Archive of Our Own

The Triple Tiara circuit is one of two classic circuits that can be run by Uma Musume only during the second year of their career.

The Oka Sho, Turf Mile 1600m.

Daiwa Scarlet found herself coming out of the last turn still hanging onto the lead. She had to restrain herself from looking back. The crowd, once a distant noise, now blared cheers and screams in her ears as she thundered down the straight. She could also hear the footsteps of the runners behind her. How close were they? She couldn't bear to look, putting every ounce of energy into each stride. This is where she had been caught last time. That damn Uma. Vodka. The Tulip Sho, she let her concentration slip right after the last turn of that mile, and could only watch Vodka tear through the outside to snatch victory from her. The shame of it all, to lose at the last furlong after leading the entire race. The thought jumped back into her mind now, and she forced her weary legs to kick off one last time, to drag herself into one last spurt at the end. She wouldn't be outshone, not here, not in front of this crowd. She dug deep, pumping her arms and put her head down, watching the finish get closer and closer. The crowd roared, the speakers of the commentators vibrating as the energy picked up. The droning sound was indecipherable, but just before she passed the finish line, as she realised there was no other racer in her peripherals, she heard her name.

“Scarlet takes it! Leaving Vodka in the dust! The first tiara for Miss Perfect!” The commentators shouted as Scarlet slowed to a jog. Her heart pounding in her chest, a wide smile cracking onto her face as she waved towards the crowd. She finally looked back, Vodka bent over, hand on knees. Scarlet knew it, she almost made the same mistake again. Gauging the other girl in the final spurt and letting the lead slip from her. She abandoned the cheering crowd to march right up to her “How did you like that? Who's number one now!” She couldn't help but grin, revenge tasted sweet.

“Ah, I was close! Damnit” Vodka spat into the dirt, to Scarlet's disgust. She raised her head to glare at her “I'll get you! This isn't over!” She finally stood up straight, leaning in to look her right in the eye.

“You bet it isn't. I'm going to triple tiara, and you'll be there in second every single time. Get used to it” She sneered at her, fire sparking in her veins. It was only Vodka that could make her feel like running another race immediately after finishing one. The Oaks couldn't come soon enough.

“Yeah- Wait… I'm running in the Derby. Remember?”

“I- What?!”

That idiot! Getting her all worked up over the Oaks, the next race she thought they'd meet in. Of course, Vodka wanted to run in the Derby. In the heat of the moment she had forgotten that fact. That her brain-dead, impulsive, laughably dorkish roommate had no respect for the triple tiara or the crown circuits. But what now? Scarlet mulled over her racing form in her dorm, she had already declared her intent to run the tiara course to the media, and now it was time to put that on paper. Any other time it would have been an easy decision. For the Oka Sho she signed her name in perfectly, sent the form off with loads of time to spare. She had to remind Vodka multiple times to hand it in, and then made her do it in front of her. Of course Vodka needed her help to hand in the form. Vodka copied her homework, she made Scarlet be in charge of keeping their room clean. It was like living with a stupid baby who didn't even know how to do her own laundry. A stupid baby that Scarlet couldn't help but obsess over. It was bad, she couldn't stop thinking about her. It was causing her to waver in her goal to win the triple tiara. The Derby was the same length, it was at the same racetrack. All her training for the Oaks would line up with what she would have done if she was preparing for the Derby. Why was she considering this?! She sighed, slumped back in her chair as she stared at the paper on her desk. The dorm was quiet, just the sound of their shared shower as Vodka washed.

Her relationship with Vodka was something she had never experienced before. Before her career, before Tracen, she had lived a straight laced life. One of perfection. She got hundreds of all her exams, she ran every race by snatching the lead right away, and then keeping it all the way until the end. She entered Tracen to nurture that winning spirit, and ran scrimmages in front of the trainers in order to show off exactly what she could do.

Vodka breezed past her in her first trial run. She had done everything perfectly. She got an early lead, she battled it out with the other front runners, but made sure to keep enough stamina to have a strong finish. And yet still, Vodka drove up the outside and beat her. It was embarrassing to think of now, but that loss shattered her. Her roommate, the new girl she met and would be sharing her space with, showed her up in front of everyone. She almost burst a blood vessel. She almost burst into tears. In the end, she just stormed off, refused to talk to any of the trainers, and mopped around until it was time for the next scrimmage. She saved herself from further humiliation, and beat Vodka. But still, all the trainers could talk about was that damn girl. Sure, with a final spurt like that she was absolutely a racer to keep an eye on. There are some things you just can't teach, and the way she could move through crowds at top speed, and drive home with incredible grit was something else. Vodka was strong, but Scarlet refused to take the number two spot behind her.

