Chapter 23: Fun Fall Race
"Thank you, mom," Joy told Celestia happily as he embraced her.
"Yeah, thank you, Princess Celestia," Bubble added with gratitude to her. "Thank you for letting us go to Ponyville to meet our friends again."
"It's alright," Celestia giggled happily as she ruffled his hair with her wing. "Just stay close alright? And don't go anywhere alone."
"Yes, mom," Joy reassured her. "I know."
And with that, both heard the train arrive and they went aboard the train to Ponyville. Both were very happy. Especially considering what happened a few weeks back, they were almost expecting her to say no, but as it turned out Celestia was more understanding than they both considered her to be.
"All aboard!"
The call came and the train was headed to Ponyville. It was difficult for them to contain their excitement at that.
"So, have you ever participated in a race before?" Bubble suddenly asked.
"Hmm… I raced with Shiny a few times," Joy replied to her. "But let's just say, two legs are probably not as fast as four legs."
"How long ago was that?" Bubble asked curiously.
"I don't remember," Joy replied. "But it was around the time when you were at Manehattan."
"Oh," Bubble nodded and narrowed her eyes as she told her. "I see. By the way, my sweetie. A fair warning, I won't go easy on you."
Time seemed to pass very quickly as they kept on talking and before they knew they had reached Ponyville.
"Ponyville is here!" Joy said happily, as he and Bubble came off the train and headed straight to the Golden Oak Library. On their way, they were suddenly tackled by a pink blur who caught them off guard.
"YOU'RE HERE!"
As expected, that pink blur was none other than Pinkie Pie who was very excited to see them. Both chuckled happily at that.
"Yeah, Pinkie. We're here," Joy chuckled. "So, how have you been?'
"Just as pink as usual!" Pinkie replied. "Are you here to participate in the Fall Weather Race?"
"Yeah," Bubble nodded happily. "I'm so~ excited. I have never participated in such a race before."
"You'd love it!"
The pink pony told them and headed to Golden Oak Library alongside them. Eventually, they reached there and found Twilight at the door, who was waving at them.
"Hi!" Twilight said excitedly, clearly happy to see her friends once more. "It's so good to see you again."
"Yeah, good to see you too, Twilight," Joy said in reply, and soon noticed Spike who was in the process of setting up a table for them. "Hey, little Spike."
"Hey there, you two," Spike said happily to them and walked up to them for a group hug that lasted for a few moments. Pinkie smiled happily and joined in the hug with extra enthusiasm at that.
"Group hug!" She shouted gleefully, and then released the hug after a moment. "I should get going now. Cupcakes aren't gonna make themselves. See ya."
Just like that, she left, presumably back to Sugar Cube Corner.
"C'mon in," Twilight said at length, and let out a small giggle.
They sat around the table and started munching on their snacks, as they refreshed some old memories. Twilight mentioned how Rainbow and Applejack were trying to compete with each other once. It was something about getting the title of iron pony. The couple was unsurprised to hear that. Over time, they had come to understand that both of those mares were always on it, one way or the other.
It was then when at the mention of Everfree forest and the blue plant that ruined their entire day, they both came to know that Twilight and her friends at Ponyville too had an accident with the poison joke some time before them. It would have been helpful to know earlier, they thought.
"...Uh, yeah. We learned our lesson," Bubble chuckled at that. "We're never gonna touch the weird plants from Everfee ever again. Right, my sweetie?"
"Yeah, of course," Joy nodded, seemingly a little embarrassed thinking back on it. "Everfree is very dangerous. But… I'm curious, why is it like that?"
"Hmm… No one knows," Twilight said thoughtfully. "But there are rumors and myths why it is like that."
"Oh?" Joy looked interested. "What are the rumors?"
"It's said the forest is haunted by a creature known as Pony of Shadows," Twilight told them. "A dark monstrous creature purely made from the darkness. But of course, that's not true at all."
