Faster Than Light

by WD_Flowers

Summary:

Agnes Tachyon woke up in a cold sweat from an unbearable nightmare, only for an even worse realization to hit her.

Plan A had its costs, but the results were pitiful. Plan B could move on even if she didn't run anymore.

A wicked smile came across her face, and Plan C came to fruition. It was pretty simple:

She'd shatter her limits, even if it shattered her own body in the process.

Chapter 1: Universal Constant

Notes:

The speed of light in vacuum. The limit at which anything can travel through space. An unbreakable concept.

This was it. The final stretch of the Satsuki Sho. 2000 meters of turf, firmly and neatly packed into a racetrack, where the dreams of Umamusume came to shine brightly. Where their constant hard work would finally pay off, and they could bask in the spotlight, even if only for a moment. It didn't matter what the objective was — Money, fame, glory, personal goals, all of that was there for the taking. Even those that simply ran for no reason other than enjoyment had to pour mind, soul and body into that racetrack if they wished to step on it.

None of that mattered to her. Only one thing did: Speed. Overwhelming, incomprehensible speed. Every waking moment would be spent on the pursuit of achieving even faster results, be it through rigorous training or through research. Meals could be skipped and sleep hours cut, as long as it meant extra hours poured into finding out the limit. Classes, social events and studying, all ignored if it meant finding out how to reach and surpass it.

It didn't matter how far she had to take her experiments, as long as it didn't hurt anyone else's body too badly, she was willing to execute it. Destruction of property, public inconveniences, even the use of some questionable substances were allowed, but never intentional bodily harm. She was a researcher and a runner. A little deranged, yes, but not malicious. She knew the boundaries of her studies.

And she also was painfully aware of the boundaries of her own body. With her fragile legs, it was hard to tell when they would give out entirely. Maybe tomorrow, maybe never. Still, it meant she needed to be extra careful and create a backup. Plan A was for herself to reach that limit. Plan B was for someone else to do it, with her assistance of course.

It involved sparking a rivalry, carefully watching over their training and slowly nurturing a powerhouse of an Umamusume that couldn't be contained. Gently nudging them towards greatness, sometimes more forcefully than others, but to the benefit of both of them all the same. It was a rather passive plan, save for the running she'd also have to do, but a good plan nonetheless.

Plan A meant arduous training, chemical concoctions and careful planning of her races. Overexertion could mean an injury, and while she would still race again, it would definitely complicate achieving her own personal goal. The satisfaction of reaching beyond that light on the horizon herself…

200 meters. Cafe and Pocket were in front of her. Plan B was working just fine, no need to rush herself… And yet she felt unsatisfied. Unfulfilled. Her body responded by moving her legs faster. Her feet slammed against the dirt and grass below her harder. Her muscles didn't ache at all.

160 meters. The world around her started to become a blur. Her eyes focused solely on the finish line, while the crowd of onlookers became a smear of colors. Their screams and cheers, although incomprehensible, faded into pure white noise. Her heartbeat was louder than all of them together.

120 meters. She overtook Pocket. Of course she did it. The girl was a brute with a heart of gold, and was destined for great things, sure. But not this. The hatred in Pocket's eyes as she was passed could almost be mistaken for the genuine thing, but she knew it was just her competitive nature. She'll get over it.

80 meters. She overtook Cafe. Naturally. The girl was always chasing shadows, but those only existed because of light. Cafe was right in trying to catch up, but she was chasing the wrong thing. Umamusume were meant to run alongside light itself, not darkness. One day, Cafe would catch up with her friend. But today was the day to touch light itself, and it wasn't Cafe's place to do so.

40 meters. Her world started losing color, all of its light blending into a messy rainbow before pure darkness swallowed her whole. Even in her blindness, she kept running. Then she saw it . Threads of pure gold, right in front of her, running faster than anything she’s ever seen. Anything that has ever existed. The limit.

Not the limits of her broken body. Not a personal best. Not a record set by a former runner. Not a theoretical limit of how fast a Umamusume can run.

The limit. The hard, unbreakable limit of what anyone, anywhere and anytime, will ever achieve.

Her arm stretched to it, and instantly she felt her body course with pain, like a bolt of lightning rising up from her legs to her brain. She hesitated, slowed down, and returned to a world of colors. When her senses came about, the race was over. She won first place by a landslide. She looked back to see both of her rivals staring at her in disbelief, exhausted.

She couldn't stand firmly on her left foot, and would need an indefinite hiatus to treat herself, but she was satisfied. She knew the limit, and almost reached it herself. Plan A was a partial success, and Plan B could proceed as—

 

RING RING RING

 

Agnes Tachyon woke up in a cold sweat, immediately tossing her blankets away as she slammed her fist against the alarm clock. 02:13 AM. Why the hell was it set up to ring at this hour? Did she forget something so basic for her functioning, in her research crazed state? But more importantly than that…

That dream. That cursed dream. That nightmare. She felt disgusted with herself. Happy for merely grazing it. For barely keeping up. For feeling content in mediocrity. She looked down at her legs, trembling still, as if the phantom pain still haunted her. But… It gave her an important insight for her research, one she hadn't previously considered before. Why would she, after all? Plan A by itself was already risky. This was complete madness.

She slowed her breathing down, but despite her efforts it remained sporadic and intense — The new idea brewing in her mind was making her heart race with both morbid excitement and overwhelming fear. She pulled her legs closer, hugging them gently, as if they were going to shatter at any second.

Plan B didn't need her. It could move onward even if she didn't run anymore.

Plan A had its costs, but the results were pitiful. A part of her body and life, for a fraction of the result. It wasn't enough.

A wicked smile came across her face, and a quiet, desperate giggle followed soon after. She clutched her legs tighter. So be it.

Plan C it is.

---

“You’re almost late, ya know?” Pocket barked at Tachyon’s direction, finishing her stretches inside the stall. “I’d hate it if I couldn’t make you eat dirt because you couldn’t make it!” The brute suddenly grabbed the bars beside her, propping herself up and nearly vaulting over the thing, just to stare down at her rival. A single cold glare was all the response she got. “Hey, what’s with the silent treatment?! Usually you have at least a smile on! Cafe! Snap some sense into her!”

“Don’t get me involved in whatever she has planned.” Cafe brushed the dark strands of hair out of her face, not sparing even a single moment to the nonsense happening beside her. “It can’t be good.” She closed her eyes, expecting some sort of snarky remark, insistent pestering or insane rambling. Any of those would have been normal for Tachyon. Instead, silence fell on her ears. It almost made Cafe want to smile. Almost.

“Well, it’s not gonna work anyway!” Pocket dropped down back into her spot, popping her jacket’s collar as she looked at the rest of her competition. “I’m gonna blitz past all of you losers and take the gold home, you hear me?! Especially you. ” Her fiery gaze towards her rival was not even met this time. Tachyon’s eyes were instead fixed in the horizon, unmoving. Unblinking. The race hadn’t even started, and her breathing already looked labored. Pocket felt a tinge of worry in the back of her mind, only for a moment. “Tachyon?”

Tachyon simply allowed her hair to fall over her eyes, looking down at the ground instead. Pocket tried to get her attention again, but she ignored it as best as she could. In the cacophony of emotions inside her heart, another one began worming its way in. Alongside the paralyzing fear and overwhelming anxiety was a blooming sense of shame. Guilt over a sin she had yet to commit, but already fated herself to. How could she even face Pocket?

She knew Pocket, in some sort of strange way, looked up to her. Perhaps up was not the right angle, and it was more akin to an obsessive gaze than a simple look of admiration, but the emotion was still there. She remembered receiving the brute’s honest and heartfelt declaration of war, just the day before. Barging into her “research room” and issuing Tachyon a challenge, vowing to become the strongest herself and to win the Satsuki Sho, to keep winning, onwards and onwards. Golden eyes filled with endless determination and resolve.

Tachyon couldn’t even look back at her. Instead, her eyes darted across the room, searching for anything that could get her mind off the person right in front of her. It didn’t take long before they landed on the faint glow of her laptop, displaying a simple radiography exam of her legs. Her heart sank, knowing very well what that simple x-ray picture meant. And still, Jungle Pocket smiled obliviously to her, unaware of what she was about to do. Her eyes rested on her legs then, just as they did now.

She could be overthinking this whole thing. Maybe once the first fracture reared its ugly head, Tachyon would slow down immediately, the pain being too much to bear. A loss through injury was nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe with the second fracture, the pain would force her to stop and drop on the ground instantly. They’d write a few articles about it, she’d recover, and life would move on. The third fracture would definitely make her stumble onto others, but that wasn’t intentional — Ah, who was she making excuses to? Who was she lying to?

She already knew that once logic was thrown out the window, emotion would guide her every step, and her emotions were as intense as they were ugly. Her fear of pain was far outmatched by her fear of failure — She could live with one, she’d die with the other. Winning first place would bring her a miniscule portion of the joy that breaking the limit would. And the burning shame that fully blossomed in her heart? That would numb her to all of the pain she’d endure over the next few minutes.

In her nightmare, she took too long to start giving it her all, too satisfied with solely reaching that limit. Today, as soon as the final turn was done, she’d start her countdown. The final moments of a Umamusume’s racing career. Like the rest of her kind, she was born to run and shine in the track, but not for long. She readied herself, waiting for the buzzer to ring.

This would be the last time Agnes Tachyon would ever shine, and she was about to blind the whole world.

With a loud ring, the gates in front of her slammed open, the rest of the girls taking the lead, while she herself simply followed the pace. She didn’t want to leave with any regrets, and although she knew that was impossible, she could still minimize those feelings by taking in everything from the track that she could never have again. She wanted to enjoy these last few moments, before complete madness overtook her.

First was the turf beneath her feet, of bright green grass and compact dirt. It felt soft to step on, but the force of each step left an imprint deeper than you’d expect. By the end of the race, it would be ruined, with hundreds of thousands of little marks all across it, and if everything went well, a big one at the end. Once it was ruined, the smell of fresh leaves would take over the field. She enjoyed that smell.

Dark clouds drifted gently high above her, and although they looked heavy with rain water, today was not going to be a rainy day. They made her mind drift to late nights of research, in which the sky would pour rain down relentlessly, and the intense smell of petrichor and sweet tea would relax her mind. What she wouldn’t give to have that composure right now.

The wind was slowly taking the clouds away, one by one, and soon the sun would shine down on the track. If her calculations were right, the sky would be entirely clear during the exact moment she’d cross the finish line. Maybe a little afterwards, if Plan C was a success. Heaven was opening itself to her, and somehow it felt like a mockery.

The crowd cheered all of them on, each violent step of the way causing the public to erupt with cheering and screaming in equal measures. Their encouragement, while initially something she shunned, slowly became a leading factor into her research. The emotional state of a runner, alongside the affection and support they received from the loving crowd, was a defining factor to deciding the victor and for reaching the limit.

Normally, a positive mood meant improved performance and results, such as a good night of sleep, a friendly rivalry or a newly discovered passion. Negative effects could be identified when the runner was slightly depressed, exceedingly angry or unfocused. She didn’t know what to classify her current state of focused madness as. Everything pointed to negative, and yet the results would be undeniably positive.

The final turn approached, and she slowly began picking up speed. Nothing out of the ordinary just yet, but it was still enough to pass right through most of the competition without breaking a sweat. This time, she passed past Cafe first. The coffee addict didn’t even notice it, her eyes focused on some mysterious point in the horizon. Her dear friend.

Tachyon wondered if she’d surpass that friend herself now, or if Cafe’s potential was so overwhelming that even the researcher’s wicked devotion wouldn’t be enough to catch up. Her guilt became even heavier once she wished for the former rather than the latter. She was going to be selfish. She was going to break that limit herself.

The final straight approached, with Pocket leading the pack. She always looked furious while racing, as if she was in an illegal ring match, fighting for her life, rather than a formal public sport. A leftover from her days running outside the tracks, probably. Tachyon ran past her, and once again that hateful stare was cast upon her back. But there was something wrong. There was another emotion, buried deep in that false hate she loved to throw around.

It didn’t matter. Tachyon was in first place, and a sinister smile crept its way to her lips. This was it. The execution block was clear, and the whole world was about to watch. This was her last chance to back out, and yet she couldn’t find herself able to. She was going to shine bright, burn to ashes and leave a mark behind that would never be forgotten.

Faster. Her legs started by moving faster, even more so than she had done before. Faster. The world became a blur. Faster. Sound became noise. Faster. Color drained from everything, and then darkness swallowed her. Faster. That glowing gold figure was inching closer and closer, to the point she could almost touch it. This was it. The moment she was waiting for. She gritted her teeth. Faster .

Her left foot touched the ground, and pain immediately shot up through her leg. If she was a statue of refined, fragile marble, that was the first crack. Her body screamed for her to slow down, but with a violent scream, unheard by anyone, she pressed onwards. Time to shatter herself whole. She pressed on, touching that figure of pure golden light, and the whole world suddenly turned white, her own body feeling lighter… Faster.

It took a few more seconds before the pain intensified, the previous injury worsening, while a new one formed just above it. She laughed to no one, and pressed onwards, her body feeling lighter and lighter with each step, losing its shape entirely as it broke down and turned into pure light. She was now running alongside the figure. The feeling was arduous, torturous and completely euphoric. Faster.

A third bolt of pure pain coursed through her, this time affecting her knee rather than her ankle. Her left leg was almost entirely burnt out — Almost. She could still squeeze something more out of it. Once her right ankle exploded, she didn’t have even a single second of reprieve from the pain, each and every step now forcing her to face the reality that it hurt so bad. Faster.

That figure was no longer there. No color but herself. No shape but her broken body. Beyond the limits of the Umamusume, only Tachyon remained. Her heart felt at ease, knowing that she had done it. She had broken the limits, not only of her body, but of her kind as a whole. Plan C was a complete and utter success. There was no way to move any faster.

Just before she crossed the finishing line, she felt two rings of pain bursting inside her right leg, from her knee and her thigh. Both of her legs were entirely used up. Once her left foot touched the ground, her legs couldn’t support her any longer, and the weight of her whole body was thrown forwards. She tumbled, trying to land properly, but her mind was entirely dulled out. Her body wasn’t the only thing spent.

She hit her shoulder first with a heavy thud, and then the back of her head. Her body kept moving, and her spine slammed against the ground, section by section. As if the pain wasn’t bad enough, her left leg slammed against the firm dirt, shattered as it was, and then the right one fell on top of it, the newly formed source of pain still coursing fresh through her limp legs.

