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It was a winter day like any other. Clear skies, with the sun being pleasantly warm for the time of year. Daiwa Scarlet was out on the track after class, practicing her dirt running form. She had won the Arima Kinen late last year, after which her trainer suggested running in overseas races, many of which are ran on dirt tracks. Scarlet had limited experience with dirt running, but she felt capable enough on the softer surface, so she had agreed and was now preparing to challenge the Dubai World Cup. It took a bit to get used to, but she felt like she was beginning to adapt to the new way she had to plant her feet, the different muscles she had to engage and the unusual way the surface put pressure on her legs.
The racetrack is where Scarlet felt most at home. Turf or dirt, it didn't matter, when she was running it just felt right. The wind in her hair, her light red twin tails fluttering behind her, the crunching of the ground beneath her feet, she couldn't get enough of this. She really had to be careful to pay attention to her own running during practice instead of getting lost in it all.
"Scarlet!" her trainer called out, snapping her out of her focus. "Cm'ere a sec!"
A look of mild confusion on her face, she started jogging over. She was just getting into her practice, was her posture off or something? "What's up?" she asked, slowing down as she approached her trainer.
"Sit down and show me your left leg." he commanded. Scarlet gave him a slight glare, but obliged. "I noticed something in your running just now." he explained. She sat down on the grass, extended her leg and rolled up her sweatpants to let her trainer examine. She hadn't always trusted him this much, but over the years of her racing and winning, the two had slowly forged an unbreakable bond. After all, if she was winning this much, he had to be doing something right, and earned her trust, no?
"Let me know if anything hurts, alright?" her trainer said, beginning to gently squeeze and prod from the top of her calf, slowly working his way down. "Alright, but this feels a little excessive. I'm perfectly fi- ah!" Scarlet was unable to finish her sentence, wincing from a sudden sharp pain as her trainer's hands approached the lower part of her leg. She sharply inhaled through her teeth and looked at her trainer, whose expression almost looked more pained than Scarlet's. "It hurts there?" he said, more gently pressing on the area now.
"Yeah…" Scarlet mumbled. "I guess it does a little bit. But!-" "Nope." her trainer cut her off, suddenly looking very serious. "If anything hurts, you're not fit to run. Training is over for today, and we're visiting the hospital tomorrow. Please don't do any more training for the rest of the day." Scarlet's expression dropped, going from a brief scowl to disappointment. She felt anger bubbling up due to the interruption, but suppressed it, knowing her trainer was right. She had been too focused on her training to notice the pain earlier, but there was a dull stinging sensation in her leg now. After a brief discussion with her trainer about the details of the injury and appointment, she carefully began walking across campus, back to the dorms. She really wanted to run more, and it did cross her mind to go out an hour or two before curfew, but decided against it. She couldn't risk any serious injuries if she wanted to race overseas.
Scarlet let out a brief yawn. Maybe after dinner, she'd turn in for the night. The shock from earlier wore her out more than she expected, and it'd probably be for the best to let her leg rest as much as possible anyways.
Vodka dashed down the brightly lit streets of Tokyo. She had been out and about with the upperclassman she admired so much, Tanino Gimlet. They'd hit up an arcade, had a few drinks (juice in Vodka's case) and practiced their badass poses next to the river, but now it was starting to get late. Vodka had gotten completely absorbed in their activities, until Gimlet said something cool to her about the hands of time waiting for nobody, which made her realize she needed to get back to the academy at some point.
