Strong Talons

by Ambizar

Chapter 8: Week 3, Hoofston Cowponies at Manehattan Equestrians

I clacked my talons on the stone floor in impatience. As per usual, the hood of my Manehattan Equestrians collector's jacket was drawn up to cover as much of my face as possible. It was still pretty annoying that I couldn't really go anywhere without being recognized, but that was something you had to accept if you were going to be a pro athlete.

I was back at the train station in central Manehattan. But unlike last time, I had no intention of traveling anywhere. Instead, I was waiting on somepony to arrive. Bronze Cartwheel had ridden the train all the way from Vanhoover to Manehattan. As somepony who'd just taken a train from east coast to west, I sympathized for him. At least he didn't have a snoring linepony in the bunk underneath him. Train trips for academy games were never that miserable.

The past several days I'd spent waiting on Bronze's arrival after reading his letter had made me realize just how bad I missed my old quarterbuck. No, not my old quarterbuck. My best friend. I liked my current teammates, don't get me wrong, but Bronze and I always had something special that not even Hoofrocket could replicate. All of these thoughts weighed heavy on my mind when a pony managed to approach me from my right without me noticing.

"Nice disguise, Gaius." A voice came from so close I felt the breath against my hood. I leaped back and stared at the source, wide-eyed.

Bronze looked good. He looked a bit different from the last time I'd seen him, but just slightly. It had been less than three months since I'd stopped travelling to Vanhoover, but his mane was slightly longer, a bit shaggier than I was accustomed to. He had also gained a bit of weight; he wasn't necessarily overweight, but he had always taken his body very seriously as Vanhoover Academy's starting quarterbuck. The muscles in his chest, neck, and forelegs weren't quite as defined now, and there was just the slightest hint of pudge around his midsection and chin. Probably the result of fewer hours in the gym combined with just as many meals from his talented cook of a mom.

Even so, he still looked strong. Building and repairing carts was a physically demanding job, and it ensured that a pony stayed in relatively good shape even if they weren't hitting the gym on a regular basis. All of this was only in the back of my mind, though; as soon as I got over my initial surprise, all I cared about was that my best friend was finally standing in front of me again. I unfurled my wings and all but tackled him in the middle of the bustling train station.

"It's good to see you, man." I pulled away from the sudden hug and balled up my talon to give him a hoof-bump (or... I guess a hoof-to-talon bump). "And for the record, the 'disguise' is kind of necessary."

"Well, Ah guess it works if nopony 'round here gives a second look." He looked me over and gave an impressed whistle. "Speaking of second looks, you're lookin' good, man. Magazines don't do you justice."

I grinned sheepishly. My physical situation was very different from Bronze's; I had gained several pounds of muscle while training to join the pro leagues, and I could confidently say I was currently in the best shape of my life. Even through my relatively bulky jacket, my form was noticeably bigger than it had been during academy. I was still one of the smallest members of the Equestrians, if not the smallest, but every inch of my body was strong and rock-solid thanks to spending every morning slaving in a gym with my teammates. While Bronze had seen the beginning of my transformation, I'd probably put on almost ten pounds of muscle in just under twelve weeks.

"Thanks, Bronze," I said as nonchalantly as I could. "You're looking good, too."

He laughed, but I could see the faintest tinge of regret behind the sparkle of his eyes. "Yeah, right. Ah'm in awful shape compared to academy. Hard to believe that was only... what? Five months ago?" He took a look down at himself and shrugged. "Workin' with Dad full-time has been a lot more time-consuming than Ah thought. Never free to hit the gym anymore... or, at least, that's how it feels. And you know me, I could never say no to Mom's oat cakes."

I nodded and was about to say something stupid in an attempt to lighten the mood, but he stopped me by suddenly sticking out a hoof and putting it on my chest, a serious look on his face.

"Between you and me, Gaius, Ah think Ah might go insane if Ah stay in that house too much longer," He sighed, but added a small laugh at the end. "Ah love my folks, but Ah'm always around 'em now. Felt like Ah would go days in academy without seeing 'em sometimes." He shook his head. "Anyways, enough about me. You're life is surely more exciting than mine."

I took a quick look at the suitcase he was dragging with him and smiled. "C'mon, I'll tell you on the way. It's not too far from my apartment, but we can get a taxi if you want."

"Ah may just take you up on that." We started towards the station's exit. "Hard to believe how tirin' a train ride can be. Now, start spillin'."

I shrugged as we stepped outside towards one of the taxiss that was already parked against the curb, patiently waiting for bit-carrying ponies that were new to the city and had no reliable source of transportation other than hooves.

"Not sure what to say that hasn't been covered in the letters." I pulled a bit out of my pocket and tossed it to the earth pony harnessed to the taxi carriage. "Brickpony Plaza," I told him. He nodded and waited for Bronze and I to climb in. The latter pony eyed me in annoyance.

"Ya know, Ah fully planned on payin' for my own taxi."

"Oh, come on, Bronze." I rolled my eyes. "I make over half a million bits a year now. Let me spend 'em all on something."

It was his turn to roll his eyes. "Fine." We got settled and the taxi driver took off, blending seamlessly with the rest of the carriage and hoof traffic that dominated the streets. I smiled as I watched Bronze Cartwheel take in the massive skyscrapers that dominated the skyline around us, a look of near wonder in his eyes.

"It's a shame we never got to travel to Manehattan in academy," Bronze said, entranced.

I nodded. Even after settling here, Bronze had never needed to travel out to Manehattan to see me; I'd always gone back to Vanhoover to visit him. After all, before the Equestrians' training camp had started, both he and my parents were still situated on Equestria's west coast. But once training camp had started, suddenly I was practicing six days a week and didn't have the time to go anywhere.

