> Strong Talons
>  by Ambizar
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Vanhoover Academy vs. Canterlot Prep, Academy Championship
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ready! Get set!"
My breath came harsh and ragged through my beak as I panted, sweat soaking the plumage that was crumpled down by the helmet protecting my head. Ponies were cheering wildly from the stands around us. I was set at the line of scrimmage, the rest of my teammates to my left. Two other receivers, a tight end, and the offensive line; five burly stallions tasked with protecting our quarterbuck, who was calling our play behind them. Behind him was our runningbuck, set to charge. Our opponent's defensive line was set across from our offensive line and would stop at nothing to tackle our quarterbuck to the ground before he could get the hoofball out of his hooves. Unfortunately for them, they were exhausted.
It was the final minute of the fourth quarter. This was the Academy Championship; Vanhoover Academy versus Canterlot Prep, the last game of the season. Over 2,000 ponies filled the stands of Canterlot Academy Field. Most of them cheered for our opposition, but there were plenty of voices calling out for the Vanhoover Academy Parasprites. On top of the championship being up for grabs, both teams also knew for a fact that there were EHL talent scouts in the crowd, which compounded the pressure even further. Among the throng of voices were my adoptive parents, two ponies that had spent their entire lives in Vanhoover; wheat farmers by the names of Splitgrain and Oat Cake. Even among the huge throngs of fans, I could just barely make out my dad's distinct voice, probably about to burst a blood vessel from shouting so hard. Sometimes, he took hoofball even more seriously than I did, and I was aiming for the pros.
The game was close. The score was 17-21 in their favor, but our offense had controlled the ball far longer throughout the game. As a result, their defensive unit was beaten down, tired beyond recognition. They were dragging their hooves across the field in the final moments of the biggest game of their lives. All we needed was a touchdown; six points would be scored and the game would be ours. The clock was ticking; it was only second down and five, but we had to move the ball up the field if we were going to win. I measured up the cornerbuck across from me through my facemask. Despite my tiredness, he looked looked far more battered than me. It was his job to guard me, do anything he could to keep me from catching the ball if my quarterbuck threw it to me, as long as he didn't grab me or tackle me before I touched the ball. He was a fast, lanky young stallion with an auburn coat and stark gray eyes, the number 40 emblazoned on his jersey. The ideal situation for him would be if he got between me and my quarterbuck and batted the ball away, or even caught the ball himself for an interception. That scenario would end the game for us, and I wouldn't let it happen.
My quarterbuck. Bronze Cartwheel was a stout young stallion and talented hoofball thrower. He was the son of a wagon repairpony who was well-respected in Vanhoover. Most importantly, though, he was my best friend. He just might have had a shot at the EHL, but he wanted to take over his father's business after graduation. I watched him diligently, waiting for the second he hiked the ball so I could explode from my spot on the line without penalty. I had to get away from my cornerbuck and get open to receive the pass.
We were doing a trick play. Bronze would pretend to hand the ball off to the runningbuck in an effort to confuse the enemy team's defense, and then throw it to me. Our other receivers would traverse down the left side of the field to try to get open in case something happened and I couldn't. It was my job to shake off the cornerbuck across from me and run as fast as I could to get in position for the catch.
You'd think that as a griffon, it would more advantageous for me to fly, but that was impossible. Underneath my grass-stained yellow jersey and protective padding, there was a harness that kept my wings pinned to my side. This was a requirement for all griffons and pegasi, as flight was seen as an unfair advantage in a sport played on the ground. Unicorns weren't immune either, as they were forced to wear horn guards that both protected their magical appendages and prohibited the casting of any spell. Plus, every hoofball used in any game, whether it be Academy or EHL, has an anti-magic ward cast on it in order to avoid any kind of magical interference, whether it be from a player or the audience. In the EHL, jerseys and helmets were warded as well. The limitations didn't stop with the wing harness for me, however. I also had thick rubber guards on the end of my talons to keep from slicing the ball, other players, or the finely groomed field we were all standing on.
Bronze Cartwheel moved back and held his front hooves out. It was time.
"Set, HUT!"
Our center linepony, Solid Rock, snapped the ball backwards through his hind legs into the waiting hooves of Bronze Cartwheel. Then all chaos broke loose.
There was a strong chorus of grunts and crashing bodies as the offensive line collided with the defensive line. Their defense tried with all of their might to make it past the offensive lineponies in order to stop the quarterbuck as he turned backwards to hoof off the ball to our runningbuck, Snapdragon. Little did they yet know, Snapdragon would never touch the ball. He'd crash into the mass of bodies in front of him, buying extra precious time for Bronze to throw to me.
As soon as the ball was hiked, I took off. The poor auburn cornerbuck in front of me had no chance of keeping up, he was just too worn down. I bounded straight ahead, trying to convince the deep-field defenders that I was going to run straight down the field towards the end zone, right into their waiting hooves.
Most hoofball defenders aren't used to guarding a receiver like me. Ponies gallop when they run for a completion, but as a griffon, galloping was foreign to me. My run was a cat-like gait, with both talons and both hind legs hitting the ground in unison; my body working like a piston to send me down the field. It makes me faster, more agile, but it also makes me easier to tackle than a pony due to a less solid base. But that was only if they could catch me.
I had fooled the defense. They were waiting in their zones, ready to cover me deeper down the field. But I turned left, headed to center field. The cornerbuck was well behind me. The zone was clear, I was wide open. I looked towards the mass of colliding lineponies, searching for Bronze Cartwheel, ready to throw behind it. The offensive line had protected him, the ball was securely in his fetlock. He saw me, exactly where I needed to be, and he threw.
How a pony can throw a hoofball without the use of claws or talons, I'll never know. But they can. And he did. The pass went right into my talons as cheers and yells of frustration rose from the stands. I tucked the ball away with my left talon, meaning I could only use the right to run. As a receiver, I knew how to run efficiently with three legs, and was still able to keep a consistent speed. I had the ball, I had the first down, but we needed more. Time was almost out, I had to end the game here and now. I had the opposing team's two safeties between me and the end zone, and more defenders converging behind me to give chase. Individually, they were all stronger than me.
But even with just three legs, I knew I was faster.
I took to the right side of the field, forcing my tired body into overdrive. Ponies were still closing in on me, but I just ran. Their safeties dove at me, but I weaved around them, spinning and using my quickness to avoid the tackles. The strong safety got a foreleg around my back leg, but I pulled away with just a light stumble. The free safety was still hot on my tail, but he wasn't fast enough. I had fifteen yards. Ten. Five. The free safety dove for my hind legs in one last move of desperation. He missed. I dove for the end zone. Touchdown.
> Chapter 1: A Song to Days Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Academy is over, colts!" Snapdragon locked me a one-legged hug/headlock that completely cut off my oxygen. "Next stop, EHL!"
The graduation ceremony was over, and the stars danced high in Princess Luna's night sky. The breeze was warm, pleasant, as it should have been near the end of Spring. I tried to fight out of Snapdragon's chokehold, but it was no use. Snap was burly and made of solid stuff, the perfect build for a runningbuck. While I struggled helplessly, Bronze Cartwheel joked around with our center, Solid Rock, and Gleaming Lance, another wide receiver. We were sitting in the stands of Vanhoover Academy's hoofball field, the dimmed spotlights just bright enough to illuminate our surroundings without blocking out the stars and celestial bodies above us.
"Aw, let 'im go, Snap." Bronze clopped Snapdragon jokingly on the shoulder while my vision began to swim. "You keep 'im locked like that 'fer too long and he'll pass out."
Right before I was about to slash him in desperation, Snapdragon finally released me. I gasped for fresh air. Bronze and Lance snickered while crickets and insects buzzed around us in the bushes lining the field.
"Sorry, Gaius. Guess I forgot how delicate you griffons are," Snap said with a sly smile.
"Yeah, delicate..." I heaved while the world slowly came into full focus again. "Until we claw your eyes out."
Solid Rock nickered around the long strand of hay that was hanging out of his mouth. Even when he was lounging like a tired farmpony, his ridiculous muscles stood out from his slate-gray coat. He was even bigger than Snapdragon.
"It's really over, isn't it? Our last season of Academy Hoofball, done." He said with a hint of empathy in his voice.
Bronze sighed. "Ayep. It really is. But hey, at we made it all the way before it was said and done. Got myself an Academy Badge to keep."
Rock Continued. "Too bad I won't get to do this again."
We all stared at him while he looked back at us innocently.
"What?" He asked.
Snap snorted. "What do you mean you won't get to do this again? You made it into the Draft, just like me and Gaius. We had a party for it and everything! You're practically a guaranteed first-round pick!"
"I meant I won't get to do it here." His voice was suddenly heavy with emotion. "With you guys."
Bronze sighed. "Yeah. Ah'll miss it, too."
Snap sighed heavily. "You should've applied for the Draft, Bronze. You might not have been taken first round since most EHL teams don't need a quarterbuck, but somepony would've had you. What's the point of going to Academy if you're just going to take over for your dad?"
"We've been over this, Snap." Bronze gave him a gentle smile. "Ah've learned how to be a proper business pony. Ah wanna take Dad's business to the next level. Maybe even expand to different cities, make it known everywhere."
I watched Bronze Cartwheel as he talked, the pony I had called my best friend for the past four years of my life. The stark emerald green of his eyes contrasted sharply with the dark gold of his coat and the mahogany of his shaggy mane. He wasn't nearly as big as Snap or Rock. In fact, he wasn't too much bigger than me or Lance. Physically, though, he was just as solid as any EHL player. But unfortunately for him, the EHL preferred taller quarterbucks, as they could see ahead of their offensive line and defensive opponents more easily. Not to mention that the bigger and harder you are to tackle in the pro leagues, the better.
Snap was right, though. If Bronze wanted to be in the EHL, he probably could at least be a backup quarterbuck taken in the late rounds. But he just wanted to take over the family business from his dad, Stud Cartwheel. Cartwheel Cart Repair was already well known and respected throughout Vanhoover, and Bronze had visions on making it even better with the education he got from Canterlot Academy; hoofball was just a bonus. Still, he'd been my quarterbuck for the past four years, and the game just wouldn't be the same without him. I tried not to think of it, because it totally bummed me out whenever I did.
I patted Snap's back reassuringly. "It's alright, buddy. You've still got me and Rock. Not to mention Cross and Angel on the defense." Six graduating players on the team in total had been named eligible for the Draft: four on offense, two on defense. But only me and Solid Rock were considered likely first-round picks. Snapdragon was close, but there were a lot of good runningbucks in the draft this year, and the EHL's current demand for them was a bit questionable.
Snap sniffed, his light pink and auburn mane falling around his misting orange eyes. He pulled up a mint-green foreleg to wipe away a loose tear. "It's just unfair. I still say you're loads better than that spoiled Cobalt Steel. I think any team with real sense would pick you over him."
Bronze snorted humorously. "His passing records disagree with ya there, buddy."
"But you beat him in the Championship! He's just the favorite because his big brother's already a star quarterbuck!"
"Who won an Equestria Bowl," Bronze said calmly.
Cobalt Steel was the quarterbuck for Canterlot Prep, the team we had beaten in the Academy Championship. He had definitely looked like an EHL-ready quarterbuck in that game, even if he had lost. But what really gave Cobalt the Draft advantage, however, was his older brother Indigo Steel.
Indigo was the star quarterbuck for the Winnyiapolis Wendigos of the EHL, and he was renowned for winning his team their first ever Equestria Bowl in his rookie season five years ago. The lineage basically guaranteed Cobalt to go to the first team on the Draft board that needed a quarterbuck, even if Bronze had technically beaten him in the championship game. The fact that Cobalt also had the best passing stats of any current Academy quarterbuck also didn't hurt.
Snap sighed defeatedly. "I know, I'm sorry. I guess I'm just not ready for this to be over. I'm excited for the EHL, sure, but... I'll really miss Academy."
"I hear you," I said lightly. "But we shouldn't be sad about days gone by. Look at it this way, we still get to play hoofball after we graduate." My voice softened a bit. "You know, it's not impossible that a couple of us won't end up on the same team."
"Yeah," Rock said with light sarcasm. "Just really, really unlikely."
"But not impossible. Like, what if a trade happens?" Snap said adamantly. "Like last year, San Franciscolt traded a first-round pick to Tall Tale. Besides, if I go second round-"
"Okay, okay, it's not impossible, I just wouldn't get your hopes up for it."
"Well..." Lance unfurled his wings and flew a few feet in the air, guaranteeing him our attention. He was one of the few pegasi on the team and, like me, speed was his game rather than size.
He was a good receiver, and he ensured that Bronze didn't always have to pass to me. He enjoyed hoofball as much as any of us, but he always had his eyes set on becoming an officer in the Royal Guard. Like Bronze, when the opportunity came to sign up for the EHL draft, Lance ignored it completely. He was leaving for his first Royal Guard training camp in less than a week.
"I think instead of bumming ourselves out on the glory days of the past..." He hovered down to sit on the guardrail in front of us that separated the stands from the field. "We should focus on glory days ahead. For example, we could take bets on which teams we think you three are actually going to end up in."
"Wasn't that what we were just talking about?" Snap said questioningly.
Lance's brow furrowed. "I meant instead of hoping for landing on the same team, actually try to guess who will realistically take you." He looked over to me. "I, personally, think Gaius has a one-way ticket to Canterlot."
This finally broke through Snapdragon's mood. "Ooh! You could catch for Sterling Spiral! That'd be perfect for you!"
"Yeah," said Rock. "Perfect if you want to take a permanent backseat to Golden Receiver."
Sterling Spiral was the quarterbuck for the Canterlot Royals. He was considered one of the best in the league, and perhaps one of the best of all-time. He had an unprecedented four Equestria Bowl wins, the most recent coming from this season. His star receiver, Golden Receiver, also just happened to be one of the most coveted downfield threats in the league. I was confident in my abilities, sure, but the idea of competing with that was a bit intimidating.
"Honestly, I'll probably take a backseat with just about any team I join. You've got to start from the bottom." I said.
"Well, then where do you want that backseat to be at, Gaius?" Lance asked. "Surely you've got an idea of where you want to go."
I thought for a second, then shrugged. "Doesn't really matter to me. Anywhere that'll take me, I guess... Except Griffonstone. And probably Saddle Arabia."
"Don't worry, Griffonstone won't touch ya," Bronze retorted. "Griffon or not, they don't want anypony that ain't from their lil' treehollow, not that their pickiness has done 'em any good. Don't even know why they're in the Draft, they won't ever pick players from Equestria. They just give their picks away and defer to local talent."
I nodded understandingly. Bronze was right, of course, but his answer made me think of another worry that was occupying space in my head.
"What if I don't go in the first round at all, because nopony wants a griffon?" I said slowly.
Bronze snorted. "Dang it all, Gaius, we've been over this. Your season was good enough to get you in the EHL whether you're a griffon, a pony, or anything else!" He shifted forward to look at me seriously. "If the radio hosts are callin' ya a first-round pick, you're a first-round pick!"
That wasn't necessarily true, but Bronze did have a point. Thankfully, Solid Rock was able to move the conversation in a different direction.
"Well I think Gaius would be good in Manehattan or Hoofston. Both teams got grade-A quarterbucks, and they need receivers. Plus, I doubt fifteen other teams will pass him up to let Canterlot snag him, griffon or not."
"But didn't Manehattan just trade for Marathon Iron, though?" Snap asked.
"Manehattan traded for Marathon Iron?" I asked, astounded. "When did you hear that? And who did they trade for him?"
"Heard it on the radio this morning. And apparently they traded Hard Stop, their big outside linebacker."
"Hardstop for M.I., straight-up," Bronze said as with an impressed whistle. "Guess ol' Coach Playmaker was serious when he said that he wanted a good receiver base for Hoofrocket. But to trade one of their best defensive players for him? And to Fillydelphia, a rival team?"
"Gutsy move," Rock said as he chewed his hay strand. "But if they want options for 'Rocket that bad, there's still a good chance Manehattan could draft Gaius in the first round. But once again, you'd probably be a backseat to M.I., and that's only if Hoofston doesn't take you first. Still, I think it'd be cool for you to go to Manehattan, catching for the MVP of the league."
Bronze nickered. "Nah, Bowl Badges are what matters in the EHL, and Sterling's got three more than Hoofrocket."
"But Hoofrocket's got 2,000 more passing yards," Rock argued.
"'Cause he's been in the league a year longer!"
"Fillies, relax." Lance chuckled. "I think Gaius would do fine at Canterlot, Manehattan, or Hoofston, but let's switch gears and debate where good ol' Solid Rock'll land."
"San Franciscolt." Snapdragon grinned. "They need offensive lineponies, and Rock is the best one on the board if you ask me! He's gonna be the first pick of the Draft!"
"It'd be nice." Rock chuckled softly. "But I won't get my hopes too high. Most ponies don't expect an offensive linepony to be the first pick. If San Franciscolt don't take me, Bucklyn probably will. I wouldn't mind being a Phoenix."
"Well I want to be a Hydra!" Snapdragon puffed his chest out. "Vanhoover pride!"
"They don't need a runningbuck, Snap." Bronze smiled lightly. "But Winnyiapolis or New Horseleans could take ya. Maybe in the first round, ya never know."
"Winnyiapolis would be cool," Snap pondered. Then he sullied back down. "But it won't be the same as here. I'll miss you guys. And Coach Green Flag."
"Too bad the season's over," Bronze said sincerely. "But at least we made it all the way to the end. And came out with a championship. Can't be mad at that."
I scratched my beak in thought, then broke into a wide grin.
"Maybe it's not over yet!" I flew onto the field in front of the stands. "You know, Bronze, I still want to try my talons at quarterbuck, and we have some hoofballs in the storage room under the stands!"
"Try quarterbuck? But there's only five of us. And we ain't got no gear! We already turned our jerseys, pads, and helmets in!"
"We don't need gear," I retorted. "And there are plenty of us. Snap, you're my offensive line. Lance, you're my receiver. We're playing against Bronze and Rock. Rock's the defensive line, Bronze is the cornerbuck. When we switch, Lance'll play receiver for the other team."
Bronze laughed. "Ya really wanna get 'yer tail kicked that bad? Fine by me."
"Why not?" Rock said with a wicked grin. "Let's do it."
"You're not gonna touch my quarterbuck, Rocky. You'll never make it past me." Snapdragon hopped over the barricade to gallop to my side."
"We'll see, Snap!" Rock said as he galloped to the storage room.
And so that's how we spent the rest of the night, with Rock and Snapdragon colliding again and again while I failed repeatedly to throw a straight ball to Lance. Snap and I got crushed, but we spent a whole hour laughing nonstop until we decided to call it a night.
After the impromptu game, we all gathered in a huddle to psych ourselves up for the Draft next month. Eventually, the huddle turned into a group hug as we reminisced about our best moments playing academy hoofball. Snapdragon started crying so hard I thought Solid Rock might have to carry him home. After some sad goodbyes, we all parted ways and left. We knew we would all see each other again before the Draft, with the possible exception of Gleaming Lance, but it would just be different. We weren't teammates anymore, just friends. But I had some of the best memories of my life with these friends, and I would always treasure them. I just held my head high on the flight home, knowing that no matter how hard goodbyes were, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I wanted the EHL. At least two of my friends would be there with me, even if on different teams, and that's all I had the right to ask.


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


It was only a few minutes before I landed in front of my home. It was a quaint cottage surrounded by farmland on the outskirts of Vanhoover, far from the city district. I walked slowly up to the rugged wood door surrounded by thick wooden fence post, a soft glow emanating from inside. I knew exactly what to expect when I opened it.
The living room of the house was quaint and open with a lit fireplace burning low. The floor was fine wooden boards with a woven hay carpet on top, and two armed chairs complementing a mint green couch. My father sat on said couch reading a hoofball magazine with the radio turned low. Sports broadcasts were over for the day, so Sapphire Shores music was softly droning out instead. All of that, I expected. My dad never went to bed until I came home, whether it be from school, practice, or hanging out with my friends like tonight.
What I didn't expect was my mother sitting beside him in the rocking chair from the kitchen, knitting a blanket with her hooves. My mother always went to bed at the same time every night, like clockwork. She never waited for me, unless... uh-oh.
Dad creased the edge of his magazine and looked up at me past his reading glasses.
"Welcome home Gaius." he said as he reached over to turn off the radio.
Mom put down her knitting needles and adjusted the half-finished blanket on her body. "Oh, welcome home, honey. How was your night?"
I tried to control the sudden panic gripping me. "It was good. How are you guys?"
Dad cleared his throat. "Er, listen, son. We need to talk to you."
"Yes, honey," Mom agreed. "There's something we need to tell you." She looked over at Dad nervously.
What could possibly be so important that they'd stay up this late to tell me? I sat down in one of the armchairs while my mind raced faster than I could sprint on a hoofball field. Dad started to fiddle with his hooves in his lap. That was a bad sign. Whatever was coming, it was going to be awkward. There were only two other situations where a conversation between us started like this. The first was when I first asked them about my parents. You know, my actual parents. The second was when... you know what? I don't want to talk about the second time.
"Gaius," My dad started. "Now that you've graduated academy, I now consider you a fully-grown stallion.. or griffon. You... you know what I mean."
"Okay...Thanks." This was starting off a lot like the... second time. I didn't like it.
"Now that you've graduated, your mother and I have something to give to you." His voice was full of caution and empathy, and it confused me. They were... giving me a present? But why did he sound so worried?
Mom got up and walked off to the kitchen. A few seconds later she returned holding a wrapped gift, but it was obvious that neither her nor dad wrapped it. My mom took pride in buying only the best wrapping paper around Heart's Warming, much to Dad's disdain. And Dad? He always wrapped one present for Mom, by covering it with several layers of wrapping paper and an entire roll of tape, no box included.
The present they were giving me came with a box, but the present itself was weirdly crude. It was wrapped in rough, heavy-duty paper and tied with a bow made of long strands of hay, cracked and dry with age. As I stared at it, I put two and two together.
"Is... is that from..."
"Yes." Dad folded his hooves in his lap. "It's from your biological parents."
Mom set it down warily on the low table in front of me, then quickly retreated back to her rocking chair. I carefully took it in my talons. There were a couple of faded words roughly scrawled into the paper with ink. 'To: Gaius'. I looked up at the ponies that I had called my parents for my entire life.
"Why did you hide this for so long?" I wasn't angry, just confused. Dad sighed.
"We got it from the orphanage the day we adopted you. It came with a note, said that your folks didn't want you to have it until you 'became a true griffon' or something along those lines. So we decided we'd wait until you graduated or until you were ready to move out to give it to you. We... figured that was what they wanted."
My head was still spinning. I stared at the gift in my talons. I had always assumed my parents had just dumped me in that adoption center, left me with nothing. I didn't think of them very often. As far as I was always concerned, my real parents were sitting in the living room across from me. But this... I didn't know how to feel about this.
"Go ahead, Gaius. Open it." My mom said softly.
I gulped, then carefully tore it open. Pulling the paper and hay bow off revealed a black box. I took the lid off to reveal a letter that looked like it was written on the same kind of paper that had been used for the wrapping. With shaking talons, I opened it up and began to read quietly to myself:

Dear Gaius,

We won't tell you our names, we feel it is better that way. If your adoptive parents comply with our wishes, you will not read this letter until you are a true griffon, or until your parents deem you are ready. We know you will probably want answers, especially regarding why we decided to give you away. But first, allow us to explain your name. Your mother chose the name Gaius because she liked the sound, how it rolls off the beak. But your last name, Strongtalon, has a meaning. It is derived from an old griffon king, who was orphaned at a young age and lived his life in poverty. However, he became a skilled warrior and fearsome ruler of Griffonstone due to his skill, valor, and determination. One day, you too will achieve greatness in your own way, just like the fearsome king who was raised by turmoil and hardships.
Your mother was married to a Griffon noble, but she had an affair. An affair with a lowly shopkeeper in the streets of our crumbling kingdom. From this affair, she conceived. Her husband thankfully showed mercy to her, choosing not to divorce her and dishonor her name, even after she refused to name the griffon she had liaised with. He refused, however, to take responsibility for the child, so the parents mutually decided to put said child up for adoption. To save him from a life of harsh judgement and hardships in Griffonstone, he was taken to Equestria to be raised by ponies. This, Gaius, is the story of your conception.
Understand the decision to give you away did not come easily, we did so for your protection. We long to see what will become of you, but it is better if we do not meet. Despite the circumstances of your birth, I have faith that your adoptive parents will raise you to be a fine griffon; a beacon of pride and power in the foreign lands of Equestria. When you doubt your own strength, when you feel powerless, remember your namesake, remember the powerful griffon king. For you have plenty of potential to be a greater griffon than either of your parents.
In this gift, you will find an heirloom from your father's family. Given to him from his father, and now to you. We are truly sorry that this is all we can give you. We desire greatly to meet you, but it would be beneficial to all if this never happens. We can only ask that if your hatred of us burns bright, use that fire to make yourself stronger. Never succumb to the darkness of weakness and fear.
Sincerely, your parents: two shameful griffons.

I clutched the letter in a death grip, emotions burning through me like geysers of flame. I read it again. And again. Mom and Dad sat quietly while I it, never saying a word. Finally, I took a deep breath and set it on the table. The urge to pick it up and read it again was overpowering, but I instead returned my attention to the box.
Something had been hiding underneath the letter, covered by a thin piece of crude fabric. I pulled it off to reveal a stark purple amethyst, perfectly smooth and set in dark, solid wood with a length of thin rope so it could be worn around the neck. I took it in my talon and examined it. It was pretty, but something about it felt... wrong. Dead wrong. My mind raced back to the letter my parents had left me. Never succumb to the darkness of weakness and fear? What did they mean by 'true griffon'? They wouldn't even tell me their names! I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this.
Dad cleared his throat. "Son, are you okay?"
I set the necklace on the table, then grabbed the letter and walked over to him. I handed it to him for him to read, then sat down on the floor in front of him like a little foal. He hesitated, but then began to read to himself. Upon finishing it, he sighed and set it down on the end table by the couch.
"So they wouldn't even tell ya who they were. I'm so sorry, son. You deserve better than that."
I was fighting back tears. I suppose I had always had an underlying curiosity about my real parents. Who wouldn't? But ever since first asking about them years ago, I had always been content with my adoptive ones. Why did this have to happen now, while I was aiming for success and grandeur, all for playing the game I loved? Maybe deep down, I had thought I was special. Unique in some way. But now reality came crashing down like a tidal wave.
"I was born... from an affair... I'm... I'm a m-mistake..."
I had never really wondered why I was put up for adoption. I guess the main theory in my head was that my parents couldn't afford me. Griffonstone was a notoriously poor kingdom, after all. There was still disbelief that they could afford an EHL team. But no. I was the product of a rich griffon noble rebelling against her husband. Then she and her accomplice shipped me to Equestria to avoid the consequences. Tears started to well up in my eyes, until they finally began to spill over.
"Hey!" My dad barked, startling both me and my mom. "You listen to me, Gaius! You are not a mistake! Do you hear me? I can prove it! You're not a mistake because your ma and I chose you at that orphanage! We saw a baby griffon that desperately needed a family, and we adopted your feathery hide! And you have been the best part of me and Oat Cake's lives!"
I could probably count on one talon the number of times Dad's actually yelled at me. His speech had started with raw anger in his voice, but now he seemed on the brink of tears.
"So don't you let a letter from the two griffons who gave you up make you think any less of yourself! You're an amazing kid, who's done nothing but succeed and made your real parents proud. You graduated Academy! You won a championship! You're going into the EHL for Celestia's sake! You... you..." Tears began to flow as he finally ran out of steam.
"Don't..." he sniffed. "Don't let them make you feel like that, Gaius. They don't know you, son."
I just sat there, staring up at my dad from the floor while he cried. Mom reached over and grabbed my talon with her hoof, a gentle smile on her face and tears brimming in her eyes.
"Well, I'm grateful for what your parents did. If they hadn't sent you here, we never would've met you." She took her other hoof and placed it under my chin. "Listen to me, Gaius. You're not a mistake. You're a wonderful young griffon who will accomplish great things, and already has. You're our son."
My tears were flowing again, but for a different reason now. I looked at my dad, a bulky, tan-colored stallion with a thick mustache and a receding light brown mane specked with gray. And my mother, a beautiful, gracefully aging light gray mare with a swirling, oatmeal-colored mane. Their cutie marks, a proud stalk of wheat and a freshly baked oat cake respectively, showed their trade: farmers, bakers, dealing in grains. But to me, they were more than that. They were the amazing ponies who adopted and raised a griffon, whose species was known for selfishness and greed, as their own son.
My father was ecstatic for me when I told him I wanted to play hoofball for the EHL instead of taking over the farm, and did everything he could to help me. He sent me to training camps, practiced with me every day in the fields by the house, and even got me into Vanhoover Academy, where I met all of my friends. And my mom was there whenever I needed to talk, whenever I needed anything. She had been my rock in the toughest times of my life, including now. I realized in that moment just how much I loved the two ponies sitting in front of me. I wrapped both of them in a hug. 
"Thank you, Mom. Dad." I sobbed. "Thank you guys so much."



