Chapter Text
It seemed like any other early summer day in central Virginia. Pollen season was long gone, and all that remained was humid as hell weather. It was the summer right before I started college. I didn’t want to have a job this summer, knowing I wanted to focus on personal training before the fall. This wasn’t for an athletic scholarship or anything, but keeping in shape for potential club events was something I was interested in. So, I started my morning with something I usually do, a light run around a few roads in our neighborhood.
Why am I sharing all this? You would think a random June day wouldn’t require this knowledge, but I was not aware how everything I thought I knew would suddenly change in less than 24 hours. But I’ll get to that later.
I started to walk back up the driveway to our garage after I was done with my run. It was still early; the sun had barely moved above the horizon. It was starting to get warmer already, and I didn’t want to run when the temps were in the mid 90’s later. (About 35 Celcius)
I opened the door to the house to find I wasn’t the only one awake this early.
“Mornin’, Robert” he said.
“Hey dad. It’s the weekend, you’re not usually awake this early.” I said with questioning eyebrow lifts.
“Yeah, unfortunately I have to be at the DMV this morning to renew my license, and I suppose I just wanted to take care of it before I do anything else today,” he said while drinking coffee and eating a muffin.
I must’ve missed this info earlier this week. Maybe he didn’t even mention it? The last time I think any of us went to the DMV was to get my license over two years ago. Everything could be renewed online now…unless this is the second time you were renewing your license since your last photo.
“Yeah, that makes sense. I’m going upstairs to get ready for the day, you have fun with that” I said while turning toward the stairs.
“Let me know if you need any groceries later,” he mentions before I leave. No point in also driving to the grocery store if he already left. I’ll let him know what I need for this week.
~
I leave the bathroom to find the windows far brighter and something that smells like breakfast from downstairs.
What the hell? I said I was making breakfast this morning. Am I about to owe someone an extra favor today? I said to myself.
As expected, my two older sisters and mother were downstairs. My oldest sister, Diane, just graduated. She started her career at a local firm and was in the process of finding her own place. The middle sibling of the family, Debra, was about to start her junior year at the same college I was about to go to.
“Mornin ya’ll,” I said while walking downstairs.
“Morning,” all three said at once.
I walked into the kitchen with a slight smile. “Diane, I thought I mentioned I had breakfast covered this morning.”
“Yeah, I know, I just felt like making breakfast. Also, everyone else was hungry, so I figured I would just start while you were upstairs. Can you grab the eggs and bacon from the fridge? I used all the ones I had currently.”
I wouldn’t consider that an extra favor. The only time I wouldn’t do something like that is if I woke up with a fever or something.
“Did you want me to make the pancakes?” I asked because I hated standing here doing nothing. Didn’t seem like the trash needed to be taken outside, and all the dishes were clean.
“Don’t worry about it, Rob, I was just about to start making them.”
At this point, my mom called from across the kitchen at the room Debra and her were in. “Just let her take care of it, there’s a reason that she’ll tell you later about why she’s making breakfast.”
I join them on a chair nearby and they were on their phones while the tv was off. We talk about what our plans were for the day, and after a short amount of time Diane lets us know the food is ready.
We all went into the kitchen and sat down, and I asked Diane why she wanted to make breakfast. “Well, it’s because I’ve got good news to tell you. Didn’t want to tell you yesterday, but anyway, I found an apartment. I’ll be moving out next month. I just felt like making breakfast since this might be one of the last few chances I’ll get to for a while.”
“Damn, that’s great to hear. I’m sure it’s a relief that’s one less thing to worry about.” I say with my eyebrows raised.
“Definitely. You wouldn’t mind helping me move in, would you? I’ve already asked everyone else.”
Why am I the last person she told? Oh right, this is probably that extra favor I was expecting. Anyway, I’ll answer her question. “Of course I will, that should be a given.”
“Great! I’ll let you know the address closer to the moving day. I still haven’t signed the lease yet. Until then, I’ll just be packing my things here.”
Life is just moving right on by. Everyone is moving on to their own things in life, and I was just getting started with mine. It’s bittersweet. My eyes start to water without realizing it. Everyone at the table notices and lets me know their concern.
