Race Against History

by Skypiercer

Summary:

Tracen Academy has seen its fair share of chaos lately, from Director Akikawa's creation of the URA finale, to just about anything Gold Ship did on a daily basis. But can any of that prepare them for someone reaching into the sands of time and unearthing legends? Probably not, but it'll be fun to watch.

Chapter 1: Agnes Tachyon does a Necromancy

Notes:

I'm new to this fandom, but the game got be down the rabbit hole.

The abandoned lab in Tracen Academy was filled with the sound of buzzing fluorescent lights and heavy rain as Agnes Tachyon made the final adjustments on her machine; a standing console attached to two large pods of some kind. The tables behind her were strewn with various tools, vials of colorful liquids and a pair of surprisingly intact femurs, resting carefully inside wooden boxes.

“Tachyon, this is insane.” Her long-suffering trainer said as he watched the horsegirl work. Sure, she probably wouldn’t listen to him, but past experience had taught him that she’d get up to far worse if she was left unsupervised. “You’re breaking at least 10 different rules right now. Besides, these could be any old bones!”

“Wrong on both counts, guinea pig.” Tachyon said as she slipped on a pair of protective goggles and flipped a switch. “First of all, I have it on good authority that they bones are the genuine article. I even did the carbon dating myself to double check and confirmed they’re from the correct time periods. Second, this experiment is in violation of exactly fourteen different rules and regulations within the student handbook. But I’m sure the Director and the Student Council will forgive us once they sees how we’ve revolutionized racing for Umamusume everywhere!”

“Please stop lumping me in with you.” Her trainer sighed, fearing for both their careers. “What exactly are you trying to do here?”

“It’s quite simple.” The short Uma said, gesturing to the bones. “We’re going resurrect a pair of Umamusume by extracting their DNA from the marrow and feeding it into the machine.”

Her trainer sighed. "Look, I won't bother asking how that works, just tell me who these bones belonged to. Sunday Silence? Eclipse? Phar Lap?”

Tachyon turned around and smiled as her machine hummed to life

“Oh, naive little guinea pig, you're thinking too small. These bones belonged to true legends. Bucephalus, Alexander the Great’s beloved companion who fought alongside him through countless battles; and Red Hare, the legendary war mare who stood by Lu Bu’s side and later Guan Yu’s, both men peerless warriors from China’s Three Kingdoms period. Stories say she was capable of travelling 1000 li in a single day, crossing rivers and mountains as if they were flat land.”

The brown-haired horsegirl grabbed her trainer by the face and pulled him close.

“If we're to learn how to reach the upper limits of speed, we must first understand it's foundations. Imagine what we could learn from studying them and how they run, the techniques they learned that’ve been lost to history! Think of all the data we can gather! Data we can use to break through to realms where even the Goddesses fear to tread!”

“We really need to talk about your sugar intake.” Tachyon’s trainer said as she let him go. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but he'd gladly drink any random concoction of hers if it'd get her to scrap this project. “Look, if you want data, why don’t we talk about a new training regimen? Maybe partner runs with Jungle Pocket or one of the others? You know, do something that doesn’t involve warping the laws of nature?”

Tachyon sighed theatrically. “Oh, very well. We can discuss all of that right after I do this!”

The trainer opened his mouth to protest, but it was too late as Agnes threw down the activation lever. Electricity arced through the room as the machine screamed to life. Vials and tools rattled violently on the tables as the pods began to glow with an eerie blue light.

Then there was nothing, just the sound of heavy rain hitting the windows.

At least until the door to the first pod opened with a hiss and Bucephalus regally strode out. Standing at 7 ft tall, she was an amazon of an Uma Musume, with a dagger-shaped charm dangling from her left ear, her skin was tanned by a lifetime under the Macedonian Empire’s sun and covered in battle scars and her long black hair was tied into a thick ponytail. She also wore Hellenistic armor of leather and polished bronze, a leopard pelt around her waist and a golden crown shaped like bull horns.

