site event 🍃The Running of the Leaves (2025) Race Event!

[Starlight Glimmer 151]

On 2025-09-13 at 9:38 PM, Pinkie Pie said:

@liujiadong “Number 11 looks like she she definitely enjoying the early Fall view! I got to say, @Starlight Glimmer the feeling of fall is certainly coming in closer than we think! I can almost taste the pumpkin spices already!” Pinkie couldn’t help it but rumbled on some of her best Fall cupcakes, muffins, and other delights.
 

”D’oh! Getting side tracked with sweets again.”

She turned to back Starlight again, her stomach still growling.

“Ooooh, Starlight, I can’t wait to see what the dynamite team’s gonna pull off next to win this race! Heehee! But lookie-look—Titanium better watch out, ‘cause if those silly leaves sneak into her blind spot—boop!—that could totally trip her up!”

Oh hohoh! Pinkie tabs her hooves over Starlight’s shoulder
 

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing? Sliverspark and number 66, Brightspark is planning something down there! And it look like @Iridescent Edge gonna have to think of something quick too if he’s planning to get ahead! Starlight, what do you think he’s got up his sleeve, huh? Do you think maybe—just maybe—a batch of pumpkin spice muffins could give him a super-charged boost?!

She giggles, while rubbing her stomach in delight.

 

 

"You can say that again, Pinkie! The feeling of Fall is reminds me of feeling of Spring. It's not too cold, but not too hot, either. A perfect time to sit back, enjoy the view and to even fly my kites!" Starlight smiled, giggling at Pinkie's antics as she smiled with a shake of her head. "It sounds like a certain somepony is in the mood for some delicious treats. I can't blame you as those sound pretty good for a celebration of a job well done in the race." Starlight says, taking notice of the other racer's taking part in the competition. "It looks like Dusk Haven just narrowly avoided a rock that would have tripped her up and send her tripping and sliding through the mud! 

"I wouldn't say teams, but it does look like everypony is working together to navigate through the mud. Hopefully the leaves don't get in their way, or it could end up in a series of trips and slides." Starlight responded, looking at Silverspark and Brightspark. The both of whom looked to be using a sort of sled to make their way across the mud. Seeing the two working together and having fun caused the unicorn to smile fondly with a slight chuckle. "It looks like despite the rain, everypony is having a lot of fun. As much as I would think giving food would be a great idea, I don't think that giving muffins to the racers would be a good idea. I feel that would cause some interference." 

On 2025-09-13 at 9:48 PM, PrincessPriscillaPT said:

*Priscilla looks up to see @Starlight Glimmer Starlight and @Pinkie Pie Pinkie on their hot-air balloons, spectating at the racers. She waves up to them and excitedly says:* "Hello, you two! How are y'all doing? What place am I in? Because no matter if I win or lose, I'll still be happy as this is my first time here!"

As Starlight explained about the muffin situation to Pinkie, her ears perked as she thought she heard somepony calling out to them. Looking down, she saw that it was Velvet. "Hello there, Number 54! Velvet, right? We're doing pretty good despite the change in weather! I think you're somewhere in the middle of the pack. You've all been doing a great job, so far! Just don't give up too soon as there's a lot more fun obstacles to be had!" Starlight winked, while noticing that everyone was still having a lot of fun in the race. 

While @Nitobit Moonlight and @Wizard Titanium are still navigating the puddles an knocking down leaves, it looks as if Samurai is slamming into some of the trees to shake them down. An effective strategy, but it looks quite painful." Starlight winced from the times that the unicorn slammed into each tree. "As this is going on, it looks like Dusk Haven nearly tripped over a rock and tripped and slid through the mud. Thankfully, she narrowly avoids said rock and managed to get some more leaves knocked down in the process. Talk about an amazing recovery!"

[Silverspark]

Silverspark gazed at the sled and recalled the no-magic rule. She didn’t want this pony to get disqualified. With Bright’s help, she grabbed the sled and placed it in Silver's special saddlebag. This saddlebag was unique; it could fit anything without stretching and was easy to carry. After that, the two of them hopped on the back @Dusk Haven

[Shiny Silvermoon]

16 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

Moushley was just happily scurrying along at a leisurely pace, the biggest smile on her face. She looks over to see if Shiny is following her or not, only to be scared at the sight of a large bat!! In her eyes, she sees a predator looking for a snack. She quickly turns and runs away as fast as she can, squeaking loudly in a way that totally doesn't sound like someone saying 'Leon! Leon!'. (Or in this case, maybe 'Dyna! Dyna!'). It won't be long before @Dynamo Pad Dynamo is caught in the middle between a scared mouse running from a love-struck bat; like a scene straight out of Pepé Le Pew.

