It was down to the last minute of the second half of this game. On my team, Fluttershy was the goalie, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Starlight Glimmer were on defense, and Sunset Shimmer and I were the main offensive strikers. We were all facing the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts in this final tournament showdown, as I'd like to call it. Our world's Twilight Sparkle was sitting on the bleachers with Spike, cheering for us like there's no tomorrow. Despite the Shadowbolts no longer being rude with CHS, they were still our biggest rivals.
"I'm getting this darn thing out of the zone!" A.J. said as she kicked the soccer ball to the other side of the field.
"I've got this!" Sunset exclaimed.
"Who will break this tie of two to two?" Coach Shining Armor asked as he was watching from the sidelines.
"These two teams are like titans!" Coach Spitfire said. "Push forward, Rainbow Dash!"
Aye aye coach. I thought to myself. Indigo Zap and Sugarcoat were right there in front of us, but with quick maneuvers, Sunset evaded to the left side of the field. Then, I saw her passing the ball to me and got it as soon as I could.
"You shall not pass!" Sour Sweet exclaimed as she was the other goalie.
"Hold it right there!" as Sunny Flare tried to intercept me.
"Not today! I'm coming in hot! And...in you go!" With a kick just like that, the tie was broken.
"That's game, time's up!" Both coaches announced. "The Canterlot Wondercolts are the victors!"
"They did it, Spike!" Twilight cheered.
"Woohoo, those are my girls!" Spike kept on clapping his paws.
All around us, the entire school was roaring with passion and enthusiasm as we've just won. I knew it would be easy, but the Shadowbolts did put up a tough fight. I could see them huddling up with Coach Shining Armor and it looked like that they're not too disappointed with us beating them. Nonetheless, everything paid off.
"Congratulations Wondercolts!" Coach Shining Armor praised as he gave us the trophy. "You deserved it!"
"I think all of us would like to kindly thank someone special!" Fluttershy said.
"Who's that, Fluttershy?" I asked.
"You, Rainbow Dash!" She replied.
"Without you, buddy, we would all be dead meat, and that's no fun at all!" Pinkie Pie came in.
"You honestly have proven yourself to us again, Rainbow!" A.J. winked at me.
"Agreed!" Sunset said.
"Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash, Rainbow Dash!" The crowd blazed wildly.
I could hear the students, including Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna, cheering my name and I'm quite happy about how awesome they're being. My best friends suddenly kept throwing me up into the air while doing the same thing.
"Wondercolts, locker room!" Coach Spitfire commanded.
"Yes ma'am!" We all nodded and headed back inside the gym.
It was very hot outside and even in our shorts and sports tops, my friends and I couldn't bear the heat. When we went to the locker room to change into our normal outfits, it started to smell, but not too badly.
"Good game everybody!" I approved. "We were all so awesome out there!"
"I'll say!" Fluttershy said as she changed into her tank top. "That was all you though, Rainbow Dash!"
"Oh, you..." I blushed a little bit. "Seriously, I couldn't have done this without you girls. You all mean a lot to me."
"You mean a lot to us too, Dash." Sunset said. "After all, the Element of Loyalty is what makes you so awesome!"
"Maybe." At this point, I'm breathless after the entire game. I was actually the first one out of my friends to be fully changed and quickly headed upstairs to the auditorium. Man, I'm so beat...
I've finally made it to my locker and proceeded to get my things ready to go home. The students were already back inside and were getting ready to go home, too. The only things I were carrying were my guitar and backpack. As I tried to leave, there were boys who started to stare at me.
"It's Rainbow Dash!" A boy whispered to his friend.
"She's...so...beautiful!" The friend whispered back.
Hmm?
"Look at her..." A geek pointed at me.
"Notice me, Rainbow Dash!" Another boy said to himself.
I don't know if I should be creeped out or cool about this, but these guys are totally starting to get on my nerves. But, I don't want to get mad. Not yet, at the very least.
"What's up, Rainbow Dash?" An eco-kid waved at me.
"Uhh, hey, you?" I walked by while confused.
"Hey hey, there's Captain Rainbow Dash!" Yet another guy spotted me and as soon as he called my name, there was like a hundred of his friends who rushed to him.
What really ticked me off the most was that they started to take pictures of me with their phones. Some of them even have autograph books, waiting as if I was going to sign them. Was this a whole new level of respect or what? I mean, I have signed a few autographs in my life, but they weren't topped with such weird comments about me.
"Get those out of my face!" I exclaimed as I tried to shield myself from the camera flashes. "That's it, I'm out of here!" I quickly ran to the front of the school and even more guys were waiting for me by the Wondercolt statue.
