[RGRE] Anon's Home Run Derby: Fluttershy


                                            >You are Anon and it is a boring summer day. And this isn't your everyday boredom... this is advanced boredom.

                                            >Time for desperate measures: the memorabilia closet. You had been fortunate enough to be dropped into pastel p0ne land inside your mediocre apartment with everything in it, but most of it was nigh useless without electricity and Twiggles still hadn't figured out a proper conversion from magic.

                                            >It also hit you kind of hard to just be torn away from everyone and everything you had known, so you had stuffed everything that wasn't useful into a closet to avoid dwelling on it.

                                            >But as you stand in front of the closet you reflect you realize just how unproductive that though process was. That and you saw Glimmer bottling up her feelings and didn't want to risk seeing if magic could do the same to you.

                                            >With a gentle creak you swing the door open and look upon your treasures from your past life, searching for the savior to your boredom.

                                            >Computer? No electricity. Board games? Bah, you only have Monopoly and other shit games. Yu-Gi-Oh cards? No, you weren't that autistic anymore.

                                            >You're about to just close the door when an object slides loose and falls to the floor with a distinct wooden clank.

                                            >It takes a moment to realize what you're looking at, but once you realize what it is you can't believe you had forgotten it.

                                            >Your old Louisville Slugger. Twenty-six ounces of the best white ash on earth masterfully crafted into that beautiful shape. Picking it up you see it still had your grandfather's initials.

                                            >That's right, this was his bat way back when, and his final gift to you before he passed. Giving it a few experimental swings it has that same old feel that you remember. It feels... right; like it's an extension of your body.

                                            >Glancing up you see The Bag™; the one you had stuffed with all your old baseball stuff back before you fell into the NEET life. And by baseball stuff you mean your glove and several dozen baseballs. To one side you can see your old helmet peeking out.

                                            >With a smile on your face you grab The Bag™ and helmet and head out of your apartment toward one of the open fields just outside of Ponyville.

                                            ----------

                                            >Finally arriving at your destination you drop The Bag™ and lean your bat against it. The familiar whine of the zipper fills your ears as you open it up and you're greeted with the sight of all the baseballs you had gathered over the years.

                                            >Taking a big whiff you lose yourself in your memories for just a moment.

                                            "Ahh... I love the smell of baseball in the morning."

                                            >"It is nice, isn't it?"

                                            >Wait that wasn't you. Turning around you see Ponyville's resident animal whisperer Fluttershy looking at you curiously.

                                            "Oh hey Flutters, didn't see you there."

                                            >It takes a moment for exactly what Yellowquiet said to register.

                                            "Wait you guys have baseball here?"

                                            >She nods the affirmative. "Yes we do. It's more popular out in the big cities like Manehatten, but surely you've seen the schoolfillies playing.

                                            >You shake your head. You live on the opposite side of Ponyville from the schoolhouse so you don't interact with the young'uns unless the CMC are up to some schenanigans.

                                            "So what brings you out here Fluttershy?"

                                            >"Oh I was just making sure Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal's fledgelings were ready to leave the nest." With a wing she points to a nearby tree grove where you can just barely see several flegelings being kicked out of the nest.

                                            >"After I finished helping them I saw you carrying your baseball bat and bag and figured I'd make sure you didn't hurt yourself."

                                            "Hurt myself? Fluttershy is this one of those 'mare things' Twilight told me about?"

                                            >She nods. "Yes, Anon. Baseball is traditionally a mare's game. I'm sure Home Turf would be more than happy to give you a few softballs to start out with."

                                            >You know Flutters it just trying to help in her own slightly sexist way, but this was something you weren't just gonna give up.

                                            "I appreciate the thought, Fluttershy, but I learned baseball and that's what I'm gonna play."

                                            >"I just don't want to see you get hurt..."

                                            >Damnit... DAMNIT you can't resist dem eyes. Think, think! How can you get out of this? After a moment it comes to you.

                                            "Hey Fluttershy would you like to pitch the balls to me?"

                                            >That takes her by complete surprise. "I- I don't know Anon..."

                                            >You've set the hook, now time to reel her in. And what better way to reel her in than to use that same sexism against her?

                                            "Come on Fluttershy, there's no other mare I know who'll make sure I won't get hurt doing this as well as you will."

                                            >You can see her struggling over the decision, but you know which side she'll fall to.

                                            >Finally she lets out a sigh. "Alright Anon I'll pitch to you," YES! "but I'm only going to throw ten times, and if I think you're about to hurt yourself I will stop early." Less yes... but still acceptable.

                                            >Whatever, good poners get rewarded. Scooping up Fluttershy into your arms you give her a quick hug to show your appreciation. The only thing better than playing baseball? Playing baseball with a friend.

                                            "Thanks Flutters."

                                            >You set her down before grabbing your bat and helmet and moving toward a nearby fence. When you're roughly sixty feet away you stop and turn back and see Fluttershy already had a ball ready.

                                            >"Are you ready Anon?"

                                            >You give the bat a few practice swings before looking her way again.

                                            "Ready Flutters! Play ball!"

                                            >Giving you a smile and a nod flutters begins her windup. Rearing up on her hindlegs she throws the ball to you. Not too fast, not too slow, nothing fancy, juuust right.

                                            >You swing...

                                            >...

