”Because you’re my hero.”
Rice Shower’s mouth was left open at Mihono Bourbon’s words. The reason why, Bourbon, kept going to recover from her injury…was because of Rice Shower. She wanted to run with her and face that strong opponent again…
As her trainer, you knew you couldn’t force her to run in a race she didn’t want to run in. But the next time you saw her that evening, she was a different person, motivated. She’s made up her mind…
She was going to run in the spring Tenno-Sho.
She didn’t need your guidance this time, she knew what kind of training she needed to do. She left with a packed bag of shoes designed specifically for uma’s. By the time she was coming back, she was going to have burned through all of them.
She camped at an abandoned school, using the dirt track behind it as her training ground, away from everyone, from everything, and started jogging. Jogging. And jogging. A 3,200 meter race is nothing to sneeze at after all.
Day 1.
Day 2.
Day 3.
For three days she kept jogging, not consecutively…but day in and day out, replacing the water in her water bottle, switching the worn out shoes to new ones and tossing the old ones aside, currently having blown through multiple pairs.
You didn’t want to distract her, so you refrained from visiting, and placed your trust in your trainee. You’ll see her at the Spring Tenno-Sho anyway. And on that day…as Mejiro McQueen walked through the tunnel leading to the track she sensed someone- something far her in the darkness…she stopped and turned to see Rice slowly walk by, her face blank as her mouth hung open, with a blue gleam in her exposed left eye.
At that moment, McQueen couldn’t stop feeling like she was prey in hiding and watching the apex predator pass by.
Once every horse girl entered their respective gate, the race was on. McQueen running towards the front, but right behind her was Rice shower. She was marked.
Right as McQueen made her move on first place, Rice shower was trailing her like a shadow. Fitting for a horse girl earning the nickname, ‘The assassin in black.’
It was almost as if McQueen was running from Rice Shower than for first place…as they round the final corner onto the final stretch. The real race began.
Mcqueen took first, but was immediately challenged as Rice shower drew closer, the blue gleam burning in her eye as she caught up, now neck and neck.
Arousing concern in the crowd as she threatened McQueen’s third yearly victory on the Spring Tenno-Sho.
“Rice Shower! Are you trying to play the heel again?!” She heard fork the crowd.
No.
She pictured Bourbons small smile, remembering who called her a hero first, a second blue gleam appearing in her normally covered right eye as the wind from her running blew her black hair back.
She’s not a heel. Not a villain. Not an assassin.
Shes…
“I’m a hero!”
She pulled ahead.
Mcqueen didn’t even look like the goal anymore.
She kept running. 1 length, 2 lengths, 3 lengths. Running like a monster as she parted the wind by sheer force, gritting her teeth and swinging her arms faster and harsher as if it wasn’t enough, and took first place…setting a new record.
What an umazing run…
The crowd was disappointed, but she heard clapping from other racers and few others in the crowd, but most notably McQueen. Though it wasn’t enough to rival the rest of the crowd, she still saw smiles at her racing…she smiled back…and gave them a polite bow and walked to the break room to see her trainer.
And on the way…she tried to hold it in, but cried knowing she was booed again because she shattered another win streak, but also smiled at the same time knowing she won doing what she loved, and that she was a hero to someone... She was so happy…her soft tears turning to sobs at the realization.
“Trainer…is it okay…for Rice to be this happy?”
Her big horse ears drooped, but her horse tail swished gently as she covered her mouth and nose with both hands as she cried. Stuck between happiness and sadness…