Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Tastes Like Heaven, Burns Like Hell 
January 12, 2030 
Early morning in Shinjuku. Sunlight was beginning to creep into the residential apartments. Most were beginning to stir from their slumber. 
The light wasn't drawing everyone awake. Case in point was 19-year old Ibuki Hinotama. Deep into a satisfying slumber, she had no idea that the covers of her bed had fallen off. It wasn't anything unusual, disorganized as her room was. 
"Ibukiiiiii." 
She was a deep sleeper. 
"IBUUUKIIIIII!" 
It would take a little extra effort to wake her up. 
Her sister Kaede's speech impediment made any effort to jar Ibuki awake that much harder. Kaede puffed her cheeks in annoyance, and left to retrieve something. She returned with a rubber band, got up close to the sleeping Ibuki, and stretched it back. She let go, launching the band and hitting her sister in the foot. 
"YOW!" Ibuki sprung awake, rubbing where she'd been struck. "Uggh...couldn't have been a little more subtle?" 
"I called out a couple times, but you wouldn't budge. I had to do it the old way." Kaede signed. "Come on, get dressed. You'll be riding along with me starting today, remember?" 
"Yeah, I know...let me get presentable." Ibuki paused. "Um...can a girl get a little privacy?" 
"I've seen you in less." 
"Yeah and I've seen YOU in less, that don't mean we've gotta be flashing our boobs at each other all day! So make like a tree!" 
Kaede turned and walked away, playfully waving as she did so. Ibuki started to get up, but took note of something that was crumpled on the floor. She adjusted it, and it was a small poster, advertising a fight she was to partake in a few months earlier. "Fireball Ibuki", she was so billed. Those days of ill-obtained comfort and fame felt like an eternity ago. She peered up at the poster on her wall. The commanding, intimidating figure of Thunderbolt Kyoko, her hero. 
She sighed. "Must've been crazy..." 
Ibuki got dressed, and after a quick breakfast, took her niece Kanae out to the family's car. It was an older model, and some of the red paint was chipping off. "You're gonna be our little copilot today, bubblegum. You'll be hanging with us while we're driving around. That sound fun?" Ibuki asked. 
"Why are we driving around?" the girl responded. 
"Well, your mommy and me are gonna pick up food for people and take it to 'em. I'm helping out cuz Mommy doesn't hear very good. And it means more money. More money means more cute clothes for you. Sound like a plan?" 
"Okay!" 
Ibuki sat her niece in the back seat. Kaede arrived. "I hope you aren't sweet-talking her with gifts." she signed. 
"Me? Doing such a thing? Nope." Ibuki responded. 
She got in the driver's seat, Kaede getting in the passenger's seat next to her. "Thanks for agreeing to this. I know it isn't the most glamorous thing in the world, but I'm glad I have my partner helping out." she signed. 
"Money's money, sis. Whatever keeps us with a roof over our heads. Anything's better than selling ourselves again." Ibuki replied. 
"True that. No matter what, we're never going back to that kind of life. I hate even thinking about it..." 
"I know. So we keep getting up and fighting. Little one's never gonna know that life. No matter what we gotta do." 
"Keep fighting for that happy ending?" Kaede bore a cheeky expression. 
Ibuki rolled her eyes. 
"Do you ever think about getting back into it?" Kaede asked. 
"Nope." 
"I can tell when you're lying." 
"Even if I did, they'd never let me back in. I had an awesome opportunity and I muffed it bad. I had so much planned...a down payment on a house, a makeover for this old rustbucket, a more powerful hearing aid for you..." 
Kaede patted her sister on the shoulder. "What you did was bad. But it was out of love. Some people'll always stay mad, but a lot more will understand. You wanted to be a good example for girls, didn't you? So don't let the bad stop the good from coming. You. Are. FIERCE." 
"Heh...who could ever stay down when you're in their corner? I dunno if it'd ever work out, but, who knows? That's tomorrow's question, though. Today's for munchy delivery. So what's first on the docket?" 
Kaede took out her phone, and opened the delivery service's app. "Right, gotta look through requests. Let's see..." Ibuki took a peek. "This one's over in Naruki. Grocery run...woo, pretty hefty list. But that tip, though, hoooo..." Her eyes seemed to light up. "Hang on. That address looks familiar. And the one that listed it is..." She raised an eyebrow. Without any hesitation, she pressed the button and took the request. 
"What's up?" Kaede signed. 
"Just someone I wanted to check in with. Buckle up. It's road trip time, bubblegum." 
"Yay!" Kanae exclaimed. 
With a rev of the engine, the faded car was off to Naruki. 
--- 
"Mother of...she planning a bar mitzvah, what's with all this stuff?!" Ibuki began pulling out bags of groceries. 
"Ibuki, this house, isn't this where we came for New Years?" Kaede asked. 
"Ooh, ooh, it's Shizuka's house! Can I go see Shizuka, Auntie?" Kanae exclaimed. 
"Not right now, bubblegum, we're here for work." Ibuki replied. "The Professor had a super rough week. Soon as I saw her name on the request, I had to take it. Just to check in and do something to help her out." she signed at Kaede. 
"You don't have to explain yourself. Does seem like a lot of groceries, though." Kaede responded. 
"You're right about that. Let's go see what's up." 
The women finished putting the groceries on and around the bench on the porch. Ibuki rang the doorbell. "Instructions said to stand back from the porch." Ibuki signed. 
The door opened, and out stepped Rin. Her hair was tied back, she wore an apron with an apple design on it, and she wore a medical mask. "Oh, hello! I thought I recognized the names on the delivery alert." 
"Howdy, Professor. You, uh...just come out of major surgery?" Ibuki asked. 
"Hi, Shizuka's mama! Is Shizuka home? Can I come play?" Kanae chimed. 
"Sorry, sweetie, Shizuka isn't feeling good today." Rin replied. "It's a bit of a long story." 
"Let's start with your Ma. How's she holding up?" Ibuki asked. 
"So much better. Her latest scans showed that, from the looks of it, there's no lasting damage. She's been cleared to come home later tonight." 
"Awesome! Glad to hear. I'm guessing all these bags are for celebratory dinner?" 
"You'd be right. I usually do my own groceries, but I'm in a bit of a bind. Rose is at Mom's cabin tidying it up before she comes home, and I can't leave since Shizuka's come down with a cold. So we're agreeing to have the dinner tomorrow, just so Mom has some time to relax at home. And hopefully Shizuka's cleared up by then." 
"And how are you feeling, Professor? Your eyes look worn-out." Kaede signed. 
"That obvious, is it? I'm not exactly at 100%. I took the last week off just to be around Mom, but between the hospital visits, and now Shizuka feeling sick...it's been one thing after another. I didn't want to, but I requested another week off. I'm going to spend as much time relaxing with Mom as I can. This was an eye-opener for me, and for her, so we're going to heal together." 
"You have a very warm heart, Professor. Your mother is very lucky. I'm glad we could help, even if it was a little bit." 
"I'm happy that it was familiar faces doing this. If it isn't too much to ask, would you be able to come to the dinner tomorrow?" 
"You...want us there?" Ibuki questioned. 
"Absolutely. The whole class is going to be there, too. Having a full house should do wonders for Mom's mindset. I wanted to thank you all properly for helping my family. It means so much more than you could ever know. On that note..." 
Rin took out her wallet, took some bills out, and handed them to Ibuki. "Spend it wisely." 
"Wait, for real? The tip's already included, though, isn't it?" 
"This is on top of the tip." 
"Oh, gosh, Professor, I couldn't, this is way too much..." 
"You helped get my mother out of a dangerous spot. That is priceless. It's the least I can do. I know about the hard times you and your family have gone through. I'd imagine that's why you've taken up this delivery job. If it helps you put food on the table, I'm happy to part with it." 