Bronze looked back to me and nudged me with a foreleg. "Now, you've got a lot of explaining to do. Tell me more about this griffon girl you've got the hots for. How was that first date?"

I flushed. Oh yeah, I'd forgotten I'd written Bronze about that. "It went good. She's gonna watch the game against Hoofston tomorrow. In fact, you'll probably be sitting close to her and her friends." I rubbed the back of my head and winced up at him. "Sorry."

He shrugged as he continued to admire the impressive scenery around him. "Hey, as long as she doesn't make a move on me. Can't do that to my favorite receiver."

I socked him in the shoulder. "Ha, ha." I sat back in the carriage seat and looked up at the buildings. We were getting close. "She's really awesome, dude. I can't believe I never had a marefriend in academy. How did I survive?"

Bronze stared at me in shock, then flashed a knowing smile. "Oh, Gaius. You have got it bad!" He clopped his knee and started laughing. "What did this dame do to get you lovesick like this after just one date?"

I grumbled and fought the blush that was creeping up on me. The taxi was slowing down, I could see my apartment building approaching.

"I don't know, we just... clicked." I shrugged. "It just works, I guess." The taxi stopped, and we hopped out. Bronze took in the Brickpony Plaza apartment building appreciatively, seemingly confused as to why the green stone skyscraper wasn't actually made of brick.

"Well," he started. "You've got a lot more to let me in on about this Giselle girl. Ya'll kissed yet?"

The heat in my face returned with a passion as we walked up towards the front doors. "Uh, no. It's only been one date."

He was staring at me intently. I gulped. I knew that look, it was the same one Hoofrocket gave me all the time, albeit not quite as practiced. Bronze was reading me, and I might as well have been an open book. Darn quarterbucks. His eyes lit up as he grasped the obvious.

"You're hiding something, Gaius. Ah thought you'd know better than to lie to me."

"Fine." I looked away. "She kissed me on the cheek yesterday. But that's it, I swear."

He seemed satisfied with that. We entered through the main doors and headed to the stairs. But when we passed by the desk, I saw something that ran my blood cold.

Periwinkle looked up from her magazine. Her expression was guarded, our conversation from yesterday apparently still fresh in her mind. But that expression changed when she noticed Bronze.

"Hey, Gaius. Who's your friend?"

I hadn't told Bronze about the horrors of Periwinkle in my letters, probably because I did my best not to think of her when I wasn't directly dealing with her. He could see that I was on edge, and it apparently confused him more than anything else.

"Hey Periwinkle." I forced a fake smile. "This is my friend, Bronze Cartwheel."

She eyed him curiously, the cogs in her brain noticeably turning. She gave a sweet smile and asked innocently, "Are you another player for the Manehattan Equestrians?"

Bronze chuckled and waved a hoof dismissively. "Naw. I just played with Gaius in academy."

"Oh." Periwinkle's enthusiasm immediately deflated and she turned back to me, once again wearing the sickly-sweet facade. "Just so you know, Gaius, I plan to be at the Manehattan Dome tomorrow." She planted a foreleg on her desk to get a bit closer to me and almost purred, "I can't wait to finally see you play in person."

I was already at my limit. It thought about bringing my threat from yesterday back to the table, but I knew Periwinkle was using Bronze being present against me. I didn't want to lose my cool in front of him, and she knew it. I turned away and gave Bronze a silent cue to follow.

"Hope you enjoy it," was all I said. When we were finally climbing the stairs, I groaned and turned back to him. "Sorry about that."

Bronze was holding back laughter. "Looks like you've got all of the ladies on you, Gaius."

I was too annoyed to even be embarrassed. "She's a nightmare, dude. Legitimately scares me."

"That little mare?" He raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"

I turned and stared him down as seriously as I could. "She and her friends crashed a dinner with my Manehattan teammates because she's trying to get good with somepony on the team, whether it be me or literally anypony else."

His eyes went wide. "Really?"

I turned and continued the ascent. "Nightmare Moon has nothing on her."

He nodded grimly. "Ah believe ya. Your parents home?"

"They always are." The tinge of annoyance was clear.

"You seem to annoy a lot more easily these days, Gaius." Bronze stated plainly.

I stopped and considered that, and made an almost sad realization. "I think I do, actually."

<*****>--------<*****>

My gut was starting to hurt. Mom and Dad had gone to bed, but she'd made Bronze and I lots of snacks beforehoof. And that was on top of the dinner she'd made us, too. We were sitting in my living room, laughing like idiots while trying and failing to be quiet and not wake up my parents. When I could finally see through the tears, I sat up on my couch and looked over at Bronze to see him still snickering like a foal in the recliner that my dad had all but claimed as his own.

"D-do you remember back in foal camp? Snap caught the ball and ran to the wrong endzone? Then he fumbled and one the other colts picked it up for a touchdown return?"

The memory brought a new wave of laughter to a still-not-fully-recovered Bronze Cartwheel and he began making a wheezing sound that resembled a tea kettle. When we finally calmed down, the fear of suffocating from laughter was replaced with a feeling of solemn nostalgia.

"I miss foal camp. Almost as much as I miss academy." It had felt good, laughing and gabbing with Bronze just like we'd done for the last four years before academy had ended and I had gone pro. It seemed like forever since I had felt this at peace with anything. No Periwinkle, no parents shadowing me, not worrying about the demands of the pro leagues. Just catching up with a good friend.

"Ah can't imagine why," Bronze said, finally able to speak. He polished off the last bite of his muffin. "You're getting to play hoofball for the Equestrians. Most ponies would think ya to be lucky."

