Chapter Text
Ever since she had announced her suspension of racing indefinitely, she thought she would never be able to make it on the track again. Her legs would give out, after all.
What she hadn’t expected was that her trainer had been prepared for this.
“It’s your legs, isn’t it?” Her trainer had remarked, when entering her lab room for the first time since she had met Pokke. “I asked around, and I got a few different potential recovery regimes. I knew the way you ran would be unstable, but you were so insistent on it I didn’t want to stop you.” She figured she would entertain him – she was, well, legally required to have him work with her after all.
What she hadn’t been expecting was the sheer amount of data she had.
Places she hadn’t even planned to look at.
He’d gotten in contact with trainers of elite Umamusume’s that had recovered from the brink, along with the Umamusume’s themselves.
He’d been able to get into contact with both Kitahara Jones and Ginjirou Musaka, for heaven's sake! Due to that, she’d somehow been able to gain access to notes on Oguri Cap’s training and recovery, and even a few (selective and redacted as they were) notes about Tamamo Cross’ as well!
“I hadn’t expected to get as much information as I did from Oguri, honestly. I think…she wanted to help someone run through the problems she did as well. I went over most of it myself, I think it would be very useful, for both recovery and well, if you decide to race again, post-recovery as well.” She had to admit, he had guts.
“Honestly, the hardest part was convincing Berno Light that I wasn’t trying to manipulate Oguri. Between that girl, and Tamamo Cross…she certainly has some good friends. Just like you, with Jungle Pocket, Dantsu Flame, and Manhattan Cafe. I figured they would be sad to see you go, so I wanted to, well, try and help you on my own terms.”
It seems she had underestimated her trainer. He truly had been watching her every move.
“I also have more specific recovery notes, from racers such as Tokai Teio and Silence Suzuka. If you want those, just say the word. You don’t have to go back to racing, or fix your legs. It’s your choice, after all.” He was right. Tachyon could just wave off her guinea pig as always,
“But, well. I, unfortunately cannot reach the peak myself, as I am cursed to be a man.” Cursed? An odd word choice. Tachyon noted that for later. “But I know you want to. So just…say the word, and we can get down to it.
When faced with such unseen, blinding resolve from her trainer, Tachyon could only agree to his absurd recovery plan.
What was even more absurd is that he was right. She was able to get back on track, and race once again.
After the Kyoto Kinen, Tachyon was pondering in her lab, alone, musing.
Her recovery was nothing short of a miracle of desire. Combined with her trainers unending, inhuman passion, she had been able to make it back to the racecourse for at least one more year.
Her recovery was a secret to everyone but Café - they shared the same workspace, after all - all the press knew was that she had made a miraculous recovery on her own.
Nobody else, not even Pokke or Dantsu Flame, knew it wasn’t…primairly her. It had been a madman’s passion in which the depths he held she didn’t understand. Why was that? Why was he so passionate, so proud of her, but…still yearning? The only thing she could think of was that time where he said he was cursed to be a man–
Suddenly, it clicked.
The yearning she saw from him made sense now.
Her trainer wanted to be an Umamusume.
To feel the track, the thrill of the race, the joy of winning. The quest to reach the peak of speed. The celebration of being the center stage of a winning live. Her trainer wanted to be a part of that. Unfortunately, fate was cruel to her trainer - both in gender and form.
Could she do anything to help? After all, she owed him a great debt helping her overcome her degenerative leg condition, for which they thought there was no cure. She’d been able to abandon Plan B, and was able to reach the peak of Umamusume herself. She’d pondered graduating to the Dream Trophy League herself, but…if she was able to pull this off, it would be worth so much more to stay in the Twinkle Series.
But how, how could she achieve this? She’d still have him training her either way, as long as this worked - but this was incredibly dangerous, and even more untested than most concoctions she gave her guinea pig. She’d only have one chance to do it, and she had to do it right. Where to start? Nothing of this level had been done before, and it would take a bout of divine inspiration–
As soon as those words crossed her mind, she felt a spark cross her mind. Almost as if…a voice was calling to her. She’d heard it a few times, and it had always led to the same place…
Jungle Pocket had been having a great month.
She’d been able to run with everyone again, after all!
Losing the Kyoto Kinen sucked, but…honestly, the concert after was so worth it. Seeing Tachyon dance once again, to her heart's content, it truly made her day.
Tachyon…the thought of her always sent Pocket into a spin. Spinning her rice in a circle, she pondered. Tachyon was certainly a light in her life - and a source of stress, as well. She couldn’t really blame her, though.
The stress caused by her beautiful running allowed her to reach the top, after all.
She began to dive into her rice until arms wrapped against her, and she tensed up. Who was bold enough to do this to her?
