkie took too long sliding over and the puck flew past her kick save. The goal horn sounded again for Canterlot as Prince Blueblood danced toward the corner while roses littered the ice. The Equestriens came over to celebrate and the arena was rocking again with the red half jumping up and down.
”CANTERLOT GOOOAAALLL! Scored by number 1, PRRRRRINCE BLUEEEEEBLOOD! Assisted by number 5, MOOOOOONDANCERRRR!
Twilight regrouped her team and calmed them all down by sticking to the game plan. She then set their focus to getting a goal before the intermission like Canterlot had done the previous period. With this mission in mind, the Golden Leafs set up for the faceoff. Canterlot won the draw and pinned the puck in the Ponyville end as time ticked down. Rainbow ramped up her speed and stole the puck from an unsuspecting Blueblood. Rainbow and Applejack sprinted the other way with an odd-pony rush. Rainbow passed to Applejack who faked the pass back to stall Moondancer. Applejack fired at the goal but Pony Joe gloved it and immediately set it down to pass off. Princess Luna was all alone cherry picking at center ice when she received the pass. She came into the Ponyville zone for a breakaway as Pinkie skated up to cut down the angle. Rainbow kicked into a top gear to get back on the play. As Luna went to shoot, Rainbow dove and poked the puck off Luna’s stick, eliciting an “awww” from the home crowd. The second period horn sounded off; however, the action was not over. The poke from Rainbow knocked Luna off-balance and soon she was skidding on the ice. Pinkie tried dodging out of the way when Luna barreled into her, knocking both her and the net over. The crowd gasped as both Luna and Pinkie were slow to get up. Eventually, Luna was up on her skates which received applause from the Equestriens’ fans. Pinkie quickly took her mask off and clutched her left knee, wincing in pain as her teammates rushed over to check on her. Twilight tried asking what was wrong but Pinkie howled back. Applejack and Rainbow helped raise Pinkie to her good leg and they carried her off toward the locker room with the bad leg daintily hovering over the ice.
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The EHL physician carefully took Pinkie’s pad off and surveyed the injury. Pinkie sadly chomped on a muffin as the physician performed the “drawer” test to make sure no ligaments were torn. When the check-up was over, the physician trotted over to Twilight to inform her of the prognosis.
“I believe it is only a mild knee sprain. Some ice should help reduce some of the swelling but I’m afraid she won’t be able to play out the rest of the game.”
“Thanks, doctor,” said Twilight in disappointment for her friend.
Twilight then addressed the team. “Well the doctor said that Pinkie can’t play the rest of the game. It’s a mild knee sprain.”
“Awwwww! But I was having so much fun! What a bummer,” said Pinkie as she finished her muffin.
Sweetie Belle realized that she would have to go in for the injured Pinkie, causing her to bounce up and down anxiously.
“Hey Twilight! Twilight! I can play for Pinkie Pie!”
Twilight smiled at Sweetie Belle’s excitement and nodded. “Yes, you have to go in. I hope you’re ready!”
Sweetie put her mask on and growled. “Yes sir!”
Rarity had a concerned look on her face and grabbed Sweetie by the shoulders. “Are you sure, Sweetie Belle? You haven’t properly stretched. I don’t know what I would do if you harmed yourself!”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and pushed Rarity away. “I’ll be fine, sis! It’s not like this is my first game. I can do this.”
Rarity looked deeply into her sister’s eyes and saw that she was indeed ready. Rarity sighed and let go. “Alright, I believe you dear.”
Applejack and Rainbow walked up to Rarity. Applejack nudged Rarity. “If it makes ya feel any better, we’ll do our best ta’ help out on defense so that way Canterlot cain’t get too many shots off.”
“Yeah! We’ll be smothering them like Fluttershy on a cute bunny!” exclaimed Rainbow as Fluttershy happily imagined petting a bunny.
Twilight stepped over and put her hoof in. “Alright, let’s tighten up the defense and hold Canterlot to as little shots as possible! Defense on three.”
“One…two…three…DEFENSE!”
Twilight moved aside for Sweetie Belle to lead her new team out back onto the ice for the final period.
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When the Golden Leafs took to the ice, the ponies in the crowd noticed a much small goalie skating to the net. A murmur fell over the crowd as Sweetie Belle happily skated back and forth to chip up the crease. Before lining up for the faceoff, Rainbow skated by Rarity to give her a nudge on the helmet as Rarity was nervously watching her sister prepare. With the crowd perking back up in their cheers, the puck dropped for the final period.