"Yeah, I'm grateful." I said plainly. "It's just... I dunno. I like a lot of my teammates, but we don't really have the same bond as I had with you guys." I clacked my talons together in thought. Snowfall and Hoofrocket had been good to me since I got to Manehattan. So had Tremor Blitz and Hightower, to an extent. Even so, they somehow still felt more like teammates than friends. Bronze, Snap, and the gang were more than that. They were my brothers. I knew they had my flank no matter what, and I had theirs. So then why-

"Well, that's 'cause you knew most of us for years before we even started academy. Me, you, Snap, and Solid Rock met almost ten years ago in foal camp." Bronze's voice was full of wisdom that was beyond his years, and even a lengthy burp in the middle of his sentence couldn't deter the meaning in them. "You've known these guys for, what? Three months? At least personally? Give it time."

I scratched my beak absentmindedly. "You're probably right."

"Ah know Ah am." He stretched lazily and flicked his tail. "So how's Snap doing? You've been writing him too, right?"

"Yeah." I ruffled my head feathers a bit. "He seems to be getting along in Canterlot a lot better now. Apparently he had a monster game last week, and it earned him a lot of respect in the locker room." I hadn't talked about it much, but apparently Snapdragon had been getting hazed a bit by a lot of his offensive teammates in the Canterlot Royals. He'd sworn in his last few letters that it had been getting better, but I felt for the big lug. He may have been about as burly a stallion as you can find in the EHL or anywhere, but that pony was way too sensitive for his own good. At least in academy he had us to watch out for him.

"At least he seems to be takin' it well. Ah think it may be good for that big lug to grow some thicker skin. He keeps playing like he did against New Horseleans last week, he'll be a king for that city."

"I hope so." I still had some muffins next to me on the coffee table, but I was well past full. I probably shouldn't have been eating like this right before a game, anyways.

"Solid Rock still hasn't written you?" Bronze asked.

"No. It's almost like he's forgotten us. Though, in his defense, San Franciscolt's had a rough time so far this season."

"Yeah. And Gleaming Lance hasn't written much, either. Royal Guard training is apparently pretty demandin'."

My heart sagged a little. There was more emotion in my voice than I anticipated when I said what I was thinking. "I think we're all drifting apart, man. In a few years, we may not talk to each other at all..." As it always did at my lowest moments, the necklace drifted to the edge of my subconscious, completely unwelcome.

"Hey!" Bronze was sitting upright. "Ah'm here, ain't I?" He arched an offended eyebrow. I aggressively wiped the tear that was beginning to form in my eye.

"I'm sorry, man. I-"

"We're all just busy. You, Snap, and Rock are all pros on different teams. I'm trying to pry a business from my dad's hooves in Vanhoover, and Lance is going into service. You'll see; when the season is over, and Lance finally gets his first temporary leave from training, we'll all get back together in Vanhoover. It'll be just like it used to be."

I pondered his words and finally gave a light smile. "I think you're right. I'm glad you're here, Bronze. Things make more sense when you're around."

"That's what Ah'm here for," he said stoically. "Now we'd better get to sleep. After all, you've got a game tomorrow."

<*****>-------<*****>

Gameday. In the city of Manehattan, there was nothing like it. Sports bars and restaurants were full the the brim with radios cranked as high as they would go. A sizeable number of ponies flooding the streets donned Manehattan Equestrians apparel. There were also a few ponies wearing the white and dark brown of the Hoofston Cowponies, but they were few and far between. This allowed me to blend in better with my bright blue and violet hoodie drawn over my face, Bronze keeping pace next to me.

"Reminds me of gameday in Vanhoover, only even crazier." Bronze said with an impressed whistle. We were nearing the stadium; I had to be at the Dome several hours early in order to get ready with the team, but even now there were throngs of ponies looking to be let in. Thankfully, I wasn't trying to go in through one of the main gates; there was a smaller, more discreet entrance for players and high-priority staff.

"Uh, Gaius? You sure they'll be okay with me following you in here?"

I nodded. "Don't worry. I mean, you can't actually go into the locker room or the player facilities, but you can head through the player entrance with me. It'll save you the hassle of the gate."

"That's a relief. Won't your ladyfriend be mad she's not getting the same treatment?"

I shook my head. "Giselle and her friends won't be here until closer to when the game starts. I think Gwen or Gemma had something going on."

Bronze nodded as he took that in. "Any chance Ah get to meet any of your teammates?"

"Probably. A lot of them chat with reporters or VIP's that get access to that part of the stadium."

Bronze tried to look neutral, but I could tell he was excited. We managed to coast around the crowd effectively enough; they were way more focused on getting into the massive stadium than on some stranger wearing a team hoodie that blended in with what everypony else for miles around was wearing. While the main ticket gates were large and grandiose, the player entrance was a smaller door flanked by security guards. One look at me after I put my hood down was all they needed to let me through. No questions were asked about Bronze, it was obvious that he was with me.

The small entrance led to a decent-sized room with tile floor depicting the Equestrians logo, a shield emblazoned with the forms of all three pony races: earth ponies, unicorns, and pegasi, in the team's iconic deep violet and cerulean colors. There were a few players standing around talking to media heads or each other, but activity for the room overall was low.

"Huh. Ah kinda expected something more...chaotic."

"It'll get a little more crazy in an hour or so. It's still pretty early."

A new voice piped up to my left. "Hey, Gaius!" I turned to see Snowfall approaching, taking in the unfamiliar buck standing next to me. "Who's this?"

I smiled. "Snowfall, this is my best friend, Bronze Cartwheel. He was my quarterbuck all through academy in Vanhoover."

"And here I thought I was the best friend. You're breaking my heart over here Gaius." Despite the mock offense, he held a hoof out to Bronze. "Though, I guess you found him first. So, Bronze Cartwheel, huh? Always an honor to meet an Academy Champion quarterbuck."