She slid across the grass, and the whole world came to a crawl. Everything felt so slow now that she had experienced the limit. She stayed there, unmoving and barely conscious, as everything slowly faded into darkness. Through the overwhelming, unimaginable pain, she felt only one thing:

Euphoria.

---

Jungle Pocket was prideful. She knew that better than anyone else. She was a loud mouth, and a bit reckless at times, but she wasn’t stupid. — At least not as stupid as people took her for! She could stick to her training, only overdoing it sometimes, and could control her emotions, as long as they weren’t raging inside her. She knew those boundaries very well, and only crossed them sometimes. Which means she should have noticed all of the warnings Tachyon was giving her.

The look on Tachyon’s face. The way she tapped her heel on the grass. Her lack of response to Pocket’s taunting. All of it pointed to something more sinister, but all her mind could focus on right now was running and winning. Sure, anger bubbled inside her the moment Tachyon’s oversized coat came into view, ruining the perfectly clear horizon, but that would still be a normal thing.

Okay, perhaps not “normal”! Losing to Tachyon was never going to be accepted as normal, but it would still be… Correct. Safe. Healthy. Pocket’s heart wasn’t ready for the surge of emotions she was about to experience, as she slowly realized that whatever the researcher was doing was far from correct, safe or healthy. The first sign something was wrong was the sudden rush.

Tachyon was in the lead, sure, but they were still far away from the finish line. She could reserve her stamina for a burst at the end, but she kept picking up speed. Slowly at first, then faster and faster. Pocket let out a malicious giggle to herself as she realized the chance to bypass Tachyon would come soon, except… It didn’t. Tachyon simply refused to tire, and even worse than that, she refused to slow down.

And the distance between them slowly grew. And grew more, and more, and the sudden smug expectation slowly turned into frustration and anger. What was Tachyon doing?! How was she still picking up speed?! Why was she still running faster and faster, even though she was in first place?! Wasn’t she supposed to be a smart researcher or whatever?!

And… Why couldn’t she keep up? What was she lacking that Tachyon had? She trained hard, she had the drive to win, hell, she even studied sometimes! But those negative feelings would take a twist, as the distance grew even larger. Complete and utter disbelief, as Tachyon led by 3 lengths. Then 5. 8. What kind of sick joke was that?!

10 lengths from Pocket, and Pocket herself wasn’t that close to the third place. It was as if the researcher was ready to shatter her own legs for the… Victory…

Jungle Pocket’s blood turned cold as she saw Tachyon’s foot twist unnaturally, and the girl in front of her simply kept running — No, picking up more speed. 12 lengths. Her knee bent the wrong way, even if only for a fraction of a moment. 15 lengths. Pocket couldn’t believe what she was watching, even from far away. She was horrified, but another emotion started to spill over her heart: Awe.

She couldn’t believe the display of sheer speed Tachyon was putting up. It was surreal. Unbelievable. Sickening , considering what she was going through to achieve that. Pocket felt disgusted that she was enjoying this. Agnes Tachyon was going to leave her mark in history, and Jungle Pocket was there to watch, right behind her. And then the reality of the situation truly sunk into her, as she watched her rival and friend cross the finishing line, crash into the grass and stop, entirely unmoving.

Pocket’s heart stopped, and she ran faster than she ever had before. Race be damned — Something much more important was happening. She didn’t even check her time as she crossed the line, instead sliding desperately to Tachyon’s side, the bright sun casting it’s rays down on the fallen girl.

“Tachyon?! You moron, are you—” Pocket’s loud voice, filled with worry, was cut by the quiet, whispering madness of the researcher. Despite the crowd, the competitors and the staff blaring all around them, only that tiny whisper made its way to her ears.

“I reached it.” Tachyon whispered to her, still unable to do anything but breathe gently. “I broke it.”

“What do you mean—” Pocket saw Tachyon’s twisted smile and almost immediately understood the message. “No. You wouldn’t—” The medical team grabbed her shoulder and pushed her away from the injured girl before she could get an answer, but deep down she knew it.

Agnes Tachyon shattered herself on purpose. In burning herself, she became the brightest Umamusume that ever lived.

And she was fully aware she was never going to shine again.

---

Pocket’s foot tapped against the polished marble floor of the hospital. It was pristine enough she could catch a glimpse of her own reflection on it if she paid attention, but only in spots where the light didn't shine particularly brightly. Considering the sun was setting, she didn't have much trouble looking at herself.

She was covered in dirt and grass from the waist down. Her knees were scrapped, and bandaids were put on them to keep the cuts from bleeding. Sliding across the grass to reach Tachyon faster had her pay a small price after all, but in the end it mattered little to Pocket. She had bigger worries.

Her face was stuck in an annoyed scowl. At least she thought that was her expression, but when others passed by her they looked almost sad, pitying her for simply being there. She wanted to bark right back at them, get up in their face and ask what's the problem, but she just remained seated. She didn't want anyone kicking her out.

She tapped her finger against her arm, counting the minutes. She glared at the clock, as if her anger would make it move faster, but its arms kept moving at the same speed they always did, indifferent to her. But that was okay, because Pocket was a stubborn girl. She could wait.

Sometimes a nurse or a doctor would pass by, and she'd ask them about Tachyon, only to get the same response: She's still in the operating room. Minutes turned into hours, and she was still getting surgery. The sun finally set, and the hospital's bright white lights turned on, erasing her reflection. And Tachyon was still not here.

Pocket hunched over, burying her face in her palms. Moron. Idiot. Dumbass. Tachyon, yes, but also herself. How did she not notice? Why didn't she do anything about it? Hell, maybe even a slight shove on the shoulder and some words of friendly competition would have made Tachyon reconsider, but Pocket didn't do anything.

She just wanted to win. Like always. She even challenged that idiot before the race, and poured her heart out saying she wasn't gonna lose, and now their next race would be postponed for who knows how long! It was infuriating. Next time it wouldn't even be fair with how much of a headstart Pocket was getting. Winning like that would leave a sour taste on her mouth.

Even now all she could think of was beating Tachyon. Winning against her. Why was this damn surgery taking so long—

“Here.” Manhattan Cafe's cold voice took her right out of her own thoughts. She shook something and gave Pocket an annoyed stare, before once again speaking up. “Take it.”

“What…” Pocket took a moment to come back to her senses, finally noticing the paper bag in Cafe's left hand, and the small white plastic bag on her right. She also took notice Cafe wasn't wearing her racing outfit anymore. “What's this?”

“Food.” Cafe once again shook the items, before Pocket finally took them, putting the white bag to her side, and opening up the paper one. Only when the smell of a fresh hamburger filled her lungs she realized she was starving . “You didn't eat after the race, did you?”

“N-No! I was here the whole time! Thanks, Cafe! I owe you one!” Pocket didn't wait a single extra second before sloppily digging into her burger. Food never tasted so delicious before.

“Don't thank me. Your friends bought you the burger, and Dantsu prepared you the lunch box once she realized you'll stay here through the whole night.” Cafe turned to the reception desk, not far from where Pocket was, and grabbed a small plastic cup, filling it up with the free coffee offered by the staff. It was awful, but it would do for now.

“What do you mean all night? I'm only staying here until I can talk to Tachyon!” Pocket didn't wait chewing before cracking a soda can open and chugging down some cold cola.

“I hoped to do so too, since I had something to tell her.” Cafe turned around with her fresh instant coffee, only to cringe at the slob in front of her. “But it appears that won't be happening tonight.”

Jungle Pocket raised an eyebrow as Cafe looked away from her, covering her nose. “What's with that face?”

“Change clothes. You stink.” Cafe pointed to the white bag before casually walking away, leaving Pocket to smell herself, almost coughing back her food in the process. She smelled like she had rolled in the mud for fun, and that wasn't too far off from what actually happened.

Inside the white bag she found some fresh clothes, and while they wouldn't magically make her smell any better, they would make her stop from smelling worse. Under the clothes was a small decorated box, filled with handmade sushi. Even if she didn't care for herself, at least her friends were there for her.

So why wasn't she there for Tachyon? Pocket took in a deep, long breath. This was going to be a long, arduous night. But she was the strongest. Time to prove herself.

Her mood switched around constantly with every hour. Frustration, anger, sadness, relief, joy and a deep, constant anxiety, only worsened by the quiet ticking of the clock right in front of her. She was almost dozing off when a nurse approached her, shaking her shoulder gently.

“You're here for Ms. Tachyon, are you not? Her surgery has already ended and she's in her room for recovery.” The nurse looked at her with the same look as everyone else. The pity made her stomach growl. Or maybe it was the hunger. “We told her you have been waiting, and she was okay with seeing you.”

“Finally, that took long enough! She better be okay with it, I've been waiting forever!” Pocket grumbled as she got up, before remembering to have some manners. “O-Oh, and thank you! Which room is she in again?”

Once the nurse led her to the door, they left her alone, simply instructing her to not make much noise or disturb the patient too much. Pocket wasn't particularly good at being subtle, nor was she sure of what emotions were about to be brought forwards, but she was going to try her best.

Then the memory of Tachyon’s twisted smile as she laid on the ground came to her mind. Anger was the first emotion to surge into her, while angst immediately followed.

Jungle Pocket stepped through the door.

---

Tachyon sat up, simply staring out the open window. The white curtains moved gently with the breeze that came in, bringing the chill night air to her, while the late night was dotted with artificial lights, turning the sky a deep dark shade of blue. The moon was full and bright, with no clouds covering it.

The door opened, but she didn't bother turning to see who it was. She already knew only one person was stubborn enough to come visit her at 3:30 AM. “If it isn't Jungle Bucket! Took you this long to catch up with me—”

“Shut up.” Venom dripped from the blonde's mouth. “What the hell is wrong with you?” She marched towards the bedridden girl, suddenly grabbing her by the shoulder, not caring if Tachyon was in pain or not. Right now, she wanted it to hurt.

“I'm afraid I don't quite follow, Pocket—” She winced, the sudden violent shaking making her legs burn, her freshly stitched cuts aching. Good. She deserved more of that, so she taunted Pocket further. “Perhaps staying up late like this is not something you're used to?”

“Stop.” Pocket’s golden eyes looked down at Tachyon's legs, covered by the bedsheets. “Just… Stop.”

“Did you come for advice perhaps? Or were you genuinely worried for—”

“I told you to shut up. ” Pocket dragged Tachyon's gown, lifting the girl closer to her face. No reaction, no snarky remarks. Only silence this time around. “You… You busted your legs up on purpose, didn't you? Bad enough you'll stay out of the game for a while, right?!”

Pocket found the courage to glare at Tachyon, only to realize she wasn't looking at her. She hadn't done so in days. Instead, her tired eyes drifted from the bedsheets to the window. Avoiding Pocket's gaze. Avoiding her question.

“Even I could see it was pretty damn bad! Why’s that, you idiot?! You want to stay recovering for a whole semester and give me a headstart on beating your sorry ass?” She grabbed Tachyon's face, with the girl still refusing to move an inch, and forced her to stare at Pocket. Their eyes, however, still didn't meet. “Weren't we gonna find out who's faster? Who's the stronger Umamusume?!”

Agnes Tachyon's eyes quickly moved to meet hers with uncanny precision. Jungle Pocket felt a shiver down her spine. Tachyon's voice came out cold and dry. “I am sure we have already settled that.”

Pocket's eyes widened. She opened her mouth, but only a sickening gag came out, the words failing her entirely. Tachyon wasn't smiling either, nor had a mischievous look to her, or any malice. Only the cold, uncaring indifference of reality.

“Y-You only say that because you…” Pocket couldn't even finish her retort. Tachyon didn't win today. She crushed everyone . Even Pocket was in awe at what the researcher in front of her achieved. A victory by over 15 lengths was not normal, much less in a prestigious G1 race like this one. And then, there was something Pocket had yet to confirm, but already heard whispers of even in the hospital.

Tachyon had broken the previous record for fastest Umamusume to ever live, achieving an impressive 74km/h, compared to the previous 70. A record that stood unbroken for decades, was now shattered by the girl she was clutching onto, her hands gripping harder against delicate skin.

She could see the skin losing color where she was pressing, and the red marks around it, but Tachyon didn't let out a single whisper. She simply stayed quiet, watching Pocket like a confused animal that was unsure of what to do.

“We… We are going to race against each other again, aren't we?” Pocket had to look away this time, letting go of Tachyon’s face, hands resting on her shoulders. She couldn't entertain her anger anymore, instead choosing to let a faint hope inside her speak up, paired with an uncomfortable anxiety rising from her stomach.

Tachyon's lips slowly moved. “Why would I?”

Pocket felt her heart sink, all hope being crushed as a looming sense of misery fell upon her, like the sharp blade of a guillotine slashing right through her neck.

“I already achieved my dreams, Pocket. I discovered what lies beyond the limits of our bodies, as Umamusume.”

“Quit playing… Quit joking around!” Her nails dug against Tachyon's shoulder. “What about winning?! What about the races, what about proving to the world you're a champion?!”

“There is no more reason to keep partaking in meaningless activities. I'd rather focus my efforts on something more productive now.”

“You… You're serious, aren't you?” Pocket felt the despair that took over her voice start taking over her entire body, her breathing becoming shallow and her vision blurry. Only Tachyon remained perfectly clear for her. Only her voice reached her ears.

“Besides, even if I wanted to run, I can’t.”

“...Huh?”

“I can’t walk anymore, Pocket.”

Pocket blinked. She let go of Tachyon and took a few steps back, before the bedridden girl slowly lifted the blankets that covered her lower body, exposing her slender legs to her rival and friend. Pocket's eyes followed, her mind unable to say anything as she watched in horror.

Both of her legs had a pair of metal rods firmly bolted into them, connected to her ankle and up to her knees. It looked sturdy, heavy and unnatural. Her whole left leg was bandaged, and her right one had bandages up to her knees. A variety of red spots, some deeper than others, dotted the bandages.

“Fractured ankles, displaced tibia, broken and disjointed knees, cracked femur and multiple severe muscular lacerations.” Tachyon poked the metallic rods. “The nurse said that an Umamusume’s strength is wonderful, but when turned self destructive it's terrifying.”

“H-Hey, this is… This is some stupid prank, right Tachyon?” Pocket felt her eyes swell with tears.

“Oh, my lower spine was also damaged from the sheer speed of the impact on my sudden stop, and I dislocated my left shoulder.”

Pocket's blurry vision spotted the red marks she left on Tachyon's shoulder just moments ago. And the girl didn't even flinch, despite feeling unimaginable pain.

“The nurses will keep me pumped with various wonderful chemicals to numb the pain, but the next following weeks should still be quite excruciating. Can you believe how much research I'm going to lose—” Tachyon watched Pocket take a few steps back, leave the room with its door wide open and run.

