Chapter Text
Umamusume. They are born to run.
They inherit the names of horses from another world, whose histories were tragic and wonderful, and run ever forward.
Such is their fate; nobody can predict how the futures of these umamusume will unfold.
But regardless, they will continue to run ever forward, with only their goal in sight.
I don't remember the first time I saw an umamusume, but I do remember the first time they made an impression on me. I was about 6, and I was friends with an uma just about my age, who lived on the same block as me. Even at such a young age, they're incredibly powerful—she routinely beat me at every race, arm-wrestling, hide-and-seek, tag, even video games... you name it. I won't share her name for the sake of her privacy, but she was very tender and kindhearted despite so easily being able to crush me in about everything. And yet... despite losing so much, I still loved to run with her more than anything else. I loved the breeze on my face, my legs burning with use, the cheers of our friends. Unfortunately, my family moved soon after her birthday party. I don't think I remember being able to really say goodbye, or even understanding that I wouldn't get the chance to see her again. I didn't become a trainer because of her, but she definitely shaped a big part of my life in that regard.
Late morning, January 11th, my first year as a full-on trainer at the most prestigious umamusume academy in Japan. The crisp air bit at my ears as I approached on foot. I was too enamored with the scale of their facilities to notice the loss of feeling, until the warm air inside amplified the stinging sensation to max... I was as nervous as a middle-schooler presenting a speech to a class of doctorates. Thankfully, Hayakawa Tazuna found me shortly after arrival, greeting me warmly and gracefully showing me the way to the trainer sign-in section. My business-casual look—slacks, dress shirt, subdued athletic shoes and my hair tied up under a baseball cap—gave away to her that I was a trainer, and she had commented as much to me to my mild embarrassment... I soon made my way track-side, finding a quiet part of the bleachers, writing notes and timing some of the umas running. It's all very relaxing to me, so much so that I catch myself zoning out watching their form and techniques. I get caught up in an impromptu sprint between a pair I would recognize anywhere in this field--Manhattan Cafe and Agnes Tachyon.
And the rest, they say, is history.
Sundown, April 22nd, Tachyon's Classic Year. A week after the fateful Satsuki Sho, and her shocking announcement to the racing world. The light reflected off the myriad of baubles and flasks, throwing iridescent specks of light on the ceiling. Despite being her trainer, I had never actually set foot in her hangout/lab before this point—it was always meeting her in the trainer's lounge and out on the track. I admired the scenery as she spoke to me, the sleeve of her coat holding a metronomic tempo every time I glanced back. She never seemed to look my way. "I will be brief but I will not bide my tongue, guinea pig." She spoke without an ounce of malice, but the air was still drenched in dread. "We both are aware of my deteriorating condition. For the longest time, I have settled on running with two plans in mind—Plan A, and Plan B." A pause. I interject. "I'm aware of the plans, as well." My voice is a lot smaller right now than usual. She blinks, and lets out the faintest sigh. "And as my trainer, I have seen to it that I must present you the very best data to fine-tune our expectations and goals. With this condition, however, we have met a very insurmountable obstacle. I am afraid that both my plans are... now in compromise." I look over. She's smiling, but it's shallow. She continues. "It has been my pride to represent the pinnacle of our collective effort, but now I must present, my plan C."
She gets up, her eyes half-lidded and stern. She approaches me, withdrawing a corked flask, holding a glittery pink liquid. I could swear, it was even glowing in her grasp. My hair was standing on end all over, and I tried to suppress the goosebumps coursing down my spine. I winced as she braced herself against the wall behind me, trapping me in her personal space. Her voice was low, a mixture of defeat and determination. "I must forfeit the title to you, trainer." ...she didn't call me guinea pig this time, but trainer. She was still smiling. Her eyes were dull and hurt, but... alert. More alert than I had ever seen before. It's like she was staring into my soul. My heart rate is out of control now, I'm doing my absolute hardest to stifle my nerves, but my fumbled words give it away. "T-Tachy... what even... what do you..." Her smile widens with her eyes.
"You admire me, don't you?~" Her declaration strikes a bolt of nerves down my spine. "And it's not just me, either, huh? I've seen the way you gaze at any uma out on the track. I'd know that gaze anywhere—I see it every day in my classmates. The longing, the need to reach for the ultimate goal, to always better yourself. The desire to be the fastest. You want it too. You don't want me, you want to be me." She contorts herself closer to me, twisting the facts right into my face with her whole body. "What is it about us that stirs you the most? Is it the dresses, manicured and tailored? The performance of it all? Do you admire our dedication on-track, the sheer willpower and spirit on display? The single-minded focus on being the best? Or is it the drive and grit we present, day in and day out, to push each other to the limit, to pull each other forward into a more perfect form?" It... it all makes sense now, the dreams and the ruminations, the pit in my stomach I had after her announcement... She knows, she's known about this for years now. The drunk night out before the Hopeful Stakes, the day at the cafe before the summer break, the first session of my VR uma body, they all come rolling back into my head. I can't believe it! I... I do want to be an uma, so so very badly! And Tachyon is connecting everything for me! She knew it before I could even find the words!
I have nowhere to go, and I have nothing to hide. I collapse into her, clinging on as if my life depended on it. I sob into her arms for a few minutes. After some silent consoling, she offers me a chat over tea.
The office lights sting my puffy, sensitive eyes. The medicine sits between our drinks, and I can't help but stare at it. It's what I want, of course, but I have a... difficult time wrapping my head around the implications of it all. "I assure you," Tachyon explains for my feeble brain, "it should reach its full strength within one week, and the effects will be permanent. If your training goes according to plan, and if you continue to assist me in my experiments, then you should have the capacity to be as fast as me. Perhaps..." She trails off, mumbling to herself through some mental calculations and approximations. I sip at my still-hot tea, silently mulling over my own concerns. After a moment, I query: "How will I get training?" "I admit that I may have upset the top brass on occasion, but Agnes Digital owes me a favor, and Air Shakur can spoof your records for the school's internal file system." I snap back. "That won't do—the Director would probably notice. We gotta try to get her approval." She sighs and takes a sip of her tea. "Oh, little guinea pig, always insisting on the hard way... alright, we'll come clean." I nod, picking up and staring into my tea. "Good, thank you."
My eyes are so tired, despite being so early in the night... this is all starting to feel like a really weird dream. "Is it... is it gonna hurt?" "Oh, probably, yeah." "H-huh?" "I've set up the telomere regeneration within the synthetic virons to act fast, but it's still gonna mess with your immune system before it all gets recycled. It'll feel like the worst fever you've had, without the actual fever part." Synthetic virons? Telomere regeneration? Her biological acumen really stuns me at times. I swallow my pride. She continues, gazing at her creation. "I'd also ask you to stock up on plenty of easy-to-eat foods with lots of dense nutrition. But, again, it should only be a week, and you'll be up-to-par with any other given uma in the academy within a month." My head slumps. I probably couldn't see my family again. I doubt they would understand, let alone accept... maybe I could find some clique here to get along with? Who would even want to scout me? Would anyone want to run with me? Should I be upfront about myself to the other umas, or do I withhold this part of myself? Would I be safe even going to places alone anymore? I... start to feel dizzy, but... but I know that I need to pursue it. I know that in the bottom of my heart, I want this. I drink a few gulps of her tea to refresh myself, and stand up. "Okay, I think I'll do it. Would you like to walk me home, Tachy?"
She grins, perking up like her usual self. "It would be a pleasure to ensure a fellow uma gets home safely."