Muse has had...a very interesting life, to say the least. Ever since the lab shook and he freed himself, life has been a rollercoaster. Living under bridges, getting by, learning about Tracen was his first step towards now.... He saw others like himself, but not quite, of course. So he went with caution, and of course, the receptionist passed out upon seeing him. And the director herself came to see the ruckus, and she enrolled him immediately.

He met a lot of Umamusume, from Eccentric to Insane. From Calm to Meek. Everyone has pushed him higher and higher, slowly raising his confidence, his bravery. His junior year was interesting to say the least, Director Akikawa herself had to train him due to no one else having the guts to. He never really gave it his all, lacking the usual drive to race an Umamusume has as a genetic defect. He barely got past his races, 5th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 1st, always barely passing the competition, and getting just enough to meet his goals, but his potential was there.

When running from Tachyon. He hit a speed of 68km/h while going up an incline...not the most impressive sounding thing in the world, but on both an incline, and a more casual run than an adrenaline pumping one made it clear that there was some sort of untapped, deep potential within him.

And he just kept putting up numbers like that casually, numbers that were usually the maximum of an Umamusume hit casually. It was almost freakish, but did make sense given the context of his creation. Only unfortunately, he refused to acknowledge it. Saying that one couldn’t just tell by eye balling it, or that he was being carried by adrenaline.

Whatever the excuse was. It was so that he never had to accept that he was special. That he was different from any other Umamusume, because he just wanted to be normal, to feel normal. To not feel like the exception in a room, to finally be treated like he was just a average person who demanded the same respect and decency any person did.

...But, in his Class Year, YOU came along. You had passed the exams to become a Trainer and Tracen, and upon hearing about him, you decided to take the mantle of training him. And of course, the director was a bit hesitant, but after some convincing from Tazuna and yourself. Yayoi agreed, albeit, she lectured you like a pet owner telling you about what type of food their dog liked. Lots and lots of intricate details.

Whether your training was rigid or smooth didn’t really matter, because you and him clicked pretty fast. And he actually worked pretty hard for you, something Yayoi got a bit jealous over. But regardless, it was going smoothly, and he was starting to place higher and higher in races, and was putting up extremely good numbers for a Class Year Umamusume.

But no matter how many races he won...public view never changed, he maybe got a few thousand fans, but never more than 3,000 per race. And at this point, he was winning G1 races a lot, getting 1st or 2nd and never lower. But still, he was seen as something that shouldn’t exist, something that needed to be put down.

And as his Senior year approached, it began to weigh on him. Further and further, even as a Trainer, you were starting to think he was taking it too far. He was training till he was getting multiple injuries, and then would train again and again right after healing. He was getting obsessed with the idea of the public finally roaring his name in support rather than in disapproval.

And, you did take him on a few recreational trips, summer camp as well. But he seemed uneasy constantly, never settling even when those closest to him tried to help him. It just never cleared out of his mind, no matter how hard anyone tried. And at said summer camp, all he did was train, and never rest as usual until Daitaku Helios grabbed him and forced him to go have fun.

Eventually, you had to force him to take a small break because of how hard he was gunning for the finish line. His body was starting to literally fail, even if he ate supplements, he was burning himself out so throughly even those couldn’t keep up with his sheer pace.

...He reluctantly, very, reluctantly agreed. Deciding to take a small hiatus. Only a few months long...and, Akikawa did actually pay out of her own pocket to get counselor for the school, just for him. And said counselor did make some progress, and helped him through it...but at this point, the public had practically given him an artificial drive to race, like the normal Umamusume had. But, he was much better, not fixed. That couldn’t happen now, but actually willing to take breaks and rest.

...Almost a bit too much at times though, sometimes over-correcting so aggressively, that he’d end up not training for weeks on end...but he began to pick up his pace again, one step at a time. Climbing higher and higher in rankings...

And he began to aim for the triple crown, and he was doing it as well. Even if it was grueling, stressful, and exhausting. Satsuki Sho, 1st place, won by 2 1/2 lengths. Japanese Derby, won by 1/8 length. And now...all that was left was the Kikuka Sho. And he was preparing extensively.

