Tazuna moved through the cottage at an unhurried pace, her steps instinctively light. It was a habit she'd picked up long ago—born from years of catching undisciplined students sneaking out of class or attempting to hide during lessons. Even now, in a place heavy with memory and grief, that quiet discipline stayed with her.
She paused briefly in the living room, letting her gaze sweep the space.
On the couch sat More Than Ready, leaning forward with her elbows braced on her knees, clearly engrossed in conversation with Invincible Caviar and I Am Invincible. Their voices were kept low but carried something meaningful—More punctuating her words with animated gestures, Vinnie letting out the occasional hum of acknowledgement, and Invi nodding along.
Tazuna took it in for a moment before her eyes drifted onward.
To the right of the living room, Written Tycoon stood fixedly, her attention entirely captured by the posters lining the walls. She leaned in close to one, hazel eyes sharp behind her glasses.
"…Original print Makybe Diva third Melbourne Cup celebration poster," Tycoon muttered. "Limited circulation… and the preservation quality is remarkably high, especially given the coastal humidity…"
She straightened slightly, already shifting her focus to the next piece, one of a young Charismatic. "…And this one—nearly impossible to acquire outside of private collections. How did she come to own these…?"
Tazuna didn't interrupt. Much of the terminology went over her head, but even she could tell—from tone alone—that Guair's collection was far more valuable than it first appeared.
Alas, she simply watched for a moment before continuing on.
She sets her sight on the kitchen. It was small, just as Lunar had described on the train. There wasn't much to see. Other than imagining the sight of that person cooking and eating here together with Lunar, there's no sign of anything worth noting. Tazuna lingered only briefly before stepping back into the hallway.
That was when she noticed Black Caviar.
The tall mare stood just outside one of the rooms, posture still. Her broad shoulders were squared, but there was something restrained about the way she held herself—neither leaning against the wall nor pacing. She was simply there, fixed in place, her attention clearly anchored to whatever lay inside the room.
Tazuna slowed, a faint crease forming between her brows. From what she understood, Black Caviar was not someone who lingered without reason.
As Tazuna approached, Black Caviar noticed her. She turned her head slightly, offering a small smile and a brief nod—an acknowledgment without words—before returning her gaze to the room beyond.
Curiosity tugged at Tazuna. She stepped up beside Black Caviar and followed her line of sight.
And in that instant, her heart shattered.
Inside the room, a small cluster of children were huddled together, tangled in arms and shared warmth, instinctively forming a shield against the outside world.
Namawa clung tightly, her face buried, fingers curled into Lunar's hoodie as though letting go would be unthinkable. Anonym stood close, arms wrapped protectively, her expression solemn and fierce in its quiet way. Saiya's grip was firm, one hand pressed flat against Lunar's back as she tried to keep her friend afloat. Persian stood the tallest among them, calm even now, but her arms were unyielding—anchoring, shielding.
And at the center of it all was Lunar.
She was sobbing.
Not quiet, restrained tears—but raw, broken cries that shook her small frame. Her small face was buried against the shoulders supporting her, breath hitching unevenly as grief poured out of her unchecked.
The sound of it pierced straight into Tazuna's chest, stealing the air from her lungs.
"…Oh," Tazuna breathed, barely audible.
Black Caviar didn't look away.
Her jaw was locked, blue eyes serene, hands curled slowly into fists at her sides—not in anger, but restraint. Every instinct in her screamed to step forward, to wrap Lunar up herself, to take the pain away if she could. Yet she stayed where she was, knowing this moment wasn't hers to claim.
Tazuna understood that too, that this was Lunar's grief. The fillies around her weren't trying to fix it. They weren't rushing to quiet her cries or urging her to be strong. They weren't offering hollow comfort or forced reassurances. They were simply there—holding her together while she fell apart, lending their warmth and presence as her world cracked open.
Tazuna pressed a hand lightly to her chest.
She had known Guair—her obvious strength, the dry, silly humor she slipped into conversations, the tenderness she offered freely to anyone she met, no matter who they were. She had known how even a single drop of Guair's affection could fill an ocean of parched hearts, how her presence alone had a way of bringing comfort to anyone, she certainly had customers coming back even with her clumsy antics.
She had witnessed the wake such a woman left behind in Black Caviar and in Autumn Sun who she spoke with, the hollow ache her absence carved into those who remained.
After all, she felt it too.
But seeing the shape of that loss carved so deeply into Lunar—seeing it reflected so painfully in the eyes of the very child of that radiant and beautiful soul—hurt in a way Tazuna hadn't been prepared for. The filly she saw Guair herself carried with eyes that said "this child is worth more than the entire world to me."
For that child to end up alone without those eyes to watch over her…
Tazuna took a careful step back, lowering her gaze, giving them the space they needed. Behind her, Black Caviar remained where she was.