“Please don’t mind me, I was just really happy for her.” I say so that they don’t need to worry about those thoughts I just had. It wasn’t technically a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth.
~
We finish our breakfast and go to our own things we were planning on doing. I go to my room and open Rotary Engine to play Umamusume: Pretty Derby. The next Champions Meeting was a couple weeks away and, to this point, I have attempted several runs. Regardless, there were still at least five Trackblazing runs I could do today. That’ll take a few hours.
After four runs that end with decent skills and stats, but once again no “S” value for the distance of this course, I take a break and try something else. I check the clock in my room first: 2 PM. I really don’t want to do something outside right now. So, I instead make lunch just to be in a moment where I can have thoughts to myself.
I like to pass the time playing this game, but sometimes I think about the world of Umamusume if it was real…oh well, just another passing thought.
~
I returned to my room to try the last run I wanted to do today. First inspiration, “S” for distance and a really good acceleration skill. Ok, this can’t be true. My RNG luck is never this good. Second inspiration: A lot of velocity skills and the stats in three of five are around 800/1200. Ok, what the hell is going to go wrong to ruin this run. That’s just it. Absolutely nothing. 1200 speed, 870 stamina, 1178 power, 570 guts, and 1200 wit. No doubt an overall score of UG1. Several gold skills and one recovery. RNG is going to guarantee I don’t get a platinum title for this Champions Meeting, right? Stats could be perfect, but I realized that Oguri Christmas with similar stats and Nimble Navigator could win by a nose.
I’m not going to worry about this right now, it’s already 3:45. Why do I feel kind of tired this early in the day? I’ve never felt drowsy in the afternoon before. I’m going to go downstairs and grab something to drink, maybe I haven’t had enough water today.
No, that wasn’t the reason. This is weird. I feel even more tired than I did before as I get back to my room. I’m going to go lay down and maybe take a nap, I don’t feel sick or anything.
Goddesses, there is no reason I should feel like this. I am legitimately fighting to stay awake…wait, “Goddesses”? I have never thought of using this word in a sentence once in my life.
I never had a chance to figure out what that might have meant, as I quickly drift off to sleep.
~
I ended up having what was the clearest dream I have ever had. Three umamusume were at the guard rail of the stands of a familiar stadium with a dirt track. I feel like I recognize them, but I can’t seem to remember who they are.
“Is this Louisville?” I say to myself while looking around. “Indeed, it is,” one of the uma mentions as they walk closer to me. She had red hair and an ear accessory on her right ear. “You seem quite calm for being several hundred miles away from central Virginia.”
“Wait. I’m not, actually, several hundred miles away, am I?” I say with a large amount of concern. “Of course not, we wouldn’t do that. You’re not physically in Louisville, only mentally. It’s your spirit that is here.” The first uma didn’t say this, instead she had long blue hair and blue ear covers, also with an ear accessory on her right ear.
“So, I’m technically dead then? Lovely. I knew being exhausted at 4 in the afternoon was weird.” Very quickly, the third uma responds. “No. You’re very much alive. Just right now, would not be a great time to be conscious.” She has very short hair, that sort of looks like Symboli Rudolf’s. She had a scar vertically over her left eye, and an ear accessory that resembles a crown on her right ear. “Should I ask why I shouldn’t be conscious, or would that be best left unanswered?” I said. “You’ll find out why after we’re done here.” She responded.
I still can’t remember their names, no matter how hard I try to think about them. The uma with red hair asks me a question. “Why do you think you’re here right now?” I respond with my best answer. “Uh, is the game getting a new scenario in North America? I don’t know why I would have a very realistic dream if that was the reason.” It takes every bit of effort for all three uma to stop themselves from laughing. The uma with very short hair answers this question. “That is not the reason. There would be one, but not technically the plan, currently. No, we wanted to briefly test you before you wake up.”
