I don't plan on delaying this story much as I usually do. Both you and I want to see how this great arc continues. Let's go there!
Bubble Guppies Fanfic
Bubble Guppies Adult Years
Chapter 26: Tournament of Honor (Part 4)
"You will never be able to defeat me!"
"There are things that don't change"
"You could never defeat me, you can't and you never will"
Those voices came from the head of a stunned and knocked out Oona. However, this dream didn't last long, as she began to open her eyes little by little. She felt like she was somewhere else. It seemed like she was in another medical room similar to the one Molly was in, but it was closer to the arena. She began to see the light blurry and began to hear more understandable and recognizable voices.
"Ugghhh…Ughh…."
"She finally opened her eyes! What a relief!" Deema said relieved.
"That hit must have really hurt" Urchin commented.
"Oona is a strong girl...I knew she would resist" Zooli added with confidence.
"Ughh Hmmm…G-Guys…." Oona was recovering a bit. But her body started to hurt her "Ughh"
"Don't push yourself too hard, Oona. It could turn out worse" Her uncle was there, trying to take care of her.
"Don't tell me...Have I already lost the tournament?" Oona asked weakly.
"Not yet. Technically, you have a few minutes left to be able to return to the arena. Otherwise, you will be deemed "unfit to continue" and Yoko will be the champion" Goby explained the situation.
"So...what am I waiting for here? I have to go out and...AGGHH!" Oona was trying very hard to get up, but she was in severe pain.
"Honey, please stop...We must know when our limit is...and...you have already reached yours" Toki Shaskan tried to calm her down.
"You don't understand...I have to get out of here and fight this last round…" The Asian girl tried to get up with difficulty.
"Stop it, Oona... You've already done too much in this tournament. Your performance was excellent" Her uncle tried to convince her to finish her participation in the tournament.
"Yes, no one is forcing you to continue. You are already very hurt" Goby said worriedly.
"I don't want to keep watching your cousin hurt my best friends. First Molly and now you…" Deema was sad about this situation.
"Guys, please...Don't try to stop me. I must...I must keep my promise to Molly. I won't let her down"
"Please, you must think this through clearly...Molly will understand, just as you understood her" Urchin commented.
"Honey, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. Not to the audience, not to your friends, not to me, not even to Yoko. You must know when to fight and when not to. Do you remember that lesson?" Toki said quietly. There was silence in the room. Oona just looked down and started to sob. The other guppies could see her reaction.
"You're wrong, uncle. I...I...(sniff) I have to prove to myself...that I can overcome my fear...(sniff) I spent years avoiding my past (sniff) I spent years fearing Yoko because I knew how cruel and evil she was to me (sniff) I know she hates me for no reason and she always made me afraid of her (sniff) That's why I want to fight her and win...I want to prove to myself...that I'm not the same cowardly and weak girl I was before...Not to prove anything to Yoko, but to prove to myself...(sniff) That I don't plan on being a victim of the past anymore...No more! I want to leave this tournament without fear! Without fear of trauma! Without fear of pain! Without fear of Yoko!" Oona said that through tears and clutching her chest remembering all those thoughts that tormented her. The other guppies understood that this tournament goes beyond the prize for their friend. They were able to find out about her history with Yoko. At that moment, they didn't want to comment on anything. It was there that they noticed something impressive "Uncle Toki…."
"Y-Yeah, Oona?" He asked.
"...Did you bring your briefcase here?" Oona asked weakly. The rest of the guppies didn't understand her plan.
"I never go out without it, darling. Why? Wait...Don't tell me..." He was realizing her plan.
"Uncle Toki, please use your oriental medicinal techniques to get me out of here…" Oona said seriously.
"Wait what?!" The other guppies didn't understand what she was talking about.
"Oona...those healing techniques can be risky. They should only be used in real emergencies..." He denied at first.
"This is an emergency...I must defeat her...Please...Do it" Oona said weakly. The old man thought about it for a bit. A few seconds of silence passed before he gave an answer. He simply stood up, took his briefcase and opened it. Revealing unconventional items. It had many herbs, oils, incense, leaves and other substances. He began to cover his hands with leaves before getting ready.
"Very well. Oona, do not forget that these methods are not very orthodox. This will take away your pain and cure you temporarily. So you must defeat her quickly. Otherwise, your pain will double for the worse. You will do this at your own risk. Do you accept it or not? Once inside there is no turning back" Toki explained to her.
"This is...allowed?" Urchin asked nervously.
