Post by Ishikawa Rini on Aug 26, 2024 5:07:24 GMT
“Find them.”
She was dreaming again. This time Rini knew it. It was becoming all too often that she dreamed of the palace on the Moon, and the figure at the top of the stairs in a feathered cloak, and she could never wake herself until the dream released her.
This was different now. She could hear a voice, soft but echoing through the seemingly deserted castle grounds.
“Find who?” she asked, then winced. Still everything she did seemed too loud for this place.
“Find them…”
Rini woke with a start, then glanced worriedly at her bedmate. Nat had not woken at her sudden movement. Gingerly, Rini lay back against the pillows, and Nat moved closer, wrapping her arms around Rini.
Rini smiled, and let her friend’s breathing lull her back to sleep.
“With great power, comes great responsibility…”
“I am sure these words are being recognized. But I do not speak of the power that Parker-san was given… I speak of the power that comes from wearing a title. How would any of us use such a power?”
“Machado-san… You know this power. You have held it before as the Women’s World Champion… What did you truly do with it? You had it for less than three months and did not defend it during that time. You have spoken of softness and a lack of drive. If you held this new title, how long would you fight to keep it? Or would you lose your spirit at the first sign of difficulty?”
“De Luca-san, I admire your courage and strength to admit your truth. I know something of the cost you paid for that. I believe you are a beacon to all those who share your struggles… But would you help those who do not share them? Would you understand that their difficulty is just as valid as your own? Or does your heart falter then?
“I want to believe that you would understand… That you are not competing just for those like you, but for any who feel they do not belong, that do not fit. I believe you are my most worthy opponent at Legacy.”
“Itami, you would use your power only to spread pain and hate… This I cannot allow. You would use the title as a weapon, as a means to feed the demon inside you. I swear by the Moon that, if I do nothing else, I will not see this power handed to you, Akuma-san!”
“The Gladiatrix title is one that is so new that it must be what we make it… It must be the title that all women beginning their journey with Imperial aspire to be, to eventually surpass. It cannot be the end of ambitions. It is not for me. Some day, I intend to join Maasu and Uranusu in being true beacons of not just the women’s division, but of Joshi everywhere.”
“This is but the first step of the journey. The proof of if I am worthy of that goal is not if I win the title, but if I can hold my head up at the end of it and say that I did my best. And so, in the name of the Moon, may the best woman win.”
Well howdy there pardner.