On a Pale Horse (Umamusume/Youjo Senki)

[Shadow314]

On the day that Merry snaps, she'd ignore the race and physically attack Shirogane on the racetrack. In a twisted repeat of Shiro's first death, another irrational being has shoved her onto the tracks.

Sure, they'd both be disqualified and worse...

But... in that long seconds of fading consciousness as Shirogane methodically thrashes her to death with the focused hatred of a bloodlusted warhorse, Merry declares victory.

She has finally earned her Rival's undivided attention.

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It's not about his usual aloofness or the professionalism with which he approaches races. It's about the emotions and desires—or, rather, the traumas—surrounding the way Shirogane intends to resolve these matters (killing/eliminating).

That's why Mary wants to see that hidden side of Shirogane again now; after all, that side is reserved only for her, his rival/enemy.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Funny, as well, considering Shiro doesn't seem to have that reason. Or, rather, doesn't have a reason that makes running super important to her.

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I think this an interesting question to ask actually. What is Shiro's reason for running? How far will she go because of it?

"That aside, I believe you are mistaken. I have no intention of pursuing a racing career. The initial investment would be too expensive in the short term for uncertain gains."

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She seemingly has no plans for it until she is recruited by Hana, and in the end she agrees because...?

"Besides, Shiro-chan," Shigeru murmured, drawing his daughter's attention. "We've been saving money since you were little so we could afford to send you to a good school, or a racing academy if you were interested."

Her eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, her ears flicking once in surprise before she controlled her expression again.

"We couldn't afford to send you to a better school when you were little, but now, we could probably afford for you to go to a good high school."

"I…see…" Shirogane's jaw clenched, and Shigeru felt his heart twinge at how she looked close to crying, or at least as close as she came to that. "Thank you, Father."

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"If money is a significant concern, Tracen is one the best options available," Toujou-san added. "Asides from the numerous scholarships, the academy has the best training facilities and programs in the nation, with our students regularly qualifying to compete in graded races and taking at least part of the prize pool."

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Once again it seems to be her family. She goes because they express their genuine desire to send her to a good school with what little they have, and all of a sudden the best possible option is on the table?

Shirogane took a moment to think, glancing between her father and mother, her ears twitching minutely in indecision.

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This moment seems the like the point where she makes the decision to join Tracen, although it feels like she's more swayed by the scholarship offer and the possibility of prize money. Though it's clear to see the reason she runs isn't really for the money and that it is just a means to an end. That end being to reduce the financial burden on her family and ensure they have a comfortable retirement. I think that's quite important to Shiro, but yeah, probably not to the same extent as say Silence Suzuka's reason.

Silence Suzuka

"I want to see the view from the front again. That's the only place where I feel truly free."

Clearly Shirogane doesn't find running to be something existential like Suzuka does. The key difference is probably that running isn't the only way she can achieve her goals, just the one most convenient to her right now. She would probably stop running if a bigger opportunity presented itself.

Though if we think about it...

After her initial iterations of downhill training, the slope on the Nakayama course almost felt disappointing, a sentiment Shirogane was fairly certain was residual from the Soldier who once could fly.

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Maybe one day Shiro will want to chase the sensation of flight again, this time using her own two legs.

On the day that Merry snaps, she'd ignore the race and physically attack Shirogane on the racetrack. In a twisted repeat of Shiro's first death, another irrational being has shoved her onto the tracks.

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Evasive maneuvers activated! I'd bet Shirogane's survival instinct hasn't dulled to the point where a greenhorn from the Heisei era could just sneak up on her!

Don't quote me on that though.

On the other hand, I don't think Merry would attack her during a race, cause the victory she's looking for is one within the bounds of competition. If it had to happen, it would most likely be after she takes something Shirogane said or did extremely personally, like...

...

I don't know actually. I have no clue what would be devastating enough to spur her into rage instead of just making her really depressed. She is still a normal teenage girl, someone who isn't going to see murder as the first option, or even as an option to begin with.

I'll have to think about that.

