Uma Musume: Pretty Derby story · Character stories
Admire Vega's story
7 scenes, 379 lines
1. Supernova
54 lines
(Running... is my way of praying.)
Pant, pant... Cough, cough...
(I gasp for air, and that's when it hits me. That's when it's shoved in my face, the fact that I am breathing.)
...
(A vertex of the Winter Hexagon, and one of twenty-one first-magnitude stars. Twinkling with a gentle red light... is Pollux.)
(And there... just like any other night, I know you're watching over me.)
...Need to get going.
(I pray. Not by clasping my hands, but by kicking the dirt. Hoping that the splendor waiting further along this path, the warmth, all of it...)
(...will find its way to you.)
It's almost tryouts, a crucial event where trainers scout out promising new talent.
Visiting the racecourse, I find myself among many of my colleagues also here to watch the fledgling runners practice for their big day.
(I think I have the list of runners somewhere...)
Oh, wow! How about that turn of foot just now!
She knows exactly when to make her move too... Admire Vega is quickly becoming my top pick for tryouts.
(Admire Vega!)
Hearing a name I also had marked on my list, I quickly turn my attention to the track.
Huff, puff, wheeze... Th-thank you for running with me!
Likewise. Are you done?
Y-yeah... I have plans to grab dinner with Urara and a few others. Oh, um... If you want, you're welcome to...
I'll pass. I'm... going to run a little longer.
Ah! R-right... Uh... Don't overdo it!
Pant, pant...
As the others head off to meet with friends, she alone continues to train, not looking the least bit bothered at missing out.
Hahh!
(That acceleration! I guess the rumors weren't for nothing.)
The sheer amount of talent I sense from her sends a chill down my spine.
Admire Vega. She has a bright future ahead of her, no doubt about it. But I wonder...
(Just what kind of person is she?)
Back in my office, I begin poring over every scrap of paper I can find on her. By the time I resurface from my sea of documents, it's dark out.
I step outside, figuring I should get back to the trainers' dorm, only to find...
Wait, is someone on the track?
Pant, pant...
(She's still going?!)
The place is deserted except for the lone runner. She looks utterly exhausted, but despite that...
...Come on! Keep going!
She doesn't let up. Her pace refuses to slack. It's almost as if...
As if she's being hounded by something...
Finally, she seems to yield to the fatigue. As her footsteps give way to silence, she turns her eyes toward the sky.
Flooded with so many stars, her eyes seem to waver, as if anxious that they might be swallowed up by that vast sea.
Are you all right?
Huh?
Oh, er...
I'm caught off guard by my own question. It just slipped out.
...I'm fine. I always do this.
You always train this late?
Pretty much.
And it's not too hard on you?
No. It's what I need to do to win.
And I... will win. Run, and win. That's all there is to it.
If you have trainer business to discuss, wait until after tryouts. Good night.
The lights shut off abruptly, leaving only the starlight to illuminate her as she walks off, melting into the night.
A tremendous burden seems to weigh upon her, so heavy it drives her to the point of self-sacrifice. In the following days, it weighs on my mind as well.
2. Missing Half
59 lines
Hm hm hmm. ♪ It's bath time. ♪
Hey.
Whoa, Ayabe! What's the matter?
Your hairband... it was on my bed. Try not to leave it in random places.
Hm? Did I drop it? I didn't even realize it was gone. Thanks! ♪ I would've been dripping water everywhere after my bath!
Oh, hey! Since you're here and all, wanna take a bath too?
I know you're a shower girlie, but tryouts are almost here, right? So a niiice warm and relaxing bath would be perfect, if you ask me. ♪
...I'll pass.
Oh... Hm, too bad I guess.
Sigh. I don't get her.
But...
(Maybe... we would've been like that too. If... if you were here...)
Would you have... tried to spend time with me too?
"You know those two stars? They made a wish to the gods, and that's why they're together forever."
"Hehe... If I become a star one day too, do you think I'll be with you forever?"
Before I even had the words to describe it, I would sometimes get this feeling that someone was beside me, close enough to touch, yet hopelessly far away.
Whenever I looked up at that red star, the feeling got stronger. So from a young age, I would sit beneath the starry sky and talk to that someone.
When my mother saw me... she would often force a pained smile.
Hrmm... Nnnghhh...
...You're not going to be able to get up tomorrow.
I know, I know, but I just can't fall asleep. You don't have nights like that?
I do, but for different reasons.
Yeah? Hey, since we're insomnia buddies tonight, why don't we chat about stuff?
No. Go to bed.
Whaaat?! You're just gonna leave me hanging, Ayabe?
Quiet.
