Chapter Text
“11 AM? Tomorrow!?” A pitiful shout responded to the corded phone, as Suzuka casually glanced over from her seat. There within this warm, new abode she found herself in, stood a figure with short deep brown hair and white bangs. Small, stout ears leaned into the oversized phones built with Umamusume in mind, as Special Week stood at attention, staring out the window, hands twitching as she held her shaking to a minimum.
“Okay. Love you mom, stay safe and-
Yes we’ll stay warm, thank you!”
The dark bay tail swished anxiously as she hung up the phone, staring into the ceiling above, whistling into the quiet air.
“So-” A light voice, gentle as the breeze, caught her by the tongue, traces of wildgrass tickling her tastebuds. Special Week traced it back to the source, an orange haired girl with pale skin and ears that stood at attention, covered in green fabric. The elegant figure sat with her legs crossed and hands overlapped, mimicking a proper noblewoman, but the ticking tail behind her gave away her beastly nature. A being not of this world, no. More like a monster who lived upon it, a mythological being that felt called to vanish into nature at any given moment. Black, thin running shorts and a tank top sat atop nothing more than a sports bra and a black pair of leggings, save for a pair of compression shorts beneath that. Emerald blue eyes nonetheless ensnared amethyst ones with their gaze, a tense, excited wobble capturing Spe’s complete attention.
“-What’s happening?”
“Sounds like mom isn’t gonna make it home tonight, that big snow storm they’ve been talking about all week? Apparently it’s already delaying flights, so she won’t even be able to get on another plane until 11 AM, and then she still would have to drive out here, so we likely won’t see her until tomorrow afternoon.”
“Hmm… well that is. Sad. I was really looking forward to her cooking.” Green ear covers drifted a little, the change of plans dampening the evening ahead.
“Do you not trust my cooking?” Vibrant purple eyes swirled with tears as Spe sniffled at the remark.
“No. What I-” A slight flush briefly crossed the older girl’s face, only to be eclipsed by a dark streak launching itself upon her.
“Weh! Suzuka doesn’t love me!” Spe leapt and tackled her girlfriend onto the ground, incapable of stifling the grin on her face even as a tear rolled down.
Warm, chubby cheeks grazed against statuesque cheekbones and smooth skin, as Spe nuzzled beside Suzuka. A brown tail excitedly wagged in the air-
Puppy
And was subconsciously mirrored on the floor below, albeit slower and gradual, twitching with happy little flicks back and forth.
“No, Spe-chan, I was just really looking forward to your mom's cooking you were talking about.”
Special Week lifted a hand before her face, incapable of hiding her smile, a sun that beamed down on the serene fields below, taking joy in her little masquerade.
“Hehe… I know, I just wanted to tease you Suzuka!”
“I can tell, you're out here wagging like a dog!” The figure below Spe grinned back as she cocked her head to the side, and Spe felt her tail whip back as a flash of heat crossed her face.
“Really?!” The smile above Suzuka briefly vanished, Spe seeming genuinely surprised her ruse was seen through.
“Yeah… but it's cute”
“Awww… but-”
Special Week’s voice grew deep, as her desire to tease interlaced with something lurking in the shadows, dripping in her throat.
“Not as cute as you”
Special Week leaned down, compelled by bold desires sparking in her brain-
“Mmmh”
-and planted a light, warm kiss to waiting lips, electric tides waving across shivering flesh. Fireworks exploded under a moonlit sky, and tremors shook verdant fields, rocking each girl softly in their pressed embrace. The broadcast played back and forth for several seconds, each girl indulging in messages transmitted without a single spoken word, passed upon hugging flesh.
So soft…
So warm.
With a soft pop, Spe’s toasty mouth left their home on Suzuka’s lips, rising back up as Spe cast a kind radiance upon her figure.
Purple eyes looked upon Suzuka’s bright red face, heart stuttering at the sight.
And Suzuka?