 

[cappo]

Reading several comments about how Shirogane lacks the spark she had as Tanya, living in a peaceful world with no reason to use her "Devil of the Rin" mode, no one seems to have considered that deep down, Shirogane might harbor some paranoia about "being X." I mean, we as readers can assume there won't be interference from being X (because it wouldn't make much sense in this story ), but Shirogane wouldn't know that. If she saw any Uma acting like her archenemy Mary Sioux, it would put her on high alert. And since she couldn't kill her in this world, her only option would be to overshadow her career with such resounding victories that no one would even mention the supposed "new envoy" of being X.

For example, in Merry's "what if" scenario, if she were to confront Shirogane with the same defiant attitude reminiscent of Mary Sioux, she might begin to suspect Mary's reincarnation and, out of fear, consider crushing the Uma. Meanwhile, in the main storyline, I think Rice Shower could take on this role, given that in the Pretty Derby series she strives to be the "heroine." It's possible that upon seeing so many Umas crushed by Shirogane, coupled with his cold demeanor that only inflicts more pain on the defeated, she might openly challenge the "Demon of the Racetracks" as the "heroine" she is, and perhaps that could awaken Tanya's war instincts. Of course, this is just my hypothesis, and I don't know if it's already been discussed. I don't have time to read so many threads!

 

[ScarredPunLover]

I don't know actually. I have no clue what would be devastating enough to spur her into rage instead of just making her really depressed. She is still a normal teenage girl, someone who isn't going to see murder as the first option, or even as an option to begin with.

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To be fair, it could just be that Merry chases Shiro without any idea of what she'll do. She's not planning anything drastic, per se, she simply acts on instinct, every part of her being demanding... something in that moment. Admittedly, not sure what might bring about this kind of reaction, either.

My mind keeps coming back to that idea of "acknowledgement." And my imagination is treading down a wordy path.

---

"I have poured blood, sweat, and tears into my career. Into my training. Into this race. I've given my all to chase you. To beat you.

"You, who runs without a care for those in your dust. Who runs the same way, everytime. Without rest or exhaustion. You, who doesn't care if she loses. Who doesn't care if she wins. It's all the same, to you.

"I've watched friends tear themselves apart, just for one more race, because it is everything for them. You race like it means nothing at all. Because it's all just a paycheck to you, right? All you care about is the money, damn all the dreams you break and shatter and stomp on.

"I poured my soul into catching you. To surpassing you. I gave everything, all of my time, to this moment. Even when everyone was screaming at me to just stop, before I hurt myself trying to imitate something I didn't understand. I kept going. I kept going, and I did it. I won. And when I turned to you, to see something from you... you gave me nothing. A 'congrats,' and you went on your merry way. No respect or recognition for the effort I had to put in to beat you. And next week, you're just going to go race again. Shatter more dreams and futures. Inspire other racers to tear themselves apart as they obsess over you, to chase you and focus as if nothing else matters.

"I hate you, Orzel. Hate you for what you've done to me. Hate you for the agony you've put me through, hate you for making my every waking moment focused on you. Hate you for just continuing on like I mean nothing. I. Hate. You."

And there, Shirogane might stare at this strange, crazed Uma who is vaguely familiar.

"... okay."

And she turns and walks away.

And perhaps Merry, half-mad and half-mad, cannot handle this dismissal. She takes a step forward, reaching out to grab Shiro's shoulder. At most, she's just planning to spin Shiro around and demand some form of acknowledgement.

She doesn't get the chance.

The moment Merry's hand makes contact with Shiro, the Eagle's instinct takes over. Merry's flying through the air and crashing down on her back, faster than she can comprehend. Standing over her, Shirogane with a... dangerous familiar look in her eye.

"Devil..." Merry murmurs before she can stop herself, still regaining her breath. Something connecting in her brain, then fading again before she can truly comprehend it.

---

or something like that.

 

[ndh]

I think Rice Shower could take on this role, given that in the Pretty Derby series she strives to be the heroine.

