Transcripts/Buckball Season

:[birds chirping]
:Applejack: [hocks, spits]
:[wind whistling]
:[thunk]
:[slow motion sounds]
:Rainbow Dash: Hey, Applejack! Whatcha doin'?
:Applejack: Whoa! Oof! Ugh! Well, I was practicin' my distance buckin'.
:Rainbow Dash: Uh, distance bucking? What for?
:Applejack: Because Cousin Braeburn and the rest of the Apple family in Appleloosa seem to think that their team can beat Ponyville at buckball.
:[thunk, smack]
:[thud]
:Rainbow Dash: What?! Ha! That's ridiculous! Nopony beats Ponyville! I mean, I could beat the whole town of Appleloosa at buckball with one wing tied behind my back!
:[thunk]
:Applejack: [grunts]
:Rainbow Dash: [grunts]
:Applejack: [grunts]
:[crash]
:Applejack: So I can count on ya to join the Ponyville buckball team?
:Rainbow Dash: Oh, yeah! I am so there! I've just got one question.
:Applejack: Hmm?
:Rainbow Dash: Uh... what's buckball?
:Applejack: [groans]
:
:Rainbow Dash: So, basically, buckball is the coolest game ever. Offense, defense, teamwork, nonstop action! It's got it all!
:Fluttershy: Wow, Rainbow Dash. You sure seem to know a lot about this game. I've never even heard of... buckball.
:Rainbow Dash: Yeah, I'm kind of an expert.
:Applejack: Hmph. An expert who hadn't heard of the game either until I told you.
:Rainbow Dash: Well, it's a new game. I probably know more than most ponies, so that makes me an expert.
:Pinkie Pie: I don't know anything about it at all. But it sounds like there's a ball and bucking, so I'm betting it's super duper fun!
:Applejack: The point is, my cousin Braeburn somehow convinced a Pegasus and a unicorn to come play with him on the Appleloosa team, and he can't stop braggin' about how his team is gonna beat ours!
:Fluttershy: But, um, we don't have a team.
:Rainbow Dash: Well, between Applejack and me, we've got two-thirds of a team. All we need is a unicorn. That's where you two come in.
:Pinkie Pie: [whispering loudly to Fluttershy] Uh... they know we're not unicorns, right?
:Rainbow Dash: Uh, obviously. You're gonna be on my team, and Fluttershy is gonna be on Applejack's team.
:Applejack: We'll play against each other along with whatever unicorns want to try out until we find the best one.
:Pinkie Pie: Ohhhh! Phew! That's a relief because I left my unicorn costume at home!
:Applejack: I know a lot of you are here because I told you what an amazin' game buckball is. And even though it's already an Apple family favorite, most o' you probably don't know anything about it. So I thought we'd give you a quick demonstration. The two Earth ponies are on offense. They meet in the middle of the field for the buckoff. They both try to be the first one to kick it.
:[ball bounces]
:Applejack: [grunts]
:Rainbow Dash: And the Pegasus is on defense. She tries to keep the ball from going in the goal and passes it back to the Earth pony on her team. Just give it a little kick, Pinkie.
:Pinkie Pie: Yaah!
:Fluttershy: Aah!
:[thud]
:Pinkie Pie: Ohhh. I get it.
:Applejack: And all the unicorns have to do is float these here baskets around the outside of the field and catch as many balls as possible for their team. [to Pinkie and Fluttershy] You two get the idea?
:Pinkie Pie: Absolutely!
:Fluttershy: Oh, I don't know. That ball moves pretty fast.
:Rainbow Dash: All right. Now let's see which of you has what it takes.
:"Crimson Heart": Um, what do I do?
:Rainbow Dash: When the ball comes towards you, catch it.
:Granny Smith: [blows whistle]
:Applejack: Okay, just try your best, Pinkie. I have been doin' this a lot longer than you.
:Pinkie Pie: [grunts] Aah!
:Applejack: [dazzled] Nice kick.
:Fluttershy: Oh. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa! Whee! [giggles]
:Applejack: Great save, Fluttershy!
:"Aloha": [gasps]
:Rainbow Dash: Coming your way, Pinkie!
:Pinkie Pie: Somersault kick!
:"Crimson Heart": [whimpers]
:[thud]
:Pinkie Pie: Hey, this game is easy!
:Fluttershy: Ooh! [giggles] It actually is kinda fun!
:Applejack: Where did Pinkie Pie learn to buck like that?
:Rainbow Dash: And Fluttershy's spinning tail catch is pretty amazing.
:Applejack: Um... okay. Well, let's see what the rest of you can do.
:Applejack: Now, don't expect to be able to beat me twice in a row.
