Post by "Lady Luck" Fujiko Mine on May 23, 2015 19:01:29 GMT -5
I.
How.
I have to face the facts. I am no longer a champion. Perhaps this is a sign. Maybe this was the wake-up call that I needed. Maybe this is my last chance to realize that I can't blow this opportunity.
Oni Kymiku...
I bet you smell blood in the water. You see that if there wasn't weakness before, that there is now.
The weakness there should worry me. I don't think I've ever felt farther away from my goals than ever, but somehow...
I'm at peace with it.
I am not a perfect wrestler. I still have plenty of learn. I will have failures, and I will have triumphs.
I know you want to follow in Noelle Smith's footsteps and send my career further into a tailspin.
Not just because you want to be the one to say that you stopped my run through LAW cold.
But because you don't want to be where I am right now.
I should still be on top of the world still. I should be...no, I should be even farther than that.
But someone always seems to stand in my way.
You know what, Oni?
I'm so sick of being hindered. I'm sick of people like you standing in my way. I'm so incredibly sick of being overlooked.
People like you, Oni...will say out of one side of your mouth that you respect me, and in the other you insult me. At least someone ignorant like Skye Sparks will make up some bullcrap about me sleeping my way to the top to justify her insane jealousy and lack of common sense.
But you, Oni.
I'm almost more insulted by you. I'm sick of hearing backhanded compliments that people like you are so eager to give out. I'm done with listening to your brand of nonsense.
Don't confuse respect for weakness. Because I will tell you right this second, that just because I respect you, doesn't mean that I am not going to absolutely take it to you in my bid to gain what you have been carrying around.
I won't kid you or myself, clearly, you are the LAW champion for a reason. More than just because you managed to win a tournament. More than just because LAW seems to believe in only defending championships at major events. But because you are worthy of it. You have the characteristics of a true champion. So it's no surprise to someone with some common freaking sense to see that it was more than just a lucky break that netted you the LAW championship.
So naturally, you will find out that I am not just in this match because Bliss Fischer likes to indulge in her gambling addiction by putting her wrestlers up against random odds.
Whether or not she believes I can beat you doesn't matter. Whether or not anyone else believes I can do beat you doesn't matter.
All that matters is that I am being given the opportunity to achieve my ultimate dream.
The chance to call myself the official best here in LAW.
And I am going to do it, make no mistake.
I am going to do whatever I have to do to make sure that you feel the pain I just went through. Not because I have any ill-will towards you, Oni...but because I can't go on feeling this way myself.
It's almost unbearable, this feeling of loss. To know I had it, and that it is gone now.
I need you to give that to you. I need for you to feel it, and carry it away.
That way, I can keep my focus firmly on what is important to me: showing everyone what a force I truly am.
So with all due respect, I am going to expose you as a failure. I am going to have everyone see that you are just like the Pink Ladies to me: an obstacle that I have to overcome.
The biggest one of my career? No doubt. In fact, there is more pressure for me to beat you than there is for you to beat me. You could easily lose this match and still leave as the champion. I have to pin you, or make you submit. I'm capable of either, as you will find out in a few short days.
But I can, and I will. I will validate myself, and prove people like you wrong. I will show the world how desperate, how dangerous, and how talented I am. You have the unfortunate fate of coming out on the losing end in Seattle, you just don't know it yet.
Losing the gold rush rumble and my title could have been the worst thing for you, Oni. Because now I have so much more to prove, and I have all the frustration in the world to work out. All the extra motivation to put you down for a three count with a lucky shot and make your championship reign a thing of the past.
You may be motivated, but not like how I am. Not even close. You don't have to believe me on that, though. I will prove it to you on Sunday.
So I'll spare you the comments about being lucky, or cashing in chips, or any of that.
I'm taking this more serious than any match I've ever had in my entire life. It's the biggest one to date. So simply?
There is nothing you can do to stop me from taking what I need to survive. There is nothing you can do to stop me from going into Validation, and silencing my doubters, including yourself.
There is nothing you can do to save your reign as LAW champion.
Nothing.
You can only watch it happen and hope that it isn't as painful as I'm making it out to be.
Hope in vain.
As I become the new LAW champion.
A sullen figure sat cross legged on a mattress, her hair fallen over her face. Her head is lowered, until she used her hand to clear her face for a moment. Fujiko's sullen face shows no tears, but still showcases depression. She doesn't seem to place her focus on any one point, but her eye dart around- showing that she is either thinking, or mentally somewhere else. She lets her hair fall over her face again, her left index finger slowly swirling around a nasty bruise on her right thigh, courtesy of the previous week's' brutal ladder match. The very same one that cost her the Mid-Atlantic Legacy championship.
Fujiko gives up shallow breaths from her upper body, causing her shoulders to rise and fall in rhythm. She doesn't even so much as flinch when the doorknob turns, and the door opens slightly. The face of Kayden Jones, sister to Tj Jones, is the one that emerges from the other side of the door. She has a disheartened look on her face, before she looks out into the hallway and nods.
"Yeah, she's in here."
Slowly, Riley Owens walks into the room and glances Fujiko. The two had met each other into Frontier Grappling Arts; however, the two didn't have a whole lot of interaction.
A couple days prior, Kayden had expressed her concern for Fujiko to Riley. Having never stepped in the ring, or suffered the crippling blow of defeat, Kayden felt she wasn't able to fully remedy the situation. Even without talking to Fujiko, he understood how she felt. So, he booked a flight from Miami and traveled to see her...and, here we are.
Riley flashes a soft smile, doing his best to be friendly.
