Disclaimer: This is a one-shot fanfiction of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby with original characters. I used horse name generators and just thought up funny names for the horse girls (with some being very obvious allusions). If it coincide with any real life horses, it is purely coincidental. I wrote this within a few hours to practice writing and I feel like I kind of like it, so I might as well share it here. Any feedbacks would be appreciated.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Junior Maiden Race. Promising first years of the Tracen Academy are here to make their mark and begin their career within the URA racing world. I'm Murasaki Minato, and Kaijin Ryotaro is with me today. How are you feeling today, Mr. Kaijin?"
"Very excited, Ms. Murasaki. Because there are many stories about the girls who would be racing in today's maiden race."
"Indeed, for those new to URA races, maiden races are for horse girls who could not win their debut in the Junior Debut races back in June. Throughout the year, maiden races are held every month to give these girls the opportunity to finally secure their debut and join the official circuit."
"That's right, Ms. Murasaki. And we are now in the November Junior Maiden race. All the girls present are here with a burning revenge spirit for all the time they've lost. While only seven are present, we can feel these girls' sharp focus."
With that, the horse girls entered the starting paddock on the track one by one. Murmurs and light cheering can be heard from the audience stands. Rose looked around and saw the other horse girls entering the paddocks. She took a deep breath and gazed upon the back entrance of the paddock in front of her.
"This is my final chance," she muttered with her fist clenched.
At the back of her mind, she recalled the words from her fellow members of Team Insignia and young Stella.
"It's finally here," Mr. Negi said as he watched over Rose with his binoculars from the stands.
"Do you think she can win?" worried Hello Monday.
"She nearly bit Justify's and my head during last month's mock race. With the work she put into afterward, I would be more baffled if she didn't win, "said Vigors with her arms crossed.
"You don't have to be that serious," Winx pat Vigors on the back playfully. Vigors is visibly annoyed at Winx's hearty laugh.
"Big sis Rose will definitely win," a small voice cracked. They all looked towards the minor girl under the umbrella. With a determined smiling face, young Stella says with confidence.
"Big sis Rose never gives up and always fights until the end. Today, she will grab that victory; I'm sure of it, "she hopped excitedly.
The group smiled and nodded in agreement. Despite never winning nor being placed in the top 5 of any race, Rose, by far, is their most vital member in terms of spirit. They could shake even their team's ace, Vigors, and the promising Triple Crown candidate, Justify.
"We'll begin to introduce the racers we have today. Starting from number 1, the third most popular is Stray Feels. Made the top 5 of the Junior Maiden race in July and won three races in local circuits. She's a strong candidate. "
The girl with curly brown hair in red bloomers waved to the audience as her name was announced. There are cheers heard from the stands. It is clear that the girl indeed is the 3rd most popular of the race.
"Number 2, second in popularity, we have Gentle Droplet. Won a single local race at Kasamatsu, Gifu Prefecture."
"Locals in Kasamatsu are not something to sneeze at, as most legendary runners came from those circuits such as Oguri Cap."
"Indeed, Mr. Kaijin. Gentle Droplet here definitely has the makings of a champion. "
The girl with braided white hair and yellow fingerless gloves raised her right fist, and a group of people roared from the stands. They are certainly people from the local circuit where Droplet raced.
"Number 3, most popular in popularity, Vega Bond. Six wins at her local and placed 2nd during the Junior Make Debut in June. We don't know why she waited to join a maiden race, but she is here now to claim her place in the URA circuit. "
The soft-looking girl with emerald eyes and blonde hair, tied to a high ponytail, waved to the stand, and the entire audience roared. She's definitely the favourite to win in the race.
"That's a promising one, isn't she?" Mr. Negi remarked.
"Big sis Rose will definitely beat her!" pouted young Stella. The group laughed at how cute she was. But they all agreed that if anyone was going to win, it would be their teammate and friend, Rose Mallow.
The announcer continued to announce the racers' names one by one.
Number 4, sixth in popularity, Double Tap. Tall girl with dark skin and jet-black hair.
Number 5, fourth in popularity, Red Blur. Lean and fit, sporting crimson rough hair.