"It's allowed. It's just that not many people do it...or they don't do it right. So, do you still want to try? Oona, this will be your only chance" Her uncle warned her. Oona was silent for several seconds. She looked at the time and knew that she had little time left. Besides, she was determined to defeat Yoko to regain her honor. Oona simply nodded and lay down on the table for her uncle to begin the healing procedure with his unique techniques "Vey well…" Toki began mixing some herbs and oils to start creating an improvised cream and he began to apply it on her skin where she had been hit and began to massage strongly to control the swollen areas. Oona lightly bit her lip to hold back her scream, but it took a few minutes for her to start feeling better. The traditional medicine helped her relax the damaged areas and now she felt as if she had not been hit.
"Wow!" The other guppies were surprised.
"Ughh….I feel better…" Oona slowly got up from the stretcher to recover and prepared to fight Yoko in the final round.
"Traditional Eastern Medicine is...amazing. It is beyond our Western knowledge" Urchin recognized.
"They are just secrets of nature. However, I don't do miracles either. It's just a relaxant so Oona can fight a little longer. She must defeat her quickly before the effect wears off. Tell me, Oona... Are you ready?" Toki asked her one last time.
"Hmmm…Im ready!" Oona said determinedly. His uncle simply bowed and they both decided to quickly head to the combat arena. It seemed like they were going to face the last round. The other guppies were on their way to the stands.
"Do you think Oona can defeat her?" Goby asked his friends.
"I trust that she will be able to beat her in this round...We know her true potential" Zooli commented.
"By the way...does anyone know where Nonny is?" Urchin asked worriedly.
"Urchin is right! We haven't seen Nonners since the last round...He wasn't even with us when Oona was hurt" Deema asked surprisedly.
Some minutes ago
"Oona 2 - Yoko 2! Yoko tied the score, but we believe she left Oona very injured. The doctors took her away to verify that she is stable" William Starman narrated the fight. We know that Oona fell to Yoko and the paramedics had to carry her away. Yoko simply took the opportunity to drink water and catch her breath. She went with her fellow Black Scorpions and her Master.
"That was an excellent job" Mio congratulated her.
"Although I'm a little disappointed that it took you a while to tie the score…" Shion commented.
"Don't underestimate Oona. She's very strong...and I was able to confirm it" Kai defended his own girlfriend.
"Your performance is still good...Although I expected better from you, my best student...You should have finished her off once and for all. She shouldn't have won those rounds against you..." Master Sasaki scolded her.
"What are you worried about? I just have to crush her in this last round... well, if she manages to get up from this round" Yoko defended herself.
"Tsk Tsk….I'd rather not take any chances... Ahem! Kai, Shion, Mio... Go find Oona and crush her. Make sure she can't get back up... Sure, use your disguises" Master Sasaki ordered with a sinister tone of voice.
"But master...Oona is already weak...I'm sure she won't get up. Why go to such extre-?!" Kai responded trying not to be so brutal. But that only earned the boy a slap across the face from the sensei. It was a bit harsh and even left a mark on his face "UGHH!"
"What have I taught you about questioning your master? Why do you doubt it?" Master Sasaki questioned him. Kai just rubbed his face in pain. He thought about answering him, but all he did was kneel before him. Shion and Mio bowed in silence "I like that...Don't contradict me. Did you forget what I taught you: "...Without mercy, without fear. This is the path of the Black Scorpion" I don't have to remind you, do I? Very well" The sensei said seriously.
"..."...Without mercy, without fear. This is the path of the Black Scorpion" Shion and Mio answered at the same time.
"This…is…the path of the Black Scorpion" Kai said with a bit of pain for the slap.
"Be thankful I didn't use my fist. Now, go and finish Oona off. May she never walk again!" The lobster man ordered. Kai, Shion and Mio obeyed and left without saying more.
"Master...why are you doing this? You know perfectly well that I must be the one to crush Oona! I want to crush her with my rules! I don't need your intervention!" Yoko said angrily until Master Sasaki smirked a bit.
"This isn't about you seeking revenge against Oona. This is about me seeking to surpass Toki Shaskan. We're seeking the pride of the Black Scorpions, using whatever it takes" The lobster man said.
"Cheater! I want to crush her by my rules! You want her to believe that I can only beat her by playing dirty?!" Yoko said bothered.
"Don't forget your position, student. You only obey my interests... Just as I must obey the interests of the "big fish". Do you want them to take it out on me and, therefore, on you? No? Then you do your thing and I'll do mine... understood?" Master Sasaki said very seriously. Yoko simply snorted in annoyance and had no choice but to obey his order.
