Rise (Fiona RP)

[Deleted]

FIONA'S JOURNAL
25 August 2016

G'morning, my lovelies...

There's a part of my well-being that wants to tell you all that my IWF career feels like a house with all the children gone--empty, heartbreaking, etc. Yet there's another side of me that wants to say that my IWF career has meant something more then just what goes on in front of a live camera. I look at both these factors, these elements, and point to one singular conclusion.

They're representations of how much I've changed within the course of 2016.

And now, I press forward to the next pay-per-view, looking forward to taking the IWF Shieldmaidon off of its unrightful and ungrateful holder. As I think about that, something saddens me.

I mean, it makes me frown in knowing that the very same championship that was built from the foundation up by Kayla Richards has been passed around like the proverbial hot potato until one Paige Garcia decided to take it at Destiny—at the expense of a defenceless competitor who wasn't able to fully defend herself. It's no secret that how she won that championship burns my soul even brighter enough to claim it from her the right way—with honour.

It makes my blood boilt hotter for the fact that, during her reign, she has managed to make a mockery of the very same trophy that was held by a worthy rival that I deeply respected and admired—moreso that I would love NOTHING MORE than to bring that belt back to its former splendor with dignity and grace.

Honour, dignity, grace, respect...those are things that the Garcia brand...will NEVER have in their lifetimes.

I will teach her about those things...and I WILL rise above her name.

~~

~DAY 12~

24 August 2016 – 7:00 PM
In the garage, as a spectacular sunset commences over Arlington, Texas...

....we find FIona McFly, sporting blue cutoff jeans and a torn red T-shirt that would make the fictional Star Trek "redshirt" officers gush with adulation, putting the final coat of wax on the red-white-blue paintjob of her old racing go-kart, the Mach Five. Looking on while putting petrol into the kart's 150cc-class motor is her former mentor-turned-school principal Regina Kimble, sporting khaki pants and a blue "Trump-Pence 2016" golfer's polo shirt.

It had been a week's time since the first test of the aged racing machine ended with a blown engine, but with the help of Kimble, it was--after two decades of neglect and misuse--fully restored and ready for a second start-up. The Northern Irishwoman, tossing her rag into a laundry bin, looked genuinely pleased with the work that has taken place so far as she hopped into the newly-refurbished cockpit, all eyes focused on the push-button ignition switch.

FIONA MCFLY: There—all finished!

MISS KIMBLE: Alright...and now, the acid test. Here goes nothing!

Grinning from ear to ear, Fiona pushed the red button to fire up the kart's motor, which roared to life without so much as a sputter. She warmly nodded her head, jumping for joy inside her mind upon the realization that the racing machine was back to its former glory.

Kimble politely bobbed her head up and down, watching with great pride as her former protege turned the engine off.

MISS KIMBLE: Ahh, she purred like a kitten alright!

Chuckling with enthused vigor, Fiona pulled herself out of the kart to properly thank her old racing coach.

FIONA: I can't thank you enough for all the help you provided.

MISS KIMBLE: Oh, not a biggie—after all, I'm indebted to you. If it wasn't for you...I'd still be racing cars in that little town instead of doing what I've always dreamed of doing ever since i started teaching. With that in mind...I have some news for you.

Pulling out two lawn chairs, Fiona and Kimble sat next to each other, gazing upon the sunset that ended a crystal-clear day in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The Badger alum listened intently to her mentor's voice, which had changed from her usually cheerful self to a tone that was of great concern and importance.

MISS KIMBLE: I spoke to my doctor the other day, and it turns out...according to a mammogram I had taken this past June, I've got breast cancer.

Fiona gasped, closing her eyes for a moment as she tried to come up with the right words in her mind yet to no avail. Her thoughts didn't simply drift upon her own feelings about the revelation, but on her fiancee Jack as well. After all, it was Regina Kimble who played the central figure in bringing Fiona and Jack together when they were in high school.

It pained Fiona greatly, understanding what she had heard; this prompted the former kindergarten teacher-turned-principal to gently wrap her right arm around McFly in a gentle, motherly manner.

MISS KIMBLE: There is nothing that you need to worry about sweetie-bear, okay? The doctor was able to catch it early—it's in the first stage. I won't have to attend chemotherapy but will have to undergo several rounds of treatment through the end of the year.

Fiona started to slightly tremble over the prospect of her mentor--her dearest friend--losing her job as Beckham Elementary School's headmistress...

FIONA: Wh-wh-what about...?

...only to be stopped by Kimble, who spoke to Fiona in an authoritative, yet dignified, voice.

MISS KIMBLE: I will NOT let this disease affect my position as Beckham Elementary's principal. I am a survivor now...and I want to share my story with the children I preside over so they can learn the life lessons that will help them grow and evolve as human beings. And besides...cancer is just another natural part of living. It is our choice whether to embrace it and be cherished by all...or mock it and be damned for all eternity. I will rise above it...never wavering for a moment.