*With all the determination in Equestria, Socrate flew around @Dynamo Pad with a sickening speed. The fruit bat drew a circle around the unicorn, like a vulture, so Moushley couldn't escape.*

5 hours ago, Iridescent Edge said:

“I see.” Iridescent Edge pauses momentarily, his hoof idly dragging small circles in the mud. “My name’s Iridescent Edge. Would you like me to help you find your pet?”

"It sounds like an amazing idea, Iridescent! Let's find Socrate together!" *Shiny happily declared to the stallion.* "However, are you sure you don't mind helping me? The race is still going on, as far as I'm concerned…"

[Dusk Haven 236]

4 hours ago, Silverspark said:

Silverspark gazed at the sled and recalled the no-magic rule. She didn’t want this pony to get disqualified. With Bright’s help, she grabbed the sled and placed it in Silver's special saddlebag. This saddlebag was unique; it could fit anything without stretching and was easy to carry. After that, the two of them hopped on the back @Dusk Haven

Dusk arched a brow as she watched the fillies wrestle their sled into a travel bag. Resourceful little things, she thought, a flicker of approval softening her features. She crouched a few inches lower to make the climb easier, wings slightly outstretched for balance. Once they settled securely against her back, she set her jaw and dared the river a third time.

The current clawed at her legs, spray biting against her coat. A stone shifted treacherously beneath one hoof, but she corrected with practiced ease, listening to the pull of the water until the far bank rose beneath her steps. With the worst behind them, she broke into a light canter back toward the marked trail, mane tossing as she turned her neck to check on her passengers.

“I believe this is your stop,” she announced, voice dry with amusement. “Thank you for choosing Dusk Haven Transport Services. Please mind your step as you disembark.” A bland joke, perhaps, but it coaxed a smile to her own lips all the same.

As the fillies slid down from her back, she softened her tone. “Now then—what are your names, if I may ask? I believe you,” she tipped her head toward the silver-gray-coated one, “are Silverspark. And who is this other brave traveler?”

[Wizard 1,759]

On 2025-09-16 at 4:31 AM, Moonlight Wane said:

Moonlight approaches the river and sits on the bank, letting Titanium get off. He observes Dusk Haven as she reaches the other side with seemingly no problem. "Can't be that hard," he thinks.

He steps into water, and almost gets swept off his hooves by the current. His boots are just barely high enough to prevent water from flowing in. He tries to step after the alicorn, ignoring the rope, but his smaller stature makes moving harder.

"Come on, just a little further." After a good couple minutes of struggling, his hoof slips on something not visible beneath the surface. He yelps as he falls into water, rapid current pulling him back, undoing his progress. It takes him just a moment to reorient himself and lie on his back, but he can't stop moving, like on a huge waterside.

"Heeelp! Oh, sorry. Sorry! Heelp! Sorry..." Moonlight now becomes a part of the obstacle himself, bumping into ponies, making them lose their balance, until somepony can stop him.

Titanium attempts to hop off of @Nitobit but slides off the wrong direction and lands face-first into the edge of the riverbank. She splashes and splutters as water shoots up her nose, quickly getting her footing and standing upright, she blows the water out of her nose and stands there, gasping for a moment in the shock, looking like a drowned rat.

"That... Was cold." She splutters through exasperated breaths.

She mindlessly steps backwards and tumbles back into the river, in her panic and frustration, she slams her hooves into the ground, digging them into the rocks that cover the riverbed. She splashes and stumbles but slowly makes it through the river. Shivering and soaked to the bone, she emerges on the other side. 

[Silverspark184 1,443]

6 hours ago, Dusk Haven said:

Dusk arched a brow as she watched the fillies wrestle their sled into a travel bag. Resourceful little things, she thought, a flicker of approval softening her features. She crouched a few inches lower to make the climb easier, wings slightly outstretched for balance. Once they settled securely against her back, she set her jaw and dared the river a third time.

The current clawed at her legs, spray biting against her coat. A stone shifted treacherously beneath one hoof, but she corrected with practiced ease, listening to the pull of the water until the far bank rose beneath her steps. With the worst behind them, she broke into a light canter back toward the marked trail, mane tossing as she turned her neck to check on her passengers.

“I believe this is your stop,” she announced, voice dry with amusement. “Thank you for choosing Dusk Haven Transport Services. Please mind your step as you disembark.” A bland joke, perhaps, but it coaxed a smile to her own lips all the same.

As the fillies slid down from her back, she softened her tone. “Now then—what are your names, if I may ask? I believe you,” she tipped her head toward the silver-gray-coated one, “are Silverspark. And who is this other brave traveler?”

Brightspark nodded. "I am her twin sister, Brightspark. We are known as the Spark Twins," she said. 