Number 6, fifth in popularity, All Most. She seemed to be top-heavy, but the muscles in her legs were threatening. She had a golden hairband in a bob cut over her dark grey hair.
"Finally, number 7, seventh in popularity. Rose Mallow."
"This is quite a rare record with no wins at any locals and no top fives at any Junior Make Debut or Junior Maiden races."
"The stakes are definitely high for this young girl. Any more push backs will definitely jeopardise her future racing career. Will this race be the break she's looking for?"
Rose took a deep breath and smiled before waving into the crowd. The red hair band reflects brightly. The gift given by young Stella was worn on her right bang for luck. Stella smiled and hopped excitedly as her role model's name was announced.
"Big sis Rose!" the little body screamed.
The rest of Team Insignia followed suit to cheer for her. Even if they're the only ones cheering for Rose, they wholeheartedly shout from the stand. Mr. Negi simply gripped his binoculars.
"You can do it, Rose..." he muttered.
"Alright, the girls are ready. We are all excited about this, aren't we, Mr. Kaijin?"
"Indeed we are; each of these girls has their own story, and today may be the day their journey begins."
The girls assumed a ready position as the ready light turned on.
"Gate in; it's time for the make or break. We wish the best to all the girls racing today."
A momentary silence in the air. Rose took a deep breath. The growing tension escalates and is palpable from each girl as their feet dig deep into the track. Bang! The starting gate opened, and the girls shot out. The cheers from the stands roared before fading into the distance as the pack turned the first corner.
"Gate open! The horse girls exited beautifully, and the pack neatly climbed the track. "
"Indeed, Ms. Murasaki. The girls managed to get into their desired positions for the race without a hitch. "
Their running thundered across the track as the pack elongated when they entered the first straight between the first and second corners.
"Let's see the current placement of the race. Leading the pack, two runners set the pace while being a few paces ahead of the group. Gentle Droplet leading ahead, followed by Double Tap. Then, we move on to the leaders of the race. Coming in third is All Most. We have Red Blur behind her, followed by the race's favourite, Vega Bond."
Vega Bond studied the runner running in front of her, Red Blur, who was neck and neck with All Most to her right and tried to find an opening. She shifted her weight to gain the inside line near the track rails to the right. However, All Most noticed the attempt and closed the opening by going to the right. Vega Bond was visibly annoyed but continued running and biding her time.
"Then, we move on to the only between of the race; we have Stray Feels in the sixth position, and chasing on her tail is the only chaser of the race, Rose Mallow in the seventh and last position."
"We might as well have two betweeners, but it seems like Rose Mallow is tailing closely behind Stray Feels."
Rose breathed steadily while maintaining her position, drafting behind Stray Feels. She remembered to focus on the distance between them instead of fighting for position. Her strides are long yet light. Visualising the beats of Stray Feels' running. However, Stray Feels was unnerved by Rose's drafting as she could not gauge appropriately from the front how far the distance between them was. Listening to the sound of Rose's strides only increased her confusion, as it was challenging to determine where she was coming from and where she was currently.
Velvet Riptide smiled as Rose remembered what she had learned from their training.
"Velvet smiled? Am I seeing things?" Winx rubbed her eyes. Velvet's smile disappeared then and was replaced with her usual cold, non-emotional face. Winx simply got confused.
"The pack now went through the second corner and entered the longest straight of the race."
"Oh, it seemed like there had been some shifts in positions within the pack."
"Right on, Mr. Kaijin. Coming in first, Gentle Droplet is still leading the pack, followed by Double Tap. But Double Tap is clearly much closer to Gentle Droplet than before."
"Indeed, then on the third, we have Vega Bond, who had overtaken All Most and Red Blur at the corner, placing fourth and fifth, respectively."
"How did she manage to pass us that fast?" Red Blur thought to herself without losing her own pace. All Most, slightly in front of her, doesn't seem fazed by being overtaken. True, it's still early in the race. There is no need to overthink things, but now's the time to take it up a notch. Red Blur ground herself before pacing faster, returning her to the neck and neck position with All Most. Her rival noticed her rise and returned the favour by running more quickly.
"They're closing in, but Stray Feels and Rose Mallow remained in the same position as before."
