Hail Mary

Chapters

Rainbow's Number
Pipsqueak's Number
Scootaloo's Number
Apple Bloom's Number
Featherweight, Snips and Snail's Numbers
Shining Armour and Big Mac's Numbers
Rarity's Number
Sweetie Belle's Number
The Practise in Number
Spike's Number
Felix's Number
Gilda's Number
The Number of Photos is...?
Emergency Number
Number 6
9913

Rainbow's Number

Hail Mary

I. Rainbow's Number

Despite everything, the sun still hung in the sky. The world still seemed to turn, he could tell by the nearly unnoticeable shift of the shadows over the metallic side of the dumpster, and birds still sung in the brilliant morning air. The sky was so very clear and blue as the sea, faint drifting clouds like waves crashing against the horizon. Despite all his troubles, the day went on.

Anyone would say that this was a glorious day, a wonderfully welcoming weather forecast and an abnormally abundant cheer drifting through the streets and into the swinging campus doors. A beautiful late summer day tangled in the beams of sunlight and the quickly changing hues of leaves, leaves which blew around him in his somewhat compromising position. But none of those things really mattered to him. He felt like trash, but hey, that came with the territory.

He sat up at last, wincing at the trouble his stomach muscles had lifting his weakened body to peer over the tall metal siding. He put his hands on it, and was quite sickened by the anonymous sticky substance that baked onto the bin like the leftover lining of cupcakes in those little round pans. He managed to pull himself up high enough to hoist his slim body over the tall metal obstacle, though his landing on the other side was less than graceful. Dusting the garbage and rubbish of his freshly pressed pants, he groaned audibly, glancing back at the familiar dumpster he thought he had outgrown. Surely throwing a kid into a dumpster was an old and tired ruse, but perhaps some people just never grew up or got creative about anything.

Sucking back the urge to mutter a cuss, Spike settled on a sigh as several teenagers bearing backpacks walked by. After they passed, he started following them from a distance, rubbing his swelling cheek absently as though the pain was welcomed. Up ahead, the group discussed mindless chatter: the sport they were going to play, their courses, their summers, as well as girls. It was typical high school yammering and he couldn’t help but conjure up the mental images of the several girls that he knew.

The school itself was no Canterlot High, but Manehattan Secondary School did the job of teaching and preaching the fundamentals of education well enough. The notion that all of the student body were decent students made him snort in response, but it was something the school was supposedly renowned for. Up ahead, a girl was approaching him. She had a wide, pleasant smile that slowly faded, shifting between concern and surprise before she settled on crestfallen. As they got closer together, she instinctively pulled out a napkin from her bag as well as a small comb.

“Hey, Twilight,” Spike weakly greeter her, attempting to smile.

“Spike, what happened?” she asked sternly, cleaning dirt off his face like a mother might, despite his struggling.

“I was walking to school and there was probably jello or something at the top of the staircase in the park and—” Spike paused, seeing Twilight’s unchanged expression. Her eyes briefly shifted towards his as she paused in her menial task. After a moment, Twilight continued with cleaning off the dirt, averting her eyes once more. Spike exhaled slowly, coming up with the truth.

“Felix spotted me walking and, I don't know, maybe he just decided that my mere existence aggravated him, I guess. Threw me in a dumpster afterward.” He couldn’t really look at her as he said it, he was trying to act like it didn’t bother him.

Twilight let out a drawn-out sigh and discarded the tissue. She quickly brushed off any leaves or dirt that was on his clothes before starting to remove any stains or mystery liquids that coated his previously clean-as-new outfit. He defied her each step of the way, flipping his hair and tugging at his clothes as though he liked the way they looked.

“Spike, it’s been seven years now. Why won’t you just accept help from others, or talk to someone other than me? He won’t stop if you won’t try to stop him,” she said, shifting the comb into her primary hand and brushing the plastic teeth through his ruffled hair.

“Because I can’t go around asking girls to fight my battles for me, and I want you to stop acting like you know what’s best. I can take care of myself,” Spike growled, crossing his arms defiantly.

“I know, Spike. I know,” she muttered dejectedly before putting the comb away again.

Spike sighed again, though quieter, taking a quick glance at the school grounds. All around, the groups had shown themselves: jocks; bikers; smokers; students with cars, the list went on. He mentally kicked himself for not putting himself in a group earlier in his high school life; now he was stuck as the black sheep in a group full of girls.

Upon entering the building through its old, beaten-down doors, they were immediately greeted by Pinkie Pie, enveloping them both in a massive hug.

“Hayo! Welcome-welcome back to school! Summer was so much fun, but I missed you all so so so much!” The pink-haired girl squealed, repeatedly hopping up and down though it dragged the two around uncomfortably.

“P-Pinkie, be quiet, will you!?” Spike whispered huskily, nervously glancing around.

“Hi, Pinkie,” Twilight said, returning the hug though not nearly as forcefully.

Many eyes in the front hall had their attention drawn to the trio, with Spike as the only one anxious about the spotlight. His face reddened as he resigned himself to his fate, just as Fluttershy approached them as well. Pinkie Pie released them from the hug and seemed shaky with excitement.

“Hi, Twilight. H-hello, Spike,” Fluttershy said in a rather excited voice, by her standards anyway.

Spike gave a small wave, eying their attire. Twilight was always the modest one but she had spurned a bit, opting for a formal ensemble. The other two were wearing clothes one would expect them to wear any day of the week. This caused the boy to look at his own clothes, worrying about any stains or tears in his new clothes. His worries were cut short, replaced with new ones.

He briefly pondered what he’d say if the other two asked him what happened… or if they, like Twilight, wouldn’t have to be told to put it together. To his relief, neither of them asked, seemingly caught up in discussing what had transpired over the summer. Spike’s eyes wandered, seeing if he could spot the few other girls akin to the group, but to no avail. For several minutes, he let the girls talk, responding only when he was prompted to. He was okay with it, as he wasn’t in much of a mood to chat anyway. Eventually, the familiar bell sounded and the two girls left, bidding the duo farewell.

“Alright, Spike. Do try to be careful, or ask for help next time. I only want you to enjoy learning or making friends, not dreading to see those degenerates at school,” Twilight reminded him, checking his hair once more.

Spike swatted her hands away before slouching forward, putting his hands in his pockets. He grumbled something to which Twilight either didn’t hear or pretended not to. Licking her thumb, she quickly tried to clean Spike’s face once more, much to his dismay, but he didn’t fight it too hard. It was clear by now: Twilight acted more like a mother than his older sister. And like a mother, she was going to take care of him whether he liked it or not.

She smiled, glancing at the small, thin film of saliva still clinging to his cheek as she placed a hand on her hip. He was barely two years her junior, though he often acted a lot older than that and Twilight found it all very refreshing compared to the juvenile atmosphere one typically experienced in school. Students continued to pile in the front doors, heading to their classes as the two siblings stood in the centre of the room, people passing around them like coffee beans spilling around feet. Not that Spike was looking at them, he was too preoccupied with the scuff on his freshly shined shoe. Twilight placed her finger on the bottom of Spike’s chin and tilted it up until his eyes met hers. She flashed him a warm smile.

“Chin up, you won’t make any friends if you’re grouchy. Try to make the best of it. And remember, if you have a problem, you have my number, okay?” Twilight did her best to reassure her little brother.

Spike only muttered a “Yes, Twilight.” Twilight’s smile shrunk a bit, yet she still gave him a hug. Spike’s face reddened noticeably but he still returned the hug. Even if it was embarrassing, she was still his sister, just looking out for him. He could show her that he was thankful, even if but a little bit.

“Hey, how about this? Maybe you should try and join a club? It’s not too late to start making friends, and what better way for friends to bond than through common interests, like... maybe sports?” Twilight gave him an option, but still his mood did not lift much higher.

“Sure, I’ll think about it,” Spike responded, his droopy voice no longer dominating.

Twilight’s smile returned as they broke the hug and went their separate ways, just as Spike noticed they were the last ones in the front hall.

When lunchtime came around, Spike refused a text from Twilight to hang out with the girls. He decided that if he was going to man up and finally stand up for himself, he was indeed going to take Twilight’s advice and join a club as soon as possible. Eating his lunch, he shuffled his feet as he made his way through the blue, white and black hallways adorned with lockers and garbage bins. He swerved around each student until he came up to the sports hallway, a place he was often less than familiar with. He trudged down the hallway and passed the doors for the boys locker rooms until he got to a bulletin board that hung next to the gymnasium doors. Glancing at it, he swallowed what was left of a fruit-snack and wiped his hands on his already dirty shirt, reading the various team flyers aloud.

“Basketball, baseball, soccer, fencing, swimming, rowing, football, golf, croquet. Sheesh, enough clubs?” Spike muttered, rubbing his scalp as he continuously looked over the potential clubs.

He crossed his arms for a moment, tapping his foot as he thought. Around him, other students walked around the halls doing menial pre-class chatter with one another. It was somewhat distracting as he was trying to weigh his options, but there were louder noises that caught his attention.

Inside the gym, a game of dodgeball was roaring between student parliament and some of the freshmen. Spike glanced in there briefly, taking in the immense fun some of the newbies were having. Grand, large smiles adorned the faces of several students that were clearly sports stars as well as ones who looked more like they belonged in science class. None of them seemed to be fighting or arguing over who got hit or what… it was just good fun, and Spike briefly wished he did that in his first year.

Sighing, the boy rubbed his cheek once more where a pink swelling was starting to advertise that morning’s events. It didn't hurt too much any more, he noticed. Spike glanced back towards the bulletin board and a thought started to bud up in his mind. He continued rubbing his cheek absently, thinking back to the incident earlier that day.

A shove from behind sent the boy with green hair stumbling forward. He fell to the ground, hands stinging from grinding the flesh against small rocks and pavement. He wasted little time scurrying to his feet, facing the one who shoved him. A boy with an expression somewhere between smug and distaste glared at him as he was rounded by two others. He spit at the ground in front of the green haired boy as the three cornered him by a dumpster.

“Spike, now that I’ve got your attention, I was hoping you’d do me a favour. Excuse me for skipping the usual 'how was your summer' bullshit, but maybe you could introduce me to one of those lady friends of yours. Maybe I’d show her a good time, you know, start out this year with a bang, no pun intended.” He grinned as his friends chuckled at the implications.

“Felix, why not just ask them yourself if you’re so eager to look like an incompetent fumbling dunce?” Spike said, balling his fists up in preparation.

“Now now, Spike,” Felix chuckled, “that’s no way to treat old friends, but hey, if that’s what you want—” A closed fist met the side of Felix’s torso, hitting him in the ribs.

He let out a cough, clutching his side as he stumbled back. Spike's own eyes widened as he realized what he had done. Usually he could keep his anger under wraps, but this year, it seemed, he was not going to take it lightly. Before Spike could retract his arm to prepare for the other two, one of Felix’s goons hit him in the left cheek, knocking him over.

The second goon stepped forward and kicked Spike once in the gut, soliciting a choking noise from him. The two then made sure that Felix wasn’t actually wounded, and then all three turned their attention to Spike as he grabbed the edge of the dumpster and pulled himself up, disposing of his bag off his shoulder. His body shivered and his cheek was starting to swell up already with tears building up in his left eye.

“Spike, didn’t your momma ever tell you not to start fights?” Felix taunted him, cracking his knuckles with a crooked grin.

Spike raised his fists, arms still shaking as he nervously glanced at them. It was hardly a fight, not once Spike returned to his senses and realized that he could not win against all three of them. It didn’t take much longer until Spike was sitting on the ground, leaned up against the dumpster as he held onto his gut. He let out several rough coughs, but he didn’t make much noise. Without wasting a second, the three boys grabbed his arms and yanked him to his feet before chucking him into the garbage dumpster. Grabbing his bag, Felix unzipped the opening and dumped the contents into the garbage bin atop Spike before dropping the bag at his feet and grinding it into the concrete with his shoe. For good measure, the second goon closed the bin over Spike as the three proceeded to school.

Spike’s face darkened as he thought of the incident in the morning, yet he glanced to one flyer as he thought about the whole fight.

‘That wasn't so bad. I didn’t really feel much pain from that, not anymore. I bet I could do a contact sport,’ he thought, eyes finding themselves directed towards the tacky football poster.

It was one of those cheap designs that was clearly produced in a slideshow program rather than an actual image editor. Flashy and adorned with stretched, pixelated clipart and shoddy word effects that clashed with each other; it was obviously made by an uneducated student parliament member that thought anything could look good coming out of the school’s black and white printers. God forbid they spend a little money printing colour posters.

FOOTBALL TRYOUTS!! COME JOIN THE FOOTBALL TEAM, FULL CONTACT! SPEAK TO TEAM CAPTAIN RAINBOW DASH FOR MORE INFORMATION! TRYOUTS ARE AFTER SCHOOL AT 3:30 PM! BE THERE!

Not minding the poor quality, Spike wondered if he should go ask Rainbow Dash in the cafeteria. But that would mean having to turn down a potential invitation to join the group for lunch if he were to seek them out, and if he couldn’t, he’d have to face all kinds of questions about why he was thinking of clubs suddenly. Already seeing the inevitable meeting and introductions occurring, he decided to wait and seek out the jock after school.

Taking a quick glance around, he stepped out of the hallway and headed towards his next classroom to finish lunch. As he sat down at a desk, teacher not present, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the contact list. It was only four of the six girls he knew; Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. He never needed Rainbow’s number, and he was usually too nervous to so much as speak to Rarity. A meek attraction towards the fashionista closed him off from asking, as well as what her reaction might be.

“A weakling that gets beaten up wants my number!? Bah! Come back later when you grow a spine!”

Spike pinched his chin. ‘Okay, that probably won’t happen, but she won’t want to talk to me. She already has so many friends, she doesn’t need me,’ he thought solemnly, his lack of self esteem apparent even in his imagination.

Noticing the way he frequently cut himself down, he realized the prospect of the football team seemed more and more enticing. He ran images of himself scoring various touchdowns, tackling foes, dodging great enemies. Spike, the seven-foot tall quarterback with muscles large enough to make Big McIntosh feel envious. He smiled stupidly at the impossible fantasy but the prospect of toughening himself up via football still rung in his mind.

As the phone’s screen went temporarily black, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the smooth surface. Though several fingerprints remained smudged across the reflection, he could clearly see himself staring back. His expression softened as he noticed his own eyes, an abnormality that had always irked him. Those eyes, bright green in colour and oddly shaped around the pupil, those had been a curse more than anything, as they had brought on many troubles between him and peers. They made him an outcast, and a target for boys like Felix. He blinked himself away though, clicking a button on his phone to bring up the bright screen once more.

With that, he scrolled down to Twilight’s name in his phone contacts and tapped it. A photo of the girl asleep at her desk, drooling all over a textbook was present; Spike’s caller ID photo for her, much to the scholar’s dismay. Near the top of the page, he tapped the IM icon and mashed out a quick text.

'Twilight, maybe joining football team. You know, maybe toughen self up. What do you think?'

SEND

With that, he sighed and set the phone down as he pulled out a sandwich, slowly unwrapping the plastic sheet from around it. Before he got a bite in, his phone vibrated repeatedly with one of the phone’s preinstalled ringtones playing. Twilight’s sleeping figure acted as the caller ID image once more, and it was as though he could not bare to ignore it. Spike set the sandwich down atop the plastic it had been wrapped in and hit the green phone icon.

“Hello?” he asked, surprised by the sudden call.

“Spike, hi! So glad to hear you’re joining a team,” Twilight shouted into the phone. She always did that, not knowing how loud she came across on the other end. Loud chatter could be heard through the device as well, including the squeaky voice of Pinkie Pie seemingly describing the mechanics behind an ice cream truck. A few giggles could be heard, one of which Spike identified easily regardless of the crappy sound. “I have Rainbow here if you wanna talk, or do you want me to put you on speaker phone?”

“No, Twi, that’s not nec—”

“Oopsie, sorry, Twilight! Haha!” A loud, bubbly booming voice sounded along with an entire cafeteria of loud, chatting voices.

"Oh, sorry Rainbow, Pinkie pushed me," Twilight apologized, sounding farther from the phone with each word.

"H-hey!" that was Applejack's voice, Spike could tell even through the muffled static. "Y'should apologize t'me, y'knocked Dash right into m'lap!"

"Oh you love it, babe," Rainbow's voice was quiet beneath her snickering, and Spike rolled his eyes at her usual flirtatious nature. She was always teasing like that; with Applejack, at least. It was usually amusing how flustered the farm girl would become when prodded like that.

"Get y'hand off o' that!" Applejack yelped, and the phone sounded like it was knocked across the table in the struggle.

The sound blared out of the earpiece for the phone suddenly, scaring Spike into dropping the phone. He rubbed his ear as it buzzed for a brief moment. Twilight could be heard scolding Pinkie Pie for a moment and by the time Spike recovered, his heart fluttered at the voice he heard.

“Twilight, is that dear Spikey? Where is he, don’t tell me he’s eating alone, is he?” Rarity’s voice rang true, though it was distorted a bit by the other ambient noises.

Spike was briefly stunned for a moment before he raised the phone up to his ear. He gulped a moment just as Twilight started to speak, “Y-yeah, it’s Spike, and—”

“No, no, I’m not alone, per se. I’m just w-waiting to talk to a guidance counselor to change a class, yeah,” Spike stuttered out an excuse hurriedly.

“Oh, yeah. Spike said he wanted to switch out of… that class, yeah,” Twilight agreed with a nervous laugh.

Spike breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh. Well, be sure to come to our table tomorrow, Spikey. Some of us haven’t seen you all summer and would like to catch up, alright?” Rarity asked pleasantly, her voice raising at the end.

Spike gulped dryly, feeling all ability to think properly vanish.

“R-right, uh, sure. I will. No problemo,” he stammered awkwardly, feeling a smile force its way to his face even though he made an odd expression as he heard his own odd words.

“What are you doing?” A voice asked, and it did not come from the phone.

Spike looked up to see a teacher standing in the doorway, files in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. Spike swallowed once more for a different reason and started stammering again.

“Uh, sorry, gotta go,” Spike spat out as he ended the call.

“No food or drink in here!”

Spike strolled up to the grassy field at last, taking care not to bump into any soccer team members that waltzed by after a brief tryout. Several remained to clean up as the football team, the returning two members anyway, began to set up equipment for football tryouts. Rainbow Dash and Applejack could be spotted up ahead getting everything ready, as well as an expectantly preoccupied Twilight. The latter seemed focused more on a massive book than the field.

On the field: kickstands, cheap tires and cruddy practice gear was laid out. Already there were several other guys lined up for the tryout, which made Spike feel that the odds were not in his favour. The football team was the most popular sports team in school, clearly. He did his best not to just leave then and there, sighing as he took a seat next to Twilight. She was too absorbed into the book to even notice, as usual.

“Howdy there, Spike,” a southern voice called out, familiar in it’s unconventional twang.

Spike glanced over just in time to see Applejack jog up to the bleachers, holding a bag full of footballs strung over her shoulder. Twilight only clued in to Spike’s presence at that moment, raising her head and blinking a few times.

“Oh, hey you,” Twilight said, the glee apparent in her voice. The news of Spike wanting to join the football team must have set her in a good mood. She had been hoping for a long time that Spike would find something to do and love that suited him well.

“So, you’re tryin' out, huh? And here Ah didn’t think y'were one for sports,” Applejack said with a gentle and amused smirk, leaning against the side of the bleachers with an outstretched elbow.

“Well, I wanted to join a club, and I figured football was the most masculine and popular of them all,” Spike said as he tried to chew out a decent excuse. “I just wanted to learn to be a bit more of a man, you know? Besides, Shining Armour was always into football, so maybe this will give us something to talk about.”

There was a brief silence followed by a cough from Applejack. “W-well, alright ‘en. S-so, what do you reckon you’re best suited for?”

Spike shrugged his shoulders as he started twiddling his thumbs around absently. Silence took over once more with a brisk wind and incoming footsteps serving as the only ripple. Honestly, Spike had not really thought much about it; he didn’t know too much about football and that made him a little apprehensive.

A girl with rainbow hair popped up at the bottom of the bleachers, sporting a cheap foam Nerf ball. With a quick motion, she tossed the foam ball towards Spike just as he glanced over to her. Before the boy could do much more than gasp, it impacted his forehead, causing him to jerk his head back. The foam ball rolled down the bleachers and bounced about as it hit each following step. The rainbow-headed girl snorted a laugh loudly as she retrieved the ball, and the other two girls simply watched.

“Well, you’re no receiver, not with that 'catch'. That was just pitiful,” she said through the obnoxious laughter, tossing the ball into the air and catching it again without difficulty.

"Quit bein' s'darn rough with th' kid, it ain't no wonder all our tryout's leave in th' first few practices," Applejack smacked her friend on the back of the head lightly.

"You know you like it when I’m rough, AJ." Rainbow Dash grinned and crept closer to her friend, who rolled her eyes.

Spike let out a grin; she was just as he remembered. “Rainbow, I wasn’t really anticipating a ball to the face.”

Rainbow shook her head, humming dismissively. “I guess not, but still, you should be able to react to that weak throw.”

Sighing and nodding slowly, the boy hopped off the bleachers, leaving the three girls by themselves. Twilight, Applejack and Rainbow watched as Spike sauntered off, his head hanging a little low. Rainbow seemed perplexed while Applejack and Twilight seemed rather sad, the downtrodden boy most likely sensitive to such comments.

“Did I say something wrong?” Rainbow asked as she looked between the two girls, tilting her head in wonder.

“No, no,” Twilight muttered gently, watching her brother slump away. “I can’t really say, Spike’s an interesting guy, is all. Sometimes he just needs time to think things over.”

Spike stepped onto the grass and stopped short of a white line marking the edge of the field. He wasn’t sure what the word was, but premonitions of future glory, maybe being the game changer for his team flashed in his mind. Fantasies of being the best; they seemed so far away as Spike was certain he had no talent to begin with. Briefly, images flashed in his mind; running down the sidelines, opposing team hot on his trail as he carried the ball to victory, or perhaps centre field, throwing the enemy linemen to the ground. He glanced towards his left arm and flexed it, realizing he had no muscle whatsoever.

He let out yet another pensive sigh and gave the field a once-over. As he looked towards one end, he saw a black and white ball with a hexagon pattern rolling towards him. It stopped a few yards away, and looking up into the distance, Spike noticed a boy in a blue and white jersey wave out to him.

The ball in front of him he had little experience with, so he shrugged in response and burst into a light run. It was by no means a sports-star dash, but some onlookers could tell that it had potential. As he approached the ball, he yanked his foot back and swung it forward as hard as he could. His toe impacted the bottom of the ball and the sound of the synthetic leather connecting with his shoe was somewhat satisfying.

What was even more satisfying was watching the ball launch into the air, spinning wildly towards the soccer player. Spike, the distant boy and the three girls on the bleachers watched as the ball soared into the sky, higher than he thought or wanted to send it. Simultaneous winces were felt by all those who watched on, as the sun hanging above welcomed the ball into the open air above the field but stung at their eyes. From the 40-yard line, the ball cleared the goalposts and landed in the street immediately next to the football field.

All five onlookers felt astonishment with the exception of Spike, who watched in horror. Clearly he had not been trained on how to control kicks of any kind nor did he understand his own strength. He ditched his bag on the ground behind him as he started running towards the end of the field and the fence behind it. Upon reaching it, he leapt upwards, grabbing the six-foot high fence and clambering over it. Being somewhat short compared to the height of the obstacle, he fell over and his feet tingled as his body landed on the sidewalk, but he did not let that stall him. Checking both ways, he darted across the street and looked around for the soccer ball that had seemingly rolled under a car.

"Did that jus' happen?" Applejack blinked, pushing off of the bleachers in surprise.

"Damn," was Rainbow's only response as the three girls watched Spike running back towards the bleachers.

He returned the ball to the soccer player, who gratefully thanked him before he returned into the school. By then, Spike was huffing and out of breath as he stumbled back to his spot on the bleachers.

“Woah, that was actually a pretty decent kick, bub,” Rainbow said, going over and elbowing Spike in the side, which caused him to heave a bit and weakly swat her away.

“Huh. I guess so, sure. I kicked it as hard as I could, pretty sure that it wasn’t gonna launch like that,” he said humbly, avoiding Rainbow Dash’s gaze as if she would scold him for his lack of control or prowess.

Applejack whistled loudly, shooting Spike a smile as she caught his attention. “Well, we’re missin’ a kicker, Spike. And seems t’me, you just signed up for that.”

Twilight did her best to repress a smile as she watched her friends modestly praise Spike. Before long, she stood up, stretching her legs as she gathered her book and bags. After all, a sports field was no place for someone whose nose belonged in a book.

“Off so soon?” Rainbow asked simply, shuffling over on the boards to make room.

“Yeah, I just came by to see Spike try out. I’m actually really busy,” she said, rolling her eyes at the last word as she adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

“But it’s the first day o’school,” Applejack muttered, thinking to herself.

Twilight didn’t respond, instead stepping off the bleachers and heading towards the school, waving to the three. By then, several more people were starting to approach the field. Spike could recognize some of the faces; the British boy whom stood maybe a foot taller, a trio of numbskulls he had to share a few classes with. His view of those trying out was obstructed by Rainbow Dash’s face popping up inches from his own, causing him to lean back in surprise.

“Yo, Spike, I asked you if you remembered my number. You got shit in your ears?” Rainbow asked, waving her hand close to his face.

Stuttering incoherently, Spike found himself unable to speak as he clumsily yet quickly retrieved his phone. Unlocking it, he opened up his contacts list and pretended to scroll down several pages. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to notice but Applejack could tell Spike was fibbing. Once again, a subtly solemn expression adorned her face that quickly gave way to a smile as Rainbow snatched Spike’s phone from his hands.

The boy panicked a moment but Rainbow didn’t seem to notice the lack of contacts, instead instantly slamming her thumb onto the “Add Contact” icon.

“Sheesh, how could you not have my number?” Rainbow muttered, shaking her head as she punched in her details with aggressive fingers. "How do you expect to get ahold of AJ when she's caught up in my bedsheets?!"

"Ignore her," Applejack brushed the subject away easily and chuckled at her best friend's violent typing fingers. "She thinks it's funny t'joke 'bout that stuff."

“Well, I never needed to know your number, I guess," Spike responded with a shrug, not looking directly at her until she tossed the phone back at him, which he fumbled to catch.

“Listen kid, you ever need help practising and shit, give me a shout, okay?” Rainbow Dash expressed an overzealous, friendly wink before returning to the subject at hand. “All right, AJ, what have you got planned for the tryouts?”

“Uh, me, planned? Ah thought that was your job?” Applejack nudged her team mate playfully, causing the girl to nervously laugh and act aloof. “Well, so much for captain.”

“Whatever, we have the most important player right here.” Rainbow Dash grinned and pointed her thumb at herself, drawing forth a chuckle from the freckle-faced farmer’s lips.

“Right, Ah forgot about the star runnin' back,” her tone was sarcastic, but lighthearted. Applejack shook her head as she turned back and addressed the younger boy beside her, “So you’re on the team now, Spike. Our first practice is tomorrow after school, y’hear? Now, don’t be late, we got lots’a ground t' cover.”

“I won’t be.” Spike nodded eagerly, biting his lip to keep his appreciative and ecstatic smile under wraps.

The two girls waved goodbye casually before heading over to the football field to greet the rest of the team. Spike still didn’t know much about what had just happened, but he was glad it did. He was never much interested in sports, so he was just as surprised as anyone to realize he might have had some potential behind those oddly remarkable eyes and clumsily large body. Just like that, he was on the team, he had a position and everything. Not that he knew much about it, but like Twilight always advised him, a little research is never out of the question. He retrieved his bag and pulled it over his shoulders, playing with the straps apprehensively.

What he really wanted to do was shout or sprint home, but he repressed the urges. Still, Spike was thrilled about his first day of the year. Usually any potential and excitement was robbed from him by Felix or his buddies, but this year would be different. This year, he would challenge himself, he would make friends, he would be good at something. He was going to be a man.

Pipsqueak's Number

II. Pipsqueak's Number

Green eyes glanced out over a massive stretch of grass, tracing the white lines laid out in a formation that resembled a playing field. Silently criticizing the less than professional paint job, Spike spat onto the grass, accidentally spitting out his mouthguard too. Grumbling incoherently, he scratched his back as the almost decade old football jersey fell loose over his back, patch jobs aplenty and mystery stains making up the school colours. A bitter, squeaky laugh snapped him out of his minor trance and he glanced ahead to the girl in question.

Up ahead, Rainbow had her finger on the tip of a football standing vertically atop a small black square on the grass. Eying it, Spike saw it was lined up perfectly with the goal post. Spike tapped his new cleats against the grass, digging the protrusions into the turf as he made sure his grip was absolute. Taking in a deep breath, Spike calmed himself down with some basic breathing techniques.

“Yo spiney-headed runt,” Rainbow shouted out once more while she touched the back of her head, lifting the short hair up between pointed fingers into spines to imitate Spike’s green hair’s natural prickle. “Before the tourney’s end, please.”

Spike’s calm face was replaced with irritation as he bent his knees, leaning forward before pressing off the ground with his feet. His legs tensed up as he pushed off the ground and darted forward, ignoring the seven sets of eyes watching him as he proceeded to direct his anger towards the pigskin. Approaching the brown, leathery ellipsis, he stomped his left foot into the ground as his cleats rooted like a cement block. Bringing his right foot back, Spike grunted as he threw all his leg power into this kick.

Instead of launching the ball, a pair of hands yanked the ball back. Rainbow quickly rolled backwards, snickering as Spike’s kick flew into the air, not connecting with anything. The momentum caused him to tip backwards as his right foot swung out in front of him. He staggered a bit through the shifting of his weight and tried to get his footing back desperately. As he noticed his left foot no longer against solid ground, Spike found himself tumbling backwards in a fit of clumsy flailing and mild fear. His head hit the ground, mostly protected by the helmet though he could feel his teeth chattering in his head as he twitched once or twice.

Rolling firmly onto his back, Spike was a bit dazed as he tilted his head up to see the rainbow-haired girl in hysterics. Three boys, jocks that Spike expected to see there, laughed at the commotion while Applejack rolled her eyes and shook her head. Though she was not surprised by Rainbow’s casual prankster attitude, she was somewhat bothered that the captain had directed it at the less than confident boy. Spike could not see the reactions of the other couple of players, but the reactions he could see embarrassed him enough already.

“Rule number one, spiney: never give it all your strength in practice to show off. Otherwise you’ll throw out your leg much too fast,” she told him with a smug smirk. “At least, from what I’ve seen of past kickers.”

Spike muttered another cuss as he relaxed against the pointy, fresh cut grass. He stared up at the clouds, laying flat on his back as he felt the sun’s rays caress his body. Spike shut out the sounds of laughing or chatter or whatever quips the jocks had and watched Rainbow smile down at him. Another figure appeared above him, his face silhouetted by the sun.

“Need a lift, chap?” the voice said, a distinct foreign accent to it.

A hand was outstretched and Spike squinted his eyes to see who helped him. Blindly, he grabbed the hand and was yanked suddenly to his feet. In front of him stood a taller boy with paled skin and hazelnut brown hair. Looking more like a professional athlete rather than a high school football player, Spike muttered a thanks as the boy smiled back at him. He wore a “MANEHATTAN FOOTBALL SQUAD” t-shirt that looked over 20 years old; one of the tryouts.

“She’s right, might not wanna take ‘er too rough, at least for a bit, don’t wanna end up arse over elbow too oft’, do you? Give it yer all out on the field when it really matters,” the boy said as he patted Spike on the shoulders.

“Pipsqueak,” a voice shouted and stunned them both stiff. “Get the fuck back to stance training!”

Spike glanced over to spot Rainbow barking orders all of a sudden as Applejack watched on silently, nodding in approval. The laugh or lesson was over, now she was back to doing her job. Several of the other wannabe linemen tensed up, namely those three guys that were just yuking it up with Rainbow. Pipsqueak sheepishly apologized and started a sprint back towards the line of tires. The now-serious girl stood up to full height, though she did not have much of that to talk about, and glared at them.

“You jerkoffs done standing around like useless dipsticks? Dumbbell, take your dumb friends over to their dumb positions, otherwise take your dumb friends off of my fucking playing field,” she shouted as she pointed to one side. Spike blinked in surprise, having spent the summer mostly alone or with his sister and not so often with Rainbow Dash, he had forgotten quite what a mouth that girl had on her.

All three put on scowls as they jogged past, muttering cusses that Rainbow either didn’t hear or ignored entirely. She turned her attention to Spike as she still clasped the football. Blindly, she threw the football over her shoulder and without needing warning, Applejack easily caught it. If there was one thing Spike remembered about those two, which seemed just as plain that day as ever it did, it was that they had an unspoken kind of friendship that bound them together in a way that always made Spike kind of envious. Rainbow stepped to the side as Spike shrugged his shoulders, awaiting any orders for him that might come at a deafening decibel.

Like a bullet, the football left Applejack’s hand. Next thing Spike knew, his arms were reacting and he clasped his gloved fingers tightly around the football, his fingers like claws digging into the seams as the ball stopped in his clutches. Yet, it still hit his solar plexus, knocking the wind right out of him. He stumbled back and fell over, watching Applejack’s now extended arm fall back over to her side. Spike let out several coughs as he once more was laid out, staring up at the skies. Glancing over, he could spot identical amused smirks on Rainbow and Applejack’s faces.

“Not bad. That was pretty fast. I guess you do have potential to be a receiver, if you can pay enough fucking attention. Or maybe even our tight end,” Rainbow said as her words drifted into thoughts. She muttered for a few more seconds, walking in a circle, arms folded. Spike clambered to his feet just as she seemed to finish. “Sure, we could give it a shot later if we don’t get a tight end, but for now, lets see what that leg of yours can do.”

Rainbow outstretched her hand as Spike tossed the pigskin towards her. It was a wobbly throw but she still caught it and didn’t bother pick at him about it. Once more, she knelt over and set the ball atop the kicking tee. Skeptically, Spike walked backwards as he eyed Rainbow. This was something she seemed to clue in on.

“Don’t worry kid, I’m not going to do that shit again. I can’t prank my friends too often, then they’ll expect it,” she said, shooting him a big grin to assure him. “Besides, Applejack scolds me if I don’t keep focused on the team, you know? Don't get me wrong, I like a good spanking when it comes from AJ, but she hardly gives me a break!”

‘Friends? Sure… that sounds nice,’ Spike thought as he dug his cleats into the soft soil.

He grinned as he leaned forward, planting his first foot into the ground. He didn’t check for grip that time and nodded to Rainbow. She nodded back.

‘Here we go.’

Spike put all his weight forward, pushing off with the tip of his right foot. Unfortunately, he happened to have placed the tip of his shoe on the mouthguard he had spat out, which rolled in the grass and caused Spike to tumble over once more. He landed face first into the ground, the wind leaving his lungs once more. Rainbow and Applejack simultaneously let out hearty laughs as Spike rolled over onto his back.

“Goddammit,” he muttered in a sigh, realizing the blue skies that hung above might well become a familiar sight to him.

“All right boys, girls, bastards, and bitches, you know the drill. Run the circuit one at a time, then three laps around the field. Once we're all warmed up, we can play a down or two and show you what a game might actually look like.” Rainbow Dash called to the field as she clapped her hands and paced around, directing with her fingers as she went, “Quit standing around here listening to me and get to it!”

Spike panted a bit as he cleared his first lap. He wasn't used to running, which seemed to be the case for many others still trying out. Clenching his teeth, he continued at his same pace, even through the burning in his legs. Several others, including Applejack and Rainbow, were practically sprinting the whole way. Of course the farmer and athlete were in first, it was no surprise they would be competing regardless of this being a warm-up. Spike watched as they shoved each other a bit, passing by him with ease. Once more, Spike pondered staying on the team at all, but considering he got on it before first tryout, he sucked back whatever complaint he had and persisted forward.

Up ahead, he found himself gaining on Pipsqueak, who was anything but his namesake. Pipsqueak seemed to be having a harder time running, even if he was quite possibly the largest on the team.

"Pipsqueak, right? You’re looking a little tired, you alright?" Spike asked anyways between huffs.

"Never had this problem b’fore,” Pipsqueak spat out between his panting.

Spike stared skeptically as a sharp frown carved into his face. The two took the first turn of the second lap as Spike slowed his stride to let Pipsqueak catch up. It did seem odd that the large, tall and seemingly fit boy was having trouble keeping up with someone like Spike. The green-haired boy was silent as he considered the implications only to realize what he had seen Pipsqueak doing earlier.

"Right, you just exerted a bunch of strength pushing the other linemen, you’re probably just exhausted from that," he muttered, slapping himself in the head.

"Oh,” he started, pausing to gasp for air. "Right." Pipsqueak sheepishly grinned as he slowed down to just barely a jog. Spike matched his speed.

"Hey, if you don't mind me asking, why do you seem so familiar?” Spike asked curiously.

Pipsqueak swallowed whatever saliva built up in his mouth and glanced over to the shorter player.

“Ten years ago or so,” Pipsqueak started as he took in a large breath to speak with. “We met briefly on Nightmare Night. Y’know, the whole fiasco when the Vice Principal attempted to cancel the holiday for the school.” He paused to gulp once more.. “I’m, well, I’m pretty sure it was because of all the pranks kids were pulling.”

“Kids like Rainbow Dash, if I remember correctly,” Spike murmured as he glared over at the aforementioned girl, who was teasing Applejack by running backwards and making faces until the farmer shoved her out of the way.

“Course, when I think back, I find m’self imagining a whole lot more than just getting candy-crazed and crying,” he said, pursing his lips at the thought.

Spike thought back and remembered the incident in question; indeed, he had met the transfer student around the time the VP had threatened Nightmare Night to the school. With that out of the way, Pipsqueak spoke up once more.

“If… if you don’t mind my asking you something a bit more personal,” he paused to heave a great breath. “You see at the time I thought it was just your costume. Y’know, you being a dragon that year and all, but—” Pipsqueak glanced back at Spike as they started the next straight. Spike returned the glance. “Your eyes, they’re rather remarkable, an odd green hue with those slitted pupils and all, I’m sure you’ve noticed. Is there any story to that?”

Spike gulped as Pipsqueak mentioned his eyes. He looked forward and his face darkened as memories flashed through his mind. Bitter thoughts best left forgotten, yet one found its way to his mind.

The sounds of schoolchildren’s laughter was deafening, but so common it went almost unheard. Spike watched his own two feet as he jumped down the few steps on the stoop of the old elementary school house, a place that had at first seemed so bright. Everyone around him was laughing and piling out of the front doors, the time spent indoors for that day finally coming to an end.

Spike was in a rush, a rush to get back home to his older sister. She had told him to come straight back, she had taken the time out of her own schedule to teach him advanced science, several years above his current education’s level. Spike thought it was so cool, and Twilight was his best friend, the person he looked up to most at the time.

He was so hurried that he didn’t even notice bumping and nudging another young boy from his place standing in the middle of the crowd, taking up the whole sidewalk. The other boy frowned and turned around, watching Spike, who was much smaller than himself, try to hurry off without so much as an apology.

“Wait right there,” the larger boy spoke as Spike was yanked backwards by the handle grip on the top of his backpack. Spike found himself turned around to meet the gaze of that same taller boy, one he recognized from his class. “You’re not even gonna ’pologize for that?” his words were not pronounced correctly, as his education had not taught him all of that yet.

“Oh, sorry. I’m just in a bit of a hurry.” Spike nervously tried to pull away, scratching his shaggy green hair as he held the eye contact. This was before he had become so cautious about them, about those eyes that the taller boy seemed more than interested in.

“What’s with your eyes, kid?” the boy scoffed and snorted a laugh, finding it amusing. “You’re like, you’re like an iguana or something!”

“An iguana?” Spike repeated questioningly. Right, they had been studying reptiles in school, so it was no wonder he knew such a word. Still, Spike was not pleased to hear this, and his dissatisfaction appeared on his face. “No. That’s not very nice.”

“Nice? Who said I was nice?” The taller boy shoved him into a stumble and glared hard at Spike, now more irritated than ever. “Listen you little jerk, you made a big mistake running into me and talking to me like that.”

“I don’t even know who you are, but I really have to go, okay? My sister is expecting me home.” Spike tried to reason with him, but the taller boy shoved him again, following close as Spike retreated a few steps back.

“Let me introduce myself, then.” He grabbed Spike by the shirt and roughly shoved him against the red brick wall, lifting him onto the tips of his toes with force. “My name’s Felix. And you’re going to be a bit late today.”

“Spike?” Pipsqueak’s voice chimed in, and Spike flinched to realize he had not been paying attention, “Thought I lost you for a minute there.”

“Hah! Pick up the pace, kids, unless you really like the taste of dust!” Rainbow Dash shoved from in between them as she raced past, knocking them for a loop.

“Rainbow,” Applejack muttered as she ran around the two boys, nudging Rainbow in the side and gesturing back at them.

“Oh, right,” Rainbow cleared her voice as she turned back around, running backwards as she brought her hand to her mouth to strengthen the shout, “Quit your fucking yapping and move your damn feet! Don’t make me come back there!”

Applejack chuckled a bit as Rainbow Dash turned back around, and the two continued to finish their warm-up jog before heading to the middle of the field. After a few more moments, the rest of the team came around, and though Spike was still huffing and heaving with mild exhaustion, there was little time to rest.

Rainbow Dash yawned loudly and obnoxiously as she stretched, leaning back close towards Applejack and opening one lazy eye towards her, “Right, so, how do we do this?”

“You’re hopeless.” Applejack shook her head and laughed before speaking to the rest of the team, “All right, those o’ y’all who are better at defence, stand on my left. Offence, my right. Those o’ you who dunno yet, stay in the middle and Ah’ll put’cha somewhere.”

Applejack and Rainbow Dash conversed a bit while the team split up to either side. The halves were uneven and small, but the two girls did their bests to make it even. They directed the stragglers to either side and handed the defence a set of yellow pinnies to differentiate them from the offence.

“All right you scrawny little brats.” Rainbow Dash clapped as the teams were settled, and she looked around at them. “In case you didn’t figure it out yet, whatever Applejack says, you listen. Is that clear? I may be our captain, but on the field, most of the plays will be called by Applejack. And yes, that does mean exactly what it sounds like. Applejack, she’s our quarterback. And besides that, she’s my bitch, so mess with her and you mess with the Dash.”

“Yes ma’am,” the team agreed, though their words were not synchronized and rung about in different volumes.

“Don’t go tellin’ ‘em crap like that, Ah ain’t no one’s nothin’,” Applejack growled, slapping Rainbow on the shoulder in a quick swipe.

“Shhh, I got this babe. Newbies, trust me when I say, my girl here’s got one hell of an arm and some awesome accuracy,” Rainbow Dash warned readily, shaking her finger at some of the less than invested players. “So don’t even think about ignoring what she says or disrespecting her, because she’ll snipe your giggleberries without a second thought.” A few of the men on the field shuffled uneasily and thought of their privates.

“Ah ain’t gonna do that,” Applejack muttered blankly, and Rainbow Dash shot her a shut-up glare.

“All right, as our star player, I’ll shoulder the gold. As always.” Rainbow Dash snatched up a pinnie for herself and adorned it, posing a bit as Applejack rolled her eyes. “You take the offence, Applejack. And do try to make it fun.”

"Anytime, sugarcube," Applejack responded quietly, tempting her aggressive captain.

Rainbow Dash punched Applejack’s shoulder roughly as she administered the challenge. Applejack returned the daring smile as Rainbow Dash jogged over to her half of the team to coach. Applejack did the same and went over to her own team, gesturing for them to move a little ways away from the line. She looked them over once or twice before she decided to speak.

“'kay, those of you who’re linemen, Ah need you t' line up right here.” She gestured at an area, and a few of the players did as they were told. She frowned at the lack of numbers and went to rectify the situation, “Spike, we ain’t gonna need a kicker in this drill, so be a lineman, will you?”

“Uh, okay,” Spike anxiously agreed, falling into line behind Pipsqueak, who patted him on the back to show his support.

“You two, think y’can catch well enough t’be my receivers for the day?” she spoke to a few more players, who nodded and agreed to the terms. “Good, the rest a’you, just try and hold off that there defence. Now, huddle up.”

Applejack directed the team a few yards farther away and nodded them in closer. The players still just sort of ambled about sheepishly and unsurely. Groaning in an exasperated sigh, Applejack grabbed the padded shoulders of the two players closest to her, yanking them into a tight huddle. The others followed suit, concerned about their giggleberries if they didn’t.

“Al’right, so somethin’ tells me Rainbow’s gonna be tellin’ her team to push hard. But see, Ah ain’t exactly in the mood to get sacked today.” Applejack’s eyes ran around the group, determination ringing true in them. “Think y’all can keep ‘em off o’me for a spell? Ah want my receivers to go long and keep a good watch for my toss. Easy ‘nough?”

“Yeah.” Some of the team nodded and agreed.

“Right, break.” Applejack slapped her knees and pushed the nearest players away, guiding them back to the line where Rainbow’s half of the team already waited.

“You ready yet? I’m falling asleep over here!” Rainbow Dash faked another yawn, but broke into a loud laugh as Applejack playfully flipped her the finger.

Spike nervously settled in beside Pipsqueak; he had never been this close to the action before. Applejack went and grabbed a football, spinning it around in her hand as she returned to the middle of the field, making certain her team was correctly positioned against her friend’s defence. She had told one of her teammates to provide the snap, and passed him the ball to start the down.

Spike grew terribly afraid as it all went rather quiet around him, the only sound being the monstrous breathing of the larger men beside and before him, and perhaps the squeaking of new cleats as feet bent up in anticipation. He heard Applejack shouting some words, but nothing that seemed to hold any value. That is, until the one word he recognized rang out.

“Hike!” And just like that all of the bodies around him and in front of him ran into each other; shoulders, arms and helmets locking. His knees buckled a bit as he held the others off, leaning on Pipsqueak for something of help, knowing the larger boy had it easier than he did. Still, he noticed the way his body felt powerful as he staved off a physical assault, and his adrenaline pumped through his body ecstatically.

Applejack leaned back and looked over the clashing bodies before her, hoping her linesmen were enough to hold the other half of their team at bay. She could vaguely see her target receiver, but she hardly got much of a chance to get into the throw as someone burst out of the tussle in front of her.

Applejack's eyes widened as she avoided the initial tackle, stepping a few paces backwards as her aggressor regained her footing for another assault. Despite the way the helmet covered her bright, multi-coloured hair, Applejack named her opponent as Rainbow Dash. The grinning Rainbow Dash's feet moved quickly and made chase, and Applejack instinctively ran from her, holding the ball securely in her arms as to keep it out of her enemy's hands.

“What the heck happened to my line?!” Applejack yelled to her half of the team as she ran forward around their lines, angered by their lack of skill in keeping the others off of her.

“You'd better quit talking and keep running, AJ!” Rainbow Dash laughed maniacally as she kept at Applejack's heels, forcing her down the field in a full sprint.

“Rainbow, quit chasin' me, this is just a drill!” Applejack called over her shoulder as she realized how near Rainbow Dash actually was to catching her.

She turned to evade one attempt at a grab from Rainbow, but found herself yelping and hitting the ground as Rainbow leapt through the air and grabbed her around the legs. The pair hit the grass with a hard collision and were silent as they reeled from the hit. Rainbow lifted her head up, her arms still around Applejack's legs. Applejack merely groaned and shifted a bit, glaring back at her friend over her padded shoulder.

“I totally got you, Applejack!” Rainbow Dash cheered as she pushed herself up a bit onto her elbows, proud of herself for stopping such a force.

“Yeah, yeah, get off'a me, will ya?” Applejack grumbled as she wiggled her feet from under Rainbow Dash's prone body, which only served to give her a nasty idea.

“Mmm.” Rainbow grinned this devilish grin and regained control of her hands, sliding them up Applejack's thighs sensually. “Make me.” She grabbed at her friend's ass, squeezing rudely and raising her eyebrows suggestively.

“Rainbow!” Applejack shouted as she tried to knock the girl off of her, squirming a bit as her face went bright red beneath her visor. Rainbow Dash responded by lifting herself up and wrapping her arms around each of her friend's legs, getting to her own feet and dragging Applejack across the grass.

“What are they doing?” Spike asked while the rest of the team relaxed, stretching out and watching the antics of their supposed leaders several yards away.

“You'll get used to it,” Pipsqueak told him absently, checking the strap on his helmet as the rest of the men leisurely strolled about. “Tried out last year, found ‘em always screwing ‘round like that. They’re rascals, t’ put it lightly. Then again, If Rainbow Dash wasn't around, I swear Applejack ‘ould work us to the bone n’ back.”

“I thought Rainbow Dash was the captain though, isn’t she?” Spike inquired with curious eyes.

“She is, but Applejack’s the one who’s got i’ out fer us with all these intense trainings and such, she gives Rainbow lots o’ ideas about that sort of thing. Keeps her on track... well, most o’ the time.” Pipsqueak’s expression rotated between several before he settled on rolling his eyes.

“Oh. Well, I knew that they liked to roughhouse, but nothing like that.” Spike nodded as he watched his friends bicker physically and verbally.

“What's wrong, quarterback?” Rainbow Dash dragged her across the ground, though it took great effort to do, and Applejack scowled with a very displeased expression. “Thought you were all about keeping your feet on the ground? Where’s that level-headed composure now?”

“Ah'm too busy keepin' your crazy head outta the clouds.” Applejack murmured as she turned over, holding the football still in her palm. With a quick and forceful toss, she hit Rainbow Dash squarely in the helmet, knocking it a bit crooked.

Rainbow Dash stopped towing the girl and blinked in surprise, dropping one of Applejack's legs to adjust the helmet. Her eyes narrowed suddenly as she pouted a bit. “Oh, that does it!” she shouted as Applejack scrambled to her feet and evaded Rainbow's initial tackle.

“Watch that temper, partner!” Applejack reminded her friend as she expertly maneuvered the assault and turned Rainbow's momentum back on herself, grabbing her tightly in a headlock.

“AJ! AJ, quit it!” Rainbow Dash whined loudly as she struggled against the superior force, wriggling to try and get free or pry her friend's arm off of her. She settled instead for shouting something she thought might get her to back off willingly. “You're suffocating me with your fucking boobs!”

“C'mere, you.” Applejack dragged the protesting young athlete back to the group, only releasing her once they were in front of the team again. “Al’right, now this here knucklehead's got a point,” she told the team in a loud and commanding voice, watching as Rainbow Dash scowled and rubbed her neck grouchily. “It don't matter if we're in a drill, we gotta give it our all, right? Ah wanna see one-hundred percent in every drill, every practice, every game. Got that?”

“Yes ma’am!”

After the practice game, Spike looked out over the field as the rest of the team packed up. He was a little disappointed that he never truly got to kick and the rest of the players were still misfits enough to remove any resemblance of a football team. They ran out, played a game and ended, just to see where they all were. Spike couldn’t help but think that it was hardly different than a usual physical education class. Spike glanced over at his phone, noting the time of 5:48PM. Another day of school had been successful, and with a sigh of relief, he wiped his face.

Rainbow had thrown out a ball that got deflated after a lineman pileup occurred to the beaten, battered ball, and was lazily making her way to the bleachers. Applejack sat several feet away, sipping back a sports drink with her eyes seemingly trailing the rainbow-haired team captain, a dull grin on her face as she enjoyed the laid back atmosphere. It even made Spike relax.

Pipsqueak sat down between Applejack and Spike on the bench, letting out several huffs as he didn’t bother waiting for the locker room. He removed his shirt as well as his cheap underarmour, his arms aching just to move. His clothing was dirty, not seeing much use prior to the game, and his muscular build showed itself as it was peeled off. Applejack glanced over passively, seemingly approving of the build with a nod or a shrug before turning back to the team captain as she collected the footballs that were used. Most others had left the field already, going to the showers while the last four players basked in the nearly setting sun.

“I wasn’t the best out there t’day, but I sure do think I could be a righty lineman,” Pipsqueak said as he took the bottle of sports drink Applejack offered, squirting a bit into his mouth before handing it back. “I recently had a growth spurt, and ‘ave been trying t’ build muscle to match my height. I’m still getting exhausted and sore easily, and tired due to the suddenness. But I’m glad I tried out this year. Football… it’s a good way to build character.”

Applejack let the statement settle with a polite few nods, but Spike pondered the words carefully before responding.

“I don’t know, sports are just games, after all. Real stuff seems to do a better job of that. I think that it’s suffering that builds more character, in my eyes. Anyone who’s had a perfect life, everything handed to them, they wouldn’t know the fruits of a hard day’s effort or that life can just… be awful for no reason.” Spike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his legs as he looked at the ground between his feet. Pipsqueak and Applejack’s eyes, as well as an incoming Rainbow, looked to him seriously as he dropped the mood to something more bitter. “Even little things, like making friends, can be tough.”

Not wasting a second, Pipsqueak gave him several hard pats on the back, not knowing his own strength. “Well, righty-o, then. Consider us mates. No difficulties involved.” Recovering from almost being knocked off the edge of the bench, Spike glanced back up at the larger boy incredulously.

“R-really? Just like that? Well… yeah, okay,” Spike agreed warmly, sitting upright. He checked his phone once more, seeing only a couple of minutes had passed. Pipsqueak outstretched his hand in the direction of the phone, drawing Spike’s eyes to it instead of the screen. “Huh?”

“Lemme give you my number, no foolin’. I figured if we’re gonna be mates as well as teammates, it’d make sense, right?” he proposed as Spike slowly handed the phone over.

“Woah woah woah, what makes you think you’re on the team in the first place, kid?” Rainbow asked as she dropped the ball bag next to the bench and leaned her elbow atop Applejack’s head, causing the farmer to grunt.

Pipsqueak punched in his information into Spike’s contact list and he grinned awkwardly at the phone before responding. He checked the details and gave the phone back to Spike and clicked his tongue before setting his eyes on Rainbow once more. He flexed his arms which perfectly showed off his physique.

“Cap’n, look at me. You honestly think you can afford to let me get stiffed with the basketball team?” he asked, attempting to put an edge to his voice.

Rainbow stood up straight, setting her hands on her hips as she hummed in thought, squinting her eyes at the muscular boy. She didn’t seem particularly interested in scanning him, but she objectively did just that. Her lips twisted as she hummed in thought before rolling her eyes and shrugging.

“Meh, got no witty retort for that. Congrats, you fucking Pipsqueak, you’re our first official lineman,” she stated with a thumbs-up gesture and a smirk.

Rainbow immediately retrieved Pipsqueak’s phone from his bag next to the bench without waiting for approval. Spike found himself stifling a chuckle at Rainbow’s obnoxiousness, finding it comforting that she had not changed. Even though Pipsqueak’s expression shifted from discomfort to confusion, he let her have her way with his phone. After a few clumsy attempts, she unlocked the phone and punched in hers, Applejack’s and Spike’s information.

“There, teammates are in… or, the official ones, at least.” Rainbow Dash snickered a bit, “Who knows how long these fucking wannabes are going to last. Applejack and I are guaranteed in this year, I mean no one can debate me being the captain, and no one throws like my girl Applejack.”

“No questions asked?” Spike wondered with a light voice, glancing down at his phone.

Two days and two more contacts; he couldn’t stop a grin from being painted on his face as his body warmed up to the prospect. The face of another girl popped into his mind once more; one he spoke to not that often, but enough that his heart was completely dead set on her. She hadn’t dated for most of her high school life, at least from what he could see, yet he couldn’t help but feel he didn’t compare to her standards. The mention of her name broke him out of a trance.

“—and she’s creating our uniforms again this year. I’d love it if we could get some quality fabrics or whatever, but, like, cheap quality,” Rainbow said, pounding a fist into her palm as she talked to Applejack.

“Rainbow, there ain’t so such thing as ‘cheap quality’. Ya either have one or th’ other,” Applejack argued back.

“I’m sorry, who, again?” Pipsqueak said, giving Rainbow and Applejack a sheepish grin. “I missed the name, no offense. I was just a bit dazed there, I was.”

Spike swallowed and fiddled nervously with his hands as images of the girl flashed in his mind once more.

“Who? C’mon, kid, did you like just transfer or something? She designs the uniforms for all the teams in school, the fucking plays and nerdy shit too,” Rainbow said, slapping her palm against her forehead.

“Her name’s Rarity.”

Scootaloo's Number

III. Scootaloo's Number

Spike stood in front of the twin doors, trying in vain to contort his nervous expression into confidence or aloofness. His meek knocks echoed between the panes of glass, which were carved and curved into fantastical designs that obscured the reflection of his face. He pushed his hands into his pockets to keep from fidgeting them about, and waited earnestly for some answer. His uncertainty of whether or not to knock once more was shocked out of him as a rough hand shoved him right up against the glass.

“Move it Spike, we didn’t come here to gawk at the fancy doors!” Rainbow Dash snorted as Spike stumbled about into the vacant space on the other side of the entrance.

The doors fell noisily and loosely open as the girl behind him forced him through, causing him to lose his footing and fall onto the bright white carpeting. Rainbow Dash broke into a loud guffaw as she watched him scramble against the thick, plush rug. Groaning audibly at his captain’s pushiness, Spike felt at his cheek, where the abrasive imprint of the coarse fabric burned his face.

“Rainbow, quit pushin’ the kid around,” Applejack demanded as she came through the door herself, holding it open for Pipsqueak before closing it gently behind them.

“Are you jealous, AJ?” Rainbow Dash asked as she slunk up behind the blonde and eyed her with a cheeky grin. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be the most fun to tease.”

“What a relief,” came the sarcastic mutter of the freckled girl, which fell nearly silent beneath the welcoming bellow of the owner of the little shop.

“Ah, Rainbow Dash, darling, I thought I heard your brash voice,” the woman’s elegant tone rose above the mounds and rounds of fabric that hung about the room. “If anyone could drag Applejack down here for some measurements, I knew it’d be you.”

"I can get AJ to do a lot of things," Rainbow murmured suggestively to the girl in question, who hummed a dull tone instead of dignifying the suggestion with a response.

Spike hurriedly got to his feet and dusted the fronts of his pants, as if there was a speck of dirt on those crisp and clean carpets. As best as he tried to delay it, his attention was inevitably drawn to the woman who floated down the stairs like some flickering feather, her gorgeously tousled hair bouncing with each step. He stood up straight anticipating her acknowledging gaze, though Applejack grouchily moseyed past him.

“Let’s just get this over with,” the irritable blonde grumbled as she followed Rainbow Dash to the raised platform by the mirrors, which made her cringe to look at.

“Oh, Spike, congratulations on joining the team,” Rarity said to the younger boy, who sheepishly grinned and almost replied too quickly for her to finish. “Rainbow tells me she thinks you have real potential.”

“She did?” Spike blinked in surprise to hear such a thing, and looked over at the team captain who was currently holding up a rather short gown against her less than enthusiastic friend, trying to envision what it might look like on her body.

“If for nothing more than target practice!” Rainbow Dash chuckled as she grabbed another dress from the rack, which would reveal far too much skin for her blonde friend’s simple taste. “Nah, you’re cool buddy.”

Spike smiled as Rainbow Dash brushed the topic off, never much for praising other people, at least to their faces. He felt particularly lucky to have her good faith in him, but knew he would have to work hard to keep it, considering his limited knowledge of the game she seemed to trust him to play. Applejack finally pushed her friend’s invasive hands away from herself and the runs of clothing.

“We ain’t playin’ dress-up here, Rainbow,” Applejack shook her head but smiled a bit, finding the friendly hazing somewhat comforting in the otherwise unpleasant situation.

“Well, I suppose since you’re all here, we should get started.” Rarity began as she reached into one of her desk drawers and revealed a long measuring tape, which she slung around her neck. “Who’s first?”

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances, as no one wanted to be the first to get up on the platform and be measured. It was somewhat disheartening, standing up there in front of the mirror, and can make one feel quite self-conscious as their body is examined. Applejack and Rainbow Dash glared at each other intimidatingly, and Spike shrunk behind Pipsqueak’s arching height.

“Well, per’aps I’ll get up there, then,” Pipsqueak said as he noticed the reluctant looks of his fellow teammates and decided to take the plunge first.

Rarity extended her hand to gesture for the tall young man to approach the platform. From the raised level he could see three duplicate reflections of himself, all with a slightly different angle, from the mirrors before him. Coming so fresh into his large body, Pipsqueak was still clearly uncomfortable in his shoes and shifted around under the attention. Rarity did not hesitate to quick-step over to him, measuring tape spread through her fingers. She pulled his arms apart and out, running the long white tape along his body as she got the dimensions, which she jotted down on a little notebook that fit into the sewing kit on her hip.

Spike felt a surge of jealousy ignite within him as he watched her dainty, feminine hands touch another man, even if it was just business and strictly innocent. Spike shut it out, feeling his anxiety weighing down on his chest. Closing his eyes, he let banter shoot back and forth between Applejack and Rainbow Dash as Pipsqueak continued letting Rarity take his measurements. After a couple infuriating scenarios contemplating potential outcomes involving Pipsqueak and Rarity finally played out in Spike’s head, he heard that the large lineman was soon hurried off the platform. Spike’s eyes opened up as he heard a lovely voice call out the team captain.

“Rainbow Dash, please step up.” Rarity gestured for the rainbow-haired girl to approach the raised ledge.

“Get ready to measure perfection!” Rainbow Dash leapt onto the platform, nearly shoving Pipsqueak right off of it. She looked at herself in the mirrors and smirked, as if it pleased her.

“Considerin’ the uniform’s gotta fit over your big head, Rare’s got her work cut out for her,” Applejack muttered snidely with a smile of her own, her eyes running down the body of her best friend. Pipsqueak passed her on his way to the door and Applejack gestured a pleasant wave to let him go. “Leavin’?”

“Yessum, practice ran a bit longer than I expected. I’ll see you later.” Pipsqueak smiled warmly as he waved goodbye the the rest of them, even though Rainbow Dash did not acknowledge his exit.

“Oh, quit bitching. You’re up next, AJ,” Rainbow Dash continued on her conversation, and Applejack just shrugged as she heard the bell above the Boutique door ring out to signal Pipsqueak’s leave.

“If it were up t’me, Ah’d wear my brother’s hand-me-downs,” the simple farmer explained, putting her hands onto her hips.

“Yeah, except he’s bigger than you in every way but what counts,” Rainbow Dash mimed extensively large breasts on her own chest, exaggerating the matter.

Applejack bit back a laugh at the horrified expression on Rarity’s face and the sheepish blush that Spike displayed, shaking her head as she told her captain, “Mime your own fake tits, RD.”

“You know, this would be a lot easier if you weren’t moving so much,” Rarity hurriedly directed them on topic, struggling against Rainbow Dash’s constant movements and posing in the mirrors.

“Sorry Rarity; if Applejack’s staring, I want to give her a show,” Rainbow Dash explained with a quick sly look back to her now flustered teammate.

“Ah ain’t starin’!” Applejack defensively shouted as she averted her attention away, crossing her arms defiantly. “Just hurry up s’we can get outta here.”

Spike blinked in surprise as Rarity flashed him a subtly amused expression, something he had not been expecting from her during her business hours. After another few struggles to get accurate measurements, Rarity finally finished jotting down the necessary lengths for Rainbow Dash’s uniform. Though initially reluctant to give up her position atop the pedestal, the football team’s boisterous captain eventually hopped back down to ground level. Applejack pretended to have not been paying attention as her best friend grabbed her still crossed arms, shoving her towards her fate.

“The struggle is half the fun,” Rainbow mused as Applejack resisted her shoves.

“All right, Applejack, your turn. I’ll make it quick and painless,” Rarity vowed as she stepped out of the way to make room for the less than enthused girl.

“I was going to say the opposite,” Rainbow Dash teasingly murmured into Applejack’s ear, though she had to duck suddenly to dodge a wild swing the freckled farmer intended for her.

“Zip it, missy,” Applejack shrugged the snickering Rainbow Dash away from her as she stepped up onto the raised platform and faced reflected duplicates of herself in the many tall mirrors around her.

Applejack shifted uncomfortably under the watching eyes of those in the room, and the many eyes of her own reflections for that matter. She took to following the trim around the roof instead of focusing on the situation, though she squeezed at her arms in their crossed position. That is, until Rarity needed access to that same area.

Clearing her throat and staring at the anxious girl in her store, Rarity gestured for Applejack to move her arms out of the way. Applejack groaned an irritable sigh as she complied, only to tense up rigid as Rarity looped the measuring tape around her back and pulled it in front of her, closing tight around her bust. The tape fell down around her waist next, and then encircled her hips the same way her belt did. Applejack felt the need to express her concerns, though she felt humiliated to speak of such things.

“Ah know this is your job an’ all, but if y’go anywhere near my crotch, Ah’m gonna deck you.” Applejack muttered monotonously as her eyebrows dropped onto a stern stare.

“Noted.” Rarity responded dully, expecting her friend to have anticipated more professional motives from her.

Applejack caught sight of her football captain staring at her in one of the reflections, and though it was embarrassing, she felt somewhat comforted by the gaze. She peered over her shoulder towards her best friend, who played with biting her lips and making interested faces as her own gaze shifted to the real girl on the platform. Applejack huffed a chuckle and retained Rainbow Dash’s attention as Rarity extended her arm for an accurate reading.

“And Ah was the one starin’?” Applejack remarked as she noticed the undivided gaze of her friend, whose eyes met her own. “Why’re y’lookin’ at me like that?”

Rainbow Dash was not one to be flustered or caught off guard, though, and responded promptly with a smirk. “Like what? Like I wanna lick chocolate syrup off your body?”

“You what?!” Flushing madly, Applejack swallowed her surprise and traded it in for the simplicity of honesty. “You ain’t funny, RD. ‘Sides, Ah happen t’know you’re more of a caramel kinda girl.”

“Don’t worry, I’d lick anything off you, baby,” Rainbow Dash enunciated with a wink as her leering gaze rolled over her friend’s body suggestively, much to the discomfort of everyone else in the room. Applejack swallowed as the image came into her head, trying to get the sweet imagined taste out of her mouth.

“Um, excuse me you two, but I’m finished,” Rarity interrupted blankly as she hung the measuring tape back over her shoulders.

“I’m just getting started,” Rainbow Dash continued, raising her eyebrows until Applejack scoffed to bite back a grin.

“Don’t mind her,” Applejack told Spike and Rarity as she noticed their uncertain expressions. “Al’right Spike, your turn.”

“Oh, right.” Spike gulped back some excess saliva, but flinched when Rainbow Dash draped her arm around his shoulders roughly.

“If she does your inseam twice, it means she likes you,” Rainbow Dash winked and spoke loudly enough for the others to hear clearly as she shoved Spike forward, watching him stumble on his footing.

“Dash, must you be so crude?” Rarity asked rhetorically, knowing there was no real answer for such a question. Rainbow Dash just liked to push people’s buttons.

“Fine, fine, I’ll get out of your fabulously over-styled hair already,” the team captain spoke dramatically as she flipped her own hair and struck an overzealous pose.

“Better over-styled than not styled at all,” the fashionista murmured to herself, narrowing her eyes at the jock before her, who didn’t seem to mind the mild hostility.

“Hey AJ, wanna grab something to eat? I’ll get you home before midnight, I swear.” Rainbow Dash held her hand over her heart as she spoke, faking some integrity.

“Yeah, Ah’m in.” Applejack readily agreed with a nod, but turned back to the younger boy to extend an invitation, “Hey Spike, y’want we should wait for you?”

“Uh, no, go on ahead Applejack.” Spike waved his hands up defensively, allowing them to leave.

“I’ll take good care of her!” Rainbow Dash wrapped her arm around Applejack and called back like Rarity and Spike were her parents. “Later little dude!”

“Y’gotta quit it with those jokes, someone’s gonna think you’re serious,” Applejack grumbled as she made a show to pry Rainbow’s wandering hands off her body.

“Is that so bad?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and smirked as she held the door open for her friend, slyly ogling the farmer’s body once more as she let the girl exit before following close after her.

As Applejack and Rainbow Dash left, only Rarity and Spike were left in the boutique. A pregnant silence hung in the air as they stared at each other. Spike soon realized he was grinning awkwardly at Rarity, complete with an eye twitch while the designer was curiously staring at the boy, waiting for him to come to the platform. He coughed nervously, realizing why the silence hung.

“Uh, oh, sorry, I zoned out for a bit,” Spike stuttered, standing up and awkwardly pacing himself towards the platform.

Rarity eyed him, rubbing her chin as Spike removed a thick purple shirt, revealing a thin aqua green t-shirt underneath. Nodding, Rarity prepared her measuring tape as well as her notepad. Spike haplessly tossed the larger shirt onto a nearby chair and stood tall, tensing up as he awaited Rarity’s orders. Instead, she immediately wrapped her arms around his belly, fingers gently grabbing onto one end of the tape. He felt the tips gently brush against his stomach through the thin shirt while her other hand was firmly planted on his hip. The contact made his body feel tingly, made worse as he felt a light breath from Rarity through the back of his cheap shirt. The boy gulped, doing his best not to shiver from the light contact.

For as long as he had known her, Spike had always been enamoured with Rarity. Whether or not it made sense didn’t matter; Spike felt an attraction towards a beautiful woman who always wanted the best for her friends. Spike didn’t spend much time with her, but from what he saw, and what he always heard, Rarity was selfless in every definition of the word… even when it didn’t seem like she was.

Rarity released her hold on the tape, writing down Spike’s waist-size as the boy nervously followed her. Her eyes darted back and forth, never betraying her professional attitude.

‘She’s only… what, 18? And she’s got her own fashion boutique… and she’s self-sustaining, living on her own. I don’t have much of a chance, do I...?’ Spike thought, his body slumping forward as he did.

“Spike, is there any reason you’re so jumpy? You’ve been keeping to yourself a lot. Is there a reason you’re so… disconnected from the others?” her calm, soothing voice came.

Spike didn’t instantly react to it, his eyes aiming downwards to look at the older girl’s face. She still had that professional gaze as she started taking his leg measurements, writing each one down. Spike gulped and attempted to think of an excuse, only to fall flat. He opted for silence. Rarity didn’t speak up which only confirmed what she thought.

“Spike, we never have time to speak with one another anymore. I’m always so busy with my business or with the girls and you seem to be content with being solo… but, if something, someone is bothering you, you could always come talk to us,” Rarity said, a somber tone appearing in her voice.

“What if that someone isn’t worth bothering others for? Or even acknowledging?” Spike responded, putting on an oddly accusational tone. His words jumbled a bit and he realized that the woman caught the error. “Not like there’s anything anyways.”

“Okay then. Me. Just me. Anything bothers you, or anyone bothers you, come to me.” Rarity paused, setting down all materials. With a simple motion, an elegant shoe was set atop the platform just in front of Spike. Followed by another. Rarity stood merely an inch away from Spike and to both of their surprise, Spike was three or four inches taller; they hadn’t seen each other often enough or been this close in a while so it came as a slight shock. Her delicate fingers slid up his body and she forced his arms to wrap around her body as they hugged briefly. Spike was caught off guard and found himself blushing, and even sniffing her hair.

‘Clean, fresh and smelling of vanilla,’ Spike thought with a goofy smile.

“Spike, I don’t care what you perceive to be a bother; if someone is bothering sweet little Spikey-wikey, no matter how big you get, they’ll answer to me. And if not, you will answer to me. You can’t expect me to watch you wander around alone, do you?” Rarity pulled back from the hug and smiled warmly at Spike.

Spike could swear his heart skipped a beat and he gulped, feeling an attraction just towards those deep blue eyes. He nodded dumbly as Rarity stepped off the platform and took a deep breath.

“Thanks, Rarity,” Spike said, feeling his voice crack as he chuckled.

Rarity stifled a giggle as she picked up her measuring tape, resuming the rest of the measuring. It passed by in silence, both parties letting it hang as to let Rarity focus and Spike contemplate what was said. When all was said and done, Rarity had put away all of her material, writing a few more lines on the notepad. As she slid the drawer containing all of her notes closed, she glanced over to see Spike still standing tall and straight as she has instructed minutes prior. Rarity broke into a somehow refined guffaw, having to lean on a nearby support beam. Spike giggled awkwardly, confused as he looked around him as if to spot some inside joke.

“S-Spike, I was done minutes ago, you can get down now, silly,” she said, snickering as she stepped forward.

Rarity raised her arms above her head and briefly stopped walking as she stretched her limbs outward. Spike’s eyes were glued to her chest as he watched her bosom gain prominence as Rarity stretched before he caught himself. He shook his head and sat down on the edge of the platform, hanging his head just in time to hear her footsteps resume as she walked over to the platform next to him. A gentle hand was placed on Spike’s shoulder causing him to meekly glance over his shoulder to see that same smiling face again. He couldn’t help but smile back, even if a second later he averted his gaze.

With that, Spike stood up, doing a stretch of his own. Several bones cracked as he did and he slumped forward briefly to adjust before turning to face the older woman. He extended a hand out to her and her own met his. They shook hands and exchanged satisfied smiles.

“Thanks for your services,” Spike said, grinning as he added the extra quirk to the end.

Rarity giggled once more, a tint of red appearing on her cheeks as he said this. “It’s no trouble, Spike. Anything for a friend.”

Their hands returned to their sides and they stood there awkwardly for a brief moment. Spike eventually coughed and nodded as he turned to walk towards the exit. Rarity’s eyes were glued to his back as Spike slid on his sweater.

“I’ll take what you said to heart, Rarity,” Spike agreed at last, waving his hand behind his head.

“Don’t be a stranger, Spike,” Rarity said as Spike scurried out the door.

Once outside, Spike let out a deep sigh and leaned against the door as it closed. He allowed himself a moment to think before grinning uncontrollably.

‘That was decent,’ he thought.

The words never seemed to matter much, they never stuck in his mind. They were all rude and antagonistic, and really, repeated themselves time and again through constant use. It was like any other time, when Spike was against some familiar and yet unnamed brick wall, standing in some unusually vacant lot that disappeared past certain known limits into imagination. The boy opposite him seemed much taller and more intimidating than usual, which was surprising considering his faceless, brutish friends had since disappeared.

“That's all you got?” His voice was similar, but did not exactly match Felix's in the realm of the subconscious mind. It was deeper, more sonorous and slow, like thick wax or tar, “No wonder she chose me over you.”

Spike never had to think to know for certain who was being spoke of, her pale, luminous face flashed before his very eyes. She did not look upon him with any smile that time, she was expressionless as a figment. Balling up his fists so tight it almost felt real, Spike growled and ground his teeth at the boy before him. Another swing flew out, but there was no adequate desired effect. Again, he swung like he was forcing every ounce of his energy into the punch, but though it landed, it felt weak.

“Shut up!” Spike screamed over what little he could hear of the faint, murmuring words of his adversary, so quiet it frustrated him not to hear.

Again his fists flew out, and though the boy before him bled and flinched with the force, it still felt like it was not enough. His confident smirk and unimpressed expression more unnerving than his strong body. Spike was on top of the boy then, pinning him with such broad and burly legs that did not seem like his own.

His now bloodied fists collided again and again with the damaged face of Felix, and though he could hear the screams of bystanders, familiar ones, telling him to stop, he could not. He did not want to. A wide and malicious grin spread across his face as his slivered eyes went wide to capture all of this divine punishment.

Spike sat up abruptly, choking and gasping for air as he felt the flavourful liquid breaching his throat. He forced another several coughs out to dislodge the obstruction from keeping him from breathing, which it was doing a marvellous job of. He gasped and gawked up at his team captain as she glared down at him, half-emptied purple sports drink clasped in her hand.

“Laying on your back is not part of the game, bub,” Rainbow Dash said to him blankly as he sat up on the bleachers and tried to get ahold of himself. Before he could manage a retort or defensive shout, someone else stood up for him and smacked the rainbow-haired girl on the back of her head. “Ouch! What the hell was that for, AJ?”

“Wastin’ a good drink! And scarin’ the poor kid half t’death, look at him, his face is all purple.” Applejack gestured roughly towards the younger boy as the team captain rubbed her sore skull.

“It’s a grape flavoured drink, of course he’s purple,” Rainbow Dash murmured, slinking away from her strong and violent friend.

“Looks t’me like you’re drownin’ him.” The freckle faced farmer looked down at the boy, shoving the football she carried under her arm as she kneeled closer to his height. “Y’all right, sugarcube?”

“Yeah,” he managed in a hoarse and difficult voice, “I think so.”

“Good,” Applejack smiled warmly, before slamming her hand against his shoulder and knocking him onto his side with force. She retrieved the football from under her arm and waved it in front of his shocked face. “Now get your butt up an’ join the rest o’the team in practice!”

“Y-Yes ma’am!” Spike scrambled to get to his feet and hurried away from the blonde quarterback, remembering that Rainbow Dash had warned him about Applejack’s aim with a football.

As Spike passed the limits of eavesdropping, the pair exchanged words, “Spike… has he been practicing his kick? If he fumbles, I’ll be a little… irritated,” Rainbow asked in a whisper, tilting her head ever closer to Applejack.

“Oh, calm down, RD. Ah bug Twi everyday t’send Spike over t’my place so Ah can help ‘im with it. He refuses, even if Ah ask ‘im directly. But Ah don’t peg him for the type t’let us down,” Applejack said, pursing her lips as she watched Spike head out with the rest of the team as well as few people trying out, the number having dramatically decreased once more.

“Man, that kid… and here we thought Twilight was a social mess when we met her,” Rainbow muttered, rolling her eyes. “Like, seriously, what is his issue? I thought boys like, skateboarded and bragged about fuckin’ bitches and whatnot.”

Rainbow missed a solemn glance from Applejack as the two focused on Spike. Rainbow’s eyes turned away as she seemingly contemplated something. Applejack, on the other hand, watched the team do a few warm ups. Slowly, Rainbow’s gaze locked back on to Spike, and she leaned in closer to Applejack. In the distance, a faint squeaky wheel could be heard.

“Say, Applejack, could I ask you something?” Rainbow asked casually, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

“Uh, sure?” Applejack responded, focusing on Rainbow Dash with intent eyes.

“Has Spike seemed a bit—” Rainbow Dash would not have the chance to finish.

A giddy giggle sounded from behind her, the young, rather butch voice cracking slightly as the sound of wheels skidded to a halt on pavement. Rainbow recognized the sound of a bike or scooter screeching to a halt and slowly turned around as she felt bits of sand or gravel impact her leg. Applejack briefly turned her head before facing forward again, only to do a double take. Rainbow’s eyes widened a bit as she saw who the girl was.

“Woah, Scootaloo? That you, kid?” Rainbow asked, turning the rest of her body around.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash!” the girl exclaimed excitedly, her voice squeaking at the height of her pitch.

Short. One could only describe Scootaloo as short; one of the few to be shorter than Rainbow Dash as well as skinnier; which made sense considering she was a year or two younger than the captain, though they had been acquainted in elementary school. She wore an orange t-shirt and had a purple helmet with white-stripes on her head. Dark pink hair stuck out from under the edges of the helmet insides which was, yet again, even shorter than Rainbow’s. Her chin was pointed and looked frail, keeping in tone with the rest of her body and the most defining feature: a wide smile with giant, beaming eyes.

Rainbow’s mouth twitched several times, the football captain fighting back glee of her own before settling on a disinterested look.

“Hey squirt, long time no see,” Rainbow said, pretending not to care too much as she faked checking her nails.

Scootaloo immediately caught on and stood up straight as she removed her helmet, setting it atop the handlebars of her scooter as it fell sideways onto the grass. The two of them were suckers for appearances, whether they knew it or not.

“Yeah, long time, bro,” Scootaloo muttered, imitating the older athlete with just the same level of apathy.

Applejack stifled a chuckle behind her hand as their overacted disinterest amused her. The two girls didn’t speak as they pretended to act cool, but sure enough the facade became futile. Their similarly bright eyes met and massive grins broke out on their faces.

“Dammit, c’mere, squirt,” Rainbow said as she pulled the shorter girl towards her, locking her head between her arm as she gave Scootaloo a nuggie.

Scootaloo laughed a bit as she pretended to fight back, flailing her arms about as if they would ever collide with the girl she admired. The two of them had been like siblings ever since elementary school, when they had been well acquainted despite their age difference. Scootaloo was the same age as Applejack’s younger sister, so they had been around each other quite often. Rainbow Dash released her and, just to make sure, she scanned the area quickly to check for spectators or onlookers.

“Don’t get yer boxers in a knot, nobody saw ya,” Applejack assured her, emphasizing her words with a firm slap on the back to her captain.

Instead of prying at the use of a masculine undergarment, Rainbow briefly flashed a smirk before clearing her throat, composing herself once more. She couldn’t look like a wimp in front of her team, or in front of anyone. Scootaloo followed suit, fixing her mussed up hair with a few flicks of her wrist.

“So, kid, what the hell are you doing here? Thought you moved to Cloudsdale?” Rainbow asked, leaning against the end of the bleachers.

“I did, I even gave it a chance, and guess what? It wasn’t for me, I decided this year I would get myself kicked out of that preppy place once and for all and come back to Manehattan. Hardly took me two days to pull it off,” Scootaloo held her head up triumphantly.

“Someone sounds like a little badass,” Rainbow Dash nodded proudly.

“Someone sounds like a bad influence,” Applejack murmured in a tease, only to be silenced by the pouting expression of the girl at the end of the remark.

“Besides, the guys in Cloudsdale Academy are pussies; none of them bothered to learn how to tackle, and their skatepark makes the one back in Trottingham look like Canterlot X-Games,” Scootaloo muttered, gritting her teeth at the memory.

“No kidding? Cloudsdale is gonna be a pushover?” Rainbow asked, glancing towards Applejack with a smirk. The farmer rolled her eyes skeptically, maintaining her smile.

“Without me? Hell yeah! I wouldn’t even think about playing on their lousy football team!” Scootaloo proclaimed eagerly as she declared her allegiance aloud.

“Not like they’d have much of a chance anyway,” Rainbow Dash beamed proudly as she ruffled the collar of her shirt, moving to the side only to present the rest of her team to the younger girl, “Behold, the tryouts for this year’s Manehattan Manticores Football team!”

“Wait, this is it?” Scootaloo asked, staring dumbfounded at the small team.

“What do you mean, this is it?!” Rainbow asked, pouting her lip. “They can’t all look as awesome as me, kid. Just give it time, AJ and I will mould them into a winning team in no time. You’ll see!”

“If you say so,” Scootaloo said, briefly doubting her words before agreeing.

Applejack walked up behind the much shorter girl, whose age and inexperience stunted her beneath the looming shadow of the farmer. The freckled blonde smiled down at her as Scootaloo turned around to face the intimidating upperclassman. The two of them had never really been close or seen eye to eye on a lot of things, but they were always civil and shared an admiration for Rainbow Dash.

“Oh, right.” Rainbow Dash defied any establish idea that Applejack was a threat by simply slinging her arm around the slightly taller and more defined girl, making her shift in her stance and lean over a bit. “Scootaloo, do you remember Applejack? You’re still friends with her kid sister, aren’t you?”

“Uh, yeah. I am,” Scootaloo confirmed as she recognized several familiar features between Applejack and her younger sibling, a childhood friend of hers. Still, Scootaloo looked up at the girl uneasily.

“Tell me, Scootaloo,” Applejack began slowly, though she had an idea about the answer already. “What position d’you play?”

“Wide receiver,” Scootaloo nodded surely as she faced Applejack, who chewed on her lip and she played with the idea of following through with her demonstration.

“Al’right then, go long.” Applejack gestured yonder, not bothering to clear the field first.

“What?” Scootaloo blinked incredulously at the sudden command.

“Ah said, go long,” the farmer repeated sternly, her gaze hardening on the younger girl until she understood her role.

“You want to test her catch?” Rainbow asked, grabbing the pigskin from the bleachers, where Applejack had rested it after taunting Spike.

“An’ her speed,” Applejack said as she caught a ball lazily tossed by the team captain. “An’ for that matter, why don’t we get Spike over ‘ere.”

Immediately, Spike found his name being called out as he sighed, jogging across the whole field as he completed the tire drill. On his way to the older girls, Spike paused briefly as his eyes locked onto Scootaloo. It seemed as if the boy didn’t remember the girl at all, as he faced Rainbow instead of lingering on her. Sweat dampened an area of his shirt around his neck, but it cooled him as the slight breeze caught it. Applejack reached back and wordlessly tossed the black kicking tee over to Spike as he fumbled, juggling the black square briefly. Spike looked back up at Rainbow and Applejack as they walked towards the field, Scootaloo trailing behind. Scootaloo ran her fingers through her hair until it was slicked back from the sweat; she was not typically a girl who cared about smelling like daisies.

“You, you want me to kick it?” Spike asked as he finally stumbled after them.

“That’s what y’do, ain’t it?” Applejack suggested as Rainbow walked towards the end of the field, kneeling down as Spike tossed her the tee. “Listen, you ain’t gotta be no star yet. Just give it your best, Ah guarantee you’ll kick it farther than me or Rainbow could.”

“Speak for yourself,” Rainbow Dash muttered, setting up the ball.

“Ah have faith in you, Spike,” Applejack said, resting a supportive hand on the younger boy’s padded shoulder, “Jus’ do exactly as we showed y’in practice, routine’ll keep you consistent and focused. Follow through, an’ dedicate yourself t’the kick. Trust me, I ain’t doubtin’ you for a second.”

Spike nodded with a visible nervousness to his face. “Okay, I’ll try.”

Giving him one more pat, Applejack smiled as she walked backwards before spinning around and jogging past Rainbow Dash to reach near where Scootaloo waited.

“Ol’ comp?” Applejack asked quietly to Rainbow as she passed, shortening the word competition to suit their slang. The two of them shared a mutual nod as they remembered their own familiar rivalry.

“Eeyup,” Rainbow responded, grinning as her eyes centred on Scootaloo, someone who would take her place for this round of casual competition.

The girl was a little unsure of what the two were talking about as Spike arrived and took his stance. He tested the ground and was weary of Rainbow potentially yanking the pigskin back. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes to focus before staring directly at the football. Scootaloo was prepped in a stance he could recognize only as a true, seasoned runner’s… and oddly enough, just a few feet back out of Scootaloo’s peripheral, Applejack was in a similar stance.

Rainbow signalled she was ready as her fingertips were on the end of the ball. Letting out another deep breath, Spike grunted as he pushed off the ground, dashing as fast as he could imagine as he closed the distance between him and the ball. Pulling it back, Spike swung his foot as hard as he could at the ball as Rainbow yanked her hands back to avoid a hit.

That satisfying sound of foot connecting with the leather washed away all of Spike’s fear and he grinned as he watched the ball soar forward, not straight but close. He glanced down just in time to spot Scootaloo already ten-feet gone ahead with Applejack close on her tail. Rainbow stood up, rather dumbfounded to see the scrawny girl was not only faster than Applejack… but almost as fast as her—Rainbow Dash.

Up ahead, Scootaloo continued breathing, having taught herself runner’s techniques as she pulled ahead of Applejack. She realized she was being tailed by the larger girl as she took off and prepared to catch it while avoiding Applejack. In the back of her mind, she instinctively knew where the ball would land, having registered the speed, trajectory and height of the kick. Her arms assumed the position as she was a safe few feet ahead of the farmer. With a good leap, Scootaloo bounded into the air, not even looking behind her as she raised her hands in the catching formation. She could feel all eyes on her—even those in the tryouts, and that excited her.

Applejack grinned as she watched the ball sail directly into Scootaloo’s arms and immediately watched those same arms retract and reposition themselves tightly into her body—that ball was as safe as it could be without prying it from Scootaloo’s unconscious hands.

Immediately upon landing, the shorter girl managed to stop dead in her tracks, catching Applejack off guard and pushed off, leaning back as she knew an arm would be attempting to slap down on her.

Predictably, Applejack’s arms outstretched as she swung her right hand forward, about to catch the short girl and take her down. It never happened as Scootaloo ducked just enough to avoid the farmer’s grasp. The shorter girl bolted in the opposite direction, but so proud of herself for dodging the first assault, her feet skidded against the grass and she nearly forgot about Applejack entirely. The farmer grinned as she wiped her brow, admiring Scootaloo’s promise.

However, the younger girl did not make it much farther, as Applejack herself was no stranger to these techniques. Propelling herself in a breakneck forward motion and throwing everything into one tackle, Applejack made contact with the short young receiver’s body, knocking her onto the ground with enough force to send her tumbling and rolling a yard or two further. Applejack hurriedly followed after and inspected the girl, blushing in embarrassment as she realized how she had overdone it.

“Y’all right, kido? Here—” Applejack bent down and tugger her arm under Scootaloo’s, raising her back up to her feet with hardly any trouble at all. “Ah’m sorry, Ah didn’t mean t’knock y’like that. That was one heck of a catch, lemme tell you.”

“You think so?” Scootaloo asked eagerly as she got to her feet, still clutching the ball in her small hands.

“Shoot, Ah know so. Looks t’me like we just found our new wide receiver,” Applejack patted her on the back, wincing sheepishly as she noticed how hard she hit the small girl. “Course, y’still got somethin’ t’learn about takin’ tackles. I reckon Rainbow Dash wasn’t t’good at that when I first came around neither.”

“What was that?” came a brash voice as Applejack nearly fell forward and lost her balance. Rainbow Dash had made it to them and jumped onto her back, but Applejack managed to stay on her feet despite her buckling knees.

“Get offa me!” the farmer shuffled and tried to buck her friend off of her. “Can’t y’see Ah’m tryn’a have a moment here with our new wide receiver?”

“You hear that, squirt? Straight from the mouths of babes!” Rainbow Dash grinned as Applejack managed to wriggle out from under her.

“The mouths of what now?” Applejack murmured as she narrowed her eyes at the abrasive jock whose arm still lingered on her shoulders.

“So, I’m in?” Scootaloo’s eyes widened hopefully and a great big smile stretched across her face.

“Anyone who can catch one of Spike’s aimlessly booted missiles is good with me,” Rainbow Dash pointed a thumb to herself, not even noticing the way Spike grunted irritably to hear such a remark as he jogged up to the group.

“Speakin’ of which, nice kick there, buddy,” Scootaloo praised him with a simple punch to the shoulder, which he had not been anticipating. “If you ever need someone to run out and fetch those balls for you, I’m your girl.”

“Oh, uh, yeah, sure,” Spike forced a nervous smile and played with pleasantries.

“‘course, you probably don’t even remember me, do you?” Scootaloo tilted her head, folding her hands behind her back and smiling a curious smirk.

“Remember you?” Spike blinked as he recalled some familiarity, but nothing solid.

“Yeah! We went to elementary school together, same grade and class, you dolt. That is, until my parents transferred me over to Cloudsdale Academy,” Scootaloo explained as she stood on her toes then teetered to her heels, recalling something of her childhood. “Before I made friends with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, I used to hang out with... what’s his name again? Um… something like… something like, oh, Felix!”

“Felix?” Spike nearly choked on his saliva as the familiar name rang out, and a cold sweat rushed over his clammy skin.

“Back in the day anyway, haven’t spoken to him much since then. But forget that, here, let me give you my number,” Scootaloo snatched up his hand and pulled a pen out from who knows where, biting the lid off and finishing her sentence with it hanging from her mouth as she scribbled some numbers on his forearm. “That way you can keep me updated when practices and stuff are. I doubt Rainbow Dash will be much help with that.”

“I have more important things to do than remind you when to eat, sleep and catch balls, squirt,” the football captain scoffed and pretended to look busy, peering out over the field like she was doing some reconnaissance.

“Hardly,” Applejack slipped out of Rainbow’s lazy hold and straightened her collar.

“Enough chatting,” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat roughly and changed the subject, “We have a team to whip these sorry slackers into!”

Author's Note

A/N From myself and Arby Works!:
QUICK Q/A POLL FOR YA::
Heya, so Arby and I were discussing something earlier, we are considering putting a little... clop-type, mature rating stuff into this a little later. How do you feel about that? We'd have to change some tags and ratings and all but, give us some feedback. I got a real hot scene cooking up here, and we have some good ideas to keep it storyline based, so it wouldn't be sex for sex sake. Anyway, your thoughts??

Apple Bloom's Number

IV. Apple Bloom's Number

“AJ, explain this shit to me,” Rainbow muttered out nonchalantly.

Applejack turned away from a clipboard that displayed the team matchups for the coming tournament; their first game was going to be against the Canterlot Wondercolts, one of the finest teams in the league. Applejack had been grumbling about their luck until the proper team captain bugged her. As the farmer looked up from her place on a bench to listen to her, she noticed that Rainbow had a cute frown with crossed arms as if the tiny girl was trying to look tough. Applejack chuckled warmly at the prospect; she looked more like a little kid than an athlete.

“Hmm?” was the farmer’s only response.

Rainbow’s arms overzealously flew from their position, one hand landing on her hip as the other pointed to the field. Applejack’s gaze followed to see her team as well as several others who have not been weaned out, though the number was once against drastically reduced from the previous day.

“Yea’, that’s what ya call a ‘football field’ where you play the sport of ‘Equestrian Football’,” Applejack explained obviously with a lighthearted laugh and an eyeroll.

Rainbow groaned, slapping her face as she glared back at the farmer, grumbling, “No, our team! Their so-called practising is shit. The Pipsqueak Duo are—”

“The what?” Applejack wondered, raising an eyebrow.

“Spike and Pipsqueak, the Pipsqueak Duo.” The farmer nodded in amusement as Rainbow continued in near shouts, which would not go unheard. “They’re out on a Sunday jog; the Dumbbells are doing ballet; the lil’ squirt receiver of mine is running circles because the others aren’t following the practise routine. They’re freaking me out, they’re not paying attention to the routines we taught them, it’s impossible for me to get a hard-on for our first game with this kind of crap!”

Applejack whistled as Rainbow returned to her pouty, little kid expression and roughly sat down atop the bench beside Applejack. Somewhat amused by Rainbow’s frustrations, Applejack glanced briefly back to the clipboard before tossing it aside with a rough grunt.

“Well, yer bein’ too timid ‘bout it. Too nice,” Applejack responded plainly.

A hard elbow to the gut jolted the farmer, and she bent forward in her seated position. Applejack gently rubbed her side as Rainbow stared daggers at her.

“Timid!? Nice!? What the fuck? No, those pussies I treat like the enemy. If I had my way, I’d force each of ‘em to stand in the boxing ring for ten seconds against me. Really toughen them up,” Rainbow argued, biting her lip as she growled in the direction of the team.

“Even me, if y’had me alone for ten seconds?” Applejack raised her eyebrow and leaned closer to Rainbow Dash, sparking her usual interest in such matters to calm her down.

“I’m listening?” Rainbow dragged out the words in an intrigued manner, waiting on more.

“What Ah meant, is that yer trainin’ methods are things that most o’ them already know. Only a few of th’ pack really need to cover the basics, the rest’re just gettin’ bored. We’ll get th’ basics briefly once more when we get a full team. First, we gotta ween out th’ rest of th’ quitters with some real trainin.”

Though she seemed initially attentive after Applejack’s uncharacteristic remark, she settled back into her serious face. Dejectedly, Rainbow sighed, closing her eyes as she did. She knew best to listen to her level-headed best friend’s advice, as she had always led her in the right direction. Those pink eyes opened only to lock on Applejack’s rather sinister expression.

“What do you suggest?” Rainbow asked, all her anger and pep gone.

“Ah jus’ know a girl,” Applejack responded vaguely, her smile growing as the idea came to mind.

In the centre of the field, the Pipsqueak Duo themselves were lobbing a shotput back and forth from a distance as they casually chatted. Though it was relatively easy for Pipsqueak to toss it, Spike had some trouble keeping up, but as usual, the boy kept quiet. In the corner of his eye, he also saw the newest member, Scootaloo, literally running circles. The angle was low on the next throw causing him to tumble forward as he wasn’t focused. Pipsqueak sighed in response.

“This does seem kinda… weird, now that Rainbow Dash brings it up. This isn’t really complicated stuff, and we’re still in tryouts. We should be doing other things to build up stamina before we start sorting out teams, we just look like a bunch of misfits trying to work out,” Spike muttered as he pushed himself up, examining the men’s shotput.

The whole field had heard Rainbow’s outburst… but not what Applejack had to say. Spike’s eyes remained glued on the two as Rainbow’s anger-turned-to-depression shifted into utter excitement. He pondered what that meant, and his mind started wandering.

‘I’m supposed to be getting tougher… Rarity’s not gonna like the new Spike if there is no new Spike,’ Spike thought. His eyes trailed to the ground where he somehow found solace. ‘Life is kinda like a turf, right? You slip and whatnot yet it’s only when you’ve got the right setup do you have a good grip. And in that same token… only the gifted few have the ability to take off.’

Before he could continue, something that felt like a heavy meteor impacted him in the side, knocking him over to the ground. With a thud, he let out a grunt as an object was thrown atop him. Reorienting himself, his eyes fluttered open regardless of the sun only to see Rainbow grinning down at him as she stood up over.

“You see that? This is why all of you wannabes are weak. Ya go down easier than Applejack after half a shot of jager,” Rainbow boasted, stepping away from Spike as he stumbled to his feet.

“Why am Ah always th’ butt end o’your lame jokes?” Applejack asked in a low growl, raising an eyebrow at her aggressive friend.

“Because.” Rainbow Dash grinned to see her taunting bothered her, “You’re so easy.” There was a silence in the air briefly as Rainbow attempted to let it sink in, though she felt like going further with the statement, “As in, you’re so easy to f—”

“So, Rainbow an’ Ah ‘ave got an idea t’ make trainin’ a little more productive,” Applejack interrupted the suggestion, clasping her hands together.

“I know a productive practise we could do,” Rainbow continued in a lecherous mutter, flustering Applejack in her explanation a bit.

“Well, s-since we’re still waitin’ on a few more t’ join or be finalized, we’re, uh, gonna wait until th’ recruitin’ session has ended b’fore we start on some play practises,” the farmer managed to stammer out. “We need t’ get y’all some better an’ more utilized training methods.”

Applejack adjusted her trademark cowboy hat, which she could only wear on the field when she wasn’t in her helmet and running drills, as the rest of the tryouts and team members surrounded her. The Pipsqueak Duo, Scootaloo, the Dumbbells and several other faces were present. In the distance by the bleachers, Spike spotted his older sister dressed up and ready to leave; he thought she had left earlier.

“All right, anyways, Applejack and I have decided to give out some physical training via proxy. Specifically, AJ’s little sister,” Rainbow Dash revealed easily.

“What? Isn’t she in all those construction classes? What the hell does she know about training?” one of the Dumbbells spoke up.

“Apparently a lot more than Rainbow Dash,” Applejack commented as her lip curled up. Rainbow grit her teeth as Applejack smugly grinned, revenge for her dirty jokes from earlier. Facing the rest of the group, she let out a small sigh. “Even so, Score, Ah don’t wanna see ya backin’ down from what Ah say, ‘cause Rainbow Dash here is th’ one that agreed with me.”

Applejack felt a sense of pride from the leadership as the Dumbbells all groaned in unison. Besides, she was relishing the chance to have a bit of payback at her friend, who had far too much fun teasing her than seemed natural. Pipsqueak was stoic the whole time, nodding his head every so often while Spike seemed distracted by something far away. Scootaloo had started to grin from ear to ear the instant Rainbow mentioned Applejack’s sister.

“A’ight, so we’re meetin’ up t’morrow afternoon here, then we’re headin’ straight to th’ weight room” Applejack demanded with a firm nod.

Of course, the Dumbbells were the only ones to groan. Everyone else seemed to accept it without a second thought. Spike wasn’t really paying attention to begin with, so little attention that upon dismissal, he didn’t notice anybody else start heading towards the school to change and head home. He still wore his temporary jersey as he anticipated the reveal of his uniform; given it was Rarity’s design, there was no doubt on any of the team that it would be striking. He felt pride swelling up when he realized he’d be wearing something she made. Part of him almost did not want to wear the jersey. His chin raised up as his eyes closed while for a brief moment, he allowed himself to fantasize. A future with a woman he’s loved from afar, happiness and content with how his life progressed.

Reality, unfortunately, ensued and he felt an arm wrapping around his neck, yanking him down a bit as he felt his head be squeezed against what one could describe as ping-pong breasts. A set of knuckles roughly pressed against his scalp, being dragged back and forth uncomfortably before the woman let go of him with a light shove. Spike landed on the ground, taking a moment to collect himself as he heard his team captain laughing. As he pushed himself up, he spotted a hand out of the corner of his eye. Taking it, he allowed his former attacker, Rainbow Dash, to pull him up to his feet.

“C’mon, you’re a guy, aren’t you? You should be doing this kind of stuff to me,” Rainbow said, dismissing the incident with an eyeroll.

Spike simply stared at her with a gaze showing the brief tint of sadness behind his pupils. Rainbow stared at him for a second, seemingly trying to figure it out before Spike faked a smile, as he always did, and walked past her. Rainbow slowly turned around, rubbing her chin as she squinted, deep in thought. Applejack gave a casual fist bump to Spike as the two passed each other, the boy’s fist lacking power. Applejack approached Rainbow, turning to watch Spike meekly greet his sibling. Neither of the two could hold back smiles as Twilight forced Spike into a hug, giggling as Spike awkwardly returned it.

“He’s still got a long way t’ go, but somethin’s already different ‘bout that boy. So, b’sides actually gettin’ ‘round t’ practising his kick, what were you saying is it that Spike should be doin’?” Applejack asked, leaning towards the rainbow-haired girl.

“Things I want to be doin’ to you, applebooty,” Rainbow remarked with a mischievous grin.

“Yea’, you wish, sugarcube.” Applejack returned the expression and added a friendly pinch to the arm.

The two walked towards the school, collecting the rest of the equipment as they elbowed each other at each chance they got.

Spike waved as Twilight left the school, doing what he wished he could do: stop by Rarity’s house unannounced and ‘accidentally arrange a sleepover’, according to the girl. In reality, Spike overheard Twilight planning a massive number of hours to assist Rarity with studies as the girl fell behind a bit due to her business. Spike knew that Rarity wouldn’t openly ask for help like that, as she didn’t want to worry anybody, yet Spike did his best anyways. He always did: making sure that he knew what made the woman smile, what made her frown, and laugh and cry; he watched her in an almost creepy fashion until he memorized many aspects of her life, her attitude, her gestures… and even her body. His face flushed at the last one and he found himself staring skyward, trying to think of birds to take his mind off the moment. The sidewalk was still there below him so he couldn’t care where he was walking.

Perhaps he should have. A familiar voice sounded out as an arm was draped over his shoulder, putting a lot of weight on his body forcing Spike to slouch forward.

“Hey, Spike, buddy ol’ pal, I was wondering if you could spot me a twenty. Kinda want that new War Machine film, ya know? Super heroes in badass armour, who the hell doesn’t love that?” Felix’s scathing voice assaulted his ears and Spike didn’t physically do anything other than walk.

He didn’t respond yet a hand clenched down on his shirt, forcing Spike to stop. Upon yanking back, Spike found himself spun around only for a set of hands to grab onto his shirt from the front, pushing Spike back into the nearest brick wall. Felix scowled at him.

“Hey, we don’t ignore friends, you fucking iguana,” Felix growled lowly.

Spike merely squinted in response, feeling a cuss on the tip of his tongue. His chest was heaving and even he knew that Felix felt that, although the bully, he was still physically no match for Spike at all… yet both knew that Spike wasn’t usually one for violence. And Felix fought dirty when it came down to it; Spike found that out the hard way as he twitched, still feeling the lit cigarette being pressed into his eyebrow.

Another hand was placed on his shoulder… and by his, Spike was surprised to see it was Felix’s. A larger boy behind Felix, the owner of the massive hand, cast a shadow over the two. The bully turned his head as if he were looking at a shrimp; potentially one of the many cops he had to outrun in his life. Instead, Felix had a gaze reminiscent of awe and a brief stint of fear; not only was Felix the shortest of the three present, he was the shortest of the larger by two feet, and the larger boy’s muscles were seemingly twice the width of Felix’s. Spike felt his feet fall flat against the ground as Felix let go of his shirt.

Spike glanced to the side to recognize it was Pipsqueak who showed up. With a quick shove, Felix stumbled back and wordlessly declared Spike dead with a fiery glare in his eyes. Leaving but a scoff in his wake, Felix swaggered down the street, presumably to beat up a 10-year-old. Spike checked his shirt for tearing or stretching, brushing his shoulders off as red powder from the ageing brick was left as residue on his white fleece tee. Not bothering to adjust the green locks that dangled in front of his line of vision, Spike muttered some gratitude before slowly walking down the street.

“Woah there, pal. Is that ‘nyway t’ say thanks to your mates?” Pipsqueak asked, his voice as high-pitched and chipper as ever.

Spike curled his lips in response as he let out a deep sigh, pausing on the corner of a street. He curiously glanced down the street that resembled a near-slum, spotting a blur that was most likely Felix quite a ways down the street already.

“Sorry, I’ve found it hard to ask for help when the jerk that bugs me is half a foot shorter than I am,” Spike grumbled, walking with an angry hunched-over stance across the street.

Pipsqueak staggered after him, his boots making clacking sounds against the old brick sidewalk that had yet to be paved in to match the modern days. This was one of the oldest streets, and also one of the most infamous as a great war had once started in the general area after a murder of a royal heir had occurred here. The history is part of the reason Spike liked to walk down that way.

“Spike, don’t be like that, oi. I was just trying t’ be friendly,” Pipsqueak muttered compassionately.

Spike glanced back regrettedly. “Are you apologizing? Don’t, it’s not that worth it. I’ll be fine, I was just being detestable, as usual.”

Spike shook his head and Pipsqueak silently followed. They walked away from the cobblestone brick, glancing at a poster for Les Misérables, only Spike really noticing the classic novel play adaption advertisement. He mentally recorded the information before having to stop by an intersection. The sky had dimmed, soothingly degrading into a fluid night sky. Spike had always preferred the time before night, particularly dusk. It wasn’t the busy day or the exhausting late nights. Just a time where it’s warm yet not hot; cool yet not cold. It calmed his repugnant attitude towards the British boy next to him and he finally let out a deep sigh, his pessimism slightly with it.

“I’m sorry, I’m not a perfect guy. I could have handled him, but—” Spike bit his lip upon seeing a concerned glance on Pipsqueak’s face, making Spike’s face twitch with anger briefly.

‘Those eyes… why do people look at me like that, with those pitiful eyes? And it never stops,’ Spike thought, averting his gaze.

The streetlamp changed, prompting the duo to cross. Spike heard yet didn’t register what must have been Pipsqueak comforting his thoughts as if it really was alright. He still felt that Pipsqueak was merely trying to help out a friend with his issues. It was no different from his older sister and a pang of sadness flashed on his face as he remembered the legal term for such a relationship. A horn honk followed by a hand yanking him back by his collar snapped him out of his thoughts as his feet barely missed an incoming truck. He glanced behind him to see Pipsqueak frowning at him as several onlookers dismissed the moment with a headshake or scowl. Spike sighed once more.

“I suppose that deserves a thanks, too,” Spike said, curling his mouth.

A brief silence solicited a chuckle from Pipsqueak. “I suppose that really is all I’ll get,” he said, patting Spike on the back. He glanced upwards briefly before smiling back at Spike.

“Well, thanks for not runnin’ off. Just figured I could walk wit’ ya a bit. Here’s where I split; apartment building right here, and all,” Pipsqueak told him easily.

Spike glanced at him, attempting to smile; the whole time, Pipsqueak was just being a friend. He felt his smile attempt turn into a genuine smile and he averted his eyes, unable to maintain the contact.

“Thank you, for today, and whatnot,” Spike said, walking away as he waved his hand.

“Don’t thank me; we’re mates, it’s what we do for one another,” Pipsqueak shouted as he entered the rather small apartment complex.

Spike wandered down the street, taking the long way home as he always did. Several extra blocks just to prolong the time until after dinner where Twilight would usually be too immersed in her studying to talk to him. As he entered his home, he sighed with relief as his parents were preoccupied with late night TV while Twilight was indeed working. With that, he retreated to his room for the night.

Spike exited the changerooms, Pipsqueak following shortly after as he proudly displayed his aged spare jersey from five years ago. Tryouts were still in full swing though the first game was soon approaching; apparently, Rainbow always extended tryouts to be as long as possible to make the quitters show themselves easier. On the bleachers sat Twilight, while the other tryouts had the same dull expression. Their numbers had dwindled entirely now; Pipsqueak, Spike, Applejack, Rainbow, the Dumbbells and Scootaloo were the official team members at this rate, the Dumbbells being the only ones not officially in yet. The captain was still unsure about them, knowing their lack of responsibility and loyalty could surely hurt the team. Rainbow grumbled a bit and the rest of the team waited for one of the leaders to drag them to the weight room.

“A’ight team, since yer actual captain is bein’ a grumpy pile of lazy, Ah’ll be yer escort f’ th’ day,” Applejack said enthusiastically, pounding her chest.

“Escort me to our bed, please; and hey, maybe I’ll escort the clothes off,” Rainbow muttered slyly, making a face.

The group chuckled, all having grown accustomed to Rainbow’s comments, as they prefered it when she flirted with Applejack rather than insulted them. Applejack’s smiling face was burdened as her eye twitched for a moment. She clapped her hands together and then pointed towards a building by the school.

“So, we’re off to the rec’ centre, y’all,” Applejack tried to continue on without trouble, stepping away from the football field.

Rainbow and the rest of the team followed like it was bootcamp. Right off the bat, Applejack had them marching in single-file, with the exception of Rainbow, who deliberately stood at the back of the line so Applejack didn’t see her swinging her legs obnoxiously. However, she had to shout her jokes up to the quarterback.

“C’mon, march, r’else Ah’ll have t’get the baton out,” Applejack commanded as she threatened them with a raised finger, though she didn’t really have a baton.

“You wouldn’t do that AJ, we both know where that ribbed handle’s been!” Rainbow shouted from the back of the line.

Applejack grit her teeth and sighed heavily, grumbling. “Rainbow, Ah swear Ah ain’t opposed t’hittin’ you,” she muttered under her breath.

Spike found odd enjoyment in walking with the team, if only because Twilight joined in on the movement. Behind him, he heard Twilight giggling away as they crossed the Student Parking Lot towards the rec centre. Scootaloo was the one in front of Rainbow, and like the captain, she didn’t march, opting to stride comfortably.

“So, Rainbow Dash, how’re sports and stuff?” Scootaloo asked like an excited child.

Rainbow scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Squirt, I’m not a little girl. I’m Rainbow Dash; I don’t do small talk.”

Scootaloo seemed taken aback, eyes slightly widened. She turned away, coughing awkwardly. “O-oh, is that right? Haha, sorry,” she spat out, stammering awkwardly.

“Naw, it’s totally fuckin’ rad. I mean, we’ve got our tiny team; but honestly, if there was twelve of me, our team would be perfect,” Rainbow said nonchalantly, a subtle grin on her lips.

“If you constantly play the same card, you just get predictable,” Spike said from his position, just ahead of Pipsqueak who was just ahead of Scootaloo.

Rainbow’s ears twitched. “Woah, what, Spike? Are we talkin’ smack? Come on, I’m no card, I’m a freaking royal flush!”

Before Rainbow or Spike could speak again, a loud shout burst from an open window, scaring the entirety of the team with the booming voice, “What in the hay is that s’pose t’be!? A bench press!? Ah can bench press more with ma baby toe!”

Applejack chuckled as the rest of the team clued into the owner of that voice: a little cuter than AJ’s; the same southern tone; even worse temper than the captain and farmer combined… Apple Bloom.

“Let’s go, y’all,” Applejack directed as she entered one of the double doors to the rec centre.

The rest meekly followed, passing by the coat hanger area to see Apple Bloom scowling furiously at a younger boy known as Featherweight, weak arms yet rather tall, as he bench pressed only the bar.

“What, is that th’ best ya can do? Ya come t’ me with this sob story o’ yours an’ you give me this?” Apple Bloom scolded, throwing her whole body around with each word as she was seemingly furious at the boy.

Featherweight himself looked to be on the verge of tears as he meekly lifted the iron bar up and down several times. Apple Bloom was hunched over, covering her face with both hands before she let out a coarse, long drawn-out sigh. As she stood up and glanced forward, she spotted the group and her face brightened. Scootaloo and Apple Bloom’s eyes locked for a moment and they both let out squeals

“Featherweightthat’senough!” Apple Bloom spat out quickly in glee as her feet patterned across the ground.

Her and Scootaloo collided in a rather rough, boyish ‘bro hug’ as Rainbow would call it. Hard slaps hit on the others’ backs, yet only Scootaloo seemed visibly affected; Apple Bloom had twice the muscle mass on the scrawny athlete.

Apple Bloom was still short, still wore a bow in her hair, still had cute red locks… yet she was built in such a way that she’d probably outdo Applejack had there not been the two-year difference. While Applejack was merely strong from her constant work, Apple Bloom was striving to improve her fitness day in and day out. Applejack was not necessarily built, but was a force nonetheless. Calling Apple Bloom well-toned was a massive understatement and once their bro hug separated, Scootaloo breathed a sigh of relief. In the back, Featherweight was huffing heavily, taking a sip from his blue sports drink.

“So, what’re y’doin’ here!?” Apple Bloom asked excitedly. Her eyes shifted to her older sister and the other team members who looked rather shocked and nervous, excluding Applejack. “Are… are you on th—”

“Yep! As usual, I was told that I was the ace on the team, so it was only natural that—” A hand slapped onto Scootaloo’s shoulder, causing the tiny girl to jump. Rainbow Dash grinned devilishly towards the younger athlete. “H-heh heh, of course, I’m second to Rainbow.”

“Heh, some things ne’er change,” Apple Bloom said with a giggle.

“One thing did—make that two!” Scootaloo grinned, exclaiming with an amazed face.

A finger poked down on Apple Bloom’s rather well-endowed chest, Scootaloo giggling as she felt her finger sink into the flesh. Apple Bloom reeled back a moment, her face reddening as she covered her chest.

“W-what’re you doin’ Scoots!?” she gasped incredulously, stammering and turning almost as red as her hair.

Scootaloo’s only response was laughter, along with the rest of the team; with the exception of Applejack, who looked somewhat irked by the familiarity of the interchange.

“Wow, it’s like someone cloned us. Except they haven’t been wearing down your vibrator every night like we have, AJ,” Rainbow chuckled, nudging her quarterback in the side.

Applejack’s face reddened a bit though Rainbow would never see it; a stiff elbow was lodged into Rainbow’s ribs, causing the girl to keel over as she chuckled at the farmer’s response.

"You're way worse," Applejack murmured grouchily.

Applejack was not very comfortable with her team thinking anything like that about her, especially if it wasn’t even true. Pipsqueak was, as usual, stoic while Spike contemplated the room’s features, grinning as he imagined himself getting ripped like Arnhoof Schwarzenfragger. The Dumbbells, predictably, conversed in on themselves.

“So that’s what y’hear for? Trainin’?” Apple Bloom gathered as her sister finished explaining. “Well shoot, Ah can whip these sorry suckers into winners any darn day o’ the week!”

“Ah’d be mighty ‘preciative if y’could,” Applejack gratefully smiled and accepted the help, while Rainbow Dash was having a hard time sitting still.

“Al’right, first off we gotta see what we’re startin’ with, Ah wanna know just how strong each an’ every one’a them is, think y’can get ’em t’ co-operate?” Apple Bloom asked as she retrieved her clipboard, which held sheets of yellow paper for tracking fitness levels.

“Yo, jackoffs.” Rainbow Dash leaned back at the waist and glared blankly over at the team as they screwed around boredly. “Get the hell over here.”

“Ah s’pose that works,” Applejack huffed a few amused chuckles as the team made their way over, though reluctantly for the most part.

“Pay attention to little hot stuff over here, will you?” The captain gestured with her head towards the younger of the two Apple sisters, and Applejack frowned to hear such a remark.

“Y’better not pull anything with m’sister, y’hear?” Applejack murmured to her friend as her younger sister began explaining a few basic safety rules for working in the weight room.

“What? I wouldn’t dream of it!” Rainbow Dash guffawed at such an idea, slipping her hand around Applejack’s waist and pulling her nearer, “Why would I settle for Applejack Light when I’ve got the full flavour right here at my fingertips?”

“Oh please, like you’ve even had a taste,” Applejack slyly remarked, which peaked her friend’s interest.

“Not for lack of trying,” the team captain responded as her eyes began to sink down Applejack’s body and she licked her lips to imagine.

“Hey! Did y’hear what Ah said, Dash?” Apple Bloom snidely asked, and Rainbow Dash was at a complete loss.

“Everyone needs a spotter, yea’ Ah know, RD here was askin’ me t’be hers,” Applejack filled in the blanks easily, and Rainbow Dash heaved a sigh of relief as the pressure was put off.

“You were listening?” Rainbow whispered as her eyes narrowed curiously at Applejack.

“Naw, who d’you think taught her this speech?” Applejack admitted with a clever smirk, shaking Rainbow Dash away from her and starting towards a bench with the intrigued captain at her heels.

On the way, Applejack noticed that Spike didn’t seem to find a spotter, since there was an odd number of players on the team and Apple Bloom was too busy starting the stats sheet. Rainbow Dash glanced at the boy, but didn’t want to bother him about it. The quarterback, however, wouldn’t stand for any exclusions.

“Howdy Spike,” Applejack smiled warmly and looked up at Spike, since he was a bit taller than she was. “Y’wanna be our third?”

“Third wheel more like it,” Rainbow Dash murmured as she pouted her lip and crossed her arms.

“Oh, uh, I thought maybe Pipsqueak might—” Spike looked around for his friend, only to find him chatting with Apple Bloom, who dragged him over to Featherweight.

It made sense for her to put the two together, Pipsqueak getting a chance to acknowledge just how strong he was, and Featherweight seeing a thing or two about muscle to motivate him. Spike could hear Apple Bloom chirping and praising Pipsqueak's size, even from across the room.

“Pipsqueak, right? One more rule for guys o’your size,” Apple Bloom blushed a bit as she held the clipboard over her grown chest. “No shirts. Yep, no shirts allowed if you’ve got muscles like that t’ show off."

“That so?” Pipsqueak sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

“You heard the lady,” Scootaloo agreed as she walked up behind Apple Bloom and gave her a low-five. “Guys with arms like yours should also have girlfriends. So, you got one?”

“Go spot y’partner, Scoot!” Apple Bloom hurriedly put her hands up against her old friend’s back and shoved her away, laughing.

“I have more to spot over here!” Scootaloo argued as she resisted the superior power of Apple Bloom, though she did not succeed.

“Nevermind I guess,” Spike agreed to Applejack’s proposition, seeing as how Pipsqueak was otherwise occupied.

Apple Bloom, after shaking off her initial fascination with Pipsqueak’s less than namesake size, went around the room marking down strengths and weaknesses she would pinpoint. She managed to get all of their names and had begun marking down their physical strength, specifically how much they could bench press. Though Rainbow Dash had whined about how she was better at leg exercises, even she submitted to the examination, though she commented all the while about how she wished Applejack was wearing a skirt so she might see up it from her angle. It was Spike’s turn of the three now, and he began somewhat uneasily.

“Don’t push it, Spike,” Rainbow Dash remarked as she watched him slide another weight onto either side of the bar, the weight similar to her own.

As he easily tested it, she grew somewhat jealous of his capabilities. Another weight slid over the bar, and Rainbow Dash growled to herself, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration. No matter how athletic she was or how often she trained with Applejack, she could never match someone more sizable than herself. And that killed her to admit, even if only to herself.

“Al’right, hop on up Spike, tell me if it’s too light for ya,” Applejack instructed as he did as he was told, laying down on the bench and staring up at the horizontal bar.

Bracing his hands, Spike gripped the bar as he pushed lightly, having never lifted weights before. Surprisingly, he found himself having to exert a bit of force, lifting the weight Rainbow Dash had to stop at. She puckered her bottom lip, grumbling to herself as she mentally downplayed the issue. He pressed it several times before setting it back.

“Another,” Spike said in an almost commanding tone.

Applejack and Apple Bloom lifted another ten pounds onto the bar and once more, Spike seemed to lift it with gusto. This occurred twice more before Rainbow’s face was contorted with anger, Spike having beaten the Dumbbells.

“Yeah, s-so? You’re a guy,” Rainbow muttered uneasily, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, but he’s bench pressin’ as much as me,” Apple Bloom said, a hint of praise in her voice.

Spike was grunting with each weight he lifted, most of the team looking over. Another weight slid on, and Spike could feel it in his muscles. He had never felt so accomplished, so excited to show off, so worthy. His body was strained at the excursion, but he found that he loved the sensation of his blood pumping furiously. Twilight was ecstatically watching Spike, quietly cheering him on.

“Come on Spike, you can do it!” Twilight said, her eyes shifting between Spike and a How-To book on cheering.

Spike’s face had reddened, although not from the weight and blood rushing to his head. Twilight’s cheering was causing him to feel flustered and think of times where cheering had been used to highlight how different he was.

He had heard enough over the years, enough motivation to keep him going. Squinting his cursed eyes, he pushed at the weights as if they had done him wrong. He grit his teeth as he tried to repress the memories, almost shouting his next words as he commanded another few weights. Applejack, Pipsqueak and Twilight detected the edge in his voice and they had to force back a tiny frown. Everyone else remained oblivious, especially Rainbow due to the irritation swelling in her mind.

However, before Apple Bloom and Applejack could move to grab new weights, Rainbow’s elbow landed on the horizontal bar as it bent down closer to Spike. She applied more pressure and felt his muscles twitching and giving way, the weights lowering nearer to his body. Her narrowed eyes pierced his own as she applied her weight to the bar, faking a casual tone while her own anger and jealousy pushed her to such dangerous limits.

“How’s that? Enough for you, bub?” Rainbow Dash sneered with a venomous taunting grin, pleased by his struggling expression. Though it appeared to be the case, she hadn’t intend to be too cruel or hurt the boy of course, she just wanted to bother him the way he had bothered her. Of course, she was hard pressed to find the line between prank and punishment.

“Rainbow!” Applejack’s loud voice nearly threw her off balance, almost causing her to fall right onto the weight. As she accidentally pressed harder due to the surprise, Applejack’s hand grabbed under the bar between Spike’s shaking grips, holding it steady against all the pressure. “What are y’doin’, that’s danger–”

“Did you jus’ do what Ah think y’did?!” Apple Bloom’s voice bellowed louder than Applejack’s, and everyone else cringed to hear it. “Do y’have any notion of how dangerous that is?”

“I–” Rainbow Dash blinked dumbly as Applejack lifted the bar back onto the rest, raising Rainbow back to her full height in the process.

“Y’just don’t even think, do ya?! Ah dun told ya Ah ain’t puttin’ up with that shit in ma weight room, do Ah make myself clear?!” Apple Bloom didn’t even give her a chance to respond. “Spike could’a been hurt! What kinda team captain doesn’t care ‘bout th’ safety of her players, y’tell me!”

Rainbow Dash’s face was still, her whole body rigid. With wide, glistening eyes, she swallowed the lump in her throat that threatened to ruin her reputation in front of her entire team. She looked around to see everyone staring at her, and could feel heat rising to her face from humiliation. But Apple Bloom was not finished with her yet.

“Big Mac was right ‘bout you, yer a reckless brat an’ you don’t give two cents ‘bout anyone’s well bein’ do ya?” Apple Bloom went on, and Rainbow Dash struggled to deter the salts that moistened her eyelids.

Rainbow’s eyes hit Applejack’s, as she was standing right beside her sister. Her expression too was stern and scolding, and it twisted Rainbow Dash’s stomach up into a great big complicated knot. The one thing she never wanted to do was disappoint her freckled friend, and having her glare her way like that, it was crushing. But suddenly, the pressure was gone, and Applejack’s eyes softened on hers. Applejack could clearly see the embarrassment and regret in her expression, and what’s more, she noticed the brimming tears that she was too good at holding back.

“An’ another thi–” Apple Bloom was about to shout again, but her older sister’s hand dropped on her shoulder suddenly.

“Ah know it ain’t right, but Ah’m sure she didn’t mean no harm, give her a chance to apologize, lil’ sis,” Applejack’s voice was so calm and considerate, it almost made Rainbow Dash break out into sobs.

No matter what trouble Rainbow Dash seemed to get herself into, Applejack was always there with that cursed good nature to bail her out. Rainbow Dash chewed up her pride at last and released her clenched up fists, though she hadn’t even noticed them ball up in the first place. Putting on that usual aloof facade, Rainbow Dash forced an attempt at a smile.

“I didn’t want to hurt the guy or anything, I just wasn’t thinking, that’s all,” Rainbow Dash blinked away her near tears and stood up straight, pointing a thumb at the irritated Spike. “I forget sometimes that not everyone is as daring as I am, I mean, I’m a glutton for punishment, what can I say?”

“That don’t make it better, Dash,” Apple Bloom growled as her glare settled on the athlete again.

“Come on, it was just some stupid friendly teasing. Won’t happen again, I promise.” Rainbow Dash nodded surely and slapped her hand onto Spike’s head, who glared at her and grumbled something incoherently.

“Y’make sure o’that, keep an eye on her, AJ,” Apple Bloom told her sister, looking up to the older girl expectantly.

“She does that anyway,” Rainbow Dash joked, but shrugged and forced a bashful grin as Apple Bloom shot her another glare.

“So, Spike can bench press almost 200 pounds; that’s actually rather good. Have ya taken any weight room classes b’fore? Went t’ th’ gym?” Apple Bloom asked, allowing her indomitable rage to be suppressed for a moment.

Spike sat up, frowning for a moment before shaking his head. “No. I just sorta always been like this. I figured I should be a bit built for—” he caught himself before revealing too much. He gulped for a moment and averted his gaze from Apple Bloom. “For reasons that, heh, I’ve forgotten.”

“Man, Spike, you stutter a lot,” Rainbow said, rolling her eyes.

An elbow once more hit Rainbow in the side but it wasn’t as playful as before… and it was from Twilight. She had watched the whole fiasco and didn’t think that the additional weight Rainbow put on would bother Spike, but the comment bothered her. Spike wouldn’t show his own hurt, he was rather subtle about things typically, but she knew. Out of them all, all the friends or relatives over the years, Twilight was the one who understood most.

“Rainbow Dash, Ah wanna see how you’ve been handlin’ their football trainin’,” Apple Bloom demanded with a booming voice.

The captain jumped a bit due to the previous chastisement. She gulped, nodding wordlessly much to Applejack’s amusement. With the bench press testing over, the rest of the team flooded out of the room, along with Featherweight, slowly until only Applejack and Twilight were left, Spike still sitting on the bench in silence. Twilight seemed surprised that Applejack was still there, and visually struggled to explain why she herself was still there. A simple hand on Twilight’s shoulder stopped the scholar from over thinking too much and a solemn gaze from Applejack slowly clued her in, yet the farmer still said it anyways as her gaze shifted to Spike, who was still seated on the bench. Spike’s attention turned to Applejack as she cleared her throat, stepping closer.

“I know Dash can be a bit rough, Ah can set her straight if y’want. But… ‘re you okay?” Applejack tried in a soothing voice.

Spike nodded his head and put on a smile yet both girls could tell how absolutely fake it was. Briefly adorning a scowl, Applejack knelt down and looked directly into Spike’s eyes, setting her hands on his shoulders. He felt uncomfortable with her so near, but he let it happen instead of roughly pushing her away.

“Spike, Ah can tell a lie easier than you can pretend.” The words sunk in for a moment as Spike averted his gaze again, looking down at his lap.

Applejack wouldn’t have that, and a finger on his chin tilted his head so he was looking at her. He was gritting his teeth, his teeth and fangs barring themselves as his odd, slitted eyes seemed sharper. Applejack winced as she realized she may have been demanding, but she couldn’t falter.

With an even gentler tone, she nearly whispered, “Are you alright, Spike? You can tell me.”

He shrugged his shoulders, forcibly removing Applejack’s hands from his him as he sighed deeply.

“We should probably go,” he said firmly, standing up and forcibly walking past Twilight and Applejack.

The two girls exchanged a saddened look and Twilight seemed like she was about to cry. Applejack, noticing the same misty-eyed look Rainbow had adorned earlier, walked over and briefly gave her a friendly hug. It was stiff and a little awkward, but Twilight gratefully accepted it.

“He takes a bit to come ‘round, doesn’t he?” Applejack asked, adding a light chuckle.

Twilight snorted, also chuckling. “Yeah… he does. He needs some time… and a push.”

Apple Bloom was fuming. Her face was going beet red as she grit her teeth, cracking the clipboard she held. Rainbow Dash was legitimately nervous, making sure that Applejack’s baby sister wouldn’t explode randomly… or god forbid, explode twice. Applejack herself stood nice and close beside Rainbow, in case she had to break up some physical altercation.

“This is the kinda way you’re trainin’ ‘em!?” Apple Bloom barked more than asked, baffled as she whipped the clipboard into the ground, causing an edge to be lodged in the turf. “It ain’t no wonder Ah see s’many flabby bellies!”

“Flabby bellies? The only flabby belly I see here is Spike’s.” Rainbow joked as she grinned and poked the boy, causing him to flinch irritably.

Spike had been the only one to not go practice on a regular basis since they didn’t have a good net for practising kicks, but even so, his belly was not as flabby as Rainbow made it out to be. He knew she was trying to tease him, but he was getting right sick of it.

“Apple Bloom, not everybody’s used t’this kinda labour,” Applejack explained calmly, wondering if it was such a good idea to get the temperamental kid to train her teammates. “B’sides, everyone’s got their own limits an’—”

“Then push ‘em!” Apple Bloom shouted, getting right into Applejack’s unfazed face. “You always raised me t’be the best Ah could be, sis!”

“And look at y’now, shoutin’ at me an’ tellin’ me off,” Applejack retorted, frowning a bit as Rainbow was in the back struggling to stay standing as she laughed, amused by the siblings’ quarrel.

“Y’know Ah’m right!” Apple Bloom said as a response, crossing her arms.

“Y’ain’t wrong, you just ain’t goin’ about it too good. Y’ain’t gotta yell all th’ time an’ insult people t’ get your way. However, Ah did call y’down here for a reason, and Ah s’pose Ah should take your advice.” Applejack turned to the rest of the team and faced Rainbow Dash, smirking as the rainbow-headed girl raised an eyebrow. “We could all stand to work a mite harder.”

“Aww, man!” Rainbow said, her whole body slumping as she collapsed to her rear on the ground, lazily spreading her legs out. “Does me being your favourite mean I get to cop out, AJ?”

Spike bore a small smile listening to the bickering. Even if he wasn’t truly involved, he felt like part of the gang. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Scootaloo zip by at her top sprinting speed without stop. She was honestly either almost or as fast as Rainbow Dash was, with no signs of stopping. Rainbow subtly smirked, nodding her head as the two athletes’ eyes met.

“No one’s coppin’ out, Rainbow,” Applejack said in a firm voice that seemed to tell where Apple Bloom got her vicious tone.

Rainbow pouted, grabbing a nearby nerf ball. “I blame you, Spike,” Rainbow said as she chucked the ball awkwardly. “You and that flabby belly.”

The ball spun wildly in the air, not at all like a proper football toss. Spike effortlessly snatched it out of the air before the ball hit him in the face due to the terrible throw. Apple Bloom faced the field once more, briefly focusing on her childhood friend zip around like a bullet. She snorted once and her face considerably lightened.

“Al’right then!” Apple Bloom nearly shouted. She turned to Applejack and Rainbow as the latter was busy picking out blades of grass in her pouty mood. “Ah wanna join yer team!”

Applejack waited about half a second before responding, “Eenope.”

Apple Bloom’s response was nothing short of stunned at the sudden, instant rejection before her dominant attitude turned into the younger sister attitude for once.

“C’mon, sis!” the shorter, red haired girl whined loudly, stomping her foot like she was having a hissy fit. “Y’know Ah can be a valuable part o’ the team, gimme a shot!”

“An’ why, may Ah ask, are y’suddenly s’darn interested in playin’ football?” Applejack skeptically raised her eyebrows, towering over the younger girl with her hands on her hips.

“Scootaloo is on the team,” the younger of the two sisters argued as if it was relevant, and Applejack sighed aloud.

“That’s your reason? ‘cause your friend’s playin’?” The blonde quarterback frowned, knowing that she prefered to have players who were in it for the game more than to pal around.

