"AND IT'S TIME TO SHOW THEM—"
"…RUSHING SKY!" Urara shouted.
Rush's eyes fluttered wide open.
Suddenly—
The world around her slowed.
The roaring crowd faded.
The pounding footsteps blurred into silence.
In front of her, she saw someone running.
A smaller figure.
A younger version of herself.
Running freely.
Laughing.
There she was on an open road, her small feet tapping against the pavement, nothing in her mind but the joy of running.
"Mom! Dad! Look at me!" the young Rush shouted, turning back with a radiant grin. "I'm running like the wind!"
"Whoa! Look at you go!" her father replied, pretending to be astonished while jogging behind her, trying to match her excitement.
Her mother followed not far behind, walking beside him.
Her hand gently rested on her stomach.
Pregnant with her little brother.
Then Rush dashed ahead again, sprinting further down the street.
The world stretched before her.
The road turned into a straight line.
Wind rushed past her ears.
Crackling.
Roaring.
It felt unbelievable.
As if she were melting into the wind itself.
Becoming one with speed.
Like this was what she was meant to do.
To run.
To race...
...
...
Then—
The world collapsed.
The road vanished.
The wind faded.
And everything shifted again.
Now she saw herself sitting alone on a bench, her head lowered, her hands trembling.
"Where… did it all go wrong…?" she muttered.
Right, it was after the race she had with Murashi that one shattered her entire dreams.
One of the pivotal pieces that was behind this detrimental domino.
The scene then shifted again.
Now she was standing in the track during their PE class.
Her eyes were fixed on one person.
Urara.
Despite finishing last… despite that ugly loss…
Urara was still smiling.
Rush remembered her own disbelief.
"How can she still smile… after that ugly loss…?"
The memory twisted again.
Now it was their classroom.
Their teacher stood at the front, announcing the relay race.
Rush slowly turned her head toward Urara.
A quiet thought slipped through her mind.
"Maybe… I can use her…"
Then came the next memory.
Her first words to Urara.
"Hi! Do you mind becoming my teammate?"
And it was the day that marked the changes in her life...
The world twisted again.
Now Murashi stood there.
Looking at Urara.
"You really think she'd pick you if she actually wanted to win?"
Murashi scoffed.
"You think she chose you out of generosity?"
She leaned closer.
"Do you think she'd even start a conversation—no, let me rephrase it—"
"Do you think she'd even look at you if it didn't benefit her?"
It was the day she confessed, the day she was reluctant to lose Urara.
Then—the world shifted.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Different memories kept flashing.
Her first training with Urara.
Running together.
Laughing together.
Their relay race.
Then meeting Young and Lidden.
Her lose.
Her cries.
The fallout.
The reunion.
Their race today.
And the scenes repeated.
Over and over.
Over and over.
Over and over.
Until—
The memories stopped.
They landed on that one day.
The day before the relay race.
The day they trained together.
The day they sat side by side, watching the sunset sink slowly beyond the horizon.
There she was again.
Rush.
Her head lowered, her voice heavy and doubtful.
"We're just two little ponies stuck in a world filled with giants," she said.
"Even if we beat Mary or Murashi… what next?"
"There'll always be a bigger fish in a bigger pond."
She sighed.
"So how do we manage that?"
Meanwhile, Urara didn't hesitate.
She turned toward Rush immediately.
Then she smiled.
"Then… we'll just do our part!"
"By becoming the extraordinary of the ordinaries!"
Rush blinked in astonishment as Urara continued,
"We don't need to be the strongest or the best!"
"We just need to be ourselves and enjoy it to the fullest in the meantime!"
"Because in the end…"
"There'll always be someone behind us, shouting our names like we're stars!"
Right... There'll always be someone behind us... cheering for them, no matter who they are or what they are.
The rights of their destiny lay within their own palm.
Then—
The world before Rush shattered.
The memories broke apart like glass.
And voices came crashing in.
From the stands.
Not many.
But they were there.
Urara. Young. Lidden.
And her little brother.
Calling her name.
Cheering for her.
Believing in her.
"Rushing Sky! Come on, you can do it!" Young cheered.
"Hit them with all you got!" Lidden shouted.
"Big sis, show them! Show them what you meant!" her little brother cried from the stands.
Then—
Urara's voice rang the loudest.
