Chapter 1: For the Revival of Mejiro

I liked Uma Musume.

It was a mobile game that personified racehorses. I thought it was ridiculous at first, but before I knew it, I was completely hooked.

My favorite was Mejiro McQueen. More than that, though, I loved the members of the Mejiro family as a whole. You could say I was a fan of the entire group.

Once you get hooked on Uma Musume, it's only natural to become interested in the real horses, too.

I'd heard that Mejiro also bred racehorses, so I found myself wondering if there was a chance I could visit their farm.

Then reality came crashing down on me.

The Mejiro farm had already closed.

Due to declining racing results, the resulting financial difficulties, and various other reasons, Mejiro had completely withdrawn from the horse ownership business.

"You're kidding me..."

"There's nothing you can do about it. It's a matter of money. Besides, it's not like Mejiro has completely disappeared, so what's the big deal?"

My otaku friend tried to console me, but all I could do was lament the transience of the world.

I knew things were difficult. I understood that.

But still. I wanted to see the Mejiro farm.

Or rather, I wanted to see Mejiro horses running in the modern era.

(The Mejiro horses running today aren't, strictly speaking, Mejiro horses. That's only natural, since the original Mejiro itself is gone.)

"Damn it! Damn it! We have to revive the Mejiro Empire! I'll create the Mejiro Empire in Wi〇Po right now!"

"What the hell are you talking about? More importantly, class is about to start."

At this point, I had no choice but to find solace in another game.

Not that I had any other choice.

Breeding had ended. Mejiro had withdrawn from the horse ownership business. I would never get to see Mejiro racehorses running in the modern era.

Even so, I spent my days praying for the success of the few remaining descendants of Mejiro, carrying that lingering sense of loneliness with me.

It was around then that it happened.

"Have you ever wanted to change your destiny? You have, haven't you?"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean all of a sudden? If you're trying to recruit me into some religion, I'm not interested."

"Hmm, no. In my case, it's less about religion and more about the object of faith itself. You know, God."

And that's how I met a god who opened with something that sounded like it had come straight from a weirdo.

I was standing in a completely white space. There was no way to tell up from down, left from right, or even whether I was actually standing on the ground.

Before me stood a woman who was frighteningly beautiful.

Beauty and elegance weren't the first things that came to mind when I looked at her.

Fear was.

She was that beautiful.

Though, technically, she wasn't human. She was a goddess.

The goddess gave me a brief explanation of my current situation. I'd died from a heart attack, and I was going to be reincarnated.

Wait.

I died of a heart attack?

I didn't remember living an unhealthy lifestyle.

Still, there was something that caught my attention even more.

I probably should have been more surprised that I was dead, but one thing she'd said had piqued my interest far more.

That opening question.

Did I want to change my destiny?

"Change my destiny... You mean anything? You can change absolutely anything?"

"Anything. Though the more you change, the harder it'll be."

She just said anything, right?

"Then... can I change Mejiro's withdrawal from the horse ownership business?"

"I can change it. Depending on how hard you work, you can change Mejiro's destiny. So, what do you say?"

"I'd be happy to do it!! Please tell me how!!"

"That was quick. I like your enthusiasm."

According to the goddess, if I worked hard enough, I could change the fate of the Mejiro farm closing down.

There was hope.

Hope of bringing Mejiro back.

The moment I heard that, my decision was made.

It was probably the fastest decision I'd ever made in my life.

Even though I was already dead.

There was no longer any question about whether I'd reincarnate.

If I could change the destiny of the place where my favorite characters had grown up, then I'd gladly reincarnate.

While we waited for the preparations to be completed, the goddess explained what I needed to do.

"You're going to be reincarnated in a time before the era you lived in. As a fundamental rule, once destiny has been set, it isn't easy to change."

In other words, what I was trying to accomplish was incredibly difficult.

Small changes wouldn't be enough to alter the overall course of destiny. Winning one or two major races wouldn't bring about the kind of change I wanted.