True to their strategy, Ponyville played Canterlot extremely close and forced turnovers when Canterlot had the puck. Ponyville did not aggressively set up offensive plays, deciding rather to play passive and move the puck around methodically. With two minutes already melted from the clock, Canterlot recognized Ponyville’s keep-away scheme and reverted back to their physical game. The Golden Leafs tried to hold onto the puck, but Canterlot’s increased hitting eventually won them possession. The Equestriens blazed into the Ponyville zone and were ready to test the young Sweetie Belle. Luna entered in the zone with the puck, firing it off to the corner for Hoity Toity to pick it up. Hoity moved it along the boards back to the blue line before Applejack could hit him. Photo Finish held the puck for a moment before passing over to Moondancer. Blueblood took the opportunity to plop himself in front of Sweetie Belle, completely blocking her sight. Rainbow saw Blueblood’s screen and quickly flew over to nudge him away as Moondancer fired off a shot. Blueblood tried to get back to the crease but was held off by Rainbow, allowing Sweetie Belle to see the shot and come up with the big save. The Ponyville fans cheered as the play stopped. Sweetie yelled her thanks to Rainbow who responded with a tap on the pads.
On the faceoff, Luna won it back to Photo Finish who immediately passed it to Hoity who peeled away from the faceoff toward the side of the net. Fluttershy was slow to cover Hoity as he ripped off a shot. Sweetie Belle slid over and leapt into the air to grab the puck, drawing another loud cheer from the Golden Leafs fans in attendance. Hoity slammed his stick on the ice in frustration as the two teams set up for another faceoff. Three minutes remained and Sweetie Belle was making a wonderful stand in net. The Celestia Centre was loud again as the dueling chants were lobbied back and forth about the arena. On the faceoff, Rainbow won it back to Twilight who led the Ponyville break toward Canterlot’s zone. Twilight passed to Applejack who carried the puck past the blue line. Instead of pushing the puck into the corner, Applejack tried to deke around Photo Finish to rip off a shot. Photo matched Applejack’s stride and blocked the shot attempt. The puck ricocheted off Pony Joe’s pad and came out toward the center where Rainbow swiftly dove in to retrieve it. However, Moondancer was able to come over and push Rainbow away from the net. Rainbow circled around, looking for somepony to pass to. Rarity was open for a split second so Rainbow let a pass off. Prince Blueblood stepped in front of Rarity and intercepted the puck, pushing it up to Luna who had another breakaway. The entire crowd jumped to their hooves to watch the latest breakaway attempt. Applejack and Twilight skated as hard as they could to get back but Luna was closing in. Sweetie Belle patiently readied herself as Luna went to deke. Luna reared her head back for a shot, but it was a fake. Luna quickly brought her stick back down to push to puck over to the side. Sweetie Belle didn’t bite on the fake and followed the puck. Running out of space, Luna flicked the shot on net. Sweetie Belle dove toward the post and gloved the puck!
The pro-Leafs crowd roared as Sweetie Belle dropped the puck and passed it to Applejack with a minute and a half left. Most of the Equestriens were too far into the Ponyville zone to get back, giving Applejack and Rainbow Dash a two-on-one break with just Photo Finish on defense. Applejack crossed the blue line simultaneously with Rainbow as Photo stayed between them. Applejack lifted her stick to shoot, causing Photo to desperately dive toward her. With Photo sprawled out on the ice, Applejack quickly pulled her stick down and passed over to the wide open Rainbow. Pony Joe followed the pass and was squared up with Rainbow now as she was almost in the crease. Instead of finding a hole to thread the puck through, Rainbow passed back to Applejack on the other side. Applejack zoomed in like a missile and one-timed the puck into the goal past a diving Pony Joe. Applejack jumped into the boards with Golden Leafs fans smacking the glass as Rainbow tackled her to the ice. Half of the Celestia Centre was whipped into a frenzy as the Golden Leafs piled into the corner in celebration.
”Ponyville goal, scored by number 88, Applejack, assisted by number 20, Rainbow Dash, and number 30, Sweetie Belle.
