Chapter 12
The ponies now had like thirty minutes left of practice, therefore they were hoping to get this small game in.
"START WHENEVER YOUR READY" FastBall called out from on the sidelines. "I will be watching your advantages and disadvantages to be sure of measures" FastBall then added, making everyone slightly tense a bit... Especially Fluttershy though.
Applejack trotted quirkily over to where RainbowDash was just waiting. With one glance Rainbow knew what was happening... AJ was guarding her...(Basketball talk: On defense) With this Rainbow gave her a quick disgusted look.
"What? You intimidated?" Applejack tilted her cowgirl hat forward slightly, causing Rainbow to burst into laughter. "S-Seriously? Afraid of you? Never" Dash spat back, making AJ just roll her green eyes.
Twilight then trotted up to PinkiePie who was bouncing up and down from her spot on the court. This quickly annoyed Twilight though somehow. "U-Um Pinkie, how about we take things a bit more serious now? We wanna get better right? This isn't a game" Twilight tried to quickly reason with PinkiePie, but she wouldn't listen.
"Well duh Twilight! The games don't start until like... next week or so!" PinkiePie came up with a random guess for when the basketball games really did start.
Twilight then gave a frustrated growl. "No! Not that kind of game! Like a playful game! The way your taking this training!" Twilight explained, making Pinkie just tip her head in confusion.
"UGH!" Twilight whined...
Next Fluttershy ever so slowly came tip toeing up to Rarity, who was fluffing her long midnight purple curls out. Rarity quickly noticed Fluttershy's shyness though. "Um darling your going to have to stand up to this whole basketball thing... I mean just look at the way your dragging your lovely mane!" Rarity fussed and pointed out quickly as Fluttershy lowered her eyes to get a glimpse of her trailing pink mane.
"O-Oh b-b-but I... I-" Fluttershy quietly trailed off as Coach FastBall suddenly blew his whistle to start the scrimmage.
Instantly a ball was bounced into Rarity's hooves.
She quickly flipped out. "Oh my! eww! gross! This isn't my pink ball, therefore it must have some nasty germs on it from the previous pony who used it last! AUUGGH!" Rarity whined, flailing the ball into the air.
RainbowDash quickly began moving as she heard Rarity's wail. "Rarity! Don't just drop the ball!" Rainbow tried to fly and catch the ball but Applejack suddenly blocked her way, therefore leaving the ball to just fall to the gym floor.
FastBall instantly blew his whistle. "What do you call that Rarity!?" FastBall snarled as he picked up the ball and this time threw it to PinkiePie.
"Restart!" FastBall growled.
Rainbow's ears drooped at this as she began to feel anger bubble up from inside of her.
You gotta be kidding me, Rarity!
Applejack quickly caught sight of Dash's growing agitation and gave a smirk. "Was that ten seconds flat? Or was that ten seconds wasted?... I-I'm confused" Applejack taunted with a sassy tone, making Rainbow quickly grow even more annoyed.
"Oh shut up AJ!" Dash spat through gritted teeth. She then flew back to where she had started.
PinkiePie now had the ball, and as soon as FastBall blew the whistle again, she started dribbling it happily. "Whee! This is fun, eh Twilight?" Pinkie began bounding around the court while Twilight tried to desperately keep up with her.
A frustrated look from Twilight was the only thing that answered Pinkie though.
RainbowDash quickly acted at this point and began sprinting towards the center of the court, followed closely by a defending Applejack.
"Oh no you don't!" AJ muttered as she placed her two front-hooves in front of Rainbow's path.
Dash quickly struggled away from Applejack's block and then galloped towards PinkiePie.
Pinkie was still just bouncing away with the ball in all random directions as Twilight followed behind at a rather drastic paste. "S-Slow down Pinkie!" Twilight then yelled down the court.
"No way! You gotta catch up silly!" PinkiePie only gleefully remarked back as she continued her bounding.
Rainbowdash then found this opportunity and went for it. She zipped forward, before Applejack could even reach her. "Pinkie! Over here!" RainbowDash yelled quickly, instantly making Applejack charge for her.
"Okie-Dokie-Lokie!" Pinkie yipped before she bounce-passed the ball.
Applejack desperately dove for the ball, trying to block it from Rainbow, but Pinkie's bounce was too fast, and with that Dash swiftly caught it.
"Yes!" Dash yipped before she then turned to head for the basket.
"Good, Good!" FastBall's voice sounded from on the sidelines.
No! Not Good!
Applejack couldn't help but let her challenging side get flipped on now. She normally never let this happen, but whenever it did flip on, it got hideous.