“Everyone’s got their own reasons, AJ.” With a familiar Apple family scowl, the younger sister imitated the older farmer’s pose with a pouted lip before defending herself, “Ah’ll work real hard, Ah promise!”

“Ah can’t play favourites, Apple Bloom,” Applejack told her sincerely, her eyes softening on the disappointed face of her sibling.

“Then don’t!” The sisters flinched as a third voice joined their conversation, and the rainbow-haired captain stepped up right beside Applejack. “Just let the kid show us what she’s got, and I’ll make the executive decision. If she’s anything like you AJ, she’ll be a force to reckon with.”

“Eenope! Ah’m not havin’ m’ sister play this sport. Not when her tiny lil’ body runs th’ risk of gettin’ crushed by them bigger players,” Applejack said, folding her arms.

At that moment, Pipsqueak was walking behind Applejack. Apple Bloom’s eyes narrowed and she pushed by Applejack and Rainbow. The elder sister’s eyes followed Apple Bloom just as Pipsqueak turned to her. Pipsqueak stopped in his tracks, eyes curiously widening as the tiny girl stared up at him. With a small leap, Apple Bloom hopped up and wrapped her arms around Pipsqueak’s head. He let out a surprised yelp as Apple Bloom gripped onto his jersey. With a grunt, Apple Bloom tugged until Pipsqueak hunched over from the weight. Apple Bloom’s feet touched the ground and immediately, she yanked Pipsqueak and threw him down to the ground effortlessly. Apple Bloom grinned upon watching Pipsqueak land squarely on his back, coughing from the sudden impact. Apple Bloom’s gaze turned up, glancing at Applejack with a knowing gaze.

“Yeah, yeah, al’right,” Applejack finally caved, raising her hands defensively as Apple Bloom began to cheer a bit. Staying on topic, she continued and asked, “Y’know much ‘bout positions?”

“Ah’m a lineman!” the young girl exclaimed proudly, balling up her fists and getting into an aggressive stance.

“A lineman?!” Her older sister blinked with surprise, and immediately her protective instincts chimed in. “Apple Bloom, you tryn’a get y’self hurt?”

“Nah, Ah’ll be the one doin’ the hurtin’!” Apple Bloom pointed an eager thumb to herself, and Rainbow Dash snickered out loud as she recognized a similar fire between the two girls, even if Applejack might deny it. Pipsqueak groaned at that moment, solidifying her argument.

“I like her attitude,” Rainbow Dash muttered to her friend, leaning closer until she was ruthlessly shoved away.

“Don’t encourage her,” Applejack growled with an accusing look.

Rainbow shrugged before forcing herself to stand straight as she stretched, several bones cracking. Applejack’s eyes were seemingly locked onto Rainbow as her small breasts poked through the cheap sports jersey from last year that she managed to wear down over a summer. Averting her eyes to speak, she took a deep breath.

“Listen, Apple Bloom—” Applejack bent down and rested her hand on her little sister’s shoulder, even though she was not much shorter. “True strength don’t come from tryn’a inflict damage on someone, this ain’t a fight or nothin’, ain’t gonna be much of a lineman if you're seein’ red all the time. Trust me, a lineman’s job is about protectin’ or rescuin’ the ball, and holdin’ off the enemy, not crackin’ skulls.”

“I’d take that advice if I were you,” Rainbow Dash agreed passively, looking away from the pair as to act indifferent. “Applejack actually knows a thing or two; you know, when it suits her.”

“Thanks for the support, RD.” Applejack chuckled sarcastically to hear the double edged compliment, but turned back to her kid sister. “Ah ain’t no lineman m’self, but Ah gotta rely on them t’keep me safe. Now, can Ah rely on you, little sis?”

“You bet’cha!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. She turned to the field, grabbing a nearby megaphone and immediately, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike covered their ears along with the nearby Twilight.

“Ya’ll losers get on over ‘ere so we can show ya a demonstration,” boomed through the megaphone in a screeching volume.

That got the attention of everyone present, six teachers by a window in the school and the Automotive Dealership across the street. Slowly, the rest of the team jogged over with the exception of Scootaloo, who darted across the field in a full sprint. Upon reaching the edge of the track, she leapt into the air in a diving motion and finished it with a tuck and roll, stopping in a very casual sitting position at Rainbow’s feet.

“‘sup?” she asked, successfully getting a pat on the head from Rainbow Dash.

Apple Bloom discarded the megaphone randomly as the team surrounded her, the only ones seemingly disinterested being the Dumbbells; one could wonder why or how they stayed here.

“A’ight, Ah want one demonstration showing what we have t’do on defense since it’s clear th’ Manehattan Manticores may not break more than twelve players, least eleven. First off, Ah wanna get th’ team captain, th’ Runnin’ Back, Rainbow Dash, to take th’ football and attempt to pass our four linemen, an—”

“We’ve got one lineman, actually. Those three dumb-dumbs aren’t official members,” Rainbow said, punctuating each word with a finger wag.

“That’s dumb,” Apple Bloom muttered. “Whatever, y’all go stand at th’ thirty yard line. Who’s yer tight end?”

“I ‘unno. Got none,” Rainbow said, lazily grabbing old football gear and a helmet.

She put it on and the linemen followed suit, however Pipsqueak’s gear was rather comically too small. His stomach wasn’t covered prompting a chuckle from most of the team as they waltzed out onto the field. Spike watched idly as the team received further instructions from Apple Bloom.

“Ah won’t be joinin’ so yer without a centre, so you four linemen have to make sure you cover the area. Stand firm, bend your knees, keep arms flexible and make sure you attempt t’ grab th’ paddin’; Ah don’t want my sis’ girlfriend t’ be groped accidentally,” Apple Bloom muttered.

“H-hey!” Applejack shouted from the sidelines, her face growing red.

Rainbow Dash had a predictable response, laughing as she adjusted the strap around her chin. She stood at the centre field as Apple Bloom continued.

“Spread out if ya want; yer objective is t’ take down Rainbow. If she gets by ya, you lost th’ play. Tackle ‘er, that’s a down.” Apple Bloom bit her lip for a moment, glancing around the area as her small speech stopped suddenly. Her eyes fixated on a person and she pointed a finger.

“Spike, get yer gear on; you’re our tight end for th’ play,” Apple Bloom shouted. She looked around for a whistle to blow, shrugging when she didn’t find one. She put the tips of her thumb and index finger in her mouth and whistled that way as Spike stumbled about, grabbing his cheap gear. “On th’ double, yer th’ only one who has the build other than AJ.”

'I’m coming, fucking hold on,' Spike thought and opted to hold his tongue, the demand agitating him as he rushed to get his gear on.

Spike was jogging onto the field, finding a spot behind the general area of the linemen as he finished tightening his helmet that someone must have left behind a few years back. He took a deep breath as he checked his footing: he spread his legs, bent his knees, made sure his hands were out but not too far and crouched a bit. He was in stance and opted to be the last line of defense stopping the team captain from zipping by.

“Ready?” Apple Bloom said, preparing to whistle once more.

The tension seemed to double with that one word and Spike felt his heart pounding for two reasons; said tension, and some of the words the team captain spat out of her mouth… and some of the actions too. Gritting his teeth, he realized he forgot his mouthguard and sighed, resigning himself.

Apple Bloom’s whistle was loud and heard by all and immediately, Rainbow Dash broke out into a mad sprint from her position. The linemen in front converged on her location with two of the Dumbbells moving a bit faster as if to not make it one wall she had to pass. As she approached, they had a burst of speed in their step as Hoops lunged forward, directly at his target. His arm was just in front of the centre of her chest merely two feet away with Score on the opposite side, acting as a pincer attack… yet he was several feet back, and that was all that it took.

Rainbow, with the skill of a ballerina and the finesse of a trucker, did a quick twirl, spinning her body around Hoops’ hand followed by ducking her head, avoiding Score’s flying tackle. Score wound up colliding with Hoops and tumbled to the ground, leaving Apple Bloom with a face of utter shock that quickly morphed into intense rage.

“Are ya freakin’ serious!?” the younger Apple sibling growled, clenching her fists.

Dumbbell and Pipsqueak served to be a bit of a different story; Dumbbell was prepared and anticipating the faster speed of the team captain and didn’t try confronting her, opting to make use of shimmying side to side. Pipsqueak didn’t have to; he was a veritable wall of death to any running back. There was absolutely no going through this line even with the yawning large gap; the both of them could cover it and Rainbow knew this. She instead made for taking a suicidal move and clenched the ball closer to her chest, but took one hand off of it.

Grunting, Rainbow leapt into the air in a diving motion, taking a note from the younger athlete moments prior to which Scootaloo beamed with glee. Neither lineman was expecting it; that added with the fact that they haven’t been linemen for more than a week caused them to fumble a bit with their hands. Rainbow leapt over Dumbbell as he swung his arm down, having thrown it too high in order to anticipate the jump while Pipsqueak was having his inexperience with his size catch up to him. With her free hand, the running back shoved Pipsqueak’s arm downward causing the boy to stumble. Rainbow practically dove through a hole in the “impenetrable” wall of death and rolled onto the ground. She lucked out, and as Pipsqueak and Dumbbells’ linemen inexperience and lack of true speed caused Rainbow to grin, she rolled to a crouching position.

Shooting off, she burst into another dash, immediately on her fast feet once more. Spike hadn’t anticipated this much of a one-sided confrontation but it was all he needed to know: Rainbow was his responsibility.

“Flabby belly, huh?” he muttered, gritting his teeth as his face contorted with rage.

Rainbow was smirking as she darted directly towards Spike. It was a game of chicken; of who would move to the side first. Spike rooted his feet and flexed his fingers as the distance rapidly closed between him and the running back. As she got in front of him, she, as usual, quickly sidestepped, shifting to Spike’s right. He was still facing forward by the time that it looked like she would zip by him. As his eyes grew more slitted than usual, he could feel his body growing hot and tense, focusing his energy entirely on the girl who raced to get past him. He growled as he stepped forward and thrust one hand outward. Swinging his arm, he let out a shout as his hand connected with Rainbow’s abdomen and he latched onto her jersey and pads, maybe even her skin. He grunted as he took another step, feeling all of her speed falter to his brute strength.

Rainbow let out a huff as the wind left her lungs, all her momentum dying as her legs and arms swung forward as she felt herself being tossed back. Spike thrust his arm forward, letting go of the uniform as Rainbow was thrown back several feet, rolling a few times before she stopped in the dirt. Though he was proud of his move, he couldn’t help but wonder where he had earned all of that strength, which seemed to have came out of anywhere. Perhaps he just had never known what he was capable of, never having been much for violence himself.

“Rainbow!” Applejack sprinted across the field in a matter of seconds, skidding to a halt in front of the downed football captain. She got down on her knees and crawled to her friend's side, peering down at her concernedly. “Rainbow, are y'okay?”

Scootaloo followed immediately, showing almost the same amount of concern as the quarterback.

“Mmm—” Shifting against the hard ground, Rainbow Dash hummed as she felt the nearness of her friend leaning over her body. She scrunched up her eyes like she was in pain, but had another motive for keeping the attention on her face.

“Huh?” Applejack went still as she felt her seemingly wounded friend's hand press right up against her breast. In the brief awkward silence that ensued, the jock squeezed and fondled once or twice. Applejack's expression narrowed into rage and she snatched Rainbow up by her shirt collar, shaking her up and down furiously. “Why—if y'weren't layin' on the ground Ah'd knock y'darn teeth in!”

“Relax AJ, it was a joke, a joke! Man, I was only squeezing your tits, I thought you’d find it flattering!” Rainbow Dash's voice rose and fell with her body as she tried to calm the farmer down, putting her hands up and adorning an innocent smile. Applejack gripped her up real close and glared into her eyes, keeping her back off the ground and giving her a menacing frown. Rainbow Dash could not resist pushing her buttons, though. “Besides, you could do a lot of nicer things to me while I'm laying on the ground.”

Applejack continued shaking the dizzy-eyed girl and shouted at her again, “Ah'd think Spike severed y'brain if y'weren't already such a punk t'begin with!”

The other members of the team approached the pair, not getting too close in case Applejack's anger was volatile enough to snap at any of them. The quarterback growled and let out a hot, frustrated breath as she continued to squeeze at her best friend's shirt. Rainbow Dash however, seemed quite pleased by the situation.

“You were worried about me,” Rainbow Dash mused with a great big grin on her face, pausing her friend in the assault.

“Ah was not!” Applejack denied with flustered cheeks, dropping the football captain flat onto the grass with a thud. “You're just too darn reckless, someone's gotta keep an eye on you.”

“That was not my fault! You were, like, touching yourself out of the corner of my eye and distracting me, I swear,” Rainbow muttered, gritting her teeth.

Swearing numerous cuss words, Applejack sighed, holding Rainbow in place as she lifted her shirt up to see the affected area. Already, she could see a bruise forming where Spike’s hand gripped her; no indication of directly grabbing the flesh.

“Not even going to buy me dinner first?” Rainbow Dash remarked as she willingly let Applejack look under her clothes.

“Woah, Spike’s mere thrust alone cou—” Applejack froze, her eyes going wide as she realized how easy she had made it for Rainbow to turn that around. “No no, Ah didn’t say that, Ah—”

Rainbow’s lips formed a massive grin as her eyes took on a sultry tone.

“I bet my thrust could wreck how you walk for a week,” Rainbow said in a voice some could consider sexy.

Applejack brought back a fist as if to finally vent out the frustrations brought on from Rainbow’s words, from anger to… more pleasant ones. However, Rainbow’s eyes widened and she coughed, her smaller hands rubbing the spot with the bruise. All aggression Applejack had vanished.

“Rainbow, you sure you’re okay?” the farmer asked worriedly.

Spike started to feel a pang of guilt as he saw that maybe he had done some damage, but relented as he saw Rainbow give everyone a toothy grin and thumbs up.

“Aces, but I do suggest we… uh, not do that again. At least to me.” She grinned directly at Spike as several others turned to him. “Spike, you’d be an awesome tight end if we refined you a bit more. Kicker and tight end. You can get my blindside as I cover AJ’s blindside— which is when she’s in the shower. Whaddaya say!?”

Applejack merely rolled her eyes, actually laughing at her words for once. The day was eventful and she couldn’t help but smile. Spike joined with them, letting himself chuckle lightly. Twilight was too busy reading Equestrian Football: A Complete History: Book 1: Volume I to notice anything that happened.

“Sure,” Spike said, shrugging with a grin.

For the first time in a while, he held his head up higher than usual.

Gasping, crawling on the ground, Rainbow was begging as she had to avoid vomiting. A sickness coursed through her body as she rolled on the ground, panting heavily. She grabbed a plastic water bottle and ripped the cap off, dumping the 2-litre bottle onto her face, onto her head and into her mouth as she greedily wasted it all before laying in the grass, panting pleasantly as she sat up, feeling the glorious cold liquid drizzle down her throat. Forcing herself to stand, she disposed of the now-empty bottle as she stepped up the bleachers towards her quarterback and best friend.

“Holy! I do not have the kind of stamina for this shit!” Rainbow Dash groaned as she sat on the seat just a step above Applejack, waiting for some witty retort that never came.

Noticing her oddly dismissive behaviour, Rainbow Dash scooted over on the bleachers until her knees were lined up on either side behind Applejack. Rainbow reached down between her spread knees and looped her arms around the farmer, pulling her back and situating her between her legs. Though not expecting such a move, Applejack accepted it as another quirk of Rainbow's playful nature and raised her arms over the captain's thighs, bending at the elbow to rest her wrists on Rainbow's knees.

“Something bothering you?” Rainbow Dash finally inquired, finding the lack of usual struggle somewhat odd.

“Uh, no, just thinkin' is all,” Applejack struggled to start talking, feeling her friend's hands sliding over her shoulders and supportively squeezing. Eased by the attention, she admitted her troubles. “Ah just don't know how Ah feel 'bout my little sister being out on the field with us. Ah don’t want her t’ get hurt. It’s funny, Ah was even just wonderin’ if it’d be too darn much t’ toss a second helmet on her little head.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, that protective older sister stuff is just going to make her mad again. You worry too much, she's tough, she'll be fine.” Rainbow Dash reminded her with a hot breath against her ear, which turned the flesh pink at the near touch. A smirk crossed her face as she felt Applejack relax against her, permitting the gentle massage. “Need a little distraction?”

“Is that what you're doin'?” Applejack asked, leaning her head back and peering up at her football captain.

“Are you complaining?” Rainbow Dash's smirk spread to a devious grin and her fingers played around with the fabric of the quarterback's jersey.

“Ah— no, but,” Applejack admitted, but though she tried to make an excuse, she found herself less than willing to tell her off.

She leaned back against her friend's touch and enjoyed the pleasurable sensations perhaps a bit too much. With a quick slip of the hand, the massage went lower and back up, tempting each sore muscle. Applejack sighed comfortably and closed her eyes, the warmth of the sun paling in comparison to the delights of those agile fingers. Inevitably though, Rainbow Dash's assertive and lascivious nature commanded her to lean closer and press her chest against Applejack's back, gliding her hands forward and over her stomach. As her hands began to dip down an inch or two lower, Applejack's expression narrowed.

“Rainbow,” Applejack murmured dully as she knew what game her football captain loved to play at.

“That feel good? I mean, we can always take this somewhere a little more private,” Rainbow Dash tilted her head and strummed the top of Applejack's belt, only to feel her friend's hands reach down and take her own.

“You're an awful little vixen, y'know that?” Applejack chuckled as she moved Rainbow's hands back onto her shoulders, allowing her to continue.

“Mhmm, proud of it,” the football captain beamed and continued, running her breezy fingers over Applejack's arms and leaning closer as she spoke so that her lips almost touched the farmer's neck.

“Quit that!” came a stifled laugh from Applejack as she tensed up defensively.

Rainbow Dash pouted as she felt her friend relax against her once more, her appealing body draped against her own. With a frustrated groan, Rainbow pressed her thumbs into her friend's back. “You can be such a tease, Applejack.”

“Says the girl with'er hands all over me,” Applejack countered with a smirk, looking back.

“To the girl enjoying it,” came the retort, and the two left it at that for once.

Applejack hummed and mused as Rainbow's fingers dug deep into her muscles, even though she wasn't very good at it. Though she knew better, Rainbow Dash could not look away from the calm expression on the face of the girl in her hands, and only hoped her heartbeat was not too obnoxious or loud. Applejack didn't seem to mind, that is, until someone caught them in their leisure.

“Heya, Applejack!” a higher pitched voice rang out and startled the pair.

“Huh—what?!” Applejack sat up abruptly, pulling right out of Rainbow's grasp as she heard someone call out to her. Despite her attempts to seem innocent, the blush in her cheeks betrayed her.

“Y’gonna drive me home today? Since Ah'm stayin' as late as you an' all?” Apple Bloom called, smiling this great big hopeful and oblivious smile.

“Uh, yeah, Ah brought Mac's truck, since it seats four,” Applejack explained simply as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap and couldn't quite look right at anything.

“There's only two of us silly, why didn't y'bring yours?” her younger sister inquired, and Applejack chewed at her lip a bit as the answer came out.

“Ah'm givin' Rainbow a ride too,” she explained slowly, realizing how normal that actually was and how little she had to be nervous about.

“Yeah, my hot rod is still in the shop,” Rainbow Dash agreed as she slyly placed a hand on Applejack's head. “Well, my other hot rod!”

“Y'mean besides what, me?” Applejack caught on sarcastically, and Rainbow Dash merely grinned wider and nodded in agreement.

“Well y'better hurry up an' get y'keys then, 'cause practice is over,” Apple Bloom told them as they looked around to confirm it. “Those wimps hardly finished half of the circuit b'fore they were useless!”

“You've created a monster,” Rainbow Dash murmured into Applejack's ear before standing up and stretching, strutting long strides down the bleachers with the farmer's eyes glued to her. In a yawn, she continued, “Besides the one in my pants.”

Applejack huffed an amused laugh as she furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, getting up to her own feet.

With a sigh, the trio made for the showers to wash off and put away all the materials, being the last ones out on the field. The boys had already washed up and Scootaloo simply rode home after bidding her idol farewell.

In the showers, Applejack noticed Apple Bloom wander off to a corner and leave her alone, which bothered her more than usual as she sensed Rainbow slipping her shower stall now that the two were unsupervised. Keeping her back to her friend, she made certain to angle herself as to not reveal anything private. She attempted to ignore the captain but a warm, soapy hand brushing over her stomach and rising near her chest from behind caused the farmer to let out a yelp and instinctively cover herself up as she spun around, facing Rainbow.

“Before you ask, I mentioned me covering your blindside in the shower, and I simply didn’t wanna be a liar,” Rainbow said, carefully wording her little speech as she slowly backed away into the stall next to Applejack’s, keeping her eyes on Applejack’s so she could not be penalized for peeping too.

“Yer incorrigible,” Applejack said, rolling her eyes with a grin. Luckily, her red face was masked by the steam.

“Hehe, exactly. You’ve got no choice but to conform,” Rainbow mused in a sing-song voice.

“Not bloody likely,” Applejack muttered with a chuckle.

After showers, the three left the school as the sun was in the final stages of setting, the sky turning a dark blue. The Apple siblings and the tag-along Rainbow Dash piled into the pickup truck as Applejack fumbled with the keys, then with the older engine. The truck roared to life and Rainbow sniffed the air.

“Now that is a truck,” the athlete said, her mind reeling with nostalgic memories. “We gotta hang out on the farm sometime; it’s been too long.”

Applejack glanced over to Rainbow Dash, seeing a genuine smile with no ulterior motive to it. The blonde smiled and nodded her head agreeably.

“Yeah.” Applejack concurred lightly.

“So, when we hang, I’ll let you be the first to tie me up, since you’re good with ropes and all. It’ll be hot, yo.” And there it was. Applejack had to stop a moment to reconsider her entire life and friendship with the athlete beside her, filled with flirtatious advances, jokes, and pranks, none of which she could pinpoint the motive behind.

“Can we jus’ get outta here?” Apple Bloom asked in annoyance.

“Aha, s-sorry lil’ sis.” Applejack shook her head and obeyed.

As she turned the truck out of the parking lot, Applejack noticed Spike wandering down the street in the direction of his house. Twilight left earlier, driving herself in her mother’s station wagon. Applejack only knew where he lived because he lived with Twilight, but she knew it well enough to know it was hardly out of the way. Pressing on the gas slowly, she drove nearer up behind him, until Rainbow Dash caught sight of him.

“Hey, there's that spiney-headed runt!” she shouted as she grabbed the wheel and yanked it towards the pavement, nearly making Applejack drive right up onto it.

“Ah'm tryn'a give ‘im a lift, not drive ‘im over!” Applejack yelled back as she regained control of the wheel, though by then Spike had already whirled around and gawked at the swerving vehicle.

“Heya, bub, need a ride?” Rainbow Dash leaned out her window and called to him, though he just stared at her incredulously. He started to make up an excuse, but Rainbow Dash wouldn’t hear of it. “Get the hell in before you get AJ’s headlights rammed up your ass!”

“He almost did,” Applejack reminded her in a grumble as Spike nodded furiously and hurried to the rear door.

Applejack had to open her own door to permit the rear one to open, since the handle was hidden beneath the overlap of the driver’s side door. He climbed in beside Apple Bloom, whose arm rested on the windowsill, which had warned him the other side was occupied. Sighing in relief, he pulled the seat belt over his chest and buckled it in, shyly glancing up to the front of the vehicle. The voice that spoke, however, did not speak to him.

“Hey AJ, why don't you let the kids drive,” Rainbow Dash reached over suddenly and placed her hand on Applejack's thigh, slowly and sensually running it up higher towards a guarded goal. “And the two of us can have some fun in the back seat?”

Applejack glanced down at the action curiously before responding, and as blankly or apathetically as she could muster, “Y'go any further up m'leg an' you're gonna make me slam on the breaks.”

“I'm wearing my seatbelt, don't worry,” the football captain assured her, when a nasty image tangled up into her mind that she just had to share, “In fact, like I said, I'm down for a little rough bonda—”

“There’re kids in the car, y'pervert!” Applejack interrupted her hurriedly, glancing at Apple Bloom in the mirror to be certain she had not been too curious to ask about Rainbow's flirtatious advances.

“So, later then?” Rainbow Dash pouted cutely, but stopped as she felt Applejack take her hand in her own.

Applejack's fingers wrapped around Rainbow's and she lingered in her own lap for a few seconds before lifting the captain's exploration off of her. Placing Rainbow's hand in her own lap, Applejack gently squeezed their contact tighter, surprising the rainbow-haired girl into silence. Rainbow Dash stared curiously at their hands before Applejack let go, but she didn't get the chance to bring it up.

“Ah ain't no kid, Applejack!” Apple Bloom denied adamantly, glaring at her older sister in the mirror, dropping her red eyebrows onto her eyes dangerously.

“Ah'm makin' a point y'little brat,” Applejack teased her, though the younger girl did not poke at it any further. Instead, she turned her attention to the only boy in the vehicle.

“Hey, you’re Spike, right? Twilight’s little brother?” Apple Bloom asked as she leaned forward to get a better look at the boy beside her.

“Uh, yeah, that’s me,” he agreed with a forced smile, feeling awkward with his backpack sitting on his lap the way it was. He was not used to accepting rides from anyone, but he honestly feared Rainbow Dash might run him over otherwise.

“Spike, I’ll cut it short. Gimmie yer number; we’re on th’ same team an’ I’m sorta all y’all’s trainer since Applejack has gone soft on us,” Apple Bloom said, an edge added to her voice on the last few words.

“I can make it hard again,” Rainbow shouted, reaching over towards Applejack’s lap once more.

“Goddammit, Rainbow, you’re distractin’ as all heck, it ain’t no wonder why y’wrecked your ride,” Applejack muttered as she slapped the hand away easily.

“I was busy thinking of you,” Rainbow responded in a cheeky yet sincere and cutesy way. Applejack merely rolled her eyes and payed more attention to what went on in her rear view mirror.

Spike felt his cheeks grow warm and his chest tingle. He grinned as he pulled out his mobile and he and Apple Bloom briefly exchanged phones to enter in the others’ number. Spike noted the rather dated device, as well as it being Applejack’s mobile five years prior. Quickly, he punched in his info and handed it back to Apple Bloom, smiling. He got his phone back and briefly saw the contact list, smiling.

‘Eight numbers,’ he thought.

Glancing over to the younger sibling, he grinned from ear to ear as the driver and passenger bickered.

“Thanks,” Spike said quietly.

“Don’t thank me, it’s what friends ‘re for,” Apple Bloom beamed cheerily.

‘Friends… heh.’

Author's Note

Ez: Almost 13,000 words... Well, here's a long one for you!
Arby: I'll give you a long one, Easy.
Ez: If you're so perverse, why am I the one writing most of the AppleDash banter?
Arby: Because I'm too busy writing everything else.
Ez:... Point taken.

Until next time, readers!

Featherweight, Snips and Snail's Numbers

V. Featherweight, Snips and Snail's Numbers

It took Rainbow Dash more than long enough to admit that she really needed to grant some players member status. She decided having a set of linemen was rather important in the end, so she allowed the Dumbbells to join officially. Yet they were still rather short on members, which posed a major problem. With their first game imminently near, she really couldn’t afford the luxury of being picky.

Fortunately, Rainbow had spotted something the previous day. Featherweight. He was jumpy… and that was it. When Apple Bloom let out a bellowing chastisement on her, Rainbow had saw the boy in the back of the room literally jump several feet in the air. Match that with his height and long reach, and you have sold yourself to a desperate Rainbow Dash.

How it went down was something reminiscent of a kidnapping straight out of gangster films; drive by, yank into the vehicle, speed off. The difference being that Pipsqueak was the vehicle and snatcher, yanking the boy out of class the next day. Propping the photographer up on a chair in a darkened room with a spotlight, Rainbow grabbed a fedora, lazy half-done tie and sunglasses, attempting to grill Featherweight until he joined. It only took her mentioning the Equestrian Football team for him to say ‘yes’. Befuddled by his abrupt acceptance, the rainbow girl furiously yanked the boy out to the field.

Immediately, Featherweight took off running down the side of the field the instant their quarterback launched the pigskin into the air. She deliberately gave it some spin and threw it to the side forcing the tall, thin Featherweight to use his head. Rainbow stared with a bit of shock when she saw Featherweight zip off in one direction while the ball seemingly arced to the left, only to start smiling when the football’s trajectory was headed directly towards where the boy would be. With a swift jump, Rainbow saw Featherweight leap three feet into the air which made her grit her teeth; she could only jump far on account of her speed. As the boy returned, he wordlessly tossed the ball over to Rainbow and silently walked away, pulling out his camera to capture the moment.

The next, and last thing she had to do was find an eleventh player… and maybe a backup. But she was at a loss until it happened.

Snips and Snails; tweedle-dee and tweedle-dumb; the dynamic duo; two sides of the same coin that permits entry to the glue factory. During many of her precious seconds figuring out how to seduce Applejack, Rainbow Dash had spotted the two chucking a basket ball around in the gym… specifically, after school hours. She knew that they weren’t terrible troublemakers, young and stupid sure, but she also knew they were… well, boys. And as such, she knew not to base any decision on maturity level, or lack thereof. She took a photo of the scene with her mobile phone and decided to follow them the next day.

Expectedly, she discovered that they had gym class and, just her luck, they happened to be playing dodgeball. She wondered if the stereotypes would permit them to be the last picked but immediately, they were in the first five to be picked. Curiously, Rainbow pressed her face against the thick glass separating the gym from the school’s main hallway. Upon start, she grinned as she saw that not only were they not troublemakers, that they were boys; they could catch. And the tall and lanky boy, Snails, could even run. Rainbow watched as they dominated the game of dodgeball; catches, throws yet in the end, they were still boys.

“Watch it, you peabrain,” Snails shouted as he roughly slammed into his friend.

“Hey, you watch it. I was dodgin’ to this spot,” Snails shouted back as they pushed each other back to avoid a ball.

They weren’t star players, but they had the qualities she needed to fill up the last spot. They were like a watered down version of Spike, lacking the muscle and speed but they severely ousted him when it came to catching, and if need be, Snips could easily be a replacement lineman due to his larger build.

A brief scuffle occurred in the gym spurring the teacher to send the two boys to the office. Jogging down the hall, gripping the clipboard showing football team members and pickup lines she wrote for the quarterback, she followed them into the office as they dejectedly had to explain why they had fought to the Vice Principal. Without wasting a second, and completely passing by the secretaries much to their objection, she burst into the door of the vice principal to the shock of all three parties.

“Hold it!” she called, pointing a finger into the air dramatically.

“Miss Dash, may I ask why you barged in here without permission?” the Vice Principal asked in a dull tone, expecting as much from the brash young girl.

“I can answer your question if you answer mine; are these two boys in trouble?” Rainbow Dash inquired without hesitation.

“Possibly, yes.” That answer caused the duo to shift nervously in their seats, exchanging glances as the Vice Principal calmly sighed.

“Now, I’ve got an idea, stay with me here,” Rainbow declared, shutting the door in the face of the secretary that had attempted to scold her.

“Oh boy, here we go,” the Vice Principal murmured with a heavy sigh, resting her elbow on the table and her head on her palm.

“Instead of punish them for roughhousing, why not give them an outlet to roughhouse as well as set them up for post-secondary means? See, as this school’s ace sports star, I can tell that these boys have the potential to be athletes.” Rainbow set the clipboard down as well as her palms on the table as she got closer to the Vice Principal. “Let them join the football team.”

“Rainbow Dash, honestly, I’m surprised. I didn’t think you’d care about what these two boys did or what happened, let alone think of something like that,” the Vice Principal spoke honestly, genuinely surprised.

Rainbow stood up straight, frowning for a second before shrugging.

“All right, all right, that was a lie. To be honest, I really don’t care what happens to them. We just need an extra member or two to be qualifiable for the tournament. Apple Bloom scared the other potential members off,” Rainbow admitted, losing her rather excited tone she forced.

“And there it is,” the Vice Principal said expectantly, rolling her eyes. Snips and Snails had been idly watching and listening, worried for a moment about the prospect of the football team. “Well, though their antics could land them in a lot of trouble, it’s clear that they’re good friends, so it’s not like they legitimately wanted to hurt each other. It was just a petty argument with some horseplay in class.”

“Oh, and they were also using gym equipment after school hours,” Rainbow chimed in, holding up her phone with the photo displayed.

The two boys gulped as they awkwardly chuckled.

“Uh, y-yeah, we were supposed to put it away but then we made a bet about who could shoot from the farthest. Nothing too bad, eh? Right?” Snails asked nervously, his voice getting nervously higher with each passing word.

The Vice Principal sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She glanced over at the two boys with a tired expression. “Snips, Snails,” she started in a stern voice.

“Y-yes, ma’am?” the two asked in unison.

“You are to report to football practise every day and comply to Rainbow Dash’s commands; using school equipment after school hours is strictly forbidden. You are to do this until the end of the season tournament, or until you get disqualified,” she explained, turning to a computer to enter a punishment report. “Which, with you two on the team, is entirely possible.”

“Sweet,” Rainbow clenched up her fist and made a victorious gesture in the air.

The duo groaned before reluctantly agreeing as Rainbow Dash grinned smugly. The Vice Principal wasn’t finished, though.

“Rainbow Dash, report to the detention hall tomorrow at lunch,” she said, writing up a detention slip after printing out Snips and Snails’ punishment form.

“What!? Why?” Rainbow asked, wondering why she was on the receiving end.

“This was a private meeting and you just burst in here. That’s disrespectful,” the Vice Principal told her calmly.

Scoffing with a coarse sigh, Rainbow snatched the detention slip before the Vice Principal could fully extend her arm to hand it over and she waltzed out of the office, forgetting her clipboard. The pickup lines and team member sheet was returned, but not without the somewhat clever lines erased. Rainbow whined about lost brilliance afterwards.

Now, Rainbow Dash had never been on amiable terms with the Dumbbells trio, but part of growing up was putting small differences aside for the greater good. She could only hope they were loyal enough to hang around, and that they didn’t hold any grudges. They were Applejack’s line of defense against the enemy, and they had better hold up their duty, or they would have to answer to the team captain herself. Not that that ever really worked before.

“Dash, quit daydreamin’ an’ put on yer helmet!” Apple Bloom shouted at the older girl, who scowled and stared blankly at her.

Though Applejack managed to talk her out of being a lineman, Apple Bloom opted to make a decent case about holding a position as fullback, which her older sister could not refute. With the not-so-intimidating Rainbow Dash as half back, she needed someone behind the line who could handle blocking well enough to keep the both of them safe, and Apple Bloom was perfect for it. She was not much for speed of course, so any rushing plays would likely go solely to Rainbow Dash.

“I can’t help it if your sister’s sweet, sweet body is too hot to get out of my head,” Rainbow Dash told her with a smirk, noticing how the comment made the younger girl a little confused or repulsed.

Rainbow Dash fell forward a bit as she felt a hard thwap on the back of her skull, with enough force to knock her for a loop. She glanced back irritably at the taller blonde girl and rubbed the sore spot.

“That wouldn’t’a hurt if y’had your helmet on,” Applejack reminded her pleasantly before patting her back twice and taking the helmet from her hands, plopping it onto her bright noggin. “Al’right, captain, our first game’s tomorrow, we gonna run some plays today t’prepare?”

“Wait, it’s tomorrow?!” Rainbow Dash’s jaw hit the field, and Applejack’s eyes narrowed at her.

“Y’forgot?!” The farmer roughly poked her team captain in the gut, aiming for the bruise that still remained on her soft skin.

“Ouch! I’m still tender, AJ,” Rainbow whined and rubbed the spot, glaring at her friend. “How would you like it if I started poking at your tenderest spot? Actually, you might.”

“This is serious, Rainbow,” Applejack reminded her with a stern expression. “You’re tellin’ me that you ain’t got nothin’ planned that’ll help us win tomorrow’s game?”

“I don’t remember saying that,” the captain grumbled as she traced the fading bruise with gentle fingers. “Look, I’m captain for a reason. I got plays coming out of my ass, and with your little sister here picking up the slack, we could train an hour before the game and pull it off.”

“Is she f’real?” Apple Bloom questioned skeptically, not really sure how to take anything that came out of the rainbow-haired girl’s mouth.

“You better not be screwin’ with me,” the farmer grumbled as she crossed her arms.

“Not ‘til tonight, babe,” Rainbow Dash winked rosiness into Applejack’s cheeks, which she tried to play off as anger. “You trust me, don’t you?”

“Ah...” Applejack looked into Rainbow’s bright pink eyes, finding some solace in their familiar beauty. “Yea’, Ah reckon Ah do.”

“Then give me a quick kiss and let’s do it,” Rainbow Dash knocked her helmet back and puckered her lips, leaning towards Applejack expectantly.

“Not happenin’,” Applejack grabbed the visor of the captain’s helmet and dropped it down past her eyes, leaving it covering most of her goofy face.

Rainbow Dash laughed loudly as she adjusted it right, noticing the amused smile on Applejack’s lips as she got her sight back. Applejack grabbed Rainbow’s jersey and yanked her over to the middle of the field, her younger sister following. As the team relaxed after another tough go around of tackle training and several yard sprints, Applejack nudged Rainbow to get their attention.

“All right, you shitstains!” Rainbow Dash shouted, and both of the Apple siblings slapped their palms to their faces in embarrassment. “Gather the fuck around!”

“Ah can’t believe she’s th’ captain,” Apple Bloom murmured to her older sister.

“She sure is one of a kind,” Applejack replied with a genuine smile.

“Mutiny,” Rainbow Dash glared back at them, though Applejack spread her hands and shook her head incredulously, since she had been the one defending her. “The reason I scheduled the practice for today, is because we have our first game tomorrow,” Rainbow Dash began to explain as the team fell in around her.

“Is that so?” The farmer chuckled to hear her lie.

“Mutiny!” Rainbow repeated as she pointed a finger back at Applejack, who went still under the attention. “Anyway, today we’re going to go over a few plays, you know, the boring stuff, and if we’re lucky we’ll get to play a down or two for real. I don’t want to hear any complaining, do I made myself clear?”

“Yeah,” came a few grumbles here and there.

“I said, do I make myself clear?!” Rainbow Dash shouted louder.

“Yes ma’am!” the team agreed hurriedly.

“Bunch of fucking pussies, I swear,” the captain groaned as she turned around and shook her head, only to snatch the clipboard that Applejack held and read it over.

Peeking up to look for a pen, she spotted it tugged into Applejack’s shirt, hanging between her breasts as her jersey had no pockets. Rainbow Dash reached out and plucked it without remorse from the private spot, earning some protests from her teammate. Without response, Rainbow Dash tore the papers from the iron grip of the clipboard and turned them around, only to begin scribbling on the blank backs and between the eraser marks from her old pickup lines. Applejack leaned curiously over her shoulder, only to be pulled in closer not by any wandering hand of Rainbow Dash, but by the intriguing plays that seemed to spout from nowhere.

“Shoot, that ain’t half bad,” Applejack praised as she put her hand on her captain’s shoulder and leaned ever nearer.

“You know better than anyone how awesome I am,” Rainbow Dash grinned and raised her eyebrow suggestively, though it did not brush Applejack off like it usually might have.

“You’ve really outdone yourself,” Applejack nodded as she watched Rainbow’s agile fingers prance over the paper.

“Come on, I could make much more magic between bed sheets than over paper ones,” the captain continued easily as she flipped to another blank page, starting a new play.

“Prove it.” Applejack prompted her captain, who slammed the pen down onto the clipboard and whirled around to face her, eyes wide and almost unrestrained. Applejack blinked at the sudden reaction, and hurriedly tried to set it straight, “A-Ah mean t’say that your plays are good, RD, that’s all. Ah was just goofin’ around.”

“So you say,” Rainbow Dash murmured disappointedly as she turned back to her sketches, continuing right along.

Before long, Rainbow Dash had drawn out a full set of plays that suited her team to their few strengths and were easy enough to get by with little coaching. She plucked the papers out of the clip and held them out in front of her team, who looked over at her with some fraction of reverence; about as much as they could legitimately give their perverted, crazy-haired captain.

“All right, ladies, gentlemen, and Spike,” Rainbow Dash addressed them, and Spike growled irritably at the implication. “You get these plays down, and we’re going to trash them tomorrow!”

“I don’t remember a single play!” Scootaloo squealed as she looked out to the field, the darkening sky reminding her how little time they had left before the game, all of about five minutes.

“Are y’serious?!” Apple Bloom gasped to hear such a thing, though she herself hardly had much of an idea of them herself.

“Honestly, I m’self am a tad lost,” Pipsqueak chimed in while rubbing the back of his head, his helmet bent up under his massive arm.

“Hey, kiddos!” Rainbow Dash’s voice boomed from down the hall towards the change rooms, and the three younger players flinched to hear it echo, “Get into your gear, I’m not waiting around for some fucking fashion show!”

“Don’t tell Dash, she’ll kill ya,” Apple Bloom warned her childhood friend, who nodded surely. “But I ain’t too happy with y’neither!”

“Fuck, I really need a smoke,” Scootaloo murmured grouchily as she made a frustrated face.

“A what?!” Apple Bloom wasn’t certain if she heard her right, but didn’t get much of a chance to get into it.

“I meant now!” Rainbow Dash’s voice shook them once more, and the three hurried over to the source of the bellowing.

The rest of the team gathered in the common mezzanine room, considering the boys and girls weren’t allowed to share a change room. The three younger players were the last to arrive, and they still buttoned up their uniforms here and there until they reached the meeting spot. Rarity had done a fine job of stitching up the uniforms in time for the game, so everyone was still settling into the comfortable fit.

The team captain did not hesitate to stand up in front of the whole crowd, clearing her voice to gather the attention. The latest arrivals hurried to get seats in front of her as she readied to speak.

“So here we are, the first major milestone of our season,” she started simply, looking out into the faces of the less than capable players, some more seasoned than others. “And yeah, we’re a bunch of fucknuggets and screw-offs, but we look damn good anyway, don’t you think? Or at least, I do.” She posed, tugging at the fresh fabric over her fit body.

“Rainbow,” Applejack directed her back on topic, and the captain snickered a bit.

“Now, when we go out there, we’re going to go as a team, okay? The way Applejack had us marching on the way to the rec centre,” Rainbow Dash explained certainly as she placed her leg up onto a bench.

“Why?” one of the Dumbbells whined dully, and the captain shot him a glare.

“Because we’re up against the Canterlot Wondercolts tonight, one of the most formidable teams in the league, we can’t afford to look weak,” the football captain picked up her own helmet and strapped it onto her head, holding the attention. “But just because they’ve got some good reputation doesn’t mean they’re better than us, got it? Personally, I kinda prefer to be the underdog, don’t you?”

Spike perked up from his position at the far corner of a bench to notice Rainbow Dash’s challenging gaze was on him. He shifted uncomfortably under the attention, until the captain got back to business.

“I want you all stretched and warmed up by the time we get out there, Applejack and I already did all that before coming down here, so we’re good.” Rainbow grinned as she tightened her strap, and the quarterback shuffled in her stance beside her.

“We did?” she asked curiously, only to catch the suggestive gaze from her friend, and nodded slowly to find it was just another sexual joke. “Oh, Ah get it.”

“Now, I’m not really good with speeches and shit, and I don’t want you dickheads getting all teary-eyed about it,” she continued cheekily, and Applejack rolled her eyes at the odd way she went about motivating the group. “So just fucking win. Sound good?”

“Yes ma’am!” most voices agreed loudly, and Rainbow Dash smirked on one side as she stood back up straight and broke up the meeting with a clap.

They faintly heard the call of the announcers over a booming intercom, and knew their time was up. Rainbow Dash led the group out of the mezzanine towards the field, Applejack at her side. From the entrance to the change rooms, where they awaited their introduction, the team could see the stands from behind the blinding field lights. It seemed that there were few spectators, most of which were Canterlot Wondercolt fans; which was not surprising considering it was the first game for the underappreciated Manticores, but it did little to help the morale.

“And now, playing for home in our very own stadium tonight,” The announcer’s voice rang out over the field.

“Don’t let those blue-balled Wondercolts get to you,” Rainbow Dash snickered as she looked out into the stands, noticing the dominance of the Wondercolt blue over the Manticore red. “They probably just didn’t have anything red to put on.”

“The Manehattan Manticores!” boomed out, and like lighting their team broke out onto the field, Rainbow Dash leading them.

The turf beneath their feet submitted to their jogs, their pounding feet smacking the freshly trimmed grass with verve. Some lines painted near the end zones still hissed and hovered in the air with novelty, the grass wetted by pale tones. Waving to what few fans actually did come out, the team made it to their gathering point, by their benches. There was still another few moments before the game officially began, which included the secondary introduction, some statistical mumbo-jumbo and the coin toss.

“And introducing our guests for this, the first game of the season. Last year’s former champions, straight from Canterlot,” the announcer continued as the team awaited their opponents, “The Wondercolts!”

The enemy team trudged out onto the field, their footing and timing impeccable with each trained trot. Each member seemed to know exactly their place, and it was no wonder they had been the champions of the last season, with those impressive uniforms, great support, and more than adequate preparation. As they grew nearer to the Manticores, it became clear that their opponents were actually quite small in stature, though padded up like menacing players. In fact, the nearer they marched, the easier it was to tell that...

“Hah! They’re a bunch of girls!?” Dumbbell guffawed as Applejack and Rainbow Dash twitched to hear such talk, and the two of them glared back at the ignorant linemen.

“You jackasses! Did you forget who your team captain and quarterback are?!” Rainbow Dash snapped in a shout at her teammates, who still played coy and snickered dumbly at the opponents.

“Whatever dude, we’re going to be matching up against a lot of squishy little chicks on the line,” another one of the linemen noted, his laugh only increasing in volume as he came up with the next line. “Hey Rainbow Crash, you wanna switch me spots so you can grab a handful?”

“Don’t make me puke,” Rainbow Dash growled angrily, snatching Applejack’s hand and yanking her closer, wrapping her arm around her waist as their hips met. “I’ve got everything I need right here!”

“Huh?” Applejack gawked at her friend’s confident expression as it shifted into an amourous smirk. Their eyes met from the other side of their visors, but before Applejack could make an argument, Rainbow Dash directed the subject otherwise.

“Remember that, you dumbass dimwit, everything we need to win is right here at our fingertips!” And with that, she reached into Applejack’s arms and took the pigskin from her grip, holding it out to the linemen with a stern expression. “I wouldn’t care if we faced a team of brazilian fucking body-builders! The enemy should not be what you’re focusing on.”

'She really believes that?' Spike thought uncertainly, looking out at the much more adept team of players as they took the field, suddenly feeling much more insecure than normal.

“This is sure gonna be rough on some o’the less athletic players,” Apple Bloom said as she stood between Spike and Pipsqueak, stunted by their size.

“Why’s that?” Spike asked as he looked down at the red headed girl. “Isn’t that what all your training was for?”

“Yea’, but we ain’t had ‘nough of it f’this,” she told him skeptically. “Remember, with s’little players on the team here, we gotta play offense and defense. Why d’you think Rainbow made us do s’many defensive plays? It’s gonna be rough, we ain’t hardly gonna get time t’rest ‘til halftime.”

“Oh, right,” Spike realized as he looked at how small their team was, less than half the amount of players the Wondercolts had.

“Ah ain’t worried ‘bout you two, o’course,” Apple Bloom flashed them a pleasant smile and patted them both on the backs simultaneously.

“‘course,” Spike repeated numbly as his head dropped a bit, looking down at the grass at his feet.

Applejack caught sight of Spike’s uncertainty, and frowned from her position a few yards ahead with Rainbow Dash. She knew just as well as Apple Bloom did how straining this game would be for new players, and the way her linemen were underplaying the issue made it even worse. She leaned closer to Rainbow Dash, placing a hand on her lower back to get her attention.

“Y’got a good feelin’ about this one, sugarcube?” Applejack asked curiously as her eyes trailed to the other players, who were also distracted.

“When you’ve got your hands on me, I always have a good feeling,” Rainbow Dash smirked and peered over at her, her bright pink eyes shining through her visor. “Don’t tell me you’re nervous?”

“Maybe a mite,” Applejack admitted slowly, a bashful smile creeping across her face.

“Well, I can think of a way to help you relax,” the captain murmured quietly under the faint chatter of the distant crowd.

“Uh,” Applejack stammered as the back of Rainbow Dash’s hand touched her stomach and trailed down. “Ah think we gotta start the game now.”

“Sounds good to me.” Rainbow’s eyes narrowed further as her smirk spread across her face.

“The football game,” Applejack reminded her as she grabbed her hand and stopped it.

“Shit, right,” Rainbow Dash got her attention back as the referee came across the field. “Gather the fuck up, you tools!” She snapped at Snips and Snails, who had been busy waving and making faces to the stands, drifting from the rest of the team.

“Come on y’all, let’s get up there.” Applejack gestured for the rest of the team to head on up to the middle of the field for the coin toss, where the other team had nearly assembled by now.

After a few tries to find an order in which to stand, the Manticores managed to spread out along their line parallel to their opponents. Applejack had handed the football over to a referee to put into play once they began, and stood beside Rainbow Dash as she faced the other captain. The Wondercolts seemed to have chosen their quarterback as captain, a level-headed girl with darker skin and midnight hair. However, the air of superiority that surrounded her put Rainbow Dash on edge, though she would not show it.

“Manticore’s team captain, Rainbow Dash,” the referee spoke up, and Rainbow Dash nodded and took a small step forwards. “Wondercolt’s captain, Octavia.”

“Yo,” Rainbow Dash extended a lazy handshake, and the other captain looked at it oddly.

“I didn’t know Manehatten had a football team.” Octavia looked around at the haphazard members who seemed less than attentive. With a snarky smirk, she added, “It seems they still don’t.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head and huffed a laugh at the trash talk, carelessly removing her handshake offer and scoffing with a wave instead. Applejack cautiously watched her captain, knowing how quick she could be to anger if something got to her. This, it seemed, did not bother her one bit. The referee pulled out a simple coin and displayed both sides to either team before speaking directly to a player.

“Visiting team calls once the coin is in the air, Wondercolts?” the referee asked as he balanced it on his thumb, looking over at Octavia. With that, he flicked it.

“Tails,” she called simply, without breaking the eye contact with her rainbow-haired foe.

The coin flipped through the noisy air and fluttered about, catching the field lights from far above. It hit the grass almost silently, landing in front of Rainbow Dash’s right foot. the referee leaned down to examine it, and spoke the side he saw.

“It’s heads.” The referee plucked the coin from between the short blades of grass once it was obvious the call was true, and he looked over at Rainbow Dash. “Manticores, what’s your call?”

Rainbow Dash graciously mimed a courteous bow with her hand, opening her palm upwards as she gave the kickoff away. “Be my guest.”

“It’s a good thing you have luck on your side,” Octavia mused simply as she gestured for her team to remain on their own side. “Because you don’t have much else.”

“Kickoff from the Wondercolts, right side,” the referee announced, and the teams broke apart at last.

They stuck with the sides of the field they emerged from, though it would switch before the second quarter and again after the third. Rainbow Dash finally turned around and walked with her team to the starting line, though Applejack was right on her heels the whole time.

“Y’okay, Rainbow? Looked like she wanted t’pick a fight,” Applejack wondered as she got up close to the captain, who simply smirked.

“I hope her digestive tract can handle a little hot air, because we’re going to make her eat those words,” Rainbow Dash revealed, and Applejack grinned in response, dropping her hand supportively onto Rainbow’s shoulder.

It was only really clear to Applejack how far Rainbow Dash had come over the past few years. It went mostly unnoticed to others due to her playful and perverse nature, especially with regards to her best friend, but Applejack knew her better than that. There was a time that Rainbow Dash might have jumped Octavia, or keyed her luxury car for speaking to her like that. But now, there was restraint and maturity in Rainbow Dash that made Applejack proud.

The teams lined up across from each other, spreading out into formations planned beforehand. For several of the Manticore’s players, this was their first football game, and that made them rather uneasy. Rainbow Dash already told Snails to sit out first, knowing her team would hardly recognize if they had too many players on the field at once. Patiently, the Manticores waited for the Wondercolts to administer the kickoff.

The starting whistle blew loudly, and with that Wondercolts took off towards their opponents, the kick flying out in a matter of seconds. The ball catapulted through the air, twisting and shaking as it made decent distance over the Manticore’s line. Several players fell back to try and snatch it out of the air, while the defensive line hung up front to block the enemy's charge.

'If Rainbow Dash had chosen to start the game, I would be the one doing the kickoff right now', Spike thought uncertainly as the ball cleared over his head, feeling nerves bundling up in his stomach. 'I don’t know if I could handle that.'

The football came down quickly as it passed the peak of its trajectory, sailing almost perfectly into the arms of someone who was not really much for receiving. Snips looked down into his arms and saw the ball tucked right in close, but hardly moved at all.

“Hey, I caught it!” Snips called excitedly, and Rainbow Dash slapped her palm against her face with a groan.

“Run!” was called by nearly every other clear-headed player on their team, and after blinking in surprise once or twice, he took the advice.

Racing across the yard lines back towards the opposing side, he huffed erratic breaths and displayed some look of terror on his face. Applejack hurried to his defense and managed to keep two players from getting close enough to catch him, but once he crossed into their domain he was all but dead. Spike watched from afar, too far to make up the time or distance to give the poor boy a hand as he made it a good few more yards. But before he could even gain an ounce of confidence for his charge, he was tackled by two more surprisingly forceful girls.

Snips’ body impacted the field like an anvil dropping, and he could have sworn he saw his feet fly up over his head while in mid air. While managing to gain a good few yards, he nearly lost his lunch.

“Oo,” Applejack cringed along with the rest of the group, besides Rainbow Dash who had jogged up to the quarterback by then. “Y’think he’ll be al’right?”

“I don’t care, that was fucking hilarious!” Rainbow Dash laughed loudly as the boy sat up groggily, his eyes spinning around in his head. As a couple of the Dumbbells went over and helped him up, Rainbow Dash tugged at Applejack’s sleeve. “Come on babe, it’s our down.”

“Ah know,” Applejack agreed as she followed her captain over to the scrimmage line, as marked by where Snips landed with the ball.

The rest of the Manticores fell into position in front of Applejack, and Rainbow Dash leisurely hung around just behind her, pleased about her view. That is, until Apple Bloom took her position between the two and gave her a funny look, noticing what she had been doing. The centre lineman crouched down in front of the spotted ball at last, though his expression was less than concerned about the line of women in front of him.

“Dude, this is gonna be a snap,” he said with a snort and brief laugh, which was cut short as Applejack dashed his fun.

“Ah hope so, else Ah ain’t got nothin’ t’throw,” Applejack chuckled slyly at the pun as the boy before her grunted irritably.

The ball was hiked back without incident, and Applejack’s hands gripped it tight. Apple Bloom came around her and held the line with the others just long enough for Applejack to let off her throw, which was not particularly long due to Featherweight’s position. Scootaloo had not been able to keep clear and open, so he was her only option for a catch.

Featherweight had a great jump, but he was not used to having to perform while under attack. The ball sailed straight towards him, but as he raised his hands to accept it, he found nothing but empty air. The enemy player in front of him leapt their highest, which still did not match his own height, but was enough to reach up and tip the ball out of his reach. The football hit the ground and bounced wildly as the pass remained incomplete, and the teams set up once more.

Spike realized then that he had not been much help in the scrimmage at all, that their players had anticipated a pass and sent their safeties back immediately. As tight end, he was able to pull of both a catch and a block, so perhaps he was more useful down the field to help Featherweight, who was much smaller than he was. As Applejack set up for another play, Spike looked out and tried to memorize the positions of his enemies, finding the fastest route through and noting any who seemed particularly set on rushing the line.

Once again, the ball was caught in Applejack’s hands, but by then Spike had already taken off to defend the receivers. He was right to do so, considering he was able to both distract the cornerback and get a hold on the safety positioned closer to his side. However, as Spike made real progress for a successful passing play, the linemen did little to block the defender’s charge. The opposite cornerback broke right around the line, which was locked in the scrimmage and otherwise useless.

Before either of her receivers had made it permissible for a safe pass, Applejack found herself right in the path of a sprinting foe. Apple Bloom was already holding off the outside linebacker by then, and couldn’t risk giving in to go back in case she was overpowered and floored. With her arm back for the throw, Applejack could hardly change the play in the split second before the sack, and instead opted to protect the ball for the next down.

She grunted as she hit the less than soft grass with her back, feeling the enormous pressure of weight over her. Despite the tremendously surprising weight, the hit itself was cushioned and easy to take. Half of the pressure was removed almost instantly, that being the cornerback, but she groaned and opened her eyes to notice the other half, who was still laying right on top of her.

“Eh? Rainbow?!” Applejack gawked at the slightly smaller girl between her legs, who was holding her against the ground with her light weight and displaying a great big smile. “What'n the hay are y'doin' on top'a me?!”

“I couldn't stand the thought of anyone else being here.” Rainbow leaned closer and embraced her, rubbing her head between Applejack's breasts much to her embarrassment. “You're my quarterback.”

“G-get off! That don't mean y'gotta tackle me, y'lunatic!” The quarterback struggled and shoved her attacker off of her chest, though she was still pinned under her slender body.

“You were already going to get sacked, I just wanted to make it all the more pleasurable for you.” Rainbow Dash's promiscuous grin spread across her face as she pressed down.

Applejack's eyes widened as she felt Rainbow's leg rub up between hers, and her face went red as a seasoned apple. She could feel something inside her heat up, but doused it immediately with a yelp and hurriedly scampered out of the interchange in a frantic crawl. Rainbow Dash was not far behind as she clung to her quarterback, all the way up until they got up to their feet. Applejack gripped Rainbow's shoulder pads as she narrowed her frustrated expression on her.

“This is why no one takes us seriously!” Applejack told her, though she did not seem to care.

“Jeez, so much for a thank you. I was the one who took the brunt of that hit, you know,” Rainbow Dash grumbled as she rubbed her back, which might match the colours on her stomach if she got hit like that again. “Felt to me like she was driving with her elbow and helmet on that one.”

“Why would she d’that?” Applejack asked as the rest of the team returned to their positions.

“You sure weren’t going anywhere, anyone could see that. She was aiming to maim you,” Rainbow Dash explained with an amused grin. “Looks like they might actually be afraid of us, to try something like that.”

“Ah doubt that,” Applejack denied with a light chuckle, wrapping her arm around Rainbow Dash and directing her back to her position gently.

“Just throw the ball next time,” the team captain snorted as she let Applejack head up near the line for the next down.

“Just tackle an enemy next time,” Applejack retorted teasingly as Rainbow Dash made a face.

Applejack leaned down behind the centre lineman, who was positioned in front of the ball again. As rubbish words came out of her mouth, she scanned the opposing team, looking for holes or weaknesses. Finally, she called for the snap and had it in her hands at once, barely hesitating before finding her target. Again the line seemed to falter, but by then the ball was already flying over their heads. It was Scootaloo’s catch this time, but she would never receive it.

Just as she made to grab it and make a run for it, the ball was snatched out of the air in front of her. Besides that, she was held off from making chase as a second opponent came between her and who had finalized the catch. The blue-shirted player took off back towards the line, avoiding Featherweight’s flimsy attempt to stop her. The receiver was like lightning, escaping the few players who made it in time to even close in on her. Before most of the Manticores could even get out of the scrimmage, the ball had been run all the way back to their side of the field.

Within seconds, the Manticores were left gaping as a touchdown was scored almost unopposed. Rainbow Dash fumed at their lack of pursuit, and looked up on the scoreboard to see that hardly a few minutes had passed since the game even begun. It was humiliating, and the once confident linemen gulped nervously.

“I take it back,” a voice caused Rainbow Dash to turn and see Octavia strolling past her with a smug look on her face. “Maybe fortune isn’t on your side.”

She didn’t dare to refute it, in fact she couldn’t. The antagonistic enemy captain had been right.

“This is not looking good.”

Spike sighed as he glanced over to the stands, eyeing his classmates that had come only to watch them fail. His eyes locked on the familiar faces of his sister, parents, other friends and her. He never got to finish his thought as someone else roughly bumped into him.

“Woah there bright-eyes, I thought you were the Manticores, not the Dragons,” a shrill voice spoke, dripping with snark as she walked towards the opposing team quarterback.

Spike turned to see that she had whiter skin than he was used to seeing, pinkish eyes and blue hair. She was far shorter than he was but also well built for a girl her size. Spike grit his teeth as he let it sink in that they were being ousted by girls. As she turned around, Spike saw her name on the back of her shirt: Vinyl.

The team retook their places and Spike made it his personal mission to take down Vinyl, if not to assign himself an important role. The teams reformed on their respective sides as the Wondercolts prepared to take yet another kick. Spike wondered if it was going to be possible at all for him to show off his kicking power.

The whistle sounded and once more the teams charged each other, the ball being launched forward… yet it wasn’t far. The kick was awful and it spiralled forward, hitting the ground in the centre field and bouncing forward erratically. Rainbow panicked and Spike found himself unable to think properly.

“Retrieve the ball, it’s an onside kick!” Rainbow shouted as she grit her teeth. “Bitch is just playing with us now!”

Expectedly, two players on the Wondercolts darted forward, clearly their fastest runners. Rainbow and Scootaloo raced forward to meet the challenge. Even now, though, the opposing team knew that they weren’t gonna get the ball. Even if the ball wasn’t kicked that far, it was little secret to pretty much all other high school football teams that Rainbow Dash was almost unrivalled when it came to speed.

Rainbow scooped up the ball as it rolled to a halt and sprinted forward, expecting a pincer attack from the two running backs. Rather than suffer the attack, they separated giving Rainbow a clear path towards the other team. Her speed flattered for a half-second before Rainbow growled, realizing that they were just letting her get closer to the linemen. Unlike the chumps she managed to outmaneuver days ago, these linemen were seasoned and knew what to do. Her biggest threat was their centre… but yet again, the team separated giving Rainbow Dash a clear line to the endzone save for two.

Yet Octavia stepped aside leaving only one in front of Rainbow; Vinyl Scratch. Gritting her teeth, Rainbow clutched the football in her arms as she prepared to go around the girl. Instead, Vinyl lunged forward, surprising Rainbow as the distance was closed before Rainbow could attempt to swerve. Two hands roughly impacted Rainbow right in her already wounded abdomen. Her feet swung out from under her as she fell backwards, landing flat on the ground. Her back stung a bit from hitting the ground yet she never let go of the ball. The referee whistled and as she sat up, Rainbow realized she was not even five yards from the endzone.

“Tavi, I don’t think this is fair,” Vinyl said with a chuckle.

Rainbow laid on the ground for a moment before a hand grabbed onto her facemask and yanked her to her feet. She must have been laying down for a few more seconds than she thought because it was Applejack that did it. Rainbow tossed the ball over to Apple Bloom as her and Applejack exchanged glances. Applejack only saw a reddened face on a pissed off Rainbow Dash, who immediately averted her eyes, taking her place behind the area where Applejack would go.

Spike watched their downtrodden team sulk as they took their places, glancing to his left to spot Hoops scathingly glaring at a female lineman who only smugly grinned in response. Turning his gaze forward, Spike met eyes with a girl that had minty green hair and an excited, grinning face that seemed wholly innocent. The girl closed her eyes as her smile grew even more.

“Hi, my name’s Lyra!” she beamed, nodding her head.

“Spike,” the boy muttered in response.

“No offense, but are you gonna do anything this play?” she asked, maintaining her grin.

Spike felt a weight atop his shoulders and averted his gaze, glancing down at the grass between them. As they were crouching forward, he could see his and Lyra’s hands, and watched the girl… grope the Earth as if her fingers would fall off if they weren’t moved enough. The words had sunk in deep, so resigning himself to show this girl what he could do, any chance of distracting him would fail.

Applejack was calling out random numbers, Spike couldn’t remember why but as those three letters were shouted out, Spike made sure to let himself cut loose for a second.

“Hut!”

Spike pushed off the ground and swung his hands up from below, latching his fingers onto Lyra’s shoulders. She let out a yelp as Spike used his superior strength against her. Spike lifted her off the ground, pushing off as Lyra tumbled backwards. Stumbling briefly, Spike darted in an curving motion towards Vinyl Scratch as she glanced around for one of the receivers. In the corner of his eye, Spike could see the rage being used against the female team as the linemen, save for Apple Bloom, used their male aggression. Pipsqueak was especially obvious in his outlet choice as he wrapped his arms around one linemen and the Wondercolts’ centre, and, with a rough grunt, he tackled the two to the ground. The other three Dumbbells merely fell to the skill of the other three linemen while still managing to slow them down.

Spike stepped forward, Vinyl seemingly oblivious to his presence as she stepped back. He could feel his blood boiling and his body becoming tense with anticipation, his eyes narrowing on her, focusing so closely he could see every thread of her jersey, every contraction of muscle. Though he prepared to topple her with his force, he found himself surprised when two objects roughly slammed into him, taking him down… or maybe it was the other way around. Rolling briefly, Spike saw Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had collided with him as Featherweight and Snips failed to break through the defensive line of the Wondercolts. With that, Vinyl had an easy interception of the small throw. Applejack cussed as she realized Rainbow, Scootaloo and Spike had collided.

Before she could respond, Applejack spotted the other three linemen run forward towards her and she could only brace herself. Several sets of arms wrapped around her arm, leg and torso. Gravity did its thing and she felt herself go down roughly, clenching her eyes shut as she slammed into the turf. When she managed to knock the linemen off of her, it was far too late for her to do much else for the play. Opening her eyes, she saw Vinyl Scratch darting down the field with nobody pursuing her and she, along with the rest of the team, heard the whistle blow, the crowd cheer, and the Wondercolts rejoicing as another touchdown was scored.

Though he noticed that the actually hit of the tackle was pretty weak, Spike had not been anticipating to be pushed over. As Rainbow and Scootaloo cursed and groaned in pain and embarrassment, Spike merely quietly calmed himself down, feeling little discomfort even after such a tackle. Spike felt himself yanked to his feet by the same minty-haired girl who had mocked him before. Her face no longer had the grin from before, replaced with what seemed like admiration. His wonder was confirmed.

“Well, that was rather impressive. I wasn’t trying to motivate you, but looks like I have to be careful who I tease,” she admitted in a chuckle. Lyra slapped her hand atop Spike’s shoulder as he adjusted his helmet. “You’re alright with me.” With that, Lyra followed her team as they practically skipped to their side in preparation for the kick.

Spike and the rest of his team dragged themselves to their endzone for the next play silently. And, of course, it went the same as the last two. The game seemed to lull on for hours as the Manticores lost more morale every down, even the usually determined and competitive captain seemingly lost in disappointment. The entire lot of them were watching the clock, until it was brought down to only five minutes left in the game.

The score was 0-43 in the Wondercolts’ favour. None of the Manehatten Manticores were trying anymore and although Rainbow talked tough, she was visibly faltering and putting forth less effort than earlier.

Spike took his position and glanced back towards the stands, where he saw that the majority of the Manticores’ supporters had vanished. He thought back to each time he was sacked by a woman, each time he accidentally ruined a play, each time he was chastised for it. Tears threatened to spill over his eyes as he let it sink in.

'It’s not fair. It’s not fucking fair. I wanted to be important and awesome. I’ve completely ruined my shot. I’ve disgraced this stupid uniform and now my team hates me. Every play I’ve fumbled, and—' Spike’s thoughts were interrupted by a calming voice.

His ear twitched as he tried to listen to it, drowning out all other noise as he heard the one voice above all others. It was elegant, it was soothing, it was angelic to his ears. Turning his head, Spike’s eyes locked onto a fashionista standing as close to the field as she could manage, just teetering on the edge of the white line.

“Spike, don’t give up! Don’t let your first game end in despair! Give them a reason to fear you in the finals!” Rarity’s voice called out.

The angst and rage subsided in Spike and he simply found himself grinning, feeling a warmth in his chest replace the anger. He wiped his eyes before any of the moisture drizzled down his cheek and he shot her a toothy grin to the best of his ability, which must have looked sloppy due to the mouthguard. He gave Rarity a thumbs-up and he calmly strode back behind the line to speak up.

“Rainbow Dash!” Spike shouted out, waving at his captain.

“Whaaat?” she responded dully, dragging the word out in a grouchy voice.

“We’ve obviously lost, so let’s just leave our mark, all right?”

That one sentence resonated with the rest of the team and the melancholy atmosphere all but vanished, replaced with an urge to score at least one touchdown against the seemingly invincible Canterlot Wondercolts. None of the opposing members could hear them from that side of the field. The ball was set on the tee and the Wondercolts once more prepared to kick the ball.

Rainbow was once again thinking about what their move could be, but guessed that the Wondercolts weren’t going to bother with an onside kick given that they’d already won. Then again, now that it was so close to the end, surely the Wondercolts wanted to take up as much time as possible just screwing with them, as if they hadn’t been doing that already. A smile spread across Rainbow’s lips; she could always try to force a lousy kick.

As the kicker advanced towards the ball, Rainbow Dash took in a quick and powerful breath, waiting until but two steps from the kick to release it. And when she did, everyone heard it; whether they wanted to or not.

“Cock-jizz!” was shouted at substantial volume, and the kicker, who was utterly dumbfounded by such an odd burst of energy from the seemingly defeatist team, stumbled in her kick and sent it right to them.

“Are you kidding me?!” Octavia screamed as she watched the ball tumble through the air, straight towards the Manticores.

After a brief air of disbelief faded from both teams, the Manticores caught on to Rainbow Dash’s rather less than professional plan, and made the most of it. Spike had his eye on the ball the whole time, even when he felt like covering his face in embarrassment for Rainbow’s outburst. He saw Scootaloo take the lead to catch it, and hurriedly set to defending her, rushing between her and the enemy while anticipating which direction she would take based on the resistance.

He was right of course, as to which direction she chose. Spike sent the first potential tackler spinning to the side, leaving the player on the grass and forcing himself into a run again. As Scootaloo closed the distance between herself and the entire enemy team, she expected nothing less than a brutal hit, or several. Which eventually she got, but not until after she had made up another five or ten yards back towards the enemy’s endzone.

Scootaloo got to her hands and feet and shook her head, feeling her ears ringing after the hit she took. She had hardly even noticed that they tackled her so far that she had made it out of bounds, though the ball was still tucked under her arm. As the referee took the ball from her shaking hands, Spike made it to her side and sighed in relief to find that she was all right.

“That was a nice catch, back there,” Spike said between huffs, leaning over a bit.

“Thanks.” She blushed a bit in embarrassment as she pulled some blades of grass out of the bars on her helmet. “Your blocking wasn’t too bad either.”

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” came a shout, and Spike and Scootaloo almost fell forward and collided helmets as Rainbow Dash threw her arms around them with a great big grin. “You kids aren’t half bad.”

Before Scootaloo or Spike had any chance to respond, Rainbow Dash was yanked off of them by the back of her jersey. After stumbling backwards a few quick steps, she was turned around to face Applejack, whose blank expression held her still.

“Ah ain’t even gonna say anything.” Applejack just shook her head a bit, but an amused smile eventually cracked out of her expression.

“What, the shouting? Oh don’t be sore, you know that dicks do nothing for me; they don’t have anything on you, baby,” Rainbow Dash broke into laughs as Applejack’s expression turned to confusion, wondering why the choice of distracting taunts was what Rainbow decided to focus on.

The group got back to the rest of their team at last as the referee set them up with the ball on the line. Applejack brought them into a huddle a few yards back and glanced over at the clock, knowing they had maybe enough time for two or three plays. The two minute warning had been given to stop the clock, and they were cutting it rather close. Feeling Rainbow Dash’s hand grip her back, she turned back into the huddle and put her attention where it needed to be.

“Y’all heard what Spike said earlier, there ain’t no way we’re gonna win. So how’s this,” Applejack smirked a bit as she got the idea. “We give ’em one last run f’their money, an’, uh, as Rainbow might say,” their eyes met, though parted by visors. “We shove that football past their endzone an’ right up their asses.”

“Hell yeah!” Rainbow Dash shouted in agreement, and everyone else voiced their cheers and hollers.

“Spike,” Applejack called his name, and he immediately listened closely. “You’ve only showed ‘em y’blockin’ so far, how’s about y’give ‘em a catch t’ watch?”

“Right,” Spike agreed with a firm nod, though he was still uncertain about his ball handling abilities.

'She thinks I can do it', Spike thought as he saw the trusting smile on Applejack’s face, 'I can’t let her down.'

“Jus’ get us a little closer t’ the endzone, that’s all Ah ask,” the quarterback took some weight off his shoulders. “Y’all think y’can hold ‘em back long enough for me to throw?”

“Yeah!” the linemen barked, more than ready to show the girls on the other team how tough they were.

“On... uh,” Applejack smirked as she took a page from Rainbow Dash’s book, “On sixty-nine! Break!”

They all clapped as they broke apart, snickering at the easy number to remember. Rainbow Dash punched Applejack’s shoulder lightly, loving this side to her. Knowing exactly where to go by now, the team set up along the line and narrowed their eyes at the foes who stood before them. Applejack knelt down behind the line and recited anything that came to mind: words, numbers, anything. She noticed the way the group shuffled to her left, trying to get past Spike’s formidable blocking. Perfect.

“Sixty-nine—hut!” The ball sailed into Applejack’s hands almost before she even said hut, and her team had nearly jumped their foes with the precision of their timing.

Applejack hurriedly stepped backwards to get a good distance and grip, and could see Spike heading out by the safeties. They caught sight of him only as he passed them, and gained a few good feet on them. With one side of the line falling in due to the increased push, Applejack launched the ball and took the hit, watching it sail from her hands. Spike was right in its line the whole time, seeing it clearly with his keen eyes despite the roar of the crowd and the mass of clashing bodies, and while the safeties were too concerned with making up the distance to catch him, he had almost a free catch.

Spike took the inevitable tackle another yard or two down by the time they caught him, but he grinned up from the ground to see the end zone in sight a mere twenty or thirty yards away, and still felt the ball still tucked in his arms. He almost jumped up quickly enough to make his head spin, his body still humming with adrenaline, as he was more than excited to get back into the game. As the rest of the team caught up, they fell into a close group to hear the next call from Applejack. Once she was certain none of the enemy team could hear, she told them.

“No snap count,” she warned them, and they weren’t sure how they felt about that. “Soon as all o’our hands touch turf, I’m callin’ it. Tell Spike t’ hold back with th’ line on this one.”

“You got a plan?” Rainbow Dash whispered as she got closer to her friend, picking up her pace.

“Yea’, you.” Applejack smiled to her captain, who nodded in understanding.

The team hurried to the line, and the first to reach Spike, Scootaloo as it was, told him the news. He resigned himself to Applejack’s command and stood firmly at the line. The enemy team hardly managed to get into position and catch a breath before the Manticores had set up, and just as she had warned, Applejack called it.

“Hut!” The defensive line was caught almost entirely off guard.

Taking the speed of the snap into her hands and directing it around, Applejack pressed the handoff into Rainbow’s waiting arms. Never leaving a step to waste, the pair took off to the right side behind Spike. He did as he was told and held off Lyra, using his size to block any view of the play from her and some of the other linemen. Applejack placed herself between Rainbow Dash and the other team, tucking her outside arm in close to make it appear that either of the two could be holding the ball.

While Pipsqueak held off most of the line almost single-handedly, even letting his own men lean on him for support, Scootaloo took off on the other side of the field, pulling some attention her way as if she was actually going to receive. Spike tossed Lyra to the side and moved up, noticing one of the players from the other side of the line sneaking up to go after the ball. He raced forwards and, with little regard for his own safety, jumped her clean out of her sprint and took her to the ground. Losing Rainbow Dash and Applejack to distance, Spike could only watch anxiously as several more blue-jerseyed players took off after them.

As they grew nearer to the end zone, the quarterback and the captain realized that neither Octavia nor Vinyl had been stalled for long by the desperate play, and were closing in on them. Rainbow Dash glanced over at them, her face growing red again as she remembered the way Vinyl had knocked her the first time she had run the ball up. The only thing she wanted to do right then was take that smug bitch out, and Applejack noticed that malice. Reaching over with a balled up first and knocking it against her runningback's shoulder, Applejack smirked confidently.

“Ah got this, Rainbow,” Applejack told her captain surely, relishing in the opportunity to take revenge for all the rudeness displayed earlier.

Rainbow Dash glanced at her personal guard, trusting her well enough to know she meant what she said. Nodding agreeably, Rainbow Dash kicked up her pace and hurried towards her goal. Applejack, however, turned her attention to the obstacles around her. Vinyl was nearer to her, but Octavia was not far behind, and the two had admirable speed nonetheless. But that would be exactly what Applejack used against them.

Like a bulldozer, Applejack rammed the oncoming Vinyl and shook her to the core, sending her flying back in a tumble. In fact, she had aimed her tackle so well that the falling body of Vinyl actually slammed right into Octavia as she too approached, taking her out by the legs and dropping them both to the turf. Applejack looked back towards the end zone in time to see Rainbow Dash leave any other pursuers entirely in the dust, easily stepping over the line and scoring a touchdown.

The small victory had the rest of the team in jubilant cheers, throwing their arms up and pumping fists. Rainbow Dash, however, merely looked over to the scoreboard and watched it turn from a zero to a six. She huffed a bit of a laugh, but though she would have usually strummed up some victory dance, she didn’t have the energy or nerve to conjure one after a game like that. She glanced at her best friend to see her standing over the downed Octavia, reaching down and grabbing her by the arm as sportsmanly as always. With an admiring smile, Rainbow Dash set to chuck the ball back her way.

“Up y'go,” Applejack groaned as she pulled the enemy team captain to her feet, reaching out to brush the dirt and grass from her shoulder.

“You know one touchdown is not going to count for anything.” Octavia yanked herself away from the quarterback, glaring at her all the while.

“Oh Ah know, but like y'said, our team ain't got much else, right?” Applejack smiled as Rainbow Dash's lobbed ball rocketed towards them, and she hardly had to glance at it to catch it, stopping it by the nose. Spinning it in her hand until her fingers stopped on the seams, Applejack placed the football right into Octavia's less than expectant hands. “Ah s'pose y'earned this.”

Applejack smiled again and bowed her head just a little bit, turning around with a wave over her shoulder as she walked towards the enemy's endzone. By then, Rainbow Dash was well on her way back, and moved her already exhausted step that much faster once she noticed Applejack coming to meet her. Meanwhile, Vinyl Scratch pulled herself up off the ground with a hiss, looking over at Octavia and wondering what had just gone on between her and Applejack that had her standing still and watching the farmer walk away.

“What just happened?” Vinyl asked simply as she looked out to where Octavia was staring.

“That quarterback just flattened us,” Octavia responded monotonously, like she was trying to figure it out herself. “And then handed me the ball, just like that.”

Vinyl nodded slowly as a smile crossed her face, watching Rainbow Dash meet her quarterback most of the way down the field and greet her with a jumping hug. Not surprised by Rainbow's physical attack, Applejack easily halted her momentum and returned the hug, releasing her at once. Rainbow Dash started talking excitedly with her hands, which onlookers might have construed as her acting like some sneaky secret agent passing by the enemy team. Applejack just laughed and shook her head.

“They're a pretty funny team. But I kind of like goofy, you know?” Vinyl found herself telling her captain, who didn't look away from down the field. “I bet if we hadn't been such bitches, this could have been a pretty interesting game.”

Even from so many yards away, the Wondercolts could see the ridiculous antics play out between them and their end zone. Rainbow Dash spun around behind Applejack, making fighting poses and putting their backs together like she was miming it was them against the world, though Applejack protested and tried to break from the weird interaction. The Manticore's quarterback, who had just taken out two of Canterlot's best players, nearly fell over as her captain jumped onto her back, forcing her to give her a piggyback ride.

“You totally had my back, AJ, now I've got yours!” could be heard shouted across the field, and Octavia merely scoffed to hear such babble.

“We won, didn't we?” Octavia said simply to her teammate, tossing the ball to the referee for the Manticores' kick.

“If that's enough for you.” Vinyl shrugged as she turned back around to return to the rest of the team.

The teams reunited around the line where the ball was placed for the kick. There were only a few more seconds on the clock, but as it stopped at the touchdown, that was plenty of time for the kick. Rainbow Dash and Applejack made it to the line last of course, still bickering most of the way. That is, until they came up next to Spike.

“Sweet moves out there, buddy, you were a fucking force,” Rainbow Dash praised as she struck him on the chest, and he grunted at the roughness of it.

“Last play’s yours,” Applejack reminded him as they watched the ball get teed up. “Ah know it don’t matter much, but it’s a good time t’ show off, y’know, t’ someone in the stands?”

Spike blushed at the suggestion as Applejack’s hand landed on his shoulder, and he pretended not to know what she was talking about. He could see her out there in the stands though, and she was smiling. Even better, she was smiling at him. He couldn’t keep the grin off his own face when he noticed her, and he felt his own energy returning.

“I’ll do my best,” Spike replied vaguely as Rainbow Dash went off to brag to the team, leaving Applejack there beside him alone.

“Nah, we ain’t seen your best yet. When Ah see those crazy eyes o’ yours, Ah just know you’re something special, Spike. You’ve still got plenty ’o surprises left, Ah can tell.” She smiled warmly, patting him again before looking out to the enemy team. “But n’ matter what the score up there says, y’played one heck of a game, we all did. Ah mean, look at us? Hardly enough players t’fill a field, and yet we kept on truckin’ an’ managed a solid score ‘gainst last year's champs. It ain’t much, Ah know. But we got time t’ get better.”

Spike just nodded as he seemed to understand. To everyone else, it was kind of a horrible defeat, but at least they didn’t fall apart. And hell, at the end there they actually started playing like a real team. Still, it did very little for morale or self esteem. Despite the humiliated weight in his stomach, he swallowed his pride and raced towards that ball at last. The time started once more as his foot made contact, and without a hitch, it soared through the air and well-past cleared the goal posts. Granted it was sloped a bit farther to the right than he intended, but the strength in the kick was enough.

The final whistle blew at long last, holding the score at 7-43 in the Wondercolts’ favour.

Though the small sense of pride gained from their touchdown faded quickly, the Manticores lined up against the Wondercolts and walked opposite each other, shaking their hands. Rainbow Dash didn’t dare look much into the eyes of her enemies, too ashamed of the loss. She was never very good with losing, and her temper was set to flare up if even another rude word was uttered against her. It helped, however, when Applejack looked back at her from the position just before her and smiled admiringly, proud of her captain’s growth.

The rest of the linemen shook their heads begrudgingly as they watched several of the Wondercolt’s players handing slips of paper over to Pipsqueak, which likely had their numbers written on them. Spike was too ashamed of himself to hang around much after the game, and as he got changed, he texted his sister to get the car ready. He couldn’t face Rarity after a performance like that, even if she had been the one to help him turn it around.

He was the first one into the change room, hurriedly pulling his uniform up over his head and not bothering to fold it up. But as he looked at the mound of wrinkled fabric, he felt too bad not to hang it up right. After all, she had made it for him, even if he was not fit to wear it.

“Are you leaving already?” a voice called to him from the doorway to the change room, and he peered back to see a pale, lanky boy standing there nearly out of breath. “I was looking for you, I wanted to ask you something.”

“Featherweight, right?” Spike asked as he finished pulling his regular shirt over his head, recognizing the boy from his team.

“Yeah, you got it.” He nodded shyly as he approached Spike. “It’s just that, I mean I’m an okay receiver, I guess, but I’m nothing like you. Maybe you could teach me a few things sometime, I don’t know, about holding my ground or something. I’m not really all that menacing or anything, but we’re almost the same height so, maybe we’re similar...”

“Why me? I’m no good myself.” Spike’s head dropped a bit as he smiled sadly to remember his sorry performance.

“Out there, we all looked like chumps,” Featherweight admitted. “But your catch, it was way better than mine, and that’s supposed to be my position! Just, think about it, okay?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Spike mumbled as he got his stuff together, checking his phone for Twilight’s text message telling him when she was ready.

“Let me give you my number, just in case,” Featherweight offered, and though Spike hesitated at first, he handed his phone over to the boy. “Call or text me anytime, I’ll know it’s you because I really don’t have that many contacts in my phone.”

“I can relate,” Spike murmured with a forced laugh, taking his phone back.

“Hey, you’re getting tips from the green-haired kid?” another voice called from the door, though it was lower and slower. “I wanted to do that!”

“Yeah, me too, me too!” a higher pitched tone chimed in as the two other boys rushed into the locker room, snatching Spike’s phone from his hand and programming in their numbers.

Spike recognized them as the two most recent additions to the team, Snips and Snails, and was found to be right as those were the names they wrote into his phone. Spike stared down at the little piece of technology that had created a bridge between him and his new teammates and smiled faintly.

'One lost game, and three new numbers?' Spike pondered as he slipped his phone into his jacket and waved them off, going to find his sister, 'I guess it wasn’t all so bad.'

Author's Note

So a few more numbers than usual being obtained in this one, and another long-ass chapter.
NOTE: I, Ezrienel, was the one who wrote most of this chapter, so if there are any errors in rules and such... please do tell me. I am no expert on football, I simply try and study and such. That said.... I hope you enjoyed it.

Shining Armour and Big Mac's Numbers

VI. Shining Armour and Big Mac's Numbers

Spike grunted as he felt his joints aching. The science teacher rambled on as she passed out an assignment meant to be done in pairs. He silently prayed that he wasn’t partnered up with Felix, hoping he’d go solo as per the presence of odd-numbered students. He let out a sigh with relief as Felix was partnered up with someone else; Spike denied the teacher’s proposition to work with him and felt good. He glanced his assignment over briefly before feeling a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out the mobile and hiding it from the teacher’s view, since she had a 'if I can’t see it, it’s fine' rule.

He saw what was presumably an eighty-thousand word novel in the form of a text message from Twilight and he briefly skimmed it before sighing, a small grin flashing on his face as he tapped in his response.

‘tl;dr, shorten it, Twilight,’ was his simple reply.

Hitting send, Spike managed to read through the assignment rubric before another response came in. Spike briefly glanced around to see the teacher busy marking something and the rest of the class chatting quietly to their partners. Subtly under his desk, Spike checked his messages again.

‘Spike, I was thinking after the somewhat-disaster that was yesterday’s game, would you like me to talk to Shining Armour for you? Maybe bug Applejack to get Big McIntosh in? They’re college Football players. Or at lesat Big Mac is since Shining Armour graduated last year, but he still plays practises. They can help out a bit, if you like,’ the message read.

Spike felt his face reddening a bit as he imagined himself resorting to asking for help; embarrassment after she brought up their first, awful game, but she had a point. Apple Bloom was good for strength training, Applejack and Rainbow were good for running plays and getting things down, but the team needed more than that. They needed a coach, and if anybody was viable, it’d be Shining Armour. Big Mac, still being in college for another year, would have to be on a schedule; Shining could drop by any moment.

Spike found himself smiling as he realized that Twilight was just looking out for him and he rolled his eyes, punching in a response.

‘Okay, thanks. You do that,’ he typed in.

Spike put the phone back in his pocket before he almost flipped the desk, aggravated when he felt another vibration so soon. Quickly, it subsided as Spike realized that it was far too fast for Twilight. Curiously, he pulled out his phone and saw one of the first texts that he had gotten from someone who wasn’t Twilight. Sure, he’d gotten one or two from Fluttershy and a plethora from Applejack and Rainbow Dash regarding practise, but nobody else.

SCOOTALOO

Curiously, Spike opened it up to see what she said.

‘hey spike. how r u??’

Spike wasn’t sure how to respond given that socializing wasn’t really his thing, but he did his best.

‘Pretty good. Really sore given the game and all,’ he typed in a reply.

Spike hit the send button and this time found himself waiting a little while longer for a response. He managed to write a paragraph down on preliminary questions before he had gotten a response from the small athlete.

‘ya that sux...im so sore from the game. rainbow dash sed aj was givin her massags’

Spike shrugged, imagining how much a massage would truly help, while wondering if he should point out Scootaloo texted like an 11-year-old girl. Resisting the urge, he scribbled down several more answers before sending a response. The prospect of a massage did seem soothing to him, and he decided to share the thought with Scootaloo.

‘Maybe I’ll ask Twilight to give me one. Lord knows she’s probably read about all the master tricks from her books. Like, I really took an impact from you and Rainbow Dash. Left a nice bruise just under my armpit,’ he responded, taking note of the time.

Glancing to his left, he spotted Felix looking at him from across the room as he spoke with three others rather than his own partner. One of them pointed at Spike. If he focused, Spike could hear Felix describing how Spike was ‘beaten by little girls’ the previous night. Spike knew that he was most likely going to hear from Felix within the next few days, and he sighed audibly. Taking his mind off it, he began scribbling down several more answers, his mind wandering to the previous night.

Every time he glanced over, he saw her cheering wildly and loudly. Prim and proper yet there was something else that struck him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that she wasn’t cheering on the whole team. She wasn’t motivating the defense.

“You can do it, Spike!”

“Give them a reason to remember your name!”

“Don’t give up, Spike!”

“Spike, show them why you’re tight end!”

They were all directed at him. She was singling him out. Her… Rarity was cheering for him, not the Manehatten Manticores. Feeling his face flush and grow red, he found himself dumbly grinning as he stared up at the ceiling with glee.

'Today’s going to be a good da—'

His thought was interrupted by a pencil hitting him in the side of the head. His happy thought derailed, and he turned to face his aggressor. Felix was chuckling, eyes glancing to his buddies. Spike felt a rage swelling up but he let it out with a sharp hiss of air between his teeth, glancing back to his page. He’d really love a stress-reliever at the moment, and as if on cue, his phone chose to vibrate at that moment. Mentally thanking nobody, he pulled out his phone and glanced at the text.

‘yea wel massags r 2 girly. if u want we can fuck 2 relax or somethin’

'I’m sorry, what?' Spike thought in shock, finding himself completely blindsided by the text. He reread it several times to make sure that, yes, Scootaloo had sent that message. The air seemed to grow heavy and he felt his heartbeat increasing and his face flush red. Vivid images flooded his mind consisting of him and Scootaloo aggressively grinding against one another, no clothes or objects between it; common thoughts for a boy his age. He shook his head to blank out the thoughts and started to think about someone else, or something else.

In what must be the mobile form of stuttering, Spike found himself retyping his response numerous times, unsatisfied even when he finally sent it.

‘Sorry, I think I’m gonna pass. I mean, I really don’t know you that well so it’d be weird, right?’ Spike was hoping that his words would be far lighter than outright rejecting her. Almost immediately, he realized that he doomed himself.

‘well i gess well hav 2 jus get 2 no each othr kk………? lol ;)’

The response was exactly what Spike feared... but he didn’t think it was too bad; after all, he would be actually hanging out with someone, and it would be with someone he knew, and someone his friends trusted. He still sat alone at lunches, having been to his group’s lunch table maybe twice in the three weeks of school; a change of pace may be exactly what he needed. Sighing, Spike let his embarrassment subside for a moment as he punched in his response.

‘Sure. Where and when?’

And that’s how Spike found himself struggling to maintain his basic male instincts. Numerous times at lunch, Spike found himself glancing towards Scootaloo only for the girl to be bending forward to fix her shoe, stretching her arms or even just eating… just to notice that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Larger, natural breasts in an extremely clingy shirt that seemed a size too small. He saw her in all her glory and grit his teeth, reminding him of what his prize was supposed to be… and the worst part?

“Hey, Spike, What’re you staring at?” Scootaloo would say with an edge to her voice.

She knew that he saw. Scootaloo winked at him and made zero effort to hide her less-than-modest chest. Thing is, though, Spike didn’t wanna leave. Scootaloo, when not flirting or flashing Spike, was actually saying things Spike could agree with.

“I’m a bit surprised, honestly. I didn’t think you’d know so much about… or just be so insightful on things like psychology, or anything,” Spike admitted, leaning against an old tree in a field next to the school. “I mean, things we do for love is a little bit of a mature concept. Sure, you can find yourself prompted to shoot someone in a desperate situation if it means pleasing someone, but… finding a mutual attraction because both initially liked the thrill? I’ve heard of Stockholm syndrome, but falling in love with a murderer, simply because he doesn’t treat you poorly?”

Scootaloo snorted in response, downing the rest of her cola before chucking the can across the field.

“It’s happened; that was the case with Patrick Bateman and his secretary. It’s farfetched and shit, but chances are if you thought of it, it has happened. A lot of people will do things like that if prompted. People will act according to how much they think they deserve love, even if the one providing it is an absolute cunt. Bitches are the complete opposite. They fuck ‘n smoke ‘n shit just because they can. It’s substance abuse versus substance dependence.”

Scootaloo chose this particular moment to pull out a cigarette, offering one to Spike. Spike, frowning, contemplated it for a moment. Of all the things that became popular among high school kids these days, this was one of the ‘no’s’ for many people. Gritting his teeth, he sighed as he took the cigarette, shakily holding it. Scootaloo had a small smile adorn her face as she pulled out a lighter.

“I’ve never smoked before,” Spike muttered bashfully.

“I’ll help you if you need training wheels,” Scootaloo said with a grin.

Spike nervously glanced around, having never done something like this before… more specifically, in a place where he shouldn’t. But everything that has occurred within the last few weeks had started to weigh down, and here was someone openly conversing with him and trying to introduce him to something.

Scootaloo took Spike’s cigarette, placing it in her mouth as she brought the lighter up, flame bursting to life with a single flick. She inhaled several light puffs as the end glowed orange; afterwards, Scootaloo knocked the ash off the tip into the dirt between her legs. She took another, longer draw as Spike wondered if he was getting out of smoking. Scootaloo put the lighter in her pocket as she gave a tiny glance over to Spike, forcing the boy to gulp as her expression softened into an alluring gaze with a subtle smile.

Before Spike could process it, a tiny, warm hand gently wrapped around his head, pulling him closer. Scootaloo removed the cigarette from her mouth, pressing her lips against Spike’s own. Spike’s mind was flashing all sorts of sirens; telling him to stop because it wasn’t right… because they barely knew each other, and there was someone else on his mind. Yet he found himself drawn to this influential motion, this girl that was openly willing to kiss or have sex or let him into her life… even if it seemed to be more than what he thought.

Spike let the tension slide away as he relished the feeling of her soft lips against his own. His hands moved up and rested on Scootaloo’s shoulders as he lightly tugged, the girl leaning into the kiss. Scootaloo was close enough that Spike could feel two larger objects pressing against his chest, the soft flesh squishing against him. The whole scenario was alien and Spike was loving it.

Their lips opened up and Spike could feel the puff of smoke entering his mouth and immediately, he retched back from the taste and from the toxic air entering his lungs. He started coughing hard and pressed himself against the tree, clutching his chest as he violently spat out the air. Scootaloo was laughing loudly, doing her best not to tip over as she did. Spike leaned forward, feeling his coughing coming down from the initial intrusion of toxins as Scootaloo began to slap his back to assist. After he stopped, he leaned back against the tree with watery eyes and lazily glanced over at Scootaloo. She had a devilish little smirk that was also a toothy grin from the way her lips parted on the side of her mouth where the cigarette was held. She raised her eyebrows in mock condescend, causing Spike to chuckle a bit at the situation, blushing as he realized what had happened.

“Man, I am never smoking again,” Spike muttered, trying to avoid bringing up what occurred.

“Was the kiss that bad?” she bluntly stated, removing the cigarette to knock some more ash off.

Spike almost choked on his breath as she outright said what he wanted to ignore. Pushing the thought back, he glanced up to the leaves of the sky that provided shade before looking straight forward; there were members on the lacrosse team playing for fun. Spike watched the six guys and five girls simply have fun, laughing at what was presumably a joke. Lip twitching, Spike felt a tightening around his chest.

“Sorry, this game is for humans, not iguana’s. We’re not playing tag with a lizard.”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” Scootaloo’s voice broke louder than his memory. Glancing over, Spike saw a look of contempt directed towards those playing lacrosse. She ground her teeth as she dropped the cigarette, seemingly having finished it during Spike’s moment of absent thought.

“People like them? They never knew struggles. Y’know? Makes me resent the shit out of them.” Scootaloo cleared her throat a bit. “They’d never know what it’s like to go to school and wonder if someone’s gonna fuck you over because you’re different or your opinion is different. Little cunts, I should go over there and shank one. Really give ‘em a reason to hate people like me.”

Spike found himself worrying more than anything. “I don’t think we should shank them, but you know, in the end, it makes us smarter and better people. We know what it’s like to feel low, so we can be confident knowing that we’re the better man.”

Scoffing, Scootaloo let out a coarse groan. “There are no better men or women. Just those who know what it’s like, and those who don’t.”

Spike’s eyes turned away from Scootaloo as he brought his knees closer, hugging himself as the words sunk in.

“Some people just have it easy. Life sucks, and people like us can’t do anything without being blamed, ya know?” Spike added, shaking his head as his voice trembled.

“Ma’am, Spike was the one who attacked me.”

“Yeah, Felix was trying to open his snack and Spike just jumped him.”

“Spike, is this true?”

“What!? No, it’s not.”

“Spike, don’t lie. Four boys said they saw you jump him.”

Shaking his head, Spike couldn’t stop tears from flowing as the thoughts continued to bombard his mind. He did his best to hide them, of course, and tried to blink them back inside. Scootaloo’s words had some merit and right now, even if it didn’t feel right, he felt like he didn’t even deserve Scootaloo’s affection.

“Spike, what have I told you about picking fights? I—Twilight, go to your room, your younger brother is in trouble! Spike, do we have to baby you? Pack your lunches, dress you and send you off to school with a supervisor?”

“N-n-no, I d-didn’t do anyt-thing.”

Spike’s thoughts were cut short as he felt an arm wrap around him once more, although a little more rough than the tender first time. Scootaloo wasn’t overly strong, but she managed to drag Spike over a few centimetres before comfortably resting her arm over his shoulder, patting him gently. Spike did his best to wipe away the tears pricking his eyes as the events of the last few days sunk in more. Even if it seemed weird and unexpected, and even though she was different from the Scootaloo he once knew, she was still opening up to him so fast.

“Thanks, Scootaloo,” Spike murmured, sitting upright as he draped an arm over her shoulder as well.

“Don’t mention it. Rainbow Dash says you should always hear out your friends, and the true ones will listen right back,” she quoted admiringly, relishing in the warm contact.

“That doesn’t sound like Rainbow Dash,” Spike prodded with a weak smirk.

“It does when you see her getting all mushy and gross about Applejack,” Scootaloo explained with a scrunched up expression, and Spike nodded as he realized it was likely true.

“Well… I definitely don’t need a massage anymore. That little talk did wonders for my stress.” Spike grinned wider, sitting up more.

“I take it a good fuck is out of the question?” Scootaloo asked, rubbing her head against Spike’s larger shoulder. “Pipsqueak may be taken.”

“No, no, you need to take me out to dinner for that,” Spike muttered nervously, though he added several laughs to make it seem less awkward. After clearing his throat, he decided to tell her the real reason, “Seriously though, thing is, I’ve got my eyes on someone.”

“Apologies,” Scootaloo said quickly as the realization kicked in. “Guess I was a little forward with that kiss then, huh?”

“Nah, you didn’t know. Plus, at least it was with someone who wants to talk to me. I liked it.”

Scootaloo smiled to hear him be so understanding and kind. She didn’t have a lot of people in her life like that. Encouraged by his good nature, she squeezed him tightly once more.

“You coming to practise after school today, Spike?” Scootaloo asked cheerily.

“Uh, yeah, I was planning on it.” He nodded shyly as she finally let him go.

“Good, I might hang around for it then,” she confirmed as she beamed, leaning back against the rigid bark of the tree. She shot him a wink. “Y’know, you really don’t have to be dating someone to experiment a bit.”

Spike raised an eyebrow as Scootaloo stood up and hastily pulled Spike to his feet. He was confused as Scootaloo pulled him through some of the trees until they were mostly obstructed and she let out a chortle.

“I-I-I’m not sure how I’m supposed to react,” Spike stuttered out, his eyes wandering all over.

Scootaloo’s hands rested on his back and she gave him a light tug, pulling Spike to nervously step forward. He maintained distance still before a forceful yank from Scootaloo forced him to press up against her. Spike took in a sharp breath as he felt her chest press against his own and her own pelvis brushing against his. His eyes glanced down until they locked with Scootaloo, just as her arms wrapped around his build.

“I’m not gonna say you’re a pussy for backing out now, but,” she paused, leaning in closer until her lips were inches from his. “I’d like to ‘teach you some plays’.”

Spike could feel her hands come off him and he simply waited, his eyes accidentally glancing down at the cleavage that poked out from her shirt. She grabbed the trim of her shirt and tugged down, causing her breasts, squished against Spike’s chest, to reveal more. Spike had to close his eyes as his heartbeat raced. He had nothing against Scootaloo… and she certainly had nothing against him, besides her bust. Part of him wanted to slap his hands against her rear and bury his face in her cleavage… but his rational part of his brain kicked in and he let out a deep breath, making sure when he opened his eyes, they’d be facing away from the goods. Opening them, he stared directly into Scootaloo’s purple eyes as they seemed to flutter. He stepped back and felt a sigh of relief as her smile faded; not because he disappointed her, but she seemed to be doing exactly as she said and not taking it personally.

“Sorry, but… maybe another time, when I’m used to this,” Spike responded in a stern voice. “And… maybe not, if the girl I want is… well, y’know.”

Spike’s eyes turned elsewhere, just in time for a pair of arms to wrap around his neck. He found himself pulled into a chokehold and let out a grunt as his flustered excitement faded.

“Haha, alright, but don’t be surprised if I have your dick in my mouth by the end of the week,” she told him with an edge to her voice.

Rainbow Dash groaned as she leaned down to lay out the other end of the high-step training ropes, Applejack placing the other end down across from her. Her body still ached from the game, and she never hesitated to whine about it. Applejack however, remained silent about the bruises or aches she had received in the same game.

“Man, AJ, I’m dying over here, can we cancel practice and just go lay down?” Rainbow Dash complained grouchily, rubbing her shoulder.

“Ah gave y’that massage already, what more d’you want?” Applejack argued simply, having been talked into rubbing her captain’s aches more than once.

“Oh, so much more,” Rainbow Dash grinned as she stepped in closer to the farmer, tilting her head and speaking provocatively. “Come on, let’s just skip practice today. I can make it well worth your while.”

“Skippin’ practice?” The pair flinched to hear a third, deeper voice. “Just what Ah’d expect from a lazy halfback.” Rainbow Dash twitched as she recognized the voice she was not particularly fond of listening to, though the accent was familiarly echoed in her best friend’s own tone.

“Lazy? Clearly somebody didn’t see my awesome touchdown in that game last night,” Rainbow Dash denied the accusation promptly, peering over Applejack’s shoulder as the tall, broad man approached them.

“Well that sure wasn't the kinda game Ah expected,” the older boy taunted as he chuckled lightly, while Applejack turned around to look at him. “Shoot, that wasn't much of a match at all, f'ya ask me.”

“No one asked you,” Rainbow Dash snapped back as her temper flared. “How about we try a match of my fist against your face?”

“You sure haven't changed.” The orange-haired boy stopped merely a foot behind Applejack and snorted at the shorter, rainbow-headed girl who he never really liked.

“What're y'doin' here, Mac?” Applejack asked curiously as she put her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder, calming her down with the simple gesture.

“Ran into an ol’ buddy o’mine at the field yesterday. Ah sure wasn't 'bout t'miss you an' Apple Bloom's first loss, now was Ah?” Big Mac smiled at his younger sister fondly.

“First and last,” Rainbow Dash corrected irritably.

”Ah hope so, seein' as how Ah'm around now,” Mac suggested, and the two girls exchanged odd expressions.

“Beg Pardon?” Applejack finally asked, noticing that he was trying to get something across that she was not picking up on.

“Y'heard me,” he nodded sternly as he revealed his intentions. “Ah was told y'still need an assistant coach.”

“Are y’volunteerin'?” his younger sister wondered curiously.

“Shoot me now, we’ve actually become desperate enough to have some blue-collar has-been take an interest. Good God, we’re a feel-good family movie! I repeat, shoot me now.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and grumbled.

“That might be the best idea y'ever did have,” Big Mac looked down at her dully. “We'd be better off without a big-mouthed liability as captain.”

“What'd you say?! Those are some big words for a simple farm boy,” Rainbow proved his point by snapping at him aggressively, her voice breaking once in her higher pitched voice.

“Easy now, you two,” Applejack inserted herself between the two as they stepped forwards and glared at each other.

“Ah think Ah said it real clear like,” the oldest Apple sibling puffed out his chest. “From what Ah r’member, you’re a no-good, yella’-bellied—”

“I’ll have you know, my belly is white as a sheet,” Rainbow Dash growled, leaning closer and grabbing the bottom hem of her shirt roughly. “Besides the hicky your little sister left on it last night, wanna see?!”

“Rainbow!” Applejack nearly yelped.

Applejack hurriedly leapt in front of her and grabbed her hands, holding her shirt down and blushing bright red, though Big Mac couldn’t quite see since her back was facing him. Not only did Applejack not want Rainbow Dash pulling her shirt up for all to see, though she probably wouldn’t pull it up too high (probably being the most questionable word), but if she still had that bruise on her stomach, it might make her teasing seem all the more truthful.

“You talkin’ bad about Apple Bloom?” her older brother asked protectively.

“Naw, she meant me,” Applejack admitted sheepishly as she felt Rainbow Dash’s hands slip around her own as a dirty little smile crossed her lips. Big Mac grunted in question as he leaned closer, and Applejack realized what she had made it sound like. “N-not that it’s true! That’s just the way she—!”

Applejack gulped as her hands were guided under her captain’s shirt, where she could feel Rainbow’s hot, toned stomach. Applejack’s face lit up even brighter as if steam would come out of her ears, and she instinctively stepped back against Big Mac’s chest. Rainbow Dash followed without hesitation and moved devilishly closer, forcing Applejack’s hands higher until her fingertips touched the bottom of Rainbow’s bra.

“—Jokes,” Applejack thoughtlessly managed to finish her hanging sentence with a breathy exhale. She closed her eyes to calm to erratic heartbeat and forced her curiously shaking hands out of her best friend’s shirt, much to the girl’s disappointment.

“Ah don’t think that’s funny,” Big Mac said honestly, looking down at his sister as she gathered herself.

“Duh, you’re a big monotonous hulk.” Rainbow shrugged with a smirk, before returning to the topic, “Besides, Applejack loves it.”

“AJ ain’t like that,” Big Mac refuted instantly.

“Are you sure of that? Who are you to say how she is?” Rainbow snorted to hear Applejack’s brother talking like he knew her so well.

“Her big brother,” Big Mac replied bluntly.

“Oh, really? Well, thanks for clearing that up! What a revelation!” Rainbow Dash threw her arms up, and Applejack felt caught in the middle, though she was still too flustered to speak. “Trust me, buddy, Applejack is totally smitten with me, and how could she not be?”

“Sounds like you done made up somethin’ that ain’t never gonna come true,” Big Mac shook his finger at the girl and glared at her. “AJ would never be in’erested in a smart-ass dolt like you.”

“What’s with all the hostility? You haven’t even seen me much in like, what, the last several years? You should be a little nicer to your future sister-in-law,” Rainbow Dash narrowed her eyes at the more threatening boy.

“Your future’s gettin’ shorter with each word there, missy,” Big Mac warned as his voice dropped lower.

“Al’right, that’s enough!” Applejack shoved them apart at last. “Now Ah don’t wanna hear one more sharp-ended word from either of you, y’hear? Mac, if you’re gonna be part’a the team, y’gotta put up with Rainbow, she’s captain for a reason. An’ Rainbow, Mac’s a good player an’ he’s selfless enough t’come down an’ help us out. Both o’you better learn to deal with each other, ‘cause Ah ain’t gonna put up with y’bickerin’ and fightin’ on the field. No bickerin’, no fightin’!”

“Okay Applejack, you’re right,” Rainbow Dash agreed with a nod, bowing her head and playing the role of the bigger man. “You have my word.”

“What, just like that?” Applejack blinked in surprise.

“Of course, baby, so long as I can keep bickering with you,” she said as her voice dipped back into that seductive tone Applejack knew too well. “And by bickering, I mean shamelessly flirting.”

“Oh good lord,” the older of the two Apple siblings rolled his eyes and grumbled.

“Mac, y’said that y’ran into an old buddy o’yours at the game?” Applejack directed the attention back to Big Mac’s presence. “Who were y’talkin’ about?”

“Oh, right. Yer still friend’s with his lil’ sister, and he tells me his brother’s on the team with y’all t’boot,” Big Mac began to explain as the tension in the air lifted. “Y’remember Shining Armour, don’tcha?”

“Jeez Mac, I didn’t need an introduction,” another, lighter and smoother voice chimed in as the man in question approached them.

“There y’are, did y’talk with th’ sports department?” Big Mac asked as he turned to face his friend.

“Of course I did, they said it was no problem at all if we help out, since the team doesn’t have much of a permanent coach or faculty supervisor.” Shining Armour stopped a few feet away from the group as he spoke.

“Right, well Ah’ll be around s’much as Ah can, but you gotta take the lead on this one, partner,” the farmer boy admitted.

“Don’t think that means you have any less say around here, I’ll need my right hand man,” Shining Armour smiled warmly and patted his friend on the shoulder.

“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with the amount of sausage joining this team and staff,” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms grouchily and glared at the older boys. “But if it means I’ll get to spend less time getting this team’s shit together and more time ogling and fondling Applejack’s body, I guess I’m in.”

“How selfless of you,” Applejack grumbled with a smirk as she evaded a wandering hand and playfully shoved her friend a foot farther away.

“What can I say? I do it for the kids,” Rainbow shrugged lazily but swung behind Applejack and, without warning, grabbed at her breasts and squeezed fondly one by one, “Gala and Jazz.”

“Hey!” Applejack yelped as blush graced her face, and Big Mac’s eyebrows dropped low to watch his sister be felt up like that. Shining Armour sort of chuckled a bit, but only to himself, knowing Mac would likely konk him on the head.

“And don't forget the Sweetangoes.” Rainbow’s hands dropped down her body and rounded her rear, feeling the hidden treasure adoringly.

“Why am Ah more surprised b’how many kinds'a apples y'can name rather than th’ inappropriate touchin’?” Applejack murmured questioningly as she raised a twitching eyebrow at her friend, whose smile grew larger.

“Because you crave it,” the amorous captain dragged out her words as her arms wrapped around the farmer’s waist, embracing her warmly.

“Ah know y'can handle yourself, AJ, but if y'don't stop her Ah will,” Big Mac’s deep and sonorous voice boomed dangerously.

“She’s harmless,” Applejack brushed the topic away as she wriggled out of the hold. “Any who, the rest o’ the team’ll be out shortly, we usually meet b’ th’ bleachers, c’mon Ah’ll introduce y’all.”

Applejack gestured for the older boys to follow after her, and without question they did. Along the way, Applejack finished setting up a few quick training areas as some of the team members came out onto the field.

Big Mac kept his eye on the short rainbow-headed captain, concerned about what her influence might have done to the team. He was certain that it sure would be difficult to follow somebody quite so eccentric and unpredictable. Besides that, he was somewhat surprised that Applejack had remained such close friends with the girl, he hardly saw any reason or appeal. Even though he had not seen much of Rainbow Dash lately, what he did know of her from when she was younger was enough to keep him on his toes. He knew that Applejack could take care of herself and make her own decisions, but Mac never had much of a liking for her choice of best friend. In his head, Rainbow Dash was still an aggressive little delinquent.

Just as Applejack had said, the rest of the team made their way out to the field in a matter of moments. Being the first practice after their first game, and first loss for that matter, the majority of the players were in something of a funk. And though he had come out of the game with a better understanding of his own abilities, Spike was no exception.

He moseyed onto the field shortly after most of the other players, staring at his feet the whole while. If he looked up, he’d have to recognize the acquaintances around him, and if he did that, it would be awkward since he really had nothing worthwhile to talk about. He wasn’t sure if Scootaloo was actually going to practice anyway, and if she did, she was usually later than most of the team.

One thing that struck Spike as odd was that Rainbow Dash was not screaming at him, or anyone for that matter. Usually as they shuffled out she would have a thing or two to say about anyone who didn’t immediately race over to her for instruction, but she did none of those things. Spike followed Pipsqueak’s heels over to the usual bleachers and found somewhere to stand that was out of the way, shuffling about still getting used to wearing an actual uniform that fit him.

“Hey, little buddy,” Spike perked up to her the more than familiar, masculine tone, one he hadn’t heard in quite some time. “You sure look sharp in that Manticore red.”

“Shining Armour?” the younger boy spoke his name with surprise, looking up at his brother.

“Hey look at that, you remember me.” Shining Armour reached down and patted him on the shoulder. “And here I thought you didn’t call because you forgot about me.”

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Spike looked away uncomfortably, though he knew better than to be shy in front of his brother. “I didn’t know your number.”

“I lived in residence, not Vanhoover, you could have just asked Twilie.” Shining Armour smiled at his brother, but noticing his less than enthusiastic expression, he dropped the subject. “You’re growing up fast there, aren’t you? Last I saw you were up to my elbow, now you’re just a head below me.”

“It helps with the whole football thing,” Spike shrugged nonchalantly and fidgeted with the hem of his still fresh uniform shirt. “Speaking of which, did Twilight call you down here?”

“Well, she did, but she was a bit late on it.” He chuckled a bit as he ran his hand through his dark hair. “I had already planned on stopping by to see if I could lend some expertise.”

“So, you’re just stopping by, then?” Spike asked, feeling somehow disappointed by the idea that his brother might leave so soon.

“Not exactly, I brought Big Mac along with me, and together we’re going to coach and supervise your team.” Shining Armour looked back at his old friend, who was glaring something awful at the girl who made faces behind his back. “That is, if he can learn to get along with your captain.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Spike huffed a laugh at the prospect, as he himself was still trying to cope with the obnoxious girl. In fact, she didn’t seem too personable with most of the team, besides Applejack of course.

“Well, we should all gather up I guess, we’ve got a lot planned for this practise.” Shining Armour tugged on his little brother’s sleeve, pulling him close after.

“You do?” Spike wondered as he followed, watching as the other players fell in around them. Except for Rainbow Dash, she yanked on Applejack’s arm and stopped her from going on ahead. Shining Armour looked back as if to call after them, but this time Spike put his hand on the taller boy and kept him moving. “Don’t bother, they’ll come along eventually.”

“Whadd’ya want?” Applejack grumbled grouchily as she was dragged another few paces away from the rest of the team. “Somethin’ botherin’ you?”

“Well, I was just wondering... why does your brother not like me? Did I do something to piss him off?” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly, wrapping her arm around her friend and leaning in close as if keeping the conversation from any eavesdroppers.

“I dunno, he ain't told me nothin'. But for a man o' few words, he sure has a choice few for you.” Applejack shrugged dully.

“Is it because I got him stung by a dozen bees when I made him chase us through the orchard a few years ago?” she wondered, puckering her lips as she tried to think of another reason. “Is it because I said he looked bad in skinny jeans when he tried to pull those off?”

“Shoot, y'should have seen him actually pull those off.” Applejack laughed at the thought, remembering how frazzled and frustrated Big Mac had been. “He had t'hold up his boxers while Ah pulled 'em down by the ankles.”

“Is it because I took his porn collection and taped pictures of Granny Smith and Apple Bloom's faces on all the naked girls?” Rainbow Dash gasped as she remembered such an instance.

“No Ah don't—wait, that was you?!” Applejack spun around and glared at her captain accusingly, pointing her finger between them. “He blamed me 'cause mine was th' only face that wasn't used!”

“Duh, I kept those for myself.” Rainbow grinned deviously as Applejack pouted and blushed about the whole thing. The captain gasped again as she thought up another reason, and grabbed Applejack by the shoulders suddenly. “Wait, is it because he's secretly in love with you, but you are clearly already submissively devoted to me?!”

“There are s'many things wrong with what'chu just said,” Applejack grumbled blankly, knowing to take Rainbow with a grain of salt. Sighing, she took her friend’s hands and spoke frankly to her. “Listen honey, Ah don't think Ah'm the one t'tell you why there's bad blood between y'two. That sounds like somethin' you should answer.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Rainbow nodded slowly, but got a better idea, “Or I could just answer the question that's plaguing your mind.”

“And what might that be?” the farmer murmured as she raised her eyebrow in question.

“What I did with those pictures,” Rainbow winked and grinned wider, loving Applejack's blushing reaction. “Or what I plan to do to you?”

“Ah don't think Ah wanna know,” she squeaked out, more affected by the idea than she wanted to let on.

“Oh? Do you prefer surprises?” Rainbow Dash's eyes dropped down to her friend's body, and her fingers followed soon after. “I'll be gentle, I swear.”

“Ah don't believe that for a second!” Applejack pulled away and smacked her somewhat soft and tender hands away, trying to drop the subject.

“Well, if you’re done chatting, the team’s waiting,” Rainbow smirked and took Applejack’s hand, leading her to the rest of the players.

“Me, chattin’?” Applejack scoffed as she pulled her hand back and followed her captain to the team, catching the end of some kind of introduction.

“So one of us will be here almost every practice,” Shining Armour finished explaining the situation to the rest of the team, who were still rather despondent. “We already talked to coach Snowflake about it, and he’s fine with letting us come and take over.”

“Of course he is, he’s never shown up to practice once,” Rainbow Dash spoke up, which was true after all. “He’s too busy with his own fitness to give a crap about ours.”

“Whatever the case, it’s clear that most of you have not had proper training, especially the linemen,” he continued, and heard Rainbow Dash grumble something aggressive under her breath. “Your captain’s been taking over most of the training, but considering she’s not usually right in the line with the rest of you, I don’t expect her to have much knowledge of it. Hence why we’re here.”

“All right big shot, what makes you think that you can do better?” the captain crossed her arms.

“Easy, I myself am a defensive lineman,” Shining Armour explained. “I’m sure you know a whole lot more than I do about plays and handoffs, but the rest of your players probably won’t need to know any of that stuff. The line makes up the backbone of the team, they’re the ones who keep you from getting caught and protect your quarterback from getting sacked.”

“He’s got a point,” Applejack shrugged passively.

“I don’t know a lot of linemen who join the debate club, so how about you quit yapping and start training these knuckleheads?” Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Shining Armour cleared his throat and gestured for everyone to come in closer. “Before I get into the meat of it, I have a little exercise for you all.”

“Do we have to do that crazy circuit again?” Hoops whined loudly, and some of the others shared the lack of enthusiasm.

“Ah ain’t runnin’ this practise,” Apple Bloom cut in, frowning at their laziness. “But y’all could sure benefit from it.”

“No, no, it’s nothing like that. This is about team building and trust, it’s important that as a group you know you can lean on your fellow players. Besides that, it’s best to get any personal shyness out of the way, it won’t help you on the field.” Shining Armour looked out at the team, who all seemed untrusting and stood good distances apart. “I want you to turn to each of your fellow players, and I want you to hug them.”

“Hug them?” several uneasy whispers were heard as the group looked around at each other.

“That’s what I said. I want you to put your arms around each other, I want you to grab your teammate’s jersey, and I want you to squeeze.” Shining Armour noticed the awkward uncertainty between the players, and that was exactly what he wanted to get rid of. “Look, you’re going to have to touch each other when you tackle. These people around you, they’re your only allies out on the field, you have to trust them and be okay with getting close. So do it.”

Spike gulped nervously as he watched some of the guys grumble and put their arms around each other. At first, it was stiff and difficult, and no one would look at each other. But as the hugs spread around, they got somewhat more playful and rough, and some would squeeze harder as some kind of competition. Still, the anxious young boy stood still and watched. That is, until he was nearly knocked over by a set of arms that flew around him.

Feeling the two firm rounds of flesh stuffed under a fitting jersey against his back, he knew immediately who it was. That, and the obnoxious giggle that came along and the faint scent of tobacco. Spike peered back at his attacker, whose bright pink hair framed her grinning face.

“Why’s everyone hugging? We turning into some girl scout troup, selling candy to afford our jerseys?” Scootaloo asked as she looked around at the rest of the team, clinging to Spike’s neck.

“It’s a trust exercise or something,” Spike explained simply.

Scootaloo looked over at Apple Bloom, who was trying her best to get her hands all the way around Pipsqueak’s body. It was even funnier once he picked the little girl up, and she squirmed in his big arms. As an interesting idea came to mind, Scootaloo dragged the protesting Spike over to her childhood friend.

While Pipsqueak still held Apple Bloom up in the air in an embrace, Scootaloo threw one arm around the both of them and pulled Spike into the group hug. With his size, Pipsqueak easily accepted the others into his arms and likely could have picked them all up off the ground. Spike tensed up as arms surrounded him, and he felt rather embarrassed even if everyone around them was doing the same thing. But though he was uncomfortable, he did feel a bit better about being in such close vicinity to the others. Maybe Shining Armour actually knew what he was talking about.

“Aww, ain’t that cute?” Applejack smiled as she watched the younger kids squeeze each other, laugh and complain. It especially made her happy to see both Spike and her little sister engaged in the exercise.

“Our turn!” Rainbow Dash jumped onto Applejack and latched her arms around her.

“Rainbow, we ain’t gotta do it!” Applejack struggled a bit but eventually succumbed to the familiar feeling of her best friend draped over her. For a girl who claimed was never much for hugs, Rainbow Dash sure loved to put her arms around the farmer.

“Who’s touchin’ me there?” Apple Bloom squeaked as she was caught in the middle of the group hug.

“Count yourself lucky! Nobody's even tried to grope me yet!” Scootaloo whined as they all squeezed once more before letting go and stepping away.

“Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way,” Shining Armour cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention once more. “Let me tell you a little story about myself when I first started playing football.”

Spike perked up to hear such a thing. Ever since he was a little boy, Shining Armour had always been into football, and he had never been told any stories about the beginnings. Stories like that were before his time; well, before his time around Shining Armour.

“I was quite a bit younger than most of you, I was still in middle school at the time. My little sister Twilight used to come out and see some of my games, even though she didn’t really understand it,” Shining Armour began to explain. “I remember pretty clearly this one question she asked, she said, ‘Shining Armour, why do you guys all crouch on the grass like that? Don’t your hands get dirty?’ and yeah, it sounded pretty funny to me too.”

Several of the boys laughed, and Spike hoped that they weren’t laughing at Twilight. But the more he himself thought about the question, the more he couldn’t think up an answer. It was just the way it was done, it was easier to get a grip from there and a better way to get a running start if you needed.

“But honestly, I didn’t have an answer. I mean, we all understand it by doing it, it gets us closer to the enemy and from there we can secure a better hold for a tackle. But that did not really satisfy someone like her, who was not much for action.” The team looked around at each other, wondering where he was going with this. “You probably know that we train linemen to stay low with things like trap chutes, but why is that? I mean, after a while we all get tired, our backs begin to ache and bending down like that can be a bit of a pain. So, why do we do it?”

“It’s a solid stance?” Pipsqueak raised his hand, and Shining Armour pointed to him and nodded.

“Exactly. Do you know why?” the older man asked, and with an awkward shuffle, most of the linemen shook their heads.

“Because we’re closer to the ground, right?” Spike ventured a guess, and again, his brother nodded agreeably.

“Yes. When we get lower to the ground, we can use it for support. It also gives us the ability to shuffle sideways easier and provides an effective way to hold the line. Can you imagine playing football on a field made of soap?” Shining Armour asked, and most of the players chuckled at the idea. “But my sister took it upon herself to try and understand exactly what was so beneficial about it. Do you know what the answer was?” He peered around, but no guesses came up. “Geometry.”

“You’re joking, right?” Scootaloo proposed with an incredulous scoff, but this did not deter the older man.

“Not at all. Tell me, what happens when you apply a great deal of force to, say, a rectangle or a square? Like when a wrecking ball hits a building. It comes crashing down, right?” Shining told them, and they all agreed that would be the case, “Now say, you apply force to a circle. Like, you kick a ball. It’s just going to roll with very little resistance, isn’t it?”

“What does this have to do with football?” one of the linemen picked his ear with his pinky finger boredly.

“More than you’d think. All right, now what happens when you try to apply force to a triangle? Can anyone tell me?” Shining Armour looked around, but no one was really certain. “That one’s a bit tricky, isn’t it? Because not only is it more difficult to decide where to grip, but when you apply force, it actually works against you. If you try and push it over, what you’re really doing is driving the opposite corner deeper into the ground.”

“So, a lineman’s stance is supposed to be a triangle?” Spike deciphered, and the rest of the team seemed to see what he was getting at.

“You got it. With your legs spread wide and your body hunched low, you’re at a much more advantageous position. And when you touch the grass with your hands, that gives you another sturdy point on the ground.” He went on gesturing with his body. “So when you’re up there in the line, remember to position yourself low and wide to the ground, letting your opponent use his own force against him. Push his body up or away to break his shape into something more like a rectangle, which is easily overcome.”

“That does sound like an eggheaded explanation that Twilight would give,” Rainbow Dash lazily yawned until Applejack smacked her on the back and interrupted it.

“But if you’re anything like me, you’re probably not really into math or science,” Shining Armour chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. “I was always more interested in the good stuff, like history and war. Anyone else like that kind of thing?”

“Sure, I’m down for a bit of carnage,” Dumbbell and his friends agreed with a few laughs and high fives.

“Great. See the linemen here are kind of like infantry, foot soldiers. We have the unfortunate and often unrewarded duty of protecting our generals,” Shining Armour explained as he looked through the group, spotting the linemen easily enough. “Think of it like this: thousands of years ago, Greek soldiers fought in what was known as a phalanx. It’s a formation in which soldiers stood tightly packed against one another to hold off their enemies. You were equipped with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, but the shield was not to protect yourself.”

“Then why carry it around?” Hoops asked obliviously.

“Because you used it to protect the man beside you, while you were protected by the man on your other side. It’s a great analogy for teamwork: having to rely on the man at your side not to turn tail and leave you defenseless.” While the team exchanged more uncertain looks, Shining Armour went on, “The line is one of the most important aspects of a good football team. And we need every man to be willing to stand beside his fellow player and protect him if need be.”

“We didn’t come here for a lecture,” Rainbow Dash reminded him, but he brushed it off with a simple nod.

“How about a demonstration, then?” He smiled as he looked out at the makeshift bunch. “Who’s my centre?”

“Me,” Dumbbell nodded firmly as his position was called.

“Oh?” Shining Armour looked at his size and less than motivated stature. “And why is that, exactly?”

“‘cause he can actually snap th ’ball into m’hands.” Applejack blankly answered for him, and the other linemen nervously snickered.

“Fair enough.” He understood how necessary that was. “All right, I’ll need the linemen to set up around their centre on the line here.”

“What about the rest of us?” Scootaloo boredly asked.

“At one time or another you’ll be facing a lineman on the field or having to perform like one, understanding their abilities is only going to help you when that happens,” Shining Armour told the girl, who rolled her eyes. “Now, each lineman has to be both confident in their own stopping and tackling ability and reliant on their team mates for support. If you’re already caught in the scrimmage and you see an enemy passing the line, you have to be aware of your own limits as well as your team’s to make a valid call.”

“Let’s just get to the action already, I want to see Dumbbell fall on his ass,” Rainbow Dash snickered as she watched him glare over at her.

“From what I saw at the game yesterday, you clearly haven’t played together for very long. And for most of you, football is a relatively new sport. So, to make things interesting...” Shining Armour gestured for Big Mac to come stand next to him opposite the line. “If you guys can hold the line against me and Mac here, we’ll skip practise for today.”

“Scratch that, don’t you dare fall, Dumbbell!” Rainbow Dash threatened, changing her tune if it meant skipping practice.

The rest of the linemen seemed to like the idea just as much, and shared determined grins. Big Mac and Shining Armour looked over at each other knowingly, and got down into position opposite the younger boys. Shining Armour called for them to start, and immediately the lines collided.

Starting with one good heave, the line of players wrapped their arms around the two older boys, grasping for comfortable grips. Forcing their weight against only two opponents meant that their bodies were much closer together than they were accustomed to, and they staggered as arms and legs entwined. With hardly much effort, the two more experienced linemen exerted rising force in unison with each other, forcing the line back and into less sturdy stances.

Though he tried to hold himself and the rest of the group up, Pipsqueak could feel feet stepping on his own and arms around him tugging his jersey down. Though large enough to have possibly taken on one of the larger men who stood opposite him, he was not quite comfortable enough in his own sizable body to know how to use it correctly. Besides that, the mass of his team mates was much more than he had anticipated, and unfortunately their mass was used against him instead of alongside him.

With another skilled heave from Mac and Shining, the line of players toppled over like dominoes.

Pipsqueak groaned, yanking himself off the ground. He didn’t notice the other lineman atop his gut as he stood up, Hoops sliding off his lap and into the turf. The rest of the linemen were laid out, grumbling, with Pipsqueak being the only one to stand up immediately. Big Macintosh and Shining Armour were the closest to truly matching Pipsqueak in build, yet the rest of the team’s weakness dragged him down. They had attempted the triangle formation, failing to understand the concept.

Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom stood from the side, both furious, yet the younger girl fuming. Rainbow was struggling not to break her clipboard; Apple Bloom broke hers a long time prior. A curious glance from Rainbow’s part worried her a bit as Apple Bloom’s face was seemingly going red, if not blue. She grit her teeth in frustration and stomped towards Pipsqueak. Big Macintosh noticed this and stepped into talk.

“Now sis, Ah don’t want ya—”

“Can it!” Apple Bloom nearly bit his head right off.

Surprisingly, Big Macintosh nodded his head, turning away while Pipsqueak nervously looked around him as the Dumbbells stood up. Stepping forward, Apple Bloom threw a fist forward, hitting Pipsqueak right in the gut. Surprising everyone, he stumbled back, collapsing to the ground.

“Out of all y’all, Ah expected them t’ fall, but you, Pipsqueak? Ah don’t think yer tryin’ very hard, are ya?” she howled.

Applejack, Twilight, Spike and the rest watched on, feeling a bit of pity as Pipsqueak stumbled to his feet, the butt-end of Apple Bloom’s lecture. Applejack started moving towards her sister regardless, not afraid of that savage temper.

“What’s all that muscle for? Lookin’ pretty?” Apple Bloom shouted merely inches from his face. “Well y’better drop that attitude ‘cause if ya don’t you’ll be lookin’ like Frankenstein's parents after the other teams beat th’ hell outta ya!”

“S-sorry,” Pipsqueak muttered, his voice breaking back to a far thicker accent regardless of his years immersed in the culture.

“Sorry? Oh, y’will be once—” Apple Bloom was cut off by the arm that wrapped around her head and covered her mouth.

“Don’t take it too hard,” Applejack chimed in, much less angry than her younger sister who she held still, despite her squeaky muffled struggles. “All it means is w’gotta improve on a couple things, right? A hard day’s work is good for th’soul, ain’t it?”

“Uh, right,” Pipqueak was uncertain if he should agree, considering it might make Apple Bloom madder.

“Nothin’ worth gettin’ is ever got for free,” Applejack smiled as she restrained her sister a little tighter, though her hands were now on Applejack’s arm, pinching it. “C’mon sis, y’can’t shout at th’ apples t’ ripen, can you?”

Spike watched the conversation from well outside of the danger zone, listening carefully. He had to agree with Applejack, you sure can’t just yell and hope things get better, and surely nothing good ever comes without trial. Apple Bloom stopped wrestling with her sister’s arm at last, and leaned back to look up at her from their slim height difference. Noticing her less that furious expression, Applejack released her.

“Why y’always gotta be so smart?” Apple Bloom asked in a pout, irritated that most of her anger had dissipated without much of a satisfying scream.

“Smart? Tell that t’my math teacher!” Applejack laughed as she messed her sister’s hair up a little bit.

Pipsqueak was relieved as he noticed Apple Bloom’s usual cute exterior return. Spike continued to observe: the way Big Mac smirked smugly at his younger sisters’ relationship, the way the Dumbbells seemed to finally understand how much they had left to learn, the way Rainbow Dash clutched her clipboard to her chest and gawked, starry-eyed at Applejack. Spike broke a smile at the last one, his captain for once not seeming so intimidating or obnoxious.

“Still,” Apple Bloom started as she looked back at the poor excuses for linemen. “That sure was one pitiful p’formance! We got a lotta stuff t’work on. Mac, y’couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“Ah see that,” Big Mac chuckled in his low voice. “How d’yer practises usually go?”

