The missing Ribbon

Lucky in Love galloped through the tall grass in Zae’ka, wind blowing through their mane, the sun shining bright up in the sky, hooves drumming over the ground as all they leave behind is displaced grass and dirt.
Man, did it feel great to spend the entire day running, training to become the planet’s fastest Xero. Some day, Lucky would be the number one running Xero, never to be beaten by anyone. They were determined to make it a reality.

When Lucky reached the top of the hill, they finally stopped, gazing over the landscape below as they panted, catching their breath. What a good run.
They let their back end unceremoniously drop to the ground to sit in the grass, basking in the sun and the glorious feeling of a successful daily run. They brought their front hoof up to his chest, intending to gaze upon their favourite blue ribbon, just to notice it’s… gone?!

Lucky immediately perked up, jumping back onto their legs as they looked around frantically for their blue ribbon. Sure, they had more blue ribbons back at home and they could win more with ease, but this was the blue ribbon, the first one they ever won! It can’t go missing!

“No, no no no no… did I drop it somewhere? Where is it?” Unable to find it nearby, the only logical thing to have happened was it was lost during their run, which was also the worst possible scenario. “Oh, it could be anywhere!”

They began to retrace their steps, trotting along the path they took. Their eyes were locked to the ground, searching furiously for any speck of blue in the grass. Occasionally, they would see a speck of blue and get all excited. “There it is!” They exclaimed in joy, pouncing towards it, only for it to have been a flower or a vibrant bug. Every time, they’d sigh in disappointment and move on. 

It took them what felt like forever. The slower gait, while allowing them to search the grass more thoroughly, meant the way back took much longer than their initial run. They were starting to grow anxious, scared they would never see their beloved ribbon ever again.

How could they have let this happen? Did they not secure it properly on the blanket of roses before going out? This has never happened before and Lucky felt disappointed in themselves, to have allowed their beloved first ever blue ribbon to be lost… 

They walked into town with their head hung low, their mood totally soiled after having lost their beloved ribbon, never to be seen again. They sighed, hooves dragging on the floor, they didn’t even perk up when Luca called out for them. “Hey, Lucky, there you are! I’ve been looking for you!” The cheerful Xero hurried towards Lucky, waving, before he noticed his somber mood, growing worried for his friend. “Lucky? What’s wrong, what got you so upset?” 

“I lost my blue ribbon…” Lucky sighed, sitting down, head still hung low. “Not just any blue ribbon, it was my favourite! I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Oh, do you mean this ribbon?” Lucky looked up as Luca held out his paw, in it, the very ribbon Lucky had been searching for. They jumped up in excitement. “My ribbon! Oh, Luca, you are my saviour!”The two laughed together as Lucky quickly swiped the ribbon, securing it nicely on his rose blanket. “Thank you Luca, I really owe you one! Where did you find it, anyway?” They smiled brightly, back to their cheerful self.

“I saw it on the ground at the end of town after you left for your run, you must’ve dropped it!” Luca smiled just as brightly, relieved he was able to cheer his friend up so quickly. “Well, like I said, I owe you one. Come on, I’ll buy you some food! I heard a new bakery opened nearby.” Lucky began to walk off with a bounce in their step, with Luca following close behind.