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“Gold Ship is leading the pack! Gold Ship is closing on the finish!” an announcer yelled as she continued to watch Gold Ship continue to run at high speeds with a determined look in her eyes, unwavering compared to the other Umas.
“The rest are trying to catch up to Gold Ship, but they are unable to do so! Gold Ship is coming close to the finish line!” she continued to look forward as the audience were at the edge of their seats as she continued to dominate the track, even for a few more meters.
“Come on, come on!” at the nearest parts of track, Team Spica have been watching Gold Ship closing in on at the end of the Satsuki Sho, despite being in last place only moments ago.
“You can do it!” Vodka yelled as Daiwa Scarlet was gripping her hands on rails. “Come on! You’re so close!”
“You’re at the very end! Close the finish!” yelled Special Week as Silence Suzuka could only watch as only a few meters were remaining of the race.
“Gold Ship!” yelled Tokai Teio as she could barely stand in one place and had to root for her teammate as Mejiro McQueen cheered her on.
Ryo Nishizaki, the Trainer Of Team Spica, continued to stay quiet, narrowing his eyes as Gold Ship came closer and closer to finish line. Despite knowing that Gold Ship was an End Closer, it still feels worrisome to see her at the end of the pack before going for the medal at the very last second.
However, despite Ryo’s worry, it all grew to become nothing more but a handwave as the finish line was just around the corner.
He grinned as the outcome was clear as day.
“Gold Ship is taking the lead and… The Winner is!”
One Uma dashed through the finish line and the audience, including Team Spica, cheered.
“GOLD SHIP!”
The Winner of the Satsuki Sho continued to run for a few more minutes before waving to the audience at her victory.
“Yeah, she did it!”
“Well done, Gold Ship!”
“Good job, Gold Ship!”
While her team mates continued to cheer for her victory at the Satsuki Sho, she had her mind on one thing.
She looked over at Ryo getting out of the stands and a smirk came over her face.
Gold Ship continued to sprint forward at her Trainer as Ryo realized his mistake just a second later.
Why does he keep forgetting about this part?
Gold Ship continued to run until she decided to jump straight to her Trainer.
Her two feet latched together before letting them go to kick someone at full strength at him.
Delivering her famous Gold Ship’s Dropkicks.
Though, this time, it fell off to her.
She looked at him before the kick was delivered and he seemed to be terrified for some reason. It can’t be that big of a deal as her two feet landed directly to Ryo’s head and…
Her dropkick was delivered straight onto his head, making them both fall to the ground.
The audience kept on cheering… until something was off.
Gold Ship didn’t pay it any attention as she stood up, laughing, “Trainer, oh you should have seen the look on your face, it was priceless! Hahaha!” she said as she took the tears from her eyes. She tried to continue to laugh, “Hahaha! Ha…. ha.”
Key word was tried.
“Ha….” she opened her eyes as it felt strangely quiet, “Why is everyone looking at me like that?”
She couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly, put what they were looking at was a look of… shock? Disturbance? She tried to find someone talking, but they were stunned. Unable to speak.
“What’s going on?” she said quietly as Gold Ship turned as she turned to Ryo. “Trainer, what’s wron-”
Gold Ship stopped everything in her path as she looked at the state of her Trainer.
His body was limp on the floor, unable to show life or even be able to move and there was an overflowing issue of blood as it kept coming out of his head. It seemed to never stop flowing from his head as it seemed to go on. From what the head could be seen, his head was crushed by a strong force of a kick. Whatever bone was in his head was protruding from the skin.
Gold Ship was unable to speak.
Gold Ship was unable to even do anything as nothing could even make a simple thought.
Gold Ship couldn’t move. How could she?
She tried to look around, but all she saw were horrified look of other Umas staring at the scene. No one could look at her or the scene.
They were shaken by what had happened.
Gold Ship could only move her head and hands.
Her breath became rapid, taking short breaths as the only way to breathe.
She dared not to move, but there was a small part of her that needed to see.
Gold Ship looked down-
And her hands and feet were covered by blood. His blood.
Her eyes widened at seeing his blood around her, unable to process that this is real.
No… no… no, it can’t be.
She didn’t… she couldn’t have…
She couldn’t move anything. Her hands were shaking, unable to stop as it was the only thing that she could do.
What else could she have done?
Gold Ship didn’t mean-
She didn’t want to-
She…
She couldn’t have done it. There has to be a chance that he is alive.
“TRAINER!” Gold Ship turned to the sudden yell of Team Spica, as they jumped over the fence as they ran to see the state of their trainer.
“Straighten his body and check his pulse!” yelled Mejiro McQueen as Vodka took off her jacket to wrap it around his head to stop the bleeding.
Gold Ship saw Daiwa Scarlet and Special Week rotate his body and straighten the body as Tokai Teio yelled out, “Emergency! We need first aid! Please!” she yelled out, as tears were nearly coming out of her eyes.
Silence Suzuka had her index and middle fingers around Ryo’s neck to see if there is a pulse.
“Please… Please let it be a bad injury… Please.” were Gold Ship’s only thoughts.
She hoped. She prayed it was the case.
She had her bloody hands come close to her head, hoping for the best.