She checked the time on her phone. Crap! She had only 10 minutes before curfew. She picked up the pace, deciding not to worry about the speed limit on the Umamusume lane she was running on. Vodka really did not want to incur Fuji Kiseki's wrath again… last time she broke curfew, the dorm leader had embarrassed her in front of Scarlet by calling her a bad pony, which gave her a pretty bad nosebleed, much to Scarlet's amusement. She shuddered at the thought of what Fuji would do if she came back late again. The last thing she needed was for Scarlet to have more ammunition against her…
Vodka arrived back at the dorms just in time to avoid a "stern" talking-to. She walked up to her dorm room, knowing her roommate would be slinging questions at her about where she'd been, why she was so late, and all that. Mentally preparing for the barrage, she took a breath in and did her best to look nonchalant and cool opening the door. She slightly turned her ears back, preparing for the all-out attack. Instead, her ears received nothing but a light snoring sound as her eyes stared into a dark room. She snuck over to her bedside lamp, switched it on and looked at her roommate. Scarlet was out like a light, and Vodka couldn't help but admire how peaceful she looked even with hair ruffled by the bed, and with her mouth half open. It was strange though, Scarlet always went to sleep before her but she never slept this early, especially if Vodka was out late.
Not thinking too much more of it, Vodka rinsed off her face in their shared bathroom and changed into a tank top with a print of a motorbike on it and pajama pants. Scarlet always complained that wearing a tank top to bed in winter would give Vodka a cold, but she couldn't care less. It was plenty comfortable, and cool as hell! Besides, Scarlet was too busy dreaming about her perfect princess stuff to complain at her tonight anyways.
After turning off the light, crawling into bed and getting comfortable, Vodka took another look at her roommate, lit by the moonlight shining into the room. She clearly hadn't done her entire pre-bed routine and she wasn't sleeping as perfectly still and content as she usually would… something must've happened. She couldn't pinpoint exactly why, but something about Scarlet felt off. They'd been roommates for a few years now, so Vodka always noticed if something was up with her, and often the other way around too. Vodka made a mental note to bother her about it in the morning before her she headed out. Her body started feeling heavy… the intense motorcycle racing cabinets at the arcade must've worn her out more than she realized. She closed her eyes…
The next morning, Vodka woke up to the sound of Scarlet slamming their room's door shut behind her.
Tapping her right foot, Scarlet sat in the waiting room. Hospitals were never pleasant, but the sterile white environment and the solemn mood in the air didn't usually feel this oppressive to her. She had just gotten a scan taken of her leg, which had started hurting significantly more since yesterday. Not badly enough to keep her from walking, but making it uncomfortable to put full pressure on, which made her feel a little afraid of the appointment.
"You feeling alright?" her trainer asked, sat next to her. "Yeah, I just want to hear the results already. I'm sure it'll be fine. I broke a bone last year and only came back stronger, so there's no reason to worry." Scarlet replied, with a slight waver in her voice. "B-Besides, I can still walk on it, so I'll be back to racing in no time." she added, feeling a lump form at the back of her throat. She was so bad at hiding her nerves.
Her trainer simply hummed in response, not clear whether he agreed or disagreed, but clearly noticing her anxiety.
Scarlet had good reason to be nervous. After the duration of her career, with multiple prior injuries sustained, she knew it wasn't that simple. The wear on her body had built up, which had a high chance of complicating any issues she experienced, including her currently sustained injury.
"Hey, um, trainer…" Scarlet spoke up after a few minutes of silence. Her trainer looked up at her uneasy expression, waiting for her question. "Do… you think it'll be okay?"
The man's eyebrows went up slightly at her question, before frowning again. It was rare for him to see Scarlet this small and vulnerable. "Scarlet…" he uttered, not sure what to say.
After thinking for a moment, he gave Scarlet a pat on the back. "I don't know the severity of what's going on with your leg, but I know you. You're determined, stopping at nothing to be number one. No matter what happens, I know you'll put in the work and make a full recovery."
Scarlet gave him a small smile, feeling somewhat comforted but not entirely convinced. Her troubling thoughts came back again. What if she had to retire? Slightly shaking her head to get rid of the awful idea, another image popped into her head. Her roommate's face.
