"Stay gold?" She said the name of her adopted father's ancient trainee confused.
She couldn't help but feel that she had already heard of this "Stay Gold" she couldn't help it.
But who could have told her?
Her old man looked at her form his seated position, "You heard of her?"
"I'm not sure?"
She tried to remember where she could have heard of her, who could have said her name, who could have done it. Was it one of the shopkeepers in passing? Was it a neighbour?
No it couldn't have been, because she would have know about Stay Gold's relationship with her father, long before today.
But then?
Who could have said it.
"You ok?"
He asked his face a picture of concern as he looked at her rack her brain for answers.
"I'm fine… I just can't help but feel that I have heard her name somewhere before."
"Well, she was the first Japanese Uma to win a foreign G1 if that helps?"
"No, it doesn't, but you know what, I'm sure it's not that big of a problem," She said with an almost laid back tone, "I don't want to waste my brain power on that."
Her old man looked at her with an exasperated look, "You know, if it weren't for the fact that you present yourself as a model student, I'm mostly sure people wouldn't take you seriously, you airhead."
"I-! I'M NOT AN AIRHEAD! YOU SENILE OLD MAN!"
"WHO-WHO ARE YOU CALLING SENILE! I'M WELL IN MY THIRTIES THANK YOU!"
"I'M CALLING YOU SENILE! OLD MAN!"
"OH WHATEVER YOU SAY YOU AIRHEAD!"
He started to scream as his hands went to grasp at her cheeks and start to pull them.
"M'NT A- ARHED!"
She tried to say as her cheeks were pinched taut.
"AND I'M NOT SENILE!"
"…"
"…"
They both quieted down before, her 'senile' old man, removed his hands from her cheeks and started to cough lightly.
"You ok, old man?" She said as she rubbed her now sore, red cheeks.
"I'm fine go to bed."
She acquiesced, but as she went to her room she swore that she saw an extra pair of shoes at the front door.
She stopped.
Had she taken out an extra pair of shoes?
Yeah, she must have.
And so she went to bed, and dreamed of her friend and her old man's trainee that she swore she'd heard of before.
…
He sighed, to think that he would meet 'her' again, after so so long, it was kind of sobering to think about.
With a grunt he pushed himself of the ground and went to his room which was close to the veranda.
As he neared his room he noticed that the door wasn't properly closed, in fact it was a centimetre more open than it should have been.
An intruder? It had to be, Hope wouldn't make such a simple mistake, airheaded she might be when it came to anything that wasn't studying, racing, even though she vehemently denies it, and Orfy, who he was rather certain that his airhead of a daughter hadn't realized was actually Orfevre.
It couldn't have been the wind, as the door wasn't that light and the wind wasn't that strong.
And so, he slowly opened the door preparing to strik—
"Yo."
A voice he knew all too well spoke from inside the room.
With a sigh he opened the door and looked at her.
"Stego, what are you doing in my room?"
She was in one of his shirts, a white one that he rarely wore since he 'stopped' working as a trainer.
It almost looked like she wasn't wearing anything under that, judging by the fact that her casual clothes were on the floor.
"I came."
"I thought we agreed on tomorrow."
"Well… would you believe me if I told you I missed you?"
"I'm sentimental but not that sentimental… aren't you supposed to be with Oriental Art right now… are you hiding from Point Flag again?"
She didn't respond and slowly, slowly looked away.
"You are… she'll be more angry you know?"
"I'll be fine trainer."
"You said that to me after you told me your father's plan to get you a girlfriend… and need I remind you what happened that day?"
"I'd rather you didn't…"
"… fine I won't talk about it," he said as he removed his clothes and all but stripped down into his underwear, "Come on let's go to bed," he asked gently, extending her a hand as he started to lie down."
"… you are a terrible man Trainer…"
"…?"
She acquiesced and in the end she fell asleep on his firm yet surprisingly soft chest.
…
She dreamed of another event, not of her family, not of her meeting with her adoptive father, no, something even earlier than all of those things.
Her meeting with her best friend, well who she would consider her best friend, she didn't even know if they still remembered her.
Alas she would remember her, she wouldn't, no she could never forget her.
She could never forget that messy yet well catered brown hair, that mask which covered her face, her calm yet strange gaze.
She was sure that if she ever forgot all her memories she would still remember her.
If she were to ever lose her mind, all the pieces of it scattered to the wind, the only part which would stay intact would be her memory of them.
Of the most beautiful person she had ever met.
…
She groaned as she slowly opened her eyes, her thoughts hazy and her stomach empty.
She slowly sniffed the air and smelled that familiar and calming smell of breakfast being made.
Without much thought on her appearance she slowly stumbled out of bed and made her way to the where her father was, the kitchen.
"Hmmm, Old Man," she drawled her tone dry and tired, "Is the food ready," she rubbed her eyes which were all but closed letting her see a bit.
"Go get cleaned up," he told her from within the kitchen.
She responded with a groan and slowly opened her eyes.
"…"
She blinked, rubbed her eyes and blinked again.
The person she was looking at looked at her and gave a smug grin.
She blinked, rubbed her eyes harder and blinked again.
The smug grin was still there.
She blinked, rubbed her eyes furiously, pulled her cheeks, blinked again and looked back at the "person".
Only this time they weren't where she was looking at originally, no instead they were right in-front of her and giving her that same smug grin once more.
She jumped backwards in fright.
"Ah!"
The person chuckled, before struggling to hold in their laughter.
"Stego! What did you do?"
"Ah calm down trainer I'm just having a laugh," her tone was light almost jubilant.
"I'd rather you entertain yourself by not annoying my daughter, you damn brat!"
"Wowwwwww," her tone was dry, "Since when did you become such a cranky old man trainer, where did the you who used to race against me on the track for practice go…." She drawled.
"That me is old and tired and wants to rest. Oh it also doesn't help that I'm sick!"
"Old man…"
"Oh really weren't you the person bragging about being forever young?"
"I was DRUNK!"
"Old man…"
"Weren't you bragging about having a high alcohol tolerance."
"Yeah! Cause I do, I just didn't realize that you got your tolerance from your dad."
"Old man."
"Need I also remind you, you brat! Who even gave you the chance to be with your wives!"
"OLD MAN!"
" "WHAT!" " they both said at the same time.
"Is food ready?"
" "…" " they were both quiet.
"I'm hungry."
" " Who are you Oguri Cap?" "
"Who?"
Her old man just sighed at her reaction, but Stay Gold, Stay Gold was perplexed.
"She doesn't know Oguri?" She said while looking at her former trainer.
All he could do was nod.
"Are you… are you kidding me? She really doesn't know Oguri Cap?"
"Yeah."
"Who is she!"
"How do you not know!?"
"Don't question it Stego, either way let's have breakfast, I'll finish making the food, and you can take Hope to see Tracen, she will be enrolling in it after all."
"Hmm, alright then."
"…"
"Hope… you alright? Are you going to be able to run?"
"… I'll be fine."
Stay Gold stayed quiet realizing that whatever they were talking about was something personal.
"Well, I'll get dinner ready." Her Old Man said with a gentle smile on his face as he patted her slightly drooping ears.
————————
Authors note: Happy New Year and a (late) Merry Christmas
Changing the amount of required powerstones for a bonus chapter from a 100 to 25.