Chapter Text
19th Century - United States.
It was a common day, like any other. The afternoon sun blazed, beating down on the faces of people and horses alike. The voices of various people screaming in excitement could be heard. The reason was simple: the jockey competition. The thrill of wondering who would emerge as the winner was intense. Almost everyone was getting the best out of their horses, but without a doubt, there was someone who stole the gazes and attention of every attendee.
Lucifer Morningstar was at the forefront of the race, applauded by thousands of people chanting his name. As he approached the finish line, Lucifer looked calm, moving faster and faster, even taking the time to wave to someone special in the stands.
"Daddy!" said a little girl in her mother's arms. The mother had to hold onto her little one before she tried to jump into the race. The girl was beautiful, with skin white as snow, slightly flushed cheeks, a big smile, and large black eyes just like her father's. Furthermore, her golden hair shone like precious ore in the sunlight. "Look, Mommy! Daddy is going so fast!"
The woman holding her laughed a little. "It’s true, my little Charlie. Daddy is the fastest of them all; he’s always in the lead," she said with pride, watching her husband with a big smile as he completed another lap.
"Daddy is going to win, I’m sure of it!" said little Charlie with such joy that her eyes lit up.
"We Morningstars always win at everything we set our minds to, darling. I know your father is going to win, but he still deserves his girls giving him all the support he needs," her mother said, lifting her onto her shoulders so she could get a better view of her father approaching the finish line. Charlie’s eyes and mouth went wide with excitement.
"You can do it, Daddy! Win the race!" Charlie shouted with great emotion. Lucifer looked at his daughter and smiled at his little one's words of encouragement. Then he looked at the race: exactly two other competitors were matching his speed, but that would no longer be a problem. Lucifer tightened his grip on the reins and then increased his horse's speed, leaving behind the competitors who truly wanted to close the gap, until he reached the finish line.
Everyone supporting Lucifer’s name screamed with excitement and happiness at that moment, as their most reliable winner took the race. A nearly unthinkable winning streak: with this race, Lucifer now had a streak of 50 wins, something almost inhuman, yet there he was. When he finished running, he dismounted his horse to go immediately to where his beautiful wife and little daughter were, hugging them both with all his might, despite being shorter than his wife.
"Honey, you saw it, right? Your father won this race!" he said so proudly, waiting for the praise from his wife and daughter.
"That was never in doubt, darling," his wife said with a tender smile at her husband, full of confidence and love.
"You are the best of all the racers, Daddy," Charlie spoke with admiration and love for her father as she jumped from her mother's shoulders to be caught by her father and then embraced by him.
"Can I tell you something, little one? You were all the energy I needed to make everyone else bite the dust. Thank you, my little duckie!" he said, booping her nose while hugging her.
There were several reporters approaching Lucifer to talk about this masterful victory over all the other competitors, now that he would surely take the title of the world's best racer.
"Okay, now the annoying part starts," Lucifer said. Despite being happy about winning, he didn't like being a victim of the press at all, nor having them ruin the beautiful family moment he was having.
"Don't worry, darling, I'll handle it," his wife said as she stood up to deal with these bothersome journalists.
"Thank you so much, my life," Lucifer said as he set his little girl on the ground and brushed off a bit of dust she had on her.
"Daddy, do you think one day I'll be as good as you? I’ve followed everything you taught me and more, and I know that one day I’ll be able to ride a horse, but I don't know if I can do it like you."
"Darling, you don't need to be like me or try to be me. What you have to do is be much better than me."
"But, is that possible? You are the best, everyone says so."
"I might be right now, duckie, but maybe you have the chance to be the best in this world... or perhaps the best racer in all of history: Charlie Morningstar, the greatest in history," Lucifer said, lifting his daughter into the sky right against the sun, showing her off as if she were the star of his life—which perhaps she was. Charlie just smiled tenderly.
Year 1870 - Morningstar Residence
The residence was enormous and very striking, a grand house located on the outskirts of a small town called Morioh. The house was decorated with red and gold details that created an incredibly beautiful contrast, with various decorations of horses sculpted into bushes and a large, beautiful fountain in the center of the garden. Despite its great size, not much noise was heard in the house; in fact, the silence was almost total. Behind the mansion was an extensive backyard with a horse stable where the Morningstars raised their own horses from birth. Another peculiarity was the lack of staff or maids to help in the home.
