Thursday came up much faster than it should have. Then again, I have been doing much more with my spare time now. Usually I'd go to school and come right back home. Maybe do some chores, talk with some ponies, do homework, nothing really special. Now though, Rumble and I spend hours after school together. We don't go as far as we did like on our first date, but we still share kisses. He seems really excited to have me come to his game today, but... I kind of don't want to go. I'm sure it would be fun but... a stadium full of ponies screaming their heads off... no thank you.

As I try to leave, Mom steps in front of the door and gives me a look. I seriously hope she isn't going-

"So, when do I get to meet this coltfriend of yours?" Of course she knows! Why wouldn't she! She probably has twelve drones watching my every move right now! Probably even more if Dad knows!

"W-what are you talking about?" I ask with a coy smile.

"Luna told me she saw you getting nice a cozy with some pegasus-" dammit, " -So, who is he?"

"He's... his name is Rumble. We... go to school together." I tell her, avoiding her gaze. She lifts my chin to look at her smiling face.

"Shadow, you don't have to be so coy with me. I mean, it's not like Butterscotch and I were really... discrete about... stuff." I feel my cheeks burn from this. I can't even count the number of times I've caught them doing... stuff. Let alone hearing it. Dad and Luna are no better. "I trust you not to do anything hasty Shadow. But, if you ever do take that step, I'll be here for you."

"Thanks Mom." I tell her before moving in and hugging her. I knew I could come to her for anything, but her saying it just makes me feel much better about everything.

"And hey, if it doesn't work out there are plenty of mares out there-"

"Oh my gosh!" I break the hug and gawk at her. She just laughs and kisses my forehead.

"I'm just saying! You have options, now get to school before you're late!" she tells me, pushing me out the door. I pause at the door and smile before trotting through Moosden. Normally I don't try to socialize with anypony here... but today I felt great. I even waved to that terrifying orc lady, Azzeal! She waved back, a bit confused though.

When I made it to Ponyville I walked around my house to find Rumble and Tempestive talking. Tempestive seems really excited to go to the game today, and Rumble couldn't help but chuckle at his excitement.

"Hey you," he called out to me a I approached them.

"Hey, ready to go to school?" I ask before nuzzling him a bit.

"You two are gross together." Tempestive states blandly, making me blush a bit. "What time are you picking me up for the came?"

"Um... I don't know-"

"Three. Your mom is going to drop you off by the school so you can take the bus with us." Rumble tells him.

"She is!?" Tempestive and I ask at the same time.

"Yeah, I cleared it with her yesterday," he tells us casually. "You just have to wear your vest and a scarf... what's with the vest anyway?"

"It's so-"

"Warmth mainly, now come on! We're going to be late!" I cut off my brother and start pushing Rumble down the path. Rumble says his goodbyes and begins walking with me down the path. The fact that he's asking means he didn't notice his wings earlier. Which, if he saw Luna already... whatever. I push it out of my mind and turn my attention to Rumble. "So... are you ready for the game today?"

"Cloudsdale is a good team, but I think we can take 'em," he says confidently, draping his wing over me. I've come to enjoy this the most. I feel safe under his wing.

"I don't really know much about Air ball... you aren't going to get hurt, are you?"

"Worried?" he asks with a smug smile. I give him an uneasy look to which he chuckles. "It gets pretty physical, but I can take it. I've been doing this for awhile now. Try not to worry too much about it."

"No way, I'll be as cool... as... a cucumber, because of how not worried I'll be." He gives me a look and all I can do is try and hide under his wing. Why did I say that!? Cool as a cucumber! What does that even mean!? I'll just keep quiet until we make it to school, so I can die from embarrassment in privacy.

We make it the rest of the way to school quietly. I was a little worried I was too geeky for him, but all of that faded away when he turned and kissed me. It was a quick, but it settled my nerves tremendously.

"Later cucumber," he tells me before trotting to his class. I blush a bit before going to my own class, making it into my seat just as the bell rang. Sadly, Diamond Tiara sits next to me in this class. You would think that after six years of knowing each other we'd at least be able to sit next to each other, but no. She glances over at me and turns my way.

"I've heard a little rumor about you, wanna hear it?" She asks with venom in her voice. Where's thee teacher? I really don't want to hear this right now.

"Not really-"

"I've heard you're going to today's game in Cloudsdale. Only, there's one problem with that. Our team has been on a winning streak, and a loser like you will jinx it. So could you do us all a favor and just hang back, okay?" Despite the fact she's being a total bitch right now, she asks as cutely as possible. Normally I would just fold and agree to her demands... but not today.

"I'm going-"

"No, you're not," she cuts me off, dropping the cute act.