"This isn't the Hydaspes." She growled as her piercing blue eyes scanned the lab.

Minutes later, a slender Uma Musume dressed in dark silk robes and black lamellar armor gripped the side of the second pod as she staggered out. She was about as tall as Bucephalus, with three jade rings pierced her left ear and part of her long red hair was pulled into a topknot, held in place by a simple golden headpiece with two long feathers streaming behind it. By process of elimination, this had to be Red Hare.

“Oh good, nothing exploded.” Tachyon said nonchalantly as she took off her goggles. “Welcome to the future, ladies.”

For a moment, both war mares stood silent as they processed everything.

Then, Bucephalus looked down at her. “You. Witch. Where is Lord Alexander?”

“Probably the same place as he's been for the last 2300 years, dead and buried.” Tachyon said in that same casual tone. “If it’s any consolation, historians argue about whether it was disease or alcohol poisoning that killed him.”

The Thessalian war mare staggered back as if struck. For her king, her partner to be lain low in such a manner was inconceivable. Was he not the child of Zeus himself? The man destined to conquer to the very ends of the earth?

Red Hare just crossed her arms and snorted. “Sounds like he wasn’t all that impressive than. At least the warriors I ran alongside went down fighting.”

Bucephalus grabbed her by the collar and pulled her close, ears pinned back against her head. “I’ll have your head for that insult, you impudent nag.”

Red Hare just smirked, wrenching herself free and shoving her new enemy backwards with a palm strike. “Big talk for someone who couldn’t even protect her master.”

The two legendary mares glared at each other, fists clenched at their sides and Tachyon's trainer felt sweat trickle down his neck. He'd seen rivalries between Uma Musume at the academy all the time, but these two were on a different level. These weren't students caught up in some silly argument or another, these were seasoned warriors who'd torn through armies; any confrontation between the two of them would end badly— for anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire.

That's when Tachyon cleared her throat. “If I may interject; there is an easy way to settle things. I assume you two also raced back in the day.”

Both of them looked at the brown-haired horsegirl and blinked, then Red Hare grinned. “Keep talking, little witch.”

Notes:

Bucephalus' crown is a reference to the literal translation of the name, which is 'Ox-headed'. Incidentally, Hellenistic coins which had Bucephalus' image usually depicted him with bull horns. The dagger-shaped charm in her ear is meant to represent the sword Alexander used to cut the Gordian Knot. Meanwhile, The three rings in Red Hare's ear are a reference to Lu Bu's infamous nickname 'Bastard of Three Fathers'. Their clothes also have elements of armor common to their respective time periods.

I made these two at taller than the average Uma Musume because they're warhorses, not thoroughbreds.

I've got clue if Tachyon's out of character or not, but I figured every mad scientist needs to have a good rant now and again.

Chapter 2: The Battle of Tracen Track

Summary:

What happens when you resurrect two hardened warriors and ask them to race? Probably nothing good.

Tracen Academy’s track had seen more than its fair share of intense races over the years, but nothing like this. Red Hare and Bucephalus were from a different time, something made abundantly clear to the gathered spectators as they watched two hardened warriors duel at full gallop down the turf.

They were halfway to the first turn when Bucephalus tried to slam Red Hare into one of the safety rail, but she dodged by running on top of it for several strides, then jumped off to kick the Thessalian charger straight in the face.

Red Hare grinned as she landed gracefully, taking off without missing a beat. “First blood’s mine!”

Bucephalus snarled as she grabbed Red Hare by the tail and yanked her backwards, aiming a lariat to the back of her opponent’s head. Red Hare ducked under the arm, twisting herself to deliver a punch to the ribs before disengaging to surge down the track.

Bucephalus barreled past her, shoving Red Hare aside with her superior strength to guarantee her lead, making sure to kick up a sizeable clod of turf into her opponent’s face for good measure. Red Hare wove past it as she closed the distance. The Chinese horsegirl slipped past Bucephalus from her blind spot, appearing in front of her and kicking her square in the stomach.

