The Rising Sun
by MistyInfinity
Chapter Two

The airport was filled with morning commuters, but with room to stretch your arms and swing them round, made it seem quite the opposite. Perhaps a metaphor for Reiko's life experiences. While it may seem like dozens of on lookers were impressed with Reiko's ring work, they were actually looking to see Kamikaze Rose's incarnation. Something Reiko is not. Something she always remembers. Eyes dimmed and head pointed inward, Reiko traversed the halls of the airport not even hearing the rolling wheels of her travel bag.

Today the morning sky was just as gray as the young woman's spirit with plasters of white marking the clouds. She rolled in her misery bringing back the kind hearted Reiko whose lips would not dare spill anything derogatory. She is human after all. This sadden state proves it. Reiko's typical attitude is that of prime nativity, always optimistic and over zealous. Courtesy is part of being a lady as she was taught through her mother's rearing, but no one can expect to be that way all the time. Wanting to smite a fellow who's well deserving of it is natural; Hurting those that wish to be hurtful.

Reiko glided to a set of red cushion seats to get comfortable for a while. It was time to check her airline tickets and see when her flight to Tokyo, Japan was ready for departure. From there it would just be a train ride to Yokohama – home. She sighed lightly as even that thought didn't bring her back to the high she was the previous day. Instant gratification usually does that to a person. And it did feel good attempting to put Dixie Clemets in her place. She had the audacity to tell Kamikaze Rose's daughter that she didn't have the ring prowess to surpass her own mother – and then insist she did herself. It didn't register well in Reiko's mind and the confusion set of an impulse to object.

It was one of those insistences where Reiko would think: What would mom had said? And in pondering that Reiko suddenly struck herself with even more woe. Kamikaze Rose was one of a kind and in this day in age, a rarity in the wrestling business. It couldn't be denied that she was a great Ring Technician and even better Ring General. Someone promoters of Sports Entertainment and general wrestling would pay any amount to have perform on their show. Though for something more relevant, Kamikaze was charismatic and charming. Kamikaze Rose was the Jackie Kennedy to her peers as well as other women athletes. She was always witty enough to not allow her opponents to rattle her and somehow managed to keep her ladylike demeanor when speaking to agitators. Her ability to remain calm and graceful made the job of kunoichi seem like cakewalk. It was so inhuman, so godly that it must be why she lies above in the heavens now. Kamikaze was too good a person to keep on earth, a crater of hell.

In another breath Reiko was beginning to feel shell shocked, almost gearing up to cry. It hurt so much to have to deal with the reality that Kamikaze Rose no longer existed. Its been ten long years since her death. That part of the past that holds the sweetest of endearing memories seemed to fade under the pretense that Kamikaze Rose just can't be a memory. You shouldn't have to hold on to the pain to relive the memory, but its the boundary through heaven and hell that toggles on whim. Sometimes people say "If I can only hear your voice one more time..." though the sound of the dearly departed's voice is the knife still plunged in your back. Fujiko had an accent similar to their mother's but to Reiko she may as well be a phantasm, for she too left for America and never came back. It's most likely the reason why her reality appears to be fading to black.

All around her is black and soundless, a space of no beginning and no ending – a stagnant reality. Time should stand still and allow Reiko to catch up. She shuts her eyes to relish in her imaginary illusion, holding herself and feeling her affliction as an emotion of epic portions began to invade in her world. It moves in moderation but she hasn't noticed it yet. Kamikaze Rose was no longer and so was the past. Fujiko too a phantasm, so no present. How could there be a future for Reiko? Mother, Fujiko, Reiko thought. What was tampering with her being? Was it a force of nature? The only thing that had a connection was the fact that both her past and present ended in America.

America. In the blackness at the edges came redness inching towards Reiko but her eyes were still shut and she was hung on the thought of "America". The muscles in her face contracted into an angry grimace. Reiko's defining match was up against an American, Aisha. She ridiculed Reiko in that match. Mother rolling around in her grave? Reiko thought as the redness fizzed and began to bubble oozing closer. Those words Aisha spewed at her were harsh and not only that, the hard hitting Shooter was destined to prove it. Cheap ass strikes, She thought making the redness rush faster. "Come on get up and dance!" Dumb ass comments. The only ounce of her world that was still black was the space just under her feet. She had completely filled this world with her hateful thinking and it was only a matter of time until...

"Reiko!"

A voice broke the barrier that was Reiko's imagination and she was right back at the airport where she started. Reiko was startled as she swung her head right side up and looked in the direction from which her name was called. Pulling her bag and looking a bit fanatic running to Reiko was Makoto Aihara, easily identified by her signature bow of surprisingly neutral colors.