Lunar's sobs didn't stop all at once.
They slowed first—sharp, broken breaths easing into uneven inhales, her shoulders still trembling even as the worst of it passed. The tight circle around her loosened instinctively, arms relaxing but never fully leaving her. No one rushed away. No one pulled back too far.
They stayed close enough to ensure Lunar knew—without a single word—that she was not alone.
A few quiet moments passed, the room filled only with the sound of breathing slowly finding its rhythm again.
Then Black Caviar stepped forward.
She didn't rush. She didn't speak right away. Instead, she reached out and rested a large, warm hand gently atop the clustered heads—one after another. "You did well," she said, addressing them all. "Every one of you."
Her gaze softened as it settled on Lunar. "And you too." Her thumb brushed lightly against Lunar's hair. "Good job for letting your emotions out."
She let out a small breath. "That takes courage. You must know that you're allowed to cry. You're allowed to hurt. No one here will judge you for that—ever." Her eyes swept across the others once more. "Because we care about you. All of us."
"Uhn.." Lunar's shoulders trembled again, but this time the sound that escaped her was quieter—less breaking, more releasing.
Tazuna knelt slightly in front of Lunar, moving slowly so as not to startle her. She took Lunar's hand in both of hers, warm and gentle, and began to rub small circles into her palm with her thumb. The motion was patient—soothing in a way that calms her mind down.
Gradually, Lunar's breathing evened out.
As Tazuna did, she noticed something clutched tightly against Lunar's left side. Her arm was still folded protectively, outline of the knuckle's bones showing from gripping on too hard.
Tazuna's voice softened even more. "…Lunar," she said, careful and kind. "What are you holding there?"
Lunar blinked, as if only just realizing it herself. Her grip loosened slowly, reluctantly, fingers uncurling one by one. With trembling hands, she turned the frame
The photograph came into vision—an aged and more mature looking Guair, smiling warmly at the camera, silver hair slightly wind-tousled, eyes forming into a crescent of quiet happiness. On her lap, a much smaller Lunar slept soundly, safe and unaware, wrapped in a moment untouched by loss or time.
Tazuna's lips curved into a genuine smile, tinged with sadness but filled with warmth. "…Your mother looks very happy," she said softly. "It's a beautiful picture."
She looked back at Lunar. "You should keep it."
Lunar's fluffy ears dipped shyly. She nodded once. "…I will."
Black Caviar leaned forward then, bending slightly so she could see the photograph more clearly—and the instant her eyes settled on it, her heart gave a sharp, unexpected jolt.
I really miss that smile.
Guair's smile in the photograph overlapped with another memory—a younger version of her standing at the rail, face bright, hands clenched tight as Black Caviar crossed the finish line to win her first G1. The way she ran to the track right after, tears in her eyes, pride written plainly across her face.
You did it, she had said. I knew you would.
The memory flickered and faded as Black Caviar straightened, the reality of the present settling back into her shoulders. She looked down at Lunar, her expression composed but unmistakably gentle.
"…Are you ready," she asked quietly, "to visit your mother now?"
Lunar drew in a deep breath. Her fingers tightened around the frame once, grounding herself in its solid presence. Then she lifted her head and nodded, eyes still red but clear, steady.
"…Yes."
A small smile touched Black Caviar's lips—brief, but sincere.
She turned slightly. "Persian, Namawa."
Both looked up at once.
"Go get everyone from the living room," Black Caviar said. "Bring them around to the back of the house—the door at the end of the hallway over there."
"Okay mom," Persian replied immediately, already moving.
"On it!" Namawa chirped, scrambling after her with barely contained energy.
Black Caviar began moving down the hallway toward the rear of the house. Lunar followed, holding the photograph close to her chest. Saiya and Anonym walked just in front of her while Tazuna stayed at her side.
The back door opened with a soft creak, and cool air rushed in as they stepped outside.
The space behind the cottage was of a wide stretch of grass—flattened in places, uneven in others. Near the center of it all lay a faint, circular stretch of bare earth. The outline of a track was still there, subtle but undeniable, its curves pressed into the soil by countless pounding footsteps. Time had softened it, but it hadn't erased it.
And there, near the edge of what would have been the third corner, stood a single Momiji (Japanese Maple) tree, Its leaves burned a deep crimson and gold, branches spreading wide as if sheltering the ground beneath it.
Under its shade, Autumn Sun knelt before a gravestone, hugging it with all her might.
The moment Anonym's eyes landed on her mother—kneeling, arms wrapped tightly around the gravestone— She broke into a run, small feet tearing through the grass.
"Mommy—!"
Autumn Sun moved at once at the call.
