Waking the following morning, the first thing she felt was pain. Everything ached, everything was on fire. But the pain seemed to subside when she realised that she had done it. She had won the Royal Rumble. And then her stomach lurched as she remembered what Vince had said. It wasn't even what he'd said, it was how he'd said it. It was like he knew what Hunter and Steph were up to, and that they had involved her in it. That he knew everything.
When she arrived at RAW the following day, she ached. But it was a good ache, an ace that stung from achievement. She was about to step in to the arena, aware the cameras were following her when she was stopped by two figures.
"So Feral. Enjoy that did you?" asked the first. Ceridwen smiled sweetly.
"Why Kurtis, that black eye didn't come from me, did it?" she asked with a saccharine edge to her voice. He snarled at her angrily.
"You are playing with fire, Feral." Said Paul Heyman, next to him.
"No, I don't play with fire. That would be him," she said, pointing to Kane as he came up behind them. "I run with wolves." She gave a laugh before heading past them as Kane glared at them both.
As she prepared to go on stage, to do what she had promised she would do, Ceridwen had to admit she felt nervous. Despite rehearsing with the guys all day, she still couldn't shake it. This was a step towards her dreams, but admittedly, it was one she never saw herself taking. Another Diva, perhaps, or some generations down the line, but never her. Her thoughts were distracted by the sound of footsteps.
"You ok, Feral?" asked a voice, and Ceridwen turned to see Randy Orton stood next to her. "You don't quite look yourself, if you know what I mean?"
"Yeah I know. I know what you mean. And that's because well, I'm not my old self. As for how I feel, well." She smiled at him. "To be honest Randy, I've never felt better." She returned, before heading out to the arena.
The crowds were going insane, chants of her name ran riot around the arena, signs everywhere bearing her name. She smiled as she spotted a sign near the ring that read "Feral – WWE Champion." She went over, and took the pen the fan offered, and signed it with "Damn right! Feral!" before heading up in to the ring. Triple H and Stephanie were waiting for her. Collecting a microphone, she paused a moment before speaking, allowing the crowds to have their say.
"Well, I can think of no better place to celebrate my Rumble Win than Orlando!" she said, grinning as the city erupted in to cheers. Ceridwen laughed and looked around at the crowds. "Well, you may remember, when I entered the rumble, I said I would be abdicating my title if I won." Ceridwen took the belt from round her waist. "It's no secret I hate pink and sparkly, so I won't miss it as much as it will miss me. I hereby declare this title is now vacant. As of this moment. I am no longer the Diva's champion." The crowds cheered as Ceridwen handed the belt to Stephanie.
"Wasn't there something else you said?" Triple H said.
"Oh yeah…silly me. I also, as of right now, announce my intention to face Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania for the WWE Championship." Ceridwen said, and the crowds went nuts. There was a pause, and out came not Brock Lesnar, like Ceridwen expected, but John Cena. He came down to the ring, and stood in front of Ceridwen, while Triple H and Steph got out and went backstage, Triple H telling her it wasn't their fight so they should leave.
"First of all, congratulations on winning the Rumble." He said, holding out a hand and Ceridwen took it, shaking it. "It was a tough night last night. You, and your fellow Diva's really pushed the boat out and took it to a whole new level. Bit unfortunate that Summer got carted off over the shoulder of Ryback….ah who am I kidding it was hilarious!" He said. "But all joking aside, you know that chasing Lesnar is my goal. I don't need someone stepping on my toes."
"Oh John, you're so naive!" she laughed. "You see, I get you have issues with Lesnar. It's cute in a way, all "He took my toy, I want it back". But you misunderstand. I don't want the person, I want the belt." Her voice hardened and she squared up to him, the crowds going insane. "And I'll do whatever I have to, and go through whoever I have to, to get it."
"That including me?" he asked.
"Got it in one, Sweet cheeks" Ceridwen said. "Unless I can…persuade…you to stay out of my way?" Ceridwen asked, running a finger down Johns chest. The crowds wolf whistled and cheered, as she pulled him towards her and kissed him, pulling away and raising her eyebrows in question when she was done. John smiled at her, going a little red in the cheeks as she fixed him with "Come hither" eyes.
"As attractive as you are…it's not enough to make me give up the chase, Feral." He said.