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


It was a long time before we finally stopped crying and went to bed. Once I was up in my room, I put the letter and the necklace in the drawer of my writing desk. I still wasn't sure how I felt about either of them. My biological parents wouldn't tell me who they where, wouldn't meet me, but wanted me to have a family heirloom. Did they view me as a mistake? Did they regret having me? Surely they did, having me almost got my blood mother divorced. The thought was like a dark cloud, hovering around me, threatening suffocation.
But the relief came from knowing I had real parents who loved me. They were proud of me, and were thankful for that shameful affair in Griffonstone twenty years ago. As long as that held true, it didn't matter what two random griffons hundreds of miles away thought of me.
I was going to be a receiver in the EHL. Even if I wasn't selected in the first round of the Draft, somepony would take me eventually. My future held the promise of greatness, fame, and fortune as long as I delivered. I would be a great griffon, but not because of my last name. It would be because of the amazing ponies that raised me, and how they pushed me to be the best I could be. I would make it for them.
I stared at myself in the tall mirror mounted on the wall. Shaggy black plumage, laced with bright orange feathers. Piercing violet eyes. Light black beak and talons. Dark brown body and back legs. Stark black wings. Lean muscles that wrapped around my chest, neck, back, and limbs; evidence of countless hours spent on the field and in weight rooms. During the process of reading that letter, I found myself wondering something for the first time. Who was I, really? In that moment, I was lost. But now, I realized that I knew the answer to that question all along.
> Chapter 2: EHL Draft
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Good evening all you radioheads out there, this is Scout Combine and Perfect Catch..."
"And welcome to 'Tonight in Hoofball', the premiere EHL analysis broadcast, live from the big city of Manehattan!"
"And you know what time it is, don't you, Catch?"
"Oh, I do! It's Draft time!"
"My second-favorite time of the year, right behind Playoff season. A lot is going to happen tonight, Catch, so let's start with some last-minute evaluation for some of the talent on display waiting for their shot in Baltimare tonight."
"Speaking of Baltimare, we would like to take this moment to thank the Silver Horseshoe Hotel by Baltimare Harbor on behalf of the Equestrian Hoofball League for accommodating this year's Draft prospects! But speaking of prospects, where should we start?"
"Quarterbucks are always big talk on Draft day, but I'm thinking we go against the grain and start with wide receivers, Catch. You should have plenty of expertise in that area."
"Indeed, I do. Well, who do you have your eye on in that department this year?"
"I think I have my eye on the same player that everypony else is watching, Catch. Gaius Strongtalon, that kid griffon out of Vanhoover. What do you think of him?"
"I've seen the photos and the numbers from the Combine and let me tell you, Scout, this griffon can move and catch better than just about any receiver in the class. The question is, with how small he is compared to a few of these Earth Pony receivers, can he take hits or block? We didn't see too much of that in Academy."
"He's got some pretty steep competition with Hustle Bustle and Slip Step, especially when it comes to the physical side, but the way this kid moves is something else. Did you see his forty-yard dash time?."
"I think this kid belongs on a team that's looking for a serious downfield threat. If you had to ask me, I think he belongs with Hoofston or Manehattan. Maybe Canterlot, if he stays that long. The real question is, pardon me being frank, how do these teams feel about taking a griffon over a pony in this league, even with his outstanding physical attributes?
"I think no matter which way you look at it, Catch, he's a first-round pick no matter what. Receivers are wanted in this year's Draft and this kid's just too strong of a runner and catcher to go later, even if he's not the strongest in blocking or breaking tackles or... well, a griffon."
"Well, if you want broken tackles, let's take a closer look at Slip Step out of San Franciscolt Academy..."



[o==o]-------[o==o]


"Mom, stop it!" I complained.
"Hold, still, Gaius." She continued to grab at the long feathers on my head with her hooves, yanking far more than what I would deem necessary. Or appropriate. "I told you you should have cut it before we came here."
"Jeez, Mom, please! There are cameras around here!"
"Fine." She relented, placing her hooves back on the table in front of us. "I still think you should have let me fix your plumage for today."
"Aw, leave him be, Oat Cake. Boy looks fine." Dad was sitting across from us, probably enjoying the show far more than he would care to admit. "Just make sure you have your camera ready for the big moment."
"It's ready, hon." She fished the bulky camera from her saddlepurse. As she set it on the table, her hooves began shaking in excitement. "Oh, I'm just so excited, Gaius! My boy, going into the EHL! You're going to be a professional hoofball player!"
"Yes he is!" Dad said as he gave me a clop on the back with a force that would make a linepony blush. "Too bad the Vanhoover Hydras don't need receivers. It'll be hard rooting for two teams."
The day had come. The EHL Draft was here. The Baltimare Harbor Theater had been cleared out, most of the massive upper balcony seating now replaced with booths and tables for the Draft players and their families. It had taken an overnight train trip to get here from Vanhoover, but at least it was complimentary (something Dad was especially grateful for). It was still almost an hour before the event, but the seats below facing the stage were already filling up with ponies desperate to see who their teams would claim as their future talents, each filing into their respective fan section. The noise level in the building seemed to be constantly rising.
All of the players that were eligible for the Draft had arrived. We were all dressed in suits, and most of us were engaged in conversation with each other or with our families. Further down the balcony, There was a staircase that lead down the side of the room and directly to the stage for when it was announced that a player had been picked. Backstage, there were managers, coaches, and various representatives from the EHL teams that were probably still debating their choices as the players they argued over sat and socialized.
The stage was set up with a podium and microphone for the special speakers that would announce each Draft pick. Hanging behind the stage were sixteen hanging flags, representing all of the EHL teams; Canterlot Royals, Hoofston Cowponies, New Horseleans Timberwolves, Saddle Arabia Sphinxes, Cloudsdale Pegasi,  Winnyiapolis Wendigos, Crystal Empire Gemstones, Bucklyn Phoenixes, Manehattan Equestrians, Fillydelphia Zeppelins, Baltimare Manticores, Griffonstone Talons, Las Pegasus Voyagers, San Franciscolt Sirens, Vanhoover Hydras, and Tall Tale Dreamers. 
As I was admiring the scene, Mom held the camera out in front of her, lens pointing towards us. "Smile!" She said as the flash blinded me before I could process what was happening.
"Oh, that's a good one, Gaius!" She said while Dad tried not to chuckle into one of the mugs of free cider the hosts were handing out.
I cleared my throat. "Hey, I'm gonna find Solid Rock and Snapdragon. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."
"Okay, Gaius. Don't mess up your suit," Mom commanded. Then she turned to my defenseless father. "Now come here, Pop. I want a good picture of us."
I squeezed out of the booth, and after I was certain I was out of eyeshot from my mom, carefully smoothed my crown feathers back into place. There were dozens of ponies standing around and conversing near the center of the balcony. I caught ponies staring at me as I walked, checking out the wild-card griffon of the EHL Draft. I tugged on the collar of my suit carefully, not wanting to slice it with my talon. The stupid thing was probably worth more than I was, and I was about to be a professional athlete (although on a starting salary, to be fair).
It was a bit tricky to get a suit tailored in Equestria if you were a Griffon, but there was an old boutique in central Vanhoover that had always been willing to do it for me. Apparently, though, that wasn't good enough for my mother. She had the suit I was wearing specially ordered from a place called Canterlot Carousel, which was ironically owned by some big fashionista from Ponyville. Mom wouldn't even tell me how many bits it costed her and Dad. But, from the horrified scream I heard from him when he looked at the receipt in the shipping box, which he then threw in the fireplace like it was attacking him, I'm guessing it was a lot. The thing was sharp, though, I couldn't lie. The designer couldn't have seen more than a couple pictures of me, but the suit fit perfectly. The jacket was black, with a vivid purple shirt and a dark-striped tie that complimented my black and orange feathers uncannily well. 
After walking around for a while and doing my best not to mess up my clothes or accidentally dip my tail in anypony's cider mug, I finally found Snapdragon, talking to a defensive player from Canterlot Prep. Snap was in a simpler oat-colored suit with a white shirt and black bow tie, but the crystal watch above his left front hoof definitely stood out. I realized with a light laugh that it was the watch his dad had won in a raffle held by Lead Chime's clock shop in Vanhoover. Snap's dad had won second place and gotten a hoofwatch made out of solid Crystal Empire crystal. The thing was clean, but it definitely didn't go with Snap's suit. I wouldn't be the one to tell him, though.
As I approached, Snap's conversation ended as the Canterlot Prep player turned away and starting casually striding towards a server pony holding a platter full of cider mugs. He grinned wide when he saw me.
"Hey, Gaius. Ooh, nice suit!" His eyes sparkled as he took in my disgustingly expensive designer clothing. We had ridden the train here together and stayed in the same hotel along with Solid Rock, but I hadn't shown him the suit yet. Mostly out of principal. And maybe out of embarrassment.
"Almost as nice as your watch." I replied as casually as I could. He smiled and pulled up his foreleg to examine it.
"Thanks, it's Dad's."
"I'm aware," I said. "What I'm wondering is why you're wearing it, not him."
"He gave it to me!" Snap said excitedly.
"What?"
"Yeah!" He was almost bouncing up and down from excitement. "He said it was a present for working so hard and making it to the Draft. Said it was the most valuable thing he had, and he wanted me to have it."
"That's great, buddy." I elbowed him in the chest. "Still hoping for the Dreamers?"
"I'll take what I can get." He said a bit sheepishly. He took in the scene around us. "Lot of really good players up here."
"And you're one of the best among 'em." I said confidently. "I'll be shocked if you don't go in the first round."
"Thanks, buddy," he said, but then his vision was locked onto something behind me. His expression had changed; not to anger, but to... disapproval. Like he was staring at somepony that had cheated him out of ten bits in foal school. I turned around and saw what had stolen his attention.
Two ponies, both in suits flashy enough to rival my own, were walking towards me. I immediately recognized both. The sharp blue coat and black and gray-striped mane of Cobalt Steel gave him away immediately, his poise relaxed and his eyes locked on Snap and I as he approached. Ponies whispered among themselves as they noticed him pass by, but a good amount of the commotion was probably due to pony walking beside him.
This pony was few years older, his deep blue coat much darker than his brother's. He was just a bit taller, too, his iron-gray mane carefully spiked into fashionable disarray. His suit was blue with a red tie, but by far the most noticeable aspect of his outfit was the solid gold, diamond-encrusted Equestria Bowl championship badge pinned onto the front of his jacket.
Indigo Steel. The face that had stared at me from the cover of so many hoofball magazines. The wildly successful, devilishly good-looking, championship-winning franchise quarterbuck for the Winnyiapolis Wendigos. And he was heading straight for me. My heart skipped a beat. I turned to Snap, prepared to geek out, but he still had that strange expression on his face. It was like he was struggling with something.
"Snap, are you alright?" I asked.
"...Yeah." He said, but the expression was unmoved. He finally turned to me and gave a weak smile. "I'm gonna go find Solid Rock. See you."
With that, he turned and left. I called out after him.
"Hey, Snap, what are y-"
"Gaius Strongtalon, right?" A voice said from behind me.
I turned on a dime. Cobalt Steel was standing directly in front of me, Indigo right beside him.
"U-Uh, yeah, that's me." I managed.
He smiled. "Name's Co-"
"Cobalt Steel." I grinned. "Don't worry, I know who you are. You almost kicked our flanks in the championship game."
He laughed. "Well, you guys did kick our flanks. It was a good game, you're a heck of a receiver." Cobalt turned to his famous brother. "This is-"
"Indigo Steel." I held out my talons, then cringed when I realized what I had just done. "Sorry."
They both laughed. Indigo stuck his hoof out, putting it in my claws to shake.
"No problem," he said. His voice was deeper than Cobalt's, already familiar to me to due to several recalled radio interviews. "So you're the receiver from Vanhoover everypony here's talking about. From what I hear on the radio, you've got skills, kid."
I forcibly fought down the urge to squee. "Oh, I'm sure they over-exaggerate. That's what sports analysts do best, right?"
This got a good laugh out of both of them. "Look at that," Indigo said with a grin. "You're wise, too. What do you think, Coby, this guy as good as they say?"
"Well, he lit our defense on fire, especially in the second half." Cobalt brought his hoof up to scratch his chin. "Your speed's no joke, man. Took some pretty big hits, too."
"Well your passing game's no joke either," I replied. "Guess you learned from the best in that regard."
"Learned from the best? Last I heard, Sterling Spiral doesn't do coaching," Cobalt said while he gave his brother a joking glare.
"Oh, really," Indigo retorted at he bumped his brother on his shoulder. "This guy's got jokes. Nah, but in all seriousness, Cobalt got pretty much everything he knows on his own. Now that we're about to be in the same league, I'm gonna have to step my game up so he doesn't leave me in the dust." He winked, then looked over to an older stallion in a suit on the other side of the balcony that was waving at him. "I gotta go, but you guys have fun. And good luck to you, Gaius."
He held his foreleg out for a hoof-bump. I gladly gave it to him.
"I like to think that I know a good receiver when I see one, and I've got a good feeling about you. Too bad Winnyiapolis isn't in the market for them, I doubt that you'll still be up for grabs in the second round." 
I prayed he was right. He looked down at my clothes. "By the way, where'd you get that suit?"
"Uh..." I considered lying, but what was the point? "Canterlot Carousel."
Indigo grinned. "Me, too. That Rarity works wonders, doesn't she?" his eyes flickered back to the older stallion on the other end of the balcony, who looked like he was getting a bit impatient. "Well, see you guys." And then he was off, taking most of the commotion and spectator chatter with him.
"Your brother's really cool," I said. Cobalt nodded.
"Yeah, he is." His ears drooped a bit. "It's a lot of pressure to be related to a championship quarterbuck sometimes, but at least he's not full of himself, you know?" He paused for a moment. "By the way, is there something wrong with your runningbuck?"
"What?"
"His name's Snapdragon, right? Big green pony? He was looking at me like I owed him bits."
"Oh." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "Don't worry about it, he's good."
Cobalt nodded. "I'm surprised your quarterbuck didn't sign up for the draft. He was a real showstopper, would've given me a run."
I laughed internally at the irony. "He had a family business in Vanhoover that he wants to go into."
"I can respect that," he said thoughtfully, then broke out into an amused smile. "I guess this is kind of like my family business, huh?"
I laughed. "Pretty awesome family business."
"Yeah." He stared out towards the team flags hanging behind the stage. "Yeah, it is."


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


After I was done talking to Cobalt, I managed to track down Snapdragon and Solid Rock. We chatted for a while, until our parents descended on us and snatched us up for group pictures. I considered tracking down the two defensive players from Vanhoover Academy that made it to the draft, Criss Cross and Guardian Angel, but we were all ushered to our booths before I had the chance.
After fifteen minutes of mind-numbing waiting, listening to the building rabble of hundreds, if not thousands, of impatient sports fan-ponies gathered below us, a pony finally emerged on the stage and was met by thunderous applause from the crowd. The EHL Draft was about to begin.
"Good evening, fillies and gentlecolts, and welcome to this year's Equestrian Hoofball League Draft!" The pony onstage was none other than Gilded Trophy, the chairpony of the EHL. He gave a routine speech about how the EHL was celebrating it's 30th anniversary this season, welcoming the draft prospects, thanking the fans, congratulating the Royals on another Equestria Bowl win, etc. Each segment brought on another wave of applause that, as was tradition, was mixed with an almost equal number of boos.
I leaned over to whisper in Dad's ear. "Why do we boo the chairpony again? It doesn't make sense."
He scratched his head. "I dunno. But it's tradition at this point."
Our attentions were rediverted back to the stage as Gilded Trophy continued. "Now, then. I believe I've taken up enough time here today. So now, here to announce the first pick of the EHL Draft for the San Franciscolt Sirens, please welcome our esteemed guest, EHL Hall-of-Fame runningbuck, Midnight Joust!"
The applause became ear-pounding as the chairpony left the stage to be replaced by an aged yet burly pitch-black earth pony with a white suit. He was accompanied by a pretty cream-coated middle-aged mare with a flowing brown mane and tail streaked with gray that I assumed was his wife.
"Well, what do you know!" Dad said excitedly. "I grew up watching him knock Vanhoover around! He was the biggest reason San Franciscolt won their only Equestria Bowl, don't let anypony lie to you. It was a relief to all of us when he retired."
Midnight Joust cleared his throat and stepped up to the podium.
"Thank you, Gilded." He had a rumbling voice, deep and resonant. "It is my honor and privilege to stand here and announce the first Draft pick for the San Franciscolt Sirens. They had a rough season this year, but I have faith that said rough season will be followed by one of the greatest comeback seasons in EHL history, and whoever's name is written on this note will help attest to that."
As he spoke, he reached a hoof into his jacket and pulled out a carefully folded note, marked with a gold seal. There was a name on it, hidden in its folds. Whoever's name was on that piece of paper would be the first overall pick, a tremendous honor. Was Solid Rock's name on it? Was mine? Not likely, but not impossible, either. The noise from the crowd began to rise as Midnight Joust tore off the seal and unfolded the letter.
"The first overall pick of this year's EHL Draft is... Solid Rock. Earth pony, center, Vanhoover Academy."
Explosive cheers erupted from the San Franciscolt fan section of the audience, matched only by the excited screams coming from Solid Rock's booth as his family celebrated the news.
"Well, look at that!" Dad said appreciably as he clapped his hooves. "Rocky did it! Good for him!"
The pony in question finally managed to separate himself from his parents and sister and exited the booth. I whistled as he passed, grabbing his attention.
"Way to go, Rock! I told you!" I yelled over the noise. He gave me a wink while Mom took a picture, and then made his way down the balcony stairs. From there it was a quick walk to the stage, where he shook hooves with Midnight Joust. A pony hurried to the two from backstage holding a pink and violet San Franciscolt jersey, which she hooved off to Midnight Joust. He helped Solid Rock hold it out, exposing the lettering and numbering on the side; Solid Rock/1. He also got a hat of the same color scheme that displayed the Sirens logo: a fearsome siren with Golden Gait Bridge in the background.
He threw the hat on, and then there was a chorus of camera flashes as Rock and Midnight held out the jersey, then Solid Rock carefully draped it over his back as he was walked up to the very front of the stage towards EHL's exclusive interview pony Hot Scoop, who held a waiting microphone.
"Solid Rock, first of all, congratulations." He said with courteous excitement. "First pick overall, and for the San Franciscolt Sirens. Tell me, how does it feel to make it to the EHL under such amazing circumstances, and, even more importantly, are you ready to center for Stormcaller?"
"It feels great, Scoop." I could hear the smile in his voice. "Actually, it still doesn't feel real. I had a great team beside me in Academy, and we worked really hard this year. It feels amazing to have all that hard work pay off today. I was fortunate enough to be a part of a team that won an Academy Championship, shout out to Gaius and Snapdragon up there. Oh, and Cross and Angel. But now, I'm aiming for nothing less than an Equestria Bowl. I'll do everything I can to make San Franciscolt proud, and I'll tell you this right now; nopony's laying a hoof on Stormcaller this season if I have anything to say about it."
The cheering got louder with each word. After the interview, Solid Rock was lead backstage to be introduced to his new coaches and managers. behind us, his family was quietly ushered backstage as well. I was sure the announcers in the radio booth were going mad covering the situation, rapidly analyzing the first Draft pick. I felt overwhelmingly glad for Solid Rock. He deserved it.
The next pick was the Crystal Empire Gemstones, who drafted a linebacker from Trottingham Academy. Then it was the Griffonstone Talons. Naturally, they traded their pick to another team, the Cloudsdale Pegasi, who drafted a pegasus cornerbuck from Manehattan Prep. The fourth pick brought about what several ponies in the crowd had been waiting for.
The esteemed guest onstage cleared her throat. "For the fourth overall pick in this year's EHL Draft, the Baltimare Manticores select... Cobalt Steel. Earth Pony, quarterbuck, Canterlot Prep Academy."
The cheering was rabid, with both Manticores and Wendigos fans exploding into applause. Cameras flashed insatiably as Cobalt and Baltimare-born pony pop star Radiaura held out his first-round-pick jersey, complete with the red and gold of the harbor city's hoofball team. His interview speech was heartfelt; he thanked his parents, his academy team at Canterlot, and especially his brother for his overwhelming support and mentorship, and promised a bright future to Baltimare sports fans.
After the cheering finally subsided, the Draft continued, and more ponies were called to the pros. Finally, the Hoofston Cowponies' esteemed guest, Hoofston mayor Stiff Amendment, took to the podium to announce pick number 8. My entire body was shaking. Hoofston was probably the most likely candidate to draft me.
"This is it Gaius. You're up next, I can feel it." Dad looked as excited as I was. Both he and Mom grabbed my talons as we waited for the announcement.
After a small stalling speech filled with lighthearted jokes and his lifelong love for the Cowponies and their franchise quarterbuck, Hock Fetlock, Stiff Amendment pulled out the letter and folded it open.
"Now, for the eighth overall pick in this year's Equestrian Hoofball League Draft, the Hoofston Cowponies select... Hustle Bustle. Earth pony, wide receiver, Tall Tale Academy for the Arts."
My parents and I all let out a disappointed sigh as the cheering rose again, this time from Hoofston's fan section. The receiver in question was tall and lean with a dark yellow coat and wild green mane. As I watched him pose with the mayor for his jersey picture, I couldn't help but be disappointed. So I wouldn't be the first wide receiver to go in the Draft, despite having the best numbers. Hustle Bustle was bigger than me, so maybe Hoofston needed a stronger receiver with more blocking potential? I at least tried to convince myself that was the case.
"Chin up, Gaius," Dad said. "Still got eight to go."
I nodded. "Right."
Pick number nine belonged to Bucklyn. My hopes were raised for Snapdragon, but they ended up drafting a safety from Baltimare Academy. Pick number ten belonged to the Las Pegasus Voyagers. They did draft a runningbuck, but it was Canterlot Prep's Railbreaker. He'd been a fierce double-threat along with Cobalt Steel. My heart felt heavy, Snap couldn't have taken that well.
Then, for the eleventh pick, it was Manehattan's turn. My excitement rose once again, the Manehattan Equestrians were also likely to draft a receiver, and I had an especially good chance on paper now that one of my best competitors was gone. Receiving for Hoofrocket would be a dream come true.
Manehattan's guest of honor was another retired EHL Hall-of-Fame player, an outside linebacker named Sandhill. He approached the podium and gave a short but effective intro speech, mostly dedicated to Equestrians fans. The Manehattan fan section made sure to shower him with applause for his troubles.
"And now," he pulled open the letter. "For the eleventh overall pick in this year's EHL Draft..."
Mom and Dad grabbed my talons again. My heart skipped a beat. Was this it? Would I be an Equestrian? Or would I be passed over again? Slip Step, the receiver from San Franciscolt, was still on the board after all. Panic began gnawing at the back of my mind; would I be drafted in the first round at all?
"The Manehattan Equestrians Select... Gaius Strongtalon. Griffon, wide receiver, Vanhoover Academy."


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


"Gaius, congratulations, first of all. How are you feeling?" Hot Scoop levitated the microphone over to me while I tried to wipe my stupid smile off my face.
"Oh, I just feel amazing, you know?" Was I really about to cry? Ponies all across Equestria were listening to me right now, the microphone was wired directly to the radio booth as well as the auditorium speakers. "I mean, I spent my entire life working for this, and it's finally here. And for the Equestrians! I can't imagine it getting any better."
There were some hollers from the Equestrian fan section as Hot Scoop politely absorbed my words, the orange magic glowing from his horn dancing off the bright blue and dark violet jersey hanging on my back.
He cleared his throat. "Now Gaius, I hope this question doesn't bother you, but there are some who wonder how a griffon player such as yourself will slot into a team full of ponies. How do you think you'll fit into the EHL, considering you won't be a part of the only other team in the league that features griffon hoofball players, the Griffonstone Talons?"
I had been expecting a question like this, and I was prepared. Thankfully, he had worded his question perfectly for my rehearsed answer.
"I'm not here to fit in with the EHL, Scoop. I'm here to tear it up." There were some cheers at this, most notably from my dad up in the balcony. I was pretty sure my mom was still crying. "From day one, from the first time I stepped on a hoofball field, I knew I would have to play differently from everypony around me. But I told myself that if I couldn't be the strongest player on the field, I'd be the toughest instead. And the fastest. My family and teammates gave me everything else I needed along the way, and this is the payoff. I'm ready."
"Very well said, Mr. Strongtalon," Scoop belted above the noise of the crowd. "Now last question. This team that's chosen you, the Manehattan Equestrians; by earning a spot on this team, you'll now be receiving for Hoofrocket. What are your thoughts on that?"
"Oh, I'm ecstatic. I've seen first-hoof what Hoofocket can do over in Fivehead Stadium, and it's crazy to think I'll share a field with that kind of talent. I'll do everything I can to make myself a good target for him."
The Manehattan section erupted at my praise for their quarterbuck. I looked up towards the balcony to see my parents being ushered from their booths to go backstage.
"Thank you Gaius, and good luck!" Hot Scoop said. Then he turned to the audience to announce the special guest for the next pick. I turned and walked backstage as the Draft got ready to rumble on. 