"I...wow. I actually don't know how to respond to that, except...thank you. I'll put it to good use, I promise. And we'll see you at dinner tomorrow." 
"Glad to hear it! I'll ask Kat to send you the details when I have them. Now I have to get all these bags in..." 
"Sure you don't want our help?" 
"It's fine, it's a nest of germs in there right now. You've done plenty already. Hopefully when she feels better, we can set up a playdate with your little one. See you tomorrow?" 
"You got it. Keep it together, Professor." 
"Good day, now." 
The Hinotama trio got back in the car. "What were you two talking about?" Kaede signed. 
"She wants us to go to their dinner tomorrow. My pals are all going. And, uh..." Ibuki took out the yen bills from her pocket. 
Kaede put a hand over her mouth. 
"Yeah. A gift from the Professor. No strings attached." Ibuki said. 
"That's incredible! All the things she's been dealing with, and she just hands you that?" 
"Yeah. Yeah, that sums her up pretty good, I think. KittyKat calls her a saint. I get why, now." 
Ibuki balled up her hand, holding it over her mouth in pensive thought. "I don't want us to be a charity case, Kaede. Going door to door begging for cash. I want us to be comfortable enough that we can give Kanae-chan a good life. But..." 
Kaede patted her shoulder again. "Your friends and the ones around them are good people. If they want to help, it's okay to let them. After what happened with Officer Freakshow, I get why you wouldn't want to accept anyone's help. But you've known them long enough now to know they're nothing like that creep." 
"Yeah...they're good. Great, even." 
"We haven't had good people around us since Grandma and Grandpa died. And they were the only good ones. If we want Kanae-chan to have a life as far from that as possible, then we need to have good people around. And if they want to give us a hand while we look for something stable, I'm not going to say no." 
"Right as always, sis. Whatever way I feel about it, if it's the best for her, it's fine by me." She turned to look at the backseat. "Hear that, bubblegum? It's all so you can be happy. Cuz your mommy and me love ya that much." She extended her hand for a fistbump. The girl giggled and reciprocated. "That's what I'm talkin' bout. What do we got for an encore?" 
Kaede pulled up the app. "This one wants a cake delivered from this café in Akihabara. Isn't this where your friend Sakuya works?" 
"Lemme see...oh, yeah, this is where Saku's at. Guess we're saying hi to everyone today. Wanna go say hi to Saku, bubblegum?" 
"Uh-huh! Saku has cupcakes!" Kanae exclaimed. 
"Figures. The way to this girl's heart is through her sweet tooth. Let's hustle." Ibuki turned the car back on, and headed for Akihabara.
--- 
"The hell's going on here?" Ibuki reacted. 
The storefronts in Akihabara were no stranger to eye-catching imagery. But to Ibuki, this one caught the eye for a much different reason. 
This pop-up store was specializing in Ashen Artisans merchandise. T-shirts and other assorted products bore the group's logo, as well as hoods replicating the group's own. 
"It's that group of rebels that's been going around changing people's hearts. They've really been exploding in popularity lately." Kaede responded. 
"I know who they are, I--uh, they're the ones that snapped me out of it." Ibuki replied. "Dude, I had no clue we were this big of a hit. Does everyone else know about this? We're not even getting a cent out of this merch..." she thought. 
"Ohh, they're so cool...how many do you think there are?" a young man could be heard saying. 
"I hear there's at least eight, maybe nine. They disguise their voices so it's hard to tell." a young woman replied. 
"They've been kinda quiet since they took down that sushi guy in Naruki a little while back...think they'll have a new target soon?" 
"I heard there was something going on with a flower place over there that they might've been involved in. There wasn't any public announcement so no one knows for sure, but it had all their hallmarks." 
"I bet it was! What cool heroes of justice...I bet the bad guys are so scared of 'em now, they're hiding so they won't get caught!" 
"Most bad guys aren't so obvious about it. Not like the card guy that was around here, or that wrestling chick...guess you can't be subtle with a gaudy costume like that, huh?" 
"True that. I'd be embarrassed if I was her." 
"'Gaudy'?!" Ibuki griped. 
Kaede prodded her. "We should go. We have a job, remember?" 
"Yeah. The sooner we're out of this joint, the better." "Hmph. Bad guy. So much for 'they'll understand', sis." Ibuki thought. 
The trio walked over to the café. After a bit of discussion, Sakuya walked out holding a cake. "Here you are. Fresh as fresh can be." 
"Much obliged, girlfriend." Ibuki took it. 
"My pleasure. And, for the tiny one..." Sakuya handed Kanae a small bag. 
"Yay! Cupcakes, cupcakes, cupcakes~! Thank you, Saku!" the girl hopped up and down with glee. 
"Of course. Don't eat them all at once, now." 
"They'll be gone before we ever get back to the car." Kaede signed. 
"Hey, Saku, between you and me, have you been seeing those AA stores popping up lately?" Ibuki asked. 
"Odd. I wouldn't expect Alcoholics Anonymous to be excessively selling merchandise around here..." Sakuya replied. 
"Not that AA! The AA we're part of!" 
"Oh dear, of course that's what you meant. Sorry. My mother is a member of the former and that was the first thing to pop into my head. As for the latter, yes, I've noticed. Our popularity's been soaring lately, especially with people our age or just a little bit older. I suppose making corrupt adults confess to their sins can do that..." Sakuya realized something. "Ah, not that I would call you corrupt, Hinotama-san! I meant--" 
"I know what you meant. It's kinda surreal, though. People out there still think I'm a bad guy, meanwhile team merch is flying off the shelves. How do you think they'd react if they knew?" 
"Best not to think about those things. You aren't a villain, we all know that. Instead of dwelling on that, it's better to focus on what lies ahead." 
"Yeah, except I've got no clue what that could even be." 
"Do you still wish to return to wrestling?" 
"I...I don't know. Would people even--" 
"What others think doesn't matter. Do you wish for it?" 
"I...really, really do. Not just for me, but for these two. It's the best way I can think of to make things easier, but...I'm scared I blew my one chance." 
"Don't give up hope so easily. People love a redemption story. If the right opportunity presents itself, take the plunge and pursue it. Life isn't without risks." 
"Guess so. Say, Saku, I know this isn't what you wanna be doing forever, is it? What's your plan once schooling's finished?" 
"Me? Well, I've been looking at institutions around the country, and I've found one close-by that trains students in caring for marine life. Basically..." 
"You want to work at an aquarium or zoo and look after seals, is that it?" 
"I CAN BOOP THEIR NOSES FREELY AND BE PAID TO DO SO!" Sakuya composed herself. "Ahem. That is the plan, yes. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to work..." She hastily went back inside. 
Ibuki shook her head. "That girl really is something else." 
"What was she getting so excited about?" Kaede questioned. 
"Nothing to worry over. Let's just get this cake delivered." 
--- 
The women took the cake over to a residence near the electronics district. With that task done, they returned to their car. "He seemed a little old to be having a cake made by maids, didn't he?" Kaede asked. 
"Takes all kinds of kinds, sis." Ibuki replied. 
A message came through to her phone. She gave it a look. "Hunh..." 
"What is it?" 
"Kyoko-sama...she wants to know if I'm free. She wants to talk about something." 
"Well, I know you can't say no to her. We're close to her store, aren't we? We've got a bit of time to spare." 
"Okay...dunno what she'd want with me, but..." 
The Hinotama clan traversed the streets and arrived at Master Plan Electronics. "Heya." Ibuki greeted. 
"Not who I was expecting to see today." Standing behind the counter was a somewhat annoyed Kibō. 
