Against the Shift

by TheRedFox

Rating: everyone
Tags: Sunset Shimmer, Slice of Life, Wallflower Blush, Drama, Romance, Equestria Girls
Length: 7411

All the signs were there for Sunset. She doesn't know how she missed them all.

With Wallflower coming off the heels of a catastrophic failure, Sunset realizes just how many signs she missed that this would happen.

Entry for the Sunflower Shipping Contest. (In regards to the donation I believe all of these are quality charities and defer to the donator's decision.)

Written with help from wishcometrue and writingspirit.

Contains baseball, but no knowledge of the game should be necessary to understand this fic. The author's note at the end of the story contains links, videos, and additional information for better understanding the sport.

Published 2021-04-09 17:10:01 UTC
Last updated 2021-04-09 17:10:01 UTC

Against the Shift

The first thing I learned about Wallflower Blush was that she didn’t like good days. Wallflower believed that good days were always followed by bad ones. For her, every high was followed by a low, and every victory was followed by an eventual defeat.

Wallflower never meant it cynically though. That was just the way life was. And given all the experiences that I knew she had… I never really challenged her on that front.

I watched as she sat motionless on the couch, legs kicked up on the coffee table and face lit up by the screen of her cell phone. The television was on but she ignored it. The apartment was still warm, and everything had an ethereal glow like a unicorn’s horn did when they were spellcasting.

The door opened and Sunset Shimmer walked in.

“Hey Wally! I’m home!”

Wallflower perked up as she called out. There was the familiar jingle of keys as Sunset took off her jacket and scarf, hanging them up on the coat rack before coming into the living room. “Whatcha watching?” she asked, passing behind Wallflower and pausing to hug her over the couch.

Wallflower put her hand over Sunset’s and squeezed it. “Baseball game.”

“Heh, nice.” Sunset kissed her on the cheek and pulled away, heading for the kitchen. “Anything interesting happen?”

“Pitcher had a no-hitter going into the sixth, lost it on a base hit to the opposing pitcher,1” Wallflower answered.

The sink turned on and Wallflower turned up the volume as an oversized graphic appeared on the television. “Uh… ouch. How was practice by the way?”

“Not bad. I think coach is going to have Lightning start tomorrow.”

Sunset flopped next to me on the couch, wrapping an arm around her. Wallflower leaned into her shoulder automatically as the commentators began discussing some statistics.

“Ooh, nice!”

Wallflower shook her head. “Not nice. We’re playing Crystal Prep again and their starter hit three batters last time.”

Sunset furrowed her brow, trying to remember why that was a bad thing in baseball.

“Lightning’s probably going to hit the first batter she sees,” Wallflower added.2

“Knowing her, probably,” Sunset replied. “You think they’re going to fight again?”

Wallflower shrugged in reply.

The two fell silent for a second, eyes on the television set.

They leaned into each other as the announcer’s voice cut in through the television set. “And here comes the 1-2 to Cookie Crisp…”

A cloud passed in front of the sun and the room became dark. I move forwards then, crossing the room shrouded with shadows. I ease down on the edge of the coffee table and lean forwards to look at her.

Wallflower’s face is set and square, the TV screen reflecting in her eyes. She blinks and I’m lost in her bright greens again. “What’s up?”

I’m caught off guard by that. “Hm? Nothing.”

“I think I know you a little bit better than that,” Wallflower says.

I rub my hands together and sum up the courage to look her in the eye. “I just… I just want you to know something, Wally..”

Wallflower is quiet and nestles up against Sunset’s form.

My hand travels up to my shoulder, rubbing small circles through the fabric in repeated motions. “Wallflower… I’m proud of you. After everything life’s thrown at you, you came out on the other side. You’ve just… you’ve come so far. And I’m really happy for you.”

She studies me with that gaze of hers that sends my heart racing. “Oh… thanks. It means a lot. But what brought this on?”

I gaze just over her shoulder. “Nothing. I guess I thought you might like to hear that. And… and no matter what happens, you know I’ve got your back, right?”

Wallflower smiles. “Of course, sunset. That… That means a lot.”

“But… but is it enough?” I wring my hands, waiting for an answer. But as I look to the floor I see rays of light piercing through the shadows, and when I glance up again Wallflower is still.

I take a shaky breath and stand up from the coffee table. The cloud outside the window passes and the room grows brighter again.

“... fouled off and we’ll do it again,” continued the announcer.

Sunset squeezed Wallflower tighter, furrowing her brow as she stared at the screen.

Wallflower switched her gaze over to her, as if she were about to say something. Her body tensed she chewed on her cheek, taking a breath to find her voice.

“Wait, shouldn’t he be out if he’s on two strikes?” Sunset asked.

Whatever Wallflower was going to say died in her throat. “No,” she said instead. “Foul balls don’t count as strike three, only one and two.3”

“Huh…” Sunset leaned into Wallflower with a sigh. “Baseball is confusing, Wally.”

