June 1st, XXXX (Same Day)
If the silence was prominent in the private viewing booth after the Satsuki Sho, then it somehow leveled up entirely after the Tokyo Yushun, as no one in the room made a sound for what felt like minutes. A sense of disbelief was felt over everyone present as they looked at the result; a staggering record had been made, and Maruzensky had taken the second leg of the Triple Crown, just one win away. Riku himself was no different; his eyes were impossibly wide as he looked at the board, seeing the record time set by Maruzensky. That... that's faster than the best time in his home world. Isn't it? Maruzensky… just what are you?
His gaze wandered around the room, taking in the silent Mejiro and Symboli families, all present as they were during the Satsuki Sho, but all were completely silent as well. Green Chateau and White Narubi were both staring blankly at the scoreboard as he was, with Tamamo looking back and forth between it and Maruzensky celebrating on the field. Little Oguri Cap next to him also displayed a rare show of open emotion, her eyes as wide as his if he had to guess, her grip on his sleeve tight enough that where he was scared she'd rip his sleeve. A wry smile came over his features as he turned his gaze back to the track, the camera zooming in on Maruzensky as she was talking to Azuma Hunter. His expression would soon fall off, noticing the brief wince Maruzensky displayed and the shakiness in her leg as she stepped forward.
"Surely fate would not be so cruel," he worriedly bit his lip as he speculated on what that tell from Maruzensky was. It was very likely some form of strain from how hard she had just run, but if it was an injury? Not just an injury, but the same one she sustained originally that ultimately ended her career? He wouldn't know what to think or do. They didn't have the capabilities to deal with that just yet. A small hand grasped his own and woke him up from his introspection.
Looking down, he met the worried gaze of Oguri Cap, whose head was tilted as she looked up at him. Had the situation not been so tense, he could have gushed about how cute the Uma looked doing so. He was grateful for her, though; now wasn't the time to dwell on those thoughts. He'd had to assess and take it as it came.
"Thank you, Oguri." He smiled down at the confused Uma, who merely blinked at him and looked him over a few times. She was truly sharp for an Umamusume known for being simple-minded.
"Welcome," Oguri replied idly, glancing around as the noise in the room began to pick up as people got over their shock.
"Let's head down, yeah? We can go say hi before the concert." He stood up after briefly patting himself down, his eyes went behind him to Opal and Buckshot. Opal was in the midst of pinching Buckshot, who had her eyes wide and mouth open towards the track, getting a loud, "OUCH" from the taller Umamusume. While rubbing her side and glaring at Opal, the two fell into step beside him as he was prepared to head down to the track. Oguri, once again to his surprise, immediately grabbed hold of his left hand, and ignored him to wave and get her mother's attention.
Narubi noticed quickly, and after a soft smile to the two, shook her fellow mother's shoulder as they stood and made their way over. He was prepared to move on, after noticing that the Mejiro and Symboli families were slow to move, before his right hand was also snatched up by the other little grey-haired Uma. Noticing his gaze, Tamamo grinned cheekily.
"Let's go, let's go!" Tamamo excitedly hopped on her feet, the energy infecting Oguri as she started to bounce as well. This resulted in his arms comically moving up and down, as the two children, even as young Umas, could surpass him, an adult man, in strength. From being aggressively hugged by one of his bodyguards, Tazuna, and now these two Uma children, he might not survive the day at this rate.
Speaking of Tazuna, he glanced over and blinked when she had already fallen into step with Buckshot and Opal, giving him a soft smile as she did so. That woman was too efficient.
Both children pulled him along, as the two mothers followed, with his two guards just behind them, with Tazuna, his eyes trailing back and noticing Buckshot eagerly recording the interaction, again. Was it her goal to use it as blackmail, did she find it cute, or did she just revel in his misery? He'd never know.
As they passed through the halls and passed several other employees, the noise level had not dropped at all. People were excitedly talking about what they had just witnessed, both employees and spectators alike. It drew a warm smile on Riku's face, as this was what the URA wanted all along. A record-breaking race like this could only open more doors for Umamusume and the URA.
He'd have to talk to his grandfather later and see what the man thought about all this. Contact between the two had been relatively light since his promotion, with the man only bugging him once after his big promotion.
Those thoughts carried him as they quickly made their way in the tunnel, Maruzensky's other competitors making their way through as they waited for them to pass. However, the kids holding his hands didn't miss their opportunity to announce themselves.
"Ano." Oguri quietly spoke up, catching the attention of Bamboo Atlas, who was about to pass them by. The Umamusume's ears perked up along with her tail as she turned and looked towards the little Uma who spoke up, her eyes softening.