"Well hey to you too, skippy. Helping your folks out?" 
Kyoko rose up from behind the counter, putting one arm around Kibō's shoulder while pinching his cheek. "Such a good, responsible young man I have~. And he's a cutie, to boot~." 
"Mom, what did I say about pinching--ow!" Kibō griped. 
"You'll stop getting pinched when you stop being such a handsome lad~." 
"Kyoko-sama, um..." Ibuki interjected. 
"Oh, woops. Didn't mean to ignore you. Thanks for coming so quickly. So I'm gonna guess the dignified-looking lass with you is Kaede, right?" 
"Hi..." Kaede uttered. 
"Yeah, this is her." Ibuki replied. "Hey, now, don't look so embarrassed..." she directed at her sister. 
"Oh, that's right. You mentioned she was hearing impaired. Sorry if I was being rude." Kyoko said. 
"Don't apologize, it's alright. I try to keep things as normal as I can for her. All it is, is she can't communicate like most people and she won't react to most noises. Like...whatever's coming from the back." 
"That's just my dad. Doing..." Kibō replied. 
In the back of the store, Kabu was seated at a table, sunglasses on and sipping coffee from a mug. Metal music was blaring. 
"I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROOOOOACHING, PROVOOOOKING, BLACK CLOUDS IN ISOLATION...~" 
"...dad things." Kibō concluded. 
"Well since he's being...y'know. We'll just have to chat out here. I'll cut to the chase." Kyoko took out a small poster. "Have a gander at this." 
Ibuki gave it a look. "Another gala event, huh? For next Saturday...what's it for this time?" 
"30 years since my professional debut. Yes, it does make me feel like an old hag, thanks for asking." 
"You're not an old hag, you honestly look fabulous for...how old are you, again?" 
"C'mon, that's not just something I can spill in the open--" 
"She's 51." Kibō interrupted. 
Kyoko started rubbing her son's head. "Please excuse my boy's lack of manners. He really ought to know better." 
Kaede signed something to Ibuki. "What's she saying?" Kyoko asked. 
"She wants to know why you wanted me to see this." Ibuki replied. 
"Right, the main attraction. Remember the last gala where there was an exhibition match after? I mean, you fought in it, so I'd hope you did." 
"I'm not sure I like where this is going." 
"Long story short, there's gonna be another match after the gala. But one of the scheduled participants had to duck out at the last minute. So..." 
"No." 
"I was wondering..." 
"Nooooo." 
"I'm asking you if you could do it on short notice." 
"Kyoko-sama, I respect you like crazy, but there's no way. I'm not worried about the short time to prepare, but...it shouldn't be me. I tainted things too much. People still think I'm some wicked witch out there to destroy the sport. It'd never go over well." 
"You wanna get back in the ring, don't you?" 
"Of course, but..." 
"Then you should do it. It'll help your fam out, too." Kyoko pointed to the fine print on the bottom of the poster. 
"'Participants will each receive'...50,000 yen?!" 
"Yeppers. And if you win, that'll balloon up to 100,000. A lot you can do with kind of dough." 
"....." Ibuki thought about it. 
Kaede prodded her. "You have to do it." 
"Sis, I want to, but--" 
"Forget what anyone else thinks! That money would go a long way to helping us out. And it's what you love doing! You have to, Ibuki. Not just for us, but for you. Let them see who you really are. They'll love you, I know it. Please." 
"....." Ibuki paused. "The two people in the world I can't say no to. Yeah, alright. I'll do it. Kyoko-sama, you've got your replacement." 
"Knew you'd come around. It'll be at the same arena as last time. I'm expecting you to give it your all, 'Fireball'." Kyoko replied. 
"This is gonna be either the best or worst thing I've ever done. Shoot, I don't even have a costume..." 
"Isn't one of your friends a seamstress? You should ask her for help with that." Kaede responded. 
"Hey, yeah. Natty's the best there is when it comes to design. I'll ask her tomorrow at dinner. Can't believe I'm seriously doing this..." 
After a bit more chatter, the Hinotama group left. 
"...really leaving out the most important part, huh?" Kibō asked. 
Kyoko put up a grin. "It makes it more interesting. Girl's got guts and a lot to fight for. I wanna see for myself how far that can take her." 
Kibō sighed. "What a pain..."
--- 
Late in the night. After a long day of driving around Tokyo, it didn't take long for Kaede to fall asleep. She had done so right after putting Kanae to bed, and so mother and daughter were in peaceful slumber holding onto one another. 
Over in the next room, Ibuki wasn't so fortunate. With only the sounds of rain hitting her window to accompany her, she sat up in her bed, a thoughtful expression across her face. 
Up on the wall, a single photograph was pinned. Two black-haired young girls, posing happily with an older couple. 
Ibuki stared down at the poster Kyoko had given her. She looked up. At the foot of her bed, a black, pink-eyed cat sat. 
"And people think I'm disorganized." Kat said. 
"Thanks for coming in so late. You lucked out in beating the rain." Ibuki said. 
"On my way out I might not be so lucky. So, tell ya girl what's on your mind." 
Ibuki proceeded to inform Kat about the day's events. "An exhibition hosted by your hero, huh? With a healthy payout, to boot. This sounds like a massive opportunity, Bookie." 
"Yeah. On the one hand I'm excited as all hell, but..." 
"You're worried about how people'll see you, aren't you?" 
"...yeah. People still think that I'm this awful person that set out to hurt people. I don't want Kaede and Kanae-chan to hear those sorts of things about me." 
Kat perched herself next to Ibuki. "Everything you do is for them, huh?" 
"Uh-huh. Even when I was...doing bad things, I was thinking of how I could make things better for them. I could buy us a house, I could fix up the car, get Kaede a better hearing aid. When you guys brought me down--and I'm not blaming you, I needed the kick in the head--all of that just got farther away from reality. Now I'm doing whatever I can just to pay the bills. I can't...I can't let Kanae-chan live a life of poverty like we did. I could spend all night talking about how bad it was..." 
Kat nuzzled her in the side. "It's better to talk about it. Keeping that stuff bottled up is just gonna make it worse down the line." 
"You really wanna hear it?" 
"I'm a sponge for venting. I wouldn't waltz over here on a Saturday night if I wasn't ready to listen. Hit me." 
"Okay, but..." 
"What's the matter?" 
Ibuki looked embarrassed. "I'd feel weird venting to a cat." 
"But I'm adorable! Who wouldn't want to spill the beans to someone with fur this nice?!" Kat griped. "Ugh, fine. Be that way." Her eyes glowed, and she returned to human form. "Better?" 
"Mmhmm. Fits the mood more, I think." 
"Okay. So...tell me a little more about your sister. In my experience it's usually the older sister that takes care of the younger one. I don't get that vibe from you two." 
"You'd be on the mark with that. Kaede's four years older than me, but given what she has to deal with, I've had to step up and look after her. It's been that way forever." 
"Has she always had hearing problems?" 
"From the beginning. I mentioned that our parents were both addicts. That never stopped, even when our mom was pregnant with us. I somehow didn't end up with any defects, but Kaede wasn't so lucky. It was hard, coming up with ways to communicate with her. It wasn't til our grandparents took us in that we started learning sign language. That was the one time in our lives that things felt normal. Then when they died, we were on our own." 
"That's when she had to start taking care of you, right?" 
"That's why she started selling herself, yeah. For three years. All these sketchy guys filing in and out, only wanting one thing. Then one came along...said he could take care of us. Treated us like princesses and put a roof over our heads. Things looked up...and then Kaede got pregnant. The dude acted normal and supportive for a while. One day he leaves her something to drink, and walks out the door. I thought it smelled funny, so I stopped her before she drank it. As it turned out...what he said was a normal fruit drink, he'd spiked with a pretty strong brand of vodka. I think what he was hoping would happen was that it'd cause a miscarriage." 
