The playful tussle lasted a good while, until another clap of thunder roared overhead, finally prompting the two goddesses to part ways.
No one would ever guess that goddesses, beings of such lofty status in theory, could scrap just like ordinary girls—tugging hair, pulling at clothes, the whole shebang.
The only thing missing was actually pinching each other.
Honestly, it was lucky that everyone was too busy rushing home to pay much attention, or these two would've become overnight sensations.
And Nearl along with them.
After all, the resemblance between these two and Nearl was uncanny; standing together, the connection was unmistakable.
"Alright, that's enough. Little Nearl, hop in the car—a downpour's about to start, and we can't have you getting soaked."
The goddess Godolphin, who had technically won this round, was in high spirits.
She looked at Nearl with a big-sisterly sort of boldness—though that impression was slightly undercut by her disheveled golden hair.
Beside her, Byerley looked just as rumpled and was clearly not ready to concede defeat. But for now, she could only quietly slip into the car. Such was the fate of the younger sister.
Once everyone was settled inside, what was arguably the world's most precious and significant luxury car officially set off. Its sleek black body moved with understated grace along the road, now shrouded by dark clouds.
Perhaps Godolphin and Byerley's squabble had eaten up too much time. Barely after the car started moving, the skies opened up in a torrential downpour.
Wind whipped the raindrops, sending them pitter-pattering against the roof and windows in a steady rhythm, like a heartbeat against one's own chest.
You know that feeling—the noisier the rain outside, the more serene it feels inside, whether you're in a room or a car.
The vehicle glided forward almost silently, enveloped in calm. Only the headlights of other passing cars occasionally pierced the gloom; otherwise, it was as dark as night.
Closing her eyes, Nearl savored this tranquility.
The earlier race hadn't worn her out, but her usually tight schedule had stretched her nerves to the limit. She really should've rested sooner—today was just the right opportunity.
With her trusted elder sisters beside her and the raging storm outside like a lullaby, plus the slowed pace due to the weather, everything came together, lulling Nearl into a light doze.
"…"
Up front, Godolphin—who appeared to be driving but was really letting the car steer itself—glanced back and smiled knowingly.
"Just as I thought. Even if the soul doesn't wear down, mental fatigue is unavoidable. I suppose that's a sign of her youth."
"Shh, keep your voice down!"
In the back seat, Byerley gently pulled Nearl closer, raising a finger to her lips to signal her sister to be quiet.
"I know, you're being so careful. At this rate, you're less like a sister and more like her mother. Oh wait, I forgot—that was your plan all along, wasn't it?"
"Enough out of you!"
With that, the car fell silent again. Outside, the storm had brought traffic to a complete standstill, so Godolphin reclined fully, propping her feet up on the dashboard.
"By the way, I don't mind you summoning this storm, but keep it under control, alright? Don't let personal whims cause any casualties."
"Don't worry, I planned it carefully. This rain won't cause any damage. Manipulating water is child's play for me."
"Good. Even if our little Nearl doesn't say it, she'd be deeply upset if anyone suffered because she didn't want to do a victory dance."
Watching Nearl's relaxed, sleeping face, Godolphin and Byerley hesitated. They hadn't come down here just for fun—but their original plan now felt hard to bring up.
"Nearl's state of being is now fully aligned with ours. All that's left is to will her intentions into law. In just a few days, those fillies won't get hurt on the track anymore."
"We originally wanted to tell little Nearl all this."
Byerley gently brushed a strand of hair from Nearl's temple, her movements tender, her expression inscrutable.
"But you've changed your mind?"
"Mhm. This child has already pushed herself too hard. If we tell her now, she won't rest for a moment. That wouldn't be good."
"True. Her mindset hasn't fully shifted yet. She still seems to think she's human, with limited time—used to burning her radiance all at once. That's not healthy."
As the cars ahead finally began to creep forward, Godolphin straightened up a bit.
"While we can't promise she'll never be killed, without external interference, she'll last forever. The sooner she adjusts her perspective, the better."
"Looks, wealth, influence, admiration, relationships, the very ground of her life, dreams, thoughts… everything fades in time. Only the immortal soul remains, polished and gleaming by the ages."
"There will be fewer and fewer things worth striving for in the long run, so it's better to slow down now."
"So we keep it from her for a while?"
Byerley posed the question tentatively and received a nod from her elder sister up front.
"Let's keep it quiet. I feel for those fillies, but even a goddess can't be perfectly fair, it seems."
With their consensus reached, the original plan was scrapped and quickly replaced with ideas for how to have fun.
"Big Sis helped set up the backgrounds for these bodies. To avoid dragging her down, we went pretty high-end—money's no issue, at least. With less than 20 days until the Japanese Derby, why don't we take Nearl on a trip around the world?"
"A tour?"
"Exactly. You know about her past life, right? A patient confined to her room, and even in this life, she's never seen faraway places. Doesn't that feel tragic?"
"You're right. This world we've carefully crafted—its beauty can't be captured in just a few words. It'd be a real shame if little Nearl never saw it for herself."
"So we're agreed then. The only question is where to go. Any ideas?"
"How about Antarctica to see penguins? Or the ocean depths for orcas?"
"Too mundane. I think we should give little Nearl a memorable experience. How about visiting the 'Pillar of the Goddess'?"
"That 30,000-meter-high mountain you made? There's nothing there but ice and snow. Though the view above the clouds might be worth considering."
"What about adding the 'Giant Trench'? At 16,000 meters down, the deep-sea creatures are bizarre and wondrous."
"I think that's more terrifying than wondrous. The trench is so deep that the life down there would look like aliens to most people."
The two kept their voices low as they excitedly discussed destinations. Through this spirited back-and-forth, a rough itinerary took shape, leaving both satisfied.
Just then, a figure sheltering from the rain under a storefront awning caught the goddesses' attention.
"Godolphin, isn't that one of the Uma Musume who's quite close with little Nearl?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.