"Um... yes I am." I start to sweat as she glares daggers at me. I'm starting to seriously freak out here. She looks like she's on the verge of punching me! Luckily, the teacher came rushing in and stole all of the attention.

"Sorry I'm late class! Please pull out your books and continue where you left off yesterday while I get situated." I sigh in relief when Diamond gets up to be with her partner, not before shooting dirty looks at me first though.

"Whoa, what did you do to piss her off?" Scootaloo asks as she fills her seat.

"I... she told me not to go to the game... but I told her I was." I tell her cautiously.

"You're going to the game today? Really?" she asks in disbelief, to which I nod. "Huh, who would have guessed getting you a coltfriend would have-"

"SHHH! Please don't talk about that out loud! I don't want half of the school knowing." I hush her, glancing around the room cautiously. I pull my book and flip to the last chapter I was at. Scootaloo rolls her eyes and does the same. I don't really read anything though. My mind keeps going back to Diamond and the countless possibilities from her wrath. I glance to her a few times and watch her talk with one of her friends, paying me no mind.

"My bits are on you, if you two get in a fight that is." Scootaloo whispers to me, her eyes focused on her book.

"Um... thanks?" I whisper back. I try to read, but I simply can't! It's not like it matters though, I'm four chapters ahead of the class already. I can't stop glancing at Diamond ad worrying about what she'll do! The uncertainty is going to give me a heart attack! After what felt like hours of confusion I shoot my hoof up and blurt out, "CAN I USE THE RESTROOM!?"

"Um... okay." The teacher replies, confused by my outburst. I blush deeply when everypony laughs and snickers at me and hurry out of the room. That might have been a little too much, but I had to get out of there! I start heading towards the restroom but stop when I nearly collide into somepony.

"Rumble!?"

"Hey Shadow, what are you doing out of class? Ditching?" He asks with a raised eyebrow and a smile.... smile... "Shadow?"

"Huh? Oh, I uh... well..." Normally the only ponies I share my problems with are the girls. But, right now... I feel like I can confide with him. "Diamond was giving me trouble before class started. I think she wants to start a fight with me now." I tell him, lowering my head a bit. He stays quiet for a bit, but quickly catches his breath.

"Oh... is that so? W-why would she want to do that?" he asks cautiously. I look up to him and sigh, moving forward to nuzzle into his neck.

"She... just doesn't like me. She heard I was going to today's game and tried to tell me to stay home. Normally I wouldn't argue with her, but... I didn't want to disappoint you." He lets out a long sigh and wraps his hooves around me, embracing my tightly.

"Shadow, she's just being difficult. She's not going to do anything," he assures me, stroking my mane.

"You should have seen the look in her eyes. It was like she was trying to melt me with her stare or something." He chuckles at that and pulls me back to look me int he eyes. I blush as we stare deeply into each others eyes. For once I don't mind the eye contact, rather, right now I actually enjoy it. He glances around before motioning for me to follow after him. I look back to my class for a moment before agreeing, even though I have no clue where we're going.

We weave through the buildings of the school and end up behind the library; the largest building in the school. It sits just at the edge of campus, so we technically leave school to sit underneath a tree together. I was going to question him when he leaned in and pecked my lips with his.

It caught me a little off guard, to say the least. I go to tell him this, but he cuts me off with another, more passionate, kiss. I don't want to kiss out in the open like this, but... being caught in the moment... I kind of go with the flow. He doesn't seem to mind, but I start to worry that somepony will spot the two of us. It's still too soon for me to be public about 'us'. With tremendous effort, I break away from his lips to speak. He doesn't stop though, instead moving to nip and kiss my neck.

"Rumble... h-hold up... I"m n-not sure about t-this." He pauses to look at me, a strand of saliva trailing from his lips.

"You okay?"

"Well... isn't this spot a little too public?"

"Not really. Trust me, since it's behind the school and on the edge of town, so pony will come by this way."

"But... I have class right now-"

"Just say you were having problems while in there. That's what I do-"

"How often do you skip class?!" He rubs the back of his neck as he tries to think of an answer.

"I dunno. But, its not like it's a problem. My grades are good enough for me to compete. Are your grades bad?"

"No, I just... I don't want to get in trouble for skipping out."

"You won't, trust me." He lays down against the tree and pats the spot beside him. I glance between him and the school building, trying to decide what to do. If I stay here, I run the chance of getting in serious trouble. I'm looking at a detention, and then... I don't even want to think of what Mom would do. But... if I don't get caught, then I get to spend some extra time away from Diamond. Plus, I get to spend that time with Rumble. Is the risk worth the reward?