"My God, what a piece of shit. Seriously?" 
"I ripped into him, and he said I was lying and he kicked us out. He moved away not long after. Never heard a peep after that. There's no father listed on Kanae-chan's birth certificate. Far as we're concerned, the deadbeat doesn't exist. Now we were back on the street. Only now we had a baby to take care of. I couldn't let Kaede go back out there so, at just sixteen, I made the choice to take her place. I was gonna take care of them when no one else would." 
"You did what you had to to live. So right around then is when Officer Nosferatu came into the picture." 
"Yep. And he gave the same song and dance about keeping us taken care of. But you know by now that it was horseshit. I took my licks from him because I needed to keep the people I love secure. And he wasn't the only one I...serviced. I felt disgusting. Less than worthless. Not even human. The only reason I had to live..." Ibuki pointed. "...are the two beautiful things sleeping in the room next-door. Then one day, he was gone. You guys had gotten to him. And then, all over again, we were on our own." 
"So how'd the wrestling gig come about?" 
"I saw posters around town for an amateur league. I grew up watching the stuff. Especially Kyoko-sama. I felt like I was strong enough after everything I lived through. If I could make it big, the three of us could finally be comfortable. Kanae-chan would never have to suffer like we did. We'd never have to be attached to words like 'whore' or 'slut' ever again. I trained and I trained, and from there...you know the rest." 
There was a short period of silence once Ibuki stopped speaking. "It sounds to me..." Kat began, "...like you're at a major crossroads with everything." 
"I know how much this could help. In a lot of ways. But, I dunno...am I allowed to keep going at a dream I cheated my way to getting the first time around? It's not even so much how people would react...it's about whether I even deserve the chance." 
"That wasn't your fault." 
"Most of it was! That Prison egged me on, but everything I did came from me. I shouldn't get a chance like this. It's not right..." 
"So you're just gonna let your sister and niece keep on living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of time? Cuz you think you can't be forgiven?" 
"No, I would never--" 
"The past is the past, and yours was awful. I'm not taking that away. But if you want your niece to have a better life than you did, then you can't let the things that happened stop you. If I did that, I'd still be a thief. I wouldn't have our beautiful, dysfunctional family around me. I'd either be locked in my room all by myself, or in juvie. Here you have a prime opportunity to go after your dream and help the people you love. Are you gonna go at it 1000%, or are you gonna keep just barely scraping by, all cuz 'it isn't right'?" 
"I...I..." 
"What do you want?" 
"Huh?" 
Kat firmly grasped Ibuki by the hand. "What does Fireball Ibuki want to happen in her life? Not what you think should happen. What you want to happen. Hit me with it, queen. I want to hear all of it." 
Ibuki clenched up. "I...I want to be someone strong like Kyoko-sama! I want girls to look at me and see that anyone can be happy, no matter how rough their life is! I want Kaede and Kanae-chan to be happy--I want them to have a life they deserve! I want us to live in a house, with a backyard for Kanae-chan and all the friends she's gonna make to play in! And I want to fall in love with a super nice guy that'll treat me better than I've ever been treated! I want a happy ending, and I'm gonna do everything to make it happen!" 
"So what are you gonna do?" 
"I'm...I'm gonna win. I've taken life's punches, and I've gotten back up every time. Whoever Kyoko-sama throws at me, I'm hitting them with every last bit of what I have. And if I get booed, then so what? As long as my girls end up happy, I can live with being the heel. Nothing's gonna keep me from making them happy." 
"That's what I wanted to hear. And ya girl and the rest of the Krew are gonna help. I'm sure Hoodsie's gonna be jumping out of her shoes wanting to make you a costume. And we're gonna help you get in prime shape. I know, I know, you're fierce and kickass already, I'm in absolute agreement. But if you wanna have the best chance of winning, you're gonna need to work out like you've never worked out before. Fireball's Comeback Tour starts right now." 
Ibuki smirked. "I really dig your style, KittyKat. Y'all could've just made me fess up, moved along and forgotten all about me. Sticking around and helping out like you have tells me you're the real deal. I mean, y'all have enough cash to go to a fancy overseas school, and you're hanging around with someone like me?" 
"I don't see money. I see people. When I look at you, I don't see what you were. I just see a friend who needs a pick-me-up. So before I go..." Kat's eyes glowed, and she shrunk back down into cat form. "...go ahead. Pick me up." 
"Really not gonna leave without a pet, huh? Guess you've earned one." Ibuki picked her up and patted her on the head. 
"Mrrooooow~. Now how about behind the ears?" 
"Don't push it." 
With the rain having stopped, Ibuki opened the window, allowing Kat to hop onto it. "Not gonna ask if I'll be alright getting home?" Kat asked. 
"Don't need to. Anyone that'd try messing with you would be in for a rude awakening." Ibuki replied. 
"' Mrawr, you're just trying to butter me up. See you tomorrow, Your Majesty. Monday comes around, it's training time. We're gonna make you invincible." Kat hopped down, disappearing into the night. 
Ibuki closed the window. "When she talks like that, it's impossible to not believe her. What a crazy bunch I've fallen in with..." 
--- 
January 14, 2030 
Afternoon in Naruki, at a fitness center near the market district. Inside was a boxing ring, where the students were located around. Ibuki was inside the ring. 
"Thank you for letting us use this for the week, Ms. Tenko." Kibō said. 
"Don't mention it. It doesn't get used all that much anymore, and given the circumstances, my boss was more than happy to help out. Anything for Kenny's mates." Tenko replied. 
"I'm sure us being taught by your girl crush didn't factor into matters..." Kenneth mumbled. 
Tenko pinched him in the side, getting an irritated reaction out of him. "I'll let y'all go about your business. I'm closing up in a couple hours, so hit me up when you're leaving." She exited. 
"Oy, peanut gallery. Do I get to punch something yet, or are we just gonna sit around and file our nails all day?" Ibuki asked. 
"Patience, young padawan. We're getting there." Max urged. 
"You talk to all the ladies like that, Sparkplug? The geek talk must wreck all the panties." 
Max maneuvered behind the other boys. "You suck at hiding, dude." Sahir said. 
"Okay, so who's it gonna be? Wanna show me what Mama Thunderbolt taught ya, Keebster?" 
"I'm not gonna be doing that." Kibō declined. 
"Eh, why not?" 
Kibō averted his eyes. "I'm not gonna hit a girl, even in practice. My mom would kill me." 
"My Keebie is such a good boy~." Barbara chimed. "Well, how was it? Did it feel like she was standing right next to you?" 
"Flawless, Barbie, flawless. So what's the plan gonna be, folks? I've gotta practice with somebody." Ibuki questioned. 
"Your answer's right behind ya, Fireball." Kat pointed out. 
Ibuki turned around. Standing there in a purple tank top and gym shorts, her hair tied up and no visible jewelry, was Carrie. "Hello." she waved. 
Ibuki blinked a couple of times. "We being serious right now?" 
"Is there a problem?" 
"You know Care Bear's like a walking wrecking ball. We've seen it a million times." Kat said. 
"Oh I'm not doubting her ability. But...your back is really sensitive, isn't it? Is it really okay for me to hit you?" Ibuki asked. 
"My back isn't a concern. I've been taught to fight through any sort of pain. My training makes me the best suited to gauge your progress. Don't feel as though you have to hold back." Carrie responded. 
"If you're gonna insist...this OK by you, KittyKat?" 
"Just avoid her face and we'll be square." Kat replied. 
"Alright...where do we start?" 