She refused any trainer that even so much as mentioned her rival. That's right, rival. Turns out Vodka was just as obsessive and as much as a sore loser she was. She got right in her face after the scrimmage, smirking even after she had just been beaten. Vodka wanted another go at her. There was something that made her eyes shine, a fighting spirit that just would not quit. Scarlet was more than happy to rise to the occasion, but she hadn't expected it to impact her personal life as much as it did. She thought they could at least be sociable outside of the track. But Vodka mocked her pigtails that very night, and suddenly there was an entirely new breed of hatred for her in Scarlet's heart. How dare she! Her mother gave her a tiara for entering Tracen, and it just so happened that when Scarlet styled her hair, the tiara looked the best when flanked by two bushy pigtails. Vodka and her little rat tail could never measure up to her prettiness. Of course, Vodka had her own wild look, black leather and vibrant yellows, a bleached bit of her fringe and a muscled figure. Of course, as an athlete, Scarlet’s body was toned to perfection. But Vodka was similar to Mejiro Ryan, where the muscle and the weight lifting was part of the aesthetic. When Scarlet posed for photos and the occasional mirror, she was trying to look cute, and pretty. When Vodka posed, she was flexing her “guns” like a fool, like what she was doing right now.

Scarlet, half dozed off from thinking about how she’d just die of shame if she changed to the Derby just to chase Vodka, snapped back to reality. Vodka had her towel wrapped around her waist, flexing her arms as she dripped water everywhere. She had such well defined back muscles, and her arms were sturdy and strong. It was good Vodka was facing away from her, Scarlet would have died from embarrassment if she saw how she was staring at her. Scarlet threw up an arm to block the view, both hers of Vodka and Vodka's of her reddening face “Could you not?!”

“What? I've been working hard lemme see the results.” Vodka turned around, and Scarlet shut her eyes in order not to be caught looking.

“You're getting the floor wet! Put on a shirt you'll catch a cold. And clean up the water! I don't want wet socks when I'm walking around my room.” She snapped at her, attempting to ignore how her heart raced for a moment. It was just annoyance. Her blood ran hot around that idiot because of the stress she put her under. That was the logical answer to it, nothing more to analyse.

“Goddesses you nag, nag, nag! You're like an old granny in the corner there.” Vodka mimed out her hand flapping like a mouth, rolling her eyes at her whiny rival. “What are you at anyway? We don't have homework for tomorrow… do we?”

Scarlet sighed loudly “No, we don't. I'm confirming my place at the Japanese Oaks. You should be doing the same for the Derby.”

“Yeah yeah, like last time huh. I've got time.”

“You should confirm early. So that they have plenty of time to draw gates and do advertising. It's polite”

“Whatever, only you would worry about stuff like that.” Vodka dried herself off, dropping the towel in a heap and throwing on her pyjamas. “So, the Oaks. You're really going for all the tiaras huh”

“Of course, it's the perfect way to cement myself as the number one Uma Musume. You're running in the Derby, because you think it's cool. That's so shallow” Scarlet didn't know why she was pretending. The Derby is one of the most illustrious races in the twinkle series, it was a race worthy to run in, to win. Of course it was a cool race. But she couldn't help it. She felt nervous. Vodka was going into it without the experience of the Satsuki Sho. She didn't know what running against the other racers in the crown circuit would be like. She couldn't plan, she couldn't prepare for her rivals without having ever stepped on the same turf as them.

“Don't diss the Derby! It's super cool! And it's why I love racing. It's about heart, and guts! Putting your all on the line. That's the Derby. You wouldn't get it. You like running because, what? You're good at it? Whose really the shallow one here” Vodka sat on her bed, racking a comb through her hair.

“Hey! That's not it you dunce! I like racing the same way everyone likes it. I'm just not a child and have to shout my feelings out for the entire world to hear.” Scarlet snapped back, her face burning. Is that how she saw her? As an passionless glory hound? “Look, if you really wanted to run in the Derby why didn't you just run in the triple crown circuit?” She's going in blind, how did she expect to win? It would be ok if there was significant time between the Satsuki Sho and the Derby, the racers would likely run a race in-between them to stay fired up, like how they did for the gap between the Derby and the Kikuka Sho. But there isn't, everyone was resting and getting ready for the Derby. Vodka didn't stand a chance. Why did she care?!

“Because I suck ass at long distance. I much prefer mile races. I wouldn't have been able to run the three thousand meters for the Kikuka. So what's the point in doing just two crowns? I figured I would stick to my best distances, Miles and Mediums. Like hey, I bested you in a mile race”

“I literally just beat you in one today. Or did you forget”

“Yeah” Vodka grinned “And I'm gonna thrash you in the Shuka Sho. So go win your double tiara, because there's no way I'm letting you take another tiara on my watch”

“Well, at least you confirmed you're actually coming back to the tiara tour. Good…I'll make sure to beat you there too…. Good luck in the Derby. I hope you win” Those words felt like lead in her mouth. She wanted to race her, so badly she legitimately considered abandoning her triple tiara just to chase her down and defeat her in the Derby. But now, as she wrote down her intent to race in the Oaks, another feeling was bubbling to the surface. Why did she want Vodka to win?

