My Little Pony: Slice of Life is Magic Season 1

by cavalieredraghi

Dodgeball and a Brighter Future

As the small group of children hugged out their problems, a trio of ponies sauntered over. An air about them was palpable, one that caused other foals to stop and watch. The lead was a familiar blonde colt with an eggshell white coat. His eyes were level, and partially lidded, as though bored, though the echoes of his thoughts of superiority were visible on his muzzle. Around his neck he wore a preppy collar with a red necktie. Accompanying him, was another well-dressed colt, a rather large Earth Pony colt with a light grey mane and a brown mane and tail. He glowered at the assembled children, his face betraying his utter contempt, even if the colt didn't care to conceal it. He stood protectively close to the leader. The unicorn filly, not any one anypony recognized from Mr. Penrod's class, followed with the colts and simply smirked at the confrontation.

“Well well,” Tenn said with amusement.

“I had a hunch that the two class weirdos would make friends with the oddballs from out of town.” Sabina moved in-between Tenn and her new friends. Her stance sideways and wide against the colts, blocking their path.

“Relax, I’m not here to start a fight.” Tenn answered reassurances.

“This is my wing-pony Zircon and the filly is Sandy.” The Earth Pony made glances towards each aforementioned member of his group, but only Sandy acknowledged the roll-call with a nod.

“I was wondering if you all wanted to play a friendly game of six-on-six dodgeball. And who knows maybe we all will get to see what the newbies are made of. You all game?”

Gear looked at Tenn, with a blank stare before replying.

“I apologize, Tenth Pence, but putting you in your place isn’t worth risking my health.” Gear then had a small coughing fit. It was harsh, Sharp, and dry, and if one were to look closely, it would be as if dust was what was coming out.

Spark sent out a small jet of flame without warning, singing Tenn’s “fancy” clothes. Even though Tenn said he did not want to fight, Spark did not read that from Tenn’s body language. Tenn abruptly jumped back as the tongue of violet flames licked his coat and singed his clothes. Sandy jumped back in alarm, while Zircon lurched closer towards Spark, glaring daggers. Even Adepha took a step back in alarm. First Gear demonstrates his lack of health...

“Tell me the rules or I am not believing you” Spark growled.

"It’s dodgeball, not killball!" Tenn exclaimed in alarm, his voice high from the sudden burst of adrenalin.

“First things first! No Flame or fire.”

“Alright next we set up in opposing boundaries, and take turns trying to hit each other with a ball. If the ball hits you, you’re out. If you catch the ball without dropping it, the thrower is out. First team to lose all their players… Well that should be obvious. No magic, No flying, and NO FIRE! Any Questions?” As Tenn listed the rules, he swept a foreleg over his clothes, trying to put out what part of his clothes might have caught fire.

Here Subtle steps forward to encourage her friends.

“Come on Everypony…” Subtle stopped as she realizes that may not be the most accurate term given Adepha and Spark, not being ponies. However the filly pressed on. “We can do this together. I’m up for it.”

By this point Adepha joins the conversation, voicing her concern.“Ya Gear has a breathing issue, him playing, even running is not the best idea. Better to be five-on-five. And obviously I am game.” Adepha’s smirks, reveling at the thought of competition and victory.
Gear pulls out his inhaler and looks down at it, and then to Tenn. Tenn looks at the inhaler, and back to Gear, nodding in understanding.
“Alright, I guess nothing can be done about breathing issues. We’ll play five-on-five, but I think if you want a fair referee, we should get someone completely impartial. How about Sandy goes to fetch Mr. Penrod, and we will set up over in the field next to the swings?” Sabina looks from Tenn to all of her friends.

“I’m in if everyone is in. Gear you want to at least watch, just in case?”

“Okay.” The colt affirms.

“Come on Spark, I bet you will be great.” Adepha chirped to Spark, the wyrmling nodded in agreement, while Sandy rushed off to find a referee while Zircon set up the game area a spot on the blacktop, a large rectangle painted in white, partitioned in half with a line down the middle. Many other nymphs, colts, and fillies took notice as a crowd from elements of the fifth grade as well as the fourth, third, and second began to coalesce as an audience to this contest. As Zircon set up the cones for the area. Mr. Penrod walked over with a red rubber ball the size of a colt’s head. Sandy was by his side.

“Sandy asked me to referee a dodge ball game,” the teacher said. “Who are the two teams?”

Adepha after a small chuckle to herself, answered. “It is going to be me, Sabina, Spark, Subtle Hoof, and Straight Truth on one team.”