No! Never! Join my gossip sesh right now, or I'll sneak into your bed!
Yay! ♪ Okay, okay, we'll go with a classic...
Your first time running! I wanna hear all about your memories! ♪
My first time...
Yes, of course! I know all about your achievements, which is precisely why I'd love to see your daughter in the Pony Cup!
Well, I... Ayabe, what do you...
YES!
Yes, yes, yes! I... I want to run! I need to run!
I remember it clear as day. I was always the quiet one, so it was like someone else entirely had blurted out that "yes"... My mother was shocked, to say the least.
The Pony Cup! Hehe. So that was your first race!
How was it, getting a taste of running? What did you feel in the moment?
... I felt...
The turf... its exhilarating scent. The wind rushing by, the euphoria of going farther and farther.
My heartbeat ringing like an alarm. My surroundings streaking past, their vivid colors like shooting stars...
Ayabe...
What?
Oh! S-sorry! It's just, um...
...Did I sound like someone else entirely?
Huh?
I did it! I really did it! Mom, I won! I won! Hehe... ehehe... Sniffle.
Sniffle... sob... Huh? How come I'm... c-crying? I can't... I can't stop!
I don't know why... I... I had so much fun running. It was like... like I wasn't me.
But now... Now I feel so... alone... and sad. Why, Mom? Wh-why?
Ayabe...
...The end. The dorm leader should be coming by on patrol soon.
Oh, but Ayabe...
The end. Now sleep.
...Okay.
Not long after the Pony Cup, my mother told me the truth.
Listen carefully. You actually... have a little sister.
A twin little sister... though she didn't make it into this world.
3. Eclipse
42 lines(One last night before tryouts...)
Sorry to make you wait. Just a little longer now... just a little longer.
Tomorrow, I'm going to win, make my debut... and then I'll bring back lots and lots of victories for you.
You can count on your big sister, okay?
So it was you?
The one who wanted to run, who wanted to win. The one who had so much fun... and felt so lonely.
That was all you? Tell me...
Admire Vega's long-awaited tryout race is about to begin. Trainers pack the stands, expectant eyes glued to the track.
I'm no exception, of course, but at the same time...
After what I saw that night, I can't help but feel as concerned as I am excited.
(I've got a bad feeling about this.)
All the same, the starting gates fly open, and the race begins.
Wooo!
Pant, pant...
(I'm going to win... I need to win.)
When I looked into it, I found out my sister and I were truly in a bad situation. One of us was definitely not going to make it.
My survival was a mere coincidence. Or maybe... it was a miracle from my sister.
And that's why...
And now they've rounded the final corner and come onto the homestretch! Leading the way is number nine, with the popular Admire Vega in fifth!
Pant, pant... Ngh!
Admire Vega's getting boxed in, looks like. Might be difficult to position herself here.
(No... No! Victory is the only acceptable outcome! Because I...)
You... you would've really liked running, right? You'd want to run and win, if you could have your way.
Then... then I'll do it.
I'll make all that happen for you.
Because I'm your big sister!
(I'm going to keep running, keep winning, and keep earning her glory!)
(That's why I'm here, the only reason! That's why I'm alive!)
Hraaaaghhh!
Cutting in toward the inside and charging hard is Admire Vega! Now in third, second... first! Wh-what an incredible burst of speed!
Huh? Wait, did she just...
...!
And she's done it! First place in the tryout race goes to Admire Vega! Admire Vega!
Her incredible late rally sends the crowd into a fever pitch.
...Which is soon followed by uneasy murmurs.
Pant, pant...
This is an announcement regarding the most recent race. Admire Vega, due to interference on the final straight, has been demoted to fourth.
Huh?
Admire Vega runs from the commotion, without so much as a word to any trainer.
4. Up Above the World So High
80 linesI haven't gotten the chance to speak with Admire Vega since her tryout race, and it's been gnawing away at me.
(I have to check up on her!)
I don't know what hounds her as she runs, what lies in the chasm she always seems to be peering into, or what burden weighs her down...
But I never will if I don't make the effort to find out.
While walking around campus looking for her, I spot her training partner from the other day, Meisho Doto.
Oh... Um, y-you want to know if I've seen Ayabe? Uhh, well... I-I guess I have seen her, but...
Haaah ha ha ha! If it is our disciple of the stars whom you seek, look to the lofty peaks! Even now she proffers herself to the treacherous slopes!
So... she's in the mountains?
In plebeian terms, yes! Or to really break it down, "She's gone for some trail running!"
Umm! I-I know I don't belong in your conversation, b-but if you know where she is, you'll head there right away, won't you?