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Problem with that is she IRL died before the Golden Generation started, so depending on how long Shirogane races for hillariously, TM Opera O would be the one from the following generation to take up the role of hero for a bit in the eyes of the public. Though in the anime, TM ends up on Team Rigil, which means that their relationship will most likely be a senpai-kohai relationship.

 

[neta wey]

And there, Shirogane might stare at this strange, crazed Uma who is vaguely familiar.

"... okay."

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I can absolutely taste her "Ma am, this is a Wendy's"

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Man, now I really wish that Shiro was living in one of the dorms. It would be fun to think about who her roommate would be and what their dynamic would be like.

 

[FluffyVoid]

Man, now I really wish that Shiro was living in one of the dorms. It would be fun to think about who her roommate would be and what their dynamic would be like.

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If you can't bring Shiro to the dorms then you just have to bring the dorms to Shiro.

 

[Lyrista]

If you can't bring Shiro to the dorms then you just have to bring the dorms to Shiro.

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Or just kidnap her with Goldshi's bag.

 

[Introverted]

Or just kidnap her with Goldshi's bag.

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She would probably rip open the bag and attack whoever is even trying.

 

[Lyrista]

She would probably rip open the bag and attack whoever is even trying.

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In normal circumstances yes, but comedic scenes of anime tomfoolery trump all.

 

[Introverted]

In normal circumstances yes, but comedic scenes of anime tomfoolery trump all.

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Ehh... in that case it would only work if it wasn't GoldShip doing the bagging.
Because violence on GolShi is funny.

 

[TheSmallSauce]

It seems right now, she's sort of distantly fond of her classmates and actually knows her seniors much better. She's talked more with Air Groove, Mejiro Dober and Silence Suzuka than she has with her peers. And Stay Gold, I suppose? Maybe that's how she meets Golshi, perhaps the tall troublemaker tags along with Stego to the screaming stump on one of his her Shirogane Observation Visits.

Stego's divorced dad energy is too strong, I instinctively used a male pronoun...

Or, is Golshi even enrolled at Tracen yet? She's a horse from the 2012 generation and it's currently 1997, isn't it? How does that work here?

 

[Lyrista]

With gacha games that involves schools its often recommended to not pay too much attention to the passing of time.... or the lack of it

 

[TheSmallSauce]

Will we see, at some point, any of the more established racing families attempting to encourage Shiro to pursue relationships with their male descendants, with intent to add her outrageous stamina and physical health to the bloodline? Perhaps they approach her family with a "betrothal" offer?

Dunno if it's likely, but I'd be curious to see how that sort of scenario develops.

How do "breeding arrangements" translate to the world of Uma?

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Probably the same way it works IRL, usually families recommend some people from "good" families, sometimes just in small meetings or parties, other times in matchmaking sessions. And like IRL, there may be even programs that forces people to reproduce to create a better athlete, a la Yao Ming.

Click to shrink...

I got reminded of this while I was ruminating on Shirogane's possible roommates should she ever decide to move into the dorms. I feel like it would be the perfect set up for something like...

---

Rules of Engagement

​

---

To Miss Shirogane Suzuki,

The Mejiro family has heard a great deal regarding your recent accomplishments, both academic and athletic, and would be delighted by the opportunity to make your acquaintance more personally.

Should your schedule permit, we would be honored to receive you at the estate at a time convenient to you. We believe there would be considerable mutual benefit in becoming more familiar with one another.

We understand that your commitments are substantial, and thus leave the matter entirely to your availability and personal inclination.

Regardless, the family holds you in very high regard and would be pleased to deepen this connection should the opportunity arise.

Mejiro Dober had been holding the envelope for nearly twenty minutes.

Not because delivering a letter was particularly difficult.

Ordinarily, it would have been simple. She would locate the intended recipient, hand over the correspondence, exchange a few polite words, and leave before the interaction had the opportunity to become awkward.

Unfortunately, this particular letter had been entrusted to her by her grandmother, and anything involving her grandmother stopped being simple almost immediately.