 

Silverspark giggled. "Thank you, miss. We would have been swept away if you hadn't come to our rescue." our rescue." our rescue." our rescue." our rescue." our rescue."

[Moonlight Wane]

3 hours ago, Wizard said:

Titanium attempts to hop off of @Nitobit but slides off the wrong direction and lands face-first into the edge of the riverbank. She splashes and splutters as water shoots up her nose, quickly getting her footing and standing upright, she blows the water out of her nose and stands there, gasping for a moment in the shock, looking like a drowned rat.

"That... Was cold." She splutters through exasperated breaths.

She mindlessly steps backwards and tumbles back into the river, in her panic and frustration, she slams her hooves into the ground, digging them into the rocks that cover the riverbed. She splashes and stumbles but slowly makes it through the river. Shivering and soaked to the bone, she emerges on the other side. 

"Sweet Celestia, Titanium, are you alright?" Moonlight chuckles as he reaches towards Titanium, and grabs her hoof to help her climb onto the bank. He's glad to see that her unplanned bath washed most of paint and mud off her hooves. He then takes off his rain jacket and puts it on her. "Here, it should warm you up."

[Pinkie Pie 685]

21 hours ago, Starlight Glimmer said:

As Starlight explained about the muffin situation to Pinkie, her ears perked as she thought she heard somepony calling out to them. Looking down, she saw that it was Velvet. "Hello there, Number 54! Velvet, right? We're doing pretty good despite the change in weather! I think you're somewhere in the middle of the pack. You've all been doing a great job, so far! Just don't give up too soon as there's a lot more fun obstacles to be had!" Starlight winked, while noticing that everyone was still having a lot of fun in the race. 

Pinkie wave back to Velvet before turning her attention back to Starlight. 
 

“It almost makes me want to go and join the race myself, Starlight!” She let out a gleeful giggles trying to contain her own excitement. “Seeing these runners’ enthusiasm and energy is definitely what’s  “Running of the leaves” is all about!”

 

@Samurai Equine 

“Number 44 and @PrincessPriscillaPT—the Princess gave a little lift upstream, helping a fellow bat pony to safety! What an amazing sight! But uh-oh… water is Samurai’s greatest weakness. Let’s hope he’s still got the strength to push forward. Either way, that’s quite the sacrifice!”

Pinkie continues to look down with her binoculars as she notices @liujiadong who seems to be in a deep thoughts.

”Number 11, Sunshine seems to be in a trance of some sort Starlight,  you don’t think she’s thinking about pumpkin spice?”

22 hours ago, Starlight Glimmer said:

Starlight winced from the times that the unicorn slammed into each tree. "As this is going on, it looks like Dusk Haven nearly tripped over a rock and tripped and slid through the mud. Thankfully, she narrowly avoids said rock and managed to get some more leaves knocked down in the process. Talk about an amazing recovery!"

Pinkie noticed Number 93 @Iridescent Edge, has also tripped but that smile excitedly when that didn’t stop him from getting to the other side of the river bank.

 

”you got that right Starlight! I’ve got a feeling that we’re gonna see a lot of grits and sweats from these runners, but I don’t think now’s the best time to turn it into a spa mud bath, huh?” Pinkie let out a giggle of her own jest.

“I’d say, Starlight—the Sparks twins are pretty clever, huh? Coming up with a sled to get themselves across the riverbank, and lucky for them, Dusk jumped in to help! Don’t you just love seeing this kind of teamwork in a race? It’s exactly what the audience lives for!”

[Dusk Haven 236]

11 hours ago, Silverspark184 said:

Brightspark nodded. "I am her twin sister, Brightspark. We are known as the Spark Twins," she said. 

 

Silverspark giggled. "Thank you, miss. We would have been swept away if you hadn't come to our rescue." our rescue." our rescue." our rescue." our rescue." our rescue."

“The Spark twins,” Dusk repeated respectfully. “Now that sounds like a pair of worthy competitors. If you run into trouble again, call my name. Though truth be told—” she eyed them both, “I doubt you’ll need it. Good luck in the race Ms. @Silverspark184 and Brightspark. I’ll see you at the finish line.”

She gave them a wink and a smile before wheeling back toward the trail. Most of the leaves in this stretch had already been shaken free, so she kicked down the stragglers, sending a few golden and brown spirals fluttering into the river breeze. Then she broke into a gallop, mane and tail streaming as she surged ahead.

Several minutes later, after overtaking a few more racers and weaving past another, she reached a thicker grove where the canopy still clung heavy with autumn’s weight. She skidded to a halt, spun, and delivered a sharp buck. The trees responded with a crackling sigh, releasing a cascade of reds and golds that showered the path.

Dusk laughed under her breath, savoring the rustle of leaves in her wake—then lowered her head and launched forward once more.