I take a deep breath and lay beside him. If what he says is true, then spending some time here won't hurt too much... hopefully. He smiles as I cuddle up beside him. He wraps a wing around me and nuzzles my cheek, making me feel a bit better about the situation, if only slightly. I lean into his nuzzle and try to push class out of my mind. Rumble holding me closer helps tremendously.

"Want to take a quick nap?" he whispers to me.

"I'm not much of a napper-"

"What? How could you go an entire day without napping?"

"Well... I just don't. My brother does, but... I dunno, I just don't like napping. The few times I've tried I usually wake up feeling worse." He laughs and kisses my cheek.

"That's weird. You're weird."

"Am not!"

"Yeah you are."

"Rumble." I look to him and try my hoof at a pout-y face. I guess it worked, because he chuckled and pecked my lips.

"Fine. But, with the whole Diamond thing... you shouldn't let her boss you around." I frown at this and look away.

"I... don't want to cause a fight."

"Well... I have a feeling she's looking for one. I don't want you to fight either, but... Stand up for yourself, ya know? Like, how you did today. She'll back down eventually if you stand your ground. And I'll have your back too," he nudges my cheek a few times to get me to look at him. He smiles and gives me another peck. "I promise."

I stare into his eyes for a moment before closing the distance between us. Our kiss starts out simply as my conveying my trust in him, but when he pulls my on top of him things start to get heated. Our hooves were running over each others bodies as our tongues met between us, wrestling with each other. We both paused when he grabbed my flank. I thought about it for a moment before I reached down and grabbed his as well. He laughed and we went back to it with just as much ferocity.

I didn't think I'd like my flank being grabbed, nor did I think I'd like grabbing flank for that matter. I guess when it's with somepony you trust, it just feels better. I move my hooves from his flank and up to his face to run them through his mane. He moves a hoof to my back and pulls me against his stomach, keeping his other hoof working my cutie mark. We continue to writhe against one another until I feel something poke my back end. Everything stops and we pull back to look at each other.

"Shadow!?"

"AH!"

FLASH

I shake my head and jump under my bed covers. I don't even know who spotted us but I'm not ever leaving the safety of my blankets again! WHY DID SOMEPONY HAVE TO APPEAR AT THAT EXACT MOMENT!?

I sigh in irritation and roll over to cover myself.Of course as it was just getting good somepony would walk up to us. I look over to Scootaloo and Pip and sigh again.

"Um... so I guess you two are a couple then." Scootaloo states, avoiding my eyes. Her wings are sticking straight up as her blush covers her cheeks.

"What are you two doing here?" I groan back to her, more than a little frustrated.

"Well... Shadow didn't come back from class so... I started to worry. Were you two about to-"

"She was upset about Diamond Tiara giving her a hard time. One thing lead to another... but no. She's kind of against that." They stand there for a moment, staring at me until I finally get up. Then they stare at... me. "Do you mind?"

"Nope!" Pip says, a giant smile on his face. "You know, I always thought you jocks had all the luck. But now... now I just feel great about myself."

"Mmhmm." Scootaloo agrees, eyeing... me, closely. "Maybe he's still chub-"

"Okay, I'm leaving." Before they say anything else I open my wings and propel myself into the air. My lower extremities immediately hate me for this, but I ignore it to the best of my abilities. I'm fairly certain I know where Shadow went, under her covers. Either there, or under her other covers. Hopefully she's at the one here, I don't trust that teleporter thing.

The flight to her house didn't take long. When I got there I went around back to her window and looked in to see her underneath her blankets. I gently tap on the glass and wait for her. She peeks out from under her blankets and hides again. I roll my eyes and try again. I wait a few minutes before she trundles out from her covers and opens the window slightly.

"Rumble... now isn't-"

"It was Scootaloo and Pipsqueak. I don't think they're going to tell many ponies. Sweetie Bell and Applebloom at most. Can I come in?"

"I don't know if that would be wise. I have no clue who is home right now," she tells me, glancing back to her bedroom door.

"Why would they come in here? They think you're at school right now." I point out, getting her to pause. She tries to think of something to say, but can't.

"Umm.... just... give me a moment. I'm going to go check to see if anypony's here." She turns and runs to the door, casting a spell over herself. I shrug and lean on the window sill, waiting patiently. If somepony is here, I can't get in trouble for waiting outside. Plus, I'll have an alibi as to being here. Score!

"Huh... Luna's out." I look down and nearly yell when I see something standing at the backdoor reading a note. It's... familiar, but-

"Get in here!" I nearly yelp again when Shadow pulls me inside. She drags me to the closet and shoves me inside. She runs back and shuts her door before joining me inside the small, cramped closet.

"What was that thing!?"