“Pokke~” Just like that, her tension was gone, replaced with a racing heart and rapid breathing. What was Tachyon doing? Normally she was the one to be physical with her, not the other way around.
“Tachyon, what’s this?” Her lunch completely forgotten, she needed to know what was up, now. This was…incredibly unusual for Tachyon, that’s for sure. She was definitely in a vulnerable position here.
“Oh nothing much.” Separating from the impromptu hug – too soon for Pocket’s tastes – Tachyon resumed her ramblings “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be…busy for a few days. Nothing reckless, just a big experiment. If the results go well, I’ll certainly tell you all about it.” Making her way to leave, she tried to stop her, only to be met with “Science waits for nobody, Pokke. Farewell.”
How was she supposed to finish her lunch after that?
Finding her trainer's office wasn’t hard at all. Her potion had been made, and well. It was time to give it to the test subject.
“Trainer~” Slamming open the door, she noted he was alone. Good.
“Yes, Tachyon? Do you want to schedule another race? Or is this about recovery?” As proper as ever. He really could afford to loosen up, but she supposed he couldn't, with his biggest desire locked behind a miracle.
She slammed the door shut behind her, making sure to lock it while keeping a manic stare at her trainer. She couldn’t have him figuring it out too early, after all.
“My recovery has been going incredible, in no small part thanks to you. But it’s not one of my races I want to schedule. It’s yours.”
Taking the stunned silence from him as an answer to continue, she laid out the details. “I always wondered, why you would give everything up for me. Risked your life, so many times, in order to test my often times most childish of theories. I thought it was simply because you saw in me the talent of my running, but no.”
“Your recovery plan proved it. You yearned for it, to live vicariously through me. You desire to be on the track yourself, but due to a slight of poor luck, you are faced with the harsh reality.”
“Someone born male could never genetically become an Umamusume. A divine tragedy, I fear.” No reaction. Her trainer seemed to be stunned into silence. Another cue to continue.
“But no longer! Rejoice, Trainer! I have the solution to all your problems…right here!” Whipping out the flask, an ominous, rainbow colored liquid that seemed to be eternally swirling was presented right to her trainer’s face. Still no reaction. Was she wrong?
“One simple sip, and you’d be right there, with me, Pokke, Flame, and Cafe, as long as you put in the work. One simple sip, and I’m sure Tracen Academy would happily accept your application. A trainer, now trained by their own trainee? They would be fascinated to see how it would play out..”
“So what do you say, Trainer? One sip, and you can join us at the peak. After all…” She leaned forward, staring into her trainer’s terrified eyes.
Somehow, Tachyon realized, this wasn’t just about becoming an Umamusume to her trainer.
“...I know you have that desire within you.”
The trainer didn’t know what to think.
How did she know? Well, the yearning to run with them was kind of obvious. He was obsessed, after all.
But - to become a girl, too? He thought he had hid that well, ever since he first watched Dicta Striker dash across the screen in the Hanshin 3-year-old Stakes all those years ago. Watching the rivalry between Tamamo Cross and Oguri Cap. He yearned for it, to not only run, but wear those…beautiful outfits they wore.
Cosplaying your favorite Umamusume’s race wear was common. He'd even designed his own racewear, before his sister pointed out his folly -- But for him, cosplaying as them felt…wrong when he did it. He should have had curves like them -
Whenever this thought had came up, throughout the years, he shut it down. He’d scream that he wanted to be normal, he didn’t deserve it, thousands of hollow excuses. But the yearning was still there. It was why he aced the Central Trainer Exam first try, after all. He yearned to be with them.
Partnering with Tachyon was nothing short of a miracle. He’d met someone with desire, and his passion. It was why he trusted her to work alone with her friends, after all. He knew there were some things he just…could not provide.
Now, it seems, he’d flown too close to the sun. It would all fall apart.
His greatest desire, potentially in front of him in one iridescent rainbow glass, put right in front of him. And Tachyon didn’t even know the whole story. She thought this was about the running.
No.
This was the solution to all his problems, his entire existence, packed into one miracle elixir.
He didn’t deserve anything. He should have just bundled up his desires again and again until he would just disappear - undeserving of anything. Neither the role he was given or the role he wanted. He was supposed to be a boy! He wanted to be one still!
But why-
Why was he moving forward to grab that damned potion from Tachyon’s hand?
“She’s tricking you. This is a prank. It would be too good to be true.”
She noticed his hesitation, but didn’t comment on it. Simply motioning him to take a sip, still with that manic glare of hers. All but inviting him to join the world of the Twinkle Series.
To become the girl he always wanted to be.