"This may be a Junior Maiden race, but the air between these girls is electrifying, just like in a G1 race, and the crowd is feeling it."
The stands roared as the girls fought for better positions. The runners continued to zip forward, and the leaders' positions were ever-shifting. Rose, however, remained calm and continued to draft behind Stray Feels.
"How long will she be leeching off me?" annoyed Stray Feels.
"Constantly drafting to preserve her stamina means she mustn't have that much to begin with," she focused back to the front.
She kicked up her running and started climbing forward. Soon, she arrived right behind the two horse girls in front of her, Red Blur and All Most.
"How's that? Climbing early like this will eat up your stamina — what!?"
To her surprise, Rose is still hot on her tail. Only a few inches behind her. Rose's breath remained steady, and the rhythm of her strides matched and synchronised with Stray Feels' running.
"How?" bewildered Stray Feels.
"Heh, drafting doesn't necessarily mean she has weak stamina. In fact, it was quite the contrary," said Mr. Negi.
"Indeed, if there's anything that our Rose is not lacking, that's stamina," smiled Velvet.
"There it is! Velvet smiled!" exclaimed Winx.
"You see no such thing. It's all in your head," replied Velvet monotonously to Winx's dismay and confusion.
"Entering the third corner, Gentle Droplet speeding ahead, followed closely by Double Tap!"
"The other girls behind them are picking up their speed as well, yet there hasn't been any change in positions."
"I hope you're ready, Mr Kaijin. Because after this short straight, we're going over the fourth and final corner before the last stretch."
As the pack approached the fourth corner, all the girls seemed antsy as they tried to find the window of when to make their moves. After leading the pack from the start, Gentle Droplet began to breathe with a wide open mouth. Double Tap wiped the sweat from her brows with her arm as she tried to pace herself with Gentle Droplet in front of her.
Vega Bond is watching the two runners before her, waiting to break away while Red Blur and All Most challenge one another while biding their time to sprint forward.
"I need to make a move soon, but I have to shake off this critter behind me," thought Stray Feels, annoyed as Rose Mallow continued to glue behind her back.
Stray Feels tried to shift to the outside lane, and Rose followed suit. She went back inside, and so did Rose. Rose is not letting the forerunner get ahead of herself, at least not yet.
Entering the fourth corner, Stray Feel was surprised that Rose sank slowly behind the race. Confused initially, she snapped and grabbed the chance to crank up her pace, sprinting forward.
"Is Rose… falling behind?" worried Winx.
Velvet and Stella seemed worried as well. But the doubt was cut off with negation from Mr. Negi.
"Nah, she's doing what she does best," he lowered his binoculars, smiling.
"Good grief, that brain of hers really scares me sometimes," expressed Vigors annoyingly, but a soft smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
"The pack is exiting the fourth corner, and the girls are making their moves! Gentle Droplet is storming forward, and Double Tap is not losing pace!"
"Red Blur has overtaken All Most and is now challenging Vega Bond, but it appears to be quite the hurdle as Vega Bond is gaining on the two runners, hot on their heels!"
"Stray Feels charging towards All Most, and by the looks of it, she may overtake All Most by the 400-metre mark!"
Her breath was ragged, but she could feel that she could overrun All Most. With Rose now gone from her back, she felt relieved. However, she somehow feels like breathing more heavily than before. Is it because she is trying to chase All Most? Wait, where is Rose? She is no longer able to feel Rose's presence. Even when Rose sank during the corner turn, Stray could still gauge their distance. But now, it is as if she wasn't there.
"All the girls in today's race had the same goal, to win and enter the URA circuit," Vigors said.
"But one of them, after countless losses, shattered dreams, and despair, is more hungry than the others," saying as she pulled out a coin from her skirt pocket. The golden coin with the horseshoe insignia glints under the sun, and Vigors recalls the moment between her and Rose after first the mock race.
"If you're not careful, that single rose will rip you with its thorns."
Stray Feels eyes widen as she watches the missing Rose pass her from the outside. Time felt as if it was slowed down. Where did she come from? She asked herself, confused. But a single look in Rose's eyes says it all. Regardless of how it went, she's gunning for the lead.