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



"So what did he say?" Bronze Cartwheel asked while tightening a bolt on his current project wagon. We were inside of his dad's cart shop in Vanhoover, talking about the Draft. Specifically, we were talking about when I went backstage and met Playmaker, the head coach for the Manehattan Equestrians. My new head coach.
"He was really cool." I was lounging around in the workshop while Bronze slaved over the broken cart. His dad was off buying supplies, so he had to hold the fort down. Normally I'd help him, but apparently I talked faster when I wasn't preoccupied with repairs, and he wanted to know every last detail.
"Really cool? Come on ya featherbrain, ya gotta give me more than that! Tell me what he said!"
"All right, all right!" I huffed and sat up in the old, beat-up recliner Bronze's dad kept in the workshop. "He told me it was an honor to meet me, said he was looking forward to working with me, thought I had a lot of potential and a unique set of skills, blah blah blah."
"Did ya see Snap backstage?" He asked.
"Yeah!" I flew up out the seat, suddenly amplified. "Can you believe it? Canterlot Royals! Last pick of the first round, too!"
"He's gotta be super excited. Too bad Ah don't get to see him until after tomorrow. He's too busy celebratin' with his relatives in Ponyville."
"We all have to spend one last day together, go do something in the city to really celebrate. We'll invite Solid Rock, too."
"Yeah, Ah agree," Bronze said as he tightened the last bolt on the wagon. "Ah just wish Gleamin' Lance was here, too."
"Any word from him since he left for guard training?" I asked.
"Nope. But it's only been a couple weeks. Maybe he needs more time to settle in?"
"I think he said they play radio in the mess hall while they eat, so probably. I think a letter will be arriving any day." I tried to stay chipper, but I did miss Gleaming Lance. I would miss all of my friends. I was ecstatic about my future with the Equestrians (The Manehattan Equestrians!), but I was also leaving everything behind. I was leaving the modest urban expanse and quiet backfields of Vanhoover for the much bigger, much more bustling Manehattan. I'd been there twice, both for Academy Hoofball. It would be a tough change, but a worthwhile one. I was fairly confident I'd find new hoofball family there in my new team, but it would be tough saying goodbye to my old one.
"Uh, Gaius..." Bronze said in an unsure tone while he dropped his tools in his dad's saddlebag. Uh-oh. "Ah don't mean to be a buzzkill or nothin', but... about your... biological parents. I know you said 'yer okay, but if you need to talk to me about it before you go... or even after, Ah'm right here."
Oh. "Thanks, Bronze, but I'm okay. Really." In truth, I had been trying hard not to think about it. The letter and the necklace were both locked in my desk drawer, and I didn't have any plans to take them to Manehattan with me. I almost wore it with my suit to the Draft. The color would have matched perfectly, but it just didn't feel right. I still wasn't sure how I felt about the whole situation, but hoofball was dominating my mind at the moment as per usual. I couldn't let a dumb letter cloud my mind with my pro career starting soon.
Bronze scratched the back of his head. "So, uh, when do ya leave for Manehattan, again?"
"Next month." I responded calmly. He nodded.
"It'll be weird without you, Snap, and Rock around. It's already weird just having Lance gone."
"I'm sure it will," I sighed. "But you'll make it. You've still got your dad to keep you company."
"Don't remind me," Bronze snickered. Then something behind me caught his attention. "Well, speak of Nightmare Moon, she cometh' now."
"Hey, boys," Stud Cartwheel said in his gravelly voice as he dragged his wagon full of tools into the workshop. Looks like his run had been more than successful. Stud looked a lot like Bronze, except his coat was even darker and his mane was more gray than brown. There was also the beard. "Congrats again, Gaius. Manehattan, who would've thought it? Just don't forget us little ponies when you're the talk of the big city, ya hear?"
"'Course not, Mr. Cartwheel." I politely flew out of his way. "I'm looking forward to what Bronze will do here. I can't wait to come back and see signs for Cartwheel Cart Repair on every street corner. This is if it doesn't make it to Manehattan first."
Stud laughed as he unhitched himself from his wagon and began inspecting the cart that Bronze had fixed. "He's already been pitching me ideas. Some of 'em Ah think are genius. Others, well, they only could've been learned at an academy, let's leave it at that."
"Hey!" Bronze complained, causing more laughter from his dad.
"Ah'm just joking. Ah think you'll do better with this place than Ah ever could. Ya can already just about fix a cart better than me." His tone got more serious. "But Ah still think you had a chance in the EHL son, even if it was just a slim one. Are ya sure ya don't regret it?"
"Dad." Bronze huffed and planted a hoof. "Ah'm where Ah want to be. Ah promise. And you know that."
Stud sighed. "Yeah, I guess ya are." The smile returned. "Ah guess Ah should be happy that Ah don't have to say goodbye to my boy yet. Ah'm sure that'll be hard for your folks, Gaius. Pardon me for prying, but Ah'm not sure what they'll do with that farm since you're off to the big leagues."
"Oh, I'm sure Mom and Dad will be on that plot of land until they keel over. Now that I'm going, they'll probably cut down on the farmwork. Academy won't be draining Dad's pockets anymore." I squinted at the end of my sentence, the orange rays of the setting sun piercing through the open workshop doors. "Looks like I'll have to head home, soon."
"If Ah may," Stud started. "Why don't you fly home and invite 'yer folks to dinner here tonight? As a celebration of sorts."
Bronze got excited at the prospect. "Oh, yeah! Mom's making her oat and broccoli pot pie! Ya'll should totally come!"
"Dad won't want to pass that up." I laughed. "I'll invite them. Hopefully I can get home before Mom starts cooking anything."
"We'll be waitin' for ya!" Stud said. Then I took off. On the flight home, I made sure to soar high and get a good view of Vanhoover, basking in the radiant sunset. I'd miss this city, both the imposing buildings in the distance and the rolling hills and farms that Bronze Cartwheel and I called home. Just one more month and I'd have a new home. And a new team. I tried to think of all the new players I'd be sharing the field with. Hoofrocket, Blockbuster, Hightower, Buckcherry, Fullsteam, Marathon Iron. But when I tried to picture me standing beside them, all I saw was me with Bronze, Snap, Rock, and Lance. And somehow, in that image, I was wearing the necklace that came with that stupid letter. I shook my head to dispel the thought and took off for home, suddenly no longer interested by the view.
> Chapter 3: An Ode to Days Ahead
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My receiving coach, High Hauler, gave me a clop on the helmet as I passed by him.
"Atta boy Gaius! Keep showing that speed! If you keep that level of separation, you can catch anything Hoofrocket throws at you!"
"Yes sir!" I returned Coach's wide grin and ran to get back to my place in line. We were doing receiving drills; the other receivers (Citrus Sprint, Snowfall, Blitzing Wing, and Marathon Iron) and I were doing one-on-one drills with Hoofrocket. One of us would receive and the other would cover while Hoofrocket threw to the receiver. It was a bit of head scratcher to me as to why receivers were guarding each other today rather than having the actual defending backs do the job, but I wasn't going to question the coaches. Snowfall had done his best to guard me, but I'd pulled ahead and caught the throw perfectly. While it was pretty easy to get out from under my fellow receivers, who were naturally much more atoned to offense than defense, I'd been covered successfully a decent number of times by our defensive players. Searing Shock, our star cornerbuck, had especially given me some trouble. Despite this, I'd managed to embarrass him on a few reps the last time receivers and DB's practiced together. Apparently, from what I heard in the locker room lately, that had earned me some serious resentment from the bright green earth pony.
As I paced down the side of the field, another duo ran out as Hoofrocket got ready to throw again. Marathon Iron was receiving and Citrus Sprint was blocking. Citrus gave a good attempt, but he just couldn't quite stand up to M.I.. Iron couldn't quite blaze past his temporary cornerbuck, and instead weaved and strafed masterfully until he created just enough space to catch Hoofrocket's pass unopposed. After the catch, he put on the jets and made his way downfield.
I heard an impressed whistle beside me. Snowfall had caught up and was trotting beside me as we made our way to the back of the line.
"Not bad," Snowfall said while picking dirt out of his facemask. He had taken a bit of a fall trying to block me in the last run.
"Yep. M.I.'s the real deal." I said appreciatively.
Snowfall's crystal blue mane swayed wildly under his practice helmet as he shook his head. "Nope, I was talking about you, man. You're impossible to guard, bro. It's kind of ridiculous."
"Shock's gotten me a few times, and it feels like Endgame has my number. It's just because I'm fast, I need to work on my maneuvering a bit more. If I come across a corner with some real jets, I'll really be in trouble." I smiled at him. Snowfall had been one of my best friends since my move to Manehattan. I was grateful for his kindness, especially since me being on the team along with Marathon Iron's arrival had all but kicked him to second-string. Because of us, he'd be seeing far less passes.
"You're too humble, man. I could take a hint from you." He replied with a shake of his head.
Snowfall got set to receive while Blitzing Wing got ready to block. Coach Hauler gave them the signal and they took off while Hoofrocket got ready to throw again.
Hoofrocket. While I got ready for the next round, I watched our award-winning quarterbuck as he loaded his cannon; his practice jersey and helmet displaying his name and the number 8. His coat was the color of a light mocha, with a straw yellow mane and tail. His cutie mark was a spiraling hoofball engulfed in flames.
Hoofrocket had been ecstatic when Marathon Iron and I had been named the starting receivers. He had gone from a somewhat meager receiving core headed by Snowfall (no offense) to what was, in his mind, "the most dangerous group of receivers in the EHL". 'Rocket had been good to me since I'd arrived in Manehattan, and was pretty good about having my back while we were practicing in the Manehattan Dome.
The Manehattan Dome itself was gigantic. The stands surrounding me could sit over 60,000 ponies, and had done so at last year's Equestria Bowl, where Canterlot had beaten Vanhoover, much to me and my parents' disappointment. The stadium was roofed and sat in the heart of the city not too far from Eminence Tower, the tallest building in Manehattan. Adjusting to the city had been a bit difficult, but I felt pretty at home now that I had a basic knowledge of my surroundings.
As I got set to block, Citrus Sprint stepped up beside me to be the receiver, but was stopped when Marathon Iron nudged his shoulder instead of lining up behind me.
"Why don't you let me receive again real quick? See if the rookie can guard me?" he said in a tone loaded with well-justified cockiness.
Citrus just shrugged and stepped back as M.I. took his place. Marathon Iron was tall, but not too bulky. He was still rock-solid, though, with a slate gray coat, jet black mane and a cutie mark of a gleaming steel beam. He stared over at me, eyes deathly serious. I thought I heard a chuckle coming from Hoofrocket's direction, but when I looked over his eyes were set dead ahead, laser focused.
I snorted. "I can block you, Iron. I've done it before."
Marathon Iron lowered his haunches as Coach Hauler readied the signal, apparently a bit confused at the order change. Marathon Iron snorted. "Then let's see you do it again."
The whistle rang out, and we both blasted off. I could keep pace with him, even pass him if I wanted to, but the goal was to stick with him and block when Hoofrocket threw. I may have been faster, but he was definitely more skilled, the product of years of playing and outplaying the best cornerbucks in the league again and again. He tried to drive away from me, but my speed kept me close to him.
He was nearing the end of his route and he still hadn't shaken me, but this was where it usually ended for me. He'd find a way to twist and maneuver around to get himself in perfect catching position while I would typically spiral and crash into the turf, getting a facemask full of dirt for my efforts, save for one time. The one time I actually blocked him, which he still wouldn't let go. But I had a plan.
He pulled to the right, and I feigned pulling back, making my move late and giving him just enough room to catch. He would feel secure; no tricks, no fake play, he'd just bring up his hooves and put them in front of him to catch the ball. Hoofrocket threw, and it was perfect. It looked like I had been beat until...
I lunged. I was several yards behind M.I., but I put everything into the jump and closed the distance just in time. Right before the rapidly spiraling ball could fall into Marathon Iron's waiting hooves, my talons passed over and grabbed it out of the air. I caught a glimpse of my teammate/opponent's wide-eyed gaze as I pulled the ball to my barrel and crashed into the ground. I felt the shock as my helmet and shoulder pads met turf and tumbled for a few rotations before I finally came to a stop. I looked up to see Hoofrocket downfield staring in shock, and Marathon Iron staring at me in deep frustration. The hoofball was still in my rubber-guarded talons, and I felt a stupid grin crawling across my face as I realized what I had just accomplished. I hadn't just blocked the pass, I had intercepted it.
"Woo-hoo!" Coach's voice broke out across the field so loud that even the other players doing their own drills stopped what they were doing. "That's what I'm talking about! I better see that outta ya more often, kid! But for now, let's stick to the proper order and not cut lines anymore, alright Marathon?"
The pony in question simply nodded and trotted off down the field. I could have sworn I heard him say something about being a cornerbuck.


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


I felt my strained muscles relax as the steaming water cascaded down from the shower head. Practice was over, meaning the day was over for all of us. The showers and locker room were full of conversation as the team cleaned up and took their gear off. Everyone else was as tired as I was, and they were eager to get back to home and rest. Especially since tomorrow was our day off.
Hoofball in Academy had been demanding, but the schedule had been nothing like what the EHL was taking out of me so far. Every morning, it was show up to the stadium early, get breakfast, then get a work out in with your designated partners. For me, it was the rest of the receivers, Hoofrocket, and our backup quarterbuck, Tremor Blitz. Then I attended scheduled meetings all day; some with just the receivers, some with the receivers and the quarterbucks, some with the entire offense, and sometimes with special teams. Lunch was somewhere in between, then we had practice for several hours. All of that, six days a week, for the past month and a half. It was a good thing I loved hoofball, because it demanded everything from me now. Despite the grinding schedule, I still left the Manehattan Dome every day with a smile on my face, if I still had the energy to do so.
I heard the shower on my right turn on as a buck groaned at the sensation of hot water. I couldn't blame him.
"So, that was a pretty nice move you made against Marathon today, rookie." Said the voice in the adjacent shower. It was High Impact; a hulking, muscular lummox of a stallion and the star right guard of our offensive line. "Was that a griffon thing, or are you just that good?"
I rolled my eyes behind the safety of the stall-style wall separating us. "I don't know, you tell me."
He laughed. "Well, I don't think I know a pony that could make that play." There was a pause. "Then again, I don't know many ponies who would have the brains or guts to try that play, either. If you start dropping catches, I got a good feeling you'll make for a great corner."
More laughing. The shower to my left turned on.
"Lighten up, Imp. Give the kid a break, he showed some stuff today." Hoofrocket, his voice was unmistakable. It was the only voice on the team that had the power to shut High Impact's mouth, aside from the coach's. "In fact, if you ask me, he's been showing stuff ever since he got here. So, what's your secret, Gaius?"
Silence, aside from the running water of several showers. Everyone in the room was listening. I gave a quiet sigh.
"I run fast and jump really, really far."
More silence. Then both Hoofrocket and High Impact burst into laughter, which was followed by several other laughs, some of which I swear were coming from the locker room past the showers.
"Oh, this kid's something else!" High Impact said after he could breathe again. "You're something special, griffon, you know that?"
"I'm aware." I said with a light eye roll as I turned the water off. I shook myself relatively dry, then grabbed my towel with a wing and stepped out. While I was drying my head feathers, Hoofrocket stepped out of his shower, towel draped around his neck.
"Hey, Gaius, just so you know, there's something me, Tremor, and the receivers will be doing tomorrow night. You're welcome to tag along." He said while drying the inside of his ear.
"What is it?" I asked.
"You ever hear heard of Le Merveilleux? It's a fancy Prench restaurant over by Bucklyn Bridge passing."
"I think I've seen it. But... why are we all going to a fancy dinner?"
"It's something we do every year a few weeks before the season starts. Don't worry about bits, I've got that part covered. I've already told Snowfall and Marathon Iron..." He stopped when I cringed at the latter receiver. He continued in a quieter tone. "Hey, don't worry about M.I.. He'll come around."
I was stunned. Dang it, why did quarterbucks have to be so observant? Bronze was the same way.
"Uh, yeah. I'll... be there."
"Seven o' clock tomorrow night at Le Merveilleux. See you there." And then he ducked out of the shower room while Snowfall stepped in.
"Hey, 'Rocket. Oh, hey, Gaius. Did you hear about-"
"Le Merveilleux, yeah." I murmured.
"Uh, okay, you coming?"
"Seems to be the idea." I said with a lighthearted smile. Then I proceeded into the locker room, grabbed my stuff, and headed out of the stadium.


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


It was late afternoon. The golden hues of sunlight streaking in between the towering skyscrapers added a backdrop to the sound of bustling hooves and wooden taxi carriage wheels against the streets below. Around me, pegasi flew hurriedly between the buildings, desperate to be somewhere on time even in the later hours. Even though I was a griffon, and decently famous one in this city at that, none of them gave me a second look. Of course, some of that may have had to do with the fact that my face was wrapped in the hood of my Manehattan Equestrians jacket. Even as a rookie, I'd already been mobbed a few too many times in the streets and skies of this town to go around without concealment. When they post your face on every sports magazine in the city for a few months straight, you tend to get recognized.
I may have been exhausted, but thankfully my wings weren't since they had been tucked in a harness underneath my jersey all practice long. I was flying at a consistent speed, so it wasn't long until was at the front door of my new home. Or rather, the building it was in.
It was a nice apartment in a downtown Manehattan building called the Brickpony Plaza, which always confused me due to the fact that the building was made of smooth green stone and glass. I made a quick landing and trotted in through the rotary glass doors.
The lobby was open, with inviting brown tile floors and wooden columns that held up a second-floor balcony that wrapped around above me. To my left, a soft purple pegasus mare with a curly mint-green mane tied back with a suave pink bow was reading a fashion magazine behind the mahogany front desk. Behind her, a radio was softly droning out Rara Coloratura's newest song. I tried to hurry by, but the sound of my talons clacking on the floor as I walked by drew her attention. She looked up from her magazine and gave me a smile.
"Hi, Gaius, how was practice?" She asked sweetly.
I fought the urge to sigh in defeat. "Hey, Periwinkle. It was good."
"Great." She turned around to turn down the radio volume. I contemplated flying away up the stairs in the couple of seconds that her back was to me. "So, I have question for you, if you don't mind."
Oh no. "Uh, yeah, what's that?"
"So, I was telling my friends that we were talking...you know, that we're friends and all that, and that you live in the apartment building I work at. And get this," She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "They didn't believe me."
"That's tragic." I said with the most non-sarcastic voice I could muster. If she noticed at all, she didn't show it.
"I know! But..." I saw a wicked gleam in her eye that almost made me shake. "I told them that to prove it, I would invite you out for a dinner with all of us at Pionne's tomorrow night."
"Did you, now?..." I said with uncertainty. The gleam in her eye brightened as the cogs in her mind kept turning.
"And, if you want, you can even invite some of your teammates. I think my friends would be especially flattered if Hoofrocket attended. Just tell him there'll be some pretty mares there." She finished with a wink.
'He's married, you featherbrain,' I thought while my mind raced for an excuse as usual. From what I'd gathered in our past grating conversations, Periwinkle's old coltfriend was majorly into hoofball. So when I moved to this apartment building she recognized me from one of his magazines. Ever since she realized a famous hoofball player for her hometown EHL team was living within her workplace, she had come up with countless schemes to use me to her benefit, including several date offers, trying to introduce me to said ex-coltfriend as some kind of sick revenge, and of course, trying to show me off to her friends. It was a never-ending cycle that was wearing thinner every day. I had met a few crazy fans in this city, but it was hard to avoid one that was always between me and my own home. If only my apartment had a balcony or a window that opened, then I could just fly to it and skip the lobby. Coming up with a new excuse every few days was getting old.
Thankfully, I realized, I had a perfect and totally legitimate excuse this time around. Thank Celestia.
"Actually, Speaking of Hoofrocket," I started. "He invited me and some of the other receivers to Le Merveilleux tomorrow, so I'm afraid I'll have to decline."
Usually, she gave an over-dramatic face of raw disappointment when I gave her an excuse, but this time was different. That sadistic gleam was still strong, even though her lips pouted again.
"Oh, well, good for you I guess."
"Sorry, maybe next time." I cringed inwardly at my wording, that would give her extra fuel for the next run-in. I turned away and headed past the desk for the stairs.
"Oh, Gaius! By the way, you should know that there's-" She tried to get my attention again, but I was already flying straight up the stairs like a firecracker, desperate for the privacy and security of home. At floor 32, I took a sharp turn out of the stairwell and into the hallways until I was at the door for apartment 3219. The lock was combination, and I entered my code in quickly, almost as if I was afraid Periwinkle would teleport behind me like a unicorn whatever statement she had started downstairs.
The lock opened and I walked into my apartment, being extra sure to shut and lock the door behind me. Honestly, living in the building where Periwinkle worked was probably unhealthy for me. It might not have been a bad idea to consider moving. Still, though, I couldn't complain about the apartment itself.
It was reasonably small, but that didn't matter to me since I was living by myself. It was comprised of a living room, a kitchen and small dining area, a master bedroom and bathroom, a laundry room, and a guest room. It came fully furnished, and also featured big panel windows that gave a good view of the city, a nice perk of living so high up. I made my way to my bedroom, subconsciously wondering which new apartment building might be good to move to while I passed my mother lounging on my couch, muzzle stuck in a magazine.
"Oh, hello, honey!" She said excitedly as she looked up at me.
"Hi, Mom." I mumbled as I wandered absentmindedly into my room and shut the door behind me. I paused for a second, then pivoted on my back paws and threw open the door. Mom was still sitting on my couch, looking a bit confused.
"Mom!? What are you doing here?" I exclaimed.
"Oh, I'm here with your father. We have something big to tell you!"
"What? Then where's Da-" Before I could finish my sentence, I heard a flush from my bathroom. I turned to see Dad walk out and give an impressed whistle.
"Boy, that bathroom is faaaaancy! Don't make 'em like that in Vanhoover!" His eyes went wide when he saw me. "Hey, if it isn't my favorite Equestrian! How was practice?"
I debated getting angry at them barging in and fouling my toilet, but I opted for giving Dad a hug instead. It was nice to see them, and we hadn't talked face to face in over a month.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked. "And how did you even get in?"
"I remembered the code for the lock." Dad said proudly.
"I never told you the code." I replied flatly.
"I watched you put it in. You can't anything past me, son. You should know that by now."
I sighed. "Well, what do you guys have to tell me?"
Dad got visibly excited. "Oh, you're going to love this!" He walked over the couch and sat next to Mom. "Things have been kind of lonely on the farm since you've left, so..." Oh no. "I decided to sell it. Your mom and I are moving to Manehattan!"
"WHAT!?" I screamed. They gave me a concerned expression.
"What do you mean 'what'?" Dad said plainly. "Don't like the idea of your folks being close to you again?"
"W-well no, b-b-but..." I stammered "You sold the farm? You loved that grain farm, you inherited it from your dad!"
"Yeah, well..." Dad scratched the back of his head with a hoof. "I didn't have anyone to inherit it from me with you gone, and it was mighty lonesome there since you left. So, your mom and I talked about it, and we decided we'd sell it so we could move closer to you. Got some good bits for it, too."
The longer he went on, the harder my eye twitched. I couldn't fathom it. Dad selling his farm? Moving here? He didn't even like going to the city district of Vanhoover! And Manehattan was three times as big, with over five times the population! And surely he knew how expensive it was to live here.
"We know what you're going to say, Gaius." Mom said gently. "But we've thought it through. Manehattan is different, sure, and some of the ponies here are just plain rude, but we're ready for some change after so many years of just doing the same thing over and over. Plus, we'd really like to be closer to you."
I took deep breaths to force myself to calm down. Finally, I gathered my thoughts well enough to form a coherent sentence. 
"Are you guys sure about this? I mean... this is kind of a big deal."
"Hmph." Dad crossed his forelegs. "Do you really think your folks are dumb enough to move to Manehattan without having a plan?"
"Well? What are you guys going to do for work? And where are you going to live?"
"Oh, we've got the work part covered, don't you worry. But..." Dad fiddled with his hooves awkwardly. "We're currently... in the market for some property here in the city so... until we find something suitable, you wouldn't mind if we stayed here in the extra bedroom, would you?"
The eye twitch returned with a vengeance. "You couldn't have written or something before dropping this on me?" I exclaimed.
Mom gave Dad a light sock on the foreleg. "I told you we should've let him know ahead of time."
Dad sighed. "I'm sorry, son. But if you let us stay just for a few weeks or so, we'd be grateful. If not, we understand. We'll just stay in a hotel here in the city until we find something."
I rubbed my temples. Sure, I was angry that they were dropping in and requesting an extended stay out of nowhere. Of course, that was so much like my parents that I couldn't be too surprised. What wasn't like my parents was them leaving Vanhoover to live in Manehattan out of nowhere, even if their son did just move away. It would be pretty insufferable living in a small apartment with my parents for the next month, especially with hoofball season about to start, but I couldn't just kick them out. That would be wrong of me, wouldn't it? If only I'd endured the conversation with Periwinkle a bit longer, she was probably trying to warn me about my parents showing up when I'd bolted up the stairs.
"Okay, okay. You guys can stay. But only if you promise to start looking for a new place right away, alright? This apartment is a little small for three ponies, not to mention the fact that it only has one bathroom."
"Well what do you think I'm doing?" Mom asked with a teasing smile. She held up the magazine she was reading, a catalog about real estate and apartments in Manehattan. I shook my head, but couldn't help but laugh a little.
"We've already got some places we want to check out tomorrow. I promise we won't be a problem. We're in your home now, not the other way around. We'll respect that."
"I know, Dad." I sighed and flopped down in the seat across from the couch they were sitting on. Mom got up and headed towards the kitchen.
"Well, to help celebrate, I'll get some dinner going. You do have food, right Gaius?"
"Yes, Mom," I groaned. But the thought of eating her cooking again did cheer me up. Maybe this arrangement would have some benefits. The apartment was suddenly filled with the sound of her rummaging through my refrigerator.
"Oh, and Gaius, do you know that lovely little pegasus mare that works at the desk downstairs? We asked her about you when we walked in she spoke awful highly of you."
Dad tried and failed to suppress his laughter. "That's my boy!"
I took it back. This was going to be Tartarus.


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


Le Merveilleux was an exquisitely decorated restaurant adorned by black canopies and dark wood trim set at the bottom of a large luxury apartment building made of polished white stone. In short, everything about the place screamed 'expensive'.
I was wearing the same suit I'd worn at the Draft, once again without with my biological father's necklace. I spent several minutes debating on whether or not to wear it before time finally ran out and I had to leave.
Due to my wardrobe, I was wary of the pegasi sharing the crowded airspace with me between the clustered buildings. Most of them were also wearing suits, which didn't surprise me. This was the nicer end of Manehattan, towards the Bucklyn Bridge, and a lot of the ponies here were either rich, important, or both. Either that, or they were just doing their best to seem like they were. Because of this, I wasn't too worried about getting recognized. It's hard to notice somewhen when you're flying with your nose upturned.
I made a quick landing in front of the building and spotted my party immediately. Only Hoofrocket, Tremor Blitz, and Marathon Iron had made it so far. I weaved my way around the small, well-dressed crowd in front of the restaurant and plodded up to them. Tremor and 'Rocket broke off their conversation when I approached.
"Hey, the rookie made it!" Tremor grinned and gave me a hoof-bump. The backup quarterbuck was dressed in a strong navy blue plaid suit with a black shirt and neon green tie that matched his bright emerald eyes almost perfectly. His mane was almost the exact same shade of muddy brown as his coat, and his cutie mark showcased a trio of crumpling boulders. Marathon Iron was a good ten hoof distance from the rest of us in a subtle dark black sports suit. I heard a whistle from Hoofrocket.
"Nice suit, Gaius. You clean up pretty well."
"Thanks," I replied casually. His simple black suit looked just as expensive as mine, and he had his Equestria Bowl badge pinned to his barrel. He noticed me staring at it.
"Hopefully you can help me get a second one this year, huh?"
I grinned. "That's the idea."
The three of us joked around for a bit longer, leaving M.I. leaning against the front of the restaurant as the odd pony out. Nopony that passed by seemed to recognize us. Or if they did, they ignored us. After a few minutes, Snowfall showed up in a stark white suit so bright it seemed to reflect the light from the streetlamps. After Citrus Sprint and Blitzing Wing arrived, we all filed in and took the table that Hoofrocket had reserved for us. I took the outside seat with Citrus Sprint to my left. I noticed that Marathon Iron took the other edge, sitting as far away from me as possible. I hoped that was just coincidental.
The inside of the restaurant was just as nice as the outside, if not more so. The floors and walls were made of polished marble, with dark wood highlights everywhere you looked. Opaque crystal chandeliers hung everywhere, and a band featuring a harp, cello, violin, and piano played softly in one corner. Our table was an elegant, wraparound booth in the far corner of the room from where the band was playing, decently private. That was probably a good thing, considering we we had some very famous personnel. I was surprised nopony recognized any of us, Hoofrocket especially. He was sort of the face of hoofball in this city.
Thankfully, though, a group of gentlestallions (plus griffon) clad in expensive suits didn't exactly stand out in this environment, and everypony was too busy looking at either their significant others, business partners, or the band to look over and see our heavily-marketed faces. I privately wondered how many of the posh-looking ponies in the room with me were secretly avid hoofball fans. Knowing how popular the sport was these days, probably most of them.
It took only moments for a well-dressed server to take our orders for drinks once we sat down. After he left, we grabbed our menus and started looking at the delicious-yet-disgustingly-expensive options. Even with the gracious starting salary from the Equestrians, I was very glad Hoofrocket was paying.
"Order anything you want, guys, I'm not looking to be stingy tonight." 'Rocket clicked his tongue as he went over the choices. "I think I'm going to have my usual."
"I've never had Prench before, what do you guys recommend?" I asked.
"I've heard their crepes are good." The answer came from Marathon Iron. He caught me by surprise, it was the first thing he'd said since I'd arrived.
"Their croissants are killer, too. And they're famous for their ratatouille." Tremor lifted a hoof to scratch his chin. "I think I'm gonna go with their oat nicoise salad, though."
"Wait, rat-a what?" I stared at Tremor Blitz in confusion as my teammates tried to smother snickers around me.
"Ratatouille," he answered in an amused smile. "Sounds weird, I know, but it's basically sliced veggie stew with lots of tomatoes. Real good stuff."
"I might try that." I said. I was in the mood for some veggies.
"I'm getting the soufflé. No one in the city does them better than this place." Said Snowfall. He raised an eyebrow at Hoofrocket. "'Course, nopony charges more either. Good thing I'm not paying."
"Enjoy it while it lasts, Snowy." 'Rocket jeered while the waiter returned with our drinks.
Most of my friends had gotten a wine or champagne, but I'd ordered a sparkling cider. There was a couple of restaurants in Vanhoover that I'd been to that served them. And due to my not-that-rich bloodline, I'd get one every chance I'd get. But what I was tasting in my glass now blew anything I'd ever had back home out of the water.
"That's really good." I said absentmindedly. Citrus Sprint nodded beside me.
"Only thing that beats their food is their drinks. I'd love to see their cellar."
"You can buy bottles to go if you want." said Hoofrocket. "But that'll come out of your bitpurse, not mine."
Citrus sloshed the red wine around in his glass in contemplation. "A whole bottle of this would probably cost as much as a house in this city. But, it'd probably be worth it."
"Figures you'd think that." Hoofrocket cleared his throat. "So, M.I., I've been meaning to ask you, what do you think about Manehattan so far? Does it stack up against Filly at all?"
Marathon Iron put down his champagne glass. "It's bigger, I'll give it that. And full of jerks." A slight smile played on his lips. "But I'll give them credit where credit is due, the fans here love their team. Gives a humble sportspony like me life to see something like that. It's a lot like Fillydelphia in that way."
"Humble," Snowfall joked. "Sure."
"Hey, I've got talent and I'm not afraid to show it." That trademark smirk I'd seen on multiple magazine covers made an appearance. "When you're one of the best in the game, it's to be expected."
Tremor chuckled. "Good for you and all, but that's pretty much the opposite of humble."
There was an outbreak of laughter at this, then we tried to reign it in when we remembered where we were and caught the irritated looks of a few disgruntled ponies thrown our way. Marathon Iron was crass at first, but eventually joined in the laughter.
"Okay, okay guys. I get it." then he went for another sip of champagne.
"So, Gaius," Blitzing Wing Started. "Tell us about yourself, rookie. What was it like back home in Vanhoover?"
"Uh." I fiddled with my talons as I fished for a response. Compared to Manehattan, Vanhoover just seemed kind of... boring. Nice, sure, and full of good memories but... just boring. "Well, not much to tell. A city district one fourth the size of this city maybe, then it's just fields and farmhouses."
"So what does a griffon do in Vanhoover if he wants to have a good time?" Hoofrocket asked with a smile.
I shrugged. "All I ever did was hoofball and hung out with friends." I hated how lame that sounded. "I mean, I'm sure if you looked, you could find something in the city distric-"
"Well, well, if it isn't my good friend Gaius."
Suddenly, I was stiffer than the ice sculpture we saw on the way in. I knew that voice, that terrible voice. The moment I heard it, puzzle pieces clicked together nefariously in my brain. She wouldn't. She wasn't. I turned around. She was.
Periwinkle stepped up to our table clad in a silver dress and matching silver bedazzled manebow, exaggerating the sway in her hips to the point where it was almost laughable. Behind her were two more mares, one a dark purple unicorn with a curly gold mane in a short white dress, the other a brown pegasus in a long black number with her muted-red mane done up in spiky tips.
My heart pounded in my chest. Why did I tell her where we were meeting? What did I think was going to happen? But no, I couldn't blame myself. I knew Periwinkle was ruthless, but I never would have guessed that she would go this far. The thought of what I was looking at right now terrified me more than any linebacker that had ever steamrolled me on a hoofball field.
A waiter rushed up to the trio as they took all of us in.
"Please mademoiselles, 'zis is not ze way to your table."
Periwinkle brushed him off. "And these must be your friends from the Manehattan Equestrians, right?" She turned around to her entourage. "See, girls? I told you!"
The golden-maned mare ignored her friend and leaned forward on the table towards Hoofrocket on the other side.
"So you must be Hoofrocket, Manehattan's golden quarterbuck." She let out a little giggle that nauseated me. Hoofrocket, to his credit, just cleared his throat and turned to me while the rest of the table looked at each other in confusion.
"Um, Gaius, do you know these lovely mares?" He asked. All three of them swooned at his wording while I visibly wilted.
"Uh, well, kind of. Um... one second." I turned to the purple she-demon, whispering harshly. "What are you doing here, Periwinkle?"
"What do you mean, Gaius?" She asked innocently, purposely loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. "You're the one who told me you were meeting with your friends at Le Merveilleux tonight. I just assumed I was invited."
My blood ran cold. I turned unwillingly back to the group and awaited the harsh reactions directed at me for bringing down the mares that were ruining our night out. Instead, the faces I saw were amused. Marathon Iron's especially.
Hoofrocket cleared his throat. "So, I think I caught your name was Periwinkle?" He asked.
"You would be correct," she answered with a sickeningly sweet smile.
"Well then, Periwinkle, would you mind introducing us to your friends?
"Gladly. This here is Cornucopia, and this is Cinnamon Dust. We're all big fans of your work, if you know what I mean."
Hoofrocket gave a genuine smile. "Of course. We're always happy to meet some fans."
This, hilariously, seemed to bring down their spirits a little. I tried to stifle a laugh at the disappointed expression on Periwinkle's face.
"Please, mademoiselles," the waiter started again. "I must ask that you leave these diners alo-"
"Excuse me, my good man," Hoofrocket interrupted. "I appreciate the concern, but these mares aren't bothering anyone. In fact, would it be too much trouble to ask for a few extra chairs to be added on to this table? You ladies don't mind dining with us, do you?"
My beak fell open while Periwinkle's eyes sparkled like fireworks. "Oh, it would be our pleasure."
Next thing we knew, three chairs were squeezed into the one open corner of our circular booth. Periwinkle's red-maned friend, who's name I caught was Cinnamon Dust, locked me in an almost predatory gaze.
"Well, well. Wink's been telling me that she knew the rookie griffon that would be playing for the Equestrians this season, but I didn't believe her until now. So tell me, big-wings, are you as good as the radio ponies say you are?"
I took a big gulp of sparkling cider. This was going to be a long, painful night.