"Are you sure?" Bubble asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity. "What if it is real?"
"It's not. I mean, no one ever saw it and there are hardly any authentic reports on the sightings of the creature," Twilight reasoned. "So yeah. I don't believe that it exists."
"Alright," Bubble shrugged at that. "I'm just making a mental note of not going near that place unless it's absolutely necessary."
"I agree," Joy nodded. "I don't wanna know what else could be hiding in that forest."
After the chit-chat for what seemed to be a little time to them, they noticed the time and saw that it was already evening. They shared another chuckle as Joy and Bubble took their leave and headed to their own apartment in Ponyville. Tomorrow was the Fall Weather Race and both were pretty excited about it.
In their bed, right before they would go to sleep, they were lying face to face with each other, embracing each other affectionately. They didn't talk about the murder attempt that was made on Joy with any of their friends in Ponyville, but Bubble realized very well that her dearly beloved was still… a little uneasy.
"Are you doing better, my sweetie?" She asked, gently caressing his hair.
"Yes… I am," Joy nodded, and then added with a slight sigh. "Much better than before… But…"
"But…?" She asked him. "But what?"
"It still upsets me why that happened… I didn't even know that pony and he just…"
"Well, don't think too much about that… I'm sure we're safe here in Ponyville," she told him reassuringly.
"Thank you… Bubs," Joy said to her, sighing deeply with some relief at that as he stroked her mane and kissed her forehead. "Maybe… We should go to sleep now."
"Yeah… Let's go to sleep. We've to get ready for the race after all," Bubble told him and then kissed his forehead. "Sweet dream, my sweetie."
"Sweet dreams to you too, my sweetheart," came the reply, as he shifted in his bed a little and then closed his eyes as he started to fall asleep.
"Hmm…"
Bubble hummed softly, as she closed her eyes as well, and to the soft breathing of her beloved, she started to fall asleep.
"The Next Day"
The fall weather race was here. Both of them reached there just in time. Bubble was very excited, not because that was her first time participating in any sports, but because she was excited to race alongside her very special someone. Pinkie and Spike had taken the roles of spectators and commentators of the race.
"Hey, how about we race each other?" Bubble told Joy with confidence in her tone. "I'm sure I can defeat you~"
"You sure? Joy raised an eyebrow. "I'm not that slow."
"It's four against two, my sweetie," she giggled at him. "It might not even be a competition."
At a distance, she noticed Rainbow, and Applejack too and waved at them, but both of them were too busy arguing with each other even now when the race was about to start. She sighed and then looked ahead.
"Alright ponies, are you ready!" Pinkie suddenly shouted.
"Get set!" Spike followed, and then with the ringing of the bell, all the ponies started to race.
She wasn't particularly fast, but she wasn't that behind either and that was good enough for her. She noticed Joy a little far behind herself, not too far, trying his best to run as fast as he could. She did feel proud of him and despite that she felt slightly bad that he would lose, she was far more excited to get a decent place in the race.
"Keep up!" She shouted encouragingly at him and kept running forward without looking back.
'Bubble!' She thought she heard the distressed voice of his coltfriend, but she was not sure because of the noise caused by the hooves of all other races. She slowed down and looked behind and he was nowhere to be seen. It couldn't be him, she thought to herself and kept on running. She knew she would see him at the finish line once more, so she just tried to focus on the race.
However, she felt a stretch in her chest. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew something felt off. However, she kept telling herself that everything was good, and she would see Joy once she would reach the finish line.
Eventually, she reached the finish line. She wasn't first, but she wasn't anywhere close to last either. There was a smile across her face and for the moment, she completely forgot about Joy. But it would soon hit her like a truck when she noticed that even the last pony had crossed the finish line, and there were still no signs of her bipedal sweetheart.
"Joy…?" She spoke disheartened, not sure why he wasn't there yet. She then remembered his distressed cry and felt her heart drop in her stomach. She stumbled as she tried to ask others whether they had seen him, but no luck.
