Marked by a Moment

By: PhoenixJustice

Disclaimer: WWE owns gimmicks. Wrestlers own themselves. I only own this story.

Setting: March 20th, 2018. When we learn (for real) that Bryan has been cleared to wrestle.

Summary: He can almost hear it, as if it is sighing like a lover having waited for a long time for it's beloved to come back home.

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He exits out the door without a sound, save for the creak of the door as it closes behind him.

It's quiet as he walks through the back of the arena. He feels the eyes of people looking at him, as if they know what is going on (though they of course do not), but almost as if they did know something, or at least felt it, they don't talk to him or reach out to him as he makes his way deeper into the arena itself.

Everything has an almost blurred edge to it, in his eyes. He can barely take note of anything as he passes by them. If there is hustle and bustle, he doesn't see it. If there is music being played or people laughing or people talking, he doesn't hear it.

He stops, emotion catching in his throat, when he reaches an entranceway and stares forward, entranced.

This he can see in complete and clear focus. He can almost hear it, as if it is sighing like a lover having waited for a long time for it's beloved to come back home. Certainly, that's how he feels in this moment.

Trembling, he reaches it, a shaky hand moving forward. He had touched these ropes a thousand times, more even, after he had been forced to hang up his boots. But this was...this was special. Beyond that. He had no words for what this moment meant to him, now.

He steps up, moving between the ropes and into the ring itself. He moves to stand in the middle and stands there, still, looking up at everything for a long, long moment.

The arena was much like any other that he had ever been in. But for this? For this moment? It was Mecca to him. It was Valhalla. It was everything and anything he had ever wanted. This moment would be crystalized within him, forever. To remember this feeling, to...

He lets out a long breath, ignoring the wetness of tears on his face, and starts to run the ropes.

Back and forth. Back, forth, and back again.

Simple, easy. One of the most basic things you learn when you begin wrestling.

Back. Forth. Back again-

"Knee to Batista! Knee to Batista! Come on, Bryan! Come on, Bryan! Yes Lock! Come on, Daniel! Come on, Daniel! Tap out Batista! Tap out Batista!"

Forth-

"Batista's going to tap! He tapped! He did it!"

Back-

"The miracle kid! The miracle! A miracle on Bourbon Street!"

Forth-

"The winner of this match as a result of a submission...and NEW WWE World Heavyweight Champion...Daniel Bryan!"

Stop.

He stands in the middle of the ring once more.

And this time he doesn't ignore them. This time he lets the tears fall.

Thank you. Thank you. My life, my heart, my soul...thank you for giving me this back to me.

Thank you.

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A/N: Just a little piece I had to write, after hearing today about Bryan being cleared to wrestle again. I'm so, so happy. I'm so happy for HIM. I can only imagine how he feels right now.

I hope you enjoyed this!

Let me know what you thought!

-PhoenixJustice