She instantly flashed in front of the now hovering RainbowDash as she dribbled the ball professionally. With this, RainbowDash slightly eased backwards accidently planting herself on the gym floor now.
Dang it!
Anger and frustration hurled itself into Rainbow's attitude instantly.
Applejack only grinned at her successfulness. "Bet ya didn't see that comin'" Applejack taunted as sweat now began to run from her orange brow now. RainbowDash only clenched her teeth now in her frustration.
Rainbow then looked around to see who was open, seeming she had planted herself.
PinkiePie was for once now being blocked by Twilight who had obviously had enough with her little games. Rarity though was wide open, seeming Fluttershy wasn't even trying to attempt to shield Rarity.
"Rarity! Heads up!" Rainbow then yelled before chest-passing the ball to the white unicorn.
Rarity quickly jerked her head up in sudden attention. She then though deliberately stepped back from the ball's pass.
"RainbowDash! HOW DARE YOU! I do NOT wish to participate in touching that vile filthy ball, seeming it is bound to have germs from the past pony of which touched it. Therefore I am not going to get involved into touching such a nasty substance..." Rarity explained, holding her head high. And no sooner did she say this, the ball instantly hit the floor and rolled off to the sidelines...
At this, RainbowDash almost felt ready to explode in rage. "W-What!? Y-Your nothing but a sorry lowdown piece of-!?" RainbowDash began but FastBall suddenly cut in.
"Rarity shut up with your stupid drama and get back to your starting position. All of you. And NEXT TIME Rarity, you WILL touch that filthy ball, like it or not" FastBall demanded angrily, making Rarity just shrug while Rainbow just facepalmed herself.
"Ahem... You were saying?" Applejack then urged Rainbow onwards, seeing this as a way just to annoy her more. Dash quickly just turned away from the taunting earth pony.
W-Why couldn't Rarity just have caught it!... A-And why did Applejack had to stop me from scoring!...
RainbowDash felt restless now to get back at Applejack, but unfortunately she was still on offense...
"Wow... I-I've never seen you this mad, Dash... M-Maybe I should guard somepony else, seeming I'm too good for you" Applejack then gave Rainbow a nudge, seeming that point had gone to them...
Rainbow glared daggers at her so called 'friend' before she just strutted back to her starting position. "Go ahead... If your too scared to take me on, I understand" Rainbow only responded making Applejack just chuckle at her sudden annoyance.
FastBall finally though blew the whistle suddenly as everypony waited for the ball.
The ball was then passed to PinkiePie again to start it off. PinkiePie gave a small bounce before she instantly passed the ball to Rarity though.
Rarity flinched before catching the basketball with the very tips of her hooves. "E-Eww! S-Somepony get open to I can get this thing off of me!" Rarity whined.
RainbowDash instantly responded to this and zipped forwards, and away from Applejack.
Applejack only sped after her though. And yet while she ran, she couldn't help but wonder why Rarity was so easy to always get too?... FLUTTERSHY!
What the hay is Fluttershy doing over there!?
Irritation began building on Applejack as she tracked RainbowDash down. RainbowDash instantly found a way into Rarity's passing zone, therefore catching a swift bounce-pass from the unicorn.
Applejack instantly burned with anger at this and then turned to check on where and exactly what the little yellow Pegasus was doing.
Applejack quickly spotted Fluttershy, crouching from behind Rarity, who was paying no attention to the game herself and was just focusing on her hair.
Applejack cleared her throat quickly. "F-Fluttershy! Hey! W-What in tarnation are ya doin' over here? You DO know that we're scrimmaging right now right? And that your supposed to be guarding Rarity from open passes!" Applejack remarked thoroughly making Fluttershy just peek out from amongst her long pink mane as usual. "W-Well... Y-Y-Yes I-I know what we're doing... I-It's just that I don't think... R-Rarity wants me to block her o-out..." Fluttershy answered pitifully making Applejack just raise one eyebrow.
"W-What? No pony on offense wants to be blocked out! But ya just gotta do it!" Applejack retorted before she then turned around to find RainbowDash again and to block her from...
Sudden yips rang up from Rarity and PinkiePie as Applejack turned to see that RainbowDash had already gone off and scored...
Agitation bit Applejack harder now and yet there was still some kind of room for sympathy for her friend Fluttershy all at once as well... Applejack knew that Fluttershy hated doing these things...
...W-Well Fluttershy has to learn to buck up a bit... Just like Twilight and Coach FastBall say... Like it or not.
Review please. Always greatful