“Oh, oh!” Apple Bloom bounced up and down giddily, surprising the whole group before running over to the remains of her clipboard and sifting through the scattered pages. “These ‘re m’notes and circuits n’ stuff.”

She handed the sheets over to Big Mac, whose usually dull eyes widened to see what was written on them. He flipped through them speedily then showed them to Shining Armour, who also seemed surprised.

“It‘s like your breeding a whole group o’ Pipsqueaks,” Big Mac looked over at the large boy, who sheepishly laughed. “Well, this is sure a good start.”

“Start?” Rainbow Dash repeated as her expression fell. “I don’t like the sound of that.”

“Lemme see here...” Big Mac’s eyes ran down the sheet, and his eyes jumped up to players as he read their names, “We got Dumbbell as our centre, Pipsqueak an’ Score as guards, an’ Hoops an’ Snips as our tackles. That right?”

“Sounds like it,” Applejack nodded as the named boys perked up.

“Then, our receivers ‘re Scootaloo and Featherweight,” Big Mac continued to read as Applejack walked up behind him.

“An’ we got Snails as a relief, he’s a fine receiver too,” Applejack told her brother as she pointed to the name on the clipboard.

“Right, then Spike’s our tight end an’ kicker; both, really?” Mac looked up at the boy, and approved of what he saw. “Right, then we got you as quarterback AJ, ‘course, Apple Bloom’s our fullback an’... uh, halfback’s that lil’ punk Dash.”

“Be nice, Mac,” Applejack swatted him on the arm, though he didn’t give any indication to show it bothered him.

“Yea’, yea’, al’right then. Shining Armour, y’wanna gimme a hand here layin’ out the training schedule?” Mac turned to his friend.

“You don’t even have to ask,” he agreed readily as he patted Mac on the shoulder supportively.

It wasn’t as carefree or goofy as the practices were back when Rainbow Dash and Applejack were in charge, but it certainly was more focused. Each player received specifically modified training that best suited their position, but they were all forced into most of the agility and stamina building techniques.

Everything was a little more organized now that Big Mac and Shining Armour were around, and that was beneficial to the whole team. Besides that, Big Mac got to spend a little more time with his little sisters, which he hadn’t been able to since he went off to college. Shining Armour also got to see Spike, and he could already tell just how alike he was to his sister, even if the two weren’t as close as it seemed.

Spike fiddled with his fingers in his pockets as he watched Scootaloo and Apple Bloom playfully reminiscing by the fence after practice. He distantly wished that he could have had that kind of connection, that kind of long-standing relationship that could be reignited just like that. But that was a silly idea. Shining Armour came up behind him and noticed where the young boy’s attention laid. With a familiar smile, he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“You should go over there,” Shining Armour told Spike, but received no immediate answer. “They seem like good kids.”

“I’d just bum them out.”

Spike knew better than to force himself into groups like that, with his poor self esteem and attitude he always dragged the mood down. That was just the way it was. Still, Shining Armour just lightly laughed at the sentiment, shaking his head.

“You're just like Twilie was when she was young,” his older brother told him surely, remembering having just the same trouble trying to get Twilight to open up.

“Twilight's got plenty of friends,” Spike argued with a frown, crossing his arms defiantly and tensing up his shoulders.

“Now she does, yeah,” Shining Armour nodded in agreement, as indeed she had made some truly good friends. “But she didn't always. There was a time when she thought friends were silly, when books were enough for her.”

Spike scoffed, knowing there sure was something appealing about objects rather than people, “Books don't mock you or tease you.”

“They don't do much at all,” Shining Armour reminded his brother carefully. He cracked a smile as he thought up something else, “They sure can't drag you senselessly into a group hug.”

“I don't like hugs,” Spike was adamant on that point.

“Not yet.” His older brother pushed him gently on the back, guiding him towards the others. “Go on, Spike. Looks like they want you just as much as you want them, even if you won't admit it.” Noticing such resistance from the young boy, his expression became sterner. “Do you want me to make you do the hug exercise again?”

“No, no, I get it.” Spike bolted away from the threat and took a few quick steps towards Scootaloo and Apple Bloom.

“Oh, and you might need this.” Shining Armour held out the small electronic object, and Spike’s eyes widened.

“When did you take that?!” Spike snatched his cell phone back from his older brother’s hands, shoving it deep into his pocket.

“I programed my number into it, and Big Mac’s too, so now you have no reason not to call.” Shining Armour placed his own hands into his pockets, casually turning away with a smug smirk. “Later, little bro.”

“Yeah,” Spike watched the taller boy walk over to Big Mac, and swallowed a bit of his anxiety. “Bye.”

With that, he took what little advice his older brother gave him and turned back towards his could-be friends. They were still laughing about something, though Apple Bloom looked a little uncertain. Scootaloo caught sight of Spike approaching them, and eagerly waved him over, her other hand tugging down on her jersey as she shot him a knowing wink.

Author's Note

Oooookay, it seems the longer chapters are becoming common. That's likely because I've had a larger role in the last few chapters, moreso than the first few anyway. But yeah, hope you enjoy where this is going, by now Arby and I have a good plotline mostly untangled. And though he has been something of a background pony on these last couple chapters, worry not, Arby fans! He shall (hopefully) return!

Rarity's Number

VII. Rarity's Number

With his brother showing him proper training techniques and strengthening his body, Spike began to feel his confidence and self image inflating. There was certainly a lot of room for inflation, considering he was usually quite uneasy and overly conscious about that sort of thing. Like he had imagined though, over the next week or so, Felix had taken special interest in prodding him about the game. At first, Spike had considered that he deserved it, but as the team’s ability grew well past their loss, Felix’s focus on their blunder began to grow tiresome.

Spike was on his way to school the same route he always took. Walking had become habitual even though he could have hitched a ride with his sister. It became part of his fitness routine for one thing, and Twilight just loved to get to school almost an hour before it started, just so she could study. Spike was not interested in that at all.

He knew the shortcuts well enough to dip into and around alleys on his way, as the streets of Manehattan were often annoyingly crowded. The only unfortunate thing about his route was that Felix knew it all too well, considering it intersected with his own. Spike was hoping that leaving for school a good while early might mean he avoided the aggressive boy, but he was sadly mistaken.

“Well, look who decided to climb out of his terrarium early this morning,” Felix’s snotty voice was almost as bothersome as a protruding crack in the sidewalk that could have tripped Spike, and just the same, it stalled him.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it okay, I’m a wimp or a wuss or whatever. and losing to girls was so shameful, can I just go now?” Spike glared at the shorter boy, who fell into step beside his as he plucked the cigarette from his lips and flicked the ashes off twice.

Spike frowned as he smelled the familiar toxic product, something he now knew first hand. He wasn’t certain how he felt about the smell at all, whether to associate it with the girl who seemed to have some interest in him or to pin it as some sick habit of a wannabe-badass punk like Felix. As the smoke blew intentionally into his face from Felix’s exhale, he decided he was not too fond of that particular brand.

“Do you think I’m that predictable?” sounded a bit irritable, and Spike wasn’t sure if he should answer truthfully. “Well you’re wrong, I was just stopping by to give you a good old friendly hello. Maybe we could go grab some breakfast together, I’m sure the pet store down the block has some juicy crickets or mealworms for you.”

“Right,” Spike rolled his eyes boredly as Felix chuckled. He had certainly grown tired of this whole reptile thing, there couldn’t possibly be too many more clever lines he could think of.

“And it sure would be nice of you to invite that girl you’ve been hanging out with,” Felix continued, and Spike’s expression became more serious. “One of the many who could probably kick your ass. You know the one, with the short pink hair and the nice tits. All it took was a package of cigs to see those melons. I bet she’s an even easier fuck.”

“Shut your mouth,” Spike growled lowly, his anger seeping out of him in the form of a detestable glare.

“No need to boil that cold blood of yours, boss,” Felix smirked as he noticed the livid reaction. “You know I still owe you a good right hook for when that behemoth stepped in to save your sorry ass. I just might collect on that today, with interest.”

“And risk messing up that perfectly gelled hair of yours? Sure,” Spike scoffed, his usual fear and concern waning, replaced with indifference. He probably took worse hits from practice than Felix’s tiny fists.

“You asked for it,” Felix huffed a laugh and flicked his cigarette to the side, hardly waiting an instant long enough to ball up his fist before he slammed his hand into Spike’s jaw.

Without a second thought, Spike lashed back out with a firm elbow cut into Felix’s chest. Spike winced from the impact, feeling a light crack from his jaw. As the smaller boy stumbled back, winded, Spike came back again and thrust two hands hard against the same spot, knocking him into the bottom ladder of some fire escape. Felix cringed in pain as the metal bars left lines of ache across his back, but noticing Spike stepping forward to continue the barrage, he retaliated.

Spike leaned forward and took hold of Felix’s shirt, having little else to hold him upright after the swift kick he received to the knee. Hating the feeling of being the one grabbed and held up rather than the other way around, Felix executed an uppercut against Spike’s chin, knocking the larger boy off of him.

Though the impact of Felix’s fist rattled his teeth, Spike was accustomed to taking hits from both this bully and his football team, so it hardly paused him. Spike jabbed a hard right hook towards his enemy’s face, only to find it slip between the ladder bars as Felix dodged out of the way. He winced as his chest collided with the rest of the ladder due to the force of his missed hit, but he kept on going anyway.

Sliding around the ladder, Spike came after Felix once more. It became more apparent as the blows were exchanged that Felix was not so confident about his own victory as he often was. Not only was he alone against the larger boy, but Spike had definitely changed in his movements and motivations. Felix was shoved against the wall beneath the fire escape roughly, though his expression told little of his uncertainty.

Spike was furious, and yet seeing the boy standing there with a disconcerned expression seemed to alleviate some of his anger. Not only that, but he remembered how many times Felix had turned any retaliation back on him. Whether it was physical or getting him in trouble with teachers, it seemed Felix was always at an advantage.

With a frustrated groan, Spike slammed his fist into the wall beside Felix’s head, not having the courage to finish him the way he himself would have been finished. Though the skin on his knuckles broke and splintered due to the rough brick of the wall, he continued to press it up against the wall. Felix smirked and shook his head, seemingly amused.

“What, that’s it?” he snickered a bit as he broke out of Spike’s begrudging hold with ease. “You ain’t even worth the time. You’re right, my hair is more important than a cheap lizard-brain like you.”

Felix pushed off the wall and nudged Spike away with a bump of his shoulder, walking in the direction of school without a worry. He adjusted the popped collar of his jacket and peeled another cigarette out of his pack, biting it hard between his teeth. Spike grunted, suppressing his anger before it rose out of control again. He realized the familiarity of the old fire escape as he stood there alone; it was the same spot they’d usually run into each other going to and from school. That same cobblestone brick road, same alleyway, same outcome. Snuffing the thought, he proceeded towards school once more after allowing Felix a few minutes’ head start.

Trudging towards school, he found himself gritting his teeth. The anger was still present, yet there was something… undeniably cathartic about expressing his anger, albeit physically. At the same time, Spike was pondering the meaning behind the brief rush of excitement he felt. His heart raced, an exhilaration and adrenaline planted in his mind, and he felt such satisfaction from each successfully connecting blow. The lack of lingering pain from each punch and hit he gave and received was usual for him, but he noticed how little it seemed to bother him. He shrugged it off as he came out from between the alley, spotting the school ahead. Panicking as he heard the bell ring, Spike sprinted towards the front doors.

Walking down a hallway, Spike pulled out a juice box while watching a slew of stereotypical groups walking by. He failed to see a small girl sprint by most of the groups before swerving towards him. Scootaloo collided into him, causing him to stumble over. Before he could pull himself up, Scootaloo immediately yanked on his arm, dragging him down the hall as he dropped the juice box. Sighing, he let the girl wrench him through numerous groups of people before going through several doors leading outside. As usual, Scootaloo dragged him towards the same tree trunk they sat by for the past few weeks.

Pulling out his tiny lunch, Spike proceeded to eat as Scootaloo pulled out a half-finished cigarette that had been pinched at the end and bent a bit by her pocket. Wincing slightly as she relit the cigarette, Spike continued to eye her for a moment before letting out a passive exhale. He remembered the brief nicotine rush he felt beforehand and contemplated asking for a puff before remembering what exactly it was he was asking for, what exactly he wanted.

“Scootaloo, can I ask you something?” Spike asked, whispering at first.

“Yes, Spike. You can touch them,” she replied easily, glee noticeable in her voice.

Spike scoffed at the thought, attempting to play it off. “Not that. I mean, I dunno. I’m stressed out a lot lately and not because of the football game, not that our loss really helped with anything.” Scootaloo visibly lost her goofy attitude, her eyes turning more towards his direction as she blew a puff of smoke towards the boy. “And I want a legitimate way of cheering myself up, not temporary. Yet I can’t. Doing any hobbies of mine doesn’t seem to help, and since you’re knowledgeable in the psychological area, I figured I’d ask you for advice.”

Scootaloo glanced at her cigarette before taking another puff, leaning her head against the tree trunk as she exhaled. Once more, she quickly scanned the area for a teacher or some kind of tattletale that’d pop up. Nothing; the closest she found was the Dumbbells off in the fields, chucking a rugby ball to Snips and Snails as well as a few others they didn’t know.

“Vent out your frustrations. Find a way to express any anger or negative feelings you have. If you’re pissed, go to the gym, punch a punching bag,” Scootaloo told him simply.

“I think that’s what I did this morning, I don’t know. I was just tired,” the boy responded with a hapless shrug.

A brief silence followed before Scootaloo piped back up.

“Well, ever try confronting the source of your anger and frustrations?” Spike rolled his eyes, looking away from Scootaloo as she continued with a chuckle. “Besides the obvious one; what about minor ones? Maybe you don’t like how your mom handles things or maybe you dislike how a classmate continues being annoying or something. Resolving smaller issues before you take the big cheese. I’d say it’s what I do but—” She tapped the cigarette against her knee as Spike glanced over. “Y’know, I’ve got my ways.”

She took one more puff of smoke before discarding the rest of the cigarette, kicking dirt atop it with her heel. Exhaling, she snorted which was followed by a stretch. Spike had to avert his eyes as he once more noticed something poking out of her shirt; evidence that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Coughing nervously, Spike let out a deep breath.

“R-Right,” Spike muttered out as he watched the last waving line of smoke slip off the end of Scootaloo’s finished cigarette.

“Just find a way to kick back until you manage to deal with your stress sources. Enjoy life until the day comes where you’ve gotta deck a bully, or deal with a problematic parental relationship or something, and who knows, maybe your problems will solve themselves. If you live in a fantasy world, of course.” Scootaloo tried to go on, snickering at the prospect. “There are plenty of ways a guy can relax. Trust me on that one.”

Spike glanced back towards her just in time to see her adjusting her shirt and once more accidentally looked down the rather-tight shirt. Groaning, he buried his face in his palms, adjusting his hair in the process. Yet, temptation still caused him to peek through his fingers… only to see Scootaloo notice this.

“Ahh, I saw that!” she shouted with glee, pointing at him.

“S-shut up, I was just checking,” Spike spat out, turning his head away from her.

“Checkin’ out th’ goods, I know!” Scootaloo exclaimed, pulling on the neckline of her shirt and letting it snap for good measure. Spike grumbled a bit as he watched presumably the entirety of the high school’s jock culture occupying another field.

He heard shuffling behind him and knew that Scootaloo was coming up to him… yet nothing happened. Scootaloo didn’t hug him, driving him to wonder why. Turning to face her, she didn’t see a sultry gaze or even a smile.

“Spike, I really don’t mind if you do anything. Or, if you want to, I can be your girlfriend. We can work at it. I’ll be honest with you. I can listen good. Just talk to me about all your problems,” she softly spoke, sounding a bit shaky as if she would burst into tears.

Spike stared into her eyes, wondering what he should do. Part of him wanted to say no; save himself for Rarity. Part of him wanted to let himself wait for his chance… yet part of him also wanted this. It wanted release, to have a girlfriend, to have someone who’d immediately give herself to him. Provide easy, stress-free relief… to have sex. To kiss and hold and be his boyish self yet still have the perks of an active relationship. It was an eternal struggle, to hold onto temptation for true release. Part of him believed Scootaloo would be honest, part of him looked into her eyes and saw truth… yet part of him was scared because of how easily she opened up. Spike sighed, shaking his head as he did. He attempted to take the safe way out, turning away as he found it awkward to stare at her for too long.

“Scootaloo, are you alright?” Spike asked seriously.

Blinking, Scootaloo seemed taken aback before realizing that she was essentially pleading. Crinkling her nose, she leaned against the tree instead of Spike. Realizing how she must have come off to him, Scootaloo’s voice took a different tone.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t need people worrying about me, so don’t, alright? I’m fine. Really.” She bit her lip, tilting her head in Spike’s direction. “Thanks, though. But I’m fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to, since boys typically can’t ask out girls properly.”

“I know what it’s like, believe me,” Spike admitted with a few nods, chuckling as he stared at the envied social interactions across the field from him.

“Bet you haven’t even seen a real girl’s tits, bro,” Scootaloo teased, punching Spike in the shoulder.

Once more, Spike swallowed as the thoughts flashed through his head, particularly of Rarity. Grinding his teeth, he glanced to the right and spotted Scootaloo’s hands shooting up, yet it was too late. Turning back to the girl, he was faced with her decent sized, exposed breasts. He wound up staring for a few seconds before realizing what he was doing and turned his whole body away, covering his face as Scootaloo erupted with laughter.

“Oh my god, that was the greatest reaction ever! You were literally like a boy seeing his first pair of tits, all wide-eyed and shit,” Scootaloo guffawed, patting him on the back.

“Dammit,” Spike muttered, burying his face in his palms once more.

“Be proud, Dragon boy. You’re the first person I ever flashed,” she told him, giggling. Spike could feel her lean against him, her breasts pressing against his back. Spike felt his breath stop as his mind started reeling with images. Scootaloo’s voice dropped several octaves into a seductive whisper. “You should take responsibility.”

“S-Sooo, how about the next football game?!” Spike nearly shouted, his voice squeaking momentarily.

Scootaloo leaned back and Spike turned around to find, much to his relief, Scootaloo’s shirt back down. He still couldn’t unsee what just occurred and couldn’t help but imagine her once more. He had to remember one thing, though.

'It’s Scootaloo. She’s just brash.'

Gulping once, Spike sighed simultaneously with Scootaloo.

“Aha… sorry, I bet you didn’t want my chest to be the first you saw,” she said in a quieter voice, patting Spike on the shoulder as he leaned against the tree trunk.

Spike felt confusion swelling up in his mind as thoughts of Scootaloo ran through his head, appearing in the place of his usual fantasies of Rarity. The exception being while he typically imagined him and Rarity at some fancy restaurant, with Scootaloo, it quickly spiralled into something dirty. Gritting his teeth, he faced Scootaloo once more, wondering if it’d be something else again. He merely saw her hand atop her pelvis, her legs spread slightly as she tugged at the jeans.

“I know what you really wanted to see,” she taunted suggestively, winking.

“I don’t even care anymore,” Spike said, rolling his eyes as he raised his hands defensively as if giving her permission.

Scootaloo chuckled in response, Spike watching as she shifted into a normal position. She stared out at the field as Spike watched, grunting as she shifted against the root that protruded from the ground. Spike started to devour his lunch once more, hoping to finish it before the lunch period ended.

“So, Rarity is your crush, right?” sounded more like a statement than a question.

“W-what!?” Spike’s eyes widened as he nervously glanced over to her. “What makes you say that!?”

Another shrug. “I ‘unno. I just figured since you always seem to be the one she cheers for and talks about, and you always get that goofy look when she does.”

'What!?' Spike’s attention turned to the younger girl, Scootaloo raising an eyebrow at Spike’s surprised response.

“Wait, you knew that, didn’t you? She always talks about you, at least when I’ve seen her when she’s with Rainbow Dash and her friends. It sounds to me like Rarity is, like, super worried about you,” Scootaloo explained, grinning as the more she talked, the more Spike’s face seem to redden.

“I-I didn’t know she was worried about me. I mean, I heard her cheering during the game,” Spike murmured, setting his sandwich down atop the plastic bag. “Worried? Did you hear about what?”

Scootaloo shrugged. “She just talked about you and was trying to get Twilight to answer a ‘why’ question she had. Maybe ‘why is he still a virgin’.”

Scootaloo chuckled as Spike once more hid his face. After a few seconds, Spike reached down to his sandwich to spot it was no longer where it was. Turning towards her, Spike saw Scootaloo eating his sandwich, not even glancing over at him. Spike simply smiled, his whole body relaxing after a few seconds. Leaning back against the wood, he stretched his legs out and looked over at the building.

'She’s worried about me… that means I’m not just a footnote', he thought, feeling his heartbeat speed up.

“You should talk to her. Or, talk more. Get her number if you don’t have it. Maybe get her a gift,” Scootaloo tried to give him ideas.

“Hey, a gift… that’s not a bad idea. Maybe buy her—” Spike gulped. His accidental stalking from his earlier years made him realize he had practically nothing to give her. The only thing that he could imagine would work would be jewellry… and he had no money for jewellry. Frowning, he let loose a long sigh once more. “I wouldn’t know what to give her.”

“Try a necklace. Hand-crafted, maybe go paint some glass or sand plastic into a shape. That girl has everything, might as well make something to be sure it’s unique,” Scootaloo said, finishing the sandwich off in fewer bites than seemed possible.

Nodding his head, Spike took in a whiff of the air, grinning widely. “Yeah, that’d work. But I wouldn’t know when to deliver it. I’d want it to be a special occasion.”

Shrugging, Scootaloo helped herself to Spike’s bag, pulling out a rice-marshmallow snack without permission. Spike was too distracted to notice.

“How about a birthday party? Isn’t hers coming up?” she asked casually. “I mean, I heard Sweetie Belle talking about it.”

'Hey… that’s right. Sweetie Belle. What does she do these days? I could always ask her if there’s something Rarity would want', Spike thought, scanning the grounds just to check if she was there.

“Well, I don’t know. I’ll just wait and see. Not much point pondering an event that may not even be confirmed,” he spoke in slight disappointment.

The leaves rustled a bit, snapping Spike out of a trance that had distracted him upon looking out at the field. Turning to face Scootaloo, he had to stop to take in what seemed to be a genuine smile; perhaps Scootaloo silently wishing him luck or simply admiring him. Either way, she leaned over and wrapped an arm over his shoulder, hugging him once more.

“Well, in the meantime, you can totally give these babies a squeeze.” Scootaloo yanked Spike, causing him to fall over; his face landing on her soft chest. “No biggie, free sample.”

“If I do it, will you let me go?” Spike muffled out from his position, his body nervously shaking from the scene unfolding.

“Nah.”

Scootaloo wrapped both arms around Spike’s head, squeezing him into her chest as he uselessly struggled. The girl giggled as Spike’s hands pressed against her chest, giving him somewhat of an advantage as that was where he could push most. He, eventually, wormed his way out of her grasp, panting heavily as he fixed his rather messy hair. Scootaloo merely giggled as she fixed her shirt, not hiding the two bumps poking through.

“I like you. We should totally date. I can brag to Rarity about snagging you first.” Scootaloo grinned, munching on the rice snack she stole from Spike.

“H-hey, that was mine!” Spike protested, puckering his bottom lip in a feasible pout.

“You snooze, you lose,” she responded, blowing a raspberry.

“You snooze, you get, uh, something bad,” Spike said, growing ever quieter towards the end.

“If you snooze, you’ll wake up with me beside you,” Scootaloo continued, munching on the snack.

“If you snooze next to me, I’ll be in trouble because my parents and siblings would break my neck,” Spike protested, but cringed as he realized how childish he had sounded.

“Not after you’ve wrecked me,” Scootaloo said, pulling off a rather cute seductive wink towards Spike.

“Whatever, keep the damn snack.” Spike permitted her, throwing his back at the tree trunk as he folded his arms.

“Haha, way ahead of you. Always am, Dragon boy,” Scootaloo teased him, finishing off the snack.

Spike sat in silence, glaring at the ground in front of him as Scootaloo kept her cute smile. Frowning, his eyes trailed up, lingering on her thighs and her slowly expanding and contracting chest. Spike’s mind began to haze and his eyes glanced upwards towards Scootaloo. Grunting once, Spike stood up and gently grabbed Scootaloo’s wrist, giving it a light tug and moving them away from their usual spot. Mirroring the events last time they hung out, Spike pulled the girl through the trees as she hummed along, a little hop in her step.

Once breaching the veil of shrubbery, Scootaloo tensed up briefly as she felt her back connect with tree bark, closing her eyes trustingly. When she opened them, she made sure to smile, glancing up at the boy who had his arms planted firmly on both sides of her body, seemingly boxing her in. Spike gave her an intense glare, which trailed down towards her cleavage. Just like before, she tugged on her shirt, slightly pulling it down as to show more flesh.

“What are you waiting for?” Scootaloo whispered with a sly grin and half-lidded eyes.

Spike’s hands slid off the tree, pressing against Scootaloo’s wider hips. Spike let his hands explore the curves, sliding up and down while he mentally thanked Scootaloo for wearing such slim clothing. As he rubbed his hands along her sides, her arms reached up and wrapped around Spike’s neck, gently but firmly tugging him closer. Spike’s eyes turned up and met Scootaloo’s just as hers closed and Spike gave in to urges he repressed for years. A conflict broke out in his mind, a flurry of opposing thoughts clashing as he considered his relationship with Scootaloo and his own feelings for Rarity. Part of those thoughts wondered if his Rarity fantasy would pan out. Part of them wanted to experiment. He knew which side had won his brief mental battle.

Spike leaned forward, mashing his lips against Scootaloo’s in a rough kiss as the latter was pressed into the tree, excitement bubbling in the girl’s mind as she relished the aggression Spike displayed. She chided her expectations when she realized Spike wasn’t exceptional with kissing, yet remained content with being the one he started off with.

Slowly but surely, Spike’s hands slid up and tingling, electric sensations jolted through Scootaloo’s body as her anticipation grew. Scootaloo wasn’t sure when Spike’s hips pressed against hers, but she could definitely tell when he grew excited.

Any argument about why these actions were awful fell on deaf ears, as Spike thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity in front of him. Every few seconds, Spike’s fingers twitched as he gently squeezed the flesh, getting a feel for the softer skin betraying the rough nature the girl claimed as her own. His own anticipation peaked when his hands reached the underside of two large, round objects squeezed by a tight, cheap shirt that he wanted to rip so badly. His thumbs and index fingers gently squeezed the bosom, testing the firmness.

The two mouths parted after a few seconds and Scootaloo merely grinned, her head tilting back and eyes opening half way as she let Spike use her. Spike’s breaths were short and laboured, his heart racing and the ability to restrain himself faltering. Deciding to let his instincts and urges take over briefly, he grit his teeth and let out a small growl as his fingers slipped over the mounds until he was able to squeeze nothing but the softness underneath the shirt. His fingers sunk into Scootaloo’s breasts, but not as much as they could. The shirt was good at that. Not satisfied, he twisted his wrists, letting his fingers wrap around and drag across the large chest and he squeezed and squished the two breasts together. Spike paused, his panting and crickets the only noise audible to the duo.

“Remove your shir—”

Interrupting his demand, the bell had rang, signalling the end of the lunch period. Pulling himself back immediately, eyes slightly widening. Scootaloo’s elated expression began to fade as her eyes opened. Two little dots poked out from her shirt and Spike found himself wishing he had done this earlier while chastising himself for doing it at all.

Letting the mood drop, Spike started to walk back towards the opening to retrieve his bag. Scootaloo followed suit just as wordlessly. Bending over as he reached down, Spike made sure to watch his head for the branch above him as he slung the bag over his arms. Before he moved, he glanced down at his hands, remembering the soft, warm feeling he felt when he pressed his hands against Scootaloo.

“You wanna give them one more good squeeze?” Scootaloo’s voice broke the silence. “Y’know, for the road?”

Spike’s head tilted up as he clenched his hands into fists, shuddering a moment before walking forward. Scootaloo let out several giggles as she stood up, following Spike into the building. Even after a lunch like that, Spike couldn’t shake the odd feeling he maintained from before.

'After school, I’ll go see Rarity,' he mentally told himself as the duo walked into the school.

Spike had tried his best to find Rarity throughout the day and ask her if she was busy after school, but she was always in the middle of something and he did not want to interrupt. He searched for her again after the final bell, but she was no where to be found in the immediate vicinity. Still, he went around to her favourite spots in search of her.

He jumped as he felt his phone start to vibrate in his pocket. Before he could decide whether or not to check it right away, it vibrated again in quick succession, indicating a phone call. He removed it from his pocket and brought it to his face. No one ever called him, so he wasn't sure if he should answer. Phone calls were different than texts, it was much more like a real conversation and he would not be able to consider his replies before speaking them. Still, he would feel guilty if he ignored it, and the name on the caller identification was comfortably familiar.

“Hello?” he pressed the phone against his ear as he accepted the call.

“Howdy, Spike,” Applejack's voice echoed into his ear pleasantly, but it was followed by a much louder noise.

“Hey! He answered?!” Spike had to pull the phone away from his ear and wince as he heard the second girl's obnoxious shouting.

“Yeah, 'course he—” Applejack spoke to the other girl but was cut off by some rustling about and likely physical touching, considering what she said next. “Rainbow, get offa me an' lemme talk!”

“I will grant you only one of those demands,” Rainbow Dash's voice rang through the phone and Spike shook his head with a smile.

“Anyway, Rainbow an' Ah were gonna—” Applejack tried to get back on topic, but the louder girl would not let up.

“Let me ask, let me! Applejack, give me that!” Rainbow eagerly grabbed at the phone, from the sounds of it, but Applejack fought her off.

“Back off y'vermin! Spike, y'still there?” she argued valiantly and managed to hold the football captain at bay.

“Somehow,” Spike murmured, falling into a casual stride as he continued to listen.

“Sorry 'bout all that, just wond'rin' if you're busy at all tonight? 'round eight?” Applejack asked kindly, the background noise getting quieter.

Spike wasn't sure if he should accept or not, he really didn't know what it was he would be accepting. It sounded friendly enough, but after spending time with Scootaloo he was unsure whether he should trust conventional friendship boundaries. Of course, he hesitated to think Applejack would ever cross that kind of line with him, and he certainly respected her too much to let his mind wander. And for that matter, Rainbow Dash seemed far too set on the farmer to deter for a little squirt like him. And Rainbow was also a little too gay anyways.

But besides the potential uncertainty he felt regarding their motives, he was still awkward with somewhat private social gatherings. He was just getting used to being around friends, so it was unknown whether he would be good company. Noticing she was still waiting for a response, he decided to test the waters.

“Uh, no, I'm not busy. Why?” he asked, but grunted in surprise as he heard his phone make another beeping noise, signifying a call waiting.

“Well,” Applejack was about to go on, but he stopped her.

“Oh, hold on, I'm getting another call.” Spike forgot to check the identification before he swapped to the other line. “Hello?”

“Yo Spike, are you in?!” Rainbow Dash's voice yelled at him over the line and he nearly fumbled the phone and dropped it in his shock. After all, she was literally right there with Applejack, there was no need for her to call him.

“W-What? In for what?” he stammered out in wonder.

“It's Dash, you little shit!” As if he couldn't tell. “Are you in for tonight?!”

“I don't know, why?” Spike switched the phone to his other ear, though it felt awkward on that one.

“Just fucking say yes, or I'll kick your ass!” Rainbow snapped at him, but there was more rustling and muttering as Applejack got her hands on the girl.

“Rainbow, get off th' phone!” Applejack's voice could be heard through their struggles.

“I’ll get off the phone or your lap, choose wisely!” Rainbow Dash said above their wrestling.

“Yes to what?” Spike wanted to know, keeping on topic.

“To hanging out with us!” both of their voices called out loudly over the phone, and again he had to pull it away from his ear.

Spike was not very good at letting people down, and even if he was, he wasn't sold on if that was what he wanted to do. Sure, the pair of them were loud and rough and goofy, but they were also his friends, and could be nice (well, Applejack anyway). Instead of relying on his usual indecision, he threw caution to the wind.

“Sure,” his acceptance of the proposal still sounded uneasy. “What are we—?”

“No time to explain! We'll grab you at eight!” Rainbow Dash excitedly told him.

“But you didn't—!” Spike blinked as he realized she had hung up on him.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to sigh or laugh at the odd phone conversation, but he settled for just smiling and absently shaking his head as he put his phone back into his pocket. He let his hand linger in there and stretch at the seams, turning his attention back to the subject at hand: the whereabouts of Rarity.

Checking all her usual spots left him with no leads, and browsing the hallways had him coming up empty. This meant he had but one option left if he wanted to talk to her: he would have to go down to her boutique. Normally going over to a friend’s house would seem like no big deal, for most people anyway, but Spike was less than comfortable showing up unannounced. Still, Rarity had told him that if anything ever bothered him, she would be willing to listen. Those words were what kept his feet moving in the direction of that same beautiful boutique.

After a few minutes, Spike relieved that Felix didn’t decide to take this day to wander towards the mall, the boutique came into sight. It wasn’t on the edge of town, yet it was enough to be considered out of the way. The decor and building itself certainly stuck out, however, being various shades of purple, pink and peach amidst the red brick and brown wooden buildings. Spike had asked why she chose such a location when he was younger, and the only response he got was a lack of funds for an inner city location. The dead centre of Manehattan would surely have boosted the business, though.

Finding himself in front of the door, he once more went to knock on it. Same as last time, his hand stopped before he knocked and he found himself staring at the wood yet again. Sighing, he let his hand fall to his side and checked the time on his phone.

“3:28 PM,” he muttered. Pocketing the phone, he began to ponder what he’d say. “Good afternoon, Rarity. Sorry for stopping by unannounced but there’s something I wish to discuss about in an articulate conversation for the purpose of elaborating and expanding upon our mutual friendship.”

Stopping, he gave himself a light slap on the forehead before glancing at the fancy patterns engraved on the door as a means to distract himself. Briefly, he ran his fingers through the fine wood, applying a bit of force to test it before speaking once more.

“Miss Rarity, I’ve been having a few issues and I figured I’d come to you. Maybe we’ll discuss it right away, or we can discuss it over lunch sometime, my treat.” Spike paused, shaking his head with a groan. “No, she’s busy. She has work, that’s why Twilight tutors her… she’s so busy.”

Slouching forward, he pressed his head against the door, clenching his eyes as he struggled to figure out his words. As usual, his mind was blank while being full at the same time; nothing formed properly, no sentence yet a thousand images and descriptors of his deepest emotions ran through his conscience.

‘Love. She’s beautiful. She’s an amazing person... I think you’re an amazing person and I love you with all my heart. I see the subtle movements you make, I can see when you’re happy or pretending to be happy. I can see when you’re holding back tears. I can see the smile you make when you’re in love. I can see Rarity… I can see you, not some imaginary version of you that never gets sick or mad and is always beautiful and happy. I know there are cons to each person, nobody is perfect… and I’m fine with that. I love you, Rarity.’

Yet he could never admit that. He wasn’t someone she could love. He was a young boy with no clear future, not somebody she could rely on in a financial crisis or when needing a shoulder to cry on; he’d most likely be too shocked to even say ‘hi’ when she came by.

“Rarity, I wanna talk to you. Alrighty? You’re a friend, and I don’t talk enough, so let’s talk. Talking is a free action and even if it wasn’t, I’d still give it to you for free,” Spike blabbered, feeling a small smile force itself upon his face.

An unnoticed giggle sounded in the background as Spike continued.

“Hey, sorry, I know we don’t talk much, but I’d like to change that. Maybe become closer friends, or maybe just get to know the one who designed my jersey. Maybe pay for you and your crush to go to a movie. Maybe do some labour for you helping dresses and such. Y’know, good stuff,” Spike said, straightening his back as he began to loosen up.

Grinning, Spike nodded his head as he felt confident that he’d know what to say upon knocking on the door. Unfortunately, his confidence vanished immediately.

“Spike, that sounds lovely and all but you don’t have to do all that,” Rarity’s voice called out from behind him.

Spinning around, Spike saw Rarity’s face and lost his balance, falling back against the door as he chuckled nervously, struggling to speak beyond a single word. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he began.

“R-Rarity, hi. Nice weather we’re having. House, yours, so I came here. Talk and such, with you. Mutual expansion. Kinda wanted to, y’know?” he stuttered, folding his arms and looking into the distance.

“Spike, don’t be so surprised.” Rarity giggled as she stepped forward. “It’s not like you have to make small talk with me.”

Feeling his heart pounding, Spike watched as Rarity continued forward, getting ever closer to him until she was merely a foot away and their eyes met. Spike’s jaw hung slightly open while Rarity let out a chuckle.

“Spike, would you kindly move to the side for a moment? I have to unlock the front door,” she told him, holding up and jiggling a keychain in front of him.

The little metal ring shook back and forth, each movement studied by Spike as he realized a few seconds later what she had said. Face flushing red, he immediately shuffled to the side, nearly falling into a bush. Glancing over, he saw Rarity fumble a bit with the keys, muttering something about an old lock before it clicked. Retracting the key, she opened the door and stepped inside, removing a maroon scarf. Spike identified the maroon scarf as being one of the few proper Hearths Warming Eve gifts he got for he; yet he still insisted that it be in Twilight’s name, to avoid possible questions and embarrassment.

She removed her windbreaker as well, revealing a form-fitting black turtleneck sweater. He once more had to fight the urge to stare at her chest, especially after earlier. moving his tongue through the dryness of his mouth, he dumbly stood outside, leaning against the doorframe while adjusting his backpack straps. Turning around, Rarity stared at him for a second before he understood what she was silently telling him.

“Ah, right, sorry,” Spike said, his head dropping as he chuckled, stepping inside the boutique.

He didn’t have a sweater to remove so he left his bag on the coatrack. Looking around the lobby of the boutique, he scanned several mannequins displaying one of her more mass-produced models. Although unique here, some of her designs were more cheaper ones made for mass production. They were noticeably different in quality and he knew both he and Rarity secretly despised them. His eyes were drawn to some more formal wear, presumably Christmas parties judging by the more winter-inspired design. She had gotten an early start and Spike smiled as he examined the elaborate look.

“My apologies, Spike, but it is a bit messy,” she told him bashfully, letting her bag strap slide off her shoulder as she proceeded into the kitchen.

“No worries, it’s your place. Don’t apologize to me,” Spike said, waving it off.

He stayed in the centre of the lobby as Rarity was busy in the kitchen. His eyes glanced towards the stairs and they trailed up to the hallway, which was where most of the home portion was in the boutique. He wondered what it was like up there, briefly envying Twilight’s many ventures to her room during the sleepovers. He stopped thinking that, opting to imagine what Rarity was doing in the kitchen. His questions were answered as she immediately stepped out, carrying a tray with two cups and what looked like several graham crackers with cheese. Shrugging, Spike stepped forward.

“Would you like some help with that?” he asked politely, extending his arms forward.

“Well, sure,” Rarity agreed, hesitating for a moment before handing it over to Spike.

Their eyes met and he did his best to give her a reassuring smile before walking towards a nearby table, setting the tray down. Without much prompt, Rarity pulled out one of the fancy chairs, elegantly setting herself down. Spike attempted to do the same, only to slide the chair forwards and get a horrible screech from the metal chair leg scraping against the ground. Both of them winced, eyes closed in response before opening. Rarity had a little smile on her face as Spike nervously looked, waiting for a response before the former’s smile calmed him down.

“Spike, you are just so precious. It’s also a little worrying,” she said suddenly.

Spike shifted momentarily as he struggled to find words the more he looked at her. He frowned for a moment, staring into her eyes as she took a small sip from her cup. It was Maharaja Chai Oolong tea with three teaspoons of sugar and a bit of cream; two-thirds of a teaspoon swirled in the cup for forty-four to forty-eight seconds. Spike had recognized her usual routine for years and inadvertently copied her. As he was preparing his tea, he glanced down at the crackers briefly; marble cheese ordered from Canterlot.

“How so? I’m a little awkward to be around, sure. But I mean, I’m not that bad, am I?” he asked, placing his spoon on the tray before taking a sip.

“No no, nothing like that. I mean—” Rarity paused, scrunching her nose up in a brief moment of thought. Glancing down at her tea then back to Spike, she smiled. “Well, you have a tendency to go it alone. You’re not very adept at fitting in, akin to Twilight when I had first met her. You were one of us at first but slowly, you drifted away as if you were finding your own group. Maybe other boys to play with, but you didn’t. You’d sit alone at lunchtime, or you stayed in the classrooms, and other times you’d reject any invitations to events even if your face lit up quite a bit at first.”

She stared at Spike, patiently waiting for an answer. Spike merely kept his gaze, his mind reeling with other thoughts. Rarity maintained her smile, doing her best to listen.

“Rarity, what would you do if you were being bothered?” Spike asked abruptly, hardly responding to her observations. “I mean, like, if something was bothering you and you couldn’t do anything no matter how much you tried; all attempts failing?”

“Bothered, dear?” Rarity’s expression softened and Spike somehow knew what she was thinking. It clicked in both their minds and Rarity let Spike talk, the boy setting his cup down on the tray.

“Walking to and from school. Daily activity, constantly wondering if you’ll be ‘bothered’ or not. Or going a day wondering if you’ll get out there. Constantly fearing rejection even when one’s own socially awkward sibling has succeeded more than you. Knowing you’re twice as big as the one that ‘bothers’ you, yet, you can never bring yourself to do anything about it… and anytime that you do, you still fail.” Spike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he faced the floor between his legs, just so he couldn’t see Rarity’s knowing face. “Always the underdog. Listening quietly, waiting until you’re so far back that only a forty-foot leap could save you from your little pit of depression. And I fear that it’ll end with some broken bones, although whose broken bones, I don’t know.”

A pregnant silence occurred, broken only by some clock in the house chiming as well as Rarity sipping her tea. Spike took this moment to throw a few slices of cheese atop a few graham crackers, eating them quickly. As he finished, Spike cleared his mouth and faced Rarity, whose gaze drifted downwards and she spoke.

“Spike, how long?” she inquired, slowly swirling her cup in her wrist. She had to say no more, he already knew what she was asking.

“About seven years, I’ve been ‘bothered’. Twi knows, and I’m sure Applejack knows too. Same with my brother, but not my parents. I forced them not to tell. I don’t want them fighting my battles, especially since they thought I was making it up the one time I did tell them.” Spike paused to eat another cracker, his voice lightening the more he spoke. “I don’t know how obvious it is to you girls, but I know for sure you, Applejack and Twilight know.” Eyes shifting up, Spike met Rarity’s eyes once more, this time with an element of pleading in the boy’s eyes. “How many people know?”

Rarity swallowed before standing up, holding a hand to her chin while folding her arms. A look of strong, forced focus was plastered on her pale skin and slowly, she walked towards Spike. Following suit, Spike stood up, predicting what it was Rarity was doing. Once more, her arms slid between his and wrapped around his body yet this time, Rarity squeezed Spike tightly against her. He let out a grunt before returning the hug, allowing him this one time to take in the feeling of her back. And although Scootaloo had bugged him earlier, he didn’t think dirty of the two soft mounds pressing against his chest. They were warm, just like her arms, and he resisted the urge to cry.

“I’m sure all of the girls know… except perhaps Rainbow. It’s just something that has been there. I wasn’t sure at first, I wondered if it had persisted, but I did notice it then, seven years ago. I saw how you slowly drifted apart and I felt responsible, because I did nothing to prevent it. I was always told to leave you be, Twilight fearing any action may have made you felt weak and hopeless. I’m sorry, Spike,” she spoke softly, her voice vibrating against his chest.

“Don’t be. It was my fault I never told anyone,” Spike tried to ease her conscience, withholding his voice from being too loud.

“Spike—” Rarity purposefully let the silence hang as Spike started to wonder. Glancing down, Spike saw directly into Rarity’s eyes as she hid the rest of her face in his thick shirt, her eyes just showing from under her bangs. “You don’t have to hide it from anybody anymore. You never have to hide anything from me. We may have drifted apart, but I agree from your ramblings from earlier… I want to fix that. I want you to open up to me, and I want you to reach out. Be yourself and show off your positive side. A dashing smile with prominent boyish features, ones easily recognizable by anybody who bothered to look twice, and believe me, I’ve looked more than twice.”

Spike’s heartbeat increased once more as he felt emotions swelling up in his eyes. The past few days, he had been fighting it, yet now he didn’t care. He was going to open up for this girl that he loved, this girl that didn’t know he loved her. His body slouched over and he buried his head into her neck, sobbing quietly as tears streamed down his face, wetting her neck. Her hands soothingly caressed his back as he let loose pent up feelings for once and just as quickly as it started, he found himself feeling far better. He waited, allowing himself to be comforted as his emotions naturally calmed themselves. He leaned back, quickly wiping away the remaining moisture before focusing on Rarity, her hands on his hips and his at his sides.

“Sorry, I guess I’m not quite the man I thought I was,” Spike admitted shyly, chuckling as he sniffled.

“Spike, we’re eating cheese and crackers. We’re like little kids, alright? Don’t worry about it,” Rarity told him, stepping back.

“Right.” Quickly, they took their spots back at the table and Spike let out a long, drawn out sigh as Rarity continued sipping her tea. Spike gulped his down and folded his hands on his lap, waiting.

“After all, you’re far more real than any wannabe self-proclaimed ‘gangsters’ that offer to take me out, that must count for something.” Rarity attempted to lighten the mood with a wink.

“Well, thanks,” Spike said with a grin, feeling himself unable to fight the smile. He paused afterwards, staring at her face. “Wait, what do you mean ta—” His words were caught in his throat by a gulp, Rarity idly sipping her tea with closed eyes and a subtle grin hidden behind her cup. Spike only smiled in response as he relaxed a lot more, glancing off to the side to see the sun starting its descent. “Kinda glad I didn’t have practice today. I wouldn’t have been able to do it properly.”

“Can’t have you getting injured while distracted. I’m glad you came to me of all people, Spike.” Rarity seemed to have a grin plastered onto her face throughout the entire conversation, one that Spike noticed. “So, you’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like, Spike, but I must say that I may be a bit busy with my work.”

Spike’s ears twitched as he sat up straight, eyes widening. A large smile formed on his face that almost unsettled Rarity as she stared into his green eyes.

“Rarity, I can help with work,” Spike told her eagerly.

“Oh, it’s fine, Spike. I couldn’t ask that of you—”

Spike cut her off immediately. “But you didn’t ask me, I offered. I’m totally fine with it, I swear!” Spike leaned forward even more, his face heating up as excitement washed throughout his body.

Rarity set the cup down and couldn’t hold back a smile of her own at Spike’s insistence. Nodding her head, she folded her hands and grinned at him.

“Okay. If you insist,” she accepted, standing up.

Spike followed suit, his hands gripping the tray as he lifted it up. Just to reassure her, he smiled at Rarity as she sauntered towards the kitchen, Spike following her.

“Well, if I insist, I wonder what else I can insist,” Spike playfully joked, his voice almost breaking as he attempted to be witty.

“You can insist that I play favourites for little Spikey-Wikey!” Rarity’s voice was ripe with glee, making her enunciation sound heavenly to him.

‘God, I love that pet name,’ Spike thought, giggling as he thought back to all the times she’d called him that.

After that, Rarity had managed to put the both of them to work on several Hearts Warming dresses, just as he predicted. Rarity had attempted to instruct him on where several things were, only for Spike to seemingly automatically know. Each time she asked why, she got the same answer.

“Just a hunch.”

Spike merely knew where would be most convenient for each fabric or material needed for a job like this, as well as what fabrics there were due to his listening to her talk about the passion of dressmaking. Every time Rarity was unsure or felt like she was overworking the boy, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything, as every time she looked over to Spike there was always a massive smile on his face when he thought she wasn’t looking. Rarity smiled back, thinking him such a little darling.

Before he could even hope to check his watch, for doing so would remind him of just how little time he had left or bring him back to reality, the evening had slipped between the still drapes and stretched across the carpeting. Not that Spike cared to notice, his eyes and hands were constantly busied with duties and chores he had long since imagined helping Rarity with. His ears, however, could not help but notice as the hours chimed on, though it was more melodic and pleasant than anything.

As he held the other end of a measuring tape along the full length of one of Rarity’s works, he noticed the half-past chime ring once, a single elegant tune. Once Rarity had written the correct measurement, she instructed him to help her move the dressed mannequin over to the mirrors so that she could sew with adequate vision. Spike was very gentle with the false person in his arms, careful not to wrinkle the clothing or bruise the pale pretend skin.

Honk!

If the alarmingly loud honking did not force him to drop the mannequin, the vibrating of his cellphone is his pocket did. He fumbled the human-shaped object and managed to roughly get a hold of it before it hit the ground, though he stood awkwardly with one of its arms slung behind his head and a leg upright in his arm. As headlights flashed into the window, both he and Rarity turned and gaped at the source of the shock.

“Yo, we know you’re in there, you little wankstain!” some obnoxiously brutish voice broke in through the thin panes of glass and slapped Spike in the face. “Quit fucking the seamstress and get the hell out here, you’re late!”

“Is that Rainbow Dash?” Rarity asked as if it wasn’t clear enough, and she and Spike looked at each other in confusion.

“I don’t think anyone could mistake that shouting,” Spike realized his phone was still going off as he placed the mannequin down in the desired spot. He read that same familiar name across his caller ID and remembered at once the last conversation he had had on his phone. “Oh, right. What time is it?”

“8:34,” Rarity told him as she peered over at the clock.

“I really am late. Sorry Rarity, but I kind of told Rainbow Dash and Applejack that I would hang out with them tonight,” Spike murmured as he dug his eyes into the bright screen in his hands, blushing with embarrassment at his sudden realization.

“Really? To do what?” she innocently asked as she ripped a corner of her measurements page off and pressed it against the clipboard in her hands.

“I really don’t know. They called me earlier, and between the shouting and what sounded like wrestling, I agreed to whatever they’re kidnapping me for. I’m really sorry,” Spike grumbled as he finished setting the mannequin down while the horn continued to blare on and off like they were arguing about it.

“It’s quite alright, Spike, it is polite to honour prior engagements.” Rarity smiled at his dedication—though it was groundless considering the girl he had promised it to—and finished scribbling something across the ripped corner of paper.

“Anytime now! Go ahead and keep me waiting, see what happens!” Rainbow’s voice cracked as her octaves slipped about.

“Again, I’m so sorry, if you need me to stop by and help you out again, I’m more than willing,” Spike told her with furious nods as his phone started to vibrate again and his fluster grew more apparent.

“You’ve done enough this evening, thank you very much for your help,” Rarity led him to the door though his steps were faster.

“Rainbow’s going to kill me,” Spike muttered as he slipped his shoes on, though the backs were pressed by his heels and the tongues stuck out weirdly. He went to grab the doorknob.

“Don’t forget this.” Rarity held his backpack out to him, and his eyes widened with realization.

“Oh, sorry, again.” He took it from her and managed a bashful smile. “And thank you very much for having me over, and the tea too.”

“Don’t worry about it, Spikey-Wikey,” Rarity’s smile almost stopped him from leaving altogether, but the constant honking and shouting kept him on his toes.

“I guess I’ll see you later, tomorrow at school or something,” he continued as he pried the door open and winced at the headlights scraping in. As he was about to take off, Rarity’s hand fell on his.

“You forgot this, too.” She giggled as she pulled his fingers open and placed the ripped, now folded piece of paper into his hand, closing it up afterwards.

“While I’m young and beautiful, please!” Rainbow’s voice tugged at him to keep moving.

“Um, I did?” Spike winced as a horn blared out above the fighting of the girls in the vehicle. He had little other choice than to hurriedly shove the piece of paper into his pocket without looking at it. “Thanks again Rarity, for everything. Have a good night.”

“Yes, you too.” She waved him off with a pleasant smile as he ran over to the vehicle, realizing it was the same truck that picked him up when Applejack drove him home last.

“Sorry ‘bout all that racket, Rare,” Applejack apologized out the driver’s side window with a nervous smile as Rainbow Dash climbed off of Applejack—and the steering wheel horn—and sat down into her own seat. “You know how impatient she is.”

“And now the whole shopping district knows.” Rarity laughed lightly as Spike hopped into the back behind Rainbow Dash. “Have a good evening, you three.”

“It’s always a good time with me!” Rainbow Dash grinned out the window and gestured a false salute to Rarity as Applejack put the truck into gear and began pulling away. “Especially for Applejack!”

Spike settled into the back of the truck shyly and pulled the seat belt over his body, trying twice before clicking it in right due to the falling darkness. He didn’t say anything at first, afraid in case they were angry that he had forgotten the first set of social plans he had agreed to in as long as he could remember. Applejack’s eyes flashed up at him in the rearview mirror, but he avoided them.

“Y’had us worried when we heard y’didn’t go home,” Applejack told him simply, her voice light and genuine.

“Yeah, but we figured as a teenage boy, your libido would be making the decisions,” Rainbow Dash snickered as she hung her arm out the window and let the wind blow through her colourful hair, flicking it around and causing the brim of Applejack’s cowboy hat to sway.

“Twilight said she saw y’lookin’ for Rarity b’fore she took off,” the farmer stated more realistically as she turned the truck down a wider street.

“Sorry,” Spike merely muttered to his hands in his lap, which turned orange and yellow as passing streetlights leaked over them.

“Shove your ‘sorry’ up your ass,” Rainbow Dash snorted as she kicked her feet up on the dashboard, something that bothered Applejack. “You’re here now, right? You’re only going to be sorry you weren’t here sooner, kicking it with some awesome mother fuckers.”

“D’you even hear yourself talkin’ sometimes?” Applejack laughed at her choice of wording, which she found rather hilarious.

“Over your moaning? Barely.” Rainbow slyly winked at her friend while she was distracted switching lanes and doing shoulder checks.

“Where are we going?” Spike peeped up as he noticed the familiarity of the route.

“Don’t ruin the surprise, you turd, we’re almost there.” Rainbow Dash crossed one foot over the other, and Applejack frowned at the carelessness.

“Get y’feet down, this is Mac’s truck, r’member? He ain’t gonna be happy if Ah take it back with footprints on th’ console.” Applejack reached over and swatted at Rainbow’s legs.

“Maybe he’ll think we did it.” Rainbow laughed, implying something less than innocent as she moved farther away so Applejack couldn’t reach her.

It did not take much longer before they came upon a building Spike had subconsciously guessed was a potential destination. Applejack pulled around past a familiar parking lot and continued close around a building they all spent much time in. Spike leaned over to the other seat to get a better look, having rarely seen Manehattan Secondary School at night.

The truck came around the rear of the school and lurched to a stop behind the entrance to what Spike knew as the football field. He frowned in confusion as he wondered what they might be doing there, and looked around for some kind of security or something. Rainbow Dash kicked her door open suddenly and yanked Spike’s open readily afterwards.

“Move your ass, kid, we’re here.” Rainbow barked at him as he fumbled to undo his seatbelt, feeling the brisker evening air slinking in through the now ajar door.

Rainbow Dash grabbed him by the collar and heaved him out of the truck, slamming the doors shut with violent swings of her arms. Spike fixed his shirt as Rainbow leaned back in through her still open window.

“You going to go park?” Rainbow asked as Applejack put the truck back into gear.

“Yea’, go on ahead,” she replied easily with a nod.

“Don’t keep me waiting, babe.” Rainbow slapped her palm on the truck twice and let her drive off. “And don’t forget the goods!”

Spike furrowed his brow as he watched Applejack take off, choosing to park somewhere far away from the entrance. Rainbow glared down at him as she noticed him staring at the truck. With a rough shove that directed him to start moving, she put herself between Spike and any view of the vehicle.

“Don’t even think about it. She’s mine,” Rainbow spat protectively as she dragged Spike after her.

“I wasn’t!” he argued honestly as he caught up to his own feet.

It was clear that this was not Rainbow’s first time sneaking into the football field, as she knew exactly where to go and how to get past any security measures. They hopped a small barricade to get up to the stands, which were usually portioned off unless a faculty member was around to open it up. The rest of the field seemed open to the public, as there were trails that led around it and open edges of the fence on either far side.

Rainbow Dash jumped up onto the bleachers and balanced expertly as she walked along a seat to the middle, though it would have been easier to go the way Spike did and follow the wide aisle. Finding her way almost exactly to the middle, Rainbow strode seat-by-seat up until she was pleased with her view of the field. She plopped down at once and bent her arms up behind her head, leaning against the seat behind her as Spike made his way to her side.

Spike took the silent moment to observe his football captain, in all her careless glory. Unlike Scootaloo, she was somewhat more mature about the way she dressed, though not much more. On such a cool evening, he would have expected to clearly outline Scootaloo’s perky nipples, but Rainbow Dash had opted to wear a bra, assumably, and a hoodie. Not that he was disappointed, he knew better than to even attempt to ogle Rainbow Dash. Not only would she have kicked his ass, but she was obviously not interested in his type, and her brash attitude did not inspire much sexual attention. Well, not from Spike.

“Are we allowed to be doing this?” Spike asked cautiously as he came up beside Rainbow and sat a good few feet away.

“In case you haven't noticed, bub, I'm not exactly shooting for role model of the year.” She snickered as she crossed her ankles over the seat in front of her. “Besides, it was Applejack's idea.”

“It was?” Spike was surprised to hear that Applejack was behind something like this.

“Yeah well, me and her do this now and then,” Rainbow Dash explained fondly as she looked up, a smile gracing her features. “But today, she said that we should bring you along, you know, as long as you don't snitch or anything.”

“No, I won't,” he said certainly, shaking his head several times.

“Good, because I'd hate to have to shank you or put a hit out on you or something.” Rainbow glanced over at him with a narrow gaze.

Somehow, she seemed even less concerned with her speech than Scootaloo was, just spouting whatever curse or or concept crossed her mind. But there was something very different about the two that Spike could not put his finger on. It was clear that the younger girl had modeled herself after Dash, but it almost seemed like she missed the mark. He hardly got more time to think about it, as Rainbow Dash sat up suddenly and this big, goofy smile melted over her lips.

“Ah, there's my girl,” she mused expectantly, leaning closer to address the farmer who was just climbing up the bleachers now. Spike could see something in her hand, some large, square object, but he could not identify it. “You got the booze, AJ?”

“Booze?!” Spike gulped in anxiety and shock.

“O'course Ah did, Ah'm th' responsible one, r'member?” Applejack confirmed as she neared them, though she chuckled a bit as she heard herself speak. “Guess Ah can't really say responsible when Ah bring a six pack to a sixteen-year-old boy, now can Ah?”

Applejack placed the cardboard box on the step below Spike and Rainbow Dash, before stepping over it and swinging into the vacant space between them. Spike stared at the box with a mixture of uncertainty and anticipation, but he was not sure how to react to it. Rainbow Dash did not seem to have the same issue, as she greedily grabbed a bottle and slapped her pockets in search of a bottle opener.

“Um, I don't know what to say,” Spike finally mumbled, his eyes glued to the foreign beverages. “I've never drank before.”

“Oh, don't worry, we won't letcha drink much, just thought it'd be a nice treat,” Applejack smiled pleasantly as she took one by the glass neck and lifted it out of the box, waiting for the bottle opener from Rainbow. “M'brother used t'give me one or two whenever w'had serious talks, made us seem like equals, y'know?”

“You think so?” Spike watched her carefully, looking for lies. Of course, if she had been lying, he would hardly have to observe her to figure it out.

Applejack nodded lightly as Rainbow handed her the bottle opener, and she easily flipped the lid off. She handed it to Spike, who wasn’t sure the correct way to hold it. With a gentle sigh and a comforting voice, Applejack spoke directly to the younger boy.

“Lotta times Ah find th' world treats y'like a kid, even when y'ain't one,” she told him, and it seemed very true to him.

This whole thing caught him entirely off guard, especially coming from Applejack, but before even taking a sip, Spike could feel warmth inside his chest. Perhaps there was much that he did not know about Applejack. After casually knocking her hat back into a more comfortable place, she calmly looped her arms over the seat behind her, each arm trailing behind the backs of both Rainbow and Spike. He brought the bottle to his lips and tasted the beverage, defining it as beer from the label. He assumed he was right as the liquid cooled his tongue, though he had nothing to base the flavour on.

“Enough talking AJ, crack open a cold one already!” Rainbow Dash violently grabbed a bottle and tried to force Applejack to take it.

“Ah’m drivin’, don’t tempt me,” Applejack pushed it away with a grumble.

“Oh, I could tempt you a lot better than that,” Rainbow licked her lips and scootched right up beside her best friend, their bodies meeting.

Applejack didn’t bother moving her arm from around the girl, and instead opted to allow her advances. In fact, it almost seemed like she enjoyed the closeness. They were very good friends after all, Applejack surely enjoyed having her near for some reason or another. Spike watched over the nose of the bottle, which tipped slowly up as more went down his throat, while the usually bickering pair got cosy.

“Did I mention how awesome you are, AJ?” Rainbow cooed as she took great big gulps of the light golden liquid like it tasted of heaven.

“Once ‘r twice, maybe,” Applejack murmured as she watched her boisterous friend chug the beverage without moderation.

“Bottoms up, bitches!” Dash shouted as the bottle stood up vertically against her lips and emptied. As she completed it, a satisfied gasp escaped her lips, and she reached for another.

“Take it easy, sugarcube,” the farmer warned her, though she allowed her to clumsily reach between her legs to snag another drink. With a huffed laugh, Applejack turned to the young boy on her other side. “Whadd’ya think, Spike?”

“It’s, I don’t know, tastey I guess,” Spike tried to word it, swiveling it around in the bottle like he thought something was wrong with it.

“Y’ain’t gotta be shy or nothin’, you’re gonna give it a shot eventually, might’s well be with a couple’a friends,” Applejack eased him into it, the strictness she often displayed in training seemingly absent.

Spike looked over at the girl with the same curious admiration or respect he always showed her, even if he was one of the only ones who did. She always seemed older than the other girls, very independant and kind, supportive and somehow intuitive. He may not have known her too well yet, but he was glad to have her as a friend. And she was so trusting, even of a young boy who had so many things rattling around in his head. His sister would snatch anything bad out of his hands and scold him, his brother might tease him, and others might judge or condemn, but it seemed Applejack just accepted him and let him be.

“Thanks, Applejack,” Spike spoke softly, a smile crossing his lips.

Applejack was right, holding this beer in his hand did indeed make him feel like he was on equal ground with the girl. Here she was not a member of his sister’s crowd, she was not his football superior, nor an upperclassman; here they were just friends.

“Don’t mention it,” that same old crooked smile hung from her freckled cheeks, and dimples defined the edges perfectly symmetrically.

Surprised by the carbonation twisting in his stomach, Spike accidentally let out a rather rude belch, slamming his hand over his mouth immediately. Applejack began laughing and weaved her fingers through his hair, messing it up with a few quick ruffles. Before he could stammer an apology, Rainbow Dash released a burp even louder than his own. A brief silence of Spike and Applejack turning to look at her followed, until all of them broke into laughs at once.

As the laughter faded, the three looked out over the football field, somewhere that seemed very different in the light of day than it did in the darkness. The lights were not glowing over it, conservation of power more important than lighting an empty stadium; besides the nights when the grass was cut or the lines were painted. Still, there was something almost surreal and comforting about the silence and vacancy of it. Spike swallowed another several sips, ignoring the odd flavour in favour of the effect he was eager to learn of.

Spike remembered then that Rainbow Dash had mentioned something about her and Applejack doing this same sort of thing sometimes. He felt kind of happy hearing that he was invited into some tradition of theirs, but he didn’t really want to bring it up. Still, in the quiet and empty bleachers, he found himself wondering why is was they bothered going all the way out there at all. And all they were really doing was sitting there, not doing anything productive or worthwhile. Not like helping Rarity with her work or getting books for Twilight from the library and helping her research, this seemed too simple.

“So, what’s the point of this, anyway?” Spike found it difficult to keep his thoughts in his head, possibly due to the substance he sipped at over and over, despite not being too particularly fond of it.

“To get drunk, dipshit,” Rainbow said over the mouth of the bottle, not concerned about choking as she drank while insulting him.

“That ain’t what he meant,” Applejack murmured blankly, watching Rainbow shrug and give her the lead on this question. Leaning back against the bleachers and casting a glance over at Spike, Applejack answered him, “Not everythin’s gotta have a point, y’know? Sometimes it’s nice t’just sit with friends an’ stare at a big empty space.”

“I’m not sure whether that’s philosophical or lame, but I guess I’ll agree,” Rainbow Dash suggested with a smirk. “To everything except the friends part.”

Applejack avoided Rainbow’s gaze as her hands perused her body, one slipping over her thigh and the other tracing her spine. Despite the shiver that shook her, Applejack still didn’t push her away. She did chuckle though, and fought off the creeping blush as Rainbow’s lips neared her neck.

“Keep it in your pants,” Applejack told her while she continued to force the laugh.

“I’d rather get in yours.” Rainbow’s voice fell into sultry murmurs again, and Applejack held back a whimper at the pleasant feeling she got from the attention.

Applejack kept her head turned away in fear of facing the indecision or playful temptation, and hoped the collar of her jacket was enough to keep Rainbow’s advances at bay. Just as she was about to cross some imaginary line and touch her friend’s neck with her lips, she suddenly stopped and traded the warmth of Applejack’s skin for the mouth of a cold bottle. Applejack pursed her lips distantly, pretending she had anticipated nothing more.

Spike wouldn’t admit it, but he liked to watch them fool around like that. It was comforting, the push and pull bickering and flirtation between them, and yet their friendship was so solid. It was something even he could rely on. Besides that, it sure was funny at times.

A six pack sure didn’t seem like enough for Rainbow Dash at the rate she was drinking, but Spike didn’t want to risk anything more. Though there really was no point in any of it, Spike found himself enjoying the company, and enjoying the simplicity of it. Another beer or two back for Rainbow Dash had her almost draped over Applejack, her hand resting over the farmer’s leg like it was her own.

“Man, this is the life,” Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and leaned back, tipping her head over Applejack’s arm and leaning against her.

“Y’know, we’ll be playin’ right here in almost no time. Next game’s just ‘round th’ corner,” Applejack reminded them.

“You think we’re ready?” Spike asked as he ran the last few sips over his tongue.

“If not, we’re gettin’ there fast.” Applejack nodded with assurance.

Spike continued to stare out at the field, but Applejack’s affirmation did little to soothe his worries. He really, really didn’t want to lose again. It would just give Felix another reason to pick on him, and it would flush his self esteem down the can. Without thinking, he roughly placed the empty bottle back into the case and grabbed another, cracking it open with the bottle opener left by the rest of them. Applejack watched carefully as he forced several cold sips down his throat.

“Somethin’ tells me that ain’t the only thing on y’mind,” she revealed slowly, her voice cool and calm.

“It’s nothing,” Spike said as if it was second nature to brush it off.

“That ‘nothin’ sure seems heavy, then,” Applejack murmured in a breezy hush, letting the evening air take the syllables away.

“Don’t worry about it.” He took a drink to try and come up with some reasonable answer, “I just don’t want to lose.”

“Don’t wanna lose, huh?” Applejack chuckled again, her modestly bundled-up yet sizable chest heaved up and down with each breath. “That sure sounds familiar, don’ it Rainbow? Rainbow?”

Applejack and Spike both leaned forward to get a better look at the girl, Spike having to lean farther due to his greater distance from her, only to find her shift closer to Applejack, her head rolling onto the farmer’s strong shoulder. Smiling gently, Applejack adjusted her body so that it was more comfortable for her friend, who nuzzled against her chest and got comfortable there.

“She's fast asleep already, huh?” Applejack chuckled lightly, careful not to wake the girl in her arms. Her eyes remained on the resting girl, whose usual volume and bravado was kept silent by her exhaustion. “Ah gotta admit it, she is kinda cute like that, ain't she?”

“Hah, I'm sure she'd love to hear that,” Spike mentioned quietly as he realized how very human she looked just snuggling up to Applejack.

“You're prob'ly right,” Applejack faintly nodded, her eyes softening further as the arm wrapped behind Rainbow came around her and rubbed her shoulder. “Not that she'd ever tell no one, but th' lil' scamp does work herself pretty darn hard.”

“And here I thought she just lazed around and made sexual jokes about you,” he prodded at her with a cheeky smile, brought on by the light haze of intoxication he had begun to feel.

“Sometimes people 're more than what'cha think,” Applejack fondly brushed Rainbow’s bangs out of her way, an adoring smile finding its way onto her expression. She leaned in closer, her voice so hushed it could never be heard outside of the three of them, “D'spite all those obnoxious habits o' hers, Ah do love the girl.”

Spike blinked in surprise at the words, but more in bewildered shock as Applejack moved closer to her friend and pressed her lips against her. He leaned further forward to get a better look, and realized that she had kissed the sleeping girl right on her forehead. Somehow he was uncertain how to categorize the kiss, be it friendly or familial or more. He did not know enough about types of love to define them, and something like this caught him entirely off guard. Applejack lingered for a good few seconds before slowly pulling away, while Rainbow Dash slept on obliviously.

“Love, huh,” Spike grumbled almost cynically, the word seeming false in some way.

He remembered the face of Rarity, who he got to spend most of the day with, and again his heart sped up to great thuds. He remembered then that she had handed him something on his way out, and began fumbling through his pockets to find it. Along with some lint and an old wrapper of something, he found the folded piece of paper, which had a few extra wrinkles from his clothing. As he opened it wider, his eyes too grew wide.

There, so elegantly scribed on the ripped piece of paper, was Rarity’s phone number, all ten digits. Above it, she had signed her name, as if he could ever forget it. His face flushed, and not just from the alcohol, as he held the paper so delicately between his large fingers. Applejack peeked over his shoulder and read it, recognizing it right away as the real deal. With a simple smile, she let him revel in it for a moment before speaking.

“She don’t give that t’just anyone, y’know,” she teased, and that made it feel all the more valuable in his hands.

And yet, his eyes dropped, holding the number farther away from his face. This little, worthless corner of paper was so darn precious to him, and he knew he did not deserve it. What good was he to merit something like that? A lame, weak little boy who didn’t even have faith in himself? It did not seem right of the world to dangle things like that before his very eyes.

“Somethin’ wrong, sugarcube?” Applejack’s kind voice urged him to speak, but he chewed on his answer for a while.

“Why me? Why would she give this to me? I’m just some little kid, some half-baked wannabe,” Spike almost whispered, his hands shaking. “Life is so cruel.”

“Sounds like ain’t no one as hard on you, as you,” she guessed, but Spike did not feel the same.

“Yeah, right,” he sarcastically scoffed, shoving the crumpled piece of paper back into his pocket.

Applejack just watched him again, his tone so low it almost hurt to hear. With a long sigh, she let the mood drop to solemn or contemplative. She knew well that there was something Spike was not saying, but she was not the type to force it out of him, she would not push him. Something in his behaviour was very familiar to her though, the anger and sense of futility or self-loathing. It was not something one could just punch or scream out, not something one could just talk though; not so easily anyway, and probably not with her.

“Y'seem a little down, Spike,” Applejack began bluntly, not much for beating around the bush. “Ah ain't gonna ask about it or nothin', Ah jus' want you t'know that people notice, an' people care. Ah'm always 'round if y'need anythin', y'hear?”

“Alright,” Spike didn’t know what to say, he didn’t really want to get into it. “Thanks anyway.”

There was another pause of silence, and Applejack outlined the scenery in front of her with her gaze. It looked different when the overhead lights were on, for sure, but since they were not, the stars came out above it all.

“Well,” Applejack cleared her throat and shuffled against Rainbow Dash. “This field o’ ours, it sure is pretty, for a useless hunk’a land.”

“Looks like any other,” Spike shrugged, and Applejack frowned to hear him brushing her off.

Applejack removed her hand from behind Spike and again moved her hat, pulling it down a bit and fixing it to her skull. She began to stand suddenly, lifting Rainbow Dash carefully off her arm and laying her down on the bleacher. After adjusting the girl until she seemed comfortable, Applejack began to remove her jacket. Spike said nothing as she did, he just let her do whatever it was she was doing. Applejack laid her jacket over the sleeping Rainbow Dash and smoothed the wrinkles in it, making sure to cover most of her slim body. Again, her eyes shifted to Spike.

“C’mere,” Applejack started down the bleachers at once, stepping down from seat to seat.

“What?” Spike gawked at her, holding his half finished beer by the neck.

“Jus’ follow me, will ya?” Applejack turned back around and flashed him another genuine smile before reaching out and grabbing his hand, pulling him to his feet.

Swallowing as much of his beer as he could in such rushed seconds, he nearly dropped it onto his seat before taking her orders. Spike moved his numbing legs desperately to try and keep up with her as she strode down the seats, leading him down to the field. He wanted to ask her intentions, but he kept his mouth firmly shut all the while. Finally, she jumped over the small guard rail and landed on the grass, which had begun to salt with moisture from the damp evening air. Spike did the same, feeling the tingle in his feet as they hit the hard ground.

Continuing onto the field without hesitation, Applejack placed her hands on her hips and took a few good looks around her. Spike followed at a slower pace, his eyebrows dropping over his eyes suspiciously. Her body was something of a beacon when surrounded by this great, dark field, and he noticed then the defined hourglass shape she often hid with jackets or football gear.

She stopped suddenly in the middle of the field, and stared at the visitor’s end zone. The scoreboard was but a dark square hanging out past the other bleachers, and was ominously silent for once instead of shouting about their failures. She moved the toe of her boot from side to side, pushing the grass and feeling it give way easily. Spike was beside her then, but he couldn’t think of what to say.

“Look ‘round you,” Applejack started softly. “Th’ field sure seems big when you’re in it, don’ it?”

“Yeah,” Spike understood that, either end zone seeming to lay at the extent of his vision besides the fencing.

“Here we stand, right on it. And Ah bet, somehow, y’ain’t seein’ it much clearer than y’might of up in th’ stands,” she went on, and Spike was unsure of what she was trying to say. “When you’re out here for a practice ‘r a game, do y’notice the measure o’ grass? Or for that matter, any few blades that ain’t cut the same as th’ others? Ah sure as sugar don’t.”

“The grass,” Spike repeated as he looked down at his own feet, noticing the few blades that stuck out taller around his shoes.

“An’ when this whole darn place is stuffed up, it’s kinda hard t’see the end zone, ain’t it?” she asked as she turned at her hip to look back at him. “Stands too, seem real far away right then. An’ Ah betcha sometimes y’can’t even see the players standin’ next t’you.”

Spike looked up at her, and he could see her rather clearly despite the lack of light. But she was right, even when the lights were on, during a game he hardly noticed where the other players were. He was focused on something else. Still though, he didn’t quite get what she was going on about.

“What are you saying?” he asked carefully, his face remaining stoic and serious.

“Ah reckon Ah don’t rightly know,” she grinned sheepishly and forced a bit of a chuckle. “Just, with all them other things goin’ on, an’ how close y’are to it an’ all… it just sure is hard t’ see th’ good things sometimes; the grass, the team, the end... the girl.”

Applejack’s gaze shifted back to Rainbow Dash, who still slept on obliviously in the bleachers, laying comfortably under Applejack’s jacket. Her expression softened immediately as she caught sight of her best friend, who she had given her warmth for. Spike, whose hands had become somewhat chilly, realized that he had slipped them into his pockets. Inside, he was already thoughtlessly fingering the piece of paper that displayed Rarity’s number. He clenched it up into his palm between the folds of fabric.

'Sometimes, it is hard to see those things. Especially when there are other things bigger or more aggressive in your way,' Spike thought with a downcast expression, remembering how Scootaloo had kissed him and showed him things he had only before imagined on Rarity, remembering how Felix had riled him up and continued to captivate his thoughts even during football practice.

“That’s all fine, though,” Applejack went on with a shrug, snapping him out of his thoughts. “We’re only human, we gotta blink sometimes, don’t we?”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Spike found himself confessing, tilting his head and desiring an explanation.

The quarterback before him just stared at him for a moment, her eyes curious yet knowing. She broke into a pleasant grin, though it was crooked and lop-sided as usual, and shrugged again.

“Yea’, me neither,” she chuckled admittedly, turning back to face him as she began walking again. “Any who, Ah s’pose we should be gettin’ y’home.”

Applejack passed him in a casual step, letting him follow if he wanted to. She went back over to the bleachers and climbed up without trouble, knowing just where to grab and hoist. Spike had followed her, and she extended a hand to help him up after her. The field echoed with each step, Applejack’s boots clacking against the seats as she hopped back up towards Rainbow Dash.

Turning the sleeping girl onto her back, Applejack laid her jacket over top of Rainbow more securely. The farmer’s hands slipped under the crook of Rainbow’s knees and beneath her neck, carefully lifting her up. She teetered a bit with the struggle, but stood up straight as her captain shifted in her arms. Applejack smiled as Rainbow rubbed against her, resting her head on the plush rounds of Applejack’s chest in a much more innocent way than usual. Spike grabbed what little remained of the six pack and went after her.

It was difficult, but Applejack managed to get Rainbow Dash all the way back to the truck with little help from Spike. She got the younger boy to reach into her pocket to get the keys, which had made him very nervous and shy, though he did it with minimal fumbling and no inappropriate touching. He opened the passenger side and moved out of the way so Applejack could position Rainbow in the front seat while Spike climbed into the back. Applejack did up Rainbow’s seat belt and placed her jacket over the girl’s lap, dropping her seat back to help her relax.

Spike heard the piece of paper crinkle in his pocket as he jumped into the back seat, and pulled it out once more before even putting on his own seat belt. He could barely read the number until Applejack opened her own door, prompting the overhead light to flash again. It slowly burned out as she closed it behind her and put the keys into the ignition. Applejack wrapped her hand around the back of Rainbow’s seat as she went to pull out of the spot, and glanced down once or twice while doing so to look at what Spike stared at intently.

“You’re gonna lose that if y’ain’t careful,” she reminded him gently as she cranked the steering wheel. “Put it in y’phone already, she wants you t’have it.”

Spike jerked at the request, and looked up at Applejack to find she had turned back around. He caught her peeking over at Rainbow Dash once and then, but didn’t say anything about it. His thumb ran absently over the face of the paper again and again as if he could feel the numbers rather than see them. Again, the passing orange lights provided brief flashes of vision over his hands, and he let what Applejack said sink in.

'She wants me to have it,' Spike’s thoughts echoed those words time and again until he found his resolve.

He pulled out his phone at once and began typing in the numbers as the lights passed over them, though by now he had all but memorized them. He wished his phone could keep the beautiful font in which she had laced her name, but he settled for typing it out like any other. A smile crept over his features as he stared at his phone now, and it seemed all the more useful in his hands at last.

Ten seconds was all it took for Spike’s subconscious to take control of his body. He didn’t register his fingers moving nor did he wanna stop it and he immediately felt his heart stop as he hit send, the anticipation already at a high.

'Hey Rarity, it’s Spike,' was what he wrote.

His breath hanging, he waited as his heart pounded several times, his eyes fixated on the screen even if it was mildly blinding in the darkened back seat of the truck. After a few seconds, it vibrated.

‘Hello, Spikey-wikey~’

Author's Note

So yeah, chapters are apparently always going to be long now. Hope you all enjoyed Spike's interactions with his closest female friends, and their advice or coping mechanisms. Comments and critiques are much appreciated.

Sweetie Belle's Number

VIII. Sweetie Belle's Number

“So, your next game is tomorrow night, right?” Twilight’s voice seemed so chipper and cheery above the monotonous buzzing of the rest of the cafeteria.

Spike raised his head and looked at her, hardly having remembered she was there. He had been invited to have lunch with them again, but this time he had actually opted to accept. Especially since it had been a text from Rarity that had called him over. He glanced down at the elegant girl, sitting on the other side of the table from him and two seats over. Twilight sat across from him and Fluttershy slouched between the two. There was a space between himself and Applejack, as he thought it might be presumptuous to sit right next to her.

“Tha’s right,” Applejack nodded firmly as she placed her fork on her pasta. “An’ with all th’ trainin’ your brother’s been helpin’ out with, Ah think we may be able t’ pull it off.”

“Where is Rainbow Dash, anyway? She’s always right on your heels,” Rarity asked after setting her napkin down.

“Ms. Cheerilee kept ‘er after class for some cheeky comment.” Applejack chuckled lightly, shaking her head. “Her usual shenanigans.”

“What do you think, Spike? Are you ready for the game?” Twilight asked her little brother, tilting her head to gather his attention.

“Maybe,” he responded distantly, chewing on his thoughts. “We are getting better, for sure, but I don’t know anything about who we’re up against.”

“Th’ Appleloosa Buffalo, that’s their team,” Applejack filled in the blank. “Ah got some family out that way; football sure is important t’ that town. They ain’t got much else goin’ for ‘em in th’ off season.”

“You’re playing at the school field again, right?” Rarity asked, but since Applejack had her mouth full by then, she merely nodded, knowing how Rarity hated rude manners. “Then surely I can make an appearance, to cheer for my favourite tight end, yes?”

Spike’s face went red as the words reached him, and he glanced over at her to find her supportive smile. He returned it, though he was so nervous it felt to him like it might have appeared somewhat creepy or unusual looking. Her presence would surely drive him on in the upcoming game, and he had to force himself not to start grinning like an idiot as he remembered her wonderful words from last time. This time, he would win it for her, and make her proud.

“Weird. Rainbow Dash isn’t even here to make a tight end joke,” Pinkie Pie said as she sat down at the table on Twilight’s other side, having caught the end of the conversation.

“We got one more practice b’fore the game,” Applejack reminded them as her fork twirled around in the pasta. “Rainbow an’ Ah have lots’a plays t’ go over. Hope she don’t make a habit of gettin’ in trouble when we need her.”

“Do you want me to hang around and give you a ride home after school, Spike?” Twilight asked, again putting the attention back on the younger boy.

“It’s no big deal Twilight,” Spike shrugged, not wanting to be a burden. “The walk is good for me, anyway.”

“Well, I was going to study in the library for an hour or so for a test I have next week, but if you’re sure,” Twilight suggested, leaving the decision up to him.

Spike felt bad to hear that, for it made him even more uncertain whether he should take her up on the offer or not. It definitely sounded like she was trying to make an excuse to hang out late and give him a ride, so it would be rude to turn her down, and yet he did not want to inconvenience her. Maybe she just wanted to spend more time with him, after all, once he started football he was rarely home with her anymore. He buried his thoughts in a bite of bread, which he chewed until it became almost a paste in his mouth.

Applejack met Twilight’s worried gaze and gave her a slight shrug, knowing exactly what she was trying to do. The others were mostly silent as the mood dropped, no one quite sure what to say. Several of them exchanged uncertain glances, and no one ventured a topic. No one, that is, except the one in the group who really didn’t seem to understand mood ques.

“So Fluttershy tried to sell me drugs the other day,” Pinkie Pie peeped up simply, shoving a chocolate roll all the way into her mouth.

“What?! I did not!” the girl in question argued desperately, her voice squealing.

“She did so!” Pinkie spat a few crumbs out, much to the dismay of most everyone. “I told her about my tummy troubles, and she handed me this bag of suspicious green leaves.”

“It was l-lettuce,” Fluttershy tried to tell her again. “Y-You’re sick because you’ve been on a sweet-eating binge again.”

“Lettuce,” Pinkie Pie repeated narrow-eyed while miming air quotes, and the others rolled their eyes.

The others shook their heads and huffed a few laughs, getting back to their lunches. Fluttershy sank in her seat and pouted though, upset that Pinkie would think something like that about her. Spike realized how much he must have missed from hanging out in their group, everyone seemed to have changed in one way or another. Just as everyone got a little more accustomed to the unusual silence, it was broken.

“Guess who?” Hands slipped over Applejack's eyes, but the voice had already given it away if the childish gesture hadn't.

“Oh, Ah dunno, the Vice Principal?” Applejack teased with a smirk as she heard the girl behind her scoff irritably.

“Boo, AJ, you know who it is.” Rainbow Dash pulled her hands off her friend's eyes and grabbed her tray off the nearly empty table beside them, where she had left it to complete her little jest.

“O'course Ah do, now sit your rear down.” Applejack patted the seat beside her and Rainbow Dash plopped right down where she was told, dropping her tray in front of her noisily. Applejack glanced over at her choice of so-called lunch and frowned. “As Ah thought, nothin' balanced 'bout that. You’re th’ captain of our team, an’ as such y’gotta learn t’ set a good example. Here, eat this.”

Rainbow Dash stopped the projectile fruit from hitting her in the face as Applejack had tossed it. She turned her hand over and held the bright red apple in her open palm, staring at it blankly. It had become something of a duty for Applejack to watch the team's diet, especially Rainbow's, knowing that an athlete needed a balanced appetite to perform best.

“I don't want it. My lunch is fine.” Rainbow Dash was usually too proud to take the advice, of course. She went to tip her hand and let the apple roll out, but she was stopped.

“Rainbow, just eat the apple, okay?” Applejack placed her hand on the apple, holding it in her friend's grip.

Rainbow Dash sighed and nodded, knowing Applejack was stubborn about these things. “Mmm, fine. Only for you, AJ.” And with that, she leaned over and pressed her lips against Applejack's cheek, administering a big, wet kiss.

Spike smiled and stifled a laugh as he remembered the kiss that Applejack had given Rainbow Dash not too long before. It was almost like a little secret between them, something Spike was not used to being in on. He could still see it in his mind's eye: it had been much sweeter, and much more honest than the goofy one Rainbow traded her. And yet, the big-headed jock really had no idea about any of it.

“Yuck, quit slobberin' on me,” Applejack pushed her away and wiped her face, though little saliva actually lingered.

What did linger, however, was the pink tint that glowed in her face whether she liked it or not. Rainbow Dash was quite pleased with the reaction, and hummed as she took the first bite out of the plump, ripe apple. Though most of the group was already well used to their bickering, someone who said very little about it finally spoke up, albeit unintentionally.

“Just screw already, we're all waiting for it,” Fluttershy murmured in a blank tone as she played around with her salad. Noticing that the attention had suddenly shifted to back her, she blushed brightly and swallowed, realizing what she had done. “D-Did I say that out loud?”

“See, Fluttershy's on my side!” Rainbow beamed as she wrapped her arm around Applejack again, who went darker in colour and bit her lips shut.

“Y’better not have got yourself detention after school,” Applejack jumped back onto topic to distract herself from the idea.

“Who, me? No way, the team needs me at practice,” Rainbow Dash grinned as she shook Applejack around a bit. She then noticed the boy who sat on her other side, and looked over at him. “Hey, look who decided to join us! I thought you’d be hanging around with that little brat would-be sister of mine, you stud.”

“What?” Spike gulped as he realized she must have known something about that, but knowing that the brash and uncensored Rainbow Dash would not have hesitated to reveal all the dirty details if she knew them, he figured he was safe. “Um, no, not today.”

“I thought you were all grown up and too good for us?” Rainbow stuck her tongue out teasingly and elbowed him. “Before we know it, Casanova here will be breaking hearts left right and centre!”

“No way, I'm still the same guy,” Spike murmured argumentatively as he blocked her aggressive prods.

“Actually, over approximately ten years your body replaces almost all of its former atoms with brand new ones, making you physically an entirely different person than before,” Twilight told the group matter-of-factly, only to be greeted with an abrupt silence.

“Way to slip a science lesson into lunch, egghead,” Rainbow Dash was the first one to speak up with a sneer.

“Oh, sorry,” Twilight apologized nicely as she forced a smile.

The group heard a stumble and shuffle from behind Spike as someone accidentally tripped over his backpack, which he had leaned up against the seat behind him. With a low growl, whoever it was turned to face him and gripped his shoulder far too roughly. He leaned down and glared at Spike, who went still as he realized just who it was who had kicked his bag.

“Watch where you leave your shit, Iguana. Someone could get hurt,” Felix said through his teeth as his eyes narrowed on the boy before darting between his friends.

He suddenly released the larger boy and took off, avoiding the rest of any confrontation. The girls at the table watched seriously as he walked away, his steps heavy and angry. Besides Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie, the girls all seemed to grow more tense as they realized who he was.

“What did he just call you? Is he a friend of yours?” Pinkie asked lightly, cocking her head in confusion.

“Not exactly,” Spike’s head dropped as he slumped over the table.

Twilight had already recognized the boy herself, knowing him by name and everything. Not that she was the type to go ahead without Spike’s permission and try to fight his battles, it was not her place. Rarity and Applejack watched the younger boy carefully, not certain if they should speak up when there were others around. Rainbow Dash, however, scoffed at the insult and decided to take it on.

“Iguana? You should take that as a compliment, iguana's have two penises,” she revealed simply, and everyone’s jaws dropped. Rainbow looked around at their expressions and shrugged. “What? Twilight's not the only one who knows cool facts.”

Applejack cracked a smile as she noticed Spike lift off of the table, amused just the same by her ridiculous proclamation. Wrapping her arm tightly around her best friend, she wondered out loud.

“What on Earth am Ah gonna do with you?” Applejack asked with a chuckle, squeezing her captain closer.

“I can think of a few things,” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow suggestively, and immediately Applejack released her.

As the lunch bell rang, Spike hurriedly grabbed his things so that he would not have to hang around to discuss what had gone on. This was not the time or place, and besides, he needed to keep in a positive mood to take on the game the next day. He hardly remembered a thing between then and the final bell, which had now conditioned him to change into his football uniform like putting on a second skin.

As it was the last practice before their game, both Big Mac and Shining Armour had shown up. The whole team rushed to the field and stood before them, better organized into a straight line of players. Spike was eager to join them, finally beginning to feel valuable somewhere.

“Hey buddy,” Shining Armour greeted his brother warmly as one of the first to arrive. “Ready for the game tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I’m actually getting kind of excited about it,” Spike admitted, rubbing his hair between his fingers.

“You should be, you’ve been doing great at practice; it’s about time you get to show it off to a lady or two out there, am I right?” the older of the two teased, and Spike blushed nervously.

“Uh, sure,” Spike tried to shrug the topic off, but his brother was no fool.

“You have someone in mind?” Shining Armour grinned, and Spike blushed brighter. “You do! What’s she like? Is she pretty? Is she older? Do I know her?”

“What happened to being all professional about your position here?!” Spike hid his face and slapped his brother away anxiously, getting redder the more accurate his guesses became.

“You’re right, there’ll be time to chat later,” he nodded as he noticed the other players falling around, and Spike getting more and more self conscious.

“Thanks,” Spike sighed in relief as his brother let him off the hook.

“Alright, guys, you’ve been doing great these last few weeks,” Shining Armour raised his voice and smiled at the team as they assembled. “Do a quick few warm ups then meet back to go over a few more plays. Sound good?”

“Yes sir!” The players nodded in unison before they went their separate ways, already knowing well what to do.

As some of the others finished up their training, Applejack jogged over to her brother with the clipboard of plays (and a few stray pick-up lines Rainbow managed to revive) that Rainbow Dash and she had been working on. His dull eyes trailed it over once or twice while Shining Armour praised a few players in the background. Applejack was about to leave to go toss a ball around with the guys while the rest of the team finished up, but Big Mac’s words stopped her.

“Shinin's right,” Big Mac nodded to his sister, who looked over at him instead of at the clipboard in her hand. “It's startin' t'look like we've got a team here.”

“Course it does,” Applejack smiled warmly as she put the clipboard down and stared out at the players, who were finishing up their circuits and training. “Havin' y'all 'round sure helps.”

“Ah can't imagine what would'a happened if we left it t'Dash,” his eyes dropped irritably on the girl in question, who had long since finished her agility training and went over to bother the linemen, from the looks of it.

“She may be lazy and perverse, but she really is a great girl. You'll see,” Applejack told her brother with utmost certainty, pride beaming from her as she watched her friend talking to the linemen with passion and verve.

“You ain't gonna start tearin' up, are ya?” Big Mac smirked teasingly, noticing his sister tense up at the accusation.

“Shut up, Mac!” she shouted defensively and slapped him on the arm. As she settled back down, she looked out at her captain once more and started towards her. “Ah just mean that she ain't half bad, Ah'm proud t'call her m'best friend.”

“Ah'll take your word for it.” Mac huffed a laugh as they approached the team, where Rainbow's words could be clearly heard.

“I'm telling you!” Rainbow Dash continued with her hand over her chest, like she was preaching some truth she adored so greatly. “Applejack's moans are melodic, she could get me off without even touching me!”

“Most o'the time,” Applejack murmured as she realized what the girl was going on about now. As they passed the equipment, Applejack instructed Mac to toss her something. “Al'right, grab me a ball, will you?”

Big Mac leaned down and did as he was told, picking the finest ball from the bag. He heaved his great shoulders back and tossed it effortlessly out to his still retreating sister. Habitually, Applejack touched her tongue to the tips of her fingers and coated them in saliva as a means to provide a sticky grip for the football. The ball sailed into her hands, but she hardly moved as she heard the next line from Rainbow Dash.

“I love it when you lick your fingers, baby,” Rainbow called to Applejack, her eyebrows jumping up and down suggestively as the boys around her snickered. “She does that in bed, too. It's pretty sexy.”

“Rainbow,” Applejack ground her teeth together irritably and murmured her name.

“And you should see the face she makes when she's horny or frustrated!” she kept on incessantly, not even noticing Applejack's temper rising quickly as the captain defied her earlier praise.

“Rainbow...” came out of her throat more deadly and vicious as she squeezed the football and glared at the girl.

“That's it!” Rainbow pointed at her excitedly as she slammed the football to the ground, leaving it to bounce about. “Man, that always gets me going. And when she gets especially horny, she can hardly keep her hands off of me!”

Applejack stormed right up to the disrespectful captain, seething with fury by now. Rainbow Dash continued to grin and brag, until a rough hand grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the group.

“C'mere, y'punk,” Applejack growled as she tugged the thin girl after her.

“See? Case in point!” Rainbow guffawed, but it was cut short as she was smacked in the back of the head and ruthlessly pulled forward, her feet stumbling beneath her to keep up.

“Yeah right, nice knowing you, Crash!” Dumbbell and his friends laughed at her as she rubbed the sore spot on the back of her head and followed the clearly fuming Applejack.

Applejack growled as she dragged the protesting captain after her. Rainbow could see that something had pissed her off, but instead of apologizing or asking what was wrong, she thought it was kind of hot. Rainbow quickened her step and let Applejack hold her arm, slyly inspecting her all the while. Applejack pulled her into the hallway towards the change rooms, which was void of any other traffic.

“Finally, we're all alone,” Rainbow's voice was smooth and sensual, and Applejack responded to it violently.

Shoving her captain roughly into the wall, Applejack gripped her by the jersey and leaned in real close with a firm glare. Rainbow Dash really wanted to say it, how turned on this whole thing made her, how wet she felt as Applejack pressed against her and held her still, but she decided to leave it be for now. She went silent as she let Applejack do the talking, though it took her a moment to get over her will to shout in favour of rational words.

“Why y'always gotta be s'darn sweet on me?!” came out suddenly, though it was not what Applejack really wanted to say.

“Because you're hot, and I like you,” Applejack's mouth dropped wide open as Rainbow said that, and she was lost for words for a second. “Besides, you react really cute to it all.”

“Listen here, you!” Applejack slammed her hand against the wall beside Rainbow. “Ain't nobody gonna take me seriously if you're always makin' them sexual jokes!” she barked, but noticing the way her target merely scratched her ear and pouted her lip, she became more irate and flustered. “A-Are y'even payin' attention?!”

“Your lips are too tempting to resist gawking at, so yeah, I am,” Rainbow Dash spoke easily in a smooth voice, her eyes finally flashing up in all their electric allure. “But I think your protests have very little to do with what people think of you, and have a little more to do with what you think of you, am I right?”

“Beg pardon?” the quarterback furrowed her brow as the girl against the wall stood up straighter and smiled at her. “You tryn'a say somethin'?”

“You're afraid to admit it, but I excite you, don't I?” Rainbow murmured teasingly, reaching up and placing her finger under Applejack's chin, drawing her nearer. Applejack's eyes jumped over her face as Rainbow’s hand trailed down her neck, catching her breath still as she found her way to the farmer's chest. “I get your heart beating fast? Come on, you know it would be really, really good.”

“A-Ah never said that,” Applejack denied, despite the obvious heat in her cheeks and the likely noticeable pounding in her chest. She tensed her jaw and swallowed nervously, staring intently at her best friend who seemingly awaited a better response. “Rainbow Dash, it's not—”

Rainbow's suave smile broke open into a wide grin suddenly. “Got'cha.”

“You,” Applejack flinched to realize she had been duped, and her temper flared once more. “Y'little vixen!”

“You know it.” Her captain winked at her and stuck her tongue out, and again the quarterback felt a tightness in her chest she wanted to pursue.

“Ah dare you t'do that again,” Applejack's voice dropped lower as the challenge was issued.

Rainbow Dash was always a daring person, and too competitive to even let a joke of a challenge slip her by. So, even more obnoxiously than the first time, she stuck her tongue out between her and her quarterback. But before she could pull it back in, Applejack snatched it up between her fingers, holding it there in the grip between her thumb and index finger. For once Rainbow Dash felt somewhat ridiculous, standing there between a wall and her best friend with her tongue hanging out, captured.

She noticed it then, the attentive, compelled expression plaguing Applejack's face. Her gorgeous green eyes were fixed on Rainbow's lips, and it pleased her greatly. However, her tongue was cramping up, and she was growing rather tired of the farmer's lack of action.

“Ahpplethack?” Rainbow Dash spoke against her friend's fingers, saying her name as best as she could muster.

“Oh, sorry.” Applejack's eyes widened as she realized what she had been doing, and she instantly released her hold.

Rainbow Dash slapped her lips together once or twice as she tried to make her tongue feel comfortable in her mouth again. It was cooler than usual, from the air, but tingled and tickled constantly. With a knowing smile, Rainbow Dash pushed off the wall and got even closer to Applejack, who instinctively kept a precise inch or so back. Though their noses almost touched, it was their lips that Applejack was focused on.

“Don't be sorry,” Rainbow Dash told her, touching Applejack's hot cheek temptingly before skilfully slipping around the distracted farmer and passing her, trailing her finger across her chin and turning her head after her. “Just don't stop next time.”

“Don't stop what?” Applejack blinked obliviously as she watched her friend make a few steps of intentionally silent distance between them. Contorting her expression into confusion, she hurriedly followed after and asked again, “Don't stop what?!”

As Applejack just about caught up to her, Rainbow turned around abruptly and took her hand, yanking her another few steps faster. Applejack looked down at their clasped hands, feeling the heat in her fingers and the firm grip tugging her. The pair jogged back out onto the field, Rainbow Dash laughing all the while at Applejack’s frustrated and uncertain expression. By the time they reached the rest of the team, they were gathered up on one side of the field by the bleachers, listening to Mac and Shining.

Pulling a mask of innocence over her head and adjusting it correctly, Rainbow Dash stood up straight beside Big Mac, still holding the girl’s hand tightly in her own. Applejack clumsily managed to slip out of the hold and offered a sheepish smile to her brother, whose stoic expression merely watched silently. He knew Rainbow Dash was a rascal, but he trusted his sister to be able to handle herself.

“The first game since Mac and I started coaching is tomorrow,” Shining Armour continued on anyway. “We’ve made a lot of progress over these last few weeks, and I know it’s only going to get better from here.”

Spike went still as his older brother’s eyes fell on him, and he swallowed slowly. He greatly admired Shining Armour, and in his admiration he felt great shame, shame that he was nothing like the older boy. His fists balled up beside him, determination weaving through the cracks and wrinkles of his palms. If Shining Armour had faith in them, he needed to have faith in himself as well. Or else he would be nothing but more shameful.

“Everyone has already counted you out after what happened against the Wondercolts, no one thinks that you could possibly pull this off. But we know better.” Shining Armour looked around at the faces of his players, who still seemed uncertain. “Tomorrow night, we’re going to give them hell.”

“Right,” the team nodded firmly and expelled a loud affirmation.

“We’ve done great things on this field,” Shining Armour stepped forward, the grass beneath his feet bending and bowing. “These end zones, they belong to you. These goal posts, they mark the edges of your training grounds; they mark the height of your achievements. These painted lines, measurements of progress; frosting the tips of the grass that grows right right alongside us. Don’t forget that, this is your home. And tomorrow night, you defend it.”

Looking down at the grass beneath his feet, Spike remembered what Applejack had told him when they had shown up at the field uninvited. Several blades stuck out or curled under his shoe at varying lengths, each seeming such a slightly different hue than the last. Those very subtle differences, they became difficult to see again as the night sky wormed between each frayed edge and the anticipated game became present.

Shining Armour’s voice echoed faintly from practice the day before, this was his home. His shadow loomed over the flora now, the lights from above such a stark and heavy brightness it nearly blinded him to look anywhere else but at that familiar ground.

The cheering was deafening, the stands much fuller this time than the last. But again, the visitor’s crowd was larger than their own, having traveled all the way from Appleloosa. Spike slowly raised his head, seeing the many scattered red uniforms around him, each a player he resolved himself to notice. Casting a glance over at those stands he once had all to himself and shared only with two friends and a few beers, he could see her there. Just as she promised, Rarity was watching him.

“Yo, kicker,” Spike heard his position called. “Get over here and kick this fucking ball before I kick yours!”

No doubt it was Rainbow Dash who had called to him, and knowing best he nodded and followed his captain’s orders. It was the first play of the game, and this time it was up to him to kick the ball and start it. More confident in his own ability after his brother’s specific training, Spike broke into a sprint as he approached the line.

The cleated foot impacted the pigskin, launching it into the air. It was powerful, yet the control still lacked. It sailed ahead far and the receiving team’s speedy take off slowed down to accommodate the reach. Spike watched, his run slowing down significantly even though his team was still running full speed. His eyes were glued to the spinning football.

‘No, no, no, please no,’ he thought, biting his lip.

His fears came true as he watched what happened. The curve of the ball had caused it to land just half a foot outside the boundaries. The whistle of the referee helped drive home the one fact that played in his mind.

‘The promised time... and I screwed up.’

Drooping his head, he could hear Rainbow shouting at the top of her lungs random cuss words as her massive sprint slowed and she furiously kicked the turf. Spike could hear the groans of his teammates and when glancing over, he couldn’t even focus on her.

His eyes found Rarity but he could just see Felix a few rows behind her, laughing. What made it even worse was that Rarity was once again leaning as close as she could towards the field and Felix and his buddies were taking photos of her as well as a few others. He grit his teeth, not prepared for what happened next. A hand grabbed his jersey and yanked him over so he was faced with Rainbow Dash. The shorter girl was shouting, spitting as she chewed Spike out, yet he didn’t focus on them.

“What the hell was that!? After our supposed improvement, you go and fucked up our kick-off. I can’t believe I actually thought you were good,” Rainbow said bitterly, shoving Spike back as she released his jersey.

“Rainbow, stop that. You of all people should know that mistakes can be made,” Applejack said as she faced the girl, glancing over to see Spike walking away with a slouch.

“So fucking what? If you make mistakes, you get punished, plain and simple. Now we’re getting a penalty or some shit!” Rainbow stormed off, waiting for the opposing team to make their decisions.

The referee approached the captain as did Appleoosa’s captain. Applejack kept at Rainbow’s side for moral support and restraint if need be.

“Appleoosa’s choice; will you take the ball where it is, take it 25-yards back, or let the Manticores rekick 5-yards further from their last one?” the referee asked, holding the football.

“Well shoot, we’ll jus’ take it where it went out,” the lighter voice spoke, reminiscent of Applejack.

Said farmer stepped forward, her eyes widening as the voice clicked in her mind.

“Braeburn!?” she asked, trying to see through the boy’s guard.

“Hey, cous’,” he said, chipper voice booming as the referee handed him the ball.

Rainbow rolled her eyes, scoffing as she walked away from the would-be reunion. Applejack stepped forward and the two briefly shared a hug before separating, Braeburn walking backwards towards where his team was gathering.

“Heh, jus’ so y’know, this don’t mean we’ll take it easy on ya,” Applejack called, briefly cracking her knuckles.

“Ah hope that means ya won’t be hittin’ us with yer purses, then,” Braeburn replied with an audible chuckle.

With that, the two turned away and ran towards their gathering team with Rainbow already getting them riled up.

“Alright, Spike just now was an example of what not to do. Do the complete opposite and take ‘em down as if you wanna break their shins, got it!?” Rainbow shouted, slapping two of the Dumbbells on the back as they ran by towards their line.

“Right!” several voices cried out.

Spike merely let out a rough sigh as he shook his head, stepping forward as well. Applejack was about to go console him but Rainbow Dash grabbed her sleeve, yanking the farmer over much to her chagrin.

“C’mon, babe, we’ve got bones to break,” Rainbow said, grinning. “Except the one in my pants.” Applejack rolled her eyes as she turned herself towards Rainbow, removing her hand from the jersey. “Which will be in yours later.”

Applejack didn’t fight it, laughing with the rainbow-haired girl as they approached the line, Spike following behind. Rather than dwell on it, Applejack trusted Spike to pick himself up later on; she had seen what he could do in their practises.

Spike, running towards their line, spotted his teammates on all sides of the field. Scootaloo, Pipsqueak, the Dumbbells… all of them weren’t getting down on the kick, even if it wasn’t them who did it. It was merely the first action of the game and certainly not the last. Realizing this, he glanced back towards the bleachers and this time, he could focus.

“It’s only a failure if you don’t pick yourself up!” Rarity shouted, jogging down the sidelines.

Grinning, Spike took his spot on the end of the line as the players bent over, setting themselves up to start. Someone from the Appleoosa line held the ball as Braeburn called out numbers; Spike only realized what they meant after dumbly asking Rainbow one time. The instant the hut was called, Spike started running backwards to keep the wide receiver covered. It was a larger, more lanky boy similar to Featherweight; who was covering the other wide receiver while Rainbow was briefly struggling with the tight end, attempting to get through. As expected, the linemen on the Appleoosa team were struggling against Pipsqueak and the Dumbbells; not just because of the former’s strength, but the techniques they had picked up on. Firmly rooted, their legs were acting as support beams, the enemy team merely pushing their cleats further into the ground… yet there was something missing.

They were slowly crumbling from what Spike could tell; shaky legs and constantly adjusting their grip. Spike attempted to tackle the wide receiver, merely getting shoved back in response. While their offense was powerful, their defense was severely lacking.

Pipsqueak, although rooted and strong, found a hand grab his sleeve and the player he was blocking yank him down. The Dumbbells fell the same time he did, the Appleoosans doing the same tactic. Their defensive wall broke and Rainbow was caught off guard; her attention having been taken away, the tight end she was covering roughly ran in front of her as she turned, a hand shoving her to the ground. Landing on her back with a thud, Rainbow briefly let the pain flash through her before she rolled onto her front and shoved herself to her feet. She saw a blur shoot by and dart down the field and Rainbow briefly felt her competitive instincts kick in.

Pushing herself to her feet, Rainbow kicked off, her legs darting off fast. From where she was, she blasted by Rarity whom was close enough to feel the air move. Her eyes focusing on the target running ahead, she saw the letters and recognized whom she was chasing

“You’re dead, Strongheart!” Rainbow shouted, unable to fight a grin from reaching her face.

Rainbow heard a laugh in response and quickly, the distance closed between the two as they approached the Manticores’ end zone. Leaping into the air, Rainbow threw her arms around, squeezing the girl whom matched Rainbow in size, taking her down. They hit the turf and Rainbow rolled, still holding the girl until they stopped. Standing up, Rainbow saw Strongheart’s arms were still clenched to her chest… without a ball. She saw the grin on Little Strongheart’s face and Rainbow glanced to the left, spotting another player running by with the ball in his arms. He crossed into the end zone before Rainbow could process what occurred and grit her teeth as the horn blared, six-points going up under the “VISITORS” spot on the board.

Scowling briefly, her attention turned down to the girl that panted, staring up at Rainbow. Smiling against her will, Rainbow extended a hand and Strongheart took it. Rather than justify her friendliness, Rainbow violently yanked the girl to her feet much to Strongheart’s surprise. Turning away, Rainbow walked towards her line once more.

“I’d say the Manticores are dead, Dash,” she shouted as she jogged by Rainbow.

“I’d say your virginity is dead, but that implies good things,” Rainbow chortled, waving two middle fingers.

Strongheart let out numerous laughs as she returned to her line, the Buffalo preparing for the kick return. Rainbow’s eyes turned to their kicker, Spike, as he ran back to their line in preparation. Rainbow watched his gaze, following it to see Rarity cheering him on before her eyes widened slightly. She snickered, her attention returning to the enamoured Spike. With a shake of her head, she knew exactly what had got him motivated. It was like that.

Her urge to comment to Spike about the Appleoosan kicker faded, and she merely let him pass by as she briefly hid her grin until her back was turned. Spike took his spot and craned his neck, letting the words Rarity shouted just then sink in.

“Make the uniform proud!”

Adjusting his mouthguard, Spike stood his ground, glancing across to face the Buffalo player staring at him. He scowled at Spike before his expression softened, eyes focusing on Spike’s.

“Woah, cool eyes, man,” he said through the mouth guard.

Spike couldn’t fight the smile as the Buffalo player nodded his head, walking back to his team in preparation for the kickoff. Wasting no more time, the lines took their spots as the Buffalo prepared to kick. The referee blew the whistle and Spike darted forward as the Buffalo ran, their kicker launching the pigskin into the air. Spike knew who was going to try and catch it as did the rest of the team from the subtle signal Rainbow gestured. Running forward, he briefly glanced upward to see the ball fly overhead and as if telepathic, he could feel the excitement coming from the girl. Scootaloo snagged the ball and shot ahead as the two lines collided, but rather than go down, the Manticores’ line practically shattered the other, causing them to crumble as the Appleoosan’s now found themselves slightly overwhelmed. Spike rushed forwards and collided with a cornerback, wrapping his arms around him before tossing the boy to the ground.

Having taken someone down for once, Spike twirled a bit to face ahead and started running once more to take down a safety. Unfortunately, it was too late as the second safety, Little Strongheart, took off after Scootaloo. Spike still lunged forward as the first safety was overwhelmed by the chaos occurring to their team and Spike ran headfirst into one more player. Tumbling down, Spike prayed that Scootaloo made it.

Darting ahead, Scootaloo groaned slightly as she felt pain plague her mind. The ball clutched tightly, she grit her teeth against the mouthguard as she approached the endzone. She winced and looked down at her chest, which felt like it was on fire. She cursed herself for not wearing a bra today of all days.

Scootaloo glanced behind her only to see one of the safeties quickly catching up. While not faster than Rainbow Dash, Little Strongheart was still a match for Scootaloo, especially since she had not adorned all her protective equipment. Panicking, Scootaloo attempted to ignore the pain, hoping for the movie cliche of a sudden burst of energy to enable her to take off. Instead, she felt a hand slide over her hip and latch onto her abdomen. The body armour slid slightly yet Scootaloo felt her speed come to a sudden halt and she clutched the ball as tightly as she could while gravity did its work. Slamming into the ground, Scootaloo rolled onto her back and glanced up as Little Strongheart stumbled by, almost falling over along with Scootaloo. Scootaloo watched Strongheart round back towards her and smiled as the referee’s whistle went off. Extending a hand, Little Strongheart lifted Scootaloo up. much to her confusion.

“Let me give you a hand there,” Strongheart told her as the two clasped grips.

“Wait… Aren’t you supposed to hate me?” Scootaloo asked, still clutching the ball.

“No, no, just the team in general I guess. I can play favourites… plus, I’ve got plans for ‘motivating’ that girl Rainbow Dash to provide a real challenge for once,” Little Strongheart said as she glanced past Scootaloo, spotting the rainbow-haired girl in question as their eyes met across the field.

“Rainbow’s gonna win, no doubt,” Scootaloo said, turning and tossing the ball towards Dumbbell.

The awful throw sailed towards the left, hitting Pipsqueak in the head as the line approached where Scootaloo went down. After an apology, Scootaloo took her spot just between Pipsqueak and Spike as the players got set. Spike was faced with the boy who complimented his eyes as well as the boy he took down… or, Scootaloo was; Spike merely made him his personal target to let Scootaloo get by. Applejack was calling out plays, ones Spike could recognized. Eying the defense, Spike noticed a rather large boy, looking more like a 30-year-old man, stood amidst it all… and he looked similar to Pipsqueak in size.

The defense was different than the offense, Appleoosa having a big enough team to replace most players. Spike took in, finally, the size of the defense; all of the boys were far larger and all obviously of a different ethnic background compared to the relatively Caucasian offense. Each boy was pressing six and a half feet in height and were large, be it muscle or fat. Gulping, Spike took his spot and prepared to cover Scootaloo.

Applejack called the snap and the two lines collided. Scootaloo darted in one direction, avoiding her block and Spike lunged forward, latching the back of the boy’s shirt as he yanked, allowing Scootaloo to get a good distance ahead… only for one of the other players, Braeburn, to blindside her. Scootaloo couldn’t get a grunt out as she tumbled, rolling in the turf. Spike saw Braeburn turn towards him and he accidentally let the jersey of the boy he held go. He and Braeburn collided with the latter managing to catch Spike off guard, the two of them tumbling into the grass.

The linemen were having difficulty, the larger force of the Appleoosan’s not allowing for an opening. Gritting her teeth, Applejack was pondering whether or not she should let Rainbow carry it off before the line fumbled; Pipsqueak once more felt himself being grabbed by the sleeve yet he was ready, his hand latching onto the wrist. Instead, the Appleoosan defense used his shorter stature, leaning forward and setting a hand on Pipsqueak’s chest. Pushing up, the Buffalo lineman lifted Pipsqueak off the ground just enough for his cleats to lose their hold, and that was all it took.

Stumbling, Pipsqueak’s heals caught the turf and he tumbled over, keeping his grip on the Appleoosan as they tumbled down. The Appleoosan defense boy’s legs bumped into Dumbbell, distracting him enough for the rest of the line to crumble with Pipsqueak. Featherweight, unfortunately, got paired up with the largest of the Appleoosan defense and found himself being helplessly tossed aside and Applejack saw the boy darting towards her. Grunting and finding no opening, she opted to let Rainbow carry it off… but she was too far, and Apple Bloom couldn’t get through. Scoffing, Applejack spiked the football into the ground.

“Incomplete pass!” the referee shouted, blowing his whistle.

The boy charging her slowed to a halt as the Buffalo climbed off the Manticores offense and the Buffalo praised the opposing team, much to their confusion. Applejack watched as the defense helped her team to standing and apologized profusely for any injury. Shaking her head and huffing a laugh, Applejack looked over to Braeburn as he waved at her. Picking up the ball, Applejack gave the field a once over before tossing it to Dumbbell as he stretched his limbs.

“Al’right, y’all, they ain’t playin’ t’ crush us, but that doesn’t mean we have t’ let this get t’ us. We know one thing; our defense isn’t so hot and theirs is, meanin’ we’re at a disadvantage,” Applejack said as the group were setting up their line again.

“Meaning, you guys gotta go for their necks,” Rainbow shouted, cracking her back as she stood behind Applejack and Apple Bloom. “We’re at war, pussies. Sack up and crack skulls.”

“That ain’t—” Applejack tried to speak again, but the rest of the team cut her off.

“Yes ma’am!” They loudly agreed and clapped, going back to their positions.

Applejack grumbled in the back of her throat as she watched the others taking off. Picking her target, she reached out and slipped one finger into the rear collar of Rainbow Dash’s jersey, causing her to nearly choke herself as she kept walking. Whipping around with an irritable glare, Rainbow touched her hand to her tender throat and waited for Applejack’s explanation.

“‘scuse me, cap’in,” Applejack started as she leaned down to reach Rainbow’s height and stared blankly into her narrowed eyes. “But since when’re we th’ kinda team who plays t’ kill?”

“Since that Little Strongheart bitch pissed me off,” Rainbow argued sternly, not minding if the other team saw the feud. “Besides, their defence is as tight as your pussy, we have to be willing to step it up and take on the challenge.”

“Y’ever stop t’ think she’s just tryna get t’ you?” Applejack smirked as Rainbow Dash paused to consider it. “You’re a darn fine halfback, sugarcube, start actin’ like it. An’ try not t’ get carried away, will ya?”

“They’re making us look like weaklings out there, AJ, I for one am not going to stand for that.” Rainbow Dash pulled her quarterback to the line and lazily swung her own legs back to her place.

“That Dash girl has real potential,” Little Strongheart said to Braeburn, who made a concerned expression.

“‘tential f’ what?” he asked nervously, knowing what she probably meant by that.

“To actually give me a challenge,” she replied with a grin. “All she needs is a little motivation, just keep pounding on their team like I told you. That outta get her fired up.”

“Ah dunno, Strongheart, not everyone’s as c’mpetative as y’are, y’gotta be careful not t’ make enemies,” Braeburn tried to tell her gently.

“Come on, cowboy,” she roughly shoved him in the shoulder with a playful grin. “Don’t you want to give your cousin a run for her money?”

“Jus’ don’t hurt anybody this time,” he chuckled lightly and let the topic slip, getting back to his position.

Applejack peered over the backs of her linemen, almost jealous of the enemy’s intimidating defence. She was about to open her mouth and begin calling the count, but she heard a familiar, flirtatious whistle from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Apple Bloom put her hands up defensively and innocently, pointing to the halfback instead. She was not surprised by the usual quirkiness of her captain, but turning her attention to the rainbow-headed girl, her irritation turned to a blank stare. There was Rainbow Dash, winking at her and making a subtle spanking motion just a few feet behind Applejack.

“Try distractin’ th’ other team,” Applejack muttered in a grouchy tone.

“I am!” Rainbow beamed and continued the degrading motion.

Looking back in front of her, she noticed that menacing line of men all had their eyes on the thin, obnoxious girl. Applejack rolled her eyes at their lack of focus and proceeded to get on to calling the snap.

Rainbow Dash noticed the curious stare from Little Strongheart just past the line, who too was wondering what on Earth she was doing behind her quarterback. Rainbow Dash just kept at it as Applejack called the snap, and that gave Little Strongheart an idea.

“Hut,” was called at last, and just like that, Rainbow Dash took off.

Without a moment of hesitation, the brash captain ran right towards the scrimmage line, heedless of the dangers. Applejack gaped at her actions in shock, hoping for her sake she was not about to throw herself in there. The eyes of the defensive line were still caught on her, and she used that to her advantage. Taking off in a powerful leap, Rainbow Dash used one of her teammates as a springboard, putting her hands on his shoulders and pushing off to gain the additional height.

The entire field gawked at her in disbelief as she soared right over the line, landing hard on the turf behind the defence. The crowd was nearly silent in awe as Rainbow Dash looked over at Little Strongheart from under her shining visor, a daring grin crossed her face. However, using her team to propel her had softened their line, and they had to push harder to try and keep upright. That didn’t bother her of course, she knew Applejack could throw the ball before the line would crumble, and if she could keep Little Strongheart off the receivers it would be a clear shot.

“What th’ heck was that?! Are y’freakin’ crazy?!” Applejack’s voice called after Rainbow Dash and caught her attention. It also, however, caught Little Strongheart’s.

Sticking to her original plan, Little Strongheart took off towards the line at once, and Rainbow Dash immediately went to intercept her. Though surprised the safety did not choose to take off after the unguarded receivers, Rainbow Dash went after her anyway. She closed in to the safety, but just as she was about to get her hands on her, Little Strongheart ducked under the assault and evaded it entirely. Rainbow Dash fumed, but she hardly got the chance to try again, as the line fell apart in front of her and disrupted her.

As Little Strongheart closed in, Applejack caught sight of her before she could even get the chance to make the pass to the entirely open Featherweight. With her team tumbling towards her toes, she had no choice but to take the sack and move on. Little Strongheart was more than willing to oblige.

Applejack’s ears rang loudly as her helmet hit the ground, and her back stung and went stiff due to the shock. She hissed as she felt the football press hard against her chest, winding her. By the time she managed to find her breath, Little Strongheart had gotten back to her feet and was looking down at her almost worriedly. She was shoved suddenly out of the way and had to stumble to keep herself upright, noticing the now furious Rainbow Dash approach the quarterback. With a victorious smirk, Little Strongheart jogged back to her line once more.

“Hey cous’, y’okay?” Braeburns voice called over the sounds of groaning players getting to their feet.

Rainbow Dash leaned down and took Applejack by the arm, helping her up. From such close quarters, Applejack could easily see the frustration and regret that Rainbow hid behind a vengeful scowl. Applejack cleared her throat and groaned as she put her arm around her captain and met cleat to turf.

“Yea’, don’ worry ‘bout it,” Applejack waved over to him, though she could hardly face the boy.

“Sorry ‘bout that, Strongheart tends t’ get a mite c’mpetitive,” Braeburn nervously forced a laugh and shot a glare to the girl in question.

“Ah know th’ type,” Applejack said quieter, peeling the football off her as she finally stood up straight. Trying to lighten the mood, Applejack looked down at her chest. “Heavens t’ Betsy, Ah’munna have a bruise shaped like pigskin stitches.”

“That fucking does it,” Rainbow Dash glowered maniacally, her voice low. “Nobody touches my AJ.”

“Rainbow,” Applejack nearly whispered as her eyes softened on the clearly livid girl who still gripped her.

Rainbow Dash suddenly released Applejack and hung her head, heading back to her position for the next down. Spike was just gathering himself back up off the ground, but all the while his eyes were set on Applejack. He felt bad for her, just standing there all alone as Rainbow Dash got focused on the game rather than the way Applejack bent forward and bit back a wince. Applejack’s eyes shifted to him suddenly, and for a second they just looked at each other. Subtly, Applejack handed the ball back to Dumbbell and lightly balled up her fist, tapping it against her other palm. Spike’s eyes widened as he saw it, and immediately she turned back to the line without another movement.

Spike knew what that gesture meant, it meant she wanted him to catch. This was exactly what he had been training for, it was his moment to be the hero, and he did not want to let it go. But still, there was an uncertain feeling in his stomach, and his palms grew sweaty.

Applejack leaned back down behind the line and breathed slowly as her pain began to subside. She looked back at Rainbow Dash then, and said girl froze under the attention. She expected some kind of scorn, some stern talking to or something, but that did not come. With a warm smile, Applejack spoke quietly to her captain.

“Honey, take him up there, will ya?” she asked pleasantly, and as anticipated, both Rainbow Dash and Apple Bloom heard this, and knew exactly what she meant by it.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash nodded understandingly, feeling all fuzzy as Applejack’s smile was crafted solely for her. “Anything you need, baby.”

Rainbow cast a wink back at her quarterback, who chuckled to see her usual carefree nature return. Turning back to the game, Applejack brought her fingers to her lips and licked them lightly, blushing as she remembered Rainbow Dash’s comment about it. Clearing her throat once more, she called for the snap.

She easily stopped the ball in her hands and backed up for the throw, waiting for her target while watching her own peripherals for another sack. As he heard the snap go out, Spike darted forwards, surprising the boy who had been covering him. Before said boy could man up and stop Spike, somebody else knocked him right to the ground with little effort. As Spike took off down the field, he looked back to see Apple Bloom prying herself off the boy, flashing Spike a thumbs-up.

As he peered back, he noticed Rainbow Dash following him up the side of the field. With the decrease in number of players to block for her, Applejack hardly had the time to let Spike take a good lead. Thus, her throw rocketed out of the mess of players and soared towards him right as the line fell apart around her. Spike had to hasten his step to catch up to the throw, but he managed to get under it just in time and snag it successfully.

The crowd roared as he tucked the ball under his arm, and the burst of motivation and adrenaline had his feet moving faster than he could feel. He noticed an enemy player, Strongheart, gaining on him from the side and cast her a look or two, measuring the distance between them and the incredible speed she possessed, knowing he could not outrun her in time. Though the sound of running initially scared him, he realized that Rainbow Dash was still close behind him and she easily pulled ahead.

“Watch your feet, kid,” Rainbow Dash told him as Little Strongheart came up against them.

Before Spike could ask her intentions, Rainbow Dash snatched Little Strongheart by the shoulders and easily shoved her out of the way, using her own speedy momentum against her. She was right to warn him, as using her forward momentum put the downed Strongheart right in Spike’s path. Without thinking, he skillfully leapt clean over her body, landing clumsily on the other side before finding his step and taking it down the field.

Spike blinked in surprise at his own action but kept moving towards the end zone, only looking back to make certain Little Strongheart was not getting back up. It had hardly taken him a second to judge and anticipate the best maneuver of his own feet to make the jump, and his body listened well to the keen observations of his astounding eyes. Amazed at his own agility, which must have come from all that training, he kept going until his eager feet stepped across the final line.

He turned around to face him team, who were all celebrating and hooting about it. An astounded and open-mouthed smile crossed his lips despite his heavy breathing and the pounding in his chest. He pulled the ball out from under his arm and stared at it, in all its simple glory. Overwhelmed with a sense of victory, he thrust the ball up into the air and held it for all the crowd to see, whose cheering roared louder.

‘I did it, I actually did it,’ Spike thought as his smile melted wider under the glow of the overhead lights.

He glanced back out at the stands, and everyone’s eyes were on him. He could see Twilight, Shining Armour, his parents, Felix (who looked less than enthusiastic), his friends, and her. Sharing the proud smile, Rarity stood up, clapping her hands for him. Everybody out there in the stands, everybody who stood with him on the field, they could all see him; for once in his life... they looked.

Rainbow Dash grinned to see Spike’s victory march, which was much tamer than hers usually were. She snickered a bit as Little Strongheart rolled onto her front and got to her hands and knees, shaking her head about. Rainbow might have opted to help her up, but after seeing the hit she gave Applejack, she was less than inclined to do so. Besides, her rival was already getting herself back up and didn’t need the help.

“There’s a lot more where that came from,” Rainbow Dash smugly smirked and turned away, leaving the girl with that.

And that was the truth. With such an early score, the Manticores began to feel like they were not entirely outmatched, that they could hold their own against these foes. Spike’s kick was much better than his first one, and he got to pound fists with almost everyone on his team as another point was scored with it.

Despite their lack of particularly adequate defence, the Manticores managed to keep neck-and-neck with the Buffalo on the scoreboard. Braeburn and Applejack had their work cut out for them in trying to keep Little Strongheart and Rainbow Dash from killing each other, while Spike was exhausting himself keeping up with the linemen when they had to hold off the impressive enemy defence.

By the beginning of the third quarter, the Buffalo were in the lead with 20 to 14. After a short break for halftime, the teams were once again joining each other on the field. Spike was more than ready to get back out there, especially after having received glowing praise from his older brother on the sidelines. Even from the field, he could hear Pinkie Pie squealing in excitement and probably deafening the girls around her, one of which was his much more reserved sister and another, the girl of his dreams. He couldn’t keep from looking out there to fuel up on confidence, which came from seeing their smiling and proud faces accompanying zealous waves.

Spike flinched as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to see the warm smile of Applejack. He hadn’t gotten much of a chance to talk to her as she was kept rather busy with Rainbow Dash, but her supportive looks seemed to usually be enough. He turned to face her, expecting some commands about plays or positions.

“Keep up th’ good work, Spike, an’ we might jus’ win this one,” she told him in a pleasant tone, something that came off as very different than the way she usually spoke on the field.

“Uh, right,” Spike nodded firmly like it was a direct command, and Applejack merely laughed lightly at the prospect.

“We sure were lucky y’signed up this year,” she went on, looking out at the other players. “Last year we didn’t do s’darn dandy, didn’t even have ‘nough players t’ qualify for th’ tournament ‘til it was too late.”

“Really?” Spike asked curiously.

“Yea’, RD scared ‘em all away an’ spent the rest o’ the year writin’ up plays an’ makin’ me toss footballs ‘til m’ arm went sour,” she chuckled and patted Spike twice more. “Ah’ll admit, this sure is more fun.”

“I’m having a pretty good time,” Spike agreed, sharing a smile of his own.

“Ah’m glad, an’ it ain’t over yet, s’keep givin’ it your all, y’hear?” Applejack playfully shoved him and started walking off.

“Yes ma’am,” Spike replied formally.

Spike watched her leave out of the corner of his eye, accepting the little chat as something of praise. It seemed so sudden to him, joining the football team, getting actually pretty good at the game, earning friends and now, confidence. He smiled to think of it, looking back over at the scoreboard.

“Heya, cous’!” Spike moved out of the way as Braeburn jogged past him to go over to Applejack.

“Oh, Braeburn, how y’all doin?” Applejack turned around and greeted him again.

“Well, it’s lookin’ pretty good from m’ side o’ the field,” he grinned, nodding to the scoreboard.

“Don’ you go gettin’ all cocky on me too, Ah got ‘nough’a that t’ handle,” Applejack gestured behind her at Rainbow Dash, who was talking to a few of the players sternly and having a drink.

“Ah sure hear ya, cous’,” Braeburn sighed loudly, looking back at his own teammate, who seemed more than eager to get back to the carnage. “When Ah first joined th’ team, Strongheart made m’ race ‘er ‘round the track five times, an’ even wrestled me t’ th’ ground.”

“Yea’,” Applejack chuckled and dropped her voice into a murmur that she wasn’t sure she wanted Braeburn to hear. “When Ah joined, Dash wanted t’ see just how good Ah was with m’ hands, and tried t’ put ‘em down her pants.”

“Pardon?” Braeburn furrowed his brow questioningly, and Applejack just nervously coughed and forced the subject away.

“Never you mind, y’best be gettin’ back t’ your side, else it ain’t gonna be a challenge when we run another few touchdowns past ya,” Applejack grinned and started back to her team.

“Now who’s cocky?” Braeburn laughed and let her be.

It was the Buffalo’s ball, and the Manticores set up for defence. Rainbow Dash stood at the far side of the line, casually cracking her neck and back like she was bored. In front of her, Little Strongheart took her place as tight end. Applejack watched the two carefully from her position as strong safety, moving a few steps closer in case Rainbow needed assistance. Even from the second farthest position from the line, the farthest being Scootaloo due to the speed and lack of size akin to being anywhere near the line, Applejack could hear her cousin calling numbers to distract from the snap.

The lines collided once more as Braeburn took the ball from his centre, holding it back for a throw. The Buffalo’s fullback had taken to hitting the same side of the line as Rainbow, and with the added resistance, she had a hard time covering it. Her protective instincts setting in, Applejack quickly glanced at Scootaloo to be sure she was ready to take on the receivers, and finding her already eying one that closed in on her, Applejack went to Rainbow’s aid.

Spike noticed the lack of support behind the line immediately, and over the shoulder of the tackle he noticed Featherweight struggle to guard the receiver on his side. The defensive end beside him pushed hard on the tackle and grit her teeth, casting a strained glare at Spike.

“Get gone, partner,” it was Apple Bloom who spoke to him as she firmly held the man before her. “Ah’ll hold.”

Spike didn’t even get the chance to nod as Featherweight lost control of the receiver, who took off. Turning on a dime, Spike went after the enemy as fast as his now more toned legs could carry him. Even over the sound of the whistling wind screeching between his helmet and his ears, Spike could hear her cheering for him, and it drove him on.

He caught up easily to the receiver, who had not anticipated him to break after him. Scootaloo was just behind him, keeping a close distance and a careful eye on the rest of the line. As the enemy turned around to catch the toss, which Spike had been too distracted to even watch for, Spike glanced above and leapt off the ground. His height provided him with just enough advantage to tip the ball out of the receiver’s hands, knocking it through the air. But before it twisted and tumbled to the ground, Scootaloo snatched it clean out of the arc and broke into a sprint in the opposite direction.

Spike hit the ground again and turned at once to knock the potential receiver flat onto their rear. By the time he turned around to look, Scootaloo was well on her way back to the line with the ball held tight in her arms. Squeezing the pigskin against her chest to lessen the pain she felt while running unprotected, she managed to increase her speed.

Apple Bloom glanced over her shoulder when she heard the cheering and caught sight of her childhood friend. The tackle she was holding made to shake her loose, but more than willing to protect her smaller friend, she threw both arms around him and tripped him over her leg. Scootaloo had no trouble avoiding the line since they were all otherwise occupied, but by then the Buffalo’s quarterback, namely Braeburn, had noticed the approach and was on his way to intercept.

Noticing Braeburn’s path easily, Apple Bloom took off to take him out and defend the much smaller girl just on her heels. Braeburn was surprised at her sudden attack, and tried to dodge out of the way, but could not escape Apple Bloom’s iron grip once she got a hold on him. As Scootaloo skimmed their interchange, narrowly escaping the tackle, Apple Bloom dropped her cousin to the ground in one heavy, rough motion. The two fell together onto the turf with groans and thuds.