A sweet melody could be heard outside the stable; a lullaby, calming the foals, was being sung by an angelic voice. Nearby, a woman was coming from the well, from which she had recently drawn two buckets of crystal-clear water. The girl approached the stable to open it and take the water to the animals' trough.
The young woman was Charlie Morningstar, now grown and turned into a 20-year-old woman. Her face, once childish and tender, had changed to a more mature one, but she still retained those adorable red cheeks, and her hair, golden as gold itself, was still present. She wore red lipstick, and her freshly groomed eyelashes made her look like a high-class woman; however, she was alone, taking care of the entire farm environment with care and effort.
She grabbed a large pitchfork to start taking out large quantities of hay and placing it in each manger so the horses would have something to eat later. She also took shovels and a wheelbarrow to start cleaning every part of the stables. She began to remove the dirt, manure, and mud that the horses brought in after running, gathering everything in the wheelbarrow to then take the heavy load to another part of the farm where she made her own fertilizer, thus finishing her morning chores.
Charlie was different from what one expects of a woman of her status. Since her father's death seven years ago, she was left alone; her mother, devastated by the news, also distanced herself from her, leaving her father's legacy completely in her hands at the age of 13. Since then, she learned various things with the help of her friends and most faithful servants—although she considered them brothers: Razzle and Dazzle, two former slaves who became part of the Morningstar family.
"Charlie, I see you got up to do the heavy lifting again," said Dazzle's voice behind her back, surprising Charlie, who jumped a little. "Easy, it's just me," he added, approaching with a towel.
"Thank you very much, Dazzle," she said, accepting the towel.
"First, get in the shower, you need a bath to wash off the stink. I also need you to give me your clothes to wash them," Dazzle said.
"You don't have to do that, you know I can do it myself," she replied with a smile.
"Yes, but I also want to help, or I'll feel like a fancy ornament in this mansion," Dazzle insisted as he guided Charlie to her private room.
"Relax, you're still very helpful even if you don't believe it," she said as she walked. "Do you know if Razzle woke up?"
"If he woke up? He was the one who woke me up to look for you. I think he already made breakfast, so take a bath and then come down to eat so we don't feel bad," he said, arriving at her room to open the door for her. "Don't worry, I know you like a bath with lots of bubbles."
"You're so funny," she said with a smile before entering her room.
Charlie entered her room to start taking off her clothes slowly until she was naked, then entered her bath to relax after a morning full of hard work taking care of the stable; it was something she liked. She also turned on the radio that was in her room to listen to the morning news or what had happened just in those days.
"Good morning, Morioh-Cho," said the voice of the radio announcer. "It's me, your beloved host Alan Storm, giving the morning news of our beloved country, the United States. Today marks ten years since the end of the war that divided our powerful nation, now united into several brother states, thus birthing our beautiful United States of America. Therefore, today I will give a special announcement given even by the founding fathers of our country, and this is the invitation to a unique and unrepeatable event, never before created," said the radio announcer, catching the attention of Charlie, who turned up the volume. "I have the greatest privilege of being the first to speak of the great and only race in the world: the 'Steel Ball Run,' the race that will traverse the entire newly created country. I don't have all the details, but the creator of the race herself spoke to me about how it will be something never before seen, and also about the prize, which is nothing more and nothing less than 50,000,000 dollars; a more than satisfactory reward, never before given. And this is a sample of the magnitude of this race and, as I have repeated, an event that will not be possible to repeat. Personally, your faithful announcer couldn't resist the urge to participate in something that will surely be historic. And you, my dear audience? Will you just be spectators who only saw the trails of dust? Or will you be part of something bigger? You must take the lead; the competition will only register 1,000 competitors and each must pay a registration fee of 1,200 dollars to enter. If I were you, I would already be at the recruitment stables."
Charlie was surprised by all this new information, so much so that she didn't notice the water spilling out of the tub where she was.
"I hope everyone in Morioh has heard this striking message. I know there is plenty of talent here; perhaps one of you, of my dear listeners, will be the winner and go down in history as the best racer in the world."
At this, Charlie turned off the radio. It was a lot to think about as she submerged herself completely in the tub for a few minutes, then emerged completely wet, her blonde hair soaked and her skin glistening from the water. A race never done before that possibly will never be repeated; it truly seemed like something unique.