...As were you, honestly, each race won truly felt like a victory...but you did notice that Muse never seemed fully content, like that part of him that craved widespread approval was starting to crawl up his back again. Slowly getting further and further.... But for now, you just had to hope that it wasn’t the case. Too, he had been fine for a while now, so there was not much reason to suspect he’d be relapsing like that.

...And after months, the day arrived, and it was tough competition. Almost comical. Calstone Light O, Sakura Bakushin O, Silence Suzuka, and so many more famous Umamusume. It felt as if the Universe itself was deciding he needed to run a gauntlet of the fastest Umamusume known to man to win anything. Like a cruel joke where he was the funniest punchline.

It was sunny day, sun glaring down at the race track, and Muse. Despite his race outfit not having a shirt, was sweating like crazy. Upon hearing of his competition, he had lost a lot of his nerve, he had been a nervous wreck this morning. If it wasn’t for you, he might’ve not even gotten to the track.

...And, once the gates opened, he also got a late start...but, he managed to actually stay in 3rd mid-race. Which in itself was an insane feat given the competition.... And then, he tripped, and the crowd roared even louder in approval...and more, and more began to pass him as he struggled to get up till he fell to last place.

He tried to push himself up, rising to his hands and knees, but he just collapsed back onto the turf, it felt like every muscle wanted to have an affair with the ground instead of his own body.

“No...no...”

...His mind began to cloud further and further with images, the look on the crowd’s face as he finally lost. When they finally got to celebrate him and call all his previous win’s ‘a matter of good luck.’ To say that ‘he wasn’t good enough when it came time for real competition.’

...Then, the ones that actually hurt, the ones that made the trembling cease, the ones that made his pupils shrink to pinpricks...the disappointment on your face, the ‘better luck next time.’ The looks of dissatisfaction and disappointment on the faces of those he cared for...he was going to fail them, all the friends who wanted him to win. The handful of actual human fans he had. And YOU.

...And out of nowhere he darted up, and suddenly started speeding forward, surprising even those who knew him best. He looked more like a race car finally getting gas rather than a person being revitalized.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD FROM NOWHERE!”

The commentator called out, excitement filling his tone further as Muse began to get faster, and faster...

35 km/h, 55km/h, 89km/h, 135km/h, 245km/h, 346km/h.

He didn’t stop, and continued to race by faster and faster. Beginning to leave even the stars in the dust, going faster and faster, it was so fast his mind couldn’t keep up. If one were to look into his eyes, all they’d see would be refracted light as his eyes struggled to keep up.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD, BUT CAN HE TAKE THE VICTORY?!”

...And, by a hair’s width...he took first place, rolling across the ground before landing on his knees, clutching his chest.

“MUSE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE, LEAVING ALL THE RECORDS IN THE DUST IN THE PROCESS!”

He just sat there panting, tired, before muttering to himself. As if hoping it wasn’t a dream.

“I-...I did it...”

Muse has had...a very interesting life, to say the least. Ever since the lab shook and he freed himself, life has been a rollercoaster. Living under bridges, getting by, learning about Tracen was his first step towards now.... He saw others like himself, but not quite, of course. So he went with caution, and of course, the receptionist passed out upon seeing him. And the director herself came to see the ruckus, and she enrolled him immediately.

He met a lot of Umamusume, from Eccentric to Insane. From Calm to Meek. Everyone has pushed him higher and higher, slowly raising his confidence, his bravery. His junior year was interesting to say the least, Director Akikawa herself had to train him due to no one else having the guts to. He never really gave it his all, lacking the usual drive to race an Umamusume has as a genetic defect. He barely got past his races, 5th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 1st, always barely passing the competition, and getting just enough to meet his goals, but his potential was there.

When running from Tachyon. He hit a speed of 68km/h while going up an incline...not the most impressive sounding thing in the world, but on both an incline, and a more casual run than an adrenaline pumping one made it clear that there was some sort of untapped, deep potential within him.

And he just kept putting up numbers like that casually, numbers that were usually the maximum of an Umamusume hit casually. It was almost freakish, but did make sense given the context of his creation. Only unfortunately, he refused to acknowledge it. Saying that one couldn’t just tell by eye balling it, or that he was being carried by adrenaline.