She felt something begin to-
Nope wait what wait no no not now-
With startling swiftness, Suzuka lurched away from her pinned position and looked away, rapidly squirming before ascending to her feet as she broke away.
“Ooh ooh oh Spe, sorry, I almost forgot, I totally wanted to go for a run real quick before the storms come in!” The words came out uncannily shaky and heavy, drawing a look of concern out of her girlfriend.
“Are you sure? You’re not really from around here, and I don’t know how long the weather will remain calm. I can go with y-”
“Actually-” Suzuka’s voice gradually returned to normal as she got some distance, grabbing out an oversized team Spica sweater from her bag near the door, and quickly throwing it over her head, shrouding her in a polyester exoskeleton.
“If you don’t mind, Spe, I kind of wanted to explore Hokkaido a little for myself today, if that’s okay with you?”
The question doinked off of Spe’s brain, gears stuttering at the sight of giant red letters and her teammates legs sprouting out of Suzuka’s chest.
“-Not that I don’t trust you to show my way around, but I wanted to experience what you’ve been around all your life on my own, at least one time.”
But why now?
The thought exited the bay girl’s brain as she accepted Suzuka’s reasoning- No, taking pleasure in Suzuka’s desire to see with her own eyes the world Special Week knew. A shimmering smile returns to hungry eyes.
“Alright, Suzuka, just please don’t go too far, okay?”
I don’t know if I can agree…
“I promise!” Suzuka squeaked with a bow, before bolting back out into the world, tearing down a trail beneath the overcast grey sky, watched by Amethyst jewels that fell in the distance.
“Did I say something weird, or…”
//
Salty breeze lifts across and carries a white clad figure towards a familiar destination, instinct plunging rationality into the dirt. Suzuka raced across dirt roads and through forested valleys, high on the scent of evergreen spines that had come to replace her familiar fields.
I never imagined there were so many more greens to see out there.
Another gust of breeze called her forth, and she picked up her speed as she crested another hill, jetting down the valley below. She took a quick look to the end, and seeing no vehicles, simply closed her eyes, allowing the wind to carry her legs to the horizon. A gentle nudge on her nose turned her attention to the left, and she opened her eyes to a field of red and green, a forest littered with oak leaves paving a scarlet runway into the distance.
For a single brief moment, she considered heeding those words before she left, until a familiar sensation fueled her mind with ecstasy.
Sorry Spe.
Adrenaline and thrill took over, and she bolted into the treeline, chasing a faint light ahead of her.
To think you had such views here this whole time… I think I might be jealous…
The trees above and around cut through the approaching winds, the remaining layers of canopy blanketing the earth below in an unexpected comfort, unlike the naked fields and roads. Combined with her own heavy effort and sweat keeping her body nice and hot, and it felt downright heavenly. A smile tore through her face as she bounded over branches and leaves, trees blurring past as she chased her primal desires. The light grew closer. And wider. And then-
The ocean blossomed before her.
Suzuka glided to a halt just before the edge of a cliff, staring down into the endless fathoms beneath her. She stood alone in quiet joy at the edge of the world, graced by the majesty and power that called her forth. Thin athletic gloves pointed out to where the waves and sky met, and carved its path, turning and turning until she was spinning, dancing alone in a hidden dream. A white hood fell off, and she smiled, closing her eyes to let her hair and tail sway around her, melting into the cool breath of nature. Green antennae soaked in the goddesses voice, her mind levitating into the clouds.
An alien to even her umamusume peers, Suzuka often felt like she didn’t belong to this Earth. But nothing made her feel like she belonged to it more than getting lost within it. Every moment she soaked in it, every sensation on her skin, every sight her eyes captured, and every breath the world took away, was some proof of a greater meaning, of some, unexplainable reason for her existence.
It made no sense. And yet, it made perfect sense. For the world around her was a collection of art, and it always spoke to her, beckoned her. If all these majestic views were calling to her, this gallery full of flowing paint and living landscapes, how could she be anything less than a work of art herself?
