Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

October 7, 20XX
Dear Diary,

I always wanted to be an Umamusume. Ever since I saw my first race when I was five, I knew that was the world I wanted to belong to. The speed, the thunder of shoes against the turf, the way the crowd roared; it was everything to me.

Of course, I wasn’t one of them. A boy could never stand on the same track as an Uma. Still, that didn’t stop me. At school I would line up beside them, pretending I was in their race. I still laugh about it to this day, despite having become something else. I lost every time. Every. Single. One. But hey... I never stopped trying.

I must have entered a hundred imaginary races, never once giving up, even as defeat piled on defeat. That went on until my last week of middle school. That’s when it happened.

Something I still can’t explain.

Well… I can. But nobody’s ever believed me.

I became an Uma. I mean, I didn't become a female... But I grew a tail and ears! If you're reading this, then you probably don't believe me too, huh?

Well, that doesn't matter. I know what happened, and that's fine with me. I have to go, I have a race soon.

Sincerely,
(Now Formally) Blazing Ace

Chapter Text

The school’s end-of-year race wasn’t supposed to matter. Just supposed a fun event; a “farewell sprint” before exams and goodbyes. For me, though, it was another chance to prove I could at least attempt to keep up.

Five Umamusume lined up beside me, crouched in perfect starting form. Their ears twitched with focus. I could already feel the weight of the crowd’s stares. Some were amused, some annoyed that I was even there.

“Why’s he bothering again?” someone whispered.
“Doesn’t he know he can’t win?”

I tried to block it out. Ahead of us, the Three Goddess statue loomed tall, its stone gaze fixed on the track.

The gates slammed open.

In an instant, the girls bolted forward, strides smooth and powerful. Dust filled my lungs as I stumbled out, already behind. My legs burned. My chest ached. It was the same as always.

Then, I could swear I felt eyes on me. Something other than the crows watching me.

I sneak a glance at the three goddess statue, expecting it to be unchanged...

The statue’s eyes moved.

I swear they turned toward me.

Something ripped through my body like fire. My strides lengthened. My lungs filled with air I didn’t know I had. I surged forward, overtaking one Uma, then another. Gasps echoed around the track as I pushed ahead, faster than I had ever dreamed.

And then I crossed the line first. My first victory since... For ever.

For one amazing heartbeat, the world was silent. The crowd was speechless, and so was I.

Then agony shot through me. My spine felt like it was tearing apart. Pain stabbed the top of my head. I collapsed, the track spinning around me, and everything went black.

I woke to the steady beep of a heart monitor. The ceiling above was white. I recognized it as a hospital.

“Ah—he’s awake.”

I turned my head. A doctor in a white coat approached, clipboard in hand. But it wasn’t him that froze me... it was the mirror behind him.

A boy with red hair stared back. But sprouting from his head were two unmistakable horse ears. And just behind the bed, swishing nervously… a tail.

My throat went dry.
“…What… what is this?”

The doctor cleared his throat, looking equal parts confused and wary.
“That’s what we’d like to know. To our knowledge… no male has ever manifested Umamusume traits. There is no male umamusume.”

My heart pounded.
“But that’s impossible. There are no- there can’t be...”

The door burst open. My homeroom teacher stood there, pale and wide-eyed. Behind her, two classmates peeked in, whispering loudly.

“Is it true?” one of them hissed.
“Does he really have… ears?”

The doctor raised his voice. “This situation needs to be kept confidential until we understand it. No rumors, understood?”

But it was too late. The whispers had already started.

I pulled the blanket over my head, ears twitching against the fabric, tail thrashing uselessly under the sheets. My body completely unused to them.

There were no male Umamusume.

But somehow… I was one. I became one.

This wasn’t possible. I knew it wasn’t.

Yet… here I was.

I looked back at the mirror, seeing the red-haired boy stare back at me.

“It even changed my hair color? I-"

Without thinking, I jumped out of bed, legs shaky but burning with energy. My voice burst out before I could stop myself.

“I really did it! I’m an Uma! I can run, I can compete! Can you see me, Mom? I’m going to be like you!”

My words echoed against the white walls, reckless and loud. The doctor tried to quiet me, but I didn’t care. For the first time, the dream wasn’t impossible.

“All I need now is a name…”

I froze. My mind went blank.

“Aren’t Uma’s names inherited from another world? So then… do I just not have an inheritance? No… that doesn’t matter. I’ll just have to make my own name!”

I wracked my brain for anything that sounded cool. My middle-school brain buzzed like it was the most important test of my life, which it clearly was.

Then it clicked. It hit me like a pop quiz hit an unstudied student.

“Blazing. Ace.”

I grinned, tail flicking behind me. “Yeah. That’s it. Blazing Ace. Sounds like someone who’s fast, someone who wins.”

The doctor scribbled something on his clipboard, muttering under his breath. My teacher still stood frozen in the doorway, looking like she’d seen a ghost. And my classmates whispers were already spreading down the hall.

I didn’t care. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t just chasing the Umamusume anymore.

I was one.

And the whole world was about to find out what that meant.

Chapter Text

November 19, 20XX
Dear Diary,

I can’t lie, starting out wasn’t easy. My transformation came with more problems than I ever expected.

The doctors gave me the bad news right away: my body wasn’t ready. My muscles, my balance, even my stride... none of it was attuned to the speed and power of an Umamusume. If I tried to run like them, I’d tear myself apart.

So before I could even think about racing, I had to rebuild myself from the ground up. Every day was training, pain, and frustration. But… I think the Three Goddesses pitied me (not that I needed it thank you very much). My body adapted faster than anyone thought possible. Within weeks, my strength and form had caught up, enough to stand on the track again.