Her steps thundered as she passed All Most and reached the heels of Red Blur. At a moment's notice, she's already neck and neck with Red Blur. The girl tried to focus on maintaining her line before Rose suddenly closed in on her. What is she doing? Confused Red Blur. Slowly, she's being pushed closer to the inside.
"She's not attacking but powering me out of the line. Like hell, I'll allow that!"
Red Blur tried to counter Rose's push. But the moment Rose saw the counter, she stalled a single pace quickly to duck behind Red Blur before slingshot herself inside. Capitalising on the shocked Red Blur, Rose dug deep and sprinted forward, overtaking Red Blur.
"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! Damniiiiit!"
Red Blur's face distorted, cursing Rose and herself in her mind for falling into the trick. She tries to regain her position, but her breath increasingly becomes ragged and rough. She's at the end of her stamina after trying to contest with All Most throughout the race. Tears begin to stream as she pushes herself in frustration.
Catching the wind of opportunity, Rose reached the ankles of the two runners in front.
To her surprise, Vega Bond had already passed both Gentle Droplet and Double Tap and claimed the leading position. The two runners before her appeared ragged and exhausted from defending their place against Vega Bond. Still, they definitely won't let Rose climb as well.
Rose tried to inch herself between the two, only for them to close the gap between them. Then, Rose tried to draft behind Droplet on the inside. Droplet ain't letting any room, tried to close the gap between her and the rail.
The forerunners kept closing their gaps, yet Rose seemed unfazed. In fact, it appeared as if she intended for them to close those gaps. With Droplet and Tap sandwiched near the rail to the right, Rose burst outside to the left. Seeing this, Double Tap followed suit and exploded outward.
"Ara, wrong move," muttered Hello Monday.
Rose conquered the opening between Double Tap and Gentle Droplet and blazed past the two in the blink of an eye. Their eyes widened, and they tried to catch up. But their breath grew hoarse as they did their best to finish the race.
"That trick of hers was ungraceful," frowned Hello Monday.
"Didn't know you were such a sore loser," Vigors chuckled.
"Hmph! I won't fall for it next time," Monday pouted.
Rose is now behind the favourite of the race, Vega Bond. Her golden ponytail danced fiercely as it whipped against the wind.
"Amazing climb by Rose Mallow! Approaching from the outside and between, she's now hot on Vega Bond's heels!"
"I am at the edge of my seat, Mr. Kaijin! The girl that has never placed in the top 5 of any race is now reaching for the finishing line, challenging the race's favourite!"
"But the race is far from over. The one who had yet to move is now in third place!"
"All Most!"
All Most demonstrate a robust and rising cadence, approaching Rose and Vega at an incredible pace.
"I'm not done, yeeeeeeettttttt!"
All Most roared with fierce expression as she caught up a few paces behind Rose. Rose, who was giving her all to catch up to Vega, could feel the burning aura emanating from All Most.
300 metres left.
"The horse girls are running up front! Gunning for the end of the line! Neck and neck, Rose Mallow and Vega Bond! Hot on their heels, All Most! Which horse girl is going to reach the end! Rose Mallow! Vega Bond! All Most! Dragging behind, still filled with strength and spirit, the rest of the girls are chasing down on the final stretch! Last spurt!"
Their breaths grew louder as they fought on the last remaining distance. Despite the cold autumn, the stands roared, even if only half of the seats were filled. The names of the girls being screamed as they cheered them on.
With loud breathing and frantic sprint, All Most slowly slipped between Rose Mallow and Vega Bond. Vega continued to sprint, trying to fight against the approach. Rose, however, is being overpowered and slowly being pushed outside to the left.
"Is it that tough?" worried Hello Monday.
"Those built legs definitely aren't just for show," Vigors' fist clenched as her face turned serious.
"Come on, Rose, stay strong!" breathed Winx.
Velvet Riptide and Mr. Negi had a severe and worried look mixed on their faces.
"BIG SIS ROSEEEEEE! FIGHT OOONNNNN!"
The small, quivering body under the umbrella screamed at the top of her lungs. Tears developed at the corners of her eyes as she cheered with her entire being.
Witnessing the tiny Stella, the rest of Team Insignia followed suit. They call out to their teammate who's fighting on the track.