I’m sure Spe would say something like that too…
Gradually her rotations slowed down, eventually stopping to address the creeping thought in her head.
Yeah… Spe…
Suzuka recalled her girlfriend's bright, chubby face, her short, stubby, and adorable body, those powerful, thick muscles. The way they held me down with ease while she was just all smiles and joy-
Chestnut ears wilt under the breeze, a sense of shame creeping in at an inconceivable thought.
No… not here, what a disgrace…
Hmm
A query passed her mind, as a sinful visitor from earlier barged into her head once more. She reached a black glove down, beneath her sweater, cool polyester sending a shiver across her skin, gliding across her canvas.
Down. Across firm chest.
Down. Across smooth stomach.
Down.
It snuck beneath her shorts, seeking something new to paint the world with, and bumping into flesh, squishy, but firm.
She closed her eyes, then opened them once more to study the horizon, the shifting greys, layers of clouds moving overhead. The majesty and beauty of the world embalming her, yet the devil breathed upon her shoulder. A relentless vixen. A familiar face. A desire unspoken, but known.
That beautiful smiling face and warm purple eyes, that chubby body and face I just wanna smother and-
Suzuka ripped her hand out of her shorts and flopped atop the cold ground, outstretched, tracing each nerve that raced through her legs, her arms, her torso, and even her softening member. She lay there for a moment, enjoying the shame, a splotch on the grand artist’s vision, surely.
“Hahaha, oh dear, just what is wrong with me-”
The snap of a twig ends the complaint, eyes opening wide in surprise as she gazed upon three deer, a doe and its two kids, no more than 20 meters away. She didn’t make a move, fascinated as the odd party roamed around the edge of the forest, before stopping with a look of concern. The two fawns stared at an orange beast laying beside the cliff, beady eyes meeting blue emeralds. Suzuka froze, stiff as a board, afraid of disturbing the view that now found her. The mother gave one of them a quick groom to its face, before gently nudging it with a bump of the head, putting herself between Suzuka and her offspring.
Finally, with a commanding bleat, the two smaller ones scurried away in the opposite direction from where they came. The doe gave one last look at the strange chestnut creature by the cliffside, backstepping and puffing vapor into the air, ensuring Suzuka wouldn’t follow, before bounding away after its kids.
Emerald eyes shut once more and looked up above, seeking some sort of wisdom from this encounter.
“Heh… yeah, I guess it is just part of nature, after all.” Suzuka spoke to the breeze that called her, finding comfort in the resolution she was given, but doing little to make the thought any less nerve-wracking.
A strong gust cut those off as it glanced her body, and she looked up, watching as white specks glimmered in the sky, drifting down, and-
It landed on her head, then one on her hand, another, on her nose. She opened her mouth, and felt as something wet landed on her tongue, rolling and tasting the soft ice that melted without any effort on her part.
With a calm smile and full heart, Suzuka clambered off the ground, and pulled out her phone-
Uh oh…
It had been nearly 2 hours since she left, and her battery was at 8%, barely on its final legs as the cold ate away the remaining battery-
7%
Suzuka bolted without hesitation back into the forest, and prayed that the guiding brush was just as kind on the return…
//
The world is silver.
Save for a single orange streak cutting across a blank canvas, the only color remaining in the world. Suzuka stared into nothing, blinded by a heavy curtain of snow carried by winds that stung in her eyes. She stormed ahead, fear gnawing at her throat as every sense of direction and navigation was ripped away.
Several centimeters of snow already stained the ground, covering any hoofprints she had left on the way out, and turning recognizable landscapes into shapes she had to define by memory. Lamp posts, trees, electric poles, vague markers that she hoped were guiding her back home…
Yeah… home.