Tachyon stayed in silence as she heard the brute run through the corridors of the hospital. Once it was quiet again, she covered herself with the blankets, and returned to watching the window quietly. She fidgeted with her fingers and smiled. She did it. She truly had done it.

She couldn't be happier.

Pocket ran away as fast as she could, hoping that the exhaustion or pain would eventually wake her up from this horrible nightmare. And yet, the night crawled onwards, uncaring about her despair. Once she stopped by the river bank, she fell to her knees and screamed.

She wished this nightmare would end already.

Notes:

And so we begin! I will do my part to maintain the Poketaki agenda. All of the chapters have already been done, and I will be posting them over the weekend. You can check more of my stuff over at Tumblr or Bluesky, though I don't post often. Thanks in advance! - Flowers

Chapter 2: Refractions

Notes:

The redirection of light as it passes from a medium to another. A shift in perspective. A loss of momentum.

Tachyon felt strange being wheeled around. She did have the strength to move herself, yes, but during her recovery period she wasn't supposed to do any sort of exertion, even with her upper body. Musculature was interconnected, and her shoulder wasn't entirely healed just yet. Luckily, the staff from the hospital was kind enough to do her this favor.

The moment she entered the interview room, camera flashes started snapping pictures of her, with a series of terrified murmurs and whispers about her condition. She couldn't blame them, since her last interview was just a week ago, before the race, and now she was bound to a wheelchair. Tachyon could already feel herself getting bothered by their questions... It was because of their questions, right?

She was moved up to the microphones, and the nurse rested right behind her, a little to the side. At any moment, Tachyon could leave. She just had to turn around and ask them. That was easy. Keeping that in mind, Tachyon took a deep breath and began speaking.

“Good morning, my dear public. I am glad many of you are showing interest in this announcement, but I'd like to keep it brief. I’d like to say that I, Agnes Tachyon, will be retiring from running permanently, effective immediately!" Tachyon let out a slow yawn, and the reporters immediately jumped in to ask questions. Typical.

“Does this have to do with your current injury?!” One of the journalists asked, and the room was filled with murmurs instantly.

Tachyon giggled. “Oh? Are we stating the obvious now?”

“Does your recovery period impact your development as a runner so much that you’d retire entirely?” After the question, the room quieted down, as if in awaiting her answer.

Tachyon suddenly felt uncomfortable sitting down. Admitting her condition like this all of a sudden felt exposing. She sidelined it. "In a way, you're correct. But the truth, in it's entirety, is irrelevant! My decision is the final say on the matter.”

“Many runners go through an extended period of treatment after serious injuries such as yours. Have you already planned how you'll be dealing with it?” The room remained silent.

She wanted to tap her foot. She couldn't. “I believe those personal matters will be treated by the hospital. I am in no position to speak about anything of the sort.”

“If you're retiring from racing, will you also leave the Tracen Academy?” A worried reporter asked her, and the rest followed suit, murmuring to one another about the implications of her potential answer.

She raised an eyebrow, puzzled by the question. She... hadn’t considered that. At all. “Now, why would I? As I am sure you all know, the Tracen Academy is a place for all Umamusume to develop their talents. Even if I will no longer run, I can and will still support the development of my peers!” As if she was letting Plan B go to waste. It should have some public utility at least.

“It was noted by many specialists that your accident was caused by negligence on your part, as you overextended yourself in the race. What do you have to say?” Slowly, the whispering went from worrying to accusatory.

Tachyon's expression remained calm, but she immediately felt the urge to storm out of there. She couldn't. The word Overextended pissed her off. What did these so-called specialists know anyway? “If my goal was simply to win the race, then yes — But that was irrelevant to me in the first place!”

“It's also stated that your injuries were severe, and should have been felt long before the finish line. Why did you keep running? Does it have to do with the reason you have for running?” The questions became louder.

Finally! A sensible question! “Yes! Although my body asked me to stop, I simply couldn't refuse the perfect opportunity! To finally find the limit of what us Umamusume can do!”

“Are you referring to the previous record for fastest Umamusume, believed by many to be unbeatable?” A camera flash came from the darkness, disorienting her slightly.

Her smile widened. “Yes! Yes, precisely!”

“You have beaten the record, Ms. Agnes! How did it feel?” Another flash came, and Tachyon felt her sense of balance disappear. It didn't matter. She wasn't going to stand anyway.

“Euphoric! It felt enlightening to reach such speeds!”

“You have also led a crushing victory of over 15 lengths!” The continuous light flashes blinded her.

“Though secondary to my research, the victory is also rejoiced!”

“You currently hold the record for fastest Umamusume in history, while also being a remarkably young woman! And many fans would love to see you race more and more, so are you certain of your decision to quit racing?” The room was now a cacophony of noise and light. She barely heard the question.

“I fail to see a reason to keep wasting precious research time on races. What I have achieved is more than enough for me to be satisfied.”

“If what you're saying is correct, you were aware of the injuries you were going to suffer, and yet still decided to push for your objective. Are you not afraid you're setting a bad example for other runners?” Despite the crowd overwhelming her senses, the words were understood perfectly.

Tachyon blinked. “If others wish to see me as a cautionary tale, so be it! I am sure many others will see it as proof of what it takes to become the best!”

“Do you think the price you have paid for your success was worth it?”

She opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out.

She felt the noise around her become muffled, and her vision blurry.

She felt like she got gut punched. She felt like running away.

She couldn't.

“Ms. Agnes?”

“Y-Yes. I believe we're done with the announcement.” She turned to the nurse, tugging their sides in a hurry, her hands barely having the strength to signal them to leave. Camera flashes and questions bombarded her as she made her exit, all the way to the vehicle that brought her here. For some reason, they didn’t stop even once she was inside, the light of the cameras distorting behind the glass.

On the way back to the hospital, the nurse took note of her heartbeat and blood pressure, both irregular. “M-Ms. Agnes, has the pain medication worn off? I understand you were in a hurry to give an interview, but perhaps—”

“Don’t worry, dear. I am fine. The medication prescribed should last until about an hour after we reach the hospital, if the application procedures have been done properly, should it not? Thank you for worrying.” She smiled at them, trying to reassure the nurse that she was fine.

Her legs burned, and the iron stuck in them felt like it was digging deeper into her flesh. It hurt, yes. But she just smiled. It was better than thinking about that last question.

---

“Amazing! Pushing it to her limit and achieving victory over the Japanese Derby is none other than Jungle Pocket! Dantsu Flame, catching up at 3 lengths, takes second place!” The announcer shouted atop her lungs, the crowd roaring with excitement at the sheer display of skill and passion from the new generation of Umamusume.

Pocket held her own knees, breathing heavily. Nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat could be heard, despite the crowd’s best efforts to cheer her on. She was certain that any other runner would be overjoyed with themselves for winning such a prestigious, once in a life-time event, and sharing the stage with such talented girls

She felt like vomiting. At some point, it was like a switch flipped inside her, with an irrational, animalistic desire to achieve victory surging forth. Stronger. Her legs started by moving faster, trying to catch up to her . Stronger. She wasn’t even there. Stronger. Nothing but her heartbeat mattered. Stronger. The world became a blur of color, and yet she was still monochrome. Stron—

Her legs suddenly felt heavy, and once she looked down she could see bolts of iron stabbing into it, bloodied and bent. She felt a sharp discomfort rise up her throat, almost puking. Instead, she looked up to the cloudy sky and screamed. Roaring as loudly as she could. The crowd would cheer on, thinking she was happy for her victory.

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

Her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to find her . Pocket knew she was watching. She needed to be. She could see her own trainer. She could see Fuji-san. She could see her friends. Even Cafe was there, watching her quietly. But she wasn’t there. Jungle Pocket screamed again, much to the crowd’s contentment.

The screams vented out all the frustration she was feeling, and asked all of the questions she couldn’t. How dare she not be watching, after making Pocket watch her shatter herself?! How dare she perform like that and then disappear, never giving Pocket the chance to fight back?!

How dare Pocket ever think herself strong?

---

Tracen Academy was surprisingly accessible to those in wheelchairs, and Tachyon was glad for it. She never had noticed the numerous ramps and rails around until she was forced to use them. It made sense, with all the students that could get seriously injured and still needed to move around, but she never thought she’d need it herself one day.

Not every Umamusume destroys their own body on purpose like she had, after all. It wasn’t very logical. But accidents still happened!

Once she was back, the first thing to deal with was the reception. Lots of friends and colleagues came over to her, to ask a variety of different questions and to express their emotions to her, both positive and negative. Some expressed sincere worry over her condition, hoping she’d make a swift recovery and that they’d enjoy running against her again sometime soon. Didn't they see the announcement? Despite that, she didn’t have the guts to tell them that was never going to happen.

Others criticized her recklessness, but showed compassion all the same. They just didn’t understand what she had achieved and the monumental effort it took. At least they were nice about it, in a roundabout way. Although many insisted on wheeling her around, she refused all of them. She didn’t need any pity.

And all of them praised her for achieving something monumental — Breaking the limit of what an Umamusume was thought to be capable of, and raising the bar for all of them, all across the globe. A truly phenomenal achievement. She hated the fact that it was always followed up by pointing out she announced her "temporary" retirement. That was exhausting. She wasn't going to bother clearing that up with them.

And only once she was finally alone, making her way to her semi-private abandoned classroom, she had time to notice it.

The stares. The whispers. The hushed silence once she got too close. The awkward waves, playing pretend friendliness to her. The jealousy. The pettiness. Only once she got to her room and closed the door she allowed herself to crumble. To show weakness. To let out a much needed sigh. She was still nothing but a social creature, and that was tiring. Luckily, everything she needed was right here — Her books, her laptop and her research notes. She wouldn’t need to socialize for a good while.

Little else mattered right now, and although she struggled a little to open her room’s curtains, the sunlight came through all the same. She leaned against the window, with some difficulty, and rested her head down, basking in the sunlight. Tachyon was happy.

...This was happiness, right?

---

Tachyon tapped the side of her wheelchair, uncomfortably staring at her bare legs in the mirror. The hospital staff did a wonderful job with her surgery and recovery, and given she was a young lady, they took extra care to leave her legs as unscarred as possible. She was truly glad they did their best, but she also knew she gave them an almost impossible task. Her legs were busted pretty badly, and fixing it would leave some scars behind.

Two smaller ones near her ankle could be hidden with sandals, or a pretty shoe, or something of the sort. Socks wouldn’t do, since she’d be going to the beach, and the last thing she needed were sandy socks — even if she couldn’t feel the tip of her toes very well. Then there were the two near her knees, and the larger one halfway through her left shin.

They were a little harder to hide, given she only had shorts in her closet, and going out to buy a sunskirt would be too much effort for summer camp. Someone would bother her about it, and she’d rather avoid that situation entirely. Tachyon turned to her room, trying to think of something that could help her out, before her eyes landed on Cafe’s side of the abandoned classroom, more specifically her makeshift “closet”.

Surprisingly, her half of it was tidy and clean, while Cafe’s side was dusty and untouched. The night owl only used it to brew coffee and hang up her paintings after all. Nowadays, Tachyon didn’t feel the need to spend as much time and effort into her research, and thus allowed herself some time to clean the room, cook for herself and simply enjoy school.

Her chemistry knowledge translated well into the culinary arts, and eating food instead of supplements was surprisingly good. The classes she was so used to skipping sometimes had useful information to her research, so her attendance was slowly getting better. As for cleaning the room, she didn’t have much of a choice. A messy environment meant moving around was harder, and she thought it was hard enough as it is. No need to make things worse for herself.

Well, worse than she already made. Nobody to blame but herself.

As for entertainment, since she could no longer partake in some of her more extreme experiments without being able to make a quick escape… She enjoyed watching races. They still fascinated her, especially the races with Pocket in them, even though she didn’t feel the need to partake in them anymore. Something about the way she ran was fascinating, and her victory at the Derby was a sight to see. And still, Tachyon felt something was wrong. Oh well.

She approached the closet, only for a quiet sipping noise to come from behind her. “I didn’t expect you to go to summer camp.”

“Ah! Cafe! I suppose it would surprise the others if I were to show up, would it not?” Tachyon let go of the closet’s handles, turning to look at her roommate-but-not-really, which simply stared at her coldly. “Don’t worry, don’t worry! I was just—”

“I don’t mind lending you some clothes, if they fit you.” Cafe took a long sip of warm, awfully bitter coffee. “I plan on being in uniform for most of it anyway.”

“...I am not going.”

Cafe raised an eyebrow. “Are you not?”

“It’s mostly for training, as you said, and there’s not much of that I can be doing right now.” Tachyon brushed it off as she made her way to her desk, slightly lowered to better fit her chair. “Say, did you ever catch up to your friend? You were phenomenal in your last victory!”

Manhattan Cafe put her cup down, despite it not being entirely empty. Only a sliver of coffee remained inside it. “During the Satsuki Sho, I saw it. You passed right past them.”

Tachyon opened her mouth to taunt Cafe, but that golden figure running in front of her came to mind. Her own shape, shattered into a million pieces. Rays of pure light, unraveled entirely. Her smile disappeared.

“I will catch up.” Cafe walked away.

Tachyon turned to her laptop, but her eyes were still looking down at the scars on her legs, unable to look up at the screen. “I’m sure you will."

---

Summer came fast, and while for a vast majority of students that meant a time of leisure, relaxing from everyday school activities, for the Umamusume of Tracen Academy things were a little different. “COME ON! ARE YOUR LEGS MADE OF JELLY?! PUSH HARDER! FASTER!” One of the teachers shouted with a comically large megaphone.

“Y-Yes…!” Shouted a crowd of girls right back, running laps around the pristine sand, dragging heavy weights behind them. Despite the heat, it wasn’t yet time to enjoy a nice, refreshing dive into the crystalline ocean waters. It was time to train their assess off. Recreation could come later.

Jungle Pocket fiddled with her pendant for a moment, with thick ropes wrapped around her hips. Her weight, unlike the one from the other girls, was truly massive, meant to focus on her power rather than speed. The crystalline, reflective charm was shining bright, considering the blinding sunlight and clear skies, and yet Pocket couldn’t find any joy in staring at it.

It reminded her of Tachyon.

She pocketed the pendant and continued to run, until either she collapsed or the trainers and teachers told her to stop. Whichever came first. Then, she’d eat at the cafeteria with her friends, try to sleep alongside everyone else and repeat it all over again once morning came. Train. Eat. Sleep. It was a nice pattern, and the summer camp did offer a refreshing change in scenery, but it had one major problem:

Tachyon wasn’t there. Or maybe her being there would be an even bigger problem? Pocket couldn’t decide. The two hadn’t spoken ever since she ran away from the hospital, and it felt like she was dodging the confrontation. Well, it didn’t feel like it, she knew she was actively dodging it. How could she face Tachyon? Pocket was still weak.

