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Machikane Fukukitaru sat on her dorm room floor, her crystal ball sitting in it’s velvet cloth in front of her.
“Eko... eko... azure seal... eko... eko... wall o’ rust... goddess of victory, heed my call...!”
The crystal ball shone with the creeping sunlight that crawled across the wooden floor of the dorm room.
Fukukitaru stared at it with intense concentration.
“Hmm... hmmmmm...!”
She leaned down until her nose almost touched the glass.
“...A black cat...”
Her eyes widened.
“A BLACK CAT?!?!!?”
She sprang to her feet, charging out of her room.
“Waaaah! The divination has revealed a harbinger of misfortune! A midnight omen! A feline catastrophe!”
Several nearby Umamusume looked up from their homework.
“Uh... what?” one asked.
Fukukitaru dramatically pointed.
“My carrot divination, milk divination, AND crystal divination all agree! Somewhere nearby lurks a Black Cat of Misfortune!”
She clasped her hands together.
“Shiraoki-sama! What trial have you placed before me?! Mun mun mun...”
One girl shrugged.
“...Maybe it’s just a cat?”
Fukukitaru gasped.
“JUST a cat?!”
She struck a dramatic pose.
“No such thing! Cats are creatures of fortune and fate! Especially black ones! Depending on the region of folktale, they bring either immense luck or devastating calamity!!”
She spun toward the door.
“Mun mun mun mun mun… there’s only one thing to do!”
“...Which is?”
“Investigate the omen and convert its misfortune into SUPER FORTUNE!”
And with that declaration, Fukukitaru sprinted out of the dorm.
“SUPER FORTUNE DASH!!!”
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠—–•·
Night was falling over Tracen Academy. Fukukitaru had searched every corner.
Behind vending machines, under benches, even behind a suspiciously cat-shaped lamp.
But there was no black cat.
“Mun mun mun...”
She checked her notes.
“According to the divination... the cat should have appeared near... darkness... silence... and the scent of roasted beans...”
She gasped.
“Beans... beans... wait... C-COFFEE!? Could it be...?!”
There was one Umamusume who fit that description especially well.
Fukukitaru slowly turned toward the academy’s quiet courtyard.
“...Manhattan Cafe.”
The courtyard was dim. Soft wind rustled through the trees. And sitting at a small table under the lamplight, was Manhattan Cafe.
Steam curled from a cup of coffee. She watched the night sky with distant eyes.
“..Hello.”
Fukukitaru nearly jumped.
“Waaah! Cafe! You startled me!”
Cafe tilted her head.
“..Did I?”
Fukukitaru leaned forward dramatically.
“I have come on a mission of utmost spiritual importance!”
“..I see.”
Fukukitaru slammed her divination notebook onto the table.
“My fortune has revealed that a Black Cat of Misfortune has appeared somewhere near you!”
Cafe blinked slowly.
“..A cat?”
“Yes!”
“..Black?”
“Exactly!”
Cafe took a sip of coffee.
“..That sounds lovely.”
“L-L-LOVELY?!”
Fukukitaru leaned closer, waving around frantically.
“Cafe, don’t you understand?! Black cats can absorb bad luck, spread bad luck, or sometimes even carry wandering spirits!”
Cafe looked toward the darkness beyond the courtyard.
“..Spirits...”
Her voice softened.
“..Yes. They like cats.”
Fukukitaru froze.
“T-They do...?”
Cafe nodded faintly.
“..Cats can see things others cannot.”
A chill ran down Fukukitaru’s spine.
“S-spiritual entities?!”
Cafe smiled faintly.
“..Perhaps.”
At that exact moment, a small shape stepped out of the darkness.
Two glowing yellow eyes. Soft paws. Black fur like spilled ink.
Fukukitaru gasped.
“T-THERE IT IS!!”
The black cat calmly walked toward them.
It hopped onto the table, sat down, and stared at Fukukitaru.
“...!”
Fukukitaru trembled.
“The Black Cat of Misfortune...”
Cafe reached out, the cat rubbed its head against her hand.
“..Hello again.”
“A-AGAIN?!”
Cafe nodded slightly.
“..It visits sometimes.”
Fukukitaru collapsed into a chair.
“Mun mun mun... I knew it... fate brought me here..!”
She pointed determinedly at the cat.
“I shall purify this misfortune!”
The cat blinked.
Cafe tilted her head.
“..Are you sure it’s misfortune?”
Fukukitaru opened her mouth, then paused.
“W-well...”
The cat meowed.
Cafe gently scratched its ears.
“..It seems happy.”
Fukukitaru frowned.
“Hmmm...”
She flipped through her notes.
“Maybe it’s a conditional omen...”
“..Perhaps it simply wants a friend.”
The cat curled up on the table, purring.
Fukukitaru stared.
“That’s... suspiciously... adorable?”
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠ —–•·
The next day, Fukukitaru launched a full investigation.
Step one: Follow the cat.
Step two: Determine if it spreads misfortune.
Step three: Transform said misfortune into GOOD FORTUNE!
Cafe followed quietly.
“..I will observe.”
The cat trotted across campus.
First stop: The track field.
The cat sat beside the starting gate.
Fukukitaru gasped.
“A race omen! Mun mun mun...”
Right as it happened, unbelievably, one of the runners tripped.
“K-KYAHHH?!?! S-SEE?!!!!”
But the Uma stood up laughing.
“Oopsie! My shoelace~! Tee hee~”
She tied it quickly and resumed running.
“Mun mun mun...”
They continued to watch.
Then the Uma who had tripped managed to set a personal best time.
Fukukitaru shook a little, blinking.
“...wait... what...?”
