A Spectacle's Worth

The final scene of the DOMINION brand had been filmed, the world given their last preview before the grand event of Arcadia. In the ring stood the challenger and Territorial Champion, friends outside the business, but there were no more smiles, no laughter to be had. It was that dreaded time where the burning desire to be the best overcame them and would forge armor around their hearts so that they may tear each other apart. Emiko has been doing this a very long time, nearly thirteen years now despite her youth, and yet it wasn’t until last year where she had to face this sort of problem. Every single time it happened, she felt as though a piece of her soul was being ripped out. Arcadia would be no different, except for the fact that the signs being presented, the narrative given, told the tale of being replaced. Many were touting Indy as the new face of the brand, who will have his crowning achievement come at the expense of the Crescent Moon, the current champion Zane. Gone were the questions of could she overcome the odds, instead it was about her being cast aside. Was it because she was battling while injured? Did management sour on her despite her giving every bit of herself to them, body and soul? She had already grown jaded when it came to the business, but now it was manifesting. She was tired. So very, very tired. Yet, she wouldn’t stop. She won’t stop. She couldn’t stop. There was still one point to prove. Many see this contest as a championship match, but this has even outgrown that level of importance in the mind of the Territorial Title holder. This.. was about her entire body of work being validated. There will be no eclipse on that night, no new champion. Even if she had to go to extremes that were previously never ventured, she would see to it that her truth stands. Zane is the best Wrestleworld has, and she will never be defeated in that ring.

However, there was one question that plagued her young mind. A mind that she would never admit had grown fragile and damn near erratic in the last couple months.

“Is it worth it?”

The voice that spoke out wasn’t one so many were used to hearing. It was one very few got to experience. There was pain behind it. A combination of heartache, anguish, and doubt. Unlike most, it wasn't a doubt of the self. No, this was doubt in the system, in the trade she had dedicated her life to. For so long she knew the roles she had to play and the way the marquee would spell things out. In the beginning she was this incredible prodigy, this marvel of a child who had such promise. Oh the charisma she exuded, the confidence. It was a bit tiring at times, but she smiled through it all. She was the future. Then she became the one to watch out for in the near future. Many saw her as ready to take over the industry. However, being tied down to limitations forced her to seek stardom elsewhere. That is when she went from the best out there looking for her platform to simply the best. An uncrowned, undisputed champion simply looking for her throne. Once she found the place she could claim dominion over, she rose to the occasion and uncovered her next role. The gutsy champion, brash at times but always honorable in battle. She always fought against the odds and prevailed, giving hope to those who would otherwise be seen as the wrong size, the wrong shape, the wrong person. On top of this, she also excelled in all her other career paths, winning championships and forging a legacy that couldn’t be questioned. Hell, she’s even set for the Olympics despite what ails her presently. Yet, despite all of that..

“I’m not who they want right now. I probably wasn’t the one they wanted in the first place.”

Thinking back to the different advertisements for big events, the voice having grown more stern with each word, had a point. The only time she was ever marketed as the warrior she truly is, was in her very first match with the company. At that time she faced a very worthy competitor, someone who could always be counted on to deliver. Meanwhile, that very person has been unfortunately casted as the one who can’t win the big one. ‘Always the bridesmaid’ would be the best worldly comparison to her situation. It was unfair too as she has proven herself to be an amazing talent in such a short time. Following that victory, the next big deal was the championship opportunity. Rather than promote it as such, it was bastardized into some cheesy bit about a tattered friendship, a split between two who had grown so close, been through so much. She rolled her eyes at the thought of it all, but thought that at least once she proved herself worthy that things would change. Then came Violent. It was all about the rampaging monster holding the body of a wonderful woman captive in her quest for domination. Zane was simply the prime target. The fifth ringpost pointed the finger and Violent went for the kill. It was all about whether or not she could claim the head of the champion, with many seeing it happening. An irritated sigh escaped the champion, but again she pushed through it. Injury and all. Now, there’s this mess.