"The bigger the change, the greater its influence on the future. That's why what I need from you is an exceptionally large change."

Producing a star horse good enough to be selected for the Hall of Fame.

Anything less wouldn't be enough to accomplish my goal.

That was insanely difficult.

So I needed to produce at least one horse on the level of a Hall of Famer.

"By introducing you, an anomaly from outside, into the world, we'll first bring about changes throughout the world. The more successful you are, the greater those changes will become. Even I don't know what the final result will be."

"But if something good happens for Mejiro..."

"Then you can prevent Mejiro from withdrawing from the horse ownership business. Everything depends on how hard you work."

Even so, there was a possibility.

And as long as there was a possibility, I was willing to bet everything on it.

All for the sake of building the Mejiro Empire for future generations!

Well, I wasn't literally going to build an empire or anything.

I just wanted Mejiro horses running in the era I'd once lived in.

And not only that.

I wanted Mejiro's descendants to race all over the world, creating a legacy that would continue far into the future.

Dream big, right?

For that, I'd have to work my ass off.

There was just one thing bothering me.

My next life.

I'd been holding onto the faint hope that, if I was reincarnated, maybe I'd become a human.

"So... what about my next life? I have a feeling I already know the answer, though."

"A horse. You'll be reincarnated as a horse bred at the Mejiro Farm."

So it was confirmed.

My next life would be as a horse.

Well, I'd kind of suspected that.

I mean, I basically only had the sort of superficial knowledge you'd pick up by hearing things here and there. I didn't have an eye for judging horses or anything like that.

Besides, even if I'd been reincarnated as a human, it would've been difficult to establish any connection with Mejiro. If I were born somewhere with no connection to the place, I'd be finished before I even started.

Well, I'd entertained the possibility that maybe I'd be reincarnated as a human with some kind of cheat-like ability related to horse training.

I'd thought that might be an option.

That possibility had just been crushed.

"W-Well... I guess it'll be fine. Not that it's actually fine, but... if I think of this as another first step toward the glory of the Mejiro family, then, well..."

"But a horse, huh. A horse..."

"It's not something you can change anymore. Just give up and resign yourself to the animal realm."

"Why do you have to put it that way? It's true, but still."

I'd already said I'd do it, so I had no choice but to see it through.

I'd known from the beginning that this wasn't going to be an easy road.

As we continued talking, I began to feel my body floating.

"Looks like it's almost time. Well then, do your best. For Mejiro's revival."

With the goddess waving goodbye, my consciousness gradually faded away.

◇

"Doctor, please! Please save Conan! Save Mejiro Conan!"

"Hang in there, Conan! You have to live, too!"

"We're doing everything we can...!"

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the middle of a hellish scene.

My vision was blurry at first, but it gradually came into focus. The moment I realized what was happening, all the blood drained from my face.

Right in front of me was a horse who I assumed was my mother.

She was surrounded by people, and they were desperately trying to save her.

My mother was struggling just to breathe.

She was growing weaker, little by little, but surely.

I could tell just by looking at her.

Her life was in danger.

(...No way.)

Even an amateur could tell.

Anyone who actually knew what they were doing would have known it even more clearly.

People were desperately calling out to her.

A man who appeared to be a veterinarian was doing everything he could to save her.

Don't die.

Live.

They were desperately urging her to keep going.

But the light of her life was already flickering.

The moment I understood that my mother's life was in danger, I knew exactly what I had to do.

"M-Mr. Kitano! Mejiro Conan's foal!"

"Huh? H-He can already stand?!"

"No, forget that! Focus on Conan!"

Move.

There was noise everywhere around me, but I somehow managed to move my body.

It was heavy.

I'd never walked on four legs before. I had no idea how to make them work.

So I crawled.

I dragged myself along the ground, awkwardly and clumsily.

I didn't care how pathetic I looked.

I had to get closer.

I desperately forced my body to move, with only one goal in mind.

I had to reach my mother, who was dying right in front of me.

As quickly as possible.