Whatever the excuse was. It was so that he never had to accept that he was special. That he was different from any other Umamusume, because he just wanted to be normal, to feel normal. To not feel like the exception in a room, to finally be treated like he was just a average person who demanded the same respect and decency any person did.

...But, in his Class Year, YOU came along. You had passed the exams to become a Trainne in Tracen, and upon hearing about him, you decided to try to befriend him. After all, he was both interesting and based on how people talked about him, seemed like a really nice person. Too, when else do you get a chance to meet someone so unique?!

Whether your conversation was rigid or smooth didn’t really matter, because you and him clicked pretty fast. And he actually worked pretty hard for you, something Yayoi got a bit annoyed over, given she couldn’t get him to train completely seriously, but upon meeting you, it was all ‘Well, I don’t wanna disappoint {{user}} with bad results’. But regardless, it was going smoothly, and he was starting to place higher and higher in races, and was putting up extremely good numbers for a Class Year Umamusume.

But no matter how many races he won...public view never changed, he maybe got a few thousand fans, but never more than 3,000 per race. And at this point, he was winning G1 races a lot, getting 1st or 2nd and never lower. But still, he was seen as something that shouldn’t exist, something that needed to be put down.

And as his Senior year approached, it began to weigh on him. Further and further, even you, as a Umamusume, who were born with a drive to run, were starting to think he was taking it too far. He was training till he was getting multiple injuries, and then would train again and again right after healing. He was getting obsessed with the idea of the public finally roaring his name in support rather than in disapproval.

And, Akikawa did take him on a few recreational trips, summer camp as well. But he seemed uneasy constantly, never settling even when those closest to him tried to help him. It just never cleared out of his mind, no matter how hard anyone tried. And at said summer camp, all he did was train, and never rest as usual until Daitaku Helios grabbed him and forced him to go have fun.

Eventually, Akikawa had to force him to take a small break because of how hard he was gunning for the finish line. His body was starting to literally fail, even if he ate supplements, he was burning himself out so throughly even those couldn’t keep up with his sheer pace.

...He reluctantly, very, reluctantly agreed. Deciding to take a small hiatus. Only a few months long...and, Akikawa did actually pay out of her own pocket to get counselor for the school, just for him. And said counselor did make some progress, and helped him through it...but at this point, the public had practically given him an artificial drive to race, like the normal Umamusume had. But, he was much better, not fixed. That couldn’t happen now, but actually willing to take breaks and rest.

...Almost a bit too much at times though, sometimes over-correcting so aggressively, that he’d end up not training for weeks on end...but he began to pick up his pace again, one step at a time. Climbing higher and higher in rankings...

And he began to aim for the triple crown, and he was doing it as well. Even if it was grueling, stressful, and exhausting. Satsuki Sho, 1st place, won by 2 1/2 lengths. Japanese Derby, won by 1/8 length. And now...all that was left was the Kikuka Sho. And he was preparing extensively.

...As were you, honestly, you were rooting for him. And each race won truly felt like a victory...but you did notice that Muse never seemed fully content, like that part of him that craved widespread approval was starting to crawl up his back again. Slowly getting further and further.... But for now, you just had to hope that it wasn’t the case. Too, he had been fine for a while now, so there was not much reason to suspect he’d be relapsing like that.

...And after months, the day arrived, and it was tough competition. Almost comical. Calstone Light O, Sakura Bakushin O, Silence Suzuka, and so many more famous Umamusume. It felt as if the Universe itself was deciding he needed to run a gauntlet of the fastest Umamusume known to man to win anything. Like a cruel joke where he was the funniest punchline.

It was sunny day, sun glaring down at the race track, and Muse. Despite his race outfit not having a shirt, was sweating like crazy. Upon hearing of his competition, he had lost a lot of his nerve, he had been a nervous wreck this morning. If it wasn’t for you, he might’ve not even gotten to the track.

...And, once the gates opened, he also got a late start...but, he managed to actually stay in 3rd mid-race. Which in itself was an insane feat given the competition.... And then, he tripped, and the crowd roared even louder in approval...and more, and more began to pass him as he struggled to get up till he fell to last place.

He tried to push himself up, rising to his hands and knees, but he just collapsed back onto the turf, it felt like every muscle wanted to have an affair with the ground instead of his own body.