Kai, Shion, and Mio decided to change into balaclavas and another black ninja-like uniform to avoid being identified as members of the Black Scorpions. They were prepared to carry out the attack, since they managed to locate where Oona was. They searched for an empty hallway until someone stood in front of them.
"You guys should stop right now"
"Huh?!" The three masked men noticed an adult guppy with blue reading glasses and orange hair.
"Get off, boy! We don't want to crush you" Masked Kai said, trying to be someone else.
"You don't have to lie to me. I know who you are. You are the Black Scorpions who want to sabotage Oona. I won't allow it" Nonny said bravely.
"Wait a minute... You're Oona's boyfriend!" Shion said surprisedly.
"Actually….fiance" Nonny corrected.
"Whatever! He found out about us" Mio answered nervously.
"Nevermind. We'll just squash him like an ant. I mean, he can't fight and look at his scrawny body. Whatever, girls, leave it to me. I wanna have some fun...and take out some frustration on him" Kai said with a smirk.
"As you wish, but quickly!" Shion said.
"I'm not going to let you pass...I'm not one to use force...but with you, words are useless. So…Here I go" Nonny said seriously before trying to get into a defensive stance, learning from what he's seen from his partner. But it didn't last long, as Kai quickly managed to take him down with a couple of punches "Ahh!"
"What's up, four eyes? Too fast for you? Oh no, poor thing" Kai decided to hit him again. Nonny was able to get up weakly. He could barely stand. Kai was enjoying having fun with his opponent, so he hit him a couple of times to knock him down again. Nonny was not very resistant and those blows left him badly hurt.
"You've had your fun, idiot... Now let's get to the goal" Shion reminded him.
"Bah! What's the point of defeating my opponent if I can't enjoy it!" Yelling that, he landed a direct blow to Nonny's stomach, causing him to scream and fall to his knees, trying to recover from the pain.
"AAAAAGHHH!" Nonny screamed.
"Hey, Kai...Don't you think you're going too far?" Mio tried to calm him.
"Don't tell me you forgot what we were taught?: Without mercy, without fear" Kai said evilly.
"Yeah…but we do it against opponents we fight...He's just a boy trying to defend Oona, even if he can't. Just a few hits were enough" The youngest twin tried to convince him.
"Bah! You better shut up before I tell our sensei. Just a couple more hits!" Kai thought about hitting him once more.
"(Grrrr Seriously...I can't...defend Oona...my beloved...my girlfriend...my future wife...What kind of man am I?!)" Nonny thought about that before receiving the next blow. However, something unexpected changed. Nonny felt agitated and stressed by the situation, and that triggered an involuntary reaction. His heart raced again. And when Kai punched him, Nonny managed to safely grab the fist, surprising the Black Scorpions.
"But what-?!" Kai was shocked, like the twins.
"Grrrr...I'm...I'm fed up...Oona is the one who has always defended me from bullies...So…So why...Why can't I do the same with her? I'M FED UP!" Nonny screamed in anger. Something weird happened to our favorite orange-haired boy. His veins turned green again and stood out. His eyes turned red and he started to squeeze Kai's hand brutally.
"AAAAGHHHH! HELP!" Kai started to beg for mercy. The twins noticed that Nonny was going too far, so they both tried to hit him. But Nonny let go of Kai, leaving him on the ground in pain, and decided to fight them. For some reason, his reaction not only changed his appearance of green veins and red eyes, his speed and strength increased! The twins had the advantage of knowing how to fight and he didn't, but Nonny was furious of always being "the boy in trouble", "the submissive and weak boy", so he used his new strength to put the girls in line. He didn't care about anything, he just wanted to make them give up, leave or fall defeated, whichever came first. Shion and Mio knew how to fight well together. The duo was better at fighting together, but even that wasn't enough to take down Nonny in his new berserk mode. He knocked them down and hit them. Kai tried to hit him from behind in a sneaky way, but Nonny discovered him and grabbed him and slammed him against the wall.
"What the hell is that?!" Mio asked scaredy.
"Ugh! I have no idea, but we better get going!" Shion proposed the retreat.
"Are you crazy? Sensei will be upset…ugh…" Kai said weakly.
"I'd rather face the wrath of the master than face the wrath of this boy!" Shion replied.
"Let's get out of here before we turn into mush!" Mio said scaredly.
"W-Wait! Wait for me!" Kai fled after them, escaping Nonny's wrath.
