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[h3][color=1E90FF][u][b]Level 9 Terry Bogard[/b][/u][/color][/h3]
[sub][color=1E90FF][b]EXP :[/b][/color] 69/90 (+3 pts.)
[color=1E90FF][b]Location :[/b][/color] Some Alleyway, Esaka’s Mid Tier
[color=1E90FF][b]Word Count :[/b][/color] 1,777[/sub]

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Terry gave an ear, as Yayama recalled everything that she saw in that moment, a comforting hand still lingering on her shoulder. He couldn’t believe it. Everything that she told him—the trauma, the fright, the losses, the destruction of the world she once knew and gave her life for—closely mirrored most of the events he’d gone through up to his inclusion to the World of Light. It was both eerie and reassuring in a way. At least, now he knew that what he told the grieving knight was true. Both of them were [b]never[/b] alone.

[color=1E90FF]“Oh, Gosh… That’s… horrible. I– I’m sorry,”[/color] he told Yayama, pensively lowering his gaze. His sky-blue eyes fell upon his soiled sneakers, tears of the gloomy rain clouds cascading out of his cap’s brim. [color=1E90FF]“’Least you tried, y’know. You’d done your best, despite the outcome. Back in my previous life, I… couldn’t even bother. Well, at least, at first. When Geese, Krauser, and Laocorn were dealt with, all I cared for was seeking the thrill of the bout, thinking that each and every global threat happening from one KOF tourney to another had been taken care of, with or without me. I thought, as long as South Town was safe, I shouldn’t think too deeply into matters that I had no business takin’ care of. But then…”[/color] His voice stifled, lips clenching firmly. He drew the evening’s cold air again, taking a moment to toughen himself up for what he was about to reveal to her next. [color=1E90FF]“Some shady syndicate called NESTS held a KOF tournament in South Town, and then… the unthinkable happened. They blew the entire city, leaving it completely devastated. It was the greatest tragedy in our city, and despite my efforts, I didn’t get to save everyone. Took us about three years to rebuild the city from scratch, and just when things were about to get better for all of us, our enemies collaborated. They set us up, killed every single one of us till… I was the only fighter left battling alone. They singlehandedly destroyed our world that day. Then came Galeem, the World of Light was made, and… South Town was no more. And just a couple of years into my second life, the people I loved were… taken away from me one by one, vanishing into thin air just like that. I’ve never quite forgiven myself for all that happened.”[/color]

As they talked, one particular name caught the blonde’s attention. Not that he knew who she was, frankly, but the fact that the lalafell kept bringing that name into their conversation. He thought Petra must’ve been somebody who meant the world to Yayama—whether a relative, a close friend, or even a significant other. She seemed to regard her quite highly when she started recalling all the past events that led her to this world, most particularly Esaka. The way she described their relationship, it was obvious that she had a deep emotional connection with the fellow warrior of her world—the same kind of emotional connection that he developed with Lily, Sulia, and finally, Mary.

[color=1E90FF]“Hey, you seem to have fond memories of this Petra fella you’ve been talking about, despite, y’know, all the traumatic events that you both had gone through,”[/color] Terry remarked, tilting his head to the side. Abruptly, the memories of his significant others came flooding into his head, especially ones that he made with his first love. [color=1E90FF]“Now, I dunno whether she was your sister or close bud or girlfriend, but if she was the latter, then, welp, I just wanna say that… I can relate. Perfectly, actually. I’ve been in a relationship with three different girls on separate occasions, though neither of them ended up the way we intended. Not that we’d never gotten to make it work, frankly, it’s just that… tragedy had always found its way to all the girls I loved one way or another. It broke me the hardest when the worst happened to my first love…”[/color]

Then, as he went ahead, the brawny blonde reached the back pocket of his jeans, then pulled something out of it, revealing a shriveled picture of a charming, verdant-haired lady he’d kept for dozens of years.
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[color=1E90FF]“Her name was Lily. Lily McGuire,”[/color] he introduced to Yayama. [color=1E90FF]“She was my heart, my first love, and the girl of my dreams. It’d been long since the night I lost her, but sometimes, I found it hard to bring myself to just… move on and keep goin’. Y’know, normally, when you lose somebody you hold the closest to your heart, everyone will just tell you to move on and let the past stay in the past. ‘That’s what she’d want,’ they said, ‘you don’t wanna make her feel bad up there.’ And just hearing all that shit, I can’t help but… smile, y’know. Smile because why’d I wanna forget the woman who brought so much joy to my life, anyway? She’s the woman who taught me how to love, taught me to show compassion and look after the little ones. But most importantly…”[/color] He stifled his mouth, failing to fight back the tears that’d started to well the moment he stumbled upon Yayama. He sniffed, then wiped them out of the corners of his eyes. [color=1E90FF]“She’s… the woman who sacrificed her life just so my friends and I are safe. Still to this day, I can’t ever shake the guilt of not being able to save my sweetheart from Geese. We’re talkin’ about me, the same multi-time KOF champ who can punch through a wall and beat a friggin’ fire god with bare hands, yet… I couldn’t make it in time to prevent her from falling head first to the ground.”[/color]

