Hey guys! Sorry about the delay on this chapter. I was having a few minor computer issues yesterday that I was just in no mood to fight with. But as of this morning, I managed to fix things and I have been able to access my documents once again, and can now post this next chapter.

Now, my anxiety is definitely creeping back in on me, so I do ask for your assistance. Please be sure to review! Tell me if the story is okay! Tell me what you liked! Tell me what you didnt like! I can't grow as a writer without your feedback! Because I know I'm nowhere near as talented as some other individuals here on fanfiction.

And remember that the tumblr AskStarnerve is completely up and running. Check it out if you want to see what silly questions have already been answered, or to ask some of your own! Any questions are welcome at any time!

Please enjoy! Again, thank you all for your patience!

Chapter 4: Impulsive Panic

Now was as good a time as ever.

Fear, his backpack filled with the discarded every day clothes of his and Joy's, stepped daintily off the flat bed train car and onto the familiar puzzle piece path of imagination land. No sooner had he left the platform than the train whistle began to screech once more; a warning of it's impending departure. He skittered back a good distance and watched as the train once more jerked to life and set off upon newly appearing tracks. As the tail end passed, Fear noticed a single mind worker riding in the caboose. He waved a glittering green arm at the emotion, and Fear shyly returned the gesture as the Train of Thought left for its next destination.

Mentally preparing himself with a cleansing sigh, Fear turned around. He could still hear Joy's excited calls, even though she herself had disappeared from sight. He glanced up at the large arch that towered above him. In giant letters lined in flashing bulbs, it read "ADRENALINE RUSH PARK". Fear could tell Joy's spastic rambling was coming from inside.

Fear felt himself shiver. "Adrenaline Rush" didn't sound like the kind of place he would normally plan on visiting. Part of his job in Riley's mind was being in charge of her adrenaline. When Fear had determined that a situation had become too dangerous and required a quick get away, he could activate the adrenaline dump to give Riley an extra burst of energy. To him, adrenaline meant danger. But he knew how much a place like this would mean to Joy. So, just to make her happy, he would overcome his natural emotion and brave the park for her.

Now all he had to do was find her again.

"Joy?" Fear called, passing under the arch with his hands on his backpack straps. His bright eyes scanned the colorful landscape in hopes of catching a glimpse of her glowing aura. The park looked just as Fear had expected it to. Game booths, food stands, and huge theme rides were everywhere, with a branching puzzle path leading in a maze through the whole place. It looked a lot like the parks Riley had visited, except with a few random extra details scattered about. For instance, Fear was sure he had never seen a giant ticket stub sticking out from the ground in the real world, nor had there been cotton candy bushes among the greenery. But this was all common place in the mindscape.

There was one other detail Fear couldn't help but notice; this park was almost completely deserted. Though it was able to function as a working amusement park, that wasn't why it was here. It existed so that Riley could daydream about it as she wished, like when she was particularly bored in class. So only a few mind workers milled about to keep the place up and running, allowing the occasional worker, emotion, or imaginary friend to enjoy the place as well.

Fear finally spotted Joy leaned against a metal fence at one side of the path, her face turned to the sky. She hopped up and down like an excited child, repeatedly calling Fear's name. With a blush and a chuckle, he wandered over and stood nervously beside her.

"This one!" Joy shouted, pointing a glimmering hand upward. "We should go on THIS one first!"

Fear looked up to follow her gesture. He had been so focused on Joy that he hadn't even noticed the giant roller coaster above, dwarfing her form. Blue and teal tracks twisted and looped in a tangle of plastics and metal, some parts hanging high enough that they seemed to disappear into the light above. An empty test coaster rocketed by, screaming its way down the tracks before climbing back up the corkscrew path.

Fear swallowed hard. He could feel his antennae stand on end and his pupils constrict to pin points. Every ounce of his being was screaming 'DANGER', that riding this leviathan would be the last thing he did. With all its twists and turns and it's bullet-like speed, there was no way he could believe a thing like this was safe.

"J-j-joy...?" He shivered, his knees buckling and his hands holding the fence in a tight death grip. "I-i... We sh-should... w-we... This one?"

Joy nodded enthusiastically. "Definitely this one!"

