It was quiet throughout the city of Rubow. Now that the Marbula One season was wrapping, the city’s marbles had gone back to tending to their duties. As the team was already relegated to the bottom 5 of the table the week prior, excitement slowly died down as life returned to normalcy.
The Raspberry Racers had dealt with hardships before, but not quite like the recent Marbula One season. Despite Rubow’s hype upon their return from a one year hiatus, their home performance only amassed a single point, with the rest of the season following a similar trend, ultimately ending with 5 scoreless races. This was the team’s first dead last performance.
Razzy and Rizzy hoped to put M1 behind them for good as they rejoined their fellow teammates in Marble League preparation. As captain, Razzy was used to constant criticism. After all, it was their job to look out for their teammates and help them all move on. Even so, 37th in the standings had stung more than anything in their career so far, including their blue flag incident at the Raceforest in M1 season 2.
As for Rizzy, this was an all time low. Finishing low in circuit events was nothing new to them, as they had dealt with a 15th place in Marblocross in 2021. But back then, they had an amazing Marble League season, ending in silver, to comfort them. Now, it was a tie for overall last. Though trying all they could to put the season behind them, every minor mistake in training only led to increasing frustration. The pair needed to reboot, and Razzy knew exactly what they needed.
–
The announcement of Starbula One came as a shock to the whole Marble League circuit. Those at the top of the M1 standings acknowledged it, but ultimately carried on with their celebrations. Meanwhile, those who weren’t invited to M1 were downright ecstatic at the prospect of competing again. Yet there was one group who ultimately could not feel much about this announcement: the bottom half of the M1 table.
Some teams, such as the Pinkies and Shining Swarm, saw less than optimal results and ultimately blended into the background. Others like the Thunderbolts and Bumblebees sat near the bottom of the standings, but at least had a medal to call their own, as well as all the publicity that came with the achievement. However, for the Wolfpack and Chocolatiers, the season brought nothing but disappointment. And now it came with the burden of missing an all new experience in the marble sports world.
Choc and Mocha weren’t taking the season’s results very well. Choc decided to pull out some fan mail in order to lift their spirits and remind themselves of who they’re competing for.
“I mean, just look at all of this!” Choc said as they took a bite of a chocolate treat gifted by a fan, “This Marbula One stuff may not be our thing, but we’ve got a whole Marble League ahead of us. We’re coming off of two straight qualifications, so let’s put our efforts into making it 3!”
“But all of these people, they were counting on us,” replied a disheartened Mocha. “They brought me back over Bonbon who won a race! And I repaid their support with-“
Mocha’s eyes were drawn to a pink envelope signed by Razzy. They immediately opened and read the letter while Choc stayed inquisitively quiet.
“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Mocha.
“What’s going on?” replied Choc
“The Raspberry Racers have invited us to their training facility!”
“What? That’s impossible. Why would they choose to train with us over their usual friends?”
“Because it’s not a training session. It turns out they’ve invited us for a watch party of the Starbula One finale! And it’s not just us, it seems they’ve also invited…”
–
The Wolfpack marbles ducked and weaved through the fields of Tumbletown. Fenrir and Sirius were tired of being stuck on the asphalt circuits and longed for a good run like this. Their excitement was not misplaced, as for once they had been invited to participate in an offseason event with another team, even if it was just a watch party.
“Ah, it’s such a beautiful day! We may be down but we’re not out!” exclaimed an excited Fenrir.
“I mean, technically we are out of both competitions. But at least this gives us a chance to get up again, right?” panted a tired yet undeterred Sirius.
“Haha! Right you are!” retorted Fenrir. “If the moon has been guiding us right, we should be getting there… now!”
Despite it being broad daylight, the duo miraculously emerged from the tree line right by the front entrance of the training facility, much to the shock of the Chocolatier pair waiting there already.
“Oh, it’s just you two,” exclaimed Choc, trying to lower their heart rate.
The pairs needed no introduction, as they had raced alongside one another for the entire M1 season. After a few minutes, Razzy appeared.
“Welcome to the best facility this side of Tumbletown! So glad you all could make it!”