She had never thought about races, not since seven years ago, since her father had left her side and the Morningstar family had been completely destroyed; seven years in which she hasn't ridden a horse again. Maybe, just maybe, she should participate in the race. It was as if destiny itself had made her participate, but did she really want to do it? She has a lot to do in the mansion and must take care of the horses. If the race is going to be as they say, traversing the whole country, she can't just leave; it would be too irresponsible of her to do so. Besides, she hasn't practiced; she surely wouldn't last more than a few kilometers before getting tired. She wasn't a racer like her father; that is the only thing she knows for sure. She won't participate, it is not her path.
The news of the race, as soon as it was made known, shook the whole country. Many people (racers, normal people, athletes, even some renowned criminals) found themselves in the long registration lines for the race. Some spoke with too much confidence and others trembled with fear and couldn't even look at the sheet before leaving; it was too much pressure for everyone. But for whom isn't it? Even normal races are usually on horseback in this region, and not everyone knows how to handle a horse to such a level of perfection to participate in the race. They simply didn't have the talent and, although they could dream, the truth was that this race could destroy even the strongest will of all.
Razzle had gone to town to buy more food and some supplies for the mansion. While he was with the Morningstar carriage, he could hear everyone getting excited about the huge race and several riders—if they could be called that—signing up for the race, thinking it would be something easy or simple. Razzle had worked with the Morningstars since their golden era; he had known Lucifer himself, had seen him practice, strive, and reach the top on his own path. He was a true racer through and through, someone he admired like a father. When he saw these guys, he didn't see anyone who could reach his feet, but he knew someone who could: Lucifer's daughter, his friend and almost sister, Charlie Morningstar. He knew it, his brother knew it; she had her father's skills and talent. She could win this race... No, if there was anyone who would win this race, it would definitely be her.
But the only problem was Charlie herself. Well, she wasn't the problem; everything happened seven years ago. Charlie was just a child and, even so, she had to live through it. Just three years prior, during Charlie's birthday, in one of her father's races, he suffered a terrible accident. During the race, Lucifer's horse went out of control out of nowhere—no one knew what happened—but it threw Lucifer to the ground, injuring him severely. But it wasn't just that; behind him, several competitors couldn't stop their animals and trampled him for almost a minute. It was a miracle when the doctors reached him; he was still alive despite all the punishment he endured, but he didn't come out unscathed. Upon arriving at the hospital, they gave the terrible news to him and his entire family: the injuries suffered in that race destroyed his spinal column with irreparable damage. Lucifer would never race again, which was something that broke the family. The news spread like poison, and several newspapers did not take long to publish about it, always remembering that the legend had ended and that the Morning Star had been completely extinguished.
This caused Lucifer to fall into a deep depression, since, even with his family's support, the world didn't seem to let him forget his legacy. Every time he was seen, people looked at him no longer with admiration; sometimes it was pity, mockery, and nostalgia. Even when his name didn't appear in the race stands, his accident was never forgotten, like snake venom that continues to hurt even with the antidote. It was all so much that Lucifer couldn't take it anymore, reaching the point of ending his own life. The person who found him was Charlie herself.
She was never the same after that incident. In fact, no one in the Morningstar family was the same again; the family, once united in the face of all adversity, was destroyed. Lilith escaped or fled the mansion; the memory of her beloved destroyed her. But that doesn't compare to the pain of losing a father, a hero, and a friend that little Charlie suffered.
"Razzle, it's a pleasure seeing you around here," said a voice he already knew from a long time ago. "Tell me, how is little Charlie?"
"Ah, it's you, Rosie." His eyes calmed when he saw the woman and he tipped his hat in a show of respect towards her. "It's always a pleasure seeing you here. Charlie? She’s still the same; she looks more like another worker than the owner of the mansion."
Both laughed at the joke, for it was true; whenever she was visited by Rosie, Charlie was doing something in the mansion, like cleaning every single decoration or upholstering the furniture again.
"By the way, have you heard why there is so much scandal? Since I opened my botany business I haven't stopped seeing new faces in the town of Morioh. Are we being invaded? Has another town been looted?" she said with concern and morbid curiosity.
"None of that, they are here for the radio announcement. Did you not hear it?"
"You know I'm not much for using such weird technology in my business; in fact, I still use the telephone they gave me."
"Hey, it cost a lot; you should at least put it to good use."
"It works excellently as a paperweight."
"Changing the subject, it's not something you should worry about; it's just a race they'll be holding, although it will be the greatest race ever..."
"You mean the Steel Ball Run? Ah, that was it; wow, that surprised me."
"Wait, but you said you hadn't heard it on the radio."
