Back to back to back. In 58 races of the Marble Rally and the entire competitive history of Jelle’s Marble Runs, it had never been done. No competitor had ever earned three consecutive gold medals in one season…until Season 6 of the Marble Rally.
Coming off the best race of their career and starting from dead last on the grid for the second week in a row, Ghost Plasma lurched out of the gate into the top half, taking ten seconds to reach third position. From there, they stayed within range, closely tracking Red Number 3 and Crazy Cat’s Eye until both made mistakes that allowed Ghost Plasma to float into the lead by the halfway point. The Season 1 champion never lost their lead, and save for one close encounter with a drop, coasted to victory.
Now, Ghost Plasma was doing their best to coast away from a gaggle of finish-line press, which had nearly doubled in size since the previous race. As we overheard one reporter lamenting about traveling from the Ohisles only to be denied an interview, we ran into Ghosto, the reserve member for Team Plasma.
“Big Plasma handles the spotlight better than I do, but it’s a lot of pressure for any marble to face. Sometimes you need to tune out the attention and focus on yourself.”
Perched on a dune bordering Sector 2, we watched race officials catch up with Ghost Plasma, protecting them as they rolled through the leaves and toward the podium. We jumped when we heard a voice slyly ask us, “You didn’t want to join in on the fun?”
Crazy Cat’s Eye chuckled, rolling out in front. “Me neither. What Ghost is doing is nothing short of historic. It was an honor to lose the lead to them in the race. But I think I did as well as I could otherwise.”
“Both of us have come a long way from rough starts to the season,” added Lollipop, also causing us to jump in surprise. “Haha! We should have invited Roldo this time.”
“That was a nice over-and-under, Lolly.”
“Not as nice as that divebomb! Talk about a flashy feline.”
The three of us rolled down to the podium together, cheering as Ghost Plasma donned their third gold of Season 6. While Crazy Cat’s Eye received their silver, we overheard Reflektor congratulating Superball on their way to the front.
“Thanks…I’m sorry about that overtake in the final stretch. You had an amazing race.”
“And so did you! That’s a feeling you shouldn’t let go of. You earned your bronze!”
The Season 5 champion smiled warmly, glancing down at their bronze medal. In its reflection, one could barely make out a marble donning their iconic morning glory outfit, inviting Superball forward to join them on the podium.
Credits
- Writer: Stynth
- Photographer: Jelle’s Marble Runs
- Reference: Marble Rally S6 – Race 5 | Jelle’s Marble Runs
- Release: 10/03/2023
Project Marblearth 