[Samurai Equine]

Samurai trudges forward, short of breath and looking a little woozy. Swimming in the river really took it out of him. Still, as he occasionally bucks a few trees while losing whatever lead he had in the race, he can't help but look around. He sees ponies helping ponies. Friends helping friends whenever they need it. "Samurai, what are you doing feeling sorry for yourself? It should be you helping others when they need it! There must be something that--"

KABOOM!
Samurai's thoughts are interrupted when a strike of lightning hits a little close, tearing down a branch from a tree and setting the tip of it on fire. It's a real shocking sight. "...Perfect! I can prevent a forest fire AND rejuvenate!" Samurai trots over, and with magical concentration, absorbs all the flames into himself. Soon the tree branch is extinguished. Moreover, Samurai perks up. His jacket dries up instantly. And the ground underneath him dries. "YATTAZE! Samurai Equine is at full throttle once more!"

With a single hoof, Samurai lifts the fallen tree branch and tosses it away so that it won't block the race course. From there, his hooves one again magically light up with small, harmless flames. And with a quick squat, Samurai dashes off like a professional track runner, determined to get back to make up for lost time and return to his previous position in the race. But this time, Samurai is doing his best to try and find alternate paths so that he won't have to do any more swimming.

[PrincessPriscillaPT 493]

"Oh dear Celestia, what happened???" *Priscilla heard the thunderstorm, feeling surprised that it went a little too close to her.*

[Shiny Silvermoon]

*@Iridescent Edge was seemingly taking a moment to reflect on if or not he should help Shiny find her pet, at the cost of being behind other runners. Meanwhile, the unicorn began to imagine the worst scenarios for a fruit bat lost in the middle of the woods, during a violent thunderstorm. She couldn't wait anymore so she misfortunately decided to sprint forward, without waiting for the stallion's answer.*

*With the boost granted to Shiny by her desperate attempt to find Socrate, she ran even faster than most of the actual participants of the race. Fortunately, she soon found him circling around @Dynamo Pad, while the poor Moushley was trying to use the gaming unicorn to take cover from the fruit bat.*

"Socrate! What are you doing with this poor mouse! Don't you see that she's terrified?" *The mare called her pet to take him out from his romantic trance. It worked and the fruit bat started to feel bad for what he has done.*

*Socrate landed near Moushley and, as an apologize, he gave her a strawberry that he took out from seemingly nowhere. His furry cheeks were flustered and he avoided eye contact with her.*

[Iridescent Edge]

2 hours ago, Shiny Silvermoon said:

*@Iridescent Edge was seemingly taking a moment to reflect on if or not he should help Shiny find her pet, at the cost of being behind other runners. Meanwhile, the unicorn began to imagine the worst scenarios for a fruit bat lost in the middle of the woods, during a violent thunderstorm. She couldn't wait anymore so she misfortunately decided to sprint forward, without waiting for the stallion's answer.*

*With the boost granted to Shiny by her desperate attempt to find Socrate, she ran even faster than most of the actual participants of the race. Fortunately, she soon found him circling around @Dynamo Pad, while the poor Moushley was trying to use the gaming unicorn to take cover from the fruit bat.*

"Socrate! What are you doing with this poor mouse! Don't you see that she's terrified?" *The mare called her pet to take him out from his romantic trance. It worked and the fruit bat started to feel bad for what he has done.*

*Socrate landed near Moushley and, as an apologize, he gave her a strawberry that he took out from seemingly nowhere. His furry cheeks were flustered and he avoided eye contact with her.*

Iridescent flinched slightly from the thunder as her noticed @Shiny Silvermoon running away. “Hey! Wait!” Iridescent gallops after her. At least, he tries to. Iridescent pants heavily as he feels like his lungs are going to explode. He can’t tell is he’s mostly soaked in precipitation or perspiration at this point.

[PrincessPriscillaPT 493]

"What was that??? That scared me when the lightning got so close to me. If I got hit, it's game over." *Priscilla sill felt surprised after that lightning, and feeling scared as what would she got hit by that. Moving forward from the river, she saw @Samurai Equine Samurai has overtaken her, but it doesn't matter to her (according to what she said at the start of the race).*

[Starlight Glimmer 151]

Starlight lowered the air balloon to steered clear the dangerous of thunderstorms above, despise of her spell shielding them, she wasn’t about to take chances.

 

On 2025-09-19 at 12:17 PM, Pinkie Pie said:

you got that right Starlight! I’ve got a feeling that we’re gonna see a lot of grits and sweats from these runners, but I don’t think now’s the best time to turn it into a spa mud bath, huh?” Pinkie let out a giggle of her own jest

“Grit and sweat you’re absolutely right, but Let’s hope the lightning doesn’t strike again, Pinkie.” She glance down, worry flickering across her eyes at the thought of the forest fire. However, a small grin appears across her face.