Even though she had still felt hurt, deep in her own soul, by what she heard, Fiona stopped shivering as she felt Miss Kimble's hand gently massage her shoulders. She began to feel calm, knowing that everything was going to be alright, when she heard a tinny sound coming from the earbuds that were hooked into her teacher's phone.

FIONA: What's that tune you're playing on your phone?

MISS KIMBLE: This? It's Katy Perry's newest single, called "Rise"--came out during the Olympics. You should download it someday--here, have a listen to it. You might learn something...

Kimble placed one of her earbuds onto Fiona's left ear, allowing the latter to listen to the newly-released anthem that was featured prominently during the most recently Summer Olympics in Rio. The Northern Irishwoman began to sway softly in her chair, soothed by the tune's powerful lyrics and its message of hope--that people will rise beyond any and all obstacles in order to thrive in a dark, brooding world.

To Fiona, it became more than just a new "favorite" song to add to her own playlist.

It had become an anthem, implanted in the very fabric of her memory.

~~

Paige,

How does it feel to finally understand that you are, in fact, vulnerable?

Not so good now, hrmmmm?

Last week, despite the fact that I personally don't like that one movie star Latina for her ego, we went out there to that arena and did EXACTLY what we said we were going to accomplish. It felt really nice in knowing that you decided to blindside me just your precious sister laid a big, fat egg in front of the worldwide audience, and although I SHOULD be celebrating right now...I, in good conscience, can't do so because of the one thing that has always guided you since you first signed on with the Imperial world...

...you'll just smile at me, snickering with every breath whilst resorting to the stereotypical, 1960s-era camp superhero show villianous archetype of calling me names such as “beaten whore,” “bitch,” or worse.

For you've been spoiled with the game of wrestling for too long, obsessed with keeping your little empire intact by ANY MEANS NECESSARY—unfair I might add—that you aren't able to mentally comprehend the meaning of the word “defeat,” passing it off as nothing with a wink, a smile, and a cacophony of belly-laughs.

But now it's my duty to lay that concept into your fucking skull.

You've had this belief that you're superior to the other Diamonds in this division simply because you have an image to protect. You've had this notion that the other Diamonds are so very cruel and YOU are the fairest one of the lot. You've had this fallacy creep into your subconscious that you are entitled to everything around you instead of EARNING your keep like a true champion. You've had this archetype planted into your head that the other Diamonds are scared of you due in no small part to the delusion that you've had ZERO competition within recent weeks or months.

Let's take a look at your “competition” since April, shall we? Shea O'Hara? The poor lovely's lost her marbles ever since the Iron Maiden.

Crystal Millar? She's out there making PLANS for her future instead of simply being patient, taking life one step at a time.

Kate Steele? She hasn't been seen in an IWF ring ever since her concussion woes come to light.

If only you sat down and realised that I see things differently from you, you wouldn't spend so much gorram time trying to keep your personal image in check.  But you'll just laugh as per the norm with you.  But lemme just spell it out so your mind can truly understand what it feels like to be hated by ALL the Diamonds in the division--not just myself.

I see you as a soul who's so obsessed with her own brand name that you'll do anything to capitalise on somebody else's misfortune in order to make YOUR fraudulent empire look good. I see you as a simple-minded lass who only runs around IWF and does as she pleases because management doesn't want you chained to a proverbial dog leash. I see you as a black-hearted woman whose desire to protect “YOUR SPOT” in the company is so prevalent that you'll do nothing except hold back the careers of other worthy Diamonds in order to save your own set of tits from the inevitable.

Your own demise.

Did you think about how Esperanza or Avery felt before laughing at them, passing them off as if they were nothing to you? Did you even consider, ever for a fleeting moment, the fact that you desecrated a once-proud championship that Kayla Richards herself had built with her own hands? No...you just snickered as you and your lovely sister told the entire world that there wasn't any stopping the Garcia brand, not even understanding that with every action you take comes a dire consequence.

If only you knew darling...that Karma ALWAYS wins, biting you in the arse when you least expect it.

After all...it happened to you before, and it'll happen to you again.

~~

~DAY 13~

25 August 2016 – 7:30 AM
At sunrise, outside the carpark...

...we find Fiona standing next to her go-kart, peering her eyes upon the skies above as they were lit up like a small orange flame that seemed to grow brighter every second. Wearing khaki shorts and a white Dallas Cowboys T-shirt, she pulled out her own iPhone 6S and opened the iTunes store app. After forking over the meager $1.29 to download the new Katy Perry single "Rise," she placed her green pair of earbuds on her ears before taking a seat in the cockpit of the Mach Five.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Fiona sighed as she pressed the ignition button to fire up the old kart's motor. Feeling the purring sensation that the 150cc-class engine gave off, the Northern Irishwoman adjusted the earbuds, turned the volume up to a safe decibel range, and began to play the new song as she pulled out of the driveway and turned left onto Wolf Creek Drive.

