It came as no surprise to Rainbow when she saw Fluttershy watching her practice after school. It was nice to have a friend both to be playing with and another to watch her practice, but Rarity had come with Twilight and Pinkie to pick Shy up for an edible and much needed lunch. Now that she was gone, Dash began to concentrate every little grey cell she had on getting the most out of practice before the big game. Her legs pumped harder and faster than ever, and for the first time since she started high school, she felt winded. Her legs tightened and ached with each stride as she dribbled the soccer ball down the field with Sunset running parallel to her.
Sunset was just as tired, even more so now that she had to keep an even faster pace alongside her team captain. It was easy to tell how much soccer meant to the longtime athlete. Sweat and dirt covered her brow and grass stains covered her bare shins as she hopped sideways along the field to open up for a pass. When the ball came to her, she deflected it quickly back to Dash. This quick but decisive action had given Dash a couple seconds to get into a good scoring position in front of the team's goalie. With a kick powerful enough to break a brick wall, Dash launched the ball to score.
During the past week, the rest of the team had trained with Dash just as hard and just as furiously. In just a matter of days, they became slightly faster and stronger out there on the grass. What should have been an easy goal was anything but. The goalie, a young girl of average height and brown hair as wild as a tumbleweed, leaped into the air and threw herself at the ball. She collapsed onto the ground with her body curled around her prize. To everyone's astonishment, she got up and threw the ball back out onto the field.
Dash was almost mystified. She ALWAYS scored, every time she kicked. Now, in exhaustion and frustration, she collapsed to her knees and gasped for air. "H-How??" She croaked as she put her hands behind her head to open up her lungs. In a similar fashion, Sunset flopped down onto her back next to her and began knocking back air like there was no tomorrow. When she sat up, she exhaled hard and put a hand on Dash's shoulder.
"I think our team is getting faster." She reasoned, trying to reassure her friend.
"But...I never miss." Dash turned to her and wiped her grass stained hand across her face. "I never miss!"
Sunset just shook her head. "Rainbow, it's ok. I'm sure you'll make the next one."
The goalie walked up to the two girls with a big grin on her face. "Great catch, huh?"
Dash scowled, instantly feeling silly and immature. Yes, it had been a great catch. It was awesome catch. Deep down, she knew her team was strong, and this girl's performance showed their strength as a unit. "Yeah." She nodded and stood to look her in the eye. "That was pretty cool. Nice one."
"Thanks!" The girl seemed exuberantly happy to hear that. "Coming from you, that means a bunch!" Dash couldn't help but feel that this kid was a bit too enthusiastic. Based on her size, Dash guessed she was an underclassman.
Sunset gave the girl a thumbs up. "With you guarding for us, I think we're gonna win easy tomorrow."
"Yeah! You're looking pretty good out there yourself!" She gave her back a thumbs up of her own. "Weird how you just now started playing."
"Alright guys." Dash ran her hand back and over her hair to brush it out of her face. "Let's set up to run a couple of plays before we call it a day."
"Sounds good!" The girl sauntered back to the goal and began stretching out her legs while yelling out at the rest of the team what was going to happen.
"You ok?" Sunset asked, turning to see Dash leaning more on her left foot. "You look like you have a cramp or something."
This was true. Her last kick was beginning to have consequences, but Dash was never one to admit she was in physical pain. "Nah, I'm good." She lied as she shifted her body weight to a more natural posture. This was incredibly painful, forcing her go back to favoring one side. "Ok, maybe I have a tiny cramp. I'm sure it'll go away in a minute."
"I think you need to sit down." Sunset tried to sound as concerned as possible. "You've been running harder than I've ever seen for almost two straight hours. The rest of the team takes breaks, and you should too."
"I can't take breaks." Dash limped casually towards the side of the field. "I'm team captain!"
"Yeah, you're team captain." Sunset sighed and put an arm under Dash's waist to ease her into a sitting position on the grass. "But you should also be taking breaks like the rest of us. Besides, we have a big game tomorrow. It would kinda suck if you were too worn out to play."
Dash sighed and began rubbing her thigh with both hands. "Yeah...It would." She groaned and bit her lip. "But I just can't stand the thought of losing tomorrow."
"We won't." Sunset giggled. "Trust me. If we play even half as hard as we practice, we'll be fine."
"Heh, yeah totally." Dash nodded her head. "Hey, who was that kid?" She pointed at the goalie. "Isn't she like Cloudchaser's little sister or something? I swear she's not the same goalie as last year."
"Beats me." Sunset sat down next to her and watched the team shuffle towards the big water cooler on the other side of the field. Since the team captain was taking a break, everyone else decided it would be a good idea to do the same. "I don't really know anyone else here besides you."
"Well, when we graduate, that kid is probably gonna be the new team captain." Dash pressed her knuckles into her thigh to fight against the cramp.
"Are you already thinking about graduation?" Sunset asked.