The entire crowd watched in awestruck horror from the stands as two titans tried to destroy each other while trying to claim victory, with the school’s racecourse as collateral damage.

Well, everyone except Agnes Tachyon, who was scribbling furiously in a notebook. “It looks like the stories about Red Hare’s speed and stamina weren’t exaggerations after all. And Bucephalus is certainly living up to her reputation as Thessaly’s finest Uma. Look, guinea pig, notice how she’s using her superior strength and size to box Red Hare out, thus keeping her from establishing a good racing line; only for Red Hare to make use of her greater speed and agility to find paths others wouldn't consider. And their combat styles! Bucephalus seems to favor fighting defensively, taking hits and using punishing blows whenever someone gets too close, but Red Hare’s martial arts training allows her to redirect the force of impact and—

“Are you seriously taking notes right now?” Her trainer asked incredulously as he watched Bucephalus throw Red Hare like a ragdoll, only for the red-haired Uma to twist in midair and land in a crouch before taking off again.. “This isn’t a race, Tachyon! It’s MMA with extra steps!”

“Incorrect, I believe mixed martial arts has rules against biting.” Tachyon countered as she watched Bucephalus sink her teeth into Red Hare’s hand when she tried to jab her in the eyes.

Back on the track, the two warriors traded blows as they entered the final stretch. Bucephalus looking like she was starting to tire, while Red Hare looked like she still had more to give.

Bucephalus slammed Red Hare into the turf so hard she actually bounced. Red Hare scrambled to her feet and charged at the larger horsegirl, leaping onto her back and putting her into a chokehold as they crossed the finish line. When the Thessalian warrior tried to shake her off by slamming her into the safety rails, Red Hare only tightened her grip. Bucephalus felt her head swim and her strength fade. Her eyes rolled back as she fell to her knees before collapsing on the ground.

Once she was sure her opponent was out cold, Red Hare dismounted and turned to a terrified crowd of Umamusume and trainers.

“WHO’S NEXT?”

"Well, that was productive." Tachyon said as she closed her notebook with a definitive snap.

"Great, you got your data. Now can we please send them back to the Throne of Heroes or wherever the hell you found them?" Her trainer begged.

"Now now, you and I both know a single point of data is insufficient to draw any scientifically meaningful conclusion." Tachyon said as she got up to leave. "We'll need to continue monitoring them much longer than that to see how their abilities translate to the modern racecourse."

Tachyon's trainer sighed, following after her. "Just how long are we talking?"

"Conservatively?" The mad scientist paused as she quickly ran some numbers in her head. "At least 6 months, though it'll likely be longer if we take variables like adaptation to our era and recovery into account."

""I was afraid you'd say that... You realize that if they wreck the track, this is going to set your training schedule and your research back by a lot, right?"

Tachyon stopped and one of her ears twitched. 

"Hm... I hadn't considered that. But fortunately, I do have a contingency plan for this."

"You mean those tranq darts you used on Gold Ship that one time?"

"Good, you're learning." Tachyon smiled and reached up to pat her trainer on the cheek.

---

Some time later:

Trainer-san: Y'know Tachyon, there's something that's been bugging me.

Agnes Tachyon: Oh? What is it?

Trainer-san: How exactly are two Umamusume from ancient history fluent in speak modern Japanese?

Agnes Tachyon: Well, it's quite simple, because— Huh, that's a very good question. I suppose there are some things even science can't explain.

Trainer-san: Magic of Three Goddesses, maybe?

Agnes Tachyon: We'll have to keep researching, but that's an adequate explanation for now.

Chapter 3: Talk Radio's Big Scoop

Summary:

Breaking News: American exchange student puts her life on the line for the sake of journalism

Notes:

The Umamusume OC Talk Radio belongs to Tsunflowers, who's given her blessing to use her as an open source OC

After such a savage display of racing, most people would be too scared to get anywhere near the two historical Umas, much less talk to them. But most people weren’t Talk Radio, exchange student and intrepid member of the Tracen Newspaper Club. No, she was going to get an interview and hopefully live to type it up. It had taken about two weeks, but she finally got Red Hair and Bucephalus to agree to an interview— after explaining what an interview was. Sure, they probably only did it to shut her up, but she liked to think she won them over with a combination of persistence and some good old-fashioned American audacity.