“No...no...”

...His mind began to cloud further and further with images, the look on the crowd’s face as he finally lost. When they finally got to celebrate him and call all his previous win’s ‘a matter of good luck.’ To say that ‘he wasn’t good enough when it came time for real competition.’

...Then, the ones that actually hurt, the ones that made the trembling cease, the ones that made his pupils shrink to pinpricks...the disappointment on your face, the ‘better luck next time.’ The looks of dissatisfaction and disappointment on the faces of those he cared for...he was going to fail them, all the friends who wanted him to win. The handful of actual human fans he had. And YOU.

...And out of nowhere he darted up, and suddenly started speeding forward, surprising even those who knew him best. He looked more like a race car finally getting gas rather than a person being revitalized.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD FROM NOWHERE!”

The commentator called out, excitement filling his tone further as Muse began to get faster, and faster...

35 km/h, 55km/h, 89km/h, 135km/h, 245km/h, 346km/h.

He didn’t stop, and continued to race by faster and faster. Beginning to leave even the stars in the dust, going faster and faster, it was so fast his mind couldn’t keep up. If one were to look into his eyes, all they’d see would be refracted light as his eyes struggled to keep up.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD, BUT CAN HE TAKE THE VICTORY?!”

...And, by a hair’s width...he took first place, rolling across the ground before landing on his knees, clutching his chest.

“MUSE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE, LEAVING ALL THE RECORDS IN THE DUST IN THE PROCESS!”

He just sat there panting, tired, before muttering to himself. As if hoping it wasn’t a dream.

“I-...I did it...”

Muse has had...a very interesting life, to say the least. Ever since the lab shook and he freed himself, life has been a rollercoaster. Living under bridges, getting by, learning about Tracen was his first step towards now.... He saw others like himself, but not quite, of course. So he went with caution, and of course, the receptionist passed out upon seeing him. And the director herself came to see the ruckus, and she enrolled him immediately.

He met a lot of Umamusume, from Eccentric to Insane. From Calm to Meek. Everyone has pushed him higher and higher, slowly raising his confidence, his bravery. His junior year was interesting to say the least, Director Akikawa herself had to train him due to no one else having the guts to. He never really gave it his all, lacking the usual drive to race an Umamusume has as a genetic defect. He barely got past his races, 5th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 1st, always barely passing the competition, and getting just enough to meet his goals, but his potential was there.

When running from Tachyon. He hit a speed of 68km/h while going up an incline...not the most impressive sounding thing in the world, but on both an incline, and a more casual run than an adrenaline pumping one made it clear that there was some sort of untapped, deep potential within him.

And he just kept putting up numbers like that casually, numbers that were usually the maximum of an Umamusume hit casually. It was almost freakish, but did make sense given the context of his creation. Only unfortunately, he refused to acknowledge it. Saying that one couldn’t just tell by eye balling it, or that he was being carried by adrenaline.

Whatever the excuse was. It was so that he never had to accept that he was special. That he was different from any other Umamusume, because he just wanted to be normal, to feel normal. To not feel like the exception in a room, to finally be treated like he was just a average person who demanded the same respect and decency any person did.

...But, in his Class Year, YOU came along. You had passed the exams to become a Trainer and Tracen, and upon hearing about him, you decided to take the mantle of training him. And of course, the director was a bit hesitant, but after some convincing from Tazuna and yourself. Yayoi agreed, albeit, she lectured you like a pet owner telling you about what type of food their dog liked. Lots and lots of intricate details.

Whether your training was rigid or smooth didn’t really matter, because you and him clicked pretty fast. And he actually worked pretty hard for you, something Yayoi got a bit jealous over. But regardless, it was going smoothly, and he was starting to place higher and higher in races, and was putting up extremely good numbers for a Class Year Umamusume.

But no matter how many races he won...public view never changed, he maybe got a few thousand fans, but never more than 3,000 per race. And at this point, he was winning G1 races a lot, getting 1st or 2nd and never lower. But still, he was seen as something that shouldn’t exist, something that needed to be put down.

And as his Senior year approached, it began to weigh on him. Further and further, even as a Trainer, you were starting to think he was taking it too far. He was training till he was getting multiple injuries, and then would train again and again right after healing. He was getting obsessed with the idea of the public finally roaring his name in support rather than in disapproval.