                                            >aaand you miss.

                                            >Hmm, you're really out of practice if you missed a hit that easy.

                                            >"Are you ok Anon?"

                                            "Yea I'm fine, keep em coming. I'll get one soon enough."

                                            >You give the bat another practice swing. Here comes the windup... the pitch... the swing!

                                            >aaand a miss.

                                            >Come on Anon, what are you doing wrong here?

                                            >It's then you realize your footing is all wrong. Taking a moment to correct the issue you step back up to your makeshift plate and signal Fluttershy for another pitch.

                                            >There's her windup, the pitch, and this time, you already know your swing was true. With a single smooth motion the bat comes through in that beautiful arc to kiss the ball in that one perfect moment.

                                            >https://www.videvo.net/sound-effect/baseball-hit-bat-crack-pe981503/235705/

                                            >It's going, it's going, it is GONE! You don't know how but you belted that ball clear across the field you and Fluttershy were in and over the Everfree border fence maybe 400 feet away.

                                            >You glance at Fluttershy and see she's just as shocked as you are. After she snaps herself out of her daze she can't help but smile for you. "Great swing Anon!" You can't help but wear a giant smile yourself.

                                            "Thanks Fluttershy. Ready to go again?"

                                            >She answers your question by taking a pitching stance.

                                            >You miss the fourth and fifth ball, but manage to hit the sixth. Like the previous hit it flies farther than you expected, but unfortunately for you it travels in an obviously foul direction.

                                            >The seventh ball you miss as well, but it's the eight ball that you hit paydirt again. With another mighty swing you smash the ball toward what would be a right field position and over the border fence, maybe 300 feet away. Not as impressive as that first homer, but hey you'll take it.

                                            >The ninth ball comes and goes with you hitting air again, but you find that you don't mind. You see Fluttershy smiling at your success and you had a lot of fun with a friend sharing a sport together.

                                            >"Last ball, Anon. Do you think you can finish strong?"

                                            >Ok you sort of mind missing that last throw. Three out of ten wouldn't be bad at all.

                                            "Sure am Flutters, let me have it."

                                            >As Fluttershy starts her windup you see movement out of the corner of your eye in the leftfield direction, but are too focused on the ball to see what it is.

                                            >Here comes the pitch, and boom you demolish this one too... to left field... where a wagon is... that's Trixie's wagon... shit.

                                            >With unerring accuraccy the baseball flies to the distant wagon before smashing it's way through a window. Even this far away you can hear its crash.

                                            >https://youtu.be/k5rVL9aqnIY

                                            >...oops.

                                            "Hey Fluttershy could you grab The Bag™ for me? We should make sure Trixie's ok."

                                            >Seeing her nod you turn and grab the baseballs you missed before heading over. You can already see Trixie fussing over her wagon. Finally you get into earshot.

                                            "Hey Trixie are you alright?"

                                            >She turns and sees you approach, her anger visibly lessening for some reason.

                                            >>"Oh, hello Anon, Trixie is unharmed, thank you for asking. Trixie was just traveling back to Ponyville to visit her friend Starlight when some foalish mare hit a baseball into her wagon."

                                            >Her gaze travels behind you and you turn to see Fluttershy walking up with The Bag™ slung over her back. When you look back at Trixie you see her anger has returned in force.

                                            >>"Come to apologize to the Great and Powerful Trixie? Well it's going to take a lot more tha-"

                                            >Woah woah she's connected some dots that are just plain wrong, cap'n. You step in between the two mares before Trixie can escalate.

                                            "Hold the fuck up Trix, I was the one that hit the baseball, not Fluttershy."

                                            >A look of shock replaces Trixies anger... for all of five seconds. Then she starts laughing in your face.

                                            >>"A colt? Playing baseball? Trixie has heard some silly explanations before but that takes the cake."

                                            >Fluttershy shares a glance with you before stepping forward. "No really, Trixie. Anon was the one who hit that ball."

                                            >Trixie's laughter stops long enough to see your faces.

                                            >>"Sweet Celestia you're serious."

                                            "Yea... sorry about that Trixie. If there's anything broken I'll pay to fix or replace it."

                                            >She waves off your suggestion.

                                            >>"Trixie appreciates your offer, but what sort of unicorn would Trixie be if she could not do simple repairs on her home and equipment? Your hit simply made a mess."

                                            >You're relieved you didn't actually do any real damage.

                                            "Well let me help clean your wagon at the very least to say sorry."

                                            >Trixie appears to think over it for a moment.

                                            >>"Very well, Trixie accepts your offer on one condition."

                                            >You're a little wary, but the magician has gotten better after meeting Starlight.

                                            "Name it."

                                            >>"Trixie wants to pitch a round against you, Anon."

                                            >Now it's your turn to be surprised.

                                            "I- um... OK? Why?"

                                            >>"Trixie saw the general location you were batting at as she was coming down the hill, and she wants to see for herself how good a colt actually is at a mare's sport."

                                            >Well at least she isn't extorting a date out of you. You had enough of that your first month in Equestria.

                                            "Alright. Now?"

                                            >>"Just let Trixie pull her wagon to where you were batting and you can help her clean it. Then Trixie will see what you're really made of."

                                            "I look forward to it."

                                            >Despite the slow start and that bad hit, today's turning out to be a damn good day.