Superhive Stadium was abuzz after the first event of the 2023 Marble League season. Team Pursuit only ended a few minutes ago, but officials were already moving to disassemble the white plastic structure that gleamed under the floodlights. Lingering fans excitedly discussed the event from up in the stands, and athletes cooled down deeper in the facilities. But on the edge of the stadium were gold medalists the Crazy Cat’s Eyes, squished together on a metal bench with an interviewer before them.
“It’s great to have you here today,” the interviewer said into their microphone with a smile. “Do you have anything you want to say before we start?”
“We’re honored to be the first medalists of the season. I hope you all had as much fun watching the event as we did participating,” Red Eye said, pride in their voice.
“Your performance today was impeccable, with your team earning times much faster than the rest of the field,” the interviewer began. “You had two non-finishers, but still came out on top despite that. What was your strategy for this event?” They tipped their microphone toward the athletes.
“Gravitrax plays to our strengths, so we knew if we gave it everything we had on all our runs we’d get a good result,” Yellow Eye said, leaning forward.
“When you’re going that fast, you don’t have time to correct any mistakes you make, which is why we had DNFs,” Green Eye said. “All the pieces came together in the final.”
“Spectators have been drawing parallels between today’s event and your Rafting run from last year’s Marble League,” the interviewer said, tilting their mic back toward themself. “Do you have any comments?”
“We were trying to make the best of a bad situation,” Yellow Eye began. “Today was intentional.”
“A calculated risk,” Red Eye added.
“You two have been more used to high speeds as of late,” the interviewer remarked to Blue Eye and Red Eye.
“I guess you could say that,” Blue Eye said slowly. “I don’t know how much it has to do with Marbula One, though. M1 track and Gravitrax are pretty different.”
A confused expression formed on the interviewer’s face. “I suppose that’s true.” After a moment’s pause, they continued, “Well, thank you for spending time with us today. Do you have anything you want to say to your fans?”
From a nearby section of grandstands, a group of young marbles squealed as they pressed against the barrier to get a better look. Their expressions were bright, stars in their eyes.
Red Eye grinned, turning back to the interviewer. “We’re gonna show everyone what we’re made of, just you wait.”
Finding somewhere in Buzznya tranquil enough to relax had been trying, but Wespy had managed it eventually. Overlooking the west of the city, its quiet residential district and streetlamp sunsets, sat a hill so steep and insurmountable that even the locals rarely climbed it. None of the opening celebrations had made it there, the noise of thousands of attendees which had followed them from the stadium to the city no more than a blip in the soundscape.
Reaching the top had required an arduous climb up an uncleared path of wildflowers and grasses, the sort that Coach Wyspy would no doubt have implored them not to make. But there was no coach here. There was nobody but Wespy themselves.
That was their assumption, at least. So high up and so far away, being alone was supposed to be a guarantee. So it surprised them to see Wispy settle wordlessly beside them, having silently ascended the trail themselves.
“How did you know I’d be here?” Wespy asked. A small part of them was frustrated at having their solitude interrupted, but they’d always welcome a teammate by their side.
“You said you wanted an early night, but you weren’t actually heading toward the village.” Wispy mused, sounding like a detective in an old noir.
“Yeah, but this place specifically.”
“Hmm. The view is great, it’s isolated…and you’re not really allowed to be here.”
Wespy had to bite back a laugh. Taking the bright-orange warning signs about fall risks as mere suggestions was certainly in-character. “Touché. But the same applies to you.”
“True.” Wispy sighed. “But if you won’t tell, I won’t.”
Wespy was already ahead of them on that. “Won’t say a word.” Having nothing to toast to their promise with, Wespy rolled gently into Wispy, who did the same.
“But if you want to know, I didn’t come all the way up here just to follow you.” Suddenly, Wispy looked a lot more serious. “A journalist kept asking if I was upset that our first League medal since 2020 came right after I quit the captaincy.”
“Oh.” Wespy hadn’t thought of the medal in those terms, but how could others not? It was a self-evident fact, after all. “They weren’t harassing you, were they?”
Wispy laughed shallowly. “Not after Waspy scared them away.”
“Well, if someone asks you that again, tell me, and I’ll shut it down.”