"Thanks," Bronze said, more than a bit flattered. "Gaius told me a lot about you. Ah'm a pretty big fan."

"Well, I appreciate it." Snowfall slicked back his crystal-blue mane. He was dressed in a black bomber jacket that looked more than a little expensive. I'd learned many things about my current favorite teammate, and one of said things is that he apparently had an affinity for designer clothing. "Hopefully he left out most of the bad stuff. I take it you're gonna be watching the game today?"

Bronze nodded. "Wouldn't miss it. Ah haven't gotten to see Gaius play in the big leagues yet."

"Well, you won't be disappointed," a new voice interjected from behind, one I knew well. Hoofrocket pulled up behind us and gave that million-bit smile. "'Course, you new that already, considering you threw to him all through academy." My new quarterbuck held his hoof out to my old one. "Hoofrocket."

The look on Bronze's face was one I knew all too well. He was starstruck. I couldn't blame him.

"Uhh..." When Bronze finally returned to Equestria, he shook his head and took 'Rocket's hoof as quickly as he could. "Bronze Cartwheel. It's an honor to meet you, sir."

"Sir feels a bit unnecessary, especially from another quarterbuck. Just call me 'Rocket." He turned to Snowy and I. "You two ready? Might be a tough game today."

"We could ask you the same thing," Snowfall said with a raised eyebrow. Hoofrocket gave a light scoff.

"Come on, Snowy. I'm always ready. Besides, if Coach's gameplan sticks, I'm mostly just going to be hoofing it off today." He nudged Bronze and gestured towards me. "Your griffon friend is something special. He's been making me look real good this season."

"He has a habit of doing that. 'Specially if you throw to him outside the numbers."

"You ever line him up in the slot in Vanhoover?"

"Not unless Ah felt like gettin' him killed." Bronze snickered. The two quarterbucks were definitely having fun bantering over stories of repeatedly throwing a ball at my face in high-pressure situations, but I couldn't be annoyed. It was nice to see Bronze having such a good time. While I truly believed he didn't regret his decision to forgo his chances in the pros, I also knew for a fact that he missed playing hoofball. I wondered if getting to talk to one of the greatest pro quarterbucks in recent memory was reminding him of that.

Hoofrocket cut his conversation with Bronze short and turned his ever-perceptive eyes towards the group of media moguls who were starting to notice the three star offensive players gathered near the entrance. It wouldn't be long before we were swarmed with cameras and microphones, and my friend would be caught in the crossfire.

Bronze, like usual, read the room. "Looks like Ah'd better go find my seat. After all, Ah still have to meet this pretty griffon girl Gaius won't shut up about."

I winced. Snowfall and Hoofrocket shot each other knowing smiles. Dang it, Bronze. Not you, too. You were supposed to be the good guy!

"It was nice to meet you Bronze." Hoofrocket clopped him on the shoulder. "If things aren't too crazy after the game, maybe we can catch up some more. I'm sure there's plenty of dirt you can give me on my new receiver."

"Ah'm sure there is. Later, Gaius." He flashed a smug grin and headed for the east exit that lead further into the stadium, away from the player area. I quickly remembered the conversation he had with Solid Rock about Sterling Spiral being better than Hoofrocket, and filed it away mentally in case I needed it as ammo later. There were more than a few embarrassing stories Bronze had about me from my academy days, and even before...

Once my best friend had left, 'Rocket kicked his personality into all-business mode. "Well, boys, looks like we've got some reporters to talk to. Let's get this over with and then get into the locker room. We've got a big day ahead of us."

<*****>-------<*****>

The noise was thunderous, every bit as much as the opening game of the season. Just like then, both sidelines were a flurry of activity: ponies rushing to get gear and water to players, coaches going over their game plans with their staff, and reporters doing their best to capture the scenes for newspapers and magazines while staying back an appropriate distance.

The Equestrians' cheerleaders were going full-force, doing wild acrobatic tricks to try and rile up the crowd of 60,000 plus, as if they weren't already screaming their lungs out. I was sitting alone on the bench (well, kind of alone. Blitzing Wing and Tremor Blitz were further down) while special teams were getting ready to take the field. We'd won the bit toss, and the offense would be going first against Hoofston's defense.

The Hoofston Cowponies took up the other sideline, their black & brown jerseys a stark contrast to the bright colors we wore. Hawk Fetlock was easily recognizable: his coat was a slightly darker brown than Hoofrocket's, his mane jet black. He was sitting on the bench in the quarterbuck box. He'd have to wait for his defense to get off the field before he could come into the game. Hopefully, that wouldn't be until after we went down the field and scored some points. My mind went back to the EHL Draft, where there was a very real chance that Hoofston could've drafted me. I began to wonder what my life would be like now if I'd been sent south instead of east...

The whistle blew and players began lining the field, much to the delight of the roaring fans. Since the plan was to feed the runningbucks early, I was probably going to sit most of this first series out. The receivers were going to be playing more of a blocking role, and I just wasn't built for that. I fiddled with my rubber talon guards as I looked out into the sea of ponies ringing the giant span of turf. Somewhere in there was Giselle and her friends, sitting next to Bronze Cartwheel. Periwinkle was apparently here, too, but I didn't want to think about that.

Marathon Iron planted himself near the end zone as Hoofston's Kicker, Rotary, got ready to kick off. The whistle blew, and Rotary's rear leg swung around to send the ball flying, with a small army of Cowponies following it into Equestrian territory. M.I. expertly positioned himself under the it and caught it perfectly. He took off, slipping a tackle and ducking through holes the special teams blockers made for him. He went down around our own 40, a good return. The crowd thundered as special teams players were replaced by offense. The game was on.