“How much more do I have to give before they see the truth? Are they all that blind? Is it a test? Why don’t they get it?”

Her blood was over the point of boiling. Internally, she was at the point of madness, wanting to throw the title far beyond the sixth row the European Champion had unintentionally tossed his belt before a grandiose showcase of their design. If they couldn’t respect her, truly respect her, then why should she honor anything of theirs anymore. Slowly her gaze shifted. The room was dark, but what she looked at was clear as day no matter the setting. With her back against the wall, body seated against the cold floor, she slowly raised and clutched her injured right knee. She wrapped her arms around it in a sort of hug, tears of frustration beginning to form, any pain she was feeling being numbed by the emotion.

“Are they looking to switch out the cog that is me because they see me as a liability? As weak? Many others would go under the knife, take the time off. Some even stay away for good. I’m still going though, I can still go. None of that matters to them. They picked the other side once again. I just wish this lesson didn’t have to hurt so much. He’s too good for this mess, this nonsense.”

While she felt the same about Lillie, and the others to an extent, Nate in her mind has a spirit far too good for the world of wrestling. She hated that the anger she was feeling would in turn be directed at him, at their moment in the ring together. She wanted for it to be pushed as the test of wills that they can produce. Instead, he’s being groomed and given the spotlight. So with that being firmly established, she had to take up a new role as the less appealing champion who snatches the limelight away, snuffing out his flame. Zane has been a villain, Zane has been the heroine. Hell, thanks to the ridiculousness of the media, Zane has even been the damsel. Now she was the spoiler, the lesser of two goods that will still have some support but.. things would never be as they were before. She saw this future even going beyond Arcadia, to future opponents. She had to shake away that thought process immediately of course. Even giving into the concept of looking beyond ‘Indy’ for a minute would be a grievous mistake. She couldn’t afford a stupid slip up like that.

“I used to love this part. Blinded by the light, I’d tear into others without a care or at the very least I’d give them their shine while showing why I’d always be many levels above them. Now? Now I see it all as a damn joke. Maybe I shouldn’t give them the satisfaction of the Zane spectacle. Maybe I should go in there simply as Emiko, respectfully outclass Nate and then disappear into the shadows. I’d make them all regret every single idiotic push they made for another, every poorly setup package, all of it. The only one there with any damn sense is my dad and even he can’t stop the stupidity because it’s always a matter of him being outnumbered. I’m not asking for it to be all about me, but I deserve some form of respect. After everything I’ve done, all I’ve given up, and what I continue to push to the side for the sake of this damn business. I could be like Misaki right now.. happy without these damn restraints, pregnant, venturing into new things while preparing for motherhood. I’m sure it’d bring a smile to his face to see me like that. Even though he claims I’m so much smarter than he is, he always seems to be a step ahead when it comes to everything. He made the right choice. Maybe I should follow suit. Well.. after Arcadia that is, maybe way after. Ugh…..I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know anything anymore, like my body and mind are all sorts of split. I can’t stand this! Is it even worth it at this point?”

There’s that question again. Everything always comes back to it when it comes to the thoughts, the struggles of the young champion. For so long, she was playing the role of an idol, spreading herself thin for the sake of her brand. Now, she has a real life. She’s been married a little over two months now, she has a loving family who she actually gets to enjoy spending time with when not on tour. She’s gearing up to graduate college in the fall. There are so many things going on in her world, and more are being discussed for the future. Emiko has even found herself jealous of a woman she sees as her sister for getting to have a child first. If one were to have asked her past self this, even from a year ago if any of this was possible, she’d think they were mad. Another sigh escaped from her, this one being spurred on by lamentation. Letting go of the hold she had on her torn up knee, she slowly lowered it to join the other in being straight. Emiko then let out a strange laugh, before running her right hand through her short locks and slamming it against the ground.

“This is Arcadia. This is the company’s biggest show and I’m in the biggest match of my career so far. Of course it’s worth it. For the sole purpose of proving that damn point, it’s worth it. My body has been fighting against me so much this time, which will make it all the more sweet when I come away from it all victorious once again. Then..”

