[A/N: I started working on the Genshin Fanfic during Furina's 500 years' journey in my free time. Not going to post it yet because I wanted to be prepared this time around.
This Uma Musume fanfic was clumsy at the start because I didn't have the timeline or chapter summary prepared, but I'll announce it when it's ready to be posted, and when I finish drawing the MC and the cover art.]
The noise of the crowd was unlike anything Echo Eclipse had ever heard; it was raw. So unbelievably raw that their entire heart was into their voice.
'Can people... really make this kind of noise?' a thought first appeared in Echo's mind, and that sentence began to infect every part of her mind.
For the first time in her life, she felt envious. Her heart was pumping, and her blood was rushing like crazy.
She wants this: the ability to make her fans roar with their entire hearts out. Not the silent shock her fans make after each of her wins.
She feels envious of Rudolf and Ace, but she shouldn't. They gave it their all, but she can't help it. She wants that same exciting race!
'But is there anybody who can race against me in the same year?' she thought. All the other runners, like Nishiki, Ace, Mr C.B., and Rudolf, are in a higher year than her. They are in Classic and senior year, while she is in Junior year.
She would have to wait until next year's Japan Cup and Arima Kinen... Almost an entire year of not having worthy opponents in the race.
She immediately thought back to her memory, when the blue-haired goddess showed her an alternate universe, where Symboli Rudolf does not exist.
That version of Echo Eclipse- would that be her future?
She stared at the screen, then heard a system notification. She turned her head toward the system notification beside her.
[Congratulations! You have changed the fate of Symboli Rudolf.]
Deep in her chest, it started bubbling before erupting outward. She started laughing, feeling helpless. She pulled her arms off the rail and pressed her hands against her face.
She is not so special after all.
"Hahahahahaha!" She was never special!
"That's so cool..." she breathed out between the laughs, "You're so, so cool, Rudolf."
She thought that she only had the ability to change others' fate, but here's someone who changed their own fate. She is the one with the system, the one with reincarnated memories, the one with the God-given body, yet. Yet.
'Rudolf... You're truly amazing...' Rudolf changed her own fate; not hers. How could she even change Rudolf's fate?
'I don't deserve the congratulations one bit; Rudolf is the one who deserves it. She did it without my interference... Heh.'
"Hahahahaha," her throat hurts from the laughter, right now. She wants to race. Race. Race, and keep on racing.
'What's the point of being the fastest of all?'
Oh, Goddesses... Why did you reincarnate me with such specs? Why can't I be a normal genius? Why can't I have an exciting race? Why me? Why?
But there was no response from the system, nothing.
Her laughter ceased as she wiped her tears away. 'Rudolf... Oh Rudolf... Please do not let me surpass you next year, please...'
She closed her eyes and sighed; there's a reason she likes not to think. Being a naïve, thoughtless girl is much easier than thinking all the time.
But amidst this beautiful race between Ace and Rudolf, she couldn't continue being absent-minded.
"Rudolf..." she mumbled, staring silently toward Rudolf, until suddenly Gold Way and the others pulled her away.
"Come on, Echo! We need to rush to the van! Rudolf will be running over soon!"
She blinked her eyes a few times before laughing happily, "Yes! Go, go, go, go!"
---
The next day after the Japan Cup, the result of the race was still an uproar in Tokyo, especially among those that has seen the race. Japan has never seen a race of this level before.
At the airport, Akikawa tries to dissuade Kincsem, but to no avail.
"Are you really leaving?" Akikawa couldn't remove her disappointment from her voice as Kincsem rolled her neck.
"I am." Kincsem nodded as her butler entered the private jet with the suitcase.
"But..." Akikawa couldn't help but pout. Kincsem was like her cool aunt she occasionally meets, and definitely not because she was planning to convince her to give a few lessons to other runners. It would be beneficial for current and future generations of runners!
Kincsem glanced at her face before chuckling and glancing up at the small cat on top of Akikawa's head. She walked over and stood over the principal of Central Tracen Academy.
She expertly rubbed and scratched the cat's head, neck, and behind its ears.
"I'm not leaving forever; it's just temporary. I'll return for the Echo Eclipse Asahi Hai Sansai Stakes." Then her hand moved to Akikawa's cheek and rubs them.
"Still soft and bouncy like always," she hummed before leaving for the private jet.
Akikawa lowered her head before swiftly lifting her head with a wide smile.
"Okay, but at least you aren't leaving forward!" She covered the lower half of her face with her fan, which said, 'See you later!'
Kincsem smirked before walking up the stairs and disappearing into the jet.
Akikawa then rubbed her cheeks before glancing at Tazuna, "My cheeks are not that bouncy and soft, right?"
Tazuna chuckled, "How about you let me feel them?"
"No!"
"But we're childhood friends~," Tazuna said with a coaxing tone, "yet you let a woman whom you rarely see for decades rub your cheeks~."
"I-I-I," Akikawa started stuttering, and before she could respond, Tazuna struck the final blow.
"Am I, your deepest and closest companion, that untrustworthy?" The arrow struck Akikawa's heart as she staggered, before puffing her cheeks out.
"Fine! Touch them!" Akikawa huffed as Tazuna hummed with satisfaction, feeling and rubbing her childhood friend's cheeks.
Kincsem glanced at the scene before giving a warm smile at both of them. Truly happy while seeing them; they are truly close friends. Though, sadly, none of them has romantic feelings for each other, she would like to try being a wing woman once in her life.
Kincsem rolled her shoulder and leaned into her seat, putting on earplugs into her ears and putting on a cat-theme sleeping mask.
She lay back and closed her eyes, regulating her breathing as if meditating.
Slowly sinking into her mental world, into her sleep. Faint recollections of her time during her active period as a runner slowly filled her vision.
Slowly sinking. Deeper and deeper until she reached the bottom.
She had arrived at the entrance of the zone, a massive rusted metal door.
'Truly, it has been countless years since I opened you,' she pressed her palm against the door before trying to open it. But it didn't budge open.
She smiled wryly; she was no longer young; she isn't at her peak anymore, and she rarely trains her body either.
The legendary Kincsem, in this state now.
'Ahh~' she cracked her neck, 'Doesn't matter, even if I'm old now, I'm still a monster.'
'Let's do this,' she sat in lotus position in front of the massive rusted metal door and meditated. She will teach Echo how to unlock her zone and open it at her will. Not by luck during any race.
She will train the second coming of Eclipse, Echo Eclipse.