"Shh! And don't call my dad a thing!"

"But, what was.... Dad!?"

"Shhhhhh! It's... a long story." I stare at her for a second before we hear footsteps in the hallway. Not hoof, no. Her Dad doesn't have those.

"Miles, you're home!" Okay, who's that?

"Hey there baby girl. I have a day for research so I thought I'd drop by. Where is everyone?" Shadow's dad, Miles, replies.

"Oh no." Shadow mumbles. I don't like that. I don't like the look of fear on her face. I don't being here right now.

"Tempestive is over at Sweet Apple Acres and Shadow's at school. We have the house all to ourselves right now." Shadow and I look to each other before blushing deeply together.

"Can't you set a sound barrier or something?" I ask frantically.

"My dad will notice the energy. He's... weird like that. I'm so sorry!"

"It's-"

"AH! Miles!" the mare yelps with a sultry giggle. "Get those cloths off, switch form, and get on that bed! I've got something special in mind." Shadow nearly hurls from that. I wasn't that far off either. We start hearing more giggles and laughs from the two of them as obvious things start to happen. Despite all of this I have to say, I think she's deep throating.... lucky... stallion? When things start to get more... verbal, I lose it. I push the door open, pick up Shadow, and fly us the buck out of there! I don't care if they hear us, I don't care if they see us, I don't want to her this crap right now! I fly out to a nearby park and land under a tree, where I set Shadow down.

"Well... um... at least your parents have a.... healthy marriage?" Shadow looks at me blankly before cracking a smile. Her smile turns into giggles that she tries to hold back before she loses it and laughs her ass off. "Okay, I'm missing something."

"Ooooohh, I'm about as good as a corpse could get! Because I would have to be dead for all of this crap to happen at once, and have you still standing before me!" She falls over and laughs even more, holding her sides tightly.

"Um... it wasn't all that bad-"

"You just heard my parents having sex right after we were caught practically having sex! Not to mention you witnessed my father in his human form! No sane pony would be as collected as you are right now! So, logically, I have died and this is my punishment for... whatever I did wrong!" She continues laughing hysterically, kicking her legs a bit as tears form in her eyes.

"Um... you're not dead Shadow." She stops and stares at me for a moment, her head tilting in confusion. "I mean, that was a lot to have happen in a short amount of time, but I've heard worse. My brother... gets around. A lot. I've heard, seen, smelled it all. That doesn't mean I'm necessarily comfortable with it. But... it's not that big of a deal."

"... but, what about my dad?" she asks cautiously, hiding behind her hooves slightly. I mull it over before shrugging my shoulders.

"Well, that was a bit of a shock. But, if he has a house here in Ponyville, I doubt he's all that bad. It'll... take some getting used to though." She stares up at me from behind her hooves before dropping completely to the floor.

"Can we just take a nap? A nap sounds amazing right now."

"Sure. I don't need to be a the locker room for a few hours anyway." I tell her before laying beside her. I'm only saddened because this isn't even the weirdest thing to happen to me... minus the human thing.

........................................................................................................................................................

I stretch out in bed, kicking the sheets further down, and let out a long yawn. When I finish my stretch I wrap my arms around Luna again and pull her close. I had completely forgotten that she was going to be in heat around this time. Luckily we had one birth control potion left, so we're in the clear. When she begins to stir again I bring my attention to her.

"Hi."

"Mmmm, hi," she replies softly, sleep still prevalent within her. "How long can you stay today? We were all going to a game today, and I know the kids would just love to have you come too."

"Hmm... I don't know. I do have a lot to get started on-"

"Miles, you've been gone for so long. You can at least spend an afternoon with your family," she says warmly, snuggling up underneath my chin. I smile and kiss the top of her head.

"Well... alright. But just this once." She smiles up to me and squeezes me in a hug. "What game is this anyway?"

"Oh, Shadow has a coltfriend that has a game in Cloudsdale. I'm going to jump in the shower." She gives me a peck on the cheek before sliding out of bed.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Wait, what!?" I yell as I try to jump out of bed. I fumble over myself and fall onto the ground, using my face a cushion. I shake my head and rush into the bathroom, finding Luna sitting under the running shower. "Shadow has a what now!?"

"Are you going to join me, or are you going to just stand there?" She asks simply, facing the shower head with her eyes closed. I try to think for a moment, but Luna levitates me up and sets me in front of her. "Sit."

"Fine." I drop down, obviously disgruntled. She scoots up behind me and lays her body against mine, wrapping her hooves around my midsection and her wings around my chest. I close my eyes and lose myself to her touch, the warm water relaxing me even more. She lays her head in the crook of my shoulder and neck, making me let out a long breath.