"Um..." Dash nodded her head slowly. "Kinda, I guess. I think I talked about it with Shy at some point yesterday."
"Ohhh..." Sunset put a finger to her chin. Was this why Dash was working even harder than usual today on the field? "You know, we still have a while before that happens. I wouldn't worry about it until we get there."
"Yeah, true." Dash groaned as she felt a shooting pain instantly burn her thigh before suddenly disappearing. With a sigh, she smiled. "That's way better."
Sunset turned to her. "That sounded really painful."
"What, my leg?" Dash laughed. "It's nothing. Just a small cramp, like I said."
"If you say so." Sunset shrugged. "You know, if you have a cramp, you could go see the school nurse."
"No way." Dash shook her head. "Last time I was there I had to sit next to a kid sneezing and coughing all over the place. Totally not doing that again. Besides, it's not like I'm actually hurt or anything. Cramps happen all the time."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sunset leaned back on her arms. "Just don't push yourself too hard. I don't think you realize it, but you don't have superpowers. Maybe your 'pony-up' thing kinda counts, but you still might end up actually hurting yourself if you're not careful."
"Huh..." Dash gave her a smile. "Sure, anything is possible. I guess...I've just always wanted to be the best player at every practice."
"I think everyone on the team would agree that you are the best. Everyone in the whole school pretty much thinks so."
"Whoa, really?" Dash giggled. "That's awesome! I always had a feeling that was true, but if you say it is, then I believe you." She paused and leaned back on her arms as well. "You have really changed, Sunset. In a good way."
"T-Thanks." Sunset blushed a bit and grinned at the grass beneath her. "That...actually means a lot. It's nice to know people think I'm a better person."
"WAY better." Dash rolled her eyes and giggled. "You used to tooootally suck!" Sunset frowned at her, and Dash cleared her throat. "Um, but you're cool now....sorry."
"It's ok." Sunset laughed. "I did used to suck. I'm just glad I have good friends now to hang out with."
"And play soccer with." Dash nodded her head with a grin.
"And play soccer with." Sunset repeated with a smile. "Should we get up and go back to practicing? Only if you're feeling up to it. I don't mind resting for a few more minutes."
"Nah, why wait..." Dash hopped up and shook out her legs. "If we take too long, the football players won't be happy."
Sunset sighed and stood up, stretching her arms over her head. "Let's get practice over with so we can all go home and eat."
"Awesome idea." They jogged their way back out onto the grass where the rest of the team was waiting for them.
-o0o-
Nestled nice and cozy into her blankets, Fluttershy lay on her side clutching her pillow, eyes lazily opening and closing as sleep beckoned her towards unconsciousness. Her mother had come in a minute ago after coming home from work to check on her before going to bed, and yet again Shy was feeling the effects of a food coma. As she laid there, a thought had occurred to her which was partially amusing.
Earlier that day when Rarity had taken her and a few others out for lunch, Fluttershy did not have the luxury of choosing her meal. Pinkie and Rarity had agreed that she was much too skinny, especially for someone as short as she was. Now, after a couple hours of homework and thumbing through a Cat Fancy magazine in bed before laying down completely, Shy was beginning to feel as if her friends were trying to put more meat on her bones.
While they had been eating, Rarity kept talking profusely about dresses, dresses, and more dresses. It was evidently clear how excited she was to make the new Twilight a gown, so excited in fact that immediately after they ate, she had taken Twilight back home to do measurements. With their little party only a day away, Rarity had her work cut out for her.
Being so snug and warm was almost heaven for Shy at that moment except for one slight discomfort. She usually slept with a great number of blankets, and because of this, she was too hot. Her feet felt a bit clammy and her head felt warm against her pillow. With a small sigh, she pushed her blankets back with her feet and rolled onto her back.
Thoughts of Rainbow Dash danced through her head when she spread her arms across her sheets to feel just how alone she really was in her bed. The night before had been near magical bliss. Having Dash in her arms, herself in Dash's arms, just being so close to her was an experience she was beginning to regret. The physical loneliness now was worse than ever before. Even the faint scent of her Rainbow Dash that clung to the pillows was beginning to drive her crazy.
Images of Dashie's sly smile and the sound of her cute crackling giggle filled Shy's head, and her eyes could easily picture her smooth and tight legs leading up to her cute round behind. Fluttershy opened her eyes and sat up a bit to look around the room. She had to make sure she was truly alone with her thoughts right now. Her mind was craving the idea of scouring her memory for more Rainbow Dash thoughts, and her body might respond in turn in a VERY embarrassing way.
Most teenagers have their ways of stress relief....
...and Fluttershy is no different.
