Fluttershy slowly squeezed through the crowds inside Canterlot Coliseum. The concourse behind the stands buzzed with activity, with food vendors selling everything from carrot dogs to pizza while souvenir shops hawked the latest in team merchandise. Everywhere she looked she found large stallions wearing team jerseys and groups of excited colts running about. The scene reminded her more of her unwanted trip to Los Pegasus than her quiet cottage in Ponyville.
Reaching the correct entrance, Fluttershy helped her grandmare up the steps and into the bright sunshine. Spread out before the two pegasi lay the stadium, a giant bowl seating fifty-thousand spectators in three tiers. Down below fresh turf covered the playing field, with bright white lines marking every five yards. At either end stood the uprights, ready for a field goal attempt or a point after a touchdown.
The two mares made their way to their assigned seats. “My this is a big stadium. It’s a bit....”
“Overwhelming?” supplied Fluttershy.
“Yes. But I just can’t believe what great seats you got for us.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Happy birthday Nana,” she said, leaning over to give her grandmare a hug.
Over the next few minutes more fans entered until the stadium was at maximum capacity. Then a voice came booming across:
“Ladies and Gentlecolts, welcome to Canterlot Coliseum. We will begin the game momentarily. First we ask that you please stand and remove your hats as Countess Coloratura presents our national anthem.”
Everypony rose to their hooves as a beautiful mare took to the field at the fifty yard line and began singing:
Equestria, the land I love
A land of harmony
Our flag does wave from high above
For ponykind to see
Equestria, a land of friends
Where ponykind do roam
They say true friendship never ends
Equestria, my home
The crowd broke into cheers, and overhead the Wonderbolts streaked over the stadium performing a ceremonial flyby.
Again the giant voice addressed the crowd:
“Thank you very much. The Eagles have won the coin toss and have elected to receive.”
Fluttershy looked over to her grandmare and couldn’t help but smile. Her grandmare was happy, which made her happy. And the two would share a wonderful afternoon together. What could be better?
The Royals lined up to the right as the Eagles’ players took their positions on the left. A whistle blew and the kicker raced towards the ball and booted it with all his might, sending it arcing high into the sky. It hung for just a moment then fell back to earth –
“DROP IT!!!”
Fluttershy jumped at the words. Where did they come from? Down below the receiver motioned for a fair catch, and caught the ball just as the Royals players surrounded him.
The giant voice rang out:
“It’s first and ten on the Eagles twenty-eight yardline.”
The Eagles offense and Royals defense ran onto the field as their special teams headed for the sidelines. The Eagles formed into a huddle then ran to the line of scrimage. Foals took position behind the center and then the ball was snapped –
“BLITZ!!!”
Fluttershy again jumped. Could it be?
Foals dropped back, and passed the ball to a running back.
“GET THAT SON-OF-A-BITCH!!!”
Horrified, Fluttershy turned to her grandmare.
Meanwhile, the players lined up for second and five. Foals took the snap, falling back and looking for an open reciever. The pocket collapsed around him and the forelegs of a Royals player wrapped around him, dragging him down. Foals threw the ball just before being slammed onto the turf. Zebras threw yellow flags into the air.
The giant voice explained: “That’s a fifteen yard penalty for roughing the passer.”
“BOO!!! Hoofball is a game for stallions. Why don’t you put a skirt on him?” shouted Gentle Breeze at the top of her lungs.
“Nana?” asked a shocked Fluttershy.
“That’s a bull-shit call. He still had the ball when he was sacked, so the stupid refs shouldn’t have called it.”
“Get your cold beer here!” came a voice from behind.
Gentle Breeze turned around and yelled, “I’ll take two.”
Fluttershy, barely able to speak through her shock at her grandmother’s behavior, squeked, “Nana?”
“I’m sorry dear, I wasn’t thinking. I’ll take three!”
Hoofing over the bits, she passed a cup a beer to Fluttershy while keeping two for herself.
“Nana, I don’t drink.”
“There’s no time like the present to learn,” said her grandmare, taking a happy sip from her plastic cup.
Fluttershy looked down at the amber liquid. Perhaps she would need a beer – or several – to make it through this afternoon with her grandmare?
Author's Note
After the confusion yesterday, thanks for coming back for Chapter 2. This really is where the Comedy tag comes into play.
I must admit, this story is partly based on RL. My grandmother was the sweetest, kindest person you'd meet. But for three hours on Sundays, boy did she yell and throw things at the TV.
Hope you all enjoy Super Bowl LII!
Dreadnought
A Sunday Afternoon...
Chapter One: Gentle Breeze's Surprise
Canterlot. A light unto the world. A shining city upon a hill. An enduring pillar of strength for society. A symbol of hope and all that is good in the land. A place where dreams come true.
But Canterlot is also a paradox, full of overlooked contradictions. A city built for two ruling royals, which for a thousand years served as the capital for a monarchy, now home to a diarchy of the sovereigns of day and night. A city securely anchored into the side of the mountain yet perilously cantilevered out into open sky, seeming to defy and flaunt gravity. A welcoming city that is also so hard to reach. A cosmopolitan city, yet one whose cuisine tasted all the same – bad. A capital city with a strong garrison that was somehow conquered on multiple occasions.