"Miles, Shadow is a growing mare. This was inevitable. She's not your little filly anymore."

"Bullshit. She'll always be my little filly." I tell her, getting her to chuckle.

"Of course. But she's still growing up. I honestly thought this was going to happen sooner. You can't shelter her from life Miles. Try and play nice with him."

"... maybe-"

"Miles-"

"I'm just saying! I understand that... this was going to happen, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to let any stallion be with my daughter."

"Oh? And if he's not to your liking, then what?"

"I have a trick or two up my sleeve, Trust me on that. But, for now at least, I'll play nice." She squeezes me again and kisses my neck softly.

"I guess that'll do. And try not to embarrass her-"

"Now what could I possibly do to embarrass her?" I ask while turning around. She gives me a knowing smile but doesn't say anything. What could I possibly do that would embarrass her?

We finish up washing each other and finish our shower. We spend this time to catch up as well. I tell her about what I've been through and the people I met, she in turn tells me local affairs and what's going on with the family. Everything at home seems above board, minus Shadow and her new boyfriend. I trust her not to do anything stupid... for now. I don't think I'm ready to be a grandfather. Especially with Tempestive only being six!

When we finish up and dry off we split up to gather everyone. I go to get Shadow while Luna goes to get Tempestive. We figure one surprise at a time for them should be easier to bear. Heh... bear, bears... oh... is that what Luna was talking about. Damn... oh well. Anyway, I make it to the edge of the school and wait by the main entrance. A few other parents are here as well, waiting for their kids to get out as well. A few of them wave, to which I wave back but overall they leave me alone. A few of them stare though, being an alicorn... that happens.

It takes a while, but eventually the bell rings and all of the kids begin to leave their classes. I get a few more odd looks, but over all they leave me alone. Being so tall, or... taller than everyone else at least, I spot Shadow leaving her class soon enough. When we make eye contact she freezes and stares at me. Heh, she must be really surprised to see me.

"Well? Don't just stand there. Come hug your dad!" I yell at her... making her blush? "Shadow?"

"Dad! Sorry! Uh... when did you get home?" She asks nervously as she trots up, giving me a hesitant hug. I was going to ask her if she was okay, but I figure it's because we're at school.

"I just got home today, but I'll be leaving tomorrow morning. Luna told me everyone was going to some game today. So, here I am."

"Oh... okay then. What about Tempestive? We-... er, I promised, him that I would take him."

"Hm, by 'we', do you mean you and your new boyfriend?" Her blush doubles as she looks around frantically. "What? Surprised I know."

"You... you know!?" she asks, taking a step back.

"Yeah, Luna told me about it. Well, just a bit. But I can drill you for questions later. Let's go meet up with the others first." I tell her, levitating her bag onto my hips. She nods to me and follows after me. We should be meeting up at home. When we make it away from prying eyes, I nudge her a bit to get her attention. "So, who's the lucky guy?"

"... really? Do we have to do this?"

"Eeyup."

"*sigh* fine. His name is Rumble. He's a pegasis. Um... I don't really know what else to say."

"Well... I don't even know what I want to know. I guess a name is a good start. Your my first child to do something like this, so I'm a little unsure of how to handle certain things. Just know that I trust you and I hope you won't do anything stupid."

"Oh... okay-"

"But I don't trust this Rumble guy and if he does anything stupid I'll be on his ass in a heart beat."

"O-"

"In... a... heart beat."

"..."

"Love ya!" I lean down and kiss the top of her head. I'm sure that will send that right message from Dad.

When we make it home Shadow heads up to change and put her stuff away. With nothing better to do, I go to the couch and lay down-

SLAM

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Tempestive yells as he kicks the door open and runs right towards me.

THUD

I lose a bit of my breath when he jumps up and tackles me in a hug.

"Whoa there little guy! Careful with the horn." I tell him with a laugh as he hugs me tightly.

"When did you get back!? How long are you going to be staying!? Are you going to the game today!? Can we fly there? Can we-"

"Easy Tempestive." Luna chides as she walks in. She smiles at the sight of the two of us and shuts the door gently. "He's only going to be here for a day, so ease up on the questions."

"Aww, is that true?" He asks, his disappointment dripping in his voice.

"Yeah, but at least we get to go to the game together." I offer him. He mulls it over before shrugging and going back to hugging me. "So, when is this game anyway?"

"It starts at four thirty." Shadow tells us as she walks down the stairs, looking like her normal self. Nude society, school uniforms. I'll never understand. "So, we should head out soon if we're going to make it in time."

