Over the Net

by Izzie1302

Number 9

Rainbow Dash felt like she could see the ball coming from anywhere.

It was like a breeze to her, seeing it jump from player to player like a blur of blue and yellow colors, but her eyes saw it almost like in slow motion. She observed the way the players from the opposite team received the ball, calm and concentrated at first as it was passing through the defense.

Then, the speed increased. Her eyes followed every step, her hands perfectly positioned in front of the net, waiting for the attack. It would happen very soon, she saw other teams do that trick many times before, and she patiently waited for the moment she’d see the slight movement of the setter’s hands aiming at the player that was going to make the attack.

Sure, the setter’s body was all pointed to number 4 on her right, that’s why her team’s defense were more concentrated there, but they weren’t really looking at the setter’s face while she was making the move. Her pupils were in the corner of her eye, looking at the other side as if waiting for someone, and there she was. Number 8 emerged to the left as soon as the ball was passed to her and she thought no one would notice.

But it was already too late. Unfortunately for them, Rainbow was already there.

She jumped in sync with the ball right on time to see Number 8’s face of disappointment as she saw the ball ricochet off Rainbow’s right hand, touch the net and go down to the narrow space between her and her other partner, too fast for anyone in the other team to even react.

“Great move, Rainbow.” said Fluttershy in a low voice behind her.

“Thanks.”

All the players came for a hug and Rainbow lifted her face to see the scoreboard as it moved one point up at her team’s favor. It was always a pleasure every time that happened, no matter how small was the difference or even if the game had only started, they were one more point closer to winning now.

And the cheering… she could hear people saying her name in the crowd.

That was pretty cool too.

It was already 20 against the other team’s 17, and Rainbow was sure that at least half of their points were her doing. She wasn’t really counting the points she made on the other 2 though, she only knew they finished in 25-20 in the last set and 25-18 in the first one, which was considered by her as a hands down victory.

Even if Rainbow wasn’t the one scoring, she often made the decisive move that led to the other team players to score. Not that she wanted to brag or anything, but the others would be in big trouble if she weren’t in their team, and that was a fact. The other team already lost two sets, they had to win that one if they didn’t want to be out of the competition, and they would be winning by now if it wasn’t for her fast moves.

Then came the moment when they were most likely to lose a point: it was Fluttershy’s turn to serve. She could see her friend’s hand shaking as she was given the ball, her eyes turned to her while getting ready, and Rainbow gave her the smile she was waiting for.

You can do it, she was trying to say, but despite all her efforts not to show it, she couldn’t tell if Fluttershy was reading her face. If she was, she’d see that that wasn’t what she believed at all.

Fluttershy was very good at blocking, she was the tallest in their team, and being tall like she was, you’d expect her to also be good at serving, but that wasn’t really the case. She could do it in their trainings just fine, it wasn’t the best serve ever, but it was good enough.

The problem is that serving was the only moment where everything depended on only one player, she needed to do that all alone, and being there in the State Championship, the most important thing they’ll ever be doing in their Middle School, with all the eyes looking at her, she knew this was what Fluttershy hated the most.

To be honest, Rainbow didn’t know how she convinced her to play volleyball in the first place.

Her hands were a little sweaty, she took a deep breath and lifted the ball as soon as she was given the permission. It seemed like it was going to pass over the net, but by half a ball, it ended up staying on their side of the court.

She heard the whistle.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow looked at the score once more, now it was 20 to 18, a little bit closer, but no need to panic. They were still going to win, the difference just couldn’t be smaller than that.

Cloudsdale were one of the favorites to win the tournament, it has been quite a while since the last time they lost a game, Rainbow didn’t even remember what defeat sounded like anymore, and she hoped she wouldn’t be reminded of that anytime soon, specially to a school that almost never competed on anything. How was Ponyville in the quarter finals anyway? That was the real question, they were nothing but a small middle school in the same district as Canterlot.

And if Cloudsdale wins this one set, they already are in the semifinals.

It was number 4’s turn to serve, her ball came on a curve and fell perfectly into Rainbow’s hands, thank God. She passed it to the setter and before she knew it, it was one more point in their favor.

21 to 18. They were pretty close now.

They passed the ball to her and she prepared to serve. There was one spot right in the back were no one was protecting, it was a little risky, but if she sent the ball there, she could do an ace. And if she did it again, it’d be 23-18, just two points away from victory.