Wallflower pursed her lips. “Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

The strange look in her eye didn’t go away. But Sunset didn’t notice.

“You doing okay, Wallflower? You’re kinda quiet… more so than usual anyways.”

Wallflower looked up from her food. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Thanks June.”

Junebug tapped her chin in thought before glancing to her right at Roseluck.

“She’s just concerned with Crystal Prep!” Roseluck exclaimed, sipping eagerly from her juicebox. “We fought each other again after Dusty threw at them.”

Junebug blinked. “Isn’t that what the pitcher is supposed to do?”

Roseluck giggled. “Well, yes, but Lightning Dust threw at their bodies because she thinks they’re a bunch of ‘sewer wolves.’ I think she meant sewer rats but I didn’t ask.”

“W… why is she throwing at their bodies?” stammered Junebug.

“Old rivalry,” Wallflower answered, poking at her salad. “They throw at us so we throw at them, then everyone runs onto the field and yells at each other. I think it’s stupid.4”

“I can see why you’d be worried!” Junebug gasped. “That sounds terrifying!”

Roseluck giggled again. “It’s really just a lot of shouting and pushing. We’re high school baseball players, nobody’s actually wanting to fight.5”

“Besides, I usually just stay in the bullpen or the dugout,6” Wallflower added. “Nobody usually notices anyways.”

Her tone takes on a darker shade, but her friends don’t notice. It makes me want to reach out to her and put a hand over her shoulder, but I force myself to wait.

“Sorry, sorry! There was a huge line,” Sunset called as she slid back into the booth.

Everyone in the booth adjusted, shifting over so Sunset could rejoin them. “What’re you all talking about?”

“Baseball stuff, I guess,” Junebug replied through a mouthful of sandwich.

“Oh yeah? How’s that been going?”

Wallflower paused. “Uh… not great, to be honest,” she muttered. “I don’t think my pitches are where I need them to be.”

Sunset frowned, putting her arm around Wallflower’s shoulder. She hesitated, wanting to ask, but fearing that she wouldn’t understand. “Hey, I’m sure you’ll get there.”

The others agreed, and Wallflower smiled. None of them noticed that it wavered.

A truck passed outside the window, blocking out the sun for a second. I take the time to approach, running a hand through my hair.

Wallflower waits until I’m there. “Hey.”

“Hey,” I answer. “What’s on your mind?”

She’s quiet for a second. “It’s nothing. Just baseball stuff. I don’t think you’d understand.”

I tap my nails on the counter. “I want to try. Come on. Is something bothering you?”

Wallflower fidgets in her seat, looking down towards the floor. “Just worried.”

“About what?” I want to take her hand but she’s too far away.

“The game. Last night the other team was yelling stuff at us. Derpy was on the mound and they were making fun of her eyes. I just…” she trails off.

“Just what?” I prompt.

She looks at me again. “What are they saying when I’m up there?”

I let out a hum, dragging my finger along the surface of the table. “Nothing true,” I finally decide. “They’re just trying to get into your head Wally.”

She doesn’t answer, folding her arms across her chest and hunching over.

“Hey,” I say gently. “It doesn’t matter what they say. I’m going to have your back the whole time. We’re in this together, remember? I believe in you, Wallflower. You know that?”

Wallflower doesn’t answer. I reach across the table, grasping for her hand, but as the golden rays return through the window I have to pull away with a sigh.

“Sunset?” Wallflower said.

“What’s up?”

She started to form the words, but her shoulders sagged and she shook her head. “Never mind.”

Sunset looked at her strangely. For a second it looked like she might push it. But she doesn’t.

“Come on Rarity. You really don’t know how many strikes it takes for someone to get called out?” Rainbow grinned, tossing a baseball up and down in the palm of her hand.

Rarity scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. “No, I do not. Are you happy?”

“Y’all seriously never heard of ‘three strikes, you’re out?” Applejack asked, poking Rarity in the shoulder.

“Well… yes, I have, but I never associated that with the sport,” Rarity admitted. “What exactly is a strike anyways?”

Twilight perked up. “Oh! The strike zone is defined as the area over home plate, in between the batter’s shoulder and their beltline. In order to count as a strike, the ball must cross a part of this plate and hit the catcher’s mitt. If the batter swings at a ball but misses, that counts as a ‘swinging strike.’ If the pitch lands outside the zone then it’s considered a ball. So if the pitcher is able to get three strikes on the hitter they batter is out, but if the batter can get four balls, or four pitches that don’t cross the strike zone, then they draw a walk and can automatically advance to first base!”

Rarity blinked, the gears turning in her head. “Er… I see.”

“Basically, if you swing and miss the ball it’s a strike. If the ball passes over home plate and you don’t swing, it’s a strike. If the ball doesn’t pass over the plate and you don’t swing, that's a ball,” Applejack says.

