Indigo Zap wiped the sweat from her brow and looked up at the sunny sky. Today's session had been intense, even by her high standards.
Which was good. They'd need that intensity for next week's soccer game.
With a contented exhale, she turned towards her teammates. "All right, girls, that's the end of practice for today! Good job—if we keep this kind of energy up, Cloudsdale won't be able touch us!"
Indigo did some practice dribbles as her team departed the field. It was her first year captaining Crystal Prep’s soccer team, and she’d led CPA all the way to the quarter finals. Only two games stood in the way of the championship. No way was she going to let the school down.
"Nice moves out there, Sap," a girl's voice called. Indigo's train of thought derailed, and her foot completely missed the ball.
She inwardly groaned. Only one person ever called her that—and kept calling her that—and it had gotten old long ago. "Whaddaya want, Dust?" she said to the blonde blue girl who'd just walked in front of her.
"Awwww, Sappie, why are you acting like that?" Lightning Dust retorted, hands on hips. Her voice dripped sarcasm. "I just wanted to congratulate you on some good practice! For a whole five minutes, it almost looked like you weren't the most choke-tastic thing to ever stumble onto a soccer field!"
"Yeah, amazing what a few years of training will do," Indigo said. "So, are you ever gonna let it go?"
"Gimme a reason to! I heard about what happened in your 'Friendship Games.' Guess Crystal Prep doesn't always come out on top." Lightning sneered at Indigo. "Certainly not with Little Miss Blowhard on the team. All talk, no results!"
Indigo felt herself getting hot under the collar. The worst part was, she knew better. She seriously knew better. But tell that to the red creeping into her vision.
Indigo kicked up the soccer ball and gripped it hard in her hands. "Oh, you'll be seeing results all right," she said, louder than she'd planned. "Long as you don't chicken out of next week's game!"
A blur whisked by her, snatching the ball out of her hands. In a moment, a bright green-hued girl stood next to Lightning, balancing—no, wait, spinning? How was that physically possible—the ball on her forehead.
"Oh, we're so scared," Vapor Trail said, her voice as syrupy and sarcastic as her partner’s. "Can't wait to see what'll result from us totally stomping you into the dirt—oh, wait! I know! Crystal Prep's name will be mud!"
"Hah! Good one, Vape!" Lightning high-fived her teammate. Vapor put her arm around Lightning as the two laughed.
That did it.
"Fine, if you're so sure of yourselves!" Indigo shouted. "You want moves? You want skills? First to three goals! I'll take the both of you on right—"
"Whoa, there! Hold on a minute!"
A new blue girl jogged onto the scene, who Indigo recognized in an instant due to her rainbow-colored hair. No, seriously, all seven colors were up there, and for the life of her, Indigo had no idea how she managed that kind of dye job. It had to be murder—
Wait.
What was she even doing here?
"Do you two jokers really wanna do this?" Rainbow Dash said to Lightning and Vapor. "I mean, this is Indigo Zap you're talking about here."
"Pfft. So?" Lightning scoffed. "It's not like we're scared of her."
Rainbow guffawed. "Well, you should be! Even I am! You're not gonna find anyone in any school who works harder for her team! Well, except me, 'cause I'm awesome."
Indigo did a double-take at the unexpected compliments. What was Rainbow getting at?
Rainbow's tone shifted from earnest to derisive. "You, though? I don't even know why you bothered to show up here, outside of wanting to see some real pros in action."
Lightning's and Vapor's expressions soured.
"Yeah, that's right," Rainbow taunted. "I know you guys. Your footwork's totally lame and the rest of your entire team is a joke! They lean on you for everything. Seriously, instead of sticking around here, you should be running back to the hills you came from and practicing to be good enough to lose." Rainbow crossed her arms and smirked in confidence.
Lightning gritted her teeth, then stepped forward. "Ooooh! Look at all the big talk from the Canterlot High goody-good who got to sleep through her bracket 'cause she didn't have to face anyone with actual skill! Now she thinks she's hot stuff after playing against jokes like the Parasprites instead of us!"
Lightning thumbed over to Indigo. "Sap over here said she was gonna take us on. But I'm willing to make it a two-on-two. Just to make you feel better."
Rainbow stayed silent for a few seconds... then burst out laughing. "Can you believe this, Indigo? Look how desperate they are!"
Indigo was confused, before she caught Rainbow’s wink. Instantly, she got the message. "Yeah, no kidding," she added, laughing herself. "That's why they came to our practice: they were actually hoping to sniff out our secrets before the finals! Heck, here they are, trying to get 'em out of us even now!"
"They'd probably have had a better chance if they'd just begged us." Rainbow backhanded the air as she turned away. "Please. Watch tapes of our greatness like everyone else, or don't even play. Come on, Indigo. Let's ditch these losers."
Indigo nodded, turned her back to the two Cloudsdale girls, and followed Rainbow. As she did, she heard a growl, and the thump of a soccer ball being kicked.
Instinct kicked in. Indigo leaned her head to one side and held up her hand. She caught the ball that Vapor Trail had kicked towards the back of her head at full speed. Her smile was as bright as the sun as Rainbow cheered, and she spun around one last time.
"Hey there, that kick was almost good! Try to teach that to all your players by next week, would ya?"
Rainbow and Indigo laughed all the way to Crystal Prep's main building.
The second they reached the girls' locker room, Indigo sighed, hard. She put her hands on her knees and shook as she gasped for breath.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Whoa. I guess I really did show up at the right time. Seriously, though: what were you thinking, getting ready to scrimmage 'em one-on-two?"