The offense got set with Blockbuster in the backfield as I got a good view from the sideline. Hoofston's defense was definitely expecting a running play, so our offensive line would have to work hard to create an opening. Hoofrocket called for the hike, and immediately turned around and hooved it to the runningbuck. The offensive line slammed into the defense, but they were stopped cold. Blockbuster tried to find an opening, but there was nothing there. He ran into a wall of ponies and was brought down after only a gain of one yard.

I ground my teeth. Not an optimal start, but it was only one play. The offense picked themselves up and immediately got set for the next play without a huddle. Blockbuster was in the backfield again, they were going back to the well.

The hike came and once again the ball went straight to Blockbuster. This time, he managed to find something. The o-line forced a small gap between defenders and he barreled through, leaping over a potential tackler on the other side. It looked like he might've gotten loose, but a linebacker wrapped around and dove wildly at his hooves, wrapping him up and bringing him down after a sizable gain. It was third down, but only third and one. The overwhelmingly pro-Manehattan home crowd clearly liked what they were seeing.

All we needed was one yard. This time, the offense ran a run-pass option. There was, as far as the defense knew, an equal possibility of the offense throwing or running the ball. Long Haul would run in front of Hoofrocket and would either be hooved the ball, or the QB would keep it and throw to somepony. 'Rocket eagerly gave the ball to his runningbuck, who tried to take off and didn't make it far. A defensive linepony came barreling past the offensive line and slammed into our second runningbuck, bringing him down immediately right in front of Hoofrocket. The defender had gone right through Metalmane and High Impact, which I wouldn't have even thought possible. Now it was fourth and four. Our first offensive series had failed, just like our last home game. Only this time, it hadn't been the result of an interception; it had been our own inability to move the chains.

Coach Playmaker wasn't going to risk a fourth down on our side of the field. The offense began to trot off the field as the buck team took their positions. They'd kick the ball away so Hoofston's offense would have to start further away from our end zone. Our bucker, Kick Away, picked his spot a good fifteen feet behind our long snapper, Dotted Line.

Hoofrocket and Snowfall took a place on either side of me on the bench. Further down the sideline, M.I. all but threw his helmet to the ground as he took his seat. The Manehattan Dome was much quieter now, with only light cheers and boos scattered among the fans in attendance as they watched their team buck the hoofball away. Hoofrocket let out a frustrated grunt.

"If that's all our run game's got, it may be a long night."

Tremor Blitz had moved closer. He piped up for the first time. "You said it. I know their secondary's good, but I think they need to let you throw."

Hoofrocket's brow furrowed in thought, but he shook his head. "We stick to the plan. I'm gonna go talk to the line. Whatever just happened to poor Long Haul, I don't want a repeat."

I looked down towards the bench where all of our starting offensive lineponies were sitting, obviously not pleased with themselves. I gulped. This may indeed be a long night.

As Hoofrocket left, the defense took the field to stand against Hoofston's offense. They'd returned the buck to their thirty-five yard line, meaning they had to drive sixty-five yards for a touchdown. I had faith in our defense, they could stop them. I turned to Snowfall.

"I hope we get a chance to catch some passes, we still gotta get you your touchdown."

That made him crack a smile. "Yeah, for sure." Then his eyes went wide as he turned back to the field. The crowd cried out in horror.

Hawk Fetlock had thrown a long pass right into one of his receiver's open hooves. Searing Shock tackled him immediately after, but the damage had been done. Hoofston's first offensive play had gone for twenty-five yards.

"May be a long night..." Snowfall repeated. I looked up into the stands. Hopefully Bronze and Giselle didn't show up just to watch me sit on the sidelines while our run attack got stuffed.

<*****>-------<*****>

Our offense took the field again. We'd managed to hold Hoofston to a field goal, but we were still down three to nothing. It was up to us to get some points to even things up. Unfortunately, I was still on the sidelines as Hoofrocket once again tried to get the rushing attack going. I kicked myself mentally. I had ponies and griffons I'd invited in the stadium tonight to see me, and I hadn't touched the field once. Of course Giselle and Bronze would be at the one game this season where I rode the bench. I stared longingly at the helmet hanging on the bench behind me. I wanted in.

We were starting on our own thirty. Hoofrocket shoveled the hoofball to Long Haul, who was stuffed again at the line of srimmage. I heard Citrus Sprint snort in agitation on the bench in front of me. I mirrored his sentiment, this wasn't working. Our o-line had been beastly so far this season, even against monstrous challenges like Hard Stop. But Hoofston's defensive line was remaining stout; we couldn't move them off of the line. Therefore, we couldn't run the ball down the field. Our gameplan was crumbling, and we weren't adjusting. I tried to have faith in my coaches and coordinators, but at this rate, the game would start to get ugly if we didn't get yards.

The next running play at least got a couple yards, but it was still third and seven. My mind flashed back to all of the offensive meetings this past week. Their defensive front seven wasn't supposed to be this impenetrable. Our runningbucks were good, but they couldn't single-hoovedly force their way through a sea of stallion meat. I sighed as I accepted the reality. Unless the offense started clicking right now, we would get stuffed again as I sat helplessly on the bench. I balled my talons in frustration. I began to feel sorry for-

"Strongtalon!" Receiving Coach Hauler bellowed as he trotted up to me. "They need you for third down, get in there!"

I stared in shock for a bit, then nodded. We were finally running a passing play, and I was in on it. I grabbed my helmet and sauntered onto the field. My presence on the turf alone was enough to get cheers from the fans. Like me, they'd had to watch our offense sputter and struggle for our first two possessions. Now we had a chance.

I joined the huddle next to Marathon Iron and Hightower. Hoofrocket began calling the play.

"Receivers, watch your corners." 'Rocket looked at each of us in turn. "We have an empty backfield and we brought Gaius in, so they're expecting a pass this time. I need somepony open. If we don't get this first down, we're bucking again. I don't want to give Hawk another shot without putting some points up ourselves."