“Shoot, you’re playin’ too, little cous’?” Braeburn asked incredulously as he crawled out from under her. “When’d you get s’darn scary, Apple Bloom? Ah ‘member when y’all had t’ sit on AJ’s shoulders t’ reach th’ soup stock.”

“Ah ain’t no little girl no more. First th’ soup stock, then th’ world!” she giggled as Scootaloo made it across the final line.

Another horn blew out as the touchdown was scored for the Manticores, and Scootaloo threw the ball lazily over her shoulder and gestured for the crowd to shout louder for her. The teams broke apart to celebrate or brood amongst themselves, while Scootaloo made her way back to the field goal line to wait for Spike’s kick. As she came up to the rest of the team, she was greeted with hard slaps and compliments, which she gladly accepted.

“Looks like I’m not the only one you have to look out for!” Rainbow Dash shouted across the field to Little Strongheart, who glared a bit but ultimately looked more determined than upset about it. “Sweet rush, squirt, you’re like a little me in the making.”

“Thanks!” Scootaloo grinned as Rainbow Dash roughly knocked on her helmet, passing her on the way to her place.

“Nice catch,” Spike smiled as he came up beside her, and she casually crossed her arms behind her head.

“I really am, aren’t I?” Scootaloo winked through her visor and made a playful face, causing Spike to chortle a bit before he was up to kick.

Another successful kick put the Manticores in the lead with 21 to 20. By now, Spike had begun to feel invincible, having scored three kicks and a touchdown to himself.

The Buffalo hardly got a chance to hold the ball at all, as after a quick four downs they had not even come close to making it ten yards. Pipsqueak had much to do with that, almost single-handedly holding the line so that the outside linebackers could focus their attention elsewhere. Besides, the last snatched pass that turned into a touchdown had dissuaded Braeburn from going for long throws for a while.

Most of the third quarter was distinguished by the ball constantly switching hands and making it most of the way down either end of the field before swapping back. There were few penalties and fewer attempts to punt the ball to relinquish control, all in all, it was a safely-played quarter. As the fourth rolled around and the game remained neck in neck, the teams were getting antsy. Needless to say, that did not sit well with players like Rainbow Dash.

A quick huddle marked the beginning of the Manticore’s possession of the ball, and Applejack peered over the heads of her team mates to size up the enemies. While she was distracted, Rainbow Dash slipped right up beside her and began talking to the players herself.

“Alright bitches, we’ve still just got one, single damn point on these fuckers, that is not good enough for me,” she spat aggressively. “If we want to blow them out of the freaking kiddy pool, we gotta bring out the big guns.”

“Don’t even think ‘bout mentionin’ somethin’ ‘bout th’ one in your pants,” Applejack muttered absently as she got back into the huddle.

“Seems like you’re thinking about it enough for the both of us,” A grin crept across Rainbow’s face. “‘kay, where’s mini Dash?” Rainbow looked around for Scootaloo, trying to think up a better name for the kid, “Half Dash? Oh, what’s that thingy called…? Hymen?”

“Hyphen,” Applejack hurriedly corrected her.

“Whatever, like there’s a difference,” Rainbow brushed it off even when Applejack covered her face in embarrassment for her oblivious best friend. “Anyway, squirt, you think you can play receiver?”

“I already play receiver,” Scootaloo responded promptly, just as completely obliviously.

“No, I said play receiver, as in pretend, as in make believe, as in, you know, that play we practised?” Rainbow tried to make gestures so she might understand, but Scootaloo nodded over and over like it might have gotten through to her.

“Oh, right! Yeah, I remember!” Scootaloo agreed eagerly while bouncing up and down, but Rainbow Dash shushed her.

“Jeez, so much for a poker face,” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Just do it like we practised and don’t let on that anything’s amiss. We’ll screw those pussies in one down. Speaking of which...” She turned with a suggestive smirk towards Applejack.

“Dream on.” Applejack pushed her away dully, knowing exactly where she was going with that, as the huddle broke and the players returned to the line. “Heya, Dash?”

“Giving my offer a second thought?” Rainbow Dash asked breezily.

“Y’think this play’a yours’ll work?” Applejack wondered as she glanced over at the shorter girl.

“Course baby, I wouldn’t let you down,” Rainbow patted Applejack on the lower back as she let her go up ahead. “And you never answered me about that second thought!”

Applejack shook her head with a laugh as she got to the line and set up behind the centre, leaving Rainbow Dash hanging. Scootaloo breathed a long and heavy breath as she readied herself for a good performance, teetering her weight from one foot to the other. The field got quiet once again, but over the buzzing crowd, Applejack called for the snap.

The ball hit her hands and she hardly hesitated to fall into her familiar passing stance. Applejack leaned back, holding her throwing arm behind her head and aiming the throw towards her now sprinting receiver, Scootaloo. Braeburn caught sight of her setting up and immediately took off after the small girl, knowing he would need a good start to catch up to her. Little Strongheart saw this out of the corner of her eye and quickly glanced at the Manticore's quarterback, catching the same tell as Braeburn. Knowing she was much faster than the boy, Little Strongheart went after, noticing the lead Scootaloo was gaining.

Applejack readied to throw as she saw Scootaloo's advantage. However, at the last second, she pulled her arm farther back and dropped the ball behind her back: right into Rainbow Dash's expectant hands. Taking off like a bullet, Rainbow Dash rushed around the opposite side of the line from where Scootaloo had taken the attention. Kicking up some grass from the turf with the power of her cleats, she rounded the line and charged down the field almost completely unopposed.

Checking the skies above her for the supposed incoming projectile, Scootaloo proceeded to turn her body like she was anticipating a catch. Little Strongheart was right on her tail, and Braeburn was not too far behind, though losing ground. He checked over his shoulder to try and see the ball, but noticed too late that the air was free of any pass. His eyes darted around to try and find what happened, squinting to see the line still holding tight. He froze stiff as wind raced past him, blowing his jersey and hair about from under his helmet. Slowly, he turned around with an incredulous stare, flabbergasted at the sheer speed that the runningback had passed him with.

Little Strongheart grew uncertain as the pass never came in, and as she was about to turn and look for it, Scootaloo nearly stopped dead in her tracks. Catching the safety off guard, she proceeded to close the distance entirely and latch her arms around Little Strongheart. However, Little Strongheart was no pushover, and managed to wriggle out of the hold. Hearing the fast, pounding footsteps approaching her, Little Strongheart immediately set her sights on Rainbow Dash.

The two rivals hit breakneck speeds as the distance between them and the end zone neared, but since Little Strongheart was already ahead of Rainbow Dash, it seemed nearly impossible to get past her. But Rainbow Dash was never the type to give up or back down, so just as daring as ever, she sprinted right for the end zone regardless of the obstacle. Little Strongheart fell into step at the same yard line as Rainbow and pushed herself to make it before they reached the end.

With a hopeful leap, Little Strongheart got her hands around Rainbow Dash and tried to push her down. Rainbow slammed her foot into the hard ground to keep herself upright and managed another few steps before she was thrown down in a tumbling mess. She kept the ball inside both of her arms, even as her body hit the ground and her helmet fell off in the tackle. Little Strongheart, using so much force, fell to the grass in the opposite direction of Rainbow Dash, their rolling bodies gaping distance between them.

Vaguely hearing a loud horn blow, Rainbow Dash rolled her head to the side and noticed the end zone several yards away from her, and slammed her eyes shut in disappointment and frustration. Feeling the grass in her hair, Rainbow Dash glared dully at the stupid sky above her, angry at everything. As she pulled herself up, she looked around for her helmet. She saw it several feet away, in the opposite direction of the line marking the end zone. As she groaned and got herself to her feet, she noticed that beyond that was the goal post, and the fence.

She wasn't several yards away from the end zone, she was several yards past it.

The cheering crowd finally hit her, and she looked over to see them all waving their hands and holding up her colours. She glanced up at the scoreboard just in time to see the 'HOME' score flip over, providing the Manticores with a greater lead. Feeling pride swelling up inside her, she bit back a loud laugh and a beaming grin.

Rainbow bent down and scooped her helmet up off the turf with a swing of her arm, letting her freed hair blow about as she stood up to her usual humble height. Before she got a chance to put the protective equipment back on, Applejack came right on up to her with a great big smile. Though her breath was shallow after the short jog, she spoke to her rainbow-headed captain admiringly.

“You're amazin',” Applejack said in a heavy breath as she shook her head back and forth.

“Damn right I am,” Rainbow Dash flipped her hair out of her face, but was caught off guard as Applejack came even closer and her smile spread into a wide grin.

“Oh, Ah could jus' kiss you right now,” Applejack took hold of Rainbow Dash by the shoulders and squeezed, her bright and excited eyes darting between the captain's.

“I'm not stopping you,” Rainbow eagerly stepped closer and mixed the crimsons of their uniforms, her daring eyes flashing up at the freckled girl.

Applejack's mouth hung barely open as she tried to think up some excuse or retort, but nothing came. Rainbow Dash waited patiently, for once, as her friend nervously forced a laugh and avoided eye contact. Still pleased by the captain's play, Applejack decided not to just shove her off for once. She wrapped her hand behind Rainbow's head, feeling the cool wind in her hair, and pulled her forward. Her helmet tapped Rainbow's forehead lightly above the visor just once before Applejack released her, and a couple playful nudges were exchanged.

“You're off the hook, for now.” Rainbow Dash winked at the farmer and blew her a kiss. “But I won't let you go so easy next time.”

“Ah like it better hard, any who,” Applejack muttered with a smirk, while Rainbow grinned, nodded and shook her finger approvingly.

“See? You're just as perverted as me, only you hide it well,” Rainbow walked backwards as Applejack followed her, but as she neared, Rainbow got an idea and reached out. Feeding the tips of her fingers into the bars of the mask, she pulled the farmer close again. “I just have to dig a little bit deeper.”

Rainbow's voice was an alluring hush as she leaned in. Applejack's wide eyes focused on the fingers mere inches from her face, the index and middle fingers specifically, as Rainbow spread them apart on the bars into something reminiscent of a 'V' shape. With a tauntingly slow move, she dragged her tongue between her fingers, slipping it into the wide space between the protective bars of Applejack's mask. The lick left thin, invisible lines of saliva along her own fingers, and left Applejack completely dumbstruck.

She grinned deviously as she released the gripping hold she had on her friend and turned off, going back to the rest of the team and leaving the quarterback standing utterly still with shock. Swallowing the odd curiosity that arose within her, Applejack shook the incessant imagery out of her head and jogged back to her place.

It would not have mattered if Spike had missed the last kick, though he didn’t, considering the Buffalo could not get close enough to imagine another touchdown until the clock ran right out. While their defence was intimidating, the Buffalos’ offence was manageable, and their morale had dropped enough to be completely overcome by the Manticore’s newfound confidence.

The score settled at 28-20 in the Manticore’s favour, sealing their first victory into the books.

Expectedly, the group ran together, hugging each other for their first victory. Rainbow Dash leapt into the air and landed practically on top of the huddle, unable to control the grin on her face as she let out a holler, celebrating their victory. Spike didn’t partake in the group hug, idly walking towards the sidelines. The attention was enough for him and he looked over to go see his friends and her. Pinkie Pie was frantically tugging at the back of her shirt while pointing right behind Spike. Raising an eyebrow, Spike slowly turned, only to feel a hand grab the back of his jersey and yank him back.

“Hey, asshole, you’re one of the reasons we won today. Get in the fuckin’ group hug, bub,” Rainbow shouted, giving him a hard enough tug that he stumbled back only for Rainbow to wrap an arm around his head as she dragged him back.

“Wowie, Dashie sure is brash and mean and rough, but at least Spikey’s getting involved,” Pinkie said, giggling.

Twilight rolled her eyes, holding a video recorder as she caught Spike on film. She had gotten the entire game and, with persuasion from Rarity, focused mostly on Spike. Rarity resisted the urge to go out onto the field to congratulate Spike, her eyes on him most of the game. Instead, she stood there, smiling as he revelled in his victory.

“I thought he was just joining for the sake of joining. I didn’t know our boy was this good,” Spike and Twilight’s mother said.

“Wait, you didn’t believe me?” Shining asked with a scrunched up face.

“It’s not that, but Spike has always been a bit—” Their father paused, drawing the attention of the others in the group. Twilight knew what he was implying, as did the rest, yet their father had never said anything before. “Disinterested in sports,” Twilight’s father finished, attempting to keep face.

“Yeah, I understand, dad,” Twilight said, making sure her thumb was over the camera mic. Looking down at the screen, it was still facing a smiling Spike, and whatever sadness she felt was replaced with happiness. Smiling as well, she looked up to see him look naturally a part of the group. “But he’s changing for the better, so don’t get left behind thinking about who he was.”

On the field, the hug finally dissolved and Spike strode to the sidelines, keeping an eye out for her. As he left the field, he stopped to scan the bleachers, having forgotten where Rarity was in the heat of the moment. A gentle tug on his sleeve caused him to turn to the right, only for his heart to stop.

“Congratulations, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity told him, stepping forward and giving him a hug. “I knew you had it in you.”

Spike was still facing down at where Rarity was and his arms robotically moved before wrapping around Rarity. His face heated up and once more, he allowed himself to sniff the perfume she wore as he closed his eyes, enjoying the brief moment.

“Angel Liqueur de Parfum, if I’m not mistaken,” Spike said, recognizing the pricey perfume Rarity had put on.

“W-what? Oh my, how did you guess that?” Rarity asked, leaning back and stared up at Spike.

“Just a hunch,” Spike responded as his hug loosened and the two parted, only their hands resting on the other.

He let his mouthguard fall out, dangling from the face mask as he loosened the strap before removing it entirely, setting it on the Manticores’ bench. He faced Rarity once more as the rest of his friends pooled onto the sidelines, the team just preparing for the handshakes. A quick glance up, he saw his parents smiling and, to his amusement, Felix attempting to toss an empty can into a nearby trashbin only for it to bounce off and have residue liquids hit his eye. Looking back to Rarity, she removed her hands from his sides and their eyes met. Spike took a gulp, eyes unable to focus on anyone else… so it came as a huge surprise to him yet again when their team captain yanked him out onto the field, Spike’s cleats catching the ground causing him to skip rather than slide against the grass.

“Fuck later, we’ve gotta go rub in our victory,” Rainbow shouted as Spike was haplessly tossed into the lineup.

“We ain’t rubbin’ in nothin’, Rainbow,” Applejack chastised, lightly scowling over her shoulder at Rainbow.

“I’ll be rubbing something into my face later, babe,” Rainbow retorted, grinning as she stepped closer to Applejack, her hands motioning towards the farmer’s lower region.

“Mhmm, sure,” Applejack didn’t bother looking at her, rolling her eyes sarcastically as she kept on walking.

Unfortunately for the captain, Apple Bloom stepped between Rainbow and Applejack obliviously, Scootaloo right behind her. Grunting, Rainbow folded her arms and growled lightly.

“Stupid kids, cockblocking Rainbow Dash,” she muttered, averting her eyes from Applejack’s now grinning face.

Spike started walking, Pipsqueak right behind him acting as the back of the line. Glancing up, he saw the Buffalo taking their loss well, smiling and complementing the Manticores. Of course, Rainbow wasn’t conventionally complimenting them as she fist-bumped each member.

“Close but you can’t handle me. Sorry, you’re the ones that challenged Rainbow Dash. Maybe next time, Buffabros.” Rainbow merely got another eyeroll from Applejack as they finished the handshakes.

Spike was initially nervous about the handshakes, yet confident after their victory, aided by his efforts. He was even more surprised to hear genuine praise from his enemy. For once in his life, he was hearing a plethora of compliments swarming in, and they weren’t forced like ones you’d hear from a teacher or counsellor.

“Great game out there.”

“Nice tackle back then.”

“Woah, wicked eyes, bro.”

"Fuckin' love dragons."

Spike couldn’t even respond as he felt himself at a loss for words, grinning uncontrollably as he high-fived the last of the Buffalo. Even after they were done, Rainbow and Little Strongheart still had words to say; Spike ignored it entirely in favour of what would most likely be a more civil chat between Applejack and Braeburn.

“That was pretty fun, cous’,” Braeburn admitted graciously. “If it wasn’t f’ that fluke your tight end had an’ yer captain, we would have had this in th’ end.”

“Believe me when Ah say we almost lost it halfway in there,” Applejack humbly agreed, patting her cousin on the shoulder.

They both turned along with Spike as a shout got their attention.

“Bullshit, there is no alternate scenario, no universe where you would have beaten us, Strongheart!” Rainbow shouted, being held back easily by Pipsqueak.

“There is where I beat your stupid face in, Dash!” the loud-mouth for the Appleoosan Buffalo shouted.

Little Strongheart was held back easily by what one could call the Appleoosan equivalent to Pipsqueak. Both larger boys looked away from the scene, embarrassed as each of the two most aggressive players threw off their helmets, swatting at each other.

“Well, Ah should prob’ly break this up b’fore we wind up disqualified… ‘gain,” Applejack spoke in a sigh, glancing down as she hid her reddening face.

“True that, cousin,” Braeburn said, chuckling.

With that, the two cousins shared a hug yet again, congratulating each other on the hard-fought game before they waltzed off to stop what would be a brutal double homicide from occurring. Spike walked back to the Manticores bench, fetching his helmet as he sauntered off, holding his head high as he made his way towards the showers to clean himself off.

Light footsteps sounded behind him; high heels clacking against the pavement. Spike recognized the sound of that anywhere and spun around to see Rarity following him with a small grin on her face.

“Rarity, aren’t you gonna stay with the others?” Spike asked, feeling his heartbeat quicken once more.

“And let you run off all by your lonesome? Puh-leeze, Spikey, you forget who I am,” she mused, slowly approaching Spike. “You don’t have to go to the showers right now. Stay and bask in the glory. The victory was well-earned.”

Spike shrugged, turning away as he faced the ground, finding a crack to gaze at. “It’s not about glory for me. I just don’t wanna be a loser anymore… and you and my other friends, you all graduate this year. So I’ll be alone.”

Rarity approached him and gently placed her hand on his cheek, making Spike’s eyes meet her own. She had a stern face and lightly patted his cheek, causing him to blink once.

“You will never be alone, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity spoke softly, her thumb gently caressing his cheek. “And even when we leave, you’ll have the friends you made now. And even when we do leave—” Once more, she looked up and her blue eyes locked onto Spike’s. “You’ll have me. I’ll always be here.”

Spike’s heartbeat was threatening to jump out of his chest once again, and after riding a wave of confidence, his right hand leaned up and he let his fingers softly press against the back of her head, soliciting a shiver from Rarity as her eyes briefly closed. Gently, Spike pulled Rarity’s head closer as he leaned forward. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to fantasize briefly for one moment what it’d feel like as well as a chance to wonder if that moment was truly happening.

As their lips met, all of his fantasies faded from existence, not even coming close to how it felt. His heartbeat seemed to stop and his mind went blank as his lips pressed against ruby softness. The scent of her perfume was clear to his nose; the taste of her lips was clear to his mouth. She stepped forward, arching her back so she could be closer. Spike dropped his helmet, letting it roll onto the grass as his now-free hand wrapped around her waist, holding onto her tightly.

After several seconds, he parted briefly and she simply stared up at Spike’s face, cheeks flushed and panting lightly. Spike’s eyes widened as he realized what happened, yet he was too surprised stiff by his own actions to move from his position. Rarity giggled as she stared in wonder.

“You do have impressive eyes… I’d say you aren’t an iguana. You’re a dragon,” Rarity told him, giggling as she continued to caress his cheek.

Spike gulped as he stepped back and continued to stare at her, smiling as he realized what just occurred.

“Thi-this isn’t just because I’m a star, is it?” Spike asked, giggling as he rejected the thought immediately.

“This is because of a promise made by a sweet little boy years ago… a boy who always promised to protect me, no matter what,” Rarity whispered softly.

“Wait, you actually remember that?” Spike inquired in shock, chuckling in disbelief.

“And stay out!” the boy shouted, his voice cracking as he sniffled back a bit of snot and blood, eyes watering. He turned to face the girl as she laid on the ground, crying and holding her wrist. “Are you okay?” the boy asked, sniffling.

“M-my w-wrist h-h-hurts,” she cried out, rubbing the red area.

“I should have ran faster. Those bullies are morons,” the boy said, helping the girl to her feet.

“I-it’s o-okay, m-my wrist i-is only s-swollen,” the girl said, sniffling yet again as she tried to work her words out.

She glanced up to face the boy and seemed amazed by how he looked. Her sniffling and crying stopped as she mouthed a “woah”.

“W-what is it?” the boy asked.

“Your e-eyes are… cool, and y-you’re bl-bleeding! You’re bleeding, b-but you aren’t crying,” she praised in her high voice, the focus on her wrist vanishing.

“I c-can’t cry, I’m a boy.” Glancing over to where the three boys ran off, Spike briefly turned back to the girl and sniffled once before attempting to smile. “They won’t bother you again, and if they do, I will protect you.”

“W-why?”

“You said it yourself: I have special eyes. I’m an iguana or something, and you noticed them in a way unlike all the others,” the boy said, grinning as he felt proud in his childish line.

“Iguana? What’s that? I thought you were a cat or… a dragon, or something,” the girl wondered, tilting her head.

“Dragon… I like the sound of that.”

“I always remembered that, and that’s why I want to be there for you now.” Rarity leaned in closer, planting a kiss on Spike’s cheek, causing the boy to shiver. “Because you were there for me.”

Spike’s lips trembled as he smiled once more. “I always looked for you, and I always felt the urge to keep going when I saw you cheering for me.” This time, he planted a kiss on her forehead. Pulling back, their eyes met again. “I just… this is like so many fantasies and wishes coming true, it’s almost surreal, like a dream.”

“Please don’t say something cliche, this is nothing like your fantasies,” Rarity said, giggling as she gently ran her hands up and down Spike’s back.

“I don’t think I have any fantasies anymore.” Spike let out a laugh, his heartbeat calming down slowly. “Thank you for cheering me on. It really helped.”

“Don’t thank me, Spikey-wikey. It was all you in the end. You just needed a little motivation, that’s all.”

Spike’s eyes were glued to her lips, and her eyes, and her hair as she spoke. He had memorized each curve, each curl, each lipstick colour she wore and the type of makeup she applied. He had learned, through years of watching, what she had worn and yet… all that he knew was gone from his head as if this was his first time meeting the girl he loved. As if he was meeting and seeing the beauty for the first time, and Spike simply chuckled in response.

“I’ll thank you this one time, alright?” he asked with a playful tilt of his head.

“Deal,” was all she said.

Once more, their lips met and Spike felt like it was their first kiss yet again. First contact, first time smelling her perfume, first time holding her, first time seeing her face… he almost didn’t want to let go... but incoming voices broke their kiss as they separated, standing several feet from each other and looking surprised towards the other.

“Hey, stop pushing, I think they heard us,” Rainbow’s voice grumbled in a hush.

“Goddammit, Rainbow, ya can’t just leave anythin’ alone, can ya?” Applejack’s voice practically shouted as the duo stepped out from under the bleachers, completely shadowed.

“Well, Rarity, thanks for the tips and, uh, example of how to pretend you’re kissing,” Spike spat out, feeling his face growing red.

“Spikey, there really is no hiding it,” Rarity admitted, averting her eyes as one hand rubbed her other arm, biting her bottom lip.

“Fuck, I thought you two would never get together,” Rainbow praised, jumping forward and wrapping both arms around Spike and Rarity’s heads. “It only took you about 600 years.”

“Agh, not the hair! Rainbow Dash, release me!” Rarity squeaked, frantically clawing at Rainbow’s gloved hand.

“Don’t worry, Rares, I’ll give you the $6.43 I have on me. That should be good enough for a new weave, right!?” Rainbow asked, releasing Spike’s head to give the fashionista a noogie.

“Nooo, Rainbow Dash, stoooop!” Rarity wailed once more, fighting the smaller girl.

“Ah wouldn’t blame her if she killed ya, RD,” Applejack muttered, helping Rarity to pry Rainbow’s grip off of her.

“My beautiful hair,” Rarity pleaded as she examined the tangled knots Rainbow created.

Spike could only watch, feeling embarrassed for the girl as Applejack practically choked Rainbow, dragging the team captain to the showers. As his teammates’ distant arguing and teasing grew quieter, Spike and Rarity were once again alone. Stepping forward, Spike gently wrapped his fingers around Rarity’s wrists and her eyes locked on his.

“You look beautiful even with a ragged hairdo, don’t worry,” Spike told her, his voice almost cracking.

“Oh, Spike,” she cooed, her body losing the tension.

They stepped forward and briefly pressed their lips together once more, separating as they heard more footsteps. This time, the recognizable voices of Spike’s family and other friends could be heard along with the Manticores and rest of the viewers. Spike immediately knelt down to pick up his helmet, holding it to his side.

“So, what does this mean for the rest of the team?” Spike brought up suddenly.

“Hmm?” Rarity asked, fixing her hair as Twilight and the others approached the two.

“You cheer me on, so I’m taken care of… but what about the rest of the team? Maybe… maybe we can get a cheer squad for them, too?” Spike asked, inspecting his helmet for any cracks.

“Well—” Rarity glanced over to one the torrent of people exiting the field area. “I have just the girl in mind to help start that up.” Rarity said knowingly as she darted past Twilight and the others after spotting someone exiting the area.

Spike watched her run off as Twilight lightly elbowed him in the side, giggling as she did.

“Hey there, superstar. What were you doing back here?” Twilight led on, winking at Spike teasingly.

“Was it drugs? Is our boy shooting up?” their father wondered with a grin.

Silence rang out from the group as all eyes turned to him, Shining slapping himself on the forehead. Twilight’s father shrugged his shoulders, coughing once.

“What, I thought you kids were into that sort of thing,” he said as Twilight’s mother shoved him away.

“No, definitely not… but, whatever I was doing, it was certainly euphoric,” Spike admitted, remembering the kiss.

“S… so you were masturbating!?” his mother asked incredulously.

“Oh my god, why would you ask that!?” Twilight nearly shouted in embarrassment, now being the one to shove her mother away in the direction of their father.

Spike groaned, turning away from the group to face a brick wall behind him. Pinkie Pie was the first one to break the silence, bursting into her usual flamboyant laughter, which significantly lightened the mood.

“Oh my, I’m sorry, Spike,” Fluttershy apologized meekly, clearly akin to shyness and embarrassment herself, so she knew how he must have felt.

“Why are you apologizing, Miss ‘Shy?” Big Macintosh asked, having witnessed the whole thing as Scootaloo and Apple Bloom followed behind him.

“I… don’t know?” she responded, her face reddening, obviously thinking too much.

“Are all y’all masturbatin’ over here?” Apple Bloom asked loudly.

“Why didn’t you invite us!?” Scootaloo shouted, scowling as she folded her arms.

“Wowie, we should have a party for this since everybody’s so interested!” Pinkie Pie squealed excitedly.

“No, Pinkie! Ugh, everybody, just stop and drop this topic!” Twilight called out, yanking out several hairs as she tried to forget what had been said and get the images out of her head.

Turning over, Spike let himself laugh once more, glad for once that he was in such an awkward situation. The group interactions got to him and soon, he found himself almost on the verge of tears of joy. Breaking the situation was none other than Rarity, dragging a familiar face.

“Oh, heya, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom addressed her, grinning. “Ah didn’t know ya were here.”

“I came with Rarity, but lost her in the crowd. By the time I found her, the game started and I was already cheering for the Buffalo team, and I didn’t wanna break the groove I had the crowd in,” Sweetie Belle pleasantly explained.

“Da fuck? You were cheering for the Buffalo? Bitch, cheer for us next time,” Scootaloo barked, not hiding the wide grin on her face.

“Actually, Rarity just came to me with the idea which she got from Spike. Apparently, he thought the Manticores should have a cheer team,” Sweetie Belle said, causing all eyes to turn to Spike.

“Woah, Spike, way to go, man. We’re gonna get some babes,” Score praised with a laugh, high-fiving Hoops.

Big Macintosh spun around, glaring at the two boys causing them to stop and gulp.

“Ain’t none of y’all ‘re even thinkin’ ‘bout touchin’ my sis’ friend,” he threatened in a low voice, low enough that nobody else heard him over the chatter.

Sweetie Belle approached Spike and eyed him up briefly. Spike had to do the same, having not seen her this close in several years. She was beginning to look a good deal more like her sister, and her voice didn’t squeak all the time anymore. He even noticed brushes of make-up lining her eyes.

“Hi, Spike. It’s been a while,” she started simply.

“Um, hi, Sweetie Belle,” Spike responded, finding himself nervous once more. His eyes glanced up to see that yes, Rarity was watching him with a smile on her face. “S-so, you wanna cheer for the Manticores?”

“Sure! I was gonna do it today, since I figured you needed it after what happened last game, but I’d need others to join to get it approved,” Sweetie Belle said, pondering her options.

“Ooh, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy can do it!” Pinkie Pie beamed, squeezing Fluttershy in a tight hug as the latter’s eyes widened.

“W-what!? Me!? Cheer in front of a crowd!? I can’t cheer!” she protested, struggling to escape Pinkie’s grasp.

“Silly willy, you can too. Just take a deep breath and shout! Lots of passion, screaming and hollering! Let your voice be heard! C’mon, Flutters, I’ll coach you!” Pinkie cheered, hopping up and down.

“O-okay, I mean, if you're sure,” the shy girl murmured, poking her fingers together.

“Well, that’d be three,” Sweetie Belle counted. She stood there, tapping her chin as she stared skyward before shrugging. “Oh well, we’ll think of a few by next game. But if I’m gonna be helping the team—” Sweetie Belle pulled out her phone, entering her contacts. “We’re gonna have to exchange numbers.”

“O-oh, alright,” Spike stammered but agreed, pulling his phone out.

Once more, Spike had exchanged his number with another, as Sweetie Belle filled her contacts up with the others on the football team. Glancing down at the contacts list, he grinned as he saw it was significantly larger than it was at the start of the year; fifteen numbers now. If he had looked up, he would have seen the several faces smiling at his happiness.

Unexpectedly, his phone started to vibrate and his ringtone, a song from Les Miserablés, started to play. Curiously, he saw the caller ID and sighed heavily.

“Who is it?” Twilight asked, leaning over with widened eyes.

Spike tapped the wiggling green telephone on his screen and spoke.

“Hi, Rainbow,” Spike muttered into the phone. Over the sounds of running water and distant protests, a voice came in clear, raised to an intentionally high and feminine tone.

“Oh, oh, Spike, you make me—Rarity—so happy! Yes, Spikey-wikey, I’ve seen how you look at me, oh, yes, keep touching me like that, Spikey-wikey, I lo—”

“Aaand enough of that,” Spike said, tapping the red phone icon.

Glancing up, he saw the confused faces of the rest of the group, except for Rarity whom merely hid behind her flowing purple hair.

“Prank call?” Spike tested the excuse, and it worked well enough.

The Practise in Number

IX. The Practise in Number

“My ballsack is shrivelling up,” Rainbow Dash whined loudly.

“Will ya shut it already? Your own darned fault f’ not wearing warm pants,” Applejack retorted as she hoisted a blue box on her shoulders.

Several brown bottles clacked in the box as the duo stepped forward onto the school grounds, following their same routine. Rainbow Dash had opted for pizza, having purchased two cheese pizzas, much to the protest of a health-conscious Applejack. Slowly and steadily, they approached the bleachers of the football field. Upon reaching the edge, they spotted two faces they didn’t expect to see. Off on one end by the street, they saw none other than Spike with several things from the football team’s storage: a row of tires; several footballs and the kicking net; plus a football sled. Rainbow seemed genuinely amazed, slowly opening the pizza box to steal a slice while it was still warm.

For a few minutes, they watched Spike practise running techniques as well as the 40-yard dash before he unrolled a rope-ladder, stretching it across the ground as Spike started several ladder drills. Applejack motioned for Rainbow to step onto the bleachers before the captain froze, spotting the second face.

Up on the top seats of the bleachers sat Rarity. She had been almost impossible for Rainbow to see, given that part wasn’t well-lit. She gave Applejack a light shove and upon briefly glaring at the captain, Applejack followed Rainbow’s arm to where she pointed to spot the fashionista, oblivious to them as she watched Spike from a distance. It appeared the boy was completely unaware of the love of his life watching him. Not wanting to intrude on the scene, Rainbow turned away, grinning as she tugged Applejack after her.

“Where ’re we goin’?” Applejack whispered as the two left the field area.

“No way I’m ruining this lovely little scene. Plus, I can bug Spike about breaking into the school to train some more, or praise him, or invite him to watch us test out my dildo,” Rainbow whispered, giggling as she bit into a hot slice of pizza, exhaling heavily and letting out a quiet, restrained scream as the sauce burned her tongue.

“Ah wouldn’t blame ‘em if he tested his knuckles on yer shins,” Applejack quipped, prodding Rainbow’s shoulder blades as she hunched over to spit out the sauce.

“Ah, fu’ ‘im, fu’ ‘ou, I don’ nee’ no’ o’ ‘at,” Rainbow attempted to say.

“Hah, what was that?” Applejack asked as they approached a nearby shed that contained the track team’s equipment.

Wiping her mouth, Rainbow fidgeted with the passkey on the track team shed briefly. “I won’t be spitting out your piping hot sauce in a few minutes, though.” Rainbow laughed as Applejack shoved her into the shed.

“Can it. We’re only here ‘cause it’s warm,” the farmer made certain she knew that.

With that, the two enjoyed the alcohol they had while the fashionista kept her eyes pinned onto the boy that had captured her heart as he continued to push himself, oblivious to his spectator.

Forsaking the weight room, Spike opted to do his daily routines with mobile weights instead; strapped to his arms and legs, he moved about finding every little movement he made exhausting. From simply writing to walking without a slouch, Spike had felt the need to grow accustomed to the weights. To build himself up and continue what he was doing; amazing others, keeping the love of his life attracted to him, keeping Felix at arms length. Numerous times he saw the smaller boy around school, and ever since the game he couldn’t go through the halls without being praised or having to bump fists with others. Felix could never get close, and the bully constantly avoided Spike in the mornings; Spike was glad, otherwise he’d have to fight Felix with his weights.

Rarity continued to prod him to join the group in the cafeteria and he started to attend more, while Scootaloo was starting to get more frantic the more he declined her offers. Now and then, Scootaloo had managed to rope Spike in. At that particular lunch time, right off the bat, Spike found himself at a disadvantage.

“We were so fuckin’ badass at that game! So, I say, we should fuck, and be badass and fuckin’ amaze everybody with our badassry, and then, we should fuckin’ amaze them more by fuckin’ in front of them,” Scootaloo prattled on, devouring her small lunch between words as Spike listened, accustomed to the girl’s attitude by now.

“Can’t fuck, I’m with her,” Spike simply replied, grinning as he reminded himself for the 98th time since the day started, a mere week after their last game.

“Why do you say her like that?” Scootaloo asked with a cringe, tilting her head to the side. “You say it like you’re gonna jizz everytime ‘her’ is directed to Rarity.” Biting into a cracker, Spike briefly blushed. “I get it, I get it. But, I also bet she doesn’t have as nice tits as me. Wink wink, nudge nudge.”

Spike found himself unable to speak once more as the thoughts rushed through his mind. ‘Soft, round and perky flesh jiggling slightly as they’re released from the noir lace Coquette full-figure bra, those scalloped edges leaving slightly red imprints around the flesh. Good god, Spike, why the hell are you being so vivid?’

Gulping, Spike grunted as he lifted his weighted arm, bringing a spoon with rich homemade vanilla pudding stuffed with little bits of strawberry and a creamy texture to his mouth. Being still but a young boy, Spike obviously went for the pudding first before the less-exciting brandied pepper steak, much to the anger of Scootaloo. The pudding simply reminded him of Rarity far more than the steak did.

“Spike, seriously though, I’m really proud of you,” Scootaloo admitted, growing slightly quieter. Spike glanced over as he had to fight not to let his hands drop from the weight. Scootaloo turned her face to the right, hiding her expression. “Although I am a bit sad. Part of me seriously hoped that you’d go for me, but, yeah, I guess I’m not as awesome as someone like Rainbow Dash is.”

Defensively, Spike set his pudding down and set a hand on Scootaloo’s back, causing the girl to briefly turn towards him. “Scootaloo, you don’t have to be as awesome as she is, you have to be as awesome as you are. Plus, she’s kind of a huge bitch, no offense to your idol or anything.”

Scootaloo shook her head, gritting her teeth as she set her palm against her face, hiding her eyes.

“That won’t help me. Rainbow Dash is awesome, bitch or not—and she’s not, by the way. Rainbow Dash is a sports star and has awesome friends and is envied by many, I have to be as cool as she is, otherwise she’ll stop teaching me things,” Scootaloo said, her voice growing more anxious.

“Maybe so, but out of seven billion people, there has to be others who can teach you things. You don’t have to gun for the affection of one person, dedicating your whole life to appealing to her,” Spike explained, being careful not to let his heavyweight cause him to press his hand too hard into her back.

“Isn’t that what you did for Rarity?” Scootaloo asked critically, turning to face Spike with a glare in her eye.

Spike leaned back, gulping as he felt a pang of intimidation from what Scootaloo said. Turning away, Spike removed his hand from Scootaloo’s back, letting both weighted arms sit in his lap.

‘She’s right, that’s all I’ve been doing. It’s the whole reason I’m on the football team… just to impress some girl I’ve loved for a long time. And now that I have her, isn’t my goal achieved? Or should I strive for more? Maybe glory… a trophy, a ton of victories and recognition.’

The girl beside him let out a heavy sigh, groaning as she wiped her face. Spike looked away from her, glancing between his propped-up legs towards a patch of dirt next to the tree they sat beside.

“Come on, what kind of timing do you think that was? I start showing interest in you, I wanted you the moment I saw you. You were nice. You are nice, I wanted to let you experiment. I wanted to be yours, and educate you about this stuff... and suddenly, Rarity has interest in you?” Scootaloo grumbled in disbelief, shaking her head.

“When I talked to her, it sounded more like she was tired of waiting for me to do something and took the initiative herself,” Spike responded defensively. “It’s because of me that she never piped up before.”

“Yet she just so happens when I do? Goddammit, Spike… I thought we could be something. Even if it didn’t last forever, I thought you and I could do something together, as friends with benefits or just a one-time fling. I wanted you to indulge in things and be able to, I dunno, practise with me. Let me get close to you and be someone invaluable.” Scootaloo’s gaze fell down as her voice shifted between aggression and distraught.

“Scootaloo, I’m sorry,” Spike muttered. “I just, I couldn’t say no to her. I’ve wanted to be with her for so long. I wanted to make her happy, and see her smile for years.” Spike looked at her face, just as her eyes stared daggers at him, her teeth clenching.

“I wanted to see you happy and make you smile, and although it wasn’t for years, I saw you and how lonely you always seemed to be and how you never got out. I invited you here, I wanted to get you up and social and I genuinely wanted to fucking do something good for someone!” Scootaloo cried out. Spike couldn’t respond, instead averting his gaze. Any argument he had faded. “It’s the sex, isn’t it?!” Spike’s eyes wandered back up to Scootaloo’s face, only to see her turned away from him, glancing into nowhere.

“Pardon?” Spike asked.

“I came on too strong. I was too much of a slut and forced you to touch me. I just,” she paused, gulping. “Sorry, Spike. I’m just being a raging thundercunt right now. I’m gonna go for today, but we’ll talk later at practice, alright?” Scootaloo muttered as she stood up.

“Scootaloo, wait!” Spike shouted as he jumped to his feet and grabbed her wrist.

Scootaloo turned her head, eyes locked on his hands before they slowly trailed up to meet Spike’s face. With a single tug, Spike let go and she sighed.

“Don’t, Spike. I need some time to think about what I’ve done,” she muttered solemnly. “Fuck... Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have this problem.”

“Scootaloo, you didn’t do anything wrong!” Spike reiterated. His next words came out jumbled as he attempted to speak before Scootaloo left. “A-and you aren’t Rainbow Dash, you’re Scootaloo. You don’t have to be her—”

Scootaloo turned around and gave Spike a single shove as she gritted her teeth. Spike softly impacted the tree, his eyes closing from the brief shock of pain that coursed through his back. Spike’s eyes fluttered open, his slitted pupils wide as he felt regret and confusion.

“Spike, shut up. I said we’ll talk another time, that means our talk this time is over.” Scootaloo turned and walked off at a fast pace.

Spike’s gaze remained on the back of her head as he registered the sad feeling that seemed to drip from the icy words. Regret and guilt flooded his mind as Spike began to contemplate what Scootaloo had, in fact, done for him. Scootaloo had invited him here and how does he repay her? Shacking up with someone first chance he gets. It was most likely too late that day to do anything, so he had hoped that practise would go over well. Spike groaned as he remembered the weights on his body had slowed his movements. His steak had fallen off his lap in his rush and he sighed. His pudding was intact, however. His lunch seemed like something elegant and expensive that Rarity would buy when in reality this was probably a very cheap dessert. Allowing his fantasy to continue, he slung his backpack over his shoulders and stumbled forward briefly before managing to stride normally. The weights were starting to make his limbs severely ache.

Spike leaned his heavy hands onto his trembling knees, and though his body was still, his heart raced and he desperately chased his breath. The weight training he had pushed himself into seemed like a worse idea every step, but he had worked so hard up to this point, he could not give up. Raising his head, he saw almost all of the others passing him in something so simple as a warm-up jog.

Was this really what he had trained for? To be left in the dust, like always? He grit his teeth, glaring down at his weak legs like they were cancerous. He hoped that Rarity wasn’t around to see his struggling, pitiful performance. There was no way she would want to stay with someone who couldn’t even complete a simple warm-up.

“Yo, spiney-’squeak,” Rainbow Dash’s voice abraded him like sand paper. “You’re going to need better stamina if you want to rock Rarity in bed, c’mon you pussy, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon!”

She slapped him hard across the back, and though it didn’t hurt, it made him teeter on his wobbly legs. He felt her grab his hand suddenly and yank him forward, almost causing him to fall flat on his face. With an irritated grunt, Spike forced his feet to keep moving, violently pulling his hand from hers and glaring at her. Since Spike’s legs were quite a bit longer than Rainbow Dash’s, he had no trouble catching up to her casual speed, and with a rough shove and a spur of determination, he passed her. As he ran, his heart began to swell, and not just because of the exhaustion. He was proud of himself, and entirely surprised that he could push himself past the point of breaking, past his limits. He felt like a new man.

Rainbow Dash jogged to a stop as she watched him take off so suddenly, making up his lost lead and then some. A smirk crossed her face, pleased at his progress. Perhaps he wasn’t just a lame wannabe after all. Rainbow jumped as someone slapped her own back, and she felt her own hand get yanked forcefully.

“C’mon, c’mon!” Applejack laughed at her and pulled her along until she found her own step again.

Spike raced past several of his team mates, making a lap ahead of them. His eyes watered from the exhaustion and the wind crashing so hard against his face, but his legs kept moving long past the time he lost feeling. As the warm-up came to an end, Spike found it quite difficult to slow himself back down. As he did, the mushy feeling in his legs caught up to him, and it became more of a challenge just to stand upright.

The next day Spike didn’t bother texting Scootaloo or trying to look for her; she hadn’t texted him all day until he fell asleep as they usually did. Instead, he kept himself occupied by texting other friends. He found Rarity texting far less than anybody else in his contacts, citing her job as the reason. He had gotten used to her apologizing often and Spike always said she didn’t have to. This came into play once more.

“Spike, I’m really sorry about last night,” Rarity started, turning her whole body towards the boy.

Spike shook his head, waving his hand as he took a sip from his drink. Gulping, he continued.

“Really, you don’t have to apologize,” Spike responded.

“Apologize for what? Did she leave you with blue balls?” Rainbow asked with a pouting frown, soliciting a slap from the farmer sitting next to her.

Rolling her eyes, Rarity shut out the comment while Spike’s mind lingered on it as the girl spoke. Rainbow and AJ hadn’t told the others, yet everyone assumed that it was common knowledge, although Spike and Rarity still never outright said it or held hands. As far as he knew, Spike was still just trying his hardest to woo Rarity.

“Yes I do. It’s not nice to fall asleep when someone is talking to you, exhausted or not,” she responded, opening a pudding similar to the one Spike had the previous day.

Spike fought back an urge to wince as he struggled to lift his own spoon to his mouth, letting her continue.

“I’ve just been rather swamped with my work lately; these clients from Cloudsdale are horrendous and horrible people, constantly telling me to rework my design into something that shows the stitching as if they know a thing about fashion and well I say that if they knew so much why didn’t they just ask someone else they can order around to do it or just do it themselves.” Taking a deep breath, Rarity closed her eyes and exhaled slowly as all eyes were on her. “But, the customer is always right, and they have paid me in advance. I finished last night and am awaiting their response.”

“I saw it and I thought it was beautiful,” Fluttershy complement, fixing her flowing hair to cover her eyes.

“Why thank you, Fluttershy, but alas, I have to conform to the customer’s needs and wants. I won’t make business if I keep defying the customers,” Rarity muttered, sighing dejectedly.

Spike gulped down part of his jello, attempting to smile as his arms shook due to the odd weight. “Well, I guess life sucks in that way. Can’t do much about it, but I still think the final product looks presentable even if—”

An empty tin can impacted him in the back of the head, causing Spike to wince and the whole group to glance over at him. He briefly looked at the empty Coke can and slowly turned around to see Felix across the cafeteria, once again high-fiving his friends triumphantly. Spike inadvertently crushed his drink can in his hand, his whole arm shaking for a completely different reason as he grit his teeth. A gentle hand set itself on his shoulder and his anger and frustration vanished. Turning to the source, he saw Rarity giving him a small smile and he couldn’t help himself from loosening up, a small smile appearing on his face. Rainbow stared intently as she saw Spike’s sudden frustration diminish, grinning as she wrapped her arm around Applejack’s shoulder knowingly.

“Well, anyways,” Spike said, releasing his grip on the can which had been imprinted with his fingerprints.

Although grinning moments before, Rainbow’s eyes were glued on Felix across the room, the captain rubbing her chin as she attempted to process what was going on.

Time had seemed to blend for Spike, as days went by in the same exhausting manner. He would wake up, adorn all his terribly troublesome weights, go off to his mind-numbing education, continue to football practice or train on his own, and fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He tried his best to spend more time with Rarity, but she was very busy and so was he, getting into peak physical condition for her.

Spike stared out in front of him, but he wasn’t really looking at anything in particular. He really wanted to just sit down for a moment, but doing so in the middle of the field would look ridiculous. His eyes were half-lidded and glazed as images of himself flashed before his eyes: he would need to get bigger, he would need to be more skillful on the field, he would need to—

“Incoming!” the voice that called was a spell too late, as the football hit Spike in the kidney.

Spike blinked and looked down at the object as it bounced away; it had hardly hurt at all since he was carrying around his weighted vest under his uniform. He looked up as two boys ran towards him, and he almost envied their carefree nature. As they reached him, one plucked the ball up and the other came right over to Spike.

“Were you even watching?” Snips said in an annoyingly pouty voice, crossing his arms as Snails walked up behind him with the ball.

“Oh, right, yeah,” Spike tried to agree, nodding furiously.

“I don’t think he was,” Snails spoke slowly, frowning a bit.

“Come on, Spike! You said you’d help us out, so are you watching our catches or not?” Snips appeared to have a little tantrum about it.

“Sorry, you’re right,” Spike nodded as he took the ball from Snails. “You guys are doing fine, but this isn’t dodgeball. You can’t just catch a ball and get someone out, there are always going to be enemy players running right after you, and you have to protect the ball.”

“Hey,” a terribly breathy voice said from a short distance behind them, and they looked over to see the boy, Featherweight, running over. “Sorry I’m late, Apple Bloom moved me up another five pounds, and wouldn’t let me leave until I did enough sets.”

“That’s all right, Spike is just getting here too,” Snips laughed and Spike grunted at the accusation.

“Anyway,” Spike growled lowly as he cleared his throat. “For toughening up and the tackling stuff, Shining Armour is better to ask than I would be. But like I said, receiving isn’t just about the catch, it’s about what you do afterwards just as much.”

“How do we train for that, then?” Snails wondered curiously.

“Well, I don’t know how Rainbow would want you doing it,” Spike looked for said girl, only to find her talking to an irritated Applejack and throwing her arms all over the farmer. “But since there’s three of you, one could toss the ball while the other two fight to catch it, and the one who catches gets to throw next. Sound like a good game?”

“Sounds like you’re copping out on us,” Snips raised his eyebrow, and Spike nervously laughed.

“I don’t know what you want from me, I’m not that great at this stuff either, I’d say to ask Scootaloo for more about catching, if you want to know.” Spike frowned as he looked around for her.

“No way, she’s scary,” Snails put his hands up and shook them.

“Then go and practise already,” Spike flipped the ball through the air with a flick of his wrist, sending it toppling into Snail’s hands.

“Uh, right,” the others seemed to agree anyway, and ran back off to an emptier area of the field.

Spike sighed, the motion even hurting his chest a little to do. He removed his helmet at last, letting the somewhat cool fall air swish through his hair, the muggy feeling of confinement in a helmet blowing away with the wind. He had told himself to jog home after practice, but that had begun to sound like a worse and worse idea the lower the heavy sun sunk to the horizon. He heard the muffled sounds of cleats in grass before any greeting, but the hard steps told him of who was approaching him.

“There you are,” Pipsqueak said as he came up beside Spike, his own helmet tucked under his arm to reveal the glistening sweat on his forehead. “I feel like I haven’t seen you much at all lately, chap.”

“I never miss practice,” Spike argued simply, turning to face the taller boy.

“I s’pose not, eh,” he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head with his gloved fingers. “Well, a few of us were going to get a bite to eat after practice, and I thought you might like to come along.”

“Me?” Spike blinked, surprised to have been invited at all. He hadn’t made himself very available to others lately, so it seemed weird they would want to hang out with him at all. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense!” Pipsqueak almost shouted, slapping Spike on his back nearly hard enough to knock him over. “We want you there. Truly.”

Spike’s smile seemed to do the trick of confirming it. There wasn’t much of practice left anyway, and excited to go hang out with friends, for once, he quickly changed out of his uniform even if it ached to raise his arms. If he wasn’t going to get around to jogging after all that evening, he might as well keep his weights on. He waited just outside the change rooms for Pipsqueak, nervously checking his phone every few seconds to look busy. Finally, his friend emerged and dragged him off to the parking lot.

Pipsqueak had borrowed his mother’s four-door maroon hatchback, though it had been a long and trying negotiation, and helped Spike open the old door. Before taking off, Pipsqueak pulled up closer to the field and waited for a few others: namely Apple Bloom and Scootaloo. The pair emerged just a moment or so later, Pipsqueak having sent Apple Bloom a text about it. Though it was very awkward due to his large size, Pipsqueak leaned back and slipped his hand behind his seat, managing to grope his way to the inside door handle of the rear door before prying it open for the girls. Apple Bloom had grabbed the door and held it open wider, only for Scootaloo to race in first, no surprise there.

Spike said nothing out loud as Scootaloo climbed in, though he knew she should have at least greeted her. He could still feel a lingering tension between them after their minor disagreement earlier, but from the way Scootaloo was action, Spike imagined she either forgot about it or had a great poker face. There she was in the back seat, teasing and bothering Apple Bloom as she got into the car. Spike silently wondered if she had found something other than smoking to take her mind off of things.

Once everyone was in, Pipsqueak took them to a little diner just a few blocks away. It didn’t end up being just the four of them, as the three boys Spike had been helping earlier showed up in Featherweight’s car. Making the group total seven, they had to pull a few tables together so they could all fit, and the noise they produced was almost tangible.

“It never gets old!” Snips chortled loudly, slapping his hand on the table and laughing at his buddy.

“Until I knock those into your throat,” Scootaloo barked, reaching out and grabbing the two straws that Snails had stuck around his canine teeth to make him look like a walrus.

“Hey, give those back,” Snails whined as he tried to take them back, but Scootaloo was faster and more obnoxious about it, sticking her tongue out.

In their little fight for the control of two measly little straws, Scootaloo accidentally bumped into Spike, knocking him almost right off his seat. He cringed as she adjusted himself, his body sore and stiff after being seated for so long already. Apple Bloom was on the other side of Scootaloo, and tipped her own chair back as she noticed this behaviour. While the girl between them stuck the straws between her fingers like clumsy chopsticks and tried to pick up some fries with them, Apple Bloom turned her attention to Spike.

“Heya, y’alright there?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, holding herself on the hind legs of her seat.

“Oh, yeah, I’m just a little tired is all,” Spike nervously brushed her off.

“Ah can imagine, growin’ that much muscle so quick-like?” Apple Bloom smiled warmly, her voice oddly gentle under the bickering and chatter of the others. “Ah know the feelin’, don’t worry though, it’ll get easier. Eat up, you’ll need it.”

“What’s with the whispering? You making a move on my man here?” Scootaloo leaned back between them. “You want him that bad, I guess we could share.”

“Now, now, Spike is off limits, aren’t you mate?” Pipsqueak chimed in with a sing-song voice. “He’s gone and got himself a lady friend.”

“Who told ya? Ah had t’ overhear ma sister talkin’ with Dash ‘bout it,” Apple Bloom complained with a pout.

“What? A girlfriend? I gotta get me one of those!” Snips bounced in his seat eagerly. “Is she hot?”

“Shuddup, Snips,” Apple Bloom spat, her usual temper returning. “Y’want a girl? Y’gotta quit stuffin’ yer face an’ follow ma trainin’ routines for once!”

“That sounds hard,” Snails groaned as he leaned over the table lazily.

“Tough titties!” Scootaloo kicked him from under the table, and he whined a pained sound while rubbing the sore spot.

“If all girls are anything like you, I think I’ll go stag,” Snips chirped rudely and broke into laughter, only to have Scootaloo reach over and shove his face into his poutine.

Spike smiled under the heat of his blush, nervous that they were all talking about his relationships like that. The weirdest part, was they sounded envious. Spike had never really been the object of envy before, and he had to admit it was flattering. He looked down at the hands clasped in his lap, noticing how awkward he looked compared to the rest of them. Forcibly changing that habit, he laid his hands out onto the table and got back into the conversation.

Rainbow angrily pushed her motorcycle down the street, having encountered an issue with the clutch and brake. It bothered her even more considering those were the issues it had been in the shop to fix, and still it was broken. As she walked, she spotted none other than Spike, jogging down the street in long-sleeve clothes once more. He seemed to be carrying something heavy on his back; either that or he was exhausted entirely. Rainbow watched as the boy approached her, expecting a ‘hello’ but he seemed to pass right by her. Then it clued into her that Spike couldn’t recognize her with the helmet on. She turned around and flipped the visor up on her face, calling out to him.

“Yo, fuckin’ pipsqueak,” Rainbow shouted loudly.

Confused, Spike slowed down, stumbling as he did and turned to face the girl. Stepping forward, he squinted his eyes before seeing several locks of Rainbow’s hair poking from the front of the helmet.

“Uh, hi… Rainbow?” he asked cautiously as he started panting heavily.

“Who else has a sexy figure like this?” Rainbow laughed, adjusting the zipper on her black leather jacket.

“R… Rarity?” he asked cautiously yet again, wondering if it had been a rhetorical question.

“Oh God, will you just bone her already? And film it so AJ and I can have a good laugh,” she added with a playful wink. Scoffing, Rainbow undid the zipper of her jacket, exposing a fraction of her modest cleavage as she undid several buttons. “Middle of fall and it’s hot as hell, fuck,” she muttered as she fought with her ensemble.

Shrugging, Spike still didn’t speak as Rainbow removed her helmet, setting it atop the back of the motorcycle seat.

“So, what’re you doing?” she asked invasively, leaning her motorcycle on the kickstand.

“Oh, just jogging,” he replied, wiping his brow as he was sweating profusely.

“Jogging, eh?... Well, for the past week, you’ve been struggling to so much as move. What, do you constantly cream your pants because you’re with Rarity now? At least it would explain why you’re so shaky and jittery,” Rainbow teased, shrugging as she sat on the edge of the seat.

“No, no, just training a lot more,” he responded honestly, continuing to jog on the spot before he relaxed even further while also keeping his arms bent. “Gotta get buff and whatnot.”

“Yeah, but you’ve been having trouble eating fucking pudding. As well as walking. Did you suddenly get cancer or something? You look even frailer than Scootaloo or me,” Rainbow said, frowning as she pondered it.

Sighing, Spike pulled his shirt up slightly, struggling with that as well. Rainbow chuckled in response. “Woah there, I don’t swing that way, bu—” Rainbow stopped herself as she saw what Spike was wearing. Underneath his shirt was a 60lb weighted vest as well as a weighted belt. She could only assume he also wore wrist and ankle weights, regardless of the potential threat. Her jaw hung a bit as she glanced at his body, realizing what he was doing. “Weights? You’ve been doing for that for the past week? Huh, I tried that once and damaged a tendon. How the hell are you still standing?” Rainbow asked, stepping forward as she gently tugged on the weighted vest and poked it harder.

“I dunno, male superiority?” Spike prodded, letting his shirt slide back down to it’s original place. Rainbow scoffed and rolled her eyes, but let him go on, “It’s only made me tired, I’ve never had any issues yet.”

“Well shit, you should take it easy. I mean, past week or two or something, you’ve gotta be a little larger than before, right?” Rainbow went on, stepping back and checking her bike’s kickstand.

“Actually, I’ve gotten significantly larger in muscle mass. I’m approaching Applejack’s physique, which scientifically seems impossible,” Spike said, shrugging.

“I call bullshit. There’s no way at all that’s possible... I think,” Rainbow responded as she straddled the seat of her motorcycle, attempting to balance as they conversed.

“It happened, believe it or not,” he continued with a few certain nods. “But regardless, I have a routine to finish.”

Rainbow gestured for him to go and Spike slowly spun around, jogging off in the other direction. Glancing back, she watched him head towards the general location of the Carousel Boutique. Grinning yet again, Rainbow stepped off the bike and continued to wheel it down the street.

“Okay, I’ll see you later, Rarity,” Spike said as he hit the end call icon on his phone.

Having removed his weights, Spike allowed himself a rest between then and the start of their next game. With a smile, he pocketed his phone as he strutted with a spring in his step. He rounded a corner, his world suddenly ringing with noise and lights flashing in his eyes as a significant crack sounded and a thudding pain rocketed through the back of his head. He hit the ground and let out a groan before feeling a foot impact him in the side of the ribcage. It didn’t truly hurt, merely having knocked the wind out of him.

Something tugged on his backpack’s handle, yanking him to his feet. His eyes focused faster than before and he saw Felix just as he thrust a fist forward, impacting Spike in the gut. He managed to stay his ground yet a foot to the back of his knee caused him to stumble into the wall next to him. Two sets of hands wrapped around both his arms, holding him up and Felix took this moment to punch him again. Spike brought his knee up and there was a slight crack sounding as Felix’s knuckles impacted Spike’s kneecap. The bully stumbled back as he grasped his wrist; nothing was broken, just a shock from cracking knuckles. Lifting both legs off the ground, Spike yanked on his arms; the boys holding him lost their balance and were on one foot while Spike yanking as well caused them to slam their faces into each other. Their grip being released, Spike found his arms free as he landed on the ground in a squatting position.

A foot still impacted his jaw, rolling Spike back as Felix’s weight landed atop Spike and he attempted to start repeatedly pounding on Spike’s face yet nobody was really expecting Spike to retaliate from that, let alone overpower anyone.

Regardless of Felix practically sitting on Spike’s stomach, the latter sat up, shoving Felix off him as Spike yanked a fist back to punch him. One of the others grabbed his arm and held it as Spike turned; the third boy punched Spike in the jaw, dislocating it yet Spike never seemed to falter, taking the hit in stride. Once more, Spike yanked his arm causing the boy holding his wrist to fall forward. Throwing himself to the side, Spike made sure the boy’s elbow, in his attempt to not slam his fist into the ground, impacted right on Felix’s nose.

Rolling away from the pileup, Spike stumbled to his feet just as tires screeched beside him. Standing up, he glanced to the side just as a car slid to a halt merely half a foot away from his leg. Spike didn’t react, glancing down at the car’s hood as he felt a bit of blood run down his nose onto the old, beat-up silver hood. He stumbled out of the way as the older man stepped out of the car to see what was going on, just for Spike to sniffle back a bit of blood in his dazed state, adjusting his backpack as his phone rang once more. Pulling it out, he saw the caller ID and smiled once more. Realigning his jaw manually, he winced briefly as the pain registered before he answered the call.

“Hey, Rarity, what’s up? Forget to say something?”

Spike sat in his room, tapping his desktop nervously with a pen as he sat in a full tuxedo, attempting to do his homework. The suit he wore was a charcoal gray herringbone two-button slim-fit tuxedo imported from a nation he couldn’t recall yet picked up in Canterlot. Being careful not to tear it as it was now going to be his until he outgrew it, he attempted to make sure that at least one button was done up without risking two. He was far more paranoid than he needed to be yet one thing always rung true in his mind: he had to be perfect for that night. The nervous feeling he felt had served to be his undoing upon telling his parents he had a date as well as asking quite possibly the stupidest question he could manage.

“Dad, how many buttons are on a two-button suit?”

Feeling his face flush from the memory, Spike grit his teeth as he set an elbow gently on the edge of the desk, tapping the button against his forehead as he clenched his eyes tightly.

“Fried oysters with spicy sauce, or maybe sausage stuffed pepper. For Rarity, I shouldn’t order for her but if I must, mussels and truffle fries would be good? No, she doesn’t like mussels… what about pork loin with apples, or is that too masculine? Soups, there’s always the option to order the hot soup or maybe the caesar, or perhaps romaine, or maybe arugula.” Biting the button of the pen, he found homework to be his second priority yet again. “For drinks… none of us can really drink, we’re underage, so wine is out of the question… is it? Or can we just pretend we’re overage? Lord knows Rarity could and my build could always—no, wait, that’s stupid. If anything, I’d order a craft beer to try and seem masculine but I’d have to keep face or my nervousness would get us kicked out of the Lunar Sun, and then Rainbow would laugh.”

“Sounds pretty heavy there,” a voice said from behind.

Freezing, Spike repressed a gulp as he processed the voice and turned around, eyes briefly locking onto a poster for Les Misérables, wondering if he should take her to see the play while it was still in Broadway. Clicking his tongue as his eyes slowly faced the figure he called his father, he swivelled the desk chair around, disposing of the pen on the desktop before twiddling his thumbs.

“I’d say you would pass for an adult. Although I probably shouldn’t condone it, I personally wouldn’t blame you for trying to order an alcoholic beverage. Fancy date with a fine young woman like Rarity would probably call for some sort of wine,” he said as he entered the room, closing the door. “Twilight told me all about her when she first met her, how she was born and raised in the wrong town. Shortly after that, Twilight wasn’t too mad that we moved from Canterlot.”

“I probably would have been on the Canterlot Wondercolts in that case,” Spike muttered, realizing who he’d be against.

“Fine team, but you came around,” the older man said as he sat on Spike’s bed.

‘I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for—’ Stopping his thought process, Spike repressed ancient memories and saved face, unable to lock eyes with his father. “If you say so.”

A moment of silence occurred, the sun dipping down under the horizon as a watch somewhere in the room beeped, signalling the new hour. The older man took a deep sigh as he removed a set of reading glasses, tapping the end against his knee as he spoke.

“I know I haven’t been the best of fathers, and sometimes it may seem like I’m even favouring Twilight or Shining, but you’re my son too and it’s sort of amazing to see you like this. I remember the first time I ever saw Shining in a tuxedo. He looked like more of a man than I did.” Chuckling, Spike’s father looked up at him, the small movement of his head causing Spike to look to him. “Then again, you can only look so manly with a bowlcut.”

The duo shared a small chuckle as they both pictured the hairdo. Sniffing once, Spike’s father continued.

“I had always said you could talk to me about anything and you’d always say thanks for the offer. You did a few times and I’m glad yet you always handled things on your own, and if you didn’t, you never wanted help. You always wanted to be your own man. I wasn’t sure if that was because of my shortcomings or maybe even inadvertently favouriting Shining and Twilight, or if it was just because you wanted to be strong, but I always felt like you never needed me.”

“Of course I need you,” Spike responded, his voice quieter than he intended. “You’re the only one I knew as a father. I don’t even remember his voice, and I can barely picture his face. I always see you when I think of a father.” Gulping once, Spike stared dejectedly at his lap. “I just didn’t think you wanted to waste your time on a freaky iguana-eyed—”

“Stop right there.” The stern voice silenced Spike immediately as his father continued, seemingly glaring at him. “I’ve known you since you were just turning four. Even then, you already seemed so grown up and wise beyond your years. You managed to logically disprove of Santa Claus by then, which only served to help me accept you considering two years prior, Twilight scientifically disproved Santa’s existence. She made Shining cry when she told him.”

Once more, the duo laughed, the father more so being there to witness the scene and Spike’s body visibly loosened up.

“You’re my son, and I’ve always considered you my son. Even when I see your hair and eyes. You’ve been part of this family since you started school and I will never stop considering you my son.”

By that point, Spike had to fight back tears, attempting to keep face. His father chuckled in response as Spike nonchalantly wiped his eyes.

“Even now, you’re trying to be strong. I’m really proud of you, Spike, and I know it isn’t much, but I wanted you to have this,” the older man told him, standing up.

A gentle grasp on his wrist tugging caused Spike’s hand to extend outward and he glanced up as he saw 400 bits, adding to his 200 bits already saved for the date as well as the keys to the man’s car. It wasn’t the station wagon belonging to his mother, it was the keys belonging to his father’s Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren.

Not that they made it very apparent, besides perhaps his somewhat overly flashy father buying things like the car to keep up appearances, but Spike’s family were some of the wealthiest in town. The house was enormous and perfectly kept, their clothes were often new and tailored to fit right, and they got bonuses like the tip his father gave him on top of his allowance.

Spike’s eyes widened as he realized what it was and his other hand grabbed the tip of the key’s blade and held it up, watching the remote dangle as his father grinned.

“I never thought I’d actually get to drive it,” Spike muttered.

“Sure. Keep? No, but I could let you drive it, especially for a night like tonight,” his father said, patting Spike on the shoulders.

Glancing up, Spike stared, wowed at his father and couldn’t fight a grin. He attempted to speak, only to stutter in response.

“Don’t thank me, it’s making up for times I may have neglected you or have been unable to help. It’s really no trouble.”

With that, Spike’s father stepped outside of the room leaving Spike to bask in the realization of the trust planted onto him. In Twilight’s room, she heard the door open and close, realizing their chat must be done and looked to her open door. Her father strolled past her door, calm and grinning and seconds later she heard thumping before a black blur with green hair zipped by. Rapid thumping took its place as the stairs were seemingly cleared in a second and the front door opened and closed. She grinned before returning to her studies once more. Sitting himself down next to his wife, Spike’s father faced the TV, a big grin planted on his face. Glancing over, the mother studied him briefly.

“Smiley appears to have stopped by. What’s got you so grinny?” she asked, a smile appearing on her face. Before she could finish, an engine roared to life and her ears perked up, smile still on her face. “Oh, that sounds cleaner than before. Did you actually get the station wagon fi… Wait—” Standing up, she walked over to the window just as Twilight bolted down the stairs. The two women watched as Spike rolled out of the parking lot, revving the engine of the SLR McLaren before taking off down the street.

“You let him drive the Mercedes!? You didn’t even let Shining do that! Or me!” Twilight said, amazed as she looked back to her father.

“Spike also didn’t rear-end the same cop twenty minutes after getting his license like I distinctly remember two of my children doing,” he accused as he adjusted the volume on the TV.

“Oh, whatever,” Twilight admitted, swatting her hand at her father as she walked back upstairs.

“I also don’t remember being allowed to drive it,” Spike’s mother said as she slowly turned back to her husband, a subtle glare adorning her face.

He only shrugged in response, sheepishly grinning as she rolled her eyes, taking her spot next to him once more.

“Hey, come on, don’t be like that. I’m sure your boyfriend can’t match up to your standards.”

Rarity rolled her eyes, keeping them hidden behind Vogue Eyewear sunglasses as she examined the streets. Spike had sent her a text stating he’d arrive in under ten minutes yet she found herself wish it was one given her new company. Several boys, obvious college jocks, had decided to keep her company as she stood on the edge of the sidewalk outside Manehatten Milton Mall.

She wore a beige faux-leather coat, three of the five buttons done up from the bottom along with a deep red checkerboard scarf she had made along with a simple teddy legging covered by a crimson velvet heart skirt to cover it and crimson Butimba high heels to match. On her ears she wore white-gold hoops with lavender amethysts embedded. An orangey-red lipstick, Dangerous, was applied causing a brilliant contrast against her paler skin. Her violet hair was put into cascading curls, running down her shoulder.

It stands to be said that she stood out in the darker end of town. The three boys had approached her yet kept their distance. Various praises and compliments were thrown out, some true, some just relentless attempts at getting laid that Rarity ignored entirely. It wasn’t long before she she started begging any car that drove by was Spike. A beat up oldsmobile there, a Ferrari here; she wasn’t mad, but she was wishing he had sped up.

Unexpectedly, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren pulled up next to where she stood and at first, she couldn’t understand why until a dashing young boy in a spiffy tuxedo wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses stepped out, a massive grin on his face and a build only a football player could have (it was also larger than she remembered). Her mouth slowly opened up before her jaw dropped fully as she processed who it was. He casually strolled around the car, his fears and nervousness earlier gone entirely. His mere presence caused the boys hitting on Rarity to stop talking as they watched Spike not even acknowledge their presence. Rarity’s eyes were glued to Spike as he walked to the passenger-side door and with a swift motion, opened the door, the silver car limb opening upward.

“Wha-wha…?” was all Rarity could manage to say.

“I believe we have reservations at Per Se, m’lady,” Spike said, taking out Rarity’s hand as she shakily offered it to him.

“Y-yes, we do!” she agreed, unable to stop a large smile from appearing on her face.

She took a breath as she stepped into the passenger seat of the car, running her hands over the red leather interior of the car as she sat down on the seat, feeling her legs go weak as Spike closed the door. Taking this moment, she let out several giggles, squealing with glee as she ran her hands over the black and red interior. As Spike took his seat in the car, closing the door, Rarity reached over and latched her fingers onto his wrist as he set it down on the armrest. Curiously, he glanced over to see Rarity excitedly panting as she examined the interior of the car.

“Spike, darling, I don’t mean to be materialistic but this car is making you so attractive!” she praised, saying each word with little pause. “Your f-father’s, I take it?”

“Yep. He let me borrow it for the night,” Spike said triumphantly, adjusting a bowtie as the three boys watched the car.

Just to emphasize, he set his left foot on the brake and used his right to gently press down on the gas. The engine revved once and Rarity herself purred along with the car. Blindly, she gently buckled herself in, missing the buckle several times before finally clicking it. Spike was still in a state of disbelief and awe that he wasn’t able to process anything yet. Setting his foot on the brake, he shifted gears into drive and gently pulled into the road.

“Looking at the two of you, it’s hard to remember that you and Twilight are born in wealth,” Rarity recalled, amazed. Almost immediately, her eyes shifted to worry and panic as she faced Spike. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I meant—”

Spike held up his right hand, one finger pressed against her lips effectively silencing the girl. Rarity gulped once, feeling her cheeks flush briefly as she leaned back, resting against the seat.

“You weren’t wrong about both of us coming from wealth,” Spike muttered. “But never mind that. Point is, we don’t act like wealthy folk so I can see where your confusion comes from. But worry not, m’lady, for tonight we shall live like celebrities!” Spike punctuated his words with a hearty laugh at the end, winking at Rarity as he adjusted the sunglasses sitting on his face.

“W-well, I must say, Spike, I’m surprised; I never thought you could act like this. This new Spike is rather exciting and fresh,” Rarity said, calming down from her mild-high from earlier.

“Changes occur, and I can’t be that same loser that can’t even get rid of Fe—” Spike gulped briefly before remembering who was sitting next to him. “—lix. Whatever, I’m changing for the better. Plus, I can now bench press 180 pounds, no problem. The wonders of lifting.”

“Mmm, I thought you looked a little larger,” Rarity praised, dropping her voice to a sultry tone. “I must say, I would have been fine if you simply wanted to go to Max’s Diner for our date. I do wonder how you managed to get reservations at Per Se, of all places,” Rarity said, returning to her chipper attitude. “My more fancy clients rave about that place and most of them can’t even get a reservation!”

“My dad’s name is rather hefty,” Spike responded with a wink, his hands instinctively caressing the leather of the wheel.

Taking a sharp right, Spike and Rarity briefly leaned as the car realigned with the lane, the restaurant sign visible up ahead. The building itself was elegant enough and Rarity immediately found her excitement from moments ago resurging. The exterior was packed with expensive cars as well as the odd oldsmobile here and there. Driving past numerous Ferraris and Aston Martins the rich brought to Manehatten for some reason, Spike had driven up to the front where he was immediately greeted by a valet. Spike stepped out, taking in the area briefly before tossing the keys into the hands of the valet, remembering numerous films as his reasoning. He opened the door for Rarity, allowing her to step out and she took a sharp breath as she laid eyes on the elegant entrance to the restaurant. All the pleasantries he’d expected after seeing the films were met and he found himself escorting a wide-eyed Rarity whom could barely keep her composure to their table. Upon being seated, she let out a deep sigh of fascination.

“Oh wow, Spike, I never thought once in my life would I be escorted on a date in a vehicle like that to a place like this by a man like you,” she said, removing her sunglasses to reveal her shimmering cyan eyes to Spike.

Spike gulped in response, constantly remind himself, ‘this is really happening!’ Giving a toothy grin, he opened up his menu with his eyes still fixated on Rarity who merely continued staring into his own. Raising an eyebrow, Spike opened his mouth.

“What will you be having, m’lady?” Spike asked, suddenly shifting his eyes towards the menu.

‘Is this too smooth!? No… it’s three smooth, which is more than too smooth.’ Wincing at his thoughts, Spike found himself once again lost on what to order. After a brief moment, his mind eventually selected a dish. Just as he did, Rarity realized what he meant. Her face flushed red briefly, the girl opening the menu and glancing down at the items.

“Oysters and pearls with red wine, the Château Sociando-Mallet to be specific. It’s been a while so, I figured I’d treat myself,” she said, closing the menu with a small grin.

“I’ll be treating you, miss Rarity,” Spike responded, closing the menu shortly after.

Just as he did, as luck would have it, a waiter stopped by and just as he opened his mouth to declare the soups of the day, Spike raised a finger, once again silencing the other.

“Per Se Cider with Elysian Fields Farm’s lamb along with salt-baked potato, just croutons and oysters and pearls with red wine,” Spike said, waving his finger every other word. “Oh, and a glass of water, too.”

The waiter smiled, nodded and left their table right after and Spike couldn’t stop a grin from appearing on his face. Slouching over briefly, he had to suppress a laugh, opting to chuckle quietly as Rarity had a wide smile.

“Oh my god, I was so surprised I held myself together,” Spike admitted, leaning back into the chair.

He glanced to the side which luckily had a window displaying lush trees just across the street; a nearby park which Spike made a mental note to visit. Rarity giggled as she removed her jacket, something Spike had to resist slapping himself for forgetting.

“One could almost think you’ve been doing this your whole life,” she told him, becoming more lax as she at first folded her arms before bringing a hand up, resting a finger on her bottom lip.

Spike removed his sunglasses and slipped one of the arms into his chest pocket, shrugging. “Well, I did extensively learn proper etiquette and how to act in places like this, given I was from Canterlot. Twilight knows how to but has never needed it and Shining practises it every day. Personally, I don’t mean to toot my own horn but I dare say that I could act every bit of a smug, prissy nobleman should the situation call for it.” Leaning back, Spike crossed his legs as he folded his hands on his lap as Rarity listened. “Main thing though, be in charge without being large.”

Rarity’s head tilted to the side and she raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Something that was drilled into my mind from—” He paused, shrugging his shoulders. “Before my years with Twilight.” Rarity maintained her face but Spike saw the brief flicker in the appearance. Not thinking of it, he continued. “Basically, it means know how to act like you’re the one everybody wants to know and serve without acting like you know you’re doing it. Think of being a king without being smug. You know you’re in charge, everybody knows you’re in charge, but you don’t throw it around arrogantly, that’s how you get yourself assassinated.”

“It’d be a shame if my king got assassinated,” Rarity responded.

For once, Spike’s composure cracked and he stuttered out a word. “W-what?”

The woman giggled, closing her eyes as she did before softly speaking, her eyes opening up halfway. “Even under this smooth, mature Spike, you’re still adorable and cute, like the boy I knew growing up.” Biting her lip, she glanced down and ran her fingers over the elegant silverware set next to the space where her plate would be. “Well, I suppose I’m lucky to have a combination of the two nearly opposite sides.”

“I’m lucky you so much as glanced my way,” Spike responded, his mind flashing back to the many times he wished to be the centre of her focus.

“I’m lucky no skanky little princess got their muddy little hands on you first… oh, food’s here,” Rarity said, shifting to sit upright.

“Oh, so it is,” Spike concurred after a quick glance around the room revealed a waiter heading towards his table.

The dishes were set on the table along with the drinks. Spike was yet again surprised that he managed to get away with ordering alcohol but revered in his victory as the two slowly began to eat their food. Spike gently sawed off a part of the lamb with his knife, chewing slowly as Rarity took a break from eating to talk.

“Well, I must say that watching the cheerleaders become a thing is quite exhilarating since I can finally make some more feminine uniforms for a school sports program. It’s always jerseys and jocks rather than skirts and girls. Not that I’m complaining, business is business, but I do miss what gave me prominence which was that one time four years ago when I was, well, fourteen when I caught the eyes of none other than Sapphire Shores, the Queen of Pop. I must say, creating the uniforms for her tour was what gave me such huge publicity and made me enough money in a month to afford the boutique for eight years.”

Pausing briefly, Rarity’s eyes lit up as her fingers gently lifted the glass of red wine up. She twisted her wrist, watching the liquids swish in the glass as Spike paused his chewing, just to watch as Rarity slowly moved the rim of the skinny glass towards her. Cyan eyes met green, causing Spike to accidentally swallow the chewed up lamb and he watched as her eyes stayed fixated on his as the lip of the glass pressed against her bottom lip. She tilted the glass’ base upwards and Spike felt his heart beat faster as he watched the liquid slowly pour into her mouth. Gently tilting it down, she gulped once and smiled at him.

“H-how is the wine?” Spike asked.

“Delicious,” she said, allowing her tongue to rub her top lip as she enunciated part of the word.

“I’m glad you like it,” Spike replied as he lifted his own glass to his lips. Tilting it back, his eyes slightly crossed to focus on the glass in his hand.

Dinner proceeded with several breaks to talk, mostly about school and work. Spike found himself unable to say he was getting full, opting to eat more to seem more masculine. Rarity ate half of her dish before she stopped. She wasn’t tipsy but she was definitely a bit more lax thanks to the wine. Upon being asked, Spike had confirmed to the waiter that the main course was done.

“And would you like desert?” he asked the pair.

Spike’s eyes shifted to Rarity’s as she looked up to the waiter, smiling as she nodded. “Spiced pumpkin ice cream for me.” Spike shrugged, glancing up to the waiter.

“Assortment of desserts, because I’ll never choose.”

“Very well,” the waiter said once more vanishing, this time with their meals.

“Chocolates, fruits, ice cream and candy, huh?” Rarity asked, winking.

“Stooop, I need this to fulfill my fantasy,” Spike said with a growing grin.

“Does said fantasy involve lil’ miss Rarity?” the woman in question asked.

Spike felt his cheeks heat up and he gulped, unable to focus his eyes on Rarity. He scratched the back of his head, just to complete the cliche image.

“W-well, uh, yeah. But I dunno if you’ll go for a chocolate fudge sundae ice cream house with sprinkles,” Spike said with a sheepish grin as he finally glanced over to Rarity.

“Haha, oh my gosh, Spike, that’s so adorable,” she teased, flicking her wrist at him.

“Three adorable?” Spike amended her statement thoughtlessly, rubbing his chin before he caught himself and noticed what he had just said.

“Three adorable?” Rarity asked, this time genuinely confused.

“N-nothing,” Spike said, averting his eyes to the window. “Ooh look, the sun’s almost down.”

“Mmm, indeed it is, Spike,” she agreed, devilishly grinning at Spike.

Shortly after, dessert was served. For this part, none of the duo talked, hungrily devouring the ice cream and sweets in pairs. Spike found himself sacrificing all of his chocolate to Rarity and, at one point, feed one to Rarity. He was wondering if she’d suck on his finger to complete the fantasy but alas, nothing happened. Once more, he found the waiter taking their plates away. Food was paid for and he waited by the entrance for Rarity to finish “powdering her nose”. Glancing around the area, he observed the people dining, part of him attempting to understand the life behind most of these folk before a voice called out.

“Yoo hoo, I’m ready to leave, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity called out as she approached the lobby.

Spike held out his arm and Rarity took it without pause. He grinned as he contemplated the evening. ‘This was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Except Felix earlier, but totally perfect.’

Handing his ticket to the valet, he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. He faced Rarity, the two of them opting to leave their glasses off as they stared into the others’ eyes. It was cut short as the Mercedes pulled up, the valet stepping out without much surprise. Spike expected this since he probably has to park these kind of cars all the time. He tipped the waiter $20 as he returned the keys, causing Spike to wonder why turning the motor off. Quickly, he opened the door and watched as Rarity once more lit up with excitement upon being seated in the luxurious car.

Spike took a breath of air as he closed the door, glancing at the surroundings. Facing the car, he stepped around and got into the drivers side, taking in the grand interior as Rarity just had. After a brief moment of appreciation, he put the keys into the ignition, turning it on and Rarity got to listen to the engine roar to life. She shifted her body as she took it in, once again purring with the engine.

“Again, not to be materialistic, but,” she started, letting Spike fill in the rest.

“I’m your boytoy, be as materialistic as you want,” Spike said, winking at Rarity.

“Oh, hush you, you’ll make me want to kidnap you.”

The two shared a laugh and once more, Spike found himself pulling into the boutique’s parking which only consisted of four spots. Stepping out, he rounded the car and opened the door, taking Rarity’s hand as she stepped out of the vehicle. Her heels clacked against the pavement as Spike escorted her to her front door. She twisted the key, unlocking the knob before opening the fancy door. Rarity stepped in and turned around, staring directly at Spike.

“Thank you for tonight, Spikey. It was magnificent,” she said, setting her coat on the rack next to the door along with her house key.

“Don’t mention it, thank you for giving me this opportunity,” Spike responded.

The two giggled before calming down, staring at each other silently. Spike examined every part of Rarity’s face, etching her appearance into his mind. ‘She’s dressed like this… for me,’ he thought.

Suddenly, Rarity’s hand gripped his dress shirt just under his bowtie and yanked him inside the house. He heard the door close behind him, presumably Rarity’s doing before behind pushed against the door. Two hands slid up his chest as Rarity stood on her toes, pressing her lips into Spike’s. The motion shocked him briefly before he closed his eyes, his hands wrapping around her body. He could feel how thin the outfit was and his heart raced even more as he took it in. Rarity’s hands came off his chest and wrapped around his wrists, yet Spike immediately denied what was happening.

‘No. This isn’t happening. This is fantasy only. There is no way this can possibly be happening.’ His mind was reeling with the thoughts, only to go blank and his breathing to start occurring erratically when it did happen.

Rarity’s gentle fingers moved his hands, causing his fingers to rest just on her plump, round, soft rear. Her fingers were removed from his wrists and once more she went to caressing his chest as the two kissed. His fingers took a quick, gentle squeeze of the tender flesh and he felt his mind go light as he registered his fingers sinking into the flesh. He repeated this several times before his hands started sliding, squeezing at her plump cheeks. He experimented, pressing them together before something else caught him entirely off guard.

A gentle moan escaped into his mouth and Rarity’s lips slightly parted, causing Spike to pause along with her. Their eyes opened halfway as Rarity leaned back briefly before Spike leaned towards her, locking their open lips together. Their tongues met and Spike’s mind was beyond denial. If there was any indication the football team was worth it, this was it. His tongue pressed against Rarity’s as Spike’s hands slid down far enough that he could pull on Rarity’s rear. She moaned yet again as their tongues swivelled around each other. Spike could faintly taste whatever Rarity used to sweeten her breath, he could think at the moment to recall what it would be. With a quick motion, Spike spun the two of them around and pressed Rarity’s upper back into the door.

He hunched over and ran his hands upwards, slowly over her rear as he pressed into them, getting a feel for the flesh before running them up her back. His fingers glided over her spine, causing Rarity’s breaths to come in short intervals. He parted from her lips and before Rarity or even he could register it, Spike moved down and pressed his lips against her neck, suckling on a spot that was far easier to cover up with a strap. Rarity gasped lightly, squeezing her arms around Spike as he licked and sucked at her neck, causing her to bend her fingers, pressing the tips into Spike’s back.

“S-Spike, oh my g-god,” she breathed her words, her voice raspy and high-pitched.

Just as Spike found himself satisfied with where he was suckling, Rarity’s hands moved to his chest and gently pushed. Obliging, Spike leaned back, glancing back down at Rarity’s neck which now had a dark spot where he left his mark. Staring into her eyes, the two were panting heavily, face an inch from each other.

“T-that was supposed to be my thanks to you for tonight,” Rarity said, gulping before returning to her panting.

“It turned into my thanks for you for giving me a shot,” Spike retorted with a low, sultry voice.

“You should t-thank me more o-often then, dear,” Rarity told him, giggling.

Leaning forward, Rarity planted a kiss on Spike’s cheek, pressing in. Spike felt a more sweet, innocent pleasure rush forward from that kiss as he rubbed his scalp.

“Well, I should be leaving then,” Spike said, stepping back.

“O-of course.” Rarity stepped away from the door, opening it as she hid one hand behind her back.

Spike stepped out, adjusting his jacket before stopping next to the driver side door. Turning around, he blew a kiss towards Rarity causing the girl to giggle in response.

“Good night, Spikey-wikey,” she said, waving her hand.

“Sleep well, m’lady,” Spike replied, giving an exaggerated bow.

Her door closed, Spike’s opened and he sat himself in the car before buckling in and putting the vehicle in reverse. Backing into the empty road, he drove down the street back towards his home. Pulling into the driveway, he glanced at the clock to see it was merely 9:50. Parking in the garage, Spike retrieved the keys and left the vehicle, making sure the gray door closed. He made his way towards the front door and stepped in, to have Shining Armour, Twilight and his mother waiting for him merely a foot away. He stared awkwardly at the grinning trio while his father was fixated on the TV.

“How did it go?” the three asked in unison.

Spike’s dropped jaw closed as he rolled his eyes, leaning against the doorframe as he tossed the keys towards his father on the couch whom caught them without looking.

“It was a’ight.”

Author's Note

All riiiiight, so here's an interesting chapter, deferring from the norm of Spike earning numbers. It's also a bunch of little scenes instead of our normal ramblings, so I hope you like the slight change in style. Also, this chapter was almost entirely written by Arby Works (save around 2000 words or so)...
BUT WORRY NOT I return with a vengeance next chapter, already having over 11,000 words in the works. So... LOOK OUT.
~~Also, some news::~~
The rating of this fanfiction is set to change over the next chapter or so, due to... more mature themes.

Spike's Number

X: Spike's Number

Scootaloo had been right, surprisingly, when she mentioned that Rarity's birthday was coming up soon. Spike overheard Twilight and some of the others talking about it for a good few days before the actual date, and had been dying for an invitation. There was no reason he shouldn't have got one, especially after the fabulous night the two of them had had, but he was still nervous. He was always silent when he heard them discussing it, be it Twilight on her cell phone at home or the group at lunchtime when he would join them. At last though, his invitation came through.

'Spike, Twilight told you the party starts at seven-thirty, didn't she?' It was a simple text, indeed, but it sent the boy reeling.

'No, she didn't mention it. Thursday evening though, right?' Spike replied, trying not to sound too eager or presumptuous.

'Yes, that's right. I do hope you'll be there, you're not busy, are you?' Spike read that over and over until his smile seemed to sink into his cheekbones. She actually hoped he would be there.

'Of course I'll be there, I saved the date and everything.' He thought it sounded polite and flattering, so he sent it. 'Who's all invited?'

'The usual. Rainbow talked me into inviting the football team, too. Which, I am not opposed to. It's good for us all to come together, don't you think?' was the response.

'Yeah, it should be fun.'

Rarity stared at the response time and again. Even Spike's number, which was so familiar to her now, seemed charming. By then, Thursday had arrived, and several of her friends had come over early to help her set up the decorations. Twilight had made a checklist of preparations, snacks, drinks and activities—of course—and was currently going over said inventory. Applejack had helped move most of the stuff out of the boutique, leaving chairs around, especially by the payment counter, where Rarity anticipated snacks and conversation might be held. Meanwhile, Fluttershy and Rarity herself had put up most of the decorations, confirming with guests about times of arrival. Both Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had yet to arrive, which was no surprise, seeing as how Rainbow was always late and Pinkie Pie said she had to stop off for some supplies.

Everything was finished in a timely manner, as Twilight had predicted, and the girls were gathered in the kitchen. As Twilight was triple-checking the checklist, Rarity reached into the bottom of her refrigerator and pulled out a tall, simple bottle of champagne. The other girls looked over with surprise as she gathered some champagne flutes from her cupboard and brought them over, aligning them along the counter.

“It was wonderful of you all to come and help out. Perhaps we should have a few drinks, just us girls, before the others arrive,” Rarity mused as she removed the wrappings from around a champagne bottle, readying to pop the cork out.

“Thanks but no thanks, Rare,” Applejack graciously declined. “Ah gotta drive home after th' party, an' it's a long trip.”

“Nonsense, Applejack,” Rarity flicked the cork off skilfully, pouring the bubbling liquid into four perfectly portioned glasses. “You can stay in my guest room, no worries, darling.”

“Y'mean that?” Applejack asked curiously, hope inflating in her voice. “My, that's very generous o' you.”

“Don't mention it,” Rarity placed the bottle down beside the glassed as the girls reached out and took them.

Rarity had no reason not to provide Applejack with a means to stay, she was one of the most trustworthy of her friends. If anyone was going to keep it clean and respect the offer, it was Applejack. The four girls raised their shimmering, gold glasses to the light, and smiles were traded among them.

“T' Rarity, an' a fancy-lookin' party,” Applejack chuckled, not really knowing a proper way to say it.

“And to a perfectly civilized birthday, spent with my dearest friends,” Rarity added, graciously tipping her glass to each friend before they clicked together in the middle.

“Cheers!” was called as they brought the glasses to their lips, taking in the sweet flavour. Everyone but Applejack sighed pleasantly, while the farmer pursed her lips at the dissatisfying sour, overly-bubbly taste, but drank it anyway.

As the glasses were tipped back and light laughter was spread about, a doorbell was heard quite clearly over the quiet boutique. Rarity finished her sip and placed the glass on the counter where she sat, noticing the reddened rim from her lipstick. She hummed lightly as the swallow went down her throat, the bubbling a surprising yet pleasing sensation.

“Oh, that's Pinkie. Right on time,” Rarity chimed as she hopped down off the counter, smiling innocently as she went to greet her friend. “Pour a glass for her, will you girls? Should be a nice treat for her. This birthday? This is going to be perfect.”

“This is not how I anticipated my party to be.” Rarity crossed her arms as she leaned against the entrance to the hallway from the lower floor of the Boutique. “I even dressed up for this.”

It was true, she was wearing a beautifully designed outfit, which she herself had made just for this occasion. It was a shimmering, silky blue and sized perfectly, folds of clothing falling breezily over others and ruffling slightly at the thigh. It ran over but one shoulder and tastefully hid anything inappropriate, though it squeezed her around her thin waist and contrasted her large bust.

“You invited Pinkie Pie, you had to know that things would get a little rowdy,” Twilight tried to console her, stepping back as Score ran past her without a shirt on, hollering something incoherent.

“I think this has past the point of a little rowdy,” Rarity sighed out, pursing her lips as she watched it all go on.

She had anticipated a well-intended party, perhaps some dancing and some talking with close friends. However, that was not how the members of the football team, whom she had ruefully invited, liked to party. Besides that, the frizzy-haired Pinkie had decided to bring along a few extra decorations, friends, drinks and music mixes, the last of which she blasted over the stereo at maximum volume. The dance floor was crowded and at times turned into something of a mosh pit, though neither Twilight or Rarity dared get near it.

“I hope they don't break anything,” Rarity worried, looking at the expensive mannequins sporting her latest designs, which had been moved aside to make way for a beer-pong table set up with some end tables and a hunk of plywood the boys had lugged in from a dumpster nearby.

“I don't think so, I saw Spike going around and collecting most of the valuables earlier,” Twilight mentioned proudly, speaking of her brother in a bright light.

“He sure is a sweetheart,” she let out a slow sigh, looking around for the boy in question.

The doorbell rung suddenly, and both girls looked at each other to be sure they heard it at all. Immediately following the faint chiming was a rough several raps against her beautiful door, which was louder than the bell. Rarity excused herself from Twilight's company and went to greet whoever it was.

Glancing over at the clock, Rarity noted the time was almost 9:00pm, just past time to be fashionably late. There was only one person who would show up then, someone who had lazed around doing absolutely nothing until the last possible minute.

Rarity opened her door to greet the final guest, only to come face to face with the bored expression of a certain football captain. The girl outside her boutique made a weird, scrunched up face as she looked Rarity up and down, noticing her elegant attire. Garbed with casual ripped jeans and her letterman jacket, she seemed very contrary to the possible dress code. With a snarky scoff, the guest snickered and crossed her arms.

“Shit, was this a costume party?” the brash girl remarked rudely.

“Pleasure to see you too, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity blankly replied, accustomed to her obnoxious behaviour by now.

“Happy birthday, you skank,” Rainbow stepped into the boutique without permission and patted Rarity of the shoulder twice. “You seen my girl around?”

“I'm not really certain if I should respond to that title, but Applejack is in the far corner. By the,” Rarity paused and winced as she glanced over at the bunch of mixed drinks that made a mess of her counter. She herself was unsure how it all got there. In fact, it had been Scootaloo and the Dumbbells who had shown up with bags of harder liquor and a cooler full of beer, sneaking it in through the back. “Beverages.”

“Athankya,” Rainbow Dash said in an attempt at classy, tipping her pretend top hat as she passed Rarity.

Rainbow spun around on her heel over-zealously and stopped herself, facing the other direction. She easily avoided the stumbling few who muddled up the air with noise and swung herself towards what was once the boutique's checkout counter. An affectionate smile made its way across her face as she saw the girl behind blurry, moving shadows. With a dark bottle in her hand, she was just sitting on a chair at the far end of the counter past most of the drinks, by the beer cooler.

“Sitting by herself with a beer; how very Applejack of her,” Rainbow murmured in an amused tone, sneaking through the crowd as she made her way to her target.

Applejack sipped at the mouth of her beer, moving her tongue up and down with each swallow to fully taste each mouthful. Sighing leisurely as she removed it from her lips, Applejack leaned back in her seat. The music was louder than she particularly liked, but she put up with it anyway. What was worse was the noisy, muffled chatter of the crowd, which was engaged in whatever obnoxious party activity they could find.

Arms slid over her shoulders without warning, but she knew immediately who they belonged to, and smiled warmly. Tilting her head to the side to permit Rainbow Dash to rest her chin on her shoulder, Applejack reached up and touched the girl's folded wrists, which came dangerously close to her breasts as usual.

“Hey babe, sorry to keep you waiting,” Rainbow Dash spoke close to Applejack's neck, while the girl in her arms rolled her eyes.

“Y'almost had me worried,” Applejack joked as she leaned back into the embrace.

“Can I make it up to you?” the football captain asked in a cutesy voice, nibbling at Applejack's earlobe and sucking it.

“Not like that!” Applejack frantically squirmed out of the hold, holding her hand over the now moist spot and blushing madly. Applejack frowned as she noticed the blush in Rainbow's cheeks, and shook her head. “Y'drank b'fore y'came, didn't you?”

“Just one or two,” Rainbow pouted as she was found out, grabbing a chair and pulling it right up against Applejack's before hopping onto it. “I didn't know how long I would have to deal with Rarity or her other guests before I could get to you, I needed a means to get through it.”

“Right,” Applejack chuckled into the mouth of her beer while she reached out with her other hand, grasping a fresh one from the cooler behind the counter. “Here y'go, honey.”

“You're the best, AJ,” Rainbow jubilantly grabbed it and rubbed her head against Applejack's shoulder like some pet.

“Y'always get 'specially frisky when y'drink, y'know that?” Applejack mentioned as the other girl struggled to twist the cheap cap off, having to use her shirt to do so.

“Is that why you're giving me another?” Rainbow raised her eyebrow suggestively, and Applejack just avoided her gaze.

Rainbow laughed as she poured some beer down her throat, spilling several drops down her chin as she did. Before she could rudely grind the back of her hand against her whole jaw and flick the spilled beer in some random direction, she felt something else touch her lower lip. Rainbow Dash blinked in shock as she realized it was Applejack's thumb, which slowly moved along the fullness of her wetted lip and removed the substance. The two just stared at each other as Applejack pulled away, leaving Rainbow's jaw cold and tingling for further attention.

With a warm and spirited smile, Applejack brought her thumb to her mouth and opened her lips, licking it off her finger easily. Rainbow swallowed as she tried to force the arousal from her mind, the lascivious lechery that boiled to the surface like the heat in her cheeks. It took every ounce of willpower not to tackle her off the seat and take her on the floor right then and there. Applejack's dimples emerged as her crooked smile melted over her features. Rainbow's would-be hard-on subsided as Applejack dropped her gaze and tipped her hat back, tucking her bangs behind her ear, though they didn't stay there.

“Hey, AJ?” Rainbow tilted her head as she stared at her best friend, whose adorably curious expression only helped prove her point. “Has anyone ever told you that, that you're like, really beautiful?”

“What's that now?” Applejack flinched at the compliment, an incredulous expression twisting her features.

“I don't mean like fake, dolled up pretty, no made-up movie star shit,” Rainbow waved her hand around like she didn't care for any of that, and her eyes settled back on the freckled girl whose hips were so close to hers they actually touched. “Like actually gorgeous. Anyone ever told you that?”

“Nah Rainbow, no one.” Applejack's eyes fell to her beer solemnly, but she cracked a small smile as she swished it around in the bottle. “Ah reckon that ain't changed, sounds t'me like that's th' beer takin' 'stead o' you.”

“...Man, you're right. Not about the beer talking thing, I always think you're hot as fuck. I mean, I really don't say that mushy crap enough.” Rainbow chewed on her lip as Applejack hid her face humbly. “I make a lot of jokes towards you, but you and I never really talk about that stuff seriously. Stuff like... love, and sex.”

“Do y'wanna talk 'bout that stuff?” Applejack wondered, her gaze creeping back to the girl who always seemed to command it.

“I don't know, maybe.” Rainbow Dash shrugged and continued with her beer, but the way she didn't direct the subject otherwise made Applejack aware that she really did want to talk about it, she was just too proud to ask.

Applejack pondered the topic: it was true, they never seriously talked about it. Rainbow was prone to blurt out obnoxious sexual comments, exclusively to Applejack it seemed, but that was the extent of it. For two girls who were the best of friends, they never really had crushes or conquests to speak of. Resolved to fix the issue, Applejack nodded firmly.

“Al’right. We can do that.” The topic seemed awkward and sensitive, but she pressed on. “So, um... when did you know that you were, uh...” Applejack cleared her throat to get the last two words out, “A... lesbian?”

“I prefer dyke, actually,” Rainbow Dash spoke easily about it, not bothered at all by any conventional insecurity.

“Y'seriously prefer it?” Applejack asked, her eyebrows raising.

“Yeah, it's got this edgy allure to it, you know?” Rainbow grinned and winked again at the girl beside her. “Like me.”

“Al'right, al'right,” Applejack chuckled and had to agree with the sentiment. She got back to the subject, though. “Well, when did y'know that y'liked girls, any who? Y'only told us all a few years ago. Ah mean, have y'ever, like, kissed one?”

Rainbow hurriedly brought the beer to her lips, stalling her inevitable answer. She didn't want Applejack to think she was inexperienced, everything about the captain screamed casual, and this should have been no different. However, Rainbow Dash had not been interested in that sort of thing, nor were other girls seemingly interested in her, and she had been so focused on her friendship with Applejack and her sports career and such that it never really came up. Besides, if she told Applejack the truth of her kiss virginity, it might make her more nervous about the touching and flirting between the two of them; she might figure out it actually meant something. As her large gulps concluded, Rainbow figured out that sometimes a lie was easier to say.

“Oh yeah, tons,” Rainbow Dash lied through her teeth.

“Ah see.” Applejack's face fell in what seemed like disappointment or hurt.

“What about you?” Rainbow Dash leaned over and elbowed her friend several times. “How many guys have you kissed, then?”

“Who, me? Oh, uh,” Applejack stammered and hid her face under her hat and the blush that graced her cheeks. “Ah guess none.”

“None?” Rainbow Dash was over the moon to hear that out loud at last. But she resisted the urge to cheer or squeal. Instead, she turned the attention onto sexuality as a whole, grinning madly and slapping Applejack on the back roughly. “Well then how the hell do you know that you're straight?”

“Ah... Well Ah dunno, Ah just s'pose that's that, y'know?” The bashful farmer forced a sheepish smile. She posed a similar question to her captain. “Did y'know you were gay b'fore y'kissed anyone?”

“Of course, long before actually. But that's different, Applejack,” Rainbow argued certainly, more than just sure of herself. She was adamant, and with gleaming, captivated eyes, she gazed at the girl beside her and spoke with such reverence it was like gospel. “I fell in love.”

“In love?” Applejack repeated the words, feeling them swell in her chest. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but her mouth asked the question anyway. “W-with who?”

“Don't make me say it, AJ!” Rainbow's face lit up, an uncharacteristic fluster taking hold of her.

Applejack didn't know what she meant by that, but assumed it was just a secret she wasn't comfortable sharing. Finishing the last few mouthfuls of her beer to drown out the rest of her questions, Applejack tried to pay attention to what poorly written dance or trance song was blaring in the background. Feeling a hand gently land on her thigh, Applejack peered down to examine it. It clearly belonged to the girl beside her, who patted her twice in the same place before speaking.

“Here, come dance with me.” Rainbow Dash scooted back on the chair, scraping the ground loudly with it.

“Why?” Applejack resisted the girl pulling at her. “Ah done told you b'fore, Ah don't like dancin', this ain't my scene.”

“Me neither, but tell me,” Rainbow paused and smirked as she tilted her head. “Have you ever been dancing before?”

“Well, Ah guess that's a no too,” the farmer admitted, biting at her lip nervously.

“Then take my hand, cowgirl,” Rainbow's voice was too charming to resist, and Applejack did as she was told.

Applejack's hand found Rainbow's even in the dim lighting, and she allowed herself to be led away from the comfort of her seat. Though the music wasn't particularly slow, it was deep and lulling, and the bass reverberated in their bodies. Rainbow took Applejack's other hand in her own, guiding both of them up to her shoulders and placing them there. There was something of a height difference between them, but it was hardly noticeable at all when their eyes were locked. Looking up at the girl so near, Rainbow Dash let her hands fall onto the farmer's defined hips, noticing the thinness of her waist compared to her hard hip bones.

“This feels a little silly,” Applejack anxiously whispered, pouting her lips. "Ah ain't never done stuff like this."

“Are you afraid of what people will think?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously, tilting her head. “I doubt anyone is paying attention.”

“Ah ain't 'fraid'a nothin',” Applejack muttered flatly with a fake serious expression. “But Ah'm dancin' all close-like, and with a girl, ain't that odd?”

“Baby, everything about me is odd,” Rainbow grinned and pulled Applejack nearer by her hips, letting her fingers play around on them. “But you love me that way.”

Initially, Applejack glanced around nervously, afraid in case people were watching them. But her self-consciousness and uncertainty dissolved as Rainbow Dash leaned in and pressed their foreheads together. A tender smile graced Rainbow's face as she noticed Applejack step nearer without her influence. It felt very odd for them, being silent in each other's company like that, and sharing a moment so intimate. But somehow, it was peaceful and pleasant to just sway back and forth in the darkness. Applejack nudged ever closer, her nose brushing against Rainbow's as her arms slid further behind the girl's back.

Rainbow Dash's hands were for once willing to rest around Applejack, rather than wander for a feel or fondle as they were accustomed to doing. However, under the booming music and inside a warm cocoon of each other's arms, it seemed unlikely Applejack would have pulled away anyway. Rainbow swallowed as her chest pressed up against her other girl's, their quick heart beats running away from the rhythm of the music and eloping between them. The anticipation and desire was killing her, and she matched her words with the synchronized swaying of their meeting hips.

“So, are you still so against things you've never tried?” Rainbow's voice was husky and hushed, though it sailed over the annoyance of noise and tune. Applejack smiled from a mere inch away, her half-lidded eyes focused on the bright pink ones before her.

“You're changin' m'mind.” Applejack hummed, feeling some intense fire burning through her whole body.

The freckled girl stepped her trademark boot between Rainbow's feet, closing the distance in heated volition. Her eager lips pressed firmly against Rainbow's at last, a kiss so invited and welcomed blooming from their mouths. It was sudden and longing, passionate and curious, yet neither of the two were surprised by it at all. The position changed as their lips moved between them, plush ruby edges sliding against each other and noticing every moist curve. Forget any trace of alcohol, this contact fluttered in their stomachs and left them light-headed.

As her arms slid fully around Rainbow's neck, Applejack breathlessly sighed a whimsical hum. Their mouths opened and closed on each other again, and their bodies melted together at chest, at hip, at leg. Applejack's fingers combed into the hair on the back of Rainbow Dash's neck, holding them together just those few blissful instances more.

They barely managed to pull themselves apart, their lips still so close they tickled each other with breaths and fantasy revisits. Their eyes opened slowly and met, dim lights gleaming off bright coloured irises and igniting the fire between them once more. Applejack smiled and nibbled at her singing lips, not quite sure how to explain herself to the girl in her arms. Not that Rainbow needed an explanation, the act itself was more than enough, and it thrilled her to no end. Clearing her throat and avoiding Rainbow Dash's excited eyes, Applejack opened her mouth to speak.

“Ah-Ah ain't never kissed a girl before,” she admitted as if it was a secret.

Rainbow Dash broke into a wide and sheepish grin, confessing something herself, “Me neither.”

“What?!” Applejack pulled back a bit, her surprised eyes widening. She gulped as the weight of her actions seemed to increase. “But, but y'said—!”

“I know. I lied,” Rainbow simply and playfully mused, taking Applejack closer by her waist and murmuring right up against her tasty lips. “Now shut up already, I was enjoying that.”

Rainbow Dash was the one to initiate their kiss that time, her lips crashing into Applejack's much more furiously. Despite her anxiety and nervousness, Applejack permitted Rainbow's tongue to go so far as to even invade her mouth. Inside the ovular confines of their mouths, tongues vigorously clashed and tangled, mirrored by grasping hands and looping arms.

Applejack's eyebrows dropped worriedly over her closed eyes as she remembered her senses, and she tried to push the girl away. She struggled against the aggression frantically, terrified by the consequences and the concupiscence that stirred within her. Rainbow was resilient and diligent though, and her fingers dropped right into Applejack's jeans, playing with the hem of her undergarments. Applejack tried to vocalize her protests, but they were stifled by Rainbow's mouth. At last, her strong arms managed to make space between the two of them, and their wet lips parted.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow it down there partner.” Applejack pried Rainbow's hands off herself clumsily, stepping back and holding her own hands up between them. “We're friends—best friends, tha's all. Your, uh, your constant jokes an' touches, they jus' got me all confused an', an' riled up an' such.”

“Nope,” Rainbow denied certainly, shaking her head once and stunning Applejack with her bluntness. “Admit it. You're totally into me, and hey, if you want, we can pursue just how far into me you can go.”

“A-Ah don't think so,” Applejack's voice faltered a bit as she stepped farther away, her eyes nervous and concerned.

“Don't think so? That doesn't sound very convincing, babe.” Rainbow followed her easily, her gleaming pink eyes attaching themselves to Applejack's anticipatory gaze. “I can feel it between us just like you can, this, this heated, sexual tension. I know you're just getting used to expressing it, and the struggle is half the fun, right?”

“Ah dunno if Ah like where this is goin',” Applejack murmured as she looked around, feeling behind her for something to place between them to stop this tantalizing attraction.

“Oh, you will,” Rainbow cocked her head and grinned, adoring the familiar uncertain expression Applejack adorned. “Come on, AJ, if you didn't want it, you would have pushed me away a long time ago; hell, you wouldn't have been the one to kiss me. But here we are.”

Rainbow spoke against Applejack's skin, moving nearer with each syllable. Her words fell against Applejack's neck, her breath sliding down Applejack's shirt and nestling between her breasts. With a forlorn whimper, Applejack passively let Rainbow's hands dust her shoulders and spine. Rainbow's fingers traced one side of Applejack's neck as she lightly kissed her, feeling the farmer swallowing her inherent protests for the satisfaction of pleasure. She pulled back to judge Applejack's reaction, smiling wider as she felt the girl's tentative hands on her own body.

“Feels good, doesn't it?” Rainbow asked easily, brushing Applejack's hair over her shoulder and pressing their lower regions closer, their buttons and hips nearing.

This was different than the usual joking, this was very, very real. Applejack was so overwhelmed in fact that she just stood there staring, with her mouth hanging agape and her heart rate increasing with each passing second. It felt entirely serious when no one else was watching, when it didn't feel like just an act, when Applejack hesitated in pushing her away. The farmer's eyes widened as she felt Rainbow's hand slip lower, her intent gaze holding Applejack still. Rainbow's hand gripped at Applejack's belt buckle, firmly taking it and yanking the girl closer. Their lips met once more, and it was stuffed right up with desire.

Applejack briefly and passionately returned it, captivated by the act so completely she could hardly restrain herself. But at last, she found her moderation and her chastity, and knew what was best. She did not, however, know the best way to stop it. Too taken with Rainbow to summon the will to merely push her away or ask her to stop, she responded violently with a hard slap across the face. Rainbow Dash immediately ceased her actions and took a step back, holding her stinging cheek with a look of shock across her face.

“S-sorry, Ah'm so sorry,” Applejack forced much effort into resisting the urge to kiss the wound better, her mind just set on their lips more than ever before. She shook her head furiously and hid her eyes behind her hand. “Ah just, Ah need to get outta here, for a while,” she swallowed as her voice began to crack, her heart banging at her chest as she imagined Rainbow Dash following her to a more private location. “Ah'll be upstairs—alone, in the guest room. Alone.”

Rainbow Dash was completely stunned silent as Applejack rushed past her, still unable to look her in the eyes. She turned to watch the girl retreat, and her hand dropped back to her side. She wasn't angry or anything, even though it was common of her to be, as she knew she deserved such a hit for pushing her friend like that. Sighing slowly, she stared at the hallway that Applejack had darted down, wishing she would come back.

There was a harsh emptiness that Rainbow felt, and the frown on her face seemed to have been carved in. It wasn't like she expected anything else, Applejack always swatted away her advances whether she did actually like them or not. But she could not stop thinking about the kisses they had shared, and her lips tingled to remember the way Applejack had kissed her right back. And further, something was bothering her about the way Applejack spoke.

Hanging her head a bit and feeling utterly alone in the room full of cheery party-goers, Rainbow furrowed her brow and glared at her feet. Alone. Applejack had repeated that word over and over right before she left, and something about the way she said it sounded sad or pleading. Rainbow knew where Applejack was now, probably pacing around the guest room. That's right, Applejack had told Rainbow where she could find her, and told her that she would be alone. All alone.

Suddenly, Rainbow Dash realized that those words did not sound much like a warning or something to keep her away, it sounded more like an invitation.

Her feet carried her before she consciously allowed it, breaking into a sprint down the hallway and up the stairs. She had not spent much time in Rarity's boutique, but from what little she knew, she could navigate her way to the guest room. There was a chain and sign warning people to stay out on the way up the stairs, but Rainbow leapt over it without any trouble at all. She paused in front of the second guest room, the first being Sweetie Belle’s, her heart racing with adrenaline and anticipation. This time, she would find out for certain how Applejack felt. She would let Applejack know just how she felt.

Her hand touched the doorknob, and with a quiet turn, she realized that it was unlocked. Which was strange, considering the door did appear to lock, and Applejack had appeared to have wanted to keep anyone out. Rainbow swallowed her nerves and replaced them with determination, with lust and with courage, stepping into the doorway. Rainbow Dash pushed the creaky door open, slowly. Right across the empty room from her... was Applejack. She just sat there in this armchair, staring at the door almost expectantly. There was something in her gaze that Rainbow Dash could not define, some alluring intense look that drew her nearer. Rainbow Dash closed the door by leaning against it, and without turning around, she locked it behind her back.

Unbridled, the football captain came across the room slowly, her eyes locked firmly on Applejack's, her steps quiet yet earnest. She stopped right in front of the farmer, the two of them dwelling in the silence as their expressions did the talking. Too excited to stop herself, Rainbow Dash moved forwards once more.

Applejack squeezed at the armrests nervously as her friend climbed onto the chair, pressing her pale fingers into the headrest. Feeling the uneasiness rise from her stomach into her throat, Applejack shifted in the chair, hearing the leather whine and groan under her similarly responsive body. Rainbow Dash's knees came around her own, one by one, and moved up until she was straddling the apprehensive quarterback. Their warm laps met between them in the seat, and Rainbow Dash's hands dropped onto her friend's tense shoulders.

“Dash,” Applejack warned dangerously, her eyebrows low and serious on top of her narrowed yet curious gaze. Her friend's hands trailed lower, drawing wrinkles into the blouse on her arms until she found those still gripping, rough hands.

Under the inquisitive stare of her best friend, Rainbow Dash pried her stiff hands off the leather chair, noticing the indentations of her fingers in the fabric as they lingered before reshaping. The rainbow-haired jock held Applejack's shaking and hot hands, slowly guiding them onto her own body, sliding them down until they were positioned right on the curvature of her waist. Applejack swallowed and did her best to keep her erratic heart from pounding hard enough to hear, slowing her breathing as Rainbow Dash's hands left her own to freely wander, if so they pleased.

Resting one hand onto Applejack's highest stomach muscle, the nearest that was to her chest, Rainbow Dash leaned closer and slipped her remaining free fingers across the freckled cheeks of her best friend. Applejack's eyes grew wide with fear or uncertainty as Rainbow Dash moved closer, and she pushed her back harder against the permissive plush of the cushions around her. Her cowboy hat tipped back at the rear brim was pressed into the chair, and it lifted off her head a bit.

Her fingers dribbled and drummed over Rainbow Dash's waist, noticing the strength of her own body though it was contained in such a slender package. The heat between their thighs was unbearably tantalizing, and some reckless edge of Applejack pleaded for it to continue. As Rainbow Dash's lips neared hers, she flinched, feeling the very real rounds of her breasts brushing against her own. Her body went cold to realize the seriousness and reality of the situation: her female best friend was coming onto her; hard. And what was worse, she was allowing it. Even enjoying it.

“W-What're y'doin'?” Applejack groaned again, letting words escape her in a husky and breathless voice.

Rainbow Dash's lips pressed against Applejack's, a forceful and furious rebellion Applejack's only defence. The farmer's cowboy boots abraded the carpet beneath her, and her now terribly distracted mind found it difficult to determine how to escape, if that was truly what she wanted at all. Again, Applejack squeezed her eyes shut and whined against the pressure applied to her lap, the seduced moan allowing Rainbow Dash access to the hot space between her lips. Rainbow Dash's tongue tussled with her own, though she could not consciously banter with it vocally or physically at that moment. Her hands came around to the football captain's back, her shoulder blades defined and raised due to her commanding position. Though Applejack's trembling fingers first paused to touch or trace the lines of Rainbow Dash's body, her fingers dug against her shirt and squeezed as if to pull her off, or as if to make it seem so.

As another repressed growl escaped Applejack's throat, Rainbow Dash removed her meddlesome tongue and tasted the farmer inside her own mouth. Allowing the breathless girl beneath her to gasp fresh air once more, Rainbow Dash leaned closer and kissed the side of her jaw, nuzzling her limp head a fraction to the side.

“You like that, AJ?” Rainbow Dash pruriently whispered her hot breath against her friend's ear, feeling the resistance give way for a mere fraction of a second before it was forced back.

“A-Ah, Ah just,” Applejack tried her best to summon a coherent sentence, but all that seemed to escape was stammered syllables in her now flustered accented voice.

“Mhmm?” The football captain pushed harder against her to summon a reaction or response, which was another throaty moan from the farmer's parted lips. “Is that a yes?”

Rainbow Dash lowered herself against Applejack, shifting her position and sliding her own leg between those of the girl in the chair. While her freckled friend was lost in ecstasy, the rainbow-haired girl pressed her lips close against her neck, letting her tongue emerge and touch tickled flesh. Defying Applejack's squirms and whimpers, Rainbow Dash slid her tongue teasingly slowly along the run of her neck, leaving a slick, wet line of saliva in its wake. Applejack leaned her head back as if to pull away, but doing so only permitted her friend's invasive tongue to travel longer across her shivering skin. The cool air breezed along Applejack's now damp throat and gave her a ripe shiver, which did not go unnoticed by the now grinning girl who loomed near above.

Applejack's palms spread submissively wider and allowed Rainbow's hands slipped into hers, mutually mingling with the sensitive lines and spaces, soothing her calloused skin. Their lips were together again, and the kissing was fervent and brash, commanding and forceful. Rainbow Dash only pulled back to bite at the farmer's plump lips, holding the lower one between her teeth and sucking at it until her delighted hum seemed too pleased to be fun to tease. Feeling the girl beneath her relinquish most of her defiance and inhibitions, the football captain eased up on the harassment, only to replace it with ravishment.

Rainbow Dash's fingers set to work examining the toned body of a girl she had long since admired, her adventurous touching folding and wrinkling the malicious clothes that kept her from the satisfaction of skin on skin. Applejack's body raised in response to the sensations, and another grateful sigh breached moist and throbbing lips, allowing their tongues to touch once more and coat each other with sweet savoury flavour. Rainbow Dash sat upright over her friend, breathing hard as their saliva hung wet on their lips.

“Still going to play hard to get?” Rainbow Dash murmured through a cocky smirk, noticing the lascivious lust spreading through Applejack's gaze.

Instead of a cognitive response, Applejack threw her arms around Rainbow Dash's neck, pulling her back into a passionate and violent kiss. Rainbow Dash's hands hit the back of the couch, feeling the hard leather grinding between her fingers as she tried to keep her balance through the demanding needs of the girl below her. She did not need any more affirmation than that, and greedily began coating her fingers with the inside fabrics of her best friend's clothes, burying her fingers between buttons and under untucked shirt tails.

Applejack forced her up onto her knees and hungrily furthered the kiss, grabbing Rainbow Dash's jaw and forcing it open to permit her own tongue-twisting tussle. Her rushed and rash hands snatched the collar of Rainbow's letterman jacket, dragging it over her shoulders and ripping it off her arms, tossing the meaningless thing in a heap on the floor. Feeling rather outdone and driven by her sudden upright position, Rainbow Dash finished the transition by clambering to her feet and tugging the surprised farm girl after her.

They trod and turned in the frantic and amorous exchange, grabbing at each other and squeezing like the rest of the world threatened to pry them apart. Rainbow Dash hummed and snickered against the conquered girl melting in her hands, loving each degree of her skin, each round of her lips and dip of her body clashing between the two of them. Her devilish influence was inescapable, and Applejack willingly gave in to her ambitions.

Rainbow Dash slammed Applejack's back against the wall, the accompanying thud loud enough to rattle and shift the pictures along the walls. Applejack hissed in pain but did not make to protest, allowing the continuing brutality to squeeze her young bones against her friend's. Buttons fell apart around her before Applejack even noticed, and her blouse sprung open to reveal her only partially covered chest, hidden beneath a bra and flimsy tank top.

Kisses replaced and outdid the warmth of fabric as Rainbow Dash pressed against the freckled farmer at her fingertips; kissing, licking and biting at every familiar or new turn and touch she could find. Applejack huffed and heaved as her chest rose against the assertive antagonism, loving the rowdy conflict that burned their bodies together. Before she could get comfortable against the wall, the enthralled jock ripped her from its comfort and yanked her over to the bed.

The farmer was winded as she landed on the firm mattress, the weight of Rainbow Dash knocking the air clean from her lungs as she pressed her back into the covers. Grabbing and tugging at the blanket to give her enough grip to move further onto it, Applejack crawled backwards until the both of them managed to fit onto the bed. Of course, through their aggressive stirs and strips they nearly fell off two or three times before they got the sense of the sheet-covered boundaries.

With two soft sounds of objects colliding with carpet, Rainbow Dash's shoes hit the floor after being mercilessly kicked off by her own earnest will. Despite the trouble of doing so, she even managed to peel her socks off while still keeping the upper hand with her partner. Rainbow Dash held Applejack against the bed with nothing but a firm hand and a daringly desiring gaze, dipping nearer again to experience the flavour of now reddened lips.

Applejack's hands ran through her aggressor's hair, mixing the various colours between her fingers which all seemed so much brighter from within her reach. The captain's tumultuous digits danced over the freshly conquered body of her most intimate of rivals, frantically memorizing every sensation as if it was all too glorious to hold for long. The normally competitive farm girl was more than thrilled to surrender, though her worrisome and rational mind made several troublesome protests to save her friendship or her innocence.

The feverish collision was dragged across the bed by arguing limbs, each incited to feel all those secretive angles left out of the limits of usual comradery. Between hefty breaths and stifled groans, Rainbow Dash sat upright at a shortage of breath, straddling the huffing farmer. Rainbow's eyes affixed themselves on her friend's chest, which rose and fell between them and begged for acknowledgement.

Grasping at the front of Applejack's thin shirt, Rainbow Dash squeezed the fabric until it tightened over her knuckles, capturing the attention of her prey. Provoking the hands of Applejack to reach up and take hold of her own hardened grip, Rainbow Dash lifted her friend barely off the bed, the football captain's slender body aching for more. A salacious and mischievous grin crawled across her cheeks, made all the more excitingly terrifying by widened eyes, captivated by arousal and set only on Applejack. The flustered farmer gawked in awe at the devoted and focused expression of her friend, identifying the same need that boiled up in herself to be ever nearer.

Baring her teeth aggressively, Rainbow Dash leaned back down and shifted her weight on Applejack. She violently pulled and pried at the thin shirt, wishing to just eat it off of her friend's elusive chest if so she needed to do. Rainbow Dash's mouth touched Applejack's chest and she bit at the hem of her shirt, tearing it just enough to allow her vicious hands to rip the rest of it asunder all the way down Applejack's body.

“Dammit, Rainbow!” Applejack yelped in a quiet hiss as she shielded herself, feeling utterly vulnerable under her lecherous stare. “Was that necessary?!”

“Don't act like you don't like it,” Rainbow Dash murmured into Applejack's freckles as she pressed her lips against the smooth skin of her chest, her shoulders arching above her.

Rainbow Dash ripped Applejack's modest hands off her sizeable chest and began mercilessly fondling, immediately slipping her small hands under the bra and squeezing the plush rounds. Applejack huffed in shock but said no protest, letting her chest rise and fall, holding Rainbow's hands in place with the tightness of her bra. Her adept fingers easily found Applejack's rising nibbles, and she pinched at them hard while her open palms caressed her breasts. Another stifled groan rang out, but Applejack tried to hold it in by grabbing at the girl on top of her.

Feeling restrained by the bra, Rainbow Dash shoved it up over Applejack's breasts, revealing the sight to her mesmerizing gaze. Her fingers dragged roughly along the flesh of the girl beneath her, and her mouth found its way all over her chest. Rainbow Dash grinned greedily at the way her supple bosoms bounced agreeably with each shove and release. Pressing herself against the farmer, the rainbow-haired girl trembled just to imagine how far she wanted to go.

“You make me so fucking hot,” Rainbow moaned as she viciously squeezed and gnawed at the closest parts, before shoving herself into sitting upright and clumsily grabbing at her shirt.

Applejack stared in awe as Rainbow pulled her shirt over her head, her thin stomach seeming all the more delectable as her bra peeked out at last. But she did not stop there. Without bothering to reach back and undo it, she tugged her bra over her head and flung it in some random direction, exposing herself to the curious and intrigued farmer between her legs. While she was otherwise occupied, Applejack hurriedly pulled the remnants of her own top off, undoing her bra and sending it to oblivion with Rainbow's.

They clashed in the middle once more, hands and mouths pressing against anything within reach, unrestricted and unstoppable. Their heated skin met all along their chests and midsections, pressing body against body to feel each curve for certain. The world around them seemed to spin as they rolled back and forth over the bed, too preoccupied with their endeavours to notice much who was on top of whom.

Applejack felt her back press into the folds of covers again, only to whimper pleadingly as Rainbow Dash pulled back the littlest bit. Rainbow peered down at their entangled legs, finding the sight interesting enough to touch. While holding herself up with her left hand on Applejack's breast and her lips closed around her nipple, she slid her hand down the strong body of her friend. It did not take but a few seconds to negotiate her fingers under the defiant belt and into her jeans, though she was blocked from her target by the grip of the belt and the thin fabric of her underwear.

Instinctively struggling against the invasion, Applejack found herself incapable of pulling Rainbow's hand out of where it seemed to belong. Rainbow Dash fed the nipple between her teeth as she licked and sucked at the plush beasts at her disposal, treating it with gluttonous reverence and adoration. Snickering at the whines and huffs Applejack made in her defence, Rainbow Dash incessantly stroked and spread her fingers along lines and curves she wanted to memorize.

“AJ, I love your tight pants, but do you mind if I make a little room?” Rainbow Dash murmured into her hot flesh as she slipped lower down Applejack's body, leaving invisible kisses and licks most of the way down.

“Room for what?” Applejack asked breathlessly as Rainbow Dash's other hand made its way to her pants, undoing her belt and flinging it astray, only to follow after with the metallic button.

“This,” Rainbow revealed with action rather than explanation, unzipping the zipper with the back of her wrist as she pressed her hand farther between the farmer's legs.

A moan rose from Applejack's throat before she could contain it, summoned by the enthralling pleasure that came from something so simple as a foreign finger or two. Her body responded quickly to the instrumental playings of Rainbow Dash, who was galvanized by the vocal musings made all the more endearing through Applejack's adorable accent, which prevailed in her groans. Rainbow Dash dipped her fingers in deeper, tilting her head at the reaction she got as her other fingers spread the girl below her farther apart.

It was so wet down there that Rainbow Dash could not stand the thought of losing a drop to the absorption of fabric, and heedlessly began tugging the jeans off of the farmer. She grabbed both the pants and the underwear, sliding it roughly down her legs until Applejack herself reached down and folded her hands over her most private of areas, holding her pants barely over the spot. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow and displayed a promiscuously crooked smile, pursing her lips as she thought up something to say.

“What, are you shy?” She asked curiously, snickering at the prospect.

“No!” Applejack denied furiously, though her movements betrayed such a statement. “Ah'm just cold.”

“Oh, I'll keep you warm,” Rainbow Dash promised as she broke the fabric out of Applejack's hands, pulling it down further as her eyes flickered up menacingly. Applejack grunted anxiously as she reached down to undo her boots to make it easier to pull of her jeans, but Rainbow Dash stopped her. “No, leave those on. I like them.”

Applejack accepted her wishes and pulled one leg out of the jeans, letting Rainbow pull them down her other leg and leave them half hanging on to the boot. Rainbow Dash was far too focused on her goal to care what became of the jeans, but Applejack merely kicked her foot and let them fall off. Rainbow's pants came down around her ankles, and she violently and clumsily knocked them off bit by bit. Lunging back at the lips of the girl beneath her, Rainbow Dash heard herself moan erotically as their legs entwined much more freely.

Reaching heedlessly and without permission between their legs, Rainbow Dash positioned her hand against Applejack's still very wet sex. She loved feeling it on her fingers, so much so that she began to coat her hand with the still seeping moisture from fingertip to palm. Her furious and curious motions stimulated constant sighs and songs from Applejack, who was more than happy to mirror the motions of Rainbow's fingers with her tongue, licking and kissing her captain devotedly.

Though reluctantly, Rainbow Dash pulled away from Applejack in hopes of tasting ever so much more of her. The farmer's eyes opened slowly and fluttered ecstatically as Rainbow again sat upright on top of her. As she moved her invasive fingers, their loins met once more and brought satisfaction to both parties. Applejack watched attentively as Rainbow brought her hand to her mouth, which opened to reveal the tongue that Applejack had gotten to know so well as of late.

Rainbow Dash had no trouble, in fact she was ecstatic, with pressing her now wet fingers against her lips, opening her whole hand against her face. She hummed lovingly as she lapped at the smooth liquid, sucking at her fingers and looping her tongue between them. No longer able to resist, Applejack sat up and joined in, wrapping her agile tongue around Rainbow's fingers and taking one or two into her mouth. Their now wet lips met and flirted between dripping fingers, slick lines of saliva or other moistures spreading nearly invisible lines between them as they came apart and together again and again.

Though the flavour proved to be an aphrodisiac, their lips found each other more satisfying and their kissing returned more furious than ever. Rainbow's still wet hand dropped onto Applejack's chest, slipping down and leaving a cool, glimmering print against her skin. Teeth, lips, skin and tongues collided intermittently as they laid back down on the bed, Rainbow Dash forcing Applejack to remain on her back.

Without warning, Rainbow Dash slipped inside Applejack again, drawing a pleasing moan out of the young farmer's usually smooth and low voice. Their hot breathing mingled and danced between them and grew steadily more rapid as Rainbow worked harder and harder to achieve the desired effect. Applejack bit back more aggressive groans and arched her back on the bed, permitting Rainbow Dash to slip an arm underneath her midsection and rise her lightly freckled stomach to her lips. Kissing the warm, silky skin, Rainbow felt Applejack's twitching body in her arms.

Applying pressure to her clitoris, Rainbow Dash increased the volume of Applejack's erratic shouts, though the modest farmer stifled them with shaky hands and pillow corners. Rainbow nibbled at her subject's hips and navel, but found it difficult to focus as a dull, steady beat could be heard through the wall. With a monotonous hum, Rainbow pulled back slightly and listened more carefully, still hearing the annoying pounding. Applejack peered down pleadingly, but blinked as she heard the same odd noise.

It was a continuous thudding, like something was hitting the wall behind them over and over again. Rainbow Dash growled suddenly and sat up, knocking Applejack into a much less comfortable position as she did. She slammed her fist against the wall three times, knocking loudly towards the direction of the noise. Applejack's eyes went wide as her friend opened her mouth, and she was too slow with telling her to be quiet.

“Hey!” Rainbow barked angrily, knocking again and again until the other noise paused. “Enough with the banging! I'm trying to get my own rhythm going here!”

“Rainbow!” Applejack squeaked in a hush quite bashfully as her face went bright red.

“With that settled,” Rainbow Dash dropped back onto Applejack and yanked her down the bed another foot or so, surprising the already baffled girl enough to make her squirm.

“Ack! Rainbow what're y'doin'?!” Applejack gasped and kicked a bit as she lost her balance.

The covers slipped out from underneath Applejack at once, and Rainbow Dash hadn't even noticed how close they were to the edge of the bed until they were falling right off of it. They hit the ground clumsily as the remaining blankets fell over them, only to be knocked away. Rainbow Dash perked up as the corner of some fold hung over half of her face, slightly obstructing the view of Applejack pressed up awkwardly against the nightstand. She shook her head and let it fall behind her, keeping her cool the whole while.

“Now, where was I?” As she shimmied further and further between Applejack's legs, her smile grew wider. “Oh, I remember. I was right... about...” she paused for dramatic effect, her daringly enticing eyes flickering up to the anxious expression of her friend. “Here.”

Rainbow Dash fondly licked along Applejack's ripe slit, taunting her with the slow and precise muscle. An uncontrollably aroused moan escaped Applejack before she consciously could silence herself. Her hands gripped her blonde hair harshly, trying to express herself in a less vocal and potentially incriminating manner. As Rainbow Dash's tongue twirled around her most sensitive parts, Applejack found herself utterly intent on feeling every turn and twist. It drove her mad, not just the sensations she experienced, but that those very captivating movements against her most intimate of areas could only be attributed to Rainbow Dash. Feeling her best friend finally taking responsibility for all those dirty, flirtatious words sent her reeling.

