So this was all going to go in tags. And then I officially hit too many tags. So text it is.
More detail to my thoughts>
My thoughts are Rudolf didn't really notice anyone before this moment. She kinda had no need. She was top of her generation and the generation previous, no one was really worth mention. Except for Mr CB but even that was more in a 'maybe this one will finally be a challenge' kind of way. Ace was not even on her radar.
And then the unthinkable happens and she lost. Even more, to an uma no one thought had a chance. And worse, she feels something stirring in her chest at the thought of Ace.
Is it bloodlust? Must be bloodlust.
So she chases Ace to the Arima Kinen cause she needs to deal with this, she can't keep feeling like this, she needs to race her again. And she wins but it doesn't make her feel better. She only feels worse. She won by a convincing lead but Ace still came second and did respectably. And something about the thrill of chasing down the speeding girl in front of her felt like she was on fire. But she pulls herself together cause she's still in the public eye and congratulates Ace on a good race, maybe better luck next time-
Wait. What do you mean there won't be a next time?
It's a good thing she's been trained to keep a steady outward appearance no matter what cause inside she feels like the ground dropped out from underneath her. She hadn't known. She'd only cared that it was Ace's next race. She hadn't realised it was Ace's Last Race. She only got this for two races, two races of feeling like she actually had to fight, and now she'll never get it again. But an emperor can't show emotion over such things so she smiles with gritted teeth and tries to move on.
And oh goddesses, she tries. But her races through spring do not give her the same feeling; none in them that she has to chase, only those who can't catch up. It leaves her dissatisfied. Meanwhile she tries growing closer to Ace off the racetrack. Maybe it was admiration or a desire for friendship she was feeling before? Those don't sound right, she's fairly certain she knows what those feel like, but it's her best working theory.
And it's so much more than what she imagined. Ace has the brightest grin and the biggest heart, always willing to help someone in need and quick to jump in and champion a cause. She likes puns too and actually makes Rudolf laugh, and has a garden on campus that she takes great pride in. She's a shining light to other umamusume, they flock around her like moths and she listens to all of them, always happy to help anyone who asks. And so many ask now, she has quite the number of admirers since her Japan Cup win. She is absolutely swarmed during summer camp, everyone eager for advice or training from the runaway champion. And she's just as easy-going with Rudolf herself, any awkwardness from the sudden attempts at connection had faded within a day and she was quickly talking Rudolf's ear off with anything and everything she knew. She is bright and warm and even Rudolf is not spared her light.
She just...doesn't seem to be watching Rudolf's races. Not that she needs to, it's certainly not a requirement. Maybe she even is, but she never mentions them to Rudolf. And Rudolf can't work out why that burns her. She wants to run, she wants to win, and she wants Ace to see her, watch her ascend to her throne. She can deliver something incredible.
And then she messes up terribly at the autumn Tenno Sho. Even worse it's entirely her own fault. She pushed herself too hard and injured herself just before the race. But she refused to pull out, she'd already had to at the Takarazuka Kinen, what would people say if she had to pull out a second time? Now that it was all over, perhaps that would have been better than what they would surely say after that poor performance.
A knock sounds on her dressing room door and she's horrified to see Ace coming in. Oh goddesses, of all the races she could have watched, it had to be the one where Rudolf made a fool of herself. But Ace doesn't berate her, only came bearing an ice pack and asking quietly if she was okay. Ace helps set the ice pack over her injury, chiding her lightly about what she was thinking racing like this, she could have really hurt herself, you know? Rudolf doesn't reply. There's silence for a while before Ace asks if she's still planning on running in the Japan Cup. Of course she is, she has to.
"...Hey," Ace voice calls her attention and she looks to see Ace the most still and serious Rudolf has ever seen her. She takes Rudolf's hands. "...Win it for us. Heal up, rest, and show the world why they should take Japan seriously. Don't let us lose it again so soon." Rudolf is silent for a moment, then swears it; she will, she promises.
Recovery is agonisingly slow, everything in her yearns to begin training again. She needs to be ready. But she holds herself back each time. She made a promise and she refuses to do anything that might endanger it.
And when she finally gets on the turf, surrounded by the best racers of all nationalities, she could swear she almost sees her runaway ahead of her, guiding her to the finish line. She chases after the figure in her eyes, leaving everyone else in the dust. And when the dust settles, Japan has won its cup for the second year in a row and stands full of spectators are cheering her name. And there's Ace, her eyes find her almost immediately, screaming and hollering Rudolf's name, leaning so far over the railing she's almost falling. Rudolf gives a proud smile that feels like it's aimed for one person, and lifts six fingers into the air.
Later she's in her dressing room getting ready for the winning live, the image of Ace cheering for her still in her mind. She's pleased the other came to see this race of hers, that she got to see her promise was upheld. She hopes the other was entranced by it. Rudolf herself is still trying to calm down, still feeling her chest fluttering and like she was overheating. The last time she'd felt like this after a race was the Arima Kinen-
She catches sight of herself in the mirror. Cheeks flushed, features softened, smile warm, and then proceeds to watch in real time as the blood drains from her face. No, no absolutely not! She refuses! But she feels like someone dumped a bucket of ice water on her and the revelation cannot be unrealised. Her, the emperor, in love- no, not love, a crush. Just a crush, surely. A simple, fleeting, useless crush. Just a temporary lapse in judgement. It would pass...right? Later reports spoke of a frustrated scream being heard from somewhere in the building, though none were sure who it might have belonged to.
The next day she acts as though nothing is different, and everyone is none the wiser. The emperor does not have time for such things.