"Yes?" Atlas's voice came out soft but scratchy, her loss in the race clearly still taking a toll on her.
"Good race… you'll get it next time." Oguri attempted to offer words of encouragement, which caused Bamboo to blink several times, looking at her, before she began to chuckle. Before Oguri could think her attempt failed Atlas leaned over and rubbed Oguri's head.
"Thank you. I needed that." Atlas smiled brightly, her still reddened eyes somehow enhancing the look. Her expression turned pensive as she looked down a bit before looking at Oguri, her eyes brightening a bit. She reached up and pulled her G1 outfit's headband off, before handing it to Oguri, the young Uma looking a bit confused and shocked at the gesture. "A little gift from me for inspiring me. What's your name?"
"Oguri Cap." Oguri's eye shone as she held the headband, not noticing Riku's look of disbelief at it. How is that thing not covered in sweat? Racewear really was some mystical nonsense.
"Oguri Cap. I'll remember it." Bamboo Atlas held out a fist, which Oguri bumped, the two sharing a small smile. Riku's eyes noticed a brief sound from his peripheral, taking in Narubi eagerly, recording the moment. His eyes caught movement from the tunnel, seeing Azuma Hunter striding down in their direction, an eyebrow raised as she watched the byplay. She made to stop by Bamboo Atlas before another surprise hit, when Tamamo Cross eagerly ran up to the Umamusume.
"Hm?" Azuma was not expecting it, and took in the adorable little Umamusume grinning up at her with her red and blue headband. "Sup?" Azuma tilted her head, kneeling down to Tamamo's level.
"Sup!" Tamamo echoed, her smile growing as her eyes shone. "That was so cool! You surged through and took second at the end!" Her arms were waving as Tamamo was completely fangirling over Azuma. "I want to run like you!" Now that was a statement. Something Azuma did not expect at all as she looked at Tamamo with widened eyes, Oguri and Bamboo Atlas watching the byplay on the side. Azuma glanced over at the two with a frown, taking in the headband that Oguri was still holding. Making a decision, she slowly removed her cap from her head before placing it on Tamamo's head.
"Heh. I look forward to seeing it, kiddo." Azuma's deep voice noticeably softened as her eyes shone while looking at Tamamo. She gave a smirk to Bamboo Atlas, whose eyebrow twitched briefly at Azuma copying her gesture. A brief bit of sparks erupted between their eyes in challenge. Azuma looked back towards Tamamo before holding out her fist as well. Tamamo's eyes lit up as she bumped fists with Azuma, who stood up. "Take that present from me. I hope to see you at more of my races." Azuma briefly waved before strolling by, slapping Atlas's back hard as she did so.
"Tch. I hope to see you at my races too, Oguri. Until next time." Atlas briefly bowed to them, smiling warmly at Oguri before strolling on.
Riku himself was feeling warm at the gestures given by the two runners, and extremely confused as they gave pieces of their racing outfits to the two children. That won't have implications later… would it?
"Your hat is so fuzzy!" Oguri remarked as she and Tamamo reconvened, both touching each other's gifts openly. These two were really comfortable with each other. Makes sense as they're living together, and probably were closer to siblings in this timeline.
"Un! Your headband is so soft, too. Oh! It has writing on it!" Tamamo remarked, as both were far more preoccupied with looking at their gifts, their mothers leaning in to watch.
Footsteps took Riku's attention once more, as he looked and saw the star of the show arriving down the tunnel, her trainer right next to her as they walked down. Riku's eyes met Vincent's, and he narrowed his eyes briefly before gesturing to Maruzensky with a frown. The man matched his frown and gave a short nod, confirming his fears. They'd have to discuss it later. A brief hand softly touching his left shoulder startled him, and his gaze met Tazuna's. She was looking worriedly at Maruzensky, glancing at him as she did so.
He shouldn't underestimate a veteran racer's intuition, especially not one so familiar with injury. She might've picked up something wrong with Maruzensky before anyone else. They'd have to discuss it after the concert. He gave her a nod before looking back forward as Maruzensky approached, her smile blinding as she looked over everyone. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it, but Maruzensky's smile somehow shone even more as she looked at him. Her eyes, after meeting him, briefly took in everyone else once more and blinked several times, seeing her rival's headwear on the two children's heads.