When she heard the sound, Rainbow lifted the ball and hit it. She stretched her neck to see where it went, and it fell right in the corner.

She did it, that was one hell of an ace.

Rainbow was going for a group hug when she saw the other team doing the same. It was only then that she looked at referee, his hand wasn’t pointing towards her side. She had just lost a point.

“Wait, a point for them?” Rainbow asked the referee, she almost couldn’t believe it.

“Your ball was out.”

The other players in her team came to ask if the point was right, but the referee was sure of his statement. She missed it by one inch or two, now it was 21-19.

Stupid, stupid.

“Don’t worry, Rainbow, we’re still winning.” said Fluttershy on her side.

“Yeah I know.”

But it would’ve been perfect, this was supposed to be the move to make the coaches gawk, she was sure to enter the main team in high school if she had made that ace, no doubts about that.

And by only one inch, she missed her best opportunity.

[...]

To say that things went downhill after that was an understatement. The other team somehow managed to keep it up, they followed them closely, hoping for the time where they would fail.

And it happened, it fucking happened.

They lost that set, 26 to 24.

Something had changed in that team. They were more focused, she couldn’t tell if it was the speech the blondie setter gave during a time break, Rainbow didn’t hear any of it, but that seemed to have motivated them in some way. They were more organized and were making fewer mistakes, even started up front in the fourth set, which was already making her uneasy.

Sure, Cloudsdale managed to recover, but it went pretty much like the ending of the third set, with the exception that now it was Ponyville that had the advantage.

And it ended up almost the same as the last.

25 to 23. For them.

“We won’t let’em get the victory tonight!” Rainbow said to her teammates before entering the court for their third set. “No more mistakes, we won’t take it easy on them, let’s do what we were doing in the first two sets, I want that team back! Who’s with me?”

All of the other players shouted in agreement.

“I’m with you.” Fluttershy raised her hand.

“Flutters, no offense, but… I don’t think you can play this set.” She put a hand on her shoulder. “You know, you seem tired and… we’re really needing someone that has a powerful serve, someone like Angel Wings.”

“Oh… yes. Ok, then.”

“I know you understand.”

“Yes, no problems, Rainbow.”

They scratched their muscles and went into position for the fifth set to start. The team was more rested now. Along with Fluttershy, some of the players that were more tired were substituted and everyone tried to regain their spirit.

Rainbow knew what to do now, she feared she had taken their setter for granted, their Number 9 was hands down the best player on that team, it was her she had to get her eyes on.

That blondie may be good, she could give her that, but she wasn’t Rainbow Dash.

They started the set winning. Angel Wings’s serving made them stay 2 points ahead right at the beginning, and Rainbow was able to make a few points and block their attacks by reading Number 9’s movements. It was all going according to plan.

One of Rainbow’s amazing spikes made their eleventh point, but Ponyville scored soon after, so now it was 11-9.

And it was time for Number 9 to serve.

As soon as they heard the whistle, the sound of her palm against the ball echoed through the whole court. She was careful enough not to serve the ball at Rainbow’s direction, so she aimed at the players she knew weren’t that good at catching, and she made it, it was one more point for them.

What Rainbow wasn’t expecting was that she was going to make it again.

Everyone was waiting for another ball like that one, they were hoping she would send it to the back, but her next ball barely made the net and fell up front, there was no one there to catch it.

“Blossomfourth, why did you get out of your position?” you were supposed to be facing the net!” Rainbow shouted at the middle blocker.

“Hey! How was I supposed to know the ball would be so short? Someone had to be guarding the middle.”

“I was guarding the middle, this is the job for the people in the back!” she raged. “I told you, no more mistakes.”

“Yeah, ok. Whatever you say, boss.”

Boss. Yeah, she was right, Rainbow was the boss, but that was because it seemed like no one else had the competence to be. It was 11-11 now, all because of two moves, two consecutive dumb mistakes that could’ve been avoided. They could’ve closed the set by now.

She didn’t let Number 9 make another point though. She sent it right to the middle, and Rainbow rushed to catch it right before it fell to the ground. Her team attacked, the ball touched the block and went out.

But they never got more tham two points ahead again. Cloudsdale still had the advantage, but just by one point, Ponyville was always scoring after them. Soon it was 17-16, they only needed to get this one point to break the cycle, then she could finally send these Ponyville folks back home.

It was a challenging game, props to them for lasting that long, but that show had to be over.