“Ah. Thank you, darling.”

Wallflower opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut it when Sunset stepped forwards.

“I think that’s enough sports talk, girls,” Sunset said. She glanced up at the building in front of them with a confident smirk. “What say we check out this building?”

Fluttershy looked up at the overgrown structure and shuddered. “I… I don’t know if this is a good idea.”

“It’s perfectly fine!” Rainbow replied, slinging an arm over her shoulder. “Half the school’s been here already!”

“Besides, it’s not like there’s going to be some Equestrian magic in here or something,” chimed in Pinkie. “That’d just be ridiculous!”

“Yeah, Roseluck and Junebug said they love coming here,” Wallflower added. “They said it’s private and really quiet.”

Rarity coughed. “Yes… I’m certain it is quiet.”

Wallflower rubbed her arm as the others giggled. “Uh… what did I say?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sunset answered. “I’m surprised the city hasn’t torn this down yet.”

Twilight shrugged. “From what I read, this used to be a major factory that ended up in a dispute. I don’t know if it ever was resolved, so it’s just been sitting here for years and years.”

Rainbow struck a pose, pointing definitely at the entrance. “Enough talk! Let’s go exploring!”

The others cheered, and Rainbow led the way into the building.

Wallflower hung near the back, as the conversation quickly moved to things she had no interest in. She sighed, shoving her hands in the pockets and staring up at the cracked and ruined ceiling.

They passed a room overgrown with plants, and Wallflower stopped. The group kept moving, but Wallflower turned to enter it. The far wall of the room had collapsed, and led out into the grassy field the rest of the building was surrounded by. Wallflower paused by the hole, running a hand along the edge and staring up at the sky.

A cloud passed in front of the sun.

“So tomorrow’s the big game, huh?” I ask, leaning against the doorframe.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Wallflower answers without turning around. “I… didn’t think you’d remembered.”

A bit of guilt fills my body and I rub my arm. “How could I forget? You know I’ll be there.”

She sighs, kneeling down to examine a crack in the concrete floor. “What if I mess it up tomorrow?” she asks.

“How so?”

“I dunno. I’m not scheduled to start, but coach said that in a game like tomorrow, anything can happen.” Wallflower frowns, the wind blowing through her short hair. “I… I don’t think I’ve got it in me, sunset.”

I leave the doorway and go over to her side, putting my hand on her shoulder. “Hey, you’re Wallflower Blush. Your teammates don’t call you the Blushwhacker for nothing.”

That gets a smile out of her.

“But seriously. I’ve seen you come through much worse, Wallflower. You’ve got this, okay? Even if you’re scared or nervous, I believe in you. You’re going to get through it.”

She turns to look at me. “You promise?”

“Of course,” I answer with a nod.

The cloud passes overhead, but not before Wallflower smiles. “Thank you.”

“And welcome back to the NHS Championship Series!” The announcer’s voice was tinny and crowded over the radio, his voice almost drowned out by the crowd. “If you’re just tuning in, CHS is leading by one, with Crystal Prep trying to mount one final offense against Canterlot High School’s elite team.”

“That’s right, Spitfire8. Canterlot has had this game on lockdown so far but if there’s anything we’ve learned, it’s not to count out Crystal Prep until it’s over. Especially after last inning.”

“Absolutely true, Fleetfoot. Remember, in the eight inning Canterlot actually had the lead three to zero, but Derpy Hooves has had a rough start to her outing so far. Her signature pitch the Muffinball9 just isn’t breaking like it should10, and when she leaves it over the plate Crystal Prep does not miss.”

“But it looks like Canterlot will leave Derpy out for the bottom of the ninth, Spits. It’s an incredibly risky move but let’s see how it shakes out!”

“Aw, no way!” Rainbow groaned, leg bouncing up and down. “They’re leaving Derpy in?!11”

“Have faith, Sugarcube,” Applejack remarked. “Derpy’s strong. She’ll get out of it.”

All around them, the stadium was packed tight with fans from either side, screaming and cheering at the top of their lungs.

Sunset rubbed her gloved hands together, trying to warm them up. “So this is the last inning right?”

“It could be,” Twilight answered. “If CHS can get three outs without Crystal Prep getting a run then we win, but if Crystal Prep scores a run then the game is over and they win.”12

“That isn’t going to happen!” Rainbow shouted, her leg bouncing faster and faster.

There was the sharp crack of the bat and the crowd cheered in anticipation as the ball flew up into the air.

“And Citrus Blush hits it high in the air, into left field…”

The cheers of the crowd quickly turn into groans from Crystal Prep fans and sighs of relief from Canterlot.

“And caught in the glove of Lavender Lace, one out!”13

“Two to go,” Applejack remarked. “See, told ya Dash.”