They had already settled that. Not only was Pocket weak, but Tachyon was so strong it would take a miracle to win against her — A generational talent that Pocket simply didn’t have. The image of Tachyon running in front of her would be forever burnt into Pocket’s memory, and no matter the race she ran, she knew deep down that was an unchangeable truth. After all, Tachyon was never going to walk again, and she didn’t need to. Her phantom would always be there. Watching.

Waiting for Pocket to catch up. She never would.

---

Pocket quietly stared at the flowing river in front of her, the soft glow of the vending machine beside the bench being the only source of light near her. The everglowing moon was high in the sky, casting its light onto the dark grass of the riverbank and making it glow unnaturally. Fuji-san’s words of encouragement still rang in her ears, and the invitation to run in the morning by the riverside was still being considered.

Fuji-san was right about most of what she said. There were no “what ifs”. No alternate scenarios matter, only the present does and what you will do with it. Tachyon was there, yes. She existed, yes. She was the fastest, yes. But she wasn’t here now — She wasn’t in the Derby that Pocket won, or the races where she lost. Pocket knew she had only herself to blame — And only herself to congratulate for her victory.

Well, not really only herself for her victory, but still! She knew that!

…But it wasn’t so simple anymore. Not when her own mirror image taunted her every step of the way, reminding her that she’s only winning because Tachyon isn’t there. Not when her own body refuses to get near her own limit, afraid that her legs will end up broken and twisted like Tachyon’s. That there is a real possibility she will never run again.

The fear of running, the fear of losing and the fear of injuring herself, all limiting her from reaching her full potential and clouding her judgement. She knew exactly what was stopping her, and that only made her frustrations worse, because she did not have the keys to unshackle herself from them. No matter what anyone told her, even Fuji-san, that wouldn’t change. Right?

…

Morning came, and Pocket realized she fell asleep on the damn bench. The good thing was that she didn’t even need to prepare herself or get moving to the riverside — She was already there after all, in track uniform and everything. The bad part was that she was sore all over, slept like shit, smelled like it too and she was still thinking of Tachyon. That damn girl just wouldn’t leave her mind.

Once Fuji Kiseki showed up in full racing uniform, looking ready for a proper race, Jungle Pocket realized she was about to learn a valuable lesson, and that the race invite was more than a simple jog. No, Fuji-san wanted a proper race. Deep inside her, Pocket felt a fire ignite once more. That primal desire to run…

The experience was eye opening. Each step of the race felt heavy, and though Fuji-san herself was out of shape, she was still easily overwhelming Jungle Pocket. Was she seriously letting herself go that badly? N-Not that Fuji-san was weak, no! But… she was supposed to be stronger than this. She won the damn Derby, for goodness sake!

She didn’t run for anyone else, nor did she run to catch up, damn it! She ran because she liked it! She ran because she wanted to become stronger! She ran to prove to the world she was the best! And yet… She couldn’t look forward, afraid that she would be standing there. Ahead of her. Taunting her. And so, her own mirrored image held her back, like a heavy weight on her shoulders.

Pocket felt herself growing frustrated as she ran. And her frustration, which recently had been melting into despair and sadness, began burning up. Anger flared once more, as it had done many times before, aimed at herself and the world around her, but this time it wouldn’t go to waste. Anger fuelled her steps, and so her legs ran faster. Stronger.

She let out a scream as she looked forwards, overtaking Fuji-san. Stronger. It didn’t matter if she was running for Tachyon or not. She would be stronger. She would keep winning, again and again, and become a champion. That’s what she promised herself when she began this whole thing — She wasn’t about to back out now! Not when she got so far!

Fuji Kiseki had to stop, instead letting herself just watch as Jungle Pocket passed by her, passed past their finish line and kept running, as fast as she could. She had a smile on her face the whole time as she watched one of Pocket’s three shackles snap, the ruffian using sheer force and passion to rip it away from herself.

Jungle Pocket stopped, stared at the sky and roared like a beast. She was happy, and it didn’t matter if she was weak right now. She was going to get strong, and she’d do so running, like a true Umamusume. W-Well, a true Umamusume runner!

Fuji-san rested a hand on her shoulder. “Better now?”

“Yes. Never been better!” Pocket flashed her a smile, the first genuine one she had in a while. “I remember what matters, and why I have been running… And why I can’t stop running. Not now, not ever! Just watch, Fuji-san! I’ll break even more of my shackles, and then show the world what it truly means to be the strongest!”

Her mentor and inspiration smiled right back at her, and Pocket knew she was doing the right thing. Hell, maybe talking to other people really was what she needed! Which meant there was someone very important she needed to talk to.

Someone she had been avoiding for far too long.

---

Tachyon watched the track from her window, arms crossed and leaning against it, while the trainers barked orders down to the girls running, which despite their exhaustion and pain, still followed their commands religiously. She couldn’t get a good view from this angle, but climbing up the window in her state was rather difficult.

She couldn’t, after all.

So, the low angle it was. She was getting used to it, really. The past few days (or maybe was it weeks?) she hadn’t dedicated any effort into her research at all, so she had all the time in the world to watch them practice. From morning until evening, she’d look at the track, barely taking notes. She wanted to move her foot alongside them, just to get a feeling for their training, but decided against it every time.

She couldn’t, after all.

Her attendance had improved tremendously though. Since research was taking less and less time of her day, and a lot of the classes required a lot of physical activity, there were days she’d be free to do pretty much whatever she wanted. And nowadays, all she wanted to do was go to her window and stare down at the track. Sometimes she’d fantasize running with them, but those moments were fleeting.

She couldn’t, after all.

The hospital had contacted her a few times about her recovery, and though they were insistent about her going through physiotherapy to recover at least some of her movement, she adamantly refused them every time. Even the school’s staff had spoken to her about it, but she politely pushed them away. Even if she made a recovery, the doctors were pretty adamant about her inability to ever return to the track, so they shouldn’t worry about it.

She couldn’t see a point to it. After all, If she wasn’t going to run, she could remain as she was. And Tachyon was happy with that. She had achieved her dream of breaking through the limit, and she was going to be remembered for decades to come, until another Umamusume manages to show just as much resolve and grit as she had, breaking through their own limits. It was fine, really.

At least that’s what she told herself.

But late at night, when no one was looking and Cafe wasn’t sleeping in their research room, she’d lay down in her makeshift bed, cuddle her broken legs and cry. Cry a tear for every race she couldn’t partake in. For every potential memory she squandered by burning too bright. For every second of research wasted during her recovery. For every fake smile she had to put on when people asked her about her useless legs.

Her body, previously a fine temple she had to carefully maintain on a daily basis, was now nothing but a crumbled ruin, with only tales of grandiose left behind. These legends would long outlast the structure itself, certainly, but they could never repair what was already shattered. And for that, she cried. Because deep down, Tachyon knew the truth.

Her body was never meant to achieve the things it did. She was a fool for chasing after something she knew she couldn’t have, and despite all of her years of research and investment into trying to turn a fairy tale into reality, she was no miracle maker. So of course she had to lose it all for her dream, there was no other option for someone like her. And the worst of all?

She broke herself for nothing. And whatever happened to her because of it? She deserved it.

Tachyon struggled to keep herself from crying, but right now, by herself, she could—

“Huh. I honestly thought you’d let the abandoned classroom get way messier, but you’re actually cleaning after yourself.” Pocket’s voice came from the door, the brute covering her eyes from the light behind Tachyon.

“W-Well! If it isn’t Jungle Pocket!” Tachyon quickly dried her tears on her lab coat, trying to get a hold of her own voice. It just wouldn’t stop shaking. Why was she here? “Quite a while since we last spoke. Hopefully you won’t run off on me today?”

“Haha! Ha… Yeah. I don’t plan to.” Pocket couldn’t help but let out an awkward laughter, looking away from the researcher herself, who was still turned to the window, refusing to even face Pocket. That was… Fair. Probably.

“What do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

“Do you want to… watch me? Run?” Pocket’s own words sounded unsure, but slowly they began picking up some momentum. “I am going to run the Japan Cup. A lot of foreign runners will be coming to the race, and even T.M. Opera O will be a part of it. You know, the girl that went undefeated all year?”

“It would be hard for me to not have heard of her.” Tachyon’s smug remark came naturally, but her voice was anything but.

“Haha, yeah! Of course you have.” Pocket nodded, deciding to ignore how shaky the girl in front of her sounded. “I need to become stronger. And for that, I want the help of strong runners. Strong runners like you, Tachyon.”

Tachyon opened her mouth, but quickly covered it. She couldn’t control her breathing anymore. Her eyes were getting wet. She still couldn’t face Pocket.

“When you ran at the Satsuki Sho, it was so scary. Not just because of what happened to you, but because of how fast you ran… Hell, it still scares me! I can still see you ahead of me every time I run, and I question myself if it even matters that I’m running…”

Tachyon swallowed her tears. Great. Now she was crushing the dreams of others too... No, that wasn’t true. She had been crushing Pocket’s dream since long ago.

“And even when I do, I worry that I’ll… That I’ll end up like you.” Pocket’s voice was full of shame and regret. “It scares me so badly, and I just… freeze…”

“I…” Tachyon couldn’t handle this anymore. All of the guilt over her actions came rushing forwards, and slowly she turned herself to Pocket. “I’m sorry.”

“Nah, you don’t have to—” Pocket looked up from her own hands, embarrassingly fidgeting with each other, to face the researcher in front of her. She looked miserable. Tears rolled down tired eyes, and although she tried to hide her face behind that oversized lab coat, she was doing a very poor job. Guilt and worry in equal measures filled Pocket’s heart. “Tachyon? Tachyon, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“No, no! You’re—” She dried the tears, but they simply kept coming and coming, as if she was cradling her legs, wallowing in her own misery as she did almost every night. “You’re f-fine! Don’t worry about it! H-Haha! The only one to blame is me!”

“What are you talking about, Tachyon? What’s wrong?” Pocket rushed to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder, only for the desperate girl to push it away gently.

“I shouldn’t have ever ran like that, I could have just, I could have just went with Plan A and followed that but I decided that wasn’t enough and so I lost everything and it was all for nothing because now I can’t even—”

“Tachyon!” Pocket shouted before grabbing Tachyon’s shoulder, shaking her and then sliding her hands up, cupping the researcher’s face. “Deep breaths!”

“I—”

“No! Breath in!” Pocket breathed in first, with Tachyon being forced to follow after. After a few seconds, both of them let it go, emptying their lungs. Pocket crouched down, golden eyes still locked with teary red ones. “Look… You don’t have to apologize. What I wanted to tell you, is that even if I freeze because I’m afraid, even if I can’t catch up to you who ran at the Satsuki Sho, even if I lose the Japan Cup, I’ll keep running. I’ll always keep running, no matter what, because only then I can become strong.”

Tachyon simply kept breathing heavily, still crying as quietly as she could.

“One day I will become the strongest. I just… would like you to help me get there, y’know? But it’s okay if you don’t want to! I figured you might have something else going on so—”

“Pocket… I…” Tachyon dried her tears again, and once she rested her hands on her thighs, Pocket took her hands, holding them firmly. “I was born with very fragile legs. I was never even supposed to be able to run, but I was just so fascinated by it I had to, I needed to—

“Deep breaths. I’m not going anywhere.”

Tachyon just nodded in response. “I wanted to reach that limit. So I dedicated myself to that, day and night, through my research. That’s all that ever mattered to me.”

“Your dream?”

“Yes. My fatal attraction. My forbidden love.” Tachyon’s eyes finally dried up, but the melancholy remained. “Because of my fragility, I had two plans. Plan A was for me to run myself, but with every race the truth became harder and harder to deny. Those four races were all I could ever run.”

“Tachyon…” Pocket felt a lump on her throat. If one day, her dream was ripped away from her, she didn’t know how she would react.

“Plan B involved a proxy running in my stead. Someone capable and with a lot of potential.” Tachyon gave a glance at Pocket, with a faint smile through her pained expression.

“Wait, seriously?! So we’re just going with your crazy plans if you help me?!” Pocket wanted to growl, but then realized what Tachyon actually was talking about. An Umamusume with potential and skill and passion and the best of the best… And that was her! “I mean! Yeah! Of course I’m Plan B! Haha!”

Tachyon let out a laugh, despite her state. “But then one day… Before the race… I decided on Plan C.”

“Was everything that happened…” Pocket’s words trailed off, her eyes landing on the armrest of the wheelchair. “Plan C?”

“Quite the theatrical display, hm? One last race for a body of glass. Like lightning in a bottle.” Tachyon’s expression turned sour. If she had any more tears, she’d spill them. “A mistake.”

Pocket stayed quiet, simply holding Tachyon’s hands. She firmed her grip. “I can’t tell you if what you did was right or not… I don’t think anyone but yourself has the right. But, when you ran that day… I couldn’t take my eyes off you. Not because you were doing something wrong, or because you were in front of me, but I just… I thought it was amazing, y’know?”

Tachyon looked away, expecting the usual empty praise she had received so far. Her heart twisted.

“Not any of those stupid reasons. And n-not that it was cool that you ate dirt like a dumbass!” Pocket’s gentle laughter eased Tachyon. “I mean… It showed me how much I still could improve. It showed me what I could be. It showed me what being the strongest meant. Chasing my dream, even if it meant pushing myself to the limit against all odds… Actually, can I tell you something?”

Tachyon raised an eyebrow, noticing Pocket was looking away from her, embarrassed.

“I thought, uh, that if I pushed myself like you did, my legs would also crumble like yours? But now I know that’s a very “you” problem, and I feel kind of stupid?”

Tachyon allowed herself a smirk. “Thank the three goddesses you weren’t born with brittle legs, right?”

“THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT! I mean, I know I can get hurt and—” Tachyon started laughing, like she hadn’t done in a long, long time, as she heard Pocket awkwardly try to excuse her comment, fumbling through the whole thing with a mastery she didn’t even know was possible. Pocket only stopped once she saw, for the first time in her life, Tachyon’s genuine smile. “Y’know, Tachyon?”

“Yeah?”

“I’ll never, ever forget what I felt that day. Thanks.”

Pocket pressed her forehead against the hands she was holding so firmly, resting her head against Tachyon’s lap. Tachyon felt the wind blowing the curtains behind her, and the sunlight entering the room gently. Overwhelming warmth filled her heart. Once again, like she had done so many times before, she began crying. But this time it wasn’t by herself, and for a good reason.