Applejack actually had to look down to be certain of what Rainbow was doing to her, the feelings all so foreign and strange, yet pleasing nonetheless. Her half-lidded eyes stared adoringly into the eyes of the girl between her legs, who could not get enough of watching Applejack squirm. To keep her from bucking her too hard while she worked, Rainbow slipped an arm under her thigh and reached around, picking one leg up onto her shoulder and holding it there with her arm. Applejack’s hard leather boot scraped against her back, but the mild pain actually aroused her even more.

Raising her head up just a mere inch or so, Rainbow Dash moved her free hand to her lips, letting her tongue trace it before taking a finger or two fully into her mouth. Applejack watched on, hypnotized by the confident strokes painted over her. Applejack's breath was halted as the invasive pressure was reapplied inside of her, and deep. Curiously, Rainbow drove in and out, turning and curling to reach the farthest ends and the most stimulating ridges or rounds. As a means to expose the shy nub, Rainbow gently sucked on the girl's clitoris, even doing so far as to greet it with her teeth.

The taste was so gloriously Applejack's that Rainbow Dash could not dream of getting enough, and proceeded to lick along her fingers each time they emerged. She lapped at the few drops that slid down into her palm from the way she had it turned upwards, and she creased it as her thumb moved to replace the work her tongue had been performing on her clitoris. Rainbow's hard and constant work had made Applejack shift more upright against the bedside table, which was still at her back since they had fallen to the ground. Against her tongue and her fingers, Rainbow Dash could feel some brimming completion she had been striving for, and it drove her on.

Humming and musing her satisfaction, Applejack reached down and ran her hand over Rainbow's head, her fingers gliding through the girl's hair. Rainbow Dash paused in the duties of her lips to meet her loving and grateful gaze, something that struck her to see. Applejack's hand slipped over her heated, smooth cheek and tingled sensually, running down her neck so very carefully it felt like nothing less than dedication and fidelity. Invigorated by the expression, Rainbow jumped up abruptly and kissed the girl, lodging her fingers deeper inside with the force of her movements.

Against the back of her hand, Rainbow's own sex ground up to the intercourse, her knuckles pressing hard between sensitive regions with each flick and dip. Applejack took hold of Rainbow by her delicately pale cheeks and neck, her palms spreading over her visage and throat as the kiss deepened between them. With an amorous sigh, Applejack leaned against her lover, allowing the smaller girl to wrap her free arm behind her and keep her ever closer. Rainbow squeezed the object of all her covetous desire, their breasts and stomachs pressing together like forcing two perfect puzzle pieces together.

A greater flow of liquids was exchanged between them that was not rudely remarked upon, just enjoyed and shared. Rainbow continued passionately kissing the freckled girl she embraced and ravaged, long past a time she could have easily stopped. Applejack's now trembling hands rounded Rainbow's thin waist and danced over the grinding of her hips. It was rough and unrefined, unrestrained and furious, but it was love, and they loved it like that.

Despite filling the evening with kisses and fondles, Applejack could not seem to get quite enough of the girl she had finally succumbed to, even long after they had stopped. She stared at her lover carefully, brushing her hair behind her ear and trailing her fingers down the girl's pale body. The hours were lost now, the daylights forgotten and the troubles defeated, spent between bodies and souls.

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes again and looked at Applejack, shifting against the bed they had since returned to. The two had been silent for some time, yet voices seemed quiet after their earlier deeds. She could feel sensations still lulling her as Applejack's fingers took the liberty of adventuring and memorizing each intimate turn of Rainbow's form. The touches seduced a question from the football captain, whose voice was raspy and never hushed.

“What are you doing, AJ?” Rainbow Dash asked with an amused laugh, watching Applejack's hands peruse her body intently.

“Feelin' you,” Applejack mused pleasantly, quite taken with the now familiar body of her best friend. Her eyes widened suddenly and she sat up, recoiling her hands self-consciously. “Wait, is that not okay? Am Ah allowed t'do that?”

“Of course you're allowed! I was enjoying it.” Rainbow Dash guffawed at Applejack's awkwardness, grabbing her hands and placing them back where they had been. “I know what this is, Applejack. I'm okay with just staying friends, I know that you can't just suddenly turn gay or whatever. But that doesn't mean you can't touch me if you want.”

“Do y'think I feel like that?” Applejack asked curiously, noticing the pain in her friend's voice though she was desperate to hide it. “Honey, Ah don't jus' sleep with anyone. Ah jus' don't really know much 'bout casual stuff, an' all you prob'ly wanted was a screw, so—”

“Fuck that!” Rainbow grabbed Applejack's hands again and stared right into her eyes. “Applejack, I don't want a fling. I want to be with you. I just don't want you to pretend you like me just because we fucked.”

“Pretend t'like you? Shut yer little vixen mouth,” Applejack growled as she squeezed Rainbow's hands. “Ah ain't here for a fling neither. Ah like you just fine—more than fine, Ah like you lots. Shoot Rainbow, Ah was th' one who kissed you, r'member?”

“So, like,” Rainbow started as she tried in vain fight back the grin that threatened her face. She cleared her throat to try and sound more serious or prepared. “You want to go out with me?”

“Ain't you s'pose t'ask that b'fore we go t'bed together?” Applejack chuckled a bit before responding. “Yea', Ah wanna go out with you.”

“Awesome,” Rainbow Dash could not think of anything better to say.

She let out a comfortable sigh and turned onto her back, exposing herself to the curious eyes of Applejack. Rainbow Dash looked up at her lover admiringly, her smile playing on her lips interminably. Applejack met her gaze, and the two laid in easy silence for a few more seconds, marked with particularly adoring expressions. Rainbow broke into a grin and tipped her head back in reverence, remembering everything that had transpired between them.

“Man, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.” Rainbow Dash hummed with a healthy glow in her cheeks, which had almost started to hurt from all the smiling she had been doing.

“Glad y'admit it,” Applejack teased playfully, leaning over and kissing her right on the lips.

Rainbow gladly returned it, pressing her body against the farmer and entwining her fingers into her lightly tangled golden locks. It was gloriously satisfying, just being able to kiss each other so freely as they did, after all that push and pull, all that tension and yearning. As they drew apart, a more mischievous smirk returned to Rainbow's face.

“So, you want to go again?” she suggested with a wink, not even feeling the need to find a clever way to phrase it.

“Already? What's that, th' third time?” Applejack made a face and chuckled a bit, ruffling Rainbow's hair fondly. “You're a manic, y'know that?”

“Is that a no?” Rainbow asked slowly, her eyebrow raising in mild disbelief.

Applejack pursed her lips and pondered her answer. Finding no way to possibly turn it down, she simply responded, “Not exactly.”

The two giggled as they fell into each other's arms once more, their bodies rolling over the messy bed and tangling in the sheets. Lips were together again, and hands knew better now the best spots to tease and taunt. Applejack yelped once or twice as Rainbow Dash greedily bit at her and sucked on her skin, her agile fingers already well on their way to their destination. Rainbow proceeded to lick at the crook of Applejack's neck, turning her head to face the distant and dark window, which was frosted on the outside and steamed on the inside. A drop or two slipped down the transparent surface as the two changed positions and their laughter turned to erotic sighs.

A few hours earlier…

Glancing down at her phone and watching the colon blink between the hours and moments, Rainbow Dash noticed the time was just about 9:00pm. She was late, as usual, but she didn't really care. It was just a silly birthday party anyway, Rarity wouldn't hold it against her certainly. Besides, she already knew that Applejack was there waiting for her, she always was. Rainbow cleared her throat and the dumb, lovestruck smile off of her face, tapping her foot as if she was annoyed.

She swayed a bit on the step boredly as she waited for an answer, but made no move to knock again just yet; the last one had been loud enough for sure. It was somewhat cold out, even since she had dipped her hands into her letterman jacket and pressed it against herself. At last, the door opened, revealing a very formally dressed Rarity. Rainbow caught the chortle before it breached her lips, trying to put on a more respectful face. She couldn't resist teasing the girl, though.

"Shit, was this a costume party?" Rainbow said in a cheeky tone.

"Pleasure to see you too, Rainbow Dash." Rarity resisted to urge to roll her eyes, and Rainbow didn't even notice.

"Happy birthday, you skank," Rainbow Dash barged into the door and slammed her hand onto Rarity's shoulder twice, causing her to flinch. Squinting into the dimly lit room eagerly, she went on, "You seen my girl around?"

"I'm not really certain if I should respond to that title, but Applejack is in the far corner. By the," Rarity bit back her urge to say something rude about the way several of Rainbow's team mates had brought in their own poisons, and settled for a vague word instead. "Beverages."

"Athankya," Rainbow Dash slipped around Rarity and faked a more refined accent, to which Rarity actually rolled her eyes.

Rarity sighed as she closed the door behind the girl, taking a slow breath before turning back around to face her so-called birthday party. It was nothing like she had planned, certainly, and she felt rather alone and disappointed by it all. She leaned against her front door, looking out at the bunch of familiar faces, acquaintances or better known, who had better things to do than pay attention to her on such a special day at this.

High-pitched giggling followed by weight on her shoulder caused Rarity to glance to the right to see Pinkie Pie squeezing her arm. Pinkie attempted to speak before she almost fell over, causing Rarity to use both her arms to support the seemingly dazed girl.

“Oh my, Pinkie Pie, are you alright?” Rarity asked, guiding herl away from the door before setting the party girl atop a small stool.

“Hehe, I’m fi—” A hiccup. “—ne, hahaha!”

Pinkie leaned her head against the wall and Rarity knelt down beside her. Leaning in, Rarity gently opened up Pinkie’s mouth and took a sniff, regardless of how it disgusted her. Much to her suspicions, she retched back, realizing what was going on.

“Pinkie Pie, where did you get alcohol!?” Rarity asked, immediately glancing around the room. “Rainbow Dash!? But, she was only here briefly… Was it those Dumbbells!? I swear, those boys will be—”

Pinkie’s arms wrapped around Rarity’s neck, engulfing her in a choking hug. Rarity lost her balance and immediately fell on Pinkie. The weight of the two caused the stool to slide forward, tumbling the both of them onto the ground. Rarity groaned as Pinkie Pie started giggling immediately, hiccuping as she did. Rarity’s groaning was replaced with worry as she realized in their current position, she inadvertently had her rear raised in the air in her very short skirt. She pushed herself to her feet, briefly forgetting about Pinkie Pie as she spun around, glancing at the crowd. For once on her birthday, she was glad nobody’s focus was on her, yet she still attracted the attention of two boys. She sighed in relief as she saw that they were still attempting to pull out their phones by the time she started walking away, forgetting the already bouncing-back Pinkie Pie.

Rarity retreated to one corner of her boutique, specifically the kitchen. This was one area she knew she had to have a door—and lock—installed for the party. The upstairs simply had a small chain at the base with a “No Trespassing” sign she had found to dissuade party-goers from entering. The kitchen wasn’t quiet, but it was the only secluded place she could find. It was dimly lit and had numerous party supplies, should they run out of snacks and drinks, but granted the inclusion of alcohol, she figured that her meager bottle of wine wasn’t going to cut it.

Glancing to the side, she spotted many of the finer, more irreplaceable objects that were once in her shop’s lobby, brought out of the danger zone and set carefully in said kitchen, probably by Spike. Included with it all was two mannequins containing several of Rarity’s latest works, one of which she considers her magnum opus of the year. Smiling, she leaned against the kitchen’s island as she pulled out a bottle of wine from under the counter.

“Such a dear,” she muttered in praise to the absent boy, retrieving a glass as well.

Popping the cork, she let out a wistful sigh as she poured the liquids into the glass. It was a red wine, cheaper than what she bought several nights prior, yet she took her time, effectively playing with the flowing liquid until it almost overflowed. She set the bottle down and lifted the glass, gently swivelling it as she did, taking extra care to make sure the wine didn’t spill over.

“Happy birthday to me,” she murmured to the glass.

Standing up, she stepped back, leaned against the counter, pressed the rim against her lips and tilted it back. In one swish, she managed to guzzle the entire glass. As she finished, she winced briefly as she made sure not to open her mouth until the liquids were consumed, letting out a deep exhale when she was done. She set the glass next to the bottle of wine and immediately started pouring herself another glass until she heard the knob on the new kitchen door rattle. She glanced over, shaking her head before resuming refilling her glass. She heard the sound of her lock deactivate and she stopped pouring the wine only to see Spike slide in through the door, quickly attempting to relock it before Scootaloo’s voice boomed.

“Whassa mattah, Shpike? Nooo, Rardy don’t have t’ know, it’ll be our lil’ shecret,” she slurred, collapsing against the wall.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck,” Spike repeated as he locked it, shuffling to the side to put all his weight against the door.

He spun around, pressing his back against it before realizing that Rarity was with him in the kitchen, pouring her glass of wine. He grinned sheepishly, chuckling as his eyes shifted to the door handle that Scootaloo was attempting to open.

“H-hi, Rarity. I didn’t k-know you were in here,” he said, stepping away from the door cautiously as the banging stopped.

“Well, it is my house, Spike,” she responded, giggling as she relaxed, not filling her glass up quite as high as the last time.

“Not what I meant, but... well, it’s your birthday.” He stepped over to the island, leaning forward as he propped himself up on his arms. “Go party.”

She shook her head, sighing as she slid the bottle to the darker end of the island, swishing the red wine once more.

“I was expecting a more… reserved or quieter get together and although I can only blame myself, it turned into a wild rave. I was just hoping to be with my friends and maybe a few of the football team members, and you. But I guess Pinkie getting involved inevitably led this to be a regular bash.”

She lifted the glass up, yet before she could take a sip, Spike’s fingers slipped around the stem of the glass and lifted it out of Rarity’s fingers, causing the girl to glance up in confusion. Spike merely guzzled what was in the glass instead of her, wincing due to the taste; he still wasn’t used to alcohol it seemed.

“Well, I’m here now. We can drink alone, except… uh, there’s two of us, so I guess we’re not really alone,” he corrected nervously, averting his eyes. “Although, I guess I shouldn’t be drinking.”

“Who gives a damn on a day like today? Plus, I can legally drink, dearie. It’s fine if I do it,” Rarity reasoned, fetching another glass.

“Ah, well, okay.” Pausing briefly, he glanced to the door which still had sound exploding through the creases. Spike winced as a particularly loud shout sounded before facing Rarity as she refilled the two wine glasses, this time seemingly happier. “There are some things people shouldn’t say, but sometimes it’s better to just say them instead of letting them come out at worse times, y’know?” Spike downed the entire glass once more, not waiting for Rarity to pour him another glass. They didn’t lock eyes yet neither could say why. Spike decided to take a guess. “Like… the invisible strings.”

Rarity stopped herself from pouring another glass as Spike said that. She turned to face him fully with a raised eyebrow as he chuckled at her confusion.

“Strings?” she inquired simply.

“Things you do in life are like… strings, or threads. You meet someone, you now have a string connected to them. You know their name and at first, it’s just a lil’ thread. Get to know them better and the thread changes into other things. Twilight’s string becomes, say, a sweater vest because I swear to god, you haven’t seen her wardrobe from her Canterlot days.” Spike giggled at the memory, obviously starting to feel some of the alcoholic effects. “Applejack would be her stetson… I guess Big Mac’s would be a yoke. Rainbow would become a jersey, or a Gay Pride flag, just because she really broadcasts it to AJ often.” Slapping himself once, Spike mentally scolded himself for what he said as Rarity slowly consumed her drink.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” Rarity seemed to agree.

“And me? I wouldn’t know.” Spike shrugged. “I’ve never been able to get a read on myself. Sometimes, these strings… we don’t know what to do with them. Whether or not to cut them, or decorate them, or add to them or do what with them, such as wrap them around your delicate little index finger and create something out of them. That’s where you come into things, Rarity.”

Spike downed one more glass before setting it inside the island’s sink. Rarity glanced up as he started walking, slowly circling the island until he stood in front of Rarity. She set the glass on the edge of the counter, pressing her palm flat against the surface afterwards. The two had faint smiles, Spike’s being a bit larger.

“I guess,” he started, turning left and leaning his back against the counter, “I’m just waiting for when you decide if you want to utilize my string. Make something out of it from it’s short, unintersting colour into something beautiful. That’s like, your special talent or something.”

“Making things out of string?” Rarity asked, leaning against the island as her grin grew.

“No, silly. Making anything beautiful, no matter where it came from. You managed to turn me from a loser with weird eyes into someone who randomly joined the football team just to impress a girl,” Spike admitted, turning down to the wine bottle before ignoring it.

“It was your own courage that brought you here, don’t you think?” Rarity inquired, picking her glass up once more and downing half of what was left. “You could have quit the instant you heard Rainbow Dash being such a rude little b… b-bother.”

“Haha, you mean a butch? Err, I mean, bitch?” Spike said, slapping himself in the forehead as he fumbled his words.

“I don’t want to be rude,” Rarity responded, giggling as she took another drink, interrupted as Spike poked her right where her navel would be. She spat out a bit of wine, leaning forward to prevent it from spilling on herself as she started to giggle along with Spike.

“Oops, that was, uh, yeah,” Spike responded, setting his hand on her shoulder.

“Gah, stop, you, I’m ticklish.” Rarity leaned back and immediately inspected her outfit to make sure she didn’t spill. Spike pressed his finger on the bottom of her chin, tilting her head up so she faced him. “Hmm?”

“I guess it was me. I brought myself here, but in the end, I still did it to try and be someone you wouldn’t be ashamed of being with.” Spike leaned in closer as the giggles stopped, replaced with an odd quiet they weren’t used to that night. “I don’t wanna sound like a stalking loser, but… I’ve watched you from afar.”

“Stalker,” Rarity said in a singsong voice followed by a giggle.

Spike rolled his eyes, shaking his head as Rarity hiccuped. “No… I mean, I’ve known you for years and for a while, I’ve been enamoured. About you. Or, with you, whatever. I’ve been in love with you.” Spike gulped once as his hand slowly moved forward, setting down gently on Rarity’s hand that was resting on the counter. Her hand anticipated him and moved to hold onto his. “I’ve watched you and seen you. I’ve seen you on days where you cried, or days where you were mad. Or days where you were so happy you cried. I slowly began to realize I could identify what kind of clothing you wore… the maker, where it came from, what fabric and even what kind of lipstick or shampoo or perfume you use. I just sort of… picked up on it because I wanted to know you.”

Rarity’s mouth twitched briefly before a wide grin broke out on her face. Her other hand wrapped around Spike’s other hand and gently tugged him closer towards her. He stumbled briefly, pressing his pelvis into hers, both of them struggling not to fall over onto the island. Rarity simply welcomed the warmth his body brought hers, her hands sliding up Spike’s arms before wrapping around his back.

“You never had to do any of that to know me… or have me… you could have just asked, Spikey-wikey,” she whispered, leaning in even closer.

Spike gulped yet again, leaning in as he closed his eyes. Opening them slightly, Spike could feel Rarity’s breath on his lips; the sweet scent of wine and her natural breath sending his mind into a frenzy.

A loud banging occurred before someone yet again unlocked the kitchen door without ease, causing the couple to jump apart. Spinning to face the door, the two saw a figure tumble to the ground, a glass shattering as it occurred. Suddenly, all the noise in the house flared up, alerting the pair to the fact that yes there was still a party going on in Rarity’s home. Upon stepping to the side, they saw Twilight giggling on the floor, rolling onto her back oblivious to the mess she created on the kitchen floor.

“Argh! Seriously!? How many lightweights are at this party!?” Rarity shouted, stomping over to Twilight.

“Don’t you worry, Ratty, I’m not duck, honestly,” Twilight mumbled as she burst into laughter, completely limp as Rarity lifted her up, propping her in a chair. “It’s jusht a bad case of Piggy Pie.”

Spike sighed, walking over to the door and locked it once more before Rarity’s voice spoke in protest.

“There’s no point, is there?” Rarity said, sighing wistfully once more. “Here, come pick Twilight up, she’s too heavy for me.”

“Too fat for yooou,” Twilight said with a giggle.

Rarity turned to Spike as he walked towards them, a smile on her face.

“Would you say three fat, Spike?”

“What was that, oh yeah, my sister is drunk let’s take her elsewhere okay let’s go,” Spike stammered out hurriedly as he pushed by Rarity, hoisting his sister over his shoulder without any problem.

“Whee!” Twilight cried out softly before falling asleep.

“Haha, oh my,” Rarity said as she shut the lights off and made sure the kitchen was clean.

Once they left the room, Rarity pulled out a key and locked the kitchen door, and just for extra measure, put up another “No Trespassing” sign. In the main lobby, there were numerous presents stacked up, and Pinkie announcing that the birthday cake and presents would be taken care of in just an hour. Out of the corner of his eye, Spike could see Scootaloo sitting in a chair, no longer as energetic as she was before. A brown bottle was in one hand and her other was fixing her hair. The eyes so full of life remained hidden, situated on the ground and part of Spike wanted to run over there. Yet, the idea of a drunk, sexually repressed and depressed Scootaloo made the notion foolish.

Sighing, Rarity stepped up stairs, removing the chain as Spike followed, rehooking it after them. Spike gulped when he realized where he was going.

‘This is Rarity’s home, her private area of the shop,’ Spike thought, gulping as the noise downstairs once again faded from their consciousness.

Rarity led him down the hallway, past a closet, stopping right in from of a room labelled “Sweetie Belle”. Opening the door, he noticed that it was void of many things, Sweetie Belle spending this week at her parents’ place.

“Just put her on Sweetie Belle’s bed for now. I’ll lock the door so nobody can get in,” Rarity directed him.

Nodding, Spike stepped in, closing his eyes as often as possible to avoid letting his eyes wander into the personal space of someone else. With one hand, he threw the blankets back and set the sleeping Twilight down in the bed, fixing the sheets so Twilight was snuggled up in a bunch. Stretching his back, Spike turned around to face Rarity, who idly waited in the door, smiling. Spike returned the smile and stepped back, staggering briefly before laughing at himself about it. Rarity outstretched her arms as Spike almost fell into her, hugging her tightly. The couple stumbled back, a bit lightheaded before Rarity’s back met the opposing wall.

“S-Spike, I ‘ave to lock the door,” Rarity protested, shoving Spike to the right.

Rarity stepped forward, closing the door as she locked it while Spike stumbled obliviously in the direction of Rarity’s room. He pressed both hands against each wall, holding himself up as Rarity pocketed the key that seemed to be universal. She smiled as Spike pushed himself to his feet and before he could properly reorient himself, Rarity pressed her hands against Spike’s chest, shoving him back into her door.

The wooden plank opened up revealing Rarity’s room and Spike only had a moment to process this before the door slammed shut and Rarity grabbed Spike’s shirt by the collar like she did previously, holding him in place. His eyes darted around, growing wider as he realized where he was.

‘Oh my god, this is Rarity’s room. Rarity’s room. Hers. All hers. Her place. Her room. Just us.’

Gulping once, Rarity gently pushed Spike once more, guiding him back towards her bed. Spike caught on and his arms came up, hands grasping Rarity’s shoulders. She yelped in surprise, releasing her grip on Spike as he gently swung her around, practically throwing her atop her velvety red sheets, canopy undisturbed by the rustling. Rarity, having closed her eyes as Spike tossed her, opened them to see Spike’s arms pressed against the bed at both her sides, his body looming over hers and his face inches from hers.

Their heartbeats quickened and a red tone found its way to their cheeks. Right away, the heated tension caused Spike to start panting as his mind reeled with fantasies all coming to a point in one night. He gulped once as he stared down into the eyes of the one that caught his heart, which was pounding in his chest; Spike felt very heavy indeed in the moment. Rarity smiled, allowing her arms to splay out, watching as her own deep, heavy breaths caused her chest to rise more noticeably… which caught the eyes of the boy atop her. She grinned devilishly as she watched him adorably avert his eyes, his blushing intensifying.

“Aha, I saw that, Spike,” Rarity teased, licking her top lip.

“S-sorry,” Spike muttered, gritting his teeth.

“Don’t be sorry, you naughty boy. You said you spent years watching me, right?” Rarity asked, lowering her voice into a sultry whisper.

“Y-yeah?”

“Typically, for my dresses, I follow a ‘look with your eyes, not hands’ rule until final purchases… I think for you, I can make an exception,” she said, winking at him.

Spike gulped and his beating heart soon became the only thing he could hear as he briefly glanced down at her chest, only to meet her eyes again as she nodded. Rarity also seemed to avert her eyes, her fingers bending and gripping the sheets in anticipation. Spike leaned back, allowing his knees to support his weight as he lifted his hands off the bed, setting both on her belly. Unsure, he gently rubbed her belly, slowly working his hands upward as he seemed to be exciting himself more than Rarity.

His thumbs and index fingers soon pressed the base of each mound of flesh and Spike gulped as he once more found his stuttering nervous self taking over. Gritting his teeth once more, he simply twisted his wrists and allowed his fingers to gently slide onto her bosom, applying no pressure at the moment as he took in the situation.

‘Oh my god oh my god oh my god.’

With nothing else to lose, he gave a gentle squeeze, pinching his thumbs and index fingers where he thought her nipples would be. Her breath was cut short by a light gasps and Spike’s breathing stopped as well. Releasing the pinch, he let his fingers cup the sides of her breasts through the clothing as he pressed his thumbs gently in the centre, rubbing around the area in circles which seemed to be doing something.

‘Oh wow, these are… sensitive,’ Spike thought, ignoring a burning sensation in his pelvis.

Another gulp. Spike allowed his hands to apply more pressure, ‘kneading the flesh’ as he read in a magazine once. He wondered why he bothered reading the fan mail portion of it in the first place but soon discovered that Rarity seemed to be responding to everything he did. He pressed the two mounds together and gently shook his hands, watching them jiggle as he listened to Rarity’s gentle moans and gasps of air.

Rarity felt her mind going numb and an incredible warmth burn in her chest, as she was also just registering the situation. Her breaths were ragged and cut short by soft gasps and gentle moans brought on by the light sensations. If she was playing before, she certainly wasn’t now when she realized her arms were now entirely numb and useless.

“W-wow, you’re really, um, shivery,” Spike said, his voice light and stuttered as he swallowed in the middle.

Rarity opened one eye half-way, feeling a grin forming on her face.

“S-shut up, dammit, this i-is nothing,” Rarity responded, failing at her attempt to sound dominant and unresponsive.

Spike grinned and glanced down at the top Rarity wore, his instincts taking over the control his mind had on the situation. Removing his hands, Rarity let out a whine as well as a sigh of relief, her shivering slowing down. Instead, Spike mentally apologized in advance before slipping his fingers between the folds held together by her buttons, grasping the fabric tightly. With a swift motion, he yanked his hands apart which ripped the buttons on her top, revealing a laced black brasserie like in his fantasy. Rarity let out a louder yelp, her eyes opening up from the sheer suddenness of the motion and sound of the fabric being torn.

Eyes shifting down, she locked onto Spike’s excited, nervous gaze which was fixated on her heaving chest as it was now merely covered by a thin black bra. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t take her eyes off her own body as Spike’s hands firmly grasped her chest once more, the bare fingers making contact with the soft, pale flesh almost entirely exposed by the design of the black brassiere, little holes in the chest except for the areola practically making her bra act as lingerie.

Rather than experiment more, Rarity’s heartbeat doubled as Spike’s hands slid down, his fingers slipping under the strap. Before she could properly react, one rough tug and she could feel part of the strap as well as Spike’s knuckles brush over her mounds as her chest was completely exposed. Spike let go of the strap, letting it gently snap against her chest and she let out a gasp.

Spike, using an index finger, gently prodded one of Rarity’s perky, erect nipples. Pressing against the top, he flicked it and played with the nipple, causing Rarity to squirm underneath him. She clenched her fists, brought her arms close to her chest, squeezed her arms, anything to fight back the pleasure she felt.

“You’re sensitive,” Spike whispered, his voice catching in his throat.

Rarity couldn’t respond to that, continuing to lightly shift underneath Spike until both his hands once again covered her chest, his thumbs resuming what he did before, this time without a top in the way.

Spike stared down, watching with glee as he saw Rarity wiggle underneath him, gasping and moaning and doing anything to stifle the pleasure, to no avail. Stopping briefly, Rarity only had a moment to calm down before Spike’s hands slid around her back as he shifted her further up on the bed. Wandering for a moment, Spike soon grasped her left breast in one hand, causing her to wince briefly as the contact with her nipple sent chills down her spine. Instead of using his other hand, Spike leaned forward, sticking his tongue out and Rarity briefly saw how long it was before his lips clamped around her nipple, his tongue immediately playing with the erect flesh.

Rarity started to screech before she merely arched her back, letting out a silent scream as she was assaulted by new found pleasures. Her hands gently slid through Spike’s hair, keeping him pinned to her chest. Spike didn’t fight it, letting years of pent up lust and emotion built up lead him on.

His tongue pressed into her nipple as Spike began to suckle on the flesh. The boy revelled in the motions, suckling loudly as his hands fondled her breasts. Using his free hand, Spike ran it down her exposed curves, delicately sliding his fingers underneath both the strap of her skirt and underwear. Taking a note from their date, Spike ran his hand over her rear, feeling the soft flesh under both his hands. Rarity’s legs spread ever so slightly as she gently pressed her pelvis against Spike’s hip. Taking a note, Spike retracted his hands, releasing his oral grasp on Rarity’s nipple. The woman immediately covered her chest, feeling an odd chill settling over her body. Closing her eyes, she attempted to calm down and bask in the feeling and eventually fluttered her eyes open, locking her eyes on Spike’s.

Curiously, her focus trailed down his body before locking onto a rather obvious bulge in his pants, almost stopping her breathing dead cold. She gulped once and turned her gaze back to Spike before she shuffled back, sitting herself up. Lightly pulling the trim from under her skirt’s strap, she didn’t bother unbuttoning her shirt, opting to rip it off as Spike did. For her brassiere, she had to undo the strap before Spike reached forward, yanking it off along with her top leaving her top completely exposed.

Spike gently pushed her shoulders until she laid on her back before letting his hands slide down her body, fingers sliding under the strap for her skirt, panties and leggings. In one motion, he leaned back, tugging the clothing off slowly. Spike’s eyes were fixated on her pelvis, his mind still running on pure instinct. Rarity closed her eyes, her legs shifting briefly as she let Spike unclothe her slowly.

Spike averted his eyes once she was exposed and looked down to her ankles, continuing to tug until it was only her shoes blocking the way. Undoing the straps, Spike tugged the heels off along with her bottoms and carelessly tossed them aside. Gulping once, he glanced up to see Rarity start to cross her legs, merely to stop. A hand covered her mouth as her eyes gently opened, her body shivering as their eyes locked.

She leaned up, keeping her eyes fixated on Spike’s while her hands slid down to the base of his shirt. Rarity tugged at it, Spike taking the hint and sliding the rest of it off. She spotted his 60-pound weight vest and paused for a moment.

“Well, someone has been doing a bit extra,” Rarity said, briefly admiring the shape of the muscles on his arms.

“W-well, it pays to do extra, doesn’t it? Extra credit, and all,” Spike responded, getting quieter as his voice caught in his throat once more.

He undid the buckle on his sides before sliding the vest over his head, tossing it to the side with a thud. An extra shattering noise accompanied the falling garment, though it sounded nowhere near where Spike had tossed it. The two of them glanced over at the weighted thing in confusing, noticing it had knocked nothing over. Rethinking the sound, Spike gauged it to be something small and fragile hitting the ground, and he attributed it instead so some speaker or lamp breaking downstairs at the party. They brushed it off and continued.

Rarity felt excitement swell up even more having spotted the figure Spike managed to obtain via training. It seemed more akin to a bodybuilder or fitness nut, causing her to be surprised that someone with Spike’s lifestyle could obtain it. She ignored it in favour of growing increasingly aroused to the masculine figure he had.

With a simple motion, Spike undid the belt, sliding it out of the loops in his jeans before dropping it and quickly unbuttoning his pants. Sliding it down, Spike kicked it haphazardly across the room, watching it land in front of the door before he sighed.

‘Okay, she’ll either be surprised or excited. Only two options,’ Spike thought, taking a deep breath as his heart beat started to annoy him.

Feeling anxious and nervous, Spike’s arms shook a bit as he looped his thumbs through the waistband of his underwear and slowly peeled it off, bending forward as he did. He felt his phallus’ tip pressing against his waistband before he slid it over, feeling himself blush as he let it go, letting it slide to his ankles before he tossed it off to the side. Standing up straight, he grabbed one arm, looking down at the floor before forcing his eyes to glance at Rarity.

‘Okay, you’re both naked. In her room. She’s on her bed, you learned this in health class.’

Gulping once yet again, Spike let his arms hang at his sides as the two remained silent, their eyes glancing all over each other. It was several seconds before Spike realized why.

“O-oh, sorry,” Spike said, leaning forward as he crawled onto the bed.

Rarity slightly tensed up as she felt Spike’s weight pressing against the bed, shifting the mattress. Their eyes locked on each other once more and just as Spike’s hand slid up her belly, aiming towards her breast, Rarity grabbed his hand and gently tugged it towards her face. Spike watched with bated breath as Rarity pressed her thumb into the crease of his index finger, causing it to point out. Gently, she tugged at his hand until the tip of his finger was pressed against her bottom lip before her tongue gently pressed against it, her lips closing around the finger.

Spike felt himself twitch as the sensations of Rarity’s tongue and lips around his finger drove his mind wild. Racing with fantasies and suggestive thoughts, Spike pulled his finger out much to her surprise and leaned forward, allowing his stomach to press against Rarity’s. She gasped briefly before Spike’s lips pressed against her own.

Immediately, Spike pressed his tongue into her mouth, pressing the tip against her teeth, her tongue… experimenting like he had always wanted for many years. His hands set on her hips briefly before he slid them up her body, clasping his fingers around her breasts once more as Rarity wrapped her legs around Spike, her fingers already wrapped around his head.

Moans escaped into Spike’s mouth and vice versa as his fingers continued to fondle her breasts. Rarity almost screamed as she felt Spike’s flaring hot phallus grind against her lips, the tip pressing into her belly already wet. Each time Spike shifted, Rarity felt the base against her clitoris as well as her labia, causing her to gently thrust forward. Spike did the same, pressing himself against her.

‘We aren’t doing anything yet.’ Spike reminded himself in thought, trying to keep calm.

Separating the kiss as well as his gentle thrusts, Spike watched a string of saliva connect his bottom lip to Rarity’s tongue as the two panted heavily. Spike gulped once more and didn’t bother waiting.

He slid back, causing Rarity to release her grip on him. As soon as Spike was far back enough, she attempted to bring her legs closed but Spike’s hands pressed against her inner thighs, sliding down gently. Staggered breaths, Rarity glanced down as she saw Spike’s hands moving towards her opening. Without much warning, Spike’s thumbs gently poked at her labia, brushing up and down which caused the girl to squirm. She bit her lip and covered her mouth to keep her moans down to no avail. It was high-pitched and noisy even as she covered her mouth as Spike always teased her; whenever his thumbs came close to her clitoris, he’d always pull away at the last moment.

Leaning forward, Spike spread her lips and dipped his head down, his tongue sticking out as he closed his eyes. Rarity immediately clamped her eyes shut and felt her body tense up.

Something warm and wet pressed against her clit causing the girl to spasm immediately. She attempted to sit up due to the shock of the pleasure before she found her body too weak to move as Spike’s lips pressed against her. His tongue slid past her clit and began to press against her insides. She arched her back, the pleasure and sensations completely alien to her. Roughly, he began to drag his tongue all over her, pressing into her clit, her labia and just above her clit.

Dragging his tongue some more, Rarity felt herself teased as Spike pressed his tongue, circling her clit rather than press directly against it. Her excitement and desperation for the pleasure grew each time he threatened to press it against her clit and aggravated her more. She moved her hands, pressing it against his scalp and groaned as she did.

Rather than oblige, Spike pulled back much to her disappointment and licked his lips, taking a deep breath as his mind reeled. Planting his hands around her on both sides, Spike panted heavily as his mind continued to flash images and realizations.

“You… tease,” Rarity cried out, shifting her legs as she covered her pelvis with her hands to combat the chill she felt yet again.

“G-gotta save the main event, y’know?” Spike said, rolling to the side so he laid on his back.

Rarity glanced over at him, watching his phallus stand tall as it throbbed and twitched every few seconds. Without thinking twice, her right hand reached over as she twisted her body, allowing her to reach his phallus. Spike had a similar reaction to Rarity the instant her delicate, slim fingers wrapped around his shaft.

“O-oh, fu-fuck me,” Spike muttered, his whole body shivering.

“I don’t need an invitation,” Rarity responded, giggling sheepishly.

She gave it a gentle squeeze, getting a feel for it and how it reacted before she gently slid it up the shaft, coating her fingers in the liquid that came out of the tip. She found it far easier to stroke the shaft with it and gently continued until Spike attempted to speak. Rarity slowed down her strokes as she stared at Spike who covered his eyes with her arm.

“F-fa… fast… faster, ha… hard-harder!” Spike pleaded as his voice barely came out in scattered whispers.

Grinning, Rarity slowed down to a stop, gently squeezing the tip of the phallus. Sitting upright, Rarity slid her legs off the bed and, using all her strength, pulled Spike over too. He removed his arm from over his eyes just in time to see Rarity turn her whole body, setting her knees on the floor beside the bed. Their eyes locked onto one another as her head was soon low enough for her to return the favour.

“Woah, R-Rarity, you don’t have to do that?!” Spike said, attempting to speak over his instincts.

Rather than respond, Rarity leaned forward and gave a gentle kiss to the tip of the phallus, silencing Spike immediately. She glanced down, giggling as she saw a red lipstick imprint on the tip as well as at Spike’s sudden lack of protest.

“Should I still stop?” she asked.

Spike responded by moving his hands until he gently pressed it against the back of her head, just where it won’t interfere with her hairdo, and tugging gently until she was less than an inch away.

“You naughty boy,” Rarity said, her voice almost cracking.

Opening her mouth, she took a moment to breathe, her heart seemingly moving faster than she could process. The heat of her breath on his tip merely sent Spike into a shivering mess as he propped himself up with his arms. Attempting to keep his eyes open, he stared down into Rarity’s blue eyes, contrasting well against her burning red cheeks as her jaw dropped a little lower and her tongue stretched out, pressing against the base of his tip.

Grunting, Spike watched as Rarity tilted her head down and leaned in, sliding the tip inside her mouth before gently clamping her lips down. She didn’t make it halfway before she gagged and pulled back, coughing briefly. Spike once again felt worry and stupidity on his part.

“I’m sorry, do you wanna stop?” Spike asked as Rarity glanced up to meet his gaze.

“No no, I’m sorry. I just haven’t done this before,” she admitted, chuckling awkwardly.

She dipped her head back down before could protest again, wrapping her tongue around the tip. Rather than take it into her mouth again, she swivelled her tongue around it, licking up the centre of the tip, each motion causing the boy to moan.

Clamping her lips around the tip once more, she didn’t try to take anymore in and gently sucked on the tip. Spike’s hand once again set on the back of her scalp as he gently pet her hair, unsure what to do. Along with suckling on the tip, Rarity moved her tongue until she was pressing against the slit. Spike groaned briefly until Rarity’s tongue slid back under and she slowly moved her head forward, taking in more of the phallus.

“W-what?” Spike asked as Rarity coughed once more, turning away briefly to avoid coughing on Spike.

A thud sounded against the wall, causing the pair to pause briefly, glancing at the floor as if it came from below. Rarity immediately faced the door and expected someone to bust in any moment, yet nobody came even after thirty painfully nervous seconds. Feeling more relaxed after that, Rarity let out several giggles as whatever minor shivering she had vanished immediately.

She was laughing, her hand now resting on the base of his phallus as she gently stroke him. After a few seconds, Rarity shook her head and glanced up to face Spike, a grin stuck on her face.

“Let’s… try something else, shall we?” Rarity said.

Spike didn’t bother asking what she meant, this being too obvious for him as Rarity stood up. The two glanced into the other’s eyes as Rarity leaned in, pressing her lips to Spike. Neither of them cared about having just performed oral. With a shove, Spike was once more laying on his back before he shuffled up further. Rarity climbed onto the bed, straddling him. Setting her hands on his stomach, she ran her fingers over his abs before setting it on his pecs. Making sure her legs were spread, she gently pressed the base length of his shaft against her opening, gently sliding back and forth. Spike watched as rather than shift her whole body, she merely moved her hips back and forth. He found himself mesmerized by her movements, still comprehending the situation.

“Oh jeez, this is really happening,” he muttered.

“Y-yes it is, Spike,” Rarity said, giggling.

“Oh, that was s-supposed to be my thought...s,” Spike said, slapping both hands over his face as he covered his eyes.

With his eyes closed, Spike’s imagination picked up the slack as he imagined what Rarity looked like; alluring gaze, perfectly shaped body, wet lips slathering his erection with the body’s natural lube… it was too much for him.

Removing his hands from his eyes, Spike grabbed Rarity’s shoulders once more and rolled the two of them over until Spike was on top. The two stared into the other’s eyes and wordlessly, Rarity nodded to the unasked question. Glancing down, Spike shifted back a bit, feeling the base of his phallus drag against her opening, causing the girl to moan gently until he could feel his tip slide down her slit. She let out a moan which stopped when she realized where he was.

“Rarity, this is the last chance you have if you wanna say no,” Spike said, gulping. “If you don’t want to do it with m—”

Spike was caught off guard as Rarity’s legs wrapped around him and squeezed, causing Spike to accidentally slide into her opening. He wasn’t expecting the tightness, resistance or the suddenness of it… nor was he expecting Rarity to bite down on his neck. Wincing, he could hear her suppress a scream, her whole body tense. Spike’s first reaction was to start caressing her back, attempting to shush her.

“I-it’s fine, Rarity. The pain will b-be over any second,” he said, the pain and fear causing him to tense up as well.

She was still just as tense, scratching his back with her nails. Regardless of how scared and nervous he was, he still felt bad as the tightness and wetness of her orifice brought immense pleasure to him.

After what seemed like eternity, Rarity loosened up significantly, removing her teeth from Spike’s shoulders as well as loosening her grip on him. Spike sighed in relief as he felt the pain vanish. Before he could bother asking if Rarity was alright, he turned to her and she spoke, eyes full of tears and, unfortunately, a bit of blood on her teeth.

“I’m s-sorry, S-Spike, I didn’t—” She sniffled. “—mean to.”

“No, stop that. It wasn’t your fault, I don’t blame you. This definitely doesn’t hurt me as much as it is you,” Spike responded, an assertive tone coming from somewhere.

His thumb gently brushed away her tears as she sniffled back, clenching her eyes shut once more as she buried her face in Spike’s neck.

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit of a wimp when it comes to pain,” she whispered.

“I’m not, thankfully, or I’d be a wee bit down right now,” Spike said, chuckling.

“Yeah.” Rarity let out a light chuckle as she sniffed once more, wiping her tears away as she quickly licked her teeth, removing any blood regardless of the metallic taste. “Try moving.”

Nodding, Spike gently pulled back, feeling a wetness aiding him as he pulled back. Rarity tensed up once more, although not as bad as before as Spike almost pulled all the way out. Gently, he wiggled his hips, pressing lightly until he was in once more.

“That was definitely better than the first,” Rarity said, still wincing as Spike started to get a slow rhythm.

“I’m a-afraid I can’t s-say that I know the f-f-feeling,” Spike stuttered, his body shivering as the pleasure was registering far better.

“Do-don’t worry a-about me, it’s not g-going to be too good for my f-first time,” she said, attempting to loosen up her body.

“I’ll try.”

Spike pulled back, feeling each ridge inside the orifice press against his shaft which filled her up plus bonus. Being far larger, he must be a nightmare for virgins yet it benefitted for every time after. His entire pelvis felt warmth as he pushed in and out, feeling each thrust in ripple down his spine in waves as he shakily held onto the girl he loved. Burying his face in her neck, Spike exhaled several hot breaths on her neck before licking a spot, then pressing his lips as he began to suckle on the spot.

His hands rested on her rear, folding the soft, tender flesh before he ran it up her curves. He pulled back, glancing down to see that the first mark he left days prior was still barely there, his new one fresh and dark. He let his hands rest briefly on her hips as Rarity now lazily laid there, not putting any effort in making it easier for Spike; he didn’t blame her, adjusting his position so his legs were stretched out, forcing more effort yet allowing for her to relax.

“Gah, s-sorry, Spikey-wikey, I c-can’t do much,” Rarity admitted, gulping.

Spike merely growled in response, listening to her moans becoming the dominant sound instead of the groans of pain. He grew better at keeping the motions, hearing the back of her headboard tapping against the wall gently. Suddenly though, three startlingly hard knocks rang out through the wall just behind the headboard.

“Hey!” Spike went dead still as the knocking continued until the silence satisfied it. That same brash voice broke through the wall again, “Enough with the banging! I'm trying to get my own rhythm going here!”

“That sounded like Rainbow Dash,” Spike whispered uneasily, gulping as he worried she might have been listening. Over another hushed murmur or two through the wall, Rarity replied.

“Do you think she heard much?” Rarity asked in a whisper from underneath him, but furrowed her brow with a confused look. “Wait, why would Rainbow Dash be in my guest room?”

“Ack! Rainbow what're y'doin'?!” another voice called out in a panic before a loud thud was heard alongside some rustling. Spike and Rarity stared at each other for a long few seconds, worried and uncertain.

“Was that Applejack? What do you think they're—?” Spike's eyes grew wide as a low moan breached their ears before it was stifled, and they both knew what that meant.

Another few moans drifted through the walls, along with a rhythmic beating that clearly told what was going on behind the wall. Spike glanced down at Rarity as she stared back, the two of them confused for a moment before Rarity got a devilish grin on her face, worrying Spike briefly.

“They want to screw in my guest room?” Rarity said, chuckling as she said that. “Well, fuck them.”

“W-well, if you say so,” Spike said, grinning.

Pulling back, he decided to test the waters. He gave a particularly hard thrust that resonated well with Rarity. It didn’t seem to hurt and Spike didn’t put the whole erection inside her. Rarity brought her hands up to belly, resting them between Spike’s arms; the position caused her arms to squeeze her larger breasts together and she closed one eye, winking at Spike as she stuck her tongue out. Spike was taken aback by how she looked, gulping as he etched the expression into his memory.

Grunting once, Spike propped himself up to the best of his ability and spread his legs a bit. Sliding his hands down to Rarity’s rear, he gripped her tightly before rolling the duo over once again. Rarity’s chest pressed into Spike’s. Releasing his grip on her soft rear, Spike pressed his hands against her chest.

Spike pushed Rarity up until she was sitting upright. She was lightheaded enough to the point where she was disoriented and leaned forward, pressing her hands against Spike’s chest for support. Spike glanced up only to see her arms once again squishing her large bosom together and he set his hands on her hips.

“Sorry if I’m a bit rough, but I’m beyond the point of caring too much so, I may be venting several years worth of, uh, sexual tension, y’know?” Spike grunted, gently caressing her hips.

“G-gah, I d-don’t, fuggin’ care, d-do something,” Rarity said, rounding her back as she felt Spike’s hands reach around her.

Without waiting any longer, Spike began to thrust upwards, causing Rarity to bounce on his lap. He repeated this once, then twice only to see that it was working the best for Rarity. She began to moan far more than she had before and Spike examined her body, making sure that it wasn’t out of discomfort. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Spike slid his hands down just a little longer until he had his hands wrapped around her rear, giving him a better grip.

Each thrust sent shivers up both spines, Rarity struggling to keep herself supported as her arms started to shake. Spike, meanwhile, was merely getting fueled as the pleasure spread across his body, his pelvis feeling warm and his shaft twitching, his climax growing closer.

“F-fuck,” Rarity muttered, her arms failing as she collapsed onto Spike.

His hands moved from her rear, sliding between them before grasping her soft breasts. She managed to prop herself up just barely and she stared at Spike even as he continued trying to thrust.

“God, you have amazing tits, Rarity,” Spike muttered in a growl.

His thumbs pressed into her nipples and the added roughness was something Rarity wasn’t prepared for. Once more she began to moan, panting heavily as her chest became heavy. Spike didn’t register the heavy feeling, relishing in the feeling.

Approaching his climax, Spike let out a groan as his hands slid off her chest, wrapping around her back as he squeezed her tightly. His grunting and breaths became more erratic acting as the queue for Rarity.

“S-Spike, c-cum o… o—” She gulped, her voice catching in her throat.

“S-soon, I’ll be d-done, a-alright?” Spike responded, his voice sounding weak and raspy as he focused on the feeling.

“D-do it outside, pull out,” Rarity managed to say more clearly.

“Oh, right,” Spike said, nodding his head.

He rolled them over immediately, causing Rarity to yelp. Spike pulled out without much warning, causing the girl to shriek and cover her orifice with her hand. Rarity felt empty as well as completely soaked. Glancing down, she saw Spike grind the base of his phallus against her lips, grunting more and more. Rarity reached down and set a hand on him, his thrusting allowing her to stroke as well.

“F-fuuuck,” Spike said, his body tensing up briefly.

His pelvis seemed to contract slightly as a great warmth shot through his shaft, sending pleasure throughout his pelvis and up his spine. White fluids spurted out of the tip of the shaft as he stopped his thrusts while Rarity continued to stroke the shaft. She could feel his testicles contracting during each spurt as well as the warm liquid coating her belly and slowly sliding down her sides, caressing her in an odd, wet warmth.

Eventually, the squirts stopped and Spike let out a loud, thick breath he didn’t know he held as his body loosened up. He rolled to the side, laying next to Rarity as the two panted heavily from the experience.

Several minutes passed as Rarity’s hands took to touching and playing with the fluid on her belly.

“W-well, okay then, you’re g-gonna need a bath, or shower,” Spike said, feeling his face flush as he remember where it came from.

“I’d rather just sleep, y’know?” Rarity responded with a giggle.

Rather than let Spike protest again, she stood up, using one hand to prevent any of the liquids from going too far from her belly. Spike giggled at the awkward way she walked to prevent it from sliding down her curves as she pulled open a set of doors, stepping into a walk-in closet. Within three seconds, she stepped out, immediately wiping her belly off with a towel. Discarding it on the floor like the rest of her clothes, she walked to the door and did the thing she should have done before. She quickly wrote a note and stuck it to the door as well explaining why they should continue the party tomorrow. After that, she locked the door and stepped back towards Spike as he sat on the bed. Bending over, she picked up his underwear, flinging it towards him as she found her panties and brassiere. Sliding the panties on as she walked to the bed, she wiggled them on the last bit, Spike’s eyes fixated on the two side-straps as they slid over her hips. By then, he had managed to get his underpants on as Rarity slid the bra over her frame, hooking it seemingly without effort.

“I thought you were supposed to ask me for help with that,” Spike said, chuckling.

“Maybe to complete the cliche fantasy. Oh well, I did learn how to do this years ago,” Rarity said as she briefly adjusted the bra.

Throwing the blanket covers to the side over Spike, she gently, dantifully slid into the covers as Spike merely crawled onto the pillows until he could slide his legs under them. Rarity scoffed, rolling her eyes before giggling in response to his actions. Once he was laid in the bed, he sighed gleefully.

“Happy Birthday, Rarity. I love you,” Spike said, kissing her on the forehead.

“Heehee, thank you, Spikey-wikey. I love you too.” She snuggled as close to Spike as she could, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. They shared one last kiss before the two closed their eyes, exhausted.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t sleep well that night, due to loud thuds and not well stifled moans continually sounding from the next room over.

Author's Note

So...
What did you think?

Felix's Number

XI. Felix's Number

Spike winced as the sun peaked out from behind the stray cloud, which he had deified since it covered the light for a mere few seconds. The noises of the school yard grew just as troublesome as he approached it in an exhausted step, and he felt awful walking around in the same clothes he had worn the day before. Of course, he had opted to cover it with a light jacket so no one would recognize it. Judging by how much the party goers had brought to drink last night, he figured he was not alone.

Not that he was hungover, per se, but he was not feeling at his best. He hadn't drank that much wine so quickly before, so it did not sit well with him, but that was not the worst of it. His eyes were bagged and heavy from the lack of sleep, which had been because of a certain two girls who decided to stay in Rarity's guest room just on the other side of a very thin wall. Speaking of the devil incarnate, the revving of an obnoxious motorcycle made him cringe once more, and he glanced over his shoulder to notice the girl pull up and squeal her wheels to a halt only a foot or so away from him.

“Goo-oo-ood morning, kiddo!” Rainbow Dash shouted as she flipped up the visor on her helmet, exposing her bright and glistening eyes.

“That's subjective,” Spike merely replied with a frown.

She was right though, there was something about that day that gave him a spring in his step, even if it wasn't adequate sleep. Perhaps it was waking up to Rarity's smiling face, watching her get dressed and leave early, responsible and diligent. She had left him with the key so he could lock the door after him, and had gone around waking up the few stray party guests who had decided to crash on her floor in the boutique. He had heard Applejack's truck start before dawn even cracked, and with it the amorous out-the-second-story-window hollering of a certain football captain promising to see her at school later that day. That was one hell of an alarm clock he wished he could hit the snooze button on.

“Oh, chin up, ya little pipsqueak,” Rainbow Dash mused as she grinned wider and winked at him. “The sun is shining, my bike is fixed, the babes are singing—though not quite as loud as last night, let me tell you.”

“Please don't,” Spike groaned, after having heard enough of it during the first performance.

“Come on, don't tell me you struck out again,” she looked him up and down carefully. “Those are the same duds as yesterday, I can tell—no fooling me, you got lucky, didn't you?!”

“Says the girl who doesn't know tweed from suede,” Spike murmured, knowing the lack of fashion knowledge the girl possessed.

“You did too! Fucking awesome! Hit me, bitch!” Rainbow Dash raised her gloved hand and extended it out to him, waiting on a high-five. Spike wasn't sure if it was appropriate to do such a thing after making love to someone he so greatly admired, but Rainbow Dash did not give up. “Don't leave a girl hanging!”

“Okay, fine.” He rolled his eyes and pressed his hand against hers, not bothering to put any force into it.

“Fuck yeah!” Rainbow hooted and kicked off the curb, balancing on the motorcycle long enough to flip her visor back down and utter another few words. “Wet and sticky details later; keep pounding pussy, you stud.”

And with that, she raced off, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. Spike coughed lightly and waved it out of his face before shaking his head. She sure wasn't about to change any time soon. Continuing on his way, Spike adjusted the bag on his shoulder absently. He wished that school had been cancelled on that particular day, so perhaps he might have spent the morning in a warm embrace, with the woman of his dreams—though she had emerged from fantasy to reality at last. A wide smile spread across his face as he remembered it.

Even if he wanted to run off and find her right away, the fact remained that he was already almost late for school. He probably wasn’t even going to be able to talk to her until maybe lunchtime, except perhaps the odd text here and there from under his desk in class. The sudden memory of Scootaloo’s first few texts shook him up a bit, and he was sure they were still saved in his phone. Then again, it felt like it didn’t quite bother or tease him like before. Maybe he was growing up.

If Spike was growing up by passing on sexual advances, Rainbow Dash was growing down. Applejack spent most of the first few periods fighting the girl off and brushing off her now much more tempting flirtations. The two had agreed to keep their new status under wraps for the time being, but that did not dissuade Rainbow Dash any more than Applejack’s presumed heterosexuality or disinterest had.

By that very lunchtime, Applejack had almost thought she brushed the girl off. However, just as she managed to get her locker open, always having trouble with those fancy twisting combination locks, someone else opened her arms around her. The familiar warmth of the embrace brought a smile to Applejack’s face, but she resisted to urge to lean back into it like she might have had they been alone.

“Mmm, you smell delicious enough to eat,” Rainbow murmured into Applejack’s neck, nibbling on the skin as best as she could reach it.

“Creep,” Applejack rolled her shoulder to knock the girl off, but she merely switched sides and continued with the invasive kissing.

Applejack grunted nervously and held the locker door close, covering Rainbow’s actions from any by-passers. The sensations were tantalizing, but Applejack was known for her strong will. She tried to shake the girl off again, but her wandering hands proved to be just as real a problem, as they tugged at her blouse earnestly. Applejack moved them immediately, glancing around over and over.

“Rainbow, ease up on that, someone's gonna see,” Applejack whispered quietly, resisting the urge to elbow the girl in the gut as a last resort.

“I can't help it, you make me crazy,” Rainbow Dash purred over Applejack’s bothered skin, which shivered at the welcomed touch.

“You were crazy already,” Applejack replied dully, narrowing her eyes at the incessant girl strung around her.

“I know we agreed not to tell anyone,” the football captain whined, but made enough of a pause to go so far as lick Applejack’s neck teasingly. “But that just makes me want it more.”

“You ain't makin' it any easier on me,” the farmer’s voice trembled in a hush as she tilted her head, providing momentary better access to to area. She feigned a pout and acted indifferent.

“Hey, Rainbow Dash!” a shrill young voice startled the pair suddenly, and they both jumped and nearly fell over as they made space between them.

Rainbow Dash left her arms around Applejack, using her as an anchor so she could lean back and catch a glimpse of the girl who had stalled them. It was none other than her biggest fan, the short and chipper Scootaloo, who was accompanied by Applejack’s younger sister. Applejack took the time to reach up and subtly wipe the saliva from her neck, before forcing a friendly and innocent spile as she faced the girls.

“Oh—uh, hey, squirt. And, uh,” Rainbow Dash looked at Apple Bloom, trying for a clever nickname but coming up empty. “Other squirt. What's up?”

“You want to have lunch with me?” Scootaloo asked with a hopeful smile, clutching her thin paper-bag lunch in her hands. “I'm going to go sit out by the field and make fun of the lame fucktards tripping over their feet playing soccer.”

“Not that it doesn't sound hilarious,” Rainbow Dash grinned at the idea, but shook it off. Scootaloo could hear the rejection in her voice already, and tried to act indifferent, though her face fell a ways. “But I have plans with AJ.”

“Ah figured we could go out f' lunch today,” Applejack cut in simply, closing her locker and stepping back as to break Rainbow off of her.

“What, like a daaate?” Rainbow nearly sang the word, her cheer rising steadily as her hand slipped down her friend’s back.

“Ah never said that, keep dreamin'.” Applejack reached back and swatted the hand away, pouting her lip in a frown.

“But baby, you know how much I love eating out,” the jock leaned back in suggestively, the words coating her lips like she wished Applejack would.

“Oh, stuff it.” Applejack’s tone dropped, and she glared sternly at her friend, warning her to watch what she said. It fell on blind eyes.

“You know I will.” Rainbow Dash winked slyly and went in for a kiss, causing Applejack’s eyes to widen and her instincts to kick in. Applejack shoved the girl away and hit the locker with her back as she bolted out of range.

“Rainbow!” Applejack shouted in anxiety, gulping down the pulling grip Rainbow had over her.

“Oh, what? Am I making you nervous? Bothered? Hot?” Rainbow teased further, pressing her arm against the locker beside Applejack, leaning ever closer with each slowly spoken word. Noticing Applejack stiffen under her firm and flirtatious gaze, she ventured, “Am I getting too close?”

“Yes, and… no,” her voice dropped to a whisper as she met her captain’s equally repressed gaze. She suddenly reached out and took the jock’s hand, yanking the girl after her as she took off. Applejack didn’t even stop to turn and wave goodbye to the younger girls. “Uh, Ah'll see y'later, Apple Bloom.”

“Bye sis,” Apple Bloom smiled and waved her off, not bothered by their usual antics.

“Yo Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo started, watching the two race down the halls with a more than suspicious look gleaming in her bright young eyes. “You ever notice how Rainbow Dash talks to your sister?”

“Yea’, what of it?” the younger farmer wondered, tilting her head and letting her ruby bangs fall over her eyes.

“It's just weird, is all. I've never heard someone be so, like, bluntly suggestive. It's like she's just going to jump right on top of her,” Scootaloo explained, and there was something of resentment in her voice.

“She already does that,” Apple Bloom reminded her with a chuckle.

“That's not what I meant!” the small athlete barked irritably, trying to think of a better way to put it. “I mean, she's really like... like really sexual and shit. You don't notice?”

“Well, Ah guess I see what you're sayin',” Apple Bloom had to agree, and she scratched her head as she recalled just such instances without even trying. “Ah'm s'prised Applejack lets her talk t'her that way, ain't nobody else gonna get away with that kinda nonsense.”

“Exactly.” Scootaloo’s eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in a frown.

“They've been friends forever, Scoot, ain't nothin' wrong with with 'em bein' close.” Apple Bloom brushed off the issue, supportively nudging her friend to get her to lighten up. “B'sides, Ah think it's pretty funny. No one knows how t' tease Applejack like Rainbow does.”

“Yeah but Rainbow Dash, she's different than I remember her. She used to be cool and tough and mean, nobody would mess with her, you know? Now, she's like stuck right under your sister's thumb,” the short young girl huffed, avoiding eye contact.

“Ah thought she was still all o' them things?” Apple Bloom blinked curiously.

“Whatever, nevermind.” Scootaloo nudged her back, but it was rougher and more violent, and was something of a shoulder hit as she passed the girl and walked away. Apple Bloom was left to wonder if she had said something wrong.

Upon reaching the parking lot, the two older girls separated at once, each going around a different side of the truck. Applejack unlocked the driver’s side door first, before easily and accurately tossing the keys right over the roof. Catching them without trouble, Rainbow Dash proceeded to open her own door and climb inside. She wiggled her rear over the comfortable seat, raising her eyebrow as she recognized it as Big Mac’s truck again.

“You said you went home before coming to school, right? Why’d you switch trucks? I swear, this truck is more yours than your brother’s.” Rainbow asked, raising her eyebrow curiously.

“Mac’s at school ‘til later, s’ he don’t need it. We got practice after school, Ah always bring it if Ah can in case anyone needs a ride home.” Applejack adjusted the rear view mirror and did up her seat belt, looking around for the keys.

“Aww, you’re so sweet,” Rainbow said in a cutesy voice, holding out the keys in front of Applejack and reminding her that she still had them.

“Yea’, yea’, gimme them keys already,” Applejack murmured as she tried to snatch them, but Rainbow pulled them away.

“You have to ask nicely, a little sugar wouldn’t hurt either,” the jock spoke playfully, jingling the keys and puckering her lips.

“Ah done told y’already. We’re in th’ school parkin’ lot, you’re gonna get us caught,” the farmer growled as she tried for the keys again.

“Mmm, that makes it more exciting,” Rainbow Dash grinned, leaning closer again.

Despite her better judgement, Applejack did not move away, and merely watched. Swallowing the increasing saliva in her mouth, which came from the imagined acts that brimmed her brain, Applejack stared at the girl intently. Moving so close their lips were but feuding few inches apart, Rainbow Dash felt around by the steering wheel until she found the ignition. She roughly shoved the keys into the ignition and turned them, her skilfull fingers teasing the farmer all that much more. At last, she pulled back, placing herself in the passenger’s seat with a smug and pleased expression.

“You’re bad,” Applejack muttered in a low tone, glaring at Rainbow out of the side of her eyes before switching into gear.

“Oh, you know it well.” Rainbow nestled around in the seat, casting a few more suggestive glances at the girl beside her. “Damn, these seats are too far apart.”

“For what?” Applejack chuckled and raised an eyebrow, making a weird face to match Rainbow’s weird statement. Instead of a response, Rainbow’s sinful hand dropped on Applejack’s thigh. “Oh.” Rainbow leaned in closer and and began sucking and kissing the farmer’s neck, causing her body to heat up noticeably. “Ooh.”

Applejack let out a slow and calming breath, squeezing her hands on the steering wheel and keeping them firmly at 10 and 2. Rubbing her lips together wantingly, she furrowed her eyebrows and tried desperately to keep her attention on the road. The rainbow-headed jock did not let up, moving lower with her lips and higher with her fingers, undoing her belt from the buckle and knocking it apart. Applejack’s eyes shifted from the mirrors to out the windows, hoping the faint tint was enough to keep observers out of view.

Again and again, she rolled her fingers over the steering wheel’s grip wishing that something else was in her hands instead. Rainbow’s free fingers undid some blouse buttons to permit her kissing to dip further down the shirt, and with her farthest hand, she made her way into Applejack’s jeans. Taking a moment to relax as a stop sign gave her some leeway, Applejack’s eyes rolled back and a groan breached her lips. Instead of searching for neon signs or restaurants, Applejack’s gaze shifted between less inhabited roads and some few vacant lots, finding it difficult not to pull in.

“Uh, where do you wanna, uh, have…. lunch?” Applejack managed to get the words out, though she didn’t care if they were in the right order or not.

“We could always just grab takeout on the way back,” Rainbow’s voice slipped out over her wet tongue, which tickled the skin. “If we pull over soon, we can squeeze in a good half hour of playtime.”

“Half… hour?” Applejack imagined the possibilities, getting less and less interested in food the farther Rainbow’s hand went down her pants.

“What, you want more?” Rainbow Dash’s voice dropped even lower, her smooth tone almost as teasing as the hand that made its way into Applejack’s underwear.

Desperately trying to keep her fluttering eyes from closing in ecstasy, Applejack spread her legs and permitted the invasion once more. Rainbow’s other arm slipped down from its place on her neck to the arch in her back, holding her still in case her seatbelt couldn’t do the trick. The lights just a few seconds ahead of her changed from green to orange, and Applejack almost didn’t notice in time. Waking up from her desire to give in, the farmer knew that she had to pay attention to the road, even if it killed her.

Daring to continue, Rainbow plunged deeper, bouncing her eyebrows up pruriently. She removed her hand at once, licking the finger or two she had effectively wetted. Applejack stopped at the red light and grabbed Rainbow Dash by the shirt, squeezing it tight around her knuckles. She dragged the girl up from kissing her shoulder, noticing the plumpness of her lips and the saliva still hanging on them, and glared at her. Though there was an intense quarrel between their eyes, Applejack did not fight what was going on inside her pants.

“Get in th’ back,” Applejack demanded at once, squeezing harder at her grip on the girl’s shirt. “An’ take these damn clothes off.”

“Yes ma’am!” Rainbow Dash readily nodded, stumbling over herself as she unbuckled her seatbelt and clammered over the cupholders between the seats towards the back.

Applejack breathed in relief as some personal space was returned, though she wanted to barter it back away again. Taking a look at three potentials, Applejack decided to throw caution to the wind on the fourth and turned into some desolate alley behind a foreclosed building. As she did, she took a brief reconnaissance of the area, before glancing back in the rear view to notice Rainbow removing her jacket. Applejack slowed to a stop before putting the vehicle in park, having to force herself to reach over and turn the ignition off.

“I hope you don’t mind me getting started without you,” Rainbow Dash grunted as she began to tug at her pants.

“Not at all, Ah got more in mind f’ you than a lil’ backseat foreplay,” Applejack kicked her door open, and Rainbow Dash froze, half naked.

“Wait, what? Where are you going?” Rainbow covered her shivering skin as the cool air blew in.

“Ah didn’t leave early jus’ t’ get th’ truck,” barely made it to Rainbow’s ears before the door was slammed shut, leaving the jock alone in the back seat.

“Applejack? Hey, Applejack! Where the fuck did you go?!” Rainbow Dash tried to follow her figure through the tinted windows, but ducked down to conceal herself at the same time.

Applejack went around the back of the truck, and from what Rainbow could hear, did something back there. She knew better than to doubt the farmer or think she would leave her hanging, but being left alone in a truck mostly nude was a little unnerving, even for her. Rainbow shuffled on the seat, pouting her lips irritably as her bare skin stuck to the old interior.

The passenger’s side door opened just slightly down by Rainbow’s feet, and she flinched anxiously. The rear door handle was grasped from inside, the front door needing to be opened to permit access. Rainbow tilted her head and sat up as she noticed the Stetson-adorning silhouette through the window. At last, the door swung all the way open, and Applejack stepped one characteristic cowboy boot up onto the floor of the truck. She positioned herself half between climbing in and standing outside, her strong and toned arm raised to grab the roof and hoist her body weight up.

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she noticed the crooked smirk between Applejack’s freckles, and her body cast a shadow across Rainbow’s own. On her particularly muscular arm hung the several loops of something that both terrified and excited Rainbow Dash completely still: a long line of rope. The farmer tipped her hat back and fearlessly ravished Rainbow’s body with her gaze.

“Y’said somethin’ ‘bout bondage?” Applejack asked in a raspy voice, her fingers curling around the ropes.

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Rainbow Dash’s grin nearly cracked her jaw in half, and she could have sworn she brimmed with climax right then and there.

“I know it sounds crazy, but I swear they’re fucking or something,” Scootaloo bit down on Spike’s sandwich, which he hadn’t tried to wrestle away from her.

“Applejack and Rainbow Dash? Why does it matter?” Spike asked dully, more interested in going back to the cafeteria to find Rarity. Scootaloo had found him in there and dragged him unceremoniously out to their usual tree without even asking his opinion.

“Don’t play dumb with me, spill it, dragon-boy!” Scootaloo grabbed his shoulder in one hand, holding the peanut butter and jelly in the other. “You know something about it, don’t you!?”

“Why the hell would you ask me?” Spike pulled away, frowning as he pried her hands off of his shirt. “It’s not like Applejack and Rainbow Dash just, like, screw in front of me or something. I have no idea if they’re together or what.”

Not that such a scenario was totally off base, it was quite close to the truth, in fact. But Spike knew better than to go spilling secrets about anyone’s personal lives. Besides, Rainbow Dash would probably kick his ass if he did, his own morality aside. Scootaloo released him and frowned, looking back at the dirt.

“I don’t know, just seems like you guys are close or something,” the young girl said she she chewed on another massive bite of the lunch.

“Rainbow Dash and I don’t really get along, most of the time,” Spike laughed a bit to think of it, but a certain evening stood out for him. “Well, there was this one night that the three of us hung out, that was all right.”

“What?!” Scootaloo nearly jumped back on him, her eyes lighting up. “Tell me more! Tell me, tell me, tell meee!”

“There’s not much to say!” Spike raised his tone to match hers, trying to get his voice heard. He sighed as he straightened himself out again. “We just like, hung out and talked. It was fun.”

“Rainbow Dash never hangs out with me,” Scootaloo murmured as her head fell once more. “Even you seem to have better things to do.”

“It’s not that...” Spike’s voice faded a bit as he tried to comfort the girl. He didn’t want to lie or anything, but he had been busy lately. He let out a slow and steady breath as he gathered himself. “Look, I’ve been busy with training and stuff, I mean look at me? It’s paying off, don’t you think? This kind of body doesn’t just build itself.”

“I guess not.” Scootaloo’s eyes shifted to him and ran him over several times as he flexed his newly formed arms and pressed down on his thin shirt.

“Just relax, I’m sure Rainbow Dash isn’t avoiding you on purpose,” Spike shrugged casually. “The lunch bell’s about to ring though, I’ll see you at practice after school, okay?”

“Yeah, okay.” Scootaloo forced a smile and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, nibbling on the sandwich and biting the soft bread with her lips and the tips of her teeth.

Spike sprinted forward, a more controlled and powerful dash than his previous attempts; he threw his foot back before launching it into the side of the pigskin that Rainbow held on the tee. The sound clicked in his mind and everyone watching observed as the football had a perfect, clear arc through the goalposts. Grinning, he wiped his chin and set his fists on his hips.

“Not bad. Better than your first,” Rainbow said, jogging towards the football’s landing spot.

“I’m sure it will be,” Spike muttered.

“Haha, what was that?” Rainbow shouted, slowing to a jog as she twisted her body until she was facing Spike, giving him a wink and a thumbs up.

Shrugging, Spike walked off the field and sat down on the bench, looking for his drink. Rarity held the bottle pointed at him and he had to stop a grin to open his lips as she squirted the liquid into his mouth. Swishing it around briefly, he swallowed it and sighed, removing his helmet. Running his fingers through his hair, he watched Scootaloo zip by them on the track.

The Dumbbells were running the track once more, taking the inside over the out to shorten the distance they had to run. Something ran from behind, separating two of the Dumbbells. Hoops stumbled to the right, Score to the left as Scootaloo pushed the two aside, seemingly growling as she did. The three watched her bolt by.

“Whatever, bitch,” Dumbbell muttered.

Scootaloo still managed to hear him, raising her middle finger back at them as she continued running. To their right, they saw Pipsqueak pass by the trio with a look of confusion as he noticed the added aggression Scootaloo displayed. Shrugging, Pipsqueak maintained his usual pace that was always faster than the Dumbbells. Not wanting to be left behind, the three smaller boys sped up and circled Pipsqueak, muttering vulgarities at him briefly. Pipsqueak merely grinned as the three attempted to shove him to pass time.

“Give me a P!” Pinkie Pie shouted, throwing her hands into the air.

“P!” shouted Sweetie Belle, shaking her pompoms as she did.

“Uh… P,” Fluttershy whispered, tossing her hands into the air, accidentally throwing the pompoms and covering her head with the other one in case it were to fall back down on her.

“Perfect! Except that was a little quiet, Fluttershy,” Pinkie said, shuffling over the grass to catch the falling pompom.

“Quiet? I didn’t even hear her,” Sweetie Belle said, turning towards the shy girl.

“S-sorry,” she responded, falling to her knees with a deep sigh.

“Oh, cheer up, Fluttershy! That wasn’t too bad! Besides, everybody’s gotta start from somewhere, right?” Pinkie said, leaping once before crouching down next to the girl.

“Nobody starts from nowhere, Pinkie,” Fluttershy whispered, burying her face in her arms.

“Well how did Spikey and Rarity start?” Pinkie asked, tilting her head in confusion as she set it on her shoulder.

Back at the bench, Rarity, Spike and Snips and Snails turned towards the bleachers after hearing a loud groan as well as a shrill cry. Twilight was laid on the wooden seat, clutching her head as one hand grabbed out a bottle of pills.

“You al’right there?” Apple Bloom asked as she jogged from seemingly nowhere to comfort Twilight.

“Oh my god, I’m right here, stop shouting,” Twilight groaned, ending with a shout of her own.

“But… Ah didn’t?” Apple Bloom whispered, turning away as she remained oblivious to Twilight’s current state.

“Not like you don’t do it all the friggen’ time,” Twilight muttered, swallowing several pills.

Chuckling briefly, Spike and Rarity turned away from the obviously hungover girl. Spike rubbed his knees, grunting at the stiffness she felt as he moved his legs. Rarity observed for a second, sitting down next to him on the bench.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Legs are sore, pelvis is sore, arms are exhausted... but otherwise okay,” Spike responded with a tired shrug.

“Isn’t that the signs of a good fuckin’?” Snails asked, glancing towards the clouds.

“No, you numbskull. That’s the sign that he’s workin’ harder than you are,” Snips retorted, shoving the lanky boy off the end of the bench.

Spike turned away as did Rarity, the two of the blushing. Craning his neck until he heard a crack, Spike briefly stretched his limbs, cracking numerous bones until he felt it did something. He could see out of the corner of his eye as Applejack approached the team, having been talking to her brother by the equipment. From his other peripheral, he could see Scootaloo zip by, roughly bumping into Rainbow as she crossed the track. Immediately, Scootaloo slid to a stop, her face full of worry and fear as Rainbow briefly checked her side, the ball rolling away having been knocked out of her grasp.

“O-oh my god, I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash! Are you okay!?” Scootaloo shrieked, running over to her.

“Huh? Yeah, you just bumped into me. What’s got you so worked up?” Rainbow asked with a bit of a laugh and a scrunched up expression, picking up the football.

“Fuck,” Scootaloo shouted, clenching her teeth. “Messed up an… oh, no, nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to make sure my speedy impact didn’t do any damage,” Scootaloo corrected herself, chuckling sheepishly as she turned away, grimacing. Only Spike, Rarity and Applejack were close enough or in a position to see her frustration as Scootaloo sprinted away. “Haha, j-just call me when we got a play to try.”

“Geez, what’s with her?” Rainbow muttered as she tossed the ball somewhat towards Applejack without looking.

The ball fell down, hitting Spike in the crotch. He groaned briefly, glad he was wearing a cup as the ball rolled towards Applejack’s feet. Without hesitation, Applejack picked it up, glancing at Spike briefly with subtle concern before focusing on Rainbow. The captain rubbed her chin, turning towards the field just in time to watch Scootaloo violently shove by the Dumbbells and Pipsqueak again. She shrugged it off as her rough demeanor, spinning on the spot before stopping, crouched and resting her hands on her knees casually.

“We need to do another practise drill, some plays maybel. These last few days have been wild, and I think I had ‘too much’ to eat at lunch. We need to break some shins, for real,” Rainbow said, grinning as she glanced at Applejack knowingly, though the quarterback just rolled her eyes and brushed it off.

“Fair ‘nough. Our next game is in a few days against the Cloudsdale Griffons, we’re gonna need some more coordinated teams and tougher men out ‘ere,” Applejack said, not realizing the horror-struck face Scootaloo wore as she bolted by, catching some of their conversation.

Spike did catch it, being the only one that did as Rarity gently massaged his arms and Big Macintosh, the only other option, was too busy suspiciously thinking about what Rainbow said. Glancing away, Spike grit his teeth.

“Who is it we’re going to be crushing first on the Griffons’ team?” Spike asked towards the administrative three.

“Crush? Man, that’s certainly aggressive for you, Spike. I like it. You should watch me crush AJ in bed later,” Rainbow shouted, springing to her feet as she threw an arm around Applejack’s neck, tightly hugging her.

“R-Rainbow! Stop ‘at,” Applejack shouted, forcing Rainbow’s arm from around her neck.

“C’mon, y’know you like it!” Rainbow responded, throwing one arm to the side and swinging her other arm around Applejack.

A larger hand grabbed onto Rainbow’s wrist before she could get a better grip on Applejack. Wincing, Rainbow felt Big Macintosh’s grip on her arm force her arm off Applejack and with his far superior strength, shove her back a few feet as he let go of her arm. Rainbow merely stared daggers at the larger farm boy, rubbing her wrist.

“She said stop,” Big Macintosh declared in a deep yet loud voice.

“Eat a dick, I was only playing,” Rainbow responded, gritting her teeth.

“How about we stop eating dicks and play a damn mock game!?” Spike shouted, much to the surprise of everyone, including the Dumbbells, Pipsqueak and Scootaloo as they just passed the area, slowing to a stop.

“Spike?” Twilight asked, regardless of the noise ringing in her head as she sat up.

“Sorry, Twilight. I’m just sick of this.” Turning to Rainbow, Spike ignored all eyes on him. “How about we go out there and actually improve what we can do instead of this internal struggle crap. C’mon, people have skills to show off and improve, I can’t be waiting for Rainbow to finish bickering with Big Mac before I have a chance to actually play the game I signed on for,” Spike shouted, gently removing Rarity’s hand from his arm before standing up, throwing his helmet on. “So, let’s go, goddammit!”

Spike ran off onto the field to start clearing off several of the equipment used. The entire group watched in brief shock at his outburst before Rainbow broke the silence.

“Feh, I’d eat as many dicks as I wanted, if I liked dicks,” she muttered before following him onto the field.

“That was… strange,” Rarity muttered. “Where did that come from?”

“Pretty sure you have a dick from birth,” Snails said, stretching his arms out.

“You numbskull, she was asking where Spike’s came from,” Snips shouted, shoving him forward as the two ran onto the field. “Or did she mean Rainbow’s?”

Rarity briefly adjusted her hair curl so it covered the visible part of her face, letting out a dejected sigh. Twilight’s groaning was the next thing to break the silence as the Dumbbells, Scootaloo and Pipsqueak ran to the benches to grab their gear and helmets before jogging onto the field.

“All right, you bunch of girls. After begging, and by begging I mean threatening the Rugby team, we now have the chance to practise our plays without being split into teams of four or five,” Rainbow shouted into a megaphone. “First play is simple since it’s gonna be offense. We’re playing offense against the Rugby team to start. Got that, bitches?”

Spike shifted uncomfortably as he stared at the Rugby team, which seemed just as small as the Football team. Most students flocked to the less mainstream sports such as golf, leaving the more common sports with fewer players, as it had been mistakenly construed that they would always have a team, being the popular sports they were. Shifting his eyes back to Rainbow, Spike adjusted his mouthguard and waited for Rainbow’s speech to finish. He mostly tuned her out, his eyes darting towards Rarity. Rarity clapped her hands, giving him a thumbs up and he did his best to smile, regardless of the plastic chunk in his lips. Rainbow whistled once, catching his attention and the two teams ran into the field to prepare.

After a quick coin toss, Spike found himself huffing as he bolted forward in a mad dash towards the pigskin. As per the usual routine, his foot connected with a sound that still satisfied him as the ball launched into the air. The teams charged one another as the Rugby team’s dedicated wide receiver caught it. They darted forward, Rainbow’s eyes unable to spot who their running back would be. Determined to latch onto him or her, she assumed the running back was the one at the back of the pack. Unexpectedly to the Rugby team, she darted by the player with the ball and lunged in the air to tackle someone slender and seemingly jogging.

Her judgement proved right, as the receiver had intended to pass it back to said player, who was indeed the running back. Some of the rugby team hesitated to proceed and immediately attempted to surround the receiver to protect him. Pipsqueak, Spike and Apple Bloom immediately decided to forego their initial plan just to cement that they aren’t going to go down as easy as the rugby team. The three tackled a literal wall of Rugby players and managed to take down five of them; their entire offensive line excluding the receiver. Applejack leapt forward, catching onto the fact Rainbow was forsaking their plan for one play. The receiver was taken down by the brute quarterback and immediately, the pseudo-referee, Big Mac, blew the whistle. Upon yanking the rugby team up, the football team prepared to take their places once more as the rugby team now had a reason to treat them as a threat.

“Hopefully now, you can give us a reason to utilize our strategies,” Rainbow shouted with a grin as the rugby team captain glared at her. “We have actual muscle on this team for once. Don’t take us so lightly.”

“Fair enough,” once boy said, grunting as their temporary centre gripped the ball.

Spike took his place on the tight end spot and briefly glanced to the sidelines. Rarity was shouting cheers he couldn’t hear but somehow understood clearly. Off to the side, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Sweetie Belle stood, utilizing mock-pompoms made from newspaper until Rarity had crafted real ones. They didn’t have a routine yet but Spike didn’t think they really cared. Looking forward as the rugby team called out plays, he turned his head towards Rainbow as she motioned with her fingers. The team subtly nodded and glanced forward as the quarterback shouted hut.

The ball snapped and Spike found himself immediately slamming into the wide receiver as the oddly lanky woman lunged forward, jumping as she caught Spike before he managed to stand up straight. His hunched position, the “triangle” as Shining Armour had explained, crumbled as he was pushed down by the girl. The rest of the line slammed into each other as the team managed to halt any progression before the quarterback attempted to run. Applejack and Scootaloo darted forward while Rainbow flanked the mass of people slamming into each other before the wide receiver that got Spike blindsided her. Grunting, Rainbow tumbled briefly, mentally shouting at Spike for flunking his position. A half back darted by the position, the very person Rainbow was attempting to stop. Glancing up from her place on her back, Rainbow watched the half back slam into Applejack, tackling her as well which only served to infuriate Rainbow. Anger swelled through her mind immediately, but she waited until she could stand before releasing it.

Applejack tumbled to the ground, grunting as well, yet one thing resonated well with each of the downed players; the defense was holding extremely well. They had one more problem: who had the ball? In response, the second wide receiver and presumably the running back darted forward, the quarterback standing behind them. Scootaloo charged them down, a game of chicken initiating. She saw them all with their arms positioned to look like they were carrying and briefly, she felt confusion flow through her mind. But it took just an extra half second to spot the ball carrier. The running back and wide receiver split off to different sides, the wide receiver darting dangerously close to the sidelines while the running back darted into the wide open field. The quarterback leaned forward, making it harder to see her arms but that didn’t do anything.

Scootaloo planted her foot briefly and slowed her momentum down before pushing off, darting in the opposite direction she ran. The quarterback and the running back realized that she spotted where the ball went and she charged down the significantly slower wide receiver that now held the pigskin. Her peripheral vision revealed Spike to come from the side and take down her one threat, the running back who was darting towards her. Grinning, she closed the distance and lunged her arm towards the wide receiver’s arm. With a well-placed slap, Scootaloo knocked the ball out of the receiver’s arms as she didn’t expect it.

“Take that, you stupid bitch,” Scootaloo said with a smirk.

The rest of the rugby team save for the quarterback, were being pinned by the Manticores as this was one play they accidentally started. Rainbow still relished that it was working, even if it wasn’t planned.

Scooping the ball up, Scootaloo briefly thanked nobody for her shorter height before turning to the left in a wide arc. Luckily for her, the only one faster than her on the field was Rainbow Dash and maybe Applejack. It was a dangerous arc but it allowed her to get a lot of distance between her and the quarterback and luckily for her, the defensive line still managed to hold off the rugby team. She strolled by as the rugby team was all but stopped entirely as she sprinted towards the rugby team endzone.

“Touchdown!” Twilight shouted from a megaphone, wincing as the noise hurt her ears.

Spike glanced towards Scootaloo as the football team and rugby team separated, watching her roughly shove a rugby lineman down to the ground. She muttered an insult as well as gave him the finger. Spike raised his brow in confusion.

“What’s her problem?” he muttered as they prepared to kick the ball once more.

The game ended quickly, being only played until the end of practice rather than full game time. They had almost flawlessly defeated the rugby team, scoring over forty points to their six. Spike felt a bit of pride, almost doing the same thing Scootaloo did except to a rather pissed off rugby team player. He mentally chastised himself but one thing rung in his mind.

“Scootaloo was a bit… more rude and rough than usual, wasn’t she?” Spike asked towards Pipsqueak.

“Oi, you spotted ‘at too?” Pipsqueak asked as they observed Scootaloo seemingly glaring at Rainbow Dash from across the field.

The captain was yet again arguing with the opposing team captain, Rainbow having to be held back by Applejack as the two captains were almost getting violent. A quick once-over of the field showed that nothing was really different except for Scootaloo’s attitude. Typically, she’d be right up there with Rainbow, but today was different. Twilight jogged up from behind along with Rarity whom described the movements as “elegant struts”.

“Great game!” Twilight said, gently elbowing Spike once more.

“The team was awful,” Spike grumbled curmudgeonly.

“What?” Rarity and Twilight said in unison.

Shaking his head, Spike removed his helmet as he and Pipsqueak sat on the bench. “Sorry, was thinking out loud. The rugby team really seemed to fumble quite a bit. They clearly can’t handle playing against us,” Spike responded, chuckling.

“That’s… rather egotistical, but I suppose some gloating is permitted after a successful victory like that,” Rarity said carefully, sitting down next to Spike.

“Well, either way, you did good, little brother,” Twilight praised, patting him on the shoulders from behind.

“Sure, brother,” Spike mumbled incoherently.

Before Twilight, Rarity or Pipsqueak could ask what he said, an annoying voice shouted from behind.

“Yo, you’re moving up in the world, Iguana. Two bitches at your beck and call… oh wait, three bitches. I didn’t see the dress-diva next to you,” Felix’s voice called out.

Twilight, Rarity and Pipsqueak felt a flare of anger towards the bully, but attempted to ignore it. Unfortunately, Spike immediately stood up, shocking the three of them. He discarded his helmet to the side and spotted Felix up on the bleachers along with his two usual friends. Wordlessly, he walked towards the bleachers angrily, stomping if he could as Rarity and Twilight immediately started to panic. Pipsqueak merely stood up and jogged towards Spike. Spike chose to run towards the bleachers, stepping up the benches as he only registered rage at the moment.

“You stupid little fucking piece of shit, why don’t you stop shouting from so far and say it to my goddamn face, you pussy,” Spike shouted, his voice taking on an odd quality that sounded almost like a feral beast growling.

A look flashed across Felix’s face briefly before he handed his cigarette to his friend next to him and stepped forward, preparing to fight Spike. Pipsqueak managed to grab Spike’s arms much to his annoyance and Felix laughed in response.

“Have to make sure your boyfriends keep you in check? I can understand. Lord knows that you’d get your face stomped in without him,” Felix taunted, taking his cigarette once more.

Pipsqueak’s grip loosened slightly as everyone seemed to momentarily consider letting Spike go, but Pipsqueak quickly turned them away, letting Spike go once his eyes set on Rarity and Twilight who sat on the bottom. They had managed to catch the attention of most of the football team as well, the Dumbbells gone and Rainbow and Applejack having finished nearly fighting the rugby team. His eyes flashed on the rest of the team before dropping. Scootaloo was now the one looking at Spike, sharing his thoughts from earlier.

“What’s…?” she started, stopping shortly after.

“Fuckin’ girl,” Felix said as he flicked his cigarette butt at Spike as the three of them walked away.

“I suggest you watch yourself ya pleb,” Pipsqueak spoke in Felix’s general direction.

Felix merely scoffed as they stepped down the bleachers, Rarity and Twilight quickly shifting over to avoid the boy as he left the field. Spike sat down on the bench and let out a long, drawn out sigh. Applejack stepped forward along with Rainbow, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Snips and Snails following.

“Are ya al’right, Spike?” Applejack asked.

“Oh, I get it now!” Rainbow said, pounding her fist into her palm. Several eyes turned to her briefly before ignoring her. “Spike, that asshole is bullying you, isn’t he?”

Immediately, all eyes went on her once more as Rainbow said the one thing that wasn’t supposed to be said. Those same eyes slowly turned towards Spike with an edge to them. Twilight’s mind instantly began to reel and was with right concern. Spike stood up just a second after Rainbow said that and he wordlessly stepped down the bleachers.

“Hey kid, wait a second!” Rainbow called out as Spike walked towards the school. Applejack’s hand was placed on her captain’s abdomen as Rainbow attempted to chase after him. She glanced down at the farmer. “What?”

“Jesus, Rainbow, ya jus’ can’t keep yer damn trap shut, can you?” Applejack muttered, holding off on projecting hostility.

Twilight merely sighed, covering her face with her hand. Rarity walked to the side of the bleachers and leaned over the edge, watching Spike walk towards the gymnasium. The response from most people mimicked Twilight’s as the area was now awkward. Realizing what she said, Rainbow stepped forward towards Twilight, her words already fumbling before they came out.

“Jeez, I, uh… I’m sorry, I guess?” she said to no one in particular.

“It’s not your fault, mate,” Pipsqueak said in response immediately.

“It’s a sore topic for him. I never bring it up or get involved, since he always gets mad when I supposedly try and fight his battles.” Twilight sat down on the bench as Rarity did. “It’s something I just can’t seem to help with but I do my best to try… and I have been trying for the last seven years.”

“I-it has been seven years?” Fluttershy meekly asked.

“Oh wowie,” Pinkie started, “It totally makes sense in context, since Spike always tenses up when we talk about more violent topics or glares at that Felix punk and why he’s always beating up Spike before and after school every day, but it doesn’t explain why Spike just doesn’t go home with Twilight.”

“Wait, what do you mean every day?” Rarity asked, seemingly panicking.

“Ooh, not every day, but most days for several years I’ve seen it happen but I always thought it was some form of hugs or male signs of friendship. It slowed once the Manticores won a game and Spike started to lift.” Pinkie Pie shrugged before proceeding to run in circles out of some presumed sense of fun.

Twilight had a sad smile as she thought about it. “He’s doing this for a certain someone, and inadvertently scares off his pursuer.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “Shining Armour, my parents and I have known about his issues, but he always had this one problem that seemed even worse.”

“Are you able to talk about it or…?” Rarity asked.

Most of the team listened in quietly instead of directly heading for the showers, relishing in more info about a friend.

“Yeah… I guess. He always had this problem with others standing up for him. He gets some sort of sense of heroism for standing up for himself, or at least not having others get involved with his problems. In fact, I remember once, he came home one day after saving some girl from being beaten up, and he seemed so proud… that died off shortly after Felix started bothering him. Whenever my parents would talk to his parents, or whenever Shining Armour and I attempted to do something, Spike would get mad and shout at us and declare we weren’t family… so I took to subtly supporting him, offering him rides or someone to talk to, anything to let him know I was there.”

“How does he deal with all that, alone?” Pinkie wondered, tilting her head.

Leaning back, Twilight looked at the sky as she sighed. “Some nights, when we were younger, I’d wake up to him crying in the next room over and if he was ever crying, he’d do his best to hide it or pretend he was fine, and get angry if I persisted. Luckily, he’s taken to us a little more lately. I even heard my dad talking to him the night of his date a week or so ago. Lucky punk somehow got trusted with the Mercedes,” Twilight laughed once more, relishing in the memory.

“If Ah recall, outta you three siblings, Spike didn’t rear-end the exact same cop when y’all got yer licenses,” Applejack responded with a chuckle.

“Wait, seriously!? Hah, we’re not alone, Snips,” Snails said to the chubbier boy.

“Whaddaya know,” Snips said, slapping his knee.

“I once hit a cop. It was on purpose because he called me a bitch after I zipped by him on my bike. Got me two stars and I wound up wasted,” Rainbow said.

“Oh yeah, real likely story,” Scootaloo mumbled aggressively.

“Jeez, squirt, what’s with you lately?” Rainbow asked, glancing towards the skinnier girl incredulously.

“Just loving this… company,” Scootaloo responded, turning away towards the field.

“Are you sure? You haven’t been having the most immaculate attitude these past few solar cycles,” Sweetie Belle responded.

“Are ya fer real?” Apple Bloom asked, face palming after Sweetie Belle beamed at her.

“M… maybe it’s sexual… tension,” Fluttershy whispered.

The whole group went silent once more before several laughs erupted, Rainbow being the loudest.

“Jeez, we can tell what Fluttershy has on her mind,” Rainbow responded.

“Is it drugs, still? I still haven’t smoked that strange green stuff yet,” Pinkie Pie murmured, squinting at the shy girl.

“W-what!? N-no, I’m just—” Fluttershy attempted to say.

“I think Twilight’s parents were on to something about us when they mentioned masturbating and shooting up,” Pinkie continued said, rubbing her chin.

“That’s preposterous!” Rarity responded, seemingly huffy.

“I dunno, Spike has been getting buff rather fast. He must be shooting up to help with lifting,” Pipsqueak said, unable to keep the sarcastic smile on his face.

“Or maybe he’s having a ton of rough sex and it’s how he’s got so much stamina,” Snips added excitedly.

“Spike would pro’lly be too busy goofin’ around to gain any muscle, numbskull,” Snails responded, slapping Snips on the back.

“Oh my god, why are we talking about this!?” Twilight shouted, gripping her hair.

“What is 'this'?” Spike asked as he stood at the bottom of the bleachers.

Once more, eyes turned to him as he was completely showered with slightly damp hair in his usual style as he wore his normal clothes. The group went quiet and immediately Twilight stammered to speak, but Spike cut her off.

“Nevermind. Twilight, let’s go. I wanna go to Donut Joe’s and the mall; I’ll pay for gas,” Spike told her, gesturing with his hand for her to follow.

“W-what?” Twilight asked, surprised.

“I’m asking for a ride. Or actually, let me drive. I don’t trust your driving,” Spike responded jokingly.

“What? Fine,” Twilight said, unable to fight a grin from appearing on her face.

Spike’s eyes turned to Rarity as the tension seemingly vanished. Spike wore a huge smile on his face much to the relief of many.

“Rarity, I gotta stop by the boutique later. There’s a commission I’m gonna make,” he mentioned in passing, hinting at perhaps something less than civil.

“Lovely,” Rarity said, clapping her hands together.

Spike responded with a wink as Twilight hurriedly checked to make sure she had everything. Realizing she set her belongings in the car prior to the practise, she spun around and bowed, giving a polite farewell to the rest of the group.

“See you later,” Spike said towards Rarity.

“See ya, spoopy-poopy,” Rainbow responded with an exaggerated lovey-dovey accent.

Spike’s chipper mood seemed to die for an instant as he glared at Rainbow, but as quick as it started, his face shifted back into a more calm one as he waved goodbye to Rarity. Applejack was, fortunately, sitting right there to catch the glare as Spike and Twilight turned away. Quickly stepping to the side, he scooped up his helmet and held onto it by the cage as the two left the area.

With a frown, Scootaloo squeezed her fingers tighter on the tray she gripped. Usually she went about stealing lunch from Spike, but she wasn’t even sure he was going to show up to their usual spot that day. Looking down at the lame excuse for a lunch, some pasta and an infuriatingly red apple, Scootaloo absently stepped with the moving line.

She heard it again, another loud and amused laugh from a familiar idol of hers. What bothered her about it, though, was that it was not directed to her or some lewd comment, it was, as seemingly always, directed at Applejack. Scootaloo glared over her shoulder menacingly as she caught sight of Rainbow Dash, sitting at a table right beside Applejack, no surprise, and across from a couple others Scootaloo couldn’t care to focus on or name. Her narrowed and suspicious gaze dropped below the tabletop to the visible legs of the girls sitting on the other side, and her teeth ground together.

Under the table, she could see Rainbow’s hand rest on Applejack’s knee, her thumb fondly rubbing against the farmer’s jeans. This was a usual occurrence between the pair, Scootaloo had come to terms with that, but what had her so unsettled was that Applejack did not respond in the normal way. That being, the usual slap and scold or nervous flinch and recoil. No, this time, the girl met Rainbow’s eyes with a casual smirk, and the two made nothing of it at all. That is, until she started climbing higher, at which point Applejack instinctively moved her hand back down and left it in place. Scootaloo hated what that could have meant, and nearly bit the head off of the boy behind her in line who urged her to keep moving.

Scootaloo yanked her tray off the cafeteria line, not feeling all that hungry anymore, and made her way towards the trash can at the end. With a loud and violent scoff, she nearly threw the whole damn thing into the trash. To her irritable dismay, the apple she had placed on the tray bounced out, and landed by her foot. Grabbing it with a mutter of curses, she proceeded to leave the cafeteria, tossing the bruised fruit up and down roughly.

Irritated by the way Spike had begun to keep her waiting longer and longer each promised lunch time, Scootaloo busied herself by throwing the detestable apple above her laid-back position. None of this was what she wanted when she returned to school with Rainbow Dash and her friends, not any of it at all. Even Spike, the supposed outcast she had befriended, ignored her when something better came around. Her mind just reeled with bitter thoughts like that.

“Hey,” said boy’s voice rolled over the breeze in the grass and caught on her thorny mood.

“Nice of you to show,” Scootaloo growled, not bothering to even look over at Spike as he approached her.

“You okay? You’ve been really snappy lately,” Spike asked carefully, kneeling down beside her before fully sitting down in his usual place, plus a pace or two.

“Probably just my damn period or some shit,” Scootaloo murmured with a deeper frown, tossing the apple so high it hit the branches of the tree above her.

“What’s with the apple? Are you going to eat it, or just throw it?” Spike asked, watching the thing fly up and down before him.

“Jeez! What is the big deal with these fucking apples, anyway?!” Scootaloo snapped as she chucked the fruit in question far across the field, glaring at it as it landed in the grass in a less than satisfying way. She had wanted it to smash.

“O-okay,” Spike scootched a little farther away.

“Sorry, I’m just kidding,” the small girl lied behind a shrug. She feigned a more innocent and approachable face as she looked back over at Spike. “You’ve been really cool at practice, you know. Team really needs you.”

“I guess I have been pretty involved with it, and it’s paying off,” Spike agreed, leaning easier against the tree.

Scootaloo tentatively eyed Spike, biting her lip as she sat down next to him. “Yeah, I’ll say.”

Spike was enjoying the ability to eat his lunch with Scootaloo without her stealing it, but briefly wondered why she didn’t have one. Instinctively, he offered her the other half of his sandwich.

“Huh?” she responded, a bit dumbfounded.

“Here, you just threw away what I presumed was your lunch,” he said, holding the half out to her. She hesitated, eying it as if she were looking for deception. “Come on, it’s chicken.”

“It’d be cannibalism, then,” she muttered, turning away.

“Hah, w-what?” Spike said, utterly confused.

“Cannibalism. Eating your own kind. Chicken,” Scootaloo responded, more dejected.

“So… you’re a chicken. Seems legit,” Spike muttered, finishing off his half of the sandwich while practically shoving the sandwich into Scootaloo’s hands.

“It’s what they said… and me and my dumbass bitch self decided to chase after what I thought I knew, what used to be, and now I’m here dealing with… them again,” Scootaloo said bitterly, avoiding saying what she really meant.

“Them?” Spike repeated wonderingly.

“Doesn’t matter. What does matter is that… for once, someone is here for me, openly and regardless,” Scootaloo said, finding a smile work to her face as she bit into the sandwich.

“It is nice having people to rely on… but you should open up a bit. I wanna hear more about you, y’know? I don’t know what you’ve been up to since you left to Cloudsdale… and even before that, we didn’t really hang out, so to speak,” Spike responded, dipping a spoon into more homemade pudding.

“I don’t wanna talk about Cloudsdale. It’s not worth it,” Scootaloo hutrriedly responded in a bitter tone once more.

Spike let the silence hang momentarily before coughing, continuing. “Okay, that’s fine. I won’t prod, but if you feel like talking about it, since it may be a source of animosity for you, I’m here.” Spike punctuated his words with a warm smile as Scootaloo stared directly at him.

Without much warning, Scootaloo dipped forward and pressed her lips against Spike, wiggling her tongue into his mouth. After a second, he realized what was occurring and shoved her away in protest. Scootaloo stared at him, utterly shocked at his reaction and she shifted back, her face contorting into various looks of anguish. Spike grit his teeth, feeling his face flush as well as rage and confusion bubble up

“What the hell has gotten into you?! You know that I’m with Rarity, why did you do that?!” Spike barked, shoving her away with his mere words and getting into a more defensive stance.

“What, suddenly I’m not good enough for you?!” Scootaloo yelled back, her voice cracking with volume and pitch.

“That’s not it, Scootaloo,” Spike exhaled loudly as he tried to get ahold of himself. “Look, I love Rarity, okay? Nothing personal, but I’m in a relationship now. I can’t just fool around. And why are you even doing that, anyway? Who the hell responds to those kinds of advances?”

“I don’t know, but Rainbow Dash does it, doesn’t she?!” Scootaloo argued without thinking, but her eyes widened as she realized she had revealed some of her motives. “Look, it’s just something that I think Rainbow Dash would do; fight for something, you know?”

“Rainbow Dash? Wait, you think she would just jump on someone like that?” Spike asked questioningly, though the idea didn’t seem too far-fetched.

“She would with Applejack, I bet,” Scootaloo grunted, crossing her arms grouchily and looking away. “She doesn’t give one shit what people think of her, yeah, the Rainbow Dash I knew takes what she wants, no matter what!”

“Though I can’t totally disagree with you there, and I may not be too fond of the girl myself,” Spike began, trying to think of a good thing to say about Rainbow Dash at all. “I don’t think she’s like that. She's not that aggressive or selfish. Not any more, at least.”

Scootaloo slumped against the tree, dejectedly staring at the grass as she lazily sat on the ground. Spike cautiously watched her for a moment before returning to his pudding, gritting his teeth as he thought back to the kiss.

“So it’s true then,” Scootaloo muttered, her voice breaking. Spike paused to glance at her as she seemed to wear a lost face. “She’s not Rainbow Dash.”

Spike gulped in a panic and coughed to clear his throat quickly. “W-wait, she’s still Rainbow Dash. Just changed, for the better.”

“Fuck off, she isn’t better. She mellowed out.” Scootaloo clenched her fingers, her eyes watering up slightly as she shivered. “S-she’s not the same Rainbow Dash that I used to know.”

“Why does that have to be a bad thing? From what little I saw of her and what Twilight told me, Rainbow Dash used to be even more of a bitch than she is now,” Spike spoke like it was any consolation.

“She never was fond of labels, either. Yeah, you could call her a bitch, if you want,” Scootaloo shook her head passively, knowing better. “But to me? She was like a sister. She was the only one who saw me, who accepted whatever I wanted to be.”

Sighing, Scootaloo’s body loosened up and she went almost limp against the tree, not even minding the sandwich she let sit on her lap. In the pause she took to think about retelling the story, she listened to the oblivious laughter of the kids several yards away. Spike said nothing at first, noticing that she was not finished yet.

“Back in elementary school, before my parents transferred me to fucking Cloudsdale Academy, me and Rainbow Dash used to be friends. She was a couple years older than me, but that hardly mattered.” Her eyes shifted towards one part of the yard where most of the self-proclaimed hardasses gathered. “We used to get into a lot of trouble, back when she was a badass like that.”

Spike shifted his gaze away from Scootaloo, his mind wandering to his own troubling problem. “What kind of trouble?” he managed to ask.

“Anything really: vandalizing, trespassing, fighting, stealing,” Scootaloo recalled, a drunken smile on her face as she reminisced. “She was good friends with Applejack even back then, even though she never came along with us. She was clearly disappointed in us for doing that shit, but she didn't snitch or anything. But Rainbow? She was the coolest girl around, and I wanted to be just like her.”

“Why?” Spike asked, not asking out of curiosity, but merely to hear her words.

Scootaloo chuckled, staring up at the school. Her mouth hung open for a moment before she gulped. “She was awesome, she didn't care what people thought about her or anything. My parents weren't exactly very supportive or nurturing, so I clung to Rainbow Dash like she was my big sister.” Glancing over, she just happened to spot Apple Bloom running into the school, causing Scootaloo to wince as it brought a certain farmer to mind. “I remember this one time, there was this corner store around the street from the school, with one of those stupid fucking signs that says, like, 'only three kids allowed in at once', you know?”

Spike slammed his fists into his knees, groaning at the thought, shaking his head. “I hate that, like all kids are loud and mischievous. It's so ageist.”

Scootaloo seemed to perk up in response, pointing directly at him, her eyes following suit. “Exactly! So, Dash and I wanted to really stick it to this asshole, right? So we go in there, and when he's not looking, we stuff our pockets with anything we could get our hands on. Candy, mostly.”

Spike paused, his eyes squinting as his mouth made an ‘O’ shape. He turned towards Scootaloo, raising an eyebrow. “It… uh, kind of sounds like you're proving his point.”

Shrugging, twisting her lips as she did, she continued. “Yeah, we kinda were. Anyway, we take off, and he sees us, chases us down the street like a block or two. The whole time, Rainbow Dash is just hollering and laughing at him, making faces and cussing. She was just so cool, and so carefree. No one told her what to do, no one.”

“What happened next?” Spike asked, eating a spoonful of pudding.

“Well, that was one of the last times we hung out. I remember that we finally got away from that storekeeper, and we hid behind city hall when we emptied our pockets. She had a lot more than I did, she was always better at it than me.” She paused briefly. “Usually we shared the loot anyway, but I remember that time, there was one thing she would not even let me touch.” Scootaloo’s body seemed to tense up as she said this.

Swallowing the pudding, Spike asked, “What was it?”

Taking in a sharp breath, her fists shook as she spat out each word. “It was this bag of candies, and they were all shaped like little apples. Little red apples. I never liked them much anyway, and I told her that. She said that she didn't really like them either, but then why would she take them, right? Why would she bother, right?”

“Right,” Spike responded, finishing his pudding.

“She said they reminded her of someone. She wouldn't tell me anything else, and she started blushing and got this big goofy grin on her face, even sat there staring at those stupid apple candies while I stuffed my stupid face.” Scootaloo didn’t seem angry anymore, more or less just physically drained. “She never really wanted to do that shit much after that, and soon enough, I transferred away.”

Spike’s eyebrow raised. “Apples, you say?”

Scootaloo didn’t stop several tears from sliding down her cheeks as her body seemed to go limp once more. “Yeah, turns out she was hopeless even back then.” She sniffled, letting out a breath that got stuck in her throat. “I haven't seen her in a few years, but man, she's really gotten lame. I blame that Applejack, she's always been so honest and goodie-goodie and shit.”

Spike’s sense of protection kicked in immediately and he responded a bit more aggressive than he liked. “Applejack's not all like that, you know. I think there's more to her than you realize.”

Scootaloo merely scoffed, turning away from Spike. Her voice was still extremely weak, “Whatever, Rainbow Dash has always chosen her over me, and now she's a lame, bitch-ass nobody. Like, what the fuck.”

“Do you… do you hate Applejack, or something?” Spike chose his words wisely.

“What? Fuck, like,” Scootaloo pressed her hand over her eyes as she tried to articulate. “I’ve known her for a long time, as my best friend’s sister and the-girl-I-consider-my-big-sister’s best friend, but… maybe I do hate her, I resent her, anyway. Apple Bloom’s always talking, like, ‘my sister says’ this, or ‘my sister would’ that, and Rainbow Dash is just fucking obsessed with her, always doing stuff with her, and turning into this lame… whatever. Like, Rainbow is supposed to make time for me now that I’m back, right? It still feels like I’m stuck at fucking Cloudsdale, Goddamn.”

Spike didn’t respond to an outburst like that, merely sighing as Scootaloo quickly wiped her tears away. Spike’s eyes examined Scootaloo’s body, scanning for signs of abuse of any sort. Finding nothing other than probably scrapes from scooter wipeouts, he sighed again and reached an arm over, resting it on Scootaloo’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” Spike bitterly said, unsure of why he should be.

“Please… just, don’t patronize me, alright?” she responded, her voice pleading far more than she would have liked.

“What… is the real reason you came to Manehatten?” Spike asked.

Scootaloo gulped, gritting her teeth. She looked like she wanted to tell Spike. She really wanted to, as well. Part of her was shaking with adrenaline and part of her was numbing her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Scootaloo stood up, glancing at the chicken sandwich before taking a bite. After swallowing, she glanced down to Spike.

“We’re not exactly different in what makes us unhappy, Spike,” she said.

Scootaloo began trudging towards the school, her shoulders slumping more than they were earlier. Spike’s mind solved her implication almost immediately. He almost asked her outright, but he let his mind ask the question.

‘Who’s bullying her?’ Spike thought.

Scootaloo trudged towards the stop sign by the edge of the school’s parking lot. Just on the sidewalk, off school grounds, were those various students who smokers. Scootaloo always wondered why the legal age to smoke was lower than the legal age to purchase cigarettes, but she supposed it worked in her favour. Nonetheless, it wasn’t hard to find someone who had a connection, or was simply old enough to buy them for her.

Scootaloo’s talk with Spike aggravated her, and she had immediately gone for a smoke, only to realize she that was out of cigarettes. Regrettably, she had to mingle with the smoking crowd. Scootaloo never fit in amongst them, though she did share their disdain for authoritarian figures. It was just the idea of smoking appealed to her, something that seemed badass or mature, not the other students who just smoked because it looked cool or whatever.

A groan escaped her lips as she wasn’t able to spot her usual supplier and quickly asking around revealed he was actually recently banned from the usual stores for providing to minors. The only connection Scootaloo had now was one that served a neverending meal of frustration and misery to Spike. She recognized him right away as a boy she herself used to consider an acquaintance in elementary school, though he had changed a bit since those days.

Felix stood amongst a smaller crowd as the new dealer, so to speak. Grumbling, Scootaloo clenched her fists, scowling at the thought of associating with him once more. Upon returning to Manehatten, Scootaloo quickly caught on to the fact that not only had Felix become even more of an ass since elementary days, but he had become the ass of the school. Obnoxious, arrogant, narcissistic; all understatements in Scootaloo’s mind. But she did need one.

With a dejected sigh and a minute to accept how desperate she had gotten, Scootaloo forced her feet to shuffle forward towards the small crowd. Various people purchased their cigarettes regrettably for a higher price than usual. Scootaloo raised her hand, sliding it into the opening of her shirt. Feeling between her breasts, she pulled out a thin wallet and pried it open, spotting various bills of small increments. It was enough in Scootaloo’s mind so she approached the already annoying boy.

“Oh shit, Feels, look. The largest tits in the school,” one of Felix’s associates stated with a finger point.

Scootaloo rolled her eyes, grumbling in the process. “Fluttershy’s are bigger,” she muttered.

“Hey hey hey, look who it is! Scooters, what’s up, cunt?” Felix practically yelled his words, an odd guffaw tossed in for good measure as his face lit up with a grin that almost sent Scootaloo into a scathing aggravated state. “Had enough of that green-haired faggot?”

“His name is Spike, and I’m here purely for business,” Scootaloo said in her most monotonous voice while trying to summon a stern, unchangeable glare.

“I don’t give a shit about his name,” Felix scoffed, his face contorting into an odd look of sarcasm; potentially from trying too hard. “But, business you say? It’s a little hard for someone like you to do business with your shirt on.”

“How much for cigarettes?” Scootaloo continued, ignoring the comments.

Scootaloo’s face reddened, more from the anger than the embarrassment; standing so close to him irritated her to no end, and she wasn’t sure how long it’d take before his stench was embedded into her clothing from such a proximity. Felix stared at her, squinting as if examining her. His two associates took similar stances, almost prompting Scootaloo to bolt back towards Spike. All of Scootaloo’s willpower was used to refrain from cringing or swinging at him.

“If you show us the ballistics, I’ll bump the price down to five bits,” Felix said with a grin.

Felix’s two associates chortled, caught off-guard by the proposal, while Scootaloo was surprised her mouth hadn’t opened, jaw dropped in disgust. Scootaloo was unable to stop her eye from twitching, however.

“Five?! Are you—” Scootaloo clenched her eyes shut as well as her teeth. As if smacked, she flinched, head snapping to the side as she reeled herself in. “Why? What’s the normal price? I’m gonna assume ten?”

“Bingo. You, like all ladies, can get the 50%-off discount,” Felix continued as if it was charming of him. “There’s also a 100%-off discount... if you so choose.”

Scootaloo’s fingers clenched around the wallet, imagining herself doing whatever this 100%-off discount was. Sighing, Scootaloo pulled the bill out of her wallet and tossed it at Felix. Wordlessly as she averted her eyes, Scootaloo grabbed the bottom of her shirt and tugged up, her large breasts dropping and jiggling slightly. She knew for a fact that it would have satisfied the prick. After a few seconds, and whistles, she quickly pulled the shirt back over her chest. A quick scan of the area made sure there was nobody able to see her outright other than the three in front of her; the small crowd behind her too sick of Felix to want to try and get a good view.

“Shit, that’s what I’m talking about,” Felix readily agreed to her terms, fumbling his pack of cigarettes as he opened it. “Babe, come around any time. I can offer more than cigarettes, you know.”

“Thanks but I think I...” Scootaloo started, her voice almost going mute as she faded off.

A thought crossed her mind and part of her felt sick, but it seemed so enticing given the past few days. Her eyes glanced towards the school and she briefly visualized her usual male friend sitting against the tree with her, the way he always pushed her away or traded her in for something better. Her eyes turned back towards the boy who pulled five cigarettes from the package, feeding them between his fingers and extending them to her.

“Well? All yours, hot stuff,” he told her as he wiggled her earnings in front of her, stepping just a little closer and eying her wantingly.

Taking hold of the smokes, her hand brushing against Felix’s, she felt her heart rate quicken. It reminded her of the way she had gotten excited by Spike’s touch, though there was also some kind of fear or disgust that she felt even just from Felix’s presence. He made her very uncomfortable, but she could not pinpoint quite why. Well, at least Felix had something she wanted, and gave it to her for a slim price.

Shaking her head as she slid the filter into her mouth, Scootaloo whispered almost inaudibly in a hiss, “Fucking Iguana…”

Though the plans had been made days in advance, Spike wasn’t sure Scootaloo was going to show up to dinner that evening, based on her attitude from earlier. He took another bite of his cream-filled donut before he even swallowed the last bite, mindlessly chewing it and squishing it to the roof of his mouth. It was probably best if she didn’t show up anyway, Spike realized, as he moved his hand around Rarity’s waist and returned the smile she had given him. If she had tried anything like that kiss around Rarity, it would not have ended well.

“Cruller!” Spike flinched as the voices of the two boys across from him rose steadily. It made him wonder why they were invited at all.

“Jelly!” the other shouted back, Hoops, as Spike knew him.

“Cruller!” the first, Dumbbell, repeated in a more violent tone, standing up and screeching his chair across the freshly mopped floor.

“This is not an argument,” Rainbow Dash murmured as she just stuffed any random donut into her mouth, ignoring their excuse for a fight.

“She’s right, for once,” Hoops agreed, and Rainbow Dash did nothing but shrug like she had known it all along. “Crullers can’t even compare with Jelly, they have no filling, you tard.”

“Filling is for old ladies who can’t chew,” Dumbbell snorted, glaring at the type of donut in question as one or two sat in the box in the middle of the table.

“Chew on this!” Hoops snatched up the donut and chucked it at his friend, who ducked and avoided the hit.

“Please stop fighting!” Fluttershy squeaked from her place in the far corner, shrinking as more projectile sweets cleared the table.

“Throw them my way!” Pinkie Pie chirped up, throwing her arms into the air to try and snag any ammunition out of the air and lodge it into her cheeks.

“This is so typical,” Rarity sighed as Spike blocked a donut from hitting her.

“No it’s not,” Rainbow Dash denied over the sounds of the scuffle, though for once she sat this one out. Tipping back on the hind legs of her chair, her arm spread out over the back of her chair and overlapped behind Applejack, who was blankly watching the spectacle, she went on, “I didn’t start this one!”

“Only because you have something else on your mind,” Spike murmured in an accusing tone, and Rainbow Dash turned from checking out the girl at her arm to glare at him.

“What was that?” the captain raised her eyebrow threateningly, and Spike just rolled his eyes. “Come out and say it next time, bub, I won’t keep it locked up in my mind for long, trust me.”

Applejack flinched as she felt the girl’s hand drop onto her rear, and her face contorted into a flush red rage. “Throw away th’ key,” Applejack growled as she slapped the girl’s hands away.

Rainbow Dash just grunted and let the insubordination slide, though she’d pay for it later, surely. The captain knew better than to press too hard while there were spectators, and instead shifted the subject, “Hey, where’s little Hymen at, anyway?”

“Please quit callin’ her that,” Applejack covered her eyes in embarrassment.

“I don’t know,” Spike spoke up, flicking a sprinkle across the table and nearly hitting his own sister, who frowned at him. “She wasn’t feeling well at lunch, she didn’t eat much.”

“Who are we talking about?” Rarity asked politely, casting a momentary glance at the boys who Pipsqueak finally managed to get a hold of and settle down.

“Scootaloo,” Spike spoke her name, noticing the vacant chair between himself and Twilight, though there wasn’t much space for it considering they had all crammed around two little round tables pulled together.

“Meh, if the kid’s anything like me, she’s tough,” Rainbow Dash just scratched her ear boredly, tipping back and forth on her chair again.

“Would you say three tough, Rainbow?” Rarity asked, prodding Spike with her elbow.

“Hah, what?” Rainbow asked, chuckling before realizing she didn’t get the inside joke.

“Ignore her, she’s just being Pinkie Pie,” Spike said, naming her after the usually random one of the group.

“What?” Twilight asked, cocking her head to the side.

“I-I mean, uh, cruller,” Spike responded, nervously shifting his gaze to his half-eaten donut.

Dumbbell let out a loud ‘ha’ as he punched Hoops in the shoulder before Spike bit into his donut once more. He chuckled as the two Dumbbells almost escalated the punch into a fight. Sipping a milkshake slowly, Spike’s eyes were fixated on the group as they conversed. A tug on his hand made him look to his side, to see Rarity smiling at him. Returning the smile, he leaned back against the chair as he grinned at the comfortable atmosphere. A squelch and a glob of jelly landing in front of him on the table got his attention as he glanced up.

“Oi, what’s got you so smiley? Usually, I’d have to whallop you on the field to get a response from you,” Pipsqueak said, messily eating a jelly donut.

“Oh, y’know… life. Stuff like that. Maybe things finally looking up for once in my life. It’s like, suddenly, I’m not just thinking I should ‘get the walk over with’ when I go to or leave school, or put up with things because I have to. I just feel a lot more positive and more like my years of attempting to be a good guy are paying off, even if I am a little unaccustomed to this kind of outings,” Spike explained, glancing down at the donut as he seemed to be giving it bedroom eyes before cramming it in his mouth.

Spike realized that there was little sound. Glancing up, he was just in time to see everybody at the table turn away from him and attempt to pretend they were talking. Spike felt his face flush as the attention still resonated with him strangely. Even if he didn’t want to, or pretended he never noticed whenever it occurred, he couldn’t stop himself from spotting Twilight’s subtle gaze as her eyes darted towards him for even a split second. He always spotted it since the school year started. He wondered if it would be as easy once the snow started, as the fall season was heading into its final stages.

However, as of to taunt him, the doors swung open on Donut Joe’s and in stepped the scrawny young girl Spike hadn’t counted on seeing tonight… along with a guest.

“Hey, Iguana, fancy meeting you here,” Felix said with a grin as he stepped forward, Scootaloo following.

Spike watched as his heart started to rapidly beat, his eyes focused on Felix. He hadn’t noticed Scootaloo seemingly hiding behind Felix with a rather forced smile. Scootaloo attempted to walk in casually, but one could see her shaky stance. And to top it off, Scootaloo seemed to be wearing an extremely thin tank top without a bra, as evidenced by certain things prodding from the chest of her shirt. However, upon closer inspection, one could reveal it to not only not be Scootaloo’s tank top, but Felix’s A-shirt. Spike’s eye twitched as he realized what this meant.

As he rounded towards the table, Scootaloo seemed to slingshot around him each time, Felix clearly leading her around towards the empty spot that was saved for her.

“Here, let me pull up another chair,” Scootaloo mused as she grabbed a nearby vacant chair and made room beside the one saved for her, forcing Spike and Twilight to separate farther apart down the table.

“Yeah, make room,” Felix snarled as he made some extra room for himself, plopping down in the seat beside Spike as Scootaloo took the one next to Twilight.

Lazily slinking in his chair, Felix raised a smirk. Rarity and Twilight exchanged uncertain glances, but Spike made no noise at all. His eyes, however, were glued to the boy next to him like he wished they could set him on fire.

Almost everyone in the room remained staring at the pair, silent. Twilight frowned and shifted further from Felix and the girl on his arm, uncomfortable even being in the same room with him. Scootaloo didn't seem to notice, or perhaps relished in the attention, displaying a smug and confident smile on her face the whole while that seemed just as real as it was forced. The only other person in the room who was so oblivious was Rainbow Dash, who took a bite of another donut and hummed her delight.

“Mmm, AJ, try this fritter, babe,” Rainbow murmured through her full mouth, spitting little bits out and she pushed the bitten treat towards Applejack.

“Rainbow!” Applejack pushed her away and tried to gesture towards the boy seated beside Scootaloo.

“I'm not saying it's as good as yours! But it's yummy, c'mon, just lick it,” Rainbow teased with a grin, and Applejack sighed in humiliation. “Lick it, you know you're good at tha—!”

Applejack clamped a hand over the girl's mouth hurriedly. Glaring into Rainbow's eyes, Applejack silently told her to shut up, her eyes darting to Felix once or twice. The captain narrowed her eyes over Applejack's hands and took a better look at the boy, finally realizing who he was. Luckily, he was not paying attention to their antics, as she was selecting his favourite donut before Scootaloo even got the chance.

Though irritated by Rainbow's lack of concern or interest in her choice of escort, Scootaloo said nothing on the matter. The tension was rather hard to miss, as Spike nearly bit right through his lip while glaring out the side of his eye at Felix, even if it might have amused the boy more than anything. Felix just sort of snorted in the silence, devouring a donut and getting some sugar on his mouth.

“Leave it to the reptile to have such lame friends,” Felix cracked, and the rest of the room remained silent. “Come on, it’s a joke. Laugh.”

Scootaloo was the only one to comply, snickering at his side and taking the insult. She was careful with it though, not wanting to bother him with the volume of it. Spike let out a slow breath, trying to retain what little remnant of self control he had left. It wasn’t as if he could tackle the guy and beat his face in, there were people around.

“Sooo,” Pinkie Pie chimed in, her usual light-hearted charisma fighting with the awkward tension. “How long have you two been together?”

“Together?” Felix snorted at the prospect, but Scootaloo remained silent, her eyes dropping down a bit. “Yeah right, we’re just screwing around.”

“Guess I can’t call her Hymen any more, then,” Rainbow Dash whispered to Applejack, who smacked her in the gut.

“Speaking of which,” Felix threw his arm around Spike, immediately causing the boy to tense up and squeeze his fingers into his palms. The bully placed his hand over to his mouth, but spoke in a voice loud enough to be overheard anyway, “You got any spare condoms? I know you’re not using them or anything.”

“No,” Spike murmured angrily, finding no better response than that. He did, actually, but there was no way he would give any to the boy who seemed interested in nothing else about Scootaloo but her femininity, what little of that there was.

“Probably for the best anyway, I’d stretch them out or break them if they’re meant for your size,” Felix shoved Spike roughly and leaned back into his seat.

That time, Rainbow Dash cracked a snorted laugh, and everyone glared at her. With a defensive hush, she spoke, “What? Come on, that was funny!”

“How do you two even know each other, anyway?” Twilight spoke up, trying to be the bigger woman and a role model for Spike by taking the high road.

“We went to elementary school together, actually,” Scootaloo answered in a cheery voice, though the boy next to her made a face.

“We did? Shit, I don’t remember that,” he blurted without remorse. “I just thought you were kinda hot, and you seemed down to fuck, so.”

Rainbow Dash started laughing even harder, though everyone glared at her even harder. Applejack pinched her, interrupting her laughs for a pained yelp, though she continued while speaking, “Hah! Priceless!”

"I bet it was real hard trying to set a price for Spike after his mommy got rid of the Iguana egg she didn’t fucking want,” Felix went on, elbowing Spike while the verbal wound cut fresh. “Then again, orphans aren’t worth much; cheap pet for the egghead family, eh Sparkle?”

Spike nearly knocked the table right over as he stood up, grabbing Felix by his shirt collar and yanking the boy to his feet. Managing to get control of himself before it escalated to fists, Spike sighed a raspy growl and glared at the smug little jerk in his hands, the mere size of which dwarfed the smaller boy. For a moment, there was nothing but volatile quietude, and even the surrounding tables were hushed.

Even Rainbow Dash's laughs were silent that time, her expression hard and serious. This, this was no joke. As she looked over at the girl beside her, who she knew all too well had just the same void of parents as Spike did, the farmer turned away, her eyes casting down introspectively. Rainbow didn't hesitate to snatch up Applejack's hand and squeeze it, holding it firmly and waiting for the girl to look back at her. No one else dared utter a word either, but everyone knew that a line had been crossed, no, stomped upon, with that quip.

His fists closing tighter over Felix’s shirt, Spike aggressively held eye contact. The girls around them watched on helplessly, neither wanting to stand up and potentially reignite the fuse. Felix glanced over at the tables, weighing his popularity with the other guests. He wasn’t a complete dolt, he knew when he was outmatched. Cracking a jesting smile, the boy shrugged until Spike released him, trying to follow Twilight’s example by taking the high road and returning to his seat.

“What, that’s it?” Felix may not have wanted an all-out brawl, but he wasn’t above a few more teasing remarks. “If you wouldn’t make such an ugly girl, I’d almost rather fuck your tight little pussy.”

Again, there was little response at all. Twilight, Scootaloo and Rarity were intent on watching Spike, making sure he wasn’t about to attack the boy again. Fluttershy and Pinkie just remained quiet, not knowing enough about the situation to be much help anyway. While Rainbow Dash resisted her initial urge to jump up and get in on the action to remain by Applejack’s side, the Dumbbells glanced at each other, recognizing something familiar in Spike and Felix’s interaction.

“Well, I’m about done here,” Felix said as he grabbed another couple of donuts. “My parents are gone for the next week or so, babe, if you wanna… hang out.”

“We’re leaving already?” she asked quietly, but Felix’s glare told her so. “Um, yeah, that sounds fun.”

“Sweet,” Felix grinned deviously and grabbed her around the shoulders almost violently. As he went to leave, though, he caught sight of Rarity sitting on the other side of Spike. He tilted his head a bit and crooked his smile, looking her up and down as he spoke, “There’s room for one more, you know.”

“Um,” Rarity politely cleared her throat, frowning as she slinked closer to Spike and his arm gently draped around her. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Your loss.” Felix shrugged and yanked Scootaloo up from her seat, forcing her to nearly stumble between the chairs as she followed him. “Oh, wait a second.”

“Forget your pitch-fork?” Rainbow Dash growled, gasping Applejack’s hand harder to keep herself grounded.

“Nah, just thought I’d give you something, Iguana,” Felix reached into Spike’s jacket pocket, as it had been left hanging over the back of his chair, and revealed his phone. “I guess since we may be seeing a little more of each other, I should give you my number. You know, that way if you ever want to reach bare-boobs back here while she’s… indisposed, well, you know who to call.”

“I don’t want your number,” Spike told him flatly, glaring at the boy’s grubby, sugary fingers as he toyed with the phone heedlessly.

“Too late,” Felix tossed it through the air, and Spike barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground due to the awful throw. “Thank me later.”

Felix took off at once, casting but a lazy wave over his shoulder as Scootaloo followed him closely. She looked back once or twice, satisfied with the looks on her friend’s faces. That sure would show them for ever ignoring her, she was certain of that. Spike waited until the two had disappeared back through the door before turning back around, though still, silence hung heavy above their heads. Of course, someone had to break it.

“What a dick,” Rainbow Dash snidely scoffed, pouting her irritated lip like she wanted to deck the guy.

Author's Note

Arby: "and then scootaloo started sucking his cock. Like, right fucking there in the restaurant. Holy shit! What a badass, right?"
Ez: "Omg, omg please."
Soooooooo here we go, sorry for the delay on the update folks, I had term papers and Arby needed a bit of a break... But here we are!
Also... check my profile to see some new Hail Mary artwork!
What did you think, a good twist of fate?

Gilda's Number

XII. Gilda's Number

One pair of eyes bobbed back and forth between two bodies present. With nothing to do, Sweetie Belle took to waiting and watching her elder sister and her new boyfriend as they worked on the uniforms for her and her fellow cheerleaders. Childishly, Sweetie Belle swung her legs back and forth while twiddling her thumbs to kill time. All signs pointed towards this being a dream come true for Spike, but something seemed off. Something noticed by her friend, Scootaloo.

“Something seems off about Spike. He seems more... aggressive, or at least, more possessive of your sister,” Scootaloo muttered as she viciously sunk her teeth into a Golden Delicious apple, her eyes staring across the cafeteria. “He never used to be that kind of guy.”

With a glare, Scootaloo attempted to read his mind, brainwash Spike, anything so she wouldn’t be stuck guessing based on the subtle movements. Whenever Rarity spoke, Spike’s fingers caressed her shoulder. Whenever she glanced elsewhere, Spike turned to face her, drawing her attention to him. He was all over her, and Scootaloo seemed to notice more than anyone else.

“Maybe he’s unsure if it’s real,” Sweetie Belle responded.

“Oh it’s real, and I wish it wasn’t,” Scootaloo snarled, crossing her arms. “Spike just doesn’t seem like himself, and I don’t know why.”

“Right, because you know him sooo well,” the light-haired girl responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t patronize me,” her friend frowned irritably, pouting her lip.

It seemed a little more believable now that Sweetie Belle was able to watch Spike and Rarity in the privacy of her elder sister’s home. It seemed normal at first, Spike turning to watch Rarity now and then. Just a boy with his mind focused on the girl of his dreams. It wasn’t long before Sweetie Belle clearly understood what Scootaloo meant.

“The other day, I was talking with one of my clients, dear woman she is,” Rarity started, pausing as she fed a thread through a needle. “And her son just happened to be someone I used to—”

“I have a question,” Spike interjected abruptly.

Rarity’s voice was silenced and she resumed working. Sweetie Belle watched her sister closely, seeing nothing obvious. Just the usual annoyance at being cut off. Spike didn’t seem to take a moment to think about it, continuing.

“Um, w… what was it like transitioning from dressmaking as a hobby to, uh, professional design?” Spike stumbled on his words, clearly having no question prepare. “Well, um, I, I’m curious.”

Sweetie Belle almost cringed at the attempt, remaining as stoic as she could. Rarity responded as naturally as one would expect her. Eyes opened wide, her mouth curved into a smile and she seemed to bounce in her place.

“Oh, well, it was unnerving considering I had only willingly made dresses for my closest friends and family, when I was approached by the head of the drama department with a request to not only pay me for some items, but utilize them in a drama department’s production, I was ecstatic!”