“Scarlet, it's a matter of comparison my dear!”

Scarlet sat in the old lab room that Agnes Tachyon had invaded, who knows how long ago. She cupped a mug of tea with far too many sugar cubes in it for her liking, but she wouldn't want to upset her host. Tachyon was crotched up on her chair, lab coat draped over her uniform as she sipped tea from her own mug. She liked Tachyon, she really did. That was an unpopular opinion among students, but she always found the girl to be kind and pleasant. If not a tad bit weird. “Comparsion?”

“Yes of course! These unhelpful feelings you mentioned. Perhaps a desire to live through your rival, uplifting them so that you may uplift yourself!” Tachyon stirred her tea, the spoon clicking hard as she spun the liquid rapidly. She was trying to dissolve the dozen or so sugar cubes still floating in it.

“I don't get what you mean, like, I want Vodka to do well so it makes me look good too?”

“Precisely! After all, what sounds better? Daiwa Scarlet, winner of the Shuka Sho, beating out G1 winner Vodka. Derby Uma Musume Vodka loses to Daiwa Scarlet. Compare that with just, Daiwa Scarlet wins Shuka Sho, beating Vodka. The satisfaction of victory can come from the accolades of your opponents you know”

That didn't feel like it was the answer she was looking for, but it was a convenient one. It could explain away her mushy feelings that were better left unaddressed. It didn't explain why she was so worried for Vodka, why she found herself thinking of ways to help her. Maybe she could find information on the other racers in the Derby, or Vodka could arrive home to find her watching the Satsuki Sho, just for some fun analysis. She shook off those ideas as blatant favouritism, Vodka probably would see it as a slight. She just had to hope in silence that Vodka was adequately preparing. “I suppose you're right. After all, if I'm not running in the Derby, and then I defeat the Derby Uma Musume, that's almost as good as winning the Derby itself” She smiled, this line of thinking was the easy answer she was looking for. She was right to consult her senior “Did you experience something like this too, Tachyon?”

“Something like it, yes. After my hiatus, toying with Pokkie was as fun as it was before she got a big head about defeating Opera O. Dear Pokkie likes to boast about her accomplishments but she can never relish the experience of defeating me. What will Vodka say if you take the triple tiara? What will you say to her? That she ran off to snag a win elsewhere? The possibilities to bait her into a rage are endless”

“I suppose so” The thought of diminishing Vodka's achievement if she did manage to pull off the win wasn't something she could get excited about. But if it kept up appearances, that Scarlet wasn't now hiding a soft spot for her idiot rival, maybe it would be fine. She left the lab in high spirits and a queasy feeling in her stomach, if it was from the sugary tea or her own thoughts she didn't know. The dates for both the Oaks and the Derby were rapidly approaching. Reporters were kicking up a storm now, buzzing in the halls and around the practice course. The classic runners always got a lot of press, they were the up and comers, the fresh blood on the scene. As Scarlet tried to go to class she found the doorway inside blocked by a large pack of reporters, with Vodka standing leaned against the doorframe.

“So it's true? You've changed to the Derby? Do you really think you have a chance?” One of the interviewers asked.

Vodka shrugged, her arm held against the frame in a cool pose, or what she considered cool “As good as any other Uma. I'm gonna give you all a show you'll never forget. That's rock and roll” Scarlet cringed internally. She was an idiot.

“Fucking dumbass..” Someone mumbled beside her in the hall, catching Scarlet's attention. An Uma with jet black hair tied tightly into a bun. She had thin, steel glasses and was glaring at Vodka. It took Scarlet a second to recognise her. It was Blitz, the winner of that year's Satsuki Sho. “You got a problem?” The words were out of Scarlet's mouth before she even realised. The girl's eyes shot from Vodka to Scarlet.

“Your friend’s gonna get trampled. You think she can jump circuit and expect to breeze to victory? Don't make me laugh. She doesn't have what it takes”

Vodka wasn't Scarlet's friend. They were roommates, rivals. That's all. “How would you know? You've never raced her. Underestimate her and you've guaranteed your defeat. One win doesn't make you any better than her” Scarlet walked off, up to the reporters, blocking out whatever the other girl said as she left her in the dust. “Move aside!” She shouted from the back of the crowd, pushing through and then grabbing Vodka to march her back inside “We have class now! Do that stuff on your own time” She slammed the door behind her.

“What the hell? They wanted to talk to me. They're all surprised, asking if I was making the right choice, bunch of stupid questions really.” Vodka rubbed the back of her head. Scarlet knew it, not even the press had her back. “Don't listen to them, reporters just want headlines and clicks. They'll say anything.” Scarlet sat down in her seat, taking out her textbook “I never talk to them, it's a distraction”

“Yeah, whatever.”