The voice of Emiko was hushed upon hearing the door of the room open. Flipping the lightswitch on, the figure behind the actions was shown to be him. He had that expression of ‘hey we need to hurry the hell up’ she found to be adorable, and simply seeing him washed away all of the negativity she was drowning in seconds ago. While she knew it wouldn’t last, it was something she was always grateful for every time it happened. She was truly lucky that she was chosen by him and will get to see that handsome face for the remainder of their days. Emiko’s daydream bubble was popped soon after, his voice snapping her back to what was presently going on.

“You ready to go yet? Your press meet is set for 2:00, and we still got a bunch of things we need to do beforehand.”

Her smile faded, more tears forming. She tried to wipe them away and go back to smiling, but she found herself losing control. This was happening more and more, which drove her insane with guilt. Before she knew it, she was full on crying which caused the love of her life to rush over, kneeling down to be closer to her level, concern now draped across his features.

“Hey, hey..what’s wrong?”

“I went into a stupid self rant promo whatever the fuck in the dark again, without there even being a camera around, because I’m depressed and hungry.”

“What’s got you depressed?”

“I had to change into stupid leggings because my pants ripped...again.”

Without hesitation, he pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair in a comforting manner. Planting a soft kiss atop her head, he tightened the hold a touch.

“Before you even ask, you’re not fat, you’re just probably putting on more muscle. Now come on, we’ll get you some new pants, some ice cream and then run the fifty fucking errands we have to do before I do my thing and you’re in front of the press. How does that sound?”

“Can I get sprinkles and syrup on my ice cream too?”

“Of course you can.”

“You’re the best. I love you so much.”

“I know, I love you too. Now come on, we got this, right?”

Loosening the hug a bit and pulling back, he looked to see how she was doing. Emiko replaced the previous look of sadness with a smile, a sudden swing of determination surfacing. With her excitement now evident, she brought a smile out of him as well.

“We got this!”

Giving a nod of approval, he let go and got up, offering his hand which she was quick to take. The two knew they were in for a very long day, and with him also noting her recent bouts with exhaustion, didn’t mind it so much when she fell asleep along the way. Once she had awoken though, she came to realize that any time she had to mentally prepare herself for the masses was swept away in another dream. With a parting kiss, they set out on their own, Emiko joining the rest of the DOMINION crew on hand for this event. It pained her to be away from him, but she knew this was a part of things. Taking a seat, she patiently waited.. and waited.. and waited some more until finally it was her turn to take the podium. Even though she was given a proper introduction, it came across as nothing but muffled static to her, a lot has these days. With the announcement being made that she was ready to take questions, a swarm of hands rose up, again pulling the champion back to reality. Turning away for a second, Emiko let out a deep breath, looking back out to the crowd with a confident smile and pointing out the first random person who stood up to address the Territorial Champion.

“Zane, Braden Andrews with Wrestle Wire here. I have a question regarding your present status when it comes to the Wrestleworld Arcadia event.”

Two sentences in and Emiko already wanted to get up and storm off. Of course that had to be asked. It’s moments like this, or rather every single time she gets roped into doing one of these that she wonders why the hell she keeps on agreeing. Oh, that’s right, blinded by the light, by the responsibility of being a champion. Honestly, even that is losing all meaning considering there are ‘champions’ and ‘elite talent’ who constantly act inappropriate, cross every line imaginable, and just have piss poor attitudes linking arms with a level of undeserved entitlement that makes Emiko sick to her stomach. Yet they are praised, they are promoted. What-the-fuck-ever fire island, keep on being the land of hypocrites that cater to the biggest brats. With a bit of a smirk having made its way onto her face, Emiko, in full Zane mode, decides to have a little fun with this.

“What do you mean regarding my status?”

