One on One

Everyone knew who Rainbow Dash was.

We'd seen the videos. Of her and her friends, harnessing an incredible energy to save their school from an extradimensional threat. We saw light bursting out of her, the power, be it science or magic or something in between. She was on the news. She was all over forums and social media. She was extraordinary — her and her friends had displayed a might like no one had ever witnessed and revealed a truth that no one had thought possible.

She wasn't doing any of that right now, though. Right now, she had to take a penalty kick.

I felt my hands tapping my sides rapidly as she placed the ball down. For the girl who'd won the district's MVP award before the playoffs had begun for her stellar regular-season play, it was a relatively quiet night for her — she hadn't sent a shot my way, but I felt my stomach drop every time she got near the 18-yard box. I could almost see the power from that night in the way that she moved and the fury with which she dribbled as she carved her way across the pitch, but thankfully, her attempts were always thwarted by our swarming backline.

It was a stalemate on both sides, with our own strikers unable to drum up any offense to capitalize on Canterlot High's struggles. Regulation ended 0-0, I had my clean sheet, and we headed to extra time. I was ready for the pace to pick up as desperation set in for both squads, but neither side budged as fatigue crept its way in and the whistle blew to begin what I had secretly hoped for every night I spent staring up at the ceiling leading to this district championship.

Penalties.

Rainbow's reputation on the pitch had preceded her even before she vanquished a demon. And ever since I saw that video, I wanted to upstage her in the only arena I knew I could.

And now, one on one, I was about to get my chance.

She went fifth in the lineup, of course — she was a glory hound through and through. Penalty kicks were notoriously hard for keepers, given the obvious disadvantage, but I performed admirably against the first four takers I faced. The first shot hit the upper left corner of the net as it went in; I dove low to the ground on the right side of goal to stop the second; I punched the ball upward to thwart the third; and their right back only just nudged the ball past me at the bottom right, bouncing off the post and into the goal.

I didn't know who they were. I never would. The only person that mattered tonight was right in front of me.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the scoreboard looming ominously over the pitch's right sideline. I'd done my job well enough in my first four outings, but the three red Xs under the Shadowbolts' name were a biting reminder that my teammates hadn't done theirs. Three times they'd kicked, and only the second attempt from our left winger had found its way past Canterlot's goalkeeper.

It meant that Rainbow Dash was up next. And it meant that if she slotted this one past me, her Wondercolts would win the district championship.

On the steps of Canterlot High side by side with her friends, Rainbow Dash had been a hero. But she wouldn't be tonight. I wasn't going to let that happen.

While the rest of the players kept their hair back with ties or headbands, Rainbow didn't bother. Her long and flowing prismatic locks were mottled and clumped with sweat and her white kit was stained the color of the grass beneath her, but after 90 minutes plus extra time, I watched her chest move up and down in a slow-burning rhythm. After placing the ball down, she walked back to the line, and she turned to meet me as I rocked back and forth to a beat that wasn't there.

For a brief second, our eyes met. I locked onto her, searching deep into her eyes to look for any sign of stress or nerves, but her glare was ice-cold as she stared right back. Slowly, the edge of her lip curled upward as she stilled her gaze to mine.

I felt my brow furrow as she focused in on me. I didn't dare to blink, because she sure as hell wasn't going to.

Her muscles went slack as she hung her arms down to her side and took her position, leaning forward just so and letting her right foot creep out in front of her. She'd done this before — she'd faced countless other goalkeepers across the season she'd dispatched without a thought, and she'd taken penalties like this one plenty of times already. And everyone she had felled was just another fleeting face, a pair of eyes drawn wide as the ball sailed past them that she'd forget the next morning.

She never remembered them, but I did. And as she stood waiting for her moment to strike, there was one thing in the back of my mind I focused on as I waited for our cue to begin.

Rainbow Dash didn't know who I was.

But she's about to.

The referee blew his whistle — I barely heard it. She took a deep breath, her eyes floating back to the ball and her head remaining empty as the moment arrived. I felt every muscle in my body tense, and as I bent my knees and let my weight shift, she advanced like a predator toward the ball without a wasted step.