"Hit me with your strongest punch. Squarely in the chest." Carrie directed. 
"Um...okay." Ibuki tensed up, balled up her fist and swung it towards Carrie... 
Who immediately caught it. 
A startled Ibuki had no time to react as Carrie reacted with a knee to her abdomen, picking her up and flipping her over her shoulder and onto the ground. "Owww..." Ibuki groaned. 
"A few things. In a real fight you would never lead with your strongest attack, nor would you telegraph it so obviously. Never be surprised by your opponent blocking your moves, or leave any opportunity for them to counter. You have to think on your feet when adversity arises. Be relentless. An opponent under duress rarely, if ever has the wherewithal to effectively fight back. Now stand up and try again." Carrie dictated. 
Ibuki got back on her feet. She took another swing, which Carrie once again blocked. This time, however, Ibuki used her other hand and swung at Carrie's side. "Heh, got ya!" 
"Congratulations. You hit me once." Carrie had no reaction to the blow. "If you decide to celebrate every hit you land, you won't have much to celebrate at all. And no one should believe that they'll be able to defeat a capable opponent in one hit." 
Carrie grabbed Ibuki's other arm, leapt into the air, kicked her in the chest with both legs, and propelled herself back, landing on one of the corner posts. 
On the ground again, Ibuki growled in frustration. "You're making too many minor errors." Carrie chastised. "All of that energy you're expending on being surprised or frustrated could be better utilized elsewhere. Erasing your own mistakes and maximizing your opponents' is key to any fight. Style will energize a crowd, but it will only leave you open and further aggravate your enemy. Your priority is to win. If your desire instead is to showboat, then you will have lost before ever entering the ring." 
"Grr, what the hell?! What happened to the nice girl?" 
"I'll be more than happy to offer you a spot of tea after this is done. But right now, my goal is to hone you into a living weapon. Pleasantries can wait. Now on your feet." 
The rest of the group watched and followed along as the cycle continued: Ibuki getting up, Carrie overpowering and knocking her down, and Ibuki getting up and trying again. 
"Again." 
Getting up. 
"Again." 
Never staying down for long. 
"Again." 
Even as her frustration boiled. But even frustration has its limits. 
Ibuki was left on the floor, breathing heavily. Carrie loomed over her. "Your ferocity and lack of quit is admirable. It will serve you well, but only if you're able to actually hit your opponent." She held out her hand. "Care to try again?" 
Ibuki seemed to relent. She brought her hand up...and then attempted to kick at Carrie. The Monagasque girl reacted quickly to grab Ibuki's leg, only for the grounded girl to propel herself up, wrapping her arms around Carrie's shoulders and squeezing tightly. Despite resistance, Ibuki managed to maneuver around and position herself to where she was able to bring Carrie to the ground. 
Ibuki pinned Carrie. "What's up now?! Finally got you with something you couldn't predict, huh?!" 
"Nngh...not bad. Do this a few more times and you may have a chance at winning." Carrie powered through, and pushed Ibuki off of her. 
"Wait, you don't wanna keep going?" 
"My job is to prepare you, not break you before you ever reach the ring. We can stop for a moment to breathe." 
Carrie had her back turned away from Ibuki, who took notice of the scarring still visible where her back wasn't covered. "I didn't agitate anything, did I?" Ibuki thought. 
"Well in the meantime..." Natalia spoke up, "I've got my final sketches for your costume on me. All you gotta do is pick one, and I'll get to work as soon as I'm home." 
"After that, if you're feeling up for it, me and Saku can help with some stretching exercises." Barbara said. 
"Just some simple maneuvers to help with your athleticism." Sakuya added. 
"Ooh, if that's what we're doing, I've got a few techniques from when I was rehabbing my leg we can try out." Sahir chimed in. 
As the others bombarded Ibuki with their ideas, Kat went over to Carrie. "You feeling alright? You looked kinda iffy after that landing." 
"I'm fine, Kitten. I only wanted to avoid hurting her. Or myself, I suppose." Carrie replied. 
"You don't have to play Iron Lady for me. It's okay if you're feeling uncomfortable. I'm not gonna think any less of you." 
"Well, if I'm being honest...that last hit did smart a little. A little breather was in order." 
"And that's perfectly fine. This is gonna help Bookie a ton in the long run. Let the others have her for a while and you can take a ten. That's what teamwork is for. Want me to run and grab some pain meds or something?" 
"I'll be alright. Strength as diamonds, remember?" 
"Sure do. So what's your take? Think she's got a shot?" 
"Hard to tell this early, but that lack of quit is going to serve her well. If she takes in what we have to teach her, she'll stand a great chance." 
"Here's hoping. Let me get you some ice. We've got a long way to go here."
--- 
January 18, 2030 
The next few days followed a familiar routine. Ibuki would spend the bulk of the day helping her sister with her delivery job, until the afternoon when she would spend two hours training with the students. 
Combat sessions with Carrie, stretching exercises with the theater club duo, lifting weights as one of the students sat on top of them, push-ups...as one of the students sat on top of her. Not to mention the strict, healthy diet Natalia had devised for her, in addition to the costume she was plugging away at finishing in time for Saturday. 
The last session came and went, and with the sun going down, the group began to exit the fitness center. "When it's all said and done, I have some things I'd like to discuss with you. Regardless of how it goes." Sakuya said to Ibuki. 
"What kinda things?" Ibuki asked. 
"Let's leave that for Sunday. We need you to have a clear mind going into tomorrow. I'm sure your muscles will be screaming afterwards, so why don't we talk in a more relaxing space like, say, the hot springs on Mt. Shirayuki?" 
"Oh damn, that'd be great. I haven't been to a hot springs in ages. I wouldn't mind it at all. It'll be a nice reward after I win." 
"Keep that confidence going. We all believe in you. Remain focused on the task at hand. The reward will be worth it. Have a good night." Sakuya departed. 
The only ones left in the center were Ibuki and Kibō, who remained seated, deep in thought. "Hey, Keebster." she called out. "What's with the cold shoulder act?" 
"....." 
"Everyone's been giving me a hand with this, but you've kinda just stood around all quiet. If anyone was gonna be helpful, I'd think it'd be the guy with actual wrestling training. I know, 'Mom won't let me hit a girl'. But still...I haven't even heard about who I'm supposed to be fighting." 
"I can't tell you that." 
"Well why not?" 
"Mom swore me to secrecy. She said the most I could do was monitor your progress, but nothing more than that. Not that you even really needed any help from me. Everyone else had it covered." 
"Yeah, but still...you can't even give me a hint about who I'm going up against?" 
Kibō walked past Ibuki, stopping before exiting the door. "All I can say is...you've trained. And you've put in the work. That'd be enough for most. But there's some people that, no matter how much you prepare for them...it'll never be enough." He left. 
Ibuki paused. "Not enough? Just who the hell...what's Kyoko-sama got up her..." 
She froze. 
It couldn't be, she thought. 
Is that why Kibō wouldn't--no, couldn't offer aid? 
That intimidating thought fresh in her mind, Ibuki went outside. Out front, Kaede was waiting with the car, waving to her sister. Ibuki let up a smile and waved back. 
"How did it go?" Kaede signed. 
"Need to ask? I'm ready to punch somebody right now." Ibuki responded. 
"Yeah, kind of a dumb question. So you're ready for tomorrow?" 
"Ready as I'm ever gonna be. All that's left to do is wait." 
"Great! Let's get going. My co-pilot is already asking what's for desert." 
"Uh-oh. Well it wouldn't be nice to keep her waiting. Let's go, I'm really gonna need a shower." 
--- 
"All you needed was a couple of cookies and you're off to dreamland, eh?" Ibuki carried Kanae to her room. 
