Fall Weather Fiends

by Bookpony579

Chapter 2

Saturday arrived with all the fresh, cool air and bright skies of a perfect fall day.

Overall, it was an excellent day to have a race.

Near the beginning of the forest, we find a crowd of people waiting for the race to begin. Vendors had set up shop and were selling souvenirs and snack, while workers finished the decorations and basic set up. Runners of all shapes and sizes are geared up in running clothes and registered numbers, waiting for their race to be called. Since the teen division was first up, there were several of them already at the starting line, stretching and warming up for the long run ahead.

"Pinkie?" Twilight asked the girl in the hot air balloon speaking into the microphone. "Why are you describing what's going on around us?"

"Oh, hey Twilight!" The pink girl smiled at her friend. "You'll never believe it! I'm the announcer for the competition. I'll be your eye in the sky, telling everybody how the race is going even hen they can't see it!"

"Really?" Twilight asked.

"Who let that happen?" Spike asked, earning a glare from Twilight.

"The previous announcer lost their voice last night, so when I heard they needed a new one I volunteered!"

---

(Flashback)

"Pinkie, I just don't know..."The mayor replied to the pleading girl.

Pinkie's eyes widened and she got down on her knees. "Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please?"

The Mayor covered her ears, finally having enough. "Oh alright! You can be the new announcer!"

"Yahoo!" Pinkie jumped up and hugged the woman, smiling.

---

"Well...then. Congratulations!"

Meanwhile, AJ was at the starting line, stretching to prepare herself for the race.

"Move aside! Future winner coming through!" Rainbow called out, strutting to her place next to AJ.

"We'll see about that." AJ grumbled as Rainbow began her own stretches. "Did you at least get the inhibitors?"

Rainbow glared and stuck out her ankle, revealing a sleek, black enchanted anklet. These and similar inhibitors were typically used by other creatures, such as vampires, to inhibit their own exceptional speed or strength and put them on the same level as their normie or nonsuperpowered opponents.

"Give me a break, alright? I already have to wear it during games." Rainbow said.

"Just makin sure. 'Least now we know we're racin' fair and square."

Then, to their shock, they noticed Twilight Sparkle in her own running gear and number taking a place next to AJ.

"Uh...Twilight? What are you doing here?" Rainbow asked in confusion.

"You know this spot is for the racers, right?" AJ explained.

"I know." Twilight nodded. "That's because I'm running too."

AJ and Rainbow just looked at her for a minute, stunned, before bursting out into laughter.

"G-good one Twi!" Rainbow laughed.

"I'm not joking!" Twilight fumed, stomping her foot.

"Yeah right! You're not an athlete, you're and egghead!"

"I am not an egghead! I am well read!"

"Have you actually ever run a race?" AJ snickered.

"Well....no." Twilight admitted. "But I know a lot about running?"

"From where?" Rainbow asked.

"Books. I've read several on the subject."

This sent the two girls into further hysterics, much to the annoyance of their friend.

"Laugh all you want you two. But I thought it would be fun to try something new."

"Well, I think that's just dandy, Twilight. Good luck." AJ was unable to keep a laugh down.

Rainbow snickered. "Yeah. See you at the finish line... Tomorrow."

"All right everyone!" Pinkie announced. "To the starting line! Is everybody ready?!"

The competitors got into starting positions.

"Get set..."

Rainbow and AJ narrowed their eyes in anticipation.

The Mayor rang the bell.

"Go!Go!Go!" Pinkie cheered as the balloon pilot got them off the ground an into the air as the racers took off.

"Whooohooo!" Applebloom cheered from the sidelines with her family. "Go Applejack!"

"Go Rainbow! Go Rainbow!" Windy Whistles and Bow Hothoof cheered loudly, decked out in rainbow makeup and holding a sign and waving a giant foam finger.

"That's my baby! That's my baby girl!" Twilight Velvet shouted, holding Spike and pointing at Twilight.

Unknown to everyone, a lone figure hidden in the trees was watching the racers too, giggling as they entered the woods.

---

"Welcome to the official coverage of the Running of the Leaves! You know, despite its name, the leaves don't do any of the actual running. No, that's left to my little runners." Pinkie said, much to the audience's confusion.

"Oh dear..."The Mayor mumbled, face palming.

"Let's check in with our two competitive runners, Applejack and Rainbow Dash." Pinkie looked down to see the two girls neck and neck. "Having come fast out of the gate, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are evenly matched running neck and neck. But what's this?" AJ began to move ahead of Rainbow. "Applejack is making a move, she's now ahead by a nose. But Rainbow Dash won't let Applejack have it and takes the lead." Rainbow glared, and pushed her body forward. "She's ahead by half a nose. Or maybe three quarters of a nose. No, about sixty-three point seven percent of a nose... roughly speaking."

AJ quickly caught up with her "Not so easy without super speed is it?" she asked.

Rainbow grunted. "Come on, Rainbow. Show 'em a little dash."

With that, the two racers continued to try getting ahead of the other.

---

Meanwhile...

A while behind the two elements was a lone racer. She steadied her breathing as she raced forward.

That is...until she heard a branch snap.

"Huh?" She stopped and looked around. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

Laughter echoed all around her, and she caught a glimpse of....something moving through the trees.

"P-please don't hurt me..."She stuttered and tried to run away....only to find a figure in the middle of the path ahead of her.

Completely covered in shadow, the young runner could only make out a humanoid form.

"W-who are you?" She asked nervously.

The figure chuckled and raised it's hand, as though summoning something, "Oh, just someone who needs you my dear. I do so love the youth of today."

The racer slowly back away, only to bump into something, causing her to turn around.

The girl's eyes widened at what she saw, and she screamed.

Comments

[Comickook]

Hey there. Thanks again for getting the next chapter up. I really appreciate you going to the effort. Again, the exchanges, characterizations and future chapter set-up , particularly concerning the attack at the end of the chapter were all well done in all the right places.

I particularly liked the flashback and the other added little details.

I will most definitely be looking forward to more of this.