Dober adjusted her grip on the cream-colored envelope as she walked along the narrow residential street just outside the Tracen campus grounds. The evening air carried the lingering warmth of late spring, softened by the smell of restaurants beginning dinner service nearby.

Objectively speaking, there was nothing strange about the letter.

Shirogane's absurd race schedule had made the rounds in the newspapers for months as she continued to race week after week. It was inevitable that something outrageous like that would have caught her family's attention, and inviting rising stars to the estate was not particularly uncommon either. The family liked observing promising prospects directly.

Dober had initially thought little of it.

Then one of her aunts had smiled, and suddenly the entire request had become deeply suspicious.

Her family had an unfortunate tendency to imply things instead of saying them outright, and worse still, Dober was no longer entirely certain she herself understood the implications. Not fully, at least. She understood enough to know that inviting another girl to the family estate under these circumstances could very easily sound like something other than a simple social invitation.

And now she was the one delivering the letter.

Which meant Shirogane might misunderstand.

The thought made Dober's ears flatten in horror.

Not because Shirogane was unpleasant. Quite the opposite, actually, which was part of the problem.

Shirogane was intelligent, composed, hardworking, and surprisingly considerate once one learned how to interpret her bluntness. She possessed a kind of calm practicality that Dober found oddly reassuring, even if it occasionally bordered on unsettling. More than once, Dober had caught herself feeling vaguely envious of the younger girl's composure.

A quality that made her, unfortunately, extremely difficult to read.

Dober still remembered the first time she and Air Groove-senpai had visited Shirogane's apartment. Air Groove had spent most of the visit interrogating the ventilation, emergency preparedness, and structural integrity of the building while Shirogane calmly brewed tea and played host...

The pierogies had been delicious.

Ahem…

More troublingly, she had also realized, to her considerable surprise, that she genuinely enjoyed talking to her.

Which made this situation significantly worse.

Because if Shirogane interpreted this letter as some kind of romantic advance, Dober was reasonably certain she would die on the spot.

That thought did not help her calm down.

At last, she stopped in front of a modest apartment building.

Dober climbed the stairs slowly, rehearsing explanations she immediately discarded before they could fully form.

It's just a delivery.

It's just a letter.

It's just—

By the time she reached the door, she still had nothing usable.

Number 203.

She stared at it for a moment longer than strictly necessary, as though the numerals themselves might offer a socially acceptable phrasing.

They did not.

…

On second thought, perhaps Ryan would have a better idea about this whole—

The door opened.

Shirogane stood there in casual clothes and reading glasses, a pen still clipped loosely to the collar of her shirt.

"…Dober-san?"

Dober suddenly became acutely aware of several things at once.

First, that she was standing outside a girl's apartment in the evening, alone.

Second, that she was holding an expensive, perfumed letter embossed with her family crest like it was some kind of formal declaration.

Third, that she had absolutely no natural way to explain either of those facts without making them worse.

"Yes," she said far too quickly. "I mean—good evening."

Shirogane blinked once, then stepped aside.

"Please come in."

"I-I don't want to intrude."

"You are already here."

Dober's brain stalled, racking through about a thousand different polite refusals and landing on precisely none.

"...Right." She managed at last. "Pardon me…"

The apartment was as immaculate as she remembered.

Textbooks sat arranged neatly along low shelves. Training schedules were pinned to the refrigerator. A kettle rested on the stove beside several carefully labeled containers of tea leaves and coffee beans.

Dober's attention drifted for just a moment before Shirogane closed the door behind her.

"You came a considerable distance from the dorms," the younger girl observed.

Dober stiffened. The envelope in her hand suddenly felt unbearably conspicuous.

"I had business in the area," she deflected, it was technically the truth.

Shirogane paused for a moment, as if noting the time and distance.

"It's quite late," she said. "And you must be hungry after coming all this way."

She was already turning toward the kitchen before she finished the sentence.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"If it wouldn't be an imposition."

The response came automatically, drilled into her from years of etiquette training.