"Cookies are a lot of work, Auntie..." the drowsy girl replied. 
"Clearly. But after this week, I should be the one clocking out first. Here we gooo..." Ibuki put her down and tucked her in. "You excited for tomorrow, bubblegum?" 
"Mmhmm! I wanna see you kick butt, Auntie!" 
"Well when I've got my Number One fan in the crowd, I can't do anything else. You're gonna be up in the VIP suite with Mommy." 
"What's a VIP sweet? Is it some kinda candy?" 
"No, Ms. Sweettooth. It's somewhere waaaay up in the arena where really important people sit in watch. Down in the audience is gonna be super duper loud, and that's not good for the machine in Mommy's ear. But super high up is the best place to watch, so that's way better for you two. I'm gonna give you the best show that I can. And when it's all finished, we can celebrate however you want. But first, you've gotta say hi to Mr. Sandman. Gimme some love." Ibuki held out her fist. 
Kanae cheerfully bumped it. 
"Thattagirl. See you in the A.M." 
"Night night, Auntie. I love you." 
"Love you to infinity, bubblegum. Nighties." 
Ibuki shut the door behind her. She returned to her own room, and fell onto her bed. A few minutes of silent reflection were broken up once she felt someone sitting on the bed next to her. She opened her eyes to look. Kaede gave her a wave. 
"Sorry to surprise you. I wanted to see you before going to bed." she signed. 
"Don't be sorry. I couldn't sleep without seeing your face, either. I'm probably not gonna get much, anyway." Ibuki replied. 
"It's okay to be nervous. It's been a while since you've been in the ring. But I know you're gonna do great." 
"Because I'm fierce, right?" 
"Because you've survived worse." 
"We've both survived worse." 
"But you're the one who's always fought back. For the both of us. The older one's supposed to take care of the younger, but you've always been the one to lift me up." 
"You've done the same for me, sis. You looked out for me after Grandma and Grandpa passed. A kid like me couldn't do anything." 
"And then I got pregnant, and you had to throw yourself into that world anyway. Sometimes I wonder where you could be if I wasn't holding you back." 
"Never say that! I wouldn't have a reason to keep going if it wasn't for you and Kanae-chan. Everything I do, right down to this fight, is so you two can be happy. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make that happen, even if it kills me!" 
"Please don't do that! I'd be a goner without you here. I need you. Kanae-chan needs you." Kaede grabbed Ibuki's hand. "If things start going bad tomorrow, promise me you'll end it. Don't go so overboard that you seriously hurt yourself. I couldn't stand it if you suffered because of me. I never want to know a world without you right there with me." 
"Kaede..." 
Kaede wrapped her index finger around Ibuki's. "You. And me. Always. I love you, Ibuki." she spoke. 
Ibuki couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Don't do this to me...don't get me all worked up now..." She wiped her face. "I'm gonna do it...I'm gonna teach whoever steps into that ring tomorrow the meaning of Hell! I've gotten back up from everything that's been thrown at me, and I'm not gonna back down now, no matter who it might be!" 
She held her sister tight. "Just like always, it's gonna be you and me. Forget the 50k participation trophy, I'm getting that 100k. One step closer to the life I promised you both. Whoever it is tomorrow is gonna have to pry it from my cold hands. I'll do anything for my leading ladies. Count on that." 
The sisters warmly embraced, and after a while both drifted off to sleep. 
Tomorrow there would be a show. For whoever it might be. 
No matter who it might be... 
--- 
January 19, 2030 
The night had arrived. Wrestling fans from around Tokyo had gathered in Shinjuku for what had been promised to be an explosive match. Many were of the long-time variety, who were intrigued by the prospect of seeing the Invincible Thunderbolt in person after nearly a decade of relative anonymity. 
Most of the raucous viewing public had already gotten to their seats. Up in the VIP booth, Kaede sat, with Kanae looking down with her hands pressed against the glass. 
Behind the scenes, the students gathered around Ibuki. "Almost go time, hon. Just remember everything we worked on. You're gonna be a force out there." Barbara said. 
"Be relentless, and be smart. No second-guessing yourself. Remain focused on the moment." Carrie instructed. 
"Guys, I really appreciate it. Hope I can do y'all justice. For believing in me this long." Ibuki replied. 
"Just do to whoever's out there what you do to Shadows." Sahir stated. 
"Minus anything to do with a bow of light, of course." Kenneth added. 
"How's the costume feel?" Natalia asked. 
"You've got another satisfied customer, Natty. I can totally see myself knocking heads in this." Ibuki answered. 
She exhaled. "Okay. It's getting to be that time. Y'all should get to your seats. I'll be okay from here." 
"We believe it. Get at their ass. You're the alpha here. See you on the other side." Kat replied. 
The group proceeded out, but Ibuki stopped Kibō in his tracks. "For the record, I know why you've been so coy this week. It wouldn't do for you to give her opponent any pointers, would it? You really are a Mama's boy. So I hope you don't take it too hard when I hand her a first L." 
"...heh. I'll believe it when I see it." Kibō followed after the others. "Good luck. I know better than anyone that you're gonna need it." 
Now alone, Ibuki took another deep breath. She put a hand over her heart. Out of sight, an image had been stitched into that very spot on the inside of her costume. An image of Kaede holding Kanae. 
"Here we go." 
Kibō took his spot in a VIP booth, where his father already was. "Your friend ready?" Kabu asked. 
"She seems to think so. How's Mom looking?" Kibō asked back. 
"Heh. I haven't seen that look in her eyes in years. She lives for these kinds of moments. Don't know if that Ibuki girl really knows what she's in for." 
"Hm..." 
The rest of the students took their seats within the crowd. "Jeez, this place is bonkers! Feels like the roof could come down at any minute!" Natalia exclaimed. 
"I'm getting distinctive Anfield sensations from this crowd. Is all of this really for Kibō's mother?" Kenneth questioned. 
"Guess when she's as mega successful as she was, coming back after almost ten years is bound to put butts in seats." Kat replied. 
The lights in the arena dimmed, and a hush came over the crowd. "Oh dear. Now cometh the hour." Sakuya responded. 
The sound of thunder erupted from the loudspeakers. Then, a flash of light. Then, the thunder again. The cycle repeated itself three times, and with a final flash of light, Kyoko appeared in the middle of the ring. The crowd erupted. 
"Hiya, assholes! Did ya miss me?!" she bellowed out as the applause only increased. 
"I've been to London Derbies that weren't this loud!" Sahir exclaimed. 
"Somebody clearly has a flair for the dramatic." Carrie stated. 
Kyoko gestured for the crowd to turn up the decibels, cupping a hand next to her ear. She then gestured for them to tone it down. "Holy crap, I love being back. Y'all ready to see an ass-kicking?!" The crowd responded in kind. "That's what I love to hear. The last time I got to bash someone's face in, my youngest was yea high. Now he could probably pick me up if he felt like it!" She waved towards the booth above. "Hi, babyyyyy!" 
Kibō covered his face with his hood. "Seriously?" he groaned. 
"Okay! So, I know y'all gotta be curious. Who did I fetch to unleash the thunder on? Well I've got a nice surprise for everybody. Up on the chopping block is someone else wanting to make a comeback. A greenhorn that's got a hell of a lot to learn! And that little spark's name is--" 
"Chopping block?! Please!" a voice echoed out. "Only one person's gonna be served up with a side of tartar tonight, and that ain't gonna be me!" 
The entire arena glanced over to the source of the noise. Ibuki, covered by a red cape, appeared in the entrance. 
"Holy--isn't that Fireball Ibuki?!" one in the crowd questioned. 
"Ain't she the one that got booted out for abuse?" 