Rarity rambled on for a few more minutes, Spike smiling and nodding. There was nothing deceptive about his reaction nor was there any trace of deceit or anger, just interest. That was one thing she liked about Spike over other boys; he always seemed honest and legitimately interested in Rarity’s wellbeing. Even if he could be jealous and possessive.

Yet it was the little things that threw Sweetie Belle off. Things like the way he would cut her off or hang on her or follow her around like a puppy. And those little things were what told Sweetie Belle that, to an extent, Scootaloo was on to something. This did not seem like the Spike they knew, something had changed.

“Spike, I was invited by Twilight and her older brother to go see a movie with them the day after the game; Twilight said you declined to come with us. Why is that?” Rarity asked curiously.

“I hate movies in groups of more than two,” Spike muttered, his glum attitude returning. “I’d rather just go see with you.”

“Don’t be such a sourpuss, there’s nothing wrong with going with friends,” Rarity insisted, an urging in her voice. “Come with us, it’ll be fun. It’s not just friends, it’s your loving girlfriend and your two siblings. There’s no reason to be shy.”

“I’m not shy,” Spike replied, grumbling. He swallowed once, shaking his head. “Besides, I have my own reasons. I’d… just, rather go with just you.”

‘Is this sweet? Or just whiny?’ Sweetie Belle contemplated. She frowned, glaring at Spike’s somber expression. ‘Why doesn’t he ever stop whining and just do something? It seems easier than being so gloomy.’

“Spikey, I won’t force you. But, it’d be nice to step out of your comfort zone now and then, really try and get used to some things. Who knows, maybe you’ll come to love it? Twilight certainly managed.” Rarity’s hands seemed to stop motion and Sweetie Belle was unable to see Rarity’s eyes, her usual, stylized head of hair obstructing her face. “Please.”

Spike’s response was null. His hands continued weaving and sewing and unlike Rarity, Sweetie Belle could see his face clearly. A tense expression broken only by moving lips; either fumbled words or rolling his tongue over his teeth to occupy himself. Rarity seemed to have no response either and returned to working.

“I’m sorry,” Spike finally said after a long pause.

“No need to apologize, dear. Nothing wrong,” Rarity responded in her usual singsong voice. It was always the one that her friends could recognize happiness or comfort had been planted in her mind. “Maybe you won’t get used to it, that’s alright. You’ve only just started adjusting to having more friends than usual, and to a sports team.”

“I’ll go with you guys,” Spike accepted the proposal at last. His eyes turned towards Sweetie Belle, a grin adorning her face. Spike returned the smile. “Sweetie Belle can come too, why not.”

Rarity let out a little squeal of excitement and joy, once more bouncing in place. “Ooh, you won’t regret this choice, Spike. I’ll make one-hundred percent certain that there is not a shred of regret on that night, trust me.”

“I trust you, but, please don’t make this a habit. I’d rather just be alone with you,” Spike said, mock pleading in his voice.

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Rarity purred.

“Love is weird,” Sweetie Belle muttered.

“Game time, cunts.” Rainbow Dash started, twirling a football over her fingers absently. “Cloudsdale Griffons; my ol’ hometown, and perhaps the largest threat we have aside from the Wondercolts. We win this game and we’re in the clear until the finals.”

Rainbow was right to be apprehensive, the Griffons were often quite the threat in the tournament. Until she had turned five or six, Rainbow Dash had lived in Cloudsdale, and seen the Griffons play and win several times; though she didn’t remember much of it. She had hoped that Scootaloo could have told her something about the team, but she was rather quiet about her time in Cloudsdale.

Scootaloo was present, yet nobody bothered to mention the night at the donut joint. The tension was high yet Rainbow trudged on, continuing the small briefing. The locker rooms of the Cloudsdale High School were far more clean than Manehattan in its peak cleanliness, and it made everyone feel uncomfortable being there.

Scrapping the thought, Spike’s eyes glanced towards Scootaloo. She seemed to be the same as she was before; eager to play… but she didn’t seem to enjoy listening to Rainbow, and she also seemed oblivious to the judgmental eyes on her. Spike knew the truth, though. He knew how easy it was to mask the feelings of pain and ignore those assaulting his mind. He saw every little movement she made and heard every word she spoke and saw her face during conversations. She was good, but she wasn’t good enough to hide it from Spike.

“Special eyes, huh?” Spike muttered, a conversation from years past appearing in his mind.

He kicked the tiled floor, eyes unable to focus on Rainbow. Several of the boys were excited yet frightened at the prospect of sharing a change room as they arrived, realizing that staring at Applejack would result in a beating from Rainbow, and Rainbow would be pissed if they stared at her… and at the moment, nobody really wanted to mess with Scootaloo. The excitement had died down quickly. Even so, Rainbow didn’t seem the least embarrassed to be half-naked in front of the male audience. Applejack, however, could be considered a lady compared to Rainbow, keeping to a stall.

“I seriously don’t know what the fuck was in my drink, but I coulda swore there was a man dressed as a bat flying around earlier. Regardless, we’re here, we know nothing of the enemy team since we’re not the team that gives two fucks about other team strategies. But we do know that the Cloudsdale team has two things that are gonna be a huge bitch to get around.” Rainbow paused, sliding her armour on over her smaller frame and sports bra. The rest of the team watched intently, focusing on her face as to avoid what could be brutal murder for glancing.

“Go on,” someone asked, and Rainbow dutifully did so.

“They’re fast, and light. Which is awful, since I genuinely believe that most of the offensive line is almost as fast as me,” Rainbow said, putting aside her pride for a brief moment. “I’ve seen them last year and from what I can tell, most of the team is the same. They had little muscle in their defense so we only really have to worry about the running backs and the receivers. They jump high… and I mean seriously high. I’d say a national high school record for their best wide receiver, so for the game, we’ll be taking it a little easy on the throws. And they’ll be expecting that, so our defense will be all that’s protecting me and Apple Bloom from being trounced. If we have to pass, we’re gonna have to hold out a lot longer for Scootaloo and Snips or Snails to get out there. Scootaloo is fast, but she’s small.”

Taking a swig from what was presumably an energy drink, Rainbow gargled it for a moment before spitting it towards the drain.

“Linebackers, safety and cornerbacks, you’re our mandatory positions for defense. Spike and Pipsqueak are safety while Featherweight and I are cornerbacks. We’re both fast and can jump high, making us potentially the best covers for the wide receivers. The Dumbbells, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo make up our defensive line while Applejack and Snips or Snails are our linebackers; specifically, Applejack as Mike linebacker, and Snips or Snails taking up one of several outside linebacker roles. Our positions have been cemented long ago since believe it or not, while I don’t take into account enemy strategies, I do make some for our team. Do any of you remember the Manticore Thorn play?” Rainbow asked, her jersey now on.

Applejack stepped out of her stall in full uniform and several of the less-dressed guys in the room instinctively turned away or covered themselves up. Spike merely stood at full attention as his mind still raced with thoughts.

‘Felix, why is she with Felix?! Why him? To spite me because I wouldn’t go out with her? Or, is it for something else? To spite Rainbow if only by dating someone she’d hate?’ Spike grit his teeth as he wanted to avoid that one thought process… but it still came. ‘Is she willing to do anything to feel loved?’

Spike winced as he contemplated what she’d do and looked at her from behind. Her face seemed concentrated and focused, her hair shifting as she bobbed her whole body back and forth. Some could consider this innocence displayed via contentment, but Spike knew she was merely trying to hide the shivers. Something about Cloudsdale was scaring Scootaloo, and she seemed to know that she’d have to face it today.

“Seriously? No one remembers? You people are fuckin’ useless,” Rainbow said, slapping Score with his towel, leaving him without something to cover up with. “The Manticore Thorn was specifically made for this game. Defense, when I call out MT, you just split the line so Applejack has a beeline towards the Quarterback. We’ll take care of the rest.”

Big McIntosh stepped into the room, almost hitting his head on the top of the doorframe.

“Game time in five,” he said before pulling his head back out.

“Alright, suit up, ladies. I’ve got a boner and I need a fine selection of asses to choose from. Your job is to knock those asses to the ground any way possible,” Rainbow remarked, setting her helmet on her head.

“So say we brought an UZI to the field,” Snips started, halted by a hard slap from Dumbbell.

Spike glanced to the side, spotting Featherweight. He blinked for a moment, facing forward as he felt embarrassed.

“Wow… I kinda forgot he was on the team,” Spike whispered to himself. He wondered what else he had not been noticing, staying in his head for so long.

The cheerleaders, in the same fashion as the boys, spent the rest of their time getting ready before heading out to the field. At the same time, the two teams burst onto the field of the Cloudsdale High School. The stands were far more packed than the Manticore’s own field and the population of Cloudsdale residents dwarfed the Manticores fans. Spike still managed to spot his group of friends along with around twenty to fourty other Manticores fans as well as various parents. As usual, he spotted Rarity as close as she could to the field, sitting on the bench next to Big McIntosh and Shining Armour as usual. Snips sat next to them as the Manticores ran out next to the Griffons.

An announcer called out the teams, stating the name of each member yet the faulty systems happened to make many names inaudible, the screech causing neverending headache for many in the audience. Spike still managed to find himself staring at Scootaloo but averted his eyes quickly, seeing that everybody else was determined and focused. The teams converged on the centre of the field as they prepared the coin toss. Eyes met eyes, glares met glares, and glares also met uncertainty.

“Yo, Dash!” Rainbow Dash perked up to hear her name called, and glanced around for the source.

“What the—?” She turned to face the enemy team, and spotted a somewhat familiar girl waving to her. Though she was decked in Cloudsdale gear, upon closer inspection, Rainbow Dash recognized the short, white hair and the contrasting overly-tall body. “Gilda? That you?”

“Look at you, you're a shrimp! Haven't grown a fucking inch!” the girl shouted in a laugh, and the two came together on the centre line.

“That's the first thing you say to me, you damn Amazon?!” Rainbow Dash snorted, but extended her hand and bumped fists with the girl before her roughly. “Fuck, G, you haven't changed either!”

The two mirrored each other's grins, snickering as the memories flooded back. There wasn't much from when Rainbow Dash lived in Cloudsdale, since she had moved when she was five or six, but she did remember the girl from seeing her at summer camp a few years later. When Scootaloo had transferred to Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash had told her to see if Gilda was still around, and tell her she said 'hi', but never heard about the two meeting at all. Gilda sure had changed: grown several inches in stature, bulked up, and had a much more mature and menacing expression. Not that it bothered Rainbow Dash, a friend was still a friend to her.

“You're playing football?” Gilda raised her eyebrow in disbelief, and Rainbow Dash spread her arms to show off the fitting uniform. “How the hell did that happen, you have a death wish or something?”

“I'm the fucking captain, thank you very much!” Rainbow Dash snapped back. “What about you, playing a team sport? How does that work?”

“Whatever,” Gilda muttered, flipping her bangs and running her hand through her hair.

“Come here, let me introduce you to someone,” Rainbow slapped her on the arm and waved for her to follow. Glancing around a few times as they got nearer to the sidelines, Rainbow could not find the girl she was looking for. However, there were others to name for her, “Okay, that's Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy, they're good friends of mine.”

Gilda looked over at the Manticore's cheer line, noticing the two girls in question as they spoke with the rest of the group. She snidely frowned at them, “Cheerleaders? Really?”

“Yeah, and there in the stands, the girls next to our coaches?” Rainbow directed her attention elsewhere, pointing to a pair of girls. The girls noticed her and cast simultaneous waves. “That's Rarity and Twilight, our tight end's girlfriend and sister. And speak of the devil... there he is,” Rainbow turned and took in a deep breath. “Yo spiney pipsqueak!”

“Pipsqueak?” Gilda noticed who she screamed at, and did not understand how such a title could fit.

“Spike!” Rainbow called his name, though he was already on his way to their position with an irritable frown. “This is my friend G, knock her on her ass, would you?”

“Hah! Let him try, I'll break his neck.” Gilda cracked her knuckles and narrowed her eyes at the boy, who got a good look at her.

'Oh damn, for a woman, she's huge,' he thought, trying to hide his surprise. The nearer he got, the larger she seemed. He could guess that she was somewhere on her way to reaching Pipsqueak's size, though her muscle mass was not quite there. Seeing Rainbow Dash standing there beside her, she sure did look a lot less intimidating than when she was screaming and cursing.

“Rainbow, I don't need you making enemies for me,” Spike told the shorter girl with a glare. “Not like the bitch could stop me either way,” Spike whispered.

“Oh grow a pair.” Rainbow waved her hand passively, and Spike just rolled his eyes and took off to find somewhere more pleasant. Rainbow frowned, continuing her search, looking around the field. “But where is...”

Gilda stared at her nails blankly in boredom as Rainbow Dash frantically looked around once more. She couldn't care less about these Manticores, she just wanted to slaughter them on the field. Finally, Rainbow Dash spotted her target and her face lit up. The girl had been talking to her brother on the sidelines, and the boy's large size had blocked her from view initially.

With a great intake of air, Rainbow Dash called out in a surprisingly booming voice, “AJ, baby! Over here!”

“Jeez, fucking deafen me,” Gilda flinched at the volume, glaring at the back of the shorter girl's head as she waved the quarterback over. Following Rainbow's gaze, Gilda looked over at the blonde girl, noticing something particularly enticing about her, “I bet you made her run just to see those tits bounce.”

“They're better bare, trust me,” Rainbow murmured as the girl in question got closer, and Gilda returned Rainbow's perverted grin.

“Rainbow, wha's up?” Applejack asked as she got within earshot, slowing down as she approached the pair.

“Hey, Applejack, this is my old friend Gilda, we met like ten thousand years ago, but I haven’t seen her since summer camp when I was still in elementary school.” Rainbow Dash grabbed Applejack and pulled her nearer, introducing her to the taller girl, “G, this is Applejack, she's my...” After a quick reconnaissance, looking for eavesdroppers, she went on, “Girlfriend.”

“No shit, seriously?” Gilda's face contorted into a wicked grin, and she slapped Rainbow Dash hard on the shoulder. “Hah! I always knew you were a dyke. You sure weren't one for subtlety. I remember when those boys invited us over to play spin the bottle in their cabin, hah, and you said, I believe your exact words were...”

“I'd rather cut off my left tit!” the two said at the same time, laughing as they finished.

“Not my best line,” Rainbow Dash admitted to Applejack.

“Especially considering there's not much to cut off,” Gilda added in an obnoxious tone.

“Shut up!” Rainbow snapped back, pointing an accusing finger her way. “I seem to remember someone kissing every boy at camp.”

“And a good lot of the girls, but who's counting? We can't all be dedicated cunt-chasers like you were.” Gilda shrugged like none of it bothered her in the slightest. Applejack felt rather uncomfortable being there, but said nothing. Gilda, however, went on, “I totally knew it all along. You were always going off about that girl back home, it was annoying as shit.”

“Who the hell do you think this is?!” Rainbow grabbed Applejack around her shoulders and pulled her close, giving her a kiss on the cheek despite the death glare it earned. Applejack couldn't, however, hide the pleased smile that crept on her face from hearing such a thing.

“Wait, this is the chick?” Gilda blinked in surprise, and took a good look at Applejack, objectifying her with her piercing eyes. “Seriously? Dude, she looks really dull and boring.”

“Hey, don't talk to her like—!” Rainbow immediately got aggressive, balling up her fist to start something, but Applejack's arm came out in front of her, halting her advance.

“Rainbow, it's fine,” Applejack said simply, her tone easy. Looking over at the girl from behind the bar of her arm, Rainbow Dash quietly admired her level-headedness. Applejack laughed lightly, pleasantly agreeing, “Ah reckon Ah do look none too special, don' Ah?”

“At least she's not a total idiot, even if she sounds like one,” Gilda praised, crossing her massive arms after pointing at Applejack with a thumb.

“Hope y'play as well as y'talk.” Applejack smirked, her own expression settling into a friendly competitive gaze.

“Glutton for punishment, eh?” Gilda laughed loudly, continuing with something less than innocent in mind, “I guess you really must have fun with her, Dash.”

“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow Dash absently nodded, still uncertain how to proceed. She glanced over at Applejack protectively again, but the farmer did not seem bothered by the remarks.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” the Cloudsdale player pushed past Rainbow Dash and took a look at another Manticore, someone even smaller in stature than Rainbow Dash was. “You didn't tell me you had a fucking chicken on the team! That's hilarious!”

Rainbow followed her gaze and found the small girl, who was doing her damn best to keep from looking over and acknowledging the enormous woman. “Who, Scootaloo? You know each other?”

“Yeah man, she just transferred out of Cloudsdale this year, the little cunt,” Gilda snorted before shouting over at the younger girl, “Come say hi, you fucking chicken!”

Scootaloo flinched as she heard that nickname, but found it impossible to ignore the girl who had called it. Trembling as she turned around, Scootaloo forced a smile to the surface and took several numb, reluctant steps towards the girl. As Gilda went off towards the girl, Rainbow Dash and Applejack followed after her, a few paces back, of course.

“AJ,” Rainbow Dash started in a quiet murmur, avoiding Applejack's eye-line. “I'm sorry, I didn't think she would—”

“Nothin' doin', she jus' jokes a lil' rough,” Applejack warmly let it slide, pinching Rainbow Dash in the ribs to give her a sharp tickle. “Like someone else I know.”

Rainbow's eyes widened as she heard that, and she looked up at the taller girl as she grabbed Scootaloo off the turf and squeezed her nearly to death. Rainbow frowned sadly, noticing the pained expression on the kid's face as Gilda crushed her against her breasts. “I'm not like that... am I?”

In the grasp of the larger girl, Scootaloo was doing her best not to start shivering. She failed. Gilda grinned down at Scootaloo before taking on a more stern glare.

“Hey, lil’ cunt, how’ve you been?” Gilda said, gently releasing the girl.

“F-fine, Gilda,” Scootaloo responded, the girl seemingly shrinking in her stance.

Rainbow walked up from behind towards the duo and merely patted her hand on Scootaloo’s back. The girl responded by screaming and spinning around, her eyes wide and her face contorted into a horrible expression that resonated with Rainbow immediately.

“R-Rainbow!?” Scootaloo asked, her voice cracking.

Gilda’s larger hand was set on Scootaloo, stalling the girl. She quit shivering and went dead still, slowly turning towards the larger girl.

“Man, the girls miss you, fuckin’ chicken,” Gilda responded, slapping Scootaloo’s shoulder. “It wasn’t cool of you to run off without saying goodbye, was it? I mean, we did show you around and punched that one teacher who was giving you shit.”

Rainbow seemed surprised. “Woah, you punched a teacher? Man, I wanted to do it so many times, but I kinda had to stay off the principal’s shit list to play football.”

“She was asking Gilda to stop smoking in class,” Scootaloo responded meekly.

Gilda merely paused, glancing down at the shorter girl as her arm slid around Scootaloo’s head, locking her in a headlock.

“C’mere, you fuckin’ little chicken, hehe,” Gilda teased, very roughly rubbing her knuckles into the back of Scootaloo’s neck as the head was shielded.

“Smoking in class? That’s pretty hardcore, I guess,” Rainbow murmured, starting to feel unsure.

Applejack saw the instant Rainbow started to doubt Gilda, the way her fists clenched instinctively. Rainbow merely watched while Gilda continued to neck-noogie Scootaloo as the younger girl… wasn’t enjoying it at all.

“G-Gilda, please, s-stop,” Scootaloo responded, desperately grabbing at Gilda’s far stronger arm.

“Aww, c’mon, I didn’t think you were actually this sensitive of a cunt,” Gilda said, stopping the noogie yet continuing to hold.

Rainbow’s arm immediately reached forward the same time Applejack’s did and grabbed onto Gilda’s arm. The two of them yanked back, allowing Scootaloo to quickly squirm away and the younger girl, rather than stand behind Rainbow and Applejack, stood next to the two parties, glaring at both.

“She said stop, G. C’mon, smack talk is fine but there has to be a line somewhere,” Rainbow responded, softening up as she stared at her friend.

“Aww, I was just having fun with the fucking chicken, I could do a lot worse,” Gilda suggested, shrugging innocently with an even more innocent grin.

“Ah’d watch out what Ah was sayin’ if Ah were you,” Applejack said as the situation’s atmosphere grew heavy.

Gilda stood up at her full height, towering over both Rainbow and Applejack, her face turning to an aggressive glare. “Or else what, redneck? I decided to be the better person and let Scootaloo live after the little cunt tried to shank me, after we so graciously invited her into my home.”

“Bullshit!” Scootaloo shouted, throwing her hands down. “You threatened to break my scooter if I didn’t go with you!”

“What!?” Rainbow shouted, her face lighting up with intense lividity.

“Break it? Naw, we weren’t really gonna break it. If anything, we would have made it better, and not look like such a child’s toy,” Gilda responded, becoming more lax as she folded her arms.

“Pfft, maybe you have changed, G.” Rainbow Dash glared at the girl, stepping forward and tilting her head back to retain eye contact.

“Me, changed? Where's your sense of humour, Dash?” Gilda asked in a false innocent voice, which dropped lower and more menacing as she went on, “Don't forget, I could easily break your little bitch legs, doesn’t take a lot of barking to rile me up.”

“What's with you, man?” Rainbow was unaffected by such a threat. “Were you always such a bitch?”

“At least Gilda stays true to herself,” Scootaloo piped up, and the three other girls looked over at her, Rainbow and Applejack incredulously. Rainbow Dash scrunched up her face, wondering what that could have meant.

“See? Chicken knows what's up.” Gilda smirked confidently and placed her hands on her hips.

“Squirt, go on and make sure the others are ready to play.” Rainbow Dash gestured with her head back towards the team. However, the younger girl did nothing of the sort, causing Rainbow to glare over her and repeat, “Go on.”

“You're not the boss of me,” Scootaloo scoffed in a growl, but turned and did as she was told anyway.

Gilda laughed obnoxiously as the girl left, and remarked, “Trouble keeping your pet in line?”

“You better watch yourself, Gilda,” Rainbow Dash glared back over at her fiercely. “No fucking way I am standing for your bully shit, not with me, not with AJ, and not with Scootaloo.”

“Bully? What are we, still in fucking elementary school?” the Cloudsdale player sarcastically teased and rolled her eyes. “Oh, trust me, I am much worse than any school-yard bully.”

“I'm not going to tell you again:” the Manticore's captain was dead serious now. “Either fuck off with that bullshit attitude, or stay the hell away from my friends.”

“I used to think you were tough shit, Dash.” Gilda shrugged, the threat not bothering her in the slightest. “Now you're just as much of a pussy as the carpet you chew; trying to protect those losers like you think you actually could.”

Turning around as clasping onto what little self control she had, Rainbow took the high road with another step or two and a farewell, “Later, G.”

“It would be a shame if that chicken accidentally, I don't know, broke a leg during the game,” Gilda mused casually, and Rainbow Dash stopped. Applejack swallowed hard, knowing what was next as the captain's fists clenched up tight. “A real shame.”

Rainbow Dash whipped around and slammed her hands against Gilda's shoulders, shoving her but a half step back with all the force she had in her small body. “You want a fight?!”

“Rainbow!” Applejack wrapped her arm around Rainbow's midsection, holding her firmly right below her breasts in the loop of her muscular arm.

Anxiously looking at the girl in her arms, Applejack could tell just how furious she was. But still, this was no way to deal with it, and Rainbow Dash sure didn't stand a chance against the much larger girl. Gilda just flipped her bangs back again and smirked, satisfied with the reaction she had drawn out of the girl.

A whistle sounded as a referee ran up from the sidelines, waving a yellow flag towards the two.

“Hey, Captain Rainbow Dash! I’ll only ask you once; keep your hands off other players until the game!” he shouted at the smaller girl, Rainbow gritting her teeth. “For this incident, we’re going to overlook it, but allow the Griffons to choose who kicks, no coin toss.”

“Hey, what the hell!?” Rainbow shouted, stepping towards the referee before Applejack quickly held her back once more.

“Naw, the Manticores can kick first. After all, I’m a nice girl,” Gilda lied, smugly grinning at Rainbow and Applejack.

“That is not your call, Grai-fawn,” the referee said, turning his head towards her. “That’s the captain’s call.”

“Griffon,” Gilda corrected in a growl.

“What was that?” the referee asked, leaning closer.

“The name’s Gilda Griffon, you know, like the team,” Gilda explained, rolling her eyes.

“Go to your team before we pull back the penalty choice, Griffon,” the referee said as the Griffon’s team captain jogged up.

With a casual shrug, she let the incident slide, and turned her back on the pair.

“See you on the field, Dash.” Gilda waved over her shoulder and strode back over to her team.

Rainbow growled, leaning over towards Applejack’s ear as the quarterback released her.

“I’m gonna get that fuckin’ bitch,” Rainbow muttered, gritting her teeth.

A more respectable boy walked up towards the team, wearing the Griffon’s colour and uniforms. He sighed deeply as he walked up to take the coin toss.

“Due to the attitude of the Manticore’s captain, Griffons automatically get first pick,” the referee said, folding his arms as he waited for the call.

“The Manticore’s captain?” He seemed surprised to hear that, but obediently made his choice, “Manticore’s kickoff,” the boy chose. The referee nodded as he turned away, leaving for the two to get ready. He shrugged towards Rainbow. “Sorry. Gilda can be a bit of an instigator, and to be quite honest, nobody on the team likes her.”

“Then why keep the damn bitch? She’s dangerous, I just know it. She clearly isn’t the same friend I knew,” Rainbow grumbled, clenching a fist.

“She’s the best player a hundred times over. I’m not compromising manpower just because she’s got a shitty attitude,” the boy said, turning away to walk away. “Regardless, if I were you, I’d protect that Scootaloo girl. Gilda seems to have something out for her.”

With that, the boy left towards his team. As Rainbow Dash shook with frustration and anger, the quarterback calmly stared at the smaller girl. Applejack tugged on Rainbow’s shoulder, turning the captain’s body as her gaze stayed locked on the her.

“Rainbow,” Applejack spoke softly.

Said girl turned to face Applejack with astonished eyes and her teeth grinding together, clear rage registering in her expression. Applejack gulped as she briefly looked towards the enemy team captain as he walked away, before shifting to Gilda. She turned to Rainbow once more, sighing.

“Gilda is large enough and has the attitude to seriously injure one of us, and if she’s targeting Scootaloo, I’m going to give it my best to protect her, Applejack. I don’t care if Scootaloo is seemingly mad at me, but I’m not gonna let that bitch take out the little squirt as long as my body functions. But for that, I’ll need you to watch my back.” Rainbow set both her hands on Applejack’s shoulders. Any other time, one could interpret this as Rainbow teasing Applejack or attempting to get physical, and many probably did… but Applejack stared directly into Rainbow’s eyes, seeing the fire and rage in them. “If there was ever anything such as a personal vendetta, it’s this fucking thing. I know you hate it when I get so angry, but... I’m not gonna let some old-friend-turned-bitch get away with hurting someone like squirt. I… I just,” Rainbow stammered, stopping as her eyes shifted around. “She’s kinda like a sister to me, y’know?”

“Ah understand,” Applejack said gently, understanding protective instincts very well herself.

Both smiled at each other and Rainbow quickly pressed two fingers to her lips, kissing them before pressing her fingers against Applejack’s lips through the facecage. Rainbow quickly ran towards her team as the referee blew the whistle to signal the teams to get into formation

“I fuckin’ love you, you gorgeous little walkin’ pair of tits,” Rainbow shouted without shame.

Applejack visibly saw the Dumbbells snorting, turning away from the duo as they approached to hide their laughter or mockery. The quarterback’s face glowed red and she scowled, letting out a grunt. Even when Rainbow Dash was trying to be serious, she’d slip back into that same old perverse nature. But honestly, it was comforting to Applejack that the girl could still make jokes like that.

“All that rope and not a damn thing t’ shut yer mouth with... yet,” Applejack muttered, a sly grin on her face as she inserted her mouthguard.

As the pair reached the rest of the team, they finished falling into position to begin the kickoff. For once, Spike was not nervous, not about himself anyway. The way Scootaloo seemed to cower and tremble, however, did make him uneasy. Something was definitely going on with her, and he had a hunch it had something to do with the larger girl who had been grabbing her a few moments ago.

“Did we even do a coin toss?” Spike asked unsurely, as he hadn’t been paying too much attention to the interchange between Rainbow and Gilda other than the distant arguing and shove.

“Nah, the Griffucks gave us the kick out of the kindness of their bloody hearts,” Rainbow growled and scuffed the grass, glaring across the field at the largest girl on the Cloudsdale team, eyes briefly locked onto the 99 on her jersey.

“I’m sure they did,” Spike murmured skeptically as he set up to begin the game with as accurate of a kick as he could muster. With a condescending sneer, he added to himself, “Surrounded by the idiot team, ain’t I?”

The ball launched into the air, soaring in a clean arc, and landed in the hands of someone who indeed had made what looked like a record breaking jump. The entire team huddled together briefly before spreading once more as the teams charged towards one another. The Griffons all ran, looking as if each of them had the ball. Who held the ball wasn’t clear, but majority of the team ruled out most of the linemen.

Rainbow’s eyes locked onto Gilda yet she knew that trying to tackle her would end miserably. Unanimously, the group mentally decided that Pipsqueak was the one to cover her when prompted. Reaching centre line, the teams clashed, Spike thrusting his arms forward as if to knock the ball out of the other player’s hands. There was no ball, and he settled for a bump. Rainbow was correct as the opposing players seemingly bounced off them similar to a ball hitting a wall. Extremely light, lacking real muscle… excluding one.

Pipsqueak ran forward, lagging behind the group yet keeping his stance firm as he found Gilda effortlessly slipping by the other players. On top of being fast and strong, she was apparently nimble, avoiding all hands that had meekly tried to stop her. Pipsqueak grunted, not having any experience in stopping someone fast and nimble. Remembering Rainbow’s words to Spike and various others, he slowed a bit and kept himself low, ready to lunge out. Gilda immediately altered her angle as if to swerve entirely around and avoid Pipsqueak. For the briefest of moments, Pipsqueak had noticed the ball in her hands. He stepped to the side, only for Gilda to slightly change her momentum once more; directly towards Pipsqueak. With a barely noticeable motion, she checked Pipsqueak in the chest and knocked him over with ease.

Gilda ran forward regardless of her primary position, spurring Rainbow, Scootaloo and Applejack to abandon their positions. The three took off after Gilda before Applejack and Scootaloo immediately slowing down. Gilda was faster than the two and had a head start, indeed being matched only by Rainbow.

“Aw, shoot,” Applejack grunted, kicking the turf as groaning occurred behind her, the two teams continuously trying to take down each other.

Rainbow found herself sprinting full speed already, slowly catching up to Gilda. The larger girl held the pigskin loosely now as the yards flew by. Even still, Rainbow felt rage swelling up as already she failed; she knew that she wouldn’t catch Gilda before the end zone and Rainbow slowed down to conserve energy. The horn blared and immediately they found the Griffons with points. Rainbow scoffed, biting her lip. Gilda was a running back, it seemed; the same position as Rainbow Dash herself.

Spike glanced up at the counter before his eyes were drawn to the bleachers. They had set up a card stunt, showing a two-frame image of a Griffon smacking a Manticore. Ignoring it, Spike looked towards the cheerleaders and Rarity, smiling.

“It’s just the first point of the game,” Spike told himself, shrugging.

“The score is now 21-9, Griffons’ favour,” Rainbow barked irritably. “We’ve got just less than half the game left, and that stupid bitch Gilda isn’t going down.”

“I’m tryin’ ma best, boss,” Pipsqueak panted, hunched over with his hands on his knees in exhaustion. Apple Bloom frowned but opted to be compassionate, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Well it’s not good enough!” the captain snapped back at once, though she was immediately grabbed and yanked away from the huddle by her quarterback. “What?! AJ, let me go!”

“Hey, honey, look at me. Look at me.” Applejack pulled her another step back and placed a hand under her chin, turning Rainbow’s face to look at her. She could see the violently furious tears crawling to the surface, but made no mention of that. “Keep your head on straight, you’re losin’ focus here.”

“I really want to beat her, but she’s just so much fucking bigger than me,” Rainbow growled as she looked at the girl across from the field, tensing her fists up. “Do you know what it’s like to be so damn small? It’s like I can’t do fuck all, I’m useless.”

“You can do me,” Applejack murmured with a wink, and Rainbow’s attention came back to her without fail. Applejack grabbed her hands and held them, trying to keep her calm with a fond gaze and a few teasing words, “Ah like y’the way you are: m’little pint-sized Rainbow. Ah could carry y’round in ma pocket if Ah wanted to.”

“Shut up, I’m trying to be angry,” Rainbow grumbled, a blush floating to her cheeks.

“B’sides, Mac’s got his eye on ya, bein’ all noisy like that,” Applejack added as she glanced at her older brother, who was standing by the side lines, watching them carefully. “He’s just itchin’ t’ put Snips in instead.”

“I can’t help it, she’s pissing me off, man,” Rainbow pouted her lips out, squeezing Applejack’s hands.

“She ain’t doin’ nothin’, nothin’ but playin’,” Applejack frowned, trying to reason with her.

“Exactly, what’s her deal?” Rainbow scoffed, suspicious and paranoid of her old friend. “I know she’s up to something, I just know it.”

“We’ll handle that if it happens, but f’ now, we gotta focus on our team. C’mon now, they’re waitin’,” Applejack guided the girl back to the rest of the huddle, which widened back up to accept them. “Al’right, Ah know y’all ‘re tired, but bad as it looks, we ain’t spent yet. Captain’s right, the biggest threat is Gilda, blastin’ past us an’ all.”

“What do we do about it?” Dumbbell asked with a snort.

“You do your damn job in the line, Dumbfuck.” Rainbow pointed at him with a deep frown. “Make sure you stop her if she tries to make a break for it, they’ve been almost exclusively giving the ball to her, which tells me the rest of them aren’t much to write home about. So all we have to be is keep her from getting to the ball, and we’re golden. Apple Bloom, you think you can keep on Pipsqueak’s tail and double team that bitch?”

“Uh, sure tha’s th’ best idear?” Apple Bloom wondered worriedly. “That leaves you an’ AJ without much of a block.”

“S’cool, kiddo, just keep your eyes on Gilda, got it?” Rainbow told her firmly, and she nodded a few times. “Scootaloo, since you’re our smallest player, I want you to keep way outside the scrimmage, kay? You’ll need a head start to outrun Gilda, so make sure you keep far away from her and the rest of the team.”

“Why don’t you just bench me, then,” Scootaloo snarled in a low whisper, rolling her eyes irritably.

“Find the Stud,” Rainbow called the play name, which she had colourfully named to tease Spike about his sexual exploits, as the play was all about Applejack tossing the ball to Spike. Not that the others knew about the origin, or perhaps thought it was ironic rather than true, but the captain found it quite amusing. “Our ball, first and ten, let’s turn this thing around already.” Rainbow clapped at once and the others followed suit.

The team lined up once again, noticing the scoreboard just a ways in front of them, taunting them with the losing score. Rainbow’s feet twitched and flinched, bouncing her weight anxiously from side to side as she watched the calm and collected Gilda just past the Cloudsdale line. It made her furious, so furious in fact, she hardly noticed the error in her planning.

Applejack called out some numbers or words as she looked out over the scene, her eyes following Apple Bloom as she kept herself aimed to Pipsqueak’s aid. If anyone could stop Gilda, it was one of them, even if it made Applejack nervous to see her younger sister potentially in a dangerous position. Scootaloo kept out of the fray as she was told, knowing well enough not to piss off Rainbow while she was in a mood like that. Spike was the only one looking ahead, his eyes dead set on the end zone. From his position, he couldn’t see Scootaloo or Rarity at all, so his focus was unhindered. Besides, he had to prove to himself that he was better: better than this enemy team, better than how he used to be, better than Felix.

The sides clashed as the ball was snapped, and Applejack went to set up for the throw almost immediately. As she did, Pipsqueak chased down Gilda and locked arms with her, having Apple Bloom by his side to hold the force and keep them locked tight against the rest of the line. There was no way Gilda was getting through, not this time. Of course, that was of little concern.

Unfortunately, as Rainbow Dash had sent Apple Bloom to check Gilda and Spike to catch the ball, the right side was less than adequately manned. And due to her inattentive play-making, she was left at the brunt of the mistake. Before it could be clear to the enemy team whether Applejack was making a hand-off or a toss, the Griffon's outside lineman noticed his chance and took it without a second though, sprinting past the Manticore's line and storming right towards Rainbow Dash: a supposed threat. Said Manticore's captain was too focused on watching Gilda try to make her way past the line, she didn't even see any sort of obstacle coming.

Though she tried to keep herself upright from the hit, which was a brutal shoulder check, the force was far too much for her to handle. Her cleats dug into the ground strongly, but being stationary and surprised by the breakaway, they did more to hinder her than help her. As her ankle twisted and cracked against the grass, the rest of her body was overcome.

With a loud tumble and shout, Rainbow Dash hit the turf hard, her lithe body sliding and crashing over it. By then, the ball was already half out of Applejack's hands, and she forced herself to follow through before sprinting away from the line. Her hesitation was apparent in the pass, but it released well enough and soared over the line. Spike turned wildly in his direction to catch the awkwardly spinning ball, but managed, and took off down to the end zone.

'What was that throw? That's not like Applejack, what happened over there?' Spike thought to himself as he sprinted mostly unopposed down the field, making it a good ten or twenty yards before he was taken down.

“Fuck, fuck fuck!” Rainbow Dash groaned obnoxiously, kicking and squirming as Applejack knelt down to her side to try and help her, though she had to negotiate through flails and twists to get close.

“Quit cussin’. Y’al’right, Dash?” Applejack tried to act tough, checking on the smaller girl up and down her body.

“My goddamn fucking ankle, AJ, my ankle,” Rainbow growled, bending her knee and sliding it across the grass uselessly. It didn’t look too bad, but there was an unsettling feeling in her stomach, and it stung to even think about moving.

“Shoot, think you can stand on it?” the farm girl asked carefully, helping her captain sit up and lean near her.

“Let me just—!” Rainbow tried to move it, but cringed and cursed another few words between any cognitive sentence. “Damn, why my fucking leg? Why can’t we just be in bed? I don’t need my ankle for that.”

“What ‘appened?” another voice cut in, and the two girls looked up to see Big Mac finish jogging up to them, kneeling into the grass beside the injured captain.

“Uh, Rainbow hurt her ankle pretty bad,” Applejack hurriedly explained, looking at the injury closely, making sure nothing was broken.

“Can y’stand?” the boy asked blankly, more for the sake of the team than any compassion.

“Oh yeah, of course, I just prefer to sit on the goddamn grass—of course I can’t fucking stand!” Rainbow’s voice jumped up into a loud yelling, and by then the rest of the team was looking over, and several of the Cloudsdale Griffons too.

“Stop y’belly achin’, y’ain’t bein’ a good leader,” Big Mac growled at her, resisting the urge to reach over and pinch her ankle.

“Oh fuck off,” Rainbow scooted away from him and further into Applejack’s gentle arms, which Rainbow grasped onto for dear life. “Come on, get me up already, I have a game to play.”

“No,” Applejack defied her and her wounded struggles. “Y’clearly ain’t fit t’ play, y’can’t even stand. You’re gonna get yourself killed.”

“Ah say let ‘er go, then,” Big Mac muttered, and he and Rainbow Dash glared at each other bitterly.

“Mac,” Applejack warned with serious eyes.

“...Yea’, you ain’t playin’ no more,” he finally agreed, folding his hands onto his knees in his crouched position.

“What?! Whose side are you two on?!” Rainbow barked back. “The team needs me, you can’t tell me what to do, you fucking bull-brain.”

“What’s that? Ah should bench ya f’ th’ whole season!” Big Mac argued back, though Applejack tried to intercede.

“You don’t have the authority!” the football captain’s voice cracked at the height of her pitch.

“Be quiet! If th’ refs ‘r th’ stands hear ya, it ain’t gonna reflect too good on us,” Applejack reminded them, letting her thumb draw circles onto Rainbow’s waist, something she knew from experience often relaxed her in their more intimate moments. It earned a defiant glare that time.

“Damn it,” Rainbow groaned, bending her good leg to give herself some leverage. “I can’t believe I have to sit out, this is so humiliating and lame.”

“Be glad you’re still in one piece,” the quarterback spoke quietly, putting her head under Rainbow’s arm and draping it over her shoulders.

Following another few curses and groans, Rainbow Dash was helped mostly to her feet. However, the chill at the back of her neck caused her attention to cross the once-was scrimmage line. There, she noticed the pleased and arrogant expression of a certain white-haired girl, just staring at her. Rainbow Dash gripped at Applejack’s shoulder pad furiously before she retaliated.

“What the fuck are you looking at?!” Rainbow Dash shouted at her enemy from several yards away, and the girl opposed to her simply acted completely innocent. “I know your game, you planned this, didn't you?!”

“Who, me?” Gilda asked pleasantly, pointing to herself and shrugging. “How could I? I was all the way down the line from you, Dash.”

“Goddamn fucking Griffon cunt,” Rainbow Dash muttered under her breath as Applejack helped her stand, letting her captain use her as a crutch.

“Heh,” Gilda laughed lightly, eyeballing the team member responsible for the injury. He was looking at the ground with a frown, rattled that he could have done such a thing, and to a girl. Before he could sulk any more, Gilda came right up to him and slapped him approvingly on the shoulder. “Nice work out there, guess you aren't a total loser.”

“I didn't mean to hurt the girl, honest,” he defended himself adamantly, but Gilda just laughed again.

“Whatever, take a damn compliment you bitch,” she spat before shoving him and walking off.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t even look back at the team as Applejack helped her off the field, passing Snips as they went to the bench. She glared at her own feet, the things that had let her down. Grinding her teeth, Rainbow Dash tried her hand at speaking more clearly.

“Applejack,” came out almost pleadingly. “You’ll take care of her, right?”

“Y’don’t even hafta ask,” Applejack whispered back, a smile on her features. “Anythin’ you need.”

“Just keep an eye on the squirt, she’s not as tough as she likes everyone to think,” Rainbow added quieter.

“Neither of you are.” Applejack chuckled, placing her friend down on the bench and brushing some grass off her elbow from the fall.

Rainbow Dash placed both her hands on either side of the helmet and pried it off her head, lifting it up and putting it beside her on the bench. The two looked at each other for a moment, sharing a mutual expression of determination and understanding. Applejack glanced over her shoulder and stood back up straight, noticing that she had to get back to the game to keep it going. Rainbow tugged at her shirt though, and commanded her attention. Following the gestured instructions of her captain to lean closer, Applejack listened carefully.

“Kiss for good luck?” Rainbow asked in a sing-song tone, tilting her head to the side and puffing her lips out to show what she meant.

“Uh,” Applejack just nervously chuckled, noticing the looming shadow of Big Mac hanging over her shoulder as he glared daggers into the already wounded player. “Rain check.”

As Applejack jogged back to the team, the rest of the players felt the unease due to Rainbow’s absence. To have hit the girl so hard as to injure her, this team sure could be trouble. Though removing the captain from the field did seem to spell disaster (no matter how much more pleasantly quiet it got), somehow they knew that they had to play on.

The lines were reset, this time with both Snips and Snails. A quick shift in positions landed Spike in a spot that was far less than ideal; he was removed from safety and replaced Rainbow’s cornerback position as Snails replaced his. Meaning, Spike was now half back as well. Gulping once as the teams set up, Spike found himself staring at two Apples; Apple Bloom seemed to be shaking and uneasy and Applejack seemed to be more tense than usual. He couldn’t see, but he bet their faces expressed the team’s rage collectively. Gulping once, he glanced towards the sidelines.

“What are we here for!?” Pinkie screamed, throwing a pompom in the air.

“The Manticores!” the other cheerleaders shouted.

“To do what!?” Pinkie shouted again, catching her pompom as the cheerleaders proceeded to do what seemed like a poorly practised routine.

There was brief hesitation before they spoke up.

“... To fuck some whores!” the cheerleaders shouted, Fluttershy the only one stuttering.

“Thanks fer th’ suggestions, Rainbow,” Applejack murmured to herself, though she smiled, as even just hearing Rainbow’s perverted banter made her heart flutter. “Jus’ what th’ cheerleadin’ squad needed; yer lovely insight on lyrics.”

That, combined with Rarity’s own words of encouragement, managed to make Spike relax a bit more.

“What does a dragon have that a manticore doesn’t have!?” Rarity shouted out across the field.

‘Two dicks,’ Spike thought, smirking.

Even if she wasn’t there physically, the cheering as well as words previously stated by the vulgar captain still seemed to echo in most of the Manticores’ minds, giving the feeling like she actually was there. In spirit, as most of the players thought. And in boisterous obnoxiousness, perhaps, as she was never one to go unnoticed.

“Barbeque!” Applejack shouted.

Another play coined by the team captain. The goal was to ‘cook the ball until medium-rare’; or in other terms, suicidally carry the ball in such a way that makes it a prime target while the rest of the players attempt to take down members of the opposing team. The reason? Rainbow specifically coined it for an instance where she may have been unable to play. Applejack scoffed initially, yet now she was beginning to see why. Usually Applejack would take the ball, but there was another player that needed to feel needed and motivated, so the responsibility fell upon her tiny shoulders.

Spike heard numbers being called out and flinched, glancing forward. Rather than rely on conventional numbers, they were merely a decoy that most teams utilized. They were typically more surprised if they were utilized in the traditional way. Scootaloo took a deep breath, slightly shaking. A quick glance to the running back showed Gilda’s eyes locked directly on her. She quickly leaned back to her position, staring nervously directly at the player in front of her… and her opposing player seemingly understood the look on her face.

The hut was called, the ball was snapped and the lines clashed into each other. Immediately, no running, Applejack shot the ball like a bullet towards Scootaloo. Effortlessly, the girl caught the ball and darted between the gap created by the mere shock of the player, having expected Scootaloo to curve out.

Another player picked up the slack, breaking off from the linewar against the Manticores’ Dumbbells. With a swift motion, they shot an arm out in front of Scootaloo, hand latching onto the midsection of her jersey. He wasn’t strong, but he could be considered Heracles in comparison to Scootaloo. A bit of pressure and the girl was shoved to the side, ball instinctively clutched to her chest. She rolled to a stop, laying on her back as her eyes were clenched shut, her body trembling. After a few seconds, she stopped shivering and opened her eyes to see that the boy who just took her out extended a hand to Scootaloo. Taking it, she was yanked to her feet and tossed the ball towards Dumbbell.

Sticking to the original play, though the ball carried was swapped, positions were reset, numbers called, hut was shouted and the ball was snapped. Spike found the ball being quickly chucked towards him and he almost fumbled it, grasping it as he darted forward, holding the ball out in a clearly visible position for the other team to see. Rather than see a Griffon running towards him, Spike spotted Scootaloo darting in front of him, attempting to take out a player she saw coming through the line… only to immediately regret it. As luck would have it, Gilda tore through both lines, gunning towards Scootaloo and Spike.

Immediately, Scootaloo’s body seemed to lock up but rather than be hit with the full force of Gilda’s strength, she merely got shoulder-checked… which was like being smashed with a plank of wood. Scootaloo went down as Gilda’s right arm lunged forward, latching onto Spike’s midsection. Unlike Scootaloo, he wasn’t greeted with the bare minimum of her force. Strength gained or not, Spike found his legs buckling under the severe strength put forward from this girl. She wasn’t dumb muscle nor was she timid muscle like Pipsqueak; she knew how to use her physical superiority, and that plus her aggressiveness made her perhaps the most dangerous player on the field at the moment.

With seemingly little effort from Gilda, Spike crumpled towards the ground like a pop can, barely latching onto the ball as Scootaloo did to keep from fumbling. The amount of pressure put on his gut from that single grab was enormous, and he nearly lost his lungs to a harsh cough. The whistle was blown and yet again they had gained absolutely no ground.

Grunting, Spike randomly tossed the ball to his team and rolled onto his front, looking at the younger player beneath him. Scootaloo seemed paralyzed but with one quick slap on her lower back, she snapped back to attention and glanced over at Spike as he gave her a reassuring smile.

“That was my ass, Spike,” Scootaloo said, unable to hold back a chuckle as he helped her up.

Spike looked over to his hand which was indeed set against Scootaloo’s well-shaped rear. Immediately, his face reddened and he retracted his hand. Scootaloo stood up tall, seemingly more loose and lax than she was before; the moment exactly what she needed to find more humour and solace in the somewhat grim situation.

“Lucky little slut,” Gilda muttered as she turned away, walking back to her position.

Spike felt his arms shivering, fists clenched as his pupils slitted. Several of the Griffons glanced over at him to see his and Scootaloo’s response only to double-take upon spotting Spike’s eyes. Rather than comment, they turned away, not wanting to anger Gilda in some way. Spike’s hand involuntarily landed on Scootaloo’s body once more, his fingers latching onto her as he withheld the urge to hit Gilda.

“Uh, Spike, it’s fine if you do this, but I’d assume you’d wait until Rarity was with us before grabbing my ass,” Scootaloo said, uncontrollably giggling once more.

Spike grit his teeth, attempting to keep a straight face as his cheeks reddened once more and he retracted his unfortunate (or very fortunate) grip.

“Stop molesting the squirt, you fucking pipsqueak,” Rainbow shouted from the bench, guffawing at his unsettled expression.

“Ugh, sorry, I’m not terribly smart,” Spike muttered an apology.

Plus, he was starting to get excited as he took in the feeling on his hand. He immediately decided that Scootaloo was most likely feeling the same, hence the laidback response. Retaking their positions, Spike grunted as his eyes darted towards Scootaloo briefly, seeing her rear before snapping back to reality.

‘She’s with… fuckin’ Felix, and I’m with Rarity.’ He bit his lip. ‘Guh, temptation… Stupid boner, stupid adrenaline!’

“Jesus, your boyfriend seems really taken with Scoot’s ass,” Rainbow muttered, rubbing her chin.

Rarity merely snorted, folding her arms as she let a brief stint of jealousy flush by. Big McIntosh merely glared at her from the side, unnoticed by the object of his irritable attention, Rainbow Dash.

Whistle. Numbers. Hut. Snap. Toss.

Spike latched onto the ball, darting straight as they attempted the Manticore Thorn instead of the Barbeque. The linemen clashed with the Griffon’s weaker team, instantly attempting to separate the line. Success opened a small gap and their team’s wide receivers and tight end (Snails, not Spike) immediately darted around the clash of linemen… with the exception of Scootaloo. She rounded back, standing behind Spike as Apple Bloom and Applejack ran forward, Spike and Scootaloo following. The safety and linebackers on the opposing team converged on the opening created and Applejack outstretched her arms. She caught the two safety, falling down with them as Apple Bloom lunged forward, impacting the outside linebacker directly in the chest. Apple Bloom wrapped her arms around the girl as they tumbled to the ground as well. Spike hopped over Applejack, chucking the ball back to Scootaloo as he ran directly towards Gilda. She hunched forward low and wide, grinning through the facecage as they approached.

Spike thrust his hand forward, allowing his least dominant hand to be the weapon of choice. Expectedly, Gilda slapped his hand using her left, Spike’s arm swinging over his chest as he launched his right hand towards Gilda. Her right hand came under her left arm after slapping Spike’s away, twisting her hand before planting it on the back of Spike’s shoulder; her limbs had a length advantage, causing Spike to cuss mentally. The pressure applied to his shoulder combined with his momentum making Spike tumble to the ground. He clenched his eyes shut briefly, quickly opening them as he turned his head to look at Gilda and Scootaloo.

The younger girl immediately slowed down as she was now directly faced with Gilda; a real reason for Gilda to take Scootaloo down in her arms. Rainbow’s eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen and immediately stood up, stumbling back down to the ground due to her ankle. Scrambling to try to get to her feet over the mess of players at her mercy, Applejack found herself far too distant from Scootaloo to have even hoped to make it to her in time. She ground her teeth in frustration, horrified to watch it all happen before her very eyes. Gilda’s body was twisted from the slap and shove she gave to Spike and flexing her arm, she twisted back towards Scootaloo, the gap closed due to the younger girl’s momentum.

An intentionally violent elbow found its way into Scootaloo’s epigastrium, stopping the girl dead. Scootaloo felt all air in her lungs leaving completely and the ball flying out of her hands to the side. Pain shot throughout Scootaloo’s chest and her body instantly felt weak from the impact. Stumbling back as Gilda retracted her arm, Scootaloo attempted to keep her balance before clutching her chest as she fell onto her back, tears flowing down her cheeks as she attempted to cry out in pain only to have dry heaves escape.

Several gasps from the crowd came out as well as the referee whistle blowing numerous times. The play stopped and the lines broke apart as Spike’s eyes widened. Rainbow and Sweetie Belle had the same reaction: a breathless gasp and a shaky call.

“Scootaloo!” the duo shouted.

Sweetie Belle immediately dropped her pompoms and ran out onto the field along with Big McIntosh and Shining Armour. Rainbow took a step on the ground, feeling pain shoot throughout her leg before she grit her teeth and barred the pain, jogging with a severe limp towards the field. Slamming her fist into the dirt, Applejack glared down at herself. She had failed: failed herself, failed Rainbow Dash, and failed Scootaloo. And now, the poor girl was terribly injured, and it was all her stupid fault.

“Ooh, sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Gilda said with an false innocent voice.

Spike crawled towards Scootaloo as did Apple Bloom. Seconds later, Sweetie Belle, Big Mac, Shining Armour and, shortly thereafter, a limping Rainbow arrived at the scene. The referee had knelt down next to Scootaloo as her helmet and mouth guard were removed. Scootaloo’s face was bright red, her coughs still dry and tears flowing down her cheeks. Her body was tense, legs brought close to her chest as she attempted to cope with the pain.

“Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow,” Scootaloo managed to mutter with dry, quiet whispers.

“Mmm, accidents are awful,” Gilda muttered, folding her arms as she watched the Manticores’ reaction.

Immediately, Rainbow’s face turned red as she ignored her leg, limping towards Gilda. Many furious eyes of the Manticores turned towards Gilda as well as some of the players on the own Griffons’ team.

“Accident!? Are you fucking kidding me!?” Rainbow screamed, her voice cracking numerous times.

The referee stood up and shouted directly at Rainbow. “Back off, Dash!” he bellowed once.

Applejack ran forward and wrapped her arms around Rainbow, knowing fully well that she wasn’t going to let Gilda get off. With a quick heave, Applejack lifted Rainbow off the ground much to her protests, kicking and cursing. The referee now turned to Gilda who merely had a meek innocent face.

“I’m sorr—” Gilda was cut off by a louder voice.

“Cut the bullshit!” the referee shouted, standing merely an inch from her face. “You know damn well that was intentional. If that wasn’t supposed to hurt her, than the goddamn Nightmare in the Moon is real!” The referee pulled out a red flag and waved it at Gilda’s face. “You’re out of this game. Get the hell off the field, Griffon.”

Rather than retort, Gilda merely sniffed, walking by as she bumped into the Griffons’ team captain and several of the Dumbbells as she removed her helmet.

“Meh, what the fuck ever. We already won the game, thanks to me,” Gilda gloated with a chipper voice.

“Th’ fuck did you say!?” Pipsqueak shouted, catching many of the players off guard. “You just come right in here, mess up my mates an’ expect that this is somehow a gosh darn win fer ya!?” he shouted, his older accent coming through.

“Dash is out, that fucking dumb chicken cunt is out, and you no longer have the required amount of players. Lose by forfeit,” Gilda shouted, walking away as she held a middle finger over her head.

“Like hell,” Score shouted, attempting to run after Gilda.

Hoops and Dumbbell latched onto Score’s shoulder, stopping him. Spike almost wanted to tell them to let the guy go, but he knew that even Score stood no chance against the superior strength of Gilda. A deep sigh came from the referee as he hung his head, hands placed on his hips.

“A… Are… um, is Scootaloo okay?” Fluttershy asked meekly, hiding behind Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow grit her teeth as Applejack put her down, both their eyes locked onto the retreating Griffon. Once she left the field, Rainbow spun around to see the school’s medical staff placing Scootaloo on a stretcher, lifting her up. Rainbow almost ran over there, but something inside her head stopped her. She let her head hang as she shivered, rage radiating in the atmosphere.

“D-dammit, I should have been there,” Rainbow whispered, withholding tears from her face. Spinning around towards Applejack, Rainbow raised a fist for a moment before realizing who she was thinking of hitting. “Goddammit, you should have been there, AJ!”

Applejack didn’t respond, averting her gaze. A hand was set on Rainbow’s shoulder and Rainbow spun around, swinging her fist at the person. She assumed and hoped it was Big Mac, coming to defend her sister… but instead, it was Spike as well as Shining Armour. Her fist collided with Spike’s jaw as he had removed his helmet, merely causing his head to twist to the side. Rainbow briefly felt horror flash through her mind before regret and guilt took over and she immediately went to trying to wipe her eyes of the nearing tears. And as if to mock them…

“Griffon’s right. If your team captain doesn’t rejoin the game, you automatically forfeit and are kicked from the tournament,” the referee stated.

“R… Rainbow,” a light voice wheezed.

Ignoring the referee, Rainbow spun around and limped towards Scootaloo as the medical staff hoisted the stretcher up. She looked even smaller than usual, laid out like that across a blank white stretcher. She wanted to reach out and touch the young girl supportively, but felt less than worthy to do so after allowing her to get hurt like that.

“Squirt!?” Rainbow cried out, looking at the younger girl compassionately.

“I… I’m a fuckup, aren’t I?” Scootaloo said, covering her eyes with her forearm as she wept, stifling her cries as the medical staff carried her off the field.

It broke her heart to hear the little girl say something so self-loathing as that, but though the captain tried to open her mouth and deny it, she found no words or time to express it. After a distraught and helpless expression crossed Rainbow’s face, she settled into a much more determined mood. Rainbow spun around yet again and limped back towards the referee, glancing at him as he waited for an answer.

“I’m playing again, injury or not,” Rainbow responded, wiping her damp eyes once more.

Though Applejack would have normally intervened and told her that she ought not to, she was silent. After letting Rainbow Dash down like that, she really had no authority over her decisions, and she could not let Scootaloo’s sacrifice be in vain. Placing a hand on her captain’s shoulder, Applejack nodded slowly.

Up in the bleachers, one boy took the bus to see that very game, and he was not disappointed. With a whistle, he watched Gilda leave the field and grinned.

“Woah, what a fuckin’ babe,” Felix praised as he watched her practically tear off her jersey and armour, revealing a sports bra underneath.

He climbed over the edge of the bleachers and dropped down, chasing after the girl. As he ran up from behind, he slowed down and whistled before stopping as Gilda turned around to notice him. She glared at him briefly before speaking.

“Th’ fuck do you want?” Gilda demanded aggressively.

“Just wanna know what the poor girly did to deserve that,” Felix started without a hint of true concern in his tone, slowly walking forward.

“Why the shit do you wanna know?” Gilda asked, staring at him with a bemused grin.

“She was my fucktoy. Kinda useless now, was maybe hoping for a more advanced replacement. Someone that isn’t a total inexperienced whiny cunt that I have to babysit,” Felix responded suggestively.

Gilda stared at him for a moment, walking towards him until she was only a foot away. The size difference was huge as well as the muscle difference, Gilda being larger than Felix. They stared at each other for a moment before Felix spoke up again.

“If you suck my cock, I’ll let you ride it after,” Felix told her as if it was some prize.

Gilda’s jaw hung open slightly before she seemingly scowled. Though she did not seem entirely taken by the boy, she also did not seem repulsed. A hand reached down, grabbing onto his crotch area before yanking him off the path towards several dumpsters.

“You lick my pussy, then maybe I’ll let you try to handle this ass,” Gilda shouted, tossing her jersey and armour aside as the two retreated behind a garbage bin.

Back on the field, Rainbow glanced down at her bandaged ankle as she sighed, taking a deep breath. It wasn't enough, that stupid wound on her leg. Just a menial sprain or twist, as it seemed to be. Scootaloo had got much worse than that, and the thought of it brought a great lump to her throat. The rest of the team was just about set back up already, though their heads hung just the same as hers and their eyes flashed red. Even if the cause of such rage was not on the field, her team was there to take the brunt of the fury.

Rainbow went to take a step, but faltered a bit in it. She nearly fell to her knee, but someone caught her by the arm. With a glance to the side, Rainbow identified the girl, though she didn't have to look to know who it would be. Silently allowing Applejack to help her back up, Rainbow Dash took a firmer step and walked beside her teammate.

“You can do it, y'know,” Applejack spoke up from her side, though neither of them made eye contact. “Ah know y'want to.”

“Do what?” Rainbow mumbled questioningly, her anger bubbling in her voice.

“Hit me,” the quarterback simply stated, unfazed by the prospect. “Ah deserve it, after all.”

“I'm...” Rainbow looked over at her and sighed, trying to deal with the guilt in a more productive way. “I'm not going to hit you, Applejack. I’d never do that. I can't blame you for what happened.”

“Ah told you Ah'd do somethin', an' Ah screwed th’ pooch,” Applejack went on, her own regret very apparent in her voice.

“I fucked up, too,” Rainbow looked back to the exit through which Scootaloo had been carried out and chewed at her lip incessantly. “If I had just... just been more, I don't know, careful. I was the one who egged Gilda on, I was the one who screwed up the plays, I was the one who got hurt, and I was the one who wasn't there. I was totally... a hot-headed loser.”

“Maybe you were,” Applejack exhaled slowly as they reached the rest of the line. “But who're you gonna be now?”

Rainbow Dash met her eyes at once, and she nodded slowly and calmly. She had been a lot of things: she had been mean, foolish, aggressive, and absent, all these things even before the game. But she could change, she didn’t have to be like Gilda, the way Big Mac must have thought of her. She could be that leader he spoke of.

“Al’right, jackoffs,” Rainbow Dash raised her voice and her fist, commanding their attention in her own particular and peculiar way. “For Scootaloo.”

The others glanced around at each other firmly, their mindless rage turning to directed determination. Even those who had not been too fond of Scootaloo or Rainbow Dash could understand the sentiment, their team being brutally ravaged by an enemy. Their nods agreed, and with the affirmation hanging in the air, Rainbow Dash raised her thumb, projecting a confident gesture of victory to the Manticores.

“For Scootaloo!” The Manticores rallied, stomping on the field so hard it shook beneath their feet.

With such a chant, a second wind came in full force. The Manticores stormed the enemy’s field and raced them to the end zone time and again. Besides their own morale increasing, the lack of a dominant force on the Cloudsdale side significantly handicapped them. And with a good while left in the game after the so-called accident, even without the full abilities of their captain, the Manticores left the scoreboard at 50-48: Manticore’s victory.

Spike nearly ripped off his jersey and armour once he reached the changing room. Though they had managed a win, it was nothing like the way they had hoped to achieve it. The running water from one of the Dumbbell’s showers sounded like rain, and it fit the mood all too well. Even Rainbow Dash, who would normally be cracking jokes and complaining about Applejack checking her ankle once the cleats and socks were off, was silent.

It didn’t take long for the room to empty, the Manticores exhausted and ready for the long drive or bus back home, which waited for them outside. Spike stared down at his bag, which was stuffed up to the zipper with supposedly protective gear. All the weight of that uniform had failed Scootaloo, who no one had heard from yet. He didn’t even flinch as his cell phone lit up, as it was sitting on top of the bag waiting to catch a ride in his pocket. It shifted around over the fabric and tipped off a wrinkle, but Spike reached down and snatched it up.

He recognized the name, though it pained him to read it. The text message, however, did not seem to be from the sender. The first text was a line of numbers, which had an odd area code he did not know. A second message followed, though, a legible one.

Felix:

‘That’s my number. Call if your balls ever drop, faggot,’ Spike frowned at such a rude word, but read on. ‘I could do a lot with a big man like you. -Gilda.’

He gripped at the piece of metal, wanting to snap it right in half. But he restrained himself, dropping his thumb onto a single button on the phone. Delete.

Author's Note

Allllllrighty, so we get another new character here, and... well, crap luck for Scootaloo.
Don't forget to head on over to http://arby-works.deviantart.com/gallery/35609794 to see some Hail Mary Artwork!

The Number of Photos is...?

XIII. The Number of Photos is...?

Big Mac hid his eyes under his large hand, groaning dully at what was happening out on the field. It was the first practice after the Cloudsdale game, and the team was getting back to their normal selves already. That was truly apparent in the fact that Rainbow Dash was currently shouting so loud the back of the stands could probably hear her.

“Just because we managed to pull off a victory doesn't mean we're worth fuck all! Get your heads out of your asses and keep those knees up, I want to see you sweat!” Rainbow Dash screamed from her post right next to the players doing their warm-ups, and would have been running laps around them if her ankle had fully healed yet. She had said that it didn't bother her, but after playing on it the rest of the game, Applejack didn't want her to push herself until she was certain. Speaking of Applejack, Rainbow Dash turned around and faced her, as she was standing by the bleachers with her older brother, “Baby, I wanna see you sweat with your knees up, too!”

Hiding her amused smile behind her fingers, Applejack stifled her giggle and said nothing in response. She could already tell that such a comment had Big Mac boiling with rage, as he was grumbling and clenching his fists up. It was still a wonder to her, why he disliked Rainbow Dash so much anyway. Was it really just because of her incessant flirting with his sister?

“She's a punk,” Big Mac sneered, frowning deeply and glaring at her like it could affect her at all.

“C'mon y'don't think she's th' least bit cute?” Applejack found herself musing, catching the fond tone in time to add a nervous chuckle to the end.

“Nnope,” Big Mac denied firmly, casting the glare over to his sister instead. “She ain't no good, that's that. Startin' fights, bein' rude t' y'all, cussin' every other word, she's bad for th' team.”

“She ain't your everyday leader, that's for sure,” Applejack nodded, watching the girl trying to rip Dumbbell's arm off because he was stretching too lazily. “But she tries.”

“Ah dunno,” Big Mac growled, rolling his eyes at such an idea.

“What's your problem with Rainbow, any who? Y'hardly know th' girl,” Applejack's tone dropped lower and her eyebrows fell serious over her gaze.

“Ah can't stand her. She's a troublemaker, AJ, always 'as been since y'all were jus' kids. Ah r'member, a long time ago,” Big Mac started, his expression settling on her. “Musta been years, an' Ah ran into her when—”

“Hey, Mac,” Shining Armour interrupted, walking over with the roster in his hands. “Have you seen Scootaloo around? She didn't show up for practice.”

“Ain't she still hurt?” Applejack asked, peering around her larger brother to speak to the other coach.

“No, the infirmary released her shortly after the game, she just needed some bed-rest and a few pain killers,” Shining Armour explained as he had read the report himself, needing to do so as the assistant coach to permit her back into action.

“Didn’t look like nothin’ permanent was damaged,” the farm boy added.

“If it was only physical stuff,” Applejack muttered, and the two boys looked over at her oddly. “Well… Maybe she’s just shy ‘bout comin’ back, tha’s all.”

“Well with Dash injured and Scootaloo absent, it’s somewhat difficult to practise any running plays,” Shining Armour spoke up, glancing out to the field, where the team was still just getting warmed up on drills that Rainbow Dash was shouting about.

“Ah’m sure it ain’t no big deal, just give th’ girl some time t’ recover, we owe her that,” Applejack told them with a confident smile. However, it was forcibly held up, and though the boys could tell, they said nothing. Applejack looked out at Rainbow Dash and her expression softened, wondering if the belligerent girl was still upset about what happened. She sure was good at acting. “But just in case, don’t tell Rainbow, ‘kay? Ah don’t want her to worry about it.”

“I don’t know, but they have said!” Rainbow Dash chanted loudly, tossing her fist up in rhythm as the team squatted or jogged to the same tempo. The rest of the team’s voices boomed an echo of her chant, and she went on to the next line, “Applejack gives awesome head!”

Big Mac groaned and shook his head, rubbing his temple with his free hand as he grumbled, “Th’ only thing she’s worried ‘bout is where t’ find ‘er next lay.”

“Naw, she ain’t worried ‘bout that.” His little sister shrugged passively with a knowing laugh. Noticing how incriminating that was, she cleared her throat and grabbed her helmet at once. “Uh, guess Ah should get back t’ practisin’!”

“Ah’d say so,” her brother growled, glaring at her as she sheepishly grinned and jogged away.

Spike laid out on the soft bed, relishing in the feeling on his back. Frilly? No, that wasn’t the right word. Fancy, for sure. Silky smooth sheets, a warm room and cool hands spreading lotion onto his back. Rarity gently pressed her finger tips into the aching shoulders Spike had obtained from the last football game, the boy groaning each time she applied pressure into the sore, tense area.

“I do not mean to speak an old cliche, but you are pretty tense, Spike. Your shoulders are especially stiff. It surprises me that they can move,” Rarity responded, pressing harder into the tense flesh before working her way down his back.

“Ugh, no I can’t right now,” Spike muttered, enjoying the light sensations. “Arm’s are totally... fucked.”

Pausing, Rarity ignored the cuss and squirted more lotion onto her fingers. “Oh. Well, too bad. I was going to suggest some more recreational activities later after we’re done. I could ask you for inspirations on a design, however,” Rarity said, lightly sighing before she continued rubbing in the lotion.

“Mmm?” Spike responded, shifting his position so he could glance back at Rarity.

Pausing her thoughts, Rarity focused on Spike’s lower back, pressing gently yet firmly around Spike’s spine, trailing up the bumpy protrusion. Rarity took a moment to focus on the texture around his spine, feeling a sort of rough, leathery spots trailing up his back, reminiscent of a reptile. They were firm and thick, possibly protecting the sensitive boney line, but that seemed silly. Shaking the thoughts from her head, she carefully continued.

“It was for a more adult client rather than the usual younger crowd I drew in, and it was more risque, but I shall still sell it regardless of the thoughts of my peers,” Rarity responded with a stern tone. “Whenever talked to about my business, someone always asks if I’m designing naughty lingerie, and insinuates that it is a horrible thing or thinks of me as a pervert. Males, too; many have come up to me thinking I craft leather and straps for my job before I correct them with ‘frilly frou-frou dresses’ which quickly turns their topic of discussion to compliments about my well-endowed figure rather than something else that would make a girl want to bed a man.”

“So, guys basically go, ‘Hey, Rares. Nice tits, wanna bang?’” Spike asked, trying on a mocking voice and rolling his eyes. Spike let a rough sigh pass his lips, almost hissing as the bitter thoughts of other men coming onto his Rarity passed through his head.

“That’s putting it vulgarly blunt, but yes. As if talking to me about interesting topics and making me laugh was not adequate enough to endear a woman. Contrary to popular belief, Rarity does not go for the so-called hot boys although she shall sometimes attempt to lightly flirt with those who could recommend her to more powerful people.” She gulped, realizing that she may have made Spike jealous by mentioning that. “Certainly not what I’m proud of, and that’s in the past now as I’ve got the connections I want.”

“That, and I don’t think I’d feel too happy about you doing such a thing,” Spike told her.

“Well, yes, but I can take care of my own self,” Rarity responded unsurely. “Besides, I’ve yet to do anything more than kiss, to which I’ve regretted very shortly after.”

“Well… exactly, yes. Regret mistakes, and—” Spike paused, gulping as he realized that what he had said might be construed as an insult.

Rarity’s hands stopped massaging his back and Spike meekly turned his head, his confidence and possessiveness that he spent the last two months working on fading away in an instant as he felt like the weak, useless, vulnerable boy he was on that first day of school. Rarity seemed to be glaring at him, her lip curled up at the side with an eyebrow raised.

“Excuse me? Pardon me, but I believe I showed the restraint as well as the temperament to at least try and go fishing for someone that could potentially be my soulmate, even if I had initially wanted it to be you,” Rarity responded, wiping her hands off on Spike’s back as she folded her arms.

“But—” Spike said, rolling onto his back as Rarity slid off his legs.

“Unlike someone, I had attempted to try to fit in. I don’t need you to be possessively protective of me when you couldn’t stand up for yourself. I apologize for being so blunt, but I want to make it clear that you are no… no Superhero! And you're not here to save the damsel in distress. Just because I’m a lady does not mean I don’t know how to take care of myself,” she explained with an air of steel confidence.

Spike didn’t respond and as it seemed Rarity would continue, he glanced up at her and their eyes met. Spike’s seemed so hopeless and Rarity’s instantly lost the edge they just had. Spike twisted himself until his legs were dangling off the end of the bed as he grabbed his purple long-sleeve shirt and slid it on.

“Spikey, wait,” Rarity started, crawling towards him as he stood up. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I had merely taken offense to those words.”

Spike sighed, feeling himself unable to hold up to his slightly hurt feelings and leave. Rarity crawled up from behind, wrapping her arms around his midsection as she buried her face in his hair, sighing deeply against his neck.

“Even if I spent seven years waiting, we have had different social outings… you’re not used to this and neither am I. But I’m sure we’ll be fine. We just need an adjustment period before it becomes easier to define what the other is saying completely,” Rarity responded.

Rather than speak, Spike turned around, standing up as he did and Rarity almost fell off the edge of the bed. Pressing a hand against the floor, she pushed herself up onto the bed again, glancing up as Spike removed his shirt. Rarity sat on her legs, still trying to process what Spike was doing before he tossed his shirt to the side, undoing his belt as he did. Climbing onto the bed, Spike’s hands held onto Rarity’s shoulders and the girl giggled as he nipped at her neck. Rarity fell back, allowing Spike to lay atop her and she felt her limbs go weak as he gently bit at the soft, tender flesh. Immediately, his hands slid down her arms then onto her body, gripping the soft mounds in her shirt. She let out a moan, wrapping her shivery arms around him as he fondled her gently.

Rarity laid on the bed, panting lightly with a frown adorning her face. Her eyes slowly trailed to the right, glossing over the light sweat drizzling down Spike’s back. Spike’s face was buried in his hands and he let out a heavy, deep sigh. Rarity opened her lips as she wanted to say anything to the boy, anything reassuring him that everything was fine. There was no point as the damage was done and the only thing Rarity could hope for is that Spike forgave her.

It had been only a few seconds since Rarity had yelled at him for lasting less than a minute, and all of the confidence Spike had vanished. He twitched now and then, cringing slightly as the cool sweat ran down his spine. A hesitant hand reached out towards Spike, aiming for the nape of his neck before it stopped an inch away. Another heavy sigh escaped Spike’s lips and Rarity bit hers.

“Guess I couldn’t expect a little leeway from a fairy-tale airhead,” Spike muttered.

Like hot water scalding her scalp, Rarity tensed her brow and sat up immediately in response, trying to find her words. She held back whatever intentionally harmful words wanted to break free of her lips and settled for a simple scoff instead.

“Ugh, I’m… I’m sorry,” Spike said, his voice breaking and quiet. “God, I can’t believe I said that, I’m—” He gulped. Rarity waited expectantly, her eyes fixated on the back of Spike’s head. “Y’know,” Spike finished.

“Y’know?” Rarity repeated bluntly. “No, I do not know. Maybe later I’ll feel better but right now, I am pretty agitated with you, Spike. Maybe what I said was unjust, but what you said was just plain unnecessary and only added more to the fire.” Rarity let her head fall back, landing with a soft plop against the large pillow. “I specifically said not to ejaculate inside me, I could have forgiven that, but it seems you were content with not only jumping straight into the action but forgetting to tend to me. Sex is a two-way street, Spike.”

Rather than try and calm Rarity down, Spike stood up, searching for his clothes. Half of Rarity had hoped Spike attempted to talk things out but the other half felt justified in her anger. Spike’s inexperience with handling social situations showed like no other she knew. The frustration of having to deal with it clashed with Rarity’s love and she couldn’t even find the words to keep Spike present.

“Text me later,” was all she could say.

Spike didn’t bother responding, gathering his clothes in a flash and waltzing towards the bathroom. Like Rarity, he found inner conflict guiding his actions. He did not want to text Rarity later, but he wanted so badly to go back there and apologize, caress her and kiss her, telling her that he was sorry. His pride got in the way, too proud to admit his fault.

‘It’s not like she took charge… right?’ Spike asked himself. He shook his head and winced as he left Rarity’s room, slamming the door. ‘I’ve gone too far now… I’ll just apologize later. She’s always okay with that.’

One by one, his clothes slid onto his body. A pair of underwear and shorts, a mobile phone in one pocket, a belt through the loops, a shirt over his head. It was robotic at the moment and he knew he was about to leave. Sighing, finally allowing himself to accept the fact, Spike checked his face in the mirror, seeing sweat had dampened his hair. Grabbing a nearby towel, he ran it over his head several times as well as his face until he looked dry, and tossed it haphazardly into the laundry basket. With a slap to his face, he turned around and opened the bathroom door.

Rarity’s head turned away, obviously having been fixated on the bathroom door, and Spike shrugged, dragging his feet to the door, forcing his drooping hands to latch onto the handle. With a twist, it opened up and Spike forced himself through, the tugging at his chest killing him. Pulling it shut behind him, he abandoned whatever solemn mood he had and ran down the short hall, down the stairs and out the front door, ignoring whatever they were doing prior. Once outside, he yanked his bike away from it’s position against the side of the building and hopped on it. His feet whirled as he pedalled as fast as he could manage and he skidded his tires as he sped down the sidewalk.

City blocks passed as he wheeled without focus, his eyes only scanning for obstacles. No clear destination; perhaps home, or another friend’s place. He didn’t know.

Ahead, he saw several people round the corner and Spike squeezed the breaks, fighting the feeling in his crotch as the bike seat pressed against him. Expecting to ram into the others, he found a hand pressed against his chest, throwing him backwards as he fell off the bike seat and landed roughly on his back. Wincing, he immediately pushed himself up to the point where he could see his bike. He watched its front wheels crank to the left due to his left hand being the last to hold on and fall over in the street… just as a garbage truck drove over it, crumbling it. Glancing up, he went to thank the one that saved him from being ran over by a truck, only for his words to hang in his throat.

“Saved your life, iguana,” Felix said with a chuckle.

Next to him were his usual two cohorts as well as, for some strange reason, Gilda and someone dressed in a Cloudsdale Griffons t-shirt. Spike rolled away from the two and he stumbled to his feet, cursing his luck. He waltzed over towards his bike as the garbage truck skidded to a halt right ahead and the driver stepped out.

“Yo, that’s not how friends say thanks, fucking iguana,” Felix called after him, his voice taking on a more hostile tone.

“Might wanna change your insult, fuckstick,” Spike responded as he inspected the twisted metal. “Iguana’s have two dicks. That’s kind of a compliment.”

“I don’t care, you’re a fuckin’ freak, faggot,” Felix shouted louder.

Gilda seemed to stare at Felix derisively, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms with a deep sigh. She must have thought the whole interchange was somewhat juvenile.

“How about you stop wasting my fuckin’ time, the goddamn chicken managed to satisfy me faster,” Gilda responded, gritting her teeth.

“Yo, fuck off and wait a minute, I’m talking to old friends,” Felix told her with a chuckle.

“Whatever, hurry up, I’d like to get a six pack already,” Gilda muttered, walking down the street.

“Hey, what the hell are you stupid kids doing back here?” the garbage man shouted from around the corner of the truck.

He rounded it and glared down at Spike as the boy sighed, tossing the bike into the back of the garbage truck. He just moseyed off without saying anything else, grumbling.

“Just so you know, we’re making sure Scuntaloo is having a safe recovery, Gilda’s idea,” Felix shouted as the garbage man returned to the truck.

Spike stopped on the opposite side of the road and grit his teeth, clenching his fists as his pupils turned to slits once more. His adrenaline rushing always gave him a fuzzy feeling in his head, and made him particularly bothered. Turning around, he saw the group already walking away as the garbage truck started moving yet again. For some reason, Spike held his hand up, clenching his pinkie and ring fingers as he pointed his middle and index towards Felix.

“Bang,” he whispered, pulling his hand back as if shooting a gun.

Biting his lip, Spike trudged down the street in tranquil fury until coming towards his house. Glancing at the larger building, he wondered if he should sneak in and pretend he didn’t leave, or if he should just waltz right in. Either way, he’d have to be questioned as to why he didn’t return on his bike and explain that. Sucking in his gut, he let out a deep sigh as he walked up the sidewalk until gently opening the door. Again, his father was sitting there watching TV and his mother was busy preparing dinner. Before he could respond, Spike had moseyed over towards the living room and sat down on the couch, sighing as he glanced at the TV.

“Mmm, noticed the… uh, lack of garage door opening. Something happen to your bike?” the man asked, glancing towards the boy.

“Ran into Felix. The jerk threw me off my bike, just in time sadly... because if he hadn’t, I would have gotten hit by a garbage truck,” Spike muttered irritably.

“Oh wow, are you alright? Did he do anything?” his father asked, turning away from the TV entirely.

In the kitchen, Spike’s sensitive, keen ears heard his mother stop moving, obviously listening, and even further so, he heard Twilight through the open door turn down her earbuds. The walls were made thin for the summer heat, so Spike could only expect this. Gritting his teeth, he let out a low growl.

“It’s none of your business, dad,” Spike muttered, hoping that he took the hint. “I can take care of myself.” The man didn’t respond, turning back towards the TV. A report about some invasion in a nation across the ocean played, allowing Spike idle time to think. The two girls resumed what they were doing as Spike could hear the significant increase in sound. Sighing, he let his head droop. “I’m sorry, I know you’re just looking out for me. I’m still not adjusted to… this, I guess.”

“This?” his father asked, continuing to stare at the TV.

“13 years… and I’m still wishing that I was back at 96 Dragon Road...” Spike let himself sink into the couch cushion, not caring that his family was once again listening in. “Twilight and Shining aren’t related to me by blood, and those last words didn’t help me process anything. Add that to the fact that they seem so radically different from me, and it just doesn’t feel like home… even if it’s the only one I can fully remember.”

“You feel like you don’t belong?” Night Light asked, the volume on the TV going down slowly.

“Maybe. I dunno. I mean, look at me? I have these… these weird, alien irises, which people are far too happy to point out and remind me of why I don’t fit in. I assist Twilight with stuff, yet I’m never really remembered. I mean, there was that one birthday Twilight had where she invited everyone else to it but me because she ‘forgot the invitation’, or a lack of involvement in Shining Armour’s life. Or with others at school… I do nothing and they do something. I mean, for a while, I was essentially a slow fax machine between Twilight and Principal Celestia at her private school since she was ‘too busy’ to do anything.”

Pausing, Spike slapped himself in the face and groaned. “I’m getting too off topic. My point is, whenever I want to fit in and try to get out there, any opportunities seem to be gone. Like, when I went out with everyone from the football team, just a friendly outing. Y’know, I almost hit Felix in Joe’s Donut Shop the other day, because he decided it was a good idea to make a quip about my status as an orphan. As if that wasn’t done by Twilight and Shining when I first arrived.”

Spike bit his lip, clenching his fists as he turned away, facing the door. Already, he wanted to leave the house again and not return for a whole night. Last time he did that, his family learned their lesson to not call the police, since it’d only cause Spike to grow even more agitated. Sighing, he lifted himself off the couch and headed towards the door before stopping, stepping to the side to lean his arm against the door frame to rest his head on his arm. Closing his eyes shut, he attempted to think.

He spun around, much to the surprise of Night Light and stepped upstairs, noticing that Mrs. Velvet was resuming her duties in the kitchen. Stepping up the older stairs, Spike proceeded down the hallway, pausing as he spotted Twilight in the door of her room, glancing at him. He couldn’t get a read on her face but for a brief moment, he really hated it. He wanted to kick her as if that’d change the initial negative reaction she had towards him when he first arrived in the home. Closing his eyes to avoid looking at her, he stepped around her and walked towards his door.

“I love you, Spike,” Twilight told him, shattering the silence.

As if to dictate his emotions, those four words completely evaporated all negative feelings he had and the events of the day as well as recent hostilities he’d experienced. From Felix, or Rainbow Dash, or Gilda, or anybody. He leaned against his closed door, letting a light cough escape as he began to sob, his legs buckling. Almost immediately, Twilight wrapped her arms around him.

“I f-fucking hate being me, some dumb iguana,” Spike choked out, not even bothering to hold himself up as he allowed himself to fall to the floor, head propped up against the wood.

“You’re not an iguana… you’re my brother, even if not by blood,” Twilight whispered, grunting as she pulled him up until he leaned against her chest where she cuddled his head, petting his hair. “This is 13 years too late, but I’m sorry for what I called you back then. I had honestly thought it was cool and I didn’t realize it hurt you.”

“Feh, I dunno… being called a dragon is better than being called an iguana. I’ve been getting that a lot lately,” Spike muttered, chuckling as Rarity’s words entered his mind. “And I’m a bit sore at the moment, I realize.”

Twilight chuckled. “Sore? Why?” she asked, hoisting the two of them to their feet.

Opening his door, Spike let out a yawn before craning his neck until it cracked. “It’s… sex stuff.”

“O-oh,” Twilight responded shyly, not sure how to take that. Spike attempted to walk into his room before Twilight’s hand landed on his. He turned to her and she stammered briefly. “Can… I, uh, ask you a few questions about... ‘it’?”

Spike’s jaw briefly dropped before seeing the analytical side of Twilight, as well as her studious side pop out. “Uh, questions?”

“Yes! I mean—” Twilight coughed, looking away to seem less excited. “I’m just a bit curious to hear what… 'it' is like. From a close friend or whatnot, rather than just rely on dusty old textbooks from thirty years ago.”

“Is the internet a thing?” Spike muttered, rolling his eyes with a chuckle. “Uh, sure, I guess. Although it feels a bit awkward.”

“Oh, we don’t have to,” Twilight gave him the option, releasing her vice grip on Spike’s hand. Immediately, he rubbed the back of his head.

“Naw, I’ll be happy to,” Spike said, stepping into his room.

In the room between their own, Shining Armour did his best to keep a stone-cold poker face as he listened to every single word his brother and sister said, before having to purge unethical thoughts from his mind, groaning as he mentally asked himself why he decided to eavesdrop.

The grass bent and bowed beneath her cleats, being likely the only thing to do so for her. From the shadows of the entrance to the change rooms, she was mostly hidden from the eye-line of the rest of the team. Not that they were looking anyway, they were too busy starting to stretch out for practice. Her blank expression darkened with sorrow, as it seemed they didn't even notice she wasn't there at all.

Ducking her head (as if she could ever hope to be tall enough to bump it on the overhang; even Pipsqueak wasn't so large) she started off to the field. The pain in her stomach muscles that had lingered from the hit in the previous game had all but disappeared, save a mild ache when she sat up, so she couldn't legitimately keep herself away from the game much longer. But then again, he had not rested well enough after the previous game to avoid a few new aches and pains she’d earned from something other than football. Scootaloo brushed her bangs over her face lower than usual, hoping to hide the swelling. Unfortunately, there was no collar on the football jersey, so she had no means to hide the marks along her neck.

She yelped as she nearly fell face-first into the grass, the force of the smack at her back almost bowling her right over. As she regained her composure, she glanced over her shoulder at the source of her trouble, meeting the grinning and expectant gaze of her captain, Rainbow Dash. Striding in front of her, Rainbow flashed Scootaloo a thumbs up before extending her curled up knuckles to her.

“Heya squirt, long time no fist-bump,” Rainbow stretched her arm out in front of Scootaloo's face, waiting for the response. Scootaloo merely stood back up to full height, but in doing so, flipped her bangs off her face. Widening her eyes in surprise, Rainbow pointed at the swollen and purple bag around Scootaloo's right eye. “Whoa... From me, anyway. What's with the shiner?”

“It's no big deal,” Scootaloo hurriedly covered it up again, pouting her lips and looking away from the obnoxious girl in front of her.

“Whatever you say kiddo, you look like a boxer that just got her clock cleaned.” Rainbow teased, snickering as she fell into a lower stance. Shifting her weight from one foot to the other, she jabbed out into the air with her fists again and again. “You wanna try me? Huh? You wanna go?!”

“Hey, stop,” Scootaloo raised her hands to defend herself, her body tensing up as Rainbow pretended to fight her from a foot or so away. Even though the captain was not threatening at all, Scootaloo found herself cringing and flinching at each swipe.

“Dash,” another voice stopped Rainbow's incessant aggression, and the two shorter girls looked over at the speaker. It was Spike, who was glaring at the captain dully as he addressed her, “What are you doing?”

“Nothing, dualdicks, just razing the girl.” Rainbow rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“As usual, you're up to no good. Look at her, you're freaking her out... wait,” Spike's voice went softer and his disrespectful expression waned as he noticed the markings on Scootaloo's face. “Are you okay? What happened?”

“Pfft, suddenly you care?” Scootaloo murmured to herself, looking away before speaking directly to Spike, “I'm fine to play. It looks worse than it is.”

“Did... did Felix do this?” Spike was hesitant to ask, but his curiosity got the better of him.

“It doesn't concern you,” she told him firmly, though her body language was shy and introverted. “Like I told Dash, I’m fine.”

“More than fine, those look like hickeys,” Rainbow said through her wide smirk, hiding her laughter behind her hand as she pointed at Scootaloo’s neck.

“Hickeys?!” Spike flinched at the accusation, leaning in to take a better look. She was right, they did look like hickeys, and it made him very uncomfortable. For the life of him, Spike could not get the image of Felix’s cracked, smirking lips tracing the marks out of his head.

“So, he sucked on you… did you suck him back?” Rainbow Dash elbowed the younger girl suggestively, three times in fact. “Huh, huh?”

“I don’t want to know,” Spike shook his head with a disgusted face, and Scootaloo scowled at him.

“It wasn’t… just Felix,” she murmured in a whisper so quiet it nearly went completely unheard.

“Hey, Rainbow! Hurry up!” her name was called from across the field by the bleachers, and the three turned to find Applejack waving the captain over.

“Well, later squirt, I’ve got a gentlelady caller,” Rainbow Dash told her with a wink, nearly skipping over to Applejack without a second thought. “Get training, losers!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake...” Scootaloo cursed with a shake of her head, feeling utterly neglected by the girl who once seemed to actually give a damn if she lived or died. “So much for giving a damn. What kind of a captain is she, anyway? Not much of a friend, either.”

“That’s a bit of an overreaction,” Spike murmured with a furrowed brow. “She’s just a little obtuse sometimes, you knew that.”

“Well duh, I’m not an idiot. Thanks for condescending and shit. Shouldn't you be screwing Rarity behind the school parking lot or something?” Scootaloo asked blankly, raising an irritated eyebrow at the boy who prodded too far.

“Um, no. I think I have some class, thank you.” Spike responded critically.

“Wouldn’t know it, when you spend all your time drooling over a materialistic wannabe pornstar,” Scootaloo muttered, gritting her teeth.

“At least I’m trying to let go of the past instead of obsessing over an old and expired image of a person,” Spike retorted, feeling his arm shake as he nearly crushed the mouthguard he held.

“At least I had a childhood that I spent with others instead of whining about it and complaining that nobody cares, when it’s pretty fucking clear that some people do,” Scootaloo turned to him, clenching her fists. “At least I know when to accept that I need help!”

“At least when I ask for help, I go to the right people, instead of let a bunch of pricks toss me away like a used condom,” Spike shouted, tossing his mouth guard as he stepped closer towards Scootaloo.

Scootaloo grit her teeth and her voice cracked as she spoke, the girl ignorant to the few eyes that now looked at them. “At least I knew my shitty parents that ditched me the moment I tried to defend Rainbow Dash!” she squealed, her eyes clenched shut as her body was starting to shudder.

Years of rage swelled up in an instant yet Spike found himself growing calmer the more he stared at Scootaloo’s state. She didn’t seem like a hateful person, more reminiscent of a frail old woman that looked like a stiff breeze would knock her over… or if he so much as looked at her the wrong way, she’d start crying. Spike attempted to reach out a hand towards her as if to test her reaction. Before he could, her eyes opened and she swung her fist back, swinging it towards him. Expecting a hit, Spike braced himself only for Scootaloo’s fist to slow, her legs buckling. Rather than fall down, she allowed her hand to grab onto Spike’s jersey and pushed off, walking in another direction.

Score and Hoops, standing directly in her path, separated immediately as Scootaloo picked up a stopwatch from a small basket on the bench. Spike solemnly watched as Scootaloo sauntered off, realizing that once more he had failed to keep true to his words, and watched someone suffer. Even when he tried to reach out and let someone know he cared, he failed, and now had the girl angry at him. Sighing, he picked up his mouth guard and glanced back to see Rarity and Twilight immediately avert their gaze along with anyone else as he scanned the field. Putting it in his mouth without a care for the grassy taste, he picked his helmet off and waltzed into the field to start drills.

Practice dragged on, Applejack noticed as she peered up from the clipboard and noticed the team beginning to tire. There was still a good while left to go, so their exhaustion was somewhat disappointing. Big Mac and Shining Armour were out on the field with them practising some linesmen stances and blocks, so she was mostly alone at the benches. Spike was nearby, as he had went to grab a drink and was just at the end of the bench, pouring himself a cup from the large beverage dispenser.

“Y'okay, Spike?” Applejack asked casually. “You've been comin' over t' get drinks a lot.”

“I'm just thirsty,” he murmured a reply over the liquid that was now at his lips.

“Ah just thought maybe there was a reason y'all were avoidin' the field,” she pondered knowingly, pretending to be writing something on the clipboard. At his lack of response, she went on, “It's nice havin' Scootaloo back, wouldn't y'say?”

“Have you seen her?” Spike grumbled, his eyebrows dropping low.

“Rainbow told me somethin' 'bout it,” Applejack nodded, remembering hearing about the back eye and marks on her neck. Rainbow Dash hadn't seemed concerned about it, but maybe she should have been. “D'you know what happened?”

“My money's on Felix,” Spike told her, refilling the cup already. “I ran into him the other day, he was hanging around with Gilda and some friends. They mentioned her name a couple of times, and I don't like the sound of it.”

“... Ah see,” she sighed in disappointment, glancing over at the girl in question, who was standing on her own a little outside of the group. “Bet she ain't in'erested in havin' someone like me get involved, Ah don't reckon she much likes me. But Ah still worry about th' girl. Y’know, Dash used t' get int' trouble sometimes too, when she was younger.”

“Yeah, I heard about that,” he kept it vague, looking out at the field.

“Any who, Ah just don't want lil' Scoots gettin' hurt. She's a good kid, just a little lost,” Applejack forced a sad smile, realizing she didn't know that much about Scootaloo at all.

“A little acting ridiculous, more like it,” Spike scoffed, taking his drink and turning on his heel at once.

Applejack just watched him leave, her expression stoic and serious. It was easy to tell that whatever Scootaloo had been up to was bothering him, and though he might not be so eager to admit it aloud, he did care for the girl. Smirking, Applejack shook her head and huffed a laugh. It was amusing, after all, the way that neither Scootaloo nor the old Rainbow Dash had even noticed that someone was watching, that someone gave a damn. Speaking of the girl, Applejack heard her let out a great exasperated sigh from down the field a ways.

Noticing Rainbow Dash striding over to her after finishing some set-up for the agility training, Applejack found herself staring. The girl looked so small in her massive shoulder pads, but Applejack thought that was kind of cute and endearing. She hid her nose back behind the clipboard and read over the same improvement notes for the second or third time, having to keep going over it as she hardly took in the information.

“Hey sugartits, missed you,” Rainbow said as she came right up and placed both hands on Applejack's breasts at once, though she immediately swatted them away. “Let’s bone.”

“That wasn't even subtle!” Applejack complained, crossing her arms over the clipboard and pressing it to her chest to protect herself.

“It's me, get used to it,” Rainbow murmured through pouted lips. A smile broke through them though, and she reached out and pulled the clipboard out from between Applejack's arms. “Come on, sometimes you're just too careful. I mean, what's the worst that could happen?”

“Ah dunno, but Ah wanna tell people in m'own good time,” her voice dropped quieter in case anyone was listening, though the closest eavesdropper was Spike, who already knew rather well what they were talking about.

“I told you, I respect that.” Rainbow placed the clipboard on the bench beside them, and noticed Applejack watching her as she leaned over. “I personally want to just scream it from the rooftops, but, you know, they don't let students up there.”

“Like that'd stop you,” Applejack said through a smirk. “Ah was thinkin', maybe Ah'd tell Big Mac. Ah mean, he really ain't a big fan'a yours, maybe this whole thing could, Ah dunno, help y’all make amends.”

“Really?!” Rainbow was surprised that the first person she thought to tell was her big brother. Surely he would be the last on the list, he didn't seem all that approving of Rainbow at all.

“Yea', Ah mean, Apple Bloom an' Granny sure ain't gonna hold it against me, an' our friends already know 'bout you,” she chewed the idea out loud, poking Rainbow in the chest when she mentioned her.

“Yes! I knew you'd come around!” Rainbow pumped her fist into the air before nearly tackling Applejack right over in a hug, squeezing her to choke.

“Ouch! Y'suffocatin' me,” Applejack grumbled, putting her hands on Rainbow's hips to try and push her away. It did serve to make her stop squeezing, but the touch seemed to ignite a different kind of fire in the girl.

“So, you're going to tell everyone that you kissed me?” the captain teased, swaying her hips against Applejack's seductively. “You're going to tell them you fucked me all night at Rarity's party? You're going to tell them you looove me?”

“They don't need t' know how we fell into bed like that,” Applejack murmured with a frown, trying to desperately fight the desires that were bubbling up inside of her.

“But I love that story. I get a boner just thinking about it,” Rainbow hushed into her neck, lapping at it lightly and dropping her hands a few inches down her back.

Applejack moaned quietly as she felt the girl's hands on her body, teasingly avoiding her usual favourite spots to play with. From afar, it may have looked like the two were merely talking, with Rainbow Dash standing so close in front of her. Since Applejack was facing the field still, she glanced out at the rest of the players and prayed they were too busy with training to notice. Anxiety flaring up, Applejack tried to fight off the persuasive groping.

“Quit that, m’ brother's gonna see!” the quarterback whispered harshly, searching around for onlookers.

Rainbow Dash raised her head and glanced over Applejack's shoulder, noticing the only one who was looking over at them from the bleachers. It was Spike, and he was just staring at them blankly, a frown present on his features. Rainbow grinned at such a thing and flashed him a daring look and a wink, forcing him to look away again irritably.

“Everybody else is looking out at the field, except me.” Rainbow returned to her duties with Applejack, rubbing her through the fabric of her uniform and keeping it hidden from view. “And it's not like I don't usually touch you, I think they'd notice something was up if I suddenly stopped.”

“Rainbow,” Applejack sighed her name, her eyes feeling very heavy and very much like rolling into the back of her head and giving in. Of course, she couldn't do that, not with all those people around. Instead, she grabbed Rainbow Dash roughly by her arm and raised her voice, “Al'right, that does it!”

“Huh?” Rainbow blinked in surprise as Applejack yanked her and stormed off in the other direction, abandoning the field.

“You're comin' with me,” the farm girl told her firmly, dragging her towards a more secluded spot on school grounds.

“I like where this is going,” Rainbow grinned deviously and jogged faster after her.

But there had been someone else watching, someone who always did happen to be overlooked. Scootaloo frowned deeply and grit her teeth, already imagining what it must have been the two were going to do. That is, if her suspicions were right. And even if they weren't, something bothered her about the two.

It infuriated her, it really did, the way Rainbow Dash had forgotten all about her and fallen back into Applejack's arms without a second thought. Did she even care that Scootaloo was suffering? Did she even notice? Well, Scootaloo was not about to let her get away with it, not any more.

Rainbow Dash huffed as Applejack led her behind the bleachers and behind a storage shed. Her limp was gone by now, but she could still feel the ache from her eager sprinting. At last, though, they arrived at a good enough spot, and Applejack threw her captain against a chain-link fence, nearly tackling her right away. Their lips were together at once, and their heavy breaths could hardly be heard above their pounding hearts and adventurous hands.

“This is so unlike you, Applejack. Leaving practice for something like this,” Rainbow Dash said through the kisses, hardly catching enough breath to do so. “What if someone catches us?”

“Ah need y'right now Rainbow, it don't matter much where 'r how,” Applejack growled into Rainbow's neck as her teeth touched smooth skin, pressing her body hard against the captain's. “B'sides, it's late, school's been out f' hours, an' with Mac and Armour watchin', ain't no one gonna sneak out o' practice.

“Fuck, Applejack, you make me crazy,” Rainbow Dash moaned loudly as she tipped her head back, feeling Applejack drop lower onto her chest with her mouth. “I can't believe this is actually happening.”

Applejack's hands gripped and tore at Rainbow's pants, undoing the uniform belt and nearly ripping the button and fly apart. “Lemme prove it t' you.”

In the middle of her warm-ups, Scootaloo grit her teeth, dejected thoughts running through her mind as Spike’s words towards her echoed. As much as she hated it, they were true… yet so was what she had said. Reminding herself of the cause of it all… she glanced over to where she saw Rainbow and Applejack vanish.

“I’ll teach her to fuck with Rainbow,” Scootaloo muttered, slowing her sprint on the track as she jogged onto the field.

She didn’t bother swerving, running in the middle of several drills that were being performed. Craning her neck until it cracked, she slowed to a walk as she panted lightly, walking up towards Shining Armour and Big McIntosh. Falling to her knees, she shifted her position until she was sitting on the grass in a relaxed way. Shining Armour glanced down briefly before returning to shouting demands at the Dumbbells and Apple Bloom. Big McIntosh’s gaze lingered, however.

“Tuckered out?” he asked monotonously.

“Eeyup,” Scootaloo responded, mimicking Big Mac’s catchphrase.

“Fair ‘nough.” He scanned the area, muttering to himself as he did before glancing towards Shining Armour. Seeing he was busy, he turned his gaze towards Scootaloo. “Have ya seen my sis? She was s’pposed to be out here five minutes ago.”

Scootaloo shrugged, spotting the perfect moment to execute her simple plan. “I saw Applejack go off with someone behind the bleachers a little while ago, I wonder what they’re up to,” she said with an oblivious tone, making it quite obvious, though Big McIntosh didn’t pick up on her intentions.

His eyes immediately veered towards the bleachers on both sides and he grit his teeth before wordlessly giving Shining Armour his clipboard and storming off in said direction. The Dumbbells saw that, like Scootaloo, Big McIntosh wasn’t going to walk around them, and also caught a glance of the expression Big Mac wore, immediately finding it in their best interests to move. As they separated, Big Mac walked by and continued towards the bleachers as the trio watched.

“I think he’s scarier than Apple Bloom,” Score muttered.

“‘cause you’re a pussy,” Hoops responded with a snort.

“You’re both ret—” Dumbbell attempted to say before a football impacted him in the side of the head, ear protected by a helmet.

“Y’all are goshdang inconceiv’bly stupid,” Apple Bloom shouted as she pulled her arm back from the throw.

“Bull fuckin’ shit he’s worse,” Hoops muttered as the trio went back to practising their stances, their feet stamping repeatedly against the ground.

“Fuck, AJ, fuck,” Rainbow groaned in their seclusion, her head leaning back and pressing into the fence so hard it almost hurt.

Her one hand was by her head, her fingers fed through the links to give her some grip on the situation. She squeezed it again, tugging at it as Applejack continued between her legs. With her other hand shakily digging into Applejack's brilliant blonde hair, she pulled the girl closer against her, feeling the fullness of her tongue as she did. Careful not to be too rough, Rainbow rubbed her thumb along her quarterback's scalp, as if praising her.

With Rainbow’s knee up on her shoulder, Applejack got a much better angle at her target, which she continuously worked on. Again, another aroused sigh escaped Rainbow Dash, and she felt her body twitch and convulse at the sensations. Applejack's hand was well up her shirt by now, groping under her sports bra at another affectionate area. Opening but one eye to glance down at her lover, she could not keep the adoring smile from her lips, finding the quarterback looking right back up at her.

“C'mere,” Rainbow could barely speak in her raspy tone as she pulled her up at once, grabbing Applejack by the jersey and pressing their lips together.

Though the kiss, which was certainly more wet and flavourful than usual, was enthralling, Applejack's fingers still were preoccupied with their goal. Rainbow Dash moaned into the kiss, feeling the farm girl sliding deeper and deeper inside of her. Her pants fell lower, having little hold on her hips since they were mercilessly plucked open. Rainbow negotiated her way into Applejack's shirt at once, untucking her jersey and climbing right inside.

Big Mac stormed right past Spike, his steps heavy and accusative. Spike almost stood to ask what was wrong, but found it a much safer course of action to remain still. He glanced at the field, wondering if that was the problem, but only found a few of the players bickering, and Scootaloo sitting on the grass laughing about something. Taking the final sip of his drink, he wondered what could be so funny.

Applejack pressed Rainbow harder against the fence, their lips and tongues wrestling in their mouths and hands trailing everywhere. Their entire bodies moved back and forth with each thrust, and Applejack could not have cared less how hot her hand felt between Rainbow’s legs and inside those tight uniform trousers. Another few huffs and moans commanded the attention of their pursuer, who rounded behind the shed and caught sight of them immediately.

With Applejack’s back to him, he could hardly see what she was doing, but the arms gripping around her and the stifled groans filled in the blanks. The slim hands and raspy breaths weren’t enough to identify whoever Applejack was—at the very least—kissing, but at that moment, Big Mac was blinded by anger anyway. The farm boy stormed right over to them, his fists clenching up so tight the skin of his knuckles nearly split with the force.

“Git off’a ma sister!” Big Mac shouted without clear thought, storming up to his sister and grabbing her by the shoulder roughly.

“Mac?!” Applejack gasped incredulously, only to be yanked away from Rainbow and forced to stumble a foot or two backwards, her wet hand pulled free from the girl’s pants.

“Ah ought'a—” Mac raised his hand menacingly, balling it up into a tight fist to pound the face of whoever it was who would even think of doing those things to his little sister. To his surprise and horror, he came face-to-face with the last person he ever wanted to see Applejack kissing, and managed to pause in his brutal retaliation. “Dash?”

“Uh, hey.” Rainbow Dash grinned a sheepish smile and waved tensely.

They held their positions for a few seconds as Mac tried to wrap his head around it all. His eyes dropped down to her pants, as they were still left dangling open, and he caught a glimpse of her bright blue undergarments, much to his dismay. Rainbow nervously chuckled and reached down, folding the corners of her pants over each other to cover herself. Her infuriating, aloof expression, her casual greeting, and whatever she had been doing with his sister—which he didn't even want to think about—drove him mad.

Big Mac struggled to get a hold of himself, his anger clear in his shaking fist. With a forceful and vicious swing, he struck the fence behind Rainbow Dash, letting the crossing twists of metal leave imprints in his knuckles. The fence shook and hissed loudly as the metal twists rung against each other.

“Is this—?! Goddang it, AJ, what're y'thinkin'?” He roared loudly, so livid that Applejack's excuses and reasons got caught up in her throat and brimmed in her moistening eyes.

“A-Ah, Ah didn't mean f' you t' find out like this,” Applejack managed in a timid voice, shrinking under his glare. “Ah wanted to tell you, Ah really—”

“With her? Of all th'—!?” he finished with another exasperated groan, pressing his palm over his face angrily as he tried to catch his breath. He just couldn't believe it, he couldn't believe his sister would be so suicidally stupid as to get involved like this. But he had to be certain of what it was, he needed some truth.

“But Mac, Ah swear, this ain't just some foolin' 'round, this is—” Applejack tried again, but she didn't get the chance.

“Stop,” Big Mac silenced her protests by raising his large hand between them, looking intently between the two as he tried to calm himself down. Finally his stern stare settled on his younger sister, and his words rolled out calmly and slowly, “Kiss 'er.”

“Say what?!” Applejack shouted in shock, her voice nearly cracking in the unusually high pitch.

“Ah wanna see it for m'own eyes.” Big Mac nodded slowly, resolved. He needed to know just what his sister thought she was doing with a girl like that.

“You don't have to ask me twice,” Rainbow Dash agreed eagerly, grabbing Applejack by her shoulders and yanking her back to where they were.

“Rain—!” Applejack's word was silenced as their lips came together.

The fence hissed and rattled again as Rainbow Dash fell back, allowing Applejack's body to crush her against it. Drawn in by the sudden move, Applejack mused a moan against Rainbow's lips, her fingers digging into the fence wantingly. He could even see their tongues peek out between their lips as Rainbow forced into her mouth. Big Mac ground his teeth together to watch it: the way his sister melted against this ridiculous girl, the way the two kissed in perfect synchrony, the way it stirred some disgusting response from his own body.

“Al'right that's enough!” Big Mac couldn't take any more, and tore the two apart once more. “Ah can't jus' sit here an' watch this.”

“No one's making you,” Rainbow Dash snarled, her eyebrows arching. “Honestly, I'd rather have AJ alone right now any—”

“Shut that dirty little mouth'a yours!” Mac snapped at her, raising his hand to her once more and shocking her with his volume. “Ah don't wanna see you anywhere near m'sister, ever again! You're pollutin' her with your sick, sick sense'a humour.”

“Humour?” Rainbow Dash scoffed at the word, crossing her arms defiantly. “This isn't some kind of joke, buddy.”

“Ma sis’ ain't never acted like this before,” the farm boy explained, gesturing to his sister violently. “All a'that weird touchin' an' flirtin' y'did t'her is makin' her all crazy!”

“No it ain't!” Applejack spoke up at once, slapping his hand away from pointing at her like some object. “Mac, Ah ain't polluted or nothin', Ah'm not goofin' around and Ah don't belong t'you. Ah can make my own—”

“'nough'a that lip! Ah don't wanna hear any'a your excuses,” Big Mac told her, continuing to ignore her to talk to Rainbow Dash. Applejack threw her hands up in exasperation. “Ma sister ain't some plaything, Dash.”

“As fun as that sounds,” Rainbow Dash hummed and smirked to annoy the older boy with such a thought, but went on more seriously, “That's not how I see her, so quit putting words into my mouth. Besides, we aren't doing anything wrong.”

“Your principal might not see it that way.” Applejack and Rainbow Dash's eyes widened to realize just the predicament they could be in. “Or th' team, an' Ah sure ain't puttin' up with it.”

“It's not your secret to tell!” Rainbow Dash barked, clenching her fists up and stepping towards the much taller boy.

“Y'doin' it on my time, an' in broad daylight?” Big Mac narrowed his eyes and stepped towards the girl as well, towering over her intimidatingly. “It ain't a very well kept secret if y'ask me.”

“Please Mac, why're y'doin' this?” Applejack's much quieter voice spoke up, her own expression pleading and uneasy. It was true, if Big Mac went and told the principal, they could get in a lot of trouble: suspension, marks on their permanent records, and they could both be kicked off the team.

“Ah should ask you th' same; Ah thought y'knew better?” Big Mac scolded her with a deep voice, threatening her with a shaking finger. “Ah thought you were th' one Ah never had t'worry 'bout?”

“Don't talk to her like that,” Rainbow stepped back in and stood in front of the girl, pointing a thumb at herself. “I don't care who you think you are or how big you might be, I will kick your ass!”

“An' you!” Mac turned back to Rainbow Dash and his voice went back to near shouting. “Ah don't wanna see y'anywhere near m'sister, am I clear?”

“What? No fucking way!” Rainbow denied firmly, having no intention to do as he said at all.

“You ain't on th' team no more either, y'got that? You're gonna quit right now and keep t'hell away from AJ,” he made himself very clear, grabbing her by her collar with his big hand and nearly picking her right up off the ground to glare into her defiant eyes. “Ah'll do anythin' to protect m'sister from your greedy little perverted fingers, Ah don't mind loosenin' m'lips about this t'everyone, an' Ah mean everyone.”

Rainbow Dash didn't have any logical comeback for that, but she kept on holding the stare and baring her teeth at him. While she usually would have forced them apart, Applejack stood completely still beside the pair, her face paling. Rainbow Dash noticed her lack of action and turned to look at her, seeing just what horror played on her face.

“Applejack?” Rainbow's voice was gentle and quiet, shaking as she spoke to the girl; but without a response, she knew what she had to do. She broke out of Big Mac's grip and looked on Applejack with understanding and selflessness. No matter what, she had to protect her. Applejack was a great quarterback and a good leader, the team needed her. “Yeah, all right. I'll quit the team, but you leave AJ out of this, okay? It's me you've got a problem with.”

“Ain't that th' truth,” Big Mac agreed, and the two glared at each other again.

Rainbow Dash scoffed and turned away from him, facing Applejack completely. The girls looked at each other, knowing there wasn't enough distance across the world to keep them apart, no matter what Big Mac might have wanted. Applejack swallowed nervously and bit at her lip, wanting nothing more than to go back to keeping it a secret. At least then they could be with each other in peace, even if it was dishonest. Rainbow reached out and placed a hand on Applejack's cheek, feeling the farm girl respond immediately by rubbing against it.

“Enough,” Big Mac shoved Rainbow by her shoulder and nearly knocked her right over, being so significantly larger than she was. Applejack immediately went to reprimand him, but his firm stare shut her up. “Keep yer disgustin' lesbian hands off my lil' sis.”

“Chh, make me,” Rainbow almost sniffed, fighting back the salts of rage that sprinkled her eyes. She tripped again as Big Mac shoved her, forcing her to walk a step or two ahead.

“Don't, Mac,” Applejack growled, grabbing his arm and keeping it away from Rainbow Dash as strongly as she could.

“Y'all make me sick,” her brother yanked his arm away from her and her shook his head, like some father figure punishing two naughty children. “Ah thought better o' you, AJ.”

Applejack had nothing to say to that, and kept from looking over at Big Mac. She was getting all misty-eyed already, and she couldn't have Big Mac yelling at her about that too. But Rainbow Dash was hardly any better off than Applejack.

“Fucking... dammit,” Rainbow murmured to herself, hurriedly reached up and dragging her thumb across her cheek, roughly flicking a tear away and bowing her head to keep it out of sight.

“Rainbow,” Applejack whispered her name, knowing even from looking at her back that she was losing it. Rainbow Dash was rarely the type to give in to emotions, but what with everything happening at the last game, and now this; it was too much for anyone to handle.

“You know, you really aren't much of a big brother.” Rainbow shoved her hands into her pockets, not looking back at the man in question as to reveal her reddening eyes. “You're too stupid to even notice that I'm not manipulating anyone, and shit—I am not screwing around either. It doesn't even matter to you what Applejack might want, does it?” The captain sighed, forcing herself to keep distance between herself and the siblings. “I hope one day you'll realize just how big of an asshole you're being right now, Mac... I was the one who thought better of you.”

Almost as soon as their secret was found out by the one they dreaded most to know, the team was rounded up, including the reluctant Scootaloo. Big McIntosh, Shining Armour, Applejack and Rainbow Dash all stood in front of the team that had amassed on the bleachers, along with the cheer squad and Twilight.

“Dash has somethin' tha' she's gotta tell y'all,” Big Mac shoved the girl forward, right into the ring of teammates that she usually shouted at. She used to love being the centre of attention, but now, it made her shrink and sweat. “Go on.”

“I, uh,” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and chewed on her words, filtering through expressions as she did. Applejack watched silently, her heart breaking to witness the girl have to lie and face this sort of thing alone. Finally, she opened her mouth, and in her usual way, spat it out bluntly, “I'm quitting the team.”

“What?!” The entire group gasped in shock, looking around at each other and wondering if it was some joke.

More murmurs and expressions of surprise or disbelief rang through the group, and Rainbow Dash just waited for the inevitable questions. She glanced back at Applejack for barely a second, and found the girl staring right at her with a tormented look of regret on her face. Brushing it off, Rainbow let out a slow breath and came to terms with such a hard reality for her. Scootaloo bit her lip and squeezed her hands together. It hadn't been exactly what she wanted, but maybe getting her off the team meant she would get back to her old rebellious ways. Her narrowed eyes shifted to the quarterback, wishing looks could kill.

“But... you're the cap'n?!” Pipsqueak spoke up, trying to meet her evasive and distant eyes.

“I know,” Rainbow passively agreed, shrugging her fidgeting hands into her pockets.

“You can’t be serious?” Twilight asked gently, Pinkie Pie behind her covering her mouth in bewilderment.

“Why you?” Scootaloo asked in a near growl, wondering why it hadn't been Applejack to leave. Rainbow blinked at the odd phrasing, but answered.

“Look, it's complicated, all right? I just,” Rainbow started, pausing to try and think of some vague way to put it. “I have more important things to do, that's all.”

“More important?” a few of the players repeated in varying degrees of annoyance or sorrow.

“I loved playing with you guys, damn it, did I ever. But,” Rainbow forced a chuckle to keep the shaking in her voice out of their ears. She blinked quickly a few times to fight back any emotion from breaching them. “I can't stay.”

Spike was silent too, watching the display carefully. He knew that Rainbow Dash loved the team and the game, she wouldn't just up and quit for no reason. Despite her flaws, she was one of the most loyal people he knew. So then, why was she leaving? Spike was particularly perturbed by Applejack's lack of adequate response, she just stood there like a statue. Her expression did look upset, but it also looked... sorry. In contrast, her brother had a difficult time hiding his pleased smirk, which crept out of one side of his mouth.

'Did he put her up to this? I know he doesn't like Rainbow Dash, but to do this? And there's no way she would just quit if he asked, so... what does he have on her?' Spike dropped his eyebrows and observed carefully.

“Who's going to make our plays?” Score spoke up with a snort.

“Like you shitbricks followed them anyway,” the former captain snidely remarked.

“Who's going to insult us with those weird names?” Snips asked, seeming actually disappointed by that.

“Ah think y'all live without that,” Big Mac mentioned, rolling his eyes. “In fact, we'll do jus' fine without 'er, y'all 're a great team, y'don't need Dash t' win. Y’don’t need her at all.”

“Life goes on, bitches,” Rainbow scoffed and started off towards the change room, only raising her hand to wave a goodbye. “Later.”

“...Ah need 'er,” Applejack whispered, so quietly that only Big Mac and Spike heard anything at all. Spike glanced over in time to see her brother roughly nudge her, causing her forlorn expression to drop off the retreating back of Rainbow Dash.

'Is that it? He knows about her and Applejack?' Spike realized, noticing the resentment apparent in Mac's eyes when he looked at Rainbow. Perhaps he hated her more than Spike realized. 'I was sure that Rarity and I were the only ones who knew that they were together, how did he find out? Is he that protective of his sister, of the team?'

“Get back t' practice,” Applejack grumbled her command, turning away and nearly storming off towards the benches, where the clipboard with circuits and statistics was.

“Y'heard your new captain,” Big Mac raised his voice to the team, who were surprised to hear the news.

“What, we don't even get a vote?!” Scootaloo asked with an aggressive squeak in her voice.

“She is the most senior player,” Shining Armour had to agree, looking back at the blonde girl as she left the group. “And the quarterback. She's level-headed, and knows the plays better than even I do. It does stand to reason.”

“Fucking ridiculous,” Scootaloo swore, kicking at the dirt.

Spike stood completely still as the others shrugged it off and got back to their usual routines. By then, Rainbow's small form was disappearing into the hallway towards the change rooms, and Applejack was on the other side of the field. Scootaloo was apparently still upset by whatever had perturbed her, and showing up to practice with bruises all over her was depressing to say the least. It seemed like nothing was going right, that everything around Spike was just going to shit.

Spike changed back into his regular clothes immediately after practise, not even pausing to talk to anyone in the change room, not even Featherweight, who claimed he needed help on a yearbook assignment. As he came back outside towards the parking lot, it hardly took him ten seconds for his blood to reach a full boil. There, just by the fence to the field, was Felix, Gilda, and some of their friends who Spike hardly cared to learn the names of.

Pipsqueak and Apple Bloom were hanging around outside too, but they hardly even noticed the company by the fence. They must have been talking about some training regiment, that was one of the only things that got Apple Bloom so narrow-sighted. And Pipsqueak? Well, he just knew if he ever interrupted a conversation with Apple Bloom, he would really hear it if he did. A couple of the Dumbbells were over by their vehicles yammering about some party, but Spike really couldn't care less. Trying to avoid being seen by the group, Spike ducked his head and tried to weave into the parked vehicles nonchalantly.

“'ey, Spike,” it was Applejack's voice, and Spike stopped dead still before looking over his shoulder at her. “Y'need a ride home at all? Plenty'a room in Mac's truck, considerin' he's drivin' me. Won't lemme outta his sight 'r nothin'.”

“Um, no, that's okay,” Spike quietly brushed the offer off.

“Oh yo, Iguana faggot,” Felix called through the filter of his cigarette, and Spike cringed at the sound of his voice. “You know where my little bitch is at? She was supposed to fucking be here by now.”

“I don't know. If you call her stuff like that, I don't think she'd respond all that promptly,” Spike muttered, rolling his eyes.

“Hah, you must not know the cunt too well,” Felix snarled and guffawed, some of the others joining in.

“Al'right, tha's it,” Applejack sighed, approaching the group directly with Spike hurriedly following. He knew them much better than she did, and knew they weren't to be taken lightly. “Y'come 'round our field right after our practice, an' y'talk about m'teammate like garbage? Ah ain't gonna put up with that.”

“That's Dash's wankbuddy,” Gilda told Felix, mostly ignoring what she had to say. “Hey, where's Dash at, anyway? Isn't she on your lame team too?”

“She quit,” Spike told her flatly, noticing the distinguishable way that Felix draped his arm around her.

“Hah! No shit, huh? Fuckin' loser, anyway,” Gilda said, and Spike flinched, noticing Applejack's fist curl up in a surprisingly fast motion. He hadn't really seen her angry before, but the very energy around her changed. “Guess I really must have pissed her off.”

“Ain't got nothin' t' do with you,” Applejack's voice was oddly calm, and Spike watched her carefully.

“Oh, listen to this bitch,” Gilda pointed a thumb at Applejack and rolled her eyes. Gilda's eyes met hers, and she became quite serious once she saw the direct resentment in them. “You want to fight, blondie?”

“Tha's th' first thing y'say t'me?” Applejack raised an eyebrow, but did not move a muscle. Though Gilda looked quite eager to push her around, Applejack remained still, observing her. “Naw, Ah don't wanna fight you.”

“Smart idea, redneck.” Gilda scoffed, snatching the cigarette right out of Felix's mouth and sucking hard on it. She snorted a laugh as she breathed the smoke out through her nose, and spoke again, “Pfft, leave it to Rainbow Dyke to want to screw a pacifist.”

“Y'got a reason f' comin' 'round here?” Applejack asked simply, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes.

“Yeah, Scuntaloo's expecting us,” Gilda shrugged, leaning against the fence and biting at the filter of her smoke, making an impression of her teeth.

“Tha's too bad,” Applejack nearly sighed, her expression quite sorrowful to hear that.

“What'd you say?” the white-haired Cloudsdale resident pulled in just about all of the tobacco in one breath, spitting the cigarette down at Applejack's feet before grabbing her by the collar forcefully. Still, though Spike flinched and readied to fight the group, Applejack remained calm and let it happen, merely looking right into the girl's eyes as she shouted, “Listen, you worthless country scrub: you don't talk to me, you don't look at me, and you definitely don't insult me, got that?”

“Applejack,” Spike almost whispered, glancing around to notice Pipsqueak and Apple Bloom stop talking and look over at them.

“Y'ain't gettin' no argument from me on that one,” Applejack chuckled in agreement, wanting even less to do with the girl than she wanted with Applejack. The quarterback (and now captain) merely reached up and grabbed her wrist, prying it from her collar and straightening it back up. She stepped back, calmly heading towards where she knew Big Mac had parked, “Well, Ah'll see y'later, Spike.”

“You better walk away, fucking twat!” Gilda shouted after her, but again, there was no response from Applejack.

Spike stared at her casually retreating form for a moment, wondering why that was. It sure seemed odd to him, how doing nothing at all seemed to bother Gilda and Felix more than anything. He shook it off though, his own protective instincts kicking in.

“What's your deal, anyway?” Spike asked in a growl, meeting eyes with the white-haired girl.

“Wouldn't you like to know,” she said with a wink, and that really made him uncomfortable. “Reptile eyes like that, bet you have one hell of a trouser snake. Leave it to Scuntaloo to pass that shit up.”

Before Spike could respond, the girl in question walked out of the school, instantly calling the attention of the group.

“Yo, dicksuck,” Felix shouted out, raising his hand.

Scootaloo didn’t respond or look up, opting to simply walk straight towards the group. Spike averted his eyes, trying not to interfere with Scootaloo’s decisions. She walked in between Felix and Gilda, the former immediately slapping his hand against Scootaloo’s rear. She continued to avert her gaze from the others yet she shifted closer towards Felix as he continued to fondle her.

“Scoota—” Spike started.

“Fuck off, iguana,” Scootaloo responded immediately, yet her words seemed shaken. “I mean, I just… Uh—”

Felix’s other hand came up and impacted her face, roughly jerking her head backwards as she let out a squeal. Before Felix’s hand could return to his side, before Scootaloo’s head faced forwards again, a larger hand shot forward, the fingers wrapping around Felix’s smaller neck. Spike clenched his hand, the suddenness of the motion caused Felix to release his hand from Scootaloo’s rear. He was caught in the middle of a breath and choked out once.

After a second, he and the others processed the motion and his usual two friends immediately grabbed onto his wrist to no avail. They tugged fruitlessly without being able to budge Spike’s hand, let alone make him move.

“Let him go, fuckstick,” one of his friends grunted through his teeth.

Gilda and her Cloudsdale friend merely shared the cigarette, watching the scene while Scootaloo began to panic, looking around worriedly. Spike grit his teeth, staring through his bangs that became ruffled from the practise as he attempted to glare at Felix.

‘Just a little longer. Just a little longer is all it takes to shut him up for good,’ Spike thought, his mind flashing back to previous incidents.

Regardless, Spike closed his eyes and his arm shook. His grip loosened entirely and he felt his body grow slightly weak as a voice pierced his mind. Rather, two voices.

“Spike!?” Rarity and Twilight’s voices shrieked from a distance.

Spike spun around as Felix violently coughed, hunching forward as he crumbled to the ground. Scootaloo merely crossed her hands, covering her mouth as she watched Felix recover from being choked. Spike ignored entirely and stepped towards Rarity and Twilight. Both girls had a stern glare on their faces and Spike felt his aggression return to his usual timid nature. His shoulders dropped and he felt himself hunch forward unintentionally.

“Twilight?” Spike asked as his mind raced.

“Just get in the car, Spike,” Twilight muttered, turning away as she walked towards the parking lot.

Rarity followed suit and Spike grunted, glancing back as Felix stood up, now lightly coughing. Scootaloo was now glaring directly at him and Gilda and her friend were still completely stone-faced in regards to the situation. Meekly following, Spike shuffled into the back seat, accidentally slamming the door. Tossing his sports bag to the floor, he buckled up and let out a deep sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Twilight sat in the drivers seat, not speaking and Rarity happened to get into the back seat through the other door. Spike turned his head away from her and he sighed deeply.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, feeling a situation similar to a childhood chastisement.

“Don’t be. Felix is a vexing person towards you, and after a while, it’s got to be a little aggravating having to sit still and take it,” Twilight responded understandingly.

“Why do you give a damn?” Spike asked, retracting his hands as he folded his arms upon Rarity attempting to hold hands.

“You’re my brother, why wouldn’t I?” Twilight asked, turning towards the younger boy.

“I am not your goddamn brother,” Spike responded in an almost shout.

Rarity responded immediately. “I wouldn’t talk like that to family, Spike,” she said. Spike opened his mouth as if to speak yet Rarity cut him off. “No. Listen to me for once, or listen to others for once in regards to this issue. Twilight does her best for you as well as the others. And I don’t want to be rude, but you more often than take it, opt to ignore what they say out of some misguided sense of being a man by doing everything yourself.” She contemplated lightening up on her words, shaking her head and continuing. “And I can’t stand it sometimes. Just accept that there are people there for you.”

Spike held a stare into Rarity’s eyes and he looked towards Twilight briefly as she started the station wagon. Spike placed his arm on the rest, glancing out the window. Rarity let out a soft sigh, facing the front of the vehicle as Twilight backed up. Placing her hands on her lap, she faced out her window as Twilight left the parking lot. Feeling a hand atop hers, she glanced over to see Spike’s reddening cheeks yet his eyes continued glancing outside. Taking his hand into hers, she allowed a small smile to appear on her face.

He was still just a child, but he was only able to improve from that point.

Her eyes were closed, yes, her breath was slow, yes, but she was not asleep. The furnace kicked off, predictably unpredictable in that old farm house, and it seemed a great deal quieter. Applejack's arms were outstretched to either end of her bed, and for a while, she just laid there on top of the covers in the bitter darkness. There was a great, weighted sadness on her chest, but she could not contort her face well enough to express it, not even to the ceiling, which in its blankness hung over her bed like a crib carousel covered in dust.

It was awful, the way Applejack suddenly understood the loneliness she had not even noticed or acknowledged most of her whole life. An empty bed now felt cold, silence seemed taunting, and her body, her body was numb without touch. Another sigh, and she was certain the room was filled to the rafters with the sentiment. It still embarrassed her, remembering the way her brother had looked when he had walked in on her and Rainbow Dash. But the consequences were what squeezed her worse.

Rolling her head to the side, her dull green eyes stared at the old flip phone on her nightstand, which was long past asleep for the evening. Usually it would be going off all night, filling up her inbox with texts from Rainbow Dash. She smiled sadly as she remembered them, how angry she would get having to manually delete them all when she filled it up, how she would tell Rainbow time and again that she needed to sleep and couldn't stay up chatting about every little thing. She loved those silly conversations though, and she was too awake without them.

She reached out, the tips of her fingers catching on the edges of the phone. Her body folded over her other arm as she grabbed the phone, though she had to try twice to get a good enough grip to take it over. It flipped open easily in her hand, and though it stung her eyes a bit, she stared at the background picture longingly. It was her and Rainbow, in their uniforms. Rainbow herself had taken it, and obviously it was crooked and the lighting was awful, but Applejack loved it that way. Finding the girl's name on her contact list, she thought for a good few moments, weighing the decision.

After absently tapping her fingers too lightly over keys to make any letter, Applejack settled on sending something. She typed it out and looked it over, her heart beating in her throat as she held onto the truth of the statement. Closing her eyes and remembering the face of the receiver of her text, she hit the SEND button at once.

'I miss you already.' It vibrated onto the bedside of a sleepless girl across town, who snatched it up and held it right up to her face, reading it again and again.

Rainbow Dash smiled, typing in a response with a grin splitting her cheeks, 'I know, I can't sleep without you, babe.'

Applejack's hands and chest shook as the text reached her, and she pulled it up from over her heart to wince at the light of the screen. Even reading the endearing colloquial diminutive made her chest tight, and she could still hear it on Rainbow's lips. She smiled at the eager response, and played with a coy smile as she came up with something uncharacteristic to say.

'Like we'd do much sleepin, anyway, ;)' Applejack replied, emoticon faces not a usual inhabitant of her texts.

'You perv.' Rainbow snickered at the hypocrisy of calling the farm girl such a name, but went on to type more, 'What would your brother do if he caught you texting me, and this late?'

Applejack momentarily considered such a thing. He would probably wake the whole house up with his surprisingly loud voice, yelling at her the way he might if she had betrayed his trust. But no matter how troubling such an image was, there was something all the more polluting and captivating that made the dare worthwhile. In fact, Rainbow Dash occupied most all of her idle thoughts, and when she was in bed, this was especially true.

'He ain't who I'm thinkin about doin stuff to me,' the farmer replied suggestively, and the girl at the other end grinned even wider to read it.

Rainbow groaned to imagine what was going through the farm girl's head, rolling on her bed wantingly. Feeling herself physically responding to the texted teasing, she squeezed her legs together tightly to try and satisfy or restrain herself. She ended up on her back, holding the phone far away from her throbbing body and managing to type out an understandable response.

'Damn, you're making me really hot, talking like that, AJ.' Rainbow Dash responded, hoping text could convey her lust.

Indeed it did a good job, because Applejack felt the same desire as her friend. Flipping onto her stomach, she wrote a reply that did little but further Rainbow Dash's infatuation with the conversation, 'Naw, you were always hot.'

'Hot for you.' Rainbow clicked the buttons, tapping her thumb in place as she thought of more. It was quite thrilling, hearing the same flirtatious nature from Applejack that she knew in herself. 'Listen to you, you sound like me! I guess by rubbing up on you, I've been rubbing off on you.'

