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Learning to Walk Again

By: Sinead

 

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Chapter Three

 

 

It was me against Fang. My hands were bandaged tightly under my gauntlets, but strangely, I didn’t feel the scars pulling or tearing slightly, as I usually did. Talon/Jett and I had fought numerous times in the garden, on a stone square, that was the official size of twenty feet by twenty feet. Actually, it was made up of more than thirty different stones, with the seams barely noticeable. We had beaten each other multiple times.

 

Fang snickered. “Come on, girlie. I know you’re weak!”

 

To prove him wrong, I leapt up, and came down as fast and as hard as I could with the flat of my blade on his right shoulder. His eyes popped wide, and he dropped his sword. A dent as wide as my hand was imprinted an inch deep upon the shoulder-plate. He stumbled to his knees, and looked up at me incredulously. I glared back at him, and raised the sword-tip to his throat. He sighed. “I submit.”

 

I backed away, and was let out, while others helped Fang up and out of the arena. I looked up at the board that showed who was fighting who, and who had defeated who. There were thirty-two fighters in the arena, split into three “platoons” of eight, usually. That didn’t matter, as we were competing individually for who would represent the arena in the state competition. I was in the final battle, to decide who would fight in the state finals.

 

My opponent . . . Talon.

 

He stood behind me, as I felt his movement. “Well. Looks like we get to fight after all, eh, Kedakai?”

 

I nodded once, and we walked apart, to our separate rooms. Mom was there, with some salve, as well as fresh bandages. I pulled my helmet off, as well as the armor for my hands and forearms. She took the bandages off of my hands, and rubbed the salve into the scars. For good measure, as well as in good humor, she also rubbed some into the scar on my cheek.

 

The bell rung, for the five-minute warning, and my mother helped me strap everything on again. She also followed me out, as she had watched my previous battles on a TV set. I had asked her to do so, since I knew that when she was protecting me, she made my ferocity in the arena seem like a kitten’s mewls. Her swordsmanship was without flaw, and she had helped me with a few of the harder positions, when my normal trainer was unavailable.

 

I walked into the central arena, and into the square. The chain-link fence door was closed and locked behind me, after I entered. Talon was directly across from me. Our eyes locked, and I remembered the conversation we had the day before, while resting from a practice. Ito-chan, Itosugi Kedamono, had been sitting with us, after stretching and exercising his once-broken leg. He was secretly getting back into shape for fighting, all the while telling the media that he was uncertain about his future, so he wasn’t lying about what he was doing.

 

 

“I won’t fight you tomorrow, Alessa.”

 

“Jett, don’t you start. I don’t want you to make yourself lose. You’re better than that.”

 

He shook his head. “I know. But if we meet in the finals, I will not fight you. I don’t want to hurt you unintentionally.”

 

I looked up at him, as he stood. “If you don’t fight me naturally, I will give you a reason. I don’t want to hurt you, if you’re only going to stand there.”

 

He hadn’t answered, as he walked out, leaving me alone with Ito-chan. The Japanese young man looked to me, then said, “You can’t stop the wind from blowing, Kedakai.” He smiled, and added, “Just as you cannot stop his actions, nor his thinking, Are-chan. I know you wish to fight him formally, but let him do as he will.”

 

 

He stood there, and I watched him. I didn’t want to risk revealing my identity to the fighters. Talon walked forward, to the center of the square. “Well, Kedakai? Well? What I said I would do, I will. I won’t fight you. What are you going to do, Kedakai? Hm? Are you going to give me a reason to fight you?”

 

I looked down, and to one side. I didn’t want to fight him, either. He’s like a brother to me. I couldn’t hurt him.

 

I looked back up, and then walked closer to him, until we were in arm’s-length distance. His dark brown eyes glinted at me through his helmet. Before I could lay my sword at his feet, showing that I would not fight him, he knelt, and did that exact move to me. I backed a step away, then bowed my head, and nodded once, as he removed his helmet. The fighters, on the floor of the arena, and the spectators, who were in the grandstands, were silent. Then, a yell of warning rose up, and I looked over Talon, to see Fang climbing over the top of the fence. His helmet was off, and a crazy grin was upon his face.

 

His sword descended as fast as he fell, and I grabbed Talon, and pulled him to my right, sending him rolling across the floor.

