Unexpected Changes

"Is it working?" There was a tapping on the microphone, then some blowing. "Okay, good. Let me know when we're live, would you? Wait, already!?" A scramble across the desk rang out across the radio broadcast range. "Fillies and Gentlecolts, welcome back to the West Equestrian Fillies' Junior League Hoofball coverage. Tonight's match is Salt Lick City versus New Fetlock."

Cloverleaf turned up the radio. He'd just left his lawyer's office ten minutes prior, trying to secure some real estate in the new town he was about to expand to. He was glad he hadn't missed the game, though he would have preferred to watch his daughter play from the stands. However, it was a four-hour train ride. By the time he arrived, the game would be over. At least he could sit in a diner and listen to it. It was better than nothing.

"Here's the coin flip, looks like Salt Lick City is calling it in the air, and... Looks like it's a bad call. The ref is serving to New Fetlock. The ball goes to Lily Blossom, the center forward, and she starts taking it down the field. Here comes Starbright to block, and she missed! Lily passes to Daisy Delight, looks like they're taking a right hook approach, and a line shot from the corner; it's caught by the goalie. Macaroon throws the ball to Shady Pine and IT'S INTERCEPTED! Lily has the ball again, Shady goes in for the steal, but Lily shoots... And it's good!

"Coverage of tonight's match, by the way, is brought to you by Cloverleaf Shipping and Manufacturing: All the comforts of home, wherever you roam, and by Caramel Delight's Candy Shoppe: Home of the Honey Drop.

"The players are back in position, and the ref has the ball. He serves to Starbright of Salt Lick City, and there they go, right down the middle of the field. Lily looks like she's ready to block, and OH! That's a clean steal, right there! Lily passes to Cherry Pit, back to Lily, Then Daisy, then back to Cherry. This is good sportsponyship, fillies and gentlecolts.

"Cherry lines up her shot, Boulder Dash on defense, she takes the shot and mis-- No! She faked the shot! It was a pass to Lily! She has a clear shot to the goal, and-- Another fake shot! The ball goes to Daisy, and it's good! The goalie dove sideways to block Lily's shot and couldn't stand up in time to block Daisy's shot! What an excellent display of teamwork, girls!"

Cloverleaf nodded. He'd seen that move before. He'd brought Lily to watch a professional match, and she didn't stop talking about it for a week. She thought it was so cool that one team could fake out another team so well that there was a wide open shot for the goal that was almost impossible to miss.

"The ball goes to Starbright again, and she takes a long shot down the middle. No question, the goalie just picks it up. Yeah, right there, Stone Wall grabs it and passes to left defender Babbling Brook, pass to Cherry Pit, back to Lily. Intercepted by Starbright!

"Starbright is dribbling down the field, she's moving past the defenders... She shoots again, and it's blocked by Brook! Brook is pulling the ball away, but Starbright is right on top of her, trying to steal it back. They're approaching the boundary, and-- Oh! That had to have hurt.

"There's the whistle, and the ref is running out onto the field. In trying to grab the ball, Starbright grabbed Brook by the collar and pulled her to the ground. Ref's calling a foul, and pulls out a yellow card. Brook is being awarded a penalty kick, and she's going to pass the ball to... Long pass to Daisy. The pass doesn't quite reach, but Daisy reaches for it. She has it, and she's running with it.

"Down at the other end of the field, now, Daisy's cornered. Blocked on all sides. Lily's dashing back and forth, trying to create an opening, but Starbright's on top of her, blocking the pass. Daisy's being backed up, and HEADER! Daisy passes the ball to Bramble, who sends a long pass to Cherry! She takes the shot... And it's caught by the goalie!

"Macaroon to Starbright and it's intercepted immediately! Lily has the ball and she's undefended! She takes the ball and runs left. The goal is right there, the other side's gaining on her, and it's a fast pass to Daisy! She shoots! It's good!"

Cloverleaf pumped his hoof in the air. He'd have been proud of his daughter if she'd taken the shot. If she was undefended, the goal would have been easy to hit, but she passed and let another player take the easy shot.

"Eleven seconds remaining on the first quarter. Can Salt Lick City pull their first goal of the game? Let's see. Starbright has the ball, and she slips past Lily. Runs it down the middle, swerves to avoid Bramble, and BROOK GRABS THE BALL!! It's a long, high kick into the air, and there goes the buzzer!

"Fillies and gentlecolts, we've reached the end of the first quarter. The score is three to nothing in favour of New Fetlock. We've seen some good work from New Fetlock's team, good sportsponyship... At some point or another, every member of the team has handled the ball. Salt Lick City seems to be doing everything in their power to put the ball in Starbright's hooves. She is their shooter, after all, so their best chance at scoring is to put the ball in her hooves.

"While we wait for the game to resume, I'd like to again thank our sponsors..." Cloverleaf turned the volume back down.

"Your daughter on the team?" asked the waitress, approaching to fill his coffee.

Cloverleaf nodded. "My daughter is the center forward for New Fetlock."

"Are they doing well?"

"Winning three-zip at the end of the first quarter."

"That's nice. Is this going to be all for you today, sir?"

He shook his head and grabbed the dessert menu, which he'd already opened to the picture he wanted. "Do you have any key lime pie left?"

"I'll have a slice out for you right away, sir. Anything else?"

"Whipped cream?"

"I'll have that right out, sir."

"Thanks," he called as she walked off toward the kitchen.

"Now rehydrated, the players are taking to the field again," called the announcer, prompting Cloverleaf to bring the volume back up.