"Not at all, I didn't hear it on the radio, but, how to put it... I am one of the event sponsors; in fact, my company provided a large part of the funds for the winners' prize."
"Really? You are supporting the race?"
"I felt it is a way to honor Lucifer... you know, he loved this sport and I feel he would have liked to participate." Rosie touched her chest, giving a look of nostalgia and sadness remembering her friend.
"It's true, Mr. Lucifer would love to participate in the race," his voice sounded dull and lower.
"And Charlie? Is she going to participate? I bet it would be lovely to see her participate and show that the Morningstars still remain the kings of racing."
"Actually, she won't participate; she doesn't feel up to the task right now."
"But why? She is very good."
"She simply doesn't want to," Razzle spoke raising his voice a little, then covered his mouth. "A thousand apologies, Miss Rosie, I shouldn't have done that."
"Don't worry, I was the one who deserved it for pressuring so much; I should apologize for being a bother."
"Not at all, but I think I have to go for the groceries. We'll speak another day, Miss Rosie."
"Of course, it will be a pleasure, Razzle. Wish Charlie the best, and you and your brother; it was nice talking to you."
Razzle continued his way going to the city market to buy what was necessary, but when he was returning, he saw someone who was not to his liking, nor Charlie's, nor anyone's.
"Razzle, my boy! Long time no see." The subject's hand circled his neck while giving him slaps on the sides of his arms. Razzle just rolled his eyes in annoyance while trying to sound as kind as he could.
"Hello, Mr. Mammon," Razzle spoke with the kindest voice one can give to someone they dislike.
Mammon was a money collector and, before that, he was Lucifer's representative in the business world. The truth is, he was a guy who was never liked by the family, much less supported after Lucifer's fall, since he began wanting to profit from the death of his friend and greatest star; something the family denied completely, but even so, he always clung to Lucifer's shadow. Every time he was near them, something was going to be annoying, that's why no one in the mansion liked him.
"Ah, come on, you can call me just Mam. I don't like everyone using the name, I feel like I lose money when they say it completely. By the way, how is the girl? Lucifer's daughter, Charlie, right? Has she heard about the race?"
"Yes, in fact she heard it, but she isn't interested in participating or even watching it," the timbre of annoyance Razzle felt at Mammon's presence could be heard in his voice.
"Ah, what a shame. I thought she might like it; her father taught her a lot. I bet she would be one of the best, but what can you do, I suppose she isn't Lucifer." He brought one of his fingers to his mouth to pick some food out of his teeth. "Ah, right, there is something I have to talk to Charlie about, but I'll be busy, so I need you to give her this letter, please." He took a letter from his suit to give an envelope to Razzle. "Now I have to go..."
Suddenly, the sound of some guys dragging a man out with punches was heard.
"Ah, that is one of my boys collecting a debt from my clients"—the guy punched the subject in the face making him spit blood onto the dirt-filled ground—"and it seems the client didn't fulfill his payment on time, but you know, it's not that I have something personal against that guy, it's just business."
Mammon took his hands off Razzle's waist to start moving towards his man and lift the subject's face with a somewhat amused look. It might be that for Mammon it wasn't anything personal, but he seemed to enjoy when someone didn't pay him, because it was an excuse to make those people suffer. But, how to even pay someone who charges even more than one can give? He was a disgusting man, but very cunning; he knows how to follow the law even though it never seems like he actually follows it.
Razzle knew he had been in Morioh too long and had to leave or, if not, maybe too many of those types they surely detested would appear. Although, having Mammon's letter in his hands, he felt something bad was going to come out of there. Another offer to use Charlie's image? Release a book of Lucifer's memoirs? Ah, by God, he hopes not; otherwise, Mammon would do anything to make himself look good in that book. Besides, he wouldn't like them talking to Charlie and Lilith about Lucifer. He just hopes it's any other letter they can ignore; he also thinks about crumpling it up and throwing it in the trash, only sometimes.
Razzle returned to the mansion after coming back from the city. The truth is, he wasn't very happy; talking to Rosie wasn't comfortable and he didn't like seeing Mammon around here again at all. Sometimes he thinks about paying someone to go do the shopping, but it would feel weird; it is sometimes the biggest job he has and it might be the only one. He took the carriage behind the mansion to also unload the market purchases.
Razzle gave the letter to Charlie. She, honestly, just looked at it and rolled her eyes knowing who it was from; it wasn't from the best person in the world and, truthfully, she wanted to throw it away, but she had to open it to know how to reject him when he comes in person. But the moment she opened the letter and read it, her expression changed to one of surprise and shock.
