On the flight to London.
Honestly, for a brief moment, Mejiro Ardan felt like she'd been transported back into the past.
This journey to the Haya family's residence was taken by only two people—herself and Gotham Song.
Ruby and Neo Universe had clearly wanted to join as well, but Gotham Song gently declined their requests. After all, it was just a quick trip to the Haya family. She'd probably return to Dancing Brave's home by tomorrow, so there was no need for the entire group to tag along—she'd even briefly considered going alone, if Astronomer hadn't been released.
Really, what's there to fear in a world filled with Uma Musume? She was one herself, after all, safely guarded by the Three Goddesses.
Still, since Astronomer had been let loose, well…it was probably better to have Ardan-neesan by her side.
And precisely because of this decision, Mejiro Ardan suddenly felt a new, strange sense of familiarity.
In the past, she'd often traveled like this with Twilight Song, flying back and forth multiple times a week. Mejiro Ramonu had often been busy, rarely accompanying them unless she'd planned well in advance; there had even been races where she barely arrived just as the starting gate opened.
Compared to Twilight Song's distant, icy demeanor on past flights, Gotham Song was different—far different.
What was Twilight Song like back then?
Well, even if she occasionally revealed a rare, vulnerable side, the most she'd do was softly grasp one of Mejiro Ardan's fingers. Then, as her elder sister, Ardan would always gently flip her palm upward, entwining their fingers securely.
What kind of person was Twilight Song? She was a passive fool, rarely initiating any affection on her own, only responding with soft murmurs after being prompted by someone else.
Such rare glimpses of tenderness had always been precious and eagerly sought.
But Gotham Song—or rather, the Gotham Song before she revealed herself?
Bright, cheerful, radiating warmth like sunlight itself; gentle as the finest things in the world. It was difficult for Ardan to put into words exactly how she'd seen Gotham Song, but without a doubt, even before knowing Gotham was Twilight Song, she had drawn Ardan out of the gloom of the past.
Yet even then, Gotham Song had hardly ever openly acted spoiled. Perhaps, Ardan now realized, it had been Gotham restraining her own instincts all along?
Well, after all…
Mejiro Ardan glanced to her side, seeing Gotham Song quietly dozing, head resting gently on her shoulder.
Perhaps sensing the gaze, Gotham slowly stirred awake, blinking sleepily as she met Ardan's eyes.
"Ardan-neesan…?"
An early morning flight—it was still around the time Gotham usually slept, wasn't it? Ardan didn't respond aloud, but deep in her heart, she admitted something very important:
Right now, Gotham Song was the absolute cutest being in the world.
With this thought, Ardan gently wrapped an arm around Gotham's shoulders, whispering reassuringly.
"It's nothing. Keep sleeping; I'll wake you when we land."
Song had changed so much from the Twilight Song she once knew. Without question, they were the same person, but the transformation was still somewhat shocking and surprising to Mejiro Ardan.
Perhaps she hadn't entirely adapted yet?
Thinking back to when Gotham had been Twilight Song, hadn't Ardan been virtually the only one close to her dear sister?
Ramonu was frequently busy, rarely able to spend meaningful time with her. As for McQueen—age and various reasons created considerable distance. And others outside Mejiro Manor?
Did anyone else even exist for her sister?
Certainly not her rivals Yaeno Muteki or Dancing Brave. Aside from their rivalry on the racetrack, had they ever truly interacted closely with Twilight Song?
No. Never.
Aside from the racetrack, Twilight Song's time belonged to Mejiro Ardan alone.
As her older sister, Ardan had enjoyed a near-obsessive monopoly on Gotham Song's time beyond the races.
Of course she missed those times, engraved deeply into her soul. How could she ever forget them?
But still…
As she gazed fondly at Gotham's peacefully sleeping face, so deeply trusting, Ardan quietly asked herself:
Do you really wish to turn Gotham Song back into Twilight Song, Mejiro Ardan?
Absolutely not. Never.
She wasn't so selfish. Yes, she cherished those past moments, but the Gotham Song of today was just as wonderful. Besides, she was surrounded by lovely companions now, wasn't she?
Certainly, Ardan clearly recognized the intentions of Neo Universe and Daiichi Ruby, and even that small girl from yesterday—Treve, wasn't it?
To selfishly monopolize a girl destined to become an eternal legend among Uma Musume… Ardan wouldn't even entertain such an absurd thought. Things were perfect the way they were.
After all, wasn't Gotham sleeping so peacefully on her shoulder right now precisely because she trusted Ardan more than anyone else?
Could you ever achieve this, Ramonu?
