Blinding.
That was her thoughts when she exited the tunnel.
Not just from the sun, but also... World's End Opening.
Her shiny plates perfectly catches sunlight, and her cape fluttered from the wind.
If one could describe her, it's 'the knight in shining armor'.
A radiant knight!
She just stands there, in the middle of the track with her arms crossed, facing away from the tunnel exit as if waiting for something, or someone.
A/N: We see the fit.
She's so... dazzling.
Whooosh.
A gust of wind made Astonishing regain her focus. Meanwhile End, as if she knows Astonishing had arrived, turned around.
"Long time no see, Astonishing." She spreads her arms wide. "Welcome to my stage"
A/N: She hits the Frieza pose.
Astonishing felt a bead of sweat roll down her temple. "You sure are shiny. But are those really necessary?"
She really has no other word, End is just so shiny.
"Of course! My dear rival. These fabric, these plates, the cape, all of it were designed for one purpose: to make me the center of the stage!" She spins around, showing Astonishing every part of her racewear.
"And this shoes, they don't just make me run, they make me gleam with perfection. Now, I'm not just the strongest, I'm the freshest too"
'Stop it, End! You make everyone feels awkward'
Astonishing is right. The other umamusumes are all diverted their gaze towards random direction. They really don't want to get involved on whatever these two were on.
[Now that all our today participants has entered the track, the race is about to begin!]
"Hear that, Astonishing? The audience is calling for their protagonist!" End declared. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer!"
Everyone approaches their respective place. Astonishing stepped into her gate, the shadows of the overhead structure finally offering some relief
Well oh well how lucky she is... because her 'rival' is right beside her. Of course she was. The universe seemed to have a twisted sense of humor, or perhaps the race officials just really wanted to see the track catch fire.
'There's nothing to worry about' she assured herself.
She turned her head to gate 7, End's gate. To be honest, she can hardly see anything because she's too short. But she can see her reflection from End's should pad.
Of course, her action didn't go unnoticed.
"Checking your reflection?" End turned to meet her gaze, "Don't worry. Even in the shadow of my brilliance, you still look... astonishing."
CLANG!
The gate sprung open.
[And they're off! A perfe- wait, no! No. 6 had a late start!]
!
.
.
.
"This is bad!" Takeda, standing near the rail, could do nothing but watch as his trainee made a mistake.
But he's not alone, beside him was also Dorazora along with her trainer. They had come to watch Astonishing's race.
"There's still a chance!" her trainer Yamada Satomi, a woman not far older than Takeda, with black hair and a little bit purplish, likely colored, assured him. "This is a 2000meters race, and she's an end closer. She still has a chance"
That's right, this race is 400meters longer than Hanshin Juvenile Fillies. Also, Astonishing is used to run on the far back. A more familiar term for it is 'End Closer'. If you're a front runner or pace chaser, it's normal to be worried because a bad start can affect your run significantly. But for someone like Astonishing, a late start doesn't cause as much damage since they don't fight for the front immediately.
"You're right," Takeda muttered, "But still... could she catches up before the slope?"
.
.
.
'Damn me... why did I lose focus in such critical moment!' Astonishing cursed herself.
Luckily, the consequence isn't too severe for her. If she was a front runner or a pace chaser like Dora, she would be cooked.
She hold herself together and observe the runners in front of her. Being in the back means you have the best view of the situation unfolding. Right now, she's in the very back of the pack. There are sixteen runners in this race including her, which mean she needs to overtake fifteen to win. But before she can take first place, there's still one person she needs to fight.
World's End Opening
She's not an ordinary front runner, the 'Great Escape' isn't something that can be easily mastered. There are so few of them who could perform such feat, such as the otherworldly front runner, Silence Suzuka.
Even from the very back, Astonishing could still see her because she runs so far ahead, she entered the corner before everyone else.
The gap was staggering.
As they hit the backstretch, things begin to unfold. The 'front runners' who were trying to match End's pace begins to suffer from it. In case like this, they are now basically the pace chasers.
When these 'front runners' finally used almost all their stamina, the other runners took advantage of the situation and overtakes are inevitable.
In an instant, the dynamic of the race shifted. The mid-pack, sensing the blood in the water, surged forward.
'Now!' With the last corner looming ahead, Astonishing made her move. Her only chance to win this race is to get to the front at the end of this 500m corner.
She sinks her feet deep into the ground, and went to the outside.
[And here they come!] the announcer's voice cracked over the speakers.
[World's End Opening is still leading by a country mile! She's already entering the corner! But wait, look at the outside! No. 6, Astonishing, is bypassing the entire field! She's moving like she was shot out of a cannon!]
.
.
.
"She's going wide, can she handle the extra length?" Trainer Satomi turned to Takeda, curious about his trainee.
"I'm sure of it" He said firmly. "The training she undergoes were focused around stamina, especially to handle a 2000m race like the Hopeful Stakes."
"Also, she choose the outside lane for a reason." he speaks again. "When a lot of umamusumes are running in the same lane, they'll leave the ground full of footprints which can ruin the surface--"
"--but most of them are running in the inner lane because it's more efficient. That leaves the outer lane unscatched. For a power-type closer like her, a clean, firm surface is worth every extra meter"
.
