Work Text:
—START—
Rain poured down over the whole region.
A downpour that struck strongly with how much and how fast the droplets of water fell and hit everything, larger pools of water growing larger and larger each second as the storm intensified over time.
Darkened skies from which no light could reach the people bellow. The cold wind blowing now late November did not help at all the climate, only making the feeling of water against her skin combined with the cold feel so much worse.
Her uniform was completely damped, as was the rest of her body, such were the consequences of having been sitting on this lone stump in the outside of the school for at least two hours now.
Not that she particularly cared right now.
Her heart found itself in a stump, much like herself, stuck under a seemingly endless rain that slowly ate away while she thought herself unable to move from it.
Light blue eyes staring into the sky. “I felt beyond myself that day” The weight of the sound around her drowned her voice to anyone but herself. “I had reached it finally” Nobody was around to listen anyways. “Why is it like this now?” One that was not as heavy as what her heart felt at that moment.
The memory of everyone cheering for her, the sensation of surpassing the back she’d been chasing for so long and how satisfying it was to finally reach for one victory in a G1 just…no longer felt like the accomplishment it was.
Having poured her every feeling into that race, draining her own mentality as well as her body just to chase her on the last few races they’d ever be capable of running together.
It was an explosion of joy, satisfaction, and pride for one that hadn’t won before.
Now however? exhilaration had worn out, the drive to succeed resisted such decay with the promise of the next race, yet it continued on a downward spiral.
Stuck in a way that halted her own improvement.
(Why? Why would it be like this?) Lamented the girl in her own turmoil.
She saw them, hand in hand walking through the halls. Everyone around them smiled and congratulated them, a relationship born from an old friendship that finally bloomed.
“Congratulations you two!”
“About time it happened!”
“I so knew there was something between the two of you!”
Cheers that went off like a shrill in her ears.
Meanwhile she watched from afar, like she always does, how whatever chance of having that light in her hands crumbled into nothingness.
Nothing changed outwards in her demeanor, but the natural gloomy she’d always shown twisted into a depressive void she hated so much.
‘Her’ light was never hers to begin with, she was simply a fool chasing after it when someone else had already claimed it.
Now she remained here. Dirty, wet, and pathetic Cheval Grand. Sitting under the rain, over a stump.
All alone, sinking deeper and deeper into a hollow pit.
(I should have seen coming something like that, even I could tell there was something between those two!) Something she desperately ignored, thinking in her whimsy world of fantasies that someone as gloomy and downcast as herself could ever be seen the same as someone like Satono Diamond could be.
“I LOVE YOU!!!”
“Tch” Yet her heart still yearned for the warmth and radiance of Kitasan Black. “You coward, you knew it would never happen” Her skirt crumpled when her fist tightened around it.
Without realizing it a very small warmth began to build up in her face, the muscles in her face slowly twisting according to the grief her wish caused her.
Silently tears began to fall, indistinguishable from the rain that continued to mercilessly damp everything around.
Cheval wanted this to stop.
-Splat-
Something changed.
Someone had stepped on a puddle nearby, it was heavy enough so the sound carried even over that of the rain. “…an…wh…cou…be” A faint voice that she did not recognize approached.
Normally Cheval would have panicked, fretting to rid herself of the unsightly state she had found herself in, trying to pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary.
Yet in this instance, she did not care.
Hollow, empty, void, whatever word that could be used to describe the unnatural apathy that had gotten a hold of her would be appropriate to describe how little she cared about being seen like this.
Let someone else see her pain, let someone else witness how insignificant this year’s Japan Cup winner truly is.
Her ears twitched as the steps became more and more noticeable, a presence getting closer and closer. “Yo” Right until the rain no longer fell on her. “What’s a cutie doing sitting under the rain all alone~” A brown haired Uma with a white streak and hair tied into a ponytail held an umbrella over her head, throwing a cheesy line with a wink.
Cheval Grand had no desire to answer.
Not even a glance was spared for the newcomer.
Sighing, Mejiro Palmer’s demeanor sobered. (As expected huh) It was a coincidence that she stumbled into Vivlos and Verxina when she did. Two sisters desperately looking for their third that they hadn’t seen in hours when she ran away for some reason. (Those eyes look worse than I thought)
Seeing them, she thought it was quite lucky that it was her who ended up offering her help. (Maybe…maybe I can really help you) Few would understand this one as she did, the way she looked told her so.
“Yeah, not good if you feel like being under the rain like this” Cheval ignored her, couldn’t she just be left alone to wallow in her own self pity for once?
There was not a shift from her. (Why are people around me always so radiant?) Couldn’t anyone just be rude for once? Let her feel bad for once?
At least that way she’d be feeling something.