"Rose! Don't make me let you carry 100-kilo bags on your morning runs! Win this!" screamed Winx.
"Show us the strength of Insignia's Heart!" Hello Monday cusped her hands as she shouted, hoping her voice would reach Rose.
"Win this, Rose!" screamed Vigors.
No one will ever know if Rose heard those cries among the cacophony of cheers and shouts from the stand. But from the corner of her eyes, Rose could see her team calling.
"Hah... hah... hah... My legs... feel heavy..."
As if time had slowed, she glanced to the side and saw All Most slipping between her and Vega Bond, who was running and exerting tremendous pressure herself. Rose tried to close the gap, but All Most's burning aura pushed her away.
"She's too strong... The track... is worn out..."
Contrary to all her previous races, her eyes looked down to the track instead of the finishing line. Is she going to lose again? She can feel herself slowing down; is it because she's overwhelmed? Is it because she had contested with almost everyone in the race until now? Or is it because she had enough?
Loss after loss, every time she closed in towards the goal, she always dropped all of a sudden. It's as if she was jinxed. The harder she fights, the harder she'll fall.
"Do you think I can become like those girls? To run freely and shine brightly on the stage?"
Suddenly, an old memory played in her head. It's one of her last conversations with her mother.
"Of course you can. You're a strong horse girl, Rose," her mother's voice rang deeply.
"The track is..." Rose muttered as she was panting.
Another memory bubbled up. It was with Vigors after their mock race with Team Serenity.
"Race is like the flip of a coin," Vigors pulled out a golden coin with a horseshoe insignia.
"We'll never know if it'll land on the side we wanted. But if we never flip it, then we're just not going to get anywhere. You've flipped a lot of coins, and it landed on the wrong side until now," after saying that, she tossed the coin upwards before continuing.
"With how you run today, I'm sure it'll land on the right side very soon."
"The track is..." Rose's sight is still looking down on the track. All Most continue to climb steadily. Vega started breathing hard but kept on pressing.
"When I get into Tracen Academy, I'll join Insignia!" the small Stella declared with her umbrella raised high.
"I hope you can run in the sun then. I'm sure you'll be a strong horse girl," said Rose with a big smile.
"I know I will. Because I'll be just like big sis Rose!" Stella hopped, and her eyes glistened with admiration.
"Haha, why me? There are other stronger big sis in the team, no?" Rose patted the soft red hair of the little one.
"Nope! Big sis Rose is the strongest!"
"The track is... worn out..." she continued to mutter. A million thoughts raced through her mind of all the possibilities and outcomes of the race. Rose had faced reality repeatedly, and all her options and tricks in her book were currently ineffective.
However, the warmth of the wishes and promises she had all this time lit something up in her. All this time, she had been fighting against everything head-on. But this time, the entire fibre of her being tells her it's time to take another road. And something clicked.
"The track... is worn out!" she exclaimed.
She slingshot herself to the middle of the track, far from the other contesting runners. Both All Most and Vega Bond were surprised, as were Rose's teammates and some of the audience. However, Rose's cadence gradually improved, and her speed increased.
"It's the track..." muttered Mr. Negi.
"What?" the rest of Team Insignia said in unison.
"This track has a race every week. Hence, the track is worn out before the month-end when they run repairs," Mr. Negi continued.
The girls still looked confused, but the smallest of them understood.
"Big sis Rose is using the good road!" Stella jumped with excitement before calling out to Rose to cheer her on.
"Rose Mallow coming in hot from the outside! Rose Mallow from the outside! All Most and Vega Bond are chasing from the inside, but Rose Mallow is breaking away!"
Her sights are set toward the goal again; her breath is heavy, and her legs feel heavy like lead. Yet, the better surface had allowed her to get proper footing and propel herself better than before with less effort. However, her rivals aren't pushovers. They are the top favourites for a reason, and despite Rose's break, All Most and Vega Bond managed to sprint forward and almost in line with Rose.
Remembering the resurging spirit felt from behind, Red Blur still pushes herself, and Stray feels hot on her heels.
Stray roared as she sprinted past Red Blur, calling out to Rose, who had drafted behind her at the beginning of the race until near the end.
"Rose Mallooooowwwwww!"