"GRRRRRR COME BACK, IDIOTS! I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU-YOU...YOU...I...ughhh...ugghhh" Unexpectedly, Nonny fell to the ground exhausted and gasping for air. He noticed how his veins returned to normal as well as his eyes, but his muscles now ached and burned "Ughhh…Ughhh….What happened?"
Back to the Present
It seemed that the final round of the Martial Arts Tournament finals was about to begin. The spectators were eager to see the outcome of the final battle. The commentators returned to continue their work. Everyone noticed that Yoko was the only fighter who had actually shown up at the arena. The referee waited for the next fighter to appear.
"And returning after an unexpected break, we return to narrate the final of the Martial Arts Tournament. The scoreboard indicates a result of 2-2. Therefore, this will be the fight that will define the champion" William Starman narrated.
"That's right! Although it is worrying that it is about to begin and the fighter Oona has not returned" Mr. Grouper commented.
"I'm sure that last round left Oona badly hurt. If she doesn't show up in the next few seconds, she'll be disqualified and the champion will be Yoko Shaskan of the Black Scorpions" William Starman explained. That caused a bit of concern in the crowd and Master Sasaki smiled slightly, thinking that his plan was a success. Yoko remained calm waiting for her rival, although she felt uncomfortable, knowing that it was possible that her teammates and boyfriend would do something to her cousin. I mean, she wanted to hurt her personally. After a few tense seconds, the referee was going to declare Oona disqualified for inability to continue. However, the crowd screamed with excitement when they saw Oona coming out of one of the booths with her mentor Toki. The girl decided to go to the arena to face her older cousin for the last time.
"Oona! Oona! Oona!" The audience shouted excitedly.
"Amazing! Oona Shaskan seems to have recovered from her injuries and is ready to face the final round!" The starfish said loudly and he was surprised.
"And here we have Oona Shaskan from Sakura Leaf. Who of the two will take the victory? This will be the duel that will determine it" Mr. Grouper added. Although everyone was happy, Sasaki clenched his fists in annoyance. He knew his students had failed him. Meanwhile, the two fighting guppies decided to bow before beginning their final duel.
"I'm surprised you're still standing...Well, I'll make sure to knock you down again. As if that's hard" Yoko said with a smirk before preparing herself for the battle.
"I'm not going to hold back, cousin. No more" Oona said seriously.
"Oh ho ho! So you will finally show your true nature" She mocked her cousin.
"I will only do what is necessary. What I should have done a long time ago" The purple-haired guppy said before the start of the last round.
"Begin!" The referee gave the order and the match began!
Finally, the final duel began. Oona Shaskan, from Sakura Leaf vs. Yoko Shaskan, from Black Scorpions! Both girls began to fight hard. This time, both were looking to eliminate the other intensely. Either by knocking her down or knocking the other out of the arena. Although the most notable thing was that they were looking to defeat each other in the duel directly. Yoko continued with her insatiable aggression, as she sought to destroy her as she did with Molly or with her in the last round. However, it would not be so easy anymore, since Oona was more attentive and began to be more aggressive-defensive. The purple-haired girl was aware that she had to defeat her soon, or else the medicinal effect could disappear and leave her extremely vulnerable. Something that Yoko would wish for. Both attacked with everything, but they couldn't get each other down. Either due to excellent reflexes or efficient blocks. Both began to opt for more offensive and collided several times.
"Grrr….I must admit, Oona...You are stronger than I expected. Admirable, this forces me to use everything I have" Yoko said, trying to scare her.
"How strange. I thought this was all you had. And that's good to know, I'm still holding back" Oona answered seriously. Yoko felt surprised and slightly scared to hear that. The timid and submissive Oona she knew was gone. Still, she hid her fear.
"Hehe…W-Well….Let's stop playing...It's time for them to see blood now!" Yoko said aggressively and began to strike with her fists and tail without any mercy. However, Oona only dodged and blocked quickly. This made Yoko desperate. Her offensive style didn't seem to have any effect.
"Wow! This is incredible! I've never seen Oona like this!" Deema said surprisingly.
"Yes, I always knew she had things up her sleeve. And it's amazing to see them" Finally Nonny arrived with his friends, although he walked a little slowly and held his arm in a little pain.
"Dude, what happened to you?" Goby asked worriedly.
"I'm fine...I just fell on some stairs...That hurt. But they told me I'm fine" Nonny hid the true reasons for his wounds "But don't worry about me... What about Oona?"
"You have to see it for yourself, Nonny. She's doing amazing. I've never seen that defensive style before. It's like she's not affected by what Yoko does or says" Zooli commented.