"Hey Fujiko, how are you doing today?"
Fujiko doesn't even bother to look up, her non-response is only to breathe. She may be looking at him through her hair, but the thick locks prevent Riley from finding out for sure. Kayden, meanwhile, splits her attention between the former FGA Pride champion, and the former FGA Mid-Atlantic Legacy champion. She seems to be moments away from saying something, but the words never take the dive off her tongue.
"Riley, I get it if you don't really want to do this..." She starts. "She's barely left this place. She won't talk to anyone. She's barely even had any food!" Kayden seems reluctant to believe the last sentence she just said. Anyone that knew Fujiko knew that her second passion was food. It was something that was almost synonymous with the woman known as "Lady Luck", being that she was always in a state of hunger. For her to fast for anything longer than necessary was an anomaly, to say the least."[/Color]
Riley reaches out grabs Kayden's hand. He caresses it a bit before turning towards her.
"No no; this is something she needs. It won't do her any good, mentally or physically to stay cooped up in this room."
He gives Kayden one last smile before letting go of her hand and walking closer to the bed. He peers down at her from the side of the bed, unsure if she's paying him any attention at all.
"Fujiko?"
Once again, she doesn't respond. "Dammit," Riley said to himself. "Well, here goes nothing I suppose." After finishing his thought, Riley extends his hand out. Gently, he takes hold of Fujiko's hair and begins to move it away from her face. He was fully aware that she could snap at him at anytime.
She moves her head slightly upwards, her long brunette locks shifting back from curtains hiding her face, to open ones framing it. She trains her eyes on Riley, but they are empty. The sight of the blank brown eyes staring into Riley's is almost too much for Kayden to bear. She turns her back on the situation, shuddering a little.
"I can't watch this, Riley. I just can't."
Kayden seems near tears as she looks up at Riley, and then makes a move towards the door.
"I'm sorry."
She moves the door open wide enough to get through, and then slips out before Riley can say anything further to her. Fujiko keeps her eyes trained on Riley Owens, her face still completely blank.
"I didn't come here to beat you down or anything; I know people in FGA are prone to do that type of shit. No, I came here to try and help you. And well, because Kayden is really concerned about you dear."
Once again, he's slapped in the face by silence. Riley lets out a small sigh before turning back placing his back against the wall.
"Fine, no need for you to talk; just...just listen ok. "
He takes a couple moments to compose his thoughts.
"You and I were in FGA at the same time; you know about everything I've done. When I defeated Jimmy Page and became the Pride Champion, I was on top of the world. Every week I kicked ass and took names; every week people talked shit, and I shut them down. I felt like no one could touch me out there.
And then that dumbass Tony Carmine appeared―and I lost that Pride title."
Riley shifts his weight a bit.
"Believe it or not love, I did the same thing you are doing now. I shut out the world, I isolated myself and tried to stay to my own thoughts. I thought I was dealing with it all...
...But all I was doing was hurting myself."
The former Pride champion lets out a small sigh.
"Fujiko, I understand what your are going through; I've felt all those same feelings. You are hurt and disappointed in yourself.
Maybe you even feel like a failure right now.
But, you aren't a failure. The truth is that Mid-Atlantic title had lost some prestige...and you restored it. You represented FGA well, and you added on to your legacy."
Riley pauses for a few seconds.
"Championships only appear for a session love; the Mid-Atlantic's session is over. Fortunately, the LAW Champion is looming on the horizon for you."
Fujiko actually takes the time to blink at something Riley said. Her eyes lose some of the vacancy they had, and it actually appears that Fujiko seems to want to say something. She studies Riley for a moment, as if she is unsure if she's going to stare him clean out of the room or attack.
But she does neither.
"You heard Noelle. I'm 'not even that good'. I wasn't a champion to be proud of. And now, by the victory, she has the ability to shape our history her way. I'm probably going to be swiftly forgotten at this point."
She says this as if it were accepted fact, rather than something that could be up for debate.
"And then, a similar action is going to happen at Validation. Oni is going to find some way to get past me, and retain the LAW championship. I am going to scratch, fight, and claw to take it away from her, but it won't be enough."
She keeps her eyes locked on Riley's as she speaks. There is a ghost of a smile when she finishes, but it doesn't linger around long enough to be notable.
"Fujko, do you know what I see when I look at you?"
She squints slightly, and opens her mouth to speak...but then snaps her mouth shut, content to just listen.
"Even now―I see a warrior.
Shitty wrestlers, they don't care if they win...or even if they lose; they just bounce away like nothing happened. But you about the win, and you care about the fight―we wouldn't be sitting here if you didn't."
Despite everything telling her to stay silent, she gives in and responds.
"All anyone is going to see when they see my reign as champion is what Noelle Smith says. She is going to tell everyone that my tactics were employed to cover up my obvious lack of talent."
She almost rolls her eyes at the mention of this. She's not sure herself if she's saying this because she believes it herself, or if she's trying to make some kind of point.
"Do you believe what she says?"
She doesn't even hesitate.
"Does it matter? Does it matter what I think? History is written by the winners. My 'side' left with Noelle Smith that night, and it was made worse by Sean Sands eliminating me."
Fujiko keeps her cold front as best she can, but her eyes glass up a little bit, as if tears were trying to slip through.
"It really doesn't matter. Will what I think give me a shot at redemption? At Validation? No. It's just going to sound like excuses. And who knows when I'll next get a chance next."
She exhales slightly.
"Once there is blood in the water..." She trails off, finally breaking her gaze on Riley.
Riley shakes his head.
" 'Who knows.' You are exactly right dear.