"We love you, Rainbow Dash!" They all shouted.
"I gotta get out of here!" I said to myself.
Fortunately for me, the bus stop was right across the street, and the line for getting on it was short. I dodged traffic to get to the other sidewalk and had exact change ready for the bus driver. When I paid him, the doors closed and the bus drove off into the city.
That was close! I thought in my head. I really can't believe that those boys were looking at me like that. It was as if they wanted to go out on a date with me. First of all, I got tired from the soccer tournament, and now from those weirdos? I'm losing it today...
"I need to call Rarity, because she might help me on this." I pulled out my phone and dialed Rarity's number. "Please pick up, please pick up!" After a few beeps, there was no answer from her. "Dang it!"
I guess I now I have to go to Plan B. Carousel Boutique had always been an easy place for my friends to spot, and it was easy for me to spot, too. When I got off the bus, I took a right on the corner and it was right there. Now, all I had to do was knock on Rarity's door.
"Hello? Anybody home? Rarity? Sweetie Belle? Yoo-hoo!"
Finally, I got a response as the door opened and standing right there in front of me was none other than Rarity herself. However, she wasn't in the best shape of her life. She looked very sick, her eyes were closing constantly, and she looked she was ready to fall down on her knees.
"Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash." Rarity sighed. "ACHOO!"
"Bless you, Rare! Are you alright today?"
"ACHOO!" She sneezed again. "I'm fine, thanks for asking, darling! I just have the flu, that's all."
"Oh, okay. May I come in, Rarity?" I asked politely.
"Of course, make yourself comfortable, dear! Just remember to take off your shoes."
"Will do!" I took my shoes off and placed them next to Rarity's main shoe rack. I entered as I closed the door behind me and Carousel Boutique was looking no different than before.
Rarity was wearing a bathrobe with an 'R' on the left side of her chest and some pink slippers. I'm glad that she can at least walk in her current condition. "So, how has your day been, Rainbow Dash?" She asked as she sat down on her couch.
"It was awesome and not awesome at the same time!" I replied. "The awesome part was that the Canterlot Wondercolts beat the Crystal Prep Shadowbolts in today's soccer tournament!"
"That's very lovely, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity said. "What part was not awesome for you, though?"
"After I grabbed my stuff from my locker in the school hallway, I tried to leave, but a whole bunch of guys kept on staring at me creepily! One of them called me beautiful, a few more wanted autographs, and outside the school, even more guys were saying that they love me! What's wrong with them today?"
"Nothing." Rarity spoke as she ate some soup.
"What do you mean that there's nothing wrong with them? It's as if they wanted me to be their boyfriend and you know how I'm usually not the romantic type!"
"I think you're missing the point here, Rainbow Dash." Rarity said. "Those gentlemen weren't trying to scare you, they were really saying what's true about you. How high is your self-esteem?"
"Very high."
"Do you accept your image, or in other words, the way you look?" Rarity further interrogated me.
"Of course, I look in the mirror everyday before school and check myself out. What does my self-esteem have to do with anything?"
"If people think you're very beautiful, then you shouldn't have to be cowering about that." Rarity said. "I get called beautiful almost all of the time and it's no big deal for me!"
"Easy for you to say." I uttered. "The school, the rest of the girls, and I know how fabulous you are, but for me, this is completely new! I think my reputation will die if I'm now considered a supermodel!"
"Nonsense, your reputation will be enhanced, in my opinion!" Rarity continued to eat more soup.
"What are you trying to say, Rarity?"
"Those guys that you considered to be creeps weren't viewing you as just something beautiful, they find your athleticism to be beautiful as well. You are the captain of the Wondercolts, aren't you, Rainbow Dash?"
"I am, but even I wouldn't go that far as drooling over some other athlete!"
"Listen to what I am saying, then." Rarity replied. "The whole school knows how fabulous I am and the whole school knows how great of an athlete you are as well. You and I are not so different, if I might add."
"I don't know." I blushed. "Am I really beautiful, though?"
"Not just because of how you look, darling, but also because of how you perform on the field." Rarity claimed. "You've displayed great courage, leadership, loyalty, and determination to your family, friends, and teammates alike over the years! Those qualities are what make you a beautiful athlete. It's not so different from me whenever I get credit for putting on some of the best fashion shows and fundraisers at CHS and all around the city. Do you understand what I'm saying, Rainbow Dash?"
"Yes, a little bit. But what if something happens to me, Rarity?"
"Nothing will happen, darling! If some other guy calls you beautiful, just accept it and move on. It's very simple, actually."
"Rarity, I think I might need practice with taking in affectionate compliments."
"Then you can start tomorrow."
