Diablo again and brushed his mane and tail. For once, Diablo didn't puff up while saddling. He seemed to sense that today was an important day. After I was done with the bridle too, I pulled Diablo's head towards me and pressed my forehead against his. Then I whispered in his ear, barely audible to the others: "We'll be fine, my darling. Even if I've got a million butterflies in my stomach and I'm going to cramp up, I trust you. And I know that you won't sting me." Let's show Kai what a great team we are. Make Sher'andil proud! "
Diablo listened to my words with pricked ears. Finally I gave him a kiss on the nostrils.Grandma came back and handed me my start number. She stuck the white label on my back, on which a fat six was printed in black paint.
"Go warm up. It'll start soon." Grandma advised me and released Diablo. I swung in the saddle and pushed Diablo on. Immediately the excitement was gone. Proud, just too majestic, the black stallion strode forward. With his head held high, his neck bent and his eyes alert, he scanned his surroundings.
Grandpa stood at the fence of the preparation course and waved to me. "Now show me what you two can do," he said to me. I gave a slight thigh squeeze and Diablo fell in an elegant trot and we rode the entire fence once. Then I urged him to gallop and headed for the first obstacle. Just a little oxer, nothing world-winning Suddenly another rider shot us in the way and jumped over the oxer. it was Melissa, how could it be otherwise?She came up to us with her gray stallion, Gold Star. "Hello Luna. In the country again?" She asked sneer.
"Why did you jump in between us?" I hissed venomously.
"Don't get upset. Diablo wouldn't have made it anyway," she said arrogantly.
"Oh shut up! Diablo is a thousand times better than Star."
"Certainly. Say, who is that actually? I saw you guys coming here together.", She asked conciliatory and pointed over to the fence, at Kai.
"This is Kai," I said so loudly that he could hear it and pointed my finger at him. "You think he's cute, don't you?"
Kai showed no reaction, as always. Sometimes I really think he's living in some kind of dream world. Melissa rode up to Kai and he actually opened his eyes and talked to her. I had no idea why, but I just didn't like it. Diablo fell at a gallop again and took the first obstacle.My thoughts were still with Kai and Melissa. I looked back carefully. There she stood and shook her brown hair, which was glistening in the sun, to impress Kai. I was so fixated on them that I didn't even notice Diablo jumping over the obstacles.
"Luna !! Come on, let's go.", Max called and tore me out of my thoughts.
Kai walked past me with Melissa and I got the overwhelming feeling of kicking his butt. Melissa was about to start, got up and left Kai. That was another great opportunity for me to piss him off.
"You both got on really well." I began indifferently. Kai ignored me and looked after Melissa. I plucked a few small flowers from the ground and stood closer to Kai. Then I began to tear off individual petals from the flowers and tossed them at Kai. Whereby I said: Melissa loves Kai.Melissa doesn't love him. Melissa loves Kai. Melissa doesn't love him. "
"Stop that shit !!" he hissed at me and left.
Actually, I was quite happy with the situation. But actually I had made up my mind to be a little nicer to Kai. It doesn't matter either.
"What did you just do to him that he looks so angry again?" Asked Ray and joined me. I carried out my flower blossom campaign again and earned a charming smile from Ray. Together we went to the jumping course and I looked closely at the obstacles. The last obstacle, a steep jump, worried me most.
Melissa was riding up and I was watching her every move carefully. At the bend between obstacle five, a moat, and obstacle six, a trippable, she tore Star too much in the mouth and the stallion rolled his eyes painfully. And just to have a good time. I was totally outraged about it and swore by God I wouldn't do that to Diablo.Even the rider after Melissa, her name was Norma, tore too hard on the reins and her petite Arab mare bucked. I had secretly wished that this Norma would fall off the horse and break all her bones. But unfortunately nothing came of it. And then it was my turn. As if in a trance, I sat up and directed Diablo to the square. Then everything happened very quickly. We rode into the square, greeted the judges and Diablo galloped up. He took the obstacles with a grace that there is no other time. He flew over it like a bird and before I really checked what actually was, we were already done. A clean lap and a good time.
"That was really great!", Tyson praised me and looked up at me. His grandpa nodded appreciatively.
"You really did a great job.", Came the next praise from Dizzy and Kenny agreed with his BitBeast. A little embarrassed, I thanked them for the compliments and my eyes wandered over to Kai.I was deeply shocked when I saw that for a change he had his eyes open and was looking at me. "That was good," he said and disappeared into the crowd.