"Who?"
"The Prince? I don't know…"
"No… Sorry about that…"
That was impossible…
He was taller than any other pony there and walked on two legs. He would stand out even amongst hundreds of ponies. Tears started to streak down her cheeks as she ran back to the race track, crying for him.
"JOY!"
"MY LOVE!"
"WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"PLEASE COME BACK…! Please… Come back…! Think of your mother… Think of me… Please don't leave us alone…!"
She collapsed on the ground and didn't look up until sometime later. The racetrack for some reason seemed to be going on forever. She was completely and utterly alone. Joy wasn't there. No one was.
"Hello…? Anyone there?"
Suddenly, she felt the moon shine above her head and looked above as the Princess of Moon descended from the sky.
"Princess Luna?" Bubble asked, and then came to a realization. "Is it just a dream then?"
"Indeed," Luna nodded, a smile across her face. "It's just a nightmare. Brought on by your subconscious fears for Joy."
"I thought I wasn't worried anymore about that," Bubble lowered her head, her tears still trickling down from before.
"It's not easy to let go of your fears that soon," Luna reassured her, lifting her face up and wiping her tears with one of her wings. "But it's okay to feel worried for your loved ones, my dear."
"Th- thank you, Princess Luna," Bubble said, managing a smile. "I don't want to lose him."
"He's still with you," Luna told her, reassuringly. "Do not worry."
"I know…" Bubble chuckled a little at that.
"I'll be leaving now, dear Bubble," Luna said to her, as she spread her wings to soar towards the sky. "Take care."
"I will," Bubble nodded. "Bye~"
>Bubble was relieved now and then started to walk aimlessly in the empty field, as she waited for this dream to be over. She was happy that when she would woke up, he would be right by her side.<
Another day soon came to welcome Equestria's population. Bubble woke up too, and as always Joy was asleep by her side. She smiled to see that and kissed his forehead. She then got up from the bed herself and combed her mane.
"Joy," she nudged him. "Wake up, my sweetie."
It took some time but soon he opened his eyes and looked at her with a smile. "Is it… Is it already time yet?"
"Not yet," Bubble shook her head. "But we should get up and make preparations. We shouldn't go racing empty stomachs."
"Oh… right!" Joy said, sitting up and stretching his arms a bit. "I'll make breakfast."
"Sure," Bubble nodded at that. "I'll take a bath by then."
"Alright," Joy agreed, and then got out of her bed. "I'll get to make breakfast then."
"Good," Bubble chuckled and headed to the bathroom. She wasn't afraid anymore because of the nightmare that she had. However, she was still a bit worried that someone was trying to harm him but she didn't let this get to herself this time.
So overall, they started their day on a rather positive note. Everything seemed good so far and it would only be a matter of little time before they both would be ready to head to the fall weather race.
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At the beginning of the racetrack, Bubble was a little unnerved to see that many details that she remembered from her dream were pretty much the same. However, she was relieved to see that it was not exactly the same as her dream. Still, she could not help but feel cautious.
"Hey Bubs, how about we race each other?" Joy asked her. "Find out who's the faster of both of us?"
"Uh…" she couldn't form a reply for some time before she shook her head, and then told him. "We can… But I don't think that's the point of the fall weather race, is it?"
"Hmm… I guess not," he agreed, even though he sounded a bit disappointed at that response. "Still, Rainbow and Jack are having their own race too."
"I know… But you know, they're kind of like that when it comes to proving who's better than the other," she reasoned. "We should be more focused on enjoying the event rather than winning."
"Hmm… Okay," he nodded with a sigh, but then quickly composed himself. "I mean, that sounds just as good-"
"Alright ponies, are you ready!" Pinkie suddenly shouted.
"Get set!" Spike followed, and then with the ringing of the bell, all the ponies started to race.