"Run, Rushing Sky! Show them! Show them that you're the star!"
"That you're…"
"…Rushing Sky, the Extraordinary of the Ordinaries!"
Rush froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her steps staggered slightly.
For a moment, everything felt unreal.
"...Extraordinary of the ordinaries...?" she muttered.
Then—
She grinned.
Followed by a deep inhalation.
Her body tightened.
Her posture sharpened.
The sweat running down her face seemed to slow.
Then—
"WE'RE ENTERING THE DANGER ZONE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the broadcaster roared.
"All contestants are approaching the homestretch!"
"This is the moment where they pour out everything they have!"
"Will they do it?!"
"Will they bring home the victory?!"
As the voice of the broadcaster dulled, Rush's foot slammed into the dirt.
The ground pulsed beneath her.
The force traveled up her leg.
Carrying the wind.
Carrying the promises.
The promises to win, not the race, not Murashi.
Her.
...
...
In that brief instant—
Murashi's eyes widened as she sensed it.
She had just prepared to burst forward herself when she felt it.
A surge.
A shift in the wind in front of her.
Her smirk immediately returned.
"No way…" she muttered.
And that was it.
The moment had come.
The moment—
For redemption.
There and there...
*BOOM*
Dirt crackled as it erupted beneath Rush's feet.
Mud and loose stones blasted upward as her stride exploded forward.
Rush became a gust of wind.
Assimilating with it.
Becoming speed itself.
She tore through the track.
Then—
One runner.
Two runners.
Three.
She whizzed past most of them in seconds.
Murashi's grin widened.
"Like you would, Rushing Sky!" she shouted.
Her legs surged with power, and she burst forward as well.
Matching Rush's speed.
Running side by side with her.
Meanwhile, Rush.
Completely engulfed in determination.
A burning resolve to win.
To become—
The Extraordinary of the Ordinaries.
It was a sight Murashi had never thought she would witness again.
A sight she always hungered for.
The race with the true Rushing Sky.
...
...
Together they surged forward.
Passing runner after runner.
Until only one remained ahead of them.
Mary.
Still leading the race.
"Oh, what is that?! Into the last 300 meters, Number 10, Rushing Sky, and Number 2, Ryu Murashi, are catching up! What an unbelievable sight!" the broadcaster shouted.
The crowd gasped.
Then roared as the two kept pushing forward.
Side by side.
Dueling once again.
Just like before.
Like when they were younger.
Like when they first raced.
Like during the relay race.
But this time—
There was no hesitation.
No excuses.
No holding back.
Rush poured everything she had into the run.
Her soul.
Her speed.
Her strength.
Every step struck the ground harder than the last.
Murashi matched her stride for stride.
The two battled fiercely for the second-place position.
Refusing to yield.
Refusing to slow.
Then Rush screamed.
Her voice was tearing from her throat with her might to win.
Burning through her lungs.
A cry that reminded her—
Why she ran.
Murashi answered with a roar of her own.
Pouring everything into her legs too.
Driving forward with every ounce of strength.
Praying for one thing—
One chance.
To defeat the true Rushing Sky.
As the two were tearing through the track.
Suddenly—
The world in front of Rush twisted again.
The track blurred.
The cheering faded.
And once more—
That obnoxious silhouette appeared before her.
The shadow of herself.
It glared at her in disgust.
"What are you doing!" it shouted.
"I'm winning this race!" Rush shot back.
"Stop!" the figure barked. "You're never meant for this! You're never meant to win! Not when you're an average, ordinary Umamusume!"
Rush startled as she paused for a second.
Then—
She smiled gently.
"You're right," she said quietly.
"I was never meant for this…"
"Not when I was ordinary."
The silhouette seemingly relaxed.
"Now you get it…" It said, almost relieved.
But before it could continue—
Rush interrupted.
"But… I'm no longer ordinary!"
The figure started.
"What… what do you mean you're no longer ordinary!?" she hissed.
Rush then lowered her head slightly.
"You see… throughout this journey, I realized something."
"Being ordinary doesn't mean you aren't allowed to achieve greatness."
With that, she took another step forward.
"It's not a limitation."
"It's a circuit that powers you forward."
"A journey that teaches you how to become something else."
