Its been two weeks since the overdose. Kagura still didnt like to talk about it. It had been an accident. WZCWs resident doctor, William Jacobs, had been monitoring her closely ever since her return at Lethal Lottery. She had been out on injury after tearing her ACL shortly after Unscripted last year. After a speedy recovery, she had aggravated the injury on the road to Kingdom Come. Next, she suffered a concussion at the hands of Andrew Adonis during a televised match. These injuries, combined with the rigorous travel schedule and the stress of having to keep her body in top physical condition, lead to her abusing the painkillers that she had been prescribed. She wasnt used to managing pain. Having to work through it, combined with a recent bout of depression caused by the nightmare of everything she had to endure the last few weeks had caused her to slip. What she didnt understand was how Derrick could tear the page in the book, when it proved to be indestructible in the past. When she woke in the hospital, that had been the only thing on her mind
Chicago, Il.
Rush University Medical Center: Emergency room
Two weeks ago
Kagura sat up in her bed, starring as Derrick dropped the torn remains of the page that had once held her prisoner. That ritual that had caused her so much grief over the last few months
was she finally free? Was the nightmare finally over?
"What was the last thing you remember Kagura? he asked.
She pondered for a moment, trying to recall the events of that night.
It had been late. Very late. I had taken the book and gone outside, where I collapsed. I felt her presence, Derrick. That onryo; she tried to drag me to Hell. I only remembered that cold embrace as she wrapped her arms around me.
He nodded. Slowly, before speaking.
After speaking with that historian, Yamika-san, a few weeks ago regarding the issue surrounding the curse, I had a hard time trying to make sense of it. And to be honest I still dont. I have never been a believer in the paranormal. I am a man of science and logic. But even then, I could sense something powerful around us. Constantly. I felt it when we went to see Sasuke at the hospital in St. Louis. I think its because of my feelings for you, and the fact that I care about you, that I was finally able to sense the same things that you do. Or maybe it was a figment of my imagination. I am still not sure.
Kagura smiled. The past few weeks she had come to see Derrick in a new light. If you had asked her a year ago about her feelings for him, she would have said that he was an emotional fuck for her. Something to relieve her sexual frustration and vent her stress for a short while. When her obsession turned to battling Ramparte out of an act of self-preservation, she told herself that she no longer needed Derrick. She had found a new way to relieve stress. Destruction. Chaos. Violence. The cold grip of the demon had taken over her.
But after her battle with Ramparte had ended, she began to feel empty inside. Thats when she began to long for his warmth once again. She had been the one that had sought him out. He didnt come crawling back to her like a dog with his tail between his legs.
Derrick, why did you take me back, after I broke up with you?
Her question hung in the air for a few moments, as he raised his eyebrows in surprise. Where had this come from? The answer was easy.
Its because I love you Kagura.
Even though she smiled, she couldnt bring herself to look at him. She felt ashamed. Like she had used him as some kind of emotional stress ball. His feelings for her had been genuine, and those positive emotions had created a warmth that she had come to crave. That was the reason why she had begged him to take her back. Because she came to realize that she loved him too.
"I-I see
The two sat in silence for a moment. The tension began to build. It was soon so dense that it was becoming suffocating. Kagura refused to meet his gaze. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment.
I recall something that Yamika-san had told me about the curse. Whether one believed that the onryo was real, bad luck always followed the one believed to have the curse, and youve had a long string of that. You changed. And for a while I told myself it was the curse that was responsible. But I was there when you performed that ritual on Sasuke. I saw what happened to him afterwards. I became frightened. I didnt want you to perform the ritual on me. I didnt want the same thing to happen to me. And when you ended our relationship, I felt disappointed. I felt that I had nothing to offer you. But that wasnt true, was it?
Kagura nodded.
When you contacted me, I almost didnt answer. It took some time, but I realized that no matter how cold your heart became, you still craved that warmth that we shared. I took a gamble on my own feelings, because I still saw that innocent and humble girl that you still were when we first met. That was the Kagura that I fell in love with. I began to understand why you performed that ritual on Sasuke. It was selfish, but you were chasing a dream. I cant say that I wouldnt have done the same thing if I were in your shoes. After seeing how horrified you became after realizing what you did, I came to understand that your intentions were pure.
Kagura shook her head,
I never would have done it if I knew this would happen. I hope you know that.