You've worked yourself up the LAW roster, and you've earned yourself at that shot at the belt. Who knows when you will get another opportunity at it; hell, who knows IF you will ever get another shot at it."
Riley removes himself from the wall; he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.
"If know you're upset, frustrated, etc. But, you got to focus love. You've worked hard to get to where you are now―if would be shame for you to lose this battle before it even starts."
She seems slightly agitated by that last sentence.
"I know more than people think. I know what the stakes are. I know that losing to Oni Kymiku at Validation means that I go to the back of the line, and the collapse will be complete. I will have squandered away three opportunities to make a name for myself. Three chances to hoist a title over my head and show the world how I far I have come. And there's a sense of..unnatural dread that comes with the potential of that level of failure."
Her eyes soften, and for once it seems that they are more in a conversation than rather talking at each other. She appears to actually be present, rather than just spouting empty, prepackaged thoughts.
"I should have at least left Glory Road with something. I told myself over and over again after that ladder match that it would be okay, because I was more than prepared for the gold rush rumble. I was prepared to do what I've come in this business to do: shock the world. I comforted myself with the knowledge that even though she took away my championship, that I'd get the last laugh. That was the only thing keeping me going after that nasty ladder match. And then it all fell apart."
She sighs, averting her eyes away from the former Pride champion.
"So beating Oni is something I have to do. Maybe it won't shock the world. Maybe it won't be my 'defining moment'. But I can't let this idea that I can't win big matches continue. It has to die with Oni's title reign. It needs to."
A frown tugs at the corner of her mouth.
"I've come so far. From being some lost, scared little girl left alone in Japan, to starting out in this business, and almost quitting after I left FFW. Then, being able to call myself a major champion. It would complete my dream. And well...It's all I have left."
"Well, then instead of laying here in bed; how about we get up and work towards achieving that dream? I brought my training gear."
A humorless laugh passes through her lips. She trains her eyes on the couple of bruises that dot her skin. She looks at them as if to draw Riley's attention to them. Maybe her reluctance transmitted an excuse-like vibe.
The truth was, she felt absolutely wrecked still. Between the ladder match and the battle royal, she was bruised, busted, and lucky that she escaped without anything fractured or broken.
But, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Every minute she sat in her room, replaying that nightmare over and over, Oni was doing everything she could to push Fujiko further into that nightmare.
She dreaded getting up. Her muscles and tendons were going to protest. But she'd rather have much more physical pain than mental pain. And if she didn't beat Oni...there was going to be plenty of both.
With a groan, she uncrossed her legs and slowly rose to her full height. There was a slight hitch, as she ran into protest from her muscles, but she managed to stand straight up and look at him. The silence seemed to be long enough to trigger the door, as Kayden peeked back in to see Fujiko standing up, facing Riley.
"What...what happened?"
"Just a bit of the old "Owens Charm." Care to watch us train?"
Kayden raises an eyebrow, but she can't argue much with the fact that Fujiko stands in front of her, and appears as if she has been swayed into some kind of action.
"Fujiko?"
She slowly turns her head in Kayden's direction. It's a bit unnerving, but she says nothing.
"You good to train?"
She takes a moment to respond, before she nods.
"I have to train, or I'm going to lose for sure. That line of logic is part of the "Owens" charm, I guess."
She gives Riley a weak smile, as if to let him know that the comment was meant in good nature, something out of character for her demeanor. She then turned her gaze back to Kayden.
"Are you coming?"
The question seemed like a genuine one, as if she was hopeful about Kayden coming along. Kayden turned her attention from Fujiko to her boyfriend, and nodded slightly.
"Sure, I'll text Tommy on our way down to the dojo. I'm sure he'll be pleased to know you are at least up and about for training."
Fujiko smiles weakly again, and then moves past them out the door. Kayden lingers behind to give Riley a knowing look.
"I am impressed, mister."
Riley laughs a bit.
"Sometimes an encouraging word is needed; you gave me a bunch when I was struggling."
She leans into him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah...I guess I did. But you deserved it. You're better than you give yourself credit for."
She opens the door, and steps ahead of him, as if to lead him to their next destination.
Alright, don't let her kick your butt too hard. I'm sure she's got a lot of frustration to work out."[/i][/Color]
"All will be well. Besides, I love a nice, stiff sparring session."
Kayden rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, and then put an arm around his waist as the two of them followed Fujiko from the room towards the dojo that awaited them.
Fujiko panted heavily, sweat dripping from her brow as she pushed herself up from the mat. Her muscles begged for her to stop, but she wasn't having it. She was bruised and battered, but she refused to give up. She was going to kill herself to make sure that Oni wasn't going to be the latest to embarrass her in the ring.
Riley Owens had left hours ago, but Fujiko was still going.
Kayden Jade had called it a night soon after.
Now, it was just her, and the man who started her on this journey.
"You want to stop?"
Tj asked, leaning his body in the corner and keeping his arms crossed. Fujiko turned her head towards him and slowly shook it. Tj raised his eyebrow, and then shrugged.
"If you say so, Fujiko."
Fujiko pushed herself up to a knee, and then grimaced as Tj grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up.
"Are you su--"
Fujiko cut him off, slamming her forehead into Tj's face. He staggered back, stunned. She did her best to balance, but fatigue made it difficult. She swayed, but then straightened herself. Tj seethed, checking his nose to make sure it wasn't broken. Satisfied, he charged her with a clothesline. She ducked it, and Tj let his momentum carry him into the ropes. She turned to face him, but he was there quicker than she anticipated and could barely block before she fell victim to a shotgun dropkick that sent her flying back towards the ropes. Teige got back up to his feet, and stared down at her.