Her team served. She looked at the ball as the libero caught it and the team started passing. Soon it got to Number 9 again as expected, and Rainbow waited to see her passing it to number 8. She was already preparing to jump, but that never happened.

She didn’t pass the ball. Instead, she scored the point herself.

Number 9 knew they’d be expecting her to set the ball, she was the setter after all, and taking advantage of that, she jumped pretending she was going to do it and just slid the ball to their side of the court. This time, Rainbow couldn’t read her moves.

She could hear some people on the stands cheering her on now. Traitors.

“How’s that for a point?” she heard her mocking through the net with a funny accent.

This Number 9 girl was starting to fucking piss her off.

Now they were face to face. She was a little bit taller, but Rainbow never let this intimidate her, she wanted to see if this girl could really keep up.

It took a while for someone to score, no one was willing to let the other team take the advantage. The ball went to their side, then to the other, then to theirs again and when their libero caught it, the ball went so sloppy that no one in the defence managed to lift it up again.

17 to 18. Damm it.

She snapped her neck and her arms, preparing for the next round. It was the first time Ponyville came in front during the entire fifth set, everyone in the bench and in the stands were apprehensive, she could see Fluttershy bitting her nails from there.

Ponyville served the ball. It went right into the libero’s hand, she passed it to the setter and Rainbow rushed to get to a place where she could avoid the block. She hit it as soon at it was set to her, but number 8 was able to get there quickly and sent the ball back.

Angel Wings dove to the ground and caught it, bumping to the back of the court where Blossomfourth dig it to the front again right into Vapor Trail’s hand. Her spike touched the block and went to the other team’s defence, their opposite hitter sent a spike that touched Rainbow’s hand, slowing it down for the defence to catch.

They prepared to attack again. Rainbow and Vapor jumped at the same time, they didn’t know who would end up receiving the ball, but it turned out to be Rainbow.

She saw a perfect place where the ball could land, but her spike was prevented.

By number 9. Again.

They fought for the ball midair. Rainbow tried to push it to the other side, but her arms were longer, she hit it where her hand didn’t reach and Rainbow saw through the corner of her eye as the ball passed next to her right arm and into the ground. And this time, there was no one there to save it.

She was expecting to hear that number 9’s hand had touched the net or that she went over, it was the only chance she had. But then she heard the whistle, the referee pointed his arm to the other team.

It was over.

They… lost.

She looked at her other team players. They were all sweaty, tired, disappointed, all leaving the court quickly, not a single one made eye contact with her. But Rainbow didn’t want to go, she wanted to play one more time, it couldn’t be over yet, it just couldn’t.

After all they’ve been through to be there, they’d be going home with nothing.

“Come’on, Rainbow, you did great today.” Fluttershy held her arm, trying to get her out of the court. “It’s not your fault.”

Of course it wasn’t her fault, she knew whose fault was that.

She couldn’t stop looking at Ponyville while they celebrated. It should’ve been Cloudsdale doing it, it was their turn to be the champions, it had been five years since the last time her school won that tournament, she was convinced their bad luck would stop this year because this time they had her.

But there they were, smiling, hugging. Number 4, number 8… she didn’t even bother to learn their names, they didn’t matter. Number 9 was also there, obviously, her blond hair with two hair ties at both ends of her ponytail. Now she saw her name on the back of her shirt, she’d never seen her in any of the volleyball competitions she’d participated on.

Who was this… Applejack anyway? Where had she been all this time?

“Yeah, ok then” she gave Fluttershy her answer. “let’s go home.”

Author's Note:

Hey, guys!
I hope y'all enjoyed this first chapter, I don't know when I'll be posting more, it's still in the early chapters, I need to write more before posting.
Also, I'm not from the US and English isn't my fisrt language, I studied some things about the american school system to write this, but if you find some incorrect information throughout the story, please tell me about it so I can change it.
See ya!

Comments

[Dubs Rewatcher]

WHOA that’s some banger cover art. Will be reading this.

[Posh]

I would also like to read this. Unfortunately, you used the UK spelling for “defense,” so I must spread malign rumors about you on social media, and depict you as a soyjak.

(also who was the cover artist?)

[Izzie1302]

11961044
Good that you told me because even though I consume more American stuff, the English school I went to taught be the British spelling, even today I'm still not sure which spelling is American and which is British in some words
(And I drew the cover art myself)

[Izzie1302]

11961040
Thank you <3