“Zircon, Sandy, Ectato, Violet, and moi on the other team,” Tenn added. The two previously unknown members of Tenn's team made themselves visible. Violet was an Earth Pony filly with a light purple coat and dark blue mane/tail. The only other changling nymph in Mr. Penrod's class, Ectato, stood behind the group so as to not be noticed, no matter how difficult his royal blue mane and tail made it.
Mr. Penrod held up the ball once both teams were in the game area. Gear set up off to the side, sitting on the blacktop from where he can watch his friends. As the crowd grew, it came to surround the players, colts and fillies with the occasional nymph had gathered from every grade, attention focused on the oncoming game.

“Alright it sounds like we’re ready to play. I do want to add one thing, and that is no head shots. Last thing we want is for the ball to be done in by a unicorn or changling horn.” The air was still after that remark, the only sound being that of Mr. Penrod's own chuckles and the occasional cough. The teacher cleared his throat.

“Right. So, any questions before we begin?”

Spark whispered to Adepha, “What does he mean, ‘the ball will be done in?’”

“He means we don’t want the ball to be stabbed by our horns.” She then gestures to her own rather sharp rubber ball deflator on her
forehead, only just regaining her attention on the game quick enough to notice Mr. Penrod tossing the ball to Adepha. The nymph snatched the ball out of the air with a foreleg.

“Sandy mentioned to give your side the ball first, since the new students are o your team. Let’s play ball!”
Adepha looked out at her opponents as they retreated back to their territory, attempting to keep as much difference between themselves and the ball-thrower as possible. Eyeballing Tenn, Adepha rose up onto her hind legs, the rubber ball in her hooves as she wound up to throw an almighty pitch for the Earth Pony.

“Catch!”

A pitch that swiftly changed direction as the nymph suddenly pivoted, sending the ball gently flying towards Straight Truth.

“They are getting tricky! Watch yourselves.” Tenn took lead of his team, as he has all his friends spread out amidst the cheers of the crowd excited for the play-action by Adepha, lead by the sidelined Diamond Gear. Tenn then prepared to jump out of the way in anticipation of an attack as he stared down Truth.

“Come on Truth show us what you got!” He smirked with bravado to the yellow pegasus colt. The crowd watched with anticipation as Tenn's own circle of admirers cheered the Earth Pony on.

“Hey Tenn Think fast!” Truth exclaimed as he looked towards the unicorn suddenly, sending the ball straight for Sandy, causing the Earth pony to fumble on his own four legs, having thought the ball was coming for him.

Sandy on the other hoof noticed the deception, and was barely able to dodge the projectile, having it miss her blank flake a hair length. Tenn then ran for the ball, collecting it in his foreleg as he tossed it to Ectato. The little changling, with all his effort chucked the ball at Spark. The dragon tried to dodge with the best of his ability, however the Wyrmling could not dodge Ectato and his ball. Spark was nailed right in the thigh during the mid of his jump.

Mr. Penrod clapped his hooves together, “Sorry Spark you’re out. Good try on the dodge though, and you have good form on your jump.”
While Tenn grinned as Spark walked off, Ectato said nothing, and his expression was blank. The crowd roared, cheering Ectato's victory. Spark only grumbled, but away from prying eyes he was smiling. He finally was starting to believe he was having fun for the first time ever. He joined Gear off on the side of the field, joining the crystal colt in cheering for his team. “Alright boys, keep your eyes on the ball.”

Subtle was shaken that they had already lost a team member, but did not let it show. Subtle went for the ball.

“Alright boys, keep your eyes on the ball.” Subtle worked the ball like no other pony could believe, as she shifted and moved it around her body telekinetically. Faking out the idea that she was going to throw it, then distracting with other false throws and deceptive movements. When the anxiety and uncertainty of the other team was at its peak, she passed it to Sabina, while continuing her jaunts and thrusts, keeping the eyes of Tenn's team as well as the crowd, fooling them into thinking she still had the ball.

Sabina having the ball, wanted to avenge Spark. With a good hard throw Ectato was struck in the hip, to the surprise of the crowd. Mr. Penrod as he sips his coffee, “Sorry Ectato, she got you. Remember keep your eyes on the ball.”

Tenn’s grin fades as he sees the tables start to turn, watching the nymph walk out to the side. He then turns back to focus on the match, and points to Zircon, and then to Adepha. Adepha saw this gesture, and saw Tenn's intentions made clear, go for the leader. Which Adepha, saw and was anticipating. She saw Zircon handle the ball, and send it flying for her, and instead of just trying to dodge it, decided to try the harder option. The option which would turn the tables for sure. That which would make her a shining star on the team. She was going to catch the ball.