:Pinkie Pie: [grunts]
:Fluttershy: Well, hello there, Mr. Ball. Whee!
:Applejack: [grunts]
:Rainbow Dash: Hiya!
:Fluttershy: Hurry along, butterflies, before that ball comes and hits you.
:Sea Swirl: Aah!
:[whoosh]
:Applejack: Nope. Um... okay. Let's see what the rest of you can do.
:[bonk!]
:Rainbow Dash: Nope.
:Applejack: Definitely not.
:[whirl!]
:"Sweet Biscuit": [gags]
:Rainbow Dash: No.
:Applejack: Not a chance.
:Rainbow Dash: No.
:Applejack: Nope.
:Rainbow Dash: Aaaand... no.
:Rainbow Dash: [groans] This didn't go how I thought it would.
:Pinkie Pie: Whee! [giggles, grunts] Yeah! Ha! [giggles] Whee! Ha ha!
:Applejack: It sure didn't.
:Fluttershy: This game is a whole lot more fun than I thought it would be.
:Pinkie Pie: It's exactly as much fun as I thought it would be! A whole bunch!
:[Snails]
::Carryin' my water
::My water, my water
::Carryin' my water
::On my shoulder pole
:Pinkie Pie: Snails! Look out!
:Snails: Hmm?
:[water splashing]
:Applejack: Amazing!
:Snails: You should be more careful with these. You could lose them.
:Rainbow Dash: Hey, Snails, can you float one of those baskets over here?
:Snails: Hmm? Sure. What do you want me to do with it?
:Applejack: Catch!
:Snails: Anything else?
:Fluttershy: Wow, Snails. You're a natural at buckball.
:Pinkie Pie: It's a good thing, too. We were running out of unicorns.
:Fluttershy: Do you think you'll be ready to play with Applejack and Rainbow Dash against the Appleloosa team?
:Snails: I guess I'll find out. Plus, after I deliver this water, I don't really have anything else to do.
:Rainbow Dash: Well, Snails, with you on the team, Ponyville is one step closer to crushing Appleloosa!
:Applejack: Huh. And after today, it's pretty clear who the other two players should be.
:Fluttershy: W-What do you mean? I thought you and Dash were gonna play.
:Pinkie Pie: Yeah! If you're not crushing Appleloosa, who is?
:Rainbow Dash: [laughs] Uh, you two, obviously!
:Fluttershy: Um, you want us to play buckball against Appleloosa instead of you?
:Rainbow Dash: Mm-hmm.
:Pinkie Pie: That's "uncredible"!
:[beat]
:Pinkie Pie: Unbelievable and incredible? [scoffs] Come on!
:Applejack: I can't explain it, but you two are really good at this game. And if it means beatin' Appleloosa, I'll give either one of you my spot on the team quicker than Granny Smith can core an apple.
:Rainbow Dash: Me, too. I'd normally be so pumped all of Ponyville was counting on me to win, I'd run right over the competition. But you still flew rings around me.
:Fluttershy: Oh, I'm sorry. I was just having fun.
:Applejack: Well, you can have all the fun you want as long as it's while you're beatin' the hide off of Braeburn's team.
:Pinkie Pie: I do like fun!
:Fluttershy: Honestly, the game was a little scary at first, but once I got the hang of it, I had a pretty good time.
:Pinkie Pie: Let's get this party started!
:Applejack: All right. But if we really wanna beat Appleloosa, we're gonna have to get serious.
:Fluttershy: Serious?
:Pinkie Pie: Serious how?
:Applejack: With serious practice!
:Fluttershy: [gulps] Wow. This looks pretty intense.
:Rainbow Dash: Well, duh! You two are gonna be representing all of Ponyville. And, more importantly, us!
:Applejack: That's why, before we leave for Appleloosa tomorrow, you two are gonna practice just as hard as we would.
:Rainbow Dash: So let's hop to it! Snails already has a head start on you!
:[balls bouncing]
:Rainbow Dash: Okay, if you wanna win, you totally gotta get this drill down!
:[knees shaking]
:Fluttershy: I-I-I do?
:[epic rock training montage music]
:Fluttershy: [gasps, gasps loudly, gasps, whimpers]
:[brakes screech, music stops]
:Rainbow Dash: It's all about ball control.
:Fluttershy: [gasps] Whoa!
:Rainbow Dash: Ready? Go! Come on! Faster! You don't want Ponyville to lose because you can't get into high gear, do you?!
:Fluttershy: [gasps] Whoa! Ugh!
:Applejack: All right. Bein' able to buck a ball into a goal from any direction is the most important thing in the game.
:Pinkie Pie: Eh, if you say so.