We gather a few things before taking off. Luna carries Shadow with her while I take Tempestive, seeing as she's the better flier and can maintain a levitation spell for much longer. Tempestive didn't complain, which put a smile on my face. He loved the flight there. He kept his wings out to catch the wind, flapping every now and again out of instinct. A couple of times I'd let go of him and let him glide for a bit, much to Luna's displeasure. It was a fun flight, with lots of catching up. Tempestive asked hundred upon hundreds of questions, and I'm sure the others enjoyed listening to my tales.

An hour came and went and we entered the outskirts of Cloudsdale. We land and Luna casts the cloud walking spell on Shadow. Luckily no one saw us enter the city, so Luna and I toss on vests of our own before walking down the cloud path. Anywhere that isn't Ponyville we like to try and blend in. Being so tall doesn't help, but keeping the wings out of view does. We at least don't get warmed by the paparazzi.

The city is bustling with activity today. Pegasus fill the air as they go about their business. The entire sight has Tempestive completely captivated, being his first time here. After he nearly walks into three ponies, I toss him on my back for safe keeping. He didn't mind, rather this just freed him up to ask even more questions. 'Why are there so many columns?' 'How many griffins live here?' 'Can we visit the rainbow factory?' Everything and anything in sight he had to know about. Luna and I were more than happy to oblige. Like usual, Shadow mostly kept to herself, only speaking when spoken to.

We came up to the school and got in line with the other families and spectators there for the event. Most of the ponies there eyed us oddly, but kept to themselves. After a few minutes of waiting we got our tickets and made our way into the stadium. The stands go around a large open area. Several clouds are set in the open area. Two open circles at opposite ends of the field and four large open rectangles. I think they make the borders for maximum height as well as splitting the field into three sections, putting the goals in the center area. We make our way past the closed concession stand and to our seats in the visitor section. Luckily for us, we were seated next to a familiar face.

"Hey there Captain!" Rainbow greets as we approach our seats. "When did you get back?"

"Rainbow, Soarin, Jet," I greet as we take our seats. Jet and Tempestive rush to each and start talking about everything they've seen. "I got back earlier and had a free day, so we came to watch Shadow's boyfriend play-"

"Really!?" Shadow yelps, glaring at me.

"What?"

"OOOOH! Shadow! Who's the lucky colt!?" Rainbow teases, making Shadow hide from her. They laugh at her discomfort, but leave it at that. "Anyway, what's been going on?"

"Well, much of the same really," I tell her as we take our seat. I kind of feel bad for the guy behind me. "One lead taking us to another. But I have a good feeling about the next one."

"Is that so? Well, I'm sure I'll hear all about this soon enough," she says, glancing out to the field.

"So... how is this game played anyway?"

"Oh! Oh! I know!" Tempestive chirps, bouncing beside me. "Each team has six players. Their goal is to toss a ball through the opposing goal. There are three ways to score. Making a pass in the center area will earn you one point, while going from above will get you two, and the bottom one will get you three. If you hold the ball, you aren't allowed to move, unless an enemy player is fighting for the ball. The team with the most points wins. There are a few other rules, but they mostly cover fouls and stuff. And that's Air ball!"

"Huh, so where is Scootaloo?"

"She's going to be playing today. A friend of hers was going to originally, but she was injured earlier and benched. Scootaloo joined last second so they can at least compete." Soarin tells me. "Looks like the game is about to start."

We all turn our attention back to the playing field as the two teams fly out from the locker rooms. They're all wearing helmets and what looks like plastic padding for their torsos. The Cloudsdale team are in red and yellow while the Ponyville team are in light yellow and white. Both crowds explode as each team takes a few laps before lining up on the side lines. Our group starts yelling like idiots the moment we spot Scootaloo. Even Shadow was getting a bit vocal. Jet and Tempestive... were going a little over board, standing on their hind hooves and screaming their lungs off like there's no tomorrow. A few ponies around us gave them odd looks, but cheered none the less.

The teams meet up in the field and huddle up before getting into position. Scootaloo and an enemy... I mean opposing player, head to the center and meet up with a referee. The crowd goes quiet as the two stand off, waiting for the ball to be tossed.

I fly out to the center and stare down the enemy player. He's a bit bigger than me, so I should have speed on him. The ref comes over and starts gives us the run down. Clean fights, no traveling, blah blah blah. I smirk when I hear Mom and Dad yelling my name, along with a few other familiar voices. I push them out of mind and focus on the game. The ref just finished up, so I bump hooves with the other player and get ready to catch the ball.

"Ready? Set.... PLAY BALL!" The ref tosses the ball high into the air and we both take off after it. He's fast for his size, but I'm beating him to the ball still. That is, until he reaches up and starts pushing down on my chest. I glare down at him and use my back hooves to push him off. A few close calls and he backs off enough to let me get the ball.