It wasn't a request like the previous letters; it didn't ask to use her image, know her mother's location, nor for her to reveal the secrets of the Morningstar family. This was a blow to what she had: a letter that spoke about a heavy debt Lucifer had with many people. Apparently, it was something she never knew for all these years, but since she had always ignored Mammon's letters, this was the first time she opens one and the worst possible message has to come.
In the letter, the debt was detailed, but not only that; it spoke of everything they would take from Charlie if she didn't pay the debt she had. She would lose her mansion, her lands, the stable, and the freedom Dazzle and Razzle have. Perhaps the worst part was knowing they will be slaves to the bank or to Mammon, and their fate will be to work as slaves, something that horrified her completely. She dropped the letter in front of the fire she had in the kitchen so no one would read it.
Charlie took off the apron she was wearing to go out to the stable, still with a lost gaze. She went as fast as possible while starting to see the futures she had: her alone on the street, her friends dead somewhere. This wasn't fair, not fair at all; they were fine in the morning, it was a quiet and normal day. This was very cruel.
Charlie opened the stable doors to go sit directly on the strips of hay and, with that, she began to move and writhe while screaming with great strength and anger over what had happened. Now that she was having a normal tranquility, this guy comes to screw up everything and every single thing she has. How did that fat man dare to take away her mansion, to strip Dazzle and Razzle of humanity, and still not show even a shred of empathy? Guys like that made Charlie angry, and too much so. While she grabbed strips of hay and threw them or destroyed them with her hands with force, with everything she had, she asked herself: What could she do? How was she even going to pay such a large debt? She had worked in the mansion and on the farm for too long; even collecting money by working, how was she going to reach that figure in a year?
Suddenly, she heard how one of the horses got too scared seeing how a strong wind had opened her window. Charlie rushed to go and close the window and calm the horse, but when she approached the window to close it, she was hit by a piece of paper that flew straight into her face. When she took it off, she looked at what she had on the front page: "50,000,000 dollars. Participate in the Great Steel Ball Run to be the racer who wins the reward and the pride of our country." Was this a cruel joke of fate, perhaps? Is it a mockery of what was happening to her? She just crumpled the paper to throw it to the side and closed the window with great force, to then curl up on the floor and bring her knees to her chin to try to calm down while thinking about what to do. Although, truthfully, she was sad and hurt, so much so that she couldn't help crying; she didn't know what she had to do.
A literal solution flew to her forehead, but it was something she didn't want... no, she simply couldn't do it. It's not that she hadn't tried; she really tried, but at the moment she just froze with fear, but she never knew fear of what. When she held the reins of the horse, what she wanted was... She felt she couldn't, that she shouldn't, that it wasn't right. She began to calm down as she started to breathe more calmly to stop crying little by little, while looking at the stable roof. She hadn't felt so much fear for a long time; the first time she felt it was when she rode her first horse and suffered a fall. Luckily it wasn't serious, even so, it scared her a lot.
Lucifer was looking for Charlie; she had just escaped from her training. It hadn't gone as he would have wanted: his dear princess had made a bad move and the horse had thrown her to the floor, something that scared her a lot.
"Charlie, honey? Where are you, my love?" Lucifer raised his voice a little to see if Charlie responded or at least came out from where she was, but there was no answer. He was about to go look for Lilith so they could both go look for her, but suddenly he saw how the small foals were around something, or rather, someone. "Awww, Charlie."
Lucifer got closer to the place to then remove a bale of hay and see his dear daughter in a small empty square.
"Hi, Daddy," Charlie spoke somewhat embarrassed and blushing from shame.
"Honey, what are you doing?" Lucifer asked with kindness, lowering himself and showing empathy towards Charlie's sadness.
"Sorry, Daddy, but I hid because... I don't want to continue... I thought I was going to like it, but I got scared when the horse threw me... and I don't want it to happen again... I'm sorry if I disappointed you, Dad."
"Honey..." said Lucifer, lifting Charlie with his arms. "Honey, you would never have disappointed me, ever; you are the best thing I have created and I will always feel proud of you."
Charlie calmed down when she felt her father's sweet words. She hugged her father's chest tightly.
"Tell me, honey, do you want to try one more time?"
"But what if I fall again? If I get hurt worse? Or if you aren't there to help me?"
