act nine: what defines a dream

There's an old story, some might even call it ancient... and it deals with the eternal rise of the sun and the moon, that endless cycle that has conquered all of Earth's days and Earth's nights. That story that was told of the war between the two, the efforts made to overcome the other, that proud little moon and the boastful giant of a sun. Many years ago, I... I had thought that, when it came to Champion and I, he was to the sun as I was to the moon.

After-all, we had always known the other to be the proverbial yin to our yang, the eternally attached piece to the other person's puzzle. In many ways, mine and Champion's careers would simply be empty, almost meaningless without the other... we have defined in many ways what it is that makes the other person who they are.

We are the sun and the moon, in this business there is no denying it... but only recently did I discover the truth behind that claim.

I had always thought myself to be, between the two, the moon. That small object in the night sky that, despite its shortcomings, found a way to overcome the night and spread light upon the world. It seemed to signify, in many ways, the struggles I'd made just to make it in the industry, to overcome my critics and to finally grow into an acceptance with my fans. I was the straight-man of the companies I worked for, the boy scout who could do no wrong, that kid who had a dream to one day be the hero and, in the end, saw his dream come true.

I once said that there was nothing more a crowd loves than to build up a hero to see him fall. In some ways, yes, I was right... but it was simply because they relied on the hero to rise up yet again. To overcome that obstacle that had stopped him in his tracks, and to put himself back on the right path.

I learned that in time and, perhaps to the chagrin of those growing tired of my do-good ways... I found myself once again. When I came to the NLCW, it was a clean slate, something to break away from my past with. I worked my ass off to get my first title shot, and even though I lost, I never gave up hope... and in my efforts, eventually, I was able to conquer my greatest obstacles. It was a new life for me, one that seemed limitless in its potential.

Anyway, to bring this back to our story before, I had spent so much time pushing myself that, when Champion came to try and reclaim his former throne in the company, I... I honestly wasn't ready for him. When I pushed myself, I prepared for the challenges I knew I was going to face, but Chris... he was someone I'd not fought with in years. How could I know what to expect from him when my only experience against him that ended in a victory had been well over a few years prior?

I honestly thought that I was the moon, that the boastful sun Champion had risen for the day to begin anew in NLCW. He was that bright light in the sky that could blind you if you stared at it for too long, the unstoppable legend I'd have to throw everything against to have any hope of defeating. On that night, I'd predicted that in the war of sun and moon, only one of us would be left to light the world aflame.

I was right.

In the end, Champion had triumphed against me, and at the time we both believed it was a fitting ending to our story together. The sun defeated the moon, things were as they should have been... but, as I said, it was only until recently that I began to realize the truth. You see, on that night?

The sun burnt out against the rising moon.

Between the two of us, it had always been Champion who was the moon, and for reasons entirely different than I had imagined myself to be. I, the real sun, the one who between us seemed to burn brightest when at his strongest... was always persistent when it came to this business of ours. I was never-changing, never-faltering, always there to be relied upon when the time called for it. I was... I was the sun, not because I was the more glorious of the two of us, but because... I was the more reliable.

As for Champion, well... he was the moon because he could take whatever little resources he had to conquer the night sky, and on his best nights... he could dominate it and bring a sense of wonder to the world that watched him. Yet, even after his best was over... Champion still had to go through his cycles, those eternal patterns followed by Christopher Champion in the wake of all success and failure. Be it falling off the wagon and into the bottle, or running away until a more opportune time, or simply partying it up to disguise the insecurities he'd had deep-rooted in his life from how messed-up things had always been for him... Champion went through his lunar cycles.

And when the new moon came, when the company needed him most... he was gone. Leaving the night sky to the stars, Champion faded away for a time, and he...

... he really only returned when the sun managed to catch his eye.

In any event, I... this past Sunday showed me the extent of this war of ours, and of how blinded we can be when the chips are down for either of us. Despite his condition and the concern I'd had for his well-being, I... I had so much hope for his success and survival that I felt comfortable pushing him as hard as I possibly could. I wanted to lose to Champion again-- not because of the familiarity or some stupid misconception of a status quo that, when the records are pulled, simply doesn't exist-- but because losing to Champion meant he was back to his best again, and him being back at his best meant he'd be able to pull himself out of the clutches of his disease.

In the end, I got my wish... Champion beat me, taking advantage of the fact that I'd been in the match for longer and giving me everything he had to ensure I'd gas out quicker. His former confidence returned to him and, for a moment, I'd sworn I could see the life flooding back into him. I just, I... I had so much hope that he would push himself out of this thing, and when he managed to beat me, I... I really was happy.

Less than twenty-four hours later, however, I found myself sitting on a chair in a hospital room, reliving terrible memories and watching as my best friend lay dying before my eyes, knowing that, in the end...

... it was all because of me.