The uma with blue hair asks the next question. “If you had the chance to run at superhuman speeds, and the ability to casually lift a 4-door car, how would you use it?” I knew this answer very well. They described the ability every umamusume has or can have with a lot of training. “I’ve always heavily enjoyed feeling the wind in my face at high speeds. I think all I would want to do is chase that feeling as often as I can. Running at superhuman speeds feels like a dream I’d want to chase forever. I wouldn’t waste any opportunity.” The three uma look at each other. “That’s a strong answer,” The uma with short hair says. “I understand that feeling incredibly well,” The uma with blue hair says. “Yeah, I would give a similar answer,” The uma with red hair says.
The three uma and I are still standing at the guard rail of the stands. All three uma turn to view the dirt track next to them. The uma with red hair says, “This won’t be the last time you see this course. Unfortunately, when you are here next, you will believe it to be the first time you’ve visited this course. We will explain later who we are.” I simply respond by saying, “It is what it is.” The three uma close their eyes and shake their heads. “It’s honestly impressive how calm you are about this,” the uma with red hair says.
The uma with short hair says, “I think we’ve covered what we needed to. You’ll be waking up shortly.” The uma with blue hair says, “When you wake up, try not to be shocked too much. Wouldn’t want your room destroyed.” I have no possible idea what she could mean by that. Suddenly, everything starts to fade and-
“There she goes,” the uma with short hair said. “She probably isn’t supposed to know about Symboli Rudolf, anymore. Let’s catch that before she starts running in about 24 years.” The three uma think to themselves as they watch the soul return: We’ll be watching your career with great interest.
~
I started to realize that I was sleeping, although it feels like the wrong time of day to be waking up. Why can’t I remember a single thing after I felt like I needed a nap earlier. Oh well, it wouldn’t be the first time I went to sleep and didn’t realize it until I woke up. I check the clock in my room: 12:34 AM. Huh, that is eight hours of sleep, but now I don’t know what to do since it’s barely the next day. Wait a minute, why does my pillow feel weird against the side of my head. I also noticed my head itches, so I try scratching it, only to find two things that are there now that weren’t yesterday. They also moved when I tried brushing my hand against them. AM I STILL SLEEPING, WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT.
I throw the blanket off to find A LOT of hair from something. Where is all that hair from- It’s at this point that I realize where the hair originates from: me. It’s also red. I never had red hair. I jumped off my bed- HORRIBLE mistake. The house shakes. I freeze, with my eyes wide open. Ok Robert, breathe. Clearly this isn’t a dream. Heads don’t itch in a dream. The house just fucking shook from something you do every day. I really hope no one heard that. I have two things that move on my head, and hair hanging off near my waist. That’s definitely a tail, it’s moving. A lot. I think I currently have a very clear goal: find a mirror.
Ok so, I don’t have a mirror in my room, but the bathroom does. So, I’m going there. I reach for my door handle, only to realize I might break it if I pull too hard. If the house shakes from jumping off my bed, then I probably shouldn’t do everything else I do the same way. I very carefully turn the handle and pull the door towards me. Ok, it didn’t break. No lights are on in the hallway, or from anywhere in the house, from what I can tell. I reached for my phone to turn on the flashlight, as I left it on my desk yesterday. I carefully move towards the bathroom; I don’t want anyone to wake up. No one is seeing me until I have fully grasped what the fuck is going on.
I slowly close the door behind me and turn the light on. The person who I see in the mirror is not me. I have no clue who she is. About six feet tall (1.83 meters), long red hair, two *tv static* ears on her head. Huh? Why couldn’t I find a word to describe them. I’ll try a different method. The ears on the top of her head are placed symmetrically away from the other ear and point directly vertically and slightly away from the other ear. Her bangs have a centered white diamond with a small line of white hair flowing slightly down and away from the center of her forehead and the diamond.
Before I get a chance to further see who I’m looking at in the mirror, my body reminds me I just woke up.
~
Well, that confirms that. Now that I have to think less about advanced biology, let’s switch to thinking about gender. I go back to the mirror to remind myself that I don’t look like myself anymore.