"Honey... No, I won't lie to you; there will be moments where I won't be able to be with you, but that's why I want to teach you everything I know." He made the hug tighter, almost not wanting to let her go. "I know it can be terrifying, but if you don't try you might not know your own abilities... Maybe you have them or not... Only you will know. Let's try it, that is what you can do, my little duckie."
"I... would like to do it at least once more."
That memory made some tears fall on her cheeks. She remembered that moment with fondness; she felt that everything was less cold and felt that everything could be better. She felt happiness remembering her father; she wanted her father to be with her, to support her and that... He is no longer here; she is alone, she doesn't have her family.
No, she wasn't alone. Razzle and Dazzle were with her, they were with her and they are like her brothers... She has to defend, this time she has to defend what remains of her family.
And she is going to do it, even when she has to do something she hates; but if it is to protect what remains, she is going to do it. But she has to visit someone; if she wants to do this, she must offer at least an apology to the one she ignored for so long.
She left the stable; even with the wind and storm clouds, she knew she had to do this or else she wouldn't even have the strength to get on a horse. As she advanced, the wind and sand rose, but she just brushed the sand off with her hand while continuing her path away from her mansion.
"Charlie, what are you doing? Come inside the house, it looks like it's going to rain and..."
Charlie just ignored Dazzle's voice while continuing her path.
"Are you listening to me, Charlie? Charlie!!"
Even when he shouted her name, she simply ignored him; it seemed she didn't hear him, but, in fact, Dazzle's voice was the only thing she heard amidst the storm.
"Dazzle, you are so kind, even to me. You have always worried about me, even when you might be more hurt; that's why I always considered you the tenderest of the two. I know now you want to protect me, but it is something I have to do for you, for Razzle, and for myself. So, if you can, go back to the house, prepare some tea, it will be cold. I will return immediately, as soon as I finish seeing my father."
The rain began to fall while she kept walking until reaching the city cemetery, where she didn't hesitate to pass through the holy ground in the middle of the storm without protection; but it was as if the cold of the storm didn't affect her at all. She passed by several graves until she reached the place where she wanted to arrive.
Charlie was in front of her father's grave. Although it was a small mausoleum she had built in his honor, with different angels carved in stone watching over Lucifer's tomb, it is curious: she had never stopped to look at the mausoleum. It was beautiful, it had so many details and still felt so fitting of her father; a very eccentric man, maybe that's why she always saw him dressing so weirdly, she would swear sometimes he looked like a clown. She crossed the small mausoleum to reach her father's tombstone, where his name was carved in beautiful black marble with gold letters. Razzle and Dazzle came often to change the flowers the tomb had on its sides; this time it was she who came. She hadn't stepped foot on this grave for seven years.
Seven years, Charlie thought. It had taken her seven years to come here, to see what her father's grave was. Could she even consider herself a daughter? She had been ignoring him for so long... But the truth is, coming here always gave her a horrible pain in her heart, in her mind, in her whole body; the pain was unbearable. But no, she didn't want to keep denying it anymore. If she was going to participate in this race, she had to do it; she needed to talk to him.
"Hi, Dad," Charlie said while looking at the tombstone. It was so clean she could see the reflection of her face in the black marble. "I know you're surprised to see me, isn't that right? I don't come so often; in fact, it's the first time I've come... and I wanted to apologize for that... Yes, that's what I came for. I came to apologize for ignoring you, for working so hard at pretending you are dead... But can you blame me? It still hurts a lot... It hurts me to remember you... because almost all the memories I have with you are happy... my birthdays... your races... Every time I think of you I only remember those beautiful moments, but they are just that: moments that disappear in seconds, and then your death arrives... your sadness... your end... I wanted to help you, I tried everything and even so it wasn't enough."
Charlie's eyes were waterfalls where water fell in torrents; the salty drops of tears fell to the mausoleum floor. Her words were cutting off, it was so painful to say them.
"I'm sorry... seriously, I'm sorry."
Charlie wiped her tears; she still had to talk to him about what she was going to do.
"Dad, I'm going to participate in a race. It will be the biggest one to be held in the new country... The truth is I didn't want to do it at first... and I still have my doubts... But I have to do it to keep the mansion, so Razzle and Dazzle have a home... to take care of all the horses I raised... and to maintain your legacy... I know what it was that condemned you and there isn't a day where I didn't wish people would forget your accident... but I am not capable of waiting for you to fade into oblivion with a stained name. You were my hero and I am your daughter... I will make you feel proud of me... So, in some way, I hope you are by my side. I love you, Dad."