"Conan's foal is trying to get to his mother."

"It's okay. It's okay. Your mother is right over here."

"We need to do everything we can while we still have time!"

Just a little more.

Just a little more.

I was almost there.

One more step, and I'd reach my mother.

And then—

『F-Fufu... so cute...』

I felt like our eyes met.

My mother was looking at me.

She seemed to be smiling.

『B-Be... strong... live... okay...?』

And then, right after she smiled—

My mother, the horse called Mejiro Conan...

Stopped moving.

I finally reached her and licked her face.

Then I licked her body.

Wake up.

You're just sleeping, right?

You'll get up again soon.

Right?

"...Mejiro Conan's heart has stopped."

"N-No...! That's not possible, Dr. Kuno! Conan is still—!"

"I'm sorry, but..."

She didn't move.

She didn't even react as though she were being tickled.

Not even a twitch.

She simply lay there, completely still.

I had no choice but to understand.

My mother had died.

Right then and there.

No matter what I did, she would never move again.

Damn it. What kind of joke is this?

I really wanted this to be a dream.

I'd only just been born.

I couldn't help wishing that this wasn't real.

(This is way too brutal right from the start. What the hell were you thinking, Goddess?)

Sure, we'd never met before.

I didn't have any memories of her being kind to me.

If someone pointed that out, they'd be right.

We'd barely had any time together.

She'd died before we even had the chance.

I knew that.

But she was my mother.

She was the mother who had endured the pain of childbirth to bring me into this world.

She had put her own life on the line just to give birth to me.

There was no way I could say I felt nothing for someone like that.

And then there were her final words.

(Live strong, huh? Even at the very end, she was still worried about me.)

Yeah.

I understand, Mom.

I'll live strong.

And that's not all.

I'll make sure your name remains in the bloodline.

I'll become one hell of a racehorse and make sure the name Mejiro Conan lives on.

Either way, it was something I needed to do for my own goal.

Passing on my bloodline to the next generation would be part of my duty.

And even after my racing career was over, I'd have to make my mark.

(I've got one more reason to work hard now.)

Goodbye, Mom.

Watch over me from wherever you are.

Watch your son.

Watch me succeed.

"Mr. Kitano, I know how you feel, but we need to focus on the foal! The foal Mejiro Conan left behind!"

"...That's right."

"We don't have time to mourn yet. We have to keep Conan's foal alive, no matter what!"

"Yes!"

The people surrounding me began carrying me somewhere.

I didn't resist.

This was where I said goodbye to my mother.

"...I'm sorry. I couldn't save your mother."

It was the veterinarian—the man they'd called Kuno—who said that.

He looked like he deeply regretted being unable to save my mother.

There were tears in his eyes.

He was biting his lip tightly.

Even the hand resting on me seemed to have lost its strength.

Yeah...

Well...

There was something I wanted to tell him.

"Huh?"

I gave him a quick lick.

I couldn't speak human language, after all.

This was the only thing I could do.

Please don't worry about it.

I'm sure you did everything you could.

You did everything you could, and this is how things turned out.

You tried hard enough.

I don't resent you at all.

I didn't know whether he'd understood what I was trying to say.

Kuno traced the spot I'd licked with his finger.

"...Thank you."

He quietly whispered those words.

This was way too heavy right from the start.

The road ahead was already looking pretty rough.

(But I've got no choice. I've already made up my mind. I'll see this through, no matter what.)

My resolve hadn't weakened in the slightest.

If anything, I'd become even more determined.

I had one more reason to keep going now.

Everything was for Mejiro's future.

I'll do my best!

(Come to think of it, what year is it right now? I was told I'd gone into the past, but I still don't know exactly when.)

Well, I'd find out eventually.

For now, I just had to follow Mr. Kitano and the others.

My new life—

No.

My new horse life had begun.

Mejiro Conan — 2001

Sire: Mejiro McQueen
Dam: Mejiro Conan
Dam's Sire: Oguri Cap