His face dropped, his voice lowering until it trailed off. Whenever he talked about Lily or any of his lovers, he couldn’t help but feel… blue, inwardly blaming himself for being incapable of saving them. It was true that there were still hopes for Mary, but even then, seeing that Rugal might’ve been involved, he wasn’t too sure if he’d be able to find his darling in one piece. It’d been a whole year, after all. She’d never kept in touch with him like she’d promised him since the moment she went to investigate their friends’ whereabouts. 

Truly, this new, complicated world had roughed Terry up, now that he thought about it. And just when the thread was finally unraveled, he’d found himself—yet again—overwhelmed by the additional elaboration that Cap gave him earlier at the Banishing Flats. Even now, it still baffled him that each and everyone of them was only given a decade left to live—no matter if they were deities or mere mortals like him. Even worse, knowing that they were only mere clones of one another, and when one of them died, they’d either be replaced or have their spirits claimed like the Robert before the Robert of the present day. While the brawny blonde had no fear of getting replaced by a better, stronger successor, he didn’t seem to entertain the notion that his clones were nothing but mere pawns that Galeem could toy with, given that they’d still have their memories suppressed. It couldn’t help when, according to Cap, there was a Terry that came before him who died for reasons he was yet to learn. Perhaps, even death adored him just as much as it did the women of his life.

[color=1E90FF]“Life’s cruel, don’t you think? I gotta admit, sometimes, I even thought of quitting when the going got a little too tough, but hey, we can’t just give up, can we? Not when the whole world’s countin’ on us,”[/color] Terry encouraged, a smile finally playing by his lips. [color=1E90FF]“We’re champs, bud. The Seekers of Light. And as long as Galeem’s still here, we better continue fighting, or else, we’re losin’ more than we already did. Dunno how long you’ve been stayin’ here in Esaka, though. Bet you’ve heard lots of peeps in higher tiers telling you that they see no prob in the system at all, but trust me, it’s always been anything but fair. The tier system’s just… depressing. I feel especially sad for all the guys back in the Low Tier. I thought they deserved better than living in shabby places and being treated like garbage. So, yeah, cheer up, alright? We’re never too late to start a big change! It ain’t just about us, but about [b]them[/b], too.”[/color]

After all, when Terry began his journey before the merging of the worlds, he acted as a figure who—directly or indirectly—fought against the system. By defeating Geese, he’d also fought the corruption that’d been plaguing South Town since its inception, making it a better place for all its residents to live in. If he had to do it again with Rugal just to bring changes to Esaka, then so be it. Despite the consequences, he knew it was worth the try, eventually.

When the lalafell finally introduced herself to him, Terry pushed his bandaged hand away from her shoulder, offering a handshake. [color=1E90FF]“Okay, nice knowin’ you, Yayama! Or should I call you ‘Yaya’?”[/color] he asked, giggling. He always had a tendency to shorten somebody’s name. [color=1E90FF]“Aww, sick! That’s a badass nickname you got there! You’ve probably heard it already, but the name’s Terry. Terry Bogard. I’m nothin’ much, really, despite the nicknames. Just a silly goober and a fighter next door.”[/color] He shrugged, his voice lacking hints of irony. [color=1E90FF]“And don’t feel bad about crackin’ out a bit. I’ve probably done it worse. It ain’t so good to hold emotions like that for too long, y’know.”[/color]

At long last, the rain came to a halt, paving way for the setting sun to reappear among the reddish clouds. It was such an eye-catching view now that he looked at it—both uplifting and awespiring, even. Simple things like this always reminded Terry that—despite his hardships—there’ll always be a better tomorrow waiting for him. While he mused and admired the view, suddenly, an idea came to his mind. The brawny blonde glanced back at Yayama, all while picking his dampened cap and squeezing the liquid out of it. 

[color=1E90FF]“Y’know, I was thinking, since you ain’t feelin’ so well, want me to treat you to dinner?”[/color] he offered, then sported his cap back around his golden head, prior raindrops still seeping through its crimson fabric. [color=1E90FF]“That’s the best way I can think of to maybe make my new pal feel a bit better. I know the best places around here where we can just relax, hang out, and eat. And who knows? Maybe along the way, we can train together for our respective tournaments tomorrow. Whaddaya say, Yaya?”[/color]

[b]FIN.[/b]