Vodka didn't look like it was bothering her, that was a relief. A relief? Why was it a relief?! Why did she care about how she was feeling, it should only matter if she wins. Tachyon's reasoning was already falling apart in her head. It might be enough for others to accept, but Scarlet's inner feelings were still in conflict. She pushed them aside, at least for now. She had her own race to worry about.

At least, she thought she did.

The week of the Oaks, her training was going well. She was adequately prepared to run the 2400m that was required. It would be her longest race yet, but she knew she was up for the challenge. She was resting well, her diet was good and everything was looking like she would enter the turf in top physical form. Until she woke up that morning. The first breath she took was raspy, her throat dry and itchy. She coughed, hard, from the back of her throat. Her lungs tightened, her entire chest lit up with pain. She was to get up, but fatigue and weakness left her sprawled out on her bed. She was clammy, caked in sweat but absolutely freezing. She managed to lift her arm and wipe her forehead, it felt hot. Her nose was blocked. No, only one side was. The other was fine, dry even.

“Yo, Scarlet. You're gonna be late” Vodka was already dressed, she never rose early. Scarlet was always the one dragging her out of bed. She watched Vodka peer down at her from the bed, her eyebrows raising as she saw the state she was in “Oh shit, you good? You look like hell!”

“Shu-” She meant to say shut up, but another cough interrupted her. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her airways, but it just caused another spluttering fit. Her chest ached.

“You're sick…?!” Vodka darted to the cabinet, where the first aid kit was in every dorm. She took it apart, but there was nothing she could do to fix her cough. Scarlet knew it too, they had just come to the same conclusion.

If she wasn't well within a day, she'd be scratched from the Japanese Oaks.

“Umm, so there's no cough medicine here. There's pain killers, you want some? I'll find Fuji, maybe she'll have some. Umm…if not I'll run to town. It's not that bad, right? Should you see the nurse? No, shit she'll definitely say you can't run… can you? How do you feel?” Vodka was panicking more than Scarlet at this point, as Scarlet did not even have the energy to fret.

Scarlet lay on her back, her head swimming. Listening to Vodka was giving her a headache. It was bad. She couldn't find the strength to sit up in her bed, how was she supposed to be up and running for the fitness test before the Oaks? She had just over 24 hours to buck the illness, and that was never going to happen. She let the weight of that sit on her chest, her face felt numb but she knew she was about to cry “I'm going to miss it…” She whispered, her voice croaking.

“No! Don't say that! Stay there!” As if she was going anywhere! Vodka sprinted out the door, and returned with a glass of water from the dormitory kitchen. She took two of the pain killers out of the package, and put it all down on Scarlet's bedside table. “Take this, I told Fuji, so she's coming… how bad is it?”

Scarlet was half asleep by the time she came back, groaning softly as Vodka woke her “Vodka…”

“Yeah? I'm here. What do you want?”

“...tell the nurse, she'll remove me from the Oaks…”

“You can't be serious…Scarlet!”

Scarlet dragged herself upright, with great effort. She panted heavily, her face slick with sweat and her chest spiking with pain with every breath. She did everything right. She got lots of rest, she didn't overtrain or run in the rain. She did everything to ensure her success. She ate good food and drank lots of water, all in the right amounts. To be struck down by such illness days before the race, it felt like the world was punishing her for no reason. An unlucky roll of the dice, one that was going to ruin her dreams of becoming the number one Uma Musume. The tears were falling before she even realised it, a sob cut short by another fit of coughs. Vodka pushed the glass of water into her hand, and even as she swallowed the pills, she knew it wouldn't help. Fuji came by later, sending Vodka off to class. She confirmed what Scarlet already knew, that she had a bad case of illness, and any training or racing she would have been doing for the foreseeable future would have to be cancelled until she improved. She struggled, but she managed to ask if Fuji thought she would be well by tomorrow. The dormitory leader looked crestfallen as she shook her head.

“Oh…poor little pony. Little sick pony” Fuji patted her head as Scarlet took the cough medicine through angry hot tears. She strapped a face mask on, and it immediately got damp as more tears streamed down her face. She couldn't help it. She would never run in the Oaks. She'd never become an Oaks Uma Musume, she could never take the triple tiara. It was so unfair. She hacked up phlegm as she coughed shuddering as she felt a chill wash over her body. Laying back down she opened her eyes again, bloodshot from all her wailing. “What do I do now…?”

Fuji paused for a second, and sighed “Rest. Move forward. You'll be better soon, it's not the end of the world, even if it does feel like that right now. You'll run again, probably in the Shuka Sho if not sooner. You'll be ok, it's not a career ending injury, it's just a hurdle you'll have to overcome.”

Right, Fuji Kiseki was like Tachyon, four races undefeated and then suffering a career ending injury. Scarlet must look pathetic to her, whining about missing one race. But…it was the classics. She'd never run in the Oaks, this was her only chance and it had slipped through her fingers at the last possible second. “Ok…thank you” She mumbled, closing her eyes as sleep gripped her once again.