“I was fine. I suppose it’s a legitimate question, isn’t it?”
Wespy frowned and turned to Wispy, their gaze fixed on the dark sky and the few stars that weren’t blotted out by the city lights. “Maybe, but can’t they tell it’s an invasive thing to ask?”
“Sure. Their job is to be provocative.”
Despite how calm Wispy seemed, Wespy couldn’t accept that as an answer. “But they don’t know what you’ve been through.”
“They don’t. I chose to keep my time in therapy secret, after all.” Wispy sighed. “But I said publicly that I’d always be thankful for you taking the position. If marbles decide I’m secretly jealous or resentful, that’s their choice. It doesn’t change reality.”
Wespy turned back to the sky. As far away as they were, their eyes were still drawn to Superhive Stadium, a glowing dot amongst the swarming yellow lights. “And that reality is…?” they asked.
“That I’m behind Captain Wespy every step of the way.”
Needless to say, the first event of the 2023 Marble League did not go to plan for the Snowballs. As fast out of the gate as they were in the qualifiers, their high-speed strategy had collapsed with Snowdrift exiting the track and Snowstorm stalling, failing to finish along with Snowfall and Snowy.
Disappointing was an understatement. After fighting so hard for the team’s first qualification in years, they’d lost out in the first event for being too fast, even when the same strategy had worked out for the event’s uncontested winners. The Crazy Cat’s Eyes had never had to watch another year’s hope vanish down the drain or face the looming threat of relegation in the Showdown.
It wasn’t going to do them any good to build resentment; Snowy knew that. They’d flown too close to the sun and that was the end of things. And yet-
“Cap? I know you probably don’t want to see me right now, but I got you some coffee.”
Snowdrift’s voice broke them out of their thoughts. They looked around and found the fellow Snowball behind them, a steaming-hot mug of black coffee in their possession. Expression apologetic, they passed it over to their captain with a wistful sigh.
Snowy blinked down at the off-black surface, dotted with bubbles of burnished brown, like stars hanging in the night sky. Just barely, they could see their own reflection.
“I wish I could do more to apologize.” Snowdrift confessed. “My coordination wasn’t good enough. I let you – us – down.”
They breathed in the fragrant scent; took a long, deep sip. It was warm and comforting, something Snowdrift had truly put their best into. Snowy closed their eyes and focused on the taste.
“Don’t blame yourself. I’m just glad you weren’t hurt,” they said. “And despite everything… I’m so, so happy to be back.”
Three young marbles, Ruu, Saffy, and Em, sit in the old nook behind the elm tree in the park, chattering excitedly amongst themselves.
“Ruzzy signed my art!” Ruu chirps. “This is the best day of my life!” The drawing in question is a crayon scribble of an unusually buff Raspberry Racer punching a hurdle, shattering it, with tons of inexplicable explosions in the background. Along with their name, Ruzzy had also written ‘YEAHHHHHHHHHH!’
“That’s awesome, Ruu!” Saffy replies, before turning to the third of the posse. “I’m sorry you couldn’t make the autograph thingy, Em. I know how much you wanted to come. Which team are you cheering for, anyways?”
“Saffy! You know I love all the teams!” Em says indignantly. “And I’ll get their autographs anyways, you’ll see!”
Ruu scoffs. “You can’t cheer for every team! That’s cheating! You have to choose a favorite!”
“And they haven’t scheduled any more signing days,” Saffy adds.
“Hmph! You guys suck!” Em huffs. “All the teams are my favorite!”
“You’re weird, Em,” Ruu says. “You can’t have more than one favorite.”
Em stands up, hurt. “Yeah? Well, you’re a meanie! I’ll show you! I’ll get an autograph from all the teams! I will!” They run off, holding back tears.
A moment passes. “Do you think we should go after them?”
“Nah. They’re always like that.”
Credits
- Writers: Evolution, Flamigiri, Millim
- Copyeditors/Editors: GhostDM, Stynth
- Graphic Designers: Flamigiri
- Photographers: Jelle’s Marble Runs
- Reference: Marble League 2023 OPENING CEREMONY + E1: Team Pursuit | Jelle’s Marble Runs
- Release: 21/10/2023
Project Marblearth 