“So, does that mean you’ll go with me for Plan B or— Oh, don’t, don’t cry! I—”

“Pocket, I…” The blonde looked up from her cushioned pillow, seeing Tachyon’s wide smile and teary eyes, the sunlight behind her glowing brightly. Or maybe she herself was glowing. That could be possible too. “I want to walk again.”

“You will.” Pocket smiled. “As long as you never stop trying.”

Chapter 3: Firelight

Notes:

The most primitive source of light. A change in the course of history itself. Dangerous. Wild. Warm.

Jungle Pocket wasn’t afraid of running anymore. It was the only way for her to become a better runner, and the only way she’d ever be able to call herself the strongest. This was different from those unofficial races she ran ages ago, when she was running against those uncommitted to the track, and getting second place could mean a fistfight and a night sleeping with an ice pack against her face. This was official. She should be used to that by now.

The Umamusume here with her were the best of the best. They had poured a part of their lives into the track, and were willing to push themselves to unimaginable lengths to achieve their victory. If she got second place, she wasn’t gonna punch anyone. Probably. Instead, she’d have to swallow down her pride, admit she was weak and get back to practicing. She had to reign in her furious heart… But today, it was strangely calm.

She questioned herself why. From her stall she looked over to the crowd, easily spotting her trainer and Fuji-san. They always came to the races to watch her, of course. The best mentors she could ever ask for, always there for her, even when she was throwing a hissy fit or injuring herself like an idiot during training. She was thankful they were so understanding and kind.

But they couldn’t be the reason she was calm. She had struggled with her own emotions and fears before, even as they were watching her run. She had failed them both before, but today she was going to do better. At least try it, y’know? For them.

Right beside her trainer and Fuji-san were her friends, from way back when she was running down roads on the mountainside late at night. Those idiots followed her everywhere, and they always supported her every step of the way, regardless of what she chose to do. She couldn’t ask for better friends, which helped lift her spirits and understand her struggles.

But as much as they followed after her, they weren’t really involved in the world of racing. They watched it, and helped her train, yes. But in the track itself, her mind rarely drifted to them. Still, today felt like one of those lighthearted, meaningless late night runs, even if it was far from the truth.

Her eyes moved over a few spots, seeing Dantsu Flame and Manhattan Cafe. Her friends and rivals in Tracen Academy. The ever bright, easily swayed and forever hopeful Dantsu Flame would always run, regardless if she was going to win or not. She wasn’t very confident in herself, but still… She wasn’t afraid to lose. Pocket should have learned more from her.

Manhattan Cafe, on the other hand, was gloomy, serious and always needed a shot of coffee to function properly. Her focus on reaching her friend was singular, and no matter what happened, she was always ready to race. She wasn’t afraid of running. Pocket should have learned more from her too, now that she was thinking about it.

But still, her mind wasn’t calm because of them. She glanced over at the other stalls, and slowly realized that being calm was kind of insane. T.M. Opera O was right there, with her impressive year-long winning streak. Even if she hadn’t placed 1st in every race this year, that was still scary. Then Narita Top Road, and then Meisho Doto… Even more runners from abroad. How was her heart so calm?

The buzzer rang. The gates slammed open right in front of her, and without delay she stepped forwards. Each step felt heavy, and her heart was still plagued with fear. But she wouldn’t stop. She would keep running. She glanced back at the crowd, still looking for something. She wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but she knew it was there. Waiting for her. Watching her.

All of her opponents were so strong. All of them were so much better than her. She was still weak. But… They weren’t her. They couldn’t compare to what she showed Pocket. She grit her teeth, and as if something snapped inside her, she began running like a wild beast. Past everyone. Past everything. She didn’t rush herself, or lost control of her breathing, or lost her running form. No, she just picked up speed, until only Opera stood in front of her. Her body became lighter. Faster. Stronger.

She was approaching the finish line of the Japan Cup, now entering the final straight. This was it. She pushed herself to the limit, and at that moment she glanced to the side, unsure why. And she saw her. Amongst the crowd, quietly watching the race. Far from disinterested, but instead with an apprehensive, expectant gaze. Excited.

Sunlight hit the side of her face, her pale skin glowing gently. Her eyes, though still tired, were filled with life. Her hair took on a light red shade as the sun passed through it. She was smiling and cheering Pocket onwards. Jungle Pocket felt her heart skip a beat, and suddenly nothing else mattered. Agnes Tachyon was watching her run, and just like that fateful day, her figure left Pocket in awe. But this time it was different. She wasn’t going to lose because of Tachyon. She was going to win for her.

Jungle Pocket let out a violent scream as she ran forwards, past her own limits, past her fears and, just before the finish line, past T.M. Opera O, rightfully claiming first place at the Japan Cup. She only stopped once she came back to her senses, the announcer having to repeat her name over and over again for her to stop her legs from moving. Once she finally realized her victory, she roared out as loudly and for as long as she could, with the crowd roaring back with her.

Her eyes landed on her trainer and Fuji-san, both hiding their tears, while her friends loudly cried and hugged one another. Then she spotted Dantsu and Cafe, both smiling, proud of what their rival had achieved. And finally, her eyes landed on her. She was smiling.

Jungle Pocket, at least in that moment, felt as if she was the strongest.

---

“Bring me another one of these! It’s so damn good!” Pocket slammed an empty can of ginger ale down on the wooden table, with the cozy little restaurant they were in being the perfect place for someone like her to celebrate her victory. The waiter simply nodded with a smile before she turned to her bowl of food — Warm noodles, fresh meat and spicy vegetables. She couldn’t ask for anything better.

“You sure there’s no alcohol in that one, Fuji-san?” Her trainer asked with a hint of worry, looking at his older trainee. “She’s still a while from being able to drink, and as a runner she shouldn’t in the first place!”

“Don’t worry about it, Trainer-san! It has no alcohol at all!” Kiseki grabbed the empty can and read its formula, unable to comprehend the gibberish written on it. “Probably!”

“You two are worrying too much about it! Tonight, we should be celebrating!” Pocket happily chowed down a slice of beef, before dropping her chopsticks and grabbing the large silver trophy beside her, lifting it up to the table. “Because this beauty is all yours, Trainer-san! So drink up!”

“I am far from the age where I should be drinking!” Her trainer barked at her, but his hand reached for the trophy all the same, a finger sliding against its side slowly. “But you’re right, tonight is a night to celebrate.”

Jungle Pocket was filled with immense satisfaction. She made the two of them proud today. “That’s the spirit!”

“What about your friends? Aren’t they showing up too?” Fuji-san asked, wondering where the three troublemakers were.

“I already hung out with them earlier, before coming here.” Pocket explained, while her mind drifted to the park and the arcade, their usual hanging spots. They should still be spending all of their money there, if she had to guess. “The champion’s time is all yours!”

“And those girls from the Academy?” Trainer-san asked, more worried about the bill than anything else. “Are they showing up? I can pay for both of you, but if more people show up…”

Pocket laughed. “Nah, they went straight to training! Next time we race, it’ll be against each other, on a much bigger stage! So they better get ready, because I’m not gonna give them an easy win!” She cracked another can of ale open, then swung it towards Fuji-san sloppily. Even she was starting to think this thing had at least 1% alcohol.  “And you’re going to be there too, y’hear me?!”

Fuji-san’s smile was more determined than usual. Good. “I can’t wait for it!”

After a few too many cans of ale and way too many bowls of meat, Pocket couldn’t take it anymore. And neither could her mentors, since they were also slumped on the comfy couch, though she was the only one looking like a sphere. “Ugh, I’m stuffed…”

“I told you to slow down and not drink so much!” Her trainer barked at her, as he was used to at this point.

“You sure did, Trainer-san…” Her phone rang with a notification, which she lazily looked at. To her surprise, it was none other than Tachyon. This late at night, huh? For some reason, Pocket felt her cheeks burning. Or maybe it was the 7 cans of ginger ale. “Oh, something came up. I gotta get going, is that okay?”

“You’re lucky winners get to eat for free, Pocket!” Trainer-san scoffed. “Get going, I’ll pick up your tab.”

“Thanks, Trainer-san! Also, get ready then because I’m gonna wring your pockets dry! Haha!” She got up and quickly made her way out, waving them both goodbye. “See you later!”

...

Walking around at night wasn’t anything special for Jungle Pocket, being used to seeing the neon signs glow, the low light lamps and the bright moon illuminating the streets. The fresh wind reminded her of running down the hills, the sharp curves on the mountainside and the very real danger of getting into an accident, but all of it was so incredibly fun. Then, the reality of the situation hit her.

That was well over 3 years ago. She had left that style of racing behind already. She had run way more races officially than not. She let herself have a small giggle, despite being by herself, walking around alone.

“My, my, and they call me the mad one, just because of my pursuit of knowledge! At least I’m not a mumbling drunk.” Tachyon’s snarky remark came from behind Pocket, which instantly turned around to face the girl. She was dressed casually, though her usual sweater was a bit more modest, given the cold winter weather. A little box rested on her lap.

“And where did you come from?! Sneaking up on me like that!” Pocket looked around, not seeing a tree, building or vending machine Tachyon could hide behind in sight. The bridge by the riverbank was calm, quiet and barren, and was a perfect spot for small conversation — Which also meant it was incredibly hard to hide around here. “How did you even do that?”

“I’ve gotten used to moving around with my current condition. It’s surprisingly practical, albeit the terrain can make it difficult at times.” Tachyon rested beside the steel railing, leaning against it. “Have you gotten used to the condition of being a drunkard? You’re not even stuttering your words.”

“I can’t even drink! I just had a bunch of ginger ale, that's all!” Pocket groaned as she rested on the railing, pointing to the researcher.

“Ale, hm?” Tachyon tilted her head. “Are you sure it was not beer? I have heard it has a small albeit noticeable alcoholic content in it, due to fermentation processes.”

“Why would they give me ginger beer if it had alcohol? I can’t drink yet.” Pocket stared forwards at the river, the moonlight reflected on its surface. Her own reflection, and Tachyon's, wavered in the water.

“You were with your trainer, were you not?” Tachyon’s question carried a smugness with it that pissed off Pocket.

“So? What does that—” She put the pieces together, realizing the very real possibility that they thought she was ordering for her trainer. “No way they’d make such a basic mistake! I even ordered it myself!”

“Looks like it’s in your nature to just break social conventions, isn’t it? Perhaps that has to do with your very own essence? I wonder how being a bad girl affects your running ability and your patterns on the track field?”

“So you called me here for Plan B, eh? And here I thought I could get away from all the weird experimenting after, y’know, winning the Japan Cup?” Pocket zipped down her orange jacket while flashing Tachyon a smile, the warmth starting to get to her. Maybe that thing did have alcohol in it? She felt a bit dizzy.

“Not as long as I live!” Tachyon laughed out loud. “But you’re wrong, I’m afraid. I came here to congratulate you on your victory. It was truly fascinating to watch you go past your current limits and achieve something greater than before.”

“Haha, yeah! I’m the best, I know!” Pocket pointed to herself, striking a pose for the researcher. She expected a blank stare, or another snarky remark, but a genuine look of appreciation was received instead. She quickly lost her composure. “But… I didn’t, y’know, expect you to come watch me in person?”

“Are you doubting my ability to move by myself?” Tachyon raised her eyebrow, but her smile suggested it was just another jab at Pocket.

“What? No! That’s not it at all!” She groaned. “I meant, I didn’t think you’d be that interested.”

“I wanted to see it with my own eyes. That’s all there is to it.”

“...I’m glad you did. I only managed to keep my nerves in check because of you.” Her hands instinctively fidgeted with her pendant. “Everyone was watching me run, like they had done so many times before, but today that felt different. When I looked ahead, I didn’t see you. I mean, you couldn’t be there after all, right? Because you were watching me instead. I felt…”

Pocket looked down at her pendant, the moonlight shining through it, before giving Tachyon a shy side glance.

“I’m glad you were there, Tachyon.” Tachyon felt something in her chest, her own heart rate spiking. Her tail’s hairs stood on their end, and her ears twitched.

“It was my pleasure.” Tachyon lifted the small box she was carrying up, offering it lazily to Pocket. “Go on, take it.”

“You have a gift for me? Wait, isn’t this just one of your freak experiments?!” Pocket hesitated in opening the box, while Tachyon’s smile turned malicious.

“I’ll have you know this present was handmade by yours truly, exclusively for you!” She then pointed to the box, still wrapped in lace. “You haven’t even opened the box yet!”

Pocket looked at the gift box suspiciously, shaking it gently. Was that the sound of something sloshing around? She felt a shiver down her spine. “Doing just that already feels dangerous!”

“When have my experiments ever ended in bodily harm?” Tachyon crossed her arms, giving Pocket a smug look, before both of them slowly looked down at her legs. The unhinged scientist coughed. “For others?”

“...Fine.” Pocket glared right back at her, before letting out a sigh in defeat and opening the box, very very carefully. Once the lid was off, a small crystalline vial presented itself to her, with a strange bubbling blue liquid inside it. The fact it was dark made it easier to see that it was glowing. “Oh you gotta be—”

“I prepared that vial so we could become a bit more amicable to each other, you know? Rather than our distant but so present rivalry of before.” Tachyon sounded almost offended. But still, she revealed to Pocket that their rivalry wasn’t exactly one sided. That was nice.

“Okay, okay! I said it was fine. What…” Pocket carefully picked the vial, tilting it against the light. It shifted in hue, becoming closer to white than before. “What even is this?”

“It’s a brew made specifically to target your muscular system. It is meant to ease fatigue and stress that have been built up via physical—”

“So it’s an energy drink! Got it, don’t need to hear the rest!” Pocket immediately cut Tachyon before she could start rambling on about things way beyond the ruffian’s understanding. She then stared at the glass in her hands, and then back at Tachyon. She was watching Pocket’s movements attentively. “Do you want me to drink it now…?”

“Yes.”

Pocket took a deep breath, handing the box back to Tachyon before uncorking the mysterious energy drink. Instantly, an intense smell of refreshing plants came out. It would be pleasant, if it didn’t smell like it was mixed in with mud, sewage water and rot. She pushed it away from her nose. “What did you put in this thing?! It smells like—”

“Now, now! Don’t ponder too much about what it may or may not smell like, what matters most is that it tastes delicious, and it’s bound to make your body as light as a feather!”

“You’re just saying that as an expression, right?” Pocket looked at the weird liquid. She was sure the bubbling became even more intense now that it was exposed to air. “I swear, Tachyon, if this does something weird to me—”

“You’ll be fine!” The researcher cut her train of thought entirely. “Now drink my potion!”