“Well considering the rumors about the extent of your injury and how you’ve been wrestling with it despite the fact that it’s in need of surgery which could take you out of action for at least nine months. Coupling that with how much it was worked over during your match at the last DOMINION broadcast, are you cleared to compete against Indy Darling?”

“Ahh that’s right! My knee was banged up pretty bad wasn’t it? I had to be helped to the back and everything. Even when it came time to have my epic face off with Indy Darling after the amazing match he had with Colton, I was Hop Along the champion. Yeah, don’t worry about it.”

The brief response from the confident champion brought several murmurs from the crowd of vultures and Emiko couldn’t be happier about it. Brandon or Braden, honestly Emiko already forgot his name, looked a bit puzzled and decided to follow up.

“You say for us not to worry about it, but it’s clear that you’re not going into this match at one hundred percent. Are you saying that the injury isn’t as serious as the reports indicate or that you’re that sure of your ability to perform at Arcadia without issue?”

“I thought you guys were only allowed one question at a time. Fine, I’ll indulge. I’m sure these reputable reports have stated that I have been injured since mid-January, yes? I have even gone on record confirming this. If my injury wasn’t serious, you wouldn’t even know I was dealing with one. I have been at this for nearly thirteen years and have been in competitive sports even longer, that is just around the nineteen year mark. So if I’m going to be honest, yes the injury is serious, yes it kills me to even stand here but still I stand. I’m not going to let my knee get in my way, same as I won’t let another person get in my way. It’s all a matter of formulaic equations. How do I reconfigure my style, utilize my healthier parts, in order to achieve my goals? I have taken into account every single ailment I have and crafted several ways to deal with it. That is what sets me apart from the rest. You focus on the trouble, I make due. I have never had a match where I was one hundred percent, why should any other number below that frighten me now? That’s for babies, for peons who make excuses. I’m not them. Going back to your initial question, my answer remains the same. Don’t worry about it. I will be there and on top of that I will muster up the fortitude, combining it with the strategy it takes to retain my Wrestleworld Territorial Championship. That good enough for you?”

It didn’t take long for Braden to back off and sit back down, and while Zane maintained her signature expression deep down she was seething. Is this what it was to refuse the band aid so many smartened professionals use to cover their disdain? Sounds about right. Another point, this one leading to a woman in the back row standing up. She didn’t look that much older than Emiko which she found intriguing. That, and she had pretty good posture which is oddly appreciated.

“Good afternoon Zane, I’m Rachelle here on behalf of Coastal Sports’ Behind The Curtain. Firstly, I wanted to say that I’m a big fan of your work and like the others here, I am looking forward to seeing what you do at Arcadia. Now many out there have their questions because of your injured knee, but there are other concerning matters going into this event and honestly all future shows you’re a part of. I was hoping to get your insight on that. How are you doing mentally?”

“I appreciate the support you have for me, but I respectfully decline your question. All I will say is that you’ll see where I am and what I am come Arcadia. If you’d like to ask something else, I’m all ears. Otherwise please sit down.”

“I will gladly alter my question and apologize if I came across as offensive. It seems as if since your return in November that you’ve gone through a change in your mindset. You seem more open to criticizing the professional wrestling industry, your employers and even some of your peers. Has this always been the way you felt and you’re only now growing comfortable with being honest or have things changed in your eyes following what happened?”

The eyes of the young champion narrowed. It was another case of it being too good to be true. While she would never admit it, Emiko felt a fool to have thought one of these press junkets could turn around in her favor. Why couldn’t they leave it alone? She was happy now, she got over all of that in ways nobody could imagine save for a chosen few. Deciding to give in to the demon of intemperance, Zane disappeared.