"Fujiko, you have to stop."
She propped herself up on her knees, a dazed look in her eyes.
"Seriously, we have to. Otherwise you aren't going to be able to compete on Sunday. This hasn't been fair. You were already running on empty thanks to your training session with Riley earlier. So that's it, I'm done. And so are you. Your match is only two days away."
Fujiko shook her head, and stood up slowly. She wasn't ready to give up. And Tj admired that, but he wasn't about to push her any further. He was about to get out of the ring when he suddenly felt a tug on his arm. Fujiko had rushed over to his side of the ring and pulled him back in. He was surprised, and so off balance. She whipped him into the opposite ropes, and then ran after him, he bounced into them off instinct, but then ducked just in time to miss the Lucky Shot. She stumbled right into the ropes, and got caught by Tj from behind. He lifted, and then spun her so that she was upside down. He could have dropped her on her head with his finishing move known as the Renaissance, but he didn't. He held her there, her back resting somewhat uncomfortably on his shoulders. She began to kick, trying to escape being dropped, but she didn't have the strength to overpower him.
"I'm not going to. We are done."
Teige carefully turned her over and let her down on her feet. Her heavy breathing let Tj know that he still 'had it'. She was worried that she was going to get dropped with his devastating finishing maneuver. He let her sit there in silence for a few moments before giving her a reassuring smile.
"Fuji-cakes, over-pushing yourself is almost as bad, if not potentially worse than being too lax in a match. You are putting far too much pressure on yourself to succeed. In reality, Riley was right. You are a warrior, and you have what it takes to be able to go to Seattle and become the new Ladies All-Star Wrestling champion. That's you. Let Oni sweat it out and over prepare. You may have to beat her, which gives her the champion's advantage, but she is the one that has to prove that she is the dominant champion that she claims."
Fujiko slows her breathing in an attempt to slow her heart, and gives Tj a quizzical look.
"I have just as much to prove as her, remember? I haven't exactly been stellar in big matches myself. In fact, I've been terrible, more or less."
Tj offered up a smirk, one that confused Fujiko initially. She learned, however, to hear him out before letting her emotions decide what he meant.
"Maybe true, but she has to prove that she can hold on to that championship. Fujiko, the past couple of LAW champions have been less than stellar. The Doc? she was supposed to be this absolutely amazing champion. She had a similar run to Oni. She upset Kate Steele, and then...her momentum stalled. She seemingly fell off the face of the earth. She wasn't the same after she won it, and was easy pickings for Evie Taylor. She won the championship, and was supposed to be the great LAW champion to be the face of the company. Until she was unfortunately injured. Who knows if she'll ever return to wrestling here. So she had to vacate the title, and that's where we get to Oni."
Teige pauses, his smile fading. He approaches her slowly, keeping eye contact with her.
"Maybe it's cliche, but you have more or less been the face of Ladies All-Star Wrestling since your match with Kate Steele. Plenty could argue that if not for them leaving you out of the tournament, you would be the LAW champion right now. You'd likely be defending that championship rather than trying to win it. But that changes you will get the opportunity to truly be the face of Ladies All-Star Wrestling. Your little 'curse' will be over, and you will show everyone what we already knew: That you are the best in LAW, and you have what it takes to break the curse and be the best champion they have on top of that."
He leans back a little bit, restoring a little bit of space between the two of them.
"But..." He gives her a serious look. "Only if you believe in yourself. Only if you believe everything Riley said, and everything Kayden has said...and everything that I have told you. I can call you the greatest wrestler in the world today, but if you want it to happen..."
He taps her lightly on the temple.
"It has to start with you, and it starts right up here. So if you start doubting yourself, even for a moment...you're giving Oni the tools she needs to beat you. If you want this badly enough, you'll give her no quarter, and come out on the other side with the prize you want."
Fujiko nods in understanding. She hadn't given that line of logic a try, and it made quite a bit of sense. She smiled a genuine smile, something that hadn't seen her face since the previous Saturday, when she started this journey.
"You're right. I know I can do this. Oni is going to be the toughest challenge yet, just like I'm going to be her toughest test..but she isn't leaving Seattle as the LAW champion. She is going to have the fight of her life on her hands, but it won't end the way she wants it to."
Tj gave her his classic smirk. She kept her smile as she saw it. She hoped that one day she could be like him. He was almost always calm, no matter the circumstance. He seemingly had a plan for whatever was thrown his way. From her running away six years ago, to dealing with Arkia's health issues, to the sojourn to India to find her mother. He was somehow in the center of it all, and she couldn't remember seeing him sweat it. Frankly, it amazed her.
"I never doubted you. Don't worry about what happened last weekend. Don't worry about what happened prior to Sunday."
"None of it matters. All that does is pinning her, or making her submit."
Tj placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. He then strode over to the ring ropes, and then pulled them down. Fujiko looked him in the eye, and then exited the ring. She let any doubts evaporate on the spot.
Beating Oni was already going to be difficult. She wasn't about to make it even harder.
"Teigh-jay?"
Teige looked over at Fujiko, who was just reaching the floor. She looked up and smiled again.
"Thank you. I don't think I'd be able to do this without you."
Teige bowed in her direction.
"Hey, I just gave you to the tools. What you do with them, ultimately is up to you."
She took in his words, and then turned away to head back home. She wasn't going to go back to the room she'd had in Tj's house. She was going to go to spend time in her condo, and in her own bed to get sleep before she headed out to Seattle.
He'd given her to the tools...
...tools she would use to become champion.