A-Ayabe has no problem whatsoever doing very high-level training... and that's probably what she's doing now, so...
S-so please don't go! The trails are way too dangerous for a regular person...
I appreciate the concern, but that won't stop me.
Let him go, Doto. For inside his head, already the bells of fate toll their song. There is no stopping him.
After a hearty laugh, she tells me more precisely where I might find Admire Vega.
Thanks. See you around!
Wah, n-no turning back now...
Ayabe kept insisting on being alone ever since tryouts... Do you think she'll be okay?
Some hold their ear to the door. Some brave a knock. And yet others kick it down. I say let it be!
You came to speak with me?
Yep.
I have nothing to say. And I'm not accepting any scouting offers right now, so...
Well, that didn't last long. But I'm here with a goal, and I'm going to see it through!
(Gotta catch up!)
Unfortunately...
Pant, pant...
Huff... Wheeze...
Pant, pant... Sigh...
Hrk... Cough...
Meisho Doto did warn me, to be fair, but this trail is no joke! The gap between us widens and widens.
And it only gets worse...
As I soldier on despite having lost sight of her, the sun sinks far below the treetops.
Can barely see... where I'm stepping... Whoa!
Tumble, crash!
...
My senses gradually return, and I ease open my eyes to find... stars.
A sea of stars so vast I feel as if I might drown.
...Are you hurt anywhere?
Hm? Wait, Admire Vega?! What are you...
I'm the one asking the questions. Are you hurt anywhere?
I feel fine. I'm guessing I have you to thank for that?
...I mean, not like I could just leave you.
After a long sigh, Admire Vega lets slip a question.
Why do you care about me?
My tryout race was... You saw what happened. I don't know you, and you barely know me either.
So... why?
I don't know. But...
But?
I couldn't leave you alone.
...
I'm fine being alone. Prefer it, even.
Running, winning... These duties I must bear alone. Because she... my sister, she...
She gave her life in my stead.
...!
...I've said too much. Forget that.
So that's the burden she carries. No doubt there's more to it, but one thing is clear, she's determined to bear it alone.
Still...
I won't let you be alone!
My legs are killing me. It's a miracle my body can still move. But I'm here now, just within reach.
Will you let me be your trainer?
...You really don't learn. Now what?
If you want to walk your path alone, that's fine by me.
Huh?
But that won't stop me from supporting you every step of the way.
Oh, Ayabe! Welcome back. ♪ Hey, check out this super fluffy...
Sorry, but... I just want to sleep right now. I'm so... tired...
Huh? Oh, um, oookay?
...Zzz...
Aw, look at Sleeping Cutie over here. Well, well, well... somebody had an extra-nice day.
I had a dream. And for the first time in forever... it was a pleasant dream.
I was with her, the most adorable sister I've never seen, running through a sea of stars, not a care in the world...
The next day, I hear a timid knock at my door and open it to find... Admire Vega!
Does this mean you're interested in my offer?
I mean, I'll need a trainer to compete in the Twinkle Series.
So if I have to choose, then...
It might as well be you.
Thanks. I promise you won't regret it.
She doesn't seem particularly excited to have me, but, well, it's a start.
5. Wavering Light
39 linesSome time has passed since I became Admire Vega's trainer.
(She's still not digging into the ground enough. Also...)
I add to my already copious notes on her running. These will help me develop a regimen to prepare her for her next race. But the real question is...
...Whether or not she'll actually listen to my advice.
She takes minor feedback well, but when it comes to anything that would involve us working as a team...
I'm fine being alone. Prefer it, even.
I mean, I'll need a trainer to compete in the Twinkle Series.
She might not be the most receptive to a program that requires close cooperation.
(But, well...)
I'm her trainer, and I've already said that her attitude won't stop me from supporting her. It's at least worth a shot.
...I'm going off campus for a run.
Huh?
Don't bother waiting for me.
She takes off before I get a chance to respond. I'd try to catch up, but I know firsthand that's not happening.
Pant, pant...
(This is fine. I can still run. I can go far, somewhere I can be close to the stars. Alone.)
...
I am... alone...
By the time I finish organizing my notes, night has crept up on me.
Just a little longer...
I need to be sure I can make my case to her tomorrow. I need to prove that I can be helpful.
Again? Of all the places...
...Trainer, you'll catch a cold. If you're going to sleep, do it at home.
Sigh. Computer's still on, notes strewn about...
"Likes stars." "Change training time?" "Somewhere we can see the stars? Ask Tazuna."
"There has to be more..."
"What more can I do for her?"
Why? I... I've said I'm fine alone... time and time again...