@Samurai Equine

“Samurai may not be in the lead of race ahead of Number 20, Dusk Haven- but what a fantastic performance from him! Using fire to not only gain his strength back but also saving both the forest and the runners from a catastrophic damage!”

@Dusk Haven
“Dusk is still up ahead as she continues her way down the hill, no rain nor thunderstorms is stopping this alicorn!”
 

@Iridescent Edge @Shiny Silvermoon

Starlight focus her attention to Pinkie. 

“Looks like the two are still looking for Shiny’s pet bat! I’ve gonna admit, I’m curious how this all will play out” she says with amused smile.

@PrincessPriscillaPT

”The lighting was sure a surprise wasn’t Pinkie?” As she glancing down at Priscilla as she caught her own breath from the shock.

“Still, Priscilla’s holding onto her conviction, pushing herself to catch up to Samurai!”

[Pinkie Pie 685]

Pinkie Pie’s heart beating with excitement and anticipation as the race continues on. She made a jump after a few lighting strikes and roaring thunders, however the wide smile has not left her face!

“Oooooh everypony! The runners are getting super-duper close to the 3rd obstacle and my pinkie’s sense is tingling! Eee!!”
 

Pinkie pie squealed with a happy  squee.

“What’s gonna happen next? Will Shiny and Iridescent find that sneaky bat pet soon? Will Dusk Haven dash all a way to the finish line? Or will Samurai will have enough oomph to catch up?! And kooky-look! Priscilla’s right on his tail! The Sparks twins are zippity zapping their way through the leafy path, Roswell’s closing in, Titanium and Moonlight still recovering from the 2nd obstacle will they make it back into the race in time?! Don’t go anywhere, ponies! stay behind your screen and Staaaay tune!” 

[Roswell]

Roswell kept running at his competitive pace and keeping up with the others and greeting them with a very small glimpse of a smile after running for a while he arrives at the river and accesses the situation.

 

He said to himself ‘nothing I haven’t face before in my life’ as he jumps into the river and manages to keep his footing and balance as he wasn’t only a fast pony but a strong pony.

 

He pushes his way through slowly while using the repositioned ropes that were thanks to @Dusk Haven to get to the other side while conserving as much energy as possible.

[Samurai Equine 56,550]

Samurai waves at @PrincessPriscillaPT Priscilla as he passes. "Ganbatte, ojousama!"

Meanwhile, Moushley comes out of hiding behind @Dynamo Pad Dynamo when she sees @Shiny Silvermoon Socrate giving a peace offering. She squeaks and sniffs around a bit before approaching. She takes the the strawberry and sniffs it. ...It's not cheese... She walks up to Socrate and feeds it to him. This is Moushley's way of making a friend. She's not afraid of Socrate anymore.

Surprisingly, Moushey is not even remotely bothered by the thunder in the rain storm.

[PrincessPriscillaPT 493]

1 hour ago, Samurai Equine said:

Samurai waves at @PrincessPriscillaPT Priscilla as he passes. "Ganbatte, ojousama!"

Meanwhile, Moushley comes out of hiding behind @Dynamo Pad Dynamo when she sees @Shiny Silvermoon Socrate giving a peace offering. She squeaks and sniffs around a bit before approaching. She takes the the strawberry and sniffs it. ...It's not cheese... She walks up to Socrate and feeds it to him. This is Moushley's way of making a friend. She's not afraid of Socrate anymore.

Surprisingly, Moushey is not even remotely bothered by the thunder in the rain storm.

"Oh hohoh! I'm coming for you!" *Priscilla saw @Samurai Equine Samurai pass by, and she then used her speed and power to pass by him. Since she has so much wit, she knows when she's gonna use one of her abilities.*

[Dynamo Pad 11,838]

On 2025-09-16 at 12:26 AM, Samurai Equine said:

Moushley somehow pulls out a package of candy and gives it to Dynamo. Each candy piece is shaped like something a gamer would enjoy.

As she makes herself comfortable, she points at the race and excitedly squeaks about it, as if trying to making racing commentary on it.

Blinking in surprise as the little mouse had pulled a package of candy, Dynamo's eyes widened slightly as the candy was presented to him. "You mean, this is for me?" As he gained a confirmation from the mouse, the gamer pony smiled as he accepted the generous gift. As he took out a piece, he noticed that it looked like a candy controller or different gaming shapes. Taking a bite, the unicorn hummed in delight despite the rain still falling in a drizzle. "This is some really good candy. Thank you so much! I just wish I knew what your name was." Dynamo says, knowing that he couldn't call his new companion a mouse. While she made herself comfortable on his shoulder, Dynamo chuckled softly as he watched her squeak ecstatically. "It sounds like you are wanting to commentate. I just wish I knew what you were saying, but I can tell that you are enjoying the competition. If I had known, I would have let you go with Starlight and Pinkie as they are doing some commentary as we speak."