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


The moon had risen high behind a cover of clouds, and the lingering warmth of the day hung in the air. Hoofrocket and I stood outside of the restaurant, both of us stuffed and one of us thoroughly embarrassed and regretting his life decisions. Everyone else had left, Snowfall was still inside bartering for a bottle of wine after Citrus' initial attempt had succeeded. We were leaning against the side of the building in the shadows, trying again not to get recognized. It was working, none of the passing ponies were even glancing at us.
"I don't even know what to say," I began. 'Rocket let out a good laugh.
"Don't apologize, that was the most fun I've had since last season ended." He gave that trademark quarterbuck grin. "Shame I had to turn all three of those poor mares down. Life of the married stallion, I suppose. Jewel will love to hear this."
"I think M.I. picked up your slack in that regard." I said plainly. After getting politely shot down by the franchise quarterbuck, the three ravenous mares had quickly descended on the hot trade wide receiver from Fillydelphia. He had relished the attention, though, and managed to hold the trio in the sole of his hoof all night long. It didn't bother me, though, because that ensured I had minimal conversation with them.
I had to hand it to my teammates, they handled the three dinner-crashing mares better than I could have ever hoped. All in all, it wasn't too bad of a night. Now that Periwinkle got what she wanted, maybe she wouldn't harass me every day on the way to my apartment. I wasn't sure how Hoofrocket was acting so loose in front of me, though, because I was still as tight as a screw after catching a glimpse of the bill the waiter had given him. I knew he had plenty of money after his latest contract extension, in fact he probably made more money than anypony on the team, but still.
"He definitely did. The guy's a stud." He brought a hoof to his chin. "Maybe we should invite the tight ends next time. I bet Hightower would've gotten a kick out of this."
I gave a light sigh. "I'm guessing I have several weeks of pestering in the locker room for tonight, huh?"
"Not from me, but I can't speak for anypony else. For the next few weeks we have to worry about Fillydelphia and the start of the season, so I would expect that to take center stage over your little accident tonight."
I nodded. "Hopefully. I could use some hoofball right about now."
"Me, too." He stifled a yawn. "Well, I need to get home and get rested for practice tomorrow. See you at the dome, Gaius." with that, he picked himself up and walked over to his personal carriage, where his driver had been waiting patiently all night. Snowfall walked out laughing with his wine bottle tucked under his wing just as Hoofrocket pulled away.
"Oh, those mares were a riot! You've got some interesting friends off the field, Gaius." He wrapped his free wing around me as he shook from laughter. I rolled my eyes and flicked his wing off of me with my tail.
"Tell me about it. You still got enough bits for a taxi?"
"Barely." He smoothed his mane back with his wing as he looked to the dark, overcast sky. "Man, it's late. I always lose track of time when we do this. I gotta go, see you at practice tomorrow."
"You too." I said. Snowfall transferred the bottle to his mouth and took off with a mighty burst of his wings. Just like that, I was left alone in front of the fancy Prench restaurant, which would soon be getting ready to shut down for the night. I stayed there for a while, leaning against the cold alabaster stone, watching busy ponies walk past me in the lamp-lit night. I knew Mom and Dad would still be awake to ask me how the night with my teammates went. I grumbled as I remembered that Dad asked me for an autograph from Hoofrocket, but there was no way I was going to embarrass myself yet by asking for something like that.
Eventually, I finally managed to pull myself away and take off in the direction of my home. Even after such an eventful night, all I could think about was my conversation with Hoofrocket after we left. The season started in three weeks, and our first opponent was the Fillydelphia Zeppelins. They were coming to Manehattan, so we would be playing them with a home-field advantage. Still, their defense was supposed to be tough, so it would be a challenge.
Rock and Snap would get to play with their teams, too. I wondered how all of my friends were doing. We wrote each other, but I was missing real conversation with them. I needed to talk with them, and to catch up with Bronze. My new friends on the team were great, but I had been missing my academy friends more than ever. Somehow, having my parents living in my apartment with me had only amplified the feeling of homesickness.
But, after tonight, that wasn't quite the feeling I had as I flew home in solitude. For a split second, I caught myself wishing I had worn the stupid necklace.
> Chapter 4: Week 1, Fillydelphia Zeppelins at Manehattan Equestrians
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Goooooooooooooood morning fillies and gentlecolts! Welcome to Manehattan's premiere early morning talk show, Mornings with Mic!" This is your host, Amped Mic, and I'm here this morning with who many ponies are predicting to be the future of hoofball here in the big city; The Manehattan Equestrians' own, Gaius Strongtalon! How you doin' Gaius?"
"I'm doing great, Mic." I replied as calmly as I could. There was a sea of radio equipment and a pane of glass between me and the charismatic radio host, and the microphone I was speaking into was much bigger than the one that had been used to interview me at the Draft. All of this combined with the knowledge that thousands of ponies were currently listening to me made it hard to treat the interview like a casual conversation like I had been instructed to. Despite the pressure, I tried my best to stay calm and collected.
"So, just three days from now, you and the rest of our beloved Manehattan Equestrians will be starting the new season of hoofball in your own city against your bitter division rivals, the Fillydelphia Zeppelins. All of Manehattan is buzzed about this event, Gaius. Tickets to the dome are sold out. Equestrians merch is selling like oat cakes. Fans are out waving team flags in the streets! I'll bet you're getting mobbed out of the sky on your way to practices!"
"It has been pretty crazy. Fans in this city have a huge love for this sport, Mic."
He smiled at my comment. "Indeed they do! But my question to you now, Gaius, is how do you handle the immense pressure that's been put on you to be the big downfield threat that the Manehattan Equestrians need? How confident are you in your abilities as a rookie to be a big part of this offense?"
I cleared my throat, trying to find the right wording for my answer. "The pressure is... definitely there. What's really helping me, and will help me through this season, is that I'm not the only threat downfield. Marathon Iron and I are really partners in that aspect." And really only in that aspect.
"Fans are really expecting this offense to be different from last year. What are some of the key differences you've seen during practice that really make this offense shine when it comes to new team additions such as yourself and Marathon Iron?"
"Hmm... I think the biggest difference is that with more receiving talent, we have more potential with multi-pronged offensive strategies. We can run more routes and give Hoofrocket more options. And you know Hoofrocket, options are all he needs."
Amped Mic grinned wide at my comment. "That he does. He's not Manehattan's hoofball darling for nothing! That being said, how have you been getting along with our star quarterbuck? Any juicy tidbits you have for everypony listening this morning?"
I scratched at my chin. "What can I say? He's a nice guy, keeps his muzzle clean. Worst dirt I have on him is that he uses up too much hot water after practice. He really is everything the hoofball magazines make him out to be."
Amped Mic seemed a little disappointed at my lack of gossipy details, but he kept the ball rolling.
"Well, we all know you're going to be facing what's supposed to be a tough new defense in Fillydelphia, so we're all wondering how you're planning on dealing with such a formidable wall. Especially when it comes to the cornerbuck Net Weaver and, of course, Manehattan's former defensive MVP, Hard Stop."
"I'm honestly kind of excited." I said with extra enthusiasm. "Facing something of that caliber as my first exposure to an EHL game is pretty steep, but it gives me a chance to prove myself. We've been training tirelessly on offense to prepare for the defense we'll face three days from now, and I say bring it on."
"And how! We're almost out of time for this first slot, but I have one more important question before we go. Gaius, what do you have to say to the haters and nay-sayers? To the ones who think Manehattan wasted a draft pick on you, that you'll crumble from the first tackle, that a griffon has no place on a team who's logo isn't an emblazoned shield?"
Wow. That hurt a bit. Regardless, I sat tall and mustered all the confidence in my voice that I could.
"Let them talk. I'm pretty good at proving ponies wrong."


[o==o]-------[o==o]


This was it. After all the practice, aches, pain, and sleepless nights, hoofball season was finally here. And with it came our first game of the year against Fillydelphia. Against unicorn quarterbuck Carrier Saint and what promised to be a shiny new defense with newly signed defensive talent and a young, hungry coordinator at the helm. Throw in the fact that both teams were heated rivals competing in the EHL East, and you had one of the biggest games of opening weekend.
We were in the locker room. Even deep within the Manehattan Dome, we could hear the roar of the crowd traveling down the entry tunnel and reverberating through the structure around us. The stadium had completely sold out. There were almost 70,000 ponies in the stadium waiting to cheer us on, desperate for Manehattan Equestrian hoofball. My wings were harnessed, my pads standing solid underneath my light blue and deep violet jersey, the sides and back emblazoned with STRONGTALON and my number 11. This was no practice jersey, this was the real deal. And I would be lying if I said it didn't feel awesome. I was holding my helmet in the crook of my foreleg, clutching the facemask in anticipation. My teammates were kneeled around me, filled with the same eagerness. Snowfall was to the right of me, and our star tight end Hightower sat to my left. All of our attention was focused on the same empty spot at the front of the locker room while the impatient roar of the crowd outside rumbled through the walls around us.
The hooting and yelling started when Head Coach Playmaker walked through the door and stepped to the front of the locker room. He was an aging maroon stallion with a formerly stark black mane and tail that had mostly faded to gray. He raised a hoof, and the commotion calmed down. Now, I may have been an EHL rookie, but I knew all too well what was about to happen. With our season starting with a home game against a bitter rival, we were about to get one heck of a speech from our coach.
"Gentlecolts," he started with a confident smile. "Here it is. This is what we've been waiting for. Waiting months for, practicing weeks and weeks for. We're here, boys."
There were some whoops at his words, a few from me. He continued.
"Now across our fine stadium in the visiting locker room is a team that has come to our turf with the sole goal and expectation of humiliating us in our own city."
This line was met with boos and insults from the team, followed by a few laughs. Coach Playmaker raised his hoof for silence again and we all obeyed, aside from the rambunctious crowd outside.
"But, my question to all of you is, are we going to let them?"
The entire team shouted out a simultaneous "No!"
"I said are we going to let them?" Coach Playmaker exclaimed again.
"NO!" The team started hooting and pounding their hooves. The scene reminded me of the Vanhoover Academy locker room before the Academy Championship, but with even more passion. Hoofball was these ponies' lives. It was our lives; I was shouting right along with them. We were a team, and this team was less than five minutes away from stealing the show in our own stadium. We were tired of waiting; we wanted blood. But we would have to wait a bit longer, because the coach wasn't finished.
"Well then it looks like we're going to have to play to win tonight, boys!" More cheering, then more relative quiet. "Now, when I look at this locker room, I see a huge collection of talent and determination. But I also see something more. I see a brotherhood. I see a family.
"You care about one another, and you stand on that field together! If anypony doubts you, then you don't hesitate to show that pony why they're dead wrong! Defense!" Coach turned to left side of the locker room, which had a larger number of our defensive players. "Where's Terror Sack?"
The dusty violet pony in question stood up. He was our outside linebucker, and the pony we were counting on to replace Hard Stop for the season. He was big; not massive like an offensive linepony, but tall, hard-muscled, and scarily strong. He had unmatched physicality, but many questioned whether his field sense and technique could truly match that of Manehattan's last defensive star.
"I'm right here, coach." He said with an intimidating snort. Coach Playmaker narrowed his eyes.
"There are thousands of ponies in those stands that may or may not believe in you tonight, son. They're still mourning the loss of Hard Stop to the enemy, as are we all. They may not think that you can carry your weight. They may think that you'll be unable to get past the enemy's line. They might think that you won't even touch their quarterbuck. That Carrier Saint will get off this game without a scratch! They probably see you as a cheap substitute, how does that make you feel?"
Terror Sack gave a sound that I could only compare to a snarl. "It excites me, coach."
"Why is that, son?"
Terror Sack stamped. "I get to prove a stadium full of ponies wrong!"
"Yes you do!" Coach jabbed a hoof at him. "I'm depending on you tonight, Terror! You gotta put pressure on Saint no matter what! I need you to use every ounce of hate, doubt, and determination you've got and channel it into putting their quarterbuck on the ground! Do you hear me?"
"Yes sir!" Fog was fuming out of Terror Sack's nostrils. I quietly reminded myself to never get on his bad side.
"Now where's Endgame?" Coach asked.
Endgame was our free safety, and had evolved into the defacto leader of our secondary since the last Equestrians safety, Propeller Crash, had retired at the end of last season. He was a mid-sized but solid Black Earth pony with a charcoal mane and tail. He was typically reserved, always staying quiet while acutely observing his surrounding with his piercing red eyes. As a safety, his job was to cover anyone or anything that wasn't covered by the other defensive players, or more honestly by Searing Shock, our number one cornerbuck. He was, literally, our last line of defense.
"Yes, sir?" He asked.
"You've got a lot on your plate tonight. Carrier Saint likes to pass it long, and his receivers will do anything they can to make it past you. You have a lot of defensive players in that secondary that are going to be looking to you for leadership. Can you handle it, son?"
Endgame's demeanor never changed. He just nodded. "Not a problem, coach."
"Alright. Now that brings us to the twins. Where are those two boys at?"
Stalagmite and Stalactite both stood up from the small sea of blue and violet jerseys. Stalagmite was a defensive linepony, one of the imposing defensive players that lined up against the opponents' offensive line. Meanwhile Stalactite was our middle linebucker, which made him the de facto captain of the defense. They were both tall and strong, the former slightly more so than other other while Stalactite was a bit more agile. They sported slate gray coats and light blue manes that blended with their jerseys. They specialized in tearing apart offensive lines and and runningbucks, as well making the jobs of every pony on the opposite side of the fields much more difficult than they needed to be. Stalactite had the distinct responsibility of calling every defensive play for the defense from our defensive coordinator, making him the epicenter of communication. The fact that they'd both ended up with the Equestrians was a miracle, and they had worked in perfect parallel with Hard Stop last year. We were now hoping that they'd do the same with Terror Sack.
"Right here, sir," Stalagmite said.
"You two have one job tonight." Said Coach. "You go out there and make that offense miserable. I want to see the quit in their eyes, I want to see them lose hope. I want to see them running routes and options with the sole purpose of avoiding you two as much as possible, understand? Make them play around you, right into the secondary's hooves."
They gave wicked grins. Stalactite spoke up. "We can do it, Coach."
Coach Playmaker nodded. "A lot ponies have the audacity to say that this defense is 'crippled'. We're going to prove them wrong." He turned back to Coach Red Lightning, our defensive coordinator. "Aren't we?"
"You'd better believe it." He said with a smug smirk.
Coach turned around and regarded the left side of the locker room.
"Now, offense." Coach gave a dramatic pause. "I've got a lot to say to you all before we go out there, but... I think 'Rocket can say it all better than I ever could. Take the spotlight, son."
Coach Playmaker backed out from his limelight while Hoofrocket stood up to take his place in front of us. A steady chant of "Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!" rang out until he raised his hoof for silence.
"Boys," he started. "We're here. We got another season to make count, so let's make it count. We've got a rival team in the opposite locker room getting ready to march out onto our field, and they think they're going to take it from us. Our offense is going to have a full day taking on their shiny new defense, but that's all we've been preparing to do for the past month, isn't it? Why shouldn't we be ready?
"Now where's my offensive line? Let me get the tight ends, too."
Twelve players in total stood up, although only five lineponies and two tight ends would likely see the field tonight. They were also very tall and directly in front of me, so they blocked my view of Hoofrocket.
"I'm gonna keep this simple. We're dealing with a tough front seven today, including Hard Stop. If he's in my face all night giving me one dirt bath after another, we won't get much done. I need your protection. Keep them off of me."
"You've got nothing to worry about." High Impact snorted. "He won't touch you."
"No, he won't." Bucking Oak, our right tackle, spoke with finality. Since he and Impact were the right side of our offensive line, they would be the ones dealing with Terror Sack all night. It was a tall order, but looking at them now, it was hard to imagine they wouldn't manage. 'Rocket gave a curt nod.
"Good. Marathon Iron!"
M.I. was a few ponies to my left. Hoofrocket's gaze focused on him as he rose and the ponies in front of him went back to the floor.
"You know a lot of the ponies we're going to be across the field from today. I'd never doubt your loyalty, but I have to ask this question right now. Are you ready to show Filly what an Equestrian can do?"
"Absolutely," Marathon Iron responded. He said it with conviction, absolution. Even I couldn't doubt him.
"Alright. And speaking of receivers, where's the new guy? Gaius Strongtalon, griffon kid wonder, where are you at?"
I stood up so that my head was visible over Halberd Flash, our starting left tackle, who was kneeling in front of me. When Hoofrocket saw me, he put on a mischievous grin.
"I've liked this kid's spirit from day one. Gaius, you're a part of an elite EHL receiving core now. I need you to show their defense what you're made of. Make their cornerbucks hate you, make their safeties scramble like newborn fillies. A pony that can guard Marathon Iron can escape any cornerbuck, even Net Weaver.
"So I need to know now, Gaius, are you up to it? Are you ready to really be in the EHL? If you say yes, that ball's coming to you at least once. Probably a whole lot more than once."
This was it. My lifelong dream ever since watching my first ever Hydras game with my father in Fivehead Field back in Vanhoover. As if on cue, the crowd outside erupted with a mix of cheers and boos at what could only be the Fillydelphia Zeppelins making their entrance.
"I'm going to be honest with you, 'Rocket," I said as calmly as I could while the rest of the locker room went silent, leaving the presence of the hoofball audience outside almost maddening. "If I were a betting bird, I'd say I'm the most ready player in this room right now."
The cheers from my teammates around me rivaled even the 70,000 hungry fans outside.


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


The crowd went insane as our team burst through the paper Equestrians Bannister and onto the field. I'd been in big games before, sure, but the sheer amount of ponies in the seats of the stadium made me feel small and insignificant, even though I was a huge part of what they were all cheering for. Mom and Dad were in there somewhere, but picking their faces out of 70,000 was a total impossibility. And for once, it was too loud to hear Dad's embarrassing cheering.
After parading around the field, we took our spots on our sideline. I was situated on a bench close to Hoofrocket, Tremor Blitz, and my fellow receivers. I finally got a good look at the Zeppelins on their sideline, with their intimidating gray and orange jerseys. Factories in Fillydelphia made most of the airships used in Equestria, hence the name.
The scene around us was chaos. Playmaker, Red Lightning, and the rest of the coaching staff got their magical headsets up and working while water ponies and sideline staff got ready to help the players with towels and refreshments. Our cheerleading squad was already on the field, composed of a group of lovely mares decked out in bright and flashy cheer uniforms and pom-poms in the sky blue and deep violet of the Equestrians. They took advantage of the white-hot crowd by doing acrobatic tricks and flips to keep the energy going strong. At one point, a pegasus mare flew above her fellow cheerleaders and did six midair loops in a row before free-falling back into their waiting hooves. If I was being honest, the feat was as impressive as any hoofball play I'd ever seen. It put any academy cheerleading stunt I'd seen to shame.
Up in the stands, security pegasi and unicorns remained vigilant, in case a fan decided to rush on to the field in the middle of a game with either hooves or wings. It happened fairly regularly, but it was almost always stopped in time. Security in hoofball stadiums took their jobs pretty seriously. To keep unicorn magic from being a factor, all of the game balls and uniforms for players, workers, and refs alike were warded. Towards the north end of the stadium, a team of unicorn ponies stood at the ready by the giant scorecards, waiting to record the points scored by either team. Below that was the giant time cards, which would show how much time was left in each quarter of the game.
Officiating ponies were all over the field, at the sidelines, and even in the air around us, dressed in the black and white stripes of refereeing uniforms. They all wore their own magical headsets, some of which even connected to speakers throughout the stadiums. There was one room packed into the stands where a team of unicorns managed all of the communication equipment, keeping things flowing smoothly. Also clustered with the control rooms were the radio boxes, where different radio ponies and hoofball announcers would be covering the game live. This was the first game of the season for both teams, so almost everypony in Equestria was sure to be listening. Magazine sales would be through the roof tomorrow, too, as highlighted by the masses of journalists and photographers littering the edges of the field. Thankfully, the security around the sidelines kept them and the radio interviewers from getting anywhere near us or the coaches, at least until the game was over.
Before long, a small group of players from each team left the sidelines to meet in the middle of the field with a referee for the bit toss. The field itself is one hundred yards long (one hundred twenty, counting the two end zones) and just under 54 yards wide. The field is covered with specially grown turf grass on top of a solid base of packed dirt, designed to give ponies' hooves (and griffons' talons) maximum traction. For every ten yards, there's a white line painted on the field. From the end zone, the numbers go from 10 to 20, all the way to fifty in the direct center of the field before then declining.
After exchanging hoofshakes, the referee explained the rules of the bit toss, which was very simple. Fillydelphia was the visiting team, so they got to call heads or tails. Whoever won the toss could decide if they wanted the ball kicked off to them first, meaning their offense had a chance to score right out of the gate, or, they could decide to let their defense take the field first.
Fillydelphia called heads, and the ref sent the bit flipping into the air before it came back down and landed in the grass. It was tails, and we decided to receive the kick. The referee's voice resounded through the speakers to let the crowd know the result, and he got an ovation in response. Our offense would be on the field first; offense meaning me. But before we could get to work, we had to receive the kickoff.
Every hoofball game starts with the kickoff. The hoofball is set up on the field near the end zone of the team that was kicking, and the team's kicker will send it to the opposite side of the field, where the opponent's special teams is waiting. The returner catches the kicked ball and proceeds to run it down the field while the special teams around him try to guard him from the opposing players that try to tackle him. When the returner is brought down, the point he's brought down at is where the offense has to start. Unless, of course, the returner brings it all the way into the end zone for a touchdown. In that case, the ball is just kicked off to the opposing team and the cycle starts anew. From there, the quarterbuck and his offense takes the field and gets ready to drive the ball.
Our kick returner was Marathon Iron. Since he was fast, maneuverable, and experienced, he was a perfect pick for the position. They'd considered me, but went against it based on my lack of special teams experience in academy. Gleaming Lance always returned kicks in Vanhoover. Ponies on our sideline began scrambling as we sent our special teams on the field. I wasn't a part of the returning squad, but Snowfall was, and he left his seat beside me to get in position. Coach Playmaker started barking orders in his headset that connected to the headset in Marathon Iron's helmet, letting him know exactly what the play was. It was then up to M.I. to rally the players around him.
Both teams lined up on their respective sides of the field, then the whistle sounded and Fillydelphia's kicker, Hoofswinger, let loose. He galloped full steam ahead and swung his right hind leg in a vertical arc at the hoofball, slamming it into the sky right off of its kicking tee. As soon as the ball was airborne, the defending team began charging forward. On the other side of the field, M.I. positioned himself to catch it. As soon as it was in his hooves, everypony around him charged as well.
What was in actuality a sport seemed more like a war. Ponies crashed into each other as our special teams did all they could to protect Marathon Iron as he weaved his way down the field. Marathon caught the ball at about the ten yard line, and eventually went down at the twenty-eight. The overwhelmingly pro-Manehattan crowd roared in approval, and I hopped up off of the bench with Hoofrocket and the rest of the offensive starters as we rushed on the field to take our positions.
Several of my teammates and coaches clapped me on my pads and helmets as I ran, doing their best to cheer me on and get me hyped, as if I needed help in that department. The line of scrimmage was set at our twenty-eight yard line, and it was time to go to work.
We all got in our huddle as the roar of rabid fanponies continued to assault our ears. My pads and harness were secure, helmet on, talons guarded. This is what I lived for. Hoofrocket turned back to Coach Playmaker to give a signal, then knelt down to call out our play.
"Alright, Coach wants us to start strong, so that's what we'll do. Iron, you'll probably be getting double coverage, so let's take advantage of that. Gaius, I need you open. Can you handle that?"
"No problem." I answered. he nodded.
"Then let's go."
Hoofrocket called out the play, then we broke and got in formation at the line. The ball was sitting perfectly on the line of scrimmage, tenderly placed by a referee. The first down line was marked by triangular flags on both sidelines ten yards downfield. We had four downs to make it there against Fillydelphia's defense in order to be given a fresh set of downs. I was in the slot, closer to my team on the right side of the field. M.I. was out far left. As Hoofrocket predicted, there were two ponies in position to guard him, one of which was Net Weaver, the Zeppelins' star cornerbuck and one of the best pass defenders in the league. Iron had his work cut out for him. Hard Stop was behind the defensive line to the far right, looking every bit as big and intimidating as Terror Sack, maybe even more so. The cornerbuck assigned to me was about five yards behind the line, staring a hole through me. I knew the reality, this was supposed to be a tough defense we were challenging.
The offensive line got set while Metalmane, our center, got ready to snap the ball to Hoofrocket. The pony in question was calling out matches to his line, getting everypony in position for the play. The crowd was buzzing, waiting for the first play of what had promised to be a new, explosive offense.
"Ready? Set, hike!"
Bodies collided as I bolted from my position and started my route. My cornerbuck kept a fair distance, trying to predict where I would move. He seemed to respect my speed, though, and never made a move too aggressive. He expected me to dart past him if he got behind me, which is exactly what I would have done. I knew I couldn't just depend on him to make a mistake. This wasn't academy, the pony guarding me was a pro. Part of me wanted to let loose, try and rip past him and just book it towards the end zone, but that wasn't the plan. I reached the optimal point in my route, the sweet spot I had practiced so many times over the past several weeks. I knew exactly what to do.
I turned around to see Hoofrocket's pass already coming towards me. I quickly set my paws and extended my talons to catch.
The cornerbuck came in at blinding speed. While he had initially been several paces ahead of me, he had somehow closed the distance and stuck a hoof in between my talons, knocking the ball away before I could catch it. Incomplete pass. The clock stopped, and both teams began to reorganize as we shifted to second down. The enemy cornerbuck gave me a cocky smirk as he jogged back to his team. I had failed to catch the pass, so we hadn't gained any yards. But more importantly to me, I had failed my first catch attempt in the EHL.
The clock restarted. We had forty seconds to snap the ball and start the play, or we would be penalized. I dragged myself back to the huddle a couple of my teammates gave me reassuring clops on the helmet.
"Happens to the best of us," I heard Snowfall say. The noise from the crowd had depleted a bit. They weren't fans of what they just saw. Their hotshot rookie griffon had just gotten thoroughly beaten.
"Good try, Gaius. It happens, don't dwell on it." Hoofrocket's stare bore into me. "You'll get another chance, just stay focused. I still need you."
"You've still got me," I said as confidently as I could. I looked to my left to see Marathon Iron staring daggers at me through his facemask. For the first time, Hoofrocket didn't seem to notice. 
"Okay, we're going to try something different. Hightower?" We looked over at the tight end, built like a brick wall with shoulder pads.
"I'll be ready." He said.
"Good. Let's roll."
This play centered around Hightower, with me as a backup just in case. The goal was a short pass to Hightower over the D-Line so he could punch through the secondary and get the first down, although that would count on Hard Stop fully committing to getting to Hoofrocket and not shifting focus. As a tight end, Hightower usually blocked with the offensive line, but could also serve as a receiver. And that's exactly what we needed him to do now.
We lined up again, the cornerbuck that blocked me last time was lined up directly across from me. He was Brown with a red mane, his jersey sporting the number 46 and the name "Cinnamon Fire".
"Welcome to the pros, griffon." He spat. I growled.
Metalmane snapped the ball. I ran my designated route, the cornerbuck not dropping his guard on me. I arrived at my sweet spot and turned around for the pass that might have been heading towards me.
There wasn't a need, as Hightower had gotten through and caught the pass. I immediately turned my attention to blocking my cornerbuck from making a tackle on Hightower.
But before we could even connect, I heard a crash behind me. Hightower had been tackled by Hard Stop, who had adjusted his path after the short pass, before he could make it to the first down. Hightower may have been big and strong, but against Hard Stop that apparently didn't matter. The poor stallion had been steamrolled. But that wasn't what caught my attention; after getting tackled, Hightower had dropped the ball. It was live.
The crowd cried out in horror. I sprinted, there was a Zeppelin player less than five yards from the ball and I was almost double the distance away. My talons pounded at the turf as I watched the linebucker dive for the live ball, the rest of both teams converging around it. If the ball was picked up by the defense, it would be theirs. Their offense would take the field dangerously close to our end zone. I lunged, throwing my entire body recklessly at the hoofball. Right before the linebucker could wrap his hooves around it, my talons enveloped it and pulled it away as I tumbled down the turf. A ref's whistle blew as he signaled that the ball had been recovered, even though it had bounced back and we had only gained about four yards.
The clock started again and there was a quick huddle as we all worked out the next play. It was now third down. After getting hit and subsequently helped up by Hard Stop, Hightower had been benched and replaced with our second Tight End, Rush Rider; an almost equally burly pony with a light blue complexion. After everyone was in the huddle, Hoofrocket turned to Marathon Iron.
"M.I., they have double coverage on you. Can you get open?" He asked.
"Yes." He said, not a shadow of doubt in his voice.
We lined up again, in a similar lineup to the last two plays. Their defense looked like it was converting to zone, so I wouldn't have a cornerbuck on me alone. But the only way I would get the ball this play was if M.I. couldn't get open. With both Net Weaver and another cornerbuck on him, that was a very real possibility.
The ball was snapped and we were off again. I ran a nearly straight route, pounding straight through the zone, fairly open. But the ball never came my way. Marathon Iron was in the middle of his two cornerbucks, Net Weaver's number 31 and the other cornerbuck's number 44 concealing his own 82. But still, Hoofrocket threw down left field. Net Weaver was all over him, there was no way...
M.I. climbed the imaginary ladder. He and Net Weaver both leaped, leaving the second corner in the dust. M.I. twisted in the air and clutched the ball to his heart, wrapping it in his forelegs. Then he fell back to the earth, letting Net Weaver fall on top of him. The crowd roared. First down.
Marathon Iron had caught the ball on the forty-four yard line, we were almost in Zeppelin territory. M.I. and Weaver both picked themselves up and exchanged hoof bumps as we formed another huddle. Everypony made sure to congratulate Iron on the catch, myself included. Our new offense had finally pulled one off.
I was benched for the next couple of plays because they were given to Blockbuster, our star runningbuck. When doing a running play, a receiver's main role is to block, unless it's a trick play like the play I did near the end of the Academy Championship. Since I'm not nearly as strong as I am fast, even after putting on some extra muscle in the past few months, I was substituted out and Hightower was put back in. Upon making it to the sideline, I was given a few congratulations for recovering the fumble and a cup of water that I downed immediately. Coach Long Haul gave me some advice for beating out cornerbucks due to my incomplete pass, but it wasn't anything I didn't know already. I had just failed to perform.
Back on the field, Blockbuster's runs got a first down within two plays, much to the dismay of Fillydelphia's defense. After Blockbuster got us to Fillydelphia's forty-two, I was pulled back in as we shifted back to passing. Hoofrocket called another huddle as Coach gave him the low-down through his helmet headset.
"We're going deep. Iron, Gaius, Snowfall, 'Tower. I need all four of you ready. Let's get some  yards and at least get in field goal range."
"Let's do it," Hightower said.
"Go." Hoofrocket stamped the ground and we all got up and took our position. The play we were running had the four of us eligible receivers all on the left side. The defense shifted frantically to match our lineup. Metalmane snapped and we all took off.
I angled farthest to the right. This put me in a zone to be most likely covered by a linebucker, and I liked my chances if that happened. I kept my route angled until I was on the right side of the field, then I bounded down and got ready for the pass.
Unfortunately for me, Net Weaver was covering me. He was galloping like mad, matching my pace. The safeties were further downfield, covering Snowfall and M.I., the latter of which having escaped his cornerbuck. Hoofrocket let loose, the throw was to me. It was far, but I slowed down, leaping instead of rushing, doing anything I could to throw Net Weaver off. But I had to watch helplessly as he matched me and jumped directly in between me and the ball, catching the pass that was meant for my talons. Interception. The ball was theirs.