Pocket closed her eyes and pinched her nose before downing the entire thing in one gulp. It tasted exactly how she thought the river’s grass would, if it was made into a smoothie. A terrible, no good smoothie. “Blergh, I thought you said this tasted good?!”

Tachyon giggled. “I may have omitted the truth.”

Pocket held to her stomach as she crouched down, holding onto the rail for support. “Did you even try it?! What did you put in this?!” It felt like she just drank poison. Actually, that was probably true. “Actually don’t answer! It’s poison! Pure poison!”

“So! What about the main effects?” Tachyon asked her, entirely ignoring the girl’s pain.

“I don’t feel any different, outside wanting to puke over your shoes.” Pocket looked up at Tachyon, and her vision felt a little blurry and unfocused. “Actually, I feel dizzy. Was this actually poison?!”

“Fascinating! Your body must be reacting to the chemicals of my brew, but the alcohol in it is affecting the structural composition! Get here—” Pocket suddenly felt cold hands touching her cheeks, pulling her face up towards Tachyon’s. She let go of the railing and grabbed onto the wheelchair instead, while the researcher was inches away from her. Her breath smelled sweet… “Your face is even warm and red, and you appear unable to focus on objects immediately in your field of view—”

“That’s because you’re too close!” Pocket shouted before getting up, stumbling away from Tachyon. “I swear, if this buzz is what people feel when drinking, they got some serious problems.”

“I assure you the experience isn’t too far off from the symptoms I can identify!” Tachyon reassured her, but that just made Pocket worried.

“How would you know?!”

“A lot of compositions have distilled alcohol in them, and not all of it can be removed during the chemical process.” Tachyon explained to her as if it was common knowledge, before flashing her smug grin. Of course there was more to it. “Besides, I have ample sources of the base materials in my laboratory.”

“I don’t think you can compare ginger beer to pure ethanol!” Pocket walked past the girl before sitting down at the edge of the bridge, laying down against the cold grass. Moving felt sluggish. This felt nice. “Oh, let me just, sit down by the grass here…”

“It appears I have failed to consider that your body could have had impurities when taking the mixture.” Tachyon admitted, moving closer to Pocket. The semi-drunk Umamusume grabbed one of her feet, moving it back and forth slowly. “And honestly, I hadn’t used the laboratory in a while, haha!”

“Why’s that?” Pocket turned against the grass, still holding onto Tachyon’s leg. “You love your research.”

“I…” She looked up to the moon. “I haven’t felt like it, I suppose.”

Tachyon felt her eyes tear up as she recalled the past few months. Not because of its struggles, or because of how eventful it was, but because all of it blended together into an incoherent, meaningless mess. Time simply passed by her, and she was content with that until not too long ago. She had a lot to catch up to.

“I haven’t felt like doing anything. I achieved my goal, and saw what lied beyond my own limits.” She wiped her eyes, looking down at Pocket and smiling. “I guess I felt like there was no more purpose in continuing my research.”

“That’s non-sense!” Pocket slammed the grass with her free hand and shook Tachyon’s leg with the other. “You can always use it to help others! You’ve probably got so many notes laying around, it would be a shame to let it all go to waste!”

Tachyon just watched Pocket, in her half drunk state, squirm and kick around like a toddler, getting her jacket dirty with grass and dirt, while her hair became a tangled mess of gold locks. At some point, her frustration became glee, and she flashed a discreet smile to the researcher. Tachyon suddenly could hear her own heartbeat.

“Besides, you can always use them to get me buzzed like this, apparently…”

“Leave it to you to find a silver lining in all of this.” Tachyon laughed alongside Pocket, before letting out a sigh. “It’s still frustrating that my skills might have rusted in such a short amount of time. Falling just short of success, and forgetting to take into account the world around you… It’s infuriating that I…” have been living like this. But her last words didn’t come out, and if they did, they were barely above a whisper.

“You can just sharpen them right back.” Pocket spoke, as if it was obvious. As if it was the natural thing to do. She then caressed Tachyon’s leg, without meaning anything. Just because she could. “All of them.”

Tachyon felt a shiver run down her spine. “Oh! I almost forgot that, given the failure of my gift, I can still express my emotional state to you in verbal form!”

Pocket tilted her head. “Did you forget you can say congratulations?”

Agnes Tachyon shook hers. “Thank you, Jungle Pocket. For continuing to run, despite everything.”

Pocket was once again left in awe at the sight in front of her. The gentle moonlight, the fresh wind and that warm smile. She just stared, for much longer than she was supposed to.

“And also, I…” Tachyon tried to continue, but suddenly looked away, covering her face partially. “A-Actually, this is a lot harder to verbalize than I previously thought. Nevermind.”

“Ehhhh?! You can’t just say that!”

“Oh?” Tachyon quickly moved her wheelchair away from Pocket, before laughing like a maniac. “Observe!” She quickly started making her escape, following the empty sidewalk as fast as she could, each push driving her further and further away from the brute.

“H-Hey, get back here! Where do you think you’re going?!” Pocket struggled to get up from the ground, slipping and stumbling her way to catch up with Tachyon. “That’s the Japan’s Cup champion you’re trying to run from, you know!”

Both girls ran alongside the riverbank, laughing like idiots all the way back to their dorm.

---

“This is the place then, huh?” Pocket asked, looking up at a large clinic, located right on the corner of a busy avenue. The building was pristine white, with large clear windows, and she even could see some… Practice rooms? Training rooms? Which were being used by some of the patients. The exercises seemed to range from pretty basic things to some more intense ones. There were even some Umas there.

Tachyon checked her phone again. It was the fifth or sixth time she had done so on the way here, despite the walk being relatively short. “If the address we received is correct, this should be the place in which the bulk of my treatment will happen, yes.”

Both of them looked up from its front door, simply staring at it in silence for a moment. Pocket let out a whistle. “Looks fancy.”

“The director was ecstatic with my agreement to partake in the physiotherapy sessions to regain my range of movement, even though the final results may be far from what I was ever capable of.” Tachyon raised her hand to Pocket. In response, the blonde let go of her wheelchair, not another word about it being spoken between the two. “And so, she arranged the best of the best for her precious student.”

Pocket crossed her arms and gave Tachyon a smirk. “You getting special treatment now, are ya?”

Instead of the usual snarky commentary, she appeared bothered. Uncomfortable even. Pocket cursed herself quietly. “We both know the director would do so for all her students—”

“Yeah, yeah! I know. Just pulling your leg.” Pocket checked her phone, then scratched the back of her head. “Did we make it in time? I didn’t expect the pathway here to be so awkward to move around with your wheelchair.”

“We have arrived at the designated time. A little earlier, actually.” Tachyon turned to the glass door, with Pocket remaining behind her, awkwardly putting her hands into her jacket’s pocket.

“So, do you want me to stay around here or—”

“I suspect these sessions will not be something so short that you can stay here immobile all through its duration.” Tachyon looked back at her before nodding back the direction they came. “Besides, don’t you have training to return to?”

“A-Ah, yeah! You’re right.” Pocket let out an awkward laugh. She knew that. Of course she knew that, but she still agreed to accompany Tachyon here. “I mean, this is just like getting some extra training for me, y’know? Now I gotta rush my way back if I want to make it in time!”

Tachyon simply stared at her for a moment, before pushing the glass door to the side. “...I see.”

“Give me a call when you’re done! I’ll come pick you up right away!” Pocket turned to walk away, only leaning back for one last wave. “Good luck, Tachyon.”

She waved back. “Thank you.”

…

Tachyon struggled to do a simple calf raise. She wasn’t even standing, and it still took way too much effort. Exercising was arduous.

Tachyon could barely get her legs to stretch forwards, and even when she did so, it was only for a second or two. Recovery was slow.

Tachyon breathed in and out, trying to focus on something other than the pain, as someone else moved her legs for her. Therapy was hard.

But she’d do it anyway. Through effort. Through time. Through insistence.

She’d walk again.

…

“Hey! That was faster than I expected!” Pocket waved at her, waiting at the clinic’s reception. Tachyon blinked at her.

“I didn’t call you.”

Pocket coughed. “Y-Yeah! I just wrapped training a little earlier than usual, and I remembered you told me you’d be done around this time, so I passed by before you called since the road here isn’t all that good and you might be tired that—”

“It’s okay.” Tachyon smiled at her, stopping close to Pocket and resting her arms on the wheelchair. “If I were to ask for company, I’d like none other than my guinea pig for Plan B!”

“You just want to know about my training, don’t you? Maybe they could teach you some socializing while they’re at it too!” Pocket grumbled, grabbing the wheelchair’s handle and walking out of the clinic, the pair waving to the staff as they left.

“So? Where’s my report?”

Pocket groaned, but relented all the same as they walked through the busy streets. “Today we did strength training!” Her excitement quickly overcame her annoyance. “Boxing gloves and everything, punching heavy weights around. It was so good to let off some steam! Did you know that some Umamusume practice that instead of running? Professionally!”

“Have you never seen a boxing match between Umamusume?”

“That exists?!” Pocket’s shock at the concept was quickly turned to Tachyon instead. “Wait, why would you know about that?”

“The reflexes, strength and endurance they display during it far exceeds that of what me and you achieve, even during our most focused races.” Tachyon started explaining, while Pocket listened carefully. “I have watched them before, in hopes of figuring out what sort of training regimen they utilize. While most of it was useless for my research, a few important things did stand out.”

Pocket mumbled to herself. “You displayed some pretty insane endurance…”

“Of course I did!” Tachyon giggled, overhearing the blonde’s murmur. “I am the exception!”

“Don’t get cocky now!”

“Rich, coming from you!” Tachyon laughed while Pocket growled. “So, Pocket, did you actually get in some additional exercise on the way to your training via running like a madwoman, and did your training truly end sooner rather than later, or are you skipping your training regimen to come assist your friend?”

“C’mon, is it so hard to believe I’m not skipping training? I’ve been so diligent with it so far, maybe even overdoing it!” Pocket stopped by a red light, waiting for traffic to clear up. Tachyon was tapping her toes together. “Dantsu punched the sandbag really hard, and Cafe, instead of holding it firmly, walked away to grab a cup of coffee. Then the sandbag came back and slammed Dantsu into next week, so we had to call it a day early.”

“Nothing changes, hm?”

The light turned green. “Nothing changes. Oh yeah!” Pocket leaned over a bit closer to Tachyon as she spoke. “But you don’t have to stress about it, I already spoke with the teachers and with Trainer-san. I’ll be free to take you here and pick you up!”

Tachyon fidgeted with the armrest of her wheelchair. “School staff could fulfill those duties, and you wouldn’t have to waste your time—”

“Hey now, this isn’t wasting time! Besides, they didn’t really have anyone capable like me, or available, and so I offered myself personally, y’know? Because I had already told you that I’d help you and gave you all that speech and—”

“It’s fine.” Tachyon giggled, cutting through Pocket’s words. “You have quite the habit of rambling off when you’re lying or embarrassed, have you taken notice of that?”

“What? No, I don’t!” Pocket straightened herself, puffing her cheeks.

“It’s cute.” Silence… “I wonder how that affects your running performance? Perhaps if we arrange something embarrassing for you to experience while you run on the track, it would increase your speed output! Oh, I need to find my old hologram devices to create a more practical environment—”

“Oh, shut up! Of course it’s all an experiment!”

The two bickered all the way back to their dorm.

---

After a long day, Pocket took Tachyon back to the abandoned classroom — her own private research lab, if you didn’t count Cafe’s side. “You know you have an actual dorm room, right?”

Tachyon just let out a sigh in response. “Normally I wouldn’t mind having to deal with Digital’s incredible observational skills, but being in the state I am, doing so would prove to be quite exhausting. She’d notice things about myself that I’d rather no one point out, much less her, the worrywart she is.”

The blonde felt herself getting angry at the idea someone could be bullying Tachyon. “Hey, no one has been treating you poorly because of it, have they?! Just point and I’ll show them a thing or two!”

“No, I have not come to any harm because of my condition, before or after my accident. At least not physically, and mentally not on purpose.” Tachyon raised her hand, and Pocket let go of her wheelchair. “People just like to speak. It’s natural. We are but social creatures.”

Pocket’s discomfort grew alongside their silence, simply watching Tachyon climb up to her bed. The fact her anguish had been going on for months now made Pocket’s heart twist.

“Would you grab my laptop for me?” Tachyon politely asked, with Pocket taking a moment to snap out of her own thoughts. Once she awkwardly handed it over, Tachyon stared at her for a few seconds. “Are you going to sit down?”

“I should, yeah!” Pocket looked around, trying to find a decent spot to sit down, but her only options were Cafe’s heavy couch, away from Tachyon, or sinister unlabelled boxes.

Tachyon just patted her side on the bed. “Perhaps today’s training knocked a few screws loose in that empty head of yours, Bucket?”

“Oi, who are you calling a bucket now?!” Pocket grumbled and crossed her arms, but sat down all the same. “So, what are you up to in that laptop of yours?” She leaned over to the side, trying to get a view of the screen, but only saw papers and words way too long for her vocabulary.

“Since I can no longer run, I have to shift my focus slightly to better fit my condition in the future. I still need a stable economic income, especially if I want to keep funding my research.”

Pocket squinted her eyes. Nope, still all gibberish to her. “And that means…?”

“I’m browsing my scholarship offers for after we graduate. The possibilities are truly endless!”

“So you’re going to college…” Pocket looked around at all the absurd research Tachyon was conducting on a daily basis. Strange chemical compositions, large machines for data analysis, definitely a few morally questionable practices… That made sense. She’d fit right in. “And you already got a bunch of scholarships? Just pick the best one!”

“I have to decide exactly what institution best fits my criteria. Since I’d rather you didn’t stop me halfway through my explanation, I’ll spare you of it today.” Tachyon smiled at the blonde. “And you?”

Pocket pointed to herself. “Me?”

“What will you do? I am sure many are already looking to sponsor the champion of the Japan Cup and promising Plan B guinea pig.”

“Ah, right.” Pocket thought about it for a second, before scratching the back of her head, looking away embarrassed. “I’m letting Trainer-san handle all that? I don’t really have talent for any of it, y’know?”

“I’m sure he must have already thought about it. You have a bright future ahead of you after we graduate.” Tachyon turned back to the computer, while Pocket slowly realized that she was graduating soon.

In like, 3 weeks… Pocket blinked. In like, 3 weeks?!