How.
I have to face the facts. I am no longer a champion. Perhaps this is a sign. Maybe this was the wake-up call that I needed. Maybe this is my last chance to realize that I can't blow this opportunity.
Oni Kymiku...
I bet you smell blood in the water. You see that if there wasn't weakness before, that there is now.
The weakness there should worry me. I don't think I've ever felt farther away from my goals than ever, but somehow...
I'm at peace with it.
I am not a perfect wrestler. I still have plenty of learn. I will have failures, and I will have triumphs.
I know you want to follow in Noelle Smith's footsteps and send my career further into a tailspin.
Not just because you want to be the one to say that you stopped my run through LAW cold.
But because you don't want to be where I am right now.
I should still be on top of the world still. I should be...no, I should be even farther than that.
But someone always seems to stand in my way.
You know what, Oni?
I'm so sick of being hindered. I'm sick of people like you standing in my way. I'm so incredibly sick of being overlooked.
People like you, Oni...will say out of one side of your mouth that you respect me, and in the other you insult me. At least someone ignorant like Skye Sparks will make up some bullcrap about me sleeping my way to the top to justify her insane jealousy and lack of common sense.
But you, Oni.
I'm almost more insulted by you. I'm sick of hearing backhanded compliments that people like you are so eager to give out. I'm done with listening to your brand of nonsense.
Don't confuse respect for weakness. Because I will tell you right this second, that just because I respect you, doesn't mean that I am not going to absolutely take it to you in my bid to gain what you have been carrying around.
I won't kid you or myself, clearly, you are the LAW champion for a reason. More than just because you managed to win a tournament. More than just because LAW seems to believe in only defending championships at major events. But because you are worthy of it. You have the characteristics of a true champion. So it's no surprise to someone with some common freaking sense to see that it was more than just a lucky break that netted you the LAW championship.
So naturally, you will find out that I am not just in this match because Bliss Fischer likes to indulge in her gambling addiction by putting her wrestlers up against random odds.
Whether or not she believes I can beat you doesn't matter. Whether or not anyone else believes I can do beat you doesn't matter.
All that matters is that I am being given the opportunity to achieve my ultimate dream.
The chance to call myself the official best here in LAW.
And I am going to do it, make no mistake.
I am going to do whatever I have to do to make sure that you feel the pain I just went through. Not because I have any ill-will towards you, Oni...but because I can't go on feeling this way myself.
It's almost unbearable, this feeling of loss. To know I had it, and that it is gone now.
I need you to give that to you. I need for you to feel it, and carry it away.
That way, I can keep my focus firmly on what is important to me: showing everyone what a force I truly am.
So with all due respect, I am going to expose you as a failure. I am going to have everyone see that you are just like the Pink Ladies to me: an obstacle that I have to overcome.
The biggest one of my career? No doubt. In fact, there is more pressure for me to beat you than there is for you to beat me. You could easily lose this match and still leave as the champion. I have to pin you, or make you submit. I'm capable of either, as you will find out in a few short days.
But I can, and I will. I will validate myself, and prove people like you wrong. I will show the world how desperate, how dangerous, and how talented I am. You have the unfortunate fate of coming out on the losing end in Seattle, you just don't know it yet.
Losing the gold rush rumble and my title could have been the worst thing for you, Oni. Because now I have so much more to prove, and I have all the frustration in the world to work out. All the extra motivation to put you down for a three count with a lucky shot and make your championship reign a thing of the past.
You may be motivated, but not like how I am. Not even close. You don't have to believe me on that, though. I will prove it to you on Sunday.
So I'll spare you the comments about being lucky, or cashing in chips, or any of that.
I'm taking this more serious than any match I've ever had in my entire life. It's the biggest one to date. So simply?
There is nothing you can do to stop me from taking what I need to survive. There is nothing you can do to stop me from going into Validation, and silencing my doubters, including yourself.
There is nothing you can do to save your reign as LAW champion.
Nothing.
You can only watch it happen and hope that it isn't as painful as I'm making it out to be.
Hope in vain.
As I become the new LAW champion.
A sullen figure sat cross legged on a mattress, her hair fallen over her face. Her head is lowered, until she used her hand to clear her face for a moment. Fujiko's sullen face shows no tears, but still showcases depression. She doesn't seem to place her focus on any one point, but her eye dart around- showing that she is either thinking, or mentally somewhere else. She lets her hair fall over her face again, her left index finger slowly swirling around a nasty bruise on her right thigh, courtesy of the previous week's' brutal ladder match. The very same one that cost her the Mid-Atlantic Legacy championship.
Fujiko gives up shallow breaths from her upper body, causing her shoulders to rise and fall in rhythm. She doesn't even so much as flinch when the doorknob turns, and the door opens slightly. The face of Kayden Jones, sister to Tj Jones, is the one that emerges from the other side of the door. She has a disheartened look on her face, before she looks out into the hallway and nods.
"Yeah, she's in here."
Slowly, Riley Owens walks into the room and glances Fujiko. The two had met each other into Frontier Grappling Arts; however, the two didn't have a whole lot of interaction.
A couple days prior, Kayden had expressed her concern for Fujiko to Riley. Having never stepped in the ring, or suffered the crippling blow of defeat, Kayden felt she wasn't able to fully remedy the situation. Even without talking to Fujiko, he understood how she felt. So, he booked a flight from Miami and traveled to see her...and, here we are.
Riley flashes a soft smile, doing his best to be friendly.
"Hey Fujiko, how are you doing today?"