The longer he stared at the looming thrill ride, the more he knew he couldn't allow himself, or anyone for that matter, to ride it. Though it pained him, he would have to refuse Joy's idea. He sighed and hung his head a little lower. He always hated being such a coward, and he especially disliked when he was forced to rain on the others parades, earning him names like the 'wet blanket'. But his job was keeping things safe. So he had to make a stand.

"Joy... I really-" Fear turned to face Joy and immediately paused. She had turned to face him while he had been thinking, and his eyes immediately locked into hers. He could see them sparkling with wild excitement, her smile was wide as it could stretch and her golden skin shimmered from her particals rapid movement. This roller coaster; this whole adventure even, was like a dream come true. Fear exhaled in an almost guilty tone. Who was he to rob her of one of the best opportunities for fun she would ever have?

As a breezy wind blew, causing Fear's short sleeves to billow, he remember what he had decided back at hq. Because of his lack of any physical redeeming qualities, he would have to use alternative ways to show he could be a good enough partner for Joy. He was the lanky penguin, and this roller coaster was an opportunity to earn a shiny pebble for his nest.

So, against his better judgement, Fear nodded in agreement. "I really think... it looks great, heh!" He laughed, putting a hand to his already aching neck. "Lets... Lets go find the line..?"

Joy twirled quickly in one place with a high pitched squeal. Before he could react, she tackled Fear into a tight hug, squeezing perhaps a little too tightly since she was used to fighting through his bulky sweater and layers, then bounded down the path following the fence to search for the rides opening.

Fear, his cheeks ablaze from Joys sudden, warm touch, shook himself out of the trance. "Lets hope this works..." He thought to himself pessimistically. Lets get that shiny pebble.

It actually took a few minutes for the two emotions to sprint to the fences opening, revealing a smaller path beneath the coaster to the boarding platform beyond. Standing dead center in the path was a light blue colored sign, proclaiming the name of this particular ride; Synaptic Impulse. It also featured a few pictures and symbols of what to do and what not to do to on any rollercoaster. Fear, despite knowing all of these rules by heart, felt the need to go over them one more time as Joy slowly followed the path ahead, appreciating the tangle of tracks all around her.

Fear caught up to Joy once more at the base of the boarding platforms stairs. It was here that they paused. Looking up the seemingly endless steps, the pictures of stick figures in cartoony trauma fresh in his mind, Fear began to feel sweat accumulating on his face. He had never ridden a roller coaster. He had never wanted to. It was scary enough to ride one through Riley's eyes. Yet here he was, about to board one of the fastest, nastiest thrill rides he had ever seen, all for a chance at earning one golden pebble.

Joy, taking notice of her companions lack of movement, glanced at the nervous figure beside her. As she took note of his rapid shivering and increased perspiration, her face slowly began to fall. She had been so overstimulated by all the colors and sounds of the amusement park that, in her excitement, she forgot that Fear wasn't the biggest fan of things like this. A guilty feeling put immense pressure on her chest, and she sighed.

"Fear..." She spoke using her calmest and most understanding voice. "We don't have to go on this ride. I mean, if you don't want to..."

Startled, Fear whipped around to face Joy. He immediately saw her somber expression, and decided that she was disappointed in him. Fear, terrified of losing points with Joy, immediately shook his head.

"No! I... I want to go on this..!" He stammered. "Really!"

Confused, Joy tilted her head, studying Fear's awkward smile. She didn't know if she really believed that statement. But it sounded like Fear's mind was made up. So she smiled and, not trying to be too obvious, grabbed his hand and attempted to reassure him.

"It'll be really fun!" She grinned, beginning to lead his shaking body up the stairs. "And these rides are all super safe! They run test carts all day long to make sure everything's in order."

Joy could tell by his face that this particular info calmed him down a good amount. In fact, by the time they were nearing the top of the stairs, it seemed like all the anxiety in his expression had melted away, now replaced with the tiniest grin of excitment. Joy offered him a proud smile and nod, and Fear's cheeks reddened in an instant.

But as soon as they entered the actual boarding room, Fear's anxiety came back in full force. The electric blue coaster, covered in lightning bolt decals, was docked just in front of them, waiting for its passengers. Images of the empty test coaster roaring past replayed in Fear's mind. It had been terrifying seeing it from the ground. But now, he was about to be riding those same rails. There was no turning back now.