Indigo's breath slowed. "Let's just say, Lightning Dust and I have... met before," she disclosed, as a “highlight” reel from an absolutely brutal soccer game from years ago played back in her mind. "It didn't go well, and she's never let me live it down. I... I don't know what it is, but she's always known exactly how to get under my skin." Indigo balled a fist. "And every time I see that smug face, I just wanna...!" With a shriek, Indigo launched her fist towards a nearly locker.
Rainbow intercepted it in mid-flight with her palm and fixed Indigo with a serious gaze. "Yeah, not gonna let you do something your bones'll regret."
With another shriek, Indigo punted a locker hard enough to leave a dent instead.
Rainbow peered down at it. "Huh. Better idea, I guess." She paused, letting go of Indigo's fist. "So, that help any?"
"A little." Indigo sat down on the bench, arms crossed and pouting. "Still wanna use Lightning's face as the ball, though. And Vapor's as the net."
"Gruesome mental image, there." Rainbow sat next to her. "But you can still do the next best thing. Beat them, and win your bracket. Then you've just got one team left—us!" Rainbow pointed to herself.
"Yeah, but that's if we beat them." Indigo huffed. "Ugh, I can't believe I ever wanted to go that stupid school."
"I know, right? I mean, jeez, Cloudsdale's got the best sports-scholarship college in the business! I have no idea why their high school blows chunks. Still, can't leave anything to chance, which is why I've been studying them as well as you." Rainbow leaned in closer to Indigo with a conspiratorial grin. "You ever notice just how chummy Lightning Dust and Vapor Trail get around each other?"
"Well, yeah, but..." Indigo blinked. Her cheeks flushed the slightest hint of red. "W-what?" she whispered. "You think they're dating or something?"
Rainbow snorted. "As much as those two dorks deserve each other, that's not what I mean. I just mean that on the field, it looks like either one of them can't do anything without the other."
Indigo shrugged. "I've seen that at some of their games. Just looks like they're in sync, though. Happens with star players and even star duos, right?"
"That's what I said at first." Rainbow tapped on her smartphone. "But check it out." She showed Indigo a video of Cloudsdale's last game against the Vanhoover Lumberjanes. The 'Janes, sadly, hadn't stood a chance, as their fabled "tree-trunk defense" had been scattered all across the field in short order.
"Take a good look at how Vapor Trail moves," Rainbow said, pointing to the video. "And how Lightning gets to save energy cruising almost right behind her. Meanwhile, all the others do is cover and maybe take some passes to keep up appearances, but—"
Indigo gasped. "Those two otherwise get the field to themselves! Distraction is totally the name of their game! And Lightning gets to use her energy to catch any stray kicks or defense flubs, and... wow." She looked up from the video, mystified. "They're a well-oiled machine."
"Yep—and they're the same when it comes to hazing. Pinkie Pie's got party agents planted inside every high school, so I get all the dirt on demand. Turns out they've all gotten advance visits from Cloudsdale, just like you did. Psych warfare."
Indigo groaned. "And I almost played right into it."
"Truth is, that whole team's actually a lot better than I gave them credit for outside," Rainbow said. "They've been stomping the competition all year for a reason. But I wasn't about to let them know that."
Indigo balled a fist again and growled... then deflated. "Rainbow... you know how it is around here. Crystal Prep is all about individual greatness, even on our teams. Everyone wants the rep that comes from winning." Indigo placed her palms on her knees and looked down at the floor. "Sometimes I feel like... like I'm the only one who likes to win just 'cause it's fun."
Indigo saw and felt Rainbow’s hand lay on top of hers. She looked over, and saw Rainbow looking right back at her with a smile that radiated sincerity.
"You're not," Rainbow said, in a voice to match.
Indigo smiled back.
Rainbow lifted her hand. "Anyway, if you can't beat them at their own game, you gotta break theirs. I can help out with that if you want," she said, her smile persisting.
"What, so you can learn my moves?"
"No more than you learn mine—and I know we'll both be holding some tech back. Come on, it'll be fun." Indigo scrunched her face in thought as Rainbow scrawled out a note. "Meet me on the field at this address tomorrow. It's way out of the way—Cloudsdale will never see us practice. Until then? Go back over their videos, and watch their formations."
"Okay, time out," Indigo said, holding up a hand. "I know you CHS peeps are known for being sickeningly nice, but come on. There's gotta be a catch!"
"Duh," Rainbow huffed. "I just told you: I've already figured that team out. And now with my help, you have too. So you better win. Otherwise I'm gonna have a yawner of a finals. The two of us get on the field, though? I already know it's gonna be epic."
Indigo's competitive grin returned at last. She took the note. "Heck yeah, it will. Hey, Dash?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks," Indigo said through a blush. "For believing in me."
"Just saw you needed it." Rainbow said, She held her fist out to Indigo. "Time for you to take up that slack again, though. I don't wanna see any mercy. Not tomorrow, not two weeks from now."
"You know it." Indigo bumped Rainbow's fist, and the two shared smiles again.
A pink girl with green hair burst into the room.
"OhmygoshIndieIheardwhathappenedbutdon'tworrySourandIchasedthosetwoCloudsdalemeaniesoffand—" Lemon Zest froze and blinked upon seeing Rainbow.
Her eyes glazed over. "Duuuuude, now I'm even more lost! Why are none of the students in their right schools today?"
"Guess that's my cue," Rainbow said, getting up and walking towards the door. "Don't be late, Indie," she said with one final wink.
"'Indie?'" Lemon Zest gasped as Rainbow exited the locker room. "Why's she get to call you that? Heck, what's she even doing here?"
Indigo stared out the door with a happy smile.
"Being awesome."
Author's Note
The Shadowbolts Will Return.