Fujiko doesn't even bother to look up, her non-response is only to breathe. She may be looking at him through her hair, but the thick locks prevent Riley from finding out for sure. Kayden, meanwhile, splits her attention between the former FGA Pride champion, and the former FGA Mid-Atlantic Legacy champion. She seems to be moments away from saying something, but the words never take the dive off her tongue.
"Riley, I get it if you don't really want to do this..." She starts. "She's barely left this place. She won't talk to anyone. She's barely even had any food!" Kayden seems reluctant to believe the last sentence she just said. Anyone that knew Fujiko knew that her second passion was food. It was something that was almost synonymous with the woman known as "Lady Luck", being that she was always in a state of hunger. For her to fast for anything longer than necessary was an anomaly, to say the least."[/Color]
Riley reaches out grabs Kayden's hand. He caresses it a bit before turning towards her.
"No no; this is something she needs. It won't do her any good, mentally or physically to stay cooped up in this room."
He gives Kayden one last smile before letting go of her hand and walking closer to the bed. He peers down at her from the side of the bed, unsure if she's paying him any attention at all.
"Fujiko?"
Once again, she doesn't respond. "Dammit," Riley said to himself. "Well, here goes nothing I suppose." After finishing his thought, Riley extends his hand out. Gently, he takes hold of Fujiko's hair and begins to move it away from her face. He was fully aware that she could snap at him at anytime.
She moves her head slightly upwards, her long brunette locks shifting back from curtains hiding her face, to open ones framing it. She trains her eyes on Riley, but they are empty. The sight of the blank brown eyes staring into Riley's is almost too much for Kayden to bear. She turns her back on the situation, shuddering a little.
"I can't watch this, Riley. I just can't."
Kayden seems near tears as she looks up at Riley, and then makes a move towards the door.
"I'm sorry."
She moves the door open wide enough to get through, and then slips out before Riley can say anything further to her. Fujiko keeps her eyes trained on Riley Owens, her face still completely blank.
"I didn't come here to beat you down or anything; I know people in FGA are prone to do that type of shit. No, I came here to try and help you. And well, because Kayden is really concerned about you dear."
Once again, he's slapped in the face by silence. Riley lets out a small sigh before turning back placing his back against the wall.
"Fine, no need for you to talk; just...just listen ok. "
He takes a couple moments to compose his thoughts.
"You and I were in FGA at the same time; you know about everything I've done. When I defeated Jimmy Page and became the Pride Champion, I was on top of the world. Every week I kicked ass and took names; every week people talked shit, and I shut them down. I felt like no one could touch me out there.
And then that dumbass Tony Carmine appeared―and I lost that Pride title."
Riley shifts his weight a bit.
"Believe it or not love, I did the same thing you are doing now. I shut out the world, I isolated myself and tried to stay to my own thoughts. I thought I was dealing with it all...
...But all I was doing was hurting myself."
The former Pride champion lets out a small sigh.
"Fujiko, I understand what your are going through; I've felt all those same feelings. You are hurt and disappointed in yourself.
Maybe you even feel like a failure right now.
But, you aren't a failure. The truth is that Mid-Atlantic title had lost some prestige...and you restored it. You represented FGA well, and you added on to your legacy."
Riley pauses for a few seconds.
"Championships only appear for a session love; the Mid-Atlantic's session is over. Fortunately, the LAW Champion is looming on the horizon for you."
Fujiko actually takes the time to blink at something Riley said. Her eyes lose some of the vacancy they had, and it actually appears that Fujiko seems to want to say something. She studies Riley for a moment, as if she is unsure if she's going to stare him clean out of the room or attack.
But she does neither.
"You heard Noelle. I'm 'not even that good'. I wasn't a champion to be proud of. And now, by the victory, she has the ability to shape our history her way. I'm probably going to be swiftly forgotten at this point."
She says this as if it were accepted fact, rather than something that could be up for debate.
"And then, a similar action is going to happen at Validation. Oni is going to find some way to get past me, and retain the LAW championship. I am going to scratch, fight, and claw to take it away from her, but it won't be enough."
She keeps her eyes locked on Riley's as she speaks. There is a ghost of a smile when she finishes, but it doesn't linger around long enough to be notable.
"Fujko, do you know what I see when I look at you?"
She squints slightly, and opens her mouth to speak...but then snaps her mouth shut, content to just listen.
"Even now―I see a warrior.
Shitty wrestlers, they don't care if they win...or even if they lose; they just bounce away like nothing happened. But you about the win, and you care about the fight―we wouldn't be sitting here if you didn't."
Despite everything telling her to stay silent, she gives in and responds.
"All anyone is going to see when they see my reign as champion is what Noelle Smith says. She is going to tell everyone that my tactics were employed to cover up my obvious lack of talent."
She almost rolls her eyes at the mention of this. She's not sure herself if she's saying this because she believes it herself, or if she's trying to make some kind of point.
"Do you believe what she says?"
She doesn't even hesitate.
"Does it matter? Does it matter what I think? History is written by the winners. My 'side' left with Noelle Smith that night, and it was made worse by Sean Sands eliminating me."
Fujiko keeps her cold front as best she can, but her eyes glass up a little bit, as if tears were trying to slip through.
"It really doesn't matter. Will what I think give me a shot at redemption? At Validation? No. It's just going to sound like excuses. And who knows when I'll next get a chance next."
She exhales slightly.
"Once there is blood in the water..." She trails off, finally breaking her gaze on Riley.
Riley shakes his head.
" 'Who knows.' You are exactly right dear.
You've worked yourself up the LAW roster, and you've earned yourself at that shot at the belt. Who knows when you will get another opportunity at it; hell, who knows IF you will ever get another shot at it."