"Everyone. Thank you for coming." Maruzensky gave a deep bow to everyone present, her eyes still red and wet from earlier. Her eyes intently met him as she stepped forward, standing just a few feet from him with everyone else on his sides fanning around Maruzensky. "What did you think?" Her words, while seemingly aimed at everyone, were especially directed at him by the look she was giving. What did he think? That was obvious.
"Amazing. It was an amazing performance. Congratulations on becoming a Derby Umamusume, Maruzensky." He gave a heartfelt smile to the Uma, truly happy in his heart that she could accomplish something she had only dreamed of before. The sentiment was matched by her, as she looked ready to cry once more. However, she startled him with her next actions as she stepped forward more, grabbing a hold of his right hand with both of hers as she did so.
"Thank you, Riku. Truly, thank you." Maruzensky's smile was blinding, a light blush on her cheeks as she looked intently at him. "So am I your favorite U.M.A.M.U.S.U.M.E?" She purposefully enunciated each word as she smiled at him, doing critical damage to the poor Chairman's heart. Thankfully, or not, a savior was there to remind Maruzensky that she was there.
"I think you still have a bit to go there, Miss Maruzensky." Tazuna stepped forward, creating a bit of space between the two as she smiled at Maruzensky, giving Riku time to calm his poor racing heart. Had Riku kept his eyes on the two, he might've noticed the rising tension and frown Maruzensky wore at Tazuna's interruption.
"Miss Tazuna." Maruzensky's voice was flat and devoid of emotion, as the two smiled and looked towards each other with narrowed eyes, a rising tension in the air, and everyone looked uncertainly between the two. The two children had no clue what was going on and were busy looking back and forth between the two. Riku was in his own world, his eyes closed as he calmed down. White Narubi and Green Chateau looked over with knowing smiles, taking clear enjoyment from the theatrics. Vincent? He looked absolutely bewildered as he watched on. Thankfully for everyone present, an employee came out once more calling for Maruzensky to get ready for her live performance.
Maruzensky frowned at the interruption, but she knew she had a performance to get to. She glanced back uncertainly at the group before sighing and making her way to the employee, wincing lightly as she stepped. This was not missed by Tazuna, Vincent, or the recovered Riku, who frowned. Before anyone else could speak, Tazuna stepped forward, intent on following Maruzensky. She met Riku's eyes as she walked on.
"I'm going to help Miss Maruzensky prepare. I'll see you at the concert." She smiled and walked off after a short wave. If anyone could be trusted to know what to do here, it'd be her. Riku, of course, missed the whole byplay between Tazuna and Maruzensky. His gaze instead went to Vincent as he gestured to the group.
"Let's follow along. I need to talk to Vincent about something." He waved away the questioning gaze of the two children and mothers as they began to stride along. As they left the tunnel, his voice could vaguely pick out a familiar Umamusume's angry grumbling.
"We missed them! Damn it!" The familiar voice of Sirius Symboli reached his ears. They must've been far too late in following them to interact with the runners. They'd see them at the concert regardless.
"You saw it, then?" Vincent questioned as he looked at Riku, his eyes worried as they walked in the back of the group.
"Yes. Have you talked with her about it yet?" Riku questioned, his head slightly tilted in Vincent's direction as they walked along. He made sure to smile and nod to the different employees as they passed, before resuming his neutral expression.
"No." Vincent shook his head as he glanced at him fully, the worry open on his expression. "I planned to after the concert. Riku… this won't make her miss the Kikuka Sho, will it?" The reason for Vincent's worry was clear, as it'd be heartbreaking to the young Uma to be forced to miss the final leg of the Triple Crown. That heartbreak would be amplified, especially if she learned it was because she forced herself to run too hard in the Derby.
"Don't worry. Because she's still able to move, I don't think so." Riku shook his head and gave a reassuring smile to the trainer. "We'll take it cautiously, but I'm hopeful it's something that we can immediately fix. If not, we'll at least have her ready before October." He gave a cheesy thumbs-up that gained a weary smile from the trainer. Riku himself wasn't so sure, as he remembered that Maruzensky suffered an injury after her 8th race, which was the Tokyo Derby in this timeline, that ended her career. He'd be damned if that was the case now.
"I don't know what I'd do if that were the case." The man shook his head, the stress making him seem far older than he was.
"No point worrying now. Let her get through her performance, then we'll take her to some of the best specialists we have. She'll get through this." He patted the man's shoulder once as they caught up with the group, entering the arena where the concert would be. His ears twitched as he picked up noise behind them, glancing back to see Sirius Symboli leading the way, with everyone else previously following behind.