She awoke to the door opening, a vague scent seeping into the room. She could barely smell, her nose blocked and her senses completely shot. The curtains were drawn, the room draped in a thin darkness. The only light coming from where the sun beamed in from the ends of the curtains. But someone was moving, quietly.

“Scarlet”

Vodka was whispering, crouching in close when she saw Scarlet had opened her eyes. Her voice was further muffled from the face mask she wore, but Scarlet would never misheard Vodka saying her name.

“Vodka…”

“Are you hungry? I made soup…”

Now that she mentioned it, there was a pit in her stomach that was beginning to ache. She hadn't had breakfast after all. “Yes…what time…”

“The time? It's lunch. I went into town and bought some stuff for you. I thought homemade soup would help”

That was something that surprised Scarlet, that Vodka was actually a good cook. She certainly gave the impression of someone who would set fire to the dormitory kitchen. She watched Vodka cook herself steak and omelettes, and she loved BBQs, always wanting to grill when they went to summer training camp. She must have ditched school in order to go and buy food, not to mention cooking it….what an idiot. Scarlet, as chill and freezing as she felt, did experience a bit of warmth thinking about that. She sat up in the bed, pulling the mask to her chin. Vodka got up, and brought the bowl of soup to her bedside table. Scarlet reached for the spoon, but her hand was shaking. Goddesses the chills were getting to her. Her hand felt numb, too cold to properly flex her fingers. Vodka paused, and then out of the blue straddled her. Scarlet felt the weight of the Uma on her legs and her head shot up to meet Vodka's eyes. Even in the dim light and the mask, she looked downright bashful. “I'll feed you…if I have to” She mumbled, picking up the bowl, and the spoon.

“Get away…don't look at me” Scarlet must look pathetic, all sweaty and sick, her hair frizzy and knotted. She felt terrible, and didn't want her rival to see her this bad.

“You look fine, don't worry about such small things”

“You’re too close” Scarlet coughed, her face buried in her elbow.

“...Just shut up and eat, ok” Scarlet couldn't see her mouth, but Vodka was smiling. She smiled with her eyes. She brought the spoon up to Scarlet's mouth, and Scarlet took the first small sip. It was good. It wasn't too hot, it didn't scald the inside of her mouth. The taste was mellow, easy on her stomach, and hearty. They sat in silence, only the sound of the spoon on the ceramic bowl, and Scarlet swallowing disturbed the quiet. Scarlet looked up at her roommate, she had not spoken a word of hurt towards her all day. Even now, at her absolute lowest, Vodka didn't so much as tease her. But shouldn't she? They were rivals, they hated each other, and Scarlet was at her absolute lowest. It only made sense to rub it in. Would she have? A sick Vodka, missing the Derby. That would break Scarlet's heart, that's why she didn't want her here. It wasn't about the shame of being seen like this, but the fear of giving her cough to Vodka. That's why she didn't want her too close. It was just like the whole comparison justification as to why she wanted her to win. A convenient lie to mask her true intention. How cowardly.

“...I wanted to watch you…tomorrow” Scarlet mumbled out loud. She had planned to go to the track after her physical. “I…was gonna be there to see you win”

Vodka dropped the spoon down into the empty bowl. “...really?” Curious, shyly so. Her tail pushed against the covers behind her.

“I'm sorry..” She blurbed, almost in a fit of tears once again. Illness had made her delirious, emotional. She had to get Vodka away from her before she said something she'd regret, something she wanted to keep close to her chest.

“Hey…hey…don't cry…” Vodka put her hand on her shoulder, and Scarlet had to pause before shaking it off. She wanted a hug right now, Vodka's hand felt warm, cutting through the chills. But, she couldn't let Vodka get sick. She took a sip of water, and pulled the mask back over her face. “You should go…what if Fuji comes back, and sees you skipping.”

“Fuck Fuji, I'm not leaving if you're upset”

She had to stifle a laugh, and ended up coughing once again. Vodka, like any other reasonable girl in the ritto dorm, was slightly afraid of dormitory leader Fuji Kiseki. She was lovely, yes, but also stern. Being a bad pony when Fuji was around meant harsh punishment. Vodka broke curfew, didn't do her homework, and their arguments got them noise compliments when they first came to the dorms. They were both intimately familiar with Fuji’s angry side.

“Imagine she heard you say that…” Scarlet couldn't help but smile.

“I'd say it to her face if it would cheer you up…I do know you need rest though. If it would make you feel better…I'll just stay until you're asleep again. That ok?” Vodka slipped off Scarlet's bed, and knelt down by her face.