“You’re talking about that incident aren’t you? You know Rachelle, for someone who is this big fan of mine, you really seem to not respect the boundaries I have built with good reason. It was in all of your memos what subjects were banned and that was one of them. You were better off questioning my mental state going into Arcadia, which is fine by the way. I have no worries going into that match. I know that Nate and I will have a phenomenal contest. I can go as far as saying I’m sure he’ll prove to be up there with some of my toughest challenges while I will absolutely be his. I don’t say that to be offensive, I say that because I know what I can do in that ring. I know what others refuse to see because I’m not as marketable in their eyes since I got hurt. Although if I’m being honest I think that all started before I blew out my knee, on the way to winning the damn competition I was in, mind you. God why can’t you freaking animals ask fun questions. I don’t even care if they’re stupid, just have some goddamn respect. Here’s an example of something simple. So Zane, what are your predictions for the Arcadia event? I’m sure you feel as though you will retain the Territorial Championship, but I wanted to get your thoughts on the rest of the card.”

Mocking the thought process, Emiko tapped her left index finger against her chin a couple times before feigning a eureka moment and proceeding with her thought.

“Good question, Zane! You are truly an insightful reporter with a viewer count over twelve people and mighty incredible at your latest musical venture in the oboe.”

“Why thank you, Zane! You’re far too kind!”

“Oh it’s my pleasure. Now regarding my own match, you’re absolutely right in believing that I see myself retaining the championship. If I were to do anything else, that’d be pretty silly of me, right? After all, what we want out of this whole deal, aside from our talents recognized, is to further our brands, our status. Being the Territorial Champion, I should want to keep hold of this title. Simple as that. I have an incredible amount of respect for my opponent, he’s a friend of mine in a world full of snakes, and I have no doubt he will have an amazing crowning achievement in due time. It just won’t be at my expense, that’s all. As far as the other matches go, I’m going to level with you, only a few of them truly matter to me. Obviously that’s no disrespect, but I will of course hold those that have a personal investment in higher regard than the others. Wrestleworld will deliver three nights of the best showcase they possibly can with Arcadia and I know everyone will do their best. Now if you want my full on predictions, I suggest you tune into my stream tonight as I will be giving full on analyses alongside my sisters. Cheap plug, but fuck it, I’ve had a rough day. I came into this hoping to deal with a few simple questions, hype up my match, make Indy sound amazing while showing why I’m better.. Instead of that, I get more dramatic nonsense trying to poke at my brain like I’m some mentally fragile mess with a bum knee. One of those things is true and you bet your ass it’s the part about my knee. You want to know how I’m doing?! I’m FINE! I’m HAPPY! I’ll be even happier after all this bullshit is behind me because once again I have to prove a point I’ve practically stabbed into all your heads at this point. Nothing will take me down, nobody will eclipse me, and most importantly, I am one of the last true all around stars you have in this damn business so you better appreciate me while you can! I’m done with this shit. Go post your stupid articles about how Zane had yet another meltdown at a press conference. People won’t read it anyway, they’ll be too busy watching me shine. YOU’RE WELCOME!!”

While Emiko wanted to tip over the podium with a powerful kick, she knew she had to save those for the big event. Indy, bless his good nature, he wouldn’t hold back out of respect for her so she absolutely had to give him everything. He deserved it as a worthy challenger and she earned it as a credible champion. So she chose to quietly step away in a huff. Once she created enough distance between her and another fantastic media failure, she dialed his number in the hopes that his bit was over with too. After a couple rings she got her answer, which brought the first smile she felt since they split to handle their tasks.

“Hey.. how was your thing? Oh nice! That sounds like so much fun. I wish I was smart enough to do that instead of attempting the professional blah. Yeah.. I blew up again, I’m sorry. I really tried not to let them get to me, it just.. I’m so tired of all of it. So, can we get that ice cream now? Yay! I’ll see you soon. I love you too. Later.”

She went to look over at her phone, awaiting his hang up since she wasn’t the kind to do it first, when she felt the presence nearby. Clutching the phone to her chest to avoid prying eyes from seeing the screen, she turned her attention to the camera person spying from afar. Going into full Mrs. ZFG mode, she politely indicated that she was number one before snapping her fingers, storming away from the shot so she may focus on more important matters. Arcadia was days away, the continuation of her reign set to follow that night should she have her way. However, today was all about love and ice cream.