And that’s how Talk Radio found herself in the cafeteria sitting across from the two legends with her phone between them, recording every word; Red Hare slouched in a chair like a bored warlord, Bucephalus sitting perfectly straight with her arms crossed.

“Good afternoon, Tracen! This is Talk Radio, the effervescent end closer with the gift of the gab; bringing you an exclusive interview with two legends recently exhumed from the sands of time— Bucephalus and Red Hare!” Talk Radio leaned forward in her chair. “Before we begin, I have to say, you ladies have adapted to the modern era surprisingly well.”

Red Hare leaned back on her chair. “Honestly, I’m processing the whole ‘not being dead anymore’ thing, but not worrying about whether or not you’ll see your next meal’s pretty nice.”

Buchephalus closed her eyes and nodded. “Indeed, sleeping without fear of an enemy ambush is a welcome change of pace, though I must admit, the technology of this era still confuses and infuriates me.”

“If it’s any consolation, we all have moments like that.” Talk Radio said, “I'd like to talk about your exhibition race from a couple weeks ago; given how intense it was, I think the people want to know; do you two have any plans on adapting your styles to fit URA rules?”

“Hell no!” Red Hare leapt to her feet, slamming her hands on the table. “What’s the point of winning if you can’t use everything in your arsenal? It’s an insult!”

Bucephalus’s tail flicked like a whip behind her.

"Modern racing is soft," She said, her voice stern and unforgiving. “The racers of this age run for glory without knowing the meaning of the word. Without stakes or consequences, your trophies are nothing but empty platitudes.”

Talk Radio chuckled. “Pretty harsh words from the two of you. So, what’s next on your agenda? A world tour? Autograph signings? Catching up on the history you missed?”

"My plans are simple; I shall conquer your precious Twinkle Series in the name of my king.” Bucephalus said bluntly. “Once more the world shall know of Macedon’s greatness.”

Red Hare snarled as she cracked her knuckles. “Like hell you are! I’m conquering those races first and showing people what a true legend looks like.”

Bucephalus shot to her feet, glaring at Red Hare. “Is that a challenge, Seres? Because I’ve been dreaming for a chance to repay you for that embarrassment on the track.”

The Chinese horsegirl laughed with a wild grin on her face. “Well keep dreaming, Grecian. But if you’re looking to lose again, I’m ready any time you are.”

“How about here and now? This so-called ‘interview’ is over.”

As the two Uma of antiquity stormed off towards the track, Talk Radio grabbed her phone for some closing remarks.

“There you have it folks, a chilling portent of things to come. I’ve been your host, Talk Radio, and assuming the school’s still standing next week, tune in for our interview of Mihono Bourbon and finally get some answers about those cyborg allegations!”

Notes:

Did you know? The first known interview was thought to have occurred during the 1750's.

Also, the term 'Seres' is actually how the Ancient Greeks and Romans referred to the Chinese people. Geographers at the time referred to China as 'Serica' which came from the Greek word for silk, since it was the main source of silk for Classical Greece and the Roman Republic.

History is fun.

Chapter 4: Tracen's Counterattack

Summary:

Two Umamusume from the past are planning to conquer the racing world. Does Tracen have a bad enough Uma to stop them?

Yes, but they're not going to like who.

Notes:

Edit: I just realized that I never added the stakes for the war mares' challenges. Those seem kind of important.

The atmosphere in the conference room was tense as both Tracen faculty and Student Council reviewed footage of the most recent race between Bucephalus and Red Hare; the Thessalian using her superior size and strength to pin the Chinese horsegirl to the inside rail as they rounded a corner, Red Hare yanking Bucephalus to the ground by her ponytail to gain a lead, both of them trading blows as they flew down the straightaway.