We broke and got into our positions. I was in the slot this time, Snowfall to my right. I had Shadow Streak on me, one of the two fearsome corners that anchored Hoofston's secondary. I knew without even looking that Hog Roper was going to be on M.I.. It was going to be a hard task, but I had to shake him. This drive depended on it.

The ball was snapped and the receivers took off. I tried to juke Shadow Streak, but he didn't take the bait. He ran with me until I crossed the field. Halfway through my route, I poured on the speed and got just a few precious feet of separation. Thankfully, my corner wasn't expecting it.

It was enough; the offensive line had held and the ball was being thrown to me. Hoofrocket's throw was just the tiniest bit behind, so I had to slow to catch it. The ball went safely into my claws as I felt Shadow Streak wrap his hooves around my torso to tackle me. At the same time, Hoofston's middle linebacker, Loose Cannon, rammed into me from the other side to help bring me down. I felt the impact as two ponies much bigger than me slammed me into the turf. Thankfully, though, I held onto the hoofball and we barely got the first down. The Manehattan Dome erupted into cheers as the offense finally made something happen.

I got up, my jersey sporting fresh grass stains, and ran to rejoin the huddle. Our only first down had come as the result of a passing play, so I thought that we'd surely be attacking through the air now. But as I made it back to my team, I watched as Long Haul and Blitzing Wing trotted off of the sideline while Coach Hauler beckoned to me to take their place. My heart sank, they were going back to the run.

I angrily made my way off the field and tried my best not to give my receiving coach the stink eye. "Why are we going back to the run? Our only first down was through the air."

"Playmaker's orders kid." He looked over to the head coach in question, who's face was buried in his offensive playsheet. "Don't be a diva, you'll have plenty of chances before tonight is over."

I swore I felt steam building between my ears. Me, a diva? Okay, sure, I guess complaining about not getting the ball enough does technically make an EHL receiver a diva. But that wasn't what was happening, right? I was straight-up not even getting on the field!

My frustrations just built higher and higher as I sat back down and watched the offense perform two more running plays. The first went for only a yard, but the second went for eight, bringing up a third and one. Or at least it would've, if Halberd Flash, our left tackle, hadn't held Hoofston's defensive tackle by the jersey after he'd made it past him. The referees called the penalty and penalized the offense for five yards. Due to repeating downs, it was second down again, but now it was second and fourteen. I wanted to scream, especially after Coach Playmaker called another running play right up the middle. It went for a very ironic five yards. Third and nine.

With another long third down, Coach Hauler once again called for me to be put in. As happy as I was to be in the game again, I was also annoyed. I felt like instead of being central to the offense, I was being called on to bail them out. We couldn't keep going like this, we were still nowhere near field-goal range.

Hoofrocket called the play and we lined up. I was out wide this time, with Snowfall in the slot. He would have to deal with Shadow Streak this time, I had another cornerbuck facing me that wasn't him Hog Roper. I was confident that I could get open.

I ran an L-route, bounding straight down the field and then turning left. Unfortunately, my corner played it well and put himself between me and Hoofrocket at a good angle. I was confident I could put on the speed and get separation, but I was too late. 'Rocket was already throwing to Snowfall, the ball leaving his fetlock right as a linebacker engulfed him. Snowfall held his hooves open, but Shadow Streak was all over him. The ball went into said hooves, but Shadow Streak managed to stick in a hoof of his own and knock it out. Incomplete, we were bucking again. I yelled out in frustration. Snowfall took off his helmet and threw it on the turf. On the other side of the field, I could see M.I. glaring daggers at him through his facemask. Halberd Flash was helping Hoofrocket up off the ground as the thousands of ponies in attendance booed. Definitely a long night.

<*****>-------<*****>

Halftime. We were down 17-3. The coaches had continued to prioritize the rushing attack, and we hadn't gained much ground. Meanwhile, Hoofston had managed to put two touchdowns on us. The team was sitting in the locker room, waiting for the officials to call us back out. There was still another whole half of hoofball to play, but we looked defeated. Even more than that, we looked angry. We all sulked until Coach Playmaker and Red Lightning walked into the locker room, ready to make a halftime speech.

"I'll tell it like it is boys." Playmaker said with resolve. "We're down two touchdowns and the running lanes have been stuffed all game." He shook his head. "But we're not done. I need you boys to trust me. We will get this done, but I'm gonna need everything you've got."

I felt frustration once again bubbling to the surface. We were losing, in our own building. We were going to go have to make a monumental comeback in the second half to take this one home, and the coaches still weren't changing their approach. Surely this wasn't me just being mad about spending half of the game on the bench, right? Bronze, Giselle, and 60,000+ others were sitting in the stands watching their team get embarrassed. I began subconsciously wondering what Periwinkle would have to say to me about this game later, if she really was out there...

"Sorry, coach, but that's not good enough." I snapped to attention, as did everyone else in the room. Hoofrocket. He was the only pony in the room standing, and he was staring down Coach Playmaker. The tension in the air was palpable, you could've heard a pin drop. Unfazed by it all, Hoofrocket continued.

"It's not working. I know you had a plan, sir. Maybe you still do, but they were ready for it. They expected us to attack on the ground, they've been walling us off all game. Blockbuster and Long Haul are world-class runningbucks, but they can't get anything going tonight. We've been pounding the rock the entire half and all we have to show for it is one field goal."

"I know you're frustrated son, but I'm telling you, we're not out of this ye-" Playmaker tried to counter, but was cut off by Hoofrocket again, something I never thought I'd see.