His eyes took in the weariness of Speed Symboli, the burning eyes of Symboli Rudolf, the calculation of Mejiro Asama, the amusement and amazement of Mejiro Ramonu, and the awe of the rest of the little Mejiro children. Their little eyes lighting up as they waited for the performance to start was truly a delight to see.
"Oi!" A voice shouted to the left as the group settled in, drawing their attention to the side. Riku raised an eyebrow as he saw Katsuragi Ace and Mr. CB walking up, oh? They had a third edition to their little group, a taller Umamusume with long brown hair and a prominent white diamond on their bangs. He vaguely recognized her.
Riku took the lead in this case and spoke first. "Welcome, Ace. I see you've brought CB along with you, and who is your friend?" He looked curiously at the third Umamusume who met his gaze evenly. The remaining members of his party looked at the newcomers, some in curiosity, others knowingly, likely having scouted them out before.
"Ah." Ace made a noise of understanding before leaning over and helping shove the startled Umamusume forward, grinning as she did so. Said Umamusume was torn between glaring at Ace and looking uncertainly at the group, looking curiously at her. After a few moments, she took a breath before speaking.
"Akitsu Teio. Future mile champion." Her cheeks were a little red, but the Umamusume did her best to remain dignified while announcing herself. He remembered now. Akitsu Teio, known as the Mile Monarch in Cinderella Gray, unfortunately suffered the Sirius Symboli treatment in that show. Being a placeholder to show off how dominant Tamamo Cross was during her win streak, beating her out in the Takarazuka Kinen. Wait. Wasn't Akitsu Teio also Haru Urara's father!? Riku blinked owlishly as his brain spiraled, the rest of the group taking the lead to welcome Akitsu in.
"You're so tall!" Tamamo Cross took the lead, looking up at her (unknown to her) one-time opponent. Her eyes shone as she took in Akitsu's appearance. "Oi Oguri! I'm going to grow as tall as her!" Tamamo pointed up at Akitsu, while gesturing to Oguri, who nodded along. Akitsu looked startled by the byplay, but focused intently on Tamamo.
"She was doing pretty well, and ah, here comes Sirius." Riku thought idly, watching the hyper young Umamusume and the older, brash one, talk to Akitsu Teio. Definitely not something he saw coming, but a welcome surprise.
"Everyone! The performance will start soon! Please find your places!" A female voice announced over the stage, gathering everyone's attention as the noise level began to subtly pick up again in excitement. Now for the main event, hmm? He hoped Maruzensky could perform well; this is a performance she had been looking forward to. As his gaze went to the stage, where Maruzensky emerged with Azuma Hunter and Green Grass, he was preparing himself for the conversation he'd have with her after.
Shortly after (Skipping the concert due to all three legs of the Triple Crown using Winning the Soul)
Maruzensky looked out the window of the car she found herself in, her mind a tumultuous mess that thankfully kept her mind off the fact that she should be carsick while not driving. After being rudely interrupted by Miss Tazuna, who stepped between her and Riku, said woman tracked her down and brought up something she had been putting off. She had felt the slight give and pain her leg gave off after the race, but had been soldiering through it, as she didn't want to think about the implications.
Sadly for Maruzensky, her Father/Trainer, mother, Tazuna, and, from what she heard, Riku… were all aware of her possible injury and wanted her to get checked/treated immediately. On one hand, it was heartwarming. On another note, Maruzensky was terrified that they'd tell her that she'd miss the Kikuka Sho, perhaps even stop running entirely. No, she refused to believe such an outcome could happen. She cupped her face in her hands as she held back the urge to yell in frustration at it all. She had just won the Tokyo Derby, the greatest honor an Umamusume in Japan could hold, and now she was dealing with this.
Vincent, while driving, looked worriedly at his daughter in the rear-view mirror. She had been closed off since she was given the news that they were going to look into her injury after the Derby, and he wasn't sure what to say at this moment. The worry was eating at him, too; his daughter had accomplished one leg of her dream, but she still had so much more to run. As they stopped at an intersection, he pressed his forehead into the steering wheel, praying for what felt like the hundredth time for good news to come when they reached the medical facility.
All too soon, they arrived before a large hospital, a giant URA logo emblazoned on the side of it. Stationed outside were several Umamusume in black suits who stood at attention as he drove up. Vincent looked around uncertainly after stopping the car and placing his hazard lights on, his daughter quietly stepping out as well. An Umamusume strolled up to him, giving a slight bow as she did so.
