A hazy consciousness slowly flickered to life. The morning sun, streaming through a small window, pricked at my eyes and pulled me from sleep. I hauled my leaden body upright and let out a long, weary yawn. I knew the weight was inevitable, but God, it was a burden. After a brief stretch, I slid back the bolt of the door and stepped outside, making sure to latch it firmly behind me. The morning air was crisp—a cold, refreshing shock against my skin.
"Morning, Rampage. Early as ever, I see."
I offered the usual morning pleasantries. This was my life now: retired from the track, tasked with molding the next generation. Day in and day out, I gave myself to the kids… even though I was carrying a heavy load of my own. I suppose this was the price of my past. I stood there, staring up at the sky, until someone gave me a pat on the shoulder—gentle, almost careful.
"Why the long face? Today is a big day for your little ones, so pull yourself together. I'm bringing the TV out so we can watch them together."
That's right. I had to see them succeed… but first, I was starving.
"It's the final leg of the Triple Crown for Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi. You can look forward to a hell of a feast tonight."
Mejiro Amaterasu and Mejiro Tsukuyomi. The twins I had brought into this world. I remembered the sheer panic when the vets found out I was carrying two. They said it was too much of a risk, a burden my body couldn't sustain. They told me to terminate one. I fought them with every fiber of my being. I told them if they wanted to take a child's life, they'd have to kill me first. I had even directed that murderous intent toward my partner when he tried to calm me, and at the Old Man who looked after me. It was the Owner who finally stepped in to silence the men.
"Only a woman can understand the heart of a mother," she had said, giving me her blessing to carry both to term.
And so, I gave birth to two. As if to blow away everyone's anxieties, they were vibrant, mischievous things—and in the blink of an eye, they were racers. My partner took the reins for Amaterasu, and a legendary jockey was chosen for Tsukuyomi. Today, I knew they would both claim the Triple Crown. I believed it with all my soul—
"…A dream."
Rampage sat up, the lingering warmth of nostalgia still clinging to her. She looked around with bleary eyes; she was in her own room. There was no bolted stable door, no fences surrounding her.
"A prophetic dream or something? My first kids are twins? Well, I could afford to raise them, but who the hell was the father…? Actually, it'd probably be a bunch of different guys. Better stop thinking about it."
It was likely one of those "Uma Soul" things. If she followed that logic, trying to figure out the lineage would only lead her into a muddy existential swamp. How many sires would there even be? It was probably just a biological connection anyway… Regardless, she needed to wash the sleep away. She headed for the shower.
"Kids, huh…"
The words slipped out, only to be swallowed by the roar of the water, reaching no one's ears before vanishing down the drain.
"Haaah…"
She let out a heavy sigh. She hadn't expected the dream to haunt her this much. She tried to shake it off and get to work, but her heart wasn't in it. It was a strange, unprecedented feeling, but the workday ground on regardless.
"Is something wrong? I've never seen you sigh like that before."
Trainer Kamizuru appeared, carrying a peace offering of coffee. His face was a mask of pure, unadulterated shock, as if he'd just seen a ghost.
"It's just a bout of sentimentalism. Don't worry about it," Rampage grumbled. "And what's with that look on your face? Is it a crime for me to be in a mood?"
"It's not a crime, it's just… a surprise. I mean, look around."
Following his gesture, Rampage scanned the staff room. Almost every trainer in the vicinity was frozen, staring at her. One had dropped his paperwork; another was mid-spill, coffee pouring out of a tilted mug. Kuronuma, Okino, and Tojo were no exception. Only Minamisaka seemed to have kept his composure.
"Oi. You lot better remember this," Rampage barked. "Next time, I'm bringing Special Week along to raid your practice sessions."
"ANYTHING BUT THAT!" the room shouted in unison.
"I can't hear you! Maybe I'll bring a certain world leader along too. Consider yourselves warned."
"WE'RE SORRY!"
Normally, a threat like that would be laughed off. Unfortunately for them, Rampage actually had the power and the connections to make it happen. She was currently on friendly terms with the President of the United States, as well as the directors of the FBI and CIA. In fact, after her retirement race, she'd sent the President a photo of herself with a message: "I made a new best friend." The person in the photo was clearly Akiyama, but whether Akiyama was "okay" with that in any sense of the word remained a mystery.
"But truly, Rampage-san, is something the matter?" Minamisaka asked. "I've seen you low on energy, but I've never seen you quite this… despondent."
"It's nothing, really… I just had a dream about my time in Ireland."
"What kind of dream?"
"A dream where I had twin children, and they were both challenging the final leg of the Triple Crown."
"That is… quite a grand vision."
Dreams of having children who become Uma Musume and challenge the Classics aren't exactly rare in this world. For a trainer, it's a common aspiration; for an Uma Musume like Rampage, it wasn't an unusual subconscious leap.
"And well, when I was in Ireland, the Princess over there took a real shine to me."
"You mean Her Highness Pilsudski, who was on the livestream?" Kamizuru asked.
"And her younger sister, Her Highness Fine Motion," Minamisaka added.
"Yeah. We got so close they told me I should just marry into the family and stay forever. I figure that's why I'm having these weird dreams."
Kamizuru and Minamisaka nodded in realization. If someone put those ideas in your head, it was bound to bleed into your sleep. They'd had similar dreams themselves—though in Minamisaka's case, it was less a dream and more a lived experience.
"Do you guys think… I'll ever get married?"
"E-eh?! Uh, well, that's—I mean—" Kamizuru stammered, his brain short-circuiting.
"Does it really take that much thought?" Rampage deadpanned.
"Well," Minamisaka cut in smoothly, "it's a difficult question to answer perfectly. Especially with how strict things are these days."
Beyond the usual HR nightmares, Rampage was a special case. Even if she found someone she liked, finding a man who could actually handle her was the real hurdle. She was a girl who had conquered the world and reached a height few could even imagine. Even if she wanted a normal married life, her international status meant it would never be truly "normal."
"I'm sorry," Kamizuru finally squeaked. "I don't know."
"You don't have to force an answer. I've only just become an adult, anyway. I've got time to figure it out." Rampage smirked, then crossed her arms, pushing up her chest in a deliberate, provocative gesture as she gave them a wink. "Unless one of you two wants to volunteer?"
Kamizuru's face turned a violent shade of red as he began to flail. Minamisaka, however, didn't let his composed smile slip for a second.
"Hahaha! You're so pure—teasing you is the highlight of my morning," Rampage laughed, her mood visibly lifting. "Alright, I'm feeling better. Time to get to work. Minami-chan, do you need a hand with the prep for the Kikuka Sho?"
"If you're offering, I would be very grateful for the assistance."
As the two moved off with perfect professional synergy, Trainer Kamizuru stood there for a moment, waiting for his soul to return to his body, before frantically scurrying after them.
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