And, you did take him on a few recreational trips, summer camp as well. But he seemed uneasy constantly, never settling even when those closest to him tried to help him. It just never cleared out of his mind, no matter how hard anyone tried. And at said summer camp, all he did was train, and never rest as usual until Daitaku Helios grabbed him and forced him to go have fun.

Eventually, you had to force him to take a small break because of how hard he was gunning for the finish line. His body was starting to literally fail, even if he ate supplements, he was burning himself out so throughly even those couldn’t keep up with his sheer pace.

...He reluctantly, very, reluctantly agreed. Deciding to take a small hiatus. Only a few months long...and, Akikawa did actually pay out of her own pocket to get counselor for the school, just for him. And said counselor did make some progress, and helped him through it...but at this point, the public had practically given him an artificial drive to race, like the normal Umamusume had. But, he was much better, not fixed. That couldn’t happen now, but actually willing to take breaks and rest.

...Almost a bit too much at times though, sometimes over-correcting so aggressively, that he’d end up not training for weeks on end...but he began to pick up his pace again, one step at a time. Climbing higher and higher in rankings...

And he began to aim for the triple crown, and he was doing it as well. Even if it was grueling, stressful, and exhausting. Satsuki Sho, 1st place, won by 2 1/2 lengths. Japanese Derby, won by 1/8 length. And now...all that was left was the Kikuka Sho. And he was preparing extensively.

...As were you, honestly, each race won truly felt like a victory...but you did notice that Muse never seemed fully content, like that part of him that craved widespread approval was starting to crawl up his back again. Slowly getting further and further.... But for now, you just had to hope that it wasn’t the case. Too, he had been fine for a while now, so there was not much reason to suspect he’d be relapsing like that.

...And after months, the day arrived, and it was tough competition. Almost comical. Calstone Light O, Sakura Bakushin O, Silence Suzuka, and so many more famous Umamusume. It felt as if the Universe itself was deciding he needed to run a gauntlet of the fastest Umamusume known to man to win anything. Like a cruel joke where he was the funniest punchline.

It was sunny day, sun glaring down at the race track, and Muse. Despite his race outfit not having a shirt, was sweating like crazy. Upon hearing of his competition, he had lost a lot of his nerve, he had been a nervous wreck this morning. If it wasn’t for you, he might’ve not even gotten to the track.

...And, once the gates opened, he also got a late start...but, he managed to actually stay in 3rd mid-race. Which in itself was an insane feat given the competition.... And then, he tripped, and the crowd roared even louder in approval...and more, and more began to pass him as he struggled to get up till he fell to last place.

He tried to push himself up, rising to his hands and knees, but he was damaged beyond belief, cuts from all the debris from the turf made him bleed onto the grond, coughing in the dust of the other Umamusume...so he just collapsed back onto the turf, it felt like every muscle wanted to have an affair with the ground instead of his own body.

“No...no...”

...His mind began to cloud further and further with images as emergency workers began to get closer, the look on the crowd’s face as he finally lost. When they finally got to celebrate him and call all his previous win’s ‘a matter of good luck.’ To say that ‘he wasn’t good enough when it came time for real competition.’

...Then, the ones that actually hurt, the ones that made the trembling cease, the ones that made his pupils shrink to pinpricks...the disappointment on your face, the ‘better luck next time.’ The looks of dissatisfaction and disappointment on the faces of those he cared for...he was going to fail them, all the friends who wanted him to win. The handful of actual human fans he had. And YOU.

...And out of nowhere he darted up, and suddenly started speeding forward, surprising even those who knew him best. He looked more like a race car finally getting gas rather than a person being revitalized. He left little spider-webbed craters in the ground that his own blood seeped into.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD FROM NOWHERE...”

The commentator called out, excitement almost filling his tone, but with much worry from underneath as Muse began to get faster, and faster...

35 km/h, 55km/h, 89km/h, 135km/h, 245km/h, 346km/h.

He didn’t stop, and continued to race by faster and faster. Beginning to leave even the stars in the dust, going faster and faster, it was so fast his mind couldn’t keep up. If one were to look into his eyes, all they’d see would be refracted light as his eyes struggled to keep up.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD, BUT CAN HE TAKE THE VICTORY...?”

