Q1 - MasterMask: How much knowledge on high explosives does Echo have?
Echo: "Eh? High explosive? You mean big kaboom?" She said, confused.
Rudolf: "Even if she does know about them, I doubt she would have the time to make any bombs."
Echo: "I know how to make a dust bomb, though."
Rudolf: "Everybody knows that. We learned that in primary science."
Echo: "... would be fun to run from a gigantic explosion though," a smug smirk slowly appears on her face.
Rudolf: "No-"
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Chibi Rudolf chasing down a running chibi Echo while Echo is laughing.
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Q2 - MasterMask: Also, does Rudolph still end up having an ambiguous relationship with other Umas than Echo, like in canon/ will Echo care when she goes after Oguri Cap?
Author: That's uhhh.... I don't think so? Symboli Rudolf will be loyal to Echo Eclipse. Though there is a parallel universe where Rudolf is a playboy. Echo ended up locking her in the basement forever once Echo learned she was in love with Rudolf.
Rudolf: "Eh? Serious?" she said while sweating. So far, she has only kept personal boundaries with her friends and classmates, which she is glad about now.
Author: As for Oguri Cap... Well, let's just say that both Rudolf and Echo will only have eyes for each other. We are still in 1984; there are still 3 or 4 years before they meet Oguri Cap.
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Chibi Rudolf is sweating and covering her mouth, hiding from the Chibi Echo Eclipse, whose eyes are glowing red dangerously.
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Q3 - LuckyLuck: Do you plan to have after stories like Rudolf and Echo married and have their little Uma?
Author: There will be an after-story of their married life, but no baby Uma yet. I'm thinking of creating a dozen side-stories after the ending, like the POV of Agnes Tachyon, Gold Ship, Jungle Pocket, Special Week, Haru Urara, and more. Meeting the legendary Echo Eclipse and their reaction to her.
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Chibi Echo nuzzling in chibi Rudolf's arms, giggling as Rudolf peppers kisses on Echo's face.
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Q4 - LuckyLuck: Also will echo have a 3 year career, or planning on expanding to 5?
Author: Echo would be racing a lot during the 3 years, and she would ease up after 3 years, spending time with Rudolf. But she wouldn't retire yet, occasionally running in races against top racers of different countries before retiring around 1990. So, her career would be 5 years long, almost 6.
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Chibi Echo, who is far from Japan, is reading letters from Rudolf with a big smile. She wants to go to Japan and jump into Rudolf's arms.
...
She misses Rudolf; it's lonely here.
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Q5 - LuckyLuck: Do you plan to add interactions with canon characters (Heisei three, Tamamo. Tazuna, Big Red)?(The story so far is awesome, and I like the way it is going, but it feels like it's a story of Echo, Rudolf and classmates, other characters' interactions and reactions would color the world more (sorry I am too nosy))
Author: Nah, don't worry about being too nosy. I'm glad that you're enjoying the world I am making. Just so you know, the timeline for this fanfic is currently reaching 1987 and will increase further later on, with 1990 as the retirement year. Haven't fully decided on the ending yet.
And yes, there will be interaction from Tazuna and Secretariat. As well as Eclipse, Kincsem, Ribot, Camarero, Dancing Brave, and more.
Agnes Tachyon, Tokai Teio, Gold Ship, Haru Urara, and Heisen Three (Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One), and many more will be interacted. Just not right now, only from 1987 and onward with a time skip.
Just a lot of stuff I need to do as an amateur author, including researching each character's personality, appearance, accurate dates of races in the exact year, the winning placement of those races, updating and improving the timeline daily, and creating a story that can connect all of this with Echo Eclipse as the anchor. :/
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Chibi Echo happily running around the track field at a moderate speed.
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Q6 - Raizen_Kimasu: Would there be any other possible matches like Echo and Rudolf?
Author: I don't understand the question. Do you mean like matches with Echo and Rudolf racing against each other? Or matches on other characters' races?
Then yes, there will be matches where Echo and Rudolf face off against each other several times in official races.
And yes, there will be dedicated chapters of supporting character racing, such as Gold Way, Bizen Nishiki, Suzu Parade, Suzu Mach, and more throughout the story.
Or if you meant like side couples, yeah, there are a few. Like Gold Way and Bizen Nishiki, possibly Mr C.B. and Katsuragi Ace, and others that I haven't decided who should be a couple.
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Chibi Rudolf snuck a kiss against chibi Echo's lips, causing her to short-circuit as Rudolf ran ahead of the track. Winning by a wide gap.
Echo ran after to complain, but was stopped by Rudolf's countless kisses. 'This is unfair!' whined internally by Echo, but enjoys the kisses either way.
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Q7 - Raizen_Kimasu: Will the story reach till Kitasan's era?
Author: Kitasan's era... I doubt it so far. Because Kitasan's era began in 2015, but there will be side-stories of POV in various eras meeting Echo Eclipse, including Kitasan Black. But the ending will be before 2000, I think. But that can always change in the future; who knows.
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Chibi Kitasan's trembling as she resists Chibi Echo Eclipse's overwhelming presence, gritting her teeth and staring with high determination toward Echo
Echo smiled before resuming jogging on the track happily.
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Q8 - Raizen_Kimasu: Does the story plans to handle those regretful and tragic endings of some Uma?