I grab the ball and hold it close as I come to an immediate stop. The guy tries to wrestle the ball from me, but I shake it away from him and toss it down to Breezy. The ball is intercepted and passed to somepony else. Just as they catch it, Rumble tackles them, sending the two of them hurdling down as they fight for the ball. I race after them with the guy from before following close behind me. Since he's bigger, he's falling at a higher speed than me. So I open my wings a bit to let him get away. Rumble and I make eye contact for a moment, so he kicks the pony away and flings the ball my way.

I catch the ball and look back to the Sunny wide open and high. So I kick the ball up and race back up towards center field. Sunny get the ball but is swarmed quickly.

"Drop it down!" I yell out to her. She kicks the ball straight down and races forward around the other players. I race to the ball and catch-

WHAM

The wind gets knocked out of me when an enemy player tackles me at high speed. I hug the ball tightly as I try to catch my breath. The mare tackling me is bad mouthing me like crazy, calling me bitch and whore and everything else she can think of as she tries to yank the ball out of my hooves. Everything is blurry as we spin out of control. I hear Rumble calling out to me and see a grey blur, so I try to time tossing the ball to him.

I end up going a little left, but he makes up for the rest. The mare uses my stomach as a kick board to take off, sending me a bit further down. I recover quickly and try to make it back into the game, feeling my stomach twinge a bit in pain. I can hear my Mom screaming bloody murder at the other player... along with Tempestive oddly enough. Rumble, Sunny, and Shady are tossing the ball to one anther, trying to find an opening. The enemy team is putting good heat on them, but they completely forgot about me. I race forward and yell out at them. Shady gets the ball and tosses it to me. I prep myself and, when the ball is close enough, I kick it with all my might. It goes up and curls towards the goal...

AND GOES IN! A little low, but the refs call it good and we go up by three! The crowd erupts in applause as I get bum rushed by my team mates.

"WAY TO GO SCOOTS!" Sunny cheers, holding me up in a massive hug.

"Nice shot!" Bank Shot yells from the back.

"Alright, let's get back in the game! Call your targets, I want to keep our lead." Rumble yells at the others. We all nod and go to our side of the field, waiting for the enemy team to start.

Oh sweet Barbra, this sport is awesome! I thought all the tackling and kicking would bring out fouls, but they're legal! Fuck yeah! Scootaloo nearly took that guys nuts off, then that one guy went tackled the other guy and dropped at least two thousand feet! And then the crowd went crazy when Scootaloo made that goal! I fucking love this sport... AND IT JUST STARTED!

"GET'EM SCOOTALOO!" Tempestive yells with a jump, nearly falling over. "GET HIM, NOW GET HER, STOP LETTING THEM PASS AND TAKE THE HIT!" Okay, Tempestive really likes this game.

The opposing crowd cheers when the enemy team makes a two point goal. It pings on our moral a bit, but we're still ahead by one, so there's that at least. Bank Shot take the ball to the left corner and kicks it into play, right towards Sunny. A pony covers each of us as we pass the ball around, slowly working our way forward. Or, at least trying to. Every pass forward gets too much heat, forcing us to back off or get swarmed. We need to find a way to get a pony through with out being overly guarded.

They intercept a pass made to Breezy and make a mad dash for the goal. I hesitate to chase after them as most of their players charge to cover their pony. I'm on my own, and Rumble and Breezy are putting good heat on them. I glance over and see Bank Shot thinking the same thing. I motion to him to head towards their goal as I wait to see what happens.

They make it pretty close to our goal post before Rumble tackles the ball carrier. They roll around and drop a couple hundred feet before he gets the ball and tosses it away. It goes to mid field before Breezy gets it and tosses it to me. When I catch it I look back to see Bank shot wide open in scoring range. He's a bit out of range for me to pass it directly, but he should still be able to score. With that in mind, I drop the ball and kick it as hard as possible-

THUMP

I blackout for a second when I get tackled. After a few blinks I realize where I am and try to gain control. I spread my wings to catch myself and wince from the recoil of my fall. My wings flail back a few times, but I eventually catch myself. Roughly a thousand feet below the bottom cloud layer. I can hear cheering, so I think Bank Shot made the goal. My right wing stings with every flap, but I try to ignore it as much as possible. It's going to be tough to.

"THAT LITTLE FUCKER!" I yell, trying to take off to go beat the living shit out of that colt. Soarin and Miles hold me back as I try to fly at him. "LET ME GO! IMMA RIP HIS HEAD OFF!"

"YEAH! GO GET HIM MOM!" Jet yells.

"CALM DOWN DASH!" Soarin yells, yanking my tail back.