On 2025-09-16 at 10:47 PM, Samurai Equine said:

Moushley, the cute mouse in clothing, temporarily leaves Dynamo's side and scurries across the race course, managing to find a safe path to Shiny. She appears before Shiny and gives a happy wave. After a few squeaks, she pulls out a candy bar and gives it to Shiny. Once Shiny takes it, Moushley scurries off to join Dynamo again, showing Shiny the way in case she wants to follow her.

As he continued to enjoy his packet of candy, Dynamo's eyes trailed over towards his shoulder. Only to discover that the little mouse was nowhere to be seen. As he looked around continuously to find the little mouse, he noticed that said mouse was rushing along the path that lead towards the race, "Huh. I mean, I wasn't expecting a mouse to take place in the race. If only I knew their name, then I would have tried to give them a number." Dynamo says, squinting his eyes to see that the little mouse was getting someone's attention. Just before she made her way back towards him.

On 2025-09-17 at 11:46 AM, Shiny Silvermoon said:

*After Shiny gratefully accepted the candy bar offered by Moushley, who is certainly not a reference to an horror game, her fruit bat pet, Socrate, flew out from the bush. He was attired of his cute bowtie. The fruit bat landed on the mare's shoulder, before shaking the rain off his fur like a drenched dog would.*

  Reveal hidden contents

*He then began to make adorable eyes to her, as if begging for something.*

  Reveal hidden contents

"Alright, alright! I'll share with you, Socrate." *Shiny said to him, while breaking the candy bar in two to give one half to her pet.*

*When Socrate was about to eat his half of the candy bar, he was suddenly stopped by a sight of pure beauty. His eyes had caught the little mouse running away, his vision immediately turning pink and the time seeming to slow down. It might have been the Running of the Leaves but his heart was racing for an entirely different reason, in his ribcage. In addition, his eyes became heart-shaped and he dropped the piece of candy bar into the mud.*

"Socrate? Ummm... You okay, buddy? You left your half of the candy bar fall..." *The unicorn asked him, slightly worried.*

*Without taking care of Shiny, he quickly flew in the direction of Moushley.*

On 2025-09-18 at 2:01 AM, Samurai Equine said:

Moushley was just happily scurrying along at a leisurely pace, the biggest smile on her face. She looks over to see if Shiny is following her or not, only to be scared at the sight of a large bat!! In her eyes, she sees a predator looking for a snack. She quickly turns and runs away as fast as she can, squeaking loudly in a way that totally doesn't sound like someone saying 'Leon! Leon!'. (Or in this case, maybe 'Dyna! Dyna!'). It won't be long before @Dynamo Pad Dynamo is caught in the middle between a scared mouse running from a love-struck bat; like a scene straight out of Pepé Le Pew.

 

Dynamo smiled as he was happy to see the little mouse's return. That was, until he saw what looked to be a bat had begun to chase her. Once the little mouse made her way towards the unicorn, Dynamo placed her in an available pocket of his jacket. All the while trying to avoid the bat that was flying at him. Not realizing that the bat was love-struck and that his love interest was the mouse in his jacket pocket. "Uh...excuse me. Mr. Bat? I don't think I got your name, but I think you're scaring our mouse friend. Unless you two know each other?" Dynamo pondered as he tried to dodge back and forth of the bat's advances. He wasn't entirely sure of the full story, but he hoped he could try and protect the mouse to the best of his abilities.

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Obstacle Number 3

After you exit the river, you see arrows pointing where to go next, guiding you through several forks in the road. A couple minutes after passing the last one, the forest gets darker, fog starts to form, and you feel the temperature dropping significantly. Being wet from the river amplifies the chill to unbearable levels. Ponies around collectively stop what they're doing and try to find a way to make themselves warmer, meaning that you have enough time to take a break from racing and do the same for yourself, without worrying about your position in the race. It's not about leaves or speed anymore. It's about not becoming a pony popsicle!

Next obstacle on September 29th.

[Starlight Glimmer 151]

22 hours ago, Pinkie Pie said:

Pinkie Pie’s heart beating with excitement and anticipation as the race continues on. She made a jump after a few lighting strikes and roaring thunders, however the wide smile has not left her face!

“Oooooh everypony! The runners are getting super-duper close to the 3rd obstacle and my pinkie’s sense is tingling! Eee!!”
 

Pinkie pie squealed with a happy  squee.

