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 Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 12:47 am
 Denali ran excitedly outside. It was officially autumn, and all signs pointed to the temperature cooling. It was only a matter of time before crisp fall breeze, falling leaves, and sweet spice filled the air. And she was dressed and ready for it all. The summer had been horrible, in more ways than just the hot temps, and she was so over it.
A wide grin spread across her face as her hooves first struck the ground. But...that quickly faded. "What?! Why....why is it so hot?!" She looked around in disbelief. It was NOT supposed to be this warm. "No....why...I..I was going to go visit friends now that the heat broke...it'll be a miserable journey now...." She hung her head low, dejected at the realization that no...fall was not here yet. ==================================== 131 words
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 1:08 am
Jingles the Balloon Pony opened her eyes. It was fall. The birds were chirping, and excitement grew inside of her. She had to get outside! Jingles the Balloon Pony pounced out of her teepee, and ran around in circles in sheer excitement. She fully expected cooler temperatures and a chill breeze... But something was wrong. It was hot... Very hot. "What's going on here?!" Jingles the Balloon Pony exclaimed. "The season is supposed to transition... What is this? And why does it still feel like summer?!" Feeling very upset and betrayed, Jingles the Balloon Pony glanced around for her friends. No one was in sight. Then off in the distance, she thought she heard Denali. Maybe she knows what's going on! Maybe I counted the days wrong... Jingles the Balloon Pony pondered. Jingles the Balloon Pony sprinted off in the direction of Denali's voice. With every step she took, she felt the warmth of the sun's rays hit her face and body and the warmth of the grass under her hooves. Confused and upset, Jingles the Balloon Pony's face contorted. Then she caught herself-- I better not make angry faces, or Denali might take it the wrong way. She immediately changed her facial expression into a forced smile and continued on her way. Word count: 213
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 1:18 am
Denali was sulking in her disappointment and lost in thought when she heard some noise off in the distance. It was Jingles. She was was closing in rather quickly and Denali thought it a bit odd, considering the temp was more than a little oppressing. She really wasn't in the mood for idle chatter or silliness, but figured she'd at least see what Jingles wanted. "Maybe she isn't even coming to speak to me, anyway." she pondered to herself.
She lightly tapped and scraped her hoof in the dry, hard dirt. Another reminder of the lie of fall. "Hmph, stupid heat." she mumbled to herself as Jingles drew nearer. It became apparent that no, Jingles WAS coming to see her. "What is it Jingles?" she asked in a matter-of-fact manner when the little horse was in earshot. Though she quickly realized it might have came off wrong. "I'm just in a bad mood..." she quietly thought to herself. "But I should try to not be rude...it's not Jingles fault, afterall..." ==================== 170 words
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 1:40 am
Jingles the Balloon Pony jumped in the air and pounced on Denali. "Hey, friend! Can you believe this HEAT?!!" Jingles realized that her enthusiasm may have been a bit over-the-top, but she was upset trying her best to disguise her irritation. "I can't believe it's so hot! I thought summer was over. Isn't it fall now? What is going on here? PLEASE tell me that I didn't count the days wrong... I really don't think I did! Is the weather lying to us somehow? Is this all a mean joke? What is going on here!" Oops. Jingles the Balloon Pony turned into a motor-mouth. Realizing her actions are probably not the most appropriate, she grinned slightly in embarrassment, and backed up to give Denali some space. The sweltering heat continued, and Jingles the Balloon Pony played with her right hoof in the dirt. Was Denali upset with her now? Maybe she was too rough. Word count: 154
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 1:54 am
Denali stood there a moment, caught off guard by the peppering of questions. Her mind was already awash with emotions and thoughts. Trying to filter through all of this was proving...difficult, esp given her sour mood at the moment. Though she did her best to remain calm, perhaps even a bit subdued.
"....No...you don't have the dates mixed up. It is autumn now. And the weather had already begun to cool. But..." Her gaze wandered off into the distance, her voice trailing. She was disappointed. She was sad. And she was just sick and tired of everything going wrong.
"I was going to go visit some other friends. I thought for sure, since it had already started cooling off, that the trend would continue. I was really looking forward to it. I really need it. Ya know, we hear about feeling blue in the cooler months. And I suppose that is true. But...but...when your whole year has been nothing but...bad...I just really wanted to be with my other friends..." she whimpered softly. "But now...it's still so warm. A few weeks ago I got really ill from the heat."