“Please!” She closed her eyes, praying for a miracle.
Though once she opened her eyes, all she saw was despair in Silence Suzuka’s eyes.
“No…” were the only things that left her mouth.
Silence Suzuka held her head high and looked straight ahead.
“No. No. No. No. No.”
“There’s no pulse.” was the only thing that Silence Suzuka could say. It was the only thing that needed to be said.
He’s dead.
Team Spica couldn’t believe it. They can’t believe it.
But… there’s no other way to believe it.
Ryo’s body was cold. There was no other sign of life.
Silence Suzuka could only stare, unable to say anything. Special Week broke down as Daiwa and Vodka tried their hardest to keep it in. Mejiro McQueen was as stiff as a statue and Tokai Teio slammed her fists into the ground.
Gold Ship couldn’t do anything. She can’t try to comfort them.
She was the reason for what happened.
Gold Ship placed her bloody hands onto her head, to try and stop everything.
Around the crowds were nothing, but anger, disgust being thrown in her way. The worst part? She can’t blame them.
She agreed with them.
All of it, and it slowly became nothing, but white noise. There was nothing that she could do.
All she heard was ringing.
Though, there was one thing that she could hear.
“How could you?” Gold Ship looked in shock when Tokai Teio looked at her, nothing but anger, sadness, rage pointed directly at her.
Gold Ship took a step backwards as she saw the rest of Team Spica turn to her.
“No… No, I-”
“How could you?”
“You did this.”
“You killed him.”
“You killed him.”
She had killed him.
“No… No I didn’t- I didn’t- I didn’t mean to-” Gold Ship could only stammer in her words.
“You killed him.”
“No! I… I…” Gold Ship couldn’t do anything. All she could have done is close her eyes as everything let out.
“I…” what can she even say.
She knows the truth.
“I… killed him.” she said, with her eyes closed.
When she opened them-
Darkness.
It was quiet.
Gold Ship looked away and realized something.
It was night, compared to Satsuki Sho’s day.
It was quiet, compared to all of the screaming from that day.
She looked around that it was her room and not the stadium where the Satsuki Sho was held.
She looked at her bloody hands, and yet they were clean.
Gold Ship realized.
“It was a nightmare.” it was the only hope that she held onto and it was true.
She didn’t kill her Trainer. She only dreamed of it.
And yet.
It didn’t help her. Not a single bit as she looked around to see her room mate sleeping.
She couldn’t fall asleep after that.
How can she?
The very thought of one of her dropkicks being able to kill someone dear to her was a horrifying thought to her. She can’t handle that thought process.
She couldn’t imagine that reality.
All she could do was lay on her bed.
Staring at the ceiling as nothing else could calm her down.
Nothing else mattered.
She was glad that it was all fake, and yet… it still scared her.
That night she was barely able to sleep and had to go to Tracen Academy early, earlier than usual even for most Uma.
Gold Ship arrived at the building where Team Spica had their own meetups and merely sat on the table.
She barely brought anything. Barely brought the essentials for class.
Only what she has deemed important enough for the day.
Gold Ship was quiet. Something that was almost an impossible thought.
She breathed in. And out.
In and out.
In and-
“Gold Ship? What are you doing so early?”
Gold Ship turned to the source of the question and saw it came from Ryo.
It was the only confirmation that she had that it was only a nightmare.
He’s alive.
Trainer’s alive.
Ryo’s alive.
“I…” Gold Ship tried to find the words to say to him, but she couldn’t look at him in the eyes. She turned away, “I couldn’t sleep and I decided to get here sooner than most.”
“One of those nights, huh? I can relate with that feeling.” Ryo remembered doing countless sleepless nights when Tokai Teio broke her leg before the Tennoshou, “I’ll notify the staff that you arrived early so they don’t have to ask where you are.” he said as he placed his equipment onto his table.
“Thanks.” was all that she could say.
Gold Ship saw him get his laptop from his bag and placed it onto his table.
He sat down and opened it.
Gold Ship took a deep breath and stood up.
She walked towards her Trainer until she was a mere meter away from him.
“Oh Gold Ship. Is there something that you ne-”
His words were cut off when Gold Ship did the unthinkable.
She hugged him, her arms wrapped around his neck and her head onto his shoulders.
Gold Ship was hugging him and it didn’t seem like a prank. It didn’t seem it was for a humorous purpose, but more of a genuine, heartfelt way.
She was being genuine and weirdly vulnerable.
“Gold Ship, is something wron-” his words were cut off once more.
This time with a sob. Coming from Gold Ship.
“I’m sorry…. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” was all Gold Ship could say, but it was all that he needed to hear.
Something happened to her and she felt genuine guilt from it. Even if he doesn’t know what was the cause of it.
“I’m sorry, Trainer, I’m sorry.” Gold Ship continued to ramble.
Ryo decided to return the hug at Gold Ship by wrapping his hands around her shoulders.
“Hey, it’s okay. I am here. Everything is going to be alright.” he said.
His words, despite understanding what she saw, calmed her. Even for a few minutes.
At least she knows one thing.
That he is safe and alive.
Unaware of what she has seen.
It made her feel better, even for a bit.