Joy quickly found that he was outmatched even by the slowest of ponies. His two legs were not built to run as fast as their four legs. Only in a few moments or so, he thought he'd definitely be the last one to finish the race, which was definitely a bit of a let down.
"Don't worry, Joy," he suddenly noticed that Bubble was still beside him. "I won't run too fast, so you won't have to run alone."
"Thank you, Bubble," Joy smiled, but just the other moment his smile disappeared. "But it feels as if I'm just holding you back."
"You're not holding me back," she replied with a giggle. "I would just rather choose to stay by your side."
He couldn't help but feel flattered, however, he was a bit confused as well. Bubble was always supportive, but she was kind of competitive as well. So, the fact that she just refused to even try to win just to stay by his side felt a little odd to him.
"Besides, no offense, but without magic, you're hardly able to keep up with a pony," she acknowledged. "It'd not be a fair match whatsoever."
Joy thought about this and thought that it was the very reason why she was like that. He then chuckled.
"What's so funny, huh?" She asked, glancing sideways at him.
"You look adorable when you're that caring," he told her with a look of appreciation.
She chuckled. "Thank you, my sweetie."
Off they went towards the finish line running at a moderate speed while they talked to each other and had fun all the way. Truly enjoying the race for what it was.
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Far far away, somewhere in the cave surrounded by icy storms, the cult master seemed to be occupied with something important, all isolated in his section of the cave. The rest of the members stayed away because they realized that it was best for them if they held their life dear.
He stood inside a pitch black circle yet not exactly in the center, chanting something in the language unknown to the rest. The language of old alicorns, known only as the Aluish. The moment he was done with the chant, he took off his hood, his eyes pure black as a dark aura crept up from the base of his horn and then started to leak out the pointy tip as a black sludge. A few drops dripped in the center of the dark circle, as he felt a kind of cold emanating from it. The pitch black circle then came to life, the darkness getting together in the form of an amorphous mass with vaguely pony-like features, but not quiet.
A deep sigh came from the mass, and then in a reverberating feminine voice, it spoke to the cult master. The tone itself was apathetic and almost psychotic.
"Ah, Onyx, my servant. Why have you summoned me? Has the ritual reached the conclusion?"
"Unfortunately no, my Dark Mistress," came the reply. "We have not managed to retrieve our target yet. It's stronger than it seems and it's under the protection of Alicorns' magic… and a wretched mare's always by its side… Too pure, too protective of that… deformed anomaly."
"Then, what's your purpose to summon me? If it's not a reason worthy of my attention, you'll surely suffer a fate worse than death," the "Dark Mistress" spoke with an angry undertone.
"The underlings I hired are not fit for the job, my Dark Mistress," the cultist, namely Onyx replied. "I, your pathetic servant, request your help."
He stayed silent after that, his head lowered and his muzzle was almost scraping against the ground. The so-called Dark Mistress stayed silent for some more time. But then finally, a response came.
"Very well," came the slightly frustrated reply. "If that's what you need to complete the ritual, then I'll offer you my assistance."
"Your servants are grateful, my Dark Mistress," Onyx replied, a bit relieved to hear that.
"However, do not forget, failure is not an option," the dark mass said once more before it started to absorb back into where it had come from, leaving behind crystals of a dark purple hue. "Take these gems… Each one of them is imbued with my essence."
Onyx felt a chill run down his spine as he held the gems in his magical aura. His mind was bombarded with visions, far more horrifying than he could ever have imagined. So much so, that his eyes become bloodshot. However, in the midst of this, a smirk crossed his face.
"You know what to do next," a whisper came from the dark mass that had finally disappeared into the black circle.
"Y- yes, I do," Onyx gasped in reply. "I- I certainly do…"
No further response came from the dark mass anymore. But with a demonic smirk still plastered on the cultist unicorn face, it was clear whatever would come next, would not be pretty.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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myyt_account Author's Note: I realize that it was far later an update than I had expected. I'll try to upload more chapters in a shorter time in the future. For now, I hope you enjoyed it.
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