During Scarlet's last injury, Vodka had been absolutely unbearable, constantly teasing her about not being able to run. It pissed her off, but differently from any other verbal battles the two fought, it hurt. Most of the time, Vodka's terrible behavior lit a fire in her. It motivated Scarlet to keep pushing, keep improving so she could beat Vodka and show her who's number one. When she couldn't run alongside her rival, however, it felt more like every jab, every comment, was splashing water on that fire. She hated it.
How would Vodka react to finding out about another injury? Not well, undoubtedly. Maybe she'd just have to shut up that pretty face of-
Before she could finish or process that thought, the physician stepped into the waiting room and called Scarlet and her trainer into her office.
Sitting the two of them down, the physician took her spot on the other side of the desk. She had a solemn look on her face. Scarlet fidgeted with her fingers and swished her tail nervously, while the doctor pulled something up on her computer. "Miss Daiwa Scarlet," she began. Scarlet tried to look at her, but her vision soon drifted down to the desk. "My assistant and I have examined the scans we took of your leg, and noticed a severe swelling in your left leg's flexor tendon." Scarlet's heart sank.
She had heard about flexor injuries before. She knew what they meant at that point in her career. "While the injury is not yet in its most severe stage, further stress may push it there. It will require an extended resting period to subside." the physician continued. The room felt like it started spinning. Scarlet's ears folded flat against her head. She knew what was coming next, but she didn't want to hear it. She firmly dug her fingers into her upper legs, bracing for what the woman in front of her was about to say.
"Furthermore, even after the swelling clears, there is a high chance of the condition becoming chronic and causing recurring flare-ups if aggravated." The words felt like sandpaper to Scarlet's ears. "With the amount of stress your body has sustained after years at Tracen Academy, training and racing, it would not be responsible to keep pushing your body as you have. We recommend you do not continue running in the Twinkle Series."
Something broke in Scarlet. She felt tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, but in a desperate attempt to not seem pathetic, she forced a mask back on. She pushed an almost eerie smile onto her face, her eyes not backing up the expression whatsoever. "I see." she choked out. She desperately wanted to get out of there, to run out the door and ignore everything the lady had just said. Thoughts buzzed in her brain like bees, but she blocked everything out. Despite everything, Scarlet was able to maintain her composure. She felt every emotion at once bubbling inside her, desperate for the lid to blow off, but she kept it down, for now.
Vodka had a strange feeling in her stomach. She couldn't focus at all during her classes, and despite today being a rest day with no training, she found herself unable to relax and focus on the motorcycle magazine she held. Her bed, being just as soft as usual, felt uncomfortable to sit on. Scarlet had been absent all day, and their dorm room felt much too quiet. As much as all the arguing from her roommate pissed Vodka off sometimes, it did fill the silence.
Vodka had tried calling Scarlet earlier and texting a "hey wya loser" her way, but got no response. Strangely, the second time she called it almost instantly went to voicemail. Did Scarlet immediately hang up on her? Vodka wondered if she'd said something wrong in class yesterday to piss her off.
She tried shifting her attention back to the photos in her magazine, but the worry kept pounding at the back of her mind. Why did she care so much? She should be enjoying her day now that her roommate wasn't there to nag at her for her choice of relaxation activity, but the absence somehow made it harder to concentrate.
Finally having enough of it, she decided to go ask around. She leapt off her bed, tossing her magazine down behind her. She grabbed her favorite leather jacket off the back of her chair, briefly getting distracted looking at how nice and shiny it was from all the maintenance she did earlier, before the concern had set in. She threw on the jacket and left the room.
Just outside her room, she ran into Aston Machan, her close friend and former rival. She had a gentle smile on her face, and was wearing her red and black crown like usual. In her hands was a doll, modeled after herself in her G1 racewear. The two Umamusume had raced a few times in the past, but their paths diverged after Machan shifted to shorter distance races. "Yo, Machan! Have you seen Scarlet anywhere today?" Vodka asked, trying to sound casual and not let worry seep into her voice. "She hasn't been in classes or at the cafeteria, and she's not been in our room since she left crazy early this morning" Vodka pointed her thumb backwards at the door behind her.
