It had been weeks since the night she first woke up in that cold alley. Life hadn't gotten easier—but it had gotten quieter. Manageable.
Akira had learned which stores threw out food just before closing, which park benches stayed hidden from the streetlights, and which days the kind bakery owner left the leftover rolls on the back step. Every coin, every crumpled bill she found was tucked away carefully in a small pocket sewn into the lining of an old coat she had dug out of a thrift store trash bin.
It was too big for her small frame, the sleeves dragging near her knees, but it was warm. Warm enough.
Today, for the first time in a long while, she wasn't digging through bins or hiding from the cold. She stood in the middle of a wide, open field—the kind of place where the city's noise felt far away. The grass brushed against her ankles, golden in the evening sun.
Her golden-brown eyes scanned the horizon, filled with quiet wonder. She could see the faint outlines of a track far in the distance, the sound of faint laughter and hooves carried on the wind.
"…so this is… where they run, huh…" she murmured softly, voice small but full of curiosity.
Her ears twitched with the breeze. Uma Musume were born to run—every child in this world seemed to know that instinctively. But she had never really run before. Not properly. Her frail legs and tired body had never given her the chance.
Still, something deep inside her chest stirred, a pull she couldn't quite explain.
She stepped forward slowly, tail flicking behind her, and pressed one bare hoof against the grass. It felt soft. Cool. Real.
"…I want to know," she whispered. "…just once… what it feels like."
Taking a deep breath, she bent her knees slightly, bracing herself like she had seen others do. Her heart pounded with excitement and fear as she pushed forward.
Her body moved awkwardly, unsteady and slow at first. The oversized coat flapped behind her, the sleeves tangling as she stumbled across the grass. But then, for a brief moment—just a heartbeat—she felt it.
The wind.
It brushed against her face, cool and wild. Her ears flattened slightly, her tail lifted instinctively, and she couldn't help but smile.
It wasn't fast. It wasn't graceful. But for Akira, it was freedom.
She ran a few more steps before her knees buckled. She tumbled forward, falling into the grass with a soft thud.
"…ow…" she whispered, wincing, but her smile didn't fade. She lay there for a moment, breathing heavily, staring up at the sky painted orange and pink by the setting sun.
"…so that's what it feels like…" she murmured softly, voice barely above a whisper. "…the wind… it made me feel so alive…"
Akira lay in the grass for a moment, chest heaving and cheeks flushed with exhilaration. The wind had brushed through her ears and along her tail, lifting a small spark of joy she hadn't felt in weeks since she first got here, maybe even in her past life she never experienced such joy. Slowly, she pushed herself up, brushing the dirt and grass from her oversized coat.
"…just a little more…" she whispered to herself, determination replacing the ache in her limbs.
She planted her hooves firmly into the ground, feeling the uneven terrain beneath her. Then, taking a deep breath, she pushed forward again. Her first steps were wobbly, knees shaking, but each stride brought a thrill she couldn't contain. With a small, unsteady laugh, she picked up speed, stumbling a little as the oversized coat flapped wildly behind her.
A few steps later, she tripped over a small mound of grass, tumbling forward with a soft "oof." She lay for a moment, winded but laughing softly, then pushed herself up again. Each fall brought a mix of pain and joy, her small frame learning how to adjust to the strange sensations of running as an Uma Musume.
Her movements grew bolder as the minutes passed. She ran in circles, then along the edges of the field, letting her tail lift instinctively and her ears flatten with the wind. Dirt stained her hands and knees, and the oversized coat tangled around her small legs, yet none of that mattered. She felt alive in a way she hadn't since the day she first opened her eyes in this strange world.
"…this… this is amazing…" she whispered between gasps of breath, eyes shining. "…I can… I can do this!…"
She darted forward again, slipping slightly on the wet grass. Her small body tumbled, but she laughed through it, crawling back to her hooves and pushing off once more. The world seemed to blur around her—the open sky above, the feel of the grass underfoot, and the faint hum of distant hooves from the city beyond the field.
It was then that a tall figure came into view, a lone Uma Musume in the distance, her posture sharp and focused as she practiced along the field's edge. Symboli Rudolf, the student council president of Tracen Academy, moved with precise, fluid motions, each stride and turn calculated and commanding. Her eyes, however, flickered momentarily to the small, frail figure in the grass.
