Now in the tail end of winter, the very worst of the Glidavik cold had passed. Daytime temperatures occasionally rose beyond the negatives, and the brief daytime itself had gradually crept later and later into the day. Too bad was that the warming conditions turned the charm of snowfall into the burden of rain, an influx of which had delayed the event and looked to continue long into the night.
From behind a glass windowpane that reflected them more than it did the outside world, Shimmer mourned the conditions over a steaming mug of coffee. “You’re lucky you got into All-Stars, you know,” they quipped, watching raindrops catch on the eaves of the on-site cafe. “You got the last of the snow, and all I get is this.”
“You hate the snow,” Pinky Panther countered between sips of their milkshake.
Shimmer scoffed. “What? I don’t.”
“Well, that’s what you said when it was snowing during MX,” Panther retorted.
“I hate the snow in Hunluen. It’s just mud waiting to happen. This is different,” they replied, gesturing vaguely around them. “And since when do you remember everything I say?”
Panther shrugged as one of the waitstaff came over to refill Shimmer’s coffee. “I’ve been thinking about the tournament today, that’s all. Blame Orbit.”
That got a smile out of Shimmer. “You two still geeking out about comics nowadays, then?”
“Comics are art, you know.”
“Sorry. Geeking out about art nowadays?”
“Obviously. Want me to bore you?”
Shimmer looked back towards the window. Rain, darkness, and nothing in between. “Sure. I’ve got time.”
(Art Credit: Shimmer)
Every time they blinked, the number appeared behind Smokey’s eyes. Twelfth. It was… Well, it wasn’t good. It wasn’t Royal’s fault, not entirely- shoving was a perfectly valid technique in Ski Rally, Smokey had already learned- but as a black mark on the now-blank slate of their career, it was less than desirable. As they returned to the assigned team strategy centre from their locker-room debrief with the Kobalts captain, the ambient black cloud of malaise that had followed them since the Hazers hit rock-bottom in the League was almost tangible. Smokey had learned this, too- that even on the good days, it never quite went away.
Dodger was waiting for them alone. They’d spent the whole day in the room, a tale told in the mounting piles of snack wrappers and spreadsheets assembled by their sophisticated custom-built laptop. “Good to have you back, coach,” was all they said as Smokey lingered awkwardly by the doorway. No mention of the poor result or of Royal’s performance at all.
“Twelfth,” Smokey replied. Dodger didn’t need telling- the live broadcast of the event was still open on their screen- but Smokey loathed to beat around the bush. “I can only apologise.”
The atmosphere was stifling, and the air between them was far from clear. But rather than turning cold or critical, Dodger merely nodded understandingly and smiled. “It’s the first event,” they declared, “and you haven’t had time to train them yet. I understand.”
The dark clouds parted slightly, and Smokey let out a silent sigh of relief. “Thank you. As there’s nothing else, I’ll be returning to my room for the night.” Scot-free, they thought, turning to leave as they’d always done.
Except-
“Nothing else? You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
Smokey’s heart sank. “…What is it?”
“Press duties, coach! Every Zuronian outlet worth its salt has a reporter here, you know. They’re waiting for you as we speak.”
Turning back to face Dodger, Smokey couldn’t help the way their expression twisted, nor could they hide their disappointment. “Aw, no need to be so down. I’ll accompany you!” Dodger said, still smiling. Perhaps it would have been worth trying.
“I… Very well.” The clouds regrouped.
Dodger grinned as they rose from their seat. “See, I knew you’d come around…”
(Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
The rocket to victory was getting closer to its destination. Now the Purple Rockets sat atop the standings, like astromarbles watching Marblearth from afar. The rest of the competing athletes in the Showdown took the Purple Rockets being at the top with a grain of salt. But for the Purple Rockets it only fuelled their motivation. Two silver medals, back to back, was something they never dreamed of. They wished to the stars to maintain this momentum.
Having finished one of their long and testing hikes, Blast and their two silver medalling friends stood in the isolated regions of Glidavik. Saucer was still feeling exhausted from the earlier event. Blast rolled over to Orbit, noticing how they were frozen in a train of thought. The sun was starting to set, and the stars began to illuminate the frigid sky. However, while rummaging in their bag, Blast noticed they had forgotten their telescope.
“Oh stars…! I forgot my telescope! Did I leave it at the hotel? Did I lose it on the hike here? Ah, what do I do…?” Blast rummaged through their bag, but to no avail. “You know what, I’ll go back the way I came! See ya!”
The two medalists watched as Blast rapidly rolled away. Now it was just the two of them and the stars. Saucer tilted their head to see the first stars light up the dusky sky, while Orbit remained unmoving, their mouth agape. Saucer took note of Orbit’s lack of reaction.
“Orbit, are you alright..? Look at the sky, we’ll-”
They were cut off by Orbit responding. “I…It’s fine. I’m faring alright, why?”
“You look distressed,” Saucer begun. “And when Blast was around, you weren’t reacting to anything. Are you sure you are doing okay?”
Orbit sighed. “Yes, I think I’m a bit too overwhelmed by everything. I feel like the Showdown is… you know, stressful? Even if we have nothing to lose this time.”
“It’s okay to feel that way. I used to feel like that in my professor days. Stop thinking about the tournament for the moment, have some fun.” Saucer then handed Orbit the ornate telescope they had given Saucer after Marble Survival 100. “Take this back, you deserve it.”
“No. You do. You got a silver medal too. Besides, I meant for you to keep that! And to top it off, you did much better than me. I could never endure the funnels for that long.”
The two exchanged words until Blast came back, breaking the silence. They brought two marbles with them, marbles that Saucer knew all too well. One of the marbles had a lime-like aroma, and the other was drenched in primary coloured paint. Blast had retrieved the other podium members.
Orbit looked at Saucer with a faint smile on their face. “Go, Saucer. Celebrate with Rima and Limelime. You deserve it, and I’m always proud of you..!”
Just as Rima and Limelime were about to reach out to Saucer, the latter fell to the icy floor. Noticing how they were going to scrape their glass, Rima and Limelime pulled Saucer into a hug. The three remained silent, until Limelime spoke up:
“Hey. You did very well.” Rima nodded at Limelime’s statement, giving Saucer a melancholic look. “C’mon! Let’s go celebrate at one of my favourite restaurants. Rima’s paying.”
Rima pouted at Limelime. “Oi! Don’t punish me! I didn’t do anything!”
Seeing the two banter made Saucer chuckle a bit, and they wiped themself with a cloth. “Haha, sure… Let’s go.”
Credits
- Writers: Millim, Kanzaki
- Copyeditors/Editors: Millim, Phoenix
- Artists: Shimmer
- Reference: Marble Race: ❄️ ML Snowdown ❄️ E1 Skiing Rally ⛷️ | Marble Race: ❄️ ML Snowdown ❄️ E2 Funnel Endurance
- Release: 11/04/2025
Project Marblearth 