"Yes… I'm ordinary. I'm average. Hell, even a nobody. But that doesn't conclude my journey. It doesn't decide who I'll be for the rest of my life."
Rush looked straight at the silhouette.
"I see through you now," she said calmly. "You're scared. You're hurt. And you're afraid of losing again… afraid of losing sight of what we might become."
She took another step forward.
"But none of that matters!" Rush declared.
"Not when we can still become extraordinary ourselves."
"The past should stay in the past."
"And the future should tell the story of how we became something else."
"No!" the figure snapped, clawing at its own head. "You will never amount to anything!"
"Then we'll make it count," Rush answered. "Even a zero can become something if we add meaning to it."
"No! You will never become a global sensation!" the figure shouted again.
"Then we'll make ourselves known in the best way we can," Rush replied.
"It doesn't have to be big."
"All it has to be… is becoming the best version of ourselves."
"And showing it to those who supported us along the way."
"No! You will never be the same as Mary Jane or Ryu Murashi!" the figure insisted.
Rush paused.
Then she opened her arms.
And gently embraced the silhouette.
"Then… we'll just be…"
She closed her eyes.
"Rushing Sky…"
"The Extraordinary of the Ordinaries."
"No…! No… no…" Its voice was slowly dampened.
The figure's anger faded, and the disgust vanished.
Instead, it leaned forward and hugged Rush back, trembling.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry for being miserable… for stopping you from becoming who you are…" it sobbed.
"You deserve more than who you were… more than who you are now."
"It's okay…" Rush replied softly, holding the figure tighter.
"We all make mistakes..."
"And thanks to them, we're better... stronger..." Rush added, her face lay flat on the figure's shoulder.
Then... Silence followed.
Just for a moment.
Rush finally gently pulled back, tilting her head.
"So…?"
The figure wiped its tears.
Then it smiled faintly.
"Let's win this... Go get them, tiger."
"Show them what you truly are."
"That you're truly what you said…"
"That you're the extraordinar—"
Before it could finish—
The figure began to fade.
Its body broke apart into fragments of dust.
Memories scattering into nothingness.
Rush watched it disappear.
Then she smiled.
And nodded.
"Yeah…"
"It's time to put this to an end."
"It's time to bring it home."
"For us."
The world shifted again.
The noise of the crowd returned.
The wind roared past her ears.
And there she was—
Back on track.
Still running.
Still racing.
Still dueling side by side with Murashi.
From the sideline, Urara was still cheering with everything she had.
Beside her were Young and Lidden, shouting just as loudly.
"Go, Sky!"
"You can do it!"
Not far from them, Rush's family stood as well.
Her parents clapped and yelled her name.
Her little brother leaned forward, screaming until his voice nearly cracked.
But then—
Rush noticed something else.
Not just the voices she recognized.
Not just the people she knew.
The crowd.
Strangers.
They were shouting too.
Calling her name.
"Rushing Sky!"
"Go, Number 10!"
"Catch them!"
It felt strange.
As if—
For the first time—
She was the star of her own story.
Nearby, Easy Crown remained by the fence, who was caught by the ruckus and returned, watching with a grin.
"There you go… Rushing Sky," she muttered.
"Congratulations..."
"You did it."
"You found yourself."
There, Rush's teeth clenched.
Her fists tightened.
Her gaze sharpened.
Then she roared.
Louder.
Stronger.
More desperate than ever.
She pushed forward.
Pouring everything and literally everything she had into that moment—
Her soul.
Her speed.
Her memories.
Her entire self.
It was time to win.
It was time to show them.
It was time to become—
Rushing Sky!
Then—
In the final 100 meters, a distance was finally formed.
Rush pulled ahead.
A small but undeniable gap appeared between her and Murashi.
Murashi pushed harder.
But Rush kept going.
"THEY HIT THE FINAL 50 AND— TWO RUNNERS HAD CROSSED THE FINISH LINE!" the broadcaster shouted.
Then—
Everything slowed.
The world blurred in front of Rush.
The cheering faded.
The wind rushed past her ears.
And in that moment—
She realized.
She had crossed the finish line.
She…
She won.
She did it.
Not the race.
Not the fame.
She...
She won—
Won against herself.
She grinned.
Then the world rushed back.
Noise returned.
The crowd exploded.
"NUMBERS 10 AND 2 HAVE CROSSED THE FINISH LINES!" the broadcaster continued.