With the lights off and the room nice and cozy, Fluttershy's face turned cherry red as she pulled her big comforter over her head, hiding herself from the rest of the world while she indulged her body and soul. She closed her eyes and let all of those precious Dashie images race through her mind while laying herself down flat on the bed with her hands resting on her tummy. A small sigh escaped her lips as she bit the top of her shirt with a squeak, her hands moving slowly down passed her hips to her thighs. For a couple minutes, she lazily squeezed her own thighs while watching the image of Dash's head resting on her lap from the night before. She remembered the nervous anticipation she felt as she moved her head down slowly to steal a kiss, making the present Fluttershy grasp her hips and whimper ever so softly up at her ceiling.
A shrill chirp of a bird rang out throughout the room, and in a panicked shock, Fluttershy squeaked just as loudly while curling up under the blankets like a turtle. It took her a few seconds to catch her breath and realize it was her phone making that noise. Slowly, like a cat peeking out from a box, Shy brought her head over the blankets to look at her phone. The chirping ended suddenly, and Shy picked her phone up to look at it more closely. The only notification on the face of the screen was a text message. It was from...Rainbow Dash?
She frantically slid her finger across her screen and opened the message which read, "Hey, Shy...u up? I no it kinda l8. Was thnkn we cud chat. Kinda nervous bout 2mrrw. Sry if I woke u. Call me if u want." Fluttershy had to read the message nearly five times to understand the terrible spelling. She sat back in her bed and collected herself, running her fingers through her long hair to smooth out any evidence of self-foreplay. Although she knew absolutely no one could have been watching her, she did feel a tad guilty.
While Shy had been alone with her thoughts, Dash had come home a couple hours ago from practice. Her body was stiff and achy like she had just taken a dive off a cliff and had to climb back up. It felt very unusual and unnerving to be so tired. Normally, she would have been happy to be so sore, but there were two reasons why this was making her worry. The first was the most obvious. She had a big game tomorrow that was going to need everything she had, so being tired was not a good thing. Second, just being sore and tired in general was not a good sign. She was the star athlete of Canterlot High, so Dash had to wonder why she was so worn out.
She felt as if there was an underlying pressure or weight on her back, like something was weighing on her mind that only added to the aches and pains. No matter what, she couldn't shake the continuing reminders her brain was giving her about Fluttershy. That girl was on her mind a lot, and Dash wasn't entirely sure why. It was as if her heart was trying to tell her something important, but her ears needed to pop first.
After a long thirty minute shower, Dash sat on her bed with nothing on except a pair of cotton shorts and a towel around her neck. Not being one for homework, Dash immediately turned her TV on to play one of her racing games. Her father came in an hour later with a big plate piled with boneless ribs and macaroni salad, and he immediately groaned and rolled his eyes at her revealing appearance. Her father was a brawny and rather handsomely built man with a scruffy but trimmed beard and a full head of rainbow hair worn in a short spiky mess. It was always easy to guess whose dad he was when Dash was growing up in elementary school. "Ah, come on, kiddo!" He sighed heavily and put his daughter's dinner on a plastic dinner tray next to her with racing flags printed on the face. "You're not a little girl anymore. Put some clothes on."
"Uh-huh." Dash wasn't even paying attention to him. Her nose picked up the scent of food, and she paused her game to turn to her meal. "Cool! Food!"
Her father picked up a stray shirt that was lying on the floor and threw it at her face. "Put a shirt on before you eat." He walked back towards the door of her room and stepped on a small foam basketball. He picked it up and balanced it on his finger. "You wanna clean up in here one of these days?"
"No." Dash shook her head and swiped her finger across her food to lick up the barbecue sauce. "Not really."
"Too bad. This weekend, you're cleaning your room." He bounced the foam ball off his knee a few times. "At the very least, put your plate in the sink when you're done."
"Fine..." Dash grumbled up at him. "Hey, dad. Did anything come in the mail for me today?"
He shrugged. "Probably. Check the stack of mail on the kitchen counter. I think I saw your soccer magazine somewhere in there."
Dash shoved a rib into her mouth after pulling her shirt over her head. She rushed out of her room past her dad and began rummaging through the mail. She found her soccer magazine and her gaming magazine and tucked them under her arm before walking back to her room. Her father gently threw the foam basketball at her head, the ball bouncing off back towards him before hiding it behind his back. When Dash turned to angrily stare at him, he whistled non-nonchalantly while walking away.
More hungry than annoyed, Dash got back up onto her race-car bed and began eating with one hand while playing her game with the other. This method of multitasking wasn't working, causing her to spill food onto the dinner tray and crash her car repeatedly until finally wrecking her vehicle. With a sigh, she flipped the channel input to watch something on TV while eating. After just a few minutes of inhaling her food followed by a loud burp, Dash sighed. It was nice to feel full after working so hard, but she didn't feel any better. She hoped the food would help to some degree with her aches and pains, but no such luck.
She began to wonder again whether or not she would perform to her own expectations tomorrow. She knew there was a good chance she was just psyching herself out, but a part of her really did feel unsure of herself. Sure, she was a great athlete, but what if she got out there on the field during one of her future games and realized she wasn't the best player? This had never happened before, but it was a possibility that hadn't crossed her mind until today when she was goal blocked by an underclassman.
