This story is a work of fiction. Uma Musume Pretty Derby is the property of Cygames.
Chapter I: Broken Hoof, Enter Shiichi Smith
When I look back at it….. Why did I ever wanna be a trainer?
The young man arose from his chair and grabbed his cane, struggling to rise up from his bed and grabbing his cane, his body aching and trembling while holding it. He took a few clumsy steps before stumbling down and grabbing an old and dusty shelf to support his body. He glanced at the shelf containing relics of the past, old awards, and plaques of recognition from his days as a trainer. He placed his hand on the shelf of awards, feeling the dust caked on it from age and the time passing by. The man raised his eyes to affix on one magazine kept facing forward on the shelf, "Shiichi Smith, Prodigy and Rising Star Of the Horse Racing Word". There stood a picture of him and a horse girl close together, to which he pushed the magazine down as to not see the image and coughed violently from inhaling in the dust.
How long has it been since I last stepped foot on a race track? Shiichi thought to himself while heading down the stairs. The room was equally as old and neglected as his bedroom, beer cans littered everywhere and a full ashtray that hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Shiichi stumbled lazily onto the couch and grabbed the remote off the dirty coffee table next to it. He turned on the display of his TV and watched as the broadcast appeared. The television showed horse girls in immaculate and stylish uniforms, and sign that a race was about to begin. Shiichi watched with a glazed stare as the starting gun fired off and the girls took off, taking in the cheering and screams of the crowd, the commentary of the director, and thinking back on happier days.
I remember when I was on top, when me and her were unstoppable. I thought I was on top of the world… that no one could stop me. Now I can't even look at a horse race anymore without feeling disgust and shame.
Shiichi hastily turned off the TV in irritation and threw the remote back onto the table, as he reached for a half drank glass of milk leftover on the said table. He put the cup to his lips and as quickly violently spat out the drink, tasting the sour and rancid taste of the milk he had just put to his mouth. He let out another long sigh before crumpling onto the couch defeated, hand covering his eyes.
Would life have been better if I never decided to be a trainer?
A few hours passed by and the day turned to noon. Shiichi was woken up by the violent sound of his stomach rumbling. He hastily grabbed back his cane and hobbled to his kitchen, where he put some water in a kettle and took out a package of instant noodles from his cupboard, and a Pocari sweat from his fridge. The click of the pot could be heard as the water finished boiling, and the boiling liquid then went into the cup of noodles to be consumed. Shiichi opened the sports drink while looking outside the glass door of his kitchen leading to a patio, the faint reflection of himself in it. The steam of the ramen flowing into his face as the table shook and he nearly dropped his drink. A violent knocking could be heard from the door of his sorry mess of a home as he choked back his drink. "IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE DOOR-TO-DOOR SALESMEN I'M NOT LOOKING TO BUY ANYTHING! SCRAM!" Shiichi screamed as he quickly grabbed his cane and leaned his shoulder to the side of the door. The knocking continued and he grew more annoyed and confused with how loud and powerful the knocking was. After 2 minutes of the nonstop pounding of the door, he finally decided to confront whoever or whatever was outside. "What the hell do you wa-". The former trainer wasn't able to finish his sentence. When he opened the door, there he saw a young girl no older than high-school. She had equine ears and flowing hair, similar to a horse's mane. The horse girl and the former trainer both made eye contact with each other and stared into each other's gazes in shock and awe.