She scribbled notes.
“Minor misfortune leading to major fortune...?”
Cafe nodded faintly.
“..That happens often.”
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠ —–•·
Next stop: The cafeteria.
The cat jumped onto a chair. Moments later, someone spilled juice.
Fukukitaru gasped again.
“M-MISFORTUNE!”
But the spill made room on the crowded table for two Umas who hadn’t seen each other in weeks.
They happily sat together, cheerfully catching up.
Fukukitaru blinked.
“...Wait...”
She scribbled more notes down frantically.
“Chain reaction fortune event...?”
Cafe sipped her coffee.
“..Perhaps.”
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠ —–•·
Next stop: The library.
The cat curled up on a stack of books. Moments later, a book fell off the shelf.
Fukukitaru yelped.
“THE CURSE! KYAH!!!”
“Shhhh!” Zenno Rob Roy shushed her.
Fukukitaru waved apologetically.
But the fallen book revealed a missing homework assignment someone had lost days ago.
“Oh...”
Fukukitaru slowly lowered her notebook.
“...This cat might not be misfortune at all.”
Cafe looked down at the sleeping feline.
“..Sometimes shadows only appear dark because the light is nearby.”
Fukukitaru stared.
“That’s... deep.”
Cafe blinked.
“..Was it?”
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠ —–•·
Unfortunately, Fukukitaru’s ramblings the days earlier had caused rumors to spread.
“Did you hear?”
“There’s a cursed black cat on campus.”
“It brings bad luck!”
Soon students avoided it. The cat wandered alone.
“Mun mun mun mun...”
Fukukitaru clenched her fists.
“This will not do!”
Cafe nodded quietly.
“..The cat seems lonely.”
The cat sat under a tree, watching students avoid it.
Fukukitaru marched forward dramatically.
“I, Machikane Fukukitaru, shall reveal the truth!”
She climbed onto a bench.
“ATTENTION EVERYONE!”
Students turned to see what the ruckus was.
“The Black Cat is NOT a harbinger of doom!”
Murmurs spread and the Uma talked amongst themselves.
Fukukitaru raised her crystal ball.
“My divinations have revealed something incredible!”
She pointed at the cat.
“That cat is a FORTUNE MAGNET!”
Silence.
“...A what?” One Uma asked.
“Misfortune gathers around it... only to transform into GOOD FORTUNE!”
Cafe stood beside her.
“..Like coffee beans roasted in darkness becoming something warm.” She mumbled.
Fukukitaru nodded dramatically.
“KYAH! E-EXACTLY!”
One student frowned. “But I got lost earlier!”
“Did anything good happen afterward?”
“Actually I met someone who helped me out...”
Fukukitaru grinned.
“See?! Fortune chain reaction!”
More murmurs. More whispers.
Another student raised her hand.
“Um...The cat knocked my pencil down.”
“AND...???”
“...I found a lucky coin under the desk! I got a soda with it!”
Fukukitaru pumped her fist.
“SUPER FORTUNE!!!”
Cafe gently picked up the cat.
“..It seems the verdict is clear.”
The cat purred.
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠ —–•·
That night, Fukukitaru returned to the courtyard. She placed her crystal ball on the table.
“..Is this really necessary...?”
Fukukitaru nodded aggressively.
“Shiraoki-Sama says: Always be sure to check! This is final divination time!”
Cafe sipped her coffee.
“..For clarity. Right.”
Fukukitaru stared intently at the crystal ball. She leaned down, almost pressing her starry eye against it.
“Munmunmunmunmunmun...”
Cafe waited.
“..What does it say?”
Fukukitaru smiled.
“The Black Cat is neither misfortune nor fortune.”
“..Oh?”
“It simply collects stray luck...”
Cafe blinked slowly.
“..Like a container?”
“Yes!!!” Fukukitaru beamed.
“When people fear it, they notice bad things! When people trust it, they notice good things!”
Cafe looked at the sleeping cat.
“..Of course... perception shapes fate.”
Fukukitaru nodded vigorously.
“E-Exactly!”
The cat yawned, then curled into Cafe’s lap.
Cafe smiled faintly.
“..I think it just wanted a warm place to sleep.”
Fukukitaru sighed, relief washing over her.
“All that destiny... just for a nap... mun mun mun...”
·•—–٠ ✤ ٠—–•·
And so; The Black Cat became a quiet legend at Tracen Academy.
Students stopped fearing it. Some even left snacks. Others scratched its ears before races.
...and strangely, many claimed their luck improved afterward.
One evening...
Fukukitaru sat beside Cafe again.
“Mission accomplished! Hah!”
Cafe nodded.
“..The cat looks happy.”
The feline purred loudly.
Fukukitaru crossed her arms proudly.
“Mun mun mun~ My divinations never fail!”
Cafe tilted her head.
“..Your first divination said it was misfortune.”
Fukukitaru froze.
“Mun mun mun...”
Then she raised a finger dramatically. “P-plot twist!”
“..Plot twist?”
“It was misfortune for misfortune itself!”
Cafe chuckled quietly.
“..I see.”
The cat stretched and then jumped down before it disappeared into the night.
Fukukitaru waved.
“Goodbye, Super Fortune Cat!”
Cafe whispered softly.
“..Run safely through the shadows.”
As the courtyard fell silent again, Fukukitaru stretched, exhausted.
“Another mystery solved! Mun mun...”
Cafe sipped her coffee as she looked toward the dark trees.
“..I have a feeling we’ll see that cat again.”
Fukukitaru nodded. “For better, or for worse! Shiraoki-Sama says: Luck must be bad, for it to be good! One cannot exist without the other!”
Cafe snickered.
“..Well said~”