"What an unbelievable sight to behold!"
"A random Umamusume has just dethroned the well-known Ryu Murashi!"
"What a twist of events!"
By the fence, Urara jumped into the air.
"RUSH-CHAN DID IT!"
Beside her, Lidden and Young celebrated just as wildly.
Her family shouted from the stands.
Clapping.
Cheering.
Celebrating with everything they had.
Even though—
She never defeated Mary Jane.
Mary had crossed the finish line first.
Three full lengths ahead.
But somehow—
The crowd began chanting another name.
"Rushing Sky! Rushing Sky!"
"Rushing Sky! Rushing Sky!"
Perhaps it was because everyone already expected Mary to win.
But no one expected her to defeat Murashi.
It sparked something new.
Something exciting.
Then, there she stood.
Breathing heavily.
Her chest rose and fell as she looked toward the stands.
The crowd.
The voices.
The cheers.
She was stunned.
She couldn't believe it.
She won.
She finally won.
She finally crossed the finish line without hesitation.
She had overcome it.
She had won against herself...
...
...
Then slowly—
Rush lifted her hand.
She waved to them.
Smiling.
Genuinely smiling.
For the first time.
She can feel the cheers; she can feel the crowd.
"Rushing Sky! Rushing Sky!"
She can feel that she was the star.
With that, it marked the end of the story—
Of Rushing Sky, The Extraordinary of the Ordinaries.
...
...
A moment later...
After the trophy ceremony, evening had already fallen.
Rush was leaving the track as the crowds slowly dispersed.
Around her neck hung a silver medal.
She held it gently in her hand, turning it over while looking at it with a faint smile.
Then—
She saw them.
Urara, Lidden, and Young. Standing from a far like a pack of proud parents.
"Congratulations, Rush-chan!" Urara beamed as she rushed forward and wrapped Rush in a hug.
Young and Lidden followed closely behind.
"Congratulations, Sky!" Young said warmly.
Lidden nodded enthusiastically.
"Congratulations!"
Urara then pulled back and looked straight at Rush.
"Even though Rush-chan didn't get first place… we should still totally celebrate! After all, Rush-chan's performance was still incredible!"
She immediately turned to the other two.
"Who agrees!"
Young and Lidden raised their hands at the same time.
"We agree!"
"Then let's go!" Urara said, bouncing on the spot. "Urara knows a carrot rice house that's really good! We should totally go there to celebrate!"
"Let's go!" Lidden and Young agreed at the same time.
With that, the three of them turned and began to leave.
Except—
"Wait a minute, Urara!" Rush called out.
Urara stopped and turned back.
"What is it, Rush-chan?"
Rush stepped forward.
"Here."
She held out the silver medal.
"I believe this is yours."
Urara's eyes widened.
She immediately waved both hands frantically.
"Rush-chan, what are you doing?! I can't keep that precious thing from you!"
Rush chuckled softly and shook her head.
"Not really."
She stepped closer.
Then gently lifted the medal and placed it over Urara's head, letting it rest around her neck.
"After all," Rush said with a smile, "I already got my medal."
Urara stared down at it.
Her eyes sparkled.
"Whoa!"
"Thank you, Rush-chan!" she said excitedly. "I promise I will treasure it for the rest of my life!"
Rush nodded.
"It's a promise then!"
From a distance, Young suddenly shouted toward them.
"Are you guys coming or not?!"
"Coming!" both Rush and Urara answered in unison.
They exchanged one last look before starting to run toward the others.
But before leaving completely—
Rush noticed something.
Her family.
Standing nearby.
Watching her with warm smiles.
She gently stopped Urara.
"Why don't you go ahead first, Urara?"
Urara followed her gaze and immediately understood.
She nodded.
Saluted playfully.
Then ran off toward Young and Lidden.
Rush turned and walked toward her family.
Before she could even say anything, her little brother rushed forward and threw himself into her arms.
"Congratulations, big sis!" he shouted, rubbing his face against her.
Rush froze for a moment.
Then she looked up at her parents.
They were smiling.
"Congratulations, Rushing Sky," they said.
Rush smiled softly.
"Thank you!"
After that, Rush went to join Urara, Young, and Lidden to celebrate together.
And with that—
The story of the race came to an end.