act ten: the final act

"Oh my gosh, you're... you're me! Me in the future, you... oh that is so cool, you're a wrestler, aren't you?!"

The young child had to only be around eight, yet Dominic was more familiar with him than anyone else in his entire life. This boy was the reason Dominic had held onto his dreams for so long, he was the reason Dominic was the kind-of idealistic person he'd became known for... the man with a boyhood dream that had somehow made it into a reality.

"Yeah, I... I'm you," Dominic whispered softly, his eyes lowering, "Or, well... at least I was you, kiddo... but I can't be any more."

Confusion set in the young boy's eyes, as they stared up at his adult self in wonder. The young boy had tried to help his elder self all throughout their lives, tried to keep him focused on the dreams ahead of them, on the success and their family, and...

"Why?" was all that the little boy could ask, not able to comprehend what had gone wrong along the way. He had always done what he could to keep the bad things away from them, he just... he wanted them to be happy, to have everything they ever wanted. The young boy really did believe that these dreams, these stories they'd written together... that they might come true.

"Because, I... see, there's a lot of things in this world that could happen at any minute, and as much as I've prepared for them, I... I never really planned for them, kiddo. You never really let me have that chance."

The boy's eyes filled with tears at the comment... after-all, he was only trying to help him make it out unhurt. To the young boy, everything they'd done together was done with the best of intentions in mind, and not once did they ever let the bad guys of the world stop them along the way.

"You don't have to plan for them! Didn't you read my stories? They... we're okay now! The bad guys are gone, there's no more pain... we can play now, for the rest of our life! We can have a family and we can grow up and be successful and Chris will be there and..."

"No he won't, kid."

Gritting his teeth, Dominic looked off into the darkness and away from his younger self, who stood stunned at the statement still reverberating through the shadows. A silence followed between the two as Dominic attempted to keep himself composed, his younger self's head lowering as he held back tears at the terrible thing he'd said.

"Y-y-yes... yes he will! It... it won't be like Crystal, we... he just has to see a doctor, doctor's make everything better, you know! He can... they can save him, and then we can..."

Dominic smiled softly, turning back to his childhood self.

"I'd like desperately to believe that, kiddo... to think that nothing else could possibly happen, but... it's time for me to move on from that fairytale. He might get better, but reality says he might not, too... and it's time I stop ignoring the things that might be."

Stomping his feet in frustration, the younger Pericolo wiped the tears from his eyes and pointed an accusing finger at the elder Pericolo. He was sniffling, the frustration and disappointment in his eyes evident.

"Stop it! If you say bad things can happen, they will! You should only believe in good, you... you should only ever see the good that's gonna come, darn it!"

For the first time in what felt like forever... a laugh escaped Dominic's lips. It felt good, too... it had built up from deep inside and, as it rose through his throat, brought with it a horde of allies to keep the laughter going. Tears of his own began to form in Dominic's eyes, though for different reasons entirely as the young boy watched on in annoyance, his finger shaking in frustration.

"Stop it! Stop! Why are you laughing, this... I'm not kidding, you know!"

Wiping at his eyes, Dominic tried to force the laughter down; "Sorry," he said, still struggling to push past the amusement that had taken over the grim encounter, "It's just, I... man, I finally see what he meant all along."

An image of Champion's face flashed across Dominic's vision, as the young Pericolo crossed his arms in confusion, wondering what his older self was going on about. Finally, Dominic turned, shaking his head and smiling.

"You really are a boy scout... aren't you?"

His younger self almost looked offended at the notion, a look of denial flashing across his face. Still, before the little guy could even voice out his disagreement... Dominic continued forward.

"The problem here is that I'm not a child anymore, okay? I can't keep running away from the things that hurt me, I can't stay afraid of losing the ones I love. Things happen in this world because it's the natural order, not because my dreams were meant to be shattered... and even if they are shattered, I have to learn to fight beyond that, and make new dreams out of what remains."

He had faced himself, he had faced his loved ones... and now, he would have to face the uncertainty of the future. Maybe Dominic Pericolo wouldn't be able to topple Chris Champion this time. Maybe he would, and Champion would suffer mentally because of it. Or, maybe he would... and Champion would finally see the two of them on equal standing. Who was he to predict how the intertwined stories of two different people would go?

The younger, stubborn, confident Pericolo suddenly seemed so very uncertain about what was going on in front of him. Long ago, he really was the boy scout with a dream he'd stubbornly hold fast to... but that part of him should have faded long ago. The fact that it had taken this long to break free was travesty enough.

Dominic couldn't help but laugh... Champion always did call him a little emo child. Finally, after all these years... Dominic was able to see exactly what Champion saw when he said those very words.

"The dreams of my past have already came true, kiddo... I saw things through on that end. Now it's time I focus on these new dreams, and accept my past for what it is... and for what it's given me. As for Champion, well... yes, he's dying, but... we all are in the end. It's not fair, it isn't right, but... so long as he's here, wishing nothing more than for another fight, I can't help but give it to him."

The child was beginning to fade away now, almost desperate to escape this reality he was too afraid to face... and that was okay for Dominic. He wouldn't let the child in him ever die, but... when it came to how he lived his life, there were changes that had to be made, without the child there to intervene. It would be nice to have his own legs back for a change, rather than let some child use them to run away from all the problems he could have faced long ago.

Turning away from the child, Dominic stared out towards the single, beautiful pin of light breaking through the bleak darkness that had surrounded him now for far too long throughout these years.

"There it is," he whispered, smiling softly to himself. Ever since his return to the NLCW, he had been searching for the very thing now growing before his very eyes... to that one point of light left in the darkness of a dying home.

The dawn of a new beginning... of a new chapter in this seemingly endless story that was his life, and the life of the NLCW, and, hell, even the lives of every man and woman within that beloved place.

For some, it was the dawn of their end times... for others it was the dawn of something entirely brand new to them. The dawn of a clean slate, or perhaps one still left with more accomplishments to fill in it... whatever the case may be, that point of light signified something great still awaiting them, somewhere in the future.

Something to reach for against all the invariables waiting to try and tear that greatness away from them. Anything may happen, and anything would... but there was nothing wrong with holding strong to the hope that, despite all the darkness... one point of light may still shine through it all.

"I'm ready for you, Champion..." Dominic smiled, stepping forward, "... sorry I kept you waiting all this time."

An uncertain future awaited the hero named Dominic Pericolo, but he knew what it would take of him to see it through. In the case of his match with Chris Champion, for example... well, in the immortal words of Woody Harrelson...

... it was time to nut up, or shut up.