(I wanted to go see the stars. To run and run as far as my legs would take me.)
(But...)
(There was someone waiting back home.)
...No, that's not it. I came back because... because of curfew. That's it.
...
All your hard work... I'm not the one who should be benefiting from it.
(No... There's someone else more deserving. Someone who would've shone brighter, like a brilliant star...)
My one... and only... sister.
Someone covers me with the blanket I'd left on the sofa. Too comfortable to open my eyes, I hear footsteps fading away as I dream.
6. Inside a Nebula
46 lines...
(If only you were here...)
(I've had that thought countless times.)
(And I know it'll keep crossing my mind. You'll always be here inside of me, never fading.)
(My senses know you. Your silent voice. Your invisible figure. Your heartfelt emotions.)
(Even under this artificial sky, I feel you.)
"We hope to see you again. The next show will begin at..."
I've come to a planetarium in the hopes that it'll give me something to talk about with Admire Vega.
That was breathtaking...
Finding myself surprisingly interested to learn more, I figure I might as well pick up a book at the gift shop, when...
...Oh.
Oh hey, you're here too.
What's this? Ayabe prompting further conversation?
Yeah, thought I'd learn a little about them.
But why? Since when did you like stars?
And the conversation keeps going! I can't let this opportunity go to waste. I need to calculate my responses...
Since I met you!
What?
What?
Wh-what's... that supposed to mean?
I-I just wanted to know more about your interests!
Well, that response was anything but calculated. I quickly course correct.
Sigh... That's what you mean. Think before you speak next time.
Anyway... just because I like stars doesn't mean you have to like them too.
I get it. You're my trainer, and you're trying to get closer to me.
But... I don't need that. It's just not necessary.
I'll say it again, I'm fine being alone. I don't need you to play friendly, or comfort me, or even be nice at all.
Running, winning... These duties I must bear alone. Because she... my sister, she...
She gave her life in my stead.
So just... leave me be.
That won't stop me, you know. I'm doing this because I want to.
Oh, we can walk toge...
Glancing at the options I was considering, she casually drops her recommendation before walking off without another word.
...
(...Why can't I just draw clearer boundaries?)
(I should make it obvious... get angry, draw a line in the sand and stay firmly behind it.)
...
...If I want to race, I need a trainer.
(That's it. That's really all it is. I'm still alone, like I should be.)
7. Bridge of Stars
59 linesToday marks the start of summer camp. I've prepared two different training regimens for Admire Vega.
In short, there's one she can do alone and another that would require the two of us to work as a team.
...
So what do you think?
I show her both options and make it clear that I'm fine with either, but she's taking an uncharacteristically long time to respond.
...Let me think about it.
She takes both printouts and heads to her lodging.
...
(These regimens... they're both really well-thought-out.)
(Even the most basic exercises have been tweaked to bring out my strengths...)
(The whole training program is tailored for my running... for me.)
(Trainer said either one is fine, but it's obvious when you compare them, what I need right now... is to work together with my trainer.)
(But still...)
...
Trainer? About my regimen, um...
I... I think...
That I... I need...
She struggles to find the words. Her answer is already formed, she just can't bring herself to say it out loud.
I can tell she doesn't want to hurt my feelings.
It's okay.
Huh?
The choice is yours.
She chooses the solo regimen.
I watch her progress, taking notes like always. I'll gladly do whatever I can to support her.
At night, I crack open her recommended reading and gaze up at the sky, where the Summer Triangle stands out above the rest.
Vega, and Deneb, and... what was the third one?
I'm flipping through the book, trying to find the right page, when...
Altair... The brightest star in Aquila.
Admire Vega appears beside me.
Here to see the stars too?
Yeah... guess so.
...Trainer?
Training today was... nice. It felt worthwhile... like I was making real progress.
Really?!
Y-yeah... But, um...
...The more you do for my sake, the more my heart hurts.
All your expectations, your hard work, they... they should've been for my sister, not me...
And yet... here I am...
Who says you can't share?
Huh?
I can't claim to know much about her sister.
I do know, however, that her sister is very dear to her... and also a source of great heartache.
If you're running for your sister's sake...
All the schedules I put together, all the advice I give, they're not meant for her alone.
Then everything I do is for both of you.
...
For... us?
Both me... and her...
(Ah... so that's what it was.)
(That time I turned back without going to see the stars...)
(Or started a conversation at the planetarium...)
(Maybe that wasn't me... but us all along.)
Ayabe?
...
She takes a seat next to me, looks up at the dazzling sky...
I guess I could teach you a thing or two.
...And whispers to me the secrets of stars that traveled light years to shine brilliantly here tonight.