"Why won't you trust me?" There was real anger in Rocket's voice, something I never thought I'd hear. "I know their secondary has six interceptions in two games! I know they have two lockdown corners and a top five safety! But you're taking the ball out of my hooves almost every play and leaving one of our best weapons on the sideline!" He pointed a hoof back at me, and everypony's head turned. My eyes went wide and I turned away, looking suddenly very interested in the locker next to me. Honestly, how was I supposed to react?

"We have what I truly believe is the best receiving core in the EHL. We can do this. Just trust me for one drive. If the passing lanes get blocked or I throw an interception, we can go back to your plan. But please, sir, let us try."

All eyes went back to the head coach. His brow was furrowed in irritation, but his eyes were deep in thought. Finally, Coach Playmaker huffed and pulled on the brim of his Equestrians cap.

"Son, if you make a show like that in front of the entire locker room, you had better back it up, you hear me?" Playmaker jabbed a hoof at my quarterbuck. "You want a chance? Fine. Let's see what our passing attack can really do."

Hoofrocket nodded. "Yes, sir."

That alone seemed to breathe life into the team. Coach looked over the team and seemed to read the atmosphere. "Well, looks like we're going to try and fly right over their no-fly zone. This 'ought to be fun. Nothing left to lose now, boys. Let's show these Cowponies how we play Equestrians' hoofball."

<*****>-------<*****>

After halftime was over, Hoofston got the ball first. Thankfully, our defense came out with new life and managed to hold them down. They got in range for a field goal, but Rotary missed the uprights. It was our turn now.

M.I. returned the buck to our own 40, a good starting point. Our offense took the field, this time with me among them. Blockbuster was still in the backfield, but we were running an option play now. Hoofrocket would be looking to throw, but somepony would need to get open. If I had anything to say about it, it would be me.

I was in the slot again, Shadow Streak once again facing across from me. Coach Playmaker was right, this secondary was full of elite talent, but we'd managed to take on Fillydelphia and Net Weaver, right? Surely, we could do this.

The ball was snapped and I took off, running across the field almost exactly how I'd done earlier in the first half. Shadow Streak recognized the play and, in a fitting choice of words, shadowed me the whole route. I couldn't get open, not like this. But, thankfully, Marathon Iron could. He had shaken off Hog Roper further downfield, and Hoofrocket unloaded as M.I. made a fantastic diving catch. He may have been a huge jerk at times, but that pony could catch a hoofball. The play went for thirty yards, an easy first down. We had life, and we were in Hoofston territory.

Hoofston's sideline was in a scramble. We were coming out swinging in a way that that the Cowponies' players and coaches weren't expecting. Our offense quickly got set again, this time with four receivers as Snowfall, M.I. and I stayed on the field and Citrus Sprint came in. Me and the latter pony were on the outside, and when the ball hiked I ran forward and doubled back in a hook route I now knew like the back of my talon. While that very play had resulted in an interception in my first ever pro game against Fillydelphia, this time it resulted in my assigned corner being a whole pony's length behind me and me catching the easy pass no problem. I turned around into the desperate embrace of the defender, but managed to inch out another yard or so until he finally wrapped around my back leg and brought me down. Another first down, although barely.

We continued pushing into enemy territory. While a few running plays were ran to keep the defense on it's hooves, one even resulting in a first down, the air attack dominated. M.I., Snowfall, and I continually caught bombs from our quarterbuck to slowly chip away down the field. The Hoofston Cowponies secondary was as stout as advertised; they didn't give us any more huge plays over the top. Even if I managed to get free of my corner, Sunspotter was prowling downfield and wouldn't leave me alone. Even so, the defense couldn't stop us from getting loose underneath and crawling toward their endzone yard by yard. Finally, we were in the redzone.

After a short catch by Citrus Sprint, we had a first down and were only eight yards away from their endzone. Their defense looked shellshocked. They'd kept us in check for the entire first half, and now we were threatening to score. We'd still be a touchdown behind even if we did, but the momentum of the game would shift in our favor. We needed this more than words could describe.

"Alright, guys," Hoofrocket called the play. "Here's where we make this a game. It's all on us."

We broke, and I was in the slot yet again. Hoofrocket seemed to like targeting me when I was in between the numbers, one of the biggest differences between him and Bronze, but I'd have Shadow Streak on me as long as I was in this position. Metalmane snapped the ball and I ran my route, but the pass wasn't to me. Hoofrocket threw towards Hightower, but a defensive linepony got his hoof up and tipped the ball at the line of scrimmage. It bounced upwards and hit the turf. Second down.

We huddled again. This time we were planning a running play with Blockbuster. It made sense, the passing attack had dominated this drive. Even if we lined up with a runningbuck in the backfield, they may not be expecting a deviation. When the play actually happened, Blockbuster found a gap but a linebacker managed to wrap a hoof around his back leg just before he could break free into the end zone. Second and goal, only four yards to go.

Hoofrocket called another passing play. I lined out wide, but this time I had Hog Roper on me. I hoped that meant that M.I. could get open wide, since I assumed that Shadow Streak was guarding Snowfall. The hike came and I bolted toward the endzone, turning right at the very back of it. I was open, but it didn't matter. A linebacker got through and Hoofrocket was sacked. Third and goal, and we'd been backed up seven whole yards.

We got into the huddle again. Halberd Flash was apparently having a rough game, he was responsible for letting the defender through for the sack.

"Short memory, we're moving on." Hoofrocket said with authority. "This could be our last chance, I don't know if I could convince Coach to let us go for it on fourth down. It's now or never. I need my receivers open. Tight ends, too." We all nodded, and broke the huddle to get set. We needed to score here. It was only the third quarter, and we still had a lot of time left on the clock, but it would be tougher to rally if we had to settle for a field goal here and Hoofston marched on our defense and got another touchdown.