“I suppose…” After being fed and watered, fatigue was setting in once again. Scarlet lay down, closing her eyes “Thanks…for everything”

“Don't mention it…I know you'd do the same for me. Look, I know…you can't run in the Oaks. But if I win the Derby, and one of us takes the Shuka Sho…Doesn't that mean, together, we have a triple? Two tiaras and a crown, no matter who wins the Shuka, the pair of us will have three classic wins. It might not be your triple tiara…but I'll share my victories with you if you share with me”

That sounded a little ridiculous…but it sent warm tingles across Scarlet's body “I'd like that…Vodka” She mumbled. “Win the Derby…for me”

Vodka softly gulped “...Y-you bet. Get some rest, Scarlet”

A soft quiet floated over the room, the darkness behind Scarlet's eyelids was fuzzy and she now wasn't sure what had been a dream and what had actually happened. A warm brush on her forehead, and whispered words in her ear send her off to sleep.

Fuji visited her the next morning, she had spent yesterday afternoon and evening falling in and out of sleep, every time Vodka was somewhere at her side. Fuji took her temperature, and informed her that she would be telling the nurse that Scarlet was too sick for her Oaks physical. That would fail her, and so she'd be scratched from the Japanese Oaks racing card. Her gate would be empty, or given to a Uma who was unavailable to qualify ahead of the others, but was first in line for a drop out. Scarlet nodded, she had shed enough tears the day before, but this was still a hard blow. Scarlet went back to sleep, and only awoke when the alarm she set blared off. She grabbed her phone, and with great effort, pulled up the stream of the Japanese Derby.

She set it up so her phone was leaned upright on her beside table, watching the racers enter the turf up. The commentators talked as the racers stretched and psyched themselves up for one of the biggest races of the season.

“We have some very stiff competition coming into this year's Derby. Blitz in gate seven, does she have the strength to take home her second crown?”

“She is definitely the favourite coming in, as is common with the Satsuki Sho winner. But we also have Beauty Again in gate 15. A lot of people are expecting her to cause an upset here, as she so often has in her previous races”

“Speaking of long shots, we have Vodka out wide at gate 17. Switching over from the tiara tour”

“Yes, she's going to struggle against unknown opposition here. Everyone is ready to test what they've learnt from the Satsuki Sho, she's gonna have to work extra hard if she wants to take home a crown”

“The racers are entering the gates now, the classic fanfare band playing as they settle and get ready to race. It could be anyone's day today”

Silence, for a moment before the off. The lights flashed red, then the gates opened.

“And they're off! A great start from all the runners, rushing right out of the gates!”

Scarlet let the commentators gush about the pace (quite fast) and the positions of each runner, but she was hardly listening now. Her eyes were scanning the pack, picking out where Vodka was. She was in the front of the rear runners. She had a difficult gate to start with, being on the outside meant she had to run a slightly longer distance. At 2400m, this distance was the absolute max Vodka was comfortable with. She didn't have the patience for long races. If she was forced to stay on the outside, she'd suffer in the final spurt. That was when she was at her best, she couldn't risk coming into the last stretch with nothing more to give. But if she moved to the inside without a care, she could very easily end up blocked and unable to move up at the end. Running ahead of the other late surgers so she could take the inside lane without a worry was a smart strategy. Scarlet was glad to see she was using her head. But there were many pace chasers, some forced out wide and were not trying to move in at all. They were gambling that they had enough stamina to do so and win. This was bad. If Vodka couldn't switch out wide and accelerate with no one in her way, she couldn't win. She'd have to get past them through the middle. Which may or may not be possible. Late surgers could easily get blocked and lose even against weaker opponents if a gap wasn't found. How could she handle the pressure of that? Scarlet was shaking with nerves, she wanted her to win, so badly. She watched the runners ahead of Vodka, but they barely moved an inch from their positions. Some were starting to move up already, intent to pressure the front runners as they came into the second last turn. Vodka slowly moved up to, there was now not one length between her and the pace chasers. There was no gap either, not in the middle or out wide.

She was going to lose. A stone sank in Scarlet's chest. She couldn't move up. It was the final spurt, there was no racer totally ahead. The front runners were barely hanging on, the pace chasers had completely caught up, everyone was battling it out at the front. A runner swerved to the side in an attempt to overtake a runner right ahead of her.

Vodka kicked off. She bolted into the space left behind, and cut in left around the same Uma that the other racer was trying to overtake. Neither saw her coming, and she was driving out wide now.

“Blitz has completely faded! It's Nova Waves, and Beautiful Skylin- VODKA, she's out wide! She's in front! Leaving them behind! Vodka has it, she's taken the Derby by storm!”

“Yes!” Scarlet cried out, then hacked out a cough as her excitement got the better of her. Vodka slowed to a stop, raising her fist to the sky. She was panted heavily, sweat dripped from her face, having given in everything she had. Vodka, Derby Uma Musume.

