Σlysiµm (Finale): Open the Gateway
Jun 22, 2023 23:18:15 GMT -5
Lissie Hope, Gerard Angelo, and 2 more like this
Post by Dionysus on Jun 22, 2023 23:18:15 GMT -5
The car came to a stop. We were back. Back at Appleby Pond. The place where I kept the memory of my father alive. But this time, I was not alone. "A peculiar place for a memorial, is it not?" asked Dr. Elbrook as he closed the driver-side door. "It is. I'm surprised you didn't ask me about that the last time you were here," I replied, taking in the scene around us. The hot air had dried out the prairie grass, leaving only the shores of the small lake green and lush with vibrant color and life. Off in the distance, I could see the clearing where my father's tree resides. Elbrook shrugged, crunching along through the grass as he commented, "It seemed important enough of a place that I dared not ask why." "My father grew up around here. Plainview, I think," I tried recalling exactly where he was from, but the information was lost to me. "I know my mother told me once at some point." I couldn't help but see how peaceful the lake was. Not a single boat or person in sight, just a still surface, with the occasional fish popping up briefly to catch a gnat flying near the surface. "When we would go on road trips when I was a kid, my father would insist on stopping off here to have a picnic lunch. We probably weren't supposed to be here, but nobody seemed to bother us." I brushed my hand across my forehead, clearing it of sweat; the combination of the heat and the hike was causing me to sweat more than normal, but we were nearing the entrance to the clearing. "This place...this place was important to him." "But I suppose...you did not make me drive you here to reminisce about him," Elbrook inquired. His footsteps quickened as he caught up with me. "I must admit, to have this particular meeting here, when my office is not far from-" "I read the file." My comment was brisk. It was meant to be firm and to cut him off. Even after Alastor had taken it and used it to show me the new path, I still felt guilty opening it. It seemed...forbidden somehow. I took a breath as my heartbeat quickened. "I know...what happened to my father." But when I turned to face him, all I could see was a face of understanding. Of someone who has listened to me pull my heart out of my chest and expose every part of me to him. There was no anger, no frustration. Just inquisition. Study. There was a pause as we stood at the threshold of the grotto. Then he asked, "And what has changed now that you know?" It was a question I had thought about for a long time. I felt confused at first...then empty. Hollow. But Alastor had been there. Ebb and Flow as well. They filled the void that was left with that revelation. I answered truthfully. "Nothing, doc. Nothing has changed. He was still not around before my knowing, and he is not here now." I turned to look at the giant maple that marked my father's memorial. "That is why I asked you to bring us here. The world has moved on from Hector Berget. It is time I did the same." I stepped through the thicket, near the base of the tree, and saw a familiar stone. Engraved into the face was the word Animo. The weather had not been kind; the engraving had rough edges and the O had expanded wider, almost devouring the M. But there was a certain beauty in the imperfection. Despite its struggles, the stone still survived. "That stone," Elbrook pointed at what I was holding. "Courage. I remember you telling me this, but not what it meant to you." I did not look up to see him; I only looked at the stone. "It was something my father had said to me once. 'It is easy to give up. But it takes courage to get up and keep fighting.' Those words stuck with me for such a long time. I built my life around those words." I looked out at the still lake, engrossed by the beauty of the sunset as it began to hide behind the bluffs. "For such a long time, I have done everything for everyone else. To help my mother with her medical needs. To work with a partner who only saw me as a means to an end. To give the fans one great match after another." "And in that time," Elbrook finished before I could, "You never gave yourself a chance to do something for yourself. And in that struggle, you feel you have suffered alone while others benefited." I nodded, accepting what I needed to for so long. I was then startled by a hand clasping my shoulder. Elbrook's hand. It was the first time he had given any kind of physical contact, handshakes aside. "But Dionysus...you are wrong. There are plenty of people who care about your goals and dreams. You have a family that loves you. Friends who want nothing but the best from you. Fans, presumably, that want to see more of you. To share in your triumphs and support you in your failures." I could feel him tense his fingers as his grip tightened on my shoulder, not to hurt but to comfort. "No matter what call you make...I know you will make the right choice for you." I turned to look back at Elbrook's face. A warm smile greeted me. My eyes felt hot as I held back my own tears. I could feel Elbrook's grip leave my shoulder. I looked down one more time at the stone that, to me, was the final anchor to my past. I looked out at the lake. And I dropped my arm back... ...throwing the stone toward the lake. As I watched, I could not help but see it fly in slow motion. As it did, memories began to flash in my head; sitting with my father and uncle Anton watching wrestling, the fateful night where I promised my father I would be a wrestler just like him, the day I saw him leave, Anton's arrest, the accident, the debt collectors. Then more rapidly; signing with WCF, the torment from Zero Tolerance, the warm embrace of The Brotherhood, standing triumphant with the Trilogy Cup and the World Championship. Signing with Action Wrestling, saving Downfall, the handshake that shaped a division, The Vanguard's reign...our split. My mother's marriage. And the vision of Elysium. The lake then appeared to look like a gateway as the stone broke the surface of the water, tinted purple from the last rays of sunset. A satisfying "ploop" came from the lake as the stone slipped through, now sinking to the bottom. While I did not throw the stone far, I know that I was not going to retrieve it. I sighed with relief and turned to face Elbrook, the tears flowing free, but my breathing was unencumbered. "I feel a lifetime's worth of weight off my shoulders, doc." Elbrook tilted his head to the side. "That would normally mean that my services are no longer needed." I shook my head. "No, Do-sorry. No, Jonas." He looked shocked at the use of his name. "I still need help. And if you are willing to continue...then so am I." Elbrook nodded in approval. "Very well. I will keep you on my schedule. You seem more determined now than I have ever seen you before." I grinned, looking at the