Palmer didn’t say anything, it was obvious the girl had no desire to share with anyone, less a stranger like her. But so much of this situation was so…familiar to the Mejiro that she couldn’t allow herself to leave just like that.
Beside promising to do her best to help was not the kind of thing she backed out of. Taking a seat on the opposite side of the stump, holding the umbrella so the two of them would be covered by it.
Seconds passed.
Cheval curved slightly in herself, never stopping from looking up.
Minutes passed.
The rain became the only prominent sound once more. The company just an echoed breathing to her own while their tails brushed one another every once in a while.
Hours did not pass.
Cheval had grown tired of this silent presence that remained behind her, a subtle existence that became impossible to ignore as time went on.
Palmer was warm, more than she was at the very least, and that difference was enough for her to note. It disrupted and distracted her from her pity, creating a good sensation when all she wanted was to allow herself to freeze for a while.
Hateful that her body wanted more of it Cheval finally opened her mouth. “What do you want?” The voice coming out being raspy and brittle, with her throat suffering for trying to speak.
Trying to be harsh but sounding pitiful.
Feeling Palmer move her hearing caught a small blowing of air from the girl. “Your sisters were worried for you, asking everyone for help” She had turned around, looking at her. “Thought I’d lend a hand”
Guilt flooded her senses, closing her eyer at the mention of the two of them. (Right…because the only thing that I can do for them is cause problems) Frustration boiled slowly causing her to increase the strength of her fists.
“I am glad it was me who found you though” the girl giggled, she giggled and that almost made Cheval want to get up and leave. “Few could understand what you are going through, like me” A desire that died soon afterwards.
It did not make sense, that phrase did not make sense at all for Cheval Grand. (Understand…me?) Who could do such a thing?
Finally looking at whoever it had been that came to find her and sat under the rain beside her.
She spoke the name carelessly. “Senior Mejiro Palmer” A known carefree student that belonged to one of the biggest families of Japan. “What do you mean by that?” Not caring for a proper greeting her mind went immediately to what she wanted to know.
Another reason why she would have never been someone worth of her light, being this unpolite and ill mannered, nobody would want her. What could someone like her know about her situation?.
Without saying anything Palmer extended her hand, softly grasping her shoulder from the front and making sure their eyes met. “I know that look, those eyes” Her own were the exact same. “You too chase after a sun that does not belong to you”
“!”
“Thinking of that one person as the best and worst thing that has ever happened to you” Softening the smile in her face into one of the sweetest and most caring expressions Cheval had ever seen outside of her sister. “And now that you stand equal to them, believe you are enough for them, you realize they were never yours”
Only now did Cheval Grand truly look at who was in front of them.
This was not Mejiro McQueen, Ryan, Ardan, Dober or Ramonu.
This was the know black sheep of the Mejiro family, someone who stood by herself and fought against a current of doubt and disappointment until she lifted herself up.
In a way, they were similar yes.
(But she’s successful now…she is someone loved too now isn’t she?) Always running around with another loud girl, didn’t she already have such a joy in her life?
Wasn’t she happy? Her smile and demeanor definitively made her think so.
Why were her words so accurate to what she’d been going through, was she trying to impart past experiences to her?. (Could she teach me? Tell me how to get rid of this…painful desire?) Now she wanted to know.
“I get you girl” She didn’t even need Cheval to explain much to her, this situation, her sister’s concerns, and the way she looked were just too similar to her own not too long ago. “And I know this…whole thing will only hurt you further down the line”
She shook her head, almost as if trying to shove away memories coming to her at that moment. “Can you let me help you?” The question was asked with the best of intentions possible, with a care Cheval wouldn’t find outside of her own family.
Temptation was strong, and now that she’d been forced to actually think she knew her current state was horrendous.
Her nod was inevitable, how could she say no now?
Shuffling back carefully as to not lose grip on her umbrella Palmer got up, extending one hand towards her Cheval. “Let’s go somewhere else to talk, this place is depressing” It was an invitation that she might have refused moments ago.
But for once today, her heart wanted to go. Taking the hand to stand up for herself before Palmer pulled her close, way too close. “Let’s avoid getting more wet that we are kay?” Shooting her such a comforting smile that it made the younger one feel bad for even wasting her time like this.
But…Palmer was warm, and right now she did not want to let go.
Clinging to the senior’s torso as they made their way not towards the main building, not towards the dorms, but the outside.
Cheval wanted to ask, to probe Palmer for anything, instead she melted the moment she was wrapped in a one arm hug for them to walk more comfortable. “sorry if it's too uncomfortable, this is just so rain doesn't get us both”
At every step being as polite as she could.
They walked beyond the entrance, down the streets, into the city proper and beyond, few people actually going around with the climate.