She dug her left foot into the ground.

I picked my direction, beginning my lean at just the right time.

She reared her leg back, ready to fire.

I dove, my arms outstretched as far as they'd allow.

And with a thunderous pop, she launched the ball into the air.

Author's Note:

This is my first attempt at a thousand-word competition, and there are a lot of themes and concepts I wanted to employ here in a short amount of time. Don't know if I did it as well as I wanted to, but nonetheless, I hope you all enjoy it!

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gapty

gapty #1 · Jul 11th, 2023 · 1 · ·

That's a nice short slice of life there, with very well written moment of a single penalty kick I wouldn't have expected to be so interesting.

Personally, the missing ending is kind of a disappointment, as it builds ups some sort of important role the unknown goalkeeper might be for Rainbow, so I expected the tension to be resolved into an either conflict or drama between these two

Nonetheless, it was an exciting read of a single sport moment

Muramasa

Muramasa #2 · Jul 11th, 2023 · 1 · ·

11635699
Thank you for the feedback! I felt here that the story wasn't about the actual result itself, but Dash's legend leading up to the moment. It's my first time trying one of these, and there's definitely a few things here or there I could have done better, but I didn't want to stare at it for a month.

Bicyclette

Bicyclette #3 · Sep 18th, 2023 · 1 · ·

Everyone knew who Rainbow Dash was.

don’t say that too loudly, her ego’s big enough as it is!

She was on the news. She was all over forums and social media. She was extraordinary — her and her friends had displayed a might like no one had ever witnessed and revealed a truth that no one had thought possible.

ah nice, so this fic is taking the consequences of the girls’ magical shenanigans seriously!

Rainbow's reputation on the pitch had preceded her even before she vanquished a demon.

that is true, being the captain of seventeen school teams even before the first movie

Rainbow Dash didn't know who I was.
But she's about to.

ooh, so true!

And with a thunderous pop, she launched the ball into the air.

and augh, ending on a cliffhanger! but it is about the journey, not the destination. Rainbow Dash’s sports prowess is really treated as a character note and afterthought in the canon, in contrast to the weight many actual high school athletes would put on one of the most important things in their young lives. thank you for giving us a glimpse of it!

FanOfMostEverything

FanOfMostEverything #4 · Sep 18th, 2023 · 1 · ·

I feel you burned a lot of your word count on extraneous purple prose and overly elaborate sentences. We’re dealing with a very poetic keeper here. There’s nothing wrong with this style, but it’s a poor fit for both such a tight word limit and for a story that focuses on Rainbow Dash (though there’s an argument that this florid prose works as a contrast to a girl who’d describe this same scene with far fewer words and far more gestures and sound effects. )

The inconclusive conclusion works, but I do wish the keeper and Dash got to interact off the pitch, if only to demystify the latter a bit. Of course, that would definitely go beyond the word limit. All told, good snapshot of a climactic moment, but the accompanying article’s a bit overwrought for the sports section. Good thing there weren't any sports editors on the judges panel, then. Congrats.

Muramasa

Muramasa #5 · Sep 18th, 2023 · · ·

11698412

Yeah, I feel like my approach with the word count was the biggest flaw in my first shot at doing this, so when I go for it again, making sure the story develops naturally is going to be a big point of emphasis.

Thank you for taking the time to read it! A lot of entries this year and I'm glad I was able to be a part of it (and win a judge prize! Wow!)

11697939
Thank you for the kind words and for hosting the contest (with so many entries, my goodness)! I'll definitely be sure to give it another crack next time around and hopefully I'll be able to say more with less, so to speak.

Loganberry

Loganberry #6 · Dec 19th, 2023 · 1 · ·

Hello! I read all the stories from this contest that won recognition, so have a review. A snapshot here, though counterbalanced by Dash's relatively verbose thoughts. Doesn't outstay its welcome, though perhaps slightly too much kept mysterious. Liked!

Muramasa