“What’s gonna happen next? Will Shiny and Iridescent find that sneaky bat pet soon? Will Dusk Haven dash all a way to the finish line? Or will Samurai will have enough oomph to catch up?! And kooky-look! Priscilla’s right on his tail! The Sparks twins are zippity zapping their way through the leafy path, Roswell’s closing in, Titanium and Moonlight still recovering from the 2nd obstacle will they make it back into the race in time?! Don’t go anywhere, ponies! stay behind your screen and Staaaay tune!” 

Starlight took notice of Pinkie's jump, while also wincing slightly from the flash of lightning that took place. "I guess the old saying of lighting striking twice holds up to be very true. Does your Pinkie Sense happen to take cover during a lightning storm?" Starlight asks, looking down to see the racer's making their way towards the third obstacle. "I'm right there with you as the anticipation is building! I'm rather surprised to see @Shiny Silvermoon once again. I recall that she raced in last year's competition, but she it looks like this year is not the case. It's still wonderful to see a familiar participant, as well a helping those that are in trouble. Speaking of Roswell, that Pegasus is both strong and fast as he charges through the river without hesitation!" She exclaims, taking notice of @PrincessPriscillaPT and @Samurai Equine trying to pass one another by. "Samurai and Velvet are neck and neck! Will one overtake the other in the race? Will one be left in the dust? I might not truly know, but this race I far from over! Despite the rain and lightning, it's not putting a damper on our racer's as things are heating up!"

19 minutes ago, Dynamo Pad said:

 

Obstacle Number 3

After you exit the river, you see arrows pointing where to go next, guiding you through several forks in the road. A couple minutes after passing the last one, the forest gets darker, fog starts to form, and you feel the temperature dropping significantly. Being wet from the river amplifies the chill to unbearable levels. Ponies around collectively stop what they're doing and try to find a way to make themselves warmer, meaning that you have enough time to take a break from racing and do the same for yourself, without worrying about your position in the race. It's not about leaves or speed anymore. It's about not becoming a pony popsicle!

Next obstacle on September 29th.

With the next obstacle coming into view, Starlight's face scrunched into confusion. She had recalled that both she and Pinkie had gone over the details of the race. Along with the different obstacles that the participants would take part in, but things were starting to not make sense. "Hey, Pinkie?" Starlight whispered, trying to keep the commentating to the two of them so they wouldn't alarm the racer's and audience. "Do you happen to know what's going on? This isn't the race path that you, Dynamo, myself and the others went over." Even as high up in the sky as they were in the balloon, Starlight had looked back over towards where the starling line was. She thought she saw Dynamo maneuvering around the bat that Shiny had, while wondering if the gaming unicorn had changed things up last second. She immediately shook her head to deny these thoughts as she had recalled the blue unicorn had talked to Rainbow about the sudden change in the weather. 'Even the weather wasn't like this or was planned to be raining. In that case, what in Equestria is going on around here?' Starlight wondered, while trying to go along with things in hopes of figuring things out. "With our racer's out of the mud and rapid river, they are on their way towards the forest. Plenty of leaves to be knocked down in their run! How do you think this forest will affect our runner's, Pinkie?" 

[Dynamo Pad 11,838]

13 hours ago, Samurai Equine said:

Meanwhile, Moushley comes out of hiding behind @Dynamo Pad Dynamo when she sees @Shiny Silvermoon Socrate giving a peace offering. She squeaks and sniffs around a bit before approaching. She takes the the strawberry and sniffs it. ...It's not cheese... She walks up to Socrate and feeds it to him. This is Moushley's way of making a friend. She's not afraid of Socrate anymore.

Surprisingly, Moushey is not even remotely bothered by the thunder in the rain storm.

Once the little mouse had come out of hiding from his jacket pocket, Dynamo had stopped dodging the bat to see that it was giving them, or more specifically, the little mouse a peace offering. Breathing a ishg of relief, Dynamo smiled softly as he saw that the two were beginning to make friends with each other. "I still wonder where this bat came from. They usually appear in the night time. At least, that's what I'm thinking, so I could be wrong." Dynamo says, before jumping slightly from the loud thunder from overhead. "I don't think I heard about rain in the forecast either. Hopefully it passes by soon as that was unexpected." He says, looking up above to see that the sky was still in a state of raining. All before looking back at the race in hopes that everyone would be okay.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, far away from the staring area, the audience, the race and the racers. Stood a lone figure that was covered in a brown cloak. Their entire being could not be seen, nor was their face visible. "And so, the true race now begins. I wonder what our competitors will fare in the dark forest, but I guess time will truly tell." The Mysterious Figure spoke, casting their far away gaze upon the race path.