Razzy guided the competitors through their state of the art facility. They passed a few boardrooms and a room devoted to their team history before eventually arriving at their various preparation areas, some of which were being actively used by Rezzy, Rozzy, and Ruzzy. Razzy asked that their guests avert their eyes, which Choc and Mocha respectfully did. Fenrir, however, showed no concern.
“Oh don’t mind Sirius and I. Us Pack members don’t need all of this fancy technology stuff in order to improve. As long as we have the open world and the moon as our guide, we have all we need to win.”
“You two sure do love running through the forest, huh?” inquired Mocha, remembering the pair bursting through the trees a few minutes prior.
“Well of course. How do you think the league found us?” retorted Fenrir.
But Mocha was only half-listening. They and Sirius had stopped to stare in sheer amazement at the Raspberry Racers’ Marble League championship trophy. They were mesmerized by a shine that revealed perfect reflections of themselvesbefore being pulled away by their teammates.
Eventually, they arrived at their destination.“Welcome to our lounge!” declared Razzy.
The room contained a few couches, tables, lockers, and a television with pre-race coverage already turned on. Rizzy had just finished setting up the room, and quickly scrambled to grab the treat basket they had prepared.
“With how seriously you guys take this competition, I’m surprised you decided to add such a place,” pondered Choc.
“With all of the tickets we sold at both Razzway Grands Prix, could you blame us?” panted Rizzy as they had finally finished prep. They offered their basket. “Would any of you care for a freshly picked raspberry? We have Tumbletown’s best!”
Choc and Mocha took a few before presenting their own chocolate treats. Meanwhile, Fenrir and Sirius stood there awkwardly.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know we were expected to bring snacks,” sighed a worried Sirius.
“That’s alright,” assured Razzy. “You’ll get used to team traditions as you spend more time on the circuit. And then you get to experience the fun of creating your own.”
The marbles had a great time snacking and chatting about their careers. After a few minutes of discussing the recent M1 season, Choc had finally asked Razzy why they and Wolfpack specifically were invited.
“Well, you see, we’re no strangers to having downturns in performance. The end of 2020 was especially rough on us, as it felt like we were hammered with 15th place finishes. But then, out of nowhere, the Green Ducks had sent our team an invitation to hang out at a pond in the Brace Isles. As it turns out, our battle the year prior was the most fun they had in their careers, and they wanted to make sure we weren’t discouraged. And that day still remains one of my favorite in my career.”
“But of course, we’re still competitors,” interjected Rizzy. “We still have a rivalry, just not the kind we have with the Limers. If you know what I mean.”
The group nodded in agreement.
“The point is that we know how it feels to be discouraged in competition. We wouldn’t wish it on anyone. And now that this Starbula One competition is going on, we wanted to make sure no team was left behind.”
The feeling of gratitude quickly spread throughout the room. Even Rizzy felt inspired by their captain at that moment. Discussion of the highs and lows of the recent M1 season went on for about an hour until the pre-race coverage wrapped up. From that point on, the marbles were glued to the TV.
The watch party was an amazing time full of cheering and gasping, with the occasional howling every time the camera panned to the night sky. This was until Aqua’s elimination, where the camera held on a small group of Oceanics fans holding up a “Noceanics” sign.
“Come on! Who keeps inviting these fair-weather fans to events?” shouted a ticked off Choc.
“I feel so bad for the athletes, they were doing amazing these last few events. But hey, it happens to the best of us” replied Razzy. “Hey Rizzy, remember that one time a reporter said we had ‘Limers withdrawal’ in 2020?”
The Racers marbles and Choc had a good laugh before quickly diving into a conversation about how they’d approach the Starbula One event. Mocha sat quietly next to Choc, as they had nothing to say. This was until they turned their head to see Fenrir and Sirius sitting alone and keeping to themselves. Sirius especially looked extremely discouraged. Mocha decided to move closer to the pair.
“So, how are you guys enjoying this event?” they asked. But Sirius barely heard any of it.