Only forty seconds remained as a giant “GO LEAFS GO” chant filled the air. Canterlot called timeout to pull Pony Joe for an extra skater. The Golden Leafs were anxious to resume play and to ride out the final seconds. Equestriens fans cheered to encourage their team to score a tying goal, bringing the arena to deafening levels. With the teams set, the referee dropped the puck. Rainbow skillfully outmuscled Luna off the puck and won the puck back to Twilight who took the puck deep behind her own net. The Canterlot forwards pressed on hard to get to Twilight but Twilight fired the puck around the boards. Rainbow grabbed the puck and was immediately met with a check by Blueblood. Twenty seconds left. Blueblood took the puck away from Rainbow and passed to Moondancer on the blue line. Rarity came up to pressure Moondancer but she passed it along to Photo. Ten seconds left. Both Pony Joe and Prince Blueblood crashed the crease and parked themselves in front of Sweetie Belle. Fluttershy and Twilight tried their best to push the screeners out of the way but they were not strong enough. Five seconds left. Photo lifted her head back for the shot and fired away. The puck flew like a bullet in on the crease. Both Pony Joe and Blueblood jumped to avoid blocking their own teammate’s shot. As time expired, Sweetie Belle caught a tiny glimpse of the puck and shifted over. The puck drilled her in the chest and bounced off the corner. The final horn sounded and the Golden Leafs were victorious.
Golden Leafs fans yelled and shouted as the Canterlot fans groaned and grumbled their way toward the exits. After the Equestriens skated off the ice in disappointment, the Golden Leafs swarmed their goalie and lifted Sweetie Belle up on their hooves for her heroic performance. Sweetie Belle giggled while Rarity had a small well of proud tears collecting in the corner of her eyes. The Golden Leafs placed Sweetie down before stepping off the ice to an enormous cheer from their fans.
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Pinkie had a party set up in the locker room for her teammates when they arrived from their triumphant victory. After undressing and cleaning up, Twilight and her team partied with dancing and music in the locker room. When Spike finished bundling up all the equipment, he received a scroll. He returned to the party to hand the scroll over to Twilight. The music stopped as Twilight went to read the scroll aloud.
”From the Offices of the EHL:
Congratulations on the completion of your inaugural regular season. Based on the final standings, you will begin the Celestia Cup Playoffs at home in Ponyville as the #4 seed. The first round is a best-of-3 series with games one and three in Ponyville. Your opponent will be the Manehattan Rangers. Good luck.”
Upon hearing their opponent will be the Rangers, the Golden Leafs all formed a sly smile on their faces. The smiles gave way to laughter as they would worry about the Rangers later. There was more partying to be had. When the arena crew finally forced the Golden Leafs out of the locker room, Twilight and friends were met by their loyal fans that were still in Canterlot. The Golden Leafs signed autographs and took pictures before boarding their carriage back to Ponyville along with their fans.
The Golden Leafs achieved the momentum they set out to obtain. Their hopes for a long playoff run were looking brighter now that they pulled out a gritty win and are facing a shaky first-round opponent with a star player on probation. After taking in a glimpse of the Celestia Cup during their stay in Canterlot, Twilight and friends were determined to see it again, but this time getting to raise it over their heads.
To Be Continued
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Three Stars for Ponyville @ Canterlot
* Rainbow Dash (PGL)
** Applejack (PGL)
*** Sweetie Belle (PGL)
Final EHL Standings
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z-Cloudsdale 7-3
y-Appleloosa 6-4
Canterlot 5-5
Ponyville 5-5
Manehattan 4-6
Fillydelphia 3-7
z = clinched Princess’ Trophy
y = clinched first round bye
EHL Transactions
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9/19/11 – Ponyville Golden Leafs receive the contract to Sweetie Belle (G) from Manehattan Rangers
9/19/11 – Manehattan Rangers sign free agent Doctor Whooves (G)
9/19/11 – Ponyville Golden Leafs sign free agents Big Macintosh (LW) and Spike (RW) to playoff roster
EHL Playoff Schedule
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(3) Canterlot vs. (6) Fillydelphia
(Series tied 0-0)
Game 1: @ Canterlot
Game 2: @ Fillydelphia
Game 3 (if nec.): @ Canterlot
(4) Ponyville vs. (5) Manehattan
(Series tied 0-0)
Game 1: @ Ponyville
Game 2: @ Manehattan
Game 3 (if nec.): @ Ponyville