A single speckly blue mind worker approached from behind the rides controls, slightly surprised that she actually had visitors. She smiled at the two colorful creatures before her, who in turn offered her a polite greeting. Like most mind workers, she had never seen an emotion before, and in fact had no idea what one looked like. So she assumed these two glowing figures must be some form of imaginary friends.

"Alright!" She exclaimed in a surprisingly perky voice, guiding the two to the front of the docked coaster. "Are you ready to ride?"

Joy clasped her hands and nodded brightly. Fear only shivered in response.

"Okay then! Let's get you all set up!" She stepped just beside the front cart and picked up a part of the seat belt. "If you want to just get in on this side, miss! We'll get you all strapped in and secure. And sir? If you could follow me to this side of the cart, we can get you fixed up as well."

Fear hesitated momentarily before climbing into the cart's seat, the seat belt the mindworker buckled across his chest sealing his fate. His shivering rattled the entire coaster, and sweat dripped from his face onto his shaking hands. But suddenly, he felt a warm touch upon his shoulder. He turned to see Joy smiling gently, her golden hand patting softly patting him. His breathing slowed. He hadn't realized how close they had been sitting to each other in this tiny cart. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

The mind worker, who had been studying the cart from every angle, clapped her hands together. "Alright! We're all set to go!" She shouted, lowering and locking the lap bar into position. "Get ready for launch!" She quickly scampered over to her controls, pressing a button that caused the floor around the coaster to give way, revealing the tracks it sat upon.

"Off you go!"

Fear's heart nearly skipped a beat as the cart started forward, slowly exiting the wooden structure and approaching the tangled mess of teal twists. After a short right turn, the carts bottom was gripped by an unseen chain, which slowly began to pull the coaster up the first, tallest hill with a chorus of clacking. With each passing second, Joys excitement grew, as well as Fear's terror. He was thankful that their speed was so low, but couldn't believe how high it was taking them.

"H-h-how m-much... Much higher d-does it go...?" He tightened his fists on the bar laying across him.

"Not much!" Joy giggled. "And then the ride really starts!"

Finally, the cart had reached the very top of the incline. For a brief moment, it stood majestically as the conquer of the metal peak. But then Joy and Fear felt the ride being released from the guide chain that brought it here, and the cart slowly pitched forward, looking down the monstrous decent that lead to the rest of the terrors the coaster had to offer. It felt like in that second, time had briefly frozen, with Fear and Joy perched over the first plunge. Joy smiled as hard as she could, her sparkling eyes looking down in ecstatic anticipation. Fear pushed himself as far back into the seats cushion as he could, trying in vain to move away from the danger ahead.

It was then that gravity took hold of the cart, and the ride truly began.

The roller coaster blasted down the ramp at an incredible speed, the G forces of its plunge making its passengers feel almost weightless. Joy had started screaming with glee, while Fear screamed out of pure terror. He was already scared out of his wits, and it had only just begun. The hill bottomed out and rose again into a spiral, corkscrewing back into the air at light speed. Hanging upside down only momentarily, the cart plunged once again, twisting around in a tight turn above a flowing fountain below. After another brief hill, the cart entered the start of a giant loop at full speed. Fear, his lungs aching from his nonstop shrieking, released his death grip from the pole and instead clung to Joy with a vice like grip on her shoulders, now projecting his screams directly into her ears. Joy didn't seem to mind, though, as the cart reached the top of the loop and roared back down the other side. Eventually, Fear could take no more and closed his eyes, hearing a terrifying opera of his own screaming, Joys laughing, and the carts merciless squealing across the metal tracks. Gravity pulled him this way and that as he felt the ride continue to twist and twirl, rise and plunge, and then finally hit a straight away and ease to a steady stop.

Fear, clinging to Joy with all his might and with his eyes clenched shut, continued to scream at full volume, even as the floor of the launch pad raised and met the cart once again.

"FEAR." He could only barely hear Joy's voice over his own. "FEAR, YOU'RE OKAY. YOU MADE IT."

The last thing he remembered was thinking 'I actually made it?'

And the world around him faded to black.