She lifted her head just enough to catch Anonym as she threw herself forward, arms closing around her daughter instinctively, tightly. She stayed kneeling to the ground, holding Anonym close against her chest, black eyes squeezed shut. When she opened them again, faint tear tracks glimmered on her cheeks—barely there, but still very much exist.
The others approached more slowly.
Footsteps brushed softly through the grass as Black Caviar and the rest of the group came to a halt behind them. Tazuna stopped just short of the Momiji tree, hands folded loosely in front of her, gaze fixed on the stone with quiet longing. Saiya hovered close to Lunar's side, close enough that her sleeve brushed Lunar's arm, ready to catch her if she wavered.
A few moments later, hurried footsteps came from behind.
"Hey—wait up!"
Namawa's voice carried faintly as she and Persian emerged from the door, having gathered the others as instructed. Their chatter faded the instant they saw what lay ahead. Persian slowed first, then the others, all of them falling silent as they took in the scene beneath the crimson leaves.
No one needed to explain it.
At the base of the gravestone lay a small bundle of freshly placed red spider lilies. Their petals were vivid and sharp against the green grass, scarlet like spilled red ink, each stem arranged carefully rather than scattered.
Understanding immediately settled over the group.
Black Caviar stepped forward half a step. "Let us be respectful," she said quietly. "That is the least we can offer to the resting soul."
Her gaze fixed on the stone.
Guair Light
Loving Mother. Cherished by All.
May the Three Goddesses Guide Her Run to the Afterlife.
Silence fell, even the wind seemed to still.
I Am Invincible's breath wavered, shallow and unsteady. Her eyes shimmered, lips pressed tight as she struggled to hold herself together—but the tremor in her shoulders gave her away. She lasted only a few seconds more before it broke.
Invincible Caviar immediately took one step forward, and pulled her mother into a firm, encompassing hug, arms wrapping around her shoulders without hesitation. I Am Invincible stiffened in surprise—then collapsed into it, fingers clutching at her back as a quiet, broken sound escaped her chest. Invincible Caviar rested her chin lightly against her shoulder, leaving a quiet gesture of comfort.
Written Tycoon stood rigid, her usual sharp composure subdued. Her voice, when she spoke, was low and solemn. "…Why is she buried here alone?"
Black Caviar answered without looking away from the gravestone. "I refuse to let Guair be cremated," she said calmly, though the subtle anger from those words remain traceable. "The thought of her body being burned...." Her jaw tightened just slightly. "It is simply not pleasant. Unfortunately, because of it, there was no public cemetery that would take her."
Tazuna nodded softly beside her. "That makes sense," she added quietly. "Almost all cemeteries in Japan only offer cremation services. The few that don't are… very far from this town."
Black Caviar continued, her voice clad with resolve rather than grief. "And honestly… It's fine." A faint exhale escaped her. "I remember Guair telling me, more than once, that she wanted to be buried somewhere she loved, rather than a cramped and boring cemetery."
Her gaze lifted, scanning the space beneath the encompassing tree.
"When I asked the neighbors where Guair's favorite place was…" She paused. "…They all said the same thing. This tree. This exact spot." Her eyes softened. "They told me they saw her here often, sometimes alone, and most of the time with her daughter."
Her gaze shifted again, searching for the said person.
Then her brow furrowed.
Lunar wasn't there. Her eyes scrambled around, and then another realization hit her. Neither was Saiya.
Her head snapped up. "…Where are Lunar and Saiya?"
The question cut through the stillness like a blade.
No one answered at first.
Written Tycoon turned sharply, eyes scanning the clearing, then the path leading back toward the cottage. "They were here," she said. "Just a moment ago."
Namawa spun in a slow circle, panic creeping into her voice. "There's no way they got lost, right? They were literally right here—!"
Autumn Sun finally looked up, startled, Anonym still clutched tightly in her arms. Her gaze followed the sudden movement around her, confusion cutting through the grief on her face as she took in the others calling out, searching, voices rising with urgency.
Black Caviar's thoughts were already racing far ahead of her body.
"More. Tazuna," she said, sharp and decisive, already turning. "Please check the house."
Both of them reacted at once. Tazuna gathered her skirt instinctively as she moved, while More Than Ready was already striding ahead, their pace quickly turning into a hurried walk toward the back door, fabric and tails swaying as urgency rises.
At the same time, Namawa bolted away from the tree.
"SAIYA!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, panic shredding her voice as it carried across the open field. "SAIYA—! LUNAR—!!"
Persian followed suit, cupping her hands and calling their names again and again, scanning the tall grass, the edges of the track, the trees—anywhere someone could be hiding in plain sight.
Nothing answered them.
Only the wind brushed through the grass, whispering back in a way that felt cruelly indifferent, almost mocking.