Akira didn't notice the observation, lost entirely in her own exhilaration. She tried a few more daring steps, her small hooves slipping and skidding over the grass as she laughed softly at herself, tumbling once more. The wind whipped through her ears, and her tail lifted with abandon.
From a distance, Symboli Rudolf watched silently, curiosity tugging at her gaze. She didn't approach, didn't call out. The girl in the field was small, frail, and alone—but there was something in the way she ran, a spark of resilience and raw joy that caught the president's attention.
Symboli Rudolf's head tilted slightly, observing as Akira pushed herself again, stumbling but rising each time, determination clear even in her tiny form. The girl's movements were clumsy, uncertain, but each stride was filled with a kind of fearless energy, something that intrigued the president deeply.
Akira, oblivious to the eyes watching her, continued to run, fall, and laugh, letting herself experience the freedom of movement for the first time. For the first time in a long while, she felt truly unbound, letting the grass, wind, and her own tiny body carry her into a fleeting moment of pure joy.
And from the edge of the field, Symboli Rudolf simply watched, curiosity lingering in her expression, letting the little girl have this moment, silent and unobtrusive, wondering who she might be and what story had brought her here.
Akira skidded to a stop, chest heaving, sweat and dirt streaked across her small face. Her ears twitched, tail flicking uncontrollably, and for the first time since she'd woken in this world, a strange sensation prickled at the back of her mind.
A sudden, sharp chime rang in her head—bright and urgent. Her eyes widened, ears flattening instinctively.
"Quest Alert: Physical Activity – Completed!"
A translucent window appeared in the air before her, shimmering softly, displaying her current status and recommendations:
Name: Akira
Age: 6 (Formerly 15)
Status: Malnourished
Condition: Weak limbs, low stamina, fragile health
Hunger: Low
Energy: Moderate
Recommended Actions:
Eat high-calorie, nutritious meals regularly
Rest in a safe environment
Light physical training to build stamina
Track health and avoid overexertion
Quest Completed: First Run – Unlock Physical Activity Recognition
Reward: +5 Stamina XP, +2 Mood XP
Akira blinked, staring at the floating text in disbelief. "…wait… that's… me?" she whispered softly, voice trembling.
Her tail twitched, ears flicking nervously as she looked at her frail body in the reflection of a nearby puddle. Her arms were thin, legs almost too weak to hold her up for long. The oversized coat hung awkwardly from her small frame, and her stomach still rumbled faintly.
"…malnourished," she muttered quietly, voice small but resolute. "…okay… that's… what I have to fix…"
Her eyes scanned the recommendations carefully. Each instruction made sense, though they seemed so difficult to achieve alone. Eat properly. Rest. Train carefully. Track her health. Everything was familiar in concept, but foreign in reality—every single step would require careful planning, courage, and resourcefulness.
Akira stared at the floating quest window, her small hands gripping the edges of her oversized coat. The list of recommendations glowed softly before her eyes, each one simple in theory—but daunting in practice.
"…eat high-calorie, nutritious meals… rest… light training…" she whispered, voice trembling as the words sank in. "…how… how am I supposed to do that?"
She glanced down at herself. Frail arms, bony knees, ribs just barely covered by thin clothes… her reflection in a puddle reminded her how weak she really was. And then her stomach growled again—a sharp, insistent reminder that hunger wasn't waiting for plans or advice.
Her mind flickered to the past few weeks: scavenging through trash cans behind bakeries, sifting through rotting bread, half-molded fruit, or scraps no one else would touch. Sometimes she had to eat things that smelled foul or felt sticky and cold, just to stop her stomach from clawing at itself. Each bite gave her momentary relief, but her hands and coat still carried the filth, the smell, the faint nausea.
"…I… I can't… improve if I keep eating like this…" she whispered, voice small and shaky. "…I mean… I'll survive… but my body… it'll never get better…"
Her tail flicked nervously as she sank to the grass, hugging her knees close. The piece of bread from a bakery she had eaten earlier had been clean enough, but most meals were like this: dirty, insufficient, and barely filling. Her stomach ached from both hunger and the rough textures of what she had eaten in desperation.
"…so… I have to… somehow…" she muttered, brow furrowed. "…I have to find… better food… safer food… or I'll never… get stronger…"
The realization pressed down on her chest like a weight she couldn't shake. Even if she ran every day, even if she tried to train her frail limbs, her body wouldn't improve on scraps and garbage. She had to survive—but survival alone wasn't enough anymore.