Machan tilted her head. "I have not seen Scarlet today" she denied. "But, Miss Fluffy told Machan earlier that she had seen a girl moping by the river. Maybe you should go take a look?" Vodka gave her a brief confused look, before softening her expression. "Thanks, Machan. I'll go check it out." Vodka wasn't quite sure why, but she had the feeling Machan was right, even if her source was one of her animal friends she enjoyed talking to. "Good luck, Vodka!" Machan said with a cutesy high pitched voice, whilst moving the arm of her doll up and down. Waving Machan and her doll off, Vodka dashed out of the dorms and began running towards the nearby river.
Machan briefly waved her doll's arm at you too, before heading out of the dorms herself to get ready for practice.
Scarlet was sat by the riverside. After getting her leg wrapped up in a compression bandage for support and recovery, she quickly wished her trainer a good day outside the hospital and stumbled off as fast as she could in her state. Her memories were a blur, and she didn't know when she got here, but something about the river had gotten her to stop and sit.
She stared into flowing water, her vision blurring from the tears in her eyes, and her leg throbbing with pain from the strain she'd just put on it walking here. She knew she looked pathetic, with her knees pulled up to her chest, and she hated it. But were strangers really going to bother someone sitting by the water? Scarlet hoped not, at least.
Her mind raced with all too many overwhelming thoughts. Would she ever get to experience the smell of the turf again? The feeling of kicking against the ground with all her might? The clank of the starting gate, the elation of crossing the finish line in first, the crowds cheering her name, her friends celebrating with her afterwards… She thought more about her friends. How was she going to break the news to them? How would she tell… her?
At least she had the peace and quiet to process everything here. The sun was setting, and everyone on the streets was too busy trying to get home to their families to notice her sitting there on the freezing ground, with her tear-stained scarf and her snotty face.
"Oi! Scarlet, there you are!" a voice suddenly rang out behind her. Her heart briefly jumped, before panic set in. She knew that loud, irritating voice all too well. Quickly wiping her face with her sleeve, she put on the most composed expression she could and turned towards the person who called out to her, and who was now approaching her.
"What are you doing out here?" Scarlet questioned sharply. "I could ask you the same." Vodka retorted, and then continued with her answer. "I was just out on a walk, when I saw you sitting down here at the river all depressed-like." Both of them knew Vodka was not 'just out on a walk'. Scarlet had seen the calls and texts. But Vodka would never admit that she came looking on purpose, and Scarlet did not want her pity.
"Whatever. I was just about to leave. The river is much nicer without you here to kill the mood." Scarlet huffed, facing away from Vodka again and beginning to get up to walk away. Standing up with a tightly bandaged leg however, wasn't so easy. Scarlet stumbled briefly, nearly falling backwards. Vodka, not even processing what she was doing, jumped forward and held her hands against Scarlet's shoulders to support her.
"Wh-what are you doing? Get your hands off me!" Scarlet spun around and barked, forcing Vodka's hands off her before noticing the expression on her face. It was a blend of shock and concern, alongside a slight pink tint framing her emotions. Scarlet averted her eyes.
"Yo, Scarlet, are you, like, okay?" Vodka asked, with a much less sharp tone than Scarlet was used to. "You've been sitting here on the cold dirt, you just nearly fell, and…" Vodka showed a brief smirk. "…your face looks horrible."
"Can't be worse than yours." Scarlet spat back. Vodka's smirk returned full force, almost as if she appreciated the insult. "Besides, I'm fine." Scarlet added. "So run along. Also, don't you have a rest day today? Why do you look all sweaty?"
"Uh- I'm too cool for rest!" Vodka sheepishly looked to the side and rubbed the back of her head.
"Alright, have fun getting yourself i-injured." Scarlet stuttered, wincing slightly at what she just said. She walked past Vodka onto the riverside path, tears beginning to form in her eyes again.
"Wait!" Vodka called after her.