“Their own fans would turn on them? Even after one event? What does that mean for us? We had 7 scoreless performances! Our fanbase is already so small…”
This was all Sirius could mutter as they tried to hold back tears. Fenrir could only bring Sirius in closer. Despite being the more talkative of the two, they had nothing to say.
“I know what you mean. My team has been there a lot of times. Heck, we’ve been called the ‘Choke-latiers’ more than we’d like to admit. We thought missing Marble League 2020 would’ve been our undoing, but Choc wouldn’t let us down.” Mocha took a look over at Choc, who was still cheerfully discussing the event with the Racers.
“Under their newfound captaincy, we bounced back and finished 3rd in the showdown! And they love giving us mail from our fans to cheer us up.” Mocha’s face lit up as they said that, the morning playing out again in their head. Choc knew what they were doing, now it was their turn.
“So yeah, sometimes you may feel like you’ve let your fans down, but remember they’re your fans for a reason. They’ll stick with you through thick and thin. And while you’ll have the occasional doubter, the vast majority are there for the long run. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have supportive teammates too.”
Fenrir perked up at these comments. “You know what, you’re right! We’ve been a Pack as long as I can remember, and our fans are just as big a part of it! That’s what Coach Akela has been telling us for the longest time, haven’t they, Sirius?”
Sirius was able to muster a little smile. “Yeah, you’re right, Fenrir.”
“I always try to be,” replied Fenrir, trying to help further cheer up their teammate.
“And thank you, Mocha. We really needed this” added Sirius.
“Don’t worry, I did too,” answered Mocha.
“Wow! Snowy is FLYING down this track!” cheered Razzy.
“I guess the legends you tell are true!” Rizzy shouted back.
“Now, let’s get back to what we came here for!” exclaimed Mocha.
As the event progressed, the lounging marbles enjoyed a night of snacks, stories, and an event like no other. And despite their professional athlete status, they couldn’t help but to scream like little kids at the intense photo finish to end off the Starbula One tournament.
Once the event concluded and their basket of treats was reduced to crumbs, the Raspberry Racers showed their guests to the door.
“Are you all ok with making your way back home? I know it’s very late, and we could set something up for you,” asked a concerned Rizzy.
Fenrir showed no concern back, as they responded “Oh please, the night is the best time to travel! With the moon as our guide, we’ll be back by morning! C’mon, Sirius!”
Fenrir took off into the forest. Sirius stopped for a second to turn back and wave to their new friends before bolting after their teammate.
“…Do they even live on this continent?” asked a very confused Razzy.
“That team might just be the weirdest one I’ve seen in all my days” muttered Choc.
It was Mocha who broke the state of utter confusion. “You know what? After today, I think they’ll be just fine. Ready to go back to our hotel?”
“I sure am. Thanks again for the invite! It was a blast!” called Choc to the Racers.
“It was our pleasure!” acknowledged Razzy. “See you at the qualifiers!”
Just like that, the Chocolatiers’ athletes walked into the night. After a few minutes, Mocha broke the silence.
“I think we need to do a better job at being a pack, y’know? I want what we had back in 2020, where we don’t feel like we need to fight one another for success.”
Choc was quite surprised to hear this response, but ultimately understood. They had spent the whole night chatting with another team.
“I can see what you mean, and I guess that’s partly my fault too. I can’t say I know what to fix, but I’ll do what I can to be your captain when we get back home.”
That answer was good enough for now, but only time would tell what would happen when the Marble League season started back up. However, for the Raspberry Racers, they found what they lost during the last few months.
“Are you feeling better after tonight?” asked Razzy.
“I think so” answered Rizzy. “It’s nice to be reminded that there are some really friendly competitors out there. Which… I guess that was the point of Starbula One.”
“Right you are. Now, let’s be sure to get some good sleep tonight. I know that if Berry doesn’t make us train extra tomorrow, our teammates sure will.”
The two laughed it off. They knew Marble League 2023 would be a tough one, but tonight, all of that didn’t matter.
Credits
- Writer: Junebug
- Copyeditors/Editors: Millim, Stynth
- Release: 18/10/2024
Project Marblearth 