• Published 8th Jan 2021
  • 668 Views, 14 Comments

Three Seasons - shakealchemist



Rainbow Dash and Rarity's relationship goes further back than most ponies know, but just how close did they use to be?

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Gameday

It was just past noon on championship gameday and while both teams were on the field, the stands were empty for the game wasn't till nightfall. Players were warming up for the challenge ahead. It was a rematch of the Junior Speedsters versus the Earthquakes. All may have looked calm, but there was an edge to the air as if these two teams were long-time rivals when really it was because of just two ponies; Rainbow Dash and Peachfuzz. Peachfuzz had been the colt that had dislocated Dash's wing the last time these two played against each other.

Rainbow tossed a ball she'd just caught back to Gilda and took the break she had, since the next few passes would be to other receivers, to glance over at Rarity who was spending this pregame on the Speedsters' sideline.

Rarity immediately smiled and waved. A sudden commotion caught both of their attention, with Rarity looking past Dash.

"Hey! Back off and get back over to your side!" Gilda yelled, running over to the source of the issue.

Dash watched her past her and finally turned to see several teammates crowding around a single Earthquake player and it was quickly drawing every player from both teams over. Dash raced over to find out what was going on before a brawl broke out.

"Listen, I just want to talk to her." She heard a voice as she pushed her way forward.

"She's not interested! So get out of here before I snap your wing off!" Dash made it in time to see Gilda holding Peachfuzz back by prodding him in the chest with a single talon. The griffin's threat made the crowd surge forward ready to start throwing blows.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up!" Dash threw herself between the two and toward Peachfuzz. "Here I am. Say what you have to say." She glared at him and tried not to be intimidated by his size with how close they were. Though if either of them were nervous, it was Peachfuzz.

"Hey . . . look . . . I never got the chance to tell you before . . . about how sorry I am. I never meant to hurt you. Not like that, and- I wasn't thinking about it. I just did it and . . . I was frustrated and mad at myself. I know that's no excuse, but I feel horrible about what happened. I-"

"Hey." Dash interrupted his bumbling apology and offered a hoof. "Don't sweat it. I'm fine now and I'll be leaving your flank in the dust like last time." She said smugly.

Peachfuzz laughed and hoof-bumped her. "Yeah, well if I remember right, we won that game." He joined in the lighthearted trash-talk.

Tension easing, the crowd dispersed back to their halves of the field. Rarity and the coaches alike breathed sighs of relief for the avoided brawl.

***

Back in her seat in the stands, Rarity watched the two teams duke it out.

Early in the game, it showed that the Earthquakes had a better defense. It made up for their inability to match their opponent's offense. It also helped them set the pace, but they could only slow down the high-powered Speedsters' offense, who kept on their heels, tying the game time and time again. The Earthquakes took a lead into halftime just to have the Speedsters erase it at the start of the next half. What looked to be a long back-and-forth game finally got an off-set score when a Speedsters' turnover lead to a touchdown that got replied to with a field goal.

Now the Speedsters were down four and the following two possessions led to field goals by both teams. Entering the late game, the Earthquakes had both the lead still and the ball. They used it to eat the clock up. The strategy worked out for them as it hit three minutes to go with them inside the twenty, posed to score again.

Rarity knew this was bad news and left her seat and went into the tunnel, toward the locker room.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was keeping the offense's spirits high. Even after the Earthquakes took it in for a touchdown, making it an eleven-point deficit to overcome. "We need two scores in two minutes? Psh, we've done that before. If anything, that's too much time on the clock." Dash waved a hoof dismissingly at the high stakes, bright lights, and huge crowd. Dash loved the pressure and so long as there was a chance, she wasn't giving up hope. Teammates roared and nodded in agreement.

"Rainbow Dash!"

Dash turned, surprised to see Rarity race up to her. "Rarity?" She asked puzzled, but then realized what she must've shown up for. "Look, I get it, Rarity. It's just a game, don't worry a-"

Rarity put a hoof to her lips to silence her, then removed it and kissed her. "You can do this. I believe in you." Her voice was almost too soft to make out over the crowd.

Dash stood in stunned silence for a second, not believing Rarity had done such a thing, but then she smiled and nodded. Dash flew over to where Hondo was getting the special team together for the kickoff return plan. "Coach! I want to return this one." She volunteered as she hovered over the huddle.

Hondo looked at her and thought for a moment before nodding. "Right, Nimble, you field it and pitch it back to Rainbow. Rainbow, you get a running start, and don't look back. Keep it clean and get us good field position. Go, go, go!" Hondo waved them off and they rushed onto the field and got set.

Standing in the endzone, Dash could time the kickoff from the crowd noise alone. She paid no mind to the bodies racing toward her and instead kept her eye on the ball as it soared through the air, ever closing in on her. Dash aligned herself behind Nimble.

Nimble made the catch at the edge of the endzone and began running it forward to allow Dash to get her running start. At right about the fifteen-yard line, she pitched the ball back to her.

With the ball now under hoof, Dash veered to the side leaving several defenders who'd approached Nimble out of position to make a play on her. Not everypony was fooled though and saw the pitch coming, but her speed helped her dodge the first two effortlessly. With blockers helping, Dash folded her wings making herself as small as possible and shooting through a gap in the crowd of clashing ponies. On the other side, Dash found open space. More than she needed. It was a pleasant surprise. One she dared not waste and in seconds she was crossing the goalline to the roar of the crowd.