During the whole walk few words were spoken, Palmer focused on getting Cheval to feel comfortable around her while she took them somewhere.
Eventually Cheval couldn’t help but speak. “You…are not like people say at all” A free spirit that spoke in weird ways much like the companion she always had, somewhat of an irresponsible troublemaker.
The smile the Mejiro had turned slightly sly when hearing that. “He he, true that girl” Her dialect changed at the drop of a hat just to answer that question, making Cheval look up. “What? I can do the fancy talk when I have to but fam, this is my style ☆”
Only to immediately revert back to what it was before. “But that is not what you need right now” Carefully she moved her hand to ruffle the girl’s hair with the one she was using to keep her close. (Imitating Big sis Ardan is also really useful)
Finally the two of them reached their destination.
An apartment block situated near Tracen.
They went up two floors and towards the third floor. “Lemme find my keys” Getting in the umbrella was no longer necessary and finally some distance was put between the two of them.
While Palmer shuffled her things Cheval finally had an opportunity to put her thoughts together properly.
The conversation back in the stump, Palmer’s actions, the whole walk here. It was all progressively done to calm her down, she could see so now. (No, it wasn’t just that) Seeing the retired runner opening the door she finally realized something. (She was distracting me, the whole time!)
Now she was much more focused, the gloom persisted within her but now she could note the cold, the way her body shook from it, her eyes puffed from the crying that she didn’t realize had stopped and how much her body ached.
Wanting to asked her that she tried to speak. “Come on in ☆” But Palmer was already pushing the door inside while gesturing to follow. “Make yourself at home!”
She had no time to ask her anything, the Mejiro had bolted in towards one of the rooms of this place. “I-I’m coming in” Taking off her shoes she awkwardly made her way inside, unsure of what they were even doing there.
Remaining in the door for a while.
Coming out of the room she’d just left towards her senior extended a towel towards her. “Here, you’d probably want to dry yourself a little” Then she made her way towards the living room, making sure that Cheval followed her there.
While using the towel to dry herself as best as she could Palmer seemed to put something in the table. “I can give you some other clothes later but I believe you’d rather talk first right?”
Saying that Mejiro Palmer sat down, signaling Cheval to do the same, in the middle of it an already prepared tea set with an electric kettle filled with water.
“You…you said you understood me” Slowly getting to the ground she formulated her question, pulling the towel around her as to not get water everywhere. “What did you mean?”
“Straight to the point” She chuckled, her hands moving swiftly while making the hot beverages. “Well Cheval, I understand because I too have a sun that I cannot reach”
A pair of yellow eyes came to her mind. “Her radiance and soul saved me at my lowest, boosted me up when challenging myself and stood by me every step of the way” Slowly a cup was filled. “How could I not fall in love with someone who made me the best me”
The tea was pushed right in front of her, Palmer’s expression once again appearing to be in another place completely different from this one.
“The Arima Kinen and Takarazuka Kinen” In that moment Cheval saw it, a smile so sweet and lovesick that reminded her of those times she herself had thought of Kitasan. “Without her I might have never achieved those”
(…She too…) One same heart, one same track experience, one same motivator. “Did you…?” It came out before she could control herself, if this person was truly like herself…
Her curiosity over her senior was growing more and more. “She’s never once looked at me in such a manner” There was no lack of comfort, no anger or despair when claiming that, it honestly stunned Cheval. “Right now she’s probably with her girlfriend, doing whatever while waiting for the rain to cease”
Her answer confirming exactly what she thought, yet not in the way she expected it.
Palmer grabbed her own cup, staring at it lost. “I hate her sometimes” Her eyes slowly lifting to look towards the still shy looking Cheval. “I hate that I stand in that glow, in her lovely presence and I wish that she was mine”
For a moment the energy was gone, in the eyes of Mejiro Palmer the same despairing void could be seen, her voice even cracking a little when speaking of it.
“But I cannot leave her” Her gaze dropped. “Because I can’t stop loving her”
She stared at her senior gaping. (We…really are the same) And to have the confidence to share with her this.
“This is why I think I can help you” Extending once more her left hand, palm up. “So let everything out here, only for you and me to see” Cheval wanted to reach for it, she had been in so much emotional turmoil that this little story had once more pushed her. “Only people who understand and would never make light of this”
Small tears would begin from Cheval Grand once more, Palmer grabbing her hand and scooting closer to the girl.
Pressing her against her once more.
It broke at that moment, the repression.
Cheval cried and wailed, Palmer remained and comforted.
She might not be able to give this girl a solution, but she sure as hell can give her the support she never got.
The rain outside slowly dimming, still there but tolerable.
—END—
—Mystic—