With a sigh, Dash laid back on her bed and thumbed through her game magazine, glancing up every now and then to see if the TV could be just as good of a time waster. The hour hand of the motorcycle tire clock on her wall moved an hour higher towards midnight, and Dash closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. Without wasting another second, she picked up her phone.
She wanted to talk to somebody about how nervous she was feeling, but it was already pretty late in the evening. The only person who would definitely still be up right now was Pinkie Pie, and that was just not gonna happen. The last time they chatted on the phone in the middle of the night, Pinkie had tried telling her a bad Brittney Spears joke that was almost painful to listen to. She really wanted to talk to Fluttershy, but she would probably be asleep. Instead of calling her, Dash sent her a message.
"H-Here goes..." Once Fluttershy had collected herself, she pressed the call-back tab on her phone. Giddiness began to rise up in her chest as she heard the ringing of her connection dialing out.
"Hello?" Dash asked. "Fluttershy?"
"U-Um, h-hi Dashie." Fluttershy squeaked as she pulled her blanket over her head.
"No way! I didn't think you'd call back! Kinda thought you'd be asleep by now." Dash sat up in bed with a smile.
"W-Well...no I'm not asleep yet." Shy made a soft little giggle which made Dash smile even more. Too bad she couldn't see that smile over the phone.
"Yeah, cool...cool...hey listen." Dash cleared her throat and laid back down, looking to her side to check to make sure her bedroom door was closed. She was about to speak again, but all she could do was sigh into the receiver.
Shy noticed her friend's hesitation and asked, "Is everything ok?"
"Mhm. Yeah, it's cool." Dash shrugged and laughed at herself. "I'm just being stupid."
"You...are?" Shy felt genuinely confused. "I don't understand."
Dash sighed again. "I'm...uh...I dunno...I guess I'm just kind of nervous about tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Shy laid her head on her pillow and stared vacantly at her wall. "The game tomorrow?"
"Yeah..." Dash rubbed the back of her head and flopped back completely.
"That's...new." Fluttershy mumbled softly. "I never thought you could ever get nervous."
"I know, right?" Dash giggled. "I guess I'm just being silly then."
"Well...why are you nervous?"
"I...uh..." Dash gulped and palmed her face. "Hey, you think I'm a pretty good soccer player, right?"
"Y-Yes." Shy scrunched her nose with a finger and curled up farther into her blankets.
"Thanks." Dash smiled and sighed. "I think for the first time ever...I'm actually...doubting myself."
"Oh..." Shy instantly felt like rushing over to her house to give her a hug. "Aw, Dashie..."
"I know, I know...It's really stupid." Dash covered her phone and yawned, looking at the face of her screen for a moment to check the time. "I'm just worried that...when I go out there on the field, I won't be the best."
"You...you are the best." Shy said directly. "I've never seen anyone as good as you are. I...I don't know much about soccer, but...I don't think you can lose."
"Wow...heh." Dash grinned hard with a slight blush. "Thanks! That's awesome...You're not the first person to say that to me, but I'm really glad you did."
Shy gave her a cute little giggle. "You're welcome."
"Oh, thanks for letting me vent a bit." Dash laid back down and ran her hand through her hair. "I really needed to talk to someone about this."
"Mhm. I'm glad you decided to tell me." Shy nodded and laid on her side. She wondered if Dash's crack in her confidence might be caused by something else. "Is this just about soccer?"
"Uh...mostly, I think. Maybe a little about something else." Dash thought back to her conversation with Sunset. "I dunno...It's whatever. Nevermind that. I think what you said just now really helped me out. I feel a lot better now, so...I'm good."
"Well, ok." Shy rubbed her eyes and yawned softly. "You...you can always call me if something is bothering you. I don't mind listening. Actually...I want to listen."
"Thanks, Shy!" Dash giggled. "You are an awesome friend. I feel like we're little kids again and I can tell you anything. Oh, remember when I told you how I got dared to eat a caterpillar in second grade and you barfed all over the jungle gym?"
"Um..." Shy stared with a blank expression at her wall. "...no?"
"Oh. Maybe it was someone else."
"You ate a caterpillar?"
"Yeah, I did...at least, I'm pretty sure I did." Dash thought back. "Huh...maybe I didn't. I dunno...I feel like I ate a caterpillar in second grade cause I have this memory where a boy in my class found one of the playground and-"
"Dashie?" Shy squeaked.
"Yeah?"
"I um...I don't think...I need to hear this story."
"Oh, my bad." Dash giggled. "Sorry."
"It's ok." Shy nuzzled her pillow, wishing for a miracle to happen so she could snuggle her Dashie as they talked. "Would...would it be ok if I said something?"
"Uh, yeah sure. Go for it." Dash arched her back against to pop her side in a couple places. "You don't have to ask."
"A-Alright..." Shy took a deep breath. "Dashie...I...I kind of know the feeling."