Dash gave the ball a toss in the stands and moments later was swarmed by excited teammates. Dash tried to lead them off the field then saw Hondo waving the offense on. It made sense to go for two here. The touchdown made it a five-point game, two points here would mean a field goal would tie it. So she split off to join the huddle.

"Alright guys, nice play Dash, let's spread it wide and keep our options open." Gilda broke the huddle with a nod that Dash knew was aimed toward her. She was her favorite target so chances were she'd get this pass.

After a quick lineup, Dash was mismatched with Peachfuzz and the ball was snapped before it could be corrected. Dash took a slant route to the inside, the same route that with this match-up she'd gotten her wing dislocated on. This time she caught the ball at the goalline and went in untouched. The celebration was short as they raced to the sideline for the plan for the upcoming onside kick.

Hondo and Star were talking quickly while pointing to each other's clipboards. "Receivers, you're on our overload side." Star called out looking up.

"Everypony else will be our usual kicking team, minus our smaller bodies. Biggest will join our overload side." Hondo added, getting all the info out quickly so everypony could get a minute to rest.

It was used by most to get a drink of water before taking the field and getting set early. Their relaxed stance went ridged when the referee blow the whistle for the play clock to start. Opposing players stared each other down as bodies swayed, ready to take off.

Twister glanced down both sides of his line and gave a nod to both, the overloaded side last, before starting his trot up for the kick. They weren't afraid of giving it away, it was obvious which side the kick was going toward. Twister's kick gave it a hard bounce into the ground which sent the ball high into the air.

Dash's eyes followed it, keeping in mind the ten yards it needed to travel before she could touch it. Not that it was something to worry about as it was clear the ball would travel that before it hit the ground again. She stutter-stepped as she got into position to catch it. An Earthquake player was right on her ready to fight for it. A blur in front of Dash made her hesitate and not jump for it.

Turned out the blur had been Sunbeam leaping in to make a play on the ball. He collided with the other player and neither of them got the ball which deflected straight into Dash's hooves.

Grabbing it tightly, Dash made a move downfield but was quickly swarmed and taken down. It felt like forever before the officials dug her out of the pile of players and granted the Speedsters possession. Barely on her hooves again Dash was swarmed once more, this time by congratulating teammates. Slaps on the back and helmet along with some celebratory words followed Dash all the way to the sideline.

"Great job Rainbow! Go take a breather. I'll put you back in in a couple of plays." Hondo said warmly and pointed her toward Rarity.

Dash gave him a nod then trotted up to Rarity and took off her helmet. She got an embrace and a peck on the cheek from her love.

"That was simply amazing darling. That return and recovery . . . I don't know what to say." Rarity smiled at her at a loss for words.

"Well, it was somewhat luck, at least on the onside kick. Guess that makes you my good luck charm." Dash booped Rarity's nose with her own and Rarity giggled amused. Their attention turned toward the game. they watched three plays; an incomplete pass, a run by Nimble for four yards, and then on third down Sunbeam caught one with a decent run downfield before going out of bounds. Now set for a long field goal with a new set of downs and a minute left to play left on the clock, Dash was sent back out into the huddle.

"Alright, we got a little under a minute and two timeouts, so we have some time to play with. Coach says we're playing it safe. Make sure we at least get the tie, but he's not opposed to taking a shot downfield, so Dash, go deep. Everyone else keep me covered and stay open just in case." Gilda gave the plan and broke the huddle.

At the snap Dash darted forward, stutter-stepped with a little turn as if for a quick pass before breaking away with some space down along the sideline. Dash checked back to see Gilda had to chuck it early to avoid oncoming pressure. judging its trajectory the pass would be short of the endzone but it would put them inside the five. Dash's real concern was about the safety coming across the field to make a play. She didn't so much fear a pick as she did taking two hits on the catch.

Sure enough, Dash took a big hit after the catch from the safety and it pushed her back into the other defender. She found herself sandwiched between the two and forced standing up with her back to the goal. She tried to push herself backward with her hind hooves with little success. So in an extra attempt to free herself, she twisted sideways. She popped out of the pin so fast she had no time to react and ended up flat on her back. She could hardly hear the referee's whistle over the sudden roar of the audience. Looking to her side, Dash saw her upper half had crossed the goal line.

Rainbow thumped the ball down in the end zone and scrambled to her hooves, racing for the sideline. She knew exactly how she wanted to celebrate. She pulled off her helmet and tossed it aside.

Rarity cheered and clapped her hooves, joyfully watching Dash outpace her teammates. Her grin faded as Dash kept coming right at her, not slowing down. She looked around hoping to spot something else that was grabbing Dash's attention. Realizing it was her she was after, Rarity could only take a hesitant step back before Rainbow embraced her. Her momentum swung them around before Rarity lost her balance, falling onto her back with Rainbow's lips upon her's.

They got a short moment to smile at each other before Dash was pulled away and lifted up by her teammates who carried their hero away.

After the extra point, there were still forty seconds left on the clock. So Rarity feared there would be a response by the other team, but the Earthquakes couldn't do anything with their possession. The field was stormed by the fans as the game clock expired and the Junior Speedsters were champions.

Author's Note:

Another short chapter, but I hope I was able to set an exciting and fun-to-read game for people who both know and don't know how football works.

This chapter brings the end of the current act as a lot happens between seasons two and three, and I didn't want the acts to get too large compared to other acts.

I have the acts in the first place to show how I came up with the story. Coming up with major points I wanted to happen first. (Each act is one major plot point) medium points to help connect the larger points, and finally small details to bring the medium points closer together and turn it into an actual story that makes sense.