Tazuna paused the video on the moment Red Hare landed a flying kick right between Bucephalus' shoulders. “Obviously, we can’t let this continue. The two of them represent a huge danger to not only student body, but also the school grounds. The cost of repairs alone—”

“We could always challenge them to a race.” Tachyon suggested. She had expected a disciplinary hearing, but that had been canceled thanks to an impassioned speech from Director Akikawa about ‘refusing to deprive any Umamusume of their dreams’, so she decided to stick around and see how things unfolded. “Warriors or not, they’re still Umamusume at heart. It’s how I kept them from coming to blows when I first revived them.”

“And why you thought that was a good idea will be a discussion for another time, but they’ve already beaten us to the punch.” Tazuna said calmly as she produced two letters: one written in Classical Greek, the other in Chinese characters. “We had to get translations from Todai, but they more or less say the same thing; they want to race our best, and they’re confident enough to follow URA rules as a handicap. If they lose, they promise to enroll at Tracen to learn how to race properly.”

"But if they win?" A member of the student council asked.

Tazuna sighed, "Then by right of conquest, Tracen becomes the property of the winner."

Symboli Rudolf, the student council president nodded from her seat at the end of the table. “In that case, we’ll need to find someone that’s not only physically capable against battle-hardened warriors, but also crazy enough to it's a good idea. And unfortunately, there’s only one person at Tracen who fits that description.”

One of the trainers laughed nervously. "You can’t be serious, Rudolf. Gold Ship won’t race seriously unless she feels like it."

Rudolf leaned forward and steepled her hands. “Then we need to make her want it. True, the machinations of Gold Ship’s mind are an enigma, but we all know she craves drama and excitement— two things these legends can provide in spades. Seeing as you’re responsible for this mess in the first place, I trust you have a plan to get her attention, Tachyon.”

Tachyon grinned at the thought of running a new experiment. “Leave it to me, everyone.”

---

Finding Gold Ship wasn’t that difficult; all you had to do was follow the chaos she left in her wake— and when the trail went cold, just ask her trainer where they last saw her. That’s how Agnes Tachyon found herself in the cafeteria, watching as Gold Ship tried to barter with one of the cafeteria staff while waving what looked like a homemade magazine in the poor man’s face.

"Listen, listen—if you give me a bunch of those Aichi carrots I know you’ve got back there and I'll let you have this, so you can learn the truth about Tracen! Aw, don't look at me like that, here’s a free sample!” Her eyes darted left and right before leaning in conspiratorially. “You ever notice how the director and Hayakawa-san never take off their hat?”

Tachyon slid up to the taller horsegirl and casually tapped her on the shoulder. "Gold Ship, we need you to race two Umamusume I brought back from the dead."

Gold Ship hummed as she stroked her chin thoughtfully. “I’d love to Tachytron, and any other week, I'd be totally up for it; but I’m flying back to Planet Golgol tonight and I can’t afford to pay the late cancellation fee.”

“I see, how unfortunate.” Tachyon sighed and shook her head. “I just thought you’d be interested in learning their secrets. But if you already made plans—"

“Waitwaitwait.” Gold Ship’s ear twitched as she turned to face the mad scientist. "What kinda secrets are we talking about here?" 

The mad scientist smirked. “Oh you know; forbidden truths, ancient racing techniques lost to time, locations of buried treasure, the usual.”

“These ancient racing techniques you mentioned…” Gold Ship was practically vibrating with barely restrained glee. “How much kicking do you think they involve?”

"Considering the time periods they're from?" Tachyon grinned, knowing that the other Uma had taken the bait. "A substantial amount.”

The mad scientist watched in amusement as Gold Ship sprinted towards the dorms to get her tracksuit. This was going better than she could have hoped. Not only was she going to collect more data on historical Umamusume, but she'd also get a chance to continue her research into the anomaly that is Gold Ship

Oh, and save the school if she had time.