"Hehehe….She's finally using it" Toki smirked a bit. The others did not understand it at first. The duel was not over yet.
"I don't understand! Fall and lose for once!" Yoko was slowly losing her mind. How was it possible that she was using everything she had and Oona could still hold on and dodge?
"You just want to crush me for revenge. My reasons for defeating you are greater. Not only to keep my promise to my friend, but to face you and stop being afraid of you. And you know something? I'm not afraid of you anymore, Yoko...No more" Oona said seriously. That serious and slightly cold tone worried Yoko "Before all this ends now, I want to ask you something simple: Why do you hate me? Just answer me that and we'll be done with this" Oona asked frankly while keeping her guard up. This caused anger in Yoko. She just trembled a little and clenched her teeth and hands.
"Let me make this f*cking clear once and for all: I hate you, Oona Shaskan!..." Yoko unleashed her anger against Oona and began to attack her insatiably, seeking to destroy her guard in the most relentless ways possible with combos of blows "I hate you for everything you did to me!"
"And what did I do?" Oona asked quietly.
"Grrrr! Your biggest mistake was moving to Japan with us! Because of you, you stole my father's attention! You were the favorite cousin, the favorite niece! Everyone loved you! Dad saw you as a daughter, as if YOU were his daughter! AND ME?! IT WAS HE WHO IMPOSED DISCIPLINE ON ME TO INCREASE HIS HONOR! IT WAS HE WHO MADE ME TRAIN HARD UNTIL MY BONES BROKE! I DID EVERYTHING TO GIVE HIM HONOR AND PRIDE, BUT THE SON OF A BITCH ONLY HAD EYES FOR YOU?! I DID EVERYTHING SO THAT FATHER WOULD BE PROUD OF ME! BUT NO! HE IGNORE HIS OWN DAUGHTER TO GIVE ATTENTION TO YOU! WELL! I WILL PROVE TO FATHER AND EVERYONE IN THIS DAMN PLACE WHO THE TRUE PRODIGY IS!" Yoko began to attack mercilessly, seeking to destroy Oona's guard. She had to stay alert, the healing effect was starting to wear off "After your incident, Father became disillusioned with me. I lost his approval and honor. He was thinking of kicking me out of the Sakura Leaf. However, I left on my own. Master Sasaki had seen my potential and gave me all the support and attention that my father never gave me. It was the best option! There I learned that this bullshit about inner peace, honor and pacifism is useless! It's just the beliefs of weak people! Anger, without mercy, is the true power! And I will prove it here and now!" Finally, Yoko broke through Oona's block and landed a couple of strong attacks, managing to push her away. Oona quickly recovered before she could leave the permitted area outside the arena. Thus, she was saved from elimination, although she felt beaten. The medicine was beginning to lose its healing factor.
"Ugh! Agh!" Oona said weakly.
"Wait...is that true?" Urchin asked surprisedly. Toki simply lowered his gaze, ashamed, confirming her version of the story.
"This is how I like to see you, Oona: defeated and at my feet. That way I'll show everyone who's better. Tell me, how do you want me to defeat you? Do you want me to break you like I did with your friend? Hahaha you know? I plan on making you much worse than that" Yoko was out of control and wanted to get even with Oona. However, she didn't expect Oona to get up and was able to hit her in the stomach with her palms, forcing her back and leaving her without air "UGH! H-H-How dare you?!"
"Who said you beat me? Ughhh...Now it's my turn..." Oona said seriously and decided to carry out her counterattack! Yoko only thought about finishing her off quickly, but the younger cousin began to move with grace, elegance and calmness to evade the attacks and in response, Oona began to give her quick blows, forcing her to retreat.
"What the f*ck?! How come you DON'T FALL, DAMN IT?" Yoko screamed with fury without being able to know where the blows were coming from.
"A peaceful mind is more powerful than a mind filled with anger and hate. Don't you understand? I don't want to defeat you for mere pride, I just want to defeat my fear of you. You fight for yourself, I fight for myself and Molly. That's what makes us different" Oona showed determination and calmness when starting to counterattack, different emotions than Yoko's.
"I don't know what's going on, but it's amazing!" Deema said happily.
"Finally, she is getting it. The power of serenity in the face of aggression" Toki said quietly.
"You can do it, Oona!" Zooli shouted happily.
"You have the advantage. Don't back down any further!" Urchin supported her.
"You can do it!" Nonny said loudly. For the first time, he shouted with emotion. Something not very common from him.