Author: Absolutely, including Bizen Nishiki, Symboli Rudolf, Oguri Cap, and more. Because Echo Eclipse is the only one without a destiny, so she can change the fate of other Umas.
In the real world, Bizen Nishiki retired from her injury. But in this story, she didn't retire and change her fate; she will retire on her own terms, and without regret.
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Chibi Echo shouting against Chibi Rudolf, tears falling down while Rudolf gives a retired smile.
Echo is mad because Rudolf kept a secret about her ████ from Am███.
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Q9 - Raizen_Kimasu: Not related to the fic, Do you plan to upload Uma fics in the future?
Author: Probably not. I spent a lot of time researching Uma Musume and the history because I am a total newbie to it all.
So, in the future, I want to start a fanfic with something I am familiar with, such as HSR, Harry Potter, LOTM, Demon Slayer, Tensura or Cyberpunk 2077. But especially, Genshin Impact. Of course, they will be in the yuri genre.
I am thinking of creating a yuri fanfic with Furina during Furina's long 500 years alone.
I also got invested in the 'vest' genre as well, creating female characters and having them suffer horrible fates to farm sadness points of the characters and streamers who are playing the game. Maybe I might do that, depends tbh.
I aspire to be able to create scenes that can make you, the reader, cry when reading through my story. It happens to me many times while reading "When the Nations Wept."
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Chibi Furina sneaking a bite of a blueberry cupcake before getting reprimanded by her beloved partner, ██████.
Chibi Furina pouted; her partner kisses her pouting lips, causing Furina's brain to shut down before becoming a feisty kitten after the kiss.
██████ laughs heartily at Furina's reaction.
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Q9 - A_Humble_Cat: This isn't necessarily a question about the character or story necessarily… but more the world itself. Do things like Uma divisions of other sports exist in the MC's world? Things like soccer, baseball, or even UFC and boxing.
Author: Yeah, they do still exist. There are two categories, for Umas and for humans. But the sports are way less famous than racing. Basketball is popular in the USA, football in Italy and Brazil, and more. However, they are overshadowed by racing.
Racing is the number one sport to watch in the world, after all. Why wouldn't it be? Wouldn't you watch horse girls running at a speed faster than cars going up against each other? That's more exciting than watching normal sports.
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Chibi Echo, who was trying out boxing, accidentally punched through a punching bag, sand pouring out of the hole. She guiltily glanced back at Rudolf, wanting help on what to do next.
Chibi Rudolf stared at her with a deadpanned look
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Q10 - SnowFlake12: What's Echoes least favourite food? Any weird things Echo is scared of?
Echo: "My least favourite food? Well, that would be black licorice," she said with a disgusted expression.
Rudolf: "Oh, oh?" She grinned, planning to feed her black licorice during lunch to capture a photo of Echo's adorable reaction.
Echo: "I'll ignore you forever if you feed me black licorice."
Rudolf: "..."
Echo: "Well, as for the second question, I don't think I have any weird things I am scared of." She tilted her head, closing her eyes as she tried to think of any.
Echo: "Oh! That's right. I'm scared of Hachishakusama," she said and gulped before looking behind her.
Rudolf: "Hachishakusama..." she nodded, "That is a valid fear, but we aren't children anymore. And it isn't that weird a fear." Echo turned her head back to her.
Echo: "But that's the only thing I'm afraid of right now..." she mumbled, unaware of the sneaking Bizen Nishiki behind her.
Nishiki whisper into Echo's ear, "Po, Po, Po~"
Echo: "EEEK-"
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Both chibi Echo and Rudolf are hugging each other and in tears, hiding from an 8ft tall, white-dressed lady who is saying "Po, Po, Po."
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Q11 - Lindamea: - What is Echo's favorite food?
Echo: "Pho! That's my favourite food! Both in my past life and current life," she said while drooling about the flavour of pho, the rich Umami flavour of the bone broth, and the meats and noodles in it.
Author: "That's new to me. How did you come to love pho?"
Echo: "Ah... that well..." she shyly rubs the back of her neck, "I was stuck in the hospital most of my life after turning 14. I wasn't bedridden at first, though. I managed to become a dancer back then, even pursuing a professional dancer career."
Her lips widen at her memories, "Then my toes went first; it was bearable at first, then my ankle, my leg."
Author: "... I'm sorry."
Echo: "Don't worry about it!" she smiled brightly, "During my stay at the hospital, one of my dearest friends visited me, bringing a takeout, which was pho." She chuckled, "It was horrible, as expected of a takeout."
"But I couldn't help but eat it more while crying, even though horrible. It was delicious. That's because my friend went through the trouble of bringing me one, even if she didn't have to."
"The only place that serves pho was outside the city, 11 hours' distance from my hospital to that place too."
"..."
"I wonder how she is doing."
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A chibi human girl with brown hair paying homage and placing flowers on a grave, smiling bitterly at the sky, wondering what her friend did to deserve this?
She turns her head, and a chibi child runs up to her, and the girl says to the grave, "This is my daughter; I named her after you."
The child giggles after the girl lifts her. "I hope you're having a wonderful time in the afterlife," she whispers to the wind, staring at the grave for a few moments before walking away.
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