"She couldn't win a thing without playing dirty! Thunderbolt's gonna clean her clocks!" 
The crowd began to boo and jeer. 
"Hey, why are those meanies yelling at Auntie?!" Kanae questioned. 
Ignoring the crowd noise, Ibuki approached the ring. Once she'd gotten close enough, she leapt up and over the ropes, landing close to Kyoko. She rose up, and tossed aside her cape. Underneath that cape were red, flame pattern shorts, tank top and boots. "Fight for the happy ending" was written on the back of her tank top, while "FIREBALL" was printed on both legs of her shorts. She grasped her microphone. 
"Y'all wanna boo me? Go right ahead! You only ever knew the 'fake' me, anyway! Let me tell you all about who I am. I've been bouncing around my entire life, taking every hit this shitty world's thrown at me. The only one that's always given a real damn is sitting in that box up there. Boo as loud as ya want, she won't hear it, cuz our mom thought snorting coke while she was pregnant was a smart idea. We had to turn tricks and take beatings from assholes cuz the world decided that's the only way we could live." 
"So hate me as much as you want, cuz I turned into the thing I hated. I don't care. All I care about is giving that beautiful soul and the one she made a life we never had. That is who Fireball Ibuki is. I've taken life's worst and swung back every single time. I'm not crumbling against anyone. Not some angry crowd..." Ibuki stared down Kyoko. "Or you." 
Kyoko leaned against the rope, arms crossed and a smirk on her face. "Thanks for the sob story, matchstick. How 'bout you tell me how you're gonna pull that off?" 
"Same way as always. You're the strongest woman in the world. If I didn't have you to look up to, I might not be here right now. But I'm not here for idol worship. I've got things I've gotta fight for. You were invincible. But your time's over. If you're gonna stand in my way...I'll destroy you like everything else. Knock me down and I'll keep getting back up. Again, and again, and again, until I've crushed you. So what am I gonna do to you, Thunderbolt?" 
Ibuki's eyes intensified. "I'm gonna burn you to the ground...and toss your ashes into the wind!" 
Kyoko's grin likewise twisted up. "Heh...hehehehehe! You've still got guts, I'll give ya that! I love mouthy types that think they're all that! Ya know why?!" 
She tossed away her jacket, revealing the same black-and-white uniform she'd worn to the first gala months before, with "EMPRESS OF THUNDER" emblazoned on the back. The aura around her became menacing, as her own eyes seemed to darken. 
"Cuz I've never met the one that could back up the talk! It's a cruel, nasty world, little girl! You wanna get above the rest? You'll have to break the best! And I ain't been broken yet!" 
Ibuki took her stance. "Today's a good day for firsts, old lady!"
The two women charged towards each other and began to grapple. "Here, sweets. Let me give ya a little lift." Kyoko used her strength and lifted Ibuki into the air. Rather than succumb, Ibuki quickly corrected herself, turned around and landed on the older woman's shoulders, locking her legs around Kyoko's neck. 
"Don't look so uncomfortable, Thunderbolt. Most people like me showing a little leg." 
"Cute. Your one-liner game is up for it, at least. Jokes aren't gonna be what takes me out, though." Kyoko forcefully pried Ibuki's legs off of her, lifted her up by the legs, swung her around and tossed her into the ropes. Ibuki bounced off, flying back towards Kyoko, who elbowed her to the ground. The crowd became raucous once more, as Kaede winced at the impact. 
Ibuki began to get back up. Kyoko brought her boot down on her, only for the younger girl to roll out of the way. As soon as Kyoko planted her foot, Ibuki swept her leg, knocking the Thunderbolt off-balance. Ibuki then propelled herself upward, headbutting Kyoko and catapulting her to the ground. The crowd was stunned. 
Up in the VIP box, Kanae slapped the glass. "KICK HER FACE IN, AUNTIE!" 
"Dear God, she's actually holding her own." Max uttered. 
"The longer she lasts, the more she'll believe she can win." Sakuya stated. 
"Don't get cocky, Ibuki. Any sign of pride could be your downfall." Carrie mumbled under her breath. 
Kyoko shook off the hit. "Well well well, you got me on my butt. Wanna make a toast to that--huh?" 
Ibuki took the opportunity to tackle Kyoko and grab her in a vice-grip. "I'll celebrate when you're unconscious! I'm not letting you breathe for a single second!" 
"That's right, hold on nice and tight. Right where I wanted ya!" 
Kyoko sprung to her feet, Ibuki still hanging on to her, then drove the girl into the ground by slamming onto it herself. Kyoko then rolled off and got back up. Ibuki followed suit. 
"Really not gonna take the hint, are--" 
Kyoko couldn't finish her sentence before Ibuki came charging at her again, the former having to dodge as the latter continued to swipe at her. This became a cycle as the fight dragged on: Kyoko would knock Ibuki down, she would get right back up and immediately attack without a single word spoken. 
Kibō and Kabu both watched intently. "What the heck is going on...?" Kibō pondered. 
"Your mom's getting pressured for once, that's what." his father answered. 
"I can hardly tell...she looks like she's enjoying it." 
"Because she is enjoying it. She hasn't fought like this in years. Her last few fights, she'd complain that her opponents were all talk. It's no fun when they don't put up a fight. Your mom's in her element now. Curious that the Ibuki girl's keeping up like this." 
"Yeah..." 
Down in the ring, Kyoko held onto a battered Ibuki. "Lasting this long's no small feat...you could just walk away now and no one'd blame you." Kyoko suggested. 
"Like hell...I'm not walking out of here without laying you out...I've got things I need to see happen...and that'll only happen when I win..." Ibuki retorted. 
"Everyone's got their own shit to deal with...why keep taking this beating? 50,000 yen is still a lot to walk out of here with, there's no shame in--" 
"You think I've given you this much of a smacking just to give up at the last minute?! Hell no! What would that tell my fan club, that it's okay to pussy out as long as you get your money? Not in a million years!" 
"Tch...have it your way." 
Kyoko tossed Ibuki into the rope. The younger girl tried getting back up, but Kyoko instantly kicked her in the chest, crumpling her to the floor. 
"I can't watch..." Natalia covered her eyes. 
"C'mon, get up..." Kat urged. 
Ibuki grabbed onto the rope and slowly started hoisting herself up. 
"Seriously, are you out of your mind? You can barely stand!" Kyoko grabbed her. "If you're gonna keep this up, you're not giving me any choice!" She hoisted Ibuki up, tossing her onto the floor. 
A horrified Kaede got out of her seat. "Stop getting up, Ibuki! Stop hurting yourself over me, please!" she yelled out. 
"Mommy...?" Kanae uttered. 
Ibuki remained motionless on the ground. 
"Tch...you've got spunk, kid. Most would've quit when they realized who they were messing with. You just took the more painful way to get to the same spot. I didn't get my rep for no reason. I'll give ya credit for pushing me, but you're still way out of your league." Kyoko chided. 
She turned to walk out of the ring. "Well folks, I think we've seen everything we needed to--" 
"Not...yet..." 
"Huh?" 
Ibuki, with every last bit of strength she had left, was back on her feet, breathing heavily. "I haven't...beaten you senseless yet..." 
"Are you suicidal?! What's even making you move right now?" 
Kaede held her hands over her mouth, still terrified. Kanae, meanwhile, pounded the glass in excitement. "Auntie never quits! Auntie can beat anybody!" 
Invisible to all, Ibuki's eyes turned yellow, her voice distorting. "I'm fighting...for a happy ending...and no one's...gonna take that away...not addict parents, or deadbeat douchebags, or vampire cops...I decide for myself how my life's gonna go...and I decided before this even started...that I wasn't gonna lose!" 