The response accompanied a perverse grin, and brought up more detailed images of just such instances they had shared. Both girls sighed simultaneously, and Applejack quickly checked to make sure her bedroom door was closed up tight. She kicked her bare feet under the covers of her bed and spread her legs a bit, noticing the moisture she had accumulated. Her pajamas had fallen down her hips a bit, and she was darn near warm enough to kick them right off. Gulping and chewing on her lip, she begged for more.

'Mmm... say more stuff like that,' Applejack pleaded simply.

'Like what? Man, you’re a horny fucker, you know that? lol,' Rainbow flinched her toes just to think about what she would be doing if they were together, and actually considered sneaking into Applejack's window. That is, until she remembered how loud the two could be. That would be hard to cover up.

'You love it.' The farmer's text rang in, and Rainbow Dash could not deny it.

'I do. So, how about a little treat, then? For my favourite quarterback,' Rainbow teased playfully, hoping her partner in secretive seduction would comply.

Applejack raised her eyebrow at the suggestion, but was intrigued. Taking a slow breath to try and calm her concupiscence, she shifted on her stomach and propped herself up a bit on her pillow, waiting for what it could be. 'Oh? Yes please.'

Excited by the earnest response, Rainbow sat up at once. It was dark in her room, but that didn't cause any concern. Shuffling her rear against the comfort of her mattress, Rainbow Dash pressed her hands against her chest, feeling what was there. Wearing such a loose shirt, it was hardly any trouble to stretch the neck out far enough to angle the camera on her phone down there. The flash illuminated her body and her smirk, and the time between the snap and the send was hardly a few seconds.

[Image sent.]

Applejack opened her phone and blinked in wonder, noticing a blank text with a picture attachment. She wasn't much for this technological stuff, but she knew it well enough to fumble her way to opening the attachment. As it loaded onto the screen in her hands, her eyes widened considerably, a dark blush spreading across her cheeks. Her eyes sparkled at the sight, and she stared at the image for so long she twice had to tap her phone to get the picture back up.

Squeezing her hot and tingling lips together and chewing at them, Applejack flipped onto her back, allowing herself deep breaths to contain her excitement. The heat from her own body proved too distracting, and she pressed her cool hand to her chest. Just like that, it brought up the memory of Rainbow's cool hands on her. Moving her tongue around in her now watering mouth, Applejack's hands ventured her body, touching places where she had known familiar kisses.

Her legs rubbed against each other, craving something like Rainbow's thin body between them. That very thought caused her to become much more involved with and entranced by her own imagination, glancing over at the dimming image of the girl's body on the pillow beside her. Her hand crept down beneath the covers, crawling over her body, and made its way to the loose hem of her pajamas. She never made a habit of doing things like that at all, but she really had no control with Rainbow Dash showing her stuff like that.

A soft moan escaped her lips as she traced herself, her closed eyes displaying the visage of her closest friend, leaning down to her. She pressed her back into the bed and grasped at the sheets, imagining Rainbow Dash herself dropping lower and lower under the covers, taking all of her sanity with her. Another, higher and louder groan escaped her lips, and she wished to speak the name of the girl who did such torturous things to her. Of course, Rainbow Dash was not one to be left out.

Applejack flinched in surprise as the phone vibrated again, the sensation tickling her shoulder as it ran across the pillow. With her free hand, she grabbed the phone and opened the text, realizing it was from the same girl who had sent her the tantalizing image.

'… you there?' Rainbow Dash impatiently waited on the other end of the phone, kicking one leg up and down over the other. She felt uneasy since she had not received a response sooner.

'What? Ya, I'm here, sorry, I was, uh...' Applejack quickly typed out a response, her fingers trembling to make words. Trying to think of a polite way to say what she was doing with the image, she settled for, 'usin that.'

'You dirty little thing, you!' Rainbow Dash ecstatically replied, her grin wide and confident.

Applejack clenched her eyes shut in embarrassment, but responded defensively. 'I can't help it!'

After a few more amused snickers, Rainbow Dash pursed her lips and thought of a very interesting idea. Writing it out, she wondered what might be the answer to such a potentially enthralling question, 'So... does your phone have a camera?'

'… it might.'

Through their physical distance, the intangible electricity ran hot. However, most of the rest of the night slept peacefully. Most.

Across town, Spike glanced at his phone, his face flushed as he sat in his bed, wearing only boxers that may be too tight for him right now. After the day he had, he was surprised at what was occurring, having asked Rarity for a method of improving his mood. A promise of trying to better himself managed to end that conversation. He was surprised at how easy it was yet was even more surprised at what he was going to text. Gulping once, he tapped the SEND icon on his screen and watched as the message went through.

‘Hey, Rarity, does your phone have a decent camera?’ he typed.

Spike stopped breathing, watching the screen and managing to ignore the sounds of Twilight’s headphones… and Shining Armour’s pornography. He blinked only once as he waited until the device vibrated and he saw the response.

‘It might~ ;3’

Author's Note

Aha! And the plot thickens...
Hope you all liked a little more of the M rating.
Oh... and how do you like the new cover image? Courtesy of Arby and myself!

Emergency Number

XIV. Emergency Number

Rarity's phone vibrated not once, but twice. Though she wanted to just ignore it to relax for a few more moments, she instinctively reached out and unlocked the screen on her phone. Rarity knew to be wary of texts from Rainbow Dash, and this one was surely no different. Still, she hesitantly opened the message and scanned it.

'Skank, I'm coming over.' Rarity rolled her eyes, not surprised at all. The next message read on, 'ps do you have those mini pizza things?'

With quick and stern fingers, she replied a simple, 'No.'

The phone vibrated again almost immediately, and Rarity could not stop herself from checking it. It was Rainbow Dash again, just as characteristic, 'Fuck, you suck.'

Rarity frowned at it, though she was not particularly offended. It was just Rainbow Dash, after all. Still, she wondered why the girl had wanted to go over to her house anyway, it was a rare occurrence indeed, especially since she was always busy with football. That was right, Rarity remembered: Rainbow Dash was no longer on the team at all. It sure was hard to believe, considering she seemed to enjoy it so much, and Applejack was right there with her. She was too curious not to ask.

'What is it? And why'd you quit the team, anyway?' she added as though it was a casual question.

'Long story. Perfect fucking time for those mini pizzas, don't you think?' was the response, and Rarity sighed in a groan out loud. If it meant answers, though, she supposed she could comply.

'… Fine, I'll go get some.' Rarity hit the send button firmly.

'Sweet. Be there soon.' Rainbow's text was straight to the point as usual.

“Sorry, Spike,” Rarity said as she turned around, addressing the boy who was laying next to her on the bed. “I'm going to have to cut this short after all.”

“What? Already?” Spike grumbled, leaning in and kissing her neck. “Are you sure?”

“Spikey, come on, don't tease me,” she giggled, wriggling out of his hold. “Rainbow Dash is coming over, surely you don't want to stay while she's here?”

“I didn't know you two were that close,” Spike wondered, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. “She's probably just going to complain about shit, I doubt it will be interesting.”

“She asked to come over, well, more like invited herself,” Rarity murmured irritably. “And besides, I told my sister I would help her with a project for her cheerleading. You understand, don't you?”

“Yeah, whatever,” he growled as he sat up at once, adjusting his shirt. “I don't know why I even bothered showing up here.”

“Spikey, calm down. You can't just throw a temper tantrum whenever you don't get your way,” she sighed, watching him pull his belt around to fix the position of the buckle. “I can't just lie in bed all day, you know that.”

“It's not a damn temper tantrum,” Spike snapped back, though he went stiff once he noticed her knowing expression. He was kind of proving her point. “It's just, sometimes I need a friend too. We have a game tomorrow, and I have a lot going on in my head; it's driving me nuts.”

“I've always said that we can talk about it, I'll do whatever I can to help you,” Rarity's expression softened on him. Still, he resisted her kindness.

“It's all right, I'll be fine.” He grabbed his jacket from over the back of her computer chair and threw it over his shoulders, tugging it closed around his chest.

“You know, Spike,” she started slowly, hoping that something might actually get through to him, even if just to piss him off. “Sometimes, you do act rather juvenile.”

The door slammed at once, and Rarity flinched as it did. She could hear his footsteps descending the stairs, but she continued to just stare at the door. It probably wasn't the best thing to say, but he was not the only one who was affected by his mood swings. It was not easy for Rarity, either. With a long exhale, she got to her feet and did up the top few buttons of her shirt. After all, she had to go out and get mini pizzas. Perhaps she could buy a few magazines, too, to calm her down.

“Juvenile, I’m just… ugh, whatever,” Spike said, stumbling forward.

Biting his lip, Spike looked out towards a field, watching several kids in the school yard playing with a football. Idly stepping forward, he stood just a foot from the fence, leering over as he watched twenty kids zip around, not playing to win but just enjoying. Of course, they had forsaken the elementary school touch-football rules. They had decided to play like the pros, lazily tackling each other, yet none of them were heavy enough to take down with any damage. It was sprints and shouts, tumbles to the ground, followed by roaring laughter and cheers. He eyed them with envy, wishing he were indeed quite so juvenile again. Closing his eyes, his mind conjured up numerous images.

A smaller Pipsqueak, a smaller set of the Dumbbells and his other teammates and friends as well as a younger version of him tumbling around. Inexperienced children fumbling at a sport they’ve never played. He truly wished that he had started this game earlier in life. Sighing, he leaned forward and rested his arms on the top of the fence, continuing to watch them.

One of the kids stopped playing as he spotted Spike, the rest of the group following suit. One boy ran over towards him, glancing up at him. He looked like a miniature Pipsqueak yet upon speaking, noticed his accent was entirely different.

“Oi, mis’er, what’re ya doin’, ploppin’ ‘round th’ schoo’ yar’?” he spoke in a thick, almost incomprehensible Australian accent.

“Uh, just watching some younger kids play football, y’know,” Spike admitted casually, shrugging his shoulders.

“You’re a Man’icore, ‘ight?” he asked.

“Huh?” Spike raised an eyebrow.

“Man, tee, core. Like th’ high schoo’ foo’ball team, tha’ ol’ kicker,” he questioned excitedly, his eyes widening and becoming more starstruck as he spoke.

“I, guess, yeah, I’m also the team’s tight end,” Spike muttered, glancing up towards the skies. Looking back down, he almost did a double-take upon seeing the kid with a wide open mouth, drooling. “Uh, kid, you’re drooling.”

He wiped his mouth without closing it or blinking and giggled. Spike leaned back slightly as several more kids ran over towards him, seemingly recognizing him as well. Gulping, Spike looked stared the mass of children that arrived.

“Woah, a real pro football player.”

“D’you know Brian Pasghetti?”

“You mean Brian Stangeltti?”

“They said you kicked a football 60-yards.”

“Woah, a dragon that looks human.”

“Play with us!”

Feeling the tension in his chest dissolve, he held up a finger as he pulled out his phone. Glancing at the screen, he vaguely identified the time, and checked for messages. Nothing came through at the moment but he had remembered that he didn’t respond to Rarity’s last message before he arrived at the boutique. Pulling it out, he stared at it intently.

Rarity

‘Want to come over for a bit? I’m free for an hour~ ;3’

Sighing as he remembered the outcome, Spike tapped the text box, typing in his message in the keypad that popped up.

‘Hey, I just wanted to say’

Spike stopped, not being able to think up an adequate end to that sentence. Leaving his response for later, he hit his phone’s lock button and pocketed the device, smiling as he shook his head.

“Sure.”

With a single leap, Spike climbed atop the fence as the kids cheered, running back to the field with Spike jogging shortly behind.

“Come on, Rarity!” Sweetie Belle squeaked, spinning around in the chair by Rarity's computer desk. “You said you'd help me with these lyrics?”

“Why do you need my help, dear? Music is your forte,” Rarity reminded her, flipping through a magazine on her bed while laying on her stomach and kicking her legs up and down gracefully.

“Usually yeah, but this is for the Manticores, and I don't know anything about them. You know the team better than I do, you're dating a player,” Sweetie pouted her lips and crossed her arms, kicking her legs quickly to keep her turning around and around.

“Well, they're an interesting bunch, yes,” Rarity hummed to think about them, a smile playing on her face. “Despite struggling through their small numbers and inexperience, they're determined and diligent, talented and tough, persistent and—”

“Hey Rare, you think AJ could undo this clasp with her teeth?” The football team's captain stumbled backwards out of the closet, wearing Rarity's bra over her much smaller breasts and her own sports bra. She groped at them and played with the clasp herself, which was located between the cups for easy access.

“Perverted.” Rarity finished with a low voice, glaring at the subject in question. With a sigh, she answered the girl who was looking at herself in Rarity's mirror, “You would know better than I would, Dash.”

“Oh, she's a goddess with her tongue, but teeth? We haven't tried,” Rainbow Dash went on, even having difficulty undoing the clasp with her clumsy fingers, that was why she often just pulled it right over her head rather than deal with that.

“Her tongue, you say,” Rarity repeated distractedly, still flipping through the pages and hardly listening.

“Don't get me started, man, the things I could tell you!” Rainbow raised her voice, laughing as she went into the closet to remove the brassiere. “But I don't want to pop the virgin ear-cherry on this little doll-face.”

“Pop the—?” That got Rarity's attention, and she looked over at her little sister, who looked quite confused and disturbed by everything that came out of Rainbow's mouth. “Rainbow Dash, I know things with Applejack are difficult, from what you’ve told me, but do at least try to be civil.”

“I can't help myself,” Rainbow Dash sighed, exiting the closet while doing up her own blouse, having had her own bra on under Rarity's to fill it out better. She groaned and fell backwards onto Rarity's bed, covering her eyes with her hands. “I miss her so much. So fucking much. Her brother, like, escorts her everywhere now, so I can hardly get close. Ugh, I miss those sweet, soft, supple—”

“Please don't,” Rarity begged her not to go on.

“I was talking about her lips,” Rainbow rolled her head and glared at Rarity. She couldn't keep it up though, and cracked a suggestive smile to reveal it, “Which lips, however...”

“Ugh, I can't listen to this,” Rarity slammed her magazine shut, startling both of them. “First with Spike, and now with you. You two are always complaining, but how about doing something constructive about it, hmm? Big McIntosh is fine with her seeing her other friends, right? She could go to, say, Twilight's or my house, right?”

“Yeah, but I don't see why—” Rainbow Dash paused as she understood what Rarity was suggesting. “Man, you's a sneaky lil' bitch, ain't cha?”

“Watch your language,” Rarity reminded her firmly, and Sweetie Belle just watched on.

“It's at Rare's house, Ah dunno what you're gettin' s’ worked up about,” Applejack growled as she finished packing her books into a shoulder bag, slinging it over her arm.

“Who's all gonna be there?” her brother asked invasively, pacing in front of the door like he was guarding it.

“Ah dunno, Twilight prob'ly, maybe Fluttershy,” Applejack shrugged as she grabbed the keys off the hook on the wall, trying to get past Big Mac.

“Dash?” Big Mac raised his eyebrow accusingly.

“It's a study group, Ah seriously doubt that.” The farm girl chuckled as she tried to pass him again, only to have him step in front of her.

Big Mac grabbed the keys in her hand and held them, staring into his younger sister's bright green eyes. He traced them for any hint of a lie, but couldn't see a thing like it. Still, he was too stubborn to let her go alone.

“Ah'm drivin ya.” He turned around and opened the door, hardly having time to slip on his shoes before storming out to the truck.

“Wha—seriously?” Applejack whined incredulously. Could she ever have a moment of peace? With a loud groan she followed after him, closing the door and easily catching up. “Ugh, why you gotta be so...”

“S' what?” Mac asked as he looked over his shoulder suspiciously. “Protective? Cautious?”

“Annoyin',” Applejack corrected with a low grumble, pushing past him as she went to the passenger's side.

“Look, AJ, one day ya'll realize that all o' this was f’ your own good,” he told her calmly, climbing into the driver's seat and slamming the door after him. He wasted not a moment starting up the ignition, the only luggage he brought along being the wallet in his rear pocket.

“One day when Ah'm miserable an' alone?” Applejack glared over at him, but he continued to focus on backing out of the driveway.

“Maybe.” Their bodies shrugged and shifted as the truck went over the various indentations and potholes that riddled the driveway. After another moment or two of awkward silence, Big mac squeezed at his steering wheel, making certain his intentions were known. “Listen sis, Ah don't much mind if y'wanna... y'know, with... y'know,” he seemed very uncomfortable as he spoke, not being much for words usually, and it amused Applejack.

“Sleep with girls?” she asked plainly, crossing her arms and looking at him seriously.

“Eeyup,” he sonorously agreed, clearing his throat to make an excuse for the rosiness in his cheeks. “It's jus'... Dash? Of all people? Y'couldn't pick someone... Ah dunno, else?”

“It ain't duck-duck-goose, Mac,” Applejack rolled her eyes, sinking back into the seat deeper. “Wha's y'problem with 'er, anyway? She ain't as bad as y'peg her for, y'don't give 'er enough credit.”

Big Mac smiled, huffing something of a laugh. Though Applejack frowned and glared at his reflection in the window, he looked over with an odd fondness in his face. He reached out, placing his hand over her shoulder, the size of it encompassing a good portion of her arm in the process. With a softened expression, she glanced back over at him questioningly.

“Y'always were too forgivin', sis,” he told her quietly, keeping an eye on the road time and again. “Ah jus' don't wanna see y'get hurt, she ain't good for ya.”

“Y'don't know her like Ah do, Mac,” Applejack tried to plead to him, but he didn't seem to listen. “She can be real sweet. Like sometimes, when we're lyin' in bed, she'll jus' lean over an'—”

“Nnope! Ah don't wanna hear this!” Big Mac interrupted in a near shout, gripping the steering wheel as his face flushed red again.

“She'll kiss me, Mac. Tha's all. She'll kiss me, then lean back a mite, an' just look at me, with this big ol' lovin' smile on her face,” Applejack cooed, herself smiling as she remembered it. “An' no matter where we do it, sh' always wants t' cuddle afterwards. Th' big lug.”

“‘N'matter where y'do it’?” Big Mac's face twisted into an almost painful disgust as images came to his head. “Where th' hay have you—nnope, don't answer that.”

“Mac,” Applejack spoke him name calmly, her gentle and understanding eyes searching for his. “Ah know it ain’t like you t’ be so aggressive an’ mean. Y’aint never been s’ hard on me for my decisions, neither. So tell me… what’s really botherin’ you? Why do you hate Rainbow Dash?”

“She ain’t th’ most likable girl around, clearly,” he absently responded, turning the wheel as they made their way to the Boutique in town. “But Ah do have a reason.”

“Ah’m listenin’,” his sister ushered him to continue.

“It was a long time ago, b’fore y’brought th’ girl home t’ meet us,” Big Mac began, checking his rear view mirror before changing lanes. “Ah ran into her once before, well, t’ be honest, she darn near ran into me.”

“Really?” Applejack asked curiously, sitting up in her seat. “Y’never told me.”

“Ah know. Y’had talked about ‘er before, so Ah knew what sh’ musta looked like, an’ honestly, that hair’a hers is hard t’ mistake,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Ah was walkin’ ‘round in town with Shining Armour, when suddenly this young girl comes outta nowhere an’ rounds th’ corner, darn near knocks me right over if you can believe it.”

“What happened?” she pried.

“She obviously didn’t know who Ah was, that Ah was her best friend’s brother an’ all… But, well… see, ‘er pockets were all stuffed up with lord-knows-what, an’ she was rushin’ ‘round like her heels were on fire,” he went on, frowning. “Ah hear some storekeeper hollerin’ from around th’ bend ‘bout a couple o’ thievin’ kids.”

“Oh, Dash,” Applejack whispered, closing her eyes tight in embarrassment.

“So rightly Ah try an’ stop her, grabbin’ her by th’ shoulders an’ telling her t’ stop runnin’ and such. She knocks me off though, an’ shouts somethin’ Ah ain’t never gonna forget.” Big Mac huffed a low sigh, and the words rolled out, “'Hey, I don't get up in your business about you fucking your cousin or your sister, buddy, so back off. Didn't your half-witted parents ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?!'”

Though Big McIntosh couldn’t hide the southern drawl even in his mimic, Applejack knew it sounded just like her. She hummed flatly, understanding how such a thing could piss him off. After all, mentioning something about incest sure made it a little more awkward in the truck. That, and the siblings had lost their parents well before that time, and hearing that must not have been easy either.

“Ah never forgave ‘er for that, an’ she ain’t done much t’ make me wanna,” he grunted, stopping at a stop light for a few seconds before rolling to a go as it turned green. “Shining Armour tol' me tha' his sister said Rainbow Dash was the worst o' th' worst 'round school, always fightin' an' cussin' an' cheatin'. He tol' me once that Dash actually set th' school on fire once. On fire, Applejack!”

“Now that was an accident,” Applejack defended her adamantly, but Mac glared over at her. “Well, kinda.”

“She ain't jus' a punk, AJ, she's dangerous,” Big Mac tried to tell her, but she didn't seem to care. “Ah can’t rightly stand by an’ watch y’mess ‘round with someone like that.”

“Yea’, she sure ain’t easy to get along with, an’ she don’t make great choices all th’ time,” Applejack smiled sadly, knowing that something like this couldn’t usually just be swept under the rug. “But believe me when Ah tell you, she’s changed Mac, she really has. An’ she’s still changin’. Ain’t no one perfect.”

“She’s a thievin’ thug, a ruffian who’s always got her hands in th’ wrong places, AJ, Ah really can’t imagine what y’see in a girl like that.” Big Mac shook his head solemnly, disappointed in her.

“Ah can’t ask you t’ forgive her,” Applejack knew that, and she comfortingly reached out and put her hand on her brother’s. “But can Ah ask you t’ forgive me? For lyin’ an’ all. It sure can’t make it any easier on ya.”

“O’course, Ah ain’t angry at you,” he explained, glancing over once or twice as he spoke. “Yer ma sister, AJ.”

The two met gazes, and at once noticed the lingering uncomfortable atmosphere from recounting what Rainbow had said. They both immediately retracted their hands, cringing and shuttering to even imagine imagining them together. It was enough to silence the truck once more.

Applejack forced herself to look out the window instead, watching the streetlights come on and pass as the evening grew darker. She sighed, her breath fogging up a portion of the window as she leaned near it on her arm. Big Mac glanced over three times before deciding to speak again, and it was hard for him to put the words together at all.

“D… D'you love her, AJ?” he asked softly, his voice so quiet it was tangled up in the hum of the heating vents.

Applejack raised her head from her arm and looked over at him, noticing his tensing grip on the steering wheel. She swallowed anxiously before responding, knowing that he really didn’t want to hear it at all, “... An' what if Ah do?”

He took in a heavy breath and dropped it hard, his expression hardening as they grew nearer and nearer to a place he hardly knew and could hardly protect her in. He grit his teeth, imagining what Rainbow Dash must have done to worm her way into such a nice girl’s affection, and gave her his two cents: “Get over it.”

Applejack scoffed, shaking her head and turning back to the window. She had nothing to say to him that wasn't rude, so she just kept her mouth shut. Sometimes, she just could not deal with his ignorance and asinine behaviour.

It wasn't much longer to the Boutique, and the rest of the drive was filled in with silence. Applejack bounced her booted foot up and down, her body uncomfortable in the seat. She gripped at the armrest, remembering doing so for a much different reason so shortly ago. Shaking her head dismissively, she checked her cellphone out of the eye-line of her brother, wondering if she had received anything new from Rainbow Dash. Still though, to her disappointment, there was nothing.

The truck lurched a bit as Big Mac pulled up to the Boutique, halting it at once with the weight of his foot on the break. Applejack looked up and identified the front doors, relieved that the awkward ride was over. Picking up her book bag off the ground at her feet, she slung the strap over her arm and nearly kicked the door right open, before remembering her manners.

“Well, thanks for the ride an' all, Mac.” Applejack jumped out of the passenger's seat and let her boot-heels clack on the concrete.

“Nothin' doin'. Makes me rest easy t' drive you,” he told her as he leaned over the seat, adding something more, “B'sides, last time Ah lent y'th' truck, the back seat was all wet an' covered 'n knotted rope.”

Applejack froze remembering such a thing, and hoped the dimming light was enough to hide her blush. She chuckled lightly and nervously responded, “Oh, right... that.”

“So, what're you studyin'?” Mac asked, narrowing his eyes a bit at the way she shuffled her bag.

“Ah dunno, Rarity told me to grab my social studies text an' m' English notes,” she replied honestly, shrugging as she closed the truck door behind her.

Big Mac's gaze followed her as she walked around the truck, getting more and more serious and suspicious with each step she took. Glancing up at what he presumed was Rarity's window, he saw the curtains flutter and fall back into place. He didn't like this one bit. Slamming the keys in the ignition into the off position, he hopped out of the truck himself, hurrying to catch up to her near the front door.

“Ah'll walk y'up,” Big Mac told her sternly, falling into step beside her.

“Are y'kiddin' me?” she incredulously asked, making a horribly offended expression. “Do y'not trust me at all? Dash ain't gonna be here, Mac, relax already, y'paranoid maniac.”

“If she ain't there it ain't no problem for me t'come in, right?” he asked with a raised brow, smirking accusingly.

“'cept y'weren't invited,” Applejack grumbled as she rolled her eyes, letting him follow anyway. “Rare said t'jus' c'mon in.”

Applejack turned the doorknob and pushed the door in, walking right into the eerily dark Boutique showroom. It was not the first time it had been so dark in there, and Applejack wasn't afraid of her friend's house or anything, so she just kept moving along, even when her brother went around and checked behind the counters and such. They two started up the stairs, Applejack much less than amused as her brother cut ahead of her.

As they reached the top floor, Big Mac looked around for anything suspicious. He didn't really know which room was Rarity's though, so he waited until his sister pointed at it before approaching it. Applejack just thought he was being utterly ridiculous. He took hold of the doorknob and gave absolutely no warning before yanking it right open.

On one side of the doorway stood Applejack and Big Mac, both stone stiff. On the other side: Rarity flipping through a magazine, and a shirtless Twilight Sparkle on the bed. Applejack immediately averted her gaze, finding solace in the dim lighting of the hallway corner. Her brother, however, was stunned quite physically.

“Big McIntosh?!” Twilight squealed, covering herself up with one of the many shirts laid out at the foot of the bed.

“Uh, Twi, what're you...” he swallowed nervously, his eyes dropping down a bit before he thought about it.

“Oh fer Pete's sake Mac, quit starin',” Applejack grabbed him and forced him to look away, giving Twilight enough time to shield herself. She had been wearing a bra, but the poor girl was not used to being seen in so little clothing.

“Right, sorry,” Mac's blushing face and wide eyes were hidden under his hand for a few more seconds while he got a hold of himself. “Uh, Dash ain't here, is she?” he asked, holding his hand in front of Twilight so he blocked her out while he scanned the rest of the room.

“Why would she be? This is a study group,” Rarity told him seriously, flipping her magazine page forcefully. “And what does it matter, anyway?”

“Don't look much like studyin'... well, n-nevermind,” Big Mac dropped his voice lower and let Applejack push past him into the room, glaring at him all the while. “Jus' call me when you need a ride.”

And with that, he hurriedly closed the door behind him and raced down the stairs. The girls all breathed a sigh of relief as they heard him descend. Applejack shook her head in an embarrassed manner and went to remove her shoulder bag. She noticed Rarity still mindlessly flipping through magazines, and Twilight gathering all the spare shirts like she suddenly didn't care for them any more. Sweetie Belle was in the room too, though she stood by the window and glanced out around the drapes.

“Sorry 'bout that,” Applejack apologized on his behalf, setting her heavy bag onto the floor by the door.

“Was that necessary?” Twilight asked angrily, tossing the bunch of clothes back at Rarity, who blocked them with a raised arm. “That was humiliating! Next time, you're taking your shirt off.”

“I'm sorry, dear, it was the only thing we could think of in such a short amount of time. I didn’t expect him to want to escort her all the way to my room,” Rarity tried to console her, but Twilight grumbled more and went to sit by herself on a spare chair, crossing her arms and legs protectively.

“Why are we doing this, anyway?” Twilight asked in a wondering sigh.

“What're y'all talkin' about?” Applejack asked curiously, stepping over to the bed, as it was the only free seat.

“He's gone!” Sweetie Belle called from the window, and Applejack glanced over at her with an odd expression.

“Who's gone? What're y'all—?” She didn't get the chance to finish her sentence, as she nearly jumped out of her skin as two hands grabbed her around the ankles. “What ‘n th’ hell?!”

Applejack broke the hold and stepped right up onto the bed, holding her fists out like she was about to fight whoever it was that grabbed her. As the other girls in the room brightened her face rosy with their amused laughter, another girl rolled out from under the bed, stopping on her back to look right up at her. Applejack's expression softened at once, her eyes turning from a sharp glare to a shimmering fondness.

“Rainbow?” she asked almost weakly, her arms dropping to her sides as she recognized the girl.

“Howdy babe,” Rainbow winked at her, raising her knees and somehow forcing herself to get right to them with the force of a kick. “What took you so long?”

“What took me—?” Applejack repeated incredulously, shaking her head as she tried to process the situation. “You were here all along?! Y'all tricked me, y'made a liar outta me!”

“C'mon, are you really that mad?” Rainbow Dash asked with a teasing tone and her trademark suggestive smirk. “Of all the things we could be doing right now, yelling like that is not on the top of my list for you to do.”

Applejack's anger all seemed to disappear, and a smile melted across her face at once, followed by a very pleased huffed laugh and the words, “Damn it, y'little vixen...” She extended her hand to the girl, her grin growing ever wider as she realized what she wanted. “Talk dirty t' me.”

“My pleasure,” Rainbow agreed eagerly, taking her hand and pulling herself onto Rarity's bed. Before the owner of the room could tell them not to stand on her furniture, Rainbow Dash was jumping right up into Applejack's arms and wrapping her legs around the girl.

“Must you do this right now?” Rarity asked, holding her palms to the sky like she didn't know what to do about it.

“What!?” Twilight Sparkle shouted as the two continued to spin around on the shifting mattress, lips locked in a very telling embrace. “Since—wha—how did... with... what?! You two are a thing?!”

“Very articulate,” Rarity giggled at the normally quite composed Twilight having something of an episode. In fact, she nearly fell right out of her chair.

Applejack stepped back on the uneven covers, just about losing her balance completely. Fortunately, she managed to stumble a few more steps backwards, her back coming into contact with the wall above Rarity's headboard. With Rainbow Dash still furiously kissing her and squeezing her with arms and legs, she felt her own knees give way, slipping down the wall and onto the bed. Her legs stretched out along the covers, wrinkling them profusely while Rainbow's knees dug into the folded hem right underneath her.

“Don't you two learn?” Rarity asked monotonously, raising an eyebrow at the couple who continued to make out on her bed. “This is exactly what got you in trouble last time.”

Rainbow extended her index finger and inaccurately pointed it behind her towards Rarity, gesturing to give her just one more minute of fun. From her place at her computer desk, Rarity could clearly see Applejack's hands slide down Rainbow's back and squeeze her rear eagerly. Rolling her eyes, she tried to focus on flipping another page or two in the magazine, though her fingers seemed shaky and disinterested.

Sweetie Belle, on the other hand, could not look away. Her head tilted to the side as she watched on, witnessing Rainbow Dash mercilessly grip at Applejack's collar and force her tongue into her mouth. At last, they parted a shared breath apart, and their eyes cracked open. Two adoring smiles mirrored between their faces, and if Sweetie Belle had to name the expression, she could think of nothing short of love. Rainbow's thumbs strummed over the now crooked corners of Applejack's undone collar, and she licked her lips hungrily. Shifting her knees and ever so slightly grinding herself against Applejack's hips, she made to speak.

“I'm so wet right now,” with Rainbow's five blunt words, everyone else in the room nearly fell right over and choked due to the air being shocked right out of them.

Applejack, however, took it marvellously, merely chuckling and shaking her head in amusement. She reached up, fondly brushing the bangs out of Rainbow's face with her thumb and holding them pinned behind her ear. Tracing the smaller girl's face with a gentle gaze, Applejack sighed contently.

“You're crazy,” she said gingerly, leaning up and kissing her once more. “An' Ah can't get enough o' you.”

Twilight scratched her head, seeming lost as to whatever possible appeal there was. Sweetie Belle, however, seemed to have glitter in her eyes as she watched them, some new-found inspiration brimming in her. She rushed over to the computer at once, nearly shoving her sister right out of the seat and onto the floor.

“What on Earth are you doing?!” Rarity squealed as her sister sat right down on the chair next to her, wedging her out.

“I have an idea for my lyrics!” Sweetie beamed, opening a new document on the computer before hurriedly jotting down some ideas.

“Oh, please don't tell me it has anything to do with Rainbow Dash,” she whined, frowning as she glanced back at the girl straddling Applejack on her bed. She turned to read the name of the document as Sweetie typed it, and immediately knew it was just as she had feared. “God help us all.”

“Hey, I can be all... good at talking, too,” Rainbow Dash glared over her shoulder, sitting upright on Applejack.

“Case in point,” Twilight had to disagree, and Rainbow shot her an irritable expression as well.

“Screw you guys,” Rainbow scoffed, crossing her arms and staring out the window instead.

“Oh, take it easy, honey,” Applejack shifted from beneath her, propping herself up better on her elbows and against the headboard. “They're jus' teasin' you.”

“Well I'm not just some cocky, obnoxious pervert, you know,” the former football captain tried to defend herself, but again, she was interrupted.

“Invert is probably more accurate,” Twilight mentioned as she rose her hand. Another glare turned in her direction, this time accompanied by Applejack's as well. “Just saying.”

“Whatever. Listen, AJ, your brother may not think very highly of me, but I promise, I'm not just going to quit on us because he says so.” Rainbow Dash grabbed Applejack's hands firmly, staring into her eyes as sincerely as she could.

“You quit the football team,” Rarity reminded her in a murmur from over by the computer, where she was now sitting on the desk and getting back to her magazine. Rainbow Dash really wanted to shake a fist at her, but kept going in her train of thought.

“I know that no one expects much of me, especially with this kind of mushy shit. I know they probably think that I'll screw around, or leave, or, I don't know, whatever.” She was trying really hard to make it sound good, and Applejack could see that. “But if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I'm loyal as fuck, AJ, and damn it I'm so fucking in love with you it even astounds me. So... like, don't worry, or anything. I'm not going anywhere.”

“Aww!” Sweetie Belle spun around in her chair, kicking her feet back and forth and musing in a squeaky voice. “You two are adorable!”

“S-shut up!” Rainbow's face went bright red, and she instinctively reached up to flip and fix her hair, tossing it back coolly. “Let's see how cute I am tongue-deep in pussy.”

“W-what?” Applejack tensed up, noticing Rainbow's hands hurriedly undoing the fly of her jeans and fighting their way inside. “Rainbow! Stop that!”

Applejack closed her eyes for a few seconds, groaning as she felt the girl's fingers touching something that really should not have been touched with so many spectators. Reeling from the sensations, she managed to grab hold of Rainbow's hands and pry them out of her pants. Rarity hardly glanced up, trailing her finger down a particularly interesting garment before folding the corner of the page down to mark it.

“I should be the only one getting lucky so often in this house,” she sighed absently, her eyes flickering up to the bickering and feuding two on her bed.

“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle asked, her head cocking to the side curiously.

“Oh, um,” Rarity had almost forgotten the younger girl was there, though Twilight seemed to be the one most perturbed by the scene, though she also seemed quite interested. “Never you mind, darling, get back to those lyrics while they're still fresh in your mind.”

“So, how exactly do you two...” Twilight cleared her throat, noticing the two girls stop fighting to listen to her. “You know? I mean, Spike told me a about what it’s like with a man and a woman, but—”

“Shit, really? Hah! Called it, he’s a stud,” Rainbow snapped her fingers knowingly. “So how often do you bone, Rares?”

“A lady does not disclose,” Rarity growled, finding it increasingly difficult to stay out of the conversation.

“What’s a dick actually like, anyway? Because I gotta tell you, stuff with AJ is pretty fucking awesome,” Rainbow bragged, making the girl below her feel even more uncomfortable.

“Read a book, I’m not talking about this.” Rarity pouted her lip. “My little sister is here, for goodness sake.”

“Hey, maybe the little brat wants to learn something too, you ever think of that?” Rainbow Dash remarked snidely.

“Oh, well, Spike told me quite a bit, if you want to know,” Twilight started in a matter-of-fact tone. “He would not divulge the exact size of his phallus, but certainly Rarity knows that. Regardless, he told me that at first it’s a little difficult to ‘squeeze it in’, as he put it, but that after the first time it became a desirable pastime.”

“I bet that’s how he put it,” Rainbow cheekily grinned, glancing at the now mortified Rarity.

“He listed off positions, but I didn’t understand so I got him to draw me diagrams, which were somewhat crude but otherwise informative.” Twilight raised her finger as she spoke quite pointedly. “Apparently, the first time he did it was quite recently. He was on top, and they had already exchanged oral stimulation, that was when Rarity—”

“Okay, please stop.” Rarity closed her magazine and squeezed it, rubbing her temples. “Listen… It hurt at first but I felt... full. He was larger than I expected but... it felt great, all right? Is that what you want to hear?”

“We should invest in a dildo, for real,” Rainbow said as she nodded thoughtfully down to Applejack, who was stunned that they were discussing it so openly.

“So then,” Twilight hummed as she tapped her chin, remembering all that Spike told her. “How do you two do it without a phallus?”

“Oh,” Rainbow Dash grinned deviously, and Applejack's expression turned to horror. “How about a demonstration?”

“Nnope!” Applejack yelped, finding it rather difficult to keep the girl's hands and head away from her more vulnerable of areas. She gasped as Rainbow’s hands darted from their supposed path and slipped up her shirt, easily accessible since her pants had been undone.

Twilight watched on carefully, though she noticed the change in temperature in her cheeks and ears. She was nowhere near as flushed, however, as Applejack was. In her ecstasy-induced state, she could hardly stop Rainbow from shoving a hand right down her pants, soliciting another raspy moan. Lucky, from her position past Rainbow’s back and turned to face the computer, Sweetie Bell couldn’t see a thing.

Suddenly, Applejack commanded her own will, grabbing Rainbow’s wrist and forcing herself to sit up. The two nearly knocked heads at the abrupt change of position, but their stares where was fought tirelessly between them like sparks of electricity. In the still silence, the only movement was of Sweetie’s fingers, Rarity’s pages, and Rainbow’s arm, which she removed from Applejack’s pants only to bring to her lips: slipping a moistened finger into her mouth.

“What does it taste like?” Twilight asked critically, leaning forward as if eager to learn.

“Liiiike,” Rainbow smiled as she wrapped her tongue around the flavour, a hum emerging from her throat.

Applejack immediately tackled her, pinning her to the bed and covering her mouth with both of her hands, shouting, “That’s enough o’ that!”

“Nyummy,” Rainbow murmured the answer into Applejack’s hands, her eyelids slowly lowering. She shifted her hips from side to side, knowing that the motion caused the same reaction in Applejack that had been stimulated in her. “Mmmm, nue annga ne om taup?”

“There’s a top?” Twilight deciphered and wondered, as if she was taking notes.

“Why’re we talkin’ ‘bout this?!” Applejack asked frantically, covering her eyes with her hand the same embarrassed way he brother did. “Didn’t Ah come here t’ study?”

The was a good long pause as everyone looked around at each other seriously. Of course, it was broken once the whole group of girls burst into laughter. Minus Twilight Sparkle, who merely laughed to feel included.

Driving home, Big McIntosh grunted, attempting to flush the image of a half-naked Twilight from his mind before spotting a familiar face walking down the street. Seeing the frame of Spike slumping forward, he slowed down after checking the rearview mirror for any incoming cars. Rolling the window down, he called out.

“‘ey,” he shouted. Spike turned towards him and didn’t verbally acknowledge him, yet he waited. “Wan’ a lift?”

Spike stopped walking briefly before shrugging. Big Mac stopped the truck and waited for Spike as he rounded the back end of the truck before getting into the passengers seat. He grunted, staring out the front as he closed the door and did the seatbelt up. Pressing on the pedal, the truck moved forward in a rickety manner one could expect from an old pickup.

Out of the blue, the younger boy glanced towards Big Mac, checking his phone first and clearing his throat before speaking.

“So, Mac… I want to know. Why is it that you hate Rainbow so much?” Spike asked carefully and directly.

Big Mac instinctively gripped the steering wheel, suddenly regretting picking up Spike before he calmed down, reminding himself that the boy really didn’t know. Sighing, he glanced at the mirrors before responding.

“Ah… Ah don’t hate her. Jus’ don’ wan’ a girl like ‘er bein’ ‘round my family, She’s a bad influence,” he said as simply as he could put it.

“I don’t deny that she’s a vulgar stuck-up egotistical bitch, but she’s definitely not the worst person I know. She stopped being an alpha cunt around the time she admitted her orientation, at which point I started to feel like she finally got a taste of her own medicine,” Spike said, shrugging as he pocketed his phone, voice rising in volume until it was normal.

“Th’ thing ‘bout sick people is that they aren’t s’pposed t’ stop takin’ their medicine,” Big Mac said while gritting his teeth. “An’ that girl ain’t even close t’ bein’ rehabilitated.”

“Is that why you forced her off the team?” Spike asked observantly.

Instead of responding immediately like he had with everyone else before, Big McIntosh clenched his fingers, cursing the fact that Spike saw through the facade.

“So y’knew?” Big Mac questioned with a heavy, reluctant sigh as they turned a corner.

“The best part about being an introvert is that you notice things. You become really good at hearing things, and picking up on quirks, and you notice tensions as if they were visible. You notice when people hold animosity or attraction towards others, and you can spot the extra edge to a voice as if it were a comic book sound effect.” Spike nodded his head, turning towards Big McIntosh. “I knew you hated her, and don’t deny it. You hate Rainbow Dash. I could tell the instant I saw you shift when she was mentioned. It’s subtle, but I could see the tension.”

“Yeah? So what? Ah hate th’ guts in that no-good two-bit varmint. Does nothin’ but corrupt my sis an’ steal an’ cause trouble f’ anyone but ‘erself,” Big Mac responded with a near shout.

“And you don’t understand it, but she changed, for the love of god. She’s vulgar and somewhat selfish, true, but I’ve seen her and Applejack interact. I don’t give a good goddamn what you think, sorry to say, but Applejack loves her, and as much as you think it’s impossible for her to, Rainbow Dash loves Applejack. And if you think you’re protecting her, you’re far from it. I mean, I don’t wanna tell you how to do it, but I can vouch for them when I say that Rainbow may be a bit misguided and hard to be around, but she is not a bad girl. And she loves Applejack more than anything, I can tell. Her attitude?” Spike gulped briefly, catching whatever words that were gonna come out. Facing out the windshield, he remained stoic. “I can’t say why, since it’s not my place, but there’s a reason, that only gets worse the more you preach about AJ’s protection, to why she acts the way she does.”

“Ah don’t buy it. She has y’all fooled, is all,” Big McIntosh retorted monotonously.

“She insulted you by mentioning your… maybe your parents, right?” Spike guessed with a lowered voice. Like Spike, Big Mac’s rage swelled up instantly before dying down slowly. It was a sore spot for him and Applejack and he hated Rainbow for it. “I know that feeling. I don’t know when she said it, but Rainbow is not the same girl she was when she did. I saw the way she reacted when Felix said something like that to me, she immediately went to support Applejack. She’s changing. She’s different this year, and whether or not you can accept that is something I can’t help with.”

Big McIntosh pulled up to a big, fancy house where a station wagon was parked in the front and a Mercedes in the garage, door wide open as Spike's father was waxing it. Spike glanced out at him as his father noticed the truck arriving and he waited momentarily. Unbuckling the belt, Spike opened the door and hopped out. Rather than run immediately, he sighed, clenching his fist before turning towards the driver.

“I’m really sorry. It’s not my place to make accusations or say things like that. It’s fine if you kick me off the team for being a rude dick,” Spike muttered.

The truck’s engine cut out as the whole vehicle shifted when it was put into park position. Spike glanced up as Big Mac unbuckled the seat belt and opened the door, stepping out of the vehicle. Wondering if by chance Big Mac was coming to hit him, Spike tensed up briefly before ruling it out; he figured it would be hypocritical.

“Don’t spurt lies. You’re one of th’ best people Ah know, and Ah’d trust ya with even takin’ my youngest sis out,” Big Mac said with a lighter voice. “Jus’ that ya don’t pull any punches when it comes t’ statin’ observations.”

“So, why’re you getting out then if not to beat me up?” Spike asked.

“Jus’ wanted t’ talk t’ yer father after spottin’ that McLauren in th’ garage,” Big Mac said with a grin as he walked on the curb before reaching the driveway.

Spike shrugged and stepped onto the walkway as he approached the door. As he opened the fancy wood, he heard Big Mac’s voice.

“That’s a lovely McLauren ya got there,” Big Mac said.

“Oh, long time no see, Mr. McIntosh,” Night Light’s voice said.

Spike shrugged and stepped inside. Closing the door, he heard a loud laugh and Big Mac’s trademark line sound outside. Rolling his eyes, he headed upstairs as Shining Armour practically ran past him towards the front door.

The rain had subsided, yet the grass was still damp from the downpour. The football game that evening still wasn’t cancelled, and the Manticores found themselves charging onto the field. The morale was far lower than it ever has been before and without Rainbow’s plays or leadership to rely on, they had to resort to Applejack’s plays. Applejack wasn’t bad, but she lacked the utter ingenious, cutthroat intention, and natural affinity for crafting plans. If a player had a talent, Rainbow utterly abused it and utilized them for plays. Optimization; loyalty; aggression. Those were several traits that could describe her, and they were functions that worked for the team. They were what brought the team together and held them together.

And that was violently ripped away from them for some reason. Several speculated Big McIntosh. Several speculated personal family tragedy. Several speculated her quitting because she was selfish. Either way, the element of loyalty seemed vacant from their team, and the only thing holding it together was Applejack’s brutal honesty. Her determination to state praise or faults when due during the few practises managed to help refine the team to the best of their ability. What seemed like a lost situation seemed to became a lost situation with a glimmer of hope. Though that, too, faded.

“You think we can win without Crash here on the field?” Dumbbell wondered, as if he cared at all, scratching his stubbly chin from under his facemask.

“Not with blondie over there as captain,” Scootaloo snorted, stepping into the small circle of players as Applejack spoke with the coaches.

“Wha’s your problem with ma sister, anyway, Scoots?” Apple Bloom asked with a firm frown, leading herself and Pipsqueak into the discussion. Spike followed too, but said nothing at all.

“Rainbow Dash loved this team, and this game. There is no way that she would resign willingly. I think that someone put her up to it, and there is only one person I know who Rainbow Dash has a weak spot for,” Scootaloo began theorizing, her eyes narrowing at the girl in question from several yards out of earshot. “Applejack.”

“Ah don't believe a word of it. M'sister would never do nothin' like that, her and Rainbow're close friends, they loved playin' together.” Apple Bloom defended her sister adamantly, but Scootaloo carefully looked over at her before glancing around at the rest of the team.

“Did anyone notice that when she resigned, Applejack did nothing to try and make her stay? She didn't yell at her or try to reason with her?” Scootaloo asked, and the rest of the team looked around at each other, not able to disagree. “I think she had something to do with it; she was probably jealous that Rainbow Dash was still our captain and she wasn't. There's no other explanation.”

“I don’t believe ‘at,” Pipsqueak shrugged. “That really doesn’t sound like Applejack to me.”

“What do you know, ‘squeaker?” Scootaloo scoffed, elbowing him lightly in the gut.

“Look out, she’s coming,” Snips whispered, and everyone looked over to see Applejack join them.

“Uh, howdy. Why’re y’all lookin’ at me?” she asked uneasily, not used to all eyes being so firmly locked on her. Some eyes were questioning, some blaming, some hopeful and some indifferent.

“Applejack, is it true?” Apple Bloom hurriedly asked, shaking her sister’s arm over and over like the truth might fall out. “Why'd Rainbow Dash resign, did y'have somethin' t'do with it?”

“Well,” Applejack swallowed nervously. It was not her own secret to tell, and she didn’t really want to tell it anyway. She knew that the team would wonder about it eventually, but the only thing she had to say about it was, “One of us had t'leave.”

“Rainbow Dash would never willingly quit!” Scootaloo argued, trying to put more pressure on the girl.

“Ah suppose it wasn't much up t'her.” Applejack shrugged passively, looking back out and trying to find the girl in the crowd, even from such a distance, though it was in vain.

“Applejack...” Spike murmured her name, knowing the truth for himself. He also knew from the way the team was reacting to the allegations and her responses, this could surely lead to anarchy.

“Huddle up y'all, we gotta go over some stuff 'bout the game.” Applejack gestured over to the bench and started on her way already, her odd behaviour striking even those who believed in her as odd.

As they reached the benches, they found Twilight sitting between Big Mac and Shining Armour, scrolling down some page on her laptop while her brother held an umbrella above her. The group fell in around her, though their body language was stiff and rough. Applejack allowed Twilight to relay the message.

“Our enemies are the relatively powerful Everfree Alicorns. They are considerably one of the harder teams, although since most of their members that made up the golden team last year graduated, they are far weaker. The footage from this year’s games reveal that while weakened, they are still some of the most formidable players yet,” Twilight said, reading off a computer monitor. “If—” Twilight stopped, slapping herself in the cheek as the entirety of the team impatiently waited for her. “No, when you win, your final game will be against the P—”

A giant horn blared out across the field as an announcer started to speak out through the intercom. Twilight and the entire team looked up at the horn by the entrance of the field. Twilight closed her laptop and the entire team turned towards Shining Armour and Applejack.

“Oh, uh, Ah would jus’ like t’ say,” Applejack started, gulping nervously. She had never done any kind of motivational pep talk or anything, that was always Rainbow’s specialty with crowds. “... Th’ Alicorns are another team t’ lose out to th’ Manticores.”

The team didn’t respond at all but in a few choice and unheard grumbles, and slowly dissolved as the referee blew his whistle. Applejack sighed wistfully. Hopelessly, she glanced out towards the audience. Faces blurred into each other and she couldn’t do what Spike had done countless times. She couldn’t find the one face (no matter how much that hair stood out) that mattered the most to her. She couldn’t spot Rainbow Dash in the audience. Maybe it was her eyes, or maybe it was just her constant scanning of the area being frantic than calm and cool. Turning her eyes from the audience, she tilted her head down before a voice broke out.

“Hey, y’all okay?”

Turning her head up, Applejack spotted Big McIntosh smiling, planting a hand on her shoulder as he attempted to be reassuring. Averting her gaze, Applejack glanced towards the field.

“Ah’m fine,” she responded in a stiff tone.

Applejack stepped onto the field once more, a cold feeling creeping down her spine. A reminder that she was alone on the field for the first time in years. That she was going to have to lead the team without the qualities that held it together, without what held her in a believable, optimistic mood.

Or maybe it was just the cold rain against her soaked uniform. Either way, she was slightly shivery at the moment, and it unnerved her. Spike lacked the same feeling she had. His lack of fear or nervousness towards the whole situation gave him a cold, stern face reminiscent of cliche stoic characters. He kept staring between the players, recording every detail of their faces as well as their thoughts. He could read their minds like a psychic by simply taking in their stance, their face, their movements; the subtle shifting.

‘The Dumbbells are all enraged and needing some sort of confrontation, most likely a showing or proof that they can be without Rainbow; still be a strong team without her. Scootaloo? She’s edgy yet reserved and quiet… trying to keep to herself and vainly trying to hide knowing that I’m able to notice her. Ample time would most likely reveal that she’s shaken up over Rainbow Dash… and Felix, and Gilda.’ Biting his lip, Spike glanced towards the others. Eager faces and nervous are abundant.

There were times when Spike looked in a mirror, seeing if, like everybody else, his subconscious betrayed him. If his uncertainty or fear or scared demeanor shone through. Like putting on a mask, he couldn’t see a thing. His face seemed unreadable, and whenever others thought he was troubled, he never was. It was just to draw their attention away from the real problem. He was a scared, angry whiny kid and he was always the best at directing people’s attention to other, smaller issues of his. Guilt, greed, desperation… those were small compared to what he considered his primary issues. He regretted being this good, as he was sure others would try harder for an issue that serious. That said… he wasn’t sure if he was positively enraged or homicidally defensive of his other teammates. Ensuring Scootaloo remained safe, keeping his team together… or trying to do what he originally came here to do. At first, it was just to be a good person. To better himself for Rarity but it evolved into something more. He wanted to be some kind of hero, someone to look up to, someone to praise.

Spike wanted glory, and fame, and the right to boast and brag to Felix and get him off his back. Spike wanted to say he didn’t need the validation, but he desperately wanted to feel he was worth something. Akin to Rainbow Dash, or Scootaloo, or Felix, or everybody else here in the team. He wanted to be loved, and was willing to put himself in horrid situations in the name of the Manticores, and to be a star player. Was it for the team as well, for real? He wasn’t sure… but he was one-hundred percent certain he wasn’t going to get down or upset like everyone else. Like Applejack was over Rainbow’s departure. She may have been there for Rainbow, for friendship or love or acceptance...

But Spike was here for glory.

“Let’s fuck them up!” Spike shouted as he charged onto the field as the referee called for the teams to take positions.

Surprisingly, the team did so and charged on after him, morale taking a significant, noticeable boost. Spike took his position and glared across the field as Applejack prepared to make the coin toss. Glancing at the centre, he watched intently, time slowing down as the coin toss occurred. Closing his eyes, he turned his head without looking and opened them up. The first down came quickly, and he was facing his enemy directly without remorse. Immediately, he registered Rarity’s outfit into his mind and etched the figure into his head.

‘For her.’

Pressing his weight into the player, Spike felt his arms grow tense as he pushed into the opposing player’s chest. A thud sounded and a loud grunt cut off as the player’s helmet crashed into the field. Pushing himself up, he glanced down briefly as he watched the player cough from the rough tackle. Glancing up, he saw the Dumbbells do the same with the defensive line on the Everfree Alicorns. All while Apple Bloom wrapped her arms around the opposing player, running forward as she hoisted the player up briefly, pushing past two yard lines.

Looking forward, he ran ahead as a safety latched onto him, Spike dragging the girl forward without so much as a stumble. Arcing towards the left, he was enroute to tackle the second safety. Scootaloo drew his attention away as she blasted forward, ball in her arms, and Spike merely sprinted the last few meters before wrapping his arm around the next player. Leaning to the side, he allowed himself to tumble towards the ground with the two safety’s. Scootaloo sprinted unobstructed.

The buzzer sounded as a touchdown was scored, an experiment wanted by Coach Bulk Biceps to raise morale among home teams playing in the stadium. The buzzer was hated by all already, and the coach was already told to revoke it by the principal after the slew of negative comments. Spike didn’t feel pride. He didn’t feel glory, but he did feel good for venting frustration.

It did not take long, but the game raced on.

In the stands, a girl stood, irritated and gritting her teeth as she shouted vulgarities. So many, in fact, that nearby parents separated. Rainbow Dash slapped herself in the face in an attempt to convince her that she wasn’t watching the game.

“Fuck, they’re winning. Brutally. 33 to 0. But… but what are they doing? They’re not doing any of my plays, and they’re only winning because they’re hurting the opposing team. A lot. They’re out of formation, they aren’t acting like a team… they’re just smashing the Alicorns. What the hell? What the fucking hell?” Rainbow stomped her foot several times on the wooden bench, cracking.

“Ma’am, could you please keep it down a bit?” an older man spoke towards her.

“Hey, suck my giant cock,” Rainbow shouted, stroking an invisible phallus with her middle finger extended, sticking her tongue out at the man.

He turned away, grumbling as Rainbow leaned forward, adjusting the buttons on a jacket Applejack threw away in the past due to it being too small for the farmer’s frame. She fixed the larger, worn-down jacket as she pulled out a phone, glancing at a photo Applejack sent before. It was the only distraction she could manage and it gave her excitement in the weirdest place. Biting her lip, she glanced up to see the meek Everfree Alicorns seemingly trembling, stumbling themselves as the two lines crashed at the start of another play. The referee blew his whistle and ran onto the field, giving Spike a yellow flag. Spike didn’t respond the way Rainbow, or Dumbbell or most people would have. He took it in stride and hugged the referee, an act that made Rainbow raise her eyebrow. His team, however, seemed more than simply intrigued by his odd behaviour.

“Consarn it, what’s gotten into ya, Spike?” Applejack asked.

“Shut up and focus. What’s our play?” Spike shouted out.

Applejack licked her lips due to the dryness and glanced briefly towards Shining Armour and Big Mac before looking back at him. Curling her lips, she let out a deep sigh.

“Jazz Gala Separator,” Applejack admitted, a blush barely visible on her face as she remembered what was the inspiration for the name.

“We’ve been pretty successful, why the fuck do we need plays? Just do our best to take them down, right?” Score said with a snort.

“Shut the hell up and run the play, we’re not really acting like a team, are we?” Hoops said. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?”

“We’ve been more successful doing this than we have been before,” Snips argued.

“Oi, listen t’ th’ cap’n. She’s th’ one givin’ out orders, follow ‘em,” Pipsqueak responded, shouting quite loudly.

Some winced as they had to take in Pipsqueak’s thick accent breaking through yet again and several others growled in response.

“Come on, you bitched and got Rainbow kicked off the team so you could lead, and your plays are shitty. We’re only winning because we’re not following them,” Scootaloo shouted at her captain in insubordination.

“My plays!? Y’all haven’t even been followin’ ‘em, how would y’all know?!” Applejack retorted in frustration. “Like hell it’s my fault! An’ like hell Ah got Rainbow Dash kicked off th’ team! Y’all don’t know what your gabbin’ ‘bout.”

The referee blew his whistle signalling the end of the time out; their last timeout. Applejack halted a scream as she felt her rage peak for the first time in ages before letting out a deep breath. Picking up the football, she blindly tossed the pigskin towards Dumbbell.

“We’re goin’ out there, and instead of ignorin’ my attempts at leadin’ this team, how ‘bout we actually try one of these plays before writin’ ‘em off as lacklustre; since they’re all Dash’s ol’ plays,” Applejack called as they took their places once more.

The discord was obvious throughout the team. It was visible to everybody who knew the team members personally. Big Mac saw it. Shining Armour saw it. Twilight’s video camera saw it. Lost, Applejack glanced out towards the bleachers once more and saw a flash of rainbow hair somewhere in the bleachers and frantically scanned them to find the one she loved. The whistle blew before she could locate the girl and she faced forward, sighing wistfully as she began to speak.

“Al'right listen, how's about we try somethin' nice an' simple. You don't like my plays, tha's fine, we'll jus' do a rushing play.” The quarterback looked around the team, most of which seemed less than attentive, before settling her eyes on Scootaloo. “Since you're th' halfback in Rainbow's absence, that means you're runnin' it.”

“Who put you in charge?” Scootaloo spat roughly, twitching her mouth into a frown.

“Ah dunno, nepotism,” Applejack sarcastically grumbled and rolled her eyes. “Can we quit fightin' already?”

“It's football, it's a never-ending fight,” Spike cut in, and Applejack blinked in wonder to hear such violent words from him. “Let's destroy these guys.”

“Wha—?” Applejack went to ask but everyone clapped, albeit out of unison.

“Right,” the Dumbbells shouted the loudest, but other voices resonated as well.

Considering Dumbbell, the centre, was holding the ball, Applejack couldn't well hang around by herself in what little remained of the huddle once most of the team went back to the line. With a frustrated sigh, Applejack rubbed the back of her neck and followed after them. It didn't seem to matter whether Applejack tried to lead them or not, they would not listen to her. Which struck her as strange, considering they had no problem doing so when she had been second in command. A sad smile crept across her face as she realized that, perhaps, Rainbow Dash was important to more people than just herself.

Glancing over her shoulder to make certain Scootaloo was in position, Applejack settled into her stance and chanted some stray words before the snap count rang out. The ball hit her hands with such force it almost knocked right back out, but Applejack had strong enough hands to take it. Dumbbell immediately slammed himself against the opposing lineman, almost seeming like he was about to start throwing fists. Applejack didn't have time to question him on it, and instead tucked the ball close into her arms and turned around to make the hand-off.

Applejack almost stumbled as she turned though, completely lost as to which direction to go. She glanced around, but there was no sign of her halfback, Scootaloo, at all. With another few frantic looks, she found the younger girl already up by the line, seemingly dilly-dallying around it. She teetered back and forth on her toes, her back facing the quarterback, before she knowingly looked back over her shoulder. Applejack couldn't be sure below the shadow of her helmet, but it almost looked like Scootaloo was smirking. Not that she got much time to peer closer, as by then the narrow-sighted line of hers had let slip a defender, who darted towards Applejack and tackled her right to the turf.

“Y'gotta be kiddin' me,” Applejack groaned as she rolled onto her side, her body aching from the hit.

The enemy player had got up and went back to his team, where he received several pleased high-fives and praises. Applejack heaved a heavy breath as she got back to her feet, her curiously irritated eyes landing on Scootaloo. She wanted to be angry, she really did, but she was mostly just confused as to why she would do something like that, abandoning her. It was something that her usual halfback, Rainbow Dash, never dreamed of.

“Come on, what was that about?” Spike snapped from his position setting back up eagerly. “If you want to do plays, do them already. We were better off just using brute force.”

“But,” Applejack bit her tongue, keeping quiet about the reason for the faulty rush.

“Nice play, captain,” Scootaloo snickered as she walked past the farmer, roughly smacking her shoulder against the taller girl's arm.

Applejack pursed her lips and set her face in solemn stone, watching the girl laugh and walk off back to her place. It didn't seem like any of it was going to work out, and winning by roughing up the other team was not something she was comfortable with at all. For a moment, she considered just hanging up her jersey altogether. It was not worth it when Rainbow Dash was not by her side.

“Yo, AJ! AJ, over here!” a voice called out loudly, directing Applejack's attention back to the stands. Standing mostly alone in this beat up old jacket, was Rainbow Dash, swinging her arms out like a crazy person to try and get her attention. Once she got it, she continued, “Hang in there, captain! I'll give you one hot massage after this, babe, just keep standing until then!”

“Darn it, Dash,” Applejack tugged her helmet down over her eyes a little more, hiding the bright red in her cheeks that grew darker the more eyes were on her after hearing such a remark.

She smiled a wide grin though, pleased to have heard the girl's brash and obnoxious voice. Raising her hand, she displayed a half-hearted thumbs-up to her personal spectator. Rainbow Dash was by her side, whether she was on the field or not. And when she thought about it, she was happy that the jock was not out there; this was one rough and violent game, having Rainbow Dash on the field could have made it much worse. Besides, Applejack would hate it if the poor girl got injured again.

The quarterback returned to her place behind the centre, looking out at the opposing team. She could see from yards away that they were beaten, their breathing laboured and their limbs limp. Still, the game dragged on, and her team was not yet satisfied. Spike, particularly, looked up at the scoreboards and grinned. No, this was no match at all.

The game ended 43 - 0, Manticores favour… only because of the team’s aggression. The once-strong Everfree Alicorns withered and crumbled in the face of the cloud of rage and distrust spread out amongst the team and it was showing. Without Rainbow Dash, the team was falling apart and relying on brute strength. Though it was a win, they had accidentally injured most of the Alicorns’ star players. The team left the field feeling no pride or glory from it. All except one.

“Fuckin’ eh, we won. Clean sweep, forty-three to zero. They had no damn chance,” Spike shouted, pounding his chest as he felt pride swelling up in his chest.

He walked up towards Rarity and Twilight in the stands, feeling a smile on his face. He could let himself feel good about having done something for once. Even if he knew the team wasn’t much of a team, he still found himself grinning widely as he realized it was another victory for the Manticores… and it wasn’t by a hair. It was utter domination.

“Congrats, Spikey-wikey,” Rarity said, leaning forward as she planted a kiss on Spike’s cheek as the boy removed his helmet. “Although I must say, you boys were rather brutish during this game. Several of the Alicorns got injured.”

Spike shrugged in response. “They should have stood their ground more.”

Twilight and Rarity exchanged unsure glances before the former coughed once, ending the video recording. She closed the laptop as well before facing Spike, the boy leaning against the bleachers board.

“It didn’t seem like they buckled under superior strength, but more like they were too intimidated to actually try and put up resistance due to the number of injuries their players got,” Twilight responded. “Strength versus weakness is one thing, but it seemed like you were purposefully putting too much force into your tackles.”

Spike curled his lips, frowning at Twilight. “Football is about intimidation. If you allow yourself to be intimidated by the other team, you buckle. My own strength spoke for itself; I had held back so I wouldn’t utterly wreck the other players, and even then, it’s hard to do that.” He sighed, pressing his tongue against a tooth to feel for it briefly.

“Spike, that’s a bit egotistical.” A glare from the tall boy stopped any response that she had. “Are you alright?” Rarity asked carefully.

Spike turned to her with a look of confusion before rolling his eyes, letting his head tilt forward as he placed it against the board.

“Why is it the one time I start feeling like I did good, people ask if I’m ‘alright’? What does that even mean anyways?” Spike backed up, raising his head as he did. “I’m better than alright! For once, I’m part of something, I’m part of a team, and we’re beating other teams!” He enunciated his words with a near cackle, smiling as he did.

“Yeah, but… you weren’t acting like a team. It sounded more like you were all fighting most of the game. Ever since Rainbow quit, you guys have been shaky. It's only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt, or disqualified.” Twilight told him firmly.

Spike’s eyes turned towards Rarity, briefly flashing with pain and regret visible by his light wince but he sighed.

“We merely need an adjustment period before we’re used to it. Applejack isn’t as good as Rainbow was,” Spike muttered aggressively, taking a shot at the quarterback when she was not around.

“Well, perhaps... but none of you were following her orders either,” Rarity gently explained, glancing in the direction of the farmer.

“Well,” Spike looked over towards her as well. “Maybe Applejack just isn’t good enough to warrant the captain’s position.”

It sounded rude even to Spike, but he stood by it. Rarity scoffed, seemingly offended by what Spike said while Twilight maintained her poker face. Both her and Spike have potentially the greatest ones in the whole city, and they’d even argue the best in Las Pegasus.

“Oh? Then what, might you be? Maybe someone is letting his victories get to his head,” Rarity muttered.

Rarity’s face darkened as she realized she’d most likely regret saying what just came out of her mouth. She had a good reason to think so.

“So I should not be proud of success?” Spike asked, throwing his arms out.

“I was simply saying—” Rarity was cut off immediately.

“Should I not be proud of success?” Spike asked again, more forcefulness in his tone. He took another step closer, attempting to use his height and larger physique to intimidate the slightly shorter woman.

“Spike, calm down,” Twilight said in a scolding tone.

Spike ignored her entirely, keeping his glare on Rarity. Twilight lost the resolve to ask a second time.

Rarity paused briefly, eyes lightly looking around in an attempt to remove the discomfort from her mind. “Spike, please listen to m—”

A hand firmly slapped against her shoulder, shoving the fashionista backwards. Rarity let out a gasp, stumbling into Twilight’s arms. Both girls stared at Spike, appalled. Neither could find the ability to respond at all. Several other teammates watched from afar with similar reactions but neither jumped into action. All simply waited, staring at the ready if Spike did anything else.

“Like you’d give a damn! You never noticed I was here until I started winning games and doing things,” Spike responded, seeming more hurt and confused than accusational and angry. He averted his gaze, wincing as he realized what he said. Spike grit his teeth, rubbing his arm as he thought for a second. “I have to be good… and that’s not enough. In this day and age, everybody else can’t even compare to me. Otherwise I’m just another background character.”

A set of eyes watered up. Rarity’s red lips twitched and she attempted to keep her mouth open as if words would just spill out. “Wha… Does that justify being rude to your superiors and teammates and opponents?” Rarity raised her voice slightly, allowing a tone of aggression to slip into her words as she leaned closer to the edge of the bleachers. Most of the spectators had begun to disperse. “Does… does that justify being rude to Applejack, or Twilight, or me?” She stepped forward and stood as close to Spike as she could manage, glaring at him even as her eyes twitched, watered and her lips, while twitching, were puckered out. “Does that justify hitting me?!”

Spike clenched his eyes shut, his lips trembling as his body shuddered. Opening his eyes slowly, sighing as he did, he looked up towards Rarity and kept a stern expression.

“Maybe it does, because otherwise I wouldn’t even be a footnote in anybody’s lives,” Spike revealed adamantly. “None of you gave a shit about me before this.”

“Spike, what the hell has gotten into you!?” Twilight said, keeping her voice as low as she could manage while trying to be tough.

Rarity gasped heavily, heaving as she clutched her chest, sobbing quietly.

“Spike, I fell in love with a sweet boy. Not a massive egotistical pisshead of a jock. I really did love the old Spike, but this Spike.. he’s… he’s just awful. If you’re going to choose to be like this, then I don’t want to see you anywhere near me again,” she explained, doing her best not to break down further. Rarity turned her head, facing away from Spike. Very quietly, she began to speak. “I don’t know why, but you’ve changed.”

Twilight’s mouth fell slightly agape at this as turned back to face Rarity before slowly shifting her gaze towards Spike, awaiting his reaction. His eyes widened and he seemed to shake slightly, his eyes tearing up. Gritting his teeth, his brow furrowed and he turned away. He started to walk off before turning back to Rarity.

“Fuck off,” he muttered, yet it was clear that he didn’t mean it.

He walked towards the school’s change rooms just as his team started to approach them as well. His eyes remained closed as they all approached in silence before Big McIntosh spoke up.

“Ah want t’ know what th’ hell it was that jus’ happened out there,” he began to shout. “If that’s what y’all call bein’ a team, Ah don’t wanna know what every-man-for-himself bullshit was.”

Spike stopped in his tracks and spun around, glaring at Big Mac. The teammates behind him stopped moving, seemingly shocked that he had decided to speak up. The whole group separated as Spike walked up to Big Mac, grimacing.

“And you’re such a goddamn godsend to us!? You and your infinite wisdom thought that removing the one thing that brought and kept us together, the one thing that we needed, was a good idea!? Just because of some, some personal grudge you have!? How about you stop barking orders like a master planner, and fucking leave it to our real captain!” Spike shouted, his arms tense and shaky.

Big Mac glared down at him as Shining Armour seemed especially tense. His older brother went to speak up, wanting to get a word in before Big McIntosh opened his mouth first.

“Ah’d bench ya if it wouldn’t screw th’ rest of th’ team outta playin’. And don’t think that m’ sister will get ya outta this with all o’ that forgivin’ nature o’ hers,” Big Mac responded through closed teeth. “You were th’ worst one outta them, you little shit. Y’all were nothin’ more than a ruffian, just like your good-fer-nothin’ ol’ captain Dash. An’ Ah don’t need some wannabe superstar muckin’ about actin’ like ‘e knows best.”

“I’d hit you for Rainbow Dash, even if she doesn’t deserve the support,” Spike threatened through his teeth.

“Spike, shut up already,” Dumbbell said, gently nudging Spike.

Spike turned his gaze, furiously scowling at the other boy. He went to backhand him, swinging his arm back before Pipsqueak grabbed it. Spike turned to face the larger boy, his eyes still attempting to process what had occurred.

“You’ve got some problems, mate,” Pipsqueak said sorrowfully as he released Spike’s hand.

The British boy handed Spike his bag as he seemingly forgot it. Spike glanced down at it before snatching it out of Pipsqueak’s hands. Rather than continue walking, he unzipped it and grabbed his clothes out of it. With a few motions, he had gotten his football apparel off and his casual clothes on, much to the surprise of the others. He tossed the jersey, pants and armour onto his bag and then kicked it off the path, watching it tumble into a ditch before he stormed off towards the streets as the Manticores returned to heading towards the shower rooms. Scootaloo watched from a distance, feeling slight guilt for how Spike felt before she continued walking forward. It was a slow pace with blocky motions more suiting of a robot. Applejack followed the group before stopping just behind the bleachers.

She glanced ahead, spotting the spot where Spike had his miniature breakdown. It was right where he and Rarity first kissed and she could remember it vividly; her and Rainbow snuck behind there to see what they were doing before watching the moment. Smiling at the memory, she turned towards the area where she and Rainbow stood, obstructed by the shadows only to meet a gentle reflection of light off two magenta orbs in the shadows. Feeling a tint of fear anybody would have from a figure in the shadows, she calmed down before coarsely sighing, smiling as she stepped forward.

“Hey sugartits, brutal game,” Rainbow was unsure if she meant that as an insult or a compliment, leaning against one of the supports.

“You wouldn’t believe what Ah had t’ go through t’night,” Applejack spoke in an exhausted exhale, stepping under the bleachers as well.

Unable to walk normally, Spike settled for minor stomps. Glancing back, he saw the school behind him and snorted, turning forward as he spotted the dumpster he was thrown in at the beginning of the year. He walked by it without pause, and continued forward, wondering about if he grit his teeth too much, they’d shatter.

“Stupid game. What’s everyone’s deal? We… we fucking won. Why is nothing I do ever good enough? Goddamn Rarity and her… fucking attitude, and Twilight, doing her stupid nerdy thing, and Big Mac being a huge shithead, and… and Scootaloo is being a damn bitch, ugh,” Spike stopped and slammed a closed fist into the brick wall next to him, cracking it.

Glancing up, he realized that he was at the scene where he ran into Felix, and Pipsqueak covered for him. It seemed like such a long time ago now. Wincing at the memory, he opened his fist and ran his fingers along the wall, studying the bricks with his eyes.

“Pipsqueak, putting his nose in where it doesn’t belong, stupid ass bastard.” Bringing his left hand up, he pinched the bridge of his nose as he clenched his eyes shut, shuddering briefly. “Dumb muscle.”

Staggering to the right, he almost slipped off the curb, quickly planting his foot just to the side of a broken storm drain. Stumbling through urban runoff, he didn’t care that his feet were getting soaked. He craned his neck and walked onto the sidewalk, heading forward again as he paced himself.

He found his breathing coming in intervals, short and raspy as the game was slightly draining. Several hits on his body, areas he was certain that were going to bruise eventually. He wanted nothing more than to get those last words out of his head.

Feeling his body tense up, Spike couldn’t hold it back and broke into a run. He dropped his bag immediately after leaving the school, having just realized it yet he didn’t stop. He slowed down and turned around a corner, onto a street with old cobblestone; the area where Felix and his friends jumped him after a phone call with Rarity. Instinctively, he pulled out his phone and checked the messages.

12 Unread Messages

His chest felt heavier and he resisted the urge to open the inbox before sighing, hitting the lock button once more. Pocketing the phone, he slowed down to a walk and stumbled to the right, leaning against a wall. Pressing his back against the wood, he allowed himself to slide down against it, covering his face with both hands before sitting against the ground.

Being still, he could feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. Grumbling, he reluctantly pulled it out after several minutes of silence. Holding it in his hand, he glanced upwards as the skies cleared up. Stars twinkled above, surely, but the light pollution made it impossible. He saw nothing ahead, nothing sparkling or shining in the skies. No clouds… nothing visible overhead. Just a grey blur indistinguishable amidst the flurry of thoughts tormenting his mind. Nothing ever seemed so mocking or coincidental to his personal troubles.

“Hey, it’s my pet lizard!”

Feeling his muscles attempt to contract, Spike grit his teeth as the voice penetrated his ears without warning, breaking the silence he had amidst the distant sirens and humming noises the city generated. Turning his head up, he saw five figures silhouetted by a streetlamp further down. The trio in front glared right at him as Gilda and her friend stood behind, smoking something that definitely wasn’t cigarettes. Letting his phone slide off his lap as he stood up, he heard a crack sound as it impacted the fresh concrete. Ignoring it entirely, he felt his muscles twitch and his arms grow tense and stiff.

“Why do we have to stop and watch you and your boyfriend make out each time you have a hunch he’s in the same area?” Gilda muttered. “Just grab the bitch and let’s go.”

As if on cue, Scootaloo rounded the corner, drawing Felix’s gaze as well as the other two on both sides. She looked over at Spike briefly and felt guilt before slowly walking towards the larger group. Felix whistled in response.

“Yo, sweetass, hurry it up,” he demanded, a dull grin on his face.

“Please, get out of here,” Scootaloo faintly whispered as she passed Spike.

She drew her right arm closer into her chest, turning away as she went by and Spike merely watched her stance shrink, growing smaller the closer she came to the group. Spike’s eyelid twitched with irritation, as well as some of his fingers. He was bothered that Scootaloo thought she could tell him what to do, and angry that she willingly chose that deviant crowd over him. Felix slapped Scootaloo’s rear and she jumped slightly in response before he turned back to face Spike.

“What’s got you in such a tiff? That candyass of yours finally dump you?” Felix asked in a taunt. “Probably on account of that pencil dick of yours.”

He stepped forward along with the two on his side as Gilda, Scootaloo and the third man stood behind. Only Scootaloo really seemed to pay attention to the situation, Gilda was too busy sucking short breaths out of the tic tac sized joint. The two boys surrounded Spike on his sides as Felix remained silhouetted by the street lamp.

“We still owe you for plenty of trouble you’ve caused, Iguana,” Felix threatened, smirking. He brought his hands up, pressing his knuckles into his palm while cracking them. “I always figured an orphan would have to beg and whine his way into get—”

As he finished cracking his knuckles, a fist impacted right on Felix’s nose with a satisfying crack echoing in the air. The two beside Spike were caught off-guard from the punch and everyone knew Spike hadn’t pulled back his strength; he just hit Felix as hard as he could from his position. It was more than surprising how far he pushed Felix back, as it seemed any expulsion of force was amplified by Spike’s fury. The boy stumbled back several clumsy steps, stunned from the hit before the pain registered and he covered his nose, keeling over.

To his right, as Spike retracted his arm, the first boy swung his right forward, aiming at his gut. Tensing his muscles, Spike stepped back, allowing the punch to impact after losing most of its momentum. Being at the end of his reach, the boy had leaned forward slightly and Spike, with his left fist still slightly outstretched, swung it right and twisted his wrist, driving his fist into the right cheek of the boy. His head jerked violently to the left and the boy stumbled over before falling to the ground. Spike grinned instantly, his pupils shrinking as he focused on ever tremble, every twitch, every abated or heaved breath. He could see it all, and he easily destroyed it.

“Oh shit,” Gilda’s voice could be heard over the scuffle, but she seemed more impressed or amused than concerned.

The second swung his right arm towards Spike from behind. Spike merely ducked as the inexperienced boy threw all his weight into the punch. Feeling the boy press against him as he was imbalanced by the punch, Spike threw his head back, feeling the back of his skull connect with the nose of the second boy. Just like Felix, a crack sounded and he stumbled back, falling to the ground as he held his nose and cried out. Spike turned towards him and brought a foot up, stomping it down onto his wrists. He let out a wail as yet another bone seemed to break.

A shout from his right sounded and Spike turned to see Felix charging him with his fist up, shouting as if it would make him seem intimidating. Spike extended his right arm and caught Felix’s fist, the force causing him to take a step back. Felix’s eyelids twitched as Spike turned right, yanking Felix’s arm as well. As he did, Spike let go as Felix stumbled by before grabbing onto the back of his jacket with his left hand. Holding him in place, Spike brought his foot up yet again and stomped down on the side of Felix’s knee, a much more gruesome snapping echoing across the street. The leg buckled instantly and Spike shoved Felix into the wooden fence.

The first boy, hunched over from the punch, ran forward with his arms spread as he wrapped them around Spike’s midsection. Adjusting his left foot, Spike pressed his heel against an indent in the old road and glanced down, reaching his arms forward and latching his hands onto the boy’s hips. Grunting, he yanked back until the boy’s grip loosened and Spike held him upside down. Stepping forward, the boy lost his footing and Spike held him low enough that his face smacked into the curb, another nose or cheek bone broken. Letting go, Spike watched as the boy fell to the ground, groaning and weeping. For a third time, Spike brought his foot up and stomped squarely on the back of the first boy. He made sure only his heel made contact, lifting his other foot off the ground so the kick pressed sharply into his back. He let out a dry heave in response.

Felix was leaning against the wood, left side pressed against it as Spike grabbed his hair with his right hand and yanked him up. His left hand cocked back before thrusting forward, slamming into the side of Felix’s face. His head hit the wood behind him, cracking the board and causing the top to fall off. Spike let go of his hair and as Felix attempted to hunch over again, Spike brought his right knee up directly against his diaphragm. He fell forward, shocked and unable to focus on propping back up.

Spike stepped back twice before quickly stepping forward, thinking back to his first day of school. His right foot impacted in the right side of Felix’s ribcage as more bones snapped, buckling from the force. Spike brought his foot back and did it again. And again. And again.

“How the fuck do you like this, fuckstick!? If I’m an iguana, I bet you’ll love being a vegetable!” Spike barked, remembering the lesson on iguanas where both he and Felix learned about the reptile. His voice boomed deeply, and neither he nor any of the bystanders found it familiar, the way it raspily clamoured out of his throat. “How do you like a faggot kicking your skinny ass!?”

Gilda shrugged, turning away. “He’s right. Fuck ‘em,” she passively agreed. Her and the Cloudsdale boy walked away, leaving Scootaloo to watch as she remained too scared to step in. “That little shit isn’t worth the trouble.”

Scootaloo gaped as she watched Gilda just take off, her shimmering eyes barely able to break away from the vicious furies that screamed before her. One foot barely took a step back, though is was slow and careful not to draw the attention to herself. But that was the furthest distance she could go, for though she was petrified, she was also strangely quite thrilled.

Spike dropped down lower, swinging his fists instead so that he could get a better look at the expressions contorting against Felix’s face, forced to do so by the violent strikes. The concrete gasped each time a spray of blood crashed against it, like foaming, tumultuous waves lapping against rocks. Any movement from one of Felix’s goons, which perhaps was a groan or twitch or cry, another limb would lash out and break them silent; Spike’s eyes were far too keen to miss even a plead for mercy. But the focus of his rage, even clear to his bloodshot and widened eyes, was the boy who had long since stopped struggling.

“The clouds are rolling back in,” Sweetie Bell chimed from her seat in the second row of Twilight's mother's station wagon, where she was riding. Shining Armour and Pipsqueak leaned forward and to one side to see it clearly, as they were stuffed into the third row of seats together. “Think it'll rain?”

“Could just be the pollution, this side of town's not known for clear skies,” Rainbow Dash yawned, draping her arm around Applejack, who sat next to her in the middle of the second row between Sweetie Belle and the former football captain.

“This certainly is a bad neighbourhood,” Twilight muttered as she turned the car down a corner to a narrow street, one coated in potholes and cracks. “I hate it when Spike walks down here by himself.”

“Speaking of which… what's that ruckus over there?” Rarity inquired, pointing from the passenger's seat beyond Twilight and across the street towards some shadowy scuffle. “It looks like a fight.”

“That's exactly why I—wait, is that,” Twilight started, squinting her eyes carefully. She quickly checked her rear-view mirror to be safe before slowing down. “Is that Spike?”

“Why would Spikey-wikey be in a fight like—?” Rarity began, leaning forward from her seat to look past Twilight, only to catch sight of the boy's silhouette under the streetlamp. “Oh my—it is him!”

“Fuckin' runt,” Rainbow Dash growled from the back seat, hardly waiting a second to undo her seatbelt and kick the door wide open. “We have to help!”

“Rainbow Dash! The car is still moving!” Twilight called back hysterically, gripping at the steering wheel nervously.

“Ah'm right behind ya, sugar,” Applejack hurried out the open door with Rainbow, ignoring the sudden stillness of the pavement after the ride of the car.

“Twilie, stop the car already,” Shining Armour called loudly from the very rear row of seats, knocking Rainbow's now vacant one forward as to make it easier to get out.

“Slow to a complete stop, not obstructing traffic,” Twilight recited as she pulled beside the curb, frantically checking each mirror.

“Twilight!” Rarity cried as she struggled to undo her own seatbelt, her hands trembling as she watched Spike continue whatever brutality he was unleashing just across the street. “Please!”

“S-shift into park, car off, parking b-break,” she continued to narrate as her body performed the movements, her eyes wide and her breath quick.

“Come on, kid,” Shining Armour called to Pipsqueak, who hurried out of his seat belt and waited for Shining Armour to try and manoeuvre his way out of the rearmost row.

“Sweetie Belle, stay in the car,” Rarity called back to her younger sister, who shook in terror to even imagine what was going on.

As Rarity wrestled herself out of the seat and knocked open the passenger's side door, she glanced back at Twilight. The poor girl was almost hyperventilating, staring at her reflection in the windshield as she tried to get a hold of herself. It was clear that she was terrified and completely out of her element, but her arms eventually moved right, and she unlocked her door long enough to fumble out. By then, though, Rainbow Dash and Applejack had already reached the scene.

“Hey! Enough—enough kid! Stop it!” Rainbow called before she made it to him, but it was as if he couldn't even hear her shouting. She grabbed him by the shoulder, feeling the tenseness of his muscles and the rough, ragged edges of his bones and skin protruding as she did. “Listen to me, you're going to—!”

Her eyes went wide as he turned his head just a fraction to the side, letting her catch a glimpse of the drops of blood that had been running down his face, obstructed and forced about in motions due to the vicious swinging of his body. Whipping around suddenly, Spike stumbled back and swung his left hand out to grab at Rainbow's collar, which she narrowly avoided due to her innate quickness. The second assault, however, was much faster and more accurate: a right hook aimed directly for her face. Even under the dim light, she could see the blood coagulating between his knuckles and the spray of several droplets as his hands moved so quickly through the air.

With a loud slap, his fist collided with a palm, a mere inch or two from Rainbow's lips. She glanced up worriedly to see Applejack step in front of her, holding Spike's initial wild swing mostly at bay. However, blinded by the fury and desire for more blood, Spike lashed out once more and grabbed the quarterback right around her neck. Choking on the immensely tight squeeze, Applejack grabbed his wrist with her free hand, desperately trying to break his hold. She released his other hand from her own, not able to shakily hold it any longer anyway, and reached back instead, pressing her now bloodied palm against Rainbow's chest. With a weak shove, she pushed Rainbow back safely further behind her, daring to gaze right into Spike's eyes as he strangled her.

Applejack squeezed harder on Spike's wrist, prying and pulling it as best she could. She noticed then, however, that the once scrawny younger brother of her close friend had become much stronger than she was. Not being able to speak, she stared into his eyes instead, pleading that he restrain himself and gather his wits back up. It was clear, though, that with his slitted, adrenaline-gripped eyes, he was looking right through her.

Pipsqueak and Shining Armour all but tackled Spike as they reached the group, managing to get enough of a grip on him to tear him away from his thoughtless malice. Applejack gasped and leaned forward, coughing as she regained her ability to breathe. Lifting Spike right off the ground and placing him a pace or so away, Pipsqueak kept close watch on the bloodied boy, who still shook and stumbled around like he could spring out and attack anyone all over again. Shining Armour hurried over to the grounded boys, not having any idea who to help first, as there was blood and injury at each turn. He glanced back to see his sister finally arriving, walking slowly past the horrified Rarity as she absently approached the devastation.

“Twilight, call an ambulance, right now!” Shining Armour shouted to her, hardly managing to get her attention at all.

“Call a—?” Twilight repeated vacantly, suddenly realizing what the request entailed. She could hardly control herself long enough to negotiate her phone out of her pocket, and she had trouble dialing the three numbers required. “R-right.”

Rainbow Dash looked around the scene in shame and guilt, recognizing the bloodied mess before them as Spike's aggressor. Her eyes drifted anxiously back to Applejack, who had managed to speak again, without uttering one complaint about the situation that Rainbow had all but forced her into with her rash decision of leaping before looking. She was over by Scootaloo, saying something to her, asking her if she was okay and shaking her gently. With her ears ringing loudly, Rainbow Dash's breath grew heavy and uneven, digging her hands into her hair as if it would make her feel better. She ground her teeth together with a loud bite, her eyebrows arching and her own rage settling on the younger boy who had targeted the most important person in her life.

“Hey, you! Asshole!” Rainbow stormed over to him, roughly shoving Pipsqueak as if that would make him move even an inch. Grabbing the back of Spike's shirt and yanking him over, she shouted again, “Who the fuck do you think you are, going around hurting people like that!?”

Spike whirled around at once, his eyes thick and saturated with tears and tinted from the run of blood into them. All down his cheeks and chin were smeared lines of crimson, some dried and some fresh, shining and running under the streetlights. Pipsqueak kept himself close by, ready at any moment to intervene.

“Me? Me, hurting people?!” his voice was coarse as he growled, so loud it echoed off the buildings and came back to repeat. “You're one to fucking talk! You goddamn hypocritical cunt!”

“Spike,” Rarity weakly spoke, her voice but a gentle breeze that Spike completely ignored.

“Ever since I met you, you've been the biggest fucking bitch I have ever known! And yet, no one ever does anything about it! You make people feel like crap, and still, someone loves you—someone fucking loves you, how is that possible!? How is that fair at all?!” Spike shouted, raising his palms like he could not comprehend it. As he did so, Rainbow Dash could see the blood that had squeezed in between his fingers and dried into the lines of his palms. “So don't you come around here trying to tell me off about anger, Dash. At least you have someone who fucking cares about you!”

“So do you, you idiot! Look around! Look at who's standing here with you!” she shouted back, gesturing wildly at the array of people who had shown up around him.

“What, some arrogant jocks and, and these pitying, adoptive people who don't know shit about me?! You don't care, none of you do!” Spike yelled at the gathered group of so called friends and family, finally settling on pointing wildly at Twilight, who was still half on the phone.

“Spike, of course we care,” she spoke to him gently, tears apparent in her own eyes as she sniffed twice. “You’re my brother, doesn't that mean anything to you?”

“You're not my damn sister, don't you lie to me,” he barked at her, shaking his finger accusingly. Twilight fell into weeping right there, her crying painful to hear. “You and everyone else is only here because they have to be, because if they didn't step in they'd feel guilty or bored, all of you are satisfying your own selfish needs to feel useful and accomplished and nice, but you're not!”

“Stop acting like a self-righteous bastard, kid, no one deserves to be talked to like—!” Rainbow Dash tried again, but once more, Spike was eager to respond.

“Oh, no one deserves anything, right? I'm just completely unreasonable, a horrible excuse for any kind of human being, and you all are saints, right?!” Spike almost guffawed at how ridiculous it sounded coming out of his mouth. “Well guess what, you rude and narcissistic bitch, no one deserves the way you treat them and talk to them either. You're no better than, than Felix, or Gilda! You just strut around like you can do whatever you want, picking on me, on Scootaloo—who by the way wanted to be just like you, that's right. A raging bitch who didn’t give a shit about anyone, and who got herself into all kinds of trouble. Where do you think she got all those bruises, huh? Did you even think about it? No! You’re too busy insulting everyone, turning people into little delinquents like yourself, and laughing at whatever or whoever you damn well please!”

“That's not—” in a much more timid and beaten voice, Rainbow spoke under the booming of his ranting.

“No, that's exactly right!” Spike slapped his hand through the air pointedly, the force of his swing causing a stray drop or two of blood to fly off and hit Rainbow Dash in the cheek. “So don't you go blaming everyone else for what you caused. It's people like you that put us in these violent situations anyway!”

Rainbow Dash was silent, watching Spike's heavy breathing gradually slow from the outburst. She had no response, no witty retort or playful quip, she had nothing left to say. It seemed the rest of the group was no different, as gazes dropped sadly and introspectively, leaving Spike still unsatisfied.

“You know what, fuck you all.” Spike scoffed and turned around, stomping on the concrete as he went to take his leave. “I don't need any of you.”

His footsteps clashed and clacked against the damp ground, echoing in sharp bursts around the scene. All eyes were still following his retreating figure, none with a word to say to bring him back. Slowly at first, the soft pitter-patter of rain drops tap danced around them, small dabs of water leaving variant sizes of circles at their feet. But quite suddenly, it picked up, and the hissing of weather made for an even more daunting silence otherwise.

Rainbow Dash stared at her feet, watching the rain gather in the synthetic wrinkles of her running shoes. Swallowing slowly, she stood alone by the edge of the street, knowing that some of her closest friends had been reminded of the worst of her traits, the things she even hated about herself. Was it true? Had people like her been the cause of this bloody tragedy? Was it...

“...Me?” Rainbow Dash whispered to herself, her own voice so pathetic and self-loathing and escaping in a steamy huffed wave from her lips.

She reached up to her jacket, Applejack's old jacket to be specific, tugging at the two parts separated at the buttons. As she pulled it together, like it might keep her cold heart warmer, she noticed the odd texture of wetness against the chest. She released her grip on the thing, looking down at her damp, pinkish fingers as they peeled off. There, on the tips of a couple of her fingers and the lining of her palm, were traces of blood.

“Y'okay, honey?” came Applejack's gentle voice, and Rainbow felt her familiar hand rest on her shoulder.

That was it, it was a print of Applejack’s hand, from when she had pushed her back to keep her out of harm’s way. Catching Spike’s fist had left her with a palm covered in Felix’s blood, and now, that print was stained on her jacket, right over Rainbow’s chest. It caught her breath to remember it, and she gulped down her uneasiness carefully as her hands shivered.

“Yeah,” it was an automatic response, same with the cocked smirk that faltered a mere second after it emerged. She turned back and faced her loving quarterback. “I've been called worse, I bet.”

“He was just angry,” Applejack defended him carefully, and Rainbow Dash nodded over and over. “Y'understand.”

“All too well,” Rainbow clicked her tongue knowingly, remembering the time when she had been so blinded by anger that she had attacked Spike, and she had almost...

Rainbow suddenly noticed the few lines of blood that were trickling down Applejack's neck, from when spike had grabbed her. The skin was odd in colour, and would likely bruise. For a moment, it was as if her heart stopped. If Spike was right, then this, too, had been her fault. But what jolted her back to reality was that crooked, charming smile of the same blonde farmer in front of her, who licked the thumb of her cleaner hand, much like the way she habitually did when on the field, and pressed it against Rainbow's cheek. Pressing firmly against her soft skin, Applejack swept the small dot of blood off the girl's face, revealing her pinkish cheek underneath.

“It'll all work out. Ah'm sure of it.” Applejack nodded slowly, as if trying to convince herself of that truth. Her arm came around Rainbow Dash, pulling her nearer and letting her bright head rest against her chest.

It was then that all the sounds came back from under the scampering of the rain. Twilight's whimpering, Shining Armour's constant muttering about the injured boys, the distant howl and wail of sirens inching ever nearer. There were those that remained silent, though: Pipsqueak still watching the direction that Spike had left in, Scootaloo's focused, terrified yet relieved eyes tracing the scene like chalk outlines, Sweetie Belle pressing her hands against the rain-rivered window in the back seat of Twilight's station wagon, leaving foggy little marks around each of her fingers, and at last, Rarity closing her eyes and hanging her head in despair. No, there was no darker night than that in Manehattan.

Something else stood out; something far more present other than the situation with Spike. Something Rainbow felt needed to be addressed… and something that could be put on the road to being fixed. Rainbow gently tugged on Applejack’s hand as she turned her gaze.

“Somethin’ up, hon?” Applejack asked.

As she removed her hand, Rainbow glanced towards Applejack briefly before planting a kiss on her cheek and softly patting her shoulder. Rainbow smiled briefly before turning her gaze back to Scootaloo.

“I want to fix something. Something that started because of what a stupid cunt did several years ago,” Rainbow admitted, stepping away from the farmer. Applejack was silent, but nodded to guess what she needed to do.

Sirens continued to approach, the sounds increasing in volume. Rainbow glanced back to Twilight as she repeatedly stepped in place, panicking as she attempted several therapeutic breathing techniques she had learned for such a situation. Rarity glanced down, kneeling down briefly before picking up a cracked phone that lay on the cobblestone. Flipping it over, she hit the lock key to see the screen was still visible with four cracks going across. She glanced at the passkey, noticing it as a four digit code. Pausing briefly, she bit her lip and took a wild guess, entering her birthdate.

The screen unlocked and she immediately noticed that a photo of her with a sincere, large smile caught with her in the midst of a laugh. To her right and left, she noticed Applejack’s plaid shirt as well as a suit Twilight wore during a phase of her life. The photo was pixely and blurred, having been taken from a distance and realized it was at least two years old. She felt her heart skip a beat briefly and rather than check the messages as intended, she went to the photo album.

Scrolling down several photos, she noticed they were profile pics of several other football players and many of Rarity. There were several hundred photos of her over the years, encapsulating numerous emotions and situations she remembered. And scrolling down revealed many more of her friends and recently, others in their group. She tapped a photo of herself and noticed that a note was attached. Curiously, she tapped it and spotted Spike had typed every detail about what she was wearing, and what makeup she used and her emotional attitude. And it seemed he detailed any psychological issues she had. Despite how she looked… he described her as sad.

She scrolled to another picture of her and saw the exact same set of details. And again. She covered her mouth as her own eyes started to tear up yet again. She scrolled once more and spotted a photo Spike had taken of himself to send to her for a profile pic. It was weeks prior, shortly after they just kissed, and he seemed smaller. Lankier. Happier.

“What’s that?” Shining Armour asked, stepping forward towards Rarity.

Rarity couldn’t speak and held the phone up, her wrist shaking slightly as she showed Shining Armour his younger brother’s phone. He grabbed it and Shining Armour looked it in disbelief before turning towards Twilight who was once again on the phone.

“Twilie, don’t bother, his phone his right here,” he told her.

On cue, Spike’s phone started to vibrate and the photo of her sleeping, drooling on a book displayed as her cover ID. She glanced at him hopelessly as she hit the end call button. There was no way to reach Spike, now that he had stormed off.

Now that he was gone, however, Scootaloo had nothing more to hide from, yet she still stood alone. Rainbow glanced at her briefly before stepping up to her, trying to catch her distracted gaze. She was gritting her teeth, shuddering slightly as she shook her head.

“Hey kid, how are you hanging?” Rainbow tried a question carefully.

Scootaloo’s eyes flickered up at Rainbow, her expression confused and aimless. They flashed briefly with anger before softening. Her lips trembled and she glanced back towards the rest of the people there. Several eyes were on her as they waited for the police to arrive, only Rarity and Twilight with their attentions elsewhere. Facing Rainbow once more, she saw a small smile on her face and concern radiating from her face.

“Why do you care, Rainbow Dash?” her voice was so weak it nearly evaporated without sound.

“Come on squirt, I’m not that heartless,” Rainbow tried for funny, but it seemed to just darken the mood more. “You’re a good friend of mine, whether we’ve seen each other much lately or not. And hey, you were my teammate too, of course I care. Why wouldn’t I?”

“But… Rainbow,” Scootaloo started, gulping in anxiety as she found a very good reason she should not have been concerned. “Look, about the team. It was, well, I… I was the one who told… who told Big Mac about you, and Applejack… that day. I told him where you two had walked off to. It was my fault, it was all my fault. A-and then you got kicked off the team, and, and I almost ruined your relationship, which is so not cool because I know you’ve been working so hard for it for, like, ever and ever. You shouldn’t care about me, you really shouldn’t. You should hate me.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened slightly, as did Applejack’s and several others there, whether they understood what it meant or not. Rainbow’s expression shifted briefly, anger attempting to come through. Squeezing her eyes shut in disappointment and sorrow, she ground her teeth, her fists clenching in her hands. She turned away, raising her right hand and gripping Scootaloo’s left shoulder with it. Briefly, she opened her eyes and faced Applejack. She had the same confliction Rainbow did, that same resentment, yet she seemed to have something to say about it.

“Ah’m not sure how Ah feel ‘bout that… maybe disappointment, anger, sure. But Ah don’t think you’re a bad girl ‘r nothin’. Jus’ a lil’ lost,” Applejack honestly spoke, too quick to forgive as usual. “It hurt at first when Big Mac found out, ‘specially the way he did, but it’s not th’ end of th’ world. An’ besides, it ain’t your fault for th’ way he reacted anyway; Ah should’ve told him sooner, an’ he should’a been better about takin’ it. None’o us ‘re blameless.” She shrugged. “At least ya told us, Scootaloo. That was real brave. Ah can’t hate ya for that.”

“Really?” Scootaloo felt a great relief wash over her, and a hopefulness. But she still needed to hear something from the girl whose opinion seemed to matter most to her.

Scootaloo’s eyes turned back towards Rainbow Dash just as the girl looked back to her. Rainbow let out a deep, heavy sigh as she faced Scootaloo again, setting her other hand on Scootaloo’s shoulder. Their eyes met and silence followed as the sirens grew nearer. Rainbow’s fingers gently and supportively squeezed Scootaloo’s shoulders, as she didn’t know what else to do. As she resolved herself, though, hands slid over Scootaloo’s shoulders, going down her back before Rainbow pulled Scootaloo closer, hugging her tightly.

“Fuck it, don’t blame yourself. My stupid ass caused you to have shit expectations, and set the wrong example for you, and guided you on the wrong path; the really wrong, stupid path.” Rainbow squeezed the girl, when she really wanted to squeeze herself. “And about what you said to Big Mac... shit happens. People get down and do irrational things. I can’t hold it against you. You’re my friend, and I’m sorry about what I did all those years ago, turning you into a bitch like me… and I’m sorry for pushing you away.” Rainbow brought her hand up and pet Scootaloo’s hair as the girl clenched her eyes shut.

“F-fuck… oh, fuck… I’m sorry,” Scootaloo cried out in sobs, her shaking hands wrapping around Rainbow’s body. “I’m so sorry, I m-messed up, I just wanted you to t-treat me like… like your sister again, a-and I sp-spent years t-trying to act like you, and trying to b-be you when you’ve already moved on… I alienated everybody and now everyone hates me and, and everybody else hates you and I just... oh, I’m sorry.”

Scootaloo sniffled, allowing her tears to flow onto Rainbow’s shirt in the opening in Applejack’s old jacket. The rain patted down ahead, wetting her hair and slipping down her reddened cheeks. Rainbow was glad, barely managing to hold back tears of her own, even if she did feel like she was talking to a younger version of herself. If only she really could have done such a thing as that, she would not have screwed up so badly for herself and Scootaloo.

“I’m sorry, squirt. It’s my fault you’re like this, I know that. I should have listened when Applejack told me to be a better role model, I should have looked out for you instead of just myself. And I promise, I’ll be a better big sister from now on,” Rainbow whispered, only letting Scootaloo hear it.

“I-I can’t thank you enough,” she responded into Rainbow’s clothes.

Rainbow rested her cheek on the shorter girl’s head, allowing her breathing to come in shorter intervals as Scootaloo’s larger chest pressed into her gut. As they separated, Scootaloo began to shiver as she wiped her tears away, the girl only wearing a thin muscle shirt and as evident by the two nipples poking through, no bra as usual. Rainbow took a long look at the smaller girl, noticing the fading bruises and hickeys on her body. Those things made her feel so very guilty now. Without thinking, Rainbow undid the buttons on Applejack’s jacket and wrapped it around Scootaloo’s shoulders.

“Thanks... for your jacket,” Scootaloo said, wiping a tear from her eyes.

“Wait a minute, ain’t that my ol’ jacket?” Applejack wondered, stepping forward as she tilted her head to the side.

“Uh, heh, yeah?” Rainbow played coy, chuckling as she turned back, giving Applejack a sheepish toothy grin.

“Ah thought Ah threw that out,” Applejack muttered with a bemused grin, raising an eyebrow.

“You wanna throw away this thing when it fits me just fine? Babe, you know how many lonely nights I could have made perfect with this thing? Sleeping with your scent wrapped all around me?” Rainbow mused, spinning around as she pressed her hands to her chest adoringly.

“Mate, I don’t mean to ruin this heartwarmin’ moment, but th’ bobbies ‘re ‘ere,” Pipsqueak declared, pointing over Applejack’s shoulder.

They turned just as a police cruiser pulled in, along with two ambulances in tow. A police officer stepped out, one Twilight and Shining would recognize. Upon seeing their faces, his dropped a bit.

“Oh, you two. Did you rear end someone again?” he blankly questioned, frowning.

“Actually, it’s about our… adopted brother,” Twilight admitted, not really wanting to use the term.

The cop raised an eyebrow, curling his lip. “Oh? What did he do?”

It was so quiet in his room, even the rain seemed so distant against the window, barely being able to hit it at all from the direction of the wind carrying it away. The wind should have carried everything away from him, it would have been better that way, safer. Spike breathed slowly, feeling the fabric over his body rising and falling, stretching against the rising signs of life, signs he had not recalled from the last he saw of Felix. At the time, he had felt so great, so glorious, almost proud, even, to destroy his enemy so easily and completely. But did it really make him happy, was he happy now?

His blankets seeped over his body, climbing up his torso and stretching like some tar-coloured Taffy. Despite the easy, lax comfort of his familiar bed, his body ached, his hands shook, and he felt colder than ever. Whenever he closed his eyes, he remembered blurred strikes, images shifting from side to side as he could not even remember them right. How was he supposed to feel guilt for something he could not even correctly recall? He dug his fists against his closed eyes, still smelling the iron scent beyond whatever pomegranate soap he had used to scrub them clean.

What he did remember well was the look of that browning blood scraping off his fingers, peeling from between his finger nails, coating the normally white porcelain of his sink a wine colour. That, and the incessant sounds of Twilight, balling and weeping so completely. He spread his fingers and ground them against his face, letting them fall down the features that he could recognize, but knew nothing about. His finger picked at a spot he missed, a little dried scab of blood that had clung right behind his ear, tangled in his hair. Perhaps he was still just a kid after all, forgetting to clean such a juvenile spot.

Sucking the vacant darkness into his lungs, he waited for those inevitable red and blue lights to come flashing in between the cracks of his blinds. Whether they came tonight, tomorrow, or in a week, they would surely come. All he could do then, was dully watch the passing headlights cast lines across his room, and wait.

Author's Note

Hooooo~~ly!! 20,000 words later... Man! Me and Arby just dove into this chapter, no doubt why. Here we are, at something of a climax, and surely some of you are just OVERJOYED about Felix.
Hope you enjoyed it thus far-- and don't worry, we still have a few more chapters to go, and things WILL get better~~ comments gratefully appreciated!

Number 6

XV. Number 6

Though Applejack had tried to creep back into her house unnoticed, it seemed that was near impossible. Since his younger sister had caught a ride with Twilight instead of himself, Big Mac was more than resolved to stay up and wait for her to get back. Unfortunately, after all the commotion with Spike and Felix, she returned home much later than she had expected, or perhaps it was early in the morning. She didn't know.

Slowly, she placed her boot onto the hardwood floor just inside the front door, knowing well which boards were creaky even in the dark of the night. Evading the incriminating steps, she turned around and gently pushed the door back into place, clicking the lock as carefully as she could. She stood still for a good few seconds, listening for any noise besides the distant ticking of the kitchen clock. A sigh escaped her lips as she was relieved by the silence, and the warm breath reminded her of the tingling sensation she had felt on those same lips just moments ago. She smiled, remembering the goodnight kiss between her and Rainbow Dash, but the smile lasted no longer than another step or two into the house.

“You're late,” her brother's deep and sonorous voice stopped her dead.

Applejack sighed for a different reason, and stepped for firmly into the bronze prongs of the shoehorn her family kept by the front door. Since she was already caught, she responded promptly, “Ah know.”

“Where were you?” Big Mac asked suspiciously as he stood up out of his old chair, since he had it facing the door from the den which adjoined the foyer, and clicked on the lights.

“Ain't nothin' t' you.” Applejack kept herself facing away, reaching up and popping the edges of her collar off the crease and around her neck. When she had it like that, the fabric irritated her skin, but she didn't have much of a choice if she wanted to keep the fresh bruising from Big Mac's sight. Unfortunately, he noticed the move.

“AJ, look at me.” He walked over to her, carefully trying to peek over her shoulder as she kicked her boots to stand upright on their own by the front door. Still, she did not comply, and went to head upstairs in spite of him. He growled and grabbed her arm, stalling her as he spoke more commandingly. “Look at me!”

“Hey, lemme—!” Applejack tried to pull away, but Big Mac yanked on her arm and brought her nearer, turning her to face him.

Big Mac’s eyes widened as he caught sight of the bruising along her neck, made more obvious by the lines of blood that had not been completely wiped away yet. At first, he couldn't even find his words, and his horrified expression made him look like we was about to cry. But suddenly, his concern turned into anger as he noticed her pouting and distant expression.

“What in the hay happened t' you?!” Big Mac shouted, his voice shaking and he squeezed her by the shoulders. “Applejack, y'tell me right this second, missy!”

“It ain't no big deal, al'right?” Applejack murmured blankly, but his hand slid under her chin and tilted her head. He tried to get a better look at it, pressing his thumb against the affected marks as he turned her again. “Ouch, quit that!”

“Who did this, AJ?” Big Mac asked seriously, his eyes narrowing as a name came to his lips. “Was it Dash?”

“No, of course not!” Applejack denied firmly, swatting his hand away and meeting his gaze. She stared at him honestly, though he still seemed to not believe her. “It wasn't!”

“Was she there?” he asked more calmly, but she pursed her lips in response. She couldn't lie and say no, he would have known. So instead, she chewed at her cheek silently and looked away, which was response enough. This made Mac furious, and he turned her head to look at him seriously again as he raised his voice. “Applejack, what were y'doing with her? Ah thought Ah told you not t' go near that punk!”

“You ain't th' boss'o me,” she told him in a grumble, and he gaped at such a disrespectful response, something very unlike her.

“What happened,” he asked more directly, but went on, “What did she do?”

“Ah done told ya: nothin'! It was ma fault, she was—!” Applejack tried to explain, but found herself unable to sell Spike out as the bad guy. Instead, she kept it vague, but still true. “Ah was try'na protect her.”

“Ah knew it, Ah frick'n knew it.” He pressed his hand against his face and sighed deeply, shaking his head. He could not stand it, seeing his baby sister coming home with blood and bruises, it killed him. He looked at her between his fingers, and noticed the sad expression on the girl's face, so nervous and shameful. “Darn it, AJ. C'mere.”

He put his arms right around her and embraced her, pressing the shorter girl into his chest warmly. Though she was surprised by the action, she returned the hug readily. After all, he was her older brother, and just trying to take care of her. After stroking her blonde hair a few times and fighting off the fury that was brimming his eyes with near tears, he released her. Keeping one arm around her, he led her into the bathroom and sat her up on the counter, soaking a cloth with water.

Applejack watched her feet rock back and forth off the side of the counter carefully, folding her hands in her lap. At last, Big Mac came over to her and softly tipped her head back and to the side, running the dampened cloth along her neck and cleaning the blood off. It was uncomfortable, having him touch her somewhere like that, especially when his brutish forearms brushed against her chest. Applejack felt disgusted by such a thought, and adjusted herself so it would not happen so easily. He, on the other hand, didn't even care, as something else seemed to be on his mind.

“The blood ain't mine,” she tried to ease him with something so simple, but he said nothing in return. She swallowed, and he could feel it on his fingers as he held her still. Though he was such a large and strong man, he was being very gentle with her, as if she was delicate or fragile. Noticing this, she spoke again. “It don't hurt much 'r nothin'.”

“Ah can't watch y'do this t' yourself, you're ma little sister. It's killin' me seein' ya like this. You should never come home lookin' like this, it just shouldn't happen. Ah wanna pr'tect y'all from this.” Big Mac frowned deeply, wrinkles forming on his brow and chin. “Ah know y'think you care 'bout Dash an' all, but her draggin' ya into stuff like this, it just ain't right. It ain't.”

“Ah do care about 'er, plenty. An' it wasn't her fault, Ah'm tellin' ya,” Applejack said passionately, her resolve clear and firm. “If it meant bein' with 'er an' keepin' her safe, Ah'd take a lot worse than this—a heck of a lot worse, lemme tell you. An' Ah bet she don't feel no different.”

Big Mac stopped cleaning her for a second to look up at her, noticing the strange fire in her eyes. Applejack sure did mean all of that, and he knew it. But still, there was no way that he could bear seeing her like this, never again. He squeezed at the cloth in his hand, little drops of bloodied water sliding out over his knuckles and falling onto his sister's shirt.

“AJ, if Ah catch Rainbow Dash near you again—” His voice was steady and deep, his teeth grinding together as the last few words slipped out. “Ah'll kill 'er.”

“Mac?! You can't be serious!” Applejack sat more upright abruptly, her eyes widening in horror at the prospect. At once, her brother stood up straight and hurled the bloodied rag at the mirror, splattering it with the clear and muddied liquid, before turning right around and storming out. Applejack jumped off the counter to chase him, calling, “Mac? Mac!”

The bathroom door slammed in her face, and she jumped as it did, actually deathly scared of the man for the first time in her life. She took a moment to register what he had actually just told her, and her chest got all tight as the image of him doing something like Spike did came to her mind. Shaking her head back and forth, she stumbled backwards and caught herself on the bathroom counter, trembling from her fingers to her toes. She glanced back over her shoulder at the mirror, which had runs of slightly tinted water leaking down it, distorting the view of her own face.

“Oh no,” she pressed her hand over her eyes.

Applejack could not stand the idea of anything happening to Rainbow Dash, that was why she always stepped in, why she always warned the girl to be more careful when she was angry or obnoxious or mischievous. And now, it might be her fault that something horrible could happen to her. If these were the consequences merely for stepping into the fray, Applejack could only imagine what Spike was going to have to deal with.

Rolling in a ball seemed to be the only thing Twilight could force herself to do. It was the only thing she could think of that had worked at keeping her from having an outburst. The couch cushion squeaked as she did. Twilight ignored the liquids pooling beneath her rear; most likely her father’s drink. Night Light lost the ability to care about making a mess when he saw his adopted son hauled out in handcuffs, being read his Miranda Rights as it happened. Twilight felt a knot in her stomach and a pressure in her chest reminiscent of a bear-hug, and breathing was a far more tedious task, almost dry heaves.

“No, you have to tell me what happened!” her mother had cried out.

Twilight’s eyes jolted to the right as her mother was frantically begging a police officer for information. Twilight wished for nothing more than the courage to tell her mother what had happened, how it happened, and why it happened. Besides her own troubles and distress, Twilight was positive Rarity was an absolute wreck. She lived alone, and with nobody else present, no reason to hold back the emotions. Twilight wasn’t sure if she even wanted to go to school the next day. It just wouldn’t be the same without Spike, let alone due to all the questions she would surely be receiving.

Night Light had simply stuck to sitting in the corner, his head hung and his expression hidden. Twilight’s eyes jerked back and forth around the room. The motion made her think of a cat chasing a laser pointer. Consecutively, she pictured a little red dot and imagined herself as a cat. Even if it was utterly stupid to her and nonsensical, it was better than continuing to let the night’s events run through her head. Inevitably, the picturing of the red dot made her think of the red she had already seen earlier that night.

Twilight Sparkle began to sob once more, keeping her cries muffled like a guilty child.

Up the stairs, Shining Armour clutched the wall of his room, facing the same dilemma as his younger sister. Self-blame, utter guilt. Every single thing he said to Spike as a coach, as an older brother—as an adopted older brother, it haunted him. The thing Shining had said to Spike the first night he learned he had a new brother… who happened to look like a freak to the young Shining. Slitted pupils, more jagged teeth and a naturally spiked hair. The idea of another boy coming in and threatening young Shining’s stance as the would-be man of the house. It was trivial and stupid, and he knew Spike would never say anything about it; they were on good terms.

Shining Armour still knew it was just one part of the proverbial snowball that happened to hit them that night. Shining Armour huffed and grunted and grit his teeth in various successions as he tried to make sense of it all, tried to imagine what he could have done differently. His hands were tense, clenched into tight fists; any tighter and he’d wind up piercing his palm with his nails.

“Goddammit, I should have… I should have...” he muttered, but there was no conclusion to his what-ifs and could-bes.

Sniffling back what little mucus had built up in his nasal cavity, Shining let out an exasperated breath. He hated the breath that came from his mouth. It reminded him of a drowning individual, desperate for air, even though he felt physically fine. He knew he felt fine. Even if he hadn’t taken a breath in over a minute, he felt fine. Even with some darkness threatening to cloud his mind as his lack of oxygen got to him, he felt fine. While his younger brother did not.

Pushing himself off the wall, Shining let his arms hang loose, dangling at his sides as he stumbled backwards. Feeling his poplit hitting the edge of his bed, Shining’s legs buckled and he fell onto the bed, sucking in a sharp breath of air.

“It’s not my fault,” he mouthed, or tried to, over and over. Shaking his head, he brought himself back and thought better. If he was going to be that man he wanted to be, the man to set an example for Spike, the man who would one day uphold justice, he had to be strong. “I can’t let this get to me. But still…”

Pipsqueak tossed his bag towards the rustic nightstand by his bed and rolled onto the rickety frame holding up his pathetic excuse for a mattress. He didn’t hate his room, though; immigration cost them a lot, and sacrifices had to be made. He didn’t mind the few things he had and was considering himself rich simply from owning a phone. He had to leave soon, potentially, if the police came for him. He knew that Twilight had gotten a ride with the cop to go pick up Spike. Meanwhile, Shining Armour opted to make sure the station wagon got home, as well as drop off the others.

Three hours from the incident, Pipsqueak wanted to prolong going home if merely for sleeping in his bed. Fears of nightmares potentially entering his dreams. Sighing, he rolled onto his back as he heard his mother and father fighting about something in the kitchen. And his teammates thought his accent was thick…

Grabbing his cheap mobile, he flipped it open and went into the contacts. He pressed the down key until Dumbbell’s name was highlighted. Pressing one key, he activated multi-select and went on to select Score and Hoops’ numbers before hitting the enter button and beginning to compose a new text.

‘Trouble afoot. Spike laid a beating down on those guys bugging him before. Severe stuff. Maybe a lawsuit,’ Pipsqueak typed out, wondering if it was urgent enough to merit the correct response.

Pipsqueak glanced to the closed door after hearing a bang and his mother let out a shriek. Routinely, he dropped the phone on the floor and paced himself to the door, opening it as he stepped into the kitchen. His father was far smaller than him, yet was physically superior to his mother. The man turned his gaze to his son before glaring back at his wife.

“Don’t think that jus’ ‘cause yer fuckin’ brat came t’ save yer slutty ass you’re off th’ ‘ook,” the man barked, grumbling as he pushed past Pipsqueak.

Pipsqueak felt his arms tense as she walked by and he watched the man leave the apartment, stepping outside for another midnight walk. As the door slammed shut, Pipsqueak’s body loosened up and he felt his arms shaking. He had enough violence for the night already, and simply wanted to remove his soaked, potentially bloody clothes. He felt a damp spot on his hip where his side connected with Spike upon tackling him. He watched as his mother relaxed more and leaned against the stove before he turned around, walking back towards his room without an uttered word. She’d hardly listen anyway, she never did.

Stepping inside, he hit the send key on his phone before reaching between his bed and nightstand to fetch a charge cord. Plugging it into his outdated phone, he set it on the nightstand and closed the blinds, slipping his wet shirt off under the bed before tossing it aside, kicking his jeans off. Just before he was about to get to sleep for the night, he remembered someone else he should have texted, and went back to his phone instead.

Dumbbell checked his phone, feeling a vibration in his pocket. Pulling it out, the other two taking little notice, he saw that Pipsqueak sent it. Unlocking the phone, he navigated to his inbox. Tapping it, he read it absently before spotting the word, ‘lawsuit’. He reread it several times before rolling his eyes. He sat up on the spot, glancing around Joe’s Doughnuts before typing a response.

‘laid a beatin? we talkin couple punches or creamed the bichs?’

Dumbbell hit send and glanced back towards the platter of doughnuts. Shrugging his shoulders, he grabbed a boston cream and jammed it in his mouth, not caring how much his teeth and cheeks got coated in the slimy liquids. That night was rough, having absolutely murdered their opponents in the game.

“Suddenly you’re interested in your phone. I thought you said no fuckin’ textin’ on doughnut night,” Score prodded, swatting at Dumbbell’s phone.

Dumbbell planted the phone flat on the table while Hoops seemed interested in something outside the window. Sighing, the lead wolf wiped the chocolate icing on his sleeve before gulping the doughnut in his mouth.

“Spike beat some guys up tonight,” Dumbbell explained simply.

“Woah, for real? I thought he was too pussy for that,” Hoops wondered, his attention turning towards Dumbbell.

Dumbbell’s phone vibrated and he read the message over briefly. His brow raising briefly as he planted another boston cream in his mouth. After finishing, he glanced towards the two next to him and swallowed. His eyes shifted back down to the text as he read it out.

“‘Spike beat up several kids, broke several bones. Almost killed, I’d say. Police are en route to his house with Twi to go take him to the station, parents are gonna press charges if the kids consent’,” he read before locking his phone.

“Wait, this is serious shit!?” Score asked, his grin fading. “We roughed up our fair of pussies a million times over the years and never got a chewing out!”

“Apparently it’s a big deal now or some bullcrap. I don’t blame him though, Felix was a dick. Unlike Rainbow Crash, that fucker was intolerable,” Dumbbell went on boredly, grabbing another sweet treat and playing with the hardened icing.

“How bad?” Score asked as he took a jelly doughnut.

“Broken bones; a trip to the ER. I’d ask for a pic but I doubt they took any, but this shit means we may be out of the next game,” Dumbbell grumbled lowly, gritting his teeth.

Glancing down at the platter, Dumbbell sighed, recklessly jamming another dessert in his mouth. He seemed angry to the others; only Hoops was too reluctant to speak up.

“What’s got you all pissy?” Score grew the gall enough to take a shot at his buddy.

“Stupid idiot,” Dumbbell muttered, wondering what Spike could have done.

The door squeaked open slowly as Apple Bloom poked her head in, clutching the slab of wood tightly. Despite the fact that the room inside was pitch black and draped in hanging shadows, Apple Bloom could make out a figure on the bed. There were such small and stifled sounds that she could hardly make them out at all, but even though she was nervous about it, she stepped inside.

“Uh... Applejack?” Apple Bloom asked in a hush, glancing back out into the hallway to see if anyone else was awake, which did not seem to be the case.

“A-Apple Bloom?” a weak voice spoke back, and she could see the figure shift.

“Ah heard ya get in, er, well, Ah heard Mac yellin' somethin' awful,” the younger girl explained as she crept deeper into the darkness, leaving the door open to cast enough light to see her way around.

“Sorry, didn't mean t' wake y'all,” another terribly blank and even tone coated the shaky words.

“Did somethin' happen? Why'd y'get home s'—?” Apple Bloom stopped speaking as her eyes widened, catching a better sight of her sister.

The older blonde girl was laid out on her stomach, clutching a pillow to her face. She turned over just as quickly as Apple Bloom saw her, but she could not hide the few damp spots on the pillowcase or the bright red puffing of her eyes. She forced a welcoming smile, but Apple Bloom did not believe it for a second. Coming closer to the bed and leaning over it, she went to address the issue.

“Are y'cryin', sis'?” Apple Bloom asked gently, trying not to make it worse.

“Naw, big sisters don't cry, silly,” Applejack hurriedly forced a chuckle, but noticing Apple Blooms disbelieving frown and the way she planted her hands knowingly on her hips, she knew she had been found out. “Yea'... Ah reckon Ah am.”

“W-well, uh... wha's wrong?” Apple Bloom wondered, not knowing how to deal with a situation like this, as it had never come up before.

“Y'ain't gotta worry 'bout it sugarcube, it's ma problem,” Applejack tried to turn her away, but the young girl simply plopped herself right on the side of the bed.

“Quit babyin' me, sis',” her little sister pouted, keeping the eye contact. “What happened? An', an' what's been goin' on 'tween you an' Mac, anyway? Y'all been fightin' non stop ever since Dash left th' team; not that th' rest'a them loser's 're much different. Speakin' o' which, everyone thinks y'all had somethin' t' do with all that, did ya?”

“Well,” Applejack started as she cleared her throat and tried to wipe her eyes without her sister noticing. “It's a kinda funny story.”

“How so?” Apple Bloom tilted her head to the side, and Applejack couldn't even look at her.

“Thing is, Dash an' Ah,” Applejack glanced up, finding the endearingly innocent face of her little sister unnerving. “We, uh... well see here, we—”

“Y'all 're knockin' boots?” the younger girl guessed, and Applejack went bright red in the face.

“How'd y'know that?” Applejack asked in surprise.

“W-wait, y'really are?! Ah was right?” Apple Bloom's eyes grew wider as she realized it. “Oh ma God, you an' Dash?!”

“Well… Yea',” the blonde hung her head and bit at her lip shyly. “Is it that weird?”

“No, no, it's,” Apple Bloom tried to think of the right word, only coming up with, “Cool!”

“Cool? What's that s'posed t' mean?” Applejack flinched as she heard the word.

“Ah dunno! It's just, it's neat,” that word left no better impression on her older sister. “Even though she can be a goof ‘nd all… Ah can totally see y'all together, she always was jokin' kinda rough with ya, wasn't she? No one could push yer buttons like Dash. Darn, Scootaloo totally called it, too. Ah should'a listened t' her!”

“Yea', she did,” Applejack knew that to be true, shifting tensely on the bed. “An', uh, Mac knows too... he ended up findin' us... uh, doing stuff together th' day that Dash quit.”

“Uh oh, he knows? But, but he hates Dash!” Apple Bloom crawled forward, a concerned expression spreading across her face. “Wait... what did he find y'all doin'? Were y'all...?”

Apple Bloom's face got all serious and she pursed her lips, looking up at the roof as images floated into her head. Her face went a little redder as she imagined what the two could have been doing that would have made him so upset, though she really felt like giggling. Applejack noticed the look on her curious little face and stammered to try and distract her, steam nearly shooting out of her ears with embarrassment.

“D-don't be thinkin' 'bout that stuff!” Applejack told her, pulling her knees up to her chest as if to conceal herself from the girl's imagination. “A-anyway, he told us that if Dash didn't keep away, he'd tell on us an' get us kicked off th' team an' stuff.”

“An' tha's why she quit, ain't it?” Apple Bloom asked curiously, her expression softening as Applejack nodded. “Ah didn't think nothin' could get that punk off th' team. She must really like you, AJ.”

“A-Ah hope so,” Applejack murmured into her knees.

“Tha's why y'cryin'? 'Cause y'can't see her?” the younger sister inquired.

“No, we, uh...” Applejack grinned sheepishly to recall. “We saw each other a couple'a times after that. But, tonight, Ah was with her an' a couple o' th' other players, an' we... well, we ran into a bit o' trouble.”

“What kinda trouble?” Apple Bloom’s voice dropped more seriously.

“Y'know them hooligans that were both'rin' Spike?” Applejack asked, and her sister nodded firmly. “Well, they came 'round when he was alone, an' they got into somethin' of a fight.”

“Is Spike okay?!” Apple Bloom asked hurriedly, worried for the boy.

“Oh, y'aint gotta worry 'bout him in a fight.” Applejack chuckled lightly, though her throat was still sore when she did so. “He really did a number on 'em, Ah don't even know if they're...” Applejack faded out, not wanting to speak the word aloud. She went on a different tangent instead, “Anyway, cops 're involved, an' Ah can only hope things turn out okay for 'im from this point. We'll have t' wait 'til tomorrow t' hear from Twi about it.”

“It's that bad?” Apple Bloom's voice was soft and nervous, and she frowned deeply. “Wait, Ah don't see why Mac would get mad at y'all 'bout that... so why're y'cryin'?

“Ah might'a... Ah might'a stepped into it, try'na stop Spike an' all. Well, tryn'a stop Spike from hurting Dash, t' be honest. We found him poundin' on them boys, an' Dash an' Ah ran out t' stop 'im, but he didn't much like it.” Applejack reached up and undid the top two buttons of her collar, pulling it away from her neck and revealing the still darkening mark of wide fingers wrapped around her throat. “Ah was jus' try'na get him t' calm down, an' keep Dash outta harm's way. Turns out Ah wasn't lookin' out too carefully for m'self.”

“Spike...” Apple Bloom examined the mark closely, her lips twitching and her eyes becoming so very horrified and sad. “Spike did that t' you?”

“He wasn't himself, Ah swear on that,” Applejack quickly defended his name. “Somethin' like rage had gotten a hold o' him by th' time we got there, Ah’d never seen him s’ furious, he was like a whole different person, like a… a monster. Luckily Pipsqueak was 'round, else this could'a been a lot worse.”

“Pip was there? An'... an' he saved y'all?” Apple Bloom seemed very relieved and proud to hear such a thing, but her expression darkened just as quickly. “Then why didn't that lil' pansy text me a head's up?!”

“It was pretty chaotic out there, Ah'm still a lil' rattled by it m'self,” the older girl admitted, trying to calm her little sister down. “Ah didn't tell Mac 'bout what happened though, Ah can't sell out Spike like that, if Mac found out Spike put his hands on me... well, there'd likely be another fight. But he sorta... he shook it outta me that Dash was 'round, now he's got it up in his head that it was somehow her fault.”

“How mad is he?” Apple Bloom carefully asked, knowing how volatile his anger could be, especially about protecting the two of them. At her sister's silence, she asked again, “Applejack? How mad is he?”

“He... said he'd kill Dash, if he finds her anywhere near me again,” Applejack recited coldly, her face falling.

“What?! No way! That's so, so—he can't do that!” The younger girl seemed to have a tantrum about it, slamming her fists against the bed.

“Ah know Mac's only try'na keep me safe, but Ah can't respect them stupid wishes o' his if he ain't even gonna try t' understand me... An', an' Ah... Ah don't know what t' do!” Applejack buried her trembling fingers into her hair frantically. “There ain't no way Ah could stop seeing her, Apple Bloom. Ah just can't. It's crazy, but Ah love her. Damn it, do Ah ever love her!”

“You... y'love her?” Apple Bloom's face because so serene and adoring, just hearing those words.

“But if Ah wanna be with Dash, Ah'm gonna have to keep it a big secret again, makin' sure he ain't never gonna find us. But then again, can Ah be so selfish as t' put 'er at risk like that?” the farmer weighed her options over and over as she had been for a while now. “Ah couldn't handle it if anythin' ever happened t' her, Ah just couldn't.”

“Ah know Ah ain't very smart m'self,” her younger sister spoke up, murmuring through her pouted lips. “But Ah say, ignore Mac; screw 'im an' his dumb demands. It's his problem, if he don't like what y'doin'. But... maybe you should talk t' Dash about it. If she's anythin' like the reckless rascal Ah know 'er t' be, she ain't gonna wanna back off n' matter what.”

“Yea',” Applejack grinned a great wide grin and hugged her legs tighter, her eyelids falling down fondly as she knew such a thing to be true about the girl in question. “Thanks, Apple Bloom.”

“Don't mention it, anythin' y'need, Ah'm here,” she said through a wide smile, pointing a thumb at herself.

“Ah'll keep that in mind,” Applejack laughed lightly. “Ya'll should get off t' bed now sis'.”

“Ah know, Ah know,” the young girl hopped off her sister's bed, but looked back before leaving. “You gonna be okay?”

“Don't worry 'bout me, kiddo,” Applejack flashed another falsely confident smile, but this time, it was somewhat brighter. “Ah'll see ya t'morrow, 'kay?”

“Kay,” Apple Bloom repeated in a much more childish and cute way, smiling before pulling the bedroom door closed and leaving.

Apple Bloom crept back across the hardwood floor into her room, making sure not to run into Big Mac if he was still awake. She sure didn't want to catch the business end of his lingering anger. Making it safely into her room, she closed the door with her back and sighed in relief. It sure was a lot to take in for the young girl, suddenly learning such a thing about her sister. Not that it bothered her, though she didn't understand what it must have been about Rainbow Dash that she liked.

Apple Bloom made it over to her bed through the darkness and crawled onto it, noticing a dim light from her bedside table. Picking up her old, beaten phone, she flipped it open and waited for the screen to load. She noticed one new message, and pressed hard on the button to open it up. It was from Pipsqueak, she noticed, and she scrolled through it in interest.

'Hey Bloom, I dont want you to worry, but Spike's been in a bit of a fight. We'll talk more tomorrow. I know it's late.' the text read, and Apple Bloom frowned at it.

“Darn, he did text me,” she grumbled, losing her reason to be mad at him.

With her less than experienced fingers on the old keyboard, she typed out a response, 'I no, my sis told me sum stuff. dont sound good.'

Climbing into her bed and kicking her feet around so her pyjama pant legs wouldn't ride up her shins, she held the phone closed in her hand. It didn't take long for Pipsqueak to reply, which was odd because she knew he was usually dealing with some family matters around that time. Her phone vibrated loudly and shifted in her palm before she opened it up and found the message.

'She doing okay? She wouldn't let anyone but Dash take a look at her.' came the reply, and Apple Bloom giggled as she understood why that might have been.