The memory of warmth and electricity stirred her strides further, chasing memories that felt distant in the bitter blizzard. Her Spica sweater hood did little to help, strings meant to tie it together so worn out that they could no longer hold it up, leaving only a pair of ear covers on her head, providing little protection from the elements, aside from muffling the howling gale. Sharp invisible blades cut through her miniscule layers and the hoodie itself, turning sweat from her first half into a damp curse. Her inner body temperature desperately fought against the heat, only managing so much as her stamina was being drained in equal measure.
A sharp gust of wind caught her from the side, shunting the runaway locomotive, causing her to slide on some unfamiliar surface. Panic and trauma caught in her throat and blasted out in a stunned yelp, pained memories resurfacing in her head.
Spe isn’t coming this time-
Emerald blue eyes sought a safe haven, legs sliding from under them, damp puddles on the roads she passed now turning into lurking predators in the snow.
There!
She staggered forward, trying to curb her speed and watch how she landed as she barreled into a burm ahead, landing on her side as she hit the slop, knocking a jet of air from her lungs.
Despair leaked in for a moment as she crawled atop the hill, and only grew deeper as she looked ahead, some unfamiliar shadows up ahead, vague shapes she no longer knew for sure.
I… I really think this might be a shortcut, maybe?
Hesitation seeped into her mind, instinct and reason no longer coinciding, as hope drove her back to her feet. Suzuka barrelled over white fields into nothing, crunching snow beneath her cleats with every step. The damp ice gradually began to seep in, every step feeling more and more painful as her muscles lost their elasticity, bones feeling the weight of the world with each step.
“Egh-ha” Suzuka gasped as her lungs began to fall apart, pace and breath shattering as each and every bit of air was stolen from her, coughing out the last of her strength.
Left right, left right.
She stumbled forward, mind returning to the basics, anything to keep her forward.
Keep those arms moving.
She pushed with strained force.
Spe-chan, I have to make it back to her!
She saw that gentle, creased smile, those vibrant purple eyes, so full of love and curiosity, the dark bay hair and white bangs that complimented a youthful exuberance.
I can’t… I… What am I saying… No no no… NO I CAN’T LET HER DOWN!
Suzuka felt something wet and cold roll down her cheek, stinging her skin as the stress and exhaustion ate at her brain. Ice shattered beneath her foot as it crashed onto the ground, and she heard the reverberation of a glass bulb shattering in her head.
The world went dark, only for Suzuka’s eyes to open to dark wooden frames, framing each corner of her vision. The touch of a hot droplet on her face brought her focus to stiff strands of brown and white looming above her, disheveled brushstrokes framing a red face. Within it, Suzuka found herself entranced in Special Weeks twin amethysts, swelling with water as her face clenched and burned, waiting for a miracle Suzuka couldn’t offer. She gazed upon a radiant warmth showering her in sadness, her skin ice cold and aching for that touch. She tried to open her mouth to answer Spe’s cries, but her lips were latched tight. She tried to reach out and comfort those swollen cheeks, but found her body full of lead. In the end, all she could offer was a lie that would haunt her girlfriend greater than any touch she could give.
Please no… not that view…
Her eyes awoke back to a world of white, heaving out jets of smoke as she sought to keep the fire alive from the encroaching numbness. Somewhere, just out of sight, those familiar nightmares taunted her, daring her to persist.
Again.
And Again.
Come… on. We… we gotta keep our promise!
Choking, dry sobs were spitefully casted out, furiously blasting away the weakness that seeped into her body. Suzuka continued her unsteady march, stumbling across rising snow piles, stumbling uncountable steps until she felt something approach her face. Without a second thought, she leaned her hand into her arm, and fell into-
A tree?
She looked up, a great oak before her, and then around, an entire forest of trees, stripped of their leaves, the very shadow she had been chasing, finally surrounding her. It wasn’t much, but it meant her eyes were working after all, and that gave her some reassurance.
She stood there for a moment, breathing out the collapsed adrenaline and despair, burning, itching in her throat.
