Chapter 18: The Mystery of Life and an Odd Déjà Vu

“Wh-Wh-What’s the matter, Kayou?”

Mia rushed over to discover the horse lying on its side, its breaths labored and unsteady.

“Oh no! Oh no! Anne! Get Malong! Quick!”

“Yes, I’m on it!”

She watched Anne go before returning to Kayou’s side and crouching down.

“Hold on, Kayou. Malong will be here any second,” she said in a reassuring tone. “Once he comes—”

She heard heavy steps behind her.

“What’s going on? Something’s wrong with Kayou?”

Malong burst through the door. The sheer relief of seeing him threatened to turn her legs into jelly, and her attempt to step aside turned into an awkward waddle as she made room for him beside the horse.

“Kayou looks like she’s in a lot of pain,” Mia explained. “But maybe everyone looks like this when they’re giving birth. I’m not sure, so...”

Her words withered away as Malong’s expression grew strained.

“...Normally, horses can give birth on their own. They’re not supposed to need our help.” He bit his lip. “If they have trouble...”

There was a brief silence followed by the sound of him gulping. He looked Mia in the eye.

“This one might be a breech birth.”

“A breech birth?”

Malong ventured an explanation, only to be cut off by a loud and strained whinny from Kayou. At the same time, a tiny hind leg jutted out from Kayou’s nether regions.

“Damn it! It’s happening too fast. I told your attendant to go fetch the stable master, but at this rate, they won’t make it in time. Gonna have to pull this off ourselves. Give me a hand.”

“...Eh?”

The request went right over her head. She turned around, gazing blankly around the stable wondering who it could possibly be directed toward before it came back and hit her like a boomerang.

Wait, what? Huh? Me? I-Is he talking to me?!

Panic stiffened her limbs, but she suddenly caught a glimpse of the other two girls. Citrina was looking at her with a hint of nervousness. Bel, meanwhile, was practically glowing with excitement. This was not a battle she could afford to dodge.

“V-Very well then. Let’s do this.”

Her expression hardened with a warrior’s resolve as she regarded the suffering mother horse.

Don’t worry, Kayou. I’m here for you. You’ll have all the help you need!

The thought was not followed by her usual deliberation of debts and favors. Rather, it had come from a place of empathy.

This poor girl...is me in the future.

Compelled by a deep sense of connection with the horse, she rolled up her sleeves, determined to do whatever it took to ensure a safe birth for mother and child.

The rest was all a blur. Nervousness, coupled with a constant and desperate attempt to keep up with Malong’s instructions, had left her mind with limited resources to form memories. She could only recall fragmentary events—waiting on Malong’s signal, pulling on the protruding legs with all her strength, her own exhausted breathing, and grabbing the legs again for another go. As her senses returned, she found herself collapsed on the ground, so weary that her limbs were having trouble supporting her own weight. In front of her, a baby horse lay unmoving in the shadow of a kneeling Malong. His voice faded into her consciousness.

“—not breathing!”

With a curse, he wiped the newborn’s mouth with his shirt before pressing his own to it. Mia just watched him do it, too tired to react with more than silent observation. He breathed out. Once, twice, thrice, four times... He kept going. Minutes and seconds melted into each other. How much time had passed? How many breaths had been given? She’d lost count.

Malong straightened and looked down at the baby horse. It didn’t move.

“Damn it...” he spat bitterly, lip pinched so tightly between his teeth it was a wonder he hadn’t drawn blood.

Mia heard her own incredulous voice.

“No... It can’t be...”

She numbly looked toward Kayou. The horse’s eyes seemed to take on a sorrowful cast.

“No... We can’t give up. There has to be something. Something more we can do.”

The intensity of her reaction surprised her. The bond she’d developed with Kayou was far stronger, and far deeper, than she’d realized.

“There must be something we can still do. Some way to help...”

Her mind raced with desperation, but to no avail. Then, help came from the place she’d least expected it.

“...Try this. It might help.”

Citrina took a step forward. She held out her hand. In her palm was a small cloth satchel.

“What’s that?” asked Malong, frowning.

“A medicinal herb,” she answered with an expression more serious than any Mia’d ever seen her wear. “A cardiotonic, to be exact. It’s supposed to stimulate the heart and restore its strength.”

Malong reached for the satchel, paused, then he shook himself out of it.

“If we do nothing, this foal won’t make it anyway. Might as well give it a try,” he muttered, the words meant more for himself than for anyone else.

After a final moment of hesitation, he took the satchel and emptied its contents into the baby horse’s mouth. A long silence ensued. Then, a tiny cough. Malong pumped his fist and let out a whoop of joy.

“Yes! They’re breathing!”

As if on cue, the tiny foal shivered and began to wiggle its legs in an attempt to stand.

Mia drew in a long breath and exhaled, feeling the tension leave her body.

“We did it!” She looked toward Citrina. “Thank you very much, Rina. You saved this baby horse’s life!”

“No need to thank Rina, Your Highness. I’m just glad I could help out.”

Citrina smiled the same sweet smile as always and said nothing more. Mia acknowledged her with a nod before turning to kneel down next to Kayou.

“You did a great job... You gave birth to a healthy little baby horse.”

She gently stroked its neck. Its eyes were placid as they regarded her, but she thought she could see in them the confidence of someone who knew they’d just accomplished a momentous feat.

“Mmm hm hm. Now then, I think it’s time for me to take a good look at the little one. Everyone wants a peek, so it looks like you’ll have to wait your turn, Kayou.”

She giggled before strolling over to the baby horse. Along the way, a thought occurred to her.

On that note, I wonder who Kayou’s mate is. Whichever horse he is, I’m sure he’s wonderful...

Mia’s empathy for Kayou had grown so deep that it bordered on a spiritual link. She felt so close to the horse that the boundaries of their existences were starting to blur in her mind, as though girl and horse were becoming one. Looking at Kayou was like gazing at her future self. Therefore, she had no doubt that the mate Kayou had selected was a horse of exceptional quality. Why? Because Mia was confident in her own taste in men. If Kayou was her equine soulmate, then surely...

As she studied the baby horse her brow furrowed.

“My, something about this horse seems familiar... I can’t quite put my finger on what though...”

Struck by a sudden sense of déjà vu, she struggled to determine the source of the sensation. Trying to get a better look, she leaned in and brought her face closer. That was when she noticed its tiny nostrils twitching.

Ker-choo!

It let out an adorable baby sneeze. Lightly spattered by baby horse snot, she came to an important realization! Well, she would have, had her brain not forcibly shut down its logical faculties in a stubborn attempt to deny itself comprehension. After all, Mia felt a very deep sense of empathy toward Kayou, so much so that she saw the horse as her future self! And she had excellent taste in men! So there was no way Kayou would have picked...that stupid, good-for-nothing jackass as a mate!

Faced with this logical dilemma, her subconscious took the reins and slapped the steed of her thoughts, sending it soaring clean over the answer before galloping into the unknown horizon.

“...Hm, I wonder why horses keep sneezing on me. Maybe it’s a curse or something.”

Alas, it is the nature of man to not see that which they do not wish to see.