ORIGIN - Misery Loves Company

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"I will- hey!! I didn't say start!" James gasped, hooves scrambling on the rock beneath him before he took off after Pride.

He was fast. Where Pride was nimble and quick, he had speed written into his very muscle fibers. He leaped over rocks rather than dance around them, his mane and tail flying as he chased after Pride, unable to help himself but to laugh.

James looked around as he chased the stag, trying to find a way to herd him into an open space where he could overtake him or block his routes. He spotted a rock ahead and looked up to see that pieces of the cliffs were loose. If he could get a small rockslide going, nothing more than pebbles, he could scare Pride away from the edges and towards the open ground. He locked onto the rock ahead and grabbed hold, seeking to throw it up and dislodge the loose rocks and dust.

"Hnnngh- HA!!!" he cried out, launching the rock up.

He watched it fall and dislodge the rocks intended, grinning as they fell down, the pebbles and small stones, rolling and bouncing in front of Pride. And him, but he had a bit more time to react and slow down.

@Pride

Hooves clattered, and as Pride realized just how fast the foal was, he broke into his full speed. A speed he'd never touched before, a speed he'd never had reason to try for outside tangles of jungle. Tail flagged behind him, head up, his legs working faster than they ever had, a white blur: and as the stones crashed down to one side of him, he veered and reached for his magic.

A touch of magic, and he leapt, bringing himself down against the stone--and then sailing, not as far as he'd have hoped (he'd hoped to infuse himself with kinetic energy; to go flying away into the air, really) but it imbued his next leap with an obviously unnatural distance. He came clattering down beyond the stones with a slight stumble and launched back into speed.

His laughter--pure joy at the game--could be heard ringing out as he went; and he didn't fail to praise his companion.

"EXCELLENT, James-! Keep it up--you nearly had me!" he called, between gasping breaths.

@James

James watched in awe as Pride cleared the falling stones in one massive leap, and picked up speed, skirting around the edge before flattening his body out, his legs extending further and his head becoming parallel to his body. His ears were back to keep the wind from irritating them, his chest heaving to keep up with the rest of his body.

This time... he tried something new.

He bolted up an incline that scaled a cliff, an idea blooming in his head. He looked down at Pride, calculating the distance he'd need to go if he were to pull his plan off. Think the scene from Spirit where he slid down the snowy cliff to pull ahead of the other horses, but with less snow.

James ran and ran, his nostrils flaring with every breath, time slowing down and speeding up at the same time as he readied his magic yet again. He veered off the side of the cliff and jumped, knowing the spell wouldn't fail, as it was already forming.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" James yelled, falling down the cliff before a shield formed underneath him, catching him as he landed on his bum, and allowing him to skid down at an alarming speed down the rest of the slope.

James was giggling hysterically, going too fast to be entirely safe, the adrenaline and excitement making him fearless. He veered down towards Pride, such a goofy grin on his face that it would make anyone laugh.

@Pride

Pride glanced to the foal. It did look ludicrously fun, but at the same time, dangerous: if James crashed into him going that speed he'd be surprised if a single one of his white stag legs came out of it unbroken.

He thought fast, and reached for one of the first spells he'd learned: his form appeared to split in two, even the sound accurate. Two Prides veered off in two slightly different directions, away from the sledding James-...

...Did he have some way to pick truth from false? Either way, Pride was happy for him; the colt seemed to be having more fun in this moment than he could remember having his whole life!

@James

James went skidding past, his screams of joy hilariously fading in and out as he came and went. When the sled stopped he got out and shook himself out, his mane swept back into what looked like a mullet. He cantered over to the Prides and looked between them, blinking as he tried to figure out who was who.

An idea formed and he prepared one of the new spells he'd recently learned, aside from Bauble.

He did something similar to telekineses, but instead of picking something up, he went to form a connection. One of them didn't have a connection to form, which meant-

"Gotcha!" James whinnied, shooting forward towards the real Pride, grinning stupidly as he chased after the deer once more, starting to tire a bit, but not enough for him to stop or become alarmed.

Edit: Telepathy, not telekineses.

@Pride

Pride had not stopped running, nor had his double, but he too had not let it go--and it was somewhat taxing to maintain.

He, too, was tiring swiftly, having never run so far, so fast. His mouth was parted, now, nostrils flared and tongue visible, breaths coming in massive heaves--he'd have to stop, soon. It was just a game, but some distant prey instinct sparked in his brain and warned him to flee, to run, not to get caught. It was still fun, yes, but subconsciously he was looking for a way out.

Had he known what James had done, he'd have found it ingenious; as it was he assumed it was a lucky guess that the young stallion was galloping behind him, and not his double. He released that magic at last, and reached for another: leaving a cloud of mist billowing out behind him. It was thinner than he'd hoped, but perhaps it'd give the young horse pause; as it was it provided some cover, and Pride veered off left and clattered to a stop behind a few stones, panting.

If the colt found him now, well, he'd be it, he supposed; the running was wearing him down.

@James

James kept up with Pride well enough, his lungs starting to burn as he chased Pride just a little bit further. He faltered at the sudden mist, as light as it was, but pushed on, chasing after the sound of clattering hooves. When they stopped, he did too and narrowed his eyes. He reached out his mind once again, trying to find the familiar signature that was his mentor.

His mind touched Pride's and he perked up, running towards him as he spoke into the other's head, Found you haha! I used the spell earlier to tell you and your illusion apart.

He came to a stop in front of Pride, panting hard, and touched Pride's shoulder with his nose. He shook his head out and looked up at the other, "Break time? Just for a little bit, until my lungs stop hurting."

@Pride

Pride laughed as James clattered at last around the corner, and hung his head for a moment, purely to catch his breath. When the colt suggested that they stop, he glanced up with mischief twinkling in his eyes.

"Ahh, tired already?!" he asked (through gasps of his own), and then comedically staggered a few steps for effect. "It was a good run, regardless--but yes. I think rest is well in order."

He turned, for a moment, leaning against a rock until his breathing had calmed, a bit. "I was unaware how swift horses were. I don't think I've ever seen one running, before." Or had he--hadn't there been one at one of the, ahh, what was it--Olympics? He wasn't certain--he knew there'd been a unicorn, but she'd been one of the judges, so perhaps he was misremembering.

But-!

"Your magic's improved a great deal. I applaud your creativity with it," he added, amused at the mental message he'd received.

@James

James grinned happily and walked forward to lean against Pride, his chest hurting a bit, "I haven't been able to really use any of my ideas... and only Titanite has been able to keep up with me when I go full speed- and that was when I was a cycle old, I think. I'm just glad I was able to catch you, I didn't expect you to be so... springy."

The foal stepped away and shook himself off, before puffing out his chest in pride at his ingenuity. He looked up at Pride and smiled.

"Well... you ought to take pride in yourself, teacher. You taught me nearly all I know, so... I couldn't have branched out without roots to come back to," he said, and seemed extra proud of himself at the terrible pun.

@Pride

He chuckled at the pun, good-naturedly; it was a good metaphor, and he offered a nod.

"Did someone teach you that-? That's a very wise saying; you should remember it. Maybe come up with a few more like it," he went on, amused, leaning idly back against the colt; "make a small collection of them. You will be seen as... oh, I don't know, a monk or a shaman in no time." He offered James a brief, kind look, and then glanced around. "If you need me for some reason, leave a black stone by the Throne so that I know it is you, hm? Meanwhile, what would you say to getting some rest? I haven't run like that in..." He thought, for a moment, and the realization since Raheerah faded the smile somewhat from his face. "For a long time," he finished, amiably enough.

@James

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