'ya, she'll be fine. she's tuff like me xD.' Apple Bloom smirked, but added more, 'I hope spikes okay. he's lucky you were around.'

Apple Bloom’s phone vibrated once more, and she read it over with a simple smile, 'It's what friends are for.'

Little did the young girl know, however, that her older brother had been awake. After everything that had gone on that night, it would have taken a miracle to put him to sleep.

He shifted again in his bed from his side to his back, the sheets rustling under him. Staring up at the ceiling, he went over her distant words again and again. His two sisters hadn't been all that quiet, especially since Apple Bloom had left the door open, and he had heard nearly every word, with the exclusion of the tidbit regarding Spike.

“Stupid kid, go'n git h'self hurt,” he grumbled in a whisper, frowning and wrinkling his brow.

With another groan, Big Mac turned again, but just as quickly, he shifted once more onto his back. There was a great big knot in his stomach anyway, and he already knew what it was from. He felt guilty for being so rough with his sister. He was acting no better than Dash, pushing people around and being selfish. Big Mac usually didn't get so worked up, but there was something about the situation that had his boxers in a twist.

Placing his hand over his eyes as if the darkness created would ease him to sleep, he carefully let out a breath and tried to calm himself down. As much as he hated Rainbow Dash, he really didn't want to lose his sister to a mere disagreement. He cursed the girl's name, for putting him through something like having to interfere with his sister's—as much as he hated to use the words—dating life.

No matter how long he laid there, and he laid there for a good long time in silence, he just didn't understand it, not at all. He could not comprehend why in all of Equestria his sister would want to be with someone like Rainbow Dash; and why she would devotedly stick by her side no matter what he said to her, no matter what anyone might have said, no matter what Rainbow probably did to her. He did not want to imagine the latter. The little punk was a menace, what did she even have to offer?

Before he knew it, his legs were swinging over the side of his bed and he was shoving himself upright. His toes touched the carpet and squashed it down with each step, carrying him out his bedroom door and down the hall. He stopped completely still, however, in front of Applejack’s room, glaring at the wood that obstructed his path.

Making sure to turn the knob all the way before gently pushing the door in, Big Mac peeked in through the small gap made from the frame and observed the still darkness. Leaning in a bit farther, the only noises he could hear were faint and slow breaths, which were evenly spaced and peaceful at last. He stepped carefully into the room, leaving the door barely open for an easy escape if he happened to make any noise. Coming across the room to the girl asleep on the bed, he titled his head, watching her rest.

Even though the bruising on her neck poked out and was visible even in the dim light, she slept on so blissfully it seemed strange. He went over to the slumbering blonde, reaching out only to brush the stray hairs from in front of her face to see her more clearly. His expression softened on hers, and he bent just a bit closer to observe her. As he did, though, a flash of reflected light caught him in the eye, and he looked over at the source. It was a picture frame on her bedside table, pointed directly at her.

Having to pinch it by the frame and turn it to see it clearly, Big Mac squinted to try and make out the image. With the lights reflection, he found it still difficult to identify, and ended up picking it right up off the table. Letting it fall into his wide palm, he held it up before his eyes and managed to trace the picture at last.

It was a picture of his sister, but she wasn’t alone. As usual, that same obnoxious little brat had her arm slung around his younger sister, though the two of them were a good deal younger in the photo. He pressed his thumb hard over the rainbow-haired girl’s face, frowning at the familiarity of her unruly hair and unfitting, tattered clothing. Looking over at his sister’s young face, though, he noticed that same fond expression across her features, and noticed she was staring at the girl under his hand. He felt the need to pull his hand away to view it all again, and for a moment, he found himself comfortable with the reflective way they looked at each other. But only for a moment.

Big Mac could not hope to explain what unsettled him about Rainbow Dash, perhaps there was just too many things to name. He had to admit, she was kind of cute in a weird way, and she did seem to love to be attached to Applejack by the hand or hip. The more he looked at the two of them, the more he realized that Rainbow Dash had changed, if only a little. What irked him most though, was that he still truly did not trust Rainbow Dash. Applejack sure seemed adamant about being there for the girl no matter what, and he knew her well enough to believe that, but he knew too little about Rainbow to say for sure what she really might have wanted.

Still, Big Mac knew that he indeed had been too harsh on his sister. She was only trying to do something to make herself happy, even if that thing was... Rainbow Dash. But then again, he was only trying to make her happy too, trying to keep her safe and away from things that were unpredictable. He replaced the picture at once and turned it to face the sleeping girl, who shifted a bit to hear the small tap as the frame touched the bedside table.

Perhaps he had been too hasty to threaten Dash like he did, but Applejack needed to know how serious of an issue their relationship could turn out to be. There would be a lot more trouble opposing the two for such a lifestyle if they chose to stick with it, that would always be the case. He placed his hand on his sister's head for just a few brief seconds before trailing it down her body. Over her shoulder and arm until he removed it at her hip, he let out a slow exhale. Even though she was asleep, perhaps she could hear him.

“Y'may hafta hate me for a while, AJ,” he whispered to his younger sister, lending her a worried look and softening his hard gaze on her. “Ah'm sorry.”

He turned at once and left the girl alone in her room. He was sorry, truly, he had never intended to cause her so much grief. And though it might have seemed difficult or impossible for him to change his mind about Rainbow Dash, he resolved himself to make something of an effort.

‘Twilight, is Spikey-wikey okay? Have they said anything yet?’

‘No, the lawyer is still at the hospital. It’s at least a forty minute drive to the police station.’

‘Have you managed to speak with Spike at all since last night?’

‘No, they won’t even let mom or dad in there.’

‘Do they know I have his phone?’

‘You have Spike’s phone!?’

‘I found it broken after the fight.’

‘Oh, right.’

…

Rarity: 12 Unread Messages

Rarity stared at the phone, glancing at the inbox’s messages. She saw the previews of the final messages she had sent and felt her heart grow heavy as she read them. She only saw the first ten words before she’d have to tap a message to read the rest and she could see how frantic she had gotten in her words. Tucking the phone in between her breasts, she laid in the bed, only a loose sheet covering her body as she glanced at the larger mattress. Rarity ran her hand over the spot next to her, remembering how for several nights, Spike had slept over.

Rarity closed her eyes and remembered how happy he had been initially just to be with her, and be able to hold her. She remembered how happy she had been. And she remembered how, though she should have been the first to see it and help him with it, she barely realized that he was allowing the glory run to his head. Glory he had no idea what to do with, no idea how to keep held back.

Rarity’s phone began to vibrate, a familiar ringtone playing. She glanced at the screen and spotted Rainbow’s caller ID. It was rather unusual for her to call, so Rarity took the time to sit up and turn her light on. Propping herself up on her elbows, Rarity slid the green ringing telephone icon to the centre and held the device to her ear.

“Hello?” Rarity answered, her voice trembling initially.

“Hey, are you, like, free right now?” Rainbow spoke over the line, her voice slightly distorted.

“Oh, I suppose. You didn’t call me a skank for once, is something wrong?” Rarity asked, chuckling at the memory.

“Nothing, I just… kinda wanted to talk. Scootaloo’s tagging along with me for a bit but I wanted to ask you some shit about Spike,” Rainbow admitted without hesitation. “Well, if you want to or whatever.”

“I suppose, as long as it isn’t too personal,” Rarity agreed, shrugging as she allowed herself to slide back into a laying position.

“Well, it is you, skank. You don’t have to answer if it’s weird, but… well, do you still love Spike?” Rainbow’s voice faded, becoming quieter as she finished her question.

Rarity paused, an image of a smiling Spike glancing at her from afar as he adjusted his helmet came to her head. Several memories came into her mind: their first kiss, their date at Per Se, how he practically tore her clothes off… it came flooding in. Close to two months of memories. She held onto that hope to him speaking up for seven years. She let out a sharp wail, attempting to catch it in her throat before Rainbow heard her. Rarity rolled onto her left side, glancing at the wall that seemed so dull at the moment. Her lips quivered as her breaths came in shorter intervals, light and raspy. Rarity didn’t like when she despaired; the liquids always stained her pillows and she clenched her eyes shut as if that’d stop them.

“I do, but... it hurts. I truly realize now that I don’t know him as well as he knows me, and I feel awful about it. I don’t know how he reacts or how he’ll respond or what sets him off or what I should or shouldn’t say. I just want to kiss him, and never let him go home sad, and let him want to come to me when he’s upset, and I want to let him know that I’m sorry for everything I’ve done. I want him to hit me or do something to help him relieve his pain... yet it was too late, I didn’t help him or notice that anything was wrong, and now he’s somewhere I can’t reach.” Rarity gulped, feeling her head go light. “I had so much I should have said and done, but I was afraid or naive. I love him, yet it all fell apart so fast that I don’t even know how it happened.”

“I hear you… I kind of have the opposite issue. I think I talk too much. But I don’t know how to express myself enough to let her know how much I love her, how I love every little silly detail about her. I’m not good with words, and I can’t even convince Big Mac that I really have changed… and that I love Applejack. Yet even though I don’t know, I just take a risk and gun it. I didn’t know how Applejack would respond that night. Or, part of me did, but I didn’t know if she was going to push me off or get mad at me or anything. Well, she kind of did that stuff at first, but she came around.” Rainbow let the silence hang as if to let Rarity respond. She couldn’t; the fashionista was too busy holding in her emotions. “Honestly, I’ve just been lucky. Yet my luck ran out… because of me, I fucked the team over, I pissed off Spike, I hurt Scootaloo, Big Mac caught us; basically, my stupid mistakes finally caught up with me. I don’t know how to fix it…”

“I-I suppose,” Rarity sniffled.

Silence hung in the air once more and Rainbow’s voice squeaked as she had attempted to speak. She coughed once before erupting into laughter on her side. Coming off her fit of giggles, Rainbow spoke.

“S-sorry, my voice box is a super cunt too. Anyways… I don’t know if I say this enough, or ever, and no homo, but I love you girls. All of you. I mean, if it wasn’t for you, my lovely Applejack, and Jazz and Gala, I probably would be snorting coke off Gilda’s ass or something dank and slutty like that. I mean, I kind of take people for granted… Spike reminded me of that.” Rainbow’s voice was shaky now and then but Rarity listened to her the whole time.

“Spike did that?... Wait, Jazz and Gala?” Rarity repeated in a mumbled wonder.

“Nevermind,” Rainbow chuckled once more. “I also have a suggestion.”

“Shoot,” Rarity said, smiling as she wiped the liquids from her eyes. “Also, thanks for this, Rainbow. I kind of feel better after that.”

Silence. Rarity held the phone in front of her as she gasped, seeing that Rainbow hung up on her. She frowned, gritting her teeth as she let out a groan, pounding her fist against the bed as she let go of the phone, watching it bounce. With a single motion, she swung the blankets over her body and she rolled over onto her front, burying her face into the pillow. A vibration caught her attention once more and she realized Rainbow sent a text. She sighed, rolling over so one eye could see over the soft pillows as she retrieved her phone, opening the message.

Receiving Image…

Raising an eyebrow, Rarity waited patiently as the text processed. Her phone vibrated again as it connected and Rarity’s face flushed as she read the message below the photo, double-checking it to see if her eyes were correct.

‘Rule #1: never let Rainbow Dash near your phone ever again, k skank??? ;3’

Rarity was faced with a nude photo she had sent Spike with text superimposed with Rainbow’s cheap built-in photo app. The text merely said “Raritits” below her bosom and Rainbow cheaply scribbled a phallic image with presumably her phone’s note app. Rarity hit the lock key on her phone and scrunched up in bed. She let out a deep sigh, feeling part of her chest feel lighter.

“I won’t give up on you, Spikey-wikey,” she muttered as she gently fell asleep.

Scootaloo trailed behind Rainbow Dash obediently as the girl snickered and put her phone away, the younger girl’s eyes glued to the heels of the girl in front of her. Rainbow’s shoes must have been over three years old judging by the worn down fabric and the many patches done to them. Scootaloo tentatively glanced up as the rainbow-haired girl led her down a hallway. She briefly looked up at a sign that read Student Services.

They both stepped in and Rainbow pulled out a slip from her pocket, waving it in front of the attendant. She merely glared at Rainbow in response before considerably softening up upon laying eyes on the beat-up younger girl. Stepping into an office, Scootaloo followed suit and closed the door after briefly waiting. A woman spun around with a smile before catching sight of Rainbow and sighing heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose as she winced painfully.

“What is it this time, Rainbow Dash?” she asked curmudgeonly.

“First off, I want to apologize,” Rainbow started, her voice turning into an apologetic one for once. The woman glared at her. “Y’know, for stabbing you in the knee a few years ago. I was a punk, and I was stupid. I know you thought that trying to make me blab about shit would help, but I didn’t want to deal with anything. But I do now. It probably doesn’t matter anymore, but I wanted to say it anyways, because I really am sorry.”

The woman’s glare faded slowly and she sighed wistfully, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

“It’s fine, Rainbow Dash. People can change over time, given the chance,” the woman seemed fond of the sentiment. “Now, what’s the real reason you’re here?”

Rainbow sheepishly grinned, scratching the back of her head as her eyes wandered, the girl contemplating her words.

“Well, something I inadvertently caused because I was such a bitch back then,” Rainbow vaguely began. “I clearly wasn’t the best role model, anyone could see that. But, I want to help my… my sister, in any way I can, and I figured I’d start by seeing how she feels in a chat with you. I promise, I’ll keep all the sharp objects out of her reach and everything.”

The woman turned her eyes towards Scootaloo, the girl still hiding underneath her bangs as she rubbed one arm, eyes aimed at the wall. The elder woman didn’t say anything, staring at the girl until Scootaloo’s eyes turned towards her.

“Hi, my name is Mrs. Stable,” she told her with a smile. “I was a medicinal doctor before deciding to switch over to this field, so don’t think I’m just some shrink. What’s your name?”

“... Scootaloo,” the younger girl meekly responded.

“So, Rainbow Dash is your sister?” Mrs. Stable wondered, having never heard of such a thing before. “I can’t imagine the early years.”

“Believe me, they definitely didn’t help me in the long run,” Scootaloo responded with a chuckle while Rainbow lightly scoffed. “Hopefully, I’ve got some people who can now.”

“Here, take a seat,” Mrs. Stable said, motioning to one of four chairs in the room. Scootaloo responded by picking one closest to the corner and Mrs. Stable glanced to the older girl. “Do you want Rainbow Dash to leave?”

Scootaloo smiled again, shaking her head. “Never again.”

Rainbow couldn’t keep a grin off her face as she sat down next to the younger girl, wrapping an arm around her. She punctuated the moment with a quick noogie.

“So, is there anything you’d like to say?” Mrs. Stable asked to begin. “I’ll be the first to remind you that whatever is said here will never leave this room unless I believe you are endangering others or yourself, all right?”

Mrs. Stable handed a clipboard over with the written permissions form pinned to it. Immediately, Rainbow and Scootaloo filled it out before handing it back. The woman took a moment to look over it before pulling the form off and putting it in a folder. Scootaloo sighed deeply, resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder as the older girl held her supportively.

“Where do I begin…?”

The schoolyard buzzed with the news the next day, as it had slowly seeped out from the Dumbbells to the rest of their crowd. None of them were too good at keeping secrets anyway, and by the end of the day, everyone had heard something of the events that transpired after the Manticore’s latest victory. Out by the bleachers, as they waited for cheer practise to begin, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom brought such a subject to light.

“Tha's what ma sister tol' me, anyway,” Apple Bloom finished explaining the situation, nodding her head firmly.

“No fair! My sister wouldn't even come out of her room this morning,” Sweetie Belle whined with a frown. “I thought she'd show up at school later, but I never saw her. I think she’s waiting to hear about what happened from Twilight.”

“That ain't the point, Sweetie Belle,” Apple Bloom tried to keep her on topic, shifting back to the important stuff. “Spike could be in a lotta trouble, an' if he's off'a th' team, we can't even play our next game.”

“Did you girl's hear?!” another frantic voice called out as a red-headed girl ran over to them, hardly managing to stop before slamming into them. Adjusting her glasses ecstatically, Twist relayed the message, “Felix and his friends are in the hospital! The official report isn't in yet, but it looks pretty bad. Word around the school is that it was the Manticore's tight end who did it!”

“Uh, a lil’ behind on th’ times as usual Twist, we're talking about that right now.” Apple Bloom scoffed and clicked her tongue.

“Who told you, Twist?” Sweetie Belle asked, furrowing her brow.

“It's all over school, how did you girls know before me?” the frizzy ginger-haired girl wondered.

“I was there,” Sweetie Belle responded with some sense of pride in it, and Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. “But Scootaloo was there before any of us, I think she saw the whole thing. She was standing right there next to Spike in the fight and everything.”

“Scootaloo?” Apple Bloom perked up, having not heard that bit of information yet. “She was in the fight? Is she okay?”

“Don't worry, she didn't actually fight, she just watched it all,” Sweetie confirmed, flipping her bright curly hair.

“Well, good.” Apple Bloom yawned, folding her arms. “Lil’ thing like her probably would have gotten herself killed, Ah don't even know how she can play football with guys, being th’ size she is. Scootaloo can’t bench press f’ shit.”

“Just because she’s a girl who’s not built like a train, she can’t hold her own? We are not all made of glass, thank you,” Sweetie Belle remarked, raising an eyebrow at the larger girl.

Upon hearing some outrageously loud laughter, the girls looked back towards the end of the field to see Pinkie Pie dragging Fluttershy over to practice. She was shielding herself all the while, as she still hadn't gotten accustomed to the fitted uniforms Rarity had made for the cheer squad. The two stopped in front of the younger girls, and Pinkie clapped her hands at once.

“All right! We're here, we can start now!” Pinkie chimed as she spun around, making her ruffled shirt fly up just a bit too high.

“Look girls, right now, the team needs us to cheer better and louder than ever. With Spike and Dash both absent, we need to step up. Remember, we have a song to rehearse for halftime,” Sweetie reminded them sternly. “The next game is right around the corner and we... we suck!”

“I blame the lyrics,” Apple Bloom murmured, dully gazing over at the writer, Sweetie Belle.

“I blame global warming,” Pinkie chirped in, raising her hand.

“Oh, um, I do too,” Fluttershy agreed on that point, though she didn't really understand the relevance of the phenomenon to cheer practice.

“Ugh, just...” Sweetie slapped her forehead with a groan. “Nevermind, let’s just get working on it already.”

Apple Bloom hurried over to the rest of the team, who had already begun to gather on the opposite end of the field. With two players missing from their usual lineup, they sure did seem quite a bit smaller. In fact, Scootaloo was absent as well, though Apple Bloom knew she usually just showed up late. As she arrived, she noticed her older sister and brother talking on the sidelines, and flashed them a warm and mediating smile.

With her eyes cast low onto the clipboard, Applejack avoided talking to her brother directly, and used Shining Armour as an intermediary as much as she could. Scribbling some revisions to the planned practise, Applejack let out a slow sigh, feeling quite lonely out there as captain. They were shoes she was not too particularly eager to fill. Glancing out at the scattered players, she handed the clipboard off to Shining Armour and nodded for him to take the lead. The three of them walked out into the middle of the group, and the captain was the first to speak.

“Al'right, gather round,” Applejack called, but over the mumblings about the previous night's events and the obvious lack of respect or concern, she went mostly unheard. Hissing another, larger, breath in, she raised her voice and expelled some of her pent up frustration in a shout, “Y'all listenin'?! Ah said get over here!”

Everyone tensed up immediately as they heard her shout, and they came running over as to avoid any further chastisement. Big Mac looked down at her carefully, wondering how much more of that anger she was holding to herself. Shining Armour was the one who stepped up, though, and he addressed the whole team at once.

“What's with all the long faces?” Shining asked loudly, though he already knew. “Sure, the way you all played last night wasn't anything to be proud of.”

“Got that right,” Big Mac agreed with a grumble, but Shining Armour went on.

“But we need to stay focused. With the next game much sooner than we expected, we do not have time to be dragging our feet.” He walked around them, forcing eye contact on most of the players he faced. “I know that it will be difficult, considering we're short both Rainbow Dash and Spike now, but that's no reason to stop trying.”

“We're short Spike, too?” Big Mac piped up, not having heard the news correctly from his sister, who froze to hear it commented upon. “What 'appened t' him?”

“He, well,” Shining Armour looked over at Applejack, noticing the knowingly worrisome look on her face that warned him. Taking the hint, he kept it vague, “He got into something of a fight last night. It's serious, but I'm sure he'll be back on the field with us in no time.”

“A fight, eh?” Big Mac repeated with a huff of a laugh, casting a firm and accusing glance at the older of his sisters. “Ah reckon Ah know someone else who got int' one o' those.”

Applejack frowned and glared over at him, daring him to to speak another word. He did not seem interested in going on however, and though his voice seemed suspicious, he sounded more interested in pointing a scolding finger at his sister than connecting the events. Most of the players exchanged uncertain glances, none willing to speak up any more about what rumours they may have heard.

“Anyway,” Shining Armour spoke as he stepped back into the spotlight. “Remember guys, this is the last game before the semi-finals, if we lose here, the tournament is over for us.”

“When is the next game, exactly?” Featherweight shyly spoke up, and everyone else seemed to want to know as well, waiting on the response.

“Jus' over a week,” Applejack confirmed with a slow exhale, noticing their expressions fall doubtingly.

“Well, we're fucked.” Dumbbell simply shrugged, speaking what was on most player's minds.

“With that attitude,” an obnoxious and brash voice called out from behind Big Mac, approaching from the bleachers. Everyone turned around to identify her as she lazily stepped up. “I bet you are.”

“Dash?” Applejack reverently recited her name, her eyes gleaming at the girl without fail.

“Sup faggots?” She nodded to the team, knocking her dark black sunglasses onto her head and tugging on the collar of her cool leather jacket. Nudging the younger girl at her side, Scootaloo as it was, she spoke, “Go on, get in line short stuff.”

“What're y'doin' here, Dash?” Big Mac asked in a low voice, his eyebrows dropping down over his eyes angrily.

“Dropping off the squirt, like a responsible big sister,” Rainbow told him in a more serious voice, tilting her head as she noticed that same hostility Applejack had warned her about via text. In fact, she had warned Rainbow not to come around the football field at all until Big Mac calmed down and until the two of them could talk more directly about what was going on. But she hadn’t bothered to listen. “What's it to you?”

“Y'ain't on this team no more,” he reminded her slowly, hinting at something else hidden between the lines.

Noticing the way his crossed arms tensed up as he gripped at his forearms and biceps, Rainbow Dash seemed eager to bother him. Cocking that same old arrogant smirk of hers, she swung around before him, side-stepping right up in front of him smoothly and giving him a quick look up and down. If nothing else, the girl was ballsy.

“Ooo, come on, Mackie, we can make a little exception, can't we?” Rainbow murmured in a cutesie voice through her puffed out lips. Stepping back suddenly and backing right over to Applejack, Rainbow took hold of the new captain and pressed their bodies innocently yet teasingly close. She pulled Applejack to turn away, which she did, following obediently like she was enchanted by the crazy girl. It didn't seem to matter what anyone else thought of the display, she went on with a wink, “I just need a minute.”

“Rainbow, what're y'doin'? Didn't y'get ma text?” Applejack frantically whispered under her breath, glancing between her and Big Mac. “Be careful, will ya?”

“I just had to see you, make sure you were okay,” Rainbow whispered back, ducking her head a bit lower to try and see the damage to her neck that she had hidden by wearing a long-sleeve turtle-neck under her jersey. “He's really that mad?”

“If ya don't mind, we got a practice t' get back to,” Big Mac snapped at them, grinding his teeth together.

“That's a yes,” Rainbow snorted a stifled laugh. “Look, just... don't let these dumbasses get to you, okay? You're an awesome captain. And once we get this shit sorted out, you wont have to do it alone anymore, kay?”

“Dash, leave,” Big Mac found himself raising his voice, but the girl flashed him a glare that hardly stuck.

Shining Armour gave a perplexed gaze to his friend and lightly slapped Big Mac’s shoulder, something the co-coach ignored.

“Yeah yeah, shit Mac, relax, would you?” She rolled her eyes at him, but released Applejack, backing away in the direction she came from.

“Bye,” Applejack vacantly waved, her expression growing more solemn the farther away Rainbow went.

“Iron fist, babe.” Rainbow Dash thrust her fist into the air, but fell into a characteristic wink and extended her index and middle fingers up higher. “Though two fingers is probably enough.”

“Dash,” Big Mac repeated her name in a growl.

“I'm going!” she called back with an innocent shrug, turning around and slinging her hands into her pockets.

Applejack looked over at her brother, finding his response quite tame. After the way he had reacted the night before, this felt much too calm. He may not have been comfortable with the two of them, but he wasn't as violent as he claimed he might be. He looked over at her, too, and the siblings shared an easy silence between them. Something like understanding and apology was felt between them, but it went unspoken of.

“Well, now then,” Shining Armour cleared his throat as he looked back down at the clipboard. “Where were we?”

“So Big Mac, what the hell was with all that, anyway?” Shining Armour asked, slapping Big Mac’s shoulder roughly.

“Hmm?” Big Mac asked, glancing at Shining while sipping from a beer can.

Shining Armour tossed the bag of footballs into the shed, slamming the door as they began to walk towards Big Mac’s truck.

“That little thing with Rainbow Dash. What’s your problem?” Shining asked, slowing his walk in hopes of prolonging the conversation.

Big Mac never slowed his pace, fishing out his keys as he tossed them to Shining, since he was the sober one out of the two of them. Big Mac simply shrugged.

“She’s a punk, nothin’ more t’ it,” Big Mac responded nonchalantly.

“No, she’s rude and obnoxious, sure,” Shining argued. “Maybe not all that easy to like, but she was likeable to the team, and needed. I don’t know what the hell went down between you two, but stop dragging that shit to practise, or just—”

Big Mac stopped, twisting to the right as he grabbed Shining’s shirt. A yank brought the two of them closer and Big Mac glared at his friend.

“Stay outta other people’s affairs,” Big Mac growled in a menacing voice.

“Then keep them private.” Shining’s eyes squinted as if it’d allow some new view of Big Mac. “Whenever someone mentions the girl you get this stupid scowl on your face, and it’s been going on for a long time. Did she kill your pet cat or something? I mean, seriously, what’s the benefit for everybody when you turn into an asshole because of one girl?”

Big Mac let go of Shining Armour’s shirt, sighing heavily. Looking down at his beer, Big Mac tilted it, reading the label and information. A few shakes, he hung his head for a second and glanced into the distance.

“Ah dunno,” he bitterly admitted. “I don’t want ‘er associating with m’ sisters, Dash’s too bad mannered.”

“Whatever, it’s not my business what went down. Just suck it up, the football field is a public place and Rainbow has every right to go there. Not like she can laser her bad habits to Applejack from the bleachers. Besides, don’t you think your sister is responsible enough to make her own decisions, maybe her good habits would rub off on Rainbow. Give the kids a chance.” Shining Armour walked away, chucking Big Mac’s keys at him.

Big Mac clumsily caught the keys, dropping his beer can. It was merely his fifth after practise ended. With a confused glance, his eyes trailed up to Shining Armour.

“Ah can’t drive,” Big Mac muttered.

“I could use a walk. And you could use some time alone with your thoughts while you sober up,” Shining Armour sighed wistfully. “See you whenever.”

A pinch in his chest made Big Mac avert his eyes and he sighed, slumping towards the truck. Shining Armour had left the parking lot when Big Mac finally arrived at his passenger side door and he glanced up to the sky. It was glowing orange, shades of purple peeking through some distant clouds. Eventually, Big Mac climbed into the bed of the truck rather the passenger seat and laid out amidst the tools, using Applejack’s sports bag as a pillow. The farmer girl had opted to ‘walk home’ too.

Shining Armour had been walking for over an hour when he reached a convenience store near his house. With nothing better to do, he stumbled inside, exhausted and worn out from the past two days.

Nodding to the cashier he knew so well, he made his way to the beverages, grabbing six cans of a green coloured energy drink. On his way to the counter, he grabbed several candy crystals. Chocolate, banana and strawberry; his three favourite flavours. All of it seemed childish but part of him wanted to revert to being a teen for a minute, hyped up on energy drinks, buying sweets in bulk and being in agonizing pain for three hours.

His own problems reared their ugly heads in his mind as he contemplated his education. His grades were not the least bit ideal, and sometimes he wondered if he was even passing. The last two days had dumped quite a lot on his lap. The idea that his brother was locked in a cell or being interrogated or worse probed his mind, and he wondered what it was like for police officers to arrest bad guys. Then he wondered what it was like for police officers to arrest someone like Spike; good guys who just had a bad day. Shining Armour couldn’t imagine how those men reacted; was it just routine? Were cops indifferent to who they arrest? Then again, he knew cops were trained to respond in certain ways to certain situations; not every scenario is luxurious enough to allow understanding and trust to be built. They required action. Like his younger brother, Spike. They needed attention.

Arriving at the back of the line, Shining Armour lazily glanced to the right, spotting an old advertisement on the corkboard. Alongside the various neighbourhood events and garage sales, he spotted a few public messages. One that seemed to zero in on the very things he was thinking about.

“We need you,” Shining Armour whispered as he read the words on a Police Academy ad. It was at least six years old, faded severely like the rest of the public service messages. “Join the force.”

Shining Armour returned the beverages and candy, feeling a new energy swell within him as he practically sprinted back home. Going back to being a kid would never help him grow, would never make him a better big brother or give him motivation to study harder. But something else might.

“Son, do you know why you’re here?” the man asked.

Spike nodded his head meekly, his drowsy eyes glancing at a small half-eaten sandwich and a glass of water. The man sat down in the metal chair, glancing across at Spike. He eyed the boy intensely as if to strike intimidation yet his glare softened, replaced with a smile. Spike’s eyes remained on the food. The man pursed his lips, pulling out an object and gently placing it on the table. Eyes turning to it, Spike studied the object.

It was a small box containing a necklace; something he was planning on giving to Rarity seemingly at some point after a date. That plan went downhill fast. It was on his body at the time of the fight and he didn’t think he should care about it… yet some part of him desperately wanted it delivered to it’s recipient.

“I can’t imagine someone like you wearing this,” he said. Spike merely shrugged in response. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

“I dunno,” Spike muttered, a few of his first words in hours. It was punctuated with a yawn.

“Well, I thought it was a simple question. Let me ask an easier one.” His elbows were brought up, resting on the table as he tapped his fingers together. “Do you know the identity of the boys you attacked?” Spike slowly nodded. The man studied his response for a second. “Could you tell their names?”

“I’d rather not,” Spike muttered. “I’ve done enough damage.”

“Felix Garble, Ian Cox and Matt Hill. They have names,” the man responded. “I do too. My name is Haruo. I’m not a doctor, criminal psychologist or cop. I’m here simply to talk to you.”

“So I’m not required by law to talk to you,” Spike muttered, burying his face in his arms.

“Actually, if you don’t talk to me, you lose any chance of walking out of this situation with a slap on the wrist,” Haruo said. “The punishment may as well make what happened to those three boys look like a papercut.”

“Fine, whatever, so you’re here to talk to me. Why?” Spike asked irritably, leaning back as heavy bags under his eyes sagged in an ugly manner.

“I want to know who you are. For starters, what is your last name?” Haruo probed slowly.

“I’m mononymous,” Spike told him, but noticing the odd look on the man’s face, her clarified, “I don’t have a last name.”

Haruo reached down to his side, shuffling through presumably a bag and pulled out a folder. He slapped it down next to the necklace box and Spike’s hand twitched as if to guard the box.

“Not according to this,” he started.

Spike rolled his eyes, resting the side of his head on the table top. The man didn’t seem angry at his response, merely amused.

“What’s she like? She your age?” Haruo changed the subject casually. “Your girl.”

“No. Older by two years,” Spike responded dully.

“Alright. How did you meet? Is she a friend of a sibling?” Though the line of questioning was odd, Spike actually wanted to answer the questions if it meant talking about Rarity.

“I’ve known her since I moved from Canterlot seven years ago,” Spike responded clearly.

“How is Canterlot? Do you miss it there?” Haruo asked, mimicking Spike’s actions, resting his head on the table.

Spike sat back up, the man doing the same as he chuckled. Spike averted his gaze and his lip trembled. Sniffing, he scowled briefly before sighing.

“I don’t want to go back there,” Spike muttered uneasily. “I can’t, there’s nothing for me there.”

“I wouldn’t say that, Mr. Solaris,” Haruo stated Spike’s surname, and it prompted an unexpected response.

Spike burst from his seat, standing as his muscles grew tense and he felt rage shooting up. The man seemingly shuffled back in fear yet he maintained his calm expression. Spike was preparing to leap over the table towards him… yet he didn’t. With a low growl, Spike plopped back in the chair.

“I apologize. I wanted to see your reaction, Spike. I won’t try anything like that again,” Haruo admitted easily, folding his hands on the table.

“Whatever, what’s going to happen to me?” Spike asked the question that had been burning, his voice weak and on the verge of cracking. “Do I have to run away again?”

“Let’s go for a drive,” Haruo said as he gathered his belongings.

Spike practically dove for the necklace box, something provoking him to guard it with his life. Spike pocketed the gem and grabbed the sandwich, forcing it down even if he didn’t feel hungry. He knew he was. As the man lead Spike out, an officer stopped him for a moment. Glancing down at the smaller cop, he waited as the man tugged on his handcuffs until Spike held it up in front of him. In a second, the key had unlocked both cuffs and Spike rubbed his wrists, somehow feeling alien without the restraints. Stretching for the first time in 18 hours, he staggered down the hall after Haruo. Walking out of the area, he stepped into a waiting room and, before he could react, a girl ran up to him and squeezed him tightly, immediately sobbing.

“Oh, Spike,” Twilight cried out, rubbing his back. Spike’s arms wrapped around her and Haruo stopped, turning to watch the scene. “I’m so sorry. I’m a bad friend. I should have been there for you more, I’m so sorry!”

Spike removed his arms from around Twilight as he glanced down at the girl. With a single motion, he pulled her head up by her chin and she stared into his eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks. Spike forced a smile, feeling it become more natural and genuine as his words came to mouth.

“But you’re a good sister. I didn’t think about it until now,” Spike said, gulping down a lump in his throat.

“I don’t mean to break this up, but we have somewhere to go, Spike,” Haruo told him sternly.

“Can Twilight come?” Spike immediately asked.

A brief moment of silence occurred before Haruo nodded, shrugging. “She’ll have to wait in the car, or at least the lobby of the hospital.”

Spike gulped as he realized where they were going. Twilight’s hand landed on his cheek and he glanced down, seeing a teary smile. Releasing her grip on him, Twilight skipped out the door, much to Haruo and Spike’s amusement. Spike hung his head, thinking about what would come next, wondering what he could possibly say to the boy he had wronged, as he would have to figure it out promptly.

Spike stared at the body before him. Several bandages covered his torso and his face was almost entirely bandaged up, a heart monitor beeping steadily being the only tell of life. Glancing down, Spike saw several X-ray’s depicting much internal damage; mostly bones, a few organs. Haruo wasn’t in the room, yet he was at the door, listening. Gulping, Spike looked back to Felix.

“Is… that… an… acceptable… deal…?” Felix asked between deep, heavy, pained breaths only achievable via a machine.

“You don’t bug me again and I don’t bug you. No one has to know you and your drones got bested by a loser like me, and I don’t tell them you guys ever jumped me. We leave each other alone for good,” Spike recapped their short conversation. After a moment of thought, Spike exhaled slowly as he looked to the window. “And no charges.”

“Take… it… or… leave… it,” Felix coughed out. Spike waited with bated breath. “Faggot… iguana… hah.”

Spike snorted, unable to stop a chuckle. Sighing, he turned to the wall and rested his head against it, deep in thought. Throughout the years, all seven of them, he never imagined that Felix would try to compromise with him. To try talking to him, and admitting he had done wrong. Perhaps he was just the kind of guy who found something of respect through physical confrontation, Spike was uncertain. He was certain, however, of what he had to do.

“Deal,” Spike muttered, turning around. “And… I’m sorry about everything, I’m sorry I paralyzed you.”

“Fuck off… you… are… not sorry… don’t… lie… you wanted… this,” Felix choked out, doing his best to maintain a sarcastic tone. “But I… don’t… blame… you.”

“Thanks… for, not pressing charges,” Spike murmured, and he honestly was thankful.

“Seriously… fuck off… these… are… the last… words… I’ll… say… to… you… cuntshit,” Felix grumbled, seemingly drifting off to sleep throughout the statement.

Spike turned to his left, feeling an urge to retort. His anger was gone, though. He didn’t even think he could respond to Felix, yet he stopped just short of leaving. Turning his head, he glanced at Felix’s bed one last time. Smirking, he let out a small chuckle.

“Take care, you douche bucket,” Spike muttered as he walked towards the door.

The room was dark. It was heavy. It was hot. Spike never felt more trapped before. Everything that lead to that day was in that very room. Because of himself. His past wasn’t just Felix’s fault… it was his, too. He never tried to fix it. He always looked away when offered help.

His hand wrapping around the handle, Spike pried the door open, the hallways of the hospital awaiting. Light shone through, blinding him as if he’d never seen it before. Wincing, Spike knew it was just his lack of sleep and being in a dark room getting to him. The more he opened the door, taking in the light on his face, the more he felt himself grow lighter. Stepping outside, his eyes registered the painted wall opposite from him.

Turning his head, he followed his hand as it grabbed the door handle. Feeling time slow down, he bit his lip, thinking about what was happening. Just short of closing the door, Spike’s hand slid over the handle, memorizing the texture. It wasn’t a football, it wasn’t her hand, it wasn’t the texture of his own fingers on his balled-up fist. It was a metal door, but somehow, it was more comfortable than any of those things he had felt before. Closing his eyes, he turned away and tugged once.

*click*

The door closed. Felix Garble was gone from his life. Forever. The only place left to go in the life of an oblivious, naive boy?

Up.

Author's Note

Yes, that did just happen. Oh, and if you were wondering, the number 6 is the number on Spike's jersey... so... yeah.

Also: News! Since we are drawing near to the end of the story (another chappy or two at this point), Arby and I figured we might find a new way to entertain you and tide you over until our next collaboration.

Namely: an Ask Blog. (askthemanticores.tumblr.com)

Yes, it's true. Now, we aren't professionals with this tumblr stuff, but do bear with us as we get it off the ground, and for more information, head on over to my FIMfiction blog! http://www.fimfiction.net/blog/265681/ask-the-manticores

9913

XVI. 9913

Spike sighed, feeling considerably lighter than before. Part of him wanted to sleep yet he knew his sleeping schedule would be messed up. After that day, Spike was surprised; he was back to school the next day. No danger assessment, completely in the clear and the largest problem in his life was solved. Resting his head against the window of the police car, Spike just wanted to go home. He wanted to do something out of the ordinary for once. A gentle hand was still draped around his shoulder and he felt a heat radiating off the limb. Twilight refused to let go of him and, oddly enough, she had fallen asleep instead of him. Moving his left arm, he repositioned himself as to return the gesture to the girl. Haruo kept a smile from appearing on his face as he examined the rearview mirror.

“I don’t wanna break up another gesture between siblings, but we’re going to be arriving in about thirty seconds,” Haruo said, making a sharp left.

Spike kept a sigh back before gently shaking Twilight, the girl’s eyes fluttering open. Sitting on the left side, she realized that she had accidentally leaned more on Spike. Her left hand, sitting on his chest, quickly pressed into the muscular, toned flesh before she retreated, sitting upright with a blush on her face and her hands set on her lap.

“O-oh god, (9 + 7i)(3 - 10i) equals 97 - 69i. 9x2 + 3x - 56 equals… (3x - 7)(3x + 8). Calcium, phosphorus, krypton, einsteinium, radium, thallium.” Twilight continued on and on, reciting several more math problems and elements before the car slowed to a stop.

Spike glanced out the window to see the same house he’d lived in for seven years, going on eight in six days. Haruo unlocked the doors and both her and Twilight stepped out at the same time, perfectly synchronized in their robotic movements. Spike’s eyes continued glancing at his home through the tinted windows before a set of hands slapped themselves against the glass, startling Spike out of his trance. Twilight had a drowsy grin on her face as she opened the door.

“Come on, we’re home!” she squealed, leaning over him.

“W-woah, what?” Spike asked as he leaned back, Twilight’s hands dangerously close to his lap.

Before she could respond, the seatbelt around him retracted and Twilight yanked the boy out of the vehicle, Spike stumbling on the front lawn before Twilight released him. Sighing, Spike pushed himself to his feet and walked up the steps, failing to notice the old truck and Kawasaki MV Agusta F4 1000 parked in the driveway. Twilight panicked when she realized them before sighing with relief as Spike’s drowsy eyes stared at the doorway. Walking towards the front steps, he sloppily stepped up, Twilight and Haruo tailing behind. Placing his hands on the door, he paused, his fingers slowly caressing the metal texture of the brass handle. Hearing the news inside, as always, Spike slowly twisted the knob and stepped inside.

The lights were off, the near-sunset giving an ambient glow to the house. The entry was the same as before, the kitchen visible straight ahead, the living room arch to the right and stairs going down and upstairs to the left. Spike sighed, wondering how his parents would react. Stepping inside further, he was surprised when his footstep sounded like a click. In reality, that was the lightswitch as the whole entry lit up. In unison, several feet landed on the ground as numerous bodies stomped on the floor. Confetti was launched in his face from all directions, much to Spike and Twilight’s surprise. Blinking to avoid having coloured paper cut his eyes, Spike found himself dumbfounded when faced with the rest of his and Twilight’s friends, the Cutie Mark Crusaders and even Pipsqueak. His father and mother stood in the living room, absolutely relieved to see their son was okay.

“SURPRISE!” several voices shouted in unison.

“Huh?” Spike asked, confused.

“Yeah, what? Pinkie Pie, I sent that text an hour and a half ago,” Twilight said, checking her phone to make sure.

“Yeah I know! Which is why we only decorated the front entry super-duper well to make it look like we had planned this beforehand but when I heard that Spikey-wikey was going to be okay I just had had had to come here after stopping by Fun Store Unlimited Fun House of Fun to grab supplies and now we’re gonna celebrate and well we couldn’t make a cake so I asked Mr. Light if he could order a cake and ten pizzas and he ordered two and twenty pizzas and now it’s just one big—” Pinkie Pie stopped to take a deep breath and everybody immediately covered her ears. Haruo remained oblivious as Pinkie Pie pulled a megaphone from seemingly a rip in space and time and shouted. “WE-LOVE-YOU-SPIKE PARTY!”

Pinkie Pie sheepishly grinned, the megaphone mysteriously gone to the surprise of nobody. All eyes turned from Pinkie Pie over to Spike who looked dumbfounded as he scanned the smiling faces of his friends and family. His eyes met hers and his scanning stopped, a gulp in his throat getting stuck. He coughed once and attempted to speak before no words came out of his mouth.

“Before you ask why, you should realize this, fuckstick,” Rainbow said, squeezing Applejack and Scootaloo closer to her as they both grinned, the farmer more slightly embarrassed. “Bitches care about you, and as much as it sounds totally fuckin’ gay, I do too.”

Spike’s eyes once more trailed from someone else to Rarity’s as the girl stepped forward, the words of the previous night fresh in his mind. Spike gulped once as he felt himself feel as a small child once more before Rarity’s hand gently pressed against her cheek. No words had to be said, yet they were anyways.

“We love you, Spike, and I do too. I’m sorry we didn’t notice sooner,” Rarity said.

She stepped back as Spike continued gaping, unable to speak as his voice remained trapped in his throat. His breaths came in light intervals and sleep was the last thing on his mind. His mother and father stepped forward, along with Shining Armour as well. Twilight briefly wondered if he had flunked school due to the recent days spent at home.

The eldest brother stepped forward, the memory of the previous night fresh in his mind. Spike’s clothes remained stained, yet he looked past that; his face was clean and in need of the one thing that Shining Armour knew Spike needed the most. His arms reached forward and latched onto Spike, the brother being only one of two people they knew superior stronger to him.

“I don’t treat you like it all the time, being caught up with school and coaching and all, but you’re still my little bro,” Shining Armour spoke softly, his voice ironically betraying his last name as it pierced the wall Spike had built up.

Spike’s arms latched around Shining Armour’s body as he let out a long, trapped breath coarsely escape his lips in a sharp manner as he attempted to stifle the exhale. He pressed his face into Shining Armour’s chest, hoping that somehow nobody would be able to see him. Most of him didn’t care, so he let it out.

He let out a loud scream into Shining Armour’s chest, one that sounded loud even though it was muffled. The noise faded into something softer as Spike let out several drowning sobs, his chest heaving over and over again as he felt his body shiver. He could feel Shining’s shirt dampen against his cheek and he knew he couldn’t keep it in anymore.

“I hated him! I hated him so much! I hated everybody! I hated you! I hated Night Light and Mrs. Velvet! I hated my real mom and dad because they just up and left me and then just died! I hated that stupid house in Canterlot! I hated Twilight! I hated Rarity and Pipsqueak and Rainbow Dash, and I hated football! I hated myself! I ruined everything and hurt everybody else!” Spike had to stop to take in several breaths, feeling his voice falling apart as he choked back a sob. “A-and I wanted to hurt everything I h-hated because I was too s-stupid to do anything a-about it and I j-just waited and I hated! B-but I d-don’t want to h-hate anybody a-and I w-want to see their f-faces again and h-hold Rarity’s hand and I w-wanted to a-apologize and I w-wanted to collect gems o-on F-Fridays again a-and play f-football and have fun.”

Spike grit his teeth, feeling himself grow tense as he attempted to force himself to stop sobbing. No matter how good he was at it, he was far beyond the point of no return and he wrapped his fingers around the fabric of Shining’s shirt. Twilight’s arms slipped between his and Shining’s bodies as she held him close too and Spike continued to sob, openly letting out feelings held up for seven long years.

“I h-have to f-find my bag, it has my f-football gear in it,” Spike muttered as his body loosened up greatly.

Shining Armour and Twilight Sparkle released their hold on him and stepped back as Spike wiped his eyes, clearing any excess tears out of it. Glancing up, he spotted Rarity’s smiling face, liquids threatening to spill down her eyes too. It was evident that many people in the room almost did yet Spike was glad they didn’t. He did enough of that just now.

His gaze followed Rarity’s body down until she saw him holding onto his sports bag. He stepped forward, relief washing over him as he reached for the bag’s handle. Instead, his fingers slipped between the nylon and soft fingers as Rarity was forced to drop the bag, Spike’s fingers sliding around hers as he took a brief moment to study his hands moving over her hands. Glancing up at her face, her gaze locked onto his and Spike forced a smile even though his eyes were red and puffy.

“CND Shellac, Blue Rapture applied ninety minutes ago,” Spike said, sniffling as his voice seemed weak.

Rarity had to cover her mouth to stop a loving sigh from being too loud. She felt as if she could melt from his instant recognition of her nail polish and she settled on staring into his eyes. He settled on leaning forward, his fingers gently caressing her hand. She leaned forward too. As their lips met, their eyes closed... and then their eardrums practically burst.

“Let’s partay!” Pinkie Pie shouted with her megaphone once more.

Stepping onto the pavement, Spike glanced out around the parking lot. He took a brief moment to observe the surroundings before stepping to the side, allowing the door of the station wagon to close behind him. His eyes scanned the front of the school before he sighed, stepping forward with Twilight shortly following him behind. His hands gripped the straps on his bag, feeling his arms grow tense as he once more followed Twilight towards the front entrance. Around him, he could see the sets of eyes glancing towards him, people turning to stare when they thought he couldn’t see. He always could. He could always hear what they said, too.

It was pity, mostly. Nobody blamed him for what he did to Felix. Some speculated he actually killed Felix. Only he knew what happened and he would take what happened to the grave. After a few seconds, Spike realized something was occurring for the first time in seven years.

He was shutting out the voices. All of them. None were bothering him or getting to him. His ears picked up all the words yet none bothered him. The rumours, the pity, none of that bothered him. To make sure that he wasn’t just bullshitting his way through everything, his gaze turned towards his sister just as she glanced back to him. A warm smile sounded and it registered in his mind.

‘Pipsqueak, Dumbbell, Score, Hoops, Rarity, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Scootaloo, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Snips, Snails, Featherweight… mom and dad. Not Night Light and Mrs. Velvet. Mom and dad. They’ve been there for me the whole time. I don’t need to be alone anymore. ‘cause I’m not.’

Spike didn’t allow himself to grin. Keeping a stern gaze, he and Twilight pushed the doors open and stepped inside the foyer of the school. The AC blared overhead, sending a burst of air into Spike’s head, ruffling the spikey green hair. Holding his breath in his mouth, he pushed into the next set of doors and entered the main street of the school.

Completely averting cliches, nobody inside was talking about him. Nobody was focusing on him, caught up in their groups and discussions. Only a few stragglers noticed him and vice versa. Unlike those that spotted him, he didn’t care anymore. Twilight slowed to a stop as she watched Spike walk forward, a smile appearing on her face. Spike slowed as he noticed Twilight lagging behind, facing her with a smile of his own.

He turned fully and walked towards her, shutting out any thoughts that plagued him. With a swift motion, he wrapped his arms around his sister as she returned the favour expectedly. Parting, Spike turned around and strode down the hall, heading towards his first classroom.

“Mmm, Spike has gotten better since two days ago,” Rarity commented as she stepped out of the cafeteria, watching Spike waltz off.

“I’m glad. Some things seem off but he’s not slouching like he always has,” Twilight said, pressing a finger to her lip.

“I wanted to talk to him a bit more. Last night, we didn’t talk much,” Rarity muttered, checking her makeup in a mirror.

“Wait, what? But you were alone in his room for two hours and—” Twilight paused, the implications clicking in his mind. “Ugh, noooo,” she whined, shaking her head as she lightly stamped on the ground.

“Mmm, you’re getting there, dear,” Rarity responded with a small chuckle, closing the mirror with a snap as her eyes turned to follow Spike. “Such a sweet boy.”

“For the love of god, stop, I’ve already had an odd week regarding Spike,” Twilight grumbled, rubbing her temples.

“Well, c’mon, Twilight, you still owe me for missing calculus practise last night,” Rarity responded in a sing-song voice as she returned to the table the rest of the girls were at.

Twilight followed, grumbling as she shuddered at the implications. Taking her seat across from Rarity, Twilight glanced over the entire group. Applejack sat there, the urge to shove Rainbow Dash off her shoulder absent entirely.

“Mmm, what firm abs you have,” Rainbow muttered, caressing Applejack’s abdomen.

“What weak and fragile arms ya have, Rainbow,” Applejack said with a grunt, one hand latching onto Rainbow’s wrist.

“Hnng, w-what amazing resistance you have, sugartits,” Rainbow grunted as she attempted to keep her hand pressed to Applejack’s gut.

“So, how is Spike?” Fluttershy asked, turning her attention away from the fondling.

“Ooh, I saw him last night. He seemed chipper after he and Rarity came down from his room. Did you give them drugs, Flutters!?” Pinkie asked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a decaying lettuce leaf.

“W-what!?” Fluttershy asked, her voice fading as her face reddened.

“No, they just engaged in an extended moment of intercourse much to my ignorance,” Twilight muttered, sliding her bag off her back and pulling out a textbook.

“T-Twilight, I would appreciate it if you didn’t disclose such information openly,” Rarity muttered, maintaining her composure even if her shaky hands could barely open her textbook.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, why can’t you tell us the details, Rares? As much as I say it, Applejack really doesn’t have a vibrator I jam up her pussy all the time,” Rainbow said. Applejack’s left arm reached around, putting Rainbow in a headlock as the athlete coughed, prying at the farmer’s stronger arm. “Urk, b’t, di… dick, how… is is is?” Rainbow squeaked out. “Yo’ c’n let m’ g’ now, Appl’j’k!”

Complying, Applejack grinned as she released the hold and Rainbow fell onto the floor, quickly scurrying to her chair again as she breathed fresh air, her face slightly red.

“B-but as you just witnessed, Applejack is into some kinky stuff,” Rainbow stated with a chuckle, coughing as she settled for draping an arm around the farmer’s shoulder.

“If you must know,” Rarity started, raising a finger and closing her eyes knowingly. Opening one eye, she saw five heads leaning in closer to her, Twilight failing to remain discreet. “Ask Spike.”

Her head tilted down as she pulled out a pen, clicking it before starting to write in her workbook. Rainbow groaned, slapping her forehead while Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie went back to accusations and denial of the former’s “drug dealer” status. Applejack frowned, examining a paper in front of her until Rainbow’s eyes broke the silence between the two.

“College application? By mail?” Rainbow asked, frowning.

“Eeyup,” Applejack responded.

“Ooh, where to!?” Twilight asked, her face brightening up and turning to the farmer just as Rarity attempted to ask a question.

“Small place. Fillydelphia; where Big Mac ‘n Ah were born. Ah’m applyin’ t’ Ponyville College,” Applejack said, looking over the details she had written down.

“That’s actually who our next game is against; the Ponyville High Ponies,” Rainbow Dash said. “If we beat these fucktards, we’re goin’ to the finals!”

“You say ‘our’ and ‘we’, and yet you’re not even on the team,” Rarity commented, but Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to care to correct herself.

“They’re an ensemble darkhorse; nobody saw them coming yet they’ve done nothing but dominate their opponents even moreso than the Canterlot Wondercolts. Then again, nobody saw the Manticores as a formidable team. Mostly because we’ve never been able to play before due to our small team,” Rainbow said, checking her phone.

Applejack glanced towards Rainbow’s phone as the girl unlocked it, her face reddening as Rainbow lazily held the phone for anybody to see with one of the many photos the farmer had sent her lover that one night.

“R-Rainbow!?” Applejack gawked, her hand shooting towards the mobile device.

The phone was smacked out of Rainbow’s hand, sliding down the table with all six eyes watching the phone spin before hitting Twilight’s textbook. Curiously, the four girls who haven’t seen it glanced curiously at the photo before shrugging their shoulders. Confused, Applejack’s hand shot towards the device and picked it up. Relief washed over her as she saw the photo album app open, showing a photo of a photo; particularly one of the duo many, many years in the past right before they had met Twilight and Spike. What was once embarrassment and fear turned into a smile and her heart skipping a beat. Applejack wrapped her arm around Rainbow’s arm as well, feeling content with the situation.

“So Applejack and I totally had bondage sex in Big Mac’s truck.”

Sweat dripped from Spike’s brow as the steam heated his body up. Around him, teammates dried off and slid on their under armour and uniforms. He tapped his fingers together, the towel wrapped around his waist the only thing covering him. His mind was wrapped up in the game that could very well be their last. And even then, their team was still separated, violently torn apart with Rainbow Dash’s departure.

“Alright.” Applejack’s voice shocked all boys in the change rooms, forcing them to grab whatever was closest to cover. Pipsqueak found himself hiding his male pride with a shampoo bottle. “Y’all, our final game is home field, again, an’ our opponents are from Fillydelphia; specifically, their first school, Ponyville High. Th’ Ponies are our opponent if ya hadn’t caught on by now and so far, they’ve done nothin’ but win each of their games, total clean sweeps meanin’ they’re far more imposin’ than th’ Wondercolts.” Applejack scanned the change rooms, several boys awkwardly covering themselves.

“Yeah, so? Get the fuck out so we can finish changing,” Dumbbell shouted, tossing a bar of soap across the room.

Applejack stepped to the side, sighing as she felt the twinge of pain nagging the back of her mind as she left the room. Failure as a captain ringed in her mind as she heard several derogatory comments from the room as she exited directly onto the field. She couldn’t help but smile as, just before the door closed, she could hear Spike immediately speak up to defend her.

Shortly after, Spike was fully dressed and leaving the room before everyone else, having grown sick of the “banter” and insults to each other and Applejack. Pipsqueak and himself were the only ones actively trying to defend Applejack while everyone else were staying completely clear of Spike. Once he spoke up, everybody happened to drop the subject, the events of a week prior still fresh. To his surprise, Spike found several apologies heading his way, obvious attempts to prevent what Spike did to Felix from happening to them. Sighing, Spike made his way onto the same path as before, walking towards the gap in the bleachers.

‘They’re scared of me,’ Spike thought, gritting his teeth at the implications. ‘They don’t trust me.’

Sighing, Spike proceeded forward, failing to notice Rainbow Dash underneath the bleachers. The only thing giving her away was the light flashing onto her face, an image of a nude Applejack present on the screen. Rainbow Dash completely missed Applejack and Spike as they walked by, only noticing once the rest of the team walked by with loud footsteps. Pocketing the device, she waited for them to pass, relying on the shadows of the bleachers to keep her hidden as Big Mac strolled by, idly chatting with Shining Armour. She could already tell the farmer was scanning the area for her, sticking her tongue out at him as he walked by. Glancing back at her phone, she swiped the screen, watching the kinky photo of Applejack slide to the left only for her hormones to subside, her breath catching in her throat. Just a simple photo the two had taken the morning after they confessed; a pleasant smile on the two faces. The genuinely happy grin Rainbow wore in the photo pained the girl in real life as she turned her head, looking between two feet under the bleachers at Big Mac, scowling at him.

Resisting the urge to scream, she pocketed the phone and zipped up the jacket on her body. Before shuffling out from under the bleachers, she took a whiff of the jacket, loving that Applejack had really worn her scent into it after many days of hard work and sweat. It smelled exactly like Rainbow thought it would… yet it almost excited Rainbow too much. Composing herself, she shuffled out from under the bleachers and ran across the path. She continued running past the bleachers until she was on the next path and slowly walked towards the front of the field beyond the fence, doing her best to be as far from Big Mac without catching his attention.

Feeling the vibrating against her lower stomach through the layers of fabric, Rainbow Dash turned the phone around in her pocketed hand. She slowly pulled it just barely out of her pocket, enough to see the caller ID on the screen.

Applejack.

She narrowed her eyes at the display, recognizing the name as the very one that stopped her heart. It vibrated again as her eyes flickered up to the girl in question, who stood on the field completely oblivious. Rainbow's eyes moved across the team, looking for the source, only to find her eyes settling on the girl's brother, who had a phone pressed to his ear and his eyes set on her.

Rainbow pursed her lips as she knew he had seen her, and had taken Applejack's phone to call rather than go out and talk. She scowled and slowly raised the phone to her ear, answering it with her thumb and silence.

“Ah thought Ah told you not t' come 'round here,” Big Mac's voice came low over the phone, and the two glared at each other through the chain linked fence.

“I'm not even on the field, Mac,” Rainbow Dash growled, her bright pink eyes seeming much more intimidating from afar.

“Ah thought Ah made m'self clear, Ah don't want y'anywhere near m'sister,” he repeated as if she had not got the message.

“I'm here to see the game,” she argued calmly, her voice shaking with a desire to run in, despite his clear commands. “I'm not moving.”

Applejack kicked the grass at her feet, feeling utterly alone standing out there even though her team stood around her. As if compelled to do so, she turned and looked out towards the fence. As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting there, she easily picked out the silhouette of Rainbow Dash, standing there by her side. Applejack could not fight the loving smile that melted across her face, and she stared admiringly out at the girl. Rainbow Dash felt her heart speed up as their eyes met, and a smile of her own crept out unhindered.

“Dash? Dash, 're y'payin' attention? Dash?!” Rainbow Dash slowly moved the phone from her ear, dropping her arm to her side as Big Mac's voice got quieter and quieter. She ended the call with another flick of her thumb, and waved to Applejack casually with her free hand.

Out on the field, the rest of her team reluctantly trudged onto the field. Their uniforms were pressed and adorned just as carefully as ever, the bright Manticore red shining against the dull green of the turf beneath them, but that was all that seemed bright about them. It was clear that morale had not increased at all in the preparation for the game, and there was discontent between the ranks.

“I miss Dash as a captain, Applejack is bunk,” Dumbbell snorted, crossing his arms grouchily. “Always telling us around like she has any authority, she just got the spot because she's the fucking quarterback.”

“No way dude, Dash was way worse, we'd be better without either of them,” Score argued firmly, punching his friend in the shoulder. “We should just get back to beating on our enemies, that worked just fine.”

“You're both wrong.” Pipsqueak stepped up to put them in their places as best he could. “Our captains ar' far more experienced and skilled than any of us chaps, you should respect that.”

“Some captains, always fighting and getting each other kicked off the team,” Dumbbell went on with a snarky and sarcastic tone.

“Fighting, aye? Seems like they're not the only ones on that account.” Pipsqueak crossed his arms and glared at the older yet shorter and thinner boys.

“Why are we even playing this game? We're no where near prepared for it, everyone's a mess, we're just going to lose and be humiliated!” Dumbbell argued in a loud voice, gesturing his words madly.

“Shouldn't we at least try?” Scootaloo peeped up, and the others had forgotten she was even there.

“And what, show off how much we suck?” the centre linesmen barked, holding his arms out in exasperation. “We can't remember or do any of the plays, ‘jack and the coaches won't let us rough up the enemy team, we're just going to look like idiots.”

“You already look like idiots,” Scootaloo murmured, rolling her eyes with a sneer.

“Seriously? Are you really standing here arguing?” Everyone turned to see Spike approaching them, giving them a more than displeased expression. “Come on guys, we're never going to work as an effective team if we don't get along. Sure, the opponents seem more experienced than us, but we've faced worse.”

Ignoring the team’s squabbling, Applejack stepped up beside the referee and faced the Ponyville Ponies' captain. Looking him over, she noticed he was a very strapping young lad, with a genuine smile and good attitude. His tanned skin and brown hair contrasted his green and blue uniform, but he didn't seem to mind.

“Hello there. You're the quarterback, aren't you?” he asked pleasantly, tilting his head as he inquired.

“Ah am, yea'. An' actin' captain f' now.” Applejack bowed her head once as if she would have picked up her hat to introduce herself, had she been wearing it. “Applejack, by name.”

“Pleasure to play you, I hear the Manticores are a surprisingly formidable team, it should be a good game,” he replied, extending his hand out towards her. “I'm David Smith, but everyone calls me Whooves. You can find me at centre, hopefully you won't be seeing much of me.”

“Y'mean unless you're knockin' me over, right?” Applejack chuckled, shaking his hand firmly.

“Yeah, but hopefully your line won't let that happen. That's why I play centre, anyway, to keep my quarterback safe.” His eyes drifted back to catch onto a girl on his team.

Applejack looked over at her too, sizing her up as an opponent. She had bright blonde hair and a dopey expression, and there was something about her lazy eye that was unsettling, but Applejack didn't speak of it. Regardless, Whooves as he was called seemed fond of the girl for some reason, and cast her a simple wave before the coin toss was called.

The guests took the coin toss, and captain Whooves decided to take the kick first. The captains separated to start the game, and teams set up on opposite sides of the field. As they did, Applejack glanced back across the field once more, running her eyes over the enemy team, which seemed just about as small as their own, with few substitute players. Narrowing her eyes on one particular player, she knew that she had seen him somewhere before.

It was the silver Mohawk that gave him away, and Applejack was certain she had seen him somewhere before. But when was it? The Ponies were setting up for the kick, and the player she was carefully watching replaced his helmet on his head and shook out his arms, readying for the play. Suddenly, though, the familiarity hit her, and she stepped over to Spike to ask the boy something.

“Heya, Spike?” Applejack spoke his name, and he glanced over at her as she pointed across the field subtly. “Ain't that Thunderlane? Wasn't he Rarity's fella for a while?”

“Thunderlane?” Spike recognized the name, but hardly the boy. He had perhaps seen him once or twice in passing, and it was a long time ago. The name, however, he did remember, and spoke it with poison on his lips.

“No mistake, tha's him,” Applejack's voice fell into an accusing murmur, but she went back to her position anyway.

Spike frowned deeper as his eyes settled on the boy. Rarity had told Spike some things about him, and none of them were very good. In fact, it was enough to rile Spike up and make him contemplate going back to the violent strikes of their previous game. The kick flew out though, and he had no more time to contemplate it.

The ball landed on the ground, and as luck would have it, it bounced in the exact direction he wanted it to go in. It went directly to their centre and immediately, Scootaloo and Spike darted forward, Spike barely managing to keep up with the speedster. Once they approached the other line, the linemen preparing to bump the duo, Scootaloo’s speed almost doubled as she cut a sharp left which successfully distracted the linemen to her left. Spike leapt forward, challenging the other linemen as they stopped dead in their tracks, Shining Armour’s lesson reminding him of the triangle stance. His cleats dug in and Whooves glanced back briefly, having lost his backup causing worry to impact him upon thinking of their quarterback.

The girl’s name was Derpy, and one could never tell whether or not she was all there in the head. Applejack frowned, contemplating the reason why Whooves mentioned her, and why they made a girl with walled-eyes their quarterback. As the rest of the Manticores line stormed forward silently, a wall of death threatening to close in on him, Dumbbell darted forward and attempted to grab onto Whooves. To his surprise, Whooves didn’t try to avoid and took the tackle as the rest of the Dumbbell trio dove in to fight for the ball. Pipsqueak and Apple Bloom spread out to cover the receivers while Featherweight and Snails prepared to intercept. Instead, Whooves lazily tossed the ball behind him as Score attempted to swat it out. Derpy caught it in her hands, giggling far too cutely for the sport, and immediately darted down the field, her speed catching Applejack off guard. What caught her off even more was her erratic foot movements; Applejack chased her down yet could not predict when the girl would swerve to the left or right or just stop and shoot back the other way. She grit her teeth, charging ahead as Derpy made her way to the end zone.

Scootaloo and the receiver she was trying to cover stepped back and forth, their movements synchronized. They attempted to dart past each other if only to prove they could break the repetition only to slam into each other just as the referee’s whistle blew. Scootaloo turned around after a brief moment of confusion and shock to see Derpy had left Applejack in the dust. Turning her head back, Scootaloo was going to shout only to find her mystery rival gone entirely. Shrugging, Scootaloo jogged back towards the end zone.

“I… I did it!” Derpy shouted with glee, jumping up and down on the spot as Applejack observed her for a moment.

“Did what? Score f’ yer team?” Applejack asked, bemused at the girl’s actions.

“I got my very first touchdown!” Derpy squealed, giggling as she danced on the spot.

Applejack’s eyes widened and she whistled, a grin appearing on her face as she walked towards the opposing quarterback. Derpy slowed to a stop as Applejack approached, her lips pursed as she waited for the Manticores quarterback to do something. The grin softened Derpy as Applejack patted her on the back.

“Good fer you, hon. Ah’m real proud of ya, an’ yer team should be as well,” Applejack said.

Derpy stared, perplexed for a moment before jumping forward and hugging Applejack, their helmets clacking briefly as Applejack found herself choked by the embrace.

“Thank you thank you! You are so nice, I hope you win!” Derpy said, releasing her grip. Applejack chuckled briefly before Derpy’s face turned red and she glanced down, averting her gaze as she poked her forefingers together. “Err, I mean, ‘eat slime, slime eaters,’ hehe!” Derpy gave Applejack a toothy grin.

“Good luck t’ ya. Ya better be runnin’ along now,” Applejack said as the rest of the Manticores team arrived.

Derpy skipped off as the Ponies retook their positions. Applejack’s eyes continued watching the girl until she ran up and hugged the team captain, excitedly pulling the rest of her team into a group hug. Applejack watched with a fleeting feeling of longing, it fading when she watched her team robotically take their places. Sighing, she glanced down the field, watching the team prepare for the kick.

Applejack swallowed hard before calling the snap, already anticipating the usual outcome. As the ball touched her hands, her receivers took off, though they were not nearly as fast as Scootaloo had been when she used to play that position. Due to their lull, Applejack was forced to wait and step back from the line, as already she noticed it falling apart at her toes. The boys who blocked in front of her gave way easily, opting to lazily let the line fall past rather than put any effort into holding it up. There lack of morale had never been more apparent than then.

Hitting the ground again and wincing, Applejack found herself staring at a now very familiar dark sky. The enemy players climbed off of her without trouble, walking back to their positions confidently while passing around handshakes and fist bumps. Before she got the chance to get up, a shadow fell on her as a much smaller girl squatted beside her.

“You know, for a girl, you sure get sacked a lot,” Scootaloo remarked with a smirk.

“Y'sound like Dash,” Applejack chuckled as she sat up with a groan, her muscles aching and her back bruising by now.

“Do you want me up in the line?” Scootaloo asked, tilting her head and letting Applejack shift onto one knee before forcing herself to her feet.

“Naw, no sense in lettin' two of us get hurt,” the quarterback patted her on the shoulder twice, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Ah reckon Ah miss you as receiver, though. That speed'a yours was a blessing.”

“I can try the rush again, you know,” she reminded the taller blonde, squeezing her fists up determinedly. “I can do it this time, I know it.”

“Y'flinch any time you're near th' line, Ah don't want y'all getting' distracted by what happened 'gainst Cloudsdale.” Applejack told her carefully. “B'sides, y'still can't take th' handoff none too well, we ain't got th' time t' practise yet. Ah'd say go f' it, if the line was steady, but it ain't lookin' good, sugarcube.”

“I know... it just,” Scootaloo frowned and looked at her shuffling feet. “It sucks seeing you get hurt all the time. Rainbow would be screaming her head off right now, if she was out here.”

“You're prob'ly right.” Applejack laughed lightly, though it hurt to do so. Smiling, she kept an optimistic mood as she spoke, “Well, how's this, then. Y'all head up by Spike, kay? He'll keep ya from getting' too hurt, an' maybe y'all can hold em long 'nough for me to get a pass out, if our block-headed receivers can make th' catch. That don't work, well, we'd best practise that handoff at halftime, an' looks like Ah'll have t' step up t' th' line m'self.”

“You got it, boss.” Scootaloo saluted her obediently and stepped closer to the right, examining the players she would be up against.

“Al'right,” Applejack settled back over the line as they set up, Dumbbell crouching over the ball casually. “Y'all gonna do y'job this time?”

“What, do you want to be up here instead?” Dumbbell looked back over his shoulder irritably. “We're not going to fucking win anyway, why waste the energy?”

“As a matter o' fact—” Applejack was interrupted by the ball flying up into her hands, and she grabbed it as quickly as she could, seeing the enemy team move forward in one unit.

From so close to the line, it was no feat for Applejack to catch exactly what Dumbbell did. Stepping to the side, he easily slipped between the advancing players, letting them break right through and charge the stunned quarterback. Two of the enemy players tackled her at one, slamming her back down to the turf in a mere instant. She could hardly feel her arms or legs at they were pinned against the grass, but soon enough the pressure was removed, and she was left dizzily counting the stars.

“Ready to forfeit, yet?” a voice asked her dully, and she glanced over to see Dumbbell standing over her, one foot between her legs and the other beside her. He scoffed and waved his hand passively, “Useless excuse for a captain.”

“Yea', Ah reckon Ah ain't much for leadin',” Applejack numbly agreed, turning onto her side and pushing herself up. “But at least Ah ain't quittin', neither.”

Dumbbell clicked his tongue in an annoyed tone and turned away, leaving her there getting herself back to her feet. Her body was shaking now after all the hits, but somehow, she was standing. Glancing over at the line, Applejack noticed Spike jog over to her, worry apparent on his features. He snarled at the other linemen accusingly, but said nothing to them. Placing a hand on his captain's shoulder, he caught her eye line.

“Are you okay, Applejack?” Spike asked gently, his expression hard and uneasy.

“Yea', ain't nothin' Ah can't handle, Spike.” She grinned weakly, patting him roughly on the arm twice before nodding breathlessly towards his position. “Line back up, okay?”

“Uh, right,” he agreed with a questioning look on his face, but listened to her and went back to his place as she wanted.

As Applejack set back up for the third down, she heard the Dumbbells muttering to each other in front of her, and caught them looking back with dark eyes. Though the cages of their face masks made them look intimidating, she hardly batted an eye before falling into her lower stand, examining the field. It was clear now that the other team had caught on to the trouble within their ranks, and their muscle had begun to focus around the middle of the line.

“Hut!” calling it at once, she felt the football connect with her fingers once again, this time more roughly than before.

She nearly dropped the snap, but managed to get a hold of it as Dumbbell clumsily and violently handed it to her before stepping away. That time, he, Score and Hoops all avoided the line entirely, separating fully and leaving a clear path between the quarterback and the entire middle of the enemy line. Her eyes widened immediately as she saw them, all looking to add another sack to their record. The first three pummelled her all at once, the forth and fifth slowing down enough merely to add some extra force before pulling away as best they could as the quarterback went down once again.

Spike watched in horror as the mound of much larger players clambered off the poor girl, and for a heart-stopping moment, it appeared as though she wasn't even breathing. Her helmet rolled back and forth just behind her, as it had been knocked clean off, and slowly, she opened her lonely green eyes. Spike had seen it all, how the linesmen had just stepped right out of the way and let that happen. What kind of a team was he playing on, anyway? Half-time was nearing eagerly, but it seemed like they weren't even going to make it till that pause.

Rolling her head tiredly to the side, Applejack gazed out towards the fence, blurredly catching sight of the girl she loved standing there. Her pale fingers were deeply entwined into the fence, and though Applejack was rattled, it almost seemed like Rainbow Dash was crying. Applejack gave a small smile, the rim of water stinging her own eyes as her body responded to the winding hit. Coughing painfully, she could feel how awfully small she was, laying out like that in the middle of the field.

All around her, tickling her face and hands, she felt the grass. Each blade a slightly different length and thickness, some poking at her and some resting against her. Down by her feet, the backs of her own teammates seemed so large and ominous, and the retreating forms of her enemies threatened to turn back and crush her all over again. But still, between their shifting bodies, she could see the end zone, the goal posts, the scoreboard. Her fingers dug into the grass fondly, feeling how soft it really was despite the force of her grounding hits. With a content sigh, she picked herself back up.

It was rough, it was trying, and it was hopeless. But still, her wobbly feet held her up, and Spike watched on carefully, unsure if he should let her continue taking this brutality. Under her chin, he could still see some remnant of the mark he had given her, a terrible bruise imprinted by his thumb, and it taunted him.

Spike knew how he might have handled such a situation: he would have left, he would have hid from the troubles like he always did, saying nothing to anyone and doing nothing to fix it. He would focus on the difficulties in front of him, and let it tear him down. No, after this much confrontation? From friends and foes? It would have been a repeat of what happened in the alley, destroying those who bothered him, shouting at the people who stood around him, maybe hurting them too.

But Applejack did none of those things, she waved the worried expression of her younger sister away and picked up her helmet, pulling it back over her head and fastening it tighter. Getting back to her position, though her feet stepped unevenly and her back ached as she leaned over, Applejack let out a slow breath. She squeezed and released her hands twice, trying to get the blood back into them.

Casually, she glanced over to Spike, and their eyes met. He held the gaze, as if asking her what she could have possibly been thinking. Her hand raised between them though, and though her fingers were curled in, she raised her thumb up and held up the gesture. Further, she tipped her hand up closer until her thumb almost touched her lips and turned it sideways, rotating the gesture until her pinkie finger was the highest point. He knew that gesture, it reminded him of the foolish way Rainbow Dash drank her beer, chugging the whole damn thing.

It was a play, he recalled, the last one that Rainbow Dash had been working on, a near-suicidal move she described as: “Bottom's up.”

Before he could drop his jaw open to speak, she turned back away and called the snap count for the fourth and final down. Spike hurriedly set up and grabbed the player opposite him as it rang out, and heard the scuttling of legs as the Dumbbells once again moved out of the way. Applejack anticipated it this time, though, and Spike watched over his shoulder.

Applejack took the ball firmly in her hand and rotated it carefully as her line ducked out of the way. Her fingers combed through the laces comfortably as she guided it securely under her arm, and stared daringly at her obstacles. The whole group pushed through once more, all famished and thirsty for a taste of glory or blood. In their earnest and headstrong force, they had absolutely no time to adjust as Applejack moved.

Dodging the first offender entirely with a quick spin and step, Applejack tapped little steps away from his stumbling body. As he went to make chase, the second and third pursuers ran right into him, the group losing their earlier momentum. Sprinting past the next wave of linesmen that threatened her, she made a break for it up the right side. Rainbow's eyes glistened widely as she watched on in awe, and before she knew it, her feet shuffled after the girl, following her. Spike saw the quarterback coming, and forced a greater grip on his opponent, stretching his arm out to link it around the torso of the player Scootaloo had been guarding.

“Scootaloo!” Spike called her name, and like a bullet, she took off.

“I know!” She replied as she hurried ahead of Applejack, distracting the safety and crashing right into her, using her superior speed to set her off course.

Throwing the two players down as Applejack ran past him, his feet moved alongside hers, carrying him up the field long enough to meet an outside linesmen who had taken off from the other side of the line. Wrapping his arms around the player right before they ran into Applejack, he used their momentum to force them to the ground, though he himself was pulled down afterwards. The quarterback kept her firm hold on the ball, darting across the field in a full sprint to the silent shock of the crowd. All at once though, they erupted with cheers and praise, ushering her on.

What really kept her going, though, was noticing out of the corner of her eye, the shadow of a girl chasing her from the other side of the fence. Rainbow's hand dragged along the wire fence flippantly, playing the tune of shaking chainlink metal, but she managed to keep pace with Applejack the whole while. Once or twice another blur tried for the tackle, but again, she dodged right around them just as quickly as Rainbow Dash herself might have. Leaping over an attempt at her legs, she cleared the entire enemy team and had a straight shot for the end zone.

Her tired and sore feet crossed the endzone at last, and upon breaching the line, she slowed down. The hiss of the audience was overwhelming, and she turned around slowly to take it all in. The cheerleaders were up on their feet once more, swinging their pompoms and chanting her name along with the spectators. She took the ball out from under her arm and held it laxly in her hand, swinging her arm to relax at her side. Despite the twitching and burning ache of her muscles, she felt very light.

Not able to wait another moment, she spun around and faced rainbow Dash, who was huffing out of breath and grabbing at the fence just a few yards away, smiling widely and shaking her head in astonishment. Applejack hurried over to her, dropping the ball along the way as if it didn't matter at all. Hitting the fence in a matter of seconds, Applejack fed her fingers through the wire and entwined them fondly with Rainbow's, the two pressing their hands together through the barrier.

“Man, AJ, you're amazing,” Rainbow praised her, leaning her forehead against the fence in an attempt to get nearer.

“It should be your name they're shoutin', Rainbow.” Applejack replied in a sad voice, running her fingers against the girl's for some small loving touch. “Y'were always th' star.”

“No way, you earned that, babe,” Rainbow confirmed, glancing back and forth between Applejack's still somewhat bothered eyes. “You okay?”

“Ah can't run every play, Dash,” Applejack spoke softly, biting at her lip as she noticed how comfortable it was to just lean against the supportive fence next to Rainbow Dash. “Ah need a team.”

Rainbow Dash smirked suddenly as she looked back down the field at the Manticores, and gestured for Applejack to look too, saying, “I think you just got one.”

Following Rainbow's gaze, Applejack's concern was eased by the cheering of her team, and several of them came together and high-fived or hugged. Even the Dumbbells, who looked just as surprised as they did ashamed, seemed to join in. Dumbbell himself looked out at the pair, and though while he usually would have teased them or made a rude remark, this time, he merely raised his hand to his forehead, giving a lazy and acknowledging salute.

The crowd continued to roar as the other team scoffed at their miscalculation, but seemed to recognize the Manticore's abilities. The score on the board changed, awarding points to the unlikely scorer. With a gentle smile and a modest humility gracing her features, Applejack blushed at the attention, squeezing Rainbow's hand. Her bright eyes flashed up to the rainbow-haired jock, and she begged for more.

“Will you hang 'round t' watch th' game?” Applejack asked hopefully.

“Wouldn't dream of otherwise,” Rainbow agreed certainly with a warm grin and a wink. Leaning back playfully and teasing, she added, “Though it might be tough to watch you get your ass kicked when it's not me kicking it.”

“Ah'm sure you'll manage.” Applejack chuckled, letting go of the fence and stepping back, readying to return to her post as much as she would have liked to stay.

“Good luck out there, AJ,” the former captain called after her, flashing a thumbs-up. In her usual confident tone, she told the farmer, “Give them Hell.”

“Without m'little vixen?” Applejack remarked, nodding her head at the lovable scamp. “Ah'll have to, if Ah want any hope'a winnin'.”

Spike grumbled briefly, his confidence from the previous week vanishing quickly. His team was still sketchy, having practised none of the recommended tactics or plays provided discreetly by their former team captain. Applejack did her best to relay the plays yet she could only do so much when her teammates were so insistent on ignoring her. In reality, it was only the Dumbbells whom were actively ignoring it, influencing Snips, Snails and Featherweight. Pipsqueak attempted to play both fields of the inner turmoil while Spike, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom trusted Rainbow Dash and Applejack.

Even then, Spike’s trust was tested as the scenario looked hopeless. Gritting his teeth, he glared at the team opposite, locking eyes with what could be considered his arch-enemy. Thunderlane brushed his thumb over his nose in a sniff, locking eyes with Spike as the teams proceeded to their endzones.

“Feh, ass cheated on Rarity five years ago, consider this payback,” Spike muttered, his loyalty to the play wavering. Shaking his head, he sighed, placing his guard in his mouth. ‘No, if the opportunity comes up, I can violently shoulder check him. For now, stick to the play.’

A quick glance to the scoreboard revealed less than a minute in the current half of the game where the two cheerleading squads would perform a routine to commemorate the final game before the last eight teams enter the quarter-finals.

“Reno, 69, 69, Zap Apple Jizz,” Applejack shouted to her team.

“What? Oh come on, just when I started thinking you were a sensible leader,” Dumbbell shouted, grumbling as he took his place as centre.

“Don’t fall apart on me now, y’all,” Applejack said. “Ah need you.”

“Whatever, we’ll try this play. Don’t let the Manticores heartbeat flatline, ‘jack,” Score shouted, cracking his neck as the teams waited.

Sighing, Spike lined up as Applejack set up the square. The pigskin was vertically balanced by the farmer and the referee blew his whistle. Several eyes remained on him as they waited for him to start his run. A walk quickly turned into a jog then into a sprint as the whole line marched forward and Spike launched the football into the skies, taking advantage of the windless night.

The ball was launched to the right yet Spike knew how he kicked it; the spin he gave it caused it to slightly curve left. That, added on with the lower kick, made sure it flew towards the linemen. Thunderlane arced right, darting ahead to intercept the ball and prevent the linemen from getting it. With a few seconds to clashing, Thunderlane attempted to dart out to the right on Featherweight’s side. Unfortunately for him, Applejack was directly behind him. Unable to foresee the farmer’s appearance, Thunderlane attempted to stop only for Applejack to slap at the ball, knocking it into the sky. The two collided as the ball flew freely, the duo tumbling to the ground.

The two lines clashed, Spike finding himself staring down the meek Blossomforth. For a brief moment, he remembered the girl’s hairdo looking exactly like Twilight’s, only the colour being different. The girl ducked down submissively as she took in the sight of the larger boy. Settling for simply taking down a teammate rather than take down someone whom wronged his girlfriend in the past, Spike swung in an underhand motion, disregarding the gender differences as he latched his fingers into the clothing and underarmour between the girls breasts. She let out a yelp as Spike placed his free hand on her shoulder. Stepping past the girl, he yanked his arm that held onto the girl’s uniform while pushing on her shoulder. Blossomforth buckled, being thrown to her back as Spike let go of her uniform.

Spotting the ball constantly being swatted around as several players attempted to wrap their fingers around it. Spike leapt into the air as the group was less interested in being competing players as the similar nature between the two teams almost turned it into a brawl. Luckily, Spike leapt up, hoisting himself up with an oblivious Ponies player and gave the ball a firm smack, knocking it to the side of the entire group. Immediately, two bodies darted from the near-pileup caused as the two lines settled on simply holding each other.

“Jeez, they’re barbarians,” Rainbow muttered from behind the chain link fence.

Big Mac and Shining Armour sniffed, facepalming in synchronization. Spike’s eyes didn’t notice them as Scootaloo and Rumble dived for the ball, hitting each other in the process. They hit the ground, sliding a few feet with closed eyes. As they slowed, they opened their eyes, locked onto each other. The two faces grew red and a brief lapse in reality occur. Snapping out of it, their hands slid out from under them, both slapping onto the ball at the same time.

A horn blared out as the first half ended and the two receivers glanced up as the lines separated. Spike kicked the dirt, scoffing as he realized they hadn’t achieved anything. Scootaloo and Rumble slowly glanced back towards each other, eyes locking onto one another. Rumble spit out his mouth guard and gave her a toothy grin.

“My name’s Rumble,” he muttered, anxiously gulping.

“Scootaloo,” the girl responded with a wink and a lick of her lips.

“Wanna grab dinner sometime?” Rumble asked.

“Only if you’re paying. And if you don’t eat tuna, I wouldn’t mind a kiss on the cheek,” the girl said as she pushed herself up.

She helped Rumble to his feet and the two held their gazes on one another before turning away, heading back towards their benches. Spike eyes the two teams without going to any side. The Manticores were still separated mentally and the Ponies were the exact opposite. They seemed entirely together and collected, friends fire forged through some event they’ll never hear, perhaps. Spike shrugged, deciding to turn around and walk off the field. He headed straight for the path between the two bleachers and removed his helmet, pinching the bridge of his nose.

‘We’re supposed to be a team. We don’t act like a team… and there’s no point in that, is there,’ he mentally stated, knowing the answer.

Big Mac glanced to the right, just in time to spot growing spectral hair behind the bleachers. Recognizing the girl, his instinct took over and he almost stomped towards her, biting his lip. Just as Rainbow Dash was crossing the path towards the other set of bleachers, Big McIntosh called her out.

“‘ey,” he shouted.

Rainbow slowed from a stride to a snails pace as she annoyingly glanced over at Big Mac. He simply stared at her as she slowed down to a stop and faced him. Big Mac’s eyes studied the girl’s figure and looked to her face; stern and not taking orders from him. It almost made him mad; yet it wasn’t what came out.

“Why?” Big Mac asked.

Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “Why? Why what?” she asked.

“Why is it you’re s’ darn insistent? Ah tol’ ya t’ stay away! Why can’t y’all jus’ go off an’ do your own thing with th’ others an’ leave m’ sister out of it!?” Big Mac stepped forward slowly.

No intimidation came from his mouth or appeared in his mind. Big Mac lost the will to continue threatening someone let alone a friend or his sister’s friends. He absolutely refused to listen to her declarations of amour.

“Because I trust in Applejack to tell me to fuck off if I screw something up,” Rainbow responded, placing her hands on her hips. “I trust her far more than you do, apparently.”

“But… why? Ah can’t let my sister associate with you… you’re... well, you. You're dangerous, an' Ah can’t lose her like ma and pa,” Big Mac responded, feeling a bad feeling in his gut.

“Oh goddammit, Big Mac, I’m not in some fucking gang, I’m not gonna get Applejack shot by ‘them niggas down at Grove Street, yo’,” Rainbow said, altering her voice while using exaggerated gestures. She looked back at Mac who kept his gaze on her; it was now uncertain. “Big Mac, I’m sorry for anything I’ve said before, or anything I’ve done, but please, for the love of god, just let me do something right and make your sister happy. I love her, and if I was truly ruining her life, I would gladly leave even if it was the most painful thing ever.” She gulped, her lips trembling. “I’m not good with words, but I know for sure what love feels like, and I’d never do anything to hurt Applejack.”

“Ya said,” Big Mac responded, finding his argument gone entirely. His gaze turned to the garbage bin next to the bleachers as he attempted to find words. Looking back up at Rainbow, he saw she was in the same position he was in; pleading. “Ya said… that ya love her, right?”

“Big Mac, if you want, you can even beat the shit out of me right here, I don’t even care. I just wanna see AJ, I’ll stay behind the fence and everything,” Rainbow said, her pleading becoming increasingly obvious. “I’m tired of fighting all the time.”

Silence held in the air as the two were lost in thought. Big Mac’s steely gaze was absent, a softer, compromising gaze studying the athlete. Rainbow’s eyes lost the fire and intensity of a fighting spirit, replaced with a guilty apologetic soul. Neither wanted to fight anymore. Unfortunately, any resolution was cut short. Behind Big Mac, someone stepped from the bleachers, ignored by the spectators in the stands.

Spike spotted the two as he removed his helmet and he paused his step upon seeing them before letting out a deep sigh, shaking his head as he resumed his pace. Big Mac opened his mouth as if to chastise Spike yet Rainbow piped up first.

“Yo yo yo, Spike the stud, what up?” Rainbow’s obnoxious voice shouted, an upbeat chime to it.

Spike stopped, turning his head towards the girl in Applejack’s old jacket. A grin was plastered on the athlete’s face as she stepped onto the path, away from the grass behind the bleachers and the fence. Shrugging, Spike curled his lip briefly before speaking up.

“Gonna just sit alone and think, usual superhero stuff,” Spike responded robotically, attempting to keep a smile, ignoring Big Mac’s presence.

Rainbow chuckled, kicking the ground as she glanced to her shoes. The silence hung for a moment before she tilted her head up just enough that her eyes could spot Spike under the hanging spectral bangs.

“Naw, you were gonna cut and run to stiff it to those fuckers, right?” Rainbow asked.

Spike hesitated half a second longer than he had wanted. “What makes you say that?”

“Because I would have done it myself by this point, except I wouldn’t have fucked the team over,” Rainbow said, keeping a chipper voice. Her breath was visible, Spike noticed as he realized it was a chilly night nearing the start of Winter. “Even if it did in the end.”

“Not your fault, you were forced into a position to cut and run,” Spike said, his voice drooping as he went on, ignoring the man that let the comment slide. Averting his gaze, Spike glanced down and examined the paint on his helmet, slightly scratched from the many drops he had. “I had many chances to fix my problems and I blew it.”

“Hey, you’re getting off scot-free; many people would have paid to be in that position,” Rainbow responded, rocking back and forth on her heels. “Plus, you were forced into a position where you could only blow it, wink wink.” She enunciated her words with a wink of her own, clicking her tongue as well.

“Just because Felix isn’t pressing charges doesn’t mean that everything he did before is suddenly forgotten, you know,” Spike responded bitterly, his brow lowering into a scowl. “I have to carry that stuff around with me. All that frustration and stress, it caused me to snap, on him, and on the people that I care about. How can I know that won’t happen again?”

“Listen kid, it’s never going to be forgotten, sure, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit there dwelling on it.” Rainbow favoured her right leg as she crossed her arms, returning the scowl. “Part of growing up is moving on, accepting that shit happens, yeah, but learning that it doesn’t dictate how you run your life or anything.”

“How would you know, Dash?” Spike responded, his anger threatening to surface once more.

“What, didn’t Twilight ever tell you?” Rainbow asked with a shrug and eye roll. “I had my share of troubles too.”

Spike scoffed, rolling his eyes as well. “Like what? Dash, you are a bully. You can’t understand how it feels to be on the other end of that. What could you possibly have to say that would relate to me?” the boy asked, disdain showing itself.

“You wanna know, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. A long pause followed as some music started up, presumably the Ponies’ cheerleading halftime show. Rainbow sighed, quickly scanning the area briefly. “Well, I guess I should start by telling you that, yeah, I was not always the nicest girl. I used to be a lot worse than I am now, trust me. I thought it was pretty funny to pick fights and push people around, that is, until a little life experience straightened me out. Fluttershy was always getting picked on and stuff, so it kind of made me realize how it could go too far, you know?”

“Yeah, trust me, I know,” Spike responded with a droll voice, still staring expectantly at Dash.

Rainbow bit her lip as she attempted to process her words, her head briefly turning towards the field as if to spot Applejack. “I thought I was done with all that stuff even now, but I realized it when you were kicking the crap out of that Felix kid the other day, I'm not much better now. I was picking on you, too. Guess I still have a long way to go.”

“It's no big deal. I can handle it,” Spike muttered, shrugging as he accepted it easily.

“You can tell yourself that time and again, it doesn't really make it true. But anyway, that wasn't my only brush with school yard razzing, let me tell you.” Rainbow gulped, seemingly preparing for what she was going to say. Spike and Big Mac watched her nervously attempt to start. “A-a couple years ago, I came out and said that I liked girls. Didn't come as much of a surprise to my friends, actually.”

Spike’s brow briefly raised, jokingly surprised that she wasn’t always as vocal as she was before. Gulping once, he spoke. “Did you get picked on about it?”

A simple shrug. “Well sure I did, people will find anything to make you feel awful about yourself. I guess it's like I just handed them the tomatoes and stood up on stage with a blindfold, really.” She sighed, doing her best to continue even though Big Mac was standing next to her. “It was rough for a while. I was kinda scrawny, always angry, and really opinionated. I had a big mouth and nothing to back it up, see?” Rainbow couldn’t help but smirk and agree when Big Mac subtly nodded his head. “I didn't think it would be a big deal or anything, so I came out, told a few friends and soon enough it spread all around school. I thought them knowing about it made me different, badass or whatever. Boy was I wrong.”

“What happened?” Spike asked, his animosity all but gone.

“I was not doing too good, I mean guys were always picking fights and if they weren't, I was holding grudges and starting them myself. Got myself into plenty of trouble. They were always bigger than me, and there were a lot more of them. I was on track to get myself killed, or kicked out of school or something.” Rainbow turned towards Big Mac, his eyes locking onto hers as he knew this comment was directed at him. “That is, until Applejack saved my sorry ass.”

“Applejack?” Big Mac and Spike asked in unison.

“Yeah. She would never talk about it or tell anyone, but she's kind of like, my hero.” Rainbow’s mouth formed a wide grin as she glanced up, reminiscing. “There were these few guys in particular who really had it out for me, I couldn't tell you what they wanted or whatever. It was after school, by the parking lot at the rear wall by the dumpsters. They were roughing me up, smacking me around a bit, you know how it goes.”

“Yeah, sounds familiar,” Spike said with a lighter voice, shrugging.

“Anyway, next thing I know, Applejack's standing right there, and she sees me, and she walks right over. I mean, it was kind of hard to see because one of my eyes was swelling up a bit and the sun was right behind her, but she came right up to us, and she looks at me, not judgemental or anything, just looking. But damn, she was angry. I'd never seen her so mad, you know?” Big Mac and Spike nodded their heads, resisting the urge to chuckle at the synchronized movements. “I don't really remember what those guys said when they saw her or anything. I just remember this one guy turning right around, and going over to her with his fists all balled up tight, like he was going to hurt her just for being there. But he didn't get to. He just walks up to her, then bam!”

“Bam what?!” Spike asked, urging her to continue.

“Applejack pins him right up against the wall, with her forearm just pressed hard against his throat, right? The other guy sees this, and runs up behind her like some cheap bastard, but again, wham!” Rainbow quickly twists her body and kicks one foot out, imitating what she must have spotted in a movie. Or maybe she had karate lessons; who knew? “She kicks backwards and nails him right in the gut, I swear he almost coughed up his lunch and his breakfast. She grabs the guy at her arm and spins him around, knocking him into his buddy and sending them tumbling to the ground.”

“Applejack did that?!” Spike asked, temporary disbelief decorating his expression. “I never really thought she was much for violence, other than football and rough-housing and stuff.”

Rainbow laughed, shaking her head and yet again, Big Mac nodded. “Oh she's not, not unless she's provoked, and let me warn you, do not provoke her.” Rainbow whistled, setting her hands on her hips as she clicked her tongue, once again picturing the scene. Her gaze turned towards Spike and she put on her grin once more. “But still, you know what really, really got me? She walks right over to me, and I'm still sitting there gawking at her like I just saw a damn ghost, right? Those guys are calling her the worst names, saying horrible and rude things, commenting about how she's like my lover or something, all kinds of profanities and remarks and shit. Thing is, it doesn't bother her at all. They're shouting all these awful insults, but she's still just looking right at me.”

“Why? Why didn't she go back and make sure they never did it again?” Spike asked, utterly confused. His mind wandered to what he did to Felix and his buddies yet he winced, shaking his head to keep it from his mind.

“That's not Applejack, that's why. She leans down, and she picks me up, helps me walk out of there, and wipes the blood off my stupid face. And you know what? She doesn't say anything about what happened. Not one word, not ever!” Rainbow exclaimed, impressed as she giggled briefly at the thought.

“So then, what happened to those guys?” Spike asked, attempting to think of an answer.

A smirk appeared on Rainbow’s face as she eyed Spike. “The bullies? Yeah, they still came around a bit, but not as much. It was like she had knocked them right off their game. And soon enough, they just moved on. I guess some people grow up slow, you know, and sometimes you have to force them into it.” She averted her gaze and glanced down at her own feet. “And I mean, I know who I am, I'm too proud to even admit that I'd need someone else to fight my battles. But what Applejack did, it didn't feel like that at all. It's more like, like she inspired me or something. I don't really know how to explain it.”

Spike let the silence hang as he contemplated her words before going back to asking questions. “Inspired you? How?”

The athlete’s gaze turned back to Spike, the grin larger than before as she started moving her hands as if it’d spur the words to churn out. “Okay, well she stepped right into the middle of everything, right? Kicked some serious ass, sure, but that isn't even what I loved most about all of it! And you know, I don’t even think that’s what got them to stop, either. It's like, those guys, they couldn't even touch her. You know? Not with their hands, not with their words or insults or anything. They couldn't fucking touch her. That kind of strength, that's what I wanted.” Rainbow winked at Spike and his left eye twitched as his mind instantly went back to Rarity’s birthday. “So, I asked her to join the football team, and she helped me become a little more tough and level-headed. No surprise how she became the quarterback, that's just how she is. Oh, and she has a damn rocket for an arm. That helps.”

“So where are those guys now? Do you ever see them any more?” Spike muttered, clutching the face cage of the helmet as his mind wandered back to his final talk with Felix.

Rainbow shrugged. “Well sure I do, all that other stuff is in the past. You even know the guys, I mean, they're our linesmen.” Rainbow’s eyes rolled as she folded her arms as if it were common knowledge.

“What?!” Spike exclaimed while Big Mac’s eyes merely widened. “They're on the team, with us?”

“Funny, huh?” Rainbow chuckled, kicking the ground once more. “The point is, kid, is that things like that can only bother us if we let them. I mean, look at AJ? On the field out there, she couldn’t catch a break, everyone and everything seemed to be working against her. But did she let that stop her? Fuck no, not AJ.”

“Yeah, but still, we’re not going to win. Our team sucks, Dash, there’s no way we can pull off a victory now,” Spike muttered, holding his helmet up as he examined it from several angles.

Snorting, Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Depends. What exactly is a win, anyway?”

It was Spike’s turn to roll his eyes. “Duh, beating the other team,” he said, a light growl coming from his mouth. “You can make it sound as metaphorically nice as you want, saying stuff like ‘you had a moral victory’, or ‘you won in spirit’ or some shit, but come on. That’s not what football is about.”

“Tell me, Spike,” Rainbow asked, placing a hand on her hip and wagging a finger at Spike. “Why did you join the Manticores, anyway? Did you want to be some super star? Did you think that would make you happy? Get the girl, you know, become Mr. Popularity, look good and score all kinds of glory? Or maybe, just maybe… you joined to find out something about yourself. Maybe, you joined to become more of... a man. What that means, well,” Rainbow shrugged once, maintaining her grin. “Guess that’s up to you.”

Spike closed his eyes as Rainbow didn’t continue further on as he processed her words. Everything that had happened in three months was coming to a head. The Wondercolts, the Buffalo, the Griffons, the Alicorns, and the Ponies. All of their opponents and faces flashed in his mind. All of the faces of the Manticores flashed in his mind. All the people that had wronged him or done him good, all his family and friends and the moments that stuck out to him.

Big Mac maintained his gaze on Rainbow, puckering his lip as he wished he had a piece of straw at the moment. The girl wasn’t facing him, too busy watching Spike think. After a moment, he let out a long, deep sigh from his mouth before stepping forward. His footsteps reminded Rainbow there was a spectator to her speech and the girl glanced up at Big Mac, mind racing with what he was gonna do. At that moment, Spike’s eyes widened and he grinned.

‘I did this to be a better person. To be worthy of my family’s love and care… and to be worthy of Rarity. I did it to be a man. I did it to say goodbye to the me that sat back and let bad things happen when I could have helped.’ Spike glanced up, spotting the moon in the distance as it’s phase rained a brilliant glow upon the city, light pollution or no. Still looking up, he wordlessly brought his helmet up and set it on his head, strapping the helmet onto his chin and biting the mouth guard.

At that time, Big McIntosh reached around and pulled Rainbow closer, as much as he didn’t want to. Rainbow didn’t expect the hug and was too shocked to respond to it as Big Mac swallowed his pride.

“Ah haven’t been a very good big brother an’ Ah haven’t been trustin’ m’ sis enough. Hearin' stuff like that, well, reminds me just what a head she's got on 'er shoulders, an' maybe, y'all have changed.” Pulling her back gently, he let Rainbow glance up at him as he attempted to smile. “Treat her right, and go out on that field, otherwise Ah’ll take ya up on that offer t’ beat th’ crap outta ya.”

Rainbow stared for a moment, contemplating the moment to be a dream before she let out a squeal, a massive grin forming on her face as she covered her mouth, a girlish moment coming up.

“Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh OH MY GOSH!” Rainbow squeaked, lunging forward and hugging Big Mac. “It’s a start, but I’m sure you’ll be a great big brother!”

Big Mac’s expression contorted to confusing and he glanced down as the rainbow hair pressed into his chest, nuzzling him regardless of any bad blood between the two.

“Ah beg yer pardon?” Big Mac asked, puzzled.

Spike and Big Mac stared at her briefly, the former chuckling while the latter rolled his eyes, frowning as he stepped back, the grip the athlete had on him gone. His hand was placed on her back as he pushed her towards the field.

“Get your ass in there b’fore Ah retract m’ decision, ya punk,” Big Mac shouted, placing his hands on his hips for once.

Spike walked forward, almost passing Big Mac before he stopped. He turned his head slightly, gritting his teeth against the mouth guard before he spit it out and glanced towards Big McIntosh.

“While we’re on the topic of bad stuff, I kinda did wrap my fingers around Applejack’s neck,” Spike muttered regrettably.

Big Mac turned towards him, his eyes widening and face growing red, rage coursing through his body. Spike’s eyes widened as he shuddered for a moment and Spike almost turned and ran.

“Tha’ was you?!” came out of Mac’s mouth like poison.

“B-but, it wasn’t her fault, she was protecting Rainbow. Because I was gonna kill her. Because I was mad and irrational and beating Felix nearly to death,” Spike spat out as fast as he could.

“Git yer ass over t’ th’ bench an’ wait for th’ next half, ya blasted varmint,” Big Mac shouted. “We’ll deal wi’ this later!”

“Yessir!” Spike quickly said with a salute before he jogged back onto the field.

Big Mac let a low growl escape his mouth as he pinched the bridge of his nose, gritting his teeth together. There was surely a reason that Applejack hadn’t told him about that, and if Rainbow was right that he needed to start trusting her more, perhaps he should take a little while to get his head on straight before dishing out punishments this time. Hand rested on his hip, he let out another deep sigh before stepping forward back onto the field.

“Soon, we’ll be lettin’ you frickin’ kids get away with murder,” he muttered, shaking his head.

As soon as Spike arrived at his bench, he noticed Rainbow was gone entirely, the entire team still sitting there, lazy and depressed at their score; a 7-24, Ponies favour. A moment of thinking made Spike remember that Applejack had always brought Rainbow’s bag to practise for the sake of coping with their situation. She seemed entirely oblivious that Rainbow was getting changed in the school’s changerooms right now. Grinning, he stepped over to the bench and sat down right between Applejack and Rarity, whom, along with Twilight, filmed the half-time shows. The Ponies were just finishing their show when he did and he felt content.

“Spike, are you alright?” Rarity asked, feeling uneasy after watching his attitude on the field.

Spike turned his head and faced her. Within a second, he had undone his helmet strap and had removed it, a huge grin on his face as Rarity watched with an interested gaze. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against Rarity’s much to the surprise of the fashionista as well as his sister on the other side. Pulling back, Spike panted heavily as he nodded his head.

“Everything will be just fine, Miss Rarity,” he said with a wink.

He turned back to the field just as Sweetie Belle, the band class and the rest of the cheerleaders stepped onto the field. Rarity’s gaze turned back to the field as she held in a squee of glee as she saw her uniforms, made specifically for this event, shine as the group made it onto the field.

Diamond Tiara pouted briefly as the cheer squad prepared for their show. She was glad her father was there but not satisfied with the lyrics Sweetie Belle had written. It had warmed up slightly to her as time went on and she was proud of her dedication. She watched the Ponies’ half time show, eying one member closely. Silver hair and glasses on her face, Diamond Tiara was reminded of a childhood friend whom she met in Canterlot years prior before they both went different ways. As their show ended, Diamond Tiara kept her eyes focused regardless of Sweetie Belle’s snapping at her. As the Ponies’ cheer squad left the field, Diamond Tiara saw the girl she was staring at from afar and she grinned, squealing excitedly.

Sweetie Belle’s attempts to get the prissy girl’s attention failed and she sighed, slapping herself in the face as Diamond Tiara shot to her feet and skipped towards the other team. Diamond’s face lit up and ran towards the girl.

“Silver Spoon!” Diamond Tiara shouted as she closed in on the cheerleader.

Silver Spoon glanced up, her face lighting up as well when she saw Diamond Tiara. Both teams’ cheerleaders glanced at the two as they crashed into each other. They squealed loudly, jumping up and down with several onlookers on their own team rolling their eyes.

“Are you kidding me?” Sweetie Belle groaned, shaking her head.

“Well I am happy for them! We should throw them a party!” Pinkie Pie said. “And Flutters?” She turned towards the shy girl as Fluttershy was adjusting the bra underneath her uniform. The girl in question turned towards Pinkie, waiting on a response. “Can you bring some of that leafy greens? I’d give them my drugs but it’s kind of not feeling well.” Pinkie Pie reached into her bag next to the bench and pulled out a stem, studying it closely.

“Pinkie Pie, h-how about we forget the whole thing,” Fluttershy muttered, sighing as she leaned over, resting her head on an energy drink barrel.

“Hi, Diamond Tiara! It’s been so long!” Silver Spoon squealed as they separated, still holding the other’s arms.

“Oh my god, I know! And you’re a cheerleader too!?” Diamond said, her grin plastered to her face.

“Ah, I know! And you look so cute in that outfit! Who made it!?” Silver Spoon asked, glancing up and down to examine her friend’s clothes.

“Oh, she’s dating our team’s tight end, the cutie with the green hair; her name is Rarity, and I don’t know her last name,” Diamond Tiara said, glancing over Silver Spoon’s uniform as well.

“Oh, really!? She did ours too, our team manager commissioned her,” Silver Spoon said. Tilting her head, she glanced by Diamond Tiara to spot Rarity sitting in the bleachers, wrapped up in a leathery-white jacket next to a nerdy girl in a sweater-vest.

“Well, now that I know you’re here, I feel more confident in what I’m about to do,” Diamond Tiara said, smirking as Silver Spoon’s brow raised.

“What are you gonna do?” Silver Spoon asked, nervously glancing back and forth between Scootaloo and the referee in the centre of the field.

“We’re gonna nail this half time show and make yours look like a kindergarten show,” Diamond Tiara said.

Silver Spoon grinned, stepping back as she playfully shoved her friend away, the two girls turning their backs to each other upon separation. Diamond Tiara tilted her head back briefly to glance at her friend, just as Silver Spoon did the same.

“We have to meet up after the game, Diamond!” Silver Spoon shouted with glee.

Diamond Tiara didn’t respond, following the Manticores’ cheer squad upon being announced. The group marched onto field and took their positions, Twist and Pinkie Pie deep in conversation about some candy. Diamond Tiara waltzed up behind Fluttershy who lagged behind the group. Glancing around unsure, Diamond’s eyes turned towards the shy girl who nervously poked her forefingers together, hiding behind her pink hair as she hunched over.

“Let’s do our best, Hootershy,” Diamond said with glee, pride swelling through her body.

Fluttershy squeaked, turning her face to see Diamond’s. Fluttershy’s face was bright red and her arms instinctively covered her chest. Diamond Tiara was confused briefly before she lightly tapped herself on the head.

“Argh, Fluttershy, whoops. Sorry,” Diamond Tiara muttered as Sweetie Belle took her position, the rest of the girls following suit.

At first, distant drumming rhythmically beat through the crowd, the snare and high hat catching on runs of fabric and sticking to soles of shoes. Just as simply and suddenly, a tambourine hissed, shaking and shivering to accompany the solitary pounding. Finally, some trace of tune called out, notes singing about from strings. Tapping her foot and raising her head to reach the microphone, which stood slightly too tall for her, Sweetie Belle took a firm grip and tore it from confines.

“In the city that never sleeps,

We find something better to do.

We sure love our company,

So we hold tight and we talk dirty,

And we hope that it will get us through.

What’s with bigger people

with smaller hearts?

we’ve got no self esteem

and a terribly late start.

We work hard to make a difference, but we're too young,

we speak better with our thumbs, and talk dirty with our tongues.

Yes we talk dirty, maybe,

But we know, baby,

It's about time we measured up

To those etches in the door frame.

And stop calling names and giving blames

And learn to play an honest game.

What’s with bigger people

with smaller hearts?

we’ve got no self esteem

and a terribly late start.

In pursuit of the end zone, we throw the pass too long,

we speak better with our thumbs, and talk dirty with our tongues.

So say, “Hail mother Mary,

full of grace,

may you forgive our furies and

teach us to behave?”

“We are tempted, we are troubled,

but we are standing, though we may stumble.”

Oh, pray, “Hail mother Mary,

full of grace,

may you take our failures and

teach us to be brave?”

Yeah, there are bigger people

with smaller hearts,

Who have more self esteem

and who take an early start.

Yet we see the end zone, and we throw the pass so long,

we speak better with our thumbs, and talk dirty with our tongues.

Oh, we see the end zone, and we throw the pass so long,

we may speak better with our thumbs,

but baby, we talk dirty with our tongues.”

Observing the finale as the crowds cheered, Spike whistled, scratching his chin.

“Sweetie Belle must have read my mind,” Spike whispered into Applejack’s ear. “And from the sounds of it, Rainbow’s.”

“Hmm?” Applejack perked up at the mention of Rainbow's name, then remembered the circumstances by which Sweetie Belle had written the lyrics to their song. It all made sense.

“I know what we’re gonna do. It’s the last play I’m gonna ask you to try and get the team to pull off,” Spike said. “What I mean by that, if the next play doesn’t work, we are a dysfunctional pack of bitches.”

“What play d’ ya have in mind?” Applejack asked, worriedly scanning the Manticores as they suited up.

“Play 9913,” Spike said with a grin.

“Yer kiddin’ me? How’re we s’pposed t’ do that when we’re still shaky? Sure we’re better than we were back then but we’re still bein’ held t’gether by duct tape,” Applejack responded, whispering the last part.

“Trust me,” Spike said, giving her a smile as he pounded his chest.

Applejack’s eyes were set on his lips as he spoke before he set his helmet back on his head. She put hers on as well, continuing to glance towards Spike.

“Uh, jus’ sayin’, but yer lips are red,” Applejack said, noticing the hints of lipstick that lingered from his kiss with Rarity.

Spike finished the strap, grin still on his face. Upon finishing, he let out a deep sigh, his body loosening up and he turned to her, grin still on his face.

“I couldn’t care less, captain,” Spike said, slapping his knees as he shot to his feet. “I’ll handle it, you just make sure the ball goes where you want it to go.”

“Al'right y'all, let's get back out there,” Applejack stood up at once, pulling her helmet on over her eyes and adjusting the bars around her eyes.

“Do we really have to bother? I mean, there's still no way we're going to win,” Dumbbell grumbled, stretching his arm out and pulling it farther with his other one as he approached them.

“Well,” a very familiar and confident voice arose from behind the group, and Applejack froze as she recognized it immediately. “Looks like I'm going to have to pick up all this fucking slack, after you jackoffs got bitch slapped in the first half.”

“Rainbow?” Applejack turned around and gazed at the girl in question, who stood before her clad in the flattering Manticore red uniform.

“Hey babe,” Rainbow responded promptly, a wink accompanying her grin. “Ready for a comeback?”

Without even hesitating, Applejack spun around and nearly tackled the smaller girl in an embrace, squeezing her tightly around her thin waist. Rainbow Dash eagerly returned it, smelling the girls hair and neck as she fought against the impermissible helmet the farmer had on. After a brief comfortable moment, Rainbow Dash pushed her just a fraction back and grabbed her helmet by the face mask, her fingers slipping into the bars.

“Get this shit out of the way and show me a real welcome, 'kay?” Rainbow murmured seductively as she pushed the mask up, lifting it right off of Applejack's head.

As the helmet moved out of the way, their lips came together at once, hardly waiting until Rainbow tossed the hard object in some random direction. Applejack tugged at Rainbow's hips, pressing them together as she moved her lips against the athlete's. Most eyes were glued to them, a good deal surprised, others uncertain, and some relieved or happy. Though the helmet nearly clocked Dumbbell in the head, he still found the scene rather interesting.

“Fucking called it!” he shouted loudly, slapping his hand on his knee knowingly.

“Damn dude, but 'jack is hot, why would she turn into a lesbian?” Score wondered with a frown, seeming disappointed.

“Score, you can't just ask someone why they're a lesbian!” Hoops whispered loudly as he slapped his friend on the back roughly.

Reluctantly, the two pulled apart, though their bodies remained lovingly entwined. Applejack shyly glanced over at her brother, who watched on with a less than irritated expression, to her surprise. As Rainbow went right on ahead with leering at Applejack's body so near to her own, the farmer cleared her throat, biting back some of the blush in her cheeks.

“You, uh, y'alright with her playin', Mac?” she asked carefully, holding eye contact.

“You kidding?” Rainbow pulled away at last, turning half of her body to look at the older boy. “He loves me, he said you all needed a good kick in the ass and begged me to come back!”

“Somethin' like that,” Mac said lowly, scoffing and rolling his eyes, though there was a smile on his face.

“Alright, so what’re we doing, fucksticks?” Rainbow asked, clapping her hands together as her and Applejack parted.

“9913,” Applejack said proudly, glancing around for her helmet briefly.

“Wait, are you serious? We can actually totally pull that off with Rainbow back. Fuck, Applejack may not have been the best captain but she still had a fuckin’ awesome arm,” Dumbbell said, clasping his hands together.

“I’d break your dick off like a twig if I didn’t need you on the field,” Rainbow growled, kicking Dumbbell in the shin.

The boy stepped back, rubbing his shin as his armour absorbed the most of it. Big Mac silently nodded in agreement as Applejack ignored it entirely.

“What’s 9913? I kind of missed a bit of practise,” Scootaloo muttered.

“So I noticed, squirt,” Rainbow grinned, raising an eyebrow as she rubbed her chin. “It’s called a Hail Mary. Let me fill you in.”

Spike sighed, preparing for the biggest play of the game. They were still 26-7, Ponies favour. Applejack and Rainbow Dash both had a knowing smirk, entirely prepared for the play. Scootaloo only had half their confidence yet still found it in her to glare across at Rumble. The boy smirked back, winking at her and Scootaloo’s eyes widened, an intense fire burning in them upon spotting her rival.

“Sixty-nine, sixty-nine, sixty-fucking-nine,” Rainbow shouted regardless of that being Applejack’s job.

Applejack immediately called the hut afterwards and the ball snapped into her hands, the two lines clashing. The Ponies had been caught off-guard by the sudden hut and they had been shoved back. Unfortunately, the Ponies’ line had just as much push as the Manticores. However, Whooves managed to slightly overpower Dumbbell, causing the brute to grunt.

“I am going to protect her, mate,” Whooves spat through his teeth.

“Th’ fuck are you talkin’ about!?” Dumbbell spat out, his face turning red from the pressure he had to exert.

Spike darted forward and realized who he was facing; Thunderlane. Before the boy could react to Spike, Spike thrust his hands forward and pressed his palms flat against Thunderlane’s chest. His fingers bent, latching onto the jersey and Spike pressed off the ground, hoisting Thunderlane from his safe grip. Thunderlane groaned as Spike shoved him off, the older boy tumbling to the ground as Spike stumbled, rounding out to the right.

Scootaloo backed off much to Rumble’s confusion as she rounded back towards Applejack. Rumble rounded further to the left en route to sack Applejack. Before he could get close, Apple Bloom checked him from the side, sending him to the same fate as his brother. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo both closed in to Applejack. Upon seemingly running into each other, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo turned around and darted back in opposite directions, running around their lines. Spike had already gotten a head start with the two girls following close behind. Spike was fast, yet he whistled as Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash darted after him, each hunched over with their arms looking like they held the ball.

Thunderlane pushed himself to his feet while Rumble attempted to. Apple Bloom still covered the younger brother while Thunderlane chased after Rainbow Dash. The boy had kicked off just as Rainbow zipped by and he was making time on her, the girl not running her full speed. Another girl with walled eyes chased after Scootaloo. Spike was passed by, obviously not carrying the ball. As Derpy zipped by the slower boy, Spike attempted to wrap his arms around her only to fail. He continued pacing herself as Derpy caught up with Scootaloo. Spike grinned; he knew they weren’t running their full speed. Yet his grin vanished when the two Ponies’ players tackled the two speedsters.

Applejack winced slightly as she saw Rainbow go down somewhat roughly, the wall-eyed girl taking it easy on Scootaloo. The Ponies and Manticores linemen lightened up as it looked like the play ended. The referee almost blew his whistle before he noticed something; Applejack stepped back, her arm cocked back and a familiar pigskin sitting wrapped firmly by her fingers.

“Sorry,” Derpy spoke sadly, giggling as she hugged Scootaloo on the ground.

“Uh, it’s okay?” Scootaloo asked, her arms wrapped around Derpy.

The Manticore girl squirmed uncomfortably, the two girls’ well-endowed breasts rubbing up against each other. Scootaloo still had her arms wrapped around Derpy, much to her confusion. Rainbow had her arms wrapped around Thunderlane.

“Wait, where’s the ball?” Derpy and Thunderlane asked in unison.

Spike trucked by, putting Rainbow and Scootaloo with their fellow trapped Ponies far behind him. Rarity, Twilight along with both cheer squads watched with anticipation as Applejack stepped forward, twisting her body as she thrust a hand forward, grunting as she launched the ball into the sky. The football spiralled, cutting through the windless skies in a high, long arc down the field. It was Applejack’s best throw and Spike continued running, his back to the incoming football. Thunderlane and Derpy’s eyes widened as they spotted Spike up ahead and a ball incoming. Attempting to push themselves up, they found themselves pinned down as the girls below them held them in their place. The rest of the Manticores team as well as the Ponies simply stopped fighting and watched the ball soar.

Passing a line, Spike’s arms shot out in front of him and he felt his fingers twitch briefly. The end zone was merely ten meters ahead and Spike grinned as he felt the football land directly in his hands. He clenched his arms to his chest and sped past the end zone, a horn blaring as the crowd went wild. Spike thought it to be a high school movie cliche, yet a certain warmth entered his body as he slowed down, spiking the football as he did. Turning around, he saw the scoreboard change to 26-13 and he never felt more proud in his high school years before. He strolled back down the field, Rainbow shoving Thunderlane off her without warning while Derpy merely began glomping Scootaloo, the two rolling around on the ground. After a few seconds, Scootaloo merely sighed and returned the massive hug, ignoring the tingly feeling she got after their breasts rubbed together.

“Congrats, you fuckin’ pipsqueak. You fucking rock!” Rainbow shouted, jogging over towards Spike.

Rainbow punched Spike on the shoulder, the boy sheepishly grinning as he felt a sense of accomplishment. The duo walked back towards the Manticores, the Ponies returning to their endzone, stepping over Derpy and Scootaloo who still continued rolling on the ground, even as Scootaloo began to panic. Eventually, Derpy released her bearhug from Scootaloo and the smaller girl somehow felt a sense of giddiness from the interaction. Derpy’s excitement seemed contagious, apparently.

Once the Manticores regrouped at their endzone, Spike glanced towards Rarity as she sat on the bleachers, waving at him. Leaning forward, he let out a deep breath as he prepared for the next kickoff. Rainbow and Applejack exchanged grins, the former making a motion reminiscent of fellation. Applejack rolled her eyes, facing forward as a giant smile appeared on her face. Rainbow faced forward as well, her confidence stronger than before.

“Applejack, tonight, I am gonna tongue that pussy until you can’t walk. How’s that for motivation?” Rainbow grinned.

“Mmm, jus’ dandy, an’ somethin’ bes’ left for private conversation,” Applejack said with a shaky voice.

“As for the rest of you, I’ll beat the shit out of you any day of the week. So, with that motivation in mind, let’s win this thing!”

The game ended 47-46. The Ponies had won. The Manticores had lost. And Spike didn’t care. He saw the scoreboard, the cheering of the Ponies screaming as they threw one member in the air; their quarterback, Derpy. Spike turned to her upon spotting her being tossed above and he couldn’t help but smile. He saw Derpy’s reaction to her first touchdown from earlier. Spike couldn’t help but find it cute. Sighing, he removed his helmet and glanced skyward. A massive grin appeared on his face as he spotted one star in the sky, regardless of the light pollution. Closing his eyes, a breeze blew by his face, a crisp scent to it.

Turning his head, Spike walked away, sighing in contentment as he opened his eyes, spotting the line ahead of him, the bench just a little further. The cheer squad seemed happy and sad at the same time; they totally kicked ass with their half time show yet their team lost in the end. Spike felt sympathy for them as well as his own team, yet he felt fulfilled. Stepping off the field, he set his helmet on the bench and glanced up to the bleachers. Rarity was staring at him as she descended, Twilight following along with his parents. Shining Armour walked from the side while Big Mac pinched the bridge of his nose, watching Rainbow Dash.

“Fuck! Shit, goddamn, motherfucking shit!” Rainbow shouted, punctuating each word with a stomp of her foot.

Applejack stood by her, constantly rubbing Rainbow’s shoulders as the team captain did her best to prevent tears from staining her face. Rainbow removed her helmet and drop kicked it across the field, not caring that it almost hit someone from the other team. Applejack groaned, grabbing the shoulders of her lover and yanking her into a hug.

“Y’know, yer so darn cute when you’re mad,” Applejack whispered into Rainbow’s ear with a chuckle.

“Fuck you,” Rainbow whined into Applejack’s shoulder.

“Ya can do all that an’ more t’night. Ah’ll even do that tongue thing ya like s’ much,” Applejack whispered into Rainbow’s ear.

“Mmmph,” Rainbow muttered into Applejack’s shoulder.

“What was that, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, chuckling as she rubbed Rainbow’s shoulder.

“I… love you, you pervert,” Rainbow responded with a light giggle.

Spike’s eyes averted from the scene, a smile on his face. Shifting his gaze, he spotted another scene that brought a smile to his face. Scootaloo and Rumble had slowly approached one another by the edge of the bleachers shortly after the celebrations had ceased for the Ponies. Eyes turning elsewhere, he spotted Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon catching up as well; Spike knew them to be bullies from the Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle’s childhoods, yet he knew Diamond Tiara wasn’t an awful person. Twist, Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom had run into each other and were conversing; Spike knew Apple Bloom as Twist’s friend before they met Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle. All around, his teammates had met each other and members from the other team and family to converse. The Manticores had attempted to cope with their season being over. Even the Dumbbells had spoken with Pipsqueak, Snips and Snails. Everybody had found something and for a brief moment, Spike felt alone. He was glad that he was incorrect as several voices snapped him out of it.

“Oh, Spike, are you alright?” Rarity’s voice asked, running up and hugging him from behind.

Spike turned his head, Rarity’s chin rested atop his left shoulder. He smiled and turned around, setting his hands on Rarity’s hips.

“You had a damn good run, son,” Night Light said, his hand around his wife’s hip.

“All without ‘shooting up’?” Mrs. Velvet said, lightly elbowing her husband.

“I don’t even care anymore,” Twilight muttered, shrugging her shoulders and rolling her eyes.

“And that was an impressive Hail Mary. I thought Dash was gonna catch it,” Shining Armour said.

“That’d be too easy,” Spike muttered with a chuckle. Turning back to Rarity, he brushed a loose hair out of her face. “I’m fine. Better than ever. We lost, and that’s fine. I had fun getting here.”

As usual, Twilight didn’t say a word. However, this time, she smiled and felt nothing but pride. Turning away, she walked to the bench and sat down, trusting Spike to be fine on his own. Spike noticed the subtle movement she made and smiled in response. It was the first time he ever saw it and he knew what it meant. His gaze focused on Rarity, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, his eyes closing as he did. She was caught off guard as he leaned in quickly yet she softened against the kiss. After a second, Spike pulled back and they stared into the others’ eyes.

“I have been a huge wreck these past few weeks, but that’s behind me now. I had fun getting here and I connected with wonderful people.” Spike caressed her cheek, a toothy grin visible on his face. “I’d say all together, this year was perfect, minus a few bumps.”

As the two parted, Rarity checked her phone. Spike bid her farewell for the moment as she walked over towards the front of the school along with Twilight and the rest of his family. Spike still had to change so he stayed behind as the team cleaned up. Spike walked towards the path to head back to the change rooms yet stopped just short of leaving. The entire field has almost been vacated, save for two or three others; he wasn’t sure. Turning around, he glanced over the field with every memory that occurred thanks to stepping onto the field popping up in his mind. He closed his eyes and hummed in thought, a small smile etched on his face.

Spike found himself being grabbed by the back of his jersey and yanked a few feet away from the group. He hardly had to ask to know who it was, the rough shoves and snickers gave that away.

“Let's play a little game, spiney,” Rainbow's arm draped around Spike's shoulder and she squeezed roughly. He grunted as her other arm swung around and slammed a football against his chest, wiggling it until it caught his attention. “Whoever has sex in the most awesome place gets the final game's ball. Sounds fun?”

“You're not serious,” Spike asked incredulously, taking the ball in his hands and making a weird face.

“Of course I am, you fuck!” Rainbow laughed loudly, coming around in front of him and slapping him on shoulder twice. “Now, let's start off slow, shall we? You can go first.”

“Fine,” Spike let out a slow sigh, blushing a bit to think of it. After debating whether or not to engage in the game, he spoke, “Rarity's bedroom.”

“Rarity's guest bedroom,” Rainbow retorted quickly, and nodded to him. “Go again.”

Feeling somewhat more competitive as she egged him on, Spike continued, “The boutique change rooms, during business hours.”

“Back of a pick-up truck in an alley,” Rainbow hurriedly went on, dropping her voice low and winking as she added, “With ropes.”

“Rarity's kitchen,” Spike went on, his hands playing with the ball as he recounted. “Which Twilight walked in on.”

“In broad daylight behind the bleachers,” she teasingly teetered from foot to foot. “Which Big Mac walked in on.”

Knowing he had nowhere better to top that with, not yet anyway, he admitted defeat, “Damn it.”

“Well, thanks for playing!” Rainbow playfully mused, grabbing the ball from his hands and tossing it between her own as she did a little dance. “You ever do better, you come get this, 'kay?”

“Don't think I won't,” Spike said with a casual nod, and Rainbow grinned to hear such a proclamation.

The two were interrupted abruptly.

“Gang-banged in the school library,” the smaller girl grabbed the ball out of Rainbow's hands, sticking her tongue out and spinning around.

“The library? What the fuck, dude, why would you go there?” Rainbow asked with a contorted expression. “Well, other than the sex, I guess.”

“Wasn't my call,” Scootaloo just shrugged as she continued off, spinning the football around on her finger. Spike laughed lightly and followed after her, going to get changed.

“Little brat,” Rainbow said in a laugh, shaking her head.

Another girl walked up behind Rainbow, slinging her arm easily around the athlete's waist and tugging her closer. “What was that about?”

“Oh, don't you worry about that, AJ,” Rainbow told her, rolling her head to the side and letting Applejack give her a quick kiss on the jaw.

“She took th' football,” Applejack noticed, tilting her head as she noticed quite what pride Scootaloo showed in carrying the ball.

“Don't worry, we're going to get it back,” the athlete told her girlfriend, grinning and grabbing at her shirt before pulling her around. Speaking almost right against the farmer's lips, she demanded, “Come on babe, we have a date at.... hmm, the opera?”

“Th' opera?” Applejack repeated with a frown. “That sounds a lil' bornin'.”

Kissing her passionately as she dragged her back to the change-rooms, Rainbow assured her, “I'm sure we can find a way to spice it up.”

Applejack and Rainbow followed after Scootaloo, the younger girl skipping around happily, tossing the ball in the air. Pausing on his way to the change room and letting the two girls go on ahead, Spike continued observing the field for a few more seconds. Eventually, he shrugged and followed after the girls, holding his helmet proudly.

“Man, what if I had joined the baseball team?” Spike mumbled, chuckling quietly.

The rest of the month passed by quickly. The Ponies and Wondercolts had clashed in the finals as predicted yet Rainbow never attended a game afterwards… at least not without prompting from Applejack’s side. Spike still faced some legal issues, having to sign off some things to square complications with the police. A recount of the night, his family lawyer to assist and eventually, the night was but a smudge in his memory of the entire year.

There were ups and downs for him and the rest of the team and his new friends. He went to a party like all high school kids and to the surprise of nobody and anger of Rarity, he woke up naked on the front lawn of someone’s house. His sister was not happy to hear that. Shining Armour made it a point to “accidentally knock Spike down some stairs” for the stunt. Spike blamed nobody but himself. Luckily for him, Rarity’s idea of “punishment” wasn’t the cold shoulder; Spike even contemplated getting into trouble again after that.

Scootaloo got the help she needed. A few trips to the school shrink revealed Scootaloo to require more professional help and as usual, Scootaloo refused to go to her sessions without Rainbow present. She even managed to have a small fling with Rumble before they called it off on account of distance. The two remained good friends, even helping Scootaloo have someone other than her therapist and Rainbow to talk to. Before long, her relationships had mended just like Spike’s had and it was like nothing bad had ever happened.

He sat up at last, wincing at the trouble his stomach muscles had lifting his weakened body to peer over the tall metal siding. He put his hands on it, and was quite sickened by the anonymous sticky substance that baked onto the bin like the leftover lining of cupcakes in those little round pans. He managed to pull himself up high enough to hoist his slim body over the tall metal obstacle, though his landing on the other side was less than graceful. Dusting the garbage and rubbish of his freshly pressed pants, he groaned audibly, glancing back at the old familiar dumpster he thought he had outgrown. Surely throwing a kid into a dumpster was an old and tired ruse, but perhaps some people just never grew up or got creative about anything.

A shadow approached in front of him and the boy glanced up, spotting a larger boy with green hair and slitted green eyes. He was smiling down at him, the boy could tell regardless of the sun silhouetting his face. The smaller, younger boy was nervous for a brief moment, having just dealt with another “smiling” face. The larger boy held his hand out and the younger boy timidly took his hand. Being hoisted to his feet, the boy brushed off his clothes, turning around to the garbage bin. He couldn’t see over the bin and he sighed sadly, cursing his small stature.

“Want some help?” Spike asked, glancing over the edge of the dumpster.

“Oh… alright,” the boy said slowly.

Spike stepped forward and reached over the edge of the dumpster, retrieving the bag and supplies belonging to the smaller boy. The boy held his bag open as Spike placed the materials inside of it, zipping it up.

“Thanks,” the boy muttered, throwing the bag over his shoulder.

“No problem,” Spike said, turning away and walking down the path. “Just enjoy your day and know when to ask for help, y’know? Trust me on that.” After a few steps, Spike stopped moving, turning around to spot the boy still standing there shocked. “Do yourself a favour; join a club or do a sport. Like, the football team. Get involved. It changed my life.”

Spike didn’t wait for a response before turning back and walking straight forward. His step had a gentle stride to it, the knowledge that going home was going to be decent. Maybe he’d run into Rarity later that evening, check up on her and her classes to see how her first day went. With a spring in his step and a smile on his face, Spike crossed the street as he headed towards the unfamiliar entrance to Ponyville High School, prepared for his first day as a Grade 11, and in a new city. The journey was long and tough yet the knowledge that he no longer had to dread coming to school was soothing, and who knows?

He may even make a few new friends here.

Author's Note

Well, there it is. At long last, Hail Mary comes to an end.

But worry not, the Ask Blog is still up and running, "Ask the Manticores", and we will continue to answer questions as long as you ask. I hope you enjoyed the journey, Arby and I sure did!

Until our next Collaboration, Ezrienel and Arby Works... out!