Notes:

Director Akikawa and Tazuna-san are both Umamusume and I will die on that hill.

Chapter 5: Gold Ship Sails Again

Summary:

Two of the Strongest Umas in History face off against the Weirdest Uma of Today.

None of the spectators were surprised that Gold Ship would be facing Red Hare and Bucephalus. Sure, there were plenty of students at Tracen who were strong enough, fast enough or smart enough to race against the two resurrected legends and win. But only Gold Ship was crazy enough to actually try. However, they also knew that Gold Ship craved excitement and loved making it everyone else’s problem. Her capricious nature was clearly reflected by her track record; for every seemingly impossible win, there was also an easily avoidable loss—usually because Gold Ship didn’t feel like racing that day. Which was exactly why her trainer spent another hour on his pre-race ritual that morning; praying to any god who would listen, asking them to grant Gold Ship the clarity of mind and self-awareness needed to race like a normal Umamusume.

After all, the fate of Tracen Academy was on the line, if there was any race that Gold Ship had to take seriously, it was this one.

Silence fell over the crowd as the commentators announced Gold Ship’s name. Everyone expected her usual antics: acrobatics, screaming, a passionate attempt to turn Make Debut into a sea shanty. Instead, the silver-haired Uma, dressed in her signature racing gear, calmly strolled into the starting gates and took her spot in lane two, right between a bickering Bucephalus and Red Hare.

“So you’re the best this pitiful school has to offer?” Bucephalus sneered as she dismissively inspected her newest opponent. “I heard you’re some sort of clown.”

“Funny, I heard you were afraid of your own shadow.” Gold Ship said calmly, eyes still focused on the track. “But that’s okay, nobody’s perfect.”

Red Hare cackled from Gold Ship’s other side, and the silver-haired Uma shook her head

“I don’t know why you’re laughing,” Gold Ship said, without looking at her other opponent. “I’m still not convinced your hair color’s natural.”

Those comments seemed to be enough to rattle the resurrected horsegirls, leaving them stunned as Gold Ship burst out of the gates the very second they opened.

Despite the late start, Bucephalus recovered quickly with Red Hare hot on her heels. The two of them managed to pass Gold Ship as the racers surged down the backstretch, boxing her out as they jockeyed for position. But Gold Ship stayed on them, making sure both warmares didn’t have room to breathe.

“Gold Ship’s never run like this before.” Tachyon’s trainer murmured before glaring at the mad scientist Uma. “Lemme guess, you hypnotized her.”

For once in her life, Agnes Tachyon had the decency to look indignant.

“I did no such thing! I simply explained the situation to her. I believe she’s simply ‘locked in’, if I’m using the phrase properly.” She said before returning to her notes.

As the race reached the first turn, Red Hare made her move. Running alongside Lu Bu taught her the importance of winning at any cost; meaning that she didn’t just know how to cheat, but she knew how to do it subtly. The legendary Uma of the Three Kingdoms pulled ahead and adjusted her stride, kicking turf into her opponents’ faces while maintaining plausible deniability. Bucephalus howled indignantly and went wide, but Gold Ship managed to dodge the incoming dirt clods without breaking stride as she passed the Pride of Thessaly and closed the distance with Red Hare.

Once Bucephalus wiped the dirt from her eyes, she quickly regained lost ground, pulling up close to Gold Ship to try and make her lose her footing by ‘accidentally’ stepping on the back of her foot. But the silver-haired Uma looked over her shoulder and smirked, sidestepping Bucephalus as she moved to the outside, letting the Thessalian pass her.

“She’s never shown this kind of track awareness either— you’re absolutely sure you didn’t do anything?” Tachyon’s trainer asked as the race entered the home stretch

“I’m flattered you still think I’m responsible for such a drastic change, but if I had done anything, I’d make sure to write it down.” Tachyon said, scribbling away. “Honestly, I don’t know why you’re fixating on this, she’s taken races seriously before.”