maple tree behind us. "I felt a call that I needed to answer. And now that I have, there is work to be done." I started to walk back to the car, my conscience now clear. Elbrook only stood as I walked, shouting to me, "What work is that, Dionysus?" I turned back to face him, and said... "To spread the message." There are plenty of thoughts flowing through my mind as I face this challenge. You all know what those thoughts are. Will I choke again. Will I prove to be a failure once more. What hope does this man have, a man who has always stepped up to the plate, fights to his last breath...and walks away with nothing. But even amidst the doubts, there are the positive affirmations. You are on the right track. Momentum is on your side. You can do this. And with these two conflicting forces comes that storm of chaotic uncertainty, difficult to navigate to see where the ebb and flow of those waves can come from. For many, they simply ignore those elements, choosing instead to move in the direction that, at the time, suits them best. But not me. Not Dionysus. Every Evolution I do what I can to make my moments count, win or lose. Everyone back in those locker rooms know it. They simply choose not to admit it. In spite of my lack of success thus far, there is a comment I have started to hear more recently. "Dionysus, it is criminal that you have yet to become a champion." It speaks volumes to the work we all put in that I have yet to achieve this goal. And people would be bothered by the fact that this success has yet to reach them. But not me. Not Dionysus. In truth, I see the bigger picture. Am I currently in a drought in Action Wrestling? Yes. Will this drought be permanent? Barring an injury that could retire me or death, highly unlikely. Every opportunity I have had to chase for gold, I have stepped up and brought my best...even if that means my opponents brought better. I cannot control what my opponents are capable of doing. But I can defeat them. I will defeat them. Me, Dionysus. Putting people like Jessie Lee in their place is precisely why I do what I do. If you really think I can't cook, then your taste must be broken. Then again, given how you look like a discount dommy mommy and have all the stature of a wet spaghetti noodle, I really shouldn't be surprised. Let me ask you a serious question, Jessie. You were the first woman to win the Women's Title. Good for you. A reign that no one remembers, and you have done fuck all since then. An entire goddamn year of coasting on your one laurel, and nothing more. Or has it even been a year? I couldn't even tell you anymore; considering how many times I have seen you get booked, lose a match, then disappear, I sometimes wonder if you sign a contract per appearance. I may not measure up to the other legends in Action Wrestling's history, but at least when I have taken leave, it has been for a reason other than "I lost, boo hoo." You can talk about injuring me all you want; the best possible person for that job couldn't even manage that. You want me to be afraid of you, of just the threat of violence that you bring with you. And yet, last week, you couldn't even muster up a victory. I suppose that makes for one less opponent; I was able to fend you off, and now you will slink away when you inevitably lose. And yet, despite all that, I'm not even angry at you. I simply pity you. Because you have all of this untapped potential that you are wasting with your blustering and grand-standing. You could have been a champion many times over. And yet, you couldn't get the job done. And then you leave. But not me. Not Dionysus. Because even when I lose, I come back to fight again. I have represented myself as the standard that anyone who chooses to enter Action Wrestling should reach. Being able to defeat me is an accomplishment in and of itself. And yet, Joule Ortiz has yet to even manage that. Still green, still wet behind the ears, with all the brimming confidence of a competitor who has yet to have reality smack them in the face and tell them, "listen here, you little shit." Newsflash, Joule; this particular character runs into Action Wrestling quite a few times. Rarely do they have the bite to back up their bark. You want to really know what sets them apart from the rest? They bring more than an attitude; indeed, they bring a soul to the kind of competitor they want to be. A workhorse, a powerhouse, even a comedic bend to their actions and words. But they have it. All you have is a name that has had more ties than wins since you began. And Evolution will teach you the most important lesson you can possibly learn in this business: that your ascension to stardom is not going to be as easy as it seems. There are three other competitors in this match just as hungry as you, and we will do everything we can to rip you to pieces if it means we are fed in the end. Some of them might even be desperate. But not me. Not Dionysus. Desperation simply is not my style. When I work with others, whether it was The Brotherhood, The Vanguard, or even with Elysium now, it is for mutual benefit. We supplement our strengths while building up our weaknesses. So when I say I put in the work to maintain the longest tag team championship record in history, I mean it. All Jonny Cedrone can manage to maintain is keeping a running tally of the number of allies he still has in his corner. Yes, our illustrious current placeholder champion managed to get the drop on Mr. Freedom after Havoc and sneak out the win. Congratulations on being closest to the stage entrance and taking advantage of the situation. But then again, that is the story of your career, isn't it? A hardcore title you only secured through shenanigans involving the fallout of Philidor. Piggybacking on King Shit to win the Trios Tournament. It is entirely happenstance that you even maintain a career as it stands. And yet you are concerned that because Elysium is in my corner, I would go out of my way to have them interfere? If I win, it is on my own. If I lose, it is on my own. Your focus should not be on them...and yet, it still is. Because you are afraid of the potential threat that they carry. But not me. Not Dionysus. Not even one month since their arrival, and they are the only concern you three have. When I am the one that presents the clear and present danger to all of your successes. To stuff Joule before she can even begin. To knock Jessie back to pulling the curtain. To dethrone Cedrone and watch him "nice guy" his way back to the title picture somehow. I have played the role of the kindly mentor for too long now. I gave up so much of my life for others, and to what end? Now comes the true trials. The hard lessons that only I can teach to the rest of the world. And Elysium will be beside me, providing them comfort when they seek us out. You all will need that comfort by the time Evolution is finished. But not me. NOT DIONYSUS. |