A sudden sound made Akira's ears flick sharply. The soft, measured clop of hooves approached from the edge of the field. She froze, tail pressed tightly against her legs, eyes wide and alert.
From the tall grass, a figure emerged—slender, poised, and unmistakably commanding. Symboli Rudolf, the student council president of Tracen Academy, walked with a grace that demanded attention even in the fading sunlight. Her sharp eyes scanned the field and then softened slightly as they fell upon Akira.
The girl was small, shivering slightly in her oversized coat. Dirt streaked her cheeks and hands, grass clung to her knees, and the faint smell of stale food and city grime lingered around her. Her frail frame, unsteady posture, and nervous tail flicks spoke of hardship and neglect.
"…Hey there," Symboli Rudolf said gently, voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority. She stopped a few feet away, giving Akira enough space to retreat if she wanted. "Are… you okay?"
Akira's ears flattened against her head, eyes widening in panic. Her tail twitched frantically, instinct screaming at her to run. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Her small frame trembled as the tall Uma's gaze held her in place, not aggressively, but with a careful curiosity.
"…I… I'm fine…" she whispered, voice small and uncertain, hugging her coat tighter around her shoulders. "…I… I'm just…" Her stomach rumbled, betraying the lie immediately.
Symboli Rudolf's eyes softened further. She crouched slightly, lowering herself to make her presence less intimidating, though even in that motion she radiated control. "I see… you've been through a lot, haven't you? Your clothes… your condition… you shouldn't be out here like this."
Akira's ears twitched, tail curling tightly around her legs. She wanted to run, to hide, to vanish into the shadows of the field, but something in the gentle, steady voice stayed her movement. "I can survive on my own…" she whispered, almost as if reminding herself rather than answering.
The president of Tracen Academy tilted her head slightly, observing. There was no judgment in her gaze—only careful curiosity, a faint trace of concern. "…I understand," she said softly. "But surviving isn't just about getting through the day. You need food… rest… care…"
Akira's gaze dropped to the grass beneath her hooves, feeling the weight of her situation more acutely than ever. "…I… I know…" she whispered, voice trembling. "…I… I just… I don't have… any way…" her voice trailed off, knowing she doesn't really have any arguments against that.
Symboli Rudolf straightened slowly, giving Akira a soft, reassuring smile. "I think… I can help you," she said gently. "But first… I need to know something. What's your name?"
Akira's ears twitched violently, tail flicking nervously. She opened her mouth, but no words came. The system in her head buzzed faintly:
Reminder: Do not reveal details from your past life.
"…I… I don't… have one," she whispered at last, voice barely audible, shaking slightly.
Symboli Rudolf's gaze softened even further, though her posture remained composed. "I see… That's alright," she said kindly. "A name is just the beginning. Something you can choose for yourself."
Akira blinked at her, unsure if she should trust the calm, authoritative figure before her. Her stomach growled, reminding her of the emptiness that had been her constant companion for weeks. The thought of a warm place to rest… and maybe something to eat… made her ears flick forward cautiously.
"You… you can come with me," Symboli Rudolf continued, gesturing toward the distant lights of Tracen Academy's outskirts. "It's not much, but I can give you a safe place to stay. Food, rest… and someone to make sure you're alright."
Akira's tail twitched nervously behind her. Her instincts screamed caution, but the promise of warmth, safety, and a break from the constant struggle was almost too tempting to resist. She nodded slightly, keeping her gaze lowered. "…O-okay…"
Symboli Rudolf's eyes softened further, and she crouched just a bit to meet Akira's line of sight. "Good. But… one thing first. You don't have a name yet, do you?"
Akira shook her head faintly.
The system buzzed again, gently but firmly:
Quest Activated: Choose a New Name
Objective: Decide on a name that represents your new life and identity.
Reward: +5 Mood XP, +2 Confidence XP
Akira's small hands clenched slightly around her coat as she took a deep, shaky breath. "…a name… huh…" she whispered softly. Her ears flicked back as she thought, tail curling slightly around her legs. "I… I'll… I'll find one…"
Symboli Rudolf rose gracefully, offering her a hand. "Take your time. But for now, let's get you somewhere safe. You've been alone for far too long."