" No? Ah well." Ceridwen shrugged her shoulders and the flirting was gone instantly. "Then lets make this a warning. You don't get in my way, I won't get in yours. You can fight with Lesnar all you want, but that belt, that beautiful shiny gold belt, is mine for the taking." Ceridwen said. She then flashed him a smile and walked past him, getting out of the ring. She got halfway up to the stage, when John followed, and grabbed her by the arm.
"If you won't stay out of my way, I will make you stay out of my way," he said, before, much to Feral's surprise, scooping her up, hefting her over his shoulder, and carrying her out of the arena.
As they got to backstage, Ceridwen began to giggle and begged John to put her down.
"Cena! Put me down right now damn it!" she said amid laughter as Roman, Dean and Seth watched them pass.
"Nope. Not till I want to. Stop squirming." John laughed, and promptly began to walk towards the mens locker room. Ceridwen caught sight of the three men watching.
"Don't just stand there, help me!" she yelled as they walked off up the corridor.
"Should we?"
"Nah, Feral's big enough to look after herself." Roman said with a laugh as John insisted he was NOT putting her down any time soon, so she might as well stop squirming.
"What's Cena going to do to her?" asked Dean, as fainter yells of "Shield! Help me damn it!" echoed down the corridor.
"Dunk her in the showers?" suggested Seth. The three men began to laugh at the thought of Ceridwen being dumped in the showers and having them turned on over her head. "Has she spoken to either of you since last night?"
"Apart from a very faint "Thank you" as we walked out of the arena with her, no." Roman replied.
"This…this is not going to end well for her, is it?" Dean asked. Seth looked at his Shield brother, and felt, for the first time, a little bit sorry for him.
"No, Dean. It's not. Lesnar will destroy her. Lesnar will easily win the match, and everyone knows it. I think even she knows it, but won't admit it." Seth replied.
"I need to clear my head," he said, before walking off. Roman and Seth watched him go, Roman shaking his head.
"He's a fool." Roman said. "If he didn't want to keep his promise…all he had to do was say, rather than sit there heartbroken."
"Dean puts us before everyone, Roman, you know that. But the fact that Feral means that much to him to put himself through this…."
"I know. Perhaps there is a way we can at least spare Feral a beating." He said thoughtfully.
"I'm all ears, Roman. Tell me." Seth said.
After the show that night, Hunter and Steph were sat trying to figure out their next move. Despite not saying as much, both Hunter and Stephanie were certain that Vince was on to them, somehow. His words had been pretty direct. Hunter had hoped to speak to Ceridwen with Steph present, to go over their next move. So when the door knocked, Hunter was surprised to find Roman, Seth and Dean when he had been expecting Ceridwen.
"Guys? Come in, come in, what can we do for you?" Hunter asked, welcoming them in. He noticed they looked concerned as they entered, and he wondered if it was because of the same reasons he did.
"Well, Hunter, It's like this. I'm guessing you're pretty much having a heart attack at the thought of Ceridwen facing Lesnar, right?" Roman said as Hunter gestured to the seats in the office.
"You have no idea." Yep, it was for the same reason.
"You're pushing her hard, for whatever reason, and Lesnar right now is your road block. I have an idea."
"We're listening." Steph said, leaning on her arm in her chair.
"I was thinking this. We all know how much Lesnar likes to fight. Let's challenge him. Every week up till Mania, every RAW and Smackdown, we challenge him to a match for the belt. At best, someone else might win the belt. At worst, it wears him down for Ceridwen to have a good chance against him." Roman explained. Hunter scratched his chin.
"I like the idea. But how do we frame it to Lesnar?" He asked.
"Offer more money to give up his rematch clause. We all know how much he talks about lining his pockets instead of liking the fans." Dean said, as Roman and Seth paused, not sure what to say. "Ceridwen's health is worth a few thousand extra for his fight, right? And if we word it carefully to include every match up till Mania, he hasn't a leg to stand on. " There was agreement between them that this would be the best course of action, and they talked it over to draw up a list of who could fight for it, Roman suggesting he, Dean and Seth should go first as then whoever fought Ceridwen would be more aware of her limits. As they discussed it, raised voices were heard along the corridor, Ceridwen's voice being quite audible, almost as much as the second person's voice.