As Scarlet disembarked the flight, that moment all those years ago was at the forefront of her mind. Laying in bed, battling a brief period of sickness in her classic year. She missed the Oaks, she watched Vodka win the Derby from her bed. It had been a changing point in their relationship. Scarlet could see how Vodka's eyes lingered on her, and not in the typical way in how she used to glare. Their fights continued, but the venom had been taken out. It was less about attacking the others feelings, or inflicting the perfect insult to crush their spirit. They poked fun at each other, roughhoused and played stupid pranks. They were still competing, but now they were also fighting for the others' attention, both on and off the track. But on the track they were absolutely still rivals. Scarlet bested Vodka in the Shuka Sho, and then again they planned to face off in the Queen Elizabeth Cup. Vodka suffered a small injury before it, and they were forced to postpone their next battle. She managed to get Vodka to run the Arima Kenin with her, given how she had not been able to race and couldn't stop Scarlet from taking home the Queen Elizabeth Cup. Both lost the race, Scarlet in second and Vodka not even placing.

Then, Vodka went abroad. She went to Dubai, racing against some of the best in the world. Scarlet, in secret, plotted to follow her out there, trying her hand at dirt tracks. But another injury prevented her from doing so. It was frustrating, the two of them felt it. Vodka returned home with no wins abroad, and while Scarlet ran and won the Osaka Hai in her absence, another injury, this time a broken leg, did nothing to lift their spirits. The first half of their senior years were successful in some ways, Vodka won the Yasuda Kenin, and Scarlet won the Osaka Hai, both against an incredibly tough competition. But they kept missing each other. Scarlet failed to meet her in Dubai, and now that she was home a broken leg prevented another race. Vodka cared for her, carried her books, and they swore that in the Autumn Tenno Sho, they would reignite their rivalry. The months of recovery, slowly getting back into shape from such a difficult injury was tough. Vodka was with her again every step of the way. It was like the Oaks once again, Vodka could be so caring, so gentle when Scarlet felt like everything was against her. Scarlet questioned her, of course. Vodka would scratch her head, blurb something like “I want you at your best when I beat you” and dash off, sheepishly coming back when she remembered that she still had Scarlet's bag on her back. Scarlet never pressed the issue further, but it certainly reminded her of a conversation she had once. Vodka's time abroad, and now her constant presence, put so deeply into perspective how badly she had missed the Uma. The empty dorm room was full of life again, and getting Vodka's attention from the moment she woke up, being handed her crutch, to it being taken from her and placed on the ground at night, was something she began to live for.

The Autumn Tenno Sho, the absolute, winner takes all, showdown between the two rivals. Scarlet had not been bested by Vodka since the beginning of their classic year. She had never placed lower than second. Vodka was storming through her senior year with never placing before fourth the whole year, and taking her third G1 victory. The race was one of the best races Scarlet had ever run. She did incredibly, she tore up the turf the entire race, fighting off Vodka and that year's Derby Uma. She fought the lead back off Vodka when she passed her on the final spurt, and the two crossed the line together, causing a photo finish. The judges took time to deliberate, but a few minutes later they announced, from a gap of about 2cm, Vodka had beaten her. And Vodka didn't stop there, she went right in and won the Japan Cup as well. Blood dripping from her nose, fist raised to the sky, she was the URA’s horsegirl of the year. Scarlet would not be outdone, and went back to finally take the Arima Kenin she had come so close to in her classic year. Everything was set to repeat this year, but better in every way. Vodka won the Yasuda Kenin again, and went back to Dubai in search of her first foreign win. Scarlet, also keen to improve on last year's accidents, began training to join Vodka out here in Dubai. But that was not why she was here right now.

The heat was no joke, Scarlet stepped off the steps onto the runway, feeling the sun blaring down on her. She clutched the cane in one hand, and her travel bag in her other. She had not brought much luggage, she wouldn't be staying long. She had made a second push to qualify for a race out here, but her legs couldn't handle any more. Inflammated tendons in her legs, ones that wouldn't simply go away with rest. They would hurt for a while, like right now, then they would fade as she stopped training. If she was ever to start running at the intensity of a racer in the twinkle series, they would come back. It was over, Daiwa Scarlet, Miss Perfect who never placed below second, was now retired and graduating from Tracen Academy. And she was here to get Vodka to do the same.

Vodka had run her first race out here recently. She placed badly, but Vodka always had volatile results. She could place seventh in one race then immediately win back to back G1’s. Late surgers were gamblers, their power and strength sometimes at the whims of the other racers. But as Scarlet watched Vodka run that race, in the middle of the night back in Japan, she saw Vodka cross the line with blood streaming down her face. It was the Japan Cup all over again. Vodka always had weak veins in her nose, it's why she bled when romance was being discussed. But during the Japan Cup she bled for the first time racing, and now it was becoming a trend. She looked dizzy, sick as she bent down to hold herself upright, a stream of blood dripping into the turf. Scarlet watched her get into an ambulance on the track, and she could not sleep the rest of the night. Which was lucky, because for some reason Scarlet received a phone call as Vodka's emergency contact. Scarlet booked a flight over, and was now in a taxi on the way to the airport.