Dober only realized afterwards that she had just accepted tea in the apartment of a girl she was worried might misunderstand her intentions.

This was spiraling.

Shirogane, thankfully oblivious, moved into the kitchenette area and began preparing the kettle.

"There's no need to be so formal, Dober-san. I'd like to think we already know each other quite well."

"Ah... Of course."

That did not help. If anything, it made things worse.

Dober sat carefully at the low table while Shirogane prepared coffee with calm, practiced motions.

The silence stretched.

Dober stared at the envelope.

This should not have been so difficult; all she had to do was hand it over and explain that the Mejiro family wished to invite her for a social visit.

Simple.

Perfectly normal.

Entirely innocent.

So why did it feel like she was about to confess to something?

Shirogane returned from the kitchenette with two cups and set one down in front of her. The tea carried a faint unfamiliar aroma, fruity and slightly sharp, something she couldn't quite place.

"It's something my grandmother brought from Poland. I hope you like it."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Shirogane sat opposite her, calm, composed, and entirely unsuspecting.

Dober suddenly found this intolerably unfair.

"…Shirogane-san."

"Yes?"

"There's… something I wanted to ask you."

Shirogane folded her hands politely.

"I will answer to the best of my ability."

Why did that sound so serious?

Dober's heartbeat quickened.

"No, it's not—it's not a big deal."

"Very well."

Another pause.

Dober stared at her tea.

Then at the envelope.

Then at Shirogane, who was now watching her with patient attentiveness.

That somehow made everything even worse.

"…Hypothetically," Dober began carefully, "if someone invited you somewhere because their family was interested in getting to know you better… how would you interpret that?"

Shirogane considered the question with complete seriousness.

Dober immediately regretted asking it.

"Well," Shirogane said after a moment of contemplation, "it would depend on context."

"…Context?"

"If the family involved held significant social or institutional standing," she continued evenly, "then it would likely indicate that they were evaluating the possibility of a longer-term relationship."

Dober's hand tightened imperceptibly around her cup.

"…A longer-term… relationship?"

"Yes." Shirogane nodded once. "Something ongoing, rather than a single interaction."

Dober took a careful sip of tea she suddenly could not taste.

That was not what she had meant.

That was absolutely not what she had meant!

Shirogane continued, unaware of the internal collapse happening across from her.

"In such cases, it is common for families to assess compatibility through repeated meetings, informal visits, and observation of conduct in neutral environments."

Compatibility.

Repeated meetings.

Informal visits...

Dober set her cup down with excessive care.

"…I see," she managed.

Shirogane tilted her head slightly.

"Is that not the case in this situation?"

"No," Dober said too quickly. "I mean—this is not—there is no such implication."

Shirogane blinked once.

"I understand."

She did not elaborate.

Dober's thoughts immediately filled the silence Shirogane had left behind.

I understand.

Understand what.

What exactly did she think she understood!?

Shirogane continued calmly, as if discussing the weather.

"Then it is simply an invitation for familiarity."

"…Familiarity," Dober repeated, faintly.

"Yes. To determine whether continued association would be mutually beneficial."

Mutually beneficial.

Dober felt her ears grow hot.

That phrase was absolutely doing something it was not supposed to be doing!

Shirogane reached for her cup again.

"In that case, it is a fairly standard request."

She paused briefly, as if considering.

"Though I suppose the degree of formality would depend on how seriously the family values the outcome."

Dober nearly choked on air.

"The outcome?"

Shirogane looked at her.

"Yes."

A pause.

Then, completely calmly:

"Some families are more deliberate than others when selecting individuals they intend to maintain long-term ties with."

Dober stared at her.

Her soul quietly exited her body and settled somewhere on the floor.

Shirogane, meanwhile, took another sip of coffee as if she had not just set off three separate emotional catastrophes in under a minute.

"Would that letter have anything to do with the question you asked?"

---

Why Dober, you ask? Well, the answer is simple, she's my favorite!

Spoiler

Yes, I mostly did it because I wanted to flex bond level 10...