 

The blade cut through my helmet, just missing my left eye, and crossed my previous scar.

 

 

As if in a dream, I heard some part of me stop, freeze, then grip at some surface. Others were around me, and looked at me. I had been telling them something . . . of what I don’t know. My hand reached up to touch the place where I had been cut. It wasn’t there physically, but the pain . . . the pain of the scrape was.

 

 

I just about threw Talon out of the way, as an open-handed swipe from his left hand connected with my right cheek. As he pulled his hand away, and as I backed up, three feet from the fencing, I saw blood on his gauntlet. He held up his hand, and I saw three spikes on it, as sharp, if not sharper than, the sword he carried.

 

 

“I must go to her! You do not understand!”

 

“Calm down! She’s handled herself before you met her! The incident at the Pavilion was just that, and nothing more!”

 

“You–”

 

“’Ey! Leave ’im alone, Fearless Leaduh! It was your idea in da first place, ta help ’er like we did! Da Lizard did what he had to, because he felt da most comfortable around ’er, den da rest of us. I don’ think dat even he knows why! He was da first to her side, when she fell, even before ’er mother. True, she’s handled herself, an’ all dat, but she’s only eighteen. ’Ya can’t expect everything ta go da way ’ya plan!”

 

I looked at the shorter person, but his face was fuzzy in my anger. Three more bright pinpoints of pain appeared across my right cheek, dragging down, following the curve of my jaw. I wanted . . . no . . . I needed to be there!

 

 

I shook my head, and then flipped up, over Fang, and landing, and running over to Talon’s helmet, then flung it over to its owner. His sword soon followed, and I wiped some blood off of my armor, flinging it to the floor in contempt. Fang snickered. “Not fair, that you have a helmet, and I do not have mine. Do you not agree, Kedakai?”

 

I heard Itosugi’s growl of annoyance as well as outrage from behind me. A cane had replaced the crutches over these weeks. The judges were silent. They let us make our own decisions on our own. However, I had seen one press a button . . . a silent alarm. Security, the most ruthless fighters they could find, as well as the most talented and those who lived by honor truly, would soon get here. But would “soon” be quick enough?

 

I backed a few paces back, and then sighed. That other part of me, that I had seen twice, was watching me. How this was possible, I don’t know. But he . . . he?!

 

Yes. It was a he, a male. I was sure of it now.

 

Hmph. I’ll talk to Mom about this, if I survive.

 

I pulled my helmet free, releasing only the chin straps, and ripping the buckle-leather apart, that held it to the metal collar I wore. It landed behind me, and I reached for my sword. Fang was trembling in shock. “You . . . you’re a girl?! But . . .”

 

I held my sword in a defensive position, and growled. “Only a girl?”

 

“And . . . that whelp that I had hit on!”

 

“You’re rather perceptive, now aren’t you? Come on, then Fang, let’s have it! Are you going to refuse to fight me, now that I’m revealing who I truly am? Or are you going to act like you aren’t?”

 

He lowered his sword, then attacked me, hoping to catch me off-guard. I dodged as well as I could, blocking his thrusts, defending myself carefully, as my head was unprotected, and that was what he was aiming for. Blood dripped whenever my head moved, and I said, “Forgive me, Fang.”

 

I hit his chin in a sweeping punch as hard as I could.

 

He dropped like a rock.

 

The judges as well as a medical team ran into the arena. At least fifteen security fighters, all in armor, piled upon Fang, who was beginning to actually starting to come around, five seconds after the blow was exchanged. I sat, and let a medic help clean me up. “Do you mind stitches?”

 

“I’m sure she does,” a calm voice said. I looked over the medic’s head, and saw . . .

 

“Holy . . . why, by heaven above, do I have the feeling of deja vu?” I asked.

 

He smiled kindly. “You’ll see.”

 

Mom appeared by his left side, Talon with her, and I said, “Everything’s happening so fast.”

 

She helped me stand, while the medics pretty much taped my cuts shut, and I was lead to my room, being protected from flashing cameras, as well as reporters trying ask me questions. We reached the room, and I looked at the person who I had the feeling of deja vu around. He smiled, and I asked, “What is going on?”