…Except the woman I see in the mirror is me now. I need to accept that, otherwise I am going to lose my mind. Every movement I try to make is 1:1 reflected in the mirror. This is reality, and trying to convince myself otherwise would be time better spent on something else. I think after calming down, I legitimately don’t hate this. In fact, I feel far more relaxed. Like, my thoughts are clear and there isn’t an annoying buzz like there always was. I wasn’t uncomfortable as a man, but now? I can hear my thoughts again. I never thought about my gender for more than a passing thought prior to today.
I noticed that the T-shirt I was wearing is no longer as comfortable as I remember yesterday. It’s basically a crop top now. Ok so, a T-shirt is not going to work, and it’s before 1 am. I can’t go and buy clothes that I am going to need as soon as possible, because nothing is open. I quietly return to my room, once again so that no one wakes up.
I start to notice an itch that isn’t physical, but mental. I want to run. I put my hand towards my forehead trying to fight off a headache. Shit, that thought felt way different than any thought I’ve felt before. Like every inch of my consciousness was fighting to get that thought to the front of my head. So, first goal of accepting the current state of events is clear. Next goal: do exactly what I thought a few moments ago.
I realize my old clothes might not fit. I try on my athletic wear, and…yeah that works. Might not fit the best, but it isn’t uncomfortable. I take the shirt off to try and find something for…those. Maybe a sweater tied around me?
~
…That will have to do. Walking around my room tests that will work for this morning. I put on the rest of my clothes and grab my cooler backpack for water bottles.
As I reach for the door, a sudden thought enters my brain: I know a lot of the people here, and I really don’t want them to see me right now. So, obviously running around my neighborhood isn’t an option. Where could I go to run where no one will see me? 24-hour gyms will have other people there; not an option. Parks close after sunset; not an option. Running along the road? Too dangerous, sidewalks are rare here; not an option. I’m running out of ideas. Come on, Robert, think. There has to be somewhere I can go.
It’s at this moment I remember there is somewhere, 45 minutes to an hour drive away. Doswell, Virginia, where the Virginia State Fair is every Fall. There’s a dirt running course on the other side of Route 30. I’m entirely breaking and entering if I do this, trespassing at the minimum. So, there’s a chance someone will see me while I’m running in my neighborhood, or I get arrested if someone sees me at the dirt course at 1 AM. I can’t just sit here. The itch is getting worse and worse, to the point I’m tapping my foot over and over on my carpet. If my foot keeps tapping, I might break a hole through this floor. So, I make my choice and accept the consequences. I’m driving to Doswell. I grab my car keys and quietly make my way outside without waking anyone up. I don’t want to see their reaction when they see me yet.
After grabbing water bottles from the fridge, I walk out to see my old car that I have been maintaining myself and unlock it manually. I started driving and have a thought, I just realized my license is not me. Add it to the list of crimes today, I suppose. I’m able to drive out of my neighborhood and make my way towards the interstate. I’ll take the exit towards I-95. After eventually getting to I-95, I drove north. No police yet. About 45 minutes after leaving my house, I see the exit for Doswell, and my drive east on Route 30 will only be for about a mile and a half. (About 2.41 Kilometers)
The drive until this point was quiet. I didn’t play any music, as I was thinking way too much. I have ears on the top of my head and a tail, and I’m a woman. How am I going to live my life when the continent wakes up? Not a single human had ears on the top of their head and a tail before today. Am I the only one? Are there other people with a tail and ears on the top of their head?
…How do I tell my family?
I finally got to where I was planning on going and stopped my car along Route 30. The Meadow. The Commonwealth of Virginia’s fairgrounds; The state doesn’t actually own the land, as it was bought last year. To the left was the convention center and a large open field for various events, and on the right side of Route 30 was a small dirt track in the shape of an oval, with what appears to be an observation tower in the center. Next to the tower is a small building. Lights are turned on around the track, but they’re also on everywhere else at The Meadow. I then focus on the dirt track again and try to guess the distance for one lap. It appears to be about a mile long. (About 1.61 Kilometers) Anyway, there was a convenient gravel road right off Route 30 I could use to drive towards the track. Still no police. Finally made it. The track is surrounded by a fence, and when I stop at the center of the straightaway, there’s a gate. Obviously locked. The building does not currently have any lights on.