On this particular morning one of Canterlot’s greatest contradictions was on full display. Canterlot, the capital of a vast empire stretching from the blue Celestial Sea in the east to the sparkling Luna Ocean in the west and from the scorching Badlands in the south to the snow-capped Crystal Mountains in the north, was a sleepy small town on Sunday mornings. Court was not in session, allowing the princesses time to unwind from a busy workweek or, as was more often the case, a day to catch up on all the paperwork littering their desks. Businesses sat closed, save a few restaurants serving brunch. Most of the city’s residents preferred to sleep in late or spend a quiet morning at home, leaving only a few out on the streets. A Manehattanite or Fillydelphian, whose cities bustled no matter the hour or the day, would be shocked at the sight. But this suited a certain pegasus from Ponyville just fine....
Fluttershy walked down the street, enjoying the beautiful fall day. She breathed in the pleasantly crisp air, so sweet and fresh in the mountains. Meanwhile Celestia’s golden sun shone down, warming her feathers and fur. The broad avenue that meandered through the heart of the capital lay peaceful and quiet, with only a few ponies out for a morning stroll.
Fluttershy took note off her surroundings as she trotted along. Stores lined much of the street, their window displays enticing prospective customers with fabulous gowns and accessories, glittering jewelry, or mountains of shoes. One such store was Canterlot Carousel, the second location in her friend Rarity’s budding fashion empire. Other businesses were more to Pinkie Pie’s tastes, showcasing all sorts of delicious cakes, treats drizzled in chocolate, or a rainbow of mouth-watering sugary candies. Yet another business sat in a respectable brick building – Noble’s Bookstore. Whenever they came to Canterlot, Twilight Sparkle always ensured the trip included a stop at her favorite hangout and would often leave with a literal mountain of books to take home and read. As she passed through an intersection, Fluttershy glanced down a side street to see Restaurant Row, so recently liberated from the dominance of one Zesty Gourmand, now thankfully home to some of the best food in Equestria. The air filled with a bouquet of wonderful scents, everything from fresh-baked breads, waffles and pancakes, to omelets and other breakfast dishes.
Turning the corner, Fluttershy came upon her destination. Before her lay beautifully landscaped grounds filled with lush grass, expertly trimmed hedges, large towering trees, and lovely topiary gardens, dotted by fountains and small ponds. It rivaled the Royal Gardens a few blocks away. Sitting amongst this serene setting stood a large, inviting building. Several stories tall, it featured a front porch spanning its entire length, where a dozen ponies enjoyed the day from their rocking chairs.
Fluttershy walked through the wrought iron gate and along the stone path past the gardens, until she climbed the steps and entered the front door. Inside the quiet lobby she found a receptionist desk. Looking up at the guest, the red earth pony greeted, “Welcome to Golden Pastures Retirement Community. How may I help you?”
“Good Morning,” said Fluttershy. “I’m here to see my grandmare. Her name is Gentle Breeze.”
“Hmm.... Gentle Breeze... doesn’t ring a bell.”
Taken aback, Fluttershy pressed, “Oh, I know she lives here. Not for very long, she moved from Cloudsdale only a few months ago.”
“Let me take a look at our list of residents.” Taking out a thick book, she started going through the pages. “Oh, here she is – Gentle Breeze. You know, some of our members are so quiet that you hardly know that they’re here.”
“Oh, that sounds like her.”
“She lives in room 221B. Take a left, then the stairs to the second floor, then all the way to the end of the hall.”
“Thank you very much,” smiled Fluttershy.
“You’re welcome. Have a nice day.”
Fluttershy walked down the corridor, then up a flight of stairs, then down a quiet hallway until she reached her grandmare’s apartment. Lightly knocking, she stood back until hearing the thunk of the deadbolt unlocking. The door swung back to reveal an elderly pink pegasus. “Fluttershy!” she greeted in a sweet tone.
“Good morning Nana,” she replied.
“Come here and give your grandmare a hug.” The two shared a loving embrace. “It’s so good to see you. I haven’t seen you since the family reunion two months ago.”
Stepping back, Fluttershy said, “I know. My new animal sanctuary keeps me really busy.”
“You said so in your letters. I want to hear all about it,” she said, motioning motioning for Fluttershy to take a seat on the couch. “Could I get you some tea, dear?”
“Yes, that’d be lovely.”
After a few minutes in the kitchen, Gentle Breeze appeared with two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits. She listened as her granddaughter related all the challenges in establishing Sweet Feather Sanctuary. Then she related how her friends were doing, with Rainbow Dash joining the Wonderbolts, her adventure in Las Pegasus with Applejack, and how Discord nearly disappeared during a tea party.
After a natural pause, Gentle Breeze asked, “So dear, what brings you to see me today?”
“I came to celebrate your birthday.”
“Oh, my birthday isn’t until Tuesday.”
“I know, but I wanted to do something special for you.” Reaching into the saddlebag next to her, she drew forth a small envelope which she passed to her grandmare.
Looking at the contents, Gentle Breeze’s eyes went wide. “Fluttershy, you shouldn’t have.”
“Well, it’s not everyday you turn seventy-five. I know how much you love the Canterlot Royals, so I thought you’d enjoy seeing them play.”
“Yes, they’re playing the Fillydelphia Eagles. Oh, we will have to leave within the hour.”
“We? Isn’t there somepony you’d like to take with you?”
“You gave me these tickets dear. There’s nothing that would make me happier than to enjoy a nice Sunday afternoon with my favorite granddaughter.”
Author's Note
Well, it's good to be back in the swing of things. This is my first new story since The Labors of Applejack (working on the next chapter) and the first major writing I've done on anything in over two months. This is the first half of the story, the second half is written and will be published tomorrow. See you then!
Dreadnought