Riley removes himself from the wall; he takes a seat on the edge of the bed.
"If know you're upset, frustrated, etc. But, you got to focus love. You've worked hard to get to where you are now―if would be shame for you to lose this battle before it even starts."
She seems slightly agitated by that last sentence.
"I know more than people think. I know what the stakes are. I know that losing to Oni Kymiku at Validation means that I go to the back of the line, and the collapse will be complete. I will have squandered away three opportunities to make a name for myself. Three chances to hoist a title over my head and show the world how I far I have come. And there's a sense of..unnatural dread that comes with the potential of that level of failure."
Her eyes soften, and for once it seems that they are more in a conversation than rather talking at each other. She appears to actually be present, rather than just spouting empty, prepackaged thoughts.
"I should have at least left Glory Road with something. I told myself over and over again after that ladder match that it would be okay, because I was more than prepared for the gold rush rumble. I was prepared to do what I've come in this business to do: shock the world. I comforted myself with the knowledge that even though she took away my championship, that I'd get the last laugh. That was the only thing keeping me going after that nasty ladder match. And then it all fell apart."
She sighs, averting her eyes away from the former Pride champion.
"So beating Oni is something I have to do. Maybe it won't shock the world. Maybe it won't be my 'defining moment'. But I can't let this idea that I can't win big matches continue. It has to die with Oni's title reign. It needs to."
A frown tugs at the corner of her mouth.
"I've come so far. From being some lost, scared little girl left alone in Japan, to starting out in this business, and almost quitting after I left FFW. Then, being able to call myself a major champion. It would complete my dream. And well...It's all I have left."
"Well, then instead of laying here in bed; how about we get up and work towards achieving that dream? I brought my training gear."
A humorless laugh passes through her lips. She trains her eyes on the couple of bruises that dot her skin. She looks at them as if to draw Riley's attention to them. Maybe her reluctance transmitted an excuse-like vibe.
The truth was, she felt absolutely wrecked still. Between the ladder match and the battle royal, she was bruised, busted, and lucky that she escaped without anything fractured or broken.
But, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Every minute she sat in her room, replaying that nightmare over and over, Oni was doing everything she could to push Fujiko further into that nightmare.
She dreaded getting up. Her muscles and tendons were going to protest. But she'd rather have much more physical pain than mental pain. And if she didn't beat Oni...there was going to be plenty of both.
With a groan, she uncrossed her legs and slowly rose to her full height. There was a slight hitch, as she ran into protest from her muscles, but she managed to stand straight up and look at him. The silence seemed to be long enough to trigger the door, as Kayden peeked back in to see Fujiko standing up, facing Riley.
"What...what happened?"
"Just a bit of the old "Owens Charm." Care to watch us train?"
Kayden raises an eyebrow, but she can't argue much with the fact that Fujiko stands in front of her, and appears as if she has been swayed into some kind of action.
"Fujiko?"
She slowly turns her head in Kayden's direction. It's a bit unnerving, but she says nothing.
"You good to train?"
She takes a moment to respond, before she nods.
"I have to train, or I'm going to lose for sure. That line of logic is part of the "Owens" charm, I guess."
She gives Riley a weak smile, as if to let him know that the comment was meant in good nature, something out of character for her demeanor. She then turned her gaze back to Kayden.
"Are you coming?"
The question seemed like a genuine one, as if she was hopeful about Kayden coming along. Kayden turned her attention from Fujiko to her boyfriend, and nodded slightly.
"Sure, I'll text Tommy on our way down to the dojo. I'm sure he'll be pleased to know you are at least up and about for training."
Fujiko smiles weakly again, and then moves past them out the door. Kayden lingers behind to give Riley a knowing look.
"I am impressed, mister."
Riley laughs a bit.
"Sometimes an encouraging word is needed; you gave me a bunch when I was struggling."
She leans into him and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah...I guess I did. But you deserved it. You're better than you give yourself credit for."
She opens the door, and steps ahead of him, as if to lead him to their next destination.
Alright, don't let her kick your butt too hard. I'm sure she's got a lot of frustration to work out."[/i][/Color]
"All will be well. Besides, I love a nice, stiff sparring session."
Kayden rolled her eyes at her boyfriend, and then put an arm around his waist as the two of them followed Fujiko from the room towards the dojo that awaited them.
Fujiko panted heavily, sweat dripping from her brow as she pushed herself up from the mat. Her muscles begged for her to stop, but she wasn't having it. She was bruised and battered, but she refused to give up. She was going to kill herself to make sure that Oni wasn't going to be the latest to embarrass her in the ring.
Riley Owens had left hours ago, but Fujiko was still going.
Kayden Jade had called it a night soon after.
Now, it was just her, and the man who started her on this journey.
"You want to stop?"
Tj asked, leaning his body in the corner and keeping his arms crossed. Fujiko turned her head towards him and slowly shook it. Tj raised his eyebrow, and then shrugged.
"If you say so, Fujiko."
Fujiko pushed herself up to a knee, and then grimaced as Tj grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up.
"Are you su--"
Fujiko cut him off, slamming her forehead into Tj's face. He staggered back, stunned. She did her best to balance, but fatigue made it difficult. She swayed, but then straightened herself. Tj seethed, checking his nose to make sure it wasn't broken. Satisfied, he charged her with a clothesline. She ducked it, and Tj let his momentum carry him into the ropes. She turned to face him, but he was there quicker than she anticipated and could barely block before she fell victim to a shotgun dropkick that sent her flying back towards the ropes. Teige got back up to his feet, and stared down at her.