"Amazing! She looks like a warrior from a movie!" Gil said as he and Molly watched the battle broadcast from the medical room. Well, one of the guppies was recording the fight on a video call.
"Come on, Oona!" Molly supported her from her medical stretcher.
"Don't give up, Yoko!" Kai tried to support his girlfriend.
"Crush her!" Shion and Mio shouted.
"AAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Yoko began to fight with everything she had, even though she had fallen into Oona's trap.
"Don't you understand? You've fallen right into the trap... yourself. You let your anger out on me, leaving you more tired for this part of the duel. Why do you think I let you beat me for so long? Now, you're going to meet the real Oona Shaskan" Oona said in a calm but serious tone. Yoko couldn't stand this anymore and started destroying her with punches. However, now she didn't land a single blow. While Yoko showed anger, she noticed how Oona looked relaxed and even started to fight with her eyes closed.
"….I will stand firm like the mountain, even though the storm hits me…" Oona began to recite the most important phrase of the Sakura Leaf dojo while elegantly dodging Yoko's attacks.
"...My peace of mind will dominate over aggression…..Like the mountain immovable before the wind…Light as a petal, but strong as a warrior…." Oona continued to repeat while dodging and hitting Yoko constantly and unpredictably. So much so that she no longer knew when she was going to be hit.
"You're doing well. Don't stop now" Toki said quietly.
"...Seek peace, not war. Exercise justice, not revenge…." Oona continued to attack. Now she was the one who dominated the fight. She backed away a little and began to prepare for a special maneuver.
"FINISH HER, YOKO! DESTROY HER ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Master Sasaki had lost his patience and did not accept the defeat of his best apprentice.
"GET HER OUT OF THE ARENA!" Kai, Shion and Mio shouted in support of their partner.
"GO, OONA, GO!" The Bubble Guppies screamed at the same time.
"GRRRRRRRRAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Yoko had already reached her limit and launched her while performing the last maneuver of the battle. Ready to force her out of the arena. However, Oona saw her and knew that she was doing exactly what she wanted. Oona, with an elegant movement, performed a couple of somersaults and when Yoko was in her sights, the purple-haired girl used her tail to give her a final kick.
"...This is the path….of the Sakura Leaf!" Saying that, Oona finally delivered a powerful kick with her tail right to Yoko's abdomen. The force and speed were so powerful that it sent Yoko flying and she fell heavily injured and out of the combat arena!
"AWESOME! THAT WAS THE DRAGON'S TAIL! ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL TECHNIQUES! OONA 3 - YOKO 2! OONA SHASKAN FROM SAKURA LEAF DOJO IS THE NEW MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT CHAMPION!" William Starman shouted with joy as he announced the victory of the new champion. Everyone began to shout with joy celebrating Oona's victory!
"YAY OONA!" All the Bubble Guppies screamed happily! Oona finally relaxed and felt at peace seeing that she was able to defeat the person who had scared her for years. Although she already started to feel pain because the medicine wore off, I think the dopamine that the victory generated made her able to endure more. Although she should have gone for the prize, she decided to go help her cousin who was still on the ground, growling and hitting the ground furiously.
"Grrrrr! Okay, you beat me... Now what do you want? Laugh at me?!" Yoko asked angrily.
"No, I'm not like you... Come on, it was a great fight. The best I've had in many years... Just like old times" Oona extended her hand to help her.
"What?! You want to...help me...even after hearing that I hate you?" Yoko was shocked.
"I know, you hate me...But that doesn't mean the feeling is mutual" Oona gave her a tiny smile.
"Pffff….How come you don't hate me?! I gave you the beating of your life...I left you with traumas...I left you with scars for life…" The older cousin asked weakly.
"The scars remain...But should I really feed that resentment or fear? No, it is better and brave to face those feelings and leave them behind. Those wounds and fears...did not define who I am. I decide what to do with that...I hope you do the same...and I am so sorry for everything that happened to you...I want you to know that we are family...and I want..." Oona said wisely until she felt Yoko push her hand away and she stood up on her own while grabbing her sore arm.
"Just shut up! You're not going to lecture me or show off your f*cking morals! The damage is done. But let me make it clear to you with this: This won't be the last time you hear from me. This is just the beginning" Yoko screamed in anger and decided to turn her back and slowly retreat in pain. Oona wanted to stop her, but she knew that Yoko wouldn't listen to her in that state. She simply sighed and went straight to the arena to be rewarded for the victory.
The small award ceremony began. Some important senseis from the other dojos and the narrators would be in charge of presenting her with the awards. Mr. Grouper was the one who gave her the champion medal. And she was surprised to see who was going to present her with the trophy.