The plane soared through the clouds. Although she wasn't very sleepy herself, Ardan quietly closed her eyes, gently holding Gotham's hand and breathing deeply.
Having finally reclaimed this warmth, she would never lose it again.
France and Britain were close enough that the flight from Paris to London didn't last long.
Just as her internal clock urged her awake, Gotham Song opened her eyes and glanced outside to see the rapidly approaching ground. It appeared they'd already begun their descent without her noticing—after all, even if Gotham herself hadn't flown often, Twilight Song had practically lived in the skies.
Stretching lightly, Gotham turned to Ardan, who still seemed half-asleep, and a mischievous thought sprang to her mind.
Though the seatbelt restricted her somewhat, she leaned in as far as she could. Truthfully, Gotham hadn't initially intended to lean on Ardan's shoulder like a child, but the height difference was so perfectly suited for it.
And precisely due to this ideal height, she could now pull off a small "prank."
Quietly, she held her breath and placed a quick, soft kiss on Ardan's cheek before calmly settling back into her seat, acting as if nothing at all had happened.
Ardan-neesan didn't wake up, so she surely hadn't noticed, right?
Gotham secretly hoped Ardan had actually been pretending to sleep, just so she could witness her calm, gentle sister flustered and shy. Sadly, no such luck—Ardan remained asleep until after the plane landed and began taxiing.
In the end, Gotham had to gently shake her awake.
"Ardan-neesan, did you have a pleasant dream? You were smiling softly the entire time."
"Yes…it was indeed a lovely dream. Let's go, Song."
Ardan's radiant smile told Gotham it must've been truly wonderful. Unlike her usual gentle courtesy, Ardan now glowed with genuine happiness.
Respecting her sister's privacy, Gotham chose not to press further. The two soon exited the aircraft and met a familiar face at arrivals.
It was Ms. Haya City.
After a brief greeting, the three of them boarded the waiting car.
Remarkably, both sides tactfully avoided mentioning the awkward reason behind their acquaintance—Astronomer. Gotham Song still didn't know precisely where the troublesome mare had been sent.
Mejiro Manor probably felt there was no need to mention it. As for Ms. Haya City? Gotham suspected she found the whole matter far too embarrassing.
The three chatted casually during the drive until nearing the Haya residence, where Ms. Haya City finally began explaining Haya Of Star's condition in detail.
Before coming, Gotham had asked intelligence expert Dancing Brave for background on Haya Of Star, but surprisingly even Brave knew little beyond publicly available facts:
Haya Of Star's current gloominess was almost certainly due to her disastrous debut race. Brave also guessed that Haya Of Star likely struggled greatly with communication—perhaps her thought patterns were too unique for others to follow easily.
So for the first time, Dancing Brave's report had ended inconclusively.
Thus, Gotham paid close attention to Ms. Haya City's description. True enough, Haya Of Star indeed struggled to communicate. Quiet, shy, usually silent, and awkward in interactions.
When even Ms. Haya City, her elder sister, had such sparse insights, Gotham could only assume two possibilities: either Ms. Haya City didn't understand Haya Of Star at all—or Haya Of Star herself was truly…well, simple?
The latter seemed far more likely.
The only concrete thing Ms. Haya City shared was this:
"You'll understand clearly when you enter her room, Song-san. She really, really, really likes you. And it's only you, not because of Twilight Song."
Truthfully, Gotham found this vague yet bold statement quite confusing. Exactly how much affection could warrant a description like "really, really, really likes you"?
Just as they arrived, a familiar face popped out from behind a tree—little Vangogh stuck out her tongue playfully before darting away.
Almost forgetting Vangogh was also a front-runner and thus a Twilight Song fan, Gotham suppressed a chuckle.
Child, if you knew you'd just stuck your tongue out at Twilight Song herself, as a front-runner, wouldn't you deeply regret it?
Amused by the thought, Gotham entered the hall, Ardan smiling knowingly beside her.
Unlike Mejiro Manor's grandeur or Dancing Brave's refined home, the Haya residence had a modern, spacious aesthetic that felt comfortably casual—much easier for Gotham to relax in.
Opening the door, Gotham suddenly froze.
Standing right before her was the dark-haired, tall, oddly smiling mare responsible for forcing her early journey to Europe—the opponent awaiting her at the Irish Champion Stakes.
Astronomer.
Quietly stepping back, Gotham silently drew a cross over her chest.
May the Three Goddesses grant you peace.
"Ardan-neesan, help me!"
Before Astronomer could react, Mejiro Ardan stepped calmly between them, blocking her path with graceful determination.
"What exactly are you planning to do to someone from Mejiro Manor, Astronomer-san?"