 

He shook his head, and replied, “We have no time to waste, Alessa. You have to come back to the Pavilion as fast as you can. Someone’s mere existence relies upon you alone.”

 

I looked at him, while Ito-chan sighed. “Customs for arena fighting, are that if you don’t show up for receiving the award, then you’re kicked out of the arena. That, and she’s just admitted that she’s female, and not a male, as everyone has thought she had been ever since her career started. So who is this person you’re talking about?”

 

He shook his head, not going to tell, when my mother said, “My daughter’s fiancé.” I looked at her in shock, and she blinked at me calmly. “Alessa, I said that you’d meet him soon, and I’m sorry that I hadn’t told you more about him, but you must try to understand, daughter, that it was for the best.”

 

I nodded, and looked at my reflection, seeing the blood still trickling slowly from the wounds. With a wince, I tried mopping it up as best as I could, without widening the wounds. “Will I have these stitched, or what?”

 

“What,” he said. With a sigh, he walked out of the room.

 

I looked at the closed door, and said, “Well, he’s not exactly how I had pictured him . . . but he seems really distressed.”

 

My mother said nothing, and I looked to Talon, who had ran in, and slammed the door after him. He turned to face me, and I sighed. He put his hands on my shoulders, gently turning my face to angle into the light, so he could look at the cuts. When the Maximal had entered again, we were already yelling at each other.

 

“I told you not to do that!”

 

“You seemed perfectly content to allow me to surrender!”

 

“You surrender?!” I yelled. “Bull! I was going to surrender! That was the only way that I could have seen!”

 

“I would never have allowed you to give up like that! You’re too much of a great warrior, Alessa!”

 

“Then you should have at least started to fight me, then allowed me to win, if all you were going to do was give me the victory!”

 

A hand touched my shoulder, and I glared at Talon once, before turning. “Yes?”

 

“He’s said that he can wait a few minutes longer,” Optimus Primal said. “But you should hurry.”

 

I nodded, and said, “Thank you.”

 

Ito-chan sighed, and leaned upon my shoulder. “How about that? And the ceremony is in under a minute, too.”

 

I yelped, scurried around, and then grabbed Talon’s hand, practically dragging him out into the hall. When we reached the third- and fourth-place winners, I let his hand go, but he held onto mine, as he pulled me closer, saying, “Can’t you understand? Just a little?”

 

Brute and Fear looked at me oddly, but I ignored them. With a sigh, I said, “But I didn’t want you to give up, Talon. You’re better than that, and we both know that. When I was recovering, when I was retraining, we both knew that.”

“So you weren’t training on your own, huh,” Fear said. “Figures. You always could whip my butt, no matter what.”

 

I chuckled, and replied, “Yeah, but I would have been a fair target to anyone who wanted to kill me, on the day I was attacked.”

 

“Did you fight back?” Brute asked, his helmet pinned gently between his side and elbow as he inspected a dagger, smiling, completely at ease with who I was.

 

I sighed, and shook my head. “She was on steroids, as well as PCP. She was three times as fast, and at least five times as strong as I am on my peak days. Was there any way that I could win? I tried, and I managed to defend myself.”

 

“How deep was the gash on your chest?”

 

I shook my head again. “Pretty deep. It nicked my ribs somewhat deeply, and I was bleeding heavily. Left a massive scar, and I know that the bones are only finishing healing now.”

 

“How many blood transfusions?” Fear asked, apparently liking the fact that I was talking. He wasn’t all that bad, when it came down to it.

 

“Four. Maybe five. I don’t remember. I think that they kept me drugged up.” I snorted, and grinned. “Although . . . that would explain a lot, now . . .”

 

They laughed, and Brute was announced as the fourth-place. He had originally been fifth, since Fang would have been fourth. He had scored three points less than Fear, while Fear had vanquished Brute. Before he went out into the arena, Brute smiled at me. “You know, I always had suspected that you were a girl. As well as revealing herself to be the tomboy that I have classes with at school, no doubt. Who knew that I was right for once? Welcome to the gang, Kedakai.”

 

I bowed in return, and he walked out, amid yells of congratulations and praise. Fear chuckled. “So, eh-heh . . . you gonna hold it against me if I call you ‘boy’ now?”

 

With a laugh, I shook my head. “I’ll just pound you into the ground, Fear! I’ve done so before!”