"DESTROY HIM MAMMA DASH!" Tempestive yells.

"Don't encourage her!" Miles yells as he grabs me and yanks me into my seat. "Calm down Dash. It was-"

"That little fucker nearly knocked her out of the air! Look at her! Her wing is obviously messed up! HEY REF! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! CALL THAT FREAKING FOUL!" I yell at the top of my lungs. They ignore me, instead following the game as it plays out.

"It was a legal hit," some stallion sitting behind us says. We all turn back and stare at him. He's wearing a red and yellow jacket... oh no. Please don't.

"Legal smeagel! He knocked her out of bounds, that's against the rules!" Tempestive counters. I levitate him up and set him behind Luna, much to his displeasure.

"His hit was in bounds, therefore legal. Sorry, but if your foal can't take the hits, don't play the sport." Oh... no... just... don't.

"Rainbow... take it easy... don't hurt him." Soarin asks her quietly as she stares him down. I can tell that she's really trying not to jump his ass right now.

"... whatever! We're ahead by four, so we have nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm sure your team will need the handicap." Rainbow says smugly, turning back to watch the game. The rest of us let out a sigh of relief as we turn back with her. Rainbow... not the most humble person ever. I lean over and shoot Tempestive a look, to which he shrugs to. He's... young.

By the time the last quarter comes around, I'm just about finished. My wing is killing me at this point and I'm beyond tired. The team has been carrying me through the entire last quarter, and I don't know if I can make it through another one. Coach Mary is looking over my wing right now, and I don't like the look on hr face.

"C'mon Hell Mary, can she make it one more quarter?" Bank Shot asks worriedly. "We don't have a player to replace her with."

"Bank, shut it." Rumble says firmly, maing him roll his eyes and walk off. "How bad is it Scoots?"

"I... I don't know if I can make it another quarter guys. I'm sorry." I say with ragged breaths. I hang my head and silently berate myself. Mom would be able to make it another round like this. She'd push through the pain. She wouldn't be so weak!

"And we were ahead by two points too! Uhg!" Sunny complains.

"Hey, take it easy everypony. Scootaloo volunteered to be here and has been trooping though most of the game. She can't fly on this kind of a wound." I glance up to the stand and see Mom staring down at us...

"No, no! I mean... if you guys are willing to carry me a bit more, I think I can make it fifteen more minutes." I tell them, standing up and spreading my wings. I nearly scream out when a shot of pain shoots down my wing, forcing me to fold it back. Hell Mary shakes her head to me and flies over to the ref. I sit back down and hang my head as she tosses in the towel.

I hate losing. If that stupid colt didn't get such a good tackle on my we would have won this easily! I should have seen him coming. We loss because I wasn't strong enough for this. Rumble tries to put a hoof on my shoulder, but I shrug it off and walk back into the locker room. I just want to be alone for a bit.

Taking my padding takes a bit longer than my patience allowed. My wing kept sending pings of pain whenever anything touched it. I yelped when my anger got the best of me and I ripped it off. With a growl I tossed it aside and bucked the lockers behind me, putting a nice dent in the locker door.

"Easy Scootaloo. You don't want to hurt yourself anymore than you already are." Rumble tells me as he enters the room.

"I don't care." I grumble as I grab my towel and head towards the showers. Rumble flies ahead of me and blocks the doors. "Why are you even here?"

"I'm the captain of the team. It's my job to take care of all my players. And... I failed at that today."

"You didn't cause the team to lose." I point out, making him shake his head.

"Yeah I did. I saw you take that hit and didn't think about it right away. I should have seen you slacking, but I didn't. I was too focused on trying to win the game, and because of that we lost. I'm sorry," he tells me, lowering his head. I'm... a little taken back by this.

"It.... it wasn't you fault Rumble. If anything, we should be blaming that one colt who tackled me." I tell him, worried by how hard he's actually taking this. I still feel as if I lost the game, but I don't want him feeling bad too. "Look, just... we'll get them next time. We were fighting bad odds today to begin with."

"*sigh* yeah. I guess so. Doesn't help much though, but thanks anyway. I'm going to go head over to the guys shower and cool off." Before I can say anything else he flies off into the colts shower room. I let out an annoyed sigh and trot into the fillies shower room. The pain hurt pretty bad right now, but that's going to be nothing compared to seeing Mom afterwards.

Shout out to Silver Stout Shako for picking Cloudsdale's colors, and Heimobaus for picking Ponyville's. If you haven't read MY BLOG PAGE, my laptop recently broke. So, expect even further delays in the future. I'm not quitting, I'm just hindered. Thanks for reading, and like always,

Brony on!