"Can someone pinch me, please? He just didn't praise me?" I was totally flabbergasted.
"Yes, he did.", Ray assured me.
Shaking my head, I turned to Diablo and praised him for his great performance. The off-road race would start soon. The show jumping had nothing to do with the placement. The one who did best in jumping would start first in the race and the one who did second best after that. The time segments, the starter, depended on the time spent jumping.
Melissa, Norma and I were the only ones who had a clean lap. Since Norma had the best time she would start first. Then Melissa and then me. We have to pass two marshals, which consisted of a red fanhe and where a man stood with WalkiTalki, and then determine the rest of the way ourselves.We went to the start together and I sat up again. Diablo was very excited to run and danced restlessly back and forth.
The organizer of the tournament gave the starting signal and Norma dashed away on her Arab mare. She looked intently at her stopwatch and after a few seconds gave the start signal for Melissa.
"Good luck Luna !!! I know you can do it!" Justin called to me and I rode to the start.
After I took a deep breath, the start was released and Diablo galloped off. I leaned forward and stood firmly in the stirrups.
In front of us, Melissa galloped on Star, but now I didn't want to overtake them. We passed the first marshals at an insane pace. The surroundings blurred and I only concentrated on the path between Diablo's ears. The second guard approached slowly. I caught another glimpse of Norma galloping to the left.I sent a quick prayer to heaven that Melissa would also take the left path. Lo and behold, she took the left path. The man who was standing next to the small flag with a WalkiTalki was just giving the order. He didn't look bad when I went down the right path with Diablo.

-On the fairground-
Max and his grandfather stood with the others at the tournament organizer and waited for the order of the participants.
"Norma and Melissa ride around the swamp. Luna takes the path right through it.", Max said to Tyson, who was pestering the whole time about who is now in front.
"Isn't that a little dangerous?" Ray asked cautiously, sounding rather worried.
"Don't panic Ray, she knows the area like the back of her hand.", Max assured his teammate.
"I have to say the girl is brave and the connection between her and the horse is excellent," added Tyson's grandfather."Well then everything's fine. Can we finally go out to eat now?" Tyson asked impatiently.
"Wait a minute Tyson. Where's Kai?" Kenny asked, looking around.
But there was no trace of the team captain. "It doesn't matter. He'll show up again.", Tyson assured him and headed for a hot dog stand.

The path got narrower and the musty smell of the swamp slowly crept into my nose. The birds did not sing their songs here. The only sound came from Diablo's hooves. He skilfully made his way through the undergrowth. It was a dangerous journey, but together we could do it. In a moment we were through the swamp. This was followed by an old hiking trail that I haven't ridden for a long time. Hopefully the ground was good enough to gallop. With a mighty leap, Diablo jumped over an overturned tree trunk and galloped on the path. He took the curve too sharply, I hadn't expected that, and I flew out of the saddle in a high arc.I landed roughly on my stomach and slid another meter. I spat out the dirt I got in my mouth and sat up. My first thought was about Diablo. What I saw amazed me completely. Someone was actually standing there holding him by the reins.
"Everything okay with you?", The person came closer and I recognized Kai.
"What are you doing here?" I asked totally surprised and quickly got up again.
"It doesn't matter now. Are you hurt?" He asked gently.
"No, I don't think so." I whispered hesitantly and took Diablo's reins back to me.
At that moment Melissa galloped past us on Gold Star. Startled, I gasped and looked over at Kai.
"What are you waiting for !? Come on, up with you.", He ordered me again with his old harshness.
I was still totally perplexed and didn't really know whether I should get on again. Suddenly Kai pushed me to Diablo's side and turned the stirrup correctly towards me.I rose again to "Thanks for your help.", I mumbled to Kai and urged Diablo to gallop. Immediately he dashed forward. Before long I saw Melissa in front of us. And the entrance to the festival area too. It was a good seven hundred meters to the finish line and Melissa was about ten meters ahead. Diablo made up a lot of space, but it was unclear whether it would still reach the goal. I leaned forward a few more inches. I wanted Kai to be proud of me. "Come on Diablo !! Show them that you are Sher'andil's son!" I whispered, motivating.
Suddenly a jolt, unknown to me, went