[Silverspark184 1,443]

On 2025-09-19 at 8:37 PM, Dusk Haven said:

“The Spark twins,” Dusk repeated respectfully. “Now that sounds like a pair of worthy competitors. If you run into trouble again, call my name. Though truth be told—” she eyed them both, “I doubt you’ll need it. Good luck in the race Ms. @Silverspark184 and Brightspark. I’ll see you at the finish line.”

She gave them a wink and a smile before wheeling back toward the trail. Most of the leaves in this stretch had already been shaken free, so she kicked down the stragglers, sending a few golden and brown spirals fluttering into the river breeze. Then she broke into a gallop, mane and tail streaming as she surged ahead.

Several minutes later, after overtaking a few more racers and weaving past another, she reached a thicker grove where the canopy still clung heavy with autumn’s weight. She skidded to a halt, spun, and delivered a sharp buck. The trees responded with a crackling sigh, releasing a cascade of reds and golds that showered the path.

Dusk laughed under her breath, savoring the rustle of leaves in her wake—then lowered her head and launched forward once more.

The two of them thanked her before looking around. She and Brightspark joined the others to discuss a plan for keeping warm. They whispered to each other, nodding in agreement. "Alright, maybe we can help warm everyone up with some hot chocolate. I have a large thermos filled with warm cocoa," she said, glancing at Brightspark.

Brightspark replied, "Yeah, but we forgot the whipped cream and mini marshmallows." 

Silverspark smirked, "No worries!  @Pinkie Pie always keep extra supplies for hot chocolate emergencies." She looked at Brightspark with a grin

 

[Pinkie Pie 685]

3 hours ago, Starlight Glimmer said:

. "Hey, Pinkie?" Starlight whispered, trying to keep the commentating to the two of them so they wouldn't alarm the racer's and audience. "Do you happen to know what's going on? This isn't the race path that you, Dynamo, myself and the others went over." Even as high up in the sky as they were in the balloon, Starlight had looked back over towards where the starling line was. She thought she saw Dynamo maneuvering around the bat that Shiny had, while wondering if the gaming unicorn had changed things up last second. She immediately shook her head to deny these thoughts as she had recalled the blue unicorn had talked to Rainbow about the sudden change in the weather. 'Even the weather wasn't like this or was planned to be raining. In that case, what in Equestria is going on around here?' Starlight wondered, while trying to go along with things in hopes of figuring things out.

Pinkie Pie’s bouncy grin slowly melted into a thoughtful, curious look, as her ear twitched. 
 

“My Pinkie sense is going banana right now,” she whispered, lowering  her voice with a small frown. “And I really really hope it’s not something we have to be super-duper worry about … I mean, the rain already crashed our parade! But I think you’re definitely onto something… something’s fishy… the weather’s has been  acting a whole lot more doozy-woozy- than usual.. mmmmm. What do you have in mind Starlight?”

 

3 hours ago, Starlight Glimmer said:

r. 'Even the weather wasn't like this or was planned to be raining. In that case, what in Equestria is going on around here?' Starlight wondered, while trying to go along with things in hopes of figuring things out. "With our racer's out of the mud and rapid river, they are on their way towards the forest. Plenty of leaves to be knocked down in their run! How do you think this forest will affect our runner's, Pinkie?”

Pinkie knows they have to set their worries aside for now, as she redirected her attention back to the current situation. Her smile return immediately as she has a lot of different scenarios already playing in her mind.

 

”ooooh don’t get me started Starlight! I got gazillion ideas about what we might see in the next stage- like”

Pinkie’s ears perked up at Sliverspark’s mention.

”HOT CHOCOLATE?!” Her voice squealed, nearly bouncing  out of the air balloon.

 

“Yes yes yes! Chocolate is totally the number bestest way to  warm up and get all snuggly-cozy with your pals! Don’t you agree Starlight??!!

 

2 hours ago, Dynamo Pad said:

Their entire being could not be seen, nor was their face visible. "And so, the true race now begins. I wonder what our competitors will fare in the dark forest, but I guess time will truly tell." The Mysterious Figure spoke, casting their far away gaze upon the race path.

Pinkie was so busy bouncing around with fun ideas about how the runners could warm themselves up, she almost ignored the twitchy little feeling nagging at her Pinkie Sense. Still, she pushed it aside and kept her focus on commentating the race with Starlight.

[Iridescent Edge]

Iridescent Edge had finally caught up with Shiny Silvermoon (@Shiny Silvermoon), screeching to a halt once he reached the clearing. He noticed Dynamo pad (@Dynamo Pad) was there too, and weakly, momentarily raised his hoof in a greeting-like gesture. "Hi...*pant* Shiny...*pant*" Iridescent leans against a tree for support as he catches his breath. "I see...*pant*...you found...*pant*...your bat..."