A Villain's Ode to a Hero

The weather was better than everyone anticipated. It was a cool morning, but the arena burned with enthusiasm.

"It's on!!! The last leg of the Triple Crown Series, the racers rushed out of the gate strong. Afternoon Delight hits the ground early."

The packed arena roared as the Trainer, Danee, and Ibarra's gaze latched onto the speeding competitors.

"Afternoon delight sets out steadily at the front, followed by Es Twenty Six close behind. Racing third by the wheel is Treasured Ack, followed by El Terrible..."

Es Twenty Six's, trailing behind the leader by a length, watched Afternoon Delight closely.

"As expected, she'll burst out early., Es muttered. Recalling how she cut the distance between her and Ibarra at a corner in the last race, she braced herself for a spurt.

"Alright..."

The first turn arrived. Es buried her boots deep into the dirt and kicked hard into long strides.

The Trainer leaned forward to see the turn. "Es made a move this early?"

Ibarra clenched her fist, grinning. "So that's how she closed in on me. Nice."

Danee gripped the rails, keenly observing.

At the track, Afternoon Delight sensed the chase.

"Es?" she murmured as Es Twenty Six began to cut the distance to half a length. Gritting her teeth, she pushed harder.

"I won't let you in!!!"

"We go past the first turn. Still, Afternoon Delight leads. Es Twenty Six in second, cutting the lead by half a length." the caster raved. "El Terrible! El Terrible dashes to third, passing Treasured Ack. At steady fifth, I Did It My Way."

Golden Sutter, who started slow, trailed My Way in the middle of the pack. Without a way forward, she patiently waited for the opening as the second stretch approached.

Ibarra's eyes darted between the runners, then settled on Golden Sutter.

"What are you gonna do, Gold?"

The racers enter the second stretch. Afternoon Delight and Es Twenty Six sprinted strongly, keeping the distance between them.

A length and a half behind, El Terrible and Treasured Ack ran too close to each other on the inner side, bumping into each other in the process as they grit forward.

Danee's eyes gleamed. All of a sudden, the horse girls on the track seemed to glow, drawing her like a moth to the flame.

"Gold!" Ibarra suddenly shouted, fist in the air. Danee snapped towards Golden Sutter as My Way slid outward, opening a straight path through the middle.

With a growl, Golden Sutter bursts towards the entry.

"Golden Sutter charges! Golden Sutter overtakes My Way to the outer zone. Golden Sutter steals the fifth. My Way falls to sixth. What a run!!!"

The shuffle continued. Neck to neck at the second turn, Afternoon Delight stayed in the lead, followed closely by Es Twenty Six. Treasured Ack loses momentum against El Terrible, who snatches the third. And Golden Sutter's efforts paid off as she stole the fourth position, past My Way and Treasured Ack.

Ibarra continued shouting at the top of her lungs. Meanwhile, Danee fell entranced, drowning in the fire and thunder that the stadium was doused with.

"Ate... did she run with such strong people..?" Danee whispered to herself. "Amazing..."

"We're halfway down!" the caster roared from his booth. "Third stretch. Afternoon Delight and Es Twenty Six are in a standoff. Neither giving way!!!"

Es Twenty Six felt time slow. Her breath was shallow, her legs burned, and her strides were shorter. As her surroundings blurred, she looked ahead, expecting to find someone. A presence that kept her surging forward. A goal to strive and surpass.

But there was none. A hollow longing gripped her chest. Her mind screamed at her to slow down, but her heart continued to beat in rebellion.

Fate didn't let up.

"ES!!!"

A voice tugged her in like an anchor. She looked to the side, and her eyes widened.

"Ibarra?!"

Ibarra inhaled as deeply as she could, pouring all her strength into her lungs.

"GO!!! ES!!!" Ibarra screamed. And that was enough.

Es Twenty Six hated being cheered by rivals, especially one like Ibarra. With a deep roar, she accelerated faster than the previous one, completely blurring her sides. Afternoon delight tried to keep up, but she had reached her limit.

Golden Sutter saw Es, and made a burst of her own, leaving El Terrible and Afternoon delight behind her.

Danee's eyes were glued to the action, standing still in her place as Ibarra continued to cheer beside her.

Then, something wet fell on her arm. She looked up to check for rain, but what she heard were sobs.

"Amazing... they're all amazing right..?"

Danee lifted her head. Ibarra was still grinning as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Damn it... It hurts..." Ibarra sobbed. "But I can't stop cheering... GOOOO!!!"

Danee's eyes brimmed. She curled her fists as her own tears began to flow.

"GOOOO!!!" Danee screamed. "GOOOO!!!"

"ES TWENTY SIX! ES TWENTY SIX TAKES THE LEAD!!!" The caster screamed. "They come up for the home turn. Here comes the stretch, Es Twenty Six leads six lengths. Golden Sutter, a far second. Afternoon Delight at third."

Golden Sutter watched Es Twenty Six sprint farther ahead. As Es's silhouette faded before her, Sutter slowed her pace down.

"So this is what it looks like, right Es? Running after the strongest..." Sutter told herself with a knowing smile.

Es screamed at her final stride past the finish line.

"ES TWENTY SIX!!! ES TWENTY SIX WINS!!!"

The stadium erupted in cheers. Confetti exploded, raining above the runners scattered around the track, catching their breath.

Es Twenty Six huffed towards the sky, almost wheezing. Then, an unexpected smack at the back almost tripped her over.

"Congrats, Es." Golden Sutter gasped as she grinned.

The other horse girls gathered around her, heaping their praises.

"Tch. Stop it... You're making me feel bad here..." Es huffed as she flushed. Nevertheless, the flood of cheers that bathed her felt nice.

As she saluted towards the audience, she spotted Ibarra among the crowd. Clicking her tongue, she marched to the side and demanded a megaphone. She tapped it twice, then set the cannon loose.

"HEY, AUDIENCE. I APPRECIATE YOUR CHEERS, BUT YOU BETTER STOP IT NOW. I'M THE WINNER TODAY, BUT I AM THE VILLAIN HERE."

The audience suddenly went silent in confusion. The Trainer, Danee, and Ibarra looked at each other.

Es turned to Ibarra.

"IBARRA!!! GET WELL SOON SO THESE PEOPLE CAN WATCH ME BEAT YOUR ASS!!!"

The spectators flinched as Es turned towards them.

"CHEER FOR YOUR HERO NOW, BECAUSE YOU WILL BE CRYING WHEN I BEAT HER NEXT TIME, YOU HEAR?"

Es dropped the mic. The horse girls forgot to breathe.

Golden Sutter sighed.

"Sounds like her alright." She smirked.

Ibarra's ears folded. "Jeez. What's her problem?"

Es Twenty Six walked into the tunnel, lips curled.

And the arena rumbled as they chanted Ibarra's name.

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