by Arden Hayes
Applejack peeked out through her fingers. “I don’t think I can watch.…”
The score was tied, eighteen to eighteen. This one goal would mean winning or going into overtime. Rainbow Dash couldn’t bear the thought of a shoot-out. It felt like such a random way to end the season. All that work, for what?
“Yes, you’re so close,” Rainbow Dash said as Lightning raised his hand, about to shoot the ball into the net. She reached into her pocket and felt for her lucky Beehive key chain. As soon as she’d bought it, the Beehive Blitzers had started winning, and their winning streak hadn’t ended since. Just holding it made her feel better.
Everyone in Rainbow Dash’s living room held her breath. Lightning took the shot, and one of the BlitzBoomers dove toward it. He reached out his hand, but the ball slipped past his fingers. Everyone cheered as it hit the back of the net.
“Twenty to eighteen!” Applejack threw her arms around Rainbow Dash. “We won!”
Comet Chaser, the Beehive’s coach, ran onto the field, and his team enveloped him in a hug. Rainbow Dash and Applejack bounced up and down on their heels. Even Twilight Sparkle did a little dance, excited about the win. Rainbow Dash had known the key chain was a good-luck charm—she’d keep it in a safe place until the following season, when she’d make sure the Beehive Blitzers won again.
Rarity was smiling, but she didn’t seem as impressed. She’d spent half the game talking to Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer about a new dress she was sewing. She was having trouble figuring out what kind of pleats to use on the skirt. Rainbow Dash knew that not all her friends loved Blitzball, and none of them could love it as much as she did, but she’d planned a party for the championship game anyway. She’d served cupcakes with black and gold frosting (the Beehive’s colors) and hung a banner over the television. She’d worn her Beehive jersey, the one with Lightning’s name and number, and she’d had everyone else wear the team’s colors. Rarity would get into the Beehive Blitzers spirit eventually—Rainbow Dash just knew she would. Wasn’t her excitement contagious?
“The only sad thing is I have to wait a whole eight months before the season starts again,” Rainbow Dash said. “What am I going to do with my weekends until then?”
“You can hang out with us,” Twilight Sparkle said. “We’ll be happy to have you back.”
“Was it really that bad?” Rainbow Dash asked.
Fluttershy nodded. “We’ve barely seen you in the last two months!”
Rainbow Dash blushed. It was true, she had gotten a little obsessed with Blitzball this season. She loved how fast the game moved. The ball was dribbled and passed up the field and shot in the net, then it flew back to the other side of the field. Players stole the ball in really inventive, graceful ways. And the game was totally unpredictable. Everything could change in an instant, which was so fun to watch.
Lately most of her weekends had been dedicated to watching the league games. Sure, the Beehive Blitzers were her favorite team, but she also loved watching the Larkspurs, the Tiny Titans, and the BlitzBolts. Well, if she were really being honest, she liked watching any team except the Rain Kings. They were the Beehive’s biggest rival.
“Great game,” Applejack said, grabbing her jean jacket. “Are you wearin’ your jersey to school on Monday?”
“You bet,” Rainbow Dash said.
“I should get a jersey, too,” Sunset Shimmer chimed in. “After that game, I’m officially a Beehive fan. Lightning was all—” She took a few quick steps to the right, then pretended to spike the ball into the net. “It was incredible!”
“A snack for the road…” Pinkie Pie said, taking a cupcake on her way out. “We’ll see you Monday, Rainbow Dash!”
When all her friends were gone, Rainbow Dash climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She looked at the three posters on her wall. One was of Lightning Swift, the best player on the Beehive Blitzers. One was of the whole team, and the third was of Oak Arrow, one of her other favorite players.
“Awesome work, guys,” she said to them, smiling up at the posters. Then she grabbed the round purple pillow from off her bed. She darted around her room, pretending she was Lightning. She couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to be that good at Blitzball. To weave in and out of the other players, dribbling and ducking, passing and shooting. She ran toward her desk, pretending it was the goal.
“She shoots, she scores!” she yelled, tossing the pillow under the desk. She did a small victory lap with her hands raised high in the air. Then she picked up the pillow, ready to do it all over again.
Monday came, and it felt as if Rainbow Dash talked to everyone about the championship game. A boy who sat next to her in chemistry, Forest Thunder, was also a Beehive Blitzer fan. They spent the whole class passing notes back and forth about Lightning, debating over which plays were his best. Now she was in her last class, the minutes ticking by until the end of the day. Principal Celestia came on the loudspeaker to do the afternoon announcements.
“Congratulations to the girls’ track team on their win against Crystal Prep Academy on Friday. Cloudy won the six-hundred-meter dash and…”
Rainbow Dash put her chin in her hands and stared out the window. She could barely pay attention to anything all day. Yesterday she’d started a Beehive Blitzers scrapbook, in which she’d placed news articles and pictures from the whole season. It had taken her forever just to do a few pages, but she couldn’t wait to get back to work this afternoon. She’d found this really cool gold foil at the craft store to use behind the photos.
“Rainbow Dash!” Twilight Sparkle said, nudging Rainbow Dash in the side. “Did you hear that?”
She pointed to the loudspeaker at the front of the room. Principal Celestia went on. “We’re obviously thrilled to be part of this amazing opportunity. Now that their season is over, Comet Chaser is bringing Blitzball to students throughout Equestria. Tryouts for his team will be this Friday after school. I hope you’re as excited about a Canterlot High Blitzball team as I am.”
Rainbow Dash stood up. “Wait… am I dreaming? Did she just say what I think she said?”
“Comet Chaser is coming to our school!” Twilight repeated. “He’s starting a program to create a Blitzball high school league!”
“Comet, the head coach of the Beehive Blitzers? The first Blitzball player to win MVP in the league?” Rainbow Dash said. “The reason the Blitzers won this season? One of the toughest players the sport has ever known?”
“That’s him.…” Twilight Sparkle smiled.
“You have to try out!” Sunset Shimmer added.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe it. Comet was a Blitzball legend. Sure, he hadn’t played the game in more than a decade, but everyone who knew Blitzball knew his name.
Rainbow Dash grabbed Twilight’s hands. She thought she might scream. The only thing better than watching Blitzball would be playing it. For once, she’d have a chance to be part of the action, zipping down the field with the ball, dodging other players as they tried to snatch it from her. She’d have a uniform with her name on the back, with her very own number. Crowds would be cheering, “Dash! Dash! Rainbow Dash!”
She straightened up, suddenly serious.
“What’s wrong?” Sunset Shimmer asked.
“Friday is only four days away,” Rainbow Dash said. “Let’s go—I need to practice!”
She grabbed Twilight’s and Sunset’s hands and they sprinted out of class just as the bell rang. They ran down the hall, heading toward the field.
are