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


After the interception, our defense had to take the field.  I sat down between Snowfall and Hoofrocket while Carrier Saint and the Fillydelphia offense began to set.
Snowfall patted my shoulder. "I'm gonna get some water. Be back in a sec."
He got up and trotted off. Hoofrocket shook his head.
"It's my fault, you were covered. I should have thrown to Marathon."
"No," I said glumly. "Your pass was perfect, I should have caught it." The noise in the stadium increased as Manehattan cheered on its defense. Terror Sack almost got a sack on Carrier Saint, and Searing Shock deflected a pass.
Coach Playmaker trotted up to me and Hoofrocket. Coach Lightning was calling the plays on defense, which gave Playmaker some room to talk to his players. He looked at me with a determined expression.
"Gaius, I don't know what else to say, son. You have to get open. You were the fastest receiver in the Draft, you have to shake these corners if we're going to have a chance."
The crowd yelled in frustration as Fillydelphia's runningbuck scored a first down.
"I will, Coach." I said as confidently as I could. "I'm not done yet."
"I hope not. Let's get to it." Coach continued down the benches to encourage the rest of the offense. I tried to keep my head held high, but I could feel my heart sinking deeper and deeper into the pit of my stomach. It had been up to me to move the chains, and I had failed not once, but twice. How had my first offensive drive in the EHL been so unsuccessful? I'd played right into Net Weaver's hooves.
"Sucks, doesn't it?" Hoofrocket said after he drained a cup of water.
"What?" I asked.
"You're going through what most rookies go through. The realization. It's worst for the hotshots, the ones who are top of their class in Academy. They come here and get slapped in the face by the pro leagues."
I felt irritation brewing in my chest. "What do you mean?"
"You were a beast in Academy, right?"
"Yeah, I guess?" I said carefully.
"No guessing to it, you were. Now you're facing ponies who are used to dealing with entire teams full of the level of talent you exhibit, and you're already having doubts. I know what you're thinking, you're wondering how you're getting beat, why you're suddenly not good enough."
I just stared at him. He threw his cup down and turned towards me, harshness suddenly in his eyes.
"Well it's time to stop." He scoffed. "Do you know what your real problem is?"
"Um..." My mind filed through a thousand different answers, but none of them was what Hoofrocket said next.
"Stop trying to be somepony else." He said sternly.
"What are you talking about?" I asked, anger suddenly surging within me.
"Stop trying to be Marathon Iron. I saw you jumping for that catch like you were trying to get an apple out of a tree. You did that because it worked for M.I., and because you missed your first catch, didn't you?"
My anger deflated. "Yeah... I guess so."
"There's no guessing to it. I don't need one and a half Marathon Irons. I need a Marathon Iron and a Gaius Strongtalon. I've seen you at practice. You don't care about being flashy, you don't worry about how you're going to outmaneuver your corner, you just leave them in the dust and put everything you have into the catch. That's what I need."
"I..." I started. He cut me off.
"You're worried about what these ponies think of you. Well stop trying to prove them wrong." He grinned. "Just be you and make them feel stupid for ever doubting you."
He put a hoof on my shoulder. "Fancy weaves and leaping catches isn't what got you to the EHL. Stop trying to play like a pony. You're not. You never will be. What you can be is the fastest, dirtiest, ugliest griffon they've ever seen, and they'll be terrified of you."
The crowd was cheering again. Fillydelphia had managed to make it to our twenty-yard line. They were on their fourth down and, from the looks of it, were about to attempt a field goal. The cogs in my head turned and turned, until they finally locked into place. Hoofrocket gave me that signature grin.
"Sooo..." He said teasingly. "What play are we running when we get back in there?"
I grabbed my helmet. Filly was setting up for the field goal. It was time to get back to work.
"Throw it deep." I said. "And throw it ahead of me. Even farther than last time."
Hoofrocket slipped his helmet on. "That's more I like it."


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


Fillydelphia scored a field goal. They were three points ahead. M.I. caught the kickoff and returned it to our thirty yard line. We were now lining up at the line of scrimmage. I was away from the rest of the offense. As such, I had double coverage. Net Weaver was covering M.I. and the other corner was on me, one lined up directly across from me with a safety behind him ready to join the fray. I felt the feathers bristling on my back. It was showtime.
The snap. I took off running at full speed, leaving my corner in the dust. I kept it up, forcing the safety to run behind me as I slipped into left field. I slowed down a bit, the safety on my six. I looked over my shoulder to see Hoofrocket throwing right before Hard Stop broke through and tackled him. The ball was going far, most would call it overthrown. But for me, it was perfect.
I put everything I had into my sprint. My defender was falling behind even at his top speed. I bounded at a blinding pace until I had put myself in perfect position, catching the ball over my shoulder to the ovation of the crowd. With the ball in my right talon, I was now running three-legged. I got a few more precious yards before the second safety cut me off and forced me to step out of bounds at Filly's twenty-seven yard line. The crowd erupted as we established our presence on the opponent's side of the field. I threw the ball to the nearest ref and gladly accepted the hoofbumps and helmet clops from the rest of my team.
"That's how you do it!" Hoofrocket said with a huge grin as we got in the huddle. "Now, the big question. Think you can do it again?"
Excited conversation rose up around me.
"Oh yeah, I can do this all night." I said.
"Then let's go." He said. He turned around and flashed a signal to Coach, then he called the play.
This time I was back in the slot, closer to the team. M.I. once again assumed the star position. But the ball wasn't going to him, at least not if I did my job. I had double coverage again. This time, however, they were set downfield, expecting another long pass. I looked back at Hoofrocket and made eye contact. He looked out at the defense's formation and nodded. This was going to be good. I stared at the corner that had insulted me earlier. 'Welcome to the rookie leagues', I thought.
The ball was snapped, I ran slightly forward, then made a hook and made my way closer to Hoofrocket. He immediately lobbed the ball my way as the offensive line began to form a wall in front of me that imposingly moved to the right. The defense began surging forward to meet me as I started downfield.
But for them, it was too late. I was already surging forward. I had two corners and a safety  between me and the end zone, but I also had Bucking Oak and Hightower to block. We were running a screen play, and it was working beautifully. Snowfall ran ahead to block the last unaccounted corner as I ran down right field.
Hightower blocked the first corner no problem. Snowfall only managed to temporarily trip up the second, but it was just enough for me to avoid him. I put on the jets and hugged the right boundary line as the safety charged towards me. Then I temporarily slowed down while I prayed for him to make the obvious mistake. He did.
The safety went for my legs as he converged on me, and I easily hurdled him. After that, the rest of the defense was either adjacent to or behind me, and none of them were close enough. Net Weaver was trying to close the distance, but even he wasn't fast enough. I had fifteen yards between me and the end zone. I ran with everything I had, trying to leave a trail of fire down right field. They were close behind me, but not close enough. The noise was almost loud enough to blow the roof off of the Manehattan Dome as I ran into the end zone. Touchdown.


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


Photographers and interviewers crowded around me on the field. We had won the game 27-20. Marathon Iron and I had each scored another touchdown, and the defense got a pick-six, scoring a touchdown off of an interception. After the game had ended, both supposed bitter rival teams entered the field to congratulate each other in a sign of good sportsmanship in an EHL tradition. Of course, this also gave the media ponies an excuse to barge in. At the moment, there were too many microphones in my face to count, and dozens of ponies were asking me different questions. This was definitely something Academy hadn't prepared me for.
"Gaius, how did you recover after the first drive? What changed as the game went on?"
"Gaius, do you think your griffon athleticism was the key to your performance here tonight?"
"Do you think that Hoofrocket is the league MVP quarterbuck?"
"Gaius, how did you complete that screen play touchdown? Was that play added to the book during the offseason?"
"Gaius, what is the secret to your way of playing?"
The last question caught my attention. "What? Who asked that?"
"Me." I turned to see a cute hot pink mare with a silver mane in a reporter's hat holding a small microphone.
I smiled at her. "Repeat the question, please?"
She cleared her throat. "Gaius, what is the secret to the way you played here tonight, how did you overcome this elite new Fillydelphia defense?"
I caught a glimpse of Hoofrocket, surrounded by just as many reporters as me, if not more. I turned back to her microphone.
"I have the best team in the Equestrian Hoofball League, and the best quarterbuck."
The reporter mare arched her eyebrow mischievously. "And do they have the best receiver?"
I fought a laugh. "Probably. M.I. was pretty nuts tonight. And Snowfall's a big-time player."
She gave a confused look. Another reporter took the opportunity to force himself in front of me.
"Gaius, please! After tonight, do you have anything to say to all of the ponies who doubted that you would perform well in the EHL due to the fact that you're a griffon playing for Manehattan?"
I laughed. "Not really...but I'd bet they feel pretty stupid right about now, wouldn't you?"
> Chapter 5: Pretty White Feathers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Well let me tell you, Catch, that was not the way I thought that game would go down."

"Well, if you ask me, Manehattan and Filly put on what might've been the most exciting game of the whole week. And what a statement win for Manehattan, too, over long-standing division rivals at that!"

"It makes you wonder exactly how this team picked what was supposed to be one of the most intimidating defenses in the EHL apart with seemingly little to no difficulty. I just can't see a defense with the likes of Hard Stop, Haunch Check, and Net Weaver getting overrun like that. Theoretically, every asset of that defense was covered, but it wasn't enough!"

"Well, looking at the game, I think it's that beautiful receiving dream team they have between veteran and rookie."

"You're talking about Iron and Strongtalon, of course."

"Of course! Hoo-wee, that griffon kid had some spunk! To think, a rookie wide receiver getting more receiving yards in their debut game than one of the most established receiving veterans in the league? And two passing touchdowns? Unthinkable!"

"But let's not get ahead of ourselves, Catch, Hoofrocket had an excellent game as well. Although that should be expected at this point. We've heard everything the quarterbuck's said about this new receiving core, but I wasn't sure I believed the hype until now."

"Let's also talk about Manehattan's defense. This year's defense for Manehattan looked like it was full of question marks, both for the pass rush and the secondary. Hard Stop being traded away and replaced with a second-season rookie that may or may not perform at the needed level? Almost half of the defensive backs being unestablished underneath a safety that's just in his third year? That D had no reason to be as solid as it was last week!"

"The question now is, will it stay? Will that defense under Red Lightning, the Stal twins and Endgame stay solid? And, more importantly, will Gaius Strongtalon stay a devastating weapon at Hoofrocket's disposal? I'd say, after last week at least, Gaius is the most important factor of this offense the way it is now, even with the star power of Marathon Iron, Blockbuster, and Hightower. They're going to need Gaius to keep performing like he did there, preferably without the slightly rocky start at the very beginning."

"Well I think it's sustainable, so long as the kid doesn't get himself injured. If he could take that third-quarter tackle from Net Weaver and shake it off, I think the kid'll do just fine. One thing's for sure, I can't wait to see this team take on the Talons after they polished off Canterlot in week one! The Talons blowing out the Royals, you know somepony lost bits on that one!"

"I think you're getting off topic, Catch. We're still talking Equestrians and Zeppelins. We'll have to wait until week 8 for that matchup."

"Well I think it's a money matchup, Scout. In fact, with the exception of Fillydelphia, at least for now, I'd say the EHL West might be the division to watch this season. Manehattan, Griffonstone, and Baltimare with their hot new rookie QB all scored decisive victories last week, and they all look to be red hot. If you ask me, Filly's gonna need some pick-me-up for their offense in the future. I think it was fairly obvious they're hurting in the receiving department after the trade of Marathon Iron, and that rookie Slip Step that they drafted as a replacement just doesn't have the same oomph from what I can see. Just too raw."

"And we'll be talking more about that soon. For now, here's some messages from some of our sponsors. You're listening to 'Tonight in Hoofball', with Scout Combine and Perfect Catch, the premiere hoofball analysis and radio talk show in Equestria..."




[o==o]-------[o==o]



The sound of my talons hitting the sidewalk of the city was somewhere between a clack and a scratch. My Equestrians hoodie was hood-up, concealing almost the entirety of my head, forelegs, upper body, and wings. Sure, my beak still poked out and my flank was as exposed as a quarterbuck with no o-line, not to mention the hoodie added another level of stuffiness and heat to the already warm summer morning, but it was pretty much necessary.
A single garment of clothing may not seem like it would conceal an identity very well initially, but when you're in a city full of ponies that are always in a rush even in the earliest hours of the morning, it usually suffices. Practice was in forty-five minutes, and I was content on getting a morning jog in to stretch the legs before I waltzed into my home stadium and proceeded to run my body ragged for the next several hours.
Ever since our win over Filly, my fame in Manehattan had gone from crazy to absolutely insane. It was extremely unwise for me to walk anywhere in the city exposed right now, unless I'd start a mob. Even with concealment, my cover had been blown a few times. And every time it was, it was a real chore to get away, even with the advantage of wings.
After I made it through the crosswalk, I kept a steady pace as I jogged towards downtown. I passed a few ponies, but none of them paid me much attention. They were too busy getting to work, the early morning markets, or with completing their jogs like me. Eventually, I came to a stop at a street corner and rested while ponies and cab carriages rushed past me. 
After the game, my life had gotten even busier than before. It seemed like every radio host in Equestria wanted an interview with me, and the Equestrians' PR team was getting bombarded with requests for my presence. And not just from local hosts like Amped Mic, either. From what I'd heard, even Scout Combine and Perfect Catch had displayed interest in having me. The single biggest hoofball broadcast in Equestria wanted me! Either that, or Hoofrocket was pulling my leg. Both were easily possible.
As I rested by the street post lost in my own thoughts, foolishly out in the open. I felt a single tug on my hoodie, right underneath my right shoulder. I jerked, then turned to see a dark yellow colt standing on the sidewalk next to me. The first thing I noticed about him were his eyes, both in the fact that one of them seemed to have a shiner that only a good, poor-meaning hoof to the face could provide, and the fact that they both were staring at me in an expression that I could only describe as pure awe.
The second thing I noticed was what he was wearing. It was an Equestrians jersey, and not just the cheap replicas sold at every hoofball merch shop. This was one of the expensive perfect-replica jerseys that were only available at licensed Equestrians merchandise outlets, sold in all sizes from mare to stallion to colt. Not only that, but the jersey the foal was wearing happened to have the number 11 on it. My number.
"Uh," I started. But before I could get anything else out, the colt started shaking, almost as if he was being reduced to a trembling spell. Then he started bouncing up and down.
"I KNEW IT, YOU'RE GAIUS STRONGTA-" I quickly shushed him. Thankfully, nopony around seemed to notice. I leaned down and whispered to him.
"Quiet, please, alright?" I asked. He nodded, but continued bouncing with unbridled excitement.
"I knew it was you! I was there at the game last week, I saw you! You're the greatest hoofball player ever!" His eyes went wide and he used a hoof to pull at his fan jersey. "My dad got me this after we left the game! I'm your biggest fan! When I grow up, I want to be a Manehattan Equestrian just like you!"
I couldn't stop the heartfelt smile from spreading across my beak. This was hardly the first young fan to freak out in my presence, but it always felt so heartfelt coming from them.
"Thanks, buddy. If you work hard and give it your best, you can make it. Just don't give up." I went to ruffle his mane, but stopped, suddenly perplexed with a question. "Hey, what happened to your eye, kid? Looks like you got in a fight."
Surprisingly, he lit up like a Heart's Warming Tree. "Oh, I did! There are these mean guys across from where I live that like to make fun of me. Yesterday, they saw my new shirt and told me that you shouldn't even be playing for the Equestrians since you're a griffon! So I told them they were full of Crabapples! Then..." His voice trailed off as his expression and tone switched more to that of... disappointment. He didn't notice, but the color was draining from my facial feathers.
"Then we fought and I lost. But it was two-on-one! That's not fair, right? I'm sorry I lost, mister Strongtalon, but I couldn't let them just get away with saying that!"
I just stood there for a second while traffic continued to go by, unaware of our presence. I reached out a talon and put it on his shoulder. "Listen, kid. Don't feel like you have to defend me, okay? Don't go getting yourself hurt over that."
He looked up at me again, seemingly on the verge of tears.
"But they're wrong! They shouldn't get to say that! Who cares if you're a griffon?"
"Hey, hey," I said gently as he calmed down. "Don't worry about that. I promise that what two bullies think won't affect me getting to play hoofball, alright?"
"I know, but..." He started.
"But nothing. Now do me a favor and try not to get into any more fights, okay? Especially when you're outnumbered." I winked, but he still didn't look satisfied.
"I guess..."
I scratched my chin, then smiled. "Tell you what, if you promise not to get in any more fights, I'll sign your jersey."
That did it. He was suddenly reanimated with the same excited, bouncy energy as before. "Really? Okay, I promise!"
Luckily, getting hounded for autographs was something I was used to, so I kept a pen in my hoodie pocket. I signed his jersey right on the eleven sewn onto the side, much to his delight.
"By the way, kid, what's your name?"
"Sunflower Stalk!" He said excitedly. "This is so cool! I'm gonna show Dad as soon as I get home! Thank you Mr. Strongtalon!"
"Call me Gaius." I balled up my talon and gave him a hoof-bump. As I did so, I caught the gaze of a pony on the opposite side of the intersection, staring at us. As we made eye contact, his face lit up with realization.
"Whoops. Gotta go, kid! Listen to your Dad and stay out of fights for me, okay?" But before he could respond, my wings had popped out of the allotted holes for them in my hoodie and I had taken off, already headed to the stadium. I was glad to meet Sunflower Stalk, but something in the pit of my stomach made me uneasy about the encounter. I silently hoped that he wouldn't encounter the same bullies on the way home with his newly-signed jersey.


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


I slung my wing harness off and threw into my locker, the whole motion seemingly laze due to the aching in my body. Once again, practice had been brutal. My temporary soreness made me wonder how I used to able to hang with my old friends for hours after Academy practice. All I could think of right now was a shower and an eventual nap. As I stretched my wings out, I heard somepony walking up behind me.
"What's up, Gaius?" Said a familiar voice. Hoofrocket. I turned to see my quarterbuck with a towel draped around his neck, coat still damp from his recent shower.
"Not much. Brutal day."
He laughed while I took off my pads. "Nah, surely not for you." He slung his towel in an empty bin and trotted over to his locker, which was relatively close to mine. "It sure was fun to watch you juke Fleahopper out of his horseshoes today."
I chuckled. Fleahopper was our strong safety, the direct counterpart to Endgame. He'd been covering me during a drill today and, well, let's just say it didn't end that well for him.
"Yeah, he tried, Celestia preserve him." I stood up off of the bench and stretched the rest of my body, alarmed when my back cracked from the strain. "Phew. That's probably healthy, right?"
"If it's not, I'm in trouble," said Hoofrocket. He swatted his locker closed. "So, we've decided that even if it's a few days late, we want to celebrate Thursday's win."
So that's what this was about. "Yeah, I heard. Claspwing's, was it?"
He grinned. "Yup, that's the place. Tonight at eight. You coming?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I don't know. I don't really... drink, you know?" Claspwing's was a well-known restaurant in the city, but it was also a notorious bar and social club. Nothing like Le Merveilleux.
He clopped me on the shoulder. "You don't have to. And if anyone on the team tries to pressure you into it, I'll tell 'em to lay off. Promise."
"Well, hate to give into peer pressure, but since it's from my quarterbuck..."
"Great. Remember, eight o' clock. And I'm not paying this time." With that, he walked out of the locker room. I sighed and made my way to the shower room. Partying was in store for later tonight, but all I cared about at the moment was hot water. And a nap.



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



Did the team go out to a restaurant every time they wanted to celebrate something? Granted, this was a far step below a fancy Prench restaurant, highlighted by the fact that I literally wasn't wearing anything, but the similarities were still very present. And why was I always only notified the day of? I got stopped a few times on my way to the restaurant, but still managed to make it on time.
It was already getting dark when I arrived. When I landed by the front door, Hightower and Snowfall were out front taking pictures with two tourist-looking ponies decked out in floral pattern shirts. Hightower, like me, was wearing nothing while Snowfall was sporting a simple but expensive-looking black jacket. As I approached them, the tourists suddenly turned their attention to me.
"Ooh, honey! That's the griffon that plays wide receiver!" said the pink mare with the giant bouffant-styled yellow mane.  her husband, a middle-aged stallion with a white shirt, red visor and goofy mustache trotted up to me excitedly with his camera hanging by a strap around his neck.
"Excuse me, sir, would you allow us to take a photo with you? Some pictures of us with professional athletes such as yourself would do wonders for our vacation scrapbook!"
I was well equipped to deal with ponies asking for pictures at this point. I smiled politely and nodded. "Sure."
They trotted to either side of me and wrapped their forelegs around my neck. The husband pressed his face so close to mine that he practically buried it in my feathers. He held his camera out in front of us and smiled widely.
"Three...two...one...smile!"
The flash went off blindingly and the camera spit out the picture, which was developed within seconds.
"Thank you very much mister..." He stared at me awkwardly in a silent cry for help.
"Gaius," I responded as politely as I could.
"Oh, of course!" He laughed awkwardly while his wife tucked away the photo in a pocket on her saddlebag. "It's just, we're not the biggest buckball fans this side of Equestria. But we still recognize talent when we see it, by Celestia!"
"Hoofball, dear."
"Oh, right honey, hoofball! Well, uh, anyways, good luck in your next game, gentlecolts!" With that, they were off, and Snowfall was by my side.
"Ah, tourists. They're a special breed, I tell ya."
"Yeah," I replied sullenly. "They don't even know who you are. All it takes for them to care is to know that you're famous."
"Well, welcome to the high life." He wrapped a wing around me and ushered me to the door. "Come on. Most of the others are already inside."
Claspwing's was no Le Merveilleux, but it definitely had an atmosphere. Most of the inside was dominated by the restaurant, a big collection of booths and tables, and a large wraparound bar that could easily sit twenty ponies. The leftmost area of the building contained an open floor for dancing and a section of small tables for socializing. It also contained a DJ booth, where a coltish stallion wearing a shirt and tie and designer sunglasses (a bit odd in the dark lighting of the restaurant/club) slaved over his pegboard and speakers droning out upbeat music at an acceptable volume.
Most of the restaurant used mahogany similar to the last team restaurant experience I'd had, but this venue traded out stunning white marble and gold accents for stark black paneling, creating a more cozy, hangout sort of vibe. I whistled softly.
"Not bad, right?" Snowfall grinned. "Just wait. At 9:00 it's gonna get crazy!"
"What happens at nine?" I asked.
"Duh," Snowfall scoffed. "The club opens and happy hour starts!"
Upon a second look, I noticed aside from the DJ working in the booth, there wasn't anypony else in the dancing area or open seating. A few of my teammates, including Hightower, were stationed at the bar apparently getting an early start on the night. But aside from them, the rest of the team was nowhere to be found. Right before I could ask Snowfall where our table was, he turned and began steering me towards the back of the restaurant.
Half of the team must have been in there that night, from both the offense and the defense. The staff had pushed three tables together in an effort to sit everypony, and there were more than a few restaurant goers that were staring at the mass of muscles and mane products sat in between their booths. Hoofrocket was naturally the first one I noticed, flanked by High Impact and Fleahopper. The latter looked up at me and gave me a grin. He was tall and lanky with a gray coat and a long, deep brown mane.
"What's up, Strongtalon? Didn't know if you'd make it."
"Hey, Hop. No hard feelings about today?"
"Nah." He waved a hoof. "Sometimes a facemask full of turf is just what you need to keep your ego in check. No blood, no foul. Besides, I'll get you back by drinking you under the table tonight!"
"Cool," I said as non-awkwardly as I could. By this point, Tremor Blitz had noticed me from the other side of the table and was waving me over. As I approached, I noticed a pretty deep violet mare sitting between him and Halberd Flash, the left tackle. I also noticed that Tremor had his foreleg around her. Now that I looked, there were a few mares present at the table; Blockbuster, Metalmane, and Stalagmite all had girls seated next to them as well.
"Well if it isn't the kid wonder himself! Good to see you again!" Tremor gave me a hoof bump as I took my seat. He then gestured to the mare sitting beside him. "I'd like to introduce you to my marefriend, Blackberry Rose."
She reached across and held out her hoof. I shook it as casually as I could.
"It's nice to meet you. Any friend of Tremor's is a friend of mine." Her voice was very attractive. Honestly, she was very attractive. I had to fight the urge to stare at her. While I tried and failed, she continued. "I was at the game last Thursday. You're a very exciting player to watch."
"Uh, thanks." I said. Tremor seemed to catch me staring, but thankfully misinterpreted.
"Does she seem familiar? She's a model. Worked with the best designers in the city! Flashy Frills, Coco Pommel, Diz-"
"Oh, he exaggerates," she said, cutting him off. "I highly doubt I'm the well-known face around here. After all, nopony stopped me on my way to the restaurant."
"I'm not the one who's exaggerating here, babe," he said with a challenging smile. But, he let it drop. "Anyways, nice practice today, Gaius. You killed it."
"Thanks, you too. 'Rocket better watch his step, the offense may need a new face."
"Don't let Hoofrocket hear you say that," Snowfall said as he took the empty chair next to me. "You've got a good thing going as his favorite, don't ruin it for yourself."
"What?" I asked. Tremor Blitz shook his head.
"Eh, just ignore him. He's just jealous."
"At least I see the field, Tremble." Snowfall replied.
"Oh, those are fightin' words, Snowdrop!' Tremor replied. Before long, the two were leaned over play-scrapping directly in my personal space. While I tried to avoid stray hooves, Blackberry Rose just lightly laughed and rolled her eyes. Hoofrocket eventually reminding them that they had to order sometime tonight finally made them laugh it off and bury their heads in their menus. Right when I opened mine, I heard somepony clear their throat from across the table. I turned to see Searing Shock looking at me.
Our star cornerbuck was a pony of smaller stature with a light green coat and a shocking (no pun intended) turquoise and yellow mane. I raised an eyebrow.
"Just letting you know, Strongtalon, tomorrow you're showing me how you made Hop eat the turf today. If that ever happens to me during a game I'll be too embarrassed to ever step hoof on a field again."
"I'm right here, you know," Fleahopper said with mild irritation. I could tell both Hoofrocket and High Impact were doing their best not to laugh. Unlike me, they actually held it in. As I finally got to look at my menu, I came to a realization. My team was full of total goofballs. Even so, they were all pretty cool.