"Fujiko, you have to stop."
She propped herself up on her knees, a dazed look in her eyes.
"Seriously, we have to. Otherwise you aren't going to be able to compete on Sunday. This hasn't been fair. You were already running on empty thanks to your training session with Riley earlier. So that's it, I'm done. And so are you. Your match is only two days away."
Fujiko shook her head, and stood up slowly. She wasn't ready to give up. And Tj admired that, but he wasn't about to push her any further. He was about to get out of the ring when he suddenly felt a tug on his arm. Fujiko had rushed over to his side of the ring and pulled him back in. He was surprised, and so off balance. She whipped him into the opposite ropes, and then ran after him, he bounced into them off instinct, but then ducked just in time to miss the Lucky Shot. She stumbled right into the ropes, and got caught by Tj from behind. He lifted, and then spun her so that she was upside down. He could have dropped her on her head with his finishing move known as the Renaissance, but he didn't. He held her there, her back resting somewhat uncomfortably on his shoulders. She began to kick, trying to escape being dropped, but she didn't have the strength to overpower him.
"I'm not going to. We are done."
Teige carefully turned her over and let her down on her feet. Her heavy breathing let Tj know that he still 'had it'. She was worried that she was going to get dropped with his devastating finishing maneuver. He let her sit there in silence for a few moments before giving her a reassuring smile.
"Fuji-cakes, over-pushing yourself is almost as bad, if not potentially worse than being too lax in a match. You are putting far too much pressure on yourself to succeed. In reality, Riley was right. You are a warrior, and you have what it takes to be able to go to Seattle and become the new Ladies All-Star Wrestling champion. That's you. Let Oni sweat it out and over prepare. You may have to beat her, which gives her the champion's advantage, but she is the one that has to prove that she is the dominant champion that she claims."
Fujiko slows her breathing in an attempt to slow her heart, and gives Tj a quizzical look.
"I have just as much to prove as her, remember? I haven't exactly been stellar in big matches myself. In fact, I've been terrible, more or less."
Tj offered up a smirk, one that confused Fujiko initially. She learned, however, to hear him out before letting her emotions decide what he meant.
"Maybe true, but she has to prove that she can hold on to that championship. Fujiko, the past couple of LAW champions have been less than stellar. The Doc? she was supposed to be this absolutely amazing champion. She had a similar run to Oni. She upset Kate Steele, and then...her momentum stalled. She seemingly fell off the face of the earth. She wasn't the same after she won it, and was easy pickings for Evie Taylor. She won the championship, and was supposed to be the great LAW champion to be the face of the company. Until she was unfortunately injured. Who knows if she'll ever return to wrestling here. So she had to vacate the title, and that's where we get to Oni."
Teige pauses, his smile fading. He approaches her slowly, keeping eye contact with her.
"Maybe it's cliche, but you have more or less been the face of Ladies All-Star Wrestling since your match with Kate Steele. Plenty could argue that if not for them leaving you out of the tournament, you would be the LAW champion right now. You'd likely be defending that championship rather than trying to win it. But that changes you will get the opportunity to truly be the face of Ladies All-Star Wrestling. Your little 'curse' will be over, and you will show everyone what we already knew: That you are the best in LAW, and you have what it takes to break the curse and be the best champion they have on top of that."
He leans back a little bit, restoring a little bit of space between the two of them.
"But..." He gives her a serious look. "Only if you believe in yourself. Only if you believe everything Riley said, and everything Kayden has said...and everything that I have told you. I can call you the greatest wrestler in the world today, but if you want it to happen..."
He taps her lightly on the temple.
"It has to start with you, and it starts right up here. So if you start doubting yourself, even for a moment...you're giving Oni the tools she needs to beat you. If you want this badly enough, you'll give her no quarter, and come out on the other side with the prize you want."
Fujiko nods in understanding. She hadn't given that line of logic a try, and it made quite a bit of sense. She smiled a genuine smile, something that hadn't seen her face since the previous Saturday, when she started this journey.
"You're right. I know I can do this. Oni is going to be the toughest challenge yet, just like I'm going to be her toughest test..but she isn't leaving Seattle as the LAW champion. She is going to have the fight of her life on her hands, but it won't end the way she wants it to."
Tj gave her his classic smirk. She kept her smile as she saw it. She hoped that one day she could be like him. He was almost always calm, no matter the circumstance. He seemingly had a plan for whatever was thrown his way. From her running away six years ago, to dealing with Arkia's health issues, to the sojourn to India to find her mother. He was somehow in the center of it all, and she couldn't remember seeing him sweat it. Frankly, it amazed her.
"I never doubted you. Don't worry about what happened last weekend. Don't worry about what happened prior to Sunday."
"None of it matters. All that does is pinning her, or making her submit."
Tj placed a hand on her shoulder and rubbed it. He then strode over to the ring ropes, and then pulled them down. Fujiko looked him in the eye, and then exited the ring. She let any doubts evaporate on the spot.
Beating Oni was already going to be difficult. She wasn't about to make it even harder.
"Teigh-jay?"
Teige looked over at Fujiko, who was just reaching the floor. She looked up and smiled again.
"Thank you. I don't think I'd be able to do this without you."
Teige bowed in her direction.
"Hey, I just gave you to the tools. What you do with them, ultimately is up to you."
She took in his words, and then turned away to head back home. She wasn't going to go back to the room she'd had in Tj's house. She was going to go to spend time in her condo, and in her own bed to get sleep before she headed out to Seattle.
He'd given her to the tools...
...tools she would use to become champion.