“H-Hey, wait a second, that’s too sudden!” Pocket shouted, while Tachyon just raised an eyebrow. “I’m not ready to graduate just yet! I mean, that means I’m gonna go back to living with my parents, and then hanging out with everyone will be harder, and then I’ll be racing—”

“You’ll be fine.” Tachyon cut her off. “You already spend the holidays with your family anyway, and we’ll still hang out together, just less frequently. As for racing… Aren’t you the strongest champion? Just keep winning for Plan B!”

Tachyon’s hand held onto Pocket’s, reassuring her. Now that was all the she could focus on.

“Pocket?”

“I-I guess so! Haha, I guess I just forgot to think about it? Yeah. That must be it.” Pocket’s eyes were still on Tachyon’s hand. On instinct, she slowly locked their fingers together, as if asking for permission to do so. “I just don’t want us to stop hanging out.”

The two simply held hands in silence, staring at it rather than one another.

After what felt like an eternity, Tachyon’s eyes locked with Pocket’s. “I guess I don’t either.” She slowly pulled Pocket’s hand closer, the blonde’s whole body following suit. “I wish I could have realized the worth of emotion sooner.”

Pocket almost fell forwards, having to place a hand besides Tachyon’s body to keep herself from falling, all while they still held hands.

“I wish my body could run for longer.”

Pocket let go, only to slowly glide her hand up Tachyon’s arm. In return, the researcher’s hands cupped her face.

“I wish I took notice of you sooner.”

Pocket’s hands slowly dared to get closer to Tachyon’s body, now having the fragile girl under her, hands grabbing onto her hips. Both just stared at each other in silence, taking in each other’s presence. Being in awe of each other, and unlike the other times, where it happened for a moment, discreetly, this time they would indulge in it until they were satisfied.

Her messy golden locks, with that simple cream mark cutting across it. Golden eyes, brimming with life. An athletic figure, sculpted from arduous hard work. Tachyon could feel her heart rate spiking, and her tail straightening as a shiver ran across it.

Her brown hair, cut haphazardly, and her stubby ears, twitching incessantly. Brown eyes so deep they almost appeared red, with an uncanny sharpness to them. Despite not exercising in a long time, her body was still stunning. Pocket licked her lips, and her tail wouldn’t stop wagging.

Pocket leaned forwards. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”

Tachyon leaned into it. “As long as I never stop trying… My guinea pig.”

Their lips finally touched each other gently, before finally breaking into a kiss. A slow, messy first kiss, but given Tachyon’s lack of experience on the subject, that was expected. Pocket leaned back only for a second before kissing her again, taking the lead for Tachyon. Over and over again, only breaking away to let her breathe in.

Both were flushed, their breathing was shallow and their bodies felt warm, and yet they didn’t feel a hint of shame or embarrassment. Tachyon, now laying down entirely, watched Jungle pocket sit atop her. The blonde’s eyes were hazy and unfocused, filled with something Tachyon couldn’t decipher. “I-I did not expect you’d be so experienced at this.”

Pocket unzipped her jacket and hastily threw it away before pinning Tachyon’s hands down. Ah. Tachyon realized now what those golden eyes carried in them as they watched her every movement. “Let me show you what a bad girl can teach you.”

 

It was a primal need. Pocket kissed her lips, then her neck.

 

It was a natural desire. Pocket kissed her shoulder, then her chest.

It was hunger. And Tachyon would provide.

Notes:

A few notes! First, while the Umamusume don't need to graduate from Tracen Academy, for the sake of having some more intimate progression I made that a thing. Just don't think too much about it.

Second, I have done some accompanying art for the past chapter. You can check it out over my Tumblr! https://www.tumblr.com/wdflowers

Chapter 4: Dawn

Notes:

The beginning of twilight and, by extension, sunrise. The start of a brand new day. Hope conceptualized.

Cafe only really visited the abandoned classroom when she felt like having particularly long or intimate conversations with her friend. Or when she needed to use her personal coffee machine, which usually meant every morning. Even now, as graduation was approaching, she still kept the same routine of waking up, getting ready and making her way to “Tachyon’s research lab” to get herself a warm mug.

Sometimes they’d mix up their drinks, with her tasting that god awful sugary syrup Tachyon called tea, and the researcher expressing her disdain for anything that was incapable of causing diabetes. Whatever. Cafe grabbed the handle and tried to push it open, but the door was locked. She forced it a little more, and still nothing. So it was actually locked. She took a deep breath before forcing herself to knock.

She needed her coffee.

She waited a few seconds for an answer, and then nothing. She knocked again. “Tachyon, open the door.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming, calm down!” That… was not Tachyon’s voice. What was Pocket doing there this early in the morning? “Where’s my— Whatever, here, let me—” Cafe could hear her voice in a hushed whisper, and then someone fiddling with the lock on the other side of the door, before only a sliver of it opened, Pocket’s golden eyes being the only discernable thing visible through it.

“Good morning. The door?” Cafe raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, you want to like, come in? This early?” Pocket stared at her, covering the view as best as she could. What was with the secrecy? Cafe tried to look past her, but the ruffian instantly blocked her.

“I want to make coffee. With my coffee maker.” Cafe pushed the door, only for Pocket to stop her.

“Isn’t the cafeteria open already?”

“Look, just let me—” Cafe stopped once she realized Pocket was not in uniform, or even wearing her usual clothes. Instead, Tachyon’s oversized sweater was lazily slumped over her. The bra straps weren’t there at all, and she had no pants on. Cafe, through the darkness, spotted Tachyon’s bare back, sleeping soundly on her bed.

She nodded quietly, before slowly closing the door, ignoring whatever Pocket was trying to say. Just for today, she could get coffee at the cafeteria. It wasn’t as good as her own personal brew, yes, but it was infinitely better than dealing with whatever that was. It just wasn’t worth it.

---

Tachyon lazily turned around, stretching her arms in bed. She rubbed her eyes before checking the time on her phone, noticing that none of her alarms went off, and she was gonna be late for her morning classes. She shrugged, tossing it to the side, before slumping herself up. Not like her attendance was ever any good, outside the past few months.

She glanced to the side, spotting Pocket walking back to bed in her sweater. Ah. Yeah. Last night happened. Tachyon looked down at herself, entirely naked save for the blanket atop her, before Pocket lazily jumped back into bed. “Ugh, some people have no sense of time, I swear.”

Tachyon’s hand instantly moved to caress the girl’s messy blonde hair. “Why’s that?”

Pocket leaned into it, turning around and closing her eyes. “Cafe’s up at the crack ass of dawn wanting to make coffee. Who even gets up at this hour?”

“Us, usually.” Tachyon gave her a smug smile, while Pocket was confused.

“What do you mean? What time is it?”

“We have 7 minutes to get to class.” Tachyon checked her phone again. “6 minutes.”

“H-Hey, don’t go making me comfortable like that if we are this late! We gotta get ready, let’s move!” Pocket quickly sprung out of bed, tossing the sweater she was wearing away and then moving to the desk, turning on the electric kettle. She looked back, only to see Tachyon staring at her. “What’s wrong?”

Tachyon simply laid in bed, fiddling with her own hair and watching Pocket. “Aren’t you a fine specimen.”

Pocket looked down, realizing she was down to just her panties, before turning red and barking back at Tachyon. “Y-You! Now’s not the time! Come on, let me help you—”

“Wait—” Pocket unceremoniously ripped the blankets away at Tachyon, which for some reason looked incredibly embarrassed. A little late to be feeling that, considering what happened yesterday. But no. That wasn’t embarrassment. Pocket felt her heart heavy once she realized it was discomfort.

She looked down at Tachyon’s legs, spotting the scars of her surgery on it. It wasn’t excessively ugly, far from it, but they still were there. Tachyon didn’t say anything, but her eyes were fixated on them. Pocket crouched down, grabbed her underwear and unceremoniously slid it up her legs, the researcher snapping out of her stupor and assisting her, albeit only a smidge.

Soft lips pressed against Tachyon’s thigh once Pocket was done. “Still leaving me in awe all the same, Ms. Record Breaker.” Pocket pressed her head against her legs, letting the girl pat her head to comfort herself. The kettle then began screaming, the water finally being boiled. “Tea time. You like it in the mornings, right?”

Tachyon just nodded in response, continuing to dress herself up as Pocket prepared her syrup disguised as tea. 6 cubes of sugar. Once they were dressed in their casual clothes, they began making their way to the classroom. Although this was not their uniform, the teachers would simply have to accept it for the time being, or tell them to go change. Regardless, they had done their best, given the conditions they woke up in.

“Stupid that we need to have class right before holidays. Right before graduation!” Pocket ran with Tachyon as fast as she could without putting the researcher in danger, both of them with messy clothes, unkept hair and still smelling like each other, but that was more than fine with one another.

“Pocket?” Tachyon looked up, finishing her cup of tea despite the incredible speeds Pocket was pushing her with. She rested her hand against the girl’s. “Thanks for yesterday. I learned a lot .”

Pocket could feel her cheeks turning bright red, but still smiled. “It was my pleasure.” The brute’s mind then started drifting, a small worry starting to cement itself into her brain. And in those cases, she did what she knew best now. “Hey, so, does that make us girlfriends—”

Tachyon unceremoniously slammed the door to their classroom open, instantly getting everyone’s attention. She then locked eyes with Pocket, a wide smug smile plastered across her face. “Yes, it does. Good morning everyone! Sorry we’re late!”

Pocket didn’t know if she wanted to scream, melt or disappear entirely. She just hoped the same happened to Tachyon, for good measure.

---

Pocket stared at the ceiling of the medical clinic, still open even a few days before the holidays. She understood why, given the nature of the job, but she still hoped the workers were being compensated properly at the very least. She made a habit of showing up 10 minutes before Tachyon’s sessions were done, and she used the meantime to question the workers about her recovery. She had been working hard as often as she could, and was making tangible progress.

Umamusume did get some pretty nasty and severe injuries, but they also recovered relatively quickly when compared to humans. Sadly, Tachyon’s case was a bit more severe than your average racetrack accident. Tachyon had not only one, but multiple career ending injuries, and refused proper treatment until just a few weeks ago. Even if she was dedicating herself to it now, it would still take maybe 5 to 6 months to see a full recovery.

Well, full recovery might be a lie. The best recovery she could expect, yes, but not a full one. She’d need a walking stick for her left leg, by the looks of it, and would be unable to overexert herself too much, but… It was better than the situation right now, right? Pocket fidgeted with her jacket’s zipper. Christmas was coming, and then the graduation party, and then…

And then life moved on. She’d keep running different events. She’d get sponsorships, brand deals and prize pools. She’d compete with older, more experienced runners, and new horizon shattering talents. She’d get stronger, and cement herself as the number one. And yet, it all felt surreal. Like she ran the Derby yesterday. Like she ran the Satsuki Sho a week ago. Like she was running on the mountains last month.

Tachyon would go to college and get a degree, absolutely. Maybe even two or three! Her potential to discover wonderful new things and assist society as a whole was unquestionable. Sometimes Pocket even wondered what she was doing in Tracen Academy, but now she understood the answer. A childhood dream, one way or another, had to be fulfilled. Her determination made Pocket smile just thinking about it.

Even if that dream led her here, in front of Pocket. “Spacing out, my dear guinea pig?”

“Since when are you here?”

“I’ve been trying to get your attention for over a minute now, but you just kept mumbling to yourself about the fastest runner that has ever lived.” Tachyon flashed her smug smile. “Is that common behavior between people that have recently become intimate with one another?”

“Yeah! You wouldn’t know, since I’m your first one!” Pocket jabbed her right back, getting up from her seat and leaning over her.

Tachyon faked being offended, but quickly recomposed herself and stole a kiss from the blonde, which just gasped. “One and only?”

“Y-You can’t just— Why did— Shut up!” Pocket quickly spun Tachyon around and grabbed onto the wheelchair handle, before whispering to herself. “I hope so.” Tachyon’s smug laughter just pissed her off, but in a nice way.

They made their way out of the clinic, waving goodbye to the staff, which appeared to be entirely indifferent to their display of affection. “You know, the medical staff barely expressed any sort of reaction when I spoke of you to them today. I suppose our actions could already be seen as typical for a couple! Fascinating how these conventions come and go with the times!”

“What? We’re not that obvious, right? Just two chicks hanging out!” Pocket groaned as she pushed Tachyon up a small hill. “How was therapy?”

“I can stand for 13 seconds!” Tachyon spoke with immense pride.

“Ohhh! That’s way better than your previous record of, y’know, zero! Like… A thousand and three hundred percent!”

Tachyon stifled a giggle. “That is not how mathematics works, my dear guinea pig.”

“Of course it is.” Pocket stopped at a red light. “What else did you do?”

“Exercises for my calves to increase my strength, stretches, both assisted and by myself, to return my flexibility and some endurance testing assisted standing!”

“The usual then?” Pocket’s finger passed through Tachyon’s hair, just behind her neck.

“Yes, but a little bit more intense today!” The lights turned green, and the pair continued their way back to the academy. “I wish I had put on some of my measuring equipment on Digital before I told her that me and you have begun a relationship. She practically fainted on the spot, then convulsed! The poor girl… Such valuable experimentation data was wasted then.”

“I seriously hope that is an analogy.” Pocket looked down, slightly worried, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Tachyon was serious about that. “But still, it was better than Cafe’s reaction.”

“I didn’t hear anything from our caffeine addict friend. What did she say?”

“She said that thankfully we’ll be graduating soon, and she won’t ever walk in on us again. She was just a little bit more… Colorful, about it.”

“I didn’t know she could do colorful things! My, my, all sorts of strange reactions are coming out from our dear friends from this marvelous change of pace!” Tachyon moved her arms around, swirling them gently. “So much data to collect, so many questions to ask!”

“You’re on your own on that one, you crazy scientist!” Pocket barked. “I’m not helping you with that!”

“Haha, luckily I now have 13 whole seconds of free time before I require your assistance!” Tachyon laughed like a madwoman, while Pocket simply sighed.

Still, both smiled all the way back to their dorm.

---

Pocket leaned against the wall right beside the door to Tachyon’s room, tapping her foot against it. Not her weird research lab (and more recently Pocket’s favorite sleeping spot), but Tachyon’s actual room. The one she shared with Digital. Considering the lack of squealing coming out of it, the shortie must be out. “Are you done dressing?” Pocket asked, waiting an uncomfortable amount of time before an answer came.

“In a minute!” Tachyon’s voice came from behind the door.

“It’s been a lot of minutes already! I’m coming in!” Pocket kicked off the wall and pushed the door open with her foot, not bothering to take her hands out of her jacket. “C’mon, what are you—”

Jungle Pocket had a few memories ingrained in her about Tachyon. First was when she got second place against the researcher for the first time. Then, the day she broke her limits and herself to achieve her dreams. The day just before the Japan Cup, when she showed all of her fragility to Pocket, and the Japan Cup itself, when Tachyon’s mere presence made Pocket want to win more than she ever did before.