“It’s not over until it’s over,” Rainbow remarked through clenched teeth. “Besides, Derpy hung the heck out of that one. She’s lucky enough to get away with it!”14

Sunset frowned, feeling some of Rainbow’s anxiety rub off on her. “I’m sure Applejack is right,” Sunset remarked. “Derpy’s got this.”

There was another crack of the bat, softer than the last.

“Cayenne hits it softly down the line to the third basewoman Lyra Heartstrings. She scoops it up and fires to first…”

The ball hit Bon Bon’s glove, with Cayenne’s cleat hitting the base seconds later. The batter threw her helmet into the ground in disgust.15

“Two out! Canterlot High is one out away from winning the Championship!”

The crowd around them erupted into cheers. Sunset fist pumped, heart racing but a smile on her face. “Yes!”

“It’s not over yet,” Rainbow warned.

“Aw, lighten up Rainbow,” Applejack replied. “It’s one out!”

“Can’t you learn to at least be a little superstitious,” Rainbow grumbled.

Rarity made a face, shuffling some papers in her lap. “Oh drat! Don’t tell me they’re doing another change! I’m having a hard enough time with these scoresheets already!16”

Out on the field, one of the managers was jogging out of the dugout, pointing to the far end of the stadium.17

Rainbow furrowed her brow. “A pitching change? What?! Who do they even have left?”

“And with that, it looks like Derpy Hooves’ night is done.”

“This is a head-scratcher, Spits. Canterlot High doesn’t have many high-leverage pitchers in their bullpen18 right now.”

The coach reached the pitching mound and Derpy passed the ball to him, before trotting off the field while humming a happy tune. At the far end of the stadium, the gate to the bullpen opened.

“And it looks like to finish the ninth, Canterlot High will bring out…”

Sunset squinted, her heart suddenly freezing.

“Wallflower Blush!”

“What?!”

Wallflower paused at the gate, her eyes scanning the packed stadium nervously as it erupted into noise. Sunset tried to catch her gaze but Wallflower didn’t see her. With a deep breath she began jogging towards the mound.

“Why?! Why Wallflower!” Rainbow shouted, hands flying to her hair.

“That’s right, the starter of Game Two19 of this series is coming in for relief, trying to force this game into extra innings.”

“It… it’s a truly baffling move if I’m being honest here! Wallflower was locked in for that game, recording five strikeouts and allowing one hit, but Wallflower is being brought in to face the heart of the Crystal Prep lineup and has never pitched relief in a regular season game.”20

“Well let’s see if she can pull it off tonight. All she needs is one out, but this Crystal Prep team is not too keen on giving it to her.”

Sunset turned to Rainbow, dread building in her stomach. “Is… is that bad?”

“Well, yeah! No offense, Sunset, but that’s a bad move!” Rainbow shouted. “Wallflower’s never done relief pitching before! Plus, she kinda struggles in big spots, and this is probably the biggest spot anyone could ever be in!”

Sunset felt dizzy, turning back to the field. She sucked in a deep breath before standing up. “Come on Wally!” she shouted, her voice lost to the crowd.

“Wallflower comes set to deliver her first pitch to North Point, who is 0-421 today.”

Wallflower let the ball fly. The ball went so high up that the batter ducked, and Roseluck leaped into the air to catch it.

“Way up high, ball one.”

“I can’t watch,” Rainbow muttered, sinking her head into her hands.

“Sugarcube, that’s no way to treat a friend,” Applejack scolded.

Wallflower wound up again, letting the ball fly. Her second pitch skidded far to the right, the batter watching it drop away with amusement.

“Looks like she tried to go cutter there but misses way outside, ball two.”

Roseluck tossed the ball back, then made a motion with both of her hands: throw it to me.

“The Blushwhacker winds up and deals…”

Her third pitch flew right down the middle, curving downwards sharply. The hitter swung hard but just missed it. But the ball bounced up, ricocheting right into Roseluck’s throat 22.

“Oh! Swing and a miss, but it looks like the catcher got hit by that!”

Sunset inhaled sharply as the crowd gasped. Roseluck had fallen to her side, and the team’s trainers were sprinting out to help her.

“Oh, not good!” Twilight muttered.

“You’re telling me,” Pinkie answered. “I’m going to have to cook her a get-well-soon cake, and fast!”

“No, I mean it’s really not good for Wallflower,” Twilight said as Roseluck was helped off the field, holding a hand to her throat. “Wallflower’s never had a catcher besides Roseluck before23.”

“And we’re receiving confirmation now that Roseluck is indeed leaving the game. With still one out to go, Wallflower Blush has just lost her batterymate. Blueberry Cake is now entering the game to replace her and try to lock this down.”

“How bad is that?” Sunset asked nervously.

Twilight shrugged. “Baseball is affected by a million things, Sunset. I can’t say. But it definitely isn’t going to help Wallflower.”

