Forgiveness or Vengeance?

[Drago Cesar]

An unknown figure is seen throwing hands at a punching bag with the occasional kick. The camera pans out and the lighting shifts toward the figure to reveal Terra Daturas hammering away at the bag, at what seems to be a gym in an undisclosed location.

 

???: I so happy to see you, Terra. I cannot explain the love I feel when I saw you in the ring to help me.

 

The camera pans out again to reveal Elsa looking on with her arms crossed.

 

Elsa: How could this happen to us? Why Aerith go crazy like this?

 

Terra doesn’t respond, still laser-focused on the punching bag. Upon the mention of Aerith, Terra tenses up and her strikes become less precise and more reckless. Every strike is met with an animalistic grunt of rage.

 

Elsa: Terra ...?

 

A concerned Elsa tries to reach out to Terra but her fury doesn’t stop; her grunts eventually turning into yells of rage and the bag reels back further from the punishment. Elsa steps back in fear.

 

The rage doesn’t seem to stop until a clicking sound is heard in the background. Elsa turns to see the source of the sound as Terra finally ceases her assault on the bag.

 

Elsa: Dragana!

Elsa runs over to Dragana, her leg still in a cast and the side of her face stitched up from the brutal attack from Aerith. Dragana releases the crutches, standing on her good leg. Dragana and Elsa wrap each other up in a tight embrace. They release the hug after a few moments and Dragana turns to Terra, Elsa handing her back the crutches.

 

She slowly makes her away over to her, her movements with the crutches rather imprecise due to her lack of experience with them. She finally gets face-to-face with Terra, leaning her crutches against the nearest wall. She looks at the bag, back at Terra, then hugs her, almost losing her balance. A stunned Terra looks back at the bag and sheds a tear. She hugs Dragana tightly, leaning her head on Dragana’s shoulder.

 

Terra: I am so happy to see you, regina tacet.

 

Terra leans her head up and continues to happy cry whilst looking at her two friends. The three united consciously for the first time in months.

 

Terra’s smile fades a bit as she pauses her glance between Dragana and Elsa, seemingly seeing a void that used to be filled with Aerith. Her new friend who had shown her around the Turmoil arena, around the city, and who she thought she could trust.

 

Elsa: Terra, are you okay?

 

Terra: I have never been better.

 

Terra wipes away her tears and begins to unbraid her hair, starting with the left side.

 

Terra: I have never felt such anger. I have never fallen victim to the gusts of rage that I did when I saw Aerith attacking you, Elsa. I am still hurting. My ribs ache with every kick. My head pounds with every thought… but nothing pains me more than the throbbing of my broken heart.

 

Terra continues to unbraid her hair until the left side hangs down past her shoulder, noticeably longer than it has been during the course of her OCW career. She stops, leaving the right side braided up.

 

Terra: I am grateful for both of you being here… A small part of me wishes we could all three compete against Aerith at September 2 Remember… but I understand why it has to be this way. I am going to make her pay for what she did.

 

Elsa and Dragana grow concerned, seeing the look on Terra’s face… Not one they have seen before. One side of Terra’s hair hangs down softly, the other side tightly wound, bunched up, signifying the internal struggle she is having between love and forgiveness… and vengeance.

 

She starts unwrapping the tape from her hands before Dragana places her hand onto Terra’s and looks her in the eyes.

 

Elsa: We both knowing you should be the one to fight, Aerith.

 

She looks over to Dragana who nods in agreement.

 

Elsa: We will be there, backstage, ready to helping you if she try any tricks. But we knowing you can do this. Anything you needing, we are here for you.

 

Dragana: Mmm!

 

Dragana turns to Elsa and flashes a smile in her direction, then turns back to Terra.

 

Terra: My sisters….What would I do without you?

 

Elsa walks up to Dragana and Terra, and the trio engage in a group hug.

[Lotus FloJo]

D'aww