 

He grinned wildly, was announced, and left. Talon looked down at me. “You know, I really am jealous of whoever you’ve been betrothed to. Aren’t you mad about your mom making a decision for you, without your permission, since you’re now fully of age? Can’t you declare the marriage-to-be null? I mean, this isn’t the Medieval ages, Ales. It’s twenty-sixty-three.”

 

I shook my head. “I trust Mom fully, and I respect her judgements. She’s everything that I would like to be to my own children, if I ever have them, someday. And if someone needs me this badly, I’d be in debt. I can’t give up.”

 

He touched my shoulder, and I looked up at him. His eyes were sad. “I would give anything to be that man right now, you know that?”

 

I nodded, but heard footsteps, and decided that it would be a bad idea to touch him. His hand left my shoulder, as he was announced. His eyes were starting to become wet, and I said, “Meet me at the Pavilion on Monday. That’s my day off. We’ll talk then, okay?”

 

He nodded, and entered the arena, a smile already pasted upon his face. Girls screamed for him, demanding that they marry him, that they love him, etc. It got nauseating after a while. Especially, when you have girls actually asking me to marry them! That was one raunchy sleep-over, when my friends first heard of that, I can assure you.

 

“Now, for the regional champion, Kedakai!”

 

I walked out, thinking that it would be dead silent, but . . .

 

But he crowds were barely containing themselves. They were absolutely wild with yells of boys yelling out that they loved me, that girls were cheering me on, telling me that I was better than all of the rest of the fighters . . . I looked around at them, and smiled, bowing to all four sections of the stands. They cried out encouragement, for me to heal fast, for me to get back into the ring. I closed my eyes, and then opened them, feeling tears start to fall. I drew my sword, and raised it in tribute to the people, silently thanking them. There were no words for the extent of gratitude that they hadn’t rejected me.

 

Silly, isn’t it?

 

Not really.

 

I heard the announcers actually commenting on my tears, wondering what they were from, why I was shedding them. I looked up at them, and bowed, still smiling. They started arguing over which one I had smiled at, and the crowd laughed, as I smiled.

 

I walked up to the person who presented the medals to the winners, and bowed, letting her place it around my neck. She smiled at me, and whispered, “My daughter always liked you, and has always wanted to be an arena fighter, but they didn’t accept girl fighters.”

 

I smiled, and replied, “They do now.”

 

It was announced that there was going to be a new part added into the competition: There would be a group of the top four fighters of an arena, pitted against another group of four from another arena. All armor was also going to be provided by the foundation, so we wouldn’t have to worry about spending money upon that. It would be based upon our normal armor, but would be re-used, melted down, after all was said and done.

 

The actual president of the foundation walked up to us, and handed me my helmet, saying, “You did well, Kedakai. I’ve been told that your nickname means ‘noble,’ as well, in Japanese. You certainly did live up to it today, and I wish you and your team the best of luck in the Regional Finals.”

 

We bowed, and reporters took his place. I looked over their heads, and met my mother’s gaze. She frowned, and nodded once. I looked to Talon, and said, “I’ve gotta split.”

 

“Yeah, but the media . . . ?”

 

Fear and Brute grinned up at me, and started talking to a group of reporters, demonstrating moves. Talon joined them, as did I, for three, but I quietly left, and ran into the room, stripping my armor off as fast as I could. Ten minutes later, I was on the highway, nearing the Pavilion. Fifteen minutes revealed that we were in the store’s parking lot, and twenty found us in the Pavilion itself.

 

There were four Maximals outside my room. I recognized them as Cheetor, Silverbolt, Airazor, and Tigatron. They looked up at me as I entered, and I looked at the door. “Who’s in my room?”

 

“Rhinox, Rattrap, and Dinobot,” Cheetor replied, his face lighting up the moment he saw me. “Do ’ya remember me?”

 

I blinked, sighed, and said, “Not yet. But I’m sure that I will soon.”

 

He nodded, and I touched the door, as if testing what lay beyond it. My mother put her hand on my shoulder, and I opened the door, and entered the room, closing it behind me, quickly, before I could turn and run. I was almost afraid of what lay beyond the sliding wooden-and-paper door.

 

On a makeshift bed, lay Dinobot.

 

It couldn’t be.

 

But it was.