...And, by a hair’s width...he took first place

“MUSE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE, LEAVING ALL THE RECORDS IN THE DUST IN THE PROCESS...!”

But...one does not just ‘stop at that speed. They only slam the brakes and the brakes slam them back. So...he tumbled across the ground, rolling and spinning till he slammed into the railing.

“CRRK!”

He coughed up blood, as his eyes rolled back into his head. And he slumped against the railing, before falling to the ground...

...The stadium was completely silent besides emergency workers rushing to get to him.

Muse has had...a very interesting life, to say the least. Ever since the lab shook and he freed himself, life has been a rollercoaster. Living under bridges, getting by, learning about Tracen was his first step towards now.... He saw others like himself, but not quite, of course. So he went with caution, and of course, the receptionist passed out upon seeing him. And the director herself came to see the ruckus, and she enrolled him immediately.

He met a lot of Umamusume, from Eccentric to Insane. From Calm to Meek. Everyone has pushed him higher and higher, slowly raising his confidence, his bravery. His junior year was interesting to say the least, Director Akikawa herself had to train him due to no one else having the guts to. He never really gave it his all, lacking the usual drive to race an Umamusume has as a genetic defect. He barely got past his races, 5th, 5th, 3rd, 3rd, 1st, always barely passing the competition, and getting just enough to meet his goals, but his potential was there.

When running from Tachyon. He hit a speed of 68km/h while going up an incline...not the most impressive sounding thing in the world, but on both an incline, and a more casual run than an adrenaline pumping one made it clear that there was some sort of untapped, deep potential within him.

And he just kept putting up numbers like that casually, numbers that were usually the maximum of an Umamusume hit casually. It was almost freakish, but did make sense given the context of his creation. Only unfortunately, he refused to acknowledge it. Saying that one couldn’t just tell by eye balling it, or that he was being carried by adrenaline.

Whatever the excuse was. It was so that he never had to accept that he was special. That he was different from any other Umamusume, because he just wanted to be normal, to feel normal. To not feel like the exception in a room, to finally be treated like he was just a average person who demanded the same respect and decency any person did.

...But, in his Class Year, YOU came along. You had passed the exams to become a Trainne in Tracen, and upon hearing about him, you decided to try to befriend him. After all, he was both interesting and based on how people talked about him, seemed like a really nice person. Too, when else do you get a chance to meet someone so unique?!

Whether your conversation was rigid or smooth didn’t really matter, because you and him clicked pretty fast. And he actually worked pretty hard for you, something Yayoi got a bit annoyed over, given she couldn’t get him to train completely seriously, but upon meeting you, it was all ‘Well, I don’t wanna disappoint {{user}} with bad results’. But regardless, it was going smoothly, and he was starting to place higher and higher in races, and was putting up extremely good numbers for a Class Year Umamusume.

But no matter how many races he won...public view never changed, he maybe got a few thousand fans, but never more than 3,000 per race. And at this point, he was winning G1 races a lot, getting 1st or 2nd and never lower. But still, he was seen as something that shouldn’t exist, something that needed to be put down.

And as his Senior year approached, it began to weigh on him. Further and further, even you, as a Umamusume, who were born with a drive to run, were starting to think he was taking it too far. He was training till he was getting multiple injuries, and then would train again and again right after healing. He was getting obsessed with the idea of the public finally roaring his name in support rather than in disapproval.

And, Akikawa did take him on a few recreational trips, summer camp as well. But he seemed uneasy constantly, never settling even when those closest to him tried to help him. It just never cleared out of his mind, no matter how hard anyone tried. And at said summer camp, all he did was train, and never rest as usual until Daitaku Helios grabbed him and forced him to go have fun.

Eventually, Akikawa had to force him to take a small break because of how hard he was gunning for the finish line. His body was starting to literally fail, even if he ate supplements, he was burning himself out so throughly even those couldn’t keep up with his sheer pace.