Flask trembling in his hand, he knew what he was supposed to do. Throw it away, and run away somewhere, never to be seen by anyone he knew again. But he couldn’t.
The girl in him refused to die.
“That girl is a lie. You were lucky enough to be a man. Enjoy that privilege.”
Honestly, after all he’d been through with his life, he didn’t think that was so lucky anymore. Pondering a bit more, he received a vision of her.
An Umamusume, singing after a successful debut victory. Brilliant chestnut brown hair, wearing the generic dream journey outfit. It was beautiful. Was that who he could become one day? Truly?
Eyeing the potion one last time, he steeled his resolve, and made his choice..
“You don’t deserve this.”
After all, even with all of his doubts, if there was even a sliver of a chance he was truly a girl, she would hold onto that hope until the day it died.
She downed the entire potion in one swig.
Tachyon’s shock was apparent. Was she not supposed to do that?
Tasteless, she was about to wonder what would happen next, when the next second, she felt it.
All of her body flared up like a christmas tree, she could feel thousands of things happening at once, and could feel more and more and more until it overloaded her mind and she knew no more.
What…had…happened? Her eyes felt heavy…she remembered feeling really scared…and making a choice she might regret. But what…was that choice?
What sounded like a heated argument brought her out of her haze - she couldn’t see or feel anything yet, and her body felt so…heavy. And also…different, somehow? She was still too loopy to figure out what was wrong.
She could feel her ears…twitch? At the sound of what sounded like Rudolf’s voice. She couldn’t make out much, but a few words were able to be picked out. DNA. Experiment. Reckless.
Oh, so Tachyon was involved. What had she done, experiment on someone else again? She could hear Tachyon’s response as well now, including words like Goddesses. Miracle. Entire Potion.
Realization hit her like a truck. She’d taken Tachyons potion to turn into an Umamusume, and more importantly, a girl, and experienced indescribable pain before passing out. She had to let them know she was okay!
She tried to speak, only for a feminine rasp to come out. She could hear the other two people in the room instantly rush over to her, and the sound of a faucet running somewhere in the background.
She felt a cup press up to her lips. She still couldn’t open her eyes to tell what it was, but the voice of the Emperor let her deduce who it was. “Drink, Trainer. Then, perhaps I can hear your side of the story.”
Her throat clear, she was able to finally speak. “Thank you, Rudo-”
That wasn’t her old voice. That was a girl's voice. Well, she was a girl, so her voice would always be a girls voice, but this was like…a feminine voice. She wasn’t complaining, mind you–she’d tried voice training before, but to no avail. But this…this was different.
“Hello. Hi. This is my voice.” A few generic statements confirmed her hopes. She had a girl's voice now. Finally mustering enough strength to open her eyes, she was met with the bewildered stare of Symboli Rudolf, and the inquisitive eyes of a mad scientist. “Tachyon.”
“Yes, Trainer?”
“I can’t really…move or see, so I’ll have to ask you. Did it work? Am I…an Umamusume?”
“Well, we can’t be sure something radical might happen later as a side effect…” Dread filled the newly reborn Umamusume’s being. Was this dream about to be taken away from her before she truly enjoyed it? “...but considering this recipe was given to me by the goddesses themselves, you should be fine to enter Tracen Academy - and by proxy, the Twinkle Series, and live out your dreams, Trainer.”
Rudolf seemed surprised at this – “Wait, you mean you made this potion with the three goddesses as inspiration? No wonder this ridiculous plan of yours worked. If that’s the case, I’ll see if I can convince the director. I wouldn’t want any Umamusume to be unable to chase her dreams, no matter how…unique their origin is.” With that, Rudolf left, her steps receding from the infirmary into the halls of Tracen Academy.
Now, it was just her and her savior. “Agnes Tachyon. Come here.” Sensing the request, Tachyon moved forward.
“My my, so forward. You want me to give you a physical? You really are ready to get experimented on.” As annoying as ever, it seems. Once Tachyon got over to a position by her side, she continued with her teasing. “As much as I would like to do so, you really need more rest. Your physical condition, while stable, is absolutely exhausted–oof—” There, the trainer launched her attack.
“Thankyouthankyouthankyousomuchyousavedmethankyouiloveyouforthistachyonillbeyourguineapigforeveripromisethankyousomuchforthis-” A bone crushing hug was what greeted Tachyon on her arrival, and upon seeing-and hearing, her trainers reaction to her experiment, she softened a little.
She wasn’t one keen to the matters of the heart, but she could tell one thing.
“You...really wanted this, didn’t you?” Breaking from the hug, Tachyon sat down on a seat next to her Trainer, who was still propped up in the hospital bed.
