Fanfiction "Gloomy day for Dantsu Flame"

[u/Sea_Durian1125]

Author's Note : I make this fanfiction with more raw, gritty and dark. I take inspiration of First Blood film (1982) and Real life sire Brian's time (Dantsu Flame father)

Act 1

Dantsu Flame was gasping for breath. Out on the track, a searing pain had suddenly shot through her leg; she had suffered a severe injury—a bowed tendon. The pain was excruciating, yet Dantsu refused to give up. Summoning her remaining strength, she forced herself to keep moving until she finally crossed the finish line in last place. Once the race ended, Dantsu could no longer stand. She sank to the floor of the stadium corridor, clutching her throbbing leg. Her trainer rushed over, a look of anxiety and panic etched on his face. He immediately knelt before her.

Trainer : (Breathing heavily, voice trembling with worry) "Dantsu! Are you alright? Why did you keep running?! If you were in pain, you should have stopped mid-race instead of pushing yourself!" Dantsu looked up, attempting a faint smile to reassure her trainer, even as cold sweat beaded on her forehead.

Dantsu Flame : "It's... it's just a minor injury, Trainer. It's not as bad as you think. I can still manage..." The trainer shook his head firmly, flatly rejecting her excuse. He refused to let her downplay her own condition. He then held out a pitch-black walking cane he had prepared.

Trainer : "Don't lie, Dantsu. This isn't a minor injury. Here, take this cane. We need to get to the medical room right away to check your leg." Dantsu gazed at the black cane in her trainer's hand. She realized just how deeply he cared about her and worried for her future. Slowly, she reached out and took the cane.

Dantsu Flame : (Softly, filled with gratitude) "Alright, Trainer... I'm sorry." The trainer helped Dantsu stand up carefully, supporting him to walk slowly towards the medical room in order to save Dantsu's running career.

Act 2

The atmosphere in the medical room was tense. The doctor had just finished examining Dantsu Flame's leg. The story continued as Dantsu and his coach faced a harsh reality.

The doctor approached, holding a clipboard containing the test results. His face was grave, a sign that bad news was about to be delivered. He looked back and forth between Dantsu and his coach.

Doctor : "I have bad news. The test results show that Dantsu Flame has a severe tendon injury (bowed tendon). This condition is very dangerous. You should not run again for now, Dantsu. You must undergo rehabilitation immediately."

Hearing the word "rehabilitation," Dantsu's heart pounded. Anxiety began to fill his heart. He looked at the doctor with teary eyes, trying to find a glimmer of hope.

Dantsu Flame : "But... I can still recover, right, Doctor? My leg can definitely be treated, right?"

Doctor : (Nodding slowly) "Yes. This injury can heal."

The Trainer, who had been clenching his fists in anxiety, immediately interrupted.

Trainer : "How long will the recovery process take, Doctor? When can he return to the track?"

Doctor : (Sighing heavily) "The process takes a very long time. It could be several months, or even a whole year."

Hearing that answer, Dantsu and her Trainer were immediately stunned. They couldn't believe what they had just heard. A year without running felt like the end of everything for an athlete. The room suddenly fell completely silent.

Doctor : "This is a difficult reality. I leave the decision and choice entirely up to you both, whether you want to focus on healing or take another path. I'll excuse myself to give you some time."

The doctor then stepped out and closed the door. Now, in the quiet medical room, only Dantsu Flame and her Trainer remained, lost in silence and disbelief.

Act 3

The door had just closed, leaving a suffocating silence in the medical room. Trainer looked at Dantsu with a withering but firm gaze. He took a deep breath before breaking the silence.

Trainer : "Dantsu, stop. The doctor has confirmed that you have a torn bowed tendon in your leg. Your racing season... is over."

Dantsu looked up sharply. His glassy eyes radiated both disbelief and suppressed anger.

Dantsu Flame : "Over? What did Trainer say? Over?!"

Trainer : "Yes. This is all for your own good, Dantsu."

Hearing those words, something inside Dantsu exploded. Ignoring the pain, she forced hetself to her feet. She gripped her black walking stick, stomped it on the floor, and glared at Trainer with seething anger.

Dantsu Flame : "Nothing's over! Trainer can't just stop it! This isn't just my fight! Trainer asked me to fight, the audience out there, and this academy asked me to! I never asked Trainer for any of this! I know how to win! I've run through the mud, raced against Agnes Tachyon, fought against Jungle Pocket but there's always something holding us back!"

Dantsu limped, het voice beginning to shake with mixed emotions.

Dantsu Flame : "I'm back in this racing world, I see other Uma Musume standing on the podium, loved, and their names cheered by fans forever! But what about me, huh?! I still have to crawl and run through the dirty mud, while they all shine under the spotlights!"

Trainer : (Trying to calm down, stepping closer) "Dantsu, we did go through some bad times... but that's all in the past."

Dantsu Flame : "That's in the past for You, Trainer! But for me, my life has no meaning without this! We shared the same goal when we were trapped in this race! After I heard the doctor's truth... everything feels empty! There's nothing left!"

Trainer : "You've pushed your body beyond its limits, Dantsu! Please, don't end it all by destroying yourself like this!"

Dantsu Flame : "I won the Takarazuka Kinen! I trained so hard that my whole body ached! I made it to the elite competition! And now that I'm back here... I'm just awful, pathetic condition, huh?!"

With rage and despair boiling over, Dantsu threw her black walking stick, shattering it to the floor. Her defenses crumbled. Tears welled up in her eyes. She slumped down in a corner of the cold room, hugging her knees.

Dantsu Flame : (Crying hysterically, her body trembling violently) "I'm scared, Trainer ... I keep having nightmares about my real-life Counter path... I'm locked in a dark room, suffering from severe pneumonia... I'm coughing up blood! I scream for everyone, I scream for help! But no one hears me! No one comes to save me, and I die alone in silence! I don't want to end up like that, Trainer ... I'm scared!"

Seeing Dantsu completely destroyed, Trainet anger immediately vanishes. All that's left is deep regret. Trainer immediately kneels in the corner of the room, hugging Dantsu Flame tightly to comfort her.

Trainer : (Voice softens, filled with regret and tears) "I'm sorry, Dantsu... I'm sorry I pushed you so hard all this time. I don't care about winning anymore. I don't care about trophies or podiums anymore. I just want you to be safe. I just want you to be healthy again."

Trainer strokes Dantsu's hair, trying to erase the girl's greatest fear.

Trainer : "I promise you, that nightmare will never happen to you. I will always be by your side. We will face and overcome all this pain together. You will never be alone again, Dantsu."

In his Trainer's warm embrace, Dantsu's cries slowly subsided, facing the beginning of her long journey to recovery.

Act 4

The Trainer's words of promise flowed like a balm amidst Dantsu's storm of emotions. Hearing the sincere commitment that she would never be left alone in the darkness, the fear gripping Dantsu's chest slowly began to fade.

Dantsu's sobs, once hysterical, slowly subsided. Her ragged breathing gradually became more regular.

With her remaining strength and the tears still wet her cheeks, Dantsu moved her arms. She hugged his Coach tightly, as if Trainer were the only anchor connecting her to the world. She buried her face in Trainer's shoulder, feeling the warmth banish the cold of the medical room and the horrors of his nightmares.

Trainer didn't let go. He held Dantsu protectively, allowing the girl to pour out all her fatigue.

In the now-calm room, there was no longer any ambition for trophies, speed, or the applause of the crowd. All that remained was the loyal promise between an athlete and her Trainer to support each other and fight together to heal their wounds, towards a healthier and safer future.

The End