And then came my first real race.

It was… indescribable. For the first time, I felt the raw joy of running as an Uma. The wind tearing past my ears, the thunder in my legs; it was freedom and power all at once. And when I crossed the line first, I finally understood what victory felt like.

But winning changed me. I don't know when, but I know it did.

At first, I raced for fun, for the dream I had chased since childhood. But after I started winning more, something darker took hold. I grew arrogant. I started running not just to win, but to crush the others. Their frustration, their tears after defeat… I drank it in. Their hate became my fuel, and I basked in it. God... I became an asshole.

I regret that now, years later. Looking back, I wonder how anyone ever liked me at all. Doesn't help that my ego kept getting bigger with each win.

This was all before Tracen noticed me. To this day, I’m still shocked it was Director Akikawa herself who sent the invitation, and that it took so long for it to happen. Word about me spread fast enough, after all, I was the “impossible Uma." Miss Tazuna won’t tell me a thing. (And I swear she’s an Uma in disguise. I just haven’t found the proof yet.)

Anyway, that’s a tangent for another day. I’ve got a race soon, and the Goat doesn’t keep his fans waiting.

Sincerely,
(The GOAT) Blazing Ace

Chapter Text

Another race, huh? Easy. Too easy.

“You all know this is hopeless, right?” I spin around in the paddock, flashing a cocky grin at the other Umas. Their ears flatten, tails sharpen, and eyes narrow into sharp daggers. It doesn't bother me. I bask in it, revel in it.

“You’re wasting your time. I’m the best sprinter here. Always have been, always will be. So don’t even think about getting in my way.”

They don’t reply, but their silence says everything. They want me off this track. They want me humiliated. Good luck with that.

The announcer’s voice echoes through the stands, calling us to the gates. The metal slams shut around me, humming with the nervous energy of the pack. My heart thrums, not with nerves, but anticipation.

The bell rings.

I shoot forward. Two strides, and I’m free. They try to box me in, but I’m already gone. Their feet pound behind me, but the sound fades out as I leave them behind.

“You can’t block me!” I shout behind my back over the roar of wind. “I told you, I’m the best!”

Five lengths. That’s the gap I leave them dead on. When I cross the finish line, I throw my arms out wide, basking in victory like a king soaking in worship.

“Thank you, thank you! Please, no applause! I know I’m incredible, but save it for later!”

Not a single clap. Just a few mutters in the stands. Whatever. They’ll learn.

As I strut toward the exit, a glimpse of brown hair catches my eye in the crowd. Someone’s watching me intently, but I shrug it off. Fans and Haters are the same thing, anyways.

That’s when the air shifts. Heavy. Important. Strong. A shadow blocks my path.

I freeze, my cocky grin faltering as I look up into eyes everybody knows. Eyes like steel, sharp enough to cut through pride itself.

Symboli Rudolf.

The Emperor.

I swallow, gulp even, suddenly aware of how ridiculous my showboating must’ve looked in front of her.

Every Uma in the paddock stiffens. Even the air feels different; reverent and thick.

I should bow. I should shut up. Instead, I force my grin back onto my face. Too prideful for even The Emperor.

She address me first, before anyone could even say anything to her.

"Blazing Ace." She stares at me, sizing me up, clearly slightly annoyed by my showboating.

“And you are…?” I start, but my voice cracks halfway through. Smooth. I know exactly who she is.

She doesn’t flinch, barely even reacts. “Symboli Rudolf. President of Tracen Academy’s student council.” Her gaze pins me where I stand. “And unlike you, I do not waste words.”

I open my mouth to retort, but no words come out. Not to her. Not to someone who could decide my fate like her.

"You run like a champion, like you own everyone and the world along with it,” she continues, “but a champion is more than victories. It is dignity. Responsibility. Discipline. You lack all three.”

The words hurt. Deeper that I thought they would. But of course, I don't let her see that. I keep my smile on my face, not faltering in my pride.

"..." I don't respond. I simply wait for her to continue on.

She lets the silence hang for a moment, then reaches into her coat. An envelope appears between her fingers, pristine and heavy.

“Tracen Academy,” she says, holding it out. “Director Akikawa has been watching you. Against my better judgment, I’ve agreed to this. Consider it a chance. Not a gift. A chance to prove you are worthy of the talent you’ve been given.”

I'm left speechless. My hands tremble as I take the envelope. The Emperor doesn’t smile, doesn’t soften.

“Fail,” she says simply, turning to leave, “and history will remember you as having nothing but wasted potential.”

And just like that, shes gone, leaving me with the crowd’s buzz, the envelope in my hands, and a sense of dread at what she is talking about.

“I’m lacking something? Lacking what?” I scoff under my breath, clutching the envelope tight. “I destroyed everyone here. Five lengths, light work. If that’s lacking, then what does winning even mean in the first place?"

I smirk, shaking my head. “She simply doesn’t get it. No one does. Victory is proof enough."

I hold the envelope up to the sun, grinning. Tracen Academy. The place every Uma dreams of.

“Well, fine. If they think I’m missing something, I’ll show them. I’ll show her. Once I’m there, once I crush their best sprinters one by one… then they’ll see. Then even Symboli Rudolf will have to admit it.”

The crowd’s whispers still buzz behind me, but I ignore them. All I can hear is the sound of my own heartbeat. Deep in the back of my mind, the little kid me is screaming, happy to finally be in Tracen, the place he idolized since he first saw a race.

I tuck the envelope under my arm and stride away from the track, head held high, and laughing like a maniac, and getting hateful stares all the way.