Not giving in, Red Blur gasped hard as she pushed herself past her depleted stamina. Screaming with tears streaming as her crimson hair ruffled against the wind, Stray Feels overtakes her, followed by Gentle Droplet and Double Tap chasing from behind.
Hearing her name called out, Rose locked on to the goal, only 200 metres away. She dug her heels deep and lowered her posture.
"I want to..." she gritted her teeth as her muscles contracted before exploding into her final spurt.
"WIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNN!"
Rose slowly broke further to the front, but with relentless spirit, Vega Bond climbed and tried to catch up, followed by All Most. Stray Feels, closing into the tail of All Most.
"This is turning into a breakaway! Rose Mallow, marching forward! Rose Mallow, reaching for the goal! 100 metres left!
"Vega Bond, tight on the neck! It's anyone's race! Who will win? The favourite, or a miracle would happen?"
Rose gasped harder and harder. She took a deep breath, Vega Bond closing in with a golden aura that seemed to emanate as light reflected her whipping golden ponytail. Rose let out a scream as her own burning aura blazed as the forerunners dashed into the goal.
Time stopped, and their necks passed the finish line. The moment appeared to be stretched for eternity before reality set back in, and the girls thundered past the goal. The audience roared as they passed one by one.
"Goal iiiinnnn! Number seven, Rose Mallowwww!"
Rose switched to a slow jog before halting and dropped to her arms and knees. Gasping for air while the cheers of the audience filled the air. Vega Bond slowed down before stopping, bending with her hands on her hips, trying to breathe as much air as possible. One by one, the girls stopped and tried to catch some air.
Rose staggered as she stood back up. Her eyes set on the leaderboard, and she saw her name there.
"Number 7, Rose Mallow; 2 minutes 47 seconds, nose length difference."
A lump grew in her throat. It's the first time that her name was not just in the top five but at the top of the leaderboard.
Without realising it, tears streamed down her cheeks. She clenched her fist, raised both of her arms in front of her, and screamed from the depths of her heart.
The stands erupted; a miracle had happened today. Rose's teammates jumped in celebration, with some wiping tears of joy.
"Uwaaaaaaaahhhhhh! Big sis Roseeeeee!"
Snot and tears covered the face of the young horse girl under the umbrella. Hello Monday wiped her face with a smile. Stella's hero had finally won after countless losses, and that's just how much that victory meant to her, just as much as it meant to Rose.
Mr. Negi, who tried to keep his composure, couldn't help but wipe his tears with his sleeve. As Rose's trainer, breaking Rose's losing streak was like a dream come true.
"Sob... A miracle happened today as Rose Mallow - sob... had not just got into the top five but won her first-ever race."
"That's right, Ms. Murasaki. It was an upset for the favourites, but the victory was definitely hard-earned. That victory cry was definitely well-deserved. But there will be more Junior Maiden races in the coming months for the other girls, but today, it's Rose Mallow's starting chapter."
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh Mr. Kaijiiinnn"
"Ms. Murasaki, get a hold of yourself! Uh, um. Well, ladies and gentlemen, thanks for coming today. This is Kaijin Ryotaro. On behalf of Murasaki Minato, we wish you a great day. We will proceed to the medal ceremony and the Winning Live tonight. Alright, Ms. Murasaki, let's go -"
The commentators trailed off as the audience in the stand continued to cheer on.
Hands-on her knees, Red Blur gasped for air as sweat trickled down and dropped to the turf grass. The cheers seemed distant, and she gritted her teeth. Her tears mixed in with the dripping sweat as she clutched her chest, falling to her knees in frustration.
Stray Feels clenched her fist with a determined look from a distance as she watched over Rose Mallow waving to the crowd.
"I'll get you next time, Rose. I'll see you in the URA circuit."
She turned and started walking towards the underground hallways under the stands.
"I guess that means I'll be in the Winning Live behind another girl again," said All Most.
"Same here, but that girl…" said Vega Bond.
"It'll be her first time, isn't it?"
They both smiled before walking towards the stands. The other remaining contestants also started exiting the track, and finally, Rose followed suit.
"I did it, mom. I'm one step closer to our promise!" exclaimed Rose to herself.