Sunset turned back to the field, staring down at Wallflower. She looked so small and far away, with nowhere to hide beneath the glare of the spotlights. “Come on, Wally. One out.”

“Blueberry is set to go, Wallflower kicks and deals…”

Her pitch sailed over the middle of the plate, but the batter didn’t swing. The crowd erupted into cheers again.

“North Point takes! One more strike to go!”

“Come on!” Applejack’s façade of calmness had faded, and she was standing and cheering as loud as she could. “One out sugarcube! That’s all you need!”

On the field, Wallflower took off her hat, wiping her brow as she gulped. She circled the mound uneasily before stepping on it again.

The catcher punched her glove in enthusiasm, ready for Wallflower’s pitch.

“Payoff pitch…”

Wallflower delivered. The ball curved sharply to the right just before it crossed the plate…

...but the batter didn’t swing.

“North Point takes again, and the tying run is now on base.”

With a triumphant grin, the batter tossed away her bat before jogging to first. As she passed the mound she mouthed something to Wallflower.

Sunset’s blood began to boil.

Wallflower didn’t seem to react as she dug her cleat into the mound, but when Sunset squinted, she swore she could see Wallflower gulping nervously.

“With the leadoff woman on, Upper Crust climbs into the batter’s box.”

Wallflower sighed, squinting down the mound at the batter, who confidently waved her bat in circles.

She delivered and there was a sharp crack, the ball flying right back up towards first base.

“Oh no,” Sunset whispered, eyes wide.

“And on the first pitch she sees, Upper Crust hammers a single into right!”

The stadium erupted in cheers again as Wallflower dropped to a knee in shock.

“It’s cut off by Amethyst Star and North Point stops at second, and in the blink of an eye, the go-ahead24 run is on!”

The hitter pounded her chest, screaming out a ‘let’s go’ towards her dugout.

“Come on Wally,” Sunset whispered, dread twisting in her stomach. “Come on Wally. Pull yourself together. You can get out of this.”

The new hitter stepped in, spitting onto the grass before pulling up her bat.

“Wallflower Blush delivers again.”

Her pitch hit into the dirt several feet in front of home plate.

“In the dirt, ball one!”

“Oh come on!” another student cried. “That’s not even close!”

“Pull her!” another shouted. “She doesn’t have it! Pull her!”

Sunset rose from her seat, but Twilight pulled her back. “No, Sunset, it’s not worth it,” she muttered.

“Wallflower kicks and fires.”

The ball flew out of her hand, starting high but not dropping. As Blueberry leapt to catch it, it grazed the top of her glove and flew over her head.25

“Wild pitch! It kicks away from Blueberry!”

Wallflower swore as she leapt off the mound, sprinting to cover home26. Blueberry dove on top of the ball and whirled around to scan the field.

“Both runners move up! The tying run is now ninety feet away!”

Sure enough, both of the runners had seized the opportunity to move up a base, with one on second and on third.

“Oh, come on!” Pinkie shouted before leaping up and cupping her hands around her mouth. “Let’s go Wondercolts, let’s go! Let’s go Wondercolts, let’s go!”

Sunset couldn’t bring herself to join the chants. Her body felt numb as she sat there, watching as Wallflower delivered pitch after pitch that missed the zone.

“And on four pitches, Wallflower Blush has walked another batter. That’s going to draw a visit from her coach to try and calm her down.27”

“Remember, she had the first hitter at one strike but just couldn’t put her away. And with Crystal Prep’s MVP coming to the plate now, the pressure is as real as it can get.”

Sunset watched as the coach put her hand on Wallflower’s shoulder, offering some advice. The catcher and other players chimed in as well, patting Wallflower on the back and voicing their confidence in her. But Sunset looked into Wallflower’s eyes and knew it wasn’t working.

Because Sunset knew that look. Wallflower was panicking. Wallflower was lost. Wallflower was scared.

The meeting dispersed, but Sunset had lost all interest in the game. She buried her head in her hands, the voice of the game and announcers fading in and out.

She thought of the past few days with Wallflower and how she had acted.

“Fleur De Lis, who has already clobbered three home runs in this series, steps in…”

As the memories flew through her mind, the sounds of the world around her fragmented and splintered.

She vaguely heard the crack of the bat followed by the words ‘foul ball.’

She almost heard Rainbow Dash and Applejack arguing.

She barely made out the cheering of the fans around her.

Then, one sudden thought occurred to her.

“I… I could have seen this coming. I could have helped her.”

Sunset looked up, the world blurry and hazy.

“... and Fleur has worked the count full,” the radio reported. “Wallflower delivers…”

As Wallflower let the ball fly from her hand Sunset locked on her eyes. She saw a scared girl, way out of her depth. I’ve made a mistake, they seemed to say.

And they were right.

Fleur swung the bat. The crack echoed through the stadium like a gunshot. The fans were silent for a second, everyone holding their breaths at the same time.