Halfway through homestretch, Bucephalus started lagging behind; as a charger, she was better suited for bursts of explosive speed, meaning longer races like this weren’t in her best interest. This, combined with the pressure Gold Ship exerted in the earlier straight, and her overwhelming drive to win, meant she pushed too hard too early. Red Hare on the other hand, was an Uma famous for her stamina and still had plenty of energy to spare, surging ahead with Gold Ship following close behind. 

The crowd was on the edge of their seats, every time Gold Ship tried to pass Red Hare, she'd move to block her.

Then the race hit the final turn.

Gold Ship dug deep and slipped into Red Hare’s blind spot, running a line so tight she practically kissed the inside rail at the turn’s apex before surging ahead, yelling like she was possessed. The warrior of the Three Kingdoms reached for Gold Ship’s tail, only to grab nothing but air. Red Hare picked up the pace, determined to overtake Gold Ship and reclaim her spot as first— but it was too little, too late, Gold Ship had already crossed the finish line.

---

“And that ladies and gents, is how we do it in the 21^st century.” Gold Ship cheered, grinning as she struck a pose for the crowd before wandering off to find her trainer, leaving Red Hare and Bucephalus in the dust

"I can't believe I lost to a clown." Bucephalus groaned as she ran a hand through her hair. For once in her life, she was glad Alexander wasn't by her side.

Red Hare couldn't help but laugh. "Lighten up, Grecian. There's no shame in losing to someone better than you, even if she is violently wrestling someone right now."

"To be fair, you both would have been disqualified for interference anyway." Tazuna said with a serene expression on her face as she placed a gentle hand on both warmares' shoulders. "But don't worry, I'm sure your time at Tracen will help break those bad habits of yours."

Tazuna's smile never left her face as her grip tightened and a chill went down Bucephalus and Red Hare's spines.

"Now, let's get started with orientation, shall we?"

Notes:

First Rule of Tracen Academy: Do not make Tazuna-san mad.
Second Rule of Tracen Academy: There is nothing weird underneath either her hat. Or Director Akikawa's for that matter.
Third Rule of Tracen Academy: If Oguri Cap tells you she wants to go to an all-you-can eat buffet, say no.

Chapter 6: Interlude: Stats for Bucephalus and Red Hare

Summary:

New Trainees have been added! Dare you try and pull for them?

I know this chapter was originally earlier, but I felt like it made more sense to post the stat blocks after the Race for Tracen because this way, the resurrected legends are now officially enrolled

Bucephalus [Pride of Thessaly]

Height: 2.1m (Roughly 7')

Weight: You dare speak to me?

Starting Stats: Speed (F), Stamina (G+), Power (F), Guts (G+), Wit (G)

Unique Skill: To the Ocean’s Edge

Surface Aptitudes:

Turf: C

Dirt: A

Distance Aptitudes:

Sprint: S

Mile: S

Medium: B

Long: C

Strategy Aptitudes:

Front: A

Pace: A

Late: B

End: C

---

Red Hare [Unmatched Under Heaven]

Height: 1.95m (Roughly 6'5")

Weight: Heavy enough to crush you.

Starting Stats: Speed (F), Stamina (F), Power (F), Guts (G+), Wit (G)

Unique Skill: Spear of the Flying General

Surface Aptitudes:

Turf: A

Dirt: A

Distance Aptitudes:

Sprint: B

Mile: A

Medium: A

Long: S

Strategy Aptitudes:

Front: A

Pace: C

Late: C

End: A

 

Notes:

I briefly mentioned it in the previous chapter, but I did do some research and apparently chargers were used for short distances and needed to be powerful enough to carry not only the weight of a man in armor, but also their own, which is why Bucephalus' stat and distance affinity distributions are set up the way they are. If anyone knows better, feel free to correct me.

Also, Bucephalus and Red Hare's unique skills are pretty clear references their closest companions. Alexander the Great's ambition was to conquer "ends of the world and the Great Outer Sea", while Lu Bu's martial prowess earned him the nickname. Any suggestions for what these skills would do in-game would be greatly appreciated.