Scarlet had suffered numerous injuries during her time as a racer. That was fairly common, it was rare for an Uma to go their entire career without something hindering them. But Vodka was strong, hardy and never so much as had a sniffle. Even with her being injured before the Queen Elizabeth Cup, she was up and running within a few days. Scarlet thought that annoyed her, that it was unfair that she had to suffer but Vodka didn't. It was just jealousy. But it didn't make sense that she was jealous that Vodka had gotten to look after her, and that she never got to return the favour. Vodka never needed coddling, she was always so sure of herself and never let defeat get her down. She hated losing, but it drove her to be the best. Scarlet certainly admired that about her.

After the Oaks, they still spoke as rivals, as fierce competitors. But it was something more, something unsaid that hung over their entire senior year. They talked on the phone and by text constantly when Vodka was away. Scarlet had to restrain herself from asking when she was going to be back. Vodka was heartbroken seeing Scarlet limping around on a crutch, and the way she tended to her, and supported her return to racing was not something a rival should do. She came to every doctor's appointment, she watched every PT session, even as she trained for her own races, she was looking out for Scarlet. Sure, they vowed the Autumn Tenno Sho would be the culmination of their rivalry, of their opposition to each other, but Vodka took her hand when the judges were deciding the winner. They watched together, as a victor was crowned. But for that brief moment between the end of the racer and the crowning of Vodka as the victor, they were both equals, standing in support of each other. Scarlet dreamt about that moment for a long time, the heat radiating off her rival, the smile of comfort she gave her. The hint of embarrassment when her name was called as the winner. Who knew that would be the last time they ran together, but Scarlet was satisfied, even in defeat.

The taxi finally arrived at the hospital, Vodka was in a room on the east wing, and Scarlet rapidly approached it. She stood outside the door, took a breath, and then opened it. Vodka was laying in bed, an IV strapped into her wrist and a blood bag hung from the metal hanger. Someone had cleaned the blood that had streamed from her nose down her neck. She looked pale, tired, but content. Her eyes shot from her phone to Scarlet, wide with surprise “Scarlet?! What are you doing here?”

Scarlet walked in, dropping her bag on the chair “Why'd you think, you dunce” She went to the side of the bed, and leaned into to hug her.

“Woah! Hey!” Vodka squirmed under Scarlet's soft embrace, which she then pulled back

“How are you feeling? Are you ok.” It was good to see she hadn't lost her spark.

“Oh I'm!-” Vodka sounded upbeat, but then she slowly dropped the facade “I..feel a bit shit. Like…if I try to exert myself my face might explode, and pop a blood vessel again” She looked at the bed, fiddling with her hands. Vodka shrank in the bed, unable to put a strong face on anymore, not with Scarlet here.

“What did the doctors say?” Scarlet almost whispered it, but she already had a good idea. If physical exercise was now causing her to bleed from her head… she had no choice.

“They said I should retire, that I can't run anymore” Her voice croaked, and the tears began. It was heartbreaking, of course it was. Scarlet, when she decided after her injury, was the exact same. To stop something you had dedicated your entire life to, that you spent every waking second thinking about, of course it was painful. Scarlet had shed tears in the same way, with no one to comfort her. But she was here for Vodka. She patted her head, rubbing her hands through her short hair. “I know…Me too”

The shock of that statement made Vodka open her eyes and look up, then down as she spotted the cane “You're hurt…!”

“I'm fine, promise. But I can't run either… I'm retiring as well. I was actually training to come out here to race against you…” Scarlet held her in close, pressing their heads together. “I missed you…again. I tried the same thing last year I'll be honest”

“Yeah…I know”

Now it was Scarlet's turn to be surprised. ”What?! You knew about that? Just this time, or just last? Or both?!”

“Both!” Vodka couldn't help herself but laugh through the tears “Spe can't keep a secret….she told me” Vodka sighed, and looked serious again “I was waiting for you, one last race between us both would have been amazing”

Scarlet nodded “Who knows….retirement races are common enough. There are the two dream trophies every year too.” The Dream Trophies, for legendary retired racers to enjoy a decent run in front of a crowd once again. More commemorative races that competitive events, but they drew crowds and racers were always willing to fill the gates.

“Yeah…it won't be the same, will I?”

“No…” The two looked at each other, defeated by father time. Their spots in the twinkle series were coming to a close. It was time to move on. “Hey…do you remember when I missed the Oaks?”

“Huh? Yeah…you cried like a baby”

“Yeah…and when I fell asleep you kissed me on the head…and said something to me. I wish I heard what you said”

Vodka went completely red “You remember that part…?”

“Yeah…” Scarlet leaned in, and planted a kiss on Vodka's head “I love you…”

Vodka stared at her, and her nose started bleeding.

“Oh for Goddess sake- Nurse!”