As she stretched out her legs the ball bounced off them and went straight up into the air. She gasped in fear as her eyes went wide. Fear of failure and causing the loss of the game was the only thought that could enter her mind. She scrambled forward, in a show that was uncharacteristic for a practiced athlete. As long as the ball doesn't touch the ground, there was still a chance! Her back legs struggled to find ground as her wings buzzed to move the nymph a few inches forward, in an attempt to salvage this game and re-catch the ball that even now hung in the air as though in suspended animation.The normal procession of events from order into chaos that mortals perceived as ‘time’ became a blur. In that moment a phrased repeated to Adepha again and again in her mind. “Failure is not an option!” Adepha truly seemed to bend time, as she thought of her friends’ warmth and encouragement, Spark, Gear, and the crowd cheering her on. Empowering the empathovoric changling. She was not going to let them down! Failure. Is. Not. An. Option!

She closed her eyes for the briefest of moments. In that moment the ball landed right into her hooves. When Adepha came to, she just stared at the ball. The ball never made contact with the ground. She was safe.

“YES!!!” She shouted excitedly. She then tosses the ball to Subtle, after a faux throw toward Tenn.

Zircon could not believe his eyes, as Adepha was there one moment and then had the ball in her hooves the next. Mr. Penrod simply sipped more coffee as he spoke, “Sorry Z, fair catch!”

The crowd was a roar of cheers as Gear and Spark led a chant for the nymph.

“Ah-Deh-Pha! Ah-Deh-Pha!”

Tenn was not going to let this team of newcomers beat him, as he shouted out orders for his team to spread out. However Adepha’s throw never came, as it was Subtle’s turn. Subtle instead of trying to hoof the ball to some other teammate, realized she was in a good position to actually throw the ball. When the ball went into the air the crowd went silent as they watched the ball soar through the sky. Tenn was ready, he like Adepha was going to try and catch the ball.

He knew these newbies luck was about to run out, but off to the side he saw Gear and Spark, as the two led the crowd into a wave. The two he’d show them, he’d catch the ball and.

*Thunk*

The ball bounced off of Tenn’s chest, the shock of the impact despite not being very forceful, left him on his bum, and breathless. The ball moving away from him, as he just stared at it. It was too far away to catch, too far to reach. Finally the ball hit the ground, as the crowd fell dead silent.

Mr. Penrod took another sip of coffee, “Tenn you’re out. Something distracting you?”

Tenn got up, “No I think we have played enough.” Tenn then walks off the field, followed by Sandy and Violet, as they conceded the game. Then the whole field exploded in applause and chant.

“SUBTLE! SUBTLE! SUBTLE!”

Tenn and the others clap their hooves together to show good sportponyship. While the student body rushed the winning team, cheering them on, giving them hoof bumps, and congratulation. Gear even got some bumps, for being their mascot.

All the celebration however ended when the school bell rang. Class was to start again, and school was to continue. All the students shuffled back into the temple of learning. The day continued on, till it was finally time to go home. The six new friends walked out of the school together. Gear talked to Adepha and Sabina, While Subtle went ahead to talk to Tenn. Spark disappeared as soon as he was outside, as he blended in with the crowd and left not wanting to be followed.

Gear looked to Adepha, “I am sorry for what I said earlier. I did not know about Changlings really. Friends?” Gear holds out his hoof.
Adepha takes the hoof. “Friends! By the way I have never seen an Earth pony like you before, you are so shiny.”

“I am no Earth Pony I am a Crystal Pony. We all do this. We sparkle when we are happy, and those good feeling can be felt by those around us. When we are sad those bad feelings can also be felt.” Gear replies as he sparkles even brighter at having a friend.

Sabina then adds her own comment, “I hope you’ll be happier then. I like the sparkly look.”

Gear just goes silent and looked away for a second as he did not know how to respond yet managed to smile sheepishly. “Um, thank you.”
Subtle walked over to Tenn, Truth never took his eyes of his sister, she did well today, and it needed to stay that way. “Um about the game, I just wanted to say, I am sure it was luck on my part, you are certainly the better athlete.”

Tenn smiles back, though he does look around to make sure a certain dragon was not around. “It was a good game, and a win is a win. I am sure if we play again we will beat you. Anyways see you around.” Tenn then walks away as Ectato, Sandy, Violet, and Zircon surround him.
Subtle smiled thinking Tenn was not so bad, as she rejoined her brother. “Good day today, so far…”

Truth looked at his sister and nodded. “One day at a time.”

Subtle then ran for Gear and gave him a hug, along with Adepha and Sabina before going home with her brother. The others finally split ways as well, all returned home with families waiting with loving arms and questions about their first day of school. They all answered the same, “It was great, and I can’t wait for tomorrow.” They all said this except Spark.

He walked home alone, and lit a torch as he wandered into an empty cave, where a few bags were resting on the ground. No one greeted Spark as he wondered into the darkness. He was alone as all he could do was wait for the next day, but till that day came he could explore the deep, unknown recesses of the unknown rock tunnel and keep his mind occupied.

Author's Note:

Emperor Ing helped greatly with the editing of this chapter. Though I will still be looking for more errors.

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