Akira hesitated only for a moment, then carefully took the offered hand. Her tail flicked once, uncertain but trusting—just enough to let her take the first real step toward something resembling hope.
Akira's small hand lingered in Symboli Rudolf's grasp for only a moment before she hesitated. "…Wait," she murmured, ears flattening slightly. "I… I need… to get something first."
Symboli Rudolf tilted her head, calm but attentive. "Go ahead," she said gently. "But be quick—this isn't the safest time to linger."
Akira nodded, her tail flicking nervously as she darted ahead toward the dark alley where she'd spent so many nights. The shadows stretched long in the fading evening light, the familiar shapes of discarded boxes and damp cardboard waiting for her.
Her stomach growled sharply, reminding her of the hunger she had been ignoring since the encounter in the field. She knelt carefully near her small makeshift fort and reached inside, fingers brushing against the remnants of her meager supplies.
And there it was—the last piece of bread she had managed to scavenge days ago. She held it gently, as if it were a treasure, sniffing it briefly before biting into it. The crust was slightly hardened, the crumb a little dry, but it was enough to quench the gnawing emptiness in her stomach. She chewed slowly, savoring each bite, the warmth and taste giving her a small but precious comfort.
———————————————————
Symboli Rudolf watched silently as Akira knelt in the shadows of the alley, fingers trembling as they dug through the remnants of her few belongings. The faint, golden light of the setting sun caught the dirt-streaked strands of her hair and the oversized coat that hung awkwardly on her tiny frame.
'How… how has anyone let a child live like this?' Rudolf thought, jaw tightening slightly. 'This isn't right… no Uma Musume should ever have to survive in filth and hunger.'
Her sharp eyes followed Akira as she carefully retrieved a small, hardened piece of bread, holding it as if it were treasure. The girl took a slow, deliberate bite, chewing cautiously yet hungrily, the faintest shiver running through her body as she swallowed.
'She's eating it like it's the most precious thing in the world,' Rudolf thought, her gaze softening. 'And it is… in her eyes, this small piece of bread is enough to keep her alive another day. But it shouldn't have to be this way. No one should have to live like this.'
Symboli Rudolf's chest tightened with a mix of frustration and resolve. 'I want to make a world where every Uma Musume is happy… safe… cared for. Seeing her like this… seeing her small, fragile body surviving on scraps… it's exactly why I have to make that world a reality.'
She remained still, careful not to startle Akira, but her thoughts churned with determination. 'I can't let this continue. I don't know her story, I don't know why she's alone—but I will make sure she has a chance to live like she should. To run, to eat properly, to laugh without fear… I'll do whatever it takes.'
Rudolf's eyes lingered on the girl for a moment longer as Akira finished the final bite of her old bread, the crumbs clinging to her small fingers. 'Even if it's just a small victory today… she deserves better. She deserves more than this… and I will find a way to give it to her.'
A faint sigh escaped her, almost invisible in the quiet of the alley, as she straightened her posture and prepared to speak. '…This is just the beginning,' she thought firmly. 'I'll make sure she doesn't have to face another night like this.'
———————————————————
Once Akira finished, she gathered the rest of her belongings, her small hoard of coins, the oversized coat, and a few scraps she had tucked away carefully. Each item had been hard-won, but now, with everything packed into her small frame, she felt a faint sense of readiness.
She glanced down the alley one last time, eyes sweeping over the discarded remnants of her survival: the torn cardboard, the stray wrappers, the damp spots that had marked her nights of hunger and cold. "…goodbye… for now," she murmured quietly, tail curling around her legs as she stood.
With careful, deliberate steps, she made her way back to Symboli Rudolf, who had waited patiently at the edge of the field. Her small hand found the president's again, fingers trembling slightly from both hunger and the strain of holding her few possessions.
"…I'm ready now," she said softly, voice barely above a whisper. "…to go."
Symboli Rudolf offered a reassuring smile, her sharp gaze softening. "Alright. Let's get you somewhere safe. You've earned this rest."
As they began walking together, Akira clutched her belongings close, tail flicking slowly behind her. The alleyway and its shadows faded behind her, replaced by the open field, the distant lights of the academy, and the faint, comforting thought that maybe… just maybe, things could start to get better.
Her stomach was still grumbling softly, but for the first time in weeks, she felt a small spark of hope—the possibility of warmth, food, and safety waiting just ahead.