.
.
[She's past the tenth! What a speed?! She's in fifth already?! Is she really a newly debuted umamusume?!] the announcer roared.
This only make the crowd grew even louder. Afterall, who doesn't like the idea of winning from the very back? It's like watching a zero-to-hero shounen anime.
Everyone's attention were focused on her, overtaking everyone as she make her way to the front to challenge End's domination.
[She's bypassed the pack! Fourth! Third! Astonishing is charging like a tempest! But the leader is already at the final straight!]
As they rounded the bend, the Nakayama slope opened up. It was a daunting sight.
Far ahead, nearly 8 lengths away, was a shimmering golden speck. End hadn't slowed down. If anything, the sight of the final straight had only emboldened her.
She hit the base of the hill first. Her "Great Escape" pace was finally taking its toll. Her breathing was ragged, but she refused to back down and forced her legs to climb.
Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate. And the vibration only getting stronger and stronger, she can feel it.
[No.6 has reached the slope! It's just the two of them now!]
"Go!!" Takeda and Dorazora screamed.
7 lengths... 6 lengths... 5 lengths... 4 lengths...
"So... you finally arrived," End gasped, her lungs burning, but she gritted her teeth and force herself forward "But the stage... is still mine!"
She dug in. Even with her stamina flashing red, her pride forced a final, desperate surge. Her cape snapped like a whip in the wind as she reached the crest of the hill.
The distance between them was vanishing.
3 lengths... 2 lengths...
But just as she about to close the gap even further, the slope ended, they're now hitting the flat. She failed to overtake her on the slope, she had no choice but to catches up to her on the flat.
Less than 100 meters to go.
Astonishing's lungs were on fire, her legs felt like they were moving through deep water, so heavy.
'Just... a little... more!'
The finish line was a white blur against the green, agonizingly close yet seemingly moving further away with every heavy stride.
'I... I can't...' she wanted to go even further, she wanted to win, she wanted to catches up to her, but her legs are just couldn't propel her forward any faster.
[And No.7, World's End Opening crossed the finish line first! No. 6 is right behind her, just one length away!]
Astonishing slowed down, her head hanging low. She had closed a staggering gap, that's an impressive performance, but unfortunately she's just not there yet.
End doesn't go away clean either, she looked like a knight who had survived a siege by the skin of her teeth.
[What a spectacular finish!] the announcer's voice echoed through the stadium, fueled by the adrenaline of the crowd. [World's End Opening holds on! A truly "Great Escape"! But let's not forget No. 6, Astonishing, what a monstrous final spurt!]
She turned her head slowly, looking back at Astonishing. Her face was flushed, hair matted with sweat, but as she caught Astonishing's gaze, she forced a trembling hand up to adjust her hair.
"Ha... ha..." End wheezed, a manic, exhausted glint in her eyes. "You... you really are... a mood killer... Astonishing."
She stood up straight, wiping a streak of mud from her cheek. "I lost again... but this is not the end, one day... one day I will..."
End let out a weak, genuine laugh, "I suppose a sequel... is inevitable."
.
.
.
Astonishing walks alone in the tunnel heading towards her room. She's tired, but most importantly, she's feeling down. Well, it was her second lost if we include the examination race. She really thought she could win today, if just she didn't mess up the start.
"Damn it..." she whispered, her voice cracking. She stopped, leaning her forehead against the damp concrete wall.
"Hey" A familiar voice broke the silence, she knows well who it was, her trainer.
"You okay?" He handed her a towel and a bottle of water which she instantly grab and drink.
"I'm not okay with second place," Astonishing lowered the water bottle, her eyes fixed on the floor of the tunnel. "If only I didn't get distracted, I would've catch up to her. Sorry Trainer, this is my fault"
he stepped forward and leaned against the wall right next to her, looking out toward the square of bright light at the tunnel's exit.
"You're right," he said, his voice level and devoid of pity. "If you hadn't been distracted, you probably would have won. That's the reality of a race. A single second of vanity or distraction is the difference between the winner's podium and the walk of shame."
Astonishing flinched, her grip tightening on the bottle.
"But," Takeda continued, turning his head to look at her, "do you know what else I saw? I saw an Umamusume who ran 2000meters or even more, which in a disadvantage, successfully make her way to the front from the very back and put a pressure on the leader"
"Losing is part of the process too" He paused, giving his trainee time to let the words sinks in.
Astonishing looked up, the towel draped over her head. "Yeah... you're right... I shouldn't let this defeat goes into waste"
After a short talk, they proceed to head back towards their room. After all, there's still a live to be performed.
.
.
.
Inside another room, End is looking at her reflection on the mirror. Her hair is wet from the sweat and her legs were dead tired.
"How terrifying," End whispered to herself, hidden behind her victory smile.
End took a deep breath, watching the steam rise from her own skin. She reached out and touched the glass, her fingertips tracing the outline of her own reflection.
"To think someone could close such a massive gap..." she lets out a tired laugh. "It seems I had put my guards down for a bit."
"Next time," End's expression sharpened, her manic energy returning as she smoothed her damp hair. "I'll need more than just a head start. I'll need a performance that leaves her completely breathless."