:[bucks, thud]
:Pinkie Pie: Whee! Whee! Whee! Whoopee! Woo-hoo! [grunts]
:[thud]
:Pinkie Pie: Whee! Woo-hoo!
:[balls thudding]
:Applejack: Keep it up! Just one miss'll ruin the Apple family's buckball reputation forever!
:Pinkie Pie: Whoa! What?! [grunts]
:[bonk]
:Pinkie Pie: Whoops.
:[epic rock training montage music]
:Rainbow Dash: Come on! Push! Push! Push!
:[clang]
:[circling birdies]
:Applejack: Come on, now! Every shot is for Sweet Apple Acres! And me! And Dash! And all of Ponyville!
:Pinkie Pie: Whoa! Uhh! Ow.
:Rainbow Dash: Faster!
:Fluttershy: Whoa!
:Applejack: Come on now!
:Pinkie Pie: Wh-Wh-Whoa!
:Rainbow Dash: Come on!
:Fluttershy: Aah! [gasps]
:Applejack: Keep it up!
:Pinkie Pie: Whoa!
:Rainbow Dash: Come on!
:[bonking]
:Fluttershy: [gasps]
:Applejack: What in the apple happened to those two?
:Rainbow Dash: I don't know. They mopped the field with us before.
:Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie: [grunting]
:Applejack: All right! That's it for today, y'all!
:Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie: Phew!
:Pinkie Pie: I thought practice was supposed to make us better.
:Fluttershy: Maybe we just need a little rest.
:Rainbow Dash: Or a whole lot of it.
:Applejack: Just be sure to get your heads in the game before tomorrow. All of Ponyville is countin' on a win.
:Fluttershy: I really don't want to let Applejack and Rainbow Dash down, or anypony else, but after that practice, I'm not feeling very confident.
:Pinkie Pie: Maybe we weren't that bad!
:Fluttershy: [groans]
:Pinkie Pie: I guess I was hoping you saw something I didn't.
:Fluttershy: I know our friends want us to win, but how can the whole town be counting on us if most ponies have never even heard of buckball?
:Pinkie Pie: I know! How can we disappoint a pony who doesn't even know we have a team?
:Fluttershy: Or that we're gonna play Appleloosa?
:Pinkie Pie: Pfft. Yeah. I don't think we need to worry. I'd be surprised if anypony in this town cares about this game at all.
:Crowd: Go, Ponyville! Go, Ponyville! Win, win, win! [background cheering] Woo-hoo! Ponyville! Way to go!
:Snails: Whoa. The whole town really seems to care about this game a lot.
:Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie: [gasps]
:[train puffs]
:[crowd cheering]
:Rainbow Dash: Heh. We kinda went around town and talked up the team a little.
:Applejack: Yup! We wanted to make sure you two knew that all of Ponyville was behind you!
:Pinkie Pie: [nervous] Greaaaaat...
:Applejack: I hear the whole town's already plannin' a parade for when you get back after whuppin' Appleloosa! That should feel pretty good!
:Fluttershy: [nervous] It should...?
:Rainbow Dash: Totally! Just spend the whole ride to Appleloosa thinking about everypony cheering for the victorious Ponyville buckball team! [gasps] I bet Princess Celestia even comes to congratulate you! If that doesn't get you in "the zone", I don't know what will!
:Fluttershy: I don't know what zone Rainbow Dash is talking about, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to be in it. Do you?
:Rainbow Dash: Hey! You two are supposed to be in the zone!
:Pinkie Pie: [squeaks] You see... the thing is... thinking about everypony... thinking about us...! Aah! There's just no way to...!
:Fluttershy: There's no way that we can get in the zone, because the zone sounds like a horrible place since we are terrible at buckball and we are going to lose and let everypony down and we don't want to play anymore!
:Pinkie Pie: [bawling]
:Snails: I'm still okay with playing, in case you were worried.
:[general background chatter]
:Rainbow Dash: I don't get it. They're naturals! Why wouldn't they want to play anymore?
:Applejack: Maybe us telling them how much everypony was countin' on them messed them up somehow.
:Rainbow Dash: What?! That's crazy talk! Having ponies depend on you is exactly what you need to focus! And—
:Applejack: Get serious and play hard and—
:Rainbow Dash: Get ready to totally smash the competition, and— and... none of that sounds like Pinkie or Fluttershy, does it?
:Applejack: [sighs] Guess not. We got so wrapped up in what's important to us, we went and ruined what was fun about the game for them.
:Rainbow Dash: [groans] What do we do now?
:[knocking]
:[door opens]
:Rainbow Dash: Pinkie? Fluttershy?
:Applejack: We know you're in here! We've looked in every other car on the train!