"What, like not feeling sure of yourself?"
"Mhm..." Shy swallowed. "...I...actually feel like that a lot."
"Oh, really?" Dash sighed and sat up, feeling a surge of concern for her friend. "Wow, that's...yeah..." She ran her hand through her hair again. "Like, every week or day or...just all the time?"
"Um..." Shy closed her eyes and bit her lip. "...Well, maybe not all the time, but...most of the time."
"Aww...geez..." Dash reached for her pillow to hug it. "Really? Geez that sucks...I can't believe I never noticed. I feel like a jerk now. I'm getting all bent out of shape over this once, and you're here dealing with it all the time."
"M-Most...of the time." Shy tried to downplay the truth again. "...not all the time. And...Dashie, you're not a jerk. I never mentioned it or said anything about it, so you can't blame yourself. I think...um..."
Dash waited for her to finish, but when she didn't hear anything through the phone, she asked, "...think what?"
"...I think...you're a lot stronger than me. You're able to do amazing things, Dashie. You're an amazing athlete, you are so open and friendly, and you always stick by your friends when times get tough...I can't do any of that stuff."
Dash pinched the bridge of her nose as she heard a soft sniffle through her receiver. "Ah, nuts..." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Fluttershy, that's soooo not true. Sure, you can't run fast or anything, but you're the nicest person I've ever known. I mean, with so many jerks out there, it takes serious guts to be nice to everyone. Plus, out of all our friends, I trust you the most. That right there, that's some major awesomeness."
Shy remained silent for a moment as a smile spread across her face. "...Y-You...really think so?"
"Duh, of course." Dash rolled her eyes. "If I didn't think so, I wouldn't have said all that stuff."
Shy hugged her pillow tightly and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "That's...the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I didn't realize how much I meant to you as a friend."
Dash laughed. "Seriously? You are the best, Shy! You've always been the best! Ok, so maybe we don't have a whole lot in common or anything, but I think that's one of the reasons I always liked hanging out with you. I think we kinda balance each other out, you know?"
"Mhm." Shy hugged her pillow against her chest even tighter and bit the end of it between her lips. "I think I know what you mean."
Dash sighed with relief after hearing her more cheerful tone. She flopped back down on her bed and giggled. "Cool. I'm glad you get it now. Honestly, if you wanna know how I REALLY feel, I wanna keep being best buds when school is over...I know most people kinda drift apart after school's over, but...I don't want that to happen to us."
"Thanks, Dashie." Shy squeaked and bit her pillow harder. "I would...really like that."
"Awesome." Dash grinned harder. "Oh, and go ahead and call me or whatever anytime. I...kinda worry about you. It makes me nervous when you go off by yourself for a whole day without even talking to me."
"I'm sorry about that." Shy let go of her pillow and ran her finger down her long bangs. "I didn't mean to worry you like that."
"It's cool." Dash yawned loudly. "Just come over or something if you feel like that. I'll always hang out with you and try to cheer you up." Dash giggled. "I know Pinks would do the same thing, but she's kinda...you know, out there."
"Mhm....I'll do that for you, Dashie..." Hearing those words was like a dream come true. Shy had planned on asking the same thing sometime in the future, but Dash had beaten her to it. It was a joyous relief to have that relationship door open for her.
"Great." Dash rubbed her eyes. "Hey, I know our talk got kinda heavy all of the sudden, but...we should probably get some sleep. Do you wanna walk to school together tomorrow?"
"I would like that..." Shy nodded her head, knowing full well Dash couldn't see, but she couldn't help herself.
"Sweet. Oh! Is it cool if you bring me a cinnamon roll?"
"Sure, Dashie. I'll bring you one."
"Thanks. I'm gonna shut my eyes here, so text me whenever tomorrow and let me know when you're on your way."
"Ok." Shy curled up like a ball under her blankets and gave the face of her phone a peck. "Have a good night."
"You too. Later."
There was a soft click and a dial tone from her phone that told Shy she was now alone again. This time, however, she was pretty darn happy. The joy she felt was enough for her to let her mind drift back again with great ease to the wondrously delicious thoughts that came before the phone call. Now, alone again with just herself, she indulged her soul until she felt the calm serenity of reaching the pinnacle of relaxation.
-o0o-
"Ah don't know, Appleblooom." The big sister sighed with her hands on her hips behind her apple stand before the big game. "How can Ah be sure ya'll ain't gonna mess nothin' up?"
"Aw, come on, AJ." Applebloom made a pouting frown up at her. Both her friends picked up on cue and did the same thing, giving the older girl the biggest puppy dog eyes they could.
"We promise we'll be on our best behavior." Sweetie Belle gave the best innocent smile she could muster.
Scootaloo was putting all her effort into puppy dog eyes, but her appearance looked more comical than sympathetic. "Pleeeease?"
Applejack sighed one more time and stepped out from behind the apple stand. "Fine, Ah guess..."