"Makoto," Reiko said as Makoto rushed up bowing fast and barely trying to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?"

Reiko was still trying to catch up with being thrown back in the real world so soon but that statement allowed her to retain a look of surprise. "Yes? I'm fine," Reiko said with weary utters. "Why do you ask?"

Makoto gave out light exhales with her hand pressed to her chest. "Because you're crying."

"I'm crying?" Reiko felt the sides of her face that were moist from the tears she didn't know she produced. In seeing Makoto's frighten state, though she may be over exaggerating, Reiko quickly put on a facade of cheeriness with a soft smile. "I'm fine really." Makoto didn't seem to buy it, face stiffened with concern as she handed Reiko a tissue. Reiko accepted it and yet again tried to put on a front that she was happy. "You really don't need to worry me. Every thing's fine," Reiko said adding in a laugh that sounded more forced than natural.

Makoto answered with a smile that melted as soon as it appeared. She took a seat right next to Reiko situating her travel bag in front of her. "Sorry. I just never seen you cry before and thought something serious happened. You seem so tough out there in the ring."

Now Reiko could smile without faking it. "The general rule is to not cry until you get backstage but you seem pretty tough yourself."

Makoto's cheeks spawned a rosy hue as that put her in high spirits. "Thanks. That would probably make my grandfather happy at least."

"Your grandfather? I take it his opinion of you matters a lot."

Makoto nodded. "Yes! You see my grandfather was the one who trained me in Judo. So making my teacher proud does matter a great deal to me."

Reiko turned away feeling her mood drop slightly and nodded. "Yeah I can understand that."

Makoto tilted her head looking at Reiko curiously, having some thoughts on Reiko's sudden dejection that she wanted cleared. "Your mother trained you to wrestle right?"

"Me and my sister used to wrestle with her when we were younger," Reiko said. Thinking more of it refreshed her spirits a little. "We could never pin her though. Sometimes when we thought she was sleeping, we would try and pin her, but then found ourselves floating in air and giggling because she tricked us." A lovely thought that brought a lovely smile with it. "I did think she was half asleep sometimes."

"You must miss her a lot."

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry," Makoto retorted.

"Huh? You don't need to be sorry," Reiko responded out of confusion.

"It's just that I was stating the obvious and I have a habit of annoying people with the way I act. So I'm trying to change a little."

Reiko thought about it a little and felt some guilt of her own. "I don't think you need to change but if its about that "Miss" thing then I apologize. I was just a little embarrassed by you being so formal out here."

"I understand but I have some growing up to do," Makoto smile for spell then laxed into neutrality. "I feel awful about the things I said yesterday. I never felt so angry in my life."

"Yeah I too didn't mean any of the things I said but just felt the need to speak up. Even if that meant being disrespectful."

"But you know, I work hard on my Judo. I'm the top performer in my weight division and put days and nights into remaining that way. So my first loss to Aigle and then to that school girl really hurt. All the work I put into this felt like nothing especially given that the girl just completely denounced all of the principles I was taught and even my teacher. And no one disrespects my grandfather."

"I felt that way too with Dixie and the singer. Denouncing me was like denouncing my mother, because she was the one who taught me everything I knew. I wrestle in collegel too but that's besides the point. None of them had the right to say all the things they said to us. People expect so much of us for different reasons, when we screw up its just that much worse."

"That's just the way things are for us I suppose."

"It's unfair I think. If I had a chance of restarting my career free from the image of "Kamikaze Rose's daughter" I would give it go."

Makoto face lit up at the idea. "You can! We both can start from scratch!"

"How do you figure that?"

"Well we both lost in the Rumble Rose and tarnished whatever image people had of us in their minds. Coming back and starting anew should be a breeze!"

"You have a point," Reiko said thinking on it some more as she scratched her chin. "Are you saying we should reinvent ourselves?"

"Yup!"

Not that she should be but Reiko was surprised by Makoto's alacrity. "You seem to be much happier now."

Makoto had to let out a giggle to that covering her mouth with her hands. "I am! Something new is always exciting."

"I suppose your right."

"Unless you still want to be a jobber I understand that changing may not be your thing," Makoto said with a mischievous smirk.

Reiko was appalled. "I don't job to nobody!"

"Okay then!" Makoto cheered. "I guess that means our flights home are cancelled."

"Pretty much," Reiko laughed.

"Just one more thing though."

"What's that?"

"You really think those girls can't sing?"

Reiko burst into laughter remembering what she said in anger. "Well everybody can sing...they all just don't sound good."

"So what your saying is you wouldn't buy any of their albums?"

"Nope."

"Me neither," Makoto said as they both enjoy a laugh over their meanness.