Perhaps because her brain was wired differently—or maybe due to some special influence—Gold Ship's way of thinking had always diverged greatly from the ordinary, resulting in behaviors that nobody could quite comprehend. Only days after starting kindergarten, she became infamous throughout the entire school for successfully scamming the principal out of five thousand yen.
"Your Gold Ship...is a very unique child..."
Every teacher and parent who'd witnessed Gold Ship's bizarre actions inevitably delivered this assessment to her parents.
If even adults found her weird, the young foals who spent every day alongside her naturally concluded that Gold Ship was seriously ill.
"Don't you guys think Gold Ship seems kind of insane?"
"Forget insane, she hardly acts like a normal person."
"Maybe she's from outer space?"
"Alien! Alie!"
At first, hearing others mock her like this really pissed Gold Ship off. She was just a bit different from everyone else—how dare they call her an alien?!
But after hearing it enough times, Gold Ship started to find the nickname amusing, even fitting.
Maybe she really was from outer space. After all, nobody ever understood her train of thought, and she couldn't explain it clearly either.
What she saw and what everyone else saw differed fundamentally, like two separate worlds entirely.
For instance, during elementary school, Gold Ship attended a lecture by the school administrators.
The potbellied headmaster stood confidently at the podium, generously sharing valuable life lessons he'd accumulated over the years:
"The second floor must always be built above the first floor!"
Scritch-scratch—students nodded vigorously, frantically jotting down notes.
Yet Gold Ship, utterly bewildered, slowly raised her hand.
"Can't the second floor be built above Mars instead?"
Thus, Gold Ship's infamous nickname evolved from "Alien" to "Martian," following her throughout elementary school.
Even after graduating elementary and enrolling at Tracen Academy, prejudice against her persisted.
Though there was an ojou-sama Uma Musume named Mejiro McQueen at Tracen, who inspired an inexplicable sense of kinship—enough that Gold Ship regularly teased McQueen just for fun—Gold Ship remained alone.
No one could understand her thoughts, nor was anyone willing to join this "Alien" in her madness.
It felt like existing on separate planets: Gold Ship stood isolated on a barren moon, watching from afar as everyone else joyously joined hands on Earth.
Thus, Gold Ship nurtured a grand plan—to build her own manned rocket and explore the universe herself.
She believed that perhaps only by leaving Earth and venturing to another planet could she finally meet someone who resonated with her...
That is, until one day, curious about how Mejiro McQueen's delicious Honey Drink was made, she encountered a strange individual covered head-to-toe.
"Broshi!"
"Broshi?" Gold Ship tilted her head curiously. It was the first time she'd heard such a nickname.
It wasn't the straightforward "Gold Ship," nor the teasing "Alien," but a brotherly term like "Broshi"?
"Interesting." Intrigued, Gold Ship decided to temporarily join his group for some fun.
As they interacted more, Gold Ship became increasingly amazed.
She sensed this guy was not only as odd as herself—he even matched her bizarre wavelength!
Gold Ship even suspected that beneath those dark clothes was the alien partner she'd long searched for!
Unfortunately, during a later peek inside the Warehouse, Gold Ship discovered he wasn't an alien at all—just an extremely attractive yet fragile human, easily drawing Uma Musume eager to Uma Pyoi him.
But that didn't matter. After clearly seeing his face, Gold Ship only wanted to get closer, to protect him even more.
Making a sincere decision to protect someone meant her wandering heart, drifting through space, finally had somewhere to anchor.
It felt like building shelter on the barren lunar surface to protect something fragile—even if that "home" was merely a hastily built sand dune, it still gave her a sense of belonging.
Truthfully, those days spent in the Secret Boys' Dormitory, playing Uma Pyoi games with him each night, were Gold Ship's most peaceful, reassuring moments.
Even after Student Council President Symboli Rudolf discovered her in the dorm and locked her away in the Special Education Base, Gold Ship never felt disconnected from her "home."
She'd always believed that, given that guy's escape skills, he'd manage just fine without her protection, no matter which Uma Musume he encountered.
Even if he accidentally got captured in the basement, Gold Ship felt confident she could rescue him.
But when Gold Ship—bailed out early by him—returned to the Warehouse just in time to see him self-destruct in order to destroy an avatar of the evil god Misfortune, she finally understood the terrifying danger he faced!
"It's too dangerous…far too dangerous…"
His Uma Mint Complete Form had fully awakened the hidden desires deep within Gold Ship's heart—
She didn't want to be alone anymore!
She didn't want to stand isolated, watching everyone else from afar!
She couldn't bear losing her...place to belong...
Yet he was merely a fragile human who struggled immensely even against a mere avatar of an evil god. If he ever faced Misfortune's true form, death was inevitable!
She absolutely could not lose him!
"What to do, what to do, what to do?!" Anxiety overwhelmed Gold Ship's mind, instinctively driving her to grab a shovel and dig an underground space in the suburbs—large enough for two.
"I see..." Gold Ship stared into the pitch-black hole, suddenly devising a perfect solution.
If he was too fragile as a human, then wouldn't it be fine if she, as a stronger being, took his place as Fortune's chosen one to fight Misfortune?
"Exactly! I can just ascend myself!" At that moment, Gold Ship discovered her purpose.
But knowing his personality, if she asked him directly to transfer Fortune's blessing, he'd surely refuse, saying something like: "I'll face the danger myself—you guys just run races peacefully!"
So, to forcibly take his chosen status, she had to use methods he feared most!
Thus, Gold Ship spent three weeks digging out a deep, hidden, and secure basement.
Afterward, she returned to Tracen Academy and abducted Mizuno.
Seeing how exhausted Mizuno was—falling asleep the moment his eyes closed—Gold Ship became even more convinced her decision was correct!
"Just as I thought...it's way too dangerous to leave him out there!"
During Mizuno's prolonged sleep, Gold Ship set up multiple defensive measures around the basement and cared for him around the clock.
And after days of meticulous care had completely restored his body, Gold Ship finally revealed to the one her heart belonged to the demand she'd nurtured for so long:
"Hand over the Goddess of Fortune."