“Breathe in, breathe out. You got this Suzuka.” She reprimanded herself, embarrassed to have given in so quickly. She looked around, seeing the trail behind her, uneven hoofprints already vanishing rapidly into the snow, covering her memory on the ground, and then looked the opposite, spotting another clearing in the distance.
A growl from her stomach ripped her out of her own head, drawing her attention back to the world she strided on, and the basic necessities all craved. And somewhere in there, is that which she needs…
Suzuka strode forward, exhausted from hours of running, sapped by the cold, and mental strength stripped by both trauma and the elements. Great dark logs passed her by amidst curtains of silver, each one an untold legacy carpeting the sky above her. Years and eons of time, who knows what memories they hold…
Yes, even this, must be a gift.
She reached the clearing, and again, stood staring into nothingness. A tear threatened to form, before she clenched a fist, straining her fingers to burn away the drop of despair.
Keep.
Moving.
Her strides carried her without a second thought, growing sturdy and robotic as something primordial took over, boldly marching into the blizzard.
Winds pierced every layer of armor.
I don’t care.
Snow crunched and melted into her shoes and leggings.
I won’t stop.
A strange fire engulfed her heart, the scent of a pasture calling her forward.
I’m coming home.
A golden light drifted off in the distance, and then stopped, freezing on the horizon.
The sun poured into Suzuka’s veins, nuclear fusion revitalizing her strength, hope washing away every pain and fear.
She blasted off, an orange comet chasing her celestial object. Snow whipped by her, thousands of icy meteors burning away in her approach. Hoofprints dug beneath the snow, ripping chunks of dark green grass to the surface.
The light wiggled and bobbed, and a smile creased Suzuka’s face.
//
Amethyst eyes stared into the screen of gray cascading into the distance, the snowstorm enveloping the farm she knew in a blanket of wind and white.
Damn, I can hardly see the barn from here.
The golden glow of a false sun, caged in metal within her gloved grip, provided her only accompaniment under the rapidly darkening skies, while the true sun melted into the evening’s embrace. The bay girl waddled forward, blanketed in layers of wool and fleece that numbed the cold of the outside air, a dark red scarf around her neck and face catching layers of moisture from her blazing breath.
I probably look twice as fat as usual-
Heavy, worn out boots waded across the ground, awkwardly swaying back and forth as the layers restrained her movement, a penguin awkwardly venturing out into the cold.
Still, with all these layers, I should be fine, at least for now. Not my first Hokkaido blizzard, that’s for sure, but Suzuka…
She stared ahead into the dark, uncertainty clouding her mind, uncertain if she was heading the right away, uncertain if she could find her, uncertain if she even needed her. But it had been over 3 hours, and she was getting worried. Her texts went unanswered, and her calls went silent. While it was normal for Suzuka to vanish within her runs, and she just had to trust her partner to look after herself, vanishing into such a storm and going silent left her with an itchy feeling. That feeling only grew more pronounced when her calls went unanswered, until eventually her-
Desire to keep you safe? No. I just wanted to share this adventure with you, but of course you’d be fine haha!
Spe played and practiced her responses a hundred times in her head, ready to apologize over being such a worrywart, over being too clingy, especially to Suzuka, who was more than capable of doing it all herself-
Right?
Silence and wind answered her thoughts, and something trembled within the scarf.
Or… maybe sometimes it is right to worry.
Memories of that fateful day replayed in her head, phantom vibrations replaying in her chest as she heaved towards the limping chestnut, every atom of her body accelerating to reach her in time, and then gently settling over her, eclipsing the star she had saved. She didn’t understand why she did it at the time, but it always lingered on her mind, something horrible. Something she couldn’t quite admit.
But in that moment, she felt needed to her, necessary, not just an accessory or a fan, but something greater.
Why did I stay over her? She was perfectly safe, I had already rescued her…
It wasn’t a conscious thought, it was instinct, driven to protect the very person who drove her to become better, the very best there ever could be-
Well, besides Grass I guess…
Somewhere within her red hat, brown ears clamped against her head, tail limping between her legs at the regrets she could never make up for.