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



The food was more than serviceable, and for the next hour we all sat, ate, and socialized as more teammates showed up from the bar to the table. More than a few times, the conversations were broken by fans approaching and asking for pictures and autographs, which we readily provided. Throughout the whole affair, the music continued to play from speakers stowed all around the restaurant, not too loudly but not quiet enough to fade to background noise, either. As the night drove on a buzz in the air began to settle in, palpable energy and excitement for the restaurant's closing and the night club's opening; from everypony there aside from me.
"Tell you what, Gaius," Snowfall said as he wrapped a wing around me just a couple of minutes before nine. "Your first drink is on me! What're you getting?"
"Oh, uh..." I carefully grabbed his wing and placed it back against his side. "Thanks for the offer, man, but... I don't drink."
"Really?" He asked, seemingly dumbstruck. I felt a few more teammates' gazes turn to me, but nopony said anything. After a few seconds of pondering my answer, the fellow receiver shrugged. "Alright man, whatever. If you change your mind at some point tonight, let me know."
"Thanks," I said. And I meant it. I caught Hoofrocket dutifully watching us, ready to interject at any moment. I made a mental note to thank him as well.
My teammates slowly rose up and walked away from the dining area towards the club as the seconds to opening ticked away, gaining more attention on the way as guests that hadn't been seated in our area realized that there were celebrity personnel in attendance. Eventually, Tremor, Snowfall, and I rose up and joined the crowd.
The opening of the night club section was signaled by the DJ dropping a new track and kicking up the volume. On cue, everypony hit the bar for happy hour until you couldn't see the poor bartenders anymore. From the frequent camera flashes, I got the impression that several more of my teammates were getting recognized. Hoofrocket and Marathon Iron especially seemed to be having a hard time trying to order drinks between pictures and autographs. Turned out, I wasn't immune either, as shown by two mares about my age in showy clubbing outfits having their eyes go wide after seeing me at my remote table.
The next hour and a half was filled with loud electronic music, flashing lights, cheap drinks, and a lot of dancing. Several of my teammates hit the floor after getting their fill from the bar, some with their dates and some with mares they'd met just sitting around. Tremor Blitz and Blackberry Rose were especially fun to watch on the floor; their dancing was an elegant yet energetic mix of swoops, leaps, and twirls. At one point, Tremor began break dancing right at the beginning of a beat drop and cleared a circle on the floor for him to spin repeatedly upside-down on his head. When the music switched to a more mellow bridge, the whole floor gave him applause for his efforts while he made a big deal of swooping Blackberry off her hooves to signal the resuming of casual dancing.
Eventually, Hoofrocket, drink in hoof, walked over to my table to sit next to me in comfortable silence. While both of us sitting together meant a steady number of ponies coming over to meet us, it was nice to have somepony to talk to while my other friends were busy dancing with their marefriends or pounding down drinks.
"Hmm..." 'Rocket said after a sip. "You know, I'd figure you for a dancer, considering how nimble you are. Why haven't you cut up the floor yet?"
"I'm alright," I said, my talon absentmindedly tracing the rim of my sparkling cider glass, which was completely underwhelming after my last night out. "I guess I'm just not feeling it tonight."
"Well, maybe getting some blood pumping would get you feeling better, but it's your call."
I nodded, taking another sip. Tremor and Blackberry were still dancing, and Snowfall was still sitting at the bar. I'd lost count of how many drinks I'd seen him put away. I started wondering what he would look like hungover at practice tomorrow. A few tables down from us, Marathon Iron had the attention of three attractive mares that were hanging on his every word. It gave me flashbacks to our night out that was almost ruined by Periwinkle and her entourage. Tremor and Blackberry dancing together suddenly reminded me of something.
"Hey, 'Rocket?" I asked.
"What's up?"
"Why didn't you invite your wife here tonight? Not trying to pry or anything, but..."
"Eh," He swirled his glass. "Dazzle Jewel's a pretty quiet pony, this isn't her scene. It's not mine either, to be honest. I just go because I know the boys want me to."
"Fair enough," I said, satisfied. Any further conversation was cut off by an approaching mare with a red and white-striped mane wearing a daring club dress. She looked a few years older than me, and had a different aura than the rest of the ponies that had approached us tonight. She had an almost predatory look in her eye, and she was staring right at Hoofrocket.
"Hello, boys. I'm Peppermint Swirl," she said in a mature, sultry voice. While the color drained from my face, Hoofrocket casually responded.
"Good evening, Peppermint Swirl."
"Mmm, the hoofball darling of Manehattan himself. It's a pleasure to meet you." The tone of her voice alone made my entire face heat up, but Hoofrocket didn't even flinch. Impressively, though, she was undeterred. "So, handsome, care for a dance?" She held out her hoof, but Hoofrocket didn't move.
"Sorry, miss, but I'm a married stallion. I'm flattered, though."
The mare's expression and voice shifted to that of indifference. "Oh, my mistake then." She turned to me, and her gaze seemed to turn to something akin to light consideration, but after a couple of seconds she turned away. "Well then, have a good night."
After she left and I put a considerable amount of effort into not eyeing the flank retreating to my left, I turned to Hoofrocket, who had just nonchalantly gone back to his drink.
"You alright?" He asked, his eyes slightly amused. "For a second it looked like you were gonna pass out."
I gave a light nod. "You handled that fairly well. You get a lot of that or something?"
"A fair amount. I mean, I make a living playing a sport where I'm lined up against a bunch of stallions twice my size that get paid to try and bulldoze me. Compared to that, mares are pretty easy."
While he spoke, I noticed the mare had moved herself to Marathon Iron's table, much to the apparent distaste of the mares he was conversing with. However, unlike Hoofrocket, M. I. seemed very interested by the current...erm, situation.
As the music pumped on, Hoofrocket clicked his tongue. "So, rookie, you just gonna hang out at this table alone all night?"
"I might," I said indifferently. Honestly, at that point I was considering just heading home.
"Not gonna be a very memorable night if you just sit here."
"I could say the same for you," I challenged.
He shrugged. "I told you why I'm here. Why are you here?" He took a drink while he waited for my answer.
Why was I here? I was an okay dancer, sure, but I hadn't touched the dance floor so far tonight. I didn't drink, I'd already eaten, and Hoofrocket was the only one paying any attention to me right now. Was he telling me to leave? Wasn't he the one who invited me in the first place?
Seemingly reading my expression, he put his glass down. "Hey, I'm not telling you to get out, I'm just saying you might want to have some fun while you still can."
"I don't know." While I debated just heading out, I saw Tremor Blitz and Blackberry Rose heading towards our table. I could tell they were tired after all of that dancing; both of their coats were sheened with sweat. Blackberry's black and purple mane, which had been carefully and elegantly fixed, was now loose and showing light hints of frazzles.
"Whew!" said Tremor, wiping off his forehead. "That was fun, wasn't it?"
Blackberry nodded. "It's been a little while since we danced like that. We should do it more often."
They both took a seat next to Hoofrocket. Blackberry looked at her coltfriend sheepishly.
"Darling, would you mind getting me a drink? I need to cool off."
"Coming right up," he said enthusiastically. As he got up, he looked at me and 'Rocket in turn. "You guys want anything?" After we shook our heads, he took off for the bar. Blackberry sent a hoof through her mane to try and soothe it back down.
"Are you alright, Gaius?" She asked. "Pardon my prying, but you look a bit lonely over here. You and your quarterbuck, both."
"I'm just here for moral support. I'll be fine. But, I think my friend here is sad that he doesn't have a dancing partner."
While I turned glare daggers at him, Blackberry's eyes got bright. "Ooh. I'd love to see you dance, Gaius, but I'm afraid I'm a bit worn out at the moment. Maybe give me five minutes and a drink and get back to me."
"No, it's fine. Quarterbucks are natural liars." I gave said quarterbuck another quick glare. "Actually, I'm thinking about heading out. Thanks, guys, this was fun."
"Are you sure?" Blackberry asked sadly. "Well, alright then, goodnight. Maybe we'll see you some other time."
"Yeah, sure." I got up and began walking away. As I did, I saw Snowfall and Halberd Flash heading for the table I'd just left, High Impact seemingly in tow.
My mind wandered while I walked away from the dance floor. When it came time to turn and head for the doors, I instead found myself turning in the opposite direction and heading for the bar. I couldn't really explain why, maybe I didn't really feel like leaving after all? Maybe I just felt too lame for trying to leave while all my teammates were having a good time? With a light sigh, I took a seat at one of the barstools. A bartender pony saw me and trotted up dutifully.
"Can I get you anything, sir?"
I took a brief look at the menu. My curiosity glimmered and I considered trying something alcoholic, but I just wasn't in the mood for experimentation.
"I'll just take a virgin sparkling cider if you don't mind." I said.
"Certainly." All he had to do was reach below the counter and slide a door to grab a cold bottle. Then he grabbed a glass and poured me a gracious portion.
"Thanks," I mumbled as he set it down in front of me. He nodded and turned back around to continue washing the used glasses.
I wasn't sure what I had expected from that night, but it sure hadn't been much so far. The only one I'd gotten to talk to past dinner was Hoofrocket, and he'd seemed as out of place as I was. I didn't even know why I was still in the building. I started regretting not just leaving as soon as the dining area closed down. Even from where I was sitting, I could hear some of my teammates talking loudly at the table I vacated over the music. I was really starting to miss Bronze and the gang, letter just weren't the same as them being here. As it always did when I got to feeling low or bored, my mind was suddenly fixated on the letter and necklace I'd been trying hard to forget. I angrily rubbed my temples. I started to give trying alcohol a second thought.
I heard a seat pull out to my right. Looks like Snowfall caught a glimpse of me and felt sorry for my lonely, feathery hide. Unfortunately for him, I wasn't really in the mood for socializing. Plus, he was probably drunk. The bartender turned around and approached him with the same practiced smile he'd given me.
"What'll you have tonight, miss?" He said politely. Miss?
"Canterlot sunset, please," said a satiny-smooth feminine voice. I turned slightly to see the mare sitting beside me.
It wasn't a mare. Instead, it was the most gorgeous griffon I'd ever seen in my life. The number wasn't all that high, sure, but still. Her plumage was white with the ends tinged in black, and her head feathers fell down the side of her face reminiscent of a flowing mane. Her beak and talons were a muted yellow, her body white and dotted with black leopard spots. She was dressed in a simple but beautiful black dressed that wrapped around her body and then cascaded down the barstool. Most notably, her eyes were the brightest, clearest blue I'd ever seen. Bluer than the Vanhoover sky on the nicest, clearest day.
As the bartender made her drink, I realized I was blatantly staring. Thankfully, she didn't seem to realize, and I turned away before she looked at me. The heavy, bass-driven song that was playing ended, replaced by a more soft and instrumental track. The bartender handed her her drink, and she began stirring it with the decorative umbrella it came with. The drink was deep orange, and it reminded me of a concentrated fruit juice that I used to drink as a cub. As I watched her stir, she turned those beautiful blue eyes onto me.
"So," she said teasingly. "You're the superstar griffon that everypony's been talking about."
My heart was a jackhammer in my chest. I cleared my throat.
"Uh, yeah," I said as calmly as I could manage. "I guess you could say that."
"I think I expected someone taller," She said passively. I almost spit out my cider. When I turned to her, there was distinct humor in her expression. I swallowed.
"Haha," I said wryly. "So, what brings you here tonight?"
Well that sounded lame.
"I'm here with friends. They've been trying to get me out for a while now, and I finally gave in." She motioned behind us, and I turned to see a table near the back seating two other griffon girls. It was dark, but from what I could see it looked like they were looking at us and giggling among themselves. She continued.
"They also told me that I needed to go talk to the famous griffon hoofball player sitting at the bar looking all lonely. So, here I am."
I cleared my throat again. At this rate I would start trembling. "Sorry, but I haven't even asked your name. You are?"
"Giselle," she said with a light smile, which I returned.
"I assume I don't have to introduce myself," I said slyly. Uh-oh, did that sound egotistical? Probably.
She laughed. "Oh, I don't think so, Mr. Strongtalon. Although I might ask why you're all alone? It looks like you came here with your whole team."
Great, I thought. She thinks I'm a loser. A famous loser, but a loser nonetheless. "Well, everypony needs some peace and quiet every once in a while, you know?" Yeah, everypony looks for peace and quiet in a raging nightclub.
Her expression grew the slightest bit concerned. "So, am I intruding?"
My eyes went wide. "No, no! You're fine. Promise." I took a peek back at Hoofrocket's table, and saw everyone conveniently looking every in direction but mine. Irritation buzzed in the back of my head. Unless Snowfall broke something on the dance floor, I was going to be the talk of the locker room tomorrow.
I cleared my throat. "I uh... really like your dress." Really, that's all I had? Talking to girls had never really been a strong point of mine, which was probably why I'd never really had a marefriend. I tried to push the thought aside, that most likely wasn't a healthy thing to be thinking about when talking to a drop-dead gorgeous griffon.
"This old thing?" She chuckled. "Thank you. I like those muscles you're carrying around. You're lucky you don't have to take those off at the end of the night."
My face was suddenly on fire. She giggled.
"Aw, I made you blush. That's flattering." She took a drink. I, in all of my dignity, bowed my head and sighed.
"You're messing with me," I said. I slowly pushed my glass away and started to get up to leave.
"Hey, wait," She said. I turned and raised an eyebrow. She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm not just messing with you, you're just fun to tease. I'll stop, promise."
I contemplated for a second, then sat back down. "Okay, Giselle, may I ask what you do for work?"
"You may," she said thoughtfully. "Right now I'm a model. Nothing major, mostly minor fashion magazines, but I manage."
"Model," I said with a light chuckle. "I believe it."
The song switched again. My stomach sunk. I really just said that.
She laughed appreciatively. "Aw, well aren't you the charmer?" After I blushed again, she continued. "I'm a model right now, but I'm also an aspiring actress." She ran a talon through her plumage. "Admittedly I haven't found much so far. But I've dreamed of Bridleway since I was a chick. That's the biggest reason I moved to this city."
"Wow, really?" I asked. She looked at her drink sheepishly.
"I know, it's not very realistic. Griffons aren't in high demand when it comes to-"
"What? No, no, I think that's great. That's an awesome dream!"
She looked at me with genuine surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah, sure! Why not?"
She gave a wide smile and turned back to her Canterlot Sunset. "I don't hear that very often. Thank you."
I gave a sly grin. "You should show me."
"Huh? Show you what?"
"Your acting," I said enthusiastically. "Do a monologue or something."
She seemed genuinely surprised. "Right now?"
"Why not?" I said. She sat there for a while, then sighed and brushed a feather away.
"Alright, fine." She cleared her throat, checked to make sure there wasn't  a bartender or customer nearby, then took a long drink. Afterwards, her eyes were fixated on the drink in front of her as if it was something of profound interest.
"Oh, Hayhock! I thought you loved me, I thought you were doing this for us! Now look at us, enstranged! Our children have never been in more danger, and you tell me to be quiet! What happened to our family, what happened to your priorities? Mama Bell is gone, and you act like you don't even care! I'd even say you wouldn't care if something happened to our children! So tell me nothing's wrong, tell me I'm wrong! Lie to me again, see if I won't take our children and go back to Trottington! No, don't touch me! Leave me alone! When we're gone tomorrow maybe you'll finally wake up and see how wrong your priorities really are!"
She had to talk loudly since the DJ had mixed into a ferocious new track at the beginning of her monologue. But even so, her voice poured out emotion. By the end of it, I could even see a tear beginning to form in her eye. As she gently wiped it away, I slowly and politely clapped in response.
"Wow," I said, dumbstruck. "That was amazing!"
She took another sip. "Oh, shut up."
"No, I'm serious! That was amazing! You're amazing!"
She coyly raised an eyebrow at my wording. I gave a fake cough and tried to fight off the new blush creeping up my facial feathers.
"Uh, that was Hinny of the Hills, right? Orchid Belle?"
She looked surprised again. "Yes, it was. That's always been my favorite play. My dream is to play Orchid Belle in Carneighgie Hall." She gave a small, disheartened laugh. "I know it's a longshot, though. Can you imagine a griffon Orchid Belle? There would be riots in the streets."
"What? Why not?" I said, a slight hint of anger in my voice. She gave me a soft look.
"It's fine. Anyways, it's your turn now."
"What?" I said, confused? "My turn for what?"
She agilely hopped out of her seat. "Your turn to show me what you can do! Surely, anypony who can play hoofball like you knows how to dance." She held a talon out to me. "So show me."
I stared for a few moments longer, then got out of my seat. What the heck, why not? I took her talon and we were soon making our way to the dance floor.



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



An hour later and we were both thoroughly exhausted. I had met both of Giselle's friends, Gemma and Gwendolyn. There was a fair amount of teasing when Giselle had lead me to their table to meet them, but now we were once again relatively alone. I wasn't oblivious to the fact that my entire team had been watching me the whole time we were dancing. I was in for a rough next week at the stadium.
"Well, Gaius, I have to say, you dance almost as well as you play." She laughed again as she tried to fix her plumage back in place. The sound made me happy.
"And you're as good of a dancer as you are an actress," I said fondly. "You were born for the big stage."
"Thank you, Gaius. This has been fun." She turned to look sadly at her two friends waiting at the door, giggling among themselves. "Unfortunately, it looks like it's time for me to go."
"Well, uh..." I clacked my talons against the ground nervously. "Would it be alright if we met up again sometime this week? You can pick the place."
"That sounds wonderful," she said sullenly. "But I have a photoshoot in Baltimare this week. I get on a train tomorrow."
"Oh." I scratched the back of my head, hoping she wasn't trying to let me off easy. "Maybe... next week?"
"Hm," she brought a talon up to her beak in thought. "I think that'll work. If you have time."
"Oh, I have time. We have an away game at Tall Tale this weekend, but I'll be back on Tuesday. We can go any night after that."
"Sounds good." She gave a smile. "Well, I have to go, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Gaius. Don't be a stranger."
"Hey, wait!" I said right as she turned away. "Uh, would you mind giving me your address? So I can mail you?"
She gave me a teasing look, but turned around to the barkeeper. "Excuse me, do you have a pen somewhere?" When she handed me the napkin with her address on it, the letter back at my apartment was probably the very furthest thing from my mind.
> Chapter 6: Week 2, Manehattan Equestrians at Tall Tale Dreamers
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

'Just ignore them,' I repeated to myself in my head. 'Just ignore them.'
Metal weights clanged against their iron holders and safety catches and made dull thuds as they were unceremoniously thrown on the tarmac floor, mixing with a cacophony of masculine grunts as stallions strained against the heavy plates and dumbbells. Though there was upbeat music from the radio playing through speakers overhead, it couldn't drown out the symphony of high testosterone around me.
I was in the Manehattan Dome's player gym, surrounded by my offensive teammates and legions of expensive-looking gym equipment. My weekday mornings always started with a tough workout and team meetings before we all took the field for practice. I did my absolute best to focus on pushing the metal handles away from my chest, struggling against the weighted pulleys that turned the otherwise simple task into strenuous exercise. Unfortunately, it's hard to focus on working out when three of my teammates are right next to me, staring at me like vultures.
I strained as I managed to almost push the legs up for the very last rep, but a tiny snicker from Snowfall made me lose concentration just long enough for my chest muscles to falter and send the weighted pieces clanging back to the rest position. I groaned and turned to my left.
"What!?" I asked him impatiently. He just kept glaring at me with the same wicked amusement. Him, Citrus Sprint, and Tremor Blitz had just been standing around me all morning, saying nothing but implying everything. It was normal for the quarterbucks, tight ends, and wide receivers to all work out together; Hoofrocket, Hightower, Midnight Eclipse, and Blitzing Wing were all near us in the gym, too. But unlike the three that had been pestering me all morning, they were actually working out like they were supposed to. The only ones that were missing were Marathon Iron and Rush Rider, our third tight end. Marathon Iron had an unbecoming habit of working out by himself in his personal gym rather than with his team, against our coach's preferences. Rush Rider, on the other hoof, was sick with the feather flu. We hoped he would be better in time for our game with Tall Tale.
My annoying friends wouldn't answer me, but I knew exactly what this was about; Giselle. The whole team had watched me mingle and dance with her at Claspwing's, and I had prepared myself for a day of relentless teasing. Somehow, though, this had ended up being much, much worse. I sat up on the machine, trying to stretch out the now-sore muscles in between my front legs.
I glared at Snowfall again. "Are you gonna use this thing or not? You're supposed to be too hungover to pester me today."
"Hmm," Tremor Blitz finally broke the agonizing silence. "Tell you what, Gaius, I'll take a few reps. When you finally tell us everything about that pretty griffon you spent last night with."
Despite my best efforts, I could feel my face getting heated. Even my pitch-black and bright orange facial feathers wouldn't be able to hide the blush that resulted. "What's it to you guys?"
Citrus Sprint finally spoke up as I hopped off of the lateral press and Tremor took my place. "I think Tremor's just jealous that somepony finally upstaged him the dance floor. That being said, I never knew you were such a ladykiller, rookie. First, all those mares follow you into Le Merveilleux, then a week later you're dancing with a griffon lady in a nightclub."
Snowfall started snickering again to my right. I tried to keep my voice cool and even as I responded. 
"There's nothing to tell. We met at the bar, we talked, we danced, we both went home. Separately." I fought the urge to faceclaw as I added the last word with a bit too much emphasis. Neither Snowfall, Sprint, or Tremor looked satisfied, the latter making a big show of just sitting on the machine and doing nothing, waiting for more details. But the voice that answered me didn't belong to any of them.
"Sorry, kid." Hoofrocket approached us with a towel draped over his shoulders, which at this point seemed to just be his natural look. He had been watching us all morning from a distance. Thankfully, he hadn't done anything to annoy me yet, but he hadn't intervened, either. Looks like he'd finally made up his mind as to which side he was on.
"You don't get off that easy. I have to say, you kinda hurt my feelings yesterday. You told me you were leaving, but instead you went to hang out with a pretty girl." Hoofrocket looked to the rest of the guys for what was sure to be their complete support. "Surely, the least you can do is provide us a few details."
I groaned. At this point I had the attention of everyone in the gym. I pointed an accusing talon at my quarterbuck. "Aren't you supposed to be on my side?"
"Oh, I am. You'll have to spill the beans to everypony eventually, Gaius. Might as well get it over with. Trust me, it'll make the locker room a lot easier to deal with today."
I relented with a defeated sigh. "Okay, okay, fine. Her name is Giselle."
Snowfall rubbed a temple, obviously still slightly suffering from his many pints last night. "Does every griffon's name start with a 'G'? He asked.
"Most of them, from what I know. Griffons are kind of-" I shook my head and groaned. "Not important. Anyways, she recognized me, I guess she thought I was cute, we talked. We danced. Uhhh... she's an aspiring actress living in Manehattan..." I started fishing for more details without revealing the information I truly dreaded them hearing. They still didn't look satisfied. As much as I didn't want to, I knew I'd have to give them something substantial so they'd let me off the hook. "She gave me an address so I could write her and then she left with her friends. That's it guys, honest. So for the love of Celestia, can you leave me alone? Please."
Some of them began looking at each other and nodding, and I had a sudden ray of hope. But one look at Hoofrocket's face quelled it. Darn quarterbucks, why were they so observant? I guess when your career depends on being able to scan an entire field of players perfectly in a few seconds, it takes a special breed of focus. I shot him a quick pleading look in complete desperation. To my amazement, his gaze softened, until he hit me with a look with that said 'fine, but I'm coming back for you later'. I'd take it. Unfortunately for me, he wasn't the only quarterbuck in the room. And while Tremor Blitz wasn't quite as perceptive as 'Rocket, he still had the ability to read me better than most ponies.
"Nope, sorry Gaius. You're still hiding something." He smiled cruelly. "I told you, I wanted to hear everything."
My body deflated. Even with Hoofrocket backing down, I had lost. I looked up at my teammates pathetically as I grinded my teeth in irritation. "You guys are actually the worst, you know that?"
Tremor shrugged. "Hate us all you want, but we're not going anywhere until you confess, and neither are you. Besides, it'll be a lot easier if we're spreading the details later so you don't have to get cornered by everypony on the team in the locker room."
As frustrated as I was, I had to admit that he had a point. There wasn't a point in trying to lie with two pro quarterbucks staring me in the face, so I just got it out as quickly as I could: "We're going on a date sometime next week."
The mood of the room completely changed. My teammates had immediately gone from interrogating me to whooping and congratulating me. As improbable as it seemed, I hated it even more.
Hightower surged forward to put me in a headlock and mercilessly ruffle my head feathers. "'Atta boy, Gaius! Way to go get 'em!"
"They grow up so fast," Tremor said nostalgically as he mockingly wiped a fake tear from his eye.
Snowfall trotted up to me with an annoyingly large smile as I pushed away from our bulky tight end. "Now was that so hard? Now tell me, where's your first date, Casanova?"
I tried my best to swallow my rapidly-rising irritation. "Don't know. We didn't decide. I have to write her first."
"Aw, don't worry Gaius." Tremor sat up proudly on the lateral press, which he still hadn't used at all. "As your resident love expert, I'll happily volunteer to help you write your first letter to your special somepony... or... ya know, somegriffon."
I glared daggers at him. "Absolutely not. And she's not my special somegriffon." I couldn't help but blush slightly as I continued. "At least, not yet."
This raised more lighthearted laughter from the team, deepening my embarrassment even further. Thankfully, Snowfall must have finally decided that I'd suffered enough, because he turned on Tremor Blitz.
"I'll admit you have a pretty marefriend, Tremor, but wouldn't 'Rocket and Hightower be the resident love experts here since they're actually... you know, married?" He pointed a hoof at the backup quarterbuck. "I'm afraid you don't earn that title until you've popped the question."
I turned to Tremor, happy to finally have somepony in the embarrassment spotlight other than me. His reaction, however, wasn't one I was expecting. His eyes darted away and the faintest hint of red crept up his face. He managed to recover fairly quick, but it was too late. And if I had noticed, it was a forgone conclusion that 'Rocket had, too.
"You're not!" Hoofrocket's tone was accusatory, but his face was full of excitement. The tension and excitement in the room grew and grew as more of my teammates realized what was happening. Citrus Sprint slammed his hooves against the lat press machine in a hurried attempt to get right in Tremor Blitz's face.
"Are you going to propose to Rose!?"
Everypony in the room turned on Tremor like hungry timberwolves. After a lot of excited chatter, he finally managed to shush everyone enough to get a few words out.
"I don't know! I've just been considering it!"
Hoofrocket raised an eyebrow. "Just considering? That's a bit disappointing."
There were rising levels of chatter from all of us until Tremor finally relented.
"Look, I've just been thinking. 'Berry and I are really happy right now. Things have been going real good. But... I guess I just don't know if she's all that serious about me. I mean, we've been together several months now, but I'm hardly the first pony she's dated. She is a model, after all."
"And you're just a pro athlete," I said dryly.
There were a few laughs at my comment, but Tremor's ears pinned back. "Yeah, but I'm just a backup, and that's all I'll be as long as 'Rocket's here."
"That has nothing to do with Blackberry Rose," Hoofrocket said sternly. "Do you love her, Tremor?"
The pony in question sat and wrung his hooves. "I mean..."
"It's a simple question. Yes or no?" 'Rocket's eyes narrowed.
Tremor sighed and looked away. "Yeah, I do. I really do."
Hoofrocket noticeably perked up. "Then that's all that matters. Now, I expect you to start working on one heck of a proposal. We've got to set a good example for Gaius, after all." He turned and gave me a wink. I begrudgingly felt all of the eyes in the room slowly turn back to me.
His face then suddenly got serious. "And in the mean time, I certainly shouldn't need to explain that Blackberry Rose doesn't need to hear anything about this conversation from anypony present, right?" My quarterbuck looked over each of us in turn. "Because if any of you sorry bucks spill the beans to our dear friend's soon-to-be fiancé, you'll have me to deal with. Am I clear?"
There were plenty of wide eyes nods at his comment. He gave a seasoned look of satisfaction. "Good. Now, in case you've all forgotten, the point of being in a gym is to work out, and I haven't seen much of that from some of you today." He gave a curt look to Snowfall and Tremor Blitz. "Be a shame if coach Playmaker found out some of us were messing around in his gym, wouldn't it?"
As everyone finally got back to business, I couldn't help but be impressed. Hoofrocket had effortlessly controlled the room; not from fear or blackmail, but from respect. Not even Bronze had garnered authority like that back in Vanhoover. I tried to imagine an entire locker room shutting up just from me raising a talon, but all that came to mind was everyone laughing at my efforts to be tough.
Snowfall broke through my fantasizing. "You know I expect a detailed report of that date next week, right?"
I turned back to him and leered. "Aren't you supposed to be working out?"
He laughed me off as he finally made his way over to a treadmill. I sighed as I made my way over to the free weights. I'd be lying if I said I didn't like my teammates, but they were a lot to handle sometimes.