She marched towards Kyoko. "Crazy little...get back!" She kicked Ibuki again, only now, the girl didn't budge. Startled, Kyoko tried several more attacks, none of which had any effect. "You've gotta be kidding!" 
She tried punching, and Ibuki caught her hand, grabbed her arm, flipped her over and slammed her down. She lifted her up, tossed her into one of the posts, and kicked her in the chest hard enough that it bent back momentarily. 
The crowd was in shock. Kabu's glasses nearly fell off. Kibō sat stunned. 
Kyoko, slumped against the post, coughed up blood. She smirked. She struggled back to her feet. "Pfeh, damn. Guess I really am getting old. Never thought I'd be on the receiving end...you're a scary lass. Glad I came out of retirement for one last hurrah. Thanks, girly. That was...fun..." 
She fell to her knees, and hit the floor. 
Everyone, from the crowd to the upper booths, was speechless. 
Ibuki glanced up to where her sister and niece were watching from. She gave a reassuring smile, and a strained thumbs-up. 
And with that, she, too, collapsed. 
--- 
January 20, 2030 
When she came to, Ibuki was no longer in the arena. There was no massive crowd, and Kyoko was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she was in her bed, bruises and bandages scattered about her body. "Ugh, owwww...my head...and my arms, and my back, and everything else..." 
Kaede entered the room, quickly moving to her sister's side upon seeing that she was awake. "Oh thank goodness! I was scared to death after you collapsed...how are you feeling?" she signed. 
"Like a dump truck and a bullet train just rammed into me from both sides..." Ibuki sat up. "What the hell happened?" 
Kaede tried holding back tears. "You won." 
"I...you wanna repeat that?" 
"You won! You won you won you won you won..." Kaede yelled. 
"Stop it, no I didn't. I couldn't have...how could I..." 
Kaede took out her phone, and presented an article. "Exhibition Stunner: Invincible Thunderbolt's Comeback Halted as Upstart Scores Shocking Knockout". 
"I...I did it? I actually...I did it?" 
"Look at this! Look, look..." Kaede pulled out a check, made out to her and Ibuki's joint account. It was signed by Kyoko. 
"A hundred and...fifty thousand yen? But that's..." 
"Her son came by a little while ago. He looked stunned. He said that Kyoko-sama said that she wants you to have the entire pot. She was that impressed by how you did. He said she actually seemed happy that she lost for once. She never cared about the money. She just wanted a good match." 
"Kyoko-sama...I can't believe this. Am I dreaming? I've gotta be dreaming..." 
Kaede wrapped her arms around Ibuki, being careful to avoid causing her pain. She started to sob. 
"Sis...I'm sorry if I scared you. I know you wanted me to tap out if it got bad...I just couldn't give up when I'd come so close. Especially with you and Kanae-chan watching..." Ibuki had a realization. "Hey, where's she hiding, anyway?" 
Kanae came bounding into the room. "Auntie's awake! Auntie's awake! Auntie kicked serious butt!" She hugged Ibuki's leg. 
"Bubblegum, be careful owowowowowowow!" Ibuki uttered. 
Just then, the sound of the door being knocked echoed. "Please don't let it be the paparazzi..." Ibuki uttered. 
Ibuki shuffled over to the couch in the living room, while Kaede answered the door. 
"Good day, Hinotama clan. How is the people's champion doing this morning?" Sakuya was at the door with her mother. 
"Ow ow and ow." Ibuki responded. 
"About what I'd expect after the show you put on." Lily said. 
"You watched it, Ms. Lily?" 
"Saku gave me the link, yeah. I thought Mrs. Ishimaru was terrifying, and she totally is, but you handled her like nobody's business. Never seen someone so stubborn before." 
Sakuya sat next to Ibuki. "How's the rest of the crew?" Ibuki asked. 
"They're all extremely proud of how you performed. Everyone was worried after you fainted, but I'm glad to see that those fears were for naught. Ishimaru-kun was..." 
"Stunned, right? I dunno how else he'd react to watching his mom lose. I'm still finding it hard to believe myself. Oh, yeah, you said you wanted to talk about something, didn't you?" 
"That's right. I wanted you to have a clear head going into the bout, and now that it's a celebratory mood, I think now is the right time. I told you before about the house my mother and I stayed in while my father held us captive. We still own the house. It's sat unoccupied for about eight years now." 
"We haven't had any intention of going back there. Way too many bad memories involved with that place. We were honestly planning on just leaving it there to rot." Lily continued. 
"But after hearing about how you'd planned on purchasing a house yourself, and how that changed after your public confession, I had an idea I bounced around. Me and my mother discussed it, and we think it would be best if a loving family moved in and expunged the bad memories and replaced them with good ones. So..." 
Ibuki grabbed Sakuya's hand. "Saku. Are you telling me what I think you're telling me? You would...just like that?" 
"It'd need a good cleaning and renovation, sure. That's something that'll take a hot minute." Lily said. 
"We would be more than willing to do those things. It's in a very good neighborhood, and it actually isn't that far from where Professor Kubo and Dr. Rose live. I know that Kanae-chan has taken a liking to Shizuka-chan, so I know she'll be excited to be closer to her. And it'll be much more convenient for you to be closer to us. Less money to spend on train rides." Sakuya added. 
Kaede nudged Ibuki. "What are they saying?" 
"They're...offering us their old house." Ibuki responded. 
Kaede put a hand over her mouth in shock. "You're really serious about this, Saku?" Ibuki asked. 
"I am. We still need to make it more hospitable for you all, so you'll need to stay here for a little while longer. But yes." Sakuya replied. 
"We're in a comfortable spot ourselves right now, so we'll be reasonable landlords. With enough care and love put into it, all the stuff we went through can be expunged from those walls." Lily added. 
"To be clear, we were planning on doing this regardless of how last night went. This is our gift to you. For being a beacon of strength and love who never let their circumstances detract them from seeking a better life. We promised that we would help you. And we fulfill our promises." 
Ibuki by this point was in tears, as was Kaede. "Saku...if every part of my body wasn't hurting right now, I'd be giving you such a hug. You guys have just been so good to us when I started out causing you trouble. I love you guys, so damn much...I can never thank you enough for this. Ow...damn it, I'm such a mess..." 
"It's okay. Would you still be willing to go to the hot springs with me? Natalia-chan's birthday is tomorrow so we're planning for a party later tonight, but I would love to have some relaxing time with you." 
"I'd love nothing more than that, Saku. You might have to help me along, though..." 
"Whatever you need. Mama, can you drive us over there?" 
"Absolutely. Just tell me when you're coming out, so I can sneak out of work. Gotta head out now, though." Lily replied. 
"Of course. Shall we?" 
"Yeah, just, give me one second..." Ibuki rose up. She motioned for her sister to hug her, and Kaede did so. 
For about a minute, they held each other in silence. Finally, Ibuki let go. "I'll be back later. Give bubblegum the news and a big hug from her Auntie. I love you both. This was all for you, you know that?" she signed. 
Kaede nodded. "It's for you two. Thank you for everything you do for her, and for me. I love you. Go have a relaxing day. You've earned it. I'll see you when you get home. Kanae-chan is going to be so happy." She grabbed Sakuya's hand. "Thank you. Thank you." she spoke. 
Sakuya bowed her head. "You're so very welcome. I'll take care of your sister. Let's get going." 
Ibuki left with Sakuya and her mother. Kaede sat back down on the couch. "Mommy?" Kanae entered. "Why are you crying? Where's Auntie?" 
Kaede grabbed her daughter and held her tight. For Fireball Ibuki, her heart and mind were in the clouds. She'd done what she'd long wanted to do. 
Her family could finally start moving forward. For the first time in a long time, she could believe that fairy tales were real.