Of course, the day they became a couple too, but that was more explicit than the other memories.

And now, once again, she was in awe of Tachyon. The scientist wore a black dress of fine silk, with a golden band around her waist, ornately decorated with leaf patterns. Under it, she wore a transparent black blouse, which revealed her shoulders and arms, albeit it was slightly oversized for the girl.

This was worthy of being remembered forever. “I told you to give me a minute!”

“I—” Pocket stared for a few more seconds. “I was getting impatient. What are you taking so long for?”

“I’m just having some difficulty putting on my shoes, even though I am not going to be walking around I still require something adequate for myself.” Tachyon held simple black shoes up with her fingers, which Pocket instantly snatched out of her hands. Carefully, she crouched down, holding Tachyon’s foot up.

“Tell me if this is uncomfortable.” Pocket told her, but Tachyon simply watched. The brute wore stylish dark green cargo pants, and an oversized black jacket, alongside what appeared to be a strapless white sweater? She couldn’t tell from this angle. Still, it made the researcher smile. She was an adorable guinea pig. “There we go. Ready?”

“I am, but what about you?” Tachyon grabbed Pocket’s hoodie and flimsy moved it around. “That oversized jacket is meant to insulate the heat better?”

“Hey now.” Pocket got up and flicked the excess of Tachyon’s transparent sweater. “Look who’s talking. That’s what you get for shopping online.” Tachyon raised her finger to talk back to Pocket, but was cut short by a little peck on the lips. “Heh, looks like I’m learning a thing or two with you!”

“My intellect is rubbing off on you, it seems.” Tachyon crossed her arms, seemingly satisfied, but was unable to stop her body from blushing as a response to the kiss. “Will we get to the lightshow in time? I am eager to see the effects it may have on the populace, and since this is the first time I’ll be seeing it with a partner, I am ready to note down the differences from the usual presentations!”

“We’ll make it in time, even if we go slow.” Pocket started guiding both of them out of the school and towards the park where the presentation would take place. “Did you ever watch it before, for your research? I never took you for the type to go to these events.” Pocket asked, entirely unfazed by her girlfriend’s single-minded nature. Her girlfriend… Which she was spending Christmas with…

“I have done so over the internet, and have taken reports from our classmates, but going there myself is a hassle and waste of time. I don’t particularly enjoy wasting energy travelling.” Tachyon explained

Pocket slowed down a bit. “...So, would you rather we—”

“No, I’d like to go with you.” Tachyon instantly answered, turning to look at Pocket.

Pocket struggled to keep herself from giggling, but barely managed to do it. She then leaned close to Tachyon’s head. “...I was gonna suggest taking a train, but it makes me very glad you’re excited about going with me.”

Pocket took some satisfaction in watching the girl’s ears twitch violently, her already rosy cheeks taking on a deeper shade of red. “...I’d rather we walk, thank you.”

“...I’m happy I get to go with you too. Usually I go with my family, and my brother takes a different girl every year, so I’m glad to be just with you this time.” The brute sighed, reminiscing of her family. It felt almost strange to think about it. “Heh, this time I’m the one bringing a cute girl around!”

“Does bragging like that run in your family? Or only when it comes to boasting about how you’re still on a losing streak compared to him?” Tachyon taunted, trying to get some sense of control over the conversation, but Pocket was more than prepared.

Pocket leaned even closer to the girl, whispering to her ear. “I’m on a losing streak, yeah, but he never brought a girl as beautiful as you. By sheer quality, I win by far.”

Tachyon felt her tail stand and her ears twitch, while her temperature went up a few degrees. She cursed herself for not wearing any sort of monitoring equipment, because by the three goddesses, this was doing something to her physical and mental state.

Pocket kept whispering. “Told you, this bad girl has a lot to teach you, Agnes Tachyon.”

Tachyon struggled to verbalize her thoughts, but at least she managed to speak them aloud. “I look forward to it, Jungle Pocket.”

The two of them walked all the way to the park, speaking to one another all the while. A variety of topics came by and went, until the two reached their destination: A busy park filled with hundreds of people, from passionate couples to wholesome families, all awaiting the moment the show would start. Then, a beautiful display of lights presented itself to the girls and the watching public, with the trees, nearby buildings and even drones making a part of it. For Pocket, the show itself was just more of the same, but being here with Tachyon made a world of difference.

And for the fastest Umamusume in the world, whose world was entirely based on hard science and facts, the experience could only be described as magical — Completely unexplainable to her mind . She had never witnessed anything like it, throughout all her years of research, and her fascination was so great that during those precious moments she didn’t think about data analysis, physical symptoms or potential applications for what she was seeing.

She only thought of how the light made Pocket’s smile look even more beautiful than usual.

“H-Hey, since Christmas is all about compassion and giving and what not, I got you something.” Pocket awkwardly spoke to Tachyon, the lightshow still going on all around them. She took out a small black box from her jacket’s pocket.

“A little early for a proposal, no?” Tachyon joked, and Pocket just giggled at it.

“Yeah, haha. But… I got you this. Hold up, let me—” Pocket got behind Tachyon, before the researcher saw a glint of gold dangling in front of her. A small pendant, with what appeared to be a golden diamond-shape dangling from it. Carefully, Pocket put it around her neck. “It’s not expensive, don’t worry about it! As if I could get you anything like that anyway…”

Tachyon fidgeted with it. It was familiar… “It’s reminiscent of my coat…”

“Yeah! I thought something to match it would be nice. Oh! And it’s magnetized! If you drop it in water, it should work as a compass.” Pocket explained with extreme pride, as if she was explaining some extremely complicated formula. “At least that's what the clerk lady told me.”

“When did you buy this? I’m pretty sure I’ve been monitoring you closely all the time ever since we started dating! I even installed some cameras!”

“I know you’re lying about that last part.” Pocket stood in front of Tachyon before crouching down, holding hands with her. “When you were having therapy. Trust me, I had to find a good way to not bore myself to death!”

Tachyon fidgeted with it. “I love it.” Her hand then reached for Pocket’s head, resting against her lap. The next words she spoke came out as naturally as breathing. “I love you.”

Jungle Pocket opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Instead she slowly became as red as a tomato. Still, she didn’t break eye contact. Golden eyes stared straight into Tachyon’s soul as she spoke up. “I… I love you too.”

The two turned in silence to watch the lightshow’s end. After it was done, Tachyon spoke up. “Wanna go back to my lab? I got a gift for you there.”

“Oh, really? You didn’t really need to prepare anything!” Pocket smiled. “What kind of crazy concoction you prepared for me this time?”

“I didn’t prepare anything in advance, but I believe I have something extremely valuable I could impart you with, more than any token of gratitude.” Tachyon pulled Pocket’s chin up. “I am giving you the opportunity to teach me some more, my guinea pig.”

Pocket’s smile turned malicious. The way back was a lot quieter, but much more intimate.

---

Pocket stared at her own reflection in the cup she was holding, filled to the brim with ginger ale. Actual ginger ale this time around, and she was slightly ashamed to admit it lacked a certain kick compared to the beer. Whatever, she wasn’t ever going to let Tachyon know that. She’d probably try some weird experiment on her involving alcohol if she knew Pocket had taken a liking to it — A small interest, just that! If her trainer knew, she’d have to say bye-bye to eating at small cozy restaurants for a while.

The soft lights changing hues slowly gave the celebration a very homemade feeling, even if they were all celebrating in the academy’s sports gymnasium. A few tables here and there, lots of chairs, the podium setup… It all felt strangely intimate, considering the director was known for being rather eccentric with her ideas, and liberal with her spending budget. But Pocket enjoyed this. Pocket enjoyed this a lot.

Slow party music played on the speakers, but not loud enough to disrupt the conversations she could see happening around her: A few of her juniors speaking their (momentary) goodbyes to their seniors, proud and worried parents congratulating their children, trainers discussing strategies and future goals with one another… It was all peaceful, despite the fact things would change drastically for everyone now on. Life goes on.

She spotted her friends bothering Dantsu, asking for some gossip. The three of them also graduated from their schools, but their lives would be vastly different from Pocket’s. And that was okay, because they’d support her all the same, chasing their own dreams. Dantsu herself appeared unbothered, having her own career ahead of her. Pocket just flashed them a smile and a small wave, having already spoken with them earlier.

She stepped outside the gymnasium and the music, despite not being very loud, still rang outside. It was muffled, sure, but still nice. Manhattan Cafe sat by herself, talking to her friend. Even now, she’d rather be isolated. Still, she gave a nod of affirmation to Pocket, which nodded back. She looked to the side, spotting her parents speaking with Trainer-san, and quickly made her way out of there. Not gonna get involved with that, at least not today.

She saw her brother hitting on the director’s assistant, and instantly felt an urge to throw her cup at his head — But no way was she going to waste her drink like that! Just let him get rejected the good ol’ way. That’s gonna serve him right. Slowly, she walked past the students, the parents and the teachers. Past the fancy lights, and the loud music, and the chattering crowds. She only stopped once she was standing right in front of the three goddesses statue.

Tachyon was there, wearing her fancy clothes. Staring up at the statue, in complete silence.

Pocket gave her a small wave. “Hey. I was wondering where you disappeared to.”

“I simply had to take a moment for myself.” Tachyon turned to face her with an easy expression. “Larger celebrations like these still make me feel rather uncomfortable, but at least now I can see the value that these interactions hold. The social bonds created between us, our classmates, teachers and parents as a whole, and how that empowers us to strive for greater things.”

“I just like the ginger ale.” Pocket joked as she tossed her empty cup into a trash can, Tachyon giggling at her silly comment. “But yeah, I kind of understand you. All of this is better than something ultra-fancy, but it’s still better in small doses.”

The researcher simply nodded. “...Agreed.”

Pocket stood beside her, the two looking up to the statue now. With a side glance, she noticed the gold glint on Tachyon’s neck. “You’re wearing the pendant.”

“Of course I am. It’s a special occasion, and gifts like this one gain more sentimental value when used sparingly.” Tachyon looked down at it, her fingers tracing against it gently. She then flashed a smile to Pocket, her attention entirely turned to the blonde. “And it looks good on me.”

Without exchanging any words about it, the two began holding their hands together. “You’re right about that. So, that’s it then, right? Graduated.” Pocket scratched the back of her head. Before the silence could grow too large, she spoke up. “Did you decide on your scholarship?”

“I’ll be studying biochemistry first. I feel that is the first step in truly unlocking our potential as Umamusume permanently, and has the broadest range of application.”

Pocket let out a playful scoff. “So you are going for more than one degree after all, eh?”

“It appears I am unable to be satisfied with simple dreams.” Tachyon’s thumb rubbed against the top of Pocket’s hand, looking up to her golden eyes. “Well, with one exception.”

“Tachyon…” Pocket felt herself blushing before realizing the backhanded compliment. “H-Hey, who’re you callin’ simple?!”

Tachyon giggled, but ultimately ignored her question. “Although the details are yet to be arranged on my accommodations in college, you can rest assured that we’ll still have our private lessons all the same.”

“N-Not what I was worried about, but good to know! I think I’ll just stick with my parents for a while.” Pocket began explaining, trying to ignore the researcher’s teasing. She scratched her cheek, thinking of the future. The future together with Tachyon. “Maybe… Later we can get a place?”

“Maybe later.”

Pocket nodded to her legs. “What about your treatment? Since you’re not a student here anymore and all.”

“Once a student of Tracen Academy, always a student! That’s what the director proudly proclaimed to me, as she delivered the news that the payments for my recovery have already been given to the clinic in full.” Tachyon answered, copying the mannerisms of the eccentric director Akikawa. “Looks like I’ll still need your assistance with travelling there and back after all.”

Pocket clutched her hand a bit tighter. “Awesome! I knew the director was nice, but that’s a whole other level.” She then fully turned to Tachyon, crouching down as she had done many, many times before. “I’m not happy with how this year turned out, but…”

She gently pressed her head against Tachyon’s lap, the scientist’s hands pressed against her forehead, as if she was kneeling to royalty itself. The queen of superluminal speed, fastest Umamusume to ever live, was gracing Pocket with her presence. Her smile. Her love. Pocket closed her eyes, almost drifting to sleep as she did so, an immense comfort filling her heart.

Pocket spoke barely above a whisper. “I think it turned out okay.”

Tachyon’s hand gently caressed Pocket’s head. “If this was an experiment, the results would have been both catastrophic and marvelous all the same.” Her eyes darted between the armrest and the blonde’s hair. “Although… I am unsure if I'd change its parameters at all.”

She then raised Pocket’s head by the chin, gently making the girl look up at her. Though it was dark, the moonlight allowed all of her features to be distinguishable, from her tired eyes to her messy brown hair. From her golden pendant to her caring smile… Once again, her image was burned into Pocket’s memory. She just had a talent for doing so.

“Some results are simply irreplaceable.”

“T-Tachyon…” The two stayed quiet, simply looking at each other. The slow, intimate music from the gymnasium made its way to the statue’s fountain.

The scientist pushed Pocket away and backed a little, before gripping her armrest firmly. “I am far from being skilled in these matters, like many of our classmates, but would you…” Her expression turned into one of great effort, before she pushed herself forwards and up, standing on her own two feet. She struggled to straighten herself, but offered Pocket a hand all the same. “Would you like to dance?”

Pocket instantly grabbed her hand and waist, worried. “Tachyon! Don’t—”

“It’s fine.” Tachyon leaned into Pocket, hugging her as best she could. “As long as you hold me, I can manage.”

The blonde didn’t struggle to hold up Tachyon, given her strength as an Umamusume, and instead just nodded, one arm wrapped around her lover’s waist and the other holding her hand. Gently, both of them began swaying side to side, slowly. Without choreography, without a microphone in hand. No fancy costumes. No lightshow or special effects. No cheering crowd and no pressure.

Just the distant sound of muffled music, the moonlight, and one another. They shared a quiet, intimate kiss.

Tachyon rested her head against Pocket’s shoulder. “I love you.”

Pocket nuzzled against Tachyon’s head. “I love you too.”

Tachyon’s eyes teared up. She was glad she didn’t stop trying.

 

And she was glad Pocket would be with her every step of the way.

Notes:

And that's that! You can check out more of my stuff over at Tumblr or Bluesky, same @, though I don't post often. Thank you for your time!

On a small sidenote, if you enjoyed my writings: I wrote a whole book! If medieval fantasy and romance interests you, check out "Color of Steel", by yours truly. - W.D Flowers.