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


I tapped the tip of the quill repeatedly against my beak. Nothing. Nada. Absolutely no ideas. I was sitting on a barstool at my apartment's kitchen counter, deep in my third attempt of the day to write my letter to Giselle. It had gotten late, Mom and Dad were already asleep in the spare bedroom. I rubbed my tired eyes. I had practice again tomorrow, then the next day we were leaving on train for Tall Tale. Practice had been a bit rough with everyone pestering me about Claspwing's, but ever since I got home I'd been trying and failing to formulate the letter I'd promised to write.
"Stupid brain!" I gave myself a few knocks on the head. "Write something already! I need to have this letter ready to be sent tomorrow!"
I stared at the blank sheet of parchment in front of me for a few more minutes, but no words were formed. Finally, my head slumped down to the counter in defeat.
"What am I even supposed to write about?" I complained. "Thanks for giving me you address? Thanks for dancing with me? I like your flank?" My throat almost caught on the last sentence. Yeah, definitely wasn't going to write that. Maybe I needed Tremor Blitz's help with this stupid letter after all. At least Mom hadn't heard me-
"You like who's flank?" said a terrifyingly familiar voice behind me. I turned around to see my mother, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and staring at me through the doorway of the guest room. I could hear Dad snoring softly through the open door.
"Uh, nothing!" I said as I swiveled around as innocently as I could. "Uh, so, what are you doing up this late?"
Mom narrowed her eyes. "Gaius, you've been acting strange ever since you got home today. You-" her brow furrowed as she noticed the quill I held in my talons. "Are you writing something?"
"Uh, yeah, I just uh..." My mind fished around for an acceptable lie. "Just trying to take some notes over some stuff that happened at practice today. Sorry if I woke you up."
Now, my mother may not have had the scary social awareness of a quarterbuck, but she absolutely knew when I tried to lie. Her eyes narrowed and she descended upon me.
"I don't think so, young man. Now tell me what you're really doing."
Great. First my teammates, now my mother. I sighed. "Okay, fine. So you know that I went to Claspwing's last night, right?"
"Yeah, you went to a restaurant with your hoofball friends, right?"
"Yes." I tried to hide the tinge of annoyance in my voice. "As I was saying, we all went to Claspwing's last night and I... met a girl."
Mom's eyes went wide. "Really? Who? What's she like? Is she-"
"I'm getting to that Mom." I sighed again and turned back to the blank paper. "She's a griffon named Giselle. We met at the bar and-"
"You were drinking?" She raised an eyebrow that matched her disapproving tone.
"No, no!" I waved my talons defensively. "I just... oh for crying out loud, let me finish, Mom! I was sitting at the bar, drinking something that was distinctly not alcoholic, she introduced herself to me, we talked for a while, she asked me to dance, and when we left she gave me her address so I could write her a letter. That's what I'm trying to do now."
Mom looked puzzled. I raised an eyebrow.
"She asked you to dance with her in a restaurant?" She asked.
"Well..." I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "It's also kind of a nightclub."
"Gaius! You didn't tell us you were going to a nightclub!" She glared at me. This was why living with your parents sucked.
"Mom, I'm a grown griffon." I said flatly. She huffed.
"That doesn't mean I need to approve."
"Look," I said in exasperation. "The point is, I really like this girl, I'm trying to write her a letter, and I have no idea what to say. Do you think you could... help me out?"
She tapped her hoof on the floor in irritation. Finally, she gave a soft smile and walked over to the cabinets to retrieve a glass. "Well, if you really like her, try to be casual. Don't be too assertive, but also try to give her a reason to write back. If she gave you her mailing address, she obviously thinks at least something of you." She winked as she turned on the kitchen faucet.
"Well," I started. "I kinda also asked her on a date, so... I figured I needed to write something about that, too."
There was a loud clank as mom dropped her glass in the sink. She turned on a dime and stamped her hoof.
"You have a date and you didn't tell me?" She demanded.
"This happened yesterday!" I growled as I pulled at my head feathers. "Look, Mom, are you gonna help me or not?"
She sighed in frustration. "Do you know where you want to take this mare for your date. Or... griffon?"
I shook my head. "I don't know many places in Manehattan, I haven't been here very long. We already met at Claspwing's and I think Le Merveilleux would be a bit too much for a first date. Not to mention I probably can't afford it." There was also the fact that the Periwinkle incident practically gave me PTSD, so that alone made me want to avoid the fancy Prench restaurant.
Mom gingerly picked up her glass out of the sink. "Well, there's a really pretty central park here in Manehattan. Maybe you could have a picnic or something?" She smiled. "I can't remember if I told you, but one of the most romantic dates your father ever took me on was a picnic back in Vanhoover."
I scratched my beak in contemplation. "That... might actually work. But..." I sighed. "I don't know if a griffon I met at a nightclub would have any interest in a picnic. Are you sure?"
Mom turned back towards me, glass in hoof. "You asked for my advice and I gave it to you. To be honest, I don't know many places in Manehattan, either. You've been here longer than me, honey."
"Alright, fine. Picnic it is." I picked the quill back up. "There's still this letter to write, though."
"Just be genuine, sweetie." Mom finished her water and put the glass back in the sink, gently this time. "And for the record, if you're going to be dating this girl. I want to meet her. And her parents."
"This isn't that serious, Mom," I hissed. "At least, not yet."
Mom trotted back to the guest bedroom. "Good night, Gaius. You need to go to sleep, son. You have practice tomorrow." 
She shut the door behind her. I grunted and rubbed my temples in irritation. While I dearly loved my parents, I was very much hoping they'd find a new home soon. This apartment was clearly not big enough for all of us. Periwinkle was supposed to be the worst part of living here, but she was in danger of being dethroned.
With one final sigh, I finally put quill to parchment and began to write.
Dear Giselle, ...


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


"So you haven't gotten a response, yet? This griffon better not be playing hard to get." Snowfall clicked his tongue. "My little bro deserves better."
"Little what?" I said, annoyed. "I only sent the letter yesterday. She probably only got it this morning. And for the record, I'm only like, two years younger than you."
"Still counts as little." he grinned. "And that doesn't matter. She should've taken off the second she read it. If I don't find her at this station ready to fall at your hooves... or, talons, begging you to stay behind for her, this lady and I are gonna have words."
I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, man."
The morning sun shone down on an already busy Manehattan. We were just outside of Central Station, The large building that controlled most of the trains that came to and from the city. The building wasn't near as tall as most of other skyscrapers that dominated Manehattan's skyline, but it was almost ridiculous just how much ground it covered. Dozens of trains ran through the station every day, and one of them was getting ready to take our entire team to Tall Tale.
While the outside of the building had been impressive, the inside was a complete maze. The ground and walls were made of marble and stucco, respectively, with green rugs and carpeted stairs of the same colors leading to all different sorts of loading stations. My eyes widened in panic at the chaos and sheer number of ponies trying to get from point A to point B.
"Don't worry, rookie." Snowfall smiled. "I know where we're going."
I breathed a sigh of relief. In all honesty, I was glad to have him around. I seriously doubted I'd be able to navigate this place without him. We were both decked out in saddlebags with large overnight bags slung across our backs. I was simply dressed in a limited-edition Equestrians jacket that the team had given me. Snowfall was dressed more casually in a plain gray hoodie and a cap with some designer logo on it.
"Follow me." He unfurled his wings and took off, and I quickly followed suit. We flew to the giant second-floor marble balcony and down one of the carpeted halls. Once we were through, the crowd thinned significantly and we noticed a familiar group of individuals by one of the train docks.
"Hey there, griffon." High Impact smirked as Snowfall and I landed. I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Hi, Impact."
The massive guard lumbered forward, and I expected a fresh round of meat-headed jokes at my expense per usual, but instead he just pulled off his overnight bag and hoofed it out to me. I sat and stared at it.
"What?" I asked. Impact's brow furrowed.
"You don't know?" He asked. He shot a questioning look at Snowfall. "Have you not been telling this kid anything?"
I expected Snowfall to be having a similar reaction to me, but he seemed perfectly at ease.
"Not necessarily my job," He answered casually before returning to me. "You see, Gaius, on road games, rookies are kinda expected to carry the veterans' stuff for them if they ask. It's like a show of respect. You know, paying your dues."
I stared at him, dumbfounded. "You're kidding."
"Nope." High Impact answered for him, and all but threw his massive bag at me. I caught it, even at the expense of almost getting knocked over. "Thanks, rookie, means a lot." He cackled.
I watched as he walked off to talk to some of the other offensive lineponies. I stared down at the massive bag that was just dumped on me. I began to wonder if High Impact and Snowfall were just messing with me, but out of the corner of my eye I saw Setmatch, our rookie backup safety drafted after me in the later rounds, carrying four overnight bags and suitcases of his own. He was small in stature, typical of a defensive back, and he looked like he could topple over from the weight at any minute.
Eventually, I just grumbled and slung the massive bag over my back with mine. "This sucks."
"Eh, maybe." Snowfall said. "But it's all part of the EHL rookie experience. Everypony here went through it, me included."
I stared grumpily at the floor. "I guess."
"Looks like somepony learned the rookie rule." Tremor Blitz said as he approached us from behind. I turned with my snarky retort at the ready, but was met with another overnight bag tossed at me. "Means a lot to me, Gaius."
"Oh, not you, too." I huffed and slung the bag on top of the others. I was running out of room on my back. "Why is this a thing?"
"Because you youngsters need to learn respect." Tremor smirked. "Keeps your heads from getting too big."
"I'd like to think I didn't have that problem to begin with." I retorted. If I didn't practically live in a gym, I'd probably really be struggling with the weight on my back. I really hoped nopony else had a bag to give me. At least Snowfall was still carrying his.
"We just about ready?" Hoofrocket approached next, and my heart sunk. Bag number four, coming up. He must've seen my face, because he gave an amused smile. "No need, Gaius. I'm a grown stallion that can carry my own stuff. Unless you just want to volunteer for me."
I gave him an appreciative look, but was fully unaware of the giant linepony that had apparently just materialized behind me.
"Oh he volunteers, right kid?" High Impact gave me a bump in the flank that seemed much rougher than necessary. "After all, you wouldn't wanna disrespect our quarterbuck, would you?"
I was mentally calculating my chances of slashing High Impact and getting away before he bestowed his brawny retaliation. But before I could even turn around, Hoofrocket handled it for me.
"I said I'm fine, Imp. If you're that concerned, maybe you could carry my bags." 'Rocket's tone was full of poorly-concealed challenge. High Impact snorted and turned away.
"Whatever, 'Rocket. Just tryin' to make sure you're not spoiling the rookie."
I breathed a sigh of relief and turned to my quarterbuck.
"Thanks, man. Really."
He waved a hoof in dismissal. "Don't mind High Impact. It may be hard to believe, but he's got a big heart under all that meat."
"Very hard to believe." I said sarcastically. We all looked back as we heard a telltale whistle that announced the arrival of our train.


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


Now, look, I appreciate Canterlot's Princesses as much as any Equestrian-raised griffon should, but Tall Tale took it to a whole different level when it came to the Princess of the Night. While the skyscrapers in the city weren't quite as grand or numerous as Manehattan's or perhaps even Vanhoover's, they made up for it by mostly being constructed of pure moonstone. This was also the case for Night Sister's Stadium, where we were set to play the Tall Tale Dreamers tomorrow.
The unique architecture ensured the city held all of its visitors in a dream-like trance as soon as they arrived, especially if they did so at night like us. The magical properties of the moonstone absorbed Celestia's sunlight during the day and glowed with a radiant beauty throughout the night, which I'm pretty sure would probably be poetic for somepony who cared more about Equestrian history than me. As we departed from the train station, which fittingly had a black stone statue of Princess Luna dominating its front courtyard, Snowfall whistled at the beautiful display put on by the city before us.
"I gotta admit, this place never fails to take my breath away." He surprised me by digging into his saddlebags with a wing and pulling out a disposable camera, which he quickly used to snap a picture of the softly glowing metropolis. It seemed as if every building in the city's center was reflecting light from the moon itself, even though it was truly leftover from the sun.
"Yeah," I said quickly. As much as I wanted to appreciate the view, I still had 3 bags strapped to me. And while the weight hadn't started bogging me down yet, it was taking a lot of effort to keep them from slipping off my back.
"You ever been here, rookie?" Blitzing Wing said as he casually strode past me.
"Of course I have." I said bluntly. "Vanhoover's just north of this place."
"So," Wing responded with a hint of excitement in his voice. "Does that you have some ideas of what to do for fun tonight? The night's still young."
To be honest, I wasn't necessarily in the mood for fun. Since we had to cover the entire distance of Equestria to get here from Manehattan, I'd been cooped up on the train with the rest of the team for almost a day and a half. And believe me, sleeping on a train isn't nearly as fun as it sounds, especially when High Impact is sawing logs in the bunk underneath yours. Now that I was once again saddled with his and Tremor's bags on top of my own, all I really wanted was to find our hotel and crash.
"Uh, not really. Usually the only time I came here was when my parents brought me for a hoofball game when the Hydras played here. Or when we played Tall Tale Academy." I shifted High Impact's bag as it tried to slip off my back. "I can't say I know this place too well, other than the stadium."
Tremor Blitz trotted past me, looking annoyingly unencumbered with just his saddlebags. "Well that's just fine, Gaius, because I know exactly where to go to have fun around here. They have this super cool nightclub called Moondancer's."
"Actually, I think I just wanna head to the hotel." We were walking the streets now, thankfully not drawing nearly as much attention as a large group of hoofball stars should out in the open. The streets were fairly busy, mostly full of modestly dressed unicorns. Unicorns were the most common kind of pony to find in Tall Tale, but unlike Canterlot, the citizens here weren't generally very stuck-up or haughty. They were mostly just characterized by their strange appreciation for the moon princess and their hoofball team.
Snowfall arched an eyebrow at me. "You sure, bud? It'd be kind of a shame to just sleep away a night like this one, especially after being stuck in that train for so long."
"I'm sure." I said flatly. If he had been carrying three bags and went roughly 36 hours without sleep, he may have understood my sentiments. Setmatch was too far behind us to see, but I imagined that he probably shared them, too.
Actually, there was one thing I wanted to do before I called it a night. According to the map I'd read on the train, Tall Tale's post office wasn't too far from our hotel, and I happened to be expecting a letter from somepony special. I'd mailed the letter I'd written to Giselle before we'd left Manehattan, and I'd informed the Manehattan Post Office that I'd be in Tall Tale today if any mail got fowarded. While it was unlikely that a letter could've gotten here already even if Giselle had responded and mailed it immediately, a foalish part of me couldn't help but hope for the improbable. Of course, I wasn't exactly going to announce that to the entire team. I'd managed to escape embarrassment from the whole Giselle situation on the trip thus far, and I'd have liked to keep it that way.
When we were finally almost all the way to our hotel, Hoofrocket finally appeared at the front of the pack. "So, Gaius," He asked. "You going with out with the guys tonight? 
"Probably not." I said. "I'm pretty beat. I wanna be rested up for the game tomorrow." There was certainly a lot of truth in what I'd just said, and Hoofrocket seemed to be convinced.
"Me, too." He said to my surprise. He looked down at me. "What? In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit older than most of the guys here. I can't exactly be up all hours of the night and be ready to go the next day anymore."
That made sense. I kept quiet as we finally arrived at the grand swiveling doors of the Luster Hotel. It reminded me a lot of the lobby of my apartment building in Manehattan, just with a lot more moonstone. It had a similar front desk, a balcony ringing the lobby, and floors of alternating marble and moonstone tiles, which humorously almost gave the impression of dance floor with the bright glow. Thankfully, however, nopony behind the front desk was Periwinkle.
I expected a mess at the front desk trying to get everypony situated to their rooms, just like when we travelled back in academy, but all Hoofrocket and Coach Playmaker had to do was nod to the ponies on duty, and they immediately began setting out room keys on the desk.
"All right, little ponies!" Coach Playmaker barked. "We've already discussed who's getting what rooms. If you don't remember, that's your problem! Come grab your keys and get set up. I don't care how late you're out tonight, I'm not your fillysitter, but if anypony's not at Night Sister's Stadium by noon tomorrow, I'll have their flank! Dismissed."
Everyone immediately descended upon the front desk to grab their respective room keys. Luckily, I remembered which one I was supposed to be in; I was rooming with Snowfall. As I tried to move forward, I accidentally bumped into somepony on my left. I turned to see the slate gray coat of Marathon Iron, looking every bit as tired as I felt. He eyed me in irritation momentarily, but then looked at the surplus of bags I was carrying and put on a smug look of satisfaction. He turned back around towards the counter.
I could've sworn steam was coming out my ears. I managed to swallow my anger and waited until I could finally grab my keys and head for the elevator. M.I. hadn't really talked to me at all after the opening game. It almost felt like he was intentionally avoiding me, not that I minded too much. I didn't exactly have much to say to the guy. After dropping off Tremor Blitz's and High Impact's bags, I dragged myself to my room and flopped on my bed.
"Oh, thank Celestia," I moaned into the pillow, thankful to no longer be the offense's personal pack mule. Snowfall snickered from somewhere in the room.
"You're that tuckered out just from a train ride? I don't know if you're gonna make it in the league, kid." I heard a thud as he unceremoniously threw his overnight bad in the room's tiny closet. I huffed and looked up.
"Easy for you to say, you didn't sleep right on top of Impact. He snores like a freight train."
"Fair point," he said evenly. "Even so, I worry about you, kid." He walked up to the room's wall mirror and checked his crystal-blue mane. "You sure you're not coming out tonight?"
"No offense, Snow, but at this point I think I'd rather die than leave this room."
He shrugged. "Suit yourself." After he walked out of the room, I laid back in the bed, doing my best not to fall asleep. After about an hour had passed, and I was sure everypony that was leaving had left, I got up and stretched my stiff joints.
"Ugh, finally," I muttered as I grabbed my saddlebags and pulled out my map of Tall Tale. I smiled. I'd remembered correctly, the post office was only a couple of blocks away.
I shrugged on my saddlebags and trotted hastily out of the room, but stopped when I opened the door saw my quarterbuck leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.
"Uh, who-wha-HUH?" I stammered. I forced myself to calm down, it wasn't like I was committing a crime or anything.
"So, not going out tonight, huh?" Hoofrocket asked with a wicked smile.
I coughed. "Uh, well, I just uhhh... hungry! I was hungry!" I tried to keep my smile from looking forced, and I'm pretty sure I failed. "Yeah, there's a, uh, restaurant I wanted to go to..."
"Really? Which one?" Hoofrocket's amusement hadn't subsided. I scrambled for an answer. 
"Uh... I kinda forgot the name?" I tried.
He finally sighed and dropped the act. "You're going to the post office, aren't you?"
My jaw dropped and my beak hung open. "How did you know?"
He chuckled. "Trade secret."
I arched an eyebrow "Are you stalking me or something?"
"No." He said with enough emphasis that I had to believe him. "I'm just good at putting two and two together. I knew you've written your griffon girl recently, and you seem the type that's a bit too impatient to wait for letters."
I groaned. "You should really be a detective."
He laughed and brushed his shoulder. "Maybe, but being a quarterbuck is cooler in my opinion."
I sighed and laughed with him. "Definitely cooler."
He winked at me and began walking back to the room he'd be sharing with Tremor Blitz. "Get outta here, Gaius. You're secret's safe with me."
"Thanks," I said. And I meant it. 'Rocket could definitely be a tease when he wanted, but overall, he was a pretty cool guy. I tried not to straight-up sprint my way out the hotel as I made my way to the post office.


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


*Crunch!*
My body went flying as I got sandwiched in between two cornerbucks, both of which were bigger than me. I hit the turf hard, the hoofball still somehow firmly in my talons. I had the first down, but at what cost to me? As the referee blew their whistle to signify that I was down and the play was over, I saw Snowfall jog over to where I was laying sprawled on the ground.
"Yoo ah ight Guy us?" He and his blurry twin brother asked through the buzzing in my ears. Since when was there were two of him? I felt him grab my talon and pull me up.
"Hoo wha?" The noise of the crowd beat on my ears, matching the pounding in my head. "Snowfall? Who's your friend?"
Him and his twin's brows furrowed and they gave me a couple hard clops on the helmet. "Snap out of it, buddy, we need you! The clock's ticking!"
I shook the cobwebs out of my head and looked back at my fellow receiver. His out-of-focus double had thankfully disappeared, and I suddenly remembered where I was.
Night Sister's Stadium was the smallest in the EHL, seating less than 40,000 ponies at maximum capacity. It made sense; after all, Tall Tale was one of the smallest cities in Equestria to have a professional hoofball team. Even so, their fans were rabid for them, and the thousands of ponies crammed into the stands were cheering their hearts out for the Dreamers' defense.
The stadium itself was impressive in its own ways, despite being comparatively small. Unlike the Manehattan Dome, which was perfectly circular and featured a dome-like ceiling, hence the name, Night Sister's Stadium had no roof to speak of and was more oblong in shape. And, of course, it was mostly made of Tall Tale's signature moonstone, and boldly glowed in the early evening. 
We were nearing the end of the first half. We were ahead of the dreamers 14-10, and we were hoping to secure one more field goal for three more points before both teams headed into the locker rooms for half time. Both teams on the field had won their week one games; Tall Tale's defense wasn't quite as resilient as Fillydelphia's overall, but they were nowhere near pushovers. Likewise, their offense, lead by an earth pony quarterbuck named Dandelion, had been giving our defense some problems. Even more so than Fillydelphia's offense had. The team was counting on us to get a few more precious points to act as a safety blanket heading into the second half.
We finally got back into the huddle, where Hoofrocket was looking at me with concern. "You okay, Gaius?"
I nodded. "I'm good, just got my bell rang a bit is all." A seriously hard clop to my helmet from my left threatened to give me the exact concussion I had just narrowly avoided.
"Not bad, rookie," High Impact smiled next to me, looking like a mountain in hoofball pads. "You're tougher than I thought. Not many griffons I know could take a hit like that."
"Focus, guys." Hoofrocket commanded. "Clock's ticking. We have one more chance to get in field goal range, then it's up to Red Bartlett. Gaius, M.I., Snowfall, I need all of you to be ready. Ball's coming to whoever's open."
We all nodded. 
I lined up against one of the cornerbucks that had just compacted me, and I guessed from the smile behind his facemask that he'd love to do it again. Metalmane hiked the ball into 'Rocket's hooves, and I took off. I managed to outmaneuver my cornerbuck at the line of scrimmage, but the ball wasn't coming my way. Marathon Iron was a bit further down the field, and he'd gotten open, too. He caught the perfect pass effortlessly and managed to get a few more precious yards before he was tackled. The last seconds of the half were ticking down, and we had to get the kicking unit on the field if we were gonna get any more points before halftime.
I bolted off the field with most of the receiving unit as our kicker, Red Bartlett, and Tremor Blitz took the field. Not only was Tremor our backup quarterbuck, but when Red Bartlett attempted a field goal, he had the ball hiked to him and held it so Bartlett could kick. It was a selfless role without much recognition, but it was important.
The field goal unit got set just in time, and I watched as Bartlett's hoof slammed against the hoofball resting right underneath Tremor's hoof while the enemy defense tried their hardest to break through the extended offensive line and block the kick. It sailed almost forty yards straight through the uprights. The stadium erupted groans and boos as the scoreboard changed to 10-17, away. We were a full touchdown ahead. A loud buzzer sounded to announce the half was over.
Boos were mostly replaced with cheers as both teams retreated off the field to their respective locker room as halftime began. It was definitely a good feeling to go into the locker room with a full touchdown lead, but it would be our responsibility to keep that lead when the game continued. As I made my way down the sideline, Receiving Coach Long Haul came up to me wearing a slightly concerned expression.
"You alright, Gaius? Heck of a hit."
"I'm good coach." I said. He nodded, and went back to the complicated playsheets in his hooves.
As I made it to the end of the sideline, to my sheer surprise, Marathon Iron walked up next to me, looking as critical as ever.
"Don't get hit like that," he said matter-of-factly. I blinked.
"What?"
"You're smaller than most of the ponies out there. Don't take hits like that. Slide before contact if you have to."
I narrowed my eyes. "I'll keep that in mind."
He stared at me a while longer, then moved on ahead. I grumbled under my breath. As much as I hated to admit it, he was probably right. Too many hits like that could mean bad news for my body. Injuries were all too real when it came to hoofball.
Tremor took his place beside me before I'd managed to reach the locker room. He ruffled my head feathers in that annoying way he did. "Nice receiving out there, featherbrain."
I stared at him in shock and gave him a challenging smirk. "And what gives you the idea that you're allowed to call me that?"
"Uh..." He shrugged. "I've heard Snowy do it before?"
I did my best to look genuinely offended. "At least Snowfall's a pegasus. I don't see any wings on you. Care to explain yourself?"
His eyes went wide and he fumbled for an answer. Despite my best efforts, my laughing fit eventually broke free right as we reached the away team locker room. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Okay, so maybe that wasn't... okay."
"Probably not," I said, wiping away a tear. "But whatever."
I was able to have at least some satisfaction in the fact that I'd at least partially paid him back for making me carry his bag. Unfortunately, getting revenge on High Impact would probably prove to be a bit more challenging. The light chatter spreading around the locker room ground to a halt as Coach Playmaker walked into the room, looking ready to deliver one heck of a halftime speech.
"Alright, boys! There's blood in the water out there, and we're gonna take advantage! This is our game to win!"


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


They probably heard the groan I let out when I finally made it back to my apartment in New Horseleans. I threw my bags on the living room floor and collapsed on the couch. The last few days had been... a lot.
We'd won the game against Tall Tale by two full touchdowns after pulling away in the second half, making us effectively 2-0 on the season. It was a bit too early for that kind of talk, but talk show analysts were already starting to list the Equestrians as favorites to make the Equestria Bowl, along with the Canterlot Royals, as always, and, amazingly, the Griffonstone Talons. They'd polished off the Baltimare Manticores the same night we defeated Tall Tale in a game the radio hosts were describing as anything but close. Deep down, I felt bad for Cobalt Steel. That had to be a blow to the confidence. Equestria had never seen a Griffonstone hoofball team that was actually good, much less dominant. Much to everypony's surprise, they were the talk of the hoofball world right now.
Despite the great win for my team, I was exhausted in ways that far surpassed being physically tired. The train rides had taken a lot out of me and all I wanted was to sleep before practice resumed again tomorrow. Compound that with having to deal with Periwinkle at the reception desk again on the way inside and still not having a letter from Giselle in my apartment's mail slot, and I was feeling quite the confusing mix of highs and lows.
"Hi, honey!" Mom said as she walked out of the guest bedroom. I turned my head to look at her with one eye.
"Hey," I said as energetically as I could. Dad was quick to follow her into the living room, and he looked way too excited for me to deal with right now.
"Hey, son! Heard the news on the radio! Way to take it to our old neighbors down south!" He trotted over to me, obviously expecting me to return his energy, but gave a confused look when I just stared at him tiredly. "You alright, Gaius?"
"I'm just really tired." I said as I slowly got up. All I wanted was a shower and several hours of solid sleep that wasn't occurring on a train with a pro hoofball team full of monstrous bucks ready to prank the first poor soul to lose consciousness. 
"Well, alright." He said as he made his way back to the room. "Oh, and you got some mail while you were gone."
"WHAT?" I exclaimed, my exhaustion temporarily forgotten. My gaze was ripped to a small stack of letters laying on the kitchen counter. "You guys got my mail?"
"Well, we figured it was the least we could do." Mom said as she laid against the other couch with a real estate magazine. "Don't worry, I didn't read any of them." The suggestive tone in her voice practically confirmed what I had been hoping for; Giselle had written back.
Her letter was sitting on top of two other ones. I carefully took it and made sure it hadn't been tampered with. Mom hadn't been lying, she hadn't opened it. Or at least, if she had, she'd hidden her tracks well enough that I couldn't tell. I cautiously sliced the top of the envelope open with my talon and took out the paper folded inside.

Gaius,
I'm glad to hear from you. What took you so long? (just kidding, I know it's only been a couple of days)
I must say, I rather do like the idea of a date in the park. Friday afternoon works perfect for me. I assume you'll be the one bringing the picnic basket? ;)
I've been listening to the radio quite a bit lately, and not just the music stations. They really seem to like talking about you. In fact, they do it almost as much as Gwendolyn and Gemma have since we danced at Claspwing's. It seems you're getting even more popular than I thought. How lucky that I get you to myself for an entire evening.
Although I'm writing before your game tonight, I'll go ahead and prematurely congratulate you on your win against Tall Tale. I'll be listening to it in a restaurant tonight over the radio. I know you'll show those ponies a thing or two out there ^^.
I look forward to seeing you Friday. Have fun at practice this week.
-Giselle

I felt some color creeping up onto my face. I quickly put the letter away before Mom could see me, but her face was still buried in her magazine. I collected the rest of the mail and retreated to my bedroom. "Night, guys!"
"Good night, Gaius!" She called.
"Have a good night, son!" I heard Dad yell from the guest room.
As soon as I closed the door, I pulled the letter back out and read it again.

How lucky that I get you to myself for an entire evening.

In that moment, all of the chaos of my demanding new life, nosy new friends, and the bombshell from my biological parents that I'd pushed far to the back of my mind were quelled, at least for a moment. The Equestrians were 2-0, I felt like I was at the top of my game, and I was going on date with the prettiest griffon in Equestria. I strolled into the master bath to take a well-deserved shower, an earnest smile on my face.
I had to admit, despite some annoyances, my life kind of rocked at the moment.
> Chapter 7: A Walk in the Park
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


"Only two weeks into the regular season, and this year's hoofball matches are already throwing us a curveball, Scout!"

"I'll sure say, Catch! I know it's what everypony out there's thinking, so I'll be the first to say it; how about those Talons?"

"Scout, can you even remember a time when the Griffonstone Talons were a good team, let alone an early favorite for the Equestria Bowl? Madness, I tell you!"

"Indeed. In the eight years since Griffonstone introduced the Talons to the league, they've never even managed a winning season. But this year, they've polished off Canterlot and Baltimare back-to-back! And the betting moguls expect them to do the same to Fillydelphia next week! That would give them an edge over two division rivals!"