"Yes!" Scoots bounced over the counter top and landed squarely behind the stand.
Sweetie Belle joined her and Applebloom hugged her big sister. "Thanks, big sis! Ah promise we'll make lots a money for ya!"
"Ah honestly don't care much ‘bout the money long as no one complains." Applejack pointed a finger at the girls. "Just...don't break nothin'."
"We won't!" Sweetie Belle nodded her head.
"Ok..." Applejack adjusted her hat. "Ya'll take care now, 'n don't give no one trouble."
"We know, we know." Applebloom put her hands on her big sisters hips and began pushing her towards the bleachers. "Ya'll go 'n watch the game with yer friends."
With a groan, Applejack walked away, instantly starting to worry. She knew most of her friends were already in their seats, and she hadn't expected to be able to watch the game at all. In a way, it was sort of a blessing to have a little sister and her friends so eager to do stuff, but there always was an ulterior motive. With great hesitation, she pushed her concerns out of her mind and began walking up the bleachers.
Pinkie was sitting between both Rarity and Twilight, munching loudly on a mountain of assorted snacks. Popcorn kernels scattered around her feet, and Rarity did her best to keep her nice shoes from taking any damage. "Applethackth!" Pinkie pointed to the country gal with a greasy finger and a smiled, cheeks puffed up with food.
"Howdy, ya'll." Applejack greeted them and sat next to Rarity. "How's the food, Pinkie Pie?"
"Goodth!!"
"Good evening, darling." Rarity beamed and gave her a hug.
Twilight brought a hand up to shield her face from a barrage of crumbs. "Hello, Applejack. I thought you were running your family's apple stand."
"Ah was, but my ''lil sis 'n her friends wanted to take over fer the game."
"Oh dear..." Rarity frowned. "I do hope they don't cause any undo commotion."
"Me too..."
"Um, why would that be?" Twilight asked, not entirely sure what they were getting at.
Rarity turned to her. "I suppose you haven't met out little sisters, have you?"
"No, can't say I have."
"They're crazyth!" Pinkie slurped hard on her soda before swallowing.
"They're not crazy, Pinkie." Applejack shook her head. "They're just...full a energy."
"And perhaps even dangerous." Rarity touched her soft white chin with a manicured finger. "Left alone without supervision, I sometimes fear the worst."
"Oh dear." Twilight giggled. "They sound very rambunctious."
"Oh, yeah ram-spunk-cause!" Pinkie nodded her head and mimicked Rarity's thoughtful expression. "My thoughts exactly."
Applejack raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes before turning to the field. Neither team had taken the field yet, but the ticket booths had just opened up. "Ah don't suppose any of ya'll seen Dash er Sunset yet?"
"No-sir-ee, Bob." Pinkie shook her head. "They're probably in the locker rooms right now, and I'm pretty sure the game hasn't started yet."
"So, wouldn't it stand to reason to save some of that food until the game begins?" Rarity asked her, gesturing at the piled high cardboard tray on her lap.
Pinkie looked her in the eyes and very slowly brought a corndog up to her mouth before biting the end off, locking her dead staring eyes with the fashionista's in an almost creepy way. "You'd like me to do that, wouldn't you, Rarity?" She said accusingly. "Just watching me eat is making you hungry."
"N-No!" Rarity shook her head defiantly. "I am not in any way hungry! As a lady, I refuse to spoil my appetite on such fattening and unhealthy food choices. It's preposterous to think I would be even remotely interested in your-"
Applejack cut her off by putting a hand on her shoulder. "Rare, be honest with me, 'n just tell me the truth. Are ya hungry?" She asked. "Ain't no one gonna give ya grief if ya had a snack durin' the game. Besides, Ah'm sure yer figure ain't gonna change overnight from one popcorn er candy apple."
Twilight nodded her head in agreement. "She’s right. Just one snack doesn't even have enough physical mass or enough saturated lipid chains to alter your metabolic rate."
"Uh, yeah. What she said." Applejack just nodded her head.
"Well...then I suppose one candy apple would be fine." Rarity cleared her throat and flashed AJ her most charming smile. "Applejack, darling, would you be a doll and buy me one? I would do it myself, but..." She lifted her foot up to show everyone her open toes high heel sandals. "...I'm afraid someone will step on my toes if I walk down the stairs. I just had them touched up, you see."
With a chuckle, AJ nodded her head and stood up. "Sure." She began walking down the bleachers while Rarity's eyes followed her descent.
"What's with you?" Pinkie asked, waving her corn dog at Rarity, then at Applejack, then back at Rarity. "You've been getting all weeeeiird around Applejack."
Rarity blushed heavily and crossed her arms. "I-I don't know what you mean! That is a ridiculous idea."
"You have been acting kind of funny lately." Twilight noted. "Every time Applejack shows up you always give her a hug before checking your hair. I would estimate this happens roughly four to seven times every weekday, although I haven't yet made a correlation between your behavior and her presence."