"Please, I beg you, reconsider!" It asked. "This could likely end your career!"
"At least I'll have gone out on a high!" She snapped back, the voices getting closer.
"What part of "This is a death wish!" do you not understand Feral?" The second voice snapped. "My client will end your career, he may even put you in a damn wheelchair! Do you really think this is a good idea?" There was a thumping on the door, and it opened to reveal Paul Heyman, looking more worried sick than angry, and Ceridwen, looking rather cross herself.
"Hunter, can you PLEASE tell Mr Heyman I know what I'm doing?" She asked, before frowning as she spotted her friends in the room.
"She does indeed know what she's doing Paul. But we could really use your help to ensure it isn't a career ending match at Wrestlemania." Hunter replied, walking over to his door as the pair came in, and closing it behind them.
"Why, does no one in this company believe I can do this?" Ceridwen asked aloud.
"We believe you can do this, Ceridwen, we do. But this is long term we're looking at here, remember?" Steph said, indicating their agreement with her tone of voice. Ceridwen paused and nodded.
"True." She said, before sitting on Dean's lap on purpose and ruffling his hair. He scowled at her. "What? There's no chairs!"
" Ok, what's the plan, and how do I help?" Paul said as Roman stood and let him have his chair.
Ceridwen had to hand it to the guys, she decided. Knowingly or not, they had helped her Steph and Hunter attain what they wanted. To make Ceridwen look good, in turn making Hunter look good and like he knew what he was doing. The offer of a little extra padding in his pockets had Brock readily accepting the idea of setting his rematch clause aside, and just as readily accepting the challengers to his throne. Fast Lane was a few weeks away, and to hype up the match between Ceridwen and Brock, she had been ringside as her friends on the roster tried to take his crown. Roman, Dean, Seth, Sheamus and Cody Rhodes had fallen before the man, and after each match he made a point of holding up the belt, showing it to her as if to dare her to come and take it. Personally, Ceridwen found herself hoping that the fights were slowly wearing him down. She'd spent an age trying to scout and prepare for him as it was, never mind the time remaining till Wrestlemania. John Cena was the man who was lucky, or unlucky enough depending on what way you looked at it, that would be taking Lesnar on.
Ceridwen and Cena arrived at the arena at the same time, John hailed her and came over as she got off her motorbike.
"Are you still seriously going for the belt at Mania, if Lesnar has it?" he asked.
"Yep. I've waited for a very, very long time for this. And even if I fail, the fact I won the rumble puts me in the running to be considered for it again in the future." Ceridwen replied as they walked in to the arena together.
"I'm not gonna lie, Ceridwen, there's a lot of people who'd think you're a fool for going against Lesnar. But, I'm not one of them." He paused to open a door for her as Ceridwen gave him a surprised glance.
"You're not? Why? Everyone else seems to think that's the case." She said with an arched eyebrow. John gave her a smile, the kind of smile that said he knew her too well, and was about to explain why.
"See, there's a few things I've noticed about you in the ring, Ceridwen. And one of them is that you don't make a rash decision. Which is what everyone, well, most people at least, seem to think is what's happening. You made a decision on the fly after being cornered, and now you have to stick to it. And I can tell it's not what's actually happened." He explained his line of thought as they walked.
"Very well assessed, John, well done." Ceridwen rewarded the man with a smile.
"And besides that…Feral means wild, an animal right? Worst thing happens, you turn heel, and smash the living crap out of him with a chair. Either way, it's a win-win with the crowds." John added, before he and Ceridwen laughed.
She watched that night as Lesnar and John went face to face, brawling in and out of the ring. At one point they were on the floor next to her. Ceridwen simply lifted her feet up and put them on the commentary table in order to keep them out of the way. But Lesnar won, and held his belt high as he stared down at Ceridwen. She stood up and stepped in the ring, watching the man and gestureing that she wanted the belt.
But it was alone backstage that she had her first moment of doubt. It was what she had wanted for so so long. To hold the most important belt in the business and be recognized as the best. But against Brock Lesnar? Was she really able to pull this off, or was it just another silly dream? And she had Steph and Hunter's relationship with Vince riding on this. If she couldn't do it, what damage would her failure do? Ceridwen chided herself on her thoughts. Failure was NOT an option.