At least I gave it my all this time, even if…
Anger sizzled like a bitter spice in her throat, the very view at the top torn at the last second, just as she was celebrating her retirement race victory, only to lose on a photo finish call. She was so excited, so happy to make up for her lackluster performance earlier that year and go all out, that adrenaline had warped her mind, sending her into a high as she ran before the stands. At the very least, she offered her opponent a tearful smile and hug in the end, but she still couldn’t break away from the sensation that she fell shy of meeting what she needed to be.
She moped and stared into the blankets of snow, watching her shadow blanket the ground she strode upon.
Honestly, I’m probably just being a sore loser, clingy and desperate for someone who deserves better than I can offer… and too unwilling to let go.
Spe rolled the lamp in front of her face, watching the fire dance away in front of her.
Dazzling.
Silent.
Orange.
Her reflection stared back at her, somber purple eyes shimmering against the flame before her, following a bead of sweat roll off her face. The flame entranced her, mind going numb as the fears and loathing were incinerated in the sensation of something warm to chase once more, beckoning her forward.
Hmmm. I guess it is instinct.
Soft mushing just in earshot caught her attention and she moved the lantern back to her side, staring into the darkness before her. A hidden beast loomed in the cold, rapidly shuffling towards her, a grey silhouette growing with each passing second. Something stung in Spe’s eye, only to be quickly flinched away with a sniffle.
She raised her arms wide in greeting “Welcome ba-”
And before she could even finish, felt as something large and lean planted itself upon her torso, familiar silky hair soaked with snow brushing against her cheekbone.
“Spe… chan”
Without a second thought, she dropped the lamp into the snow, immediately holding the soaked body against her in a deep grip, cold skin and damp fabrics vanishing into thick comfort and warmth, tired arms clinging to her partner in turn. Strained muscles rattled through Spe’s layers, and her own doubts vanished as she felt the shaking form against her.
“S-s… Suzuka?!?”
The anxiety was swiftly buried under the desire to help and protect, pulling the taller woman's head off her shoulder and into her chest, opening a layer at the top to smother her in thick fur insulation. She looked down to see that familiar beauty, eyes closed, ears pinned back, melting into every bit of warmth Spe offered, nuzzling deeper. Black, shaking gloves moved to her coat buttons, pulling Spe’s chest against her face even further.
S… Suzuka?
A red blush burned her face for a brief moment, but was lost to a cough from below, puffs of moist, cool air blowing into her face. A brief glance down met cool, blue eyes, tired and hollow, seeking refuge within her gaze.
“Suzuka! Gah, give me a moment! Actually, here!”
Spe quickly pulled off a glove behind her lover’s back, quickly unbuttoning layer after layer of button, until finally, her large winter coat sat wide open, leaving ample room within.
“Wuh-”
Suzuka didn’t even get to make a choice, as Spe whipped her around and pulled her in, swaddling her in layers of warmth from every side. A quickly shivering hand drew a groan against Suzuka’s cold chest as Spe pulled her in closer, and she was so glad the chestnut could not see her ears twitch in shock at the noise. Finally, she slowly buttoned up the jacket, only making it up about two thirds of the way before calling it good, leaving her girlfriend with just enough wiggle room to shift her head out of the way so that she could see ahead.
A moment later, and her glove was back on, now firmly containing Suzuka within her outermost coat layer, thanking her mother internally for getting oversized winter clothes.
Spe felt something brush against her shoulder, looking beside once more to see that face, still exhausted, but with a content smile on her face, ears melting into a state of relaxation. Somewhere below her, she felt as a smooth band of fibers swayed between her snowpants, softly brushing against well armored thighs that could barely provide any comfort, but seemed magnetic to Suzuka’s tail regardless. With one more embrace, she swaddled Suzuka in her arms, and turned back the way they came.
“Alrighty then, let’s go home!”