Scarlet stopped. She was tired of her rival making fun of her, and she was going to let her know it. She turned towards Vodka once more, with a fiery rage forming in her chest and all the emotion she shoved down earlier ready to burst out. "What the hell do you want from me?!" she yelled, with way more ire and shakiness than she'd have liked. Vodka jumped a little. She was used to verbal slap fights with Scarlet, but not full-out screaming.
Scarlet couldn't stop the tears anymore. With her emotions slurring her words slightly, she continued her offense. "I have enough issues already, I don't need you messing things up even further! Leave me alone!"
Vodka felt her own eyes beginning to sting, experiencing her rival breaking down like this. For once, she didn't fight back. It… didn't feel right. Scarlet took a few heavy breaths, shoulders rising and dropping, before continuing her outburst.
"You've always been such a pain in my ass, you've never once shown any worry about how I feel." her voice cracked a little. "Every time I get injured, you just make fun of me! Why do you suddenly care so much?" Scarlet felt a pang of guilt. She knew Vodka did care. She always had. Over the years they'd been roommates, Vodka was always quietly looking out for her. Even if her care was accompanied by petty insults that sometimes hurt more than she let on.
She remembered one particular night. She had been pushing herself too hard in preparation for an important race, and had forgotten to eat dinner. Her entire body was shaking from hunger, and when she walked into their dorm room, Vodka said something along the lines of "What's wrong? Shaking from excitement to see me?", but Scarlet had been too tired to snap back at her. Then, after she finished her shower, she found a pack of cereal bars on her desk that she hadn't bought. Vodka was already fast asleep and the box of her "hidden" snack stash still sat on the end of her bed.
Scarlet's knees suddenly felt weak. All the emotions from the devastating news, the freezing ground she'd been sat on, the exhaustion and guilt from yelling, the pain in her leg, it all caught up to her at once. She felt lightheaded. Scarlet wobbled towards the nearest support, which was Vodka, and collapsed against her.
Vodka was caught off guard, but quickly reacted and supported Scarlet's weight. She hesitantly wrapped an arm around Scarlet to keep her upright. Scarlet pushed her face against Vodka's shoulder and began sobbing into the leather jacket. Vodka felt a bit miffed, worried about her precious jacket getting dirty, right after she meticulously cleaned it earlier, but the concern for her rival crying against her overpowered the concern for her jacket. "Hey, what's wrong?" she muttered, still recovering a little from the shock of Scarlet shouting and then falling onto her.
"I-I don't know if I can run anymore." Scarlet mumbled, face buried. Vodka had considered the possibility after Scarlet yelled about it just now, but the words still felt like barbed wire, and made her grit her teeth. "They told me- I might never- it m-might be chronic." Scarlet struggled to get out, her upper body shaking with unsteady breathing.
Vodka didn't say anything for a minute, just gently circling her hand on the back of Scarlet's coat and taking a bit to think. Then, in a voice that wasn't much different from her usual cocky self, yet somehow felt incredibly soothing to Scarlet, Vodka began talking.
"Ya know how I've mentioned my dad always took me on motorcycle rides when I was little?"
"Mhhm." Scarlet hummed into her shoulder.
"This one time, he really screwed up. Completely blew the speed limit. Little me thought it was cool as hell, but unfortunately the cops didn't agree." Scarlet's ears perked up a little out of interest. "He got a huge fine and had his license suspended for nearly two years. Mom was pissed at him for weeks for putting me in danger like that."
Scarlet exhaled sharply through her nose, the corners of her mouth moving just a little out of amusement. A thought crossed her mind. "Recklessness runs in the family, huh". Her eyes were still wet, but her breathing had steadied a little.
"At first he was like, super bummed out. Riding was his life, the thing he loved most! I think at one point he was close to selling his most prized motorcycle." Vodka's voice trailed off a little at the end of the sentence, seeming a little melancholic about the memory.