"Now, that is…" Rarity wiggled her nose and huffed proudly. "...that is quite the tall tale! Tell me something, you two. Is this your idea of a prank? Are you both trying to tease me? I don't find it particularly amusing."
"No, we're not pranking you." Pinkie shook her head. "If we were pranking you, I would've shocked your finger with a fake stick of gum." She giggled with a snort. "That one's a classic!"
"Indeed." Rarity turned her head so she wasn't making any eye contact with the two girls.
"We could ask Applejack what she thinks when she gets back." Twilight said very directly.
"NO!!!" Rarity's voice went from graceful to croaky and powerfully loud, making a few other students around her turn their heads. Her face went dark red and she forced a nervous laugh. "I mean, that won't be necessary. How about we just drop the subject. I doubt it's in any way important." Twilight and Pinkie traded looks of astonishment before nodding their heads at their rather flustered friend. Rarity took a sigh of relief. "Thank you."
A moment later, Applejack walked back up the bleacher stairs and sat down next to Rarity, a candy apple in both hands. "Here ya are, Rare." She held out an apple to her with a smile. "Uh, somethin' the matter?" Rarity looked away from her, hiding her bright red cheeks behind her curls. "Uh, hello? Rare?"
Slowly, she turned to face Applejack and forced a smile. "T-Thank you, dear." She gratefully accepted the candy apple and twirled it in her fingers. "I do appreciate this gesture."
"Ah shucks, sugarpie. It ain't nothin'. Ah'm just glad ya came to yer senses 'n decided to eat somethin'." Applejack nudged her shoulder and motioned to her snack. "Well? Eat up, now. The caramel ain't gonna stay soft forever."
Rarity bit softly into her apple, and her eyes grew wide. It was the most delicious thing she had eaten in a very long time. She couldn't remember the last time she indulged her sweet tooth like this, and it was exactly what she needed. "This is absolutely divine!" She squealed and licked her lips.
With a chuckle, Applejack put an arm around her. "Ah bet ya'll ain't had a candy anythin' since the day we started high school. At least we know ya'll probably ain't got cavities." This gesture of affection made Rarity press her head against AJ's shoulder for a moment.
"Now I kinda want a candy apple." Twilight mused. "Hey, Applejack, are there still any left? I wanna get one before the game starts."
"Too late!!!" Pinkie nearly jumped out of her seat and pointed to the field. "There they are! There they are!"
The whole bleachers shook as everyone rose to cheer on their team, Applejack had to shout into Rarity's ear to ask, "Where's Fluttershy?"
-o0o-
Dash bounced on her feet side to side, rotating her head around in a circle to loosen herself up. She closed her locker door and pulled her jersey over her head before wrapping the back of her hair into a short ponytail. Sunset sat down on the bench by the shower doors and Dash took a seat next to her. Together, they began to tie their soccer cleats. "You ready?" Sunset asked.
"Yeah." Dash nodded her head and slapped her laces down against the top of her shoe. "Yeah, I'm ready."
"So, you gonna give a speech to the team?" Sunset stood and stretched her arms over her head.
Dash stood and shrugged. "Uh, I wasn't planning on it. Never gave a speech before."
"But, you're team captain. I thought team captains gave speeches."
"What, like in the movies?" Dash giggled. "This isn't a movie, you know."
"Yeah, I know." Sunset giggled. "But it would be kinda cool."
"Yeah." Dash nodded her head slowly with a smile. "Yeah it would be." She turned to the rest of the players and put her hands on her hips. "Hey, guys!"
Everyone turned to face her, waiting for her to continue. A girl with bright silver hair drawn back like she had just gone through a wind turbine asked, "What's up, captain?"
Dash paused. "So...I know this is our first game and all, but I want to set a standard this season. If we go out there and show them our A game, then all the other teams, well, they're gonna have to play at our level." Everyone, including Sunset, nodded their head and exchanged acknowledging smiles. "So, when we play today, I wanna see everyone run harder and faster and scream louder than ever!"
Sunset put her fist into the air and shouted, "Wondercolts!"
The whole room exploded in voices. "Wondercolts!!!"
Dash smiled at Sunset and put an arm around her shoulder. "Are we here to win?!"
"Yeah!"
"Are we gonna bring those Tailwhips down?!"
"Yeah!"
"SO LET"S GET OUT THERE!!!"
Sunset began pumping her fist again, continuing her chant. She gave Dash a thumbs up and a wink, letting her know she did well on the speech. As the team began to make their way out of the locker rooms, every player chanted as loudly as they could into the gym hallway. "WONDERCOLTS! WONDERCOLTS!"
Outside in the hallway and covering her ears from the deafening screaming, Fluttershy stood by the locker room doors, watching the players file out towards the double doors leading towards the field. No one noticed she was even there, but when she saw Sunset and Dash exit, she took a small step towards them. They both began down the hall, but Shy reached out with two fingers to grab the end of Dash's jersey.