"I was hoping you would win the tournament, Oona"
"Hank!" Oona was surprised.
"Since we fought, I saw that you were a different fighter. And I decided to stay to see the rest of the tournament even though I was eliminated. So I supported you from the audience and I'm glad that you were the champion. Here, you deserve it" Hank showed his sportsmanship by willingly handing the trophy to Oona.
"Thanks, you're very sweet" Oona said happily.
"It is part of my honor as a warrior" Hank bowed goodbye to her. She returned the gesture as a sign of respect. Finally, the Bubble Guppies and Toki reunited with Oona.
"You did well, Oona. I'm proud of you" Toki said quietly.
"...Thanks, uncle. But I think you can celebrate with me later. I think you should do something before then" Oona said with a quite serious tone of voice. She discreetly looked over to where Yoko was leaving in defeat. Her uncle understood what she was trying to say. He gave a small sigh and went off to find his own daughter.
"Where is he going?" Nonny asked her.
"(sigh) I'm not the only one who has to face the past and fix things now" Oona commented wisely. Just as she faced her past, her uncle must do the same.
"But why the long faces?! It's time to celebrate! Oona is the champion!" Deema changed the topic quickly.
"Yes, you did it!" Goby said proudly.
"I knew you could do this!" Zooli added.
"Well, I have to thank you and my uncle for everything. I wouldn't have been able to win the tournament... and even better, I wouldn't have been able to face Yoko without all of your help" Oona admitted.
"Something great about all this is that you also won the all-inclusive trip to Japan for two people" Urchin reminded.
You're right... Sounds like a great idea for our honeymoon, doesn't it, Nonny?" Oona smiled at him with lovely eyes.
"Yeah…You're right. That would help us a lot with our budget. It's possible that...we'll get married earlier than planned" Nonny commented objectively and optimistically.
"R-R-Really!" Oona asked happily. Nonny just smiled and nodded "Owwww! This day was better than I expected!" She hugged and kissed her future husband.
"Hey guys...How about we visit Molly and Gil and celebrate together?" Goby proposed.
"Sounds perfect! We need to give them the news in person" Zooli said.
"Although I'm sure they already know. I was in charge of making sure they watch the final battle via video call... Although I think it ended when Oona won. Well, we still have to celebrate with them!" Deema said before everyone decided to leave to celebrate Oona's victory. Although our favorite Asian girl was happy to win the tournament and fulfill her promise to Molly, she was happier to finally face her trauma and emerge victorious by defeating Yoko. Although a part of her was hurt by Yoko's past. She built up a deep hatred for Toki's mistake. She hoped that her cousin could overcome that pain, like she did.
We have finally closed this great arc. With a great final battle and opening up some possibilities for other events in the future. I really liked this arc, because I was inspired by some martial arts works, especially "Karate Kid", although maybe it is a bit obvious. It was really enjoyable to write.
As you know, please leave your reviews to know your opinions and comments about this chapter. I will respond to the reviews of the previous chapter.
SuperSonichero18: Hello! I can't do it? Of course I can leave a cliffhanger like that! Muahahahaha! (joke) But I hope the wait was worth it.
GojiRaptor06: Hello, pal! Of course, this saga is still alive and will continue for a long time. Oona's past actually turned out to be sadder and more intriguing than it seems. We finally got to see the final battle between Oona and Yoko. But will this be the last we hear of Yoko?
PrimroseRaspberry: Hi there! Yoko really hates her and now we know why. I hope you enjoyed our dear Oona.
RainbowFoxy1987: Hello there! The last chapter was really intense. Yoko has become despicable, although now we know more about her (and we will know more). Finally Oona fulfilled her mission satisfactorily, although there are still many things ahead. I'm glad you liked this arc.
To end this chapter I have two pieces of news (both new and old):
1- I invite you to join and follow my Deviantart page called: DarthWriter2021. Here I am uploading extra material for the Teen/Adult Years lore such as an information series called "The Seer Files". Besides that, I am working on another project on that page with an artist. This little project is called "The Geek Clique" which are short stories about a group of unique friends. This would officially be my first work with unique characters of my own. So for those who want, you can visit my Deviantart.
2- Don't forget that I'm currently working on an awesome crossover story with BGTY and GojiRaptor06's Molly The Ice Princess. The next chapter will be coming soon. Don't miss it!
And that's all from me. ReaderandWriter9000 says goodbye and I'll see you in the next chapter of this story or my other stories.