A sniffle, and a nod. “I always wanted to be a girl. I just…never wanted to admit it. But, being here now, feeling the way I do, you saved me, Tachyon. I thought…I would never get to experience this. To feel this. You’ve fulfilled my greatest desire, Tachyon. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Mustering up the request, the trainer asked Tachyon for her next favor.
”One more thing, though. Can you…call me Marie?” The newly named Marie looked at Tachyon with eyes full of hope. “I hadn’t…thought of an Umamusume name yet, but that was the name I wanted to use if I ever, well, transitioned normally. I also want you…and well, everyone else, to treat me like a girl now. Is that alright?”
For once, Tachyon's face looked stunned, before it came back in a rare show of genuine sincerity. “Of course, Marie. I’ll be there to help you achieve the peak of Umamusume yourself. After all…drinking that potion proved your resolve as much as everything else you’ve done.”
“Thank you.”
This serene moment was interrupted with a door slamming open, and—
“TACHYON!”
Jungle Pocket was genuinely worried for Tachyon - she’d vanished from campus ever since she last talked to her in the cafeteria, and the first she hears she’s in the infirmary talking with the Emperor?
“You’re not hurt, are you? Did you get yourself in trouble? I saw the Emperor, is everything alright? Do you need anything–” A cough interrupted her rambling, and she turned her attention to the other Umamusume in the room.
Brilliant autumn hair, incredibly similar to hers, but much longer and haphazardly kept, most likely due to the state that she was in. She looked…malnourished. Was she alright? “Tachyon, do you know this girl?”
A giggle from the mysterious girl was her only response. “I suppose she does. Tachyon, can you prop up the bed? We should all discuss this together, face to face. Come on over, Pocket. We have a lot to discuss.”
Pocket? “You know me?” As Tachyon - obediently, she noted, - propped up the mysterious Umamusume, her curiosity only deepened.
“Of course I do. After all, you were the reason Tachyon recovered.” She…was? That did unimaginable things to her heart, but that wasn’t important. What was, was figuring out who this girl was, and if she was a threat to her Tachyon, how she would deal with her.
“I wouldn’t say that, Trainer.” Trainer? Tachyon had one of those?
“We should drop Trainer for now, Tachyon. Just Marie will do.”
“Maire? Is that your full name?” A stare, and silence in response. What was going on?
Tachyon broke the silence. “No, her name is…it’s…Agnes Marie, yes!” The newly named Umamusume turned to the scientist, clearly not expecting this. “After all, I did create you, in a way.” Created?
“You CREATED AN UMAMUSUME???” Was Tachyon INSANE?
“Not so loud!” Marie quickly hushed her. “Okay, Pocket, you have questions.” Of course she did! Tachyon’s trainer was a newly-created Umamusume? How did she even? “I have answers. Shoot.”
“Are you really Tachyon’s trainer?”
“Yes. I generally was a guinea pig for her experiments, along with being her trainer as a general formality, up until she announced her hiatus. Then organized the resources and created a personalized strength and recovery plan to help her be able to race again with you.” Looking at Tachyon, a nod and a smile confirmed this. She really had to thank this girl for what she’d done for her Tachyon. “Of course, my hypotheticals were only able to be made into reality through Tachyon’s incredible persistence, and well, your existence.”
“Me?”
“Yes.” A nod. “She only tried as hard as she did because she wanted to run with you again, after all.’ That…Pocket didn’t know what to feel about that. It was time for her second question.
“What did Tachyon do to you? Did she really…turn you into an Umamusume.”
“I did!” Tachyon replied for Marie instantly. “I noticed that she had the same desire, same drive as us, but even more maniacally. Trapped by an inferior form, through some divine inspiration, and your DNA, I was able to ascend her to the perfect form to chase her dreams.” Wait..
“My DNA? Is that why you…hugged me?”
“Well, not the only reason. Your reaction was…interesting, but, yes.” Pocket didn’t know what to think of that, but Tachyon continued rambling. “I needed an Umamusume’s DNA, but the risk of passing down my condition was too large. Therefore, I decided to use the one I trusted the most." Pokke...was that important to Tachyon? Still, it was great to know nobody got hurt.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, yet. I still feel like I’ve been run over by a train.” What had happened to Marie?
“Oh, that’s only natural! Your body was rewritten on a cellular level, a bit of nourishment will get you right up to running!” That sounds…incredible, but it gave Pocket another question.
“What will you do now?”
“Well, I was planning to discuss that, but it seems now won’t be the time.” Huh? Why? Marie motioned to the door, and she saw…the Emperor, along with someone she didn’t fully recognize, but knew was important.
“It seems Rudolf has already obtained our esteemed director's attention.”