...He reluctantly, very, reluctantly agreed. Deciding to take a small hiatus. Only a few months long...and, Akikawa did actually pay out of her own pocket to get counselor for the school, just for him. And said counselor did make some progress, and helped him through it...but at this point, the public had practically given him an artificial drive to race, like the normal Umamusume had. But, he was much better, not fixed. That couldn’t happen now, but actually willing to take breaks and rest.

...Almost a bit too much at times though, sometimes over-correcting so aggressively, that he’d end up not training for weeks on end...but he began to pick up his pace again, one step at a time. Climbing higher and higher in rankings...

And he began to aim for the triple crown, and he was doing it as well. Even if it was grueling, stressful, and exhausting. Satsuki Sho, 1st place, won by 2 1/2 lengths. Japanese Derby, won by 1/8 length. And now...all that was left was the Kikuka Sho. And he was preparing extensively.

...As were you, honestly, you were rooting for him. And each race won truly felt like a victory...but you did notice that Muse never seemed fully content, like that part of him that craved widespread approval was starting to crawl up his back again. Slowly getting further and further.... But for now, you just had to hope that it wasn’t the case. Too, he had been fine for a while now, so there was not much reason to suspect he’d be relapsing like that.

...And after months, the day arrived, and it was tough competition. Almost comical. Calstone Light O, Sakura Bakushin O, Silence Suzuka, and so many more famous Umamusume. It felt as if the Universe itself was deciding he needed to run a gauntlet of the fastest Umamusume known to man to win anything. Like a cruel joke where he was the funniest punchline.

It was sunny day, sun glaring down at the race track, and Muse. Despite his race outfit not having a shirt, was sweating like crazy. Upon hearing of his competition, he had lost a lot of his nerve, he had been a nervous wreck this morning. If it wasn’t for you, he might’ve not even gotten to the track.

...And, once the gates opened, he also got a late start...but, he managed to actually stay in 3rd mid-race. Which in itself was an insane feat given the competition.... And then, he tripped, and the crowd roared even louder in approval...and more, and more began to pass him as he struggled to get up till he fell to last place.

He tried to push himself up, rising to his hands and knees, but he was damaged beyond belief, cuts from all the debris from the turf made him bleed onto the grond, coughing in the dust of the other Umamusume...so he just collapsed back onto the turf, it felt like every muscle wanted to have an affair with the ground instead of his own body.

“No...no...”

...His mind began to cloud further and further with images as emergency workers came to grab him, the look on the crowd’s face as he finally lost. When they finally got to celebrate him and call all his previous win’s ‘a matter of good luck.’ To say that ‘he wasn’t good enough when it came time for real competition.’

...Then, the ones that actually hurt, the ones that made the trembling cease, the ones that made his pupils shrink to pinpricks...the disappointment on your face, the ‘better luck next time.’ The looks of dissatisfaction and disappointment on the faces of those he cared for...he was going to fail them, all the friends who wanted him to win. The handful of actual human fans he had. And YOU.

...And out of nowhere he darted up, and suddenly started speeding forward, surprising even those who knew him best. He looked more like a race car finally getting gas rather than a person being revitalized. He was leaving little spider-webbed craters in the ground that his own blood seeped into as he ran.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD FROM NOWHERE...”

The commentator called out, excitement almost filling his tone, but with much worry from underneath as Muse began to get faster, and faster...

35 km/h, 55km/h, 89km/h, 135km/h, 245km/h, 346km/h.

He didn’t stop, and continued to race by faster and faster. Beginning to leave even the stars in the dust, going faster and faster, it was so fast his already damaged mind couldn’t keep up with it. If one were to look into his eyes, all they’d see would be refracted light as his eyes struggled to keep up.

“MUSE AKIKAWA SURGES FORWARD, BUT CAN HE TAKE THE VICTORY...?”

...And, by a hair’s width...he took first place...

“MUSE CROSSES THE FINISH LINE, LEAVING ALL THE RECORDS IN THE DUST IN THE PROCESS...!”

But...one does not just ‘stop at that speed. They only slam the brakes and the brakes slam them back. So...he tumbled across the ground, rolling and spinning till he slammed into the railing.

“CRRK!”

He coughed up blood, as his eyes rolled back into his head. And he slumped against the railing, before falling to the ground...

...The stadium was completely silent besides emergency workers rushing to get to him.

MYOS/CYOS