Post-Chapter
"Yoko, you are a complete disappointment!" We found ourselves in a hallway inside the same center where the tournament was held. But there were only the Black Scorpions. Yoko was on her knees due to the weakness caused by Oona's blows. The one who spoke to her sternly was Master Sasaki. Kai, Shion and Mio just watched without saying anything.
"Grrrrr!" Yoko growled in annoyance.
"You are a disgrace. You should have beaten her to put the name of the dojo and my name on top. But no! You lost to our greatest rival" Master Sasaki said angrily "I expected failure from them, but not from you" He mentioned his other appendices.
"Pffff! I am a disgrace? Look who's talking! You want to get Oona out in the most deceitful way possible! I wanted to finish her off with my own hands. But you only wanted to defend your ego" Yoko defended herself.
"Do you dare to answer me?!" Master Sasaki approached her and was prepared to slap her. She couldn't fight back because she was weak. But when he raised his hand against her, someone grabbed the wrist of his hand, stopping him "Huh?!"
"Leave her alone, Sasaki...You don't even deserve the title of master" It was Toki Shaskan! Oona's uncle, Yoko's father. Yoko was shocked. Kai, Shion and Mio thought of defending their master, but he denied it.
"Ugh….Ugh…." He complained of pain and Toki let him go. Sasaki touched his sore wrist "Grrrr…..There is no need to fight here. It would not be worth it...Let's go" In a cowardly manner, Master Sasaki retreated with his students to avoid conflict with Toki. The adult guppy knelt down to help his daughter.
"Are you okay, Yoko?" He offered his hand to help her, but she was able to get up on her own.
"Hmpt. Now you care about me after ten years" Yoko said with a grumpy tone of voice.
"I just wanted to know that you were okay. We haven't talked in a while" Toki said quietly.
"It's not like you wanted it. Why don't you celebrate with your favorite niece Oona? She's the champion, not me" She crossed her arms.
"Yoko...please...I want you to listen to me. I just...wanted the best for you. Since your mother died, I had to take care of you and the dojo at the same time. And what happened with Oona was unexpected. Oona entered a hard stage where she lost her friends and she lacked a father figure. I wanted her to be able to have something that you already had. I just wanted to take care of her because at that time she was having a hard time. What I didn't think is that that pride would blind me and I would neglect you. I think I focused too much on Oona because she was the daughter of my only sister. But...I want you to know something...Even though Oona is my pride...I will always be proud of you...Of the strong woman you became...and everything you have achieved...without me...But, I was too blinded and I couldn't see it until recently...Yoko...my daughter...I...I...I am so sorry...so so sorry" Toki explained his motives and finally apologized with his daughter. The girl thought about these words a lot and put them in. However, it was not enough.
"Hmpt…..Don't you think it's too late, old man? The damage has already been done. I was able to survive these past few years thanks to Master Sasaki and his teachings. And the Black Scorpions are my new family" Yoko started to leave him alone and she was going with her teammates.
"Sasaki is power-mad, violent and merciless. Please, they are not good for you... You can... go back home. To your real home" Toki offered her. She just turned to look at him angrily.
"It's too late to teach me, don't you think? As far as I'm concerned, I don't have a father" And saying that hurtful sentence, she left, leaving Toki with enormous remorse and regret. She finally left the event hall and did not expect that someone was already waiting for her.
"I don't think anyone told you this, but... I congratulate you for reaching the final" Her faithful boyfriend Kai was there greeting her with a bottle of water.
"Shut up! You're just saying that out of pity" Yoko said bothered.
"Of course not. It's really not easy to reach a final. Look at me, I lost in the semi-final. Yoko... sometimes we have to accept when we win and when we lose. I mean, you won many tournaments in a row. At some point you were going to fail. And that's okay, it's part of the life of a warrior... That's why I don't take seriously the perfectionism that Master Sasaki wants to impose" Kai comforted her.
"Idiot….Now Oona doesn't see me as a threat...I deserve revenge...but in a scenario without rules" Yoko said bothered and with revenge desires.
"But for now...why don't we go eat with the twins and celebrate a little to forget about these bad moments?" Kai said with a smirk.
"The party will have to wait, Kai" Master Sasaki said seriously as he had the twins escort him. Kai took courage and stood between his girlfriend and the sensei "Get rid of your protective boyfriend instinct, Kai...I don't plan on doing anything to you both...I just want to remind you that we're going back home...to start "a new job"..." Master Sasaki said ominously. All four members of the Black Scorpions knew exactly what it was about. Let's just say that they don't just work in a dojo.