"But!" her tone perked back up. "Even when my dad was at his lowest, one of his buddies kept supporting him. One day, he told my dad about this new program where he could get his license back early by taking some lessons and proving he was a responsible driver. So he worked hard, and despite nearly giving up riding, after only 6 months he was back on the road!"
Scarlet, still sniffly but feeling a lot less weak, slightly lifted her head and leaned over Vodka's shoulder a little more. "Are you trying to say losing your license is like being injured?" she muttered. "That's stupid…"
"Well, yeah, maybe a little." Vodka concurred. "It's not the same thing. My dad woulda gotten his license back either way. But, if he had given up, he might not ever have ridden again. Life showed him a small miracle, and he took the opportunity and worked hard to turn a bad situation around." she said, with a hint of admiration in her voice.
"I see…" Scarlet said, staring off into the river.
They stayed like that for a few moments, Scarlet with her head slightly tilted and leaning against Vodka, feeling her body warmth through her jacket in the chilly winter evening. Vodka was beginning to feel a little awkward about it, a blush forming on her face.
"Hey, let's go sit down" Vodka said, breaking the silence. She took a deep breath in, face turning completely red. She took hold of Scarlet's hand, catching her slightly off-guard, and started leading her to a nearby bench. The two Umamusume avoided each other's eyes, but Scarlet did not resist. Vodka's hand was quite rugged… "could use some moisturizer", Scarlet thought, but she was too tired to argue about it. Besides, she had to admit, it didn't feel terrible…
They sat down, bodies close but not quite touching. Scarlet considered leaning in again, but a slight bit of embarrassment set in and stopped her.
"Hey, Vodka…" she said, still looking away.
"Hmm?"
"Do you think… it'll be okay?" Scarlet repeated the same question she had asked someone else earlier that day.
Vodka thought for a moment, then smirked. She nudged Scarlet with her elbow. "Of course! I wanna crush you again in this year's Tenno Sho!"
Scarlet snapped towards Vodka, grinning through her few remaining tears. "Oh yeah? I'll wipe that smile off your face when I leave you in the dust like I did at the Shuka Sho!"
The two stared at each other, large toothy smiles on their faces. Then, suddenly, Scarlet leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Vodka. "Thank you…"
Vodka turned red as a tomato again. Hesitantly, she returned the gesture. This felt nice, actually…
It was a winter day like any other. Clear skies, with the sun slowly climbing over the horizon.
"Hah! Passed you again!" Vodka gloated.
"No way! Get your eyes checked, I was way past the finish line already." Scarlet pushed back.
The two were out in their tracksuits, on Tracen Academy's practice track. They were partner running early in the morning to prepare for their next race.
"Well, I still looked way cooler than you so I win either way." Vodka said, double tapping her chest and striking a taunting pose, which earned her an eye-roll from Scarlet
"Anyways…" Vodka began "…how's it been like to run again?" Her tone turned a lot softer. She walked to the side of the track to fetch both of their water bottles.
Their rivalry had not died down one bit, but since that day nearly a year ago, there was more room for gentler moments where the two weren't at each other's throats. Scarlet's difficult, extensive rehab had forced her to drop her little miss perfect mask at times. Meanwhile, Vodka, desperately missing a rival, occasionally gave up her pride and helped Scarlet the best she could with her recovery exercises, no longer teasing her so brutally.
"It's been… really lovely." Scarlet said with a gentle smile, as she caught the water bottle Vodka tossed her way. She took a sip of water. Then, her smile turned smug. "And I'm still beating you, even though I'm rusty."
"Hey now, I went easy on ya." Vodka grumbled, the beads of sweat on her forehead clearly proving otherwise. "Let's go again, and this time I'll destroy you by 10 lengths!"
"I'd like to see you try!" Scarlet grinned, tossing her bottle back to Vodka and dashing off down the track, leaving a dust cloud in her wake.
"H-hey, wait up!" Vodka yelled after her, before putting both their bottles down and chasing after her, towards the sunrise.