"Mr. Nijinsky?" Her voice was sunny and filled with optimism as she looked at him with cross-shaped pupils. After receiving an uncertain nod, her smile brightened, the energy seeming to glow off her. "I'm Journalist! I'll be your chauffeur today and will handle parking your car. Please head on through the doors, our Chairman is waiting for you." After another bow and a moment to take the keys from his hands, she strolled past him and got into his car. Another pair of Umamusume guards stepped forward and gestured with their hands for him to follow, his gaze going to his daughter, who listlessly followed after them. He worriedly followed as the two Umamusume fell into step behind them and they entered the hospital proper.
His eyes lit up slightly as he took in the familiar visages of Riku and Tazuna, who were quietly discussing ahead of him by the reception area. His daughter was so out of it that she strolled past the duo right to the reception, an aura of depression seeming to hang around the Uma. Both of them glanced worriedly at Maruzensky before Riku turned and met his gaze, waving him over.
"Thank you for arranging this so quickly." Vincent hurriedly bowed towards Riku before his eyes found his daughter once again, who had been joined by Tazuna as they talked to the receptionists.
"Of course, this is important." Riku glanced at him and Maruzensky, taking in their disheveled demeanors. They were far more rattled than he expected. "We'll get this sorted, Vincent. I promise." He patted the man once on the shoulder as a nurse who had been waiting stepped out and flagged Maruzensky over. After glancing at him, Riku gestured for him to go on. While he wanted to know the details, it was a private matter between them. He could only hope for good news. After a glance around, Riku took a seat in the waiting area, which was empty, save for his usual two followers who were once again bickering. Honestly, Buckshot and Opal got along like a tamer version of Scarlet and Vodka.
A "thump" echoed next to him as Tazuna took her seat, her legs crossed as she looked forward. "Your thoughts?" He questioned, meeting Tazuna's green eyes as she took on a thinking expression.
"She's trying her best to deal with the sudden news." Tazuna frowned as she thought over Maruzensky's mood. "Based on what I saw, I don't think it's a fracture or break." She tapped her chin as she spoke.
"Truly?" Riku could almost sag into his chair in relief. They still had to wait on an official prognosis, but Tazuna was someone he'd trust to spot an Umamusume's injury accurately among anyone who wasn't a doctor. It was something she took tremendously seriously. Riku clasped his hands over his face as he leaned back, as the accumulation of the worries throughout the day hit him all at once. He wasn't sure if he was offered a second time by his grandfather to take this position that he would accept. The sheer stress he dealt with on a daily basis was sure to at least make his hair completely gray before he was 30. Wait. Thinking about his grandfather had reminded him of something he had forgotten.
"Excuse me for a moment." Riku stood abruptly, reaching for his phone as he stepped slightly away for privacy. Ultimately, it was just a gesture, as all three Umamusume had sharp enough hearing to pick up even his whispers. After a few dials and rings, Riku frowned. Straight to voicemail without a response again. His grandfather was known to be forgetful, but for him to be unable to contact the man for over a week? Has something happened? Another list of things he'd need to be worried about. He decided to shoot his mother a text to see if she knew what was going on; his father never checked his own phone, so there was no point there.
After checking and noticing that his mother hadn't read his message, he took his seat back by Tazuna and leaned back, ready for a long wait. Well, hopefully not that long, as this was a higher-end private URA hospital, so things should be expedited more than usual. He might as well pass the time with Tazuna.
"Say, what did you and Maruzensky talk about in the tunnel?" He questioned, curiously looking at Tazuna, who abruptly stiffened. His eyebrows rose upon noticing it. Was it something private?
"Nothing major. Just talk about what's proper for a young girl." Tazuna emphasized the last word, her expression turning dark for a moment. She looked quite scary like that. A little attractive too, if he had to admit. He was about to question further when the doors opened, Vincent emerging alone. Riku stood, slightly worried about where Maruzensky was, before the man almost bowled him over with a hug, his eyes wet.
"It's just muscle strain, thank the goddesses." Vincent came just shy of bawling on his shoulder, which looked a little comedic from a man taller than Riku. His expression sobered slightly as he pulled back with misty eyes and looked at his friend/superior. "They did give us some warnings about early signs of tendonitis, which they're currently treating Maru for. She's been told to take it easy, but should be fine well before the Kikuka Sho." Vincent wore a tired smile as he looked back towards the doorway.
Riku gave a relieved smile and nod to the man. "Excellent. I do have a question if you and Maruzensky aren't busy." Vincent looked curiously at him after wiping his eyes, an expression mirrored by Tazuna and his two bodyguards, who decided to stroll up. "How would you two like to go see the Takarazuka Kinen?"
CHAPTER END