She glanced back at Jingles. "Jingles...do you think it's as hot as it has been? Or are our bodies playing tricks on us because we had cool weather for a while?" ======================= 219 words
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 2:09 am
Jingles the Balloon Pony straightened her spine. Denali seems a bit gloomy! The weather, no doubt. "You know, I swear it did get cool for a bit! Then... BAM! It's sweltering hot again! What is going on here! I'm glad you noticed too! I thought I was going crazy." Jingles the Balloon Pony let out a deep sigh and looked into her friend's eyes longingly and shook her head. "You got sick from the heat? I didn't know that! What did you do to get better? Drink water at the creek?" Jingles the Balloon Pony wondered if her friend was truly better and not still ill. "Who were you going to visit? Maybe we could go together?" Jingles the Balloon Pony disliked being alone. She was always like this from a young age. Perhaps that's why she gravitated toward balloons. They're inanimate objects she could carry with her everywhere she goes and not feel all alone. They're weightless, too, so she will never tire of having them around. Denali being her friend, she wanted to spend the whole day with her. "If you want, we could maybe go down to the creek and drink some water before we head on our way, too!" Jingles the Balloon Pony was excited. Despite the scorching heat, she was overjoyed to have found a friend. Word count: 221
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 8:01 am
Denali pondered Jingle's words. She still wasn't in much of a talking mood, but she could see that Jingles, while not all too thrilled about the heat, either, was trying to help.
"Yes, I drank a bunch of water. But I also had to stay in a cool area for several days. It was a pretty miserable experience in general." She paused a moment, considering the idea/request that had been made. "I'm going to visit Delphinium and Kovaltio. It's kind of you to offer to go, but it's a couple days journey... And we'd need to gather some more supplies. Not only because of having an additional pony, but with the heat, we'd need some extra food stuffs to be on the safe side. Are you sure you still want to go?"
She waited patiently for her friend's response, but she was unsure what it would be. This WAS very spur of the moment, at least for Jingles. Denali however had been planning it for weeks... She also wondered if Delphinium and Kovaltio had changed their plans or their minds after the abrupt shift in the weather. "They both really prefer the cooler temps, as well..." she quietly muttered to herself. But there was really no way to know other than to go. "I really shouldn't not go; they are expecting me afterall." she accidentally said aloud. Embarrassed, she looked at Jingles and apologized. "Ah, sorry, I was thinking and that just came out. I...I am going regardless. But, if you'd like to come, you're welcome to." She smiled softly, the first time she'd done so since Jingles arrived.
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270 words
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 9:39 am
Jingles the Balloon Pony grinned from ear to ear. "Yes! I would love to go with you! It's a two-day trip? I'd love to go! It's going to be an adventure!! Woooooo!! I'm excited!" Then Jingles the Balloon Pony remembered the heat. And it hit her like a ton of bricks. Uh, maybe I could go? I can, right? She pondered. The heat was intense. It was insufferable. "Maybe we could go to the creek and drink water before we go, Denali? I am feeling a bit parched... and we could probably use some water for the trip? I mean, hopefully we will encounter lots of creeks, rivers, streams, and the like on our journey, but still. I think it will be great if we could drink some water before we go. And I have balloons with me in case we need our spirits lifted. Balloons never cease to lift my spirits when I need encouragement." Jingles the Balloon Pony glanced over at her balloons. They were fresh ones. She had just blown them earlier this morning after she woke up. Balloons keep her company wherever she goes and comfort her when she's feeling down or lonely or anything, really. In her life, she learned that balloons can fix anything. Or they can at least help with anything. Especially regulating her emotions. So why can't they help her good friend, Denali? Jingles the Balloon Pony looked over at Denali. "Do you want a balloon? Balloons always help me when I'm feeling some type of way. So I think it would help you."Word count: 262
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Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2025 10:43 am
Denali laughed gently at her friend's light hearted antics. "I'd love a balloon, thank you." she said with a smile. "And of course we'll stop for water. I have a few gourd bottles; one moment." She left briefly to go fetch them, as well as a few satchels of food that was already prepared, along with a few empty ones for foraging.
She reemerged soon, with the haul in tow. "Here you go, take these." she said, handing Jingles a few of each. "Let's head down to the stream. We can gather forageables as we go." While still disappointed, she did feel happier than she had been. At least she didn't have to travel alone in the unseasonable conditions. And having a friend beside you was always a nice thing. Esp when they got you; they understood you. Slowly she set off towards the stream, in no real hurry. Not only because of the heat, but because she might as well enjoy the journey with her friend. ================ 167 words
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