He nodded,
I do
Thats why I that night I did the one thing that I should have done a long time ago. I tore that page and ripped it apart. I didnt want to fight your battle for you. I know you have your pride, but I couldnt stand it any longer. You almost died, Kagura. I almost lost you. Again. I wouldnt be able to live with myself anymore. Youre a strong person. Stronger than I am. But like everyone you have limits, and you passed them a long time ago. I saw how crushed you were when you saw Sasuke lying in that hospital bed. And a part of me became desperate to save you. Im not sure if this is over or not. But Ill always be with you. No matter what.
Kagura wiped tears from her eyes. His words were beautiful. She felt so undeserving of a man like him.
Yamika-san mentioned one other thing; that the only thing that could defeat the curse was love. And she asked me if I loved you, and I said yes. Love was the reason why that demon fell into Hell in the first place. Its a powerful emotion that transcends time and space. Its something that science and logic cannot make sense of. And even though I am a skeptic, love made me believe in your struggle, because I wanted that kind girl to return to me.
Kagura chuckled. Her grandfather had mentioned something similar when they had gone to Japan. Even though she hadnt quite understood what he had meant at the time, he must have known that Derricks love had the power to break the curse. He had given her his approval and his blessing in the process. Derrick was a fine man.
----
The feeling of shame following her loss at Apocalypse had not gone away. The fans animosity towards her had waned. Her failure had caught their ire simply because they hated Titus that much and wanted to see him lose, and when he didnt they had exploded. Even so, her performance had earned her their sympathy and support. Her turn had been genuine. She no longer was the same person. Kagura Joheki was gone. Her icy and cold heart had melted. She had even managed to mend fences with past adversaries. She had even sent Ramparte a yellow rose to bury the hatchet once and for all. But now she had to rebuild her momentum. Gold Rush hadnt appealed to her going into Apocalypse, but now she was knee deep into the tournament, knocking off one of the favorites in Mark Keaton in the first round. She had to find her resolve. She was still chasing a dream
Atlanta, GA
Philips Arena training facility
Hours before Meltdown
Her next match had led her 700 miles to the south. She and Derrick had opted to drive this time. Renting a car, they drove along I-65, taking in the lush rolling hills of the American south. They had stopped in Nashville to enjoy some rich food and some live country music, before continuing their journey. It was nice being able to spend some time with him. She felt happy. Content in the moment. It was the first time in weeks that she felt relaxed. She no longer felt haunted.
She had hit the gym at the arena to get in some last-minute training. Lynx was her next opponent. She had faced him before and won. But that had been different. She was red hot at the time, and was riding a ton of momentum. She had failed to win at Apocalypse. Lynx had not. And like her then, he was now riding momentum of his own. They had both managed to make it to the second round.
Lynx is a time traveler. Or so Im led to believe. But is that so far-fetched? I made a pact with a demon. I steal peoples happiness. I curse them. Or so I did. Im sure he is aware of my reputation.
She spoke between reps. The weight she was using was light, as not to burn too much energy.
Lynx is hungry for success, but so am I. Only one of us can keep going, and I would be lying to myself if I said that I didnt want to win. And while its true that I tend to struggle with my resolve, I will continue to fight until I have nothing left. And right now, Im still feeling good about my chances at that world title. Im a veteran of this company now. I have fought the very best this company has to offer me, and yet I still have so much unrealized potential. Lynx will realize that when we get into that ring tonight.
On paper, they couldnt be more different. A man of science versus a woman of faith. She laughed at the irony. Lynx reminded her a lot of Derrick. No doubt he would be fascinated by his time machine; if it existed.
Its funny. A month ago I would have been desperate to meet a man like Lynx. A time traveler? I would have begged him to take me into the past so that I could undo my mistakes. I never would have cursed Ramparte. I never would have performed the ritual on Sasuke. Maybe I never would have picked up that book in the first place. But at what cost? Would I have ever met Derrick? Would I have fallen in love? Would I ever become a force to be reckoned with in the company? I am the woman that I am today through the choices I made, and even though a part of me wishes that I could go back and change things, theres no point. Doesnt Lynx realize this? Messing with the past is an insult to the gods. The natural order of the world has a balance to it that cant be messed with. How arrogant do you have to be to want to mess with that? Me, Im no longer that desperate. Now I realize that theres no point in wanting to change the past, because the future has yet to be decided. Even with my clairvoyance, I cannot see a clear future, just parts of it. I cannot guarantee the future I see will come to pass any more than Lynx may wish to change what has already come to pass with his time machine. Despite this, I know one thing. At Meltdown, I will be the one with my hand raised. I will be the one moving on to the third round of the Gold Rush, while Lynx will have another thing to add to his list of events that he wishes that he could change.