"Now hold on, Scout! Let's not go talking about games like they've already happened. You know the motto; any given week. Don't forget, after week one we were already having doubts about Canterlot, and they bounced back with a serious win over New Horseleans. That rookie runningbuck Snapdragon had an especially great game."

"That's true, Catch. You can't exactly be booking Equestria Bowl tickets only two weeks into the season expecting your favorite team to already have their spot reserved. A lot can change in fifteen weeks... then again, if it weren't fun to talk about it regardless, we'd be out of the job!"

"Truer words I've never heard! So if we're going to go all the way with ranking teams this early in the season, I think we both agree Griffonstone is on top with two dominating wins. How do you think they do it?"

"New personnel, maybe? That new coach of theirs is downright aggressive. And their new quarterbuck, Grant Blackbeak? He's slinging it like nopony's business! And all of the offense is so fast, it's like having an entire receiving core full of Gaius Strongtalons!"

"I stand by my old sentiment, Griffonstone's biggest problem was always that having a team composed of nothing but griffons meant they lacked pony brawn. But, I guess if you're all faster than the opponents, maybe that doesn't matter as long as you play your cards right?"

"Apparently. Whatever they're doing, it's working. And speaking of Strongtalon, am I crazy for thinking Manehattan belongs right under Griffonstone?

"Not crazy, Scout, although I'd argue to maybe put Hoofston there instead? I'd normally like to rank Canterlot higher if for no reason other than Sterling Spiral's track record, but that week one loss still bugs me..."

"Well, it may not have been a blowout, but I was still impressed by Manehattan's disposal of Tall Tale a few days ago. That offense is clicking, and I'd wager their defense to be better than Hoofston's, personally."

"Well, Scout, we'll get to see about that! Because in just four days, Hoofston's coming right here to the big city to challenge the Equestrians in our spotlight game of the week! But we'll get to our predictions for that game in just a moment. First, here are some important words from our sponsors. You're listening to Perfect Catch and Scout Combine, hosts of 'Tonight in Hoofball', Equestria's premier hoofball analysis radio show..."



[o==o]-------[o==o]


"Oh, I'm just not sure..." Mom had her hoof worriedly plastered against her muzzle, just like every other time I'd seen her in this situation. We (and by we, I meant me, her, and Dad) were in an apartment for rent in downtown Manehattan, not too terribly far from where I lived. I sighed.
"Mom, this is the fifth apartment you've looked at this week. You're going to have to settle for something, eventually. This is pretty good for your price range."
Their real estate agent nodded desperately. She was a middle-aged mare with a dark purple coat who's name was, humorously, Lot Filler. "Miss Oat Cake, I believe this residence ticks all your boxes. I thought I'd struck a home run on this one." Her eyes shifted to me and an almost embarrassed look took over her eyes. "Or, perhaps, a touchdown?"
I tried not to groan. Mom and Dad seemed to be oblivious.
"Sorry ma'am," he started. "I'm afraid I'm not satisfied unless my wife is. I'm a simple stallion."
Mom still had her hoof to her mouth, not a good sign. "Maybe we should just try to find a house instead. I'm just not finding luck with these apartments. I think it's just too big of a change."
My head feathers bristled. Lot Filler let a small groan escape. I cleared my throat. "Mom, do you have any idea how expensive it is to have a house in Manehattan?" Few actual houses were available in the city due to lack of space to build them. Even the most wealthy Manehattanites usually lived in luxury apartments. Heck, the only person on my team that I knew had a house was Hoofrocket.
Mom smiled sheepishly. "Well, yes, but... perhaps a great real estate agent could see what she could come up with?"
Lot Filler's eye twitched, but then she panned over to me and she regained composure. "Okay, Oat Cake, I'll see what I can do. But I'm not a miracle worker. There's a reason I recommended you stick to apartments."
Dad walked up to me, shaking his head. "I'm sorry this is taking so long, Gaius. But I don't want your mother to be comfortable in our new home."
"I know, Dad." I groaned. "At least you guys are trying."
He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Is it that bad having us living there with you?"
It kinda was, but I wasn't going to tell him that. "No, I just think Mom's bound to give her agent a nervous breakdown at this rate."
He chuckled. "Maybe. So hey, when will Bronze be here?"
That lifted my spirits. I smiled. "He'll be here Saturday. The day before the game."
Bronze had sent a letter saying he was coming to Manehattan to watch our game against Hoofston. I couldn't wait; we wrote each other constantly, but I hadn't seen his ugly mug in well over two months. I was getting along well with several members of my team, but I still missed my academy friends. Not to mention for every Snowfall, Hoofrocket, and Tremor Blitz, there was a Marathon Iron or a High Impact.
"Well, I'm happy you're getting to see your old friends again." He coughed. "You know, Gaius, you don't have to come with us for these things. I know you must still be tired from practice."
I sighed again. "Yeah. I was kinda hoping me being here would push Mom along. It's not working, though."
"You should've known better," he said with a laugh. We turned to see Mom approaching from behind.
"I think we're done here, boys. This just isn't it." She turned to Lot Filler. "I'm sorry for wasting your time again."
She still looked annoyed, but Lot gave a dismissive wave of her hoof. "It's fine, Oat Cake. I'll start looking at properties available for purchase instead of rent, but I can't promise you anything."
Mom nodded and headed out of the door with Dad. Lot Filler nudged me on her way past. "Good luck on your game Sunday! I'll be there watching!" She gave an unladylike giggle and practically skipped out of the door. I faceclawed. At least she might be able to get my parents out of my apartment. Eventually.


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


Team meetings. Coach Playmaker stood at the front of the room in front of a giant projector, going over team plays. The entire offense was crammed into the tiered seating that overlooked him, myself included. We were diligently taking notes over everything the coach was saying. In just a few days, Hoofston was coming to our stadium, and they would be tough. Probably even tougher than Fillydelphia and Tall Tale. We had the home-team advantage, but we'd have to be fully prepared for their defense. More importantly, our defense would have to be fully prepared for Hawk Fetlock.
Hawk Fetlock was the quarterbuck for the Hoofston Cowponies. He may have been the oldest quarterbuck in the league, four years older than Hoofrocket, but he was nothing short of a legend. To this day, he was the only quarterbuck in EHL history that had won back-to-back Equestria Bowls, and that alone made him a lock for the EHL Hall of Fame the second he decided to hang up his pads.
I was sandwiched in between Snowfall and Hightower. Coach Playmaker was going over receiver-cornerbuck matchups, so I was being sure to pay close attention. As usual, Marathon Iron and I would be getting the hardest jobs. Their best cornerbucks were Hog Roper and Shadow Streak, and they were no joke. They also had a dangerous safety in Sunspotter to handle whatever they might miss. We had a difficult task ahead of us. I looked up from my notes to sneak a peek at M.I., who was sitting close to the front of the room by Blitzing Wing. Unsurprisingly, he looked more bored than anything else.
Playmaker continued. "They love their pony-on-pony coverage, since they have the personnel in their secondary for it. I expect my elite receiving core to overcome that, if and when the need arises. The secondary is the strength of their defense, so we'll be leaning heavy on the run game this time around. Blockbuster, you're getting fed this week, son."
"Heh, heh." A few rows in front of me, Blockbuster clopped hooves with Long Haul, our other runningbuck. While no pushover, Hoofston's front seven wasn't nearly as big of an issue to us as their secondary, so we were going to be pounding it on the ground a lot; hooving it off to our big runningbucks and letting them plow down the field. That would make it easier on me and the other receivers, but we'd still be called upon to make big plays when needed. Especially if Blockbuster and Long Haul couldn't get the running game going early.
"Whatever happens," Snowfall said quietly next to me, "I'm getting my first touchdown of the season tomorrow." He gave a determined look to the front of the room. Hightower snorted next to me, obviously trying to quietly tell Snowfall to shut up while the coach was talking. I kind of felt bad for him, though. M. I. and I already had multiple receiving touchdowns. He'd made some big catches, but he hadn't directly impacted the scoreboard yet. To think, last year he had been the team's wide receiver one. Now, Iron and I had effectively knocked him down the totem pole. I had a nagging feeling that was bothering him a lot more than he let on. 
The meeting finally wrapped up, and Snowfall and I left together. He slipped an earbud in and began bobbing his head to a song I couldn't hear. I had my eyes focused straight ahead; I seriously needed some lunch before actual practice started. Before I could get too far along in my plans for food, however, my quarterbuck was suddenly walking next to me.
"Hey, Gaius." His eyes acknowledged the stark white pegasus next to me. "Snowy. Enjoy the meeting?"
"As much as any other," I said casually. We weren't far from the mess hall now, where the rest of the team was converging. I really wanted food.
"Oh, hey," Hoofrocket nudged me. "Before you get to stuffing your face, I thought I'd let you know that Mountainback was looking for you."
I turned to him suddenly, a questioning look on my face. "What does Mountainback want with me? Did I accidentally use his deodorant or something?"
I was joking, of course, but the idea of Mountainback being hacked at me for something was actually terrifying. He was one of our defensive tackles, and he was almost as big as High Impact.
"Don't worry, rookie." Rocket chuckled to himself. "He just wants to ask a favor."
"Oh." I clacked my talon against the floor in thought. "Okay, I guess I can humor him."
Hoofrocket nodded, then his attention was stolen from something up ahead. He gave a knowing smile. "Speak of Nightmare Moon..."
We had crossed into the mess hall, and Mountainback was walking directly towards me, flanked by Searing Shock. I turned towards Snowfall, but he was already heading off. He looked back and gave me a wicked grin.
"Good luck, Gaius!"
I turned to my right to see 'Rocket gone, too. I groaned bitterly. My academy friends wouldn't have left me for dead like this. Nothing left to do, I cleared the distance between Mountainback and myself as casually as I could.
"Hey, Rookie," Mountain' smiled. He had a rumbling voice that seemed to shake the very ground beneath my talons. I smiled as genuinely as I could.	
"'Rocket said you needed a favor or something?" I asked. Mountainback nodded, but Searing Shock answered before he could.
"Say, Gaius, did you know that Mountainback does a lot of stuff for charity here in Manehattan?" He elbowed the much larger buck in question. "He's in the running for EHL pony of the year."
I nodded. EHL held a yearly competition to see which ponies in the pros did the most for their team's communities every year. First prize was considered almost coveted as an Equestria Bowl badge, but for a completely different reason. Mountainback was usually in contention, as he had his own organization that specialized in helping the homeless and less fortunate of Manehattan. It was a noble cause, especially for a burly buck that was notorious for hazing defensive rookies. Poor Setmatch.
Mountain' cleared his throat. "Anyways, I'm hosting a charity signing at the Manehattan Convention Center next week after practice. I'm trying to get as many teammates to be there as possible, but I need more ponies from the offense. Hoofrocket is busy and M. I. shot me down. Can you be there?"
I scratched my head. "I'd just be standing around signing stuff all day?" That sounded like an average day for me at this point.
"Sitting, actually. There's gonna be a big auction in the mane hall, and all of the proceeds will go to Manehattan's homeless shelter. Then, to draw more ponies, we're all gonna have booths in the adjacent hall to sign some stuff." Mountainback looked at me critically. "Feel free to say no, but I think it'd make a big difference if you were there."
I couldn't really say no to that without looking bad, could I? The idea of being stuck in a booth with a marker for hours didn't sound very pleasant, but I knew it was for a good cause.
"When exactly is it?" I asked.
Searing Shock interjected. "This Wednesday, auction starts at five."
I'd have to come straight over after practice. I nodded solemnly.
"I'll be there, I guess."
"Thanks, Gaius, 'preciate it." Just like that, Mountainback was leaving, taking our best cornerbuck with him. Not a few seconds after he was gone, Snowfall was back at my side, sipping on a cup of juice.
"What did he want?" he asked so casually it made my eye twitch.
"Thanks for the backup." I snarked. He raised an eyebrow innocently.
"What could I have done if he was actually mad at you? I don't have a death wish."
"Whatever," I rolled my eyes. "I'm doing a charity signing next week."
"Aw," He ruffled my head feathers. "Look at that, lil' Gaius is giving back to the community."
As I stood there, probably looking every bit like an upset teenager, I realized just how much I couldn't wait for Bronze to get there. But I had bigger things to get through, first. Giselle and I's date was-
"So, Rookie..." Hoofrocket had found his way back. "When's your date, again? tomorrow, right? You ready?"
I walked away as Snowfall cackled. At least I had tomorrow to look forward to... and to be nervous about. mostly the latter.


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


It was time. Finally. I checked my reflection in the mirror as carefully as I could. My plumage was very carefully fixed, the result of nearly an hour of effort and several griffon-compatible mane products. I'd decided not to wear anything, as we would be having the date in the park, after all. Despite my efforts to remain calm, I got an excited, nervous feeling in my chest whenever I thought about the fact that I was about to see Giselle again. Absentmindedly, I thought about what you'd even call that feeling. Nervous-cited, maybe?
I mentally rifled through all that I'd have to talk about to occupy the date; her time in Baltimare for the photo shoot, my game against Tall Tale, my friend coming over to visit next week, my next game against Hoofston...
I paced in my bedroom, trying to calm down. Mom and Dad were out looking for a new place again with Lot Filler again, so I at least didn't have to worry about that. Although, I was sure Mom would grill me for details the second I got home. After a few minutes, I finally worked up the courage to leave my room, grab the already-prepared picnic basket, and step out of the apartment. Unfortunately, in my nervous-citedness, I forgot I'd most likely have one last obstacle before I could leave Brickpony Plaza.
"Hi, Gaius," said a sickeningly sweet voice to my right.
My good mood evaporated. I turned and tried not to grimace. "Hi, Periwinkle."
The dusty purple mare had that mischevious grin plastered on her face again as she leaned back in her seat behind the mahogany desk. The hoofball magazine she'd been reading was draped on the desk next to her. Since when did she read hoofball material of her own volition? I gulped. Her eyes looked me over hungrily.
"You sure look nice," She almost purred. I tasted bile. Her gaze fell on the picnic basket I was holding. "Off on a picnic?"
"Uh, yeah," I replied, my voice full of mistrust. She pressed on.
"Where to?" I wasn't going to answer that. "Let me guess, Central Park?" Dang it.
"Uh, yeah..." My shoulders slumped, defeated. Her eyes sparkled maliciously.
"I get off in just a few minutes. Would you like me to join you?"
I grunted. There was no away to avoid this, so it was better to just get it out of the way. "Um, actually, I'm already going with somepony. It's... sort of a date."
I watched her reaction carefully. Her facial expression was disappointed, but that sparkling malice was still there, undeterred.
"Oh, that's alright, I guess. Have fun, Gaius!"
I was about to turn away, grateful for the chance to escape, when the reality of the situation crashed down on me. I flashed back to Le Merveilleux, when Periwinkle had brought her friends and crashed our night. The same thing was happening now, the same scheming look after she knew exactly where I was about to be. Something snapped, something I hadn't even realized had been pulled taut after weeks and weeks of dealing with the evil, repulsive cute little mare sitting in front of me; like a hamstring snapping on a hoofball play after being hyperextended under the body of a much larger pony.
"NO!" I slammed my talons on the desk. The idea of my date being ruined by Perwikle, the idea of Giselle not wanting to see me again due to me apparently fooling around with other mares burned angrily into my mind.
"Periwinkle, I swear to Celestia, if I see you in the Park tonight, I'll make you sorry that you were ever born! You hear me!? You are not allowed to mess this up!"
She cringed back from me, looking genuinely surprised. I couldn't remember ever sounding as angry as I did now, but surely I had a good reason. I felt just a touch of regret creep into my eyes, and Periwinkle saw. She immediately righted herself and took advantage.
"Calm down, Gaius, I have no idea what you mean." she ran a hoof through her mint-green mane absentmindedly. "Honestly, if you see me in Central Park tonight, it'll have nothing to do you with you or your date. I had plans there anyways." The evil smile was back; she was back in her element. I ground my teeth together. I was tired of Periwinkle, it wasn't a stretch to say I absolutely despised her. But it was evident now that the only way to end this was to beat her at her own game. I calmed myself down the best I could.
"Fine, we'll do this the hard way." I said with resolution. The plastic smile fell and she raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Cinnamon Dust and Cornucopia, right? Those were your friends at Le Merveilleux?"
She scoffed. "Yeah, and?" I smirked. It was almost interesting the see what I had to assume to be the real mare behind the ever-present sweet facade. Whether she realized it or not, getting her to give up that mask, even for a moment, meant I had already leveled the playing field.
"I wonder," I scratched the underside of my beak with a talon for dramatic effect. "What would they think if I told them their friend had been stalking me against my will and that we didn't get on as well as they assumed?" My eyes narrow. "I bet there's all sorts of things I could tell them. Am I right?"
Her eyes went wide. I'd found it; the chink in her armor. She tried to recover.
"So you're going to tattle on me to my friends? C'mon Gaius, you're better than that." She tried to sound condescending, but I held firm. I had her right where I wanted her.
"Yes, actually. But if I don't see you at the Park tonight, I don't have any reason to." I leered. "So please, don't give me a reason."
For just a second, I saw real anger in her eyes, followed by another emotion I'd never seen in her before. Finally, she shifter her gaze to one of indifference as she picked up her magazine. "Fine. And to think, I just wanted to go on a picnic with a friend. Whatever. Have fun, Gaius."
"I will, thank you." I walked out of the building as calmly as I could. Only when I was outside of the door and sure that Periwinkle couldn't see or hear me did I finally drop my rump to the ground and let out the ragged breaths I had been holding in. I had faced Periwinkle and won. Granted, I had to stoop to using what basically amounted to her methods, but I'd done it. Now I had to make sure I wasn't late to my date. I took off towards Central Park, happy to finally get away. One errant thought tugged at my mind; in Periwinkle's eyes right before she brushed me off, I could've sworn I saw something that almost resembled remorse.


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


I landed with grace at the entrance of Central Park, still clutching the picnic basket. The sun was still a fair ways away from setting, but the edges of the visible horizon were just starting to turn yellow. I had just over an hour of sunlight left. I was at the exact spot I had told Giselle to meet me. Now I just had to wait for...
Her. I saw her walking up casually from across the street, as beautiful as she was when I first saw her at Claspwing's. Unlike then, she wasn't wearing anything now, so the dark leopard spots on her otherwise white coat stood out strongly. Her plumage fell down and framed her face, her blue eyes shimmering against the afternoon sun. She saw me and gave a smile. My heart made a sputtering sound. She was gorgeous.
"Hi, Gaius." She closed the distance and smiled wider when she saw what I was holding. "I see you remembered the basket."
"Uh, yeah." I scratched my head awkwardly "Well, you did say that'd be my end of the deal."
She laughed softly. "Indeed I did. Are we walking or flying?"
"Let's walk," I said quickly. "I figure that'll be more peaceful."
"Whatever you say." She turned to walk through the park gate and I walked alongside her. I considered giving her the crook of my arm to hold, but chickened out.
It was a beautiful afternoon. Birds sang as they flied between the trees, doing rounds over ponies that were already having picnics right next to the walking path. The open fields around us were filled with ponies playing with frisbees and hoofballs. I almost hissed under my breath, what if I got recognized? Maybe I should've worn a hoodie or something? My poor planning had already put the date in jeopardy. I cleared my throat and tried to keep the companionable silence that had fallen between us from turning awkward.
"So how was Baltimare?" I asked. She turned and smiled again.
"It was good. Great, actually. I met a lot of important ponies in the industry. Gets my hopes up for the future." She tucked a head feather back shyly. "It was a bit weird being the only model there that wasn't a pony, but they were nice. I'm sure you know how that feels."
She bumped me with her elbow playfully. I furrowed my brow in thought. "Yeah, I guess I do." In all honesty, I didn't really think about how I was the only griffon on the Equestrians, or even the only griffon on a team that wasn't the Talons. My team didn't really bring it up, at least not in that way. I was called 'rookie' more than 'griffon' from everyone other than Impact. I suddenly realized that my experience in the EHL could've been very different had I gotten leashed with different teammates. I was suddenly a lot more grateful for them.
Giselle's wings drooped noticeably. "Oh. Sorry if you didn't want to think about tha-"
"Oh, no!" I said with a bit too much exasperation. I cleared my throat as we kept walking. "No. I mean, yeah, it's interesting to be the only griffon on the team, but all my teammates are really cool. It honestly doesn't even get brought up very much, if you can believe it."
Giselle looked surprised, then she switched to a coy look that made my heart skip a beat. "Well, I guess I'm not too surprised, considering how many touchdowns you score for them." She nudged me again. "I listened to your game last Sunday. Congratulations."
I fought like mad to conceal the blush that was creeping up my face. I'm sure I still lost.
"Yeah, it was a good one. Uhhh... you ever been to Tall Tale?"
Another laugh. "No, I've always wanted to. I've heard it's beautiful at night." She looked away, deep in thought. "Maybe I'll get to do a fashion shoot there, soon."
I nodded, keeping an eye out for a place to stop for the picnic. I quickly found it; a small, flat expanse of grass under a thick-trunked maple tree. I smiled at Giselle.
"Want to go ahead and eat?" I asked, brandishing the basket proudly.
Giselle giggled. "Sure. I'm excited to see what you brought."
She turned away, but horror was already filling my mind. I had double-checked with Mom to make sure everything I'd packed was reasonable, but what if she didn't like any of it?
I opened up the basket and took out the blanket on top, flaring it out and laying it flat on the grass. Giselle casually laid down, propping her head with her talons and staring at me interest. That was going to make it pretty hard to focus. I started setting out everything I'd brought as neatly as I could; veggie sandwiches, cheese and crackers, a bunch of grapes, fresh strawberries, macaroni salad, some muffins Mom had baked, and a sealed pitcher of sparkling cider.
She let out a small, impressed whistle. "You went all out," she said with a laugh. She plucked a grape and ate it. "Did you make all of this yourself?"
I grinned sheepishly as I sat down. "Yeah, except for the muffins."
"Really," she said as she grabbed a sandwich and began to unwrap it. "Store-bought then?"
I considered lying, even though they were very obviously homemade. "No, my Mom."
Giselle gave a sweet, genuine laugh. I couldn't help but smile; it was so different from the painfully fake laugh of Periwinkle. "Aw, your mom made muffins for us? I'll have to thank her."
"She's had a lot of practice," I said as I popped a strawberry in my mouth and poured her a glass of cider. "She's baked a lot over the years. My dad was a grain farmer in Vanhoover."
She swallowed her bite of sandwich as ladylike as she could, and hit me with a reserved look. "Was? Does that mean...?"
I blinked, then brought my talons in front of me and shook them to dispel the notion. "No, no! He's still around. He..." I sighed. "They sold their farm in Vanhoover when I got drafted. They're living in the city now." I faceclawed. "In my apartment."
I hadn't wanted to tell her that, but she simply laughed it off. "Well, I think that's sweet of you to let them stay with you."
I chuckled. "I guess. You wouldn't happen to know anypony in Manehattan with a house for rent would you?"
She but a talon to her beak in thought. "Afraid not, but I'll keep my eye open." She winked at me. I looked away to avoid the blush and grabbed the first thing my eyes found; the other sandwich. As I took a bite, Giselle continued. "So, did you parents come here from Griffonstone, or..."
I blinked again, and fought to swallow. "Uh, sorry, probably should've mention this earlier. I'm... kind of adopted." Kind of, huh? Smooth move, Casanova. For the first time in a surprising while, the necklace forced its way into my mind, threatening to suffocate my thoughts. I shook my head forcefully to dispel it. Not here, not now.
Giselle gave me a smile of understanding. "Oh, it's fine. There was no reason to bring it up before now. Forgive me for saying as much, but I think you have it lucky. Your adoptive parents sound wonderful." A dark cloud lowered over her gaze. "I never met my mother, but my father is still in Griffonstone. I left years ago to get away from it all. I don't know if you've been, but Griffonstone is a really awful place."
"So I've heard," I said softly. "On Draft night, I was just hoping not to get picked by them." I crumbled up the sandwich wrapper and threw it in the basket. Giselle looked up and smiled, though a hint of that dark cloud still lingered in the back of her eyes.
"Well, I'm very happy they didn't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here." She reached her talon across the blanket to rest it on mine. Normally, I'd expect my body to react with increased heartbeat and temporary red feathers, but something in her eyes just made me smile back.
"I'd say things worked out pretty well." I wrapped my other talon around hers, cradling it. "And they're going to work out for you, too. You'll see."
She chuckled softly, but didn't pull away. "I almost believe you on that."
I freed a claw to take a sip of cider and decided to try and lighten the mood. "Any chance I could get another monologue?"
She laughed and playfully pulled her talon away, the sadness in her eyes finally gone, at least for now. "Not a chance. You're gonna need something stronger than virgin cider in order to make me do something like that again."
"I'll keep that in mind for next time," I said jokingly. "Are you done? With the food, I mean."
"Yes, I'm done. Thank you Gaius, it was delicious."
I nodded. We'd barely eaten half the food, but we were both full. The sky was just starting to hint at turning orange. We probably had 20 minutes. I'd started putting the picnic away when something struck me in the wing. I turned and saw a hoofball laying on the blanket next to me. I picked it up in confusion.
"What the-" I started, but I was cut off by a voice in the field next to us.
"Hey, sorry mister! Could you-" An earth pony colt a few years younger than me was galloping towards me to reclaim the lost ball. He'd stopped when he'd gotten close enough to really see me. His face wore an expression I knew far to well; the look of recognition.
"Ga-Gaius Strongtalon," he started. His friend he'd been playing catch with was on his way, too. I swallowed. I'd made it so far into the date without being recognized. I turned to Giselle to apologize, but she seemed more amused with the situation than anything.
"Hey, kid," I said as politely as I could, turning back to the colt in question. "Here's your ball." I chucked it back towards him, but he was so starstruck that he didn't even make a move to catch it. It bounced on the ground and went a few feet behind him. His friend had caught up and gave him a weird look. He picked up the ball and turned to me, his eyes going similarly wide. Unlike his friend, though, he wasn't under the spell for very long.
"Hey, Splash, isn't that the griffon that plays for the Equestrians?" He turned his eyes on me once his buddy didn't respond. "Sorry about him, we're really big fans!"
I tried not to groan. "Thanks. Sorry, guys, but I'm kind of on a date right now."
"Why don't you play catch with them?" Giselle asked. I turned around in shock, then back to them, then back to her.
"Are you sure?" I rubbed arm guiltily. "This day was kind of supposed to be about me and you." The words in her letter flashed through my mind; How lucky that I get you to myself for an entire evening?
She laughed. "Oh, I'm fine, Gaius. Besides, I haven't really gotten to watch you play, yet. I've just heard the radio and read the magazines." Her voice was almost a purr for the next words; "Aren't you going to show me some of your moves?"
My knees almost gave out. I just nodded dumbly. I turned to the two colts, clapped my talons and held them open. The colt with the hoofball caught on and passed it to me. It was a little off, but I caught it no problem. I turned to Giselle and winked, then back to the colts. "Go long."
The first colt finally broke out of his spell and took off, his friend close behind. I threw the ball as hard as I could, then bounded after them.


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


The sun had almost disappeared beneath the horizon, the sky a blaze of orange beneath evening hues. Giselle and I were exiting the park, holding talons as we both looked at the natural display above us. Soon, all of the city's lights would come on and we wouldn't be able to see a single star from the street. I never thought that stars would be something I'd miss from Vanhoover, but here I was.
"I had a really good time tonight, Gaius. Thank you for this." She squeezed my claw gently. I smiled and nodded.
"I did, too. We should do this again." I hoped I wasn't sounding desperate, but her smile didn't waver.
"Yes, we should." She sighed. "I'm sorry, but I need to get home. I have a busy day tomorrow."
I scratched at my beak. "Mind if I fly you home?" She laughed.
"Sure you can keep up? You spend a lot of time on the ground, Mr. Hoofball star."
I unfurled my wings. "Trust me." She nodded and we took off, soaring over the streets of Manehattan in the fiery orange sunset. They were still busy, full of ponies walking and flying, as desperate to get around as ever. It was almost like nopony slept in this city, but it was something you got used to.
Giselle didn't live far. We landed at the hoof of a somewhat modest apartment building in central Manehattan. She paused at the front door to the building and turned around.
"Thank you, Mr. Romantic, but it appears we're here." She added a wink on the end, and I fought the urge to look away bashfully. I had a question that I needed to get out.
"So, are you doing anything Sunday?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I don't think so, why? Don't you have a game that day?"
"Well, actually," I smiled. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to go to the game. I could get you tickets. In fact, I could probably get some for your friends, too. Gwen and Gemma, right?"
She smiled sincerely. "Aw, that's sweet. But I don't want to trouble you like tha-"
"It's no trouble, promise." I said confidently. "I mean, the seats probably won't be amazing, since it's technically sold out and short-notice, but I could get you there, easy. All I'd have to do is talk to the right pony at practice tomorrow."
She seemed to mull it over. I cleared my throat. "It's just, you brought attention to the fact that you haven't actually seen me play yet. A real game's pretty different from playing catch with two teenagers in the park."
She laughed and nodded her head. "Okay, Gaius. As long as it's not too much trouble, I'd love for you to get us some tickets. We'll be cheering our hearts out."
"Thanks. I guess I'll see you then?" I said hopefully
She giggled and stepped closer to plant a kiss on my cheek. "If not sooner." she winked again and turned around to walk into her apartment building. I stood frozen on the sidewalk, business ponies and drifters moving past me without a second look. Finally, I smiled like a fool and practically skipped all the way home, completely forgetting that I had wings. The way I felt then, I probably could've flown without them.
> 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."