"I won't just survive
Oh, you will see me thrive
Can't write my story
I'm beyond the archetype..."

As the kart slowly drove down the road, Fiona's thoughts began to center upon her mentor Miss Kimble, whose story will undoubtedly touch the lives of many throughout the world. Yet it still pained Fiona, knowing that the very diagnosis of breast cancer is one that, more often than not, robs men and women of the chance to fully enjoy their daily lives in a manner they were always accustomed to enjoying.

"I won't just conform
No matter how you shake my core
'Cause my roots—they run deep."

Yet as Fiona turned onto Wheeler Drive and placed the racing machine into its second gear, she began to smile--for she began to fully comprehend what Kimble had said to her on the previous night--that she will, in fact, be a survivor and will overcome her challenges in order to remain at her position as a school principal...and a beloved caretaker with a passion for enjoying life's fruits and, more importantly, bringing people together in the name of embracing the best parts of Humanity, peace and harmony.

"When, when the fire's at my feet again
And the vultures all start circling
They're whispering, "You're out of time,"
But still I rise."

The Badger alum paid no mind to the cars and trucks that drove around her, honking their horns at the odd sight of a little, not-so-street-legal go-kart driving on a major thoroughfaire, as she saw the expansive campus of Beckham Elementary School straight ahead. Fiona, letting the breeze blow through her hair, watched from a reasonable distance as the current crop of schoolchildren played on the school's playground, eagerly anticipating the first official day of classes; she wiped away a tear and smiled, gazing her eyes upon the figure of Regina Kimble, who stood tall above the myriad of youngsters.

"This is no mistake, no accident
When you think the final nail is in
Think again
Don't be surprised
I will still rise..."

With a warm and loving nod, Fiona drove forward, passing by the school and heading towards a local Starbucks. She glanced over for a moment, pausing to make eye contact with her former mentor--who grinned at the ex-Badger before giving a slight wave of approval. Fiona turned her head towards the road ahead and kept on driving...but not before mustering a wide smile.

For Miss Kimble had truly inspired Fiona McFly to live long and prosper, overcoming any curveball life might throw her.

And she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

~~

To me, this is MORE than simply a contest for the Shieldmaidon.

This...is about making things right in an imperfect world.

You can accuse me of wallowing in my own mediocrity all you want to, because in the end...the things you put on paper doesn't matter the most in my eyes. After all, I have never, for once in my career, pretended to be invincible, lacking remorse or guilt for the actions I've taken this year. No...I've adapted. I've grown...changing for the better as I vowed to never allow myself to delve into self-pity or short-sightedness.

All the while...never losing my smile.

My Grandpapa used to operate the exact same manner as I do today—realising that there wasn't such a thing as being perfect, but there WAS such a thing as patience. Throughout my career, I learned that staying the course and never losing my soul would take me to bigger and better things, elevating me to the point where I am now.

Respected, loved, cherished by all.

That's what EVERY SINGLE Diamond in this division has striven for ever since they put on their gear to compete, but whilst some of them have lost their Vulcan minds or relied on others for help and advice, I stuck to my principles and EARNED everything that has ever been given to me—starting with the 2016 Iron Maiden and working my way up the charts.

Never wavering for a moment—even if things don't pan out the way I wish for them to.

That is the REAL reason why I've survived for so long, thriving whilst you've done nothing but cackle your way into something that you have no mental capacity to learn or appreciate...

...and that concept, darling, is called “being a TRUE Champion” in all walks of existence, not just this game.  My entire life, I've THRIVED on being a true champion, learning how to overcome my own failures and turn them into something very special, something that means more to me than you'll ever realise.

A beacon of light that shines upon Humanity--one that doesn't allow things to happen by accident or due to someone else's misfortune...

...but one that MAKES it happen.

Go ahead and blabber on all you want to about losing and such, but nothing will ever change. For I am the future of the Diamonds division. I am the REAL Chosen One—the one who will bring it back to its former glory by shining my light upon the darkness that you have created. I am the one who is destined to rise above the archetypical, bland schoolyard bully that you represent, and come Saturday I'll show you what it takes to evolve...and to grow.

It won't be a simplistic matter of pinning you to the floor for a three-count. Nope...I will break you until you can't even bother to scream for attention anymore. After all, it isn't just the right thing to do. It's even MORE than the logical course of action on my part...

...no, it will be the Humane thing to do. For you, Paige Garcia, are the cancer that plagues IWF to its very core...

...and I shall rise above you.

Cheers!