It sailed up higher and higher into the air.

Then Fleur tossed her bat away and let out a scream and pumped her fist.

Wallflower let out a scream of anguish and fell to her knees.

“Too high,” Rainbow muttered half-heartedly. “Too high.”

The ball sailed over the wall and the stadium erupted into deafening cheers.

“IT’S GONE! IT’S GONE! WALK OFF GRAND SLAM FROM FLEUR DE LIS! CRYSTAL PREP WINS IT!”28

The Crystal Prep dugout charged onto the field, screaming and cheering in victory. The CHS players walked off the field, swearing and shaking their heads in disgust and anger.

All of it was lost on Sunset.

I… I could have helped her. But I didn’t.

“Wallflower!”

Sunset winced at how loud her voice was against the walls of the empty locker room. She slid to a halt, but Wallflower didn’t move.

She sat on the bench, still in her uniform, gripping a baseball tightly.

“Hey, Wally.” Sunset gently put her hand on Wallflower’s shoulder and shook it, but Wallflower didn’t react. “Talk to me.”

Wallflower turned slowly, and Sunset saw her eyes were red and her cheeks were wet.

“Oh, Wally.” Sunset sat down on the bench and pulled her into a tight hug. Wallflower didn’t react.

“I blew it,” she said, her voice flat and numb. “I let everyone down.”

Sunset sighed, rubbing her back. “Hey, don’t think about that.”

“How can I not?!” Wallflower’s voice bounced off the walls sharply before it dropped back down to a whisper. “That was the biggest spot of my life and I blew it. In front of everyone.”

Wallflower shuddered, some tears falling from her cheeks. “I knew it was going to happen,” she said softly. “I knew it. I’m a screw-up.”

“Wally… I’m sorry,” Sunset said, running a hand through Wallflower’s hair. “You were feeling like this for weeks before. But I didn’t notice. I’m so sorry. I should have said something. Been there for you.”

Wallflower pulled away to look at Sunset. “It’s not your fault, Sunset. You’re not the one who blew the game. Man… I know I shouldn’t but I really wish I still had that memory stone right now.”

“We can’t always get rid of our mistakes that easily,” Sunset replied. “I mean, I definitely wish we could… or at the very least go back in time. Say the things we should’ve said. Done the things we should’ve. Looking back I feel like some spectator, just watching and wishing I did something different.”

Wallflower sniffled. “I didn’t tell you. You had no way of knowing I was a mess.”

“But I’m your girlfriend,” Sunset countered. “You shouldn’t need to ask for help, I should know you well enough to know when you need it. I just… I just didn’t. What kind of a girlfriend is that? What kind of a friend is that?”

They both fell quiet as Sunset sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. She glanced towards the entrance and imagined herself and Wallflower hugging, celebrating her big win. In a world where Sunset had noticed something was wrong and fixed it. In a world where she wasn’t a terrible friend.

Wallflower put her hand on Sunset’s shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself for that. I… I should have asked you. I was just… scared to. I didn’t want to bring you my meaningless problems.”

“Problems aren’t problems until they are,” Sunset replied. “And I love you Wally, you can tell me anything. No matter how small.”

She put her arm around Wallflower and they hugged again.

“Thanks, Sunny,” Wallflower muttered. “Just knowing you’re there helps.”

“I wish I told you that sooner,” Sunset answered.

They were quiet for a few seconds more before Wallflower spoke again. “Do you think… Do you think I’ll ever get over this? Because it kinda feels like I want to die right now.”

“Not over it. Through it,” Sunset replied. “This kinda stuff… it might fade after awhile but it’ll probably stick with you. So don’t focus on forgetting it. Focus on moving through it. A million things could’ve gone differently, we don’t have enough time in our lives to go through all the what-ifs. That’s advice I should take for myself, too. But if you need help, I’m with you. Every step of the way.”

Sunset wrapped her hand on top of Wallflower’s, resting her palm over the surface of the baseball.

Wallflower nodded, wiping her eyes and squeezing her hand. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Sunset squeezed her hand and smiled. “Always, Wally. Always.”

If there’s one thing I can say about myself, it’s that I’m ignorant.

I get comfortable after doing things, and when I get comfortable I make mistakes. That’s how life likes to get you, by catching you off guard.

After I started dating Wallflower, I got comfortable. I thought that I was so good at friendship and redemption that there was nothing I didn’t know already. So I missed the signs. I missed it when my friend quietly asked for help, because her way of asking was different. Because she wasn’t used to having friends to ask.

The signs were there. The answers were there too. I had everything I needed, but I just… didn’t realize it then. And then it was too late, and my girlfriend had one of the worst nights of her life.

But all we can do is learn and move on.

I move forwards and feel the snow crunch beneath my boots. I exhale, watching as my breath appears white and airy in front of me before shoving my hands in my pocket.

