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"Mambo, mambo~!"
The young lady hums to herself as she walks along the sidewalk with a box in her hands. Some people passing by seemed to recognize her, eyeing her with surprise and curiosity. Wherever she was headed, she was going there with a purpose.
~'~'~
"Yo." Daiki waves as he enters the studio. Tsukasa nods from his seat near the window without looking up, his hands fiddling with his camera.
"Have you stolen any treasures from this world yet?" He asks without preamble. Daiki grins.
"Well, you guys don't know this, but I've been in this world for quite a while and-"
Before he can continue, Natsumi enters with Yuusuke following closely behind. The two of them are about to say something when they notice the man standing in the room.
"Daiki! Where the hell have you been? It's been ages since we last saw you!" Natsumi approaches him, looking a bit annoyed but mostly glad to see her longtime companion again after the time they spent apart. Yuusuke follows with even more enthusiasm, "I was wondering when you'd finally stop by, you know!"
As the other two talk to him, Tsukasa stands up and approaches the three of them. He stops and whistles when he notices something on Daiki's hand.
"Wow, Kaitou, didn't know you like to wear and show off the treasures that you steal." Tsukasa says, taking one of Daiki's hand and inspecting it up close. Natsumi and Yuusuke raise their eyebrows, confused before noticing the thing he's talking about.
A ring rests on one of Daiki's fingers, delicately detailed but not too flashy and noticeable.
"Where did you find it? Is this world related to Kamen Rider Wizard or something?" Natsumi asks, eyeing the ring with surprise.
Daiki chuckles. "Actually, this world has no Riders." He looks at the ring and studies it for a few moments, a fondness in his eyes. "Before you ask, this world isn't affiliated with a Sentai either. In fact, this world is devoid of heroes and is also devoid of an evil organization. It's completely peaceful."
The others take a moment to register the information, each of them reacting differently. Tsukasa seems to be lost in thought, while Natsumi looks worried and Yusuke can't seem to stop smiling.
"That's great! It's a huge relief that we've managed to find a completely calm and peaceful world!"
"Is that really so great, though? Why did we end up here? We usually arrive in other worlds for a reason. What if there's something evil brewing that hasn't risen to the surface yet?"
"Natsumi has a point. I'm not sure what it is, but there seems to be something going on that we don't know yet."
Tsukasa looks at Daiki again, asking him with a serious tone "Kaitou, did you see anything out of the ordinary while you were out there? You did say you've been in this world for quite some time."
"Nothing very out of the ordinary. Well, for me at least." The man answers, a cheeky grin making its way onto his face. The others become confused again.
"What do you mean?" Natsumi tilts her head. Daiki clears his throat.
"This world does not have heroes or evil." He pauses for dramatic effect, even pacing around the room. "It has Uma Musume. They're born to run, to reach the top. For many of them racing is in their heart, blood and soul. They try their hardest to reach the end goal, training as hard as possible to achieve their dream."
The others are still confused, except for Tsukasa.
"I've got the gist of it."
Before they can continue their conversation, the doorbell rings. Natsumi's grandfather, Eijirou, goes to open the door. DIstant voices are heard before footsteps approach the room the four of them are in.
"Pardon m-!"
A light brown-haired young lady bumps into the door, almost dropping the box in her hands. When she steadies herself, her nose is slightly reddened but not broken. Although, the bump caused her to get a nosebleed.
"Ahh, I was hoping this wouldn't happen!" She looks upset with herself, then she notices Daiki and her demeanor seems to change almost instantly.
"I've found you! Look, I brought doughnuts for everyone!" The smile on her face is heart-melting, her amber eyes twinkling with joy like an evening sunset that slowly reveals the stars.
"I told you to be more careful, you know." Daiki laughs, taking a pack of napkins out of his pocket before approaching her. When he reaches her, he takes out a napkin and lightly dabs at her nose.
The other three do find the scene heartwarming, though Natsumi and Yuusuke are slightly bewildered. The girl before them has large horse ears and a long tail swaying behind her, for crying out loud! You don't see that every day, do you?
"Oh, right, I've told you about my friends haven't I? Well, here they are. Tsukasa, Natsumelon-" "It's Natsumi!" "-and Yuusuke. Everyone, I'd like you to meet Matikanetannhauser."
"Interesting. Matikanetannhauser, huh?" Tsukasa muses, taking a picture of the scene before them.
Hearing her name, she nods. She leaves the box of doughnuts on a nearby table before bowing, her fluffy hair bouncing as a result.
"Yes! I'm Matikanetannhauser, and I'm pleased to finally meet you all! I've heard so much about you!" Her hands clasp in front of her torso, thankfully her nose is no longer bleeding.
Natsumi and Yuusuke recover from the shock of the girl's ears and tail, taking their turns to introduce themselves.
"Contrary to what Daiki called me, my name's Natsumi. Natsumi Hikari. The man who opened the door for you is my grandfather, Eijirou."
"I'm Yuusuke Onodera! Seems like you've met Daiki before!" The girl nods in response, eyes twinkling again at the mention of Daiki.
"Tsukasa Kadoya. Just to let you know, I'm great at everything. Well, except for that one thing, but-"
Tsukasa pauses, seeming to notice something. He squints his eyes and leans his head forward towards the newcomer. Matikanetannhauser, concerned, can only tilt her head in response.
"Wait a second, that thing on your hand..." He trails off, leading to Natsumi and Yuusuke to look in the direction he's looking at. Then they notice it.
A ring on her hand, one matching the ring on Daiki's hand.
A few seconds pass, then something clicks.
Tsukasa's eyes go wide.
"WE LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR FIVE MINUTES AND YOU MARRY A HORSE GIRL?!"