:Fluttershy: [muffled] Maybe you need to look again!
:Pinkie Pie: [muffled] Yeah! Because... we're totally not in here!
:Fluttershy: [muffled] And we're definitely not in here if you're gonna try and make us play against Appleloosa!
:Pinkie Pie: Or anypony else!
:Applejack: [clears throat]
:Fluttershy: Oh... we're sorry to let you down. But it's better to do it now than during the game against Appleloosa.
:Rainbow Dash: You don't have to play against Appleloosa.
:Fluttershy: We don't?
:Applejack: Nope. We're gonna take your place. So you don't have to worry about that at all.
:Pinkie Pie: [sighs] Why didn't you say so?
:Rainbow Dash: But... we can't take on Braeburn and his team without any practice. So we need you to play just one more time.
:Applejack: Against us.
:Applejack: Now I know we mixed up the teams before, but since Dash and I really need the practice, we'll play against the two of you.
:Fluttershy: Oh, I don't know how much practice you'll get against us. We've been playing just awful.
:Rainbow Dash: Don't worry about it. Applejack and I just need a little workout.
:Applejack: Yup. You two just do your best.
:Pinkie Pie: I can do that!
:[whoosh]
:Pinkie Pie: [nervous whimper]
:[whoosh]
:Fluttershy: [nervous whimper]
:Pinkie Pie: [gasps]
:Applejack: Ahem.
:Fluttershy: [grunts] Huh!
:Pinkie Pie: Ooh! [grunts]
:Fluttershy: Looks like you two really do need practice!
:[various whooshes]
:[various thunks]
:Pinkie Pie: Hee-hee! Ha! Whee!
:Snails: [snoring]
:Fluttershy: [giggling] If you need more practice, we can keep going.
:Pinkie Pie: Yeah! I could do this all day!
:Rainbow Dash: [panting] No, thanks. Playing against you two is just as humiliating now as it was when we weren't trying to show you how awesome you are.
:Pinkie Pie: Wait... what?
:Snails: Finally!
:[thunk]
:Applejack: You must've noticed how you aren't bad anymore.
:Pinkie Pie: Oh, yeah! Weird!
:Fluttershy: But, um, why were we so terrible before?
:Rainbow Dash: I guess some ponies thrive on pressure and some ponies don't. And even though we weren't playing, we were treating you like us, which totally stressed you out.
:Applejack: And that just sucked the fun right out of the game for you.
:Rainbow Dash: And having fun is what makes you really, really, really good!
:Fluttershy: But being good doesn't matter if we're too afraid of letting ponies down.
:Pinkie Pie: Yeah! What about all those ponies back in Ponyville counting on us to win?
:Applejack: I'm sure folks want you to win, but not if worrying about it makes you miserable. Winning's never worth that.
:Fluttershy: But how do we keep from worrying about it?
:Snails: You could do what I do and not think about it. Seriously. I don't think about anything. Ever.
:Pinkie Pie: Hm. Works for me!
:[crowd cheers]
:Announcer: And with another bouncing goal from Pinkie Pie, the score is tied!
:Rainbow Dash: You guys are amazing!
:Pinkie Pie: [panting] Braeburn is really good!
:Fluttershy: So is that Pegasus. Oh, I don't know if we can win.
:Snails: You know what I would do?
:Pinkie Pie: Not think about it?
:Snails: Not think a— [beat] Oh, yeah. That.
:Applejack: Ha. And as long as you're havin' fun, it doesn't matter if you win or not.
:Lucky Clover: [blows whistle]
:Pinkie Pie: [giggles] I think it's more fun this way!
:[thwack]
:Announcer: And Pinkie wins the buckoff! But her shot's rejected! Back to Braeburn, whose kick's stopped by another Fluttershy save! Next point wins. Lots of tense back and forth here. Fluttershy unleashes her patented spin move, but Braeburn's there to— No! It's Pinkie with a somersault kick! What a move! And that's the game! Ponyville wins!
:Crowd: [chanting] Ponyville! Ponyville! Ponyville! Ponyville! Ponyville! Ponyville! Ponyville!
:Applejack: Huh. Looks like you three made quite an impression!
:Braeburn: Well, cousin, I have to admit. Your Ponyville team played a pretty good game.
:Rainbow Dash: Hah! Good game? We bucked the hooves right off of you!
:Braeburn: Yup, you sure as shootin' did. I'm gonna have to get real serious about a strategy for our rematch.
:Fluttershy: Oh, I wouldn't get too serious.
:Pinkie Pie: Yeah! Everypony knows the secret to good buckball is just having fun!
:Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Snails: [laughing]
:[credits]