Thunk.

My pace slows as I near the fence as I hear something.

Thunk.

I turn to the field, trying to find their source.

Thunk.

And then I see her.

Standing on the mound highlighted in an amber glow, like the sun punched through the clouds just to shine on her.

She wipes her brow with a huff, staring down at home plate. In a second she winds up and fires the ball, shooting it right over the plate and into a painted sandbag, where it hits with a dull thud.

Without breaking a set she reaches into the bucket by her side for a new ball and repeats the motion over and over again.

After a few reps, I open the gate and walk onto the field, a smile forming on my face. “It’s getting late, Wally.”

Wallflower grunts as she releases another ball. “I’ve got time.”

I pause in front of home plate, watching as her pitch sails right over its heart: a perfect strike. “You’ll wear yourself out.”

“I’ve got some more left in me,” she insists, winding up to throw another pitch.

I let out a hum at that as it hits the sandbag. A bat is leaning against the far side of the cage, and I pick it up. “Alright, if you say so.”

Wallflower wipes her brow again and grunts, another ball sailing into the backstop.

I spin the bat in my hands a few times before walking up to the plate.

Wallflower laughs, tossing the ball up to herself. “Seriously, Sunset?”

“You know it.” I dig my front foot into the ground and take a healthy practice swing, shooting a wry grin in her direction. “Show me what you got, Wally.”

She returns my smile with a mischievous one and jerks her head to the right. I step into the chalk box, digging my boot into the dirt. I swing my bat in circles a few times, bending my knees slightly and narrowing my eyes towards the mound.

“I’ll go easy on you,” Wallflower shouts, spinning the ball in her hands.

I scoff. “No way! Come on, give me your best pitch.”

She laughs again. “You can’t handle my best pitch, but fine.” She comes set and I wiggle my bat in the air. Her body moves in a practiced motion and the ball flies towards me.

I swing. Just before my bat makes contact the ball darts down and to the right, and I get nothing but air. “Woah!” I stumble out of the box.

“Warned you!” Wallflower shouts, another ball already in her hands.

“I’m just getting warmed up.” I dig into the box again. “Come on! Give me another.”

Wallflower rolls her eyes, tugging on her hat. “Fine, but I’ll dial it down so you don’t humiliate yourself.”

I rest the bat on my shoulder this time, bouncing up and down on my knees.

Wallflower delivers again. The ball is a blur of white across my field of view. I swing again but the ball hits the sandbag before I get halfway through it.

“Give up yet?” Wallflower taunts.

“Do you even know me?” I shoot back.

With a carefree shrug she tosses another ball into her glove. “Alright. Here comes the four-seam, right down the middle. You ready?”

“Bring it.”

She winds up and lets it loose again.

I swing.

This time there’s a crack and my eyes light up. The ball sails through the winter air, flying farther and farther away. I lean back on one leg and watch as it becomes nothing more than a white dot fading over the fence.

I pump a fist. “Yeah! Told you I had that!”

“Fine, I’ll give you that one,” Wallflower replies, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “Now if you don’t mind? I want to get a few more in before the sun goes down.

“So you just gave me that to get rid of me? I’m hurt, Wally!” I spin the bat in my hands a few times and head for the cage.

Wallflower just laughs it off, and I know she’ll be fine. As I head to the gate to the beat of her pitches, I look up at the sky and see two birds fly overhead.

As the wind blows through my hair, I turn to watch the mound again. Wallflower’s face is a mask of concentration as she winds up and throws again. “Should I keep your seat warm for dinner?” I call out.

“Sure,” she answers, wiping her brow and grabbing another ball. “I’d like that.”

Her smile makes me feel warm. I glance up at the clouds in the air, orange beams of sunlight breaking through and falling to the earth.

“I’m proud of you, Wally,” I say under my breath. “I’m proud of you.”

I head off the field as the sun sets behind me.

Author's Note

The following index provides some additional information into the sport of baseball and the terminology used. It is not necessary for understanding the story, but has some links and funny videos if you want to try and understand the game a little better. It does not cover statistics and score keeping because I don't know those.

Author's Note: I have no experience in the field of high school level baseball, and my knowledge of the sport is that of a casual fan who does not have a grasp of the statistical analysis portion of the game. I just like it when they hit the ball and it go far.

Index:

1: A no-hitter occurs when a pitcher has not allowed a single hit in their outing. It is very difficult to do. Walks, errors, and other unearned baserunners do not count for a no hitter (but they do for a perfect game). In the National League of American Major League Baseball the pitcher has traditionally entered the batting lineup while in the American League the pitcher is replaced by the Designated Hitter, a player who bats but does not play a defensive position.

2: Major league teams throw the ball at each other a lot. At that level it can also be extremely dangerous depending on the circumstances. For the sake of this story we'll just say the pitches cause nothing more than light bruising and bad feelings.