This is going too well. Am I really going to do this? That itch is still there, of course I am. The locked gate is about four feet tall, so I just simply climb over it. The moment I land on the other side of the fence, I feel the well-maintained dirt track under my feet. Goddesses, it feels like I’m standing on clouds. “Goddesses”…that’s the second time I’ve used this in a sentence naturally and still don’t know what it means or who it refers to. I’m not going to think about that, right now. I’m risking a lot being here, so I’m going to run, and then leave. I don’t want someone to see me. I’ve known how to run for a while, so I start facing south, making the course left turn. I started doing stretches.
This is it. I stand vertically and get in position to start running. I press into the ground, and go. I don’t get far before my running style forces the weight of my tail to almost make me fall on my back. I slowed down to a stop immediately. How far did I get? Roughly 1/16 of a mile. (About 0.10 Kilometers) That could have been bad. I felt like I barely moved, how the hell did I get so far away already? I get in position to try running a different way, maybe leaning forward a bit more? Why does this feel far more natural? I press forward.
Goddesses. My head feels so clear. It’s as if every corner of my head that could have held anxieties suddenly switched to happiness. I don’t think about anything else except for reaching the next two corners as fast as I can. I don’t realize it, but a massive grin has grown across my face. I think that three or four laps have passed before I realize I’m running out of gas. I slow my pace down to a stop starting from top speed at the fourth corner and using the entire frontstretch to stop.
Suddenly, a sound came from the tower. “Hey,” a woman’s voice leaves from a megaphone, and I shriek. My ears fall to my head, and my tail stands directly out. “Don’t move. You might be fast, but if you try running, I’ll just catch up in an ATV. There’s cameras everywhere and I’ve already noted your plates.” FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK. I HAVE FOUND MY GOAL IN LIFE AND MY LIFE IS ALREADY OVER. Without thinking, I lean against the fence and slowly fall against it.
By the time the woman that called out over the megaphone has reached where I was sitting, I had tears rolling down my face. Not because I got caught, but because I might not get to run like this again. I didn’t even notice that she hadn’t said a word and just sat next to me. I turned to my left to see her sitting there. Without saying a word, my eyes go wide for a split second. She has ears on the top her head and a tail too…I’m not alone. Does she look about the same age as me? She had brown hair with dark brown highlights; her tail was the same. On her right ear, she had a ribbon tied around it with the pattern of what looked like the flag flown at the end of an automotive racing event, but blue and white instead. She was also wearing athletic wear.
Eventually, after I’ve stopped crying, she starts to talk.
“Did you really think you could drive a car up here without anyone noticing? As soon as you left Route 30, the alarm on my phone went off.”
I didn’t answer, just blew air out of my nose. She continues,
“I was about to call the police from where I was in the tower before I noticed what you were doing. I almost started laughing at how you first took off. Umamusume don’t run standing vertical.”
I asked a question. “What does ‘umamusume’ mean?”
She answers, “It’s you and I, I think. We have ears on the top of our head, a long tail, and can run as fast as you just did. Or at least, try to. I doubt I’m as fast as you. When I woke up around 12:30, and after being shocked that I had ears on the top of my head and a tail, I saw this ribbon and a note on my desk that said, ‘When you look in the mirror, you’ll look slightly different. You’re an umamusume now. You were re-born to run.’ Sure enough, after getting ready for the day, I had an itch in my head telling me to go out to our dirt track and just start running. I was taking a break and was planning on walking back outside for a few laps before the alarm went off.”
I ask another question. “Why didn’t you call the police, and why are you casually talking with me now.”
“Well, I saw how fast you were. That’s it, really. Have you been training for a marathon prior to today?” She asks.
“No, I just liked staying in shape.” I responded.
“Can we talk more at the building next to the tower? It has a kitchen and a bathroom. Also, I should introduce myself. Riva Ridge, sophomore at Commonwealth Tech.”
“Huh. I’ll be a freshman there this fall. My name is…uh…”
Probably shouldn’t say Robert. Hm…
I try to find the answer to her question. It’s something I’ve known forever, but it was never relevant until now.
“It’s…Secretariat.”