Dash turned towards the source of the new tugging feeling, worried she might have snagged her shirt in the locker room doors. "Hey! Shy!" She beamed an excited smile down at Shy once she realized who it was. "Yo! What's up?"
"H-Hi, Dashie..." Shy blushed a bit, feeling very nervous. Catching up to Dash before the game had already taken a great deal of her mustered up courage. "I-I...I um...I wanted to wish you good luck...in person."
"Aw, thanks!" Dash put an arm around her shoulder. "That's really awesome of you. I don't think anyone has ever done that before." Shy put her arms around her waist and hugged very tightly, catching Dash off guard. "W-Whoa...hey..." After a moment, Dash hugged back. "Is...everything ok?"
"Mhm." Shy released her hug and took a step back, feeling much better after getting that out of her system. "I brought you something too." She reached into her pocket to hold up a small rubber bracelet. Embedded into the rubber was an inscription that read 'Unstoppable!' in big bolt letters. Dash took the bracelet and looked it over. "I...I know it's not much, but...I think you needed this. You can do it, Dashie. Don't ever doubt yourself."
"S-Shy..." Dash put the bracelet on and blushed hard. "...this...is great. This is really really awesome...I love it!" Dash threw her arms around the smaller girl's body and held her in a tight grip close to her chest. "You were right. I did need this."
Shy nuzzled her face into Dash's neck and squeezed her hips with her hands. "I believe in you, Dashie."
Dash sniffled hard and laughed, letting her go to wipe the tear running down her own cheek. "Geez, I'm crying!" She laughed at herself. "Seriously, this is the sweetest thing I've ever gotten from anyone!"
"I-I...don't know about all that..." Shy giggled softly and blushed harder behind her long hair.
With a crackling giggle, Dash finished wiping her face. "Shy..." She paused. "...I'm really sorry, but I should probably get going..."
"It's ok." Shy nodded her head. "Go ahead."
"Hey..." Dash brushed Shy's hair away from her face when she saw how sad she looked. "When the game is over, come find me here." She gestured towards the locker room doors. "We can hang out right after I change."
"But...what about Sunset?" Shy asked with gentle eyes up at her.
"She's gonna go home to get ready for the party. Don't worry about her." Dash smiled warmly. "If you want, you can come home with me and hang out for a bit before we go to Twilight's. Sound good?"
Shy nodded her head and hugged her waist again. "That sounds good."
Dash patted the top of her head. "Alright alright, seriously Shy. I gotta get out there." With a solemn nod, Shy let her go. As Dash turned to walk away, Shy stood on her tip toes right when Dash's cheek was in view. She gave a soft peck to her beloved's cheek and quickly turned to run slowly down the hall away from her.
In a bit of confused shock, Dash stood motionless, watching Shy take her leave. Her face turned hot pink and an amused smile spread across her face. "D-Did...she just..."
Once Sunset has stepped out onto the field, she realized she had lost her teammate at some point. She doubled back towards the school and poked her head inside. "Hey, Rainbow! What's the hold up? Come on!"
"Y-Yeah, yeah I'm coming!" Dash bolted towards the door, and together they stepped onto the field to stare down their opponents.
The crowd was up from their seats, cheering so loudly that no other noise could be heard. Dash was very surprised to see the bleachers completely packed on their first game. It looked like the whole school and the surrounding neighborhoods had come to watch their local Wondercolts kick butt. This was exactly what Dash had been waiting for. This was the type of environment she thrived in, and the crowd's excitement was beginning to bolster her own.
The excitement she felt wasn't just fueled by the crowd. Her heart fluttered in a way she had never felt before, and Dash could feel her cheek tingle from the peck Shy had given her.
-o0o-
Fluttershy never did take a seat with the rest of her friends as the game began. Instead, she quietly leaned on the fence line at the end of the field by herself. This gave her a wonderful view of Dash's powerful and methodical scoring kicks. With a smile, she watched as the crowd erupted with each goal, and each time she scored, Dash would throw her hands up into the air. The excitement was almost infectious, but Shy's thoughts weighed more heavily on the leading scorer, not the game itself.
She had just done something she felt very unsure about. While waiting for Dash to emerge from the locker rooms, she had never predicted something like that would happen. It just sort of happened, and Shy was at a loss as to why. When Dash's cheek was exposed to the kiss, she had taken her golden opportunity. However, she hadn't made the conscious decision to steal that kiss. It was as if her body acted on pure instinctual desire. This realization affirmed her earlier apprehension. She had waited far too long to tell Dash how she really felt, and now her heart was going to close the distance between them if her mind was unwilling to follow through.
There was no turning back now. The kiss on the cheek had broken the last dam that held back the rushing tide of her feelings. As Fluttershy bit her lip and began walking slowly towards the bleachers to finally meet up with the others, she resolved to do something she had never tried in her entire life. She was going to follow her heart.