The seconds stretched. Then the minutes. Each one pressed heavier than the last.
At last, the back door burst open.
Tazuna rushed out, breathless, chest rising and falling sharply. "They're not inside!" she called, her voice tight despite her effort to stay composed.
A heartbeat later, More Than Ready appeared behind her, shaking her head. "Not outside the house either."
And that was the breaking point. Whatever composure Black Caviar had been holding onto fractured instantly.
She spun on her heel, already sprinting back toward the cottage, words rising to her throat—something for Autumn Sun—but the sight of Autumn Sun still kneeling by Guair's grave, stunned and clutching Anonym, stopped the words dead.
She swallowed them.
Her gaze snapped instead to Written Tycoon.
"Handle things here," Black Caviar said, voice sharp and urgent. "Keep everyone together. Do not let anyone wander."
Written Tycoon nodded immediately, no questions asked. "Understood."
Black Caviar was already moving again.
She tore past Tazuna and More Than Ready, boots striking hard against the ground as she burst through the back door, cutting through the quiet of the cottage, and surged straight out the front.
One of the drivers stationed by the vans barely had time to register what was happening before Black Caviar was upon him.
"I need all units available, now," she ordered, breath fast but controlled, Blue eyes blazing with focus. "Two of my children are missing. Saiya and Lunar. Last seen near the grave site behind the cottage. Search for them immediately."
"Yes, ma'am!" the driver snapped, already pulling his walkie-talkie free. He turned away from her, voice shifting into crisp command as he spoke into it. "All units, this is Iwanai-One. We have two missing—"
While the driver is relaying the details, More and Tazuna had already emerged behind Black Caviar.
But Black Caviar didn't wait for them.
She took off.
Her stride lengthened in an instant, power surging through her limbs as instinct took over. The world sharpened around her—every sound amplified, every scent pulled apart and cataloged, every uneven dip in the ground mapped in her mind. The air pressed back against her as if resisting her passage, and then—
Her [Zone] ignited.
A raging storm wrapped around her form, lightning threading through her movements as she tore down the road, vanishing from sight in seconds.
More Than Ready stared after her—and cursed under her breath, already shifting her stance, muscles coiling as she prepared to run. "Shit—Nelly, wait—!"
She took one step forward.
Then stopped.
The thought hit her like a brake slammed to the chest. If she ran now, Tazuna wouldn't stand a chance of keeping up. More Than Ready spun sharply on her heel, urgency flooding her expression as she turned back.
"Tazuna—!" she called. "You can't keep up like this. Either take the van, or—" She hesitated for the briefest fraction of a second before committing. "—I can carry you. Either way, we need to follow her."
She reached her hand out—
And froze.
Tazuna wasn't there.
More Than Ready blinked once, then shook her head, eyes sweeping the area. The space beside her was empty.
"…Tazuna?"
Then she felt it.
An overwhelming pressure crashed down on her senses—heavy, suffocating, sharp enough to make the air feel dense in her lungs. Her instincts screamed all at once.
Her head snapped back toward the road Black Caviar had taken and her eyes immediately widened.
Tazuna was already there.
Running.
Her form was wrapped in that same eerie green aura More Than Ready remembered all too well—the pressure they had felt from her at the Tracen Academy gate. But this time, it was different. The green glow was spreading out, bending the world around it, it felt and looked… actually real in her eyes.
Tazuna's feet barely seemed to touch the ground.
She was fast.
Too fast.
Impossibly fast for a human.
Everything around her warped as she passed, time itself seeming to slow in the wake of her movement—leaves frozen mid-fall, dust hanging unnaturally still. The green aura followed her like a moving boundary, a domain that swallowed everything unlucky enough to fall within it.
More Than Ready's primal Uma Musume instincts detonated at the sight. Before reasons could say their hellos, her body moved.
She bolted forward, muscles instantly springing into action, pouring more power into her legs. Wind tore past her ears as she chased after Tazuna, eyes locked onto that impossible sight.
What the hell—Why is she faster than me?
She pushed harder, drawing deeper, forcing more speed, her vision shrinking as she targeted her gaze onto Tazuna's back. For a moment—just a moment—she felt it.
She was getting closer.
The distance shortened by meters, then steps. Hope flared sharp and sudden—
And then her body was crushed.
It was as if a thousand invisible weights were dropped straight onto her back in a single instant. Her stride buckled mid-step, muscles screaming as her speed was ripped away despite her bestest effort. It felt as though the air itself had thickened, dragging at her muscles, refusing to let her advance any further.
More Than Ready gasped, eyes snapping wide. Is there really a human who can run like that?
No—forget running.
Her gaze locked onto the green domain stretching ahead of her, the realization slamming into place with chilling clarity.
how in the hell does a human have an Uma Musume's [Zone]?