3: What Wallflower says is pretty much correct, foul balls do not count for strike three. However, these are different from a foul tip, which happens when a player's bat hits the ball but the catcher is still able to catch it without the ball ever hitting the dirt. Foul tips are always strikes, even on strike three.

4: Again, what Wallflower says. Most baseball "fights" result in nothing but pushing, shoving, and threatening to beat up the other team with nobody actually doing the beating up. Sometimes though the fights can get interesting.

Mostly true in regards to most baseball fights.

Wallflower Blush during fights.

Pretty straightforward, but in case you're confused here's a wikipedia article.

I am aware the comics show Spitfire and Fleetfoot as members of the CHS soccer team, but for the sake of this story let's pretend they do double-duty.

I don't know how the Muffinball works. I don't think anyone knows how the Muffinball works.

The term 'breaking' refers to how much a ball moves. By saying that Derpy's Muffinball isn't breaking, we mean that the ball isn't moving around very much after it is thrown. Throwing a ball straight down the middle is usually not a good thing if you're a pitcher.

A relief pitcher is someone who comes in after the pitcher who starts the game (called the starting pitcher). Their job is the same: finish the game while allowing as little runs/scoring as possible.

Again, some basic baseball. Note that in this case, Canterlot is the away team and Crystal Prep is the home team, as that's the only way a game would be in the bottom of the ninth with one team up by one. If we were playing in Canterlot and Canterlot was up the game would be over at the top of the ninth because the home team is ahead. Were the game to tie it would go into extra innings.

Again, basic baseball. She flied out.

Referring back to the previous note on breaking pitches. Rainbow here is basically saying that Derpy threw a bad pitch, but she got lucky because the hitter didn't hit it hard enough for a home run.

More basic baseball. This is called a ground out.

If you're wondering why I didn't mention any of the statistical stuff it's because I don't know it. Baseball has a lot of rules and is very confusing.

Refer to the previous point on relief pitchers. A pitching change occurs when the manager decides to use a new pitcher for any particular reason (statistical odds of the next hitter, injury, the current pitcher is getting absolutely destroyed, etc).

The bullpen is where all the relief pitchers hang out when they're not pitching. It's also where [they warm up](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullpen#:~:text=In%20baseball%2C%20the%20bullpen%20(or,to%20as%20%22the%20bullpen%22.) and according to some where they live.

Professional playoff baseball is done in series. I don't know if high school baseball is done like this but it probably isn't. For the sake of this story let's just say that it is.

In this story, Wallflower Blush is a starting pitcher, not a relief pitcher like Derpy is. The difference is actually significant: starting pitchers are expected to do the brunt of the work and pitch for most of the game, whereas relief pitchers only pitch one or two innings. Using a starting pitcher for relief is most definitely questionable, and can absolutely backfire no matter how good the starting pitcher is .

Slang that just means in four plate appearances (meaning how many chances she's had to hit the ball), this batter has hit it 0 times in 4 appearances. Ouch.

A very scary injury that does happen in the field. Video is of a catcher getting hit in the throat with a ball, no blood or anything like that. Don't worry though, Roseluck's fine.

A battery refers to the pitcher and the catcher. Sometimes when a pitcher is incredibly efficient with a certain catcher (baseball teams usually have at least two catchers ready) they may always get set out with that catcher. That's the case for Wallflower and Roseluck: the two have a specific connection that helps Wallflower get out of bad spots in a game as Roseluck can help calm her down a bit and get her back on track. What a great teammate!

Called the 'go-ahead' run because, well, you guessed it, it allows the home team to get ahead in the scoring.

Wild pitches happen when a pitcher throws a ball that the catcher can't catch. It is considered in play and the runners can move forwards at their own risk. That basically means they can move up a base if they think they can get there before the catcher can get the ball and throw them out. Can this be bad for a team? You better believe it.

Again, basic baseball: the catcher is chasing the ball down, which means nobody is covering home. If one of the runners were to come home, they'd have to be tagged out: having a player at home makes it harder for them to score because there is now somebody there who could get the ball and tag them out as opposed to nobody there. This player is usually the pitcher because they're the closest one after the catcher.

Called a mound visit and pretty straightforward.

28a. Grand slams are home runs with the bases loaded. Bases loaded means that there is a runner on first, second, and third. Pretty simple but if you want to go deeper, grand slams count for four runs because every runner on base gets to go home and the hitter does as well. Remember that in the circumstances of the game Crystal Prep only needed two runs to win and one run to tie the game and force another inning. But Fleur is very selfish and decided to get four instead. Way to go, Fleur.

28b. A walkoff happens when the home team takes the lead in the ninth inning or later and wins the game. Walkoffs don't have to be home runs: they can be any hit that results in the winning run getting scored. Again, remember that once the home team takes the lead in the bottom of the ninth the game is automatically over.