Out wide. I had Hoofston's third cornerbuck on me again, I knew I could get open. When the snap came, I bounded for the end zone, trying to get behind my defender. He was playing his position well, but I could still catch the ball if it was thrown to my left. Marathon Iron was running across the opposite side of the endzone, shadowed by Hog Roper. I watched as Hoofrocket threw right in the middle of us, the hoofball landing perfectly in a pair of snow-white hooves. Snowfall had his first touchdown of the season.

<*****>-------<*****>

24 to 20. We'd beaten Hoofston twenty-four points to twenty. The only offense they could muster in the entire second half was another field goal. Meanwhile, we'd scored three second-half touchdowns: the first being the pass to Snowfall, the second a pass to M.I., and the third a colossal forty-yard rushing touchdown from Blockbuster. My Manehattan Equestrians were still undefeated.

We cheered wildly in the locker room post-win. I was on Hightower's shoulders, waving my towel around while all of my teammates hooted and hollered in celebration. Even Endgame looked like he was having a good time, which I wasn't sure was possible until now. The commotion finally died down when Coach Playmaker and Red Lightning walked into the room.

"Alright, first things first. Hoofrocket?" He scanned the room for the quarterbuck.

"Yes, sir?" Hoofrocket stepped forward, still wearing his pads. Coach Playmaker gave him a knowing smirk.

"I don't like having my authority questioned in front of my team, son. But credit where credit is due. I needed to trust my quarterbuck, and you did a heck of a job. I'll remember that next time."

"Appreciate it, Coach." Hoofrocket smiled as the whoops and chants started back up, but a raised hoof from the head coach silenced the noise.

"But next time, I advise you do it in private. I'm not above making my quarterbuck run laps for a whole practice."

"Yes, sir." Hoofrocket said it with respect and conviction, but there was no wiping that smile off of his face. Coach cleared his throat.

"Now. We have a lot to celebrate tonight. We overcame a two-touchdown deficit, Snowy got his first touchdown, Endgame got not one, but two interceptions, and we're still undefeated!"

A huge barrage of hurrahs came at his words. I almost fell off of Hightower's back.

"To celebrate, no practice tomorrow. Get some well-deserved rest and spend some time with family. Then, day after, we'll hit it hard to get ready for Baltimare next week. Now, I don't know about all of you, but I'm out of here before somepony dumps another water cooler on me."

<*****>-------<*****>

It was late. We were out in front of the stadium, and the vast area around us was almost completely void of ponies. The game had ended hours ago, so I wasn't worried about being recognized. Giselle was standing next to me, but her friends had left earlier. Now, it was time for my friend to leave.

"I'm glad you got to see the game today, Bronze. Even if we didn't start so hot."

He scoffed. "Had me right mad, that poor excuse of a gameplan Playmaker was calling. Only one angrier than me was your ladyfriend. Should've heard the things she was calling him while you were riding the bench."

I turned to Giselle in surprise, who was blushing more than a telling amount. "Well, I came to see you play, and he wouldn't even let you on the field while you guys were losing. In my defense, Gwen and Gemma started saying stuff first. I just joined in."

I did everything I could to stop from snickering while Bronze fell into a full-blown laughing fit. "Ah, well. Second half made up for it, heck of a comeback! Ah'm just glad Ah didn't have to watch ya'll lose. Unfortunately, my late train's coming up and Vanhoover's calling my name."

"Thanks for coming, buddy. I appreciate it." I walked forward and happily hugged my best friend. I was as grateful for him now as I ever was.

"Ah wouldn't have missed this for the world." He leaned closer to me and whispered. "By the way, your girl is a cutie. Way to go, Gaius."

I flushed fearsomely. I playfully shoved him away and rolled my eyes, hoping Giselle couldn't see it. "Yeah, yeah. Get outta here." I smoothed back my head feathers and looked up at him sadly. "You sure you don't want me to come with you to the station?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Ah can make it there just fine. Besides, you have someone else to entertain for the night." He winked. I took it back, I hated this guy. Giselle and I watched him hail a taxi carriage, and within moments he was gone. I turned to Giselle and raised an eyebrow.

"So, Coach gave us the day off tomorrow. You free for a date?

She shot me a stunning playful smile and raised an eyebrow coyly. "A date huh? What did you have in mind?"

I grinned and winked. "You'll see. I'll be at your apartment at noon tomorrow."

Author's Note:

Welp, been a bit. This story was basically on hiatus for the past 3 months because my final semester of college ended up being even more demanding than I expected.

Thankfully, I've finally graduated and have a bit more time on my hands now. This was a hard chapter to write, although I can't really say why. I've been struggling with writer's block a bit, even though I have a rough outline for this fic and know where I want to go with it. Even so, I'm glad I worked through it and I'm happy with how this chapter turned out.

As always, likes & comments are very appreciated! And if I take three months to put out the next chapter, somebody slap me.

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

If the main OCs in this story were voiced, what would they sound like?

[Ambizar]

11086265
Interesting Question. I haven't really considered what Gaius's voice would sound like. Maybe like mine, since at least personality-wise, there's a lot of comparisons between him and myself? So... mid-to-low tenor college-aged voice.

Bronze would sound like Braeburn with a little less southern drawl. He has an accent, which is why I write his dialogue the way I do.

Hoofrocket would probably sound like Drew Brees, the real-life NFL Quarterback. That's who he's heavily inspired by.

Snowfall would sound like Feather Bangs. I feel dirty for saying that, but it's true.

[Ambizar]

11086449
Better late than never

Although in all seriousness, ty so much for the kind words!

[TexasDragon1995]

Always a treat to see a new chapter by you man. Merry Christmas!🎄🎁

[Lightning Sprint]

This story looks awesome! Such a good read! This was extremely good to read and I can't wait to see more.